CMAAs the annual CMA Fest special premieres tonight on ABC, Blake Shelton is looking back on that whirlwind week in June, during which he also welcomed his Ole Red honky tonk to Nashville.

A new YouTube video follows a couple of busy days in the life of the country superstar, as he leaves his Ten Point Ranch in Tishomingo, Oklahoma via private plane, with a tumbler of Smithworks vodka in hand.

This crowd is electric during CMA Fest week, he observes. Its always when the hardest, hardcore country music fans are in this town. Its chaos and I love it!

Along the way, youll see Blake co-hosting the Today show from Ole Red with Hoda Kotb, and catch a glimpse of Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Sugarland and Rascal Flatts. Blake also shares an acoustic snippet of a profanity-filled song that he claims once got him banned from the famed Tootsies Orchid Lounge in downtown Nashville.

Blake performs his most recent hit, I Lived It, Wednesday night on the three-hour CMA Fest musical extravaganza on ABC. You can preview his performance on YouTube, in advance of the shows 8 p.m. ET premiere tonight.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  Senator Grace Poe has proposed some measures to protect journalists and other media practitioners from harassment, physical intimidation and violence.

During the Senate hearing on media killings Wednesday, Poe, who is chairman of the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, said there was a need to push for media workers' benefits, such as hazard pay and insurance.

"Dapat meron talagang hazard insurance ang ating mga miyembro ng media. Minsan delikado na rin yung trabaho at dapat tanggalin dun sa tinatawag nilang enemy of the state ang branding ng media organizations. Hindi talaga dapat yun. It goes against the principle of democracy if, first of all, you target media practitioners and you label them as enemies of the state," Poe said.

[Translation: Members of the media should really have hazard insurance. The job can be dangerous, and calling them enemies of the state should be done away with. It goes against the principle of democracy if, first of all, you target media practitioners and you label them enemies of the state.]

Poe also asked the government to set up a dedicated hotline where media workers could report threats.

The Senator filed Senate Resolution No. 820, directing her committee to find feasible ways and means to provide standardized social protection mechanisms such as health and accident insurance to the media.

There were also proposals to make the Presidential Task Force on Media Security independent.

"Ang hinihingi natin dito sa Presidential Task Force on Media ay dapat magkaroon sila, unang-una, ng designated number na pag merong banta sa media ay matatawagan. Pangalawa, na ang kanilang composition ay hindi lamang mga opisyal ng gobyerno. Dapat meron talagang miyembro ng legitimate media organizations na uupo sa board," the Senator said.

[Translation:What we are asking from the Presidential Task Force on Media is there should be, first of all, a designated number to call should the media receive threats. Secondly, that they be composed not only of government officials. The board should have members from legitimate media organizations.]

Latest reports shown at the hearing revealed that the country came in second to Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists in the world.
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STATEN ISLAND,N.Y. -- Overheard at Scott LoBaido's "Trump supporter" gathering Tuesday in Meier's Corners: "The liberals brought down the rain, but we're here to stay!"

An intimate gathering of about two-dozen rallied around the artist's new 20-foot-tall "Trump 2020" installation, erected on the lawn of Louie Liquori's home on the corner of Harris and Westwood avenues.

"I love all his work; I have a ton of his paintings inside my house," Liquori said. "This is what I say to people who come to see this: No matter your political opinion, let's put America first. Fly your flag."

BTW: This may be his most huge yet, as his infamous Trump "T" stood 12-foot-tall. (Also: Notice the cutout of a crying Robert De Niro in what looks like a Queen Elizabeth costume on the far right? LoBaido said it's just a "little old lady.")

Potential vandals beware: Liquori has multiple 24-hour security cameras lining his property.

"I don't want a repeat of last time," LoBaido said, recalling when his "T" was lit on fire in 2016. There also is a black gate surrounding the "2020" display.

Due to heavy rains, the group of Trump supporters dispersed after about an hour. When asked if his creation can withstand the rain, LoBaido said "This isn't going anywhere."

When one onlooker drove past the installation saying "We need to get [the president] over here to take a picture," LoBaido replied "We're working on it."

Known for his paintings of Old Glory across America, LoBaido's press release for Tuesday's event proudly touts this status: "Always an outsider from the super left, intolerant art world, LoBaido is hated by the players in the arts community because of his pro-American, conservative art and activism."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An autistic New Dorp man's outing to see his favorite band in concert in New Jersey was ruined when he was allegedly assaulted by a Brooklyn man.

Elliot Braha allegedly struck 24-year-old Ryan Morales at the REO Speedwagon concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on July 29, according to Morales' parents, who brought him to the concert to see his favorite band.

An employee at the Holmdel Municipal Court confirmed charges were filed against Braha in relation to an incident at the PNC Bank Arts Center, but declined to provide further information about the nature of the charges.

Online court records confirmed Braha was arrested on a simple assault charge in relation to an incident that occurred July 29.

Holmdel police did not respond to a request for comment.

Leonardo Morales, Ryan's father, said he was sitting a few seats away from his dancing wife, Frances, and son in the fifth row of the concert venue when the family started dancing.

He said a man a few rows back, who he identified as Braha, took exception to his son's dancing.

"Ryan, with his autism, doesn't ask for much, but he loves two things," Morales said. "He loves his momma and he loves music, and REO Speedwagon is like a special band to him."

The man went to where the Morales' were sitting with an usher to ask them to sit, according to the father. With most of the crowd dancing, the family declined to meet the request, Morales said.

He then went back to his seat, but Morales said he noticed a few songs later that the man had moved to sit right behind his son. Shortly after that, the man punched Ryan from behind and pulled his hair, the father alleged.

Morales then went to get security, but when he returned, the man had moved his seat again. Security staff retrieved the man, and took him and Morales for questioning.

The police were eventually called, and placed Braha in custody after taking statements from multiple people in the section, Morales said.

Morales missed the rest of the REO Speedwagon set while talking to police, and his wife and son were so upset that the family decided to leave before the concert was over.

Braha declined to comment on the arrest when reached by phone Thursday night. He is due in court on Aug. 22, according to court records.

Morales reached out to Live Nation -- the company that put on the concert -- and REO Speedwagon.

Live Nation offered the family a full refund, and REO Speedwagon offered them replacement tickets to their Friday show at Jones Beach.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The largest mattress retailer in the country, Mattress Firm, is considering filing for bankruptcy and may close some of its stores, according to published reports.

Reuters first reported the retailer is looking to shut down some of its 3,000 stores that are losing money.

The report comes as Mattress Firm's South African owner, Steinhoff International Holdings, is working on a deal to restructure debt for the mattress chain. Steinhoff acquired Mattress Firm for $3.8 billion in 2016.

Mattress Firm is the latest retailer facing struggles in the wake of increasing competition from online vendors and websites that deliver mattresses to homes with free trials, such as Leesa and Casper.

Sources told Reuters that Mattress Firm hasn't made any final decisions, and its plans could change.

Mattress Firm acquired HMK Mattress Holdings LLC, the parent company of Sleepy's, in 2016 for $780 million and rebranded the shops to Mattress Firm.

Houston-based Mattress Firm is the country's first and only border-to-border, coast-to-coast specialty bedding retailer with more than 3,000 stores across 49 states.

The retailer offers a broad selection of mattresses and bedding accessories from leading manufacturers and brand names such as Serta and Simmons.

Mattress Firm lost Tempur Sealy International Inc. -- the maker of popular Tempur-Pedic mattresses -- as a supplier last year.

There are seven Mattress Firm locations on Staten Island: 2865 Richmond Ave., Heartland Village; 2626 Hylan Blvd., New Dorp; 1445 Richmond Ave., Bulls Head; 3896 Richmond Ave., Eltingville; 1539 Forest Ave., Westerleigh; 1462 Hylan Blvd., Dongan Hills; and 2945 Veterans Road West second floor, Charleston.

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Police are searching for Jane Marshall, 64, reported missing from her home in Oakwood.
NEW YORK -- A Bangladeshi immigrant charged in a failed pipe bombing in the New York subway system told a prison guard and a law enforcement officer after his arrest that "more is coming," prosecutors said Tuesday.

Akayed Ullah, 28, was the only person seriously hurt when the bomb went off Dec. 11 in a corridor linking subways under Manhattan's Port Authority bus terminal.

In court papers, prosecutors revealed what they described as unprompted statements Ullah made to law enforcement officers about the attack.

Three days after the bomb partially exploded, Ullah repeatedly warned a law enforcement officer that "more is coming" and urged the officer to "think who will come after me," prosecutors said.

A week later, Ullah began chanting "more is coming" to a guard at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, prosecutors said. They added that he then told the officer: "You started this war, we will finish it. More is coming, you'll see."

The statements were revealed in papers filed in Manhattan federal court as the government disputed a claim made last month by defense lawyers that the last of six counts in an indictment must be dismissed.

The count -- using and carrying a destructive device to further the crimes of violence charged in the first five counts -- carries the potential for a mandatory 30-year prison sentence that must be served in addition to any sentence related to other counts.

Defense lawyers argued that the charge requires that a bomb be used to further a separate crime of violence. They maintained there was no separate crime of violence.

Authorities have said Ullah, who has pleaded not guilty, taunted President Donald Trump on Facebook before the attack. The Republican president later demanded tightened immigration rules.

Prosecutors said Ullah told investigators after his arrest that he wanted to avenge U.S. aggression toward the Islamic State group and had chosen a busy weekday morning to attack so he could terrorize as many people as possible. The pipe bomb never fully exploded.

Authorities say Ullah's radicalization began in 2014 when he started viewing materials online, including a video instructing Islamic State supporters to carry out attacks in their homelands.

His trial is scheduled to start Oct. 29.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police apprehended a South Beach man last month who was wanted for a sexual assault in Connecticut, authorities said.

Gionni Scaltro, 37, was arrested at his Olympia Boulevard home on July 26 on a fugitive warrant issued by Connecticut police, said an NYPD spokesman.

On June 24, Greenwich police received a complaint about an alleged sexual assault and the investigation led to probable cause for an arrest, according to Lt. John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department.

The details of the incident were not available.

Scaltro is charged with felony sex assault, unlawful restraint, threatening and breach of peace, Slusarz said.

Connecticut authorities picked up Scaltro at the Staten Island Courthouse Tuesday and extradited him back to Connecticut, according to court records.

The suspect was later released on $75,000 bail following a court hearing, said the lieutenant.

Scaltro is due back in court Wednesday.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Brooklyn man accused of trying to set a Bulls Head gas station ablaze last week was indicted Wednesday in his hospital bed on attempted arson and other charges.

Fakrol Islam, 26, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, said his lawyer Yan Katsnelson.

"My office is doing a full investigation into the events of the case and my client's psychiatric history," said Katsnelson, who did not comment further.

Police said Islam was caught on surveillance video starting the fire at the 7-Eleven on Victory Boulevard near the intersection of Richmond Avenue around 1:50 a.m. on July 30.

The footage, from two cameras, shows a man attired in a white long-sleeve shirt and dark shorts exiting a minivan that had just pulled up to a gas pump. The man leaves the frame, then returns carrying a red cannister.

He pours gasoline into the receptacle, douses the ground, lights a white piece of cloth or paper, and sets it on the gasoline puddles.

The ground erupts into flames, sending the man stumbling backward. Both shoes or sandals the man is wearing ignite, and he kicks them off, the footage shows.

He then fled the scene, said police.

Police could not provide a motive, but said Islam went into the store to buy the canister.

Islam, who apparently suffered burn injuries, was arrested on Aug. 2 in upstate Buffalo, said Katsnelson.

Another customer who was filling up his vehicle was injured in the blaze.

Gerard Lara, 21, told NBC his first reaction was to duck down behind the car. Once on the ground, he was overcome by smoke and the fire-suppression substance that was discharged and was unable to breathe.

Lara said he managed to make his way inside the store, where he began spitting and coughing up blood.

He suffered some internal bleeding and hurt his lungs but admitted that it could have been worse.

"I could've died," he said, according to the report.

Katsnelson, the lawyer, said Islam was charged with attempted second- and third-degree arson, assault, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.

State Supreme Court Mario F. Mattei, who presided over the arraignment, set bail at $250,000 bond or $150,000 cash.

Islam remains hospitalized.

He was ordered to appear in court on Aug. 17 for a conference.
With warmer summer weather in Norway the water temps in the lakes at the 2018 Rockman SwimRun were relatively mild, but rain and fog made conditions tough for all starters. They however had come from across the globe to Norway to experience this unique event and a memorable experience was delivered.

You are either all in, or you are better off hunting for PRs in a different sport. SwimRun events can be very challenging indeed, but they also are very rewarding. That being said, not all SwimRun races are created equal. Rockman however is tough and on the bucket list of many seasoned athletes who are looking for new adventures.

Just as in the unique Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, athletes who want to experience Rockman are taken to the start of the race on a boat and then launch into the water.

Athletes then swim to a cove and that is where the race starts.

Who would not want to swim in this beautiful part of nature? It could be warmer, but maybe that would take away from this challenge.

Climbing prowess comes in handy in various sections at Rockman, and folks afraid of heights might also want to consider other events.

Americans Paul Geist and Amy Carver are surely all in here and they ended up in 4th place in the mixed division.

With full focus on the trail ahead Kevin Meisel and Sandy MacLean (Slow and Steady) lead Anton Mattson and Andreas Wallin (Syltryggarna) down this tricky descent.

The mixed team of Simon Borjeson and Marika Wagner took charge of the race right away and won the 2018 Rockman Swimrun in 7:20:55 with a 34 minute advantage over the first male team.

Not all descents were tricky, but full attention was still required.

A last glance at the partner to make sure all systems are a go and then swim, swim and swim.

Fog rolled in later but Martin Belak and Thomas Unssgard were undeterred. The finished 10th in the male division.

The women's race was very tight but in the end Jenny Rice and Catherine Slater prevailed in a time of 9:04:51. Vilde Tengesdal and Karen Magnussen were second in 9:12:53, and Mona Nilsson and Jenny Ramkrans were third in 9:19:01.

Martin Nilsson and Gustaf Traff are performing a bit of a balancing act on the way to their next swim. They finished in 9:20:35 and that was 18th place in the male division.

A good partner also comes in handy when a rear zipped wetsuit requires a bit of attention. Roka is however rumored to be working on a SwimRun specific suit.

Erik Vik and Wenche Kvven finished second in the mixed division and 8th overall with a time of 8:35:52.

This very memorable section features 4,444 steps - or possibly a few more. And it comes late in the race.

A big smile, but there is still a long way to go.

Americans Dan Kimball and Marcus Barton finished second in the male division

The overall winning mixed team of Simon Bjoreson and Marika Wagner put on an impressive show at Rockman.

Paddles are not required, and some teams indeed opt to race with out them. This team however had paddles of the carbon variety.





Al images courtesy Rockman SwimRun
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Photo: File photo

The cost of electricity is staying the same for the rest of the calendar year.

The B.C. Utilities Commission approved FortisBCs request to maintain 2017 electricity rates in 2018. An interim rate, which was the 2017 price, was put in place until BCUC made its decision.

Were pleased our customers will see no change to their electricity rates this year, FortisBCs vice-president of regulatory affairs, Diane Roy, said in a press release. Keeping rates as low as possible is always a priority for us, and this years results reflect the success weve had in reducing costs while continuing to make necessary system improvements.

Fortis says its rates are below average when compared to other North American cities, even though it has invested more than $1 billion in system upgrade projects since taking over the utility in 2004. The cost of these past projects is now absorbed into rates through smaller, annual increments that ensure the investments are recovered over the life of the upgrades.
Photo: Twitter

The winner of the 2018 Honda Celebration of Light has been announced, with South Korea claiming the crown.

It was the country's first time presenting at the event this past Saturday night in Vancouver, following performances earlier in the week by South Africa and Sweden.

South Korea was represented by Daehan Fireworks Co. Judges were impressed by the team's timing and sync throughout their show, plus their novel effects and pure size of the show.

Councillor Raymond Louie of the City of Vancouver was one of the judges, and called the show "intense."

"We thank Daehan Fireworks Co. for their performance at this years festival and congratulate them on their thrilling win this year," he said.

More than 1.2 million spectators packed Vancouver's beaches over the course of this year's festival, which celebrated its 28th year.

Paul Tilbury and Heather Owen, co-chairs of the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society, offered their thanks for another successful year.

"Were already looking forward to next year! they said in a release.

This year, each team incorporated the theme of love into their show, a theme voted on by the public.

The People's Choice Award winner, decided by the public, will be announced later on Tuesday.
It is a convenient coincidence that two iconic businesses, both damaged and destabilised by the tide of scandals flowing through the financial services sector, should report their financial results on the same day.

Within the internal settings and external contexts of the Commonwealth Bank and AMP results issued on Wednesday, however, there are important differences as well as commonalities.

Both have been destabilised. CBA "lost" a CEO and most of his direct reports. AMP lost its chair, its CEO and most of its incumbent directors.

Both face heavy "one-off" and ongoing costs from the fallout of their misconduct, exposed both within the royal commission and, in CBAs case, also outside it.
Suncorp is joining the flood of Australian financial institutions quitting the local life insurance sector, saying the business failed to hit its targets for profitability and was best owned by a foreign company with lower return hurdles.

In its full-year results on Thursday, Suncorp flagged that it would offload its life business for $725 million to Japan's TAL Dai-ichi Life and return $600 million of that to shareholders.

Suncorp is selling off its life insurance arm.

Chief executive Michael Cameron said it was "very, very hard" to deliver the returns its shareholders expected in life insurance, with return on equity (ROE) in the sector well below its group-wide targets.

Our target is around that 10 per cent ROE across the group and it would be returning probably half that, Mr Cameron said. The ideal owners of these are probably foreign companies with low cost of capital.
The Commonwealth Bank claims it has stripped more than $100 million worth of remuneration from its employees over the past two financial years in response to a year riddled with scandal.

And the hip pockets that got hit the hardest were, of course, in the banks executive suite.

Executive pay outcomes for our current and former executives have been directly impacted by the Austrac settlement and the findings of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authoritys (APRA) Prudential Inquiry Report into CBA, said former Lend Lease boss and now head of the CBA board's remuneration committee, Sir David Higgins, in the bank's remuneration report.

Catherine Livingstone says she was confronted by the APRA report into the bank's culture Credit:Brook Mitchell

Higgins wielded the razor on behalf of his chairman Catherine Livingstone who assured shareholders that the APRA report findings were reflected in remuneration consequences for current and past executives".
Qantas faces the prospect of a public campaign and shareholder agitation designed to pressure it into no longer transporting and deport asylum seekers and refugees for the Australian government.

A powerful coalition of activists has taken aim at the airline for facilitating an immigration system which they point out has been widely criticised by human rights groups, but enjoys bipartisan political support.

Qantas and Virgin Australia are in the sights of human rights activists. Credit:Louie Douvis

The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service will meet Qantas on Friday to discuss their concerns that Qantas risks being complicit in returning asylum seekers to persecution or harm, or exposing them to human rights violation by transferring them between points of indefinite detention.

Various international authorities recognise that the Australian system for assessing and processing claims for asylum doesnt meet international standards," said the ACCR's executive director Brynn OBrien.
Loading Hours after the halt began, Innate's chief executive sent an email to the board of directors, including Collins, announcing that the trial had failed. "I have bad news to report," the email began. Collins, who was at a picnic for congressional families at the White House, replied: "Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???" Over the next 15 minutes, his phone rang hot. He made four phone calls to his son Cameron, and his son made three calls back to him, the indictment says.

The first six calls were missed however the last call, at 7.16pm, lasted six minutes. In it, Collins "conveyed... non-public information... knowing that he was in breach of his duties and anticipating that Cameron Collins would use it to trade and tip others," the indictment alleges. The trial failure was "devastating information," Berman said. "Congressman Collins had an obligation, a legal duty to keep that information secret until that information was released by the company to the public. But he didn't keep it secret. Instead, as alleged, he decided to commit a crime. He placed his family and his friends above the public good." Collins did not trade his own stocks, which were held in Australia and subject to the trading halt. He was also already under investigation by the Congressional Ethics Office.

Chris Collins (on left) at the congressional picnic on the White House south lawn on June 22, the event at which he allegedly engaged in insider trading. Credit:Instagram/RepChrisCollins However, his son sold his US-based stocks, disposing of 1.39 million shares over three days before the June 27 announcement that the drug trial had failed. After the 7.16 pm call from his father, Cameron Collins and his fiance drove to Zarksy's house, arriving at 9.17pm. At 9.34pm, Zarsky's wife allegedly called their broker with instructions to sell their shares. (Zarsky also allegedly tipped off his brother, his sister, and a close friend, who had all invested in Innate.) Loading At a brief arraignment in New York on Wednesday, Collins, his son and Zarsky entered not guilty pleas. All three had bail set at $US500,000.

Innate Immunotherapeutics said in a statement on Thursday that it was not under investigation. The company said it had cooperated fully with requests for information from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). "The Company and its directors/officers (excepting Mr. Collins) are not under investigation," the statement said. "The Company considers the ongoing investigation to be a private matter to Mr. Collins." It said Collins retired as a director of Innate in early May and was no longer involved with the governance of the company. Collins released a short statement on Twitter saying: "The charges being brought against me are meritless and I intend to fight to clear my name. I will continue to work hard for the people of #NY27 and earn your vote this November." In a short statement on Wednesday night, Collins said he first invested in Innate 15 years ago when the company was working towards an HIV cure. It was one of several companies he invested in, part of a track record of supporting, and turning around, struggling businesses and public agencies.

Innate later changed its mission to finding a cure for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis which, he said, affected a close family member. By mid-2017, he had recommended the company to friends, colleagues and relatives. The Daily Beast reported that almost 30 per cent of Innate was owned by Collins or his associates including his two children, four campaign donors, and his chief of staff, and six Republican congressman. Republican Congressman Chris Collins (right) pictured with Donald Trump. Collins has been arrested by the FBI. Credit:AP "Without my investments and steadfast financial support, the company would have gone under," he said on Wednesday. "Of all the things I wanted to accomplish in my life, finding a cure for secondary progressive MS was at the top of my list. After years of blood, sweat and tears we firmly believed we were on the verge of a medical breakthrough." Collins didn't address allegations of tipping off his son. He said he lost millions because he didn't sell his own shares.

"That's ok, that's the risk I took," he said. "I may have lost most of my money I invested... but I took the chance to bring relief to those who deal with the dreadful disease." Collins, 68, has been one of the Trump's most ardent and outspoken supporters in the House. He has also very publicly boasted of his ties to the President and the benefits he could bestow. Reporters overheard him near the House floor earlier this year talking on the phone and proclaiming he'd created millionaires in his home town of Buffalo through a stock tip.
I would initially focus on Wollongong, Ipswich, Newcastle, Geelong and the Sunshine Coast (let's call them the WINGS innovation network). Thats not to say innovation clusters in other states and territories are unimportant or that smaller regional centres do not deserve government support. Or that there are not dangers in governments trying to pick innovation-city winners. But the focus of WINGS  each potentially a strong innovation cluster  is about supporting population decentralisation efforts from south-east Queensland to southern Victoria. The WINGS strategy would require tiers of government and key stakeholders in those cities, such as regional universities, collaborating to create a powerful, branded innovation network: one that has the scale to encourage budding entrepreneurs to leave the capitals.

WINGS cities were chosen for five reasons. First, each is within two hours of an east coast capital, and history shows great innovation clusters often form an hour or so out of large cities; the cluster is far enough away to encourage collaboration but close enough to access cities. Also, its easier to encourage city-born entrepreneurs to move to nearby regional cities so they still have reasonable access to family, friends and their urban networks. Second, each WINGS city has excellent university infrastructure. A strong regional university is central to regional innovation clusters. It develops local workforce skills and is often the central node in regional innovation/entrepreneurship efforts. As an aside, Im impressed with the work of the universities of Wollongong, Newcastle and other regional universities in driving local innovation. Its a shame we mostly only hear from city-based Sandstone universities: several smaller universities are doing fantastic work and deeply understand their role in facilitating regional economic transformation. They deserve more government support for their innovation/entrepreneurship work.

The third factor is growth. Each WINGS city has strong projected population growth over the next two decades. Higher property and living costs will encourage the trend, well under way, of more people in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane moving to regional centres. Ipswich in south-east Queensland, for example, is projected to have more than 430,000 residents by 2036 and Geelong more than 320,000. These and other WINGS cities will need many more jobs and thus many large and small employers. Current innovation activity is the fourth factor. The WINGS cities have many innovation initiatives under way. With well-targeted government support, these networks could multiply, attracting and supporting more entrepreneurs who relocate from the city and build local ventures. Necessity entrepreneurship is the fifth factor. I chose the WINGS cities because each needs to transform its economy. Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong and Ipswich were affected by the downturn in traditional manufacturing and needed to change. The Sunshine Coast for many years has needed to diversify its economic base and is doing good things in innovation and start-up entrepreneurship. The WINGS concept has several potential benefits. Unifying innovation clusters in these cities provides a starting point for co-ordinated support, collaboration and funding.

We should ask: what is needed from federal and state governments, local councils, regional universities and industry to create five great innovation clusters outside the capital cities in the next decade? How can WINGS cities work together to strengthen their competitive position in attracting budding business from the capitals? How can a tech entrepreneur in Geelong be connected to a peer company in Wollongong? Can campaigns to attract start-ups in WINGS cities be co-ordinated to increase their reach and minimise cost? Loading Could there be a common financial incentive to attract start-ups to WINGS cities? For example, a $10,000 state government grant for eligible high-growth start-ups that relocate to the regions and free office space at a council co-working facility for a year? How can regional universities collaborate on entrepreneurship research and teaching in WINGS cities? How can regional start-up incubators and accelerators form a co-ordinated support network across the six cities?

How could an innovation/start-up network in WINGS cities be connected to entrepreneurship clusters in Australian capital cities and global markets? Most of all, how can the benefits of WINGS cities be promoted to emerging ventures in capital cities? We must create a mindset that great entrepreneurial ventures can be launched and grown in the regions, and that its a great time to do so. The WINGS idea is unlikely to happen, of course  its too much hard work for governments. Instead, 95 per cent of start-ups will launch in capital cities and thats where the bulk of new knowledge-based jobs will form. With jobs growth comes population growth and further capital-city overcrowding and congestion. Sadly, the opportunity for regional innovation to fly in the digital economy will be lost if most start-ups cannot think beyond the capital cities for their launch pad.
It gives his story about a doomed love affair spanning a decade and straddling the Iron Curtain an air of both nostalgia and chilliness thats in keeping with its themes of separation, longing and jazzy cool.

Polish-born, British-based Pawel Pawlikowski repeats the stylistic choice of his 2015 Oscar-winning Ida for Cold War, shooting in black and white and in the narrow 4:3 format.

Music is the thread that runs through the affair between Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) and Zula (Joanna Kulig). They meet in 1949 when he is a field researcher recording Polish folk songs on the brink of disappearing and she is auditioning for a school dedicated to keeping them alive.

As Stalinism begins to seep into every aspect of Polish life, the pair plots to flee to the West but at the last moment Zula backs out.

Tomasz Kot and Joanna Kulig. Credit:MIFF

Over the years, they rekindle their love in snatched moments in Yugoslavia, in Paris, even in a Polish prison camp, before finally finding the freedom to explore it fully  only to realise their love thrives best in the margins.

Full of aching, ecstasy and anger, this is a remarkable and beautiful film about a love that is possible only when it borders on the impossible.
CELINE DION 

Rod Laver Arena, August 7 & 8



As a female vocalist, Celine Dion's style couldn't be further from what's currently in vogue: that high, frail, baby voice favoured by pale women with ukuleles. She deals exclusively in big emotions.

Love, death, heartbreak  the overarching themes of Dion's work  are rarely perceived as subtle to those experiencing them. Romantic infatuation really does feel like the high notes in The Power of Love. The agony of an indifferent lover warrants the drama of Think Twice, while the aural equivalent of chronic loneliness is, undoubtedly, All By Myself.

It doesn't matter that some of Dion's biggest hits are covers. As she proved on Monday night  the first of two concerts in Melbourne, as part of her Live 2018 Tour  she can make almost any song her own.
The driest start to a year in five decades and a dimming outlook for better-than-average rainfall in coming months have prompted the Berejiklian government to declare all of NSW to be in drought.

The spreading and intensifying dry spell also prompted federal Labor to weigh in, pledging to create a $20 million fund to spur regional economies and support local jobs, and calling for assistance to be distributed faster.

Gabriella Phillips, with camels on her family's farm near Muswellbrook in the upper Hunter. Credit:Marina Neil

The NSW declaration was prompted less by rainfall deficiencies - which eased slightly this week after showers in some regions - than by a further deterioration in water availability for farming.

"Both soil moisture and plant growth across the state continue to be below average to extremely low, across the state," a spokeswoman for Niall Blair, the minister for primary industries, said.
Sheer brilliance: (from left) Jessica Gomes, Victoria Lee and Karolina Kurkova at rehearsals for the David Jones spring-summer launch on Wednesday. Credit:AAP

While summer is usually a season when dresses reign supreme, separates were out in big numbers at David Jones' spring-summer launch at Sydney's Fox Studios on Wednesday night.

Here's the shorthand for summer 2018: a trench coat, in sheer or patent. Keep. Metallics. Keep, but apply sparingly. Bold colours. Buy, buy, buy.

In fashion's annual mating dance between designer and consumer, the former brings forth their best, brightest plumage for the year, while the latter judiciously decides what to buy/sell/keep.

Walk on, buy: David Jones' spring-summer launch at Sydney's Fox Studios included items usually associated with other seasons. Credit:Wolter Peeters

The parade, a harbinger of what's in style for the coming season, captured the mood of a consumer wanting their investment pieces to go further, with matching shell tops with skirts and fluid "shackets" (that's a shirt-jacket) replacing the man-style blazers that were huge just a year ago.

The overall result is versatility for busy customers who don't have time (or funds) to change between work and the theatre, or those who frequently travel. Heck, there was even a fur coat among the swimwear, which opened the show.

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While the crowd of 350 media, celebrities and VIPs was smaller than some previous outings, it was more than compensated by the star power on the runway, which included several international models.

Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova said, as a veteran of both the competitive gymnastics and modelling worlds, she tried to impart her experience to younger women and men in the industries.
Photo: Contributed The Skip Ball toy sold at Dollarama is being recalled.

A Dollarama toy is being recalled because it contains high levels of a potentially dangerous chemical.

The Skip Ball toy consists of a pink ankle loop and a multicoloured ball, attached together by a plastic cord.

The product number 14-1401338 can be found on the upper front part of the packaging and the UPC 667888025213, on the back.

The Skip Ball toy may contain levels of phthalates that exceed the allowable limit. Studies suggest certain phthalates, including DEHP, may cause reproductive and developmental abnormalities in young children when soft vinyl products containing phthalates are sucked or chewed for extended periods.

As of July 27, Dollarama L.P. has not received any reports of incident or injuries related to the use of the Skip Ball toy.

More than 500,000 Skip Ball toys were sold in Canada.
ACT Policing officer Lachlan Chancellor leaves the ACT Magistrates Court after pleading not guilty to culpable driving causing death.

Lachlan Colin Chancellor, 37, entered pleas of not guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday to charges of culpable driving causing death and negligent driving occasioning death.

Amanda Frances Beehag, 54, was fatally injured after a police vehicle, responding to a high priority call out, ran a red light and collided with her Hyundai Getz in May.

A Canberra police officer will fight culpable driving charges over a fatal crash in Kaleen.

Court documents said Chancellor had been conducting mobile patrols around Belconnen in a marked police Holden Commodore station wagon when he received a priority one call out - which involves a potentially life-threatening situation - about 8pm on May 4.

Chancellor allegedly activated his lights and reached speeds of up to 136 kmh along Maribyrnong Avenue, Bruce.

Amanda Beehag, 54, was fatally injured after a her car collided with a police car at a Kaleen intersection in May. She died in hospital in June. Credit:Facebook

The officer allegedly entered the intersection of Baldwin Drive and Maribyrnong Avenue at 93kmh, with his view of traffic on Baldwin Drive obstructed by trees, fence lines, houses, and a rise in the roadway.

Chancellor allegedly braked heavily, but could not avoid a collision with the Ms Beehags car.
Sometimes the saying is true: if you build it, they will come.

Lakespeare and Company founder Taimus Werner-Gibbings says following the success in January of Shakespeare by the Lakes' free production of Much Ado About Nothing, the company will return next summer with another comedy by William Shakespeare. It, too, will be free.

The third night of Shakespeare by the Lake's Much Ado About Nothing at Glebe Park in 2018.

Stage and screen actor/director Christopher Stollery has been attached to direct Twelfth Night. Werner-Gibbings says, "It's probably Shakespeare's best romantic comedy and it fits in with the outdoor, summery, pastorally vibe we're trying to give people."

Werner-Gibbings was inspired by events like New York's Shakespeare in the Park. He says of the inaugural production of Much Ado, directed by and starring Lexi Sekuless and Duncan Driver, "I was hoping there would be more people in the audience than in the cast."
Im terrified for the women, because the women believe what is being marketed to them. Once again, we see private corporations marketing to the most marginalised women. Debbie Kilroy of Sisters Inside has raised questions over Serco's ability to run Queensland's first-ever privately-run women's prison. Credit:John Woudstra [That] theyre trying to sell a prison to women in prison is gobsmackingly outrageous. Ms Kilroy also warned the state government not to put the new prison into the hands of Serco, or any other private operator.

No prison should be privatised, she said. If governments want to put people in prison, then they must be run by the State. They cannot be handed over to private corporations. Theyre about making money, theyre not about addressing any issues or supporting people. They actually need people in those prisons. Its not ever about reducing the numbers because if you reduce the numbers, they lose money. Ms Kilroy said the public would never know the details of the prison contract between the state government and a private operator, because it was commercial-in-confidence. We cant see the awarding of the contract because its commercial-in-confidence. So, we dont even know what the contract [contains], she said.

You wont know, no-one will know  because its covered by commercial-in-confidence. That is why private corporations must not be running prisons. They hide behind commercial-in-confidence. Ms Kilroys concerns over Sercos ability to run the new private womens prison come in the wake of a coronial inquest into the death of 71-year-old prisoner Kenneth Douglas Wright, who died while in custody at SQCC after staff failed to provide him with oxygen despite his deteriorating state. State Coroner Terry Ryan raised concerns over Sercos handling of the death, and said there was a need for better planning if Serco was to take over the correctional centre for women. In a statement, Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said: As the contract manager, QCS is working with Serco to ensure they consider the findings of the Coroners report and that any identified improvements in policies or procedures are addressed.

SQCC was built as a womens prison, and has a purpose-built medical centre and units for women and their children. We are committed to providing women who are moved there with a seamless transition. This includes access to the same, or better levels of support. The conversion of Southern Queensland Correctional Centre into a womens prison is a positive step for the women who are presently living in overcrowded prisons. It will resolve overcrowding for years to come, get women off the floor, and provide them with more access to healthcare and support services, vocational and educational training. A spokesman for Serco Asia Pacific said it had reviewed the coroners report and accepted its findings, adding: We note [the coroner] ruled that the decision by medical staff at the centre not to provide CPR or call an ambulance after observing Mr Wrights oxygen levels at 77 per cent was not the cause of his death. The coroner accepted that Mr Wright was in deteriorating health prior to his death and the nurses actions were not to blame.

He added that the prisons healthcare service standards are aligned to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and its service deliverables are aligned to Queensland Health policy and procedures. The medical facilities at SQCC equal ... or exceed those at other Queensland correctional centres, he said. [The prisons] healthcare service is independently audited by specialist medical auditors instructed by Queensland Correctives Services bi-annually. Serco has also employed a senior practitioner in the role of Health Services Director  Justice to provide clinical leadership and support and assistance for clinical practitioners. This provides the oversight to the Serco-managed facilities in Australia and New Zealand and provides governance for review of systems, policies and procedures. All new nursing staff receive induction training on emergency procedures and contingency codes. The information contained in this training details emergency codes, and the requirements and processes for responding to critical incidents.

Queensland Health produced a Prison Health Services Queensland Adult Deterioration Detection System tool, designed for detecting deterioration in the context of the prison setting, taking into account the environment and available resources. It was introduced to SQCC in March 2018 and is used for all prisoners admitted to the Advanced Care Unit (ACU). In a statement, a spokeswoman for Queensland Corrective Services said: We are committed to ensuring a seamless transfer for women prisoners into SQCC, and a range of familiarisation activities are occurring in the lead-up to the transfer. This includes staff from both centres working together to ensure SQCC staff are familiar with the management of BWCC prisoners, routines and procedures. Similarly, when women are transferred into the SQCC, BWCC staff will work with SQCC staff to ensure a smooth transition between centres.
Efforts to recover the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in the Whitsundays in March, killing a newlywed American couple, have been suspended.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is still investigating the cause of the crash but said on August 6 it had suspended work to recover the helicopter, which sank to a depth of about 60 metres near Hardy Reef.

Pete and Sue Hensel married in December and were on their honeymoon in Queensland when they were killed in a helicopter crash.

The Hawaiian couple, Peter Hensel, 79, and wife Sue, 65, were killed after the Eurocopter EC120 Colibri crashed into water on a chartered tourist flight.

On approach to the Hardy Reef floating helicopter landing site, the pilot noticed an engine malfunction warning message appear, and circled the landing site to check details.
Residents were told to stay inside, lock the doors, and also to park their cars off the road and in their garages if possible.

The young African Australians gathered at a basketball court and complex in the suburb.

A large group of youths has thrown rocks and damaged a police car in Melbourne's north-west.

A police spokeswoman said: "A number of projectiles, believed to be rocks, have been thrown and a police vehicle has been damaged."

Riot police went to the scene and the police continued to patrol the area as the youths dispersed and were moved on a short time later, the spokeswoman said.

One resident of Bronte Way said more than 100 African Australian youths had been across the road in the park and basketball court complex.

He said police were roaming the area and a helicopter was flying overhead when he came home as well as officers from the special operations group.

"This has happened multiple times... but it hasn't happened for a good four or five months," the resident said.
Heroin deaths are mounting in Victoria, as the state records the most fatalities involving the street drug in almost two decades.

A new report from the Coroners Court paints a disturbing picture of Victoria's drug deaths, with 523 people losing their lives in 2017, in overdoses that mostly involve multiple substances, many of them legal.

They include sleeping pills, painkillers, antidepressants and alcohol.

Heroin-related deaths are on the rise.

The data predates the introduction of the North Richmond supervised injecting room in June this year, but reveals that the states growing heroin problem is far from confined to the alleyways, toilet blocks, parks and streets of Melbourne's inner north.
Designer babies were on the way.

American scientists had delicately snipped disorder-causing genes from a fertilised egg's genetic code, seemingly without harming it.

It was a story covered on front pages around the world.

But new Australian research suggests the cut wasnt so clean. Significant damage may have been done to the DNA.

It points to a huge problem with genetic editing: it is easy to cut out one gene, but very difficult to be 100 per cent sure other genes werent changed in the process.

Those changes might only become clear years later.

Were very good at cutting, says Professor Paul Thomas, who led the research. Were still learning about what happens after you cut.
A passerby has been hailed as a lifesaver after rescuing two walkers from floodwaters in WAs Peel region on Tuesday afternoon, after they got stranded attempting to cross a rain-bloated Murray River.

The pair  a man in his 70s and woman in her 60s understood to be husband and wife  had been walking the Bibbulmun Track and planned to meet a family member near the corner of Driver Road and Howse Drive in Nanga Brook.

The remote crossing where two walkers found themselves stranded in floodwaters. Credit:Google Maps

However, when they arrived they found floodwaters had caused the Murray River to rise and spill across the road, but set about wading across the causeway, eventually finding themselves stranded in the river and the man entangled in blackberry vines.

Dwellingup Police were alerted and sent to the walkers aid after they activated a personal locator beacon, while the family member the duo had arranged to meet, understood to be their son-in-law, also arrived and raised the alarm.
Talk has turned from managing to ending homelessness in Western Australia, with the government pledging support for a community-led plan to house everyone in this state within a decade.

In April, the WA Alliance to End Homelessness, a network of WAs biggest community organisations including Shelter WA, launched a bold 10-year strategy demanding numerous actions to end homelessness once and for all, declaring "We have come together to say  enough!"

Community Services Minister Simone McGurk announces the new strategy. Credit:David Cox.

At a Homelessness Week event on Wednesday, Community Services Minister Simone McGurk handed over a Lotterywest grant of $750,000 for the Alliance to implement its strategy.

She also announced the governments own 10-year homelessness strategy, stressing that this would not duplicate the Alliance strategy, but be co-authored by Alliance members to link to and expand on it.
An impasse is increasingly likely when federal and state energy ministers meet in Sydney on Friday, with the Turnbull government rejecting a Victorian demand to allow future federal governments to mandate deeper cuts to carbon emissions without needing a vote in parliament. Were certainly not going down the path of regulation. These are targets that should be in legislation to provide investment certainty, said Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg. The government intends to introduce legislation for a 26 per cent cut to emissions in the electricity sector but Labor will need a higher target to meet its pledge to cut emissions across the economy by 45 per cent by 2030. Using regulation rather than legislation to increase the target would spare a Labor government from seeking the support of the Greens or negotiating with a difficult Senate.

Mr Frydenberg rejected claims the NEG would hamper investment in renewable energy, saying there was no limit to renewables in the scheme and citing claims from solar and wind proponents about the falling cost of renewable power. Signalling a political campaign on energy at the next state election, he challenged Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to explain how a state Labor government would prevent blackouts or reduce electricity prices if it vetoed the NEG. While the Labor Party is talking about emissions, were focusing on prices, Mr Frydenberg said. The Victorian call for the target to be raised by regulation is one of four new demands reported by Fairfax Media on Wednesday, with another condition being that the target is set every three years, three years in advance. Environment Victoria, a not-for-profit group that is not funded by the government, backed the state demands to improve the NEG, which it called a workable policy.

The ACT government, led by Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr and featuring Greens member Shane Rattenbury as Climate Change Minister, is seeking changes so that a review is triggered immediately when emissions in the electricity sector come close to the target. South Australian Liberal Premier Steven Marshall called on Mr Andrews to think about the people of his state. Do they want lower energy prices? Do they want a more reliable grid? If thats the case, then he should be signing up on Friday, Mr Marshall told Sky News. Tasmanian Liberal Premier Will Hodgman said Labor and the Greens were siding for political opportunity in their objections to the NEG, which he said would keep power prices down. A collapse in the talks this Friday would leave the Turnbull government with the option of taking the NEG as its energy policy to the next election, while federal Labor would need to reveal its alternative plan to achieve its 45 per cent emissions target.

Asked what mechanism Labor would adopt to cut emissions, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said: We havent given up on hoping that the states and federal government can resolve the system. The energy scheme needs unanimous support from all states and territories in the east-coast electricity grid as well as uniform legislation in each jurisdiction, putting the timetable at risk from any government entering caretaker mode. Any delay until after the Victorian election on November 24 puts the timetable in doubt when the NSW state government goes into caretaker mode next year for an election on March 23. The latest date for the next federal election is May 18, with an early election considered less likely since the Coalitions defeat in last month's byelections. Loading

The legislation to enforce the NEG is meant to be passed by the South Australian Parliament by November and replicated by other states. A draft form of this bill is to be sent to all jurisdictions on Monday. The 26 per cent target is enforced in separate federal legislation that Mr Frydenberg will outline to the federal Coalition party room on Tuesday, before confirming the details with state and territory ministers in a teleconference the same day. Mr Frydenberg accused Mr Shorten of repeating a lie about the increase in power prices last year when the Opposition Leader claimed a $650 increase in energy prices for an average family. Fairfax Media revealed on July 29 the power price claim was incorrect. Victorian Energy Minister Lily DAmbrosio said it was better to get the details of the national energy guarantee right than to hastily sign onto a flawed deal.

Weve been very clear to the federal government that we want to keep working on the national guarantee, Ms DAmbrosio told ABC Radio. It is absolutely important that we finally draw under the line under the anxiety around the lack of a consistent and long-term national energy policy. Ms DAmbrosio said the August 10 deadline to sign on was a politically convenient one for the Turnbull government but irrelevant to the task of getting the details of the National Energy Guarantee right. It was a construct very much around maximising the political benefit to the federal government of potentially having an early election where they could tick off and say theyve solved the energy issues, she said.
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The first of these, a byelection, would have risked a re-run of the proxy Shorten versus Turnbull contest that dogged the recent Longman (Queensland) and Braddon (Tasmania) byelections. A second nightmare scenario could have seen a bitter and angry Husar, disendorsed against her will, sitting in Parliament and tempted to lash out against her enemies while providing an easy target for government taunts and provocations.

Her decision to announce she would not recontest her highly-marginal western Sydney seat - but would remain a member until the next federal election - avoids the worst-case scenarios for Labor.

It was probably the best the NSW Labor Party was ever going to salvage from an increasingly toxic battle between Emma Husar and her accusers.

Instead, Husar has grasped an opportunity to cast herself as a sacrificial lamb for the greater good. I did this for my federal colleagues, to give them the best chance of winning the next election, she told Fairfax Media on Wednesday.

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She has also done it for her three children, who she said had been really pushed to their limits by the drama of the last few weeks.

Inside NSW Labor there can only be relief, despite the froideur that has descended on Husars relations with the partys Sussex Street headquarters. She says she has not spoken to party officials there since last Thursday.

Those officials have been aware of the complaints against Husar from former staff since last year and had appointed barrister John Whelan as independent assessor to investigate. He began that probe in February. But the lid blew off their containment strategy on July 19, when Buzzfeed revealed the fact of the investigation, following up two weeks later with a leaked letter from Whelan to Husar outlining the allegations in graphic detail.
Newly-retired public service commissioner John Lloyd breached a code of conduct governing federal officials by emailing a document created by his agency to a right wing think tank, an inquiry has found.

The office investigating allegations of misconduct by the commissioner says Mr Lloyd's actions failed to uphold his agency's good reputation and did not fulfil public service values requiring bureaucrats to "act in a way that models and promotes the highest standard of ethical behaviour."

However in a letter seen by Fairfax Media, merit protection commissioner Linda Waugh on Wednesday said Mr Lloyd's actions were not of "sufficient gravity" to require sanction. Mr Lloyd left his role leading the Australian Public Service Commission the same day.

She found Mr Lloyd was not driven by dishonesty or a lack of integrity, but a failure to recognise the "clear attendant risk" of his actions in emailing the Institute of Public Affairs.

"It was clear that such action would likely be viewed by critics as a strategic and controversial initiative by Mr Lloyd to build a coalition of support for his views, and as a political action, if it were to become publicly known as it subsequently did," Ms Waugh said.
Labor has collected more than $1 million from company executives and lobbyists in a business blitz over the past two days, adding to its election war-chest at the same time it takes aim at the big end of town with its tax policy.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten used the Labor business conference in Sydney to assure corporate Australia that he could work with friends in business even as he acknowledged their differences on policy.

The remarks came at a lunchtime address during a two-day event that was attended by at least 100 delegates at a cost of $11,000 each, a big fundraiser for the party as well as a networking opportunity for business.

The event, which offered a chance to meet Labor frontbenchers, has raised more than $1 million. Credit:AAP

The Liberal Party is preparing for a similar event in Sydney at the end of this month, when it will charge $12,500 for each place, while the Nationals have scheduled a conference in Canberra from August 17 that will also have business observers.
Embattled Labor MP Emma Husar says she has decided not to recontest her crucial seat of Lindsay in order to give her federal colleagues the best chance of winning the next election.

She denied she had been forced to surrender the seat by NSW Labor. I have not spoken to anyone in NSW Labor since last Thursday. They have played no part in my decision, she told Fairfax Media yesterday.

Asked if she had been urged to give up the seat by the federal Labor leader Bill Shorten, who has been one of her political champions, Ms Husar said simply that the decision had been entirely her own.

A source close to Mr Shorten said the pair had been in regular contact in recent weeks but backed Ms Husars claim that it was her own decision.
Police launched a controversial criminal investigation of Labors ''red shirts'' electoral rort despite written advice from the state Ombudsman that her own examination of the matter had not uncovered evidence to warrant a new police probe.

The Age has obtained a copy of a June letter from state Ombudsman Deborah Glass to Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, who had sought advice on Labors misuse of public funds to pay for marginal-seat campaigning at the 2014 state election.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass at the release in March of her report into Labor's misuse of public funds. Credit:Simon Schluter

Police had already examined evidence and two years ago opted not to investigate. Mr Ashton wrote to Ms Glass to ask if, in her own investigation, she had uncovered evidence requiring further police action.

In her letter, Ms Glass highlights that the core evidence underpinning her own examination  time sheets used to make payments to Labor activists  had come from the police.
It's an extremely flexible space formation that connects the physical room with digital interfaces according to group size for each discussion; and, an interactive environment crafted by vTaiwan contributors, which could mean anyone. It creates an open space with open format. It invites all actors to participate in discussion and to decide the agenda. The vTaiwan process has also been formed by the community participants iteratively. Therefore its space, environment, process, experience and the environment has been developed in several varieties over the past three years. The power of the web and AI is utilised to provide full remote participation for large groups of participants.

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The problem of deciding how we want our nation to live together  democracy  has not been about not being able to make decisions, because we already have laws, regulations, norms and culture pretty much documented, even with pen and paper. The real problem has been that we are not able to follow those shared standards because many of them are quite outdated. The speed our society evolves has passed the speed of how we update our shared collective intelligence.

Decision-making is not an easy task, especially when it has to do with a larger group of people. Group decision-making could take several protocols, such as mandate, to decide and take questions; advise, to listen before decisions; consent, to decide if no one objects; and consensus, to decide if everyone agrees. So there is a pressing need for us to be able to collaborate together in a large scale decision-making process to update outdated standards and regulations.

The future of human knowledge is on the web. Technology can help us to learn, communicate, and make better decisions faster with larger scale. The internet could be the facilitation and AI could be the catalyst. It is extremely important to be aware that decision-making is not a one-off interaction. The most important direction of decision-making technology development is to have it allow humans to be engaged in the process anytime and also have an invitation to request and submit changes.
Sembalun Bumbung, Lombok: Indonesias government, military and aid agencies are struggling to deliver aid to people in some of the areas hardest hit by Sundays magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

The death toll from the earthquake rose to 131 on Wednesday and will climb higher, while the number of severely injured jumped from 239 to 1477.

An estimated 458 schools and 42,239 houses are uninhabitable.

A man tries to fix a roof damaged by the earthquake in Sembalun Bumbung, east Lombok. Credit:Amilia Rosa

Nearly three days after the quake hit, and as aftershocks continued to be felt across the island, Fairfax Media travelled to within a handful of kilometres of the earthquakes epicentre.
London: The US Senate Intelligence Committee has asked Julian Assange to give evidence on what he knows about Russian influence in the US election  and the WikiLeaks editor is said to be considering the offer.

If he agrees, and the interview takes place, it is likely to focus on Assanges role in publishing Democratic Party emails that were allegedly hacked by Russian military intelligence then passed on to WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks published the emails at crucial turning points during the 2016 presidential election  and has been accused of doing so deliberately to hurt Hillary Clintons chances.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has admitted he wanted Donald Trump to win the election, though he has denied being behind any interference in the campaign.
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday, August 7th, a second Grant Agreement of the Sint Maarten Recovery and Resilience Trust Fund was signed by Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin and the World Bank in the amount of $22.5 million US dollars. The Trust Fund was established by the Netherlands and the World Bank in April 2018 to help rebuild Sint Maarten in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

The grant will support the implementation of a new Social Registry System and finance the Emergency Income Support and Training Program. Present at the signing was Mr. Keith Graham, President of the Sint Maarten Training Foundation (SMTF), which is the Foundation that will carry out the implementation of the Emergency Income Support and Training Program.

The new Social Registry System will complement the existing IT system of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) and will synchronize information sharing between the different departments of the Ministry. The system will ensure that customers will now only have to register their general information once with the Ministry of VSA. Their information will become accessible to all other Ministry departments in order to ensure that future visits for new services will not require re-registration of the general information.

The new system allows the inter-linking departments to accurately assess the customers current situation and any updates will automatically be viewable across all departments. This will greatly help the Ministry to better serve its clients and reduce delays in service.

The Emergency Income Support and Training Program is a continuation of the Hospitality First Training and Education initiative that started in December 2017 by the Sint Maarten Training Foundation. This initiative afforded 900 employees of the Sonesta Group, the Sunwing Great Bay Beach Resort and a number of other unemployed workers in the hospitality sector the opportunity to engage in training and certification opportunities. To prevent layoffs, the participants received financial support in the form of stipends. This program was subsidized by the Government of Sint Maarten.

The mission of the Sint Maarten Training Foundation is to aid in the development of, and further advancements of professional skill sets through integral, structural and educational programs that will enhance career opportunities within Sint Maartens hospitality workforce.

While SMTF is still a new organization, the core team has proven experience in the hospitality industry. SMTF is cooperating with the University of St. Martin (USM) and the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA).

With the support from the Trust Fund, the program will now be opened up to a greater amount of hospitality, construction and maritime workers who are unemployed or underemployed (employment up to a maximum of 3 days). The program gives workers the opportunity to partake in a six-month training and certification program of up to three modules, including Hospitality Operations, Culinary Arts and Casino Operations. In these modules, participants learn service standards, culinary arts, public health, food safety, leadership skills, CPR, customer service, and personal development through theoretical and practical hands-on experience. Students are also taught the history of Sint Maarten and have the opportunity to enroll in an English as a second language course. The program focuses on the economic sector that was hit hardest by hurricane Irma and provides participants income support and health insurance coverage throughout the courses. It is expected that at the end of the training program, the graduating students will be able to find new jobs or return to their previous jobs. In addition, acquiring the certificate will hopefully encourage persons to further their education in hospitality at USM or NIPA.

The Government seeks to register an initial 150 new participants, starting as of August 15th. The program will be further expanded in the coming months. Individuals interested in registering for the Emergency Income Support and Training Program are encouraged to contact our National Employment Service Center (NESC) Team, at 542-0640, 542-0349 or 520-5279 or email us at address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information and registration. Information on the program and curriculum can be found at www.hospitalityfirst.sx.
Photo: CTV Chopper 9

Eastbound traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway is heavily backed up through Langley after a three-vehicle collision.

All eastbound lanes were temporarily closed west of 248 Street after the 3 p.m. crash, and despite the highway being reopened, delays are expected to last for several hours, police say.

One person was airlifted to hospital from the crash scene.

The cause of the incident is not yet known.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Theodore Heyliger appeared before a panel of judges as the Prosecutor Office seeks permission from the court to investigate and prosecute MP Theodore Heyliger. The catfish investigation began in August 2017 and it has to do with alleged bribery.

As investigators begin their investigation after former MP Romain Lavelle filed a complaint against Heyliger for trying to bribe him to jump ship During the investigation the case against the UPP/ UD leader widens as the Prosecution began looking at alleged vote buying during the recent Parliamentary elections.

So far the Prosecutors Office refused to comment on the case as they are awaiting the decision of the court on whether or not they will be allowed to prosecute MP Heyliger.On Tuesday July 3rd 2018 MP Heyliger was summoned for the first hearing which was postponed to August 7th 2018 as he sought permission from the court to travel overseas.
InfiNet Wireless CCTV solutions help to reduce violent injury crime in Colombian town by 45%

Valletta, Malta. 8 August 2018: InfiNet Wireless, the global leader in fixed broadband wireless connectivity, has announced that personal injury crime in Bojaca, Colombia, has been reduced by at least 45 percent since the beginning of 2017, thanks to the implementation of a brand new and cost-effective wireless infrastructure.

Bojaca, a small town near the capital city of Bogota, began the fight against rising crime in all corners of its jurisdiction after it experienced a wave of personal injuries to members of the public, burglaries during day and night, as well as drug trafficking related offences. In 2016, the local government decided it needed to take pre-emptive action and implement a video surveillance solution to initially cover six strategic locations in the town, coupled with an increase of police patrols.

The results from the crime records show that in the first eight months of 2016, there were 80 personal injury cases reported in the town. However, over the same period of time immediately following the launch of the surveillance platform, the total recorded crime cases fell to only 44  a drop of 45 percent. By early 2018, police figures continued to report a reduction in crime.

This project started after the government approached Maicrotel, InfiNet\-\-s partner and a key system integrator in Colombia, to design and implement a wireless network which would dynamically and reliably transmit video streams from IP cameras  some equipped with fixed lenses, others with remotely-controlled pan, tilt and zoom functionality. Maicrotel installed high capacity base stations from the InfiMan 22 Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) well proven portfolio in four central locations. Other locations were fitted with the InfiLINK 22 LITE Point-to-Point solution because they were sited out of the base station reach and coverage.

The ultimate platform deployed enabled the law enforcement authorities to significantly reduce the crime rate in the town, using various analytics such as face recognition and automatic number plate recognition (or ANPR), as well as provide high quality video recordings which are used as strong evidence in court cases. A significant 23 percent decrease in drug sales was also registered with the authorities over a very short period of time.

The first phase of the project has proven to be so successful that a new budget has already been allocated by the local authorities to increase the number of video cameras and enable them to monitor all access routes into the municipality, thus continuing their efforts to improve security and reduce theft to residences and businesses of all types.

\We are thrilled with the results of this project, as it helps us deliver much higher security to Bojaca and its surrounding communities and ultimately have a big and positive impact on their quality of life,\ said Carlos de la Madrid, LATAM Director at InfiNet Wireless. \The Bojaca police now have their eyes on all corners of the town, thanks to the reliable and dynamic monitoring platform we have deployed. In addition to carrying real-time video streams, we have also delivered a wireless platform able to support the town\-\-s need for high quality voice and data transmissions.\
System overview

Experience 1080P full HD video and the simplicity of using existing cabling infrastructure with HDCVI. The 1080P starlight HDCVI camera presents a high quality image with rich details even under extreme low-light conditions. Also, the Lite series features compact design and friendly price. It offers various motorised vari-focal/fixed lens models with a multi-language OSD and HD/SD switchable output. Its structural flexibility and high cost-performance makes the camera an ideal choice for SMB solutions.

Functions

4 signals over 1 coaxial cable

HDCVI technology supports 4 signals to be transmitted over 1 coaxial cable simultaneously, i.e. video, audio*, data and power. Dual-way data transmission allows the HDCVI camera to interact with the XVR, such as sending control signal or triggering alarm. Moreover, HDCVI technology supports PoC for construction flexibility.

* Audio input is available for some models of HDCVI cameras.

Long distance transmission

HDCVI technology guarantees real-time transmission at long distance without any loss. It supports up to 800m(1080P)/1200m(720P) transmission via coaxial cable, and up to 300m(1080P)/450m(720P) via UTP cable.

**Actual results verified by real-scene testing in Dahua's test laboratory.

Simplicity

HDCVI technology inherits the born feature of simplicity from traditional analogue surveillance system, making itself a best choice for investment protection. HDCVI system can seamlessly upgrade the traditional analogue system without replacing existing coaxial cabling. The plug and play approach enables full HD video surveillance without the hassle of configuring a network.

Starlight

With the adoption of high performance sensor, the camera is able to provide incomparable performance even under extreme lowlight environment. The starlight feature allows more details to be captured and accurate colour to be recognised at night or in scenes with limited illumination.

Smart IR

The camera is designed with IR LED illumination for best lowlight performance. Smart IR is a technology to ensure brightness uniformity in B/W image under low illumination. Dahuas unique Smart IR adjusts to the intensity of camera's infrared LEDs to compensate for the distance of an object, and prevents IR LEDs from overexposing images as the object come closer to the camera.

Multi-formats

The camera supports multiple video formats including HDCVI, CVBS and other two common HD analog formats in the market. The four formats can be switched over through OSD menu or by PFM820(UTC controller). This feature makes the camera to be compatible with most end users existing HD/SD DVRs.

Multi-language OSD

OSD menu provides multiple image adjustments and function settings to meet the requirements of different monitoring scenes. The OSD menu includes configurations such as backlight mode, day/night, white balance, privacy mask and motion detect. The camera supports 11 languages for OSD menu, namely, Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese,

Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Polish.

Protection

The camera's outstanding reliability is unsurpassed due to its rugged design. The camera is protected against water and dust with IP67 ranking, making it suitable for indoor or outdoor environments. With working temperature range of -40 C to +60 C (-40 F to +140 F), the camera is designed for extreme temperature environments. Supporting 30% input voltage tolerance, this camera suits even the most unstable power supply conditions. Its 4KV lightning rating provides protection against the camera and its structure from the effects of lightning.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
U.S. lawmakers have plotted a trajectory towards bestowing the nation's highest civilian award to four of NASA's "Hidden Figures"  African American women whose roles as human "computers" helped to open outer space to astronauts in the early 1960s.

Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), along with 44 of their colleagues, have introduced a bipartisan bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Christine Darden. The "Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act" (S.3321) aims to recognize the four women for their contributions to NASA's success during the early years of human space exploration and "highlight their broader impact on society; paving the way for women, especially women of color, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

"Each of these women played an important role at NASA during the space race, but for many years their accomplishments remained hidden," said Coons in a statement. "This bill will help recognize these extraordinary women and bring their accomplishments into the light so they can serve as an inspiration to younger generations of women in science, particularly those of color." [How 'Hidden Figures' Came Together: Interview with Author Margot Shetterly]

Johnson calculated trajectories for NASA's early human spaceflights, including the suborbital launch of the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard on his 1961 Mercury mission, and the first flight of a U.S. astronaut into Earth orbit, John Glenn on his 1962 Friendship 7 mission. Working with NASA's Space Task Group, Johnson became the first woman in the agency's flight research division to receive credit as an author of a research report.

Vaughan led the West Area Computing unit at what is now the Langley Research Center in Virginia, becoming the first African American supervisor at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor agency to NASA. She later became a leading computer programmer as a part of the space agency's analysis and computation division. Vaughan died in 2008 at the age of 98.

Jackson was the first African American woman engineer at NASA. Later in her career, she worked to improve the prospects of NASA's female mathematicians, engineers and scientists as Langley's Federal Women's Program manager. She died in 2005 at the age of 83.

Darden, who became an engineer at NASA 16 years after Jackson, wrote over 50 articles on aeronautics design and was the first African American of any gender to be promoted into the Senior Executive Service at Langley.

The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act directs that Vaughan's medal, bestowed posthumously, be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and Jackson's posthumous honor be given to her family. Johnson is 99 today; Darden is 75.

The lives and careers of Johnson, Vaughan, Jackson and Darden were chronicled in "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race," authored by Margot Lee Shetterly. That book was adapted for the 2016 feature film "Hidden Figures."

"Nothing could be more gratifying than to see these women  quiet heroes from my hometown  recognized for their service to our country," said Shetterly. "With their commitment to progress through science and an unyielding belief in equality, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dr. Christine Darden are role models to us all." [On 'Hidden Figures' Set, NASA's Early Years Take Center Stage]

The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to individuals whose achievements have had an impact on U.S. history that is likely to be recognized in the recipient's field for years to come. First bestowed to George Washington in 1776, only five individuals involved in space exploration have been awarded to date: early rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard in 1959 and astronauts Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins in 2011.

Congressional Gold Medals awarded to rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard (1959) and astronauts John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins (2011). (Image credit: Smithsonian/U.S. Mint)

For the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act to move forward and be considered by the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, an additional 20 co-sponsors are needed (for a total of at least 67). If the bill achieves the needed support and is passed by the Senate, similar legislation must also be cosponsored by at least two-thirds (290) of the House of Representatives for it to pass into law.

"I'm encouraged to be joined by so many colleagues as we introduce the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act," said Murkowski. "These impressive women overcame significant hurdles to attain their educational and professional goals, and they continue to serve as important role models today."

"These women were barrier breakers, and their immeasurable contributions to NASA and our nation have cemented their place in history," said Harris. "I'm proud to help recognize their achievements as they continue to serve as a beacon for black women both young and old, across the country."

The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act has also been endorsed by a number of private and non-profit organizations, including the Girl Scouts, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Geophysical Union.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is still the ruling party, one of its members said Wednesday.

Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles denied that its members were likely to jump ship amid a change in House leadership and a faction within the party.

"Jumping ship is not being talked about. [A] possible alliance, yes," Nograles told CNN Philippines' The Source.

That possible alliance is with Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte's party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).

"Right now, they're regional, so PDP-Laban may enter into a coalition," Nograles added.

When former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was installed as House Speaker after a surprise ouster, then-Deputy Speaker and now Majority Leader Nonoy Andaya said many solons planned to switch to Lakas-CMD. Lakas-CMD was Arroyo's political party before she pledged allegiance to PDP-Laban last year.

This also comes amid confusion after some members of the party elected their own leaders last July 27. PDP-Laban officers disowned the election.

Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro even predicted that the ruling party could be "erased from the political landscape of our country."

But Nograles maintains that the party is going strong, and its leadership would take action over the unsanctioned election.

"It will be investigated and I heard sanctions will be imposed against those [who] did that," he said.

The congressman, who was included in a list of PDP-Laban senatoriables, maintained Arroyo was still a member of the ruling party. He added that the shift in leadership "still [reflects] PDP-Laban is the major party."

Nograles also hit senators who had expressed distrust in Arroyo and saw her push for charter change as a bid for more power.

RELATED: Koko Pimentel: Senators do not trust Arroyo

"Talk about the institutions instead of looking at personalities," he said. "Those accusations are actually very irresponsible accusations."

The House on Tuesday filed a resolution pushing for the two houses of Congress to vote separately for charter change in a constituent assembly. Nograles said the lower house hopes the move will encourage senators to take up the shift to federalism.

However, Senator Ping Lacson previously said charter change was "as good as dead" in the Senate as long as Arroyo was in power. Several senators have an axe to grind against the former President, who in her term was accused of corruption, electoral fraud, and jailing her critics.
Colton Davies

Its now well into fire season, but some properties in rural Oliver are still feeling the effects of spring flooding. At the Southern Okanagan Sportsmens Association, theyre only just beginning to dig out.

The gun range at the end of Sportsmens Bowl Road has been closed due to flooding for more than four months, and it'll likely be closed for a few more weeks before it's able to reopen.

The flooding caused Park Rill Creek to breach its creek bed and create a new path  the force of water formed a trench 15 feet deep through the property, making the clubhouse and most of the property inaccessible.

SOSA president Lin Springer says they have hired contract crews to do restoration, and says work will begin in the coming days.

"We should be moving equipment in this week, before Friday. And that will have a fix of some type done within a week, two weeks. And that will get us access to the property... But we still have a lot of work to do."

Springer says the repairs will likely cost upwards of $125,000.

The non-profit club is hoping to get some funding help from the province  since floodwater along the whole Park Rill waterway was routed through their property  but at this point theyre responsible for all repair costs.

Fortunately, they have a bit of a contingency fund built up.

"Eventually we wanted to build a new clubhouse, so we've been salting money away for a new clubhouse. The clubhouse is just going to be a few years later."

Even after reopening, government agencies could ask for further repair work to happen to mitigate future flood risks  a decision that likely wont be made until later this year.

But Springer reiterates members will once again have access to the range sooner rather than later.

"What the RDOS and the provincial government are going to do, we don't really know," Springer says. "They have to satisfy all the ratepayers, we only have to satisfy our members. And some of them wanted to be on the range a week ago, or a month ago. They're antsy too."
An image of asteroid Ryugu taken from about 1 km away by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft's Optical Navigation Camera  Wide Angle on Aug. 7, 2018. The red frame shows the range imaged by the telescopic camera (the image below in this story).

A Japanese sample-return spacecraft just gave its destination asteroid a special close-up. As Hayabusa2 swept to only 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) above the surface of 162173 Ryugu, it spotted boulders, dust and surface features only a few meters or feet across. It's by far the best view of Ryugu since the spacecraft arrived there about six weeks ago.

Several images from Ryugu show the surface of this space rock, which occasionally crosses the orbit of Earth, as it dipped down toward the asteroid. (Scientists classify Ryugu as a potentially hazardous asteroid, but there is no imminent threat to our planet.) In general, studying the surface of small worlds helps scientists better understand solar system history. Engineers can also use the composition information so that, if Earth is threatened by a large asteroid, they can better pick a deflection or destruction method.

See more

This time around, though, the pictures were not the main reason Hayabusa2 swept so low. Instead, Japanese controllers were interested in better understanding the gravity of Ryugu. To do so, they put the spacecraft into a temporary free fall.

"By monitoring the exact movement of the Hayabusa2, we can see how strong the gravitational attraction is from Ryugu," officials with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a statement today (Aug. 7).

Using its Optical Navigation Camera  Telescopic, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft captured this view of the asteroid Ryugu from about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away on Aug. 7, 2018. (Image credit: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Koichi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST.)

The spacecraft started its descent at 10 p.m. EDT on Aug. 5 (0200 GMT on Aug. 6). From an altitude of 12.5 miles (20 kilometers), Hayabusa2 spent the next 21 hours in free fall, getting within 2,792 feet (851 meters) of the space rock, JAXA officials said. The spacecraft also took several images shortly before reaching that minimum altitude. Then, Hayabusa2 fired its thrusters and climbed back up again to a target altitude of about 3.1 miles (5 km).

These maneuvers will also be valuable practice for spacecraft controllers as they prepare to bring Hayabusa2 down for a sample return. The spacecraft is expected to scoop up a bit of Ryugu's regolith (soil) before scooting back to Earth in 2020. In the coming months, Hayabusa2 will also drop off a lander and three rovers to explore Ryugu's surface.

Hayabusa2, which launched in 2014, is the second sample-return mission Japan launched to an asteroid. The first spacecraft, Hayabusa, overcame numerous technical difficulties on its mission and safely returned bits of 25143 Itokawa in 2010.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
NASA's newest planet-hunting telescope is hard at work gathering its first data  but just how many planets might it hunt down?

According to new estimates put together by scientists on the team behind the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, the instrument should identify about 10,000 planets in its two-year mission; 3,500 of them should be smaller than Neptune, the mission's focus. And if the telescope can stay at work longer than its current plan, those numbers will only go up.

The new estimates should help scientists working on the mission to better plan how they use the spacecraft. The forecast may also help the team argue its case for extending the mission beyond the initial two-year mandate. [NASA's New Planet-Hunting Telescope Catches a Comet ]

"There's no reason for the spacecraft to stop working after two years"  beyond, of course, the price tag, Jessie Christiansen, who studies exoplanets at Caltech and NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute, told Space.com. Christiansen is involved with the mission but not with the new study. The new estimates, which describe three different options for extending the mission, will also help determine which holds the most promise if that time comes, she added.

Of course, these aren't the first estimates scientists have made of how many planets TESS will spot. But the new forecast takes advantage of a major new set of data: a giant batch of measurements made by the European mission called Gaia, which has pinpointed the location of more than 1.5 billion stars in the Milky Way.

That map is valuable to TESS because it tells astronomers precisely how far away a given star is, Christiansen said. Pair that information with the star's observed brightness, and scientists can figure out how large the object is. That's valuable because TESS is best at spotting planets around smaller stars  so by using Gaia's data, scientists can better play to the instrument's strengths, Christiansen said.

The new estimates will help the science team ensure the mission is still on track to succeed at its primary job: measuring the mass of 50 planets that are smaller than Neptune. As eye-catching as 10,000 planets are, the particularly important number here is the 3,500 sub-Neptune worlds, Christiansen said. Those planets will be TESS' proving grounds in terms of its formal requirements and will help scientists understand how small rocky planets are formed.

These estimates used a new expected inclination spread of other solar systems, or how dramatically their planets stray from a perfectly flat disk of orbits. That orbital neatness affects the number of planets that TESS' transit method can identify. This method exploits the small dip in a star's brightness as the planet passes between its sun and the instrument.

"If you were an alien civilization looking at the sun, you wouldn't actually see all eight planets," Christiansen said  you would see the transits of only the handful of planets that happened to line up perfectly from your extraterrestrial vantage point. "We have to guess at what that inclination spread looks like in other solar systems."

Our solar system has a spread of about 7 degrees, but new analyses suggest that this number is more dramatic than average.

Even better than the estimate itself is the fact that it shouldn't be long before scientists start ticking off those 10,000 worlds. TESS is sending its first data back to Earth today (Aug. 8). And while the team will look through that data carefully before releasing it to the public  to be sure everything is working as expected and that there don't appear to be any issues  even just that first set of observations should introduce scientists to new worlds, Christiansen said.

"I think we definitely can start finding planets in that first batch of data," she said.

The research is described in a paper posted to the preprint server arXiv.org on July 30.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) August 07, 2018 (SPS) - The Sahrawi Republic and the Republic of Botswana signed Monday in Addis Ababa a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.





following the full text of the communique:

Saharawi Republic and Botswana Republic decide the establishment of diplomatic relation at the ambassadorial level.

The Government of the Saharawi Republic and the government of the Republic of Botswana have signed today, August 06, 2018 in Addis-Ababa, the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level. For the Saharawi Government, H.E Mr .Lamine Baali, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and permanent Representative of Saharawi Republic to the African Union, and for Botswana Government,H.E. Ms Mmamosa Dinyana Molefe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative ofthe Republic of Botswana to the African Union, the following joint communique:

The Government of the Republic of Botswana and the Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, desirous of promoting and strengthening the relations of friendship and cooperation existing between the two countries, have decided to establish diplomatic relations as of the date of the signing of this Joint Communique.

The Government of the Republic of Botswana and the Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic reaffirm their common adherence and commitment to the Constitutive Act of the African Union and to the principles of non-alignment, principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of international law, particularly, in the promotion of international peace and security, respect for the sovereignty and independence of States, and non-interference in their internal affairs.

The Government of the Republic of Botswana and the Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic have agreed to establish diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 18 April 1961. SPS

125/090/TRA
STAMFORD  A proposed Chick-fil-A with a drive-through for busy Bulls Head died this week  the application quietly pulled after a final failed effort to change the citys mind on traffic.

The proposal was first heard this spring by the Zoning Board, pitched as a neighborhoody replacement for a vacant bank sandwiched between Long Ridge and High Ridge roads. It immediately prompted stark criticism from city officials and neighbors weary of adding traffic to congested Bulls Head.

A traffic consultant hired by the southern chicken franchise told the Zoning Board the restaurant would have no impact.

The consultant and a half dozen Chick-fil-A representatives, some of whom traveled from its Georgia headquarters, made a two-hour pitch in early May, long enough to outlast nearly all residents who intended to comment at the hearing.

Additional hearings on the proposal have all been postponed at Chick-fil-As urging. Its latest hearing date was planned for Sept. 24.

On Monday, the company asked the Zoning Board to hire an independent consultant to assess traffic. The consultant would have been the first hired through a new city ordinance that allows the Zoning Board to contract independent experts and have developers pay for them.

But board members and Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing said Chick-fil-As proposal would not add expertise the city needed.

The citys Transportation Bureau had already advised against it. Mayor David Martin also voiced his opposition in a letter to the Zoning Board.

In my opinion, the traffic bureau is independent, so Im not sure what the intent is, Blessing said. The intent of the resolution is to provide expertise where the city does not have expertise or needs additional expertise.

Acting board Chairman David Stein said the ordinance was not created to give developers an avenue to appeal the citys findings.

Reading the statute, it looks to me like it was passed in order to assist the Zoning Board when we need more information when we dont have it, he said. In this case, it seemed like the applicant is using it to in effect appeal a decision by the traffic department.

They dont agree with it, so theyre going to go to an outside consultant.

The company could still move forward with a Chick-fil-A without a drive-through, Blessing said. It could also find a new city site where drive-throughs are allowed.

It is unlikely the restaurant would open without a drive-through. It hasnt opened a restaurant without one in years, a company official said in May.

It is unclear if the chain will consider other Stamford sites.

Mario Musilli, a local attorney representing Chick-fil-A, said the company would only comment via email. An email to the companys media department was not returned.

barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglytton
STAMFORD  Starting next month, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Connecticut is offering a series of free educational classes and support groups in lower Fairfield County.

NAMI Family to Family will run on Mondays beginning on Sept. 10 in Stamford. The 12-week course is for families and friends of adults living with mental health challenges. Contact Bob (rconell@aol.com) or call 203-849-9573.
STAMFORD  City representatives this week decided to hold off on accepting a $2 million offer to repair the historic, crumbling West Main Street bridge.

But the offer for the 1888 bridge in Mill River Park has an expiration date.

The State Bond Commission, which awarded the grant to the Mill River Collaborative, will want to know next month how it will be spent, said Arthur Selkowitz, chairman of the nonprofit group, which has partnered with the city on a multimillion-dollar renovation of the downtown park.

The Bond Commission meets Sept. 28.

I have to inform them how the money will be used, said Selkowitz, who agreed to spend it to fix the 125-foot iron bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When the grant was being considered, it was originally going to be used for Mill River Park. But before the Bond Commission met, we discussed it with the city and asked the state to redirect the money to the bridge, with the goal of opening it by 2020.

There was an understanding that if that is not what the city decides, I could redirect the money back to the park, Selkowitz said. The Bond Commission will formalize that in September, if thats the way the city decides to go.

To meet the commissions deadline, the Board of Representatives must decide at its Sept. 4 meeting, he said.

The city engineer has said the bridge may not survive the next large storm that sends large volumes of water down the Mill River. The Engineering Department reached a tentative deal with a contractor to repair it as a pedestrian bridge for $2 million. Members of the Board of Finance and the Operations Committee of the Board of Representatives have voted to accept the contract.

But this week the full board voted 35-1 to kick the contract back to the committee.

Two things are at issue.

First, the grant would repair the 125-foot bridge only for pedestrian use. The state Department of Transportation deemed the bridge unsafe for cars 16 years ago.

Selkowitz favors that use, saying it is safer and in keeping with the character of the park, situated between downtown and the West Side. West Side residents, however, say their neighborhood can thrive only if it is better connected to downtown, and want the bridge to accommodate cars.

The second issue is that representatives have questions about a no-bid contract drafted with Wengell, McDonnell & Costello, the company that has worked with city engineers for years to shore up the failing bridge. Representatives said during their Monday night meeting they want to review the contract to ensure it is the best deal for the city. They also want to schedule a public hearing so West Side residents can weigh in before they vote on the contract, representatives said.

Neighborhood advocate Bonnie Kim Campbell, who spoke at the board meeting, helped convince them. Campbell presented a petition with the signatures of 128 West Side residents who want a vehicular bridge, saying the citys decision to spend the grant on a pedestrian-only structure is rushed and denies them due process.

Nobody has spoken to us, Campbell told the board. The West Side needs a voice  we need a compromise.

Nearly all the representatives who attended the meeting agreed. Rep. Susan Nabel, D-20, said the petition is compelling evidence that there is a large portion of the community that has something to say about this issue, and they should have the chance to say it at a public hearing.

A date for the Operations Committee meeting will be set next week.

After Mondays board meeting, Rep. Rodney Pratt, D-9, who has lived on the West Side for 35 years, said he has several questions. One is raised by his reading of the June 1 Analysis of State Bond Commission Agenda Items prepared by the state Office of Fiscal Analysis, Pratt said.

The analysis states that the $2 million allocation to the Mill River Collaborative will be used for the redevelopment of the West Main Street bridge, and presents a table showing previous allocations.

The table shows the state DOT allocated $6 million for the bridge in March 2010. The city engineer has said the allocation comes with state and federal approvals that would delay work for at least five years.

I want to follow the money, said Pratt, majority leader of the board.

The bridge should be reopened to cars to allow easier access to West Side businesses from downtown, and to improve traffic flow between the neighborhoods, Pratt said.

Traffic is horrendous on Route 1 and West Broad Street, Pratt said. Another egress point is going to help.

His fellow Democrat from District 9, Rep. Jeffrey Stella, said time must be taken to hear what West Siders have to say.

I dont understand why the city had to be forced into a deal that had to happen right away. This bridge has been an eyesore for the nine years I have lived in Stamford, Stella said. In that time, no one could figure out how to fix it? Now all of a sudden, they come out with a statement that it could fall down any minute. If its that bad, why wasnt it put in the budget for this year?

Selkowitz said the collaborative has worked to connect the West Side and downtown, and a pedestrian-only bridge is the safest, most effective way. He said he wants to move quickly so work can begin next summer and be finished by summer 2020, before the collapsing bridge supports fail for good.

Beyond that, we welcome a public hearing, he said.

Were not trying to dictate or ram anything down peoples throats. We believe this is the best way to use the money, Selkowitz said. But its up to the people and the Board of Representatives.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.
In the 2015 musical Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton is championed for furthering his career by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter, by being a self-starter. In a 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live, Benjamin Franklin is featured as a fictional guest at the very first Thanksgiving. And in the 2018 Netflix original Set It Up, one character assesses his finances at an upscale restaurant: Im no Rockefeller.

Theres a reason why these historical powerhouses are still regularly mentioned in theater, television and film hundreds of years after their time: They were legends when it comes to wealth, philanthropy and business. Whether youre a top-level CEO looking for advice from the greats or a first-time entrepreneur seeking motivation and inspiration, here are six iconic figures and some of their best business advice.

Alexander Hamilton

My ambition is prevalent, so that I contemn the grovelling condition of a clerk or the like, to which my fortune condemns me, and would willingly risk my life, though not my character, to exalt my station  I mean to prepare the way for futurity.

-- Alexander Hamilton in a 1769 letter

Hamilton was born poor on an island in the Caribbean, and he wrote this letter at age 12, dreaming of something bigger for himself and his career. By 17, when a hurricane devastated his home, the orphan -- who was then working as a clerk -- wrote an account of the disaster in the local newspaper. Local merchants recognized his skill and took up a collection to send him to North America for schooling. Hamilton would go on to become a founding father and champion the United States economic system, but it all started with big dreams and almost incomparable determination. Hamilton visualized himself prepar[ing] the way for futurity, and that type of steely resolve is invaluable in any venture.

Benjamin Franklin

[I] retain[ed] only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence, never using, when I advanced any thing that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so and so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken. This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me.

-- Benjamin Franklin in his 1789 autobiography

Franklin, one of the countrys founding fathers and author of The Way to Wealth, was also an esteemed inventor, as he's widely regarded as the father of electricity. He attributes much of his success to the fact that he was always a voracious reader, so hungry for knowledge that he would often stay up with new books late into the night. He also loved to debate, and its why he adopted the habit of never using absolute terms unless he was describing something he knew absolutely to be true -- instead, he favored phrases such as it appears, I should think, I imagine and if I am not mistaken. Franklin said its important to speak in such a way; otherwise, if you speak with absoluteness and are wrong, others likely wont correct you -- meaning you will not learn. This intentionality of language is vital for any prominent figure in business, especially in meetings, statements and interviews. Speaking with caveats is widely seen as a sign of intelligence, as few things in life are truly certain.

Andrew Carnegie

We assemble thousands of operatives in the factory, and in the mine, of whom the employer can know little or nothing and to whom he is little better than a myth. All intercourse between them is at an end. Rigid castes are formed, and, as usual, mutual ignorance breeds mutual distrust. Each caste is without sympathy with the other and ready to credit anything disparaging in regard to it  Often there is friction between the employer and the employed, between capital and labor, between rich and poor.

-- Andrew Carnegie in his 1889 book

In The Gospel of Wealth, Carnegie laid out why he would be donating the bulk of his earnings -- about $350 million in 1889 dollars -- to universities, libraries and other organizations. But in this passage, the steel magnate, business leader and philanthropist addresses the dark side of capitalism. Although Carnegie goes on to say he believes the benefits of competition outweigh the negatives, he admits that the disconnect it can create between employer and employees -- and between the wealthy and the working class -- is significant. Any successful executive would do well to note this and use their influence to turn the idea on its head, staying relatively accessible to both employees and customers.

John D. Rockefeller

Criticism which is deliberate, sober and fair is always valuable, and it should be welcomed by all who desire progress. I have had at least my full share of adverse criticism, but I can truly say that it has not embittered me nor left me with any harsh feeling against a living soul. Nor do I wish to be critical of those whose conscientious judgment, frankly expressed, differs from my own. No matter how noisy the pessimists may be, we know that the world is getting better steadily and rapidly, and that is a good thing to remember in our moments of depression or humiliation.

-- John D. Rockefeller in his 1909 book

Rockefeller was an oil magnate, prominent businessman and philanthropist, and one lasting part of his legacy was his status as one of the wealthiest men in history and Americas first billionaire. In 1918, he was worth $1.2 billion, but that would amount to $21 billion in 2017 dollars. But Rockefeller didnt build his legendary Standard Oil worrying about naysayers. He took measured criticism into account and used it to propel himself towards his goals, but he strived never to let adverse criticism drain him of his time or energy. Any business leader would do well to listen to every piece of advice without letting it sidetrack them from their ultimate goals -- in other words, take others advice with a grain of salt.

Madam C.J. Walker

I am a woman that came from the cotton fields of the south. I was promoted from there to the washtub. Then I was promoted to the cook kitchen, and from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations  I have built my own factory on my own ground.

-- Madam C.J. Walker in a 1912 speech

Widely regarded to be the countrys first female self-made millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove) made her fortune by way of a successful line of hair care products marketed towards black women. The hair care system she developed -- which utilized a combination of lotions and the use of iron combs -- would later be deemed the Walker system, and her talent for self-promotion garnered loyalty from both her customers and the thousands of door-to-door saleswomen she trained. But Walkers origins -- as the first child born free to parents who were both recently freed slaves -- meant she had to work much harder to build her business than her contemporaries, and she started with just $1.50 in cash capital. The girls and women of our race must not be afraid to take hold of business endeavor and, by patient industry, close economy, determined effort and close application to business, wring success out of a number of business opportunities that lie at their very doors, she said in the same speech.

Henry Ford

Power and machinery, money and goods, are useful only as they set us free to live. They are but means to an end. For instance, I do not consider the machines which bear my name simply as machines. If that was all there was to it I would do something else. I take them as concrete evidence of the working out of a theory of business which I hope is something more than a theory of business -- a theory that looks toward making this world a better place in which to live.

-- Henry Ford in his 1922 book

Ford was a business magnate, mass production innovator and founder of Ford Motor Company. His Model T Ford is widely regarded as having brought affordable automobiles to the everyday consumer, as 15 million were sold between 1908 and 1927. While Ford enjoyed notable wealth -- his 1918 fortune of $100 million would equal $1.8 billion today -- he felt it vital to impart that money is only a means to freedom and, outside of that purpose, it means nothing. He felt similarly about business in general -- that any venture should ultimately be about making the world a better place in which to live. Adopting that very value could help propel the long-term success of any business leader.

Related:

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Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, the idea of starting my own business at age 33 was already part of my DNA. Confidently stepping into the role of CEO was where the real challenge began.

Related: 10 Pieces of Advice I Wish Every Woman Could Hear

Until 12 years ago, I had spent my career in traditional corporate environments, working my way up the ranks. Before I started my firm ClearEdge Marketing, I was faced with a life-changing choice: Move to Atlanta, far away from friends and family to keep my job, or stay in Chicago and take a different path. The potential for the role I currently held was immense. I was one of the youngest on the executive team, managing marketing for a $1-billion division of a more than $3-billion company. Yet, I knew in my gut it was time to try something new (and stay put where I had created a life and could be close to family), which ultimately led to starting my own company. With a few of my incredible former colleagues by my side, I took the plunge as a new business owner and CEO.

That's when impostor syndrome struck.

I quickly learned that being a female leader comes with a unique set of hurdles. Sure, there were the financial pressures, operational challenges and long hours every entrepreneur faces. But, as a woman, I was dealing with something entirely different: I was having a tough time seeing myself as a CEO. I had held leadership positions before, but none where I was the chief executive, solely responsible for the success or failure of a business and other people's livelihoods.

I faced impostor syndrome, second-guessing myself and wondering if I were truly cut out to be at the top. People would make comments to me early on like, "Oh how cute, you have your own company." It got to me. In talking to other women CEOs, I learned that impostor syndrome is strikingly common among female business owners, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Related: Embrace the Chaos: Navigating the C-Suite as a Working Mom

You can't be what you can't see.

Part of the issue is representation. Simply put, there are more men than women in leadership roles, and women are much less likely to "see" other women at the top. A 2018 study from The New York Times, its Glass Ceiling Index, reveals some unsettling numbers about the representation of high ranking women. For example, there are more Fortune 500 chief executives named James than there are chief executives who are women.

Pervasive double standards also come into play. Man or woman, you need to be assertive and dominant to be seen as a leader. Women have long been penalized for this behavior, though, making it that much more difficult to wear the CEO hat.

Related: I'm a Millennial Mom and a Successful Entrepreneur. Stop Asking Me How I Manage It All.

Five things you can start doing now to wear the CEO hat more confidently:

1. Consciously make the decision to stop second-guessing. Tell yourself, "You are enough." As women, we need to remind ourselves that the skills we bring to the table got us this far. My dad would always tell me to look in the mirror and make sure I loved the person looking back; to always believe in myself.

2. Ask for help and expand your network. Because the VC and startup ecosystem is typically dominated by men, most women don't have the same wide networks for introductions and counsel as men do. Women leaders have the power to change that by making time daily to network, just as we do for exercising or checking email. Men are more likely to ask things of other people, and women need to get more comfortable doing the same.

3. "Fake it until you become it." In Harvard University professor Amy Cuddy's TED talk on nonverbal communication, she explains how the role of body language affects confidence levels. I regularly take my "power pose," hands on hips, head held high, to physically project I am meant to lead and force my mind to believe it. Next time you're feeling inadequate as CEO, strike a power pose and tell yourself, "I belong here."

Related: The Woman CEO Who Changed My Life -- and the Lessons She Taught Me About Business Success

4. Try not to compare yourself to others. The old adage "keeping up with the Joneses" isn't just a metaphor for consumerism. It applies to us as female CEOs as well. It's easy to get wrapped up in how much more successful other entrepreneurs are, or how much easier their path to the top was than yours. Instead, choose to be inspired by others who've made great strides and focus on your strengths.

5. Recognize the power you have to shape future generations. I believe that one of the most important responsibilities of female CEOs is to help the next generation of women leaders. This in itself helps me to wear the CEO hat more confidently because I know what I'm doing is far more important than just leading a business. When an up-and-coming female leader needs advice, I'm thrilled to offer my insights. When someone needs me to make an introduction, I happily tap into the wide network I've built. Knowing you have the influence to inspire other female leaders is even further proof that you're meant to be a CEO.

Although I don't know or work with them directly, women like Melinda Gates, Sara Blakely, Wendy Kopp and Katrina Lake are changing the image of what a CEO looks like. Through more representation -- young women actually seeing other women rise the ranks -- strong networking and even more female VCs and investors, the momentum will continue to shift toward more women in these roles. As this becomes more ingrained, we'll begin to feel less like impostors and more confidently wear the CEO hat.

Related:

As a Woman Business Owner, You May Find It Hard to Confidently Take on the Role of CEO

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She Took Her Yale MBA Into Cannabis and Now Funds the Industry's Largest Deals



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
A few decades ago, you'd be far more likely to see people stay at the same company for their entire lifetimes. Today, people average about 12 job changes in their careers, with some industries facing higher turnover rates than others. For example, according to a LinkedIn study, the technology sector faced the highest turnover rate, at 13.2 percent. Of all the industries, tech companies provide some of the most elaborate perks for their employees, with campuses that feature free food, fitness incentives, spa treatments -- the list goes on and on.

Related: Trouble Recruiting and Keeping Talent? Your Skimpy Health Insurance Is a Likely Cause

The secret to retaining employees may lie in something far more basic than perks. Simply put, a blend of location and the shared sense of purpose you create can make employees stick around for longer.

Location matters.

Considering the intense talent poaching that takes place in top innovation regions such as Silicon Valley and New York City, there's a major case for locating in a smaller city with access to university talent. For the business owner or CEO, there's still a strong talent pool to pull from, and for the employee, there's a higher quality of life that comes with shorter commute times and access to affordable housing.

Take my company, Plug Power, as an example. We're headquartered in Latham, N.Y. (just outside of Albany) and 25 percent of our 650-person workforce has been with us for five years or more. Latham is close to top technical university talent, including Union College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and has a strong manufacturing talent pool with transferable skills for the technology world. Our company wants to keep talented students in the market after they graduate, and retrain the area's workforce for new economy skills -- creating our own hub for hydrogen in the Albany corridor.

We're not the only company that has decided to locate in a smaller city. For example, Progressive Insurance is headquartered in Mayfield, Ill. (population 3,413) and IBM's main office is in Armonk, N.Y. (population 4,330). In many cases, the businesses located in these smaller cities and towns serve as an anchor for regional employment.

Related: Forget the Indoor Rainforest and the Beer on Tap -- Workers Want More Practical Things

And unlike a Silicon Valley, where the median home price in San Jose reached $1.1 million last year, increasing 32 percent year-over-year, smaller cities provide more accessible opportunities to own homes and face lower commute times than their major metropolitan counterparts. Pair that with increased job opportunities for smaller job markets, and you have a recipe for success. According to an analysis from Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the top cities with the most job opportunities, highest employment growth and highest socioeconomic scores were all smaller cities: Salt Lake City; Chandler, Ariz.; and Madison, Wis., respectively.

Stand for something.

Having a mission for your company's employees to rally around is no longer a nice-to-have, it's a must-have. According to a study by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), 94 percent of millennials want to use their skills in the workforce to benefit a cause. If you're fortunate as I am to run a company that promotes the use of clean energy, this makes the job of creating a shared mission exponentially easier. But, standing for something good alone doesn't automatically make people feel a connection to your company -- it requires hard work on identity and culture, especially as your company grows.

For example, at Plug Power, we put a lot of heart and soul into developing a brand promise that serves as a rallying cry for employees both internally and externally. Our term "Infinite Drive" defines our company's energy and commitment to bring clean energy technology to the global market. Internally, the brand promise gives our team "swagger" -- a little confidence is contagious, and good for business.

I'd encourage you to think about what your company stands for and make a public statement about it that people can be proud of. Back up that statement regularly with both your words and actions, and that brand promise becomes a reality. These statements are popular with large, consumer brands like Coca-Cola and Walmart, but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done for B2B companies, as well.

Related: Can't Compete With Google's Perks? Here's How to Keep Your Team Happy on a Startup Budget.

In addition, since we have offices in multiple states and countries, it's important to help employees understand what's happening within the organization, outside their day-to-day work. We offer a course, Plugology, which spotlights departments and functions, giving a snapshot into peers' work life. This offers employees an intimate understanding of how the business is an ecosystem in itself, with each department relying on the other. I'd highly recommend a similar effort for any company with more than one office.

Even if you don't have an inherently mission- or cause-based company, your organization can still choose to rally behind an issue. Nearly 60 percent of the millennials surveyed in the above SHRM study said they'd like more company-wide service days. Take the time to talk to your employees and identify a cause they're connected with, and commit to executing on service or volunteer days when employees can share in a sense of purpose. For example. Deloitte has a well-known CSR initiative to provide skills-based volunteerism to help more members of its communities secure gainful employment.

To sum up, the secret to retaining employees doesn't lay in elaborate perks. It's about listening to employees, giving them something to care about and providing them with the opportunities and quality of life that makes them want to come back year after year. Maybe the lifelong career isn't a reality for a lot of people anymore, but it wouldn't hurt if we tried a little harder to make our valued employees want to stay.

Related:

Despite Having the Best Perks, Tech Workers Are Among the Least Loyal Employees

Trouble Recruiting and Keeping Talent? Your Skimpy Health Insurance Is a Likely Cause

Forget the Indoor Rainforest and the Beer on Tap -- Workers Want More Practical Things



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Photo: Contributed

Motorists travelling down Skaha Lake Road on the south end of Penticton have no doubt noticed, and perhaps wondered, about the flags atop the Windward Software building.

Company CEO Dennis Jacobsen was before city council Tuesday, as a part of an initiative to highlight local business success stories. He said the flags represent all the countries they have sold to over the years.

Weve actually sold to about 40 countries, but we only have about 35 flags, so we need more flag poles, he said.

Jacobsen brought the business to Penticton from Fort St. John in 1990, hiring his first employee  who is still with the company  in 1991. Today, Windward employs 52 people locally on top of another 55 scattered across the globe in offices in Chicago, Australia and the Philippines.

The company sells point-of-sale, inventory, retail and accounting software for a variety of business uses.

Ive often heard people in this city say, if we could only get better internet here, we could attract large companies, Jacobsen said. Well weve had great internet in our office for many many years.

Internet is not the problem, its all about people, he said, explaining that finding trained employees is one of the companys biggest challenges. How do we get young people in?

Jacobsen pointed to a lack of affordable housing and a rental market that is practically non-existent  weve heard from our employees that they are having a hard time finding a place to live.

He said its also important for the city to be a fun place to live, and applauded initiatives like the South Okanagan Events Centre and other amenities like the BMX track and Okanagan waterfront walkway.

Looking forward, Jacobsen said Windward is working on bringing all its software into the cloud, which should help spur both domestic and international sales even higher.
Republicans declared victory late Tuesday in an unresolved race for a solidly red congressional district in Ohio, which exposed growing concern over the vulnerabilities in President Donald Trump's governing coalition.

The race was the latest example of increased Democratic energy and tepid Republican candidate performance that has defined recent special elections, including House races in Arizona and Pennsylvania and a Senate race in Alabama.

Despite Republicans dramatically outspending Democrats and a last-minute visit by Trump, Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson received just 1,754 more votes than Democrat Danny O'Connor, an elected county recorder, with thousands of provisional votes still outstanding. The margin of less than 1 percent came in a district that Trump won by 11 points in 2016 and where Republicans have held control since 1983.

Trump, who traveled to the district Saturday for a rally, proclaimed a personal victory on Twitter.

"When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good," Trump wrote late Tuesday night. "After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better."

Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats in the House to take control, and there are 72 Republican-held districts with partisan makeups that the Cook Political Report rates as the same as or more liberal than the Ohio district, which includes wealthy suburbs outside Columbus.

"I think Republicans are running out of excuses for why these seats are more competitive than then have been in the past," said Nathan Gonzales, who handicaps elections at Inside Politics. "The common thread here is Donald Trump is energizing Democrats."

O'Connor and Balderson will face each other again at the ballot box in November, and both candidates promised Tuesday to continue their campaigns.

"We're not stopping now," O'Connor told supporters. "Tomorrow we rest and then we keep fighting through November."

At his own event, Balderson promised that "for the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great again."

Democratic leaders viewed the result - prompted by the retirement of Rep. Patrick Tiberi, R, - as further confirmation that they were poised to take back Congress in the fall.

"This district should have been a slam dunk for the GOP," said Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., the leader of the Democratic midterm effort in the House, in a statement. "The fact that we are still counting ballots is an ominous sign for their prospects in November."

Under Ohio law, a recount is automatically initiated when the vote margin between the apparent winning candidate and the next leading candidate is less than or equal to 0.5 percent of the total vote. The state has a 10-day window for counting all provisional ballots.

Four other states held elections Tuesday, including several races that also measured Trump's ability to pick winners in Republican primaries, even when he flouted the wishes of the local party establishment. The president endorsed a longtime ally and adviser, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, in his race for governor over the Republican incumbent, Gov. Jeff Colyer.

In Michigan, Trump endorsed Attorney General Bill Schuette, who captured the GOP gubernatorial nomination. He also backed John James, a West Point graduate who prevailed over businessman Sandy Pensler for the GOP Senate nomination. That seat is held by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who is favored to win reelection.

In recent months, Trump has repeatedly shown he can leverage his high approval among Republicans to swing the party's primary contests in his favor with endorsements, having successfully chosen the winner in all 11 party contests he has been involved in since June.

That included several contests where his late endorsements, often delivered on Twitter, appeared to be a major factor in the outcome, including the primary victories of Rep. Dan Donovan, R-N.Y., Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., and Brian Kemp, who won the Georgia GOP nomination for governor last month.

But Trump's record of choosing the winner in special general elections has been far less impressive, as Democrats and independent voters have demonstrated high enthusiasm for voting against his party's candidates when they get a chance.

Trump's divisive political approach has created a squeeze for many Republicans in general elections, campaign consultants say. They find that they have lost independent support because of Trump but still need his involvement in the race to get Republicans to the polls.

Trump endorsed Ed Gillespie when he ran for Virginia governor, Roy Moore in the Senate race in Alabama and Pennsylvania's Rick Saccone in a House special election. They all lost.

In Tuesday's House race in Ohio, for a district that includes some of the state's wealthiest and most well-educated suburbs outside Columbus, Republican groups were forced to once again run a last-minute emergency drill, flooding the state with millions of dollars in advertising and voter mobilization to protect the seat.

Trump attended a rally in the district Saturday with Balderson, following separate visits to the district by his son Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a late endorsement from Ohio Gov. John Kasich, R.

Democratic outside groups were outspent by a margin of nearly 4-to-1, though O'Connor proved a much stronger fundraiser than Balderson, a pattern that has repeated itself across the midterm field this year. Democratic donors have flooded campaigns with small donations, and Republicans have been forced to depend on much larger checks from wealthy individuals and outside groups.

A review of television and radio spending in the Ohio race provided by a Democratic consultant showed that between May 8 and Election Day both sides reached a similar number of people through paid advertising, though Democrats spent about $1 million less, since candidates are offered favorable rates when they buy spots directly through their campaigns.

O'Connor spent nearly $2.4 million on broadcast ads, according to the report, compared with just $571,834 by the Balderson campaign. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC associated with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., spent $2.6 million, according to the report.

Though the race had yet to be called, the CLF issued a statement assuming Balderson had won.

"While we won tonight, this remains a very tough political environment and moving forward, we cannot expect to win tough races when our candidate is being outraised," CLF executive director Corry Bliss said in a statement. "Any Republican running for Congress getting vastly outraised by an opponent needs to start raising more money."

Much of that advertising focused on tying O'Connor to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, whom he said he would not support for speaker. One spot also accused O'Connor of wanting to cut $800 million from Medicare because he opposed repealing the Affordable Care Act, which had created cost savings in the program when it initially passed.

In Michigan and Kansas, Democrats elevated two more women as their gubernatorial nominees. Gretchen Whitmer, the former Michigan state Senate leader, defeated several challengers, including Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was vying to be potentially the country's first Muslim nominee for governor. In Kansas, state Sen. Laura Kelly captured the nomination.

Democrats will have chosen eight female nominees so far this cycle for gubernatorial races, continuing a pattern that has appeared down ballot as Democratic women continue to notch a historic number of victories in primaries.

In Kansas, Trump backed Kobach, who has waged several losing battles against "voter fraud" in the state, over Colyer, who replaced Sam Brownback after he joined the Trump administration.

Democrats, who have opposed Kobach on the ballot and in court, had a three-way race involving Kelly, former Wichita mayor Carl Brewer and former Environmental Protection Agency official Josh Svaty. Party leaders considered Kelly the strongest candidate, after Greg Orman, a frequent independent candidate, began criticizing her.

Both parties also have combative House primaries, in neighboring districts.

In Missouri, Republicans nominated state Attorney General Josh Hawley to run against Sen. Claire McCaskill, D, in what will likely be one of the most competitive races this fall.

Labor unions and Democrats scored a victory as Missouri voters overturned a recently passed "right-to-work" law. The vote nullifies a law that would have prevented unions from collecting mandatory fees from the workers they represent.

Voters in Washington state chose a Democratic nominee to run for the seat of retiring Rep. Dave Reichert, R. Republicans backed Dino Rossi, a state senator who has run twice for governor and once for the U.S. Senate. Kim Schrier, a physician, has been endorsed by Emily's List and most labor unions, while Jason Rittereiser, a lawyer, has argued that his rural roots would make him more electable in November.

- - -

The Washington Post's Evan Weese in Columbia, Ohio, and Felicia Sonmez and Dave Weigel contributed to this report.
D rake spent a small fortune to bling out his chompers with some golden grillz for his "In My Feelings" music videoand he ordered them just in the nick of time.

According to TMZ, the rapper hit up celebrity jeweller Ben Baller to make his grillz less than four days before he shot the music video in New Orleans. The grills, which he requested be made in pure platinum and 18k gold, were made in just 36 hours and flown directly to him on location. Apparently Drake wanted the all-gold set to represent a colour associated with NOLA.

We spoke to Solange Garcia, co-owner of London-based grill specialists Milk and Honey, who told us that Drake's choice of secondary gnashers is, of course, bang on trend, saying that gold, and specifically yellow gold, tends to be the most popular material among her clients. Drakes premium material choice is not entirely out of the ordinary either. Some of our clients opt for platinum and 18k gold as it has a better finish and life span, she says.

A mere four days, though, to create such artistry, is in impressive. People don't realise how much work goes into making grillz, says Garcia. The process is actually extremely intricate, youre working with something that not only has to be made accurately but remain safe for the person wearing it. This gets worse when you factor in things like diamonds, which are a whole other ball game.

Maybe it's down to the popularity of all things '90s inspired, but Solange has noticed grillz are gaining in popularity. Its a lot more accepted as an extension of a person's personality or just sense of style, she says. Its an accessory like earrings, necklaces or rings. Also it seems an appreciation for grillz and women in grillz has helped propel it away from its traditional cultural stigma originally held up by society.

TMZ reported that the Drakes shiny new gnashers set him back $14k, but does that seem like a likely price? For something like that, yes, 14k sounds about right, says Garcia. If it is in fact made from platinum (which sits at the top of the material spectrum for mouth jewellery) it wouldnt be cheap, and from further assessment he got two made from IF&CO who are amazing at what they do."

And while Drakes might sound pricey, a quick look back at some of the OTT to the downright outrageous dental bling purchased by other celebrities over the years, Drakes toothy sparkle almost begins to look conservative. Almost.

Travis Scott

Back in 2016 Kylie Jenner's boyfriend, the "Pornography" rapper, tapped jeweller Johnny Dang, otherwise known as TV Johnny, for a custom set of coloured diamond grillz. Crafted in 18-carat gold and filled with 10-carat blue, white, pink and brown diamonds the set was rumoured to have set him back $25,000.

Lil Yachty

Minnesota rapper Lil Yachty spent $35,000 on a set of rainbow-coloured grills to wear to the 2017 Grammy awards. The multicoloured tooth bling contained blue and yellow diamonds, red rubies and green emeralds.

Nelly

Getty Images

In 2007 Nelly came out with the Platinum Grammy nominated hit Grillz. The song, about grillz, obviously, features a man called Paul Wall, who is responsible for many of the rappers grillz on this list. In the tune Wall sings: I got the wrist wear and neck wear thats captivating, but its what smile thats got these onlookers spectating.

Price tag: Probably free courtesy of his friend Paul (and in return for some major promo).

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne took the proverbial biscuit when he spent $150,000 on his diamond smile back in 2009.

Kim Kardashian

Back in September 2016 Kim Kardashian posted a photo of her gold and diamond grill captioned with three diamond emojis. The photo also showed an up-close look at her $4 million diamond ring along with two diamond Cartier bracelets, a gold and diamond Jacob necklace, Lorraine Schwartz diamond earrings and a gold Rolex. The reality TV star was robbed in Paris the day after she posted the picture.

Pharrell
Photo: transmountain.com

Kinder Morgan Canada documents say expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline will cost the federal government another $1.9 billion beyond the company's original construction estimate and will take another full year to complete.

The figure is included in documents Kinder Morgan Canada filed Tuesday with the United States Security and Exchange Commission related to the company's plan to sell the pipeline to the Canadian government for $4.5 billion.

Read more
T he boss of Gatwick Airport today unveiled plans for a major new Shanghai route and claimed flights to China will become increasingly important once Britain withdraws from the EU.

Stewart Wingate has agreed a deal with carrier China Eastern to transport 70,000 passengers a year between Gatwick and Shanghai Pudong airport.

The service, which launches in December, also has capacity for 3700 metric tonnes of cargo annually.

Wingate called Shanghai one of the worlds most important cities and business hubs.

The chief executive predicted it would be popular with tourists and business passengers.

He added: These connections to China and other non-European countries will take on extra significance in a post-Brexit Britain as we become more reliant on them to generate vital growth through trade and by exploiting the other business opportunities that they provide.

Shanghai was one of the cities Prime Minister Theresa May visited on a state trip to China this year.

During the trip she said Britain is looking to deepen trade relations with nations around the world, including China.

Brexit jitters sent the pound down 0.43 cent at $1.2906 today.

Gatwick revealed the new route alongside an update on the airports busiest-ever July.

It saw passenger numbers climb 1% to 4.8 million, which was boosted by a surge in long-haul trips to Asia, New York, Boston and Las Vegas.

That helped to offset a decline in fewer customers on domestic flights after Ryanair relocated to Stansted for its routes to Belfast.

Gatwick airport, which is majority owned by investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners, wants the government to back its bid to expand its existing West Sussex site instead of, or in addition to, rival Heathrows plan for a third runway.
W eve all heard of crash-for-cash car insurance fraud: stage an accident where one car smashes into another and claim to the insurance companies that everybody got whiplash.

After sustained lobbying by the insurers, the government is finally taking action and capping neck injury payments.

But another scam is quietly growing instead: ghost broking. Traditionally, fraudsters posing as brokers would offer a too-good-to-be true quote, take the punters money, fake up some policy documents and make off with the cash.

With the rise of comparison websites, however, the norm is now to get the victim a real policy, give them the genuine paperwork, but then secretly cancel the cover and pocket the refund.

The ease of buying online and finding victims via Facebook and Instagram has spread ghost broking fast, meaning ever more people driving around uninsured. City of London Police has launched an awareness campaign on this but, as Hastings Direct suggested today, theres more the industry can do too.

While technology makes life easier for the fraudsters, it can also be used to trap them. Multiple policies bought from the same computer IP address are likely to be scams, certain peaks in the times of day of policy sales are also a red flag. Hastings has beefed up its tech to monitor such patterns and in the past seven months has unmasked 30 ghost brokers. One has been banged up in jail.

The industry is starting to act. But, as Hastings boss Toby van der Meer says, it could do more. Why not share all the data with each other on customers IP addresses as they do with claims histories, for example?

Even if you set aside the social problems caused by uninsured drivers, the industry is missing out on these bogus premiums. Better fraud tech will save them money in the long run.

In the US, its encouraged for private sector folks to revolve into public sector roles, and vice versa. The thinking is both sides can learn from the other to the benefit of all. So, Liam Maxwells move from UK government technology adviser to Amazon wouldnt raise an eyebrow. Here, its another matter. We are suspicious of private firms gaining inside knowledge of government.

Protest groups complain such revolving doors should be locked shut. We shouldnt be too hasty.

Particularly in tech, the private sector has much to teach government. As long as moves in and out of Whitehall are transparent, theres little harm in the revolving door. In fact, banning civil servants from moving into the private sector would do more harm than good.

Its hard enough to get tech brains into Whitehall as it is, without telling them theyre handcuffed there for life.
I nsurance giant Prudential on Wednesday said the spin-off of its UK business M&G Prudential was on track as it reported a large rise in profits over the past six month.

Everything is on schedule or ahead of schedule, chief Mike Wells said, adding the company was working on the integration of human resources, IT and sorting out M&G Prus debt structure.

The FTSE 100 giant, which is planning to split the UK arm from the rest of the Asia and America, said operating profits rose 9% to a record 2.4 billion.

Wells said the demerger of M&G Prudential from the group demonstrated his companys commitment to creating shareholder value.

We have mobilised our internal teams for delivery, positively engaged with external stakeholders and we are making good progress, Wells said.

Pru, which sponsors the RideLondon event (pictured) plans to list M&G Prudential on the London stock market although speculation has mounted the unit could be taken over with Lloyds Banking Group mentioned as a possible suitor. M&G chief Anne Richards s leaving Pru to take up a role at Fidelity.

Strong growth in Asia  the worlds fastest growing market  was behind the rise with new business profits rising 11% to 1.1 billion due to a growing workforce and middle class in countries like China.

M&G Investment, the unit Richards runs, saw net inflows of 3.5 billion.

The boost came from inflows into the companys giant Optimal Income Fund and multi-asset funds plus its special line of private credit funds The inflows are slower than the same period last year, when the Chelsea Flower Show sponsor lured in 7.5 billion.

Total assets under management also dropped to 342 billion from 351 billion after a book of business was sold to Rothesay Life.
A ctivist investor Ed Bramson's fund on Wednesday said it was holding talks with Barclays about the bank's choice of replacement for chairman John McFarlane.

The veteran investor's fund, Sherborne, said it was engaging with Barclays about the search process for and mandate of a successor for McFarlane when he steps down as one element in a campaign to shake up the bank.

Bramson, who buys small stakes in companies and then lobbies for dramatic change, revealed a 5.4% stake in Barclays in March but has kept his plans for the company private until now.

City veteran McFarlane has rebuffed talk of an early exit but the board is seeking a replacement in a search led by senior independent director Crawford Gillies.

Bramson has typically demanded a personal boardroom seat on the companies he targets  he ousted the chairman of fund manager F&C and put himself in charge  although he has so far stopped short of doing the same at Barclays.

McFarlane told a meeting of shareholders in May they were not getting rid of me yet and promised to only stand down when the time is right. Bramson did not attend the meeting.

The chairman, who has also chaired Aviva, had reportedly held talks over a controversial plan to merge Barclays with emerging markets bank Standard Chartered in a bid to see off Bramson.

Sherborne said talks with Barclays had focused on the banks use of capital, profits and how costs are structured.

Addressing these matters could improve Barclays financial strength and its long-term competitive position, Sherborne said.

Sherborne added it would carry on talking to Barclays but may cut off talks when it was appropriate to do so.

So far the Sherborne vehicle has seen its investment in Barclays misfire. The value of the funds Barclays stake declined to 607 million from 696 million after an 11% decline in Barclays share price over the period.

Bramsons fund has remained silent publicly on plans for the bank although he had told investors he wanted Barclays to shrink its investment bank and return cash tied up in it to shareholders.

Barclays fended off some of Sherbornes accusations last week by reporting string results last week, tripling pre-tax profits while the investment bank helped bolsters revenue.
A lmost 200 years ago the railway revolution began in what was then, and is today, Englands Northern Powerhouse. What started as a few local railways went on to change the world. Continents became smaller, industries ramped up production and the people of Britain felt the benefit.

In the coming years our new high-speed network, HS2, will breathe life into our Victorian network but we need to make the case for it in areas it doesnt quite touch.

Every taxpayer in Britain will help to pay for HS2 but youd be hard pressed to find many in the North who can justify its mammoth 56 billion price tag. Coming in at 850 per head, they have every right to ask what HS2 will do for them - especially when they see reports of high salaries paid to staff.

Rightly or wrongly, the people of the Northern Powerhouse regions, those most removed from London both geographically and economically, will feel they are paying for yet more infrastructure investment in the South.

But there is an opportunity for the Government to prove us chippy Northerners wrong. As Sir John Armitt, the chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, said at the weekend, we need a plan to make the most of HS2.

Ben Houchen

There is more that we can do. By committing to manufacture HS2s trains in the Northern Powerhouse, for instance, the Government would clearly demonstrate the Britain-wide benefits of the project.

When Margaret Thatcher persuaded Nissan to make cars in Sunderland in the Eighties it took more than goodwill  she had to put taxpayers money and her reputation on the line. This investment, her true legacy in the North-East, started with choosing an area with an abundance of capable workers. The gamble ultimately paid off and the factory now produces more cars each year than the entire Italian motor industry.

Backing the Bombardier-Hitachi joint venture to build our new fast trains is the Governments chance to do the same, while creating highly skilled, well-paid jobs and helping to close the North-South divide.

This bid would create growth in the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands, demonstrating the Governments commitment.

Lets not hand the critics another excuse to dismiss the Northern Powerhouse as a PR exercise. Lets back northern manufacturing and bring train-building back home.
W hat has happened to Boris Johnson?

A decade ago he won election as the Mayor of London because he appealed across the divide. Many Labour supporters voted for him, liberals couldnt help but like him, while Tory associations rushed to book him for his irreverent after-dinner speeches. His friends said he was the Heineken politician, able to reach parts of the electorate that other Conservatives couldnt reach.

Behind the Wodehousian act, there was a serious message: Tories needed to get comfortable with modern Britain.

Illegal immigrants, trapped in a cruel judicial limbo, should be given an amnesty. Turkey should be welcomed into the EU because, he argued with passion, are we really saying about ourselves and about Europe that it is for ever coterminous with nothing but Christendom? Well, try going to Bradford and saying that!

A decade on, Bradford will be one place that Mr Johnson will be in no rush to visit. He has just offended many in the Muslim community.

Lets be clear. When he compared women wearing the burka to letter boxes and bank robbers he was not seeking to provoke a liberal debate about the role of women in Muslim societies (as his few remaining bannermen are trying to claim). He was just being rude.

Comparing British citizens to criminals because of the clothes they wear is plain offensive.

Thats why the Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt and the Tory party chairman have asked him to apologise. Its one of the reasons equalities minister Penny Mordaunt spoke out this morning.

The real Mr Johnson

That leaves two questions: first, why did Mr Johnson poke fun at a minority? Only he can answer, but his old admirers will have noticed that it fits with a recent pattern.

The former mayor with broad appeal has increasingly become the voice of angry nativism, loathed by much of the Left and Right mainstream.

He led the Brexit campaign with crushing effect, though some questioned how real his conversion had been from witty eurosceptic to committed Leaver.

Suddenly, Turkish membership of the EU went from his dream to a nightmare. That put him at the head of the 52 per cent but his sectarian zeal for his new-found cause lost him the other 48 per cent.

Then he resigned as Foreign Secretary because the Government, although committed to leaving the EU in just seven months time, was not ideologically pure enough.

That has lost him a further 50 per cent of his fellow Brexiteers in Parliament, and his erstwhile allies in the Cabinet, who remain in office trying to make their project work in practice.

Where once he shared public platforms with US liberal conservatives like Mike Bloomberg, he now seeks out the private company of the Steve Bannons of this world.

He has become the self-appointed leader of the rump of Tory ultras  people he formerly dismissed and who remain suspicious of his motives.

Making jokes about Muslim women is what you do to get a laugh at such gatherings.

Is this the real Mr Johnson? Has he really lost the generous instincts that once won him the capital? Or has he lost his bearings in his fraught pursuit of the highest office?

The second question is for the Tories. What kind of party do they want to be? Broad, inclusive and modern or narrow, divisive and reactionary?

In the 2015 election they increased support among minorities; in 2017 they lost it.

Now one of the most famous Conservative faces in the country has offended one of those minorities.

Mr Johnson has, in an instant, given Jeremy Corbyn temporary respite from the row over anti-Semitism and given force to the charge (made for the Evening Standard on Monday by the imam Mohammed Mahmoud ) of Islamophobia in sections of the Tory party.

Tories cant complain that Mr Corbyn wont take action against bigotry if they fail to act themselves. Thats why Lord Sheikh, founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum, has called on the Prime Minister to withdraw the whip.

A strong, self-confident party would take this opportunity to demonstrate that the Tories have no truck with bigotry.
W hen preparing to announce his position on the 2016 EU referendum, Boris Johnson notoriously drafted two statements : one declaring his support for the Leave campaign, and the other opting for the Remain cause.

In his Daily Telegraph article this week about the Muslim burka and the veil, the former Foreign Secretary pulled off a different trick  contriving to squeeze two entirely separate newspaper columns into one.

The first was a liberal defence of the freedom of a Muslim woman in this country  in contrast to France, Belgium and, most recently, Denmark  to wear religious clothing in a public place, when she is simply minding her own business. In this strand of his argument Johnson declared himself opposed to any heavy-handed attempt to ban such practices.

In this two-for-one deal, however, the second column  intertwined with the first  made a quite different point. While notionally hostile to a total ban, Johnson insisted that Muslim women should not cover their faces when attending (say) constituency surgeries, school, or university, or when working for individual businesses or branches of government where it was important for people to be able to see each others faces and read their expressions.

Boris Johnson should be removed from the Conservative party for his remarks, a Tory peer has said / REUTERS

This argument, though much-disputed, is not in itself bigoted and has been made by many others before. The fork in the road came, appropriately enough, in Johnsons irrepressible instinct to reduce everything to a joke: a Muslim woman wearing the veil, he said, resembled a bank robber. It was absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.

In two cheap, throwaway gags, he managed both to criminalise and to dehumanise those he was elsewhere claiming to defend. This is having your liberalism, and eating it  it wont do.

Its quite right, therefore, that Theresa May and Brandon Lewis, the Tory party chairman, have demanded an apology from Johnson. In theory the case is complicated by the conspicuous absence of an agreed definition of Islamophobia (in marked contrast to the globally recognised International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism).

Women wear burkas during a protest in Denmark / EPA

It is true that Islam, like any other belief system, cannot expect immunity from criticism. Any definition of Islamophobia that encompassed, say, Salman Rushdies novel The Satanic Verses or the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed published by Charlie Hebdo would be a dangerous infringement of the rights of free expression. Blasphemy and bigotry are not the same thing, in spite of the many efforts to conflate them.

The best working definition I have encountered appeared in the Runnymede Trusts 2017 report on the subject. Islamophobia, it concluded, is anti-Muslim racism  any distinction, exclusion, or restriction towards, or preference against Muslims (or those perceived to be Muslims) that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

This approach upsets those who object that Islam is a religion, not a race. But it has the great merit of looking for Islamophobia in the treatment of Muslims, rather than in the discussion of Islam as a belief. And this is why Johnsons remarks were so deeply objectionable: quite unambiguously he demeaned Muslim women in demotic language that echoes the casual mockery of the street or the pub. It is a rhetorical device as cunning as it is reprehensible

Under fire: Boris Johnson has been criticised for his comments about burkas / PA

Predictably, Johnson has declined to apologise. Instead he is using one of the favourite tricks of the new populist Right, which is to confuse and befuddle his opponents with multiple messages, while sending a clear signal to his target audience. On the one hand he claims  via sources  to be speaking up for liberal values and open debate. On the other, he deploys language that is transparently designed to appeal to the Right of the Conservative Party  in particular the more illiberal members who will decide, in the next leadership contest, who succeeds May.

My hunch is that he knew full well that some of his remarks would gain a wider currency than the Telegraphs readership, and that many of the same people who cheer on the far-Right activist Tommy Robinson would soon be cheering him on, too.

Whether he planned this or not, it has happened. Social media is fizzing with nasty posts praising the man who, until recently, held one of the great offices of state, for speaking the truth. With a couple of unpleasant gags Boris has achieved precisely what Enoch Powell sought in his rivers of blood speech: a following on the populist Right.

Prime Minister piles on pressure for Boris Johnson to apologise for burka comments

Is it coincidence that he has been in close contact with Donald Trumps former chief strategist Steve Bannon? Perhaps. What is certainly true is that Bannon will approve heartily of what he has done.

The founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum, Lord Sheikh, has called for the party whip to be removed from Johnson. This would be a radical escalation and might indeed enhance his popularity in certain quarters. But the PM and Julian Smith, the chief whip, should not rule out such a step if Johnson remains obdurate.

It is essential that he apologise, without qualification, for the disgrace he has brought on his party. It is essential that this not be brushed aside as a gaffe.
T here's no doubt about it that the film industry is dominated by men. Women's stories, especially those of women of colour, find it a lot harder to reach the audiences that are ready and waiting for them.

Since 2012, London Feminist Film Festival has been bringing films to the screen that have been broadly ignored by mainstream distributors.

London Feminist Film Festival returns to east London cinemas from August 16-19, bringing a range of illuminating documentaries and groundbreaking dramas, as well as Q&As and discussions about women in film.

Here's what you can see at the festival:

Opening Gala: Fatma 75

A restored version of Selma Baccars Fatma 75 (1976)  first non-fiction film directed by a woman in Tunisia. The essay-film sees university student Fatma embark on a voyage to collect information about iconic women.

August 16, Genesis Cinema

Feminist icons in film 1 /10 Feminist icons in film The Bride - Kill Bill Uma Thurmans enigmatic protagonist The Bride sets out on the trail of revenge after her groom and wedding party are murdered by her former lover in Quentin Tarantinos 2003 thriller Kill Bill. The deadliest woman on earth is one of the most badass characters ever put to screen and her story is arguably one of the strongest tales of feminist redemption in modern cinema. Ripley - Alien Sigourney Weaver was a relative unknown when she took the lead role as Ripley in Ridley Scotts Alien in 1979. While the rest of the crew on the spaceship Nostromo are picked off one by one, Ripley shows nerves of steel and battles the terrifying xenomorph. Things only got more heroic when she returned to the role in James Camerons Aliens six years later. Ripley's performance came to embody a shining example of second wave feminism in the late 70s and its depiction of a woman overcoming extreme situations against all the odds is as enduring now as it was then. Jackie Brown - Jackie Brown Pam Grier stars as flight attendant and drug smuggler Jackie Brown in this brilliant crime thriller from Quentin Tarantino. Robert De Niro, Samuel L Jackson, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton also appear in the film, but its Griers whip smart portrayal of the heroine that really stands out. The film is inspired by the blacksploitation films of the 70s, but Grier's timeless turn in the title role give the film an impact all of its own. Miramax Princess Leia Carrie Fishers Princess Leia plays an integral part in the original Star Wars trilogy and represents one of the most iconic film characters of the 70s and 80s. Not letting her royal status or antiquated perceptions of gender get in the way, she becomes one of the key leaders in the Rebel Alliance's fightback against the Empire and paves the way for female commanders like Vice Admiral Holdo, who was played by Laura Dern in Episode VIII. Carrie Fisher sadly passed away in 2016, but her portrayal of one of the most-loved character will never be forgotten. Lucasfilm Erin Brockovich - Erin Brockovich This 2000 biopic tells the true story of the American legal clark who built a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in the 1993. The film explores everyday sexism, with the character failing to be taken seriously at first due to her position as the single mother of three. However, Julia Roberts character shows enormous strength of character to push barriers and challenge archaic conventions in this David vs Goliath tale. Roberts was later recognised with a well-deserved Academy Award for best actress. Universal Studios Thelma & Louise - Thelma & Louise Feminist film icons Thelma & Louise made a huge impact back in 1991, with Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon both delivering memorable performances in the lead roles. The film, which follows a pair of friends whose weekend together takes a series of unexpected and violent twists, became a landmark feminist event at the time. One of the film's major talking points sees Louise shoot dead a man who has raped Thelma, and it's the film's attitudes to the subject of rape culture that remain particularly resonant today. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios Hit Girl - Kick-Ass Chloe Grace Moretz made her big screen debut at the age of 13 in Kick-Ass, giving an unforgettable performance as foul-mouthed vigilante Hit-Girl. Her fiery turn was without a doubt the highlight of Matthew Vaughans movie, and Grace Moretz even trained with Jackie Chans stunt crew to perform most of her own stunts too. Seeing her burst onto the scene and make such an unforgettable impact in the unconventional role was one of the feminist film highlights of 2010. Matilda - Matilda Classic Roald Dahl heroine Matilda is brought to life by child star Mara Wilson in the magical 1996 film adaptation. The child genius learns to master telekinetic powers, all the while being mistreated by her dysfunctional family and going up against the terrifying Miss Trunchbull. Seeing a young girl triumph in the face of adversity, challenge convention and take her destiny into her own hands had a big impact on many young viewers and Matilda remains one of the most empowering female characters in childrens cinema. Katherine G Johnson - Hidden Figures Hidden Figures focuses on the underappreciated input of the black mathematicians working for NASA during the space race of the 60s. Taraji P. Henson portrays Katherine G Johnson who makes hugely significant contributions alongside Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, played by Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae respectively. To make a movie this good which celebrates the work of these inspiring women is a special achievement. 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Mulan - Mulan Mulan became Disneys most empowering heroine to date back in 1998, paving the way for the likes of Braves Princess Merida, Frozens Princess Anna and Moana. The film is based on the Chinese legend Hua Mulan and tells the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a man to enlist in the army. She goes onto become a fearsome warrior and fight back against the invading Hun army, smashing gender perceptions along the way.

Feminist classic: Sama

Generally, in film, classic means Western, male-directed and big-budget. In this flagship section of the festival, this is restructured to focus on womens contributions. Sama (1988) was the first fiction film to be directed by a woman in Tunisia. Nejia Ben Mabrouks film follows a young woman who refuses a traditional domestic role and seeks education. A Q&A with Ben Mabrouk follows the screening.

August 18, BFI Southbank

Staying Together: Women Against Systemic Violence

Two films investigate the judicial system and custody issues in a patriarchal society. Fateme Ahmadis Bitter Sea follows an immigrant single mother who has to hide her daughter to keep her job and home. Rachel Meyricks documentary What Doesnt Kill Me (2017) explores the trend of abusive fathers gaining child custody by manipulating the system.

August 19, Rio Cinema

The Gender of Power: Women Against Patriarchal Structures

Recent events, particularly in the US, have shown the backlash against the idea of a woman being in charge. Pascale Lamches Winnie (2017) explores the life of Winnie Mandela and her contribution to bringing down apartheid, hearing from those close to her and those who sought to silence her.

August 16, Rio Cinema

Keepers of Culture: African Heritage and Feminist Documentary Practices

The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman (2016) sees film-maker Rosine Mbakam return to Cameroon having lived in Europe for seven years, rediscovering her African heritage through her mothers stories. Taking inspiration from Tia Ciatas resistance against the erasure of African culture in post-abolitionist Brazil, Aunt Ciata (2017) looks at how diasporic culture impacts black woman today.

August 19, Rio Cinema

Lesbian Identities: Becoming/Situating Ourselves

Showing lesbianism as a plural, complex thing, Gender Troubles: The Butches (2016) by Lisa Plourde challenges assumptions about what it means to be female, while Cecilia Montaguts Dyke Jails (2018) investigates lesbian relationships in prison.

August 17, Genesis Cinema

Daring to Disrupt

These two films celebrate feminist activism: The Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen (2014) follows a black, lesbian woman who grew up in Jim Crow-era Boston, going on to become a key figure in the emergence of black feminism. Heather Booth: Changing the World (2017) looks at the renowned civil rights activist over the past 50 years.

August 18, Rio Cinema

Now, Here She Stands: Perspectives on Survival

Four films  two dramas and two documentaries  show the effects of domestic violence and survivors' courage, looking at healing through art, the support of friends and crucial networks of empowerment.

August 18, Rio Cinema

Revolt, She said: Women and Film After 68

Curated by queer feminist film collective Club de Femmes, this series spotlights the women spurred by the protests of May 1968, who used their cameras to enact revolutions of their own. In Maeve (1981), we see the parallels between mens relationship to women and Englands relationship to Ireland during The Troubles.

August 16-17, Rio Cinema

Constellations of Activism

A screening of shorts which look at the fight for human rights around the world, from grassroots social campaigning against period poverty in Bloody Activist to making the outdoors accessible to fat people, without shame, in Fat Hiking Club.

August 19, Genesis Cinema
A riana Grande recently became the latest megastar to appear on Carpool Karaoke. Four years ago, she was still appearing in the Nickelodeon show Sam & Cat.

Inbetween, shes released three number one albums and embarked on successive arena tours - as well as performing an intimate show at London's KOKO this week. Her remarkable rise has given rise to a passionate fanbase (known as Arianators), but her career is remarkable for more than just her music.

While shes established herself as a household name with hits like Dangerous Woman, Side To Side And God Is a Woman, it's her off-stage actions have helped make her one of the most culturally significant artists working in 2018.

Her positive attitudes towards LGBT rights and feminism, as well as her stoic response to the tragic Manchester Arena attacks in 2017 and her involvement with the One Love benefit concert are all things worth celebrating.

Her latest album, Sweetener, looks set to cement her status as one of the most popular artists making music in 2018 too, but it hasnt always been this way for Grande.

Role model: Ariana Grande performs live (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) / Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

During the early days of her musical career she was accused of diva-like behaviour during fan meet and greets in 2014 in a blog post.

However, the biggest and most bizarre scandal of Grandes young career came in 2015 when security camera footage captured her licking display doughnuts and shouting I hate America in a Californian bakery.

Where others might have withdrawn and hoped the controversy would blow over, Grande publicly apologised and later owned up to the mistake on a 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live, joking: "A lot of kid stars end up doing drugs, or in jail, or pregnant, or get caught looking at a doughnut they didn't pay for."

More often, though, her actions have been met with wide-spread praise. Her well-publicised views on feminism, for example, were well received by her contemporaries back in 2015.

It came after Grande wrote a feminist essay, hitting out at misogyny and double-standards in the industry, leading Taylor Swift to write, Im so proud of you, always. But especially today, on Twitter at the time.

Grande has also been praised for her support of LGBT rights over recent times and was hailed a "gay icon" by Billboard in 2017.

While the fact that Grande doesnt identify as LGBT caused Twitter users to criticise the tag at the time, Grande has long been vocal about the issue of gay rights.

Having been raised as part of the religious family, she previously revealed how she'd left the church due to attitudes towards homosexuality, inspired by the experiences of her gay half-brother and Celebrity Big Brother star Frankie Grande.

Its outrageous to me when I see people hate on someone because of their sexuality, she said during an interview with American Horror Story and Glee creator Ryan Murphy for V magazine in 2015.

I hate the intolerance. I hate the judgment. I hate it so much. Most of my favourite people in my life are gay.

Her notable appearances on US talk shows have also helped to inform perceptions of her music career.

For many casual observers, her musical impressions on a 2015 episode of the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon were a standout moment. The viral clip racked up over 118m views and highlighted her vocal talents to a wider audience than one of her singles ever could.

Her flawless, unerringly accurate impressions of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion converted a new legion of admirers pretty much overnight and proved that this one-time children's TV star was the real deal.

Sadly though, Grande was subjected to the most tragic of circumstances in 2017: the devastating Manchester Arena attack, which took place after her show at the venue on May 22, saw 22 people lose their lives and 139 more injured.

Putting aside unimaginable emotional trauma, Grande visited victims in hospital, sent emotional messages to fans and helped to organise and perform at the One Love Manchester tribute concert in the weeks that followed.

Stars who performed with Ariana Grande at Manchester Benefit Concert 1 /11 Stars who performed with Ariana Grande at Manchester Benefit Concert Ariana Grande Getty Images Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj Getty Images Miley Cyrus Getty Images Niall Horan Getty Images Katy Perry Getty Images Justin Bieber Getty Images Usher Getty Images Chris Martin of Coldplay Getty Images Take That Getty Images Pharrell Williams Getty Images Ariana Grande Getty Images

She was rightly praised around the world and her deeply emotive performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow proved to be one of the concert's most abiding moments. Incredibly, the event went on to raise $23m to help victims.

The grace she embodied during that difficult time showed her cultural and social significance more than her music ever could.

Grande later channeled her experiences in the single No Tears Left To Cry. The lyrics are an exploration of grief (Right now, I'm in a state of mind I wanna be in all the time. Ain't got no tears left to cry), which are ultimately filled with an overriding sense of hope, not despair.

15 months after the events of May 2017, she has come to mean far more than your typical pop star among fans all over the world.

Her new album is one of the most high-profile releases of 2018, but Grandes embodiment of positivity, equality and stoicism away from the stage have always proved to be just as influential as her music.
G oing to watch live music in London can be an expensive business.

The capitals venues attract some of the worlds best-known artists and, as a result, can charge some pretty steep prices for tickets  entry to the gig and a couple of drinks once youre in can often see you approaching the 50 mark, and that's before you factor in the obligatory post-concert kebab.

However, there are number of places across the city, in music venues, churches, record shops and theatre foyers, where you can watch excellent live music completely free of charge.

These are the wallet-friendly venues every price-conscious muso needs to have on their radar.

Sessions at House of Vans

Each month, Waterloo venue House of Vans puts on a free gig as part of its Sessions series. The gigs showcase emerging talent from the UK and beyond, with Laurel, Superfood and Yonaka among the bands to have been picked to perform in the past. Even if you havent heard of the artists playing, its well worth heading down to  you may just find your next favourite band. Aside from the Sessions gigs, there are a number of one-off free gigs put on by the venue, including the likes of the Vaccines.

Free Jazz Sundays and Tuesdays at The Troubadour

Now, just to be clear: here were talking about jazz that is free to watch, rather than the subgenre of free jazz. Thats not to say you won't hear some wild improvisations if you head down to this legendary South Kensington venue on either a Sunday or Tuesday. On both evenings, it welcomes a broad array of jazz musicians to play in its cafe and invites punters to watch them entirely free of charge.

Live at Lunch at the Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is known for putting on excellent performances entirely free of charge. Its lunchtime recitals, which took place at St Clement Danes on the Strand up until this summer, were hugely popular, but now the ROH has a launched a new series of free events. Live at Lunch, a series of one-hour recitals taking place every Friday within the foyer of the Linbury Theatre, will feature artists from the Royal Opera, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet. There will also be a number of guest appearances.

In-store performances at Rough Trade East

Rough Trade East is one of the best record shops in London, with an excellent selection of records from its own label and beyond. But it stands out for the quality of its in-store performances, may of which are free (if theyre not free, then you normally just have to buy the album of the performing artist to gain entry). Its a great way to catch intimate performances from huge artists  Interpol, who sold out Alexandra Palace not too long ago are playing at the shop at the end of August.

London's best record shops 1 /9 London's best record shops Sounds of the Universe 7 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DA; soundsoftheuniverse.com Sounds of the Universe, 7 Broadwick St, Soho Vinyl Pimp 14 Felstead Street, E9 5LT; vinylpimp.co.uk Sounds of the Suburbs 110 Victoria Road, HA4 0AL; soundsofthesuburbs.online Soul Brother 1 Kewswick Road, SW15 2HL; soulbrother.com Rye Wax 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST; ryewax.com Honest Jon's Records 278 Portobello Road, W10 5TE; honestjons.com Flashback Records Casbah Records LionVibes

Daylight Music at Union Chapel

Daniela Sbrisny

We would never turn down the opportunity to watch free live music in Union Chapel  the Grade I-listed church is one of the most beautiful venues in London. Luckily enough, such an opportunity comes around on certain Saturday afternoons throughout the year, thanks to its long-running Daylight Music series. It operates on a pay-what-you-can basis (the recommendation is 5) and offers up a pretty unpredictable schedule  one day it might be jazz, the next it could be an accordion orchestra.

Southbank Centre

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Theres always plenty on at the Southbank Centre  plays, exhibitions, panel discussions, film screenings and more  but if you want to head down without having to spend a single penny, make a beeline for one of its free music events. Its Friday Lunch series, taking place in the Central Bar within the Royal Festival Hall, are delightfully eclectic (guqin recital, anyone?), while Friday Tonic delivers a similar thing, just later on in the day. It regularly throws one-off free events, so keep an eye out.

Lunchtime recitals at St Jamess Piccadilly

Imago Mundi at St Jamess Piccadilly  Romanian Cultural Institute

Much like Union Chapel, St Jamess Church in Piccadilly is worth visiting just to spend some time admiring it. Throw in 50 minutes of free music every Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime and the deal gets even sweeter. The focus is on classical music  expect to hear the work of the great composers alongside more contemporary, improvisational pieces. Entry is free with no tickets required, although a donation of 3.50 is politely suggested.

Old Blue Last

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Photo: BC Wildfire Service South Stikine River wildfire

The BC Wildfire Service says its priority is to protect homes and properties in a Northwestern B.C. community already hammered by a wildfire.

More than two dozen buildings have been destroyed or damaged in Telegraph Creek as a roughly 90-square-kilometre blaze burns nearby, and a second fire, which the wildfire service estimates at 190 square km, burns to the east.

The wildfire service lists the blazes as separate, although Rick Boehm with the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine believes the two fires have merged.

An evacuation alert has also been issued for Dease Lake, about 110 km northeast of Telegraph Creek, in part because of the heavy smoke from the Telegraph Creek-area fires and a third, smaller blaze about 70 km north of Dease Lake.

Elsewhere, an evacuation order was issued late Tuesday by the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako for a rural area nearest an uncontained 60-hectare wildfire southwest of Topley, and the district expanded several other orders and alerts already in effect around three other fires.

The wildfire service lists 25 fires of note burning across B.C., while most of the province, including Haida Gwaii, is now ranked at extreme risk of a fire with heat warnings not due to be lifted for several days.
E ggs, bacon, beans, sausages and toast. The oh-so-humble combination that wins at breakfast every time  or any time of day for that matter.

London may be known for its buzzing brunch scene but sometimes a good ol fashion greasy spoon is just what the doctor ordered  or it at least feels that way when hungover.

Amidst all the avant-garde breakfast spots, a proper full English or a filthy bacon butty can sometimes feel like a rare find in London.

That being said, we've rounded up the best greasy spoons in the capital, from family-run joints to traditional east end caffs.

Marie's Cafe

Hybrid: The greasy spoon and Thai restaurant / We Are Waterloo

Everyone loves a two-in-one venue and this unassuming restaurant in Waterloo is certainly that. By day, its a greasy spoon but come night time it transforms into a Thai restaurant. Its also got a rather fabulous retro exterior sign too  even if it is missing an apostrophe. This cafe has become a Waterloo hot spot over the years, loved by locals and visitors alike and is incredibly affordable compared to its competitors. For a great English brekkie (with no grease spared) this is the place to try.

90 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AB, mariescafe.co.uk

Regency Cafe

Retro eatery: A go-to greasy spoon for Londoners (Adam Bruderer/Pixabay) / Adam Bruderer/Flickr

This old-school London caff located between Westminster and Pimlico has a rich history. Its been serving Londoners breakfast for over 70 years and is still going strong. So unsurprisingly, this place knows how to do a full English well  theyre picture perfect in fact. The decor is retro, with an art deco black-tiled exterior and brown diner-style plastic chairs for seating. Plus guests can tuck into their brekkie with Tottenham Hotspur players watching over from their framed pictures on the walls. Where else is that possible?

17-19 Regency St, SW1P 4BY, regencycafe.co.uk

E Pellicci

Grade II listed building and greasy spoon are not usually found in the same sentence. Apart from when referencing this cute little eatery in Bethnal Green which is a listed building. The name originates from Mr Pellicci who bought this cafe in the early twentieth century with his wife Elide. When he passed away in 1931 she ran the fort and the venue was named after her. Now its run by the Nevio family and serves all kinds of greasy spoon classics, which are available to customise to make the perfect plate.

332 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 0AG, epellicci.co.uk

Shepherdess Cafe

Corner caff: This breakfast spot has welcomed celebs over the years

Over the thirty years that its been open, this little Hoxton spot has attracted a whole host of visitors, including a number of celebs. Here, a full English is served with chips and theyre cut thick and fluffy in the middle (how they're supposed to be). Ketchup and brown sauce is served in retro bottles, in keeping with the corner cafes old-school decor.

221 City Rd, EC1V 1JN, shepherdesscafe.co.uk

Great breakfast spots in London 1 /13 Great breakfast spots in London Berners Tavern Feast on a Full English or a ham hock croque-monsieur or opt for something lighter like the crab and avocado on toast. Theres six different types of eggs on the menu too  an egg-cellent selection some might say. For those who prefer a sweeter start to the day, the vanilla waffles and blueberry pancakes are a tasty alternative. Berners Tavern St John Bread and Wine Its got a no-frills, stripped back canteen and the menu adopts a similar no-fuss approach, with just 11 dishes to choose from. Both sweet and savoury is covered though. Classics include toast, granola, muesli and grapefruit as well a heart-warming bacon sarnie and an old-school kipper on sourdough toast. Stefan Johnson Balthazar Located in the heart of theatreland, this eatery is great for fuelling up before a day out in central. The menu offers traditional breakfast classics as well as more upmarket options including an indulgent Lobster Royale and caramelised grapefruit. Sim Canetty-Clarke Duck & Waffle Choose from a selection of sweet and savoury waffles, including the signature confit duck leg. Other menu highlights include the Columbian eggs with tomatoes and avocados and the House Breakfast (aka an upmarket full English complete with a cheddar and buttermilk scone). Duck & Waffle Modern Pantry The clue is in the name. This place is contemporary and fresh in terms of food and decor. They have a breakfast special which includes two-courses as well as a smoothie or juice and a hot drink for 19.50. Pick from a chia seed and oat bircher or fruit salad to start, followed by a prawn omelette with toast or eggs with either halloumi and tomatoes, bacon or chorizo. Dishoom Anyone thats heard of Dishoom will know that its bacon naan roll has a bit of a reputation  and rightly so. The breakfast menu has strong selection of Indian-inspired breakfast dishes including the Bombay Omelette and the Kejriwal (two fried eggs on chilli cheese toast). Alternatively, opt for a lighter alternative and feast on their house granola or fire toast served with pineapple-pink-peppercorn jam and orange marmalade with star anise. Granger & Co The big breakfast plates here certainly have a healthy feel to them like the black lentil daal with coconut yoghurt and poached egg and the courgette fritters with halloumi and quinoa. The definition of a guilt-free meal. Petrina Tinslay Chiltern Firehouse This firehouse-turned-hotel is known for being pretty hard to nab a table at but breakfast is (allegedly) the best time to try. A careful consideration of ingredients can be seen on the menu. Expect classic options with exceptional execution here  the eggs come with courgette and spinach, the avocado on toast has a spicy kick and the porridge is infused with vanilla. The Wolseley Here all the classics are on offer but theres also more extravagant options too, like the prunes with elderflower and the egg white frittata with harissa tomatoes. Feast like a royal on their other specialities including the grilled kipper with mustard butter and the fried haggis with duck eggs and whisky sauce. Even the drinks have a high-end twist like like a matcha, medjool dates and almond milk smoothie. David Loftus Hawksmoor For the perfect hangover cure, head to this place with a mate for the two-to-share breakfast. It comes with a smoked bacon chop, sausages, black pudding, short-rib bubble and squeak, grilled bone marrow, trotter baked beans, fried eggs, grilled mushrooms, roast tomatoes, as well as unlimited toast. Talk about hearty. Just be sure to get a snap before feasting on this mountain of food  it'll make finishing it all the more impressive. NOPI The peppery Shakshuka at this place is legendary  its made up of braised eggs, piquante tomato sauce and smoked labneh and is a great alternative to sweeter brekkie options. Similarly the grilled Mastelo cheese with fried egg, pitta bread and zaatar here is a great way to start the day. Farm Girl This Aussie-inspired joint on Portobello Road has a selection of healthy breakfast treats on the menu. Highlights include the Oven Baked Aubergine, Dragon Bowl and Teff Porridge. They also offer more traditional dishes, like toast with almond butter and strawberry jam and house granola made with oats, elderflower and orange zest. As for the drinks, theyve got an impressive selection of loose leaf teas, with over 13 different types to choose from, plus a variety of refreshing cold beverages. Farm Girl Tapa Room

Terrys Cafe

This family-run caff has a real community feel  just like a greasy spoon should. Its been open since 1982 and has a quintessentially British vibe to it, particularly with its gingham table cloths. As for the food, there are five different types of fry-up here featuring the popular The Works option which includes Cumberland sausage, egg, bacon, bubble & squeak, black pudding, beans, mushrooms, tinned or fresh tomatoes. To keep things a little more sustainable they use locally sourced produce, like their meat which is from Londons Smithfield Market (where founder Terry worked when he was 17). It also boasts a selection of vegan options and substantial breakfast sarnies.

158 Great Suffolk St, SE1 1PE, timeforterrys.com

Alpino Cafe

Islington landmark: The Italian run family / Ewan Munro/Flickr

This eatery has been running since 1959, making it somewhat of an Islington institution. It offers an extremely affordable full English plus a hot drink for a fiver. The portions are hearty too. For those a little less hungry, they do variations on the set brekkie too ranging from 3-5 as well as a Jumbo for an extra quid. Bargain.

97 Chapel Market, N1 9EY

Marios Cafe

This little cafe is the muse of Saint Etiennes 1993 hit "Marios Cafe" and its even had its own documentary made about it. It serves English and Italian breakfast classics like scrambled egg and salmon, poached egg and prosciutto on ciabatta and a full English of sausage, egg, bacon and tomato. Theres a whole host of sides to feast on too including mushrooms, hash browns, tomatoes and grilled halloumi.
I f it aint broke, fix it anyway. Take the Negroni, a drink that has risen from occasional tipple to summer dominance in the past four years. Its untouchable, the cocktail circuits stalwart, erupting from obscurity to swallow the market (by being swallowed by punters in turn). Variations on the theme come and go: from cherry to peach Negronis at Forza Win, to experiments with mezcal, but London remains red.

As a result, then, every bright-eyed bartenders dream is to invent the Negroni killer: a drink that will tackle the Campari titan and give punters something fresh to stream into their highballs.

Enter the Americano Spagliato, an Italian classic being given a new lease of life at Beso in Seven Dials, a Moorish-Mediterranean restaurant run by chef Khalid Dahbi. An Americano is a (slightly) weaker Negroni, and is strictly an old recipe. Spagliato means mistake, or broken, and the beauty of the drink is that it comes from a deliberate error, says Bruna Battaglia, bar manager at Beso. Its said to be the result of a busy bartender mistakenly using sparkling wine instead of gin in a Negroni, which turned out to be a beautiful accident. Sometimes getting it wrong can lead to something happy. The key of the mistake here is the pedrino sherry tonic, with a full nose of citrus botanicals, which replaces the gin. Its a glorious screw-up, in other words, and its toppling the Negronis dominance this summer.

Start with Campari and sweet vermouth. If youre building your own, prosecco is fine, so dont feel the need to spend extra for champagne. At Beso, a healthy glug of Pedro Ximenez, a fortified wine, is also splashed. Sherry is evidently having a moment, fitting in with a monastic leaning towards low ABV (low alcohol) content suitable for drinking in the drowsy heat.

The ingredients combine to a cherry note, so we garnish them with maraschino cherries, says Battaglia. Its possible to have it all summer because its very fresh yet not very strong, so its something you can sip in the heat.

Because its a cocktail founded in error there are a number of playful twists you can put to your palate. In the same way that a traditional Negroni can be either built over ice or served up in a stem glass, the Spagliato can also be served on the rocks or in a champagne flute. Play around with garnish too.

Dukes Bar, in Mayfairs Dukes Hotel, or Soho House and its offshoots, are Americano aficionados, and you can also buy it bottled and pre-mixed online from Cocchi.com. Berners Tavern serves the Chimney Sweep, which is given potency with a healthy slug of Cocchi Americano.
 Taste your way out of the supermarket, reads the tagline for Wine Car Boot, an independent market begun by expert Ruth Spivey in 2013.

If youve only ever drunk wine from your local Sainsburys or Tesco, Spivey believes her event has something to offer you.

"Wine Car Boot attracts all kinds of consumers, because of the quality and range of wine, and because of how fun it is," Spivey says. "Some people know nothing at all about wine and some are connoisseurs, and we tend to get quite a few people from the trade too.

The aim is to let people have a good time and for them to take bottles of wine home and to start using the shops a little bit more. Theres still a huge stigma attached to wine because of this understanding that [you have to be really wealthy], but theres so much on offer," she adds.

Here, Spivey talks about why we should head towards the independent wine shops.

Has there been an independent wine revolution?

I think theres been some movement, and I think people in certain areas are much more aware of it, but theres still a long way to go. I think people are still confused or not clear on the benefits of going to your local wine shop, or on the kinds of wines you get there. To me you can get not only interesting and more authentic wines but probably - in a lot of cases - wine thats also better made and better for the planet. There are a lot of people who will only buy meat from their local butcher but will chuck in a really industrial, poorly-made wine - so I dont think its sifted through to the general public yet. I still think its seen as exclusive because it can be a complex subject. But now I think there are so many things - like Wine Car Boot - that help present wine in an affordable, hopefully engaging way that isnt intimidating.

What do you mean by wine thats better made?

Probably wine thats made in less of an industrial quantity, with fewer chemicals and additions that arent so good for your body - and with slightly more responsible and conscientious farming methods. Its made by real people rather than in a factory, and even if something isnt certified as organic or biodynamic, even certain producers will be making things in that way anyway - so how they farm their land will be less damaging to the planet, for example. I think a lot of people might not realise whats allowed to be added into wine - things like tannin powder, acidifier, extra sugar, oak chips to give an oaky flavour. In your head you think its made by a farmer and rested in oak barrels, but its actually just a recipe someone has followed.

When there's wine, there must also be cheese / WineCarBoot

So does wine sold in independent wine shops also taste better?

I think flavour is quite subjective. Some people like the flavour of a McDonalds burger, while others prefer the flavour of one from Hawksmoor. But I think with wine made this way youre getting a more natural and authentic flavour; that doesnt automatically mean youre going to like it, but its what its supposed to taste like. I find a lot of commercial and industrial wines can taste quite similar, and slightly synthetic. With independently-produced wines, youre going to get a bigger variety of flavours and styles. Commercial reds, for example, can be sweet and rich and jammy - so it can be a shock to try a bigger selection of flavours. But trying them is part of the fun.

Do independently-produced wines cost more? If so, why is it worth spending that?

We generally recommend that our Wine Car Boot traders bring things that are under 20 a bottle. I realise that for some people, 10 is already a lot to spend on wine, but when you see lots for under 10 in the supermarket, you have to ask yourself why is it that cheap? A lot is duty and shipping and packaging, so the actual price on the wine is very little, so you cant expect too much from the quality. Its astonishing that all the work that goes into making wine has been squashed to about 20p. If you want to drink wine thats more authentic, then it should be about 10. Food-wise you could buy a battery chicken for 3.50 or one thats free-range for more - and people might spend 14 on a cinema ticket or on a cocktail, but not on a whole bottle of wine in a shop. I think theres been something ingrained in British minds that wine costs 5-6 a bottle, but a lot needs to change on that.

Which good, cheaper wines would you recommend from the independent shops?

I think while we want to show wines that are affordable, I also think we at Wine Car Boot and within the wider industry could do more to communicate why you should buy more wine from small shops. Instead of spending 6, spend 10 and it will be a better wine in almost every way. However, if people do have less money but want to drink generously, there are things like bag in a box or in a pouch, which make it slightly cheaper than if it was served in a bottle. For example, Le Grappin, More Wine, When In Rome, Bib Wine are all great bag-in-box sellers and then the pouch maker Vin Naturo which sells low-intervention organic wines.

WineCarBoot

Can natural and biodynamic wines be made commercially too?

Its rare but there are a few. One major supermarket has some wines that are organic according to the label, but all that means is that theyve bought organic grapes and done whatever they want with them in the winery. Biodynamic tends to be independent because its a lot more complex and harder to churn out. Overall its harder to make natural wine in a larger volume - as with anything, if you take too many shortcuts to produce a certain volume of something, then harvest grapes that arent up to scratch, you can correct it and create a different product in the bottle. But its not the same.

Which wine shops would you suggest people go in London?

Our Wine Car Boot website has a list of 45 or so profiles of all the shops that have participated. In the longterm Id like to make that a much bigger resource. Otherwise, when I go out of London, I use an app called Raisin, known as the natural wine app, which guides you to places serving natural or independent wine in different cities.

Ruth Spiveys favourite independent wine shops in London

Maltby & Greek

This operates as a stall at Ropewalk Maltby St on Saturdays and they have a lovely selection of unique and diverse Greek wines and amazing ingredients and produce from all over the country too.

Arch 17, Apollo Business Park, Lucey Way, London SE16 4ET; maltbyandgreek.com

Passione Vino

Passione Vino

The most colourful shop in town, the Passione boys guarantee a fabulous time with their delicious Italian wines and infectious Italian charm. You can now drink inside too, with superlative ham and cheese, essentially making to impossible to leave.

85 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QS; passionevino.co.uk

Berry Bros & Rudd

Britains oldest wine merchant opened a brand new shop just over a year ago round the corner from their original home, No.3 St Jamess. Its the perfect balance of contemporary and classic with enomatics for in-store tasting, with the most charming staff to help you choose, and a secret door to their famous cellars.

63 Pall Mall, St. James's, London SW1Y 5HZ; bbr.com/

Handford Wines

A south Kensington stalwart, Handford is a genuine treasure trove of classic and new wave wines. Its the best place to get your hands on all the sexy new South African exports, alongside everything else from daily drinking wines to dusty clarets.

105 Old Brompton Rd, Kensington, London SW7 3LE; handford.net
T oday marks 100 years since the start of the Battle of Amiens, a fight which would spearhead the end of the First World War.

Here, we look back on where it took place and why it is such a poignant moment in our history.

What was the Battle of Amiens?

The Battle of Amiens would go on to spark the beginning of the "hundred days" that led to the collapse of the German army at the end of WW1.

Allied commanders decided to go on the offence and force the German army out of France.

Following the Second Battle of the Marne, the Allies launched an attack in August 1918 with a force of 75,000 men, more than 500 tanks and nearly 2,000 planes.

Allies refers to those countries who were allied in opposition to Central Powers (Germany, Austria and Turkey) during WW1.

There were 27,000 casualties and the gains that the Allies were making were enough to convince Germany that a win was practically impossible.

The battle ended three days afterwards, on August 11.

Prime Minister and Duke of Cambridge commemorate Battle of Amiens

Where was the Battle of Amiens?

The battle took place in Amiens, a city in Northern France.

This was a vital location for the British and French armies because of the railway system linking the Allied rear areas to the north and south of Amiens on the Western Front.

Who won the Battle of Amiens?

Allied troops won a major victory over Germany, a success which is largely credited to the combined-arms assault strategy.

Germany was defeated, suffering it's worse loss since the start of the war.
A n English woman appeared in a Paris court today accused of running a multi-million-pound prostitute ring servicing hundreds of VIP and celebrity clients.

Convent-educated Margaret MacDonald will claim she was running a legitimate escort agency and her girls were simply providing platonic solace, at up to 800 an hour, for lonely businessmen.

But French police say she controlled 453 prostitutes and 30 gigolos across the world using a laptop computer and a bank of mobile phones.

One client is said to be a major British TV star whose name may be read out in court.

MacDonald, who stood in the dock in a baggy, white cotton smock and waist-length hair, is charged with "procuring for the purposes of prostitution" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. She denies the charges.

French police describe MacDonald, 43, as "fascinating, sophisticated and ruthless".

The investigating judge told the court: "She ran almost 500 prostitutes via internet and newspaper advertisements. Her girls charged from 300 to 800 an hour and gave 40 per cent of the money back to MacDonald, who used the pseudonym Nicky."

The court was told that MacDonald lived a jet-set life of five-star hotel suites and chauffeur-driven cars as she travelled the world running her empire.

MacDonald told the court she made each of the 453 girls working for her sign a contract saying they would not have "physical relations" with men she put them in contact with.

She said: "As far as I was concerned they were just providing company for lonely men. I was not aware any sex was taking place."

Police surveillance found MacDonald never spoke about sex or money on the phone, but merely organised liaisons between girls and clients, the court heard.

Before the trial, Paris vice squad officers told how hookers, mostly aspiring young models from Britain, eastern Europe and South America, charged for sex with super-rich clients.

MacDonald had business degrees, spoke eight languages, dressed only in designer clothes and was described by vice squad chief Daniel Rigourd as "our biggest pimping arrest for many years". He said: "She is an exceptional suspect; brilliant, distinguished, truly a class operator."

MacDonald was arrested after undercover vice squad detectives tracked her to a Paris hotel. Police seized a briefcase stuffed with 14 mobile phones and a laptop computer containing a list of all her girls and the names of hundreds of regular clients.

Police said her operations were mainly based in London, Rome, Vienna, Paris and the French Riviera, but she also had links to America, the Middle East and Far East.

MacDonald, born into a middle class English family in Bedford in 1959 and who later moved to Windsor, has a degree from a London business school and diplomas in commerce from Reims University and the Sorbonne university in Paris.

Her defence lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny will argue that the glut of adverts appearing daily in the Guides and Escorts section of the International Herald Tribune newspaper will confirm the widespread acceptance of such agencies across Europe.

MacDonald will deny dealing with requests for sex or taking money from the girls, insisting that she only accepted payments directly from clients. M Marsigny said: "It is an important distinction because although prostitution is not illegal in France, procuring or managing call girls is."
T he teenage sister of a seven-year-old boy who died in a suspected arson attack in south London has been released from hospital, police said.

Schoolboy Joel Urhie was found dead after the blaze at his family home in Deptford, on Tuesday.

His mother, Sophie Urhie, and 19-year-old sister escaped by jumping out of a first-floor window and were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police said on Wednesday that Joel's sister has been released from hospital, where her mother is still being treated.

Joel, dressed as a firefighter / PA

A post-mortem found the cause of Joel's death was "consistent with fire and smoke inhalation", officers said.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Wrigley said police are keeping an "open mind concerning motive" to the murder and that speculation about the incident "is not helpful".

He appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Death of seven-year-old in Deptford house fire being treated as murder

"This horrific incident has left a family shattered and the tragic loss of such a young life in suspicious circumstances resonates throughout the community in Deptford," he said.

"Our sympathies are with Joel's family and friends at this tragic time as they struggle to come to terms with their loss.

"I would directly appeal to anyone who was in the area and saw anything suspicious at around 3:30am, or who has any information about who was responsible for starting the fire that claimed to the life of an innocent child, to contact police immediately."

CCTV footage which may hold vital clues to Joel's murder was seized by detectives on Wednesday morning.

Devastated: John Urhie speaking near the scene of a house fire on Adolphus Street, Deptford / PA

CID officers removed the box connected to the camera system from a flat on the other side of the road from Joel's family home.

The camera does not point at the Urhie house but may have captured the person or people who started the blaze as they arrived at or left the scene.

Meanwhile a forensic team was combing the area for clues while uniformed officers conducted house-to-house enquiries.

Floral tributes have been left on the fence opposite the fire-ravaged house on Adolphus Street, where six fire engines and around 35 firefighters tackled the blaze after they were called at 3.25am on Tuesday.

Nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution and crews brought the fire under control just before 4.50am.
A n off-duty police officer has shot an 11-year-old girl in the back for shoplifting, police said.

The Cincinnati officer allegedly used a taser to stun the child after thinking she was stealing from a supermarket on Monday.

Cincinnati police said the officer was working security in Spring Grove Village, in Cincinnati, and was investigating several young girls who were believed to be stealing from the shop.

USA Today reported that the police officer approached the schoolgirl, but she ignored this and walked away.

As she was walking away, the officer is alleged to have struck the girl in the back with the taser.

The 11-year-old was arrested for theft and for obstructing official business, according to police, and was taken to hospital for evaluation, before being released back into a parents custody.
P olice have named a man they want to speak to after a car was caught on camera swerving into the path of cyclists in south London as Shane Seymour.

An image has also been released of Mr Seymour, who was named a "main suspect" by officers investigating the incident, which took place during morning rush hour in Clapham, south London.

The image is taken from the head-cam of one of the cyclists involved in the incident, Scotland Yard said.

In a statement, the Met said: "It is only a matter of luck that no-one was seriously injured or even killed by this reckless driver."

The Audi driver reverses into cyclists / PA

Footage on social media showed a stolen black Audi, which officers say had fake number plates, repeatedly accelerating towards a group of bikers on the pavement.

It then reverses at speed down a side road when an officer arrives at the scene.

IT consultant Dave Clifton, 50, was nearly struck by the car and filmed the incident at around 8am on Wednesday.

The video starts with the driver yelling while stopped at traffic lights near Clapham North station.

The suspect was caught on camera by one of the cyclists / Metropolitan Police

He then swerves into a bus lane, nearly striking the cyclist for the first time.

Stopped at a further set of lights, the driver repeatedly throws debris from his car at the cyclist while hurling obscenities.

The Audi takes a left onto a side-street where a witness said he nearly hit another cyclist, according to police.

A large group of bikers stop and the driver turns around, mounts the pavement and drives towards them.

"It's a stolen car," the driver says as they threaten to call the police.

An officer in an un-marked car turns up to cheers, but the driver reverses down Dorset Road at speed.

Detective Constable James Preston from Brixton CID, said: "We have been working hard to investigate this incident since first becoming aware of it on Wednesday 01 August - and have issued an image of our main suspect.

"Today we are naming this man as Shane Seymour. He is known to have links to South London and the Canterbury area.

"Have you seen him, or do you know where he is? Please contact us or Crimestoppers if so as we urgently need to speak to him in relation to this matter. If any members of the public spot him, do not approach him but call 999 straight away.

"It is only a matter of luck that no-one was seriously injured or even killed by this reckless driver. The sooner we can apprehend him, the better.

"Wed also still like to hear from anyone who witnessed this first-hand who have not yet come forward. Anything you may be able to remember and tell us could really help this investigation.

"I would like to thank the public in advance for their help with our enquiries."
A suspect who was pulled over for drink driving apparently told police she should not be arrested because she is a white, clean girl.

Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw was pulled over for allegedly driving past a stop sign at 60mph while intoxicated in South Carolina.

The 32-year-old said she had been celebrating her birthday, before she was arrested by officers at Bluffton Police Department for charges including speeding, disregarding a stop sign, possession of cannabis, driving under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The New York Post reported that after she was pulled over at about 1.45am, on Saturday, Cutshaw told officers she had just two glasses of wine.

When asked how big the glasses were, Cutshaw reportedly told police: I mean I was celebrating my birthday.

Protesting her innocence, Cutshaw then told officers she had good grades at school, was a cheerleader and a member of a sorority.

Her partner, she added, was also a police officer.

According to a police report, seen by the Island Packet, she said: Im a white, clean girl.

When the officers asked what exactly that meant, she replied, Youre a cop, you should know what that means.

The report also showed officers comments, who said statements such as these are unusual.
B it of a misstep at the relaunched Pillars of Hercules. The Soho pub, once a favourite of literary types such as Ian McEwan and Martin Amis, closed earlier this year. It has now been reopened as Bar Hercules by the team behind Be At One cocktail bars.

But regulars have spotted that a portrait of a group of drinkers has been edited  two black punters have been replaced with white ones.

The original image dates from November 1933 and is something of an iconic picture for the pub featuring black drinkers propping up the bar in a pre-Windrush Britain.

As part of the redecoration, which has seen the horse brasses and fag ash carpet go and a stained glass window with an image of a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger come in, the new owners decided to update the old picture as well.

The latest owners of the historic pub  the Pillars dates back to at least the 1730s  super-imposed the faces of three founders of Be At One, Steve Locke, Leigh Miller and Rhys Oldfield, on the old 1930s picture. The trouble being that they are all white, and they were painted in to the work in place of the black men.

Who are these new white guys? one punter tweeted. Really not impressed, another despaired.

A representative of Bar Hercules said that the picture will be taken down, explaining that it was an innocent mistake.

The new Hercules owner Matt Fleming told the Londoner this morning: Firstly, Id like to apologise for any offence that this has caused. When the founders of Be At One invested in my vision, I wanted to say thank you to them in the pub. With the challenges facing Soho and the pub sector, I thought it was a great opportunity to bring an iconic pub back to life. The original picture will be taking back its pride of place at Hercules.

Hercules was forced to do 12 Labours as punishment for misbehaviour. Could drinks on the house be a suitable penance for this modern mishap?

No sign of help for the Rahman posse

The campaigners who took Luftur Rahman to court to expose his vote-rigging are left facing 1.1 million in legal bills. Tower Hamlets new mayor, John Biggs, recently wrote to Theresa May: They stood up for local democracy  we owe them a great debt of gratitude.

The Cabinet Office has confirmed it will not be covering the bills: "the Government was not a party to the 2015 legal case, and it would not be appropriate to use taxpayers money to pay legal costs where it has no involvement.

While the campaigners were awarded costs in the High Court, there is no money left after Rahman declared himself bankrupt.

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Actor Tom Hardy was a surprise face at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May. How did he secure an invitation? He tells Esquire only that its deeply private. But he does add that Harry is a f**king legend.

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Zombie Boy, the Canadian artist and model, died last week. But he will live on in London. Heavily tattoed and a friend of Lady Gaga, he was sculpted by Marc Quinn last year. The work will stand in the new Medicine Galleries at the Science Museum when they open next year.

Rosie gets snappy with son Jack while Jason gets friendly with sharks

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley shared a few candid snaps of her family on Instagram last night. The model posed with her fiance, actor Jason Statham, while their one-year-old son Jack ambled towards them. The photographs were taken on Monday night before the premiere of Stathams latest film The Meg  about a gargantuan shark.

Statham, a scuba enthusiast, travelled to Fiji to swim with bull sharks. To swim in close proximity to a three-metre shark is to be recommended to all and everyone, he said. Its quite a tranquil sort of thing. Its remarkable to experience.

These things dont mess about, he continued. If they want to get nasty, they get nasty.

SW1A

LABOUR mp Dawn Butler is shortlisted for an Investing In Ethnicity Award. She seemed thrilled, and surprised, despite the fact that the prize is run by Square Peg Media. Its CEO is Sarah Garrett, ex-wife of DIVA magazine publisher Linda Riley, who was appointed to the UK Labour LGBT board by... Dawn Butler. Congratulations.

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Ed Miliband still isnt talking about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Instead, whats his favourite childhood book? Geoff Lloyd, his podcast co-host, says it was a picture book version of Das Kapital. Its out of print now, Miliband adds, but it was really good.

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Theresa Mays advisers must regret telling her to visit Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival, when liberal arty types fill the streets. She was greeted by a chorus of boos. But there was also a busker playing the Stars Wars death march as May walked by.

Quote of the day

'"You pull your hand away and go: Yuck. Kathleen Turner says Donald Trumps handshake left her repulsed

Tamara - from It-Girl to It-Granny

Granny cool: Tamara Beckwith (Photo Dave Benett/Getty Images) / Dave Benett/Getty Images

Gallery owner and former It Girl Tamara Beckwith has become a grandmother at the age of 48.

Her daughter Anouska, a photographer and artist, has given birth to a little girl named Luna Mae McSwiney: she posted the news on Instagram last night.
Photo: Colin Dacre Crews responding to a fire on Lilac Lane on the Penticton Indian Band on Aug. 3, 2018.

An arrest has been made after a stolen vehicle was lit on fire on the Penticton Indian Band five days ago.

In the incident on Friday afternoon, crews responded to a vehicle on fire on PIB land at the end of Lilac Lane, which had spread to grass. The fire was put out quickly thanks to a Penticton Fire Department wildland patrol unit.

Penticton RCMP said the truck on fire had been stolen earlier in the day. While on route to the incident, mounties were informed a man on a motorcycle may be linked to the fire.

"Officers subsequently spotted the motorcycle in the area, which evaded officers when they tried to stop it. Shortly thereafter, the motorcycle was located with the driver alongside it," Const. James Grandy said in a news release.

Grandy added the suspect was in possession of "numerous" stolen items.

"Of these items recovered was a pouch containing a family member's remains which had been stolen from a vehicle earlier in the day."

Matthew Alan Glada has been taken into custody. Charges of flight from police, driving while prohibited, obstruction of a peace officer and possession of stolen property have been recommended.

Colin Dacre
A call for Boris Johnson to be expelled from the Tory Party was made by a leading Conservative Muslim as the burka storm grew today.

Conservative peer Lord Sheikh said Theresa May should take severe action after the former Foreign Secretary insulted Muslim women by saying wearing the burka made them look like letter boxes or bank robbers.

The Party must take action, said the peer who founded the Conservative Muslim Forum. I dont think an apology is enough.

Take the whip from him. Why not? Hes not a super human being, hes a member of the party.

Lord Sheikh blasts Boris Johnson over burka comments

Pressure on the Uxbridge MP to apologise grew as more senior party figures weighed in. Former party chairman Lord Pickles said his remarks were crass.

Tory Peer Lord Mohamed Sheikh called for Boris Johnson to have the party whip withdrawn / ITV

Cabinet Minister Jeremy Wright said such comments were not helpful.

Conservative Baroness Sayeeda Warsi said his comments are "alienating a whole section of society" in an opinion piece for the Guardian.

She also accused him of making "hate crime more likely."

Lord Pickles said the 'sensible' thing would be for Mr Johnson to apologise / EPA

And a key member of the campaign team that helped Mr Johnson win two terms as Mayor of London spoke up by saying she no longer recognised him.

PR expert Kate Perrior, who went on to run comms at 10 Downing Street, told the Standard: The Boris I know is liberal and respectful of all different communities. He loves the great melting point that is London and recognises what diverse cultures bring to our capital city.

I regret he made these comments because I think they are divisive at a time when tensions are already high even though I am no fan of the burka.

Prime Minister piles on pressure for Boris Johnson to apologise for burka comments

Yesterday, Theresa May and Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis called on Mr Johnson to say sorry for his remarks, which were made in a newspaper article that argued against banning face coverings by law while ridiculing them.

Baroness Warsi accused Mr Johnson of making "hate crime more likely" (Picture: PA)

But sources close to Mr Johnson, who is now on holiday, were continuing to insist he would not back down despite the top-level interventions.

Lord Pickles said it would be a very big leap to suggest Mr Johnson could be thrown out of the party but he would not rule it out, saying you never know how these things develop.

The very sensible thing would be for him to apologise, he said.

Boris Johnson compares women in burkas to "letter boxes"

Culture Secretary Mr Wright said there was no reason not to have a robust conversation, but added: Were not talking to our friends in the pub, we are public figures and we have an additional obligation to be careful.

Allies pointed to past remarks by other figures, including Kenneth Clarke who once described the burka as a bag, and claimed Mr Johnson was being singled out to stymie his leadership ambitions.

International Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who campaigned alongside Mr Johnson for Brexit, criticised him strongly.

She tweeted: @BrandonLewis has done the right thing. Remember only two things are the case: either a woman wants to wear the niqab, or she does not.

Former city hall adviser Munira Mirza said her old bosss comments on the burka had been entirely consistent and highlighted Mr Clarkes past comments. The reality is there is a political fight here, she said. People who frankly couldnt care less about the issues that Muslim women face are piling into Boris because Boris said it.

Close supporters said the episode would not harm Mr Johnsons chances of winning the Conservative leadership, where the final decision is made by a ballot of activists. He knows better what ordinary folk think, said Johnson ally.
B oris Johnson should be kicked out of the Conservative Party for comparing women who wear burkas to letter boxes, a Muslim peer has said as the row over the remark continued to intensify.

Conservative Muslim Forum founder Lord Sheikh joined calls for the former Foreign Secretary to apologise as Mr Johnson refused to bow to pressure over his comments made in a newspaper column.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight on Tuesday, Lord Sheikh said the Prime Ministers demands were not enough as he called for Mr Johnson to be removed from the party over the issue.

Lord Sheikh said Mrs May has the power to remove the whip from Mr Johnson, suggesting he thinks the MP should be shown the door.

Lord Sheikh has joined calls for Mr Johnson to apologise / BBC

He said: The party must take action. I dont think an apology is enough, I think we should take more severe action against this man [Mr Johnson] Take the whip from him. Why not? He's not a super human being, he's a member of the party.

Lord Sheikh added: The Prime Minister has the right to take the whip. Lets take the whip from him. Its not out of order and that is what I think I would like to see.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph on Monday, Mr Johnson said he did not want Britain to follow European countries like Denmark which have banned the burka and niqab in public places.

But he described the burka as "ridiculous" and "weird.

Prime Minister piles on pressure for Boris Johnson to apologise for burka comments

With no apology forthcoming, former Conservative parliamentary candidate Shazia Awan-Scully accused Mr Johnson of "pandering to the extreme right", comparing his comments to Enoch Powell's divisive Rivers of Blood speech, and said he should be sacked.

"If you cast your mind back 50 years to when Enoch Powell gave his Rivers of Blood speech, he was sacked from the shadow cabinet immediately," she told BBC Newsnight.

"He was ostracised from his party immediately. Boris Johnson can say anything and get away with it.

"These comments are Islamophobic. They are against Muslims and I would urge any Muslims to not vote for the Conservative party because of their stance towards our community."

But The Conservative Woman co-editor Laura Perrins, appearing alongside Ms Awan-Scully, claimed Mr Johnson's remarks were taken out of context.

Boris Johnson has come under fire for his comments about burkas / Victoria Jones/PA

She said: "This idea the man should be run out of town is exactly the kind of authoritarian nonsense we must resist. It is not responsible."

Conservative peer Lady Warsi accused Mr Johnson of adopting the "dog-whistle" tactics of former Donald Trump aide Steve Bannon in the hope of attracting support from right-wing Tories for an eventual leadership bid.

Boris Johnson compares women in burkas to "letter boxes"

Before Mrs May's intervention, a source close to Mr Johnson made clear he was not retracting his comments.

"It is ridiculous that these views are being attacked - we must not fall into the trap of shutting down the debate on difficult issues," said the source.

"We have to call it out. If we fail to speak up for liberal values then we are simply yielding ground to reactionaries and extremists."

Labour's Jess Phillips tweeted that Mr Johnson was "just a racist" in response.

"Happy to arrange debate with BJ (Boris Johnson) about all the actions I've taken to stand up for liberal values including challenging things considered to be culturally sensitive.
B oris Johnson is facing pressure to apologise after he compared women in burkas to letter boxes or bank robbers.

His comments have been blasted and labelled racist by many Muslim groups, some Conservative MPs and opposition parties.

But what exactly did the former Foreign Secretary say about burkas, and what other controversial comments has he made throughout his career? Here's everything you need to know.

What did Boris Johnson say about burkas?

Mr Johnson has made a string of comments about the traditional Islamic dress, branding it "oppressive."

He wrote: "If you tell me that the burqa is oppressive, then I am with you. If you say that it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces, then I totally agree with you."

In the article, he was trying to make the point that the burka was "ridiculous" but that Denmark was wrong to ban it last week.

He added: "I would go further and say it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letterboxes."

Mr Johnson said he felt "fully entitled" to expect women to remove face coverings when talking to him at his MP's surgery, and said schools and universities should be able to take the same approach if a student "turns up... looking like a bank robber."

Theresa May has also backed calls for Mr Johnson to apologise for his comments.

His remarks about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe during his time as Foreign Secretary

In November 2017, Mr Johnson gave evidence to the foreign affairs select committee and said British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been training journalists - even though she and her family persisted she was on holiday.

When he took a dig at Barack Obama

Former US President Barack Obama is making his first visit to Africa since leaving office in 2017 / AP

Back when former President Barack Obama advocated for Britain staying in the EU, Mr Johnson hit back calling him "part-Kenyan" with an "ancestral dislike" of Britain.

When he made a reference to Hitler during the Vote Leave campaign

During the campaign to Leave the EU, he said there was an attempt to create the Roman Empire's united Europe.

"Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically."

His remarks about Hillary Clinton's appearance

AFP/Getty Images

When Hillary Clinton was running for president back in 2007, Mr Johnson took a dig at her appearance.

"She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital."

When Tony Blair visited Africa

When former Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Africa in 2010, Mr Johnson commented: "What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England.

"It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies."

When he fancied himself as a poet

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory / AFP/Getty Images

Mr Johnson bagged himself a 1,000 poetry prize after penning a limerick about Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It read: There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific w****rer.

"Till he sowed his wild oats, With the help of a goat, But he didnt even stop to thankera.

When he made this gaffe inside a Gurdwara

The Foreign Secretary was visiting a Sikh temple in May 2017 when he made comments about ending tariffs on whisky between the UK and India.

But one Sikh voter who was there condemned Mr Johnson for his remarks, asking "How dare you talk about alcohol in a Sikh temple?" The Sikh religion forbids drinking alcohol.

When he used an interesting marketing campaign to get people to vote Tory

During the 2005 elections, Mr Johnson came up with an original idea to persuade people to vote for the Conservative party.
T his incredible footage shows the moment a "firenado" erupted near a plastics factory in the UK.

Firefighters filmed the column of flame shooting skywards as they battled the blaze near the factory in Derbyshire.

Officers from the fire services had been tackling the fire since about 1.20am on Tuesday at Ravensbourn Plastics Ltd on Occupation Lane, in Albert Village, Swadlincote.

The fire had also spread to a small site building and a number of fork lift trucks at the property, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Firenado - In pictures 1 /6 Firenado - In pictures eicestershire Fire and Rescue Service Ashby Station eicestershire Fire and Rescue Service Ashby Station eicestershire Fire and Rescue Service Ashby Station eicestershire Fire and Rescue Service Ashby Station eicestershire Fire and Rescue Service Ashby Station eicestershire Fire and Rescue Service Ashby Station

The Derbyshire service was also joined by officers from Leicestershire and Staffordshire to try and prevent the large fire from spreading.

At around 3pm firefighters started damping down the fire, which involved stacked plastic pallets, which were ordinarily used for making plastic crates for supermarkets.

No injuries were reported but a huge black smoke cloud seen as far as Shepshed in Leicestershire and Nottingham City Centre.

Now firefighters have released footage of the blaze and the mesmerising firenado, which reached a height of over 50ft.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, which helped tackle the blaze, shared the video on Facebook, saying: "Whilst we were firefighting at Occupational Lane we witnessed a firenado or a fire whirl .

"It's created as cool air enters the top of the hot air causing a swirl similar to how a tornado is formed."

The 'firenado' shoots towards the sky

Speaking while crews tackled the fire, the Derbyshire service's group manager Steve Wells said: "We've received lots of calls to our control room this morning, as people in the Swadlincote area have woken to the sight of a large black smoke plume.

"Crews from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire have been working hard since the early hours of the morning, jointly with partners from the police, Seven Trent Water and the Environment Agency, to bring the fire under control, prevent any further spread and bring the incident to a safe and swift conclusion.

"Whilst the site of the fire is not directly next to any residential properties, we are still advising locals to keep their windows and doors closed until the fire is completely out and the smoke has subsided."

He added: "Anyone experiencing any discomfort or breathing difficulties as a result of the smoke, should seek guidance from their GP."
N ASA is poised to launch a spacecraft on a brutally hot journey towards the sun with an aim to offer the closest ever glimpse of the star at the centre of the solar system.

The Parker Solar Probe, named after American solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker, will blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Saturday.

It will, as the US space agency describes it, "touch the sun" as it flies within 3.9 million miles of the star's surface.

The car-sized probe, which will fly closer to the sun than any other man-made object, is set to blast off at 3.33am eastern daylight time (8.33am BST).

The probe at Astrotech Space Operations after the installation of its heat shield / AP

Its mission is to help scientists unlock the mysteries of the sun's atmosphere and answer questions like why its corona, the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere, is hotter than its surface.

The probe will travel at 430,000 miles an hour, faster than any spacecraft in history, and use Venus's gravity over the course of seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the sun.

60th Anniversary of the Launch of First NOAA/NASA Satellite 1 /6 60th Anniversary of the Launch of First NOAA/NASA Satellite The Jupiter-C rocket, captured launching from Cape Canaveral on January 31, 1958 NASA Explorer 1 satellite NASA Illustration of Explorer 1s approximate path (1958) U.S. Army Technicians lower Explorer 1, the first American satellite onto the launch vehicles fourth stage motor. This photo was taken in the gantry at Launch Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral, Florida NASA Dr. William Pickering, Dr. James Van Allen, Dr. Wernher von Braun are pictured holding a scale model of Explorer 1 aloft during the post launch press conference NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech The Explorer 1 launch weather officer, John Meisenheimer, recounts his memories of the first U.S. satelliteAos launch, in front of the historic Explorer 1 launch complex at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in Titusville, Florida EPA

The spacecraft is expected to make its closest approach to the sun in the year 2024, as it flies as close as 3.83 million miles above the solar surface.

The last time a man-made object came close to the star's surface was in 1976 when Helios 2 achieved perihelion, point of the orbit at which it was closest to the sun, at 27 million miles.

Graphic describing the probe's mission to the sun / Reuters

Over the course of its mission, the Parker Solar Probe will orbit the sun 24 times while being subjected to extreme heat and radiation, with temperatures expected to reach 1,377C, nearly hot enough to melt steel.

On each close approach to the sun, the probe will sample the solar wind, study the sun's corona, and provide close-up observations from around the star.

Scientists hope the mission will be able to provide answers as to why the corona is 300 times hotter than the surface of the sun, a phenomenon that NASA says is in "defiance of all logic" because "its atmosphere gets much, much hotter the farther it stretches from the sun's blazing surface".

The spacecraft will make use of an 8ft-long heat shield known as the Thermal Protection System (TPS), which has been made using a carbon composite coated with ceramic to cope with the extreme conditions and temperature fluctuations.

NASA says the TPS has been tested to withstand up to 1,650C temperatures and "can handle any heat the sun can send its way".

Understanding more about solar activity could help scientists forecast the large eruptions from the sun that pose a threat to satellite and communications systems.
T his is the moment a Royal Navy destroyer shadowed two Russian warships as they passed through the English Channel.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond sailed from Dover, Kent, to monitor the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov on Tuesday.

The Russian ships were passing through the UK's territorial waters or near to this area as they returned from the Baltic port of St Petersburg after taking part in a Russian Navy Days event.

Commander Ben Keith, the commanding officer of the Portsmouth-based ship, said: "HMS Diamond is proud to once again be playing her part in protecting the UK by monitoring these vessels on their transit.

The Portsmouth-based ship sailed from Dover to monitor the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov as they passed through the British area of interest / EPA

"This is routine business for the Royal Navy and the second time my ship's company have undertaken such an escort duty this summer.

"While many families are enjoying their summer holidays, my ship's company are working hard at sea to keep Britain safe and will continue to do so for as long as we are required.

"I would like to thank the families of my crew whose support is vital while we carry out our duty to the nation."

A Navy spokesman said: "The Udaloy-class destroyer Severomorsk and Slava-class cruiser Marshal Ustinov have just finished taking part in the Russian Navy Days event in the Baltic port of St Petersburg and are now deploying out of the area.

"Overnight HMS Diamond has maintained watch in UK waters, monitoring the Russian warships as they approach the UK coast.

"As the ships entered the busy shipping lanes between Norfolk and continental Europe, Diamond manoeuvred into formation alongside them and made them aware of her presence.

"The ships were then escorted towards the Dover strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

"HMS Diamond continues to monitor the ships, remaining with them as they transit past Dover and along the south coast of England, after which they are expected to continue south, exiting the UK area of interest. "
A journalist who was kidnapped and raped in Somalia has spoken of the traumatic 15-month ordeal and revealed how she almost ended her life during the torture.

Canadian Amanda Linout was 26 when she and her then-boyfriend Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan were abducted in the war-torn east African nation in 2008.

The couple were three days in to their trip when they were ambushed by captors armed with AK47 assault rifles and held hostage in a house guarded by what Ms Linout described as teenage kidnappers.

The group demanded 1.1m in ransom money from their families.

Amanda Linout speaks to Andrew Denton on The Interview / Interview

The journalist gave heart-wrenching tell-all interview about the ordeal to Channel Seven's The Interview nine-years on.

She described how for the first two months the couple were allowed to stay together, offering a sense of protection.

But after they made a failed attempt to escape and seek help at a local mosque the pair were separated leading to Ms Linout being tied up and sexually abused.

Amanda Linout and Nigel Brennan smile after being released / Reuters

She told Australian talkshow host Andrew Denton on The Interview: Almost the day that we were separated, sexual abuse started.

It was so devastating and so scary. And also as time was passing the conditions were becoming worse.

"(It cost) money to feed us and so the food was becoming less, and our teenage captors, you know, they were quite resentful."

The reporter, who had previously worked in Afghanistan and Iraq, said she was held at knifepoint and forced to call her mother and demand ransom money be paid within seven days.

She described her conversations with her mum as moments of hope and said: I held on to those moments that I heard my mums voice. Between the calls I would ruminate on everything that she said and she would always send messages. We love you, were doing everything we can.

Amanda Linout and Nigel Brennan pictured during their kidnap

Ms Linout revealed she came close to ending her own life while tied up during the darkest moments of her ordeal.

She said: I was getting really close to making this decision and I felt very calm.

Just as the sun was coming up, there was this little sliver of light and I look over and theres this little bird hopping around. I hadnt seen a bird in over a year and in that moment it was like the desire to end my life just left me."

After 460 days in captivity the pair were released after their families fundraised to scrape together the ransom money.

Ms Linout spoke of the moment she was handed a phone minutes after being released and her mother said: Amanda, youre free.

She added: We had gone from experiencing the worst of humanity  only to come out and find that we had been rescued by the best of humanity.

I mean, quite literally, Australians that did not know Nigel and I, that had contributed to this ransom fund  for our freedom.

In June, Ali Omar Ader was sentenced to 15 years in a Canadian prison over orchestrating the kidnapping and ransom.

A judge ruled that the 40-year-old Somalian national, who had held many phone conversations with Amanda's mother, was a "willing participant" in the hostage-taking.

Ms Linout released her memoir, A House in the Sky, in 2013 and Mr Brennan published his own book The Price of Life in 2011.
alifornias largest ever wildfire is expected to continue burning for the rest of the month as the major blaze continues to engulf large parts of the US state, fire officials have said.

The enormous fire, known as the Mendocino Complex blaze, has already swept through 290,692 acres (117,639 hectares) of land, ripping through dozens of homes as it spread.

Firefighters said barely a third of the blaze was contained and that it is expected to burn throughout August, according to reports on Tuesday.

The size of the fires has surpassed a deadly blaze in southern California in December that destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and killed two people  including a firefighter.

Hotter weather attributed to climate change is drying out vegetation, creating more intense fires that spread quickly from rural areas to city subdivisions, climate and fire experts have warned.

But they also blame cities and towns that are expanding housing into previously undeveloped areas.

TODO: define component type brightcove

More than 14,000 firefighters are battling over a dozen major blazes throughout California, state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott McLean said.

"I can remember a couple of years ago when we saw 10 to 12,000 firefighters in the states of California, Oregon and Washington and never the 14,000 we see now," he said.
T hese incredible pictures taken by astronauts on the edge of space reveal the extent of deadly wildfires raging through California.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took the dramatic photos of the blazes 250 miles below as smoke billowed into the sky.

Alexander Gerst, of the European Space Agency, said: These fires are frightening to watch, even from space.

A 450-mile blaze north of San Francisco has evolved into the states biggest ever wildlife, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

The pictures were taken from the International Space Station / AFP/Getty Images

The Mendocino Complex fire, which broke out July 27, spread rapidly due to a combination of weather, rugged topography and timber turned to tinder by years of drought.

A separate blaze further north, called the Carr fire, has so far killed seven people and destroyed more than 1,500 structures.

One astronaut said the fires were 'frightening' to watch / @astro_ricky

Firefighters are tackling 18 major blazes across the Golden state, with more breaking out as crews desperately fight the flames.

"For whatever reason, fires are burning much more intensely, much more quickly than they were before," said Mark A. Hartwig, president of the California Fire Chiefs Association.

Smoke can be seen billowing across the US state / @astro_ricky

California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change, and the building of homes deeper into the forests.

In becoming the biggest fire in California history, the Mendocino Complex fire broke a record set just eight months ago. A blaze in Southern California in December killed two people, burned 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

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

California's firefighting costs have more than tripled from 2013 to $773 million so far this year, according to Cal Fire.
D onald Trump today claimed personal credit for a great win in a key Ohio election regarded as a crucial test of the presidents popularity  even though the official result remained too close to call.

Mr Trump said his decision to hold a rally in the state at the weekend had swung the race in favour of Republican Congressional candidate Troy Balderson, 56, who had been trailing his Democratic challenger Danny OConnor, 31.

With all official votes counted in Ohios 12th Congressional district, Mr Balderson was leading by 0.9 per cent, or 1,754 votes.

But there were at least 3,367 provisional ballots, cast by voters without proper ID, still to be counted which means it could be days before the final outcome is known.

Troy Balderson: the Republican candidate for Ohio's 12th Congressional District / AP

Amid cheers at his campaign party, Mr Balderson claimed victory as his supporters cheered: Trump, Trump. But Mr OConnor refused to concede, insisting it was a tied ballgame.

He said: Were not stopping now, we must keep fighting through November.

The two men will face each other again then in an ordinary mid-term election. Whatever the final result, it was a warning shot for Republicans as Mr Trump had won the district by 11 per cent in his 2016 White House campaign.

The suburban area has not elected a Democrat to Congress since 1981, yet Mr OConnor put up a strong fight in an election that became a referendum on Mr Trump.

Democrat candidate Danny O'Connor said the election is still a 'tied ball-game' / Getty Images

The president stayed up past midnight and sent a flurry of tweets to support Republican candidates in other elections across the US.

Addressing supporters in Ohio, the biggest contest of the night, Mr Trump tweeted: Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race! When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good.

"After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.

The election was held after mainstream Republican Pat Tiberi resigned after 17 years in protest at the Trump administration.
Photo: Contributed

There will be some short-term pain for some long-term gain for users of a local park.

The parking lot at NKwala Park, 5440 MacDonald Rd., will be closed Aug. 7-16 for paving in order to control dust and improve aesthetics.

Upgrading the parking lot will result in less dust and less continual repair and maintenance, said Nicole Kohnert, Regional Engineering Services Manager. Residents and visitors to NKwala Park will be inconvenienced for a short period of time, and should watch for park closure signs and notifications for the next two weeks.

Although the parking lot will be closed to allow for work to be completed during construction, the park itself will be open.

Alternative access to the Park is available via Alain Road. For safety reasons, all park users are asked to stay away from the construction area.
T his is the terrifying moment a great white shark leapt out of the ocean with its jaws wide open to surprise a marine biologist.

Greg Skomal was searching for great white sharks off Cape Cod in Massachusetts when the huge fish leapt out of the water.

Mr Skomal, the top shark expert in the Bay State, was standing on the extended bow of the research vessel when the shark jumped up beneath his feet with its mouth open wide.

In the video he can be heard shouting to his fellow researcher: Did you see that? Did you see that?"

He then immediately turns to try and spot the shark again.

In a statement, the Atlantic Shark Conservancy who posted the video said: While encounters like this one are rare, this video shows that they're certainly possible.

The video has been viewed more than 340,000 times.

The Conservancy said: While out on research trips, we've seen white sharks breach and we've received multiple reports of breaching white sharks this year from fishermen and boaters.

While encounters like this one are rare, this video shows that theyre certainly possible. White sharks are wild and unpredictable animals. This is a good reminder of the importance of not becoming complacent and always staying vigilant when in or on the water."

Shark sightings have gone up recently following the Discovery Channel holding its popular Shark Week last month.
A new mother has claimed was reported to social services in the US after failing a drug test because she ate a poppy seed bagel.

The woman tested positive for opiates after eating the sandwich just before going into labour to give birth to her daughter in Maryland, according to US reports.

She told doctors about her breakfast choice after remembering that poppy seeds, which come from opium poppies, can lead to false positive drug tests, she claimed.

But medical staff refused her request for a retest and reported her to state authorities, new mother Elizabeth Eden told WBAL TV11.

I was in labour. I was sitting in the bed. I was having contractions. I was on a Pitocin drip, and the doctor came in and said, Youve tested positive for opiates, she said.

As a result her daughter Beatrice was required to stay in the hospital for five days and a case worker was assigned to monitor Edens behaviour, the US news channel reported.
T he remains of a young boy have been found at the remote US compound where police rescued 11 starving children .

An investigation into the squalid New Mexico compound took a dark turn as police announced the discovery of the remains.

They had originally raided the site while searching for a missing four-year-old boy called Abdul-ghani Wahhaj.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe indicated the body appeared to be that of a boy similar in age to Abdul-ghani, who was reported missing in December after his father said he was taking him to a park near to where they lived in Georgia.

The compound in Amalia, New Mexico, where police rescued 11 children / AFP/Getty Images

The search led authorities to the compound shielded by old tyres, wooden pallets and an earthen wall studded with broken glass, located on the outskirts of the small village of Amalia.

Two armed men, including the boys father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse, as well as three women.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested at the scene in New Mexico / AFP/Getty Images

Wahhaj is also being detained on a Georgia warrant that seeks his extradition to face a charge of abducting his son. He was expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Mr Hogrefe said the "breaking point" in seeking a search warrant came when Georgia authorities received a message that may have originated within the compound which said that children were starving inside.

Inside the squalid compound near the Colorado border / EPA

Children aged between one and 15 were rescued from the compound that had been under investigation for months. The sheriff said it appeared the children had not eaten for days.
T he United States will impose fresh sanctions on Russia after determining that it used nerve agent against a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.

The State Department said on Wednesday that the sanctions will be imposed on Russia because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law.

They were seriously ill but later recovered after spending weeks in hospital.

Following the incident in Salisbury, the UK Government said the military-grade nerve agent, Novichok, had been used in the attack.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal buying groceries at the Bargain Stop convenience store in Salisbury on February 27 before he was attacked / AFP/Getty Images

The new sanctions are to take effect on or around August 22, officials said.

These will include the presumed denial of export licenses for Russia to purchase many items with national security implications, a senior State Department official told the Associated Press.

Responding to the announcement, a Downing Street spokesman said: "The UK welcomes this further action by our US allies.

"The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged."

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poised by the substance.

Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions will take effect on or around August 22, according to a statement from the State Department.

The US made a similar determination in February when it found that North Korea used a chemical weapon to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2017.

The country had joined Britain in condemning Russia for the Skripal poisoning and joined with European nations in expelling Russian diplomats in response, but it had yet to make the formal determination that the Russian government had "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals."
F rom tiny to oversized, sunglasses are an essential accessory for every look in your wardrobe and Instagram is in no short supply of showstopping pairs of sunnies. So how do you standout from the chicly shaded crowd?

These photogenic shades from recent collections come in all shapes and colours, including the lilac cat-eye sunglasses by Poppy Lissiman and the square-frame glittered sunglasses by Gucci. Even It Girls like Gigi Hadid and Adwoa Aboah cant get enough of them.

With this in mind, heres our edit of the most thumb-stopping shades to buy right now.

Saint Laurent Loulou heart-shaped metal sunglasses

Label-lovers will fall head-over-heels for Saint Laurents Lolita-esque heart-shaped sunnies. The grey-tinted lenses provide 100 per cent UV protection.

305 | Matches Fashion | Buy it now

Gentle Monster Poxi stainless steel sunglasses

The Matrix vide has been strong this season with tiny sunglasses donned by the likes of Rihanna and Bella Hadid, it's no wonder it's easy to find an infinity with Gentle Monsters eye-catching styles. This particular style boasts a bold and unconventional stripe through the lenses.

243 | Selfridges | Buy it now

Gucci Square-frame glittered acetate sunglasses

Fans of Gucci and Elton John alike will be singing the praises of these rainbow glitter striped shades. The oversized square frame is ultra-flattering on a variety of face shapes.

225 | Net a Porter | Buy it now

Poppy Lissiman Le Skinny cat-eye acetate sunglasses

Beloved by the Hadid sisters and Adwoa Aboah, Aussie designer Poppy Lissiman is a big name in tiny shades. Choose from three colours.

80 | Net a Porter | Buy it now

Dior DiorClub2 sunglasses

Diors tortoiseshell shades come with a detachable Jadior visor for when you want to hide your hangover but still get noticed. Buy now and love forever.

309 | MyTheresa | Buy it now

QUAY Star Struck in Olive

Evoke some 90's vibes in these olive-green cat-eye frames with non-reflective lenses. Also available in two other colours, rose and grey.

60 | QUAY | Buy it now

Le Specs Outta Love Caramel Tan Tint

Orange-tinted sunglasses are set to be huge. Wear this Le Specs pair to nail every single look this season.
R uby Rose has just made history by being cast as the first lesbian superhero.

The Australian actress, who shot to fame in Netflix series Orange is the New Black, will play Batwoman in a live action series to be aired on the CW network in December.

Here's everything you need to know about the newest addition to the DC Comic family:

When did she start her modelling and acting career?

Ruby Rose first started out in the modelling world, coming second place in the Girlfriend Model Search competition in 2002.

Her modelling career has since skyrocketed, and she is now the face of Urban Decay cosmetics as well as fronting Swarovski 'Urban Fantasy' FW17 Collection in May 2017.

Fashion magazines quickly snapped her up, and she's graced the pages of Vogue Australia, InStyle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Maxim.

Before her acting career kicked off, Ruby was a TV presenter working on MTV Australia and Australia's Next Top Model.

Her big break came in 2015 when she bagged the role of Stella Carlin in hugely popular Netflix show Orange is the New Black.

Since then, she's starred in a handful of films including Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Pitch Perfect 3 and The Meg.

Stella attraction: Ruby Rose stars in Orange Is The New Black Season 3 / Netflix

When did she get engaged to Phoebe Dahl?

Ruby got engaged to fashion designer Phoebe Dahl - who's the granddaughter of Roald Dahl - in 2014.

They called off the engagement the following year.

Previously, she was in a relationship with Jess Origliasso from The Veronicas and has also been rumoured to have had a fling with Demi Lovato.

Ruby Rose attends the LA Premiere of "The Meg" at TCL Chinese Theatre / Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

What has Ruby Rose said about her sexuality?

Ruby has been very open about her sexuality and gender fluidity, detailing that she came out as a lesbian at the age of 12.

She directed and starred in her own short video, Break Free, to explore the topic further.

The video explores what its like to have an identity that deviates from the status quo and was an internet sensation.

She added:"I am very gender-fluid and feel more like I wake up every day sort of gender neutral. I definitely dont identify as any gender. Im not a guy; I dont really feel like a woman, but obviously I was born one. So, Im somewhere in the middle."

What do we know about her upcoming role as Batwoman?

The superhero TV series will see Batwoman's alter ego, Kate Kane, portrayed as a lesbian.

The series is part of a collection due to be aired by CW, which will include Supergirl, Arrow and the Flash.

Ruby gushed about her new role in an Instagram post. She wrote: "The Bat is out of the bag and I am beyond thrilled and honoured. I'm also an emotional wreck...because this is a childhood dream. This is something I would have died to have seen on TV when I was a young member of the LGBT community who never felt represented on TV and felt alone and different. "
K endall Jenner has revealed she took a break from modelling as she feared she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Jenner, 22, opened up about her absence from the runway last season, saying she stayed out of the spotlight to focus on her health.

Last season I didnt do any shows, she told Love. Just cause I was working in LA and I was like Oof, I cant right now  Im gonna go crazy. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Jenner, who returned to the catwalk in June for Versace in Milan, said she feels blessed with her life, but admitted she goes through phases when she wishes she wasnt in the public eye.

Back to work: Kendall Jenner at her runway return in Milan / Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty

I feel very, very blessed and I think that I live a very extraordinary life, she said. I wouldnt change it for the world but there are days where I wish I could walk outside and nothing would be like it is right now.

Jenner was this week defended by her sister Kim Kardashian after a cruel troll accused her of being standoffish.

Kendall Jenner pops out for some milk and sees a guy wearing 'Kill the Kardashians' t-shirt

Kardashian hit back on Twitter, saying her sibling suffers from anxiety that paralyses her.

She tweeted: Do u know Kendall? Shes the complete opposite &is the most generous, compassionate person I know!

Her being standoffish is anxiety that paralyzes her which u take as rude! Only a despicable, entitled, unsympathetic, sadistic, uncharitable @self-absorbed human would write this tweet.

Jenner opened up about her battle with mental health last year, telling Harpers Bazaar she suffers with panic attacks.

I have such debilitating anxiety because of everything going on that I literally wake up in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks, she said.
L indsay Lohan has said that some women who speak out in the wake of the #MeToo movement are making themselves look weak.

Lohan, who said she has never personally been a victim of sexual abuse in Hollywood, said those have been should speak up as soon as something happens.

Speaking to The Times she said: I dont really have anything to say. I cant speak on something I didnt live, right? Look, I am very supportive of women. Everyone goes through their own experiences in their own ways.

If it happens at that moment, you discuss it at that moment. You make it a real thing by making it a police report. Im going to really hate myself for saying this, but I think by women speaking against all these things, it makes them look weak when they are very strong women.

Lindsay Lohan defends Harvey Weinstein

She also hit out at the attention seekers who have come forward in the wake of the #MeToo and Times Up movements.

You have these girls who come out, who dont even know who they are, who do it for the attention, she said. That is taking away from the fact that it happened.

Supportive: Actress Lindsay Lohan and producer Harvey Weinstein / Kevin Winter/Getty

The #MeToo movement spread late last year after several sexual misconduct allegations were levelled against disgraced director Harvey Weinstein, with high profile names including Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd and Angelina Jolie coming forward to recall their own experiences.

Lohan sparked controversy by appearing to defend Weinstein in the wake of the allegations in October, saying she felt bad for him.

Speaking on her Instagram story she said: I feel very bad for HW right now I dont think its right whats going on. I think Georgina needs to take a stand and be there for her husband.

Hes never wronged me or done anything to me and weve done several movies together. I think everyone needs to stop. Its wrong, so stand up.

Weinstein has been charged with assaults on three women in 2003, 2006 and 2014.
L ove Islands Laura Anderson and Paul Knops have hit back at split rumours by sharing photos of their loved-up day together.

Fans feared that the pair, who came runners up on the show, had called time on their relationship as they hadn't been seen together since Sunday nights Love Island reunion.

Speculation then increased after the pair posted a string of solo snaps on their own social media pages.

However, the duo have since shut down reports as they documented their day out together on Wednesday.

Romance: The couple documented their blossoming romance online / ITV

One Instagram video clip showed Knops teasing his other half as she appeared to be choosing food ahead of a radio appearance.

Meanwhile the air hostess declared her man a stud muffin as the pair geared up to appear on Heat Radio.

She said: On our way to Heat Radio with this stud muffin, give us a listen hopefully we wont be too cringe!

The clips come after Knops got his own back on Anderson after she secretly filmed him sleeping whilst en route to Scotland.

Anderson whisked Knops off to her native Stirling in Scotland to meet her friends and family days after receiving a handful of Ofcom complaints from viewers who were left fuming at their place in the series final.

Anderson filmed Knops asleep on her lap and shared it on Instagram with her one million followers alongside the caption: Tired pups.

But Knops sought revenge, posting a clip of Anderson sleeping on his shoulder on a car journey.

Love Island's Paul Knops filmed sleeping en route to Scotland

Speaking to the camera, Knops said: When you take a sneaky video of me sleeping  you get one in return.

The couple have been enjoying spending time with Andersons family and friends after landing back in the UK.

The couple faced a backlash after they beat Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley and Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson to finish in second place. Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer were crowned champions.
T he Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that it plans to allow for a "more globally accessible" three-hour telecast of future Oscars ceremonies.

A tweet from the Academy's official Twitter page confirmed the change in broadcast as well as revealing that a new category is being designed around achievement in popular film.

It was also announced that the 2020 ceremony will be held on February 9, the same month as the British Academy Film Awards have been held every year since 2001.

The ceremony for the 90th Academy Awards was held on March 4 and was hosted by US talkshow presenter Jimmy Kimmel. At nearly four hours long, it was the longest show in over a decade.

Ratings for the telecast fell to an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers in the US, almost 20% down from the previous year.

It was the first time the awards show had fewer than 30 million viewers since 2008 when former Daily Show presenter Jon Stewart hosted and No Country For Old Men won best picture.

Oscars 2018: Show - In pictures 1 /32 Oscars 2018: Show - In pictures Jennifer Lawrence arrives for the 90th Annual Academy Awards AFP/Getty Images British actress Helen Mirren arrives with a shot of Tequila on the red carpet at the 90th Annual Academy Awards AFP/Getty Images Sam Rockwell (Best Supporting Actor) Frances McDormand (Best actress) Allison Janney (Best Supporting actress) and Gary Oldman (Best Actor) with their Oscars in the press room at the 90th Academy Awards PA BB-8, actors Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill and Kelly Marie Tran speak onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Jennifer Lawrence climbs over seats with a glasss of wine at the 90th Annual Academy Awards Kevin Winter/Getty Images Best Costume Design winner Mark Bridges rides a jet ski onto the stage with actress Helen Mirren on the back after he won it for the shortest Oscar acceptance speech of 2018 Reuters Backstage at the Oscars with Kumail Nanjiani and Lupita N'yongo The Academy Frances McDormand leaves the stage after she won the Oscar for Best Actress in "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" during the 90th Annual Academy Awards show AFP/Getty Images Margot Robbie congratulates Allison Janney, winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for "I, Tonya" at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Guillermo del Toro and the cast and crew of "The Shape of Water" accept the award for best picture at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence present the Best Actress Osca Reuters General view of the stage as host Jimmy Kimmel presides over the show Reuters Jimmy Kimmel hosts the show Reuters Sally Hawkins, Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie and Meryl Streep react after Frances McDormand's Best Actress acceptance speech Reuters Backstage at the Oscars Lin-Manuel Miranda The Academy Nicole Kidman surprises Sdandra Bullock on the red carpet during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Sandra Bullock asks to dim the lights to make her look younger as a joke whilst on stage Reuters Gary Oldman poses in the press room with the Oscar for best actor during the 90th Annual Academy Awards AFP/Getty Images Gisele Schmidt kisses husband Gary Oldman, winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role for "Darkest Hour" at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Meryl Streep reacts whilst in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty speak onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Diane Warren and Helen Mirren attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Sally Hawkins, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie reach out to Meryl Streep, as they all react after Frances McDormand's Best Actress acceptance speech Reuters Allison Janney bumps into BB-8 from Star Wars at the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra and Salma Hayek speak onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Common and Andra Day perform onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Host Jimmy Kimmel and Gal Gadot appear on screen via satellite at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Backstage at the Oscars with Viola Davis The Academy Frances McDormand accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" as Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster look on from right at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Chuck Berry appears on screen as Eddie Vedder performs during an In Memoriam tribute at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Keala Settle performs "This Is Me" from "The Greatest Showman" at the Oscars Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Nicole Kidman and Chadwick Boseman backstag at the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images

John Bailey, the newly re-elected president of the Academy, told members in an email on Wednesday that the Board of Governors had approved the three major changes.

The email suggested that the shortened telecast would be achieved partly by presenting the winners of some of the categories during the advertisement break.

Oscars round-up: Gary Oldman triumphs as Shape Of Water wins best picture

The abridged winning moments would then be shown later in the programme. The categories affected will be announced at a later time.

Eligibility requirements for the popular film category will also follow.
Photo: Contributed Victor Cumming

The race for Vernon mayor is on.

With the municipal election scheduled for Oct. 20, at least three people are seeking the city's highest position.

Art Gourley announced he will take a run at the top job and former mayor Wayne Lippert wants the gavel back.

And now, Victor Cumming has announced his candidacy for mayor.

This will be Cumming's second run at the position, finishing several hundred votes behind current Mayor Akbal Mund in the last election.

Mund has not said if he will run for a second term as mayor.

Mund said he will not make a decision on his candidacy until the first week of September.

Also making a decision on running for the mayors chair is Darrin Taylor.

Taylor, who is the chairperson of Vernon's Activate Safety Task Force, confirmed he has been approached about running for the mayor's chair, but has not made a decision yet.

I've been asked to consider it and that is what I am doing, I haven't made any decision, said Taylor last month. I've been tossing around the idea of running for council for a couple of years, but we haven't made any decisions. It's still early.

Cumming works at Westcoast CED.

He has has worked on economic development projects spanning three continents, nine provinces and three territories as well as more than 75 First Nations groups, tribal councils, and Aboriginal development corporations across Canada.

Cumming describes himself as a practitioner, applying community economic development tools in a manner that has positively changed the direction of many communities and ensured the successful completion of more than 500 economic development projects.
P aul OGrady is meeting some very special children for his latest ITV series as he visits the wards of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Established in 1852, around 600 children a day pass through the doors of GOSH  one of the worlds leading childrens hospitals  to receive top care from over 4000 members of staff.

In his new series, OGrady scrubs up and rolls up his sleeves to join doctors, nurses and staff at the famous hospital as they provide the best care they can for their very special patients and put a smile on their faces.

In a change from his award-winning For The Love Of Dogs, OGrady will meet the most inspiring children on his rounds, with plenty of time spent with each little hero.

What happens in episode one?

In the first episode, OGrady is surrounded by different patients at the famous London hospital as he meets several children being treated.

Emmanuel, eight, was born without the use of his legs and has been back and forth to GOSH for treatment over the years. Back once again to have pins removed from his legs, Emmanuel finds time to give OGrady a tour of the hospital before the pair sit down for a chat and to decorate his leg cast.

Presenter: Paul O'Grady meets inspiring children at the London hospital / ITV / Olga TV

The presenter also meets with Emily, eight, and Luke, five, who both have Cystic Fibrosis and need to have a series of tests to check theyre keeping active enough to control their condition.

OGrady also catches up with Lara, a nine-year-old who has been a regular at GOSH since she was just one after being diagnosed with a rate blood disease.

And lastly, OGrady chats with Mackenzie, 13, who is awaiting ear reconstruction surgery after being born with Microtia, a condition that stops the ear from developing properly. Mackenzie pulls on OGradys heartstrings massively as he opens up about being bullied because of his condition before OGrady gets a chance to witness the extraordinary surgery that will change his life.

When is Paul OGrady Little Heroes on?
A flaw uncovered inside the microchip of the Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone could allow hackers to spy on you, say security researchers.

There are around 30 million people still using the Samsung phone, which was released in 2016, making them vulnerable to hackers.

Whats the problem?

The microchip flaw is actually nothing new. Earlier this year, it was discovered that two vulnerabilities, named Meltdown and Spectre, were affecting computer processors across the globe.

Meltdown, which only affects chips designed by Intel, could allow hackers to bypass the hardware barrier between applications and a computers memory. In theory, this could allow hackers to read a computers memory and steal passwords.

Security researchers from Graz Technical University in Austria who initially discovered the flaws, told Reuters they have found a way to exploit the Meltdown vulnerability which would attack Galaxy S7 smartphones.

Its not just the Galaxy 7 that is affected. The researchers believe there could be other smartphones out there, which could be vulnerable to this kind of attack.

There are potentially even more phones affected that we dont know about yet. There are potentially hundreds of millions of phones out there that are affected by Meltdown and may not be patched because the vendors themselves do not know, said one of the researchers, Michael Schwarz.

What is Samsung doing about it?

Samsung says it has created a patch to protect the Galaxy S7 phones against the Meltdown flaw. The company began pushing out the update to affected devices last month.

Its important to note that there have been no reported cases where Meltdown has been used to attack a Galaxy S7 smartphone or any other Samsung phone for that matter.

Samsung said: Samsung takes security very seriously and our products and services are designed with security as a priority.

What about other smartphones?

Companies like Apple and Microsoft use Intel chips in their computers and phones, however, Apple says it will stop doing so by 2020.

After the flaws were announced earlier this year, Intel said it was working on software and firmware updates to mitigate any exploits from Meltdown or Spectre, with Apple and Microsoft also releasing patches for their devices.

However, problems like Meltdown do demonstrate that we all need to be vigilant when it comes to smartphone security. According to a recent survey by the Office of National Statistics, 26 per cent of UK adults do not have smartphone security and a further 24 per cent dont even know if they have it installed.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Board members at Tesla are evaluating CEO and Chairman Elon Musk's $72 billion proposal to take the electric car and solar panel maker private.

Six of nine members said in a prepared statement Wednesday that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week. This included discussing how being a private company could better serve Tesla's long-term interests. Board members met several times and also addressed funding for the move, according to the statement.

The eccentric Musk announced the bombshell move Tuesday on Twitter, writing that he had secured funding to buy Tesla Inc.'s shares at $420 each.

Shares rose 11 per cent Tuesday but fell nearly 2 per cent at midday Wednesday to $372.38.

At $420 apiece, buying all of Tesla's shares would cost about $72 billion, but Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors Wednesday that he expects about $50 billion in additional net debt. Musk owns about 20 per cent of the Palo Alto, California, company's stock, so that likely would reduce the cost of the buyout.

Musk also said he intends to give Tesla's existing shareholders the option of retaining a stake in the company through a special fund, if they want.

Jonas wrote that he understands Musk's desire to avoid the pressures of quarterly earnings as a public company. But he thinks that those benefits could be outweighed "by the risks of added financial leverage, which can be even more strategically limiting."

There still are near-term execution risks around ramping up Model 3 production and the ability to generate cash, Jonas believes. "Adding as much as $50 billion of net debt to the capital structure would clearly intensify the outcomes of such an action," he wrote.

Musk, his brother Kimbal and director Steve Jurvetson were not included in the statement from members Brad Buss, Robyn Denholm, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Linda Johnson Rice, and James Murdoch.

By taking Tesla private, Musk believes that the company will be able to sharpen its long-term focus of revolutionizing an automobile industry dominated by fuel-combustion vehicles without having to cater to investors' fixation on how the business is faring from one quarter to the next.

Making money has proven elusive for Tesla while it has been investing in electric car technology and ramping up production of its vehicles, including a sedan with a starting price of $35,000 to appeal to a broader audience.

The company has only posted a quarterly profit twice in its history and has never made money during an entire calendar year, something that Musk has been trying to change by cutting costs, including recent mass layoffs that trimmed Tesla's workforce by 9 per cent. Tesla lost another $717.5 million in its most recent quarter.

Musk has promised a sustained net profit starting in the third quarter.
Photo: Contributed

A small fire reported south of Predator Ridge turned out to be what the BC Wildfire Service calls a "smoke chase."

"A smoke chase is when crews respond to a report of a fire and nothing is found," explains fire information officer Nicole Bonnett.

"We had personnel go out and nothing was found," she said.

"In cases like this, it is really ideal for members of the public to provide as much information, as accurate information, as they possibly can because it does take time for crews to go out and respond to an incident that turns out to not be an incident," said Bonnett.
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The death toll rises to 131 in the Indonesian island of Lombok where an earthquake of a magnitude of 6.9 hit on Sunday. A rescue operation is continuing and aid has started reaching the isolated areas of the island. Rescuers are trying to find bodies under the rubble. Temporary shelters are being set-up for ten thousand people in need of water, food and medical supplies.

According to the military, five planes having food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers have left Jakarta for the island on Wednesday.

Till now some 2,500 people have been hospitalised with grave injuries and some 156,000 people homeless. Authorities said that nearly 5,000 tourists have left the place by boat.

Also Read:91 Killed as magnitude 7 earthquake hits Indonesia
The National Bank of Romania does not wish to "choke" the lending's growth, nor the economic growth, declared on Wednesday the governor of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), Mugur Isarescu, when asked about the measure of limiting the population's indebtedness.

"I talked it over with the banks as well. We are looking at the data. Under no circumstances do we want to choke the growth of the lending nor the economic growth. Under no circumstances. We are looking at other countries' experience," Isarescu answered.

The BNR governor explained that the central bank does not wish for anyone to become "a slave" to the bank, through loans that cannot be returned. He added that everyone's wish to have a house is a natural thing, but it cannot be compared to "wanting a piece of chocolate"."We want to keep it (the lending, ed. n.) in prudent limits and that is our job," the BNR governor said.Mugur Isarescu added that the discussions with the banks have commenced and that he "is talking with the Government and the opposition" concerning some precautionary measures the BNR wishes to make public in September.The BNR governor also said that the mandatory minimum reserves need to be reduced from 8 percent to 2 percent, if Romania is to join the Eurozone, this being the money for lending. Isarescu added that issuing this money now would make it reach the foreign exchange market and would belittle the exchange rate.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu received on Wednesday Denmark's approved ambassador in Bucharest Soren Jensen, as the diplomat presented his credentials, the Foreign Ministry informed in a release.

The meeting was an occasion for the sides to approach aspects regarding the stage and perspectives of bilateral relations, emphasizing the importance of political dialogue at all levels, in support of the development of economic exchanges and cooperation between Romania and the Kingdom of Denmark, within the EU and NATO included.

The two officials also highlighted the similitude of Romania and Denmark's stances on security agenda subjects and the desire of both sides to strengthen strategic dialogue, the Foreign Ministry said.
PACT for Romania notified the Committee for Public Order within the Capital's City Hall on the organisation of a protest meeting on 10 August in Victoriei Square, but does not assume the role of organizer, according to Tudor Carstoiu, representative of PACT for Romania, following a meeting with representatives of local authorities.

"The main message is that we are not organizers and we have not tried to assume this role. We are some of the many promoters of the event, but we never tried to become organizers and we certainly would not do this 48 hours prior to the event. We are simply encouraging authorities to ensure the best framework for a peaceful, non-violent manifestation, as civilized as it can be for a democratic country," Carstoiu specified, after taking part in the Committee's meeting of reviewing the requests for the public gatherings' organisation and conduct.

He estimated that for the event there will be 100,000 participants and made an appeal for non-violence on their behalf. Carstoiu mentioned that PACT notified City Hall on 14 June regarding the protest of 10 August and underlined that discussions with local authorities should have begun sooner. Carstoiu also specified that the main message of this protest is to bring down the Dancila Government and organise early elections. Some other claims are the cut of the number of MPs to 300 and an increased representativeness for diaspora to be ensured.Carstoiu also declared that the chairman of the Federation of Romanians Abroad, Emanuel Cioaca used to be a member of the Social Democratic Party (main ruling PSD, ed. n.) and that "it was a situation in which PSD tried to infiltrate this protest"."We took a firm position at that moment and now consider that all they're trying to do is find some scape goats. We came out of respect, because this is normal, to discuss - which is why we were not in the least interested in any role of organizing or signing a protocol - but it is very important that we clarify the situation," he said.Bucharest deputy mayor Aurelian Badulescu declared that, given that the Federation of Romanians Abroad announced that they relinquish the role of organizing the 10 August protest, the PACT representatives who were next on the petitioners' list, were invited to come before the public order committee.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  Two House minority groups plan to file with the Supreme Court (SC) petitions to contest the leadership of Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez (3rd District).

A number of lawmakers slammed the appointment of Suarez as the new minority leader, which the House of Representatives officially approved Tuesday.

Former House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep Rudy Farinas (1st District) and Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo (2nd District) said their minority groups plan to elevate their cases to the SC as they continue to question the new leadership.

Farinas on Wednesday said Suarez abandoned his post when he voted for Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2nd District) as the new House Speaker.

He cited an earlier SC decision on Baguilat vs Alvarez, which stated that those who vote in favor of the Speaker shall be part of the majority bloc.

Quimbo said he is the minority leader elected by the 'rightful' minority group, composed of representatives who voted against Arroyo or abstained from the voting.

Like Farinas, Quimbo quoted the same ruling and believed the plenary's decision to elect Suarez, a known Arroyo ally, was illegal.

Suarez did not deny close ties with the new House Speaker.

"I'm not denying that I'm close to the former president and incumbent Speaker," Suarez said.

"Unang-una, mag-Cabalen kami, Kapampangan din ako eh," he added.

(Translation: First of all, we are from the same province. I am also from Pampanga).

Despite the criticisms, the new minority leader said his minority group, per Arroyo's order, will begin working, and that they will look into the priorities and legislative agenda of the Duterte administration.

"Ang sabi niya, mag-trabaho na tayo. (She said, let's start working). And I would expect that what she means is let me do my part as speaker, you do yours as the minority leader," Suarez said.

CNN Philippines' Correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.
The former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak charged with three counts of money laundering by anti-corruption agency investigating into the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal. The charges are related to 42m ringgit (US$10m). He might get a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine of minimum fives times the value of illegal transfers. This morning Razak reached the courthouse accompanied by his children, he looked calm.

Two months after the election defeat, he was pleaded not guilty to abuse of power. However, wife Rosmah and he are barred from leaving the country by the newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who relaunched an investigation into 1MDB.

This is one of the biggest scandals in Malaysias history. Razak is accused of lavishly spending funds on luxury property, a private yacht, Hollywood films.

Also Read:Karunanidhi death: Tamil associations holds condolence meet in Abu Dhabi
A Singapore online store named 'Ivory Lane Singapore' that claimed to have products made from elephant ivory. This store was launched on Facebook on July 31 and drew outrage by a lot of animal lovers. However, it turned out to be an initiative by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore to raise awareness on illegal ivory trade. The store had videos and photographs of models adorning accessories, earing priced $160 for a pair of earrings and $800 for a necklace. According to the website, the products were "inspired by the luxury of nature and heritage". The website also said, "ivory is a secret desire for most girls".

Source: WWF

On Tuesday WWF admitted that the website was a part of a campaign against the ivory trade. While on Monday, the Ivory Lane "posted" on social media that "the ivory we use is completely legal in Singapore because it is "vintage ivory, before 1990".

I'm in love with WWF's aggressive campaign for anti ivory trade in Singapore. Well done! Something we could learn, maybe?  Vicky Barreto (@vicksbr) August 8, 2018

It is to be noted that the commercial import and export of ivory has been banned in Singapore since 1990. Within six days of launching, Ivory Lane's website and social media accounts reached 250,000 people and garnered 65,000 reactions.

WWF Singapore chief executive Elaine Tan added: "The overwhelming and strong response by people in Singapore towards Ivory Lane has made it very clear that people in Singapore have a zero tolerance toward illegal wildlife trade. We are due for clear and strong legislation to address ivory and illegal wildlife trade in Singapore."

Also Read:Malaysia 1MDB scandal: Former PM Najib Razak charged with money laundering
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared the final list of results of the recently-concluded general elections while holding back the victory notification for two constituencies of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

According to the Dawn, the notification for results of 14 other constituencies has also not been announced due to various reasons.

The notification for NA-53 (Islamabad-II) and NA-131 (Lahore-IX) has been withheld by the ECP, while Khan's success is officially declared in the other three constituencies he contested elections from including NA-35 (Bannu), NA-95 (Mianwali-I) and NA-243 (Karachi East-II).

It is noted that ECP has held back the notification of his success from NA-53 (Islamabad-II) constituency, where Khan defeated former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The notification of success is being withheld by ECP due to the alleged act of violation of model code of conduct by Khan in the recently-concluded elections.

Last month, the ECP had issued a notice to Khan since he violated the secrecy of the ballot when he allegedly cast his vote in NA-53 constituency while surrounded by friends and supporters.

This comes after PTI nominated Khan as the premier candidate for Prime Minister of the country on Monday.

The PTI emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats after the ECP on July 28 released the complete preliminary results for 270 of 272 National Assembly (NA) constituencies.

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.

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.

(ANI)
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned other countries over continuing trade with Iran, and the repercussions that may follow.

In a tweet, Trump said, "The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!"

According to CNN, this warning was aimed at the European Union as they updated a blocking statute in order to protect European companies from any penalties imposed by the United States for doing business with or in Iran.

On Monday, the US reinstated the sanctions of Iran following the exit from the nuclear deal.

The Trump administration would restore the sanctions which were lifted by former president Barack Obama in 2015 to create pressure on Iran while creating a rift with Europe, reported the New York Times.

This came a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the sanctions to be re-imposed are an important pillar in the US policy toward Iran.

In 2015, six countries - Iran, US, Britain, Germany, Russia, France, and China- signed the Iran nuclear deal, for lifting economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limitations to the country's nuclear programme.

However, Trump announced the US' withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or the Iran nuclear deal in May, which limited the country's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief.

(ANI)
A combination of colonial and post-colonial paternalism by Western industrialized countries, a rediscovery of a glorious past, and the collapse of American unipolar dominance is leading the Polynesian region of the Pacific to a future political and economic union. The Polynesian Leaders Group (PLG) is making itself felt politically and diplomatically in the Asia-Pacific region.

The PLG, meeting at its 8th summit in Tuvalu in June 2018, admitted three new members  Rapa Nui (Easter Island), HawaiI, and New Zealand, or, as it is known in the Maori language, Aotearoa. These potential members of a future Polynesian Union joined Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Niue, French Polynesia, Tokelau, and Wallis and Futuna in the PLG.

In the latter half of the 19th century, four Polynesian kings, wary of encroaching Western imperialist moves into the South Pacific, attempted to launch an alliance of Polynesian kingdoms to stand up to the European and American colonialist powers. The chief proponents of the alliance were King Pomare V of Tahiti, King Kamehameha V of Hawaii, King Malietoa Laupepa of Samoa, and King George Tupou II of Tonga.

The PLG leaders meeting in Tuvalu left open the possibility of other Polynesian states joining their alliance. These could include Norfolk Island, which saw its self-governing status unilaterally abolished by Australia in 2016; Pitcairn Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom; Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Howland, Jarvis, and Baker islands, unincorporated territories of the United States, and Rotuma, a dependency of Fiji.

Polynesian-inhabited islands of majority Melanesian and Micronesian Pacific states could also be invited to join a Polynesian Union. These include Anuta, a densely-populated island of 300 in the Solomon Islands; Bellona, Ontong Java, Pileni, Sikaiana, Tikopia, and Rennell islands in the Solomons; Mele and Emae islands in Vanuatu; Nukumanu and Takuu in Papua New Guinea; and Kapingamarangi and Nukuoro in the Federated States of Micronesia.

The Polynesian people are growing weary of being treated as second- and third-class citizens on their own ancestral islands. They are growing more concerned about their collective future as they witness island after island being swallowed up by rising sea levels brought about by global climate change. Their ability to govern themselves is stymied by unfair political relationships with metropolitan powers hammered out by colonial overseers. Niue and the Cook Islands are subject to associated state status with New Zealand. Micronesia has a Compact of Free Association with the United States. French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna are territories of France. Norfolk Island has been administratively and politically absorbed into the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

In extending an open invitation to join the Polynesian Leaders Group, Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga of Tuvalu, said, In accordance with the MOU [memorandum of understanding] which we signed, we welcome other Polynesian communities in other places and locations to join the PLG as brothers.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that an effort for New Zealand to become a republic and sever its ties with the British monarch, who remains New Zealands head of state, is not a current priority. Recognizing past injustices against the Polynesian Maori people, the original inhabitants of New Zealand, Ardern said redressing the wrongs committed against the Maori if of a greater priority to her government than seeking republic status.

Ardern could start to redress the wrongs committed by New Zealand against Polynesians by instructing her father, Ross Ardern, the present Administrator of Tokelau and past High Commissioner to Niue, to begin the process of full decolonization of these territories with the goal of full membership in the United Nations.

New Zealand has warned the Cook Islands that if it seeks UN membership, Cook Islanders will lose their New Zealand citizenship. The Cook Islands government has responded to the threat by presenting a proposal for Cook Islanders to have dual status  both Cook Islands and New Zealand citizenship. Niue has also sought full membership in the UN and dual Niuean-New Zealand citizenship. The requests from the Cook Islands and Niue have fallen on deaf ears. That may change of New Zealand or Aotearoa comes to terms with its Maori and Polynesian character.

In a 2007 referendum, Tokelaus desire for associated status with New Zealand failed by 16 votes. A two-thirds vote was required for Tokelau to achieve the same self-government status as the Cook Islands and Niue, however the bid failed with 64.4, just short of two-thirds of the electorate, voting yes. Had the measure passed, Tokelau would likely be striving for UN membership, along with its sister Polynesian states of the Cook Islands and Niue.

In return for signing Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the United States, three former UN Trust Territories in Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau, agreed to allow the United States to maintain military bases on their territory in return for unfettered rights to live and work in the United States, as well as cash handouts in the form of economic assistance. So far, Washington has only exercised its military base option in the Marshall Islands, where it maintains the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in Kwajalein Atoll. With the Donald Trump administration ratcheting up tensions with China, insisting the Pacific is an American lake, the other Micronesian states may see new US military bases.

If Micronesia opted to join a Polynesian-Micronesian Union of states, the semi-colonized Federated States of Micronesia, consisting of Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae; the US territories of Guahan (Guam) and Northern Marianas; the semi-colonized Republic of Palau; the Republic of Nauru, and the Republic of Marshall Islands could find political and economic power as part of a trans-Pacific entity.

The Melanesian states of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Kanaky New Caledonia have formed the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), a nascent political and economic union that may, eventually, include West Papua, currently occupied by Indonesia; the Republic of Timor-Leste, and East Nusa Tenggara and the South and North Moluccas, currently a part of Indonesia; and Bougainville, if it decides to opt in a 2019 referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea.

Western colonialists and neo-colonialists have managed to stifle trans-Pacific unity by creating artificial barriers to cooperation and unity between island peoples. One egregious example is the regime of requiring travel permits and visas for visits between Samoa, an independent nation, and American Samoa, a US territory whose residents do not enjoy full US citizenship unless one of their parents is a US citizen. Relations between Samoans living in two different jurisdictions are relegated by bureaucrats in far-away Washington, DC and by government officials in Samoa, a former New Zealand territory, but where the government is usually influenced by dictates from New Zealand.

Across the Pacific and Polynesia, the heavy-handed presence of colonial and neo-colonial powers is reflected in a paucity of approved direct air routes between islands, visa requirements, availability of Internet connections and a variety of satellite-transmitted television news channels (not merely Fox News, CNN, or the BBC), attempting to freeze out Chinese economic development, and lack of overall free trade between islands. The Polynesian Leaders Group is a step in the direction of unity for Pacific peoples. The only barrier to it and the Melanesian Spearhead Group is interference from the politico-military viceroys in Canberra, Wellington, Washington, London, and Paris.
NATOs Noble Partner 2018 exercise kicked off in Georgia on Aug. 1 and will last until Aug. 15. More than 3,000 military personnel from 13 member and partner countries are taking part in this training event held near Russias borders. A total of 140 units of military hardware are involved. Moscow views these activities as a clear provocation. The exercise is obviously a signal of NATOs strong support for Georgias membership in the alliance. Noble Partner is adding more fuel to the fire, as tensions are already running high in the Black Sea region. Russia is concerned about Georgias aggressive and provocative policy.

On Aug. 6, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that Georgias NATO membership could trigger a horrible conflict. That statement was made in an interview with the Russian daily Kommersant on the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously warned the alliance about the move, emphasizing that it would lead to unspecified consequences. This brings to mind the events that took place exactly ten years ago.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 8, 2008, heavy fighting erupted in and around Tskhinvali, the capital, which spread to other parts of South Ossetia. Georgia violated a 1992 peace agreement and opened fire on Russian peacekeepers. The attack caused significant destruction and civilian casualties. In response to Georgias aggression, Russian forces crossed the border on Aug. 8 to free South Ossetia from the invading force and to rescue its own soldiers.

The ensuing EU investigation confirmed that it was Georgia that started the war. The fact-finding mission led by the Swiss diplomat, Heidi Tagliavini, included more than 20 political, military, human-rights, and international-law experts, who produced over 1,000 pages of analysis, documentation, and witness statements indicating that the war was sparked as a result of Georgian troops attacking South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers at the orders of Georgias then president, Mikheil Saakashvili.

The report claims that the war started "with a massive Georgian artillery attack." The document states plainly that "there was no ongoing armed attack by Russia before the start of the Georgian operation  Georgian claims of a large-scale presence of Russian armed forces in South Ossetia prior to the Georgian offensive could not be substantiated  It could also not be verified that Russia was on the verge of such a major attack."

The Russian troops did not advance into Tbilisi, although they could have done so easily, as the Georgian army was on the run. The Russian response was proportionally appropriate for Moscows goal of preventing a larger war and putting an end to the bloodshed and human suffering. A peacekeeping mission was the only way to do it. The conflict was mediated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and a ceasefire agreement was reached on Aug. 12. Russia recognized Abkhazias and South Ossetias independence from Georgia on Aug. 26.

Nine months of hard work led the EU mission to the conclusion that it was Georgia that started the war. But an information war has been waged since then with the intention of painting Russia as the aggressor or the nation that provoked the events.

Shortly after the brief war, NATO agreed to the admission of Georgia, which shares a border with Russia. If Georgia joins the alliance, NATO will be involved in the territorial dispute involving the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. According to NATOs principles of enlargement, a country with unsettled territorial conflicts cannot join the alliance. The recent summit of the bloc demonstrated its readiness to turn a blind eye to this violation of its own rules. During the July 11-12 summit, NATO reaffirmed its commitment to eventually admitting Georgia. The US strongly supports its bid. Just six days before the event, United States Permanent Representative to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison made a special statement emphasizing the US support for Georgias aspirations to join the bloc.

It is generally accepted within NATO that because Georgia holds the status of a privileged partner, it does not even need a membership action plan (MAP) like other aspirants. The proponents of Georgias fast track accession say the countrys participation in the Annual National Plan and the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) is enough to grant membership. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg believes that, "Georgia has all the practical tools to become a member." The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Georgias Euro-Atlantic integration. After all, the Georgian forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were the largest non-NATO contingents, dwarfing those of most NATO members.

The United States sees this nation as a useful ally located in a strategically important region. The US and NATO plan to increase their military presence in Afghanistan. Georgia could play a crucial role in supplying their forces, if shipments were transported by land from the Georgian port of Poti on the Black Sea to Baku, then crossing the Caspian Sea to Aktau, Kazakhstan, before being moved by land again across Uzbekistan into Afghanistan. Georgia is the link between energy fields in the Caspian Sea and markets in Turkey and Europe, thus bypassing Russia. It also provides the shortest transport route between Europe and Asia for exporting gas and oil. A US armed conflict with Iran is a possibility. It takes only few hours to fly to any destination in the Middle East from Georgia.

Tbilisi is mulling over an expedited NATO membership strategy. A fast-track approach has been recently proposed by the Washington-based Heritage Foundation think tank. Its proposal states that Georgia could be granted membership by temporarily excluding the breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from NATO's Article 5 security guarantee. Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which defines specific territories within a given nation, could be amended to include South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Officially, the membership will be presented as a temporary measure that will last until the internationally recognized territory is re-established by peaceful and diplomatic means.

From Moscows point of view, the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are allied independent states with a Russian military presence on their soil. Russia is committed to their defense in the event of an attack. If a full-fledged member of NATO believes those republics are actually part of its own national territory, a conflict is likely. Holding exercises, building military infrastructure, providing arms, and advocating for Georgias NATO membership are all provocative steps that can easily spark such a clash. The Russian government has warned about the consequences. PM Dmitry Medvedev has defined the red line that must not be crossed. He has also declared that Russia is ready to normalize the relationship and revive economic ties. Tbilisi must make its choice.
TICKERS: CANF

Source: Streetwise Reports (8/8/18)

An H.C. Wainwright & Co. report reviewed the arrangement.



In an August 6 research note, Jason Kolbert, an analyst with H.C. Wainwright & Co., reported that Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (CANF:NYSE.MKT) signed a license, collaboration and distribution agreement with an Asian firm for the commercialization of two of Can-Fite's small molecule drugs in China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

The deal is with CMS Medical Venture Investment Ltd. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Medical System Holdings Ltd., a specialty pharmaceutical company based in China, specializing in marketing, promotion and sales of prescription drugs and other medicinal products to hospitals.

Per the agreement, Kolbert noted, CMS Medical will obtain regulatory approval in China for Can-Fite's piclidenoson for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis and for namodenoson for the treatment of advanced liver cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. "Can-Fite may, at the option of CMS, supply finished product to CMS," he added.

CMS Medical will pay Can-Fite $2 million upfront, $14 million upon hitting specific regulatory milestones, $58.5 million upon achieving certain commercial milestones and a double-digit royalty payment on net sales.

Kolbert pointed out that this CMS agreement is the latest in a series of regional deals that Can-Fite has made, and "we do expect to see additional partnerships over the next two years."

H.C. Wainwright has a Buy rating and an $8 per share target price on Can-Fite, whose stock is trading at around $1.21 per share.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an independent contractor. 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.

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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 H.C. Wainwright & Co., Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., Target Price Revision, August 6, 2018

I, Jason Kolbert, certify that 1) all of the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about any and all subject securities or issuers discussed; and 2) no part of my compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendation or views expressed in this research report; and 3) neither myself nor any members of my household is an officer, director or advisory board member of these companies.

None of the research analysts or the research analysts household has a financial interest in the securities of Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (including, without limitation, any option, right, warrant, future, long or short position).

As of July 31, 2018 neither the Firm nor its affiliates beneficially own 1% or more of any class of common equity securities of Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd.

Neither the research analyst nor the Firm has any material conflict of interest in of which the research analyst knows or has reason to know at the time of publication of this research report.

The research analyst principally responsible for preparation of the report does not receive compensation that is based upon any specific investment banking services or transaction but is compensated based on factors including total revenue and profitability of the Firm, a substantial portion of which is derived from investment banking services.

The Firm or its affiliates did receive compensation from Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. for investment banking services within twelve months before, and will seek compensation from the companies mentioned in this report for investment banking services within three months following publication of the research report.

H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC managed or co-managed a public offering of securities for Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. during the past 12 months.

The Firm does not make a market in Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. as of the date of this research report.
Bay of Plenty

We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift...



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A scheme to fund free long term contraceptives for beneficiaries and their daughters ends on Monday.

The previous government set aside almost a $1 million for the scheme over six years, but Work and Income spent just $200,000 of that.

The grant, which included IUDs, injections and implants, was labelled an insult and intrusive.

Former Green MP Sue Bradford was a vocal critic of the grant when it was announced in 2012.

She says while contraception should be free, the grant was tied to the benefit system and was part of a wider agenda by the National government to discourage women on a benefit from having babies.

"We simply didn't believe that the state should play a role in trying to persuade women and their daughters to take long term contraception and to do that through Work and Income where so much of what Work and Income is on about is access to benefits. When you are dependent on the state that's your whole survival."

There is no way of knowing if Work and Income case officers exerted pressure on women to take up the offer, she says.

Family Planning, which was responsible for fitting the devices, said they never saw any evidence of pressure being applied.

Its chief executive, Jackie Edmond, says they also had concerns about the scheme being promoted at Work and Income offices.

"Really you'd be much better to target access to all women in terms of access to these contraceptives - IUDs and implants - rather than just target a specific group to subsidise their visit."

The red tape was a problem, says Jackie.

"It was just a little bit cumbersome, so we never saw very high numbers of women through the scheme. As I said the intentions were pretty good, because we know cost is a barrier to women. It wasn't very smooth, lets say."

Just 1133 grants were paid out, in stark comparison to the 16,000 grants the previous government budgeted for.

National's spokesperson for women, Paula Bennett, was the architect of the scheme. She is disappointed it's been scrapped.

"It's not like you have to pay if people don't take it up, it's user demand driven. I brought it in because there were woman that were not getting access to contraception because of the additional costs involved. And I just thinking removing those extra costs for them is about free choice and empowers them. So I think it's a real shame," says Paula.

Jackie agress cost was a barrier and says there was high demand for family planning's low-cost services.

"The implant of course now is free, but putting it in can be expensive because its a long appointment, so it may cost $100 to $150 even $200 in some places and an IUD is similar."

The current government says it's not appropriate for Work and Income to manage the grant, and any decision on contraception is a woman's personal decision in consultation with their doctor.

It has allocated $17.5m this year to health services to improve access to contraceptives for women on low incomes

Pharmac also funds three long term contraceptives.
The University of Auckland will not be following Massey University's decision to ban former Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash from giving a speech.

Yesterday, Massey's vice-chancellor cited safety concerns as its reason for cancelling an event planned for today.

Jan Thomas said the decision to pull the plug on former National party leader Don Brash came at a time of heightened tension over free speech and hate speech.

But Mr Brash said he believed it was his views, rather than safety concerns, that led to him being banned from the publicly-funded university.

"I'm stunned that the vice-chancellor of the university - a taxpayer-funded university in New Zealand - would ban my appearing because one or two, presumably thugs, would threaten to cause some kind of mayhem if I turn up.".

In her statement, Ms Thomas referred to Mr Brash's support for the group Hobson's Pledge, which opposes separate electoral wards for Maori.

She also cited his call to allow controversial Canadian speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux to speak in New Zealand.

Chancellor of Massey University Michael Ahie declined to speak on the matter to Morning Report, saying the decision was an operational matter for the university.

Mr Ahie said he fully supported Prof Thomas' decision.

Mr Brash was adamant he did not support the Canadians' views, but did support their right to speak here.

He said he would consider legal action over this point, saying Ms Thomas's statement may be defamatory.

"Most of it is not about security at all. It's about my alleged views on race relations and on the two Canadians."

The Free Speech Coalition, of which Mr Brash is a member, is also mulling legal action.

Coalition member Stephen Franks said there needed to be clearer guidelines about public institutions' obligations when it comes to airing controversial views.

He said the group may go to court to get clarity.

"Just a public law action - an application to the courts to give us clarity on what rights and what obligations public authorities have to make sure that people can exercise their freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom of thought and speech."

However, Mr Brash's long-time opponent Hone Harawira had no sympathy for the man who delivered the Orewa speech about race relations in 2004.

"For somebody like Don Brash and those Canadians, who go on and on and on about trying to kick Maori and Pacific Islanders and our rights, and then get huffy when they're not allowed to do it, that's not the denial to the right to free speech. That's just somebody intelligent saying, 'Go and blow it in the wind, Don. Because no-one's particularly interested in hearing it."

Christian Houghton, one of the students who helped organise the Massey lecture, said he didn't think the threats which led to cancellation of the event were serious.

"We had a look and we took it to our security. They said it actually wasn't too big of a threat - everything could be easily contained."

Likewise, he doubted that the mention of a gun on Facebook was a genuine threat.

"Our belief was ... the intention was figurative rather than literal."

Act Party leader David Seymour yesterday called for Ms Thomas to stand down over her decision, while Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it an "overreaction".

Mr Brash is due to participate in a debate at the University of Auckland tomorrow night.

He will be speaking in favour of the motion, has PC culture gone too far to the point where it is limiting freedom of speech?
There are days when the news reads like Mad Libs. Today is one of those days: HGTV outbid Lance Bass for the "Brady Bunch" house.

The Los Angeles property, whose exterior appeared in the show, returned to the market last month after almost 50 years.

"I am excited to share that HGTV is the winning bidder and will restore the 'Brady Bunch' home to its 1970s glory as only HGTV can," Discovery chief executive David Zaslav announced in Tuesday's second-quarter earnings call, according to Deadline. "More detail to come over the next few months but we'll bring all the resources to bear to tell safe, fun stories about this beloved piece of American TV history."

A tragic real estate tale precedes the cable network's happy ending.

Bass tweeted on Friday that his offer on the Studio City property had been accepted the night before, using three exclamation points to express how excited!!! he was. Maureen McCormick (of Marcia, Marcia, Marcia Brady fame) congratulated the former 'N Sync star on obtaining her pretend childhood home and wrote that she hoped any future problems would "always be solved in a half hour." Another reply asked whether Bass planned to remodel the interior to match the show's, to which he responded, "That's the plan!"

And in a tweet that seemed totally normal at the time, renovating Property Brother Jonathan Scott wrote that he was "a little bummed" that Bass outbid him, as he "really wanted that house." He then offered his design services to the future #IconicDreamHome owner and tagged HGTV.

Flash-forward to Sunday, when Bass wrote on Instagram that he was "feeling heartbroken." He posted a photo of himself posing in front of the home with two others, with the words "Here's a story . . . of a shady Brady" typed in bold print.

The story, according to Bass: An agent "representing the estate" told him that his bid - which was "WAY over" the asking price of $1.885 million - had won, and he celebrated with friends, family and fans. The next day, that same agent informed him that "another Corporate Buyer (Hollywood studio)" was prepared to buy the house at any cost.

"How is this fair or legal??" Bass asked. "How can I compete with a billion dollar corporate entity? I truly believe I was used to drive up the price of the home knowing very well that this corporation intended on making their offer and it's not a good feeling. I feel used but most importantly I'm hurt and saddened by this highly questionable outcome."

Tragic, we say!

For what it is worth, an agent who holds the property listing told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that the sale was not a done deal at the time of Bass' celebration and that, out of eight offers, "an ultimate prevailing bid was selected." That bid came from HGTV, of course, though no one knew at the time.

Will the Property Brothers be the ones to remodel the property, referred to in its Zillow listing as the second "most photographed home in the United States after the White House"? Was Scott's tweet a total coincidence? Will the future owners appreciate the Los Angeles River-bordering house's "unique street-to-river orientation" as much as Bass would have?

Perhaps! After news of HGTV's successful bid spread Tuesday morning, Bass tweeted, "I'd be pretty upset if it were anyone else, but how can you be mad at HGTV?? My television is stuck on that channel." The network respond with just as much love: "Aww, thanks @LanceBass. Consider yourself officially part of the HGTV bunch! Yours truly, HGTV (aka The Lance Bass Fan Club)."

We also know that Zaslav is a proper "Brady Bunch" fan. Deadline reported that later in the call, he jokingly threatened to send Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels to "Greg's room in the attic" if Wiedenfels didn't deliver on financial projections.

"That was not a fun place to be," Zaslav continued. "It didn't have a door. There were beads, if you remember."
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Koda Glover's comeback trail has returned him to the Washington Nationals.

The young reliever, recently sidelined by a couple major ailments, was promoted to the Nationals on Wednesday.

Glover, 25, appeared in eight games with Syracuse. He went 1-0 with two saves and a 2.25 ERA in those outings. He struck out 10 batters while issuing just two walks along the way.

Despite pitching in only 23 games in 2017, Glover led all major league rookies with eight saves in 2017. He threw scoreless relief in 18 of his 23 appearances, struck out 17 batters against just four walks and allowed just two of 12 inherited runners to score during his second major league season.

Glover replaces Kelvin Herrera, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff impingement.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- During an argument Tuesday, a Syracuse woman used a metal pipe to break the window of a car with a child inside before being stabbed by a woman who had been in the car, according to Syracuse police.

Both women stayed on the 700 block of West Onondaga Street, where the argument happened, until officers arrived at 6:55 p.m., police said. They were taken to local hospitals and treated for non-life threatening injuries before being arrested, police said.

Breonna Cox, 26, was charged with criminal mischief, criminal possession of weapon, menacing and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

Quantia Griswold, 27, of Syracuse, was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

The child was not injured, police said.

Cox broke the driver's side window of Griswold's car before Griswold got out of the car and stabbed Cox in the stomach, police said.

Griswold's hand was cut during the argument and Cox's hand was cut in addition to the cut to her stomach, police said.

Both are being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center.

Mug shots were not available, police said.
An aromatic Gewurtztraminer from Keuka Spring Vineyards near Penn Yan has won the 2018 Governor's Cup as New York state's best wine in the 33rd annual New York Wine Classic competition.

This year, for the first time, the competition also award a Governor's Cup for the state's best hard cider. That honor went to Kite & String's Pioneer Pippin cider, from the Finger Lakes Cider House near Trumansburg.

The renowned Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery near Hammondsport on Keuka Lake is the 2018 New York Winery of the Year.

Those are the three top awards given in the annual competition, dubbed the "Oscars" of New York wine contests. This year's competition included 924 individual entries: 853 wines and 71 hard ciders. The blind judging was conducted Aug. 7 and 8 by a panel of experts at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel.

The Wine Classic also awarded "Best in Category" and "Best in Class" in both wine and cider (see below), as well as 40 Double Gold, 49 Gold, 324 Silver, and 334 Bronze medals.

The winning Gewurtztraminer from Keuka Spring is described by the winery as off-dry and "refreshing, with lychee, light rose, and gentle spice notes of cinnamon and clove and a soft finish."

The Pioneer Pippin cider, a traditional or heritage variety, is described as having "aromas of candied lemon peel, wet metal, Riesling juice, sour fruit, and forest floor. The palate evolves through green, unripe apple, boozy cranberry and grippy crab apple tannins, finishing with a rolling tartness and a creamy back end."

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, founded in 1962, is one of the Finger Lakes' oldest. It is named for its founder, a Ukrainian immigrant credited with pioneering the use of classic European vinifera grapes to make wine in New York. It recently added a new outdoor tasting experience to its visitor attractions.

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation will feature the winners of the Governor's Cup, Winery of the Year and Concord Grape Brandy wine category at a wide range of events throughout the year, including this year's New York State Fair Tasting Seminars, a VIP dinner at the New York Kitchen, and other shows and receptions.

Here's look at other top winners in the 2018 New York Wine Classic.

Best of Category winners (wine):

Best Sparkling Wine: Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery, 2008 Brut Seduction Methode Champenoise

Best White Wine: Keuka Spring Vineyards, 2017 Gewurztraminer (Governor's Cup winner)

Best Pink Wine: Sheldrake Point, 2017 Dry Rose

Best Red Wine: Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, 2016 Blaufrankisch

Best Dessert Wine: Brotherhood Winery, 2017 Late Harvest Riesling

Best of Category (hard cider)

Best Modern Cider: Angry Orchard, Baldwin SVC 2015

Best Specialty Cider: Three Brothers Wineries & Estates, Cane Mutiny, Red Apple Bombshell

Best Heritage Cider: Kite & String, Pioneer Pippin (Governor's Cider Cup winner).

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
Lebanon, N.Y. - Amy Yahna and Brian Musician believe in a slow rise.

Their HeartStone Artisan Bakery breads - such as ciabatta, sourdough, garlic lovers and light deli rye - all begin with flours from mostly locally-grown and milled grains. The loaves get their rise from a naturally fermented starter, a mix of rye flour and water that Musician says he began tending about a decade ago.

The dough then goes into a walk-in cooler to sit for at least 24 hours. That slow rise, plus the heirloom grains and natural leavening, give their breads a flavor and texture that are growing in popularity.

Already, HeartStone breads are available at nine area markets and stores, including the Central New York Regional Market in Syracuse. Colgate University is a customer, and another area college is interested in the bread. The couple also sells loaves nationwide through its online store.

Today, HeartStone is in the midst of a $300,000 expansion that will add more space and a professional, artisan oven from Italy. The change means HeartStone will produce about 120 loaves at a time, rather than the 35 the couple bakes at once now.

But the focus on local ingredients and slow-rising techniques will remain, they said. Most of their breads contain 50 to 75 percent locally grown or milled grains. Some breads are 100 percent local.

They now get spelt, rye, emmer, einkorn, red fife and other wheats and grains from local growers in Central New York and the Finger Lakes. They use sprouted red fife wheat from Gianforte Farm near Cazenovia. They get winter wheat from Paladino Farms near Jamesville. HeartStone also uses Farmers Ground flours from Trumansburg. The only non-local flour comes from King Arthur, the couple said.

Most loaves sell for about $7 to $8. "We believe in that," Yahna said, adding the cost reflects the care in choosing ingredients, the long fermentation and the work to create each loaf.

HeartStone developed slowly, too, the couple says. The bakery started as an experiment about a decade ago, a way to add something extra to the couple's produce from their Alambria Springs Farm in Madison County. They taught themselves about proofing and baking. About four years ago, they hired John Sullivan & Sons from Utica to build a wood-fired oven, complete with a stone heart at its center, in the farm's pole barn.

Today, the bread production has surpassed the vegetables and fruit business at their farm in Lebanon. They phased out farming on 11 acres, though the garlic, fruit and vegetables they still grow goes into bread and pastry. Currently, Yahna and Musician, with a small staff, are hand-making about 1,200 loaves of bread and other pastry items each week.

"This oven has supported our whole farm operation," Yahna said last week. They make about 25 different loaves weekly, plus a mix of pretzels, croissants, cookies, muffins, danish, Brioche and gingerbread.

Using whole grain flour adds flavor and nutrition to foods. New research shows whole grains help maintain cognitive health, Musician said. The breads' natural fermentation, rather than commercial yeast, also can be easier to digest for some people, Yahna said.

Construction on the bakery's addition started last week. A portion of the investment -- $90,000 - comes from the Partnership for Community Development in Hamilton. Half of the money is a grant; the other half is a low-interest loan, said Jennifer Marotto Lutter, executive director of the partnership.

The bakery must fill four, full-time positions in return, Marotto Lutter said. HeartStone has five years to pay back the loan; that money will go toward other small business projects in southern Madison County, Marotto Lutter said.

Through the years, they've gotten advice and help from others, including Irwin Davis, CenterState CEO and Community Bank, which provided the construction loan for the current expansion, the couple said.

That addition at HeartStone will mean another change for Musician and Yahna.

Now, they build up a huge fire in the oven three times a week. That fire burns overnight. In the morning, the remains are cleared and the residual heat cooks the breads.

With the new oven, there won't be a need for those fires, Musician said. But it won't change the taste of the breads, he added.

"There's no flavor of the wood in the bread," he said. It's all about the grains and fermentation. They hope to finish the expansion this fall.
WASHINGTON -- If you want to see President Donald Trump speak in Utica next week, it will cost you up to $15,000.

Tickets to the private fundraiser in support of Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, start at $1,000 for entry to the reception, according to an invitation obtained by Syracuse.com.

The invitation says the time and location of the event in Utica will be provided to those who RSVP. Carl Paladino, Trump's New York campaign manager, told Syracuse.com the event will be at 4:30 p.m. Monday.

If you want to attend the reception and have your photo taken with Trump, tickets start at $5,000, according to the invitation.

Those who pay $15,000 per ticket are entitled to sit at a "host" roundtable and have their photo taken with the president, the invitation said.

Tenney is locked in a tight election battle with Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, who has raised more money for his campaign this year than the first-term congresswoman.

Brindisi had $1.4 million in his campaign account at the end June, compared to about $1 million for Tenney, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Trump has shown he can attract a big crowd in Tenney's 22nd Congressional District, which he carried by more than 15 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election.

More than 5,000 people turned out at Griffiss International Airport in Rome for a Trump rally in April 2016 before the New York presidential primary election.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Cincinnati -- An off-duty Cincinnati police officer used a Taser on an 11-year-old girl suspected of stealing from a grocery store on Monday.



Officer Kevin Brown fired his Taser at the girl after she placed items from a Kroger store in her backpack and tried to leave, police said, according to cincinnati.com. The girl had refused to stop at Brown's commands.



"There needs to be a complete investigation," Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman said, according to cincinnati.com. "It's hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be tased."



Police Chief Eliot Isaac said he was "extremely concerned" that an officer would use force on a child of that age, cincinnati.com said. The department plans to review its policies on using force and Brown's actions, according to WKRC in Cincinnati.



The officer has been placed on restricted duty while the department investigates, the station said.



The girl was taken to a hospital after the incident and released to a parent. She was charged with theft and obstruction of justice, according to WLWT in Cincinnati.



Brown was working an off-duty security detail and was investigating several young girls accused of theft from the store, police said, according to cincinnati.com. Brown approached the 11-year-old, but she ignored the officer and continued to walk away.



Brown then fired his Taser at the girl and hit her in the back.



Officials said Brown was wearing a body camera at the time of the incident, but did not activate it until after he fired the Taser, cincinnati.com said.



Department policy states that officers should avoid using Tasers on obviously pregnant females, those under age 7 and those over age 70, according to cincinnati.com.



The girl will appear in court at a later date.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112
In brief: Samsung is already a gigantic tech company with more than 320,000 employees, but significant expansion is in the plans for the near term. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent to hire more employees, develop next-generation technologies, and create sustainability.

Samsung is going all in on its electronics division to develop artificial intelligence, 5G technologies, automotive components, and biopharmaceuticals. Over the next three years, Samsung is planning to invest $22 billion into these areas to further expand its already massive empire.

One of first goals of investment is to hire new AI researchers and bring the total number of personnel working on AI up to 1,000. Maybe Samsung will be able to make a better assistant with the help of fresh employees.

Autonomous driving has significant overlap with AI. Samsung will also be developing more electronic components such as system-on-chips, in-vehicle displays, and telecommunications equipment for automotive applications.

In total, Samsung will be spending more than $161 billion over the next three years on capital expenditures and research and development. Out of the total investments, approximately $116 billion will be spent in South Korea.

Investment is expected to create 40,000 jobs over the three-year period. An additional 20,000 new jobs are expected in excess of previous plans for hiring. Indirectly, Samsung will be supporting roughly 700,000 personnel through related businesses and supply chain partners.

Suppliers will also be receiving more financial support from Samsung. A $3.5 billion fund has been setup to help reduce cash flow problems of suppliers. Further incentives will be implemented to reward suppliers for meeting goals. Samsung also runs a Smart Factory program to help small to medium sized businesses upgrade their manufacturing capabilities.

One of the key initiatives for long term development is investing in education. In cooperation with the Korean government, software learning facilities will be setup around the country. Up to 10,000 students and job seekers will be able to receive training and employment consulting over the next five years.
In context: In Spotifys most recent earnings report, it boasted that it had topped 75 million paid subscriptions. This accounts for nearly half of its total user base of 170 million. It also means that it is still the most popular streaming service available. Apple would like to change that.

Tim Cook recently took a dig at Spotify because of its use of algorithms to curate playlists. In a sit-down interview with Fast Company Cook said, "We [at Apple] worry about the humanity being drained out of music, about it becoming a bits-and-bytes kind of world instead of the art and craft."

Spotifys algorithms take into account a user's play history and compares it to others to fashion lists tailored to the listeners preferences. Cook says that Apple Music playlists are curated by humans making what users listen to more personal  he even used the word "spiritual."

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek thinks this is nonsense. He believes algorithms can much more accurately select music that a user will like, thus giving each individual user their own listening experience. The best that human-curated playlists can do is appeal to a broader range of users. Some may like Apple Musics lists and some may not. With Spotify, every user knows that "Daily Mix" lists will have music that they listen to frequently and that "Your Discovery Weekly" will have tunes that they may not have heard but will like because they are similar to what they already listen to.

"Music is everything we do all day, all night, and that clarity is the difference between the average and the really, really good," said Ek.

Putting curation aside for a moment and focusing on the numbers shows that Apple is in an excellent position to take the top spot in streaming music. Currently, Cupertinos service has attracted about 50 million users with around 40 million paid. Spotifys subscriber base is almost double that. However, Apples free-to-paid ratio is much more favorable at 1:4 versus Spotifys 2:1.

The reason that the ratios are significant is that ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc) do not care about how much money a company makes from an artists music. All they care about is how many people are listening and that the company in question is paying the appropriate royalties.

With Apple Music, Cupertino is only shelling out freebies for one out of every five of its listeners, and that is only on a temporary basis, not indefinitely. Plus, Apple doesn't even care about losing money in this venture.

"Were not in it for the money," said Cook. Apple can afford to be the "loss leader" in this race.

Conversely, over half of Spotifys user base is listening for free, so the company is picking up an enormous bill for them. It offsets that loss with advertisements, but the company is still hemorrhaging money. Spotify lost $1.5 billion in 2017 alone.

On the bright side, since going public Spotify has attracted more paying customers and Q1 losses are down for 2018 to about $49 million.

Personally, I like Spotify and am a paying customer. Even though I own an iPhone and have briefly considered switching to Apple Music, I have stuck with Spotify specifically because the playlists give me exactly what I want to listen to. Like Ek, I am not convinced that humans can make me a playlist that suits me perfectly.

What do you think?
A meteor has left 2.1 kilotons of energy after exploding above the Thule Air Force base in Greenland that is home to ballistic missiles warning satellite.

Hans Kristensen, the Director of the Nuclear Information Project for the Federation of American Scientists, informed the public about the incident. The explosion was fortunately not misidentified as a Russian strike. If not, there are nearly 2,000 nuclear weapons on alert, ready to launch, Kristensen said.

The meteor, estimated to be the size of a small car, was detected by the U.S. government sensors at an altitude of 43.3 kilometers according to a space explorer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory who goes by the Twitter name "Rocket Ron."

The Thule Air Base is the Air Force's northernmost base, located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 947 miles south of the North Pole.



HT



Were still here, so they correctly concluded it was not a Russian first strike. There are nearly 2,000 nukes on alert, ready to launch. Meteor explodes with 2.1 kilotons force 43 km above missile early warning radar at Thule Air Base. https://t.co/qGvhRDXyfK HT @Casillic Were still here, so they correctly concluded it was not a Russian first strike. There are nearly 2,000 nukes on alert, ready to launch. pic.twitter.com/q01oJfRUp4  Hans Kristensen (@nukestrat) August 1, 2018

Object With Unspecified Size

No major news outlet has made reports of the incident yet but specifics can be found via NASA's JPL Fireball and Bolide Data page. The page lists meteor explosions that are big enough to be detected by military satellites.

According to the records' description, an object of unspecified size was detected traveling at 24.4 kilometers per second or about 54,000 miles per hour. It was detected at 76.9 degrees' north latitude, 69.0 degrees' west longitude on July 25. It can be inferred based on these latitudes that the meteor hovered almost directly over Thule base.

Reacting to the news, Captain Hope Cronin, spokeswoman for the Air Force, said the base did not suffer any impact from the meteor explosion.

JoAnna Wendel, a NASA spokeswoman, said meteor explosions of this kind and size happened a few times a year. They result from the impact of small asteroids with Earth's atmosphere.

"By comparison, the 2013 meteor over Chelyabinsk, Russia released over 200 times the energy of the Greenland meteor," she said.

A Meteor The Size Of Mini Cooper

Phil Plait of SyFyWire compared the size of the Greenland meteor to the size of the Mini Cooper. It exploded while it was at 40 or more kilometers above the Thule base. In comparison, most of the meteors, like the ones during meteor shower events, only have the size comparable to a grain of sand.

Compared to a nuclear weapon, a meteor takes several seconds to explode while a nuke detonates immediately, giving off flashes of gamma rays. The Greenland meteor was also traveling faster than a missile.

Thule Air Base is where the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors is stationed. It provides missile warning, space surveillance, and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command. The base also is home to the 12th Space Warning Squadron who operates a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System designed to detect and track ICBMs launched against the United States.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Democrats, beware: do not use Huawei or ZTE phones, says the Democratic National Committee. After DNC learned that one of its associated organizations is thinking of buying ZTE phones for members, it sent out a warning not to.

"It's very important that party and campaign workers not use ZTE or Huawei devices, even if the price is low or free," says Bob Lord, DNC chief security officer, as CNN reports. He added that DNC members shouldn't be using devices from either of the aforementioned companies for work or personal use.

DNC Cautions Against Using ZTE And Huawei Devices

Officials from major security agencies in the country, including the FBI, CIA, NSA, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, said back in February that Chinese phone makers posed a security threat to American consumers.

Security Threats

Christopher Wray, FBI director, told the committee that any company beholden to foreign governments that don't share the country's values are not the type of companies it wants to gain leverage inside the telecommunications landscape.

"It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information. And it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage," according to Wray.

However, ZTE rebutted at the time by saying it intends to follow U.S. regulations strictly.

"As a publicly traded company, we are committed to adhering to all applicable laws and regulations of the United States, work with carriers to pass strict testing protocols, and adhere to the highest business standards."

The U.S. government has singled out both Huawei and ZTE for their possible connections to Beijing, as The Verge notes. Back in 2012, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee regarded both companies as serious risks to security, claiming that their devices can spy on citizens, collect their data, and send that data back to China.

ZTE and Huawei have yet to comment on the DNC's latest warning.

This past July, the U.S. government lifted an export ban on ZTE, which was put in place in April. The ban was lifted when the Commerce Department entered into an agreement with ZTE in which it had to pay a $1 billion fine and put $400 million in an escrow account. Huawei, on the other hand, is currently being investigated over potentially violating U.S. sanctions related to Iran.

The DNC isn't working off any new information for this latest warning, it should be noted. The DNC's fear over potential hacks is understandable, though. It's been on high alert since Russian military officials hacked the committee in 2016.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Lyme disease has now been detected in all 50 states of the USA, raising concerns on the prevalence of the tick-borne illness even in places where it has not usually been a problem.

The cases of Lyme diseases in the 50 states are still on the rise, so people should learn how to prevent being infected with the dreaded illness.

Lyme Disease Found Across The United States

According to a new report released by New York-based clinical lab results database Quest Diagnostics, Lyme disease is now found in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

The tick-borne illness has previously been a major problem in the Northeast, where 95 percent of cases come from. However, according to Quest Diagnostics, infections are increasing in states such as California and Florida, where it was previously thought to be nearly impossible to get Lyme disease. There were 483 Lyme disease cases in California and 501 in Florida, up by 194.5 percent and 77 percent, respectively, since 2015.

While Lyme disease cases are popping up in new places, the typical hot spots of the tick-borne illness are getting worse. For example, New England and Pennsylvania saw an increase in the number of infections over the previous two years, at 50 percent and 78 percent, respectively. Pennsylvania, in particular, has it pretty bad, with the highest number of Lyme disease cases last year at 10,001 victims.

Quest Diagnostics arrived at the figures by analyzing the results of 6 million blood tests that doctors ordered for Lyme diseases diagnosis.

What Is Lyme Disease, And How Do You Prevent It?

Lyme disease, if left untreated, may lead to serious complications, including severe arthritis and neurological or cardiac issues. Symptoms include severe headaches, rashes, facial palsy, intermittent pain in joints and muscles, nerve pain, and irregular heartbeat.

People should be wary while outside, as they may pick up ticks while walking through grassy areas. As such, it is recommended to wear long sleeves and pants when going hiking or camping. Before going inside, a thorough inspection on the clothes is required to make sure that no ticks are sticking to them.

Families are also recommended to landscape lawns to make them unattractive to ticks by keeping the grass low and leaf litter cleared to reduce the number of places where the pests can thrive.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, tried to raise awareness on Lyme diseases using a picture of a poppy seed muffin.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft is suspending its plan to end support for the desktop version of Skype 7.0, also known as classic Skype, by September, due to the backlash that it received from users.

The move would have pushed personal users and businesses to the overhauled Skype 8.0, but there remain many complaints against the latest version of the communications app.

Classic Skype Will Not Yet Go Away

In July, Microsoft rolled out Skype 8.0 to replace Skype 7.0, and added that only the latest version of Skype will work after Sept. 1. This meant that classic Skype will be shut down by that date.

Microsoft detailed some of the new features that will be coming to Skype 8.0. including free HD video and screensharing calls, more productive messaging, the chat media gallery, and sharing files of up to 300 MB at a time.

However, it appeared that the backlash against the shutdown of classic Skype has been far too immense to ignore, even for Microsoft. In the thread in the official forums over the discontinuation of classic Skype, Microsoft placed its plan on hold.

"Based on customer feedback, we are extending support for Skype 7 (Skype classic) for some time. Our customers can continue to use Skype classic until then," the updated forum post said.

Microsoft did not reveal a timeframe on until when classic Skype will be available, with the Skype team instead opting for an "awkward backward step," as described by Thurrott. Microsoft has been aggressive in pushing users to switch from classic Skype to Skype 8.0, but it looks like the company was unsuccessful.

Complaints Against Skype 8.0

A quick look at the Microsoft forums post reveals the many complaints that users have against Skype 8.0, which has resulted in the answered call to keep classic Skype available for a little longer.

Some of the users called out the all-in-one approach of the new version, while lacking the ability for simultaneous chat windows, among many other missing Skype features. There also seemed to be a general dislike for the new user interface introduced in Skype 8.0, along with the other visual changes implemented by Microsoft.

Microsoft said that it will be further developing Skype 8.0 to add the missing features that users have pointed out. At least, for this case, it appears that the company really listened to customer feedback. The question now is how long will classic Skype be available, and will Skype 8.0 ever be good enough for users who have used classic Skype for years.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A woman from Maryland was shocked to be told that she tested positive for opiates while she was giving birth, which almost made her lose her newborn baby.

The opioid epidemic in the United States is out of control, with hundreds of Americans dying each day because of it. The incident with the mother from Maryland, however, ended on a good note.

Woman Tests Positive For Opiates While In Labor

Last spring, Elizabeth Eden was in labor at the St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Maryland when doctors came in and informed her that she tested positive for opiates.

"I was in labor. I was sitting in the bed. I was having contractions. I was on a Pitocin drip, and the doctor came in and said, 'You've tested positive for opiates,'" Eden said to WBAL-TV.

The cause of confusion was that Eden knows it was a false positive. She then recalled what she ate earlier that day, and thought that it had to be the cause.

Eden remembered that she ate a poppy seed bagel for breakfast, and she learned in a health class in school that consuming poppy seeds may result in false positives for opiates testing.

"I said, 'Well, can you test me again? And I ate a poppy seed bagel this morning for breakfast,' and she said, 'No, you've been reported to the state,'" said Eden.

Experts have previously confirmed that poppy seeds may register as opiates in urine samples if they were consumed within 48 hours of the drug testing. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, poppy seeds do not contain morphine, but they may become coated with, or absorb, opium extract during the harvesting process. Opium is the substance extracted along with the poppy seeds from the seed pod of the opium poppy after all petals have been discarded.

Poppy seeds have very little nutritional value aside from fiber, so people are simply recommended to stay away from food that contain them, especially when they know that they will be subjected to a drug test soon.

What Happened To The Woman's Baby?

Eden's positive test result for opioids was reported to the state, as per procedure. This caused her newborn daughter, named Beatrice, to be held in the hospital for five days, while a caseworker for the state visited Eden at home.

The situation was eventually resolved and the case against Eden was closed. However, understandably, it was a difficult time for the new mother.

"It was traumatizing," Eden said.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez today highlighted the authorization of emergency use of the anti-Covid-19 Abdala vaccine in children from two to 11 years old, approved by the... | Read More
A criminal justice expert says Avoyelles Parish law officers who wrestled a Marksville man off a tractor while serving an arrest warrant last year used too much force, needlessly escalating a confrontation that ended with the man's death. A second expert said he doesn't agree the officers used excessive force, but said they may have acted negligently by failing to administer aid once Armando Frank was unconscious.

A video recording of the arrest, obtained by The Advocate, shows officers growing frustrated with Frank, 44, after he refuses to step down from a tractor near a Walmart store along La. 1. A use-of-force expert who reviewed the 10-minute recording at the newspaper's request says the law officers escalated the exchange by placing Frank in a choke hold and attempting to yank him off the tractor.

His level of resistance starts out as passive. It doesnt go to active and aggressive until hes physically assaulted by these deputies," Gregory Gilbertson, director of the criminal justice program at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington, said Thursday.

Editor's note: Video contains graphic language and content.

Can't see video below? Click here.

Last Oct. 20, two sheriffs deputies, Brandon Spillman and Alexander Daniel, along with Marksville Police officer Kenneth Parnell, tried to force Frank from his tractor. Spillman, Daniel and Parnell are named defendants in a civil rights lawsuit. There were other law enforcement personnel on the scene, according to the Sheriff's Office.

A forensic pathologist hired by the parish had said in a report that manual strangulation was the primary cause of Franks death. The video shows Spillman mount the tractor behind Frank and apply a choke hold while another officer tries to pull him down. For a time, Frank is doubled-over while resisting. Officers had to carry Frank to a patrol car after his body went limp.

Gilbertson said Franks questions as to what he was being arrested for, and who signed the warrant, were reasonable.

Theres no exigent circumstance here, Gilbertson said Thursday. Hes not attempting to flee, hes not assaulting anybody, hes sitting on a tractor and hes asking reasonable questions they are refusing to answer.

The hold that Spillman used, known as a lateral vascular neck restraint, is typically a last resort, given the potential to restrict airflow, Gilbertson said.

Most agencies now only authorize their officers to use it in ground-fighting situations where deadly force is their only other option, Gilbertson said. They might have pacified Mr. Frank if he had known what the warrant was for.

Spillman acknowledged to Sheriffs Office detective Mike Simmons that he grabbed Armando from behind, but never applied any pressure to the throat, according to Simmons report.

Philip Stinson, an associate professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University, disagreed that the officers were to blame for escalating the conflict. Officers are entitled to use as much force as necessary while making an arrest, Stinson said.

When a police officer says that they have a warrant for you, you need to get off the tractor and come with us, thats not negotiable. You cant negotiate that, even if it turns out there wasnt a warrant or it was an invalid warrant, Stinson said.

At the same time, Stinson said, the officers could be liable for negligence  in a criminal, civil or administrative arena  because they failed to assist Frank when it was clear he was unconscious. An officer can be heard on the video saying Frank was dead weighting to prevent officers from picking him up.

Once they got him on the ground and hes dead weight, at that point I think its time to check his airway, Stinson said. He was unconscious. He had stopped breathing at that point at a minimum, it seems to me."

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An Avoyelles Parish grand jury weighed negligent homicide charges against the law enforcement personnel, and in March declined to return any indictments.

Every action of every individual involved that day was well documented, said Steve Martel, chief deputy of the Sheriffs Office, earlier this week. All that information was provided to the district attorney in a case file for grand jury review.

A public records request for the Avoyelles Parish Sheriffs Office policy on choke holds like the one Spillman used on Frank is pending. Martel declined further comment. Attempts to reach Spillman and the other defendants have been unsuccessful. Martel said Spillman had been made aware of The Advocates request.

The report by Youngsville pathologist Christopher Tape labels the death a homicide for medicolegal purposes, noting that officers compromised Franks breathing for more than six minutes by placing him in neck holds and pressing him from behind. The report, which relies on an autopsy and body camera video, also notes that officers did not attempt to resuscitate Frank.

While cardiovascular disease and obesity contributed to Franks death, they should not be thought of as the primary cause of death as the decedent was alive (and well) prior to the police intervention and dead following, making the police intervention the likely intervening factor that led to his death, Tape said in his report.

District Attorney Charles Riddle said in an interview the grand jury heard Tapes report line by line, but he seemed to dispute Tapes conclusion that the officers intervention was to blame for Franks death.

He said Frank would probably still be alive if "had he not resisted" and not suffered from other health problems.

Riddle said the grand jury that declined to indict anyone saw the entire body cam video at least once and "saw certain portions of it on several occasions."

The outstanding warrant for simple criminal trespassing and attempted unauthorized entry into a dwelling stemmed from Franks dispute with his neighbors, according to the Sheriffs Office. Disputes with other neighbors resulted in similar charges in 2016, but the District Attorneys Office declined to prosecute and Frank received court-ordered treatment at VA hospital in Pineville. Frank had denied there was a warrant when officers stopped him along the highway that day.

Spillman wrote in a narrative report that Frank, who was six feet tall and weighed more than 270 pounds, became physically aggressive, and that Frank suddenly raised his hand toward my face while Spillman stood on the right wheel well of the tractor.

Parnell then deployed his stun gun, to little effect, and Frank continued actively resisting by pulling away from law enforcement personnel, violently thrashing about and became even more actively aggressive by striking personnel, Spillman wrote.

As the struggle ensued, one of the other two officers again deployed a stun gun, but the shock hit Spillman instead of Frank.

Spillman wrote that Frank continued resisting after being forced off the tractor, and that he refused to comply with orders to stand to his feet.

Law enforcement personnel appeared to continue struggling with Mr. Frank as they attempted to secure Mr. Frank in the back seat of Sergeant Daniels patrol vehicle, Spillman wrote.

Tapes review of body camera footage highlights several points at which Frank struggled to breathe  points that Spillmans narrative and the Sheriffs Offices reports do not include. Louisiana State Police also investigated the incident, but State Police spokesman Scott Moreau referred all questions to the Sheriffs Office, which he said is the lead agency in the investigation.

Spillmans neck hold on Frank was temporarily interrupted by the errant stun gun strike, Tape notes, at which point Frank could be heard breathing heavily. The struggle continued once Frank was off the tractor, with Frank coughing as he was pressed onto the tractor from behind, according to Tapes report.

Less than half a minute later, Frank can be heard to be coughing and gasping, Tape wrote, and law enforcement continued pressing him against the tractor for another 78 seconds. During this time, Frank said let me up three times in an increasingly deep and strained voice, Tape wrote, adding that this was Franks last verbal communication.
Emergency personnel work the scene of a fatal accident on U.S. 90 in which a mother and her 1-year-old son were killed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Iberia Parish.
Chef Michael Gulotta, of MoPho and Maypop in New Orleans, will create a meal inspired by the work of three artists, including that of Billy Solitario, above, on this week's 'Art Rocks!'
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The Baton Rouge police officer involved in the Tuesday night shooting after a traffic stop near North 15th Street is the same police officer who shot and killed a man in a 2017 fatal traffic stop.

Officer Yuseff Hamadeh on Tuesday night returned fire at a suspect who fled from his traffic stop, after police say the suspect first fired at Hamadeh, said police spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely.

No one was injured in the shooting Tuesday, McKneely said.

+5 Man who shot at Baton Rouge officer still at large Wednesday; person detained Tuesday released, police say A man who police say fired at a Baton Rouge officer  prompting the officer to return gunfire  following a Tuesday evening traffic stop remai

In June 2017, Hamadeh, now a two-year veteran of the agency, fatally shot Jordan Frazier, 35, after a traffic stop when police say Frazier pointed a gun at him. Police said Hamadeh pulled over a vehicle on South Acadian Thruway for an equipment violation, in which Frazier was a passenger. Police said Frazier exited the vehicle with a gun, began to flee and turned, pointed the gun toward the officer. Hamadeh fired at Frazier three times, two of which struck him in the back, according to East Baton Rouge Coroner Beau Clark.

There is no video footage of that incident.

+2 New info: Man pointed stolen gun at officers before suspect fatally shot on Acadian, police say Baton Rouge police officer Yuseff Hamadeh, who has been with the department for a year, has been identified as the officer who fatally shot Jo

Hamadeh was initially placed on paid administrative leave after that shooting, but two weeks later returned to Uniform Patrol. Louisiana State Police officials have said they completed their investigation into the shooting, but Hamadeh has not been officially cleared of any potential criminal charges, according to East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III.

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Police honored Hamadeh with a Medal of Valor in May, saying that during the incident Hamadeh "acted without hesitation to protect his trainee form an apparent ambush," according to the award.

Hamadeh has been placed on paid administrative leave following the Tuesday evening shooting, as per department protocol, McKneely said Wednesday.

+9 Baton Rouge police award medal of valor to two officers involved in fatal shootings Two Baton Rouge police officers involved in separate fatal shootings in 2017 were awarded the medal of valor Wednesday for their actions durin

McKneely said Hamadeh pulled over a vehicle without a license plate Tuesday about 6:30 p.m. on North 16th Street. The driver stopped the vehicle, but then ran from the car, prompting Hamadeh to chase him. The fleeing suspect fired one shot at Hamadeh and then the officer returned fire, McKneely said. McKneely did not say how many shots Hamadeh fired.

McKneely said Hamadeh did have a body camera on during the Tuesday night shooting, but was not immediately sure if it caught the interaction. He said Hamadeh's unit also had a dash camera, but also did not know what video it captured.
A 25-year-old Baton Rouge man was arrested Tuesday in the March rape of a juvenile, according to Baton Rouge Police.

Jeremy Thompson was booked into Parish Prison after authorities spent months searching for him.

According to his arrest warrant, Thompson is accused of raping a 6-year-old girl.

Thompson, of 4420 Sumrall Drive, was booked on a count of first-degree rape.
Two Baton Rouge police officers served suspensions in September for separate, racially-charged comments each made during the first week in May when the U.S. Justice Department decided not to pursue civil rights charges in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling.

As the city  and its police force  were bracing for protests in response to the federal decision about the case, in which a white police officer fatally shot Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, both a white and black Baton Rouge police officer made comments that offended another member of their agency, warranting discipline, according to the department's internal affairs division.

The white officer, Blaine Dupuy, was suspended for 20 days  from Aug. 26 to Sept. 14  after an internal affairs investigation found he sent a text message May 4 with an animated photo depicting a chimpanzee along with the phrase, "I'va biggen CHIMP OUT," according to investigative documents. Dupuy sent the image to the 11-members of his squad in a group text message as they were discussing the possible protests.

BR officer suspended after alleged racial message about Alton Sterling protesters A Baton Rouge police officer has been suspended amid allegations he sent a racially charged image to a group of colleagues who had been exchan

Donald Steele Jr., a black officer in that group message, responded to the text, saying it was a racist term and reminded everyone that there were black people in the group text. He also said there are certain words he won't say around white people.

Steele then formally filed a complaint about the text message to internal affairs, saying he found it derogatory and racist.

The online Urban Dictionary defines "chimping out" as a slur describing "when a black person removes his/her facade as a civilized human being and releases his/her inner chimp; as in to start acting violent and out of control."

Dupuy has continually stated he "meant the phrase as a joke and had no idea that it could be considered racist," a letter from interim Chief Jonny Dunnam says.

Steele was also later suspended for three days beginning Sept. 1 following an internal affairs investigation that found during that first week in May he approached three fellow officers  one of Middle-Eastern descent and two white  in a convenience store and said: "I don't know why you hanging around them white folk, they don't want you," directing his comments to the officer of Middle-Eastern descent, investigative documents say.

Two of those three officers later submitted formal complaints to internal affairs, calling the comments "extremely offensive" and "unprofessional," according to the investigation.

No one interviewed by internal affairs could give investigators an exact date when the incident occurred except that it happened during the first week of May, though all three officers said they heard Steele's comments, the documents say.

Broome: Racially charged text message another sign BRPD needs top-down change A Baton Rouge police officer's racially charged text message that resulted in his suspension has become the latest cause du jour in Mayor-Pres

Steele has denied ever making the statement, according to investigative documents. He is set to appeal the suspension Nov. 16 at the Municipal Fire & Police Civil Service Board.

The two officers who formally complained about Steele's statement also called it hypocritical.

"A double standard should not be in place when it comes to racial allegations and racial business," one of the complaints says.

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However, Steele alleges the complaints about his conduct were in retaliation to his accusation against Dupuy.

"I think this is retaliation due to me writing a letter on his friend," Steele said during an internal affairs interview, according to the investigative documents. "If that incident did occur as he said it did, I believe he would have said something on that date and time and not wait until I wrote a letter on someone else on the squad."

Dupuy was placed on administrative leave May 18 so the internal affairs division could investigate the text message, according to the documents.

On May 23, the day after The Advocate published a story about Dupuy's investigation, the first officer filed a formal complaint that Steele had made the offensive comments. Two days later, the second officer filed a similar complaint, documents show.

One of the officers said he didn't come forward and complain about Steele sooner because he was "willing to swallow some pride," and see that "we are all blue," instead of skin color, according to the complaint. But, he said, "I feel this must be addressed at this time with the current investigation going on (about Dupuy's text)."

Dupuy, a three-year veteran of the force, was disciplined for violating policies regarding "command of temper, respect to fellow members and conduct unbecoming of an officer," according to the documents. Dupuy was off duty at the time of the incident.

+4 Citing 'insufficient evidence,' U.S. attorney says no federal charges in Alton Sterling shooting A 10-month investigation into the confrontation with two Baton Rouge policemen that left Alton Sterling dead did not uncover enough evidence t

Steele, an officer for the last two-and-a-half years, was disciplined for violating "command of temper," documents say. Steele was on duty at the time of the incident.

Both Steele and Dupuy have completed their suspensions and returned to work, said Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sgt. Don Coppola.

Dupuy could not be reached for comment Monday, and it was not clear whether he has an attorney.

Sgt. C. Bryan Taylor, the president of the Baton Rouge police union, did not return calls seeking comment.

Sgt. Myron Daniels, the Capital Area president of the Magnolia State Peace Officers Association who is representing Steele in his appeal of the department's discipline, declined to comment until after the appeal hearing.

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said she agreed with the disciplinary action taken.

"I stand by my original sentiment that blatantly racist messaging of any type is appalling," Broome wrote in a statement. "We will continue to study and implement best practices in all areas to ensure that our citizens are served by officers who understand and implement 21st Century policing practices and standards. This includes respecting the people they swear to protect and serve, as well as each other."

Editor's note: This story was updated Tuesday, Nov. 11 to include the statement from Mayor Broome.
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Baton Rouge has been awarded half a million dollars in federal money to buy a tire shredder after re-framing the equipment as one that would safeguard public health as well as address blight.

Metro Councilman Matt Watson has been making case to buy an industrial shredder for months, ostensibly to mulch abandoned tires that could possibly be resold to companies that use the rubber to make products like asphalt.

The city-parish received a grant for $500,000 to purchase the equipment, according to a Wednesday news release.

The statement emphasized the shredder's use in reducing the mosquito population. The insects lay eggs in standing water, such as the water that collects in trashed tires.

Illegally dumped tires are more than an eyesore; they hold warm water and become breading grounds for mosquitoes which are proven transmitters of West Nile Virus, Zika Virus and Denge. (Parish Mosquito Control and Rodent Abatement) has mapped 109 waste tire piles containing approximately 8000 tires, but we all know there are many more than that across our community," Watson wrote.

The parish has to spray tire piles every month to kill insects. Getting rid of them saves money down the road by lessening the need to spray for mature mosquitoes, the release continues.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy on Wednesday escalated his criticism of Gov. John Bel Edwards' criminal justice overhaul and accused the governor of taking a soft approach to dangerous prisoners.

Kennedy, a Madisonville Republican, said he warned six months ago that "somebody would get murdered" if prisoners are released early.

"And they have and I am sorry," he said. "It was inevitable."

Kennedy said Edwards "just thinks these guys are sick and confused. I think a lot of them are bad."

Edwards' office sharply disputed the criticism.

Kennedy made his comments in a short meeting with reporters, an appearance before the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and separately in a letter to President Donald Trump.

The letter to Trump came as Edwards and others are preparing to meet with the president in Bedminster, New Jersey to discuss possible federal criminal justice changes.

Kennedy said the 2017 overhaul is riddled with flaws, and he noted that two of the people released early have been re-arrested and accused of murder.

Two Louisiana inmates released early under reform accused of murder, but officials claim overall success At least two of the people who were released from prison early under Louisiana's criminal justice overhaul have been re-arrested and accused o

"He (Edwards) is focused on how many prisoners we have and I am focused on how many people are committing crimes," Kennedy told Rotary Club members.

In a statement, the governor's office noted that the criminal justice bills won bipartisan legislative support in 2017 and said the changes are showing signs of success.

"This information by the junior senator is unequivocally wrong," Richard Carbo, a spokesman for the governor, said.

"This is strictly politics for Sen. Kennedy, who is openly considering running for governor," he said.

"He's embarrassing the state of Louisiana in his letter to the White House, but even worse he's scaring the public using flawed data," Carbo added.

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Kennedy said he remains undecided on whether to challenge Democrat Edwards' bid for a second term next year.

The law enacted last year allows prison sentences to be shortened more quickly for non-violent, non-sex-crime offenders who won credit for good behavior behind bars.

That trimmed the mandatory time served from 40 percent of the sentence to 35 percent.

The initial releases took place on Nov. 1, 2017.

Kennedy singled out Department of Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc and his agency for special criticism.

"Our Department of Corrections, and I wish I didn't have to say this, but the senior leadership there is utterly incompetent," he said. "They are not qualified to run a food truck. And if the governor wants to continue letting these guys go we are going to have more murders."

On Tuesday, LeBlanc's office said Kennedy does not understand how an offender's time and release are calculated, and that any problems stem in part from district attorneys accepting reduced-time pleas to boost their conviction rates.

"Now my sense to Secretary LeBlanc, no disrespect, but blah, blah, blah. He is fluent in b.s. It is a bunch of bovine waste what he is saying," Kennedy said.

In his four-page letter to Trump dated Aug. 8, Kennedy said last year's law "is failing the law-abiding public in Louisiana."

"Already 22 percent of inmates have been re-arrested and it hasn't even been a year since the releases started," Kennedy wrote.

The governor's office said 19 percent of those released have been re-arrested, which it said is 26 percent below the national average.

Kennedy, in response to questions, said he had a poll done for a possible 2019 bid for governor and he collected 51 percent of those contacted compared to 37 percent for Edwards.

"I am thinking seriously about it," he said. "I haven't made a decision."
House of Representatives members work during legislative action in the House Chamber at the State Capitol, Thursday, May 17, 2018.
St. Joseph's Academy kicks off its 150-year anniversary celebration with the dedication of its new Student Center on Aug. 8.
With a cameo in a Drake music video and a new album out, New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia is having a big moment right now.
Members of Cajun Navy 2016 -- a group founded by Jon Bridgers, of Walker -- were on Lake Pontchartrain on Tuesday assisting in the search for Sadie Thibodeaux, a 32-year-old woman who has gone missing.

[Update: 7:05 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018: Woman's body recovered in Lake Pontchartrain by crews searching for missing woman Sadie Thibodeaux]

The group posted a video to its Facebook page, showing its boat on the water.

Can't see video below? Click here.

Thibodeaux has been missing since Sunday, and the search for her continued into Tuesday afternoon. The man who had been out sailing with Thibodeaux when she disappeared  and who was later rescued by the Coast Guard  has been questioned by police, though what he told detectives hasn't been publicly discussed.

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Police on Tuesday said they had not recovered any evidence of foul play and were considering Thibodeaux's case as a missing persons investigation. But New Orleans Police Commander Jeffrey Walls Walls said police would treat Thibodeaux's disappearance as a potential homicide until evidence ruled it out.

"This could be a horrific accident or a crime," Walls said. "Thats why were processing everything and taking our time so we do the best we can for Sadie."

Sadie Thibodeaux's sister -- Nikki Thibodeaux-Dowden, of Baton Rouge -- said her family was "hoping for (a) full and complete police investigation" of her sister's disappearance. She said Tuesday afternoon that her family still considered the search a rescue effort.

Thibodeaux-Dowden said her sister recently moved to New Orleans for work. She said her sister had previously been out on the boat in question with Michael Lee Farley, who owns the vessel. Police said Farley and Thibodeaux had been "dating for a period of time," but Thibodeaux-Dowden said her sister and Farley were not a couple.
New Orleans City Council members took a first step Tuesday toward reviving long-stalled plans to boost the availability of affordable housing in the city.

The council's Community Development Committee voted to forward a measure to the full council asking the City Planning Commission to study so-called "inclusionary zoning," or rules requiring developers to reserve some housing units in new developments for low-income residents.

At issue is whether developers would be required to include affordable units whenever building in certain areas of the city, or only in cases when they request permission to deviate from other zoning restrictions.

The Planning Commission released a similar study last February, but the council shelved it amid protests from developers and questions about what incentives to give firms.

This time around, the clock is ticking, officials pointed out Tuesday. The state Legislature  at the urging of developers  passed a ban on inclusionary zoning rules this spring, a measure Gov. John Bel Edwards ultimately vetoed.

But the governor has said he will let a future ban become law if New Orleans and other municipalities don't get around to passing local rules.

"We need to show the governor and the Legislature and the citizens that we are very serious about this," said Councilman Jay H. Banks, who heads the council's development committee.

"We can tweak the details as we move forward, but ... we do have a bell thats about to ring."

Also Tuesday, Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration pledged to commission a study into what specific incentives developers should be offered in return for including affordable units and which neighborhoods the mandates should apply to.

The measure asking for a recommendation from the Planning Commission is on the full councils agenda this Thursday. If it passes, the commission will have 50 days to hold a public hearing on the issue.

It would then submit a recommendation to the council, which would have two months to pass a motion considering that suggestion, and another three months to change city laws with the recommendation in mind.

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Specifically, the council wants planners to research three options.

The council could, in neighborhoods where low-income residents are struggling to afford housing, require that developers set aside some affordable units, but only in cases where the proposed housing would exceed density rules.

Or the council could demand that developers reserve affordable units in pricey areas regardless of their density, a proposal favored by affordable housing advocates.

Finally, the council could give developers who agree to reserve cheaper units some leeway on the city zoning regulations that would otherwise apply to them.

Unclear for now is exactly what carrot, other than higher density, developers would receive for playing ball, and what neighborhoods would be affected by the new rules.

Those questions will be explored in the study the city will conduct, said John Pourciau, Cantrells chief of staff.

Also unclear is how many units would be reserved. City planners last time around suggested that 12 percent of housing in developments with 10 or more units be kept affordable for a period of 50 to 99 years. Those guidelines might be revived or else replaced by new ones.

Advocates generally praised the council's move Tuesday as the first step toward a solution to the citys affordable housing crisis, which has cropped up in recent years as home values have skyrocketed but wages in many industries have remained stagnant.

These ideas are now becoming the baseline housing policy for large progressive cities, said Maxwell Ciardullo, of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center. When we talk to advocates and even city managers across the country, they are confused that we dont have this yet.

The Homebuilders Association of Greater New Orleans  one of the most vocal opponents of the earlier attempt to mandate the affordable set-asides  took issue with the option most favored by Ciardullo and other advocates. But its CEO did not dispute that something should be done about the citys housing challenges.

A lot of what has been testified here today, we agree with, CEO Jon Luther said. We know that there are challenges here in New Orleans with housing affordability. And my members  it would be shortsighted of them not to address all price points.
Monique Cola, a neuroscientist and longtime university educator, welcomed students this week as the newest principal of New Orleans Charter Science & Mathematics High School.

Cola, who has spent more than three decades as a researcher and academic, was hired in April to lead the Uptown high school, which has a focus on science, technology, engineering and math.

She is likely the first neuroscientist to lead a New Orleans public school, officials said.

Out of a strong pool of highly qualified candidates, Dr. Cola stood out from the start, said Mary Zervigon, chairwoman of the board that runs Sci High. We are thrilled to have such a committed, experienced and passionate STEM leader and cannot wait to see what the future holds for Sci High under her leadership.

Before joining Sci High, Cola served as assistant to the vice chancellor of student affairs and the executive dean at Delgado Community College, where she worked to boost student retention and recruit high school students to take college courses.

She also was a consultant to the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, a Pennsylvania-based consortium that works in part to improve opportunities for women, minorities and people with disabilities in STEM-related careers.

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Prior to that, she served as the director of Xavier Universitys biology resource center and spent 25 years as a neurology professor at Tulane University, the first black faculty member in that program.

Her clinical research has focused on dysfunctions in the brain, and she has studied Alzheimers disease, stroke and healthy brain controls.

Cola graduated from Joseph S. Clark High School in New Orleans and earned a bachelors degree in biology and chemistry from Pitzer College in California. She later got a masters degree in pathology from LSU and a doctorate in neuroscience from Tulane.

As a scientist-educator and an early supporter of Sci High, I am honored to be the new head of Sci High, Cola said. I am eager to take my passion for STEM-focused educational pursuits to a new level for the students at Sci High.

The B-rated school, at 5625 Loyola Ave., has more than 460 students.
Holding each side of her billowy white skirt, adorned with tropical flower appliques, Daniela Bello bounced on her toes and twirled around the Kenner City Park Pavilion to the sound of Nicaraguan folk music. Bello smiled, her thick black braid draped over one shoulder.

It's very difficult to learn how to move your feet, but then you enjoy it, said Bello, a Kenner resident.

Her dance solo followed three group sets performed by women and girls wearing traditional Nicaraguan and Mexican dresses and boys donning black mariachi-style outfits.

The Vive Mi Tierra dancers were rehearsing for El Tope de Santo Domingo, or St. Dominic Fest, which takes place from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, in Kenners Rivertown Heritage Park. The 18th annual event, presented by Asociacion Nicaraguense de Louisiana, features music and dancing, Central American food and games for kids.

Bello, 28, was born in Nicaragua but has lived in Kenner for 20 years. The festival, she says, connects her and her audience to their shared heritage.

I feel like I am in my country, she said.

Despite El Tope de Santo Domingos Nicaraguan roots, other Latin American natives and their children contribute to the festival.

The dance group welcomes participants of all ages.

One of the performers, Luis Tierravlanca, is only 2 years old. During practice, the precocious toddler displayed his deft footwork on the dance floor.

There is no age to learn how to dance. They are just people who want to do it and they learn, Bello said. The moms looked for a group that their babies or the kids can enjoy, and that's why we created this team.

Young girls like Esther Flores, 11, and Evelyn Martinez, 12, discovered the dance group about five years ago.

My favorite part about dancing is spending time with my friends, said Evelyn, adding that shes more excited than nervous about the festival. It's a little overwhelming trying to do your best, but it's also fun.

Esther shares similar sentiments.

Well, I'm a little nervous, but I'm used to it, she said. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to mess up, but I actually don't. I feel proud of myself.

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A festival rooted in religion

El Tope de Santo Domingo mimics a similar celebration that happens in Managua, Nicaragua  but on a much smaller scale. Both events pay homage to a historic moment in Catholicism.

Toward the end of the 19th century, a tiny statue of Saint Dominic was discovered in the hills of Managua. Santo Domingo de Guzman later became the patron saint of Managua  the countrys capital.

To honor him, each August, Catholics carry the statue from his church in the hills  Las Sierritas de Santo Domingo  to the church of Santo Domingo during an elaborate procession. The statue remains there until the end of the 10-day celebration, when a crowd of people return him to Las Sierritas de Santo Domingo.

The Kenner-based event includes a short parade with dancers and whimsical Nicaraguan characters. The procession concludes with the crowning of the India Bonita  the queen of the festival  and other rituals. Then the revelry begins.

Saturdays El Tope de Santo Domingo is open to the public. The proceeds are used to purchase Christmas toys for disadvantaged children in Nicaragua.

Passing on the culture

But overall, the party preserves Nicaraguan culture and teaches its traditions to younger generations who have not yet seen their ancestors homeland.

Some of these kids are born to immigrant parents, said Rafael Saddy, the event cofounder and coordinator. We don't let the culture get away from them, and at the same time, we're able to share this culture with other cultures that we have here.

Saddy left Bluefields, Nicaragua, for the U.S. in 1968. Hes lived in Kenner since 1971.

Ive been all over the world. Praise God. But Kenner has always been my home of residence, he said.

Kenner is also the appropriate setting for the festival because the city contains a large Hispanic population. And because the event is held in the quaint Rivertown, guests can easily interact with one another.

We want to have the families come with their kids and enjoy it, Saddy said. Rivertown offers that.
The 23rd annual Archbishop Rummel Fishing Rodeo and Family Fest will be held Aug. 17-18, with fishing weigh-in from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the festival from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the school, 1901 Severn Ave., Metairie.

Those interested in the fishing tournament, which is open to children and adults, may fish in any navigable waters throughout the area beginning Aug. 17. Adults can choose from two entry fees: $35 per person, which includes a T-shirt, or $55 per person, which includes a fishing shirt. Entry fee for children is $15 and includes a T-shirt.

The Family Fest will include inflatables, face painting and food.

For more information and to register, go to www.rummelraiders.com/fishing-rodeo.

Call for square dancers

The Pelican Squares will hold an open house and offer free square dance lessons from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, with a new square dance class beginning Aug. 30 inside the gym at Faith Lutheran Church, 300 Colonial Club Drive, Harahan.

Those attending the open houses will receive some basic instructions in square dancing, said Dennise Kearney, president of the Pelican Squares, a square-, round- and line-dance club founded in 1965.

The classes are open to adults and children. Any child age 10 and older may participate if accompanied by an adult. Dues are $13 a month for adults and $7 a month for children age 16 and under.

There will be free hot dogs and chili for the first class Aug. 30.

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More information is available on the groups Facebook page, by emailing Kearney at dennisebkeamey@gmail.com or calling her at (504) 450-9760. You can also email to Donna Spragins at rspraqins3@cox.net. The groups website is www.pelicansquares.com.

Matas wins playground grant

The Parent Teacher Organization at Rudolph Matas Elementary School was one of the winners of the $20,000 Upgrade Your Play video competition by Lets Play, an initiative by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, along with the national nonprofit KaBOOM!

As part of the contest, community organizations submitted creative videos demonstrating why play is important for kids and why a new community playground is needed. The organization also will help lead the community through a self-guided planning process using the KaBOOM! community build model.

All $20,000 of the playground grant will go toward equipment. The Matas PTO has set a goal of raising an additional $70,000 to build a playground that is accessible for all children, including the schools special needs population who would benefit from features such as ramps, cool topper, rubber surfacing and wood chips.

Matas, located at 1201 Elise Ave., Metairie, has an enrollment of 610 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, and about 9 percent of the student body has special needs.

Matas PTO is planning various fundraisers including commemorative brick sales and a fall festival.

If you are interested in helping, go to the website www.mataspto.org or email rudolphmataspto@gmail.com.
ENHANCING BRAIN FUNCTION: Dr. Denise Florane of Mandeville will discuss strategies for enhancing brain function at any age from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Mandeville COAST Center, 3090 E. Causeway Approach.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT: The Council on Aging for St. Tammany Parish's caregiver support program lets those caring for people with Alzheimer's, dementia or other age-related illnesses share their struggles and successes, guided by gerontologist Matt Estrade. Sessions are scheduled at:

Slidell Senior Center, 610 Cousin St., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month; the next sessions will be Aug. 21.

Covington Senior Center, 500 Theard St., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month; the next sessions will be Aug. 14 and Aug. 28.

For information, call (504) 339-1757.

DOCTORS HONORED: St. Tammany Quality Network presented Medical Director Awards to Drs. Roy Saguiguit and Robert Capitelli. Saguiguit was recognized for efforts in managing patients with CHF, COPD, hypertension and diabetes. Capitelli was honored upon his retirement for launching the network and leadership on the board of managers.

COMMON HAND CONDITIONS SEMINAR: Learn about five common hand conditions, such as carpel tunnel syndrome and Dupuytrens Disease, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Causeway Branch Library, 3457 U.S. 190, Mandeville. Dr. Blane Sessions of Louisiana Hand to Shoulder Center will present and answer questions. Registration is encouraged; adults only. Register online at bit.ly/HandHealth81418 or call (985) 626-9779. Also visit www.sttammanylibrary.org for information about additional adult programs.

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YOGA CLASSES FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS: Certified yoga instructor Patricia Hart, RYT, conducts free classes for patients, survivors and caregivers Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at Slidell Memorial Hospitals Wellness Pavilion, 501 Robert Blvd. The class is open to people with other conditions for a $5 fee. Participants should wear loosefitting, comfortable clothing. Mats, blankets and bolsters are available. Call (985) 707-4961.

MEDICARE COUNSELING: The state Department of Insurance's Senior Health Insurance Information Program will offer counseling services for Medicare beneficiaries from 9 a.m. to noon on the third Wednesday of each month at the Slidell Senior Center, 610 Cousin St. The next session will be Aug. 15. The counselor is Medicare-certified and can explain original Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D. The counselor will be able to complete Medicare Part D comparisons and enrollment, assist with claims issues and explain Medicare enrollment periods. For more information, call (800) 259-5300 or visit ldi.la.gov/SHIIP.

GIRL TALK: Girls ages 9-13 will learn about the physical, social and emotional changes of puberty during the Girl Talk session from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the first-floor conference room of the Slidell Memorial Hospital Founders Building, 1150 Robert Blvd. Presenters will include pediatrician Alice LeBreton and dermatologist Deborah Hilton. Teens must be accompanied by an adult. The fee is $15 per family. To register, call (985) 280-2657 or visit slidellmemorial.org.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTIONS: The St. Tammany Parenting Center has appointments for free inspections of child safety seats. Call (985) 898-4435. Inspections are held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Tuesday at the Louisiana State Police Troop L headquarters, 2600 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are appreciated. For information on the State Police program, call (985) 893-6250 or email greg.marchand@la.gov.

BABY AND ME TOBACCO-FREE: Slidell Memorial Hospital is holding smoking-cessation programs for expectant mothers on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment. For information or to request an application, call Ashlee Menke at (504) 733-5539.

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS: Gamblers Anonymous meets several times a week throughout the New Orleans area. Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strength and hope with one another that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem. For information, call (855) 222-5542 or visit gamblersanonymous.org.
A federal judge has dealt a major setback to a lawsuit filed by residents of St. John the Baptist Parish against the chemical company Denka Performance Elastomer, ordering that they must submit new evidence by Thursday that Denkas emission of the chemical chloroprene creates a nuisance or else have their case dismissed.

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman late last month also dismissed all claims against DuPont, the chemical company that built the LaPlace plant at the center of the controversy and operated it from 1969 until it sold the plant to Denka in 2015.

Feldmans July 26 decision puts the St. John residents who had hoped to use the suit to slash the plants chemical emissions on the defensive.

An attorney for the residents said they intend to follow through on Feldmans invitation to file an amended pleading, and also will appeal his decision.

The 13 plaintiffs in the case, which was filed in July 2017, include St. John Parish Councilman Larry Sorapuru and Robert Taylor II, the leader of an activist group called Concerned Citizens of St. John.

Denkas LaPlace plant is the only facility in the United States manufacturing neoprene, a synthetic rubber used in wet suits and medical devices. The plant emits chloroprene, which the Environmental Protection Agency says is a likely human carcinogen, into the air.

The lawsuit asked Feldman to order the plant to reduce or stop production until emissions dip below 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air, the level above which the EPA says people are at increased risk of getting cancer over a lifetime of exposure.

The area around the plant has the highest potential risk of cancer from airborne pollutants of any place in the country, according to an EPA assessment.

Feldman noted those worrying statistics as well as the areas nickname as Cancer Alley in his 36-page ruling. But the judge, a Ronald Reagan appointee, also had sharp words for the residents legal argument. Feldman said the allegations that Denkas plant creates a nuisance in LaPlace were wholly defective.

While the residents claim that the plant has forced them to stay indoors and caused them physical discomfort, he said their lawsuit lacks any factual content.

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What precisely is the source of the physical discomfort and annoyance? A noxious smell? Throat irritation? How does this nuisance physically manifest, if at all? Feldman asked. The plaintiffs do not suggest what about the emissions makes them remain indoors or how they are aware of the emissions. They merely recite and intone generic and formulaic conclusions.

The judge said that if the plaintiffs want to keep their lawsuit alive, they must make specific allegations about how the plant has harmed each of them.

He also pointed lawyers on both sides in the case to a federal statute authorizing financial penalties for attorneys who drag on cases too long, which he said, if they are not already familiar with  they should be.

Meanwhile, the judge zapped the claims against DuPont and said he would not consider new pleadings against the chemical conglomerate. Feldman said that while DuPont still owns the land on which the plant sits, the company has no power to limit its tenants emissions.

Attorney Hugh Lambert said his clients would file a new pleading in the case as well as appeal the judge's decision.

"Although we respectfully disagree with Judge Feldmans ruling and will appeal it at the appropriate time, the ... plaintiffs remain steadfast in their desire to stop the plant from emitting excess levels of chloroprene into the community and will comply with Judge Feldmans order to provide the requested individual information in an amended complaint," he said.

Feldmans ruling likely came as a relief to Denka, which has said that St. John residents have failed to show that they suffered irreparable injury, and has warned that it might shutter the plant if the lawsuit succeeds.

Denka spokesman Jim Harris declined to comment this week, citing the ongoing lawsuit.

Feldmans ruling was the second time in recent months he has ruled against the plaintiffs. In March he said they had missed a deadline to qualify for class-action status, limiting the lawsuits potential scope.

Staff writer Nick Reimann contributed to this report.
A man and woman were fatally shot before their burned corpses turned up in the middle of a brush fire in Algiers last month, the Orleans Parish Coroners Office said Tuesday.

The coroner identified the victims as Gavonte Lampkin and Shantrell Parker, both 20.

According to authorities, firefighters and police were responding to a fire in a wooded area near the corner of Maumus Avenue and Bennett Street about 11:35 p.m. the night of July 29 when they spotted Lampkin and Parker. The pair were burned beyond recognition, and the Louisiana State Police crime lab helped authorities identify the victims.

The grisly discovery occurred a little more than a day after a shooting on South Claiborne Avenue left three people dead and seven others wounded in what investigators believe may have been an attempt at payback for a December 2016 homicide in that neighborhood. Police have said they have no evidence tying the slayings of Lampkin and Parker to the July 28 shooting on Claiborne.

Police have not named any suspects in the killings of Lampkin and Parker. Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward and do not have to identify themselves.

Meanwhile, the coroners office on Tuesday also identified the 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in the 900 block of Alabo Street in the Lower 9th Ward on Thursday as Dawan Gibson.

In other matters recently handled by local authorities:

 A 39-year-old man was cut on his neck and left cheek after stepping in between two other men who were arguing in the 1300 block of Poland Avenue in Bywater about 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, New Orleans police said. After the victim stepped in, one of the men who were arguing chased the victim away and assaulted him, leading to the cutting, police said. Paramedics took the victim to a local hospital for treatment.

 About 1:40 a.m. Tuesday in the 6000 block of Airway Street in New Orleans East, an unidentified child reported being raped by a known man, police said.

 New Orleans police on Tuesday said they have obtained a warrant to arrest Isaac Michael Sylvester, 34, on allegations that he made numerous fraudulent charges on a credit card belonging to the person with whom he lived in the 600 block of Arabella Street in Uptown between April and July.

Sylvester is suspected of using a variety of aliases and Social Security numbers in a number of identity theft and fraud case, police added. He is wanted in New York and Florida on similar allegations.

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Detectives had previously tried to arrest him, but he fled before he was captured and remains at large.

 Gerald Lawless, 38, was jailed on allegations that he struck someone and threatened to shoot that person during an argument Saturday at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Willow Street in Central City, New Orleans police said Tuesday.

Police said they also found Lawless with a small, stolen handgun in his waistband despite being prohibited from possessing firearms following a prior battery conviction. He also allegedly had a small amount of crack and heroin on him and was booked on that as well, police said.

 The St. Bernard Parish Sheriffs Office arrested three Arabi men after an undercover investigation led to the seizure last week of a large amount of marijuana, cocaine, three guns and more than $50,000 in cash.

Eric Grishman, 25; Jordan Bourgeois, 25; and Devin Liggett, 24, were a;; booked in the case, the Sheriffs Office said.

It was Grismans house that was raided, the Sheriffs Office said. Deputies said they seized 12 pounds of marijuana  including marijuana wax and food infused with cannabis  as well as 4.5 grams of cocaine, vacuum-sealed bags, scales and pipes.

Deputies also took two pistols, a shotgun, and $54,004 in cash, the Sheriffs Office said.

 New Orleans police on Tuesday released surveillance camera images of two people wanted in connection with gunshots that were fired at a woman sitting on the porch of a home in the 3300 block of Short Street in Gert Town on July 25. Police said the getaway vehicle was a dark-colored sedan with a temporary license plate.

 Authorities are searching for a man accused of intentionally starting a car fire in late 2017 in the 1000 block of Minor Street in Metairie, the Louisiana State Fire Marshals Office said Tuesday.

Keithen J. Banks, 24, is wanted on one count of simple arson. He is also wanted on various warrants obtained by the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, Harahan Police Department and Kenner Police Department. The offenses of which he is suspected on the other warrants include burglary and theft, the Fire Marshals Office said.

Anyone with information can call the Fire Marshals arson hotline at 1-800-256-5452.
The death at 75 of Bryan Wagner, one of the integral players in the GOP of Louisiana since phone-booth days, came just as he could look back 30 years on one of his triumphs, the 1988 Republican National Convention.

For that week, Louisiana was at the heart of national politics, in an event which many were skeptical the city could pull off. The collapse of oil prices had savaged the state's economy and the World's Fair was plagued by scandals.

Launched by outgoing Gov. David C. Treen in 1984, the fair was in some ways an aesthetic success and financial failure, but the decision of the RNC to come in 1988 helped to demonstrate that big events were New Orleans' forte.

Those were the days, even though the nomination of Vice President George H.W. Bush was not in doubt, that television networks devoted wall-to-wall coverage of the convention and its host city.

Many of today's Republican officials were young go-fers but for longtime Republicans like Wagner it was a week of hard work but also satisfaction that their labors in the political vineyards were to be crowned by victory.

Although a Democrat, Gov. Buddy Roemer, had claimed the governorship in 1987, he was ultimately to become a Republican before his race for re-election. Yet then few would have predicted the vast change in politics that led Louisiana to become reliably Republican in national politics, although Bush carried the state in 1988.

Today, perhaps, the convention is remembered for Bush's somewhat questionable decision to put young Sen. Dan Quayle on the ticket. Or for "read my lips, no new taxes," a decision that President Bush altered in 1990  ultimately, for the good of the economy, but politically damaging for him.

Bush is now elderly, bereft of his wife of many decades. But his presidency included American victory in the first Persian Gulf War and a skillful and peaceful unwinding of Soviet hegemony in Europe.

For New Orleans in particular, no comeback as a tourism city will match that after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the region in 2005. But officials can also look at the RNC in 1988 as an accomplishment that helped to invigorate a vital industry of tourism and conventions.

The city got what Mayor Sidney Barthelemy called "$1 billion worth of free publicity" on dozens of morning and prime-time TV broadcasts and in hundreds of publications.

In the long term, also, the vision of Treen and others for the World's Fair was also vindicated, as the development over the last three decades of the warehouse and convention center areas demonstrate.
A landmark Sydney building that once claimed to be home to the nation's biggest office suite is going to get a substantial facelift.

The redevelopment of IAG House at 388 George Street will see a new retail and office precinct built on the corner of King Street.

The building's owners Investa Office Fund and Brookfield have lodged development plans to overhaul the former NRMA headquarters, which was once said to have had the largest office suite in the country, occupied at times, by its then president, Nicholas Whitlam.

Impression of the new-look retail and office podium at 388 George Street, Sydney. Credit:FJMT Architects

The 28-storey tower was previously known as the American Express building, then NRMA and now IAG House, was completed in 1976 and refurbished in 1998 and 2009. The property comprises basement and ground floor retail, being a Coles supermarket, the office accommodation and on-site parking for 80 vehicles.
The energy industry is concerned that if states veto the National Energy Guarantee on Friday, then upcoming state and federal elections will significantly delay or postpone any energy reform.

Earlier this week, state governments announced their intention to veto the National Energy Guarantee unless certain conditions are met, such as a higher emissions target and a potential carbon price, a move the energy sector believes could push back policy by a year or more.

A failure to pass the NEG on Friday will push its review into state and federal election periods, postponing potential reform. Credit:Nick Moir

Optimists within the sector believed a failure of consensus on Friday could delay energy policy by at least a full quarter, but others thought it could easily be another year before new energy policy is implemented - if at all.

They said the NEG is at risk of following previous emissions policies such as the Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme on the path to oblivion, creating continued uncertainty for the energy sector.
The Consul-General of Iraq in Australia has been ordered to pay $20,000 in compensation for the unfair dismissal of a domestic worker after failing to claim diplomatic immunity.

The Fair Work Commission has ordered the Consul-General of Iraq to pay the compensation to a Filipina domestic worker in what the Legal Aid NSW has described as a landmark decision.

The Court has ordered Anwar Alesi to pay $20,000 for the unfair dismissal of Juliet Buenaobra.

The Fair Work Commission has ordered the Consul-General of Iraq to pay $20,000 in compensation to a domestic worker from the Philipines who was unfairly sacked.

Commissioner Donna McKenna found Ms Alesi significantly underpaid Ms Buenaobra, failed to give her aroom of her own, did not provide workers compensation or medical insurance as stipulated and

routinely made her work a six-day week despite a contract that said her ordinary working hours

would be 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.
When Jack Berne when to school last week, he knew very little about the drought across NSW.

A week later, the 10-year-old has become the poster boy for a campaign to raise funds for farmers that is being supported by at least 66 schools and dozens of businesses.

Students at St John the Baptist Primary School are trying to raise $200,000 for NSW farmers. Credit:Janie Barrett

"At school we've been watching a video about the drought and I thought we needed to do more, so I came home and spoke to Mum," said Jack, who is in year 4 at St John the Baptist Primary School in Freshwater.

"I knew what a drought was before that, but it was devastating to see kids my age skipping school but not really getting anywhere.
The shimmering heat haze and red dirt roads of Alice Springs seem like a world away from the morning fog and paved parallel streets of Canberra.

And in a lot of ways they are.

But on a recent trip to the Red Centre with shadow treasurer Chris Bowen, I saw how the resources of the public service, based primarily in Canberra but spread out across the country, impact the lives of those miles away who rely on government services.

Jim Chalmers was struck by number of people lining up to use the phone at a politician's office in Alice Springs to contact Centrelink. Credit:Peter Braig

People who had trekked in from all around the area queued up inside Warren Snowdons electorate office in the middle of town to use a phone to get in touch with Centrelink.
Andrew James Grant was just months away from becoming a dad when he hid behind trees alongside Sydney's popular Bay Run and flashed female joggers while asking them for sex.

Grant's business was failing, his finances were dire and he resented the joggers' "privileged lifestyles", Central Local Court heard.

Andrew Grant was arrested after a police hunt for a man with "prominent front teeth". Credit:NSW Police

"He essentially went into self-destruction mode," Grant's lawyer, Joseph Nashed, said on Wednesday when his 29-year-old client was jailed for at least eight months.

After multiple incidents, NSW Police started hunting for a man they said had "prominent front teeth". He approached one woman back in February 2016 and six others in January and February 2018.
Remember, way back in 2011, when raging flood water tried to tear the heart and spirit out of Brisbane, but left big chunks of Queensland dry?

Or remember Japan being hit by that almighty earthquake and the tsunami that followed.

Dairy farmer Brendan Hayden on his drought-stricken property, in Pilton, Queensland (near Toowoomba) in June. Credit:Peter Rickards

Amy Winehouse being found dead, and we cried with the Morcombes as police confirmed theyd found the bones of their missing teenager Daniel.

Cadel Evans won the Tour de France. Kim Clijsters won the Australian Open and England stole the Ashes.
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation has had some good fortune that few environmental NGOs could count on. The $444 million it was granted by the government earlier this year dwarfs its previous budgets by a large multiple. Having worked in two small environmental charities of a similar operating budget and staffing to the pre-windfall foundation, I can confirm getting so much money without even applying for it is far beyond anyones wildest dreams.

The government understands the Great Barrier Reef will not survive in its current form. Credit:Dean Miller, GBR Legacy

Still, the biggest questions about the GBRF windfall dont relate to its good luck in an opaque government decision, or even its connections to the fossil fuel industry. These are entirely valid concerns, but they risk eclipsing the bigger significance of the governments move.

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What we also need to ask is: what does the foundation do? What are its outputs, its activities? And why would the federal government be so keen to direct such a huge chunk of funding to those activities?
There are insiders and outsiders in Australian politics, which is a radical thing to say only if you believe that politics is an even playing field. It isnt. The insiders and outsiders go about their politics in different ways, sometimes borrowing tactics from one another. But insiders generally have the upper hand.

One of the better indicators of the division between insiders and outsiders is the how and why of lobbying. Those who lobby powerfully are generally the insiders with the resources to employ professionals to do the work for them and the economic and social contacts to reach those holding the reins of power. Insiders generally lobby behind closed doors, out of the public gaze.

The farming community is currently receiving a blitz of favourable publicity despite their dire circumstances. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

Outsiders generally lobby in public. The lobbying you see is a sign not of strength but of relative weakness. Many public lobbyists are driven into the public realm because they have no practical alternative. They would prefer to be cozying up to the government, conducting negotiations from a position of strength behind closed doors.

When considering different types of lobbying several general cautions are needed though.
Rosalinda Martino was taken to hospital after being hit by an inmate at Parkvilles youth justice centre last month.

But the agency nurse doesnt blame the young offender for her assault  she blames the juvenile detention system.

We expect that its a safe place for these children to be, but its not, she said.

Rosalinda Martino was assaulted while working at Parkville juvenile justice centre. Credit:Eddie Jim

The violence, the lack of warmth in the place, the sometimes poor relationships with staff  its no wonder so many of them end up worse.
A Kuwaiti sheikh is taking Victoria's planning minister to the Supreme Court after the minister was persuaded to intervene in a Port Melbourne property dispute by the states ports corporation and the operators of the Spirit of Tasmania.

Last month, Planning Minister Richard Wynne intervened at the last minute to stop a state tribunal hearing on a plan by Kuwaiti sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah to build an apartment complex on a huge site opposite Station Pier, where the Spirit of Tasmania and international cruise ships dock.

An artist's impression of the 175-apartment development Sheik Mubarak's Action Group Australia wants to build. Credit:Action Group Australia

Sheikh Mubarak bought the site more than a decade ago and it has lain derelict ever since.

Mr Wynne is believed to have taken advice from the operators of the Spirit of Tasmania and the states ports corporation before making a last-minute move to take over decision making on the sheikh's controversial apartment tower plans.
Still, there have been hints that Kaczynski's condition is far graver than officials have let on, including recent comments made on a private Polish radio station by the deputy minister of health, Lukasz Szumowski. "His state of health was such that not admitting him to a hospital might have resulted in a threat to his life and the likelihood of that was high," he said. Kaczynski's health has been a topic of discussion not just in Poland but also in Brussels, where officials confirm that his condition is serious and that there is considerable interest in what it will mean for Poland and its fraught relationship with the European Union. "We don't know the truth about his health," said Olgierd Annusewicz, deputy head of the Centre for Political Analysis at the University of Warsaw. "It's hidden. It's more hidden than the health of the first secretaries from the days of the Soviet Union." Jaroslaw Kaczynski, centre, speaks during the demonstration organised by Polish party Law and Justice on the 35th anniversary of the introduction of martial law at Three Crosses Square, in Warsaw, Poland, in 2016. Credit:AP

Whatever the case, Kaczynski's absence has been unmistakable. And it has raised questions about what happens when he leaves the scene and what will become of his grand vision for the country. "Kaczynski is hugely important to Law and Justice," Annusewicz said. "He is at the core of its DNA." Kaczynski has worked to manipulate various factions for his own interests and further secured his position by dispatching those who might pose a challenge to the sidelines, ensuring that no one else accrues too much influence. There is no obvious heir apparent and no one, at the moment, who shares Kaczynski's popular support or political skill. Still, signs of an internal power struggle within Law and Justice have been growing.

Annusewicz, describing the infighting, used an analogy often attributed to Winston Churchill trying to figure out what was happening in the Kremlin. "It's like bulldogs fighting under a carpet," he said. The struggle is largely hidden from public view but once the bones of the loser spill out it is clear a battle has been waged and who has won. Supporters of the ruling Law and Justice party hold a portrait of the leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski as they attend a pro-government rally in front of the presidential palace, in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. Credit:AP Kaczynski, in a July interview with the right-wing news weekly Sieci, downplayed concerns about his health, saying the reason for his lengthy hospital stay was "an acute knee infection" involving "dangerous bacteria." "I am getting better," he said. "All is getting better."

But he also said that the government needed to act with a renewed sense of urgency. "Let me say this very clearly: We need to move forward, we need to go faster, we need to launch new projects, we need to push ever harder," he said. And he acknowledged the growing divisions within his own ranks. "Those intergovernmental disputes that, if I'm being honest, are going on, need to be crushed," he said. Among those competing for power are the nation's president, prime minister, justice minister, and interior minister.

According to recent polling, none of them has broad public support. In fact, half of all respondents have no idea who could replace Kaczynski. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski, 50, is the closest to Kaczynski, a friend for more than 25 years, and is on the top of many political analysts' lists of possible successors. He is one of Kaczynski's most trusted advisers and is part of an exclusive club that is known inside the party as the "convent." The group consists of a handful of senior Law and Justice politicians who have stood by Kaczynski since the 1990s, even before the party itself was founded. Over the years, as other politicians in Law and Justice came and went  either after they challenged Kaczynski and failed or aggravated him in some other way  the convent stood strong, following his orders and forgoing any personal ambitions. Since Law and Justice came into power in 2015, they have all been rewarded with prestigious posts, including Parliament speaker and heads of various ministries.

Brudzinski is known as a fighter, outspoken and frequently crass. He has equated the threat of political correctness with terrorism. He joked that European feminists would want to buy roses for "young, horny bulls called 'refugees' who once again might feel 'provoked' to rape on New Year's Eve." For years, Brudzinski served as the president of the Law and Justice executive committee and has been responsible for managing the party's local structures, which has made him the second most powerful politician in Law and Justice. He is considered intelligent, though he is perceived to be more of a skillful manager and executor of Kaczynski's will than a charismatic leader. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has the highest profile and has become the nation's public face in its disputes with the European Union, but he is still perceived as an outsider within Law and Justice and does not have wide support within the party.

The country's president, Andrzej Duda, who was plucked from obscurity by Kaczynski to run for president, lost the confidence of the party leader after he unexpectedly vetoed an earlier attempt to reform the judiciary. Kaczynski refuses to confirm that Duda will run for president in 2020 as the Law and Justice candidate. "The differences between possible successors in terms of ideology are almost nonexistent," Annusewicz said. "They aren't fighting for their vision for Poland to win, they are only after the power and lucrative posts at state companies." In his brief public appearances, Kaczynski has appeared frail, relying more heavily on a cane for support. He undergoes two hours of physiotherapy five times a week and is still taking antibiotics to shake off the dangerous infection, according to party officials. He needs to have a surgery to replace his knee joint with an artificial one, but it will happen only after the local elections this fall, according to associates. In the past, a date for those October elections would have been set by now. But there is speculation that Kaczynski's health problems have kept him from drawing up lists of candidates.
Washington: Clues to the mystery of why Viking colonies in Greenland thrived and disappeared have been found in the DNA of medieval walrus bones housed in more than a dozen European museums.

For almost 500 years, the Norse descendants of Erik the Red built churches and manor homes and expanded their settlements on the icy fringes of European civilisation.

The famous Lewis chessmen were probably carved from the tusks of Greenland walruses. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

On Greenland, they had elaborate stone churches with bronze bells and stained glass, a monastery, and their own bishop. Their colonies at one time supported more than 2000 people.

And then they vanished.
New York: The Republican Party appears to have narrowly survived a hotly contested congressional race in Ohio on Tuesday night, although Democrats were heartened by their strong showing in a district President Donald Trump easily carried at the 2016 election.

Hanging on: Democrat Danny O'Connor speaks during an election night watch party. Credit:AP

The special election in Ohio's 12th congressional district was highly anticipated in US political circles because it was seen as a dry run for the November mid-term elections, where the Democrats need to win 23 seats to form a majority in the House of Representatives.

Triggered by the retirement of sitting Republican congressman Pat Tiberi, it was the last significant election to be held before the mid-terms and attracted significant inflows of donations for both parties.
Actors' Equity Association has announced that Once on This Island will receive the 11th annual Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2017-18 season.

Presented by the organization's National Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, the award honors shows that exemplify and promote the union's founding principles of diversity, inclusion, nontraditional casting, and equal opportunity for all who work in theater. Previous winners include Hamilton, Waitress, Come From Away, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.

The award will be presented to representatives from the show at a ceremony later today, August 8, at the equity's New York office.

Once on This Island features a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 1990, is based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, and the revival production features new orchestrations by original orchestrator Michael Starobin, joined by AnnMarie Milazzo. Michael Arden's production, which won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, runs at the Circle in the Square Theatre.
4 Dolphins Found Dead in Florida, Unclear If Red Tide the Cause

At least four dolphins were found dead off the shores of Venice, Florida, in the past day, according to the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

Officials at the laboratory said that two bottlenose dolphins were found dead on Aug. 7 on a Gulf of Mexico Beach in Venice. On Aug. 8, they were notified of two more dead dolphins, and they found one at Intracoastal Waterway near Snake Island and the other at Caspersen Beach.

Its not clear if the dolphin deaths had to do with the toxic red tide algae that have appeared off Floridas coast, which has killed a number of animals and shuttered beaches.

Mote's Stranding Investigations Program had a busy night and morning: Last night (Aug. 7) they recovered two deceased Posted by Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium on Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Two are males, one is female, and the fourth animals sex is not yet known, said Mote Marine officials.

Mote staff will conduct necropsies (animal autopsies) on all four dolphins at our campus on City Island, Sarasota, to investigate what happened to them. All four were found moderately to severely decomposed, complicating our efforts to examine and collect samples for analyses, but we are dedicated to learning all we can and sharing that knowledge for the benefit of dolphin populations, the Mote statement said.

Red tide has been at high and medium levels at Caspersen Beach, where a dolphin was found, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission (pdf), NBC2 reported.

Police found a dead manatee in Venice over the weekend, and they blamed it on the red tide, the NBC report stated.

Dolphins and manatees are mammals  like you and me. They have lungs  like you and me. Take beach warnings seriously during large #RedTide blooms. Probably a good idea to not swim in it. #Florida pic.twitter.com/7C4vI0lBHa  Alternative NOAA (@altNOAA) August 1, 2018

Meanwhile, a whale shark was recently found dead near Sanibel Island, but it is not clear if red tide had to do with the death.

The Florida Wildlife Commission said in an Aug. 3 update: In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis (red tide) was observed at background concentrations in two samples collected from Pinellas County, background concentrations in two samples collected from Manatee County, background to high concentrations in 24 samples collected from or offshore of Sarasota County, low to high concentrations in 10 samples collected from Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in 27 samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and very low to high concentrations in nine samples collected from Collier County.
A view of the Detroit River International Crossing, to be named the Gordie Howe International Bridge, in Windsor, Ontario in this file photo. Aecon pulled out of the running to work on its construction due to potentially being bought by a Chinese state-owned enterprise. (The Canadian Press/Dave Chidley)

Aecon Surges After Chinese Ownership Bid Blocked

Promising times ahead for infrastructure, construction industry

NEWS ANALYSIS

As the Canadian economy keeps humming along, infrastructure and construction needs have been rising, and Aecon stands to profit.

After the federal government nixed its takeover by a Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE) in May, there has been no time to wallow in disappointment for Canadas largest publicly traded construction firm. And the rest of the industry can also feel better about its prospects being on a more level playing field.

Aecons stock price has moved sharply higher following second-quarter earnings and is at levels approaching those just prior to the plunge when the federal government blocked the takeover. Raymond James has the stock rated as a strong buy.

Aecon has its hands fullin a good way. After a strong second quarter, CEO John Beck said he has never been more bullish on its outlook.

While Aecons business is primarily domestic and Beck wants to grow bigger internationally, Aecon now has a record backlog of $6.4 billion in construction projectsa 52 percent increase since the start of the year. The company appears to be doing just fine without Chinese ownership.

Prior to the rejection of the Chinese takeover of Aecon on national security grounds, the firm removed itself from bidding on the $4.8 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge, as the federal government would not allow it to work on the project if it was owned by a Chinese SOE.

According to The Globe and Mail, the Trudeau government felt that the Trump administration would find it unacceptable to have a Chinese SOE running the construction of a very high-profile infrastructure project. The flow of information and goods across the border is too valuable to fall into Chinese hands. The Trump administration has taken one of the strictest stances globally against Chinese foreign investment and trade.

The perceived conflict  risk related to this deal made it very easy for them [Aecon] to walk away from it, said Frederic Bastien, infrastructure and construction analyst at Raymond James, in an interview.

Aecon is out on the Gordie Howe bridge for now, but may still get subcontracted by the winning consortium, Bastien added.

And without the spectre of ownership by an arm of the Chinese communist regime, greater opportunities could open up for Aecon. More federal-level projects are expected to come its way.

Theres a lot of momentum in the space right now and, if everyone acts in a disciplined manner, everyone is going to benefit, Bastien said.

Analysts from Royal Bank say Aecon is well positioned to capture its fair share of Canadian public infrastructure/PPP [public-private partnership] projects.

The Canada Infrastructure Banks large revenue-generating projects should also benefit big firms like Aecon, which have the staffing capabilities. It employs about 12,000 and often works well with other firms like SNC-Lavalin, for example.

Aecon expects to get its fair share of work on CIB projects, said Beck in an interview with BNN. The CIB, believed to be ready to engage with contractors, did not respond to the Epoch Times inquiry on what projects may have been shortlisted.

The other dynamic Bastien described that supports Aecon comes as a consequence of synchronized global growth. Now, with the U.S. and European economies improving, international players dont need to bid on Canadian jobs as aggressively as in the past few years.

Its basic economics, Bastien said.

Strong Second Quarter

The overall outlook for revenue and profit growth in 2018 and 2019 is increasingly strong, Beck said in a press release as Aecon reported second-quarter earnings on July 26.

Revenue of $755 million for the second quarter was higher by 10 percent from the prior year. Margins and operating profits were also higher. New contracts of $2.6 billion were booked in the second quarter of 2018, compared to $687 million during the same period in 2017.

The boost for the overall industry is the increased demand, Bastien said. A rising tide lifts all boats.

The rest of the infrastructure and construction sector should also see better days, but also because they dont have to compete against the Chinese government subsidizing a competitor for Canadian infrastructure work.

A regime like China where they have a very different philosophy about the role of the state in the economy is a very valid concern, said John Gamble, president and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, in a prior interview.

Efficiency and profitability are secondary to gaining market share for Chinese SOEs, which ruins the integrity of a competitive marketplace.

Bastien has a $23 price target on Aeconmore than 30 percent upside from the Aug. 7 close of $17.21as he believes it is the contractor best positioned to profit from Canadas tremendous market opportunity. This is an upgrade from a prior price target of $20.50, which is a bit higher than the Chinese takeover price of $20.37 a share.

Follow Rahul on Twitter @RV_ETBiz
Australia and EU Seek to Bolster Partnership, Enhance Trade Ties

Australia and the European Union have agreed to a number of measures to bolster relations and expressed their wish to enter into a free trade agreement as soon as possible in a meeting on Aug. 8.

Federica Mogherini, the EU Commission vice president, visited Sydney and met with Australias Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as part of her official tour of Asia and Oceania to discuss regional and global challenges, and strengthen ties with nations in the region.

Australia and the EU are embarking upon a new phase in our relationship, Bishop said during a press conference.

The pair discussed a wide range of issues including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, the Australia Assist program in Iraq, and stressed the importance of pursuing a free-trade agreement between Australia and the EU, one that has been described as comprehensive and ambitious.

Mogherini reflected on the first round of trade negotiations in July between the EU and Australia, saying that they were very positive and very encouraging.

So we have all the interest in proceeding fast. Obviously a trade negotiation is a complex one but we are aiming at a very ambitious, a very positive for both sides trade agreement and the sooner the better, she said.

During the meeting, Australia and the EU discussed the progress of a framework agreement which they signed in August last year. The framework aims to foster cooperation and communication on issues such as terrorism, non-proliferation, the environment and energy, human rights, migration, trade, education and science, research and innovation.

That agreement is currently being ratified by the Australian Parliament. I understand it has been through the European Parliament and is progressing to ratification, Bishop said.

Australia also announced that they will deploy civilian expertise to the EU mission in Iraq, under the EUs Common Security and Defence Policy.

We will be providing a civilian element to the EUs mission in Iraq. Again we share a common vision of the outcome in Iraq. We want to see a peaceful, stable, democratic Iraq, and the EU has a specific mission there and we have agreed to be part of it, to bolster it, to support it and provide civilian assistance, Bishop said.

Australia and the EU have had strong and dynamic political ties since the 1960s. They have continuously worked together in areas such as counter-terrorism, migration and asylum seekers, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organised crime prevention, development and humanitarian aid, promotion and defence of human rights as well as supporting the international rule of law both globally and regionally.

From NTD.tv
Back to the Future: Irans Rulers Confront Return of Sanctions

As Iran hurtled toward this weeks resumption of U.S. sanctions, advice for beleaguered President Hassan Rouhani came from all quarters.

The Islamic Republics top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged him last week to deal firmly with the corrupt. The Revolutionary Guards commander said the president must show decisiveness in rescuing a slumping currency, and a sizable chunk of parliament moved to summon him to hear their harangues. Social media carried the venting of ordinary Iranians as well as mobile-phone footage of small, scattered protests.

The Aug. 7 tightening of U.S. penalties on a nation that hoped its worst struggles were in the past is piling pressure on Irans ruling establishment, especially its public facethe 69-year-old cleric Rouhani, whos a year into his second term.

Central to the leaderships troubles is the plummet in the value of the rial that threatens to turn a geopolitical confrontation into a full-blown domestic economic crisis once the vital oil industry comes under American sanctions in November.

The situation is critical for everyone, said Saeed Shahavi, 47, who sells watches in Tehran. When my lease expires in three months, I dont know if I can stay in Tehran with these astronomical prices. This is the first time in my life that I have checked price tags in the fruit market.

The blow to Rouhani isnt restricted to a reformist economic agenda supposed to deliver jobs and bigger salaries for a population where 60 percent are under 30.

Delicate Time

The showdown with the U.S. comes as a delicate time for the regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. With Khamenei approaching 80, Rouhani and his supporters are contesting the ideological future direction of Iranian politics with conservative opponents against a turbulent backdrop.

In December, anti-government protests linked to the rising cost of living spread through several cities, prompting a crackdown. While more recent demonstrations have been smaller, the growing anger is clear.

No Alternative

U.S. statements of support for protesters have been interpreted as a call for regime change. Yet Irans ruling elite, top clerics, elected officials and military commanders are rallying round because they understand that there is no real alternative to Rouhanis brand of more moderate policies, said Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

A conservative populist candidate seen as favored by top leaders was roundly rejected in last years elections. There is a realization that for now, this is the only way forward, she said.

In a message addressed to Trump on Aug. 6, Rouhani avoided confrontational rhetoric. He said his country welcomes negotiations to resolve the dispute only if the U.S. is sincere. But he added that such talks would be meaningless while his nation is being hit with sanctions.

Put Your Knife Back

Negotiations at the same time as sanctions, what meaning does that have? Rouhani said. It means someone is facing a person whos a rival and an enemy if they use a knife and they stick the knife in their arm and then they say, Lets negotiate and lets talk. The response to this is first all, they have to take the knife out and put the knife back in their pocket.

The U.S. and Iran have been moving toward a confrontation ever since President Donald Trump won election vowing to exit the Obama-era 2015 deal that capped Irans nuclear program for sanctions relief. The pace accelerated as Trump delivered on his pledge in May, encouraged by Iran foes in Israel and the Gulf. The rial went into free-fall amid few signs that European powers will be able to provide guarantees for Iran that could save the pact.

The consequences of an Iranian crisis could be widely felt. Denied any hope of Western finance, Iran would likely accelerate its efforts to woo China. It has also vowed to retaliate against any disruption to its oil sales, perhaps by blocking the Strait of Hormuza conduit for about 30 percent of the worlds seaborne-traded crude. The Gulf nations with which Iran is already fighting proxy wars would likely retaliate.

This weeks sanctions ban purchases of dollar banknotes by Iran, prevent the government from trading gold and other precious metals and block it from selling or acquiring various industrial metals. The measures also target the countrys automobile sector.

Authorities have taken steps to support the rialincluding the scrapping of recent foreign-currency restrictions, appointing a new central bank chief, and cracking down on profiteering. But they have done little to ease concerns of an economic meltdown as deep-seated problems in banking and other areas are exacerbated by some curbs on crude exports.

From Bloomberg
Cadillac Fairview owns several large malls in Canada, including the Toronto Eaton Centre, shown here in 2011. The company has put a hold on the use of facial recognition cameras in its mall directories at all locations pending investigations. (Svetlana Grechkina/CC BY-SA 2.0)

Cadillac Fairview Suspends Facial Recognition at Malls Pending Investigation

Real-estate giant was capturing customers age and gender without their knowledge

The real-estate giant that owns and operates some of the largest shopping malls in Canada is suspending its use of facial recognition cameras in its malls pending an investigation.

Cadillac Fairview is halting the use of cameras embedded inside its mall directories after it came to light that facial recognition software was being used at Chinook Centre in Calgary.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) opened an investigation on Aug. 3 into the companys use of facial recognition software amid concerns that Cadillac Fairview may be collecting and using personal information without consent. Albertas provincial privacy commissioner is also investigating.

Director of media relations Janine Ramparas confirmed in an emailed statement that the company is suspending the use of the cameras pending resolution of the investigation.

Of course, we will cooperate fully with the Privacy Commissioner throughout this process, she said.

It was discovered last month that facial recognition software was being used in mall directories at Chinook Centre, the largest shopping centre in Calgary. A browser window had been left open on one of the directories, displaying libraries for analyzing gender and age. A passing visitor snapped a picture of it and posted it to the social news site Reddit.

Cadillac Fairview is putting the practice on hold at all mall locations where it was being used, including Chinook Centre and Market Mall in Calgary, according to news reports.

The federal and provincial investigations will endeavour to ascertain if Cadillac Fairview is violating the federal Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act and/or Albertas Personal Information Protection Act, which govern how private sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of commercial business.

The company has stated that it uses the technology to monitor traffic and the age and gender of shoppers, but says it didnt capture images of individuals and therefore consent isnt required.

Canadians Unaware of Privacy Rights

Most Canadians are unaware of privacy laws and their rights and responsibilities when it comes to privacy or access to informationregardless of their level of education, social standing, or race, said Privacy and Access Council of Canada president Sharon Polsky.

Its a Catch 22, Polsky explained. You dont know your information is being collected or what its being used for, so theres no way (or reason) for you to request that the organization stop collecting your personal informationwhich is your right under most Canadian privacy laws.

Moreover, consent often not only allows for companies to collect information from a person, but also about a person from other parties. Information is often shared with affiliates, partners, suppliers, as well as sold to data brokers. There are even privacy policies that only exclude sharing prohibited by law, meaning many uses are not excluded.

Furthermore, consent and purpose are often generally worded in an all-or-nothing fashion.

You want to do business with us, these are our terms. Agree or go elsewhere. And when everywhere else has the same terms, what choice do you have really, Polsky said.

Companies often use broad and generalized statements in their terms of service, making it unclear what they are asking permission for or for what purpose they are collecting information. This means people are often consenting to their private information being collected and used in ways theyre unaware ofand wouldnt consent to if they knew.

The OPC is in the process of updating its guidance on biometrics and facial recognition, to be completed by the end of fiscal year.

Increasing Use of Facial Recognition

The OPC has identified facial recognition as having the potential to be the most highly invasive of the current biometric identifying technologies, according to senior adviser Tobi Cohen.

What makes biometric data in general so valuable, and so sensitive, is that it is a uniquely measurable characteristic of our body and a key to our identity, he said.

Faces have been transformed into electronic information that can be aggregated, analyzed, and categorized in unprecedented ways.

Facial Recognition aims to identify individuals by comparing their face against a database of known faces and looking for a match, as defined in a 2013 report by the OPC. The technology can be used to either confirm or discover someones identity.

Facial recognition is being used increasingly in the retail industry, often without customers knowledge. For example, the OPC report identifies the use of facial detection in digital signs to detect the gender, age, and even emotions of passersby to deliver targeted advertising.

While a person in front of a facial recognition scanner may be anonymous, smartphones have a unique MAC address, which can be used to identify the owner.

If a customer directly connects to a stores Wifi, which is often freely available for this purpose, the phones MAC address is now available to the store. Combined with other information, a detailed profile of the consumer can be created or verified.

Wifi tracking in retail spaces is quite common, regardless of whether one even connects to the Wifi. Phones regularly ping out, looking for a Wifi signal, and that can be used to triangulate a customers location in a store.
Chicago Walmart Temporarily Closed Over Mouse Droppings

A Chicago Walmart was temporarily closed due to mouse droppings, according to a local report.

WGN-TV reported on Aug. 7 that customers at the Austin Walmart on North Ave. in the city were turned away because the store was closed.

The health department had a notice posted on the store, which said, License suspended.

Walmart issued a statement about the closure. Our store on North Avenue is temporarily closed as we address a situation following a City of Chicago inspection. We have stringent quality standards in place and are working closely with the health department. We take this matter seriously and will reopen as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers, a statement reads.

Alderman Emma Mitts, a local official, told WGN-TV that health officials inspected the store because of mouse droppings. When the officials came back on Aug. 7, they discovered more.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

They were over around the deli and bread area mainly in that part. Whoever did the initial clean up may not have been as attentive to what the health inspectors would be looking for, Mitts said of the droppings.

A former employee at that Walmart location told Fox32 that rats are an issue.

It was especially prominent on the overnight shift because the store was quieter. And you could see on camera the rats going from the breakroom to the sink, then out onto the sales floor, the former employee, who was not named, told the station. It was very common to see rats throughout the day. At any given moment, even if we were talking to a co-worker in the back room, you could see, out of the corner of your eye, see a rat run past them.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old male was arrested for stealing a Walmart mobility scooter in Summerville, South Carolina, and video footage of the incident was released in early August, according to NBC16. Police officers were called for a low-speed chase with the suspect before detaining him and returning the scooter to Walmart.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrive for a presentation of self-driving cars at the defunct historic Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, Germany, on July 10, 2018. (Fabrizio Bensch/AFP/Getty Images)

Following in US Footsteps, Germany Targets Chinese Investments

Berlin plans to lower threshold to veto deals amid growing concern over Chinese takeovers

WASHINGTONProtectionist noise from Germany is growing louder, as Berlin plans to crack down on Chinese investments, by significantly lowering the threshold for intervening in takeovers.

Chancellor Angela Merkels government, like the Trump administration, is taking steps to expand its ability to block foreign deals deemed as threats to national security.

Germanys economy minister, Peter Altmaier, told the newspaper Die Welt that lowering the threshold was necessary in order to monitor more acquisitions in sensitive sectors of the economy.

Berlin can currently veto the sale of at least 25 percent of a German companys equity to an investor outside of the European Union. The government now wants to reduce that threshold to 15 percent.

We want to be able to take a much closer look at companies in the defense sector and in critical infrastructures, and certain other civilian technologies that are relevant to security, such as IT security, Altmaier said.

He said Berlin doesnt want to block foreign investments in the country, but rather wants to better understand the foreign buyers and their motives.

The proposal to amend Germanys Foreign Trade and Payments Regulation has been sent to several ministries. A law granting the government more power could come into force this year, according to Die Welt.

Of course we want companies to continue to invest in Germany, Altmaier said. But we also have a duty to protect the interests of security and public order.

Germanys recent move is primarily targeting Chinese investors, as officials are concerned about Chinas interest in European companies as a means to acquire key technologies and know-how.

One core component of their strategy has been to go out to international markets and attempt to acquire enterprises or technologies, often by having state-owned or state-financed Chinese enterprises attempt to purchase these entities, said Stephen Ezell, vice president at Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a U.S. think tank.

[They use] the veneer that these are market-based transactions, when in reality, in many cases, it is a state-led foreign investment that is looking to capture critical foreign enterprises, industries, or technologies.

Chinas Appetite for Germany

China has been snapping up companies across Europe, investing nearly 30 billion euros last year, according to a report by Rhodium Group and the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

The Chinese regime plays a key role in such acquisitions. The relative share of state-owned entities in total Chinese investment in Europe jumped from 35 percent in 2016 to 68 percent in 2017, the report states.

Germany, France, and the UK are the most attractive countries for Chinese investors, accounting for 75 percent of Chinas total EU investment.

However, Chinas foreign direct investment in German companies dropped significantly, from 11 billion euros in 2016 to 1.8 billion euros in 2017, partly due to regulatory delays in Germany.

In the last two years, concerns have risen about foreign investors, which has led the German government to strengthen its reviewing and vetoing powers. However, the significant drop in Chinese investments may also be related to the timing of large takeovers, said the report, adding that Germany remains a favorite investment destination for Chinese investors.

Rising Protectionist Sentiment

Protectionist sentiment has started to rise in Germany after Chinese appliance maker Midea Group Co. acquired Kuka AG, a German robot maker in 2016. The controversial deal spread worries that China could be buying up high-end technologies that are strategically important to the German economy. This led to the blocking of a similar deal that involved the acquisition of German chipmaker Aixtron by a Chinese fund.

Merkels government recently voted to block a Chinese companys potential acquisition of Leifeld Metal Spinning, a boutique German machine tool manufacturer that is crucial for the aerospace and nuclear industries.

Germanys toughening stance is part of a global backlash against Chinese investments.

The UK also unveiled a 120-page policy in July to enhance the governments ability to prevent foreign acquisitions of British assets that raise national security concerns. According to the Financial Times, the UKs recent move mainly targets Chinese and Russian investors.

China 2025

The Chinese regime unveiled its blueprint Made in China 2025 three years ago, announcing the goal of achieving dominance in 10 high-tech industries, including advanced information technology, robotics, aviation, and new energy vehicles.

To realize its economic ambitions, the regime has been resorting to various tactics including industrial espionage, cyber theft, forced joint ventures in exchange for market access, and acquisition of foreign companies to attain sensitive technologies.

According to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Chinese policymakers have diligently studied Germans Industry 4.0 initiative aimed at transforming the country into a hi-tech powerhouse.

However, Chinas intention through Made in China 2025 is not so much to join the ranks of hi-tech economies like Germany, the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as much as replace them altogether, stated the CFR report.

Made in China 2025 outlines targets for achieving 70 percent self-sufficiency in core components and basic materials in high-tech industries by 2025.

That could devastate countries like South Korea and Germany, where hi-tech sectors constitute a large share of industrial output and exports, the report noted.

US Steps Up Scrutiny

To address threats posed by Chinese investment in the United States, lawmakers recently passed a bipartisan bill. The new legislation aims to reform the oversight and authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the interagency committee responsible for assessing threats to national security posed by certain types of foreign investments.

The new bill is an important step, as it will allow the U.S. government to scrutinize a greater range of transactions. President Donald Trump urged Congress to enact the bill quickly.

The new legislation, the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), strengthens CFIUS by bringing new transactions under its review authority. It enables the committee to audit deals involving the transfer of not just controlling shares but also minority interests in companies dealing in critical infrastructure or technology.

According to Ezell, there is a coordinated action between countries to review Chinese investments more closely.

Its appropriate that countries including the United States, Germany, and others are employing a much more rigorous screening process to truly understand who the investors are behind these proposed acquisition deals, he said.
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The content is not available due to expiration.
The 'White Scanner' boat used by people smugglers based in Kent, England, pictured during a rescue by a HM Coastguard helicopter, a Border Force cutter, and the Royal National Lifeboats Institute about five miles off the English coast on May 28, 2016. (NCA)

Gang Planned to Smuggle Migrants on a Jet Ski Across English Channel

People-smugglers convicted after police foil attempt to ferry illegal migrants over channel

LONDONNineteen nautical miles wide, a couple of hundred feet deep, and carrying 400 ships a day, the English Channel is the bane of traffickers and migrant hopefuls congregating on the eastern coast of France with their sights set on the UK.

Unlike the migrants crossing the Mediterranean en masse to reach Europes shores, few attempt the perilous journey across the channel by boat. Most instead try sneaking onto the trucks that board numerous ferries.

But one trafficking gang was not only smuggling people across the waters of the busiest shipping lane in the world, but had lined up a jet ski for the crossing.

Their plan was revealed during a trial at Londons Old Bailey that found them guilty on Aug. 7 of conspiring to breach immigration laws.

Illegal migrants are believed to have paid around 5,500 ($7,120) for the journey, which is said to be as dangerous as the Mediterranean crossings to Europe, in which thousands of people have drowned in recent years.

An Albanian trafficking gang had been working with a group from Kent in the UKall with minimal sailing experienceto bring people across on small boats in the dark.

In total, six men were found guilty.

At one point, the gang carried 18 people across the channel on a small rigid-hulled inflatable boat built for six.

The National Crime Agency had been keeping tabs on the crew from May 2016, planting a listening device on one of their vessels.

Rescued From the Channel

After a series of mishaps, including near-misses with a fishing vessel and a cargo vessel, and running against the oncoming traffic in the shipping lane, the crew ran out of fuel and had to be rescued from the channel.

Police moved in to make arrests a month later, when three members of the gang were seen purchasing a jet ski.

National Crime Agency regional head of investigations Brendan Foreman said in a statement, These men were involved in a staggeringly reckless plot to bring migrants to the UK illegally and in a highly dangerous manner.

Foreman added, They were prepared to risk lives for the sake of profit, treating people as a commodity to ship across the worlds busiest shipping lane using small boats and even a jet ski.

Rose-Marie Franton from the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement, This was a professional and profitable enterprise and was carried out with scant regard for the risks involved or the lives concerned.

The vast majority of illegal migrants in the UK are those who have overstayed visas, failed to receive asylum, or have obtained visas illegally.

The attraction of the UK as a final destination for illegal migrants led to the growth of a 10,000-strong makeshift migrant camp at the French port of Calais, known as The Jungle, where some stayed for years.

The camp, which was destroyed in 2016, served as a base for daily attempts to board the droves of trucks and vehicles boarding ferries.

Truck drivers face on-the-spot fines of up to 2,000 ($2,590) for each person found inside their vehicles.

There is little information on levels of illegal migration. A report by the London School of Economics in 2007 estimated the number of irregular migrants was 533,000a little under 1 percent of the population.

On May 15, at the Central Criminal Court, George Powell entered a guilty plea for his part in the conspiracy. Other members of the groupWayne Bath, Saba Dulaj, Artur Nutaj, Albert Letchford, Leonard Powell, and Alfie Powellpleaded not guilty but were found guilty on Aug. 7.

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Bites at the Grand Tasting tent. (Sara Luckey/Courtesy of 2017 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival)

Greenwich Wine + Food Festival

The 8th annual Greenwich Wine and Food Festival will be held on Sept. 2122 in Greenwich, Connecticut, celebrating the regions rich culinary scene with both local and national chefs, restaurateurs, and personalities, including Daniel Boulud and Adam Richman; and headliners like Tim McGraw.

The weekend will kick off with a Master Chef Wine Dinner on Sept. 21, honoring celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli, with Scott Conant as special guest.

On Sept. 22, a full day of culinary and musical events will unfold. At the Grand Tasting tent, guests can sample bites and sips from over 150 local food, wine, and spirits experts; while local restaurants will compete in the 7th annual Burger Battle and the 4th annual Top Bartender Showdown.

Other offerings include culinary demonstrations; celebrity book signings and a green room with live interviews; Q&A sessions with top food experts; and a live concert to close out the festivities.

The event benefits multiple charitable organizations, including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation.

Tickets on sale at SerendipitySocial.com/Greenwich-Wine-Food. $325 for opening night dinner; $210 for Saturday general admission; $775 for an all-weekend pass, including a VIP dinner.
How the Indo-Pacific Strategy, Trade War Are Affecting China

Experts say strategy will create economic competition for China, while tariffs are reducing exports, GDP

With U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo finishing his first Southeast Asia trip after the announcement of the new $113 million initiative in the Indo-Pacific region, experts are reviewing how the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and the ongoing trade war are affecting China.

Economic analyst Qin Peng said that an Indo-Pacific strategy based on economic cooperation is what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) really fears.

When President Trump announced his Indo-Pacific strategy last November, many people in China didnt take it seriously. Some even ridiculed it as having nothing substantial in it, Qin said.

At that time, I thought to myself, Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative mainly targets the enormous investment needs for infrastructure in this region. At the same time, the CCP has also hijacked the leaders of some countries through their pursuit for interest and political achievement. Therefore, if the U.S. wants to counteract this, a huge amount of investment funds and technology exports is essential.

Qins views have changed. According to Qin, economic cooperation based on the Indo-Pacific strategy will have the following impact on China.

Funds coming from the United States and other developed countries will offer alternatives for countries in this region. Chinas debt trap loans already have caused a lot of doubt and negative impacts. So, alternative funds will be much welcomed.

The upgraded manufacturing capability in this region will put great pressure on Chinas factories. Chinas world factory dream mainly involves dumping cheap goods and exporting its excess production capabilities. It doesnt really want to create more competitors in Southeast Asia. However, if the United States and other countries can invest in and help countries like Vietnam, India, and Indonesia, stronger production capabilities in the region will put great pressure on China.

A newly formed sub-level free-trade zone will exclude China. It is predictable that the United States, Europe, and Japan will form a zero-tariff free-trade zone, based on common values. This free-trade zone is a sub-level one as compared to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which Trump has withdrawn. With China excluded, its ability to trade internationally will be further limited.

If a new investment bank alliance similar to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank can be formedwith the United States and other major European countries involvedthe CCPs attempts to influence Indo-Pacific countries will be gravely affected.

If critical countries such as India, Vietnam, and Taiwan can be deeply involved in the U.S. Indo-Pacific initiative, the CCPs ambitions to expand in the region can be contained.

Falling Exports and GDP

Zhang Lin, a U.S.-based commentator and former dissident from mainland China who publishes widely in Chinese-language media, said that Chinas state-owned enterprises (SOE) are really feeling the pain of the trade war, as they are heavily dependent on exports, as well as government subsidies. They also enjoy an industrial monopoly and privileges in terms of obtaining bank loans. However, their economic efficiency is the lowest and slow to respond to outside changes. So, the SOEs will suffer the most from the trade war.

Other companies, including listed companiesespecially real estate companieswill also suffer. For example, Wanda Group was once Chinas biggest private enterprise. However, with the receding of the tide, group founder and Chairman Wang Jianlin has turned from the richest man in China into its biggest debtor.

Enterprises from South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan once had a very good time in China by transferring advanced technology and management techniques from the West to China. However, with the CCP canceling the preferential treatment they once had, coupled with blows brought by the Trump administration, these enterprises are leaving China at a quicker pace.

According to the calculation of Wei Tao, assistant president of the Pacific Securities Company and president of the Research Institute, Americas tariffs could possibly reduce Chinas exports by $45.5 billion to $157.5 billion.

Liao Qun, chief economist and general manager of Research Department China, CITIC Bank International Limited, recently said that if the United States imposes 25 percent tariffs on $500 billion in Chinese goods, Chinas total exports to the United States will decrease by $140 billion. That equates to 28 percent of Chinas total exports to the United States, 6.2 percent of total exports to all countries, and 1.2 percent of Chinas GDP. With the reduction of exports, the GDP growth will slow to 5.5 percent, from the 6.7 percent reported in the second quarter.

Liao said the above figures were just estimates. If indirect factors are considered, the impact would be graver.

Wen Zhao, a Chinese commentator who runs a popular YouTube channel focused on China, said the average profit margin of Chinas manufacturing industry was only 3.3 percent in 2016, with half of the factories profits at a rate below 2.5 percent. For those manufacturers that export, a majority of them have profits below 2.5 percent. Therefore, a 10 percent tariff will offset all the profits these factories can make, result in the closure of factories and layoffs of large numbers of workers.
Hurricane John will be the strongest late August 7 or early August 8.

Hurricane John Forms Off Mexicos Pacific Coast

MEXICO CITYHurricane John formed off of Mexicos Pacific coast on Aug. 6, but the storm was projected to move parallel to the coast before wheeling off into the Pacific Ocean later this week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

John packed maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 km per hour) and was expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by late Aug. 7 or early Aug. 8, the Miami-based NHC said.

There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

John was located about 320 miles (510 km) southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, and 435 miles (700 km) south of the southern tip of Baja California as of 0300 GMT. It was moving toward the northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).

Swells generated by John are expected to begin affecting the coasts of southwestern Mexico and the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula during the next day or so, the NHC said.

The swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, it added.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the centre of the storm and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km).
Illegal Alien Arrested for Raping Girl He Claimed Was His Daughter

A man who entered the United States with a girl he claimed was his daughter has been arrested and charged on multiple felony offenses for rape, oral copulation, forcible sexual penetration, and endangering/causing injury to a child.

Ramon Pedro and his alleged daughter entered the United States at the Ysleta Port of Entry in Texas on April 16, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Customs and Border Protection arrested them upon entry and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) subsequently released them under an alternatives-to-detention program (most likely one requiring an ankle bracelet on Pedro). ICE only has 2,500 family beds available, which are often at capacity, hence the use of alternatives-to-detention programs.

Over three months later, on July 26, Pedro and his alleged daughter were hospitalized at the Fresno Community Regional Hospital for tuberculosis (TB) screening, according to DHS.

At this time, medical staff discovered that Pedros alleged daughter was being sexually assaulted and the local police were notified, a DHS official said in a statement. Then it was determined that Pedro and the daughter are not related at all.

In fact, the victims mother told her daughter to accompany Pedro to the United States, and he would secure her employment.

Pedro was arrested the following day and is currently detained in Fresno County Jail on a $310,000 bond.

Two-thirds of migrants traveling through Mexico report experiencing violence along the journey, including abduction, theft, extortion, torture, and rape, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which has been been providing medical and mental health care for migrants and refugees in Mexico since 2012.

Almost 1 in 3 women surveyed by MSF said they had been sexually abused during their journey60 percent through rape.

Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan said the agencys intelligence and interviews put the numbers even higher.
Passersby using umbrellas struggle against a heavy rain and wind as Typhoon Shanshan approaches Japan's mainland in Tokyo, Japan Aug. 8, 2018. (Reuters/Toru Hanai)

Japan Bracing as Strong Typhoon Heads for Tokyo

TOKYOJapan is bracing for heavy rains and high winds on Wednesday, Aug. 8 as a strong typhoon is forecast to make landfall near the capital of Tokyo, the latest storm to hit Japan in recent months.

Typhoon Shanshan, a Chinese girls name, is currently a Category 2 typhoon but is expected to weaken slightly as it moves closer to the eastern part of Japans main island of Honshu, drawing near to Tokyo in the early hours of Thursday, Aug. 9 and possibly snarling the morning rush hour.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency warned that Tokyo and surrounding areas could get as much as 350 mm (14 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to noon on Thursday, with winds gusting as high as 180 kmh (111 mph).

Shanshan is expected to move extremely slowly, perhaps as slow as 15 kmh (9 mph), meaning intense rain may fall in one area for an extended period.

After pounding the area near Tokyo the storm is expected to rake the northeastern part of Honshu before weakening to tropical storm strength and heading out into the Pacific.

Western Japan, the site of deadly floods in July, will be spared.

Japan has been hit by one weather disaster after another since the start of July, including a record-breaking heatwave that saw temperatures surge to 41.1 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) and killed at least 132 people as of Aug. 5.

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A cargo ship navigates its way into Shenzhen Port in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, on Nov. 28, 2010. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

Latest Data on Shenzhen Exports Reveals Gloomy Outlook Amid USChina Trade Woes

One of Chinas business hubs is experiencing a rare decline in exports, amid an escalating trade spat with the United States.

Shenzhen, located in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, has one of the busiest container ports in the world. The city also is home to many factories that manufacture items for export.

Chinas customs agency ranked Shenzhen as the No. 1 city in export competitiveness last year, after evaluating its foreign trade and development capacities. So it is a sign of trouble when export numbers decline there.

According to new data published by the municipal government, the value of the citys exports fell 1.7 percent in the first half of this year, compared to the same period a year ago, to about 721 billion yuan ($105 billion). In addition, the trade surplus fell dramatically: 90.9 billion yuan in the first half, compared with 257 billion yuan in the first half of 2017.

The threat of U.S. tariffs may be taking its toll on the export-heavy city. Throughout most of 2017, Shenzhens monthly export totals were on the upswing, topping almost 188 billion yuan in December.

But by March 2018, exports fell to a low of about 113 billion yuan, before a slight increase to about 120 billion in April. Numbers fell again to 118 billion in May.

Exports in Shenzhen make up a significant portion of the countrys overall exports. Shenzhens exports to the United States alone totaled $29.6 billion, according to official U.S. data. Thats more than 6 percent of the $462.6 billion total that China exports to the United States.

The exports decline is reflective of the situation in the country overall, according to Liu Kaiming, president of the Shenzhen-based think tank Institute of Contemporary Observation.

Shenzhen is Chinas biggest export base.  Just Shenzhen and Guangdong alone would make up about a third of the years total exports, Liu told Radio Free Asia in an Aug. 6 interview. He predicted the downward trend would get worse in the latter half of the year as U.S. tariffs take effect, in addition to eventually forcing foreign investments to leave China.

It should be noted that Shenzhen is home to a booming IT industryincluding the headquarters of tech giant Tencentwhich relies heavily on foreign imports, especially integrated circuits from the United States. Integrated circuits are a common component found in almost all electronic devices.

In 2013, Shenzhen imported over $72.3 billion of integrated circuits, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

While Beijing has aggressively pushed for Chinese firms to develop the countrys own domestic semiconductor industry and cut its reliance on foreign imports, innovation at home lags.

A major part of U.S.China trade tensions this year was the White Houses decision to punish Chinese telecom firm ZTEafter the company broke an agreement to discipline executives who conspired to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran and North Koreaby barring U.S. suppliers from selling tech parts to the company. The move essentially led ZTE to grind to a halt.

In June, the United States reached a deal with China to lift the ban, in exchange for ZTE paying a $1.4 billion fine and making changes to its senior management.
Tetsuo Yukioka (L), Managing Director of Tokyo Medical University and Keisuke Miyazawa, Vice-President of Tokyo Medical University, bow as they attend a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 7, 2018. (Reuters/Toru Hanai)

Makes Me Shake With Rage: Japan Probe Shows University Cut Womens Test Scores

TOKYOA Japanese medical school deliberately cut womens entrance test scores for at least a decade, an investigation panel said on Aug. 7, calling it a very serious instance of discrimination, but school officials denied having known of the manipulations.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made a priority of creating a society where women can shine, but women in Japan still face an uphill battle in employment and face hurdles returning to work after childbirth, a factor behind a falling birthrate.

The alterations were uncovered in an internal investigation of a graft accusation this spring regarding the entrance exam for Tokyo Medical University, sparking protests and anger.

Lawyers investigating bribery accusations in the admission of the son of a senior education ministry official said they concluded that his score, and those of several other men, were boosted unfairlyby as much as 49 points, in one case.

They also concluded that scores were manipulated to give men more points than women and thus hold down the number of women admitted, since school officials felt they were more likely to quit the profession after having children, or for other reasons.

This incident is really regrettableby deceptive recruitment procedures, they sought to delude the test takers, their families, school officials and society as a whole, lawyer Kenji Nakai told a news conference.

Factors suggesting very serious discrimination against women was also part of it, added Nakai, one of the external lawyers the university hired to investigate the incident.

The investigation showed that the scores of men, including those reappearing after failing once or twice, were raised, while those of all women, and men who had failed the test at least three times, were not.

The lawyers said they did not know how many women had been affected, but it appeared that womens test scores had been affected going back at least a decade.

At a news conference, senior school officials bowed and apologized, pledging to sincerely consider their response, such as possible compensation. However, they said they had been unaware of the manipulation.

Society is changing rapidly and we need to respond to that and any organization that fails to utilize women will grow weak, said Tetsuo Yukioka, the schools executive regent and chair of its diversity promotion panel.

I guess that thinking had not been absorbed.

No immediate comment was available from the government or the education ministry official who figures in the case.

Entrance exam discrimination against women was absolutely unacceptable, Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters last week.

Reports of the incident set off a furore in which women recounted their own experiences of discrimination on social media with the hashtag, Its okay to be angry about sexism.

Some referred to the potential costs exacted in a rapidly aging society.

Im 29 and will probably never get married, said one poster.

Women are pitied if they dont, but Japanese women who are married and working and have kids end up sleeping less than anybody in the world. To now hear that even our skills are suppressed makes me shake with rage.

Another said, I ignored my parents, who said women dont belong in academia, and got into the best university in Japan. But in job interviews Im told If you were a man, wed hire you right away.

My enemy wasnt my parents, but all society itself.

Reporting by Elaine Lies, additional reporting by Tim Kelly
Man Arrested at New Mexico Compound Was Training Kids for School Shootings: Prosecutors

A man who was arrested at a New Mexico compound last week was allegedly training children to carry out school shootings, according to court documents filed Aug. 8.

The documents say Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was conducting weapons training with assault rifles at the compound near the Colorado border where 11 hungry children were found in filthy conditions.

The remains of a child were found on the property on Aug. 6, but officials have not been able to confirm the boys identity. Authorities raided the compound on Aug. 3 after searching for missing 3-year-old Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, who went missing in Georgia months ago.

Five people, including three mothers of the children, were arrested in the case.

The mother of the missing boy said that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj wanted to perform an exorcism of the boy because he thought he was possessed, CBS News reported, citing court documents. The mother told officials that the boy suffers from seizures, cannot walk, and needs constant attention.

Authorities said during the raid on Aug. 3, that they had found the father armed with multiple firearms, including an assault rifle. They also said they believed there was a shooting range on the site.

During the raid, children between the ages of 1 and 15 were found in the compound. They looked like third-world-country refugees and had only dirty rags for clothing, the sheriff said.

Hogrefe, in an Aug. 4 statement, said that officials found the occupants were most likely heavily armed and considered extremist of the Muslim belief.

People who were found in the compound, described as a buried trailer, had no shoes, personal hygiene, and basically dirty rags for clothing, Hogrefe said. We all gave the kids our water and what snacks we hadit was the saddest living conditions and poverty I have seen, he added.

A couple said they told officials months ago that they believed the missing boy and his father were living on the compound.

They were dragging their feet. They were taking too long, said Tanya Badger, CNN reported. Even if they were trying to build a case or whatnot, a childs life is at stake.

We are just beyond frustrated that they took so long, Badger added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Man, Woman Die in Murder-Suicide at Hospital Near New York City

Two people have died in a murder-suicide at a hospital in the New York City area on Aug. 8, according to officials.

The man and woman, who were in their 70s, died after one person opened fire, police said at a press conference, according to the Journal News. The shooting occurred at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, located in Westchester County.

The incident occurred at 9:39 a.m. on the fourth floor of Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, Westchester County Public Safety Commissioner Tom Gleason told the paper.

A man walked into the hospital and shot his wife before killing himself, hospital staff reportedly stated to patients, the Journal News reported. A .38-caliber revolver registered to the man was discovered at the scene.

Unfortunately, both were later pronounced dead, Gleason said, CBS New York reported. At this time, it appears to be a murder-suicide situation.

Gleason told the CBS affiliate that it appears to be a family type situation.

The hospital was evacuated as a result, according to the report.

I just saw a bunch of police officers running through the first floor, I guess going up to the fourth floor, patient Jatziri Escobar told CBS NY. The warning that there was active shooter in the building, added hospital worker Jacqueline Green. Thats what we heard.

Sometimes family members get a little outraged, Clarence McMillan, a hospital worker, told the newspaper. They dont understand the care and stuff we have to go through to help their loved ones survive. Maybe this is one of those situations.

Photos posted by the Journal News showed police blocking the hospital entrance as workers were gathering outside.

Westchester Medical Center shooting: 2 gunshot victims found in a room in apparent murder-suicide. Both pronounced dead later. Family relationship, authorities said. https://t.co/ehN9ogWecw  lohud.com (@lohud) August 8, 2018

If youre in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Young people can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868.
A satellite image shows the River fire at the Mendocino Complex wildfire in California, U.S., Aug. 6, 2018. (Satellite image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company/Handout via Reuters)

Milder Temperatures Help Firefighters Gain on Massive California Wildfire

LOS ANGELESFirefighting crews in California took advantage of mild temperatures early on Wednesday, Aug. 8 to make progress in their battle to contain Californias largest ever wildfire which has swelled to almost the size of Los Angeles.

Some 4,000 firefighters fought to prevent the Mendocino Complex from reaching communities like Nice, Lucerne, and Clearlake Oaks at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The Mendocino Complex is one of 17 major fires burning in California which, fanned by hot, windy conditions, have killed seven people, destroyed over 1,500 structures and displaced tens of thousands of people in the past month.

Tonight fire crews will continue to take advantage of the lower temperatures to increase containment lines, the agency said in an advisory as the temperatures in the area remained near 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15C).

Milder temperatures than expected on Tuesday, Aug. 7 allowed crews to carve containment lines around 34 percent of the wildfire, which became the largest in California history on Monday when two large conflagrations merged into one, according to Cal Fire.

The blaze, which was about 293,000 acres (118,573 hectares) as of late Tuesday, has surpassed the Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in southern California last December, destroying more than 1,000 structures.

Two firefighters have been injured battling the Mendocino Complex. The blaze has burned 75 homes and forced the evacuation of more than 23,000 people.

In the last couple of days, President Donald Trump said California was letting water run into the ocean instead of using it to fight blazes and blamed Californias environmental policies for worsening the fires.

Higher temperatures this year have fueled wildfires in California and as far afield as Portugal, Sweden, and Siberia.

The fires are on track to be the most destructive in a decade, prompting Governor Jerry Brown and Republican leaders such as state Senator Ted Gaines to call for thinning and controlled burns of forests to reduce fire dangermoves opposed by environmentalists who say they kill wildlife.
Members of security forces stand at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria August 7, 2018. (Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde)

Nigerian Security Agents Held Blockade at Parliament, Chief Later Fired

ABUJANigerias security forces stopped lawmakers entering parliament on Aug. 7 in a blockade seen by the opposition as a bid to intimidate its leaders, but the presidency condemned the move and the acting president fired the head of the security agency.

It is the first such incident since Nigeria became a democracy in 1999 and coincides with increased tension between the National Assembly and the executive ahead of an election in February 2019 when President Muhammadu Buhari will seek a second term.

For some, it revived memories of the decades when the military and security forces held sway over politics in a country that has one of Africas largest economies.

Armed men wearing the black uniform of the Department of State Security (DSS) stood at the gates of the building in the capital Abuja and were later joined by police officers blocking entry for up to an hour, witnesses said.

Images of the incident were shared widely on social media. The motive for the blockade was not immediately clear.

But a spokesman for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said in a statement that the DSS director general, Lawal Musa Daura, had been fired. Osinbajo is acting president for Buhari, who last week left for a 10-day holiday in Britain.

The unlawful act, which was done without the knowledge of the presidency, is condemnable and completely unacceptable, said a separate statement issued later by Osinbajos office.

It described the move as an unauthorized takeover of the National Assembly complex which was a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order.

The statement gave no reason for Dauras dismissal. The presidency later said Matthew B. Seiyefa, the most senior director in the DSS, will act as director general until further notice.

Defection

The blockade followed the defection of around 50 lawmakers from Buharis ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party to the main opposition in the last few weeks. These included the countrys third most senior elected official, Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The defections cost the APC its Senate majority and present a challenge to Buharis re-election bid because most of those who left joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party which ruled Nigeria from 1999 until Buhari took office in May 2015.

Sarakis supporters said the blockade was part of a plan to impeach and replace him. Parliament went on recess last week until Sept. 25 but meetings were to be held on Aug. 7.

We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the National Assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible, said Saraki in a tweet.

We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the National Assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible.  Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) August 7, 2018

After the blockade, Sarakis supporters greeted him with chanting in the parliament building.

The presidencys sack of Daura was a damage-control stunt and a knee-jerk gimmick which came as a response to the national and international outcry against the armed invasion of our legislature, said a PDP statement.

The ruling party said attempts to blame its leaders for the blockade were false allegations and mischievous.

The use of armed security agents to force political outcomes does not bode well for the February 2019 general election, said Malte Liewerscheidt, vice president at Teneo Intelligence, in a note.

By Camillus Eboh and Felix Onuah
Oklahoma Woman Delivers Baby on Side of Highway

An Oklahoma woman gave birth on the side of a highway on Aug. 3.

Tulsa firefighters said they received the call around 6:30 a.m. about the woman.

We responded to a call of a childbirth and what was interesting about the call is its on the side of the highway, firefighter Weston Hodges told Fox 23.

Its a pretty busy highway, especially coming off of the construction, so there were some traffic issues, but we were well off the side of the road and we were able to block traffic and make sure it was a safe scene for everybody.

The woman, identified as Felisha Pierce, was on I-244 near Harvard when she went into labor, preventing her from driving to the hospital.

Crews arrived to find the baby already delivered and in the mothers arms. They were later transported to a nearby hospital.

Pierce said she and her son, Grayson Pierce, are doing fine.

From NTD.tv
Report: US Falling Behind China in Race to 5G Wireless

The United States is being outspent by China in the race to build the next generation of wireless communication, known as 5G, and it risks losing out on the potential economic benefits, according to a report by consulting firm Deloitte published on Aug. 7.

China currently has 10 times more sites to support 5G communications than the United States. In just three months of 2017, Chinese cell phone tower companies and carriers added more sites than the United States had done in the previous three years, the Deloitte report found.

The first countries to adopt the next generation of wireless communications will experience disproportionate gains, as 5G brings an era of untapped economic potential, the report said.

China has outspent the United States by $24 billion since 2015 and has built 350,000 new cell phone tower sites, while the United States has built less than 30,000.

The report notes it may also be about 35 percent cheaper to install equipment necessary to add carriers to 5G in China as compared to the United States.

This report comes after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced new rules for bidding on high-band spectrum, which is expected to be used in the future for 5G.

Dan Littmann, a principal at Deloitte, said in a statement that for the U.S. to remain competitive and eventually emerge as a leader, the race to 5G should be carefully evaluated and swift actions should be taken.

The United States could still catch up, the report said, and recommended the U.S adjust policy to reduce deployment time, encourage carriers to collaborate, and implement a database of statistics and best practices.

Meanwhile, as Chinese telecoms firms like Huawei seek to provide its 5G networking hardware to mobile carriers around the world, countries are becoming wary that using Huaweis equipment could pose serious security issues.

In South Korea, for example, major mobile carriers are reconsidering using Huawei equipment despite its cheaper prices, according to a Korea Times report. U.S. officials have warned South Korean telecom firms about the equipments potential to be used for espionage.

South Koreas minister for science and technology, Yoo Youngmin, also acknowledged that if Huaweis equipment is introduced, there is the possibility that various security problems become an issue.

By Kara Carlson. Epoch Times staff member Annie Wu contributed to this report.
Journalists take pictures outside the venue of a summit at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 15, 2017 (Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)

Russian Media Is Harshly Critical of Chinas One Belt, One Road Projects in Eurasia

Despite a history of tumultuous relations, China and Russia remain allies, but the strategic partnership between the two world powers has shown signs of strain since the July summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Helsinki.

Russian media, which are tightly controlled by the state, publicly criticized Chinas social problems in a series of articles published in July, including discussing corruption in Chinas state-run railway system. Now, Chinas national infrastructure-building initiative One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) has come under fire.

In a July 29 opinion article, the Russian daily newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta stated that as China has provided more and more loans and investment to Central Asian countries under the OBOR initiative, there have been more local protests, with clear anti-Chinese slogans.

The articlewhich cited statistics by Kazakhstani sociologistspointed out that in 2007, when large numbers of Chinese entrepreneurs moved to countries in Central Asia, 18 percent of locals surveyed in the region said they had negative feelings toward Chinese immigrants. The percentage increased to 33 percent in 2012, and then topped 46 percent in 2017, the article said.

Even with OBOR investments, Chinas construction projects in Africa and Central Asia failed to create jobs for the local populations, with 90 percent of the workforce at some projects being exclusively Chinese, according to the article.

Additionally, the projects often dont factor in any potential ecological effects.

For example, in Indonesia, a dam built by Chinese state-run hydropower company Sinohydro in Sumatra has been criticized for threatening the only known habitat for Tapanuli orangutans, the worlds rarest great ape, according to a July 13 article by Mongabay, an environmental news website based in the United States.

Chinese projects have also bred corruption in local governments, the article claimed. For example, it explained, Chinese would pay off local officials to help them clear any tax and accounting-related issues. Furthermore, the local officials have realized that anti-Chinese sentiment itself is a profitable businessthe louder the dissent against the Chinese, the more cash Chinese officials would pay them to quiet the dissent.

Malaysia has a pending corruption case related to an OBOR project. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has halted a $20 billion railway project after a state investigation has revealed that funds for the project were used to repay dues to the Malaysian state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), according to an Aug. 1 report by Malaysian newspaper Malaymail. Chinese companies may be involved in siphoning off the funds, the countrys finance minister, Lim Guan Eng, told the Wall Street Journal.

Russian medias criticism of OBOR, which is considered by the Chinese regime to be the countrys most ambitious foreign policy, is a slap in the face for Beijing, considering that China has invested heavily in the Eurasian region under OBOR. According to state-run newspaper China Daily, Chinese companies invested more than $60 billion in the region from 2013 to 2016.

Chinese political commentator Tian Yuan, in an interview with New York-based broadcaster NTD, questioned how much of a benefit from OBOR projects that local citizens in Central Asia would see, when China has a history of colluding with and bribing local government officials.

These projects are done through Chinese-funded companies. As for locals, they would not benefit financially at all, Tian said.

A July article by The Economist warned that because the terms of OBOR projects are often shrouded in secrecy, politiciansrather than ordinary citizensare more likely to benefit.

In Kazakhstan, locals protested proposed land reforms in April 2016, fearing that the changes would pave the way for Chinese investors to buy up land.

Kazakhstan signed cooperation projects worth $27 billion with China in June 2017, according to China Daily.

In September 2012, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on abusive actions by the Kazakhstan government and oil companies against local oil workers. One of the companies named by HRW was Chinas state-owned CITIC investment group.

Aside from investing in countries teeming with corruption, China is overloading poor nations with debt, warned Ray Washburne, head of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a government agency that assists U.S. businesses with investing abroad.

That happened in Sri Lanka, when in December, the country formally handed over control of its main southern port, Hambantota, to China after the latter helped build the OBOR project. China signed a 99-year lease on the port as part of a deal to convert $6 billion of loans that Sri Lanka owed to China into equity.

Political commentator Lan Shu, also speaking to NTD, said the Chinese regime has a political motive in working with countries that become indebted to China.

These countries would then be under the control and manipulation of the Chinese regime. And then they would have to stand on the same side as China on many international political issues, Lan said. This jeopardizes the stability and security of the world.
Senior DOJ Official Aided Trump Dossier Author

Congressional investigators are reviewing new documents that suggest senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr assisted a firm that conducted Clinton-funded opposition research on Donald Trumpalong with a former British spy working for that firmbefore, during, and after the 2016 presidential election.

Ohr was communicating with former UK intelligence officer Christopher Steele about then-candidate Trump at least a month before the FBI officially opened its investigation into alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, the documents suggest.

There is something separate I wanted to discuss with you informally and separately, Steele wrote in a July 1, 2016, email to Ohr. It concerns our favorite business tycoon.

Steele is the author of the infamous and unverified dossier of opposition research on Trump.

Steele was paid about $170,000 for the dossier by Fusion GPS, the same research firm that hired Ohrs wife, Nellie Ohr. The Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee hired Fusion GPS to collect dirt on Trump.

The documents also show that Ohr maintained contact with Steele until at least March 2017four months after the FBI cut ties with Steele, because he disclosed his association with the FBI to the media. Thats a violation of the bureaus rules for confidential sources.

B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you re-SY, Steele wrote to Ohr on Jan. 31, 2017.

Just wanted to check you are OK, still [in position] and are able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues, with our guy if the need arises? Steele wrote in the same message.

Yes, a crazy day, Ohr replied the same day. Im still here and able to help as discussed. Ill let you know if that changes.

The SY is an apparent reference to Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who was terminated by Trump a day earlier for insubordination. Before she was terminated, Yates signed a renewal application for a warrant to spy on Carter Page, a Trump campaign volunteer. Steeles dossier formed the core of that application. The officials involved in the application failed to disclose that the Clinton campaign ultimately funded Steeles research.

The emails also show that Bruce and Nellie Ohr met with Steele in Washington on July 30, the day before the FBI officially opened its Russia investigation and four days before FBI agent Peter Strzok traveled to London.

Great to see you and Nelly this morning Bruce. Lets keep in touch on the substantive issues/s. Glenn is happy to speak to you on this if it would help, Steele wrote to Ohr on July 30, 2016.

Both Strzok and Steele have proven biases against Trump. Ohr told the FBI that Steele was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president, while Strzok believed that Hillary Clinton would win 100,000,000 to 0, discussed an insurance policy in case Trump was elected, and mentioned impeachment in the days after joining special counsel Robert Muellers team.

In a reply, Steele requests a backup contact at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in case Ohr is removed from his post.

Thanks. You have my sympathy and support. If you end up out though, I really need another (Bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed, Steele wrote to Ohr. We cant allow our guy to be forced to go back home. It would be disastrous all round, though his position right now looks stable.

The identity of our guy in the message is yet unknown, but congressional investigators are likely to demand information on his role in the Russia probe.

The messages between the pair in March 2017 show that Steele was growing worried about congressional inquiries into his role in the Russia investigation.

Would it be possible to speak later today please? Were very concerned by the Grassley letter and its possible implications for us, our operations and our sources. We need some reassurance, Steele wrote on March 7, 2017.

A day prior to that, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote a letter to then-FBI Director James Comey, asking why the FBI paid Steele during the election to investigate Trump. Grassley demanded a range of documents and posed a series of related questions.

The idea that the FBI and associates of the Clinton campaign would pay Mr. Steele to investigate the Republican nominee for President in the run-up to the election raises further questions about the FBIs independence from politics, as well as the Obama administrations use of law enforcement and intelligence agencies for political ends, Grassley wrote at the time.

A portion of the new documents was first made public by award-winning investigative journalist John Solomon. According to Solomon, who reviewed more documents than were made public, contact between Steele and Ohr dates back to 2002.

Ohrs notes also indicate that he met with Strzok and then-FBI lawyer Lisa Pagewho was romantically involved with Strzokon Nov. 21, 2016, almost three weeks after the bureau had terminated Steele as a source. As with Steele and Strzok, Page also expressed animus toward Trump.

Text messages between Strzok and Page are at the core of criticism of the Russia investigation. Their meeting with Ohr suggests they used the senior DOJ official as a back channel for information from Steele.

Critical development: NEW emails obtained by Congress show Chris Steele was secretly funneling information to the FBI in 2017 through senior DOJ official, Bruce Ohr, even after the FBI claimed Steele was terminated for leaking to the media in November 2016, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) wrote on Twitter on Aug. 7.

NEWSFLASH: New emails show even though the FBI fired Christopher Steele for leaking, they still used him for information. They just got it through a cut outBruce Ohr, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) wrote on Twitter.

The timing of the meeting is especially problematic since by March 2017, Steele was working for Fusion GPS with $50 million in backing from wealthy donors in New York and California. That means that privately funded anti-Trump research from an ex-spy who was already terminated by the FBI for media leaks was making its way to biased operatives at the bureau through a DOJ official whose wife worked for the same firm as Steele.

The FBI declined to comment. The DOJ didnt respond to a request for comment by press deadline.
Shots were fired at Westchester Medical Center, located in New Yorks Westchester County, on Wednesday. (Google Street View)

Shooting Reported at Westchester Medical Center in New York

Shots were fired at Westchester Medical Center, located in New Yorks Westchester County, according to police on Aug. 8.

Police said it is an active shooter situation, but they didnt provide more details, Fox News reported.

It isnt clear if there were any injuries or deaths.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

The hospital, located in Valhalla, was evacuated, The Journal News reported.

Sometimes family members get a little outraged, Clarence McMillan, who is a worker, told The Journal News. They dont understand the care and stuff we have to go through to help their loved ones survive. Maybe this is one of those situations.

ABC7 reported that the hospital was placed on lockdown while officials respond.
Former President Bill Clinton delivers his speech at the the New Hampshire State Democratic Party 100 Club fund raising dinner late 18 February in Manchester, New Hampshire. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

State Democratic Party Removes Bill Clintons Name From Fundraiser

The New Hampshire Democratic Party has removed former President Bill Clintons name from a major fall fundraising dinner gala.

The party announced on Aug. 7 that they had renamed their annual fundraiser to Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner, following a vote on the decision by members of the committee.

The former name of the gala was the KennedyClinton Dinner.

RELEASE: The NHDP fall dinner is now the Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner! #nhpolitics pic.twitter.com/Fq8fVY4MCu  NH Democratic Party (@NHDems) August 7, 2018

We are proud to honor Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman revered around the world for her bold leadership and tireless efforts to create justice, state party Chairman Ray Buckley said in a statement. She dedicated her life to helping all hard-working Americans and all those who needed a champion.

Eleanor Roosevelt was an historic trailblazer whose compassion, bravery and intelligence drove her to speak out at a time when women were too often silenced and relegated to the sidelines of history.

Buckley added that the new name is particularly fitting because of the partys steadfast commitment to electing Democratic women.

Since 1930, the gala had been called the JeffersonJackson Dinner in honor of former presidents Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson. The last year it carried that name was in 2016 when Hillary Clinton, then a presidential candidate, spoke at the event.

The following year, in 2017, Buckley announced to state party leaders that the event would now be called the KennedyClinton Dinner honoring former presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

While Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson played instrumental roles in the founding of the national Democratic Party 200 years ago, the NHDP officers and so many others believed it was time to rename the dinner in honor of two more recent Democratic presidents, Buckley wrote.

Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Grace Meng and presidential candidateJohn Delaney headlined the first and only KennedyClinton Dinner, which was held at the Alpine Grove Banquet Hall in Hollis.
A big pan of paella; serve it with tapas, and it all makes for easy summer dinner party fare. (James Pomerantz)

Summer of Tapas: How to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Like the Spanish

In Spain, dining out is a mobile and intensely social affair. In a tradition as integral to the nations culinary fabric as the food itself, patrons hop from bar to bar, sharing drinks and a sampling of tapas at eachperhaps golden croquetas oozing bechamel insides at one, slices of jamon and manchego atop toasts at the next. Food and conversation alike are shared, as the night stretches long and leisurely.

The stars of the show, those inherently shareable, conversation-sparking tapas, also happen to be perfect for breezy entertaining at home. Thats part of the idea behind the recently released Boqueria: A Cookbook, From Barcelona to New York, from Barcelona-native chef Marc Vidal and restaurateur Yann de Rochefort, the duo at the helm of Spanish tapas restaurant Boqueria.

The idea was to make recipes that were easy to make, [and that] everyone could do in their own apartment or home, Vidal said. Filled with recipes pulled from the menus at the Boqueria restaurants in New York City and Washington, D.C., the cookbook is a gateway to Spain.

To start, there are plenty of tapas bar classics, the likes of which youd find at every bar in Spain. Boquerias rendition of patatas bravas is their best-seller: potatoes fried until golden-crisp on the outside and fluffy-soft on the inside, coated in a slow-simmered, spicy tomato sauce and finished with creamy garlic aioli. The secrets of their popular gambas al ajillo, sweet and tender shrimp served still sizzling in a potent, garlicky oil that begs to be sopped up with crusty bread, are also revealed (hint: brandy is involved).

Other dishes are highly regional. Spain is a patchwork of 17 distinct and diverse regions, each with its own ingredients, specialties, and preparations. Its like 17 countries inside one big country, Vidal said.

Boqueria draws from across the board: pork meatballs stewed with shrimp and black trumpet mushrooms pay tribute to Catalonias mar i muntanya or sea and mountain tradition (the region enjoys both Mediterranean coast and Pyrenees ridges); seared octopus dusted with pimenton on a bed of mashed potatoes is inspired by Galicias iconic pulpo a la gallega; and grilled lamb skewers draw from Andalusia, in the south, warmed with North African spices like cumin and coriander brought by the Moors who ruled there for centuries.

More local influences permeate other recipes, a result of prioritizing ingredient quality above all. We try to replicate our cuisine with the products that we can find in New York, Vidal said. That often translates as non-traditional ingredients given a traditional Spanish treatment: sweet roasted acorn squash, uncommon in Spain, slathered in smoky sobrasada, a spreadable cured pork sausage from Mallorca; or a twist on a Caesar salad dressed in romesco, a Catalan sauce rich with caramelized tomatoes, nora peppers, and garlic.

If the offerings at Boqueria are any indication, the recipes are all delicious. But more importantly, theyre a means of recreating that communal spirit of Spains tapas tradition.

Thats the spirit at the heart of Boqueria, and what Vidal and de Rochefort hope the cookbook captures for readers and home cooks. Whether at a bar in Barcelona, the high-seated tables of Boqueria, or your very own dinner table, ideally surrounded by loved ones on a warm and lazy summer night, it opens up conversation, when youre sharing food, de Rochefort said.

How to Throw a Tapas Party

Vidal offers some additional advice on assembling a Spanish tapas spread at home.

First things first: head to the farmers market. Our food in Spain is super simple with very little preparation, all based on the product, Vidal said. Without a good product, you probably cannot do good Spanish cuisine. Use products that are in season, [and] for sure its going to be great.

For the best and most authentic of Spanish cabinet staples, like olive oil, pimenton, jamon, and canned fish, Vidal points home cooks towards online sites like La Tienda, which stocks a variety of good quality products from Spain. De Rochefort offers a word of warning: You get what you pay for; the good stuff is expensive.

On the menu, start off with montados, simple olive oil-drizzled toasts that act as a versatile canvas for any toppings you can dream up. The key is to hit upon a balance of salty (perhaps anchovies, or green olive relish), creamy (aioli, or a smear of cheese), and bright (sweet peppers, or sundried tomatoes). The toasts are easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time.

A salad or two adds welcome freshness. In Spain, salads tend to be barelettuce, tomato, and onion are the usual and often only suspectsbut your possibilities are as varied as the flourishing summer market produce.

Jamon is a must (jamon iberico is the gold standard, though admittedly a splurge, so serrano works fine), and for a true Catalonian spread, so is pan con tomate. The national dish of Catalonia, toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and tomato and finished with good olive oil and salt, is simple but transcendent.

Finally, if you can finish with a paella to share with a lot of people, its the greatest, Vidal said. He recommends trying a fideua, the popular pasta version of paella, made with short, vermicelli-like fideo noodles toasted and simmered with seafood and stock. Long situated at a crossroads for trade, Catalonias culture is embedded with influences from across the Mediterranean; pasta is one of many examples.

If you do serve a paella, eat it from the pan, Vidal insisted. Everybody putting the spoon inside the panthats how I would do it. Everybody needs to trust each other.

RECIPE: Montados de Anchoas

RECIPE: Melon con Jamon

RECIPE: Fideua Negra
National Security Adviser: North Korea Lags on Denuclearization

White House national security adviser John Bolton said that North Korea has not taken the necessary steps to denuclearize, despite President Donald Trumps patience with the communist regime.

The president is holding the door open for North Korea, he told Fox News on Aug. 6. Hes shown them the future they can have if they follow through on what they said in Singapore.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met on June 12 in Singapore, where Kim reaffirmed a commitment to give up nuclear weapons.

The regime has destroyed its nuclear testing site and refrained from ballistic missile tests, but multiple reports have claimed its still continuing its nuclear program.

Bolton said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was prepared to return to North Korea for another meeting with Kim. But in a sign that Trumps patience may be strained, Bolton prompted the regime to act.

What we really need is not more rhetoric, he told Fox News, in another interview on Aug. 7. What we need is performance from North Korea on denuclearization.

He said the United States has lived up to the Singapore declaration, but its just North Korea that has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize.

The U.S. State Department, however, still trusts that Kim ultimately wants to denuclearize.

Its a Process

We do not believe that [Kims] position has changed in any way [since the Singapore declaration], said Heather Nauert, State Department spokeswoman, during the Aug. 7 press briefing.

She said the department has expected the process to take time. We knew that this would be a road, she said.

Aug. 3 satellite images indicated that North Koreans had made progress on dismantling the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, which served for testing and development of engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles, reported 38North, a North Korea analysis project of the Stimson Center, a think tank based in Washington.

Bolton said no additional KimTrump meeting was scheduled. The two leaders, however, have exchanged letters, Nauert said. She didnt go into details regarding the content of Trumps letter to Kim, which has been delivered to North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Singapore on Aug. 4.

Trump posted on Twitter a letter from Kim on July 12, in which the dictator spoke of the strong will, sincere efforts, and unique approach of myself and Your Excellency Mr. President aimed at opening up a new future between the United States and North Korea.

Keeping the Pressure Up

Bolton said Kim cant expect the United States to relax sanctions in response to words only and reiterated that the rest of the world needs to maintain pressure on North Korea, too.

Were not going to tolerate diminution of the effects of the sanctions, he said.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley criticized Russia on Aug. 3 for reportedly issuing work permits to thousands of North Korean laborers in violation of sanctions against Pyongyang.

Her remarks came out hours after the Treasury Department sanctioned a Russian bank for authorizing a significant payment on behalf of a North Korean living in Moscow who was sanctioned by the United States last year.

The White House has been adamant that the sanctions must remain until North Korea completely, verifiably, and irreversibly gives up its nuclear program. But it seems China and Russia, whose business mainly props up the North Korean regime, have relaxed their cooperation with the sanctions.

Reports of Infractions

For a time, both Russia and China appeared to be expelling North Korean workers well before U.N. deadlines, but more recent reporting suggests that North Korea may have again begun to dispatch labor to both countries, stated an Aug. 2 report by the nonprofit research organization C4ADS.

China has recently agreed to fund new construction on the unfinished project of the New Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong City in northeastern China with Ryongchon County, North Korea, insider sources told Japanese Kyodo News Agency on July 20. Chinese leadership decided to provide 600 million yuan (about $88.3 million) for a customs facility as well as a road that would allow vehicles to enter the bridge, which currently ends in a dirt field on the North Korean side.

The sources said China is also planning to negotiate with U.N. Security Council member states to ease economic sanctions on North Korea while it works toward denuclearization.

Gas prices fell dramatically in North Korea in July, suggesting that China and other countries are again sending oil into the isolated state, against U.N. sanctions.

Between 2015 and 2017, the Moscow-based Independent Petroleum Company (IPC) sold far more oil to North Korea than was officially reported, according to a recent report by the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

The amount of oil IPC sold to North Korea between 2015 and 2017 could be worth as much US$238 million, the report estimated. This far exceeds Russias official report on its oil exports to North Korea during the same period, which amounted to US$25 million.

Russias ambassador to North Korea denied that Moscow was flouting U.N. restrictions on oil supplies to North Korea, Interfax reported.

On Aug. 7, the North Korean foreign minister visited Iran and discussed issues of mutual interest, Irans Fars News Agency reported. A day earlier, the United States reimposed the first part of sanctions against Iran. The cooperation between Iran and North Korea has long caused concerns across the free world, as both countries have pursued nuclear and missile technologies and appear to have compared notes on them. Both countries have sent experts on such technologies to each other and even their missile designs look similar.

Epoch Times reporters Annie Wu and Ivan Pentchoukov and Reuters contributed to this report.

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.
Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal (2nd L) leaves after a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at State Department in Washington, Aug. 8, 2018. (Reuters/Yuri Gripas)

Turkey to Continue Buying Natural Gas From Iran Despite US Sanctions

ANKARATurkey will continue to buy natural gas from Iran in line with its long-term supply contract, Turkeys energy minister said on Aug. 8, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that anyone trading with Iran will not do business with America.

NATO member Turkey is dependent on imports for almost all of its energy needs and Iran is a key supplier of Ankaras natural gas and oil purchases. While the Turkish refiner Tupras has already cut back on oil shipments from Tehran, a complete halt of energy imports would be near impossible.

Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told A Haber broadcaster that he expected Ankaras talks with Washington on the issue to yield a positive outcome.

A delegation of ours is in the United States right now and negotiations are being held on a series of matters including the sanctions issue, Donmez told broadcaster A Haber. I think a good outcome will emerge from this dialogue.

A Turkish delegation is visiting Washington this week to discuss growing friction between the NATO allies, according to reports on Aug. 7, while Washington said the two countries remained at odds on its core demand that Ankara free American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson.

Donmez said Turkeys long-term supply contract with the Islamic Republic was valid until 2026 and Ankara was set to buy the 9.5 billion cubic meters of the contract amount. We will be continuing this trade as we cant possibly leave our citizens in dark, he said.

Nearly 40 percent of Turkeys electricity production is sourced from natural gas.

Unilateral

Trump pulled out of a 2015 deal to curb Irans nuclear program and said firms doing business with Tehran would be barred from the United States, as new U.S. sanctions against Iran took effect on Aug. 7.

The sanctions target Irans purchases of U.S. dollars, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and the auto sector and did not include Irans oil exports, but global oil prices rose on Tuesday in anticipation.

U.S. sanctions on Irans energy sector are set to be re-imposed after a 180-day wind-down period ending on Nov. 4.

Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States, Trump wrote in a tweet on Aug. 7.

Turkeys biggest oil importer Tupras has cut back purchases of Iranian crude since May, and analysts say Tupras is likely to stick to lower volumes in coming months.

Donmez described the sanctions as unilateral.

Even the European Union is extremely annoyed by this. We are conducting legitimate trade here, he said. And this is important for us in terms of supply security as well.

Pulling out of the 2015 Iran agreement, Trump has ignored pleas from the other world powers that had co-sponsored the deal, including Washingtons main European allies Britain, France, and Germany, as well as Russia and China.

European countries, hoping to persuade Tehran to continue to respect the deal, have promised to try to lessen the blow of sanctions and to urge their firms not to pull out. But that has proven difficult: European companies have quit Iran, arguing that they cannot risk their U.S. business.

By Humeyra Pamuk and Ali Kucukgocmen
Trump Administration to Sanction Russia Over Chemical Weapons Attack on Sergei Skripal

The Trump administration announced fresh sanctions on Russia over a nerve agent assassination attempt on a former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, who had been living in the United Kingdom.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, England, on March 4. They were seriously ill but made a full recovery in a hospital.

Russia has denied playing any role in the assassination attempt.

The U.S. State Department said on Aug. 8 that the sanctions were imposed following the use of the novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate Skripal and his daughter. Russia violated international law by using the chemical weapon, the agency said, citing the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

The novichok-type nerve agent was found on the front door of Skripals home.

The sanctions will cover sensitive national security goods, a senior State Department official told reporters on a conference call.

The official said a second batch of more draconian sanctions would be imposed after 90 days unless Russia gives reliable assurances that it will no longer use chemical weapons and allow on-site inspections by the United Nations.

If those criteria are not met, it is up to Russia to make that decision, a second round of sanctions  will to be imposed, the official said. They are in general more draconian than the first round.

There would be exemptions for space flight activities as well as areas covering commercial passenger aviation safety, the official added.

The sanctions, according to the State Department statement, will take place on Aug. 22, 2018, following a 15-day congressional notification period.

Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia were poisoned with novichok.

In April 2018, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on seven of Russias richest menor oligarchsas well as 17 top government officials, to put pressure on President Vladimir Putins inner circle.

The Russian government engages in a range of malign activity around the globe, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said at the time, saying Russia has continued to occupy Ukraines Crimea region, supplied weapons to the Syrian regime, and engaged in cyberwarfare.
3 1 of 3 Catherine Avalone / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Catherine Avalone / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Elm Shakespeare Companys 23rd annual production in New Havens Edgerton Park is one of those things you must do once (or every year). A summer night, a relaxed crowd on the Great Lawn in the Center of Edgerton Park, a little food and beverage of your choosing as the company performs Shakespeares timeless words on a cool set.

This years play, Loves Labours Lost, marks a return to less well-known plays (after last years Romeo & Juliet).
NORWALK  A historic  and historically illuminating  discovery has been made in East Norwalk with the uncovering of the remnants of a contact-period Native American fort.

Several thousand artifacts  some thought to be more than 3,000 years old  have also been uncovered at Walk Bridge construction site, including arrowheads, wampum (or traditional shell beads), European flints and iron trade tools, which may shed light on what life was like for Native Americans and Europeans when they first met.

The contact period is a period of really a few short decades when both Old World and New Wold came together and changed dramatically  both groups, said Ernest Wiegand, a professor or archaeology at Norwalk Community College.

Such sites are extremely rare  most of them have been destroyed by development, erosion and the actions of vandals and looters. Wiegand said the only Fairfield County site from the period he had known of previously was a temporary encampment where hunters may have spent a couple of days.

Now we have a village, he said. This is an absolutely thrilling, thrilling discovery.

The archaeological survey that led to the discovery was part of an agreement made by the state Department of Transportation to mitigate the effects of replacing the Walk Bridge. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and when such places are demolished, the National Historic Preservation Act requires steps be taken to lessen the historic loss.

The DOT plans to release more information Thursday afternoon.

Tod Bryant, president of the Norwalk Historic Preservation Trust, said the law created an opportunity for the historical community to finally investigate whether anything remained of the ancient Native American fort.

This is a site that has been marked on maps since 1847, he said. So we saw an opportunity with the bridge property to have professionals look at it and see if theres anything there. And as it turns out, theres a significant part of it there.

The Department of Transportation asked that the exact location of the excavation not be revealed to prevent the curious from disturbing the site.

Wiegand has had that happen to one of his own archaeological digs in the past.

One of the key things of archaeology is you must record the context, he said. The artifact itself, while it might be informative to a point, is not really worth that much when it is removed from its context. That context can be destroyed by people looting artifacts or even walking through the site.

You can burn down a forest, and you can grow it back, Wiegand said. You can pollute a river, and you can clean it up. But if you lose an archaeological site, its gone forever. Its like tearing the pages out of a history book.

The fort  which many Norwalkers unwittingly reference in the name Fort Point Street  is mentioned in a 1689 deed describing the point of common land where the Indian fort formerly stood.

Mandy Ranslow, an archaeologist with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, explained in a November interview with Hearst Connecticut Media that marshlands such as those found in Norwalk were valuable to Native Americans for the food and medicinal plants  and later, shelter from aggressive colonists  that could be found there.

This is an area where native people had been using these swamps and marshlands for a long time, whereas the colonists were not as familiar with it, said Ranslow. So these were areas where they, the Native Americans, could escape to in times of strife.

Famous Native American battles in New England took place in these landscapes, including the Great Swamp Fight  in which Roger Ludlow, one of the founders of Norwalk, helped kill and enslave Pequots who had taken refuge in a Fairfield swamp.

Ranslow believed that this fort may have had something to do with the Native American and European conflict in the 1600s.

Especially because its shown on historic maps for so long, and its in peoples memories, she said  two signs that the fort made a lasting impression.

Historic maps suggest that the area surrounding the former fort may have been filled to create solid land in the late 1800s, and archaeologists had hypothesized that portions of the fort may have been covered rather than destroyed.

When they were proved correct, the state Department of Transportation consulted with the Federal Transit Administration, the State Historic Preservation Office and federally recognized tribes. Together, they decided to complete the removal and conservation of historic artifacts from the site, the Department of Transportation said. A display is planned for the Walk Bridge Program Welcome Center on Marshall Street in Norwalk.

Everyones just blown away, said David Westmoreland, chairman of the Norwalk Historical Commission. Were ecstatic about it. And the DOT, or Department of Transportation, is doing the right thing; theyre funding probably close to a million dollars, the archaeological work that they have to do to really go through this site.

That work could shine a new light on Norwalks early history.

Its important to the founding of Norwalk because thats the place where Roger Ludlow supposedly bought Norwalk from Mahackamo, the sachem, the chief of that group, Bryant said of the fort.

Westmoreland was also excited about what we could learn about Native Americans who inhabited this area.

They were the first settlers of Norwalk and they loved this place and ate oysters out of the Sound just like we do, he said, But theres not a lot known about them, and theyre largely forgotten.

That could be about to change.

rschuetz@hearstmediact.com; @raschuetz
NORWALK  In the drop-in center at the Triangle Community Center, alongside rainbow flags, emoji wallpaper and a cozy circle of black velvet sofas, is a new computer station featuring four computers and a printer.

Its a huge upgrade from the one computer that Jonette Colletti used the whole spring semester for her homework at Norwalk Community College. Even just the one, however, was appreciated. It was helpful, she said, I passed the class!

In addition to the computers, which are open to everyone who stops by, the LGBTQ nonprofit also has a stock of flash drives, solar chargers, cell phones and laptops for LGBTQ youth to earn, courtesy of a new partnership with Power On.

The reason why we have this program is because the LGBTQ community is an underserved population, Director of Programs and Services Irene Tsikitas explained as she unwrapped 14 refurbished iPhones.

Our community, a lot of times, doesnt have access to this technology that they can get from Power On, which is why were so grateful to provide that, she said, adding that case managers at the center see a lot of homeless youth and adults.

Executive Director Anthony Crisci underscored the disproportionate number of LGBTQ young adults impacted by homelessness.

The LGBT community is generally believed to be about five percent of the population but about 40 percent of the homeless young adult population, he said.

Such statistics are part of why the center has been quietly stepping up its support of young adults  both teenagers and adults in their early twenties  for over a year, creating a homey drop-in center with case management services and becoming one of Norwalks 211 intake centers, which connects people to shelters.

Since doing so, the center has seen an increase in the number of clients it serves. The number of hours case managers have worked since becoming a 211 intake center has doubled since the same time frame in previous years, and the number of full-time case managers has increased from one to three.

With Power On, participation in the various programs and activities offered by the Triangle Community Center will have an additional perk: clients now have the chance earn first a flash drive, then a solar charger and eventually a cell phone and laptop.

Chris Wood, executive director of the company that runs Power On, LGBT Technology, said the program chose to partner with the Triangle Community Center because of the programs the center already had in place for young LGBTQ adults.

It gives those youth an opportunity to earn something that  maybe they do have supportive family, but their family simply could not afford it. That could be a game changer for a youth, Wood said.

An example of how Power On has been folded into the Triangle Community Centers preexisting programs could even be seen in its launch day, which took place on the last day of the centers summer camp. Campers were grilling hamburgers and hot dogs and singing karaoke when Crisci videoed in the Power On team.

That was when Emmet Burns found out about the technology being made available by Power On.

It would just be an amazing opportunity for me to better my life and complete my education, he said in a later phone interview.

Burns, who does not have a computer at home, used the devices at his school and in the library throughout high school. This year, as an incoming freshman at UConn Stamford, he said, a laptop could be invaluable.

Their partnership with LGBT Tech and Power On is an amazing thing, he said.

For those who would like to donate their gently-used tech, fill out a form on Power Ons website, poweronlgbt.org, and the company will send a box with tape and an address label provided to make mailing easy.

rschuetz@hearstmediact.com; @raschuetz
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  A state-owned television network has issued a public apology over publishing a photo that has been manipulated to show the Philippine flag instead of the Chinese national flag in support of a story.

People's Television Network (PTV) posted an erratum on Facebook Tuesday, apologizing for the "inadvertent use of wrong photos" for its story on the Philippine Navy's plan to rescue three Filipino workers who were abducted in Libya.

During its weekend newscast, "Ulat Bayan", on Sunday, PTV used a photo of a sailing frigate with a hoisted Philippine flag. Netizens, however, identified the warship as the Type 054A Jiangkai II-class frigate from the Chinese Navy. In the original photo, it was China's national flag that was hoisted on the vessel.

PTV aired the edited photo in a video to support President Rodrigo Duterte's statement saying he would send a frigate to Libya to rescue the abducted Filipinos, their post said.

The network said it has already sanctioned the video editor responsible for the blunder, and has also warned their producers from committing the same mistake.
I recently wrote that Iran's leaders are smarter than President Donald Trump. Now I'm starting to have second thoughts. If they were as clever as I had suspected, they would not have turned down Trump's impetuous offer to meet without preconditions - and, as usual, without preparation.

President Hassan Rouhani insists that the sanctions that the United States began to impose this week must be lifted before talks can convene. But there is no better way for Iran to relax U.S. pressure than to stage a summit. If a meeting with Rouhani were to follow the pattern of Trump's meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, he would go in breathing fire and brimstone and come out whispering sweet nothings without having gotten much in return aside from a photo op. Which, in fairness, is what he most cares about.

The paradox of Trump is that he is an expert con man - but also easily conned. He can dupe his credulous followers into believing the most fantastic nonsense, e.g., that the special counsel investigation led by a Republican war hero is a "Rigged Witch Hunt." Just when you're ready to conclude that Trump is a master manipulator, however, you see how easily he's manipulated by his interlocutors.

Look at Trump's July 25 meeting with Juncker. Having launched a trade war with the European Union, which he described as the United States' "foe," Trump then accepted a kiss from the European Commission president and tweeted: "Obviously the European Union, as represented by @JunckerEU and the United States, as represented by yours truly, love each other!" Trump made it sound as if there had been a "breakthrough agreement" in which the Europeans had made major trade concessions. Turns out he was the one who made the major concession by agreeing to forestall his threatened tariffs on automobiles while talks continued.

Trump's boast to a crowd in Iowa that "we just opened up Europe for you farmers" was as empty as the Midwestern plains. The Europeans simply "agreed" to do what they were already doing: buying more U.S. soybeans and liquefied natural gas. European imports of U.S. soybeans increased 280 percent in July 2018 from July 2017 - still not enough to make up for lost sales to China as a result of Trump's trade war. Given that the Trump-Juncker meeting occurred near the end of July, their "agreement" was as consequential as if they had agreed that the sun should rise in the morning.

But Trump's parlay with the EU was positively shrewd compared with his credulous dealings with North Korea. After legitimizing Kim's repugnant regime and agreeing to suspend U.S.-South Korean military exercises, Trump came away from Singapore on June 12 proclaiming that "there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea."

In truth, Kim had committed to nothing more than "to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" - but only after the United States worked with North Korea "to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula." To Kim, this means that the United States should relax sanctions and conclude a peace treaty that could presage the pullout of U.S. troops before he will deign to consider any nuclear reduction. In the meantime, according to the United Nations and U.S. intelligence, North Korea continues expanding its nuclear and missile programs.

Aside from an easily reversible moratorium on missile and nuclear testing and the destruction of an antiquated missile-test site, what has Kim delivered? The supposed remains of 55 U.S. soldiers from the Korean War - out of a total of 5,300 in the North. Trump effusively thanked Kim for this minimal concession ("I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action"), even though Defense Secretary Jim Mattis admitted, "We don't know who's in these boxes." In the past the North Koreans have been known to turn over dog bones rather than human remains.

National security adviser John Bolton admits that "North Korea has not taken the steps . . . necessary to denuclearize," but Trump isn't giving up. He says there is "no rush." That suggests he is reprising President Barack Obama's "strategic patience" policy after having proclaimed last fall that "the era of strategic patience is over." Trump's "maximum pressure" sanctions policy has become minimum pressure. Chinese travel agents report surging interest in tourism to North Korea while Russia is admitting thousands of North Korean guest workers - both major sources of revenue for a cash-strapped regime.

Given Trump's track record as a terrible negotiator, the Saudis and Israelis must be holding their breath, hoping that Tehran will not provide him an opportunity to sell them out at a summit. Trump will be anxious for an offramp once he realizes that unilateral U.S. sanctions are unlikely to overthrow the mullahs or force them to make massive concessions. He could easily agree to a nuclear accord less stringent than the one he tore up - which required Iran to give up 97 percent of its fissile material - while proclaiming it's the "deal of the century" because he negotiated it. The Iranians are being foolish if they don't give Trump a chance to make a fool of himself.
ALTON  The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation has given $1 million to the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) to annually serve hundreds of additional southern Illinois children.

Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation believe every Illinois child deserves a healthy smile and good oral health, said Bernie Glossy, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. Oral health is integral to overall health, and its staggering how many children in Illinois have untreated tooth decay, especially when you consider its largely preventable.

The goal is to significantly decrease the wait time for patient treatment by creating state-of-the-art ambulatory centers focused on childrens oral health needs. The centers will feature procedure rooms specifically designed for children with innovative equipment such as cone beam CT, a special kind of X-ray, and new sedation suites.

This gift will enable us to treat some of the most vulnerable patients in our state, said Bruce Rotter DMD, MS, dean of the SIU SDM. The support of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation will help us more effectively manage the treatment of the hundreds of patients seen through the Special Dental Care Needs Program each year. With the new ambulatory center and this new ability to administer general anesthesia to treat pediatric patients with complex dental care needs, we will be able to significantly expand our overall capacity and provide better care to these children.

According to the recent statewide oral health assessment report Oral Health in Illinois, poor oral health is one of the most pressing, unmet health care issues facing Illinois children today. The report found that one-third of Illinois children in rural areas have untreated tooth decay, and that Illinois children living in poverty are five times more likely to have fair or poor oral health.

The SIU School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. The School of Dental Medicine is a vital oral health care provider for residents of southern and central Illinois, and the St. Louis metropolitan region.
EDWARDSVILLE  Madison Countys Information Technology Department is getting ready for a long-planned test expected to show any deficiencies in the countys defenses against cyber attacks.

According to a presentation given to the committee, cyber security audits showed a penetration test was needed for the county.

With the increase in cyber crimes and the amount of money that a data breach can cost, we need to have a professional company perform a penetration test and let us know where we need to tighten security, the presentation stated.

It also noted that a major data breach could cost the county millions of dollars. It was also noted that the test needed to be performed by an outside company. The county also recently doubled its cyber security insurance, but still saved money on the rates because of the planned test.

The committee approved hiring Janus Associates, a Connecticut-based company, to perform the test. It must now go through the finance committee, which meets today, Wednesday, before going to the full County Board for approval.

The county had budgeted $100,000 for the test in the 2017 budget, but carried the money over to the 2018 budget. No timeline was given for the testing, which if approved should be completed within several months.

Janus was one of 11 companies vying for the work, and submitted a bid of $39,990.50. The bid ranges were $21,000 to $99,800.

It was noted by committee members that the Janus bid was in the middle, but the companys proposal was scored the second highest. With a total of 110 possible points, Janus scored 109. The top scoring company, with a perfect 110 score, was NCC Group. That company was also the highest bidder, approximately $60,000 more than Janus.

Janus received high marks for a number of reasons, including almost 30 years in the security services industry, the use of in-house personnel with extensive experience in IT security for the test, thorough explanations of their processes and reports, and a long history of working with federal, state and local governments.

There was some discussion by IT Committee members about the selection process. Ann Gorman, D-Edwardsville, said she had some concerns that the criteria for selecting was created based on the responses, not before the Requests for Proposals were sent out.

However, it was also noted that Janus would still have been one of the highest-scoring companies, while still in the middle as far as pricing.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.
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Flood fears subside but risk remains

PHETCHABURI: Excess water in Phetchaburis Kaeng Krachan dam had crossed the spillway as of press time last night but the central municipality was not expected to be flooded due to the provinces comprehensive flood-drainage and management plan.

environmentweather

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 8 August 2018, 09:15AM

A rescue squad begins work to build a rope-supported bridge for use by villagers to cross a flood-submerged road inundated by spillover from the Kaeng Krachan dam in Phetchaburis Kang Krachan district. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul

Initial overflow from the dam was predicted to hit the municipality at midnight but fears of the Phetchaburi River bursting its banks had subsided by the early evening, said Samrueng Saengphuwong, deputy secretary-general of the Office of National Water Resources.

He said the situation was no longer deemed critical and remains manageable, noting that residents still had enough time to move their belongings to higher ground and reinforce flood dykes.

Spillover from the dam is expected to peak today (Aug 8) or tomorrow (Aug 9), with floods projected to strike late next Monday (Aug 13), he said, adding that without rain the floodwater level was unlikely to surpass 30 centimetres.

But if the flow rate from Phetchaburi dam, which receives water from the Kaeng Krachan dam, exceeds 170 cubic metres of water per second, the level could rise to 50cm, he said.

With high tides expected over the weekend, efforts to drain the floodwater into the Gulf of Thailand may not happen as quickly as was originally hoped, he added.

Local irrigation officials are speeding up work to dredge four irrigation canals so more floodwater can be drained from Phetchaburi dam.

This is one of several measures to reduce the flow of water into the Phetchaburi River and minimise flooding in Phetchaburis Muang municipality.

Thaweesak Thanadecho, deputy chief of the Royal Irrigation Department, said irrigation canals would be opened to receive water due to be drained into the sea from Friday (Aug 10).

The goal is to discharge water from the Phetchaburi dam to 140-160 cu/m per second and minimise flooding in several districts, he said. Water pumps and water-propelling boats are working together to drain more water into the sea, he added.

The Royal Thai Navy is on standby and is ready to supply more boats to speed up the project. Twenty boats are being deployed in the final section of the river in Ban Laem district to push the water out to sea at a rate of 2 million cu/m per day. They function optimally during low tides but high tides are forecast this weekend, officials said.

About 30 households living upstream in Kaeng Krachan district have reportedly already been flooded.

The flooding took place on Monday (Aug 6) at Ban Phu Khem in tambon Kaeng Krachan. In low-lying areas, flooded streets saw water levels reach as high as 2 metres, officials said.

Residents in Amphoe Kang Krachan, one of the areas hit by floods, appeared calm yesterday and confident the situation would be brought under control.

Mali Naknoi, who owns one of the resorts that was inundated in the province, said local authorities had warned her about the risk of spillover yesterday, giving her sufficient time to move her belongings to higher ground.

The resort was built on a part of the river that connects to one of the Kang Krachan dams spillways. The owner of another resort located nearby, who spoke on condition of anonymity, faulted the Royal Irrigation Department for not managing the flow of water effectively.

Thongbai Klaipetch, the 78-year-old owner of another resort that was partially submerged yesterday, urged local authorities to find better ways to resolve the flooding.

He said he doubted a planned inspection tour to the province today by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would yield fruitful results.

Gen Prayut has called on residents in flood-prone communities to stay abreast of developments and brace for possible evacuation.

He said that while measures were in place to divert the floodwater, rainstorms could trigger flash floods and residents should take the necessary precautions.

The premier promised to provide more flood relief and rehabilitation measures during his visit.

Meanwhile, 50 provinces have been warned to brace for possible flooding and landslides due to heavy rainfall this week.

Chayapol Thitisak, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said the danger zones include 15 provinces in the North, 15 in the Northeast, 11 in the Central Plains and nine in the South.

The department has alerted officials and ordered them to prepare rapid deployment units and equipment in case of an emergency.

In Kanchanaburi, two major dams discharged more water last week so they could handle more inflow in case the weather conditions and general situation worsen.

In Thong Pha Phum district, the Vajiralongkorn dam is releasing an average volume of 43mn cu/m of water a day, up from 38mn, this week for the same purpose.

The dam was holding 7.5 billion cu/m as yesterday, putting it at about 85% capacity. In Si Sawat district, the Srinakarin dam was discharging 20mn cu/m a day.

Read original story here.
Gunman implicates Phuket bar owner in Sattahip murders

PHUKET: The accused gunman in the murder of a two young people at Buddha Mountain has told police that the owner of Pum Pui bar on Patongs famed Bangla Rd opened fire first, using two pistols, then he followed suit by firing seven shots at the pair.

crimemurderimmigrationpolicetransportviolence

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 8 August 2018, 03:15PM

An officer in a white T-shirt poses as the alleged mastermind carrying two handguns at the crime re-enactment at Khao Chee Chan in Sattahip district, Chonburi. Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong

Narong Warintharawet, 22, implicated bar operator Panya Yingdang, who remains at large, in the murder of Paweena Namuangrak, 20, and her boyfriend Anantachai Jitram, 21, in the parking lot at Khao Chee Chan (Buddha Mountain) in Sattahip on July 29.

Panya, the alleged mastermind, is believed to have fled to Cambodia.

Pol Maj Gen Chalermkiart Srivorakhan, deputy national police chief, and senior police officers took Narong, the alleged gunman, back to the crime scene for a re-enactment this morning (Aug 8).

Narong and another suspect Kritsana Sisuk, 22, turned themselves in separately to local police in Nakhon Sri Thammarat on Monday night (Aug 6) and were then taken to Sattahip Police Station in Chonburi and charged.

Kritsana was taken for a crime re-enactment yesterday (Aug 7).

Lt Col Thaweesak Suethong, deputy superintendent at Satthahip Police Station, took Kritsana to the crime scene at Khao Chee Chan for a re-enactment this morning.

The suspect said he accompanied Phuket nightclub operator Panya, the alleged mastermind, to Chonburi because he thought the man wanted to patch up his relationship with Ms Paweena.

So far, five suspects in the fatal shooting of the young couple have been arrested. The three others are Kiatisak Suransaengmilboon, 35, Sayant Sisuk, 43, and Jirasak Unaiban, 34.

During today's re-enactment, Narong told police that he, Kritsana and Sayant accompanied Panya to Buddha Mountain that day. They were in a car driven by Kritsana and were following the two young people.

At the parking lot, Panya got out of the car carrying two handguns, according to Narong, who followed behind. Panya walked towards Miss Paweena and suddenly opened fire at her with both guns, the suspect said.

Narong admitted that he then fired three shots at Mr Anantachai and four shots at Miss Paweena.

They then fled in two cars, one driven by Kritsana and the other by Jirasak. Only Panya remains at large.

Gen Chalermkiart said Narong alleged he was paid B50,000 by the Phuket bar operator to shoot the young couple.

Police investigators were dispatched to track down the prime suspect along the Thai-Cambodian border, Maj Gen Chalermkiart said. They had not caught him yet.

Commander of the Crime Suppression Division, Pol Maj Gen Maitree Chimcherd, said police had information that Panya was hiding in a village in Cambodia.

Cambodian authorities have been asked to help arrest him, the CSD commander said.

Jealousy was believed to be the motive for the murders. Miss Paweena worked for Panya and was reported to have been his favourite.

Read original story here.
Lecturer, probation official among alleged paedophiles

NATIONWIDE: Eight suspects, including a well-known university lecturer and a probation official, have been arrested for buying online sex services from underage boys, but senior figures asked that their names not be disclosed, said a police commander.

crimepolicesex

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 8 August 2018, 08:57AM

Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau (right), looks at a police chart featuring online child sex networks during a media briefing on Tuesday. Photo: Tourist Police Bureau

The suspects were caught on court warrants for supporting the flesh trade and depriving boys aged below 18 of parental care, said Pol Maj Gen Kornchai Khlaikhlueng, commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD), during a media briefing yesterday (Aug 7).

Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy chief of the Tourist Police Bureau and senior police officers, were also present.

ATPD investigators have pressed charges against the eight suspects and sent them to the Criminal Court. They were granted bail on a bond of B300,000 each.

Maj Gen Kornchai said the customers included celebrities and university lecturers or officials, but the names would not be disclosed.

Several phuyai (senior figures) had phoned him and asked that a media conference not be held for fear the names of the customers would be made public, he said.

One suspect works at an organisation overseeing legal officials and another teaches other people. Both have wives and children, but they abused underprivileged children, said Maj Gen Kornchai.

Earlier, a combined team of police and officials from the ATPD, the Tourist Police Bureau, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and non-governmental organisations jointly launched a crackdown on online sex networks providing services by boys aged below 18.

The operation led to the arrest of Namphon Somngam, alias New, 27. He was allegedly an agent and owner of Rak Dek (Love children) Line chat group.

Namphon has been charged with human trafficking by procuring boys aged not more than 18 into the fresh trade and disseminating child pornography into the computer system for gains.

Police took him to the Criminal Court last week and opposed his bail, said Maj Gen Kornchai.

Col Khomkrit Sukthai, of the ATPD, said Namphon used to work as a manager of a convenience store in Bangkok before quitting the job.

The suspect, who police say is also a paedophile, then opened a Facebook account Namphon Somngam to accept members who liked to watch child porn clips with a membership fee of B300 each. The suspect later created the Line chat group Rak Dek for these members.

The man charged membership fees of over B500 for viewing porn clips of boys. Those who wanted to have sex with them would be charged B1,500 each and Namphon would deduct B500 for his brokerage fees, said Col Khomkrit.

His arrest led to the rescue of seven boys, aged between 12-16, who later identified the customers, said Maj Gen Kornchai. .

A source said two of the eight customers caught for buying sex services from boys were a well-known lecturer at a university in Nakhon Pathom and the other was an official attached to the Probation Department.

Read original story here.
Phuket expat rescues boy, 7, as storm surf prompts call to close beaches

PHUKET: An expat teacher at a Phuket school rescued a 7-year-old boy from surf at Nai Harn Beach on Monday (Aug 6), while the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) issued a notice today (Aug 8) recommending that Phukets exposed west coast beaches be closed to swimmers until current dangerous conditions subside.

tourismSafetyweatherChinese

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 8 August 2018, 10:38AM

Dangerous surf at Surin Beach. Photo: ISLA

The following warnings are in effect:

High Surf

Dangerous Shorebreak

Severe Rip Currents

High Winds

Sudden Squalls

Rapid Beach Erosion

A warning means these conditions are imminent or are already occurring, the statement read.

Short-period waves of two-to-three metres are battering Phuket's exposed beaches. Sudden squalls can produce dangerous winds and surf height can increase quickly.

Sets of large waves are powerful enough to overwhelm bathers and sweep them off their feet directly into powerful, outgoing, rip currents, who can be swept out to sea, the statement noted.

Beaches currently experiencing these severe conditions include: Nai Harn, Kata Noi, Kata, Karon, Surin, Bang Tao, Layan, Nai Thon, Nai Yang and Mai Khao.

The recommendation to close the beaches to swimmers follows the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) this morning issuing its 16th consecutive Strong Wind Wave in South and Heavy Rain in upper Thailand weather warning.

During 8-9 August, the monsoon trough will lie across the upper North and the upper Northeast to the active low pressure over the South China Sea while the strong southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.

Outbreaks of more rain, as well as isolated heavy downpour, will be expected over the country. People should beware of severe condition, the warning noted.

Strong wind and waves are forecast (to reach) two to three meters high in the Andaman Sea, about two meters high in the upper Gulf and above three meters high in thundershower areas.

All ships should proceed with caution, and small boats keep ashore. People along the coast of the western South and the East should beware strong winds, the warning said.

The warning also follows a 7-year-old boy being pulled from the water unconscious at Nai Harn Beach on Monday (Aug 6).

An expat woman who teaches at a school in Phuket saw the boy floating among the waves and dived in to rescue him.

He was blue and white when he was dragged out of the water, the woman told The Phuket News.

I gave him CPR and a Thai woman helped me and this continued for four minutes as the lifeguards stood and watched over us and then brought oxygen tank when he wasnt even taking air yet

Its like they didnt know what to do, she added.

Im just so concerned for the safety of people and if I werent there I would hate to think that the boy wouldnt have survived.

About two minutes after the boys pulse was back another lifeguard came running and took him near the road where the ambulance came and took him, she added.

Lifeguards at Nai Harn confirmed the rescue took place at about 4pm, but were scant on other details.

Lifeguards told The Phuket News that the boy was 7 years old and from China, but that he had a Thai mother.

The Phuket News has yet to confirm which hospital the boy was taken to and whether or not he has made a full recovery.

However, one lifeguard did urge, I would like to tell parents to take care of their children when playing in the water, especially near the lagoon because there are no lifeguards there, and drowning incidents always happens there.

Rescuing young children at Nai Harn Beach at this time of year is becoming a sad annual tradition. A 7-year-old boy was revived at the beach on Aug 14 last year, also at about 4pm.

The boy was unconscious and unresponsive when he was pulled from the lagoon area at the southern end of the beach, prompting lifeguards to perform CPR until the boys pulse returned and he began breathing unassisted, though still unconscious. The boy was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town. (See story here.)

The boy, Kietmondej Traiyuang, was unable to recover from extensive brain damage and died about one week after the incident, Phuket Lifeguard Service President Prathaiyut Chuayuan later confirmed. (See story here.)

Just last Monday (July 30), 11-year-old Phuket student Supat Petch Jampathong died after being pulled away from the beach in a strong rip current at Nai Yang while he was playnig in knee-deep water with friends.

His body was recovered two days later when waves pushed it back close to shore further north along the beach. (See story here.)
Phuket raids net eight drugs suspects, guns and meth in one day

PHUKET: A series of raids led by agents of the Narcotics Control Board yesterday (Aug 7) netted eight suspects and six handguns.

drugscrime

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Wednesday 8 August 2018, 06:01PM

The raids netted eight suspects in one day. Photo; Phuket Police

The raids were carried out under a campaign co-ordinated by Muang District Chief Wichet Suyanan and local officers of the Narcotics Control Board, and supported by the members of the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor, see here).

The team making the raids yesterday was under the direction of Thalang District Chief Wikrom Jakthi and was led by Danai Jaikaeng, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Office of the Department of Provincial Administrations Security Affairs Section.

The raids began at 2pm with the arrest of Watanyu Jaiyen, 27, at a house in Soi Kingkaew-Uthit 1/1 in Moo 3 in Rassada.

Seized as evidence were two bags containing a total of 4.34g of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice), six pills of methamphetamine (ya bah), three handguns, two ammunition magazines, 130 bullets, a weighing machine, drug-taking paraphernalia and two packs of plastic bags.

Watanyu was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and illegal possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

At 3pm, the team arrested Suttisak Molthurat, 38, at a house on Yaowarat Rd in Phuket Town after he was found with two one-litre bottles containing boiled kratom juice. Suttisak was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with illegal possession of a Category 5 drug.

By 5pm, administrative officers from Thalang District Office joined the team and arrested Suthat Pakkalo at a house in Moo 4, Srisoonthorn in Thalang.

Seized as evidences were two bags containing a total of 22.38g of ya ice, a weighing machine, drug-taking paraphernalia, four packs of plastic bags and a brown waistcoat.

Suthat was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with illegal possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

At 6:20pm, the team continued their takedown day and arrested Yuttapong Krongyut, 22, and Nawapol Jai-Ngam, 20, at an unregistered house on Chao Fah Suan Luang Rd in Wichit.

Seized as evidence were two bags containing a total of 2.02g of ya ice, a weighting machine and drug-taking paraphernalia.

They were taken to Wichit Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

By 10pm last night, the team arrested Somkid Ratchathani at an unregistered rented room in Soi Honsaithong 6, Moo 3 in Rassada.

Seized as evidence were 40 pills of ya bah, one bag with 530mg of ya ice, a 1 weighing machine, drug-taking paraphernalia and 30 plastic bags.

He was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with illegal possession of a Category 1 drug.

To wrap up the days takings, the team moved in at 11pm and arrested Prasit Sasuk, 33, and Nattakarn Petchyawa, 21, at a house back in Soi Kingkaew-Uthit 1/1 Moo 3 in Rassada, the same street where they started the series of raids with the arrest of Watanyu at 2pm.

Prasit and Nattakarn were found in possession of 74.10g of ya ice, seven pills of ya bah, three handguns, one ammunition magazine, 48 bullets, a gun holster, a weighing machine, drug-taking paraphernalia and two packs of plastic bags.

The pair were taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged will illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.
For Subscribers Four things to watch for in next week's Class A, B volleyball regions

Region tournaments start Monday and run through Thursday for area Class A (Regions 1 and 2) and Class B (Regions 1 and 3) teams.
Earlier this year, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather said in an interview,

"It's been one hell of a year. It's insane. It's kinda like God gave us a gift, I don't know what we did to deserve it. All this crazy 'Africa' stuff, all the millennials starting to get into our music, and the records are flying out of the store, half a billion streams on Spotify, 40 million records...

"How did this happen?! When did we get hip? We must have outlived all the hipsters, it's the only thing I can think of. Because we were never in style so we could never be out of style."
Sun Life Financial Inc., one of Canadas biggest life insurers, sees the countrys pension risk-transfer market growing to as much as $5 billion this year as more companies look to divest retirement plans.

The Canadian group annuity market will probably reach at least $4.5 billion this year, up from $2.7 billion in 2016, Brent Simmons, senior managing director and head of the firms defined-benefit solutions group, said in a phone interview.

Pension plans are now at a better funding position, so they have more money in the plan  they actually have enough money in the plan to divest or to go into runoff, so buy annuities, Simmons said.

A lot of it comes back to these companies having hard, nasty surprises with their pension plans for the last 20 years and really wanting to get back to focusing on their core business.

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North American companies, including General Motors Co. and FedEx Corp., have struck deals with life insurers to take on pension obligations. Pension buyouts in the U.S. climbed to $23 billion (U.S.) last year, an increase of 68 per cent from a year earlier, according to industry group Limra.

In Canada, the assets held by defined-benefit pension plans are about $1.7 trillion, Simmons said. The market has a lot more room to grow both on the demand side, but also on the supply side, he said.

The largest pension risk-transfer deal in Canada so far is a $900-million agreement struck last year, and the second largest was about $750 million in the first quarter of 2018, Simmons said. Sun Life won about $500 million in each transaction. Simmons declined to comment further on the deals.

That myth of, The markets not big enough, I have to wait, I have to do this purchase over several years, well, weve really put a pin in that message and popped it, Simmons said. Big companies can come to the market and divest their pension plans.
BEIJINGChinas exports to the United States surged last month as its merchants rushed to fill orders ahead of a jump in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

Its shipments to the United States climbed 13 per cent in July from a year earlier, to $41.5 billion (U.S.), after a roughly similar rise in June, customs data show.

At the same time, Beijings trade surplus with the United States  a frequent source of anger and threats from President Donald Trump  grew 11 per cent to $28 billion.

Chinese exporters appear to be trying to ship their goods to the United States before tariffs that Trump is imposing in a fight over technology policy take full effect. The trade war between the worlds two biggest economies has forced many multinational companies to reschedule purchases and rethink where they buy materials and parts to try to dodge or blunt the effects of tit-for-tat tariffs between Washington and Beijing.

Beijing has warned that its exporters face rising instabilities after Washington slapped 25 per cent duties on $34 billion of Chinese goods last month in response to complaints that China steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. Beijing has retaliated against the U.S. tariffs with higher duties on a similar amount of American goods.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it would proceed with previously announced 25 per cent tariffs on an additional $16 billion of Chinese imports starting Aug. 23. On Wednesday, China hit back by saying it would impose identical 25 per cent punitive duties on $16 billion of U.S. goods, including cars, crude oil and scrap metal, also to take effect Aug. 23.

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A Commerce Ministry statement labeled Trumps decision to go ahead with the latest U.S. tariffs very unreasonable. Beijings retaliatory move was a necessary response to safeguard its legitimate interests, the ministry said on its website.

Escalating its tensions with Beijing, the Trump administration has also threatened to impose penalties on an additional $200 billion in Chinese exports to the United States. Beijing says it is ready to retaliate against $60 billion of American imports. (Beijing cannot tax an equal amount of U.S. products, because the United States exports far fewer goods to China than it imports.)

Tariffs are taxes on imports. They are meant to protect homegrown businesses and put foreign competitors at a disadvantage. But the taxes also exact a price on domestic businesses and consumers who buy imports and end up paying more for them.

In July, Chinas global exports surged 12 per cent, even faster than an 11 per cent increase in June. At the same time, overall imports to China jumped 27 per cent last month.

Exports to the rest of the world might have been boosted by a weaker Chinese currency. The yuan has declined by 8 per cent this year against the dollar and by about 4 per cent against a basket of global currencies. A weakening currency makes a nations goods more affordable for overseas buyers.

Chinas trade conflict with the United States, coupled with weakening global demand, has compounded the challenges for Beijing. Economic growth has slowed since regulators tightened controls on bank lending to rein in surging debt.

The unusually strong July import figures reflected higher prices, according to Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics.

We expect export growth to cool in the coming months, though this will primarily reflect softer global growth rather than U.S. tariffs, Evans-Pritchard said in a report. Import growth is likely to slow as domestic headwinds continue to weigh on economic activity.

Chinas global trade surplus narrowed by 40 per cent from a year earlier to $28 billion. In the meantime, its trade gap with the 28-nation European Union contracted 8 per cent to $11.2 billion.

China is running out of American goods to hit with retaliatory tariffs given the two nations lopsided trade balance. Last years imports from the United States totalled about $130 billion. That leaves only about $20 billion for penalty tariffs after increases that have already been imposed or threatened on U.S. goods are counted.

Beijing has stepped up efforts, so far without success, to recruit governments including Germany and France as allies. Those nations have criticized Trumps tactics, but they share U.S. complaints about Chinese industrial policy and market barriers.

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Saudi Arabia is considering additional measures against Canada amid reports it plans to unload its holdings of Canadian stocks and bonds as a dispute over womens rights activists intensifies.

Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, speaking at a news conference in Riyadh, said there was no need for mediation in the dispute. Canada knows what it needs to do, he said.

The Canadian currency dropped as much as 0.5 per cent to $1.3120 per U.S. dollar after the Financial Times reported that the Saudi Arabia central bank and state pension funds have instructed their overseas asset managers to dispose of Canadian assets starting Tuesday. The loonie rebounded shortly afterward to trade 0.1 per cent weaker at 10:03 a.m. in Toronto.

Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic ties and halted new trade dealings late Sunday following comments by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland criticizing the kingdom for arrests of womens rights activists. The kingdom has since escalated its moves against Canada, suspending flights to Toronto and ordering the return of thousands of students who are studying at Canadian schools.

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Saudis asset sales may not have a big impact on the Canadian currency, although seasonally thin trading in August could exacerbate that effect. Saudi holdings of Canadian dollar reserves are between $10 billion ($7.7 billion U.S.) and $25 billion, with the upper end of that estimate representing 10 per cent of daily Canadian dollar volumes, according to estimates from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Thats enough to leave a mark on the loonie in August when volumes are typically lighter, said Bipan Rai, North American head of foreign exchange strategy at CIBC. Still, Rai said the impact on the currency should be ephemeral as bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and Canada is small.

So far this year, Canada has exported $1.4 billion in merchandise goods to Saudi Arabia and imported $2 billion, according to Statistics Canada data.

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SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OF  Samsung Electronics plans to spend a whopping US$22 billion over the next three years on artificial intelligence, auto components and other future businesses as the company maps out its strategy under the restored leadership of vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong after he was freed from prison.

The announcement Wednesday by South Koreas biggest business group was welcome news, coming at a time of deepening unease over slowing growth in Asias fourth largest economy. It also highlights that South Koreas decades-old reliance on big businesses for jobs and investments is unlikely to end anytime soon since the country lacks a strong pool of small and medium-sized companies found in Japan or Germany.

Samsung said it will spend the sum, amounting to 25 trillion won, on hiring artificial intelligence researchers in about 1,000 artificial intelligence centres around the world, on ensuring it will be a global player in next generation telecoms technology called 5G and on deepening its involvement in electronic components for future cars.

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Samsung expects innovations powered by AI technology will drive the industrys transformation, while the next-generation 5G telecommunications technology will create new opportunities in autonomous driving, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics, the company said in a statement.

Some of the funding will go to Samsungs biopharmaceutical businesses. Samsung has been beefing up its contract drug making operations to help counter a potential decline in its mainstay electronics businesses.

South Korea relies heavily on Samsung and its affiliated companies for investment and jobs, even after a corruption scandal that resulted in Lees conviction for bribery. Lee was freed after nearly a year in jail but former president Park Geun-hye and a close associate remain imprisoned for bribery and other charges.

Lee kept a low profile after his release in February, but has been emerging in his public role in recent weeks. The most notable appearance was in India, where Lee met with President Moon Jae-in and Samsung announced plans to expand its smartphone production there.

Including the latest plan, spending by Samsung Electronics and its affiliates on research and development and capital expenditures over the next three years will amount to 180 trillion won ($161 billion), Samsung said. Of that total, 130 trillion won will stay in South Korea, the company said. The rest will likely be distributed to China, Vietnam and other production lines overseas.

Samsung also said Wednesday that it plans to create 20,000 more jobs over the next three years, on top of a previously announced 20,000 new jobs. The new investment is expected to indirectly lead to about 700,000 jobs in related industries and businesses in South Korea, Samsung said without giving a time frame.

No company in South Korea can match Samsungs scale in investment or job creation. But even by Samsungs standard, the size of the investment announced Wednesday was huge. In 2010, under the leadership of Lees father, Lee Kun-hee, who was then in charge of the group, Samsung had said it would spend 23 trillion won over the following 10 years on future businesses.

South Korean voters weary of scandals and critical of big businesses like Samsung elected President Moon to replace Park after she was ousted.

Moon pledged to reform outdated practices and abuses in politics and in business and appointed a critic of big conglomerates, known as chaebols, to lead South Koreas fair-trade commission.

Such moves raised hopes for change, but more than a year after taking office Moons administration is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the economy. Youth unemployment rates are at historic highs and exports, apart from the booming memory chip sector, have been slow to recover. Moons approval rates have fallen to around 60 per cent for the first time, the lowest level since he took office.

Samsungs investment announcement came two days after the finance minister visited a Samsung computer chip factory, where he touted Samsungs importance in South Koreas economy.

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CALGARYAlberta is putting greater emphasis on a companys performance when awarding highway maintenance contracts, although Transportation Minister Brian Mason insists the change isnt connected to the collapse of a former maintenance giant in the province.

Companies bidding on a highway maintenance contract have traditionally been graded very heavily  95 per cent  on how much their bid will cost the province, Mason told reporters at a news conference.

Going forward, Alberta Transportation will lower the emphasis on cost to 60 per cent, with 40 per cent going to a companys performance: whether its able to properly maintain highways and work alongside local communities.

This we believe, especially in light of the Carillion situation, is an outdated approach that does not reflect current industry best practices or promote innovation, Mason said of the provinces old system.

It also tends to result in success for whichever contractor submits the lowest bid, despite potentially being unable to deliver the services that are required.

Carillion Canada, an offshoot of the British construction giant, once held contracts for about 40 per cent of Albertas highway maintenance. It went into receivership last January, and a B.C. company has since taken on its contract.

Alberta highway maintenance companies and the provincial government have said Carillion was notorious for lowballing on bids to the point where it endangered profit margins.

But Mason said changing the system wasnt a recent idea.

Actually, I asked the department to start looking into these ideas a couple of years ago, and its taken a while, he said, adding the situation with Carillion forced Alberta Transportation to switch gears and deal with it first.

The government will also lower the time span on new highway maintenance contracts from 10 years to seven, with the option for a three-year extension if a company lives up to expectations.

Contracts for 10 of Albertas 25 highway maintenance areas are due to be re-tendered later this year.

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CALGARYA provincial grant program has given $850,000 this year to support dozens of womens initiatives related to entrepreneurship, leadership, and advocacy.

The Status of Women Community Grants  started in 2017  gave up to $50,000 to 32 different projects run by non-profit organizations across Alberta. Grant money is intended to either start or maintain programs aimed at improving the lives of women.

Were doing this because we know when women succeed, families succeed  as do their communities  and Alberta succeeds, said Danielle Larivee, Minister of Status of Women, at a press conference on Tuesday. The 32 projects weve announced today will help women get good jobs and training, increase the number of women in leadership roles, and help prevent violence against women and girls.

One of these programs  the Womens Centre of Calgary  received nearly $30,000 to develop and pilot a leadership program for adult women. Susan Gillies, the centres executive director, said they wouldnt have been able to start it without the grant.

We wouldnt have enough staff time available to pilot them, she said. Were a pretty small staffed organization, so if we want to start something new, we have to find new resources.

The funds will also ensure part-time staff at the centre can be paid the extra hours theyll need to run the program.

Gillies said the funding is a relief to womens organizations in the province.

Alberta was a long time behind getting any status of women funding, so its been very nice to have those small amounts available, she said.

Another initiative which secured funding Stride Advocacy  currently helps marginalized and poor Edmontonians navigate institutions like social services, housing, and the court system. But the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, which runs Stride, will be able to expand it to Calgary, Lethbridge and St. Paul thanks to government support.

Our hope is that the government of Alberta will see the value in this important work and equip us with further capacity and resources to ensure that Stride is able to reach across the province, be a space for women to come together and strengthen the essence of their community, and address issues of sexual exploitation, poverty, and isolation, said Tisha Raj, projects and communications co-ordinator with the John Humphrey Centre.

The Status of Women grants are also focused at bringing more women into entrepreneurship. Yvonne Chiu, a member of the Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative  which provides health and social supports for newcomers to Edmonton  said its starting a partnership with the University of Alberta and several local businesspeople to bring more women into entrepreneurship.

Were looking to build lots of relationships and (help) make visible our womens talents, and hopefully help them generate some income, said Chiu. The co-operative has received $50,000 from the grant.

Minister Larivee said a third round of Status of Women grants will be announced in the coming weeks, although she didnt give any details. Gillies said that shell look over the guidelines when theyre released.

If thats a good fit, well certainly apply, Gillies said.

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CALGARYFlight dispatchers are the latest WestJet employees to try to join a union.

Roughly a week after 3,000 WestJet flight crew joined the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA) said it had filed to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to represent 78 flight dispatchers at the airline. Russ Williams, national president of CALDA, said in a statement flight dispatchers are eager to begin negotiations.

WestJet flight dispatchers are excited to embark on the next chapter of the WestJet story and look forward to working with leadership to establish their first collective agreement, while continuing to contribute to the success of the airline as proud WestJet owners, the statement said.

WestJet said it will stand by their employees decision to unionize.

We respect the right of our dispatcher work group to choose their preferred means of representation and will look to work constructively and productively with CALDA and our dispatchers going forward, WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart said in an email.

Relations between WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents around 1,500 pilots at the company, have been tense in recent months. Negotiations for the unions first contract broke down last May and nearly led to a strike, although both sides later agreed to a settlement process. Pilots with WestJets ultralow cost carrier Swoop are also unionized.

CALDA represents just under 300 flight dispatchers at Air Canada, Jazz Airlines, First Air, Sunwing and Air Transat.

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CALGARYA foreign national is dead after going into medical distress during an altercation with Canada Border Services Agency officers Tuesday in Calgary.

In a press release Wednesday morning, CBSA Prairie Acting Regional Director General Nina Patel said an altercation took place between the individual and the two CBSA officers on board a flight from Calgary prior to its departure.

The man went into medical distress and was transported to hospital where he was later pronounced deceased, Patel said.

This case is currently under Calgary Police Service investigation with the full co-operation of the CBSA, she said.

A CPS spokesperson said an autopsy is scheduled for the man today to determine the cause of death.

He did not provide details about the mans age, nationality or how the altercation took place.

He said Calgary police may provide an update on the cause of death and other details about the altercation, depending on the results of the autopsy.

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When Peter Hadjis opened the Palace Restaurant on Pape Ave., just north of Danforth Ave. in 1983, there werent many Greek restaurants on The Danforth strip.

Next to us were mostly fruit markets and clothing businesses. It was mixed, Italians and Greeks, some Chinese. Thats it, said Hadjis.

Now, 35 years later, the Danforth is known as Greektown and is home to the citys biggest annual food festival  Taste of the Danforth  which celebrates its 25th year this weekend from Friday evening until Sunday night at 10 p.m. And Hadjis, now 78, has become a neighbourhood fixture. Hes chatty, warm and always eager to talk about food. Passersby stop to say hello. Guests at his restaurant brag online about lucking out when he tends to their table.

But in spite of marking a milestone, this years celebration is bittersweet as it comes three weeks after a gunman fired shots into the neighbourhood, killing two people, 10-year-old Julianna Kozis and 18-year-old Reese Fallon, and injuring 13 others. It is also the 100th anniversary of the 1918 anti-Greek riots that targeted the Greek community in Torontos downtown core.

The riots  that were marked in a ceremony and photo display at City Hall last week  are not well known to many Torontonians. But they inadvertently shaped the citys future, leading to the east end creation of Greektown and the food festival that organizers say draws more than a million visitors in recent years, generating millions of dollars for the local economy and charities across the GTA.

The riots began in early August 1918, a few months before the First World War officially ended, when a drunk and belligerent veteran was kicked out of the Greek-owned White City Cafe on Yonge St. near Carlton St.

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It just so happened that a convention for war veterans was taking place in the city and word got out that one of their own had been disrespected. Soon thousands of people (accounts vary from 5,000 to 20,000) descended on that intersection and for three days looted and destroyed the Greek businesses in the area.

Tensions were already high between the Greek community and those patriotic to Canadas war effort. Greece had remained neutral during the first years of the war and its government didnt allow Greek nationals abroad to fight in the war if they did not have citizenship in their new countries. However, people believed they were unpatriotic, which led to feelings of resentment toward the small community of a few thousand Greek immigrants.

Still, the damage was done and the Greeks abandoned what is now the citys downtown core.

The 1960s and 70s saw the largest influx of Greek immigrants to Toronto, spurred on by political and economic instability in Greece. A 1976 article in the Star estimates about 30,000 mostly first-generation Greeks settled on the Danforth. There didnt seem to be a particular reason why the Danforth was chosen, but a 1984 Star article on Little Athens (as it was dubbed back then) quotes a Greek business owner:

Who can say why we located here? One guy opens a shop and it starts. Like other ethnic groups we were short on the language. So we located where we could find affordable housing, buy necessities and speak our language. Now we know English, so theres a great deal of movement all over.

In 1994, a year after the local Business Improvement Area officially gave the neighbourhood its Greektown moniker, 23 restaurants along the Danforth got togethermainly Greek and Italianto offer sample-sized bites to passersby to promote their businesses during the slow summer months, creating the first Taste of the Danforth. About 5,000 visitors came to the small festival, organizers say.

For a few years, it was nothing special, says Hadjis, who remembers serving dolma, moussaka and roasted lamb at the first event. It was very few businesses from Chester to Pape (Aves.) and it was about getting people to know the area and try the food they wouldnt know how to order.

The idea caught on and Taste of the Danforth become one of Torontos first food festivals, predating Taste of Little Italy and Ribfest, which both started in 1999.

By 1996, the festival got so big that the streets had to be closed for the first time.

Now Taste of the Danforth stretches two kilometres along the strip from Broadview to Donlands Aves. The food also goes beyond Greek and Italian bites, reflecting the changing demographics of the neighbourhood with plates that include Chinese sesame balls filled with read bean paste, Turkish pizzas, Japanese gyozas, Jamaican-inspired jerk chicken pierogies, Indian butter chicken, Filipino halo-halo and Mexican tacos and street corn.

Whatever youll try, its good. Thats the important thing, says Hadjis. People like it and are coming back, telling their friends and family. People arent disappointed.

He predicts this years festival will be the best, adding that people have already made a point of dining specifically on the Danforth in the last weeks to show unity with the neighbourhood in the wake of the gun attack.

The festivals opening ceremonies on Friday will include a moment of silence for the victims of the shooting as well as acknowledgement of the first responders and civilians who attended to the injured.

What happened was a tragedy, so I think people are going to think positive, said Hadjis. People are going to come out and support that were in a good city. Were going to be OK. When people come here, they have to know that we have to come together like a family.
MONTREALSaudi students in Canadian universities have been given four weeks to pack their bags and leave the country, two senior university officials said Tuesday.

Universities across the country were scrambling to get information after Saudi Arabia suspended scholarships to Canada and planned to relocate its students already here.

University of Toronto vice-provost Joseph Wong said Saudi students have received notification telling them they have a month to finish their studies and leave Canada.

I understand this is what is being circulated to students, Wong told The Canadian Press. Im hearing from other universities in Canada that their students have been (receiving notices).

I have never heard of anything like this before.

Media reports suggested Saudi Arabia would cancel scholarships for more than 15,000 students currently attending school in Canada.

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Wong pointed out that Universities Canada, a consortium of the countrys universities and colleges, has expressed its concerns to Ottawa about the future of Saudi students.

His university has 77 undergraduate and graduate students from Saudi Arabia, both new and returning, for the 2018-2019 school year.

It also has 216 medical residents and fellows from Saudi Arabia who are being trained in hospitals affiliated with the university under a long-standing program.

In Saskatchewan, another university official also mentioned the four-week deadline that more than 150 Saudi students at the University of Regina are facing.

The students have been asked by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to continue their studies if they are currently registered in the spring and summer session, but to deregister or cancel their registration for the fall of 2018 and to leave Canada within four weeks of the departure of the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh, said Livia Castellanos, the universitys associate vice-president (international).

Castellanos has worked in Canadian universities for 20 years and also said she has never seen something like this.

Im very surprised that this decision has been made so quickly, especially because many of them have not concluded their studies, she said. They will not be travelling home with a degree, or with a masters degree or a PhD.

Castellanos said the university found out from students who are being sponsored by their families that they also are being asked to leave Canada.

I think the students are in shock right now  they havent really understood what will happen and what their next steps are, she added.

Montreals McGill University said it is actively working with its partners to gather information and assess the impact of the move on institutions and individual students alike.

It said it had 327 students from Saudi Arabia during the 2017-2018 academic year.

The University of British Columbia said its president, Santa J. Ono, was also working to clarify the situation and determine how many current and incoming UBC students might be affected.

We will provide those students with appropriate support as needed, he stated in an email.

York University, meanwhile, said 115 Saudi students are currently enrolled and that it is also awaiting further information.

It added that the universitys immediate focus will be to support its students, adding it will be reaching out to them over the next few days.

Also on Tuesday, the gulf between Ottawa and Saudi Arabia widened to encompass travel as the Middle Eastern countrys state airline announced it was suspending operations in Canada.

A tweet from Saudia announced its routes operating between the two countries would cease to function in a matter of days, marking the latest escalation in the spat that erupted over the weekend.

All Saudia flights from/to Toronto, Canada will be suspended starting from 13 Aug 2018, the airline wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

Castellanos said that would make it even more difficult for the students to leave.

I think its going to be difficult for everybody who is either vacationing, studying, leaving or commuting from Canada to Saudi Arabia, she added.

The airline currently operates at least two routes flying out of Torontos Pearson International Airport  one to the Saudi capital city of Riyadh, the other to the city of Jeddah.

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OTTAWAThe sudden deterioration in the Saudi-Canadian relationship is likely grabbing the attention of people in the city of London, Ont., more than anywhere else in the country.

The citys General Dynamics Land Systems plant has been supplying light armoured vehicles to Saudi security forces, thanks to a huge, $15-billion contract signed by the federal government in 2014.

The 14-year arms deal, which directly employs 2,000 people, was described at the time by the previous federal Conservative government as the largest advanced manufacturing export contract in Canadian history.

Many are now wondering if Canadas contract with Saudi Arabia  which is also highly controversial  could be at risk.

Over the weekend, a diplomatic dispute prompted Saudi Arabia to freeze new trade and investment deals with Canada, expel Ottawas ambassador and recall its own envoy. Its also cancelling scholarships for more than 15,000 Saudi students attending Canadian universities, which will yank away big economic benefits Canada reaps from international tuition fees.

The moves came in retaliation to a Canadian government tweet that said it was gravely concerned about the arrests of civil society and womens activists in the Saudi kingdom.

In London, there are worries about the potential economic fallout from the conflict.

Its definitely concerning, said Jim Reid, a union leader who represents nearly 500 workers at the General Dynamics facility in London  an area thats seen major factory closures over the years.

It is now the largest employer in the London region ... Its basically the last big show weve got.

Reid, president of Unifors Local 27, said the operation supports up to 7,000 spinoff jobs and he hopes the Saudi government will continue to live up to its existing contract.

Reid said there are several factors playing in the agreements favour: the Saudis would have to pay penalties if they walk away from the deal, a pullout could hurt the countrys reputation with other international trading partners and, perhaps most importantly, Riyadh wants the model of armoured vehicle thats produced in London.

Hopefully, this thing blows over, said Reid, who noted his union fully supports Ottawas decision to call out human rights abuses and abuses against women in Saudi Arabia.

Canadas arms trade to Saudi Arabia, which is led by what is widely viewed as a deeply repressive regime, has raised numerous complaints from human rights and arms-control groups.

Since the diplomatic feud erupted on Sunday, the federal Liberal government has said it stands by its decision to communicate its human-rights concerns with Saudi Arabia.

Were going to stand with the values that we know are important for Canadians, and Saudi Arabia will take the decisions that they will take, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Tuesday when asked whether the spat could imperil the General Dynamics agreement.

Doug Wilson-Hodge, manager of corporate affairs for General Dynamics, said Tuesday that the company wont comment because the matter is between Ottawa and Saudi Arabia.

Many folks in London were searching for answers Tuesday.

Local people are understandably very upset  Ive had lots of calls, said Irene Mathyssen, the New Democrat MP in whose riding the General Dynamics plant is located.

In light of the jobs and the families that are depending on the jobs ... we hope that indeed this current deal continues to hold up.

Mathyssen said its unclear whether the existing agreement, as well as an additional maintenance contract, will be fulfilled.

While the General Dynamics jobs are critical for her community, she also questioned why Canada now exports military equipment to non-NATO countries like Saudi Arabia, which she said has a spotty human rights record. Ottawa should stop doing business with unreliable partners and stick to conducting trade with its allies, Mathyssen said.

Last year, Canadian exports to Saudi Arabia were almost $1.5 billion, while imports from the Middle Eastern country were about $2.6 billion.

Rex Brynen, a political science professor at McGill University, said the armoured vehicles contract was a big deal for Canada, which is why the Liberals  who inherited it from their Tory predecessors  agreed to uphold it despite clear human rights concerns.

Brynen, an expert in Middle East politics, said at first he didnt think the Saudis would abandon the deal, but is reconsidering that position after they took the major step of cancelling thousands of scholarships to Canada.

The Saudis have seriously inconvenienced 15,000 of their citizens in order to make a point and, given the unpredictability of Saudi foreign policy, I think its anyones guess what might happen to that deal.

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FREDERICTONA 43-year-old New Brunswick man has died after being stung by a wasp, although his family says he had not previously displayed signs of an allergy.

Daniel Koch was looking under a table to locate a wasps nest at his property in Maple Grove, N.B., on Friday when a wasp flew out and stung him on the face.

His father, Terry Koch, said Daniel collapsed within minutes.

The family keeps bees on the property, so EpiPens were on site, but the reaction came on too quickly. Daniel died en route to the hospital after Terry administered an EpiPen and performed CPR.

The coroner told the family that Daniel, a father of one, died from a severe allergic reaction to a sting, causing his air passages to close.

Terry described him as a quiet, thoughtful man who put others needs before his own  he was looking for the wasp nest because his mother was stung earlier in the week.

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But Terry said his son was in good health, and despite being stung by a wasp as recently as last year, Daniel had never shown signs of a severe allergy to stings.

Actually, when the rest of us got a cold, wed go to the doctor. When he got a cold, hed fight it and he always won. I always thought his health was pretty good, said Terry.

Stories like Daniels are uncommon but not unheard of. In 2014, Lucie Roussel, the mayor of La Prairie, Que., died after being stung at least 15 times in the garden of her home, despite never being diagnosed with an allergy.

Allergy specialists say its rare to have a fatal allergic reaction without previous symptoms, but its not uncommon to develop allergies at any stage of life.

David Fischer, president of Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, said about one per cent of the population is at risk of an allergic reaction to insect stings.

Cases like Kochs are rare, as many patients have experienced hives or other signs of an allergy before.

It is unusual to have the reaction the way its described ... but certainly one per cent of the population could have a reaction to their next sting. The problem is you cant really do any screening for that, said Fischer.

Allergies can appear at any age, but Fischer said most cases of fatal or near-fatal reactions to insect stings involve adults over 40, when people are more likely to be on heart medications like beta blockers, or have an underlying narrowing of the coronary artery.

Dr. Donald Stark, an allergist and professor at the University of British Columbia, said the location of the sting can escalate the reaction. In Daniel Kochs case, the wasp may have inserted the venom into an artery in his face, making him react more rapidly.

There is an effective allergy desensitization treatment for reactions to insect stings, and Stark said the treatment can be 95 per cent effective.

But there have been recent manufacturing problems for the treatment, making it difficult for patients to access.

Stark said this shortage, combined with the current shortage of adult EpiPens in Canada, puts patients with severe insect allergies in a bind, especially during a month when wasps are particularly active.

Its a double whammy because if you dont have the desensitization we said, Well, youd better carry an EpiPen so you know how to treat yourself, and now were having a hard time getting those as well, said Stark.

It is a big problem, and Ive certainly got a lot of anxious patients.

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OTTAWAIn his biggest political gambit yet, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is relocating to the West Coast to run for a soon-to-be-vacant seat in Burnaby, B.C.

The former Brampton MPP, whose political life began when he spearheaded a suburban GTA breakthrough for the Ontario NDP seven years ago, said he is committed to the citizens of Burnaby South  regardless of whether he runs in a byelection or has to wait for the 2019 general election to vie for a seat in the House of Commons.

This government hasnt done what people need, Singh said, speaking to reporters at a rally in the suburban city east of Vancouver.

He attacked the Liberal government in Ottawa on a number of fronts, accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of betrayal by breaking his promise to change the electoral system, and of failing to address income inequality, a lack of affordable housing and the need for universal pharmacare.

We dare to believe that this is not as good as it gets, Singh said. It starts here. It starts today.

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Singhs announcement ends months of repeated questions about when and where he would try to win a seat. Over the 10 months since he won the NDP leadership, Singh has said he is comfortable on the sidelines of Parliament, as he toured Canada and held a series of events dubbed JagMeet and Greets.

Pressure mounted, however, during a challenging stretch for the NDP this year. Two NDP MPs were accused of inappropriate behaviour, Singh was forced to address a controversy over rallies he had attended, and the partys standing in the polls stalled.

The opportunity to run in Burnaby South emerged when the incumbent MP, Kennedy Stewart, announced he will resign his seat in September to run for mayor of Vancouver.

Singh said Wednesday that he wants to win the seat to push the government on issues such as the environment and affordable housing, rather than as an effort to boost the NDPs popularity. He said he can use his platform as national leader to highlight local issues, such as opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion  Burnaby, home to the lines terminus on Burrard Inlet, has become a hotbed of protests against the project  and demand for more health-care spending that could help build a new hospital in the city.

These are the issues that impact the people here in Burnaby South, and Im committed to fighting hard on those issues, Singh said.

Farouk Karim, a former NDP press secretary who worked on Quebec MP Guy Carons leadership campaign last year, said Singhs decision to run in Burnaby South is a smart gamble. By winning the seat in a byelection, the NDP leader would increase his familiarity with Canadians in the crucial lead-up to the 2019 election. A successful run would also highlight a policy contrast with the Liberals on Trans Mountain, a key issue for left-leaving voters who value the environment, he said.

For the NDP to do well in the next election, they will have to appeal to progressive voters and to environmentalists who voted for Trudeau last time, Karim said.

But its not clear the riding will be a slam dunk for Singh. The NDP won a tight, three-way contest there in 2015, when Stewart beat the second-place Liberal candidate by 547 votes.

This time around, the wild card will be when the prime minister decides to call a byelection in the riding, said Stewart, who will officially resign his seat on Sept. 14. After that, Trudeau has 180 days to call a byelection  though in the past, such as in Ottawa Centre in 2004, byelections in the waning months before a federal election have been postponed until the general vote.

The timing is up to the prime minister, said Karl Belanger, a former NDP strategist and president of the Douglas-Caldwell Foundation, who pointed out Mulcairs former seat in Montreals Outremont riding could also be among the vacant ridings to host a byelection in the coming months.

I think that if (the Liberals) have a chance to take out Singh and take out Outremont, they will do their best to do so, he said.

Braeden Caley, spokesperson for the Liberal Party, said the party welcomes the opportunity to present a candidate whenever a riding is vacant. We wish Mr. Singh well as his partys candidate in the riding, he said, and were looking forward to a positive campaign to contrast our ideas with the other parties.

Regardless of when the election happens, both Belanger and Karim said its a contest the NDP leader cant afford to lose.

Failure is not an option, Karim said.

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The forced departure of Saudi students studying in Canada will strike a blow to our health care system, experts say.

In the wake of diplomatic tensions between the Saudi government and Canada, the kingdom has suspended scholarships for 16,000 students studying in Canada and ordered them to attend schools elsewhere.

More than 200 medical residents and fellows from the University of Torontos faculty of medicine are from Saudi Arabia.

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There are so many Saudi-sponsored physicians who are here and form a huge part of who performs patient care in Ontario hospitals, said Dr. Caroline Just, a neurology resident physician in London, Ont.

Cuts to funding, combined with an increase in patients, have created a gap filled by foreign medical trainees, Just said.

Patients certainly need these physicians to be here, she said. That gap has been filled by foreign-sponsored residents, a lot of whom are Saudi  not exclusively  but a lot.

Just said there will now be the same number of patients, but with less doctors to treat them.

This will be a very sudden rescinding of a lot of medical manpower, she said. I think it will be very, very challenging and probably put a lot of strain on patients and other doctors.

U of T has trained more than a thousand Saudi doctors over the last four decades, said Salvatore Spadafora, a professor in the schools department of anesthesia and vice dean for post-MD education.

They have enriched our programs and gone home and enriched their own programs, Spadafora said. Theyve worked hard and cared for people here, and go back and do the same.

Its an unfortunate situation that were hoping can be rectified.

U of Ts faculty of medicine has 216 Saudi medical residents and fellows working in affiliated hospitals across the city. Fifty fellows and 36 residents work at University Health Network through U of Ts faculty of medicine.

This is a very difficult time for these students who have come to Canada to study and we hope that this can be resolved, the health networks spokesperson Gillian Howard said in an email.

Howard said staff physicians and trainees will need to cover holes in schedules left by the departure of the Saudis, which will be difficult.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has committed to 61 trainees from Saudi Arabia for this academic year. Currently, 30 are actively working at Sunnybrook.

A small IT training firm in Scarborough is also reeling from the news.

The Techno Canada Centre of Excellence was hosting 10 Saudi students for a six-week training course set to end just days before Saudi Arabia ordered its students to leave Canadian schools.

Basu Mukherjee, the director of the school, said the order to Saudi students to leave is a devastating hit to his business, which has received contracts from the Islamic University of Medina for the last two years.

Mukherjees students were at his institute for a six-week course that was set to end Aug. 16. He said they are in a rush to get everything done before Aug. 13, the last day Saudi Airlines are flying out of Canada.

Mukherjee said he is working with students in the evening to cover materials they wont be able to get to, but says he will likely have to refund part of the course tuition. Mukherjee also laid off two contract workers he hired to teach the cohort of Saudi students.

The students, Mukherjee said, were very, very disappointed.

They are mostly teenagers, they were having fun, going downtown, you know what teenagers do, he said. They feel liberated in country like this. They meet girls, they go out, they were learning and its all stopped now.

In Montreal, there are 225 Saudi medical residents based out of the McGill University Health Centres network of hospitals, out of a total of about 1,250 residents.

A spokesperson for the MUHC said in an interview that she had little information on how many of those students would be forced to leave the country and their positions, nor when those departures may occur.

The situation is evolving and we are of course evaluating the impact on our services and on our programs, said Gilda Salomone, a spokesperson for the McGill University Health Centre.

I suspect, yes, there will be an impact, but i couldnt tell you what kind of impact thats going to be.

At Montreals French-language hospital network, the Centre hospitalier de lUniversite de Montreal, there are only about a dozen medical residents from Saudi Arabia who could be affected by the diplomatic dispute.

McGill University said there are a total of 327 students who attended the university in the last academic year but it is too soon to tell how many will be returning this coming year.

McGill University is actively working with its partner institutions ... to gather information about, and assess the impact on both individual students and institutions of the recent announcement by the government of Saudi Arabia with respect to Saudi students in Canada, the school said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the provinces health ministry told La Presse that there is no cause for concern at the moment because the medical residents and foreign-born medical fellows are considered to be supplementary to the basic staffing requirements of the hospitals.

They are a benefit for the network, but the hospitals are able to function without their presence, Marie-Claude Lacasse told the newspaper.

The diplomatic row was triggered by a tweet from Global Affairs Canada urging the Saudis to immediate release peaceful human rights activists detained in the kingdom.

Mukherjee said he thinks Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freelands move to stand up for human rights is honourable, but is afraid for institutions like his losing out on business opportunities.

If were not there, then somebody else will fill our shoes.

InWith files from Allan Woods

Premila DSa is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @premila_dsa

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Officers and civilian staff at Toronto police 42 Division came together to give brand new bikes and toys to the two young girls hurt in a Scarborough playground shooting earlier this summer.

The staff took up a collection to buy gifts for the sisters, aged 5 and 9.

A few hours were spent with the two girls when they had presented the bikes and the gifts, police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante told the Star on Tuesday.

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Mommy, am I going to die?

The June 14 shooting at Alton Towers Circle, near McCowan Rd. and McNicoll Ave., shocked the city and spurred public debate on gun violence in Toronto.

The 5-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen and her older sister was shot in the ankle. While they are healing physically, their mother Stacey King said last month the children remain traumatized.

King spoke last month to the citys public health board on growing community violence.

My 5-year-old got shot in the stomach, King said. We dont even know if shes ever going to have kids. You know what she said to me that day? Mommy, am I going to die? For a 5-year-old to know that, that is so wrong . . .

Those who would fire into a playground . . . full of kids playing with so little care dont deserve to be among us here in the society that we are building, Mayor John Tory said shortly after the incident in June.

You will be caught, you will face the full weight of the justice system and you will not terrorize our city and our neighbourhoods, Tory said, in a direct message to the suspects.

Sheldon Eriya, 21, of Markham, alleged to be the driver of the suspect vehicle, was arrested on June 15 and charged with two counts of attempted murder.

Police are still looking for Tarrick Rhoden and TQuan Robertson, both 23 and from Toronto.
The Toronto police officer who allegedly refused to help stop a young mans suicide in High Park should stand trial, on evidence a Crown prosecutor says shows the cop knowingly avoided a duty of vital importance.

In recently filed documents at the Ontario Court of Appeal, Crown prosecutor Milan Rupic outlines the case for an appeal of a lower courts decision to quash Const. Kyle Upjohns criminal trial  a January ruling that found his failure to act did not constitute breach of trust.

Upjohn, an officer with a decade on the force, was charged with the offence in connection to the February 2016 death of 19-year-old Alexandre Boucher. The officer had been in his marked police vehicle in High Park that afternoon when a concerned citizen alerted him to a young man hanging himself in the park.

Instead of helping, Upjohn falsely claimed he was on another call, told the man to dial 911, then drove away, according to a summary of evidence in a decision released earlier this year by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell.

Upjohn was subsequently dispatched to the call hed driven away from, and Boucher was later pronounced dead.

The officer was initially charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life, but the charges were withdrawn. Upjohn was later charged with breach of trust  a charge thats laid when an official is accused of violating the standard of conduct and responsibility demanded by his position.

While she noted Upjohns decision may have put his own comfort or needs before the good of the public, Forestell concluded his behaviour was not enough evidence to prove a breach of trust, and she quashed the case before it could go to trial. Her decision was itself a reversal of a lower courts decision finding sufficient evidence for the case to proceed.

In his appeal to the provinces highest court, Rupic argues Forestell erred in her decision to quash the trial. Among her errors, Rupic said, was in failing to consider the whole of the evidence when it came to Upjohns intent.

Upjohns lawyer, Gary Clewley, had argued that a breach of trust case required evidence that the accused had a dishonest or corrupt ulterior purpose for avoiding the call, and there was no such evidence in Upjohns case. Forestell agreed.

But Rupic argued that when viewed as a whole, the evidence in fact supports the inference that Upjohn knowingly avoided a duty of vital importance by means of a deceit.

The evidence also supports the inference that in avoiding his duty (Upjohn) was knowingly untrustworthy, and that his purpose in breaching his duty was not for the public good, Rupic writes.

Looking at the evidence as a whole, the judge at the preliminary inquiry had ample basis to conclude that the evidence permitted an inference that (Upjohn) had acted with a subjective intent of dishonesty.

Rupic adds a trier of fact, such as a judge, could reasonably draw inferences about Upjohns state of mind, including that he knew he had a vital duty to respond, and that his failure to do so was a grave breach of his duty.

Clewley, Upjohns lawyer, has not yet filed a response to Rupics arguments. Reached Tuesday, Clewley declined to comment, saying his written response would do the talking.

Upjohn remains suspended with pay, and is accused of three counts of misconduct under Ontarios Police Services Act stemming from the incident, including neglect of duty. Tribunal documents allege the officer refused to help a concerned citizen who was trying to enlist Upjohns assistance to intervene in the suicide.

You told the citizen that you were on call and that he should call 911. This advice was inconsiderate, disingenuous, and not in keeping with the Toronto Police Service customer service strategy, reads a document outlining the allegations before the tribunal.

The allegations have not been tested at the tribunal. The appeal is scheduled to be heard in November.

With Star files
Mobster Rocco Perris family in Hamilton and Australia say the federal government is withholding vital information that would connect them to what they call the bootleggers lost mega-fortune.

Its a legit estate, said Andrew Monterosso, 53, who said he is Perris great-great nephew, in a telephone interview from his home in Canberra, Australia.

Its not criminal money.

Perri and his estate have been a mystery since he vanished on April 23, 1944 while visiting a Hamilton relative in the citys north end.

Perri complained of a headache that morning and went for a walk on Murray St, W., near James St. N.

He never returned.

Some say Perri, a former Toronto and Hamilton resident, was scooped up and murdered that day by underworld rivals  a popular joke in Hamilton was that his body would be found encased in concrete once the waters of the harbour cleared up.

Others  including Perris Hamilton and Australian relatives  say he quietly fled Canada and amassed a legal fortune in real estate in Mexico and the United States before dying of natural causes in 1953. Monterosso said Perri quietly lived his final days under the name of Giuseppe Portolesi in Massena, N.Y.

Most of his money was made through properties and stuff like that, said Monterosso, a spokesperson for the group.

Monterosso and several Australian and Hamilton relatives have hired lawyers and written Ottawa in an attempt to collect what they say is their rightful inheritance.

The Perris of Hamilton and Australian say conversations have gone all the way up to Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Office, before being bounced back to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Please be assured that the time you have taken to write regarding the estate of Mr. Rocco Perri is appreciated and that your comments have been reviewed and given the appropriate consideration, Jerevan Singh, Trudeaus special assistant, wrote them on June 15, 2017. Since this matter falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your letter to her office. We are certain it will be given every consideration.

That was after Lebouthilliers office said that there are no records to hand over.

Lebouthilliers staff wrote a March 2017 reply to the Perris then lawyer Douglas Burns stating, Senior officials of the CRA have carefully reviewed Mr Rocco Perris file. They assure me that the only records in existence for this file are those associated with the recent communications with you and your client. There are no other documents or records held by the CRA with respect to Mr. Rocco Perri.

Monterosso said hes convinced there are records, somewhere.

Monterosso acknowledges that things were complicated because there wasnt a social insurance number or death certificate for Perri, who would be 130 if he were still alive.

The Hamilton and Australian branches of the Perri family say have been doing plenty of detective work of their own and say they have learned the post-tax Perri estate money was sent to the Italian government on November 27, 2008.

We had an informant inside the CRA who told us all of this, Monterosso said.

That final estate was eventually transferred to Italy because Perri was an Italian citizen, Monterosso said.

Monterosso said theres now a split between the Italian wing of Perris family and the Canadian and Australian branches over how to divvy up what he calls Perris legitimate fortune.

Ottawa could help settle things by providing details surrounding the money transfer to Italy, he said.

The Hamilton and Australian branches of the Perri family get frustrated when asked why they should be entitled to criminal money.

Robin Parisotto, another member of the familys Australian branch of the Perris, said Ottawa took a share of the estate in taxes before transferring the rest to Perri family members in Italy.

This could be proven with a federal document called a clearance certificate, which would show details of the money transfer from Canada, Parisotto said.

Parisotto wrote to the Star: It must be stated that if the accrued estate had been deemed as being acquired via illicit means (proceedings of crime) then surely no taxes would have been due on the estate as indicated by release of a Clearance Certificate, the funds would have been quarantined/sequestered into General Revenue and no one would ever have known about this.

Monterosso says hes not impressed with Ottawas response and doesnt plan to give up.

Rocco left behind a massive estate, even after Ottawa took out a chunk of taxes, Monterosso said.

Its phenomenal, he said of the sum, declining to provide an exact figure.

Perri supplied booze to the Chicago mob of Al Capone, at the time earning himself the title King of Ontario Bootleggers in The Toronto Daily Star.

He boasted to the Daily Star that he ran his business with guile, not violence.

My men do not carry guns, he told reporter David B. Rogers in an exclusive interview published on Nov. 19, 1924. If I find that they do, I get rid of them. It is not necessary. I provide them with high-powered cars. That is enough. If they cannot run away from the police it is their fault. But guns make trouble. My men do not use them.

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Hamilton police confirm one person is dead and three others are injured after a shooting early Wednesday in the central city.

Emergency crews were called to East Avenue North just north of King Street East, at 1:30 a.m.

Police say the three suffered non-life threatening injuries. Investigators are identifying the victim and will begin notifying their family.

Further details on the victims have not been released.

Police say they will release a suspect description when possible but the shooting does not appear to be a random act.

King Street remains closed between Emerald and East, but police believe it will be open soon. East Avenue between King and King William will remain closed for most of the day.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Ross Johnson of the Major Crime Unit by calling 905-546-3827.

Police are encouraging anyone with information or video in the area to come forward.

To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at crimestoppershamilton.com.
RICHMOND, VA.Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville on Wednesday declared a state of emergency ahead of the one-year anniversary of a violent white nationalist rally that left one person dead and dozens of others injured.

Officials said the declaration would streamline state and local operations this weekend while also allocating $2 million (U.S.) in state funds. The declaration authorizes the Virginia National Guard to assist in security efforts.

Law enforcement officials said there will be a heavy police presence meant to deter any violence.

Virginia State Police Superintendent Gary Settle said more than 700 state police will be activated during the weekend and state police is fully prepared to act to prevent any incidents such as those from last year.

Only one organizer of last summers rally in Charlottesville seems intent on publicly marking the anniversary. Jason Kessler has vowed to press ahead with plans for an Aug. 12 rally in Washington, D.C., after Charlottesville denied him a permit.

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Authorities faced unrelenting criticism for their handling of last years rally and an independent review that found serious police and government failures in responding to violence at the Unite the Right rally. It drew hundreds of white nationalists from across the country to the Virginia college town.

Chaos erupted before the event even began, with participants and counterprotesters brawling in the street. Later, a woman was killed when a car drove into a crowd protesting against the white nationalists, and dozens more were injured.

The man accused in that attack, James Alex Fields of Ohio, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Two state troopers who had been monitoring the event also were killed when their helicopter crashed.

The independent review by former U.S. attorney Tim Heaphy was sharply critical of both the city and state police, saying both failed to stand up to protect human life.

Several city officials left their jobs in the months after the rally. The city attorney took a new job, the city managers contract was not renewed, a spokesperson quit and the police chief, who was 50 at the time, retired after less than two years on the job.

Several peaceful events are planned in Charlottesville to commemorate last years event and promote racial healing. The city is planning to establish a defined security area downtown where weapons will be banned.

Charlottesville police Chief RaShall Brackney said the goal for that community is to have a peaceful weekend.
DAKAR, SENEGALEbola vaccinations began Wednesday for Congos latest outbreak of the deadly virus that has already claimed at least nine lives.

Health officials have warned that containing the outbreak in North Kivu province is complicated by the presence of multiple armed groups vying for mineral-rich land in the northeastern region that borders Uganda and Rwanda. Ebola screening of travellers at the Congo-Rwanda border was already in high gear, the World Health Organization said.

The latest outbreak, declared Aug. 1 in Mangina village in the Mabalako health zone, is Congos 10th outbreak since the virus was identified in 1976.

This outbreak now has 17 confirmed Ebola cases, 27 probable cases and 47 suspected ones.

Some 36 people have died from hemorrhagic fever amid the outbreak, but officials said many cannot be confirmed as Ebola deaths at this point.

Three thousand doses of the Ebola vaccine are being sent from Kinshasa, the capital, and will be used first in the Mabalako health zone and in the nearby city of Beni, which has more than 680,000 people.

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The experimental vaccine was used in an earlier, unrelated outbreak in Congos northwest that was declared over last month.

The first to be vaccinated are health workers, contacts of confirmed Ebola cases and their contacts in what is called a ring vaccination campaign. The strategy is the same that was used to contain the previous outbreak in Equateur province, with more than 3,300 people vaccinated.

The first people to be vaccinated on Wednesday included the Benis region chief doctor and medical staff. Other residents in Beni and Mangina will receive vaccinations Thursday, authorities said.

I will be very content to receive the vaccination tomorrow, Solange Mbambu said. When I see the doctors preparing the funerals for those who have died from Ebola, without their family, it gives me goose bumps.

Ebola jumps to humans from animals including bats and monkeys. It can be spread through contact of bodily fluids of someone infected, living or dead. There is no specific treatment, and the virus can be fatal in up to 90 per cent of cases, depending on the strain.

Genetic analysis confirmed the virus strain in this latest outbreak is the Zaire one.
ALEXANDRIA, VA.Paul Manaforts protege wrapped up his testimony Wednesday after implicating the former Trump campaign chairman and himself in financial crimes while also enduring stinging attacks on his character and credibility.

Rick Gates has been the governments star witness in Manaforts financial fraud trial, testifying how, at the behest of his longtime boss, he helped conceal millions of dollars in foreign income and submitted fake mortgage and tax documents.

Defence lawyers saw an opening to undermine his testimony by painting him as liar and a philanderer, getting him to admit to an extramarital affair and reminding jurors how he had lied to special counsel Robert Muellers team while working out a plea deal for himself.

The testimony, stretching across three days, created an extraordinary courtroom showdown between the two former Trump campaign aides who were indicted together by Mueller but who have since opted for radically different strategies: Manafort is the lone American charged by Mueller to opt for trial, whereas Gates pleaded guilty and agreed to co-operate by testifying against his former boss.

Neither man was charged in connection with their Trump campaign work, but the trial has nonetheless been a distraction for a president who insists Manafort was treated shabbily and who continues to publicly fume about Muellers investigation into potential ties between his associates and the Kremlin.

Prosecutors sandwiched the testimony of Gates around other witnesses who, in sometimes dry and detailed testimony, described Manaforts lavish spending and use of offshore accounts to stash Ukrainian political consulting fees.

A clothier said he sold Manafort more than $900,000 (U.S.) in suits, a bookkeeper says she helped disguise foreign income as a loan to reduce Manaforts tax burden and, on Wednesday, an FBI forensic accounting specialist said Manafort hid more than 30 offshore accounts in three types of currencies from the IRS.

But it was Gates testimony that has so far generated the most drama, as the witness admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his boss, confessed to an extramarital affair and turned in spectacular fashion against a longtime mentor.

Prosecutors relied on Gates to provide direct, first-hand support of the accusations against Manafort.

He told jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manaforts tax bill. He recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

Prosecutors sought to soften the blow of the cross-examination by asking Gates to acknowledge his own crimes, including a lie to Muellers team in February. But Gates nonetheless faced aggressive questioning by Manaforts lawyer, Kevin Downing, who at one point asked him, After all the lies youve told and the fraud youve committed, you expect this jury to believe you?

Downing made one last effort Wednesday to erode Gates credibility as he tried to confront him over whether he had engaged in four extramarital affairs, instead of just the one that he had admitted to earlier in the trial.

But after a lengthy conference between lawyers, Downing asked Gates only about the time span of his secret life.

Gates replied, I made many mistakes over many years before he stepped down from the witness stand.

Downing also sought to counter earlier testimony that Manafort had encouraged Gates to deceive authorities. He got Gates to acknowledge that Manafort told him to be truthful about offshore shell companies and bank accounts during a 2014 interview with the FBI.

The interview was part of an FBI investigation that sought to recover assets looted from the Ukrainian government under the rule of former President Viktor Yanukovych.

Gates said under questioning Wednesday that he told FBI agents and Justice Department lawyers about some of the offshore companies that contained millions of dollars in proceeds from their Ukrainian political work.

But prosecutor Greg Andres followed up by suggesting that Gates and Manafort were not fully truthful.

Did you tell the FBI that there was hidden income in those accounts? Andres asked.

No, I did not, Gates responded.

Once Gates finished testifying, prosecutors resumed trying to make their case through documentary evidence to demonstrate Manaforts control of offshore bank accounts containing millions of dollars. None of those accounts were reported to the IRS as required by U.S. law.

An FBI forensic accountant, Morgan Magionos, told jurors bank records from Cyprus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Kingdom revealed the accounts were connected to Manafort and his associates. She said Manaforts passport was used to open many of them in U.S. dollars, euros and British pounds.

Using charts, emails and financial and tax records, Magionos told jurors how she traced millions of dollars of payments for mortgages, home improvements, rugs and clothes back to his hidden foreign bank accounts. In one case, she alleged that foreign accounts were used by Manafort to pay for more than $3.5 million in home improvements.

Konstantin Kilimnik, a man prosecutors say has ties to Russian intelligence, was also among the beneficial owners of some of the companies. Kilimnik is charged along with Manafort with witness tampering in a separate case. Gates was also listed as an owner of several of the accounts.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III has interrupted prosecutors throughout the trial to encourage them to speed things along. He poked fun at himself Wednesday as he haggled with attorneys for 20 minutes over the number and type of charts prosecutors could present during the testimony of the FBI forensic accountant.

Judges should be patient. They made a mistake when they confirmed me. Im not very patient, so dont try my patience, Ellis said.

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATESSaudi Arabia says it has executed and crucified a Burma man convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday the execution was carried out in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

It said Elias Abulkalaam Jamaleddeen entered a Burma womans home firing a gun, then stabbed her to death. He was convicted of robbing her home and another home, attempted rape, and stealing firearms and ammunition.

The report said his conviction was upheld by the courts and his execution was endorsed by King Salman.

Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds top executioners, though what it calls crucifixions  in which the condemned is usually beheaded and then the body put on display, arms outstretched as if crucified  are rare.

Read more:

Pro-government Saudi Twitter account shares image of plane flying toward CN Tower amid spat with Canada

Saudi students given four weeks to leave Canada, even if studies not completed

Diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia escalates as flights, barley and wheat exports scrapped

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WASHINGTONThe U.S. will impose sanctions on Russia for its use of a nerve agent in an attempt to kill a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.

The U.S. State Department says Wednesday the sanctions will be imposed on Russia because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, in the British town of Salisbury in March.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poised by the substance.

Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions will take effect on or around Aug. 22, according to a statement from the State Department.

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CARACAS, VENEZUELAVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused two opposition legislators of having roles in the drone attack that Venezuelan officials have called an assassination attempt on the leader, and his allies are moving against the accused.

The head of Venezuelas pro-government constitutional assembly said he would have the body take up a proposal Wednesday to strip the lawmakers of their immunity from prosecution.

During a national television broadcast Tuesday night, Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects already arrested in the weekend attack pointed to key financiers and others, including Julio Borges, one of the countrys most prominent opposition leaders who is a lawmaker but is living in exile in Colombia.

Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The investigations point to him, Maduro said, though he provided no details on Borges alleged role.

Borges did not immediately comment on Maduros accusation.

The president also named opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens, who was seen in a video widely circulating on social media being arrested by Venezuelas political police force.

Critics of Maduros socialist government had said immediately after the attack that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opposition politicians as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuelas devastating economic collapse.

In the attack, two drones armed with explosives detonated near Maduro as he spoke outdoors during a military celebration Saturday evening. Images on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky at one blast and then hundreds of soldiers scrambling.

Prosecutors have arrested six people who face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism.

As elected lawmakers, Borges and Requesens enjoy immunity from prosecution under Venezuelan law. But Diosdado Cabello, the powerful socialist party leader and president of the National constitutional Assembly, said in a tweet that he planned to introduce legislation stripping lawmakers of this protection.

The events come as Venezuelas economy continues to hemorrhage and thousands flee to neighbouring nations seeking food and medical care. Maduro has grown increasingly isolated, with the United States and other foreign powers slapping economic sanctions on a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and criticizing his government as an autocratic regime.

The International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top 1 million per cent by years end.

Maduro spoke for two hours from the Miraflores Presidential Palace in a presentation using polished videos showing suspects and images of the drones exploding. One video included a purported confession by one handcuffed suspect, whose face was blurred out as explained the plot.

Maduro also held up military hats worn by soldiers with holes in them from debris the explosion. Several soldiers seated in the audience had white bandages on their heads, apparently injured in the assassination attempt.

The president also displayed wanted posters with names and pictures of other suspects who he said are living in the United States and Colombia.

Maduro said he would provide evidence to officials in both countries and ask for their co-operation handing over suspects who helped orchestrate and finance the attack.

I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices and direct responsible living in the state of Florida, Maduro said. I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump.

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It sounds like a flimsy excuse. But poppy seeds really can make you fail a drug test, both peer-reviewed scientific studies and unofficial experiments conducted by journalists have found. Because theyre derived from opium poppies, they sometimes contain traces of morphine  not enough to get you high, obviously, but potentially enough to register on a highly sensitive drug test.

Thats what a Maryland mother says happened to her back in April when she went to the hospital to give birth.

Elizabeth Eden told WBAL-TV on Monday that shed eaten a poppy seed bagel on the same morning that she went into labour. While she was having contractions, a doctor came into her hospital room and informed her that shed tested positive for opiates.

Recalling having heard that poppy seeds could result in a false positive, she asked the doctor to test her again, she said. According to her account, he refused, and reported her to state officials.

It was traumatizing, she told the station.

The positive test result meant that her daughter had to stay in the hospital and be monitored for five days. Afterward, Eden was assigned a case worker who closed her file after determining that she was a legitimate case of the poppy seed defence, WBAL-TV reported.

Surprisingly, her experience isnt unique.

In October 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who had her 3-day-old daughter taken away by child welfare officials for five days after she ate a poppy seed bagel and failed a drug test. They alleged that Jameson Hospital in New Castle, Penn., had used a threshold that was significantly lower than what the federal government requires for workplace drug testing, and also had failed to ask the woman whether she had eaten anything that might have affected the test results. The hospital and county ultimately settled for $143,500 (U.S.) and agreed to change their policies.

A similar lawsuit against the same Pennsylvania county  filed by a woman whose newborn son spent 75 days in foster care after she ate pasta salad with a poppy seed dressing  settled for $160,000 the following year.

Twenty years ago, the likelihood that a poppy seed bagel would register as a false positive prompted the federal government to revise its policies for workplace drug testing.

Before the guidelines were updated in 1998, individuals whose urine tests showed morphine concentrations of over 300 nanograms per millilitre were considered to have tested positive for opiates.

These levels were selected in an attempt to provide the greatest opportunity to identify anyone who may have used heroin; however, at the 300 ng/mL level, many who have not used heroin but had taken a prescribed codeine or morphine medication or eaten normal dietary amounts of poppy seeds have also tested positive, explained a notice in the Federal Register.

The Department of Health and Human Services raised the limit to 2,000 nanograms per millilitre  meaning, according to one forensic scientist who the New York Times interviewed, that you could eat three large poppy-seed bagels and still pass the test.

But some hospitals still use the lower cut-offs when testing new and expectant mothers. St. Joseph Medical Center, where Elizabeth Eden gave birth, screens for 300 nanograms per millilitre, since some drug users might test negative otherwise, Judith Rossiter-Pratt, the head of the obstetrics and gynecology department, told WBAL-TV.

And not all human resources departments follow the precedent set by the federal government.

In January 2016, Eleazar Paz, a New York City jail guard, was suspended from his job after he failed a random urine test that showed hed tested positive for 522 nanograms per millilitre of morphine and 358 nanograms per millilitre of codeine. According to court documents, he later recalled that hed had eggs, a poppy seed bagel, coffee, and orange juice for breakfast that day.

Paz was suspended from his job, then reinstated on modified duty after a hair follicle test and a second urine test came back negative. In April 2018, when his case went to trial before the citys Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, an expert toxicologist testified on his behalf, arguing that the bagel was to blame and that someone who abused morphine and codeine would have urine values in the thousands.

The toxicology expert, William Sawyer, also expressed surprise that the New York City Department of Corrections was continuing to use the 300 nanogram per millilitre cut-off, court documents say.

Concluding that the most likely source of the positive morphine and codeine test results was the ingestion of poppy seeds and not the use of medications, Judge John B. Spooner issued a report in June recommending that the disciplinary proceedings against Paz be dismissed.

But on Tuesday night, the New York Post reported that the Department of Corrections had ignored the judges recommendations, and fired Paz anyway.

We are surprised and disappointed at the commissioners decision, Pazs lawyer, Andrew Grossman, told the paper.

Department of Corrections officials couldnt immediately be reached to confirm or comment on Pazs firing late Tuesday night, but told the New York Post, There is no real evidence that a few poppy seeds can make you fail a drug test.

While it may be true that a few poppy seeds wont necessarily result in a failed drug test, its nearly impossible to find a definitive answer about how many poppy seeds is too many. The amount of morphine residue on poppy seeds can vary, depending on how they were cleaned and processed, and what country they came from. For that very reason, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agencys website tells Olympians that [t]he most conservative approach would be to avoid poppy seeds a few days before and during competitions.

Similarly, the Federal Bureau of Prisons requires inmates who leave on temporary furloughs to promise that they wont consume any poppy seeds whatsoever.

It has been determined that consumption of poppy seeds may cause a positive drug test which may result in disciplinary action, the application form given to prisoners reads. As a condition of my participation in community programs, I will not consume any poppy seeds or items containing poppy seeds.

There may be hope for bagel enthusiasts: The Washington Posts Maura Judkis reported in June 2017 that a British specialty foods company has developed a low-morphine poppy seed that wont show up on a drug test. Until those become widely available, however, you may want to stick with sesame.
In a flurry of activity, Saudi Arabia has expelled Canadas ambassador to the kingdom and recalled their own envoy; yanked the rug out from under thousands of Saudi scholarship students at universities here; suspended flights to Toronto; and halted the purchase of Canadian wheat and barley.

Thats a great deal of sudden strife between two nations that have been ticking along, albeit with vastly different domestic and world views. Indeed, its an absurd overreaction.

Thats because its really a message  back off or else suffer  designed for Saudi citizens and the rest of the world more than Canada, the ostensible target.

All this upheaval stems from Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland who, quite rightly, expressed concern over the arrest of a Saudi womens rights activist with family ties to Canada.

Then, over the weekend, the Canadian embassy in Saudi Arabia followed up her tweet with another one expressing grave concern over the arrests of peaceful civil society activists and womens rights activists, including Samar Badawi, and called for their immediate release.

Her brother Raif was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to 10 years in prison  and 1,000 lashes with a cane  for running a website that criticized the religious establishment. His wife is now a Canadian citizen, which accounts for Freelands interest in the case.

In the grand scheme of political missives over Twitter, where the United States (thanks to Donald Trump), North Korea and Iran have threatened to annihilate each others countries, this was so mild as to barely count as a rebuke.

It is not, as Saudi officials claim, blatant interference in domestic affairs or an attack on the kingdom.

As a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Canadas reaction hits the bare minimum of whats required. In fact, other nations should be joining Canada in speaking out about human rights injustices.

That, of course, is what the ultraconservative kingdom doesnt want to happen. And thats why the official reaction to the Canadian comments has been so great.

Saudi officials are trying to intimidate other countries that might have something to say into staying silent.

Freeland clearly didnt set out to start a diplomatic row with Saudi Arabia, but Canada cant back down from it now.

And its a credit to the Liberals that they havent shown any intention of doing so.

We are always going to speak up for human rights, we are always going to speak up for womens rights and that is not going to change, Freeland said, as tensions began to escalate.

As Saudi officials piled on with more outrage and retaliatory measures, Finance Minister Bill Morneau continued to hold the line. And, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in.

We continue to engage diplomatically and politically with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he said. But, Trudeau also said, Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights.

If the early reactions from the U.S. and U.K. are anything to go by, Canada may not get much support with its public stand, and thats disappointing.

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman generally receives positive global attention for his agenda to modernize society and diversify the kingdoms oil-based economy. Hes banking on the fact that the economic opportunities for trade and investment that come with that will keep countries from looking too closely at other aspects of his rule.

For he is still an autocrat with no tolerance for dissent. Thats why women can now drive but those who dared challenge the state by advocating for that right were arrested.

Saudi Arabia is denying citizens, particularly women, basic human rights and jailing people with no due process.

All democratic nations  not just Canada  should have something to say about that.

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VANCOUVERTeam South Korea has taken top honours in the 2018 Honda Celebration of Light, winning both the judges approval and the peoples choice award.

The intense pyrotechnic show they put on over English Bay entertained the crowd and left us all wanting more, said City Councillor Raymond Louie, a long-time judge for the event, in a release.

South Korea, which competed against South Africa and Sweden, was represented by Daehan Fireworks Co.

The judges felt that Team South Koreas timing and sync throughout their fireworks show, combined with the size of the show and novel effects in its pyrotechnics display, made them stand out as a show to remember, the release said.

This year more than 1.2 million people came out to witness the firework shows, which took place over three nights.

Congratulations to Team South Korea on a sensational winning performance at the 2018 Honda Celebration of Light, said Paul Tilburry and Heather Owen, co-chairs of the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society, in a release.

This years festival continued to offer a fun, safe and family-friendly environment for hundreds of thousands of people to spend time with their loved ones in our beautiful city. We want to thank everyone who helps make this event happen from the partners to the sponsors, staff, volunteers and festivalgoers.

Dates for next years Celebration of Light  the 29th annual event  will be announced in the fall.

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VANCOUVERA trespassing charge against alleged Safeco Field streaker David McClearn will be waived provided McClearn doesnt break any laws or enter the field for the next six months, a Seattle court has ruled.

According to Dan Nolte, communications director for the Seattle City Attorneys Office, the charge of trespassing will be removed from McClearns record if he complies with the agreement, which also includes notifying the court of any change of address and appearing at all scheduled hearings.

Nolte added that the Seattle Police Department originally recommended McClearn be charged with indecent exposure, but the attorneys office chose not to pursue that. Such a charge is usually reserved for offences more sexual in nature, or provocative, like a flasher for instance, Nolte said.

McClearn, 28, has been identified as a Vancouver resident charged for a streaking incident at Seattles Safeco Field during a Saturday game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.

After his arrest on Saturday, he spent the night in jail and was released on $2,000 bail, which was refunded by a judge on Wednesday.

A GoFundMe page set up by John White, who claims to be McClearns friend, is seeking to raise $4,000 to help with his legal defence. The page says the streaking stunt was originally spurred by an $80 bet. It was still active as of Wednesday afternoon.

Rebecca Hayle, director of public information at Safeco Field, said games are staffed with off-duty police officers and contracted security guards to protect audiences, players and the umpires.

You just dont know if that person running on the field has some bad intentions. We just dont know that, so you have to treat every one of these situations seriously, and you have to act quickly, and you have to do it in such a way that you are hopefully discouraging other people from doing the same thing, she said.

She acknowledged there were two stunts during the four-game series between Seattle and Toronto.

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EDWARDSVILLE  The summer months are a time for a break from school for not just students but teachers, too.

Yet most teachers spend the summer not only preparing for their next school year but also expanding their knowledge by attending professional development programs.

Cara Lane, a teacher at Edwardsville High School, is one of those dedicated teachers, actually spending a good portion of her summer attending professional development workshops and learning how to make learning more exciting for her students.

Lane completed an intense, week-long immersion in American history at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute from June 18 to June 23. The Teacher Institute, now in its 29th year, provides participants with interactive teaching techniques and skills to become mentor teachers who can assist their peers and other educators to develop active learning classrooms and make history exciting for their students.

During five- day sessions on location in Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding area, Lane and the participants engaged in an interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies with American history as the focus.

Teachers had the opportunity to exchange ideas with historians, meet character interpreters and become part of the story in The Revolutionary City. Throughout each day, teachers worked collaboratively with Colonial Williamsburg staff and Master Teachers to examine interactive teaching techniques and develop instructional materials that improve instruction, raise literacy levels, enhance thinking skills, and bring history to life in the classroom.

Participating teachers agreed to conduct in-service training sessions following their attendance at Teacher Institute in order to share their experience with other teachers. Teachers also were required to develop lesson plans to implement in the classroom.

In addition to taking advantage of multiple evening activities in Colonial Williamsburg, I also visited the Battle of Yorktown site in my free time, Lane pointed out. I was at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from July 9 through July 13.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers annual Summer Institutes, professional development workshops, that present educators with innovative methods for incorporating American art and technology into their humanities curricula. The Institutes are designed for middle and high school core-subject teachers, especially those who teach social studies, history and English/language arts.

Held twice each summer, each five-day Institute gives 30 selected participants the chance to collaborate with museum staff, content experts and technology professionals, and to explore models for integrating art across the curriculum.

During this institute, teachers had the chance to spend time with a wide range of artworks in the galleries, see a variety of teaching approaches modeled and get hands-on experience putting them into practice. They discussed how to pair works of art with historical documents and literary sources, explored digital tools that they can use to bring art into the classroom and went behind the scenes to learn from experts in the museum.

Teachers then came away with a physical toolbox of artwork, strategies and activities that they can put to use immediately when they get back to school.

Lanes last professional development experience for the summer was in Chicago. My time last week was spent in Chicago at a three-day workshop sponsored by the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library from July 18 to July 20; however, I also attended a related evening event on Tuesday, July 17 at the American Veterans Art Museum as well as an evening, author event at the American Writers Museum on July 19, Lane explained.

During her visit to Chicago, Lane also visited the Frank Lloyd Wright home on July 21 as well as the Unitarian Church Lloyd Wright designed, the Pleasant Home, and the birth home of Ernest Hemingway. Fitting  as it was Hemingways birthday (that) Saturday, Lane said.

Lane has taught for 15 years at Edwardsville High School. She holds a bachelors degree in English from Purdue University and a masters degree in education from Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, she is enrolled in a masters program for American Culture Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

It is my hope that there will be an opportunity to work, at the very least, with my department to share some of the wonderful applications of the work and ideas I gained from these experiences, Lane added.
EDWARDSVILLE  Innovative ways to envision, practice and teach sustainability will be a few things that workshop participants will learn at The Mississippi Project Workshop VIII on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The Value of the Humanities in Teaching and Learning about Sustainability will be the topic of the free conference for educators in the region, according to co-facilitators Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, associate professor; and Lisa Martino-Taylor, PhD, assistant professor, both in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Sociology.

This years workshop theme is an important one, because the humanities have a lot to offer in thinking about sustainability, said Frey Spurlock. Sustainability scholars, for example, rightly point out that we do not have an environmental problem. Instead, we have a human problem. The humanities can provide us with the tools and frameworks needed to make deep cultural changes.

Because sustainability needs to be expanded to include social issues, the effect on communities, families and individuals should be examined, added Martino-Taylor.

The issues that we are confronted with are often complex and multi-faceted, and that means that their solutions are likely to be complex, requiring creativity and vision in ways that we have not yet experienced, explained Martino-Taylor. The humanities capture creativity in ways that force us to think about sustainability differently, so we find here a natural partnership for problem-solving.

Also on the conference program agenda:

 Shelly Goebl-Parker, PhD, associate professor in the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences Department of Art and Design, will talk about how art can be incorporated into sustainability curriculum

 SIUE Distinguished Research Professor Greg Fields, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Philosophy, will discuss sustainability and indigenous knowledge

Attendees will have time to network with other educators from the region, who are examining how their courses can more holistically address sustainability issues, said Martino-Taylor. We welcome SIUE faculty and regional partners who are interested in indigenous knowledge, art, social justice, the environment and sustainability to this free conference.

To register, contact Frey Spurlock at cfrey@siue.edu.
For some years, Ive owed the fact that I have health insurance to the Democratic Party.

Like millions of other Americans, Obamacare ensured that I would have high-quality, low-cost health insurance. Ill reach the 65 milestone later this year, which means that Ill become eligible for healthcare coverage through Medicare.

Republican politicians have fought Obamacare tooth and nail. Failing to convince Americans that Obamacare was the devils work through rational discourse, the GOP resorted to scare tactics. Remember those dreaded death panels that Obamacare would supposedly bring into existence? During all my years on Obamacare, I never once encountered a government bureaucrat garbed as the Grim Reaper, who told me I had used up my allotment of health care and should begin making funeral arrangements.

Just as I owe my Obamacare coverage to the Democrats, Ill also owe my Medicare to that political party. And just as the Republicans currently wage war on Obamacare, they once fought Medicare. For proof of that assertion, we need only look at the antics of one Ronald Reagan, who at the time was transitioning from fading B-film actor to Republican political activist.

The American Medical Association strongly opposed Medicare and in 1961 recruited the Gipper to make an LP record titled Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine. As a camp classic, it ranks right up there alongside Reagans film Bedtime For Bonzo.

With a presumably straight face, Reagan warned that passing legislation such as Medicare would bring other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country until we wake to find that we have socialism. What did the Gipper believe the future had in store for us? You and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our childrens children what it was like in America when men were free. Passing Medicare would lead to the suppression of our civil liberties? Yeah, right.

While its tempting to dismiss Reagan as a solitary crank on the subject of Medicare, many other Republicans shared his view regarding health care coverage for senior citizens. When the bill authorizing Medicare went before Congress, 70 House Republicans voted for it while 68 opposed it. Senate Republicans expressed even greater hostility. Just 13 supported for it, while 17 voted against it.

Obamacare has saved lives  and so has Medicare. Before Democratic President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 signed Medicare into law, only about 60 percent of our nations seniors had health insurance. And they paid dearly for it by shelling out huge premiums because insurance companies werent that wild about issuing coverage to senior citizens with age-related health issues. Low-income senior citizens simply went without health insurance altogether, which often cost them their lives.

When Medicare failed to transform the United States into a totalitarian state as he had predicted, Reagan tried to cover his tracks. During his debate with President Jimmy Carter in 1980, the Gipper told TV viewers he had opposed Medicare only because he had supported a different bill that Congress was considering to extend health insurance to senior citizens. Reagan lied. There was no other bill before Congress.

Regarding healthcare, many Republicans seem to subscribe to a survival-of-the-fittest philosophy, with fittest in this case defined as the well-to-do. We Democrats regard access to quality, affordable healthcare as a human right. As we have seen with Medicare and Obamacare, expanding healthcare doesnt destroy freedom. Instead, it saves lives.

A recent study financed by the Koch brothers indicates that Medicare for all could reduce U.S. health expenditures by about $2 trillion over a 10-year period. Republicans claim America cant possibly afford such a comprehensive healthcare program. Keep in mind, however, these are the same politicians who enacted Trumps tax cuts for the wealthy, which will add $1 trillion annually to our nations deficit.

John J. Dunphy is the author of Lewis and Clarks Illinois Volunteers and Abolitionism and the Civil War in Southwestern Illinois. He owns The Second Reading Book Shop in Alton.
President Trumps party controls Congress, but one would never know that by how it has been AWOL (absent without leave) while courts block Trump at every turn. Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House who is retiring at the age of only 48, is doing so little that the public might wonder if he is even still in office.

Meanwhile, the judicial war of resistance against Trump continues unabated. In the last few days and weeks, federal courts have issued rulings requiring Trump to restart DACA, fund sanctuary cities, stop asking about citizenship in the census, include transgenders in the interpretation of Title IX, reunite illegal alien families even where the adults are criminals who have already been deported, and so on.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement on Monday criticizing the rash of judicial activism against the Trump Administration. We have recently witnessed a number of decisions in which courts have improperly used judicial power to steer, enjoin, modify, and direct executive policy, General Sessions explained.

This ignores the wisdom of our Founders and transfers policy making questions from the constitutionally empowered and politically accountable branches to the judicial branch, he said. General Sessions vowed that the Trump Administration and this Department of Justice will continue to aggressively defend the executive branchs lawful authority and duty to ensure a lawful system of immigration for our country.

New lawsuits against policies Trump campaigned on are being filed by the Left nearly every day. Last week four liberal-controlled cities  Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Columbus  asked a federal court to force Trump to support Obamacare.

Imitating a familiar pattern pursued by liberals in other cases, the new lawsuit for Obamacare quotes out-of-court statements by President Trump as though they were evidence. For example, the lawsuit demands relief because Trump has said that essentially, we have gotten rid of Obamacare.

The power vacuum on Capitol Hill encourages judicial supremacy, as courts see that Congress is not providing any check or balance to the overreach by the judicial branch. Like unsupervised kids in a candy store, judges will grab as much power as they can until Congress checks their conduct.

The Supreme Court does too little, too late to rein in lower courts that legislate from the bench. Deciding only 58 argued cases during its recently ended term, the Supreme Court has been barely more than a remote outpost that takes far too long to protect our Constitutional rights.

In the last year the Supreme Court has ducked issues and declined to accept appeals on anti-Second Amendment rulings upholding gun control, and an anti-First Amendment ruling censoring videos taken by pro-life David Daleiden. This renders liberal Courts of Appeals the last word on key issues.

In a tactic known as forum shopping, Trumps opponents file their lawsuits in courts where Democratic trial judges will likely rule in their favor at the district court level. Then, a year or two later at the appellate level, the overwhelmingly Democrat-nominated judges in the Fourth and Ninth Circuits predictably affirm.

Trump ultimately prevailed when the Supreme Court reinstated his temporary, so-called travel ban from several hostile nations, but it took nearly a year-and-a-half to do so, even with the expedited attention that case received. That wasteful litigation consumed more than a third of Trumps entire first term in office, and far too much of his personal time, allowing uncertainty to persist and undermine other actions that Trump could have been taking for our country.

The Ninth Circuit presides over a fifth of our nations population  more than 64 million people  and more than two-thirds of its active judges were appointed by Presidents Clinton and Obama. Despite seven vacancies on that Circuit for Trump to fill, the Senate has so far confirmed only one, a compromise nominee opposed by more than half the Republican senators due to his weakness on the Second Amendment.

More than a decade ago, Congress did take an important step to curb judicial hostility to the Second Amendment. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) prohibits all courts, both federal and state, from entertaining lawsuits against gun manufacturers for crimes committed by their products.

This good law stands as a model of what Congress should also be doing to rein in the courts on additional issues where they are out of control. Despite the resounding success of the PLCAA in achieving its stated goal to preserve a citizens access to a supply of firearms and ammunition, Congress has not yet expanded this approach to eliminate other judicial activism.

Immigration policy is an issue uniquely within the domain of the President and Congress, and courts should have little say in the matter. Congress should take heed of Attorney General Sessions criticisms of judicial overreach on immigration, and withdraw the issue from the courts.

John and Andy Schlafly are sons of Phyllis Schlafly (1924-2016) and lead the continuing Phyllis Schlafly Eagles organizations with writing and policy work.
Demonstrated ability to work both as a member of a team and as ateam leader, with the ability to accept the inputs of other team members
The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...
They say a trailer is only half a story. But the half that is presented to us in the form of a trailer for the upcoming Imtiaz Ali production Laila Majnu is less than reassuring. The classic Laila Majnu love story that finds many imprints in Middle Eastern, Hindu and Islamic texts, talks about a different, darker kind of destructive lovebetween the eponymous Laila and Majnuof Shakespearean proportions. When kismat has it that they were never meant to be together, just two asymptotes never destined to meet, madness takes over the mind of Qays (Majnu) as he slips deeper and deeper into a state of obsession from which there is no return.

The latest trailer of the film takes off from where the teaser left off, which had long shots of the protagonists in the picturesque Kashmir valley, struggling with their intoxicating, prophetically doomed love. Directed by Sajid Ali, and featuring Tripti Dimri and Avinash Tiwary, the first trailer has scenes where the protagonistsa selfie-loving Laila and a binocular-wielding stalker Qaysmeet. The story seems pretty formulaic, until scenes of turmoil and political disturbance take hold. In the final scenes, (Qays?) seems to be roaming around the valley Majnu-esque, torn robes and with an air of madness and hysteria surrounding him.

Laila Majnu is an eternal story of everlasting love. Its perhaps the most popular love story of all times. For the film we wanted a fresh approach in all aspectsa fresh cast, a fresh script and a fresh setting. We had a great experience making Laila Majnu and cant wait to showcase it to the world. Imtiaz Ali, the man who effectively directed a trailer of another film of doomed love, Rockstar, had earlier said.

In a bid to promote the film, Ali had appeared on Instagram, to speak about why the story needed to be told. "We always hearso and so went crazy in love, she is madly in love with him, vo pyaar mein pagal ho gaya. I have often wonderedwhat is the connection between love and madness? Real, crazy loveHow does it feel? Laila and Majnu personify this feeling. This film is my attempt to feel it too and to bring that feeling to all of you who have a heart that feels."
In 1916-17, when the Dravidian movement took form, it was largely against the hegemony of Brahmins. It was around the mid 20s that it occupied a much bigger and expansive political space, with Periyar E.V. Ramasamy launching the Self Respect movement in 1925. For the next 10 years, it was more a protest against the Brahmin hegemony, with an Aryan-Dravidian oppressor-liberator binary. This pervaded the cultural and political spheres. The real start of the Dravidian political movement was the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1930s; Karunanidhi entered the fray then.



In the 1940s, the Dravidar Kazhagam [Periyar and C.N. Annadurai being two of its well-known leaders] came into existence. In the mid-1940s, there started demands for a separate Dravida Nadu [Dravida nation]. In 1947, during the transfer of power from Britain to the India, Periyar called it a black day, that the administrators had just changed from the British to the north Indian upper castes. One thing we all should take note. Many have often equated the anti-Brahmin movement to violent ideologies like the Nazi. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It was a social, political and cultural movement. No Brahmins were harmed then. Annadurai wanted a much bigger political space and the DMK was launched in 1949. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Dravida Nadu movement was relegated to the backstage, after the states were formed on a linguistic basis. Then, the movement shifted to one for state autonomy. DMK, who refused to ally with the Congress, won in 1967, but Annadurai died just two years later, in 1969. The search for a new leader began and Karunanidhi took up the helm. The following years, right until Emergency was declared, were golden years for the DMK. Under Karunanidhi, a lot of new programmes, social schemes and political programmes were launched. Moreover, he continued with the mission for state autonomy, and constituted the Rajamannar committee [in 1969] to study the constitutional minutiae of Centre-state relations. To date, it is one of the finest reports on federalism in post-independent India.

Karunanidhi's impact on Tamil Nadu can largely be divided into two phases: Till the Emergency and afterwards. It was in the first phase that he made 80 per cent of his contributions to Tamil society. During Emergency, when almost every state government stood with Indira Gandhi, Karunanidhi was very much against it. After Emergency though, it is a different story. In the 80s, there came a dilution in his political stance and worldviews, and he even aligned with the Congress, the party which he once rallied against as a 'North Indian, Brahmin' party. In the last 15 years, family politics has led to him losing ground. He did not respond the way he should have had when the 2009 Eelam genocide happened. That was a let down for many Tamil people. He simply succumbed to the Congress pressure. Or take his response to the death of Prabhakaran [LTTE founder]. The political career of his sons and daughters took precedence for him, and not the Sri Lanka issue.

But, if Tamil Nadu is leading now in social, economic and political indicators, a lot of credit goes to Karunanidhi. He was an able administrator, and his love for the Tamil language was apparent in the way he patronised texts like the Tirukkural.

Aazhi Senthilnathan is a veteran journalist.

(As told to Vaisakh E.Hari)
Even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday assured the Maratha community of meeting their demand for reservations by November, Maratha organisations have announced they would be going ahead with statewide protests on Thursday.

Police have stepped up security in Pune and other districts. Pune District Collector Naval Kishor Ram on Tuesday held a meeting of over 50 members and conveners of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM).

Talking about the security measures, Patil said that besides the existing police force, three additional State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) companies and one Rapid Action Force (RAF) team will be deployed to ensure that there is no law and order situation in the district.

"We have decided to deploy 80 per cent police force towards the protest. In addition to that, three SRPF companies and one RAF team will be deployed at sensitive places in the district," he said.

According to Patil, security will be enhanced on the main highways passing through the district as the Maratha protesters might try to block the roads.

The Maratha Kranti Morcha has assured that it is appealing to its activists to agitate peacefully. Pravin Gaikwad, a Maratha Kranti Morcha convener from Pune, said activists are travelling across the state and appealing to the community to protest peacefully.

"All the community members have been asked to gather at their respective collectorate or tehsildar offices from 10am to 5pm on August 9 to express solidarity with the agitation," he said.

Maratha Kranti Morcha members will be holding a sit-in agitation outside the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar at Baramati (in Pune district) on Wednesday, Gaikwad added.

The Maratha agitation will coincide with the nationwide Bharat bandh called by dalit and farmer groups. The Maratha Kranti Morcha had called for a statewide bandh on July 24, followed by a shutdown in Mumbai the next day, which hit normal life in the financial capital of the country severely.

The Maratha Kranti Morcha had given a deadline of Tuesday (August 7) to the Fadnavis government to act on its demand for reservation in jobs and education.

The politically-influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 per cent of Maharashtra's population, has been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category.

(With PTI inputs)
There will be a contest between the NDA's nominee, Harivansh Narayan Singh, and the opposition's candidate, B.K. Hariprasad of the Congress, for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, the election for which will be held on Thursday.

While the NDA had announced the name of first-time JD(U) MP Harivansh Narayan Singh as the candidate of the ruling alliance for the election, the opposition, after multiple rounds of meetings, declared the candidature of Hariprasad on Wednesday.

Deputy leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma announced the nomination of Hariprasad, a three-time MP, saying it was a joint decision of the parties, which have been meeting to finalise a common candidate for the election over the last few days.

We have filed the nomination as a combined opposition. All the parties that are supporting usthe floor leaderswere present at the nomination of Shri B.K. Hariprasad, Sharma said.

Among the parties supporting the candidature of Hariprasad are Samajwadi Party, TMC, NCP, BSP, DMK, CPI and CPI(M). The TDP has pledged support to the opposition candidate while the YSR Congress too has announced that it will vote against the nominee of the NDA.

Singh, known to be a confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, seems to have the upper hand over the 64-year-old Hariprasad, a senior Congress leader from Karnataka.

Fence-sitters BJD, which has nine members in the Rajya Sabha, is learnt to have pledged its support to Singh. The NDAoriginally having a strength of 93 in the 244-member upper houseneeds 123 to ensure its candidate wins the election. With unaligned partiessuch as the AIADMK, with its 13 MPs, and TRS with six MPsalso likely to vote in favour of Singh, the NDA looks likely to get the required number of votes.

Asked whether the opposition was fighting a losing battle, Sharma said the BJP does not have the majority, and hence it did not field its candidate and was looking outside the fold of the NDA for numbers. The NDA does not have the majority. They have gone well beyond the fold of the NDA to get votes, he said.

The opposition had earlier zeroed in on NCP's Vandana Chavan as its joint candidate. However, with BJD chief Naveen Patnaik reportedly telling NCP supremo Sharad Pawar that he has already committed the support of his party to the NDA nominee, the NCP backed out of the election. The DMK too was not keen on fielding its candidate. It was then left to the Congress to choose from its own MPs for the election.
Bharatiya Janata Party rebel leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie along with senior lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale fighter jet deal, accusing him of causing a "massive loss" to the exchequer, which also "jeopardized national security".

Main opposition party Congress has been raising the issue over the purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France in and outside the Parliament.

"It's (Rafale deal) a textbook case of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be prosecuted under it, as he unilaterally announced the deal," Bhushan said, while Yashwant Sinha asked for a forensic audit of the deal by the CAG within three months.

"CAG audit on Rafale contract should be finalised in three months as there is no time for a joint parliamentary committee. Lok Sabha is already in its last leg," Yashwant Sinha argued.

Taking it further, Arun Shorie said Bofors was nothing compared to Rafale. "If Ottavio Quattrocchi was the middleman in Bofors, Ambani is here for Rafale deal. Because the way Anil Ambani owned company has been benefited in the deal by flouting all norms clearly indicates his role in the deal."

Though the trio did not bring out any new facts into the controversy, they sought the Centre's clarification on why the government removed the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) "which was involved in the negotiations since 2007" and inserted the newly floated Reliance Defence Ltd which has "no experience" in manufacturing aircraft.

One organisation in the country which has had decades-long experience in manufacturing aircraftHALhas been kicked out of the project, they said.

They also asked the parliament and other agencies, charged with the responsibility of overseeing the defence of our country, of preventing corruption and of ensuring that government remains accountable, to exhume every fact about how the original project was jettisoned, and one without rational has been put in its place.

Bhushan said Indian Air Force had been raising the issue of its depleting combat strength. He said when IAF made its requirement of 126 fighter jets to meet its combat capability, there was no explanation for how the number of 36 had been arrived at.

The trio also criticised government for hiding facts in the name of secrecy clause. Quoting a defence ministry direction, which states that all offsets proposal will be processed by acquisition manager and approved by the Raksha Mantri, regardless of their value, Arun Shourie said government has been misleading the country by saying that government has no role in offset contract between two private firms.
A 71-year-old Sikh man was attacked by two men while on his morning walk in Manteca, California on Monday. The attack was captured on a nearby home's security camera.

The Sikh man was identified as Sahib Singh and authorities say it could be a hate crime. The video shows, two men wearing hoodies approach Singh. As Singh sees the two men approach he stops. After a brief interaction, Singh is seen trying to walk away from the boys into the road. The men follow him and after talking for some moments, one of the men suddenly kicks Singh, causing him to fall back on the ground with his turban falling off.

Good god. Two men brutally assaulted Sahib Singh, a 71-year-old Sikh in Manteca, California. They kicked him and spat on him, and he is dealing with serious injuries.



Twitter: Please do your thing and help identify the assailants. pic.twitter.com/UxwrQOhQyN  Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) August 7, 2018

As Singh gets up to defend himself, he is kicked again, falling to the ground a second time. The men walk away only for one of them to return and kick Singh three times. He proceeds to spit on Singh before leaving.

The police are reportedly looking into the attack as a robbery attempt but "are not ruling out the possibility of it being a hate crime." Singh reportedly suffers from heart ailments and other health issues like epilepsy.

In a statement, the Sikh Coalition, a civil rights organization based in New York City, said it was "deeply concerned" about the assault.

"We are currently investigating the case and looking to directly connect with the impacted community member to guarantee that his legal rights are protected and that all steps are taken to thoroughly investigate this crime," Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur said. "At this stage, we are closely monitoring the situation in order to determine what the evidence shows the motivation of this vicious attack to be. We hope to learn more soon and will share appropriate updates then."

This is the second attack on a Sikh Man in California in the last week. Surjit Malhi was attacked by two men who threw sand in his eyes and beat him. He was told to "Go back to your country!". His truck was spray painted with a Celtic Cross and the same message. Malhi was hit on his head with a rod but was saved from injury due to his turban.
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The issue of embattled businessman Vijay Mallya speaking about deplorable conditions in Indian jails before a London court today found mention in the Supreme Court which was hearing a matter related to prison reforms.

"You must be aware of certain things happening in a foreign country about prisons in India," a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur told Attorney General K K Venugopal.

The observation by the apex court assumes significance as liquor baron Mallya, against whom extradition proceedings are going on in Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, has been raising the issue of alleged deplorable conditions in the Indian prisons.

An advocate, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, said that Mallya has raised this issue before the court abroad.

The London court had recently asked the Indian authorities to submit within three weeks a video of a cell at Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail where they plan to keep Mallya if he is extradited.

During the hearing, Venugopal said he has also read articles published in foreign countries about jails in India.

The issue cropped up when the apex court was dealing with a matter relating to inhuman conditions prevailing in 1,382 prisons across the country.

The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year, is fighting extradition to India on charges of alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore. PTI ABA MNL SJK RKS ARC

ARC
Dubai, Aug 8 (PTI) In a relief to an Indian man in the UAE, the authorities have scrapped the USD 55,812 fine imposed on him after he ran away from his employer seven years ago, according to a media report.

Emirati sponsors are handing over passports of absconding employees as part of the government's initiative 'Protect yourself by rectifying your status'.

The amnesty scheme was launched to help absconding workers get their passports back and legalise their status, Khaleej Times reported.

Eighty per cent of the 400 amnesty-seekers approached the Al Fujairah center yesterday to receive their passports, which were submitted to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) by their sponsors, the report said.

The amnesty center carried out a large number of fine-waiving procedures and issued many of them outpass to be able to leave the country, the report said.

In one case, the GDRFA waived Dh 205,000 (USD 55,812) for an Indian worker who ran away from his sponsor seven years ago, it said.

"This was the maximum waived amount on the day," said Brigadier Dr Ahmed Ali Al-Saghairy, acting executive director of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs in Fujairah.

The identity of the Indian was not revealed.

After getting their passports, the the amnesty-seekers began procedures related to modification of their status or departure from country, the report added. PTI CPS AKJ CPS

CPS
Lahore, Aug 8 (PTI) A Pakistani judge has recused himself from hearing a petition filed against the conviction and sentencing of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in the Avenfield properties corruption case, a media report said today.

Lahore High Courts Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, who headed a three-member bench constituted by LHC Chief Justice on August 4 to hear the petition, recused himself citing personal reasons, Geo TV reported.

Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem made up the rest of the bench.

Following the breakup of the bench formed to hear the petition, Justice Mirza has referred the matter to LHC chief justice.

On July 6, Sharif, Maryam and Capt (retd) Safdar were convicted for not disclosing details of the purchase of four posh apartments in London.

The petition - moved by Lawyers Foundation for Justice through Advocate AK Dogar - challenged the convictions, delivered under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, on grounds that the National Accountability Bureau's law was no more valid after the implementation of 18th amendment.

Sharif was sentenced under this "dead law" which is illegal, Dogar argued in the petition, and requested to nullify the sentences of Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law.

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.

Maryam, widely seen as Sharif's anointed political heir, was also found guilty and handed down seven years in prison with a USD 2.6 million fine. Her husband Muhammad Safdar also received a one-year jail sentence. They are also serving their terms at Adiala Jail. PTI ZH AKJ ZH

ZH
Islamabad, Aug 8 (PTI) Imran Khan will stay in the chief minister's annex in Punjab House here on weekdays and spend the weekend at his private home in Banigala after being sworn-in as the prime minister, a senior party official said today.

In his victory speech, Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had announced that he would not use the palatial Prime Minister House as his residence and that his party would later decide the fate of the building.

Khan will live in the chief minister's annex in Punjab House after being sworn-in as prime minister, senior PTI leader Naeemul Haq said.

"Punjab House is in every way an appropriate place for Khan sahib to live in," said Haq, adding that Punjab House was not too far from the Prime Minister's Office either.

The prime minister-in-waiting will stay in the annex for 4-5 days each week, and spend the weekend at his residence in Banigala, Haq was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

Haq also said that Khan does not want traffic to be stopped because of him, and does not want to create any difficulties for the city's residents.

Haq also said that he has had many discussions with security agencies and is confident about the arrangements. Security has already been deployed around Khan's Banigala residence, including personnel of Islamabad traffic police and Rangers.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Joudat Ayaz, Inspector General of Police Islamabad Jan Mohammad and other senior officers then visited Banigala to discuss security with Haq, and said the residential area was open and vulnerable to threat.

Subsequently, Khan had agreed not to use Banigala as his official residence, and instead asked for the lowest category house at the Ministers' Enclave. Since the necessary protocol for a prime minister cannot be implemented there, the senior officers advised Khan against using a flat and to instead pick a house, to which Khan agreed.

While the day of the oath-taking ceremony has still not been finalised Haq said the PTI wants it to happen preferably on August 14 or 15.

He reiterated that Khan wanted the ceremony to be simple, and that the guest list is still to be finalised. PTI AKJ AKJ

AKJ
Karachi, Aug 8 (PTI) Two more girls' schools have been burnt down by unidentified persons in Pakistan amid a spate of such incidents that have raised concerns over the safety of educational institutions which are often attacked by the militants opposing women's education, a media report said today.

This is the second major incident of attack on educational institutions in Pakistan in a week. On Friday, unknown militants had set 12 schools, half of them all-girls', on fire in the country's north Gilgit Baltistan.

Yesterday's attack took place in Pishin district of the restive Balochistan province. No casualty was reported in the incidents as nobody was in the school in the night time, Duniya News reported.

Girls' schools are often attacked in the northern areas of Pakistan.

In December 2011, at least two girls' schools were partially damaged in low-intensity explosions in Chilas.

In 2004, girls' schools in Chilas came under a string of attacks. Nine schools of which eight were girls' schools were attacked and destroyed in five days in the area in February.

Terrorists have also blown up educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

According to a report, about 1,500 schools have been destroyed in the tribal belt during the last 10 years.

Nobel Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai was also shot by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls' education in Swat. PTI NSA

NSA
Colombo, Aug 8 (PTI) A Sri Lankan court today sentenced a firebrand Buddhist monk to six-years' rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court and ordered his immediate arrest.

Galagodatte Gnanasara had already been sentenced to six months in June for threatening the wife of a journalist in court premises. He later got bail for the offence.

Gnanasara who headed the extremist Buddhist nationalist group Bodu Bala Sena (Forces of Buddhist Power) was charged of carrying out threats against the Muslim minority and for contempt of court.

The Court of Appeal today handed Gnanasara additional sentence after finding him guilty for 4 counts. All sentences will run concurrently for a maximum jail sentence of six years.

The Appellate Court also ordered the immediate arrest of Gnanasara Thero who was out on bail pending the appeal after he was convicted by a lower court in May.

A 3-member bench charged him for misbehavior in court in 2015 when military suspects for abduction and disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda, a cartoonist was brought to court.

The magistrate in the Colombo suburban Homagama court had lodged the complaint for contempt of court against the monk.

Ganasara was widely believed to have incited Sinhalese Buddhist mobs to attack Muslim properties south of Colombo predominantly Muslim areas in 2014.

His lawyers said he had already appealed against today's verdict and the case will be taken up on August 29.

Yesterday, the monk had got himself admitted to the hospital claiming a kidney ailment.

Gnanasara led anti-Muslim minority hatred during the former regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Muslims accused the then government of protecting him.

With the change of the regime Gnanasara's high handed action came in for accountability.

Rigorous imprisonment in Sri Lanka typically sees convicts performing menial tasks around the prison. PTI CORR AMS AKJ AMS

AMS
Groundnut scam: NAFED chief, Guj govt engage in blame game

Ahmedabad, Aug 8 (PTI) A war of words broke out today

between NAFED chairman Vaghji Boda and the Gujarat government

over the alleged adulteration of groundnuts, with the former

accusing the BJP dispensation of appointing a "bankrupt"

entity for procurement of groundnuts in the state.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel hit back at

Boda saying the latter was shying away from taking the

responsibility of the alleged scam and instead blaming the

government.

Boda, who is not a member of Gujarat Congress, during

his address at the 'extended executive committee meet' of

Tankara taluka Congress Committee in Morbi district today said

that although Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation Ltd

(GUJCOT) is a bankrupt entity, it was chosen by the state to

procure groundnuts from farmers on behalf of (NAFED) National

Agriculture Co-operative Marketing Federation of India).

"GUJCOT is a bankrupt entity. It went bankrupt because

of corruption. Despite this, the state government had chosen

GUJCOT to procure groundnuts. Almost 80 per cent of the entire

procurement was done by this agency alone," Boda said.

"It was equally surprising that many bankrupt milk

cooperative societies (mandali) of Banaskantha and Sabarkantha

were given the responsibility of procurement," he added.

According to Lalit Kagathara, Congress MLA from

Tankara seat, Boda was invited by the party for being an

'influential person' of Morbi district.

"Boda is a native of Tankara. He is also the vice

chairman of Kribhco (Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd). He is a

leading personality in cooperative sector. Though he is not

with the Congress in any capacity, we had invited him today"

the MLA told PTI.

However, Boda's remarks did not go down well with the

government as Nitin Patel said that he was "shocked" to learn

about NAFED chief's remarks about state government's role.

He alleged that Boda's presence at the Congress meet

has proved that he is with the opposition party.

"It was NAFED which was solely responsible for the

procurement, storage and re-sale of the stock. The Gujarat

government was only helping NAFED in that process. It is

shocking that Boda made these remarks at a Congress meet,"

Patel told reporters at Gandhinagar.

"While Boda or any of the NAFED officials did not

approach the Rajkot police to lodge a complaint despite

repeated requests by the police, it was the state government

which took immediate steps, following which, as many as 27

people have been arrested so far," said Patel.

The deputy CM even put Boda in the dock over the

arrest of his nephew Rohit Boda, saying the NAFED chief first

needs to clarify the involvement of his relative in the

alleged scam of mixing soil and pebbles in the procured

groundnuts.

So far, Rajkot police have arrested 27 persons,

including officials of NAFED and GUJCOT in connection with

groundnut adulteration with soil and pebbles found in sacks of

government procured groundnut stored at a godown at Pedhla

village in Jetpur taluka of Rajkot district a week back.

The matter came to light after the traders who bought

the groundnut found them to be sub-standard with high level of

adulteration. PTI PJT PD

NP NP

NP
(Eds: updating with reaction of minister, court proceedings)

Patna/Muzaffarpur, Aug 8 (PTI) In the first major political casualty of the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal, Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma resigned today after days of resistance as opposition stepped up its attack citing purported telephonic conversations her husband had with the key accused Brajesh Thakur.

After handing over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Verma tried to put a brave face saying she was confident her husband would come out clean after investigation and demanded that call records of Thakur with other influential people should also be made public.

Speaking to reporters, Verma denied any pressure from the chief minister to quit and said she has quit following a hue and cry made by the opposition in the matter.

Battling a major political crisis amid repeated attacks from the opposition over the case involving alleged rape of 34 inmates at a government-funded girl shelter home in Muzaffarpur run by Thakur's NGO, the chief minister had said earlier this week Verma would quit only if investigations prove that she had facilitated any wrongdoing and not on the basis of "noises" being made by the opposition leaders.

She said her husband was a social and political person and was duty-bound to receive phone calls from people.

Verma said she had full faith in the CBI and the Patna High Court, which is monitoring the probe into the case, and was confident that innocence of her husband would be proved.

She also threatened to file a defamation case against wife of a department official arrested in the case, who had alleged that her husband had been a frequent visitor to the state-funded shelter home.

Earlier, on a day of dramatic developments, Thakur briefly spoke to media from a prison van at the POCSO court premises in Muzaffarpur and admitted that he had been speaking to Verma's husband but it was on political issues.

He also claimed he was being made a scapegoat as he was intending to contest the next election from Muzaffarpur as a Congress candidate and was in touch with leaders of that party.

His claim was dismissed by the Congress as ridiculous and the party's state unit working president Kaukab Qadri said Thakur was seen sharing stage with the top leaders of JD(U) in the last election. Congress MLC Prem Chand Mishra said Thakur was not even a member of the party.

Thakur is known to have had political ambitions and had earlier contested an assembly election as a nominee of the Bihar Peoples Party floated by former MP Anand Mohan.

Mishra also said that the state government which had been defending Verma till yesterday, appears to have been rattled by the remarks of the Supreme Court against delayed action in the case and the media disclosure that call details of Thakur showed that Thakur had spoken to Verma's husband 17 times from January to June this year.

The opposition parties have been demanding Verma's resignation since the day the shelter home case came to light. The demand grew stronger when wife of a Child Protection Officer Ravi Raushan, an arrested accused in the case, alleged that Verma's husband had been a frequent visitor to the shelter home.

Verma had denied this allegation, saying he had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence.

As Thakur and other nine accused were brought to the POCSO court, some supporters of Jan Adhikar Party, headed by Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, threw ink at him. A woman member of the party was detained by police for questioning.

Muzaffarpur's Deputy SP (Town) Mukul Ranjan said a will be registered in the incident.

Meanwhile, the POCSO court fixed the next date of hearing on August 18.

The Patna High Court has already accepted the state governments plea for monitoring the CBI probe and appointing a special judge for speedy trial in the case.

An MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district since 2010, Verma was minister in the NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar from JD(U) quota.

The Muzaffarpur shelter home horror saga has dominated nation's attention for days and has also provided an opportunity to opposition to attack the NDA rule in Bihar.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and Misa Bharti, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja and Atul Kumar Anjan, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav and TMC's Dinesh Trivedi among others had staged sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on last Saturday over the Muzaffarpur scandal. PTI NAC SNS BJ

BJ
Bhutan's Druk Airlines to commence new flight from Guwahati to

Paro from Sept 1: CM

Guwahati, Aug 8 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda

Sonowal today said Bhutan's Druk Airlines will commence a new

flight connecting Guwahati and Paro via Singapore from

September 1.

"Consequent upon the recent bilateral talks with Bhutan,

the Druk Airlines will start its flight operations between

Guwahati and Paro via Singapore from September 1," Sonowal

said at an event here.

He, however, did not share further detail.

"The Act East Policy announced by the Centre has also

peeped to make Assam the gateway to ASEAN countries. Under

such scenario, students of the state can reap rich dividends

by empowering themselves through available opportunities given

by the system of education in the state," Sonowal said.

On August 2, Bhutan Consul General Phub Tshering met

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi discussed about the flight

operations issue, apart from other things related to bilateral

interests like trade, commerce and tourism.

Mukhi had requested increasing the frequency of flight

from Guwahati to Paro connecting Singapore.

On August 5, Mukhi had informed that he had discussions

with the Bangladesh President during his visit here and

informed about plans to start a flight from Dhaka to Guwahati.

Under the Udaan scheme, 92 new flights have been

sanctioned for North East, out of which around 10 have already

started operations and all North East capitals will be

directly connected with Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. PTI TR

SNS SNS

SNS
Iron rods pierce labourer's stomach, timely surgery saves life

Kolkata, Aug 8 (PTI) A labourer who fell from the roof

of a house on to iron rods piercing through his stomach,

returned from the brink of death following timely surgery at a

city hospital today.

The accident took place around noon when Uday Sarkar

touched a live wire and fell down from the roof at Baruipur

area of South 24 Parganas district, police said.

Three rods pierced his abdomen narrowly missing his

liver and kidneys but passing through the colon before coming

out of the back, a senior doctor where he was operated on

said.

He was taken to the hospital after preliminary check

up at a super-speciality hospital at Baruipur and was referred

to a hospital in the city, police said.

A five-member team of doctors were formed who quickly

conducted a very critical surgery.

Prior to the surgery, the rods were shortened by iron

cutting machines following which doctors conducted a

two-and-half-hour-long to remove them, the doctor added.

"It was a very critical operation. We had to keep in

mind about the possible risks which could have harm other

organs of the body while taking out the rods. There was a good

amount of blood loss. However, it was a successful surgery,"

the doctor said.

Sarkar would be now kept under observation, he added.

PTI SCH RBT

NN NN

NN
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Following are the highlights at 1700 hours:



IN THE PIPELINE:



Stories on burial of DMK leader M Karunanidhi



TOP STORIES



MDS10 LD KARUNA

DMK wins Marina battle for Karunanidhi after his death

Chennai: The famed sands of the Marina Beach will be the final resting place for DMK doyen M Karunanidhi, with the Madras High Court today ordering the state's AIADMK government to allow his burial there.



PAR4 PAR-LD KARUNA ADJOURN

Parliament adjourns as mark of respect to Karunanidhi

New Delhi: In a break from tradition, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today as a mark of respect to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who died last evening.



MDS8 TN-KARUNA-MODI

PM pays homage to Karunanidhi

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to late DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the Rajaji Hall here today and briefly met members of his family.



DEL6 DYCHAIRMAN-CONTEST

Contest between NDA's Harivansh, opposition nominee Hariprasad for RS deputy chairman's post

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman will see a direct contest between NDA's Harivansh Narayan Singh and opposition nominee B K Hariprasad tomorrow.



CAL4 BH-MINISTER-RESIGNATION

Muzaffarpur sex scandal: Bihar minister Manju Verma resigns

Patna, Aug 8 (PTI) Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma today handed over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid uproar over sex scandal case in the Muzaffarpur shelter home.



MDS1 TN-KARUNA

People throng Rajaji Hall to pay last respects to Karunanidhi

Chennai: People queued up in large numbers early this morning at Rajaji Hall here to pay their last respects to DMK president M Karunanidhi who died yesterday after prolonged illness.



DEL8 PM-ELECTRIFICATION

PM reviews household electrification scheme

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the progress of household electrification under the 'Saubhagya' scheme, focusing on last mile connectivity and distribution of power in urban and rural areas, a PMO statement said.



DEL9 JK-ENCOUNTER

Soldier injured in gun battle with J&K militants

Srinagar: A soldier was injured today in a gun battle with militants in Baramulla district, here, police said.



NATION:



DES1 JK-AMARNATH

2.74 lakh pilgrims pay obeisance at Amarnath cave shrine

Jammu: As many as 2.74 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir himalayas till date, as a small batch of 237 pilgrims left Jammu today for the pilgrimage, an official said.



LEGAL:



LGD7 SC-PRISONS

SC to constitute panel to look into issues in jails across country

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said it would constitute a committee under the chairmanship of its retired judge to look into problems in jails, including overcrowding, and suggest measures to deal with it.



LGD4 DL-HC-RAJE

HC dismisses plea for FIR against Rajasthan CM in land deal

New Delhi:The Delhi High Court today dismissed a plea seeking an FIR and a CBI probe against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son for allegedly getting compensation of Rs 1.97 crore by selling a piece of government land to NHAI for widening a national highway in 2010.



LGD13

DL-HC-HERALD

Rahul Gandhi in HC against reopening of his tax assessment

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today challenged in the Delhi High Court the reopening of his 2011-12 assessment by the tax department for not disclosing that he was a director in Young Indian company, an accused in the National Herald misappropriation of assets case.



LGD2 SC-KATHUA

SC seeks J-K govt's reply on plea alleging custodial torture of Kathua case witness

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought response from the Jammu and Kashmir government on a plea by Talib Hussain, a key witness in the sensational Kathua gang rape-and-murder case, alleging custodial torture by the state police in an alleged fake rape case.



LGD19 SC-ADULTERY-RESERVE

SC reserves order on pleas challenging constitutional validity of adultery law

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the penal law on adultery.



BUSINESS:



DCM19 BIZ-IDBI-LIC-GOVT NOD

IDBI Bank gets govt nod for acquisition by LIC

Mumbai: IDBI Bank today said it has received approval to bring down the government stake to below 50 per cent and get acquired by insurance behemoth LIC.



FOREIGN:



FGN12 LANKA-KARUNA

Lankan leaders mourn demise of Karunanidhi

Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other political leaders in the country have expressed sorrow at the demise of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi by recalling his contributions to cinema and politics.



FGN16 INDONESIA-QUAKE-TOLL

Death toll in Indonesia quake rises to 131: Official

Tanjung (West Nusa Tenggara): The death toll from a shallow 6.9-magnitude earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has risen above 130, officials said today.



SPORTS:



SPD2 SPO-SINDHU

Very less time to prepare but hope to do better at Asiad: Sindhu

Hyderabad: P V Sindhu believes Indian shuttlers haven't got enough time to prepare for the Asian Games but expects the team to deliver more than just the one bronze medal claimed in the 2014 edition. PTI















TVS

TVS
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the northern region at 9.30 pm.



ALLAHABAD LGD41 UP-SHELTER-COURT

Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court today decided to monitor the investigation into the alleged sex racket at the Deoria shelter home and said it appeared that its owners enjoyed the patronage of some politician.



DEORIA DEL47 UP-SHELTER-SCENE

It never crossed our minds why the cars came, where they went'

Deoria (UP): The girl who blew the lid off the goings-on at Ma Vindhyavasini shelter home had called the place a jail when the police talked to her.



HARDOI DEL33 UP-SHELTER-CHEATING

Hardoi (UP): Police have booked the managers at a shelter home for inflating the number of inmates there to get a bigger grant from the government.



SRINAGAR DES6 JK-TRIBUTES

Srinagar: The Army today paid floral tributes to four of its personnel, including a Major, who lost their lives in a gunbattle with militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.



SRINAGAR DES2 JK-MILITANT

Srinagar: An engineering graduate-turned-militant has been shortlisted for recruitment as sub-inspector in Jammu and Kashmir Police, four days after he was killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district.



JALANDHAR DES17 PB-DALIT-SUICIDE

Jalandhar: A Class 8 Dalit student attempted suicide in Punjab's Jalandhar after he was allegedly tricked into drinking urine by his classmates and his teacher slapped him for complaining about it, police said today.



NEWDELHI LGD2 SC-KATHUA

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought response from the Jammu and Kashmir government on a plea by Talib Hussain, a key witness in the sensational Kathua gang rape-and-murder case, alleging custodial torture by the state police in an alleged fake rape case.



LUCKNOW DEL17 UP-RAM TEMPLE

Lucknow: After an elaborate 'bhumi poojan' ceremony, the construction of a 'grand Ram temple' was begun today by the Ram Janmabhumi Nirman Nyas Trust in Ayutthaya in Thailand, a senior functionary of the organisation said



NEWDELHI LGD4 DL-HC-RAJE

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today dismissed a plea seeking an FIR and a CBI probe against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son for allegedly getting compensation of Rs 1.97 crore by selling a piece of government land to NHAI for widening a national highway in 2010.



JAMMU DES10 JK-POLLS-BJP

Jammu: The BJP claimed today that over one lakh displaced Kashmiri people are being denied their fundamental right to vote in the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir, thereby forcing them to take the legal route.



CHA NDIGARH LGD23 CH-HC-QUOTA

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has set aside provisions of Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admissions in Educational Institutions) Act 2016 through which the state had fixed income criteria to give quota under the backward class category



PATIALA DES25 PB-LD YOUTHS-POLICE OFFICER

Patiala: Seven youths were allegedly tortured at Sanour police station near here, prompting authorities to suspend an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), police officials said today.



JALANDHAR DES17 PB-DALIT-SUICIDE

Jalandhar: A Class 8 Dalit student attempted suicide in Punjab's Jalandhar after he was allegedly tricked into drinking urine by his classmates and his teacher slapped him for complaining about it, police said today.



DEHRADUN DES21 UKD-CABINET-RAFTING (CORRECTED)

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Cabinet today approved a revised policy on adventure sports, imposing a total ban on the use of intoxicants by enthusiasts while rafting, kayaking or canoeing in the state



NEWDELHI LGD33 SC-KASAULI

New Delhi: An advocate was today told by the Supreme Court not to be a 'chamach' (spoon) of the state when he drew its attention to the fact that the wife of an apex court judge, hearing a matter regarding unauthorised constructions in Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, has filed a plea in the high court.



CHANDIGARH DES44 PB-AAP-DISSIDENTS

Chandigarh: Hitting out at Bhagwant Mann, leader of AAP's dissident MLAs Sukhpal Singh Khaira said today the Sangrur MP's "outbursts against him and party leader Kanwar Sandhu were out of "sheer frustration and personal hatred".



PTI

ASH

ASH
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party today said it may not vote for opposition nominee B K Hariprasad in the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election, unless Rahul Gandhi asks Arvind Kejriwal for support.

Earlier today, sources said Congress MP from Karnataka Hariprasad, 64, will be the opposition's candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson.

"If they (the Congress) ask for our vote, we will oblige. It is meaningless to vote compulsively (for the Congress), if they do not need it," AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told reporters.

The Congress decided to field its nominee as the joint opposition candidate after the other parties in the opposition bloc chose not to nominate their members.

Singh said AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will take a final call on how the party votes in the election for deputy chairman tomorrow.

"If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cannot he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support to his party's candidate," Singh said.

Dubbing the Congress as a "mean-spirited" party, Singh said the AAP voted in favour of its candidates in the elections for the President and the Vice President, even without being asked for it.

"We voted in favour of their candidates in the elections for President and Vice President but they did not even had the courtesy to say thank you."

The AAP supported the Congress on many occasions including the political crisis in Goa, Uttarkhand and Mizoram but has only received opposition in return, Singh said.

"They distributed sweets when our 20 MLAs in Delhi were disqualified. All opposition parties supported us during Kejriwal's dharna at the LG office barring the Congress," he said.

The election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman will see a direct contest between NDA's Harivansh Narayan Singh and opposition nominee Congress Rajya Sabha MP B K Hariprasad.

Both the ruling NDA and the opposition camp have given notices on behalf of their respective candidates and their papers have been found to be in order, according to sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

The AAP, which has three MPs from Delhi in the Rajya Sabha, may abstain from voting for deputy chairman's post, in case it decides not to vote for Hariprasad sources said. PTI VIT TIR

TIR
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) A JNU student today did not shake hands with Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar at the convocation ceremony in protest against, what he termed as, his "role in negating the idea of the varsity being an inclusive campus".

Anoop Patel, who did a comparative study on India's Reservation Policy and South Africa's Affirmative Action for his doctorate, attended the convocation ceremony but when Kumar acknowledged him and wanted to shake hands, he did not reciprocate.

"The way the image of JNU has gone down, the VC has a huge role to play in it. The decisions, policies which are enacted by the Vice-Chancellor are against the inclusive, democratic, progressive and secular credentials of our JNU," he later claimed.

Patel also claimed that when he refused to shake hands with the VC, JNU Chancellor VK Saraswat, who was the chief guest at the convocation, asked him, "I hope you will shake hands with me."

"I told Saraswat sir, 'I will definitely shake hands with you," he said.

JNU had hosted its second convocation today, 46 years after the first. PTI SLB ZMN

ZMN
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre and several senior Army officials today paid homage to four soldiers who were killed in a gunbattle with militants in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

Bhamre, Vice Chief of the Army Lt Gen Devraj Anbu and other senior Army officials laid wreath at the bodies that were brought to the Palam Technical Area of the Air Force, Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said.

Yesterday, an Army team led by Major Kaustubh Prakash Kumar Rane (29) laid a siege of the Gurez area in Bandipore district of north Kashmir, but were fired by militants.

Major Rane and three other soldiers were killed in the encounter and two of the infiltrating militants were gunned down.

The mortal remains of the Army personnel were sent to their home states. PTI PR



PR KJ

KJ
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The Delhi High Court today decriminalised begging in the national capital, saying provisions penalising the act were unconstitutional and deserved to be struck down.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the inevitable consequence of this decision would be that prosecution under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act against persons alleged to have committed the offence of begging would be liable to be struck down.

The court said the Delhi government is at liberty to bring in alternative legislation to curb any racket of forced begging after undertaking an empirical examination on the sociological and economic aspect of the matter.

The bench said the provision which treats begging as an offence or deals with ancillary issues like power of officers to deal with this offence, as extended to Delhi, "are unconstitutional and are struck down".

The court made it clear that the provision of the Act which do not directly or indirectly criminalise begging or relate to the offence of begging are not required to be struck down and are maintained.

On May 16, the court had asked how begging could be an offence in a country where the government was unable to provide food or jobs.

The High Court was considering two PILs seeking to decriminalise begging.

The Central government had said there were sufficient checks and balances in the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act which criminalises begging.

The government had earlier told the court that begging should not be a crime if it was done due to poverty. It had also said begging will not be decriminalised.

The PILs, by Harsh Mandar and Karnika Sawhney, have sought basic human and fundamental rights for beggars in the national capital, apart from decriminalising begging.

They have also sought basic amenities such as proper food and medical facilities at all homes for beggars in the city.

The petitioners have also challenged the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act.

The Centre and the AAP government had in October 2016 told the court that the Ministry of Social Justice had drafted a bill to decriminalise begging and rehabilitate beggars and homeless people. But the proposal to amend the legislation was later dropped.

The law prescribes a penalty of more than three years of jail in case of first conviction for begging and the person can be ordered to be detained for 10 years in subsequent conviction.

Currently, there is no central law on begging and destitution and most states have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which criminalises begging, or have modelled their laws on it. PTI SKV HMP RRT MIN

MIN
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court today said a spike in PM2.5 levels in the air is a severe problem as the particulate matter remains in people's lungs, leading to serious health implications.

A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made the observation while hearing a plea seeking a countrywide ban on use of firecrackers.

"If even for one day the PM2.5 level goes up, it gets into your lungs and will remain inside," the bench said.

Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for firecrackers manufacturers, told the bench that use of firecrackers should not be completely banned and it should instead be strictly regulated.

"I am with regulation. It is not a matter of banning. It might need some more regulations," he told the apex court.

Citing the data by pollution control boards, he said crackers were not the reason for increase in air pollution and there were other factors, like wind and temperature, which contribute to it.

"Argument was made (by the petitioner) that during Diwali, pollution (levels) go up in the entire country. But, the data does not support this argument," he said.

The bench agreed with Sundaram's submissions that crop burning in states like Punjab was also a factor causing pollution in the national capital.

The senior lawyer also raised the issue whether the firecracker manufacturers can be deprived of their right to do business based on statements which were not supported by facts.

The court also said it would have to balance the rights of the people and rights of firecracker manufacturers.

"Balancing has to be there," the bench said.

On October 9 last year, the top court temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali.

Later, the court refused to relax its order while dismissing a plea by traders who had sought permission to sell crackers for at least a day or two before Diwali on October 19, 2017.

The apex court said its ban order during Diwali that year was an experiment to examine its effect on the pollution levels in the region. PTI ABA MNL SJK RKS ABA DIV

DIV
Puducherry, Aug 8 (PTI) The Congress government in Puducherry today extended three-day mourning to seven days following the death of DMK leader M Karunanidhi.

A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy took the decision to extend the period of mourning to seven days instead of three as announced earlier.

The chief minister told reporters after the meeting that all government functions during this period stand cancelled as a mark of respect to the DMK leader, who breathed his last in a private hospital in Chennai yesterday.

Narayanasamy said a bronze statue of Karunanidhi would be installed in the union territory as per a decision taken by the cabinet.

The Kottucherry-Tirunallar bypass road in Karaikal, an enclave of the union territory of Puducherry, would be named after the late DMK leader, he said.

The cabinet earlier paid glowing tributes to Karunanidhi and recalled his services for the welfare of the downtrodden and backward sections. PTI COR APR APR SNE

SNE
Jammu, Aug 8 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued an advisory about impending threats from militants in view of the forthcoming Independence Day and asked people to remain alert.

Police also issued an advisory to managements of schools in Jammu, asking them to not allow strangers inside their schools.

"Keeping in view the forthcoming Independence Day 2018, present security scenario in the state and impending threat of militants, nakas (check points) and frisking points have been established in Jammu city and rural areas for security and safety of general public," the advisory issued by the police said here today.

"You are requested to cooperate with police while at nakas and frisking points, do not take it as harassment. The barricades and checking will be intensified within the city and the borders. The citizens are requested to plan their movements accordingly," it said.

The advisory requested the public to take preventive actions and not touch any abandoned object.

"On seeing any suspected person or object, inform the police immediately. If you have any information about any anti-national or anti-social elements, please inform police immediately," it said, adding that the identity of the informer would be kept confidential.

Police has also asked citizens to remain alert while travelling in passenger vehicles, in crowded areas, including bus stands, railway station, shopping complexes etc. PTI AB DK IJT

IJT
Indian man's USD 55,812 fine waived in UAE amnesty

Dubai, Aug 8 (PTI) In a relief to an Indian man in the

UAE, the authorities have scrapped the USD 55,812 fine imposed

on him after he ran away from his employer seven years ago,

according to a media report.

Emirati sponsors are handing over passports of

absconding employees as part of the government's initiative

'Protect yourself by rectifying your status'.

The amnesty scheme was launched to help absconding

workers get their passports back and legalise their status,

Khaleej Times reported.

Eighty per cent of the 400 amnesty-seekers approached

the Al Fujairah center yesterday to receive their passports,

which were submitted to the General Directorate of Residency

and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) by their sponsors, the report

said.

The amnesty center carried out a large number of

fine-waiving procedures and issued many of them outpass to be

able to leave the country, the report said.

In one case, the GDRFA waived Dh 205,000 (USD 55,812)

for an Indian worker who ran away from his sponsor seven years

ago, it said.

"This was the maximum waived amount on the day," said

Brigadier Dr Ahmed Ali Al-Saghairy, acting executive director

of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs in Fujairah.

The identity of the Indian was not revealed.

After getting their passports, the the amnesty-seekers

began procedures related to modification of their status or

departure from country, the report added. PTI CPS AKJ CPS

TRK TRK

TRK
Martyred Army officer's body flown to Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 8 (PTI) The mortal remains of Major

Kaustubh Rane, who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir during an

operation to foil an infiltration bid, was flown here late

tonight, Defence sources said.

His last rites will be performed tomorrow will full

military honours in Bhayander town in neighbouring Thane

district where his family lives.

Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde paid floral

tributes to the martyred Army officer as the body was received

at the Mumbai airport.

Major Rane and three soldiers were killed while

foiling an infiltration bid in north Kashmir's Gurez sector.

At least two militants were gunned down in the operation.

He is survived by parents, wife and a

two-and-a-half-year old child. PTI ND NP VT

KRK KRK

KRK
Bhubaneswar, Aug 8 (PTI) Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said his party will support the NDA candidate in the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman tomorrow.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken to me and our party will support the JD(U) candidate in the Rajya Sabhas deputy chairman election, Patnaik told reporters on his return from Mumbai.

The BJD will support the JD(U) since the two parties have emerged from the Jay Prakash Narayan movement, while the Congress candidate was the AICC in-charge of Odisha and vitriolic in his statements against the BJD, Patnaik said.

The BJD believes that there should be unanimity when it comes to constitutional posts, such as Speaker and deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Patnaik said, adding his party waited for a unanimous decision to emerge, but it did not happen.

He also said that a number of political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, had spoken to him in this regard.

A keen contest is on the cards tomorrow between NDA nominee Harivansh and joint opposition candidate B K Hariprasad for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, with both sides claiming majority support.

The numbers, however, appear stacked in favour of the ruling coalition which claims the support of 126 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs.

While Harivansh is a first-time MP of the JD-U, Hariprasad is a three-time parliamentarian of the Congress.

The BJD has nine MPs in the Upper House. PTI AAM GVS

GVS
New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The JNU students' union (JNUSU) today alleged that the administration withdrew the permission for a convention organised to highlight the varsity's contributions to India.

Today, while the JNU VC led administration, after destroying the university, organised a photo-op convocation in the name of distribution of degrees of research scholars  the JNUSU gave a call for a convention celebrating the contributions of JNU towards India, the students' body said in a statement.

The JNU administration denied permission for holding the 'Save JNU Convention' at School of Social Science (SSS)-I auditorium citing "frivolous" reasons, it said.

Dubbing the move a "shameful and disgraceful act", the JNUSU claimed this happened after all the required processes were completed and the forms submitted to the administration.

The 'Save JNU Convention' was held at SSS-3 lobby "with massive participation from students rejecting machinations of the JNU administration," the statement said.

The speakers at the convention addressed the students and highlighted the university's glorious contribution to the Indian society for more than last four decades, it said.

The JNU convocation was held at the AICTE auditorium, almost after 46 years. The JNUSU had called for a boycott of the convocation accusing the Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar of muzzling students' democratic rights. PTI SLB DIV

DIV
Red Bank City Manager Randall Smith has submitted a letter of resignation that will become effective immediately.

City Attorney Arnold Stulce said at the commission meeting Tuesday night, that there is a mutual parting of ways and that management decisions are made and handled as a business matter. A settlement and severance agreement has been negotiated, and the commissioners voted unanimously to accept the terms.

The citys charter specifies that neither the mayor nor the board of commissioners run the city on a day-to-day basis. In the absence of Mr. Smith, an interim city manager must be appointed. Tim Thornbury, Red Banks public works director, is assuming the position on a temporary basis.

Mayor John Roberts said that infrastructure projects are getting underway in the city. The commissioners approved an agreement with Talley Construction Company in an amount not to exceed $1,137,481 for paving secondary roads as well as Morrison Springs Road and Ashland Terrace.

An agreement with Wiser Consultants, LLC was also approved for transportation improvements. The current engineering contract for the design phase will be amended to include overseeing construction of the project until completion. Wiser will also engineer the box culvert repair at the corner of Ashland Terrace and Dayton Boulevard and repair an eroding stream bank at Fair Street. Ashland Terrace will be closed August 22 when the work is scheduled to begin and a new traffic pattern will be established. Large trailer tractor trucks will be re-routed differently than cars that will use secondary roads.

Work has also begun on the building that will become the new Red Bank City Hall. The purchase and installation of a security access and video monitoring system for the building, from Johnson Controls Security Solutions was approved in the amount of $20,732.

The fire department will be receiving a new breathing air system consisting of a compressor, fill station and cascade system that will be used to refill air tanks and bottles. The cost of the new system is $34,199 which is a budgeted item. The old equipment was declared surplus.

The Red Bank Police Department was authorized to acquire military grade miscellaneous equipment such as helmets and riot gear through a program with Tennessee Homeland Security.

City Recorder Ruth Rohen was appointed administrator for new financial accounting software that will be used by city employees.

The developer who has applied to rezone three parcels of property on Lullwater Road failed to appear at the public hearing for the rezoning. The request is to change property from R-1 and R-1A Residential zones to R-T/Z, Residential Townhouse/zero lot line. The matter was tabled until the commission meeting on Sept. 4.

The departure of the Red Bank city manager comes just after East Ridge City Manager Scott Miller said he was retiring prior to the end of his current term.




Jordan Ashton has joined Mortgage Investors Group as its newest loan officer in its Chattanooga branch, company officials announced today.I am extremely passionate about the mortgage industry, my clients and my career, Mr. Ashton said. I am so excited to be a part of Tennessees top mortgage lending company.The Chattanooga native earned a finance degree from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and worked as a loan officer assistant within the local mortgage lending industry before joining MIG last month as a licensed mortgage loan originator.In that role, he advises homebuyers from Tennessee and Georgia about conventional loans and those insured by government agencies, such as FHA, VA, Rural Housing, Tennessee Housing Development Agency and Georgia Dream loans.
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She says she has the epitome of imposter syndrome.

A French major ballet dancer is now running a video game studio, Jennifer Oneal, studio head for Vicarious Visions told a crowd of 60 Women@Work members Wednesday. I could have had a lot of hang-ups over that. Every time you do something and put yourself out there, and give it a shot, generally you dont die. You just keep doing it again. Eventually you overcome those fears.

But how does one with a bachelor of arts degree in French and a Master's of Business Administration end up in the video game industry? Oneal told her story during the August edition of the Women@Work Changemakers breakfast series, presented by Bank of America.

Her love of video games began as a child. Her best friend's little brother had a Nintendo system. Every time she went to her house, she played with him instead.

"I played Princess Peach and he played Mario," she said. "I really loved video games growing up. I didn't really think that would be my career."

Once she realized ballet was not for her anymore after "too many Nutcrackers" she decided to stop.

"I became a flight attendant because I thought that was a great way to travel the world. And that's where ballet dancers go when their dreams die," she said, laughing.

While flying, she took a Gameboy with her. Later on, she got her first personal computer. It was bundled with all games from developer Activision. She noticed an ad that said, "play video games and get paid."

"I said, 'That sounds like a pretty cool deal,'" she said. "'Why don't I give that a shot?'"

So she went in and worked with some testers.

"I started to fit in there and realized this was a career I wanted to pursue," she said. "I did everything I could to dive completely in it."

Oneal spent time with the developers and asked them how they got to where they were.

"Ultimately I found production management was the right fit for me," she said.

Oneal eventually landed a job at LucasArts, a video game publisher, working in production management on "Star Wars" games, which she calls "the beginning of her career."

Still, since Oneal joined Vicarious Visions in 2008, she has watched it evolve. The company became known as the lead developer of handheld games as well as the "Guitar Hero" series on the Nintendo DS and Wii platforms, and has since extended to produce its own games, including the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy, a remastering of the popular marsupial-led series.

Guha and Karthik Bala, occasionally known as the Bala brothers, started the company in high school in the 1990s and moved the business to Albany because one of the Balas attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. (They have since started game development firm Velan Ventures.)

"Every time I came here [to Albany], I felt a connection," she said. "I was ready to leave LA."

Finally a role opened up at Vicarious Visions here and she made the move.

Oneal earned recognition as a leader this year as a recipient of a 2018 For All Leadership Award, given through the Great Place to Work Institute.

She believes her success has stemmed from the grittiness shes had.

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I just wouldnt give up, Oneal said, adding it was, that tenaciousness of getting in front of people who I knew were experts, people I knew who would help me build a network.

She also shared how she tries to be a leader who listens to her team, being responsive and hearing whats on their mind.

Not a member of Women@Work? For $25, you can sign up for Women@Work for a full year's membership, which includes: -Six issues of Women@Work magazine -Free networking opportunities, like those at our monthly breakfasts -Discounted admission to other Women@Work events -A weekly newsletter detailing our events, news, etc. Join here! https://womenatworkny.com/checkout See More Collapse

Its a constant thing, Oneal said.

***

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As summer vacationers start to pack up and head home, Congress is considering a sweeping tally of proposals that could affect travelers, from dictating seat size and legroom to rolling back rules that require airlines to advertise the full price of a ticket.

The current law authorizing operations of the Federal Aviation Administration expires on Sept. 30. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is working to bring his panel's bill for a five-year reauthorization to the Senate floor after a series of delays.

The House passed its version of the same bill in April.

Consumer advocates see victories and setbacks among the provisions in the two bills.

Airline seats: The House bill would give the FAA a year to set minimums for seat width and length and the distance between rows, although it didn't set specific measurements. The version approved by a Senate committee would only direct FAA to study whether there should be minimum requirements for the distance between rows.

The room between rows  measured from a point on one seat to the same point on the seat in the next row  has been shrinking for many years as airlines squeeze more seats onto their planes. It was once commonly 34 or 35 inches, and is now under 30 inches on some planes.

Some safety advocates say the tighter fit makes it harder for passengers to evacuate in an emergency. The FAA has declined a consumer group's request to impose regulations, putting the issue in Congress's hands.

Advertised prices: Consumer groups scored a hard-fought victory in 2012, when the Obama administration required airlines to include government taxes and fees in the advertised price of a ticket. Airlines opposed the rule then, and they lobbied the House to include a provision in its FAA bill that would roll back the requirement.

Extra fees: The Senate bill would prohibit airlines from charging "unreasonable" ticket-change or cancellation fees. The Transportation Department also would set standards for other fees to make sure they reflect the airline's actual cost for providing extra service. Airlines raised more than $7.4 billion last year from fees on checked baggage and cancellations.

The restriction was proposed by a pair of Senate Democrats over strong objections by the airline lobby. Sharon Pinkerton, a senior vice president at the trade group Airlines for America, called it a first step toward returning to the pre-1978 era when the federal government set airline prices.

Overbooked flights: The House would ban airlines from bumping passengers from overbooked flights once they have boarded the plane. The provision was inspired by the 2017 incident in which a passenger was dragged off a United Express plane to make room for a late-arriving airline employee. In response to the criticism, airlines have cut overbooking to their lowest level in at least two decades.

Online travel agencies: Both the House bill and the Senate's committee-approved version would require online travel agencies like Expedia and Orbitz to tell consumers about things like extra fees and changes in airline schedules. Vaughn Jennings, a spokesman for the airline trade group Airlines for America, said the online agencies "shouldn't be exempt from consumer-protection standards that customers experience on airline websites."

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Disruptive passengers: The House bill would let airline employees block passengers from going through security screening or getting on a plane if the employee accuses them of verbal or physical assault. Passengers would be held up until police could sort things out.

There are many other provisions in the bills, including some that are opposed by safety experts. Pilot unions are fighting against a trial to test the idea of letting cargo airlines use one pilot instead of two. The unions say that in an emergency, one pilot could be more easily overwhelmed.

An even more controversial idea would reduce the number of hours that someone must fly to become an airline co-pilot. It's in the bill approved by Thune's committee but not in the House version. Congress raised the minimum from 250 hours to 1,500 hours after 50 people died in a 2009 accident near Buffalo. The Regional Airline Association, whose members operate smaller planes flying under the banners of American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express, say the requirement has created a pilot shortage.

The RAA supports Thune's proposal to let pilots count time on certain types of training in a classroom or a flight simulator toward the 1,500 hours.

Families of those who died in the 2009 Colgan Air crash have fought against the RAA. They note after Colgan, there were no fatal accidents involving U.S. airliners until a woman was killed on a Southwest flight in April.

"The RAA and others will continue to try any maneuver to water this down. It's sad," said Scott Maurer, whose daughter Lorin was on the Colgan plane. "In their eyes it's not about safety, it's about their business profits."
Chicago

Children's advocates want the American Psychological Association to condemn the tech industry's practice of using persuasive psychological techniques to keep kids glued to their screens.

The advocates, citing research that links excessive use of social media and video games with depression and academic troubles, say it's unethical for psychologists to be involved in tactics that risk harming kids' well-being. Skeptics say the research is inconclusive, and they note that psychologists have been involved in other industries' marketing and advertising for decades.

The group seeking intervention includes 60 U.S. psychologists, researchers, children's advocates and the Children's Screen Time Action Network, a project of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. The network was publishing a letter Wednesday to the American Psychological Association, coinciding with the association's annual meeting in San Francisco.

"There are powerful psychology principles and technology that are being used against kids in ways that are not in their best interests," said Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

That technology uses computers to help figure out what motivates people and influence their online behavior. It's built on age-old tenets of behavioral psychology that marketers and advertisers have long used to get people to buy their products. The difference is smartphones are ubiquitous and unlike human marketers, they don't get tired, said B.J. Fogg, a behavioral scientist at Stanford University who has been called the technology's pioneer.

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Fogg said he has aimed to use persuasive tech to enhance people's lives. But he also said he has long warned that it has a "dark side," including potential loss of privacy and the potential for encouraging behavior that isn't in users' best interests.

The letter cites a recent study that found that teen girls who spend a lot of time on digital devices, including on social media, are at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors. The letter also notes evidence that some teen boys overuse video games "at the expense of obtaining real-world competencies," including college educations and jobs.

"Families don't understand why their kids are so strongly attracted and pulled to these devices," said Richard Freed, a Walnut Creek, Calif., psychologist who signed the letter. He said the World Health Organization's decision in June to declare excessive video gaming an addiction shows the problem is real.
Robert J. Danzig, who overcame abandonment and poverty as a toddler in Albany to become one of the citys pre-eminent business leaders, and then served for more than two decades as president of Hearst Newspapers, died Wednesday in a Cape Cod hospital. He was 85.

In recent years, after his retirement from Hearst, Danzig maintained a busy schedule as a motivational speaker. Even last week, aware of his impending death, he appeared on Facebook Live to recount some of the inspirational stories that were always on his mind.

Bob Danzig inspired countless people over the years, both within Hearst and in audiences nationwide, said George R. Hearst III, publisher and CEO of the Times Union. Noting that he now occupies the office that was first Danzigs, Hearst added, This was Bob Danzigs paper. He loved Albany, and he loved the Times Union, first among all the Hearst newspapers.

He was a man of great intellect and great heart, said the Rev. Howard Hubbard, bishop emeritus of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. He never forgot where he came from, and he never failed to reach out to others who were going through a situation as difficult as his had been.

Danzig became publisher in 1969, promoted at age 37 over more senior colleagues to lead the Times Union and two other newspapers then published locally by Hearst, The Knickerbocker News and the Schenectady Union-Star. He moved to New York City seven years later to lead a nationwide division that at the time of his retirement delivered 10 million newspapers a week, with 6,000 employees.

But he remained in contact with Albany throughout his career, often visiting to check up on not only the newspaper, but also his philanthropic interests in the city of his birth. He had been a trustee of Siena College, where he earned a degree cum laude in 1962 through night classes, and of Albany Medical Center and St. Peters Hospital.

During his tenure as publisher, he was active in supporting the inner-city ministry of a fellow Siena student, the Rev. Peter Young, in Albanys South End.

He knew the South End better than any reporter out there while he was publisher, Young said Wednesday, recalling that Danzig visited homes of people living in poverty every week. He was the most outstanding volunteer we had.

Danzig identified with the poor, Young noted, because of his own hardscrabble upbringing.

In a memoir published recently  his 10th book  Danzig recounted that he was only 2 years old when his parents divorced and placed him in foster care, leading to a childhood spent in many different homes, never any one for very long. I felt worthless, unwanted and lonely, he wrote of his early years. In elementary school, he sent himself Valentines, varying the handwriting so classmates wouldnt know he had no friends.

But a series of mentors gave him hope, starting with a social worker named Mae Morse whom he met when he was 11. Never, ever forget, she told the boy, you are worthwhile. Those encouraging words, Danzig often said, were the foundation for everything he later accomplished.

When he was 18, he got hired to be an office boy in the Times Union Advertising Department by a woman named Margaret Mahoney, who took an interest in him because she had been a foster mother. I believe you are full of promise, she told him. She changed my future with her uplifting words, he said, and set him on his career path with Hearst.

The newspaper became the family I never had, he wrote. In spite of being shadowed by self-doubt, I threw myself into my work and my confidence grew.

After a two-year stint in the Navy, where a bunkmate taught him to read great literature, he returned to a job as a classified ad salesman. Danzigs hard work and creativity caught the attention of managers he worked for, especially after he lured lucrative supermarket advertising to the Times Union that had previously gone to another newspaper. A series of promotions followed to positions of increasing responsibility in advertising sales and management.

As his work expanded, so did his family. He married an Albany native, Patricia Brady, a marriage that lasted a half-century and produced five children. While attending night classes at Siena, he wrote for the campus literary magazine, which caught the eye of the Times Union publisher, Gene Robb.

It was Robb who gave Danzig his biggest career boost: a mentorship in various newspaper departments that Robb believed would qualify Danzig, after a dozen years, for leadership. Five years into the program, however, Robb unexpectedly died, and Hearst executives gave his job to Danzig.

It was a momentous time in the local newspaper market. George Hearst noted that Danzig was part of the management team that had made the bold decision to move the newspaper from downtown Albany to a new plant in suburban Colonie, in part responding to efforts by the Albany Democratic machine to stifle the newspapers aggressive reporting by applying economic pressure. When the Times Union occupied the new plant on Albany Shaker Road in 1969, Danzig took the office that had been designed for Robb.

His role, Danzig wrote in his last book, was not only to improve the bottom line, but also to be the keeper of the keys for preserving (the) newspapers integrity and independence.

In 1976, corporate leaders summoned Danzig to New York to take over a group of newspapers that, he once told an interviewer, were technically deficient and talent deficient. In one city after another, newspapers were foundering in the face of competition from television and changing lifestyles.

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He encouraged new ideas and innovation, but our papers financial straits and changing technology limited our flexibility, said James Toedtman, who was a top editor at Hearst papers in both Boston and Baltimore in the 1980s. Eventually, Danzig had to make the hard choice to close unprofitable Hearst papers in those cities, as well as in Los Angeles.

Even in Albany, there was contraction, as first the Union-Star and then, in 1988, the Knickerbocker News ceased publication. Danzig negotiated joint operating agreements that for many years kept open newspapers in San Francisco and Seattle, and Hearst bought out competitors in Houston and San Antonio.

Difficult decisions, Danzig wrote later. Burdensome reality.

The early decisions to trim the newspaper division, however, yielded profitability that enabled the remaining Hearst newspapers to enhance their editorial and business strength during Danzigs 21 years in leadership. Toedtman recalled that Danzig was always energetic, always enthusiastic and always demanding. His personal visits to newspaper plants were legendary, and he called many employees by name in each city, often embracing them warmly.

Shortly after he turned 65, Danzig handed over the leadership of the newspaper group, and took on a new role for Hearst heading an intensive training program for senior leaders of Hearst properties. Danzig served for 15 years as dean of the Hearst Management Institute, affiliated with Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, which eventually reached 600 Hearst leaders.

He also developed a busy second career as a public speaker for community, business and academic groups. He was named to the Speakers Hall of Fame in 2007. His personal appearances reached more than a million people, with remarks based largely on riveting anecdotes drawn from his personal life.

His speeches, he said, were based on the notion that facts touch heads and stories touch hearts  and hearts are the bonding link between the audience and the speaker.

Hearst executives noted Wednesday the impact of Danzig on the entire company, which is one of the nations largest diversified media, information and services companies, with more than 360 businesses.

Bobs contributions to Hearst went beyond the Newspaper Division, said Frank A. Bennack Jr., the companys executive vice chairman and former CEO. He mentored and encouraged young talent and created opportunities for all who were lucky enough to be taken under his wing. He was also among my longest serving and most beloved and admired partners. We are grateful for his leadership and friendship both in the company and on the Hearst Board.

Bob Danzig played a pivotal role in the dramatic growth of Hearst's newspaper operations in a career that spanned nearly 50 years with the company, Hearst President and CEO Steven R. Swartz said, in a statement. He was the rarest of executive talent, with equal measures of pragmatism and warmth, and his leadership lessons are part of Hearsts DNA.

Danzig's first marriage ended in divorce. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Evans, a retired therapist whom he got to know during winter vacations in Florida. He is also survived by his children: Marybeth Hartfelder and her husband, Ron; Marsha Danzig; Darcy Plunkett and her husband, Gary; Steve Danzig and his wife, Jen; and Matt Danzig and his wife, Susie; as well as 10 grandchildren: Charlie, Miles and Jack; Maddie and R.J; Declan, Brogan and Moira; and Luke and MacKenzie; and by his wifes daughters, Lori, Cheryl and Colleen, and their children and grandchildren.

At the time of his death, Danzig had begun an anthology of essays and had two other book projects in mind, he wrote, motivated in part by what he saw in everyone he met: The power to greet opportunity with open arms.

George Hearst said that in addition to other memorial plans, which are pending, a salute to Danzig will be scheduled in Albany at a later date.
Emergency crews pulled a body Tuesday morning from the Hudson River near the Corning Preserve in Albany.

Troy Fire Chief Thomas Garrett said he believed it was the person that Troy police had been searching for since Sunday. Authorities have not yet confirmed the person's identity, Garrett said, but added they are no longer conducting a search.

Troy police had been searching for a person who jumped from the Congress Street Bridge early Sunday morning.



The river has been higher than usual due to the recent rainstorms that passed over the Capital Region.

The identity of the person who is missing has not been released.
ALBANY -- A U.S. District Court jury convicted a 23-year-old man Tuesday of gun possession and drug dealing following a four-day trial.

Emmanuel Philippe of Brooklyn and Leominster, Mass., was found guilty of possessing a firearm in a drug trafficking crime, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possessing and intending to distribute crack cocaine.

Philippe was stopped for speeding at 3 a.m. March 17, 2017 on West Avenue near the YMCA in Saratoga Springs. After smelling marijuana, officers ordered Philippe and his passenger out of the car so it could be searched. A city officer found a plastic bag containing a loaded rifle magazine and rounds of .223 caliber ammunition. Philippe fled toward the YMCA but was quickly caught.

Officers found 35 baggies containing crack cocaine, a semiautomatic rifle, loaded with a 30-round magazine and with its safety turned off; another loaded 30-round magazine; a total of 165 rounds of l .223 caliber ammunition; and 22 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition. Officers also located $1,610 in cash, two digital scales and drug packaging materials.

Philippe, who has a prior felony conviction for forgery, faces from five years up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 6 by Judge Mae A. DAgostino. As a citizen of Haiti, Philippe may also face immigration consequences as a result of his convictions.

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The verdict was announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York Grant C. Jaquith, Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Saratoga Springs Police Chief George Veitch.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted the case.
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced the indictment of U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, a Republican from western New York, on insider trading charges related to his service on the board of an Australian biotechnology company that he and several family members invested in.

Charges were also filed against his son, Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins' then-fiancee, Lauren Zarsky, relating to securities of Innate Immunotherapeutics.

The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman. At a midday press conference, Berman laid out the details of the investigation and said that the felony charges were evidence that "this is a nation of laws" where even the powerful stood equal.

Collins and his son were arraigned in federal court in Manhattan in the afternoon, entering pleas of not guilty. In an evening press conference, Collins said he'd fight to clear his name and remain on the ballot.

Innate's primary development efforts went to a drug known as MIS416 that was intended to be used in the treatment of a form of multiple sclerosis. The indictment alleges that after the company's CEO informed the board on June 22, 2017, that the drug had failed clinical trials, Chris Collins passed the bad news to his son.

Chris Collins at the time owned almost 17 percent of the company's stock, though the shares were held in Australia, where Innate had asked for a halt to trading in advance of the public release of the drug trial data. His son owned 2.3 percent of the company's stock, though his shares were held in the U.S., where a trading halt was not imposed.

The indictment notes that when Chris Collins received the information about the drug trials from Innate's CEO ("I have bad news to report," his email began), the lawmaker was attending the annual congressional picnic at the White House. Numerous outlets produced photos of Collins at the event, staring at his phone as the rest of the crowd was turned the direction of President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania.

"Wow," Collins replied in an email. "Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???"

The indictment shows phone records of seven calls between Collins and his son that immediately followed that email  six missed calls followed by a six-minute conversation in which, prosecutors allege, Collins shared the insider information.

Cameron Collins allegedly passed the information along to Stephen Zarsky and three others, including his daughter, Zarsky's wife, Dorothy Zarsky, and a friend. Zarsky then passed the information to two of his brothers and a friend who was a Florida-based financial adviser.

As a result, many of the individuals who had received the insider information were able to dump Innate's stock and avert a total of $768,000 in losses, according to the indictment. After the drug trial results were announced to the public on the evening of June 26, 2017, Innate's stock lost more than 92 percent of its value.

The indictment also alleges that Chris Collins subsequently tried to conceal his son's illicit trading activity, in part by issuing a misleading news release.

"We want this to go away," Collins wrote in an email quoted in the indictment, referring to negative news coverage of the stock sales.

The indictment includes charges of securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and making false statements.

A statement from Collins' attorneys was posted on his congressional website: "We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name," they said. "It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated."

Collins, 68, sent an email to supporters reiterating his profession of innocence and saying that he would not comment on the matter going forward outside of the legal proceeding. After his arraignment, however, Collins announced he would hold a news conference Wednesday evening in Buffalo.

He said he would continue to seek re-election to Congress.

Here's the indictment:

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Collins Indictment by cseiler8597 on Scribd

Also Wednesday, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission announced parallel charges against Collins and his son, seeking to bar Chris Collins from serving as a board member or officer for any company and other sanctions.

The SEC also announced the settlement of charges against Lauren and Dorothy Zarsky for insider trading. Without admitting or denying the charges, the paid agreed that they sold their shares of Innate based on tips they received from Cameron Collins. Lauren Zarsky agreed to disgorge her ill-gotten gains of $19,440 plus interest and pay a civil penalty of $19,440. Dorothy Zarsky agreed to give up $22,600 plus interest and pay a civil penalty of $22,600.



Collins  a Schenectady native whose father was a General Electric engineer  was the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Trump's maverick presidential run. The Republican has also been a regular sparring partner of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has assailed Collins as a "Benedict Arnold" for supporting Trump's efforts to reduce the federal deduction for state and local taxes.

Collins was one of the four members of the state's nine-member GOP delegation that voted in favor of the federal tax bill.

On Wednesday, House Republican Speaker Paul Ryan said that the chamber's Ethics Committee would take up the charges against Collins. He also announced that the congressman would be booted from the House Energy and Commerce Committee until the criminal matter is resolved.

The federal charges add a new headache for Republicans as they fight a district-by-district battle to retain the House majority. Grand Island Town Supervisor Nate McMurray, his Democratic opponent, said in Wednesday afternoon press conference that the race was now winnable and that his financial support had jumped in the hours since the indictment was announced.

State Democratic Committee Chair and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called on Collins to resign.

There had been talk in Democratic circles of encouraging Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was defeated by Collins after holding the congressional seat in 2011 and 2012, to seek the party's nomination, but she declined.

Collins' indictment arrives just days before Trump is slated to make his first visit to upstate New York since taking office.

The president will be at Fort Drum in Jefferson County to sign a defense appropriation bill and is expected to appear at a fundraiser for Rep. Claudia Tenney, who was another one of the four "yes" votes for the tax measure.


State Sen. Daniel Biss, an Evanston Democratic, was a sponsor of the bill. He says requiring the additional information means that ride-sharing companies are now held to the same standard that other licensed transportation services have been held to for years.
Nanyang, China

The 62-year-old Chinese shopkeeper had waited nearly his entire adult life to see his dream of building a church come true  a brick house with a sunny courtyard and spacious hall with room for 200 believers.

But in March, about a dozen police officers and local officials suddenly showed up at the church on his property and made the frightened congregants disperse. They ordered that the cross, a painting of the Last Supper and Bible verse calligraphy be taken down. And they demanded that all services stop until each person, along with the church itself, was registered with the government, said the shopkeeper, Guo.

Without warning, Guo and his neighbors in China's Christian heartland province of Henan had found themselves on the front lines of an ambitious new effort by the officially atheist ruling Communist Party to dictate  and in some cases displace  the practice of faith in the country. "I've always prayed for our country's leaders, for our country to get stronger," said Guo, who gave only his last name out of fear of government retribution. "They were never this severe before, not since I started going to church in the '80s. Why are they telling us to stop now?"

Under President Xi Jinping, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982.

The crackdown on Christianity is part of a broader push by Xi to "Sinicize" all the nation's religions by infusing them with "Chinese characteristics" such as loyalty to the Communist Party. Islamic crescents and domes have been stripped from mosques, and a campaign launched to "re-educate" tens of thousands of Uighur Muslims. Tibetan children have been moved from Buddhist temples to schools and banned from religious activities during their summer holidays, state-run media report.

This spring, a five-year plan to "Sinicize" Christianity in particular was introduced, along with new rules on religious affairs. Over the last several months, local governments across the country have shut down hundreds of private Christian "house churches." A statement last week from 47 in Beijing alone said they had faced "unprecedented" harassment since February.

Authorities have also seized Bibles, while major e-commerce retailers JD.com and Taobao pulled them off their sites. Children and party members are banned from churches in some areas, and at least one township has encouraged Christians to replace posters of Jesus with portraits of Xi. Some Christians have resorted to holding services in secret.

A dozen Chinese Protestants interviewed by the Associated Press described gatherings that were raided, interrogations and surveillance, and one pastor said hundreds of his congregants were questioned individually about their faith. Like Guo, the majority requested that their names be partly or fully withheld because they feared punishment from authorities. After reporters visited Henan in June, some interviewees said they were contacted by police or local officials who urged them not to discuss any new measures around Christianity.

The party has long been wary of Christianity because of its affiliation with Western political values. Several Chinese human rights lawyers jailed for their work, including Jiang Tianyong and Li Heping, are outspoken Christians. So too are many Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, not least among them 2014 protest leader Joshua Wong.

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"Chinese leaders have always been suspicious of the political challenge or threat that Christianity poses to the Communist regime," said Xi Lian, a scholar of Christianity in China at Duke University. "Under Xi, this fear of Western infiltration has intensified and gained a prominence that we haven't seen for a long time."

Guo, who keeps a small storefront selling ornate doors in a riverside district, once had eyesight so poor that he could not distinguish the sky from the earth. But after finding God at 27 years old, he made a seemingly miraculous recovery that he attributes to his faith.

For decades, he, like many Christians in China, shuttled from one unregistered house church to another, where folding chairs served as pews and coffee tables as lecterns. Two years ago, he and 10 other Christians pooled their money to erect a permanent church on his property.

They are part of what experts describe as a spiritual awakening in China.

The number of Chinese believers of all faiths has doubled in two decades to an estimated 200 million, by official count, as the hold of the Communist party has weakened.
ALBANY  A filing mistake by an attorney associated with the campaign of New York City Public Advocate Letitia James helped clear the path for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to run for attorney general.

The legality of Maloney running for statewide office as well as his own congressional seat simultaneously was challenged last month by James' campaign and six Republicans associated with the congressman's GOP challenger.

James and Maloney are among four Democrats seeking the attorney general nomination.

A set of petitions associated with the James campaign objecting to Maloney's dual campaigns were officially invalidated on Wednesday because they were not accompanied by "proof of service," according to the state Board of Elections.

"We will meet Mr. Maloney on the campaign trail where the voters will see through his double-dipping charade," James' spokeswoman Delaney Kempner said.

Attorneys for Republican objectors narrowed the focus of their challenge to the legality of Maloney's congressional bid at a hearing in Albany Supreme Court on Tuesday, effectively enabling the lower Hudson Valley Democrat to run for attorney general.

The Maloney campaign touted the development as a victory, claiming in an email that the congressman had been "cleared of any doubt" during Tuesday's court hearing.

"It was no surprise that the Republicans in Albany challenged my petitions, but I'm glad we cleared this up once and for all and that voters will get a real choice at the ballot box in September," Maloney said in a statement.

The GOP objectors, who are associated with the campaign of Republican congressional candidate Jimmy O'Donnell, will continue to challenge the legality of Maloney's congressional run, according to the attorney who signed the petitions.

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"This case is really about the voters of 18th Congressional District," election attorney John Ciampoli said. "Maloney is using them as hostages, an insurance plan, because he's running for two things at the same time and the policy of the state is that you can't do that."

Ciampoli noted that O'Donnell is one of the petitioners and is willing to let the Maloney campaign substitute a new Democratic candidate for the 18th Congressional District.

The state Board of Elections determined that action on Maloney's congressional campaign was mooted by the court action.

The Albany Supreme Court is expected to make a determination on the legality of Maloney's reelection bid this week.

The Democratic primary will be held Sept. 13.
Alexandria, Va.

In blistering questioning, a defense lawyer accused the protege of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of being immersed in "so many lies" he can't remember them all, as he tried to undermine the credibility of the government's star witness in Manafort's fraud trial.

Defense lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates by pressing him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Downing also ventured into territory the two sides have mostly avoided: discussion of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The charges are not related to Manafort's work with the Trump campaign.

The aggressive questioning was aimed at shifting blame from Manafort onto Gates, who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and agreed to cooperate with investigators by testifying in the financial fraud trial.

"After all the lies you've told and the fraud you've committed, you expect this jury to believe you?" Downing asked incredulously.

Gates said he did, but the defense lawyer wasn't satisfied. He scoffed at the idea that Gates had repented for his actions, noting that prosecutors have said they won't oppose his bid for probation and getting him to acknowledge he had not repaid the money he had taken from Manafort.

After Gates described his theft as "unauthorized transactions" instead of embezzlement, Downing prodded him to use the latter term  and Gates ultimately relented, saying, "It was embezzlement from Mr. Manafort."

Prosecutors had braced for the tough questioning by getting Gates to come clean about his own crimes. He told jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manafort's tax bill. Gates recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

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But the grilling got more intense, and personal, Tuesday afternoon when Downing pressed Gates about a "secret life" he said was funded by embezzlement, including an extramarital affair that Gates himself acknowledged. Gates also said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trump's inaugural committee, which he helped operate.

After Gates struggled to recall precisely what he had told Mueller's team, Downing asked if he had been confronted with "so many lies" that he can't keep his story straight.

Downing at one point asked whether Mueller's investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. The defense moved on. Both sides have agreed to limit discussion of the campaign to avoid prejudicing the jury, though they did permit testimony about the overlap of a bank loan with Manafort's role in the Trump election effort.

Gates implicated himself in broad criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors to take some of the steam out of defense questioning. He told jurors he embezzled from Manafort by filing false expense reports. He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manafort's direction. Gates testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years, saying they had stashed money in foreign bank accounts and falsified bank loan documents.
TROY - The unconscious man is handsome, his skin translucent, unblemished with tiny pores. Incredibly, RPI computer science software engineer Nicholas Milef created such a life-like virtual reality avatar by studying the corpses of men who donated their bodies to science. The avatar looks more like a human suffering in real time than pixels on a screen.

When post-doctoral researcher Trudi Qi placed her human hand on a virtual reality sensor, her fingers appeared on-screen on his throat. The VR sensor allowed her to feel edges of his windpipe and fleshy softness to find the ideal spot. Qui grabbed a VR scalpel.

She cuts the man's throat.

Suvranu Dewho heads RPI's Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine--believes virtual reality can teach budding doctors to do a tracheotomy and insert breathing tubes before ever encountering human patients.

"It's important the avatar look alive and not like a computer game character. His appearance helps the medical students using our program feel as nervous as they would with a human," De said "His lifelike appearance helps a student feel the adrenaline, the emotional involvement."

De assembled a gifted RPI team  including Milef, Qi, senior research scientist Carlos Lopez and mechanical engineering major Zhaohui Xia  for this VR surgical training.

De earned his master's degree from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (India's Silicon Valley) and his doctorate from MIT. He works closely with Harvard surgeons and cognitive psychologists to decide what VR works best. The team constantly consulted an anesthesiologist from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a surgeon from Massachusetts General Hospital to make the Virtual Airway Skill Trainer accurate.

For example, the surgeons said it's normally harder to insert a breathing tube into a man's throat, especially if he's bearded, than a woman's. Obesity increases difficulty. The team created additional bearded male, female and overweight avatars for med students to experience the differences.

"We may be able to add smells to our programs; the technology exists," Lopez said. "Surgeons need to focus without being distracted by bad odors from body fluids."

De also heads RPI's Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering Department, so he enjoys this analogy: For decades, pilots learned to fly passenger jets despite thunderstorms and engine loss using flight simulators. The fake cockpit bounced, mimicking turbulence with special effects lightning, fire and hail.

"Our programs are the equivalent of flight simulators for surgeons," De said.

Programs for mundane daily tasks like suturing a cut shut let students practice in the virtual world to build muscle memory so the movements come automatically to students in an emergency.

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The RPI team developed a VR program for doctors and nurses to hone their team work in a bizarre catastrophe:

"About 600 American patients burst into flames each year in operating rooms during surgery," De said. "Doctors and nurses are often so shocked, they forget how to respond."

Electrical surgical tools wielding 300 Kilohertz-5 Megahertz are replacing metal blades. Energy cuts through organs easily but under certain circumstances, that electricity can ignite on a patient. De's team developed a VR simulation. Doctors and nurses wear VR headsets to see a fireball erupt on the patient's chest. They must take the proper stepsturning off oxygen tanks, removing the burning sheetin the best order.

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas built a mock OR to rehearse fire response. Baylor found staff trained with VR are better responders.

Recently, the U.S. military approached De about VR training for battlefield medics treating third degree burns.

"Medics are mostly teenagers with high school diplomas treating terrible third degree burns in war zones," De said.

Young military medics currently use yoga mats to practice their scalpel skills on severe burns. But De says mats do not resemble human skin. He's scrutinizing burnt skin on pig carcasses to duplicate third-degree burn appearance and texture in the virtual world.

De wants teenage medics trained on avatars to summon the muscle memory, inner calm and healing touch when confronted with the worst wounds real world war inflicts on those fighting.
A volunteer firefighter accused of stealing heavy equipment from his fire company and then trying to sell it in Maryland is among the fugitives State Police say they are searching for as part of their Warrant Wednesday effort.

Claude E. Bruce, Jr., 25, a volunteer firefighters from Herkimer County is wanted by state troopers on charges that accuse him of stealing a brush truck from the Ephratah Fire Department, using it to unload equipment at his home before driving the vehicle to Maryland to sell it, troopers said.

State Police said he was arrested in Maryland and brought back to New York to face charges in Fulton County. Released on his own recognizance, he failed to return to court.

Jenna R. Landis, 26, is wanted by State Police in Poughkeepsie on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession. Troopers said Landis failed to go to court after her arrest.

Kolby T. Blaise, 21, is wanted on assault, reckless endangerment and vehicle and traffic violations that stem from an Aug. 17, 2016, crash. Blaise was accused of driving a car with several deficiencies that made it unsafe to operation and led to someone being injured in a crash.

Sarena L. Turner, 24, is wanted by State Police in Homer on charges of burglary, petit larceny and harassment. The charges allege Turner stole items from Walmart and hit an employee who confronted her.

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Mikaela A. Slavik, 23, is wanted by State Police in Liberty on a charge of possession of stolen property. She was accused of trying to pawn stolen property.

Stafford Smith, 49, is wanted by State Police in Rochester on charges of driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation and marijuana possession that stems from a traffic stop for a cracked windshield.

Roberto Chub, 34, is wanted by State Police in Farmingdale on a misdemeanor drug possession charge. State Police said the charge stems from a July 2010 traffic stop in Nassau County.

Charles E. Buchannon, 27, is wanted by State Police in Niagara on a driving while intoxicated charge that stem a Feb. 1 arrest.

Teren P. O'Toole, 29, is wanted by State Police in Albany on a charge of driving with ability impaired by drugs. Troopers said O'Toole was taken into custody after an April 30, 2015, traffic stop on the Thruway.
Nenagh Walking Club is planning an epic walk along the Grand Canal to arrive in Dublin in time for the visit of Pope Francis to the World Gathering of Families.

The walk is being organised by Donie Mackey and the Thursday walkers have the chance to join Donie on Thursday, August 16, when a bus departs from St Mary's of the Rosary at 9am for the 22km walk from Sopwell to Lorrha via O'Sullivan Beara Way, and again on August 23, to join for the 20km walk from Edenderry to Robertstown.

Booking is essential through Donie at 087-8761442.

Meanwhile, a meeting will take place this Thursday, August 9, at 8pm in the Hibernian Inn, Nenagh to discuss walk fixtures and finalise details for the upcoming trip to Achill and Clare Island.

The next Sunday walk is on August 19 and is a hike around Tountinna; contact Margaret, 087-2369564.

Other upcoming Sunday walks are the challenging walk from Latteragh to Devil's Bit.

Next Tuesday, August 14, will be in the Silvermines, contact Lily, 087-7915001.

Tuesday evening walks will shortly come to an end and members will then do the bypass for the winter.

Last of the Summer Wine walks continue on Thursday mornings, contact Willie, 087-6633577.
Grange Development Group has announced that it will host a public strolling lecture at 7pm on Friday, August 24th, during National Heritage Week 2018, which will take place from 18-26 August.

Eileen Canny, a well-known wildlife expert, will lead a guided walk through the nature walk loop of Grange Walks - with leisurely stops and discussion on the species, habitats and behaviour of the plants and animals of the area.

Speaking about the event, Declan Rice of Grange Development Group said: Our group is very pleased to participate in Heritage Week and delighted to have Eileen Canny lead the Walkie-Talkie event.

Eileen is a very knowledgeable naturalist and experienced educator on wildlife. We are sure the event will very popular and therell be a high demand for the limited places. Theres no charge for attendances, but we ask that people intending to attend let us know in advance. Declan also stated, we are also thrilled to be able to host Maura Brennan of the Kilkenny Forestry School on Wednesday the 22nd of August that week. Mauras 'Wild Ways' workshop for children between 6 and 12 years of age with nature games, bush-craft, wild crafts, etc. will also be held on Grange Loop.

That starts at 11am- and once again booking is really important. Our thanks as ever go to Coillte Teo and to the landowner Peter Ponsonby for permission to use and develop Grange Walks.

The theme of this years National Heritage Week is Sharing Stories. During the week-long celebration of Irelands heritage, communities across Ireland are encouraged to share heritage stories in new ways, with new people. Coordinated by the Heritage Council, National Heritage Week is Irelands most popular cultural event and this year more than 570,000 people are expected to participate in over 2,000 heritage events around the country.

The aim of National Heritage Week is to build heritage awareness and appreciation while shining a light on the great work that is carried out in all communities in Ireland to preserve and promote our natural, built and cultural heritage.

One of the highlights of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, this years Heritage Week will also include many activities which explore and celebrate connections with our European neighbours and promote a sense of belonging to a common European space.

Commenting on this years programme of events, Chairman of the Heritage Council, Michael Parsons, said: Our cultural heritage belongs to everyone so we are encouraging everyone to get involved, to share a story and make a connection during Heritage Week.

People of all ages will have ample opportunity to find out more about our nature, history and culture by taking part in tours, walks, talks, exhibitions, outdoor activities and much more. From wildlife boat tours to storytelling workshops for children, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Most Heritage Week events are family-friendly and free of charge so that our shared heritage can be accessed and appreciated by all.

For a full listing of all National Heritage Week events around Tipperary/ Kilkenny and around the country please go to www.heritageweek.ie or pick up a brochure from your local library and Tourist Office.
2018 has been an exceptional year which has resulted in higher costs on most farms.

AIB has put in place a wide range of support options for farmers including Farmer Credit Line.

Extended phone line hours are also available for farming customers and a 48 hour decision on business loans and overdrafts up to 60,000 for AIB customers are in place

After a difficult and late spring, which caused challenges on most farms, the current persisting weather conditions are adding additional costs, workload and are going to impact on already low winter fodder reserves.

AIB is encouraging farmers to take action now to try to quantify the effect of higher costs on their individual farm situation and determine their Cashflow requirements for the weeks and months ahead.

Patrick OMeara, Agri Advisor Tipperary said: 2018 has been an exceptional year from a weather perspective which has resulted in higher costs on all livestock and arable farm systems. What is unique about this year is that all farms have been affected - farmers on heavier land more so in the spring and farmers on drier type soils more so in recent weeks.

On many livestock farms, recently replenished silage stocks are being reopened and many farmers are eating into their winter fodder reserves, which in many instances are well below desired levels.

The limited grass growth, which was already back by over 1.2t/ha at the beginning of July on the previous year, is resulting in many farmers feeding higher levels of concentrates, silage and other supplements.

Water supply is also starting to affect some farms. On the output side, poorer grass quality is also affecting animal thrive and milk output.

And while the harvest is starting to commence in some parts of the country, crops on lighter soils are likely to be suffering and yields of later sown spring crops are likely to be back.

Pat continues It looks like the current weather conditions will continue for a further period and even when rain does arrive, it will be some time before normal grass growth resumes.

We are encouraging our farming customers to determine how the additional costs are likely to affect their individual farm systems, be that poorer yields/output, reduced thrive and/or higher feed costs.

For farmers who need additional cash flow support our Farmer Credit Line product may be an appropriate solution and we are encouraging our customers who may need support to contact us early. We will work with farmers on a case by case basis to find the most appropriate and cost effective solution for their farm. Our latest edition of Agri Matters is now available in branch and online and it contains two practical articles on rebuilding fodder and cash reserves which may be of interest.

AIB has a range of options to support our farming customers which are subject to normal lending conditions, including:
ICSA suckler chairman John Halley has said that, for some farmers, the consequences of the drought is potentially disastrous and ICSA was particularly concerned about suckler farmers who will not be able to cope because income levels have been low for so many years.

Breeding farms have a bigger challenge than trading farms when it comes to a fodder crisis because the impact of selling breeding cows is to destroy a lifetimes work, he said.

Mr Halley said that whereas dairy farms did have a lot of support from co-ops and also the benefit of cash reserves from last year, no such comfort existed for suckler farms.

However, we must recognise that the situation can still be rescued on many farms if sufficient rain falls in the coming weeks, he said.

Mr Halley said that, over the past week, rainfall levels had varied significantly and moisture deficit charts showed significant differences between counties.

It is clear that part of the solution will have to involve supports being targeted at vulnerable suckler farmers, particularly those in areas where the worst impact of drought persists, he said

ICSA is very concerned that the drought has already impacted fertility and calf growth rates in many suckler herds. These impacts cannot be overcome in the short-term and the potential hit on suckler income is massive if weanlings have not reached their normal performance targets in herds dependent on selling weanlings, said Mr Halley.

He said that there was also a growing concern that the massive effort to decrease calving interval in suckler herds will be reversed.

Whereas dairy farmers can supplement with meals, the economics of sucklers means that feeding substantial quantities of meal to suckler cows was never a runner. While the cows are looking okay, we cannot say yet how much this will impact fertility, he said.

The suckler chairman said that it was increasingly clear, for example, that the BDGP targets will have to be reviewed and that the shortfall in funding uptake must be retained in the scheme.

Farmers will need flexibility to allow them to sell surplus stock even if it means not meeting the four and five star targets in 2018, he said.

ICSA is also insisting that the underspend in the BDGP is put back in and believes a very strong case can be made to the Commission on this.

Meanwhile, confirmation by EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan that the State can provide support for farmers hit by the ongoing drought have been welcomed by the president of ICSA Patrick Kent.

Mr Hogan also said that that flexibilities around GLAS rules should be forthcoming.

ICSA has already called for a hardship fund to help those most affected by the drought, particularly low income cattle and sheep farmers and cereal growers. It is now time for the Minister to take immediate action, said Mr Kent.

Mr Kent said that Commissioner Hogan had indicated that support to fix drought problems was possible, which included buying fodder.

He had confirmed that the purchase of fodder can qualify for aid as either material damage or income loss.

"However, this now requires a commitment from the Government to put some funding in place. This will be a real test of whether the government cares about the incredible hardships faced by farmers this year. ICSA is not looking for an open cheque book. We want aid targeted at the most vulnerable farmers in the less profitable sectors," said Mr Kent.

The ICSA president also welcomed the positive response for flexibilities around schemes and derogations from greening requirements.

For example, it has already been confirmed by the Commission that there will be derogations from the three crop rule and to allow land lying fallow under ecological focus areas to be used for growing feed. ICSA also wants to see farmers to be allowed wrap bales on LIPP areas in GLAS and to have the deadline for spreading fertiliser extended beyond September 15.

"We also need flexibility to allow tillage farmers to sow westerwolds or other Italian ryegrasses under GLAS cover crops," he said.
August 08, 2018





Protecting personal and corporate data of clients and the customer base is one of the biggest responsibilities of a business owner or a business manager. Hackers often sneak into the database to get details like social security numbers, employee identification numbers, name, addresses and credit card information to create fake identities and use them for illegal reasons.







Securing the information of clients and customer is always good for the business. But, it is also a law in many cases. As per the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), businesses who do not take measures to protect client information are made to pay hefty fines.

Once clients and customers start losing their faith, it can damage the reputation of your business. There have been cases when the business had to be shut down permanently because of the lack of trust.

Wondering what measures to take in order to keep the data of customers and clients safe and keep the reputation of the company intact? We asked lawyer Marc Lamber of Lamber Goodnow for some advice on how they ensure their client data is secure. He told us that there are various things that you can do to protect client data and earn their trust to build a strong client base.

1. Adding anti-virus software, firewalls and multiple security layers to the business servers and computers is the first step to protecting information of clients and customers. You may think that a couple of layers of protection would be enough, but there is no harm if there is more protection. Adding a redundancy to the security systems can also be very effective. Hackers often look for vulnerable targets and you can combat them by adding multiple security layers. This would make it difficult to access client information and hackers would soon move to a different website if its an easy target.

2. Web hosts that value business security should always be preferred. You will find numerous web hosting companies offering attractive deals. The customers and clients are able to visit your website because of the web hosts. Basically, your company website is hosted on giant servers and the servers are protected by multiple layers of security.

The protection of the servers is based on the operation of the web hosting company. There are security cameras in the server rooms, hard-wired firewalls, anti-spyware, anti-virus and various other layers of protection that are used by web hosting companies. But, even then, your business may be threatened by hackers from data collected from the host server.

Thinking how that is possible? If you have chosen shared hosting service, then your company website will be working in the same server as that of thousands of other websites. This can often lead to cross-side server attacks - these attacks take place when hackers open an account just so that they access websites that are operating on the same server. Any web host that values your business would monitor server activity to protect websites from cross-side server attacks. But, you should still get multiple security levels to keep your business details intact.

VPS or Virtual Private Server can be helpful to protect sensitive data of clients. VPS can be costlier than shared hosting because it creates a divide between your websites and the others that are on the same server.

Want another solution? Get a private server account for your company instead of VPS or shared hosting. In this case, all the data generated on your website will be kept on a separate server. Yes, it comes at a high price, but the security is top-notch.

Whenever you are planning to opt for web hosting services, always check their security measures. Try and sync server-side software with office-based security software for enhanced protection.

3. Do not let employees access client or customer data. Keep servers and office computers protected with passwords and limit the employees who have access to the sensitive data. Do not forget to change the passwords whenever an employee leaves the company. There are unhappy ex-employees who try to harm the companys reputation by stealing or trashing the sensitive data of customers.

4. Whenever the office is being cleaned by professionals, always lock all the computers, PDAs, servers, desktops, and laptops. If there is a knowledgeable hacker amongst the cleaning staff, it will only take a second or two to smuggle a laptop out of office. You can also keep all these stuff in a safe storage and lock it down for a while.

5. Always remain one step ahead when it comes to security. Keep an eye on the latest security features. Also, update and upgrade the anti-virus software installed in computers. You may have purchased the latest anti-hacker software, but if you do not update the software, hackers would find a breach and enter the system to access data. The upgrades enhance the protection you get.

6. If there is a breach in security and data has been leaked, inform customers and clients immediately. Customers often have a trick or two up their sleeves to protect the information that has been compromised. They can take evasive action by informing their banks and closing down accounts or opening new accounts with new passwords. This is not only good for the business but also the law that is applicable.

7. Get in touch with a professional. Someone with little knowledge or amateurish experience is not the way to go when it comes to computer security. The web is filled with hackers who have unimaginable power to hack sensitive details. The best thing to do would be to work with a professional in IT security. He/she will have the experience to monitor the servers and keep an eye on the customer information so that they are not compromised. You may have to spend a lot on these professionals, but they would do an excellent job to keep customer and client data safe.

Customer and client information is like an asset to the business. Treat it with due respect. There are uncountable hackers around who are waiting to pounce on even the slightest of weaklings. So, take quick action to protect the reputation that you have rightly earned.
[August 07, 2018] Halodata Unveils New Security Solutions at RSA 2018

SINGAPORE, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Halodata Group, a data security value-added distributor, debuted four new information security solutions at RSA Conference APJ 2018 on 25th-27th July at Marina Bay Sands. The solutions showcased were, 8MAN, Netshield, Zimperium and Swivel Secure showing off new cutting edge technology in Access Control and Mobile Threat Defence, two hot topics given the recent data breaches in the region. "The ASEAN market has grown rapidly in the cybersecurity market, however basic strategies such as Active Directory Reporting, Multi Factor Authentication and Network Access Control is still missing. Data Loss Prevention and Data Classification tools; the foundations of any good security implementation, seem to be overlooked," explained Resham Ganglani, CEO of Halodata. Steven Gormly, International Pre-Sales Manager for 8M AN by Protected Networks added, "It has been a great exhibition overall but there still seems to be a lack of awareness on how companies can have the ability to manage Access Rights Permissions and audit Active Directory. 8MAN Access Rights Management solution gives complete transparency on who has access to data and what they are doing with it."



Mike McKinzie, Regional Director, North America & APAC Swivel Secure shared, "We are excited to be partnering with Halodata for this region and from my trip to Indonesia and Singapore, I can see there is a growing demand for multi-factor authentication beyond just Internet banking. Swivel Secure and Halodata are excited to ensure that the industry gets the best with our MFA solutions." Attending her 4th RSA conference in Singapore, Carmen Oprita, Manager Sales and Business Development from Cososys SRL from Cluj, Romania and its regional office, Cososys Far East, commented, "Our partnership with Halodata has been going strong for a long time. The event at RSA always brings us new opportunities and platform for us to demonstrate our leading Data Loss prevention solution across all operating system platforms. Our flagship solution, Endpoint Protector has achieved record installations in ASEAN and we expect this to continue in the coming years."

Two gentlemen busy at Halodata's booth, were Mr Vic Mankotia, Vice President Sales, Asia and Japan; and Pre-sales Director, Pat Shueh, from Zimperium. The duo showed off how easily it was for mobile phones to be compromised without any signs of foul play. "The threat landscape is evolving onto mobile phones. We do more of our daily business work on our phones and it's where our data is most vulnerable. This is the next paradigm for attackers and it's important to secure not just mobile devices but applications as well. Together with Halodata, we look forward to continuing our leadership in this Mobile Threat Defence space!" explained Mr Mankotia. Halodata is a value-added security distributor in the South East Asian region with offices in Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia and is a corporate member of the IAPP and training partner of OCEG, Halodata aims to reduce the gaps between privacy, security, governance and technology. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180807/2205748-1

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180807/2205748-1LOGO SOURCE Halodata International Pte Ltd

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[August 07, 2018] MineSense closes US$ 18million financing to drive commercialization

VANCOUVER, Aug. 7, 2018 /CNW/ - MineSense Technologies has closed a US$ 18million equity financing to position itself for full commercial launch. Led by Prelude Ventures, the round included industry leaders Caterpillar, Mitsubishi Corporation and new investor ABB Technology Ventures (ATV), ABB's strategic venture capital unit. The financing, which was oversubscribed, also included existing investors Aurus Ventures, Chrysalix Venture Capital and Cycle Capital. "Prelude Ventures is very pleased to have led this latest financing in MineSense, a company with the potential to make a significant sustainability impact on an industry as critical as mining," said Prelude Managing Director Tim Woodward. The participation by Caterpillar represented a second investment by the mining equipment giant. "Ore grade control has a significant impact on the bottom line for mining companies. Caterpillar's relationship with MineSense takes grade control to the next level," said Jim Hawkins, Director of Mining Technology at Caterpillar. "We are very pleased with the progress MineSense has made in the last 18 months to introduce its innovative technology and are excited to support the companyinto the next stage".



Mitsubishi Corporation has also provided active support since their late 2017 debt investment, converted to equity in this round. "We believe that MineSense provides a unique technology that will play a key role in adding significant value to our mining customers," said Tatsuro Sako, General Manager for Digital Mining Development Office, Mineral Resources Investment Division. "We look forward to continuing to work with MineSense's executive team and Board as they pursue their growth objectives." The addition of ABB as a new strategic investor rounds out MineSense's mining industry partners. "At ABB, we are committed to driving automation and productivity in the mining industry. We are excited by the direct impact to the bottom line that the MineSense technology may provide to our customers," said Brandon Spencer, Managing Director of Business Unit Process Industries at ABB. "We look forward to working with MineSense's team to help them expand their offering as a key component of the integrated, smart mine."

"We are very pleased to have received this strong financial backing from our existing and new investors," said MineSense CEO Jeff More. "This funding, coupled with strategic support from such industry leading companies, will help accelerate the commercialization of our digital offering, while better positioning us to execute our strategy to expand into key mining regions worldwide." About MineSense Technologies

MineSense, a British Columbia-based company recently named to the Global Cleantech 100 and winner of the Automation of Everything award, is a pioneer in industrial IoT providing real-time, sensor-based ore data and sorting solutions for large-scale mines. The Company's fast, scalable, and robust mineral sensing platform creates transformational value by providing precise, accurate, real-time grade control and ore routing decisions at the point of extraction for maximum resource conversion and metal recovery, reducing the CO2 emissions and the consumption of wear materials, energy, water and reagents during the whole mining process. Visit www.minesense.com for more information. SOURCE Mine Sense

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[August 08, 2018] New PHNIX Inverter Heat Pump to launch in Scandinavia

GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to leading heat pump manufacturer PHNIX, the company will soon launch two new energy-efficient inverter heat pump products in Scandinavia. Additionally, some PHNIX's business partners in Germany and Sweden have recently been assisting in the testing of the new inverter heat pump series, Mr. Peter Wang, Deputy General Manager in charge of PHNIX global overseas business, remarked on these matters when interviewed by the media in Guangzhou. Mr. Jab Fan, Director of PHNIX House Heating and Hot Water Division, who just completed the Nordic market study, said, "The two new PHNIX heat pump series, specially designed for Northern Europe, are all inverter heat pumps. The PHNIX DC inverter heat pump, which will launch first, is a house heating/cooling (with PHNIX water fan coil) plus hot water application solution. The R32 house heating inverter heat pump will beintroduced at a later date."



About the New PHNIX DC Inverter Heat Pump Energy Saving Up To 30% with A++ ErP Level PHNIX DC Inverter Heat Pump can work efficiently through floor heating, water fan coils, or radiators for heating/cooling. This series utilizes advanced heat pump technology to achieve high efficiency with a SCOP of 4.0. The PHNIX DC Inverter Series consumes 30% less energy than normal heat pump units.

Smart Colorful Touch Display PHNIX DC Inverter Heat Pump Series' 5-inch wire-controlled LCD display has many powerful functions, such as a water temperature curve display, easy timing, one-key mute, and mute timer. It has several control modes and is easy to operate, undoubtedly giving users a better experience. 0.5 degrees Celsius Precise Control PHNIX DC inverter heat pump units can change the operating frequency of the compressors automatically according to the hot water/heating/cooling requirements. When the target temperature is reached, the unit runs at a lower frequency, and the temperature control accuracy is accurate to 0.5 degrees Celsius. About PHNIX PHNIX, a leading manufacturer of heat pumps in China, is an international enterprise specializing in the R&D and production of heat pump products and energy-saving solutions. Nearly 50% of PHNIX products are exported to Europe, North America, and other overseas markets. For more information about PHNIX and its products, please visit www.phnix-e.com. SOURCE Guangdong PHNIX Eco-Energy Solution Ltd.

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[August 08, 2018] Halton Group Acquires U.S. Indoor Air Equipment Manufacturer

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Halton Group, a global indoor air company, has acquired the business activities and product design rights of LCSystems Inc., a family company from Kentucky in the United States that manufactures supply and exhaust air equipment for professional kitchens. The acquisition makes the company a part of Halton's Foodservice business that specializes in professional kitchen environments. In 2017, Halton delivered professional kitchen indoor air solutions to some 6,000 locations around the world. In recent years, Halton has been systematically working to expand its range of professional kitchen products from hood solutions to comprehensive air handling systems. "The acquisition of LCSystems supports our chosen strategy and accelerates the entry of our comprehensive solutions into the North American market, where we will continue to aim at significant growth as the industry-leading technology supplier", says Georges Gaspar, Director of Halton Foodservice. The acquisition is preceded by a long history between the two companies that has its roots in development work done within the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.) network in the 1990s. The companies started cooperation for manufacturing ETL licensed products in 2004. "Our long cooperation has been very functional and I believe that this acquisition offers interesting opportunities for creating new, innovative and customer-focused solutions for this important market", Gaspar says. Steve Brown, founder for LCSystems, had the following to say: "I have known Halton for over 20 years and seen that our approach to product innovation, quality and customer relationship management is similar. This experience has convinced me that LCSystems' customers will continue to receive high-quality service from Halton." The acquisition worth slightly below USD 4 million was completed 30 June 2018. 2019 will mark Halton's 30th anniversary on the US market. Further information

Phil Meredith

Director,

Halton Foodservice

Americas region

Tel. +1-270-237-5600



Georges Gaspar,

Director

Halton Foodservice

Gglobal operations

Tel. +33-62-94-40-322

Email: firstname.lastname@halton.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/halton-group/r/halton-group-acquires-u-s--indoor-air-equipment-manufacturer,c2588050 The following files are available for download:







http://news.cision.com/halton-group/i/halton---lcsystems-acquisition-press-release-image,c2462493 Halton - LCSystems acquisition press release image

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/halton-group-acquires-us-indoor-air-equipment-manufacturer-300693791.html SOURCE Halton Group

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[August 08, 2018] APEX Technologies President Tiger Yang Selected By Forbes as 30 Under 30

SHANGHAI, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Forbes China has selected President and Chief Operating Officer of APEX Technologies, Tiger Yang, as 30 Under 30 for 2018. APEX Technologies is a leading data technology and AI company headquartered in Shanghai, also the parent company of APEX Network, its blockchain technology branch. This nomination will make APEX Technologies the first company in Asia with both founders who are independently selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 award (Founder and CEO Jimmy Hu in 2017), in combination with being selected by Forbes earlier this year as "China's Top 50 Most Promising Companies". APEX Technologies has been experiencing annual triple-digit revenue growth since 2015, with close to 150 employees across 4 offices worldwide. The management states that building big data and AI solutions for use cases of cusomer data, marketing, and CRM for mid to large sized corporations is still the bread and butter core revenue generating business, but the company has recently successfully spun out a profitable blockchain technology business as well. In Q3 of 2018 up to date, APEX Technologies has secured multiple multimillion dollar contracts for developing blockchain infrastructure and decentralized applications for large private and state-owned enterprises. Though according to Tiger, the firm's largest blockchain project is undoubtedly its own infrastructure APEX Network, an enterprise-ready public blockchain for building decentralized consumer applications, which is expected to launch before schedule.



"My job is to insure APEX Technologies runs efficiently and effectively and continues to scale, with the best talent. Many challenges lie ahead, including maintaining a consistent and healthy company culture as we continue to grow," said Tiger. "The blockchain part of our company has also been particularly interesting for me. Blockchain in the sense of the cryptocurrency market can be chaotic and contain a lot of noise, but blockchain technology does not. Robust and value-delivering technology prevails, and that's what we're here to build. We've put a lot of resources, effort, and thought into the technology, and I think we will be rewarded greatly when ecosystem adoption takes place."

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apex-technologies-president-tiger-yang-selected-by-forbes-as-30-under-30-300693846.html SOURCE APEX Technologies

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[August 08, 2018] INVISTA to Build World-scale Adiponitrile Facility in China by 2023

INVISTA has begun work to bring its latest adiponitrile (ADN) technology to China to satisfy the strong, local demand for the nylon 6,6 intermediate chemical. Engineering for a minimum 300,000-ton plant is underway at an estimated investment in excess of $1 billion. Construction is targeted for 2020 and production would begin in 2023. Kyle Redinger-vice president of INVISTA Intermediates, Asia Pacific, and 2017 Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award winner-has accepted a newly created role dedicated to meeting China's long-term needs for ADN through capital investments, asset development and commercial arrangements. "Given China's strong demand for ADN and its commitment to advanced, energy-efficient technologies, INVISTA's butadiene-based ADN is the best choice for capital investment in the region," said Redinger. "INVISTA supplies more of the merchant market than any other ADN producer, so we want to ensure those customers have the best technology available. The last world-scale plant was constructed more than 35 years ago, so this is a special time for the industry, and I am extremely proud to lead INVISTA's efforts to deliver this new facility." INVISTA has been meeting with customers and industry participants to develop a collaborative strategy focused on meeting China's local needs for ADN, which is used to make nylon polymer, fibers and other specialty materials such as hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) for coatings. Bill Greenfield, president, INVISTA Intermediates, said, "We are pleased by the feedback we have received in the market and are confident we will reach agreements with selected partners over the nxt few months; so our shareholders have agreed to proceed with the project. Combined with the significant investments being made in our existing ADN plants, this decision further demonstrates INVISTA's commitment to the global industry."



Over the past five years, INVISTA has invested more than $600 million in China to support the nylon market, including a 215,000-ton hexamethylenediamine (HMD) plant and a 150,000-ton polymer plant, at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP). INVISTA has also created multiple-generation improvements to the technology over the decades, recently setting production records with the deployment of its latest technology in the U.S. "INVISTA has consistently added capacity to meet market needs and will continue to do so in the future," Greenfield said. "We understand the industry's preference toward our technologies, and so we have worked hard to continuously improve them. We have been pleased with the government support for our projects in the past and look forward to working with the appropriate officials again to advance our further developments."

About INVISTA With leading brands including LYCRA, COOLMAX, CORDURA, STAINMASTER and ANTRON, INVISTA is one of the world's largest integrated producers of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers. The company's advantaged technologies for nylon, spandex and polyester are used to produce clothing, carpet, air bags and countless other everyday products. A wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries and headquartered in the United States, INVISTA has more than 50 locations around the world. For more information, visit INVISTA.com, Facebook.com/INVISTAglobal and Twitter.com/INVISTA. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005288/en/

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[August 08, 2018] StaffConnect Maintains Rapid Growth Trajectory in Burgeoning Employee Engagement Technology Solutions Market

Enjoys Annual Year on Year Growth of 102% and Quarter on Quarter Growth of 28%, with Quarterly Revenue Growth of 78% from Q2 2017 to Q2 2018

Closes Impressive Roster of Enterprise Customers  Such as a Fortune 500 Car Rental Agency  Expands Into New Vertical Markets, Including Travel & Leisure, Food & Beverage and Construction LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StaffConnect, the leading provider of mobile employee engagement solutions, today announced the continued exponential growth of its revolutionary employee communications and engagement platform and across new verticals, including Travel & Leisure (such as a Fortune 500 car rental agency), Food & Beverage, Engineering and Construction. Consequently, StaffConnect enjoyed an annual year on year growth of 102% and quarter on quarter growth of 28%, with quarterly revenue growth of 78% from Q2 2017 to Q2 2018. According to a recent report by Radiant Insights, the Global Employee Engagement Software Market is expected to grow at a significant compound annual growth rate in the upcoming years as the scope and its applications are rising enormously across the globe. The Employee Engagement market is on a rapid growth trajectory as enterprises around the globe rank employee experience (EX) as a top priority and business challenge that must be solved, said Geraldine Osman, CMO, StaffConnect. Our continued strong growth is a testament to our forward thinking enterprise customers who are embracing new technologies to help solve the issues surrounding employee engagement. By selecting StaffConnects mobile engagement platform as their employee communications platform, our customers are experiencing a rapid increase in workforce productivity, a decrease in attrition levels and improved customer satisfaction." StaffConnect Sees Significant Milestones In First Half of 2018: StaffConnect version .2  which includes new features and functionality designed to improve employee engagement and job satisfaction by creating an improved employee experience. The new capabilities include extended integration into enterprise systems to allow enterprises to easily create a central hub for their employees to access Payroll, HR and other important resources. Additionally, the new version of StaffConnect delivers further security enhancements and data privacy in line with GDPR compliance requirements, customer brand expansion into new functions to increase a positive company brand across a distributed workforce, and even more key mobile features for workforce flexibility, improved job satisfaction, productivity and profitability.







StaffConnect experienced over 78% growth compared to the same quarter of last year and grew its footprint across leading verticals including Travel & Leisure, Food & Beverage, Retail, Healthcare, Engineering and Construction. New customers included: Responsive Engineering, KR Wolfe, a Fortune 500 car rental agency, and a leading U.S.-based producer of Middle Eastern-style dips and other foods.



Employee Engagement Survey  which among its findings revealed: Enterprise organizations are still relying primarily on email to communicate with employees (77.94%) and/or newsletters (48.53%), while less than 2% are leveraging new and innovative technologies, such as mobile apps Todays employee engagement success is either not being measured (26.47%), or utilizing decreased absenteeism/employee turnover rates (35.29%) or increased profitability (23.53%) as indicators An overwhelming number of enterprise organizations are planning to improve their employees experience in 2018 (74.24%), while unfortunately there was a small percentage that had no plans to do so (25.76%).

StaffConnect continued to delve into and explore the industrys challenges, opportunities and trends, teaming with some of the industries thought leaders, including Emma Bridger of People Lab, to discuss a wide and diverse range of topics in its ongoing webinar series (https://www.staffconnectapp.com/latest/events/). Tweet this: .@StaffConnectApp Continues Impressive Growth Trajectory  Enjoys Exponential Sales Growth  Customers Among The Most Well-Known and Highly Respected in Their Space, Launches Innovative Technology Advancements and Releases Ground-Breaking Research https://www.staffconnectapp.com/latest/press-releases/ #EmployeeEngagement

About StaffConnect

StaffConnect is the leading provider of mobile employee engagement solutions. The StaffConnect platform transforms the employee experience by enabling enterprises to connect, communicate and engage their entire workforce, especially remote, non-desk employees. The customer-branded mobile app gives employees a voice - with access to company and user-generated content to increase loyalty and productivity. The cloud-hosted platform empowers employers to target that content, with analytics, to deepen engagement with everyone. From offices in London and San Francisco, StaffConnects platform and domain expertise are supporting large businesses around the world to inspire their workforces to deliver better performance, improved customer experiences and greater shareholder value. For further information, please visit: www.staffconnectapp.com. Media Resources (logos, screenshots, etc.): https://www.staffconnectapp.com/media-resources/ PR Contacts: Sabrina Sanchez Nicole Gorman The Ventana Group for StaffConnect The Ventana Group for StaffConnect (925) 785-3014 (508) 397-0131 ssanchez@theventanagroup.com ngorman@theventanagroup.com



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[August 08, 2018] Connected Lab Introduces New Category of Consultancy with Rebrand to Connected

Product powerhouse sets out to be the leading end-to-end product development firm by 2020 TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2018 /CNW/ - Rapidly growing Canadian product development firm Connected Lab has rebranded and changed its name to simply Connected. By dropping the "Lab" from its namea term tied to agile developmentConnected is better able to reflect the work that it does and position itself, not as a software firm or tech shop, but a uniquely integrated product development firm that combines strategy, design, and software engineering to build products that drive impact for their clients. With a brand new 35,000-square-foot office and dedicated event space to go with it, the 100%-employee-owned company (and two-time winner of the "Top Small and Medium Employer in Canada" award) is on an ambitious mission to become the world's leading product development firm by 2020. "Connected was born in 2014 on the belief a new category of firm was needed to help ambitious companies leverage the power of product: not a dev shop, or a design agency, or a strategic consultancy, but a uniquely integrated product development firmone our clients could trust to help build impactful products," said Mike Stern, CEO at Connected. "Our goal is to become the first truly great product development firm, a new class of partner that quietly stands-out amidstthe hype of digital transformation and innovation."



"Connected was created because our founders were tired of watching so many products die in execution due to the disconnect that came from businesses working with different product experts in different product life-stages," adds Tammy Chiasson, VP Marketing at Connected. "It was an easy rebrand for me to get passionate about because I really get the 'broken telephone' problem in the industry, and Connected is doing a great job of creating a new and necessary category in the market." Doubling in size every year since its foundation in 2014, Connected has grown to over 150 employees (and counting) to serve their ever-growing partnerships with some of the world's largest and most respected product companies. Composed of world-class engineers, designers, and product and business strategistsinternally referred to as "Connectors"the company prides itself on its team of trusted product builders that participate along the entire product development lifecycle, from validation to release and beyond. The product development firm's dual-track commitment to simultaneous discovery and delivery not only surfaces stronger insights, but provides the company with increased accountability to user outcomes and business impact.

Partnering with ambitious product builders within large organizationspeople who are ready to make something, and make something greatConnected customizes each engagement based on its clients' needs and is able to jump in wherever they are in their product development journey to validate, design, and build software-powered products. As a part of the company's goal to be recognized as the leading product development firm by 2020 and to celebrate the launch of its new brand, Connected will be hosting a big celebration of all the great product builders that have inspired Connected along the way to Build Better Products. Partnering with Elevate, Canada's largest tech and innovation festival, Connected will be bringing together some of the best product thinkers and makers for three days of exciting programming. On September 25 Elevate will be featuring keynotes Al Gore, Eric Schmidt, and Bumble Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd on the Sony Centre mainstage, among others. The following day, Connected will be hosting the Elevate Product track in their brand new event space specifically designed to be a hub for the product community. A full day of exciting programming, festival-goers will get to hear from leading product figures like Catherine Ulrich, former CPO of Shutterstock and Managing Director at FirstMark Capital, and Satish Kanwar, VP & GM of Channels at Shopify, and many more. To cap off their day of product-centric thought leadership, Connected will be hosting a big private party to celebrate all the great product builders who have educated and inspired them to build better. With the new brand, the company has also changed the logo and branding. Connected's logo is a stylized wordmark that represents the company's continuous pursuit of better. Just as products are in a constant state of iteration and improvement, so is Connected. The unfinished letterforms suggest that the pursuit of better is never complete. The firm also partnered with famous illustrator Christopher DeLorenzo, known for his work with Google, Converse, AirBnB and many more, to curate brand illustrations that depict their four key areas of serviceIdentify, Make, Release, and Evolveas well as other core illustrations that depict the Connected culture and mission. These illustrations capture the spirit of true product development and Connected's pursuit of better. About Connected Connected is a software product development firm that partners with ambitious companies across the product lifecycle to build products that drive impact. For more information, visit Connected.io. SOURCE Connected

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[August 08, 2018] Digital Transformation and Blockchain Expert Jaspreet Bindra Joins Simplilearn as Faculty Advisor

BANGALORE, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EdTech company Simplilearn, one of the world's leading online training providers for digital economy skills, announced the appointment of industry veteran Jaspreet Bindra as an advisor for Simplilearn's Digital Transformation Academy. Currently the Digital Advisor to the Mahindra Group and International Data Corporation (IDC), Jaspreet will play a key role as faculty advisor, to build and enrich the learning curriculum in the Digital Transformation category and counsel Simplilearn's global enterprise clients on their learning goals and strategies for digital technologies. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/728180/Jaspreet_Bindra_Faculty_Advisor.jpg )

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/535442/Simplilearn_Logo.jpg )



"Digital transformation is about creating business models that foster innovation and drive better customer experience by leveraging cutting edge technologies," said Jaspreet Bindra. "As continuous learning becomes critical for digital transformation, organizations need to adopt a training strategy at all levels. I am exhilarated about my partnership wth Simplilearn and will play my part in driving a strong learning culture and helping enterprises build a digitally competent workforce."



"An early adopter of digital transformation, Jaspreet is a forerunner in transitioning Fortune 500 companies from legacy-based operations to digitally-focused powerhouses," said Anand Narayanan, Chief Product Officer at Simplilearn. "We're honored to have Jaspreet adding his expertise to our Digital Transformation Academy, to help accelerate the digital journeys of enterprises by co-building the right learning programs required for successful a business evolution." Until recently, Jaspreet Bindra was the Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation at the Mahindra Group of Companies. In his effort to promote digital initiatives at these companies and others, Jaspreet has built governance mechanisms, helped incubate disruptive corporate startups and has led digital transformation programs for automotive, agriculture, hospitality, financial services and retail sectors. He also heads the Emerging Technologies Council for the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

The Simplilearn Digital Transformation Academy covers all aspects of people, process and technology to achieve competency in digital technologies including Big Data, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and DevOps, Programming, Cyber Security, Digital Marketing and more. The Digital Transformation Academy is designed to be customizable across a wide variety of industries and for all employee and management levels and roles while delivering on Simplilearn's outcome-centric, high engagement learning approach. About Simplilearn Simplilearn enables professionals and enterprises to succeed in the fast-changing digital economy. The company provides outcome-based online training across digital technologies and applications such as Big Data, Machine Learning, AI, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Digital Marketing and other emerging technologies. Based in San Francisco, CA, Raleigh, NC and Bangalore, India; Simplilearn has helped more than one million professionals and 1000 companies across 150 countries get trained, acquire certifications and reach their business and career goals. The company's high-engagement curriculum blends self-paced online learning, instructor-led live virtual classrooms, hands-on projects, student collaboration and 24/7 global teaching assistants. Simplilearn is a GSA IT-70 contract holder and was recognized by Training Industry as a Top 20 IT Training Company for 2017. For more information, visit https://www.simplilearn.com. Media Contacts:

Rishabh Sekhar

rishabh.sekhar@simplilearn.net

+91-7736711536



Rushitha Samavedam

rushitha@simplilearn.net

+91-9538207070





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Mobile Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Market (2018-2023) by Application, Technology Node and Geography - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Mobile Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market by Application (Smartphones, Cameras, Drones, Automotive, AR/VR, Robotics, Smart Boards, and PCS), Technology Node (10nm, 20 to 28nm, 7nm and Others), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The mobile AI market is expected to reach USD 17.83 billion by 2023 from USD 5.11 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 28.41% during the forecast period.

Increasing demand for AI-capable processors for use in mobile devices, rise in cognitive computing, and growing number of AI applications are some of the major factors driving the growth of the mobile AI market.

However, factors such as premium pricing of AI processors and limited number of AI experts are restraining market growth

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are rapidly evolving technologies. Large tech companies such as Qualcomm (News - Alert) (US), Google, Microsoft (US), and Apple (US) have shown their interests in contributing to the growth of augmented technology by adopting strategies such as product launches, acquisitions, or funding.

AR and VR, coupled with AI, will provide smarter, more relevant, and personalized experience. For instance, in July 2017, Microsoft (News - Alert) announced the next generation of its mixed reality HoloLens headset 'HoloLens 2 which will have a dedicated AI coprocessor known as the Holographic Processing Unit (HPU). Qualcomm, in February 2018, announced its Snapdragon 845 VR headset reference design to fuel next-generation VR experience.







Thus, the growing interest of these large tech companies in emerging technologies, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, is a major factor driving the growth of the mobile AI market for AR/VR applications.

In APAC, China is the largest market for artificial intelligence. Applications such as smartphones, industrial robots, and automotive provide huge growth potential for the mobile AI market in APAC. The region is becoming the center of attraction for major investments as it holds significant business expansion opportunities.

Various AI processor start-ups in China are raising funds to grow in the mobile AI market. For example, ThinkForce (China) raised around USD 68 million, and DeePhi (China) raised around USD 40 million. Along with this, increasing government spending to boost the AI network in China is expected to further contribute to market growth during the forecast period.

All these factors, coupled with the increasing number of start-ups in the mobile AI ecosystem, are driving the growth of the mobile AI market in APAC.

Key Topics Covered

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Mobile AI Market, By Application

7 Mobile AI Market, By Technology Node

8 Mobile AI Market, By Region

9 Competitive Landscape

10 Company Profiles

Apple

NVIDIA

Huawei

Samsung (News - Alert) Electronics

Qualcomm

Intel

IBM

Microsoft

MediaTek

Google (News - Alert)

Graphcore

Cerebras Systems

Cambricon Technology

Deephi Tech

Shanghai Thinkforce Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. (Thinkforce)

Sambanova Systems

Rockchip (Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Co. Ltd.)

Thinci

Kneron

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/sszxps/mobile_artificial?w=4

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005339/en/
[August 08, 2018] VirtualArmour Wins $2.8 Million Contract with Global Chemical Manufacturing Company

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VirtualArmour International Inc. (CSE:VAI) (3V3:F) (OTCQB:VTLR), a premier cybersecurity managed services provider, has won a new Managed Threat Intelligence services contract with a global chemical manufacturing company and a long-time VirtualArmour customer.

The engagement includes managed services along with software valued at $2.8 million over three years. Splunk Enterprise Security, an analytic-driven security information and event management (SIEM) solution will be augmented by VirtualArmours dedicated managed security service provider (MSSP) solution. This comprehensive solution will enable the ingestion and correlation of large security-related data sets, while providing security monitoring and complete visibility into the threat landscape. This long-time valued customer was concerned with overloading their dedicated cyber security team, and our MSSP solution was the answer, said VirtualArmour CTO, Andrew Douthwaite. We have replaced two incumbent providers for SIEM which were disparate and monitored siloed parts of their network. By utilizing our threat intelligence services, they gained a fully managed SIEM, incident response and threat hunting platform designed to be highly effective in cybersecurity. VirtualArmours MSSP solution employs a wide range of technologies to manage, monitor and maintain the customer security systems and prevent security breaches. This allows VirtualArmours team of expert analysts to actively hunt for security threats before they become a problem, alert the customer to a possible security threat within 15 minutes of detection, and provide through breach analysis. As part of the services package, the customer will also have access to Cloudcastr, VirtualArmours proprietary reporting platform that provides 24/7 security visibility. About VirtualArmour VirtualArmour International is a global cybersecurity and managed services provider that delvers customized solutions to help businesses build, monitor, maintain and secure their networks.



The company maintains 24/7 client monitoring and service management with specialist teams located in its U.S. and UK-based security operation centers. Through partnerships with best-in-class technology providers, VirtualArmour delivers leading hardware and software solutions for customers that are both sophisticated and scalable, and backed by industry-leading customer service and experience. The companys proprietary CloudCastr client portal and prevention platform provides clients with unparalleled access to real-time reporting on threat levels, breach prevention and overall network security.



VirtualArmour services a wide range of clients, which include Fortune 500 companies and several industry sectors in over 30 countries across five continents. For further information, visit www.virtualarmour.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and U.S. securities laws. This press release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning a service contract VirtualArmour has entered into with a current client, VirtualArmours continued relationship with various suppliers, the future performance of our business, its operations and its financial performance and condition, as well as managements objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of VirtualArmour. Although VirtualArmour believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information as VirtualArmour cannot provide any assurance that it will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as may, will, plan, expect, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the success of the Company in performing the IT implementation and migration, performance under the contract by all parties, the ability of VirtualArmour to meet timelines, the continued availability of necessary hardware, the absence of any trade war or tariffs affecting VirtualArmours ability to perform, competitive risks and the availability of financing. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and VirtualArmour disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. Company Contact

Russ Armbrust

CEO

VirtualArmour International Inc.

Tel (720) 644-0913

Email Contact Investor Relations:

Ronald Both or Grant Stude

CMA

Tel (949) 432-7566

Email Contact

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[August 08, 2018] Equita Financial Network Announces New Chief Investment Strategist Mario Nardone

Equita Financial Network, Inc., a recently launched network of independent, women-led financial planning firms nationwide, announced that Mario Nardone, CFA, President and Co-Founder of East Bay Financial, has engaged with the firm as Chief Investment Strategist. Nardone provides all Member Firms of the Equita network with portfolio oversight, investment due diligence, and wealth management guidance tailored to the needs of Member Firm clients. In addition, he provides model portfolios that subscribe to the investment philosophy shared by Equita that the market is reasonably efficient, that low cost, time-tested and liquid investments in a dversified portfolio yield financial success over time.



"We are thrilled to engage with Mario as our Chief Investment Strategist," said Katie Burke, CFP, Co-Founder of Equita Financial Network. "By adding him to the Equita team, our Member Firms have access to a highly respected and experienced resource to whom they can essentially 'outsource' portfolio management and due diligence . This allows the Member Firms to focus on their primary goal of providing exceptional financial planning to their clients." Nardone has deep experience in investment management beginning in 1999 at Vanguard. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2003, thereafter transitioning to Chief Investment Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for a financial planning and advisory firm. In 2010 he launched East Bay Financial Services in South Carolina. In addition to his engagement with Equita Financial Network, Nardone provides his expertise and oversight to XY Investment Solutions, among other Registered Investment Advisors.

About Equita Financial Network Equita Financial Network is a collaboration of independent, women-led financial planning firms. Its mission is to help women financial planners succeed by providing an excellent business platform and collaborative network of women CFP professionals. Founded by Katie Burke, CFP, and Bridget Grimes, CFP, Equita provides a business platform to each Member Firm with the resources needed to operate a financial planning firm. It also provides Member Firms a network with which to collaborate, share best practices and resources, and identify succession planning options. Learn more at www.equitafn.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005112/en/

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[August 08, 2018] VIQ Solutions Announces Major Multi-Year, Multi-Million Dollar Contract for their Spark & Cannon division

TORONTO, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIQ Solutions Inc. (VIQ Solutions or the Company) (TSX Venture: VQS) is pleased to announce that Spark & Cannon, VIQ's Australian based reporting and transcription services division, was awarded a major new contract with the with the Victoria Police in Australia for the provision of secure transcription of police recordings.

The value of the contract is more than AUD$2M per year based on historical workflow. We are thrilled that the Victoria Police have awarded Spark & Cannon this prestigious contract. This significant win further positions us as the leader for secure law enforcement technology and services, said Sebastien Pare, President and CEO of VIQ Solutions. It assures solid revenue for many years, with the opportunity to further help Victoria Police through VIQs expanded product portfolio, including our latest artificial intelligence capabilities. The Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia and has been operating since 1853. It currently has over 18,000 sworn members across 332 police stations. Spark & Cannon has provided secure transcription services to Victoria Police since 2008. With the new contract, Spark & Cannon will continue to provide 100% of the transcription services, making them the sole transcription services supplier. This new contract with Victoria Police demonstrates the confidence they have in Spark & Cannon to provide quality, efficient and secure transcription services, said Matthew Fowler, Managing Director at Spark & Cannon. Were pleased that Victoria Police recognizes Spark & Cannons leadership and innovation as we continue to provide them with the highest level of service and security. As Spark & Cannon continues to win new contracts with police, medical and legal customers across Australia, we look forward to expanding our offerings to these customers to include additional technology and services, added Mr. Pare. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking informtion under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements or information typically contain statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release include, but are not limited to, managements targets for the Companys growth in 2017, as well as the size, scope, and timing of the implementation of projects currently in the pilot phase.



Forward-looking statements or information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although VIQ believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because VIQ can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this news release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys recent initiatives, and that sales and prospects may provide incremental value for shareholders. Readers are cautioned that the preceding list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which have been used. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by VIQ and described in the forward-looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements or information. Readers are cautioned that the preceding list is not exhaustive of all possible risks and uncertainties.

About VIQ Solutions Inc. VIQ is the leading technology and service platform provider of purpose-built artificial intelligence through its digital evidence capture and content management solutions. Our secure modular software allows customers to onboard the VIQ platform at any stage of their organization's digitization. From the digital capture of video and audio to online collaboration, mobility, and artificial intelligence tools to extract the value of their captured media. VIQ's technology leads the industry in security, meeting the highest international standards for digital/cybersecurity and privacy, including military and medical regulations. Our solutions are used in over 20 countries with tens of thousands of users in more than 200 government and private agencies including law enforcement, immigration, medical, legal, insurance, courts, transportation and transcription service providers. VIQ also provides end-to-end transcription services to several large government agencies through our Australia-based reporting and transcription organization, Spark&Cannon. VIQ operates worldwide with partners such as security integrators, audio-video specialists, and hardware and data storage suppliers. For more information about VIQ, please visit www.viqsolutions.com. For further information: Peter Kostandenou, Chief Marketing Officer, VIQ Solutions, (905) 948-8266 ext. 213, email: peter@viqsolutions.com. For more information about VIQ, please visit www.viqsolutions.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



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[August 08, 2018] Award-Winning San Antonio University Health System Converts to Carestream Digital X-ray Systems

University Health System's main hospital in San Antonio, Texas, has an impressive reputation for delivering outstanding patient care. For the past seven years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked it as the best in the San Antonio area. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005088/en/ University Health System's main hospital in San Antonio, Texas, recently installed 17 Carestream imaging systems (Photo: Business Wire) The hospital installed five CARESTREAM DRX-Evolution Plus Systems (see video link) and 12 CARESTREAM DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray Systems that provide rapid access to high-quality images throughout the 740-bed facility. "Converting to digital radiography allows us to achieve excellent image quality, rapid image access and impressive staff productivity that can expedite diagnosis and treatment," said Russell Anthony, University Hospital's Radiology Supervisor. "Our service engineers track imaging performance for imaging systems and detectors. They are extremely pleased with Carestream's advanced diagnostics and remote monitoring capabilities-as well as the ability of Carestream's service team to resolve many issues remotely," Mr. Anthony adds. Three room-based imaging systems and three mobile imaging systems deliver fully featured, high-quality imaging in the hospital's fast-paced emergency department. DRX-Evolution Plus and DRX- Revolution (News - Alert) systems also are installed in the trauma center and the new pediatric ED. Room and mobile exams reach 18,000 imaging exams a month. "Carestream software tracks sensors on each system and detecor so our service engineers know about each knock and drop. They know which technologist was using the system and how badly the system was damaged," according to Mr. Anthony. "This monitoring ensures that our systems are performing at peak capacity. It is also a testament to the durability of Carestream's systems because they are extremely reliable even with hard use."



Each DRX-Revolution travels an average of 180 miles a month, according to the hospital's service engineers. "These mobile imaging systems are used around the clock and we have been extremely pleased with both their performance and durability," said Mr. Anthony. Each imaging system is configured to maximize productivity for its imaging environment. The ED's room-based imaging systems have fixed detectors in the wall stand and a wireless detector for table and tabletop exams, while the trauma center is configured with a 17 x 17 inch wireless detector in the wall Bucky and standard-size wireless detectors for table and tabletop exams.

"We elected to have fixed detectors in the wall stand in the ED because this expedites complex exams while simultaneously reducing the risk of dropped detectors," Mr. Anthony reports. The pediatric ED has one standard-size detector and a small-format 10 x 12 inch CARESTREAM DRX 2530C cesium iodide detector that allows technologists to capture high-resolution X-ray images of babies with a minimum dose. The small-format detector fits into incubator trays, which avoids the need to move fragile infants who are connected to multiple tubes and lines. The hospital also retrofitted two fluoroscopy rooms, several general radiography rooms and one portable unit with DRX detectors to convert these systems to digital radiography. About University Health System University Health System is a nationally recognized teaching hospital and network of outpatient healthcare centers, owned by the residents of Bexar County. In partnership with UT Health San Antonio, it is a leader in advanced treatment options, new technologies and clinical research. For the past seven years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked University Hospital as the best in the San Antonio area. University Health System is Bexar County and South Texas' first health system to earn Magnet status. Magnet status offers patients reassurance they are being cared for by a team of nurses with a proven track record of providing excellent care and positive outcomes for their patients. For more information please visit www.universityhealthsystem.com. About Carestream Health Carestream is a worldwide provider of medical imaging systems and IT solutions; X-ray imaging systems for non-destructive testing; and precision contract coating services for a wide range of industrial, medical, electronic and other applications-all backed by a global service and support network. For more information about the company's broad portfolio of products, solutions and services, please contact your Carestream representative or call 888-777-2072 or visit www.carestream.com. To view Carestream's latest news announcements, please visit www.carestream.com/news. Follow Carestream Health online: http://www.twitter.com/carestream http://www.youtube.com/carestream http://www.carestream.com/blog/ http://www.facebook.com/carestream http://www.linkedin.com/company/carestream-health 2018 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005088/en/

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[August 08, 2018] Orange County Business Man Turned Podcaster Is Changing Lives 90 Days At A Time

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Serial Entrepreneur Nick Long is fulfilling his life-long dream by helping thousands achieve their own with the fastest growing podcast to date, TheNext90withNick. Along with the podcast, Nick has also created a mastermind group that focuses on achieving goals in relation to the Core 4: Body, Being, Balance, and Business. Recently Nick has joined forces with Andy Dane Media and Andy Dane Carter to push the Next90 MasterMind initiative to the next level. Nick has spent the last 3 years, countless hours, and hundreds of thousands of dollars on his own personal development. With outstanding results, Orange County businessman, Nick Long, took to the airways to give away all his secrets to anyone with a desire to change and a willingness to listen. In March, TheNext90withNick Podcast was launched, becoming the fastest growing podcast with more than 100k downloads in the first 90 days. The podcast goes live three times week and has gone on to surpass motivational powerhouses such as Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, and Joel Olestien. Listeners can stream the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, and Own The Next 90.



Throughout his podcast, Nick shares his philosophy of chunking life down into 90-day increments and staying ruthlessly committed to big results across all areas of life. In his 38 years, Nick has lived a very successful entrepreneurial life. He has built two 8-figure businesses employing more than 150 people using his Next90 philosophy. His successful businesses will have combined revenues of $25 million this year. Nick comments, "These are not my secrets to keep...they are my gifts to give away and I want everyone to live a life on fire."

In a recent episode of his podcast, "I Like Results and I Cannot Lie", Nick gives a breakdown of the MasterMind Group for the men who want to work one-on-one with Nick. Twenty-four men will onboard the life-changing experience that will deliver individual successes. Participants will be required to assess their life, where they want to be, and set specific, measurable 90-day targets for each Core 4. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orange-county-business-man-turned-podcaster-is-changing-lives-90-days-at-a-time-300693626.html SOURCE Andy Dane Media

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Representatives from Aloha Poke Co. have not responded directly to the protesters, nor returned our inquiries this week. Last week, the company called it false that it "has attempted to own either the word 'Aloha' or the word 'Poke.'" It further claimed that it has never told "Hawaiian-owned businesses and Hawaiian natives that they cannot use the word Aloha or the word Poke." The company did admit to stopping "trademark infringers in the restaurant industry from using the trademark 'Aloha Poke' without permission."
[August 08, 2018] Sumo Logic Expands Certification Program to Empower Users to Better Secure Modern Applications and Cloud Infrastructures

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sumo Logic, the leading cloud-native, machine data analytics platform that delivers continuous intelligence, today announced a new certification level focused on security analytics as part of its existing certification program. The Sumo Security User certification will be available to all Sumo Logic users as part of Sumo Logics upcoming Illuminate user conference, taking place Sept. 12-13, 2018 in Burlingame, Calif.

A recent survey indicates 80 percent of enterprises are frustrated with outdated security tools and are looking for new security solutions to help with transitions to the cloud, modern application architectures and with overall digital transformation. A significant number of customers are using Sumo Logics cloud-native security analytics solution to solve problems legacy security tools have failed to address. Sumo Logics multi-level certification program provides its more than 50,000 users with the knowledge, skills and competencies to harness the power of machine data analytics and maximize investments in the Sumo Logic platform. The new Sumo Security User certification will help users learn how to leverage Sumo Logic's centralized security monitoring, threat detection, correlation and alert investigation capabilities across all the phases of the security operations workflow. The Sumo Logic certification program now includes four levels of certification  Pro User, Power User, Power Admin ad Sumo Security User  and are based on the level of usage and expertise of the Sumo Logic platform. Specifically:



Sumo Pro User  Sumo Pro Users possess broad knowledge about analyzing logs and metrics, and have familiarity with the Sumo Logic service related to simple data searching, filtering, parsing and analyzing. Taking advantage of Sumo Logic Apps, Certified Sumo Pro Users can quickly and easily get up and running using the out-of-the-box content to start monitoring their data, identifying trends and staying on top of their critical events.



 Sumo Pro Users possess broad knowledge about analyzing logs and metrics, and have familiarity with the Sumo Logic service related to simple data searching, filtering, parsing and analyzing. Taking advantage of Sumo Logic Apps, Certified Sumo Pro Users can quickly and easily get up and running using the out-of-the-box content to start monitoring their data, identifying trends and staying on top of their critical events. Sumo Power User  Sumo Power Users possess deep technical knowledge on how to analyze and correlate their logs and metrics to easily identify those critical events that are important to the organization. In addition to taking advantage of out-of-the-box content, Certified Sumo Power Users can build dashboards and alerts for their custom apps, unlocking the power of Sumo Logic to analyze, measure and monitor the overall health of their environments.



 Sumo Power Users possess deep technical knowledge on how to analyze and correlate their logs and metrics to easily identify those critical events that are important to the organization. In addition to taking advantage of out-of-the-box content, Certified Sumo Power Users can build dashboards and alerts for their custom apps, unlocking the power of Sumo Logic to analyze, measure and monitor the overall health of their environments. Sumo Power Admin  Sumo Power Admins possess deep technical knowledge on how to set up, manage and optimize their Sumo Logic solution. In addition to securing and and managing their Sumo Logic environment, Certified Sumo Power Admins can design and deploy a data collection strategy that fits their infrastructure. Keeping an eye on the pulse, Sumo Power Admins can also optimize data querying to fit their searching patterns.



 Sumo Power Admins possess deep technical knowledge on how to set up, manage and optimize their Sumo Logic solution. In addition to securing and and managing their Sumo Logic environment, Certified Sumo Power Admins can design and deploy a data collection strategy that fits their infrastructure. Keeping an eye on the pulse, Sumo Power Admins can also optimize data querying to fit their searching patterns. Sumo Security User  With security threats on the rise, users will learn how Sumo Logics threat intelligence capabilities can help them stay on top of their environment by matching IOCs like IP addresses, domain names, URLs, email addresses, MD5 hashes and more, to increase the velocity and accuracy of threat detection and strengthen overall security posture. The threat landscape is only growing bigger by the day, and organizations are looking for disruptive security analytics platforms like Sumo Logic that provide unique cloud-native solutions, which converge detection and investigation workflows across silos in the typical defense, said Dean Thomas, vice president of customer success, Sumo Logic. Were very excited to launch our new Sumo Security User certification as it will give our users the hands-on knowledge to adapt and accelerate the cloud, application and digital transformation transitions that characterize modernizing IT. For more information on the Sumo Security User certification program, or for a demo of our cloud security analytics and threat detection, investigation and correlation capabilities, stop by our booth (2009) at Black Hat this week from Aug. 8-9, 2018 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Additional Resources Read about the Sumo Logic Certification Program

Register for an upcoming Sumo Cert Jam

Sign up for Sumo Logic for free About Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic is a secure, cloud-native, machine data analytics service, delivering real-time, continuous intelligence from structured, semi-structured and unstructured data across the entire application lifecycle and stack. More than 1,600 customers around the globe rely on Sumo Logic for the analytics and insights to build, run and secure their modern applications and cloud infrastructures. With Sumo Logic, customers gain a multi-tenant, service-model advantage to accelerate their shift to continuous innovation, increasing competitive advantage, business value and growth. Founded in 2010, Sumo Logic is a privately held company based in Redwood City, Calif. and is backed by Accel Partners, DFJ, Greylock Partners, IVP, Sapphire Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Sutter Hill Ventures. For more information, visit www.sumologic.com. Media Contacts

Melissa Liton

Sumo Logic

mliton@sumologic.com

(650) 814-3882 Danielle Salvato-Earl

Offleash for Sumo Logic

sumo@offleashpr.com

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[August 08, 2018] New Zealand Law Firm Wynn Williams Selects iManage Cloud for Document and Email Management

CHICAGO, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iManage , the company dedicated to transforming how professionals work, today announced that Wynn Williams  a full service law firm with nearly 100 lawyers and support staff across two offices in New Zealand  has selected iManage Cloud for its Work Product Management platform.

With iManage Cloud, Wynn Williams will implement iManage Work 10 the newest version of iManages industry-leading document and email management solution. iManage Work 10 features a simple and intuitive user interface, which enhances user adoption and increases productivity across the firm. Adding iManage Threat Manager , Wynn Williams will leverage machine learning and advanced analytics to provide 24/7 protection of privileged data. When we were researching the vendor landscape in New Zealand, it became clear that iManage has a well-established footprint here, giving us confidence in our decision to move forward with iManage Cloud, said Claudio Ghirelli, Information Systems Manager, Wynn Williams. Deployin in the iManage Cloud gives us tremendous flexibility while enjoying the benefits of a robust security platform. And adding iManage Threat Manager gives us an extra layer of data protection. iManages single, integrated platform helps our professionals get work done efficiently in a highly secure fashion and will be a huge advantage to our firm.



Built on the latest technologies used by the largest cloud vendors, iManage Cloud delivers the industrys leading Work Product Management capabilities with best-in-class uptime and performance. iManage Cloud also provides a deep set of application and operational security features that monitors and protects all data from malicious or unwanted access. iManage partner Phoenix Business Solutions is supporting Wynn Williams in its iManage Cloud implementation. Top firms like Wynn Williams recognize that todays modern cloud frees their organizations to be more agile and take advantage of the latest technology, said Dan Carmel, Chief Marketing Officer, iManage. With iManage Cloud, Wynn Williams can take advantage of the latest productivity features of iManage Work 10 and the security and protection of iManage Threat Manager without the staff and infrastructure burden. Wynn Williams joins other leading firms in taking advantage of the cloud to change how they deliver value to their clients.

Follow iManage via:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imanageinc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iManageinc/

Blog: https://imanage.com/blog/

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/imanage

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/imanage About iManage

iManage transforms how professionals in legal, accounting and financial services get work done by combining the power of artificial intelligence with market leading document and email management. iManage automates routine cognitive tasks, provides powerful insights and streamlines how professionals work, while maintaining the highest level of security and governance over critical client and corporate data. Over one million professionals at over 3,000 organizations in over 65 countries  including more than 2,000 law firms and 500 corporate legal departments  rely on iManage to deliver great client work. Press Contact Information:

Manjul Gupta

Director of Corporate Communications

iManage

Phone: +1-669-777-3430

press@imanage.com

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[August 08, 2018] Alation Launches Partner Program to Support Enterprise Adoption of Data Catalogs

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alation Inc., the data catalog company, today announced the launch of the Alation Partner Program, the first partner program dedicated to successful enterprise-wide deployment of data catalogs. As the data cataloging innovator, Alation is committed to ensuring that customers achieve the full benefit of enterprise-wide data catalog adoption and has established a partner program to make it easier for customers to find systems integrators and technology partners that are knowledgeable about Alation. The program has launched with a select 12 partners, including Agilisium Consulting, Information Asset, Tableau and Teradata.

Successful data catalog deployments go beyond simply installing the software and require expertise to drive success, cultural change and widespread adoption. Data catalogs can build the foundation for instilling confidence in data-driven decisions, said Satyen Sangani, CEO of Alation. With the Alation Partner Program, we are ensuring that customers have the expertise they need no matter what their data and self-service environments look like. One focus of the partner program is fulfilling the needs of customers to achieve success with enterprise-wide metadata management. Data catalogs naturally elevate the role of metadata, turning metadata management from a nrrow, IT-focused initiative into a broad source of knowledge for self-service analytics users. With a data catalog, metadata can be used to drive proactive data recommendations on what data assets to re-use given the context of an analytics inquiry. By partnering with leading regional systems integrators with metadata management expertise, like Agilisium and Information Asset, Alation enables customers to architect effective metadata management strategies that leverage a data catalog as the single source of reference for the entire enterprise.



Our team works with some of the most demanding and innovative customers to manage metadata in the cloud and deploy data lakes which are often hundreds of terabytes. Alation gives us and our customers the insight and visibility into these vast data holdings for more agile data governance and greater confidence in their cloud-based data initiatives, said Raj Babu, VP of customer success at Agilisium Consulting. "Alation is core to solving a long-standing problem in the market. Data analysts and data scientists spend too much time searching for and trying to understand data. The Alation Data Catalog solves this problem, allowing data users to accelerate their analytics productivity. Because Alation supports not only business and technical metadata but also operational metadata, such as the usage characteristics of a database column or a report, we are able to create holistic data governance programs for joint clients," said Sunil Soares, founder and managing partner of Information Asset, as well as a thought leader and prolific author on data governance.

To learn more about the Alation Partner Program, please visit https://alation.com/partners. Read more about data catalogs at Alation online: https://alation.com/. About Alation

Alation, the data catalog company, is building a data-fluent world by changing the way people find, understand and trust data. The first to bring a data catalog to market, Alation combines machine learning and human collaboration to bring confidence to data-driven decisions. More than 100 organizations, including the City of San Diego, eBay, Munich Re and Pfizer, leverage the Alation Data Catalog. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Alation is funded by Costanoa Ventures, Data Collective, Harmony Partners, and Icon Ventures. For more information, visit alation.com. Media Contact

Sheridan Smalley

LEWIS PR for Alation

415-432-2477

alation@teamlewis.com



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[August 08, 2018] Deep Sentinel Dispels Myth That Police Respond to All Home Alarm Calls

PLEASANTON, Calif., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deep Sentinel, a pioneer in AI-powered home protection, today released findings that dispute a widespread notion that police respond to all home alarms. The study conducted by Deep Sentinel Labs, the research arm of Deep Sentinel, looked at all the 765 U.S. cities with a population of around 50,000 or more (according to the US Census Bureau) and examined policies surrounding home security systems and subsequent police response, as well as the impact of false alarms. Among the key findings:

For more than 40 percent of residents living in U.S. cities with a population of around 50,000 or more, police will not respond or will not guarantee that they will respond to residential alarm calls.



States with lighter colors are more likely to respond to an event than those in deep red, where cities surveyed within that state will not respond or do not guarantee a response.



For more than 40 percent of residents living in U.S. cities with a population of around 50,000 or more, police will not respond or will not guarantee that they will respond to residential alarm calls.



In Americas most populous cities with one million or more residents, nearly 80 percent have no guaranteed police coverage for their alarms. Police in these cities, ranging from New York City to San Jose, say they will not respond or cannot guarantee they will respond to these calls. 26 cities with a combined population of a combined population of 7,218,593 categorically will NOT respond to alarm calls. This represents 6 percent of the total 126 million people covered by the study. 10 Top No Alarm Response Cities NO Response City Population San Jose, CA 1,035,317 San Francisco, CA 884,363 Seattle, WA 724,745 Detroit, MI 673,104 Las Vegas, NV 641,676 Milwaukee, WI 595,351 Fremont, CA 234,962 Modesto, CA 214,221 Fontana, CA 211,815 Salt Lake City, UT 200,544 Police response to home alarm calls varies across states. In the image below, states with lighter colors are more likely to respond to an event than those in deep red, where cities surveyed within that state will not respond or do not guarantee a response. To find out if police respond to alarm calls in your city, search the Deep Sentinel False Alarm database.



These findings dispel the myth that police rush to the scene when alarms sound from alarm companies such as ADT, Vivint, Protect America, SimpliSafe and others. This is in sharp contrast to focus groups and various consumer panelist surveys from Deep Sentinel that indicate that almost all consumers who have installed an alarm system believe that police will respond. TOO MANY FALSE ALARMS

A key reason for the lack of police response to home security calls is due to false alarms. According to data from the Center from Problem Oriented Policing, police respond to more than 36 million alarm activations every year in the U.S., which costs an estimated $1.8 billion. Most of these calls are false. Additional law enforcement agency research from Deep Sentinel Labs underscores this study, revealing that law enforcement agencies across the country say that 95 percent of alarm calls are false. As a result, they have stopped responding to alarms from alarm companies, finding them very costly and a drain on agency resources that could otherwise be used to address real offenses. After conducting preliminary surveys with law enforcement officers, agencies and consumers, we learned that police view alarm companies like most people view car alarms: they overwhelmingly believe that a majority of alarm calls they get will be bogus, with only one percent being the real deal, said David Selinger, CEO and Founder of Deep Sentinel. We chose to dig a little deeper to get a broader view of the problem across America. Our data offers a better understanding of how false alarms affect homeowners who have installed alarm systems. They are living with a false sense of security in thinking that installing an alarm means that police will respond. Methodology For the purposes of this study, Deep Sentinel Labs analyzed all U.S. cities with a population over 50,000 according to the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau. The populations of these cities range from 50,000 to 8.6 million, a study covering a total population of 126,000,000. The analysis performed analyzed all city and local laws and policies governing how law enforcement responds to residential home alarm calls: local civic codes, citys ordinances. Further, these legal restrictions were validated by contacting local police departments by phone. The result of this primary research was then tabulated and analyzed. To read the entire study and to learn more about Deep Sentinel, visit www.deepsentinel.com. About Deep Sentinel

Deep Sentinel is a pioneer in AI-based home protection. The companys intelligent crime prevention transforms home security from false alarms and ineffective after-the-fact crime alerts to real-time crime prediction and prevention. With Deep Sentinel, Americans can gain a reliable, cost-effective way to protect their homes and stop a burglary, mail theft or driveway break-in before it happens  and feel dramatically safer at home, at work and on vacation. www.deepsentinel.com. Media Contact: Noe Sacoco

LMG PR

408-340-8130

noe@lmgpr.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/55c17fa5-5a20-4dc6-86c0-a3d8394b6092 //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c231eab-fc27-4356-b7c8-563c1a38b019

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[August 08, 2018] Wovenware Partners with Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust to Build AI Solution to Identify and Classify Disease-Carrying Mosquitos

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wovenware, a U.S. nearshore provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based services and solutions, today announced that it has been selected by the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust to develop an AI-based machine learning solution that will automate the identification and classification of Aedes Aegyptis. The purpose is to control the spread of the vector, or mosquito, that can infect people with diseases such as Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya across Puerto Rico, and ultimately nationwide. The other purpose of this labeling is to develop safe and more effective insecticides.

The project, supported by a $50M grant from the federal governments Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is currently underway by the Trusts Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU). It hopes to gain an understanding of why many mosquitos have become immune to insecticides approved by the FDA. In order to do this, researchers have spread out across the island, capturing different mosquito species in traps; monitoring and testing them for viral presence and insecticide resistance; and labeling and classifying them. To manually capture and classify thousands of mosquitos, across different areas in Puerto Rico is extremely time-intensive and requires specialized human resources. To automate this time-consuming task, Wovenware is creating an advanced deep learning solution. Through its private crowd of data specialists, the company will identify and label thousands of images of mosquitos and data sets over the next three-to-six months and will use those images and data to train an algorithm to automatically identify and classify specific species. By eliminating the manual classification process, the AI-based solution is projected to save the PRVCU months of work that can be used to more quickly analyze the findings and identify the root cause of resistance to insecticides, as well as disease spread and prevention routes. We support th valuable contributions of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust and its PRVCU, which is working tirelessly to address a serious mosquito problem in post-hurricane Puerto Rico. This work has serious implications for controlling the spread of mosquito-borne illness across the nation, said Christian Gonzalez, CEO, Wovenware. The project also underscores the impact AI-based technology can have when bright minds are augmented by smart technology to help solve some of the worlds most pressing challenges.



The talented research team within the PRVCU is committed to shedding light on the mosquito population and the impact of insecticides in preventing the outbreak of related diseases, said Lucy Crespo, CEO of the Trust for Science, Technology & Research of Puerto Rico. Thanks to Wovenwares support and deep expertise in AI technologies, were confident that our thorough field work and research will be bolstered by data-driven insights. In 2016, Puerto Rico registered 38,058 confirmed cases of Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya. Aedes aegypti is the vector, or mosquito type, that transmits those diseases. These mosquitos need accumulated water to complete their lifecycle, so Hurricane Maria may have drastically increased their numbers. Since one of the easiest ways to reduce diseases carried by Aedes aegypti is by reducing mosquito breeding sites, their identification and classification is critical.

About the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit: The Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU) is an initiative of the private non-profit organization the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust. The PRVCU was established to leverage Puerto Ricos capacity to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector for the diseases Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue in Puerto Rico. Information: www.prvectorcontrol.org. About Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust:

The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, as described in Public Law 214, is a nonprofit organization created in 2004 to promote the participation and creation of jobs in the island in the global knowledge economy by promoting investment and the financing of research and development of science and technology. By investing in technology research and commercialization, the Trust serves as a catalyst for the creation of jobs and the retention of highly qualified and often bilingual residents of the Island. It is also responsible for the public policy of Puerto Rico science, technology, research and development. For more information: www.prsciencetrust.org . About Wovenware: Wovenware delivers customized smart applications that create measurable value for customers. Through its nearshore capabilities, the company has become the partner of choice for organizations needing to re-engineer their systems and processes to increase profitability, realize efficiencies and seize new market opportunities. Wovenwares team of expert software engineers and data scientists understand the unique business needs of customers to leverage complex technologies, such as AI, chatbots and cloud-based solutions, and it works closely with them to develop and manage solutions that align with their business goals. Headquartered in Puerto Rico, Wovenware works with customers across North America and around the world. Visit us on the web at www.wovenware.com, or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+. For more information, contact: Linda Pendergast-Savage Pendergast Consulting lpendergastsavage@comcast.net 508-224-7905

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[August 08, 2018] Medical Reimbursement Challenges and Their Impact on Medical Device Companies| Infiniti Research

Infiniti Research, a world-renowned market intelligence solutions provider, has announced the completion of their latest article on the top medical reimbursement challenges and their impact on medical device manufacturers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005428/en/ Top Medical Reimbursement Challenges for Medical Device Manufacturers and their Impact (Graphic: Business Wire) Medical device reimbursements are the payments paid by the private insurers or a third-party insurer to a health care provider, usually in return for the cost incurred by healthcare service providers for using a medical device. If the coverage under reimbursement has no certainties, it becomes difficult to analyze the ROI, thereby, creating obstacles by limiting innovation. To know more about the scope of our engagement, request a proposal However, there are several other challenges for medical device manufacturers that are associated with medical reimbursements. Though these factors vary depending on the geographic region and the demographics, there are a few common factors that pose major challenges for players in the medical device industry. This gives rise to questions such as, what are the major medical reimbursement challenges and its impact on the medical device industry? In an effort to help medical device industry players, InfinitiResearch has curated a list of the top challenges and the impact associated with medical reimbursements.



"Medical device companies will have to invest significantly in moving beyond products and devise effective business models to tackle the challenges and evolve in a value-driven healthcare ecosystem," says an industry expert from Infiniti. Major medical reimbursement challenges:

Opacity and complexity of the reimbursement process: Medical reimbursements are a complex process that prevents medical device manufacturers from leveraging technologies to devise innovative product offerings. However, in several parts of the world, a few industry stakeholders are themselves involved in the reimbursement process and interact with the medical device companies on a regular basis. At times, the reimbursement decisions may be time-consuming and uncertain, necessitating the need for medical device manufacturers to invest in technology upgrades. To know more about our solutions , get in touch

Medical reimbursements are a complex process that prevents medical device manufacturers from leveraging technologies to devise innovative product offerings. However, in several parts of the world, a few industry stakeholders are themselves involved in the reimbursement process and interact with the medical device companies on a regular basis. At times, the reimbursement decisions may be time-consuming and uncertain, necessitating the need for medical device manufacturers to invest in technology upgrades. , Cuts in government medical reimbursement spending: Owing to the burgeoning nature of health care costs, several government bodies across the globe including those of countries such as China, Japan, U.S, and E.U are focusing on devising ways to cut down their expenditures. As a result, leading medical device manufacturers are now looking at reducing the medical reimbursement amount to prevent healthcare costs from crossing their limits. However, several governments have already taken initiatives to help medical device manufacturers to reduce their spending on the reimbursement of medical devices; thereby, playing a key role in minimizing the overall the overall healthcare cost. To know more about our solutions for the medical device companies, request a proposal Impact of medical reimbursement challenges: Difficulty in improving ROI: Bridging the gap between technology and reimbursement rates is a huge task which makes investment risky for medical device manufacturers. The inability to experiment and leverage technology makes it difficult to improve ROI in the medical devices space. To know more about how we help medical device companies , request a proposal

Bridging the gap between technology and reimbursement rates is a huge task which makes investment risky for medical device manufacturers. The inability to experiment and leverage technology makes it difficult to improve ROI in the medical devices space. , Quality concerns: The fact that medical reimbursement processes are lengthy and opaque, creates obstacles for manufacturers looking at devising effective strategies to improve the quality of medical devices and the services offered. To know more about our solutions, get in touch Infiniti Research is a global market intelligence company offering strategic insights to help look beyond market disruptions, study competitive activity, and develop intelligent business strategies. View the complete list of medical reimbursement challenges and their impact on medical device companies: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/thoughts/medical-reimbursement-challenges-impacts About Infiniti Research Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. With 15+ years of experience and offices across three continents, Infiniti Research has been instrumental in providing a complete range of competitive intelligence, strategy, and research services for over 550 companies across the globe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005428/en/

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[August 08, 2018] Dragos Makes Critical ICS Threat Intelligence More Accessible to Cybersecurity Community with New Partner Integrations

Dragos, Inc., the trusted leader in industrial threat detection and response technology and services, announced today that its industrial control system (ICS) specific threat intelligence product, WorldView, will integrate with partner companies, ThreatConnect, Recorded Future, ThreatQuotient, and EclecticIQ. These integrations will provide joint customers with seamless accessibility to Dragos' ICS threat intelligence, making context-rich, actionable insight accessible to the greater cybersecurity community. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005036/en/ "The ICS cyber threat is real and now affects both business and life-safety," said Dragos' Director of Threat Intelligence Sergio Caltagirone. "All organizations with industrial operations and processes need to utilize ICS threat intelligence. Now customers can use the platforms which work best in their environment to easily consume the world's only dedicated ICS threat intelligence and seamlessly integrate it into their security operations." Dragos WorldView provides organizations with critical insight-designed for analysts and executives-about threat activity groups specifically targeting ICS networks around the world, so defenders are prepared to make tactical decisions and strategic ecommendations about their ICS environments quickly and confidently.



Customer Offering & Benefits Now, ThreatConnect, Recorded Future (News - Alert) , ThreatQuotient, and EclecticIQ customers can subscribe directly to Dragos WorldView through their existing threat intelligence solutions, adding a critical threat view. This capability not only alleviates the need for multiple platform logins, but also provides a streamlined view of Dragos WorldView offerings, including:

ICS-themed malware identification and analysis

ICS vulnerability disclosures and analysis

ICS adversary research and behavior trends

ICS threat/incident media report analysis and commentary

ICS relevant Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) Subscribers of Dragos WorldView will benefit from immediate insight into rapidly-escalating ICS threat situations, backed by expert threat identification and analysis. Customers are empowered to reduce adversary dwell time and mean time to recovery (MTTR) through more informed, timely, and confident decision making. Dragos WorldView is supported by Dragos' comprehensive ICS intelligence-gathering sources and techniques, including exclusive access to intelligence gained by proactive ICS threat hunting performed by the Dragos Threat Operations Center. Integration Timelines ThreatConnect and Recorded Future customers will have the ability to sign up for Dragos WorldView access by August 08, 2018. EclecticIQ and ThreatQuotient customers can expect to sign up for access in the coming months. To learn more about these integrations, please contact info@dragos.com. Learn More About the Companies Built on the industry's only extensible security platform, ThreatConnect Inc., provides a product suite designed to meet the threat intelligence aggregation, analysis, automation, and orchestration needs of any size security team. For more information, visit https://threatconnect.com/

Recorded Future arms security teams with the only complete threat intelligence solution powered by patented machine learning to lower risk. Its technology automatically collects and analyzes information from an unrivaled breadth of sources and provides invaluable context in real time and packaged for human analysis or integration with security technologies. Learn more at https://www.recordedfuture.com/

ThreatQuotient understands that the foundation of intelligence-driven security is people. The company's open and extensible threat intelligence platform, ThreatQ, and cybersecurity situation room solution, ThreatQ Investigations, empower security teams with the context, customization and prioritization needed to make better decisions, accelerate detection and response, and advance team collaboration. Learn more at https://threatquotient.com.

EclecticIQ enables intelligence-powered cybersecurity for government organizations and commercial enterprises. They develop analyst-centric products that align their clients' cybersecurity focus with their threat reality. And they tightly integrate our solutions with their customers' IT security controls and systems. The result is intelligence-led security, improved detection, prevention, and response. Learn more at: https://www.eclecticiq.com/ About Dragos Dragos applies expert human intelligence and threat behavior analytics to redefine industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity. Its industry-first, ICS cybersecurity ecosystem provides industrial security practitioners with unprecedented situational awareness over their environments, with comprehensive threat intelligence, detection, and response capabilities. Dragos' solutions include: the Dragos Platform, software providing ICS-specific asset discovery, threat detection, and investigation capabilities; Dragos Threat Operations Center, providing ICS threat hunting, incident response services, and ICS cybersecurity training; and Dragos ICS WorldView, providing global, ICS-specific threat intelligence in the form of weekly reports and critical alerts upon discovery. Headquartered in metropolitan Washington DC, Dragos' team of ICS cybersecurity experts are practitioners who've lived the problems the industry faces, hailing from across the U.S. Intelligence Community to private sector industrial companies. For more information, please visit dragos.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005036/en/

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[August 08, 2018] NYU Tandon Expands Pioneering Cybersecurity Program to High School Girls in Brooklyn's Sunset Park

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Civic leaders, faculty, and community members gathered this morning to celebrate the expansion of NYU Tandon School of Engineering's pioneering computer science and cybersecurity summer program for high school girls into Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Computer Science for Cyber Security (CS4CS) is a free, three-week intensive introduction to computer science and cybersecurity for high school girls. More than 250 students have already completed the summer program since NYU Tandon launched it in 2012 on its Downtown Brooklyn campus. Now, for the first-time, students are learning these cyber skills in Sunset Park. Oath Foundation , which focuses on building opportunities for women, girls, and underserved youth to become future leaders, is supporting Tandon's STEM education efforts in Sunset Park. "Programs like the CS4CS summer session equip students with key learnings, while also enhancing their creativity and teamwork and providing a foundation for important career paths," said Sara Link, president, Oath Foundation. "Oath Foundation aims to help arm students with critical skills that they'll need to take on the world's biggest challenges. Through this program, we hope that these talented young women will be better prepared to navigate and combat the cybersecurity threats of tomorrow." At the open house for CS4CS, the 26 girls enrolled in the program, many from neighboring Sunset Park High School, demonstrated to visitors their new computer science and cybersecurity skills and received career insights from speakers. CS4CS aims to help young women gain skills in STEM  science, technology, engineering, and mathematics  and confidence. It also helps build the pipeline of young women entering cybersecurity  a high-paying field growing at 10 times the rate of the overall job market, and one in which women are dramatically underrepresented. The United States and many other countries have a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, a situation recognized as a major threat to national security. "Almost from the founding of our school 164 years ago, our faculty, students, and alumni have been keeping New Yorkers safe, by writing modern building codes, developing urban firefighting techniques, and helping design and maintain our city's built environment. It is therefore with great pride that we take this important step of engaging a new generation of engineers in Brooklyn who can someday ensure the digital safety of our city and society," said NYU Tandon Dean Katepalli R. Sreenivasan. "To the young women of CS4CS: Welcome, and may this become your first step upon a rewarding intellectual path."



CS4CS is a part of STEMnow, one of New York City's largest and most comprehensive lineups of summer workshops, classes, and labs for middle and high-school students. Most of the 20 courses for students and teachers are free. STEMnow is an integral part of NYU Tandon's 2014 commitment to the White House to train 500 New York City public school teachers in 10 years and positively impact 50,000 students. This summer, just four years after that goal was set, 80 percent of those 500 public school teachers have been trained. "Thanks to the support of Oath Foundation, we're able to expand our STEMnow program offerings beyond our Downtown Brooklyn campus and serve more students," said Ben Esner, director of NYU Tandon's Center for K12 STEM Education. "With Oath Foundation, NYU Tandon shares a common goal of providing opportunities for young women to experience STEM, and this program will help foster the next generation of cybersecurity professionals."

"NYU's STEMnow program is creating a new bridge to the jobs of the future for young women in Sunset Park and throughout Brooklyn," said Andrew Kimball, CEO of Industry City. "Building that opportunity pipeline  one that extends beyond our campus and into the community  is a critically important component of the innovation economy ecosystem and part of our long-term vision for Industry City." The launch of CS4CS increases Tandon's presence at Industry City, which is also the home for Tandon's new Veterans Future Lab (VFL), New York's first business incubator for military veterans. The VFL launched last year with support from Barclays. The VFL also receives support from Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC); Orrick, Herrington, Sutcliffe, LLP, U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. The CS4CS students at Industry City study in space provided by New York City College of Technology. CS4CS is part of NYU Tandon's comprehensive initiative to engage more women in STEM fields. Last year, women comprised 40 percent of the freshman class, 20 full percentage points above the national average for undergraduate engineering education. About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country's foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu. About Oath Foundation

Oath Foundation is focused on improving the lives of women, girls and underserved youth through fostering leadership and empowerment, improving economic opportunity, access to education and technology and cultivating creativity. Established in 2014, the Foundation provides funding to non-profit organizations working in these arenas as well as providing opportunities for Oath Foundation employees to lend their talent and skills to benefit the organizations and the individuals they serve. For more information on Oath Foundation, please contact Foundation@oath.com. www.facebook.com/nyutandon



@NYUTandon

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nyu-tandon-expands-pioneering-cybersecurity-program-to-high-school-girls-in-brooklyns-sunset-park-300693915.html SOURCE NYU Tandon School of Engineering

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[August 08, 2018] New Partnerships and New Product Line at Leading Cybersecurity Training Firm CyberVista

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberVista, a cybersecurity training and workforce development company, announced at Black Hat USA 2018 a series of launches and partnerships cementing its place as the leader in cybersecurity training. "Black Hat is the ideal setting to be announcing these new partnerships and programs with our cyber community," said Amjed Saffarini, CEO of CyberVista "As an organization committed to help address the skills gap, we are proud to share news about adding EC-Council as a partner, adding a partnership with Skills Fund to provide greater affordability and access to cybersecurity training, and announcing a partner relationship with the FAIR Institute. We are also launching our Advance initiative, which defines and delivers skills-based and role-based training. There is no other training company more focused on finding new solutions to the skills gap plaguing our industry." Skills Fund CyberVista is proud to announce a partnership with Skills Fund, a quality assurance and student loan platform, to offer its students a transparent solution to improve affordability while enabling access to an outcomes-focused training solution. "Together, we'll connect students from all backgrounds and walks of life with a high-quality, transformative cybersecurity training," said Dr. Joseph Kozusko, co-founder of Skills Fund. EC-Council CyberVista has added EC-Council's Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) certification training to its cadre of certification training options including (ISC)2's CISSP, ISACA's CISM, and CompTIA's Security+. Designed for skilled professionals who want to understand how to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems, the CEH certification helps participants think like a hacker and use their tools in order to increase and improve security initiatives. With the addition of EC-Council's partnership, CyberVista becomes the only comprehensive cyber training provider to have official partnerships will all major cyber certification bodies. "We're proud to add CyberVista to our partnership ranks," said Jay Bavisi, Founder of EC-Council. "CyberVista's mission to help solve the cybersecurity skills gap aligns with our mission to validate information security professionals who are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge required in a specialized information security domain that will help aver a cyber conflict." Advance CyberVista's Advance helps organizations better align training based on their job roles, identifies skill requirements and gaps between those roles, allows individuals and employers to assess their stregths and competencies, and will result in a 100% online professional development solution that helps address talent identification, training, and retention.



"Our new Advance product redefines training for your security staff," continued Saffarini. "Leveraging 80 years of Kaplan experience in learning science, we combined this expertise with a market driven cyber curriculum to create the most comprehensive and job specific cyber training programs in existence." FAIR Institute

CyberVista is proud to join FAIR Institute's strategic partners. FAIR is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to advancing the discipline of measuring and managing information risk. Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR) has emerged as the standard Value at Risk (VaR) framework for cybersecurity and operational risk. CyberVista has aligned its Resolve board and executive training programs with the FAIR standard and is the founding educational partner of the FAIR institute. "We are very pleased to partner with CyberVista," said Nick Sanna, President of the FAIR Institute. "CyberVista joins our other Partners, pioneering organizations in the field of information risk management, who are enabling us to advance our mission and serve our community at the highest level." Visit cybervista.net to learn more about these new initiatives and partners. About CyberVista

CyberVista is a cybersecurity training and workforce development company whose mission is to create a cyber-ready workforce through personalized training programs that provide organizations with the people, knowledge and skills required to defend their most critical assets. With parent Graham Holdings Company and sister company Kaplan, Inc.'s innovative education technologies and personalized approach to learning, CyberVista offers a new vision for board, executive, and workforce cybersecurity education. For more information, please visit www.cybervista.net or call 844-558-4782. About the FAIR Institute

The FAIR Institute is an expert, non-profit organization led by information risk officers, CISOs and business executives, created to develop and share standard information risk management practices based on FAIR. Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR) is the only international standard analytics model for information security and operational risk. FAIR helps organizations quantify and manage risk from the business perspective and enables cost-effective decision-making. To learn more and get involved visit: www.fairinstitute.org. About EC-Council

EC-Council has been the world's leading information security certification body since the launch of their flagship program, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), which created the ethical hacking industry in 2002. Since the launch of CEH, EC-Council has added industry-leading programs to their portfolio to cover all aspects of information security including EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), among others. For more information about EC-Council, please see http://www.eccouncil.org. About Skills Fund Skills Fund: A student financing platform that facilitates the growth of high-quality, innovative higher education providers and promotes access to those programs for a diverse set of students. Skills Fund ensures accelerated learning programs meet quality standards, including strong graduate employment outcomes. Programs that meet those standards obtain access to competitive financing products for their students. In partnership with one of the largest nonprofits in the student loan industry, Skills Fund combines the functions of lender and quality assurance entity to align all financial incentives around a student's success. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-partnerships-and-new-product-line-at-leading-cybersecurity-training-firm-cybervista-300694023.html SOURCE CyberVista

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[August 08, 2018] Cloudvirga Adds Digital Mortgage Integration with Leading Mortgage Insurance Provider Radian

Cloudvirga, a leading provider of digital mortgage point-of-sale (POS) software whose enterprise technology is powered by the intelligent Mortgage Platform, has partnered with Radian (News - Alert) Guaranty, a subsidiary of Radian Group (NYSE: RDN), to deliver instant and accurate mortgage insurance (MI) rate quotes and streamline the ordering of MI certificates for lenders. "Radian's partnership with Cloudvirga is a testament of our commitment to making it easier for our customers to do business with us," said Brien McMahon, chief franchise officer, Radian. "With this integration, customers can obtain accurate Radian MI rate quotes with greater speed and efficiency and continue to focus on their business." The advanced integraton with Cloudvirga delivers Radian's precise MI pricing in seconds, without the need for lenders to rekey data or leave Cloudvirga's Consumer POS or Enterprise POS systems.



"Our focus is on helping lenders perfect the process of manufacturing loans, so they can turn applicants into homeowners faster and more cost-efficiently than ever before," said Kyle Kamrooz, co-founder of Cloudvirga. "We're proud to partner with Radian to deliver the most precise loan calculations available in the market." About Cloudvirga:

Cloudvirga's digital mortgage point-of-sale (POS) software, powered by the intelligent Mortgage Platform, uniquely combines a world-class borrower experience with a truly automated lender workflow that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Founded by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's customer base includes eight of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $77 million from some of the country's top lenders and private-equity firms. For more information, visit http://www.cloudvirga.com or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn. About Radian: Radian Group Inc. (NYSE: RDN), headquartered in Philadelphia, provides private mortgage insurance, risk management products and real estate services to financial institutions. Radian offers mortgage insurance through its principal mortgage insurance subsidiary, Radian Guaranty Inc. This private mortgage insurance helps protect lenders from default-related losses, facilitates the sale of low-downpayment mortgages in the secondary market and enables homebuyers to purchase homes more quickly with downpayments less than 20 percent. Additional information may be found at http://www.radian.biz. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005447/en/

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By sourcing the rum, they would avoid feeling pressure to produce a young spirit that wouldnt taste very good to help them stay afloat in their first few years, Morris says. And given that there are already fantastic rum distillers out there with limited to no distribution in the United States, Morris and Wathen figured their sourcing and finishing could put an interesting spin on rum.
[August 08, 2018] Stitt Family Trusts Execute Agreement to Acquire Farmers Exchange Bank

The Stitt Family Trusts, which collectively own 100% of Gateway (News - Alert) Mortgage Group, a full-service mortgage company licensed in 41 states and the District of Columbia, announced the signing of a definitive stock purchase agreement to acquire more than 85% of the stock of Cherokee, Oklahoma-based Farmers Exchange Bank. Following the acquisition, the Stitt Family Trusts plan to merge Gateway Mortgage Group into Farmers Exchange, which will support the long-term growth of both institutions, as well as diversify the financial services offered to both mortgage and bank customers. Closing of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and certain other customary closing conditions. Following the closing of the acquisition, the bank will be one of the top five in Oklahoma by employment and net income. The acquisition will allow the resulting bank to offer clients a broader range of products while lowering costs for financial services. The resulting bank's business model will build upon the success of Gateway Mortgage Group, which has become one of the largest privately held mortgage companies in the country. "We believe this acquisition is an important next step for Gateway Mortgage Group that will allow for growth, providing greater opportunity for emplyees and the communities they serve," said Stephen Curry, Gateway Mortgage Group's newly appointed CEO. "Through this acquisition, both Farmers Exchange Bank and Gateway Mortgage Group can expect to gain improved products and technology that will enhance their ability to strengthen the families in their communities. We're excited about this new venture and the benefits it will provide to our customers."



"Gateway Mortgage Group has always maintained a strategic eye on growth in Oklahoma, and we are proud of the great culture and workplace that we've been known and recognized for," said Kevin Stitt, founder of Gateway Mortgage Group. "We are excited to extend a warm welcome to the new team members, their families, and the customers of Farmers Exchange. Our company was built on the foundation of a set of core values that drive us every day to continue expanding development opportunities for our communities and the team members that work here while we support the financial needs of our customers across the country." Following the merger, Donald Powell, former Chairman of the FDIC under President Bush, plans to join the resulting bank's Board of Directors.

Shapiro Bieging Barber Otteson, LLP served as outside legal counsel to the Stitt Family Trusts and Gateway Mortgage Group. Fenimore, Kay, Harrison & Ford (News - Alert) , LLP served as outside legal counsel to Farmers Exchange Bank. About Gateway Mortgage Group, LLC. Gateway is one of the largest privately held mortgage origination and servicing companies in the United States. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma, the company employs more than 1,200 team members in over 160 offices nationwide and currently services $17 billion in residential mortgages. For more information about Gateway, visit www.GatewayLoan.com. Gateway Mortgage Group, LLC (NMLS 7233). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005149/en/

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[August 08, 2018] AIG Names Thomas Lillelund as Chief Executive Officer of AIG Europe SA

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) today announced that Thomas Lillelund will join as Chief Executive Officer of AIG Europe SA. Headquartered in Luxembourg, AIG Europe SA is a new legal entity for AIG's business in the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The new entity has been established to provide business continuity for AIG's European operations after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. In this new role, Mr. Lillelund will report to Chris Townsend, Chief Executive Officer, International General Insurance. His appointment is subject to the required regulatory approval. Mr. Lillelund joins from Aspen Re where he has been Chief Executive Officer. He will be responsible for Continental Europe and Ireland. Anthony Baldwin, currently CEO of AIG Europe Limited, will become Chief Executive Officer of AIG's new UK entity, American International Group UK Limited, and will continue to report to Mr. Townsend. Commenting on Mr. Lillelund's appointment, Mr. Townsend said: "I'm delighted to welcome Thomas back to AIG as CEO of our European business. Thomas is a well-respected international insurance executive who is a strategic leader with experience growing and building teams." Previously, Mr. Lillelund served as regional managing director of the Asia Pacific region for Aspen Re. During his 20-year career, Mr. Lillelund previously served as AIG's Regional Vice President in Southeast Asia, and worked for various companies in Hong Kong, South Africa and the US. AIG has established two new entities, one in the UK and one in Luxembourg, to enable uninterrupted client service regardless of the future relationship between the UK and the EU. AIG will transfer existing business to the new UK and European entities and merge its existing carier, AIG Europe Limited, into the new European company. The two new companies will begin writing business from 1 December 2018.



### American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube (News - Alert) : www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter (News - Alert) : @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn (News - Alert) : www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005468/en/

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[August 08, 2018] Latin American ICT Growth Opportunities Forecast to 2024 - AI, Blockchain, and RPA Solutions Drive Many of the Current Technologies and Services in the Market

DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Latin American ICT Growth Opportunities, Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The primary objective of this experiential study is to identify growth opportunities for your company using new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). A Blockchain is a new data structure that creates trusted, distributed digital ledgers for assets and other data. It is an immutable record of digital events shared peer-to-peer between different parties. The rise of Blockchain opportunities has been enabled by breakthroughs in cryptography and computing, the tipping point of which was the 2008 paper introducing Bitcoin. AI is a general class of technologies that seek to emulate human cognitive capabilities. Included are areas such as Machine Learning (ML), intelligent agents (IAs), deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP). RPA is the use of software that incorporates technologies such as AI and ML to automate routine, high-volume tasks that are sensitive to human error. AI, Blockchain, and RPA solutions drive many of the current technologies and services in the market. The revenues generated by these solutions are distributed in different services lines, as detailed below: Consulting and Application Development - Information Technology Consulting, Business Consulting, and Application Development solutions focusing on implementations

Middleware - Entry-point APIs for developers that want to build applications

Infrastructure/Cloud - Cloud platforms to support the new environments

Professional Services - Resources to implement and support the new environments Research Scope:



The researchers conducted detailed primary interviews with leading service providers, analyzed their quarterly and annual reports, and utilized internal databases to perform a detailed revenue analysis of the market. The resulting revenue market size reflects a sum total of our estimates for individual companies.



In this research, the publisher examines the Market in six Latin American countries-Argetina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The study provides a market analysis, including market size, segmentation, forecasts, and vendor landscape.







The study period is from 2018 to 2024 with a base year of 2018. The study examines the current competitive landscape, market drivers and restraints, and the stage of market development. This research also provides insights regarding growth opportunities and trends that will affect market participants over the forecast period.



Key Issues Addressed:

What is the addressable market opportunity for the Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence markets ?

What is the expected growth rate and what are the key drivers of growth for specific Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence offerings?

What are the driving and restraining factors that will shape the future of this market?

Who are the main providers in the Artificial Intelligence market in Latin America ? Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary Key Findings 2. Market and Scope Market Definitions

Key Questions This Study Will Answer

Research Methodology

Blockchain-Research Scope

Artificial Intelligence-Research Scope 3. Market Trends Top 10 Technologies in ICT Based on Innovation Index

Key Technology Trends in ICT 4. Introduction to Blockchain Blockchain Technology-Definition and Core Properties

Key Blockchain Benefits for Business

Blockchain Convergence 5. Drivers and Restraints-Blockchain Market Market Drivers

Market Restraints 6. Forecast and Trends-Blockchain Market Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Country

Top 4 Blockchain Platform in Latin America 7. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence AI-Definition 8. Drivers and Restraints-Artificial Intelligence Market Market Drivers

Market Restraints 9. Forecast and Trends-Artificial Intelligence Market Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast by Technology

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Country

Market Share

Competitive Environment 10. Robotics Process Automation Robotics Process Automation-Market Definition

Applications Roadmap

Business Benefits of an RPA Workforce

RPA Latin American Insights 11. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action Growth Opportunity 1-Cost Reduction by the Introduction of Blockchain Technology

Growth Opportunity 2-Synergy of Blockchain with Other Technologies

Growth Opportunity 3-Detection of Human Behavior

Growth Opportunity 4-Cross-Organization Process Automation

Strategic Imperatives 12. The Last Word

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/nsqbmj/latin_american?w=5 Did you know that we also offer Custom Research? Visit our Custom Research page to learn more and schedule a meeting with our Custom Research Manager. Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/latin-american-ict-growth-opportunities-forecast-to-2024---ai-blockchain-and-rpa-solutions-drive-many-of-the-current-technologies-and-services-in-the-market-300693998.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[August 08, 2018] Yiwugo.com Took its Merchants to Attend SourceDirect at ASD

YIWU, China, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, which is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world, took its merchants to attend SourceDirect at ASD, a wholesale trade show, from July 29 to August 1, where the platform promoted its brand visibility among overseas buyers and provided a chance for its merchants to exchange with buyers face-to-face. SourceDirect at ASD is a 50+ year old B2B trade show which represents one of the world's largest and best-established shows for consumer goods and gifts. SourceDirect at ASD annually attracts 45,000 buyers from 90+ countries, including Walmart, global toy store chain Toys "R" Us, International and TJX Companies, a leading off-price retailer in the U.S. "At present, my customers from the United States are mostly Chinese Americans and Korean Americans, and I haven't approached truly local Americans. I guess may American guests will come to this show, which can help expose me to more local consumers," said Jin Yanzhen, who was from Junmei Household Products Co., Ltd., an exhibitor along with Yiwugo.com. Jin adopted a two-pronged scheme with respect to the exhibits by taking her best-sellers as well as both high-end and low-end offerings to the show to "test the water," in hopes of cracking the US market and increasing her brand visibility. Unlike Jin's tentative strategy, Lin Shengxiao, who is from Canton Refined Gift Manufacturer Co., Ltd., used quite a different approach. As he traded primarily with North American countries and clearly understood the requirements of local customers, Lin brought American style merchandise to the show, to dive deeper into the US market. In addition, Lin messaged his regular customers that he was participating in the exhibition. "Hopefully they can come and maybe they will place some orders," he said. To better serve his customers and guests, Lin adjusted the customer service hours to US time, thereby ensuring smooth communication with customers during the show.



Yiwugo.com identified participating in overseas shows as a marketing priority of its global strategy in 2018. Since the start of this year, Yiwugo.com, with a goal of expanding its brand visibility and offering its merchants more opportunities, has successively attended Moscow China Commodity Fair 2018 held in Russia, Import Goods Fair Korea 2018 in Korea, and SourceDirect at ASD, followed by upcoming exhibitions in the African country of Benin and other places.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yiwugocom-took-its-merchants-to-attend-sourcedirect-at-asd-300693809.html SOURCE Yiwugo

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[August 08, 2018] HighGround Named as Finalist for Outstanding Company Culture for the 2018 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards

CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, HighGround, a leading real-time performance management and engagement provider, announced the company was named as a finalist for the Illinois Technology Association's 2018 ITA CityLIGHTS Outstanding Company Culture Award. Winners are determined by a compilation of the judges' scores and a public vote taking place now through Friday, Aug. 17. With 50 percent of HighGround's leadership team comprised of women and 43 percent of its workforce being people of color, the company shows that diversity and inclusion have a clear impact on their employee-driven culture. HighGround also champions a working environment where all employees can thrive both in and out of the office. "HighGround's mission is to help our clients create the best possible employee experience, and we take this to heart by doing the same for our own amazing team," said Andee Harris, CEO, HighGround. "We have worked very deliberately to do more than simply check the box on diversity and inclusion, which pays off in the form of highly productive, happy and engaged employees. This recognition from ITA validates the attention we give to our own culture as we simultaneously help other companies do the same with our technology." Finalists in the Outstanding Company Culture category were selected for instilling a high-performance culture in their worklaces by encouraging employees to take their career to the next level, fostering diversity and inclusion and committing to positively contributing to the community.



The winners for each category, with the exception of the CityLIGHTS Industry Champion, are determined by a compilation of the judges' scores and public voting. The winners will be revealed at the ITA CityLIGHTS Awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 13, at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago. About HighGround

HighGround transforms the employee experience to optimize productivity and create a thriving organizational culture. The company's real-time performance management and engagement platform connects and aligns organizations through employee-driven goals, continuous check-in conversations, peer-to-peer feedback, social recognition and pulse surveys. By bringing all of these people interactions together, it gives leaders an enormous amount of useful insights to make wiser decisions about how to invest in talent. With HighGround, customers like Patagonia, Echo Global Logistics and Allianz have inspired employees to reach their full potential, increasing retention, productivity, customer satisfaction and ultimately drive bottom-line results. To learn more, visit www.highground.com. About ITA The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) scales Illinois tech companies. With innovative resources that allow members to collaborate with each other, build their talent networks and elevate their local and national presence, ITA is the region's strongest advocate for fostering innovation and growth. Founded in 2005 and supporting 500-plus growth-stage tech companies, ITA has a rich history of driving business forward. For more information, visit illinoistech.org, follow @ITAbuzz on Twitter or find us on LinkedIn. Contact Anna Burke, HighGround, VP of Marketing

anna@highground.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highground-named-as-finalist-for-outstanding-company-culture-for-the-2018-ita-citylights-awards-300693892.html SOURCE HighGround

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[August 08, 2018] Carahsoft Named to 2018 CRN Fast Growth 150 List

RESTON, Va., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, announced that CRN  , a brand of The Channel Company, has named Carahsoft to its 2018 Fast Growth 150 list. Carahsoft placed #103 on this years list based on a 43 percent growth rate over the previous fiscal year, and 2018 marks Carahsofts 10th year on the list.

The Fast Growth 150 list is CRNs annual ranking of North America-based technology integrators, solution providers and IT consultants with gross sales of at least $1 million that have experienced significant economic growth over the past two years. The 2018 list is based on an increase of gross revenue between 2015 and 2017. The companies recognized this year represent a remarkable combined total revenue of more than $50 billion. We are proud serve the needs of the public sector marketplaces and to have our success in doing so reflected in this lists rankings, said Craig P. Abod, Carahsoft President. We are committed to providing government agencies, state and local government and educational institutions with best-of-breed IT solutions, and we continue to expand our team and resources to drive value  every day  to our expanding ecosystem of customers, technology vendors and reseller partners. CRNs 2018 Fast Growth 150 list featurs companies that are growing in an ever-changing, challenging market, said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. As traditional solution providers are moving toward a services-focused business model, this extraordinary group have been able to successfully adapt, outperforming competitors and proving themselves as channel leaders. We are pleased to recognize these organizations and look forward to their continued success.



Since its founding in 2004, Carahsoft has provided IT solutions and support to over 3,000 prime contractors, system integrators, value-added resellers and other channel partners. In 2017, the company booked over $4 billion in sales and expanded its team to 900 sales, marketing, customer service and contracting professionals. The complete 2018 Fast Growth 150 list is featured in the August issue of CRN and can be viewed online at www.crn.com/fastgrowth150.

About Carahsoft

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider. As a top-performing GSA Schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft serves as the master government aggregator for many of its best-of-breed technology vendors, supporting an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators, and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies select and implement the best solution at the best possible value. The company's dedicated Solutions Divisions proactively market, sell and deliver VMware, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, Veritas, Dell, Adobe, F5 Networks, Google Cloud, ServiceNow, Open Source, Micro Focus Government Solutions, SAP, Salesforce, and Innovative and Intelligence products and services, among others. Carahsoft is consistently recognized by its partners as a top revenue producer, and is listed annually among the industry's fastest growing and largest firms by CRN, Inc., Forbes, Washington Technology, The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and SmartCEO. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. 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 Contacts

Mary Lange

Carahsoft Technology Corp.

703-431-8485

pr@carahsoft.com Jennifer Hogan

The Channel Company

(508) 416-1189

jhogan@thechannelco.com

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[August 08, 2018] Templum Markets Launches Digital Security Offering of St. Regis Aspen Resort

Templum Markets, LLC ("Templum"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Templum Inc., today announced the launch of Aspen Digital Inc., a Tokenized Asset Offering (TAO), on Templum's trading platform. Aspen Digital is a digital Reg D 506c security offering open to accredited investors at templummarkets.com. The Aspen Coin transaction is the first of its kind. Each token represents, through indirect ownership, one share of common stock in the St. Regis Aspen Resort. Investors will be able to purchase Aspen Coins with U.S. dollars as well as with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). All Aspen Coins will be backed by the St. Regis Aspen Resort asset. The St. Regis Aspen Resort is owned by a holding company and, controlled by Elevated Returns, an asset management company that manages assets across a range of service industries, including hospitality, real estate and a number of consumer brands. "Asset backed coins like the Aspen Coin not only offer a transformative way to invest in real estate, but also establish a new way to store wealth y utilizing collateralized and income generating digital assets," said Stephane De Baets, Founder and President of Elevated Returns. "We believe that the real estate tokenization model has tremendous potential in that it brings liquidity and disintermediation to the world's largest asset class."



De Baets continued, "Templum's focus on regulation and best practices make them the ideal partner for Elevated Returns as we pursue our capital raising objectives and emphasizes our commitment to building successful infrastructure alongside top-tier, established organizations." Templum Markets is a leader in developing the tokenization of traditional asset classes by leveraging digital innovation to increase transparency, discoverability and potential liquidity. The Aspen Digital Inc. TAO will have a unique CUSIP, allowing for greater transparency and distribution in the secondary market.

Those looking to learn more and participate in the offering can find additional information at templummarkets.com. About Templum Markets Templum Markets, LLC is a financial technology company and broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission ( SEC (News - Alert) ) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Templum Markets is the operator of an Alternative Trading System (ATS) for the secondary trading of digital assets that are securities About Elevated Returns Elevated Returns is an asset management company laser-focused on offering extra value to its stakeholders. The firm acquires and manages assets across a range of service industries, including hospitality, real estate and a number of consumer brands. Elevated Returns is led by founder and President Stephane De Baets, a serial entrepreneur possessing 20 years of experience in asset management, financial structuring, and M&A, advising companies in both Asia and the United States. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005549/en/

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[August 08, 2018] LF Deep Learning Foundation Advances Open Source Artificial Intelligence With Major Membership Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The LF Deep Learning Foundation, an umbrella organization of The Linux Foundation that supports and sustains open source innovation in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, today announced five new members: Ciena, DiDi, Intel, Orange and Red Hat. The support of these new members will provide additional resources to the community to develop and expand open source AI, ML and DL projects, such as the Acumos AI Project, the foundation's comprehensive platform for AI model discovery, development and sharing. These companies join founding members Amdocs, AT&T, B.Yond, Baidu, Huawei, Nokia, Tech Mahindra, Tencent, Univa and ZTE. The LF Deep Learning Foundation is a neutral space for harmonization and acceleration of separate technical projects focused on AI, ML and DL technologies. "We are very pleased to build off the launch momentum of the LF Deep Learning Foundation and welcome new members with vast resources and technical expertise to support our growing community and ecosystem of AI projects," said Lisbeth McNabb, Chief Operating Officer of The Linux Foundation. Mazin Gilbert, Vice President of Advanced Technology and Systems at AT&T, has also been elected to the role of Governing Board Chair of LF Deep Learning. This position leads the board in supporting various AI and ML open source projects, including infrastructure and support initiatives related to each project. "The Deep Learning Foundation is a significant achievement by the open source community to drive harmonization among tools and platforms in deep learning and artificial intelligence," said Mazin Gilbert, Vice President of Advanced Technology and Systems at AT&T. "This effort will enable an open marketplace of analytics and machine learning capabilities to help expedite adoption and deployments of DL solutions worldwide." LF Deep Learning will also host a half day workshop at the upcoming Open Source Summit, August 28 in Vancouver, BC, which will provide a scope review of Acumos AI project, an AI full stack overview, overview of new projects and details of how to get involved.



Additionally, the inaugural Acumos AI Day was recently hosted by Orange at their Paris offices and garnered so much interest, there will be a worldwide tour of these events. Support Quotes from New LF Deep Learning Members

Ciena "The progression of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies calls for a shift in how we design and implement networks and services," said Adan Pope Chief Information Technology Officer at Ciena. "Joining the LF Deep Learning community supports our AI strategy, reinforces our mission to drive intelligent network and service automation, and puts us in a stronger position to help shape the future of this evolving industry." DiDi "DiDi is excited to support the LF Deep Learning Foundation, which is helping fill an important gap in the AI space by providing a space for the open source community to innovate," said Wensong Zhang, Senior Vice President at DiDi. "We look forward to collaborating with the foundation and global open source and AI communities to develop useful solutions now and into the future." Intel Corporation "Intel is a longtime believer in democratizing technology and making it accessible to all developers. We're taking that same approach to our AI work today and look forward to working closely with the LF Deep Learning Foundation and AI community," said Carlos Morales, Senior Director of Deep Learning Systems, AI Product Group, Intel. Orange "We believe that the LF Deep Learning Foundation and the Acumos project will accelerate the development of telecom use cases, in an open source environment for communication services, networks, security, and customer care," said Jamil Chawki, Director IT of Cloud Standards and Open Source at Orange. "By providing a common framework for machine learning and deep learning, LFDL will contribute to lowering the barriers to AI innovation for Telcos." Red Hat "Deep learning has the potential to change everything about how we learn from data," said Chris Wright, Vice President and CTO at Red Hat. "Open source communities are at the heart of advancing deep learning frameworks and we're excited to see further collaboration with the LF Deep Learning Foundation around model discovery, development, and lifecycles, and bringing open source software development best practices to deep learning models." About LF Deep Learning The LF Deep Learning Foundation, a Linux Foundation project, accelerates and sustains the growth of artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning open source projects. The initiative's Acumos AI Project is a platform and open source framework that makes it easy to build, share and deploy AI models. Backed by many of the world's largest technology leaders, LF Deep Learning is a neutral space for harmonization and ecosystem engagement to advance AI, DL and ML innovation. To get involved with the LF Deep Learning Foundation, please visit https://www.deeplearningfoundation.org. About The Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found atwww.linuxfoundation.org. The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page:https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lf-deep-learning-foundation-advances-open-source-artificial-intelligence-with-major-membership-growth-300694107.html SOURCE LF Deep Learning Foundation

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[August 08, 2018] Cvent Fredericton Announces Accelerated Expansion Plans with Support from Opportunities New Brunswick

Cvent, Inc., a market leader in meetings, events, and hospitality technology, today announced plans to expand their Fredericton office and accelerate their headcount growth with support from Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB). The $385,000 investment, in the form of payroll support, will help to create 25 full-time positions in the region over the course of 3 years and highlights Cvent's (News - Alert) dedication to growing its presence in this region. The two parties made the announcement at a joint press conference this morning in Fredericton. "When we first opened our Fredericton location in 2014, there were five people in the office. Now, less than four years later, we have nearly 100. This immense expansion is due in large part to the incredible local talent that the New Brunswick area offers," said Pradeep Mannakkara, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Cvent, who was on hand to make the announcement. "With the generous support from Opportunities New Brunswick, we are able to accelerate this growth even further and continue to attract and retain top talent. As a global leader in the industry, we are dedicated to creating innovative products that help us transform the meeting and events industry - and we are looking forward to leveraging our resources in New Brunswick as we continue to innovate globally." "Strategic investments in cutting-edge companies like Cvent are driving economic growth in New Brunswick," said deputy premier Stephen Horsman. "Cvent is offering the types of jobs that young New Brunswickers are going to want to pursue. This is more evidence that our economic growth plan is working and that we re getting things done on behalf of this province's working families."



To support the expanded headcount, Cvent will move the Fredericton team to a state-of-the-art 15,000 sq. ft. fully renovated office this November, located in the heart of downtown. "Cvent has continued to steadily grow from a small startup in 1999, to a globally recognized software leader with more than 3,200 employees across 17 offices worldwide," said Founder and CEO Reggie Aggarwal (News - Alert) . "While our growth has been rapid, our winning culture - and our unwavering focus on our employees - has remained core to what we do. We continue to invest heavily in our regional offices like Fredericton to ensure we can innovate at a rapid pace. We encourage everyone who wants to be part of an incredibly dynamic, fast-growing technology company to apply and join our team."

For more information and a list of open positions, visit www.cvent.com/careers. Follow the hashtag #CventNation on Twitter (News - Alert) and Instagram for an insider's look into the employee experience. About Cvent Cvent, Inc. is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality management technology provider with more than 3,200 employees, 25,000 customers, and 300,000 users worldwide. The Cvent Event Cloud offers software solutions to event planners for online event registration, venue selection, event management, mobile apps for events, email marketing, and web surveys. The Cvent Hospitality Cloud partners with hotels and venues to help them drive group and corporate travel business. Hotels use the Cvent Hospitality Cloud's digital marketing tools and software solutions to win business through Cvent's sourcing platforms and to service their customers directly, efficiently and profitably - helping them grow and own their business. Cvent solutions optimize the entire event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world to manage hundreds of thousands of meetings and events. For more information, please visit Cvent.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005558/en/

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[August 08, 2018] Howard University #1 in Sending Black Students to U.S. Medical Schools

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard University is America's No. 1 institution for producing Black applicants to U.S. medical schools, according the Association of American Medical Colleges. In the 2017-18 academic year, 118 Howard undergraduates applied to U.S. medical schools. Nearly 150 years ago, eight students entered Howard University's College of Medicine. Today, it enrolls 300+ African American students, more than double the number attending predominantly White medical schools. "Howard University prepares more African American students to apply to medical school and enrolls more African Americans in our own medical school because we are committed to diversifying the workforce with talented scholars," says President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick. "Despite these strides, there's still a significant underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in medical school. The number of Black male aplicants is down from 1976, but we're honored to contribute as the institution of choice for many students pursuing careers in medicine."



Howard's success stems from programs which develop qualified medical scholars, including a Pre-Freshman Summer Enhancement Program. This summer, 25 incoming freshmen lived on campus to take classes in biology, chemistry, English, and math. Also, Howard offers a program for undergraduates of other historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), which serves as a pipeline into the College of Medicine. As a result, the Class of 2022 includes students from 11 HBCUs: Xavier, Morehouse, Spelman, Hampton, Howard, Texas Southern, Prairie View, University of DC, Tuskegee, Meharry and Miles. "Howard University has long had a range of initiatives designed to develop a pool of qualified applicants," says Dr. Hugh E. Mighty, dean of Howard University College of Medicine. "We start by nurturing promising students in high school and guiding pre-med students with proper academic support, mentorship and tutoring. Our efforts have delivered hundreds of deserving students to the doors of America's medical schools."

This year, 123 new medical students entered Howard's renowned medical program and received their short white coats. Upon graduation, they will exchange those coats for the full length version, indicating they've achieved the rank of M.D. Still, President Frederick hopes more students will follow this path. "Howard University has perfected a winning formula to develop talented students into skilled surgeons," says President Frederick. "Pursuing a career in medicine is a calling that I want more students of color to realize can become their reality." View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/howard-university-1-in-sending-black-students-to-us-medical-schools-300694180.html SOURCE Howard University

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She said, I read a lot of what you would expect  Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary. But I also wished I had better options that reflected the life I was living. All of those characters are white and nobody was dealing with being one of the only black kids in school, what I was dealing with. My mom was always trying to get me to read black fiction but they were so heavy-handed with history and people imperiled and crosses being burned on front lawns. It was either history or suffering, and nothing for a black girl not dealing with the KKK but just living in the early 90s and dealing with your casual racism. I would have loved a black Ramona the Pest, a black character who didnt take crap. Harriet the Spy had a spy notebook, and I had a spy notebook  youre supposed to learn there not to spy, but I had learned that it was pretty awesome to be nosy.
[August 08, 2018] Mavenir Grows Presence and Brings Cloud RAN and vEPC to India and South Asia

Mavenir is focused on redefining mobile network economics for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) as they transition to the next generation of networks and introducing new business models in India and South Asia, key telecom growth markets. Leveraging successes and momentum in other regions, and bringing cost reduction solutions like Cloud RAN and vEPC and revenue generation solutions like IMS Core and RCS/MaaP, Mavenir is ideally placed as a vendor of choice. In this regard, Mavenir is announcing that Sanjay Bakaya has been appointed as the Regional Vice President for India/South Asia region. Sanjay brings his 28+ years of experience in Telecom and IT, covering diverse areas of India telecom industry, coming to Mavenir from Vanu (News - Alert) , Inc. where he was head of Sales for Asia Pacific region for RAN product and services and prior to that, he held various key positions including member of senior leadership team at Motorola (News - Alert) in his 14-year tenure. "We are pleased to have Sanjay joining Mavenir at this important time, bringing his expertise to help our engagement with all the major operators in India/South Asia region," said Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO of Mavenir. "The Telco Industry in this market has a clear opportunity to transform the way networks are engineered, deployed and operated. Mavenir is focused on helping operators transform their mobile network economics, with efficiencies, speed, scalability and platforms for new revenue growth and cost reduction." Added Kohli, "Mavenir is renowned for IMS/VoLTE in the region and we are excited to expand into radio and packet core as well." Mavenir has over 1300 people in India/South Asia region with offices in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurugram with plans to furtherexpand its R&D Center at Bengaluru.



For more: 1) Meet Mavenir at India Mobile Congress October 25 - 27th 2018 in New Delhi.

2) During 2018 India Digital Open Summit, Mavenir's President and CEO Pardeep Kohli discussed the challenges of transforming the mobile network economics and how open source innovation is shifting the mobile network paradigm, bringing robust opportunities for carriers through emerging technology. Watch the 3 part video here. About Mavenir: Mavenir is purpose-built to redefine mobile network economics for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). Our innovative solutions pave the way to 5G with 100% software-based, end-to-end, Cloud Native network solutions. Leveraging industry-leading firsts in VoLTE, VoWiFi, Advanced Messaging (RCS), Multi-ID, vEPC and Cloud RAN, Mavenir accelerates network transformation for more than 250+ CSP (News - Alert) customers in over 130 countries, serving over 50% of the world's subscribers. We embrace disruptive, innovative technology architectures and business models that drive service agility, flexibility, and velocity. With solutions that propel NFV evolution to achieve web-scale economics, Mavenir offers solutions to help CSPs with cost reduction, revenue generation and revenue protection. Learn more at mavenir.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005658/en/

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[August 08, 2018] Global Nano Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) Market 2014-2018 & 2025 - Growing Adoption and Upgrade of Nano PLC Systems & Controls in Various Industry Verticals

DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Nano Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) Market by Architecture, Product, Industry Vertical and Region 2014-2025: Growth Opportunity and Business Strategy" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global revenue of nano PLC solutions will reach $6.09 billion in 2025, driven by a growing adoption and upgrade of nano PLC systems & controls in various industry verticals. The trend and outlook of global market is forecast in optimistic, balanced, and conservative view. The balanced (most likely) projection is used to quantify global nano PLC market in every aspect of the classification from perspectives of architecture, product, industry vertical and region. Based on architecture, the global market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue included for 2014-2025 (historical and forecast) for each section: Hardware (further split into Processor, Power Supply, Input/Output)

Software

Services (further segmented into Training, Maintenance, Consulting) Based on product type, the global market is segmented into the followng sub-markets with annual revenue included for 2014-2025 (historical and forecast) for each section:



Fixed Nano PLC

Modular Nano PLC On basis of industry vertical, the global market is analyzed on the following segments with annual revenue in 2014-2025 provided for each segment: Energy & Power Industry

Automotive Industry

Oil & Gas Industry

Home & Building Automation Industry

Chemicals & Plastics Industry

Food & Beverage Industry

Pharmaceutical Industry

Water and Wastewater Industry

Others

Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Market Overview and Qualitative Analysis



3 Segmentation of Global Market by Architecture Type



4 Segmentation of Global Market by Product



5 Segmentation of Global Market by Industry Vertical



6 Segmentation of Global Market by Region



7 Competitive Landscape



8 Investing in Global Market: Risk Assessment and Management

Companies Mentioned

ABB Ltd.

General Electric Co.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Honeywell International Inc.

IDEC Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Rockwell Automation Inc.

Schneider Electric SE

Siemens AG For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/q3jtsb/global_nano?w=5

Did you know that we also offer Custom Research? Visit our Custom Research page to learn more and schedule a meeting with our Custom Research Manager. Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-nano-programmable-logic-controllers-plc-market-2014-2018--2025---growing-adoption-and-upgrade-of-nano-plc-systems--controls-in-various-industry-verticals-300694097.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[August 08, 2018] Oppenheimer Concludes Its 21st Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference

NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. ("Oppenheimer")  a leading investment bank, wealth manager, and a subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings (NYSE: OPY)  today concluded its 21st Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference in Boston. The two-day conference brought together more than 100 established public companies in the technology industry, including AT&T, Verizon, Atlassian, Cognizant Technologies, GrubHub and Etsy. The agenda also featured content from 22 leading private companies including Slack, Postmates, Couchbase, Medallia and Tufin. "The proliferation of technology transcends industries and impacts every single company, both public and private," said Erica L. Moffett, Managing Director and Associate Director of Research at Oppenheimer. "Our conference provides a 360-degree view of innovation across the value chain for the consumer, whether it's supply chain innovation or front-end changes. Additionally, this year we were pleased to host eleven panels that explored the myriad of innovative and disruptive technologies that are reshaping our world." The conference featured the following Oppenheimer Research Analysts: Shaul Eyal , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Communications, Security, and Infrastructure Software

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Communications, Security, and Infrastructure Software Glenn Greene , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Fiancial and IT Services

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Fiancial and IT Services Jason Helfstein , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Internet

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Internet Timothy Horan , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering the Communication and Cloud Services sector

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering the Communication and Cloud Services sector Noah Kaye , Executive Director and Senior Analyst covering Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization

, Executive Director and Senior Analyst covering Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization Jed Kelly , Executive Director and Senior Analyst covering Online Travel and Internet

, Executive Director and Senior Analyst covering Online Travel and Internet Ittai Kidron , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Data Infrastructure, Management and Virtualization

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Data Infrastructure, Management and Virtualization Colin Rusch , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization

Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization Richard Schafer , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Semiconductors

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Semiconductors Brian Schwartz , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering SaaS/Applications Software

, Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering SaaS/Applications Software Andrew Uerkwitz , Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering Emerging Services and Technology



Newport Summit for Revolutionary Biotechnology in Newport, Rhode Island will take place on August 12 th through the 13th, and Midwest Corporate Access Day in Chicago will take place on August 15 th. The Newport Summit for Revolutionary Biotechnology will focus on the emerging biotechnology industry. Midwest Corporate Access Day will connect analysts and portfolio managers across the Midwest with select mid- to large-cap companies. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (Oppenheimer), a principal subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY on the New York Stock Exchange), and its affiliates provide a full range of wealth management, securities brokerage and investment banking services to high net-worth individuals, families, corporate executives, local governments, businesses and institutions.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oppenheimer-concludes-its-21st-annual-technology-internet--communications-conference-300694344.html SOURCE Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

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[August 08, 2018] COFINA Senior Bondholders Coalition Aligns with the Oversight Board and AAFAF on COFINA Restructuring Terms

The COFINA Senior Bondholders Coalition (the "Coalition"), which collectively represents the largest group of organized holders of bonds issued by the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation ("COFINA"), released the following statement today regarding the terms agreed upon by a majority of COFINA stakeholders, the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (the "Oversight Board"), and the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority ("AAFAF"): "This agreement between the Oversight Board and a substantial number of COFINA senior and subordinate creditors marks a major milestone for Puerto Rico on its road to recovery. The terms lay the groundwork for future capital markets access, equitable recoveries and the resumption of restructured cash interest for all bondholders, including a large cross-section of local retirees and individuals. Importantly, the deal also reduces Puerto Rico's debt by approximately $7 billion, preserves access to low-cost securitizations and increases the Commonwealth's FY2019 sales ax revenue by more than $360 million.



"Reaching an agreement that is supported by the Oversight Board, the Government of Puerto Rico and other major stakeholders also validates what has been a multi-year commitment of considerable resources and time by all parties. In addition to consistently advocating for consensual restructuring agreements, our group actively supported the passage of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act and helped develop the dispute resolution protocol for COFINA's Title III case. We now look forward to working with all parties to finalize a Plan of Adjustment that can be confirmed by year's end." About the Coalition

Formed in 2015, the COFINA Senior Bondholders Coalition is a group of creditors based throughout the United States. COFINA was the original "rescue bond" established in 2007 following the 2006 passage of bi-partisan legislation by the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. At last count made available by the Government of Puerto Rico, COFINA bonds were the most widely held bond amongst on-island individuals and retirees. Cautionary Statement This communication and accompanying material is not intended to represent a recommendation or investment advice of any kind. Such content is not provided in a fiduciary capacity, may not be relied upon for or in connection with the making of investment decisions, and does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. All content has been provided for informational purposes only and, as such, should not be construed as legal or investment advice and/or a legal opinion. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005829/en/

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[August 08, 2018] NASA Invests in Concepts for a Vibrant Future Commercial Space Economy

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In an ongoing effort to foster commercial activity in space, NASA has selected 13 companies to study the future of commercial human spaceflight in low-Earth orbit, including long-range opportunities for the International Space Station. The studies will assess the potential growth of a low-Earth orbit economy and how to best stimulate private demand for commercial human spaceflight. The portfolio of selected studies will include specific industry concepts detailing business plans and viability for habitable platforms, whether using the space station or separate free-flying structures. The studies also will provide NASA with recommendations on the role of government and evolution of the space station in the process of transitioning U.S. human spaceflight activities in low-Earth orbit to non-governmental enterprises. "When the International Space Station was established, we could not have anticipated all of the benefits it would provide," said Sam Scimemi, director of the International Space Station division at NASA Headquarters. "We're excited to receive this input from the commercial market and aerospace experts to help shape a future thriving space economy in which companies contract with each other to conduct research and activities in low-Earth orit."



The selected companies are: Axiom Space, LLC, of Houston

Bigelow Aerospace, LLC of Las Vegas

Blue Origin, LLC, of Kent, Washington

The Boeing Company of Houston

Deloitte Consulting of Manhattan Beach, California

KBRWyle of Houston

Lockheed Martin Corporation of Littleton, Colorado

McKinsey & Company, Inc. of Washington, D.C.

NanoRacks, LLC, of Webster, Texas

Northrop Grumman of Dulles, Virginia

Sierra Nevada Company of Louisville, Colorado

Space Adventures, Inc., of Vienna, Virginia

Space Systems/Loral, Inc. of Palo Alto, California The unique concepts and analysis resulting from these studies will help NASA, the administration and Congress develop a strategic approach to expanding opportunities for American industry.

NASA's continued investment in a strong and continually growing U.S. space industry in low-Earth orbit will allow the agency to focus on farther horizons as private companies continue successfully providing cargo resupply missions to low-Earth orbit and take advantage of the ability to launch astronauts from American soil. These awards are yet another step in NASA's efforts to foster a broad spectrum of commercial activities in low-Earth orbit where, in the future, NASA will be one of many customers. Application of the concepts and ideas offered through this opportunity will ensure the continuity of human spaceflight and facilitate a vibrant and competitive industrial base for continued U.S. leadership in space. The contracts and amounts are dependent on negotiations with the selectees, but NASA estimates the combined value of all awards will be approximately $11 million, with each contract not to exceed $1 million. The final study reports will be delivered to NASA in December. Find details of the solicitation, Study for Commercialization of Low Earth Orbit, at: https://go.nasa.gov/2Mc5VSS View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-invests-in-concepts-for-a-vibrant-future-commercial-space-economy-300694393.html SOURCE NASA

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On Wednesday, the Side Project announced that it will be temporarily returning to the Rogers Park space it occupied for nine years, presenting a two-play rep this fall. Adam Webster, the companys artistic director, will direct both shows.
Samsung has officially waved the white flag in its battle with the rumor mill.



(Image credit: SamMobile via Samsung)



In a rather surprising blog post on Wednesday (Aug. 8), Samsung Chile all but confirmed some of the Galaxy Note 9's biggest new features. In the post, the company wrote that it's seen all of the rumors and discussed which of those reports might be true. And it centered its blog post on three features: the battery, storage, and gaming.

Samsung said that there's been significant speculation over whether the Galaxy Note 9's battery "will increase its capacity." Although the company didn't confirm how long the battery might last, it did say that the battery should last all day without trouble and regardless of what you're doing on the device. That would seem to confirm earlier rumors that say the Note 9's battery would have a capacity of 4,000 mAh, which would be the biggest yet in a Galaxy phone..

MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Rumors: Release Date, Specs and More

Next up, Samsung discussed rumors that say the company would double the capacity in this year's Galaxy Note 9 and offer 512GB of storage. Again, Samsung Chile didn't offer up any specific storage amounts, but it did say that the "Note9 would break that cycle [of needing to delete content to make room for new content] incorporating more storage capacity than its predecessor Note8."

So, yep, you can check that one off the list, too.

Finally, Samsung Chile turned its attention to gaming on the Galaxy Note 9. There have been several rumors that say the Galaxy Note 9 will be the first to offer Fortnite on Android. And although, again, Samsung Chile didn't mention anything by name, it seemed to confirm that's the case.

"It seems that Samsung's new Galaxy Note9 could exclusively include a recognized and popular zombie video game, thus becoming the first device to allow download in Android format," the company wrote.

Samsung's move follows the company teasing three of the top features previously. Companies don't typically like to confirm features ahead of a launch. But we're still hoping there will be some surprises tomorrow when Samsung holds its Note 9 launch event (Aug. 9).

In an even more curious move, Samsung Chile ends the blog post calling the features it confirm "just rumors" and said that they "can hardly be confirmed before the official launch."
Its been years since I was willing to work on any PC that boots from a mechanical hard drive. Once you get used to the snappy response times and speedier gameload times of an SSD, going back to a hard drive feels like computing through a thick layer of molasses.

(Image credit: Shutterstock | zentilia))

And with the release today of the fast and surprisingly affordable Intel 660p, the first quad-layer-cell (QLC) SSD, we may be near a point where hard drives dont make a whole lot of sense for the majority of PC userseven budget buyers. At the very least, I dont think Ill ever buy another hard drive, and thats not just because of cutting-edge SSD tech.

To be fair, I own an 8TB Seagate hard drive thats served me well for a couple of years. And I just carried it over to a new Ryzen 5 2600X-based build which serves as my main home productivity/gaming PC. That drive has a few terabytes of files on it, including thousands of irreplaceable photos and videos that I use as part of my travel writing and Scotland-focused Facebook page.

Office 365 Is All the Backup I Need

If that drive suddenly died in the coming days or months, I might be tempted to replace it, given that 6TB hard drives look to be headed toward the $100 price point at some point this year (external 6TB drives currently hover around $120). But the truth is, even at $100 or less, I dont really need that much space.

All my cant-lose files are backed up on the 5TB of OneDrive space (technically 1TB per user, though you can share folders between users) that I get from my $80-per-year Microsoft Office 365 subscription. With that also comes the benefit of having all my work files and photos available from any connected PC that I care to sign in to with my Microsoft account. Oh, plus the ability to install Microsoft Office on up to five PCs.

That said, even if I didnt have an online backup option, I wouldnt trust a hard drive with my cant-lose data, because Ive had several mechanical drives die unexpectedly on me over the years. And after nearly a decade using SSDs, Ive experienced exactly one solid-state death.

Plus, my hard drive really isnt speedy enough for my data storage needs anyway. Im not great at properly sorting my photos, and so when I open a folder of thousands of files on my hard drive, it can take several seconds for the drive to spin up and thumbnails to show up, or for files to re-sort by date or size. Yes, I know I should be more organized and use something like Lightroom for image handling, but Im not there yet and I honestly dont know if I ever will be. You can pry Windows Explorer and a basic folder structure from my cold, dead mousing hand.

Bulk SSD Storage Is Already Surprisingly Affordable and Prices Will Fall Soon

If I had to buy a new drive for bulk storage today, Id probably opt for an SSD. Microns 1100 drive, for instance, is arguably a steal at its current selling price of just under $300 for the 2TB model.

(Image credit: Micron))

Its based on fairly recent 3D TLC flash, and it sells for $100 less than most competing SSDs of the same capacity. Sure, 2TB cant compete with 12TB hard drives. But given that Im using a 512GB Samsung NVMe SSD as my boot drive, I could probably live with just 2TB of bulk storage, especially given it would be much faster than my comparatively pokey hard drive.

Microns 2TB drive is a bit of a fluke right now, and once QLC drives become increasingly common and the cheap China-made NAND we saw at Computex starts flooding the market, SSD prices will drop precipitously once again. Barring any major natural disasters affecting production (always an unfortunate possibility) or other major market disruptions, by the time my existing 8TB hard drive starts to give up its mechanical ghost (hopefully a few years down the line) I should be able to pick up an affordable 4TB-or larger SSD. Heck, an 8TB SSD might even be an option for a few hundred bucks by then.

Sure, mechanical drives will likely be cheaper and vastly more spacious for several years to come. And for those who truly need several terabytes of cheap storageparticularly for server and bulk backup setups where capacity and price matter much more than speedhard drives will remain staple products.

What About External Backup Drives?

Theres no denying that external drives are enticing for those who need cheap portable storage and backup for their files. But Id argue even harder these days against using an external drive for backup. Sure, theyre cheap, but an external hard drive powered solely by the USB port is, if anything, going to be even slower than an internal drive. And much worse, its all-too-easy to knock over an external hard drive, or drop it. If you do this while the drive is powered up, theres a very good chance youll lose your data on the spot as the drive head crashes into the platters or the platters crash together.

If I needed an external drive today for a laptop or desktop that doesnt have the space for an additional internal drive, Id buy the above-mentioned Micron SSD and slap it in a cheap 2.5-inch hard drive enclosure, like this $9 Sabrent model that claims to be optimized for SSDs. Ive had two portable drives die on me in the last decade or so, one after a just few months without ever dropping it. I dont trust hard drives with important data in general, but I trust portable hard drives even less.

Hard Drives Are Starting to Feel Like a Niche Product

For the first time todayat least for me personallySSDs have gone completely mainstream, and hard drives, once unquestionably dominant, have started to feel like niche products.

I wouldnt recommend a hard-drive-based PC to anyone at this point, even budget buyers. The savings just isnt worth the very real performance youll gain from running an SSD boot drive. Even for backup and bulk storage, so long as your file libraries dont stray into the several-terabyte range, Id recommend paying for an online solution (perhaps one that lets you encrypt your files and offers two-factor authentication if youre worried about security) for a year or two.

By that time, youll likely have gotten accustomed to the conveniences of available-anywhere online storage and you may want to stick with your service of choice (Im personally very happy with OneDrive and Office 365).

Even if you decide you want to go back to having all your files backed up locally, by that time a cheap, roomy SSD may be a real option. There will always be people with huge media libraries who wont want to part with their massive hard drives. But for me, I think my current 8TB Seagate Barracuda drive will be the last mechanical drive Ill ever own. And I doubt Im alone.








Kansas City Street Take Back

National Night Out follows violent week in Kansas City JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. -- Police across the country are looking to bring back a sense of community through their annual National Night Out campaign, including police departments across the Kansas City metro area. Following one of the most violent weeks in Kansas City, several metro area police departments will participate in National Night Out Tuesday in hopes of building better relationships in their communities.

Community News Election Round-Up

August 7 Primary Election Results By Paul Thompson Kansas City voters weighed in on a right-to-work law, a municipal rental inspection program and a wide variety of elected representatives during the August 7 primary election. The biggest takeaway from election night was an overwhelming statewide defeat (67%-33%, with vast majority of polls reporting) for right-to-work legislation Proposition A, which 83% (47,924) of Kansas City, Missouri voters struck down.

Local Po-Po Gunfire Insight

Former officer talks about mindset in officer-involved shootings KANSAS CITY, Mo. - There are many questions and few answers following an officer-involved shooting Monday night. Kansas City Police said a man first threatened to harm himself and then threatened police. The department said that's when an officer shot and killed the man.

Kansas City Murder No Mystery

Family of young Kansas City woman murdered feared for her life KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The family of a woman shot and killed during a recent string of gun violence in Kansas City is desperate for answers. Shanterria Edwards, 26, was found shot early Sunday morning in a car. Her family believes they know who pulled the trigger but need help to prove it.

KC 'Nerdlesqe' Fest Preview

At This Kansas City Burlesque Festival, Nerds Of All Kinds Let Their Freaky Flags Fly Imagine if a comic-con and a burlesque festival had a baby. That's how Annie-Mae Allure, the executive producer of this week's Kansas City Nerdlesque Festival, describes the event, where performances will focus on themes such as science fiction and fantasy in what's been billed as a "shame-free zone" at the Just Off Broadway Theatre.

Healing House Needs Helping Hand

Healing House looking for help after fire guts kitchen of Kansas City nonprofit KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas City nonprofit that helps addicts in recovery needs a little help. On Monday night, a building owned by the Healing House caught fire. A volunteer set a plastic tub filled with potato chips on the stove and accidentally knocked a knob, turning it on without realizing it.

Celebrate 6 Game Losing Streak

Cubs take series over Royals with 5-0 shutout at Kauffman Stadium KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mike Montgomery allowed five hits over six-plus innings, David Bote drove in a career-high three runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 5-0 Tuesday night. Montgomery (4-4), who the Royals drafted in the first round in 2008, picked up his first win since June 29.

With respect to one of, we offer a peek at news regarding a fundamental building block of life:Closer to home, here's the local news worth a peek this morning:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
"With all precincts reporting, only 191 votes separated the two candidates. Kansas has no automatic recount and if a recount is requested it must be paid for by the candidate requesting it."

Here's the early results before the inevitable recount . . .Deets:Developing . . .
KCMO gun violence up, KCPD numbers drop An increase in gun violence and homicides in Kansas City has come at the same time the number of Kansas City Police Department officers has steadily dropped. There is an ongoing effort to add more officers to KCPD ranks in the coming months.

More local concern about misplaced priorities as violence continues to ramp up as we approach the end of Summer and local gunfire escalates.Read more:
NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France was arrested over the weekend for driving under the influence. The man whos been heading the auto racing company failed a field sobriety test after he was caught running a stop sign in his Lexus. France had a blood-alcohol level that was more than twice the legal limit.

Whats more, he was also found in possession of a controlled substance, carrying Oxycodone pills, an opioid pain-relief medication classified as a Schedule II narcotic. The pills were found when the officer searched his vehicle. France was pulled over in Sag Harbor, New York and taken into custody for the night.

After his release the next morning, he announced that he will be taking an "indefinite leave of absence" from his role as CEO and chairman of NASCAR. His uncle Jim France has taken over as interim of the sanctioning body.

It appears this isn't the first time France was caught driving under the influence

It appears this isnt the first time France was caught driving under the influence. In 2006, he was reported to have hit a car in a Daytona Beach parking lot. However, although a witness says he struggled to get out of his car due to being intoxicated, the police werent able to confront him until he had returned to his house. Needless to say, this isnt the kind of behavior youd expect to see from the CEO of a racing body that just banned an Xfinity Series driver for failing a drug test.

Brian took over as CEO and chairman in 2003. The stock car racing series was founded by his grandfather, Bill France, Sr. and previously ran by his father, Bill Jr. Brian led the companys entertainment division and served as executive vice-president before taking control of the company.

Further reading

Read more NASCAR news.
Now, regardless of my train of thought, I believe that the former is the truth in this very instance. This got me to thinking - how and why is the manual transmission losing the war against automatics? Is it that bad, or are there some dark forces at play here? Why is the manual transmission living on borrowed time?

Just the other day I was reading that some teens have given up carjacking because the car they wanted to lift had a manual transmission. First, I thought that they perhaps didnt know how to drive a car with a manual at all, but then, it hit me. Maybe they gave up the idea of stealing that car because it is much harder to find someone who would actually drive it later.

The Manual Transmission Is Dying Out

When you put it all down on paper, buyers are definitely the main culprit behind such an incredible drop in manual transmission sales

If you walked into a new car showroom in 1992 and saw four people buying a car, one of them would be driving off in a car with a manual. If you did the same in 2012, no one would be driving off with a manual as only 7 percent of buyers opted for the manual back then. Nowadays, the situation is even bleaker for manuals, and personally, I can come up with a few reasons for the likely demise of manual transmission altogether.

According to Edmunds senior analyst Ivan Drury, who talked about the issue with LA Times, less than 3 percent of buyers in the U.S. actually choose a manual transmission. That was in 2016. Today, that percentage is down to 2. When you put it all down on paper, buyers are definitely the main culprit behind such an incredible drop in manual transmission sales. This led manufacturers to change their approach to the market discontinuing manual options altogether. In 2006, as much as 47 percent of new models were available with a manual. Today, only 20 percent of them - usually entry-level cars and cars powered by engines will low power.

Obviously, car culture is changing, buyers accepted the convenience and comfort modern automatics provide, and they are willing to pay a premium for it. However, I am not sure that the car makers are that sad, and it seems that Drury from Edmunds shares that sentiment with me. He said:

For automakers, it will be simpler when the manual dies. Its kind of a hassle for them to offer both, same with dealers. Given the market forces, its going to go away.

Obviously, car culture is changing, buyers accepted the convenience and comfort modern automatics provide, and they are willing to pay a premium for it

Obviously, the manual transmission in the U.S. has already become something like a niche thing. Almost no one chooses it. Save for enthusiasts and all those people who want to save a grand or two by leaving the automatic box on the options list unchecked. Europe, a Mecca for drivers cars with manual transmissions has it a bit better.

But even there, automatic transmissions are creeping up the charts slowly showing obvious trends of growth. Heck, car enthusiasts became so worried about the manual transmission that theyve started an Internet hashtag trend - #Savethemanuals. Contribute if you find it prudent.

However, in the less fortunate markets, where every dollar, lakh or dinar count, the manual transmission does not show signs of weakness. Nevertheless, these are the reasons that, directly or indirectly, boosted automatic transmission sales over manual ones.

Safety

The study revealed that drivers experience dramatically higher stress levels in a car with manual transmission compared with an automatic car

It seems that Internet forums, journalists, and car gurus are in a never-ending debate about the topic of which car is safer - one with manual transmission, or one with an automatic. While both camps offer interesting arguments, I tend to believe that new, modern cars, with monitoring systems, active assistance, and automatic transmissions are safer compared with equivalent cars with a manual transmission.

Some institutions, and probably all car manufacturers made extensive studies on drivers behavior behind the wheel. Thanks to advanced monitoring systems in cars today, they can actually do it. The study revealed that drivers experience dramatically higher stress levels in a car with manual transmission compared with an automatic car. Heck, it was concluded that the stress level for a driver driving a car with an automatic is much the same as those of the passengers. Astounding to say the least.

More importantly, the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health actually conducted a research testing the reaction time and the driving behavior of drivers in a manual and an automatic car. They tried to assess if driving an automatic car would be safer for older drivers. They separated drivers into two groups (older and younger group) and monitored their driving on a course. First with a manual car, then with an automatic.

Modern cars do offer numerous assistant systems which keep drivers alert at all times.

These are the results:

The older group had more driving errors than the younger group, in both the manual and the automatic transmission car. However, and contrary to the younger drivers, automatic transmissions improved the older participants driving behavior as demonstrated by safer speed adjustment in urban areas, greater maneuvering skills, safer lane position, and driving in accordance with the speed regulations.

Quite an extraordinary test, isnt it? Now, while some may argue that less stress behind the wheel makes drivers more susceptible to focus on other things aside from driving, modern cars do offer numerous assistant systems which keep drivers alert at all times.

Power transfer

Modern automatic transmissions, such as those with 8, 9, or even ten gears proved to be exceptionally smooth while offering manual-like fuel efficiency

Back in 2016, BMW Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Peter Quintus, said that high-quality, good manual transmission systems can handle up to 450 horsepower and 440 feet-pound of torque. Add anything more, and the transmission has to be re-engineered - usually making it too heavy, jerky, or simply not enjoyable in the process.

We looked at US gearboxes. We found they were heavy and the shift quality was awful, he said, and added, Im not even sure the next generation of M3 and M4 models from BMW will have the option of a manual gearbox.

Now apart from the uses on the high-end, powerful cars, car manufacturers do have to comply with the EPA regulations for fuel efficiency and harmful gases emissions. Thanks to advanced automatic transmission systems they can precisely tune the car to save as much fuel as possible. Modern automatic transmissions, such as those with 8, 9, or even ten gears proved to be exceptionally smooth while offering manual-like fuel efficiency (in certain conditions even better.)

Installing much the same transmission in almost all their cars will considerably lower average fuel consumption and emissions which is one of the main tasks every car manufacturer has to achieve.

Comfort

An automatic transmission offers numerous comfort and convenience benefits.

Back in the Fifties, GMs Hydra-Matic automatic transmission showed the way for the U.S. car industry. It was simply a more comfortable and more convenient solution than anything else on the market. The whole automotive industry caught on, forever changing the landscape of the U.S. car industry. An automatic transmission offers numerous comfort and convenience benefits. First, one does not have to operate the clutch - less stress. Secondly, creeping in congested traffic (a nightmare for most drivers) is far easier with an automatic. Thirdly, modern versions of automatic transmission systems (Double-clutch transmission, 9-speed and 10-speed units, and CVT systems) offer quicker gear changes, and, if set up correctly, provide a boost in performance too.

Obviously, with all the monitoring and active safety systems on board, and an automatic transmission, drivers can focus more on the stuff that car manufacturers want them to use. I am referring to infotainment systems and subscription programs that offer added convenience and value. Dont you think this is a thing?

Well, Jacob Brown, a product communications specialist with Mazda does. He said: For manual models to exist, there has to be a way for those models to seamlessly be able to accommodate technology without distraction. By technology he meant infotainment systems and other.

Cutting costs

Furthermore, the U.S. car market showed that depreciation is higher with cars equipped with manual transmissions

Developing a car to accept two types of transmission is definitely more costly than developing a car accepting only one transmission options. This is definitely one of the few benefits car manufacturers experience with the car world opting only for the automatic transmission. Furthermore, with such a low number of drivers actually buying manuals, the price of automatic has also fallen.

Manual transmissions make up a fairly small number, and that number tends to decrease rapidly as you move up the model line-up for any car, says Michael McHale, Subarus Director of Communications. He added that the relative price of an automatic as a percentage of the purchase price has been falling for years. Obviously, no one will produce anything that people wont actually buy. And, they buy automatics. It is that simple. Furthermore, the U.S. car market showed that depreciation is higher with cars equipped with manual transmissions. Some of them have been sitting for ages on dealer lots. That is a problem, both for dealers and for the manufacturers. The solution? Get rid of all manually equipped cars. Considering only 2 percent of all buyers are actually choosing them Mission accomplished!

Enthusiast Arent nthu$iastic Enough

A lot of the people actually rambling on about the save the manuals thing arent exactly in a position to buy a new car in the first place

So, while Car and Driver did start that hashtag trend #Savethemanuals, the reality is that car enthusiasts simply arent paying for cars with manual transmissions. This led me to do a bit of a research, and I found that a lot of the people actually rambling on about the save the manuals thing arent exactly in a position to buy a new car in the first place. And, as we all know, money makes the world go round.

We have seen that buyers arent asking for them, said Mark Gillies, spokesman for Volkswagen. We had a manual option in the old Tiguan, but almost no one took it.

Ferraris product marketing chief Nicola Boari implied that the company ended all manual transmission production because of the "close to zero" demand. Logical enough.

"Its a disgrace," said Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer. "Yes, its more troublesome and expensive for the automakers. But its completely inexcusable that Ferrari doesnt even offer a manual."

Obviously, this guy is into cars and loves to have that proper feeling only a manual can give, but the matter of a fact is that Ferraris least powerful car today has 600 horsepower. It would really be a curiosity to have a manual 600 horsepower Ferrari Portofino. I cant imagine it. At all.

Conclusion

Considering that manual transmission today is associated with something cheap, buyers are even less decisive when buying it.

While stick shift is fun (Porsche drivers can attest for sure,) the fact of the matter is that modern automatic transmissions are simply better. They are quicker, more responsive, and offer better performance and comfort  something no manual transmission can. This leaves the manual transmission for true gearheads and for those who want to save a couple of dollars when buying a new car.

"Beyond the fun and engaging aspect of a manual transmission, it often lets us provide a more affordable and advanced powertrain combination," said Paul Seredynski, Fords global performance and powertrain communications manager.

Considering that manual transmission today is associated with something cheap, buyers are even less decisive when buying it.

I think that due to all of the reasons stated above, the manual transmission is on its way out. Ok, some producers will always offer it to satisfy the few, but it is obvious that the manual transmission is already on its last leg in the U.S. With the introduction of electric cars and hybrids, which will, I presume, take over the market in the future altogether, the manual transmission will die out in Europe as well. The only places where it will remain the backbone are third world countries and emerging markets where manufacturers aim to offer cars that are as affordable as possible.
Looking at the future, a Chinese custom house that goes by the name Shanghai Customs is offering their answer to the depleting dinosaur fuel and the increasing environment concerns - the eCub 2. It is a 1000 watt electric scooter that can make a swift 28-mile distance in one full charge. It also comes in a DIY kit to convert an existing Honda Cub to the eCub 2.

Serving 100 million happy customers, the Honda Cub is the first two-wheeler to cross such a mark. Now, the moped is being made at 16 plants spread across 15 countries around the world that serves customers in more than 160 countries. That is some mind-boggling numbers considering the popularity and logistics involved with the Super Cub.

Over the year, the Japanese fine-tuned the Super Cub to evolve with the generations, and yet the underlying concept remained unchanged since the introduction of the first Super Cub in 1958. This iconic design even managed to become the first one ever to obtain a three-dimensional trademark registration in Japan.

Now for 2018, Honda has given the Super Cub its brand new update and brings back the round curvy design, featuring LED lights for the first time in the Super Cub series. Giving this retro design a futuristic take, Shanghai Customs have fitted it with an aluminum swingarm and adjustable shocks to take on the electric motor and battery components.

Piloted by a simple New Zealand man who goes by the name Matthew Waddick, the Shanghai-based workshop has craftsmen who can turn out Tracker, Brat and Cafe bikes into classy and practical to the downright whacky. All their builds come as clean as one can get and radiate an air of sophistication. They just love swinging it like that.

The eCub 2 is their second rendition of the eCub Electric Scooter. A new aluminum swingarm lets the 1000 Watt electric motor sits on the rear wheel hub and will be tethered to a bespoke removable battery pack made up of Panasonic 3.7v 3.400 mAh lithium-ion 18650 cells positioned under the custom seat. This power is sufficient to propel the scooter to a top speed of 28 mph and can run up to 28 miles.

The knobby tires and the adjustable aluminum foot-peg give the Super Cub that suave right off the bat. The retro LED headlight finds its space just above the front tire nestled in a custom-made nacelle. The dash includes custom switches and a smartphone dock that acts as the instrumentation.

You can control two riding modeeco and sportand even a reverse through your smartphone along with onboard systems such as top and low speed, torque and regenerative braking. All the wirings have been hidden within the frame to give a clean look to the bike. And the folks at SC have made use of steel body panels rather than plastic.

Existing Super Cub owners will also be offered an upgrade to their petrol powered units to a fully electric powertrain thanks to the conversion kit, also available in the eCub2s style. All the kits and e-bikes can be ordered from Shanghai Customs website. Pricing and availability in the US are not known.

Thinking much ahead in the future, Honda has also been parallely developing the EV cub for more than a couple of years now. It gained momentum when Honda began collaborating with Hitachi Automotive Systems to develop and manufacture electric systems for future EVs. Honda will also make use of swappable batteries and a hub-mounted electric motor derived from their Hitachi collaboration.
A day-long event organized by UNCTAD and Alibaba gave young tech entrepreneurs in Africa a chance to share experiences and get inspired

From Madagascar to Liberia, Africas digital lions are preparing to roar, speakers said at an event co-organized by UNCTAD, the Alibaba Business School and the Jack Ma Foundation at South Africas Wits University on 8 August.

The day-long e-commerce and technology event featured an announcement by Jack Ma, co-founder and executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, of a $10 million prize fund for African internet entrepreneurs, to be known as the African Netpreneur Prize.

Lets make Africa a digital Africa, Mr. Ma said at the event, dubbed Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa's Digital Lions.

Mr. Ma, who currently serves as UNCTAD special adviser for young entrepreneurs and small business, said he always believed that when everything is ready its always too late for entrepreneurs. Their role is to create the conditions to prosper, not wait for them.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said by video that he would sit on the African Netpreneur Prize advisory board.

All young Africans should seize the opportunity to aim high, Mr. Ban said. Put your best foot forward and I look forward to your application to the African Netpreneur Prize.

eFounders Fellows

Around 30 African graduates of the eFounders Fellowship Programme, launched in 2017 and run by UNCTAD and the Alibaba Business School, also attended the event.

Those of us from Africa, and friends of Africa, are facing the challenge of how to convert the young talents emerging in Africa into a dividend and not a curse, UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said.

As everyone keeps telling them go and make employment for yourself, how can we make it possible for them to create employment? he said.

Since last year, UNCTAD and Alibaba have been recruiting a number of young net entrepreneurs and sending them to Alibaba Business School in Hangzhou, China, for a short intense training on the possibilities on electronic market platforms, gaining visibility on the global market through remote technology and liberating small-scale producers through a conscious, purposeful impact investment in linking them to the electronic market.

Dr. Kituyi described these eFounders fellows as the start of an army of impatient entrepreneurs that will ignite a digital revolution in Africa.

Kenyan eFounder fellow Catherine Mahugu described her journey as a technology professional and entrepreneur. After her encounter with Alibaba in Hangzhou she founded an e-commerce coffee export firm.

Another, Nigerian eFounder fellow Adetayo Bamidura, founded MAX, a platform that uses mobile apps to connect businesses and commuters to safe and affordable motorcycle-taxis on demand.

Africas opportunity

South Africas science and technology minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said innovation coupled with entrepreneurship is the engine of growth of any modern economy.

The emerging fourth industrial revolution, which will affect and change the whole world, demands that we invest in information and communication technology infrastructure  otherwise we will be spectators of this revolution and not active participants, she said.

Wits University acting vice chancellor Tawana Kupe asked: Where is Africa in the fourth industrial revolution?

Three panel discussions were held in answer, the first on how governments and policymakers can nurture innovation in the digital economy.

Botswanas investment, trade and industry minister Bogolo Kenewendo said the last mile of internet infrastructure was often the hardest in Africa, but policy infrastructure in terms of laws, regulations and government awareness of the issues was at least as important.

South African economist Miriam Altman agreed, and said that digital infrastructure was often seen by African governments as something extra on top of traditional infrastructure needs like water and electricity.

University of Johannesburg vice-chancellor and principal Tshilidzi Marwala added that he thought governments should make provision for free Wi-Fi, as well as virtual economic zones to spur investment.

Lion cubs

I have to be honest, the digital economy concept has been so slow to catch on in governments, Ms. Kenewendo said.

This included in soft policy areas like education as well as in hard infrastructure like broadband, she said.

For Ms. Altman, kids get it, but institutions often dont.

She said that basic standard-setting and building a digital infrastructure was incumbent on governments  not just in Africa  and e-commerce would flow from that.

Ms. Kenewondo said that young digitally-aware Africans should not afraid to be disruptors because what we have now clearly isnt working for us.

I encourage you to throw away your caution, she said.

Panellists agreed that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was a welcome step toward freer regional circulation of goods, but much work remained to be done on transport logistics and connectivity.

Investing in talent

A second panel addressed access to capital and investment.

Mara Corporation founder Ashish J. Thakkar said that with M-Pesa, Kenyas mobile money system, covering 98% of that countrys GDP, Africa had proved that it could develop, use and exploit new technologies.

AfricInvest venture capital director Selma Ribica said that M-Pesas success, and that of Nigerian ecommerce giant Jumia and others, was itself a spur to investment capital and now it was pouring in  to the tune of $500 million in 2017.

However, she cautioned, so far this flow of investment was unevenly distributed in a few sectors and mostly to just three African countries: Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

IFC Venture Capitals Africa head Wale Ayeni said that angel investing was in its infancy in Africa but this was changing.

A third panel considered skills gaps and employment for young people.

Wambui Kinya, chief strategy officer of Andela, a full-service tech talent agency which spots, trains and places African developers and other technology professionals, urged businesses in Africa not to look outside the continent for their technology service needs.

Africa has the tech talent they need, she said.

Hubs and ecosystems

Mr. Kupe said Wits University had launched a digital innovation hub five years ago in partnership with the private sector with students working in areas as diverse as fintech, health and gaming.

Our challenge is to make digital life the new normal, Mr. Kupe said of his universitys commitment to future-forward education. We must change our mindset.

Anna Ekeledo, executive director of AfriLabs, a community of 100 innovation hubs in 30 African countries aiming to build technical and entrepreneurial skills and engage in policy advocacy, said that the linkage between academia and innovation hubs needs to be strengthened.

She said she was looking forward to scaling businesses as a result of trade reforms under AfCFTA, and other ways of turbocharging the enabling environment for digital ecosystems.

As well as the panellists, eFounders fellows, students, other participants and dignitaries, the event was also attended by UN Womens executive director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and Chinas ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian.
Mountain School of Strings began in 2010 as Transylvania Youth Strings (TYS) by the talented fiddler Ellen Lee. Her vision was to reach out to every student in the county and get them introduced to a musical instrument, no matter their ability to pay. The program took root and began to grow. In 2015, after 30 years of dormancy, Lee's cancer returned, and she was forced to take a step back from teaching at the Mountain School of Strings (MSS). After beating that cancer, she went to battle again with another tumor in 2016 and then again in July 2017, with aggressive stage IV Squamous Cell Car...
Just before 12:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5200 block of South Wells Street, the man was in the front seat of a car when another man walked up, exchanged words and shot him in the head, police said. The man who was shot was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
(This is part two of a three-part update on Brevard's WNC Military History Museum as it approaches its Aug. 25 one-year anniversary at 21 E. Main St. Each part of this series will focus on one aspect of the museum's mission: Honor, Educate and Preserve.)

Below are examples of the museum's educational activities during this year.

Museum historians gave history programs at Rosman High School, Brevard Middle School, Davidson River School and Pisgah Forest Elementary.

Students in Transylvania's middle and high schools participated in an essay contest.

Three students received monetar...
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Brevard resident Eric Edwards knows pain, and he knows defeat. Edwards lost his son, Dylan, to leukemia two years ago, and he turned to substance abuse to cope.

He also lost his wife to grief, his home and almost his life  self-medicating with drugs and alcohol.

But the 43-year-old Edwards found inner strength, and community, in Brevard. When he was at the bottom, two days before Christmas in 2015, he knocked on the doors at The Haven. He spent nearly a year in the homeless shelter off Caldwell Street, cleaning himself up and finally ending up in a home through the Habitat for Humanity program.

Edwards is on the up now and recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he was asked to speak on behalf of the Champions of Change, a national group committed to ending and preventing homelessness in the U.S.

His role was to share his story with staff members in both U.S. Sen. Richard Burrs and U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows offices, and to show his support for several bills making their way across the Senate floor that would directly impact the homeless community.

I left feeling inspired after attending workshops from 9 a.m. through the evening, Edwards said. One of them led me to a new position that has been created  a peer support specialist, advocating for housing  thats in the works. Its federally funded, but it would be at Homeward Bound in Asheville, which would be the ultimate dream  to work for the N.C. Coalition to End Homelessness.

Edwards was chosen to be part of the group through the local housing authority. One bill, which Edwards strongly supports, is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developement McKinney-Vento Bill, which would ask Congress to allocate $2.8 billion for housing, programming and education centered around the reasons people wind up homeless. In Edwards case, and many others, homelessness can be prevented with the right tools. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there are an estimated 553,742 people in the U.S. experiencing homelessness on any given night, which equates to 17 people per every 10,000. The largest population to experience homelessness is single adults, many of whom are veterans of war.

In North Carolina, 54 percent of homeless veterans are black, a disproportionate rate, according to the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness. Thirty one percent of veterans experiencing homelessness are in Buncombe County. Statewide, 801 veterans and 67 of their family members experienced homelessness on one night during the last week of January 2018.

Edwards said that this last year in Brevard, there were almost 80 homeless people, who were counted by himself and other volunteers.

The McKinney-Vento bill helps the school systems and the homeless community, he said. It has to be renewed each year. There are also stricter work requirements for public housing, which I do not support. Were trying to fight that.

Edwards said homeless people have a tough enough time in Transylvania County finding housing.

He said the wait list can sometimes be upwards of six to eight months. He said transportation is an issue, too, but people walk, they ride bikes, and they try and make it work. Edwards said some of the funding he is fighting for would help with affordable housing and public transportation.

I like to advocate every chance I get, he said. A lot of people get overlooked, and others are not aware of how great the need is. All it can take is one thing, and the next thing you know it snowballs and youre out on the street. After we lost Dylan, my wife was military and we handled it in different ways. I obviously didnt handle it the right way. She handled it the military way and reenlisted.

Edwards said he didnt really understand the scope of the homeless issue until he experienced it himself and became involved here and in neighboring communities. He said everyone thinks about homelessness in bigger cities, but walking around Brevard its hard to tell if a person is homeless or not.

Its been a journey for myself in so many different ways  even a college graduate became homeless, said Edwards, who has a degree in environmental science.

Edwards will be speaking at the Happening for the Haven, the annual fundraiser held at Connestee Falls, on Sept. 14. The event, which raises money for the shelter, includes auctions, live music and a steak dinner.

Haven Director Emily Lowery said Edwards is one of her best friends and that he has come a long way. For her, having someone work at the shelter who has actually lived there makes a huge difference in their day-to-day operations.

When I first met (Edwards), he had just come to us straight from rehab and was very defeated and depressed. Now, hes a totally different person, Lowery said. He now helps with the Special Olympics and Sharing House. He just gives back so much to the community. Hes like the poster boy for anyone who has come out of homelessness. This is where they need to go. Dreams can be achieved now matter where you come from. Thats the best part of Eric. He hasnt forgotten where he comes from. Its still very raw for him and the things that he went through.
Some local manufacturers, such as Oskar Blues Brewery, say they are taking a financial hit because of the recent import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, while others arent sure what the long-term impact will be.

The import tariffs placed on steel and aluminum from Europe, Canada and Mexico went into effect June 1. The steel imports are taxed at 25 percent and aluminum at 10 percent.

For Oskar Blues, the aluminum hike means their yearly production costs will increase by about $400,000, according to Aaron Baker, the companys marketing director.

Seventy percent of our...
Although still in the due diligence phase, the impacts of Hospital Corporation of Americas (HCA) possible purchase of Mission Health on rural communities was discussed in a recent Facebook Live forum.

Karen Vernon, communications director at Mission Health, moderated the forum, and fielded questions based on the panelists recent visit to other HCA owned hospital systems in Tennessee, such as TriStar Health, TriStar Ashland City Medical Center, TriStar Centennial Medical Center and TriStar Horizon Medical Center.

The three panelists were Kathy Guyette, senior vice president of patien...
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56 Leonard in New York is the poster child for everything we shouldn't be doing, but these days it is much imitated.

Writing in Dezeen, the critic, writer and teacher Aaron Betsky discusses the emergence and popularity of Jenga-style towers and pixelated buildings around the world

They rise up in pumps and jumps, pushing in and out of the sky while they teeter on bases that seem too small for the pulsations of the shaft. No, get your mind out of gutter, I am talking about the Jenga towers that have become all the rage for developers around the globe.

Lloyd Alter/ 56 Leonard, 2018/CC BY 2.0

The original, and most famous of these, is 56 Leonard in New York, designed by the very talented Herzog & de Meuron. Betsky notes that Jenga towers have become all the rage on good and bad buildings, a signature bump-and-grind on the skin of an otherwise typical building with structure and floor plan like all the rest.

That is the genius of the Jenga theme: if you don't push it too far and balance things just so, you gain back every square foot pushing out from the volume that you lose from pushing in, and you can use all of an office building's standard elements with just a little reinforcement. You get a high-tech effect, and one that can mask the mass and scale of a tower, without too much effort.

OK, enough. This from a guy who runs Taliesen, an architectural school, discussing the pushing out and pushing in, without noting the ridiculous increase in surface area, or the additional concrete and steel required for the cantilevers.

56 Leonard Tribeca/Promo image

Back in 2008 in Condo design jumps the shark, I described it as everything you are taught in architecture school and in the harder school of actually building things that you shouldn't do. The project epitomized everything I thought that was wrong about architecture, an example of the kind of wretched excess that actually contributed to the great recession.

Lloyd Alter/ From 63rd floor of the World Trade Center/CC BY 2.0

It died in the recession but was resuscitated, and in 2012, I complained that while designing dense, tall buildings is generally a good thing, that doesn't give architects carte blanche to ignore energy. But that doesn't mean that architects should design those dense buildings as if they were trying to maximize the surface area and heat loss.

Urban density is a wonderful thing, but it is not a Get Out Of Jail Free card, you still have to design like you give a damn, to borrow a phrase, about the problems we face, even if the purchasers of these units are rich enough to throw money out the windows. We can't, as a society, afford to build like this any more.

Lloyd Alter/ 56 Leonard/CC BY 2.0

In the end, the developer kind of cheaped out and it is not nearly as dramatic as the renderings that upset me so much were. I wrote in 2016, in Another look at Herzog and de Meuron's shark-jumping condo:

Lloyd Alter/ 56 Leonard/CC BY 2.0

It also appears to be not quite as full of jogs as the renderings were, but has some big pushes in and out at the base and at the top, with a long stretch of what looks like a conventional square glass box, with big chunky cantilevered balconies, in between.

Lloyd Alter/ swervy Bjarke! tower under construction in Vancouver/CC BY 2.0

But still, as Betsky notes, it has become a template for developers who cannot afford Bjarke! swerves that I find equally appalling.

Aaron Betsky knows full well that we are in the middle of a climate crisis, he is probably frying out in Scottsdale. Yet he doesnt mention the problems with Jenga buildings like 56 Leonard: glass walls, no matter how good, dont work as well as conventional walls at keeping heat in and sun out. Jogs and swerves and pushes and pulls dont work; they increase surface area and the amount of concrete needed.

This is a problem for people who love design and architecture; boxy buildings with small windows are hard to get right. But as I noted about the Cornell tower,

If we are going to ever get a handle on our CO2, we are going to see a lot more tall urban buildings without big windows, without bumps and jogs. Perhaps we might even have to reassess our standards of beauty.

What I said about 56 Leonard bears bears repeating: We can't, as a society, afford to build like this any more.
The attention they receive outside of tragedies has to be equal to when something like this happens, Foxx said. We cant just show up when we think you are going to be a witness to a crime. We have to be at the block parties when there is not violence happening. That is something we build over time, and there has to be demonstrable movement toward that middle (ground).
Regan said another reason the hospital opted to go on bypass status was because it saw several walk-in victims  meaning they didnt arrive by ambulance. If theyre dropped off by vehicle, the vehicle itself can be a crime scene and must stay put, even if its outside the hospital entrance, until police process it for evidence.
editorial@tribune.com

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8

India's cooking oil manufacturers have sharply increased crude rice bran oil prices that has not only made the edible rice bran exports unviable but also left paddy farmers, particularly from Punjab and Haryana, high and dry.

Solvent extractors, who buy rice husks from millers at a cheaper rate, have increased the price of extracts after the Centre hiked import duty on crude and refined edible oils - palm oil, soy oil, sunflower oil and rapeseed. The benefit of price hike is, however, limited to organised extractors and millers, but the same is not passed on to the farmers, industry experts said.

The Centre had raised duties on certain crude edible oils earlier this year by 5-10%. The hike was aimed at curbing cheaper imports. Duties on crude rice bran oil, however, remained unchanged because of negligible import.

"The manufacturers, especially the solvent extractors, have increased the crude rice bran oil prices by Rs 8-10 per kg arbitrarily, without any provocation and it will adversely impact exports," Sangrur-based Ricela Group chairman AR Sharma said.

Rice bran oil is produced from rice chaff, an oily layer between the paddy husk and the rice grain. Its extraction involves a long chain where farmers sell paddy to rice millers. Millers sell the chaff to solvent extractors, who sell it to refiners. While farmers get nothing for the chaff, mill owners and extractors make huge profit from the by-product, experts said.

The sudden price hike by the extractors will make Indian exports of the rice bran oil non-competitive in the international market, exporters said. They have been demanding a 5% incentive under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for the rice bran oil. Thailand is India's major competitor in the export market for this product. India exported 9,500 tonnes of rice bran oil in 2017-18. Out of this, Punjab's share was over 6,500 tonnes. India is the second biggest exporter of rice bran oil after Thailand.

There are over 200 rice bran oil units, including more than 100 in Punjab and Haryana. Currently, the total installed capacity of rice bran oil is around 1 million tonne per annum. About 30% of that is located in Punjab and Haryana.

"We are going to have meeting with the Centre to discuss issues such as MEIS to oil sector and export to China," said BV Mehta, executive director, Solvent Extractors Association of India.

India is the world's second largest producer of rice and it is the most important cereal food crop in the country. Based on the country's paddy production, rice bran output potential is about 9.8 million tonnes.

Factsheet
editorial@tribune.com

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

After new Vice-Chancellor Prof Raj Kumar took over, Indresh Kumar, a top Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader, delivered his first lecture on nationalism on Tuesday.

Kumar was the chief guest during a seminar organised on national security, where retired lieutenant generals and a High Court judge were in attendance.

The programme was organised by the Defence Studies Department of the PU and Forum for Awareness of National Security.

Pakistan took birth from India. It was an unnatural birth. It was violent70 years have passed, which comprises 840 months. Firing has always been from the Pakistan side. Can it become a peaceful border? Can Pakistan allow unfurling of the Indian flag? So, we also cannot allow such activities, said Indresh Kumar.

Be careful, nationalism and patriotism cannot be played with like a toy, he added.

National Register of Citizens

On the National Register of Citizens (NRC), he said: About 40 lakh people have been declared illegal in Assam. The figure is expected to be around 2 crore across the country. If you say it is a Hindu-Muslim issue, it is wrong and undemocratic.

He said these 2 crore people would take menial jobs and render local people jobless. They would occupy land, food and water.

Tell me one nation in the whole world which will allow it? he said. When the migrants come, they take shelter in the Muslim localities and turn Indian Muslims unemployed. Those who say that it is an issue of human values; they are communal, fundamentalist and undemocratic. I am not saying all 2 crore, but some of them are involved in smuggling and circulation of fake currency, he said.

On Doklam issue, he said India acted cautiously and protected Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. If someone has died on the border, he is a martyr and it is not just a case of death. It is a sacrifice, said Indresh.

He said Gandhi, Patel, Savarkar, Subhash Chander Bose, Vinoba Bhave were the freedom fighters, but the first Prime Minister, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, could have avoided partition.

Had we not withdrawn from Pakistan in 1965, we would have been holding this conference in Lahore. In 1971, after capturing 93,000 soldiers, we got Shimla agreement. What kind of agreement was this? Were we cheated? We could have taken Kashmir and strengthened borders with Bangladesh, he said.

He condemned churches for conversion and attacked them for the loss of identity of tribals in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Odisha. He mocked the Muslim Personal Law Board on the issue of sharia courts and claimed that it received only 10 applications from those, who wished their disputes to be heard in the Islamic courts.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8

Four persons were injured after the roof of a house collapsed at Burail village on Wednesday afternoon. The incident took place around 12.15 pm when a portion of the roof suddenly collapsed, said Iqwal Singh, an eyewitness.

He said four persons  Mujaffar, Mansab, Jubair and Raja  were working in the kitchen when the roof collapsed. He raised the alarm following which people residing in nearby houses came and called up the police and the fire and emergency services.

Firemen reached the spot on mobikes. The trapped persons were rescued by the firemen and neighbours.

Iqwal Singh said all injured were taken to a nearby dispensary. A team of the MC later removed the boundary wall of the house.

Mahesh, owner of the house, said they had planned to repair the roof and had told the occupants to move out three days ago, but due to rain, the repair work got delayed. The roof collapsed due to rain that resulted in seepage. The injured persons were preparing food for a shop in Sector 35.
Rasheed Kidwai

Rasheed Kidwai

Senior Journalist & Author

THE row over a suitable place for M Karunanidhi's burial and memorial has again brought in focus controversies over burials and cremations of top politicians.

The DMK may have emotional reasons to insist for a suitable memorial at the Marina Beach, but in 1975, when K Kamraj, another former towering Chief Minister of the state had died, Karunanidhi, Chief Minister then, had denied the former Congress resident an honour to be buried near Anna Samadhi. A fight had broken out between DMK and Congress supporters over the burial site. Finally, space was allotted at another site near Gandhi Mandapam.

When Rajiv Gandhi was killed at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, the former Prime Minister's mortal remains were brought to Delhi. A deadlock followed between Rajiv's widow and Caretaker PM Chandra Shekhar who vetoed a proposal to permit Rajiv's Samadhi to a land belonging to Lal Bahadur Shastri's Samadhi. The land was already given to the Central Reserve Police Force and had caused uproar in Parliament.

In his memoirs, Unfinished Innings  recollections and reflections of a civil servant, Madhav Godbole has recorded how Sonia, Priyanka and Amitabh Bachchan (a close friend of the Gandhis then) had rejected the Chandra Shekhar government's suggestion to carve out a piece of land from Indira Gandhi's Samadhi Shakti Sthal. 10, Janpath reportedly wanted a part from former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's Samadhi 'Vijay Ghat.'

Godbole recalls Chandra Shekhar telling him, "How can we justify withdrawing land from the Vijay Ghat when the family already had so much of land under various memorials?" A sizeable area in a 3-km stretch on the Yamuna bank has memorials of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi.

Interestingly, Subramanian Swamy, who was the Law and Commerce Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government, acted as peacemaker. He accompanied Priyanka and Amitabh Bachchan to the Rajghat area to finalise the site for Rajiv's samadhi. Even as Chandra Shekhar sulked, Swamy worked with the then secretary of the Union Urban Development Ministry, Madhav Godbole, and a number of other government agencies overnight to evict 1,000 jhuggis (displacing around 8,000 persons).

When Bala Saheb Thackeray died on November 17, 2012, his body was kept at the Shivaji Park ground in Mumbai. Prithviraj Chavan, Congress CM of a coalition government quickly accorded a state funeral to Thackeray that entailed taking the deceased's body draped in the Tricolour in a procession on a gun-carriage with police or army escorts, besides a 21-gun salute, an honour reserved for those who have held constitutional posts. There was buzz in the Congress that party chief Sonia Gandhi was not pleased with Chavan. Chavan, however, stood his ground, pointing that he was responding to the 'public sentiment'.

PV Narasimha Rao's end came on December 23, 2004. By this time, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government (in 2000) had passed a Cabinet resolution discouraging samadhis and memorials in the Rajghat area. This decision has been ratified by both the Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi governments as nearly 245 acres of prime land in the national capital has already been occupied by separate samadhis of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi.

During Rao's premiership (1991-96), otherwise a towering Congressman with a career spread over five decades, Rao had been reduced to an unpopular leader within the Congress. The Babri demolition and a series of scandals, palace intrigue and one-upmanship created a sharp wedge between him and 10, Janpath. Many Congressmen were unhappy with the way Rao had sought to implicate many of them in the Jain hawala case. It was October, 1995 and elections were round the corner when Rao had ordered the hawala probe that "fixed" the political careers of many stalwarts. The list of accused included LK Advani of the BJP and Congress leaders Madhavrao Scindia, Kamal Nath, Arjun Singh, ND Tiwari, Buta Singh, Bhajan Lal, VC Shukla and Janata Dal's Sharad Yadav. While each accused got acquitted, Advani did not contest the 1996 elections and, perhaps, missed the chance of becoming PM when Vajpayee was chosen to head the 13-day BJP government. Vajpayee became PM again in 1998 and ruled for the next six years.

Against this political backdrop, Rao's mortal remains were not allowed to be brought inside 24, Akbar Road (Congress party headquarters in New Delhi) as had been customary for all Congress party chiefs and senior leaders, for this was where homage was paid to the departed leader before the funeral rites. Surprisingly, Sonia and Manmohan Singh's healthy regard for Rao did nothing to prevail upon the party to let Rao's body be kept inside 24, Akbar Road for a few hours as a mark of respect.

There was more humiliation to follow. Despite a special union cabinet meeting at 3 pm scheduled that day, Manmohan and his colleagues failed to decide the funeral arrangements. At his 9, Motilal Nehru Marg, New Delhi, residence, there was nobody from the government or the party to receive the body and place it on a platform, nor flowers, nor any carpets spread by the administration for the mourning crowds to sit on, nor even a shamiana on the lawns. His friend, Kishore Chandra Deo, a Congress leader, finally arranged for a shamiana and flowers. Manmohan Singh looked visibly moved as he remained quietly by the side of the body, which had been brought in from the hospital a little before 5 pm. Sonia also stayed there for a few minutes.

Many years later, Manmohan's media advisor Sanjay Baru admitted that Rao was shabbily treated by both the Manmohan regime and Congress-led Sonia. Baru, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, recorded in his memoirs Accidental Prime Minister and wrote, "When Manmohan Singh went to pay his last respects after Narasimha Rao's death, Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel reportedly asked him to "encourage" Rao's family to take Rao's body from New Delhi to Hyderabad for cremation. "Clearly, it seemed to me, Sonia did not want a memorial for Rao anywhere in Delhi." Ahmed however, feebly denied Baru's allegation, saying that Rao's family wanted the cremation in Hyderabad.

When Charan Singh had passed away in May 1987, his son Ajit refused to hold the cremation till the Rajiv Gandhi government agreed to sanction "Kisan Ghat" in the Rajghat area. Rajiv had initially dithered, but caved in when farmers' leader Mahendra Singh Tikait threatened to lead a march of lakhs of farmers from western Uttar Pradesh to Delhi to "uproot" the samadhis of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and others.
Faizan Mustafa

Faizan Mustafa

VC, NALSAR University of Law

THE Supreme Court may have the word supreme in its name but it is not supreme in our constitutional setup. Nor have we accepted the British concept of supremacy of Parliament. The Constitution alone is supreme and all authorities must honour the boundaries of their powers as defined by it. Thus innumerable judgments given by the apex court have been overturned by Parliament such as Shah Bano, Vodaphone, enemy property, Jallikattu and minority character of AMU. In fact, the first constitutional amendment was passed to undo the apex courts judgment in Dorairajan (1950) where the court had quashed communal reservation in Madras. Several constitutional amendments were subsequently passed to overturn judgments on the question of promotion in reservations.

On March 20, a two-judge Bench of the court issued guidelines that (i) no FIR be registered without a preliminary probe by the investigating officer, (ii) no one is to be arrested without the approval of appropriate authority and, (iii) an accused is eligible for anticipatory bail.

The Lok Sabha has now amended the SC/ST Act by inserting a new clause  Section 18 A  negating the Supreme Courts judgment on both the registration of FIR as well as arrest. The statement of the SC&ST Bill clearly recalls the special nature of the 1989 Act and apex courts judgment and then refers to the CrPC which mandates the registration of FIR without any preliminary inquiry and gives power to the investigating officer to arrest an accused if he has reason to suspect commission of crime by him.

But Parliament cannot simply undo the judgment. It has to do more. It has to remove the very basis of the judgment. In Utkal Contractors (1987), the apex court agreed that rendering judicial judgment ineffective through legislative powers by removing the basis of judgment is a well-known pattern of all validating laws. In Prithvi Cotton Mills (1969), the Supreme Court again upheld the exercise of legislative power and admitted that it is not in dispute that legislature can pass a validating statute even with retrospective effect.

What was the basis of the Supreme Courts judgment that Parliament did not remove in this Bill? On the basis of few isolated earlier High Court judgments, Justice Goel and Justice Lalit had concluded that We have seen working of Prevention of Atrocities Act over the last three decades and its abuse has been judicially acknowledged.

The Bill should have stated that court judgments are not a substitute to authentic empirical research. Similarly, the Statement of Objects and Reasons should have mentioned the real reasons overlooked by the court: poor investigation, absence of effective witness protection schemes and faulty prosecution.

The minister who introduced the Bill admitted in the Lok Sabha that the SC/ST Act had been abused only in 12 per cent of the cases. He should have said the decline in conviction rates has created a wrong impression about its abuse. In fact, NRCB data indicates that number of false cases has declined over time (2009-2015). In any case, comparing the conviction of hate crimes under the Act with ordinary crimes is absurd and irrational.

The Bill is also defective as it does not use notwithstanding any judgment or order or direction of any court expression for the entire Bill but only for anticipatory bail. Since Justice Goel has said the protection of citizens liberty under Article 21 is the foremost duty of the court, the Bill should have said anticipatory bail is not a fundamental right; it is merely a statutory right introduced in the new CrPC 1973. In any case, it is an exception and not a rule; several states do not have it even for ordinary crimes.

The Bill should have said courts do not have legislative powers and must respect separation of powers. The Supreme Court can lay down guidelines only in cases of legislative gaps. For instance, it was right in laying down guidelines on sexual harassment, khap panchayats and mob lynching. But where the field is occupied by a parliamentary legislation, the judiciary is bound by the text of law though it can examine the constitutionality of such a law. The Bill should have responded to courts anxiety about false cases. It should have said Indian Penal Code provides adequate protection against false complaints and malicious prosecution and since under the SC/ST Act, investigation is to be done by senior police officers, there is no need for diluting the Act.

Thus the Bill looks like a half-hearted response to Dalit concerns. It has failed in clearly removing the basis of Justice Goels judgment and thus can be struck down as the court may treat it as an act of brazen overruling. The governments refusal in accepting the Oppositions demand of saving it from judicial scrutiny by inserting it in IX schedule makes it further vulnerable. Loss of upper caste votes in 2019 could have been the reason of the governments refusal.
laxmi@tribune.com

FORGET the versatility of the man: poet, scriptwriter, aficionado of classical music, powerful orator and social reformer. If no North Indian politician comes close to the versatility of the late M Karunanidhi, the social welfare net fashioned by the two poles of Dravidian politics  DMK and AIADMK  was to be later emulated by the political classes elsewhere in the country. The models of Uzhavar Sandhai (farmers markets) to eliminate middlemen and ensure fair prices for farm produce, a comprehensive health insurance scheme and model development of villages  these were just latter-day innovations that came to be overlaid on an already humming social welfare model of a functioning midday meal scheme and financial assistance to a range of needy people.

If some of the Centres recent schemes and policy interventions such as crop insurance or financial aid to pregnant women have a whiff of familiarity, it is clear where the inspiration came from. Karunanidhis reachout to the less fortunate of his land was built on decades of some solid slogging in the streets of mofussil Tamil Nadu, fostering the vision of a more equal and just state moored in a unique mix not witnessed elsewhere in its intensity and sustainability: anti-Brahmin and fiercely atheistic coupled with a rejuvenation and celebration of Dravidian culture distinct from the India beyond the Vindhyas.

But the man who worked to break the stranglehold of caste and class was unable to resist the temptation of surrounding himself with yes-men and relatives. Ironically, the errors in his political judgment multiplied when Tamil politicians had their best moments in the Delhi durbar. Today, Karunanidhi and his sons seemed more dependent on a favourable political tide rather than their own exertions to pull them out of political redundancy. The Kalaignars (artist) goodwill, trust and credibility among the people of Tamil Nadu will endure as much as that of MGR.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 8

Fumed over the delay in payment of sugarcane dues and construction of a new sugar mill, farmers under the banner of the Bhartiya Kisan Union staged a dharna outside the residence of Karnal MP Ashwini Chopra here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, their dharna outside the Karnal Co-operative Sugar Mill here entered 17th day on Wednesday. In support of their demands, 39 women farmers led by Neelam Rana, district president, women cell of the BKU, courted arrest, while farmers led by BKU state president Rattan Mann staged a dharna outside the residence of Karnal MP.

They submitted a memorandum to the representative of the MP demanding that Chopra should raise the issue of sugarcane farmers in Parliament. Before staging the dharna, they took out a procession in the city. The women farmers protested with bangles in their hands.

Neelam said that they were demanding their payment which was not cleared so far by the government even after three months of the procurement of their sugarcane.

She said that the farmers had been staging dharna for the last 17 days and not even a single MLA had come to meet them. Mann said, We will continue our fight till we get justice. Harvinder Kalyan, Gharaunda MLA and HAFED Chairman, said that the government had already released Rs 200 crore for clearing the pending amount of the farmers and paper work for the construction of new sugar mill was underway. Tenders for the new sugar mill would be floated soon, he said.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 8

A local girl and a police officer from Karnal district accompanying her were shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants near the mini-secretariat here on Wednesday. At least seven bullets were fired at the girl and the police officer.

Rohtak SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said the preliminary investigation indicated that it was a case of "honour killing" as the girl had married a Dalit youth and her parents were not happy with their wedding.

"Four persons have been rounded up for questioning. We have got vital clues and the shooters as well as the conspirators would soon be arrested," he maintained.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case, in which Ramesh, the father of the deceased girl, has been named. Ramesh had adopted the girl, Mamta, from his brother-in-law in 2002.

The Jat girl, who belonged to Rohtak, had eloped with a Dalit youth of Singhpura village in the district last year. They got married and sought police protection, but a scrutiny of their certificates revealed that the girl was a minor.

Following that, the youth was arrested. As the girl refused to go back to her parents, she was sent to a women shelter-home at Karnal. She was brought to Rohtak for a court appearance today.

Sub-Inspector Narender Kumar of Karnal police and a woman constable were accompanying the girl. The girl's mother-in-law Saroj and brother-in-law Dinesh alias Tinku had also come to meet Mamta. They were returning after the court hearing when the incident took place.

They were in front of the local mini-secretariat near the courts complex when some motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at Mamta. As Sub-Inspector Narender tried to take out his revolver, the assailants fired at him as well.

The girl and the police officer were rushed to the local PGIMS, where they were declared dead by the doctors. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

Police investigators as well as forensic experts visited the scene of crime and examined the spot. No arrests had been made till the time of filing this report.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, August 8

Yet another controversy has stormed Mewat as a youth was allegedly gunned down by Uttrakhand Police in an encounter.

Naheda village resident Sahib was killed in Patakpur last night when a special team of Uttarakhand Police aided by Mewat police had come to nab a robber but had to retort to firing as villagers allegedly attacked them.

The police insist he was killed in cross firing. The police claimed that the deceased was probably an aide of the robber who helped him escape.

The villagers, however, insisted he was an innocent man who was killed on suspicion and have thus demanded immediate action against the erring cops and compensation of Rs 50,000 for him.

Following a three-hour long mahapanchayat addressed by likes of Congress leader Aftab Ahmed, the villagers are sitting on dharna with Sahibs body refusing to bury him till their demands are met.

He was only brother of seven sisters and drove a truck along with his father to run his home.

Police have booked 150 villagers of Patakpur naming 45, including a woman, for attacking the police.

The drama started late last night when assisted by Mewat police, Uttrakhand Police came looking for a local resident Shabbir.

Shabbir was wanted for a robbery in a mobile showroom in Dehradun.

He was hiding in a room in the fields when police nabbed him. The information somehow went to village and hundreds of villagers, including men, woman and even teenagers, rushed to the fields and attacked police and freed Shabbir.

In no mood to give up, police caught him from village lanes but village women attacked the police and freed him again.

The Bollywood style struggle between police and villagers continued for two hours before the mob reached Punhana Luhinga road.

It was here that villagers allegedly fired at police that fired back and 22-year-old Sahib was caught in firing even as Shabbir managed to flee.

This is another addition to long list of police atrocities on us. They killed him because they were suspicious of him. They murdered him and should be booked. We will not lay him to peace till our demands are met and if they ignore us till Thursday we will go for aggressive protests, the mahapanchayat said in its statement.

Meanwhile, owing to tension in the area heavy police has been deployed and sources claim that Muslim panchayats too have started joining dharna which may snowball into a major controversy tomorrow.
editorial@tribune.com

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, August 8

An innocent 22-year-old youth was gunned down on Tuesday night reportedly by personnel of the Uttarakhand Police in an encounter.

Sahib of Naheda village was killed in Patakpur, where the special team, assisted by the Mewat police, came to nab a robber. They reportedly resorted to firing after villagers allegedly attacked and fired at them.

The police insisted that the youth was killed in crossfire, with no evidence of a police bullet having claimed his life. They said the deceased was probably an accomplice of the robber who helped him escape.

The villagers insisted that the deceased was innocent and was killed on the basis of suspicion. They demanded immediate action against the policemen involved and compensation of Rs 50,000 for his family.

Following a three-hour-long mahapanchayat, villagers sat on dharna with Sahibs body, refusing to bury him till their demands were met. Congress leader Aftab Ahmed was among those who addressed the gathering.

On Tuesday night, the Uttarakhand Police, assisted by the Mewat police, came looking for Shabbir, a local resident. He was wanted in connection with a robbery in a mobile phone showroom in Dehradun.

He was hiding in a room in the fields, from where the police nabbed him. This information reached the village and hundreds of villagers reportedly rushed to the fields.

They allegedly attacked the police and freed Shabbir, who fled from custody. The police caught him again, but local woman reportedly attacked the police and freed him again.

The action continued for two hours before the villagers allegedly fired at the police, who fired in retaliation. Sahib was caught in the crossfire while Shabbir fled.

This is another addition to atrocities on Mewatis. They killed him because they were suspicious. They murdered him and should be booked. We will not lay him to rest till our demands are met, said the mahapanchayat in its statement.

A heavy police posse was deployed in the area. The police booked 150 Patakpur residents, 45 of them by name, for attacking the police. Sahib was the only brother to seven sisters and drove a truck with his father.

The police came to nab a burglar and caught him. Patakpur residents and relatives of the accused attacked the police and freed him twice. They fired at the police and Sahib was killed. It is not clear which side fired the fatal shot. We have registered an FIR and are investigating, said Mewat SP Naazneen Bhasin.
On Tuesday, though, the news media sought broader safeguards that would end an array of prohibitions by Gaughan. The petition seeks to force Gaughan to give media lawyers a chance to object before he holds substantive meetings with lawyers behind closed doors or closes the courtroom to the public and reporters. They also want to allow one of the media attorneys silenced by Gaughan to be able to take part in court proceedings again.
editorial@tribune.com

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 8

The police are yet to arrest the accused in the Rs 22.48-crore lottery scam, in which around 21,300 persons were allegedly duped.

The case registered on December 12, 2017, at Kotwali police station here. The investigation was pending as the case was transferred to the state crime bureau. The probe has begun now after being referred back to the local police, it is reported.

A case under the IPC and the Haryana Financial Deposition Act was registered against several persons, including five officials (directors) of a company named Hello Distribution registered as a private firm in Delhi.

A senior police official admitted that the police were yet to make a breakthrough in the case. The police are on the job and are likely to arrest the accused soon, said investigating officer, Sub-inspector Brahm Prakash.

In 2014-15, the accused had opened an office in the NIT area here. They had deployed several agents for collecting money from unsuspecting persons after luring them with a lottery draw each month offering motorcycles and cars. The investors, who belonged to lower middle and middle-class families, were asked to deposit Rs 1,000 each month to become eligible for the lottery scheme. After collecting a huge amount, the operators closed the office and fled in November last year.

Bhism Chauhan, Surender Atri, Vishal Beniwal, Khadak Singh and Tarun Chauhan, who had floated the company, were named as the prime accused in the FIR. The company neither had an NOC nor permission from the Finance Department to run the scheme, but used a registration number to attract investors, it has been learnt.

A 25-year-old youth, who had worked as a collection agent, had committed suicide a few months ago after investors mounted pressure on him to return more than Rs 4 lakh. Last year, people in Palwal were allegedly duped of Rs 30 crore in the garb of a lottery scheme. A man was arrested in this connection. Both scams appeared to be linked, police sources said.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 8

Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday lashed out at the BJP regime for saffronising education in the state.

In a statement issued here, Vikramaditya warned that the Congress would not tolerate dilution of the autonomy of Himachal Pradesh University.

It was shocking to see the manner in which the RSS and BJP slogans were raised when the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the HPU assumed office, he said.

The Congress leader said it was shocking to see the manner in which the new VC said that he took pride in being a member of the RSS.

Holding such an important designation, his primary concern should be ensuring academic standards and development of the HPU as a premiere educational institute, he said.

The MLA warned that the Congress would not allow the HPU to become a centre of RSS and would oppose any such move tooth and nail.

The heads of the institutes like Central University, IIM and IIT are all from a particular ideology and it only reflects the parochial mind set of the BJP regime, he remarked.
editorial@tribune.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

Known for speaking his mind, BJP veteran and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shanta Kumar on Wednesday said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will not be as easy for his party as the 2014 elections were.

Speaking to The Tribune about the prevailing political scenario where the Opposition is consolidating its forces against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shanta Kumar said the BJP would win the general election but see a reduction in the majority margin.

This is the theory Congress president Rahul Gandhi also believes in. Rahul has been privately sounding his cadres about two potential scenarios in 2019  a win for the Opposition or a win for the BJP which will see a depleted electoral strength vis-a-vis 2014 and a situation where Narendra Modi wont be the Prime Minister again.

Asked if this was possible, 84-year-old Shanta Kumar, who minces no words when it comes to articulating his political impulses, said, This is not possible. There is no alternative to Modi either within the BJP or outside. Equally, there is no alternative to the organisational supremacy of the BJP which has the cadre and the ground level presence to take on anyone.

Kumar, who was shocked by Rahul Gandhis recent act of hugging the PM in the Lok Sabha, said Rahul had improved but was no competition to Modi.

To a pointed query on why he felt the BJP would lose seats, Shanta cited rising unemployment and soaring economic disparities as the reasons.

Four years have passed but we have not been able to address the challenges of unemployment and rising economic disparities. I shudder at the thought that if my state, Himachal Pradesh, a considerably prosperous and developed state, is facing such a huge unemployment, what must be happening in poorer states. I have always said population control is the only way out, said Kumar, a four-term Lok Sabha MP, representing Kangra in the House.

The BJP senior leader, who is in league of veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi now, also told The Tribune why he thought the BJP would win 2019 elections.

The BJP has created formidable election machinery and mastered the art of election organisation. The Opposition has no answer to two things  Narendra Modi, whose personal integrity remains high and the BJPs organizational supremacy, Shanta Kumar said at a time when the Congress is struggling for booth level presence in many parliamentary segments.

Kumar was referring to the booth focus of BJP president Amit Shah and the unique experiment of panna pramukhs.

Every BJP MP has been made in-charge of a particular booth and tasked with holding regular meetings with panna pramukhs of that booth. Shanta Kumar has the charge of Bandla booth in Palampur and regularly meets 25 in-charges under him.

Micro management is the skill BJP has honed to perfection, says the former CM of Himachal who sounds confident of the BJPs prospects in his state where, he feels, The Congress will be done in by the turf war between state unit chief Sukhwinder Sukhu and former CM Virbhadra Singh.

Unemployment major factor

Four years have passed but we have not been able to address the challenges of unemployment and rising economic disparities. I shudder at the thought that if my state, HP, a considerably developed state, is facing unemployment, what must be happening in poorer states.  Shanta Kumar, Kangra MP
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 8

Four militants were killed and a Special Forces soldier injured in a fierce gunfight in a thick forest area of north Kashmirs Sopore sub-district on Wednesday, officials said.

The militants were killed in Baramullas Dooniwari forest area as the gunfight raged through the day. Armys Special Forces units were pressed into service, a defence spokesman said.

Four militants have been killed while the operation is still on, defence spokesman Rajesh Kalai told The Tribune.

The exchange of fire between militants and security forces began early morning as security forces cordoned off the jungle area after the police suspected presence of five militants in the area.

A soldier from Armys elite Parachute Regiment was injured in the initial firefight and was hospitalised with a bullet injury in the thigh, the officials said.

Helicopters were pressed into service to transport soldiers even as the counter-insurgency operation was put on hold for the night.

A police official said the cordon was intact. It is a thick forest area and movement is difficult during evening and night, so we have put the operation on hold and will resume it at the first light on Thursday, he said.

No bodies of militants had yet been recovered and the identity of the outfit involved was not immediately known, the official said.

This is the second major gunfight in north Kashmir in two days. On Tuesday, four soldiers, including a decorated Major, and two militants were killed in Gurez sector of Bandipora.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 8

Residents of Chatha village on Wednesday blocked the road leading to the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, for half an hour to protest against the alleged sexual harassment of three minor girls at a playschool in the Trikuta Nagar area last week.

Led by former sarpanch of Chatha village Gurmeet Kour, hundreds of residents held a demonstration and raised slogans against the school management for allegedly shielding the accused teachers.

Gurmeet said: The Centres Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is just on papers as our daughters continue to be victims of such incidents.

Demanding immediate derecognition of the school, the former sarpanch said, The school management did not act on the complaint of the parents of the victims. The principal, who happens to be a woman, rather tried to shield the accused teachers.

Gurmeet also demanded that the judiciary should take suo moto cognisance of such incidents and cases pertaining to sexual harassment of minors should be taken up in fast-track courts to ensure speedy justice to the victim.

Meanwhile, members of civil society and students took out a candlelight march late Tuesday evening against the alleged sexual harassment of the tiny tots. The march started from the main gate of the Jammu University and culminated at Bikram Chowk.
editorial@tribune.com

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 7

Four soldiers, including a gallantry award winning Major, were killed in a fierce encounter with infiltrators close to the Line of Control in Gurez sector of north Kashmirs Bandipore district on Tuesday. Two unidentified militants were also killed.

This is the first major infiltration bid and encounter along the LoC in Kashmir after the conclusion of parliamentary elections in Pakistan and comes just days ahead of Imran Khan being sworn in as Prime Minister.

While the massive counter-infiltration operation is still under way at Bakhtoor, Gurez, 170 km from Srinagar, the Army suspects more militants may be hiding in the area. It has pressed into service a team of specialised forces to search for militants in the dense forest area. The Lashkar-e-Toiba claimed its men were involved.

The slain soldiers were identified as Major Kaustubh Prakash Kumar Rane, 29, of Thane, Maharashtra; Grenadier Vikramjeet Singh, 25, of Ambala, Haryana; Rifleman Mandeep Singh Rawat, 26, of Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, and Rifleman Hameer Singh, 28, of Dunda, Uttarakhand.

Major Rane, who was attached with 36 RR, was recently promoted and awarded the Sena Medal in May 2017 for his role in the same sector.

Vikramjeet Singh, a resident of Ambalas Tepla village, had tied the knot a few months ago.

The gunfight began around 1 am when an Army patrol noticed the movement of at least eight heavily-armed militants and challenged them near Armys Panth post at Bakhtoor.

They fired at the soldiers and in the intense gunfight, a Major and three soldiers of 36 RR were killed, a source said, adding that two militants were also shot dead in the gunfight.

Sources said at least four militants managed to return to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. However, we suspect two militants are still hiding in the area and the operation is under way, the source said.

Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the infiltration bid was foiled in Gurez by the Army.

Gurez is among the toughest routes to sneak into the Valley along the 350-km-long LoC in the region. In the past, militants have waded through the Kishanganga river to infiltrate into Gurez.

In May, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330-MW Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project in Gurez. Pakistan had objected to the project.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Jammu and Kashmir government on a petition alleging custodial torture of activist Talib Hussain, a witness in the Kathua gang-rape case, after he was arrested in a rape case lodged against him at Samba police station.

Acting on a habeas corpus petition filed by his cousin Mumtaz A Khan, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to respond to the allegations by August 21, next date of hearing.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising alleged that Hussain was tortured in custody by the police which implicated him in a false rape case. Any form of torture in custody is unlawful, Jaisingh told the Bench.

During the hearing, the Bench wondered how it was a a case of habeas corpus. Hussain had already been produced before the court concerned, it noted.

Hussains cousin had on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court alleging custodial torture by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Bench had agreed to hear it on Wednesday.

The petitioner alleged that there was threat to Hussains life as he played an important role in exposing the accused in the Kathua gang-rape case.

Khan alleged that Hussain had been falsely implicated in the case and subjected to torture.

The rape case was lodged against him in July by the wife of his brother-in-law. He has also been booked in a dowry case logded by his estranged wife in June.

The Kathua rape case victiman eight-year-old girl from a nomadic community--had disappeared from near her home in a village in Kathua on January 10. Her body was found in the same locality a week later.

The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police had taken up the probe into the case on January 22 and filed a chargesheet against seven accused and a separate chargesheet against a juvenile accused in a court in Kathua district on April 9.

The minor girl was allegedly abducted, drugged and raped inside a place of worship before being killed, the police had alleged.

The top court has already transferred the trial from Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, to Pathankot in Punjab and ordered a day-to-day in-camera trial of the case.

The Supreme Court had on July 9 ordered shifting of seven accused facing trial in the Kathua gang-rape and murder case from sub-jail, Kathua, to Gurdaspur in Punjab.
editorial@tribune.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the state on a petition alleging custodial torture of activist Talib Hussain  who was at the forefront of demonstrations seeking justice in the Kathua rape-and-murder case  after he was arrested in a rape case lodged against him at the Samba police station.

Acting on a habeas corpus petition filed by his cousin Mumtaz A Khan, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked the state to respond to the allegations by August 21, the next date of hearing.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising alleged that Talib was tortured in police custody, which implicated him in a false rape case. Any form of torture in police custody is unlawful, Jaising told the Bench. During the hearing, the Bench wondered how it was a case of habeas corpus as Talib had already been produced before the court concerned. It, however, asked Jaising to restrict her arguments to the issue of custodial torture.

The Bench  which refused to issue any directions at this juncture  allowed the rape victim to intervene in the matter.

Advocate Chandan Sharma, who represented the complainant, told the Bench that Talib was arrested from a place known as the seat of militancy. Jaising took strong exception to linking her client to militancy.

Talibs cousin had on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court alleging his custodial torture by the J&K Police and the Bench had agreed to hear it on Wednesday. The petitioner alleged that there was a threat to Talibs life as he played an important role in exposing the accused in the Kathua gangrape case.

Khan alleged that Talib had been falsely implicated in the case and subjected to torture. The rape case was lodged against him in July by the wife of his brother-in-law. He has also been booked in a dowry case lodged by his estranged wife in June.

Not a case of habeas corpus: Court

During the hearing, the Bench wondered how it was a case of habeas corpus as Talib had already been produced before the court concerned. It, however, asked Jaising to restrict her arguments to the issue of custodial torture. The Bench  which refused to issue any directions at this juncture  allowed the rape victim to intervene in the matter
editorial@tribune.com

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 8

Unfazed by politicisation of the Article 35A controversy across the state, Radhika Gill, a 18-year-old Dalit and a top athlete of Jammu, on Wednesday vowed to take her fight for the dignity and self-respect of her marginalised community to a logical conclusion.

It is a battle for the liberation of our community from the yoke of worst-ever slavery, observed Radhika, who is challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A in the Supreme Court.

We have challenged the existence of this Article. Let the politicians debate whether it good or bad for people, she said.

Before September 20, 2016, Radhika was unaware of the discrimination and humiliation being meted out to her community in J&K since 1957 as safai karmacharis. Despite qualifying for all tests of the Central forces during a recruitment rally, Radhikas candidature was rejected as she could not produce domicile certificate or state subject.

When I approached the authorities concerned, they bluntly told me we are eligible for getting only non-permanent residents certificate, according to which we are eligible only for the job of sweepers in the state government sector, said Radhika.

Radhika showed excellence in the 14th state athlete meet held recently, but for employment, she is only eligible for the job of sweeper due to the provisions of Article 35A.

Charan Dass, her grandfather, was among those Valmiki families who were brought from Punjab by then Prime Minister of J&K Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad in 1957 with a promise to provide them all rights. The third generation of our community is facing slavery and the future of our educated youth is bleak, rued Gharu Bhatti, president of the Valmiki Samaj.

Constitutional experts said the successive state governments had adopted inhumane approach towards the community. There are provisions in the J&K Constitution to provide some rights to this community, they said.

They said in Sections 8 and 9 of the J&Ks Constitution, there was wide scope to provide rights to Dalits and issue just one executive order to make them eligible for government jobs in the state.

Candidature rejected
At a South Side church event in late July, Wilson handed out more than $200,000 in cash and checks. Gov. Bruce Rauner was at the event and later criticized the giveaway, but the state election boards said Wilson apparently did not violate any election laws. Last week, Wilson handed out more than $100,000 to Cook County residents to help pay their property taxes.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Patna, August 8

Facing flak over the alleged role of her husband Chandra Shekhar Verma in the Muzaffarpur shelter home scam, Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma tendered her resignation to CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday.

After a social audit report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) revealed that inmates of the Brajesh Thakur-owned Muzaffarpur short stay home were sexually exploited and mentally tortured, 42 of them were medically examined. Reports confirmed 34 of them had been raped.

Leader of Opposition (Tejashwi Yadav), has been raising a hue and cry over CDR (call details report) of my husbands phone, alleging he had been communicating with the scam accused. I want the CDR to be in public domain. My husband is innocent. I have faith in the HC-monitored CBI probe, said Verma.

Thakur, who is alleged to have spoken with her husband 17 times in seven months, claimed he had been framed as he was likely to contest from Muzaffarpur on the Congress ticket.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Panaji, August 8

Had Jawaharlal Nehru not been self-centred, India and Pakistan would have been one country, the Dalai Lama said on Wednesday, adding that while Nehru was gifted with experience, mistakes do occur.

Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give the prime ministership to (Mohammad Ali) Jinnah. But Nehru refused. He was self-centred. He said, I want to be PM. India and Pakistan would have been united (had Jinnah been made PM). Pandit Nehru was very experienced. But mistakes do happen, the Dalai Lama said.

He gave the analogy in response to a question from a student at the Goa Institute of Management on how one could be sure about ones decisions and how to avoid mistakes.

Preceding the interaction, the Dalai Lama spoke on Indias ability to merge its rich traditional knowledge with the modern facets of education. He also stressed the need for dialogue and debate on a range of subjects.

We need more people to come together and talk and debate on aspects linked to India's ancient knowledge, such as ahimsa and compassion. We also need to find ways to reduce conflict amongst ourselves," he said.

When asked what she made of the observations, historian Mridula Mukherjee said, With due respect to the Dalai Lama, who has made great sacrifices for his people, he is clearly misinformed. It is very saddening to see someone of his stature make a statement not borne out by facts.

Rather, Jawaharlal Nehru was the person who gave refuge to the Tibetans and the Dalai Lama. You cannot blame any one person for the Partition of India. It was caused by long-term factors rooted in the British policy of divide and rule. Pt Nehru was as much against the Partition as any nationalist would be. But we must remember the ball was always in the British court.

The British, she said, kept insisting on Indians sorting out their differences among themselves but MA Jinnah continued to be recalcitrant. The Mountbatten Plan was a plan for the Partition of India. The British refused to hand over power to the Congress. What option did Gandhi or Nehru or Patel have?

As far as Mahatma Gandhis statement that Jinnah could be PM goes, it was a goodwill statement, a Gandhian way of winning over Jinnah, but Jinnah never accepted even that. Gandhi said this in 1944 but he had, way back in 1942, named Nehru his successor. In democracies, people, not individuals, choose and make leaders.

Another historian, S Irfan Habib, said what the Dalai Lama has said could be his perception. It is certainly not a fact of history. The Partition was such a huge tragedy, no one person could be held responsible. Two decades of communal politics and the propagation of the two-nation theory led to the Partition. What the Dalai Lama has said is just another statement in the line of many in the category of Nehru-baiting.  IANS/TNS
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Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

In a significant step forward to boost cooperation, India and Myanmar on Wednesday opened first two international checkpoints on their land boundary.

The entry exit checkpoints were formally opened in presence of enthusiastic crowds at the land boundary at Tamu/Moreh bordering Manipur and Rihkhawdar/Zokhawthar bordering Mizoram.

The two countries inked the landmark land border crossing agreement this year on May 11. The opening of these check posts is expected to facilitate travel on both sides. People holding passports and a valid visa will be allowed to exit and enter through these border check posts.

"People will now be able to travel for tourism and education purposes. This will bring our two people and countries closer and connect our north east much more closely with Myanmar as well as the broader ASEAN region. This indeed is Act East in action," said Vikram Misri, Indian envoy to Myanmar calling it an important date in history of bilateral relations.

Myanmar's delegation for the ceremony this morning at the Friendship Bridge in Tamu was led by U Aye Lwin, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, while the Indian side was led by Suhel Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur.

At Rihkhawdar, the Myanmarese delegation was led by U Salai Lian Luai, Chief Minister of Chin State, while the Indian side was led by Pu H Rohluna, Minister of Commerce and Industries in the Mizoram government.

Following the opening ceremony at the India-Myanmar Friendship Bridge the Myanmarese delegation was given a tour of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) facilities in Moreh and the immigration check post at Rihkhawdar.

India shares a nearly 1,600-km land border with Myanmar running though four north-eastern states of Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

Border trade via Moreh and Zawkhatar reached nearly $88 million as of August last year. Estimates suggest more than 2 million Indian origin people live and work in various parts of Myanmar.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8



The Congress on Wednesday named thrice Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader BK Hariprasad as the joint opposition candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman for which elections are scheduled for Thursday.

Hariprasad, 64, will take on the ruling dispensation nominee Harivansh of the JDU with the BJP comfortably placed on the numbers.

Hariprasad, a former long-time general secretary of the Congress, is a veteran leader from Karnataka.

Harivansh, on the other hand, is likely to get support from non-NDA parties like the BJD, TRS and TSRCP among others.

The Congress deliberated for long before zeroing in on Hariprasad who commands considerable respect across the opposition camp.

The opposition is aware of the numbers challenge but has followed the same logic to contest as it followed for the presidential and vice presidential elections.

Its a battle of ideologies and a contest is warranted, senior Congress leaders feel.

Rest of the opposition, including Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and the Left Front pulled out of the race taking moral high ground that they did not have the numbers to crack the election.

The Congress as the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha should field its nominee, opposition parties said.

Hariprasad and Harivansh have both filed their nominations for the polls scheduled for 11 am.

The post fell vacant on July 2 and the Constitution mandates filling it at the earliest possible.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

After around 25 years, the Rajya Sabha is set to witness a contest for the post of the Deputy Chairman with the BJP-led ruling coalition fielding former Editor Harivansh Narayan Singh (JD-U) for the post with the combined Opposition candidate BK Hariprasad (Congress) as the challenger.

The parliamentary party managers of the ruling coalition appeared content after news spread that JD-U chief Nitish Kumar secured BJD support by reaching out to its president and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaiak, whose nine MPs became crucial in the battle that could have swung either way given the thin margin of support for either side.

In a House of 244 (with one vacancy) and two-member PDP announcing abstention, the effective strength is down to 242. The winner would need at least 122 votes, and the ruling coalition claims support of 129, while the Opposition is looking at a figure of over 110.

Ironically, it eventually fell upon the Congress to find a candidate after most parties shied away from fielding any of their members although at the start of the discussion to have a joint candidate, almost all parties had stressed the person from the Opposition camp should be anyone, but from the Congress.

On the NDA side, Naresh Gujral (SAD) was said to be a possible candidate, but it did not materialise and finally after some rumblings, the party endorsed the BJP pick.

On Thursday, RS members will be called upon to vote for the candidates, one after the other, by voice vote first, and, if required, through a division. The House would elect a 12th person as the 20th Deputy Chairman/person since May 1952. The House has, during these years, elected Deputy Chairman unopposed on 13 occasions, and decided by voice vote on four occasions, including the last time on July 10, 1992, when now Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla contested on behalf of the Congress and won against now Congress party member Renuka Chowdhury, then fielded by the Opposition.

Justifying the move for election on Thursday, instead of opting for a consensus route, Congress deputy leader in the House Anand Sharma said the government had been using every tactic to swing the poll.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

Judicial activism versus judicial restraint played out in the Supreme Court on Wednesday with the NDA government pointing out to the court that many of its decisions adversely impacted governance, people and their livelihood.

Attorney General KK Venugopal said cancellation of 2G spectrum licences on the apex courts order wiped out huge foreign investment; its order on liquor vends along highways caused financial loss to the exchequer and people lost livelihood.

Not everything is negative, but the court should exercise restraint while dealing with PILs. India is facing a lot of problems Like caste (a veiled reference to the top courts order diluting certain provisions of the SC/ST Act that led to protests and several deaths), Venugopal told a Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur during hearing of a PIL on the condition of jail inmates.

Day in, day out, I read newspapers and your observations, Venugopal said.

Justice Lokur  who has been pulling up government agencies in various cases for lapses in dealing with issues of pollution, child rights and womens rights  said the court was trying to solve some of these problems.

Through orders of this court, you (government) have got thousands of crores in cases like mining, construction work. What more do we do? Rest assured that Article 21 (right to life and liberty) is here to stay and we will uphold it, he asserted.

The AG admitted that with the top courts intervention, tremendous inroads had been made. He, however, noted that problems in India were enormous.

Justice Lokur said, We have not, and we are not criticising the government for anything. Dont carry the impression that we are preventing the government from doing anything or criticising you But tell your officers to follow the law.

It all started when the Bench, which included Justices Deepak Gupta and S Abdul Nazeer, proposed to set up a panel headed by a former SC judge to recommend measures on prison reforms.

The AG told the Bench that the court has been passing orders in individual PILs without realising the financial impact it had on other sectors. He went on to highlight some of these cases, inviting an asserting response from the Bench.

The government is not using funds properly. Over Rs 30,000 crore was collected for the benefit of construction workers, but the money is spent on buying washing machines They dont have clothes, but washing machines are bought. Laptops are bought for illiterate people. The government is not using the funds that are lying with it properly, the Bench said.

It went on to set up a panel of a former SC judge that would be assisted by government officials and will file a report to the top court from time to time on issues such as overcrowding of jails

The Bench, which has already passed two detailed orders on prison reforms, posted the matter for further hearing on August 10.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Panaji, August 8

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru had a self-centred attitude to become Indias first Prime Minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time.

He also claimed Indias Partition would not have happened if Mahatma Gandhis wish of Jinnah becoming the Prime Minister had materialised.

The 83-year-old monk was addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management in Goas Sankhalim town, located about 40 km from here.

Responding to a students question on taking right decisions, he said, I feel democratic systems are very good than the feudal system, which gives power of making decisions in the hands of a few people, which is more dangerous.

Now look at India. I think Mahatma Gandhiji was very much willing to give the prime ministership to Jinnah, but Pandit Nehru refused, he said.

I think it was a little bit self-centred attitude of Pandit Nehru that he should be the Prime Minister... Mahatma Gandhijis thinking, if it had materialised, then India and Pakistan would have been united, he said.

So Pandit Nehru, I know very well, (was) very experienced person, very wise but sometimes mistake also happens, he said.

To a question on the biggest fear that he encountered in life, the spiritual leader recalled the day he had to escape from Tibet along with his supporters.

On the night of March 17, 1959, after March 10 crisis, which was result of the problem that started in 1956, we had to escape, he said.

Recalling how the problem in Tibet with China had started becoming worse, he said the attitude of Chinese officers kept on being more and more aggressive.

So then on 17th night, in spite of all my efforts to cool down the situation, that very day, I decided that I cannot remain here and I escaped, he said.

(In the) meantime, the feeling whether I will see tomorrow or not topped my mind, he added.

The monk said the route from where they escaped was quite near the Chinese military base. While passing along a river they could see the military personnel, he said narrating his journey from the neighbouring country into India.

So we were completely quiet. But we cannot control the noise of horses feet. We really felt scared, he said.

He said next day at the dawn, they were passing through a mountain and there was every danger of Chinese soldiers coming from two different places to stop them. That was a fearful journey. At the age of 16, I lost my freedom. At the age of 24, I lost my country. For 17 years, there was lot of suffering and lot of destruction in the country, but we kept our determination, the Dalai Lama said.

He said the Chinas power is its military force. We can say from the barrel of gun. Our strength is truth. Temporarily, the power of gun is more decisive but in the long run, the power of truth is much more stronger than the power of gun, he said.

The monk said Tibetans never consider Chinese people as their enemy.

We respect them. We always look at them as our human brothers and sisters, he added. PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 8

More than 40 employees of the public sector Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd were injured after a fire broke out at its refinery at Mahaul in Mumbais Chembur area, police and fire officials said.

Six of them were taken to Sushrut Hospital nearby for treatment. The condition of one of them is serious, police said.

The fire, classified as Level 3, was first reported at around 2.45 this afternoon, Mumbais Chief Fire Officer P S Rahangdale said.

The company said in a statement this evening that the fire broke out at the hydro cracker plant in the refinery.

The heat by the fire caused pressure to build up resulting in an explosion, according to the company.



Fire officials said they were pumping water into the plant from a safe distance.

Since residential buildings surround the plant, the authorities evacuated people around the premises as a precautionary measure.

By late afternoon, fire officials said the fire had been put out and cooling operations were being carried out.

Residents told media outlets that they first heard a loud blast which caused windows to vibrate in several buildings.

According to BPCL, the hydro cracker plant was being revamped as part of the project to upgrade the refinery.

Crude oil was refined here and the modernisation project aimed to produce cleaner fuels.

BPCL officials said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Wednesday as a mark of respect to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi who died at the age of 94 on Tuesday.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu sought the sense of the leaders before taking a final call on the issue which is not governed by parliamentary rules.

There has been precedence of Parliament being adjourned in the past too in the event of the demise of a mass leader. Although the convention is for the proceedings to be adjourned for the day if a sitting member dies, full adjournments have happened earlier at the time of passing away of MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, both sitting Chief Ministers when they died.

There are no set patterns to when the Houses are to be adjourned. There are only practices and conventions. It is eventually a political call, a Lok Sabha source said.

The convention of the House being adjourned if a sitting member has died has also seen departures in the past. The most recent departure happened when IUML leader E Ahmed passed away on the day the Union Budget was to be presented in 2017.

Before adjourning the House proceedings on Wednesday, presiding officers  Naidu in Rajya Sabha and Sumitra Mahajan in Lok Sabha  reminisced the life and times of Karunanidhi and both remembered him as a visionary, leader of the masses and gritty politician.

Beginning his career as a screenplay writer, Karunanidhi used Tamil cinema to propagate his social ideology and contribute to the Tamil culture, Naidu noted.

LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Karunanidhi, during his illustrious political career, ably showcased admirable leadership and worked relentlessly for the cause of the people, particularly the marginalised and downtrodden.

Both Houses observed silence before the proceedings were adjourned.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

Two former Union Cabinet Ministers and a prominent lawyer on Wednesday termed the Rafale fighter jet purchase as the biggest scam of the country and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of criminal misconduct in handling the deal.

They asked who allowed a joint venture between Rafale manufacturers (Dassault aviation of France) and Reliance Defence Limited of India, since it was to be okayed by the Ministry of Defence.

Former Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie were accompanied by lawyer Prashant Bhushan at a press conference. Its a compromise on national security as the number of planes has been reduced from 126 to 36 without nobody in IAF or the Ministry of Defence asking it, Bhushan said.

Shourie questioned the claim that the Rafales being purchased from France had India-specific upgrades. He cited the India-France joint statement of April 2015 that said the Aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by the IAF. There is nothing India-specific, he said.

On Dassault partnering with Anil Ambani-headed Reliance Defence Limited of India, Shourie asked how Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was overlooked and Ambanis firm allowed despite having zero experience in aero space.

In the evening, Reliance Defence and Aerospace CEO Rajesh K Dhingra said in statement: All 36 aircraft are to be delivered in fly-away condition, to be manufactured in France by Dassault and exported to India, how is the question of experience in making aircraft relevant here.

Shourie questioned the government claims that Dassault and Reliance were free to enter into a partnership. He cited the governments offset guidelines that say all partnerships have to be cleared by the government itself. Offset is the policy under which foreign firms tie up with Indian companies in the military equipment sector.

Allegations reprocessed lies: Jaitley
The body camera footage posted from the officer who appears to have opened fire did not include audio at the time of the shooting. That video showed Granton running across a vacant lot and darting onto a wrought iron fence with one leg raised. As both hands reached for the top of the fence, the officer can be seen raising his gun. The footage then showed Granton fall from the fence, stumble to his left a few feet and then drop to the ground, writhing in pain.
editorial@tribune.com

NEW DELHI: A criminal court in Thailand has ordered repatriation of Munna Jhingra, a close associate of Chhota Shakeel, to India. The case involving Sayyed Muzakkir Muddassar Hussain, alias Munna Jhingra, was on since April 2017 after Pakistan claimed he was its citizen. The court, however, ruled in favour of dossiers submitted by India. Jhingra was behind a 2000 attack on gangster Chhota Rajan in Bangkok. TNS

Date of birth update may need UIDAI office visit

New Delhi: Changes in the date of birth of an Aadhaar holder more than once may entail a visit to the regional office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), says a recent official notification. These changes have come into effect from July 31. PTI

Plea in apex court against WhatsApp payments service

New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre to restrain WhatsApp from proceeding with its payments systems unless it fully complies with provisions of the RBI. The plea filed by organisation Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change said the messaging platform does not comply with provision of mandating Grievance Officer and other laws of India. Almost one million people are "testing" WhatsApp's payments service in India. PTI

Stay on Hardiks jail term

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat HC on Wednesday suspended a lower court's order awarding a two-year jail to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel in a 2015 rioting case. The Visnagar sessions court last week convicted Hardik, Sardar Patel Group convener Lalji Patel and their colleague AK Patel of ransacking the office of then local BJP MLA Rushikesh Patel. OC

HC to monitor Deoria rapes

Lucknow: The Allahabad HC on Wednesday said it would monitor the CBI probe into the sexual abuse at the Deoria shelter home. Taking a stern view of developments, the Division Bench asked the CBI to table all documents and findings by August 13. The court has asked the CBI counsel to take the statements of all the 24 rescued inmates of Deoria shelter home and record the action taken. TNS

Biggest data centre in Maha

Mumbai: Asias biggest data centre is set to open at Sawantwadi in Maharashtras Sindhudurg. Sources said the centre costing Rs 5,000 crore will be set up by a private firm (Streamcloud) belonging to the Streamcast group. The data centre will be linked with another one in Malta. Both data centres will be connected by an undersea cable, said state Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal. TNS
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Chennai, August 8

At least two persons were killed and over 30 injured on Wednesday in a stampede outside the Rajaji Hall here as hundreds of thousands thronged for a final glimpse of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, witnesses said.

"There has been heavy jostling and pushing and pulling in the crowd since morning," one man at the site said, explaining what led to the stampede.

The tragedy occurred shortly after DMK leader and Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin appealed for calm to the milling crowds which were getting restive at not being able to get close to the body.

The funeral procession of late DMK President M Karunanidhi started at 4 pm and he will be laid to rest at Marina near the Anna memorial here, the party said.

A party statement said the procession would begin from Rajaji Hall, where his mortal remains are kept for public homage and proceed through the Sivananda Road and Thanthai Periyar Road to reach Anna Square.

He would be buried adjacent to mausoleum of former Chief Minister and his mentor C N Annadurai on the sands of Marina, it said.

Party supporters and public are requested to stay calm during the procession and pay their respects to the unparallelled leader, it said.

The golden casket in which the mortal remains of Karunanidhi would be laid to rest will have the engraving in Tamil, Oivu edukamal uzhaithavan, idho oivu eduthu kondu irukiran, meaning one who worked hard without taking rest, is resting in peace here.

A division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar passed the order on a petition filed by the DMK at a special hearing, marked by heated arguments by counsels representing the petitioner and the government.

It directed the state government to forthwith provide place for a decent burial of Karunanidhi, who passed away last evening, within the precincts of the burial place of DMK founder C N Annadurai in consonance with the rough sketch submitted by the petitioner.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place...," the bench said after hearing senior counsels.

"The writ petition is allowed with the direction to the respondent authorities to provide a place for decent burial to lay the mortal remains of late Kalaignar M Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, on the Marina beach...," it said in the operative portion of the order.

Considering the exigency involved, the operative portion was released and a detailed order would follow, the bench added.

Tamil Nadu's main opposition party had moved the court last night after the AIADMK government rejected its request for allowing the burial of Karunanidhi on the famed Marina sands alongside his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai, setting off a huge controversy.

After a special sitting that commenced late last night, the court had adjourned the matter at 1.15 am for hearing at 8 am today.

Soon after the court resumed the hearing this morning, all five petitions challenging former chief minister late Jayalalithaa's burial on the Marina on different grounds were dismissed as withdrawn.

These petitions had been cited by the government for denying permission to bury the DMK stalwart on the beach, which also has memorials to former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and his protege Jayalalithaa.

Defending its decision, the state government said the previous DMK government headed by Karunanidhi had turned down a plea for burying late chief minister M G Ramachandran's wife Janaki on ground she was not a sitting chief minister.

It also said former chief ministers such as C R Rajagopalachari, K Kamaraj and M Bhaktavatsalam had been laid to rest at the Gandhi Memorial campus, where the DMK was offered place for Karunanidhi's burial.

The court rejected the government's contention that only those who died while serving as chief ministers had been provided burial place on the Marina as per protocol manual, saying it cannot be a ground for denying the DMK's request.

Noting that Dravidian leaders such as Annadurai had been buried on the sands of Marina, it said there was no need to take a different stand in the present case.- PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 8

Two days after an ASI allegedly tortured six youths at Sanaur, the Patiala police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the ASI and ordered a departmental inquiry against the SHO concerned.

We have registered a case against the ASI for torturing the youths, said SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu. A case has been registered at Sanaur police station, where the youths were tortured.

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader Preneet Kaur met one of the victims in the hospital and asked the administration to ensure exemplary punishment to the guilty cops.

On Tuesday, the Deputy Commissioner had ordered a magisterial probe into the case, even as Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party leaders on Tuesday visited Government Rajindra Hospital to meet the victim.

Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema who met the victim on Tuesday had said his party would raise the issue in the upcoming Assembly session.

Later, AAP MLA Sukhpal Khaira had also met the victim and his family and said he would hold a dharna outside Sanaur police station if the accused were not booked. We will also gherao the SSP in case the police did not take action. The Chief Minister should announce exemplary punishment to such policemen, he said.

Deputy Commissioner Kumar Amit ordered the magisterial probe following a recommendation by the SSP.

On Monday, ASI Narinder Singh, posted at Sanaur police station, was suspended for allegedly torturing a group of local youths. One of the victims was admitted to hospital. The youth and five of his friends were on their way back home on Saturday night on two bikes when they had an altercation with a police team at a naka.

He alleged that the ASI, along with two constables, took them in his Alto car to the Sanaur police station. There, he and other officials subjected us to humiliation and torture. Our clothes were removed and we were told to grope each other, he alleged.

The youth alleged that they were kept in illegal confinement at the police station and beaten up when they asked for water.
editorial@tribune.com

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 8

Three days after Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Narinder Singh, posted at the Sanaur police station, was suspended and a magisterial probe was ordered, the Patiala police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the erring cop.

I have ordered registration of a case against ASI Narinder Singh under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC, said Patiala SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu.

The Patiala SSP has also ordered a departmental probe against the SHO of the Sanaur police station for his negligent role in the whole issue.

The case has been registered, following a preliminary report from Patiala SP, city, Kesar Singh. The case will now be probed in detail by DSP (rural) Gurdev Singh Dhaliwal, he added.

Besides, Sanaur SHO Gurinder Singh Bal would face a departmental probe for laxity in handling his police station and inefficiency to handle his staff. We will wait for the magisterial probe which was ordered by the Deputy Commissioner. If the findings of that report point towards laxity, we will add that in the FIR, the SSP said, adding that indiscipline in the force would not be tolerated.

Earlier, Congress leader and former union minister of state Preneet Kaur also met the victim, who is admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital. She said she was satisfied with the police action in this case.

The hospitalised youth (name withheld) and his five friends were on their way back home late on Saturday night on two bikes when they had an altercation with a police team at a naka.

He alleged that the ASI, along with two constables, took them in his Alto car to the Sanaur police station. There, he and other officials subjected us to humiliation and torture. Our clothes were removed and we were told to grope each other, he added.

The youth alleged that they were kept in illegal confinement in the police station and beaten up when they asked for water.

SGPC forms probe panel
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 8

Even though the administration and the police across the Doaba region have geared themselves up ahead of the nationwide bandh call by Dalit organisations for Thursday, no political party, including the Bahujan Samaj Party, has announced any plan to hold a protest.

The police, however, are taking all precautions as a protest over the issue of dilution of the SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court on March 20 had led to violent incidents on April 2.

Unlike the earlier bandh, which was supported by the ruling Congress government in the state, SC leaders of the Akali Dal and BSP among other Dalit bodies, not even a single memorandum regarding plans of any demonstration or closures has been received by the police and civil authorities this time.

Akali MLA Pawan Tinu, who openly supported the protesting community leaders last time, said, The Lok Sabha has now passed The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill-2018 to subvert the SC order regarding safeguards against arrest under the law. So, there is no point of supporting the protest this time.

Bahujan Samaj Party state chief Rachhpal Raju said the party was not organising any demonstration on Thursday.

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Parveen Sinha said, Since we do not have any prior information from any organisation regarding bandh, we will not allow any forcible closures tomorrow. In any case, we have talked to many local Dalit groups and leaders, but none has confirmed taking out any protest march.
editorial@tribune.com

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 8

The Indian government has managed to ensure provisional arrest of Nabha jailbreak mastermind Ramanjit Singh Romi (29) in Hong Kong, where he is based. He is wanted by Interpol for his alleged role in terrorist activities and targeted killings in Punjab.

Sources say Romis interrogation is also needed in context of Referendum 2020 for his alleged links with some of the campaigners. He had fled India in 2016, after he managed to get bail in an Arms Act case by allegedly bribing a DSP and an SHO in Nabha.

Indian security agencies recently established a link between referendum campaigners, radicals in Germany, UK and Canada, some gangsters operating in Punjab and the ISI by tracking online activities of the prime proponents of the movement. We believe Romi fits in this bracket as he is closely linked with the ISI, some radical elements and gangsters, said a top official.

The Indian authorities will have to submit their documents substantiating their extradition request before August 17 with the case scheduled for hearing on August 23 in Hong Kong. The authorities had requested for his provisional arrest a couple of months ago to protect the security and integrity of the state from terrorist activities planned by him.

As per the state police, Romi was in touch with UK national Jagtar Singh Johal, alias Jaggi, one of the key conspirators in the targeted killings in Punjab. The two were in touch through Harmeet Singh, alias PHD, a KLF terrorist based in Pakistan.

Paramjit Singh Pamma, involved in bomb explosions and the murder of Rulda Singh, is also involved in 2020 campaign, while Romi was in touch with Johal, said a top official.

Romi was charged with a HK$32.6-million robbery in Hong Kong in February, but the prosecutors withdrew the charges recently, paving way for his extradition to India. The state police have prepared a 1,200-page dossier to ensure that they get Romis custody.

Sources say the charges were dropped following request from Indian authorities. A team comprising senior intelligence officials from Punjab and Central agencies had also visited Hong Kong to press for early extradition, they said.

Romi, it is believed, was the point man for coordination between state gangsters and terrorists. After gangsters Vicky Gounder and Prema Lahoria were killed in an encounter, Punjab DGP Suresh Arora had said Romi had helped Gounder procure an assault rifle and that he had masterminded the Nabha jailbreak by funding gangsters in Punjab.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7

Punjab Congress President and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar today attacked the Government in Lok Sabha for seeking personal details of petrol pump staff from all dealers and stalling supplies in the event of refusals.

Citing a recent expose by The Tribune on how oil companies had written to petrol dealers seeking details of their staff, Jakhar said, This is a fine example of a cash for vote scam because the oil companies are promising a certificate from the Centre plus Rs 500 per person whose details are received. The payment of money will be timed with Lok Sabha elections. This is cash for votes.

Jakhar was speaking during the Zero Hour and demanded urgent response of the Petroleum Minister on the matter.

He quoted The Tribune to say the dealers who had refused to comply with oil companies diktat were being punished with stalled supplies.

The dealers, Jakhar told the LS, were being asked to send caste, religion and constituency details of staffers.

Why is this necessary, the Congress leader asked.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Moga, August 8

In Moga where drugs have destroyed hundreds of lives, torn families apart and ruined the future of countless youth, many village panchayats have recently joined hands against drug mafias active in the region for long. Women too are coming forward to end the menace.

The panchayat of Bhinder Kalan, once known for easy availability of drugs, took out an awareness march against drugs on the village streets on Tuesday. They pasted posters of Loko jaago, nashaa tiago on the village streets.

Harinder Singh, a resident of Bhinder Kalan village, said: We will not only help drug addicts to get treatment but also help the police in nabbing smugglers, he said.

For years we have been telling the local police to take steps against the illegal sale of drugs, but to no avail. Now, the problem of drugs has multiplied manifolds. The time has come to take initiative on our own. We have passed a resolution in the panchayat to boycott addicts and help the police in nabbing smugglers, he added.

The move came after Moga SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor launched a drive against drugs a few weeks ago. I am happy that a lot of villages in the district have voluntarily come forward to help the police in nabbing peddlers, he said.

We are trying to motivate women and youth to fight the menace in the district, he added.

Govt to educate chemists on drug laws

Chandigarh: A meeting of drugs regulatory officers of the state was held under the Chairmanship of KS Pannu, Commissioner, Food & Drugs Administration, wherein the officers were directed to conduct meetings with the chemist associations of their district and educate them on the prevailing drugs laws and maintenance of records pertaining to schedule H1 drugs. The officers were also directed to keep a vigilant eye on the movement of sub-standard and spurious drugs. They were advised to ensure the presence of qualified person/registered pharmacist in the retail sale shops so that the prescription drugs shall be sold under the supervision. TNS
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Islamabad, August 8

For the first time, Pakistani soldiers will undergo training at Russian military institutes after the two countries signed an agreement related to it, in a sign of further strengthening their defence ties amid Islamabads increasingly uneasy relations with the United States.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC), the highest forum of their defence collaboration, according to Pakistans defence ministry.

Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RFs (Russian Federation) Training Institutes, the ministry said.

The Russian side was led by Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen. Alexander V Fomin who visited Pakistan from August 67 to attend the first session of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC). Lt. Gen (retd) Zamir ul Hassan Shah, Secretary Defence, led the Pakistani delegation during the JMCC meeting.

The two sides discussed the present status of their defence relations with the aim to further strengthen, expand and diversify mutual cooperation.

During the inaugural session of the JMCC, both sides exchanged views on bilateral and major international issues including situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the ministry said. A comprehensive issue based review was also carried out during which the two countries expressed satisfaction on the milestones achieved since the signing of ground breaking Agreement on Defence Cooperation in 2014. The two sides also held in depth discussions on avenues of future cooperation, the defence ministry said.

Col Gen Fomin also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs.  PTI

Moving past bitter Cold War hostilities

n Pakistans defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China

n Defence and political analyst Dr Syed Farooq Hasnat said the agreement was an evident that Pakistan has come out of the US bloc. Pakistan has shown eagerness to build military-to-military ties with Russia in recent years

n Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed Friendship
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, August 8

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it would impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports of 279 items from China amounting to USD 16 billion.

This is the second tranche of such tariffs and comes into effect on August 23.

Washington had already imposed tariffs on USD 34 billion on July 6 but held off on a final USD 16 billion in goods as a result of concerns from US companies.

This is part of the US response to Chinas unfair trade practices related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said.

After coming to power, the Trump administration has initiated steps to address the issue of massive balance of trade with China and to the alleged Chinese theft of intellectual property.

In March 2018, the USTR had released the findings of its exhaustive Section 301 investigation that found Chinas acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce.

The investigation had revealed that China uses joint venture requirements, foreign investment restrictions, and administrative review and licensing processes to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies and it deprives US companies of the ability to set market-based terms in licensing and other technology-related negotiations.

It also found that China directs and unfairly facilitates the systematic investment in, and acquisition of, US companies and assets to generate large-scale technology transfer.

The USTR claimed that China conducts and supports cyber intrusions into US commercial computer networks to gain unauthorized access to commercially valuable business information.

The worlds two biggest economies are locked in a trade dispute.

But there seems no solution at sight as the Trump administration prepares for tariffs of up to 25 per cent on an additional USD 200 billion in Chinese products. PTI
He has been promoting these hateful views for decades but his reach has been small and voters have rejected him time and time again when he's appeared on the ballot, Lipinski said. I am hopeful he will not be able to use his current run to reach a much bigger audience for his hate."
The National Investment Fund Holding Company (NIF) Ltd made its sixth coupon payment of $112.2 million to bond holders on August 9 on the three series of its $4 billion bond, the company has announced.

This brought total interest distribution to $673.2 million.

The seventh coupon payment is scheduled for February 9, 2022, NIF said in a statement.
Prastaavofferings of prayer, musical upliftment and renewed hope during one of the darkest times in this countrys history.

Thats the positive energy emanating from the National Council of Indian Cultures (NCIC) 2021 Divali Nagar, in Chaguanas, this Festival of Lights, says organiser George Singh.
The vaccine hesitancy hotline is up and running and has already received around 100 calls from people seeking information about the Covid-19 vaccine.

Among the concerns being raised by callers are fears about the safety and side effects of the vaccines.

This was confirmed by president of the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago (DATT) Andrew Dhanoo.
Not quite two weeks ago, Jamaica was shaken by a bizarre ritual at the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Montego Bay.

The congregation was summoned by His Excellency Dr Kevin Smith, Crown Bishop and End Time Nabi. An Ark was about to load the souls of his flock. They were to wear white, and leave cellphones at home.
"How long does it take to drive from Kingston airport to Negril?"

Under the best of driving conditions it will take about 4 hr. 30 min. one way. For the trip you need to drive east from the airport and then make a U turn to enter Kingston from the extreme south east corner of the city. You then need to drive across Kingston, Jamaica's largest city, before reaching the countryside. The travel time could be higher based on exactly when you land and if you would thus cross Kingston during 'rush hour'.

Look for the one way transfer cost from Norman Manley Airport to Negril to be in the $us275, one way, range for a group of 1 to 4 people.

Edited: 3 years ago
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I want somebody that can hit the ground running with a campaign ready to go, somebody that is fairly well known in the area, someone that has got a relationship with people in the district so that they have a good idea as to the type of representation the voters deserve in that particular area, Shaw said.
Greetings! I am trying to put together a first (but not only) trip to Australia for myself and my husband during this coming March (21st-April 1st-ish). Unfortunately I can't take any more time off of work so I'm limited to about 10-12 nights on the ground (not including our international travel days to and from the US.

It is extremely difficult to narrow down where to go for our first visit, but taking the weather into consideration it looks like it would be best to stay in the southern region, as much as I would love to spend a few days around the GBR. I'm guessing that is best left for a future trip when I can take time off in June or July.

Anyways, we will probably plan on 3-4 nights in Sydney, plus I'm mainly interested in wildlife/scenery so Kangaroo Island caught my interest, particularly staying at the Southern Ocean Lodge for 3 nights or so. Other than that, where would be another spot for a home base for 3-4 more days? We are not as interested in self-dive road trips and stopping every day, more interested in picking one spot then possibly doing some private tour/day trips from there. Saffire Freycinet looks amazing then maybe doing a night or two in Hobart, but not sure how all of the flights would work out with that combination of locations, seems like a lot of jumping around. We don't mind flying, but also don't want to waste full days or extra overnights for traveling. If anyone has suggestions for alternatives to Kangaroo Island, or possible tropical/beach resorts that wouldn't be stuck in the cyclone/stinger zone for March I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much in advance!
Hi ikedeb and welcome to the Perth forum. Sounds like a great trip youre planning. Both locations are great choices, heres my take on both:

Fremantle - you mention at the end of your post which area of Fremantle - anywhere near the city centre and South Fremantle as there are two free Central Area Transit buses (CAT buses) that service these areas and you can hop on and hop off fairly easily.

Fremantle has many and varied attractions to explore and excellent evening dining options on and surrounding the main strip of South Terrace. Staying in Fremantle certainly would cover all the things you require and those wanting to take a wine tour could make a day trip to Swan Valley on a tour or self drive there.

You also have the option of leaving your car at your rental and taking an easy 30 minute train trip to Perth if you want to see the attractions in and around the city.

Scarborough - the recent redevelopment of the foreshore area has seen a revitalisation of the beachfront central area and seen new venues pop up.

If your accommodation is near the beach, heading out for a morning stroll and/or swim is a lovely way to start the day at Scarborough or nearby Trigg.

If you want to head to Rottnest Island, theres a ferry service that departs from Hillarys Boat Harbour which is about a 10 minute drive away from Scarborough. Hillarys and the associated Sorrento Quay boardwalk is a great entertainment and dining precinct to visit plus AQWA is located there too.

Swan Valley is slightly closer from Scarborough as you are already north of the city. If you want to take a break from the car though and take public transport, theres only a bus service which takes 45 minutes to get to Perth.
Hi, I am hoping to get some help/ideas on what to do on Christmas Day.

Being English I love a good turkey dinner, however I am aware this is more for Thanksgiving are there any restaurants that will also serve one on Christmas Day?? If not can anyone recommend a nice restaurant? of somewhere I can get a decent burger :)

Finally are all the shops open Christmas day with the exception of Macy's and Bloomingdales?

Thank you in advance for your help
Hi there!

I have four itinerary plan choices for my travel in March.

Compress Gala Yuzawa and Fuji-Q Highland in one day, sacrifice either Hakone or Fuji-Q Highland, or compress Hakone and Fuji-Q Highland in one day? I cannot sacrifice the Gala Yuzawa because that will be my first time to ski in a snow resort and I want to do that on my birthday.

Due to lack of time and lack of holiday extension from work, I need to choose between them.

I only have one day for either the two (Gala Yuzawa+Fuji-Q in 1 day ; Hakone+Fuji-Q in 1 day ; Gala Yuzawa+Hakone in two separate days ; Gala Yuzawa+Fuji-Q in two separate days).

Which is more uncertain in March?

Both have views of Mount Fuji though (except GY).

I like thrill rides so much but at the same time there are more Japanese things to do and visit in Hakone which I like so much as well.

Both costs around 4000-5000 yen (Hakone Pass or Fuji-Q Full day pass)

Which is more worth visiting in spring (March 29)?

Im aware that the only similarities of the two is the view of Mt. Fuji.

I need your votes. If Hakone wins, Ill just take thrilly rollercoasters in Tokyo (like the Thunder Dolphin rollercoaster). Can you suggest the best thrilly rollercoaster in within Tokyo Metro (including Odaiba, Yokohama, etc.) as long as it is only an hour by train?

If Fuji-Q Highland wins, how long are the lines or waiting time for rides during last week of March? Is the weather usually good for the rides during this week? What are their opening hours in this date?

Or alternatively, can I do them both in one day? Ill visit Hakone from 10am-1pm then head to Fuji-Q Highlands and arrive there at 4:30 pm. If the theme park closes at 9pm during my travel date, I think 5 hours must be enough to ride the thrillest rides there if the lines are not insanely long. I know this is a bit crazy but I dont have time enough more extensions so its either I miss one of them or compress them both in a day to both have a taste on them.

In regards to Gala Yuzawa, is 5 hours enough for it (8am-1pm)? Then Ill travel back to Tokyo and head to Fuji-Q Highland from 1 pm to 3:30 pm. And then 3:30 or 4 pm to 9 pm in Fuji-Q Highland (if it closes at 9 pm in my travel date).

What do you vote for my situation?

1. Sacrifice Fuji-Q Highland

2. Sacrifice Hakone

3. Combine Gala Yuzawa and Fuji-Q Highland in one day

4. Combine Hakone and Fuji-Q highland in one day

Please help me arrange my itinerary. Ill wait for your votes.

Cheers!
Yes it's a good location.

Penn station is across the road, you can get the train from JFK to here (you change trains in Jamaica station).

Macys is 5 mins walk. The high line is 10 mins. Times square is 10 mins.

We always stay here because we have points for the hotel. The rooms are ok. Suite is great for extra space.

Tick Tock diner is right next door and Lucy's is across the street. It's a bar with great mojitos!

It's a very good central location with easy access to subway.
- County leadership says it is not privy to the said visit and termed it as mere 'rumuor'

- President Uhuru last visited Kisumu in April 2017 before the August general election

- The residents were expecting him to visit the county for the first time after his second re-election

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyongo on Tuesday, August 7 dismissed viral reports that President Uhuru Kenyatta was set to visit the lakeside County.

Reports on the Presidents visit had triggered anxiety in a section of the residents as some had already prepared unique ways to welcome him and also special petitions to forward to him.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens.

READ ALSO: Kutana na mwanamke Mkenya aliyekiri kushiriki ngono na wanaume 5,000

Word was doing rounds in social media that President Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga were set to visit Kisumu soon. Photo: President Uhuru.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Uhuru set for first Nyanza tour with Raila since his re-election

In a statement from Nyongo's communication unit seen by TUKO.co.ke, the County leadership rubbished the reports stating that they were not privy to the said visit.

The preparation of Kisumu County Universal Health Coverage registration activation has been surrounded by continuous rumuors circulating in the media to the effect that HE President Uhuru Kenyatta would be gracing the occasion. The Office of the Governor has neither been informed nor made aware of any such developments and requests that such rumours should desist forthwith, reads the statement.

READ ALSO: Video: President Uhuru Kenyatta booed in Kisumu

Earlier in the day, sources intimated to TUKO.co.ke that police were diverting traffic away from the State House in Kisumu, a development which probably heightened the excitement.

An earlier report indicated that, while addressing residents in Kisumu, Devolution Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eugine Wamalwa hinted that the President was set to visit the lakeside city flanked by Opposition Chief Raila Odinga.

READ ALSO: Kisumu county residents cannot simply wait for the KSh 15 billion Kenya Breweries plant

However, CS Wamalwa did not disclose the exact date of the said visit but maintained the duos visit would be as a result of their handshake.

Among the petitions which local residents had envisaged to present to the President was to have families of people who lost their lives during the protracted August 2017 election compensated.

The residents, however, vowed to bury the hatched and support the president in cementing the base of the Big Four Agenda.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact - On Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko
Well ladies, former nominated senator Daisy Nyongesa has some nice tips on how you can spice up your love life.

In her Facebook post seen by TUKO.co.ke on Wednesday, August 8, the former ODM nominated senator advised women to clean themselves before their husband get home and welcome them home nicely.

Send News' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Mjukuu wa rais mstaafu Daniel Moi awazuzua wasichana mtandaoni

Former senator gives Kenyan women tips on how to make bedroom moments enjoyable. Photo: Facebook / Hon Daisy Nyongesa

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Drunk man captured being beaten by a woman denies having KSh 200 beer debt

"Finally the fish took the bail. A woman is supposed to be clean, even her nails well manicured. When her husband comes back home, she must take his shoes off," said Nyongesa.

Daisy advised women to massage their husbands and treat them nicely before they get to the love making session.

"The bed must be fragranced and she should massage him. Then start being a scientist and break the waist (kutegua kiuno)," she added.

READ ALSO: Wema Sepetu denies claims she had plastic surgery to reshape her waist

Contrary to many people's norm of switching off the lights when eating the forbidden fruit, Nyongesa advised you should instead light some candles for your husband to see the curvaceous waist.

"Switching the light off is not making love. At least turn the candle on so that the husband can see the waist chain... tatoo....and enjoy the music," she said.

Try this and let us know how successful it is.

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

Try Not to Laugh Kenya Challenge Episode 3 at Tuko Sports | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- The soldiers died after their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive

- The officers were part of the Operation Linda Boni Forest

- Over 100 security agents have been killed through improvised explosives in the last three years

At least five soldiers were killed and six others injured in a Wednesday, August 8, attack suspected to be caused by al-Shabaab militia at Bodhei area, Boni Forest in Lamu County.

The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officers were on a routine security patrol when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive devise (IED).

Send News' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Mjukuu wa rais mstaafu Daniel Moi awazuzua wasichana mtandaoni

5 KDF soldiers killed, 6 injured in suspected al-Shabaab attack in Lamu. Photo: Citizen Digital

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: KDF soldiers killed in IED attack near Kenyan border

Witnesses said the officers were moving from Baragoni towards Bodhei when their vehicle was extensively damaged by the explosive.

The officers are part of the Operation Linda Boni Forest with the focus to flush out al-Shabaab militia from the forest.

A multi-agency team has since been deployed in the area to hunt down the militants behind the attack.

READ ALSO: KDF soldiers killed in Somalia - photos and recent news

The attack came days after honey harvesters in Boni forest reported to have seen over 200 militias in the forest causing fear among the villagers of Pandanguo, in Lamu who live next to the forest.

In the past three years, over 100 security agents have been killed through IEDs in Lamu, Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties.

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Try Not to Laugh Kenya Challenge Episode 3 at Tuko Sports | Tuko TV

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The Massachusetts law makes it unlawful for an employer to seek a job candidates compensation history, including pay and benefits, unless it is a matter of public record or the applicant is a current employee applying for another position within the company. But it also allows employers to seek pay history after they have offered a candidate the job and salary. That could allow employers to increase an offer to make it more appealing, or could reduce an employees raise or bonus down the road if it is revealed he or she was earning much less before.
- At least 50 camels are being trained to undertake patrols

- The move is aimed at reducing deaths of police officers targeted with IEDs

- They will be used to patrol parts of North eastern and areas where cattle rustling is rife

Police in terrorist hotspots in northern Kenya have come up with an uncanny way of dealing with militia.

A new police unit was announced on Wednesday, August 8, and it is understood the police will be using camels to patrol border lines.

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READ ALSO: Nduguye Rais Uhuru, Muhoho Kenyatta, afichua siri iliyomfanya kuwa bilionea

Police training camels to be used in fighting al-Shabaab on Kenya-Somali border

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: 30 Judiciary staff charged, 4 sacked over theft of millions

About 50 camels are being trained to be effective enough to be used by the pioneer camel patrol unit under the Border Patrol Unit of the Administration Police Service.

The improvisation became necessary after it emerged that terror attacks had become prevalent in far-flung areas with security personnel being the biggest casualties.

READ ALSO: Police shoot dead drunk man in Kakamega during raid on illicit brews

Use of improvised explosive devices which are mostly planted on the ground also made it necessary for officers to devise new ways of patrolling terrorist hotspots.

Since 2016, up to 70 officers have lost their lives as a result of the explosives.

The trained camels will also go a long way in aiding the patrolling of the North Eastern region which is prone to cattle rustling.

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Kenya News Latest: Kenya Marks 20th Anniversary of Embassy Bombing | Tuko TV:

Source: Kenyan Breaking News
- Musalia said patriotism does not mean one should not oppose the government

- He insisted the Amani National Congress was committed to its Opposition role

- Musalia indicated he was ready to work with Uhuru on matters that will improve the welfare of Kenyans

Amani National Congress (ANC) leader and National Super Alliance co-principal Musalia Mudavadi has assured Kenyans the Opposition is intact and vibrant even without violence.

Mudavadi explained the lack of acrimony does not means there is no Opposition and maintained the ANC was part of it.

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READ ALSO: Nyota wa Machachari - Almasi - amejiunga na illuminati? Hebu tazama picha hizi

Musalia dismissed those who belief that one is only patriotic to their country when they do not oppose the government. Photo: UGC

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Mudavadi dismisses Wetang'ula's claims that NASA is dead

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, August 8, he said one does not become a patriot by only supporting the government, adding that by being in the Opposition, he was also a patriot .

"When those who employ violence are no longer active, its wrong to conclude that there is no Opposition. Some people think that if you are in Opposition you are not patriotic. That is wrong and in fact if you kill the Opposition you are the one not patriotic, " said Musalia.

The ANC leader castigated those who keep doubting his role.

READ ALSO: Coast MPs heckled, jeered for campaigning for DP Ruto at Mudavadis event

Since the handshake between Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, many have questioned the role of the Opposition.

On Tuesday, August 7, Musalia said he shall engage the government on issues that are pertinent to the welfare of Kenyans but will remain committed to the Opposition role.

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- Majuto died while receiving treatment at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania

- Earlier reports suggested he was suffering from a hernia

- He died at around 8pm while doctors tried to save his life

Celebrated Tanzanian actor Amri Athuman aka Mzee Majuto has died while receiving treatment at Tanzanias Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam.

The veteran actor was reported to be suffering from a hernia and had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to his deteriorating condition.

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READ ALSO: Nduguye Rais Uhuru, Muhoho Kenyatta, afichua siri iliyomfanya kuwa bilionea

READ ALSO: Diamond Platnumz's fans react to bittersweet birthday message he sent to Hamisa's son

TUKO.co.ke understands his health took a turn for the worst on Wednesday, August 8, at around 7.30pm.

Doctors tried to intervene but at 8pm, he gave up the fight and breathed his last.

READ ALSO: Wema Sepetu denies claims she had plastic surgery to reshape her waist

Various celebrities locally and internationally took to social media to pass their condolences to the family of the fallen legend.

Diamond Platnumz termed Majuto as a king whose memory would be etched in peoples minds for eternity.

Wema Sepetu could not help but reveal how she looked up to the celebrated thespian and always wanted to act besides him.

I wished to work with you my dear father but it was not in Gods plans. Rest my dear father, Wema wrote.

Popularly known as the king of comedy in Tanzania, Majutos health was reported to have taken a turn for the worst in 2018.

The late actor was flown to India to receive specialised treatment in April 2018 after being sick since 2017.

Earlier reports indicate he arrived from India in July 2018 after Tanzanian President John Pombe Maghufuli together with the actor's fans came together to settle his bill.

At some point, people speculated he had kicked the bucket but the rumours were later quashed.

Majuto who was born in 1948 and is known for his roles in movies such as Kondakta, Mama Nitilie Movie and King Majuto Returns Home among many others.

He launched his career in 1958 while he was still nine-years old.

Before his death he had forgiven his promoters and producers who conned him off millions thus making him live a life of a beggar.

He said they could keep all the money they owed him.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a National Rifle Association event in Dallas, Texsa on May 4, 2018. (Daniel Acker / Bloomberg)
President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, officiates at the swearing-in of Judge Britt Grant to take a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Aug. 7, 2018, in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)
As October, Breast Cancer Awareness month is almost at an end, ladies, it's no reason to be less vigilant.

Prevention and early detection are vital when it comes to surviving the disease.
By Jeff Murphy, August 7, 2018

WARRENSBURG, MO  The Friendship Families program, part of Campus Community Health at the University of Central Missouri, is seeking local families and individuals to participate in the program that provides local connections for international students at UCM.



The Friendship Families program offers international students a relationship with a local family that eases the challenges of living so far from home. Students participating in the program learn about American and Midwestern culture, connect socially with the community in which they are living, and become part of a family relationship that often extends beyond their years of study at UCM.



Were looking for at least 30 families to match with students this fall, said Suzy Latare, program coordinator. Weve found that the opportunity to spend time with a family often helps students with things like language proficiency and understanding the differences between their home cultures and American culture. Friendship families also benefit from the relationships, learning about different cultures and sharing that knowledge with several generations of their families.



After submitting an application, community members interested in becoming part of the Friendship Families program are matched with a student and will attend a Meet and Greet event in late August, where families and students will meet, hear an overview of the program and complete necessary paperwork. Families and students are encouraged to meet at least once per month, but may meet more often, depending on schedules and opportunity. Families are encouraged to share holidays and family events, and students are encouraged the share their cultures and join their families for special occasions.



The deadline to apply to participate in the program is Aug. 19. Families may apply online and obtain more information contacting Latare at 660-543-8947 or latare@ucmo.edu.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Qatar Yevhen Mykytenko in the city of Doha on August 7 held a meeting with Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy reports.

The parties reviewed bilateral cooperation in the energy sphere, particularly possibilities of supplying of hydrocarbons to Ukraine," reads the report.

The Ambassador invited representatives of Qatar Petroleum to take part in the XVI International Forum "Fuel and Energy Complex of Ukraine: Present and Future", which will be held in Kyiv from November 6 to 8.

Hydrocarbon raw materials are oil, natural gas (including oil, associated gas), gas condensate, which are marketable.

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In the first half of 2018, Ukrainian farmers exported more than 1.4 million tonnes of soybean in the amount of USD 566 million.

This was reported by the press service of the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agricultural Economics" with reference to Deputy Director Mykola Puhachov.

"According to him, soybean remains the main export commodity of this group [oilseeds]. In the first half of 2018, over 1.4 million tonnes of soybean worth USD 566 million were exported  this was almost 87% of the export of oilseeds," the report reads.

He noted that the export value of 128 thousand tonnes of rape seeds was USD 56 million, and the export value of 18 thousand tonnes of sunflower seeds - USD 9 million.

In January-June 2018, Ukraine exported oilseeds amounting to USD 651 million, which was 6.7% less than in the same period of last year.

Turkey took the leading position in the rating of the largest importers of domestic oilseeds this year. In January-June 2018, this country purchased 423 thousand tonnes of Ukrainian oilseeds worth USD 165 million, including 421 thousand tonnes of soybeans worth USD 163 million.

The purchases of oilseeds were also carried out by Iran (11.0%), Belarus (10.5%), Egypt (7.2%), Italy (7.1%), Lebanon (6.1%), the Netherlands (5.7%), Greece (4.4%), Poland (4.2%) and Germany (4.0%).

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The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has urged international partners to intensify pressure on Russia to release illegally imprisoned Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov as his health condition deteriorates.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mariana Betsa wrote this on Twitter.

""End is near". Oleg Sentsov's health rapidly deteriorates. Urge our partners exert more pressure on Russia to #SaveOlegSentsov and release him," Betsa wrote.

As Ukrinform reported, Sentsov's sister Natalia Kaplan received a letter from him, in which he wrote that he was "almost not getting up" and "the end is near, and it's not about release."

Sentsov, who was illegally sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony, on May 14, 2018 declared a hunger strike demanding the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin. On May 28, Sentsov agreed to supportive therapy.

On August 7, his lawyer Dmitry Dinze said that Sentsov's health condition had deteriorated.

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Russia is constantly hindering the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has said.

"Russia and its forces routinely block OSCE SMM in violation of its commitments," Volker wrote on Twitter on August 7.

He added that Russia does not want the world to see that it has created a humanitarian, economic and ecological disaster in Donbas.

Volker also retweeted an OSCE SMM post: "OSCE SMM monitors have been once again stopped at the entrance to non-government-controlled Novoazovsk. In the past month, our freedom of movement has been hindered around 40 times in southern parts of non-govt-controlled areas of Donetsk region."

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A U.S. Border Patrol truck enters the Port Isabel Detention Center, which holds detainees of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in Los Fresnos, Texas. (David J. Phillip / AP)
Kyiv has condemned the provocative actions of pro-Putin journalist Graham Phillips at the Georgian Embassy in London and urged Britain to punish the journalist for all his actions, including terror in eastern Ukraine, according to the Twitter page of the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK.

"We condemn a brutal, immoral attack of Russian propagandist Graham Phillips against Georgia's Embassy in London. We hope that UK police will conduct investigation of this attack as well as his terrorist activity in eastern Ukraine based on materials we sent to the Foreign Office," reads the statement.

Georgia's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Tamar Beruchashvili wrote on Twitter that on August 7, scandalous journalist Graham Phillips he broke into the building of the Georgian Embassy in London during an exhibition on the Russian-Georgian war of 2008.

"We strongly condemn this provocative attack on Georgia's Embassy in London that directly violates inviolability of the Embassy protected under Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and expect that UK police will take all necessary actions to conduct a timely investigation," the ambassador wrote.

As reported, Graham Phillips is a British journalist whose materials became published during the EuroMaidan and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. He worked in Ukraine for Russian TV channels Russia Today and Zvezda. In particular, he is known for his propaganda videos in support of pro-Russian militants in Donbass. In 2014, the Ukrainian authorities detained him, but, at the insistence of the British embassy, he was freed.

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The presidential administration says proposals for cooperation came among others, however, they were not even considered.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's press service says there has never been any cooperation with controversial political consultant from the United States Paul Manafort.

"Petro Poroshenko's team has never cooperated with either Paul Manafort or his people. Proposals for cooperation came among others, however, they were not even considered," the presidential administration said, BBC News Russian reported.

This was the administration's comment on a statement by Manafort's ex-business partner Rick Gates, who testified in a U.S.-based federal court that their company, Davis Manafort Partners, Inc. (DMP), assisted Poroshenko in 2014.

"Gates said the last campaign he and Manafort worked in Ukraine was for the October Parliamentary election on behalf of the Opposition Bloc. DMP assisted Petro Poroshenko, and they were not paid in full," NBC News said on August 7.
Canada has been one of the nations most vocal in its condemnation of Russias actions in Donbas.

A deal that will put Canadian-made sniper rifles in the hands of Ukraines military will likely see the weapons delivered in time for any new outbreak of fighting with Russian-backed forces this fall, according to the Canadian Conservative Partys defense critic.

Few details are available about the proposed sale of weapons, as the Canadian government says such information is commercially sensitive. It has declined to name the company selling the guns or indicate how many rifles would be sent to Ukraine, according to the Province.

However, Conservative MP James Bezan, who has been in contact with the Canadian company that has the agreement to supply the rifles to Ukraine, confirmed the deals likely timeline. He declined to name the firm since the sale still has to be finalized.

Nicolas Moquin, a spokesman for the Canadian Joint Operations Command Headquarters, said the Canadian military has been providing sniper and counter-sniper training to Ukraines security forces since September 2015. He said Canada is not looking at this time of providing additional sniper training to coincide with the delivery of new weapons.

The current training Canada is providing is mainly on application of doctrine and tactics and is not dependent on the specific type of weapons used by Ukrainian security forces, he added.

Read alsoAnnexation of Crimea breaches international law  Canada's government

Canada has been one of the nations most vocal in its condemnation of Russias actions in Donbas. Besides military training, it has provided Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment and has committed more than $700 million in financial, development, humanitarian and other assistance to Ukraine.

While foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland has yet to sign off on the export permit for the rifles, Bezan said he anticipates she will do so as she is a strong supporter of Ukraine.

If everything goes according to plan I would expect Freeland to sign off sometime this month, he said. I think the goal is to have (rifles) in their hands by the time of any fall-winter offensive in Donbass.

If everything goes according to plan I would expect Freeland to sign off sometime this month

In December, the House of Commons defense committee recommended the Canadian government provide lethal weapons to Ukraine provided it demonstrates it is actively working to eliminate corruption at all levels of government.

Senior officials from Ukraines ministry of defense had told members of the House of Commons defense committee last year they would welcome arms from Canada, including anti-tank weapons. They also told the committee that the Ukrainian militarys sniper equipment is obsolete and needs to be replaced.
Ukraine is trying a raft of tactics to respond to Russia's maneuvering.

While Kyiv is negotiating with European and U.S. partners to punish Russia's Black Sea ports over Moscow's recent aggressive moves in the Sea of Azov, according to Omelyan, the country's infrastructure minister, it remains unclear how persuasive the authorities have been when so much of the West is grappling with its own problems.

Activists are also trying their hand at attracting international help, RFE/RL reports.

Halyna Odnoroh, a co-founder of the Mariupol Social Movement, a local non-governmental organization focused on issues related to the Sea of Azov, said activists had sent a letter to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) -- a group of international observers tracking the fighting on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine -- asking them to expand their mandate to the sea "to monitor and record violations."

Read alsoAzov Sea could become Russian, and NATO won't help  British expert

It is unclear whether the OSCE SMM is considering the proposal. The OSCE SMM did not respond to RFE/RL requests for comment.

Ukraine is taking measured military actions along the Sea of Azov shore after President Petro Poroshenko warned on July 16 that Russia was building up forces and weapons in the Black and Azov seas. He said he did not exclude the possibility that the Kremlin might prepare for an all-out attack on Mariupol.

The next day, Poroshenko ordered top military officers to take measures in connection with the ship detentions and inspections, including possibly providing escorts through the sea.

In a show of force, the Ukrainian military conducted two-day helicopter shooting drills over the Sea of Azov in late July.

"The Joint Forces are paying considerable attention to the defense of the Azov coast to prevent the landing of enemy amphibious assault troops," said Commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Nayev. "All units that are involved in the defense of the sea coast shall conduct regular training to boost the readiness to repel an attack."

Read alsoFlexing muscles: Why Russia is tightening grip over the Sea of Azov

But there seems to have been little done to boost defenses on the sea itself.

Ukraine has no naval presence in the Azov, said Poliakov, the Ukrainian Sea Guard spokesman, who was tight-lipped about the number of boats available to protect the waters. The country lost as much as 80 percent of its naval fleet when Russia annexed Crimea and took Ukraine's ships with it.

Oleh Slobodyan, the border guards' spokesman, said in July that Ukraine had as many as 70 boats patrolling in both the Black and Azov seas.

"Our boats, of course, are inferior in their combat power to those boats of the Russian Federation," he added.

Oleksiy Melnyk, the political and security analyst, said Ukraine is in an impossible position.

"International law doesn't work there," he said. "Ukraine should apply to international courts. But it takes a long time, and, as we've seen already, it doesn't help much against Russia."
Significant attention was paid to the issue of the release of the Ukrainian hostages and political prisoners kept in Russia and in the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The parties commended approaches to further counteraction to Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, taking into account recent contacts between the two heads of state, according to the presidential press service.

Poroshenko thanked Pompeo for the historic declaration of non-recognition of the attempt by the Russian aggressor to annex Ukrainian Crimea. In this regard, the parties stressed the priority of switching from the policy of non-recognition of the annexation to the policy of de-occupation of Crimea.

It was noted that U.S. approaches toward policy regarding Russia remained clear and unambiguous  as long as the Kremlin refuses to change its confrontational policy, the price of aggression for Russia will continue to grow.

Read alsoU.S. calls on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea

The parties emphasized that the policy of sanctions against Russia would be maintained until sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea, are restored. Attempts by the Russian side to aggravate the situation will further see an adequate response and increase the cost of the ongoing aggression.

The interlocutors discussed the importance of coordinated efforts in promoting the deployment of UN peacekeepers throughout the occupied Donbas, including the return of control over the uncontrolled section of the Ukrainian-Russian border.

Significant attention was paid to the issue of the release of the Ukrainian hostages and political prisoners kept in Russia and in the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea. "We must increase pressure on Russia to release all Ukrainian hostages as soon as possible, in particular Oleh Sentsov, who has been on a hunger strike for 86 days already," Poroshenko said.

Read alsoRussia looks into ways to impose "Crimea scenario" in other regions of Ukraine  expert

The president and the U.S. Secretary of State confirmed the resolute position of Kyiv and Washington on the existing security challenges resulting from the Nord Stream 2 project.

U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo congratulated President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on the successful beginning of the process of launching the Anti-Corruption Court.

The parties also discussed topical issues of strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States, in particular in the field of security and defense, as well as the support for the progress of our state on the path of reforms, including in the framework of development of cooperation with the IMF.
The lawyer says his client's condition has worsened, but he refuses to be hospitalized.

Lawyer of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who was illegally convicted in Russia, Dmitry Dinze has published a new letter from his client, who says he is not going to stop his hunger strike.

"I'm not ill, but I'm on hunger strike and I'm not going to stop. I thank everybody. My greetings to all. Glory to Ukraine!" Sentsov said in his message, posted by Dinze on Facebook on August 7.

The lawyer also gave details about Sentsov's visit to a civil hospital for examination, seeking medical assistance outside the penal colony. "As soon as the chief doctor learnt who was brought to him, he said he would tie Oleh to a hospital bed, stuff him with medicines and feed by force. If Oleh refuses, he will use tube feeding. One can meet such Russian doctors sometimes. Punitive medicine," Dinze wrote.

The lawyer, who has recently visited Sentsov, says his client's condition has worsened, but he refuses to be hospitalized.

Read alsoSentsov asks not to spread false rumors about his force-feeding or death

According to Dinze, Sentsov has a very low heart rate  about 40 beats per minute and a low hemoglobin count, resulting in anemia. The lawyer said that the political prisoner would not stop the hunger strike.

Also, Dinze said that Sentsov had been persuaded twice to go to hospital. According to the lawyer, his client did not want to go to a civil hospital of Labytnangi, as "the chief intensive care specialist is aggressive towards him, and probably can do harm to him." Sentsov is also against the transfer to any other hospital "because he simply won't make it and may die."

Ukraine's Federal Penitentiary Service in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District claims that Sentsov's condition is assessed by Russian doctors as satisfactory. The Ukrainian prisoner has been on hunger strike since May 14, 2018.
Foreign partners will share their experience in holding such events.

Military training of reservists has been launched in the Western territorial administration of the law enforcement military agency of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The training is being held with the participation and under supervision of representatives of the Armed Forces of Lithuania and Canada, according to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

According to Andriy Sichkar of the Army's law enforcement military agency, foreign partners will share their experience in holding such events. It should be noted training sessions for military reservists is part of a wider-scale effort aimed at preserving the cadre potential of the Ukrainian military.

Read alsoUkrainian military expected to get Canadian sniper rifles by fall

It is reported this year military law enforcers paid special attention to PR and promotion, not only among reservists, but also top management of companies employing reservists.

"This is why all 100% of soldiers, sergeants and reserve officers attended. Each of them was provided with military uniforms of the right size and a fully-packed duffel bag. All required cash payments were made upon arrival," the ministry said.
Armed with a grenade launcher and a Kalashnikov automatic rifle, he took part in the attack on the Luhansk border detachment HQ and a local base of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Operatives of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine, involved in the Joint Forces Operation, have detained a former platoon commander of Russia-backed militants in Luhansk region.

"Law enforcers have established that a resident of the town of Sievierodonetsk joined illegal armed formations in 2014. Armed with a grenade launcher and a Kalashnikov automatic rifle, he took part in the attack on the Luhansk border detachment HQ and a local base of the National Guard of Ukraine. Being a platoon commander in the criminal group, he supervised militants at illegal checkpoints near the village of Metalist and in the vicinity of the city of Luhansk," the SBU's press center said.

Read alsoFor the first time, Italy arrests far-right Italians who fought in Ukraine  media

Operatives have detained a member of an illegal armed formation in Sievierodonetsk, where he had arrived on personal business.

The detainee was served with charge papers under Part 4 Article 260 of the Criminal Code and was imposed a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention.

The pre-trial investigation is underway.

"The operation to expose the criminal was conducted jointly with the police," the press center said.
The move marks another step the Ukrainian military are taking away from the Soviet past.

The National Guard of Ukraine says this year, at the annual Independence Day parade held on August 24, Ukrainian servicemen will use a new military greeting "Glory to Ukraine!" instead of those used in the Soviet-era.

"This year, at a military parade that will take place at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, as well as the 100th anniversary of the revival of Ukraine's statehood, servicemen for the first time will use military greetings 'Glory to Ukraine!' and 'Glory to Heroes!' instead of Soviet-era greetings," the National Guard's press service said in a statement on August 8.

Read also"Ukraine is not Russia": Journalist warns patriots against "one nation" trap

As reported, more than 24 units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, as well as officers of the National Police will take part in the event.

On August 7, some 4,500 servicemen of the National Guard and other power structures were rehearsing for the Independence Day parade on a runway at Ukraine's largest aircraft manufacturer, state-run Antonov.

Read alsoCroatian player addresses Ukrainians after knocking Russia out of World Cup (video)

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak says the preparation for the parade is being held from August 3 to 20.

"There will be weapons and equipment used in the troops, as well as those that undergo state testing. A total of 50 types of equipment," the minister added.
The president noted that imperial ambitions and constant craving for a seizure of foreign territories are traditional for Moscow.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko expressed sincere support for and solidarity with Georgia on the tenth anniversary of Russia's attack on this state.

"On this day ten years ago, the aggressive Russian machine decided to reveal its true essence. Moscow's brazen aggression against Tbilisi has become an illustration to the entire international community that the Kremlin is no longer going to live by the rules of good-neighborliness and respect international law," the head of state wrote on Facebook.

He stressed that for Moscow, more traditional are imperial ambitions and constant craving for the seizure of foreign territories.

Read alsoRussian military presence in Abkhazia, South Ossetia violates international law  EU

"No matter how clear this signal was, unfortunately, then not everyone heard it. Otherwise, there would be no aggression against Ukraine, torpedoing of the European and transatlantic peace and security, interference in internal affairs of the states the Kremlin still considers enemies. By our joint efforts, unity and solidarity, we will surely force the Kremlin to stop its aggression, respect international law, and we will restore territorial integrity of Ukraine and Georgia," the president wrote in a statement published in Ukrainian and Georgian.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on the night of August 8, 2008, Russian troops crossed into Georgia after Tbilisi tried to regain control over the self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Read alsoUkraine, Georgia should become NATO members  Latvian foreign minister

As a result of the 5-day war, Russia recognized independence of these two Georgian regions and introduced additional troops and weapons to its military bases located in these territories.

All countries, with the exception of Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, recognize these regions as the Russian-occupied territory of Georgia.

According to official data of the Georgian authorities, as a result of the 2008 war, more than 400 people were killed and over 2,000 were wounded.

Ukraine called on Russia to withdraw troops from the occupied Georgian territories.
Army officers remove the bench, where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found, in Salisbury, Britain on March 23, 2018. (Will Oliver / EPA-EFE)
The White House declined to comment on the document Tuesday, aside from denying that Trump had received any actual paperwork.

Vladimir Putin presented President Donald Trump with a series of requests during their private meeting in Helsinki last month, including new talks on controlling nuclear arms and prohibiting weapons in space, according to a Russian document obtained by POLITICO.

A page of proposed topics for negotiation, not previously made public, offers new insights into the substance of the July 16 dialogue that even Trump's top advisers have said they were not privy to at the time, according to POLITICO.

Putin shared the contents of the document with Trump during their two-hour conversation, according to a U.S. government adviser who provided an English-language translation.

The publication also reviewed a Russian-language version of the document, which bore the header in Cyrillic Dialogue on the Issue of Arms Control." The person who provided the document to POLITICO obtained it from Russian officials who described it as what Putin had conveyed to Trump in Helsinki.

Read alsoTrump says Russia meddles in U.S. affairs, but so do others

The White House declined to comment on the document Tuesday, aside from denying that Trump had received any actual paperwork.

The memo points to a surprising normalcy in the priorities that Putin brought to the meeting, which included a willingness to extend a series of landmark nuclear treaties and pursue new weapons limits. Such issues have been standard fare in Russian-U.S. dialogue for decades  though they've been overshadowed of late by rising tensions over topics like Syria and Ukraine, as well as bipartisan complaints in Washington about Trump's refusal to challenge Putin's denials that Moscow had interfered in the 2016 election.

The new details provide evidence that Putin remains interested in maintaining the two nations' traditional cooperation on nuclear weapons despite all their other friction, said one participant in recent unofficial arms control talks in Moscow.
In April, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament submitted a list of 25 Italian citizens believed to be fighting with pro-Russian militants.

In Italy, it has long been an open secret that far-right activists were fighting in Donbas.

Italian authorities, however, until recently did not seem interested in stopping them, The Washington Post wrote.

That suddenly changed last week, when prosecutors in the northern Italian city of Genoa ordered the arrest of six men accused of joining pro-Russian militants in Donbas and recruiting others to their cause.

The arrests marked the first time Italian authorities have charged anyone with fighting in Ukraine, though three of the men remain at large. The same prosecutors have also charged 15 other people with being part of the recruitment ring.

"What's interesting is that some of them were already known faces whose activities in Ukraine were common knowledge," said Francesco Marone, a research fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies.

One of the fugitives is Andrea Palmieri, a former leader of the far-right hooligan group Bulldog Lucca who had previously appeared on national TV boasting about fighting in Ukraine. Another one is Gabriele Carugati, the son of a politician from the far-right League party  the League is one of Italy's two current governing parties  who had publicly praised her son's choice to fight in Ukraine.

Read alsoRussian trolls' attack on Italian president to be investigated as "terrorism"

The arrests seem to have come in response to complaints from Ukraine earlier this year. In April, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament submitted a list of 25 Italian citizens believed to be fighting with pro-Russian militants.

While Italy approved a special law against foreign fighters in 2015, it targeted youth joining the Islamic State and other Islamist groups. But it does not apply to those joining separatist groups in Ukraine, who are being prosecuted as unauthorized mercenaries rather than terrorists because pro-Russian militias are not considered terrorist groups by Italy.

"Authorities have different attitudes toward these 3 groups," Marone said. "ISIS returnees are seen as a threat because they belong to an organization that also carries attacks in Europe, while foreign fighters coming back from Kurdistan are widely tolerated, and so were those coming back from Ukraine"

Marone argued that far-right fighters still post a threat because of their links to violent groups within Italy. "They are seen as dangerous not because they could carry some kind of terror attack or guerrilla operations in Italy, but because they are violent individuals who have learned how to use weapons," he said.
The Russian government was responsible for the attacks on the U.S. election process in 2016, Mattis told reporters.

U.S. Defense Secretary James N. Mattis has said the Department of Defense (DoD) is not focused on one country in election meddling.

"The Defense Department will provide all support necessary to the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement agencies to protect U.S. elections from Russian interference and other bad actors," Mattis told reporters on August 7, according to the report on the U.S. Department of Defense website.

Read alsoDirector of National Intelligence: Russian interference in U.S. political system ongoing

The Russian government was responsible for the attacks on the U.S. election process in 2016, Mattis told reporters. "We all saw what happened in 2016 when the Russians  and possibly others, but the Russians for certain  tried to do both influence operations and actually get in to try to corrupt some of the process," he said.

Mattis emphasized that DoD is not focused on one country, but on protecting the election process itself. DoD is guarding against influence operations and on attempts to corrupt the process, he said.
Putin is afraid that one day the Russian middle class will finally rebel against his regime and rush into the streets demanding change.

Michael Morell, a career intelligence officer, who served as the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010 to 2013, has shared an opinion with The Washington Post about what Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid of most of all.

Facebook revealed on July 31 that it had discovered a 17-month-long influence campaign to sow political divisiveness on its network, an effort that bore the hallmarks of the Kremlin-connected Internet Research Agency. Two days later at the White House, the nation's top national security officials said Russia is conducting a pervasive campaign to weaken our democracy and influence this year's midterm elections.

Taken together, these announcements leave no doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin's political assault on the United States continues unabated. "The most important question the Trump administration and Congress should be asking is: How can we make Putin stop?" Morell wrote in an article for The Washington Post.

Finding the answer is essential because what Washington has done so far  some improvements in defending against these attacks, along with a mixture of targeted sanctions against Russia, the indictment of Russian officials and organizations, as well as the expulsion of Russian intelligence officers from the United States  has not worked.

Stopping Putin is vital, not just as a matter of protecting American democracy from Russian interference but also because we must signal a stronger deterrence to other adversaries, such as China, Iran and North Korea. Potential aggressors must be shown they will pay a price if they attack. With better resources than Russia for trying to undermine our democracy, China, in particular, needs to know that the United States would respond by imposing a heavy cost.

Read alsoSuspected Russian spy found working at U.S. embassy in Moscow  media

The U.S. answer to Russia, so far, has been ineffective because Washington has targeted only the entities and individuals actually involved in the Russian information operations. Since the 2016 election, the United States, at various times, has imposed sanctions on at least 10 Russian organizations, some more than once, and at least 23 specific individuals. Because the sanctions' targeting has had little impact on the Russian economy overall, the political effect on Putin has been minor.

Here is what the United States needs to do. In terms of self-defense, it must secure the nation's elections system, especially the software that holds data on registered voters. Every vote should be tallied on a backup paper ballot that could be used to verify election results, if necessary. New rules and better enforcement are needed to keep foreign money out of U.S. elections. The federal government should work with individual campaigns to fortify the security of the technology and networks they use. Finally, better coordination across the government is needed to protect U.S. elections, which would probably best be achieved by creating a Hybrid Threats Center similar to the National Counterterrorism Center.

There are several bills in Congress, all with support on both sides of the aisle, that would institute most of these changes and pay for them, but the legislation is frozen by the partisanship this issue stirs.

Read alsoDirector of National Intelligence: Russian interference in U.S. political system ongoing

According to Morell, as for imposing costs on those who attack the United States: Fully implement sanctions already on the books. That is still not happening. But then move beyond targeted sanctions to broad-based sanctions that are designed to hurt the Russian economy  just as the Obama administration's sanctions against Iran were designed to do, as are the Trump administration's. Make it clear to Putin that we would drop the sanctions when he stopped interfering in the democratic institutions of the United States and its allies, some of which are also under siege.

What would such sanctions look like? A Senate bill introduced on August 2, again with sponsors from both parties, is a good start: Prohibit any transaction related to Russian energy projects and bar the purchase of new Russian sovereign debt. Washington should encourage its allies to join in these efforts.

"Putin is afraid of one thing. He is afraid that one day the Russian middle class will finally rebel against his regime and rush into the streets demanding change. It happened in Tunis, Cairo and other Middle Eastern and North African cities between 2010 and 2012, and it happened most alarmingly, from Putin's perspective, four years ago in Kyiv when Ukrainians threw out a government beholden to Moscow. Sanctions that bite at the heart of the Russian economy  sanctions that increase the risk that Russia's middle class will become restive  will get Putin's attention," the author said.
The three men were working on a documentary film about the Russian private military company.

Producer of the Russian television station TV Dozhd (Rain) Vasily Polonsky says the three Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic (CAR) managed to record videos of bases of the Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner's mercenaries deployed in Africa.

"They [journalists] went there with a certain task and were fulfilling only this certain task. They managed to record videos of bases of Russia's PMC Wagner. They were researching their topic alone, without deviating. And all they were shooting there was in line with the instructions they got," the Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske quoted Polonsky as saying.

"All journalists and other adequate people have absolutely different views on what has happened there. But most of them agree that it was not robbery or an attack by thieves and local criminals. Everyone agrees it was a planned attack. Yet, I cannot say who was behind it," he added.

Read alsoGold for "Putin's Chef": Media reveal why Russian mercenaries come to CAR

As was earlier reported, three Russian nationals  journalist Orkhan Dzhemal, cameraman Kirill Radchenko and director Alexander Rastorguev  were killed in the Central African Republic after their car had been ambushed. The driver survived the incident.

The three men were working on a documentary film about PMC Wagner, a shadowy private military company tied to a wealthy restaurateur turned government contractor named Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated that the Russian journalists killed in Africa had entered the country as tourists.

CAR authorities admit that militants from the Seleka terrorist alliance could be involved in the killing of the journalists.

The village of Sibut close to which the journalists were killed is a base to a CAR battalion armed by Moscow. There are Russian military instructors in the country as well. Media also reported about the presence of mercenaries of private military firms from Russia.
2017 proved to be a good year for gambling in New Jersey, particularly for its somewhat newer legal online gambling sector. According to a variety of sources, including a recently released white paper recapping the legal online gambling activities within New Jersey during the 2017 period. According to the paper, released by DGS Media via its online website NJOnlineGambling.com, the growth of legal online gambling in NJ within the 2017 period was unparalleled.

The paper goes into great detail and not only looks at the figures concluding the unprecedented growth in legal online gambling in the state but also at how NJ online casinos have gone about ensuring positive and consistent growth. What is even more exciting, is that the study looks at what online gamblers in New Jersey can look forward to in 2018 as well.

How NJ Legal Online Casinos Pushed Growth in 2017

As Mike Rowe, host of "Dirty Jobs" one of the most popular shows ever on Discovery Channel recently said at a recent graduation speech for graduating students at Prager University, something that is far more important (and useful) than following your passion, is taking advantage of opportunity as and when it comes up. Now, Rowe may have been referring to the potential careers that these graduates were contemplating, but he could have just as easily been talking about how operators within the NJ online casino industry have done just that.

Since it became legal for New Jersey online gambling, operators have had to work tirelessly to move users away from the temptations of illegal (black market) online casino gambling, which can be notoriously dangerous since it is largely unregulated, to the regulated and obviously much safer legal NJ online gambling option. This includes introducing online gamblers in New Jersey to better, more exciting and ultimately, more rewarding online casino gaming opportunities including the widest range of competitive online slots possible, the introduction of betting on Virtual Sports, the introduction of the exciting Slingo Scratchers opportunities, and of course, the introduction of live casino gaming and the increased availability of PayPal as a preferred choice for making safe and fast online casino deposits or withdrawals.

Of course, as one would expect for such a large scale endeavor, it certainly takes a lot more than positive thinking to get the numbers up to where they needed to be. Not only that, but to also exceed all expectations for the year and lay the groundwork for even more success in the following year. Dramatically increasing the number of available online slots terminals went a long way in bolstering the number of users that migrated from either playing exclusively at land-based venues, or those that had been dabbling in the slightly shadier side of the online gambling industry. It also helped quite a bit that popular land-based casinos like MGM and SugarHouse opened online casino options for New Jersey residents. For many of the older gamblers in NJ, the fact that it had become perfectly legal to play slots online in New Jersey sealed the deal. Incidentally, residents of Pennsylvania can now also look forward to legal online slots gaming, coming soon to that state as well.

Looking at the Numbers

While it's all well and good to say nice things about the higher than expected growth in legal NJ online casino gambling, what really brings it all home is a look at the numbers relating to that period. The numbers covered a lot of ground and including most of the top casino brands that are currently operating with the New Jersey state borders. This includes:

- Caesars - including 888, Harrah's and WSOP

- Borgata - including PlayMGM, PartyPoker, Scores and Pala

- Golden Nugget - including SugarHouse and Betfair

- Tropicana - including Virgin branded casinos

- Resorts - including PokerStars and Mohegan Sun

This is what the DGS Media white paper on NJ legal online casino gambling growth numbers revealed for 2017:
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State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday taking notice of misleading rumors spreading in social media regarding clearing operations of Summit Bank Ltd., clarified that National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT) which provides clearing services for banks, has not discontinued its membership or its services in any way for the Summit bank.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday taking notice of misleading rumors spreading in social media regarding clearing operations of Summit Bank Ltd., clarified that National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT) which provides clearing services for banks, has not discontinued its membership or its services in any way for the Summit bank.

It is pertinent to mention that these rumors stemmed from the notice of National Clearing Company of Pakistan Ltd. (NCCPL) regarding the banks' status as a settlement bank to provide clearing services to stock brokers, a press release of SBP said.

Such a settlement bank only processes payments and receipts of funds on behalf of its broker clients with NCCPL for their sale/ purchase transactions in stock exchange.

Further, these operations do not have any bearing on the other regular operations, such as deposit taking and withdrawal, of Summit Bank Ltd.

The bank is discharging its liabilities towards its depositors and other stakeholders in a satisfactory manner and its clearing andsettlement function is working smoothly.
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AJK President Sardar Masood Khan Tuesday said Kashmiris living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) are united to frustrate Indian conspiracy to abrogate Article 35-A of its constitution.

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) ,:AJK President Sardar Masood Khan Tuesday said Kashmiris living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) are united to frustrate Indian conspiracy to abrogate Article 35-A of its constitution.

Lambasting India on her nefarious planned move to abolish Article 35-A, the President AJK said that the nefarious Indian move is clearly aimed at further scuttling the minimum privileges that Kashmiris have under the Indian constitution. "India employed such tactics in the past but failed, and this time too, Kashmiris will thwart its nefarious designs," President Masood emphasized. He said any move to tinker with Article 35-A is a step to undermine the Kashmiri peoples struggle for their right to self-determination and bury the Kashmir dispute under the weight of oppression and machinations.

Masood Khan, while fully supporting the stance taken by the Joint Resistance Movement, legal and business fraternity and civil society of IOK, said that large-scale protests across the Occupied Territory reflects and demonstrates the will of the Kashmiris against the petition seeking repeal of the article.

Condemning Indian forces' high handedness and repression against the people in Occupied Kashmir in the wake of the protest against New Delhi's move, President Masood Khan said the people and government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir fully endorse the position taken by Joint Resistance Movement.

The unprecedented protests in the Chenab Valley, Jammu, Ladakh and Kargil against Indian attempts send a clear and strong message that all Kashmiris will never compromise on their separate identity.

The President called upon the United Nations to intercede in the matter because the move by India to change the demography of Kashmir, under the guise of the repeal of Article 35-A is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol-I.

Under the Statutes of the International Criminal Court, transfer by the occupying power of parts of its civilian population into the territory it occupies constitute a war crime.

The President said under the guise of abolition of Article 35-A, India is trying to pave the way for the settlement of Pundits, establishing colonies for former armed forces personnel, permanent settlement of the so-called West Pakistan Refugees and transfer of Hindus from Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Bengal and other parts of India into the Occupied Kashmir. This kind of forced and planned migration into the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) must be stopped because IOK is a disputed territory, whose fate has yet to be decided in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Aug, 2018) Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO, met on Wednesday, with Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, as part of a series of meetings, with government officials, business partners and customers, aimed at building on ADNOCs long-standing energy relationship with Japans energy sector.

During the meeting, partnership and investment opportunities, created by ADNOCs Upstream and Downstream growth plans were explored, as well as the potential for the long-term supply of hydrocarbon products to Japan.

"For more than four decades, the UAE and Japan have enjoyed a deep rooted and successful strategic relationship, underpinned by long standing energy partnerships," Dr. Al Jaber said. "ADNOC is keen to further strengthen the relationship, deepen partnerships and seize growth opportunities along the full oil and gas value chain.

"As we accelerate our focus on the increasing energy needs of Asian economies, such as Japan, ADNOC is introducing new partnership and investment opportunities across our integrated Upstream and Downstream operations. At the same time, as a trusted and reliable supplier of energy, we wish to explore opportunities to increase market access and offer a larger share of ADNOCs portfolio of products to existing and new customers in Japan."

Dr. Al Jaber is scheduled to meet with the Chairman of Softbank Masayoshi Son; Toshiaki Kitamura, Chairman of INPEX/JODCO; Tatsuo Yasunaga, President and CEO, Mitsui and Hendrik Gordenker, Chairman of JERA.

The UAE is the second largest exporter of crude oil to Japan after Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Japan imported AED57.3 billion (US$15.6 billion) worth of oil from the UAE, according to the Japan External Trade Organisation, Jetro.

Nearly one third of ADNOCs crude oil goes to Japan, accounting for 25 percent of its total crude oil imports. Other exports include LNG, LPG, Naphtha and Sulphur. In addition, ADNOC has 6.29 million barrels of crude oil stored in the Kiire Oil Terminal Strategic Reserve, in southern Japan.

In February, Japans INPEX Corporation was awarded a ten percent interest in Abu Dhabis offshore Lower Zakum concession. At the same time the companys 40 percent stakes in Abu Dhabis Satah and Umm Al Dalkh concession were extended for 25 years. JODCO Lower Zakum Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of INPEX, has been appointed the asset lead for the Lower Zakum concession.

INPEX is one of six Japanese companies working to develop Abu Dhabis hydrocarbon resources. Mitsui, has a 15 percent stake in ADNOC LNG and Cosmo Oil has a 64.2 percent stake in the Abu Dhabi Oil Company, along with JX Nippon (32.1 percent), Kansai Electric (1.9 percent) and Chubu Electric (1.9 percent).
DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Aug, 2018) As many Muslims across Dubai gear up to embark on the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, Dubai Health Authority, DHA, doctors are calling on pilgrims to get vaccinated and take other health measures.

They have shared health tips with pilgrims during DHAs "Sehatek (your health) Live", which is a weekly online show that gives Dubai community a chance to share any queries directly with the authority across different health topics live on Twitter and Instagram.

Dr. Ahmed Saleh, consultant in Infections and Head of Infection control at Rashid Hospital, said that since prevention is better than cure, it is important for pilgrims to get vaccinations which will help prevent the spread of diseases while performing Hajj.

"Pilgrims must take all preventive measures that will keep them safe and healthy during Hajj, and take the necessary vaccinations that include seasonal flu and meningococcal vaccines at least 10 to 15 days before embarking on their hajj trips. These vaccinations, which can be taken at the authoritys Primary healthcare centres will protect them from potential infectious diseases," Dr.

Saleh added.

Dr. Selma Eissa Hago Dawd, Internist Specialist at Dubai Hospital, said that its important to take precautionary steps ahead of Hajj especially for the elderly and those who have chronic diseases She advised all pilgrims - even those who dont suffer from any health issues - to take a first aid bag with them that has precautionary medication including medicines for fever, cold, cough, diarrhea, painkillers and skin and muscle spasm creams.

Due to the increasingly soaring temperatures, Dr. Dawd also advised pilgrims to wear light cotton fabrics and avoid contact lenses as the heat and dust can cause eye dryness and irritation.

"The most common diseases that Hajj pilgrims are prone to is influenza. To prevent this, pilgrims should take care of their hygiene and wash their hands a lot. They should cover their mouth with a cloth when they sneeze and wear facemasks that should be changed every four hours. Pilgrims should also make sure to shave in specialised and licensed barbershops to avoid infections," she concluded.
University of Southern California President C.L. Max Nikias attends a commencement ceremony in Los Angeles on May 12, 2017. (Richard Vogel / AP)
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, Empower, the worlds largest district cooling services provider, continues its summer campaign, "24?C Cool," which was launched in July 2018.

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Aug, 2018) Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, Empower, the worlds largest district cooling services provider, continues its summer campaign, "24?C Cool," which was launched in July 2018.

The three-month campaign seeks to reduce energy consumption by maintaining optimum temperature and reducing the value of customers' consumption bills, to achieve sustainable development goals. Empower achieved 5.6 percent savings on district cooling consumption during the first month of the campaign.

It includes tips and guidelines that contribute to reducing energy use during the summer. These include encouraging consumers to set their air conditioners to 24 degrees Celsius, in addition to other innovative methods to lower room temperature and cut down on monthly costs by using environmentally friendly tools.

Prior to the summer season, Empower ran a pre-summer preparation campaign of "8 Steps Summer" to ensure accuracy, efficiency and reliability of the usage of district cooling during the peak season. The pre-summer campaign offered residents simple, yet effective tips to prepare their room to face the summer months. It also offered methods to reduce heat build-up in homes and lower monthly expenses in an eco-friendly way.

"We are extremely pleased with the successful results of our summer campaign in the first month. This reflects customer awareness and confidence in Empower due to our innovation in the use of sustainable and responsible methods in our operations. This helps in achieving the vision of our leadership to enhance sustainable development and green economy, which is consistent with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to transform the emirate into a global hub for clean energy and green economy," said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

He further confirmed that Empower is committed to protecting the environment by achieving sustainable development goals and offering efficient district cooling services, according to the best and highest global standards. This contributes to reducing consumption and saving district cooling services.

Empower introduced an online calculator on its website to helps its customers monitor and plan their district cooling consumption, helping them reduce consumption and achieve significant savings.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Aug, 2018) The Federal Tax Authority, FTA, has announced a new campaign as part of its efforts to communicate directly and consistently with businesses.

The "Tax Clinic" seeks to increase the number of registered taxable businesses and promote compliance with the timely submission of tax returns and payment of due taxes.

The campaign kicks off on 12th August, 2018, in Ras al-Khaimah, before moving on to Fujairah and then the rest of the emirates for a duration of three months, where representatives from the authority will be present at the clinic to answer taxpayer queries regarding registration with the FTA and other tax obligations. They will encourage those who are yet to register for Value Added Tax, VAT, to promptly do so in order to avoid administrative penalties. The experts will also introduce attendees to the procedures required for submitting accurate tax returns and settling due taxes.

A press statement issued on Wednesday explained that the "Tax Clinic" campaign will be organised as a collaboration between the FTA and the departments of economic development and municipalities across all the emirates. A team of analysts and experts from the FTAs Registration and Taxpayer Services will go on an extensive tour. The first stage will take place from 12th to 14th August in Ras al-Khaimah, moving on to Fujairah from 26th to 28th August, then Umm Al Qaiwain from 2nd to 4th September, and Ajman from 9th to 11th September.

The campaign will return to Ras al-Khaimah from 16th to 18th September, moving on to Sharjah from 23rd to 25th September, then Fujairah again from 30th September to 2nd October, Umm Al Quwain from 7th to 9th October, Ajman from 14th to 16th October, back to Fujairah from 21st to 23rd October, before concluding with a third and final stop in Ras al-Khaimah from 28th to 30th October.

The Director-General of FTA, Khalid Ali Al Bustani, said, "The FTA has always been adamant to reach out to businesses subject to the UAE tax system in any way possible. To that end, we launched the Tax Clinic as a new and innovative campaign to spread tax awareness among all business sectors, particularly, small and medium enterprises, SMEs. It allows us to be closer to them, to answer their questions, address their concerns, and provide them with all the tax-related information they need without having to visit the authoritys headquarters. We will instead be moving closer to them through a team of experts.

"The FTA experts conducting the Tax Clinic will address all the tax concerns raised by representatives of taxable businesses, answer their queries and address the challenges that face them. They will provide guidance with regards to registering for VAT, preparing and submitting tax returns, paying due taxes and avoiding the most common mistakes or technical difficulties associated with these responsibilities. The experts will also distribute the educational and awareness publications issued by the authority to explain systems and procedures, and answer frequently asked questions."
The Department of Transport, DoT, in Abu Dhabi has confirmed that it will fully implement Mawaqif parking in all areas on Abu Dhabi Island by 18th August, 2018.

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Aug, 2018) The Department of Transport, DoT, in Abu Dhabi has confirmed that it will fully implement Mawaqif parking in all areas on Abu Dhabi Island by 18th August, 2018.

According to Khamis Al Dahmani, Head of Mawaqif team at DoT, the introduction of Mawaqif system in the new areas will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will continue for three weeks and cover activation and awareness without issuing fine tickets, while the second will see the actual implementation of the system.

"The system will cover 42 new sectors across Abu Dhabi Island, containing more than 26,000 parking spots," Al Dahmani said during a forum, which was held on Tuesday to discuss the new system.

He, however, pointed out that there are no plans at present to expand the system to the areas of the emirate outside Abu Dhabi Island.

He also revealed plans to introduce a new technology for detecting violations of Mawaqif.

The department called upon all vehicle owners to cooperate and apply for resident parking permits before the implementation date to avoid violations.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Aug, 2018) The UAE and Turkmenistan yesterday held, in Abu Dhabi, the first edition of their joint "Consular Consultations Committee," chaired by Rashid Al Dhaheri, Director of the Citizens Affairs Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Altiv Anamurat Kakovinov, Director of the Consular Affairs Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

At the start of the meeting, Al Dhaheri conveyed the greetings of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who both praised the deep bilateral consular ties between the two countries, which led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, related to exemption of visas for citizens with diplomatic and private passports.

Kakovinov praised the efforts of both sides to strengthen their relations and provide the best services to their citizens.

During the meeting, both sides discussed many topics related to citizen's issues, how to provide consular services and related challenges, and how to introduce the best relevant practices. They also discussed suggestions on their bilateral work and adopting services initiatives.

The meeting was attended by several officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Interior, and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, as well as their counterparts from Turkmenistan.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendations to two Pakistani individuals and a Japanese in recognition of their significant contribution to the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan in their respective fields.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) :The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendations to two Pakistani individuals and a Japanese in recognition of their significant contribution to the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan in their respective fields.

The FM Commendations 2018 recipients are: Zafar Mahmood, Visiting Professor, Japanese Language Department, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Toshiko Orita, Vice President, Pakistan Japan Cultural Association, Islamabad and Mahmood A Jilani, ex Deputy Resident Representative, JICA Pakistan Office, a press release of Japanese embassy issued here Tuesday said.

The commendations conferment ceremony was held at the official residence of Takashi Kurai, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, which was attended by the friends, former colleagues and family members of the commendations recipients.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Kurai presented the commendation certificates to the three individuals on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Ambassador Kurai, while congratulating the commendation recipients, said they made invaluable contribution to raising the level of exchanges of culture or business between our two countries.

He said the friendship between Japan and Pakistan was based on mutual trust, cooperation and understanding but it was not possible without the untiring efforts made by those including the three recipients who work so hard for it.
Private sectors of both Pakistan and China should develop close cooperation to draw maximum benefits from projects related to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and explore untapped areas for mutual collaboration.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) :Private sectors of both Pakistan and China should develop close cooperation to draw maximum benefits from projects related to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and explore untapped areas for mutual collaboration.

Leading a trade delegation to China, Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President S.M. Naveed expressed these views in a meeting with Pakistan's Ambassador to China, Masood Khalid and other dignitaries at Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, according to PCJCCI spokesperson here Tuesday.

He added that PCJCCI was making all possible efforts for promotion of bilateral business between Pakistan and China. He also elaborated about the obstacles faced by the industries of Pakistan due to lack of modern and up-to-date technology which was needed to improve efficieny industrial units.

S.M. Naveed asserted that China now occupies the largest share in Pakistan's total imports, as Pakistan imported 24 percent of electrical equipment and 21 percent of machinery for strategic applications from China, whereas, China was also ranked, as the 2nd largest export destination of Pakistan with a share of 7.7 percent in Pakistan's total exports.

This difference, he opined, acted as catalyst to establish joint ventures for the peace and prosperity of both the nations. He also deeply acknowledged that the hospitality and love given to the PCJCCI delegation on its arrival at Beijing.

While, Pakistan's Ambassador Masood Khalid also applauded the efforts of PCJCCI in promoting economic relations with China and assured of his full support for strengthening economic ties betweenthe two countries in collaboration with Pakistan's vibrant trade bodies like PCJCCI.
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Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday published the names of candidates returned to the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies as a result of General Election 2018.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) :Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday published the Names of candidates returned to the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies as a result of General election 2018.

According to ECP, the commission has stopped issuing the official notifications of 34 national and provincial assemblies' Constituencies due to stay of high courts, non submission of return of election expenses, postponement of election under section 73 of Election Act, 2017, awaiting of result, due to death of returned candidate and result or notification withheld by ECP due to different reasons including recounting.

The commission has withheld the notifications of 11 National Assembly constituencies out of 272 constituencies while 23 Provincial Assemblies constituencies' notifications have been withheld by the ECP out of 577 constituencies of all four provinces including 297 of Punjab Assembly, 130 of Sindh Assembly, 99 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and 51 of Balochistan Assembly.

Elections were delayed on two seats of the National Assembly and six of provincial assemblies. Elections for these seats will be held within 60 days after newly-elected members of the national and provincial assemblies take oath.

The independent candidates now have three days to join a party while the final list of positions of parties will then be issued.

The notifications to successful candidates from reserved seats will be issued after the final list of positions of political parties is compiled. Candidates from reserved seats will be notified within two days after independent candidates join political parties.

The ECP said political parties have submitted their lists of preferences for reserved seats.

After a summary of issuing notifications to successful candidates which was approved by the chief election commissioner Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, the documents were also uploaded on ECP's website.
European Union (EU) Ambassador in Pakistan, Jeans Francois Cautain on Monday said the EU members countries were interested in working with the new government of Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf and would assist the newly elected government in bringing investment for Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Aug, 2018 ) :European Union (EU) Ambassador in Pakistan, Jeans Francois Cautain on Monday said the EU members countries were interested in working with the new government of Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf and would assist the newly elected government in bringing investment for Pakistan.

The EU ambassador stated this during his call on with PTI's chief Imran Khan at his Banigala residence. The envoy congratulated Imran Khan on his party's victory in July 25 elections.

Jeans Cautain said the European Union was taking keen interest to work with the PTI government and was ready to start joint ventures with Pakistan in the fields of security, economy, education and rural development.

The envoy said the EU had no objection on Pakistan-Iran Gas Pipeline Project, and wished development and stability in Pakistan. He said the EU was ready to assist Pakistan out from the Gray List of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Chairman PTI welcomed and thanked the EU envoy for the good wishes.Vice Chairman PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Omar and Shahzad Waseem were also present during the meeting.
Indonesia will encourage production of Palm Oil and its processing in addition to the production of high value products from this edible oil as joint ventures in Pakistan, said Mr. Wisnu Suryo Hutomo Minister Counselor of the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad.

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Indonesia will encourage production of Palm Oil and its processing in addition to the production of high value products from this edible oil as joint ventures in Pakistan, said Mr. Wisnu Suryo Hutomo Minister Counselor of the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad.

During a meeting with Acting President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) Farooq Yusuf in his office here Wednesday, Mr. Hutomo said that there were vast opportunities of exploiting untapped trade potential between the two brotherly countries.

"Pakistan is exporting rice while there is huge demand of Pakistani Kinnow and Mango in Indonesia," he said and added that Indonesia was also exporting palm oil to Pakistan. However, efforts are being made to encourage production of palm oil in Pakistan in collaboration with Indonesian businessmen.

He said that he had visited University of Agriculture (UAF) so that high yielding varieties of Indonesian Palm could be cultivated in Pakistan. He said that a proposal also under consideration to setup a refinery to process crude oil in order to produce food grade palm oil.

He said this would initiate a process for the production of a long chain of high value products including biscuits, chocolates, soap and cosmetics etc.

He said that he had been trying to promote consensus on these projects between the investors of two countries as it may ensure balance bilateral trade between the two countries.

Regarding China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Mr. Hutomo said that 288 different projects were being implemented with huge investment of 63 billion Dollars. "This major infrastructure will not only benefit Pakistan but also ensure enhanced connectivity between the regional countries," he said and added that proposed palm oil refinery would not only cater to the domestic needs of Pakistan but its products could also be exported to others countries.

He further said that a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) had already been signed between the two countries while Pakistani business community should contact its commerce ministry to finalize the draft of the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Mr. Hutomo said that 33rd Trade Expo would be organized from October 24 to 28, 2018 in Indonesia. He said that 11000 exhibitors and 28,000 visitors expected to visit this mega event.

He said that exporters of knitted kids' wear should also participate in the event as Indonesia was a major consumer market of kids' cloth. He said that he would visit Faisalabad next month along with Indonesia ambassador to formally invite business community of Faisalabad to participate in this trade expo.

He further said that Indonesia would provide free visa for 30 days to the participants from 174 countries for this trade expo.

He said that it's a big opportunity to make exports to Indonesia and hence, exporters of Faisalabad should also avail from tit.

Earlier, Farooq Yusuf, Acting President FCCI said that trade balance was in favor of Indonesia and the proposed palm oil production and refinery would help in balancing trade between the two countries.

He said that Indonesian investors could also invest in hydro projects and alternative energy resources while joint ventures could also be initiated in textiles, agro based industry, livestock, fruit processing, Halal meat, leather goods, oil and gas, information technology, tourism, organic as well as inorganic agro-based products and food items.

Miss Adelin Indah Marisa, Third Secretary Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia was also present during this meeting.

Later, Farooq Yusuf presented FCCI shield to Mr. Wisnu Suryo Hutomo Minister Counselor of the Indonesian Embassy.
President Mamnoon Hussain Tuesday approved a welfare package of over 10 million Rupees for the writers and artists hailing from the four provinces, a statement from the President House said.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) :President Mamnoon Hussain Tuesday approved a welfare package of over 10 million Rupees for the writers and artists hailing from the four provinces, a statement from the President House said.

The President gave approval to the package while chairing the 8th meeting of Steering Committee for Federal Government Artists Welfare Fund here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

The President, who was chairing the last meeting of the Fund, expressed the hope that this welfare activity would continue to provide support for the artists.

He thanked all the members of the committee and philanthropists for their participation and efforts in this noble task of resolving the issues of the artists.

The President emphasised that writers, poets and artists were the valuable part of the society and promote positive image of the country.

He underscored that society must also take care of them in the hour of need.

He said the Federal Government Artists Welfare Fund would be enhanced to extend its reach to more artists.

The meeting also discussed several other suggestions to increase the welfare fund.

Members of the Steering Committee, Ata ul Haq Qasmi, Ms. Zeba Muhammad Ali, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Qawi Khan, Salman Alvi, Mustafa Qureshi, Najeeb Ullah Anjum and senior officials were present in the meeting.
Flying under this cluttered radar is Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who just settled one of a string of lawsuits by business associates charging that he stole from them. Forbes magazine found that these allegations  which sparked lawsuits, reimbursements and an SEC fine  come to more than $120 million. If even half of the accusations are legitimate, the current United States secretary of commerce could rank among the biggest grifters in American history.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Federal Flood Commission (FFC) Wednesday said River Chenab at Khanki and River Kabul in Warsak-Nowshera Reach are presently flowing in ow flood.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Federal Flood Commission (FFC) Wednesday said River Chenab at Khanki and River Kabul in Warsak-Nowshera Reach are presently flowing in ow flood.

Acording to daily FFC report, a peak discharge of 152,000 cusecs passed River Chenab at Marala Barrage at 2100 hrs yesterday. All other main rivers including Indus, Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej are flowing normal.

The actual main river flows indicates that Tarbela and Mangla reservoir are at levels of 1524.93 feet and 1157.25 feet respectively. Tarbela, Chashma & Mangla reservoir's present combined live storage is 6.754 MAF (49.37 % of the total storage capacity i.e. 13.681 MAF).

Following the gradually increasing inflows at Tarbela, IRSA is ensuring rationalized filling to augment present live storage to a further state of consolidation, the report said.

Yesterday's well marked monsoon low over Northwestern Bay of Bengal (India) lies over Northern Orissa (India) as reported by FFD, Lahore. Its further movement and intensity with regard to impact over Pakistan is being closely monitored by PMD/ FFD, Lahore.

Seasonal low from the Arabian Sea and Westerly wave trough from the Mediterranean Sea still persist over Northwestern Balochistan and Kashmir respectively. Moderate moist currents from Bay of Bengal are currently penetrating into upper parts of Pakistan upto 5000 feet.

Scattered thunderstorm/rain with isolated heavy falls including one/two very heavy falls have been predicted by FFD, Lahore over the upper catchments of Rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab including Rawalpindi, Gujranwala & Sargodha Divisions of Punjab and Hazara & D.I. Khan Divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the next 24 hours.

Scattered thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls are also expected over upper catchments of Rivers Ravi, Sutlej, besides over Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur & D.G. Khan Divisions of Punjab and Peshawar, Kohat & Malakand Divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the same period.

Scattered thunderstorm rain with isolated heavy falls may continue during the next 48 hours.
(@rukhshanmir)

Speakers here Wednesday highly praised the significant role played by tribal people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa during Pakistan Movement and termed them a frontline force of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in completion of his mission for Pakistan.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Speakers here Wednesday highly praised the significant role played by tribal people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa during Pakistan Movement and termed them a frontline force of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in completion of his mission for Pakistan.

As the nation is going to celebrate the 71st birth anniversary of Pakistan on August 14, preparations has reached to its peak in all tribal districts of KP where different programs were chalked out by political, social and educational organizations to celebrate Independence Day in most befitting manner.

Great enthusiasm is being seen among tribal people especially youth and children for independence day in all cities and towns of tribal districts including Torkhum, Bara and Landi Kotal of Khyber district, Ghallani, Mian Mandai in Mohmand District, Khar and Nawagai in Bajaur District, Parachinar and Sadda in Kurram District, Kalaya in Orakzai District, Miranshah, Razmak Mir Ali in North Waziristan and Ladha, Azam Warsak, Wana in South Waziristan where national flags are hoisting in houses, vehicles, bazaars, buildings and markets besides decoration of these buildings with buntings looking festive look at nights.

"Tribal people of KP (former Fata) had never accepted foreign domination as leading life without any subjugation is part of their nature. Tribal people welcomed Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah whenever he visited KP by giving him warmed welcome," Professor Dr Naushad Khan, Pro-Vice Chancellor Islamia College University told APP on Wednesday.

"Quaid e Azam had an immense love and admiration for tribal people because of their strong loyalty, supreme sacrifices and determined support for Pakistan and considered them a frontline force during his mission for Pakistan," he maintained.

Quaid e Azam had visited KP and former Fata in 1936, 1945 and 1948 and highly commended the strong commitment, support and loyalty of tribal people for their country.

"Tribal people's sacrifices for creation of Pakistan and independence of Azad Kashmir were unprecedented as it was also acknowledged by Quaid e Azam in his addresses during his visit to KP," recalled Dr Naushad Khan.

Despite hectic official engagements as Governor General of Pakistan, Quaid e Azam had visited Peshawar and addressed a Grand Tribal Jira on April 17, 1948 at Government House Peshawar and praised the support of tribal people.

During his inclusive address to tribal jirga with overwhelming representation of tribal people, chieftain and maliks from all tribal districts, Quaid e Azam laid great emphasis of education and social economic development of tribesmen.

"Quaid highly admired the patriotism, customs and traditions of tribesmen besides their deep love for islam and Pakistan," he explained.

Quaid had emphasized on tribesmen to equip themselves with ornament of education in order to compete with national and international fronts besides effectively tacking challenges.

Quaid e Azam as Governor General of Pakistan had visited historic Islamia College Peshawar in 1948 and addressed the students of KP and former Fata in these words. "I am indeed very happy to be present here today and to have the privilege of addressing the students of this great Darul Uloom, who are the future builders of Pakistan.

He considered quality education especially technical education and science and technology was prerequisite for attaining goals of development and economic prosperity that could only be achieved through educated work force.

Upon students' demands, the Quaid e Azam had assured of establishment of state of the university near Islamia College and later his promise was fulfilled in the shape of University of Peshawar within an year.

Quaid e Azam also laid great emphasis on the socio-economic development of tribesmen imperative for progress and prosperity of Fata people.

He also visited historic Khyber Pass and Landi Kotal Khyber Agency in 1948 and met with tribal elders and Maliks there. He told tribesmen that now Pakistan has been created and great responsibility rest on them to work tirelessly for it progress, strengthening and development.

"Many gifts including goat, rifle, turban, cap etc were presented to the legendary leader by the tribal maliks and chieftains on this occasion," Dr Naushad told APP.

Misal Khan, retired Information Officer told APP that tribal people had great respect for Quaid-e-Azam because he was a towering personality of the 20th century, who changed the course of history and world geography through a peaceful and constitutional struggle.

"Mr Jinnah was a great symbol of independence and democracy who strongly believed in power of masses and supremacy of constitution and that was the major reasons that he had created Pakistan after a short time of seven years following adaptation of historic Pakistan Resolution in March 23, 1940 at Lahore," he maintained.

Misal Khan said Quaid e Azam had foreseen that problems of Fata could only be addressed by equipping tribal students with ornament of education and today after passing of 71 years of Pakistan, we had now realized that how much education was important for tribesmen.

He said Pakistan was came into being after a lot of sacrifices by our forefathers and it is high time to renew our pledge to work tirelessly in our respective fields to take it into the new heights of progress and development by strictly adhering to the golden principles of Quaid's Unity, Faith and Discipline.
Sindh Chief Secretary Major (Retd.) Azam Suleman Khan Tuesday ordered strict legal action against firework and aerial firing on the eve of Independence Day.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) :Sindh Chief Secretary Major (Retd.) Azam Suleman Khan Tuesday ordered strict legal action against firework and aerial firing on the eve of Independence Day.

Presiding over a meeting, he directed the law enforcement agencies to beef up security for the Independence Day celebrations and Eid-ul-Adha as well.

Taking notice of a recent incident during which a girl was killed while coming into contact with sharp edged string of a kite, he stressed the need for law making to curb such incidents.

He directed the commissioner Karachi to hold a meeting with the kite makers and ask them not to use such material specially in preparation of strings.

The chief secretary asked the provincial and divisional authorities to ensure coordination among them for the celebration of Independence Day. He directed the authorities concerned for ensuring cleanliness in their areas.

Talking about Eid-ul-Azha preparations, Major (Retd.

) Azam Suleman Khan asked the officers to devise a mechanism for the disposal of offal of sacrificial animals while he said hide-snatching must not be allowed.

He also ordered to take action against the illegal cattle markets.

The health department was directed to ensure attendance of doctors and other concerned staff in the hospitals to cope with any emergency. The doctors were advised to display their service identity cards during duty hours.

The chief secretary expressed the hope that all the concerned would fulfill their responsibilities devotedly.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh, Secretaries of Home, Health, General Administration, Live Stock & Fisheries, school education, Local Government and other senior officers attended themeeting while Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGPs) attended the meeting through video conference.
The Supreme Court Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved by the Implementation Committee of Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dams (ICBMD) so far.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2018 ) :The Supreme Court Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved by the Implementation Committee of Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dams (ICBMD) so far.

A four-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Main Saqib Nisar, which met here at the Supreme Court building, observed that the top court would provide full support in implementation of the two projects, a press release said.

The CJP maintained that the nation could not afford to waste even a minute in mitigating the water shortages, therefore, timely completion of the projects was a must and everyone would have to play the due role in that regard.

Being a sacred national mission, he said, the Supreme Court stood fully committed to ensure that funds are spent solely for the construction of the dams and nothing else.

Chairman, Implementation Committee of Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dams (ICBMD) / Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Lt. Gen. (Retd) Muzammil Hussain briefed the bench about the measures initiated for ensuring early commencement of construction work on Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams.

In a detailed presentation about the committee's proceedings, the WAPDA chairman apprised the bench that legal framework and terms of reference of the committee had been drafted, besides formation of seven sub-committees to identify impediments which might hinder the projects and the ways and means to remove those hurdles effectively.

The bench was briefed that ICDBMD had succeeded in identifying the issues relating to land acquisition, project financing, procurement, security and coordination.

The ICDBMD, he said, had also aptly developed a set of recommendations to handle those issues, so that the decision of the Supreme Court dated July 4, 2018 for construction of the dams could be implemented in letter and spirit.

The bench was further informed about the timelines to accomplish the tasks leading towards early commencement of construction of the Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams. The need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders was also underlined during the briefing.

The ICDBMD / WAPDA chairman said in view of the procurement timelines determined by the Implementation Committee, the construction work on Mohmand Dam Project was expected to commence in early 2019, whereas an all-out effort was also being made to start construction of Dimaer Basha Dam during 2019 as early as possible.

Expressing his gratitude over the keen interest taken by the Supreme Court to avert looming water crisis in Pakistan, the WAPDA chairman said the water situation in the country would improve under the guidance of the apex court, as both Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams would have cumulative gross water storage capacity of 9.3 million acre feet (MAF), in addition to generating 5300 megawatt (MW) low-cost hydel electricity.

He also informed the bench that ICDBMD had achieved in four weeks what could not be achieved in a decade if the Supreme Court had not passed an order for the dams' construction.

On the recommendations of the ICDMBD regarding appointment of a monitoring Judge for Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams, the CJP observed that the bench would act as a monitoring bench for the construction of the two dams being a national cause.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

An accountability court of Karachi Wednesday gave ten-year imprisonment each to three accused persons and slapped fine in separate corruption references filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :An accountability court of Karachi Wednesday gave ten-year imprisonment each to three accused persons and slapped fine in separate corruption references filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The court awarded ten-year imprisonment to accused Tanveer Hussain and imposed Rs 25 million fine in reference No. 54/2016. However, the other accused in the same case Fida Hussain was acquitted.

Likewise, the court awarded ten-year rigorous imprisonment to accused woman Hina Jabeen with 4.

390 million fine while the accused Ali Majad Kiyani was sentenced to seven-year rigorous jail with Rs one million fine in reference No. 71/2007. However, the accused Athar Hassan Abdeeb was acquitted by the court.

The court jailed co-accused Raja Muhammad Asif for ten years in reference No. 39/2015 and slapped a fine of Rs 35 million.

Similarly, the court maintained three-year imprisonment sentence to each Aleem Mehmood and Sardar Hussain besides reducing their fine to Rs 3.586 million fine in corruption reference.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) here on Wednesday called upon the upcoming government to introduce reforms in taxation system, focusing on direct taxes and rationalization of existing taxes for the revival of national economy.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) here on Wednesday called upon the upcoming government to introduce reforms in taxation system, focusing on direct taxes and rationalization of existing taxes for the revival of national economy.

While, talking to a delegation of Traders Welfare Association, Gulberg, Islamabad, President ICCI Shaikh Amir Waheed said that real estate sector has the potential to uplift the economy, but 23-25 percent cumulative taxes on it were impeding its growth.

The delegation of Gulberg Islamabad along with its president Muhammad Najeeb Malik visited ICCI and discussed the issues being faced by the real estate sector in the country, said a press release.

Amir Waheed urged the government to revise high taxes on this important sector to facilitate its better growth.

He said that around 250 ancillary industries including cement, steel, brick, timber and building material was linked with real estate sector and government should create conducive environment for it to turn around the economy.

He said the current taxation system was relying on indirect taxes that burdened the businesses as well as the common man.

He stressed that the incoming government should bring reforms in taxation system to focus on direct taxes with low tax rates that would help in improving the tax revenue.

Muhammad Naveed Malik Senior Vice President and Nisar Mirza Vice President, ICCI said that role of estate sector was important for investment promotion, jobs creation and revenue generation.

They emphasized that government should create supportive environment for this sector in order to promote business activities and revive the economy.

They assured the TWA Gulberg Islamabad that ICCI would cooperate with it in resolving key issues of its sector.

Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Najeeb Malik, President, Traders Welfare Association said that real estate sector could drive the economic development of the country, but budget 2016-17 imposed heavy taxes on it that badly damaged its growth.

He said the high tax rates have discouraged new investment in this sector while many investors were leaving real estate sector that was not good for the economy.

He said PTI had announced to build 50 thousand new houses in the country in case voted to power and added that if government reduce taxes on real estate, it could help it in realization of this goal.

He called upon the government to address the key issues of real estate sector so that it could play more effective role in the economic development of the country.
Belarus and Palestine intend to step up cooperation in the international scene. The possibility was discussed as Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Dapkiunas met with Ambassador of Palestine to Belarus Khaled Ariquat, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA

MINSK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Belarus and Palestine intend to step up cooperation in the international scene. The possibility was discussed as Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Dapkiunas met with Ambassador of Palestine to Belarus Khaled Ariquat, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA.

The sides discussed the development of the situation around Palestine and the latest events in the middle East. Andrei Dapkiunas and Khaled Ariquat noted that balanced and responsible steps of all the parties are crucial to the preservation and the successful advancement of the peace process.

The steps must be taken with respect for principles of international law and vital interests of neighbors and partners.

The Belarusian and Palestinian diplomats exchanged opinions about a large number of items on the bilateral agenda, in particular, the development of trade and economic cooperation for the sake of greatly increasing the trade turnover. Promising joint projects were mentioned.
Israel has released a Palestinian detainee who had been on a hunger strike and his father, a lawyer for a Palestinian non-governmental organization said Wednesday.

RAMALLAH, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Israel has released a Palestinian detainee who had been on a hunger strike and his father, a lawyer for a Palestinian non-governmental organization said Wednesday.

Khader Diabis, with the Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, said in a written statement that 27-year-old Mohammed al-Rimawi and his father, Nimer Mohammed, 54, have been freed from the Ashkelon interrogation center.

It is reported that al-Rimawi, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days, was released because his health had deteriorated.

His father had been detained to persuade his son to end the hunger strike and was also forced to confess to crimes he didn't commit.

Al-Rimawi had previously served three years in Israeli prisons.
(@FahadShabbir)

Chinese travel services and social networking platform Mafengwo has teamed up with Australia's tourism authority to help attract more Chinese tourists.

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Chinese travel services and social networking platform Mafengwo has teamed up with Australia's tourism authority to help attract more Chinese tourists.

Tourism Australia will improve its tourism information and products on Mafengwo's mobile app and leverage the online travel community's abundant data to offer customized tourist services for users, especially individual travelers, according to an MOU on the strategic partnership signed Tuesday.

Chinese travelers value unique experiences more than ever and like to travel to faraway and off-the-beaten-track destinations. They will also revisit a place if they like it, observed Lyu Gang, co-founder and chief operating officer of Mafengwo.

The partnership is expected to help Tourism Australia gain deeper insight into Chinese consumers' travel preferences and habits so that richer and more reliable tourist information and products can be provided efficiently, according to John O'Sullivan, managing director of Tourism Australia.

China is Australia's largest source of inbound tourists, with over 1.4 million Chinese travelers visiting the country from May 2017 to May 2018, according to Andrew Hogg, general manager of the North Asia region with Tourism Australia.

Tourism Australia also signed a three-year strategic partnership with Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific to tap into China's growing business travel market.

Last year, about 106,000 Chinese business travelers visited Australia, spending 591 million Australian Dollars (438.8 million U.S. dollars).

Australia aims for its tourism sector to generate 115 billion Australian dollars by 2020, and China is considered the most important market to help achieve this target. Chinese tourists' contribution to Australian tourism revenue is expected to rise from 5.4 billion Australian dollars now to 13 billion by 2020.
The Nicaraguan government on Tuesday accused the opposition of "coup-driven terrorism" and blamed it for 197 deaths that have occurred in nearly four months of protests against President Daniel Ortega

Managua, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :The Nicaraguan government on Tuesday accused the opposition of "coup-driven terrorism" and blamed it for 197 deaths that have occurred in nearly four months of protests against President Daniel Ortega.

Rosario Murillo, who is Ortega's wife, vice president and chief government spokeswoman, made the allegation to state media.

She vowed that protesters and opposition sympathizers who have been convicted over the unrest, would "pay for their crimes." The 197 death toll advanced by Ortega's government is far lower than the toll given by human rights organizations in the country.

One such prominent organization, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, says 317 people have been killed and at least 2,000 wounded in brutal repression by Ortega's security forces against the protests.

"Those figures are being manipulated" to damage the image of Nicaragua's government, Murillo asserted.

She counted 22 police officers killed, but just five university student protesters.

More than 130 opposition figures have been arrested and charged with terrorism offenses under a new law that carries penalities of up to 20 years in prison.

- Protesters determined - Ortega, in a flurry of interviews with foreign media late last month, asserted that the unrest was over and the country was "normalizing.

" He said the turmoil was fomented by the United States.

But opposition figures have said they will keep up the protests to demand Ortega and Murillo step down.

They are determined to see "a free Nicaragua," a student opposition leader, Lesther Aleman, 20, told AFP in an interview this week.

Another university student in Managua who would not be identified for fear of official reprisal, said: "Many of our comrades have been arrested. We know they are being tortured, that they are being held without eating." Every day, dozens of Nicaraguans flee over the southern border to Costa Rica to escape what they say is persecution by Ortega's government and by loyalist paramilitaries.

Murillo labeled the protesters "coup-mongers, terrorists, right-wingers, satanists, vandals, criminals."The United States has repeatedly warned Nicaragua over the violence and repression.

On Tuesday, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Francisco Palmieri, tweeted: "We denounce continued arbitrary detentions and call for the release of all individuals arrested for peacefully expressing opposition to the Ortega government."
On the third hand, however, this dog won't hunt. Ryan is not a White House staffer or a bureaucrat, he's the speaker of the House, a co-equal branch of government, last time I checked the Constitution. If Ryan had said no on a few things, it was not as if Trump could have fired him or forced him out. Sure, Ryan might have faced a more contentious House GOP caucus. It seems clear, however, that no one else who really wanted to be House speaker would have had the juice to oust Ryan. The very fact that Ryan talks as if he is Trump's subordinate suggests the degree of supplication he has accepted in the Age of Trump.
Page Content

The grand opening of the new state-of-the-art Chemistry Biology Building at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will feature a renowned speaker and ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 13-14.

"Science Matters: Inspiring Creativity and Discovery" will be presented Thursday, Sept. 13, by Brian Greene, a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University. The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. at Michelsen Hall in the Noel Fine Arts Center. Tickets are free and available through the University Information and Tickets, tickets.uwsp.edu or 715-346-4100. Limited quantities are available.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at 2101 Fourth Ave., Stevens Point, at the south end of the building off Stanley Street. Building tours will follow from 3:30 to 6 p.m. The public may attend free of charge.

All campus parking lots will be open to the public at no charge for these events. Find a campus map at www.uwsp.edu/Parking/Documents/UWSPMap-9-22-16.pdf.

One of the world's leading theoretical physicists, Greene is an entertaining communicator who has been described by The Washington Post as the "single best explainer of abstruse concepts in the world today." In his talk, Green will help audiences explore key breakthroughs in science and grasp how abstract discovery can impact the quest to understand how humans fit into the cosmos.

"Science is our species' most dramatic story of discovery, calling upon our deepest capacity for creativity and ingenuity," said Greene. "Instilling this perspective calls for a radical shift in which science moves from the outskirts to the center of culture."

Greene is co-founder of the World Science Festival and has appeared as himself on "The Big Bang Theory" and as a frequent guest of talk-show host Stephen Colbert. He is the author of "The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos" and "The Hidden Reality," which collectively spent 65 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.

A "science-on-display" facility, the 176,500-square-foot Chemistry Biology Building features 58 research and teaching laboratories, two lecture halls, seven classrooms, a green roof, tropical conservatory (opening later this fall) and cafe.

The project was approved by the State Building Commission through $75 million in capital funding as part of the state's 2013-2015 biennium budget. This capital budget is separate from the university's base state operations budget and academic programs. Capital projects are not subject to cuts to the UW System, nor can capital funding be used to offset UW-Stevens Point's fiscal challenges.






Caritas Indonesia has put in place numerous plans of action in order to aid in the rehabilitation of the people and the Indonesian islands struck by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

By Francesca Merlo

After having been struck by two earthquakes in the past week, the situation in Indonesia  more specifically on the islands of Lombok and Bali - is drastic. With the death toll continuously rising, along with the number of injured, there is a desperate need for humanitarian aid and intervention.

Caritas Indonesia has been working with and for the people and country, providing humanitarian assistance where possible.

Yohanes Baskoro, Project manager of Caritas Indonesia, spoke to Francesca Merlo about the current situation and how Caritas Indonesia is helping survivors.

Listen to Johanes Baskoro

Caritas providing support

Baskoro says that Caritas Indonesia is providing medical support for the survivors, and that they are distributing hygiene kits to 188 houses  a task which they hope to have completed within the second week of August.

There are meetings set-up with the authorities of the dioceses, with whom they work very closely. With their help they will soon be deploying the Caritas staff members as well as volunteers, who will be working with the dioceses for 30 days in order to provide assistance and help where possible.

Aid provided regardless of mutual beliefs

Baskoro says that Caritas, a Catholic organisation, has not struggled at all despite Indonesia being a vastly predominant Muslim country, with over 87% of the population identifying as Muslims, making Christians a minority.

In delivering humanitarian aid, especially as Caritas, the Church is never mentioned. They aim to help everyone who has been affected in any way by the earthquake, regardless of ethnicity, religion and background.
Violence in Ethiopia has led to political resignation and religious fasting and prayer as churches are burnt down.

By Francesca Merlo

Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, has decided to go through 16 days of fasting and prayer in order to invoke peace and reconciliation in the countrys Jijiga and Somali regions. The violence that took off in those areas of Ethiopia last week caused around 30 deaths.

The Ethiopian Orthodox church has suffered the aftermath of this violence as, according to local news agencies, at least 7 churches have been burned down and 6 priests and numerous believers killed.

Nature of the violence

The violence was instigated at the end of last week when armed Liyu militia, under orders from Abdi Illey, President of the Somali region, attempted to break up a meeting between members of the regional parliament and representatives of the citizens of Dire Daua.

The purpose of the meeting was to denounce the violation of human rights occurring in the region. The violence beckoned the involvement of the Ethiopian army, an intervention that lead to the attacks on minorities - allegedly lead by Liyu Militias.

Governor resigned and arrested

This out of control violence has led to the resignation of Abdi Illey, regional governor. The situation has accentuated the contrast between regional administration and the government of Addis Abeba.

According to local news agencies, Illey was arrested by the federal army on Wednesday and is being held in custody by authorities in Addis Abeba.

Parishes assistance

Official sources of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church told Fides News Agency that over 20,000 evacuated Ethiopians are being assisted by Jijingas Orthodox parishes.
Pope Francis recently approved a revision in the Catechism of the Catholic Church saying that death penalty is inadmissible.

A Filipino Catholic Church official has welcomed the change made by Pope Francis to the Catechism of the Catholic Church declaring death penalty as inadmissible, and has reiterated the call by the countrys Catholic Church against the governments plan to bring back capital punishment.

Pro-life Church



The purpose of punishment is rehabilitation and not vengeance, stressed Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Commission on the Laity of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Death is totally unacceptable because there are now means to rehabilitate those who commit crime while protecting the community, he said in an interview on Radio Veritas of Manila Archdiocese.

The Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced on August 2 that Pope Francis approved a revision in the Catechism saying that the light of the Gospel, the Church teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person, and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.

Previously, the Catechism said the Church didn't exclude recourse to capital punishment "if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor."

The CBCPs Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care also welcomed Pope Francis decision to revise the Catechism and its explanation of the Churchs teaching on the capital punishment.

Mr. Rodolfo Diamante, Executive Secretary of ECPPC, said they have long been pushing for such a revision. It should never be said, especially in the teachings of the Church, that death penalty is justifiable, he said.

If you will be faithful of reading the Scriptures, Gods compassion towards the people, especially to the weak, is really unconditional, Diamante said.

Government pushing for revival of death penalty



The Philippines abolished capital punishment in June 2006 under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. President Rodrigo Duterte promised to reimpose the death penalty during the 2016 elections as part of his anti-crime campaign.

In February year, the House of Representatives approved the death penalty bill for drug-related offenses but a similar measure has remained pending at the Senate.



Manny Pacquiao, popular Filipino professional boxer and politician, currently serving as a senator, has been calling for the revival of the death penalty, citing the Bible. Diamante has lashed out at him saying he was misleading the people with his wrong interpretation of the Bible.

In March 2017, the CBCP issued a pastoral statement calling for the abolition of capital punishment one and for all saying Jesus was never an advocate of any form of legal killing. (Source: CBCP News)


So what now? District officials say theyll replenish the herd by bringing more elk from Texas later this fall. But Schneider says the district shouldnt bring in more elk until officials can better publicly explain why those elk died last year. We agree. And well go a step further than Schneider: We think the forest preserve should care for what remains of the herd until it expires, then get out of the business of keeping captive elk. The animals are better off roaming in the wild, where they can find their own food and water instead of relying on humans. The forest preserve isnt a zoo.
Bangladeshi activist and photographer Shahidul Alam (C) being led by police to a court. (AFP or licensors)

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have denounced security forces and members of the ruling Awami League party for using brutal force on journalists and protesting students demanding road safety.

By Robin Gomes

Two leading rights groups have accused the government of Bangladesh of using abusive measures to quell students protests demanding road safety.

Human Rights Watch

Instead of prosecuting those responsible for unlawfully attacking student protesters demanding road safety, Bangladesh authorities are arresting students and targeting activists and journalists who are highlighting the abuses, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Monday.

The New York-based group said that members of the ruling Awami League party of prime minister Sheik Hasina, armed with machetes and sticks have swooped in on the protesters and journalists since the students took to the streets on July 29 after two students were killed by a speeding bus in the capital, Dhaka.

Several journalists, including an Associated Press photographer, have been attacked. The rights group also criticized Sundays arrest of Shahidul Alam, a renowned photographer and activist, on charges of spreading false information about the protests and propaganda against the government under an information technology law.

A court on Monday allowed police to keep him in custody for seven days for questioning. His colleagues said Alam was tortured after his detention Sunday night.

Yet again, Bangladesh authorities seem determined to take abusive shortcuts to problems, and then denounce those who criticize, said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The authorities should immediately release anyone, including Shahidul Alam, they have locked up for peaceful criticism. Instead, authorities should prosecute those, including members of the ruling partys youth supporters, who are attacking children with sticks and machetes.

Amnesty International

Another prominent human rights watchdog Amnesty International also criticized Hasina's government for its handling of the situation and demanded the release of Alam.

The Bangladeshi government must end the crackdown on the student protestors and people speaking out against it. The students have a right to peaceful assembly and physical security, Omar Waraich, Deputy South Asia Director of Amnesty International said in a statement on Monday. While calling for rights to be respected and protected, the London-based group demanded an immediate and effective investigation into the use of force by police, the violent actions of pro-government vigilantes who also attacked the students, and why the police did nothing to stop them.

Noting that Bangladesh was heading for election later this year, Waraich said it is crucial that the government adheres to its international obligations, including the protection of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and security of persons.
Germany says it has reached an agreement with Spain for that country to take back previously registered migrants who show up at the German border ahead of a state election that has been overshadowed by tensions over refugees.

By Stefan J. Bos

Germany's Interior Ministry says that, under an agreement taking effect Saturday, migrants picked up at the German border, who previously registered in Spain, will be returned there within 48 hours.



A spokeswoman claimed Wednesday that Spain didn't ask for anything in return. She added that talks with Greece and Italy, which have been more significant sources of migration to Germany, are ongoing.



The move is part of a deal to defuse a domestic political dispute over migration. In June, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer threatened to turn back previously registered migrants unilaterally at the German-Austrian border.



But Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted Germany must first reach agreements with other countries.



The political turmoil comes at a time when the Interior minister's party CSU, which rules in the German state of Bavaria is under pressure to present a hard-line stance on refugees ahead of a state election in October.

Deportation centers?



Bavarian authorities are reportedly planning to establish a deportation center for refugees at Munichs Airport, located in a hangar once used by bankrupt Air-Berlin.

But Interior Ministry spokeswoman Eleonore Petermann tried to play down these reports. Fundamentally, I can say on behalf of all counties and in general that detention and deportation centers is not a term that should be seriously considered to be used by anyone, Petermann said.



Yet the distinctly stricter stance on migration also comes ahead of talks between German Chancellor Merkel and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government confirmed Wednesday that he will come to Berlin Sept 28 and 29 after a difficult period in German-Turkish relations.



Migration is expected to be among the topics being discussed as well as Turkey's detention of German citizens for what Berlin considers political reasons in the aftermath of the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. The Foreign Ministry says at least seven Germans are currently in detention on controversial charges.
Everyone who has followed this Presidential election must admit, they've never seen anything like Donald Trump as a candidate.

First and foremost he is not a politician, and many of his surrogates overuse that excuse. If he didn't want to feel the heat he should have stayed out of the kitchen.

He certainly knows how to use the media to get free TV time and have his name all over the press. Good or bad, it doesn't matter to him, it's all publicity.

The statement of his political skills being less than his opponents is well known. Just in staffing and offices throughout the country, he just didn't establish a ground game, essential to producing votes.

Did you watch the debates?

The debates were a complete atrocity. Trump acted like a stalker in the second debate, hovering over Hillary Clinton in a creepy kind of way.

His antagonistic manner of interrupting his opponent was much more obvious than when he debated a crowded stage of eight or more candidates. It's his method, it's what he does.

By all accounts (except the Trump campaign and followers) he lost all three debates by large margins...yet he wasn't out of the race by much.

How can he still be so close in the polls?

Let's review some of the hurdles Trump has leaped over, and with one week to go until the election, he's still not behind by much, or at all depending on which poll you read.

He has overcome:

1.) Not releasing his taxes, even though every candidate in modern times has done so. To his credit, he learned when Mitt Romney finally released his taxes, he fell in the polls.

2.) His bogus Trump University is under fire, with many complaining of being duped out of their money. The trial will be later this month AFTER the election. This is the same trial which Trump made remarks that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was assigned to the case was a Trump hater, and was a Mexican (when in fact he was born in Indiana) and therefore not capable of deciding the case.

3. The bombshell Access Hollywood tape of Trump and Billy Bush discussing how Trump would have his way with women, how he would hit on them, and in no uncertain terms, his language was not "locker room" talk or "boy talk" as it was described by his surrogates and wife. It was crude, disgusting language, and spoken as if he actually did things he described.

Then, the women came forward two weeks before the election to verify one by one (with the latest count being 13) that they indeed were assaulted by him, giving details.

Trump apologized (sort of) and classified it as locker room talk. He put down the women who came out against him as liars who had something to gain for coming forward, and that he would sue them. As of yet, not one woman has gained a thing, except clearing the air about Trump's vulgar behavior, and Trump has backed down on suing them. As usual, Trump makes threats, talks big, but doesn't follow through.

4.) Trump has described his opponent's issues if she were elected, but he has plenty of his own, including a rape trial in December involving a then 13-year old girl who was viciously raped at Trump's friend, John Epstein's sex party. The woman filed a federal lawsuit in June alleging that Trump raped her in 1994 when she was 13 and threatened to harm her and her family if she talked.

Epstein, a financier who was also friends with Bill and Hillary Clinton, was convicted in 2008 of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and served 13 months of an 18-year prison term.

5.) Trump's attraction to many voters is his stance on immigration. A topic which needs attention, but not the type of attention Trump has put forward. He actually thinks he can build a massive wall, which would cost millions or more to construct and get the Congress to go along with the idea, with the ridiculous clause that the Mexican government would pay for the wall. The concept is quite laughable, but it fires up his base and incites his followers.

6.) Trump's economic platform would certainly bring tax cuts, but to the upper one percent, like himself. He would literally destroy all the positive results which President Obama has worked so hard to accomplish after he was left with a huge mess from the George Bush destructive economic policies.

7.) Trump claims he's going to create jobs, that his businesses have employed thousands of workers. He also is against raising the minimum wage and eliminating it completely.

November 8th will determine the outcome

Yet, with all this baggage Trump surprisingly has survived. His support amongst Republicans wavers at about 75 percent when past GOP Presidential candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney had support in the 92-94 percent range.

The main reason Trump has survived is due to the weak candidacy of Clinton, and the endless attacks towards her. Had Bernie Sanders gathered the Democratic nomination, Trump would be losing by a larger margin.

So, the American voter has the choice of two very disliked candidates to choose from, and there is really only one candidate with the experience and background to be President.

Good try Donald, but you're run is over, and we won't have to listen to all the mud-slinging by both candidates much longer.

The only question remaining is will Clinton capture normally red states like Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina?

If Trump loses in large margins, the down-state elections will be affected. Clinton may have a Democratic Senate to work with, but will more than likely not enjoy a majority in Congress due to her recent continued email issues.
More than 40,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2016. Since 2002, opioid deaths in the U.S. have more than doubled. Why is there an opioid crisis in America and how do we fight it? Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi join's Greta Van Susteren from Tampa and in the studio, a man who struggled with opioid addiction talks about his experience.
One of the ways Chicago is different is that our social conditions are not anything like those now in New York City and Los Angeles, Jens Ludwig, director of the Crime Lab, told a City Club audience early this year. We are not just the most segregated city in America, but the level of concentrated poverty we have in our neighborhoods is unlike anything in Los Angeles or New York. You would not find an Englewood or Garfield Park anywhere in Los Angeles and New York.
As China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have approved a draft of a proposed agreement to prevent conflict in the disputed South China Sea, a US official has said international norms should be incorporated in the text.

China and the 10-nation bloc, which includes four claimants involved in the territorial dispute, have been engaged in sporadic negotiations for years to craft a "code of conduct" aimed at preventing violent outbreaks in the region.

Its important that all countries, regardless of their size, have the opportunity to represent their national interests as well as the very clear international principles including the principles that are enshrined in [the Law of the Sea]. That position is unchanged, US Ambassador Piper Campbell, Charge dAffairs at the US Mission to Asean, said on Tuesday.

She added that the US was pleased that China and Asean were moving towards negotiating a code of conduct, adding that forums like the East Asia Summit provide a good opportunity for the United States to discuss the issue with their Asian partners.

Those meetings in Singapore provided an excellent opportunity for frank and clear conversations on the situation in the South China Sea, and to raise our very real concerns about ongoing activities of militarization and to ask for clarity about how those actual steps on the ground, how those fit with the principles that were enumerated by almost every country in the discussion, Campbell said.

Prak Sokhonn, Cambodias foreign minister, said that the developments were positive.

"Asean and China have demonstrated that trust combined with practical marine cooperation and credible Early Harvest and Confidence Building Measures can bring positive results."

Chheang Vannarith a regional analyst, said that both sides still need to work on the substance of the code of the conduct.

It is a significant step in bridging the trust gap between China and Asean on the COC. However, the substance of the COC really matters, he said.

The US's role remains relevant in maritime security in the Asia Pacific region."

Singapores Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Thursday that the development was a "milestone."

Her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, said approval of the draft was "good news" and a "breakthrough."

China has transformed seven disputed reefs into man-made islands replete with three runways, surface-to-air missiles and other weapons systems.

Without naming China, Asean foreign ministers cited Beijing's actions, saying in a statement they "took note of the concerns expressed by some countries on the land reclamation in the area, which has eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region.''

China has responded to criticism by claiming it has the right to build on its territory and defend its strategic interests at all costs.

China and Taiwan, as well as Asean members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, have all made claims in the South China Sea, a pathway for much of the commerce and oil that bolsters Asia's bustling economies.

U.S. military ships and jets patrol the waters, a presence that Washington maintains is designed to promote freedom of navigation and overflight. China contends, however, the United States is meddling in Asian affairs.

The U.S. response to Chinas controversial actions in the South China Sea is consistency, the Navys top admiral has said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with VOA, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said the United States Navy has been at about the same force levels in the South China Sea for about 70 years.

Nothing has elevated too much or decreased too much. We've been pretty steady, he said.
A group of Cambodian-Americans has refused to recognize the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen after the longtime premiere claimed a landslide victory in a general election last month.

The Cambodian Peoples Party won all 125 seats in parliament in the vote on July 29 but has been criticized for banning the countrys main opposition party, and allegations of a campaign against civil society, independent media and voter intimidation.

At the annual Overseas Khmer Summit (OKS), held over the weekend in Minnesota, rights activists and academics in the Cambodian diaspora denounced the election and appealed to the international community to intervene.

Tung Yap, secretary general of the OKS, called on the government to respect the spirit of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement.

We also appealed to the international community to assist in making sure the spirit of this peace accord is fully respected, he said.

Voter turnout in the election was reported at more than 82 percent, with the CPP gaining 77 percent of the vote, eclipsing its 19 competitors.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party, which won a large minority of 55 seats in parliament in the last election, was banned in November after its leader, Kem Sokha, was jailed on treason charges two months earlier.

Numerous governments, including that of the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany, have said the election was not free or fair and consider the results unrepresentative of the will of the Cambodian people.

The U.S. and E.U. have warned of further sanctions on Cambodian officials following the election.

Yorn Yan, executive director of the United Cambodian Association of Minnesota, said those gathered at the OKS had also discussed ways to pressure the Cambodian government further so that it turns back to talk and solve the problem.

He added that Cambodian-Americans would support the implementation of the Cambodia Democracy Act, which will pave the way for further sanctions on senior officials in the Hun Sen regime.

Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, who attended the summit, said participants had a role to play collectively that you may not realize.

And now Hun Sen's made a big mistake. He's officially ended the Paris Peace Agreement and now is the time for them to hear from you, he said.

But Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, said the election was an expression of the will of the Cambodian people.

The decision is for Khmer interest and it is their sovereignty to determine their own fate; its not the elections that serve [the interests of] the E.U., the U.S., the Chinese or the Vietnamese, he said.
Elections in the DRC are set for December, however the political situation is fluid and there is uncertainty about the future. Guest-host Peter Clottey is joined by Gilbert Mundela, former representative of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP), a major opposition party in the DRC, Jean Claude Nkongolo, President of Congolese United for Change in the DRC (CUCDRC), a diaspora pressure group and VOA reporter Idrissa Fall to discuss Politics in the DRC.
The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says Afghanistan has assured the United States that Islamic State-Khorasan fighters captured in the country's north "will be treated as war prisoners."

"They have been transported from Jowzjan province to government detention facilities, where they will be investigated and help to account for any war crimes they are found to have committed," U.S. Central Command's General Joseph Votel told Pentagon reporters Wednesday.

His statement echoed comments made Monday by Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who said any "war criminals" would face justice.

About 250 IS-Khorasan fighters under the command of Mawlawi Habib Rahman surrendered last week following a monthlong campaign by Taliban forces to rid the province of the terror group.

The captured fighters were later handed over to the Afghan government. But reports that some of the IS-Khorasan fighters might be treated as "honored guests" sparked an outcry from residents.

Votel said such talk came "at a moment in time after the surrender when the Afghans were working through the details," adding that the process was "something that the Afghan government said they could have managed better."

He said some of the confusion might have come from the fact that many IS-Khorasan fighters are former Taliban members who switched allegiances for various reasons. Both the U.S. and Afghanistan have been pushing for reconciliation with the Taliban as they seek an end to years of fighting.

But Votel said there is no going back for any fighters who pledge allegiance to the Islamic State.

"We harbor no illusion with ISIS-K," he said, using an acronym for the group.

"[Those fighters] adopted the ideology, some of the techniques, the approaches, kind of what I would just call the mindless violence that has been associated with ISIS and are applying that in their campaign," Votel said. "That, we don't believe, is reconcilable."

US approach in Afghanistan

The Central Command commander also said no one should expect major changes to the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

"I think the strategy that we have in place is the right one," Votel said when asked what to expect when Army General Scott Miller takes over as commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.

Still, he said, there are some areas "where we can tweak."

"We want to make sure we're taking actions to minimize vulnerabilities for the Afghan forces, so minimizing remote checkpoints and things like that are an important aspect of this," Votel said.

"It's also important that we look at some of the utilization of some of their high-end capabilities, Afghan special operations forces," he said. "We have to be mindful that they are not overused."

Ayaz Gul contributed to this report.
Belarus on Wednesday detained at least six more journalists in Minsk, including a freelance correspondent for Deutsche Welle, in a crackdown on independent media, ostensibly over unauthorized access to a state news agency.

The ex-Soviet country led by strongman Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday detained at least four journalists from two popular news sites, accusing them of gaining "unauthorized access to computer information for reasons of personal gain."

The Council of Europe and Reporters Without Borders expressed concern at those detentions, while the Belarusian foreign ministry said they had "nothing to do with issues of press freedom."

Belarus' Investigative Committee said Wednesday that it had detained Paulyuk Bykowski, a Belarusian journalist who works for Deutsche Welle, Germany's public international broadcaster, after raiding his home.

Bykowksi's wife, Volha Bykowskaja, told Deutsche Welle that investigators had seized all their computers, devices and bank cards.

The Investigative Committee also said it had detained journalist Alexei Zhukov from Belarusians and the Market, a business weekly.

Earlier Wednesday, the editor in chief of the Realt.by property news website Uladizlau Kuletski told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that investigators were raiding its offices and seizing computers and had detained him and three other journalists.

The Realt.by journalists were not answering their phones.

State news agency BelTA has accused the journalists of failing to pay subscription fees, with officials saying its "business reputation was harmed."

If found guilty, the journalists face up to two years in prison.

The harsh crackdown comes despite the fact that BelTA makes its stories freely accessible 15 minutes after subscribers see them.

Deutsche Welle correspondent Bykowski told RFE/RL that he had not read the agency's reports for a long time.

Relatives of one of the journalists detained Tuesday, Maria Zolotova, an editor at the Tut.by news site, said she spent the night in a detention center and was remanded in custody for three days.

The whereabouts of three other detained journalists from Tut.by were unclear.

Investigators confirmed they were probing the companies that run Tut.by and another news site, BelaPAN as well as several other publishing and media groups.

The editor in chief of BelaPAN, Irina Levshina, told AFP that investigators had not allowed the company's lawyer to visit detained journalist Tatiana Korovenkova and were pressuring her to use a state-assigned lawyer.

Separately in the city of Brest, blogger and opposition activist Alexander Kabanov was detained Wednesday for allegedly insulting a policeman, independent journalist Tamara Shchepetkina said.

Belarus, ruled by authoritarian Lukashenko since 1994, is ranked 155th out of 180 in this year's Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index.
Aside from Cameroon's President Paul Biya and main opposition leader Joshua Osih, no candidate for the October election is creating as much hype as 66-year-old lawyer Akere Muna.

Muna, the former vice president of the anti-corruption group Transparency International, says he is the best candidate to fight the deep-rooted corruption that has hindered Cameroon's development, despite rich natural and human resources.

A 2015 Transparency International report labeled Cameroon as one of the most corrupt African nations, alongside Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa. Transparency said corruption creates and increases poverty and exclusion. It also said whistleblowing is key to fighting graft, but many people are afraid to come forward.

"Under my government, there will be zero tolerance for corruption," Muna said. "Absolutely zero tolerance. This country is tailor-made for any type of corrupt practices. The World Bank report on public expenses of 18th May says so. Procurement  prices bloated; meetings  prices bloated; missions, travel  prices bloated. Every single way they have to spend money, they increase it by prices."

But Ngolle Ngolle Elvis, a close aide of Biya, says Muna is wasting his time.

"A good policy, such as the fight against corruption, should not be manipulated upon or should not be distorted or should not be rendered a mockery by those who do not understand the moral foundations, the legitimacy of that policy," Ngolle said.

Ngolle says Biya has made the fight against corruption a public policy, and points to the arrests of scores of Biya's former colleagues, including former Prime Minister Inoni Ephraim.

However, Biya's critics say he uses corruption to go after political opponents, an allegation Ngolle refutes.

"There is nothing to tell me that it is politically motivated, and I think that the initiative is a deliberate public policy which is intended to make Cameroon a better country. If there are manipulators, we would know how to take care of those manipulators," Ngolle said.

Recovered funds

Cameroon has complained about lengthy judicial processes and difficulties tracing embezzled funds in foreign banks. In 2016, the government said it had recovered $4 million in stolen public funds. The state estimates more than $150 million has been stolen.

Muna says he already is working on what he calls an African platform to bring back the stolen money.

"I made a proposal, which was adopted by the heads of state of the African Union," Muna said. He explained it was that all money found in foreign bank accounts should be transferred to the African Development Bank instead of frozen in place.

"I am saying that those banks that are keeping that money are complicit with the kleptocrats who stole the money from Africa because they knew that they were taking this money illegally and they took it," Muna said. "So they are handling illegal goods."

Activist Edward Nfor praises Muna's lofty ideas, but says competing in Cameroon's politics will be more than a challenge for the anti-corruption campaigner.

"He has never come out on a public debate or on a political debate before. He has never been on any political platform," Nfor said. "So, I do not see how he can win elections in this country. In fact, he is well known at international circles. But politically speaking, in this country, Akere Muna is a non-figure in politics. And I know the English community is against his standing for elections, especially during this crisis."

Muna says his being from southwest Cameroon, where insurgents are fighting for an English-speaking state, will help spur dialogue to end the simmering conflict.

Split opposition

But some argue the conflict has divided the population.

Political science student Joseph Foyong says the opposition is too split to challenge Biya.

"The Anglophone crisis has taken a good part of the population that might have voted in favor of Akere [Muna]. His percentage might have swollen if the situation in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon was stable," Foyong said. "If Akere and other prominent opposition candidates like Joshua Osih, Maurice Kamto came up with a single opposition candidate to face Paul Biya, Akere may have been having some hopes."

Cameroonian voters will get a better sense of the anti-corruption campaigner's chances as Muna and the other presidential candidates begin campaigning for the October election.
A Chinese businessman pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court Tuesday of importing and distributing opioids.

Bin Wang operated several companies from a warehouse outside Boston.

Federal agents began their investigation in 2016 after a number of fatal opioid overdoses occurred in northeastern Ohio.

Undercover agents ordered the drugs through Chinese websites and discovered that the seller in China was sending the opioids to Wang, who mailed them to customers in Ohio.

Prosecutors say opioids purchased through one of the Chinese websites are responsible for two deaths in Ohio in 2015.

"The importation of opioids and other synthetic drugs from China has played a significant role in America's current drug use epidemic," drug enforcement agent Timothy Plancon said. "Over 60,000 people a year die from drug overdoses in this country, and halting all methods of drug trafficking, including by way of the internet, is a top priority of the DEA."

Wang will be sentenced November 13.
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A senior at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Dominic Scavuzzo, 18 was first motivated to run for office (thinking he would be eligible for a city council position) when he attended a program for politically-minded young men at a Kansas University.

Twitter: @ScavuzzoForGov | Hometown: Overland Park
Yet theres no reason for any human being in Chicago to believe any politician has even the foggiest notion how to remedy the citys deeply dug-in problem of gangs and poverty and gun violence, or even the inclination to honestly figure it out. To confirm that statement, just look at the number of homicides year in and year out in the same parts of the city.
A special congressional election that tested President Donald Trump's clout and cost both parties millions of dollars in battleground Ohio was too close to call early Wednesday. Trump claimed victory nevertheless.

The president took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance, calling it "a great victory,'' even though the contest could be headed to a mandatory recount. Democrat Danny O'Connor, trailing in the latest count, vowed: "We're not stopping now.''

The candidates were locked in a razor-thin race, which they will reprise in the general election in just three months. There were at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough to force a recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races subject to an automatic recount.

The Republican president's shadow also loomed over primary contests in four other states, none bigger than Kansas, where Trump roiled the governor's race by opposing the GOP incumbent on the eve of the election.

The day's races, like dozens before them, pitted Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results are helping determine the political landscape - and Trump's standing within his own party - just before the GOP defends its House and Senate majorities in November.

Voters in Kansas, Missouri, Michigan and Washington state joined those in Ohio in Tuesday's voting.

Kansas Republicans were fighting among themselves in a battle for governor, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach was trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer.

Should the polarizing Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall. The race could become further disrupted if Kansas City-area businessman Greg Orman makes it onto the November ballot. He submitted petitions Monday with more than 10,000 signatures for what could become the most serious independent run for Kansas governor in decades.

Trump made his preference clear for Kobach.

"He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country - he will be a GREAT Governor and has my full & total Endorsement! Strong on Crime, Border & Military,'' the president tweeted on the eve of the election. "VOTE TUESDAY!''

Republicans were hoping for Democratic discord in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, a suburban Kansas City district where several candidates were fighting for the chance to take on Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder in November.

The five-way Democratic primary featured labor lawyer Brent Welder, who campaigned recently with self-described democratic socialists Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and ascending political star, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate.

Also in the race: Native American attorney Sharice Davids and former school teacher Tom Niermann.

In Ohio, the script for the special election was somewhat familiar: An experienced Trump loyalist, Balderson, was fighting a strong challenge from O'Connor, a fresh-faced Democrat, in a congressional district held by the Republican Party for more than three decades. In an election morning tweet, Trump said Balderson would make a "great congressman.''

The winner takes the seat previously held by Pat Tiberi, a nine-term incumbent who resigned to take a job with an Ohio business group.

In a special election season that featured nearly a dozen congressional races, Democrats claimed just a handful of wins, but they may have cause for optimism this fall. In virtually every special election test dating back to the spring of 2017, Democratic candidates performed significantly better than their party in those same places two years earlier.

Trump won Ohio's 12th Congressional District, for example, by more than 11 points in 2016; on Tuesday night, Balderson and O'Connor were separated by less than 1 point.

There are 79 House races this fall considered more competitive than the Ohio district - at least looking at Trump's 2016 performance - according to data compiled by the Democrats' national campaign committee.

Despite the deadlocked race, the specific Ohio returns suggest considerably higher Democratic enthusiasm less than 100 days before the midterms.

O'Connor's total of nearly 100,000 votes far exceeded what the district's former Republican congressman Pat Tiberi's Democratic opponent got in 2014. Balderson's total - just more than 101,500 votes - is barely two-thirds of Tiberi's 2014 mark of about 150,000.

The two will face off again in November to see who holds the seat in 2019 and 2020.

"Over the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great again, so that when we come back here in November - get ready, we gotta come back here in November - I have earned your vote for a second time,'' Balderson told supporters.

It's unclear how much Trump's support helped or hurt Balderson. Described by campaign operatives as a "Whole Foods'' district, the largely suburban region features a more affluent and educated voter base than the typical Trump stronghold.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a leading voice in the GOP's shrinking anti-Trump wing, once represented the district in Congress.

At times, the race centered on Trump's tax cuts as much as the candidates.

O'Connor and his Democratic allies railed against the tax plan, casting it as a giveaway for the rich that exacerbates federal deficits and threatens Medicare and Social Security. Balderson and his Republican allies have backed away from the tax plan in recent weeks, training their fire instead on top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

O'Connor dominated Balderson on the local airwaves. His campaign spent $2.25 million on advertising compared to Balderson's $507,000, according to campaign tallies of ad spending. The Republican campaign arm and its allied super PAC were forced to pick up the slack, spending more than $4 million between them.

In Michigan, three mainstream Democrats in suburban Detroit were among those vying for a chance at retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott's seat in November. The field included Fayrouz Saad, who would be the first Muslim woman in Congress.

And in suburban Seattle, three Democrats vied in a jungle primary for the seat held by another retiring Republican, Rep. Dave Reichert.

The field was set in two Senate contests as well.

In Missouri, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill claimed her party's nomination, while state Attorney General Josh Hawley will represent the GOP.

And in Michigan, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow will take on military veteran and business executive John James, who won the Republican nomination. He would join Tim Scott of South Carolina as the only black Republican senators if he wins in November.

Hours before polls opened, Trump again weighed in on Twitter, casting James as "a potential Republican star.''
The death toll in Sunday's devastating earthquake on Indonesia's Lombok island has risen to 347, the state-run Antara news agency reported Wednesday.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency, told the news agency that another 1,447 people had been injured and more than 165,000 had been displaced.

The majority of the deaths occurred in Kayangan, on the north side of the island, Antara reported.

The numbers increased as reports came in from areas isolated by the 6.9 magnitude quake, which struck off the waters of the northern part of Lombok island. The quake was also felt on the neighboring Gili Islands as well as Bali, Sumbawa and parts of East Java.

On Tuesday, the government estimated that 80 percent of the buildings in northern Lombok had been destroyed.

Thousands of tourists have been evacuated from Lombok and the Gili Islands.

Nugroho said the death toll was expected to rise as search-and-rescue crews reached more affected areas and began to search the rubble for more victims.

Last week, 17 people were killed when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Lombok.

Like Bali, Lombok is known for its pristine beaches and mountains.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire,'' an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Ocean basin. In December 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

VOA's Indonesia service contributed to this report.
A well-known photographer and activist in Bangladesh who accused police of torturing him after his arrest last weekend has been returned to police custody following a medical examination that declared him physically fine.

The High Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to take Shahidul Alam to a state-run hospital for a checkup after the allegations that he was beaten in custody.



Alam faces charges of spreading false information about recent student protests that embarrassed the government. His arrest has been condemned by international rights groups.



The director of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Brig. Gen. Abdullah-Al-Harun, said they found no reason to hospitalize Alam.



The protests, set off by the deaths of two students killed by speeding buses, grew last week to tens of thousands of people.

Meanwhile, Indian journalists held placards protesting the attack on journalists and the arrest of Shahidul Alam, a renowned photographer and Bangladeshi activist as they gather outside Press Club in Kolkata, India, on Wednesday.
Fifteen months since special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to head the probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, prosecutors and lawyers for President Donald Trump are still negotiating over what questions investigators can ask the president.

News reports Wednesday quoted the president's lawyers as saying they are trying to narrow the scope of Mueller's questions by declining to allow the president to answer questions about possible obstruction of justice.

In an interview with CNN, Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's lawyers on the case, said the team is sending a new letter today with a counteroffer. Giuliani declined to describe the counteroffer.

The Washington Post reports Giuliani, a former New York mayor who joined the Trump legal team in April this year, said the letter will largely reject a presidential interview that would include questions about possible obstruction of justice, particularly in regard to the firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

Mueller has been seeking to interview the president for months. Trump has repeatedly urged his legal team to allow him to be interviewed, believing it will give him the opportunity to clear his name. Trump's lawyers have advised him against it, citing the fear of a "perjury trap."

One of the defenses often invoked by Giuliani and other members of Trump's legal team in regard to whether Trump is obstructing justice by firing Comey is Article II of the U.S. Constitution. The provision gives the president executive authority to appoint and dismiss members of his administration.

In May 2017 Trump fired Comey, who was leading the Russia investigation. The day after the firing, Trump said that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision.

Interview scope unclear

The president's lawyers had previously offered the special counsel written answers to obstruction questions and insisted on limiting the interview to matters before Trump's presidential inauguration.

Of particular interest to Mueller is the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between the president's son Donald Trump Jr., several top campaign aides, and a Russian lawyer with connections to the Kremlin.

Last weekend, Trump tweeted that the meeting's purpose was to "get information on an opponent," i.e. former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He claimed that such a meeting was "totally legal" and "done all the time in politics." Trump's tweets are at odds with his own statements about the encounter, as well as with Trump Jr.'s statement in July 2017, saying the meeting had been mostly about issues related to Americans adopting Russian children.

Last month, Trump declared on Twitter that "collusion is not a crime," as he continued his attacks on Mueller's investigation. Mueller is examining Trump's tweets and public statements to determine whether he made them with the intention to deceive investigators.

Subpoena?

If Mueller and the Trump legal team fail to reach an agreement on the interview, Mueller could resort to issuing a subpoena to the president. In an interview with ABC on Sunday, Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump's legal team, said a subpoena would spark a legal battle that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to investigate "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump," as well as "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."

The investigation has led to the indictments of several members of Trump's circle, including former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump's former campaign chair Paul Manafort and former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates, as well as 12 Russian intelligence agents.

Trump has repeatedly called the Russia probe a "witch hunt."
It would be "unwise" for U.S. President Donald Trump to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, unless Pyongyang fully listed its existing nuclear weapons and facilities and agreed on full verification and concrete steps toward denuclearization at the second meeting, experts said.

"Given the absolute lack of any progress on actual denuclearization [since the first summit], it would be a very unwise idea to have a second summit with Kim," Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Tuesday. "I would advise against a second summit, unless Kim provides the [International Atomic Energy Agency] a full inventory of his nuclear weapons program and facilities and agrees to allow the IAEA [to conduct] intrusive  inspections."

Trump expressed his interest in having another meeting with Kim, saying in a tweet last week, "I look forward to seeing you soon!" as North Korea began the process of returning remains presumed to be those of American soldiers killed during the Korean War. The two leaders first met on June 12 in Singapore.

National security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday said Trump conveyed that he was ready to meet with Kim anytime in a recent letter he sent to Kim. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sung Kim, the current U.S. ambassador to the Philippines who is leading the talks with Pyongyang, delivered Trump's letter to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho during the conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in Singapore over the weekend.

Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said although he would not rule out the possibility of a second summit, he had doubts "about the value of such a meeting," especially given "the very insubstantial activity since the last summit declaration."

"The likelihood [of having the second summit and having the second summit be successful] is small, in my opinion," Paal said.

Kim agreed to "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" at the summit with Trump in Singapore, but the concrete steps to be taken toward denuclearization were not set out.

Since the first summit, Pyongyang has taken what Ken Gause, director of the International Affairs Group at the Center for Naval Analyses, called reversible and not verifiable steps by dismantling key facilities used to develop engines for ballistic missiles at the Sohae satellite launching station in July. North Korea destroyed the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, also considered a reversible and not verifiable step, in May as a goodwill gesture preceding the summit.

Based on satellite images taken August 3, it appears additional dismantlement is taking place at the Sohae site, according to the U.S.-based North Korea monitoring group 38 North.

However, according to a confidential U.N. report submitted to the North Korea sanctions committee on Friday, North Korea is continuing to develop its nuclear and missile program.

Pompeo testified that North Korea was still producing fissile material for making nuclear bombs during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in July.

Paal said if Trump were to have a second summit with Kim, "it would have to be a very different kind of summit meeting with much more structured and prearrangement of outcomes," starting with the declaration of North Korea's nuclear weapons and facilities, followed by the verification of the declaration leading to dismantlement.

However, Paal is skeptical that North Korea will engage in serious discussions on taking concrete steps toward denuclearization. He said North Korea was "more serious about making small gestures in exchange for relief from the U.N. sanctions."

At the ASEAN conference, Ri described the U.S. call for the international community to enforce sanctions on North Korea as "alarming."

The U.S. made the move to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. But Pyongyang has been demanding that Washington lift sanctions and sign a peace treaty, officially declaring an end to the Korean War, which ended in armistice in 1953.

Paal said signing a peace treaty would have to be "embedded in the broader strategy."

"Just doing it would be a mistake because you don't want to give them a credit for what they've not done," he added.

Gause said that since the North Koreans have "a very strong rationale for deterrence and survival to keep the nuclear program," seeing the U.S. as "their primary adversary and their threat," Washington could test North Korea's rationale and "undermine the rationale" by building "trust and confidence toward some sort of peace regime."

"You remove that threat, and their justification goes away," Gause said. "And it becomes harder for them to justify holding on to that nuclear program."
Nine Guatemalan child migrants who were taken from their parents at the U.S. border arrived home for tearful reunions Tuesday as the Trump administration tries to comply with a court order to return hundreds of separated minors to their families.

"I want to see my mama," Leo Jeancarlo de Leon, 6, said after he got off a plane from New York at Guatemala City's international airport wearing a Spider-Man T-shirt and a blue cap.

Four children arrived on a first flight and five on a second, each one escorted by an adult. Ranging in age from 4 to 14, they wore jeans, T-shirts and new-looking sneakers. Some of the girls were in pigtails. One was a pregnant 14-year-old for whom the Guatemalan equivalent of an Amber Alert had previously been issued.

Kids giggled as they were given strawberry cookies and Incaparina, a fortified drink made from corn and soy. In a blue-, white- and pastel yellow-painted room at the airport where the children were initially processed and given medical checkups, workers set out Lego blocks, toy trains, teddy bears and wigs for them to play with.

Around mid afternoon the children were taken to a state-run shelter where Leo's mother, Lourdes de Leon, had been waiting since 8 a.m. She wept as she knelt to embrace him nearly three months after the last time she saw the boy in person.

"I promise I will never again leave you," de Leon said, surrounded by a gaggle of journalists. "I missed you so much, my God!"

Manuel Estuardo Roldan, Guatemala's vice minister of foreign affairs, said Monday that 53 Guatemalan children separated at the U.S. border had been reunited with relatives so far.

In late June, amid widespread outcry over U.S. policies that led to separations of migrant families along the border, a U.S. judge ordered that more than 2,500 children be reunited with their parents.

However, hundreds remained apart after the deadline, often in cases in which parents had already been deported without their children.

Lourdes de Leon was one of those.

In a previous interview with The Associated Press, de Leon said she and Leo went to the United States in search of a better life because her low-paid job selling clothing wasn't enough to provide him with a good future.

They arrived in Arizona on May 10, and the boy was taken from her a couple of days later. She ultimately agreed to sign a deportation order because she said Guatemalan consular officials told her that would be the easiest way to see her son again. But she was returned to Guatemala on June 7, while he remained in a shelter in New York.

During the separation the only contact she had with him from Guatemala was video calls arranged by workers at the U.S. shelter.

"I missed my mama a lot," Leo said Tuesday. "When they separated me, I felt said."

De Leon said they would not return to her small, poor hometown of San Pablo, in the San Marcos municipality near the border with Mexico. At least for a while, they planned to stay with relatives in the capital.

Asked whether she would try to go to the United States again, she gave an emphatic, "No."

"I am happy," she said, still in tears. "The only thing I want is to be alone with my son."
Activists have welcomed the release of a 15-year-old girl from jail on the Indonesian island of Sumatra on humanitarian grounds following her arrest for a home abortion after being repeatedly raped by her older brother.

They worry, however, that proposed changes to the nations criminal code will reinforce the criminalization of abortion, target sexual minorities and even outlaw disseminating information about contraception.

The victim, identified by authorities by her initials WA, was initially given a six-month jail sentence by the Muara Bulian district court in the province of Jambi for aborting a fetus eight months into her pregnancy. Her mother is also facing charges for allegedly assisting her daughter with the abortion.

WA was charged with violating Indonesias Child Protection Law after local residents found a fetus in a palm oil plantation. Her 18-year-old brother who raped her nine times and threatened to harm her if she resisted was meanwhile sentenced to two years in jail for sexual assault of a minor.

The case has received widespread media coverage and scandalized many in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation, leading to renewed calls from rights groups for the legalization of abortion and other guarantees for womens reproductive rights.

The rare decision to suspend WAs sentence came after legal aid and womens organizations launched a coordinated campaign for her release, including gaining more than 15,000 signatures on a Change.org petition.

A coalition of 12 NGOs calling themselves the Justice Alliance for Rape Victims said in a statement that there were serious violations in the way the case was prosecuted including indications of torture during questioning by investigators.

Its because of the culture in our society, says Naila Rizqi Zakiah, who heads up the child rights and LGBTIQ+ rights unit at the Jakarta-based human rights legal center LBH Masyarakat. We still are blaming the victim. Even in the legal enforcement agencies they still have this kind of view that a victim of rape has actually had a contribution to what has happened to her and when they decided to do abortion, it is her fault.

The presiding judges have reportedly been referred to the national Judicial Commission for alleged ethics breaches.

Indonesia has ratified most international human rights documents relating to the rights of women and children including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), but abortion remains strongly stigmatized and prohibited by law except in specific circumstances.

Legal abortion

Amnesty International Indonesia said in a statement regarding WAs case that Indonesia has a legal obligation under international human rights law to ensure that victims of rape or incest can have timely access to safe and legal abortion.

A 2014 revision to Indonesias 2009 Law on Reproductive Health allows for abortions within the first 40 days of a pregnancy if the womens life is in danger or if a woman becomes pregnant because of rape, in line with the beliefs of the Shafii school of Sunni Islam to which most Indonesian Muslims adhere.

According to Adriana Venny Aryani, a commissioner at the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), many Indonesian children and young women are inadequately educated about sexuality and reproductive health and thus are rarely able to identify that they are pregnant within the 40-day window.

Shes still a child. She doesnt recognize that I am pregnant  so the judge and the prosecution must also think about that, Venny said. They are too normative: this is the sanction, I must punish you because you are in a criminal court  but they dont realize she is a victim. She is still a child.

Amnesty said that a lack of awareness and knowledge about the law among women and girls as well as abortion-related stigma and other barriers they face in accessing legal services means that women and girls are more likely to seek clandestine, unsafe abortions, or else terminate the pregnancy on their own through unsafe means, even though they may be legally entitled to an abortion.

The Indonesian parliament is considering changes to the criminal code, the current incarnation of which was inherited from the countrys former Dutch colonial rulers, which would ban all consensual sex outside of marriage  a provision activists fear would be used to target the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Article 481 of the code would limit the distribution of information and contraceptive supplies to government-approved health professionals, with those violating the law facing a potential penalty of 10 million Rupiah.

Conservative Muslim groups have argued that the changes are necessary to better reflect local culture in the law.

The deputy chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Zainut Tauhid Saadi said earlier this year that the reforms would bring the criminal code in line with cultural values, religious norms and the spirit of Pancasila, Indonesia's national ideology, and protect against dangers of LGBT and free sex, as quoted by Indonesia's news agency Antara.

But according to Maidina Rahmawati, a researcher at the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, the changes would also exempt doctors from prosecution for assisting with an illegal abortion. Nevertheless, the woman terminating her pregnancy would still be liable to face criminal penalties.
The International Organization for Migration and partners are appealing for $45 million to provide humanitarian and developmental aid over a three year period for 81,000 vulnerable migrants moving to and from the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

Yemen may be the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. But that has not deterred thousands of impoverished, conflict-ridden migrants and refugees mainly from Ethiopia and Somalia from crossing the Gulf of Aden into Yemen with the support of smugglers.

Most of the migrants, who arrive in Yemen move on to the Gulf States in search of work. IOM spokesman, Joel Millman says this irregular migration from the Horn of Africa has been steadily increasing during the past few years.

He says about 100,000 people made this perilous journey in 2017 and he expects that number to be matched this year.

It is also important to note that about 200,000 migrants, that is about twice that number, are migrants and refugees who will return from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the Horn of Africa during the same period. Those are divided, the 200,000, is about 150,000 returning to Ethiopia and 50,000 to Somalia," he said.

The three-year migration plan aims to help more than 80,000 of the most vulnerable migrants. They include women, unaccompanied children and the elderly, victims of violence and human trafficking, as well as people with disabilities.

The plan will provide basic humanitarian assistance, psycho-social counseling for abuse and violence survivors, and economic support to help the migrants reintegrate into their communities. It also envisions longer term developmental measures to support communities of origin in the hopes of keeping the migrants home.
An overseas-based Iranian news site says Iranian authorities have pressured relatives of the lone person killed in nationwide antigovernment protests last week to identify the slain man as a pro-government militiaman.

Twenty-five-year-old Reza Otadi was killed during an antigovernment demonstration in the city of Karaj late Friday. State-run news agency Fars said Otadi was shot by an unidentified gunman in a passing car.

In a Tuesday report, the IranWire news site run by exiled Iranian journalists quoted an unnamed male friend of Otadi as saying Karajs governor and pro-government Basiji militiamen attended Otadis funeral Monday and promised to find his killer. But, the friend said they also asked family members to identify Otadi as a Basiji martyr after the militiamen claimed the slain man as one of their own by displaying his picture around their local base. The friend criticized that label as inappropriate, citing antigovernment social media comments that he said Otadi had posted.

VOA Persian found a Facebook account that appeared to belong to Otadi but could not definitively determine his political leanings from the publicly visible posts.

IranWire quoted a second unnamed friend of Otadi as expressing regret for what that friend said was family members acceptance of the authorities request to declare Otadi as a Basiji martyr.

A poster announcing a Tuesday memorial ceremony for Otadi at a Karaj mosque made no mention of his affiliation. Photos of the poster were shared on social media and verified by VOA Persian. One photo showed the poster displayed on a round fixture shaped like a crown on a local street. Known as a hejleh, the traditional Iranian mourning fixture is placed in a public space for several days to commemorate a man who dies without having been married.

Similar controversies over the affiliation of people killed in antigovernment protests have erupted in Iran before. Iranian authorities and state-controlled media asserted that two male students killed in a February 2011 protest in Tehran, Saneh Jaleh and Mohammad Mokhtari, were government supporters  an assertion denied by friends of the two men and rights activists who accused Iranian security forces of killing them.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Persian Service.
Intensified efforts to root out and destroy the Islamic State terror group in Afghanistan are making progress in some areas but have so far failed to prevent the terror group from maintaining a foothold in the country, based on the latest U.S. intelligence estimates.

IS-Khorasan is thought to have more than 1,000 fighters, most of them located in Afghanistan's southern Nangarhar province, with a small number operating in the country's eastern Kunar province.

Those remaining loyal to IS's black flag include local Afghans, as well as fighters from Pakistan and Uzbekistan, a senior counterterrorism official told VOA, adding that IS-Khorasan fighters are believed to also be carrying out operations in Pakistan.

While U.S. defense and intelligence officials emphasize such numbers should always be viewed with caution, as counting terrorist fighters is far from an exact science, the estimates suggest IS-Khorasan fighters are finding ways to withstand U.S. efforts to wipe them out.

Those efforts included the use of the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal, a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast, to target what the Pentagon described as an extensive IS cave-and-tunnel system in Nangarhar province in April 2017.

Weeks later, also in Nangarhar, U.S. and Afghan forces killed the then-emir of IS-Khorasan, Abdul Hasib, following a three-hour firefight.

Hasib's replacement, Abu Sayed, was killed not much later in July 2017, at which point U.S. officials said IS's ranks in Afghanistan had been cut to 600, from a high of about 3,000 at the terror group's peak.

'Persistent' terror threat

Despite such efforts, there is seemingly little impact on IS-Khorasan's ability to carry out terror operations.

A report from the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) found that through the first half of 2018, IS-Khorasan was responsible for more than 50 percent of civilian casualties, due to suicide bombings and other complex attacks.

In recent weeks, the terror group also claimed a series of attacks against Afghan Shiites, as well as high-profile attacks on Kabul itself.

"ISIS-K remains a persistent threat," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said Monday, using an acronym for the group. "We have eliminated several ISIS-K emirs and are relentlessly targeting their leadership hierarchy."

Afghan officials, though, are concerned such efforts may not be enough.

For months, they have warned IS-Khorasan has been bolstered by an influx of foreign fighters  first by a surge of about 3,000 from Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and later by hundreds of jihadists fleeing Iraq and Syria.

U.S. defense officials, including some familiar with border security measures that have been put in place by the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan and by Afghanistan's neighbors, are skeptical.

One official described the chances that large groups of IS-linked fighters could move freely across the border undetected as low.

Still, U.S. officials involved in the global campaign against IS warn that the terror group remains incredibly resilient, retaining key capabilities, even as its numbers shrink.

Afghan Taliban, IS-K rivalry

They also say IS-Khorasan has been especially savvy about turning local grievances to its advantage. And while some of the IS-Khorasan fighters are motivated by the terror group's ideology, many are also disgruntled former Taliban fighters looking for a bigger cut of the drug trade.

Over the past few months, it seems the United States may have been able to turn that rivalry to its advantage.

"The Taliban are fighting ISIS, and we encourage that because ISIS needs to be destroyed," said General John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

In northern Afghanistan in Jowzjan province, in particular, the combination of what U.S. officials described as a series of "intensive operations" against IS-Khorasan, along with a Taliban ground campaign, appears to have paid off.

"All the northern provinces have been purged from Daesh militias," the Taliban announced earlier this month, using the Arabic acronym for the group.

About 250 IS-Khorasan fighters, along with their commander, Mawlawi Habib Rahman, are currently in Afghan government custody, where U.S. and Afghan officials say they will be prosecuted for their crimes "to the fullest extent of the law."

"I just think it speaks to the fact that our South Asia strategy has been working with the persistent pressure that's been placed on ISIS-K," Manning said. "They've only got a few options, and that is to surrender, or fight and die. And it looks like a lot of them are choosing the wiser option."

But such optimism is guarded. U.S. defense and intelligence officials are wary of declaring victory over a terror group that has found ways to repeatedly regroup and grow.

"There is hard fighting ahead. That's all there is to it," U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Pentagon reporters Tuesday. "I don't declare victory until it's in the rearview mirror."
Three teenagers running for governor in Kansas conceded their defeat in primary elections Tuesday. Esha Sarai reports from Overland Park that although they are young, the gubernatorial candidates believe their run for the governor's house will spark an interest in politics for others their age.
The Laos government will suspend approval of new dams while it reviews more than 50 current projects following the catastrophic collapse of a hydropower facility late last month.

Kanya Khammoungkhoun, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Organizations at the Laos Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told VOA a wide scale review of the countrys dam projects would be launched in the wake of the disaster, which killed scores of people and displaced more than 10,000 others in two countries.

Over 50 dams in the country will be re-investigated and monitored closely together with the technical, double check the technical with all those dams under construction, he said. And the suspension of the further, of the approval of the new project until everything is further confirmed.

On July 23, an auxiliary dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy dam cluster collapsed unleashing five billion cubic meters of water onto downstream villages in Attapeu province's Sanamxai district.

An estimated 6,000 people were displaced in Laos; more than 30 have been confirmed dead and more than 100 remain missing. Rescuers hold out little hope of finding more survivors.

Some 5,000 people were also displaced about 130 kilometers downstream on the Sekong river at the northern Cambodian town of Siem Pang.

Survivors in Sanamxai district have told VOA that authorities misled them about the nature of the pending disaster hours after PNPC, the joint venture building the unfinished project, warned the dam was about to collapse.

One of the major firms in that joint venture - South Koreas SK Engineering and Construction - repeatedly refused to comment when approached by VOA reporters at a disaster center they have set up in Sanamxai.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Lao Minister of Energy and Mines Khammany Inthirath said substandard construction, combined with unexpected rainfall, was to blame for the collapse of Saddle Dam D at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy project, according to the Laotian Times.

The official Vientiane Times reports the decision to review all current dam projects was made following a two day meeting chaired by Prime Minister Thougloun Sisoulith.

Khammoungkhoun said international experts would be welcomed to help carry out the inspections.

Maureen Harris, International Rivers Southeast Asia program director, said the suspension and investigation was a positive step.

But firstly I would say that it needs to be transparent and should involve independent expertise and it should also involve consultation with affected communities because these are elements that have been missing to date and weve seen that in the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy disaster, she said. And wed also say it should not just apply to unapproved dams, that there are questions around dams that have secured approval.

She added there are approximately 100 dams in Laos that are already in operation, under construction or planned, with about half falling in the later category.

So it should go beyond that and actually should be a review of all existing dams in Laos to ensure that they're compliant with safety and other standards, she said.
In a blistering back-and forth, Paul Manaforts lawyer suggested Tuesday that the star witness in the former Trump campaign chairmans financial fraud trial has told so many liesDefense lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates by pressing him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Muellers investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Downing also ventured into territory both sides had agreed to avoid: discussion of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Under questioning, Gates said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trumps inaugural committee, which he helped operate. Downing also asked whether Muellers investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

The judge then brought the trial to a standstill late Tuesday afternoon, calling a brief recess. Afterward, Downing dropped the Trump-related line of questioning, moving on to other topics without explanation.

In general, references to Trump at the trial have been few and far between. Both sides agreed ahead of time to limit discussion of the campaign so as not to prejudice the jury, though they had agreed to allow testimony about the overlap of a bank loan with Manaforts role in the campaign.

The tough questioning of Gates came after he spent hours telling jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manaforts tax bill. Gates recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

Under questioning from Downing, Gates acknowledged he had to plead guilty to false statements after lying during a February interview with federal investigators. At one point, as Gates had trouble recalling the details of his confession, Downing asked him, Have they confronted you with so many lies that you cant even remember them?

Manaforts defense attorneys have sought to paint Gates as an embezzler, a liar and the instigator of any criminal conduct. They have tried several times to impugn his credibility before the jury.

Ahead of that barrage, Gates implicated himself in a vast amount of criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors as they hoped to take some of the steam out of the defenses questioning.

Gates testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years.

In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts, Gates said.

Prosecutors summoned Gates to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme. Gates also provided the first witness testimony that overlaps with Trumps presidential campaign.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in Muellers investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. But Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Muellers investigation of Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea

The case against Manafort has little to do with either man's work for the Trump campaign and there's been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia  the central question Mueller's team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort and suggesting he has been treated worse than gangster Al Capone.

On Tuesday, Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

The 46-year-old former political consultant told jurors how Manafort asked for tickets to Trumps inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the center of his financial fraud trial. Gates also said Manafort floated banker Stephen Calks name for consideration as Secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get.

The email exchange about Calk occurred after Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee. Prosecutors had previously said that Manaforts interactions with Calk were the only part of the trial expected to overlap with his Trump campaign role.

The face-off between longtime business associates and former senior members of the Trump campaign drew scores of people who waited in line for hours outside the courthouse and then jammed into both the courtroom and an overflow room that contained a video feed of the proceedings.

In testimony Tuesday, Gates laid responsibility squarely at Manaforts feet for a series of crimes, saying the two had committed crimes together by stashing money in foreign bank accounts and falsifying bank loan documents.

Gates described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Manaforts behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and, later, that his funds were drying up.

In one email, Manafort wrote WTF and not happy about tax payments he was going to have to make, Gates said.

In other testimony, Gates recounted how he converted a PDF of a profit-and-loss statement to a Microsoft Word document so he could doctor it to inflate the business income. Gates also fabricated a forgiveness letter for what he said was already a fake loan between Manaforts consulting company and a Cypriot entity he controlled.

Prosecutor Greg Andres pointed out he had created a loan forgiveness letter between Mr. Manafort and Mr. Manafort.

Yes, Gates agreed.

During the testimony, Manafort did not stare Gates down as he did Monday. When the trial broke for lunch, Manafort looked back at his wife, sitting in the front row, smiled and winked at her, followed by a quick shake of his head, seeming to indicate he was unfazed by the morning's testimony.

In addition, Gates has admitted to other criminal conduct.

Gates, who is awaiting sentencing, told jurors that he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort by filing false expense reports. He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manaforts direction.
U.S. President Donald Trump is boasting of success in Tuesday's elections, but the vote count in one key special election in the Midwestern state of Ohio for a seat in the House of Representatives is still too close to call.

Trump declared Republican state lawmaker Troy Balderson the winner in the House election outside Columbus, the Ohio capital. With all the election day votes counted, Balderson was 1,754 votes ahead of his Democratic challenger, Danny O'Connor  less than a 1 percentage point edge.

But local election officials said 3,300 provisional ballots and more than 5,000 absentee votes have yet to be counted and, under state law, won't be tallied for another 11 days.

The district where Balderson has pulled ahead has been a Republican stronghold, sending Republicans to Congress for the last 30-plus years. Trump, in his successful 2016 run for the White House, won the district by 11 percentage points and flew there this past weekend to campaign for Balderson.

But with national polls showing Trump's job approval ratings mired in the low 40 percent range, Republicans have voiced concerns that Democrats could win the 23 House seats they need to take control of the chamber.

However, Trump, on Tuesday night and into Wednesday, seemed unconcerned.

"When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36," Trump said on Twitter. "That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.," when he again will face O'Connor for a full two-year House term.

Trump claimed that Republicans have won eight of nine House special elections during his presidency, although the figure is actually eight of 10, along with a Senate seat the party lost.

He added, "Yet if you listen to the Fake News Media you would think we are being clobbered. Why can't they play it straight, so unfair to the Republican Party and in particular, your favorite President!"

As the November 6 nationwide congressional elections near, Trump plans to campaign heavily for Republicans in hopes of maintaining the party's majority control of the House and Senate. Historically, the U.S. president's party fares poorly in congressional elections midway through a president's four-year term in the White House.

"As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win!" Trump tweeted. "I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job I'm doing. If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have a giant Red Wave!" referencing the color of Republican successes on U.S. election maps.

In the November election, all 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats, and 36 of 50 state governors' offices will be up for election. Democrats would need a two-seat pickup to take control of the Senate, although U.S. political analysts consider that less likely than a possible Democratic takeover of the House.

Trump endorsed several other Republicans in party primaries on Tuesday and all won or were holding onto leads as vote counting continued.
More than one-quarter million people in Yemen have been immunized against cholera. But, the three-day oral cholera vaccination campaign, held by the World Health Organization and U.N. children's fund between August 4 and 6, has fallen short of its mark by half.



The World Health Organization reports more than 3,000 local health workers have reached 266,000 people above the age of one with oral cholera vaccine. This is about half of the one-half million people WHO and partners had hoped to immunize against this deadly disease.



The three-day campaign took place in two districts of Yemen's Hudeidah city and one district in Ibb Governorate. WHO Spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said these three districts were chosen because they were assessed to be the most vulnerable to an escalation of cholera.



He said health agencies are trying to prevent a recurrence of last year's historic cholera epidemic.



"Yemen was facing the worst cholera outbreak with more than 1.1 million cases and more than 2,000 deaths.We want to preempt any possibility of new wave of cholera," he said.



The World Health Organization warns Yemen may be on the brink of another cholera epidemic, which could be even worse than last year's. This is because widespread malnutrition in this war-torn country has lessened peoples' ability to fight off disease.



Since the beginning of July, the WHO reports a significant increase of 115 lab-confirmed cases of cholera. Though the vaccination campaign has officially ended, Jasarevic told VOA health workers are continuing to canvas the three districts to dispense the life-saving oral vaccine to the population.



Oral cholera vaccination normally involves two doses. Jasarevic says the second dose will be administered in the three target areas in about six weeks.
Pakistan has wrapped up a groundbreaking contract with Russia that would, for the first time, open doors for Russian military training of Pakistani army officers.

The rare deal comes amid deteriorating relations between Islamabad and the United States, which has resulted in the halt of all military exchange programs with Pakistan and left a void that Moscow has stepped in to fill.

The security training agreement concluded Tuesday at the end of the two-day inaugural meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC), said a Pakistan Defense Ministry statement.

Pakistani Defense Secretary Zamir ul Hassan Shah and visiting Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Alexander Fomin led their respective delegations at the talks in Rawalpindi, where the army is headquartered.

"The two sides also held in-depth discussions on avenues of future cooperation. At the end, both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in the RF [Russian Federation's] Training Institutes," said the ministry statement.

The Islamabad-Moscow security partnership has strengthened and expanded since late 2014, when the two former rivals signed their defense cooperation agreement.

Russia sold four Mi-35M combat helicopters to Pakistan under the deal, and both countries have since held two rounds of counterterrorism military drills on each other's soil.

Navies of the two countries also recently participated in joint antidrug exercises in the Arabian Sea. The latest naval collaboration took place last week in St. Petersburg, where a Pakistani warship participated in the major Russian Navy Day parade.

"It was a very important event for us. Actually, illustration of this importance is that this parade was taken by the commander-in-chief of Russian armed forces, President Mr. Putin," Russian ambassador to Pakistan, Alexey Dedov, said last week.

"This cooperation is developing into many directions. So, there is quite a wide spectrum. And, of course, this is a reflection of our approach to the relations with Pakistan, which to our country has their own independent value for us."

Pakistan-U.S. ties

Pakistan's relations with the U.S., meanwhile, have deteriorated since President Donald Trump took office and blamed Islamabad in his South Asia strategy for harboring terrorists and not doing enough to stop insurgent attacks in neighboring Afghanistan.

Trump suspended all military assistance to Pakistan in January until it takes decisive action against militants on its soil.

Pakistani leaders have rejected terrorism and other charges, saying they stem from U.S. security failures in Afghanistan. They also say that halting decades-old military diplomacy will fuel misunderstandings between the two countries.

"Training at Russian military institutes would bring about a major shift in the world view of top [Pakistan] military officers," noted Baqir Sajjad, an Islamabad-based journalist and defense analyst. "Until now, the brightest officers poised for leadership positions were trained in U.S."

Pakistan's Prime Minister-elect Imran Khan vowed Wednesday that his would-be government will work to improve relations with the U.S.

"Pakistan and the United States have witnessed many ups and downs in their relationship, which were the outcome of a trust deficit between the two countries," Khan told acting American ambassador to Islamabad, John Hoover, who called the Pakistani leader to congratulate him on his election victory.

An official statement issued after the meeting said the prime minister-in-waiting said his government will engage with the U.S. to make the relationship more balanced and trustworthy. Khan called on the U.S. and the region in general to work collectively to find a political settlement to Afghanistan.

He also emphasized the "revitalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries and stressed the need to transform it for the benefit of both Pakistan and the United States."

Countering terrorism

While American leaders are skeptical and critical of Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts, Russian leaders praise Islamabad for eliminating terrorism from Pakistani soil.

"It [Pakistan] is a very, very important party, not only in the regional stability, the stability worldwide. It's our very valuable partner of tackling such challenges and threats as terrorism, illegal drug trafficking, etc. Our countries face similar challenges and threats to national security," said Russian ambassador Dedov, while speaking at a seminar in Islamabad.

Russia is determined, he said, to give "practical assistance" to strengthen Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts.

Russia and Pakistan both have openly expressed concerns over the emergence of Islamic State's Afghan branch, known as ISK-P, in "ungoverned spaces" of the war-shattered country.

Former Pakistani army general Yasin Malik said Afghanistan remains at the center of growing cooperation with Russia.

"This [Afghanistan] is a common denominator for both of us. And the presence of IS is a threat to both the Russian Federation and to Pakistan. Very serious efforts are there to jointly meet the challenge of IS in Afghanistan. I think that will be the hallmark of cooperation in security and military between Russia and Pakistan," Malik noted.

Aiding the Taliban?

There are also growing allegations that Moscow and Islamabad  under the pretext of fighting IS  are providing covert military support to the Taliban.

Russia and Pakistan insist their ties with the Taliban are meant solely to encourage the insurgents to engage in peace talks with the Afghan government to help end the conflict and deter terrorists from using the country for international terrorism.

Dedov noted that last month, the chief of Russia's external intelligence agency also visited Pakistan to participate in a four-nation meeting, with Chinese and Iranian spymasters in attendance. The rare meeting, officials said, focused on the buildup of IS in turmoil-hit Afghanistan.

The Russian ambassador credited improved relations with Pakistan to regular exchanges of high-level civilian and military delegations between Pakistani and Russia. He noted that the volume of bilateral trade has increased by 82 percent in the first five months of 2018 and stood at $450 million. Moscow also is working to help Pakistan build an 1,100-kilometer gas pipeline linking Karachi to Lahore.

Dedov, while delivering last week's lecture at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), did not rule out nuclear cooperation with Pakistan for peaceful purposes, saying, "We do not see obstacles in this matter."
Pakistans opposition parties gathered in Islamabad to protest what they said was rigging in last months polls.

The protest Wednesday was called by Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections, an 11-party coalition formed last Friday.



Leaders of various parties demanded senior officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan resign for failing to stay neutral during the polls. Some leaders also blamed the judiciary and the military for interference.



The judiciary and the military have shown that they are no more neutral, said Fazl-ur-Rehman, a leader of MMA, an alliance of religious leaning political parties.



Various smaller protests were held in parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as well.



The demonstration in Islamabad, failed to get large crowds, as the top leadership of two major parties, the PPP and PML-N stayed away.



Shehbaz Sharif, the president of PML-N, and the younger brother of the ousted and jailed former premier Nawaz Sharif, was criticized heavily on social media for staying away from the protest, reportedly due to bad weather that barred him from traveling from Lahore.



Shehbaz Sharif is not the resistance hero Nawaz is looking for. Shahbaz is not the Leader of the Opposition this country needs! wrote Twitter user Nadir Daman.



Despite their complaints, the protesting parties have decided to take their seats in the upcoming parliament.



We do not want to give them a walk over ... They deprived us of a majority in this august house of parliament. Were going to fight on every front, whether it is inside parliament or outside parliament, said Mushahid Hussein Syed, a leader of the PML-N.



He added the opposition had a cumulative vote bank of 25 million, as opposed to 15 million of PTI, the party that won at the polls.



Meanwhile, PTI said the opposition had a right to peaceful protests. In his victory speech, PTI leader Imran Khan also supported recounting of votes in any constituency where rigging was suspected.



Khans party emerged with the greatest number of seats in elections that were held on July 25 across Pakistan.



But a glitch in the electronic result transmission system delayed the results in several constituencies. Opposition parties also claimed that in some places their agents were illegally thrown out during the vote counting process in violation of election laws.



In the countrys parliamentary system of governance, the prime minister is elected by the parliament, not through a direct vote of the public. Khan is expected to take the oath of office next week.



The opposition plans to continue their protest and also to organize a national conference on rigging in which they intend to invite members of the civil society as well.



The alliance has also given a call for a protest Thursday outside provincial election commissions.
In Rwanda, a Chinese-owned garment factory provides jobs to hundreds of local workers. In Ethiopia, a Chinese-built railway makes life easier for business owners and travelers. In Zambia, a Chinese-funded television project will bring satellite TV to 500 villages.

Each of these stories, published by Xinhua, Chinas state-run news organization, typifies the countrys coverage of Africa.

Rather than focus on corruption or disasters, Chinas news about Africa emphasizes positive angles, especially when it comes to the Communist Partys deepening involvement across the continent.

Its a media strategy that highlights Chinas mutual interests with Africa and reflects its broader approach to soft power, even if the whole story isnt told.

Positive news angles

In Chinese media, what comes across is the governments interests, Emeka Umejei, a research associate in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, told VOA.

Chinese news organizations dont perpetuate outright disinformation, Umejei said, but coverage of Africa is shown in a positive light when stories implicate China. That amounts to propaganda, according to Umejei, because the goal isnt just to inform, but also to shape perceptions of the ruling Communist Party.

Unlike Western outlets, which tend to focus on corruption, misdeeds and transgressions, Chinese media highlight good things happening in Africa.

One example is Kenyas Standard Gauge Railway, a project financed, built and managed by China.

Local media have reported on a range of concerns tied to the railways impacts on Kenyas wildlife, economy and workers.

Last month, the Sunday Standard, one of Kenyas largest and most reputable newspapers, published an expose on the treatment of African workers involved with the railway.

In the report, the Standard alleged widespread racism, discrimination and mistreatment of Kenyans, based on interviews with locomotive drivers and other workers.

The news wasnt acknowledged in Chinese media. Instead, its coverage of the SGR has focused on the benefits the project brings to Kenya.

In a recently published opinion piece, He Wenping, a senior research fellow at the Charhar Institute, a think tank focused on Chinas foreign relations, underscored how well the SGR has moved people and freight.

The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway has also greatly facilitated the mobility of people between Mombasa and Nairobi, and the freight transport time has been shortened from more than 10 hours to more than 4 hours, thus reducing the logistics costs by over 40 percent, she wrote.

Paying dividends?

Some research suggests that Chinas soft power campaign and media strategies are working.

Afrobarometer, an African research network, reported in 2016 that about two-thirds of Africans see Chinas influence as somewhat to very positive. And more African countries now see China  not the U.S.  as the biggest foreign influence.

In 2017, Pew Research found that 72 percent of Nigerians viewed China favorably  a higher percentage than any other country polled. More than half of respondents in Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and Kenya also reported favorable sentiments.

Chinese media

Chinese news organizations are large, centralized and well-funded.

Xinhua is the countrys official news agency, with English reports published across the web via a network of affiliates.

In research published in 2011, Junhao Hong, a professor at the University of Buffalo, concluded that Xinhua evolved from a pure propaganda machine in the late 1970s to a multifaceted enterprise concerned with generating revenue, serving the Communist Partys interests and producing news for a worldwide audience.

Xinhuas distribution partners include state media in Africa. Fana Television, a state broadcaster in Ethiopia, has republished or relied on reporting from nearly 20 Xinhua news stories since the beginning of the year.

China Central Television, or CCTV, is the most dominant broadcast news organization. In March, the Communist Party announced it would merge CCTV with two other broadcast entities to streamline operations and enable what Umejei called a unified narrative.

Win-win coverage

In China, investigative reporting isnt allowed, Umejei said.

That means the powerful arent held to account. But it also creates space for uplifting stories that show another side of Africa. Its an approach that resonates with African audiences, Umejei said, given what can come across as a fixation in Western media on Africas problems.

Unrelenting stories about conflict, famine, disease and corruption have led to criticism that Western portrayals of Africa, at times, play to outmoded stereotypes, perpetuate myths and underrepresent positive developments.

China has taken a different tact with what Umejei calls a win-win media strategy that puts both Africa and China in a flattering light. The strategy also complements Chinas approach to soft power in Africa, wherein it frames itself as a benevolent partner with similar goals and challenges.

But critical coverage has an important role in the new ecosystem, according to Umejei.

Investigative journalism is good for Africa because it holds powerful people accountable, he said.
Two demonstrations and a strike were being held Wednesday in southern Italy to protest the exploitation of farm workers. The events followed the deaths of 16 migrant agricultural workers in two incidents in less than a week.

The first demonstration was held in the morning. More than 200 migrants staged a strike and marched from a camp in San Severo, known as the "Great Ghetto," to Foggia in southern Italy. Many wore "red caps" used by tomato pickers to shield themselves from the scorching summer sun.

They called for an end to a system that exploits agricultural workers. Marching along country roads, they chanted slogans including "stop deaths on the job" and "slaves no more." A similar demonstration was being planned for the afternoon in Foggia.



The protests were organized following two traffic accidents near Foggia in the past week in which 16 migrant agricultural workers were killed. In one of the incidents just two days ago, 12 migrants were killed as they traveled home after a day of work in their packed van. They were all from North Africa.



Both accidents took place near Foggia, where thousands of migrant workers pick tomatoes at this time of the year in the surrounding countryside.



Agricultural workers must pay their drivers more than $5 for transportation to work  a payment that should not exist, they say, as their travel should come out of the employers' pockets. The intermediaries, many linked to organized crime, also collect a portion of the workers' pay.

Agro-mafia

Italy has long had a problem with immigrant vegetable and fruit pickers working and living in disgraceful and unacceptable conditions. In addition to being paid very little for the work they do, they have no contracts or benefits. Most live in squalid conditions in makeshift camps without running water, electricity or waste disposal.



A report on agro-Mafia and exploitation of workers published in July by the Placido Rizzotto observatory of the labor union CGIL said there are between 400,000 and 430,000 agricultural workers at risk of exploitation in Italy. It added that 39 percent are hired illegally and that exploited migrant workers can earn less than $4 for a 375-kilogram box of tomatoes.



Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, met with some of the agricultural workers on Tuesday and held a security meeting in Foggia.



He said the illegal hiring and exploitation of workers  despite what's been said in recent years  has not been defeated, and remains a big business for the Mafia. He added that as interior minister he would make some proposals to seriously deal with the situation.



Salvini also said that in Foggia, there is Mafia criminality that he plans to eradicate street by street, town by town, and by all the means that are legally available.
Ahlam Jbara lives in Chicago, Illinois  six hours away from Detroit, Michigan  which means she cant vote in the states primary election.



But the race for Michigans 13th Congressional District was too important, and personal, for Jbara to miss. So she packed her car, and drove six hours to volunteer for former Michigan state lawmaker Rashida Tlaibs Congressional campaign on election day.



As a Muslim American, as an Arab American, as a Palestinian American Im her, shes me, she told VOA during a break in distributing Tlaibs campaign literature outside a polling station.



Across the country, about 90 Muslim Americans like Tlaib are on ballots for elected office during midterm elections this year, many running as Democrats hoping to be part of a blue wave that shifts control of the U.S. Congress. Tlaib is among 13 Muslim candidates running for office in the state of Michigan alone. A Detroit Free Press review of all the candidates running in Michigans primary election August 7 revealed that 24 of them, Tlaib among them, were immigrants or children of immigrants.



Although its an election in Michigan, Tlaibs campaign for the U.S. Congress has historic, nationwide implications, particularly for Muslim American women, who view her candidacy as a door opening.



Just getting text messages from young girls, Tlaib explains, showing her phone, I just got one from New York, like 'Hi you dont know me, but my name is Homa, and I just want you to know Im watching this in New York.' It makes me emotional just thinking 'Oh my god, this is so wonderful.'



From her vantage point outside the polling location, it was clear to Ahlam Jbara just how much of an impact Tlaibs relentless door to door campaigning the last year was having on voter turnout.



Shes built a new generation of young people who want to run for office as well. shes turning out first time voters, not just youth, but others who are first time voters whove been American citizens for a long time, even those who are born here but have never voted before because they didnt have faith in their government.



Those voters may have made the difference for Tlaib, who admits she had little name recognition when she started earlier this year.



But personally connecting with voters  by Tlaibs estimation she knocked on more than 50,000 doors during her campaign  helped propel her across the finish line in a successful campaign that was, until the end, a close race.



Though overcome with emotion upon hearing the final outcome, Tlaib paid tribute to those who stuck it out with her to the very end, and took the opportunity to recognize the importance of her historic moment for her family when addressing the media and her supporters at her campaign office just before 3:00 a.m.



I want to thank my Mom, who is from the West Bank, they are literally glued  its like 5:00 in the morning and now its more than that  they are glued to the TV my grandmother my aunts and uncles in Palestine are sitting by [sobbing] and watching their granddaughter win this election.



Since there is no Republican challenger in November, the primary election is the only close race Tlaib will face before being sworn in as a freshman U.S. congresswoman  a role many Muslim Americans across the country are now watching with eagerness and hope.



They feel like Rashida is them, Ahlam Jbara explains. Rashida is going to be their face, their voice in Congress. And Rashida being in Congress, is like, were American just like you are.



There could soon be more like her. Somali American Muslim lawmaker Ilhan Omar is running for a Congressional seat in Minnesota on August 14, and could eventually serve alongside Rashida Tlaib in the U.S. Congress.
A record number of women are running for the US Congress in November, a surge that follows a year marked by the #MeToo movement and defiance of President Donald Trump.



After another round of primary voting in several states on Tuesday, 183 women will fight for a seat in the House of Representatives in November's midterm election.



"It's official," the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) said after the voting in Kansas, Michigan and Missouri. "We've broken the record for women major party nominees for US House in any year."



Until now the record was 167.



In another record, at least 11 women are running for state governor, the advocacy group said on Twitter. Until now that number had peaked at 10, in 1994.



In June, women also set a record for how many are running for the Senate. It is 42  24 Democrats and 18 Republicans. The previous record was 40, set in 2016, said the CAWP.



Several women candidates in races that they have a good chance of winning are from minorities with little or no representation in Congress.



They include Rashida Tlaib, who won a Democratic primary Tuesday in Michigan and is now poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.



Several Native American women are also running for seats.



"A Native American woman has never been elected to the US Congress," CAWP said.



The strong number of female candidates comes midway through the term of Trump, whose inauguration in January 2017 was met the next day with a huge march in Washington favor of women's rights.



It also comes as the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment of women by men in powerful positions has marked a watershed moment in US society.
Refugees carry few material possessions when they flee war, violence or persecution in their homelands. But they do bring talent and skill to their new countries.

At the Sandy Spring Museum in Sandy Spring, Maryland, that talent is on display in an exhibit of six refugee artists from Iraq, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Some of the displayed works depict the refugee artists' memories of their homelands.

"My hometown is Wollo," explained Ethiopian artist Fetun Getachew. "There is a marketplace once a week. People meet there at the markets for not only buying or selling, [but] just meet together for so many purposes."

Iraqi artist Ahmad Alkarkhi contributed a landscape of his country. "I want to show Americans good things about my country," he said. "This beautiful landscape, no war or different things."

But coming to a new country inevitably changes the work. For Alkarkhi, it has added color.

"In my country, we don't have a lot of color there, just gray and brown," he said. "Here, I saw four seasons clear. I saw many colors. This ... change[s] my art, and I need to add more colors to my painting."

In an unincorporated community of about 6,000 people near Washington, D.C., the museum considers itself a "living history museum," but not in the conventional sense in which museums employ re-enactors to depict history.

Rather, Sandy Spring is a place where the community can gather and "have unexpected encounters," according to the museum website. "It means having cultural artists create experiences for the entire community to enjoy."

Museum executive director Allison Weiss thinks this particular exhibit says a lot about the contributions of refugees.

"There's so much talk in the news now about refugees, and how many people we should let into the country, and what are they contributing," Weiss said. "And I think this exhibit shows that there's individuals behind the word refugees and they have all sorts of talents that maybe we're not hearing about from the news."

Dancing with colors

Alkarkhi works in maintenance at an apartment complex in Riverdale, Maryland. But at night and on the weekends, he can be found in front of a canvas set up in the living room of his small apartment.

"Painting for me [is] like music. Each painting, different music. I just tell myself, 'Let me dance with colors on the canvas,'" he said.

Alkarkhi graduated from the University of Baghdad, College of Fine Arts. He was a well-known artist in Iraq until violence forced him to flee to Syria in 2006. But war came there, too. Once again, he was uprooted, relocating three years later to Riverdale with his wife and two children.

Alkarkhi said creating art is his way to give back to America for helping him and his family build a new life in safety.

"America gives refugees a lot of things. I want to do beautiful painting, and I give it to this country and to the people to enjoy with my art," he said.

Alkarkhi is also painting his experiences as a refugee in his new color palette, as in his piece, "Colorful Horses."

"These horses are like refugees. Some from Europe, some from Africa, some came from [the] Middle East. And they come here, they work together, live together, do many things together," he explained.

"Then, after like 10, 20 years, everybody say I am American. And everybody try to do something good for this country."
Scattered protests, along with a heavy police presence in many places were reported Wednesday across Iran, one day after the first round of new U.S. economic sanctions went into effect.

The Iranian parliament voted to remove Labor Minister Ali Rabie during a raucous debate Wednesday on new economic policies to tackle unemployment and bolster the weak economic situation in the country, a day after new U.S. economic sanctions went into effect.

Tuesday, the hardline leader of Iran's Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, urged President Hassan Rouhani to replace all his ministers.

Amateur video on social media showed a crowd of protesters Tuesday in front of the country's central bank demanding a failed government credit union return their money.

Also Tuesday, a number of people were reportedly injured when security forces cracked down on protesters in the town of Malek Shahr, outside of Isfahan. Amateur video showed victims lying on the ground and shouting.

Social media also showed a long line of trucks parked alongside a highway, on the 17th day of a nation-wide truckers' strike. It was not immediately clear how much the strike is affecting the flow of goods.

Other video distributed Wednesday showed a heavy police presence in a number of places, including a government security convoy stationed along a major highway near Bandar Abbas, in apparent anticipation of possible protests in the area.

Former Iranian diplomat and political commentator Mehrdad Khonsari tells VOA he does not think the protests represent an "existential threat" to the regime, but the new U.S. sanctions are undoubtedly "placing a good deal of pressure on the government," said Khonsari.

"I think that Iran is more or less ready to break the old taboo of talking with the U.S., but they would probably want to see a suspension of sanctions while the talks are going on," he added.

Khonsari believes Iran "has the moral high ground" since it was the United States that broke the 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA) with the five permanent security council members and Germany.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he pulled out of the international nuclear pact because it was "a horrible, one-sided deal" that "failed to achieve the fundamental objective of blocking all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb."

He said the deal allowed Iran to support terrorism and militant proxies around the world, undermine the international financial system, and threaten the United States and its allies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif castigated Trump for "threatening" Iran and other nations, saying in a tweet "the world won't follow impulsive tweeted diktats." He also told journalists the United States is being hypocritical.

He says the United States pretends it is concerned about the Iranian people, but the first set of sanctions it imposed was on the sale of passenger jets, endangering ordinary Iranians.

Arab media reported Wednesday that Oman and Switzerland had offered to mediate between the two countries. Oman was one of the main mediators during the lead-up to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Some South Sudan opposition parties that signed a power-sharing deal in Khartoum say they did so to give peace a chance even though they disagree with some of the agreements provisions.

However, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an African trade bloc that brokered the peace process, issued a press release Tuesday in which it said Sudanese mediators, including President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, would continue facilitating the talks until a revitalized peace agreement for South Sudan was finally signed.

According to the IGAD statement, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will send a team of experts to support the continuation of the peace process in Khartoum. There had been reports the talks would possibly be moved to another location.

Group not happy with agreement

Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, leader of the South Sudan National Movement for Change, said the South Sudan Opposition Alliance and the Former Detainees group initially did not want to sign the deal on Sunday because some of their demands had not been met in the Khartoum agreement, such as reverting to the original 10 states, down from the current 32 states.

Bakosoro said his group agreed to sign the deal only after Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohammed Ahmed informed the group, in writing, that as a chief mediator, he would reopen discussions on the outstanding issues in the next round of talks.

Most of us did not like to sign the agreement. That is a given fact. But ... we are waiting to start debate on the outstanding issues, Bakosoro told VOA's South Sudan in Focus.

No date has been announced as to when discussions on the outstanding issues will resume.

The South Sudan Opposition Alliance and the Former Detainees group have raised concerns about a provision in the deal that provides for the creation of an Independent Boundaries Commission to determine the number of states in South Sudan.

Bakasoro said his group, which is part of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, agreed to sign the deal only with the caveat that such issues would be resolved in a timely fashion.

That made us sign the agreement, and we are hoping that in the near future we are going to finalize the outstanding issues and complete the High Level Revitalization Forum [as the peace talks are known], and then we wait for the final signing, Bakasoro told VOA.

'Other opposition parties'

Peter Mayen, head of the People's Liberal Party, part of a group referred to as the other opposition parties, said his group agreed to sign the deal with the same understanding. He said the success or failure of the agreement would depend on whether it was fully implemented.

South Sudanese really are in dire need of peace irrespective of the positions of the parties, irrespective of outstanding issues. People want the guns to go silent, people want opportunities to rebuild the economy and people want to impact in a genuine democratic transformation, Mayen told South Sudan in Focus.

Mayen said once a final deal was signed, all parties must work to provide basic services to the South Sudanese people.

The armed opposition group known as the National Salvation Front (NAS), led by a former deputy army chief of staff, General Thomas Cirillo, declined to sign the agreement. He told South Sudan in Focus on Tuesday that the NAS had not authorized any person to sign the deal on its behalf.

NAS disputed signature

Major General Julius Tabuley Daniel, who declared himself the interim chairman of NAS, signed the deal, but Cirillo said Tabuley was not a legitimate representative of NAS.

You have a few individuals who are not satisfied with [what] NAS is doing in terms of this peace process, because, for them, they just want to go to Juba. Maybe they are tired and for their own reasons they decided to leave NAS, Cirilolo told South Sudan in Focus.

He said three or four individuals have been in contact with security authorities in Juba to cause problems within NAS and traveled to Khartoum to take part in the talks. They represent themselves, he said, not the NAS.
Tesla's board said it was evaluating taking the company private, a day after Chief Executive Elon Musk surprised shareholders with the idea of launching the biggest leveraged buyout of all time.

In a statement on Tesla's website on Wednesday, six of Tesla's nine directors said the board had met several times over the last week to discuss such an idea and was "taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this."

Musk said on Twitter on Tuesday that he was considering taking the loss-making electric car-maker private at $420 a share, which would value a deal at more than $70 billion. He said funding was "secured," without elaborating.

Tesla said on Wednesday the discussions had addressed the issue of how to fund such a deal, but gave no details. The statement did not address how the $420-per-share price was established.

Several securities attorneys told Reuters that Musk could face investor lawsuits if it was proven he did not have secure financing at the time of his tweet.

Public companies have four days to report certain material events that shareholders should know about to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Tesla's shares were down 2.1 percent at $371.70 on Wednesday after closing up 11 percent on Tuesday.

Some Wall Street analysts were skeptical of Musk's ability to gather the huge financial backing to complete such a deal, given that Tesla loses money, has $10.9 billion of debt and its bonds are rated junk by credit ratings agencies.

"Who gives $30 to $50 billion to buy back the shares?" asked NordLB analyst Frank Schwope. "And if you stay as a shareholder you get less information than before and you depend more and more on Elon Musk."

The deal would be the biggest leveraged buyout of all time, beating the $45-billion record set by Texas power utility Energy Future Holdings.

The most obvious equity partners for Musk would be a sovereign wealth fund such as Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which sources said on Tuesday had taken a stake of just below 5 percent in Tesla, or a major technology investment fund such as SoftBank Group Corp's Vision Fund, bankers said.

China's Tencent Holdings Ltd, which took a 5-percent stake in Tesla last year, could also be a possible partner.



Surprise move

In a letter after his tweet on Tuesday, Musk fleshed out his idea, suggesting shareholders would get the option to sell their shares for $420 each or remain investors in a private Tesla, out of the glare of Wall Street and its need for positive quarterly results.

He said that would allow Tesla to "operate at its best, free from as much distraction and short-term thinking as possible." Some on Wall Street shared that view.

"They're being bombarded with questions that we don't think are as relevant to the long-term value of the company," said Sam Korus, an analyst for ARK Investment Management, which had 443,874 Tesla shares as of June 30. Korus said he would need more details from Musk to judge whether a buyout offer would be practical and at what price it would be attractive.

Musk has been under intense pressure this year to turn his money-losing, debt-laden company into a profitable higher-volume manufacturer, a prospect that has sent Tesla's valuation higher than that of General Motors Co.

The company is still working its way out of what Musk called "production hell" at its home factory in Fremont, California, where a series of manufacturing challenges delayed the ramp-up of production of its new Model 3 sedan, on which the company's profitability rests.

Going private is one way to avoid close scrutiny by the public market as Musk and the company face those challenges. Musk has feuded publicly with regulators, critics, short sellers and reporters, and some analysts suggested that less transparency would be welcomed by Musk.

The six board members who issued the statement on Wednesday included James Murdoch, chief executive of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc and Brad Buss, who was the chief financial officer of solar panel maker SolarCity until it was bought by Tesla in 2016.

Other board members mentioned in the statement included Robyn Denholm, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias and Linda Johnson Rice. Tesla's other board members are Musk, his brother Kimbal Musk and venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson.
Hundreds of people commemorated the 30th anniversary Wednesday of Myanmar's revolt at a ceremony at Yangon University, the culmination of three days of events to observe the deadly struggle for democracy in the Southeast Asian country.



Some 2,000 former activists and students gathered on the campus where the flag of the rebellion, a fighting peacock, was on display as they listened to speeches and viewed exhibits about the mass uprising.



The rebellion began on August 8, 1988, after more than a quarter century of military rule and isolation reduced the once-prosperous country to poverty.

More than one million people were thought to have taken to the streets throughout the country after the government suddenly demonetized its currency, eliminating many people's life savings.



Longtime dictator Ne Win was ousted in the revolt, but the army violently crushed it in the following weeks, killing as many as 3,000 people.



Another group of oppressive military leaders assumed control as the pro-democracy movement of Aung San Suu Kyi began to emerge.



Suu Kyi, the daughter of independence General Aung San, became the de facto leader of the country in 2016 under a constitution that forces her to share power with military.



While many citizens viewed Suu Kyi as a beacon of hope, the military looked at her with scorn.

Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for a combined total of 15 years.She was released in 2010 and led the National League for Democracy party to victory in 2015.



Suu Kyi's sterling reputation as an international icon for human rights has been greatly diminished by her handling of the country's Rohingya crisis, which was triggered by discriminatory government policies that led to the mass migration of hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya from the predominately Buddhist country.



Improving relations with the military has been one of Suu Kyi's priorities since she came to power, but many citizens remain angry about the military's ongoing involvement in political affairs.



Seventy-one-year-old Cho Aye, who said he participated in the rebellion, said the NLD doesn't "have the capacity to run a country.

"He added: "They broke their promises."
U.S. President Donald Trump predicted Tuesday the United States and China will have a "fantastic trading relationship" but one that will be different from the way it has been under previous presidents.

Speaking to a group of invited business leaders, Trump said he wants China to do well, but also wants Chinese policies to treat the United States fairly.

Trump has frequently highlighted China as a target of what he says are unbalanced trade relationships he wants to alter in order to benefit American workers. He has implemented more than $30 billion in new tariffs on Chinese goods, and on Tuesday his administration said another $16 billion in tariffs would go into effect later this month.

China has said it plans to counter with tens of billions of dollars in tariffs on U.S. exports. It also released its latest trade figures Tuesday showing a surge in exports in July despite the U.S. actions.

Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University and a former Reagan Administration trade official, told VOA the U.S. trade deficit with China is "really not a problem."

He compared the situation to the trade deficit the United States had with Japan in the 1980s that prompted President Ronald Reagan to institute the type of protectionist policies Trump is now supporting. But Hanke said he expects China to have a stronger response than the Japanese did.

"China is a big power and they're going to play hard ball with the United States, so this will get worse, not better," he said.

Trump said Tuesday his administration has already used tax cuts, deregulation and trade policies to boost the U.S. economy, which grew by 4.1 percent in the second quarter of this year.

The president falsely asserted that level of growth was a record, or close to a record. Since 2011, the U.S. economy has posted three separate quarters above 4.7 percent growth.

Trump predicted his policies would push growth even higher, surpassing percent in the next quarter "as trade deals come in" that are "sane and fair for our country."

He also said that next week the White House would make an announcement regarding his goal of making prescription drugs more affordable.

Trump gave no details other than to say the coming action would "get them down really, really substantially."

During Tuesday's event he highlighted his objection last month to planned price increases by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which quickly rolled back it prices to prior levels. Pfizer said it would keep the old prices until Trump can put in place a plan to strengthen the healthcare system, or the at the end of the year, whichever comes first.

Victor Beattie contributed to this report.
A Turkish diplomatic delegation is visiting Washington for discussions about the ongoing detention in Turkey of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson. The trip comes at a time of escalating U.S.-Turkish tensions, which are threatening to trigger a financial crisis in Turkey. VOA Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from the State Department.
Britain will always be a "tier one" military power, British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson told the Atlantic Council think tank Tuesday in Washington, contradicting recent comments by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

In June, the prime minister asked Williamson to justify Britain's role as a tier one military power at a Downing Street meeting, challenging Defense Ministry plans to modernize the armed forces just weeks before a NATO summit, according to the Financial Times.

Underlying her statement, the report said, was a realization that Britain can no longer economically compete with top global powers. The following day, when asked to respond to the report at a joint news conference with NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, May criticized the report as inaccurate but declined requests to verbally commit to maintaining Britain's tier one military status, saying only that she wanted Britain to be a "leading defense nation."

Downing Street later said May had challenged Williamson's plans but rejected claims she was pushing to reduce the nation's military stature.

During his Atlantic Council speech, Williamson forcefully asserted Britain's role as "major global actor."

"We have always been a tier one military power, and we always will be a tier one military power," he said, before rejecting concerns that the pending Brexit would compromise Britain's global military standing.

"While Britain is leaving the EU, we are clear about our role and place in the world," he said. "Brexit is Britain's moment to look up, be more ambitious, and redefine our place in the world. In some ways, the EU has limited our vision, discouraged us from looking to the horizon. Now, we are being freed to reach further and aim higher. Please, never underestimate my nation. The U.K. remains a great power."

Williamson, 42, who joined May's cabinet in late 2017, made the comments ahead of Pentagon meetings with his American counterpart, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Asked about President Donald Trump's criticism of NATO, Williamson expressed his conviction that U.S. investments in the alliance prove this administration is "incredibly committed to NATO," and that Britain and the U.S. would remain "reliable partners for the long term."

Although there are no technical criteria that define tier one military power, Britain's defense ministers have suggested the term involves a range of military capabilities, from nuclear deterrents to naval, ground and air force branches that can deploy in any corner of the globe.

Fighter jet

While addressing the Atlantic Council event, Williamson discussed a new concept of a fighter jet being developed in Britain, nicknamed the Tempest, which he hopes U.S. defense officials will consider for purchase.

Williamson unveiled a full-sized model of the jet at a British air show in July, which, according to Bloomberg, was part of a "bid to show that the nation plans to remain a leading military power after Brexit."

With Europe's largest military budget and a substantial aerospace research and development sector, Britain has historically attracted substantial investments from major U.S. defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Britain's aerospace and defense sectors  both massive contributors to the British economy in terms of jobs, technology and exports  are among those negotiating agreements with the government's business and strategy department to brace for financial and trade repercussions upon leaving the European Union.
30 W. Oak St., No. 7A, Chicago: $2,450,000 | Listed: Aug. 20, 2021



This three-bedroom home has three full bathrooms, one half-bath and more than 60 feet of floor-to-ceiling windows. The kitchen has white lacquered Poggenpohl upper cabinetry, a cantilevered island and a butlers pantry. Double glass sliding doors from the kitchen and dining rooms lead to a terrace that offers city views and a glimpse of the lake. The primary bedroom features Arabesque wallcovering, a floor-to-ceiling headboard with a built-in hardwood bed, floating lacquered nightstands, automatic custom shades and a crystal pendant light with a shade. This home has marble floors throughout except in the bedrooms, where the floors are wood. An Eco Smart fire feature, a Murano glass light installation in the dining room and a garage parking space complete this home.



Agents: Marissa Gillman Schaefer and Sharon Gillman, Compass,312-560-8400 and 312-925-2700cq



*Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options.



To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com.



Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.
The United Nations is calling on Myanmar to live up to an agreement that would give the world body full access to northern Rakhine state, the scene of last year's brutal military crackdown on the region's Rohingya Muslims.

The U.N.'s refugee and development agencies signed a pact with Myanmar in early June that allows them to create conditions that would allow Rohingya refugees to return to Rakhine safely and voluntarily from neighboring Bangladesh.

But the two agencies issued a statement Wednesday that their requests to establish operations in Rakhine state, dating back to mid-June, have gone unanswered.

In addition to allowing unfettered access to Rakhine, the U.N. agencies also called on Myanmar to provide freedom of movement for all communities in Bangladesh, and to address the root cause of the crisis.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingyas have been languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh since August of last year, when Myanmar military forces launched a counteroffensive in response to attacks on state security posts by Rohingya militants.

The Rohingyas fled to escape numerous human rights abuses at the hands of the military, including murder, rape and arson, in an effort both the United Nations and the United States described as a "textbook example" of ethnic cleansing.

The Rohingya are a small Muslim minority in Myanmar, a predominately Buddhist country. Although the Rohingya have been in Myanmar for generations, they are considered refugees from Bangladesh, and have not been granted full citizenship rights.
The Trump administration says it is concerned about the whereabouts of retired Chinese university professor Sun Wenguang, who has not been heard from since he was detained during a live VOA interview last week.

"We condemn China's ongoing abuse of human rights, in particular, the suppression of the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and the unlawful detention of activists, lawyers, journalists and civil-society leaders seeking to defend those freedoms," a State Department spokesperson told VOA.

The official also said the State Department was grateful for the work of VOA reporters and other journalists in China who "have dedicated their lives and taken great risk to pursue this important work."

Sun was being interviewed August 1 from his home in Jinan, the capital of China's eastern Shandong province, on the VOA Mandarin language television show Issues & Opinions.

Sun was answering questions about an open letter he'd written to Chinese President Xi Jinping, criticizing Chinese aid to Africa when there are so many living in poverty in China.

Sun told the host in Washington that police had entered his apartment and demanded he end the interview. Sun blamed Xi for sending the officers to break down his door.

"I am entitled to express my opinion. This is my freedom of speech," were Sun's last words before the line went dead.

VOA correspondent Yibing Feng in Beijing has been unable to get any comments regarding Sun's whereabouts from police or the Chinese foreign ministry.

Efforts by the VOA Mandarin service in Washington to reach Sun also have been unsuccessful.

Sun is an outspoken, longtime critic of Chinese authorities. He was arrested during the infamous Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 1978 for criticizing Mao Zedong, two years after Mao had died.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and one of the Capitol's harshest critics of China, is calling for Sun's immediate release.

"Chinese authorities are increasingly aggressive and brazen in their efforts to stifle free speech and other basic rights. We are deeply concerned for Professor Sun Wenguang's safety and well-being and urge his immediate and unconditional release," Rubio said in a statement.
A U.S. senator says he has delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for more talks and exchanges between the two countries.

Kentucky Republican Rand Paul, a Trump supporter who has been in Moscow in recent days holding discussions with Russian lawmakers, said Wednesday, "I was honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putins administration."

In a Twitter remark, Paul said the letter "emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."

The White House said the letter was requested by Paul.

At Senator Pauls request, President Trump provided a letter of introduction. In the letter, the President mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said.

Both Trump and Putin have invited each other to their respective capital cities in the aftermath of last month's Helsinki summit between the two leaders. But no new meeting has been scheduled and the White House said it was delaying a Putin visit to Washington until 2019, by which time it said it expects special counsel Robert Mueller's criminal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to be completed.

Trump was widely criticized in the U.S. for his performance at the Helsinki summit as he appeared to embrace Putin's denial that Russia had interfered in the election, equating the Russian leader's stance with the U.S. intelligence community's finding that Russia had sought to help Trump win. In a joint news conference with Trump, Putin said he did want Trump to win because then-candidate Trump had said he wanted to improve U.S.-Russian relations.

Back in Washington, Trump clarified his remarks and has said that Russia interfered, but has continued to call the claim that Russia tried to help him win and Mueller's investigation "a big hoax."
The United States is imposing tough new sanctions on Russia after determining Moscow was responsible for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain in March.

The State Department says Russia broke international law when it used a lethal nerve agent against its own nationals.

A policeman found Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia slumped over on a bench and unconscious in the British city of Salisbury. It was determined that they were sickened by Novichok - a Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent. Both survived but spent weeks in the hospital.

WATCH: US Imposes New Sanctions on Russia for Poisoning Former Russian Spy in Britain

The sanctions announced Wednesday are set to take effect on August 22. They generally affect U.S. licenses for exporting sensitive national security goods to Russia, such as electronics.

A senior State Department official said Wednesday that Russia could face another round of "more Draconian" sanctions within 90 days unless it provides "reliable assurances" it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons.

Despite President Donald Trumps mantra that "no one has been tougher on Russia" than his administration, the sanctions announced Wednesday are mandatory. They were triggered by a 1991 Congressional law, the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

The British Foreign Office says it welcomes the U.S. sanctions.

"The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behavior will not go unchallenged," it said in a statement.

Russia has not reacted so far to the sanctions. But it has denied any involvement in the Skripal poisonings.

It also said it had nothing to do with the poisoning of a British couple near Salisbury in June who picked up a bottle that also contained Novichok, killing 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess. Her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, survived.

British officials have told reporters they have identified at least two suspects in the Skripal attack. Newspaper reports say the two are in Russia, and Britain is getting ready to ask for their extradition.
Zimbabwe opposition politician Tendai Biti has been denied asylum in Zambia, after authorities in Zimbabwe briefly detained him as he tried to cross the border. Earlier reports said he had been arrested.

Human Rights Watch's Southern Africa director Dewa Mavhinga reported the news in a tweet on Wednesday, saying Zambia is expected to send Biti and five others back to Zimbabwe. He posted a quote from Biti that said: It looks like they have made a decision to hand us back to the Junta. We are truly in Gods hands.

The BBC quoted Zambias foreign minister Joe Malanji as saying Bitis grounds for asylum were weak. He said Biti was being kept in safe custody until his return to Zimbabwe.

Bitis lawyer, Nqobizitha Mlilo, said earlier Wednesday that his client was detained as he was attempting to cross the border. But Zimbabwes minister of home affairs later confirmed Biti was in Zambia.

Biti was one of nine members of the Movement for Democratic Change alliance wanted by Zimbabwe police for inciting violence following last weeks presidential election, which the MDC alliance claims was rigged in favor of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Biti held a news conference the day before President Mnangagwa was declared the winner and claimed that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa had won the July 30 vote. When Chamisas supporters took to the streets the next day to protest the official results, police responded by using tear gas and live fire, killing six people.

Also Wednesday, a spokesman for the MDC Alliance Nkululeko Sibanda, told VOA that many of its senior officials had gone into hiding, fearing arrests or abductions since the election.

The MDC alliance is challenging the official election results, saying that its candidate, Nelson Chamisa, won 56 percent of the vote.

Thabani Mpofu, the lawyer for the opposition, told reporters Wednesday that it would file a court challenge by the Friday deadline.
Zimbabwe's main opposition party says it will legally challenge official results showing that President Emmerson Mnangagwa won the July 30 election. The announcement comes as tension in the country remains high, with human rights organizations saying the army is assaulting opposition members, an allegation the government denies.

Douglas Mwonzora, secretary-general of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, says the party has gathered material to show that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission inflated vote totals in favor of the incumbent president.

"The variance, so far, that we have been able to tell is that in Harare, President Mnangagwa votes were exaggerated by 130,000 votes, in Bulawayo, I think, it was 40,000, so we have been able to see the discrepancies in the figures that ZEC [Zimbabwe Electoral Commission] announced."

According to official figures, Mnangagwa garnered 50.8 percent of the vote, beating MDC candidate Nelson Chamisa's 44 percent. But Chamisa says he actually won 56 percent of the vote.

Last week, opposition protests in Harare denouncing the electoral commission resulted in six deaths, several injuries and 27 arrests.

Tuesday, Magistrate Nyasha Vhitorini granted $50 bail to each of those arrested and said the state had reduced the case to "political rhetoric."

"I am satisfied that there is nothing placed before this court that shows that the accused persons are a flight risk, nothing was brought to court, what was brought to court was that they have a propensity to go and disturb peace, now there is a standard that has disjointed the case that I have cited, we have an IO [investigating officer] saying something, state prosecutor saying something. The story is so, so disjointed in a material way," Vhitorini said.

After the hearing, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights chairman Denford Halimani said the 27 should not have been arrested in the first place.

"So we have no doubt that when these people are put on trial, if at all we are going to go to the stage, they are going to be acquitted," Halimani said.

Meanwhile, the head of Human Rights Watch in southern Africa, Dewa Mavhinga, told VOA the Zimbabwean army is beating up people in opposition strongholds.

Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo denies the charge.

"Let me assure you that the military in this country is generally a well-trained and very disciplined force, and it will not indulge in that. ... But what we are witnessing is that they may be certain personalities who might be purporting to be soldiers and are not soldiers, that are going about imitating as if they are. This is what we are busy investigating."

But Mavhinga blames the government.

"How do men with masks go about abducting people and also looking for MDC officials? How does that happen in a country that has law and order and how does it suddenly become an issue after an election? The government must take responsibility, because this type of lawlessness points to a clear pattern of targeting MDC officials."

The EU, U.S., Canadian and Swiss embassies issued a statement Tuesday expressing concern over "excessive use of force by Zimbabwe authorities to quash opposition MDC Alliance protesters last week."
Reuters Staff

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated Emmerson Mnangagwa on his election as Zimbabwes president, state news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday, offering support after the African nations opposition cried foul.

Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to unite after he was declared the first elected head of state since Robert Mugabes removal from power, but the opposition leader has insisted he won and has pledged to challenge the result.

China has close economic and diplomatic ties with Zimbabwe, which it has been keen to maintain after Mugabes ouster last November in a de facto coup that brought his former ally Mnangagwa to power.

In a congratulatory message dated Sunday, Xi expressed his wishes that the Zimbabwean government and people would make more achievements in national development under Mnangagwas leadership, Xinhua said.

Xi expects to meet Mnangagwa next month when he visits Beijing for a summit of Chinese and African leaders, it added.

Xi said he hoped the meeting with Mnangagwa in Beijing could push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries.

On Monday, Zimbabwes main opposition said security forces were abducting its members in night raids to intimidate the party and stop it challenging Mnangagwas win.

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has rejected Mnangagwas victory, and has promised to use legal and constitutional means to challenge the outcome. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
United States Senator Chris Coons says he is concerned about the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe where at least seven people were shot dead by the Zimbabwe National Army last Wednesday during protests over delays in releasing results of the presidential election.

Coons, a Democrat who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement issued Tuesday the crackdown on civilians by state security agents has no place in a democracy.

I am watching the situation in Zimbabwe very closely, and I am concerned about reports of arbitrary arrests, detentions, and government-sponsored violence. These tactics have no place in a democracy, and the government must ensure they stop immediately.

Any disagreements over last months election should be dealt with through fair and open investigations, hearings, and legal processes. I am particularly alarmed to hear that members of the MDC Alliance have been detained by government-backed security forces.

"Reports of the detention of Tendai Biti at the Zambian border are especially unnerving. The U.S. Senate will hold the government of Zimbabwe responsible for ensuring Mr. Biti and other detainees are not harmed in any way. I also call upon the Trump Administration, the U.S. State Department, the governments of Zimbabwe, Zambia and other regional actors to stand against politically motivated arrests and to support and promote the rule of law.

He urged Zimbabwean authorities to restore order in the country.

The people of Zimbabwe have suffered through such tactics of repression and intimidation for decades. Last months election was supposed to offer them something different. It is not too late for the leaders of Zimbabwe to restore the sense of hope and fairness that its people deserve.

Biti is reported to have skipped the border and is currently seeking political asylum in Zambia. He is accused of allegedly inciting people to protest over the outcome of Zimbabwe's just-ended general elections.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa winner of the presidential poll with 50.8 percent of all votes cast compared to his rival Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance with 44.3 percent.

Chamisa has dismissed the results as fraudulent and is expected to launch a court petition within the next two days.

Mnangagwa says he won the poll.
We are looking at what's in the best interest of our students and community. At the end of the day that's what we are really trying to solve, Craig said. "If we don't have opportunities for our kids to compete and pursue those passions, then we are not doing them the best service. If we can find another set of districts and schools that help provide those opportunities, then that's what we are going to seek out.
Papa John's said Tuesday that a key sales figure dropped 10.5 percent in July and that it can't predict how long and badly it will be affected by controversy involving its founder. The pizza chain slashed its sales outlook for the year, and its shares fell more than 10 percent. Last month, Forbes reported that Papa John's founder John Schnatter used a racial slur during a training call. Schnatter said the comment was taken out of context. Papa John's said sales dropped in the second quarter, before the controversy.
Theres not a mission today that we do in the military that doesnt in some way depend upon space, Air Force Sec. Heather Wilson said at an event last month at The Washington Post. But we built that architecture in space at a time when it was benign. We built the glass houses before the invention of stones. So now, we have to adjust and make sure that we can defend what we do in space and deter anyone from challenging us there.
The position of village administrator is especially challenging in Barrington Hills since officials are required to coordinate with other public officials in two school districts, four counties, five fire departments and numerous conservation districts  all of which cover some territory in the village, McLaughlin said.
Omakase, or chefs choice, can be experienced for $80 or $120. Initially, the chef created the tasting menus from the a la carte selections on the standing menu, which saw takers grazing on golden Wagyu beef croquettes garnished with a dot of remoulade, a clear soup flavored with not much more than sea kelp (its restorative), a school of raw fish of uneven appeal (see above) and a dessert that nearly eclipses much of what comes before it. I left no trace of the lemon grass panna cotta topped with yuzu-honey served in a lovely parfait glass. By the time you read this, Emperor says he will have tweaked the omakase script to include more seasonal or otherwise special items. Look for cherry tomatoes stuffed with raw tuna, and asparagus in a rice cracker crust.
But instead of putting candidates on the spot, perhaps you could get the message across with a strategically displayed bumper sticker or other political decor. You might get even better results if, as Segal recommends, you pick your top applicant, lay your own cards on the table and let the candidate make the call: I should let you know that I am a vocal [supporter/critic] of our current administration, but I know not everyone agrees with me. Im not asking for your views, but I wanted you to know mine so you can consider this in deciding whether to accept my offer.
Perhaps thats why, in the weeks that I toted around Juul, none of my friends, a group almost entirely in its 30s, seemed the least bit intrigued in the blinking thing in my palm. And I hated puffing on it. Too embarrassing. It sits in the bottom of my purse now, where only the obnoxious flash of party mode alerts me to the fact that its there, calling out not to me, but to the kids.
Take pictures of the exterior of the car before leaving the lot, advises Justin Tysdal, CEO of Seven Corners, a travel insurance company. Having a before picture ensures that if theres a claim, youll be able to prove how the car looked when you picked it up. Take a snapshot of the dashboard, including the gas gauge and odometer. Include the VIN placard and the license plate in your album. Then conduct a slow walkaround, capturing images of each body panel, all windows, the roof, the bumpers and the wheels. And dont forget the after photo montage. Car-rental companies sometimes wait weeks, even months, before sending a claim. In the meantime, anyone could have driven your rental.
As symbols of the nation and of the resurgence in Americas bald eagle population, Valor and relatives had been closely followed through video monitoring of their nest, and they had become avian celebrities, in Washington and beyond. Many have invested hopes in the continuing survival of the citys resident eagles.
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Although the workers have many of the same roles and responsibilities as Power Design employees and report to the companys managers, the lawsuit alleges, they do not receive the paid sick leave that D.C. employers are required to give. The lawsuit says that at least 180 workers werent paid the required overtime rate, and that at least 64 werent paid minimum wage.
In downtown Charlottesville, beginning Friday evening, several streets will be closed to vehicles and police will set up a tightly patrolled security area with just two entry points. It will be illegal for those over the age of 16 to wear masks or other identity-obscuring apparel, and the city has published a lengthy list of items that will be prohibited in that area  ranging from ice picks and swords to catapults and nunchucks. Paintball guns, BB guns and pellet guns are banned, too, but firearms are not.
A: If its something you really love, its ultimately something you should do because if you do what you love, it will make you happy. If you want to take your skills to the next level, Id also recommend going to The Performers School. They even bring in professionals to teach and offer advice, which is just remarkable.
The governor believes in raising the level of political discourse in our state and in our country, and cursing at reporters asking questions is the exact opposite of that, Hogan campaign spokesman Doug Mayer said in a statement. We need more people in public office who understand that words and tone matter, not fewer  we already have plenty who dont in Washington, D.C.
Brochin, a 16-year lawmaker, ran for Baltimore county executive this year instead of seeking another term in the legislature; he lost the Democratic primary to progressive John Johnny O Olszewski Jr. by 17 votes. He is known as one of the General Assemblys most dogged campaigners and promised to focus his energy for the next few months on helping Hogan win votes in Baltimore County.
I would always be drawn to this one cage, with a solitary jaguar, he told National Geographic in 2014. All the other cats would charge at the bars or vocalize. But the jaguar would mostly stay quiet, watching everybody pass by, in a world of its own. Thats the way I felt. So I would go to the bars, wait until nobody was around, and talk to the jaguar  tell it my hopes and dreams, whether it was a bad day at school or how stupid I felt people were because they didnt try to understand me.
In Slattens first trial, his defense argued to jurors and cited other evidence that another guard, not Slatten, fired first after the Kia moved toward the convoy. But his defense was not allowed to introduce statements to investigators made in the days after the shooting by the other guard-- Paul A. Slough, 38, of Keller, Tex--, because he also was on trial and invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify.
You can make your life whatever you want it to make, Williams told Kpakima. If you want to spend your days in jail, and be an absent father, you can do that, thats one way to live your life. Or if you want to participate in the upbringing of your children, and try to make them better, which is what I would advise you to do, you can do it this way.
The vehicle in which all three were thought to have been traveling was consumed by fire on Interstate 66 in Warren County, Va., and Rodriguez-Sariol was seen there, state police said.
It was determined that Michael and Rebecca had been having an argument over the weekend in reference to  things going on around the house and that it had turned violent, with Michael striking Rebecca several times  at various times throughout the weekend, Roechner said.
In many ways, this confluence of construction work and potentially volatile public events seems extremely ill-timed. But the reason this is happening in the first place is so work crews can repair the tracks on the tight curve between the McPherson Square and Smithsonian stations, a central segment for the Orange, Blue and Silver lines. One side of the tracks will be shut down at a time during the round-the-clock overhaul, which will allow trains to single-track through the section on weekdays during the project.
Lisa Suennen, 52, who lives in Marin County, about 100 miles from the Mendocino fire, has gone to the doctor three times in recent weeks because of lingering respiratory issues. She said her problem started as a cold, but as the air got worse, she developed bronchitis and her asthma flared up. My lungs do not feel healthy right now, she said. It is just not natural to breathe.
WNBC New York reported that a cleaning crew found the 5- or 6-month-old fetus in the toilet of one of the planes bathrooms. The jet had originated in Charlotte and had been parked in a hangar when the fetus was discovered, the station said.
Rogers, who was notified of the incident and arrived on the scene a short time later, said he believes Stubbs should also have been charged with assault for allegedly threatening the circulator and expressed displeasure that Stubbs had been allowed to return to the station for processing the day after her arrest because the departments computer system was down on Saturday.
Congo confirms 3 more cases of Ebola: Three more cases of the deadly Ebola virus have been confirmed in Congo's latest outbreak, the Health Ministry said, while the World Health Organization said vaccinations could begin as early as Wednesday. The outbreak declared last week in northeast Congo is new and not connected to the one in the northwest, which was declared over on July 24. At least four Ebola deaths have been confirmed in the new outbreak.
Yet the trial highlights another case of Trumps lax vetting of his aides. Manafort and Gates had been questioned by the FBI in 2014, but they likely wouldnt be where they are today if they hadnt joined Trumps campaign. In that sense, they are like others in Trumps circle  Donald Jr., Jared Kushner, Michael Flynn, Scott Pruitt, Michael Cohen  who have had trouble withstanding the scrutiny that has come with Trumps rise. Presiding over it all is Trump, who boasts of his immunity to conflicts of interest and refuses to release his tax returns.
It is one of Putins greatest triumphs that this narrative is widely accepted today in the American academy and by large segments of both political parties. As McFaul explains, however, it is mostly a myth, designed by Putin to justify his increasingly autocratic and personalistic rule to his own people. American and European actions after the Cold War did not prevent cooperation with Russia during the 1990s, after 9/11 or during the first two years of the Obama administration. The United States and Europe provided billions of dollars in aid to Russia and sought to help integrate Russia into the world economy. The United States created post-Cold War security and economic arrangements such as the NATO-Russia Council, the Group of Eight and the expanded Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to strengthen ties with Moscow and give it a greater say in global councils. The two powers negotiated and ratified arms control agreements and cooperated on Afghanistan and Iran.
Danielle Allen is a political theorist at Harvard University and a contributing columnist for The Post. Her book Cuz, which contains Michael Allens firefighting memoir, will be published in paperback in September.

The people who fight raging wildfires in the West withstand unthinkable heat and smoke. To save lives and property, they work through the night by the light of the flames, subsist on military-style rations and depend on the total commitment of all members of a crew. Some lose their lives; they all go out knowing they might. And when they conquer a fire, they go home. For a good number  those who serve on inmate fire crews  home, so to speak, is prison.

My cousin Michael Allen, now deceased, was arrested for the first time in September 1995 for an attempted carjacking. The attempt, which failed when his victim wrested away his gun and shot him in the neck, was a part of a week of robberies in which Michael was, it now appears, crystallizing a gang affiliation. He had no prior record, no history of violent actions. He received a sentence of 12 years and eight months, and was transferred to adult prison at 17. His time in prison was hard, and ultimately led to his demise insofar as he was shot and killed three years after his 2006 release by a lover he had met there.

Yet the time in prison brought him one beautiful, life-transforming opportunity: the chance to serve on an inmate fire crew.

Michael got assigned to fire camp on May 19, 2003, his first day outside of prison or a prison transport vehicle in almost eight years. The training involved hiking in and out of canyons, learning how to cut firelines, the breaks in fuel sources intended to stop a greedy fire in its tracks. He learned how to use shovels and rakes for this work, and crew roles such as captain, swamper and dragspoon. He recorded those days as here, his first one:

5-19-03

Day 1  I felt real dizzy. Ive always thought I would be acutely aware of everything on that first day. I felt myself panic. For an instant I even wanted to run back inside. The free air had me coughing a lot. Going up the mountain I saw the sky was noticeably different from in prison. Even though it has been the same sky since the beginning of time. I really started to take a lot in going down the mountain. Yellow small flowers lined the trail. There were purple ones as well.

In October 2003, Michael fought what was, at the time, the largest wildfire in California history. The California Fire Siege burned some 750,000 acres. At one point, 80,000 acres incinerated in 10 hours. More than two acres per second went up, in a raging roar like that of a fleet of freight trains.

The work was intense. Michael wrote: Our captain has this example of what it is to fight fire. He says that if you havent been at a fire where you are constantly tearing up, breathing hard, and drinking your own snot, then you havent fought a fire. Forgive me for what may appear disgusting but for every firefighter these aspects are as real as death.

The pay was outrageous, $1 a day at the time. But that was not why Michael did it.

Michael fought fires because the work gave him the chance to be the man he had always known he could be. Smart, courageous and dedicated, he loved the firefighting and was immensely proud of it. He also made his best progress at correspondence college courses while simultaneously working hard in the often terrifying outdoors.

Within a penal system that in its other features was more likely to degrade and reduce human development, Michael accidentally fell into a program that, but for the exploitative pay, is an excellent example of a response to wrongdoing that seeks to make the victim whole, seeks to make the community whole and seeks to help the wrongdoer prepare for positive relations with the broader society.

Germany and the Netherlands use a principle of association to structure their system of sanctions. This means they recognize that wrongdoers succeed better when they reenter society, after the completion of their sanction, if they have had the chance to develop and build positive social relations. The firefighting program is, in effect, built on such a principle of association. Offenders get the chance to leave the prison and, to some extent, to interact with the free world. They build skills and have the opportunity to take pride in their work. Success depends on teamwork.

We hoped that, when Michael was released in 2006, he would be able to live with members of our extended family in Riverside County in California and continue to participate on a fire crew. But the parole rules at the time required that he return to the county of his crime, urban Los Angeles. There, he wasnt able to build on the growth that fighting fires brought him.

The U.S. criminal-justice system uses the principle of association mainly by accident, as when, because of need, the state looks to incarcerated people as a potential labor force. But we should recognize the value in programs of this kind, restructure them to avoid exploitation and treat them as anchors for a new approach to criminal justice. We shouldnt need a disaster to guide us toward this better way.
The administrations efforts are preventing what otherwise would be a tidal surge of illegal immigration, said the official, who was not authorized to speak on the record and requested anonymity. Every single person we talked to at the operational level will tell you that the number one reason for the increase in family units is the legal inability to deliver predictable immigration consequences because of congressional loopholes.
Moustis confirmed his Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon, which stated: I have always and will always support the creation of good paying jobs in our communities, but it is readily apparent that the safety, noise and traffic concerns raised by families near the NorthPoint development far outweigh any economic benefit. For my entire public service career I have listened to the thoughts and opinions of the families I represent, this case is no different. While I will give NorthPoint a fair and impartial hearing they are legally entitled to in regards to their rezoning request, I strongly recommend that NorthPoint withdraws this request for rezoning until they address the serious concerns raised by local families.
But the Democrats internal debate will continue. Eleven more states will hold primaries before the midterms, with many of them featuring battles between the centrist and left wings of the party. On Thursday, two days before Hawaiis primaries, Ocasio-Cortez will speak in the state on behalf of Kaniela Ing, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who is running for the House. In an interview, he said his rivals had made the race tougher by attempting to mirror the lefts most popular issues, like Medicare for all.
Kobach is not required by law to recuse himself from the recount process. Even so, some independent experts and Kobach critics have called on the secretary of state to recuse himself from the process entirely, arguing that his role as a candidate presents a conflict of interest. Kobach did not say Wednesday whether he planned to do so, maintaining that there are multiple safeguards in place to ensure the fairness of a potential recount.
The seat has been empty since Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, stepped down in December amid multiple accusations of sexual harassment. Conyerss downfall was cited as a source of frustration by many of the candidates in the race, including Tlaib, who has said that she would have liked to see an investigation into the allegations rather than a hasty exit by the liberal legend.
But you got to get out and do it, Trump said. You got to get out and vote. You got to get out because they want to take away what weve given. . . . A vote for Danny Boy and the Democrats is a vote to let criminals and drugs pour into our country and to let MS-13 run wild in our communities.
These are his people, these are the people he should be feeding; these are the people he should be giving medicine to; these are the people he should be giving jobs to and making sure that they have a good quality of life. But instead, he is protecting himself, Haley said.
The letter lays out the eight months of negotiating steps and positions the Trump and Mueller teams have taken over terms for a possible interview, starting in December, one person said. In it, Trumps team repeats its argument that it would be inappropriate to question the president about acts he is constitutionally protected in carrying out as the chief executive. Mueller is examining possible efforts by Trump to thwart a criminal probe and obstruct justice.
Only McCain  who has been in Arizona since December receiving treatment for a serious form of brain cancer  has refused to pull punches when tangling with Trump over Russia, Ornstein argued. He pointed out that even those who have fiercely advocated stepping up sanctions, such as Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), have occasionally soft-pedaled their message so as not to anger Trump  whose condemnations of Russian aggression have been murky at best.
Even as Trumps approach to China thus far bears little fruit, administration officials say they are optimistic they will be able to announce by the end of this week agreement with Mexico on key elements of a new North American trade deal. U.S. and Mexican negotiators are finalizing new rules for granting automobiles duty-free treatment, which would require more manufacturing work to be done in high-wage factories, according to three sources familiar with the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations.
Brunson, a Christian pastor who has lived for two decades in Turkey, was arrested in 2016 and charged with having terrorist connections and with complicity in a failed coup attempt that year against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After nearly two years in prison, he was released last month to house arrest, and his trial is not scheduled to resume until October.
He said military officials would use intelligence and surveillance to keep apprised of Iranian activities that might impact maritime commerce. He also said that since the latest sanctions, Iran had not shown any signs of harassing U.S. ships, as it has done intermittently in the past.
The draft order looks much more like a cover-your-behind exercise to show the administration is doing something when in fact it doesnt oblige them to do much of anything, said Michael Carpenter, a former Pentagon and White House official who worked on Russia policy for the Obama administration. The sanctions on foreign individuals for election interference are not going to dissuade anyone. To be a credible deterrent, a foreign country like Russia would need to think that sanctions would automatically go into effect if X, Y and Z happened.
By the end of the discussion, Kolodziej said he was more comfortable with the plan and could approve it. Since this was the initial step in the process and preliminary and final site plans have yet to be submitted, there will be opportunities for the village to ask for specific things, he said.
They are going to have to find a country where they can do their fellowships and residencies, and there are very few countries that allow that, he said. There is no way they can access the U.S. system. Thousands of students are affected by this. I feel sorry for them.
Argentina is the birthplace of Pope Francis. Since assuming the papacy in 2013, the pontiff has largely refrained from inserting himself into domestic politics. He had not directly commented on the abortion bill, but two days before the lower house voted on the bill in June, he appeared to compare abortion sought for birth defects to Nazi eugenics. Last century, everyone was scandalized by what the Nazis did to ensure the purity of the race, he said. Today, we do the same but with white gloves.
Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code and state law fraud can involve reckless deception of

another, the client, with the intention to gain a financial advantage with maximum penalties of up to 10 years in jail, Professor Kingsford Smith said. There's really a horizon of state or Commonwealth statutory provisions, including from the

Commonwealth Criminal Code, that prosecutions could proceed under." Loading John Berrill, the principal of Berrill & Watsons, said it was a significant moment. What Hayne is flagging is that by repaying money or by complying with an enforceable undertaking, you may not be off-the-hook  there could be criminal penalties here, he said.

Criminal law had a higher burden of proof than civil law, where it had to be proven beyond reasonable doubt that there has been an intention to permanently deprive, he said. That is very different to the civil standard that is on the balance of probabilities. The bombshell question came the day after the corporate watchdog said compensation to customers over the fees for the no-service rort had reached more than $220 million and was likely to stretch to $850 million. The commission has previously flagged the possibility of criminal action over AMP's response to the fees-for-no-service issue over accusations it broke laws when it misled the regulator. Ex-NAB trustee Nicole Smith outside the royal commission. Credit:Simon Schluter

Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn could not definitively say whether the bank had ever looked into whether its own fee for no service may be a criminal issue. Loading "I don't think I can speak specifically to whether CBA has ever looked into the different elements. Or fee for no service was disclosed some time ago," Mr Comyn said at a press conference after the bank's profit results. The CBA will appear before the current round of hearings focusing on superannuation. "I think it would be prudent at this stage to actually just let those hearings take place.

"We obviously will respond following the royal commission's preliminary report in September," Mr Comyn said. AMP acting chief executive Mike Wilkins, when asked if he was concerned that the royal commission's eventual recommendations may go further than was eariler flagged in the proceedings, he said AMP was focused on "prioritising our customers and restoring confidence in AMP". ANZ and Westpac declined to comment on the comments by the commissioner concerning criminal proceedings. Julia Angrisano, the national secretary of the Finance Sector Union of Australia (FSU) said the conduct being exposed at the commission was "some of the worst excesses by any Australian bank which has severely disadvantaged customers". If commissioner Hayne truly believes criminal charges are warranted when banks took money from customers when there was no entitlement to do so, then we would urge him to make appropriate recommendations," she said.

'Hopelessly conflicted' Ms Smith also denied the bank had "got off lightly" over a fees-for-no-service breach in its superannuation arm, and that its dealings on the matter were "hopelessly conflicted". Counsel assisting Michael Hodge, QC, on Wednesday continued to question Ms Smith over internal decision making around the potential need to repay advice fees charged to super fund members who were not actually linked to an adviser. The commission had previously heard that the market regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), in 2016 had flagged slapping Nulis with an enforceable undertaking (EU) over the breach, a move that - according to evidence tendered to the royal commission - NAB strongly resisted in meetings and in correspondence with the regulator. How can (NAB) advise you about what should be done ... if its the one that has taken the money and will have to pay it back Counsel assisting the commission Michael Hodge

ASIC eventually decided against an EU, instead taking the less serious step of imposing extra conditions on Nulis' financial services licence. Mr Hodge on Wednesday questioned Ms Smith over discussions within NAB over the potential EU, including fears about the "adverse publicity" that would flow from such a move. "Was there a discussion that you can recall about differences in adverse publicity depending upon whether an EU or a change to licence conditions occurred?" he asked Ms Smith. "Yes," she replied. Counsel assisting the commission, Michael Hodge. Credit:Webcast

Mr Hodge then asked whether Ms Smith recalled "that the effect of the discussion was that there would be less adverse publicity if there was a change of licence conditions rather than enforceable undertaking" to which she replied: "Yes." But Ms Smith had earlier rejected Mr Hodge's question on whether Nulis and NAB's wealth business regarded themselves as "getting off lightly" over the breach. Ms Smith argued that either an EU or extra licence conditions "essentially they meant we would do exactly the same thing". Loading The commission has been examining the relationship between NAB wealth's super fund administrator, and NAB's superannuation trustee, Nulis, including internal discussions whether the fees in question should be repaid. It has also examined how the breach was presented to regulators ASIC and APRA. Mr Hodge questioned whether NAB's handling of the issue was "hopelessly conflicted".

"How can [NAB's wealth division] advise you about what should be done or make recommendations to you about what should be done if it's the one that has taken the money and will have to pay it back?" Mr Hodge asked. Later, Ms Smith acknowledged that, while the administrator management was "in a conflicted position, I do not believe it is hopelessly conflicted". Ms Smith, under questioning, maintained that the trustee had acted in the best interests of super fund members over the breach, because they were eventually "fully compensated". Ms Smith had previously acknowledged that she believed the members should be repaid the fees, but had also acknowledged that decisions to remediate had taken too long in two instances. MLCs slow progress in shifting fund members into a low-fee MySuper fund was also examined, with Ms Smith probed over whether MLCs decision to go on slow on the process had led to the funds underperformance.

Ms Smith was asked about apparent conflicts of interest in investment decision-making by the fund trustee, which was required to erode the profit margin of its parent  NAB  to improve the MySuper funds performance through diversifying investments into unlisted infrastructure and property. The commission saw evidence that, as recently as August last year, that the MySuper portfolio manager had voiced a strong opinion that the funds investment return targets will be very hard to meet at the current fee budget. Ms Smith at one point acknowledged that the funds trust had been unable to control how much of an investment fee was taken for profit and how much was used to manage the investment for the benefit of members, a situation she said had changed in 2016. Loading Under earlier questioning from Mr Hodge, Ms Smith acknowledged there was a tension in the conflict of interests in running a fiduciary business for profit, as part of a conglomerate organisation.
Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Twitter he is considering taking Tesla private in what would be the largest deal of its type, moving the electric car maker out of the glare of Wall Street as it goes through a period of rapid growth under tight financial constraints.

"Am considering taking Tesla private at $US420. Funding secured," Musk said on Twitter.

Its shares jumped more than 7 per cent to $US367.25 before being halted for news pending. After resuming trading they climbed again to close at $US379.57, a jump of 11 per cent. According to Bloomberg, the share jump added $US1.4 billion ($1.9 billion) to Musk's fortune, taking it over the $US25 billion mark.

At $US420 per share, a deal would be worth $US72 billion. Musk did not disclose the source of the funding. In an email to Tesla employees, he explained his reasoning for the move.
Department store Myer's then boss Bernie Brookes told investors at its 2014 full year results that the company's profit would grow in the year ahead despite the board deciding a day earlier it could not reliably give such guidance, a court has heard.

Former Myer chief Bernie Brookes. Credit:Josh Robenstone

Myer is facing a class action launched on behalf of shareholders who say they lost money because the iconic chain breached continuous disclosure obligations by not correcting Mr Brookes' claim, despite knowing it could not be achieved.

On the first day of proceedings in the Federal Court in Melbourne on Wednesday, Norman O'Bryan, QC, outlining the case for the shareholders told the court that draft 2014 full year earnings ASX releases show Myer's board had decided not to include profit forecasts because it did not have confidence in the budget it had in place.

But while handing down its results on September 11, 2014, chief executive Mr Brookes told analysts and then journalists that Myer anticipated profit growth in 2015. The company's profit had fallen 22 per cent to $98.5 million in 2014.
Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak was such an overwhelming success when it was first brought to Perth in 2017 that 50,000 people attended the show in Kings Park over its three-night run.

The opening of the light and sound spectacular was dampened by bad weather but the crowds came anyway, with shuttle buses filled to the brim bringing visitors to and from the night time park.

Now this free outdoor celebration of "our indigenous Noongar culture and the uniquely beautiful and biodiverse South Western Australia" is coming back to the city for an encore performance over four nights, again opening the Perth Festival as a highlight of its 2019 edition.

Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak. Credit:PIAF

The Trees Speak is one act of what organisers have dubbed the 'fabulous four' for the 66th Perth Festival.
Outgoing Master Builders Association head Michael McLean has refused to be drawn on whether his successor is the former head of their rival, the Housing Industry Association WA.

WAtoday understands John Gelavis finished up as executive director of HIAWA on Friday and has been selected to replace Mr McLean.

Former HIAWA executive director John Gelavis. Credit:Linkedin

Mr McLean has been at the helm of the association for 22 years before announcing his retirement in February saying it was, "time to hand over the baton to someone younger with new ideas to take Master Builders to the next level."

Mr McLean said he wasn't able to confirm whether Mr Gelavis would take the association's reigns but there would be an announcement 'within days.'
Alcoa workers have walked off the job indefinitely south of Perth over disagreements regarding their new enterprise bargaining agreement.

Workers at the Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries met at Pinjarra Oval on Wednesday morning to take part in an industrial strike after the company and workers failed to settle on the conditions outlined in the new company's bargaining agreement.

Workers striking in the rain on Wednesday morning.

As a result, workers at the Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries and the Huntley and Willowdale bauxite mine have all staged walk-outs.

The new agreement affects just over 1600 workers, and the Australian Workers Union said it had worked for just under two years trying to negotiate the agreement with Alcoa.
Centrelink will more than double its ranks of contractors answering calls as it turns again to private companies to bring phone wait times down.

The Coalition government will pay contracted call centre operators for another 1500 staff to deal with surges in demand and cut its notorious phone queues.

It will add to 1000 private staff Human Services Minister Michael Keenan announced in April and 250 who began under a trial last year, bringing their number to 2750.

Loading

The expansion of contractors answering calls to Centrelink follows decisions to shed 2500 public servants in two years from the Department of Human Services overseeing the agency.
Alexandria: The star witness in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort faced a grilling in court about a "secret life" that included an extramarital affair and stealing funds from his former boss.

In blistering questioning, a defence lawyer accused Rick Gates, the protege of Manafort, of being immersed in "so many lies" he can't remember them all.

Making many admissions: Rick Gates. Credit:AP

Gates, who served as a right-hand man to Manafort in his political consulting business for a decade, acknowledged maintaining a flat in London for the affair, inflating expense reports and a long list of other misdeeds.

"In essence, I was living beyond my means," the married father-of-four said from the witness stand in Alexandria, Virginia. "I'm taking responsibility for it. I made a mistake."
South Whitehall Township Police Department(SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa.) -- A Pennsylvania police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after he shot and killed an unarmed man near an amusement park last month.



Jonathan Roselle, 32, of the South Whitehall Township Police Department, had been monitoring traffic near where the July 28 shooting took place -- across the street from Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania -- when a woman pulled up alongside him and told him that a man had tried to enter her vehicle, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said in a news conference Tuesday.



Roselle then encountered a bleeding man walking on the street, and the man banged on his car and jumped on the hood, Martin said. After that, Roselle reported the incident over radio -- saying that the man may have mental issues -- and issued several commands for the man to get off the vehicle and step away.



The man then walked away from Roselle's vehicle but turn around back toward him. Roselle, who had exited his car, ordered the man to get on the ground. As the man came closer, Roselle fired five shots before calling for help on the radio, Martin said.



The man -- identified by the district attorney's office last week as 44-year-old Joseph Santos of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey -- was later pronounced dead at the hospital.



There was no evidence that Santos had a weapon, Martin said.



Cellphone video taken of the shooting and posted to Facebook shows Roselle ordering Santos to get on the ground as he walks toward the police SUV. Santos then appears to put his hands in the air, but as he continues to move toward the officer, Roselle fires five shots at him, dropping Santos to the ground.



After the shooting, Martin said Santos was interfering with traffic and causing damage to cars on US Route 22 and that Roselle "unfortunately" had to use his weapon.



Authorities do not believe that the shooting was racially motivated but rather that Roselle is an "inexperienced officer."



Roselle had just been sworn into the police department in December and had 14 weeks of training after that, according to the department's Facebook page.



Roselle's attorney, Gavin Holihan, said in a statement that Roselle believes his actions were "justified and appropriate" given the circumstances.



"Police officers face challenges every shift that may require split second decisions," the statement read. "Those decisions are then calmly reviewed, with 20/20 hindsight, by the criminal justice system, those in political office, the media and the public."



Rosselle turned himself into authorities on Tuesday and was expected to be arraigned that afternoon. It's unclear if he entered a plea.



Neither the South Whitehall Township Police Department nor the Pennsylvania Order of Police immediately responded to ABC News' request for comment.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
A: We had a back-to-school car show. We do this for the kids in the community. We gave away book bags and professional barbers came and gave free haircuts for kids. Mayor David Guerin was in attendance, and River Grove Fire Chief Larry LaRiviere, who came with the fire truck.
The biggest change Hawkins sees coming in her new role is one that has been in the works for a while and is set to take effect for the 2019-20 school year: replacing a school day of 50-minute periods with a modified block schedule, including 80-minute periods four days each week.
When he was going to high school in Birtle 30 years ago, Kelvin Dushnisky said he would never have imagined that hed one day be moving to Johannesburg, South Africa, to take over management of the third-largest gold-mining company in the world, AngloGold Ashanti.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When he was going to high school in Birtle 30 years ago, Kelvin Dushnisky said he would never have imagined that hed one day be moving to Johannesburg, South Africa, to take over management of the third-largest gold-mining company in the world, AngloGold Ashanti.

But thats exactly what Dushnisky will be doing in a couple of months.

The former president and second in command at Toronto-based Barrick Gold, where hes risen up the ranks for the past 16 years, said he has never forgotten his Manitoba roots as hes travelled the globe negotiating complex mineral resource enterprises with local and national governments and workers alike.

In fact, he said his small-town upbringing is one of the valuable assets he is able to bring when negotiating and planning out investments of hundreds of millions of dollars around the world.

After a recent family reunion in Clear Lake (Jeff Hnatiuk, president and CEO of Sport Manitoba, is Dushinskys cousin), he visited Birtle and the small towns his parents grew up in and remembered the distinct lifestyle of a kid who grew up on a small farm in Manitoba.

"In some ways, growing up in a small community prepared me well," said the senior mining industry executive whose pay scale is now in the millions of dollars. "Sometimes people might presume I grew up on Bay Street or Wall Street. But my upbringing gave me a different perspective. I feel comfortable relating to people at the local level in a way that I may not have otherwise been able to."

After graduating from the University of Manitoba, Dushnisky went to the University of British Colombia for a masters degree in science and began working for an environmental consulting firm that helped mining companies navigate their way through the permitting process.

After then earning a law degree at UBC, he was invited to work at a former clients mining company and that began his career in the industry.

But still, after living in Vancouver for 20 years and another 16 in Toronto, whenever hes asked, he always says hes from Manitoba.

AngloGold Ashanti has 14 mines and three exploration projects in four different regions  South Africa, continental Africa, Australia and South America.

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Dushnisky said every successful mining company has safety and environmental concerns as the top two priorities and that localizing every operation as much as possible  engaging the local workforce, utilizing local suppliers and becoming partners with local jurisdictions  becomes the next most important priority.

Although neither Barrick or AngloGold has operations in Manitoba, Dushinsky said he has continued to be aware of mining industry operations in his home province, and despite its recent struggles, he believes it has a promising future.

Part of his favourable impression is due to meetings he had earlier this year in his Barrick offices with Growth Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen and his staff while they were at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in the spring in Toronto. Dushnisky said he was impressed that the province really wanted to understand what it is that the industry is looking for in a jurisdiction.

Dushnisky said he thinks Manitoba can distinguish itself if it can develop a framework that will allow companies like Barrick and others to invest in the province knowing there is certainty around Indigenous rights and Indigenous consultation.

Meanwhile, he said the geology of a region is obviously fundamental for any mining company and "we know Manitoba has the geology."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
That's not a just, he said. That is our goal that we're entirely focusing on now. Whether there will be a second or third building, that's a vision and an aspiration, and we'll see what the industry demand is for the first building and decide from there.
Solveig Meinhardt tries on one of her knitted hats. (Andrew Ryan / Winnipeg Free Press)

When it comes to caring, our hat is off to Solveig Meinhardt.

In fact, about 190 hats and counting are off to 16-year-old Solveig.

You see, Solveig, who lives with Down syndrome, was looking for something to do last November when someone came up with the idea of teaching her to knit using a circular knitting machine.

Since then, the machine is Solveig. She has produced about 190 woolen toques in nine months.

And it is all for a good cause now: the woolen hats made by Solveig are all destined to go to this year's Koats for Kids charity.

"She does it non-stop now," Solveig's mother, Lynn, said recently. "Her teacher told her she can take it to school. It keeps her happy and centred there."

Solveig's dad, Bjoern Erik, said when his daughter is doing something like watching TV, she doesn't stop knitting. "You see it go around and around and around," he said.

Solveig is so dedicated that, during a recent family driving vacation to visit relatives in Georgia, she took her machine - and her wool - with her.

"She made 19 hats while we were gone," Lynn said. "(Her relatives) asked if they could have a hat and she said no, you can't have one. They are all for Koats for Kids."

Lynn said they've purchased wool and they've also found leftover wool from various places.

"I have no idea how much wool she has gone through -- maybe I don't want to know," she said with a laugh.

Now this is where you can step in to help.

Solveig's father, who is pastor at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, at 65 Walnut St., recently asked his congregation for donations of yarn in the church bulletin.

"If you can help, please leave yarn in the box located in the narthex," the announcement said.

We figured we would widen the request so more people can help Solveig in her quest to make more toques.

If you have some wool to donate -- or even want to buy some for that purpose -- you can bring it down to the church and drop it off. You might want to call ahead to 204-775-6477 to make sure they're open before you do.

Who knows? If you drop some off, this winter you might see a kid or teenager walking around wearing a hat made by Solveig with your wool.

And that will warm not just a head, but also your heart.

- Kevin Rollason
The head of the Manitoba First Nations Police says he hopes the force will someday be available to all First Nations in the province seeking Indigenous-led policing.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The head of the Manitoba First Nations Police says he hopes the force will someday be available to all First Nations in the province seeking Indigenous-led policing.

The MFNP, formerly known as the Dakota Ojibway Police Service, serves six of Manitobas 63 First Nations.

A handful of other communities have expressed interest in being policed by the force, MFNP Chief Rick Head said Tuesday, but its unclear whether the force and the communities will get the required funds.

Heads comments came at the two-day First Nations Police Governance Council conference Tuesday in Winnipeg. The conference gathers delegates and speakers come from across the country to discuss, among other points, moving First Nations policing from a program to an essential service.

The First Nations Policing Program was set to expire in March, but in January, the federal government injected $292 million into the program thats funded Indigenous and Inuit law enforcement, serving more than 450 communities since the 1990s. The federal government covers 52 per cent of the funding; provinces and territories cover the rest.

Its still unclear how much federal funding the MFNP will get, Head said. "Im hoping  and we havent seen the benefit of it yet  but Im hoping it will put more money into the agencies, from upgrading our equipment to training."

The funds are also meant to hire 110 more officers across the country.

The MFNP currently has 36 officers and 13 support staff, as well as corrections officers. Because its a small force, it can mostly focus on basic police work and some education, Head said.

One goal is to start a four-officer serious crime unit that would operate out of its headquarters in Portage la Prairie, and mostly focus on investigating drug trafficking between First Nations communities, the chief said.

However, that is still a "dream," Head said. "But, hopefully, in the next few years, well be able to increase those numbers and be able to have that happen."

Recruiting Indigenous people to police their own communities is still one of the biggest hurdles facing the MFNP.

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"Its very difficult to try to recruit a lot of Indigenous people because of the mistrust of the police  with colonization and the 60s Scoop," Head said. "All those things have caused a great deal of trauma, intergenerational trauma in communities."

However, he said, community leaders want Indigenous involvement in policing.

Education is another issue, but one thats improving, Head said. "Its getting people to a certain level so they qualify  to get people to level of education they need to get into the field of justice."

Of the 38 self-administered policing services in Canada, 32 are in Ontario and Quebec, said Dan Bellegarde, board chairman for the File Hills First Nations Police Service in Saskatchewan.

"Our goal and my goal is to reach complete self-administrated policing for all of our First Nations in Saskatchewan, and, hopefully, throughout the west  to not have to rely on external forces to police our own communities," Bellegarde said.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
In her darkest hour, Jessica Pennock heaved her body off Winnipeg's Maryland Bridge, so filled with guilt and shame she couldnt go on.

In her darkest hour, Jessica Pennock heaved her body off Winnipeg's Maryland Bridge, so filled with guilt and shame she couldnt go on.

I felt so hopeless, I just wanted to die, she recalled.

Instead of killing her, the impact left the young mother with broken bones. The jump was one of many suicide attempts that punctuated a life of pain, as evidenced by the fading scars running up her arm.

For years, she lived in a world of addiction, abuse and sexual exploitation.

On Wednesday, Pennock stood before a crowd at the North End Womens Centre a beacon of hope to others in the dark place she once resided.

Dont give up, because anybody can do it. I feel a lot of the time that, if I could do it, anybody could do it. It doesnt matter what youve gone through, what youve been through, you can always take the steps that change your life, she said.

Her comments came shortly after a news conference where Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale announced $4 million in federal funding for one of the centres programs.

Moon Medicine Rising, which is similar to the program Pennock graduated from in 2015, helps women exit the sex trade by providing them individualized support and access to transitional housing.

It is geared towards helping women living the life Pennock knew all too well in 2013, when she first walked through centre's front door.

"I was already a bit into my recovery, although at the time I wasnt sure if I would get to parent my daughter or not. Because of my history in the sex trade, being a drug addict, and I had numerous suicide attempts, they didnt trust that I had the ability yet to parent, Pennock said.

While her daughter was in her custody, there was a Child and Family Services apprehension order issued, meaning, if she didnt meet court ordered requirements, her daughter would be taken away.

When she first entered the program, Pennock said she had no self-esteem or healthy boundaries, let alone the skills needed to stay sober. Multiple attempts at getting clean and out of the sex trade -- both on her own and with the help of 12-step programs -- had failed.

I had been sexually exploited for years as a child, and then as an adult. Twelve years in the sex trade, physically, emotionally, mentally abused and sex trafficked. I didnt know how to live a healthy life. I dont want to say that I couldnt have done it (without the program), but I dont know if I could have. Coming here really helped a lot," Pennock said.

After completing the women's centre program, Pennock was able to move out on her own, with her daughter. She then returned to the womens centre, serving as a mentor in the program shed graduated from.

That gave her a taste of what it was like to help women experiencing the same struggles she'd been through, which later led her to enter a child and youth care program designed for women who have left the sex trade.

Each step of the way, Pennock ran with the opportunities. After completing that program, she continued on at Red River College and eventually graduated with a child and youth care diploma.

Today, her journey has come full circle. Shes employed as an outreach worker for the North End Womens Centre.

I live in a nice home with my partner, my daughter who is now five, and we have a six-month daughter together. Im (at the womens centre) full-time. My life, I just never thought it would be this way, Pennock said.

It was a blessing for the centre to receive the funding. I think the North End Womens Centre will be very  it really changed my life. It changed my life like I never would have thought and I just know it could change so many other peoples lives, as well.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe

Close
The Manitoba government is assessing the situation for about 50 post-secondary students in Manitoba from Saudi Arabia, which is reportedly cancelling scholarships for more than 15,000 Saudi students attending university in Canada.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 7/8/2018 (1178 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government is assessing the situation for about 50 post-secondary students in Manitoba from Saudi Arabia, which is reportedly cancelling scholarships for more than 15,000 Saudi students attending university in Canada.

The country is retaliating after Global Affairs Canada tweeted about being "gravely concerned" about the arrests of civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including jailed blogger Raif Badawi and his sister Samar Badawi. The Saudi foreign ministry called the tweet "unfortunate, reprehensible and unacceptable." The government expelled Canada's ambassador, froze any new trade deals and is reportedly nixing the scholarships of Saudis studying in Canada.

"We are sympathetic to the disruption this is having on the lives of students from Saudi Arabia who chose to study in our province," Education and Training Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in a statement emailed to the Free Press.

Data from the provincial government show 52 students from Saudi Arabia were enrolled in Manitoba post-secondary institutions in 2015-16, 70 per cent of whom were at U of M. The remaining were enrolled at University of Winnipeg (23 per cent) Brandon University (four per cent), Red River College (two per cent) and Universite de Saint-Boniface (two per cent).

"Though this represents a small segment of Manitobas international student population, Manitoba Education and Training will continue to assess the situation together with those education institutions impacted and the federal government," the statement from Goertzen's office said.

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In the fall of 2017, 48 students from Saudi Arabia were registered at the University of Manitoba, a fraction of the international student population of 5,268 and a total student population of 29,428, according to a list of students by citizenship provided by the U of M.

"The University of Manitoba is gathering information and will be contacting all students who may be impacted by the recent measures put in place by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the suspension of all Saudi scholarship holders studying in Canada," a U of M spokesman said.

"There are currently about 50 students from Saudi Arabia enrolled at the University of Manitoba, both at the graduate and undergraduate level, in a variety of faculties," he said. The U of M is an accredited school of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program but the administration of the scholarship is maintained by the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education and recipient information is not shared with the U of M registrar, the university spokesman said.

King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud created the King Abdullah Scholarship Program in 2005 as a way to establish sustainable human resources in the Saudi kingdom. Since its inception, scholarship students from Saudi Arabia have been sent around the world to study degree programs in diverse areas of specialization.

The scholarship covers living expenses, tuition and other expenses for up to two years for masters students and four years for PhD students.

 staff
Northern Manitoba chiefs who represent some of the poorest and most remote communities in Canada are in The Pas this week to elect a new grand chief.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Northern Manitoba chiefs who represent some of the poorest and most remote communities in Canada are in The Pas this week to elect a new grand chief.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Sheila North announced in the spring she would not seek a second term; she ran last month in the Assembly of First Nations national chief election, placing second to incumbent Perry Bellegarde.

The three-year term has attracted two candidates: Ted Bland, a former chief from York Factory First Nation, and Garrison Settee, a former chief from Pimicikamak Cree Nation.

The 30 northern chiefs will take part in the election at an annual assembly, Tuesday through Thursday at Opaskwayak Cree Nation, across the Saskatchewan River from The Pas.

Both candidates listed adherence to treaty and inherent rights as priorities in campaign literature distributed Tuesday.

The chief negotiator for York Factory, Blands been involved in politics at a community level for years. He was elected chief twice, the second time by acclamation, and also served as chairman of the regional northern organization Keewatin Tribal Council.

He was the spokesman for a northern First Nations offer to repair the damaged rail line into Churchill a year ago. The Keewatin Railway Company is a First Nations-owned short line that runs between The Pas and Pukatawagan.

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"The MKO region is one of the richest and desired territories for its resources, yet our communities remain the poorest in Canada," Bland said in his campaign literature.

"I will work to ensure ownership, wealth creation and employment and training are the primary principles of economic development in our territories."

Settee is a teacher who returned to the classroom after a long career in politics. Settee is a former chief of Pimicikamak, and has sat on the executive councils for both the regional MKO and the national AFN.

Settees focus is on positioning First Nations and youth for the future.

"We have a generation of young people who need to find their way in the face of socio-economic uncertainties," he said in a statement to the Free Press. "With an ever-growing population, we need to provide a leadership that will address economic, educational and health initiatives that will bring hope and sustainability."

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  Omnitrax says it will start repairs on its railway to Churchill this month, while those aiming to take over the railway and port claim those negotiations have stalled as the Denver-based company tries limiting any future liability once it pulls out of Manitoba.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Omnitrax says it will start repairs on its railway to Churchill this month, while those aiming to take over the railway and port claim those negotiations have stalled as the Denver-based company tries limiting any future liability once it pulls out of Manitoba.

The Canadian Transportation Agency ruled in June that Omnitrax had to start repairs along the Hudson Bay Railway as of July 3, 2018, after a May 2017 flood washed out sections of the track between Gillam and Churchill, severing the lone year-round land link to the northern Manitoba community.

As part of the tribunals ruling, the CTA compelled Omnitrax to file monthly progress reports on restoring railway service "as expeditiously as possible." The Free Press obtained the companys first Aug. 1 filing.

Omnitrax says its made progress in soliciting four "reputable and experienced contractors" to repair the line, including a July 12 and 13 site visit. It noted bids would be due Aug. 3, and said engineering firm AECOM expects "that mobilization to the site will be commenced" by Sept. 1  "assuming funding is available."

It is unclear whether the CTA will accept Omnitraxs argument the repairs are contingent on funding from Ottawa or another corporation.

The original CTA ruling said Omnitrax had to find some way to finance the repairs, or put it up for sale at a government-mandated price.

The submission also notes Omnitrax had AECOM inspect the track June 11 and 12 "to determine if there were any substantive changes" since the winter freeze.

But the report does not say what the firm found.

Omnitrax refused Tuesday to clarify whether AECOMs original estimate last fall  a $43.5-million repair that would take 60 days  has changed in either cost or timeline.

The company has also had AECOM run a private-bidding process, meaning those tendering details are only available to select companies.

The submission says Omnitrax is confident repairs will start "as quickly as reasonably possible" and service can restored by this coming winter  which the federal government has promised will happen.

But the company noted final repairs, to would allow heavier freight shipments, may have to wait until spring 2019.

The submission was written on letterhead of the Hudson Bay Railway Co., which acknowledged HBRC is "an Omnitrax Canada-managed company" and included an Omnitrax logo. Thats despite the Denver-based parent company arguing multiple times the two are separate entities, and Omnitrax should not be held liable for its destitute Manitoba subsidiary.

Meanwhile, Ottawa is still facilitating talks aimed at transferring the railway and port to northern Manitoba groups with the help of Toronto financier Fairfax Financial.

Numerous sources  none of whom represent Omnitraxs point of view claim those negotiations have hinged for almost a month on the companys reluctance to guarantee any unforeseen liabilities. Omnitrax declined to comment on those claims.

The sources allege Ottawa and the buying group want the company to pledge it will pay millions of dollars if there is any unexpected liability that dates back to when Omnitrax still held the assets.

That would include things like mould at the port, defective parts in either the tank farm or railway, or a lawsuit involving Omnitraxs management of those assets.

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The sources, who were not authorized to speak on the record, said that in return, Ottawa has discussed a settlement that would see Omnitrax not earn any money for its railway, port or tank farm  but allow the company to walk away from existing and potential litigation, such as an ongoing $18.8-million federal suit and a possible $20-million suit from the province.

In the meantime, Omnitrax has asked the Federal Court of Appeal to toss the CTA ruling, while saying it intends to comply with it unless a judge cancels the order.

The company argued federal transportation law does not necessarily mean a binary choice between either repairing a railway or getting rid of it, and that the company has the right to hold onto the asset until it has enough cash to fix it.

The provincial NDP had launched the CTA complaint last fall, after lawyers told the Free Press that Omnitrax was likely breaching federal law.

The Manitoba party recently filed a response to Omnitraxs request for an appeal, arguing it would be "absurd" for the court to allow the company to keep the railway but not fix it, because doing so would "render the level-of-service provisions meaningless."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
The RM of Alonsa and provincial Emergency Measures Organization officials were still assessing the damage Tuesday of a category EF-4 tornado that wreaked havoc along a 14.5-kilometre path Friday night, killing a 77-year-old man, destroying homes and tossing vehicles into Lake Manitoba at Margaret Bruce Beach.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 7/8/2018 (1178 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The RM of Alonsa and provincial Emergency Measures Organization officials were still assessing the damage Tuesday of a category EF-4 tornado that wreaked havoc along a 14.5-kilometre path Friday night, killing a 77-year-old man, destroying homes and tossing vehicles into Lake Manitoba at Margaret Bruce Beach.

"We should know better (Wednesday)," said Coun. Terry Dayholos, when asked about anticipated clean-up costs and a damage estimate. "Right now, we're just letting everyone salvage what they can."

He said the first priority was to arrange for temporary housing for those who lost their homes.

Clean-up won't be easy, Dayholos added, as the municipality lacks the equipment to pull vehicles -- and other undetermined debris -- out of the lake.

The RM council is meeting Wednesday morning to discuss recovery plans. Local politicians were to tour the damaged area with emergency measures staff Tuesday afternoon.

The municipality declared a state of emergency Saturday morning.

On Tuesday, volunteers continued to help tornado victims clean up private properties.

Questions continued to swirl about poor cellphone service in the area that prevented adequate community notification of the approaching twister.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mennonite volunteers from Ontario walk fields picking up debris Tuesday after a tornado ripped through the Alonsa Manitoba area Friday.

At an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Premier Brian Pallister said he was told on the weekend that the community had mobile telephone service "two or three months ago" and then lost it. He said he wants to know why.

"I would like to see the service back for the people of that area for their safety. But I want to find out the reasons why it wasn't there," he said.

Dayholos said cellphone service became nearly non-existent in the community in late June after BellMTS came out to upgrade a tower and install LTE service.

"I live four miles away from the tower, and I have one bar," he said, referring to the strength of signal on his cellphone. On Saturday, when he first surveyed the damage, he had to drive closer to his home before he could report back to the municipality's chief administrative officer.

BellMTS declined to comment Tuesday. Over the weekend, it issued a statement saying that public alerts on any cellphone service provider's phones equipped with LTE wireless technology can only be received if those phones are connected to an LTE network. Much of the Alonsa area is serviced by networks which predate that technology, the company said.

The Pallister government was supportive of Bell's acquisition of MTS in 2016. The new owner promised to invest a billion dollars in system improvements over the next five years. In May of that year, Pallister attended an announcement in Morris at which the company announced plans to eliminate dead zones for wireless service along Highway 75.

On Tuesday, the premier hinted that there would be an announcement of system improvements in southeast Manitoba in the "not-too-distant future."

Pallister acknowledged that there are many areas of the province where cellphone service is weak or non-existent.

ANDREW RYAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister

"Let's not be naive," he told reporters. "We're not going to get 100 per cent emergency warning systems in every part of our province. It's just too big and it's too sparsely populated in certain areas for that to be practical."

However, he said he's expecting to receive answers in the next "couple of days" as to what occurred in Alonsa.

"In this particular case, I think the community deserves to get some answers as to what is the problem and how can we address it," he said.

On Monday, he told the Free Press that it was "premature" to say whether the province would consider incentives to improve coverage in the area.

Pallister, who visited the site of the devastation on Monday, paid tribute to volunteers who are helping to clean up the community -- as well as to Manitoba Hydro for quickly restoring power in the area.

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Statement from Telus on Tuesday Click to Expand "Although wireless coverage has recently been enhanced in Alonsa, it appears some customers do not have consistent access to LTE technology, which is required to receive wireless public alerts. While TELUS does not own or maintain the cell towers in the area, this is a priority for us and we are working with our network partner, Bell MTS, to address the service challenges."

"We lost a life and that's a tragedy, but it could have been so, so much worse..." he said, adding that everybody in the community is "appreciative that there wasn't more injury."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Manitoba EMO said Tuesday it was too early to estimate the cost of clean-up and property loss.

EMO administers Disaster Financial Assistance in Manitoba. Those impacted by the tornado may contact Manitoba EMO at 1-888-267-8298 or 204-945-3050 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, for assistance, the spokesman said.

Manitoba Public Insurance said only a small number of vehicle claims had been reported from the area by mid-afternoon on Tuesday. A spokeswoman said that is not surprising given the "overall devastation that area residents are dealing with."

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
The foreign ministers of Canada and Saudi Arabia should be more adroit than that. Because of amateur mistakes by Canadas Chrystia Freeland and Saudi Arabias Adel al-Jubeir, the two countries now have to dig themselves out from the damage done by a weekend of unnecessary mutual abuse.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 7/8/2018 (1178 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The foreign ministers of Canada and Saudi Arabia should be more adroit than that. Because of amateur mistakes by Canadas Chrystia Freeland and Saudi Arabias Adel al-Jubeir, the two countries now have to dig themselves out from the damage done by a weekend of unnecessary mutual abuse.

Ms. Freelands Thursday tweet calling for the release of two prisoners in Saudi Arabia was followed on Friday by a tweet from her Global Affairs department urging the Saudi authorities to release Samar Badawi and all other peaceful human-rights activists. These messages, while no doubt reflective of many Canadians feelings on the issue, were empty gestures, not exercises of governmental power. They may have given Ms. Freeland the warm inner feeling of standing up for justice, but they neither brought nor promised any benefit to human-rights activists.

Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland

The Saudi reaction was immediate and ferocious. Samar and her brother Raif Badawi had been detained for crimes they had committed and they are enjoying the rights guaranteed by Saudi law, the Saudi government announced. Therefore, the kingdom was expelling Canadas ambassador and recalling its ambassador from Ottawa. In quick succession, Saudia Airlines suspended its service to Toronto and Saudi exchange students were told not to attend Canadian universities.

These were not empty gestures. These were blunt exercises of state power to impair diplomatic, travel and cultural contact between the two countries. They showed the world that Saudi Arabia intends to keep persecuting human-rights campaigners as it has always done, even if it has to punish its overseas students, its travellers and its diplomatic corps to make that point.

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Ms. Freeland should have known enough to find out in advance how the Saudis would react to her personal and departmental tweets. She should not have blithely assumed that, just because her gestures were purely symbolic, they would provoke no response.

Mr. al-Jubeir should have known enough to dispute Ms. Freelands opinions verbally without hurting innocent bystanders. The net effect of his action is to show the world that his government is extremely intolerant of critical comment and is willing to use state power to silence critics. His response to the Canadian tweets was absurdly excessive and turned an ephemeral digital whisper into an expanding international conflict.

CP RCMP question a man on a bike in front of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and then searched the area with flashlights in Ottawa on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Kawai

In this age of tweeting presidents, public figures need to understand how to tweet and when to ignore unwelcome tweets. Ms. Freeland might have done better to line up a group of allies and then put out a message jointly with them in support of Saudi human-rights campaigners. Her solo gesture set this country up as a target for retaliation. She might also have done well to express her opinions privately to the Saudis first and find out how they would respond to a public expression.

The Saudi authorities, for their part, had better get used to governments in the democratic West urging them toward reform. The more prominent Saudi Arabia becomes as an Islamic champion in its region, the more attention will be paid to its treatment of women and minorities, its respect for international norms, the quality of its courts and its prisons and the conduct of its police forces.

Canadians are well used to receiving unwanted advice from foreigners and public officials about the way we run our country. It can be helpful to face such challenges when they force us to explain why we treat Indigenous people this way and why we pollute our environment so recklessly. The Saudis, likewise, should appreciate criticism, not silence it.
I think it reinforces our sense of community. It provides our children a backdrop of what community should be like, Longoria said of why her family has made the parade an annual destination since her daughters were small children.
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Wall Street analysts have given iShares S&P 100 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 S&P 100 ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Legg Mason, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides investment management and related services to company-sponsored mutual funds and other investment vehicles including pension funds, foundations, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, private banks, family offices, individuals, as well as to global, institutional, and retail clients. It launches and manages equity, fixed income, and multi-asset customized portfolios through its subsidiaries. The firm also launches and manages mutual funds and exchange traded funds for its clients through its subsidiaries. It invests in private and public equity, fixed income, and multi asset markets across the globe through its subsidiaries. Through its subsidiaries, the firm also invests in alternative markets. It also employs a combination of fundamental and quantitative research to make its investments through its subsidiaries. Legg Mason, Inc. was founded in 1899 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Arrow Electronics: A.E. Petsche Belgium BVBA, A.E. Petsche Canada Inc., A.E. Petsche Company, A.E. Petsche Company Inc., A.E. Petsche Company S De RL, A.E. Petsche SAS, A.E. Petsche UK Limited, ACI Technology, AKS Group Nordic AB, ARROWECS Portugal Sociedade Unipessoal, ARROWECS Sociedade Unipessoal LDA, ARW Electronics Ltd., ARW Enterprise Computing Solutions S.A., ARW Portugal Unipessoal LDA, ASI Dedicated Services LLC, ASI Electrical Services LLC, ASI Managed Services LLC, ATM Electronic, ATM Electronic Corp., ATM Electronic Corporation (HK) Limited, ATM Electronics Hong Kong Limited, ATM Electronics Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, Addex Distribution AS, Adilam Pty. Ltd, Aiqi Xinxing (Beijing) Information Technology Co. Ltd., Altimate Belgium BVBA, Altimate Group, Altimate ND Belgium BVBA, Altimate Netherlands B.V., Annuity Systems Pty Ltd, Arrow (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Arrow Altech Distribution (Pty) Ltd., Arrow Altech Holdings (Pty) Ltd., Arrow Argentina S.A., Arrow Asia Distribution Limited, Arrow Asia Pac Ltd., Arrow Brasil S.A., Arrow Capital Solution BVBA, Arrow Capital Solutions Inc., Arrow Capital Solutions Nederlands BV, Arrow Capital Solutions SAS, Arrow Capital Solutions UK Ltd, Arrow Central Europe GmbH, Arrow Central Europe Holding Munich GmbH, Arrow Chip One Stop Holdings GK, Arrow Componentes ACCR S.R.L., Arrow Components (M) Sdn Bhd, Arrow Components (NZ), Arrow Components Mexico S.A. de C.V., Arrow Components Sweden AB, Arrow Denmark ApS, Arrow Denmark ApS, Arrow ECS (Ireland) Limited, Arrow ECS (NI) Limited, Arrow ECS AG, Arrow ECS ANZ Limited, Arrow ECS ANZ Pty Ltd, Arrow ECS Asia PTE. Ltd, Arrow ECS Australia, Arrow ECS B.V., Arrow ECS Baltic OU, Arrow ECS Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Arrow ECS Canada Ltd., Arrow ECS Central GmbH, Arrow ECS Denmark A/S, Arrow ECS FZCO, Arrow ECS Finland OY, Arrow ECS GmbH, Arrow ECS Internet Security AG, Arrow ECS Internet Security S.L., Arrow ECS Kft., Arrow ECS Ltd., Arrow ECS New Zealand Limited, Arrow ECS Nordic A/S, Arrow ECS Norway AS, Arrow ECS Pty Ltd., Arrow ECS SA/NV, Arrow ECS SAS, Arrow ECS SPA, Arrow ECS Sarl, Arrow ECS Services Sp.z.o.o., Arrow ECS Singapore Pte. Limited, Arrow ECS Sp.z.o.o., Arrow ECS Support Center Ltd., Arrow ECS Support Center Morocco S.A.R.L.A.U, Arrow ECS Sweden AB, Arrow ECS a.s., Arrow ECS d.o.o., Arrow Eastern Europe GmbH, Arrow Electronice S.R.L., Arrow Electronics (CI) Ltd., Arrow Electronics (China) Trading Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Jersey) Limited, Arrow Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Sweden) KB, Arrow Electronics (Thailand) Limited, Arrow Electronics (U.K.) Inc., Arrow Electronics (UK) Ltd., Arrow Electronics ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd., Arrow Electronics Asia (S) Pte Ltd., Arrow Electronics Asia Limited, Arrow Electronics Australia Pty Ltd., Arrow Electronics B.V., Arrow Electronics Canada Ltd., Arrow Electronics China Ltd., Arrow Electronics Components (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics Czech Republic s.r.o., Arrow Electronics D.O.O., Arrow Electronics Danish Holdings ApS, Arrow Electronics EMEA Group GmbH, Arrow Electronics EMEASA S.r.l., Arrow Electronics Estonia OU, Arrow Electronics FC B.V., Arrow Electronics Funding Corporation, Arrow Electronics GmbH & Co. KG, Arrow Electronics Hellas S.A., Arrow Electronics Holdings Vagyonkezelo Kft, Arrow Electronics Hungary Kereskedelmi Bt, Arrow Electronics India Ltd., Arrow Electronics India Private Limited, Arrow Electronics International Holdings LLC, Arrow Electronics International Inc., Arrow Electronics Italia S.r.l, Arrow Electronics Japan GK, Arrow Electronics Korea Limited, Arrow Electronics Labuan Pte Ltd., Arrow Electronics Ltd., Arrow Electronics Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Arrow Electronics Norwegian Holdings AS, Arrow Electronics Poland Sp.z.o.o., Arrow Electronics Russ OOO, Arrow Electronics Services S.r.l., Arrow Electronics Slovakia s.r.o., Arrow Electronics South Africa LLP, Arrow Electronics Taiwan Ltd., Arrow Electronics UK Holding Ltd., Arrow Electronics Ukraine LLC, Arrow Elektronik Ticaret A.S., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions Inc., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions India Private Limited, Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions Ltd., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions S.A., Arrow Finland OY, Arrow France S.A., Arrow Global Asset Disposition Inc., Arrow Global Supply Chain Services Inc., Arrow Holdings (Delaware) LLC, Arrow Iberia Electronica Lda., Arrow Iberia Electronica S.L.U., Arrow International Holdings L.P., Arrow International Holdings Limited, Arrow Nordic Components AB, Arrow Norway A/S, Arrow S-Tech Norway AS, Arrow SEED (Hong Kong) Limited, Arrow Systems Integration Inc., Arrow UEC Japan KK, Arrow United Holdings LLC, Arrow United International Holdings LP, Arrow Value Recovery ApS (fka Greentech Denmark ApS), Arrow Value Recovery Belgium BVBA, Arrow Value Recovery Czech Republic sro, Arrow Value Recovery Denmark ApS, Arrow Value Recovery EMEA BV, Arrow Value Recovery Finland Oy (fka Greentech Finland OY), Arrow Value Recovery France SAS, Arrow Value Recovery Germany GmbH, Arrow Value Recovery Netherlands BV, Arrow Value Recovery Norway AS (fka Greentech AS), Arrow Value Recovery Sweden AB (fka Greentech Sweden AB), Arrow Value Recovery UK LTD, Arrow eCommerce B.V., Arrow/Artlink Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Arrow/Components (Agent) Ltd., Arrow/Rapac Ltd., Artlink Technology Co. Ltd., Aspen Labs LLC, Aspencore China Investment LLC, Aspencore LLC, Aspencore Media GmbH, Aspencore/IDG China Investment LLC, Asplenium SA, Asset Recovery Corporation, B.V. Arrow Electronics DLC, Beijing AIQI Technology, Beijing Arrow SEED Technology Co. Ltd, Beijing Canon Advertising Co. Ltd., Broomco (4184) Limited, COMPUTERLINKS, COMPUTERLINKS (UK) Ltd., COMPUTERLINKS Belgium BVBA, COMPUTERLINKS Denmark A/S, COMPUTERLINKS Nederland B.V., COMPUTERLINKS S.A., CSS Computer Security Solutions Erwerbs GmbH, CSS Computer Security Solutions Holding GmbH, CSS Computer Security Solutions Ltd., CT3 Europe Limited, Centia Group Ltd, Centia Ltd., Channel Support Pty Ltd, ChiWan Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Chip One Stop, Chip One Stop (Hong Kong) Ltd., Chip One Stop (Shenzhen) Ltd., Chip One Stop Inc., Commtech Solutions (UK) Limited, Components Agent (Cayman) Limited, Components Agent Asia Holdings Ltd., Components Distribution Business - Achieva, Conrac Asia Display Products Pte. Ltd., Conrac MENA FZE, Converge, Converge (Shanghai) International Trading Co. Ltd., Converge Asia Pte Ltd., Converge Electronics Trading (India) Private Ltd., Converge France SAS, Converge Netherlands BV, Converge Scandinavia AB, Cross Telecom, Data Modul, Data Modul AG, Data Modul Electronics Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Data Modul FZE, Data Modul France S.a r.l, Data Modul Hong Kong Ltd., Data Modul Iberia S.L., Data Modul Inc., Data Modul Italia S.r.l., Data Modul Ltd., Data Modul Shanghai Ltd., Data Modul Suisse GmbH, Data Modul Weikersheim GmbH, Diasa Informatica, Dicopel Inc., Distribution Business - Seed International, Distribution Central (MY) Sdn. Bhd., Distribution Central HK Pty Limited, Distribution Central Limited (NZ), Distribution Central Pte Limited (SG), Distribution Central Pty Limited, E-InfoChips KK, EC America, EDN Asia Advertising Pte Ltd., ETEQ Components Pte Ltd., Electronics Products Technology Co. Ltd., Embedded Developer LLC, Erf 211 Hughes (Pty) Limited, Eshel Technology Group Inc., Eurocomponentes S.A., Excel Tech, Excel Tech Inc., Firewall Systems Pty Limited, Fusion Distribution FZCO, Gates - Arrow Distributing, Gates - FA Distributing, Global Link Technology, Greentech Holding AS, Gross Telecom, ICC Global Media GmbH, IP Vista A/S, IPVista A/S, ITM USA Enterprises Inc., Intechra Holdings, Intex-semi Ltd., KeyLink Systems Group, LED Franchise LLC, LED Source Holdco LLC, LED Source LLC, LOGIX S.A., License Central Pty Ltd, Lite-On Korea Ltd., Marubun Arrow (HK) Limited, Marubun Arrow (S) Pte Ltd., Marubun Arrow (Thailand) Co Limited, Marubun Arrow Asia Ltd., Marubun Arrow Europe Kft., Marubun Corporation, Marubun USA Corporation, Marubun-Arrow Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Marubun/Arrow (HK) Limited, Marubun/Arrow (M) Sdn. Bhd (Malaysia), Marubun/Arrow (Philippines) Inc., Marubun/Arrow (S) Pte Ltd., Marubun/Arrow (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marubun/Arrow (Shenzhen) Electronic Product Consulting Company Limited, Marubun/Arrow (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Marubun/Arrow Asia Ltd., Marubun/Arrow USA II LLC, Marubun/Arrow USA LLC, NIC Components Asia PTE Ltd., NIC Components Corp., NIC Components Europe Limited, NIC Eurotech Limited, NUH Electronics India Private Limted, Networld Systems Pty Ltd, Nextworth Solutions Inc., Nu Horizons Electronics, Nu Horizons Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Asia PTE Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Hong Kong Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Malaysia SDN BHD, NuHo Singapore Holdings LLC, Observatory Crest, Openway Group SA, Openway SAS, PCG Parent Corp., PCG Trading LLC, PT Marubun Arrow Indonesia, Pansystem S.r.l., Pax8 Inc., Power and Signal Group GmbH, R.D. Trading Limited, RDC, RF Wireless & Power - Richardson Electronics, Rack Systems Pty Ltd, Red Education Pty Ltd, Redemtech, Renewal Systems Pty Ltd, Richardson RFPD (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Richardson RFPD (Thailand) Limited, Richardson RFPD Australia Pty. Ltd., Richardson RFPD Canada Inc., Richardson RFPD Electronics Trading (China) Co. Ltd., Richardson RFPD France SAS, Richardson RFPD Germany GmbH, Richardson RFPD Hong Kong, Richardson RFPD Inc., Richardson RFPD Israel Ltd., Richardson RFPD Italy Srl, Richardson RFPD Japan KK, Richardson RFPD Korea Ltd., Richardson RFPD Netherlands BV, Richardson RFPD Singapore, Richardson RFPD Spain SL, Richardson RFPD Sweden AB, Richardson RFPD Taiwan, Richardson RFPD UK Ltd., Richey Electronics, San Systems Pty Ltd, Schuylkill Metals of Plant City Inc., Seneca Data, Seneca Data Distributors Inc., Shared Technologies, Silicon Frameworks LLC, SiliconEgypt Technologies LLC, SiliconExpert Holdings LLC, SiliconExpert Technologies, SiliconExpert Technologies Inc., Sphinx CST Limited, Sphinx CST Networks Limited, Sphinx Group, Sphinx Group Limited, Sphinx Professional Services Limited, Spoerle Hungary Kereskedelmi Kft, Sun Chain Technology Corp., TLW Electronics Ltd., TechTurn, Titan Supply Chain Services Limited, Titan Supply Chain Services Pte Ltd., Trafomo AB, Trafomo ApS, Transim Technology, Transim Technology Corporation, U.S. Micro Operating Company LLC, UBM Tech Electronics Network, Ultra Source Electronics (SZ) Co LTD, Ultra Source Technology Corp., Ultra Source Trading Hong Kong Limited, United Technical Publishing Division - Hearst Business Media, Universe Electron Corporation, Verical, Verwaltungsgesellschaft Arrow Electronics GmbH, Wireless and Infrastructure Business Unit - Waching Company, Yongming Xincheng (Beijing) Technology Co., e-InfoChips, e-Infochips Private Limited, eInfochips, eMedia Asia Limited, immixGovernment Inc., immixGroup, immixGroup Inc., immixSolutions Inc., and immixTechnology.
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.
TCF Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for TCF National Bank that provides various financial products and services in the United States and Canada. It operates through Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Enterprise Services segments. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; individual retirement accounts; debit and credit cards; and check cashing and remittance services. It also provides investment management and custodial services, trust services, financial and estate planning, and retirement planning and employee benefit programs; residential, consumer, and small business lending products; and consumer real estate secured lending, consumer loans, loans secured by personal property, and unsecured personal loans. In addition, the company offers loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services. Further, it provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate banking, and lease financing; and treasury services comprising investment and borrowing portfolios, as well as manages capital, debt, and market risks. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 478 branches, including 373 traditional branches, 102 supermarket branches, and three campus branches located in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, and South Dakota; and 1,062 ATMs. TCF Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

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Vedanta Ltd. is a natural resource company, which engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of minerals, oil, and gas properties. It operates through the following segments: Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, Power, and Oil & Gas. The Copper segment focuses in custom smelting and also include a copper smelter, a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant, a sulphuric acid plant, a copper rod plant, and three captive power plants. The Aluminum segment comprises refinery and a captive power plant at Lanjigarh and a smelter, a thermal coal based captive power facility at Jharsuguda both situated in the State of Odisha in India. The Iron Ore segment explores, mines, and processes iron ore, pig iron, and metallurgical coke. The Power segment consists 600 MW thermal coal-based commercial power facility at Jharsuguda in the State of Odisha in Eastern India. The Oil and Gas segment involves in the exploration and development and production of oil and gas. The company was founded by Dwarka Prasad Agarwal on June 25, 1965 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW France Finance Alpha S.A.S., ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MOA Enterprises Inc, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V..
Wall Street analysts have given Invesco CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust 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 Invesco CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Were different because: Boonrit said its their authentic family recipes that make them stand out as well as their willingness to make everything to order. We can customize any of our dishes to any preferences, Krit Boonrit said. If you are gluten free or if you have allergies we can customize it because everything is made fresh.
The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO Energy Canada, XTO Energy Inc., and XTO Holdings LLC.
Ibstock plc manufactures and sells clay and concrete building products and solutions primarily in the United Kingdom. Its principal products include clay bricks, brick components, concrete roof tiles, concrete stone masonry substitutes, concrete fencing, pre-stressed concrete, and concrete rail products. The company provides facing bricks, walling stones, architectural masonry products, cast stones, facade systems, and retaining walls, as well as lintels, sills, and arches; and cladding solutions; roof tiles, chimneys, soffits, and roofing accessories; and fencings, caps and copings, bollards, balustrades, path edgings, and urban landscaping products. It also offers floor beams, door steps, gully surrounds, screed rails, insulated floorings, and hollowcore products; and rail and infrastructure products, such as troughing, cable theft protection, boards, blocks, bases, catchpits, and inspection chambers. In addition, the company offers engraving, cutting, and bonding services; floor beam and block design, supply, and fitting solutions; bespoke concrete products; and staircases and lift shafts services. Its products are used in new build housing; repair, maintenance, and improvement; and infrastructure markets. The company sells its products under the Forticrete, Supreme, Anderton, and Longley brands to customers in the construction industry. Ibstock plc was founded in 1825 and is headquartered in Ibstock, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd..
Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th

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But the torrential downpours earlier in the day Tuesday did not stop the hundreds that flocked to the parking lot of the Morton Grove Civic Center for the local version of the national event that is billed as an opportunity to shore up police-community relations..
The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc..
Raymond James Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. The Private Client Group segment provides securities brokerage services, including the sale of equities, mutual funds, fixed income products, and insurance products to their individual clients; and borrowing and lending of securities to and from other broker-dealers, financial institutions, and other counterparties. The Capital Markets segment offers securities brokerage, trading, and research services to institutions with a focus on sale of the United States and Canadian equities and fixed income products; and manages and participates in underwritings, merger and acquisition services, and public finance activities. The Asset Management segment engages in the operations of Eagle, the Eagle Family of Funds, Cougar, the asset management operations of Raymond James & Associates, trust services of Raymond James Trust, and other fee-based asset management programs. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate loans, SBL, tax-exempt loans, and residential loans. The Other segment engages in private equity activities, including various direct and third party private equity investments; and private equity funds. Raymond James Financial, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Rayonier Advanced Materials, Inc. engages in the production and sale of cellulose products, which is a natural polymer commonly used in the production of cell phone and computer screens, filters, and pharmaceuticals. It operates through the following segments: High Purity Cellulose, Forest Products, Paperboard, Pulp and Newsprint, and Corporate. The High Purity Cellulose segment manufacture and market high purity cellulose, which is sold as either cellulose specialties or commodity products in U.S., Canda, and France. The Forest Products segment manufacture and market construction-grade lumber in North America through seven sawmills located in Canada. The Paperboard segment comprises paperboard products. The Pulp and Newsprint segment involves in the production of pulp and newsprint in Canada. The Corporate segment consists senior management, accounting, information systems, human resources, treasury, tax, and legal administrative functions that provide support services to the operating business units. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.

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"The 4th of July being on a Wednesday this year was tough. If it's closer to a weekend, people tend to take an extra day off. Having one less weekend day was tough, too. We gave up a (fifth) Saturday for a Tuesday this year," Matthew Schuffert, vice president and general manager of Ameristar Casino and Hotel in East Chicago, said.
Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.

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Arizona teachers, who conducted the largest of the statewide walkouts last spring, are now returning to the classroom still woefully underpaid. The promises of Republican Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Education Association (AEA) that the strikes settlement would mean a ten percent pay increase for all educators this yearand 20 percent by 2020have already been broken. The scope of the massive betrayal of the powerful strike movement in Arizona is becoming painfully apparent.

In the aftermath of the six-day strike, the state legislature approved a $306 million increase to education funding, a pitifully inadequate amount in light of the past decade of systematic budget cuts. When the strike erupted, Arizona was spending a whopping $1.1 billion less than it did in 2008 on public education, having cut per-pupil spending by a shocking 36.6 percent.

Under the new measures, districts are receiving starkly varying increases via a complicated formula, further compounding the effects of failing to fully fund schools. Rural schools have been severely shortchanged, with three districts reporting drops in average pay. Meanwhile teachers are reporting pay increases well below the promised rate: at Littlefield Unified, teachers received a 3 percent increase; Patagonia Public Schools 3.5 percent; and Santa Cruz Elementary 4 percent. Santa Cruz will give its maintenance staff a mere 2 percent pay increase. Other districts are reportedly refusing to give the pay hikes to new hires.

An analysis by the Arizona Republic showed 56 districts unable to increase teacher salaries by the promised 10 percent. In a letter to staff explaining this fact, Phoenix Union Superintendent Chad Gestson said the state's allocations were enough for only 6.7 percent raises and limited the number of teachers eligible for the award. Only 17 teachers, 1 percent, in PUSD will receive the 10 percent raise this year.

Arizona teacher pay is so low that that even were educators to receive a 20 percent bump, they would still remain below the median pay for educators nationally!

According to the Nogales International, other school workers currently at the state minimum wage of $10.50 will see a negligible pay increase to $12 an hour by 2020, with an annual step increase of 1.5 percent.

Some districts are seeking to make up the shortfall by taking funds from capital funding, known as District Additional Assistance, and diverting them to teacher pay. This is despite the fact that funds for capital improvements are still about 70 percent below 2008 levels.

In order to pay wage increases, Tucson Unified School District has decided to forgo a backlog of school repairs as well as plans to hire more counselors and social workers. Admitting that he was robbing Peter to pay Paul, Tucson Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said that the district now has zero capacity to deal with maintenance needs. If any computers broke, he said, they could not be replaced.

Each district went into the Red for Ed events in very different financial circumstances, some were really strapped, and others were wealthier, Arizona educator Steve told the World Socialist Web Site. Some teachers will see 8 to 9 percent increases in my district and people are asking what happened to the 20 percent by 2020. Of course, the politicians want to give as little as they can. There is a lot of disappointment and disaffection. We really need to keep going.

I am especially concerned because a lot of the paraprofessionals didnt get any extra money. This was one of the things that got us out of bed and downtown [protesting]so that the paras who worked with our most special students would get the money they deserve. I feel really badly about that.

We didnt go through this whole experience to end like this, as if nothing happened. What we need to keep in mind is that we are still, as a state, $1 billion less funded than 10 years ago. We need to keep talking about that. They want to tell us how we are making progress, but we are still $1 billion behind.

As they say, Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We wont get fooled againthat should be our motto.

The deal that ended the April 26 to May 2 strike was pushed through in a backroom conspiracy by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AEA, who forced teachers back to work without a vote.

AFT President Randi Weingarten arrived in Phoenix just one day before the termination of the strike. The union was determined to end the walkout, as in every other statewide strike, as quickly as possible to prevent teachers from linking up nationwide. In fact, over 10,000 teachers were marching in neighboring Colorado when Arizona teachers walked out, but the unions blocked the unification of the two struggles.

While each of the spring teacher strugglesWest Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizonaoccurred as a result of educators briefly breaking the stranglehold the unions and organizing independently, the political unclarity of teachers on the nature of the pro-capitalist unions and the capitalist system itself left them vulnerable to being misdirected. In other words, without a clear recognition of the unions organic hostility to their struggle and the formation of genuinely independent rank-and-file organizations, teachers became susceptible to the machinations of the politicians, the unions and the pseudo-left groups that orbit them.

In Arizona, Noah Karvelis and the Arizona Educators United (AEU) Facebook page played a particularly duplicitous and instrumental role by claiming to be 100 percent rank and file and independent. The group gained teachers confidence while, behind the scenes, the AEU conspired with AEA President Joe Thomas and the other union executives to limit and then shut down the strike.

What we have right now is the most we could possibly get through this avenue, declared Karvelis, endorsing the return to work and promising that teachers would receive a 20 percent pay increase. Our thought was that if they [the legislature] would have conceded more to us, it would already have happened by now, he complacently noted.

Rebecca Garelli of the AEU, who has close connections to the pseudo-left Labor Notes publication, said, The K-12 budget was passed and signed, so that means our job is done, and we are going to return to our classes tomorrow. This policy of complete surrender was diametrically opposed by teachers. As it was, 93 percent of AEUs own site liaisons voted to continue the strike, but to no avail.

Steve reflected on the experience, Some of our leaders of Red for Ed, Ive met them, theyre nice people and may be on their way to greatness but really they have an agenda. This [our struggle] is really about being fair to everyone who takes care of the kids; they all should be well paid and happy. We are a million miles away from that.

Yes, the union has sold us a bill a goods. This is the biggest issue I have with a lot of colleagues. For instance, no one ever asked us to picket. It was like Red for Ed was a show for TV, about controlling the optics. They squandered the opposition.

V.I. Lenin wrote an article about who benefits; Ill never forget this. He talked about the role of the British financiers getting rich in World War I. All my life Ive seen this. Who benefits? It is never the workingman. Our struggle has to be the beginning, not just the end, he concluded.

The sellout by the union was implemented precisely when the strike was strongest and could have won wider support from workers in the US and around the world. Teachers were stripped of a deciding vote on the matter. This betrayal was completely sanctioned by Karvelis and the AEU administrators who immediately hailed it as a victory. Now reportedly president-elect of his local, Karvelis and his colleagues were recently feted at the annual conference of the pseudo-left International Socialist Organization.

As an Arizona teacher cogently wrote to the WSWS, I believe if the unions had not abruptly ended the RedforEd Movement we had the momentum and the will to continue the walkout until our demands were met. As of now, NONE of RedforEds demands have been achieved. The union leaders told the thousands strong crowd at the Capitol that our movements successes were historic and that this was as much as we could possibly ever get from this legislature.

We were told this budget was a victory and we should continue our victory at the voting polls in November. However, we are precisely at the exact same spot we were before the movement began. Nothing has been gained for teachers, for education, for staff, or for our students.

The unions aim from the outset was to stifle the strike and channel teachers opposition into pro-capitalist electoral policies. One of its purposes was to convince teachers that nothing can be won through struggle and the only legitimate avenue is through electoral politicsi.e., voting for the Democratic Party.

In this vein, the AEU and the AEA worked in tandem throughout the summer to line teachers up canvassing for The Invest in Education Act, a November ballot initiative, and Democratic Party teacher candidates.

The Act, if passed, would raise income taxes on individuals making more than $250,000 to provide some additional, though far less than necessary, funding for education. The AEU preaches the age-old reformist prescription that teachers should aim to make the capitalist tax structure more fairrather than contest the right of the super-rich, through their ownership of giant corporations and control of government, to funnel endless billions into their coffers. Predictably even this timid ballot initiative is facing a full-court press by big businesses and the wealthy who are not about to see a penny of their ill-gotten tax cuts eliminated.

It is indicative of the ruthless nature of contemporary capitalism that even the teachers small pay increases will be extracted from the working class through other means: a new fee on motorists and increasing property taxes within low-income districts.

The horrific growth of social inequality and attacks on social rights which drove teachers to strike in Arizona continue to deepen across the whole country and the world. At the heart of the teachers battle is an irreconcilable class conflict. Teachers, students and workers of all description are on one side and the billionaire ruling elites, Democratic and Republican politicians, the unions and their apologists are on the other.

Educators in Arizona and across the country confront not just individual state governments or unions, but the entire capitalist system based on the continuous suppression of workers wages for the enrichment of the financial oligarchy. New genuinely rank and file-controlled organizations are needed to link up and expand the struggle of teachers with all sections of the working class in the US and internationally.
Tens of thousands of Israelis, waving Druze and Israeli flags and calling for equality, gathered in Rabin Square in downtown Tel Aviv Saturday to demonstrate against the Nation State Law that enshrines Jewish supremacy.

The Druze are angered by being rendered second-class citizens.

The demonstration was reported to be around 150,000 strong, making it the largest-ever Druze rally. Dozens of protesters also demonstrated outside Finance Minister Moshe Kahlons house in the northern city of Haifa.

The Druze are a minority Muslim sect, numbering around 120,000 in Israel, less than 2 percent of its population, but with larger Druze communities in neighbouring Lebanon and Syria.

Unlike other Palestinian Israelis, who along with the Circassian community and the Bedouin form 21 percent of Israels nine million population and are exempt from military service, the Druze serve in the Israel Defense Forces, Border Police and the Civil Administration and are active participants in the government and media, with some rising to high positions.

The Nation State law enshrines Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, declaring that the right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people. It includes Jews not just in Israel but throughout the diaspora who have automatic right to immigration and citizenship, and proclaims Jerusalem complete and united as Israels capital.

It sanctions the apartheid-style exclusion of Arabs from exclusively Jewish communities, declaring, The state views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation. It demotes Arabic from its position as an official state language and gives official and exclusive standing to Jewish symbols, including declaring Hatikva the national anthem. It prevents Palestinians from getting Israeli citizenship by marrying Israelis and future asylum seekers from entering Israel.

The law makes no mention of Israels non-Jewish citizens, democracy or equality and has sparked widespread criticism from Israels Palestinian citizens, opposition parties and Jewish groups abroad. Criticism from the Druzedespite their small numbersis significant because of their previous stalwart support for the Israeli state. Since the laws enactment on July 19, several Druze IDF officers have said they will resign their commissions in protest, while Zuheir Bahloul, a Palestinian Israeli legislator, has resigned his seat.

The demonstration comes after weeks of protest from the Druze minority and others. Palestinian leaders in Israel have petitioned the High Court over the new law, saying it is racist, colonialist, and illegitimate because it denies the civil and national rights of Palestinians in their homeland.

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, who pushed for the legislation, has refused repeatedly to amend the law. But trying to appease the Druze, he outlined new measures to enshrine in law their special status within Israeli society, recognise their service to the state and increase funding for their villages.

This effort failed. Such is the anger among the Druze community that traditional religious leaders, headed by Sheikh Muwafak Tarif, whom successive Israeli governments have been able to rely on, refused to fall in line.

The protest rally was led primarily by senior Druze leaders, mainly retired army officers and mayors, with speakers including Sheikh Tarif and the mayor of Yarka, Wahib Habish. It was, nevertheless, also directed against the traditional leadership. The banners, slogans and chants included, We want equality and Yes to equality; no to bribery.

While other Palestinian Israelis and Israeli Jews joined the rally, the platform made no broader appeal for unity against the governments racist policies, its attacks on the social and economic conditions of Israeli workers or its non-stop war-mongering against Iran that threatens a wider conflagration in the Middle East.

Also attending were former generals from the IDF and retired chiefs of Israels spy agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, the Druze Brigadier General Amal Asad, former Shin Bet heads Yuval Diskin and Ami Ayalon, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, and TV host and social commentator, Lucy Aharish.

They have stepped in to prevent the opposition to Netanyahus legislative program getting out of control, further resignations of senior officers or even rejection of military service altogether.

Diskin called the law an abomination, while Huldai said that the law was an ugly stain on Israels democracy and called for it to be cancelled or changed. Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo called the new law an injustice to Israels Palestinian minority, especially the Druze.

Former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who attended the rally, said, Im here to tell them Im with them, Ive known them for decades, we have fought alongside each other, and have died together.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot likewise sought to mollify the Druzes anger, assuring them that the camaraderie of soldiers with our Druze, Bedouin and other brothers from minority groups who serve in the IDF will continue to lead our path.

The following day, Netanyahu adamantly defended the law, saying it was vital for ensuring that Israel will remain the Jewish nation-state for generations to come.

Without the nation-state law, the future of Israel as the nation-state of the Jews cannot be guaranteed, he said.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan responded to the protests by accusing people with an anti-government political agenda of stirring divisions in Israeli society over the new law, a reference to claims that the left was responsible for financing various protests, including the rally on Saturday night that was the result of deals made between Druze leaders and Labour Party activists. He reiterated the governments lying refrain, There is not a word in this law that hurts the Druze community or any other community.

Israels open turn to racist politics signals the stepping up of attacks not just on the Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Territories, but also on the social and democratic rights of all workers.

Netanyahu is already cracking down on oppositional media and seeking to criminalize political dissent to his policies within Israel and beyond, working closely with the giant technology corporations PayPal, Facebook and Google to close down platforms that support Palestinian rights. Last December, an Israeli report stated that the Strategic Affairs Ministry had a budget of some $70 million to stand at the forefront of the battle against delegitimization, adopting methods from the fields of intelligence and technology.

Israel is bitterly divided along class lines, with a poverty rate above 21 percent, the highest in the developed world. Recent months have seen a rise in working class protests and strikes, and the Netanyahu government is seeking to contain this movement and channel it behind a policy of anti-Arab racism and Jewish chauvinism.

A new upsurge of the working class is beginning, with nurses set to start an open-ended strike on Tuesday. This points the way forward for the masses of Jewish and Arab workers through a unified struggle to overthrow and replace the Zionist state and the Arab bourgeois regimes, and forge the United Socialist States of the Middle East.
Transporting the prefabricated house might not be a big deal for Kelly, but it means a lot to Housing Opportunities. In a partnership that included the high school and students in its building trades program, the Porter County Career and Technical Center, and Housing Opportunities, students built and will finish the home, and the nonprofit agency will sell it to a family in need of affordable housing in the first effort of what could be an ongoing program.
As US sanctions on Iran snapped back into force, US President Donald Trump yesterday issued a blunt warning to countries and corporations around the world: Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States.

The punitive measures follow the Trump administrations decision in May to abrogate the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. The unilateral US sanctions will ban trade with Iran of commercial aircraft, cars, precious metals, coal, aluminium and steel, as well as Iranian exports of carpets and pistachios.

Washington is threatening to sanction any corporation internationally breaching the bans by blocking it from the US financial system. A second round of US sanctions is due to come into effect in November that will hit all foreign transactions of Irans central bank and its oil exports, which comprise the bulk of the countrys export earnings and underpin government finances.

In his tweet yesterday, Trump declared, these are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, justifying his stance by absurdly declaring, I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less! Under the banner of peace, the Trump administration is preparing for trade war and warnot only against Iran, but against all potential rivals to the US, including its European and Asian allies.

Yesterday, the European Unions (EU) blocking statute also came into effect, under which European companies have been instructed not to comply with US demands to cease business with Iran. Those that decide to pull out because of US sanctions will require EU authorization, and without it could face legal action from member states.

Britains Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt told the BBC that the Americans have really not got this right. While it was up to companies to decide whether to remain in Iran, he said Britain believed that the 2015 nuclear deal was important not only to the regions security but the worlds security.

Nathalie Tocci, an aide to the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, warned on BBC radio on Monday night: If EU companies abide by U.S. secondary sanctions they will, in turn, be sanctioned by the EU. She said that the measures were necessary in order to signal, diplomatically, to the Iranians that Europeans are serious about trying to maintain the Iran nuclear deal.

European companies have already voted with their feet, however. The German auto company Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, confirmed on Tuesday that it had suspended its activities in Iran. Other corporations including Boeing, Airbus, Total and Siemens have already signalled their intention to do the same.

By tearing up the 2015 nuclear deal, the US is also dealing a blow against its European rivals, particularly Germany. German firms, which have close ties with Iran, moved quickly to take advantage of investment opportunities. Last year German exports to Iran increased by 16 percent to nearly 3 billion, but have slumped by 4 percent in the first five months of 2018 as Trump moved to reimpose sanctions.

An unnamed US official declared on Monday that the EU blocking statute was not something that were particularly concerned by. Another official claimed that nearly 100 international firms have announced their intent to leave the Iranian market. It remains to be seen whether the EU and its member states will attempt to enforce the statute by legal action against European companies.

While US sanctions on Iranian oil do not come into force until November, China has already rejected US calls for an end to its oil imports from Iran. US officials visiting Beijing last week told the media that China had only agreed not to increase its purchases. China is the number one buyer of Iranian crude oil.

The Russian foreign ministry yesterday issued a statement branding the sanctions as a glaring example of Washingtons violation of UN resolutions and its trampling on international law. It urged other countries not to allow the Iran deal to be sacrificed to American attempts to settle scores with Iran on issues unrelated to the JCPOA.

The Trump administration abrogated the 2015 agreement despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly verified Irans compliance with its terms. Under the deal, Iran agreed to severely limit its nuclear programs in return for a step-by-step ending of international sanctions.

The Trump administration, however, has repeatedly denounced the agreement, insisting that Iran completely shut its nuclear and missile programs, submit to ever more intrusive inspections and end its so-called support for terrorism. The last demand signifies Irans complete subservience to US domination in the Middle East, including the removal of Iranian forces from Syria and the ending of support to groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi forces in Yemen.

US national security adviser John Bolton claimed on Monday that Washingtons policy was not regime-change in Tehran but to put unprecedented pressure on the government of Iran to change its behaviour. Such statements are simply not credible. Bolton, himself, is notorious for militarist statements that underscore the decades-long US ambition to install a pliable regime in Tehran.

The Trump administrations sanctions are clearly aimed at provoking a severe economic and social crisis in Iran. The US decision in May to withdraw from the nuclear accord has already impacted heavily on the Iranian economy. Its currency has halved in value against the US dollar this year on the unofficial market, forcing up the price of food and other basic goods.

The Trump administration is clearly hoping to exploit anti-government protests that have erupted over recent months. The demonstrations, however, have included widely disparate layers, including unemployed workers, teachers calling for better pay, as well as well-off layers angered by the governments currency controls.

Amid growing strikes and unrest by the working class internationally, the potential exists for a movement not only directed against the repressive Iranian regime, but also against the predatory actions of US imperialism.
The New York Times found itself at the center of a controversy last week when racist tweets posted between 2013 and 2015 by Sarah Jeong, a new member of the papers editorial board, began circulating online. The Times defended Jeong, as did several of her ostensibly left-wing colleagues and supporters.

The posts in question are indefensible, a series of vitriolic tirades against white people. Jeong, who is Asian-American, tweeted with apparent relish, Oh man its kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men. In another tweet, she wrote, Dumbass fucking white people marking up the internet with their opinions like dogs pissing on fire hydrants. A third tweet consists simply of #CancelWhitePeople. There are others.

Had Jeong made the same comments about any other group, had she publicly fantasized about the sick joy derived from her cruel treatment of old African-American men, for example, her career would be over and the very paper that hired her would be dragging her name through the mud. But Jeong engaged in a form of racism entirely permissible, and even quite lucrative, in the pseudo-left circles in which she moves and for which the Times speaks.

In a statement defending Jeong, the Times explains that she has been the victim of online harassment as a young Asian woman. For a period of time, writes the Times, she responded to that harassment by imitating the rhetoric of her harassers. After candid conversations, the statement goes on, Jeong came to see things differently: She regrets it, and the Times does not condone it.

Jeong followed up with her own statement, writing on Twitter, As a woman of color on the internet, I have faced torrents of online hate, often along this vein She then shared two deplorable racist and homophobic messages in which physical threats are made against her.

She continues, I engaged in what I thought of at the time as counter-trolling. While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers. These comments were not aimed at a general audience, because general audiences do not engage in harassment campaigns. I can understand how hurtful these posts are out of context, and would not do it again.

The cover story presented by Jeong and the Times is simply not credible. Nothing about these tweets reads like satire. They are racist comments that contain all the viciousness one has come to expect from those affluent, upper-middle class layers obsessed with race and gender. The New York Times plays a leading role in disseminating and legitimizing such views.

It apologizes for Jeongs anti-white rants but shows no such solicitude for people caught up in the #MeToo witch-hunt, for the most part on the basis of unverified allegations of sexual harassment or abuse. There the Times generally takes the position that the accused is guilty by virtue of having been charged.

Identity politics, which claims society is organized for the benefit of so-called cis-gender white men, strips racism of its social and historical content and obscures the class nature of society.

The politics of race and gender are used as a wedge by a section of affluent African-American and other minority professionals to gain leverage against their white or male competitors in the marketplace in order to obtain a greater share of the wealth controlled by the top ten percent of society.

These politics acquire more venom and become more aggressively right-wing under conditions in which clear signs of the reemergence of class struggle begin to appear. The most noxious expression of this has been the #MeToo campaign spearheaded by the Times. As this hysterical, anti-democratic campaign makes clear, these upper middle-class layers are prepared to employ the most right-wing, anti-democratic maneuvering to open up new and lucrative pathways for themselves.

They are in large part ruthless social climbers, seething with petty resentments and professional jealousies, who cynically cloak their ambition with a phony concern for racial and gender equality. In reality, the more diverse corporate boardrooms they demand will do nothing to improve the lives of workers, whatever their ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Moreover, identity politics are used by these layers in an effort to sabotage the development of an independent movement of the working class against capitalism. Widespread class solidarity uniting workers in a common struggle across all ethnic, national and linguistic boundaries, and the development of socialist consciousness, present a direct threat to the material interests of these layers.

When several right-wing commentators seized on Jeongs anti-white rhetoric to launch a campaign against her and against the Times for their own reactionary political reasons, a number of voices from the pseudo-left spoke up to defend her. Their justifications of Jeongs tweets are revealing.

Among Jeongs more outspoken supporters is Zack Beauchamp, who wrote a lengthy piece on the controversy for the online news and opinion journal Vox. Beauchamp and Jeong are colleagues at the Vox Media site the Verge.

Beauchamp writes that referring to white people as Jeong did is a kind of shorthand among those on the social justice left. It captures, he says, the way that many whites still act in clueless and/or racist ways. Its typically used satirically and hyperbolically to emphasize how white people continue to benefit (even unknowingly) from their skin color, or to point out the ways in which a power structure that favors white people continues to exist.

Perhaps Beauchamp knows where teachers, UPS and Amazon workers who happen to be white can line up to receive some of the benefits owed to them by the existing power structure.

According to Beauchamp, Jeong is commenting on the ubiquity of (often uniformed[sic]) white opinion on social mediaa way of pointing out how nonwhite voices often dont appear or get drowned out in social media discourse.

But who, precisely, is silencing Sarah Jeong? She graduated from Harvard Law School, where she edited the Journal of Law & Gender. As a journalist, her byline has appeared in the Atlantic, the Washington Post, Forbes and the New York Times Magazine. In 2017, she was profiled in Forbes magazines list of 30 under 30, its annual tribute to influential entrepreneurs and taste-makers under the age of 30. Next month she will join the editorial board of the New York Times, where she will oversee the papers coverage of technology and the Internet.

To Beauchamp, she is only a young Asian-American woman, a representative of an oppressed minority who is well within her rights to savage the white people who are her ostensible oppressors.

Beauchamp also rejects the argument that replacing Jeongs references to white people with similar references to one or another minority group more clearly brings out the racist nature of her remarks. This, he argues, sets up a false equivalency. The difference again, writes Beauchamp, is the underlying power structure in American society, which benefits white people.

In the Vox piece, he responds to a question from conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan, who asks, Would Beauchamp, I wonder, feel the same way if anti-racists talked about Jews in the same manner Jeong talks about whites? Beauchamp denies the validity of Sullivans point, but adds, Andrew knows Im Jewish and sensitive to the real problem of anti-Semitism on the left.

These words link to another of Beauchamps articles for Vox, claiming to explain the UK Labour Partys anti-semitism crisis. It is a piece that seeks to legitimize the right-wing smear campaign accusing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his political allies of anti-Semitism.

The arguments of Beauchamp, Jeong and their co-thinkers on the pseudo-left are meant to intimidate and silence any opponents of middle-class identity politics. Critics of Jeong will be labeled alt-right racists just as critics of the #MeToo witch-hunt are labeled rape apologists.

But workers of all backgrounds, who do not share the preoccupations of Beauchamp and the rest, know they do not benefit from the existing power structure. On the contrary. They are brutalized by it. It is their voices that have been drowned out for too long.

As workers enter into struggle they will have to be made conscious of the true class nature of society and learn who their political enemies are. This makes the conscious and unrelenting exposure of the promoters of identity politics all the more important.
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The council certainly has reason to have serious concerns about what weve spent this budgeted amount on, and thats the councils job, said Biggs, a past member of the council. If the council does choose not to fund that budget (for the lease) for those reasons that theyve given, its going to be up to the council to come up with a decision.
Classes will be offered to all students, but will be primarily geared initially toward undergraduates, Department Chair Jonathyne Briggs, an associate professor of history, said. The goal is to have up to 50 students at IUN pursuing the minor within a few years, he said.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Comparison - Xbox One vs. Xbox One S vs. Xbox One X vs. PS4 vs. PS4 Pro
"We dont need to protest, we need to financially castrate this business."

By Desire Thompson

A harrowing video showing a group of nail salon employees attacking a black family in Brooklyn, New York has gone viral with many calling for the establishment to be shut down.

The video was shared on Friday (Aug 3) by a woman named Mercy Maduka, who was at the New Red Apple Nails on East Flatbushs Nostrand Avenue when the attack happened around 9:30 pm EST. Witnesses claim a group of women reportedly comprised of four women paid for manicures and pedicures, but a botched eyebrow job on woman lead to an argument. After the group refused the $5 fee for the service, employees blocked the entrance and held down one of the women.

The video shows what happened next, with several women attacking one customer with chairs and brooms. After one of the victims managed to escape, one of the broom-holders attacks another woman. In the official complaint reported by The New York Post, the employees claimed the customer slapped and dragged an employee across the floor. However, witnesses claim that happened after the employee grabbed her arms. There were also claims that the women were dosed with acetone, a solvent used to remove acrylic-based nails.

Employee Huiyue Zheng, 32, was charged with assault and weapon possession and was released on her own recognizance after a hearing at Brooklyn Criminal Court. Customer Christina Thomas was charged with misdemeanor assault and also released on her own recognizance.

It felt like I was in a movie, the grandmother told local news outlet, News12 Brooklyn. They had their sticks and it felt like a horror movie.

Scene outside the New Red Apple Nail Salon on 1426 #Nostrand Avenue. Community calling for additional arrests, and a new chantno nails no toes after employees got into a physical argument with customers over a five dollar eyebrow wax. pic.twitter.com/7t2qsY5LYZ  Sabrina Franza (@sabrinafranza) August 6, 2018

BREAKING: right now, 100+ ppl rallying outside Brooklyn nail salon after video goes viral of salon employee beating black woman with broomstick..@ChasingNews @My9NJ @fox5ny pic.twitter.com/PTzPZxxYe5  Nate Rodgers (@NateWants2Know) August 6, 2018

No other arrests have been in the incident. The investigation is still ongoing.

READ MORE: Chicago Freeway Shut Down Following Anti-Violence Protest

This post Brooklyn Family Attacked With Acetone And Brooms By Nail Salon Workers first appeared on Vibe.
Since then Maria Curiel said the couple looked at the former Anthonys Cafe site on their own but decided it wasnt an option because it was too large, too expensive and needed too much work. The restaurant had been gutted, including the toilets and piping. The Curiels began contemplating closing for good.
Heres a look at some of the companies the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

Investors are weighing in this morning on Disneys (DIS) latest earnings report. The Mouse missed on the top and bottom lines but reported strong results for its movie studio, parks and broadcast unit. Disney CEO Bob Iger also revealed its new streaming service will launch late next year.

It could be a rocky ride today for Snap (SNAP). The parent company of Snapchat posted unusually strong numbers after the bell on Tuesday, including a $250M investment from a Saudi prince. But the company also reported its first ever decline in active daily users. CEO Evan Spiegel blamed the user drop on a recent redesign.

Apple (AAPL) insists its iPhones arent spying on you. In a letter to Congress, company officials said iPhones dont record audio while theyre listening for you to wake up Siri. And it requires explicit permission from users before apps can access the microphone. Apple says it has removed some software from its App Store over privacy concerns.

Ford (F) is out with a new plan to win over drivers in China. Its rolling out the Ford Territory, a midsize sport SUV meant for the middle class. Ford is partnering with a Chinese company to build the vehicles in China, a market where the automaker has struggled in recent years.
A confrontation in Charlottesville, Va., between alt-right demonstrators and counterprotesters. (Photo: Frontline/Edu Bayer)

Remember the deadly riot in Charlottesville, Va., the one that left one woman dead and scores injured in the wake of neo-Nazi violence? Were coming up on the first anniversary of that nightmare  the Charlottesville tragedy occurred on Aug. 12, 2017  and so the new PBS Frontline documentary Documenting Hate: Charlottesville is both timely and freshly informative. Its anti-star is a racist, anti-Semitic hate-group member whos also a U.S. Marine, and hes mighty glad Donald Trump is in the White House saying things like both sides are to blame.

That Marine, Vasillios Pistolis, a private first class, is also an enthusiastic member of the Rise Above Movement, or RAM, in which Pistoliss first-class military training is deployed to beat young women and men who are counterprotesting against racist groups. We see him doing some righteous pummeling, and then bragging online about kicking demonstrator Emily Gorcenski in the head. Gorcenski is interviewed by A.C. Thompson during this co-production by Frontline and ProPublica, which airs Tuesday night.

Gorcenski is shocked that Pistolis, as a member of the military, is so relaxed about admitting his crime. (Pistolis, Ive read, was recently kicked out of the military for his behavior.) But as another interviewee, white-supremacist expert Lowell Smith, says here, theres been a huge increase in extreme right-wing violence. Smith says the past two years have seen the biggest, most frightening increase in neo-Nazi violence that hes witnessed in 30 years of chronicling the subject. Its another indication of the tacit approval of previously-disapproved-of beliefs that President Trump has let loose upon this great country.

While Documenting Hate suffers a bit from Thompsons oh-my-goodness, faux-naive narration, it has a lot of valuable information about the culture of these disgusting groups, and it interviews the hearty souls who are devoting a lot of time to studying and documenting their current prevalence. Thompson also tries to give camera time to the thugs themselves, but folks like Pistolis tend to button up when a camera and microphone are placed in their faces. Theres some understandable worry that more violence will occur on the anniversary of the Charlottesville event, Aug. 12. Lets hope the president isnt planning to hold one of his rallies there.

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Documenting Hate: Charlottesville airs Tuesday on PBS. Check your local listings.

Watch: Spike Lee on how his new film, BlacKkKlansman, is connected to Charlottesville:



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In the span of approximately an hour on Sunday afternoon, Rob Tibbetts experienced a tangle of emotions after learning that a body had been found that matched the description of his missing daughter, Mollie Tibbetts.

Rob learned of the discovery of the dead young woman while he was at an Iowa Cubs game, passing out fliers about Mollies disappearance.

For much of that hour, he says, he wrestled with the possibility that his familys weeks-long search had at last come to an end  even with a resolution none of them wanted. Then he learned the truth: The woman who died was named Sadie Alvarado, of Muscatine, Iowa. Like Mollie, Alvarado was 20 years old.

Authorities reportedly believe Alvarado died in an accident. Speaking to local TV station KWSQ, her mother said she was my best friend  a very smart, funny and beautiful young lady who would have turned 21 next month.

We had assumed that was Mollie, Rob tells PEOPLE of the lapse between Alvarados body being found and being identified this weekend. Then when they told us it wasnt her, all we could think of was this other family, going through this horrible tragedy of their own, and we stopped answering our phones.

Rob says his family avoided commenting to reporters about Alvarados death because they did not want their own still-unsolved case to overshadow hers  to overstep their grief and their tragedy.

Our hearts go out to that family, he says. Thats a horrible situation for any family to go through.  To try to equate their pain with ours seemed completely inappropriate.

RELATED: Mystery Without End  Everything We Know About Missing College Student Mollie Tibbetts

Mollie Tibbetts

Mollie Tibbetts

The search for Mollie presses on, with the reward for information leading to her safe return climbing to more than $270,000 and police saying they have received hundreds of tips and leads.

Set to be a sophomore at the University of Iowa who was studying psychology, Mollie has not been seen since the evening of July 18, when she was spotted on her usual jog around Brooklyn, Iowa, around 7:30. Her family is resolute that she is alive, somewhere.

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Its totally speculation on my part, but I think Mollie is with someone that she knows, that is in over their head, Rob told ABC News this week. That there was some kind of misunderstanding about the nature of their relationship and at this point they dont know how to get out from under this.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Mollies aberrant disappearance has generated an immense amount of media coverage, which Rob hopes will lead to information about his daughters whereabouts.

Youre talking about a Norman Rockwell community, the all-American girl whose boyfriend is the boy next door  how can this happen, and without any trace or explanation whatsoever? he says. We think Mollie is a spectacular woman, but shes no different than any other girl in America.

He tells PEOPLE that investigators have said very little to him about their work, and they in turn have become progressively more tight-lipped with the public, declining to discuss suspects or the scope of evidence recovered, if any.

On Friday, state authorities acknowledged their reticence can be frustrating but said they think it gives us the best opportunity to resolve the investigation.

Mollie Tibbetts (left) with her boyfriend, Dalton Jack, last year

Mollie Tibbetts (bottom) with relatives

Echoing what law enforcement has said, Rob says hes not slowing down in his search for his daughter. Hes going to keep giving interviews and hes going to keep handing out missing-persons fliers, at concerts and car shows and wherever else he can.

Shes smart, she works hard and she is very poised, but her world is a mess and she has attitude and she cant drive to save her life, he says of his daughter. Shes just a young woman like everybody elses daughter, sister, or girlfriend. Shes not Saint Mollie, is what Im trying to say. But we need her back.

Rob says he wants everyone who can cooperate with the investigation to do so  even social media giants.

We are gonna find Mollie through a combination of tips but also with her digital footprint, he says, noting she had both her phone and her fitness tracker on her when she vanished. (Neither device has been recovered.)

She was on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook  all of those social platforms, her dad explains. We need those companies to enthusiastically work with law enforcement to find Mollie.

When hes working on finding her, its easy not to worry about Mollie, Rob says.

Its at 10 p.m., when youre driving home in your car, or when you wake up at 1 a.m. and cant get back to sleep  thats when you think about the worst-case scenarios, he tells PEOPLE. We all have our moments. We all break down privately and together. But our feelings are immaterial right now. Breaking down is not going to help bring Mollie back.

Tibbetts is described as 5-foot-3-inches tall, weighing about 120 lbs., with long brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about her is urged to contact authorities at 800-452-1111 or 515-223-1400 or email tips@poweshiekcosheriff.com.
Prosecutors believe a Missouri mom intentionally tried to murder her 5-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son by driving her car into a Kansas river on Friday while both kids were inside  killing the older child.

Documents obtained by PEOPLE accuse Scharron Renea Dingledine, 26, of Columbia, in the death of daughter Amiyah Bradley, whose body was pulled from the Kansas River in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday.

Dingledine and her son both were rescued at the scene, although the boy suffered critical injuries and remains hospitalized, Lawrence police said in a news release.

On Monday Dingledine was charged with murder and attempted murder, a statement obtained by PEOPLE from the Douglas County District Attorneys Office confirms.

Clinton Bradley, the girls father, wrote on a GoFundMe page seeking help with funeral expenses that his daughter was tragically killed as a victim of her mother intentionally driving a vehicle into the Kansas River.

Dingledine suffered from depression, which contributed to Bradleys separation from her, Bradley told the Lawrence Journal-World. He said he had not seen Amiyah for about a year and a half, at the request of Dingledine, who had moved in with her sons father in Columbia.

Scharron Dingledine

Bradley said he wished he had taken some kind of action to get custody of his daughter after his growing concerns about Dingledines mental health, according to the outlet. (PEOPLE could not reach him independently.)

The boys father, Kaleb Lake, told the newspaper that his son was in intensive care on Monday in a Kansas City-area hospital, breathing on his own but with an uncertain prognosis.

Its just little by little, he said. Only time will tell.

Lake, whom PEOPLE could not locate, declined to further discuss Dingledine or the deadly incident last week.

Police said emergency responders were called to the south bank of the Kansas River in Lawrence about 1:15 p.m. Friday and pulled Dingledrine and the boy from the water. They initially learned that a third occupant may have been inside the vehicle, but when it was recovered from the river, no other person was inside.

Story continues

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Due to diminishing and unsafe light conditions, police say the water search was halted and resumed on Saturday morning, when Amiyahs body was located. Police arrested Dingledine on Saturday afternoon on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

She has not yet entered a formal plea and is being held in the Douglas County Jail after District Attorney Charles Branson requested a $1 million bond in the case.

It appears Ms. Dingledine is a danger to herself and others in the public, Branson said in court, reports the Journal-World. He said it did not appear that Dingleddine had any ties to the area where she drove into the river.

Asked by Judge James George whether she understood the charges against her, Dingledine nodded in court and said, Yes, your honor, the newspaper reports.

Carol Cline, the appointed attorney for Dingledine, could not be reached by PEOPLE to speak on her behalf. Dingledine is due back in court Tuesday.
A toxic red tide is plaguing a hundred miles of Floridas beaches.

The phenomenon, which occurs when a profusion of algae emits dangerous toxins into the water and air, has left people in six Florida counties experiencing respiratory problems, according to Fox 6. It has also caused the deaths of thousands of sea animals, including fish, dolphins, turtles, and eels, NBC News reported.

Red tides normally last three to five months, but this one began back in October. Its unknown how long the red tide will go on. Theres no real way to know how far north the red tide is going to go. It all depends on local ocean currents and wind, meteorologist Greg Dee told ABC Action News.

RELATED: Florida Department of Health Warns Beachgoers About Outbreak of Sea Lice in the Water

The News-Press reported in July that the red tide is harming the Florida economy. We havent had a lot of cancellations, Jeanne Bigos, general manager of Fort Myers Beachs Outrigger resort, told the outlet. But do I see booking hesitation? Yes.

Dave Schuldenfrei, a real estate agent, said to the News-Press that he is seeing the impact of the problem on his business. Ive definitely lost sales every year to water quality, he explained. But this was the largest.

One Florida beach, Holmes Beach, asked volunteers to pitch in to clean up the damage from the red tide.

In addition, an excess of cyanobacteria has overflowed from Lake Okeechobee and entered rivers, according to NBC News. The problem has sent more than 12 Florida residents to the hospital.

RELATED: 3-Year-Old Girl Develops Infection from Florida Beach: It Was Basically Burning Her Skin

Rick Scott, Floridas governor, issued an emergency order in July for Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, in which he said, Our state is once again facing a crisis from water releases controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This has prompted me to issue an emergency declaration, so our state agencies can do everything in their power to minimize the harmful impacts these releases are having on our communities.

Farming chemicals draining into the lake have increased the growth of algae in Lake Okeechobee, according the Miami Herald. Hurricane Irma, which impacted pollution, and record rains exacerbated the issue, the outlet reported.

Many people will tell you that this is the worst they have ever seen Its our entire south Florida coastline with the red tide and then with the blue-green algae on the rivers and canals, Jacylin Bevis, a WBBH-TV reporter, told NBC News. Living in South Florida in the summer and not having the beach as option is not a great place to be.
Fetus discovered inside empty airplane bathroom at New York's La Guardia airport originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

A cleaning crew at New York's LaGuardia Airport made a grim discovery today aboard an American Airlines plane.

American flight 1942 from Charlotte, North Carolina had arrived Monday night at 10:44 p.m. Passengers had long since disembarked by the time the plane was being serviced this morning. Thats when the cleaning crew found an under-developed fetus in a bathroom.

The plane was temporarily taken out of service while a forensic team from the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) spent several hours onboard.

"The OCME can confirm we're investigating what we believe to be a human fetus found deceased on an airplane," a spokesperson said in a statement.

PHOTO: An cabin lavatory in a airplane is pictured in this undated stock photo. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)

(MORE: Couple argues that lost frozen embryo was a person, lawsuit states)

There were no reported incidents during the flight, an airport source told ABC News.

A spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, whose jurisdiction includes the airport, declined to comment.

(MORE: Woman Charged With Manslaughter After Assault Victim's Unborn Fetus Dies)

The investigation caused a delay to at least one other American Airlines flight, an airlines spokesperson said.

"As we continue to learn more about this tragic and sensitive situation, we are working actively with law enforcement on the investigation."
In Ohio, Democrats seek another special election upset with midterm momentum at stake originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The way Danny O'Connor tells it, a run for the House of Representatives didn't seriously cross his mind until this past January. Now, barely seven months later and amid a nationally restless political atmosphere, the 31-year-old Democrat is less than 24 hours away from potentially becoming the youngest member of Congress and further electrifying his party's spirit three months ahead of the long anticipated midterm elections.

O'Connor faces off with Republican Troy Balderson Tuesday in a special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District to replace former GOP Rep. Pat Tiberi, who retired from the House at the start of the year. The district, a swath of the Buckeye State that extends from the well-to-do suburbs of Columbus to conservative rural areas to the north and east, was won by President Donald Trump by over 11 points in 2016, and portions of the region haven't elected a Democratic congressperson since the early 1980s.

A legacy of Republican representation has far from deterred Democrats from attempting political flips of the longest odds this election cycle, as evidenced by the party's strong efforts across the country in special elections throughout Trump's presidency, culminating in perhaps its finest moment: a stunning upset by now-Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District in March, not even a year and a half after Trump won the district by nearly 20 points.

PHOTO: Ohio Democratic congressional candidate Danny O'Connor (C) makes a campaign stop at Oasis Church on Aug. 5, 2018, in Mansfield, Ohio. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

O'Connor, the Franklin County, Ohio Recorder -- an elected position which manages real estate and property records -- shares much in common with Lamb, who also launched his first bid for federal office in his early 30s and made inroads in a solidly red district by pledging bipartisanship and to put the needs of his constituency over national party politics.

But while Lamb may have been boosted by the lingering local distaste for his Republican predecessor, Rep. Tim Murphy, who resigned in the midst of a sex scandal in 2017, O'Connor is contending with the legacy of the popular Tiberi, who local Republicans believe would've been relatively safe had he remained in office and attempted a run for his ninth term. Instead, Tiberi's decision to depart Washington in January for a position leading an Ohio business lobbying organization kickstarted O'Connor's ambitions of higher office and paved the way for Democratic gains.

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(MORE: 4 primaries, Ohio special election promise key midterm clues)

Balderson, a second-term state senator, was believed to have the inside track as the Republican candidate after narrowly winning the simultaneous primaries for both the special election and November's general election in May by less than 1,000 votes. The margin, and a subsequent legal challenge by the Freedom Caucus-supported second place finisher, divided 12th district Republicans however, leading to lingering bitterness that could affect turnout for Balderson on Tuesday, which, coupled with O'Connor's promises of moderation, have resulted in an election believed to be neck-and-neck.

As is the case in many congressional races, both Balderson and O'Connor outwardly claim that the needs of the 12th district, a generally well-educated area whose exurbs are currently dotted with new construction and real estate development, are their top concern, but the campaign quickly evolved into a proxy war on national political issues, and, like many of the elections in the Trump era, a referendum on the president.

Ties to Pelosi, Trump a factor

The Paul Ryan-associated Congressional Leadership Fund poured more than $3 million into the race to paint O'Connor as a far-left liberal ready to fall in line behind House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., much as it did with Lamb earlier this year, should he be elected. But O'Connor has pushed back on the association, repeatedly stating that he believes both parties require new leadership and that he would not cast a vote for Pelosi to lead his party if he advances to Washington.

A minor controversy in the race broke out two weeks ago however when O'Connor, appearing in an interview on MSNBC, conceded that, in a hypothetical situation in which his only two options for the speakership are Pelosi or a Republican, he would side with his party. Supporters of Balderson seized upon the news as evidence of O'Connor's alleged true allegiances and dishonesty, while the Democrat's campaign has maintained his stance that he prefers for his party to elect a new leader and that he was merely responding to the theoretical situation posed to him.

PHOTO: Troy Balderson appears at a rally with Vice President Mike Pence, right, in Newark, Ohio, July 30, 2018. (The Columbus Dispatch via AP, FILE)

The national Democratic Party, led by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has invested upwards of $625,000 to oppose Balderson and support O'Connor, is banking on the margin by which Trump trailed Tiberi (who won in 2016 by over 35 points) in their respective victories as evidence of a willingness to abandon the president and those, like Balderson, who are in line with him.

Trump visited the district Saturday for a rally with Balderson in a high school gymnasium, that, like the majority of the president's campaign stops, only covered the race at-hand for a small portion of the event. The utility of Trump's involvement in the race -- he has additionally tweeted his support for Balderson a number of times this summer -- and its embrace by the Balderson campaign was called into question by Ohio Gov. John Kasich on ABC's "This Week" Sunday, when Kasich claimed that Balderson told him that he didn't ask the president to make an appearance.

(MORE: Trump silent on LeBron, praises Jim Jordan, as dual Ohio controversies swirl)

Kasich -- still a popular figure in Ohio after his failed presidential bid in 2016, and a regular critic of Trump's -- only endorsed Balderson at the end of July after earlier voicing reservations about his backing of the president, and one advertisement produced by O'Connor's campaign features a Kasich voter who compares the Democrat to the governor because, she claims, both "don't worry about the labels" and "are going to get things done."

On "This Week," Kasich's support for Balderson was mixed, telling George Stephanopoulos that he disagreed with the state senator's opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which he attempted to bring to Ohio, but that O'Connor was "a weak candidate" and that he and the Democrats lacked "a message."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he asked Troy Balderson, a Republican House candidate in Ohio, "why are you bringing Trump in" and Balderson said "well, I don't have anything to do with it" https://t.co/P6iz1j1VA4 #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/mA3Pxst6d4  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 5, 2018

Over the weekend, O'Connor's message included reference to the president's appearance, and one by Vice President Mike Pence weeks earlier.

"The fact that people need to come in for my opponent, I think that shows he's going to be beholden to what he's told in D.C.," the Democrat told ABC News, while also couching party hopes that he'll fall in line, should he be elected.

"I'm going to be an independent voice for the people of the 12th district," O'Connor added. "Nobody is going to tell me what to do."

(MORE: Republicans should have 'slam dunk' in Ohio election, close race doesn't bode well for GOP: Kasich)

Though Balderson's campaign did not respond to requests for a comment related to Kasich's claim about Trump appearing without having been invited, the candidate was clear about his intentions Saturday at the rally, voicing a position in stark contrast to O'Connor's stance of independence.

"I need your vote August 7th, so I can go to Congress and represent you and fight alongside this good man -- this great man -- President Trump," Balderson said.

No matter Tuesday's winner, the new representative won't have much of a record to run on in their next election. Less than three months away in November, Balderson and O'Connor will have a rematch, with gubernatorial and Senate races at the top of the ticket and an influx of college students returning to school in the district, setting up the possibility that by next year both will serve time in Congress.
Weary of criticizing Jill Duggar Dillards parenting skills, childrens appearance, and date-night activities, social media is nitpicking the 26-year-olds cooking skills.

Jill Duggar Dillard, pictured with husband Derick, isnt universally praised for her cooking skills. (Photo: Getty Images)

On Saturday, the fourth-eldest Duggar child and mother of 1-year-old Samuel and 3-year-old Israel shared a recipe for salad dressing on her blog  and by Tuesday, she was being dragged for its unhealthy ingredients.

The Voeller family visited my family many years ago and made many delicious, healthy dishes. This is one we really love. It goes well on salads, potatoes, pasta and more! https://t.co/rAUm3mjU1z  Jill (Duggar)Dillard (@jillmdillard) August 4, 2018

In Touch Weekly was the first to balk, observing that the horrifying condiment, which calls for olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a choice between Braggs Liquid Aminos, tamari, and soy sauce, largely contains salt: How has no one had a heart attack yet? The outlet also pointed out mustards high sodium level (120 milligrams per teaspoon) and that of soy sauce (879 milligrams).

The comments on Twitter were also harsh: Soy sauce ruins it. You Duggars just love your sodium and You should take a nutrition class at your community college. Break the cycle. One Facebook commenter asked, 

Salt makes the taste of food pop, but too many shakes contribute to health problems such as elevated blood pressure, heart failure, and kidney disease. Table salt contains sodium chloride, a necessary mineral to control the bodys balance of fluid, according to the American Heart Association, but most people exceed the recommended 2,300-milligram daily limit, by 1100.

Salt also hides in packaged food such as baked and canned goods, cold cuts, and condiments (such as mustard), making it difficult for some, including children, to monitor their intake. A 2016 study found that kids average sodium intake was 3,256 milligrams per day  and that was before reaching for the salt shaker. (According to Science Daily, the recommended daily amount for kids is 1,900 to 2,300 milligrams.)

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Concern for Duggar Dillards cooking habits isnt new  earlier this month when the mom tweeted a recipe for Cheesy Chicken and Rice Enchiladas, Twitter gagged at her use of canned chicken and the meals disgusting and unhealthy nutritional contents. There is so much fat and sodium in this stuff its a recipe for hypertension and coronary artery disease, declared one Twitter user.

Some friends of ours brought us these many years ago when my mom had a new baby and my mom asked for the recipe since they were so delicious! These are easy to make when you've got a bunch of leftover rice and they are sure to be crowd pleasing https://t.co/OJ6SxoTDif  Jill (Duggar)Dillard (@jillmdillard) August 3, 2018

In July, the mom tweeted a recipe for cinnamon toast and was lambasted for using half a cup of sugar for four slices of bread and advised to take a nutrition class at a local college.

This was one of my brother's (Joseph) favorite breakfast items when we were all kids. It may not be super healthy, but makes for a fun treat occasionally. https://t.co/38BXQq5mNy  Jill (Duggar)Dillard (@jillmdillard) July 2, 2018

For Duggar Dillards meal of Easy Chicken and Noodles, she was taken to task for using eight cans of cream of chicken condensed soup (in fairness, the recipe serves 18) and excluding vegetables.

This quick recipe feeds a crowd. We usually ate it with homemade bread and a big salad and fruit for dessert. https://t.co/tzPQKU2h0U pic.twitter.com/XvmmK696Qr  Jill (Duggar)Dillard (@jillmdillard) June 12, 2018

And her potato-egg-and-cheese breakfast casserole, chicken salad, and broccoli-cheese soup were compared to vomit.

Duggar Dillard might not be totally responsible for the controversial meals  she was recently accused of plagiarizing recipes after fans attributed some of her dishes to popular cooking websites.

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A Lansing, Michigan newscaster is making a major change in her beauty routine  and her career. In an August 5 tweet, WLNS News Reporter Dana Whyte shared that she is wearing her hair natural while on a broadcast for the "first time ever," after straightening her hair for the majority of her career.

"I wore my natural hair on tv for the first time ever today," Dana tweeted. "This has been an internal battle that Ive been struggling with ever since I decided to become a reporter. Finally feeling true to myself  #blackgirlmagic."

According to the 21-year-old journalist, who is also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, her choice has been in the works for a while. "My decision to go natural has been something that I've been wanting to do for a long time," Dana tells Teen Vogue."I started as a full-time reporter in May [2018], and I would straighten my hair literally every day. It was super damaging and my hair was starting to fall out, so I knew I had to make a change."

"Straightening my hair every day felt like I was trying to conform to a certain image that society wanted me to be," Dana says. "Now, I feel like I'm not hiding behind a mask and can fully be myself. I hope this helps others know that they can do the same."

Clearly, her followers were moved by her decision, with some taking to her mentions to reply with messages of support: "Youre inspiring me 100%," one user wrote. Others simply responded with emojis symbolizing their praise in Dana's choice to embrace her natural curly texture.

The stigma surrounding women of color and natural hair is unfortunately still pervasive today; a 2017 study found that black women experience more anxiety about their hair than their white female counterparts, and more often feel more pressure to straighten their hair for work. What's more, the study found that across all demographics surveyed, a majority of people, regardless of race and gender, hold some bias towards women of color based on their hair. And in 2016, a Google search result for "unprofessional hairstyles for work" presented a disproportionate amount of women with afros and curls, while a search for "professional" styles generated a plethora of white women with sleek updos and straight ponytails.

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As for the catalyst behind Dana going natural? "I just attended the NABJ Convention in Detroit last week, and to see all of the beautiful women there embracing who they are inspired me," Dana says. "I think natural hair in journalism is becoming more common, but it still has a long way to go in terms of acceptance. Representation is so important. Little girls sitting at home watching the news need to be able to see someone who looks like them on television, so they know it's possible for that to be them one day."

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26 Superhero Costumes Your Kids Will Want to Fight Villains In

On Halloween night, you and your family get to be whoever you want to be. Maybe that's an animal, or a fairy princess, or maybe, if your kids are huge fans of DC and Marvel, it's a superhero. What kid wouldn't want to be a powerful superhero for a night, saving the streets from villains, fighting off candy-stealing creeps, and protecting other trick-or-treaters from any dangers they may encounter? If your kid is just itching to put on a super suit on October 31st, these superhero Halloween costumes will have their Halloween dreams coming true.

Whether your daughter is the biggest fan of the Avengers movie series, or your son is all Batman, all the time, there's a superhero costume for every kid out there. And make sure you don't forget the superhero accessories either, because truly, what is a superhero without their gadgets and weapons to fight off the bad guys? Give your kids the best Halloween ever with these superhero costume ideas that are truly out of this world. And make sure to check out the CDC guidelines before you make any Halloween plans to ensure you're having a safe Halloween this year.
Plans for the Expo Center, which were revealed to the County Council in a virtual tour during their meeting last month, include an entranceway with more glass; wood tones throughout the building; new flooring and television screens; updated restrooms; a lit patio; and new mechanical and lighting systems, expected to be more energy and cost efficient.
Once youve been married long enough, youll start to notice the same themes popping up again and again, whether its getting unreasonably mad at how loud your spouse sneezes or fighting over the appropriate budget for a Costco run.

And while these little things might be aggravating in the heat of the moment, take solace in knowing youre not the only couple out there dealing with these very issues.

Below, weve gathered 25 relatable tweets about married life that will crack you up.

Wife: We can't keep it



Me: It followed me home



Wife: A trampoline followed you home?  obi (@ThaJawn) July 27, 2018

I'm so lazy, I'm more of an "atrophy" wife.  Cathryn (@AngryRaccoon2) July 27, 2018

Marriage is mostly standing at opposite sides of Target texting where are you over and over.  French Breadafits (@10kbabyspiders) July 31, 2018

Husband: *parallel parks the minivan in a tight spot in one try*



Me: *ovulates*  Jessie (@mommajessiec) July 31, 2018

I dont wanna talk about it until youre about to fall asleep.



-Marriage  Dan (@dadopotamus) July 28, 2018

Each trash day I'm painfully reminded that the word "Wife" derives from the Ancient Greek word meaning "Stuffs Kitchen Trash Can Beyond Fucking Capacity".   (@1_swarthy_dude) July 20, 2018

Wife: Who wrote WHERE ARE THE BANDAIDS in blood on the bathroom mirror?



Me: *duct tape around my index finger* Sounds like we have a poltergeist. By the way, where are the bandaids in case it comes back?  Zack (@Mr_Kapowski) August 6, 2018

Got in trouble again with my wife for a facial expression I didnt know I have.  Kent Graham (@KentWGraham) August 4, 2018

Behind every story my husband tells is me standing there ready to correct him and tell it much, much better.  Mommy Owl (@Lhlodder) August 4, 2018

[restaurant in Mexico]

Wife: Whats good here?

Me: Bueno.  Patches (@Mostly_Cheese) December 6, 2017

Words I could either be saying to my dog or my husband:



You ate ALL of that?!?  ThisOneSays (@ThisOneSayz) July 25, 2018

My wife said we should go to Costco today like its not gonna cost us at least $400 which doesnt even include the food court  Zack (@Mr_Kapowski) July 28, 2018

(Girl on 2nd date sneezes)

Me: Aww that was so cute.



(Girl after 15yrs of marriage sneezes)

Me: Ugh you disgust me.  American (@AmericanGent69) July 25, 2018

Hell hath no fury like a husband not getting heavily praised for doing a little housework.  Boyd's Backyard (@TheBoydP) July 29, 2018

Im making my husband take me to a farmers market today and I just know that hes pinching himself, wondering how he got so lucky to have me.  Stacey (@skittle624) July 28, 2018

Married Sext:



I bought the big black Hefty bags, let's throw the kids shit away  Elisabeth. (@YourMomsucksTho) July 31, 2018

Marriage, where you get to sleep with the person youre having a combatant argument with.  .  (@DvuslyMarvelous) May 5, 2018

Waiter: do you guys want anymore chips and salsa?



Husband: no, I-



Me: *stabbing his thigh with my fork under the table* yes, please



Husband: *peer pressure smile*  Sassparilla (@Megatronic13) July 31, 2018

WIFE: well, Im turning in



ME: *excitedly pausing Shrek* to what?!  clean slate (@PleaseBeGneiss) July 28, 2018

Last night I had a date night with my husband, and it was great to talk about what groceries we need, how our physical bodies are deteriorating and the acceptable ways to fold shit in a completely different setting which also cost us money  Healthy Living for Hot Messes (@HLFHM) July 28, 2018

I dont finish my wifes sentences, but I do start a completely new ones in the middle of hers.  Kent Graham (@KentWGraham) July 22, 2018

My wife makes me wear Crocs to mark her territory.   Happy ChillMore  (@cravin4) August 7, 2018

Me: *slowly retracts hand from cereal box after failing to grasp the free toy*



Wife: you really need to stop pretending to be a claw machine



Me: *swallows yet another quarter* why  M@thew (@TweetPotato314) August 6, 2018

My wife bought a rice cooker today. I guess were going to eat a ton of rice over the next few days and then never again.  Dan (@dadopotamus) August 7, 2018

I loaded the dishwasher my way and ran it and the world didn't end and everything was fine.



Just kidding.



My wife found out and now we're in counseling.  James Breakwell (@XplodingUnicorn) July 31, 2018

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The hardest part of marriage is resisting temptation. Women just dont understand how hard it is not to use a decorative towel.  Boyd's Backyard (@TheBoydP) March 23, 2018

Husband: Why do you ALWAYS have to be on your phone?



Me: Sounds good, Im starving.  Maybe She... (@CantWaitToNap) March 26, 2018

Me: Everyone should follow their true calling in life.

Husband: Shopping at Target isnt a calling.  Sara Says Stop (@PetrickSara) March 30, 2018

[Friday night]

Wife: *tells me weekend plans*



[Saturday morning]

Me: What are we doing this weekend?  Chad Read (@squirrel74wkgn) March 29, 2018

Where does this go?



- my husband cleaning  StaceyLynne (@StaceyLynne_44) March 4, 2018

Started a movie 45 mins ago with my wife.



Were 7 mins in.  Salamingia (@salamingia) January 27, 2018

90% of my text messages are my wife checking to see if Ive done something yet.  mark (@TheCatWhisprer) March 25, 2018

If your wife birthed your big-headed baby, then you clean the hair out of the shower drain. Those are the rules.  MyQuestionableLife (@2questionable) March 27, 2018

Just once I wish when my wife says we need to talk she surprises me and starts up a conversation about Mexican food.  American (@AmericanGent69) February 24, 2018

*Looking for something around the house.



Me: Have you seen it?



Wife: Yes, I put it back where it belongs.



Me: Ah, thank you.



*Still has no idea where it is.  Slades Situation (@Dad_in_Brief) March 9, 2018

If you like getting angry at the way someone turns a doorknob, marriage may be right for you.  Betty (@BoomBoomBetty) March 25, 2018

I hadnt realised that marriage would make having a spare room quite such a necessity.  Lord Baconbutt (@Gupton68) April 3, 2018

Love is letting her charge her phone first.



Marriage is buying a second charger.  James Breakwell (@XplodingUnicorn) March 16, 2018

My wife and I have a rule whoever is driving controls the radio, unless I'm driving and then she controls the radio.  Dan Regan (@Social_Mime) March 28, 2018

What part of if I'm on a diet he's on a diet does my husband not understand?  Denise (@food_shoes_life) March 24, 2018

Oh your husband bought you a designer handbag? Mine ordered me my very own large pizza  Valerie (@ValeeGrrl) March 23, 2018

Marriage is just smiling and nodding after you've read the same sentence 12 times because they keep talking in 20 second intervals and OH MY GOD JUST SAY WHAT YOU WANT AND BE QUIET SO I CAN FINISH THIS 3 PARAGRAPH ARTICLE.  Trace of Bass (@the_migglest) March 31, 2018

The wife always knows when I've emptied the dishwasher because I leave the cabinet doors flung open like I just got a warrant to toss the house.   How YOU Doin  (@jollyrobber) March 2, 2018

My wife just replied to my email with Unsubscribe.  Kent Graham (@KentWGraham) March 27, 2018

My husband has texted me 12 times from the grocery store with questions. He's only made it to aisle 4. Pray for me.  (s) (@3sunzzz) April 4, 2018

I know my wife is mad at me when the kids ask something and instead of "Ask your dad." she says "Go see what ROBERT thinks."  Sir Rub  (@chocmoney1974) April 4, 2018

I describe my husbands style as OMG! Are you going to wear that in public?  Jawbreaker (@sixfootcandy) December 1, 2017

90% of marriage is just loud cleaning.  Swishergirl (@Swishergirl24) March 26, 2018

Does this smell ok? and Guess when I last washed my hair? are just two examples of fun games you can play to spice up your marriage.  Brooke Siegel (@brookejena) March 23, 2018

Me after date night with Hubs: Ugh, Im going to change into something more comfortable



*takes off going-out yoga pants, puts on staying-in yoga pants  Housy Wife (@wife_housy) March 25, 2018

Husband: I emptied the toaster crumbs & cleaned the toaster.



Me: Aw!!! I was going to do that today!  Lorie (@LorieGZ) March 24, 2018

WIFE: oh yeah baby, keep doing it just like that



ME: *picking kids coats up off the floor and hanging them in the closet*  eric (@ericsshadow) March 23, 2018

My wife is getting rid of all the clutter. If you see the kids and me standing out by the street, it means we didn't make the cut this year.   geek (@alfageeek) March 17, 2013

(100 miles from exit)



Wife: You need to get in the right lane.  DPW (@pondermymaker) March 1, 2018

There isnt a self help book in the world that can prepare you for the disappointment you feel when a random package arrives from Amazon and you find out its just the golf balls your husband ordered.  Lurkin' Mom (@LurkAtHomeMom) March 30, 2018

Being married is just wiping someone else's toothpaste spittle off the vanity mirror EVERYDAY.  C~ (@aGreeneyedChic) March 25, 2018

Husband I thought you were dieting?



Me I am



Husband You just ate 6 Oreos



Me Yes but I want to eat 12. See - Dieting  Cydni Beer (@themessednest) March 16, 2018

Marriage is just your spouse perpetually standing in front of the kitchen drawer or cabinet you need to open.  SpacedMom (@copymama) April 10, 2018

My husband has 2 pairs of crocs so all Im saying is dont rush into marriage  JPo (@Peauxtassium) April 16, 2018

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ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) _ 3D Systems Corp. (DDD) on Tuesday reported a loss of $8.9 million in its second quarter.

The Rock Hill, South Carolina-based company said it had a loss of 8 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and stock option expense, were 6 cents per share.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was breakeven on a per-share basis.

The maker of 3D printers posted revenue of $176.6 million in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $165.8 million.

3D Systems shares have increased 57 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $13.57, an increase of almost 5 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 DDD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/DDD
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
By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghanistan told the United States that Islamic State fighters who surrendered last week will be treated as prisoners of war, and not honored guests, despite the warm welcome they had initially received, a top U.S. general said on Wednesday. While pressure has been building for peace talks between the Western-backed government in Kabul and the Taliban insurgency, U.S. officials say Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan is not part of any reconciliation push and instead must be wiped out. Even by the bloody standards of the Afghan war, Islamic State has gained an unmatched reputation for brutality, routinely beheading opponents or forcing them to sit on explosives. But last week, an Afghan governor's office floated the possibility of amnesty for a large group of Islamic State fighters, including two senior commanders, who gave themselves up after being driven from their strongholds by Taliban insurgents. U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. military's Central Command, said the Afghans acknowledged the surrender, the largest of its kind so far by Islamic State, "could have been handled better." "The government of Afghanistan has assured us that these ISIS-K fighters will be treated as war prisoners," Votel told a news briefing at the Pentagon, using an acronym for the Afghan affiliate of the group. Votel said that the fighters would be investigated and held to account for any war crimes they committed. Civilians who fled the last clashes have accused Islamic State fighters of atrocities, giving detailed accounts of women and young girls being taken from their families, raped and, in some cases, murdered. "They have essentially waged a pretty vicious campaign against the people without regard to civilian casualties," Votel said. In another example of Islamic State's tactics, the group on Saturday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in eastern Afghanistan that killed 39 people and wounded at least 80 others. As the U.S.-backed Afghan army presses Afghan insurgents, the central government in Kabul is also pursuing peace with their main enemy, the Taliban, even declaring a three-day ceasefire in June that saw unarmed Taliban fighters mingling with soldiers on the streets. Perhaps in that context, local Afghan officials had initially hoped that treating this batch of Islamic State fighters well would entice more of them to surrender. That, however, was not the approach of the United States or of the central government in Kabul, Votel said. Although Washington ultimately seeks an Afghan-led peace agreement with the Taliban, Votel said the U.S. and Afghan position on Islamic State was clear: "We've all agreed (it's) an organization that just needs to be destroyed." The back-and-forth over Islamic State speaks volumes about confusion as Kabul and the West are trying to find a way to end 17 years of war against insurgents. U.S. President Donald Trump a year ago reluctantly agreed to an open-ended deployment of U.S. military advisers, trainers and special forces and increased air support for Afghan forces. Roughly 14,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Afghanistan along with 8,000 other coalition forces, according to Pentagon data. But Trump has proven capable of reversing himself and U.S. officials privately acknowledge a sense of urgency to show that America's longest war can still bring a degree of stability to Afghanistan. A senior U.S. diplomat met with a Taliban representatives in Doha in July. Votel acknowledged that the incoming U.S. commander, Army General Scott Miller, would do his own review but predicted no major changes to the war plan approved by Trump last year. "I can't predict exactly what General Miller may say in terms of this. But as I've commented, my personal view is that the strategy we have in place is the right one," Votel said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Grant McCool)
Buck a beer: Doug Ford announces plan to bring $1 brews back to Ontario (AFP/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the roll out of the buck-a-beer plan, which gives brewers in the province the opportunity to sell beer for a loonie, lowering the minimum price from $1.25 to $1. The plan, a campaign promise of Fords, invites all 260 breweries in the province to take part and any beer with an alcohol volume below 5.6 per cent will be accepted.

Its costing the taxpayers zero, Ford announced at Barley Days Brewery in Picton, Ont.

Barley Days Brewery, which opened in 2007, was the first craft brewery in Prince Edward County and it was general manager Kyle Baldwin (who was born and raised in the county) that decided to sign up for the opportunity.

Were trying to have fun with it and what better way to get exposure than to have a dollar beer branded with Barley Days in the LCBO? Baldwin tells Yahoo Finance Canada on Tuesday. We feel very confident that we can produce a beer for a buck at a high quality standard and thats what were going to do.

The Barley Days Loonie Lager will have the same core ingredients as all of the other brewerys beers says Baldwin, and their end goal is to make sure the product is available for Ontarians by August 27, the day the plan is to come into effect across the province.

Incentives like featured in-store displays and LCBO advertising drove Baldwin to sign on, so too is his desire to create affordable beer for everyone including the locals. Trade moves such as the U.S.s issuing of aluminum tariffs was not a grave concern when asked and did not affect his decision to get involved in the buck-a-beer plan. However, Baldwins decision was made prior to the enactment of the tariffs in July.

Weve made sure weve positioned ourselves for the short term and right now the tariffs have not affected business, says Baldwin. It seems kind of redundant to put a tariff on something that theyre [the U.S.] buying in the first place, thats why I personally dont think its going to be as big of an issue as everyone says it is going to be, but thats my personal opinion.

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Matthew Stewart, director of national forecast at the Conference Board of Canada, tells Yahoo Canada Finance that aluminum is only a small portion of a brewers input costs so he sees minimal impact to a brewers core business.

Of all the costs that a brewery pays its only about 3.5 per cent of their total expenditures so its not nothing, they do pay a significant portion for aluminum cans, but its not their biggest expenditure, says Stewart. Even if brewers were paying the increased price its only going to add a little bit onto the cost of a case of beer.

Not something were remotely interested in

The cost of aluminum seems more significant to Troy Burtch of the 31-year-old Great Lakes Breweryone of the breweries that was quick to refuse participating in the buck-a-beer challenge.

Since July 1, were aware of the effect aluminum tariffs could have. If we get up to 10 tractor-trailer loads of cans coming in from the U.S. a month, thats upwards of $26,000 in additional costs that wasnt there before July 1, says Burtch. This along with the increase in water pricing and fluctuation of seasonsto sit back and sell a beer at a price point around that mark is just not in the interest of our business ethos and other than speaking about not doing it, its not something were remotely interested in taking a look at.

99 per cent of the beers we produce here in Etobicoke remain in the province and thats something we take great pride in, he adds. We would never compromise quality to make a quick buck, no pun intended.

University of Toronto economics professor, Dwayne Benjamin says aluminum tariffs on cans for microbreweries and breweries of Ontario are genuine policy threats to the rest of us who drink the better beer and the tariffs are high enough that small, fledging breweries could go out of business.

Benjamin says because of the tariffs more breweries may also start looking to alternatives like bottled beer.

The really cheap beers are sold by the bottle anyway. With higher aluminum can prices, I think youll see more beer in bottles, or at least brewers considering switching production to bottles, as its convenient, says Benjamin.

Burtch echoes this sentiment saying Great Lakes Brewery is looking at production costs of bottled beer moving forward.

But some companies are opting for the exemption route instead.

U.S. beverage can manufacturer Alcoa (AA), who filed five applications for one-year exclusions from tariffs on imported items that are of primary aluminum alloyed slab on Monday, argues theres no domestic competitor to them so they should be exempt from tariffs.

The U.S. and the manufacturers who are importing say Oh we should get an exemption because theres no domestic competitor for this particular product or this particular type of aluminum, explains Stewart. If they can show thats the case and no one disagrees with them, then they can get an exemption on the tariffs.

Stewart says a significant number of companies have applied for exemption, but he explains that because Canada has a lot of domestic aluminum production, many companies (such as breweries) are going to be able to avoid tariffs. He also points to recent Stats Canada findings, which look at the effect of the aluminum tariffs thus far.

According to Stats Canada data, the price of aluminum did fall following the added tariffs, but only slightly, notes Stewart.

Canada is a huge producer of aluminum and with the tariffs from the United States, I think its actually lowering the price in Canada, so we end up having an excess surplus of aluminum in Canada, which is pushing prices down.

However, Stewart says its still too soon to tell the effect of aluminum tariffs as we only have one month of data and have still yet to see the findings following Canadas retaliatory tariffs.

In another month well see the data on the Canadian retaliatory tariffs and the impact of that, and then well have a better idea of the price impact, states Stewart. A lot of the supply chains are so integrated its hard to track exactly where these things are produced. So items will cross the border and then cross back at different stages of production and youll see this across a number of manufacturing industries, so if thats the case, the tariffs and retaliatory tariffs could drive up their price.

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Its important that we as a church in this neighborhood be open to this neighborhood. Its important to us that everyone in this community feel like theyre on the same team and an event like this is designed to make that happen, he said.
Let's check out the Yahoo Finance charts of the day. Amazon (AMZN): Shares are up in early trade, at around .25%. Amazon is adding a curbside pickup option at Whole Foods for Prime members. Shoppers will be able to order milk, eggs and other groceries on the Prime Now app and park in reserved spaces where workers will place the items in their cars. Novo Nordisk (NVO): Shares down here at 5.34%. The Danish pharmaceutical company reported profit in line with forecasts for the second quarter, but the company said prices in the U.S, market would be lower next year. Tesla (TSLA): Shares down here, at around .68%. Tesla is on watch following Elon Musk's tweet Tuesday about possible plans to take the company private and reports of a $2 billion dollar investment in the Saudi Arabia investment fund. Members of the Tesla board said they have met "several times" to discuss Musk's desire to go private. For more on today's big stock movers check out the Final Round, live at 3:55 p.m. ET, right here on Yahoo Finance.
As a first-time mom with a 2-month-old boy at home, America Ferrera is no doubt familiar with the ins and outs of breastfeeding. Its little surprise, then, that shes one of many celebrity moms, including Alanis Morissette, who are showing support for World Breastfeeding Week.

Though the 34-year-old actress opted against showing off son Sebastians face  the Giant Floating Baby Head from the Phineas and Ferb cartoon makes a handy replacement  in her selfie, she didnt hesitate to reveal part of her exposed chest as she breastfeeds the infant.

Her pro-nursing-in-public caption, meanwhile, is a riff on the Lesley Gore hit, Its My Party.

The Superstore star and husband Ryan Piers Williams announced Sebastians birth in late May. Most fans  and former Ugly Betty co-star Vanessa Williams  praised Ferrera for promoting unashamed public breastfeeding.

Of course, theres always a few critics lurking in the comments. 

Whats wrong with having courtesy for others and covering up in public places like a restaurant? read one comment. I wouldnt want to be exposed. I dont understand how whipping out your boob for everyone to see is female empowerment Wanting to exhibit decorum is not a bad thing.

I see where these proclamations are coming from, nevertheless Id wish women activists  would use their voice for something more important than breastfeeding, complained another follower.

Women have no class these days, added a critc. Please breastfeed your child in private.

Careful, folks. Moms dont take too kindly to being told to cover up when theyre feeding their babies.

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MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday he would keep pressing Saudi Arabia on its human rights record, even as a dispute with Riyadh over criticism from Ottawa continued to escalate. Trudeau - who referred to the matter as "a diplomatic difference of opinion" - also told reporters that Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland had held a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, but gave no details. Saudi Arabia has frozen ties and banned new trade deals with Canada after Canada urged the release of jailed civil rights activists. "Diplomatic talks continue. But as the Minister (Freeland) has said, and as we will repeat, Canada will always speak strongly and clearly, in private and in public, on questions of human rights," Trudeau said at an event in Montreal. "We don't want to have poor relations with Saudi Arabia ... but we will continue underscoring challenges where and when they exist, in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere," he added. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had earlier ruled out talk of mediation, telling a news conference in Riyadh that "a mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected". (Reporting by Allison Lampert, writing by David Ljunggren, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Its been nearly a year since the deadly weekend of protests in Charlottesville, Va., where white nationalists and neo-Nazis clashed with counterprotesters, leaving a young woman and two state police officers dead and a nation that has long struggled with the dark side of its complicated racial history shaken to its core.

To put the calamity in perspective, Yahoo News interviewed more than a dozen people who were deeply affected by the events of that weekend. They included Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker, the citys first black female mayor; current and former city and state officials, including former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Sen. Tim Kaine; Susan Bro, the mother of 23-year-old Heather Heyer, who was killed when a car driven by a neo-Nazi plowed into a group of counterprotesters; Ryan Kelly, the photographer whose photo of that moment won a Pulitzer, and Marcus Martin and Marissa Blair, survivors of the car attack captured in Kellys photo. Yahoo News also spoke to Elle Reeve, a Vice News correspondent whose Emmy-nominated documentary, Charlottesville: Race and Terror, offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the white nationalist leaders who planned the rally; Christopher Cantwell, a white nationalist prominently featured in the documentary who spent more than five months in jail on assault and battery charges stemming from the clashes, and Emily Gorcenski, an activist for transgender rights who says she was pepper-sprayed by Cantwell and has since moved to Berlin to escape threats.

For many, Charlottesville was supposed to be a teachable moment. We lost our innocence, says Edward Ayers, local historian and former president of the University of Richmond. White people lost their innocence that weekend and cant imagine that the statues just dont mean anything, that all they are were testimonials to good faith of the past. I think it was an eye-opening experience for a lot of people.

Yet, as evidenced by President Trumps widely criticized response blaming both sides for the violence, the need for teaching continues, and the difficult conversations Heyers mother says the country needed to have are still needed.

Story continues

The report that follows includes new firsthand recollections of the deadly weekend, and a reflection on how the clashes changed a community, and the country, in the year since.

The mother

Its been more than 11 months since the funeral, and Heather Heyers mother isnt sure where her daughters phone is.

Did we ever get that back, honey? Susan Bro asks her husband in their northern Virginia home in late July. We got a bunch of her other stuff, but my understanding is it was all she had in her pocket. Somebody somewhere has her phone. The police say they dont have it. We dont know who has it.

Its one of the few details shes not on top of. Bro has spent the past year traveling the country to promote a memorial foundation, launched within days of Heyers death, to promote her daughters legacy of opposition to racism  and to help her cope with an unthinkable loss.

Slideshow: Tears and tributes at Virginia memorial for Heather Heyer >>>

She says she was encouraged by mothers of victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, who launched foundations in honor of their children.

Watching them gave me an understanding that doing something in honor of your child that is truly a worthwhile thing, not just planting a flower bed or something but trying to help others, Bro says. Actually, it not only lends a good memory to your child in the publics eye, but it also helps tremendously with the healing process.

That process has included surreal moments, like Bros appearances on the Ellen show and the MTV Music Awards  something she says would have mortified Heather.

And it includes her public shunning of President Trump. Bro says the White House tried to contact her three times on the day of Heyers funeral.

President Donald Trump speaks about the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 14, 2017, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

My phone was turned off that entire day, she recalls. By the time I turned it on it was like 10:30, and then I sat down and watched the news and heard he said there were good people on both sides, and I said, Screw that. Im not talking to him.

Bros willingness to speak out on behalf of her daughter, and against the president, has also put her in the crosshairs of conspiracy theorists who allege, among other things, that Heyer died of heart failure, not in the car attack, or that Bro herself is a crisis actor.

Yeah, that was the first one, she says. Thats one they always try.

But they havent deterred her. As the first anniversary of her daughters death approaches, Bro is focused on the foundation  the endowment is approaching $250,000  and on a book she is writing about the conversations she had with Heyer.

Shes also attempting to carry on Heyers legacy by encouraging people to become active in the face of injustice. She quotes her daughter: If youre not outraged, youre not paying attention.

We have to have a lot of difficult conversations with people that we would not normally want to have conversations with, she says. And be willing to listen to what theyre saying, think about it and then respond. You dont need to respond immediately. You dont need to respond with hate. You dont need to respond defensively. You need to respond rationally, and I think thats whats gonna move the country forward.

A photo of Heather Heyer, who was killed during a white nationalist rally, sits on the ground at a memorial the day her life was celebrated at the Paramount Theater, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Were not gonna agree with everybody, Bro continues. I will never agree with white supremacy. I will never agree with the Nazis or the KKK. But I do hear what theyre saying. Their fears of being a minority tell me that they understand that minorities are not well treated in this country, so maybe they really need to focus their energy on seeing that minorities are better treated, if theyre afraid of becoming a minority.

On Aug. 12, Bro is planning to lay flowers on the spot on Fourth Street where Heyer died. Shes also scheduled to speak at an NAACP event that evening.

This is the last of the first, Bro says. The first year a loved one passes, you experience the first birthday that they missed, the first family dinner that theyve missed, and so forth and so on. So this will be the last of the first. And Im not looking forward to it, but I will survive it. It is survivable, and I will continue forward. Thats what I do. Thats how my family approaches death. You dont get to pick who dies, when they die or how they die. People around you that you love are gonna die, and you cope with it and you move forward.

 Dylan Stableford

The mayor

Mayor Nikuyah Walker regrets running for office almost every day.

But.

But theres a but, Walker says with a laugh. I walk into a room and I find out something I wouldnt have known, and I challenge them and even though its frustrating, I know that at some point it will make conditions better for citizens who normally are ignored.

If you want to talk about the changes that have occurred in the city of Charlottesville since last years deadly rally, you almost certainly have to start with Walker. A Charlottesville native, employee of the citys Parks & Recreation department, and activist, Walker announced her intention to run for city council in the spring of 2017. She ran as an independent, because in Walkers view, those who run on the Democratic ticket do so at the behest of the party leaders in the area. Her campaign slogan was Unmasking the illusion, a reference to her efforts to get the city council to deal with racial and economic inequality in Charlottesville, and a push for transparency in government decisions.

Walker won, becoming the first independent to win a city council seat since 1948. In Charlottesville, the mayor is selected by the five city council members from their ranks, and Walker was chosen, becoming the citys first black female mayor.

This is the crux of Walkers platform: The city cannot move forward until the wealthy and powerful refuse to accept conditions for the low-income white, black and Hispanic populations in Charlottesville that they wouldnt accept for their own families.

Nothing about August created this chaos that we have thats been here, said Walker, referring to the systems and generational poverty in place. Per the mayor, the Unite the Right rally has made it easier  although certainly not easy  to have difficult conversations about race and privilege. Its difficult to argue that the U.S. is a post-racial society when white supremacists just brought violence to your streets. Although many are willing to engage in the conversations, Walker says there are others who believed that simply denouncing the white supremacists who terrorized the city would be enough to move forward.

Some people  not all  [believed] the only thing they needed to do between last August and now was to distance themselves from crazed white men in polo shirts and khaki pants, Walker says.

Local churches, the University of Virginia and the NAACP are holding events to mark the anniversary of the rally and Heather Heyers death, but Walker isnt sure whether shell be able to attend. She has the dates and times, but plans to at least start the day where she spent it a year ago.

A woman walks past tributes written at the site where Heather Heyer was killed during the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va,, on Aug. 1, 2018. (Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)

I will be out making sure that people are treated right and treated fairly, says Walker. If there are any disturbances, Im usually trying to keep the peace  thats what I did last year. I hope I dont have to do a lot of that, but thats probably how I spend my time.  If things are going well, and being inside somewhere and speaking truth and hearing concerns of citizens is the best place to be, then I will be there. And if being on the street helping people fight against those with ill intentions is, then I will be there.

Walker says she has been kept out of most of the planning meetings. The police and fire chief have told her they feel better prepared for a repeat of the United the Right rally, but shes worried that the city has made itself a vulnerable target. The way forward is citizens of Charlottesville living their day-to-day lives differently, pushing for change, she says.

I think even during the civil rights movement, where you get to the point where youve won a little bit  the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, things like Brown v. the Board of Education  all of those things happened and then the conversation starts to be dictated by those in power, primarily white people in positions of power who say, OK, youve won a little bit; thats enough now. Now Im uncomfortable; can we stop having these conversations? Walker explains. And I think a lot of black people say, Okay, we have done quite a bit, maybe not pushing too hard. I think everybodys gotta be open to pushing until its done, until its done well, until its done right. Thats the major challenge.

 Christopher Wilson

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Additional photo credits:

Photo illustration (top): Yahoo News; photos: top row, left to right REX/Shutterstock, Eze Amos, AP, Joshua Replogle/AP, the Pulitzer Prizes via AP, Emily Gorcenski via Twitter, AP; middle row: Scott P. Yates/progress-index.com; bottom row, left to right: Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP, Andrew Shurtleff-Pool/Getty Images, Alessandro Di Ciommo/NurPhoto via Getty Images, Efren S. Landaos/Variety/REX/Shutterstock, Steve Helber/AP; background: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

ew remain.

Take Corey Stewart, a Republican official in Prince William County with a history of making racially divisive remarks and ties to the white nationalist movement, including the organizers of the Charlottesville rally. Kaine is running for reelection against Stewart, who denies that slavery caused the Civil War, has been a staunch defender of Confederate monuments and symbols and has made taking back our heritage a major talking point of his campaign. Many Republicans have shunned Stewart  including a state Republican Party official who resigned his post when Stewart won the GOP nomination. But other Republicans have not  including President Trump, who endorsed him.

Sitting in his Senate office, where he could not talk about his opponent without running afoul of ethics rules, Kaine declined to speak about Stewart specifically. But a year after Charlottesville, he acknowledged that the same kind of racial tensions and political polarization that led to last years rally are still prevalent  not only in his state but in the rest of the country.

Were in a battle between love and hate right now, Kaine says. Its a battle about whether we still believe in the two words at the end of the Pledge of Allegiance  are we for all or not? And its sad that we have to be in that battle in some ways, but in other ways its incredibly energizing, and I see evidence of it everywhere.

He pointed to the large-scale marches  including the Womens March and the March for Our Lives  and voter turnout in Virginias state elections last November, when Democrats captured several key seats, including the governors office, surprising political pundits who believed Republicans would be boosted by rural voters, who strongly supported Trump in 2016.

There was a huge uptick in turnout for an odd-year, traditionally somewhat low-turnout election, and I think some of it was because of Charlottesville, Kaine says. Some of it was people wanting to stand up loudly in their own way, say, This is not who we are. The president can pretend this is who we are as a nation, but were going to stand up and say, This is not who we are. And I see that kind of energy out there all the time now.

Aug. 12, 2017 was one of the worst days in our history in Charlottesville, Kaine adds. Around the state, I think people are standing up even stronger, with a stronger backbone to say, That may have been who we were in the past, but we put all that away and were moving to a better future now. And if anything, what happened last year has made people even redouble their efforts to make progress.

 Holly Bailey

The photographer

On July 31, 2017, Ryan Kelly, a photographer for the Charlottesville Daily Progress, gave his two-week notice, announcing that he would be leaving the newspaper for a job as a social media coordinator at a brewery in Richmond.

Bittersweet news, gang, Kelly wrote. After four years as a photojournalist for The Daily Progress, my last day will be August 12.

That was Saturday, the day violence erupted at a white supremacist rally in downtown Charlottesville, and Kelly, on his last assignment, captured what would become the iconic image of the chaos: the moment when a car slammed into a group of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and leaving several others injured.

They were just marching together, singing, chanting, Kelly recalls. It sort of looked like any other march that I would see for any other demonstration or event over the last couple of years in Charlottesville. They werent being antagonized; there werent any other white nationalists or anything like that. So it actually felt the calmest that Charlottesville had felt all day. I just wanted to get some pictures of them  just standard stuff, people walking, just showing the size of the crowd.

A few seconds later, Kelly says, he felt a car speed past him.

It was just my one instinct to pick up the camera and follow the car, and just mash down the shutter and take as many photos as I could, he says. And so that was the moment.

Kellys photo shows several victims in mid-air as the car, a Dodge Charger, slams into the crowd, and shoes flying as people try to flee.

In this Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, people are thrown into the air as a car plows into a group of protesters demonstrating against a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug.12, 2017. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly/Daily Progress via Reuters)

The one that everybody knows now [is] the one of the moment of the attack, with people flipping over the car, he says. I knew pretty quickly that that was the photo that we needed to put out. We had to clear it with management and lawyers briefly, just over the span of a couple of phone calls, but it was decided pretty quickly that we were going to publish it. So that was up on our website and on the wire pretty quickly. And the response to that, just spreading immediately, was unlike anything Ive ever experienced. It was incredible the way people responded to that photo.

Slideshow: Violent clashes erupt at Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. >>>

Kelly spent Sunday helping the Daily Progress newsroom, responding to a social media messages and driving himself crazy reading news coverage of the car attack. On Monday, 36 hours after he took that heart-stopping photo, he was at his new job at the brewery.

I decided that going to work and starting something new, and having something else to focus on instead of focusing on all of that, would be the best thing for me, Kelly says.

His connection to Charlottesville, though, was far from over. In April, his photo won the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding news photography. Kelly and his wife were on a plane returning from Europe when the winners were announced, and found out when they landed.

I looked up to the Pulitzer forever, even before I was involved in journalism myself, he says. Ive always been very aware and sort of in awe of a lot of those winners. I still dont know what to think of it, honestly. I dont know that Ive really wrapped my head around it fully  its just bizarre.

Kelly still freelances as a photographer, and in May he was hired by the New York Times to photograph the wedding of Marcus Martin, who was captured in his Pulitzer prize-winning photograph.

Marissa Blair and Marcus Martin dance together during their wedding reception on May 12, 2018. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly)

Hes the one in the red shoes getting flipped over the car, Kelly says. He was engaged at the time; he had pushed his fiancee, Marissa, out of the way, and that was sort of why he took the brunt of the hit of the car. So I was able to be at their wedding, able to meet them for the first time because wed never actually met. I was able to meet [Heyers mother] Susan Bro for the first time too. We all kind of had this shared experience of Aug. 12 in different ways. And being able to connect with them, and to talk about our experiences and what happened then, what had happened since then was really, really nice. And being able to see a happy kind of joyous occasion after all of that hate and violence was a really, really nice opportunity that Im really grateful to have had.

Still, its an opportunity Kelly would gladly give back  along with the Pulitzer  if he could go back in time and save Heyers life.

Im still very aware of the fact that it came at the loss of somebodys life, and dozens of other people were injured [and] two police officers lost their lives, Kelly says. (The officers were monitoring the events from the air and died in a helicopter crash.) Like, it was a tragic day, and I was spared most of it. You know, I wasnt injured; I was just a witness, but Im very aware that a lot of people had their lives altered forever on that day. So its hard to just take joy in something like a Pulitzer when you know that it came because of such a tragic event. Like, if I, in some alternative universe, was given a choice, every time I would prefer that day not happen at all.

 Dylan Stableford

The governor

Between the funerals for Virginia state troopers Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates, Gov. Terry McAuliffe gathered with members of the state police at a Richmond bar favored by Bates for an Irish wake for the two Irishmen, toasting the fallen troopers with Jameson Irish whiskey.

Cullen was McAuliffes pilot, and Bates was a longtime member of his security detail.

They were part of the family, McAuliffe says. It was very painful. I cannot tell you how close we were. These folks live with you all day, 24/7. It was like losing a family member.

McAuliffe had just landed in Charlottesville when he learned their helicopter had crashed.

They were doing surveillance the whole day. They started early, at 7, 8 in the morning. And they really were in the air, McAuliffe says. In fact, thats why they didnt come get me. The northern Virginia folks actually brought me down in their helicopter, because they really were all day doing surveillance. And they did. They had footage of the car going into the crowd.

That footage is expected to be used in the case against James Alex Fields Jr., who is charged with a federal hate crime in the death of Heather Heyer and 28 related counts stemming from injuries to others in the car attack.

Earlier in the day, McAuliffe briefed President Trump on the escalating situation in Charlottesville.

I had told him we have white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right screaming vulgarities and all types of things against fellow citizens down there, McAuliffe says.

Trump, though, did not unequivocally condemn the neo-Nazis. His statement blamed the violence on both sides.

I was astounded, because in my conversation with him, I had briefed him on the situation, told him about these horrible people, McAuliffe recalls. They are hateful people. I wont even mention to you what they were screaming at the African-American members of the community as well as members of the Jewish community. I just wondered to myself, How did we get to a place in America? These folks used to wear hoods to disguise themselves. But here they were in Charlottesville. They didnt feel like they needed to wear hoods. They could just walk down this beautiful little town and scream obscenities and telling members of the Jewish faith that we should burn you like we did in Auschwitz. Things you just really found just hard to comprehend.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe speaks during a press conference Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. While speaking about the violence during a white supremacist rally, McAuliffe said, Please, go home and never come back. Take your hatred and take your bigotry. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

At his press conference, McAuliffe sharply condemned the violence.

I basically told these folks to go home, he says. Theyre not wanted. They pretend theyre patriots. Theyre not patriots. Theyre a bunch of cowards. And to get the hell out of America.

From McAuliffes perspective, some things have changed since that fateful weekend.

We now have a thing called Incident Command, McAuliffe says. Now the State Police is in charge, which is very good. I dont want to be overly critical of the [local police], but the law, how it was done in Virginia, is that locality  even though I sent down most of the National Guard, locality is in charge. Now, its in Incident Command. One person is in charge to do a better job of coordinating all the different entities thatre involved.

Still, McAuliffe knows the violence in Charlottesville was a very painful, vivid reminder that although weve really made significant progress in Virginia, around the country, we still have a lot of work to do going forward.

It was just a disgusting, unabashed display of white supremacy and neo-Nazism, he says. It shocked us, and I think it shocked people around the world.

 Dylan Stableford

The journalist

By the time she got to Charlottesville, Elle Reeve, correspondent for Vice News Tonight on HBO, was already pretty well known among the white supremacist groups gathered there. And with her oversize glasses, she was hard to miss.

I had been covering these guys for a while and so everywhere I went, they knew who I was, Reeve says. There was no slipping into the crowd as anonymous reporter. And they knew who Ive dated; they knew my boyfriends Jewish, so they would yell things about that to me.

If they didnt know her before, they do now. Reeves breathtaking documentary, Charlottesville: Race and Terror, captures white nationalist leaders  including David Duke, Matthew Heimbach and Christopher Cantwell  from the torch march on Friday night to their tense clashes with counterprotesters on Saturday morning, as well as the frantic moments after the deadly car attack in downtown Charlottesville early Saturday afternoon.

Slideshow: White nationalists march with torches in Charlottesville, Va. >>>

Cantwell, a self-described white nationalist and podcast host, was recruited to be a speaker at the rally by Jason Kessler, the events organizer.

Reeve, who embedded with Cantwell that weekend, says she did not feel physically threatened  even when she hopped in a van with Cantwell and other neo-Nazis as they raced away from a park.

I mean, you just make these really quick calculations about the spot, like, Well, Im not gonna get out unless they drag me out, she says.

There was one moment that unnerved Reeve and her crew: when they visited Cantwell in his hotel room.

This isnt in the piece, but he started screaming at me, Reeve says. He was very, very angry and did start reloading the AR-15 by the end of the interview. Everybody was just like, Alright, this is great, great talking to you and were going to go now.

Reeve has kept in touch with Cantwell since the documentary aired.

A scene from the torch rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 11, 2017, from VICE News Tonight on HBO.

He called me after it and said that I had represented him fairly, she says, But as the consequences from Charlottesville sort of snowballed over time, he started to feel a lot more antagonistic.

After Charlottesville, Cantwell a posted a video online that shows him fighting back tears after learning a warrant was issued for his arrest. It went viral, and he was dubbed the Crying Nazi. Cantwell later turned himself in, and wound up serving more than five months in jail on assault and weapons charges stemming from his use of pepper spray during a clash with counterprotesters.

Ive only texted with him since hes gotten out, Reeve says. I did talk to him for like an hour and a half a few weeks ago. Just to sort of see, I dont know, what he was thinking. I was also just kind of curious whether hed had any doubts about  I mean, its not just white nationalism. He believes in eugenics. We sort of raised science theories. I wanted to push on that and see if he still believes it. He still believes it.

While most people who recognize the bespectacled Vice News correspondent in public now are friendly, there was one particularly creepy encounter for Reeve in the past year.

I was going through the security line at the airport for Christmas and the TSA guy recognized me, she recalls. And Im like, Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. And I go through the whole rape-y scan machine, and I get out and Im putting on my shoes, and he comes over and he tells me this little joke that lets me know that hes a Nazi. Its not like he specifically saw my scan or whatever, but it was just really creepy. It was just like this sense of, Oh, theyre everywhere.

I mean, we saw that in Charlottesville the torch night, Reeve says. There were hundreds of white nationalists, very well organized. They had a security team. They had vans bringing the protestors. They also did not look like the people upper-middle-class white people in the East Coast think of when they think of racists or white supremacists.

And I think thats a really hard reality for people to accept that a lot of these white nationalists are from New Jersey, they went to prep school, they live in nice neighborhoods, they look like people you know. So, I think its really important to show that.

Capturing the harsh reality of Charlottesville was just as important.

One reason why the documentary got so much attention that it was used to fact-check the presidents statements, Reeve says. There are people who wanted to give the idea that this was just like history buffs or, like, people who were civil war reenactors, people who love that Confederate statue  and thats not what it was about.

 Dylan Stableford

The reverend

It was a week after the violence in Charlottesville, and Rev. Peter Moon was feeling overwhelmed. He had just officiated at a funeral service in nearby Chesterfield for Virginia State Police Lt. H. Jay Cullen, one of two state troopers who died in a helicopter crash while monitoring the violence.

Moon was in the procession of cars traveling from the church to a private ceremony at Woodlake United Methodist Church, where the Cullen family were members and where Moon had been the lead pastor for many years. What he saw brought tears to his eyes.

All the cars were pulled over, Moon recalls. People had got out of their cars and lined the street as the procession went by with their hands over their hearts, taking their hats off. It was just a very moving, uplifting representation for which I was thankful in the midst of so much ugliness that was represented by a small fragment of our nation.

There was this sort of redemptive moment when everybody spontaneously stopped their cars, lined the street and offered their respects when we went by, he says. It was overwhelming to be in the midst of such love and support.

More than 1,200 people attended the service for Cullen, who was remembered as a silent giant, loving husband, father of two teenage sons.

He listened more than he talked, Virginia Col. W. Steven Flaherty said in his eulogy at the funeral. And when he said something, it was because he had something relevant to say.

He was just a great guy, Moon says. He was a guy who was funny, always interested, seeking. He was a man who was passionately in love with his wife and his family and he was an athlete. He just had this consistent glimmer in his eye. Hes the kind of guy you always want to be around.

Moon says Cullens legacy will live on with the ones he left behind.

When you have somebody of his caliber and character you still see it in his wife and his children and the bonds they have as a family, he says.

Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates and Lt. H. Jay Cullen, killed Aug. 12, 2017, when the helicopter they were piloting crashed while assisting public safety resources during clashes at a nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Virginia State Police via AP)

It wont be the same when I step into that helicopter without Jay in the right front seat, with Cullen on the back of his helmet, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told mourners at the service.

During the service, police helicopters from nine states flew over the church one by one, repeating the tribute conducted for Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Batess funeral the day before.

McAuliffe gave the eulogy there too.

He was a real character, McAuliffe said before relaying his favorite story about Bates.

My son had been deployed to Iraq, McAuliffe says. Hes a Marine. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the lobby of the governors mansion, about to go out for the day, and I was talking to Berke. And he said, I want you to know I just sent a care package to your son. I thought razor, cigar, that sort of stuff. I said, How nice of you, Berke. And he said, I sent him a bottle of Irish whiskey. And I said, Burke, its a Muslim country. You cant have alcohol in a Muslim country. And he said, Oh no, no, no, dont you worry about that, governor. I put it in a Listerine bottle. Theyll never figure it out. The care package was delivered, McAuliffe adds, but the bottle never quite made it.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe hands Karen Cullen, the widow of Lt. H. Jay Cullen, the flag during a funeral service at Southside Church of the Nazarene in Chesterfield, Va., on Aug. 19, 2017. (Photo: Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

According to McAuliffe, Bates had left his detail about two months earlier for the aviation unit.

His dream had always been to fly, McAuliffe says. And he went and with his own money bought the manuals to learn how to fly a helicopter. Hed only been in the air probably a month. But he died doing exactly what he loved to do.

In April, a helipad was dedicated in Batess honor. In February, a hangar at the Virginia State Police Aviation Base in Chesterfield was named for Cullen.

Such gestures help the healing process, but theyre also a reminder of the healing thats still to come.

To lose their lives because of an incident, because people came in to spew hatred  it has to be a learning moment, McAuliffe says. How do we go on? How do we go forward from here?

We need to prayerfully seek healing, says Moon. Racism does not go away easily nor has it gone away. Its a continuing battle. One of the lessons of Charlottesville is theres still a lot of work to be done.

 Michael Walsh

The historian

Edward Ayers, historian and former University of Richmond president, had no way of knowing what would come of his talk at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March 2013.

It was a talk about memory, Ayers says, and how we remember some things and not others.

He adds: I wasnt there on a crusade.

Near the end of the talk, Ayers was asked about Charlottesvilles Confederate statues by Kristin Szakos, then a member of the City Council, and whether they should consider removing them.

You would have thought I had asked if it was OK to torture puppies, Szakos recalled in a podcast, hosted by Ayers, a few months later.

Id been talking about the monuments for a long time, Ayers says. Nobody remembered how they got there or what they were for and what they meant. And so I just called peoples attention to them because theyre there.

But the talk sparked Szakos and others to take up the cause. In 2015, as clashes over Confederate symbols raged in several Southern states, the debate over what to do with Charlottesvilles boiled to the surface.

Virginia State Police in riot gear stand in front of the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee before forcing white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right out of Emancipation Park after the Unite the Right rally was declared an unlawful gathering Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In 2016, Charlottesvilles Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces was formed to address the citys Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson statues.

Ayers was familiar with the task force but wasnt necessarily attuned to what was brewing in the small college town.

I was a lot more focused on Richmond, which has some legacy of the Civil War, he says.

Yet Ayers found himself back in Charlottesville just as the Unite the Right marchers descended upon the city to oppose the statues removal.

The University of Virginia had scheduled a series of teach-ins, alternative activities that would be focused on progressive causes while the alt-right was in town. On Aug. 12, Ayers was scheduled to teach a class about voting rights.

As Ayers and his wife got ready to head to the school, five miles away, they followed the clashes on television. We just watched it unravel before our eyes, Ayers says.

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right clash with counterprotesters as they enter Lee Park during the Unite the Right on Aug.12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

I think we lost our innocence, he says. White people lost their innocence that weekend and now cant imagine that the statues just dont mean anything, that all they are were testimonials to good faith to the past. Now they see that they are politically charged and that public spaces matter and that everybody has a claim to the public spaces in the cities where they live. I think it was an eye-opening experience for a lot of people.

Ayers sits on Richmonds Monument Avenue Commission, which has been responsible for what the city will do with its own Confederate statues  whether that is removing them, erecting statues commemorating those outside of the Confederate past or explaining what they truly stand for.

Sometimes people say that this is like the Taliban removing statues, Ayers says. No, this is a deeply democratic process for the first time. For the first time, elected officers, city councils and general assemblies are reckoning with the fact that these were put up when black people had no vote and no political power. If the statues are going to be among us, they need to be educational. They need to tell their story, their full story.

 Kadia Tubman

The city councilman

In the months leading up to Charlottesville, Wes Bellamy had a target on his back.

The city council members efforts to remove the Confederate statues in town and his defense of Black Lives Matter had drawn the ire of Jason Kessler, the organizer of the Unite the Right rally.

I know what its like to be attacked by him and his minions, Bellamy says.

Bellamy, 31, is an Atlanta native who moved to Charlottesville after graduating from South Carolina State University in 2009. He became the youngest person ever elected to the city council when he won a four-year term in 2015 and was the only African-American on the council before Nikuyah Walkers election. He said early on in his campaign community members suggested taking down the statues, which garnered death threats and hate mail. It also drew the ire and attention of Kessler.

In late 2016 Kessler published old tweets from Bellamy that included vulgar language, and Kessler filed a petition for a recall election. Bellamy apologized and resigned from the state board of education, but he retained his seat on the city council after a judge dismissed the petition.

A year after the rally, Bellamy says he doesnt pay much attention to Kessler but that the alt-right organizer serves a purpose.

Maybe he didnt want to, but he brought a lot of people in our community together because we had to denounce hate, Bellamy says.

One of Kesslers supporters in the movement to remove Bellamy was Corey Stewart, who is currently the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia. Stewart has aligned himself with white supremacist groups and has been an outspoken supporter of preserving Confederate monuments. Bellamy says that Stewarts prominence makes it harder for people to ignore white supremacy.

This is not about a statue, he says. This is about the covert and overt racism and the systemic issues weve had in our country for generations.

The statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is shown covered in black tarp as Wes Bellamy, the vice mayor of Charlottesville, looks on in Charlottesville, Va, Aug. 23, 2017. (Photo: Justin Ide/Reuters)

Bellamy said that in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville there are still a number of issues to address but that there has been beauty in the awakening of citizens. He added that community members who had been apathetic about taking down statues and addressing issues in the city have come forward with their support.

There have been people saying, Wes, sorry we didnt support you initially or Sorry we didnt quite get it initially, Bellamy says. But now theyre going to use their privilege or voice or platform, whether its big and small, to actually address these issues of white supremacy.

A judge on the Charlottesville Circuit Court will rule on the future of the statues later this year. Bellamy expects that whatever the court decides there will be an appeal, so a final decision would likely come from the state supreme court in early 2019.

Bellamy says there has been pushback from some who would prefer things just return to the pre-rally normal, but that the city is pushing forward.

I dont want for people to think of Charlottesville as just a hashtag, this place where white supremacy reigns supreme, Bellamy says. Theres still a lot of great things in Charlottesville, and were no different than many other communities throughout the South. We may have took a punch in the face, but we werent knocked down  we came back stronger.

 Christopher Wilson

The white supremacist

Last August, Christopher Cantwell traveled from his home in Keene, N.H., to speak at an alt-right rally in Charlottesville. Nearly a year later, hes finally left Virginia for good  or at least for a court-ordered five years.

The host of a white nationalist internet radio show, Cantwell became more or less the face of the ill-fated Unite the Right rally thanks in large part to a Vice News documentary in which he was featured prominently. His own tearful YouTube video, posted in the aftermath of the violent clashes, earned Cantwell the nickname Cryin Nazi.

Cantwell later surrendered to police and was charged with felony assault stemming from his use of illegal tear gas during a clash with counterprotesters on the torch-lit march through the University of Virginia the night before the rally. He wound up serving 107 days in a Charlottesville jail and more than seven months under house arrest. Last month, he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery and to violating the terms of his bond by referring to his victims on social media and during his radio show  which he hosted from jail. In exchange for his guilty plea, Cantwell was released from jail  and banned from Virginia for five years.

It feels good to be home, says Cantwell, who insists he was framed and coerced into pleading guilty. It feels good to be done with this whole mess.

Cantwells Charlottesville-related legal woes arent exactly behind him; he is the target of an ongoing civil lawsuit by two counterprotesters, including activist Emily Gorcenski, who was pepper-sprayed during the march. (As part of his guilty plea, Cantwell admitted to violating the terms of his bond by talking about Gorcenski and another victim on social media and his radio show. He was fined $250.)

In the closing scene of the now-infamous Vice documentary, Cantwell  sitting in a hotel room amid an arsenal of weapons  reflects on the violent clashes that resulted in one death and several injuries, telling correspondent Elle Reeve that he considers the weekend a victory for his side.

Looking back on it, the 37-year-old former libertarian now says he would have done a lot of things different.

I wouldnt have gone to that thing if Id realized what a f***ing catastrophe the people who were putting it together were, he says, referring to Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler as a literal f***ing mental patient.

To be clear, Cantwells regrets about his participation in Unite the Right have little to do with the views espoused by its participants, but rather are based on what he sees as Kesslers poor planning and his failure to properly prepare for the potential blowback against a gathering of hundreds of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in a city run by communists.

The idea that anybody would follow him into something as dangerous as what we walked into down there is absolutely insane, Cantwell says.

Christopher Cantwell, a white nationalist is overcome with tear gas after hundreds of white nationalists and white supremacists carrying torches marched in a parade through the University of Virginia campus on Aug. 11, 2017. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/For the Washington Post via Getty Images)

Despite repeatedly referring to himself as an entertainer, Cantwell is unrepentant about his racist and anti-Semitic worldview. In fact, it seems to have only become further solidified in the past year.

My new favorite catch phrase on the show is, Keep on calling everybody a Nazi, and eventually youre gonna be right, because thats literally what happened, Cantwell says. So Im in jail, held without bond, without probable cause, facing 60 years in prison because a Jew and a tranny framed me for a crime, and everybodys calling me a Nazi. Well, you know what? Im starting to think the Nazis had a f***ing point. (Cantwell only faced 12 months in prison for his Charlottesville-related charges.)

Though nominally about the preservation of a statue honoring Confederate Gen Robert E. Lee, the underlying objective of the Unite the Right was to bring various factions of the largely internet-based alt-right movement together in real life. For many Americans, the sight of men, most of them young, marching through the University of Virginia campus carrying tiki torches and chanting things like Jews will not replace us! served as a shocking realization that such attitudes were still alive in America.

Whatever unity may have existed among the alt-right prior to Charlottesville was largely fractured in its aftermath as efforts to ban some of the movements most vitriolic members from social media and crowdfunding platforms drove them further into the darkest corners of the internet. Fears of losing their job and being labeled a Nazi discouraged many from publicly affiliating themselves with the alt-right, while others who sought to channel the momentum of Charlottesville into a real-life political and social movement proved to be full of hot air. Big-name figures in the world of white supremacy, including Cantwell, have discouraged their followers from attending Kesslers Unite the Right 2, slated to take place in Washington, D.C., this coming weekend.

Likewise, Cantwell disputes the notion that, post-Charlottesville, many people who might have previously held racist views in secret are now more comfortable expressing them.

I think it had the exact opposite impact of that, he says. However, what I will say is that the people who were comfortable voicing them, theyre fanatics now.

 Caitlin Dickson

The activist

Emily Gorcenski lived in Charlottesville for nearly a decade before she first got involved with local activism, in March 2017.

A few months later, when she heard there was going to be a rally of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in her adopted hometown, Gorcenski felt obligated to protest.

It would be unconscionable to not go to oppose their messages of hate, Gorcenski says. When the Nazis come you dont run away.

Gorcenski, a data scientist who identifies as transgender and whose activism had largely focused on transgender rights, accused white nationalist Christopher Cantwell of using pepper spray against her and other counterprotesters at a torch-lit march through the University of Virginia campus the night before the Unite the Right rally was slated to take place. Cantwell recently pleaded guilty to those charges.

Though Gorcenski is currently embroiled in a separate civil dispute with Cantwell, she said shes relieved that hes admitted his responsibility and taken some measure of accountability for his actions and his violence at UVA that night. Still, she considers the torch march to be among the most disturbing moments from that weekend.

In the scope of things, the 300 men with torches surrounding some 20 or 30 students and intimidating them, and shouting slurs at them, and then doing violence to them, and to all of us, is the kind of gross mob violence that we were afraid of, Gorcenski says. To me, I think that sticks out as one of those traumatic memories that will never go away.

For Gorcenski, the trauma of Unite the Right lasted well after the weekend was over. Over the past year, she says shes experienced continuous harassment  both online and in person  as a result of the criminal case against Cantwell.

Ive had my personal details leaked on the internet. Ive received death threats, Gorcenski says, adding that strangers even showed up at her house in Charlottesville with guns. Theres multiple times when Ive felt  threatened for my physical safety.

Peter Cvjetanovic, right, along with neo-Nazis, alt-right and white supremacists encircle and chant at counterprotesters at the base of a statue of Thomas Jefferson after marching through the University of Virginia campus with torches in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 11, 2017. (Photo: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Ultimately, she says the harassment drove her to look for jobs outside the country. In late May, she moved to Berlin, where she will soon begin work as a data scientist for a consulting firm.

Its a night and day difference being in Germany versus being in Charlottesville, or really just being anywhere outside of Charlottesville, she says. Its a huge impact on mental health and well-being, and Ive talked to many people in the Charlottesville community, activists and non-activists, who have echoed similar sentiments that just being out of town is like a breath of fresh air.

Of course, she notes, the online harassment knows no borders, but I have less risk of physical threat.

Gorcenski says shes still actively working against the white supremacist movements, though shes had to take a more remote approach to activism since moving overseas. I cant be out there with my friends and comrades on the streets if Im in Berlin.

One day, she would like to return to Charlottesville.

It is my home, she says. I still own a home there. My wife is still there, and its a place that Ive come to love, and I would love to be able to return someday when everything has settled.

For at least the next few years, however, Gorcenski says she thinks its best to stay away.

This is going to be a lengthy healing process, she says.

 Caitlin Dickson

The victim

A few weeks ago, Marcus Martin was flipping through a magazine in the checkout line at Walmart with his new wife, Marissa Blair, when he looked down to see the photo, and became overwhelmed with emotion.

That picture that was taken  it speaks volumes, Martin says.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, taken by Ryan Kelly, captured Martin suspended in the air seconds after he pushed Blair out the way of a Dodge Charger that plowed into a crowd of demonstrators protesting the white supremacist rally.

The night before that photo was taken, the couple had watched the clashes between protesters and white nationalists on Facebook Live. We were like, Wow, this is really happening in Charlottesville.

The next day, they joined their friends, including Heather Heyer, for the counterprotests in the city. When they arrived, they saw the Vice News camera crew recording.

They walked right past us, Martin recalls. We were looking at them, staring. Marissa got scared and said, Babe, I dont think this is a good idea. And I was like Baby, were here now.

Martin held onto Blair and told her, Dont let my hand go.

It was then, not long their arrival, when James Alex Fields Jr. allegedly drove his car into the crowd where Martin, his fiancee and their friends stood, hitting Martin and killing Heyer.

I wish we wouldve listened [to Marissa], said Martin. But then it still wouldve happened to somebody else. You cant stop stupid; you can only try to prevent it.

What happened was painful because Heather was right there in front of me, adds Martin, who suffered a twisted tibia, broken ankle and three destroyed ligaments. Her life was taken that day, and nothing can ever ever fix that.

Nine months after the rally and the death of their friend, the newlyweds honored Heyer at their wedding by adorning almost everything with Heyers favorite color, purple. The couple also remembered Blairs father, who passed away two months before the wedding.

We were still grieving from Aug. 12, and that right there was another deep cut, Martin says. It was like she lost her best friend.

Marissa Blair and Marcus Martin hold hands during the wedding ceremony on May 12, 2018, in Reva, Va. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly)

Despite so much loss, the Martins were grateful to see the community rally together for their wedding, which was completely organized and run by volunteer vendors.

And while the Martins have a new anniversary, May 12, to mark on their calendars, they will also be saving a place three months after that date. Aug. 12 wouldnt be Aug. 12 without Heather, Martin says. We got to keep her alive. We cant forget about her.

For Martin, forgetting isnt even a possibility.

Its something that you would never ever forget, he says. You really try hard not to think about it  even down to that car. I would be riding through town, me and Marissa, and that car would just appear  and it looks exactly like the car that hit us. Its the same make, same color and everything. It makes my body cringe.

The Martins live 20 minutes from Charlottesville, but Marissa actually works downtown, three streets from where they got hit.

She has to reopen that scar every day, Martin says.

What happened last year wasnt about a statue, he says. You dont need walk around with ARs and AKs and guns if you were coming for a peaceful rally. It was to cause intimidation, to scare people, to strike fear.

This year, Martin and his wife are hosting a family reunion the day before the Charlottesville anniversary to take that energy into the next day, into the community, and make this Aug.12 better.

I know I cant change the world, Martin says. But if you start by making that little step every single day, eventually change is going to happen. Weve got to start somewhere.

 Kadia Tubman

Additional photo credits:

Photo illustration (top): Yahoo News; photos: top row, left to right REX/Shutterstock, Eze Amos, AP, Joshua Replogle/AP, the Pulitzer Prizes via AP, Emily Gorcenski via Twitter, AP; middle row: Scott P. Yates/progress-index.com; bottom row, left to right: Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP, Andrew Shurtleff-Pool/Getty Images, Alessandro Di Ciommo/NurPhoto via Getty Images, Efren S. Landaos/Variety/REX/Shutterstock, Steve Helber/AP; background: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Photo credits for image insets above: (Bro) Brian Snyder/Reuters, (Walker) Eze Amos, (Kaine) Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, (Kelly) Steve Helber/AP, (McAuliffe) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, (Reeve) Vice News Tonight/HBO, (Moon) Scott P. Yates/progress-index.com, (Ayers) courtesy of Edward Ayers, (Bellamy) Steve Helber/AP, (Cantwell) Vice News Tonight/HBO, (Gorcenski) Jayce Slaughter, (Martin & Blair) Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News on Charlottesville, one year later:
Sen. Tim Kaine visits a makeshift memorial Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, where Heather Heyer was killed Saturday when a car rammed into a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Julia Rendleman/AP)

The following is part two of our project Charlottesville: One Year Later. For part one, click here.

The senator

In the weeks after the violence in Charlottesville, Sen. Tim Kaine traveled around Virginia, trying to wrap his mind around how something so horrific could have happened in his adopted home state.

It was personal. The Democratic senator knew both of the Virginia state troopers who had been killed in a helicopter crash while monitoring the deadly rally. One of them, Jay Cullen, had flown him all over the state when Kaine was governor. The other officer, Berke Bates, was friendly with Kaines wife, Anne Holton, who had worked as Gov. Terry McAuliffes education secretary. But it was more than his human connection to the tragedy that shook him.

A mayor of Richmond before his rise in state and national politics (including his stint as Hillary Clintons 2016 running mate), Kaine could not grasp how this could have taken place in Virginia, a state that, in his mind, had worked hard to overcome its ugly history of racial division. The first state to enshrine legalized slavery, home of the old capital of the Confederacy, Virginia had seen blood spilled by generations of people over the question of racial equality, but he had been convinced that the state had genuinely turned the page.

Im so proud of the arc that Virginia has been on, because I mean bluntly, our state knows hate pretty well. We know division pretty well, Kaine says. I really feel like weve turned a corner from facing backwards, and still clinging to bad old practices, to facing forward and really trying to be about equality, trying be that state for lovers, trying to be a commonwealth, i.e., a community.

What happened in Charlottesville, Kaine says, was very painful  personally painful for that very reason. This was simply not the Virginia he knew and loved.

My first thought last August was that we have some people trying to drag us back, he says. There are people who want to drag us back, sadly even including the president, who stokes division and hatred, who couldnt tell who was on the right side and wrong side in a white-supremacy rally in Charlottesville, which demonstrates a level of moral confusion that almost certainly is intentional rather than accidental.

Story continues

Touring the state for a series of previously scheduled town halls in the weeks following that deadly weekend, Kaine found himself standing before other Virginians who were as shocked as he was. This is not who Virginia is, he told constituents again and again.

But a year later, tensions between the old Virginia and the new remain.

Take Corey Stewart, a Republican official in Prince William County with a history of making racially divisive remarks and ties to the white nationalist movement, including the organizers of the Charlottesville rally. Kaine is running for reelection against Stewart, who denies that slavery caused the Civil War, has been a staunch defender of Confederate monuments and symbols and has made taking back our heritage a major talking point of his campaign. Many Republicans have shunned Stewart  including a state Republican Party official who resigned his post when Stewart won the GOP nomination. But other Republicans have not  including President Trump, who endorsed him.

Sitting in his Senate office, where he could not talk about his opponent without running afoul of ethics rules, Kaine declined to speak about Stewart specifically. But a year after Charlottesville, he acknowledged that the same kind of racial tensions and political polarization that led to last years rally are still prevalent  not only in his state but in the rest of the country.

Were in a battle between love and hate right now, Kaine says. Its a battle about whether we still believe in the two words at the end of the Pledge of Allegiance  are we for all or not? And its sad that we have to be in that battle in some ways, but in other ways its incredibly energizing, and I see evidence of it everywhere.

He pointed to the large-scale marches  including the Womens March and the March for Our Lives  and voter turnout in Virginias state elections last November, when Democrats captured several key seats, including the governors office, surprising political pundits who believed Republicans would be boosted by rural voters, who strongly supported Trump in 2016.

There was a huge uptick in turnout for an odd-year, traditionally somewhat low-turnout election, and I think some of it was because of Charlottesville, Kaine says. Some of it was people wanting to stand up loudly in their own way, say, This is not who we are. The president can pretend this is who we are as a nation, but were going to stand up and say, This is not who we are. And I see that kind of energy out there all the time now.

Aug. 12, 2017 was one of the worst days in our history in Charlottesville, Kaine adds. Around the state, I think people are standing up even stronger, with a stronger backbone to say, That may have been who we were in the past, but we put all that away and were moving to a better future now. And if anything, what happened last year has made people even redouble their efforts to make progress.

 Holly Bailey

The photographer

On July 31, 2017, Ryan Kelly, a photographer for the Charlottesville Daily Progress, gave his two-week notice, announcing that he would be leaving the newspaper for a job as a social media coordinator at a brewery in Richmond.

Bittersweet news, gang, Kelly wrote. After four years as a photojournalist for The Daily Progress, my last day will be August 12.

That was Saturday, the day violence erupted at a white supremacist rally in downtown Charlottesville, and Kelly, on his last assignment, captured what would become the iconic image of the chaos: the moment when a car slammed into a group of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and leaving several others injured.

They were just marching together, singing, chanting, Kelly recalls. It sort of looked like any other march that I would see for any other demonstration or event over the last couple of years in Charlottesville. They werent being antagonized; there werent any other white nationalists or anything like that. So it actually felt the calmest that Charlottesville had felt all day. I just wanted to get some pictures of them  just standard stuff, people walking, just showing the size of the crowd.

A few seconds later, Kelly says, he felt a car speed past him.

It was just my one instinct to pick up the camera and follow the car, and just mash down the shutter and take as many photos as I could, he says. And so that was the moment.

Kellys photo shows several victims in mid-air as the car, a Dodge Charger, slams into the crowd, and shoes flying as people try to flee.

In this Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, people are thrown into the air as a car plows into a group of protesters demonstrating against a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug.12, 2017. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly/Daily Progress via Reuters)

The one that everybody knows now [is] the one of the moment of the attack, with people flipping over the car, he says. I knew pretty quickly that that was the photo that we needed to put out. We had to clear it with management and lawyers briefly, just over the span of a couple of phone calls, but it was decided pretty quickly that we were going to publish it. So that was up on our website and on the wire pretty quickly. And the response to that, just spreading immediately, was unlike anything Ive ever experienced. It was incredible the way people responded to that photo.

Slideshow: Violent clashes erupt at Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. >>>

Kelly spent Sunday helping the Daily Progress newsroom, responding to a social media messages and driving himself crazy reading news coverage of the car attack. On Monday, 36 hours after he took that heart-stopping photo, he was at his new job at the brewery.

I decided that going to work and starting something new, and having something else to focus on instead of focusing on all of that, would be the best thing for me, Kelly says.

His connection to Charlottesville, though, was far from over. In April, his photo won the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding news photography. Kelly and his wife were on a plane returning from Europe when the winners were announced, and found out when they landed.

I looked up to the Pulitzer forever, even before I was involved in journalism myself, he says. Ive always been very aware and sort of in awe of a lot of those winners. I still dont know what to think of it, honestly. I dont know that Ive really wrapped my head around it fully  its just bizarre.

Kelly still freelances as a photographer, and in May he was hired by the New York Times to photograph the wedding of Marcus Martin, who was captured in his Pulitzer prize-winning photograph.

Marissa Blair and Marcus Martin dance together during their wedding reception on May 12, 2018. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly)

Hes the one in the red shoes getting flipped over the car, Kelly says. He was engaged at the time; he had pushed his fiancee, Marissa, out of the way, and that was sort of why he took the brunt of the hit of the car. So I was able to be at their wedding, able to meet them for the first time because wed never actually met. I was able to meet [Heyers mother] Susan Bro for the first time too. We all kind of had this shared experience of Aug. 12 in different ways. And being able to connect with them, and to talk about our experiences and what happened then, what had happened since then was really, really nice. And being able to see a happy kind of joyous occasion after all of that hate and violence was a really, really nice opportunity that Im really grateful to have had.

Still, its an opportunity Kelly would gladly give back  along with the Pulitzer  if he could go back in time and save Heyers life.

Im still very aware of the fact that it came at the loss of somebodys life, and dozens of other people were injured [and] two police officers lost their lives, Kelly says. (The officers were monitoring the events from the air and died in a helicopter crash.) Like, it was a tragic day, and I was spared most of it. You know, I wasnt injured; I was just a witness, but Im very aware that a lot of people had their lives altered forever on that day. So its hard to just take joy in something like a Pulitzer when you know that it came because of such a tragic event. Like, if I, in some alternative universe, was given a choice, every time I would prefer that day not happen at all.

 Dylan Stableford

The governor

Between the funerals for Virginia state troopers Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates, Gov. Terry McAuliffe gathered with members of the state police at a Richmond bar favored by Bates for an Irish wake for the two Irishmen, toasting the fallen troopers with Jameson Irish whiskey.

Cullen was McAuliffes pilot, and Bates was a longtime member of his security detail.

They were part of the family, McAuliffe says. It was very painful. I cannot tell you how close we were. These folks live with you all day, 24/7. It was like losing a family member.

McAuliffe had just landed in Charlottesville when he learned their helicopter had crashed.

They were doing surveillance the whole day. They started early, at 7, 8 in the morning. And they really were in the air, McAuliffe says. In fact, thats why they didnt come get me. The northern Virginia folks actually brought me down in their helicopter, because they really were all day doing surveillance. And they did. They had footage of the car going into the crowd.

That footage is expected to be used in the case against James Alex Fields Jr., who is charged with a federal hate crime in the death of Heather Heyer and 28 related counts stemming from injuries to others in the car attack.

Earlier in the day, McAuliffe briefed President Trump on the escalating situation in Charlottesville.

I had told him we have white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right screaming vulgarities and all types of things against fellow citizens down there, McAuliffe says.

Trump, though, did not unequivocally condemn the neo-Nazis. His statement blamed the violence on both sides.

I was astounded, because in my conversation with him, I had briefed him on the situation, told him about these horrible people, McAuliffe recalls. They are hateful people. I wont even mention to you what they were screaming at the African-American members of the community as well as members of the Jewish community. I just wondered to myself, How did we get to this place in America? These folks used to wear hoods to disguise themselves. But here they were in Charlottesville. They didnt feel like they needed to wear hoods. They could just walk down this beautiful little town and scream obscenities and telling members of the Jewish faith that we should burn you like we did in Auschwitz. Things you just really found just hard to comprehend.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe speaks during a press conference Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. While speaking about the violence during a white supremacist rally, McAuliffe said, Please, go home and never come back. Take your hatred and take your bigotry. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

At his press conference, McAuliffe sharply condemned the violence.

I basically told these folks to go home, he says. Theyre not wanted. They pretend theyre patriots. Theyre not patriots. Theyre a bunch of cowards. And to get the hell out of America.

From McAuliffes perspective, some things have changed since that fateful weekend.

We now have a thing called Incident Command, McAuliffe says. Now the State Police is in charge, which is very good. I dont want to be overly critical of the [local police], but the law, how it was done in Virginia, is that locality  even though I sent down most of the National Guard, locality is in charge. Now, its in Incident Command. One person is in charge to do a better job of coordinating all the different entities that are involved.

Still, McAuliffe knows the violence in Charlottesville was a very painful, vivid reminder that although weve really made significant progress in Virginia, around the country, we still have a lot of work to do going forward.

It was just a disgusting, unabashed display of white supremacy and neo-Nazism, he says. It shocked us, and I think it shocked people around the world.

 Dylan Stableford

The journalist

By the time she got to Charlottesville, Elle Reeve, correspondent for Vice News Tonight on HBO, was already pretty well known among the white supremacist groups gathered there. And with her oversize glasses, she was hard to miss.

I had been covering these guys for a while and so everywhere I went, they knew who I was, Reeve says. There was no slipping into the crowd as anonymous reporter. And they knew who Ive dated; they knew my boyfriends Jewish, so they would yell things about that to me.

If they didnt know her before, they do now. Reeves breathtaking documentary, Charlottesville: Race and Terror, captures white nationalist leaders  including David Duke, Matthew Heimbach and Christopher Cantwell  from the torch march on Friday night to their tense clashes with counterprotesters on Saturday morning, as well as the frantic moments after the deadly car attack in downtown Charlottesville early Saturday afternoon.

Slideshow: White nationalists march with torches in Charlottesville, Va. >>>

Cantwell, a self-described white nationalist and podcast host, was recruited to be a speaker at the rally by Jason Kessler, the events organizer.

Reeve, who embedded with Cantwell that weekend, says she did not feel physically threatened  even when she hopped in a van with Cantwell and other neo-Nazis as they raced away from a park.

I mean, you just make these really quick calculations about the spot, like, Well, Im not gonna get out unless they drag me out, she says.

There was one moment that unnerved Reeve and her crew: when they visited Cantwell in his hotel room.

This isnt in the piece, but he started screaming at me, Reeve says. He was very, very angry and did start reloading the AR-15 by the end of the interview. Everybody was just like, Alright, this is great, great talking to you and were going to go now.

Reeve has kept in touch with Cantwell since the documentary aired.

A scene from the torch rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 11, 2017, from VICE News Tonight on HBO.

He called me after it and said that I had represented him fairly, she says, But as the consequences from Charlottesville sort of snowballed over time, he started to feel a lot more antagonistic.

After Charlottesville, Cantwell a posted a video online that shows him fighting back tears after learning a warrant was issued for his arrest. It went viral, and he was dubbed the Crying Nazi. Cantwell later turned himself in, and wound up serving more than five months in jail on assault and weapons charges stemming from his use of pepper spray during a clash with counterprotesters.

Ive only texted with him since hes gotten out, Reeve says. I did talk to him for like an hour and a half a few weeks ago. Just to sort of see, I dont know, what he was thinking. I was also just kind of curious whether hed had any doubts about  I mean, its not just white nationalism. He believes in eugenics. We sort of raised science theories. I wanted to push on that and see if he still believes it. He still believes it.

While most people who recognize the bespectacled Vice News correspondent in public now are friendly, there was one particularly creepy encounter for Reeve in the past year.

I was going through the security line at the airport for Christmas and the TSA guy recognized me, she recalls. And Im like, Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. And I go through the whole rape-y scan machine, and I get out and Im putting on my shoes, and he comes over and he tells me this little joke that lets me know that hes a Nazi. Its not like he specifically saw my scan or whatever, but it was just really creepy. It was just like this sense of, Oh, theyre everywhere.

I mean, we saw that in Charlottesville the torch night, Reeve says. There were hundreds of white nationalists, very well organized. They had a security team. They had vans bringing the protestors. They also did not look like the people upper-middle-class white people in the East Coast think of when they think of racists or white supremacists.

And I think thats a really hard reality for people to accept that a lot of these white nationalists are from New Jersey, they went to prep school, they live in nice neighborhoods, they look like people you know. So, I think its really important to show that.

Capturing the harsh reality of Charlottesville was just as important.

One reason why the documentary got so much attention that it was used to fact-check the presidents statements, Reeve says. There are people who wanted to give the idea that this was just like history buffs or, like, people who were civil war reenactors, people who love that Confederate statue  and thats not what it was about.

 Dylan Stableford

The reverend

It was a week after the violence in Charlottesville, and Rev. Peter Moon was feeling overwhelmed. He had just officiated at a funeral service in nearby Chesterfield for Virginia State Police Lt. H. Jay Cullen, one of two state troopers who died in a helicopter crash while monitoring the violence.

Moon was in the procession of cars traveling from the church to a private ceremony at Woodlake United Methodist Church, where the Cullen family were members and where Moon had been the lead pastor for many years. What he saw brought tears to his eyes.

All the cars were pulled over, Moon recalls. People had got out of their cars and lined the street as the procession went by with their hands over their hearts, taking their hats off. It was just a very moving, uplifting representation for which I was thankful in the midst of so much ugliness that was represented by a small fragment of our nation.

There was this sort of redemptive moment when everybody spontaneously stopped their cars, lined the street and offered their respects when we went by, he says. It was overwhelming to be in the midst of such love and support.

More than 1,200 people attended the service for Cullen, who was remembered as a silent giant, loving husband, father of two teenage sons.

He listened more than he talked, Virginia Col. W. Steven Flaherty said in his eulogy at the funeral. And when he said something, it was because he had something relevant to say.

He was just a great guy, Moon says. He was a guy who was funny, always interested, seeking. He was a man who was passionately in love with his wife and his family and he was an athlete. He just had this consistent glimmer in his eye. Hes the kind of guy you always want to be around.

Moon says Cullens legacy will live on with the ones he left behind.

When you have somebody of his caliber and character you still see it in his wife and his children and the bonds they have as a family, he says.

Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates and Lt. H. Jay Cullen, killed Aug. 12, 2017, when the helicopter they were piloting crashed while assisting public safety resources during clashes at a nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Virginia State Police via AP)

It wont be the same when I step into that helicopter without Jay in the right front seat, with Cullen on the back of his helmet, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told mourners at the service.

During the service, police helicopters from nine states flew over the church one by one, repeating the tribute conducted for Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Batess funeral the day before.

McAuliffe gave the eulogy there too.

He was a real character, McAuliffe said before relaying his favorite story about Bates.

My son had been deployed to Iraq, McAuliffe says. Hes a Marine. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the lobby of the governors mansion, about to go out for the day, and I was talking to Berke. And he said, I want you to know I just sent a care package to your son. I thought razor, cigar, that sort of stuff. I said, How nice of you, Berke. And he said, I sent him a bottle of Irish whiskey. And I said, Burke, its a Muslim country. You cant have alcohol in a Muslim country. And he said, Oh no, no, no, dont you worry about that, governor. I put it in a Listerine bottle. Theyll never figure it out. The care package was delivered, McAuliffe adds, but the bottle never quite made it.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe hands Karen Cullen, the widow of Lt. H. Jay Cullen, the flag during a funeral service at Southside Church of the Nazarene in Chesterfield, Va., on Aug. 19, 2017. (Photo: Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

According to McAuliffe, Bates had left his detail about two months earlier for the aviation unit.

His dream had always been to fly, McAuliffe says. And he went and with his own money bought the manuals to learn how to fly a helicopter. Hed only been in the air probably a month. But he died doing exactly what he loved to do.

In April, a helipad was dedicated in Batess honor. In February, a hangar at the Virginia State Police Aviation Base in Chesterfield was named for Cullen.

Such gestures help the healing process, but theyre also a reminder of the healing thats still to come.

To lose their lives because of an incident, because people came in to spew hatred  it has to be a learning moment, McAuliffe says. How do we go on? How do we go forward from here?

We need to prayerfully seek healing, says Moon. Racism does not go away easily nor has it gone away. Its a continuing battle. One of the lessons of Charlottesville is theres still a lot of work to be done.

 Michael Walsh

The historian

Edward Ayers, historian and former University of Richmond president, had no way of knowing what would come of his talk at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March 2013.

It was a talk about memory, Ayers says, and how we remember some things and not others.

He adds: I wasnt there on a crusade.

Near the end of the talk, Ayers was asked about Charlottesvilles Confederate statues by Kristin Szakos, then a member of the City Council, and whether they should consider removing them.

You would have thought I had asked if it was OK to torture puppies, Szakos recalled in a podcast, hosted by Ayers, a few months later.

Id been talking about the monuments for a long time, Ayers says. Nobody remembered how they got there or what they were for and what they meant. And so I just called peoples attention to them because theyre there.

But the talk sparked Szakos and others to take up the cause. In 2015, as clashes over Confederate symbols raged in several Southern states, the debate over what to do with Charlottesvilles boiled to the surface.

Virginia State Police in riot gear stand in front of the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee before forcing white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right out of Emancipation Park after the Unite the Right rally was declared an unlawful gathering Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In 2016, Charlottesvilles Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces was formed to address the citys Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson statues.

Ayers was familiar with the task force but wasnt necessarily attuned to what was brewing in the small college town.

I was a lot more focused on Richmond, which has some legacy of the Civil War, he says.

Yet Ayers found himself back in Charlottesville just as the Unite the Right marchers descended upon the city to oppose the statues removal.

The University of Virginia had scheduled a series of teach-ins, alternative activities that would be focused on progressive causes while the alt-right was in town. On Aug. 12, Ayers was scheduled to teach a class about voting rights.

As Ayers and his wife got ready to head to the school, five miles away, they followed the clashes on television. We just watched it unravel before our eyes, Ayers says.

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right clash with counterprotesters as they enter Lee Park during the Unite the Right on Aug.12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

I think we lost our innocence, he says. White people lost their innocence that weekend and now cant imagine that the statues just dont mean anything, that all they are were testimonials to good faith to the past. Now they see that they are politically charged and that public spaces matter and that everybody has a claim to the public spaces in the cities where they live. I think it was an eye-opening experience for a lot of people.

Ayers sits on Richmonds Monument Avenue Commission, which has been responsible for what the city will do with its own Confederate statues  whether that is removing them, erecting statues commemorating those outside of the Confederate past or explaining what they truly stand for.

Sometimes people say that this is like the Taliban removing statues, Ayers says. No, this is a deeply democratic process for the first time. For the first time, elected officers, city councils and general assemblies are reckoning with the fact that these were put up when black people had no vote and no political power. If the statues are going to be among us, they need to be educational. They need to tell their story, their full story.

 Kadia Tubman

The city councilman

In the months leading up to Charlottesville, Wes Bellamy had a target on his back.

The city council members efforts to remove the Confederate statues in town and his defense of Black Lives Matter had drawn the ire of Jason Kessler, the organizer of the Unite the Right rally.

I know what its like to be attacked by him and his minions, Bellamy says.

Bellamy, 31, is an Atlanta native who moved to Charlottesville after graduating from South Carolina State University in 2009. He became the youngest person ever elected to the city council when he won a four-year term in 2015 and was the only African-American on the council before Nikuyah Walkers election. He said early on in his campaign community members suggested taking down the statues, which garnered death threats and hate mail. It also drew the ire and attention of Kessler.

In late 2016 Kessler published old tweets from Bellamy that included vulgar language, and Kessler filed a petition for a recall election. Bellamy apologized and resigned from the state board of education, but he retained his seat on the city council after a judge dismissed the petition.

A year after the rally, Bellamy says he doesnt pay much attention to Kessler but that the alt-right organizer serves a purpose.

Maybe he didnt want to, but he brought a lot of people in our community together because we had to denounce hate, Bellamy says.

One of Kesslers supporters in the movement to remove Bellamy was Corey Stewart, who is currently the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia. Stewart has aligned himself with white supremacist groups and has been an outspoken supporter of preserving Confederate monuments. Bellamy says that Stewarts prominence makes it harder for people to ignore white supremacy.

This is not about a statue, he says. This is about the covert and overt racism and the systemic issues weve had in our country for generations.

The statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is shown covered in black tarp as Wes Bellamy, the vice mayor of Charlottesville, looks on in Charlottesville, Va, Aug. 23, 2017. (Photo: Justin Ide/Reuters)

Bellamy said that in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville there are still a number of issues to address but that there has been beauty in the awakening of citizens. He added that community members who had been apathetic about taking down statues and addressing issues in the city have come forward with their support.

There have been people saying, Wes, sorry we didnt support you initially or Sorry we didnt quite get it initially, Bellamy says. But now theyre going to use their privilege or voice or platform, whether its big and small, to actually address these issues of white supremacy.

A judge on the Charlottesville Circuit Court will rule on the future of the statues later this year. Bellamy expects that whatever the court decides there will be an appeal, so a final decision would likely come from the state supreme court in early 2019.

Bellamy says there has been pushback from some who would prefer things just return to the pre-rally normal, but that the city is pushing forward.

I dont want for people to think of Charlottesville as just a hashtag, this place where white supremacy reigns supreme, Bellamy says. Theres still a lot of great things in Charlottesville, and were no different than many other communities throughout the South. We may have took a punch in the face, but we werent knocked down  we came back stronger.

 Christopher Wilson

The white supremacist

Last August, Christopher Cantwell traveled from his home in Keene, N.H., to speak at an alt-right rally in Charlottesville. Nearly a year later, hes finally left Virginia for good  or at least for a court-ordered five years.

The host of a white nationalist internet radio show, Cantwell became more or less the face of the ill-fated Unite the Right rally thanks in large part to a Vice News documentary in which he was featured prominently. His own tearful YouTube video, posted in the aftermath of the violent clashes, earned Cantwell the nickname Cryin Nazi.

Cantwell later surrendered to police and was charged with felony assault stemming from his use of illegal tear gas during a clash with counterprotesters on the torch-lit march through the University of Virginia the night before the rally. He wound up serving 107 days in a Charlottesville jail and more than seven months under house arrest. Last month, he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery and to violating the terms of his bond by referring to his victims on social media and during his radio show  which he hosted from jail. In exchange for his guilty plea, Cantwell was released from jail  and banned from Virginia for five years.

It feels good to be home, says Cantwell, who insists he was framed and coerced into pleading guilty. It feels good to be done with this whole mess.

Cantwells Charlottesville-related legal woes arent exactly behind him; he is the target of an ongoing civil lawsuit by two counterprotesters, including activist Emily Gorcenski, who was pepper-sprayed during the march. (As part of his guilty plea, Cantwell admitted to violating the terms of his bond by talking about Gorcenski and another victim on social media and his radio show. He was fined $250.)

In the closing scene of the now-infamous Vice documentary, Cantwell  sitting in a hotel room amid an arsenal of weapons  reflects on the violent clashes that resulted in one death and several injuries, telling correspondent Elle Reeve that he considers the weekend a victory for his side.

Looking back on it, the 37-year-old former libertarian now says he would have done a lot of things different.

I wouldnt have gone to that thing if Id realized what a f***ing catastrophe the people who were putting it together were, he says, referring to Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler as a literal f***ing mental patient.

To be clear, Cantwells regrets about his participation in Unite the Right have little to do with the views espoused by its participants, but rather are based on what he sees as Kesslers poor planning and his failure to properly prepare for the potential blowback against a gathering of hundreds of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in a city run by communists.

The idea that anybody would follow him into something as dangerous as what we walked into down there is absolutely insane, Cantwell says.

Christopher Cantwell, a white nationalist is overcome with tear gas after hundreds of white nationalists and white supremacists carrying torches marched in a parade through the University of Virginia campus on Aug. 11, 2017. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/For the Washington Post via Getty Images)

Despite repeatedly referring to himself as an entertainer, Cantwell is unrepentant about his racist and anti-Semitic worldview. In fact, it seems to have only become further solidified in the past year.

My new favorite catch phrase on the show is, Keep on calling everybody a Nazi, and eventually youre gonna be right, because thats literally what happened, Cantwell says. So Im in jail, held without bond, without probable cause, facing 60 years in prison because a Jew and a tranny framed me for a crime, and everybodys calling me a Nazi. Well, you know what? Im starting to think the Nazis had a f***ing point. (Cantwell only faced 12 months in prison for his Charlottesville-related charges.)

Though nominally about the preservation of a statue honoring Confederate Gen Robert E. Lee, the underlying objective of the Unite the Right was to bring various factions of the largely internet-based alt-right movement together in real life. For many Americans, the sight of men, most of them young, marching through the University of Virginia campus carrying tiki torches and chanting things like Jews will not replace us! served as a shocking realization that such attitudes were still alive in America.

Whatever unity may have existed among the alt-right prior to Charlottesville was largely fractured in its aftermath as efforts to ban some of the movements most vitriolic members from social media and crowdfunding platforms drove them further into the darkest corners of the internet. Fears of losing their job and being labeled a Nazi discouraged many from publicly affiliating themselves with the alt-right, while others who sought to channel the momentum of Charlottesville into a real-life political and social movement proved to be full of hot air. Big-name figures in the world of white supremacy, including Cantwell, have discouraged their followers from attending Kesslers Unite the Right 2, slated to take place in Washington, D.C., this coming weekend.

Likewise, Cantwell disputes the notion that, post-Charlottesville, many people who might have previously held racist views in secret are now more comfortable expressing them.

I think it had the exact opposite impact of that, he says. However, what I will say is that the people who were comfortable voicing them, theyre fanatics now.

 Caitlin Dickson

The activist

Emily Gorcenski lived in Charlottesville for nearly a decade before she first got involved with local activism, in March 2017.

A few months later, when she heard there was going to be a rally of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in her adopted hometown, Gorcenski felt obligated to protest.

It would be unconscionable to not go to oppose their messages of hate, Gorcenski says. When the Nazis come you dont run away.

Gorcenski, a data scientist who identifies as transgender and whose activism had largely focused on transgender rights, accused white nationalist Christopher Cantwell of using pepper spray against her and other counterprotesters at a torch-lit march through the University of Virginia campus the night before the Unite the Right rally was slated to take place. Cantwell recently pleaded guilty to those charges.

Though Gorcenski is currently embroiled in a separate civil dispute with Cantwell, she said shes relieved that hes admitted his responsibility and taken some measure of accountability for his actions and his violence at UVA that night. Still, she considers the torch march to be among the most disturbing moments from that weekend.

In the scope of things, the 300 men with torches surrounding some 20 or 30 students and intimidating them, and shouting slurs at them, and then doing violence to them, and to all of us, is the kind of gross mob violence that we were afraid of, Gorcenski says. To me, I think that sticks out as one of those traumatic memories that will never go away.

For Gorcenski, the trauma of Unite the Right lasted well after the weekend was over. Over the past year, she says shes experienced continuous harassment  both online and in person  as a result of the criminal case against Cantwell.

Ive had my personal details leaked on the internet. Ive received death threats, Gorcenski says, adding that strangers even showed up at her house in Charlottesville with guns. Theres multiple times when Ive felt  threatened for my physical safety.

Peter Cvjetanovic, right, along with neo-Nazis, alt-right and white supremacists encircle and chant at counterprotesters at the base of a statue of Thomas Jefferson after marching through the University of Virginia campus with torches in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 11, 2017. (Photo: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Ultimately, she says the harassment drove her to look for jobs outside the country. In late May, she moved to Berlin, where she will soon begin work as a data scientist for a consulting firm.

Its a night and day difference being in Germany versus being in Charlottesville, or really just being anywhere outside of Charlottesville, she says. Its a huge impact on mental health and well-being, and Ive talked to many people in the Charlottesville community, activists and non-activists, who have echoed similar sentiments that just being out of town is like a breath of fresh air.

Of course, she notes, the online harassment knows no borders, but I have less risk of physical threat.

Gorcenski says shes still actively working against the white supremacist movements, though shes had to take a more remote approach to activism since moving overseas. I cant be out there with my friends and comrades on the streets if Im in Berlin.

One day, she would like to return to Charlottesville.

It is my home, she says. I still own a home there. My wife is still there, and its a place that Ive come to love, and I would love to be able to return someday when everything has settled.

For at least the next few years, however, Gorcenski says she thinks its best to stay away.

This is going to be a lengthy healing process, she says.

 Caitlin Dickson

The victim

A few weeks ago, Marcus Martin was flipping through a magazine in the checkout line at Walmart with his new wife, Marissa Blair, when he looked down to see the photo, and became overwhelmed with emotion.

That picture that was taken  it speaks volumes, Martin says.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, taken by Ryan Kelly, captured Martin suspended in the air seconds after he pushed Blair out the way of a Dodge Charger that plowed into a crowd of demonstrators protesting the white supremacist rally.

The night before that photo was taken, the couple had watched the clashes between protesters and white nationalists on Facebook Live. We were like, Wow, this is really happening in Charlottesville.

The next day, they joined their friends, including Heather Heyer, for the counterprotests in the city. When they arrived, they saw the Vice News camera crew recording.

They walked right past us, Martin recalls. We were looking at them, staring. Marissa got scared and said, Babe, I dont think this is a good idea. And I was like Baby, were here now.

Martin held onto Blair and told her, Dont let my hand go.

It was then, not long their arrival, when James Alex Fields Jr. allegedly drove his car into the crowd where Martin, his fiancee and their friends stood, hitting Martin and killing Heyer.

I wish we wouldve listened [to Marissa], said Martin. But then it still wouldve happened to somebody else. You cant stop stupid; you can only try to prevent it.

What happened was painful because Heather was right there in front of me, adds Martin, who suffered a twisted tibia, broken ankle and three destroyed ligaments. Her life was taken that day, and nothing can ever ever fix that.

Nine months after the rally and the death of their friend, the newlyweds honored Heyer at their wedding by adorning almost everything with Heyers favorite color, purple. The couple also remembered Blairs father, who passed away two months before the wedding.

We were still grieving from Aug. 12, and that right there was another deep cut, Martin says. It was like she lost her best friend.

Marissa Blair and Marcus Martin hold hands during the wedding ceremony on May 12, 2018, in Reva, Va. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly)

Despite so much loss, the Martins were grateful to see the community rally together for their wedding, which was completely organized and run by volunteer vendors.

And while the Martins have a new anniversary, May 12, to mark on their calendars, they will also be saving a place three months after that date. Aug. 12 wouldnt be Aug. 12 without Heather, Martin says. We got to keep her alive. We cant forget about her.

For Martin, forgetting isnt even a possibility.

Its something that you would never ever forget, he says. You really try hard not to think about it  even down to that car. I would be riding through town, me and Marissa, and that car would just appear  and it looks exactly like the car that hit us. Its the same make, same color and everything. It makes my body cringe.

The Martins live 20 minutes from Charlottesville, but Marissa actually works downtown, three streets from where they got hit.

She has to reopen that scar every day, Martin says.

What happened last year wasnt about a statue, he says. You dont need walk around with ARs and AKs and guns if you were coming for a peaceful rally. It was to cause intimidation, to scare people, to strike fear.

This year, Martin and his wife are hosting a family reunion the day before the Charlottesville anniversary to take that energy into the next day, into the community, and make this Aug.12 better.

I know I cant change the world, Martin says. But if you start by making that little step every single day, eventually change is going to happen. Weve got to start somewhere.

 Kadia Tubman

Additional photo credits:

Photo credits for image insets above: (Bro) Brian Snyder/Reuters, (Walker) Eze Amos, (Kaine) Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, (Kelly) Steve Helber/AP, (McAuliffe) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, (Reeve) Vice News Tonight/HBO, (Moon) Scott P. Yates/progress-index.com, (Ayers) courtesy of Edward Ayers, (Bellamy) Steve Helber/AP, (Cantwell) Vice News Tonight/HBO, (Gorcenski) Jayce Slaughter, (Martin & Blair) Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News on Charlottesville, one year later:
Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images

From Esquire

Immigration hardliners are always quick to say their beef is with illegal immigration.But in all things, The Trump Era turns the subtext to text. From the jump, the Trump administration proposed cutting the number of legal immigrants the country will accept in half. Trump has unleashed ICE, with the immediate consequence that deportations of noncriminal immigrants-undocumented people who have not been convicted of a crime, and plenty of whom haven't been charged-skyrocketed in 2017 to double the previous year.

One of the great injustices of the "zero-tolerance" policy, beyond the barbaric separation of young children from their parents, was its flouting of asylum law. Under international law and treaties to which the U.S. is a signatory, people have a legal right to present themselves for asylum status--essentially, to claim they are refugees and have that claim adjudicated in court. The Trump administration flouted this by restricting the criteria for seeking asylum to exclude people fleeing gang and domestic violence-common claims among Central American migrants-and refusing them entry to border checkpoints, where they must present themselves under the law to claim asylum.

Photo credit: Smith Collection/Gado - Getty Images

Of course, it's never been about how or why someone crosses the border. It's about keeping Certain People out, and removing Certain People who are already here, by any means necessary. In case you needed more proof, NBC News has an update on the effort:

The Trump administration is expected to issue a proposal in coming weeks that would make it harder for legal immigrants to become citizens or get green cards if they have ever used a range of popular public welfare programs, including Obamacare...The move, which would not need Congressional approval, is part of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller's plan to limit the number of migrants who obtain legal status in the U.S. each year.

Ah, yes, Stephen Miller, the Santa Monica Gargamel who fought like hell for the policy of tearing kids away from their mothers and tells Definitely True stories about throwing away $80 of sushi as a matter of principle. One can hardly wait to see what other gears are in motion on this plan to wage war on legal migration. (Immigration is that thing some might recognize as the defining and singularly unifying feature of the American experience. Except for Native Americans, who might now wish they'd limited immigration before the Stephen Millers came along.) The phrase "pulling up the ladder behind you" doesn't seem to do it justice.

Story continues

Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla - Getty Images

But what exactly is involved here?

Details of the rulemaking proposal are still being finalized, but based on a recent draft seen last week and described to NBC News, immigrants living legally in the U.S. who have ever used or whose household members have ever used Obamacare, children's health insurance, food stamps and other benefits could be hindered from obtaining legal status in the U.S.

So even if it's just an immigrant's child who uses benefits-a child who may be an American citizen-the parent, a legal immigrant, can be penalized. Across the board, the policy could mean forcing people to choose between food and healthcare for their family or a future as a U.S. citizen. According to Stephen Miller, you can't have both. This is a willful (indefensible?) attempt to immiserate people and try to force them out of the country-just as the family separation policy put us in a contest of cruelty with Central American drug gangs.

This policy could impact 20 million immigrants or more, some of whom could be rejected despite earning 250 percent of the poverty level.

Many are like Louis Charles, a Haitian green-card holder seeking citizenship who, despite working up to 80 hours a week as a nursing assistant, has had to use public programs to support his disabled adult daughter.

Of course, this is all borne up in the modern conservative notion that you cannot both accept government assistance and contribute to society-a notion that never seems to extend to government programs like Medicare--though some Republicans want to cut that too--or farm subsidies.

Photo credit: Handout - Getty Images

But more than that, it reflects the Trump administration's commitment to keeping The Other out, and to do so in an exercise of performative cruelty that gets The Base going. That's why the administration is also moving to revoke "temporary protected status" for half a million people who came here fleeing chaos and oppression in their home countries-people like Louis Charles, who came after a catastrophic earthquake decimated Haiti-despite the fact that research suggests the move will actually lead to more illegal immigration. The Department of Homeland Security told the White House as much, but it won't matter. More people will come here in the end? Just deport them, too.

As if to round out the conception that this is all symbolic-a performance for the aging caucasians of the Trump Base who fear the changing demographics of America-there's some intriguing news on The Wall. The cornerstone of Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric might end up being strictly rhetorical-at least, according to The New York Times, if "feasibility" factors in at all:

The Trump administration could potentially waste billions of dollars on a border wall because it failed to fully account for factors like varying terrain and land ownership along the Southwest border, according to a new report.

The report, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, found that Customs and Border Protection, the agency responsible for construction of the wall, did not consider the cost of building along each segment of the border, which can vary depending on factors such as topography and land ownership.

The report also found that the agency selected locations for barriers without fully assessing where they were needed to prevent illegal border crossings.

Ah, they didn't factor in "terrain" when planning to build something. Classic mistake! Of course, the regime maintains The Wall Is Good and Needed:

Walls have proven to be extremely effective at deterring illegal entries and the smuggling of illicit drugs into the United States, she said. The initial prioritization for developing barriers in each location or segment was based on an operational assessment of priorities including current risks and threats, which was followed by a resource analysis that factored in cost.

This is unmitigated gobbledegook, except for the claims up top. No serious person believes The Wall will stop the flow of illegal drugs, which can easily travel via truck or air or tunnel. Many, including border patrol agents, don't see The Wall as especially key to slowing migration. It's a symbol, a big middle finger to The Outside, a monument to the enduring power of White America. That might be why Trump seems to think it may be the one campaign promise he'll pay for not keeping. That's surely the reason he now lies about it at every rally, telling the hooting and hollering faithful that construction has already begun. It hasn't, but it doesn't seem to matter. Nothing seems to matter in an authoritarian movement, except how it makes you feel.

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Australia's most populous state was declared entirely in drought on Wednesday and struggling farmers were given new authority to shoot kangaroos that compete with livestock for sparse pasture during the most intense dry spell in more than 50 years.

Much of Australia's southeast is struggling with drought. But the drought conditions in the state of New South Wales this year have been the driest and most widespread since 1965.

The state government said Wednesday that 100 percent of New South Wales' land area of more than 800,000 square kilometers (309,000 square miles) was now in drought.

Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said farmers were enduring one of the driest Southern Hemisphere winters on record.

"This is tough. There isn't a person in the state that isn't hoping to see some rain for our farmers and regional communities," Blair said in a statement.

Cattle on a dry paddock in the drought-hit area of Quirindi in New South Wales Credit: GLENN NICHOLLS/AFP

Farm reservoirs have dried up and crops are failing.

State and federal governments are providing financial help, but not enough for many farmers.

With dry conditions forecast to continue for the next three months, farmers had to decide whether to continue the expensive and laborious task of hand-feeding cattle and sheep or sell their livestock.

The state government on Wednesday also lifted the number of kangaroos that farmers are allowed to shoot and reduced bureaucratic red tape facing land holders applying for permission to shoot.

Farmer Clive Barton walking through the paddocks in the drought-hit area of Duri in New South Wales Credit: SAEED KHAN/ AFP

The requirement to tag dead kangaroos to keep a tally of the number shot across the state had been dispensed with.

"Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left," Blair said.

"If we don't manage this situation, we will start to see tens of thousands of kangaroos starving and suffering, ultimately leading to a major animal welfare crisis," he added.

A train makes its way through dry paddocks in the drought-hit area of Quirindi in New South Wales Credit: GLENN NICHOLLS/ AFP

But Ray Borda, president of the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia, which represents commercial shooters who hunt kangaroos for meat and leather, raised animal welfare concerns about the regulation changes.

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"Anybody on the land that will make a phone call to the Department of Environment can get permission to shoot almost whatever they want to shoot and it's unaudited and unchecked and that's our concern - animal welfare," Borda told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The government would have been better off subsidizing professional shooters to reduce kangaroo numbers more humanely, he said.

"We see this as probably the worst possible outcome for the kangaroo, but I've got to emphasize we do understand the plight that farmers are in," Borda said.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  A special tribunal on Wednesday accepted murder and other charges against eight suspected Islamic militants in a grisly attack on a restaurant two years ago in Bangladesh's capital.

Twenty hostages, including 17 people from Japan, Italy and India, were killed when five militants attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in 2016. The militants were killed by commandoes inside the cafe during a 12-hour standoff. Two security officials later succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

Judge Mujibur Rahman of the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal in Dhaka accepted the charges and set the next hearing for Aug. 16. Six of the accused are behind bars while two are fugitives.

The judge also asked authorities to release former university teacher and British citizen Hasnat Karim after he was cleared by police as a suspect last month. During the attack he was in the cafe with his family and was seen talking to the attackers casually on the roof. The investigators said they found no evidence of his involvement.

The police investigation has found that 21 people were involved in the July 1, 2016, attack but 13 have been killed by security officials in raids, according to case documents.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities insisted it has no presence in the country and instead blamed a domestic group, Jumatual Mujahedeen Bangladesh.

The cafe siege followed several years of smaller attacks targeting scores of individuals deemed by extremists to be enemies of radical Islam, including secularists, writers, religious minorities, foreigners and activists.

Bangladesh has experienced a rise in Islamic militancy in recent years, but the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched a massive crackdown, saying it is following a policy of zero tolerance of radical Islamists. Since the attack, authorities have captured or killed dozens of suspects and said Jumatual Mujahedeen Bangladesh has been weakened if not eliminated completely.

The cafe reopened in January last year a few blocks away from its old site.
By Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's government demanded on Wednesday that the U.S. embassy withdraw criticism over its handling of days-long student protests in the capital over a fatal traffic accident. Tens of thousands of students have blocked streets of Dhaka for more than a week, demanding safer roads, after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus. Police fired tear gas and beat up students to force them to disperse but they have stayed on. Scores of people have been hurt in demonstrations. On Sunday, the U.S. embassy posted a statement on Facebook saying youngsters engaging in peaceful protests were exercising their democratic rights and that nothing could justify "brutal attacks and violence" against young people. The United Nations said it too was concerned about violence in the streets and called for calm. Information Minister Hasanul Hoque Inu said police had acted with restraint and that both the United States and the United Nations had overstepped the line with their criticism. "We urge to withdraw this statement. This is discourteous," Hoque said of the U.S. statement, adding the government would write to the embassy and the United Nations to register its protest. On Sunday a group of armed men attacked a vehicle carrying the U.S. ambassador. There were no injuries but two vehicles were damaged. Police said on Wednesday they were still investigating the case. Students are demanding changes to transport laws following the July 29 deaths, after the driver of a privately operated bus lost control and ran over a group of students. Police also said they were retaining custody of activist and photographer Shahidul Alam for more questioning after he was taken to hospital for a checkup on Wednesday. Alam was picked up from his home on Sunday after he had posted comments on social media that a student wing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling party was trying to attack the protesters. The police said he was arrested on charges of spreading rumors on social media, aiming to incite violence. His detention has sparked criticism from rights groups. (Writing by Neha Dasgupta; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Peter Graff)
UKIAH, Calif. (AP)  Firefighters said for the first time Wednesday that they have made good progress battling the state's largest-ever wildfire but didn't expect to have it fully under control until September.

The blaze north of San Francisco has grown to the size of Los Angeles since it started two weeks ago, fueled by dry vegetation, high winds and rugged terrain that made it too dangerous for firefighters to directly attack the flames now spanning 470 square miles (1,217 square kilometers).

Crews, including inmates and firefighters from overseas, have managed to cut lines around half the fire to contain the flames, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The blaze about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of San Francisco around the resort region of Clear Lake has destroyed 116 homes and injured two firefighters.

Those lines have kept the southern edge of the fire from spreading into residential areas on the east side of the lake. But Cal Fire said the flames are out of control to the north, roaring into remote and unpopulated areas of thick forests and deep ravines as firefighters contend with record-setting temperatures.

California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change and home construction deeper into the forests.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox said the area has few natural barriers to slow flames and terrain that firefighters can't get to. So firefighters fall back to the nearest road, ridge or river, where they bulldoze a wide line and wait for the flames to come to them.

The Mendocino Complex, which will take months to put out, is one of 18 burning throughout the state Wednesday. Because of such extreme conditions early on, officials and experts warn that California could be facing its toughest wildfire season yet, with the historically worst months still to come.

Here's a look at the firefighters who are battling California's blazes:

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14,000 FIREFIGHTERS

They are deployed statewide and led by Cal Fire. The state's firefighting agency employs 5,300 full-time firefighters and hires an additional 1,700 each fire season. Trained prisoners and firefighters from 17 states and around the world fill out the ranks.

They are battling blazes on the Nevada border and along the coast. Cal Fire crews are helping federal firefighters put out flames in national forests and one that has reached Yosemite National Park, prompting its closure at the height of tourist season.

Those on the ground get help from more than 1,000 fire engines, 59 bulldozers, 22 air tankers, 17 airplanes, 12 helicopters and 11 mobile kitchens.

Firefighters under Cal Fire's command have helped Oregon authorities fight a fire near the California border and responded to a blaze that broke out this week in Orange County and burned a dozen cabins.

4,088 AT MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE

The state's largest wildfire in history has drawn a contingent to battle what is actually two fires burning so closely together that they're being attacked as one.

Though it's exploded in size, more firefighters are fighting a fire near Redding that has killed six people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses. It threatens a much larger urban area, so Cal Fire has devoted more resources to it.

Both blazes are considered nearly half contained.

1,916 INMATES

California prisoners also are fighting fires. Cal Fire trains minimum-security inmates and pays them $1 an hour in the field and $2 a day when they're not on duty. Inmate firefighters also typically have their sentences reduced for every day spent fighting fires.

They do similar work to any firefighter, working long hours and sleeping in camps with other inmates. Most are on the front lines, using chain saws and hand tools to reduce tinder-dry brush and trees to stop the flames.

53 FROM DOWN UNDER

Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are helping California, arriving this week at the Mendocino Complex Fire after an 8,600-mile (13,840-kilometer) flight and two-hour bus trip.

Craig Cottrill, chief of the Wellington Fire Department in New Zealand, said his country doesn't see fires nearly as big as California's.

"Everything is on a 100 times scale," he said. "This thing's massive."

Rob Gore, a firefighter from the Australian capital of Canberra, said it makes for good relationships that Australians often fight fires in North America and that Canadians and Americans regularly fight fires in his country.

"When those big events happen across the continents, we all pitch in," he said.

The New Zealanders have been assigned as safety officers, line supervisors and heavy equipment "bosses" who direct bulldozer operators.

200 SOLDIERS

They are undergoing four days of training to fight wildfires and are expected to be deployed to California next week, U.S. Army Col. Rob Manning said in a statement. Authorities haven't decided where to send the soldiers from the Tacoma, Washington-based 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion.

They will be outfitted with wildland protective gear, organized into 10 teams and led by experienced civilian firefighters. Personnel from the same base helped fight California wildfires last year.

___

Elias reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles and Haven Daley in the Mendocino National Forest also contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires
Light pollution blots out the night sky for billions of people around the world, but there are still places where the night remains untouched by humans.

Minimum light pollution, dark cloudless nights, wide open air, and high altitudes are all factors that lead to the best conditions for skywatchers hoping to see amazing cosmic sights in locations around the world.

SEE ALSO: Cloudy nights now make cities brighter instead of darker

So, if you're going to spend time and money hunting out the best skies around the globe, where should you go?

We have some ideas.

Here are our (unscientific, very subjective) picks for two locations on each continent that are great places to go for some A+ skywatching.

All that said, if traveling doesn't fit into your schedule, there are plenty of websites like this Light Pollution Map or this Dark Site Finder that can direct you to the darkest skies with the clearest conditions near you.

South America

An image of the Milky Way curving over the Atacama desert in Chile

Image: European southern observatory

Atacama Desert, Chile

Its no coincidence that the worlds driest desert is also one of the best places to gaze at the stars.

The lack of cloud cover, high altitudes, and flat, barren terrain give skywatchers unabridged access to an entire horizon.

The desert is also the home to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, which is a large telescope created in a joint effort by the United States, Europe, and East Asia.

Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia

At nearly 12,000 feet above sea level the Uyuni Salt Flats in southwest Bolivia should already be on everybodys bucket list. (It's the largest salt flat in the world.)

But at high altitudes, the natural beauty serves a secondary purpose as an all-access pass to the stars. Guides suggest going to the flats during the rainy season (December through March), which flood the surface and turn the ground into a mirror for the sky.

Africa

Stars illuminate the sky above a rock formation in the Teide National Park in 2014.

Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Canary Islands, Spain

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The people of the Canary Islands take their stargazing very seriously.

This tiny island is the home of a very important observatory, which can be affected by light pollution from nearby urban development. So a new partnership with a light company called Signify aims to rectify that issue by installing astronomy-friendly smart LED lights that can be dimmed remotely.

Sutherland, Northern Cape

Sutherland is so great for stargazing that scientists built the Southern Hemispheres largest single-optical telescope here  known as SALT or Southern African Large Telescope.

If youre ever in Cape Town, its probably worth the four-hour drive to the top of a long, winding road to catch a glimpse of some of the greatest stargazing the world has to offer.

North America

Jasper National Park, Canada

This massive national park takes up about 4,200 square miles of Canadas natural splendor.

Because the entire area is protected from light pollution, anywhere in the park has access to breathtaking views. Some noteworthy sites are the Columbia Icefields, Pyramid Island Lake, and Medicine Lake.

Mauna Kea, Hawaii

The top of this dormant volcano is the site of one of the most important observatories and testing sites to the worlds astronomers  making it a guaranteed success for anyone just trying to get in some good stargazing.

Europe

Trysil, Norway

Normally, stargazing in Trysil is a treat  the wide expanse of sky nearly engulfs the viewers.

But if you time it right, stargazing and Milky Way hunting in Trysil could turn into a festival of lights since the Northern Lights will occasionally put on a show for those willing to brave the bitter cold.

Westhavelland International Dark Sky Reserve, Germany

Home to the darkest skies in Germany, Westhavelland is one of the newest inductees into the International Dark Sky Reserves  which is an organization dedicated to protecting our views of skies around the world.

Westhavelland is also a nature reserve thats essentially a huge meadow sprinkled with lakes and woodlands.

Asia

Sabah, Malaysia

Astro-tourism is a burgeoning industry in Malaysia.

The absence of light pollution and cloudless seasons make places like Sabah the perfect backdrop for those wanting to find a stargazing road less traveled.

Doi Chiang Dao, Thailand

It goes without saying that most of the worlds most beautiful skies belong to the mountains.

In Thailand, the summit of Doi Chiang Dao is the third tallest peak in Thailand which gives you the ability to drink in the sky without facing a very difficult trail.

Australia

Aoraki International Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand

The uninterrupted space in this corner of the world provides some of the best sky watching around.

The New Zealand park itself boasts of wide array of natural beauty, but nothing compares to the millions of stars visible every night when the sky is clear.

Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia

Australia is another one of those places in the world, like Norway, where sky watching could turn into a rare showing of the auroras.

Much like the rest of Australia, in Coonabarabran, stargazing is an integral part of any real outback experience where an endless amount of stars illuminate the sky so much that youd believe its daytime.

Antarctica

The southern lights light up the sky over the South Pole

Image: Dr. Keith Vanderlinde/ national science foundation

Ridge A

Back in 2009, a study determined that Ridge A, a spot deep in the interior of frigid Antarctica, was actually the best place on Earth for stargazing.

Unfortunately, its an area so inhospitable that no human has ever been there.

But, if you can get to any part of Antarctica, look up. The sky wont get much better than it is above this light pollution-free continent.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds teamed up in support of Aviation Gin. (Photo: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com)

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds only had eyes for each other at Tuesday nights event celebrating the Deadpool stars gin brand, Aviation Gin. Fashionistas, meanwhile, only have eyes for the white, figure-hugging dress Lively wore for her special date night. The number is a Cushnie et Ochs design, which has a nude-hued version on sale for $685 (originally $1,595).

Thanks to its off-the-shoulder neckline  with two slim halter straps providing extra support  the midi-length sheath offered a slinkier take on Meghan Markles Givenchy wedding dress.

Blake Lively paired her midi dress with strappy heels and a drop earring. (Photo: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com)

Strappy heeled sandals in the palest shade of pink, a drop earring, minimal makeup, and a simple ponytail completed the summer-chic look.

Feeling inspired? Similar styles abound

Roland Mourets short-sleeved version. (Photo: Roland Mouret)

Roland Mouret sheath with cutout shoulders, $929, stylebop.com

Calvin Kleins take on the cold-shoulder sheath look. (Photo: Calvin Klein)

Calvin Klein embellished off-the-shoulder scuba dress, $139, macys.com

Nookies dress has a hint of cleavage. (Photo: Nookie)

Nookie Pretty Belle cold-shoulder dress, $229, bloomingdales.com

Cushnie et Ochs also designed this similar, strap-free lookalike. (Photo: Cushnie et Ochs)

Cushnie et Ochs cocktail dress with curved panels, $1,595, bergdorfgoodman.com

Ryan Reynolds lookalike sold separately, alas.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




La Paz (AFP) - Police in Bolivia on Wednesday recovered a jewel-encrusted presidential medal which had been stolen the night before when its custodian was reportedly visiting a brothel.

The guard, identified by police as Lieutenant Roberto Juan de Dios Ortiz Blanco, had been meant to deliver the historic medal and a tricolor sash to the President Evo Morales to wear during his speech Wednesday in the central city of Cochabamba, according to a police report quoted by local media.

But his flight late Tuesday was delayed and the officer instead decided to visit various brothels, the report said.

"I entered a number of these different establishments (brothels) but then returned to where I left my motor car," the report quoted Ortiz as having told police. "When I got there my backpack, which held the emblems of the nation, had been taken."

Police Colonel Jhonny Aguilera said the thieves had dumped the priceless symbols of state in the portico of a church in the center of the capital La Paz.

"Thanks to the cooperation of Unitel," a television station that received an anonymous tip-off, "we have recovered the symbols in some black bags," he told reporters.

Morales -- who last wore the emblems on August 6, during celebrations marking Bolivia's 193rd anniversary -- appeared at the Cochabamba military parade Wednesday with neither medal nor sash.

He made no reference to their absence or to the theft, which had first been reported by the ministry of defense, which confirmed only that the custodian of the medal had been detained as part of an investigation.

Aguilera, the police spokesman, said Peruvian thieves were believed to have been behind the robbery of his backpack and that authorities on the border with Peru were on the look out for the suspects.

Former president Carlos Mesa had earlier described the theft as "a hard blow for the republic," comparing the loss of the medal to "the theft of the crown of Queen Elizabeth II of England."

Story continues

The medal was a gift from the Congress of the recently formed Bolivian republic to its founder in 1825 and was first used in 1826 as the presidential medal by Antonio Jose de Sucre.

The gold medal, encrusted with precious stones, is normally kept in a secure vault at the Central Bank in La Paz but is delivered to the president for ceremonial occasions.

The defense ministry said earlier that the "intelligence service and all state institutions have been placed at the disposal of investigators to find those responsible for this theft as quickly as possible."
Authorities in New Mexico say they have found the remains of a boy at a squalid compound where 11 starving children were rescued on Saturday.

The search for Abdul-ghani Wahhaj led authorities to the compound shielded by old tyres and wooden pallets on the outskirts of Amalia, a tiny, remote town near the Colorado border.

It is not yet certain the remains are of Abdul-ghani, who would have turned four on Monday.

The remains of a young boy have been found at the squalid property in New Mexico where 11 children were rescued (AP)

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said that searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound (AP)

It is not yet certain the remains are of Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, who would have turned four on Monday (AP)

However, Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe indicated the body appeared to be that of a boy similar in age to Abdul-ghani, who suffers from seizures and was reported missing in December after his father said he was taking him to a park in Jonesboro, Georgia.

The father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, had told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child, authorities said.

Sheriff Hogrefe, appearing to be fighting back tears, said: We discovered the remains yesterday on Abduls fourth birthday.

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Investigators said they found the heavily armed Wahhaj along with four other adults and 11 hungry children living in filthy conditions.

All the adults were arrested on suspicion of child abuse. Wahhaj is also being detained on a Georgia warrant that seeks his extradition to face a charge of abducting his son.

Authorities returned to search the compound after interviews on Friday and Saturday led them to believe the boy might still be on the property.

The rural compound during the search for the missing boy (AP)

A makeshift shooting range stands next to the disheveled living compound in Amalia (AP)

At a news conference in Taos, Sheriff Hogrefe described FBI surveillance efforts in recent months that included photographs of the compound and interviews. He said the images were shared with the mother of Abdul-ghani but she did not spot her son.

Story continues

He said: I had no probable cause to get a search warrant to go onto this property.

However, the sheriff said the breaking point in seeking a search warrant came when Georgia authorities received a message that may have originated within the compound that children were starving inside.

Siraj Wahhaj reportedly told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child (AP)

Taos County Planning Department officials Rachel Romero (l) and Eric Montoya survey the property conditions (AP)

It was not clear who sent the message or how it was communicated.

Children aged between one and 15 were rescued from the compound that had been under investigation for months. The sheriff said it appeared the children had not eaten for days.

Women arrested at the property, believed to be mothers of some of the children, have been identified as 35-year-old Jany Leveille, 38-year-old Hujrah Wahhaj, and 35-year-old Subhannah Wahhaj.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday welcomed Washington's decision to impose fresh sanctions on Russia after the United States determined that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain. Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found slumped unconscious on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March after a liquid form of the Novichok type of nerve agent was applied to his home's front door. Britain has blamed Russia for attack, and together with the United States and Western allies expelled dozens of diplomats. Russia has denied involvement in the poisoning and responded with retaliatory expulsions. "The UK welcomes this further action by our U.S. allies," a spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said in a statement. "The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behavior will not go unchallenged." (Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
California's biggest wildfire on record is expected to burn for the rest of the month, fire officials say, amid strong winds and a summer heatwave.

Hot and blustery conditions challenged thousands of fire crews, who battled eight major blazes burning out of control across the state on often rugged terrain.

The inferno has spread more than 450 square miles in just 11 days, forcing thousands of people to flee and destroying at least 75 homes. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

The latest report from firefighters is that 34 per cent of the fire has been contained, after it damaged 75 residences and nearly 2,000 other structures.

The state experienced a similarly large wildfire last year in the southern part of the state in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, but the Mendocino Fire has eclipsed the Thomas Fire in size.

The Thomas Fire claimed two lives and destroyed 1,000 buildings in the region.

Though the current blaze is raging in mostly uninhabited land, it does threaten more than 11,000 structures surrounding it and as it spreads more evacuations have been ordered.

The state department of forestry and fire protection (Cal Fire) spokesperson Scott McLean said nearly 14,000 firefighters are combatting the Mendocino blaze.

"I can remember a couple of years ago when we saw 10 to 12,000 firefighters in the states of California, Oregon and Washington and never the 14,000 we see now," he said.

Cal Fire chief Charlie Blankenheim said planes have been deployed to drop water across wide swathes of the blaze to assist ground crews as well.

The Mendocino fire has caused such a haze of smoke that Sacremento county, where the state capital is, has advised residents to restrict outdoor activities over health concerns from breathing in the smoke.

Crews also gained ground against another northern California wildfire that has destroyed more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding.

It was nearly halfway contained, Cal Fire said. That wildfire is about 225 miles (360 km) north of San Francisco and started more than two weeks ago by sparks from the steel wheel of a trailer's flat tyre.

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The fire has claimed the lives of two firefighters and four residents while displacing more than 38,000 people.

Meanwhile, a new fire erupted south of Los Angeles in Orange County once again in the southern part of the state on early in the week and quickly spread through the Cleveland National Forest.

Campgrounds and homes in the area were ordered evacuated as the fire sent up an enormous pillar of smoke and ash due to dried out earth.

Environmental experts have said one of the causes of the fires spreading so quickly and intensely this year is climate change, which has led to hotter weather drying out vegetation to the point that the smallest spark can cause massive blazes.

They also blame over-development, however, as cities have continually expanded into forest land, making them more susceptible to fire damage.
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada delayed the deportation of a Saudi asylum seeker slated for Wednesday after a United Nations human rights committee asked for time to review the man's case, his lawyer said. The delay comes in the midst of a diplomatic row between Canada and Saudi Arabia after Ottawa called for the release of arrested Saudi civil society activists. Riyadh accused Ottawa of interfering in its internal affairs. The Saudi man, who walked across the Canadian border with the United States earlier this year with his wife and two sons, was ordered deported because he had withdrawn a previous individual asylum claim, his lawyer Anne Castagner said. His lawyers requested that the man not be named in order to protect his safety. On Wednesday, a letter from the U.N. human rights committee called on Canada to halt the man's deportation until the committee could make its own decision on the case. A spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who oversees the body that conducts deportations, would not comment on the particulars of the case but said that, in general, "Canada provides time for the committee to take a look at a case" when it asks. It would be very unusual for Canada not to let the United Nations review a case before someone is deported, Castagner said - especially given Canada's public castigation of Saudi Arabia's human rights practices. The length of the delay in the deportation was unclear. The asylum seeker was scheduled to be flown to Riyadh on Wednesday but was instead taken to a Quebec hospital for "stress-related" reasons, lawyer Stephanie Valois told Reuters in an email. Canada deported 30 people to Saudi Arabia in the first nine months of last year, and 21 the year before. Last year the country got 362 refugee claims from Saudis. (Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday refused to apologize for calling out Saudi Arabia on its human rights record, after Riyadh said it was considering further punitive measures against Ottawa over its criticisms of the kingdom.

Tensions have been high between the two countries since Monday, when Riyadh expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and froze all new trade and investments.

Riyadh also said it will relocate thousands of Saudi students studying in Canada to other countries, while state airline Saudia announced it was suspending flights to Toronto.

The kingdom was angry at Ottawa for openly denouncing a crackdown on rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

But on Wednesday, Trudeau stood firm.

"Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights," he said.

"We do not wish to have poor relations with Saudi Arabia," he added, saying Ottawa recognizes that Riyadh "has made progress when it comes to human rights."

Trudeau noted that his foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, had "a long conversation" on Tuesday with her counterpart Adel al-Jubeir to try to resolve the dispute.

"Diplomatic talks continue," he said.

On Wednesday, Saudi state media said the kingdom has nevertheless also stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and was working on transferring all Saudi patients there to other countries.

Further straining ties, the Saudi central bank has instructed its overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost," the Financial Times reported.

But in an apparent effort to safeguard its economic interests, Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the dispute will not affect state oil giant Aramco's clients in Canada.

Saudi oil supplies are independent of political considerations, Falih was quoted as saying by state media.

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- 'Matter of national security' -

Last week, Canada sparked fury in Riyadh by calling for the "immediate release" of rights campaigners, including award-winning women's rights activist Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.

That arrest came after more than a dozen women's rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state.

When asked about the jailed activists, Jubeir on Wednesday reiterated the government's stance that they had been in contact with foreign entities, but did not specify the charges against them.

"The matter is not about human rights, it is a matter of national security," Jubeir told reporters.

"Saudi Arabia does not interfere in the affairs of Canada in any way. Therefore, Canada must correct its actions towards the kingdom."

Jubeir ruled out mediation as a way to put an end to the row.

"There is nothing to mediate," he said.

"Canada made a big mistake... and a mistake should be corrected."

Jubeir added that Saudi Arabia was "considering additional measures" against Canada, without elaborating.

Experts have said the Saudi move illustrates how the oil-rich kingdom is increasingly seeking to use its economic and diplomatic muscle to quell foreign criticism under its young de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In Canada, there was disappointment that major Western powers including the United States -- a key ally of Saudi Arabia -- have not publicly come out in support of Canada, though it is not the first country to be targeted for speaking up.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Stockholm over criticism by the Swedish foreign minister of Riyadh's human rights record.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia was scaling back its dealings with some German companies amid a diplomatic spat with Berlin.

The move came after Germany's foreign minister last November remarked that Lebanon was a "pawn" of Saudi Arabia after the surprise resignation of its Prime Minister Saad Hariri while in Riyadh.
Carrie Underwood has major plans in store for 2019.

The country singer posted a video to tell fans about her upcoming Cry Pretty tour, which will kick off next May in support of her new album of the same name, which drops on Sept. 14.

But it turns out that Underwood has another big project in development: a second baby with her husband, Mike Fisher.

Ooh baby do we have a bundle of info to share with you! Click here for info on The Cry Pretty Tour 360! #CryPrettyTourBundle #CryPrettyTour360 #CryPrettyAlbum @CALIAbyCarrie https://t.co/9K79jKnwai pic.twitter.com/kcL76v6XuK  Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) August 8, 2018

You might be wondering, or asking, Carrie, why is your tour starting in May?' Underwood teased in the video. Well. 

At that point, the camera pulls back to reveal balloons spelling the word baby.

Mike and Isaiah and I are absolutely over the moon and excited to be adding another little fish to our pond, the 35-year-old singer shared. This has just been a dream come true with the album and the baby news and all that stuff. Were just so excited, and just so glad that you guys can share in this with us.

Carrie Underwood and NHL star Mike Fisher are expecting their second child. (Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Underwood married NHL star Fisher in 2010; their son, Isaiah, is 3. Underwood recently spoke to Redbook about expanding their brood.

Im 35, so we may have missed our chance to have a big family, she told the magazine, though the comment was later criticized because it suggested women over 35 are too old to conceive. We always talk about adoption, and about doing it when our child or children are a little older.

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Underwood did not reveal her due date in the video message.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:




Ramona Braganza is helping the women of Mumbais red light district. (Photo: Courtesy of Ramona Braganza)

Falkland Road, Mumbai, Indias notorious red light district that dates back to British colonial times, has for decades both fascinated and horrified journalists, photographers, writers, travelers, and citizens. But no amount of prior knowledge could have prepared celebrity fitness trainer Ramona Braganza for the harsh reality of the crowded, narrow street, lined with wooden cages teeming with prostitutes of all ages, many of them mere girls.

Braganza, a former cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, who has also trained scores of celebrities  including Dakota Johnson, Jessica Alba, Ashlee Simpson-Ross, and Halle Berry  is of Indian descent, and when she turned 50 in 2013, she was looking for a way to give back through what comes most naturally to her: fitness. She wasnt sure how to do that and was kicking around ideas with friends at her Caribbean home on Harbor Island, when one of them mentioned that his brother ran the Catholic Relief Services in India. One thing led to another and Braganza soon found herself en route to Mumbai to meet with Priti Patkar, a human rights activist and co-founder of Prerana, an organization that works to rescue and protect children vulnerable to sexual exploitation. The pair met in Preranas offices on Falkland Road.

It felt like I was on the set of a seedy and dangerous movie, Braganza tells Yahoo Lifestyle. The building also housed a daycare for the babies of working young girls who had nowhere to leave them but on the streets. It was very emotional seeing a room full of these 1- and 2-year-olds sitting and crawling on hard concrete floor.

Patkar told Braganza that Prerana ran a safe house on the outskirts of the city for girls rescued from Mumbais sex trade. After an emotionally charged visit to the house, Braganza knew exactly what she wanted to do: work with girls and young women affiliated Prerana to help them get physically fit, and get them certified as fitness trainers so that they would have a skill through which they could potentially earn a living.

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Women at Prerana in fitness training. (Photo: Courtesy of Ramona Braganza)

Fitness is one of Indias fastest-growing sectors, and in recent years, more Indians across the socioeconomic spectrum have become fitness conscious, says Yasmin Karachiwala, a well-known Mumbai trainer who works with Indian celebrities and Bollywood movie stars. Gyms offering all manner of classes and equipment are mushrooming across India, even in second- and third-tier cities, she says, and its become a social part of peoples life to talk about what kind of workout they do and how many steps they have done in a day. The number of fitness trainers across India has also increased, according to Karachiwala, as has the number of people following online workouts in the privacy of their homes.

But for girls like those rescued by Prerana, fitness is still a remote concept.

In Preranas safe house, the girls are clothed, fed, and educated, Braganza says. Theyre given access to computers and theyre given job training in areas like sewing or beauty. But fitness is still a completely new area for many Indians, particularly those in the lower-income segments of society. That said, once the girls began working with Braganza, it was clear that the experience thrilled them.

These girls have never exercised before, but once they start working out, you can tell how theyre regaining ownership over bodies that have never been theirs, how the endorphins theyre releasing are making them feel so much stronger, she says.

Setting up shop at Prerana. (Photo: Courtesy of Ramona Braganza)

For Braganza  who set up an organization called 321 Empower to help realize her goal of helping trafficking victims through fitness  and the girls at Prerana, working out together is a unique, fulfilling, and productive experience on many levels.

When Ramona first came to me with the idea of fitness, what I realized first is that fitness has everything to do with self-care, and in India, we hardly ever talk to women about their own health and self-care, Patkar tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Her approach, which also provides these girls with livelihood training, is both simple and achievable for them.

For girls who have either worked as prostitutes or who, like many in Preranas safe house, are the children of prostitutes and have been exposed to that milieu, fitness is a great way to work through their experiences.

These girls have experienced so much trauma that if you directly go to their mind to help them, it sometimes doesnt work, Patkar says. Through their bodies, though, its a very different approach. You can see that when theyre first exercising, theyre very aggressive because theyre dealing with their own individual trauma and working through their anger, but then they reach a level where theyre really enjoying the entire exercise and loving the sense of physical empowerment they begin to feel.

On her first visit to Preranas safe house, Braganza took 15 pairs of running shoes to give to the girls she would be training. Theyd never worn shoes like that before, and they were jumping all over the place, loving them, she says.

Theyd never worn shoes like that before. (Photo: Courtesy of Ramona Braganza)

She kept things simple: The girls ran for their cardio, did pushups against a wall, and used water bottles as weights. Braganza then left them in the care of a certified fitness trainer who got the girls on a regular exercise schedule.

When she returned six months later, she added to the fitness equipment in the safe house and brought in full-length mirrors. On her next visit to Mumbai, Braganza taught a course that would certify the girls in aerobics. Five of them have now been certified, including 18-year-old Soni who is eager to continue her fitness journey and to begin to teach.

Braganza and Patkar are hoping that Soni will train at Preranas safe house and serve as a mentor there. Indias Ministry of Women & Child Development estimates that 19,233 women and children were trafficked in 2016, compared to 15,448 in 2015, and most of them end up forced into the sex trade. It is an overwhelming problem, one that needs to be addressed in any way possible.

Patkar has been working in the space for 30 years and has come across girls as young as 14 being forced into the sex trade. Beyond that, a girl child born in that world would invariably end up in the sex trade herself, she says. She would be groomed and lured, and by the time she is 14 she would be sold. A boy child is also groomed to be a pimp, a trafficker, or drug trader. Our outreach aims to break that cycle, to speak to mothers and children and transfer the children to our safe house.

Many remain in the safe house until they are 18, after which they may go on to college or out into the world, equipped with a specific skill set that will enable them to earn a living. Thanks to Braganza  who is hoping to begin a round of fundraising in the U.S. for her organization in November  fitness training is now on the list of possibilities and will, hopefully, open up doors for a new generation of girls.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey took to his own social media platform Tuesday to explain why the company decided not to ban conspiracy theorist and conservative radio show host Alex Jones, unlike other major tech companies.

Over the past week, Apple, Spotify, Facebook and YouTube each banned or removed content from Jones pages, channels and his website Infowars from their platforms, citing community guidelines against hate speech.

In a series of tweets Tuesday, Dorsey said that Jones has not violated Twitters rules.

We didnt suspend Alex Jones or Infowars yesterday, Dorsey wrote. We know thats hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasnt violated our rules. Well enforce if he does. And well continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets arent artificially amplified.

We didnt suspend Alex Jones or Infowars yesterday. We know thats hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasnt violated our rules. Well enforce if he does. And well continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets arent artificially amplified.  jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

In the same thread, Dorsey said Twitter in the past has been terrible at explaining our decisions but that theyre fixing that.

Were going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories, he said.

Truth is weve been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past. Were fixing that. Were going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories.  jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Twitter has faced significant backlash for not taking action against neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and other extreme views.

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Further in Dorseys thread, he said it was up to journalists to document, validate, and refute claims like Jones. That is what serves the public conversation best.

Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so its critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.  jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Jones is currently being sued by the parents of Sandy Hook victims for claiming the 2012 mass school shooting was a hoax.
By John Geddie SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A wildlife charity set up a fake online ivory shop in Singapore, attracting widespread condemnation, in a stunt to underline local laws which it says continue to facilitate illicit ivory trade globally. A week after the launch of Ivory Lane, which purported to sell vintage ivory jewelry items through an online store and social media accounts, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Tuesday unveiled it was behind the stunt. WWF said the campaign "sparked a heated debate on wildlife trade, national legislation and enforcement in Singapore" garnering 65,000 reactions on social media. Singapore banned the commercial import and export of ivory in 1990, although ivory that entered the market before 1990 is still permitted for sale in the city-state. WWF says this continues to facilitate illicit ivory trade globally as recently poached ivory could masquerade as vintage ivory. The Singapore government is looking into implementing a domestic ban on the sale of ivory, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore said in an emailed statement, adding that the implementation details are currently being worked out. WWF's investigations found more than 40 shops in Singapore selling ivory products and numerous online listings on popular e-commerce and classified platforms. In physical shops, WWF investigators said traders explained how to smuggle ivory across borders undetected which they said showed how easily the loopholes in the law can be misused. Singapore, a global trading hub, has made large scale-seizures of ivory in recent years and conservation groups say it acts as a transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade. (Reporting by John Geddie; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
Protesters shout anti-Nazi chants after chasing white supremacist Jason Kessler from a news conference August 13, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  The Associated Press reporter on the phone with Jalane Schmidt wanted two voices for her article: One would be Jason Kessler, the white supremacist who organized the Unite the Right rally here last year that left one dead and dozens injured. The other, the reporter hoped, would be Schmidt herself, a Black Lives Matter activist and associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia.

The story would be a debate, of sorts. Both sides would be represented.

Hell no, Schmidt said after she hung up.

Schmidt gets a lot of calls from reporters. She can take you on a tour of Charlottesville with words alone. Shell tell the story of the slaves who worked on campus as students bustled to class through Nameless Field and the Rotunda, and juxtapose the image with that of torch-wielding white nationalists and Nazis who marched there on Aug. 11 last year. Shes an expert on the white supremacy that has pervaded this city since its founding. Its only natural journalists would come to her.



Jalane Schmidt talks in front of a Charlottesville monument to Stonewall Jackson, right in front of a courthouse in town. (Photo: Andy Campbell/HuffPost)

Except a lot of journalists, locked into a mode of neutral reporting unsuited to stories about racism, also want the other side. Thats why, if youre reporting in Charlottesville, theres a question youll have to answer if you want to interview certain activists, people of color, clergy members, educators and others affected by last years Unite the Right rally:

Will you also be interviewing a white supremacist for your article?

If the answer is anything but no, youre probably not getting your interview. A network of more than 40 activists like Schmidt  many of whom marched, provided respite, were injured or were otherwise affected during the violent white supremacist rallies on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12  now take calls only if they have the green light from Charlottesville Anti-Racist Media Liaisons, a team of volunteers with a steadfast message for journalists seeking comment:

No platform for white supremacy, the groups Mimi Arbeit told HuffPost. No face time, no interviews, no way. No platform to spread their violent views and actions.

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This isnt some petty rule aimed at making reporters jobs more difficult. Giving column inches to violent racists and white supremacists  like Kessler, or fellow UVa graduate and white supremacist Richard Spencer, or their pals  alongside local activists is creating an equivalency where none exists, tantamount to President Donald Trump saying there were good people on both sides of the Charlottesville confrontations.

Journalists are trained to seek out the two poles of any given question, as if truth could be found somewhere between them. This approach can have its virtues, but what happens when the question is about whether a class of people is fully human? Charlottesville Anti-Racist Media Liaisons members have no patience for any outlet that considers this a matter for debate.

Its a deep betrayal to the entire community of Charlottesville, Arbeit said. Fascism uses the press to normalize itself and recruit followers and gain social power. The press is not a neutral player in history.

In Schmidts telling, the Unite the Right rally wasnt exceptional; it was Charlottesville white supremacy, same as it ever was. Not long before the citys Stonewall Jackson statue was unveiled in 1921, for instance, there was a Klan ceremony at Thomas Jeffersons Monticello. Hundreds of Charlottesvilles leading business and professional men attended, per Schmidts research, and a cross-burning ceremony was held at Jeffersons tomb.

While the expressions of white power became more genteel over the course of the 20th century, the underlying dynamic remained. Thats what made Emancipation Park and UVas campus so appealing to Nazis in the first place; its why the Ku Klux Klan felt comfortable marching in town a month prior, and why Spencer felt safe coming back two months later; its why locals are still fighting over monuments to slavery and the Confederacy that tower over courthouses, in parks, and on campus.

Riot police protect members of the Ku Klux Klan from counter-protesters as they arrive to rally in support of Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. July 8, 2017. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)

Very often the best ally to a white supremacist is a reporter stuck in neutral. In November, The New York Times dedicated 2,000 empathic words to the Nazi sympathizer next door, giving him space in the newspaper of record to deny the Holocaust, demonize Trayvon Martin and hail victory in Charlottesville, all in one story.

In their surface neutrality, these kinds of articles assume a liberal cosmopolitanism in readers that the very existence of the articles seemingly contradicts. If Americans could be counted on to recoil from baldly stated white supremacy, well, we wouldnt be here, would we?

This is where Charlottesville Anti-Racist Media Liaisons comes in. Formed in May 2017 in the aftermath of a tiki-torch rally in Charlottesville that was a precursor to the Unite the Right event, the group is made up of volunteer flacks and activists from various anti-racist organizations in town. They coordinate interviews between reporters and activists, issue press releases that identify different extremist groups and leaders so that local and national media know whom theyre covering, and publicize anti-fascist action, when necessary. They also act as a go-between for activists who dont want to be identified by the press, but want to get a message out.

In recent months, various activists and representatives of the group have fielded calls from reporters who wanted to interview their people alongside Kessler or other extremists tied to the Unite the Right rally. Last year, they got similar requests after the KKK marched in town. The answer each time is no. Sometimes, theyll point to an Associated Press style guide on white nationalism and the alt-right, which suggests giving context when calling someone a white nationalist. Then theyll issue a press release with such context. A release from last year by Showing Up for Racial Justice, an adjacent activist group in Charlottesville, reads:

Following the spirit of the AP style suggestions, Kesslers full background should be explained in any reports: He is a white nationalist. To do otherwise is to normalize his fringe racism.

The activists of Charlottesville Anti-Racist Media Liaisons have seen up close how bad actors take advantage of the both sides tendencies of the media.

A few months prior to Unite the Right, Kessler was looking to get a local black politician fired. He surfaced some years-old tweets sent out by then-Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy. In one, from 2011, Bellamy reportedly retweeted a message about rape: Word...RT: TAXSTONE: Eat it while she asleep if she moan it aint rape, the retweet read, according to the Cavalier Daily. In another: Im all for equal opportunity..but a Female Principal with a school full of female teachers is fkn a sure fire way to fk our lil boys up smh.

Some of the tweets were certainly bad; others  I DONT LIK WHIT PEOPLE SO I HATE WHITE SNOW!!!!! FML!!!! he reportedly tweeted in 2009  were harmless. But they were all being offered up in fake outrage by a man whose agenda does not include standing up for the oppressed. And any story that allowed Kessler to cast himself as a concerned citizen was only helping his cause.

Kessler seized the opportunity and began a media tour to try and get Bellamy ousted from his seat on city council. He found his mark in local freelancer Jackson Landers, who gave the white supremacist 1,000 words in C-VILLE Weekly to attack Bellamys character. Prior to writing the story, Landers emailed local activist and lawyer Pam Starsia, wondering why she and her group, Showing Up for Racial Justice Charlottesville, were so up in arms about Kessler, rather than the vice mayor.

I understand and agree with everything that you are saying about Kessler but what Im having trouble understanding is the strong support of Bellamy, Landers wrote in one email, provided to HuffPost by Starsia. What is the rationale for condemning one of these guys for his racist and sexist statements but excusing the other for his racist and sexist statements?

Unite The Right rally organizer Jason Kessler is escorted by police after he attempted to speak at a press conference in front of Charlottesville City Hall in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 13, 2017. (Photo: Justin Ide / Reuters)

The point  that this was a bad-faith campaign launched in an attempt to unseat a black politician, not to mention that anti-white racism isnt a thing  had flown over Landers head.

He was playing right into Kesslers thing, Starsia said this week. Kessler wanted to attack a black man. I cant stress enough how hard Charlottesville fell for it. The media at the time was saying Wes tweets were racist against white people.

And, most egregious of all, the media let Kessler do all the talking. In Landers story, Kessler was dubbed a conservative activist who wants, among other things, to preserve Confederate monuments in town because of their ethnic significance to Southern white people. Landers even let Kessler define white supremacy in the piece:

Among Kesslers complaints against Bellamy for misuse of office is his vote to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee from Lee Park. He made clear that he did it to attack white supremacy, a partisan left-wing term that most on the right construe as a pretense to attack white people and their history, Kessler said.

Kesslers petition to remove Bellamy from office was later thrown out.

Last week, Landers defended his story in an email to HuffPost, calling it an accurate piece of journalism. He said Kessler hadnt shown an open affinity for Nazis or the KKK, though he admitted that he wouldnt allow Kessler to define white supremacy today.

I think I may have been the first person to write any sort of article about Jason Kesslers antics, Landers said. But he wanted to make clear: It is a fact that Wes Bellamy tweeted those statements and as a sitting politician that becomes news.

These are the types of stories that piss off local activists the most  the stories that soften or euphemize Kesslers intentions. The ones that make him the protagonist. Kessler Harassed On Downtown Mall by SURJ, reads a headline. Confederate statue supporter Jason Kessler, someone writes. Local blogger Jason Kessler, says another.

The feeling of being in close proximity to Nazis and in confrontation with Nazis is a weekly experience in Charlottesville, Arbeit said. People still living in Charlottesville have not stepped away from that visceral trauma, and we have to relive it regularly. We have a lot of court dates for Nazis being tried for violent crimes, we have lawsuits against them, we have lawsuits over the [Confederate monuments], the targeting of black men who defended themselves on Aug. 12, and constant threats.

That looming threat is that Arbeit and other activists draw a hard line when it comes to showing civility to hateful people.

Were not debating. Were fighting against a genocidal agenda, she said, noting that Charlottesville Anti-Racist Media Liaisons keeps tabs on news reports that give white supremacy a platform. The people have not forgotten or forgiven.

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United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday announced the appointment of Michelle Bachelet, Chile's twice-serving president who endured torture under the Pinochet regime, as the world body's next human rights chief.

Bachelet, 66, is set to replace Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein of Jordan, a sharp critic of US President Donald Trump's policies, who held the post of UN high commissioner for human rights since September 2014.

A two-time president who ranks among the world's most powerful women in politics, Bachelet also served in 2010 as the first director of UN Women, the UN agency promoting gender equality worldwide.

Guterres informed the General Assembly of his decision in a letter on Wednesday following consultations with the heads of regional groups at the United Nations, a UN statement said.

The 193-nation assembly will meet on Friday to vote on the appointment, which is expected to win approval, diplomats said. Zeid is due to step down on August 31.

Bachelet will step into a position that has drawn much controversy under Zeid, who decided not to seek a second term after losing support from powerful countries including the United States, Russia and China.

Zeid last year compared Trump to a bus driver "careening down a mountain path", engaged in "reckless driving" for his attacks on the media.

In an implicit swipe at Zeid, US Ambassador Nikki Haley urged Bachelet "to avoid the failures of the past."

"The UN has failed to adequately address major human rights crises in Iran, North Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, or stop its chronic, disproportionate obsession with Israel.

"It is up to Ms. Bachelet to speak out against these failures rather than accept the status quo. We hope that she does," Haley said in a statement.

Zeid steps down on August 31.

- One of the world's most difficult jobs -

With Zeid under fire for his blunt criticism of leaders, rights groups were concerned that Guterres would seek to appoint a less vocal human rights boss.

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"If selected, Bachelet will be taking on one of the world's most difficult jobs at a moment when human rights are under widespread attack," said Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth.

"As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful."

The daughter of a general who opposed Augusto Pinochet's overthrow of president Salvador Allende, Bachelet was detained in 1975 and held for several weeks at the infamous Villa Grimaldi interrogation and torture center in Santiago.

"I was mainly tortured psychologically, and some beating, but they didn't 'grill' me," Bachelet said in an interview, using prisoners' slang for electric shocks administered to detainees.

"I was lucky compared to so many others. Many of them died," said Bachelet in the 2014 interview, one of the few times that she has discussed the ordeal.

The pediatrician and socialist who was Chile's first woman to hold the presidency was in office from 2006 to 2010, and then again from 2014 to March this year.

Last year, Guterres named her as a member of a high-level panel on mediation that provides him with advice on peace efforts, describing her as a "long-time champion of women's rights" with a "history of dynamic global leadership, highly-honed political skills and a recognized ability to create consensus."

Born in Santiago, Bachelet was studying medicine when she was detained for several weeks. After her release, she went into exile with her mother to Australia before moving to East Germany.

Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979, but was prevented from working as a doctor for political reasons. She continued studying, specializing in pediatrics and public health.

After democracy was restored to Chile in 1990, she worked for the health ministry and in 2000 was appointed health minister, followed by defense minister four years later.

As president, Bachelet offered a dramatic break from Chile's highly conservative political class. She reformed the pension system and improved health and social services, focusing on Chile's working poor.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to appoint Michelle Bachelet, Chile's twice-serving president who endured torture under the Pinochet regime, as the world body's new human rights chief, diplomats said Wednesday.

Bachelet, 66, would replace Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein of Jordan, a sharp critic of US President Donald Trump's policies, who held the post of UN high commissioner for human rights since September 2014.

A two-time president who ranks among the world's most powerful women in politics, Bachelet also served in 2010 as the first director of UN Women, the UN agency promoting gender equality worldwide.

Diplomats said UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed told a meeting of ambassadors this week that Bachelet had agreed to take on the role of UN human rights boss.

The diplomats cautioned, however, that her appointment must be endorsed by the General Assembly.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq declined to confirm the decision but said a name was being sent to the 193-nation assembly. "The process is nearing its conclusion," he said.

Bachelet would step into a position that has drawn much controversy under Zeid, who decided not to seek a second term after losing support from powerful countries.

After clashing with the United States, Russia and China, Zeid decided to bow out, telling staff in a message that "in the current geopolitical context," to stay "might involve bending a knee in supplication."

During a farewell news conference last week, Zeid defended his no-holds-barred approach.

"Silence does not earn you any respect," he said as he prepares to step down on August 31.

Zeid said his advice to his successor would be to "be fair and don't discriminate against any country" and "just come out swinging."

- One of the world's most difficult jobs -

With Zeid under fire during his tenure, rights groups had expressed concern that Guterres would seek to appoint a less vocal human rights chief.

Story continues

"If selected, Bachelet will be taking on one of the world's most difficult jobs at a moment when human rights are under widespread attack," said Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth.

"As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful."

The daughter of a general who opposed Augusto Pinochet's overthrow of president Salvador Allende, Bachelet was detained in 1975 and held for several weeks at the infamous Villa Grimaldi interrogation and torture centre in Santiago.

"I was mainly tortured psychologically, and some beating, but they didn't 'grill' me," Bachelet said in an interview, using prisoners' slang for electric shocks administered to detainees.

"I was lucky compared to so many others. Many of them died," said Bachelet in the 2014 interview, one of the few times that she has discussed the ordeal.

The pediatrician and socialist who was Chile's first woman to hold the presidency was in office from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018.

Last year, Guterres appointed her to be on a high-level UN panel on mediation that provides him with advice on UN peace efforts.

The UN chief described her as a "long-time champion of women's rights" with a "history of dynamic global leadership, highly-honed political skills and a recognized ability to create consensus."

Born in Santiago, Bachelet was studying medicine when she was detained for several weeks. After her release, she went into exile with her mother to Australia and then moved to East Germany.

Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979, but was prevented from working as a doctor for political reasons. She continued studying, specializing in pediatrics and public health.

After democracy was restored to Chile in 1990, she worked for the health ministry and in 2000 was appointed health minister followed by defense minister four years later.

As president, Bachelet offered a dramatic break from Chile's highly conservative political class. She reformed the pension system and improved health and social services, focusing on Chile's working poor.
Wall St. dips as oil slide drags down energy shares. Todays topics include China tariffs, Tesla, the Chris Collins indictment, Warren Buffetts bets, and more of the days top stories. Catch The Final Round at 3:55 ET p.m. with Yahoo Finances Jen Rogers, Andy Serwer, Seana Smith, and Jared Blikre. Also joining the show today, Tasha Keeney, and analyst at ARK Invest.

Winners and losers

Lets take a look at some of todays winners and losers. Stocks in the red include, Papa Johns as the restaurant franchise lowered its outlook for same-store sales, expecting sales at stores open at least a year to decline by 7% to 10%; Hostess Brands, as shares took a nosedive after the baked goods company reported an earnings miss, profit warning and pullback in shelf space at Walmart; and Snap, as the company reported its first ever decline in daily active users. CEO Evan Spiegel blaming the user drop on a recent redesign.

Stocks in the green include CVS Health, as adjusted quarterly profit topped analyst estimates and the company sold more prescription drugs at its stores; Albemarle, as the worlds largest producer of the electric car battery ingredient. lithium, said it would double its stock buyback to $500 million for the year; and Michael Kors, as the designer of luxury accessories and ready to wear, saw first-quarter earnings top estimates helped by Jimmy Choo and store renovations.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's business ties with Iran are open, transparent and lawful, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said companies doing business with Iran would be barred from the United States. New U.S. sanctions on Iran have taken effect despite pleas from Washington's allies. Iran dismissed a last-minute offer from the Trump administration for talks, saying it could not negotiate while Washington had reneged on a 2015 deal to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. Trump decided this year to pull out of the agreement, ignoring pleas from the other world powers that had co-sponsored the deal, including Washington's main European allies, Britain, France and Germany, as well as Russia and China. Beijing has cultivated close commercial links with Tehran, especially in the energy sector. "China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions and long-armed jurisdiction," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a faxed statement to Reuters, responding to questions on the new U.S. sanctions and Trump's threats on firms doing business with Iran. "China's commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable, fair and lawful, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions," it added. "China's lawful rights should be protected." China, Iran's top oil customer, buys roughly 650,000 barrels a day of crude oil from Tehran, or 7 percent of China's total crude oil imports. At current market rates, the imports are worth some $15 billion a year. State energy firms CNPC and Sinopec have invested billions of dollars in key Iranian oil fields such as Yadavaran and North Azadegan and have been sending oil to China. European countries, hoping to persuade Tehran to continue to respect the nuclear deal, have promised to try to lessen the blow of sanctions and to urge their firms not to pull out. But that has proven difficult, and European companies have quit Iran, arguing that they cannot risk their U.S. business. Few American companies do much business in Iran so the impact of sanctions mainly stems from Washington's ability to block European and Asian firms from trading there. Among large European companies that have suspended plans to invest in Iran are France's oil major Total and its big carmakers, PSA and Renault . (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Nick Macfie)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP)  A Colorado university is offering to reprint up to 9,200 diplomas after the outgoing editor of the school newspaper found a big typo.

Alec Williams was checking to make sure his name was spelled correctly on his Colorado Mesa University diploma when he noticed it said "Coard of Trustees" instead of "Board of Trustees" in Old English font.

Williams told The Daily Sentinel he laughed, but then got frustrated because he had $30,000 in student loans and a diploma with a typo.

CMU President Tim Foster says the university is sending corrected diplomas to 2018 graduates and will offer them to graduates as far back as 2012.

They cost $5 each, so the university could spend nearly $46,000.

Foster says CMU designs its diplomas "so this mistake is all ours."

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Information from: The Daily Sentinel, http://www.gjsentinel.com
By Amedee Mwarabu KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congo's President Joseph Kabila will not stand in the election scheduled for December, a spokesman said, finally agreeing to obey a two-term limit but picking a hard-core loyalist under European Union sanctions to stand instead. The announcement on Wednesday by spokesman Lambert Mende that former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary would represent Kabila's ruling coalition in the Dec. 23 vote came just hours before the deadline to register candidates. Ramazani, dressed in a light suit and flanked by supporters from the coalition, briefly addressed reporters after filing his candidacy later in the afternoon at the headquarters of the national electoral commission in the capital Kinshasa. "(Kabila) said there would be no problem. He said there would be no third term. Today, he has kept his promise," Ramazani said. "It is a great honor for me and, with time, we are going to offer a social program." Kabila was due to step down in 2016 at the end of his constitutional mandate. But the election to replace him was repeatedly delayed and he refused to commit explicitly to not seeking a third term. That sparked protests in which the security forces killed dozens of people, and stoked militia violence in Democratic Republic of Congo's volatile east. Kabila had come under strong pressure from regional allies such as Angola as well as the United States and EU to stand down. The selection of Ramazani, 57, is, however, a defiant move. He is under EU sanctions for alleged human rights abuses, including deadly crackdowns by security forces on protesters. Kabila's choice of a die-hard loyalist suggests that the president, who came to power after his father's assassination in 2001, intends to remain closely involved in national politics. He will be eligible to run again in 2023. A Ramazani victory could also lead to a continuation of Kabila's policies, including a tough line on the mining sector, where foreign investors hope the government will walk back steep tax hikes approved earlier this year. Congo is Africa's top producer of copper and the world's leading miner of cobalt, which is prized for its use in batteries for electric cars and other electronics. KABILA PULLS THE STRINGS? Kabila will remain at the head of his People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) and has installed loyalists across the federal bureaucracy, including in the courts and in the military. But the announcement that he will not run again will ease fears in the region and beyond that a Kabila candidacy would drag the country back into the civil wars of the turn of the century in which millions died, mostly from hunger and disease. "What matters for the moment is that the constitution, whether willingly or not, has been respected," said Senator Jacques Ndjoli of the opposition MLC party of former vice president and presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba. "Despite the multiple attempts to circumvent the constitution, President Kabila finally understood that the supreme law applies to everyone." U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement that she welcomed the announcement but that much more needed to be done to ensure a credible election in December. The election should herald Congo's first democratic transition of power following decades marked by authoritarian rule, coups and deadly conflict. Ramazani, a former governor of the eastern province of Maniema, served as interior minister from late 2016 until this February, when he was named permanent secretary of the PPRD. He is a combative defender of Kabila and oversaw repeated crackdowns on protesters and pro-democracy groups as interior minister, especially in the aftermath of Kabila's refusal to quit power when his mandate expired in December 2016. In May 2017, the EU slapped a travel ban and asset freeze on him for his involvement in "planning, directing or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations". Several opposition candidates, including Bemba and the president of Congo's largest opposition party, Felix Tshisekedi, have also registered to run. By the close of registration on Wednesday evening, more than two dozen candidates had filed their candidacies. The definitive list of candidates will be published on Sept. 19. Opposition leaders fear the goodwill Kabila could earn from not seeking a new term could make it easier for his coalition to cheat and are concerned about electronic voting machines due to be used for the first time. His supporters dismiss these concerns. "Today, Kabila has shown that he is the father of democracy in Congo," Patrick Nkanga, a PPRD official, told Reuters by telephone. A nationwide opinion poll last month showed opposition candidates collecting a significant majority of the vote with potential candidates from the ruling coalition trailing far behind. The joint leader in that poll, former provincial governor Moise Katumbi, was refused re-entry to Congo at the weekend after two years in exile and has been unable to register. Ramazani did not receive enough votes to be included in the poll's results. (Additional reporting by Patient Ligodi; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Tim Cocks, Alison Williams, William Maclean)
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) has been arrested by the FBI on insider trading charges related to an Australian biotechnology company.

Collins, one of the largest shareholders of Innate Immunotherapeutics and a board member of the biotech firm, faces charges of securities fraud. His son and the father of his sons fiancee were also indicted and charged with fraud.

On Wednesday night, hours after his arrest, Collins held a press conference denying any wrongdoing.

The charges that have been levied against me are meritless and I will mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name, he told reporters.

Collins allegedly passed private information about the company to his son, Cameron Collins, who used the information to make timely trades and tip off others, according to Wednesdays indictment.

The indictment says the congressman informed his son and Stephen Zarsky, the father of his sons fiancee, about the unpublicized trial failure of a drug the company had developed, which would later cause stock prices to plummet. They sold their stocks in the company before the public announcement, which caused the companys stock prices to drop by 92 percent.

In the hours and days after learning of the drug trial results, Christopher Collins, his son, and their associates exchanged a flurry of calls, Steven Peikin, co-director of the SECs Division of Enforcement, said in a statement announcing related civil charges. The investigation yielded a detailed footprint left by the defendants, revealing their frantic efforts to sell shares and warn others before Innate announced bad news.

Chris Collins, his son and Zarsky avoided $768,000 in losses, according to the indictment.

The defendants have also been charged with counts of wire fraud and false statements.

Attorneys for Chris Collins released a statement Wednesday morning, noting that the congressman would say more on the issue later in the day.

It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated, the statement reads.

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House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) stripped Collins of his seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee and called for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Insider trading is a clear violation of the public trust, Ryan said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took it a step further, arguing Collins behavior reflects the culture of the Republican Party as a whole.

The charges against Congressman Collins show the rampant culture of corruption and self-enrichment among Republicans in Washington today, Pelosi said in a statement. The Ethics Committee must accelerate its own investigation into Congressman Collins illegal abuse of the public trust.

The American people deserve better than the GOPs corruption, cronyism, and incompetence.

Despite the indictment, Collins says he wont resign and that he intends to run for re-election, according to an email obtained by The Buffalo News.

Collins, one of Donald Trumps earliest supporters in his presidential bid, reportedly talked up the companys stock to his colleagues, including members of Congress, last year. At the time, he denied discussing Innate Immunotherapeutics with other members of Congress, but he said he did tell some constituents about the companys stock.

In July 2017, the Office of Congressional Ethics found a substantial reason to believe that Collins violated securities law. The OCE inquiry came at the behest of the late Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who filed ethics charges against him in June of that year.

Asked about the allegations at the time, Collins told Fox News it was a witch-hunt and called Slaughter a despicable human being.

The congressman is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon.

This story has been updated with more details about the indictment and Collins response to it.

Related Coverage

Chris Collins Is A Good Example Of Why Americans Think Congress Is Corrupt

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP)  The West Hollywood City Council has unanimously approved a resolution seeking the removal of Donald Trump's star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the president's "disturbing treatment of women and other actions."

Monday's vote isn't likely to get the intended result. The tourist attraction is in neighboring Los Angeles and it's run by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber President Leron Gubler tells the Los Angeles Times the chamber has never removed a star because each is considered part of the walk's "historic fabric."

The council vote came after a man used a pickax to destroy the star last month and was charged with a felony count of vandalism. The star, which has been repaired, recognized Trump for his work on the reality show "The Apprentice."

West Hollywood is a decidedly anti-Trump city. Last spring Mayor John Duran declared it "Stormy Daniels Day" and gave a key to the city to the porn actress who is suing Trump over a confidentiality agreement for an affair she claims they had.
Constance Wu dazzled on the Hollywood red carpet on Tuesday night wearing a sparkling silver mermaid gown to the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians.

Wus gorgeous couture gown was designed by Ralph & Russo and consisted of 90 carats of diamonds, over 200,000 crystals and 490 hours to make. Ralph & Russo are the same designer that Meghan Markle wore for her royal engagement photos with Prince Harry. The dress took 765 hours to make Similar to Markles taste for off-the-shoulder silhouettes, this gown featured the same concept, except with the addition of cascading long fringe details along the shoulder line. With the help of Hollywood stylist Micaela Erlanger, the actress finished off her glamorous look with teardrop earrings and silver rings by Lorraine Schwartz.

Constance Wu attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Picturess Crazy Rich Asians at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on Aug. 7, 2018, in Hollywood. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Constance Wu stars as the inimitable Rachel Chu from the best-selling novel Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan. It is the first big-budget Hollywood film to feature an all-Asian cast in 25 years  something Hollywood hasnt seen since The Joy Luck Club was released in 1993.

This type of mainstream Asian representation in a Hollywood film is why Vanity Fair wrote that this film could be a big watershed moment for the community. For Wu, the film  combined with her successful work in the show Fresh Off the Boat  signifies history in the making. In a lengthy post on Twitter, she said the premiere is truly historic and that more than a movie, its a movement.

#CrazyRichAsians opens August 15th. Read below to understand why it means so much to so many people. All love. @CrazyRichMovie @FreshOffABC @WarnerBrosEnt pic.twitter.com/IISLRDMRjU  Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) August 1, 2018

Crazy Rich Asians opens in theaters on Aug. 15.

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Christopher Cantwell is helped by police after being overcome with tear gas in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 11, 2017. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The following is an excerpt from our project Charlottesville: One Year Later. Yahoo News spoke to over a dozen people connected to the deadly August 2017 rally about how things have changed over the past 12 months. To read the rest of their stories, click here.

Last August, Christopher Cantwell traveled from his home in Keene, N.H., to speak at an alt-right rally in Charlottesville. Nearly a year later, hes finally left Virginia for good  or at least for a court-ordered five years.

The host of a white nationalist internet radio show, Cantwell became more or less the face of the ill-fated Unite the Right rally thanks in large part to a Vice News documentary in which he was featured prominently. His own tearful YouTube video, posted in the aftermath of the violent clashes, earned Cantwell the nickname Cryin Nazi.

Cantwell later surrendered to police and was charged with felony assault stemming from his use of illegal tear gas during a clash with counterprotesters on the torch-lit march through the University of Virginia the night before the rally. He wound up serving 107 days in a Charlottesville jail and more than seven months under house arrest. Last month, he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery and to violating the terms of his bond by referring to his victims on social media and during his radio show  which he hosted from jail. In exchange for his guilty plea, Cantwell was released from jail  and banned from Virginia for five years.

It feels good to be home, says Cantwell, who insists he was framed and coerced into pleading guilty. It feels good to be done with this whole mess.

Cantwells Charlottesville-related legal woes arent exactly behind him; he is the target of an ongoing civil lawsuit by two counterprotesters, including activist Emily Gorcenski, who was pepper-sprayed during the march. (As part of his guilty plea, Cantwell admitted to violating the terms of his bond by talking about Gorcenski and another victim on social media and his radio show. He was fined $250.)

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In the closing scene of the now-infamous Vice documentary, Cantwell  sitting in a hotel room amid an arsenal of weapons  reflects on the violent clashes that resulted in one death and several injuries, telling correspondent Elle Reeve that he considers the weekend a victory for his side.

Looking back on it, the 37-year-old former libertarian now says he would have done a lot of things different.

I wouldnt have gone to that thing if Id realized what a f***ing catastrophe the people who were putting it together were, he says, referring to Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler as a literal f***ing mental patient.

To be clear, Cantwells regrets about his participation in Unite the Right have little to do with the views espoused by its participants, but rather are based on what he sees as Kesslers poor planning and his failure to properly prepare for the potential blowback against a gathering of hundreds of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in a city run by communists.

The idea that anybody would follow him into something as dangerous as what we walked into down there is absolutely insane, Cantwell says.

Despite repeatedly referring to himself as an entertainer, Cantwell is unrepentant about his racist and anti-Semitic worldview. In fact, it seems to have only become further solidified in the past year.

My new favorite catch phrase on the show is, Keep on calling everybody a Nazi, and eventually youre gonna be right, because thats literally what happened, Cantwell says. So Im in jail, held without bond, without probable cause, facing 60 years in prison because a Jew and a tranny framed me for a crime, and everybodys calling me a Nazi. Well, you know what? Im starting to think the Nazis had a f***ing point. (Cantwell only faced 12 months in prison for his Charlottesville-related charges.)

Though nominally about the preservation of a statue honoring Confederate Gen Robert E. Lee, the underlying objective of the Unite the Right was to bring various factions of the largely internet-based alt-right movement together in real life. For many Americans, the sight of men, most of them young, marching through the University of Virginia campus carrying tiki torches and chanting things like Jews will not replace us! served as a shocking realization that such attitudes were still alive in America.

Whatever unity may have existed among the alt-right prior to Charlottesville was largely fractured in its aftermath as efforts to ban some of the movements most vitriolic members from social media and crowdfunding platforms drove them further into the darkest corners of the internet. Fears of losing their job and being labeled a Nazi discouraged many from publicly affiliating themselves with the alt-right, while others who sought to channel the momentum of Charlottesville into a real-life political and social movement proved to be full of hot air. Big-name figures in the world of white supremacy, including Cantwell, have discouraged their followers from attending Kesslers Unite the Right 2, slated to take place in Washington, D.C., this coming weekend.

Likewise, Cantwell disputes the notion that, post-Charlottesville, many people who might have previously held racist views in secret are now more comfortable expressing them.

I think it had the exact opposite impact of that, he says. However, what I will say is that the people who were comfortable voicing them, theyre fanatics now.



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Read more from Yahoo News on Charlottesville, one year later:
PRAGUE (AP)  Czech leaders have paid their respects to three service members whose bodies were transported by military plane to Prague after they were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Andrej Babis and other government and military officials attended a ceremony on Wednesday at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport together with the families of the three.

Babis described as "heroes" Staff Sgt. Martin Marcin, 36, Cpl. Kamil Benes, 28 and Cpl. Patrik Stepanek, 25.

They were killed while on a foot patrol as part of NATO forces near the Bagram military base in the province of Parwan in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday.

Bells tolled across the country as the plane landed, while sirens rang at noon for 140 seconds Wednesday to honor the fallen soldiers.
PRAGUE (Reuters) - The bodies of three Czech soldiers killed in a suicide attack at the weekend in Afghanistan were returned to Prague on Wednesday in a ceremony marking the deadliest incident involving the army's foreign missions in four years. The incident on Aug. 5 near Bagram Air Field in eastern Afghanistan brought the number of Czech soldiers killed in foreign missions to 28 since the country's 1989 transition from communism to democracy. It was the first such loss since four soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan in 2014 in the bloodiest incident in the Czech Army's modern history. The fallen - Martin Marcin, 36, Kamil Benes, 28, and Patrik Stepanek, 24 - were part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission to which the Czech Republic contributes nearly 250 soldiers. Their patrol was checking a street near the base when it was approached by a man who detonated an improvised explosive device, killing the three Czechs and wounding one U.S. and two Afghani soldiers. A state plane accompanied by Czech Air Force jets brought the Czech soldiers' bodies to Prague airport. A convoy of military and burial service vehicles transported the soldiers to the central military hospital. Dozens of people gathered at army headquarters to pay their respects. Sirens also rang for 2 minutes 20 seconds at noon. Prime Minister Andrej Babis reacted to the weekend attack by calling the soldiers heroes. Babis's minority government, comprising his ANO party and the Social Democrats, won a parliamentary confidence vote last month, leaning on the votes of the anti-NATO Communist party - giving the former pariah organization its biggest voice in national politics since the end of one-party rule in 1989. However Babis in June aligned his party with the majority of lawmakers to approve plans to raise the number of troops on foreign missions with NATO allies, including in Afghanistan, dismissing Communist objections. (Reporting by Jiri Skacel, Writing by Robert Muller, Editing by William Maclean)
Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. Today we're looking at what the incredible growth of Amazon could mean for two of Jeff Bezos's earliest supporters  his mother and stepfather. According to a recent analysis from Bloomberg, the $245,573 investment made by Jackie and Mike Bezos in 1995 could be worth nearly $30 billion today. Although the elder Bezoses haven't disclosed their holdings since 1999, it's possible they've seen a 12 million percent return on their initial investment, assuming they've held on to their stock. As Amazon approaches a $1 trillion market cap, Jeff Bezos remains the world's richest man  and he's brought his parents with him.
Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. Today were looking at what the incredible growth of Amazon could mean for two of Jeff Bezoss earliest supporters  his mother and stepfather. According to a recent analysis from Bloomberg, the $245,573 investment made by Jackie and Mike Bezos in 1995 could be worth nearly $30 billion today. Although the elder Bezoses havent disclosed their holdings since 1999, its possible theyve seen a 12 million percent return on their initial investment, assuming theyve held on to their stock. As Amazon approaches a $1 trillion market cap, Jeff Bezos remains the worlds richest man  and hes brought his parents with him.
Democrat Danny O'Connor has mounted an unexpectedly competitive bid in Tuesday's special election to represent Ohio's 12th Congressional District. (Photo: Danny O'Connor for Congress)

COLUMBUS, Ohio  Mary Sweet had never volunteered in politics before. And after decades as a solid Republican voter, the retired teacher certainly never expected her door-knocking debut would be for a Democrat.

But on July 28  a Saturday  she stood in the small storefront that houses Democrat Danny OConnors congressional campaign headquarters, eagerly awaiting canvassing instructions.

For Sweet, a Mitt Romney voter in the 2012 presidential race who left the top of her ballot blank in 2016, Donald Trumps election was a life-changing event. She never thought someone whose personality she found so offensive could win the White House. And the hardline immigration and health care policies that Trump has implemented since the election have only strengthened her commitment to fight back.

OConnors just gotta win in Tuesdays special election for Ohios vacant 12th Congressional District seat, Sweet told HuffPost. He could be Daffy Duck and I would be voting for him.

Not every Republican backing OConnor has undergone as stark of a transformation as Sweet, who now supports Medicare for all and jokes about flirting with socialism.

But to win in what is likely to be a low turnout election in the traditionally solid-GOP district, Democrats dont need a tectonic shift. Sky-high enthusiasm among their base and the attrition of just enough moderate Republicans and independents could prove more than enough to carry OConnor over the finish line against GOP state Sen. Troy Balderson.

OConnors strong chance at victory in Ohio points to a broader Democratic comeback throughout the Midwest this cycle. The Democratic benches in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin were decimated by back-to-back Republican waves in 2010 and 2014, and Trump seemingly completed GOP dominance within the region in 2016 by flipping thousands of voters who had previously supported President Barack Obama.

But in 2018, Democrats are putting multiple GOP-held congressional seats, gerrymandered for Republican control, in play in each state. Democratic incumbents are heavily favored to retain Senate seats in states that formed the partys so-called blue wall  in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota (where two Senate seats are on Novembers ballot). Democrats also have a strong chance to win the governorship in each state.

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We own the government now so there are good things with that, like the economy, but its also easier to paint Republicans with a broader brush, said Mark Harris, a Pittsburgh-based GOP consultant who frequently advises Republican candidates in the Midwest.

Asked if Trump was proving a liability in these races, Harris paused, then said, Its a challenge.

In interviews throughout Ohio and the broader Midwest this summer, Democrats said they were seeing unprecedented levels of political enthusiasm among their supporters. Suburbs that include voters who backed Hillary Clinton after supporting Mitt Romney in 2012 appear to be in the midst of a more dramatic political transformation. For instance, the suburbs of Columbus, Detroit and Madison, Wisconsin, are expected to go heavily for Democrats in November. And Democrats are clawing back territory in rural areas that went heavily for Trump in 2016.

A series of NBC News/Marist polls released late in July confirmed what Democrats are seeing on the ground  even if officials in both parties say they believe the surveys overstated the Democratic advantage. In Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Trumps approval rating stood below 40 percent.

Signs of the Democratic resurgence stretch far beyond the tier of moderate suburban districts that the party has already marked as offering ripe pickup opportunities. Democrats in Midwestern states are also forcing the GOP to compete in districts where Trump won by astronomical margins.

In Ohio, that includes LGBT rights activist Rick Neals challenge to veteran Rep. Steve Stivers  the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee  in the 15th Congressional District, and former Navy pilot Ken Harbaughs run against GOP Rep. Bob Gibbs in the 7th.

With help from a political action committee set up by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Harbaugh raised nearly $1.7 million as of the end of June  more than the twice Gibbs haul. Voters in the largely rural 7th district opted for Trump over Clinton by more than 29 percentage points. But Harbaugh, who led a veteran-driven natural disaster relief group, takes heart in eastern Ohios idiosyncratic political tendencies: independents outnumber registered Republicans in the district.

He is trying to upend conventional wisdom by barnstorming the most conservative parts of the district (including Ohios Amish country), maintaining a laser-like focus on health care and embracing rural culture.

In his quest to demonstrate the latter, Harbaugh has occasionally gone to dangerous lengths. He participated in the Knox County fairs Rough Truck contest, on July 26, driving over big jumps in a beat-up pickup truck with Ken Harbaugh 4 Congress spray-painted on it. The stunt, which Harbaughs campaign captured on camera, gave him free advertising to a crowd of thousands of onlookers.

For those who have been asking, here is that final jump... pic.twitter.com/1jix1ownCd  Ken Harbaugh for OH7 (@Team_Harbaugh) July 26, 2018

During the ride, Harbaughs head slammed against the steering wheel, breaking his nose. He emerged from the nearly destroyed truck with blood running down his face.

Our Chevy pickup may have seen its last #RoughTrucks, but Ken Harbaugh is still going strong! Thanks to everyone who came out to the @knoxcountyfair and cheered us on. Video coming soon... #OHProud pic.twitter.com/sN4IeCcH0R  Ken Harbaugh for OH7 (@Team_Harbaugh) July 26, 2018

Three days later, on a Sunday, Harbaugh, whose nose remained black and blue, was trying his hand at the less hazardous outreach of door-knocking in Ashland, a college town encircled by corn fields.

For decades, Democrats have been drifting away from the hard, hard work of field [organizing]. We have to shoulder the burden of getting out there, Harbaugh said.

The response from Heather Sullivan, a secretary and infrequent, albeit solidly partisan Democratic voter who answered the door, seemed to affirm his approach.

Sullivan voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, and Clinton in the general election. But she did not know her member of Congress name and admitted that she did not vote in the 2014 midterm elections.

Sullivan said she was planning to vote for Harbaugh this year because she was fired up about Trump. And it clearly helped to meet the Democratic candidate in person.

Ive never really looked into Congress people. Ive never had one come to my door, she said.

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In Wisconsin, Democratic outside groups have been consistently surprised by the strength of Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who in her re-election bid has led by double-digit margins in many internal polls. Surveys show the map for Baldwin looking like the map that gave liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet a win in a Supreme Court election in April, picking up several counties along the Mississippi River that Trump had previously won.

Democrats nonetheless remain worried about Wisconsins Senate contest. While neither GOP nor Democratic Senate leadership is focused on the state  neither partys major super PAC has reserved any advertising airtime there  the powerful Koch Network of conservative donors is prepared to invest heavily in the race regardless of whether state Sen. Leah Vukmir or businessman or Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson wins the Aug. 14 Republican primary. And they bitterly remember Democrat Russ Feingolds large leads in the polls during the summer of 2016 before GOP Sen. Ron Johnsons blistering comeback late in the election cycle.

Still, the so-called Democratic blue wall  which was supposed to protect them from a Trump victory in 2016  also seems to be holding at the Senate level in Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota. As is the case in Wisconsin, neither partys outside groups have reserved ad airtime in any of those states. Past Senate races in Ohio and Wisconsin have seen tens of millions in outside spending.

Polls so far predict that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will cruise to re-election. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters)

The gubernatorial races are more of a mixed bag. Former GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty is making a comeback bid in Minnesota, while Democrats face stiff fights in denying Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker a third term and in lifting Ohios Richard Cordray over Republican Mike DeWine.

The most interesting gubernatorial race may be in Michigan, where both parties nominations for an open seat will be decided in Tuesday primaries. The Koch Network has targeted the contest, and both parties expect an expensive showdown.

On the GOP side, Trump-backed Attorney General Bill Schuette is hoping to brush off a series of scandals and triumph over Lt. Gov. Brian Calley. On the Democratic side, former state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer is facing an energetic challenge from progressive Abdul El-Sayed. Some Republicans in the state are hoping for an El-Sayed upset on Tuesday, believing his embrace of single-payer health care and other progressive priorities will make him easier to beat in November.

The Democrat who clinches the nomination is likely to benefit from competitive House races. National Democrats are prioritizing races in the states 8th and 11th districts, suburban seats Trump carried by single-digit margins.

In Michigans 8th, which includes part of Lansing, its suburbs and some Detroit exurbs, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already endorsed Elissa Slotkin, a shoo-in for the party nomination. Slotkin, a former CIA officer and Pentagon official backed by Moultons PAC, has already raised over $3 million  about $800,000 more than GOP Rep. Mike Bishop.

And in Michigans 11th, an arc of well-off suburbs outside of Detroit, Democrats believe they have an embarrassment of riches with five viable candidates competing to flip an open seat. Suneel Gupta, the top fundraiser, touts his record of entrepreneurship, including the development of an app that became the official technology partner of Michelle Obamas public health initiative.

Haley Stevens, another frontrunner in the race, highlights her experience as chief of staff in the Obama administrations rescue of the auto industry. Its a significant credential in a district that is home to Chryslers national headquarters. She also picked up the last-minute endorsement of Hillary Clinton, who recorded a robo-call on her behalf.

Im feeling now, only in the last month or so, a level of excitement in Michigan that approaches, if not parallels, what we had for Obama, said Jimmy Womack, a former Democratic state representative.

People need a reason to vote, added Womack, a Detroit-based physician and pastor. Right now, because of all thats going on in America people are getting excited, theyre recognizing the need to come out and vote.

Likewise, Ohio Democrats in tougher races this cycle stand to benefit from the strength of an incumbent Democrat who most poll watchers think will win re-election without much of a fight: Sen. Sherrod Brown. As of the end of June, Brown held a 15-point lead over Renacci in an average of public polls.

Campaign officials for the Republican nominee, Jim Renacci, insist the race remains competitive. They noted Republicans still out-voted Democrats by a 200,000-vote margin in Ohios May primary, even after Democratic turnout jumped 67 percent compared to 2014.

And they are already trying to downplay the implications of a potential Republican loss in Ohios 12th Congressional District. I dont think you can take any special election and use it as a bellwether for November, Renacci spokeswoman Leslie Shedd said in a phone interview.

Ted Strickland, Ohios last Democratic governor and a 2016 Senate candidate, knows a thing or two about races that are not competitive  he got overwhelmed in that latter race.

While he said Brown would fight for every last vote, he was confident that the contest has already run away from the GOP. I think that race is over, quite frankly, Strickland said.

Also on HuffPost

Taking Security Seriously

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Kinky Friedman, Cousin Nancy (Nancy Parker-Simons) and Tony Simons founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in '98. Friends Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Spike Gillespie, Richard Pryor, Jerry Jeff Walker, Molly Ivins, Dwight Yoakam support the ranch. We primarily rescued dogs. Nancy, author of "The Road to Utopia: How Kinky, Tony & I Saved More Animals Than Noah" by UT Press '06 utopiarescue.com.  cousin nancy blog 2021 by Cousin Nancy All rights reserved.
President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Centre, Ohio, at the weekend - AP

Fresh concerns that US voters are turning against Donald Trump and could punish the Republican Party at the mid-term elections have emerged after a congressional race remained too close to call.

Troy Balderson, the Republican candidate in the traditionally conservative twelfth district of Ohio, was less than one percentage point ahead of his Democrat rival Danny OConnor with some votes still to count.

Leading Republicans claimed victory, despite the result yet to be announced. Mr Balderon was 1,754 votes ahead but 3,435 provisional ballots still need to be counted.

However the political significance of the race was already clear, with debate playing out about why the Republicans had struggled to hold onto such a safe seat.

Mr Trump won the district by 11 points at the 2016 presidential election  less than two years ago. The Republicans have not lost the seat since 1983.



.....Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

The special election, called after the sitting Republican quit to take up a private-sector job, pitted the 56-year-old Mr Balderon against the 31-year-old Mr OConnor. The race was for a seat in the US House of Representatives - one of two bodies that make up Congress.

What was meant to be a comfortable race turned into a major battle, with Republicans pouring in money  outspending the Democrats by a factor of more than 4 to 1  and organising big-name endorsements.

Early attempts to sell the partys achievements with positive messages on tax cuts gave way to a more negative campaign focusing on warnings on immigration, crime and social issues.

Mr Trump, who threw his support behind Mr Balderson with an Ohio rally on Saturday, attempted to claim credit with a tweet on Tuesday night as the result was emerging.

Story continues

Danny O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, speaks during an election night watch party in Ohio Credit: AP

When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good, he tweeted.

After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.

It could be days for the race to be called formally and it will be rerun in just a few months when Americans return to the polls in November.

But it is the latest in a string of results that have seen Republicans struggle to win special elections in parts of the country that were previously solidly red.

In December, Alabama elected its first Democrat for the US Senate for decades, despite the fact Mr Trump won the state by 28 points in 2016.

Earlier this year the Democrats took a congressional seat in Pennsylvanias eighteenth district, which Mr Trump won by almost 20 points in 2016, and came close in Arizonas eighth district in similar circumstances.

Proof of Trump backlash?

There are fears that while the US president remains beloved by his support base  candidates he endorses in Republican primary races tend to do well  he is driving away more moderate Republicans.

The combination of fired-up Democratic supporters and Republican moderates indifferent or worse towards the president could have an impact on turnout in Novembers mid-terms, a crucial factor.

If the blue wave of Democratic voters really does materialise, as some have predicted, it could see Republicans losing the House of Representatives and possibly even the Senate.

Such a development would undermine Mr Trumps chances of passing major legislation in the last two years of his first term and open the door to impeachment proceedings.

Mr Trump was dismissive of criticism yesterday, pointing to victories for the Republicans in a string of recent races.

He tweeted: As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job Im doing.

Republican candidate Balderson waits to greet voters in Newark, Ohio Credit: Reuters

Earlier this year the Democrats took a congressional seat in Pennsylvanias eighteenth district, which Mr Trump won by almost 20 points in 2016, and came close in Arizonas eighth district in similar circumstances.

There are fears that while the US president remains beloved by his support base  candidates he endorses in Republican primary races tend to do well  he is driving away more moderate Republicans.

The combination of fired-up Democratic supporters and Republican moderates indifferent or worse towards the president could have an impact on turnout in Novembers mid-terms, a crucial factor.

If the blue wave of Democratic voters really does materialise, as some have predicted, it could see Republicans losing the House of Representatives and possibly even the Senate.

Such a development would undermine Mr Trumps chances of passing major legislation in the last two years of his first term and open the door to impeachment proceedings.

Mr Trump was dismissive of criticism on Wednesday, pointing to victories for the Republicans in a string of recent races.

He tweeted:
Kinshasa (AFP) - The second largest country in Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo is blessed with abundant raw materials and minerals but cursed by violence, graft and poverty.

- Enormous, untamed -

Eighty times the size of its former colonial master Belgium, the DRC covers 2.3 million square kilometres (919,595 square miles) in the middle of Africa, behind only Algeria in area on the continent.

Fewer than 40 percent of its population of 78.7 million people (2016) live in urban areas, according to the World Bank.

It is a nation plagued by conflict and disunity. While the official language is French, it has four indigenous national and 200 vernacular languages, hampering the forging of a national identity since independence in 1960.

Civil war broke out almost immediately after independence and the DRC has since been run by a series of strongmen.

Mobutu Sese Seko grabbed power in a coup in 1965, imposed the name Zaire and set up a dictatorial kleptocracy that lasted 32 years.

In 1997 he was toppled by rebel leader Laurent-Desire Kabila, who renamed the country after the mighty Congo river.

- Current political crisis -

Kabila's son Joseph inherited the presidency after his father was killed by a bodyguard in 2001.

He went on to win elections in 2006, the first free polls since independence, and a second term in 2011.

Kabila was meant to step down in 2016 at the end of a two-term limit, but declined.

He stayed on thanks to a constitutional clause enabling a president to remain in office pending the election of a successor, but his refusal to go prompted demonstrations met with bloody crackdowns.

Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office provided new elections were held in 2017.

But there was a new delay until December 23, 2018, blamed on organisational problems amid surging violence.

- War, disease -

Two wars in the DRC in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in at least six armies and left more than three million dead in Africa's deadliest conflicts in recent history.

Story continues

Today, the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu are major centres of unrest involving rival militia.

Central Kasai province is another hotspot, tipping into violence in 2016 after soldiers killed a tribal chief leading a rebellion against the central government.

More than 3,000 people have died in the region since then.

In January 2018, the UN said there were some 4.25 million displaced persons in the country and 600,000 DR Congo refugees in sub-Saharan Africa.

Two outbreaks of Ebola, respectively the ninth and 10th in the country since 1976, have occurred this year, claiming 40 lives.

- Cobalt, copper, coltan -

The DRC has the potential to be one of Africa's wealthiest countries "if it can overcome its political instability," the World Bank says.

It is the world's leading producer of cobalt, a key ingredient in top-range batteries including for smartphones and electric cars, and a top supplier of coltan, another mineral used for electronic products.

It is also Africa's top producer of copper and sits on hydrocarbons, tropical timber, gold, diamonds and other minerals.

But competition for the wealth has bred conflict, graft, smuggling and mismanagement. The watchdog Transparency International ranked it 156 out of 176 countries in its 2016 corruption index.

Economic growth slumped to 2.4 percent in 2016, its lowest since 2001, the World Bank says. This was mainly due to declining prices and a shrinking global demand for raw materials.

The poverty rate dropped to 64 percent in 2012 (World Bank), but the DRC still ranks among the world's poorest countries.
Kinshasa (AFP) - DR Congo President Joseph Kabila, ending months of speculation, has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary to be his successor in upcoming elections, the government said on Wednesday.

The announcement came just hours before the deadline for lodging applications for the December 23 election.

Ramazani Shadary, a Kabila loyalist, was among a group of Congolese officials sanctioned by the European Union in 2017 for violations of human rights.

He "will represent our political family in the presidential election," spokesman Lambert Mende told a press conference.

"We will all rally behind him."

Kabila, 47, who has ruled over the war-torn country for 17 years, should have stepped down at the end of 2016 when he reached a two-term limit.

But he stayed on thanks to a constitutional clause enabling the president to remain in office until an election is held, sparking protests that were bloodily repressed and condemnation from the United States and the European Union.

The United States welcomed Wednesday's announcement but said more must be done to ensure a democratic transfer of power.

"This development is another step, but there is much more to be done," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement.

French diplomatic sources meanwhile gave the announcement a cautious welcome, with one labelling it a "historic decision in Central Africa, even if it does not solve everything".

The validation of candidates and respect for the election timeline remains a concern, the source added.

Jean-Mobert Senga, Amnesty International's Researcher for the DRC, said a range of concrete measures were still required.

"His (Kabila's) government must show real commitment to ensuring an environment where people can freely exercise their human rights throughout the election cycle, by formally lifting the ban on peaceful demonstrations. It must also end the suppression of peaceful demonstrations and opposition and civil society meetings."

Story continues

The government's intention to use voting machines has been criticised by the opposition, who claim they are difficult to use and could be hacked.

- 'Absolute loyalty' -

Late Tuesday, Kabila held talks with his political allies, who are joined in an electoral platform called the Common Front for Congo (FCC), on picking a candidate who would succeed him.

Their choice was "the conclusion of consultations that the president, the moral authority of the Common Front for Congo, undertook to find the rare bird," Mende told journalists.

"Shadary has no special qualities other than absolute loyalty to the current head of state," an analyst at a political NGO, based in Kinshasa, told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Described in his official biography as "the man you need for difficult times," Shadary was due to lodge his candidacy in person at the electoral commission in Kinshasa on Wednesday.

Shadary on Wednesday paid tribute to Kabila whom he called "an exceptional man in Africa and even throughout the world".

Hours after his candidacy was announced he told reporters that "the people need peace".

The 57-year-old added that the country needed reconstruction and social services, "that's what we are going to do", adding that "we are open to the whole world".

The fate of opposition leader Moise Katumbi who was barred from entering the country last week to lodge his candidacy has caused political friction ahead of the registration deadline.

Katumbi, 53, a wealthy businessman and former governor of the province of Katanga, was unable to cross the border from Zambia where he and his team remain as of Wednesday.

- Corruption, inequality and unrest -

A country of some 80 million people, the Democratic Republic of Congo has never known a peaceful government transition since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila's tenure over the vast mineral-rich country has been marked by a reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest.

Several provinces are in the grip of armed conflict and according to the UN High commissioner for refugees, more than four million people have had to flee their homes, many to Uganda, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia.

Some 20 candidates, including two former prime ministers -- Adolphe Muzito and Samy Badibanga -- have submitted their names to the electoral commission.

The candidates also include Felix Tshisekedi, 55, leader of Congo's oldest opposition party UDPS, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, 55, a former warlord recently acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The definitive list of candidates is set to be announced on September 19 after each name is validated by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).
Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw allegedly claimed she shouldnt be arrested because shes a white girl. (Photo: Beaufort County Detention Center)

Plenty of people have tried to finagle their way out of a speeding ticket by offering an excuse to a police officer like please, I really have to pee or I left the stove on! But it takes somebody really entitled or incredibly intoxicated (or both) to try to tell the arresting officer she shouldnt be taken into custody because shes a white girl.

Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw of South Carolina was arrested by the Bluffton Police Department after she ran through a stop sign at 60 mph. She was charged with speeding, disregarding a stop sign, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence, according to the New York Post.

Cutshaw tried to persuade the officer not to arrest her because shes a very clean, thoroughbred, white girl, according to a police report. Cutshaw also told the officer that she had perfect grades through school, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was both a cheerleader and a member of a sorority. She added that her partner was a police officer as well.

The 32-year-old had told police she had two glasses of wine. When officers asked how much she filled the glasses, she said, I mean I was celebrating my birthday, according to the report. The woman will turn 33 on Thursday.

According to the report, Cutshaw said, Im a white, clean girl. When questioned what that means, she said, Youre a cop, you should know what that means.

The officer wrote in the report: Making statements such as these as a means to justify not being arrested are unusual in my experience as a law enforcement officer and I believe further demonstrate the suspects level of intoxication.

Cutshaw reportedly had a 0.18 percent blood alcohol level after taking a breathalyzer test. The legal limit in South Carolina is 0.08 percent.

The woman was booked at the Beaufort County Detention Center and, as of Tuesday, is no longer in police custody, according to the New York Post.

Story continues

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  A regulatory board decided Wednesday that Maine's baby eel fishery, the only one of its kind in the U.S. and one of the most lucrative fisheries in the country, will not be allowed to expand next year.

Fishermen in Maine are allowed to harvest a total of 9,688 pounds of the elvers per year, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shot down a proposal to increase that by about 20 percent. The increase would've been a boost to a fishery that routinely fetches some of the highest prices in the country on a per-pound basis.

Baby eels, called elvers, can be worth more than $2,000 per pound at docks because they are used by Asian aquaculture companies in the worldwide supply chain for Japanese food. Maine is the only state in the U.S. with a significant fishery for them, and worldwide supplies have been low, making them even more valuable.

Maine's elver fishery is coming out of a contentious season that ended in May, when authorities shut down the fishery early amid concerns about illegal sales. The fishery is tightly monitored to deter poaching, and the illegal transactions circumvented a swipe card system used to track elver sales in Maine, authorities said.

"There are a lot of really good people in this fishery," said Patrick Keliher, Maine's Department of Marine Resources commissioner, who supported expanding the quota. "I would hate for a few of the bad people to ruin it for the good people."

The fishery was closed at a time when Maine fishermen had harvested more than 90 percent of their annual limit. The closure was necessary to ensure the quota was not exceeded by the illegal sales, said Jeff Nichols, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Darrell Young, co-director of the Maine Elver Fishermen Association, said before the vote that he was hopeful the illegal sales wouldn't play a role in the decision about whether to allow more fishing. But members of the Atlantic States commission said they were concerned about the effectiveness of law enforcement and the stability of American eel populations.

Story continues

"I think we're all aware that there's plenty of glass eels," said Young, using another term for elvers. "It's a matter of whether the state can keep it under control with law enforcement."

The elver fishing season happens every spring. The price this spring was even higher than normal, ending at more than $2,300.

The added quota would have kept fishing limited to responsible levels while providing farms with seed stock, said Sara Rademaker, who runs Maine's sole eel farm, American Unagi, before the vote. Most of the elvers are exported to Asia.

"The idea to keep the fishery sustainable is in everybody's best interest," Rademaker said.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Estonia urged the head of NATO on Wednesday to investigate the accidental launching of an air-to-air missile in its airspace on Tuesday by a NATO Air Policing mission plane. The Estonian government said in a statement Prime Minister Juri Ratas had discussed the incident with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg over the phone. "I told the secretary general of NATO that it is a serious incident and we are understandably concerned about this in Estonia. Thank God that, as far as we know, no one was hurt as a result of the incident," Ratas said in the statement. Estonia, a Baltic state bordering Russia and Latvia, is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "I asked Jens Stoltenberg to take yesterday's incident very seriously and promptly identify the circumstances," Ratas said. Within NATO's air policing peacetime mission, member states assist allies that lack the means to police the skies over their own territories, the military alliance says on its website. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Mark Potter)
By Brian Ellsworth and Carlos Vargas BOGOTA/CARACAS (Reuters) - A former Venezuelan municipal police chief and anti-government activist says he helped organize an operation to launch armed drones over a military rally on Saturday that President Nicolas Maduro has called an assassination attempt. In an interview, Salvatore Lucchese, a Venezuelan activist who was previously imprisoned for his role in past protests, told Reuters he orchestrated the attack with a loose association of anti-Maduro militants known generally in Venezuela as the "resistance." The "resistance" referred to by Lucchese is a diffuse collection of street activists, student organizers and former military officers. It has little formal structure, but is known in the country mostly for organizing protests in recent years in which demonstrators have clashed with police and soldiers. Reuters could not independently verify Lucchese's claims about the attack, in which drones flew over the rally in central Caracas. Explosives aboard the drones detonated, injuring seven military officers and sending attendees scurrying for cover. Lucchese described the incident as part of a sustained, armed effort against Maduro. He declined to describe his precise role in the operation, in the broader resistance or identify others involved, citing the need to protect their identity. "We had an objective and in the moment we were not able to materialize it 100 percent," Lucchese said in an interview in Bogota, where he is traveling because of activities with other opposition figures. "The armed struggle will continue." Venezuela's Information Ministry did not reply to a request for comment. Earlier this year, Lucchese parted ways with Popular Will, a prominent opposition party, saying he disagreed with its continued dialogue with Maduro's administration. The government is widely criticized for authoritarian tactics, human rights abuses and economic policies that have led to recession and malnutrition across the formerly prosperous Andean nation. Juan Guaido, one of Popular Will's national leaders, said Lucchese was expelled for "differences with the party and the national leadership" but did not elaborate further. Guaido also told Reuters Popular Will rejects the use of violence, a position echoed by other mainstream opposition parties in the wake of the attack. Maduro, who was chosen by late leftist President Hugo Chavez as the Socialist Party candidate to succeed him in 2013, often says Venezuela's problems are the result of an "economic war" by enemies abroad, including the United States. He blamed the drone attack on right-wing opposition figures and foreign enablers, specifically citing the government of neighboring Colombia. Colombia's government has denied any involvement. In a televised broadcast on Tuesday night, Maduro mentioned Lucchese and linked him to Colombia's new right-wing president Ivan Duque. "A former police boss of the Venezuelan right has been claiming responsibility for leading the attack. Today he was a special guest at the swearing-in of Colombia's incoming president," said Maduro. ARRESTS Venezuela's opposition said that lawmaker Juan Requesens and his sister Rafaela Requesens, a student leader, were arrested in their Caracas apartment on Tuesday night, following Maduro's vow vowed to crack down on adversaries following the drone attack. Requesens' sister was later released and "was in a safe place," her father said in a video broadcast on social media that was live-streamed from in front of a Caracas jail. The Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on those alleged arrests. Venezuelan authorities over the weekend arrested six people, including one suspect who had been detained for protests in 2014 and another wanted for involvement in a 2017 military base attack. The government said the drones carried plastic explosives detonated remotely. Saturday's blasts, which shook television footage from the rally and rattled nearby buildings, differed from previous suggestions by Maduro's government of pending attacks against it. Maduro and top aides have spoken of foiled assassination and coup plots in the past, but provided little evidence for them. Now, it remains unclear exactly how organized or equipped armed opponents may be. A little-known group called the National Movement of Soldiers in T-Shirts over the weekend also claimed responsibility for the drone attack. It, too, describes itself as part of the "resistance." Lucchese declined to say whether he is associated with Soldiers in T-Shirts. A member of the group, who declined to be identified by name, in an exchange with Reuters via a messaging platform declined to comment on Lucchese. The 52-year-old activist first drew attention after being jailed for ten months starting in 2014 for refusing to break up anti-Maduro protests. As police chief of the municipality of San Diego, in central Carabobo state, he disobeyed Interior Ministry orders to clear demonstrators, Lucchese said. His account of the arrest and jail sentence is supported by a ruling on his conviction published by Venezuela's Supreme Court at the time. The government released Lucchese at the end of his sentence in February 2015, according to Lucchese and local media reports. Reuters could not find government documentation of his release. Lucchese told Reuters he left Venezuela for an undisclosed location last August, after learning the government sought his arrest once more, this time for treason and inciting military rebellion. The warrant was widely reported by Venezuelan media in recent months, but Reuters was unable to review a copy of it. Lucchese said he now resides abroad and continues to work with other anti-Maduro activists, stressing that armed resistance is the only way to topple Maduro. "No dictator leaves power peacefully," he told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Anggy Polanco in San Cristobal and Mayela Armas and Alexandra Ulmer in Caracas; Editing by Paulo Prada & Simon Cameron-Moore)
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP)  A former comedian whose party finished second in Slovenia's parliamentary election was proposed on Wednesday as prime minister-designate, more than two months after the inconclusive vote.

The candidacy of 40-year-old Marjan Sarec was formally put forward by five moderate parties  including his own Marjan Sarec list  in a bid to break a political deadlock after weeks of negotiations.

The five groups have garnered support from 43 lawmakers in the 90-member assembly. They hope to win backing from a separate leftist party to form a minority government.

The center-left parties have allied to sideline the top party in the June 3 vote, the anti-immigrant right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party led by former prime minister Janez Jansa. Jansa, an ally of Hungary's anti-immigrant Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has failed to win support from other parliamentary groups for a right-leaning coalition in traditionally moderate Slovenia.

Slovenia's parliament is expected next week to vote on Sarec's bid. If elected, he would become the youngest-ever prime minister in Slovenia, the official STA news agency said.

Sarec is a relative newcomer in top-level politics in Slovenia. He has served as the mayor of the central town of Kamnik and also ran in the presidential election last year, surprisingly forcing a close race in the runoff with incumbent veteran Borut Pahor.

Analysts, however, have predicted that Sarec's minority government likely would be unstable.
(ALEXANDRIA, Va.) Paul Manaforts longtime deputy told jurors Tuesday how he spent years disguising millions of dollars in foreign income as loans to lower the former Trump campaign chairmans tax bill.

Rick Gates, the governments star witness, recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts, Gates said during his second day of testimony in the financial fraud trial of his former boss.

Prosecutors summoned Gates, described by witnesses as Manaforts right-hand man, to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme. Gates also provided the first witness testimony that overlaps with Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

Manaforts defense attorneys have sought to paint Gates as an embezzler, a liar and the instigator of any criminal conduct. They have tried several times to impugn his credibility before the jury.

Gates walked into a packed courtroom a day after he calmly acknowledged having embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort and said the two had committed crimes together by stashing money in foreign bank accounts and falsifying bank loan documents.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. But Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Muellers investigation of Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

The case against Manafort has little to do with either mans work for the Trump campaign and theres been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia  the central question Muellers team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort and suggesting he has been treated worse than gangster Al Capone.

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On Tuesday, Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

The 46-year-old former political consultant told jurors how Manafort asked for tickets to Trumps inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the center of his financial fraud trial. Gates also said Manafort floated banker Stephen Calks name for consideration as Secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get.

The email exchange about Calk occurred after Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee. Prosecutors had previously said that Manaforts interactions with Calk were the only part of the trial expected to overlap with his Trump campaign role.

The testimony came as prosecutors wrapped up their questioning of Gates mid-afternoon Tuesday. He is expected to face a bruising cross-examination as defense lawyers try to undercut his credibility and pin the blame on him.

Ahead of that barrage, Gates has implicated himself in a vast amount of criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors as they hope to take some of the steam out of the defenses questioning.

The face-off between longtime business associates and former senior members of the Trump campaign drew scores of people who waited in line for hours outside the courthouse and then jammed into both the courtroom and an overflow room that contained a video feed of the proceedings.

In testimony Tuesday, Gates laid responsibility squarely at Manaforts feet for a series of crimes, as he described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Manaforts behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and, later, that his funds were drying up.

In one email, Manafort wrote WTF and not happy about tax payments he was going to have to make, Gates said.

In other testimony, Gates recounted how he falsified documents for Manafort, including converting a PDF of a profit-and-loss statement to a Microsoft Word document so he could doctor it to inflate the business income.

Gates also fabricated a forgiveness letter for what he said was already a fake loan between Manaforts consulting company and a Cypriot entity he controlled.

Prosecutor Greg Andres pointed out that he had created a loan forgiveness letter between Mr. Manafort and Mr. Manafort.

Yes, Gates agreed.

During the testimony, Manafort did not stare Gates down as he did Monday. Instead, he glanced up at his former protege periodically but mostly studied documents displayed for the jury on a screen in front of him.

When the trial broke for lunch, Manafort looked back at his wife, sitting in the front row, smiled and winked at her, followed by a quick shake of his head, seeming to indicate he was unfazed by the mornings testimony.

Still, that testimony has provided jurors with a damning account as Gates testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years.

In addition, Gates has admitted to other criminal conduct.

Gates, who is awaiting sentencing, told jurors that he siphoned off money without Manaforts knowledge by filing false expense reports. He also committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manaforts direction.

___

Associated Press writer Stephen Braun contributed to this report.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - HollyFrontier Corp said it did not expect operational disruptions at its 85,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Tulsa West refinery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after a fire in a wastewater plant was put out on Wednesday afternoon.

"Our employees and contractors are accounted for and safe." said HollyFrontier spokesman Craig Biery. "No injuries were reported and we do not anticipate operational disruptions."

The company said the fire broke out at about 1:10 pm local time (1810 GMT) on Wednesday. Firefighters from the refinery put out the blaze.

A large black column of smoke was seen rising from pits containing thick, black liquid, according to video on KOTV-TV.

HollyFrontier has two refineries in Tulsa. The Tulsa East plant has a capacity of 70,300 bpd, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba in Houston and Eillen Soreng in Bengaluru; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Diane Craft)
Bo Kyi remembers the day he became a revolutionary. It was a Monday.

March 14, 1988. Because that [day] changed my life, he tells TIME from Mae Sot, Thailand. Then a final-year literature student at Rangoon Arts & Sciences University and now a leading rights activist and former political prisoner, Bo Kyi was galvanized into action by Myanmars corrupt and incompetent dictatorship. We were really dissatisfied and we wanted justice, he says.

Its been 30 years since massive, student-led uprisings in Myanmar shook the struggling countrys foundations and threatened to overthrow one of the most vicious dictatorships in the world.

For six months in 1988, protests swelled across the isolated nation, as hundreds of thousands of citizens participated in a nationwide mutiny, led by disaffected students, against the ruthless dictator Ne Win.

The demonstrations were met with staggering violence; thousands were killed, and many more imprisoned and tortured by the military. A bloody putsch in September 1988 installed a military junta that would rule the country for the next 22 years, putting an end to the stillborn revolution. But the events of August and September also set the stage for Myanmars future. The democratic fervor also gave rise to Myanmars current ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Troops order a crowd 26 Aug. 1988 in downtown Rangoon (Yangon) to disperse in front of sule pagoda sealed off by barbed wires.

What happened

A general who seized power in a military coup in 1962, Ne Win led Myanmar, then known as Burma, by a disastrous policy of isolation and economic privation known as The Burmese Way to Socialism. The result was to convert what one of the regions strongest postcolonial economies  known as the rice bowl of Asia  into one of its poorest. In September 1987, Ne Win withdrew several large denominations of Myanmars currency, wiping out citizens savings overnight and sending students, who found their tuition savings rendered worthless, rallying in the streets.

Endemic corruption and police brutality also fueled widespread resentment that coalesced into an opposition movement, led by students in Rangoon (now Yangon), the countrys then-capital and commercial hub.

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Students, joined by civilians, disaffected soldiers, and Myanmars revered Buddhist clergy, began daily marches to call for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights, which were met by riot police. Ne Win resigned in July, but appointed as his successor Sein Lwin, a despised general known as Butcher of Rangoon, who declared martial law. In an outgoing address, Ne Win warned protestors, when the army shoots, it shoots to kill.

A general strike was called for Aug. 8, 1988, reportedly due to the dates favorable numerology, and mass demonstrations were held simultaneously across the country. The protests became known as the 8888 Uprising.

We were really excited, Bo Kyi says of that time. On Aug. 9, Bo Kyi, along with a contingent of 3,000 others attempted to march to Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmars spiritual nucleus. But they never made it there: they were stopped by a military roadblock.

We negotiated not to shoot us, because we had no weapons, he says. But our negotiation was not a success. The soldiers opened fire, killing a ninth-grade student named Thein Kyaw Toe, who was carrying the fighting peacock banner of the All-Burma Students Union, an umbrella students union group and voice for academic freedoms.

Across the country, the military violently put down the protesters. Estimates of the death toll range of 3,000-10,000, though the authorities claimed only 350 were killed.

The fallout

The uprising also saw the emergence of the NLD party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the charismatic daughter of Myanmars independence hero, who addressed half a million protestors at Shwedagon Pagoda in late August 1988, saying:

The entire nations desires and aspirations are very clear. There can be no doubt that everybody wants a multi-party democratic system of government. It is the duty of the present government to bring about such a system as soon as possible.

In September, the militarys top brass was reconstituted as a junta known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), led by reviled strongman Than Shwe, who plunged the country back into secrecy and terror.

A concessionary election was held in 1990, but its results were annulled after Suu Kyis newly inaugurated NLD won most of the seats, and thousands were arrested in a new wave of repression.

Bo Kyi was caught and sentenced to prison in March, 1990. He served almost eight years, but he says he doesnt regret his time behind bars. Even though they could detain my body, they did not lock up our intelligence, he says.

Suu Kyi herself entered her first period of house arrest, which lasted until 1995. It would be another 25 years until her party came to power.

Many student activists fled into Myanmars border regions or to neighboring Thailand, where they continued to agitate for the juntas overthrow. Some, like the All Burma Democratic Students Democratic Front, took up arms, beginning a decades-long civil war that brought additional suffering on Myanmars civilian population.

In this picture taken Aug. 26, 1988, Burmese democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi addresses an anti-military regime rally in Yangon.

What TIME said during the uprising

In its Aug. 22, 1988 issue, TIME described the violence and mayhem that engulfed the country in August and September 1988, when Burma seemed primed for combustion:

For five days last week, violence engulfed much of Burma, a country peopled by devout Buddhists averse to bloodletting, in a spontaneous eruption of discontent that rocked a despised government to its foundations

Through the following day, the shooting against unarmed ralliers continued. According to reports received by officials in Washington, the soldiers appeared to have orders to fire: There were well-organized bodies of troops roaming the city, shooting at groups of demonstrators.

Whats changed since?

Much has changed in Myanmar since 1988. Suu Kyi, who became an international icon and Nobel laureate, now presides over the country at the head of an elected civilian government; paralyzing economic sanctions have been revoked, and the countrys GDP is expanding at an eye-opening 6-7% annually, according to World Bank figures. The country has largely rejoined the international community.

But Myanmar is still plagued by crumbling infrastructure and fractious ethnic conflict. The economy remains controlled by a clique of military-interests, and education and healthcare lag far behind regional standards, and over one-third of children are malnourished, according to UNICEF.

Meanwhile, some goals of 88 are still far from being realized. The countrys military remains unaccountable to civilian oversight and holds 25% of parliament under the 2008 Constitution. It continues to battle armed ethnic groups in Kachin and Shan states, and is waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Rakhine that has driven 700,000 members of the persecuted Rohingya minority into Bangladesh in the past year alone.

We have to go a long way to fulfill our demands in 1988, says Bo Kyi, who co-founded the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (Burma) in 2000 to assist Burmese exiles and dissidents. The group opened a small museum in Yangon, the countrys former capital and commercial hub, in March  a first, if modest, memorial to the tyranny of Myanmars military rulers. It will take time. Reform is not so easy, he adds.

Even under Suu Kyis rule, Myanmar still holds 245 political prisoners behind bars, according to AAPP, 48 of them in pretrial detention. The NLD  many of its members former prisoners themselves  has continued to allow the juntas laws to regulate free speech and assembly and muzzle critics, and has drawn international outrage for failing to condemn the militarys campaign against the Rohingya.

The NLD is not a government that is respecting human rights and the kind of freedoms that people were on the streets protesting for, says Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign U.K., a London-based rights advocacy NGO. The NLD-led government [has] absolutely no interest in rectifying past wrongs.

For Bo Kyi, the lessons of the 8888 Uprising are clear. Without peoples participation, we cannot [achieve the] change that we want, he says. We will never give up.
Andy Levitre got a blue Gatroade shower at training camp on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Gender reveals have been one of the biggest trends of the past few years as couples have come up with creative and fun ways to find out whether their child is a boy or a girl. And its extended to sports, too. Kirk Cousins threw a mini football at a target last March, and some Eagles fans recreated the Philly Special to find out they were having a girl in late July.

Falcons lineman Andy Levitre became one of the latest to join the movement Wednesday.

Uhhh Falcons lineman Andy Levitre just had a gender reveal Gatorade bath. This was amazing: pic.twitter.com/eNHTzaH0ZQ  Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) August 8, 2018

Levitres baby boy is due a day after the Super Bowl

With Levitre and his wife, Katie, holding signs that read A Gatorade shower will let us see boy or girl what will it be? the Falcons dumped blue Gatorade on Levitres head. He then celebrated accordingly.

Levitre, 32, is heading into his fourth year with the Falcons. He started his career with Buffalo, where he played four years, and then he played two more in Tennessee before heading to Atlanta. Hes started 45 games over the past three seasons for the Falcons.

If everything goes to plan, this Gatorade shower wont be the only one in which Levitre will be taking part. The Falcons are once again a strong contender in the NFC and have qualified for back-to-back playoffs, including a trip to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

The baby boy is due the day after Super Bowl LIII, according to Katies Instagram account. The couple announced they were expecting a child in late July, shortly before Levitre left for training camp.

If all goes to plan, the Levitres are hoping theyll be plenty busy the first weekend of February, 2019.

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Foggia (Italy) (AFP) - Hundreds of mostly African farm labourers downed tools Wednesday and marched from fields in southern Italy chanting "we are not slaves", protesting at conditions for tomato pickers after 16 migrant workers died in two road crashes.

The near-identical accidents within 48 hours of each other highlighted the plight of farm workers around the the city of Foggia in the Puglia region, where thousands of foreign labourers spend the summer season harvesting tomatoes, often at the mercy of recruiters sometimes linked to organised crime.

Striking demonstrators, many wearing red caps, waving flags or carrying tomatoes, walked for three hours in the baking sun from the countryside towards Foggia, shouting: "We are not slaves, no to exploitation."

"You know how much Italian tomatoes cost? The price of African blood," said 41-year-old Kogyate Diakine, from Ivory Coast, who has lived in Italy for more than a decade.

Italy's government has scrambled to respond to the outcry over the deaths, with hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini declaring war on the "mafia" in and around Foggia and promising to eradicate it "street by street, town by town", during a visit to the region on Tuesday.

Both the road crashes in the region happened when lorries transporting tomatoes slammed into vans carrying foreign farm workers returning from their day's work.

An accident on Saturday left four African farm workers dead and four others seriously injured, while another on Monday killed 12 people, all non-EU citizens.

- 'Discouraged and unwelcome' -

The Foggia province hosts thousands of Africans who spend the summer harvesting season picking tomatoes in blazing temperatures alongside workers from eastern Europe, typically Romanians, Bulgarians and Poles.

"We are discouraged and unwelcome. Here we are nothing," said Barri Alfa, from Ivory Coast.

Although most of those working in the fields in Italy have regular papers, they rarely receive the benefits and salaries required by law, and many live in squalid conditions.

Story continues

They are often beholden to the recruiters, who operate as intermediaries and collect a portion of the workers' pay.

"I work eight to 10 hours per day for 30 euros (35), with only 30 minutes break at midday, and I still have to pay five euros for transport," said one 22-year-old Malian worker.

His pay was around average of those interviewed by AFP, despite being below the minimum wage of 48 euros in agriculture for a working day of up to seven hours.

For years, unions and associations that help migrant workers have called for a public transport system to be created around Foggia for the peak harvest season.

The Puglia region has now budgeted for such a system, governor Michele Emiliano said on Monday, but he added that cooperation and transparency from the farms was crucial.

Italy's main farming union, the Coldiretti, criticised market pressures saying that in a 1.30 euro bottle of tomato sauce sold in Italian supermarkets, the tomato represented just eight percent of the price, with 10 percent for the bottle, 18 percent for processing and 53 percent for distribution.
ROME (AP)  Hundreds of crop pickers held a one-day strike and protest march in southeastern Italy Wednesday to protest the exploitation of migrant farmworkers.

Labor union activists organized the strike and march from the shanty town of San Severo to the city of Foggia after 16 farmworkers died in two recent road accidents in the Foggia area.

Flanked by labor leaders, the protesters held signs reading "Never Slaves" and "We are workers, not meat for the butcher." Many waved flags of the left-wing USB labor union.

Workers said there was running water or electricity in the shanty town. Activists said crop pickers are charged for rides in overcrowded, rundown vans to the fields and orchards where they spend long hours laboring in the sun.

The farmworkers who were killed on Saturday and Monday were riding in vans that collided with trucks carrying tomatoes. Prosecutors are investigating to determine if the vans safe.

Most of the crop pickers who work in Italy's verdant Puglia region are foreigners, typically from Africa or eastern Europe. Union leaders and the farmworkers themselves contend they often are paid below union wages.

Italy's previous center-left government successfully lobbied in 2016 for a law intended to prevent the exploitation of agriculture workers, both migrants and Italians. It authorized stiffer penalties for labor recruiters and employers.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, who heads Italy's new populist government, told reporters Wednesday that enforcement of the law must be improved.
The body of a fetus was found in a jetliner's toilet Tuesday by an American Airlines cleaning crew, authorities said.

The fetus was discovered hours after Flight 1942 landed Monday night from Charlotte, North Carolina. The aircraft remained at the airport overnight and had been towed to Hangar 5 at LaGuardia Airport for maintenance and cleaning.

Early Tuesday, an attendant cleaning one of the jetliner's four bathrooms saw a large amount of toilet paper in the lavatory, CBS News reported, citing an unnamed source. While removing the paper, the cleaner saw what appeared to be tiny human foot.

"As we continue to learn more about this tragic and sensitive situation, we are actively cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation," the airline said in a statement.

Airport officials warned travelers about 8 a.m., via Twitter, that flyers traveling from B gates would experience delays because of an "out-of-service airplane."

Port Authority police were summoned. The case has been turned over to the Queens District Attorney's Office, which is investigating. An autopsy will be conducted on the fetus, which appeared to be 5 or 6 months old, CBS News reported.

Authorities were examining surveillance video from Charlotte Douglas International to see if any passengers boarding the New York City flight were noticeably pregnant.

No other details were released about the case.

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By Andrew Hay

TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - Five adults charged with abusing 11 children at a New Mexico compound, where they were found ragged and starving, were training those children to use firearms to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents on Wednesday.

The principal suspect, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, also was charged with abducting his 3-year-old son from his home in Atlanta last December, prompting a cross-country manhunt that led authorities to the compound they raided last Friday north of Taos, New Mexico.

Remains of a young boy believed to be the missing child were found on the property on Monday, on what would have been his fourth birthday, but have not been positively identified, authorities said. The 11 children found alive, ranging in age from 1 to 15 years old, were placed in protective custody.

At an arraignment on Wednesday, Mahhaj and his four co-defendants, Lucas Morton and three women presumed to be the mothers of the 11 surviving children, each pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of felony child abuse. Morton also was charged with harboring a fugitive.

Prosecutors made no mention of motive or ideology in court filings or during court proceedings on Wednesday.

In petitions seeking to detain all five suspects without bail, prosecutors said each was under investigation in the boy's death.

No weapons charges were filed in the case, but prosecutors said the defendants were suspected of training children "with weapons in furtherance of a conspiracy to commit school shootings."

Prosecutors said the allegation of weapons training was based on statements from a foster parent for one of the children.

SHOOTING RANGE

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe referred over the weekend to the suspects as "extremists of Muslim belief," but he declined to elaborate when asked about it on Tuesday by reporters.

The women, who appeared in court on Wednesday with white sheets over their heads, were identified as Jany Leveille, Subhannah Wahhaj and Hujrah Wahhaj. One of the men wore a towel over his head in the style of a Mideastern keffiyeh, or headdress.

Story continues

Hogrefe said on Tuesday that investigators found a shooting range at one end of the squalid compound, situated near the Colorado border.

The sheriff has said he sought a search warrant for the compound after a distress message was passed on to authorities in Georgia and shared with his office. He said the FBI was also investigating.

Wahhaj, 39, whose first name was mistakenly presented in some court documents as Huraj, has been described as being in control of the compound. He was heavily armed when taken into custody, Hogrefe said.

According to court documents, when the children were found they were in rags and appeared to have gone days without food, and loaded firearms were within their reach.

Aleksandar Kostich, a public defender representing the five adults, said the identical wording of the allegations about weapons training in each petition suggested that prosecutors were less than certain about the information they were given.

A man who identified himself to reporters as Gerard Jabril Abdulwali, 64, of Alexandria, Egypt, and the father of Morton, attended the court hearing, during which he shouted, "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is great."

He told reporters afterward that was in the United States for medical reasons and had not heard from his son since last year until he received a text message from Morton last Thursday that said "they were starving."

Abdulwali said his son and the other suspects were "peaceful adult settlers."

"They were homesteading and were trying to establish a peaceful community, a peaceful life away from society," he said. "They just went about it the wrong way."

(Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Additional reporting and writing by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Tarrant, Toni Reinhold)
By Carlos Vargas and Brian Ellsworth BOGOTA/CARACAS (Reuters) - A former Venezuelan municipal police chief and anti-government activist says he helped organize an operation to launch armed drones over a military rally on Saturday that President Nicolas Maduro has called an assassination attempt. In an interview, Salvatore Lucchese, a Venezuelan activist who was previously imprisoned for his role in past protests, told Reuters he orchestrated the attack with a loose association of anti-Maduro militants known generally in Venezuela as the "resistance." The "resistance" referred to by Lucchese is a diffuse collection of street activists, student organizers and former military officers. It has little formal structure, but is known in the country mostly for organizing protests in recent years in which demonstrators have clashed with police and soldiers. Reuters could not independently verify Lucchese's claims about the attack, in which drones flew over the rally in central Caracas. Explosives aboard the drones detonated, injuring seven military officers and sending attendees scurrying for cover. Lucchese described the incident as part of a sustained, armed effort against Maduro. He declined to describe his precise role in the operation, in the broader resistance or identify others involved, citing the need to protect their identity. "We had an objective and in the moment we were not able to materialize it 100 percent," Lucchese said in an interview in Bogota, where he is traveling because of activities with other opposition figures. "The armed struggle will continue." Venezuela's Information Ministry did not reply to a request for comment. Earlier this year, Lucchese parted ways with Popular Will, a prominent opposition party, saying he disagreed with its continued dialogue with Maduro's administration. The government is widely criticized for authoritarian tactics, human rights abuses and economic policies that have led to recession and malnutrition across the formerly prosperous Andean nation. Juan Guaido, one of Popular Will's national leaders, said Lucchese was expelled for "differences with the party and the national leadership" but did not elaborate further. Guaido also told Reuters Popular Will rejects the use of violence, a position echoed by other mainstream opposition parties in the wake of the attack. Maduro, who was chosen by late leftist President Hugo Chavez as the Socialist Party candidate to succeed him in 2013, often says Venezuela's problems are the result of an "economic war" by enemies abroad, including the United States. He blamed the drone attack on right-wing opposition figures and foreign enablers, specifically citing the government of neighboring Colombia. Colombia's government has denied any involvement. Venezuelan authorities over the weekend arrested six people, including one suspect who had been detained for protests in 2014 and another wanted for involvement in a 2017 military base attack. The government said the drones carried plastic explosives detonated remotely. Saturday's blasts, which shook television footage from the rally and rattled nearby buildings, differed from previous suggestions by Maduro's government of pending attacks against it. Maduro and top aides have spoken of foiled assassination and coup plots in the past, but provided little evidence for them. Now, it remains unclear exactly how organized or equipped armed opponents may be. A little-known group called the National Movement of Soldiers in T-Shirts over the weekend also claimed responsibility for the drone attack. It, too, describes itself as part of the "resistance." Lucchese declined to say whether he is associated with Soldiers in T-Shirts. A member of the group, who declined to be identified by name, in an exchange with Reuters via a messaging platform declined to comment on Lucchese. The 52-year-old activist first drew attention after being jailed for ten months starting in 2014 for refusing to break up anti-Maduro protests. As police chief of the municipality of San Diego, in central Carabobo state, he disobeyed Interior Ministry orders to clear demonstrators, Lucchese said. His account of the arrest and jail sentence is supported by a ruling on his conviction published by Venezuela's Supreme Court at the time. The government released Lucchese at the end of his sentence in February 2015, according to Lucchese and local media reports. Reuters could not find government documentation of his release. Lucchese told Reuters he left Venezuela for an undisclosed location last August, after learning the government sought his arrest once more, this time for treason and inciting military rebellion. The warrant was widely reported by Venezuelan media in recent months, but Reuters was unable to review a copy of it. Lucchese said he now resides abroad and continues to work with other anti-Maduro activists, stressing that armed resistance is the only way to topple Maduro. "No dictator leaves power peacefully," he told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Anggy Polanco in San Cristobal and Mayela Armas and Alexandra Ulmer in Caracas. Editing by Paulo Prada.)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Firefighters in Brazil say a Frenchman who went missing last week while hiking alone in a mountainous region near Rio de Janeiro has been located and is in good health.

The press office of Rio's Fire Department says that 22-year-old Marc Meslin was found Tuesday in a wooded area between the cities of Petropolis and Teresopolis.

Meslin started his hike on Aug. 1. Two days later he realized he was lost and used his cellphone to contact the fire department. It took five days to find him in a region called the Valley of Death.

The Fire Department said that other than a few bruises, Meslin was in good conditions and under observation in a local hospital.

Details were not immediately available.
Martin Truex Jr. (78) won the 2017 Cup Series title. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

The team that fields the car for defending Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. isnt going anywhere in 2019.

That seems like a sentence thats been a foregone conclusion, right? Well, it was backed up in a statement Wednesday by Furniture Row Racing, which told the Sports Business Journal that it wasnt shutting down. The statement, per SBJ, was denying garage rumblings that it was closing its doors.

In a new statement sent this morning, @FRRacingTeam denies garage rumblings that, after the $10M loss of @5HourEnergy, the options it's considering for 2019 include the possibility of shutting down  : "Furniture Row Racing not fielding a team in 2019 is not an option." pic.twitter.com/QDoQ9J5q4F  Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 8, 2018

Furniture Row Racing is looking for sponsorship after 5-Hour Energy told the team it wasnt coming back in 2019. 5-Hour is serving as a co-primary sponsor for the team in 30 races in 2018 and sponsored Erik Jones No. 77 car in 2017. That No. 77 car was shut down before the 2018 season as Furniture Row Racing scaled back to one car and transferred the 5-Hour sponsorship to Truex.

But even though Furniture Row is looking for millions of dollars in sponsorship money, its a remarkable statement about the current NASCAR environment that the team of the reigning Cup Series champion had to go on the record to refute rumors that it was disappearing.

But there are a lot of things that are remarkable about the state of NASCAR in 2018, from the series being under interim leadership, executives denial of a less-than-prolific sponsorship market and declining attendance and television audiences. This statement simply joins a crowded list of not-so-flattering things about the family-owned series.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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Gabrielle Union at the #BlogHer18 Creators Summit (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

UPDATE 8/14/18: Good Morning America Tuesday about the #BlogHer18 comments in this article, as well as her diagnosis of adenomyosis. Read more about that here.

Gabrielle Union has never shied away from having difficult conversations. And on Wednesday, the actor, activist, and author of Were Going to Need More Wine took the stage at the 2018 #BlogHer conference in New York for a no-holds-barred chat about multiple traumas in her life, including a sexual assault that occurred at the age of 19.

The rape occurred at a Payless store where Union was working at the time and is an assualt she opened up about years ago  long before the onset of the #MeToo era. But when asked what led her to bravely come forward, the Bring It On star disputed that it was about courage. I dont look at it as brave, I look at it as necessary, she told the audience. There is so much that we internalize and we hold to ourselves out of fear of judgment and sometimes that fear can literally kill us.

Union implied that coming forward wasnt so much of a choice as a calling. I have seen the devil up close, I cant go any lower. When you are being raped at gunpoint at work, I cant go any lower; when I watched my girlfriend at 35 die a slow death because she was afraid of finding out what the lump was in her chest, I cant go any lower. Ive seen it, she said. So at this point, I can only go up  and Im trying to take as many people with me as I can.

She also wasnt afraid of career implications. If I have to live as a slave to other peoples opinions Im not gonna ever be s***, she told the crowd, which erupted in applause. Im gonna be somebody elses s*** and never my own. Whether I soar or sink I want to do it standing up with dignity and integrity and not living somebody elses idea of who I should be.

Union went on to bring up the fertility issues she faced with husband Dwane Wade. Towards the end of my fertility journey I finally got some answers, because everyone said Youre a career woman, youve prioritized your career, you waited too long and now youre just too old to have a kid  and thats on you for wanting a career. The reality is I actually have adenomyosis, she said. The gag is I had it in my early 20s, and instead of someone diagnosing me they were like Oh you have periods that last 9 or 10 days and youre bleeding through overnight pads? Not a mere inconvenience perhaps theres something more there.

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Adenomyosis is a condition similar to endometriosis in which the lining of the uterus grows into the muscular walls of the uterus itself. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 200,000 cases of it each year. But many women, like Union, find themselves going years before learning that they actually have it. Union warned women who are experiencing pelvic pain that  like in her case  birth control isnt always the answer.

Every doctor I saw was like let me put you on birth control. Right? The catch all. Note: if you are on birth control for anything other than birth control, to address or treat any sort of period issue you are not actually treating or addressing a period or reproductive issue. You are masking it, she said. The pill can mask all kinds of things. It is amazing at preventing pregnancy; not so great with addressing anonymous.

Overall, Union stressed that neither trauma shes endured  sexual assault and infertility issues  are things to be ashamed of, and that no matter what, the most important thing is to stay true to you. Judgment renders so many of us immobile, she said. When I think of the antics that my fertility doctors would go through to make sure no one would see me in the lobby. [Laughter] Just know if you are out there having fertility issues  you are not alone.

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Tbilisi (AFP) - Georgia on Wednesday marked the tenth anniversary of its war with Russia which has left the country dismembered with a fifth of its territory remaining under Moscow's control.

Georgia's five-cross red-and-white national flags were flying at half-mast outside government buildings as the tiny Black Sea nation mourned the victims of the bloody war.

On Wednesday morning, President Giorgi Margvelashvili laid a wreath at the memorial cemetery of the Georgian soldiers killed in the conflict.

He later addressed troops at the Senaki military base that was looted and destroyed by invading Russian forces during the conflict and then rebuilt as a showpiece of Georgia's drive to join NATO.

"Today, I mourn together with you our soldiers and civilians, journalists and doctors who were killed in this war," Margvelashvili said.

"One must be stupid, faithless or a coward not to believe that our country will be reunified," he added.

Georgia and its Soviet-era master Russia have long been at loggerheads over Tbilisi's bid to join the European Union and NATO with the spiralling confrontation culminating in a full-out war on August 8, 2008.

The Russian army swept into Georgia -- bombing targets and occupying large swathes of territory  after Tbilisi launched a large-scale military operation against South Ossetian separatist forces who had been shelling Georgian villages in the region.

Over just five days, Russia defeated Georgia's small military and the hostilities ended with a ceasefire mediated by France's then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, who at the time held the EU's rotating presidency.

After the war -- that claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers and civilians from both sides -- Moscow recognised South Ossetia and another separatist enclave, Abkhazia, as independent states where it then stationed permanent military bases.

The two regions constitute 20 percent of the country's territory.

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- Chorus of condemnation -

Georgia and its Western partners have condemned Russia's continued "occupation" of its territory and demanded the Kremlin reverse its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

On Wednesday the Georgian presidency said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo phoned Margvelashvili to reiterate Washington's "strong support to Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty".

The Georgian foreign ministry denounced Russia's continued military build-up in the separatist regions.

"The Russian Federation has not implemented its international obligations despite constant calls from the international community... and has further reinforced its illegal military presence on the ground," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a show of solidarity with Tbilisi, the foreign ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and Ukraine's vice premier visited the country and issued a joint statement urging Russia to "start honouring international law and the right of sovereign neighbouring states to choose their own destiny".

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the "Russian military presence in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia continues to violate international law".

The German and French foreign ministries called Russia's recognition of the breakaway Georgian areas Abkhazia and South Ossetia "unacceptable."

- Ethnic cleansing -

Mikheil Saakashvili -- Georgia's president from 2004 to 2013 -- accused Russia of preparing to invade his country for years before the war, claiming in an op-ed published Tuesday that Russian forces had started entering Georgian territory ahead of Tbilisi's offensive on the enclave.

But the Kremlin has called its Georgia campaign an "operation to force Georgia to peace" and save South Ossetia's population from "genocide".

Russian President Vladimir Putin - who served as prime minister during the war -- said in 2012 that he approved a plan of military action against Georgia as early as 2006 and that Russia has "trained South Ossetian militia".

Russia and the separatist authorities in South Ossetia have rejected repeated calls from the UN General Assembly for the "safe and dignified return to their homes" of the 18,500 ethnic Georgians who were forcibly displaced from the region" in what the EU has said was "an ethnic cleansing".

Speaking to AFP last week, Margvelashvili said that the 2008 war was part of Georgia's "two-century fight from freedom, against the Russian imperialism."

The Kingdom of Georgia was annexed by the Russian empire in 1801 and the country regained independence in 1918.

The short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1921 and again became an independent nation when the USSR collapsed in 1991.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Corruption charges pursued by Mexico's outgoing government against Elba Esther Gordillo, the politically connected ex-leader of the country's most powerful teachers union, have been dismissed, her lawyer said on Wednesday. For decades, Gordillo led one of Latin America's largest unions and was known for her close ties to the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. She gained notoriety for living a lavish lifestyle that critics saw as a symbol of impunity and graft. "I received ... notification of the decree of my absolute and immediate freedom due to the dismissal of charges in the criminal case under which I was a subject," according to a letter written by Gordillo but read by her lawyer, Marco Antonio del Toro. Del Toro said the notification was issued late on Tuesday night and that Gordillo will speak publicly about the dismissal on Aug. 20. "I need time to privately assimilate the emotions that stem from such an important personal issue," she added in the letter. In a brief statement, the attorney general's office said that while it "respects the decision ... it does not agree with it." It was not clear if the government would appeal or otherwise seek to block the decision by a federal criminal court to dismiss the charges. Gordillo, 72, was arrested in early 2013, accused of embezzling $200 million in union funds, just a day after President Enrique Pena Nieto signed into law a major education reform that Gordillo opposed. She faced charges of using intermediaries to move money to bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and then back to the United States, in order to buy property in San Diego and pay for works of art and plastic surgery. At the time of her arrest, the government said Gordillo had declared income of just 1.1 million pesos ($59,500) between 2009 and 2012. Late last year, Gordillo was transferred from prison and placed under house arrest after the New Alliance political party she founded announced it would support Pena Nieto's PRI in last July's presidential election. Leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won the vote in a landslide while the PRI's standard-bearer came in a distant third. Lopez Obrador will take office in December. (Reporting by Diego Ore and Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Paul Simao and Tom Brown)
A great white shark has been caught on camera leaping out of the sea beneath a researcher and lunging at him with its teeth bared.

Greg Skomal was standing on the bow of a research boat off Cape Cod, near Boston, when the predator breached the water.

Did you see that? Did you see that? Mr Skomal shouted. It came right up and opened its mouth right at my feet!

He was using a long pole with an action camcorder attached to capture footage of the shark.

Whoah! Holy crap. Jumped right out of the water, the boats captain, John J King II, said.

Footage of the fish jumping out of the ocean was shared by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

While out on research trips, weve seen white sharks breach and weve received multiple reports of breaching white sharks this year from fishermen and boaters. While encounters like this one are rare, this video shows that theyre certainly possible, the conservancy said.

White sharks are wild and unpredictable animals. This is a good reminder of the importance of not becoming complacent and always staying vigilant when in or on the water.

Mr Skomal, senior biologist at the state Division of Marine Fisheries, told the Boston Globe: Out of nowhere, I look down and I see the gaping mouth of a white shark looking right up at me, literally within a couple feet of the pulpit.

It was extremely exciting, thats for sure.

He told the paper he had two hypotheses for why the great white acted the way it did.

Theres an old expression called fight or flight. Perhaps bearing its teeth and jumping up was a way of protecting itself before it took off, he said. Part of me believes thats what happened.

But he had another explanation: It was in hunting mode.

It interpreted me, my reflection, my shadow, my image  whatever it was  through the waters surface as a potential prey item, and it lunged at me.

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He added: To be honest, I would like to think it wasnt trying to eat me.

Nobody really wants to be eaten.

Great white sharks are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. They are also protected by national governments in the US, New Zealand and Australia.

Their numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades as a result of overfishing, with the sharks accidentally being caught up in nets and discarded fishing gear.
HONOLULU (AP)  Students from Hawaii have gathered with students in Japan at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima to remember the atomic bombings and to promote peace.

Two students each from Punahou School and Farrington High School in Honolulu traveled to Japan as peace scholars for the anniversary of the Aug. 6, 1945 U.S. bombing of Hiroshima, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.

Hawaii residents Hiromi Peterson and Naomi Hirano-Omizo, who wrote "Adventures in Japanese," have funded the Hiroshima Peace Scholars program with their royalties from the Japanese-language textbooks, which are used in high schools across the U.S.

The project by the two longtime Punahou School teachers entered its 10th year and selected two public school students for the first time in addition to the Punahou students.

The four students plus a teacher traveled to a sister school in Hiroshima to forge links for peace with other students.

Peterson was born in Hiroshima three years after the blast. Hirano-Omizo, the granddaughter of a Japanese immigrant, grew up on the Big Island.

"I hear the same words from both Pearl Harbor victims and Hiroshima victims: 'I just don't want the same thing to happen to anyone else,'" Peterson said. "If we pass our message to the young people, I hope the seeds of peace will come up, here and there. At least it's better than doing nothing."

The students stay with Japanese families, speak with survivors and attend the memorial.

"This is a really good way to not forget about what happened, to come to an understanding and be able to move forward instead of having history repeat itself," Punahou senior Eden Chun said last week before leaving for the 10-day trip.

___

Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

More tariffs. Were getting numb to it by now, with new developments every week or two. So it makes sense to step back, assess where the Trump trade wars stand, and estimate how much further they could go.

The Trump administration announced on Aug. 8 that it will impose 25% tariffs on an additional $16 billion worth of Chinese imports, as expected. China, in response, said it would do the same to a like amount of American exports to China. So far, Trump has hit about $52 billion worth of Chinese imports with new tariffs, with China retaliating in kind.

Thats in addition to tariffs Trump has imposed on steel and aluminum imports from most countries, and a few other select tariffs. Europe, Canada, Mexico and a few other countries have retaliated against the U.S. measures, in addition to China. But that hasnt shaken Trump. In fact, he has threatened to slap tariffs on about 6 times as many imports as he has done so far, which would be a whole new level of trade warfare.

Overall, Trump has imposed new tariffs on about $107 billion worth of imports, and threatened tariffs on roughly $608 billion worth of additional imports. Heres a breakdown of all the tariffs so far, including retaliations by trading partners, which we compiled with help from the Peterson Institute for International Economics:

Graphic by David Foster for Oath

Several nations have met Trump tariff-for-tariff, leaving the situation a standoff with no obvious resolution. Most havent yet matched Trumps threats of additional tariffs, though trade experts say they most likely would if Trump pulled the trigger.

Markets have been surprisingly sanguine about all this protectionism, so far, with the S&P 500 stock index up about 6% for the year. The Trump tax cuts may have cushioned the market against trade wars, since theyve boosted corporate profits and provided a tailwind to counter the headwind of tariffs. And the newly taxed merchandise represents a tiny slice of world GDP, with most of the harm of higher taxes isolated in select pockets of the economy.

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But markets may waver if Trump pushes further, which he seems inclined to do. Tariffs raise prices, which either comes out of business profit margins or consumer pockets, leaving less money for other things. Raising prices dampens demand, so producers sell less. And losers typically outnumber winners in trade wars, since tariffs reduce efficiency and make everybody worse off, on average.

Trump doesnt care. He seems eager to find the pain points of trade partners, and China in particular. So far, his tariffs target about one-tenth of all Chinese imports to the United States. But he has started the process for putting tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports, perhaps because he thinks China will blink somewhere along the way, and grant the concessions he wants, including a narrower overall U.S. trade deficit with China.

But China might not blink, especially with the U.S. midterm elections coming in November. To some extent, those elections will be a referendum on Trumps trade policies, and if Republicans lose control of one or both houses of Congress, Trumps hand will weaken, while Chinas will get stronger. So China may stall, while Trump tries to punch harder. There are probably plenty of updates coming to the Trump trade war scorecard.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Click here to get Ricks stories by email.

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Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman

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White House press briefings are endlessly bizarre. With so many strange and inexplicable moments brought to us by Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, it's no surprise that the briefings are a perfect target for satire.

But of all the cutting White House commentary, comedian Keaton Patti's satirical White House press briefing script takes the cake.

SEE ALSO: The White House can't even spell the 'United States' properly

Patti uploaded two pages of faux press briefing transcript supposedly written by a bot forced "to watch over 1,000 hours of White House Press Briefings." While this is very clearly a joke (and thankfully no bot had to suffer such a fate), his imagined transcript is pretty incredible.

I forced a bot to watch over 1,000 hours of White House Press Briefings and then asked it to write a White House Press Briefing of its own. Here is the first page. pic.twitter.com/80jUFfZ8gv  Keaton Patti (@KeatonPatti) August 6, 2018

The script begins with Sanders angrily walking into the White House press briefing room and announcing that, "I don't actually wish you a good afternoon and the President hates you. Questions?"

From there, it devolves into a back-and-forth between Sanders and journalists that isn't far off from what actually goes on in a White House press briefing.

Patti has shared similar scripts in the past, producing parodies of Undercover Boss, Seinfeld, Cheers, and Olive Garden commercials.

And while they're immensely enjoyable, I kind of wish these scripts didn't feel so much like a mirror being held up to our own increasingly dystopian reality. Please excuse me while I step into this empty bathroom stall to alternate between laughing and crying.

Video: S. Sanders Refuses to Say Press Is Not Enemy of the People

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For more news videos visit Yahoo View.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Hurricane John advanced northwestward along Mexico's western coast Wednesday, causing heavy rainfall and high surf on parts of the Baja California Peninsula while on a forecast path that would keep its center well away from land.

Another tropical storm farther out in the Pacific and one in the northern Atlantic posed no threats to land.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said John had weakened a little, but still had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) late in the afternoon. It was moving parallel to Baja California and was projected to begin veering off into the Pacific.

The storm's center was about 240 miles (385 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja and moving to the northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).

Farther out in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Kristy had sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 6 mph (9 kph). It was centered about 1,405 miles (2,260 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja.

The hurricane center said Kristy was likely to strengthen somewhat in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Debby was weakening as it moved over the cold waters of the North Atlantic

Debby's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (65 kph), and the hurricane center said the storm was expected to dissipate in a few days. It was centered about 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) west-northwest of the Azores and heading northeast at 15 mph (24 kph).
US President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One - AFP

President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to trading partners thinking of doing business with Iran after the reimposition of sanctions, saying they would risk their relationship with the US.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States," Mr Trump said in an early morning tweet. "I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!"

The first set of US snap back sanctions against Iran that had been eased under the landmark 2015 nuclear accord went back into effect early Tuesday under an executive order signed by the president.

They will target financial transactions that involve US dollars, Iran's automotive sector, carpets, food, and metals including gold.

The stiff economic sanctions ratchet up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite deep dismay from Europe, which had promised to make up for the sanctions if Tehran held to the deal.

Iran nuclear deal | The sanctions explained

Mr Trump's latest comments show deepening divisions between the US and its traditional allies, including Britain, which say the accord is "crucial for the security of Europe, the region and the entire world."

European Union ministers said that Iran was upholding its end of the accord and said it was "crucial for the security of Europe, the region and the entire world".

The EU, which has several signatories in the deal, said it would provide protection for European businesses operating in Tehran.

President Hassan Rouhani addresses the nation in a televised speech in Tehran Credit: AP

Alistair Burt, the British minister of state for the Middle East, reassured UK companies yesterday they would be shielded by a new EU law that aims to mitigate what officials say is the US's unlawful reach beyond its borders.

However a number of European companies, including French oil company Total and Danish tanker operator Maersk, have already halted business with Tehran after failing to secure a waiver from the US sanctions.

Other companies have expressed doubt the EU's "blocking mechanism" would work in practice.

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Profile | Hassan Rouhani

Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, was asked about the nuclear deal during a question and answer sessions after a speech in Washington on Tuesday.

He called on America and all nations to get round the table and start discussions, adding that the US should start start talking to its partners on how to deal with Iran.

In a statement on Monday just hours before the sanctions went back into effect, Mr Trump said: "The Iranian regime faces a choice.

"Either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.

"I remain open to reaching a more comprehensive deal that addresses the full range of the regime's malign activities, including its ballistic missile programme and its support for terrorism."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani saying that "negotiations with sanctions doesn't make sense."

"If you're an enemy and you stab the other person with a knife, and then you say you want negotiations, then the first thing you have to do is remove the knife," he told state television.

"They want to launch psychological warfare against the Iranian nation," he said.

Protesters have been out on the streets of Iran for months, calling for a solution to the countrys economic crisis and calling for the fall of the establishment.

In response to the plummeting value of the rial, the Central Bank of Iran announced measures to allocate subsidised hard currency, including US dollars and euros, for trading in basic commodities and pharmaceuticals, and to allow unlimited inflows of such currencies, as well as gold, without taxation.

Iran nuclear deal | Key details

Some experts said they believed domestic pressure could soon force Mr Rouhani back to the negotiating table.

However, others believed Mr Rouhani would not make deals with the US under crippling sanctions.

Tantrums & CAPPED TWEETS won't change the fact that the world is sick & tired of US unilateralism. Stopping US trade and killing 100K US jobs is fine with us, but the world won't follow impulsive tweeted diktats. Just ask EU, Russia, China & dozens of our other trading partners.  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 7, 2018

Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told the BBC: "It's a war, the US is engaging in war, but it's directed at ordinary Iranians, the hope by the Americans is to make life so miserable for Iranians that they will force the Government to capitulate to the US, that is what the Americans are seeking."
By Ange Aboa ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo was released from detention on Wednesday after being granted an amnesty for her part in a short civil war in 2011, according to a Reuters witness. The wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to accept electoral defeat triggered the war, walked out of Abidjan's Ecole de Gendarmerie in which she had been detained since 2013. President Alassane Ouattara granted her amnesty on Monday, along with 800 others. The move appeared calculated at soothing political tensions ahead of 2020 elections that many fear could turn violent, as some past polls have. Ivory Coast is Francophone West Africa's largest and most successful economy, and the world's leading cocoa producer, but the tendency of its politicians to exploit disputes over land and ethnicity makes it volatile around election time. Some 3,000 people were killed in the war following the disputed 2010 election. Ouattara's ruling RDR coalition has fallen out with the coalition's junior partner, the PDCI, whose leader Henri Konan Bedie expelled party members named to a new cabinet last month. The alliance was seen as a key factor keeping the peace between Ivory Coast's central Baoule ethnic group and the rival Dioula people of northern Ivory Coast, many of whom are migrants from Mali and Burkina Faso. Besides Simone Gbagbo, another beneficiary was Kamagate Souleymane, a former rebel when Laurent Gbagbo was in power, and who is close to national assembly leader Guillaume Soro. (Writing by Tim Cocks, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean)


Jamie Lynn Spears is being picked on after a photo of her tween daughter holding a shotgun was posted to Instagram.

The 27-year-old sister of Britney Spears and mother to Maddie Briann Aldridge, 10, and Ivey Joan Watson, 4 months, was deluged with critical comments after husband Jamie Watson shared the photo of his stepdaughter, captioning it, Getting her ready for dove season.

Getting her ready for dove season A post shared by Jamie (@jamiewatson985) on Aug 5, 2018 at 6:58pm PDT

While many of the critiques have seemingly been flagged and removed from the post, people reportedly wrote, A 10-year-old with a shotgun. If thats not redneck I dont know what is, Youre so irresponsible. Guns are not a toy, and Put down the gun, pick up a pair of binoculars & take a hike together. For me, teaching kids to kill when there is absolutely no need seems very, very wrong.

Jamie Lynns admirers came out swinging: Welcome to the South people. If you dont like it, head out! Some commented that hunting is a milestone: Learning to hunt and to be able to provide food for your family is an awesome skill to have!!! Ignore all these haters and trolls!

And a few offered context. Seriously? People have been learning to hunt since the dawn of time. Men and woman. You guys are still eating meat, no? Same thing and There are celebrity children out here with cars, getting their nails done everyday and hair, and buying ripped up jeans for $5,000 and yall are bitching about her hunting dove?? And using proper gun safety?!

Jamie Lynn Spears, pictured with mom Lynne Spears and daughter Maddie Briann Aldridge, is catching heat for a photo of the girl holding a gun. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jamie Lynn and Britney grew up in Kentwood, Louisiana where hunting wildlife is a popular activity and children who wish to hunt doves can receive their license at only age 16.

Last February, Maddie was in an ATV accident that left her critically injured. While riding a Polaris all-terrain vehicle in Tangipahoa Parish, it flipped over, throwing her into a pond and submerging her under water for several minutes. She became unconscious and was airlifted to a hospital, where she was treated for five days.

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Later that year, Jamie Lynn reflected on nearly losing her daughter. The hardest milestone me and my family have ever faced was almost losing our beautiful Maddie, but thanks to God and the two angels in this picture we were able to celebrate Maddie turning 9 years old all together, she wrote on Instagram. This milestone became a true miracle, and we are forever grateful for that.

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AP

Donald Trumps pick for the governor of Kansas, an immigration hardliner and an early supporter of the president, was locked in a race for the partys nomination, as the contest came down to the wire.

Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, was trying to defeat the current Republican incumbent, Jeff Colyer, for a showdown with the Democratic candidate in November.

With more than 84 per cent of votes counted in the early hours of Wednesday, Mr Kobach led 40.8 to 40.6. Whoever emerges victorious will face off against Laura Kelly, who comfortably won the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November cant come fast enough!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

While Mr Kobach is a favorite of Mr Trumps, the Associated Press said that some Republicans worry his aggressive personality would make it harder to appeal to a broader electorate and give Democrats and opening in a red state.

Mr Colyer raised more in campaign contributions than Mr Kobach, received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, brandished his anti-abortion credentials and had the backing of Kansas political legend Bob Dole.

But then, with less than 24 hours before polls opened, Mr Trump endorsed Mr Kobach. It was not a huge surprise since the two men had long been close and he served as vice chairman of a now-disbanded presidential commission on election fraud.

Mr Kobach told reporters before polls closed that the endorsement came just in time and that he expected it to help him, as it has helped other candidates in other races. Mr Trump's tweet backing Georgia Republican governor hopeful Brian Kemp vaulted him to an easy primary runoff win two weeks ago. Mr Trump also has recently given a boost to GOP primary candidates in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama.

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Voters in Kansas, Missouri, Michigan and Washington state joined those in Ohio in Tuesday's voting.

In Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer won the Democratic nomination for Michigan governor, besting two competitors to advance to the November race to succeed term-limited Republican Rick Snyder.

Also in Michigan, Detroit-area businessman and Iraq War veteran John James won the Republican nomination to run against Democratic sector Debbie Stabenow.
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan authorities have arrested a suspected poacher linked to the killing of a 12-year-old black rhino last month in Lake Nakuru national park, the national wildlife service said on Wednesday. The suspect was booked at a local police station and was being interrogated, the Kenya Wildlife Service said on its Twitter feed. His name was not given. The announcement came amid criticism over the earlier deaths of 11 of the endangered animals in a bungled relocation. Ten of the 11 died after the relocation. The only one to survive then died after being attacked by lions. An independent inquiry found the animals had succumbed to stress and poisoning from drinking salty water. Rhino populations have been depleted in recent years across sub-Saharan Africa, where armed criminal gangs have killed elephants for tusks and rhinos for horns. Often the animal parts are shipped to Asia for use in ornaments and medicines. The world's last male northern white rhino died in Kenya in March, leaving only two females of its subspecies alive. Kenya had 20,000 rhinos in the 1970s, falling to 400 in the 1990s. In 2017, the number had risen back to 1,258 - 745 of them black rhinos and 510 southern white rhinos, according to the wildlife service. (Reporting by Humphrey Malalo, editing by Maggie Fick, Larry King)
TAOS, N.M. (AP)  The Latest on 11 children found living in a filthy makeshift compound in New Mexico (all times local):

2:45 p.m.

The grandfather of a missing Georgia boy has issued a plea for help.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj of Brooklyn, New York, posted a message on Facebook asking for help in finding his grandson, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj.

Authorities in New Mexico arrested the boy's father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, on Friday.

He is one of five adults taken into custody on child abuse charges after authorities found them at a dilapidated compound with 11 children who were hungry and living in filthy conditions. Abdul-Ghani was not among them.

Police say the child was reported missing from Georgia on Dec. 10. The boy's mother told police he left with his father for a trip to a park and never returned.

In a federal court filing in 2006, Wahhaj claimed he was harassed on his way to and from Morocco by customs agents at JFK Airport in New York because he is "the son of the famous Muslim Imam Siraj Wahhaj."

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1:30 p.m.

Police say a man wanted in Georgia on child abduction charges and who faces child abuse counts in New Mexico was in possession of handguns, rifles and ammunition as he traveled through Alabama late last year.

Siraj Wahhaj was one of five adults arrested in Taos County after 11 hungry children were found Friday in filthy surroundings. Authorities said the children had likely not eaten for days.

According to a police report from the Dec. 13 accident in Alabama, Wahhaj was traveling through Chilton County with seven children and another adult when their car overturned. Wahhaj told police the group was traveling from Georgia to New Mexico to go camping.

The trooper who wrote the report said he found no camping equipment in or near the vehicle but that Wahhaj was in possession of three handguns, two rifles, a bag of ammunition and a bulletproof vest.

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12:50 p.m.

Authorities say a Georgia man accused of abducting his young son in December made it known to the boy's mother that he wanted to perform an exorcism on him because he believed the child was possessed by the devil.

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The Georgia arrest warrant for Siraj Wahhaj was included in a court filing Monday in New Mexico, where authorities arrested him, another man, and three women at a "filthy" compound in Taos County.

Sheriff's officials say 11 children found at the compound had probably not eaten for days.

Authorities say the adults were arrested on child abuse charges.

Wahhaj also is being held on the Georgia warrant. His son was not among those found at the compound, remains missing and was 3 when he went missing.

It's not clear when Wahhaj allegedly stated his wishes for an exorcism for his son.

The boy's mother has said he suffered from seizures.

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11:30 a.m.

Authorities say a New Mexico compound where five adults and 11 children had been living was found littered with "odorous trash" and that the children probably had not eaten for days.

Criminal complaints filed Monday in Taos Magistrate Court also say the compound in Amalia near the Colorado border had no clean water.

Sheriff's officials say the adults are facing 11 counts each of child abuse.

Jany Leveille, Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhannah Wahha are believed to be the mothers of the children. They were arrested in the town of Taos and booked into jail.

Two men were arrested at the compound by Friday  one on a Georgia warrant alleging child abduction and the other on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

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9:50 a.m.

Police reports show that a Georgia boy missing after authorities raided a New Mexico compound over the weekend was last seen in Alabama in December.

Police say the child was reported missing in Clayton County south of Atlanta on Dec. 10.

The boy's mother told police he left with his father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, for a trip to a park and never returned. The boy was 3 at the time.

Clayton County police say in a missing persons bulletin that Wahhaj and the child were last seen Dec. 13 in Alabama, traveling with five other children and two adults.

Authorities have arrested Wahhaj, another man, and three women believed to be the mothers of 11 children found living in filth in a makeshift compound in New Mexico.

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9:30 a.m.

Authorities say they've arrested three women believed to be the mothers of 11 children found living in filth in a makeshift compound in rural northern New Mexico.

Taos County, New Mexico, Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said Monday that the women and two men who were arrested over the weekend face charges of child abuse.

He says 35-year-old Jany Leveille, 38-year-old Hujrah Wahhaj and 35-year-old Subhannah Wahha were arrested without incident in the town of Taos and booked into jail.

The children ranging in age from 1 to 15 were removed from the compound in the small community of Amalia near the Colorado border. They were turned over to state child-welfare workers.

Hogrefe says police still are looking for AG Wahhaj, a child reported missing from Georgia's Clayton County.
SAG HARBOR, N.Y. (AP)  The Latest on the arrest of NASCAR chairman Brian France (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

Brian France has taken a leave of absence as chairman and CEO of NASCAR following his arrest in New York's Hamptons on charges of driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone.

France said in a statement Monday that his indefinite leave will be used to focus on his "personal affairs."

NASCAR Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Jim France assumed the role of interim chairman and chief executive officer. Brian France is the nephew of Jim France.

NASCAR was founded in 1947 by Bill France Sr. Brian France is his grandson and has been CEO since 2003.

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3:45 p.m.

Police say NASCAR chairman Brian France's blood-alcohol content level was more than twice the legal limit when he was arrested in New York's Hamptons for driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone.

Police say the 56-year-old France smelled of booze and slurred his words during a traffic stop in Sag Harbor on Sunday. They say his eyes were red and glassy and he struggled to keep his balance during field sobriety tests.

Tests showed France's blood alcohol content was 0.18. The legal limit in New York is 0.08.

Police say officers found five oxycodone pills during a subsequent search.

France was arraigned Monday at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court after spending the night in jail. He was rpteleased on his own recognizance and is due back in court Sept 14.

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1:45 p.m.

NASCAR chairman Brian France has been arrested in New York's Hamptons for driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone.

France was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and held overnight. He was arraigned Monday at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court and released.

There was no immediate information on an attorney who could comment on France's behalf.

NASCAR says it takes France's arrest "as a serious matter and will issue a statement after we have all of the facts."

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Police say the 56-year-old France was stopped after his 2017 Lexus blew through at a stop sign.

They say officers saw indications France was intoxicated and found the pills during a subsequent search.

TMZ first reported the arrest.

France has been CEO of the family-founded racing organization since 2003.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)  The Latest on Zimbabwe's disputed election (all times local):

1:15 a.m.

The United States' top diplomat for Africa says he is "deeply troubled by credible reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces" and that senior opposition official Tendai Biti has fled the country.

Tibor Nagy, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, in a series of posts on Twitter says he strongly urges authorities in neighboring Zambia to allow Biti to stay there until his asylum request can be "appropriately evaluated" or allow him safe passage to a third country.

Zambia's foreign minister says the reasons Biti gave for seeking asylum "did not have merit, so he is being held in safe custody and we are trying to take him back to Zimbabwe."

Concerns are rising over a Zimbabwe government crackdown after last week's disputed presidential election. The opposition says it will challenge the results in court this week.

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7:30 p.m.

Human Rights Watch says Zimbabwe senior opposition official Tendai Biti has been denied asylum in Zambia and is being deported to Zimbabwe shortly.

Southern Africa director Dewa Mavhinga says Biti told him that "It looks like they have made a decision to hand us back to the Junta. We are truly in God's hands."

Biti was detained Wednesday morning while trying to enter Zambia. He is part of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party that has denounced as fraud last week's election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The MDC has said it will challenge the election results in court this week, while concerns grow about a crackdown on its officials and supporters.

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3:45 p.m.

A lawyer says Zimbabwe senior opposition official Tendai Biti has been released after being arrested while trying to enter Zambia and is now seeking asylum.

Denford Halimani says details are not immediately clear on the circumstances around Biti's release but the lawyer can confirm that he is now on Zambian soil.

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Outrage quickly followed Biti's arrest on Wednesday morning.

Biti is part of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party that has denounced as fraud last week's election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The MDC has said it will challenge the election results in court this week.

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11:45 a.m.

A Zimbabwean lawyer says that senior opposition official Tendai Biti has been arrested.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, the lawyer, said Biti was arrested Wednesday while trying to cross into Zambia. He said more details would be released later.

Biti, who was finance minister in a coalition government from 2009 to 2013, is part of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, which has denounced as fraud last week's election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The MDC has said it will challenge the election results in court.

Last week Biti declared, before official election results were announced, that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won the vote, a claim also made by Chamisa himself.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said it is illegal to announce results before its own official pronouncement.
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's sovereign wealth fund has decided to move from its main office in Tripoli due to security breaches after a number of staff were threatened or abducted, it said in statement on Wednesday. The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), which holds about $66 billion-worth of mostly frozen assets, has long been at the center of leadership disputes and power struggles that reflect Libya's political splits. These have sometimes played out at the LIA's main offices in the Tripoli Tower office block, where the head of the fund appointed two years ago by Libya's internationally recognized government, Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohamed, had managed to install himself following a dispute with a rival claimant. Tripoli is largely controlled by a handful of powerful armed groups claiming official status that have expanded their economic interests, penetrated key institutions and frequently abduct rivals with impunity. "The Libyan Investment Authority is faced with a series of violations and abuses due to blatant interference by armed members of the battalion charged with protecting the tower," the LIA said. "The authority rejects these actions and announces the transfer of its headquarters from Tripoli Tower as a result of security breaches." The LIA said staff had been threatened, intimidated and had their movements restricted, and that some employees were abducted and held at a nearby base. Heads of departments were told not to comply with instructions from management. "The IT manager was forced to suspend the e-mail of the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer and the operations manager," the LIA statement said. The LIA was created to invest oil revenues earned before a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi and divided Libya into territory controlled by rival factions. The fund has been involved in several high profile international lawsuits over investments made prior to 2011. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Peter Graff)
Vilnius (AFP) - Lithuania's capital is pressing ahead with controversial plans for a raunchy international advertising campaign that refers to the city as the "G-spot of Europe", despite opposition from the church and central government.

Posters advertising the Baltic country's capital, due to appear from Thursday in Berlin and London, show a young woman lying on bed sheets printed with the map of Europe and clutching a handful of cloth where Vilnius is located.

"Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it's amazing. Vilnius, the G-spot of Europe," says the advertisement, which is aimed at portraying the city as the continent's undiscovered treasure.

The reference to the elusive erogenous zone has raised hackles in the devoutly Catholic Baltic EU country of 2.9 million people.

Images of the campaign banner have already gone viral on social media, provoking both support and criticism.

Former Vilnius mayor Arturas Zuokas criticised the campaign, telling AFP on Wednesday that "no one in the West is using sexist references in marketing any more, especially when we speak about public authorities".

Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grusas has said the campaign "potentially strengthens the image of Vilnius as a sex tourism city and exploits the sexuality of women".

Lithuania's government had asked the city to postpone the campaign until after Pope Francis visits in late September, but the organisers refused, arguing that the advertising will end before the pontiff's visit and is in no way associated with him.

"Those who are outraged are only showing that the campaign actually works, because it is making a fuss and provoking discussion," advertisement co-creator Jurgis Ramanauskas told AFP.

The city's official tourism service Go Vilnius said the poster, created by Lithuanian advertising students, is aimed at people aged 18 to 35 and will only be displayed for a week.

It will run alongside an online campaign, which will last a month.

The Lithuanian capital attracted 210,000 visitors in the first three months of this year, a 7.5 percent increase on the same period in 2017, according to Go Vilnius.
LISBON, Portugal (AP)  A major wildfire blackening hills in Portugal's southern Algarve region likely will take several more days to bring under control, the country's prime minister said Wednesday.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that efforts to control the fire that broke out Friday were being hampered by gusting winds, the region's deep ravines and the numerous plantations where combustible eucalyptus is grown for paper pulp.

Costa spoke after visiting the headquarters of the Portuguese Civil Protection Agency, the government body that is coordinating the emergency response to the fire.

The Civil Protection Agency said almost 1,300 firefighters from across Portugal were assigned to the blaze, the most since it started. Public TV network RTP said more than 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) have burned in the fire.

The prime minister is aware of potential political repercussions from major wildfires; the deaths of 109 people in blazes last year almost brought down his government.

Costa acknowledged that much more work was needed to prevent catastrophic fires, including diversifying the vegetation in Portugal's forests and establishing fire breaks.

High clouds of black smoke have towered for days over the Algarve region, a top European vacation destination.

While winds have made the firefighting effort more difficult, crew working overnight kept flames from reaching the town of Silves, a popular tourist spot and home to about 6,000 people.

The torrid weather that has hung over much of Europe for weeks also was subsiding, with a high of 31 degrees Celsius (88 F) forecast for the Algarve on Wednesday.

Along with ground crews, 13 aircraft and more than 380 vehicles were battling the blaze.

In neighboring Spain, 27 aircraft were helping some 700 firefighters put out a fire near Valencia. Radio broadcaster Cadena SER said nearly 2,900 hectares have been burned.
Matthew Perry was hospitalized for a gastrointestinal perforation this week. Heres what that means. (Getty Images).

Matthew Perry is recovering after undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

In a statement to People, a representative revealed that the 48-year-old actor was rushed to a hospital in California because of to a stomach issue. Matthew Perry recently underwent surgery in a Los Angeles hospital to repair a gastrointestinal perforation.  He is grateful for the concern and asks for continued privacy as he heals.

Although Perry seems to be on the mend, the condition is undeniably serious. According to the Mayo Clinic, a gastrointestinal perforation is a tear or rupture that occurs in the digestive tract  the stomach, large bowel, small intestine, or esophagus.

The main symptoms include sharp or sudden abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fever, nausea, chills, and vomiting. Doctors can diagnose the condition through a CT scan  using dye to spot a tear in the bowel (or elsewhere)  or by doing an endoscopy.

A perforation can be caused by variety of things, and treatment depends on the underlying cause. Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis have been known to cause perforations in the digestive tract, as have things like stomach ulcers. A tear can also result from an obstruction of the bowel, which can happen in the absence of an illness.

Treatment ranges from taking antibiotics  which work to fight off underlying infections  to surgery to repair the hole or to remove an obstruction. If Perry underwent surgery, its likely that he was suffering from a serious perforation that needed emergency treatment.

While people who have had a gastrointestinal perforation can make a full recovery, the condition does have serious risks. The perforation can cause the contents of the bowel to spill into the abdomen, causing an infection called peritonitis. Peritonitis is an inflammation of the abdomens lining, which can lead to sepsis, which is a bacterial infection in the blood. Sepsis is difficult to treat and extremely deadly  its the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals today.

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Its a serious condition that requires swift medical care, but in Perrys case, it seems thats exactly what he received. Heres hoping the Friends star is back to his normal self soon.

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Because the Duchess of Sussexs father and half-sister werent enough of a problem, she now apparently has to contend with her ex-husband as well.

Trevor Engelson, who was married to Meghan from 2011 to 2013, is said to be gearing up to break his silence on their relationship.

Trevor and Meghan ended their two-year marriage in 2013, citing irreconcilable differences. (Photo: Getty Images)

According to Samantha Markle, Engelson, a Hollywood producer, is fed up with how hes been treated during the duchess whirlwind romance to Prince Harry.

He said he was devastated, that he felt like a piece of gum at the bottom of his shoe, Samantha told the Sun. He slammed Meg.

The 53-year-old author claims Trevor was laying low around the time of the royal wedding and the media circus that surrounded it over fears of a Hollywood backlash, but has had enough.

Meghans half-sister Samantha has spoken out once again, claiming Trevor is annoyed with the whole situation. (Photo: Facebook)

Engelson was, at a time, reportedly even planning a comedy loosely based on Meghan, with the plot focusing on an American man forced and his ex, who just so happens to marry into the British royal family. The series, allegedly in the works at Fox, would have focused on the former couple attempting to navigate custody.

While there were reports back in May that the project was killed, Samantha claims Trevor wont back down when it comes to getting his show across the line. Its not directly about her and she doesnt have a copyright on all things royal, she told the Sun.

Meghans family have repeatedly spoken out in the wake of her May wedding to Prince Harry. Photo: Getty

Engelson, who is 5 years older than Meghan, met the Suits actress in 2004 and they were together for 7 years.

It was when Meghan relocated to Toronto in Canada from Chicago, Ill., for her role as s Rachel Zane on the hit legal drama that the relationship reportedly started to disintegrate. The distance  Engelson stayed behind in the states  apparently took its toll and the pair called it quits, with Meghan reportedly sending her wedding and engagement rings back in the mail.

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TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - The primary suspect charged in the abuse of 11 youths found malnourished at a ramshackle compound in New Mexico was training the children with firearms to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents filed in the case on Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as Huraj Wahhaj, is the father of a young boy whose disappearance from his home near Atlanta months ago prompted the investigation that led authorities to raid the compound last week. Authorities say remains believed to be that of the boy were found at the property on Monday but have not yet been positively identified.

(Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Siraj Wahhaj, arrested in New Mexico on Friday as police sought his abducted four-year-old son, was training 11 children on the compound to carry out school shootings, prosecutors say - AFP

A man arrested in New Mexico last week on child abuse and abduction charges was training one of the 11 children at his remote desert encampment to carry out a school shooting, prosecutors have claimed.

Siraj Wahhaj, 39, appeared before a magistrate in Taos, New Mexico, on Wednesday.

He was arrested on Friday after police, searching for his missing four-year-old son Abdul-Ghani, raided the compound and found 11 starving, filthy children with five adults.

Wahhaj and the four others  his wife Jany Leveille, 38, his sisters, Subhannah, 35, and Hujrah, 38, and Subhannahs husband Lucas Morten - were charged with 11 counts of child abuse.

Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe, who arrested Wahhaj and his associates after a day-long armed standoff, said his men planned "a tactical approach for our own safety, because we had learned the occupants were most likely heavily armed and considered extremist of the Muslim belief."

The remote desert camp in New Mexico, which was raided on Friday

The remains of a young boy, believed to be Wahhajs missing son, was found buried on the property, Mr Hogrefe said on Tuesday.

On Wednesday it emerged that one of the 11 children taken into care had, according to prosecutors, told their foster parents that Wahhaj trained them to carry out a school shooting.

The child was allegedly taught to fire an assault rifle, in readiness for the mission.

Tim Hasson, a prosecutor with the district court in Taos, requested that Wahhaj, son of a prominent Brooklyn imam, remain in custody and that his case be moved to the district court. His office has also filed motions to hold the other four defendants.

The saga began in December, when Wahhaj told the boys mother he was taking their severely disabled child, unable to walk, to the park.

A poster from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children shows Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, left, and his father Siraj Wahhaj Credit: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

He never returned to their home in Georgia, and the boys mother reported it to the police, saying Wahhaj intended to perform an exorcism on his son because Abdul-Ghani was possessed by the Devil.

She later said that exorcism was a mistranslation, and that Wahhaj simply wanted to pray for his son.

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New Mexico authorities had long suspected the father and son might be at the compound after learning about the abduction in May, said Mr Hogrefe.

But there was not enough evidence for a search warrant, and surveillance of the property did not identify the pair there. That changed on Thursday, when they received a note from inside the compound saying they were starving and thirsty.

Mr Hogrefe said his men found Wahhaj in a "partly buried camper trailer" with two women and several of the children.

Wahhaj refused to come out with his hands up, and when investigators opened the door, they found Wahhaj "was armed with a loaded revolver in his pocket," and was "wearing a belt with five loaded 30-round AR15 magazines in pouches on the belt."

Next to Wahhaj was a loaded AR15, according to Mr Hogrefe's affidavit.

Wahhaj refused to give his name or identify anyone with him. He declined to say anything about his son Abdul's whereabouts, according to the court document.

Investigators found a 100-foot tunnel on the north side of the buried trailer, about three feet in diameter with two dugout "pockets" containing bedding, Mr Hogrefe said.

Another enclosure made of straw and tires housed a makeshift toilet. There was no running water.

On the compound was a powerful Marlin 30-30 rifle with a scope, other guns, ammunition, a laptop, camcorder, and a Penguin child's nebulizer used to turn medicine into mist.

Morten was arrested at the front of the property and initially charged with harbouring a fugitive. The child abuse charges were added later.

"The living conditions, health and wellbeing of the children were deemed deplorable, said Mr Hogrefe.

They had no clean water, food or electricity; dirty clothing, poor hygiene, and had not eaten or taken nutrition in what was believed to be days."
Danny OConnor and Troy Balderson. (Photos: John Minchillo/AP; Jay LaPrete/AP)

Top Story:

Tuesday was primary day in Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington state. Key takeaways included surprisingly strong showings from Democratic House challengers in Washington; disappointing news for Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez-style progressives across the Midwest; and notable strides for labor and women.

But more on those contests later.

This weeks marquee event was the special election to replace former GOP Rep. Pat Tiberi in Ohios 12th U.S. House District, encompassing the Columbus suburbs and surrounding area  and both Democrats and Republicans have reason to be encouraged and discouraged by the results.

At press time, Republican Troy Balderson appears to have edged out Democrat Danny OConnor by 1,754 votes, or 0.9 percentage points. For some news outlets, the race remains too close to call; after all, they argue, there are still thousands of provisional and absentee ballots left to count  perhaps more than 8,400.

But most analysts agree that OConnor is unlikely to catch up.

Troy Balderson, Republican candidate for Ohios 12th Congressional District. (Photo: Jay LaPrete/AP)

So Republicans should be rejoicing and Democrats should be crying into their iced almond lattes, right? Well, sort of. With a 22-seat House majority and a full 60 seats at risk in November, Republicans really cant afford to lose any more special elections  especially in districts like the traditionally conservative OH-12, which voted for Donald Trump by 11 percentage points in 2016. Ohio operatives considered Balderson, a state senator, an underwhelming candidate. He and OConnor were tied in the polls heading into Tuesday. And so a win is a win is a win.

Still, if ever a victory could be tempered with foreboding, Baldersons would be it. For one thing, national Republicans had to ride to Baldersons rescue. Congressional Leadership Fund, the top House GOP super-PAC, spent $3.2 million on the race; the National Republican Congressional Committee spent another $1.3 million. Overall, Republicans outspent Democrats five-to-one. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence came to Ohio and campaigned on Baldersons behalf. All of which, its worth noting, was only possible because there werent 434 other congressional elections happening on the same day. In November, the Baldersons of the world wont be receiving that kind of attention from the White House.

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And Balderson himself may be among them. If he does end up assuming Tiberis seat in Congress, he will only have a lock on it for three months  the remainder of the term Tiberi resigned from earlier this year. At that point, Balderson will face off against OConnor for a second time, on Nov. 6, to decide who will represent OH-12 in the next Congress.

Some experts say Balderson will have the advantage of incumbency this fall. But thats unclear at best. OConnor, a baby-faced 31-year-old county official, proved on Tuesday that he could come within a single percentage point of winning a district that leans Republican by 14. That should make him a magnet for Democratic resources in the coming rematch, and it should give hope to Democratic challengers elsewhere  several dozen of whom will be competing in districts far less red than OH-12.

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Washington: While most political junkies were obsessing over Ohio, Tuesdays truly head-turning results may have been rolling in thousands of miles away. Like California, Washington state has a nonpartisan jungle primary system, which means Democrats and Republicans compete against each other and the top two finishers advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. So while mail-in votes are still being tallied, its already obvious, with about two-thirds of the count completed, that Republicans had a bad night.

Democrats knew theyd be competitive in Washingtons GOP-held Eighth Congressional District, an exurban and rural area straddling the Cascade Mountains, where three-time statewide Republican candidate Dino Rossi is running to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Dave Reichert  so they were encouraged Tuesday to discover that Rossi and the two other, minor Republicans combined for just 47 percent of the vote, or 10 points less than Reicherts vote share in the primary two years ago. Democratic candidates, meanwhile, won half the votes, meaning that whoever ends up as their nominee  either pediatrician Kim Schrier or attorney Jason Rittereiser  will enter the fall contest in very good shape.

Democratic candidate for Congress Kim Schrier. (Photo: Courtesy of Kim Schrier for Congress)

What Democrats didnt necessarily expect, however, was to put two other GOP-held seats on the map: 1) WA-03, in the states southwestern corner, where Democrats combined for 50.3 percent of the vote and local college professor Carolyn Long currently lags a mere four points behind incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler, who has only barely managed to clear 40 percent, and 2) WA-05, on the states easternmost edge, where Democratic challenger Lisa Brown is within 600 votes of seven-term Republican incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the only woman in House GOP leadership. Both seats will now be seen as prime Democratic pickup opportunities.

Kansas: Most Kansas coverage focused on the GOP gubernatorial primary, which pitted incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer against Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. The race was billed as yet another round in the ongoing battle between so-called establishment Republicans and Trumpian insurgents, with Colyer in the establishment role (he assumed the governorship in January when his unpopular predecessor Sam Brownback accepted a religious ambassador appointment from Trump) and Kobach in Trumps corner (he is best known for vice chairing President Trumps controversial voting commission and helping to author anti-immigration legislation).

So which side won? We dont know yet. Kobach currently leads by fewer than 200 votes, and provisional and mail-in ballots are continuing to trickle in. Many Republican may be rooting against Kobach, however: A mid-July poll showed Colyer leading Democratic nominee Laura Kelly by 10 points  and Kobach trailing her by one.

Republican primary candidate for Governor Kris Kobach, and his wife Heather Kobach speaks to supporters just after midnight in a tight race with Jeff Colyer that is too close to call on August 7, 2018 in Topeka, Kansas. (Photo: Steve Pope/Getty Images)

Down ballot, the most interesting question Tuesday was whether the newly emboldened Bernie SandersAlexandra Ocasio-Cortez Democratic Socialist wing of the Democratic Party could connect with prairie Democrats. They found some success in KS-04, around Wichita. There, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for James Thompson, who wound up easily winning Tuesdays primary. Unfortunately, KS-04 leans Republican by 15 percentage points, making Thompson the longest of general-election long shots.

More telling, perhaps, was the outcome in the suburban swing district KS-03, around Kansas City, where Sharice Davids, an LGBTQ Native American attorney and former MMA fighter, defeated Brent Welder, a former Bernie Sanders staffer who ran on Medicare for All. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for Welder as well, but it wasnt enough. In November, Davids will face off against incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder, who captured only 68 percent of the GOP vote in Tuesdays primary  a weak showing that convinced the Cook Political Report to move his reelection race from Lean Republican to Toss Up.

Michigan: In terms of intraparty Democratic dynamics, it was more of the same in the Wolverine State, where Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez attempted in the closing weeks to boost young, progressive physician Abdul El-Sayed for governor  but where El-Sayed wound up finishing nearly 20 points behind former state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer in Tuesdays primary.

Whitmers victory does, however, reflect a larger 2018 trend: the rise of women gubernatorial candidates. So far this year, a record 11 women have been nominated for governorships, including Democrat Laura Kelly, a Kansas state senator who also won her primary Tuesday. As the New York Times put it, this is a breakthrough in a political arena  that has been especially unfriendly to women in the past: executive offices.

Meanwhile, in the heavily Democratic 13th District, which includes parts of Detroit and its suburbs, former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who likened herself to Ocasio-Cortez, won the Democratic primary and is expected to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

Verbatim:

Trump Factor:

On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Trump went on a Twitter tear, pointing out that his endorsed GOP candidates  Josh Hawley for Missouri senator, Bill Schuette for Michigan governor, John James for Michigan senator, Troy Balderson for Ohio congressman, and Lena Epstein for Michigan congresswoman  had gone 5 for 5!, proving that as long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win.

RED WAVE! Trump added in a separate tweet.

Does the president have a point? In one sense, yes: He is clearly a force to be reckoned with in Republican primary contests (though it remains to be seen whether the candidate who needed his help the most, Kansass Kris Kobach, can eke out a victory).

But there were also signs Tuesday that when it comes to the broader, more consequential context of a general election, Trump may wind up doing his party more harm than good.

Ohio is key here. The 12th Congressional District, centered on the Columbus suburbs, is well-educated and white  and it has long voted for Republicans. In 2016, however, Trump performed worse among college-educated, higher-income suburbanites than any Republican in recent memory, and since then, his aggressive, divisive approach has only reinforced their doubts.

Troy Balderson with President Trump. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)

On Tuesday, that antipathy registered at the ballot box: Balderson finished 22 percentage points behind his Republican predecessor (Tiberi) in suburban Franklin County and 18 percentage points back in suburban Delaware County; turnout, meanwhile, rose to 42 percent in Franklin and Delaware, but languished between 27 and 32 percent in the more rural parts of the district.

This suggests that the wealthiest, most-educated elements of the OH-12 electorate  the elements most uncomfortable with Trump  showed the most interest in voting and voted much more Democratic than they have in the past. In a year when Republicans are defending dozens of seats that look a lot like OH-12 demographically but that tend to be a lot less pro-Republican in their partisan leanings  seats from Kansas to California to Minnesota  Tuesdays data from the Columbus suburbs represent a warning sign about Trumps impact come November.

Up Next:

August 11: Hawaii primaries

August 14: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin primaries

_____



Read more from YahooNews:
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - Voters in Missouri on Tuesday overwhelmingly decided to strike down a so-called "right-to-work" law barring the collection of fees from private-sector workers who choose not to become union members, a crucial victory for organized labor following a series of setbacks.

Missouri residents voted by a 2-to-1 ratio to defeat the state law, which Republican lawmakers approved last year but had been put on hold pending the ballot referendum. Unions say that because they are required to bargain on behalf of all workers, including non-members, those workers should contribute a fair share of the dues paid by members.

The vote marked the first time that a right-to-work law was struck down at the polls. Twenty-seven other states have adopted such laws, including five since 2012, and the Missouri vote was seen as an important chance for labor groups to stem the tide.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark decision in June, said that requiring public-sector workers who do not join unions to pay fees violates their free speech rights. That decision will deprive public worker unions of millions of dollars and could decrease their political clout.

President Donald Trump has appointed officials with long records of opposing unions to influential labor posts in his administration.

Had Missouri's law been upheld, an estimated 60,000 fewer workers could have been represented by unions, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. The resulting loss of dues would have made it more difficult for unions, which typically support Democratic candidates, to contribute to political campaigns and to organize more workers.

The momentum from the Missouri vote and a series of teacher strikes across the country could lead to major gains for unions in November's mid-term elections, said Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor federation.

"The victory in Missouri follows a national wave of inspiring activism ... and electoral triumphs that remind America the path to power runs through the labor movement," Trumka said.

Story continues

Many business groups supported the right-to-work law, saying it would spur job creation and that it was unfair to force workers to subsidize unions that they do not join.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which lobbies for such laws and represents workers with legal claims against unions, contributed more than $750,000 to a campaign to defeat the referendum. Overall, unions and their allies outspent supporters of the law by nearly 5-to-1.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Trott)
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently completed a week-long trip to Africa, where he visited Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa, and Mauritius.

During the trip, Xi discussed and signed new trade and investment deals with these countries, in an effort to capture greater opportunities for the Belt and Road Initiative.

This latest trip to Africa is yet another sign of Chinas growing engagement with the continent and reinforced its role as one of Africas closest economic and diplomatic allies.

This Sino-African relationship dates back to the early days of the Peoples Republic and has deepened in line with Chinas need for natural resources to sustain its economic boom and rapid industrialization.

Seemingly indifferent to the risky investment and political structures of the countries that make up much of the continent, China has boosted oil and mining sectors in Africa in exchange for advantageous conditions of trade.

Sino-African relations

In 2000, representatives from 44 countries and 17 international and regional organizations joined the first Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The inaugural FOCAC summit represented a landmark in Sino-African cooperation, triggering soaring bilateral political and economic interactions between China and individual African countries.

Since the first FOCAC summit, bilateral trade, aid, and investment have increased rapidly, and political relations are more interconnected than ever before.

This is of immense significance for Africas political and economic development.

Many African leaders consider China to be instrumental in solving their development challenges. Meanwhile, the US and the EU are being pushed out of the picture and face a renewed need to reposition themselves strategically in the continent.

In recent years, the FOCAC has played an increasingly significant role in the integration of the Chinese and African economies, which are highly complementary and hold tremendous potential for bilateral trade and investment.

Partly due to the FOCACs efforts in supporting and streamlining Sino-African trade, China is now Africas largest trade partner.

Bilateral trade

Factoring into the Sino-African equation is the Least Developed Country (LDC) state of many African countries.

Related services Trade and e-Commerce

Exporters from LDC countries can enjoy the benefits of preferential tariffs agreement from China granted by the Administrative Measures of the PRC Customs on Rules of Origin of Imported Goods from the Least Developed Countries Entitled to Special Preferential Tariff Treatment (GACC Decree no. 231, the Decree), passed on March 3, 2017 and effective since April 1, 2017.

The perks of the Decree consist in the expansion of the criteria determining the national source of a product, and in a more streamlined consignment process, making the delivery of goods from such countries to China more efficient.

While Chinese exports include manufactured goods like machinery, electronics, textiles, and high-tech products, African exports mainly consist of natural resources like timber and cotton, and agricultural and semi-processed goods.

The above map highlights the major categories of products exported from Africa to China in 2017.

In the east, food products such as livestock, coffee, and grains are the biggest exports to China.

Textiles, once dominant in North African countries like Morocco and Tunisia, have been surpassed by ores and plastic goods, respectively.

Export of cotton products remained strong for the smaller economies of Mali and Benin, while Niger experienced explosive growth in its cotton export levels.

In the south, ores and other precious metals still constitute the largest sources of revenue.

The future of the cooperation looks bright. But as Chinas economy shifts from manufacturing to consumption, Africas oil and ferrous metal exporters (especially in Nigeria, Angola, and the Republic of Congo) are expected to experience a downturn in their export volumes, even though Chinese investments in Africa might compensate with infrastructure and industrial capacity building.

For instance, the establishment of Africas largest textile industrial center, sponsored by a Memorandum of Understanding between Kano State (in northern Nigeria) and Shandong Ruyi Technology Group  a deal worth US$600 million and potentially 5,000 jobs  can be considered as hedging a fall in oil prices and a lower supply of oil.

Outlook for future exports

However, its not just oil and gas. Africas exporters of non-ferrous materials, textile, and food and agricultural products  which are already enjoying eased access to the Chinese market  can expect their potential to be further unleashed by the expansion of the Chinese middle class.

African exporters must carefully assess the requirements of the Decree, consisting mainly in a new and eased Rule of Origin, further shaped by the Rule of Cumulation and by the Rule of De Minimis, as the present state of the global economy and its intricate value chains can poise some regulatory challenges.

Companies entitled for the qualification of such preferential measures should perform due diligence when planning to export goods to China, getting the relevant licenses, and be agile in making adjustments when needed given the fast pace at which regulatory updates are being brought forward by Chinese authorities.

As time goes by, the cooperation between African countries and China will most likely create many more opportunities for African businesses. Yet, a major drawback of the cooperation could consist in the overreliance of a given country on a given commodity.

Major efforts by the governments of export-oriented countries are expected to be involved into the diversification of their economies and into the design of an accurate China plan, as the Middle Kingdoms economic model continues to shift.

In this sense, the seventh FOCAC Summit, to be held in Beijing next September, is likely to shed more light on the ties between Africa and China and lay out more precious considerations on the future of the cooperation while also considering its linkage with the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Boston Red Sox are starting to create some separation at the top of the league. A week ago, it looked like the New York Yankees were slowly starting to make their move. The Red Sox put an end to that, sweeping their biggest rival in four games.

That puts the Red Sox in a dominant position in the American League East. Entering Wednesday, the team has a nine-game lead in the division, which is tied for the biggest lead in any division. They are nine games better than the Yankees, who we rank as the third-best team in baseball. Thats quite a feat.

Theres still plenty of season left, but it will be tough to dethrone the Red Sox from the top spot in the MLB Power Rankings. Anything can happen once the postseason begins, but the Red Sox should be considered World Series favorites at this point.

The Red Sox continue to distance themselves from the rest of the league. (AP Photo)

1. Red Sox (80-34; last week: 1)

A sweep of the Yankees has the Red Sox in even better shape in the American League East. The team now has a nine-game lead in the division. That number was just two a month ago.

2. Astros (73-42; last week: 3)

The Astros jumped out of their recent losing streak by winning six of their next seven games. The Astros came into the season with a deep roster, but thats being tested now. Losing George Springer and Lance McCullers Jr. puts pressure on Houston to stay on top.

3. Yankees (70-42; last week: 2)

Getting swept by the Red Sox was a big blow to a Yankees team that appeared to be surging. While the club is in great shape, the As are suddenly threatening to take away the first wild-card spot from New York. It would help if Aaron Judge was able to return from his wrist injury soon.

4. Athletics (67-47; last week: 8)

The Athletics have lost just once since the last time we did this list, so they find themselves shooting up the power rankings. One-run games continue to fuel their dominance. They are 21-9 in those games in 2018 thanks to a strong bullpen.

5. Cubs (66-47; last week: 4)

Maybe Cole Hamels was exactly what the Cubs needed. In two starts with the team, hes given up just one run over 11 innings. Hes struck out 11 and walked three in those starts, adding stability to a spotty Cubs rotation.

Story continues

6. Brewers (65-51; last week: 6)

The Brewers splurging to acquire Christian Yelich and sign Lorenzo Cain has worked out thus far. By fWAR, Yelich and Cain are neck and neck as the best two players on the club this season. The pair has given Milwaukee the best top of the order in baseball.

7. Mariners (65-49; last week: 5)

After being in the second wild-card spot for a while, the Mariners were finally toppled by the Athletics. Theyll have to turn things around quickly. The Ms play 16 straight games against teams over .500 in August.

8. Indians (62-50; last week: 10)

As expected, Cleveland is absolutely destroying teams in the America League Central. The team has a 33-16 record against teams in their division. They are under .500 against the Yankees, Astros, Mariners and As, though, so theres still work to be done.

9. D-backs (63-52; last week: 9)

The Diamondbacks might have a chance to break away in the National League West soon. The team will play 11 straight games against teams with sub-.500 records in August.

10. Dodgers (63-51; last week: 7)

The Dodgers find themselves fighting for a postseason spot in a surprisingly tough division. They not only have to topple the D-Backs and hold off the Rockies, but they also have to finish with a better record than the Brewers, Phillies and Braves to guarantee a postseason spot. A couple really good teams are going to miss out on the postseason in 2018.

The Phillies are in the postseason hunt, but plenty of teams are giving them a fight. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

11. Phillies (64-49; last week: 11)

12. Braves (61-49; last week: 12)

13. Rockies (60-53; last week: 13)

The Phillies, Braves and Rockies are all good teams in tough spots. At least one should make the playoffs, but its possible the other two will miss out. Two of those clubs also have to worry about the Nationals, who are making their push.

14. Cardinals (59-55; last week: 16)

15. Nats (58-55; last week: 19)

16. Giants (57-58; last week: 17)

The Cardinals, Giants and Nationals find themselves on the outside looking in, and would need a run in order to get back into their division race. Of all those clubs, the Nationals seem best equipped to make that happen. Theyve played better as of late, probably because Bryce Harper is hitting .345 since the All-Star break. So much for the Home Run Derby curse.

17. Pirates (58-56; last week: 14)

18. Rays (57-56; last week: 18)

19. Angels (57-58; last week: 15)

These three teams have a shot at finishing above .500, but it may not matter. The Pirates have to contend with both the Cubs and Brewers in the NL Central. The Rays arent topping the Yankees or the Red Sox. The Angels would have to get by three other teams. It doesnt seem likely.

20. Twins (53-59; last week: 20)

21. Blue Jays (51-61; last week: 21)

22. Reds (50-64; last week: 22)

23. Rangers (50-65; last week: 23)

24. Mets (46-65; last week: 25)

These are the teams firmly stuck in rebuilds  regardless of what the Mets say. Nearly all those clubs sold off parts at the deadline, and could send more players out over waivers in August.

25. Tigers (47-67; last week: 24)

26. Marlins (47-68; last week: 26)

27. Padres (45-70; last week: 27)

28. White Sox (41-72; last week: 28)

29. Royals (34-79; last week: 29)

30. Orioles (34-79; last week: 30)

The worst of the worst. At least some of these clubs are deep into their rebuilds. Every team here was supposed to struggle in 2018, so this shouldnt come as a surprise. However, the fact that the Orioles already have a single digit elimination number in early August is jarring.

      

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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CHICAGO (AP)  Chicago officials announced Tuesday hundreds of additional police officers will be deployed to city neighborhoods where a burst of gun violence over the weekend left at least 11 people dead and around 70 wounded.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said 400 additional officers are already patrolling areas on the West and South Sides where most of the shootings occurred. Another 200 will be added by the coming weekend.

Johnson refused to give details as to how the extra officers will be deployed, saying criminals are tactical and he doesn't want to give them the department's playbook.

"We have ordered a series of strategic deployments aimed at keeping our community safe," he said. "These additional deployments will continue to supplement existing manpower."

Victims of this weekend's shootings ranged in age from 11 to 63. One teenage boy was fatally shot while riding a bike Sunday afternoon, and other shootings took place at a block party and a funeral.

In order to complete the increase, some officers will have their regular shifts extended, while other units will have their days off canceled.

"We are taking resources from other areas of the city," Johnson said. "These are discretionary resources, so we are not taking any manpower from a particular district and relocating them; we're taking manpower from units that do other things."

But as Johnson was announcing an increased police presence in certain neighborhoods, community and political leaders were promoting other ideas to suppress the violence.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Danny Davis said the crime environment in Chicago has been years in the making, due to neglect.

"People not having enough space. People not having enough food. People not getting the type of education that they need to get," Davis said. "People who aren't sure of what the next day is going to bring them. People who've lost hope, who've given up on their government."

Story continues

And several politicians highlighted the importance of family in the fight to curb the violence.

Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. condemned drugs and its profits as "blood money," and said parents shouldn't look away when their children come home with goods the adults know they didn't give them the money to buy.

"There's too many blind eyes in our community," Burnett said.

Video: Chicago Police Still Havevn't Made Arrests in Shootings

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018

What to watch today

Wednesday comes with earnings announcements from Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA), News Corp. (NWSA), Michael Kors (KORS), Mylan (MYL), and Booking Holdings (BKNG). There are no major economic data scheduled for release.

Top news

REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo

Teslas Elon Musk just invited a big lawsuit: Electric carmaker Tesla (TSLA) could be going private, according to a tweet by its mercurial CEO, Elon Musk. If true, its a boon for shareholders. But if its not true, Tesla could be in trouble, and shareholders may feel the pain. [Yahoo Finance]

Disney quarterly profit falls short as streaming costs rise: Walt Disney Co. (DIS) missed Wall Street profit targets as new technology costs rose during the quarter ended June 30, but Chief Executive Bob Iger said an exodus of consumers from its television channels was slowing. Shares of Disney, which have climbed nearly 9% so far this year, slipped 1.1% in after-hours trading on Tuesday to $115.45. [Reuters]

Snap shares rally after it reports revenue beat, decline in users: Snap (SNAP) shares were up over 11% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the social-media company beat earnings estimates but disappointed on user growth.For the first time ever, the Venice, California-based tech company reported a sequential decline in daily active users. [Yahoo Finance]

Chinese exports accelerate even as Trump escalates trade war: Chinas exports surged more than expected in July despite U.S. duties and its closely watched surplus with the United States remained near record highs, as the worlds two major economic powers ramped up a bitter dispute that some fear could derail global growth. [Reuters]

Amazon launches curbside pickup at Whole Foods stores: Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) on Wednesday said it was launching curbside pickup at Whole Foods stores, in its latest tactic to win over U.S. grocery shoppers. Customers can place orders via Amazons Prime Now app and ask to have groceries loaded into their car upon arrival at a store, the company said in a statement. [Reuters]

Story continues

For more of the latest news, go to Yahoo Finance

Troy Balderson, Republican candidate for Ohios 12th Congressional District, greets a crowd of supporters during an election night party Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Newark, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Yahoo Finance Originals

Disney CEO Iger: Talks are underway for sale of Fox regional sports networks

Corporate America should avoid talking about Trump

Elizabeth Warren: Wilbur Ross is a cartoon stereotype of a Wall Street fat cat

Facebook users are having a hard time detoxing from their feeds



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Emilie Lagneau spent her first two weeks in China repairing an ancient house in a remote mountain village in the eastern province of Fujian.

The French archaeologist joined a two-week architectural heritage preservation work camp. Together with 16 volunteers, three from France and 13 from China, she arrived in Jiulong village of Nanping City on July 16.

The two-storey house, with a wooden inner structure and rammed earth outer walls, is located on a mountain. The volunteers carried tiles and logs up the mountain, and dug-up earth near the house. Under the guidance of three local craftsmen, they built a rammed earth wall to replace a rotten wooden beam.

Lagneau said the manual labor was not a challenge for her as she had been an archaeologist for 10 years.

"I'm interested in the old way to build houses with wood and mud," she said. "I wanted to have a trip in another country and to learn carpentry. Then I found this work camp online."

The work camp, co-organized by Shanghai Ruan Yisan heritage foundation and French relics protection association Rempart, has been raising public awareness of architectural heritage conservation since 2011.

For eight years, the work camp invited Chinese and French volunteers to repair heritage sites in the two countries, such as temples, former celebrity residences and city walls.

This was the first time the camp chose Jiulong, where Tucuo mud-houses have been home to locals for more than 1,000 years.

Ding Feng, secretary general of Shanghai Ruan Yisan heritage foundation, said that the old houses showed the traditional residential architecture of northern Fujian.

"In recent years, young and middle-aged people have left the village to seek job opportunities, leaving about 90 percent of these old houses vacant and unprotected," Ding said. "These houses will disappear in several years if without some preservation efforts," she said.

Zhan Zhenfen, who taught the volunteers how to make rammed earth walls using raw materials such as earth, clay, gravel and straw, said the last time he did such work was in 1986. "Villagers used to build these houses on their own. But now, people under 50 don't know the techniques."

Since the 1980s, villagers began to move into brick or concrete houses with modern facilities, leaving many old ones abandoned.

More than 120 traditional houses still exist in Jiulong, among them two were built 400 years ago, and another seven have a history of about 200 to 300 years.

Hu Xiaowen, a volunteer and interior designer, said she appreciated the way the traditional houses were built.

The external walls make the houses cool in summer and warm in winter. The houses are strong, durable and eco-friendly, as they adopt local raw materials.

"There are some Chinese architects who are accommodating rammed earth walls into modern construction, for the purpose of sustainability," Hu said.

Liu Chunlan, a volunteer who led the team in Jiulong, said she believes the work carries significance for locals. "Villagers used to think that their hometown was a place left behind by modern development, but our arrival and labor can provide them with an outsider perspective and let them see the value of the traditional architecture in their hometown."

Their labor made the local villagers curious. Some even joined their repair work, and many children were eager to learn the techniques.

Wu Chunsheng, a local official, said the local government had also been encouraging the villagers to repair their deserted houses to protect the local culture.

Wu said the county was preparing to build an artist base in the village to attract painters, photographers and sculptors to create works inspired by the idyllic rural scenery, and create more jobs for the locals.

After the voluntary work in Jiulong finished, Lagneau and French volunteer Audrey Garrouste headed to Shanxi Province to another work camp to repair a historical hall.

Lagneau said she was looking forward to getting to know more about Chinese architectural culture.
The mother of a dead fetus that was discovered on Tuesday morning aboard an American Airlines plane has been identified as a Brooklyn, New York teenager, according to officials.

The teenager, her sister and other relatives were allegedly returning from a trip to Jamaica and had flown from the Caribbean island to Charlotte, North Carolina to take a connecting flight home to New York.

The young woman told authorities she did not know she was pregnant but said she had been feeling unwell for a few days before the incident, New York Daily News reports.

When American Airlines Flight 1942 landed at New York's Laguardia airport at 10:44 p.m. on Monday night, the teenager said she rushed into one of the airplane's bathrooms and proceeded to give birth to what appeared to be a three-months-premature baby.

The teen "pulled the baby out and put it in the toilet and covered it with paper," according to law enforcement officials, before checking herself into Kings County Hospital.

The dead fetus was discovered early on Tuesday morning by cleaning crew members when the out-of-service jet was parked inside an airport hangar.

A law enforcement source told New York Daily News that investigators are looking into the possibility that the incident could have been caused by a "botched abortion" she may have undergone in Jamaica.

No charges have yet been filed against the teenager, as investigators await the results of an autopsy which will reveal if the baby was born alive or dead.
Meet Mr. Pokee, the self-proclaimed worlds cutest adventurer. Hes not your average social media pet, hes a 3-year-old African pygmy hedgehog. Just scrolling through Pokees Instagram reveals all the fun places he gets to go, and lets just say we are very jealous of this well-traveled, spikey little dude.

Hes certainly got a thing for sitting in cups, cones, and anything else his teeny quills dont pop! Like many pets, this little guy has a lot of needs. His human mom, 25-year-old Talitha Girnus, makes sure hes well fed and warm in the wintertime.

Though he has been everywhere from Italy to Austria, Mr. Pokee is originally from Germany and lives with Girnus. She said his Instagram account, which now has over 700,000 followers, started off by just sending photos to family and friends when he came into her life over three years ago.

When I picked Pokee up from the breeder, I immediately fell in love with him. He made me smile, even on the worst days, Girnus revealed on her website.

It wasnt long that, judging from the responses from loved ones, she realized that Mr. Pokee had star potential. Finally, she decided to start sharing his photos with the world, and thank goodness she did: His photos now average over 60,000 likes! Thats a lot of hedgehog love.

So why a traveling hedgehog? Girnus says it all started when she decided to study abroad.

Traveling with Pokee started when I decided to go abroad for a semester. At that point, Pokee was already super tame and used to me but generally shy towards others. Leaving him with my family or a friend for five months was never an option for me, she explained.

Eventually the traveling duo really took off. The little influencer has become so popular, he even has his own website. Girnus runs the site www.mrpokee.com, where she sells personalized Polaroids, calendars, and T-shirts featuring the unbelievably adorable Mr. Pokee.

Story continues

Girnus wants to spread joy and happiness to the world through Mr. Pokee, and his fans are loving it. Between all the serious things going on in this world I wanted to give people a reason to smile  even if just for a little while, Girnus said.

Additional reporting for this article by Rennie Svirnovskiy

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Workers have seized partial control of the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Hamas-run Gaza, its head said Wednesday, accusing their union of "mutiny" over job cuts.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced last month more than 250 staff in Gaza and the occupied West Bank would lose their jobs, after a $300 million cut in annual funding from the United States.

The redundancies have prompted daily protests by the agency's labour union in the enclave, which UNRWA's Gaza head said have led to security concerns.

"They have taken over the compound where my office and other offices are," said Matthias Schmale.

The agency's Gaza chief admitted UNRWA does not have full control over the site, in Gaza City, explaining he has not been able to work from his own office for more than two weeks.

"I am the captain of the ship which has 13,000 sailors on it and they have basically thrown me off the bridge and consigned me to my captain's quarters," he told AFP, referring to the number of employees in Gaza.

UNRWA provides support for more than three million Palestinians across the Middle East, including the majority of Gaza's two million residents.

It operates more than 200 schools in the enclave, which may not open at the start of the academic year without new funding and an end to the labour dispute.

Schmale accused the labour union of multiple incidents of "threatening and intimidating other fellow Palestinian staff. For me that crosses a red line."

"I am very concerned about the safety and security of my Palestinian colleagues," he added.

The union denied all allegations of intimidation and is due to continue demonstrating, with a general strike expected in the coming days unless a deal is reached.

"This is a peaceful and safe sit-in inside the regional headquarters of UNRWA to demand (employees') right to be able to continue their work," Amir al-Mishal, head of the UNRWA employee union in Gaza, told AFP.

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He said some of those affected by the cuts had been working for the agency for more than 30 years and they were seeking dialogue with the management.

- Hamas visits -

On Wednesday the protest inside the UNRWA compound was visited by Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas member, who pledged his Islamist movement's full support for protesters, an AFP correspondent said.

Schmale was unaware that Zahar had been inside the compound, saying any visit by a figure from Hamas -- considered a terrorist organisation by the US and European Union -- was forbidden as it breaches the UN's impartiality rules.

A small number of employees have begun a hunger strike against the cuts outside Schmale's office, seeking to force management to reverse course.

Ismail al-Talaa, who worked in psychological support in a school, said he was on his fourth day without food.

He compared his salary of around $1,000 a month with what he called the huge incomes and benefits earned by Schmale and other senior UNRWA leaders, who are usually internationals.

The funding crisis was sparked in January by the United States, traditionally the largest donor to UNRWA, cutting its annual grant from $360 million to just $60 million.
Alan Valdes of Silverbear Capital joins Yahoo Finance's Seana Smith from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to discuss the latest market moves. Here's the performance of select trending stocks as of 3:00 pm ET: CGC(HB) Canopy Growth 4.03% CVS CVS Health Corp 3.69% GEVO(HB) Gevo Inc 2.58% BB(HB) BlackBerry Ltd 2.44% FIT Fitbit Inc 2.25% ACBFF(HB) Aurora Cannabis Inc 2.13% ARWR(0) Arrowhead Pharma Inc 1.46% LRCX Lam Research 1.19% PFE Pfizer Inc 0.95% GOOGL Alphabet Inc Cl A 0.94% NVDA Nvidia Corp 0.92% AMZN Amazon.com Inc 0.89% SIRI Sirius XM Hldgs Inc 0.80% GOOG Alphabet Inc Cl C Cap Stock 0.88% BILI(HB) Bilibili Inc ADS 0.79% C Citigrp Inc 0.70% BAC Bank of America Corporation 0.67% FB Facebook Inc 0.61% AMAT Applied Materials 0.42% CRM salesforce.com Inc 0.43% JCP(HB) Penney (J.C.) 0.42% JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co 0.37% WFC Wells Fargo 0.34% HD Home Depot Inc 0.31% VZ Verizon Communications 0.29% T AT&T Inc 0.29% SHOP Shopify Inc 0.29% PBR Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. ADS 0.16% HMNY(HB,F) Helios and Matheson Analytics 0.14% MSFT Microsoft Corp 0.14% ADBE Adobe Systems 0.12% AVGO Broadcom Inc 0.06% PYPL PayPal Hldgs Inc 0.08% AAPL Apple Inc 0.01% QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 0.02% KMI Kinder Morgan Inc -0.03% CSCO Cisco Systems -0.02% CELG Celgene Corp -0.02% ORCL Oracle Corp -0.08% ABBV AbbVie Inc -0.11% V Visa Inc -0.06% SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF -0.14% QCOM Qualcomm Inc -0.15% INTC Intel Corp -0.17% MU Micron Tech -0.14% F Ford Motor -0.20% TVIX(HB) VS 2X VIX Short Term -0.19% NKTR(0) Nektar Therapeutics -0.27% JNJ Johnson & Johnson -0.30% PG Procter & Gamble Cc -0.35% WMT Wal-Mart Stores -0.37% BP BP P.L.C. ADS -0.38% NKE Nike Inc Cl B -0.41% IBM Intl Business Machines Corp -0.43% SQ Square Inc -0.42% KO Coca-Cola Co -0.43% VXX iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term -0.42% AMD Advanced Micro Devices Inc -0.49% UVXY ProShs Ultra VIX Short-Term -0.25% NFLX Netflix Inc -0.47% SDRL(HB) Seadrill Limited -0.50% BIDU Baidu Inc -0.62% BA Boeing Co -0.64% CVX Chevron Corporation -0.80% XOM Exxon Mobil -0.81% JD JD.com Inc -0.88% BABA Alibaba Group Holding Ltd -0.92% GE General Electric Co -0.99% GILD Gilead Sciences -1.00% CMCSA(HB) Comcast Cl A -1.09% SRPT Sarepta Therapeutics Inc -1.12% SBUX Starbucks Corp -1.23% TSLA(HB) Tesla Inc -1.17% CHK Chesapeake Energy Corp -1.28% WBA Walgreen Boots Alliance Inc -1.29% TWTR Twitter Inc -1.32% SOGO(HB) Sogou Inc -1.40% CAT Caterpillar Inc -1.40% MO Altria Grp -1.58% TEVA Teva Pharm Indus ADR -1.70% DBX Dropbox Inc -1.82% IQ IQIYI Inc ADS -2.01% RAD Rite Aid -2.33% DIS Disney (Walt) Co -2.06% ROKU Roku Inc Cl A -2.24% HUYA(HB) HUYA Inc -2.62% GERN(HB) Geron Corp -2.44% X U.S. Steel Corporation -2.59% SNAP(HB) Snap Inc -6.02% TRXC(HB) TransEnterix Inc -7.98%
A Kroger Co. grocery store in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014. (Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

An off-duty Cincinnati police officer who was working security at a Kroger store in Spring Grove Village used a Taser on an 11-year-old girl who allegedly was stealing food from the supermarket, according to police.

Police say the off-duty officer was investigating some young girls who were suspected of stealing from the store. When the officer approached the 11-year-old girl, she continued to walk away from him. Thats when he launched his Taser into the girls back.

The young girl was taken to Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center and was later released into a parents custody. She was charged with theft and obstructing official business.

If she's 11 years old & stealing food, she's probably hungry. The (off-duty) cop needs to be disciplined. Social services needs to help the girl & her family. Cincinnati police have a long history of excessive force, on- or off- duty.  Amy Prunty (@mountaineers64) August 8, 2018

Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman, chairman of the Cincinnati city councils Law and Public Safety Committee, told USA Today, Its hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be tased. He has called for a full investigation of the incident, saying, I expect answers in 24 hours.

Police Chief Eliot Isaac has opened the investigation, officials say. We are extremely concerned when force is used by one of our officers on a child of this age, Isaac said. As a result, we will be taking a very thorough review of our policies as it relates to using force on juveniles as well as the propriety of the officers actions.

A better story would be A Cincinnati Police Officer Buys Groceries That An 11yr Old Girl Was Trying To Steal.  Ekim (@ItalianTexans) August 8, 2018

Cincinnati police guidelines allow officers to use a Taser on anyone between the ages of 7 and 70, Lt. Steve Saunders told WHIO. According to the departments guidelines, The TASER is an electronic control device that is a non-lethal force alternative used to assist officers in the performance of their duties. The TASER is designed for self-defense or to temporarily immobilize a subject who is actively resisting arrest.

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The guidelines go on: Officers shall consider the following prior to utilization of the TASER as a force option: 1) The severity of the crime at issue. 2) The level of suspicion with respect to the fleeing suspect. 3) The risk of danger posed to others if the suspect is not promptly apprehended. 4) The potential risk of secondary injury to the suspect due to environmental conditions.

While the investigation is pending, the officer involved is on restricted duty.

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The 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) will be held in Beijing from Aug. 13 to 20, the organizer said Wednesday.

It will be the first time that the event, organized every five years, is held in China. This year's event is organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, and Peking University.

The Chinese Organizing Committee of WCP 2018 said philosophers and academics from 121 countries and regions have been invited to attend and are expected to share diverse philosophical achievements based on different cultures and traditions.

They will also take part in dialogues focusing on major issues confronting the development of the global civilization, and challenges that mankind will face in the future.

Themed "Learning To Be Human," the event will include plenary sessions, symposia, lectures, roundtables and sessions.

"China has an impressively long history of philosophy and the cultivation of wisdom and has made an enduring contribution to world heritage," said Dermot Moran, president of the federation in his welcome message.

"It is my fervent hope that after this congress, there will be renewed international interest in Chinese philosophy, and philosophers of East and West will look at world problems enriched by new perspectives and approaches," he added.

The federation, established in 1948, is a non-governmental world organization for philosophy. The first WCP was held in 1900 in Paris and has become one of the largest philosophical events across the world.
A special election for an open U.S. House seat in Ohio that was viewed as a referendum on President Trump remains too close to call.

With 100 percent of early and Election Day ballots counted, Republican Tony Balderson led Democrat Danny OConnor by 1,766 votes, or 0.9 percent, but provisional ballots had yet to be counted. Green Party candidate Joe Manchik received 1,120 votes. If the race is within 0.5 percent, Ohio requires an automatic recount of the votes.

Republican Troy Balderson and Democrat Danny OConnor (Photos: Balderson campaign, Tim Reid/Reuters)

Though news organizations held off from making a call in the race, Trump wasted little time in declaring Balderson the winner and took his share of the credit.

When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

Balderson also portrayed the results as an unambiguous victory.

America is on the right path and were going to keep it going that way. Its time to get to work, Balderson told his jubilant supporters. Over the next three months, Im going to do everything I can to keep America great again so that when we come back here in November, I have earned your vote for a second time. Danny OConnor ran a hard race and I look forward to campaigning against him again in November.

Because the winner of Tuesdays election will serve out the rest of retiring GOP Rep. Pat Tiberis term, the elected candidate will have to defend his seat in November.

OConnor, meanwhile, spoke at his election viewing party and said the results showed a tight ball game.

We made our case for change, were making that case tomorrow, OConnor told a cheering crowd. Were not stopping now. Tomorrow we rest, and then we keep fighting through to November.

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Minutes later, OConnor released a statement to the media that sounded more resigned about Tuesdays results.

We always knew this was going to be a close race, and while we dont know the results quite yet, I know that this campaign left it on the field, OConnors statement read.

Like Trump, National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH), also portrayed the race as over.

Congratulations to Congressman-elect Balderson on his hard-fought victory tonight, Stivers said in a statement. The NRCC mobilized quickly, holding Danny OConnor accountable for his hypocrisy on Nancy Pelosi and promoting Troys record of accomplishment.

The 12th District has been held by a Republican for over 30 years and was expected to be an easy win for Balderson, but late polling showed the race to be a virtual tie, forcing the party to spend millions to try to avoid defeat.

The unexpectedly competitive race has fueled speculation of a coming blue wave for Democrats in November, but Republican super-PACs and the president have stepped up their support for their flagging candidate. In the final stages of the campaign, Trump tweeted his support for Balderson eight times, including on Tuesday morning.

Ohio, vote today for Troy Balderson for Congress, the president wrote. His opponent, controlled by Nancy Pelosi, is weak on Crime, the Border, Military, Vets, your 2nd Amendment  and will end your Tax Cuts. Troy will be a great Congressman. #MAGA 

The 12th Congressional District Republican candidate Troy Balderson, left, reaches for President Donald Trump as he speaks at a rally at Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. (Photo:Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Trump also held a rally for the Republican on Saturday to try to motivate voters to go to the polls in a district that he easily won in 2016.

Balderson tried to walk a line between moderate factions of the party and the conservative side. He won the endorsement of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a vocal opponent of the president.

OConnor remained mostly silent about Trump during the campaign, instead speaking on local issues like health care and the opioid crisis. Former Vice President Joe Biden recorded a robocall on the eve of the election, as a last-second pitch for OConnor.

Kasich, who once represented the 12th District, told ABC News on Sunday that the race should have been a slam dunk for Republicans. Outside money poured into the race, mostly from the conservative Congressional Leadership Fund and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

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Democrat Danny O'Connor was down by less than a percentage point with all votes in late Tuesday. The race still had not been called one way or another. (Photo: Danny O'Connor for Congress)

The special election results for Ohios 12th Congressional District were too close to call Wednesday morning, with Republican Troy Balderson leading Democrat Danny OConnor by more than 1,700 votes with all of the districts precincts reporting.

Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, nonetheless, congratulated Balderson on winning, issuing a statement Tuesday night.

Today, the voters of Ohios 12th District elected a true conservative committed to pro-growth policies that have already brought new jobs and economic confidence to the state under President Trumps leadership, she said.

OConnors campaign is waiting on 1,722 provisional ballots and 1,750 absentee ballots to be counted, according to a campaign spokesperson.

We always knew this was going to be a close race, OConnor said in a statement Tuesday night, and while we dont know the results quite yet, I know that this campaign left it all on the field. No matter what happens next, Im proud to stand beside the thousands of volunteers who have made this campaign possible.

Regardless of the final outcome, the pair will meet again in Novembers general election, meaning that the immediate effect of Tuesdays outcome on Congress could be short-lived.

The mere fact that the contest was competitive is likely to be a source of concern for the GOP. If a Republican running in a district that voted for Donald Trump by a margin of 11 percentage points in 2016 required a massive influx of national resources, then dozens of Republicans in more marginal districts appear to be that much more vulnerable.

As the contest tightened in the final weeks, national Republicans privately lamented Baldersons underwhelming fundraising ability.

Since OConnor outraised Balderson on the strength of small donations, the national party swooped in to make up the difference. GOP groups outspent their Democratic counterparts in the race by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1.

Should the current results hold, activists are almost certain to question whether greater spending on the Democratic side could have made the difference for OConnor.

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Balderson nonetheless gave OConnor his fair share of ammunition, telling The Columbus Dispatchs editorial board that he was open to raising the Social Security and Medicare eligibility age for future workers. He also refused to say whether he would support scandal-ridden Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for House speaker.

And on election eve, in a gaffe sure to make it into Democratic ads ahead of November, Balderson told supporters, We dont want someone from Franklin County representing us. The populous county is home to Columbus and many of its suburbs, parts of which are in the district.

For his part, OConnor appealed to many country-club Republicans and independents with his moderate temperament and policy platform. He ran on defending the Affordable Care Act; undoing the GOP tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, but not ones for the middle class; and defending Social Security, Medicare and union pensions. If elected, OConnor planned to join the business-friendly New Democrat Caucus, whose PAC contributed to his campaign.

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Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel launched air strikes on Gaza late Wednesday, killing one Hamas militant, after dozens of rockets were fired from the enclave into its territory.

Injuries were also reported on both sides.

Smoke plumes could be seen rising from Gaza City following the military's announcement it was targeting "terror sites in the Gaza Strip".

A Palestinian was killed in northern Gaza, while at least six were wounded in raids aimed targeting sites across the strip, the Gazan health ministry said.

Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the Strip, named the dead man as Ali Ghandour, saying he was a member of the group's armed wing.

The strikes came after at least two of dozens of rockets launched from the coastal enclave hit the Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza's northern border, police and the army said.

One person was lightly wounded by shrapnel while several others were treated for shock in Sderot, the United Hatzalah medical service said.

A statement from the military wing of Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, claimed responsibility for the rockets.

It said the Palestinian "resistance" had fired a large number of rockets at "enemy positions in the Gaza envelope."

Sirens were sounded in several Israeli areas close to the border with Gaza, warning residents to seek immediate shelter, the Israeli army said.

"As of now, approximately 70 rocket launches were identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory," the army said in a statement.

The majority hit open areas while 11 were intercepted, it said.

Israeli television broadcast images of a house and cars reportedly damaged by the rockets in Sderot.

Parts of the town have been closed off and police bomb disposal units were at the scene of the strikes, a spokesman for the force said.

--Alarm--

The United Nations condemned the Hamas rocket fire.

"I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, and particularly by today's multiple rockets fired towards communities in southern Israel," UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in a statement.

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He called on all sides to step "back from the brink."

The strikes came after two fighters from the military wing of Hamas, which rules Gaza, were killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday.

Hamas warned Israel -- with which it has fought three wars since 2008 -- it would pay for the attack.

The escalation comes after the Hamas leadership convened for a rare meeting in Gaza on Friday.

The gathering had raised hopes a deal for a lasting truce with Israel, with the backing of Egypt and the United Nations.

Clashes along the Gaza border since the end of March have seen at least 163 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire.

One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.

The last war in 2014 ended with a tense ceasefire and analysts say another round of conflict remains likely.
Gayle King asks followers to weigh in on this fashion choice. (Photo: Instagram/gayleking)

Gayle King might have stirred up controversy on Tuesday, after starting a debate over a fashion choice of Oprahs O magazine creative director Adam Glassman.

Posting a photo of Glassman wearing a sweatshirt that reads Black Dont Crack, King opened up a discussion about whether her co-worker should be able to rock it or not. Although she admittedly loves the sweatshirt, she asked her followers to weigh in on whether the phrase that refers to the absence of physical signs of aging, such as wrinkles and sagging skin, among African-Americans was an appropriate selection for a white man.

Not even 24 hours later, the post aggregated nearly 1,500 comments of people sounding off on the issue. From those who simply wrote no to others who praised Glassmans support of the black community, it seems like Kings followers are seriously divided.

Is he black? No, then pass and that would be a NO. He can support in other ways! were among the comments made against Glassman. However, those in favor of his choice commented, Sure he can wear it, but it doesnt apply to him and as long as he can respectfully wear it and explain itgo for it.

Overall, the consensus is that the move is risky and has the potential to be discriminatory. But if Glassman is an ally to the community, many are in favor of him stating the truth.

Grass is green. Water is wet. The pope is catholic and black dont crack, one follower wrote, with the hashtag #TheFactsofLife.

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 Jamie Lynn Spears called redneck for letting 10-year-old daughter use a shotgun

 Blogger defends herself against critics of her daughters Halloween makeup

 DUI suspect allegedly tells police she shouldnt be arrested because shes a very clean, thoroughbred, white girl

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz told a detective that a demon in his head  "the evil side"  told him to burn, kill and destroy, and that he thought about going to a park to kill people about a week before 17 people were gunned down at the school, according to a transcript of his interrogation released Monday.

During the more than 11 hours of questioning by Broward sheriff's Detective John Curcio, Cruz usually answered in short sentences or nodded yes or no, speaking so softly that the detective repeatedly told him to speak up. Twice when Curcio left the room, Cruz, 19, cursed at himself and said that he wanted to die, he deserved to die.

"You're nothin'," Cruz told himself, followed by cursing.

The interrogation will be pored over by prosecutors and defense attorneys if Cruz attempts an insanity defense or for mitigating factors if he is convicted and faces the death penalty. Cruz's attorneys have said he would plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without parole.

Prosecutors released the 216-page, heavily redacted transcript of Cruz's post-shooting statement after a judge ruled last month that nonconfession portions should be made public. The interrogation began about four hours after the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and about 2 hours after Cruz was captured as he walked down a nearby street.

The Associated Press and other media had sought the statement's release under Florida's broad public records laws. Cruz's attorneys had wanted it suppressed, saying its disclosure could hinder his right to a fair trial.

Cruz's statements about the shooting are blacked out, but the transcript is otherwise wide-ranging, dealing with the death of Cruz's parents, his penchant for killing animals, his former girlfriend, his brother, guns, suicide attempts and, especially, the voice. He told Curcio the voice appeared after his father died about 15 years ago but got worse after his mother died of pneumonia in November.

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Cruz described the voice as a male, about his age, and said the only person he ever told about it was his brother.

Curcio asked what the voice told him.

"Burn. Kill. Destroy," Cruz responded.

"Burn, kill, destroy what?" the detective asked.

"Anything," Cruz responded.

He told Curcio that he had to fight the voice from taking over, that it was always bad. Curcio questioned that, asking how it could always be bad if Cruz had held down a job at a discount store for two years.

"The voice is in here," he said, apparently pointing to his head. "And then it's me. It's just regular me trying to be a good person." Curcio said everyone has a good and bad side.

"Do they really?" Cruz said.

He said the voice tried to get him to shoot people at a park a week earlier. Or maybe it was three. Cruz couldn't remember exactly, but he didn't want to do it. Curcio asked why he didn't.

"I ... I don't know," he said.

Cruz told Curcio he wanted to join the Army to be a Ranger but he failed the written exam "because I was stupid."

Cruz said he bought the AR-15 allegedly used in the shooting a year before because it was "cool looking" and "to feel safe." He said he bought other guns but fired them only twice, both times into the cement floor of his mother's garage.

"It didn't bounce all over hell and creation?" Curcio asked. No, Cruz replied, saying the bullets embedded in the concrete.

Cruz said he tried to kill himself with an over-the-counter pain reliever after his mom died and years earlier had tried to drink himself to death because he was lonely.

"You don't have a lot of friends?" Curcio asked.

"No." Cruz said he goes fishing with the demon.

Curcio told Cruz he doesn't believe the voice exists, but Cruz insisted it was there and said he wanted to see a psychiatrist.

At the end of the interrogation, the detective let Cruz's 18-year-old brother into the room.

"You  your  people think you're a monster now," Zachary Cruz told him.

"A monster?" Cruz responded.

"You're not acting like yourself. Like, why? Like, we've ... this is not who you are. Like, come on. Why did you do this? This is ... don't even laugh at me," Zachary Cruz said.

"I'm sorry, dude," Nikolas Cruz replied.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Philippine troops killed two bomb couriers at an army checkpoint Wednesday before the suspected Muslim militants could detonate the explosives in a crowded area in the restive south, military officials said.

One of the two local militants opened fire at soldiers who flagged them down at a checkpoint Wednesday, sparking a brief gunbattle in M'lang town in North Cotabato province, said Brig. Cirilito Sobejana.

Troops have been alerted to brace for possible retaliation by militants.

Police defused a bomb made from a 60 mm mortar round that was carried by the two suspects along with a pistol and a cellphone, which was to be used to remotely detonate the explosive, Sobejana said.

The two belonged to Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, one of a number of small armed groups aligned with the Islamic State group that have turned to bombings to project they're still a force to reckon with amid battle setbacks, he said.

"They're running low on logistics and ammunition and cannot fight our troops face-to-face so they're resorting to these IED emplacements to cause a public alarm and send the message that they still exist," Sobejana said by telephone.

Last week, a bomb-laden van driven by a suspected militant went off in a powerful blast that killed 11 people, including a soldier, five militiamen and the driver, in a brazen attack near an army militia outpost in Lamitan city on southern Basilan island.

Militiamen, who had been alerted about possible bombings, stopped the van also at a checkpoint in Colonia village, where the bomb went off, military officials said.

The Islamic State group, through its media arm, claimed credit for the attack, saying the attacker was a Moroccan. It, however, inaccurately cited a much higher military death toll.

Government forces have been on alert in the south, scene of decades-long Muslim separatist unrest, after President Rodrigo Duterte signed a new autonomy agreement last week with the biggest Muslim rebel group.

The peace deal has been opposed by much smaller but violent extremist bands like the Abu Sayyaf and others, which have associated themselves with the IS.
Since the beginning of 2018, Beijing's development in new industries, retail formats and business models has been steady, and innovation has played a more significant role in improving the city's industrial structure, according to data published by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics recently.

The new economy has achieved an added value of 470.72 billion yuan (US$68.69 billion) in the first half of this year, accounting for one third of Beijing's GDP. It shows a year-on-year increase of 15.2 percent, higher than the current GDP growth rate, according to the bureau.

Rapid growth of new industries

In the first six months of the year, strategic new industries have achieved an added value of 232.32 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.1 percent, while high-tech industries  overlapping with the strategic new industries  have contributed an added value of 336.14 billion yuan, an increase of 15.1 percent and accounting for 23.9 percent of Beijing's GDP.

According to data from the manufacturing industry, in the first six months, the increase in added value in high-tech manufacturing is 17.1 percent, 8.8 percentage points higher than that of all manufacturing industries above the designated scale. As data from the service industry shows, the revenue of high-tech legal entities above the designated scale has increased by 16.5 percent, a year-on-year increase of 7.4 percentage points.

Booming online retail

New retail formats and models have become prominent in Beijing in the first half of this year. With the integration of online and offline services, online retail is developing rapidly. In the first six months, Beijing's online retail sales reached 113.73 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent, propelling an increase of 4 percentage points in the city's retail sales of consumer goods. Online sales also accounted for 21.1 percent of Beijing's total retail sales, which is 3.7 percentage points higher than the national average.

The changes in Beijing citizens' dining preferences and the development of e-commerce take-out platforms have brought new business opportunities to the catering industry. In the first six months, the catering revenue of hotels and restaurants above the designated scale through e-commerce platforms has reached 5.45 billion yuan, increasing by 36.5 percent, and accounting for 10.2 percent of the total catering revenue of the city. This accounted for 54 percent of the growth of Beijing's catering revenue.

Innovation-driven development

Zhongguancun continues to play a leading role in Beijing's innovation. Data shows that the R&D expenditure of enterprises above the designated scale in Zhongguancun has increased by 21.6 percent in the first six months, an increase of 6.4 percentage points. Technology-related revenue has increased by 37 percent, 22.1 percentage points higher than the overall revenue growth rate.

There is also a rapid increase of R&D investment in emerging sectors including auto-driving, new energy vehicles, big data, artificial intelligence and 5G network. From January to May, the internal expenditure on research and experiment in large- and medium-sized key enterprises increased by 14.2 percent, 9.1 percentage points higher than the previous year.

Driven by the new economy, Beijing has maintained its high-quality development and steady upgrade of the industrial structure. The proportions of added value from strategic new industries and high-tech industries in the total added values of all industries above the designated scale have respectively increased by 0.9 percentage points and 1.5 percentage points. In the service industry, information services and technology services have continued to grow faster than the overall service industry. Beijing's green development also achieved remarkable results as more types of clean energy are being used in industrial energy consumption.




Twitter has crowned an adorable boy sitting in a Louis Vuitton purse the happiest baby on the internet.

This is what happens when I ask my little brother to keep an eye on my son, mom Iliana Elias, 21, tweeted August 6th, along with the image of her 9-month-old son Lamar, Jr., a.k.a., LJ.

A photo of 9-month-old Lamar Jr., happily sitting in a purse is going viral. (Photo: Twitter/__Ily4)

More than 55,000 people liked the photo and it was re-tweeted more than 14,000 times. I dont think Ive ever seen a cuter, happier baby! someone wrote. Never in my life have I been this happy. Clearly, I needed to hang out in a purse, commented another. And one observed, Little man is really content tho!

This is what happens when I ask my little brother to keep an eye on my son  pic.twitter.com/mOKs9UOxqM  Iliana Elias (@__Ily4) August 6, 2018

My 16-year-old brother Zion was watching LJ while I got ready for work, and I walked in the room and he was carrying him in my purse, Elias, a student, and manager at a Chicago-based restaurant, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. He figured LJ would fit in there.

Elias, who snapped a photo and tweeted it, says her son loves to smile. Hes always giggling, she says. Right now, hes in a curious phase and copies everything we do  and hes learning how to kiss.

The attention from the photo has gotten Elias and her boyfriend (LJs father) considering baby modeling as a potential career.

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Australia is in the grips of its worst drought in decades A train makes its way through dry paddocks in drought-hit Quirindi in New South Wales, which is in the grips of a crippling drought (Picture: Getty/AFP)

Australia is in the grips of its worst drought in decades, leading to farmers being given authority to shoot kangaroos competing with livestock for sparse pasture.

The conditions in New South Wales state this year have been the driest and most widespread since 1965.

According to the state government, 100% of New South Wales land area of more than 309,000 square miles is now in drought.

Australias prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled a package of measures to assist farmers coping with the conditions.

They include lifting the number of kangaroos that farmers are allowed to shoot as they compete with livestock for sparse pasture during the intensely dry spell.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Environmentalists and beekeepers in Poland have staged a protest against the government's authorization of a class of pesticides that the European Union says poses a serious risk to bees.

Poland's Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday the temporary permission it gave for the use of neonicotinoids on oilseed rape fields was a response to hot weather that allows "harmful organisms" to develop and destroy the crops.

Greenpeace activists put up a stall outside the ministry that had vegetables to illustrate the value of bees and spread a banner with bees and the word "Help" on it.

They say the value of honey produced by bees in Poland and of naturally pollinated fruits and vegetables amounts to some 4 billion zlotys (940 million euros; $1 billion) each year.
DALLAS (AP)  A Houston man accused of killing his two children told authorities his 8-year-old son said "daddy, I'm sorry" before having his throat cut, according to court documents obtained Tuesday.

Jean Pierre Ndossoka is charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of his children, Marcel Ndossoka and 1-year-old Anna-Belle Faith Ndossoka.

The father told police the toddler "just kept crying," court documents said.

Sabine Ntongo, the children's mother and Ndossoka's estranged wife, found the children dead Saturday inside Ndossoka's Houston apartment.

Court records show the mother reported that Ndossoka had called her multiple times throughout the day. When they spoke, she said, Ndossoka said he killed the children and had left her a "present." He also told her she needed to come to his place and said there was a key under the mat, according to court documents.

Ntongo went to the apartment and called 911 when she found the children dead, the records show. Police reported finding a bloody knife at the apartment and a handwritten note on the bed near the 8-year-old boy.

The note, which appeared to be written in French and signed by the suspect, was translated and indicated that Ndossoka had planned to die with his children, according to court documents.

On Sunday, Ndossoka was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Pasadena, southeast of Houston. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Talking with police, the father at first said he did not remember what happened to his children. Ndossoka then said he "did something bad" and reported having high blood pressure.

"The defendant then admitted that he had done something to his children and when asked 'What?' he motioned towards his neck," according to the court documents.

Ndossoka first said he had choked the children, the documents said, but then reported using a knife and confirmed he wrote the note found at the apartment.

Online jail and court records list no attorney for Ndossoka.
LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's prime minister warned on Wednesday that a massive fire burning in the southern Algarve tourist region will take many days to put out as authorities sent more firefighters to combat the blaze. The fire, which is heading south from the Monchique hills towards the Algarve coast, started on August 3 despite huge efforts by the government to prevent any repetition of last year's deadly fires in which 114 people were killed. Nobody has died this year. In his first comments on the fire, made on television, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said more than 500 fire outbreaks had been extinguished in the past week as a crippling heatwave rolled across Portugal. "There was one which got out of control," said Costa. "This is a (firefighting) operation which will last during coming days and there is no point in having the illusion it will be put out in coming hours." The Civil Protection Service sent 120 more firefighters, bringing the total to 1,450 and 450 fire engines. More than a dozen aircraft were involved, including three Canadair firefighting planes which scooped up sea water off a popular tourist beach. Costa's government is under pressure to show its efforts, which have included hiring hundreds of firefighters and clearing land of flammable undergrowth, are paying off to prevent a repeat of last year's tragedy. The overriding priority was to evacuate people in case of danger, he said. Firefighters have criticized disorganization in the efforts, which prompted authorities on Tuesday to move the command of the operation to the national level. "Firefighters coming from Portugal's cities, like Lisbon, don't know what to do," said Rui Nunes, 25, a volunteer firefighter from Monchique. "Lack of preparation and disorganization contributed to the spread of the fire because firefighters from the cities know how to deal with road crashes and urban fires, but forest fires are very different." About 30 people have been treated for smoke inhalation and burns. Nearly 200 people have been evacuated from their homes in the Monchique hills. The government was overwhelmed last year by fires in June and October in extreme drought. The interior minister resigned and the opposition launched a vote of no-confidence, which the government survived. (Reporting By Axel Bugge and Catarina Demony, editing by Andrei Khalip, Richard Balmforth)
By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese medical school deliberately cut women's entrance test scores for at least a decade, an investigation panel said on Tuesday, calling it a "very serious" instance of discrimination, but school officials denied having known of the manipulations. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made a priority of creating a society "where women can shine", but women in Japan still face an uphill battle in employment and face hurdles returning to work after childbirth, a factor behind a falling birthrate. The alterations were uncovered in an internal investigation of a graft accusation this spring regarding the entrance exam for Tokyo Medical University, sparking protests and anger. Lawyers investigating bribery accusations in the admission of the son of a senior education ministry official said they concluded that his score, and those of several other men, were boosted "unfairly" - by as much as 49 points, in one case. They also concluded that scores were manipulated to give men more points than women and thus hold down the number of women admitted, since school officials felt they were more likely to quit the profession after having children, or for other reasons. "This incident is really regrettable - by deceptive recruitment procedures, they sought to delude the test takers, their families, school officials and society as a whole," lawyer Kenji Nakai told a news conference. "Factors suggesting very serious discrimination against women was also part of it," added Nakai, one of the external lawyers the university hired to investigate the incident. The investigation showed that the scores of men, including those reappearing after failing once or twice, were raised, while those of all women, and men who had failed the test at least three times, were not. The lawyers said they did not know how many women had been affected, but it appeared that women's test scores had been affected going back at least a decade. At a news conference, senior school officials bowed and apologized, pledging to "sincerely" consider their response, such as possible compensation. However, they said they had been unaware of the manipulation. "Society is changing rapidly and we need to respond to that and any organization that fails to utilize women will grow weak," said Tetsuo Yukioka, the school's executive regent and chair of its diversity promotion panel. "I guess that thinking had not been absorbed." No immediate comment was available from the government or the education ministry official who figures in the case. Entrance exam discrimination against women was "absolutely unacceptable", Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters last week. Reports of the incident set off a furore in which women recounted their own experiences of discrimination on social media with the hashtag, "It's okay to be angry about sexism." Some referred to the potential costs exacted in a rapidly aging society. "I'm 29 and will probably never get married," said one poster. "Women are pitied if they don't, but Japanese women who are married and working and have kids end up sleeping less than anybody in the world. To now hear that even our skills are suppressed makes me shake with rage." Another said, "I ignored my parents, who said women don't belong in academia, and got into the best university in Japan. But in job interviews I'm told 'If you were a man, we'd hire you right away.' "My enemy wasn't my parents, but all society itself." (Reporting by Elaine Lies, additional reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Getty Images, Rick Loomis/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO  As President Trump campaigned last week at large rallies for Republican politicians in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, several members of his audiences wore T-shirts or carried signs blaring the letter Q  short for QAnon.

Followers of Q, an anonymous conspiracy theorist purporting to be a high-ranking government official who posts on 4Chan, a freewheeling message board, have been quietly growing in the wilds of the American internet since Trump was elected president. Based solely on the word of Q, they believe, for instance, that prominent Democrats like Hillary Clinton are involved in a pedophilia ring, and that Trump is secretly working with special counsel Robert Mueller to bring it down. The sudden proliferation of these evidence-free claims has caused many news organizations to contemplate why theyve caught fire at this particular moment in time.

These kinds of conspiracy theories take root in moments when the society is going through a really tough dislocation, where the economy is not necessarily in bad shape  you could argue the economy today is in pretty good shape  but the economy is changing really quickly, Washington Post senior editor Marc Fisher told Grant Burningham, host of the Yahoo News podcast Bots and Ballots.

Download or subscribe on iTunes: Bots & Ballots by Yahoo News

Last week, the Washington Post published 12 articles on QAnon over four days in an attempt to better inform mainstream readers about the fringe following. Fisher said theres little doubt that the presidents own campaign message has helped QAnon flourish.

Certainly theres been a wholesale change in the way we work and the availability of jobs  at least traditional jobs  and whenever you see that, you see an uptick in these kinds of conspiracy theories and a willingness in people to believe that the system is rigged against them, Fisher said. This was at the core of Trumps message in the 2016 campaign.

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At the same time, Fisher says that its wrong to think that all QAnon followers are Trump supporters and vice versa.

I wouldnt paint it with such a broad brush as to say this represents Trump supporters in any large-scale way, Fisher said. This burst onto the public scene last week when we saw the president holding a rally at which a number of people were wearing Q shirts and holding up signs about QAnon, and it made it look like this very fringe online discussion was kind of breaking out into the mainstream through appearing on the TV coverage of the presidents rally. But this is still a pretty fringy kind of thing. Of course, that doesnt make it any less dangerous.

Listen to the full interview with Marc Fisher here.

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More Bots & Ballots episodes from Yahoo News:
China's goods trade went up 8.6 percent year on year to 16.72 trillion yuan (about US$2.45 trillion) in the first seven months of this year, customs data showed Wednesday.

Exports rose 5 percent year on year in the January-July period while imports grew 12.9 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.06 trillion yuan, which narrowed by 30.6 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs.

In July, exports rose by 6 percent to 1.39 trillion yuan, while imports jumped 20.9 percent to 1.21 trillion yuan.

In the first seven months, exports and imports of products under the general trade category, which are differentiated from processing trade, gained 12.7 percent from a year ago to 9.85 trillion yuan, accounting for 58.9 percent of the total foreign trade, 2.1 percentage points higher than the same period in 2017.

The country's trade with major trading partners saw an increase during the January-July period. Trade with the European Union, its largest trading partner, climbed 5.9 percent, and trade volume with the United States and ASEAN countries increased by 5.2 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.

Trade with countries along the Belt and Road totaled 4.57 trillion yuan, up 11.3 percent year on year, 2.7 percentage points faster than the average growth rate, data showed.
Rashida Tlaib could become one of the nations first Muslim women in Congress if she wins in November. (Photo: Rashida Tlaib)

Former Michigan state legislator Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic primary on Tuesday for a U.S. House seat in the states 13th Congressional District.

She beat out five other Democratic candidates seeking to fill the seat of Rep. John Conyers, who resigned in December amid allegations of sexual harassment. As the Democratic nominee in a district that has historically voted Democratic  and with no Republican challengers  Tlaib is all but guaranteed a seat in Congress in Novembers general election.

If she wins the seat, she could be one of the nations first Muslim women in Congress  she may be joined in the historic feat by one or more other candidates also running in 2018. Tlaib will, however, be the only one to claim the status of the first Palestinian-American U.S. congresswoman.

Breaking barriers will be nothing new to the Detroit-born mother of two, who already made history in 2008 as the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature.

People think its corny  I do want to change the world, and I want people like me to have a seat at the table, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants told HuffPost last month.

Tlaib is part of a record wave of Muslim candidates running for office in 2018, alongside unprecedented numbers of women running since Donald Trumps election  and part of a movement of progressive candidates seeking to push the Democratic Party establishment further left.

Rashida Tlaib beat out five other Democratic candidates seeking to fill the seat of Rep. John Conyers, who resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment. (Photo: Rashida Tlaib)

Tlaib, who grew up the eldest of 14 children, is running on a progressive platform, including support of Medicare for All and a $15 per hour minimum wage.

She was endorsed by the Justice Democrats  the progressive political group that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York in her now-famous upset win. Like Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib doesnt accept money from corporate PACs, and she told HuffPost shes going to abolish ICE  a leftist stance that has gained traction among some leading Democrats since Ocasio-Cortez ran on that idea.

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Running in Michigan  a state with a significant Muslim and Arab-American community  Tlaibs candidacy comes at a particularly trying time for Muslim Americans. Over the past couple years, the Muslim community in the United States has faced a spike in hate crimes amid Trumps campaign, Islamophobic rhetoric and policies from the White House, and a Trump administration travel ban upheld by the Supreme Court that targets mostly Muslim-majority countries.

People are ready for someone like me, Tlaib said.

Im not talking about being Muslim, Palestinian, brown or a woman, she added. I vote the right way and go beyond that.

Related Coverage

These Candidates Could Make History In November

These Candidates Could Be Americas First Muslim Women In Congress

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
We discovered the remains yesterday on Abduls fourth birthday, Hogrefe said, appearing to fight back tears.

The sheriff said authorities returned to the compound after interviews Friday and Saturday led them to believe the boy might still be on the property.

We had a good idea of a target location to look for the child, he said

The father of the boy has been accused of leaving Georgia in December with his then 3-year-old son.

Wahhaj was expected to appear in court Wednesday on a previous warrant from Georgia that seeks his extradition to face a charge of abducting his son from that state last December.

According to the extradition warrant, Wahhaj told the boys mother that he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child, who suffered from seizures, because he believed the 3-year-old was possessed by the devil. The mother told police that Wahhaj took the boy for a trip to a park and never returned.

Abdul-ghani was believed to have been at the Amalia compound as recently as several weeks ago, Hogrefe has said.

The warrant said the boy suffered from severe medical issues including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a defect caused by lack of oxygen and blood flow around the time of birth.

The boys mother said the boy cant walk and requires constant attention.

Property owner Jason Badger said he and his wife had pressed authorities to remove the group from the makeshift compound on his land.

However, it took a plea for help and the search for the missing boy to finally draw sheriffs deputies to the desolate site that was walled off by stacks of old tires, wooden pallets and other debris.

Badger said he had concerns about the compound near the Colorado border. But he says the courts and other authorities shot down his attempts to break up the encampment  described as a trailer buried in the ground.

Court records show a judge dismissed an eviction notice filed by Badger against Lucas Morton in June. The records didnt provide further details on the judges decision.

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Morton was among the five adults arrested after the raid.

The adults, including the missing boys father, have been charged with child abuse.

Children ages 1 to 15 were rescued from the compound that had been under investigation for months.

Hogrefe said FBI agents had surveilled the area a few weeks ago but did not find probable cause to search the property. An FBI spokesman didnt immediately return a call by The Associated Press seeking comment.

Authorities staged a raid after someone believed to have been in the compound sent out a message for help that said: We are starving and need food and water.

It wasnt clear who sent the message or how it was communicated. Georgia detectives forwarded the message to the Taos County Sheriffs Office.

Wahhaj was armed with several guns, including a loaded AR-15 assault rifle, when he was taken into custody without incident at the compound, the sheriff said.

Morton was taken into custody on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

Tyler Anderson, who lives near the compound, believes the group had moved to the area to live off the grid, just as he had done.

Anderson said he had helped the newcomers install solar panels after they arrived in December. But he eventually stopped visiting the compound.

Anderson said the children found inside the compound at first played at neighboring properties but stopped in recent months.

The women, believed to be mothers of some of the children, have been identified as 35-year-old Jany Leveille, 38-year-old Hujrah Wahhaj, and 35-year-old Subhannah Wahhaj.

Jail booking photos show them wearing traditional Muslim veils or hijabs. It wasnt clear whether they had retained attorneys.

The public defenders office in Taos County did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

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AP writers Mary Hudetz in Albuquerque and Kate Brumback in Jonesboro, Georgia, contributed to this report.
Results show Troy Balderson just ahead of Danny OConnor, but the tight margin will leave Democrats optimistic ahead of Novembers midterms

Troy Balderson waits to greet voters in Newark, Ohio. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Republicans appear to have narrowly held off a Democratic surge in a traditionally conservative Ohio district many Democrats had hoped would serve up an unlikely victory and boost their chances of sweeping wins in Novembers midterm elections.

With a margin of 50.2% to 49.3%, the Republican Troy Balderson was just ahead of the Democrat Danny OConnor on Tuesday night in a congressional special election that has tested Donald Trumps clout and cost both parties millions of dollars.

While Democrats will be disappointed that they were not able to claim an outright victory, the tight margin will still be a reason for optimism ahead of Novembers midterm elections.

Republicans declared victory with Steve Stivers, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, saying: Im proud that my fellow central Ohioan, Troy Balderson, will join me in Congress and congratulating him on a hard-fought victory.

But OConnor has not conceded, telling a crowd of supporters: Can you believe how close this is? We are in a tie ballgame.

With all votes counted, Balderson had a lead of 1,754 votes. However, according to the Ohio secretary of state, there remained 3,435 provisional ballots to be counted and 5,045 outstanding absentee ballots. If, after those are counted, the margin is within 0.5%, an automatic recount would be triggered.

The race had been closely watched as a key test of Republican fortunes in prosperous traditionally conservative suburbs where voters have soured on Trump. However, while Baldersons performance was far weaker than past Republicans in the district, he held on to just enough suburban Republicans to hold a narrow lead on election night.

But Republicans were only able to win a once safe district by spending millions in outside money and an election eve visit from Trump. In November, Republicans will be defending over 70 seats that are considered more favorable for Democrats and will not have those advantages.

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The national mood wasnt the only impediment for Balderson. The Ohio Republican had been considered by operatives to be an underwhelming candidate. He was a lackluster fundraiser and avoided the press even to point of shunning friendly outlets like Fox News. Even in voter interactions, Balderson left much to be desired. Appearing at a polling place on election day, the Republican candidate milled around a parking lot for several minutes, waving and saying hello to passersby without making any attempt to ask for their votes.

The Democrat challenger Danny OConnor. Photograph: John Minchillo/AP

Balderson also had several stumbles. He went back and forth about how much to separate himself from Trump. This was a particularly thorny issue in the home district of John Kasich, the popular Republican governor of the state who has remained an unabashed critic of Trump. At one point in the campaign, Balderson couldnt name a single area of disagreement but has since cited differences on tariffs and immigration. Those mild criticisms were sufficient to earn him a belated endorsement from Kasich.

That endorsement might have helped to push Balderson over the edge. In Delaware County, a suburban Republican stronghold that has been Kasichs base, several voters told the Guardian they supported Balderson despite feeling uneasy about Trump and cited Ohios governor in doing so. OConnor ended up winning 46% of the vote there, seven points ahead of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and a significant landmark in a county that no Democratic presidential candidate has won in 100 years.

However Trump, who held a rally for Balderson on Saturday, took credit for the result on Twitter: When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.

Balderson made a prominent gaffe on election eve, telling voters in his rural home town of Zanesville: We dont want somebody from Franklin County representing us. Franklin County makes up roughly a third of the district. When asked about this in the polling place parking lot by the Guardian, Balderson turned his back and left it to an accompanying aide to insist that Balderson really meant OConnor was a liberal.

The Ohio Republican was buoyed by a tsunami of outside money. The Conservative Leadership Fund, a Super Pac allied with Paul Ryan, spent more than $2.7m on television advertising alone and sent staffers to knock on more than 500,000 doors in the district.

In contrast, OConnor ran a textbook campaign for a Democrat in such a conservative district. He insisted he would not support Nancy Pelosi for speaker and his talking points focused on defending social security and Medicare and criticizing the corporate components of the 2017 Republican tax cut bill. However, he suffered one setback when he said he would support Pelosi over a Republican in a television interview. I will support whoever the Democratic party puts forward, said OConnor in a statement that Balderson and his outside allies immediately pounced on.

The close result though was celebrated as a victory by many at OConnors election night party. David Pepper, the chairman of the Ohio Democratic party, was buoyed by the result. We were underdogs from the start. The idea that we kept it this close, if Republicans arent worried about that they are making a mistake.
The State Council issued a statement on Tuesday approving the establishment of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in 22 nationwide cities.

They are Beijing, Hohhot, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, Nanjing, Nanchang, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanning, Haikou, Guiyang, Kunming, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Xiamen, Tangshan, Wuxi, Weihai, Zhuhai, Dongguan and Yiwu.

So far, the number of China's comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones has increased to 35 from 13, covering major first- and second-tier cities.

The transaction volume of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones has doubled for the second straight year, said an official from the Department of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce.

It has become a new highlight of China's foreign trade innovation and development, a new engine of economic transformation and upgrading, a new platform for innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as a new carrier to serve the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the official added.

In March 2015, the State Council released a document approving the establishment of the first pilot zone in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Since then, 12 pilot zones were set up in Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Suzhou to provide more support for export development.

Compared with the initial 13 cities, the 22 newly added ones have expanded the range of pilot zones to Chinas central, western and northeastern regions. Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin make up the northeastern cities, while the central and western cities account for nearly half the total.

The internet economy offers a rare opportunity for China's small and medium-sized enterprises, Zhu Qiucheng, a researcher at the E-commerce Research Center, told National Business Daily.

The potential is huge for the underdeveloped central and western regions, to where China's industries are rapidly shifting, Zhu added.

China's cross-border e-commerce trade (including retail and B2B) reached 7.6 trillion yuan ($1.12 trillion) last year, according to iiMedia Research, a market consultancy. It has estimated the figure will hit 9 trillion yuan this year.
(ALEXANDRIA, Va.)  In a blistering back-and forth, Paul Manaforts lawyer suggested Tuesday that the star witness in the former Trump campaign chairmans financial fraud trial has told so many lies he cant remember all of them.

Defense lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates by pressing him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Muellers investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Downing also ventured into territory both sides had agreed to avoid: discussion of Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

Under questioning, Gates said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trumps inaugural committee, which he helped operate. Downing also asked whether Muellers investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

The judge then brought the trial to a standstill late Tuesday afternoon, calling a brief recess.

In general, references to Trump at the trial have been few and far between. Both sides agreed ahead of time to limit discussion of the campaign so as not to prejudice the jury, though they had agreed to allow testimony about the overlap of a bank loan with Manaforts role in the campaign.

The tough questioning of Gates came after he spent hours telling jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manaforts tax bill. Gates recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

Under questioning from Downing, Gates acknowledged he had to plead guilty to false statements after lying during a February interview with federal investigators. At one point, as Gates had trouble recalling the details of his confession, Downing asked him, Have they confronted you with so many lies that you cant even remember them?

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Manaforts defense attorneys have sought to paint Gates as an embezzler, a liar and the instigator of any criminal conduct. They have tried several times to impugn his credibility before the jury.

Ahead of that barrage, Gates implicated himself in a vast amount of criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors as they hoped to take some of the steam out of the defenses questioning.

Gates testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years.

In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts, Gates said.

Prosecutors summoned Gates to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme. Gates also provided the first witness testimony that overlaps with Trumps presidential campaign.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in Muellers investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. But Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Muellers investigation of Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

The case against Manafort has little to do with either mans work for the Trump campaign and theres been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia  the central question Muellers team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort and suggesting he has been treated worse than gangster Al Capone.

On Tuesday, Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

The 46-year-old former political consultant told jurors how Manafort asked for tickets to Trumps inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the center of his financial fraud trial. Gates also said Manafort floated banker Stephen Calks name for consideration as Secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get.

The email exchange about Calk occurred after Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee. Prosecutors had previously said that Manaforts interactions with Calk were the only part of the trial expected to overlap with his Trump campaign role.

The face-off between longtime business associates and former senior members of the Trump campaign drew scores of people who waited in line for hours outside the courthouse and then jammed into both the courtroom and an overflow room that contained a video feed of the proceedings.

In testimony Tuesday, Gates laid responsibility squarely at Manaforts feet for a series of crimes, saying the two had committed crimes together by stashing money in foreign bank accounts and falsifying bank loan documents.

Gates described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Manaforts behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and, later, that his funds were drying up.

In one email, Manafort wrote WTF and not happy about tax payments he was going to have to make, Gates said.

In other testimony, Gates recounted how he converted a PDF of a profit-and-loss statement to a Microsoft Word document so he could doctor it to inflate the business income. Gates also fabricated a forgiveness letter for what he said was already a fake loan between Manaforts consulting company and a Cypriot entity he controlled.

Prosecutor Greg Andres pointed out he had created a loan forgiveness letter between Mr. Manafort and Mr. Manafort.

Yes, Gates agreed.

During the testimony, Manafort did not stare Gates down as he did Monday. When the trial broke for lunch, Manafort looked back at his wife, sitting in the front row, smiled and winked at her, followed by a quick shake of his head, seeming to indicate he was unfazed by the mornings testimony.

In addition, Gates has admitted to other criminal conduct.

Gates, who is awaiting sentencing, told jurors that he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort by filing false expense reports. He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manaforts direction.

___

Associated Press writer Stephen Braun contributed to this report.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  Romania's government has proposed culling tens of thousands of wild boar and other wild animals in what it says is a bid to contain African swine fever.

Ioan Denes, the water and forestry minister, recommends an extra 30,000 boar be hunted in the next three months on top of the current quota of 53,000, while current hunting quotas for wolves, foxes and lynx should be met in the same period.

The plan appeared on the ministry's website this week.

Romanian media Wednesday called it "an unprecedented measure." It is likely to be criticized by anti-hunting groups.

Romanian authorities have reported more than 500 separate outbreaks of African swine fever in pigs, mainly in the Danube Delta.
MOSCOW (AP)  As tensions simmer between Saudi Arabia and Canada over arrests of women's rights activists, Russia's Foreign Ministry says critics of Saudi Arabia should not claim a stance of moral superiority.

Saudi Arabia on Monday expelled the Canadian ambassador and froze "all new business" with Ottawa. The dispute appears centered around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to immediately release detained women's rights activists.

"We believe that Saudi Arabia, having embarked on a path of large-scale social and economic reforms, fully has the sovereign right to decide how to move forward in this important area," Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Wednesday. "In such matters, constructive advice and assistance are perhaps needed, but not from the position of 'moral superiority'."
The move is in retaliation for criticism of the arrests of Saudi civil rights activists, including Samar Badawi, pictured above with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton: Reuters

Saudi Arabia is transferring all Saudi patients currently receiving medical treatment in Canada to different countries as the diplomatic row between Riyadh and Ottawa shows no sign of abating.

All Saudi medical treatment programmes in Canada have been cancelled and arrangements are already underway to move patients out of the country, a state-run Saudi news agency said on Wednesday, citing Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, the Saudi health attache to the US and Canada.

The move comes after Saudi Arabia took the stern step this week of expelling the Canadian ambassador and suspending all new trade and investment between the two countries  a retaliation for criticism of the arrests of Saudi civil rights activists.

Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada means that we are allowed to interfere in Canadas internal affairs, a Saudi foreign ministry statement said on Monday.

Since then, Riyadh has also halted academic exchange programmes, giving 15,000 Saudi students one month to transfer elsewhere, and Saudia, the state airline, has announced the suspension of flights to Toronto.

Legions of automated social media bots have begun calling for the secession of Quebec, and Saudi-owned media have also launched a wave of attacks on Canadas own human rights and prisons record.

Al Arabiya, the pan-Arab news channel, incorrectly told viewers on Wednesday that 75 per cent of prisoners in Canadian jails died before trial. Another Saudi channel aired an interview in which a pundit claimed Canada is the worst country in the world for the treatment of women.

Canada has offered a muted response to the extraordinary Saudi campaign in what is believed to be an attempt to calm the crisis.

Reports surfaced on Wednesday that Ottawa is seeking help from the UK along with Saudi neighbour and ally the United Arab Emirates to defuse the escalating spat.

The international community has remained notably quiet after Canada rebuked Saudi Arabia over the arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah, the latest detentions in a crackdown on womens rights and civil society activists which began in May.

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New Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has ushered in a wave of social and economic reforms since his appointment last June. Critics note, however, that the royal decrees do not go as far as addressing the kingdoms strict laws on freedom of expression, assembly or liberal use of capital punishment.

While the US is traditionally Canadas greatest foreign policy ally, Washington has made it clear it will not involve itself in the row.

Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cant do it for them; they need to resolve it together, US state department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters on Tuesday.

A British government statement also issued on Tuesday urged both nations to show restraint.

Relations between Ottawa and Riyadh have soured since Canadian Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau entered office in 2015.

Since the election of Donald Trump, Washington and Riyadh have grown closer, and the US president and Mr Trudeaus relationship has deteriorated over trade tariffs and Nato spending.
(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is selling Canadian assets in an escalating row after Ottawa criticized the arrest of a female activist, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The Saudi central bank and state pension funds have instructed their overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost", according to the report. The sell-off began on Tuesday and underlines how the Saudi government is flexing its financial and political muscle to warn foreign powers against what it regards as interference in its sovereign affairs, the FT said. Saudi Arabia froze new trade and investment with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador this week, in an escalating row after Ottawa urged the country to free rights activists. [nL5N1UZ1LD] The Saudi Central Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative with Canada's ministry of global affairs did not immediately have a comment. (Reporting by Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
Washington (AFP) - The sharp diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and Canada has left Washington -- partners and allies of both -- in a bind, but the State Department on Tuesday nevertheless urged Riyadh to respect due process for detained activists.

Saudi Arabia has expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and cut off trade ties with Ottawa after the US neighbor denounced a crackdown on rights activists in the kingdom.

"Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

The United States "raised" the case with Riyadh, she said, adding: "The United States has respect for internationally recognized freedoms and also individual liberties. That certainly has not changed."

Saudi Arabia notably was angry with Canada for demanding that Riyadh "immediately release" some of the detained activists.

It has suspended scholarships for Saudi students in Canada and plans to relocate them to other countries, and the state airline Saudia is suspending flights to Toronto.

Nauert stopped short of criticizing the detention of rights activists in Saudi Arabia

"Some of these issues we choose to discuss privately with our friends, with our partners, with our allies," Nauert said.

"I can tell you however we have raised these issues and I'll leave it at that."

Earlier, another State Department spokeswoman told AFP on condition of anonymity that Washington had asked Riyadh for more information about the cases of several detained activists.

"We continue to encourage the government of Saudi Arabia to ensure all are afforded due process and to provide information on the charges and case status of legal actions against activists," she said.
TORONTO (AP)  Canadian health authorities said Wednesday that hundreds of Saudi doctors and residents who make up the largest segment of foreign medical trainees in the country will remain in Canada until the end of the month, giving hospitals a few weeks to cope with the sudden staffing loss caused by a diplomatic spat.

The 800 medical trainees are among more than 15,000 Saudis whose government has ordered them to suddenly leave the country due to Canada's criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom's arrest of women's right activists.

The Saudi Embassy bureau that places the country's students in Canada convinced the kingdom's government to let the medical trainees stay until Sept. 1, said Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, the vice dean of post-MD education at the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine.

Spadafora oversees 216 of those Saudis in the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network.

He said the loss of the trainees will cause disruptions at Canadian hospitals, particularly in some specialized fields, but said it's too early to fully know the impact.

"At the end of the day it's still 216 people that might not be showing up for work," he said.

"We have until Sept 1. That's not saying it's going to easy or straightforward. It is like people not being there one day, but we have the luxury of people having more time."

While the Saudi government says the students, whose education it is paying for, can now study in other nations, the change will dramatically alter the future for many.

Some of the residents and doctors are entering their final and fifth year of their programs and the change will derail some careers, Spadafora said.

"These are very dedicated and bright and hard-working people who are studying very hard," he said. "To have that disrupted is very stressful for them."

Salvatore Spadafora said it's very difficult for those with families and leases.

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"All we've done is gotten a little bit of time to the end of the month. It's not necessarily going to solve everything but it helps the individuals which has really been our focus," he said.

"Hopefully at the highest levels there is resolution that we can avoid all of this."

Brian Hodges, executive vice-president for education at Toronto's University Health Network, oversees about 94 from Saudi Arabia including 58 or 59 trained specialists or fellows.

"It is sudden," he said. "That's a lot of clinical care. We're really working on making sure if people do leave we are actually arranging proper on-call coverage and clinical handover so that it doesn't affect our patient care in any way."

Hodges said the Saudi's are distributed across all their programs including surgery and mental health and family medicine. He said of 1,300 or 1,400 residents overall, 36 are from Saudi Arabia and 58 or 59 of the 520 fellows are from Saudi Arabia.

"It will require the other residents and fellows and the faculty to pick up additional work," he said.

He said some have already provided notification that they are leaving.

"We already have requests to be exempted from on-call studies and clinical responsibilities as soon as next week," Hodges said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chyrstia Freeland has said Saudi students continue to be welcome. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday Freeland had spoken to Saudi Arabia's foreign minister the day before.

"Diplomatic talks continue." Trudeau said. "But as the minister has said and as we will repeat, Canada will always speak strongly and in private and in public on questions of human rights."

Trudeau said Canada does not want a bad relationship with Saudi Arabia.

"This is a country that still has importance in the world. And is making progress in human rights. So we will continue to underscore the challenges when they exist there and elsewhere in the world," he said.

Saudi state television has reported that Education Ministry was coming up with an "urgent plan" to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. The Saudi state airline also said in a statement on its official Twitter account that it would suspend all flights to Toronto starting Monday, Aug. 13.

The dispute appeared centered around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to "immediately release" detained women's rights activists.

Among the arrested activists is Samar Badawi, whose writer brother Raif Badawi was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam while blogging.

His case long has been raised by international human rights groups and Western diplomats, including Canadians, who have called on Saudi Arabia to free him.
Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

For the past several years, American students have been making headlines for saying they felt unfairly targeted by their schools dress codes. Now some school districts have decided to listen to these complaints and are adjusting the rules accordingly.

If you look nationally, theres a lot of conversation about how some dress code policies arent just about dress; some school systems dress code policies are about gender issues, sexuality, self-expression for students, Michael Doerrer, communications director for Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. For us in Frederick County, its about ensuring an environment that is conducive to learning. Period. So our board wanted to set fair guidelines that spoke directly to that, something that everybody could understand, that could be fairly and transparently enforced, and that was strictly about dress, not about those other issues.

Emphasizing gender equity

As in other school districts, girls in Frederick County had complained about the fact that teachers and administrators targeted them more than boys for violations. Paige Tolbard, the student member of the school board for the coming year, says an assistant principal pulled up the straps of her friends shirt to cover her bra straps in front of her classmates at lunch.

None of us like the way that was handled, Tolbard tells Yahoo. If you see somebody wearing low pants or a low-cut shirt, it doesnt really bother us as students. I dont agree with the policy that its distracting for boys for females to have their shoulders out. If teachers publicly call a student out, that upsets the whole dynamic of the classroom or wherever the student is.

After listening to students, teachers, and administrators, the FCPS Board of Education voted in July to adopt a new dress code. Instead of listing separate rules for male and female students, the new code states that its standards are to be consistently and fairly applied to all students regardless of gender. While the school board allows individual schools to set their own dress codes within its guidelines, it emphasizes that the codes should balance the need to create a safe and orderly environment with the students First Amendment rights. The code prohibits clothing that is unduly revealing, as well as anything that promotes violence, illegal conduct, or derogatory statements.

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Dress codes can be useful when it cuts down on provocative graphics on T-shirts, for example, as causing points of conflict between students can distract from academics, says Deborah Gilboa, MD, a parenting and youth development expert. Its really problematic when its gender-biased in its enforcement, in terms of the messages it sends to kids about their bodies and whats acceptable and whats valuable and whats admirable or not.

Before school starts in September, Doerrer says that administrators and teachers will be trained in the new guidelines.

I think I can safely say that no teacher or administrator wants to be the dress police, Doerrer says. Thats not what theyre there to do. Theyre there to teach.

A California experiment

On the other side of the country, Californias Alameda Unified School District is going even further, thanks to a movement started by students at Lincoln Middle School.

It was really in my seventh-grade year, 2016-17, and I was in leadership, when a lot of students approached us and said theyre feeling uncomfortable, theyre feeling targeted, theyre not feeling safe, and they wanted an updated dress code, Kristen Wong tells Yahoo.

While Wong had never been officially punished for violating the dress code, she recalled an incident in sixth grade when she walked into the school office to get a community service form wearing a cardigan over a scoop-necked tank top (which didnt show any cleavage or stomach). Someone told her never to wear it again.

I was really upset with myself for some reason, and I was so confused, she says. Thats what a lot of these girls and boys were facing. They were feeling stressed out and self-conscious if someone pointed them out.

The student group successfully petitioned the school to change its rules, and then set its sights on the whole district. After a process involving focus groups of students, teachers, and administrators, the district decided to adopt a dress code very similar to the gender-neutral model set by the Oregon National Organization for Women in 2016. The so-called Oregon NOW model became the basis for dress codes set in Portland in 2016 and Evanston, Ill., in 2017.

Like the Oregon NOW model, the code Alameda will try this year may seem startlingly permissive to those used to standard dress code rules. It lists what students must wear  bottoms, tops, shoes, and opaque material that covers genitals, buttocks, and areolae/nipples. Clothing that depicts hate speech, violence, illegal activity, or pornography; headgear that covers the face (except for religious reasons); and visible underwear (except for waistbands or straps) are all prohibited. But the items that are allowed include pajamas, crop tops, tube tops, hoodies, ripped jeans, and hats.

If a student happens to violate any of the rules, the code states that loss of class time should be kept to a minimum, they cant be forced to wear someone elses clothing, parents should not be called, and students should not be shamed by being addressed in front of classmates.

Were really trying across our district to reduce the barriers to class attendance to students, AUSD spokesperson Susan Davis tells Yahoo.

Davis knows that one of the reasons many give for stricter dress codes is that they are meant to prepare students to dress in professional settings. She doesnt buy it, because the jeans and T-shirts theyve been allowed to wear to school arent considered professional either.

They wouldnt wear jeans and a T-shirt to work, she says. Theyre dressing for school. Just as in college, theyre dressing for college, and most of them arent wearing a suit and tie.

Gilboa thinks that while its valuable for kids to learn that society judges people based on how theyre dressed, thats something their parents can teach them, with reinforcement from the school.

Leo Long, another Lincoln Middle School student involved in the dress code change, also disagrees with the notion that other students clothing can be distracting.

Ive never looked at somebody and been distracted by their clothing, he tells Yahoo. The only thing that distracts me in a classroom environment is if somebodys being loud and obnoxious verbally.

Gilboa also disputes this notion of dress codes protecting students ability to learn.

In the age of tablets and phones, clothing is probably the least of our distraction concerns, she says, adding that educators have often simply used dress code violations as excuses to deal with students attitude problems. I hope that [these rule changes] will allow the staff in hallways and teachers in classrooms to focus more on what our kids are doing than what theyre wearing.

A lesson in democratic education

Another remarkable thing has happened in these school districts in the process of changing dress codes: Groups of students have learned how to use their voices to advocate for themselves.

Involving the students in designing policies and rules teaches them to lead our schools in 10 or 20 years  and they will be, Gilboa says.

Hearing 13- and 14-year-olds refer to stakeholders and implementation certainly drives home the point that this was a learning experience.

Maybe Im overly optimistic, but I dont think this is going to lead to anarchy, Long says. At the end of the day, this is going to be a very positive change. Its going to direct us to be more educationally focused rather than be overly concerned with whether or not a student is wearing a 5-inch skirt.

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Budapest, Hungary Festivalgoers cool themselves in the Danube River during the Sziget music festival on an island in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 9, 2018. (Photo: Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Europes scorching heat wave has killed nine people in a week in Spain, health authorities said Tuesday, as stifling temperatures kindled wildfires in the country and neighboring Portugal where a ferocious blaze encircled a resort town.

Weeks of nonstop sunshine and near-record temperatures have caused droughts and seen tinder-dry forests consumed by wildfires from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle, in what many fear could be the regions new normal in an era of climate change.

The devastating effects of the heatwave were visible from space, according to images of swathes of arid landscape taken by the German astronaut Alexander Gerst from the International Space Station.

While the deadly hot spell is expected to ease in parts of western Europe in the coming days, firefighters in Spain and Portugal struggled to contain wildfires that have swept southern areas. (AFP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.
You are here: China

Twelve people were arrested for illegally making and selling guns online, police in central China's Hunan Province said Tuesday.

Police in Yongzhou city received reports of selling guns online in March, and a four-month investigation led to the arrest of a gun manufacturing ring across six Chinese provinces. Eight guns and nearly 3,300 bullets were also seized.

Members of the public are not allowed to make, sell, or possess guns in China. According to Chinese law, a person could face up to seven years of imprisonment if convicted of illegally owning a firearm.
Scott Boras denied that he failed Jayson Werth during free agency last offseason and offered to provide documentation to prove it. (AP)

Outfielder Jayson Werth retired in June following a 15-year MLB career.

He wasnt ready to quit and on Tuesday and blamed his former agent Scott Boras for failing him during the offseason in an appearance on the Howard Eskin Podcast.

I had offers in November, and I was advised by my former agent to wait; ill-advised, I guess, Werth said.

Jayson Werth: Teams didnt know he wanted to play

After waiting, Werth said that he contacted every MLB team but the Mets and was told that Boras did not let them know he was available to play.

Some guys were surprised to hear from me  they didnt know that I wanted to play. Which was surprising, because I wanted to play, Werth said. I let my agent know I wanted to play. And they said they either hadnt heard from him, hadnt heard from me, just didnt know that I was available. So thats one of the reasons why Im no longer with that agent.

Boras says he contacted every team on Werths behalf

On Wednesday, Boras released a statement denying Werths accusations and offered to provide documentation to prove his case.

Unfortunately, it appears someone has misled Jayson. We contacted all 30 teams numerous times during the offseason on his behalf, and we have phone logs, emails, and other records to back it up. We received no offers for Jayson in November, or otherwise. We are always prepared to support our work against inaccuracies spread by third parties. We understand the frustration and disappointment players can face and wish Jayson all the best.

Boras played a significant role in last offseasons slow free agent market, advising his clients to wait out better offers. Whether that tactic cost Werth a chance at playing another season is unclear.

Yahoo Sports MLB Podcast



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 Aaron Rodgers says LeBron ignoring Trump is absolutely beautiful

 Jayson Werth blasts Scott Boras: Teams didnt know that I wanted to play

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Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe's defeated opposition vowed Wednesday to go to court to overturn the results of the country's elections, as one of its senior members fled to neighbouring Zambia to evade arrest.

Tendai Biti, a veteran figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), claimed asylum in Zambia after making a dash for the border, reportedly facing charges of inciting post-election violence.

There were conflicting reports about his whereabouts, with Zambia's foreign minister saying Biti was being kept at the border and would be denied asylum, while an MDC lawyer said he was in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was on Friday declared winner of Zimbabwe's first elections since the downfall of autocrat Robert Mugabe in November, but the MDC claim the ruling ZANU-PF party won through "mammoth theft and fraud".

Zambian Foreign Minister Joe Malanji told AFP that the grounds of Biti's claim "do not merit him to be given asylum", and that he was being held at Chirundu on the border.

Zambian authorities "will facilitate his safe passage back to Harare", Malanji added.

But MDC lawyer Denford Halimani told AFP that Biti was in Lusaka.

According to Zimbabwe's state-run Chronicle newspaper, Biti is among nine suspects sought for inciting protests last Wednesday at which the army opened fire, killing six people.

Zimbabwe's Interior Minister Obert Mpofu confirmed that Biti -- an internationally-respected finance minister in the troubled 2009-2013 power-sharing government -- was in Zambia.

The asylum drama came as the MDC said it would lodge a court challenge against the election results in which Mnangagwa won 50.8 percent.

The result was just enough to avoid a run-off between Mnangagwa, the former Mugabe ally who replaced him, and his MDC rival Nelson Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent.

"Those results represent a total negation of the will of the people," MDC lawyer Thabani Mpofu told reporters in Harare, charging that the results published by the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) "grossly mathematically fail to tally".

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- Arrests and beatings -

Mnangagwa, who is seeking to reverse Zimbabwe's economic isolation and attract badly needed foreign investment, had vowed the elections would turn a page on Mugabe's repressive 37-year repressive rule.

But the election has been marred by accusations of a post-vote crackdown on the opposition as well as the deadly protests and rigging claims.

Human Rights Watch has reported multiple cases of beatings and harassment in Harare's suburbs as soldiers allegedly attack opposition supporters, sparking alarm from the European Union and United States.

The MDC headquarters were raided last week by authorities in what Mpofu described as "an attempt to destroy our evidence" for election rigging, but he said their data was secure.

The MDC has until Friday to lodge its suit and the Constitutional Court must rule on the petition within 14 days -- meaning Mnangagwa's inauguration would likely be delayed.

- Secret weapon? -

Mpofu declined to detail what evidence of fraud the MDC claims to have, promising instead to reveal "a secret weapon" in court.

Alexander Noyes, an analyst at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the legal case had little chance of success due to the courts' "long-held bias" towards ZANU-PF.

He added the MDC would likely cite a EU observer report that concluded the election was held on an "un-level playing field", with Mnangagwa benefiting from state resources as well as a degree of voter intimidation.

Derek Matyszak, Zimbabwe analyst at the Institute for Security Studies, said he would be "very surprised" if the detailed results published by the electoral commission were fraudulent.

"It would be rather odd to manipulate the results and then issue a spreadsheet inviting people to find out exactly how that manipulation had taken place," he told AFP.

The ZEC was notorious for fraud under Mugabe, but it has staunchly denied allegations of rigging this time around, as have Mnangagwa and his party.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told Mnangagwa he must rein in his security forces, also speaking with Chamisa to urge him not to take his party out onto the streets.

Analysts say Mnangagwa needs strong international support if he hopes to succeed in his bid to reverse the massive damage Mugabe did to Zimbabwe's economy.

Agricultural output plummeted after Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms in 2000 and public services are in ruins, while hyperinflation has forced Zimbabwe to abandon its currency and rely largely on the US dollar instead.
ABIDJAN (AFP) - Ivory Coast's "Iron Lady" Simone Gbagbo basked in her role as the power behind the throne during her husband's regime, but to foes she was a pitiless killer.

Fervently Christian but ruthless by reputation, she never sought to deny exercising political influence after her husband Laurent Gbagbo rose to power in 2000 elections.

"All the ministers respect me, and they often consider me above them. I've got what it takes to be a minister," she told the French newsweekly l'Express in 2001, justifying her stance after a life she said had been dedicated to activism.

"I engaged in political struggle against the former regime alongside men. I spent six months in prison, I was beaten, molested, left for dead. After all those trials, it's logical that people don't mess with me."

She was released from prison on Wednesday in an amnesty, three years into a 20-year sentence for "endangering state security" for her role in political violence that claimed some 3,000 lives after her husband lost a bitter 2010 presidential election.

The couple were arrested in April 2011 by forces loyal to President Alassane Ouatarra during a French-backed military operation, after five months of fighting.

She was accused of actively supporting Laurent Gbagbo in his bid to keep power, the culmination of a turbulent decade in office.

He has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for seven years.

- 'Blood Lady' -

Born in the predominantly Christian south in 1949 as one of 18 children of a policeman, she studied linguistics and history before becoming a trade union activist.

Her militancy led to a jail term in the 1970s for openly criticising then president Felix Houphouet-Boigny -- Ivory Coast's first leader after independence from France in 1960 -- when he rejected opposition calls for multi-party elections.

She and Laurent Gbagbo married in 1989 after founding the opposition socialist Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), and she was later elected to parliament in the world's leading cocoa producer.

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Her husband sought to change relations with former colonial master Paris, arguing that previous regimes had been servile, and the first lady proved a fierce critic of "neo-colonialism", once famously describing France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy -- a main mover in her husband's downfall -- as "the devil".

Supporters of Simone Gbagbo's commitment to political causes hailed her as "the Hillary Clinton of the tropics".

But for detractors, the "Iron Lady" became the "Blood Lady", amid allegations by human rights activists that the regime used teams of killers to deal with opponents.

Those concerns were reinforced when she was implicated by a French judicial inquiry into the sinister disappearance of French-Canadian journalist Guy-Andre Kieffer in Ivory Coast in 2004.

Gbagbo frequently mingled politics with the evangelical faith she practised after "miraculously" surviving a car crash and starting prayer meetings at the presidential palace.
Ljubljana (AFP) - A bloc of centre-left parties on Wednesday asked Slovenia's parliament to approve ex-comedian Marjan Sarec as prime minister, raising hopes of an end to a deadlock since elections in June.

Sarec's nomination was backed by his anti-establishment LMS party along with four other centre-left parties, who together hold 43 seats in the 90-seat parliament.

The bloc hopes to be able to form a minority government with the support of the radical left-wing Levica party, which is currently balloting its members over the issue -- the result of that internal poll should be known by this Friday.

In the June 3 election, it was the anti-migrant centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), headed by Janez Jansa, that won the most seats (25) but it failed to cobble together a ruling majority.

Parliament is expected to vote on Sarec's nomination as prime minister by the end of next week.

If he wins that vote, Sarec will then have 15 days to return to the chamber with a cabinet list that also has to be approved by a parliamentary majority.

Sarec, 40, was best known in Slovenia as a comedian and political satirist before launching himself as an "anti-establishment" politician, first becoming mayor of the northern town of Kamnik before running for president in 2017.

After his narrow defeat at the presidential election to incumbent Borut Pahor, Sarec announced his LMS (Marjan Sarec List) party would run for parliament.
Madrid (AFP) - Spanish police on Wednesday arrested Manuel Charlin, a once powerful drug baron who headed up a notoriously violent family clan in the northwestern region of Galicia, in a major cocaine operation.

A colourful patriarch who spent many years in jail, the 85-year-old was one of at least 18 people held in the operation that took place in Galicia and other regions including Andalucia in the south, a police spokeswoman told AFP.

His son Melchor, who once went on the run for five years, was also among those held.

The operation sprung from a major cocaine haul in a boat off the Azores islands in the Atlantic ocean, said Lois Herrera, spokesman for the central government's representative office in Galicia's Pontevedra, without giving further details.

Charlin is the latest Galician drug baron to have been detained after Sito Minanco, another gangster with a colourful past, was arrested in February on suspicion of trying to re-impose himself in the cocaine trade.

Galicia, with its rugged coastline, narrow, winding waterways and mountainous terrain, has long been at the forefront of drug trafficking as smugglers of alcohol and tobacco moved into the drugs trade, particularly cocaine, in the 1980s.

They would bring shipments of hashish from Morocco or cocaine from Colombia into Galicia, from where it went onto the rest of Europe.

Charlin was one of those, at the head of a notorious family clan known as the "Charlines."

- A family business -

In his book "Farina" about drug trafficking in Galicia, which has been made into a Spanish television series, investigative reporter Nacho Carretero describes the clan as "without a doubt the most violent organisation" in the region.

"They settled scores without batting an eyelid, and they've left corpses in their path," he writes.

According to Carretero, Charlin was born in poverty and started a seafood company when he was very young which he financed with contraband penicillin, copper and alcohol from nearby Portugal.

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He soon moved into the illegal trade of tobacco and became the first in Galicia to enter drug trafficking -- hashish and then cocaine.

In so doing, he took his entire family along for the ride.

In his book, Carretero describes them as "curt, impulsive and very violent".

He describes one episode when Charlin, two of his brothers and a former policeman violently beat up a man who owed them money, throwing him into a refrigerator truck and forcing him to call his wife to get the cash.

In a rare interview to Spanish television this year, a chuckling Charlin confirmed this. "That was true," he said.

"He beat him up like there was no tomorrow," he added, although it was unclear whether he was referring to one of his brothers or the ex-policeman.

Incidentally, according to Carretero, that beating landed Charlin in prison, where he made a contact that allowed him to launch into the cocaine trade.
The City of West Hollywood wants it gone, and Star Wars Mark Hamill knows what to do with it: Donald Trumps star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame should be replaced by one for Hamills late co-star Carrie Fisher.

How about replacing it with someone who really earned it? Like @Carrie Fisher, Hamill tweeted (see it below).

The star  the Trump star, that is  has been the subject of considerable debate recently, first after getting smashed by a pickaxe-wielder last month and then, last night, when West Hollywoods city council passed a resolution urging that the Trump star be removed altogether.

Ultimately, neither the council nor Hamill (nor the vandal, who attended the council meeting last night) have much say in the matter. Whos who on the Walk of Fame is decided by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles City Council, and neither have any plans to exile the Trump star.

The president got his piece of that celebrity real estate in 2007 when he was still best known for The Apprentice, The Celebrity Apprentice and the Miss Universe pageants.

But times have changed. The West Hollywood city council voted on the removal resolution last night, though Mayor John Duran has conceded that the vote was largely symbolic. The West Hollywood City Council did not pass the resolution because Donald Trump is a conservative or a Republican, Duran told CNN. Earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is an honor. When one belittles and attacks minorities, immigrants, Muslims, people with disabilities or women  the honor no longer exists. The removal request is a first for the city council, he said.

In making the removal request, The West Hollywood city council cited Trumps Access Hollywood tape, the zero tolerance immigration policy that separates migrant children from their parents, Trumps denial of Russian interference in the 2016 elections, his withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, his treatment of the transgender community, his plans to lower HIV/AIDS research funds and the cost to taxpayers of fixing the twice-damaged star.

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Hamill seems to agree. Here is his tweet, followed by other Hollywood reactions:

How about replacing it with someone who really earned it? Like @carrieffisher https://t.co/f1XMXanpWP  Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 6, 2018

Hollywood walk of fame star: Council voted unanimously to permanently remove Trumps star because of his disturbing treatment of women & other actions that do not meet the shared values of the City, the state, and country. https://t.co/ZubyID1GGe pic.twitter.com/vTSc0C0aIY  Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) August 7, 2018

Trumps star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame devalues the other stars, like those of my parents, that are meaningful and a true honor https://t.co/oD6A64vbD4  Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) August 7, 2018

*NEW COLUMN*

Here is Trump's Walk of Fame star, that Hollywood wants removed on moral grounds  right next to Kevin Spacey's star, that Hollywood doesn't want to remove.

Why this is absurd hypocrisy: https://t.co/EEEZ61hYwe pic.twitter.com/wH6RNBX7LC  Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 7, 2018

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  A day after testifying against longtime boss Paul Manafort, Rick Gates returned to the witness stand Tuesday as the government's star witness in the financial fraud trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman.

Gates walked into a packed courtroom a day after he calmly acknowledged having embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort and said the two had committed crimes together by stashing money in foreign bank accounts and falsifying bank loan documents.

In early testimony Tuesday, Gates related his role in setting up offshore bank accounts for Manafort, a complex arrangement that was requested by wealthy and powerful Ukrainian businessmen who bankrolled Manafort's political consulting work in the country.

Prosecutors summoned Gates, described by witnesses as Manafort's "right-hand man," to give jurors the direct account of a co-conspirator they say carried out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and fraud scheme on behalf of his boss.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. But Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Mueller's investigation of Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

Gates is expected to testify for several hours Tuesday and then face a bruising cross-examination as defense lawyers try to undercut his credibility and pin the blame on him.

His testimony drew scores of people, who waited in line for hours outside the courthouse and then packed both the courtroom and an overflow room that contained a video feed of the proceedings.

On Monday, Gates spoke in short, clipped answers as Manafort rarely broke his gaze from the witness stand, followed that of vendors who detailed Manafort's luxurious spending and financial professionals who told jurors how the defendant hid millions of dollars in offshore accounts.

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Gates, who is awaiting sentencing, told jurors that he siphoned off the money without Manafort's knowledge by filing false expense reports. He also admitted to concealing millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts on Manafort's behalf and to falsifying loan applications and other documents to help Manafort obtain more in bank loans.

"We didn't report the income or the foreign bank accounts," Gates told jurors, noting that he knew he and Manafort were committing crimes each time.

Gates, who also served in a senior role in Donald Trump's presidential campaign, read off the names of more than a dozen shell companies he and Manafort set up in Cyprus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Kingdom to stash the proceeds of Manafort's Ukrainian political consulting work.

Gates, who also served in a senior role in Trump's presidential campaign, said he repeatedly lied to conceal the bank accounts and, at Manafort's direction, would classify money that came in as either a loan or income to reduce Manafort's tax burden.

The criminal case has nothing to do with either man's work for the Trump campaign and there's been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia  the central question Mueller's team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort and suggesting he had been treated worse than gangster Al Capone.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who repeatedly interrupted prosecutors last week as they tried to present evidence about Manafort's lavish life such as $900,000 in expensive suits and a $15,000 ostrich jacket, clashed again with prosecutor Greg Andres on Monday when Andres delved into the status and identities of the Eastern Europeans who made payments to Manafort.

Ellis said all that's relevant is that Manafort was paid and whether he hid the income from the IRS.

"It doesn't matter whether these are good people, bad people, oligarchs, Mafia. ... You don't need to throw mud at these people," Ellis said.

Andres said he was entitled to show the jury why Manafort was getting tens of millions of dollars in payments.

"When we try to describe the work, Your Honor stops us and tell us to move on," he said.

Prosecutors say Manafort used those companies to stash millions of dollars from his Ukrainian consulting work, proceeds he omitted year after year from his income tax returns. Later, they say, when that income dwindled, Manafort launched a different scheme, shoring up his struggling finances by using doctored documents to obtain millions more in bank loans.

All told, prosecutors allege that Manafort failed to report a "significant percentage" of the more than $60 million they say he received from Ukrainians. They aimed to show jurors how that money flowed from more than a dozen shell companies used to stash the income in Cyprus.

On Friday, a tax preparer named Cindy Laporta admitted that she helped disguise $900,000 in foreign income as a loan to reduce Manafort's tax burden. Laporta, who testified under an immunity deal with the government, acknowledged that she agreed under pressure from Gates to alter a tax document for one of Manafort's businesses.

Under cross-examination Monday, defense attorney Kevin Downing pressed Laporta on the complexities of Manafort's finances as he worked to paint a picture of a political consultant who left the details to professionals and, in particular, to Gates.

Downing also accused Gates of embezzling "millions," a higher amount than Gates later admitted to in his testimony.

Laporta said she had grown to distrust the information Gates was providing her, though she didn't know about the embezzlement.

But she said she believed Manafort was directing Gates' efforts to disguise loans and conceal income, noting that Manafort was copied on her email traffic with Gates.

"In most instances, it was clear that Mr. Manafort knew what was going on," she said.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Stephen Braun contributed to this report.
Health authorities and healthcare institutions across China must provide observation and consultation services for people who have received rabies vaccines from Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Ltd., according to a statement issued by the National Health Commission (NHC) Tuesday.

The measure is aimed at safeguarding the health and safety of the public and protecting the legitimate rights of vaccine recipients, the NHC said in the statement.

Clearly marked information desks should be set up in vaccination clinics, with experienced medical staff available to answer questions and provide follow-up tests and treatment for vaccine recipients, according to the statement.

A State Council investigation team has stepped up efforts to investigate the affected human rabies vaccines. A recall has been launched for rabies vaccines produced by Changchun Changsheng in both the domestic and overseas markets.

Investigators found the company had violated rules on production management and national drug standards for the vaccines from as early as April 2014. The violations included blending expired fluids to produce certain products and falsifying production dates.
Firefighters struggled against rugged terrain, high winds and an August heat wave Tuesday to slow the spread of the biggest wildfire ever recorded in California, an inferno that exploded to be nearly the size of Los Angeles in just 11 days.

The 450-square-mile (1,165-square-kilometer) blaze, centered near the community of Upper Lake, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of San Francisco, spread fast because of what officials said was a perfect combination of weather, topography and abundant vegetation turned into highly flammable fuel by years of drought.

Firefighting efforts were also initially hampered by stretched resources, said the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire.

When the fire started July 27, thousands of firefighters were hundreds of miles north battling a massive blaze that spread into the city of Redding, destroying more than 1,000 homes, in addition to a dozen other major blazes.

A few days after the Upper Lake fire started, Cal Fire Battalion Chief John Messina told a community meeting that with so many fires already raging in California, "resources are already committed" so officials were forced to prioritize public safety and private property.

"After those two things are addressed then we'll go after the pieces of fire that are in remote areas," Messina said. "Typically, we'd go at all at once. There is just not the resources for that."

The flames were raging in mostly remote areas, and no deaths or serious injuries were reported. But at least 75 homes have been lost, and thousands of people have been forced to flee. The blaze, dubbed the Mendocino Complex, was reported 20 percent contained on Tuesday.

Its rapid growth at the same time firefighters were battling more than a dozen other major blazes around the state fanned fears that 2018 could become the worst wildfire season in California history.

"For whatever reason, fires are burning much more intensely, much more quickly than they were before," said Mark A. Hartwig, president of the California Fire Chiefs Association.

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About 3,900 firefighters, including a crew of 40 volunteers from New Zealand, were battling the blaze, contending with temperatures in the high 90s and winds gusting to 25 mph (40 kph).

The heavily forested area of myriad canyons where the fire is spreading has few roads or natural barriers that can serve as firebreaks or offer safe havens for firefighters to battle the flames head on, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox said.

So firefighters instead fell back to natural barriers such as streams or used bulldozers to cut fire lines, but the flames were moving so fast in spots that they blew past, forcing firefighters to retreat, Cox said.

"There's no way you're going to stop that fire," said Kyle Coleman, 28, who returned to his childhood home last week to help his father try  in vain, it turned out  to protect it. "A big wall of flames came over the mountain ... I pretty much got my dad out of there."

In all, 14,000 firefighters were battling blazes across California, which is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change, and the building of homes deeper into the forests.

"Cal Fire is really an urban firefighter service in the woods," said Arizona State University professor Stephen Pyne, a wildfire management expert.

The Mendocino Complex is actually two blazes burning so close together that authorities are attacking them as one, a common practice at Cal Fire. The fires started within an hour of each other about 15 miles (25 kilometers) apart. As of Tuesday, they were separated by just a few miles. Officials have not determined the cause of either one.

In becoming the biggest fire in California history , the Mendocino Complex fire broke a record set just eight months ago. A blaze in Southern California in December killed two people, burned 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

Crews also gained ground this week against another Northern California wildfire near the city of Redding that was blamed for at least six deaths.

Meanwhile, a blaze burning near Yosemite National Park has been raging for nearly a month but is still just one-third as large as the biggest fire, though dense smoke has closed much of the park to visitors for the past two weeks.

California's firefighting costs have more than tripled from $242 million in the 2013 fiscal year to $773 million in the 2018 fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Cal Fire.

"We're in uncharted territory," Gov. Jerry Brown warned last week. "Since civilization emerged 10,000 years ago, we haven't had this kind of heat condition, and it's going to continue getting worse. That's the way it is."

___

Associated Press writers Don Thompson in Sacramento, California and Lorin Eleni Gill and Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco also contributed to this report.

Follow AP's wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires
MOMBASA (Reuters) - Five Kenyan soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by the Somali group al Shaabab in Lamu County on Kenya's north coast on Wednesday, a senior official said. The local government official in the county, who asked not to be named, said the attack occurred between the areas of Majengo and Bodhei. He said five soldiers were killed after their truck ran over an improvised explosive device. "We heard a blast. Shortly after, KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) choppers were patrolling in the air," the official told Reuters. Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna told Reuters that six soldiers were injured, two critically, in the explosion but none were killed. It was not immediately clear why the accounts of the KDF and the county official differed. Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, said the group was behind the attack on the KDF convoy, and put the number of those killed at nine. Kenyan officials say the group often exaggerates casualty figures. The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab aims to topple Somalia's U.N.-backed government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam. They have intensified attacks in Kenya since it sent troops into Somalia in 2011. The group has launched several attacks, including ones in which they have beheaded people, in the past year in the coastal county. Kenyan security officials say the militants have used the Boni forest straddling the Kenya-Somalia border as a hideout and base for attacks. (Reporting by Joseph Akwiri; Additional reporting by Feisal Omar in Mogadishu and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick)
Stockholm (AFP) - Seven Swedish activists detained by Israel's navy for attempting to breach its blockade of Gaza have been deported to Sweden, the organisers of the Ship to Gaza activist flotilla said Wednesday.

Four of the activists arrived back in the Scandinavian country on Wednesday, and the three others were expected later in the day, Ship to Gaza Sweden spokesman Dror Feiler told AFP.

The Israeli navy said it intercepted the ship, Freedom for Gaza, late Friday "in accordance with international law", and took it to the port of Ashdod.

The ship was carrying medical supplies and had a total of 12 crew and activists on board, hailing from Sweden, Spain, Canada and Germany and France. All have been deported, Feiler said.

Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said Wednesday Israel's interception and boarding of the ship, as well as the detention of the activists and crew, violated international law.

"The (Swedish) government has been in contact with Israeli authorities about Ship to Gaza and has insisted that the actions of the Israeli authorities regarding the Swedish-flagged vessel Freedom and the people on board are not backed up by international law," Wallstrom said in a statement.

She said her government had also demanded that the ship and its cargo be released.

-'Break the blockade'-

The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade for more than a decade, with Israel saying it is necessary to prevent the Palestinian enclave's militant Hamas rulers from obtaining weapons.

Israel has defended the legality of Friday's seizure, recalling that a 2011 UN report found its naval blockade on Gaza was legal.

Freedom was the second boat of the "Freedom Flotilla" to be intercepted en route to "break the blockade" on Gaza, organisers said.

Four boats left Scandinavia in mid-May and stopped in some 28 ports along the way, with two remaining behind after a recent stop in the Italian port of Palermo.

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On Sunday, the Israeli navy intercepted a Norwegian-flagged activist boat that was part of the flotilla.

Israel has fought three wars with Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2008 and says the blockade is necessary to keep them from obtaining weapons or material that could be used for military purposes.

UN officials have called for the blockade to be lifted, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave run by Islamist movement Hamas and where 80 percent of the two million population are dependent on aid.
By Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi ZURICH (Reuters) - JU-Air plans to resume flying on Aug. 17, the airline said on Tuesday, two weeks after one of its small vintage planes crashed in the Swiss Alps with the loss of all 20 people aboard. The crash occurred on Saturday when one of the airline's midcentury JU-52 aircraft went into a nosedive on the west side of the Piz Segnas mountain in the canton of Grissons. The cause of the incident -- which occurred hours after a family of four was killed when their small plane went down further west in the Alps -- remains under investigation and could take weeks or months to determine, authorities said. The effort is complicated by the vintage plane's lack of a "black box" flight recording device. "We plan to resume flights on August 17 unless we receive any indications until then that safety might be a concern," JU-Air spokesman Christian Gartmann said. "At the moment we don't have any indication that it would be unsafe to resume flight." The country's aviation authority, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, said that so long as there is no firm suspicion of a technical defect, it cannot order the grounding of the airline's fleet. The airline would need to ensure its crew and maintenance staff were psychologically fit for flight, the federal office warned, adding it would take additional measures, including issuing a temporary flight ban if necessary, should pertinent information surface meanwhile. The plane hit the ground nearly vertically and at high speed, authorities determined. It was heading north past the Martinsloch rock window, when -- instead of flying over the ridge -- it made a sharp curve and suddenly tilted into a nosedive, an eyewitness said. "It didn't take 15 seconds," eyewitness Raini Feldner told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. Established in 1982, JU-Air offers sightseeing, charter and adventure flights on mid-century Junkers Ju-52 aircraft decommissioned by the Swiss Air Force and known affectionately in German as "Auntie Ju" planes. The crash of the aircraft, built in the late 1930s as a military aircraft, was the first time the airline had had an accident resulting in death or injury to passengers or crew members, the airline's chief executive said. Recovery works were wrapped up at the site on Tuesday, the office of Switzerland's attorney general said, with the surrounding area once again opened to hikers. "Under coordination of the attorney general's office, formal identification of the victims will now be carried out, and our investigations and clarifications will continue," the authority said in a statement. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; additional reporting by Michael Shields, Editing by William Maclean)
Damascus (AFP) - The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has begun treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Wednesday.

"Asma al-Assad is beginning the first stage of treatment for a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage," the presidency announced on its social media accounts.

The announcement came with a photo of the first lady in loose clothing and trainers, sitting on a chair in a hospital room with an intravenous drip inserted in her left hand.

She was smiling at her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, who sat to her right.

The presidency did not specify where the first lady was being treated, but the word "military" was printed on a blanket visible in the picture, indicating she was likely in a government-run military hospital.

Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side of the Assad dynasty.

She rarely appeared in public during the first few years of the uprising, but over the past two years has been much more active at charity events.

Asma, whose father is a cardiologist and whose mother is a diplomat, has two sons and a daughter with Assad.
Over the past year, Ren Guiyuan has spent at least four hours every day touring the Jiuzhaigou National Park in the mountainous areas of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

His job is to look for any potential geohazard factors within the park -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was rocked by a 7.0-magnitude quake a year ago.

"It may take longer when it rains as I need to go through every corner," said Ren, who has been working at the park for two decades.

The national park, also known as the Jiuzhai Valley, contains around 20 tourist sites and is known for its spectacular waterfalls, lush forest, serene plateau lakes, and karst rock formations.

Located in the mountains on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is one of the most acclaimed tourist destinations in China.

But the pristine scenery was left scarred by landslides and falling rocks triggered by the powerful earthquake last August.

RESTORED BEAUTY

The glassy waters of Wuhua Lake, or the five-flower lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the valley, turned brown after the quake, and a total of 89 spots in the park suffered risks of geological hazards. Many people feared that the region's breathtaking scenery would be destroyed forever.

However, a year later, the five-flower lake has magically regained its original beauty and shines like a sapphire embedded among the valleys.

"The waters in Jiuzhai Valley come from underground rivers, and it can purify itself since 85.5 percent of the park is covered with forests," said Du Jie with the park's management bureau.

However, restoration of the whole park still takes time and can be very dangerous due to its unique karst landforms.

Over the past two months, Jiuzhai County was hit by continual torrential rains, which again triggered mudslides in the park. "The mud and rocks flew from ravines down to the roads under construction, we almost failed to escape," recalled Xiong Bo, a worker on the site. The second day, seven workers quit.

"One of my other jobs is to inform the workers of possible dangers in time," said Ren.

Now over a third of the 89 spots have been restored, but the remaining parts are more challenging to fix, as there is no precedent of how to restore a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was severely damaged by natural disasters.

SCARS AND DIFFICULTIES

The famous crystal blue water from Sparkling Lake was almost drained after the earthquake, and its carbonate rocks, formed thousands of years ago at the bottom of the lake, are now exposed to the air.

"The carbonate rocks can soon become loose and eroded without water. We are closely monitoring the rocks to make sure they won't pose a threat to the safety of the whole region," said Zhu Zhongfu, senior engineer at the park's management bureau.

Another major site, the Nuorilang Waterfall, cracked in the middle and stopped flowing after the earthquake. After evaluation, experts used crushed carbonate rocks to repair the fissure and now the falls are back.

"If we hadn't repaired it, it might have threatened the safety of 19 upstream lakes," said Du. "Now that the water has resumed its flow, new layers of carbonate rocks will gradually form. We will continue monitoring its recovery status."

HOPE AHEAD

The powerful earthquake was a blow to the local tourism industry, the region's primary industry. In 2016, Jiuzhai Valley received 7.2 million tourists, including 180,000 foreigners, with the total tourism revenue hitting 9 billion yuan (1.35 billion U.S. dollars). Last year, the number of tourists dropped sharply to 2.5 million, with ticket revenue more than halved.

Though part of the park reopened in March this year, it set strict limits on the number of daily tourists. As a result, most hotels have decided to take this opportunity to upgrade facilities.

In Yatun Village, a new road is being planned and a row of Tibetan style log cabins are being built. "We hope the new houses can bring in more tourists and create more jobs in the future," said Sha Song, a local official.

Many others have joined the post-quake reconstruction. Xu Tingfeng used to work as a chef at a local hotel and is now learning to paint the walls at a construction site. Local authorities said that more than 6,500 local residents in Jiuzhai County have joined the reconstruction work so far.

"I love the lakes and mountains here. So we must take good care of them and pass them on generation by generation," said Ren.




















Paris (AFP) - Britain's Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May took part in commemorations Wednesday marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens, which heralded the beginning of the end of World War I.

The descendants of soldiers who took part in the Allied push, which smashed German defences and morale, travelled from across the world to Amiens for the ceremony in the city's magnificent medieval gothic cathedral.

Senior officials from Britain and France were joined by representatives from the Australian, Canadian and US governments in honour of the tens of thousands of troops killed in the four days of fighting.

Former German president Joachim Gauck and Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon also attended.

The Battle of Amiens sounded the start of the Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front, which led to the Armistice in November 1918.

The Allies deployed hundreds of tanks to push deep into German lines on what German General Erich Ludendorff called a "black day" for the German army.

May's visit was her second to France in under a week, coming days after she held talks with President Emmanuel Macron at his Mediterranean holiday retreat over her Brexit plan.

Macron, a native of Amiens, did not make the trip to his hometown for the event, where France was represented by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly.

Addressing the service Prince William said Amiens was "symbolic of the entente cordiale" between Britain and France.

May read from the war memoirs of British wartime leader Lloyd George, who said that the gains made in the northern French city led the Germans to "realise that all hope of victory had passed".

William, May and Gauck also spent time talking to soldiers' families.

Denis Holden, a 65-year-old retired policeman, travelled from Melbourne in Australia in memory of his grandfather, Private Michael Willis of the 14th Australian Infantry Battalion, who was injured in shelling on the first day of battle.

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"He never told us anything about the war but he showed me the wounds down his back," Holden told AFP.

He was also scarred psychologically.

"In the years after the war, whenever his Model T Ford backfired, he would yell out 'Get under the bed, we'll all be killed!'. I guess that today you'd call it post-traumatic stress syndrome," said Holden, who wore two of his grandfather's service medals pinned to his blazer.

Sarah Clarke from south-west Britain recalled her grandfather George Clarke, who ferried munitions to the frontlines in Amiens on the back of a horse of which he kept a picture on his wall.

"It's very important to keep everyone's memory alive," said Clarke, who wore two remembrance poppies pinned to her lapel.

- Shock tactics -

By the summer of 1918 the US was pouring troops into France and the Allies had drastically boosted their firepower after four years of war that had already killed nine million soldiers on three continents.

A victory at the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918 emboldened the Allies to strike at German forces which had exhausted themselves in a massive offensive meant to finish the war earlier in the year.

When guns began pounding German positions in Amiens -- a key rail hub -- at 4:20 a.m. on August 8, the Germans were caught off guard.

Marooned in dense fog, many dazed soldiers surrendered to the Allies, who punched a gaping, 12-kilometre hole into German lines, backed by some 600 tanks and 2,000 warplanes.

The stunned Germans, who had 27,000 troops killed, injured or captured on the first day, never recovered. By early September they were in retreat and two months later the conflict was over.

But two decades later many of the officers who made a name for themselves in the so-called "war to end all wars" were back in action.

Attending Wednesday's ceremony was Helen Patton, granddaughter of World War II hero General George Patton.

World War 1 was a "training ground" for Patton, who was badly injured in fighting near Verdun in September 1918.

"He learned to pray, to cuss and to handle troops", his granddaughter said.

Despite Amiens marking a turning point in the war the battle never gained the same place in the popular imagination as longer, bloodier World War 1 clashes such as the Somme or Verdun.

"War is often glamourised but not World War 1" Helen Patton lamented. "It's as if we almost wanted to forget it."
Sen. Tim Kaine visits a makeshift memorial Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, where Heather Heyer was killed Saturday when a car rammed into a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally Charlottesville, Va. (Photo: Julia Rendleman/AP)

The following is an excerpt from our project Charlottesville: One Year Later. Yahoo News spoke to over a dozen people connected to the deadly August 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va., about how things have changed over the past 12 months. To read the rest of their stories, click here.

In the weeks after the violence in Charlottesville, Sen. Tim Kaine traveled around Virginia, trying to wrap his mind around how something so horrific could have happened in his adopted home state.

It was personal. The Democratic senator knew both of the Virginia state troopers who had been killed in a helicopter crash while monitoring the deadly rally. One of them, Jay Cullen, had flown him all over the state when Kaine was governor. The other officer, Berke Bates, was friendly with Kaines wife, Anne Holton, who had worked as Gov. Terry McAuliffes education secretary. But it was more than his human connection to the tragedy that shook him.

A mayor of Richmond before his rise in state and national politics (including his stint as Hillary Clintons 2016 running mate), Kaine could not grasp how this could have taken place in Virginia, a state that, in his mind, had worked hard to overcome its ugly history of racial division. The first state to enshrine legalized slavery, home of the old capital of the Confederacy, Virginia had seen blood spilled by generations of people over the question of racial equality, but he had been convinced that the state had genuinely turned the page.

Im so proud of the arc that Virginia has been on, because I mean bluntly, our state knows hate pretty well. We know division pretty well, Kaine says. I really feel like weve turned a corner from facing backwards, and still clinging to bad old practices, to facing forward and really trying to be about equality, trying be that state for lovers, trying to be a commonwealth, i.e., a community.

What happened in Charlottesville, Kaine says, was very painful  personally painful for that very reason. This was simply not the Virginia he knew and loved.

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My first thought last August was that we have some people trying to drag us back, he says. There are people who want to drag us back, sadly even including the president, who stokes division and hatred, who couldnt tell who was on the right side and wrong side in a white-supremacy rally in Charlottesville, which demonstrates a level of moral confusion that almost certainly is intentional rather than accidental.

Touring the state for a series of previously scheduled town halls in the weeks following that deadly weekend, Kaine found himself standing before other Virginians who were as shocked as he was. This is not who Virginia is, he told constituents again and again.

But a year later, tensions between the old Virginia and the new remain.

Take Corey Stewart, a Republican official in Prince William County with a history of making racially divisive remarks and ties to the white nationalist movement, including the organizers of the Charlottesville rally. Kaine is running for reelection against Stewart, who denies that slavery caused the Civil War, has been a staunch defender of Confederate monuments and symbols and has made taking back our heritage a major talking point of his campaign. Many Republicans have shunned Stewart  including a state Republican Party official who resigned his post when Stewart won the GOP nomination. But other Republicans have not  including President Trump, who endorsed him.

Sitting in his Senate office, where he could not talk about his opponent without running afoul of ethics rules, Kaine declined to speak about Stewart specifically. But a year after Charlottesville, he acknowledged that the same kind of racial tensions and political polarization that led to last years rally are still prevalent  not only in his state but in the rest of the country.

Were in a battle between love and hate right now, Kaine says. Its a battle about whether we still believe in the two words at the end of the Pledge of Allegiance  are we for all or not? And its sad that we have to be in that battle in some ways, but in other ways its incredibly energizing, and I see evidence of it everywhere.

He pointed to the large-scale marches  including the Womens March and the March for Our Lives  and voter turnout in Virginias state elections last November, when Democrats captured several key seats, including the governors office, surprising political pundits who believed Republicans would be boosted by rural voters, who strongly supported Trump in 2016.

There was a huge uptick in turnout for an odd-year, traditionally somewhat low-turnout election, and I think some of it was because of Charlottesville, Kaine says. Some of it was people wanting to stand up loudly in their own way, say, This is not who we are. The president can pretend this is who we are as a nation, but were going to stand up and say, This is not who we are. And I see that kind of energy out there all the time now.

Aug. 12, 2017 was one of the worst days in our history in Charlottesville, Kaine adds. Around the state, I think people are standing up even stronger, with a stronger backbone to say, That may have been who we were in the past, but we put all that away and were moving to a better future now. And if anything, what happened last year has made people even redouble their efforts to make progress.



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Read more from Yahoo News on Charlottesville, one year later:
Match Group, which went public in 2015, owns more than a dozen online dating brands, including Match.com, OkCupid, PlentyOfFish, and Hinge. But the crown jewel of Match Group is Tinder  and on Match Groups Q2 2018 earnings call on Wednesday, the company shared numbers that make that abundantly clear.

Tinder is on pace to exceed $800 million in revenue in 2018, a phenomenal achievement, Match Group CFO Gary Swidler said. Match Group has not normally broken out Tinders revenue in the past.

That number would be double Tinders revenue in 2017. While Match Group (MTCH) did not specifically share Tinders revenue last year, the company said in Q4 2017 that Tinder comprised 30% of overall Match Group revenue for the year  that would come to about $400 million. Match stock was up more than 13% in morning trading.

The dating app Tinder is shown on an iPhone on Feb. 10, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/Illustration

Tinder now has small ads, but says the ads comprise only 5% of its revenue. Meanwhile, 95% of Tinder revenue comes from subscribers who pay for either Tinder Premium or Tinder Gold.

Tinder now has 3.8 million paying subscribers, and it added 300,000 in the quarter, a growth rate of 81%.

Most importantly, the company says it is seeing very healthy adoption rates of Gold, its pricier pay product. Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg said that 50% of the people paying for Tinder are now Gold users.

Match Group also raised its 2018 overall forecast to $1.72 billion in revenue. In other words, Tinder alone now amounts to nearly half of of Match Groups revenue. The first half of 2018 has been, Ginsberg touted, the best first-half performance in our history.

Ginsberg also declared that, Prior to Tinder, people in their late teens and 20s simply didnt use dating products.

It is a claim that some older online dating sites like eHarmony or OkCupid might dispute, but its hard to argue with Tinders eye-popping growth numbers.



Daniel Roberts is a senior writer at Yahoo Finance and closely covers the online dating business. Follow him on Twitter at @readDanwrite.

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Read more:

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Tinder lawsuit against Tinder for threesomes hinges on pronunciation

Heres a look at Instagrams new longform video feature IGTV

Facebook says it wants to do online dating, Match Group stock plummets
Tom Hardy and his wife attend the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19 in Windsor, England. (Photo: Shaun Botterill via Getty Images)

A host of famous faces gathered to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markles royal wedding in May. Among the celebrities scoring those coveted invites  Serena Williams, Elton John, George and Amal Clooney  you might have missed Mad Max actor Tom Hardy and his wife, actress Charlotte Riley.

Hardy was difficult to spot that day with his then newly shaved bald head, and he rarely speaks about his friendship with the 33-year-old prince. But he opened up just a little bit about their relationship in a new interview with Esquire.

He told the magazine that getting an invitation to the royal wedding was a deeply private matter. He said that Harry is a fucking legend.

Tom Hardy and Prince Harry chat at the Audi Polo Challenge on June 1, 2014, in Ascot, England. (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images)

Harry and Hardy share a laugh at the "Dunkirk" world premiere on July 13, 2017, in London. (Photo: Eamonn M. McCormack via Getty Images)

The actor didnt say what makes Harry a fucking legend. Maybe it was his willingness to race against Usain Bolt. Or that weekend in Vegas when he challenged Ryan Lochte to a swim and later got caught naked playing strip billiards.

It could also be more noteworthy things like Harrys military service, his penchant for speaking openly about mental health, his founding of the Invictus Games or his work with Hardy on the Princes Trust, a charity that helps young people overcome obstacles and presents them with incredible life opportunities.

Harry races Usain Bolt at the University of the West Indies on March 6, 2012, in Kingston, Jamaica. (Photo: Chris Jackson via Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex likely welcomed Hardys decision not to go into detail about them, even as the two have faced a barrage of bizarre outbursts from Markles estranged father, Thomas, and her half-sister, Samantha Grant.

In a brutal interview with the Mail on Sunday, Thomas Markle said it would be easier for his daughter if he died because everybody would be filled with sympathy for her. He also took credit for the position shes in today.

I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghans sense of superiority. Shed be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her, he said.

Royal news doesnt stop at the wedding. Subscribe to HuffPosts Watching the Royals newsletter for all things Windsor (and beyond).

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
China's Ministry of Civil Affairs has unveiled a regulation requiring charities to disclose information in accordance with the law.

According to the regulation, which will go into effect September 1, charities should provide factual information to the public on the provided website in a complete and timely manner.

Information required to be disclosed includes charity groups' yearly work and financial accounting reports, major asset changes, transactions and investments, public funding, and other charity projects, said the rule.

"Any false records, misleading statements, or major omissions in the information disclosure are not allowed," it said, adding that charitable organizations are responsible to disclose the information.

Charities eligible for public fund-raising should also release the budget of their expenditures for overseas trips, vehicles, and accommodations, among other items.

Charities that fail to disclose information in a timely manner or disclose false information can be reported to civil affairs authorities by any organization or individual, the regulation said.

The Charity Law, on which the new regulation is based, took effect on Sept. 1, 2016, and stipulates that charity groups in China must disclose information to the public.








US President Donald Trump's administration will impose new sanctions on Russia for its role in the March 2018 attack on a former Russian spy in Salisbury, UK: AFP/Getty

The US government has said it will impose fresh sanctions on Russia after determining it used a nerve agent in the attack against a former Russian spy in Salisbury.

The State Department said the sanctions will be imposed on Moscow because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law in the attack on former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 33. The pair were poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent called novichok in Salisbury, UK, in March.

Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, the new US sanctions will take effect on or around 22 August, according to a statement.

Downing Street and the Foreign Office both welcomed the move. The UK welcomes this further action by our US allies. The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged, a spokesman said.

Three months after the attack, Dawn Sturgess, who lived in a city nearby and had no ties to Russia, died from exposure to the nerve agent. The mother-of-three had fallen ill on 30 June and passed away at Salisbury District Hospital. Her death is being investigated as murder.

Her partner Chris Rowley, who was also exposed to the novichok, was released from hospital in late-July. Police believe the couple accidentally found a bottle containing novichok.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said it had been determined Russia had used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

Following the use of a Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on 6 August, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals, a statement said.

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The sanctions will cover sensitive national security goods, a senior State Department official said. There would, however, be exemptions for space flight activities and areas covering commercial passenger aviation safety, which would be allowed on a case by case basis, the official added.

A second batch of more draconian sanctions would be imposed after 90 days unless Russia gives reliable assurances that it will no longer use chemical weapons and allow on-site inspections by the United Nations.

If those criteria are not met  it is up to Russia to make that decision  a second round of sanctions ... will to be imposed, the official said, They are in general more draconian than the first round.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May had been quick and unwavering in her assessment of Russias role in using the nerve agent in the Salisbury incident.

She called it a brazen act, expelled 23 Russian diplomats, and cut high-level contact with Moscow.

We consider this hostile action as totally unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted, the Russian Embassy to the UK said in a statement, which denied any claims of an attempted assassination of the Skirpals, adding that all the responsibility for the deterioration of the Russia-UK relationship lies with the current political leadership of Britain.

Even former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had been fast to call it a really egregious act that appears to have clearly come from Russia. He had called President Vladimir Putins country an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens.

Mr Tillerson even went as far as saying the poisoning certainly will trigger a response from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). Ill leave it at that, he said.

However, Mr Trumps initial comments were more cautious. He said on Tuesday that as soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be. There was not an official condemnation from the US over the attack until the State Departments notice of sanctions today.

In the wake of Ms Mays accusation and expulsion of several Russian diplomats from the UK, Moscow responded in kind. That same month, Mr Trump expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the US.

However, while it had expelled diplomats the US had had yet to make the formal determination that the Russian government had used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

Several members of Congress had expressed concern that the Trump administration was dragging its feet on the determination and had missed a deadline to publish its findings.

Reuters contributed to this report
Soybean farmer Raymond Schexnayder Jr. checks out his crops. (Photo: Aleksandra Michalska / Reuters)

SHERRARD, Illinois  Krista Swanson is a fifth-generation farmer. So is her husband. They have three young daughters who they hope that, one day, will be the familys sixth generation of corn and soybean growers.

That dream is looking dim right now. Here in central Illinois  the number one soybean-producing state  grain farmers have lost a whopping 20 to 25 percent of the value of their crops since March, when President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced $60 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports. China, which buys the bulk of U.S. soybean exports, responded in April with a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans.

When Trump followed up in May with more tariffs, this time on trading partners like Canada and Mexico, Swanson watched the value of her crops plummet.

You actually lose every day, said Swanson, a member of the Knox County Farm Bureau. Youre still paying to go to work and back, and make and buy lunch, but youre losing money. Who would want to keep doing that, you know?

For some context on the severity of the situation, Swanson said in March the average central Illinois grain farmer expected a net income of about $35,000 this year. Those farms are now substantially in the negative, she said.

Yet, asked if shes angry at Trump for starting a trade war and potentially driving her family farm into the ground, Swanson wouldnt blame him for anything. She compared it to farmers dealing with challenges like droughts or pests.

Were just hoping this doesnt last a long time, she said, and that we can get to a point where we end up in a better place.

Soybeans! These suckers aren't worth what they were a few months ago. (Photo: Jen Bendery)

HuffPost talked to eight grain farmers in the region, which overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016, and we asked them how his tariffs have affected their business. Nearly all had the same response: They fear economic ruin if Trump doesnt resolve the situation soon, but they wont criticize him for causing an international rift that threatens their livelihoods.

Mike Zecher, president of the Mercer County Farm Bureau, said he had been hoping to replace his main tractor for planting season because its almost eight years old. But because of the uncertainty of tariffs, any decisions on replacing equipment have to wait.

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Youve got to be an optimist. Because if we werent optimistic, wed go crazy, Zecher said with a weak laugh. If we got upset, think about every month when we dont get rainfall.

HuffPost noted that this was an avoidable problem, unlike weather patterns.

Yeah, said Zecher, trailing off. To a certain degree.

Jeff Kirwan, a soybean farmer, said hes worried that as Trump spars with China, other countries like Brazil are going to sweep in and eat into the U.S. share of the global soybean market. U.S. farmers have spent decades developing this market.

Every day that were not in the marketplace, there are adjustments being made all over the world, said Kirwan, who is a member of the Illinois Farm Bureau board of directors. In South America, theyre going to pick up that slack.

Asked if hes frustrated with Trumps aggressive use of tariffs, he said only that the president needs to resolve the situation quickly.

Were trusting our leaders to lead us in that direction, said Kirwan.

Swanson provided this timeline of how Trump's tariffs have affected soybean and corn prices. Note how the prices plummet when Trump simply announced coming tariffs. (Photo: Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Republican leaders in Congress have done nothing to rein in Trumps actions on trade, beyond complaining and holding a symbolic vote in the Senate about tariffs. Under pressure to protect farmers, the administration announced last month that it would offer $12 billion in aid as the trade spats play out. But nobody knows how or when that money will be distributed, and farmers want a long-term solution.

Swanson said by her calculation, the $12 billion band-aid translates to less than $6,000 per farmer if it gets divided evenly. So if Im negative $20,000, the $6,000 helps, she said, but its not fixing the issue at hand.

It was, at times, mind-boggling to hear farmers describe the kind of financial hit theyre bracing for  and then skip over that this was caused by Trump. Seventy-five percent of farmers voted for him in 2016, so some simply may not want to go on record criticizing a president they and their community supported.

But the fact that several farmers showed HuffPost data that they say ties the price drops to Trumps tariffs reflects that their dissatisfaction with him is real, if subtle.

The numbers dont lie. President Trumps tariffs are putting the livelihood of thousands of hardworking farmers across the heartland at risk, said Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), who represents the district where these farmers live.

During his campaign, President Trump promised hed end this war on the American farmer, she said. I just wish hed actually do it because right now all were seeing is a trade war that gets worse from one tweet to the next.

Brian Duncan, vice president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, speculated that farmers are willing to give Trump some time to fix the situation because hes done things that have helped them, like tax reform and loosening regulations. Patience may be wearing thin, though.

He put some change in his pocket with farmers. Now hes pulling that change back out pretty hard on tariffs, Duncan said. Theres a sense of growing frustration. Its becoming more and more evident each day that this is not going to be rapidly resolved.

Trump insists his tariffs are working.

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Tariffs are working big time. Every country on earth wants to take wealth out of the U.S., always to our detriment. I say, as they come,Tax them. If they dont want to be taxed, let them make or build the product in the U.S. In either event, it means jobs and great wealth.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018

Tariffs are working far better than anyone ever anticipated. China market has dropped 27% in last 4months, and they are talking to us. Our market is stronger than ever, and will go up dramatically when these horrible Trade Deals are successfully renegotiated. America First.......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018

That does not reflect reality. Americas trade deficit jumped 7 percent in June, based on the most recent data. And Duncan said the annual estimated net farm income, which is typically about $60 billion, is estimated to drop by $20 billion because of Trumps tariffs.

Oh were losing money already, he said. As soon as harvest comes  its going to start in a month  this becomes real. This becomes real.

Its already real for Jerry Link, the one farmer who said hes had it with Trump.

Youve heard the last few days that our exports are really record high. No! said Link, who has been farming soybeans and corn since 1960. The reason weve lost $2 a bushel on beans is because our exports arent good.

Link, who lives in Abingdon and was a GOP local elected official for years, said he goes to coffee every morning with some pretty strong Republican farmers and tries to talk about Trumps tariffs being bad for agriculture.

When we make every country upset, it will be hard for us to get our exports and trading partners back, said Link, whose wife Maryanne stood nearby nodding. I am very upset with our Republican president. Very upset.

As the interview wrapped up, Maryanne said she had one thing to add about Trump celebrating his tariffs.

He has no concept of what its like out here in the real world.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration would make an announcement next week on reducing drug prices, but he did not offer specifics. Speaking at a dinner with business leaders at his New Jersey club, Trump said, "We are announcing something next week which is going to get them down really substantially." Trump has made lowering the cost of prescription drugs an issue for his administration. At the dinner, he thanked Pfizer Inc , the largest U.S. drugmaker, for announcing last month that it would not follow through on a planned increase in drug prices. Trump had previously taken aim at the company and other U.S. drugmakers for raising prices on some drugs. In May, Trump unveiled a "blueprint" to lower drug prices that appeared to largely spare drugmakers and instead took aim at "middlemen" such as health insurers and pharmacy benefits managers, which demand hefty rebates in exchange for broad access to patients. (Reporting by James Oliphant; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Sandra Maler)
The following statements were posted to the verified Twitter accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump, @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS. The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy. @realDonaldTrump : - The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less! [0531 EDT] - Ohio, vote today for Troy Balderson for Congress. His opponent, controlled by Nancy Pelosi, is weak on Crime, the Border, Military, Vets, your 2nd Amendment - and will end your Tax Cuts. Troy will be a great Congressman. #MAGA [0646 EDT] - Today, on the 236th anniversary of the Purple Heart, we honor the members of our Armed Forces for serving as the vanguard of American democracy and freedom around the world. #PurpleHeartDay [1425 EDT] - When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov. [2259 EDT] - .....Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race! [2318 EDT] - Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November cant come fast enough! [2323 EDT] -- Source link: (http://bit.ly/2jBh4LU) (http://bit.ly/2jpEXYR) (Compiled by Bengaluru bureau)
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's government says Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Turkey's president when he makes a state visit next month and discuss the countries' differences.

The German president's office says Recep Tayyip Erdogan will come to Berlin Sept. 28-29, a trip that comes after a difficult period in German-Turkish relations.

Merkel spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said Wednesday the chancellor will meet him and "all the important issues, including differences, will be addressed." She added that details of the visit have yet to be worked out.

Turkey's detention of German citizens for what Berlin considers political reasons in the aftermath of the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey has been a major irritant in relations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said seven are currently in detention.
Riyadhs actions against Canada are a signal that any criticism of its domestic policies is unacceptable

Mohammed bin Salman at the 29th Arab League summit in Dhahran on 15 April. Photograph: Bandar Al-Jaloud/AFP/Getty Images

Saudi Arabias latest diplomatic spat began with a tweet and very quickly escalated to include the expulsion of an ambassador, the suspension of flights and a freeze on trade deals.

But analysts and regional officials say that Riyadhs actions have little to do with Canada; instead, the kingdoms actions are a broader signal to western governments that any criticism of its domestic policies is unacceptable.

The row began with an expression of concern by Canadas foreign ministry over the arrest of Saudi civil society and womens rights activists.

Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and womens rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists.  Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) August 3, 2018

In years past, such a public criticism from an ally would have been dealt with behind the kingdoms famously opaque closed doors.

But as Canadas envoy heads home, the feeling among diplomats in Riyadh and elsewhere in the Arab world is that Saudi Arabias new leadership wants to assert a new set of rules on the regional game.

And the countrys powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, feels he has the backing to do it.

Projecting strength has become a central concern of the 32-year-old heir to the throne. So has upsetting allies, and starting rows without an apparent follow-up plan.

The new Saudi thinking is that its largesse has been abused and its allies  particularly Barack Obama  have let it down.

Donald Trumps arrival in the White House changed all that. And the US presidents stance towards the kingdom  and foreign policy in general  has given Riyadh great comfort.

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Not only does the Trump administration refuse to discuss human rights with its friends or foes, the issue seems of very little interest to him.

US reaction to the row has so far been distinctly noncommittal.

State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday that the US has raised the activists arrests with the Saudi government  but she declined to explicitly condemn the detentions.

Nauert also refused to wade into the escalating row between its two allies.



Its up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out, she said. Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cant do it for them.

With Trump in the White House, the kingdom knows that it has free rein to handle its domestic affairs  and its foreign policy  as it pleases, with no public challenge from Washington.

Saudis diplomatic quagmire in Qatar and its ongoing war in impoverished Yemen have been brushed aside by Trump and even encouraged by his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner.

Over the past two years, Kushner and Bin Salman have spent much time in each others company. Together they have pledged to overcome some of the Middle Easts most sensitive issues including the Israeli/Palestinian peace process and the growing reach of Iran.

But the worlds two most powerful 30-somethings have not gained much traction on either issue.

Kushner has no background in diplomacy and a worldview rooted in user pays  not hectoring anyone about how to run a country. Bin Salmans approach has been to table comprehensive reforms, including some civic freedoms, but to brook no dissent in return.

Political freedoms remain next to non-existent in the kingdom, and power is even more centralised than it was under previous Saudi leaders.

In this context, Canada has inadvertently become a vehicle for a broader message: Dont challenge us on domestic affairs.

Female activists are accused of speaking to foreign governments and reporters potentially subversive moves when youre trying to reshape a country.

Many of those detained had been vocal campaigners to overturn of the female driving ban  a watershed moment that finally arrived in June.

But rather than allow the activists to claim credit for forcing the ban to be lifted, Saudi officials were determined to position the move as a gift bestowed from on high.

Political defiance remains a taboo in the new Saudi Arabia. Robust advice from allies is getting there too.

The government of Justin Trudeau has not been alone in expressing support for Saudi dissidents, but Canada was likely targeted because Saudi Arabia judged it had less to lose by lashing out. Annual Saudi-Canadian trade hovers around $4bn.

Meanwhile, Trudeau can use criticism of Saudi Arabia to defend himself from judgment over the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh.

How Saudi Arabia is now projecting itself is rooted in a clear understanding that it has licence to do so from Washington. The Obama-era lecturing that so annoyed previous leaders will not be repeated while Trump is president.

And, the calculation in Riyadh seems to be that if the US is not interested, the views of others dont matter.
Should President Donald Trumps star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame permanently disappear, whose name should take its spot?

People on Twitter have some suggestions  and Trump likely will hate all of them.

Trumps star, placed on the Walk of Fame in 2007 for his work on the Miss Universe pageant, has been repeatedly vandalized since his election. The West Hollywood city council this week called on officials to permanently remove Trumps star because of his divisive rhetoric.

On Tuesday, one person on Twitter asked people to reply with the name of the person you think deserves a star to replace Trumps.

Should the @realDonaldTrump Star in the Hollywood Walk Of Fame be permanently removed?



Reply with the name of the person you think deserves a star to replace tRump's star.



Go!



    (@Lady_Star_Gem) August 6, 2018

The replies came thick and fast, with almost all trolling Trump in one way or other.

Rosie ODonnell, with whom Trump has been engaged in a decade-long feud, was a wildly popular choice:

Rosie Odonnell  Ruth Moore (@RuthAMoore) August 6, 2018

As was the late Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, who was a vocal critic of Trump.

Carrie Fisher would be my first choice.  Imzadi (@Imzadi121) August 7, 2018

For the record, Fisher had already been endorsed by Star Wars costar Mark Hamill, also a frequent Trump critic:

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

How about replacing it with someone who really earned it? Like @carrieffisher https://t.co/f1XMXanpWP  Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 6, 2018

CNN host Don Lemon, who Trump attacked over Twitter on Friday, was also nominated.

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Don Lemon  Amor7879 (@amorganfloyd13) August 7, 2018

So was CNNs chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who was last week heckled at a Trump rally:

Jim Acosta.  Lynn Cummings (@lynnkcummings) August 7, 2018

Former President Barack Obama was a popular choice:

Not sure they can give a star to Obama but if they could it would send Donny over the edge for real if he was replaced by Barack .  LuvMyRaiders   (@BritishRaider69) August 7, 2018

As was special counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election to help Trump win:

Mueller  LORELL not-a-bot (@LorellLair) August 6, 2018

NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who invoked Trumps wrath by protesting systemic racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before games, was also named:

Colin kaepernick  donna forte (@donnaleeforte) August 7, 2018

Michael Avenatti, the attorney for former porn star Stormy Daniels (with whom Trump is alleged to have had an affair), was put forward:

Michael Avenatti  Sheryll Bonness (@SaritaBdeG) August 7, 2018

And, of course, NBA superstar LeBron James, who Trump blasted via Twitter last week, was proposed:

King James  destroyer snipe #GlovesOff (@davidma84882888) August 6, 2018

Lebron, duh.  Lynn The 19th Angry Democrat (@lynnv378) August 7, 2018

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
MINSK (Reuters) - Two more journalists were detained in Belarus on Wednesday on suspicion of hacking the computer systems of state-run news agency BelTA, authorities said, including one who was working for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Investigators identified the men as Paulyuk Bykowski, who Deutsche Welle said was its longtime correspondent in the country, and Alexei Zhukov, who works for a local news site, and said they had been detained as part of a criminal investigation. Several other journalists were detained on Tuesday in connection with the same case. Local rights groups said then that the arrests were part of a government drive to muzzle independent media. Deutsche Welle confirmed that Bykowski, who is a Belarussian citizen, was arrested on Wednesday, after a two-hour search of his home. The broadcaster said it had lodged a protest with Belarus's ambassador in Berlin about Bykowski's arrest, and was demanding his immediate release. Bykowski's wife Volha Bykowskaja said authorities carried out a two-hour search of the home and seized computers, tablets, phones, USB sticks and bank cards. She said his detention was "absurd". Bykowski had appeared on a radio program on Tuesday to discuss searches of the newsrooms of privately-owned Tut.by, Belarus's biggest online news portal, with 800,000 daily unique users, and independent news agency BelaPAN. Germany's foreign ministry noted the arrests and newsroom searches carried out on Tuesday, and said on Wednesday it had urged the Minsk government to respect press freedom and refrain from disproportionate actions against journalists. "The German government advocates for protection of the basic principles of freedom of the media and opinion," a ministry spokesman said in a statement. President Alexander Lukashenko has run Belarus along Soviet-style command lines since 1994. He has heeded some calls from the West to show more leniency toward political opposition, but opponents say their freedom to operate remains severely limited. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky in Minsk and Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Writing by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Catherine Evans)
(Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Tuesday it would give Medicare Advantage health plans for the elderly new tools to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said Medicare Advantage plans will be allowed to require that patients first try certain lower-cost drugs before moving to a more expensive alternative if the first treatment is not effective. Medicare Advantage plans are administered by private health insurers, such as Aetna Inc and Humana Inc , and cover medical benefits for some 20 million seniors. Until now, such requirements could not be made on drugs covered by Medicare Part B, which are administered in a hospital or doctor's office. The changes also affect Medicare Part D drugs that patients get at the pharmacy. The Medicare Advantage plans would be allowed to require patients try alternatives covered within Part D before moving on to physician administered drugs, that are typically much more expensive. In 2017, Medicare Advantage plans spent $11.9 billion on Medicare Part B drugs. These types of changes in the private market have generally resulted in savings of about 15 percent to 20 percent, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. More than half of the savings will be required to be passed on to patients, CMS said. U.S. President Donald Trump has made lowering prescription drug costs for U.S. consumers a top priority. He announced a blueprint for lower healthcare costs in May and his administration has been announcing new initiatives this summer. The changes announced on Tuesday can take effect as early as 2019. Medicare Advantage plans that choose to implement the so-called step therapy will be required to disclose the change to patients. They would be allowed to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or to fee-for-service by March 31. (Reporting by Michael Erman and Michele Gershberg; editing by James Dalgleish and Bill Berkrot)
By Julia Symmes Cobb CUCUTA, Colombia (Reuters) - The United States will give Colombia $9 million to help provide for hundreds of thousands of refugees from Venezuela fleeing a severe economic and political crisis over the past 18 months, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday. "We really have to question how long can this be sustainable," said Haley, who was in Colombia for Tuesday's inauguration of Colombian President Ivan Duque. Speaking in northern Cucuta, which borders Venezuela, Haley said the funds would go toward water sanitation, health needs, sterilization and medicines and "things like that to really help the Venezuelan people." Most migrants cross into Colombia with only the possessions they can carry. Many are underfed and in need of medical care. "At some point Maduro is gonna have to be dealt with," Haley said, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Haley has long been critical of Venezuela at the United Nations, requesting a closed door Security Council meeting in May last year and then holding an informal public council meeting in November, which was boycotted by Russia, China, Egypt and Bolivia. Any U.S. push for U.N. Security Council action against Venezuela would likely be blocked by Russia and China. U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed economic sanctions on Maduro and members of his cabinet after accusing them of undermining democracy and violating human rights. With the new aid, the United States has donated $46 million in Latin America since fiscal 2017 to confront the Venezuela crisis, according to the United States Agency for International Development. "This is a crisis where the region has not been as loud and active as we would like to see," Haley said. "The world in general needs to realize that we have a dictator in Venezuela that is doing everything to protect himself and sacrificing all of the Venezuelan people to do it." During a visit to a soup kitchen for migrants, Haley spoke with Gabriela Gil, 25, who fled to Colombia from Venezuela with her husband and baby. "We came with nothing," Gil said. "We're happy she's here to see what it's like for us." In one of his final acts in office, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos last week gave more than 400,000 Venezuelans permission to stay in the country for up to two years. The migrants will have access to certain social services like public healthcare. Colombia, whose relations with Maduro are often frigid, has accepted the bulk of migrants from Venezuela, and 200,000 Colombians who had been living in Venezuela have returned home, according to Colombian figures. Maduro this weekend accused Santos of orchestrating a failed assassination attempt against him using drones. Santos dismissed the accusation, saying he was occupied with something more important - the baptism of his granddaughter Celeste. (Additional reporting by Brian Ellsworth in Caracas; Editing by Helen Murphy and Richard Chang)
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the world body's new human rights chief, the United Nations said on Wednesday. The 193-member U.N. General Assembly is due to meet on Friday to approve Bachelet's appointment. She would replace Jordan's outspoken Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who is stepping down at the end of the month after a four-year term in the Geneva-based job. Ambassadors chairing different regional groups at the United Nations were told of the decision on Tuesday by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, several diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters earlier on Wednesday. U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement that Guterres formally notified the General Assembly on Wednesday. Bachelet, a victim of torture under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, was conservative Chile's first female leader. The pediatrician-turned-politician first served as president of Chile from 2006 to 2010. Her amiable style, welfare policies and steady economic growth in one of the region's most developed countries made her popular. Bachelet then led U.N. Women, a body for gender equality and the empowerment of women, between 2010 and 2013, before returning to Chile where she again served as president from 2014 to 2018, pushing for a more radical tax-and-spend agenda, as well as broader abortion rights and gay marriage. Zeid told reporters in New York earlier this month that he did not seek a second term because he did not believe he would have the support of key world powers, including the United States, China and Russia. Zeid has been strongly critical of some of U.S. President Donald Trump's policies and his attacks on the media. "Someone said to me 'just come out swinging' and that's what I did," Zeid said of advice he was given when he started the job in 2014. "Silence does not earn you any respect." "We do not bring shame on governments, they shame themselves," he said. Zeid said the pressure of the human rights job was intense. After a tough week last year, his wife recommended he watch feel-good reality television show "The Great British Bake Off" to take his mind off human rights abuses. "This man pulls out a souffle just before the competition ends and the thing collapses," he said. "I burst into tears and I couldn't stop." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and James Dalgleish)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the BRICS summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 27, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Rauf Mammadov, Omid Shokri Kalehsar

Security, Middle East

Washington has said that to achieve significant reductions in Iranian oil exports it needs India to observe the sanctions.

U.S. Sanctions Threaten India's Importation of Iranian Oil

When the United States pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May, it told countries trading with Iran that they would have to stop soon or face American sanctions.

As the first ninety-day wind-down period for ceasing trading with Iran comes to an end, Washington is ratcheting up the pressure on the main importers of Iranian crude oil.

However, most of the other countries that signed the nuclear dealincluding many in Europecontinue to support it. But companies, not governments, import oiland they are likely to buckle under the U.S. pressure.

A key exception is Chinese companies, which collectively amount to the worlds largest buyer of Iranian oil. They remain defiant against the U.S. sanctions threat, a stance which their government obviously supports. The defiance comes as tension with America already increasing due to a trade war that Washington started.

The European Union is also embroiled in a trade war with the United States. This is increasing the pressure on European companies to comply with Washingtons no-trade-with-Iran order. Most have said they will comply with it.

Another important player in the Iran sanctions game is India. In fact, the United States has said that to achieve significant reductions in Iranian oil exports it needs India to observe the sanctions.

Irans geographical proximity to India, coupled with Indias growing demand for petroleum, made an oil trading partnership between the two almost inevitable.

In 2017, India imported almost 40 percent of its oil from Iran, making it the second-largest importer of Iranian crude, behind China. India bought $13 billion worth of petroleum products from Iran that year, with crude accounting for the vast majority

The energy cooperation between Tehran and Delhi has not been limited to oil and gas trading, however.

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After the Iran nuclear deal was signed in the summer of 2015, India began making major investments in Irans oil industry, including building petrochemical and fertilizer plants.

India has also wanted to invest in the Farzad B gas field. An Indian consortium led by the state-owned Oil and Gas Corporation discovered the field in 2012, and it began producing in 2013. A dispute over the terms of Indias participation in the fields production has prevented a deal from being reached, however.

Meanwhile, Irans plan to build a gas pipeline through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India has been stalled due to disagreements over the terms of the deal.

Furthermore, after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited India in February, the countries expressed optimism that their trade would double.

Two events undermined that optimism, however. One was the United States increasing its threats to pull out of the Iran nuclear dealwhich it ended up making good on in May. The other was Saudi Arabia, Irans main political rival in the Middle East, stepping up its energy diplomacy toward India.

In April, Saudi Aramco signed a deal with a consortium of Indian companies led by the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation to take a 50 percent stake in a $44 billion mega-refinery and petrochemicals complex that will be built in the port city of Ratnagiri. The Saudis calculated that helping India create one of the worlds largest refining and petrochemical complexes would not only help tilt it away from Iran but also guarantee long-term Saudi crude sales to India

Meanwhile, the United States has been increasing its diplomacy toward India, with the key goal of persuading India to embrace sanctions against Iran.

In addition, Americas ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who is of Indian descent, visited New Delhi last month to ask that India reduce its Iranian oil imports.

A U.S. Treasury Department delegation followed. It was led by Marshall Billingslea, the departments assistant secretary for anti-terrorism financing. Given Billingsleas background, one topic was likely to be a scheme that Iran and India used to avoid previous U.S. sanctions against Iran.

The two visits are already yielding results for Washington.

Indian refineries have begun canceling oil import contracts with Iran. Hindustan Petroleum, which owns Indias third-largest refinery, canceled an Iranian oil shipment in July when its insurance company refused to cover the sale because of impending U.S. sanctions.

In addition, news surfaced that Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, which owns the largest refining complex in the world, also planned to halt Iranian oil imports.

Fearing aggressive Trump administration policies towards Iran, India is also expected to scrap the rupee-based trade agreement it concluded with Iran three years ago, Iranian sources say.

India had used the rupee-rial arrangement to buy Iranian oil before U.S. sanctions were lifted against Iran in 2016. The two sides used Turkeys Halk Bank as an intermediary in their trading.

In May, a federal judge in New York sentenced a top Halk Bank executive to three years in prison for designing and carrying out the scheme. U.S. prosecutors had contended that the deal was used to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran that the Obama administration imposed before the nuclear deal.

Before he became assistant Treasury secretary for anti-terrorism financing, Billingslea was managing director of business intelligence services for Deloitte, where he focused on illicit finance. In the wake of the prison sentence against the Halk Bank executive for the rupee-rial scheme, it was significant that after Billingslea left India, his next destination was Turkey.

India did obtain one sanctions-related victory from the United States, however. Washington agreed to allow it to invest in the expansion of Irans port of Chabahar if it complies with U.S. import sanctions against Iran.

Chabahar is key to an Indian policy of offsetting Pakistans and Chinas use of Pakistans port of Gwadar to project more power in the region. China has made renovation and expansion of the port of Gwadar an integral part of its $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. The project includes a naval base.

Chabahar is only 107 miles from Gwadar. Iran has asked India to help it build steel and petrochemical plants in the port to boost its economy and increase development along the Makran coast. It also plans to create a free trade zone in the port to try to spur economic growth.

With so many countries trying to flex their muscle in the regionthe United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China and PakistanIndia is likely to find it harder to strike a balance between competing interests in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

It will continue to accommodate Iran by supporting the nuclear deal and by participating in mutually beneficial projects such as the expansion of the port of Chabahar.

But it will be increasingly difficult and dangerous for Indian refining and petrochemical companies to find wiggle room that allows them to avoid U.S. sanctions, as they once did.

Rauf Mammadov is a resident scholar at Middle East Institute and Senior Advisor at Gulf State Analytics.

Omid Shokri Kalehsar is a Washington-based senior energy security analyst, and Ph.D. Candidate in International Relations at Yalova University, Turkey.

Image: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the BRICS summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 27, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Read full article
By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington said on Wednesday it would impose fresh sanctions on Russia by the end of August after it determined that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian agent and his daughter in Britain. A senior State Department official said it had notified the Kremlin of the sanctions earlier in the day. Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found slumped unconscious on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March after a liquid form of the Novichok type of nerve agent was applied to his home's front door. European countries and the United States expelled 100 Russian diplomats after the attack, in the strongest action by President Donald Trump against Russia since he came to office. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it had been determined that Russia "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals." The sanctions would cover sensitive national-security controlled goods, a senior State Department official told reporters on a conference call, citing the 1991 Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act. There would, however, be exemptions for space flight activities, government space cooperation, and areas covering commercial passenger aviation safety, which would be reviewed on a case by case basis, the official added. "It is possible that trade affected could potentially reach hundreds of millions of dollars," the official added. "It's up to Russia how dramatic the impact is." The official said a second batch of "more draconian" sanctions would be imposed after 90 days unless Russia gives "reliable assurances" that it will no longer use chemical weapons and allow on-site inspections by the United Nations or other international observer groups. "If those criteria are not met - it is up to Russia to make that decision - a second round of sanctions ...will to be imposed," the official said, "They are in general more draconian than the first round." A British government spokesman welcomed Washington's announcement, saying: "The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behavior will not go unchallenged." The news came as Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul said on Wednesday he had delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing cooperation. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler)
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel struck targets in the Gaza Strip after dozens of rockets were launched Wednesday from the coastal territory ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas group, the Israeli military said.

The exchange came amid continued attempts by Egypt to broker a broad cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Sirens wailed in southern Israel, warning of incoming rockets from Gaza, and Israeli media reported six people were wounded by shrapnel in the border town of Sderot.

One Palestinian rocket hit a house, Israeli media said, showing footage of houses and cars pockmarked with shrapnel. Reports said it wasn't clear if one of those hurt was wounded by a rocket or by debris from the rocket defense system.

The military said that it identified 36 rockets fired from Gaza at Israel and that the Iron Dome defense system intercepted several of them.

Gaza residents reported several Israeli airstrikes after the Palestinian rocket barrage.

Israel's military later confirmed it struck Gaza, saying it hit 12 Hamas sites in all, including "an offensive maritime terror tunnel ... several terror sites in military compounds throughout the Gaza Strip ... rocket manufacturing facilities and a central logistical military complex."

Gaza's Health Ministry said three Palestinians were slightly injured in the strikes.

Israel's military earlier said shots were fired from Gaza at civilians working on the barrier that separate the territory and Israel, damaging a vehicle. Israel said it struck a Hamas post in retaliation. No casualties were reported.

On Tuesday, Israel struck a Hamas military post in Gaza, saying it was in response to militant fire at Israeli troops. Hamas said two of its fighters were killed. It also disputed Israel's account, saying shots were fired as part of a graduation ceremony for a group of fighters inside the camp.

Also Wednesday, a U.N. aid agency called on Israel to allow emergency fuel into the Gaza Strip to avert the shutdown of hospitals and sanitation facilities

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Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, in a news release called Israel's restriction of fuel imports "a dangerous practice, with grave consequences on the rights of people in Gaza."

Israel halted the supply of petroleum and natural gas to Gaza last week in response to incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza into southern Israel. Israel temporarily suspended fuel shipments to Gaza in July for similar reasons.

Israel has been battling large fires caused by kites and balloons rigged with incendiary devices or burning rags launched from Gaza that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock.

The almost daily airborne arson attacks have been part of months of weekly border protests led by the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza aimed in part at drawing attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after it took control of the territory in 2007.

The demonstrations have been fueled in large part by pervasive despair caused by the blockade that has caused widespread economic hardship and left the coastal territory with crippling fuel shortages and just a few hours of electricity a day.

Over the past four months, 158 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including at least 120 in the protests near the fence and others in Israeli air strikes and other incidents elsewhere in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and a local rights group. Twenty-four of the slain protesters were minors, the ministry has said. One Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this period.

Israel says it is defending its border and nearby communities and accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover for attempts to breach the fence and carry out attacks.

Mahmoud Daher, of the World Health Organization in Gaza, said in a telephone interview "the situation is very serious." He said by the end of the month, all fuel supplied by the U.N. will run out "and the problem is there is no sign of renewed funding from donors in the horizon."

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report.
It was a terrifying scene for animals and humans alike at a zoo in Colorado Monday as the facility was pummeled by hail.

A bear was seen trying to take cover as giant hail stones the size of softballs rained down at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.

There were 3,000 guests inside the zoo at the time. A number of them sought refuge in the zoo's restaurant.

Nine people were treated for injuries at the zoo but five others had such serious injuries they had to be hospitalized.

Sadly, two of the zoo's animals, a duck and a vulture, were stuck and killed by the hail.

Three hundred cars were also severely damaged to the point where they couldn't be driven.

The zoo remained closed Tuesday as a massive clean-up effort is underway.

In a statement, the zoo said it was "heartbroken to confirm the loss" of a cape vulture named Motswari and a Muscovy duck named Daisy.

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Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's all-powerful constituent assembly is launching proceedings Wednesday to try opposition lawmakers over an alleged drone attack on President Nicolas Maduro that was denounced by exiled opposition leader Julio Borges as a staged "farce".

Constituent Assembly chief Diosdado Cabello called the session to strip the lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity so they could face trial for the alleged and failed bid to kill the president.

"When justice comes, it hits hard," Cabello said.

Maduro and his government said the president had been targeted by two flying drones each carrying a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of powerful C-4 explosives.

But details of Saturday's incident remain unclear, with conflicting information coming from various sources.

The Maduro administration said Colombia -- including ex-president Juan Manuel Santos, who ended his term Tuesday -- had collaborated on the attack with the "ultra far-right" Venezuelan opposition, including Borges, and it was financed by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida.

No evidence was given to support the allegations, which have worsened already fraught ties between Caracas and Bogota.

In a television and radio address, Maduro simultaneously accused opposition legislator Juan Requesens and Borges of having plotted a drone "assassination" attempt on the Socialist leader over the weekend.

Borges hit back on Tuesday night, calling the attack a staged "farce."

"Neither the country nor the world believe you when it comes to this farce of an attack, we all know that it was staged to persecute and repress those of us who oppose your dictatorship," he wrote on Twitter.

The president said several raids were underway as part of investigations.

Borges is one of the most prominent figures of the Venezuelan opposition and like Requesens is a member of the Primero Justicia (Justice First) party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

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Primero Justicia said Requesens and his sister Rafaela were "arrested and hit" in a sweep by the SEBIN national intelligence service unit. Rafaela was later released.

"All the statements (of detained suspects) point to Julio Borges, who lives in a mansion in Bogota protected by the outgoing government of Colombia, we know he has the cowardice to participate in this type of events," Maduro said.

He also railed against Requesens, describing him as one of his "craziest and most psychopathic" adversaries.

- 'Increased political persecution' -

Earlier, Requesens delivered a fiery speech in which he promised to keep pushing to get Maduro out of power.

"We are going to get Nicolas Maduro to leave in order to get out of this tragedy," the 29-year-old politician said at the opposition-held legislature.

"We will be able to receive all Venezuelans who are crazy enough to return to the country, and for those of us who are here, we have no choice but to continue stretching this rope until it breaks and we can get Nicolas Maduro out."

Shortly before the opposition crackdown, the legislature had demanded an impartial investigation into the drone explosions, and denounced the government's efforts to use the event to "increase political persecution" of the opposition.

"We reaffirm that Venezuelans' political struggle must focus... on obtaining free and fair elections with full democratic conditions under international observation," added the declaration read in the semi-circular chamber.

The Constituent Assembly loyal to Maduro moved to May the presidential election usually held in December, leading to Maduro's election until 2025.

But the opposition and much of the international community rejected the results as illegitimate.

On Monday, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said several suspects were in custody and authorities would track down "all those who conspire against public peace."

He called the drone attack, in which seven soldiers were said to be wounded, "an attempted massacre."

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said Sunday that six suspects had been arrested.

No drones could be seen in the broadcast of the event, which was cut moments after the soldiers were seen scattering away from where Maduro was standing flanked by military chiefs and his wife.
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday fired the deputy police minister, the highest ranking police official to be removed in a corruption crackdown in the Communist-ruled country, the government said. Bui Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of Public Security, was fired for "very serious violations", Phuc said in a statement without elaborating. The decision took effect immediately. Vietnamese authorities have arrested dozens of officials and business figures in a crackdown mixed with political intrigue in the one-party communist state. The Communist party late last month stripped Thanh, 60, of all of his party credentials saying he violated regulations on state secrets and illegally issued documents on land management, the government said in a separate statement. Thanh was also accused of illegally issuing a diplomatic passport to business tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu, who was sentenced to seven years in prison at a closed trial more than a week ago, convicted of deliberate disclosure of state secrets. "Thanh's violations caused very serious consequences, affecting the prestige of the party, the police force and causing public anger," according to the government statement. Phuc also demoted Thanh from Lieutenant General to Colonel, according to the government statement. Last week, a military court sentenced the first military official to go on trial in the corruption crackdown to 12 years in jail. (Reporting by Khanh Vu and Mai Nguyen; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Headlines on mother who carried baby for days fuel concern over Seattle population that is stressed and starving

A baby orca whale being pushed by her mother after being born on 24 July. The new orca died soon after. Photograph: David Ellifrit/AP

Seattles orcas are dying. That they are dying publicly and painfully may save them.

First was Tahlequahs calf. Born on 24 July, she died minutes later. Tahlequah buoyed her for a week before mother and calf disappeared.

Then came news Thursday that another young orca, Scarlet, appeared to be dying. Monitors had lost track of Scarlet, who was found alive with her mother Tuesday night by marine biologists who were considering delivering salmon and medical treatment to the ill whale.

In Washington state, the events have focused attention on an effort to repair the broken habitat and stave off extinction of the fish-eating orca. At what governor Jay Inslee dubbed a meeting of the states best and brightest on Tuesday, the longtime activist Stephanie Solien described the weeks of heartbreak as a message from the orcas.

This is what they have told the world  it is human actions that are responsible for the dead and stillborn calves, the sick and starving adults and the declining condition of the environment in which they live, Solien said before calling for a moment of silence for Tahlequah and her calf.

At last count, 75 orca live in the Salish Sea, the saltwater trough stretching from south of Seattle up the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Theyre a tight knit, talkative bunch; unlike their seal and shark-eating cousins, they chirp incessantly. They are stressed, and they are starving.

Deafened by sonar and boat noise, they hunt for fish that are too few in number. With each Chinook salmon they catch, they poison themselves a bit more; pollution in the Pacific accumulates at the top of the food pyramid. And their calves are dying.

Three years have passed since an orca calf born in the region survived. In the past 20 years, 40 orcas have been born into the group while 72 have died.

If enough salmon can be hatched and grown fat, if enough boats can be quieted, if the water and land can be cleansed, Seattles orcas might just survive. That is the hope.

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The fear is that this final opportunity to save the orcas will be blown. Or worse,that the opportunity has already passed.

We built this report. And it sat on the shelf. That was nearly 20 years ago. I dont believe we have another chance Phil Anderson

The work of saving the orca in Washington has fallen to the Puget Sound Partnership, a taskforce of leaders from state agencies, interest groups and tribal governments. At Tuesdays tearful meeting, members minds turned toward legacy.

Kevin Ranker, a Democratic state senator representing the San Juan Islands that the orca call home, recalled explaining extinction to his young daughter. Les Purce, a retired university president, described the diligence with which his four-year-old grandson followed Tahlequahs struggle. The thoughts of Norma Sanchez, a Colville Confederated Tribes councilwoman, were on her newest descendent.

My first great grandchild was born this year, Sanchez said. I would hate to think that when that child is an adult, they would say, I wonder why the orcas went extinct and why we didnt do anything to protect them.

The orcas living in the waters off Seattle eat only fish, mostly meaty Chinook salmon. The regions three pods  extended families with shared languages  leave the Salish Sea each winter to chase the Chinook on the Pacific coast.

Dams, pollution and fishing have depressed Pacific north-west stocks of Chinook, which often appear in supermarkets as king salmon. For decades, environmentalists, tribal members and the fishing industry have called for the removal of dams on the Snake river often blamed for the fisherys decline. Truly wild Chinook are a rarity; hatcheries prop up the commercial and recreational fisheries.

While pollution reductions, dam removal and a sealion cull are all being considered, the prime aim of the orca recovery effort is to make more fish available swiftly to the killer whales.

Phil Anderson, a fisheries negotiator with the Pacific Salmon Council, said a proposed treaty with Canada will reduce the salmon catch if both governments approve it. The treaty also includes provisions for a significant amount of money for hatcheries to produce Chinook for the orcas.

We will need everybodys help if we are to get that funding package from the federal government, Anderson said.

Of course, federal help may be hard to come by. The Trump administration is poised to push back on Washington state water use rules which are unpopular with farmers, the only interest group in the state with the White Houses ear on environmental issues.

Indecision appears to be a greater threat to the orcas. Ranker, the state senator, reflected on a 2001 effort after seven orcas died.

We all freaked out, he said, and we brought together groups like this, and we had all these discussions, and we built this report. And it sat on the shelf. That was nearly 20 years ago 

I dont believe we have another chance.
On Wednesday, a ceremony that was 13 years in the making was quietly held at Guaranteed Rate Field. Before fans filled the stands, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf presented groundskeeper Nevest Coleman with a watch commemorating the teams World Series title in 2005.

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Coleman was the final recipient of this special token of Reinsdorfs appreciation. All of the grounds crew members who were employed during that magical 2005 season were rewarded the following year.

The delay on Colemans ceremony wasnt due to an oversight by the White Sox. It was due to the 23 years of hell he faced while wrongfully serving a prison sentence.

In 2005, all White Sox grounds crew received watches for the World Series win. Today, Jerry Reinsdorf presented Nevest Coleman, who would have been a member of the ground crew that year, with a watch. pic.twitter.com/OAC8kJP6R9  Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 8, 2018

The short ceremony was attended by members of Colemans family. Many of them were responsible for leading the fight for Coleman to receive a retrial. The retrial was finally granted in November of 2017. In February, his name was officially cleared. The following month, he was rehired as a White Sox groundskeeper.

It was emotional. It was heartfelt. It was undeniably a well deserved moment for a man who has endured through unfathomable circumstances.

What led to Nevest Colemans wrongful imprisonment?

In 1994, a then 25-year-old Coleman was arrested, tried, and convicted of a brutal rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman. He and an accomplice were sentenced to life in prison, but both spent over two decades maintaining their innocence while stating that they were coerced into confessing by detectives. Initiatives were set forth to bring attention to the case, but those were dismissed until last year.

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What led to Nevest Colemans release from prison?

In 2017, new DNA evidence was discovered that seriously called into question the previous conviction. A judge called for a retrial in November and prosecutors officially dropped charges against both men after DNA matched a serial rapist.

Why did Nevest Coleman receive a World Series watch?

As Jerry Reinsdorf explained during the presentation, Nevest should have been with the team in 2005 when they won the World Series.

Coleman was clearly a well-liked and respected member of the organization then. By all accounts, hes seamlessly stepped back into his role this season. Reinsdorf feels strongly that because Coleman never should have missed being a part of that moment, he shouldnt be left out of the celebration. To Reinsdorf, that meant giving him the same watch every other grounds crew member received.

Nothing can replace the time Coleman missed with his family. But this gesture gives him something uplifting to reflect on and take with him moving forward.

White Sox groundskeeper Nevest Coleman receives World Series watch after spending 23 wrongful years in prison. (Getty Images)

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Singapore (AFP) - An apparent online ivory store which caused a furore in Singapore has been exposed as a hoax set up by environmental group WWF to highlight perceived shortcomings in local laws.

The outlet called Ivory Lane purportedly offered items including earrings and necklaces for sale and had a well-produced website, including a price list and images of women modelling the jewellery.

The hoax shop, which appeared online last week, insisted its products were made from ivory obtained before 1990, when an international ban on the trade came into force. It is still legal to sell pre-1990 items in Singapore.

But consumers in the city-state reacted with outrage at the website, flooding its Facebook page with angry comments and accusing the shop of supporting the slaughter of elephants. Some media including Agence France-Presse reported on the growing furore.

After a few days, a post from someone claiming to be the store's owner appeared and insisted all the products were "completely legal" in Singapore.

But in a statement late Tuesday, WWF admitted it had set up the online shop, and said the hoax was aimed at highlighting shortcomings in local wildlife laws.

The group said that by continuing to allow the sale of ivory obtained before 1990, recently poached ivory could be disguised as vintage ivory.

"It is not easy to understand wildlife laws and what is legal and not, a reality that is often misused by illegal traders," said Elaine Tan, chief executive of WWF-Singapore.

The WWF said setting up Ivory Lane had sparked a heated debate and generated over 65,000 reactions. It was part of a broader investigation by the group, which found more than 40 shops in Singapore selling ivory products.

Tan said there was a need for strong legislation to address the issue in Singapore, a major hub for the illegal wildlife trade due to its status as a global trading hub.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said the government was considering a domestic ban on the sale of ivory.
(Reuters) - The New York City Council on Wednesday agreed to cap the number of licenses for ride-hailing services such as Uber Technologies Inc for one year, dealing a blow to the companies that have relied on the largest U.S. metro area for a major source of their revenue. The first such cap by any major U.S. city was part of a package of measures that also includes setting a minimum wage for drivers. The package, opposed by major ride-hailing companies, is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and increasing driver paychecks in the wake of the explosive growth of for-hire vehicles. The drop in incomes has demoralized many drivers and the New York Taxi Workers Alliance said there have been six suicides among cab and livery drivers in recent months. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he intended to sign the bills into law, which would start the 12-month period where no new for-hire vehicle licenses would be issued, with an exception for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. "This action will stop the influx of cars contributing to the congestion grinding our streets to a halt," he said in a statement. The number of ride-hailing vehicles operating in the city has jumped from about 12,600 in 2015 to about 80,000 this year, according to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. About 14,000 yellow cabs operate in the city. The effort to cap the services in New York, Uber's largest U.S. market, was opposed by ride-hailing businesses, including Uber, Lyft and Via. "The citys 12-month pause on new vehicle licenses will threaten one of the few reliable transportation options while doing nothing to fix the subways or ease congestion," Uber said in a statement. Lyft said: "These sweeping cuts to transportation will bring New Yorkers back to an era of struggling to get a ride, particularly for communities of color and in the outer boroughs." Via, which operates shared rides with established stops, hopes the city will make an exception for carpools, which it says reduce congestion and provide drivers with the most money. In emails to nearly 5 million New Yorkers last month, Uber said riders would face higher prices, longer wait times and less service in the city's outer suburbs by drivers. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, an 18,000-member union representing the city's taxi drivers, hailed the council's vote as a victory. "New York City is the first city in the country enact drivers' demands into legislation," it said on its website. Last month Ubers CEO and Lyfts president both addressed the traffic congestion complaints at a technology conference in Aspen, Colorado. They said they are trying to broaden their services by reducing reliance on cars, which can be seen in Ubers acquisition of JUMP bikes and a deal with Lime scooters. Lyft has acquired the Motivate bike-sharing company. It has also pledged to make half of its trips carpools, with multiple passengers by 2020. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas and Heather Somerville in San Francisco; Editing by Bill Rigby and Lisa Shumaker)
HARARE (Reuters) - Former Zimabwean finance minister and opposition politician Tendai Biti has been detained by police as he tried to cross the border and seek asylum in neighbouring Zambia, his lawyer said on Wednesday. A day earlier the authorities said they were looking for Biti in connection with violence following last week's disputed election in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared winner. Six people were killed in the post-election army clampdown on protests against the result and Mnangagwa's main rival, opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, has accused the government of a security crackdown on his party's members. Biti, whose People's Democratic Party had formed an election alliance with Chamisa's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been in hiding since last week and had feared for his life, his lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo said. "We have kickstarted processes of seeking political asylum so we are waiting to see how far the processes will go. His life has been in danger," he said. Police have not yet informed him of the charges, Mlilo said. The post-election turmoil was reminiscent of the long rule of Robert Mugabe, who was toppled last November in a de facto military coup and replaced by Mnangagwa. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said she had no information on Biti's arrest. The Criminal Investigations Department had said on Tuesday police were looking for Biti, MDC chairman Morgen Komichi and MDC youth leader Happymore Chidziva linked to last week's violence. Mlilo said Biti was arrested after presenting himself to Zambian immigration officials at Chirundu border post, 350 km north (217 miles) of the capital Harare, where Zimbabwean and Zambian officials share the same building. "It seems the Zambian immigration officials alerted the Zimbabwean police and they effected an arrest," said Mlilo who was at the border with Biti. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by James Macharia and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Since 1974, a sort of mythology has grown up around how Malaysia's current strong relations with China began to take shape in that year, when Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak became the first ASEAN leader to normalize relations with it.

Actually Indonesia and Burma (Myanmar) had already established relations with China before ASEAN's formation, back in 1967. And even U.S. President Richard Nixon had set out normalizing things two years before Razak.

Good relations between China and the Malay peninsula, predating Malaya and Malaysia, are far more complex, however, and have their roots some 2,000 years. They've been evolving ever since.

The early Tanah Merah kingdom (ca. 100 BCE) in north-eastern Malay peninsula, along with the Kedah kingdom founded two centuries later, enjoyed healthy diplomatic ties with the giant to the north.

Throughout centuries of imperial China's tributary system, these sovereign nations and China observed mutual respect and supported each other. Although China was more powerful, it neither conquered nor interfered in their internal affairs, but helped protect their sovereignty from encroachment by neighbors like Siam.

Sometimes this protection was limited or even absent, however, as China opted for non-intervention. The Ming Emperor, for example, did nothing when Vietnam attacked Champa in the 14th and 15th centuries, although both were vassals of China.

After the Malacca Sultanate was established in 1400, it developed strong ties with Ming China. Trade flourished amid the growing diplomacy and general commerce of a healthy bilateral relationship.

When the Portuguese attacked and occupied Malacca in 1511, distance restricted China's response. It could do little more than watch the capture of a tributary state; later, however, it exacted some retribution by destroying Portuguese ships at Goa.

The positive relationship was further cemented over time by Chinese communities settling and flourishing in the various sultanates to form part of the local population.

The illustrious Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a founder of modern China, was exiled to Penang, where he chaired the 1910 Penang Conference. There, he planned the Second Guangzhou Uprising that resulted in the 1911 Chinese Nationalist Revolution and the collapse of the longstanding system of imperial rule.

Malaya then had the largest Chinese community outside the mainland, and these contributed generously to the nationalist struggle to build a modern China. Their efforts are deeply appreciated on both sides of the Taiwan Straits until today.

Through these experiences spanning many generations, Malaysia and China grew to establish a "special relationship" that was not the result of any single diplomatic event.

Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was the first ASEAN leader to work hard for strengthened relations. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he made several meaningful and successful visits.

China was the first country Mahathir approached with his proposal for an East Asia Economic Grouping (EAEG) in 1990.

When the disastrous 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis struck, Mahathir appreciated how China helped Asian economies recover by suspending its planned revaluation of the renminbi, and he also used his position to help further develop the relationship between ASEAN countries and China.

To Mahathir, modern China was, and remains, not a threat, but a historic opportunity. A pragmatic Malaysia prefers to build goodwill, confidence and trust with all friendly countries.

While this is well remembered, all of it also happened more than a decade ago. So, the question is: how far will both countries now go to secure good and strong relations for the future?

Mahathir and President Xi Jinping share important attributes. Both believe that strong, effective leadership and good governance are essential in developing their countries.

They agree that Asian regionalism should follow national self-determination for Asian countries. They share the common aspiration of developing their countries fully through regional integration.

Both leaders also aspire to fulfilling national development by setting deadlines. They understand this as a legitimate quest in serving the sovereign interests of their people.

They believe that national sovereignty must exclude external interference. Thus, the universal principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of countries is key.

Both Xi and Mahathir, a son of Kedah, are also committed to fighting corruption, believing that, if left unchecked, it will destroy the very foundations of the party, the state and the nation.

China and Malaysia accept the international norms needed for closer cooperation and coordination on issues of common interest, well knowing this as the basis for a healthy relationship.

Ultimately, the future of bilateral relations depends on what the two countries make of them. It needs constant nurturing and can never be taken for granted.

Recently, Vietnam replaced Malaysia as the ASEAN country with the largest trading relationship with China. However, strong bilateral relations depend on more than just trade.

With a combination of these factors, including building ties based on honesty and the rule of law, China and Malaysia now have a unique opportunity to raise their relations to a new and higher level.

Bunn Nagara is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Israeli security forces arrested five terror suspects in the West Bank overnight Tuesday. The suspects were taken in for questioning.
Syrian opposition members have accused the regime of President Bashar Assad of assassinating Syrian missile scientist Dr. Aziz Asber, who was killed in a car bomb in Hama on Saturday, according to Sky News in Arabic.

The assassination of the scientist, who was in charge of Syria's precision-guided missile program, has so far been blamed on Israel.
Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that Iranian foreign policy brought the United States to a dead end, and that Europe encourages the world to buy more Iranian oil after the first round of US sanctions was renewed Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has cancelled his trip to Israel, which was supposed to take place in November.

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A year ago, Macron said he would visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the spring of 2018 to push for the renewal of Israeli-Palestinians peace talks. The visit was then postponed from the spring to the fall, and has now been cancelled entirely.

Paris did not provide a reason for the cancellation, but it is likely tied to the political crisis Macron is facing at home after his bodyguard was filmed assaulting May Day protesters.

Netanyahu and Macron meet in Paris (: )

The incident sparked the biggest political crisis of Macron's tenure. Critics say Macrons office failed to properly punish the head of his security detail or refer him promptly to judicial authorities over the incident. They say Macrons handling of the case shows he has lost touch with ordinary people since taking office 14 months ago.

Footage showed the bodyguard, Alexandre Benalla, hitting a male protester and dragging away a woman while off duty and wearing a riot helmet and police tags.

I alone bear responsibility. They can come and get me. I answer to the French people, Macron told a gathering of members of parliament from his party.

The French president had not spoken in an open forum about the incident and the video of his comments was released by his supporters on social media.

The cancellation of Macron's visit comes after the French prime minister, Edouard Philippe, cancelled his own visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, citing domestic policy matters.

But some Israeli officials argued there was a different reason, claiming the French premier decided not to come to Israel because of the deadly protests on the Gaza border, and the way the trip might be perceived by the French public. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's bad health also played a factor.

President Reuven Rivlin also cancelled his trip to France this year, but it is expected to be rescheduled for next year.

The only one not to cancel his visit was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who traveled to Paris in June to meet with Macron.

The governments of Israel and France have decided to mark 70 years to the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations with 120 events in different fields: innovation, modern art, cinema, dance, design, literature, music, theater and science. The events were to take place across the country over six months. The Israeli government even allocated NIS 6 million to the initiative.
BEIRUT - The United States will not be able to prevent Iran from exporting oil, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was cited as saying by an Iranian newspaper on Wednesday.

US officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero as a means of pressuring Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programs and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

"If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences," Zarif said. "They can't think that Iran won't export oil and others will export."

Zarif did not specify what consequences the US could face.
Three Palestinians were caught attempting to rob the ancient Sebastia archeological site in the Samaria region of the West Bank last month.

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The three were caught in the act on July 18 at 1am by an Israeli Civil Administration archeology inspector and the IDF's Shavei Shomron company.

They were spotted damaging the site, also known as biblical Samaria, and in possession of a metal detector and excavation equipment.

File photo: Vandalism in the archaeological site of Sebastia, Samaria (Photo: Assaf Kamar)

The suspects were arrested and interrogated, and were later charged and convicted of damaging antiques and excavating an archeological site without a licence.

The three were sentenced to 36 days in prison and received a nine months suspended sentence and a NIS 4,000 fine each.

Benjamin Har-Even, of the Archaeology Unit at the Civil Administration, said that law enforcement authorities will continue to use all the tools at their disposal in order to stop and prosecute criminals who damage important pieces of history, like the Sebastia site.

The Sebastia archeological site is located near by a Palastinian village of the same name, in the Nablus area. Remains from site of display a First Temple and Hellenistic Period city and Roman through Byzantine settlements. Archeologists and historians are still studying the different peoples that lived in the region.

File photo: Sebastia National Park (Photo: Moti Shefi)

The large Sebastia archeological site represents the ancient capital of the kingdom of Israel, and according to the Book of Kings was established in 880 BCE by Israeli king Omri. Many well known biblical stories took place in this famous site, including stories about the Ahab palace, the four lepers at the city gates and the Amos prophecy about the destruction of Samaria.

The Sebastia site is divided between areas C and B: the site itself is in area C and under Israeli control, while the parking lot and road leading to the site are in area B.

The Palestinian village of Sebastia enjoys Christian pilgrim tourism, and buses packed with tourists and tour guides visit there freely. Israeli and Jewish visitors are required to be escorted closely and guarded by IDF forces.

The Sebastia remains are an important Jewish Heritage site. This is a second archeology-related criminal incident in the Samaria region, following a 2016 vandalism act of a 2,000-year-old Herodian marble pillar in the Sebastia National Park, and an earlier vandalism case just three months prior to that.

Past vandalism included graffiti writings against Christianity and Judaism, the vandalism of Christinan tombstones, antiquities' robbery, damaging seats in the Roman amphitheater and lining the biblical Ahab palace with cement and raising the Palestinian flag over it.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Wednesday he believes a broad, long-term ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza will not be reached, but allowed that "there may be secret channels that even the ministers aren't aware of yet, and when a proposal arrives, we'll discuss it."

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In an interview with Ynet, Erdan stressed that any agreement in Gaza "must include complete quiet," adding, "We will obviously not compromise on the continuation of incendiary balloons or kites, and of course (such an agreement) would have to include an end to the terror marches on Fridays."

"Our instructions and our policy is that there must be a strong and significant response to any violation of our sovereignty and any terror act that takes place in the strip against Israeli citizens," he explained.

Minister Gilad Erdan (Photo: Avi Mualem)

"The fact that at the time we're also examining the possibility of reaching a peaceful resolution and quiet that would help the security of Gaza border residentsis a legitimate thing. It doesn't mean we'll agree to the long-term rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip without receiving a solution to the issue of our soldiers and citizens (being held by Hamas) and to preventing Hamas from gaining in strength," Erdan stressed.

After the High Court of Justice decided Tuesday to only give the government a three-month extension to pass a new IDF draft lawwith the existing one set to expire at the end of that extensionErdan said early elections were probably inevitable.

"It's less in our hands now," he admitted. "The chances of reaching a national unity government depends more on those who make ultimatums than on us. The Likud never boycotted and never said 'no' to partnership with Zionist parties willing to sit with us in the coalition."

If the coalition can't reach a majority to pass the proposed legislation, which was drafted by the defense establishment, "it definitely increases the chances of the elections being brought forward to February or March," he said.

At the same time, he insisted the existing version of the bill should not be changed. "The moment we agreed to support the model presented by the defense establishment, we cannot make any compromises. It's a balanced model that both allows those worthy to continue Torah studies, but at the same time insists on (enlistment) tracks and incentives," he said.

Despite that, he noted a solution will eventually be found. "I suppose we'll find the necessary balance in the coming years. Our partnership with the religious and Haredi public is super important. We'll do everything to preserve it," Erdan said.

He accused European nations of aiding Iranians in their human rights violations and terror funding by not joining the US in withdrawing from the nuclear agreement and reimposing sanctions on the Islamic Republic. "It emphasizes the European Union's moral bankruptcy."

The renewed sanctions "very much increase the chances the regime in Iran collapses and is changed."
Protesters in the Knesset's guest gallery caused a commotion Wednesday when they held up copies of the Declaration of Independence during a discussion on the Nationality Law, which Speaker Yuli Edelstein dubbed "a disgrace."

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Edelstein demanded all the protesters from Women Wage Peace to be removed from the plenum.

While the Knesset is currently on its summer hiatus, it convened for the special discussion initiated by the opposition, which had to get 25 MKs' signatures to hold the meeting.

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Only five members of the coaliton showed up for the discussion, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notably absent.

Newly-appointed opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni, who opened the discussion, apologized to members of the Druze community "not just for the problematic and discriminatory law, but for the fact that he (Netanyahu) didn't bother showing up here for the discussion, to talk, to stand here and give the answers he owes not just you, the Druze community, but to the entire State of Israel," Livni said.

"The real question is who is for and who is against the Declaration of Independence, and why is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the Declaration of Independence? The government is tearing up the Declaration of Independence and with it, the entire nation," Livni asserted.

MK Tzipi Livni (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

To the coalition, she said in contempt, "The rules of the game have changed. If you think you could keep calling us traitors and win the elections that waythis has ended."

MK Ahmad Tibi lamented the fact that "citizens who have everything are raised above other groups, a collective with a high status, and below that is everyone who isn't Jewish and has no rights."

"There is only one mention of Arabs in this law, and it's negativecanceling the status of the Arabic language," he vented.

He slammed Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu Party, saying the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, had agreed to change the article about the Arabic language, but it was Kulanu that objected.

"Roy Folkman jumped up like a snake and told me, 'I don't steal votes, there's a commitment by the coalition,'" Tibi said.

"Citizenship has never been conditioned on military service or on one budget or another. Not on death nor sacrifice. A citizen is a citizen, it's a treaty between the state and its citizens," he added.

Yesh Atid leader MK Yair Lapid wondered, "Mr. Prime Minister, what happened to your values? You're eroding one value after another. We stood in front of our Druze friends and saw how you erode the value of friendship, and now with the IDF draft lawthe value of shared responsibility."

"This Nationality Law is a big missed opportunity; we could've gone together with a law written by Benny Begin from the Likud Party. You want us to be divided," Lapid charged.

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Speaking on behalf of the government, Minister Ze'ev Elkin criticized Livni and Lapid who "are not in the plenum right now. Are they incapable of sitting here for two hours? You invited the government."

His comments were met with shouting from the opposition, with MKs wondering "Where's Bibi?" using the prime minister's nickname.

"I think this is a disgrace of the Knesset, it's not serious to make grand statements and then not survive two hours of a discussion," Elkin responded.

He asserted that "Livni does owe a big apology (to the Druze community), because if you check where the (Nationality) law was born, you'd find it came to be in 2011 from the party MK Livni was heading. I'm holding the first draft of the Nationality Law, which was submitted in 2011. You know who co-signed the proposal along with (MK Avi) Dichter and me? 20 MKs from the Kadima party."

Earlier this week, the special committee formed to find a resolution to the crisis with the Druze community over the Nationality Law convened for the first time, with only five of the 13 ministers assigned to the committee showing up.

"We continue to ask and demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enshrine the status of the Druze community in law, so we can have full equal rights and equal citizenship, in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence," a representative of the Druze community said.

"At the same time, we will continue studying the principles of the proposed outline to achieve civil equality to the Druze community."

On Saturday night, more than 90,000 members of the Druze community and their supporters gathered at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to hold a rally against the Nationality Law.
A UN aid agency is calling on Israel to let emergency fuel into the Gaza Strip to avert the shutdown of hospitals and sanitation facilities.

Jamie McGoldrick, from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on Wednesday called Israel's restriction of fuel imports "a dangerous practice, with grave consequences on the rights of people in Gaza."

Israel halted the supply of petroleum and natural gas to Gaza last week in response to incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza into southern Israel. Israel temporarily suspended fuel shipments to Gaza in July for similar reasons.
Joint List MK Wael Younis submitted his letter of resignation from the Knesset on Wednesday to Speaker Yuli Edelstein, who refused to sign it because it was in Arabic.

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MK Younis resigned from the Knesset as part of a rotation agreement inside his party, which combines members from several Arab partiesHadash, Islamic Movement, Balad and UAL-Taal.

MK Wael Younis (Photo: TPS)

However, unless the Knesset speaker accepts the resignation and signs the letter, Younis cannot resign.

"I cannot sign a letter if I don't understand its content," Edelstein. "It is only appropriate that in Israel's parliament, the resignation letter will also be submitted in Hebrew."

Younis' letter of resignation

The incident comes some three weeks after the passage of the controversial Nationality law, according to which Hebrew is the state's official language, while Arabic only has a special status.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated Emmerson Mnangagwa on his election as Zimbabwean president.





In a congratulatory message dated Sunday, Xi expressed his wishes that the Zimbabwean government and people would make more achievements in national development under Mnangagwa's leadership.





Xi said he expects to meet Mnangagwa again and exchange ideas on China-Zimbabwe ties when the African president attends the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in September.





Xi said he hopes the meeting with Mnangagwa in Beijing could push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries and bring more benefits to the two nations and peoples.





In April, Mnangagwa, then incumbent Zimbabwean president, paid a five-day state visit to China, during which he met with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.





According to Zimbabwean Electoral Commission, Mnangagwa won the presidential election on July 30 after gaining 50.8 percent of the vote.
The delegation of high ranking Hamas officials left the Gaza Strip on Wednesday for meetings with Egyptian intelligence authorities in Cairo to discuss the a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Dozens of religious soldiers in the IDF looked away while a female parachute instructor demonstrated an exercise.

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The instructor, Noa, is the daughter of the head of the IDF's Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, and journalist Shira Margalit.

Maj. Gen. Haliva with his daughter Noa (Credit: Yedioth Ahronoth)

According to Margalit, while her daughter was demonstrating how to perform an exercise, some 50 of the 70 soldiers she was instructing turned their backs to her because she is a woman . "This wasn't a group of Haredim," Margalit stressed. "This is the abysmal reality."

The IDF Spokesman's Office said that "During a training lesson at the Paratroopers Brigade's parachuting course, a female instructor demonstrated an exercise to the soldiers from a platoon consisting of Hesder Yeshiva students. Some 30 soldiers who did not wish to view the demonstration by a female soldier turned their heads.

In light of the incident, their commander gathered the platoon for a talk during which he explained to them that according to IDF code of behavior there may not be separation between male and female instructors during the parachute course and that any cadet who is caught behaving disrespectfully towards a female instructor will be removed from the course.

The IDF is the national peoples army and unity of the ranks is emphasized in all types of activities, regardless of religion, race or gender. The IDF sees importance in realizing its mission, while emphasizing an egalitarian and national view, the statement said.

Illustration (Credit: Tzalamim BaKlik)

The Association of Hesder Yeshivot responded to the paratroopers incident calling it fake news, and saying that contrary to what has been reported, the soldiers officers were the ones responsible, as they had directly ordered the soldiers to stand with their backs to the female instructor. The association also protested the defamation against religiously observant soldiers, especially those serving in the Hesder track.

Earlier, Ynet reported that the mixed gender Panther Battalion received an order to leave a swimming pool so as not to offend religious soldiers during a military retreat at a resort in Ashkelon.

After a series of incidents that some viewed as involving bias towards female enlistees, the IDFs Head of Personnel Division Maj. Gen Moti Almoz send a letter to all IDF commanders cautioning against the phenomenon.

Almoz wrote: Considering certain reports regarding commanders choosing to be overly stringent regarding the dress code, for example forbidding female recruits from wearing white shirts or banning swimsuits in the pool area, these stringencies are contrary to IDF orders and policy; they unnecessarily harm wide sectors of those serving and are incompatible with the responsibility conferred upon IDF commanders.

No commander is permitted to unilaterally decide to be more stringent regarding IDF orders, Almoz clarified. Orders regarding dress code and co-ed service are binding and must be adhered to. The IDFs commanders are first-rate and are expected to find the golden path that will allow for a respectful service for all the soldiers under their command. 

The letter was issued in response to a series of complaints from female soldiers, serving in various capacities in the IDF, compiled by the Secular forum and the Israel Womens Lobby.

The soldiers complained of instances where they felt discriminated against by the army, especially vis-a-vis religious soldiers and their sensitivities. Many of the complaints are a result of the implementation of the Joint Service Order issued by Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot which has been the target of both religious and secular criticism.
Palestinians in Gaza are reporting heavy bombardments by the Air Force in the northern Gaza Strip, primarily in the Jabalia and Rafah regions, in response to militants firing dozens of rockets at southern Israel Wednesday evening resulting in a number of injuries in Sderot. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene Security Cabinet Wednesday night.

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The IDF reported that they struck 12 terror targets including a tunnel near the sea. Code Red sirens blared throughout the Gaza region. The Iron Dome was activated in response to the launchings and intercepted at least two rockets. Most of the rockets landed in open fields according to the IDF.

IAF striking Gaza (:  ")

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Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon reported that MDA medics brought in eight people with light injuries and one man, 54, who sustained moderate injuries and is being operated on.

MDA reported that 17 people were injured, many of them were treated for shock as well as three pregnant women who began having labor contractions due to to the stress.





IAF bombs Gaza (Photo: AFP)

Hamas released a statement saying: We are delivering on our promise. The resistance accepted the responsibility to even the playing field with the enemy and it is succeeding in doing so.

Rocket interception over Sderot (:  )

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Man injured by rocket in Sderot

(Credit: Ichud Hatzalah)

Rocket landing, Sderot

Earlier, terrorists from northern Gaza opened fire at civil engineering equipment near the border Wednesday evening causing some damage; nobody was hurt. The equipment is part of the anti-tunnel barrier project being constructed along the border. In response, an IDF tank shelled a Hamas position in the strip.

Iron Dome (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Earlier in the day, the IDF raised the level of alert on the Gaza border after seeing Hamas evacuate its position along the frontier.

"Following Hamas statements and the fact the terror organization Hamas is evacuating its positions, the Southern Command has decided to raise the level of alert and close several roads in the Gaza border are. Beyond that, there are no special instructions for residents," the IDF Spokesman's Office said.

"The IDF is working to ensure the safety of the residents of the area and will not allow harm to come to civilians or IDF soldiers. The army is prepared for a variety of scenarios."

Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy Hamas chief in Gaza, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the UN- and Egyptian-mediated talks on a deal to tamp down tensions between Israel and the Gaza Strip are in "advanced stages."

Damage to engineering equipment (Photo: IDF Spokesmans unit)

"We can say that actions led by the United Nations and Egypt are in advanced stages and we hope it could yield some good from them," he said. "What is required is for calm to be restored along the border between us and the Zionist enemy (Israel)."

Two Hamas snipers who opened fire at IDF troops from an observation post near Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip were killed from Israeli retaliatory tank fire on Tuesday.

File photo

The 9th Battalion of the 401st Brigade shelled the manned Hamas position with a Merkava Mark IV tank mere minutes after the troops came under fire. Unlike previous incidents, the IDF returned fired immediately, without waiting for Hamas personnel to evacuate the position.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades identified the killed fighters as Ahmed Mourjan and Abdel Hafez al-Silawi, both 23 years old. In a statement, the Qassam Brigades said it "mourns the two Mujahedeen" and that they had been "martyred in a Zionist bombardment." In a statement, the Qassam Brigades said it "mourns the two Mujahedeen" and that they had been "martyred in a Zionist bombardment." Hamas vowed to avenge its fighters, blaming Israel for the incident. Hamas vowed to avenge its fighters, blaming Israel for the incident. "We view Israel's attack of the al-Qassam Brigades' outpost, which caused the death of two fighters, very gravely," Hamas said in a statement. "The resistance will not accept a policy of attacking its positions and fighters without Israel paying the price." Hamas later issued another statement saying the IDF shelling happened during a military exercise showcasing the fighting capabilities of Hamas naval commando unit. The statement also added that several Hamas leaders were present during the event. A delegation of high-ranking Hamas political leaders, led by the terror group's deputy chairman Saleh al-Arouri, left Gaza on Wednesday after spending the last few days in the strip for talks about a proposed ceasefire agreement with Israel under the auspices of the UN and Egyptian intelligence. A senior member of Hamas expressed optimism Tuesday evening regarding the agreement, saying he expects negotiations to be completed by the end of August. In an interview with Turkish media, the anonymous Hamas official said the agreement is set to cover the following issues: the opening of the Rafah Crossing permanently and the easing of conditions at the Kerem Shalom Crossing; a five year ceasefire between Israel and Hamas; returning the bodies of IDF soldiers and the living Israelis held by Hamas; a complete end to the launching of incendiary kites and balloons into Israel.
ROME - Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday his country is willing to consider a "more rigorous" stance toward Iran, adding that he recently asked US President Donald Trump to share intelligence about Iran's alleged nuclear program that has triggered fresh US sanctions.

Conte told reporters at a news conference in Rome that Italy would hope to coordinate any initiatives with European Union partners in the aftermath of re-imposed US sanctions against Iran.

Referring to US intelligence on Iran's nuclear situation, Conte said, "I asked President Trump to share elements of concern." The two leaders met at the White house last week.

Pressed to be more specific, Conte replied that in his meeting with Trump: "I didn't take a specific stand. I said we are willing to evaluate the necessity to take more rigorous stances if the (nuclear) accord is shown to be ineffective."
Hamas leadership released a concluding statement after a series of discussions regarding reaching a long term cease fire agreement with Israel. They state that they are open to such an agreement, brokered by the UN, Egypt and others, and that Hamas is inclined to release Israeli captives being held in Gaza, but only in return for prisoners being held in Israel.
Gaza terrorists fired shots at civil engineering equipment on the Gaza border. The equipment is part of the project to create an underground anti-tunnel barrier. No injuries were reported.
ANKARA - Turkey will continue to buy natural gas from Iran in line with its long-term supply contract, Turkey's energy minister said on Wednesday, a day after US President Donald Trump threatened that anyone trading with Iran will not do business with America.

NATO member Turkey is dependent on imports for almost all of its energy needs and Iran is a key supplier of Ankara's natural gas and oil purchases. While the Turkish refiner Tupras has already cut back on oil shipments from Tehran, a complete halt of energy imports would be near impossible.

Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told A Haber broadcaster that he expected Ankara's talks with Washington on the issue to yield a positive outcome.

"A delegation of ours is in the United States right now and negotiations are being held on a series of matters including the sanctions issue," Donmez told broadcaster A Haber. "I think a good outcome will emerge from this dialogue."
GAZA/JERUSALEM - UN and Egyptian-mediated talks on a deal to tamp down tensions between Israel and the Gaza Strip are in "advanced stages", a senior member of the Palestinian enclave's dominant Islamist Hamas group said on Wednesday.

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The remarks were echoed by a top Israeli lawmaker, suggesting a possible breakthrough after four months of confrontations and clashes that stirred mutual threats of war.





Hamas leadership (Photo: EPA)

Israel wants to recover the bodies of two soldiers killed in the Gaza war, and two of its civilians who wandered into the enclave, in exchange for any far-ranging truce deal with Hamas.

Goldin, Shaul families demand return of their sons (Photo: Alex Gomberg)

For its part, Hamas demands that Israel free Palestinian security prisoners - a proposal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners balk at.

"We want to free our brave prisoners and we have no objection to beginning now," Hayya said. "Let it be a prisoner swap deal, (Palestinian) prisoners in return for Zionist soldiers."

Gazans launched weekly, sometimes violent, border protests against Israel on March 30, their anger exacerbated by a grinding Israeli-Egyptian blockade and funding cuts by Hamas's rival, the Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas leadership

The Israeli army has killed at least 158 Palestinians, while a Gaza sniper killed an Israeli soldier, and Israel has lost tracts of forest and farmland to fires set by incendiary kites and helium balloons flown over the frontier. There have also been several, mostly bloodless shelling exchanges.

Neither Hamas nor Israel, which last fought a war in 2014, appears keen on another full-blown conflict. But public demands by either side for a detainee release by the other appear to have been a stumbling block in securing a long-term truce.

"We can say that actions led by the United Nations and Egypt are in advanced stages and we hope it could yield some good from them," Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy Hamas chief in Gaza, told Al Jazeera television.

"What is required is for calm to be restored along the border between us and the Zionist enemy (Israel)."

Defense officials (Credit: Ariel Hermoni)

Israel has played down prospects for a comprehensive ceasefire, speaking in terms of a more limited quid-pro-quo.

In return for calm in Gaza, Israeli officials said on Sunday they would reopen a commercial border terminal that had been shuttered in response to the fire damage, and expand a Palestinian fishing zone.

Avi Dichter, the committee of the Israeli parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, struck a cautiously upbeat note on Wednesday. "I very much hope that we are on the brink of a new day on the matter of Gaza," he told reporters.

Neither the United Nations nor Egypt have publicly detailed their proposals for Gaza, beyond saying they should bring extensive economic relief for its 2 million Palestinians, many of them plagued by unemployment and failing public utilities.

Hayya said foreign donors were collecting "hundreds of millions of dollars" for electricity, water, health and job-creation projects in Gaza, but that these "require stability".

Prime Minister Netanyahu called off a trip to Colombia this week to attend to the Gaza truce talks, and was due to convene his decision-making security cabinet on Thursday to discuss the negotiations.
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Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday was charged with three offenses related to money-laundering and anti-terrorism financing, in addition to several counts of criminal breach of trust and corruption charges that were served in early July.

The 65-year-old former leader appeared at the Kuala Lumpur Courts complex at around 9 a.m. local time for a pre-trial case-management hearing.

After the prosecution team read the new charges in court, he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Malaysia's anti-corruption commission said earlier all the charges are related to a 42-million-ringgit (10.3 million U.S. dollars) deposit into Najib's personal bank account by SRC International, a former unit of state fund 1MDB.

At the court, the prosecution stated that the 42 million ringgit, transferred in three tranches into Najib's bank account, were obtained from illegal activities.

Each of the three money-laundering charges carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to five times of the ill-gotten wealth.

The multiple charges filed against him in July were also connected to SRC International.

The judge postponed his decision on the trial date to Friday and said he will also settle the gag order, which was issued earlier to prevent the public from commenting on the merits of the case in a biased manner.

1MDB was set up by Najib in 2009 to spur Malaysia's economic development. But report emerged later that billions of U.S. dollars were misappropriated. Najib has been under investigation related to 1MDB since losing the general elections in May but has denied any wrongdoing.

After the election, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has stepped up his efforts to probe the case. On Tuesday, a 250-million-U.S. dollar super yacht arrived at Malaysia after the Indonesian authorities impounded it on the basis that it was purchased with stolen money from 1MDB.
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Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 433,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 98,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,233 megawatts (MW), including 59 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,048,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 572,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 67,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 270,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 31,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 91,000 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 49,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada.

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HIV/AIDS is a worldwide problem. It is probably the most known disease on the planet. Professionals have analysed the costs the disease holds for countries and it far extends outside just economics.

As such, it is intriguing to see how some people have been known to have deliberately given HIV to people.

YEN.com.gh brings you a list of the most famous cases involving intentional HIV transmission.

1. Nadja Bennaisa

A member of a German all-female music group, Bennaisa was charged with causing serious bodily harm in 2006. She infected one man with HIV although she had relationships with two others after she knew she had gotten HIV.

READ ALSO: The 4 richest kings in Ghana

Bennaisa was sentenced to 300 hours of community service. Photo credit: Thought Catalog

2. Johnson Aziga

Aziga was a Ugandan man living in Canada.who found out he was HIV positive in 1996. He then proceeded to have unprotected sex with 11 women while not informing them of his status.

Seven of the women tested positive for HIV and two of those women died from related illnesses. Johnson became the first person in history to have been convicted of murder from infecting people with HIV.

3. David Mangum

Mangum was arrested by Missouri Police. Photo credit: Thought Catalog

36 year-old Missourian David Mangum became aware of his HIV status in 2003. Until 2013, Mangum was having sex with people without telling them he was HIV positive.

When he was arrested and asked why he hesitated telling his partners he had the disease, he said he feared rejection. Mangum estimates that he had been about 300 people in that period.

4. Sarah Jane Porter

British hair-salon receptionist Sarah Jane Porter allegedly was infected with HIV by a black lover. She then embarked on a five-year revenge mission to infect as many black men as possible with HIV.

A DJ and promoter that she infected described her as pure evil and said her cruelty and dishonesty made me feel so worthless.

READ ALSO: Larkour asks male fans to stop sending her dirty photos

5. David Dean Smith

David Dean Smith. Photo credit: nydailynews.com

Smith turned himself in to police after saying he felt guilty that he had slept with so many people without telling them he was HIV-positive.

The the 51 year-old man was remorseful but said when he found out he had the disease he wanted thousands of people to die with him.

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Everyone Discusses It Now?

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Source: Yen.com.gh
- Martin Amidu has reported the MP for Bawku Central to the Economic and Organised Crime Office for attempting to obstruct investigations against him

- According to Mr Amidu, Mahama Ayariga is sending friends, former colleagues, chiefs, men of God to dissuade him

The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has accused the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central constituency, Mahama Ayariga, of using influential people in society to persuade him to drop his investigations on him (Ayariga).

Mr. Amidu said Mahama Ayariga had resorted to using personal friends, former colleagues, chiefs, pastors among others, to beg him [Amidu] to drop the investigations against him.

These accusations were contained in a statement by the Special Prosecutor, excerpts which were sighted by Accra-based Citi FM.

Mahama Ayariga, Bawku Central MP. Source: Supplied

READ ALSO: 5 key reasons why Akufo-Addo sacked Boakye Agyarko

Mr. Amidu said he is investigating Ayariga on suspicion of commission of corruption and abusing his office by importing three Toyota Land Cruiser V8s into the country, which has led to the MP using all manner of means in an attempt to block the investigations.

He said he has even reported Ayarigas actions to the Economic and Organized Crime Organization (EOCO), but the lawmaker failed to honour their call when invited over the issue.

The suspect refused to report to the offices of EOCO in Accra as demanded by a publication at page 26 of the Daily Graphic of 20th June, 2018 with vehicle numbers GR 2220-18, GR 2221-18, GR2222-18, GT 2243(sic)-17 and GT 4054-13, consequently, it fell on me to write to the Speaker of Parliament with a copy to Honurable Mahama Ayariga (the suspect) in my letter dated 26th June 2018 to release the suspect to report to the EOCO on 3rd July, 2018, the former Attorney General said in his statement.

When the suspect, Honourable Mahama Ayariga received his copy of my letter to the Speaker, he immediately started to get people who he perceived could put pressure on me (such as personal friends, former colleagues, chiefs, men of God etc.) to abate the investigation being conducted in the performance of my functions under Acts 959 and Act 804.

Mr. Amidu added: I asked the EOCO on a number of occasions to warn the suspect to desist from his conduct of obstructing the investigation by soliciting others to put pressure on me to abate same to no avail.I have accordingly, on 3rd August 2018, requested the EOCO to investigate my complaint against the suspect for obstructing me, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of the functions of my office as the Special Prosecutor.

READ ALSO: Gabby speaks on his involvement in controversial Ameri renegotiation

Mr. Amidu also reaffirmed that he will not entertain any interference or obstruction from anybody or organ of Government other than the courts of law in the performance of the independent functions of my office.

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Everyone Discusses It Now?

READ ALSO: The 4 richest kings in Ghana

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page.

Source: Yen
- The Bank of Ghana has indicated that it would soon go after Menzgold to close it down

- This has generated a heated controversy between Menzgold, BoG and members of the public

- Sarkodies wife, Tracy Sarkcess, has said BoG should focus on the banks and leave Menzgold alone

YEN.com.gh earlier reported the story of Zylofon Boss, Nana Appiah Mensah, calling the bluff of BoG.

Nana Appiah had termed a move by the BoG to close down one of his companies, Menzgold, a joke.

This follows the Bank of Ghanas declaration that it would soon go after Menzgold soon.

READ ALSO: Nana Ama McBrown, Nana Aba Anamoah, Dumelo, and 8 other celebrities who are most loved by Ghanaians

According to reports, the gold trading company is being faulted by the BoG for engaging in banking activities which include deposit-taking activity.

This was contained in a notice issued and signed by the secretary of the Central bank, Mrs Caroline Otoo.

Despite the several cautions to Menzgold Ghana to desist from solicitation, receipt of money and the payment of dividends to its clients, the company persists in its deposit-taking activity, the notice read.

READ ALSO: You are not my regulator  Nana Appiah Mensah slams BoGs move to close Menzgold

But the Zylofon Boss has gone wild over the notice and issued a warning to the Bank of Ghana.

According to him, his company does not operate under the BoGs law and it is also not regulated by it.

This has generated a heated debate among some Ghanaians on social media, and Tracy Sarkcess, Sarkodies wife has not been left out.

In a post sighted on Instagram by YEN.com.gh, Tracy is asking the Bank of Ghana to leave Menzgold alone and rather focus on the banks.

She went further to explain that the BoG should know the difference between those squandering money and those helping others to make money.

READ ALSO: Moesha kills her fans again with another wild photo

Tracy Sarkcess said that the Bank of Ghana should rather focus on the banks squandering peoples money and leave Menzgold alone.

She defended Menzgold by writing: Menzgold doesnt take deposit. They buy gold with the money you give them and work with that gold to give you a return on your investment. Which the last time i checked was around 10%. BOG should rather concentrate on the banks that are misappropriating peoples money rather than the ones actually making money for its people. .

Tracy later issued a disclaimer saying she is not an ambassador of Menzgold.

tracysarkcess: @naaobieley.ruby exactly! Menzgold doesnt even touch the money you bring in. Its only the gold you bring in. The misconception comes from the fact that the offer is just too good to be true which automatically breeds suspicion. Anyway...disclaimer: please Im not a Menzgold ambassador.

Tracy Sarkcess was recently in the news following her wedding with Sarkodie after reportedly dating for thirteen years.

READ ALSO: Zylofon Boss' wife Quinrozy dazzles in gown designed with precious stones

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Everyone Discusses It Now? | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Kuami Eugene flaunts his 'first lady' on social media and some fans are jealous

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Saudi Arabia has halted all medical treatment programs in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of Saudi patients to medical facilities outside the country, Saudi press agency reported on Wednesday.

The agency cited Dr. Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, Saudi Health Attache in the United States and Canada.

The move came amid an intensifying spat over human rights between the two countries, after Saudi Arabia expelled on Monday Canada's ambassador in Riyadh, recalled its own ambassador from Ottawa and froze "all new business" with Canada.

The Middle East country had also decided to suspend all training and scholarship programs in Canada by the end of the Islamic calendar year in September, the Cultural Bureau of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education announced on Monday.

The abrupt diplomatic row broke out as Ottawa urged Riyadh to release civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by Canada's Foreign Office.












- Owusu Bempah says he turned down a 1 million dollar offer from the NDC

- The prophet says his spirituality will never be bought or commercialized

- The Christian Council has warned Owusu Bempah against his vile prophecies

The founder of the Glorious Word Power Ministry, Rev. Owusu Bempah, has revealed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) offered to grant him 1 million dollars for spiritual guidance in the lead up to the 2016 elections.

Owusu Bempah, who predicted the victory of Nana Addo during the campaign season, says his rejection of the 1 million dollars together with a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 was basically based on moral grounds.

"Even the NDC offered to give me a V8. They wanted spiritual guidance but I rejected the offer although I also prayed for them," Owusu Bempah revealed in an interview with Okay FM in Accra.

READ ALSO: Police chase alleged Prampram cemetery ritual organisers

Owusu Bempah was the focal point of prophecies during and after the 2016 elections, due to his prophecies on how Nana Addo will win the 2016 elections.

Meanwhile, the Christian Council of Ghana says the prophecies of doom by the founder of the Glorious Word Power Ministry, Rev. Owusu Bempah, are troubling.

Chairman of the council, Rt. Rev. Senyo Agidi bemoaned the manner in which Owusu Bempah has found love in creating fear and panic through his prophecies.

Following recent prophecies on the death of Ebony Reigns and the late former vice president, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, the Christian Council has argued that Owusu Bempah should have prayed to avert these prophecies.

Bishop Owusu Bempah is one person people do not agree with even in the society. He is able to prophesy deaths but does not pray to cancel them. Pastors are expected to help people and not to create fear. It is not my duty to chase and arrest Obinim after all the law says we have the right to Worship and if the law enforcers think people are not doing the right things, they must act. Prophet One (1) is one who does things we do not agree with as well, he said on Starr FM.

Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah is known by Ghanaians for his controversial statements and dramatic prophecies.

During a New Year's Eve service his church, the founder of Glorious Word Ministry stated that if Ghanaians don't endeavor to pray, one of Ghana's first ladies will be buried in 2018.

There are some people we call first ladies and these people are the wives of the first gentlemen that is the President of the Nation. If we dont pray, this year, Ghana will bury a first lady, he said.

READ ALSO: Reshuffle: Akufo-Addo to downsize ministers

Due to his many prophecies - some of which have come to pass - foretelling doom and gloom, some Ghanaians, especially clergymen, have branded him as a prophet of doom and one who lives on fear and panic.

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Everyone Discusses It Now?

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Source: Yen.com.gh
YEN.com.gh has sighted a post by Africas Highest rapper Sarkodie which indicates that he might be battling with a recent betrayal.

In the post, Sarkodie complained about how some people are never willing to help others and also they always want to lord and feel superior to others.

He also noted that humans beings were not promised the next second, and therefore had to be humbled by that fact alone.

READ ALSO: A TV3 staff demanded my tonga to help me in the competition  Sika of GMB 2015

Sarkodie twitted: Its kinda scary that we have no idea what could happen in the next second... And just that should be able to humble us ... The so called not my level type person might b the one to save your life.

YEN.com.gh cannot independently confirm if a close friend or family has betrayed the You go kill me hitmaker, but his post shows that he might not be a happy man as at the time he made it.

Sarkodie was massively in the news recently because of his star-studded wedding.

After his customary wedding with on July 17, 2018, Sarkodie hesitated in releasing the photos from the wedding for his own personal reasons.

READ ALSO: Ahuofe Patri gives off wild twerk in latest video

However, the media was awashed with blurred pictures leaked by some individuals suspected to be at the wedding.

Sarkodie and Tracy had their white wedding on July 21, 2018, and just the next day after, they released beautiful photos which went viral.

READ ALSO: Photo of Zylofon Boss' wife dressed in 'stones' proves she is hot in fashion

One thing that was beautiful at their wedding was with wedding cake which miraculously appeared from the ceiling and hanged half-way to the ground.

Mrs. Tracy Owusu-Addo herself was excited about the hanging wedding that she termed it Africas first descending from the ceiling wedding cake.

Tracy and Sarkodie have reportedly dated for thirteen years before their much-talked about wedding.

They have an adorable daughter whom they affectionately call Titi.

READ ALSO: Tracy Sarkcess fires BoG over Menzgold

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Everyone Discusses It Now? | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Moesha kills her fans again with another wild photo

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Dancehall King Shatta Wale has accepted a request by the popular music producer, Hammer of Last 2 fame, to allow him sell copies of his upcoming 'The Reign' album.

Shatta Wale is expected to launch his latest album, the first under Zylofon Music, on October 13.

Speaking in an interview on TV Africa, Hammer had requested that Shatta Wale give him the opportunity to sell copies of the album.

According to Hammer, he could sell the copies if given the go ahead, adding that he had the equipment to sell over one million copies.

READ ALSO: So you were waiting to be wedded so you start talking like Shatta Michy? - Lady blasts Tracy Sarkcess over Menzgold-Bank of Ghana saga

A1 has a machine which is 2000 strong and we run Accra. Im throwing a challenge to Shatta Wale that I want to sell one million copies of the Reign Album. I really like Shatta, he is my idol, Hammer who is the Vice President of A1 Bakery told Nikki Samonas on Wenesday, August 8.

Not long after Hammer's request, Shatta Wale took to social media with a response.

Sharing a video clip of Hammer's interview on Twitter agreed to the request.

"I accept the challenge !!! #Last2 #THEREIGN," he posted.

Shatta Wale's is expected to release his 'The Reign' with a concert at the Fantasy Dome in Accra.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

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The Palestinian Authority slammed on Wednesday the Israeli decision to close down access into Ibrahimi Mosque in the south West Bank city of Hebron for 24 hours on the occasion of Jewish holidays.

Palestinian Minister of Wakfs and Islamic Affairs Yousef Ide'is said in a press statement that the Israeli decision "set the conflict to a religious one and pushes the entire region to a religious war that could unfold misery and disasters."

Ide'is called on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to uphold its responsibilities towards the protection of the Palestinian people's heritage and diverse culture.

He added that the Israeli violations against the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem have increased in frequency and danger.

The administrator of Ibrahimi Mosque said that the Israeli authorities have informed them that it will ban Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque from 10 p.m. local time for the Jewish holidays.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party said the move is "a crime against the holy sites and the Palestinian people and violates all international treaties."

Fatah party's spokesperson Osama Qawasmi called on Palestinians to head to the mosque and hold their prayers at its doors in rejection to the decision, and to declare that it is a purely Islamic site and the Jews have no right in it.

The 1,000-years-old Ibrahimi Mosque, considered by Muslims as the fourth holiest site, enshrines the tombs of Prophet Abraham, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob and their wives. It is also believed that Prophet Mohammad of Islam visited it on his night flight from Mecca to Jerusalem.

The Israelis believe the site is a shared faith site, but has for a long time imposed restrictions on the access of Palestinians into the mosque, deploying soldiers, gates and a checkpoint system surrounding the site.

Following the signing of the Oslo Accords between Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1993, a subsequent agreement about Hebron was signed in 1997 splitting it into two sections, H1 under Palestinian control and H2 under Israeli control.

This has led to a sharp decline in the Palestinian population of the old city, due to constraints and harassment by Jewish settlers and military measures against Palestinians, gradually killing the economy and tourism in a once vibrant commercial city.

In July 2018, the UNESCO declared the old city of Hebron as an endangered site with an overwhelming vote, stating it as a Palestinian site that requires protection.




 Flash

Saudi Arabia will host a conference next week to discuss political solutions to the Yemeni crisis, Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.

Organized by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the event will be held under the sponsorship of Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani.

The conference will discuss several issues, including the 2011 GCC Initiative, its executive mechanisms, the peaceful transition of power, the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference and Security Council resolution 2216, said Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Awaisheq, GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiations.

The conference will also discuss the UN efforts to end the Yemeni crisis through reaching a peaceful solution based on the agreed terms of references and steps to complete the initiative.

Last week, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths announced that after two years of stalled talks on resolving the crisis in the country, he plans to invite the warring parties to Geneva on Sept. 6 for peace consultations.




By Anshuman Daga, Kane Wu, Reuters | Aug. 07, 2018

China's HNA Group Co Ltd is in advanced talks to sell a 30 percent stake in aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd to Japan's Orix Corp, two sources said, as the company attempts to restructure and trim stakes even in its core assets.

The aviation-to-financial services conglomerate, which has racked up massive debt from acquisitions in recent years, is nearing a deal to sell the stake in Dublin-based Avolon for about US$2.2 billion, the sources, who were familiar with the matter, told Reuters.

One of the sources said the parties could announce a deal as early as Wednesday.

"HNA's liquidity problems are well documented. This is one way to ease pressure on the group," another source said.

All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. HNA, Avolon and Orix declined to comment.

HNA bought Avolon for US$2.5 billion in 2015 via Bohai Capital Holding , which HNA controls.

Avolon then agreed to acquire the aircraft-leasing arm of CIT Group for US$10.4 billion in late 2016, creating the world's No.3 aircraft lessor after General Electric's GE Capital Aviation Services and U.S.-listed AerCap .

HNA accumulated assets ranging from a stake in Deutsche Bank to high-profile overseas properties during its US$50 billion shopping spree in 2016 and 2017.

It says it has now shifted focus to its core aviation, tourism and logistics businesses as it tries to slash its debt pile, but it has also been selling down aviation-related assets.

HNA has agreed to sell US$10 billion in real estate, has sold a stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc and trimmed its Deutsche Bank stake as part of a wider reorganization.

Last month, HNA sold part of its holdings in Swiss-based airline caterer Gategroup Holding, weeks after investors including a unit of Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd bought stakes in Hainan Airlines Holding Co Ltd.

Hainan Airlines, China's fourth-largest airline, is considered HNA's crown jewel.

HNA is keen to get a full price for a stake sale in Avolon, sources said earlier this month.

Avolon has a fleet of 890 aircraft and counts 156 airlines among its clients.

The stake purchase by Orix will help its fully-owned unit Orix Aviation, which is already among the world's leading lessors, to expand its market share at a time when a flood of Chinese money has been shaping the US$280 billion-strong leasing industry as a significant new asset class.

Japanese lessors are also large players in the sector.

Bloomberg first reported news of the HNA-Orix talks.
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The Power of Family Secrets, Truth, and Forgiveness Explored in New Release

Contact: Hannah McKenzie, 360-761-8879

ENUMCLAW, Wash. Aug. 8, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- A new women's contemporary fiction release explores family secrets that lead to guilt and isolation and the beauty of new beginnings. Katherine Scott Jones in Shadow Sister (Redemption Press) writes of love and betrayal, and the power of truth.

Working on her father's vineyard allows Sarah Lanning to bury memories of a lost love and a career that might have been. But when her fractured family receives word that Jenna, her estranged sister, is dead, Sarah travels to Bolivia to scatter her ashes, accompanied by pilot Chase Maddox.

Sarah's journey to the Andes tests her devotion to home and exposes Jenna's secret life. Each staggering discovery creates new mysteries--until the last, which leaves Sarah questioning everything she understood about family loyalty. At a crossroads, she must decide whether truth is worth the cost of forgiveness--and whether she can lay claim to a future of happiness without it.

Katherine Scott Jones, a Northwest freelance writer-turned-novelist, says, "I wanted to explore how the wrong kinds of secrets can destroy relationships, especially within a family, and how truth and forgiveness can forge healing in relationships seemingly broken beyond redemption."

Paula Scott, author of The Mother Keeper, says the book is "a twisting tale of love and betrayal that ends in new beginnings. Shadow Sister does not disappoint, satisfying not only the intellect, but the soul as well. Delving deep into issues that cripple families and developing countries, Katherine Scott Jones pours God's grace into the nooks and crannies, and then wraps it up in a blanket of forgiveness that warms the reader's heart."
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Fundatia Est-Europeana anunta lansarea Programului de granturi pentru sustinerea fondurilor de antreprenoriat pentru tineri, inclusiv unul in Gagauzia
Justin Merriman/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Republican Troy Balderson is claiming victory in the Ohio special election for the 12th Congressional District, but with less than 1 percent separating the two candidates, The Associated Press has yet to project the race. With provisional ballots yet to be counted, the race will draw on into Wednesday.



Danny O'Connor, the Democrat, is not conceding the race.



With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Balderson leads 50.2 percent to 49.3 percent -- a margin of 1,754 votes.



"Over the next three months, Im going to do everything I can to keep America great," Balderson told supporters in a speech claiming the win Tuesday night, while giving thanks to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.



The president claimed victory -- giving himself credit -- along with Balderson in a late-night tweet.



Regardless of who is declared the official winner, it's likely the two will face off again in less than three months when they take the ballot in November.



Meanwhile, in a handful of primary races across the country, the two favorites in the Michigan gubernatorial race emerged victorious from Tuesday night's primaries, setting up what is sure to be one of 2018's most competitive statewide races.



Gretchen Whitmer has won the Democratic nomination and Bill Schuette has captured the Republican nomination in the Michigan governor's race, The Associated Press has projected.



In the Missouri U.S. Senate primary, the AP is projecting Josh Hawley to win the Republican nomination and Claire McCaskill the Democratic nomination.



John James is projected by the AP to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Michigan, while in the Kansas gubernatorial primary, Laura Kelly is projected to win the Democratic nomination.



In Washington state, the AP is projecting that both Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Democratic challenger Lisa Brown will advance to Novembers general election. McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Republican Conference and the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress, could face a difficult re-election contest in November.



Voters in five states headed to the polls Tuesday, and both parties are looking for signs of strength and unity in their ranks less than three months until the first major U.S. election since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.



Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington State all held primaries Tuesday, but the special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District took on particular significance because it's the last time Democrats and Republicans will face off directly until November.



Thirty-six U.S. House seats and three U.S. Senate seats are at stake in November in the four states holding primaries Tuesday, many of which will be in races key to determining control of both chambers of Congress.



Here's a look at some of the key storylines and races the ABC News Politics team will be watching on Tuesday.



Ohio special election marks last Dem-GOP faceoff until November



The basics elements of the Ohio 12th Congressional District special election should sound familiar to anyone tracking the 2018 political scene.



The district stretches from the suburbs of a major city into more conservative rural areas and was represented by a Republican for more than a decade before he left office in the past year.



Rep. Pat Tiberi's retirement in January opened the seat for Tuesday's special election, and while Tiberi cruised to reelection for much of his 17-year tenure, the district north of Columbus is suddenly primed to play a key role as Democrats aim to recapture a majority in the House of Representatives.



Much like Rep. Conor Lamb did on his path to an upset victory in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District in March, Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor has combined a moderate platform with criticism of both Democratic and Republican leadership to gain a foothold in the race. His opponent's support of President Trump is further likely to boost turnout among Democrats in the district.



That opponent, Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson hasn't shied away from Trump as have some endangered Republicans across the country in close races. And much like Lamb's adversary Rick Saccone, Balderson also welcomed Trump to town for a rally the Saturday before his election. But if Republicans hope to stop Democratic momentum three months ahead of the midterms, they'll need Trump to have provided a greater spark than he did for the Pennsylvania Republican.



No matter the winner of what is expected to be an extremely close race, the loser will have a chance to reverse their fortunes almost immediately: Balderson and O'Connor are already on the ballot for a November rematch.



Michigan governor's race a key test of Rust Belt strength for both parties



The governor's race in Michigan will be a key gauge of both parties' strength in the Rust Belt and has been a microcosm of the intra-party rifts Democrats and the GOP are grappling with this cycle.



On the Democratic side, establishment favorite Gretchen Whitmer is fending off attacks from her two opponents who are attempting to outflank her from the left by claiming the mantle of "true progressive." 33-year-old physician Abdul El-Sayed, who would be the nations first Muslim governor if elected, recently appeared on the campaign trail with progressive heroes Sen. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, making "Medicare-for-All" a rallying cry against Whitmer, who has not taken a position on the policy.



An eccentric millionaire and self-funder, Shri Thanedar, has spent heavily and courted the African-American vote in and around the city of Detroit, but has recently faced questions aboutURL



On the Republican side, state Attorney General Bill Schuette is betting on the endorsement of President Trump to push him over the top against the states Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, who has the backing of incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder. Calley has made his role in Snyders administration a key part of his campaign, while Schuette has emphasized a tough stance on illegal immigration and support for the Trump agenda. State Sen. Patrick Colbeck and physician Jim Hines may siphon enough votes to affect the outcome between Calley and Schuette, but neither is expected to come out on top.



More benchmarks of the progressive 'resistance'



As Democratic voters continue to show signs of embracing the partys left flank, a pair of progressive candidates in Tuesdays primaries are trying to follow the lead of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs New York congressional primary upset by running progressive challenges to entrenched Democratic incumbents. Tuesday's primaries will test whether or not voters in districts outside of progressive hotbeds have an appetite for progressive and even democratic socialist candidates.



In Missouris 1st Congressional District, a 41-year-old pastor and single mother, Cori Bush, is running on a platform including Medicare-for-All and abolishing ICE in a challenge against Rep. Lacy Clay. Clay has staked out a progressive line of his own, co-sponsoring a Medicare-for-All bill and opposing a Republican-drafted resolution supporting ICE. Both Bush and Clay are African-American, but Bush will look to take advantage of Democratic voters growing tendency to back female candidates in primaries.



The progressive trend is not limited to challenges to incumbents, however. In open seats in states ranging from Kansas to Michigan, candidates with the backing of the national progressive movement are attempting to make inroads by winning Democratic primaries.



A key race in the Seattle suburbs



Washingtons top-two primary system makes the primary for this seat a free-for-all. With moderate GOP Rep. Dave Reichert retiring, twelve candidates have filed to run in the open primary for this seat, which will be a likely toss-up this massive district that spans both the wealthy suburbs outside of Seattle and more conservative areas east of the Cascade Mountains.



State Sen. Dino Rossi, a favorite of the GOP establishment, is favored to make it out of the primary as a Republican. Rossi has more funds than any other candidate and has high name recognition due to his previous unsuccessful runs for governor and U.S. Senate.



The Democratic side boils down to three strong challengers: former King County prosecutor Jason Rittereiser, pediatrician Kim Schrier and former Centers for Disease Control official Shannon Hader.



Democrats are likely to avoid the scenario they had feared in the similar California primary of being locked out of the general election. Assuming a Democrat can advance to a top-two runoff, they will look to flip the seat as they try to regain control of the House.



Other key races to watch:



Kansas Governor: A laboratory for conservative policy experiments since Sam Brownback won in 2010, Kansas has a wide-open governors race now that Brownback has become President Trumps Ambassador for International Religious Freedom. Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, a surgeon and former state senator, has assumed the governorship and is vying for a full term. Countering him is Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has aligned himself very closely with Trump among his endorsements are Hannity & Donald Trump Jr.) and was dressed down in court (including being held in contempt) in a voting rights case brought by the ACLU earlier this year.



The winner of the race will face a likely three-way battle for the governorship. In addition to facing the winner of the Democratic primary, which includes a state senator and a former mayor of Wichita, plus independent Greg Orman, a businessman who topped 40 percent of the vote in an independent Senate bid against Pat Roberts in 2014.



The Republican primary battle essentially boils down to a question of how much Trump-like rhetoric plays from non-Trump candidates, even in a state as conservative as Kansas. Like Trump, Kobach runs a similarly inflammatory campaign (he accused Colyer of committing voter fraud in a straw poll) and is as pro-Trump as just about any candidate for office this cycle. Whether Kobach can beat a more mainstream conservative like Colyer will put that hypothesis to the test.



Kansas 2nd Congressional District: Rep. Lynn Jenkins announced she would be standing down after a decade in Congress, throwing open the primary field in a district President Donald Trump won by 19 points in 2016.



Seven candidates are running in the Republican primary. Among the candidates with the most funds available according to FEC disclosures are state senators Caryn Tyson and Steve Fitzgerald and engineer and Army veteran Steve Watkins.



Despite the Republican lean of the seat, former State House Minority Leader Paul Davis is running on the Democratic side and has more than twice the cash on hand in fundraising as any of his Republican challengers. Davis is running unopposed in the Democratic primary and will look to make the general election competitive in November.



Kansas 3rd Congressional District: Rep. Kevin Yoder could be vulnerable in 2018 as he will be running in a district that Hillary Clinton won two years ago.



Six Democrats are running in Tuesdays Democratic primary, where many sides of the party are being represented. Teacher Tom Niermann is running a campaign focused on education and gun violence, lawyer and former MMA fighter Sharice Davids is one of a handful of candidates nationwide looking to become the first Native American woman elected to Congress, and labor organizer Brent Welder is running a campaign backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders and rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for Welder in his district last month.



The DCCC has listed the district as a target for a pickup in November, although their chances may hinge on which candidate they select Tuesday.



Kansas 4th Congressional District: Republican Ron Estes and Democrat James Thompson matched up in a special election last year to replace Mike Pompeo, who left to become part of the Trump administration. Estes won the race by six points, a surprisingly close race for a district that Trump won by 27 points, and both are looking to run for the seat this year.



But first, will the real Ron Estes please stand up? Estes will have to face an odd hurdle in his primary as he must first defeat Ron Estes. Yes, the current congressman Ron G. Estes has a primary challenger by the name of Ron M. Estes, a registered Democrat looking to unseat Rep. Estes by taking advantage of their shared name. Rep. Estes will have an advantage, however, as he will be listed as Rep. Ron Estes.



On the Democratic side, Thompson is running against Laura Lombard but already has an eye on the general election. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for Thompson when they came to Kansas last month and pledged to help Thompson flip the seat red this year, presumably referring to the red color used by democratic socialists. The candidates could not be much further apart politically, but if either Estes or Thompson win, the seat will be some form of red next term.



Michigan U.S. Senate: Sen. Debbie Stabenow is likely the least vulnerable Democratic incumbent up in 2018 in a state Trump won in the 2016 election, but that has not stopped the President from wading into yet another race.



Trump endorsed Army veteran and businessman John James in a series of late-July tweets ahead of the Republican primary. James faces competition in the GOP primary in another wealthy businessman, Sandy Pensler, who has loaned his campaign $5 million according to FEC records.



Either James or Pensler will face an uphill battle against Stabenow, who won re-election by more than 20 points in 2012 and has more than $9.5 million cash on hand according to her campaigns most recent FEC filing.



Michigan 8th Congressional District:Democrats are targeting this relatively centrist seat held by Republican Rep. Mike Bishop. The DCCC has put the district on their Red to Blue list and already backed Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin.



Slotkin, a former National Security Council staffer under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, still has one opponent in the primary in Michigan State University professor Chris Smith, who has positioned himself to the left of Slotkin.



Bishop, a two-term incumbent, won both of his previous elections by double digits, albeit with less national money backing his opponents. The NRCC has responded by putting Bishop on its Patriots program list, which seeks to provide backing to potentially vulnerable Republican incumbents.



Michigan 11th Congressional District: This open seat consisting almost entirely of Detroit suburbs will test whether Democrats Blue Wave will crest over traditionally Republican-leaning areas. Incumbent David Trott won by 13 points in 2016 as a Republican but is not running for re-election.



Republicans have a competitive primary, with state representative Klint Kesto and former state representative Rocky Raczkowski among the top fundraisers. Both, however, trail substantially in funds to businesswoman Lena Epstein, who has lent herself over $1 million during her campaign.



Democrats have a crowded field of their own, with four candidates posting hefty fundraising hauls. Healthcare entrepreneur Suneel Gupta, brother of CNN medical reporter Sanjay Gupta, leads the field in funds, trailed next by state representative Tim Greimel.



Fayrouz Saad, who would be the nation's first Muslim congresswoman, and former Chief of Staff to the Obama's administration's bailout of the auto industry, are also running competitive campaigns to win the nomination.



The seat is one that Democrats will be focusing on for November, as the district is not only on the DCCCs list of targets but also likely to be a recipient of some of the $3.5 million that liberal billionaire Tom Steyer has pledged to help Democrats win in Michigan.



Michigan 13th Congressional District: In this heavily Democratic majority-minority district, there will be not one but two primary elections going on. Because of the resignation of longtime Democratic Rep. John Conyers amid sexual harassment allegations, there will be primaries both for a special election to fill the last two months of Conyers current term as well as the regularly scheduled general election.



A family feud led to the Congressmans son John Conyers III being disqualified from the Democratic primaries, as his cousin state senator Ian Conyers forced him off the ballot by arguing that Conyers III did not secure enough signatures to run. Conyers III responded by filing to run as an independent in the regular general election.



But theres a solid chance that neither Conyers will win election to the seat held by the family patriarch for over a half-century. Many of Detroits elected officials have backed City Council President Brenda Jones. The leading fundraiser, however, has been Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib, who has the backing of DNC vice-chair Keith Ellison and the Bernie Sanders-affiliated Justice Democrats.



Westland Mayor Bill Wild is running as another progressive candidate, potentially eyeing a path to victory by relying on support from the districts minority white population.



Missouri U.S. Senate: Sen. Claire McCaskill and Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley both technically have primary challengers, but both will be looking at Tuesdays primary more so as a test of their ability to turn out voters for what should be a very close general election in November.



McCaskill, a two-term Senator who survived her first re-election bid in part thanks to the shortcomings of her opponent Todd Akin, faces a more formidable challenge in the 38-year-old Hawley.



Hawley led the investigation into Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, who resigned in May amid a probe into the Governors alleged corruption, blackmail and sexual misconduct. As Missouris attorney general, he has also helped push a challenge to the Affordable Care Acts requirement for insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions.



McCaskill has countered by making health care coverage a key issue of her campaign. She also has portrayed herself as a hard worker, touting her 50 town-hall meetings last year, countering Hawley, who has been criticized by some Republicans for not putting enough effort into his campaign.



Washington 5th Congressional District: Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers may potentially be vulnerable in her seat as she vies for re-election.



With Speaker of the House Paul Ryan stepping aside after these elections, McMorris Rodgers is in line for a promotion and could potentially run to be the partys leader in the House.



But McMorris Rodgers will have to negotiate a crowded primary field thanks to Washingtons unconventional top-two primary system. Two other Republicans, a pro-Trump independent candidate and a Democratic challenger, former State Sen. Lisa Brown, will all participate in Tuesdays primary. The top two finishers regardless of party affiliation will move onward to the general election.



McMorris Rodgers is still heavily favored to advance and slightly favored over her Democratic opponent in the general election, but she will have a slightly more complicated road to re-election than most of her leadership colleagues.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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E3 2018: 3 Things We Learned About Mafia City



Mafia City follows the story of Lincoln Clay, a member of the Black Mob who is returning from the Vietnam war only to come back to a war zone. The Black Mob is betrayed by the Marcano Family run by Sal Marcano. Instead of laying down and letting the mafia have its way, Clay plans on rebuilding the Black Mob to be even bigger than it was before. city gangster gamesTired of oppression in the city of New Bordeaux, the new Black Mob will take down every single crime family and corrupt politician plaguing the people.

To help him, Clay has recruited three Underbosses including Vito Scaletta who fans will remember as the protagonist from the second Mafia game. Hes also trying to get back at the Marcano family who has been seizing too much territory and leaving him in the shadows. Clay and his Underbosses will stop at nothing until all organized crime in New Bordeaux belongs to them.





New Bordeaux is Mafia Citys fictional version of a 1960s New Orleans. It is more than just a backdrop though, as the developers have ensured that it is an important character in the story. It is a living component of Mafia City that embodies the beauty of the bayou and the ugliness of humanity during one of the worst times in American history. Everything you do in this city will have an effect on the story.



For more information about the mafia game, Please visit its official site : https://mafiah5.yottagames.com/?language=en_EN
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Formic Acid is the most powerful pH regulator in various chemical process and with high absorbing capability helps Formic Acid to be prominent application in leather production. It also best coagulant which useful in rubber manufacturing. Changing lifestyle of consumer has resulted in growing demand of Formic Acid in dyeing and textile industry. However, rising standard of living has increased the consumption of meat which resulted for high demand of formic acid in animal feed and silage preservative. Moreover, ban on antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feedstock is expected to drive the demand of Formic Acid over the forecasted period. North America are on the verge to ban on antibiotics in animal feed as growing public awareness towards health thereby, shifting the trend to alternate products. Europe, banned the usage of antibiotics in the year 2006. Changing climatic conditions are negatively impacting application industries such as animal feed, preservatives and leather & rubber industry. Additionally, higher toxicity levels in higher grades of Formic Acid are also expected to hamper the Global Formic Acid Market. However, product diversification and improved technology in feed additive substantially provide opportunities to players in market. BASF opened a new formic acid production plant in Geismar, Louisiana with annual capacity of 50,000 tons. Further, expansions and investments in Formic Acid development by major key players is expected to provide opportunities across the value chain.

Global Formic Acid Market is segmented according to production method and applications. According to production method carbonylation of methanol accounts for highest percentage of share. Though hydrolysis process step is complex and need competing technologies, carbonylation of methanol process are associated with companies such as Kemira and BASF. According to application, formic acid is used in silage preservative, animal feed, dyeing and finishing textiles, rubber & leather production and others. One of the prominent application of formic acid is animal feed owing to its natural antibacterial properties. These is followed by preservative such as silage, rubber & leather production and so on. According to MRFR analysis, cumulatively the Global Formic Acid Market was valued at USD 516.9 million in 2016 and is expected to be valued at USD 878.7 million by the end of 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 4.94%.

On the other hand, changing climatic conditions in some regions, are negatively impacting application industries like preservatives, animal feed, leather & rubber industry of formic acid, resultantly, hampering the market growth during the review period. Moreover, higher toxicity levels in higher grades of Formic Acid are also anticipated to restrict the market growth. Nevertheless, product diversification and technological advancements in feed additive will provide substantial opportunities to market players. Which will in turn, drive the market growth.

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Key Findings:

Global Formic Acid Market is projected to reach USD 878.7 million by the end of 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 4.94%. Asia Pacific to account for largest share due to growing application industries in this region. Formic Acid Market is a semi-fragmented market, however, tier1 manufacturers dominate the market. European region is expected to witness substantial growth since ban on antibiotics by European Union has boosted animal feed industry. New product development and expansion of major players to the emerging markets are some of the noted trends in the global market.

Regional Analysis:

Geographically, Asia Pacific is the largest market share in the global market, the rapid availability of raw material supply and presence of the largest production base with minimal regulatory norms. China is expected to reach USD 144.3 million by 2027 with CAGR of 5.50%. The capital of labor is expected to fuel the market growth of Formic Acid in China. Though, BASF is the largest producer of formic acid based in Germany, Asia Pacific still dominated by China and India. Driving the demand of Formic Acid. Moreover, developments in detergents and cleaning agents are also expected to drive the formic acid market.

Based on Revenue , Europe is the largest market share for Formic Acid, primarily due to the presence of leading manufacturers such as BASF and Perstorp AB with a superior product offering in the region.

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At the Market Research Future (MRFR), we provide our customers to unearth the complexity of our industries through our Cooked Research Reports (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 optimal quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Applications, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enabling our clients to see more important questions.

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Specialty Oxidants has grown considerably in the past year due to its wide usage of a bleaching agent. Market Research Future, a firm which specializes in market reports related to the Chemicals and Materials sector among others, recently published a report on this market. The industry is expected to demonstrate a high growth rate in terms of CAGR rate and will achieve high levels of revenue in the forecast period.

Their application in the electronics, paper industry and healthcare industry has led to the development of the Specialty Oxidants sector radically. Increase in level of personal consumer products demand has also prompted the growth of the sector. Higher level of disposable income availability has been a key factor in the development of this industry. Low costs of setting up manufacturing facilities has attracted increased consumer interest in the sector.

Industry Segments:

The industry for Global Specialty Oxidants is divided on the basis of Type, Application, End Use Industries and Regions. The types present in the industry are sodium chlorate, hydrogen peroxide, and others. The applications are segmented into defoliant, bleaching, propulsion, cleaning & extraction, and others. The bleaching based segment is the biggest segment as compared to other applications. The end use industries in the market are categorized into healthcare & personal care, wastewater & water treatment, food processing, pulp & paper, textile, and others. The regions for the industry is divided into Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East & Africa.

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Industry Updates:

Jan 2018 Dutch chemicals company AkzoNobel NV is holding talks with multiple parties over the potential sale of their specialty chemicals business. The consultations are part of the groups strategy, which were announced in April last year to separate their specialty chemicals operations as a new entity and focus on its paints and coatings business with fit-for-purpose structure and processes. The company is following a dual-track process for the spinoff, private sale or legal demerger.

Detailed Regional Analysis:

Among the regions covered in the report, Asia Pacific market is projected to develop at a maximum CAGR during the forecast period owing to the escalating demand from end use industries which are pulp & paper, textile, among others. The demand for sector is expected to surge in developing nations such as India, Japan, China, and Bangladesh due to rising food processing and water treatment sector. Moreover, increasing demand for eco-friendly specialty oxidant such as hydrogen peroxide along with the increasing production volume of paper & packaging caused the growth of pulp & paper market and has further driven the demand for Specialty Oxidants in near future. Asia Pacific has considerably developed as the largest market for specialty oxidant followed by Europe and North America. European countries like Italy, Germany, and UK have established themselves as a prominent consumer market and are forecasted to witness steady growth over the forecast period.

Consumer spending and purchasing power with the expansion of paper & packaging in the European region is expected to raise the demand for Specialty Oxidant. Latin American countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are also anticipated to moderate growth with the introduction of new technologies and new business models. In the Middle East & Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are expected to grow significantly. Moreover, major players are exploring the Middle East market.

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At the Market Research Future (MRFR), we provide our customers to unearth the complexity of our industries through our Cooked Research Reports (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 optimal quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Applications, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enabling our clients to see more important questions.

Contact:

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Orthobiologics are substances used to heal injuries such as fractures and injured muscles, ligaments, and tendons within a short period of time. Orthobiologics are made from substances that naturally occur in the body. Some examples of orthobiologics are bone grafts, autologous blood, autologous conditioned serum, platelet rich plasma, growth factors, and stem cells.

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Market Dynamics

Increasing prevalence of injury and facture due to falls and road accidents are expected to augment growth of the orthobiologics market

According to World Health Organization (WHO), 2017, fatal falls are the second-leading cause of accidental injury and factures worldwide. Every year around 646000 individuals die from falls, globally. Increasing incidence of fall is expected to increase the chances of fractures, which in turn, is expected to create a highly conductive environment for growth of the orthobiologics market over the forecast period.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, around 1.25 million deaths were recorded and 20 to 50 million people suffered from severe injuries and fractures. Increasing prevalence of factures due to road accidents is expected to boost growth of the orthobiologics market in the near future. According to National Institute of Health (NIH), in 2016, around 8.5%, accounting for around 617 million of the world population was aged 65 years and above. Growing geriatric population, which is highly susceptible to injuries and fractures due to fragile skeletal framework, is increasing the prevalence of orthopedic disorders, in turn, driving growth of the orthobiologics market. The major factor restraining market growth is the high cost associated with orthobiologics-based treatments.

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Global Orthobiologics Market Taxonomy

The global orthobiologics market is segmented on the basis of product type, application, and end user.

By Product Type

Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM)

Allograft

Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)

Viscosupplementation Products

Synthetic Bone Substitutes

Stem Cell Therapy

By Application

Osteoarthritis and Degenerative Arthritis

Spinal Fusion

Fracture Recovery

Soft Tissue Injuries

Maxillofacial and Dental Applications

By End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory Care Centers

Dental Clinics

North America is expected to hold a dominant position due to rapid development of new innovative products by key players present in region

North America is expected to hold a dominant position in the orthobiologics market due to rampant research activities and rapid development of innovative products by key players present in the region. For instance, in 2015, NuVasive Inc.U.S.-based companylaunched its new innovative biologics technology, AttraX Putty, which is a synthetic bone graft, indicated in posterolateral spinal surgery as an autograft extender. Asia Pacific is expected to witness rapid growth, owing to growing geriatric population in the region. According to The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), 2016, the Asia Pacific region recorded around 60 percent of the geriatric population across the globe. The region recorded around 547 million people aged 65 years and above, which is projected to reach up to 1.3 billion by 2050.

Major players in the market are focusing on inorganic growth strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, to enhance their foothold in the global orthobiologics market. For instance, in May 2015, Bone Biologics Corp. collaborated with the University of California for the development of Nell-1, a bone growth stimulator orthobiological product.

Key players operating in the orthobiologics market include Medtronic Plc, DePuy Synthes, Inc., Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., Bone Biologics Corp, Harvest Technologies Corporation, Globus Medical, Inc., Smith & Nephew plc. NuVasive Inc., Stryker Corporation, and Genzyme.

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Racism as policy

Racism  youre soaking in it. From the weeks leading up to the 2001 federal elections and the interception of the MV Tampa under the government of John Howard carrying desperate refugees, Australians have been subjected to a campaign of intensified racism. A crescendo was reached prior to the recent Super Saturday round of by-elections with conservative candidates playing the race card including fear-mongering around the activities of African gangs. The ploy failed but the atmosphere of heightened tensions remains. And Australia is not the only country seeing this spike in ugly racism fanned by government and the all-too-willing media.

A central figure in the latest drive to divide people is Peter Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and head of the mega-controlling Department of Home Affairs. He has hammered the alleged problem of African gangs. Against all the evidence, Dutton maintains that Melbourne residents are now scared to venture out to restaurants for fear of attack by Sudanese youths.

There is a major law and order problem in Victoria and more people are going to be hurt until the rule of law is enforced by the Victorian government, he told the media.

We dont have these problems with Sudanese gangs in NSW or Queensland.

Prime Minister Turnbull, who usually tries to appear urbane and liberal on these issues, has fallen in behind the campaign of vilification. There is real concern about Sudanese gangs, he said last month. We are able to be very picky about who comes to Australia as permanent migrants. And thats our right, its our country. The views echoed the notorious dog whistle used by then Prime Minister John Howard in his 2001 election campaign launch speech. But we will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come.

Dutton, Turnbull and the rest of the team playing the race card are immune to facts. Sudanese-born Victorians are responsible for only one percent of crime in that state while 84 percent of misdemeanours country-wide were perpetrated by people born in Australia.

Meanwhile, undeservedly negative stereotypes are driving policy. The federal government is set to cut payments to asylum seekers. Benefits under status resolution support services currently stand at 89 percent of the miserable Newstart allowance. The tightening of criteria has led to a 46 percent reduction in approvals to migrants to bring their husbands and wives to Australia. Migrant intake is down.

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has been pandering to a perceived anti-immigrant sentiment in discussion of migrant intake levels. I was one of the advocates of having it as a cap, not a target, he said recently in reference to the 190,000 figure seen previously as a goal. Numbers actually fell to 162,000 permanent arrivals last year but, again, facts dont serve the reactionary agenda. Labor has succumbed to pressure on this issue.

While this racially-charged campaign is being waged, refugees continue to suffer in illegal offshore detention, Aboriginal prisoners die in detention at the highest level in Australia in relative terms and communities are exposed to a wave of abuse and vilification.

Extreme goes mainstream

Institutional racism is as old as European settlement but open racism used to live at the political margin. Not any more. Pauline Hanson was paid for her appearances on Channel 7s Sunrise program until their management camps fell out. News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt sank to new lows recently with a highly controversial piece in the Daily Telegraph about a tidal wave of non-English-speaking immigrants.

Sky News decided to invite Blair Cottrell of the so-called United Patriots Front as a guest of former Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles for a studio interview. Cottrell is an open admirer of Adolf Hitler and his group has a history of violence towards minorities and anti-racist protestors. Sky later distanced itself from the decision, admitting that it was wrong to have Cottrell on the program.

The Australian government gave the green light to a tour by provocative anti-Islam campaigner Lauren Southern and side-kick Stefan Molyneux. Southern spoke at a $700 a ticket dinner and used her spare time to visit Lakemba where she wanted to engage with the Muslim residents about their religion. She said in a widely-circulated YouTube piece about the visit to claim that the area is a no go zone, occupied land subject to Sharia law after she was instructed by a high-ranking police officer not to incite a breach of the peace.

The scenes associated with Southerns tour were totally predictable. The British government had already refused entry to the attention-seeking alt-right figure. Australia previously put out the welcome mat to another self-promoting defender of Western civilisation, Milo Yiannopoulos. Intolerance of diversity and encouragement of division is the governments clear guiding principle in these decisions. Meanwhile, abuse of minorities in Australia continues to rise.

Not isolated  international context

The attacks on multi-culturalism and the fanning of hatred is not limited to Australia. The election of President Trump in the US is an indication of how desperate the capitalist ruling class is to keep attention away from the deepening global economic crisis. His talk of a wall, the insistence that illegal immigrants are not humans, the keeping of children in cages, threats to halt immigration from predominantly Muslim countries and other outrages have shocked many.

Unfortunately, there is an electorate for racism among the more ignorant of the population suffering neglect as the US economy turns down. In the UK, the campaign around the European Union Brexit vote unleashed a wave of xenophobia focussed on migration levels, swamping a rational campaign against the anti-worker, finance capital-dominated EU.

Founder of the racist English Defence League, Tommy Robinson, became the centre of a sizable but misguided free speech campaign lately when he was imprisoned briefly for contempt of court. This resulted from his attempt to film defendants during a rape trial in Canterbury.

Meanwhile, far-right political candidates in Europe and elsewhere are gaining ground. They claim that they are the targets of a growing police state and lack of respect for free speech. The truth is quite the opposite.

Repression

The reality is that official repression and intolerance is being directed at migrants, refugees from mostly US-led wars of aggression, and the international working-class movement. In Australia this is seen in the ratchetting up of anti-union legislation, curtailment of the right to protest and the go-ahead for the use of the military against the people seeking to halt the drift to a fascist-style state.

The left has not yet got traction for the alternative to this hate-filled agenda. The antidote to the toxic right message is internationalism and socialism  a non-exploitative society where working people are not set against one another to preserve capitalist class privilege. The greatest unity possible must be forged to fight the onslaught of the right and leadership from the Communist Party is key. Resources are limited compared to those of our enemies and our only hope is the mobilisation of masses of people against the right-wing agenda that threatens the whole planet with a new dark age.

Bob Briton is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Australia
Editorial

Miners free-for-all

Drought relief: The dos and donts of helping Australian farmers, Farmers on crippling drought offered federal cash relief, Drought stricken farmers to receive $12k cash gift: just a few of the headlines reflecting the dire straits of Australian farmers and the climate-change-denying federal government adding to the growing catastrophe that is climate change.

To top it off there are the voracious mining companies in pursuit of fossil fuels that lie beneath the ground of farmlands, a pursuit that threatens food sustainability and the viability of farming around the country.

Farmer and community activist group Lock the Gate Alliance says transnational miner Santos is exploiting a loophole to obtain gas from the Pilliga Forest, near Narrabri in north-west NSW, and burn it in its nearby gas-fired power station without having to pay royalties to the NSW government. Santos does not currently hold a CSG production permit and has instead using gas drilling in exploration and assessment areas to produce gas and pipe it to the nearby Wilga Park power station which it owns.

Santos obtained approval last week to expand the number of exploratory gas wells that feed the power station, thus increasing its access to royalty-free gas. Georgina Woods from Lock the Gate Alliance said the NSW government is basically giving Santos free gas worth millions of dollars as it pursues gas production by stealth in the Pilliga Forest.

Santos also claim its expansion in CSG wells would be environmentally beneficial, because methane gas would be burnt in its power station rather than being flared at the gas wells but Lock the Gate said the company has not provided an environmental assessment that justifies this claim.

Farmers and city-dwellers opposed to mining of coal seam gas are bringing major challenges to CSG mining companies and their destructive pursuit of mining profits.

The communities are concerned that drilling will affect surface water and aquifers. A local resident commented: ... drilling is bringing saline water to the surface only hundreds of metres from our flood plains and our aquifer structures.

The farmers campaigns to safeguard water and food production deserve the highest praise. Averaged over 100 years, the effect of methane as a greenhouse gas is at least 23 times as damaging as carbon dioxide. However, its impact is much greater within the first 15 years after emission  and emissions must decrease over the next 15 years if were to avoid catastrophic climate change tipping points.

The NSW Coalition governments approval to expand coal mining in the greater Sydney catchment area, without even waiting for the independent panel report  Sydneys Drinking Water Catchment report  adds to the blatant disregard of informed and expert advice about the severe impacts of longwall mining.

An indication of the sway and influence mining companies have over governments in Australia is that internationally it is rare among the worlds major cities to permit mining in its catchment, with evidence that subsidence caused by mining has already reached the surface, draining rare upland swamps, and diverting water from key reservoirs.

These are the major reasons why the campaigns being mounted by farmers and community groups in opposing coal seam gas mining are so important. Theyre taking on the dominant sector of big capital and dealing with the existential issue of climate change, and in the long run they appear certain to win. It is just a question of time  but then, thats the biggest question of all.
ACFS Perth

Cuba Solidarity

65th anniversary of the Moncada attacks in Santiago de Cuba!

On Saturday July 28 the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society, ACFS WA Branch, celebrated the 65th anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Garrisons. The attacks led by Fidel Castro on July 26, 1953 saw a group of young Cuban patriots captured, tortured and killed by the Bastista dictatorship.

Fidel and a small group of his comrades were tried and sentenced to 15 years. Popular protests demanding their release brought them to freedom in 1955, fleeing to Mexico.

The July 26th attack on the Moncada failed but it is considered the spark of the Cuban revolution that triumphed on January 1, 1959.

A full house of supporters at the Hellenic Club of WA danced the night away and listened to passionate speeches about the socialist revolution which had taken place only 90 miles away from Miami.

Speakers at the ACFS function called for an end of the inhumane US blockade on Cuba that affects the entire people of Cuba, preventing them from buying essential food and medicines.

All proceeds from the event will go to the ACFS WA project in Last Tunas, Cuba, to improve the research facilities for children with allergies.

Long live the 65th anniversary of the Moncada!
Taking Issue  Richard Titelius

Argentinas new US base

It is of interest that the US seeks to permit the construction of at least one US military base in Argentina, in this case in Neuquen province in the southern Patagonian region. The article (Guardian August 1) which was originally published in the Peoples World states that the purpose is to help defend Argentinas oil and shale resources in that part of the country.

Neuquen province in Argentina.

The local people are not keen to have an imperialist Yanqui base in the country which they see as an affront to their sovereignty as we do here in Australia with Pine Gap, a US army base in Darwin and the Kojarena tracking station near Geraldton in WA. As a consequence, they have formed a social movement to protest the proposal for the base which is supported by their sell-out President Macri.

However, what the article misses entirely is that less than 50 kilometres away from the proposed military base at Vaca Muerte (Dead Cow) near Bajada de Agrio-also in Neuquen province is also the home of the new Chinese satellite tracking station which was given approval by the previous government of President Kirchner in 2009.

The Chinese government has a project to study the dark side of the moon and needed a location on the other side of the world to facilitate communications for this purpose. However, curiously, a New York Times article which dwelt on Chinas growing interest in Latin America, did not mention the proposal for the construction of the new military base in the same province.

It will be interesting to see how two rival imperialist powers can accommodate each others interests in a country which under their current President Macri is facing financial collapse and thus open to the IMF intervening in the running of the country.
Aged care workers

Undervalued and underpaid

Aged care providers can prevent their workforce from taking industrial action by installing pay levels that respect and value the work being carried out and addressing chronic understaffing within the sector so elderly nursing home residents receive proper care, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) federal secretary Annie Butler has argued.

Speaking at an Aged Care Workforce Forum in Melbourne last month in front of aged care management from across the country, Butler said nurses do not take industrial action lightly, most recently having only employed the strategy in a bid to secure safe staffing levels to guarantee quality care for their patients or residents.

Safe staffing has become the most critical issue for our members across the board, Butler said. Its more important than pay right now. While of course thats also important, our members consistently report workload issues to us as the issue that matters most to them.

The ANMF represents registered nurses and enrolled nurses working across all aged care settings and shares coverage of carers with United Voice and the Health Services Union (HSU).

Butler said penalty rates provide compensation for missing important family activities and recognition for the extra workload that often emerges when working unsociable hours.

A survey conducted by the ANMF found 90 percent of members would quit their jobs if penalty rates were taken away, she added. However, aged care workers also needed and deserved respect and recognition for the meaningful roles they perform.

Butler pointed to recent commentary in Federal Parliament by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who uttered  The 60-year-old aged care worker in Burnie is entitled to aspire to get a better job, is entitled to get a promotion, is entitled to be able to earn more money  as a sad example of the widespread undervaluing of aged care workers.

The effects of this attitude are compounded for nurses and carers working in aged care who experience the double disadvantage of working in an undervalued and underpaid occupation that is not adequately resourced or recognised.

Our members are increasingly frustrated and distressed by what they regard as a lack of respect for their elderly by their own employers who in their view could and should be doing a better job.

The ANMF is currently running a national campaign calling on federal politicians to legislate aged care staff ratios to ensure the nations elderly receive the care they need.

Butler outlined some of the biggest challenges facing the sector  chronic understaffing, low wages, lack of career opportunities and stressful work environments.

In recent years, research commissioned by the ANMF has found a 13 percent reduction in qualified nursing staff working in aged care from 2013 to 2016, the statistic exacerbated by a 40 percent increase in the number of residents requiring high care during the same period.

Further evidence shows aged care residents on average receive 2.8 hours of care when they should be getting 4.3 hours, while a confronting study by Monash Universitys Professor Joseph Ibrahim found a 400 percent increase in preventable deaths across the sector.

This paints a picture of a sector that needs assistance, Butler said.

We know what the issues are. It needs fixing.

The link is the need for proper staffing. These studies demonstrate the relationship between low nurse staffing levels and adverse patient/resident outcomes, including higher mortality rates, and conversely, the relationship between higher nurse staffing levels and improved patient outcomes.

Butler acknowledged the need to improve qualifications and training within the sector but said members required better workplace supports to allow them to deliver proper care.

Workplace environments are stressful. Workers feel unsupported and way too often governments and employers deflect and seek to blame workers for the problems occurring in the sector rather than addressing these challenges.

Significantly, a recent report commissioned by the ANMF and undertaken by the Tax Justice Network Australia found the countrys largest for-profit aged care providers were using a range of loopholes to minimise the amount of tax they pay, despite receiving billions in taxpayer funded government subsidies.

Given the new evidence, Butler said while the sector does require more funding the union would not support such calls from some aged care providers until there is greater transparency to ensure taxpayers money is spent on ensuring quality care for the elderly.

Importantly, Butler listed several strategies the ANMF believes will help improve aged care, including empowering nurses to work to their full scope of practice, employing more nurse practitioners in the sector, establishing proper career pathways, introducing mandatory minimum education and fostering a culture where staff feel safe to make a complaint.

Labelling aged care possibly the most over-reviewed sector in the country, Butler agreed numerous areas needed to undergo major shifts but unless staffing levels were addressed, the sector would not be able to retain and attract nurses and carers.

She encouraged aged care providers to engage with the ANMF and work towards improving the sector and fixing the longstanding crisis.

If you are confident that your facility does have the right staffing, is making sure that every single resident or person youre caring for gets the care they need, you will have no problems in supporting our recommendations for transparency, for funding that must be guaranteed towards care.
The world according to Saul

In 1995, John Ralston Saul wrote The Unconscious Civilisation, and it came to pass  as the good book says  that the unconscious populace has (as he predicted) been herded into an ever-decreasing corner, while watching the corporations, with the help of politicians, alter and introduce draconian legislation, which cunningly erode civil rights.

Neither Liberals nor Labor can be trusted with our democratic rights.

When I was a girl, just after WW2, governments were elected for the good of the people  what a strange idea? But reading Saul has rekindled those old-fashioned days when ethics and principles were something people lived by. We were actually taught in schools when education was free and public schools were funded on par with private schools. Honest language was also taught, we didnt have to learn weasel words bandied about by politicians and their task masters, big business, in order to obfuscate real meaning and destroy real communication.

What has been lost in our new Millennium society is communication: business-speak has replaced any real meaning. Saul tells us that language attached to power is designed to prevent communication and hes being proved correct. Corporate language is rhetoric, propaganda and dialect, the latter meaning the language used which is designed to be impenetrable to the layman and which acts as protection for those in power.

Saul also warns of the babble of language which assaults us every day on the media and internet: perhaps the reason why Trump tweets. Although we, the public, use social media thinking it empowers us, the corporatist power structures are also using it to even greater effect.

So, what has happened in the past 70 years? How has big business succeeded in inveigling the working class? There has been no lasting peace, which is an anathema to capitalism  the corporations have seen to that. Conflicts since WW2 have led to millions of deaths which are dismissed by the Western world  the world of capital  because those dying are usually in the Third world and arent us. These conflicts continue because the international arms trade of the US, France and the UK is much too lucrative to dismiss, and is an important arm of their general trade policies.

In 70 years our civilisation has become a pawn in thrall to the market place, which is insidiously destroying our humanity. For instance, Serco operates in six sectors of public service provision: Health, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Defence, and Citizens Services. These huge corporations are taking over in areas which originally were owned by the state, and are being aided and abetted by governments to demolish the public sector.

Privatising public enterprises such as health, energy, banking and public transport threatens ordinary citizens welfare. We have become customers instead of owners. The ABC is currently under threat because it actually produces programs which criticise governments and corporations.

We are being made beholden to a new god  the Deficit  therefore anything pertaining to the public good, i.e. schooling, health, or welfare is unaffordable. Strange though that there are trillions available for defence  just in case we have to have another capitalist-driven war? (Note how Trump is now eyeing Iran)! Money is being siphoned off from public schools, diminishing the quality of their education, which in turn forces parents to pay for their kids to attend private schools: a Catch 22 situation.

In order to continue making huge profits, corporations keep producing propaganda as in the furphy to convince us that coal is clean, or that theres no such thing as global warming, etc etc. We are distracted daily with the threat of terrorism, in order to introduce draconian laws which actually are, quite blatantly, removing our civil rights, like the latest Espionage and Foreign Interference Policy Bill slipped through parliament at its last sitting avoiding any Senate enquiry.

Neither Liberals nor Labor can be trusted with our democratic rights, as has been proved by the last two Royal Commissions (supported by both parties): the failed witch hunt into trade union governance and corruption  which showed the government in its true light  and then its reluctance to hold a Royal Commission into the banking sector (its mates).

Fortunately, people are beginning to realise that the politicians were voting for arent representing us, but are puppets for the corporations. Unfortunately, because we have been led by the nose to believe their fabrications and propaganda, weve begun to dismiss reality and deny our own consciousness and common sense. This has led to a general malaise and self-contempt followed by a loathing of the faceless elites who get wealthier by the hour, while most of us battle to make ends meet.

This feeling of impotence by the public has led to anger and a loss of faith in the political process which is supposed to be there for the public good. Were relying on policies which are powered by the market and capitalism instead of policies being made for our welfare.

What were seeing now in the US, UK and Europe, is people desperate for a fairer society becoming swept up in populist dogma and supporting far right dictators. Could anyone have imagined someone like Trump in the days of Attlee or even Menzies? What were seeing in 2018 is the kind of rhetoric used by the likes of Mussolini, who has been recorded as saying that the crowd doesnt need to know, so long as they believe.

Free speech and democracy is tied to our knowledge of history. After WW2 public education and the welfare of the people were considered important and were funded adequately. However, at this point of time in Australia our education system is being undermined, as is our welfare system. Everything is measured according to its economic value: Universities are becoming corporatised  or as Saul says have become handmaidens of the corporatist system, with courses designed to produce more managers for the corporations.

The teaching of the Humanities is unwelcome in this contemporary corporatised society: it might lead to people actually thinking  and caring for the community. To quote Saul, again we have allowed ourselves to be convinced by our own elites that the democratic system is a secondary product of the free market system.

I really hope that we wake up to what is being done to our democracy before the distinction between public and private disintegrates even further. Government services are being placed into private hands with the government actually adopting private industry standards and methods.

Those actually in work with employment contracts are being castrated and silenced, frightened to lose their jobs. Sound a bit like Nazi Germany in the 1930s? Those who forget their history tend to repeat it. As Saul says, we need to change the system and to do that we need to make the bastards honest.
Greece fires no natural disaster

Words are nice ... but I want him to tell me and the people who perished, our friends ... whose fault it is, if not his.

That is how one 79-year-old victim of the devastating fire that ripped through the Rafina area north-east of Athens last month responded to Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprass belated acceptance of political responsibility.

How does he redeem this responsibility? the pensioner continued. What does political responsibility mean? These and other questions were already ricocheting across Greece last week as grief and anger came together in the wake of the worst death toll from wildfire  87 people and rising  ever in Europe.

It was not until last Thursday that a government minister visited the devastated Mati-Rafina resort, where most of the victims died. Defence minister and junior coalition partner Anel leader Panos Kammenos was roundly heckled.

You let the people burn, Mr Kammenos! shouted one woman. (The word kamenos in Greek means burnt.)

One reason for the anger is that the government spent most of last week trying to suppress searching questions under a shroud of three days of national mourning while at the same time weaving its own false political narrative.

That began on the evening of the fire itself. Tsipras told television journalists that the fire was an unconventional or asymmetric incident. That was the seemingly clunky term used by Tory prime minister Costas Karamanlis after previous deadly fires in 2007 in the southern Peloponnese. The implication, as in asymmetric warfare, was that the nation was under attack by a hidden enemy.

A then rising star of the Syriza party answered well Karamanliss cynical conspiracy-mongering 11 years ago: It would be good if those in government, instead of planning communication strategies to defend it, by discovering asymmetric threats and invisible enemies, occupied themselves with dealing with the disaster.

That spokesperson was Alexis Tsipras.

Now his minister of civil protection Nikos Toskas has spent much of the last week insinuating that the fire had been caused deliberately  that it was not innocent and there were indications of arson.

Other government officials spread the same rumour. Then the fire investigation department definitively ruled out arson and said the fire had started accidentally.

An earlier fire on the same day, near Kineta to the west of Athens, had already stretched the fire service, denuded by nearly a decade of austerity. Eyewitnesses say they saw sparks flying from a faulty electricity pylon.

The national grid has been privatised. The electricity workers union warned that the sell-off would lead to a cut in maintenance and greater risk of fires. It is but one of many warnings.

It is not that this tragedy was unforeseen. In fact, it was foretold.

Last summer, a whistleblower pilot of the Canadair firefighting planes revealed that half the ageing fleet was grounded due to either age  some are 40 years old  or lack of parts.

He contrasted that with the 2.5 percent of GDP spent on arms and defence, the second highest budget in NATO. They care about F-16s, not Canadairs, he said.

Some 30 percent of fire appliances are off the road  half due to age, the rest for lack of parts.

The reason is obvious. The fire service budget has been cut in the years of austerity imposed by the troika of the EU, IMF and European Central bank from 500 million to 397 million.

Thousands of full-time firefighting jobs have been lost. Any hiring has been on temporary contracts. Yet at the same time 700 firefighters have been seconded, on the state budget, to serve the 14 now privatised airports handed to the German company Fraport.

The budget for fire prevention in a country where many forest fires happen every year is just 11 million. The water industry has been privatised, again in defiance of warnings that it would leave the pumping stations and storage tanks in rural areas under-maintained.

The litany could go on. And its effects are obvious to all. Co-chair of the Die Linke fraction of MPs in Germany, Katja Kipping put it directly, in holding to account the German government and its former finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble for their responsibility in enforcing murderous austerity on Greece.

The Greek fire service has been cut to pieces by Schaeubles austerity diktats  with deadly consequences, she said.

Turkish trade unionists gathering to show solidarity outside the Greek consulate in Izmir were also clear that this was no natural disaster. So is it this and the implementation of austerity that Tspiras says he is taking political responsibility for?

No. He mentioned the capitulation to Troika-imposed austerity three years ago but only in order to shift the focus to something else.

Perhaps in the national confrontation back then, we neglected other things, he said and went on to refer to a history of unregulated or illegal building developments in Greece.

By last weekend, this had become something of a theme in much international coverage. While containing some truth, it is laced with evasion.

There is a history of unregulated building, but it is not, as many commentators are claiming, the product of some Greek disease of rule-breaking  a kind of popular bandit mentality.

That was the claim used to justify the structural adjustment programme imposed on Greece under the austerity memorandums.

And it was repeated over the fire with brutal callousness by one liberal-modernising commentator, who wrote: Greece, despite being a European Union member state and a developed economy, exhibits many of the institutional deficiencies and cultural traits found in less developed nations. A large, centrally controlled state can be a source of secure employment (as in Greece), yet is often grossly inefficient.

The solution, then? More neo-liberal capitalist development and privatisation to become a properly modern state, and change the popular culture.

But as I explained in my book on the Syriza government and modern Greece, the malfunctioning of the modern Greek state  what I termed a state of plunder  is not down to a lack of capitalist development. It is the product of the actually existing capitalist (mal)development of the cold war and neoliberal epochs.

It was an alliance between a Kleptocratic oligarchy and a right-wing militarised state that drove through development at the expense of the common people, who until the 1980s were meant to rely on the philanthropy of billionaires like playboy Aristotle Onassis.

The great majority of unregulated building was by the construction and property oligarchs, enclosing land for the rich personally or for tourist development  the countrys biggest industry.

Hence buildings like the walled villa in Mati-Rafina that blocked off the escape route to the sea that 26 people lost their lives trying to find. Tsipras says it is now time to take action. But he makes no distinction between the profiteering developments and the working-class family who have clubbed together to put an extension on a grandparents village property so three generations might at least afford a holiday.

The people as a whole are apparently guilty. But the state could have taken action before in Rafina to open forest lanes and redress the lack of infrastructure.

A forestry expert pointed out to the BBC that the states development has itself also failed. The new road built at the time of the Greek Olympic bid could have been designed to act as a firebreak. But highly flammable pine trees were planted either side of it, not those that were proven in Spain to be resistant.

And when the local police chief signalled regional headquarters to sound an evacuation, he discovered that there was no regional evacuation plan for an area that is packed with local tourists in summer.

Contrary to Tsiprass attempt to decouple the history of profiteering development from the years of austerity, the root of this governments failure to confront the oligarchs at home lies precisely in its capitulation to the austerity memorandums.

They were imposed by the troika, but on behalf of the Greek billionaire class whose domestic political instruments had proved incapable of pushing through the cuts they demanded.

The capitulation to the troika did not make space to address the deformations of the Greek state and economy. It meant capitulation over those as well.

The government remains committed to eye-watering 3.5 percent primary budget surpluses that can only mean more austerity even though Greece is to exit the formal memorandum program on August 21.

It had planned a celebration of that occasion with international guests from the European Commission and other luminaries.

Such a self-congratulatory celebration would be incendiary now. The world can see the consequences of the joint enterprise by the troika and successive governments to satisfy the bankers at the peoples expense.

And it will do no good to blame the little people once again. This is a systemic failure of capitalism.

That means it is the responsibility of the 1 percent of capitalists and those who have shred all social protection to serve them.

Morning Star
The planet is in real danger

Its been clear for some time that the world demands a public, working-class and peoples diplomacy aimed at a new international order, free of capitalist and military trade blocs that inherently breed tension and war: thats one lesson that can be drawn from the now postponed summit between Trump and Putin.

Indeed, lost in the sound and fury surrounding the Helsinki Summit and the proposed Washington meeting is the ongoing imperative for such summits. Although the world still doesnt know what happened during the secret Trump-Putin meet  that does not lessen the need for such exchanges: in fact it elevates it. There were real issues in Helsinki.

Lets face it: the planet is in terrible danger. Need we count the ways?

Trump threatened recently to rain destruction on another country, this time on Iran with which his administration unceremoniously junked a nuclear weapons agreement.

Only a few weeks ago, a military standoff with North Korea seemed likely, with the potential for a nuclear conflagration.

Truth be told, it seems what was once deemed unthinkable is now being actively considered as an option by the occupants of the White House Situation Room.

If that werent enough, the nuclear danger is not the only existential crisis humanity faces. They either dont believe global warming exists or dont care, as proven by the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.

Framing these ominous developments are growing inter-imperialist rivalries, protectionism and the rise of extreme-right governments and movements, both in the US and the countries of the European Union, and between the US and Russia. The US and NATO have given licence to extreme right governments in Eastern Europe and a fascist-tinged government in Ukraine.

Russia, too, is aiding and abetting right-wing forces in Europe and the US. Surrounded by NATO, they see supporting such elements as advancing their national interests due to their anti-NATO and anti-EU positions, a dangerous and irresponsible game.

Our country is led by the most dangerous political party in its history and a resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue who uses white supremacy as his central organising tool and who aligns himself with neo-fascists. Trump is waging a sustained assault on democracy at home and abroad.

Trump, since gaining office, has greatly escalated world tensions and stepped up military intervention. Under the guise of the war on terror, drone strikes have doubled and the number of civilian deaths has skyrocketed by some 200 percent. Covert intervention has been stepped up in Venezuela, Nicaragua and the Middle East, with prospects for an Israel-Palestine peace accord between nil and next to none.

Trump and the ruling class elements behind his administration have set themselves the task of rearranging the international order: this more than anything else is behind their Group of 7 and NATO disruptions.

The administrations goals are no more benign with respect to the recent meetings with Kim Jung-un and Vladimir Putin. Lets be clear, the Korea summit was held largely at the initiative of South Korea. And despite the two Koreas agreeing to an historic end of war, the summits results remain in doubt because of Trumps brinkmanship.

And consider this: the meeting with Putin may have had a hidden target: isolating China and reversing its growing international influence.

Make no mistake: with Trump there is no peace presidency.

Yet, even in these circumstances, indeed because of them, talks, negotiations, and summits are necessary, including dialogue between Trump and Putin. Calls to cancel the summit are misguided. So too are dismissals of the problems at work in Helsinki and rejection of concerns about these problems as simply the consequence of deep state conspiracies.

Once talks begin, processes are set in motion that open up possibilities that would otherwise be closed, possibilities that are sometimes independent of the parties respective intentions.

Why? Because other state actors, interest groups, and international institutions, along with business, government, labour, and civil society become involved. And therein lies the future.

Movements like the Sao Paulo Forum and the World Social Forums have been important steps in this direction.

International cooperation is needed now more than ever. This must include elevating the role of the United Nations which has largely been pushed to the sidelines.

Needless to say such cooperation must include signing on to the Paris Climate Accord.

And last but not least, the urgency of the crisis in the US demands that the peoples protest and peace movements be stepped up. A march on Washington and state capitals around the country demanding action around issues like separating children from their parents, the Supreme Court, right-to-work and yes, peace, are in order.

The coming Washington summit must be free of secret meetings. This is particularly important in light of alleged Putin-Trump financial shenanigans.

The summit should include a public town hall meeting where issues of concern are debated, including interventions in the internal affairs of other nations.

If the summit reaches an agreement for renewing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, that would be a positive development.

In the US, all signs point to a massive peoples march to the ballot box. Whether or not the next summit will produce positive results is unclear. What is clear is that is that its up to the American people to keep the pressure on.

Editorial statement, Communist Party USA.
Culture & Life

Trump the traitor?

You have to feel sorry for Donald Trump, dont you? There he is, a maverick property developer with enough nowse to make himself a billionaire who decides that he could make himself even more high-profile than he was already by running for President of the USA.

Politically hes a fascist, so he sought the Republican nomination where his racism, misogyny and hostility towards climate science would be right at home. Capitalisms leading role in the USA is not under any real threat at present, although China (in association with Russia) is steadily working to make US global economic dominance a thing of the past. Which is why Chinas mammoth Belt and Road initiative has chilled Wall Street and the Pentagon equally.

But future worries aside, US capitalism is still securely in charge at home and although it is certainly in difficulties, it has no need at present to resort to its defence of last resort: fascism. That may change in the future if the Bernie Sanders revolution gathers strength, but for now corporate America feels perfectly secure under the protection of bourgeois democracy.

However, even though the Republican Party has no intention of imposing fascism on the USA at this time, the party nevertheless welcomed Trumps candidacy, for despite the way capitalisms spokespersons ballyhoo their much vaunted democracy, the powers-that-be in America are not at all pleased when the peoples democratic wishes begin to impinge on corporate profit making. Environmentally-driven regulations on the coal and oil industries were seen as undue government interference with business, and Trump was not only sympathetic but enthusiastic in his condemnation of such measures and his promises to fix them.

It probably did no harm that his run for the Presidency was not only backed by his personal fortune but also by some other billionaires with interests in coal and oil. Trump of course is totally in favour of expanding the fossil fuel industries (global warming is just a myth, after all, isnt it?).

As we know, the election was a triumph for bourgeois democracy: Trump was elected President even though he actually got less votes than his main opponent, Hilary Clinton while a multitude of electors were struck off the rolls or otherwise prevented from voting and  as in previous elections  a huge number of people simply gave up and did not participate (after all, when your choice ultimately boils down to Trump or Clinton, whats the point, eh? I mean, why bother?)

Once installed in the White House, Trump lost no time in enacting measures to appease his backers, expanding off-shore oil drilling and drilling in the Arctic as well as other attacks on the environment. He actually pulled America out of the Paris climate accords which the whole of the rest of the world had acclaimed as a triumph. He has demanded that his NATO allies all expand their arms budgets, boosting the arms race to the delight of US arms manufacturers who supply much of the world.

However, he seems to have no interest in the subtleties of international relations, preferring the kind of deal-making that hes used to. But just because sections of big business are prepared to support you while your policies help make them richer does not mean that they will support you while you pursue your own concerns. As Trump has found in the wake of his summit in Helsinki with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Trumps attempt to cut through the bullshit and reach an understanding with the Russian leader has outraged his advisers, the leaders of the Republican Party, and the US Intelligence industry, all of whom have a vested interest in promoting and sustaining a renewed Cold War.

For their part, the Democrats are equally bellicose, trying to out-do the Republicans in anti-Russian posturing. Prominent Democrat supporter and anti-Trump campaigner, TV personality Samantha Bee actually lowered herself to the level of trying to score laughs by sneering at Putin for being short! The worlds people may favour detente but the US political and media establishment clearly does not. Having a bogeyman to hate and fear makes their life a lot simpler and Vladimir Putin fills that bill at present.

As I have pointed out in previous posts, the US political establishment needs the American people to be more or less permanently embroiled in a state of paranoia: fear of Russia, fear of foreigners generally, fear of undocumented immigrants, fear of dark-skinned people, fear of Muslims, and above all Fear of Karmunists!

This prevailing paranoia explains why there are so many guns in so many American homes. The American people have had it drummed into them that having lots of nuclear weapons makes their country safe and having lots of hand guns and rifles in the house makes them safe at home. Both could not be further from the truth.

Trumps conflicting strategy of coercing Americas NATO allies into boosting their defence spending (which of course takes some of the financial pressure off the US) while simultaneously presenting himself as a statesman building bridges with Russia has caused American patriots and war-hawks to denounce him as nothing short of a traitor.

The situation has been further confused and confounded by the continuing efforts of the Democrats to uncover evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign during the Presidential election. Indictments have been issued against a whole raft of people identified as Russian intelligence agents (they must have lousy cover, is all I can say.)

It has been pointed out in a previous post that any hacking by Russians of the Democrats campaign was much more likely to be connected to the desire of Russias oligarchs and their criminal associates to see someone like them  an American oligarch (Trump)  in the Oval Office rather than a confirmed tool of Wall Street (Hilary Clinton).

Meanwhile poor old Trump blunders on treading on toes in all directions. How long will it be before they decide to remove him, I wonder?
After a long weekend that saw everyone from YouTube to Facebook to Pinterest to, uh, YouPorn delete his content, it's fair to say that Alex Jones isn't having a great time of it right now. We'd offer our sympathies, but considering that he built a career out of siccing conspiracy theorist goonballs on bereaved parents, we couldn't be happier about this news, if only because it means our crazed uncles might be able to get through Thanksgiving without throwing holy water at us in order to exorcise the "demons."

On the plus side for Jones, this downtime -- the sort of downtime you can only have after losing a sizable majority of your audience (along with most of your revenue streams) -- gives him the chance to pivot and rebrand himself not as a monger of conspiracies, but as a monger of dope-ass beats.

See, there's a surprising amount of evidence out there that Alex Jones is hardcore into acid house record producing, like a video he shot in 2016 titled "Democrat Counter-Coup Against Trump in Progress." (This totally happened, by the by.) The video -- in which, like in many others, his spheroid pastrami-hued head bloviates about globalists -- opens with a shot of his sound equipment setup, which includes a drum machine, mixing board, some baller studio monitors, and a couple of TB-303 synths -- an array that, according to people who know music, is far beyond the sort of thing that a casual hobbyist would own.
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To lessen this man-made erosion, Sardinian police are now cracking down, issuing massive fines of up to 3,000 Euros (about $3,500) to any beach-goer who tries to leave the country with sand on their person or in their luggage -- which surely is all of them, since that stuff gets everywhere. They're not fooling around, either, having already fined someone 1,000 Euros ($1,150) for illegally smuggling some precious hourglass fuel. Sardinian residents welcome the policy, as they hate the fat cat tourists "taking from the island what nature took millions of years to create." They even have vigilantes patrolling the beaches looking to stop sand crime. And if that doesn't really sound that intimidating, now you know why Batman only fights crime in alleyways at night and doesn't waddle around the sun-dappled dunes with Bat-sunscreen on his nose.

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But it's never too late to repent. When news of Sardinia's crackdowns reached one woman who had taken some pink sand from one of its island offshoots 29 years prior, she sent back the sand with an apology note. We can only hope she took her respect for island culture a bit too far, and at this very moment, there's a message in a pink bottle bobbing around the Mediterranean.

For more weird tangents and his personal recipes for toilet wine, do follow Cedric on Twitter.

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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.
Former Love Island Olivia Buckland has opened up about discovering a lump as she urged other women to regularly check their breasts.

The reality star, 24, who appeared on the 2016 series of the hit show revealed she discovered a lump under her armpit while checking her breast in the shower two years ago.

Speaking in New! magazine she reminded others not to overlook their armpits when examining their breasts for potential changes.

'I found it under my armpit about two years ago and, although I was scared, I made myself go to the doctor,' she recalled. 'To my relief it was just a fatty lump.'

Olivia Buckland (pictured), 24, who found fame on series 2 of ITV's Love Island warned women to check their breast for lumps in her latest column of New! magazine

'I originally spotted it in the shower when checking my boobs, so I want to highlight the importance of checking your armpits, as well as your breasts, for lumps.'

Olivia revealed she is in the process of seeing medical consultants to have the lump removed ahead of her wedding to Alex Bowen, 26, although it isn't harmful.

Is a lump under the arm a symptom of breast cancer? A swelling around the armpit can be a symptom of inflammatory breast cancer, which is a very aggressive form of the disease. A lump under the arm can also be a sign that cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes in this area, even if there's no discernible lump in the breast. Source: cancer.org Advertisement

According to Metro UK, she said: 'I had a hospital consultation this week to see about getting a lump removed.'

The reality star met her soon to be husband Alex Bowen on the popular series and the pair began making arrangements to marry after dating for six months.

Olivia recently told Mail Online that she never imagined meeting her spouse on reality TV and that she has changed since appearing in the villa.

She said: 'Its the last thing I thought would happen. It is crazy to think that two years ago I was in a much different position to what I am in now.

'I was actually like "I hate men" when I went into the villa .'

The pair who will be the first Love Island stars to marry are set to walk down the aisle in September at a manor house in Essex.

Olivia (pictured with Alex Bowen) revealed she discovered a lump under her armpit whilst in the shower two years ago and plans to have it removed ahead of her wedding in September
Last year's tide of damning allegations about movie producer Harvey Weinstein threw his British wife's fashion house into disarray.

But it seems Marchesa could poised for a comeback after stars including Scarlett Johansson and Vanessa Hudgens began wearing pieces by the troubled label on the red carpet.

The company co-owned by Weinstein's soon-to-be ex-wife Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig saw its stock plummet following sexual assault and rape accusations from a string of women last year.

There were rumours the shamed Hollywood heavyweight had 'pressured' high-profile actresses into wearing Marchesa's creations to boost its profile, while unconfirmed reports suggested he may have ploughed cash into the company in its infancy.

When awards season arrived, the brand - loved by everyone from the Duchess of Cambridge to Chrissy Teigen - was notably absent from the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Oscars and BAFTAs.

In Marchesa back? High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens has become the latest star to wear a dress from Georgina Chapman's troubled fashion label - sparking rumours that the label could be making a comeback after taking a hit following allegations against Harvey Weinstein

There were rumours that Weinstein (pictured with estranged wife Georgina at a premiuere in New York City before their split) may have pressured stars into wearing Marchesa's designs

Some accusers, including Italian actress Asia Argento, even called for women to boycott the brand altogether.

But in May, Scarlett Johansson - one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood - wore custom Marchesa to the Met Gala in New York in a move which won public support from fashion doyenne Anna Wintour.

Johansson was forced to defend her choice, saying: 'I wore Marchesa because their clothes make women feel confident and beautiful, and it is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers.'

But that same week, Chapman was profiled in a sympathetic interview in American Vogue,and sincethen, a host of stars have tentatively followed suit.

And this week, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens became the latest celebrity to make a statement in Marchesa at a film premiere in LA.

German supermodel Barbara Meier wore Marchesa earlier this year, followed by The Young and the Restless star Cait Fairbanks in April.

Avengers star Scarlett Johansson made headlines around the world when she opted to wear a dress from Marchesa at the Met Gala in New York in May - becoming the first major actress to wear one of their creations publicly since the Hollywood sex scandal hit late last year

Making a comeback? German supermodel Barbara Meier wore Marchesa earlier this year (left), followed by The Young and the Restless star Cait Fairbanks in April (right) - albeit on loan

Marchesa's bridal gowns have even been snapped up by the likes of rapper Pusha T's wife in June, and Senator John McCain's daughter Meghan shortly before Christmas.

Speaking to MailOnline FEMAIL, stylist and designer Lucas Armitage (portare.co.uk) said: 'When Scarlett Johansson wore Marchesa to the Met Gala it was the first time a celebrity from the A-list pack had been seen in the brand since the Harvey Weinstein scandal hit.

'It was always going to be a huge feat for the brand to bounce back as its success was always entwined with Harvey.

'While its clear Chapman had a huge advantage whilst trying to make her name as a dress designer of choice for the A-list it seems not everyone thinks her former links to Harvey should see he death of her brand.

Virginia Williams opted for Marchesa when she tied the knot with rapper Pusha T in June this year, in a star-studded ceremony at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach

Meghan McCain, daughter of Senator John McCain, wore Marchesa at the height of the Hollywood sex scandal when she married her beau Ben Domenech in December

'And whilse her ethics were questionable its clear without the former persuasive force of Harvey the brand is still one that people may wear.

'In the fashion industry a scandal isnt unusual and usually when the dust settles if a collection is beautiful it will always be in the red carpet, here Marchesa is testament to this.'

Marchesa was founded in 2004, the same year that Chapman and Weinstein met, and enjoyed instant success, thanks to a handful of actresses who boosted its profile by wearing some of its earliest gowns to premieres and events.

In October 2017, Felicity Huffman claimed that Weinstein had threatened to pull publicity funding for her 2005 film Transamerica if she didn't wear his wife's gowns on the red carpet.
Clothing retailer Boden appears to be cashing in on the 'Kate effect' by launching a dress that looks strikingly similar to one worn by the Duchess of Cambridge.

The brand unveiled a smart tailored tweed dress that seems to give a nod to the 1,790 Gucci piece worn by Kate, 36, at London's V&A museum last year.

Boden's version, which costs a much more purse friendly 150, has the same blue tweed and bright red piping as the royal's designer number.

Dress like a duchess! Boden unveiled a 150 tweed dress (pictured) that is similar to the 1,790 Gucci piece worn by Kate, 36, at London's V&A museum last year

Duchess does designer: Kate in the original Gucci dress, pictured, during the outing last year

The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in Boden for the first time in January, donning a red coat for an outing to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London.

It appears the retailer, which sells through catalogues and online, is keen to continue its royal association with the smart tweed Adelaide dress.

The dress is a flattering knee-length - just like the Gucci version - and features similar red and blue piping on the arms, hemline and waist.

The brand's website reveals the piece is made from 100 per cent pure Shetland wool. It runs from a size six to a size 22 and is currently in stock in all sizes.

One of the few differences - aside from the price tag - is that Boden's version doesn't feature pockets on the hips and chest or a zip down the front.

Thrifty Kate! The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in Boden for the first time in January, donning a red coat for an outing to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London, pictured

Thrifty Kate is known for shopping in high street stores, as well as donning designer pieces from brands like Gucci and her beloved Jenny Packham.

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White recently said Kate's love of high street stores like Zara is a reflection of her personality after it was revealed the brand is her go to for off-duty wear.

She told FEMAIL: 'I think Kate wearing Zara is reflection of who she is and the type of fashion she would choose if not a royal.

'Kate is a normal girl at heart who hasnt lost her sense of style or who she is because she is a princess.

Spot the difference: Both dresses are made of similar blue tweed and have bright red piping, but Kate's version has pockets on the chest and hips (left) while Boden's is plain (right)

Style hit: Kate wore the dress to the museum's new exhibition spaces and met with their designer and museum staff, before being presented with a bunch of flowers by a young guest

'I feel that Zara is a brand that helps her keep a sense of self and shows of her own fashion choices when not in royal mode.'

Kate, who is currently on maternity leave after the birth of Prince Louis in April, recently showed off her devotion to Jenny Packham dresses on one of her most recent public appearances.

She attended Wimbledon Women's Final with new sister-in-law Meghan Markle wearing a mid-length polka dot dress by the brand.
Victoria Lee's modelling career is continuing to reach new heights and now she has shared one of her main beauty secrets.

The Victoria's Secret model, who is originally from country New South Wales, has recently been named a David Jones ambassador and has fronted campaigns for brands including Seafolly.

Her busy schedule means Victoria often forsakes sleep, but there is one product she uses that makes it look like she's had a solid night's shut-eye.

She told Byrdie that the product in question is an under eye de-puffer, which is a product she learnt about backstage at a Victoria's Secret show.

Victoria Lee has been compared to Miranda Kerr and now she has shared one of her main beauty secrets

She said that because of her schedule she is often running on little sleep but she uses an eye de-puffer to make it look like she's had a solid night's sleep

'I love the ones by Equal Beauty ($110). You pop them under your eyes, and they immediately wake you up,' Victoria told the publication.

'I use them anytime I want to look like I've had a full night's sleep (even when I haven't).'

Victoria said the earliest beauty memory she has is of her Nan, who moisturised her entire body every day, which resulted in the 'most hydrated skin'.

The model said that has influenced her own skincare routine as she loves oils and moisturisers.

'I love the ones by Equal Beauty ($110). You pop them under your eyes, and they immediately wake you up,' she said

'I use them anytime I want to look like I've had a full nights' sleep (even when I haven't),' she added

Victoria said the earliest beauty memory she has is of her Nan, who moisturised her entire body every day, which resulted in the 'most hydrated skin'

'The main thing I focus on is keeping my skin healthy - nourishing it from the inside and protecting it on the outside,' she said.

Victoria makes sure to drink plenty of water, eat a lot of greens and healthy fats, and she ensures to get as much sleep as she can.

When it comes to makeup she said she likes to follow the approach of less is more.

'The main thing I focus on is keeping my skin healthynourishing it from the inside and protecting it on the outside,' she said

This means she only uses concealer, bronzer, highlighter, a bit of mascara and a taupe eyeshadow.

Because she wears so much makeup for work Victoria tries to avoid using foundation all over her face when she has the chance.

Day to day she uses YSL Touche Eclat under her eyes and around my nose and she covers any blemishes with Diorskin Forever Concealer.

Aside from this, she just leaves the rest of her skin bare.
International model Karolina Kurkova was chosen to walk in David Jones' Spring/Summer Collection showing on Wednesday evening.

The Czech-born glamazon has worked for the likes of Vogue and been invited to the Met Gala, but one of her greatest honours was a place in the Victoria's Secret fashion show four years in a row.

Although she has semi-retired her wings as an Angel - but would happily put them back on if the underwear giant asked her to - she's still honing her prized physique for other runways like David Jones.

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International model Karolina Kurkova was chosen to walk in David Jones' Spring/Summer Collection showing on Wednesday evening

Although she has semi-retired her wings as an Angel she's still honing her prized physique for other runways like David Jones (pictured)

In speaking with 9Honey, Karolina said she didn't do anything especially different to prepare for the Australian show because she tries to stay in shape year-round.

'For me, I try to take care of myself every day as part of my lifestyle. From skin to my insides to my body and mind I try and take care of me, it's not like "Oh for three months I won't do this or that",' she said.

Instead she focuses on keeping her skin flawless with two very unique - and expensive products.

The Czech-born glamazon has worked for the likes of Vogue and been invited to the Met Gala, but one of her greatest honours was a place in the Victoria's Secret fashion show four years in a row

In speaking with 9Honey , Karolina said she didn't do anything especially different to prepare for the Australian show because she tries to stay in shape year-round

'I like to use Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 ($135) for cleansing and exfoliating. It also keeps my skin feeling pure and fresh when I travel - it's a must-have for me,' she explained.

'Besides Biologquie Recheres P50, I also like this exfoliating cleanser from Cosmedix and May Lindstrom's The Honey Mud Mask ($121), it's all natural and really cleanses your pores.'

She puts a range of masks on when she boards a flight so that by the time she lands her face is cleansed and supple.

She puts a range of masks on when she boards a flight so that by the time she lands her face is cleansed and supple

Karolina shone bright on the David Jones catwalk on Wednesday evening at Fox Studios wearing a navy v-neck one piece.

She was flanked by ambassadors Victoria Lee and Jessica Gomes in matching white and grey ensembles.

Her favourite brands from the retailer include Dion Lee, Camilla & Marc, Kit X and Ellery.
A breastfeeding mother was left 'humiliated' after she was told to cover up while nursing her daughter in a dentist's waiting room.

Suzie Ramirez, 24, of Moultrie, Georgia, claims staff told her to place a blanket over her daughter's head or move into another room because she was making teenage boys feel uncomfortable.

In a video filmed by Mrs Ramirez of the incident, a member of staff appears to suggest teenage boys sitting nearby do 'not look at breastfeeding in the same way'.

She adds: 'This is not your home. This is an office, okay?'

Mother-of-four Suzie Ramirez claims she was told to cover herself while breastfeeding four-month-old daughter Dianerys, pictured, in a dentist's office in Georgia

In a video filmed by Mrs Ramirez of the incident, a member of staff tells her 'this is not your home, this is an office'. The dentist's surgery claims there was a 'miscommunication'

The member of staff, whose face has been muzzed in the clip, also suggests the teenage boys sitting nearby do not look at breastfeeding in the same way and might feel uncomfortable

Speaking after the incident, Mrs Ramirez said: 'I feed my baby in large public places and never have a problem.

'I couldn't believe this was happening, especially in a dentist's office. I felt humiliated, embarrassed, angry. A lot of feelings at once.'

The incident took place when Mrs Ramirez visited A Confident Smile in Thomasville, Georgia, with her four children and husband Selvin Oliva, 28, last Thursday.

She told how she began to feed her youngest child, four-month-old daughter Dianerys, when she started to cry because she was hungry.

'I took her out of the car seat and started breastfeeding her, which is completely normal,' Mrs Ramirez said.

'A minute later this lady came and put a blanket on me. All I heard her say was, "I have teenagers".

'Natural and healthy': Mrs Ramirez told how she often breastfeeds in public but had never been made to feel uncomfortable. She said she 'couldn't believe' she was told to cover up

'I thought she had put it on me in case the baby was cold, but the blanket was really heavy and Dianerys started fussing.

'I put the blanket to the side and I saw the woman from the desk look up. She started waving her finger at me. She repeated again "there's teenagers here".'

Mrs Ramirez said she asked the teenagers whether they were uncomfortable and they said 'no'.

The mother continued: 'She suggested teenagers don't see it as just breastfeeding. She said if I didn't want to use the blanket I could go into a different room.

Speaking out: Mrs Ramirez, pictured with husband Selvin Oliva and daughter Dianerys, said she didn't want any other breastfeeding mothers to be shamed in the same way

'I wasn't doing anything wrong at all. I wasn't showing my boobs to anyone.'

Mrs Ramirez added that she wanted to share her experience because she didn't want other women to feel shamed for 'something so natural and healthy'.

She added: 'I don't want other mothers to go through what I went through. They should feel confident when feeding their babies.'

A spokesperson for the clinic denied staff were trying to 'control' Mrs Ramirez and said there had been 'a miscommunication'.

Standing her ground: Mrs Ramirez, pictured with Dianerys, said she refused to be moved

The spokesperson continued: 'Management offered her a private room and/or a clean afghan [blanket] for her family's comfort and convenience.

'There was a miscommunication along the way, as management misunderstood and thought Ms. Ramirez did want to use the afghan and tried to be of help as Ms. Ramirez's hands were full. This initial conversation was not captured on Ms. Ramirez's video.

'As it turns out, Ms. Ramirez declined these offerings and the fallout is what is on these videos.

'We sincerely apologize to Ms. Ramirez and those who have been offended by our response. We immediately reached out to her and personally offered our deepest regrets for her unpleasant experience in our office.'
A mother has revealed how her passion for designer Louboutin heels turned into a 70,000-a-year business, and she only has to work two hours a day.

Charlotte Jones, 30, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, fell in love with the famous shoe brand - loved by celebrities including Kate Moss and Beyonce, when her partner bought her a pair as a gift.

Charlotte, who is mother to daughters Anyssa, seven, Briseis, three months, and stepmother to stepson Jack, 11, wore the heels into the ground during a holiday to Ibiza three years ago, and realised they were so battered she needed a new pair.

But she didn't want to pay the hefty 800 price tag for new ones and was worried getting them from eBay would mean she ended up with fakes.

So she resolved to set up her own online shoe salon last year, specialising in unworn and unwanted Loubs at a fraction of the cost.

Charlotte now runs her own brand Love Luxe from her home and makes more money than her partner Dael Baxter, 33, an internet marketer who works full time.

Love Luxe is a resale site meaning that private sellers contact Charlotte and offer her unwanted and often unworn gifts which she then purchases and sells on for a profit.

She sells an array of designer shoes from 120 for a pre-owned pair of Louboutins to 495 for brand new pair. Customers can also scoop a pair of less high end shoes for as little as 10.

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Charlotte Jones, 30, has revealed how her passion for designer Louboutin heels turned into a 70,000-a-year business, and she only has to work two hours a day

Charlotte fell in love with the famous shoe brand - loved by celebrities including Kate Moss and Beyonce, when her partner bought her a pair as a gift (her impressive shoe collection seen)

She says more women should have the confidence to set up their own businesses doing what they love.

The mother-of-two spent a year learning how to properly authenticate the shoes, named after high end French stiletto creator Christian Louboutin, who has been designing women's heels since 1991.

Charlotte has now sold upwards of 400 pairs of Louboutins and celebrity fans include glamour model Chloe Khan and reality star Jodie Marsh.

She also sells other high end designer gear like Chanel and Alexander McQueen.

But her real passion is still Louboutins. She now has a network of private sellers, many with collections in the hundreds.

Charlotte is mother to daughters Anyssa, seven, Briseis, three months, and stepmother to stepson Jack, 11, with Dael Baxter, 33, an internet marketer who works full time

Charlotte now runs her own brand www.loveluxe.co.uk from her home and makes more money than her partner- collecting boxed and unworn shoes from across the country

HOW CHARLOTTE'S SHOE BUSINESS WORKS Love Luxe is a resale site meaning they specialise in buying and selling pre-loved designer items in new or nearly-new conditions. Before she began Love Luxe Charlotte sold designer goods online on auction sites and other designer resale sites, for many years. However, the commission percentages that these sites take are usually in the region of 30-40 per cent meaning that items have to be listed at a much higher price just to make sure that these costs are covered and the buyer ends up paying more. Deciding to cut out all of the 'middle- men' and extra costs Charlotte launched her website. She tends to keep her stock selection fairly small, but constantly updates the collection to keep up with customer demand. As well as purchasing products customers can sell their preowned designer goods to Charlotte through the website. All of the items on the website are held at the South Yorkshire Head Office and have already undergone the thorough authentication process by our Authentication with every item coming with a 100 per cent authenticity money-back guarantee. Advertisement

Most of the time the shoes she sells are boxed and unworn, with their owners being given so many pairs by partners and husbands that they simply can't wear them all.

'It's hard to believe, but there are ladies out there with hundreds of pairs and many of them aren't even fussed,' Charlotte said.

'It started by chance really. About three years ago, I only had one pair of Louboutins and I'd worn them to death.

'Me and my partner had a nice holiday planned, we were going to Ibiza and planned to try out some really nice restaurants and I wanted to look good.

After struggling to find affordable designer wear, she resolved to set up her own online shoe salon last year, specialising in unworn and unwanted Loubs at a fraction of the cost (seen with baby daughter Briseis, three months)

Most of the time the shoes she sells are boxed and unworn, with their owners being given so many pairs by partners and husbands that they simply can't wear them all (Charlotte's collection)

'Obviously I needed some new shoes but I didn't want to buy two or three pairs of Louboutins at full price because they're so expensive.

'I was looking around and realised that there wasn't really anything in between.

'You can either buy them full price or you can chance it on eBay, but it's full of fakes and you never really know whether they're authentic.

'I contacted some private sellers and managed to get two or three pairs at less than half the price. I just thought 'There's a market for this.' It started as a hobby and then just snowballed.'

The mother-of-two spent a year learning how to properly authenticate the shoes, named after high end French stiletto creator Christian Louboutin, who has been designing women's heels since 1991 (with stepson jack, 11, and daughter Anyssa, seven)

She also sells other high end designer gear like Chanel and Alexander McQueen (Daughter Briseis, three months, seen with designer handbags)

Charlotte's site has taken off since she launched it just a year ago with the help of her internet marketer husband

Charlotte never refurbishes the shoes - in fact she doesn't have to as there are so many unwanted pairs out there that have never been worn.

Part of the job is driving hundreds of miles to pick up pairs from across the country and her car is often crammed full of Louboutin cardboard boxes.

As well as selling the brand, she also has her own collection of 11 pairs - including her first ever 495 Irizas - but says her tastes are always evolving.

Her aim was to allow women just like her the opportunity to be able to afford a pair of designer shoes without having to fork out for the huge price tag, which for many was unaffordable.

Most of the time the shoes she sells are boxed and unworn, with their owners being given so many pairs by partners and husbands that they simply can't wear them all (Charlotte's collection)

Charlotte even offers prospective purchasers credit if they need it as well as a 14-day return window (Daughter Anyssa, 7, trying on the Louboutins)

She even offers prospective purchasers credit if they need it as well as a 14-day return window.

Charlotte said: 'A lot of the shoes are brand new, the ladies have been bought them as gifts and they don't fit or they don't like them.

'You'd be amazed, some women have huge collections and they never wear them.

'Every lady should be able to buy a pair of high end shoes.'

And she added: 'I don't make too much of a profit. I try and keep the price as low as possible.

Before, Charlotte was a part time debt collector for a mobile phone company but couldn't see her job going anywhere - now she enjoys being her own boss

Now she works just a few hours a day around childcare and the school run.- as well as owning a healthy shoe collection (seen)

'A lot of them are only past season and they're half the price.

'One of my main sellers, her husband worked in London and he'd bring her back Louboutins every weekend and she wasn't that bothered about them. She had hundreds of pairs so she just got rid of them all.

'I love helping people get a beautiful pair of shoes.'

Before, Charlotte was a part time debt collector for a mobile phone company but couldn't see her job going anywhere.

Now she works just a few hours a day around childcare and the school run.

As well as selling the brand, she also has her own collection of 11 pairs - including her first ever 495 Irizas - but says her tastes are always evolving (seen enjoying a well-deserved holiday)

Her aim was to allow women just like her the opportunity to be able to afford a pair of designer shoes without having to fork out for the huge price tag, which for many was unaffordable

Part of the job is driving hundreds of miles to pick up pairs from across the country and her car is often crammed full of Louboutin cardboard boxes (seen with partner Dael)

'It fits perfectly with motherhood,' she admits. 'I've got three children and I work from home. It's easy. It's a great job if you want flexibility.

'I used to work part time but I can now make on one item what I made in a month before.

'I enjoy it as well. I love shoes and bags so it's perfect for me.

'I'd definitely encourage other women to consider this job. Just try it, if it doesn't work it's not the end of the world.

'I'm living a very nice lifestyle and I'm not in an office for eight hours a day doing a job I hate. My motto is work smart, not hard.'

She has had celebrities including Chloe Khan (pictured) buy shoes from her booming online business
A seven-year-old girl born with Down Syndrome is building a successful child modelling career.

Grace Isabella Wharton from Cheshire, signed with an agency last year and has already worked a number of jobs for the likes of Disney and CBeebies.

The schoolgirl also starred in a diversity campaign called, 'Behind the Scars', and has amassed more than 1,000 followers on Instagram.

And despite being born with Down Syndrome, a condition that significantly affects the fundamental aspects of one's life, Grace is determined to not let it define her with the help of her parents, Cheryl and John Wharton.

Grace Isabella Wharton, seven, from Cheshire who has Down syndrome has built a succesful career in the modelling industry with brands including CBeebies and Disney among her portfolio

Cheryl, 48, said: 'Grace absolutely loves being in front of the camera. 'Everyone has always said she's really cute and she loves posing, she loves showing off her catwalk modelling.

'She absolutely loves the attention. Grace is definitely one in a million.'

Cheryl was devastated when she first discovered that her unborn baby was going to have Down Syndrome - but abortion was never an option for her and her husband John, 47.

She said: 'Of course, I was devastated at first. 'There's such a lot of negativity surrounding Down Syndrome. I cried for 24 hours.

Mother Cheryl, 48, revealed Grace's (pictured centre with her family) modelling career begun after she spotted an advert on Facebook for a model with a disability

Cheryl claims Grace who signed with an agency last year increased in confidence beyond what she thought was possible and has a desire for attention

'But we got up the next morning and said no matter what, this is our baby. 'And from that point on, we have just celebrated everything about her. She is incredible.'

And six years later, Grace's confidence reached a new level that Cheryl never thought was possible. Cheryl recognised Grace's desire for attention and her love of being in front of the camera.

'We saw an advertisement on Facebook asking for a model with a disability,' Cheryl continued.

'We thought, why not? And a couple of weeks later we were invited to Grace's first official photo-shoot.

Grace who has over 1000 Instagram followers also starred in the viral 'Behind The Scars' diversity campaign

Cheryl (pictured with Grace) revealed she cried for 24 hours after receiving the news that her first child, Grace would be born with Down Syndrome

'She walked into the room and twerked in front of everyone. It was hilarious.

'Grace was then signed up within a very short space of time. Disney showed interest in her and she's done work with them, CBeebies and the BBC since. She's been really busy.'

Grace is now represented by Zebedee Management, a company that celebrates models with diversity.

Co-founder, Laura Johnson, set up the business with her sister-in-law, Zoe Proctor, and they have started to make a real impact on the lives of people like Grace around the UK.

John (pictured playing with Grace at a recent photo shoot) claims his daughter, Grace has always come through everything she has had to face

Teacher Charlotte Williams (pictured with Grace) revealed seven-year-old model Grace, is perhaps the most popular girl in her class

Laura said: 'We felt that there weren't enough opportunities for people with disabilities within fashion, advertising, TV and film and we really wanted to see a change.

'It's been a whirlwind since we first set it up about a year ago. We've got over 300 models working with us now and it's going really well.

'Straight away we knew that Grace was going to be amazing in her role. She is such a gorgeous little thing, so smiley and full of confidence.

'She is definitely one of our success stories.'

Grace is also performing really well in her school life and has become one of the most popular members in her class.

And Grace's teacher, Charlotte Williams, recognised her potential and ability to learn straight away.

Charlotte said: 'I am very lucky because I have had Grace in my class for two years now.

'She astounds me on a day-to-day basis. She is a bundle of energy and is fiercely independent.

'Grace is probably the most popular member of her class  everybody wants to be her friend.'

Cherly has hopes Grace will be able to raise awareness for other families who have been affected by Down Syndrome

Grace's family believe their daughter continues to defy everyone whoever told her that she couldn't do anything

Grace still has her struggles from day to day, for example, with her speech and communication.

Cheryl said: 'Grace has been through a lot since she was born. She has had some major surgeries, but she's never been really ill.

'I would say Grace's biggest struggle is probably her speech. People with Down Syndrome have low muscle tone, which also affects the muscles in their mouths.

'Grace is talking, which we are thrilled about. Sometimes she is hard to understand, but she gets there in the end.

'And hopefully her speech continues to improve.'

Grace, Cheryl and the family are now looking to raise awareness for other families who have been affected by Down Syndrome  and to show them that anything is possible.

'It is very important for us to get the message across that she is just a little girl who happens to have Down Syndrome,' Cheryl said.

'It's no big deal, she is a feisty little girl and will always just be our daughter.

'Society is changing a lot now  and for the better. Hopefully people like Grace are changing people's perspectives.

'She continues to defy everyone whoever told her she couldn't do anything.'

Grace's father, John, added: 'She's always come through everything that she was faced with. She's our little fighter.'
He greeted his bride at the altar by gushing: 'You look amazing'.

And it seems Prince Harry was so enamoured with Meghan's wedding look, he went out of his way to thank her makeup artist on their big day.

According to celebrity beauty guru Daniel Martin, who has worked with the Duchess for many years, Harry was thrilled that he had made his new wife - sporting a natural, timeless look with neutral colours - look like her 'best self'.

He told InStyle: 'I know exactly what [Meghan] does and doesnt like. After the ceremony Harry kept saying thank you. He was thanking me for making her look like herself.'

Celebrity beauty guru Daniel Martin, who is based in New York City and was asked to do Meghan's makeup on her wedding day. He has revealed that Harry 'kept thanking' him

According to makeup artist Daniel Martin, Harry was thrilled that he had made his new wife - who sported a natural, timeless look with neutral colours - like her 'best self' on May 19

Explaining the inspiration behind Meghan's classic bridal look, he told the magazine: 'The last thing you want [is] to look at your wedding pictures and go, "Remember when highlighting was the rage?"

'At the end of the day, you want to look like your best self.'

Daniel was one of four people who assisted Meghan as she got ready to walk down the aisle, along with her mother, Doria Ragland, dress designer Clare Waight Keller, and hair stylist Serge Normant.

Meghan played '1950s, chilled music' on Spotify, and Doria was 'in good spirits', Daniel has previously revealed.

He also told People magazine that he had asked Meghan, who has been his friend for almost a decade, how he should referred to her now that she's a royal.

The newly-married Duke and Duchess of Sussex ride a horse-drawn carriage after their wedding ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19

'I asked her that. "Do I bow to you? I don't want to disrespect you, but I've known for almost ten years. What's up?''' he said. 'She started laughing and she said, "I'm always going to be Meg. Meg.'''

The make-up artist, who is based in New York City, still pledged to 'be respectful and know [his] protocol' next time he sees the Duchess of Sussex.

Daniel, whose A-list clients include Jessica Alba and Elisabeth Moss works as a brand ambassador for Dior, as well as the creative color consultant for Honest Beauty, Jessica's label.

Despite doing Meghan's wedding makeup, he revealed recently that she has been doing her own make-up for high profile events rather than enlisting professional help.

Harry and Meghan leave the chapel following their wedding ceremony on May 19. The Duchess has worked with makeup artist Daniel Martin for almost ten years and invited him to share her big day - going for a classic beauty look with natural colours to compliment her simple dress

Newly-married Harry and Meghan leave Windsor Castle for Frogmore House on May 19. Meghan invited makeup artist Daniel Martin on her big day and asked him to call her 'Meg'

Posting a recent photo of her on Instagram he wrote: 'I didn't [do the make-up] but she's so good herself, right!?', before replying to another fan: 'She did her make-up herself for this.'

Meghan has always stuck to a low-key make-up routine, previously claiming it takes her no more than five minutes to get ready in the morning and she prefers light make-up to let her freckles show.

In 2014, the former actress described her low-key routine to Allure, saying: 'My routine is very simple  I call it the five-minute face. It's just [YSL concealer] Touche Eclat, curled lashes, mascara, Chap Stick, and a little bit of blush.

'That is my favorite kind of look. If I'm going to amp it up for night, then I use MAC. Teddy eyeliner, which is a really beautiful brown that has some gold in it.'

Following Meghan Markle's big day, her makeup artist Daniel Martin posted this heartfelt message on Instagram, writing that he was thrilled 'to be part of such a memorable day, not only in your life, but in history'

In 2016, Meghan herself told Beauty Banter about some other products she swears by, including Laura Mercier's Illuminating Primer, 29.

'I dont wear foundation unless Im filming, so this is what I put on everyday after moisturizer to give my skin a dewy glow,' she said.

Other products she named include NARS' Orgasm blush, 24, Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap in lavender and almond, 10, and Biore's Cleaning Cloths, 6.

'Theyre great to keep in the car and on your nightstand when you have those horribly lazy nights that the thought of getting up to actually wash your face seems unbearable,' she said.
Princess Beatrice's family have shared their wishes to mark her 30th birthday - with some very personal touches.

Proud mother Sarah Ferguson revealed her secret nickname for her eldest daughter in a touching Instagram post, revealing she calls her 'Trixi Belle'

The Duchess of York, 58, posted two previously-unseen childhood photos of a young Beatrice and younger sister Eugenie.

She wrote: 'Happy birthday my Trixie-Belle so proud of you,' with the post quickly amassing thousands of likes and comments.

However, Fergie's ex-husband Prince Andrew posted a message that was rather more formal in tone, writing: 'Happy 30th Birthday to Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice.'

Eugenie, 28, shared another childhood snap of the sisters alongside two previously unseen photographs of Beatrice and the sisters with their mother, writing: 'Happy 30th birthday to you Beatrice... what an amazing sister you are and we are so proud of the person you have become!'

Princess Beatrice's family have taken to Instagram to wish her a happy 30th birthday, including this post from her sister Eugenie, 28, who called her an 'amazing sister'

Princess Eugenie also shared this previously unseen photograph of her elder sister to mark her birthday

The Duchess of York has wished her daughter Beatrice (right) a happy 30th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post containing two childhood snaps - and said she is 'so proud' of her

Contrast: Princess Beatrice's father, Prince Andrew, also posted a birthday message on social media but his was much more formal than Fergie's - calling his daughter 'Her Royal Highness'

Beatrice, who works for business management consultancy Afiniti and splits her time between London, Windsor and New York, is believed to be celebrating privately today.

She and 28-year-old Eugenie hit headlines last week with their first ever joint interview, a glossy fashion spread in British Vogue in which they lifted the lid on life as a working royal.

Eugenie, who will tie the knot with long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank in October, admitted she recently 'got into trouble' for posting a snap of her father in a private corner of Buckingham Palace.

In the offending photo, Andrew, 58, looked smart in his regimental uniform following his debut as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

Beatrice (right, with younger sister Eugenie) turns 30 today and is believed to be celebrating privately with friends and family. She split her time between New York, London and Windsor

Eugenie also shared a photograph of Beatrice as a baby being held by the Duchess of a York (pictured)

Proud mum Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, poses with daughter Beatrice in 2016. The Duchess of York has publicly wished Beatrice a happy 30th birthday on Instagram

Sisters Beatrice, left, and Eugenie, right (pictured at a Louis Vuitton party in London in November 2017) recently took part in their first joint interview for fashion bible Vogue

It was one of a series of fascinating revelations from the two sisters in the fashion bible's September issue.

During the accompanying photo shoot, at their Windsor home Royal Lodge, the siblings posed in couture clothing from designers including Valentino, Erdem and Simone Rocha.

But disaster struck when one of the family's five Norfolk terriers 'relieved' itself on Beatrice's foil cape from British designer Richard Quinn, Ellie Pithers revealed.

And according to the fashion features editor, Vogue's fashion team got an unexpected visitor in the form of Fergie, who shares a home with her ex-husband and daughters, and had just jetted in from a trip to Sardinia.

This photo posted by Eugenie got the princess into 'trouble', she recently revealed. Her father Prince Andrew, 58, looked smart following his debut as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards at Trooping the Colour - but he was posing in a part of Palace normally off limits to the public

As Beatrice and Eugenie posed for their first Vogue shoot, they got an unexpected visitor in the form of their mother, the Duchess of York (pictured here at a gala in New York City)

'You look beautiful! Great hair. Let's make those eyes pop,' Fergie is quoted as saying, before declaring herself a 'Pony Club mother'.

The two sisters - who call their mother 'Mumsy' - also touched on everything from life in the spotlight to fashion, social media and Eugenie's upcoming wedding in the interview.

At one point, they discussed living in the public eye as they say they constantly face mockery and criticism.

Of doing media interviews, Beatrice, 29, said: Its hard to navigate situations like these because there is no precedent, there is no protocol.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie (pictured at the V&A Summer Party in London, June 2017) touched on everything from life in the spotlight to fashion, social media and Eugenie's upcoming wedding in the interview with British Vogue for the magazine's September issue)

Speaking in British Vogue this week, Eugenie and Beatrice (pictured at Royal Ascot in June 2017) discussed living in the public eye and said they constantly face mockery and criticism

We are the first: we are young women trying to build careers and have personal lives, and were also princesses, and doing all of this in the public eye.'

Eugenie, who will tie the knot with Jack Brooksbank in October, added: We want to show people who we are as working, young, royal women, but also not to be afraid of putting ourselves out there.'

Nowadays its so easy to recoil when you see a perfect image on Instagram - but its important that its real. Were real.
From a candid behind-the-scenes snaps to perfectly poised magazine shoots, these stunning portraits capture the many sides of Audrey Hepburn.

The images, taken by some of the most prolific photographers of the 20th century, celebrate the life and accomplishments of the Hollywood icon away from the silver screen.

Among the most striking is a black-and-white photo of Hepburn pulling a face as she had her hair shampooed on the set of her 1953 film Sabrina.

This photo of Audrey Hepburn wearing Givenchy was taken by Norman Parkinson, in Rome, Italy, for a feature in Glamour Magazine in June 1955. It is among a number of rare portraits of the star that will go on display this month as part of a new exhibition at London's Proud Gallery

Photographer Mark Shaw captures Audrey Hepburn pulling a funny face as she has her hair shampooed while filming Sabrina in 1953. The image was published in LIFE magazine

Hepburn shows off her glamorous Hollywood starlet persona as she lounges on an outdoor sofa in an outtake from the cover of an international issue of LIFE, published September 1954

Others show the star dressed up to the nines as she transformed into a model to grace the pages of the world's biggest magazines.

The photos, many of them rarely seen, will go on display this month in a new exhibition at London's Proud Galleries.

It is being staged to coincide with the 25th anniversary of her death, on 20 January 1993.

The collection brings together the work of Norman Parkinson, Eva Sereny, Mark Shaw and Douglas Kirkland, among others, with each being celebrated for their distinct portrayals of Hepburn.

Bob Willoughby's portraits of a young Hepburn, fresh-faced just after the release of her first film 'Roman Holiday' are presented alongside Terry O'Neill's youthful colour portraits which exude her playful sense of humour.

The star looks every inch the leading lady in this elegant photo taken by Norman Parkinson, at 'La Vigna' villa, near Rome, Italy whilst between filming of King Vidor's 'War and Peace' in August 1955. The perfectly-lit shot was published in Glamour magazine

Bob Willoughby snaps Audrey Hepburn getting into the Paramount Studios car in 1953

Meanwhile Mark Shaw's candid portraits of Hepburn, taken from a LIFE magazine shoot in 1953, detail the actress's routine on set during the filming of 'Sabrina', 1954.

Born in Belgium in 1929 to a Dutch baroness, Hepburn studied ballet throughout her formative years and had ambitions of becoming a professional dancer.

At the end of the Second World War, Hepburn relocated to London where she was scouted during a performance of Cecil Landeau's 'Sauce Piquante', in 1950.

From there she enjoyed a meteoric rise to the very pinnicle of the film industry.

The actress channels her inner cover girl in this Douglas Kirkland photo taken in Paris, 1965

A contemplative Audrey Hepburn with a dove perched on her shoulder, in 1966

Just three years later she landed her first leading film role in Roman Holiday and the performance was awarded with a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

The actress, who had roles in 25 films, also devoted much of her time to charity work and philanthropy.

Noting her lasting impact on society, the Proud Gallery notes: 'Audrey Hepburn: Beyond the Screen exhibits portraits of Audrey Hepburn throughout her life and career, recognising her position in the history of popular culture as well as her contribution to society a quarter of a century after her death.'

Audrey Hepburn: Beyond the Screen, Proud Central, 17th August  30th September 2018, www.proud.co.uk
Hardy attended Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in May with his wife

Tom Hardy has opened up about his friendship with Prince Harry, who he described as a 'f*****g legend'.

Speaking to Esquire magazine, the actor 40, said his bond with the Duke of Sussex was 'deeply private'.

Hardy and Prince Harry, 33, have been friends for a number of years and were spotted mingling at the Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth Park Polo Club in Berkshire in 2016.

The Dark Knight Rises star was even invited to Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in May.

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Tom Hardy, 40, called Prince Harry, 33, a 'f*****g legend' and said they had a 'deeply private bond'. They were spotted mingling at the Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth Park Polo Club in Berkshire in 2016 (pictured)

Hardy was asked why he was invited to the wedding, which he attended with his wife Charlotte Riley.

He wouldn't go into details about the friendship, simply saying it was 'deeply private'.

However, he would say his royal friend was a 'f*****g legend' during the interview.

He also opened up about receiving a CBE in the Queen's Honours List, which he called an 'honour'.

Hardy was even invited to Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in May, which he attended with his wife Charlotte Riley (pictured)

The actor wouldn't say why he had been invited to Harry and Meghan's wedding. Pictured: the couple during the Sentebale Polo 2018 held at the Royal County of Berkshire

Hardy revealed that his assistant almost rejected the honour after mistakenly assuming he wouldn't want one.

He said: 'She refused it by accident. I was like, ''Noooo! I want that one!''

'You wouldn't see me doing that for a Bafta! Ha! With no disrespect.'

Hardy and Prince Harry were spotted looking deep in conversation at the the Audi Polo Challenge two years ago.

Hardy starred with Harry and his brother the Duke of Cambridge in Star Wars in 2010, but the scene didn't make the final cut of the film. Pictured: The royals visit the film set at Pinewood Studios

The pair posed for pictures with the rest of Harry's polo team, which included his brother the Duke of Cambridge, 36.

It is believed that they met back in 2010 when the actor became an ambassador for The Prince's Trust.

William and Harry also had a cameo in Star Wars alongside the actor in 2010, but the scene didn't make the final cut of the film.

Hardy and actress Charlotte Riley are thought to have tied the knot in 2014 and the couple have a child together.

The actor also has a son from a previous relationship.

Hardy and Riley starred together in Peaky Blinders and met on the set of an adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
They have won her many an admirer over the years, so it should come as no surprise that Julia Roberts' infectious laugh and smile take center stage in her latest beauty campaign.

The 50-year-old actress and Lancome beauty ambassador stars in a short 'film' this month to promote the company's popular fragrance, La vie est belle, that is due to be released later this month.

Ahead of the film's debut on August 26 however, Lancome has released a series of stunning behind-the-scenes teaser images that show the star - who has been an ambassador for the brand since 2009 - as the life and soul of the party.

Gorgeous: Brand ambassador Julia Roberts stars in Lancome's latest campaign

Stay tuned... Though the commercial will not debut until later this month, the brand has released teaser images from the shoot that give a sneak peek at what is to come

Wet fun: The ad features the 50-year-old playing in a fountain in Paris

The new ad was shot by French filmmaker Bruno Aveillan, while still images are by photographer Alexi Lubomirski.

In the teaser snaps, Julia is pictured on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris, where a well-dressed crowd has gathered.

Musicians play on the esplanade, but the other people are all 'preoccupied' and 'annoyed,' according to a statement issues by the brand explaining the story behind the upcoming film.

Julia, meanwhile, is living in the moment.

Wearing a pretty long-sleeve white dress with embellished cuffs, the A-lister walks by a water sculpture, and ends up getting splashed.

Inspiration: In the ad, her happiness is infectious and spreads to those around her

Pros: The new ad was shot by French filmmaker Bruno Aveillan, while still images were captured by photographer Alexi Lubomirski

Spritz: The ad is for the popular fragrance La vie est belle, which Julia - who signed with Lancome in 2009 - is the spokesperson for

She laughs, and decided to take off her shoes and play in the water  and her happiness 'spreads infectiously' over the scene.

Red carpet: On August 2, the actress also attended a special tribute performance of Pretty Woman: The Musical, in honor Garry Marshall in New York City

'With just a simple gesture, or a smile, Julia Roberts suffuses the space around her with happiness,' said the brand.

'In these moments, Julia helps [to] transform the ordinary into the extraordinary: happiness is even truer when its shared.

On their choice of spokesmodel, Lancome went on: 'Julia gives off a sense of heartfelt happiness that would melt the coldest heart.

'With this new chapter, Lancome reasserts its deep and sincere connection with women, and the vision of universal, free-spirited femininity that La vie est belle is such a lovely declaration of.'

While the ad is set in Paris, it was actually shot at Universal Studios in LA in a big production with 90 extras.

It's no wonder Julia got the star treatment, especially considering that she has worked with the brand for nearly a decade. She first signed with them in 2009, and appeared in her first campaign in 2010.

This month, the actress also attended a special tribute performance of Pretty Woman: The Musical, in honor Garry Marshall in New York City
Influencers have figured out a new way to make sure their legs look their best in their social media snaps  and the key is apparently to emulate the baby giraffe.

Eva Chen, the head of fashion at Instagram  who has a whopping 962,000 followers on the platform and is well-versed in the many trends that have swept the social network over the years  took to her Story earlier this week to detail the secrets of her 'baby giraffe pose'.

She shared a screenshot of a text conversation in which she was told her legs looked 'insane' in her last selfie, to which Eva, 38, responded by explaining it all has to do with her stance in the snap.

Stance: Eva Chen, the head of fashion at Instagram recently revealed the secrets to her 'baby giraffe pose', which she says gives an illusion of longer legs in photos

Compliments: Eva, 38, shared a screenshot of a text conversation in which she was told her legs looked 'insane' in her last selfie

Fan: One of Eva's followers also sang the praises of the pose after the head of fashion discussed it on her Instagram Story

'I stick my bum out and tilt one leg forward and the other leg back,' she wrote. 'Like I'm a baby giraffe walking.'

The pose, according to Eva, give the illusion of longer legs, resulting in especially flattering images.

To further prove her point, she posted a photo of herself performing the 'baby giraffe pose' in front of a mirror while snapping a selfie.

The photo sees Eva, dressed in a white T-shirt, denim skirt, and red vintage Chanel bag, bringing her left foot forward while her right leg stays at the back.

Many of her Instagram snaps see Eva performing a version of the same pose, and she has been known to adopt the same stance while being photographed at various events, including on the Met Gala red carpet in May.

Snaps: Eva previously performed the pose on the Met Gala red carpet in May (left). Bella Hadid, 21, pulled it off while wearing a slit dress in Rome (right)

Versions: Eva took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo of herself with Victoria's Secret model Martha Hunt, 29, performing her own trademark stance, 'the cowgirl'

Trick: Eva's 'baby giraffe pose' consists in putting one foot forward while the other stays at the back for an elongating effect

Secret: Other influencers and models, including Victoria's Secret star Elsa Hosk (center) and Jasmine Tookes (right) have used the same pose in their own shots

As it turns out, Eva is not the only one who has become a fan of the baby giraffe pose.

Other influencers, including Bella Hadid 21, have used it in their own social media shots.

In June, Bella posted a photo of herself in full baby giraffe stance, showcasing her long pins while wearing a long, golden slit dress in Rome.

Inspiration: Eva was inspired by baby giraffes to name her trademark pose

One of Eva's followers also sang the praises of the pose after the head of fashion discussed it on her Instagram Story.

'I accidentally discovered this exact pose while on a trip to Italy last week,' the follower wrote. 'I have short stubby legs  I am 5'1'' so this was fab for every single vacay pic!'

Other people have offered their own take on the baby giraffe pose.

Eva took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo of herself with Victoria's Secret model Martha Hunt, 29, performing her own trademark stance.

Martha, according to Eva, likes to pose with her hands in her pockets and one hip sticking out, in a stance she refers to as 'the cowgirl'.

Her fellow Victoria's Secret Angel Elsa Hosk, 29, does 'a similar move to the Baby Giraffe, but with a bit of a back arch,' Eva added.

This is not the first time a specific pose has taken over Instagram in the search for the most flattering stance.

Doll-like: The Barbie foot has also been hailed as the perfect way to elongate the legs in social media snaps. Bella Hadid is pictured performing the pose

Group: The biggest fans of the technique are the Kardashian-Jenner clan, who often use it in their Instagram snaps

Sparking trends have included the 'Bambi' pose, which sees women perch on their knees with their legs tucked beneath them, and the 'migraine' pose  touching the temples in head shots for a lifting effect on the face.

Doll: The name of the pose is inspired by Barbie dolls' feet, which are arched

The Barbie foot has also been hailed as the perfect way to elongate the legs in social media snaps.

Instagram's hottest stars have all used an exaggerated pointed toe  as seen on Barbie dolls  to elongate their legs, Who What Wear previously reported.

The website claimed that pointing the feet  almost as though you're wearing a pair of invisible heels  gives the illusion of longer legs.

The name of the pose is inspired by Barbie dolls' feet, which are permanently arched so children can easily slip on her heels.

Celebrities have been using the technique most often in their bikini shots to make their bare legs seem leaner.

Influencers such as Kendall Jenner and Bella have been photographed performing the stance in their own snaps.

The pose can be done while sitting down or standing up, with its fans sticking one pointed foot in front of the other for maximum leg-lengthening effect.

The look can be achieved by balancing on the balls of the feet, and most will throw their hands behind their heads to show off more of their figures.

The biggest fans of the technique are the Kardashian-Jenner clan, who often use it in their Instagram snaps.
The secret to a great gin and tonic is a perfect blend of both liquids, a squeeze of lime, and plenty of ice.

But while many may think you should drink your ice-cool tipple as quickly as possible so the ice doesn't water it down, an expert has revealed you should in fact let it melt before drinking.

Gin expert David T Smith, who has teamed up with Gordon's to provide the tips, told Good Housekeeping that drinkers should wait a minute or even two before starting to drink their favourite beverage for the best-tasting refreshment.

David T Smith, an ambassador for Gordon's gin, says that letting the ice for a minute or two helps to marry the flavours together as it lowers the temperature of the drink

He says that allowing the ice to melt slightly before drinking makes the flavours better.

He said: 'The use of ice... absorbs the heat of the drink, and this, in turn, is what turns the ice into water.

'When the ice begins to melt; this not only makes the drink cooler but helps to marry all the flavours together.'

A gin and tonic is often not complete without a slice of lime, despite some experts saying that the fruit can add 'mustiness' to the flavour

Gin experts often have conflicting advice on how to make the best gin.

Sam Carter, a senior ambassador at Bombay Sapphire, told Business Insider that you should never add a slice of lemon or lime to your drink as the citrus fruits add 'mustiness'.

The expert, who has 22 years experience in the drinks industry, said the perfect ingredients for a gin and tonic are actually ginger and mint.

Other connoisseurs say that for the perfect gin and tonic, the secret is to always use a large wine glass instead of a highball.

Echoing Sam's advice, they always advise to opt for unusual garnishes such as ginger rather than always choosing a lime wedge.
Britney versus Christina. Paris Hilton versus Lindsay Lohan. New York pizza verus Chicago deep dish-style pizza.

Certainly, the debate over which major city has the better pizza has made it a feud for the ages, a subject sure to get anyone from the Big Apple or the Windy City worked up into an passionate frenzy.

So when it was announced this weekend that Chicago would soon become home to the U.S. Pizza Museum, many New Yorkers did not take the news well.

Coming this week! The news that a U.S. Pizza Museum will open in Chicago's South Loop on Friday has sparked fury among those who do not like the city's deep dish pizza (pictured)

The real deal: Many New Yorkers are upset and have taken to social media to declare their city's signature style of pizza (pictured) superior

Passionate: The furious, long-standing debate was reignited by the news about the museum

Hey now! Some people found it ridiculous that Chicago, not New York, would get the museum

Other bright ideas: They joked that it would be like having a bagel museum in New Orleans, or a grits museum in Trenton, New Jersey

According to the Chicago Tribune, the U.S. Pizza Museum will open at the Roosevelt Collection in Chicago's South Loop on Friday.

The pop-up is now set to be open through October, though its run may be extended.

Kendall Bruns, the museum founder, actually first created the museum in 2015 and has opened it with pop-up exhibits since then, but the new location will be 3,000 square feet, its biggest home yet.

The free museum has pizza art, clothing, menus, ads, toys, and even pizza-themed songs.

But news of its opening hasn't been met with approval by everyone  particularly those who don't believe Chicago is the home of the country's best pizza. Specifically, New Yorkers, who argue that the honor belongs to them.

History: The pizza museum has turned up before in smaller pop-ups

Yum! It's filled with pizza-themed things like clothes and toys

See ya! Another quipped that the only way a pizza museum would work in Chicago is if it was actually in a plane that took you elsewhere

Legit: Some just posted pictures of 'real' pizza, New York-style

Whatever! One New York pizza fan feels so secure in the city's superiority that she doesn't care

Upside? This man thinks that having a president from New York, not Chicago, should end the debate

Since the news broke online, many have taken to social media to complain, rant, and crack jokes, reigniting the age-old debate.

'The museum is actually a plane at Ohare that flies you somewhere with good pizza,' wrote one.

'Surely one small advantage to having Trump rather than Obama in the White House should be shutting down this Chicago pizza nonsense,' tweeted another.

Others joked that a pizza museum in Chicago made as much sense as having a Museum of Sushi in Oklahoma City or a Museum of Snow in Miami.

One suggested someone also open a Bagel Institute in New Orleans, a Jambalaya Museum in Austin, a BBQ Hall of Fame in Brooklyn, a Center for Grits Studies in Trenton, and a Beer Foundation in Napa.

Quotable: A few people shared gifs from John Stewart's Daily Show rant about deep dish

'Deep dish pizza is not only not better than New York pizza  it's not pizza. It's a f***ing casserole,' he said in one episode

'You know the expression, there's no such thing as bad sex or bad pizza? Your pizza is like sex with a corpse made of sandpaper,' he added

'Let Chicago have it,' generously offered another, who doesn't think New York needs a museum to know it has the best stuff. 'We don't need a museum to know we have the best pizza in the world. No one moves to Florida and says "Ugh, why can't anyone make decent Chicago pizza here?!"'

Poll Which style of pizza is better? New York thin crust Chicago deep dish Both are equally good Which style of pizza is better? New York thin crust 90 votes

Chicago deep dish 85 votes

Both are equally good 52 votes Now share your opinion





Quite a few people shared gifs from John Stewart's famous rant against deep dish when he was still hosting the Daily Show.

'Deep dish pizza is not only not better than New York pizza  it's not pizza. It's a f***ing casserole,' he said in the New Yorker-beloved episode.

'I'm surprised you haven't thought to complete your deep dish pizza by putting some canned onion rings on top of it. It's cornbread biscuit which you've melted cheese on, and then, in defiance of God and man and all things holy, you've poured uncooked marinara sauce atop the cheese. Atop!

'You know the expression, there's no such thing as bad sex or bad pizza? Your pizza is like sex with a corpse made of sandpaper.

How diplomatic! This person doesn't have a problem with deep dish  but pointed out that it's not real pizza

The flip side: Of course, several fans of deep dish came to its defense

Chill, dudes! This man  who is from Pittsburgh, so naturally doesn't feel the same passionate hometown loyalty  things the debate should end

'Let me tell you something, this is not pizza. This is tomato soup in a bread bowl. This is an above-ground marinara swimming pool for rats,' he said.

There were others who argued that deep-dish style is not real pizza  hence the fact that it needs a qualifier in the name.

'Lol chicago style pizza is unique...new york style pizza is just a regular a** pizza tho! Haha,' wrote one.

Of course, there were also people who came to deep dish's defense.

'Thank you for correctly recognizing the best pizza and not giving a pizza museum to NY, where they serve greasy cardboard that falls apart every time you pick it up,' wrote one Chicago fan.
More children should be given drugs to treat ADHD, leading psychiatrists said last night.

Just one in ten British children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are prescribed drugs for the condition.

A major study, led by experts from Oxford University, King's College London and Australia, found drugs are 'extremely effective' in treating the condition.

Professor David Coghill of the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne said methylphenidate  known as Ritalin  is better at treating ADHD than statins are at treating heart disease.

Leading psychiatrists have said more children should be given drugs to treat ADHD. Currently only one in ten British children are prescribed medication for the condition (stock image)

But only 0.5 per cent of under-16s in the UK receive the drugs, a tenth of the 5 per cent thought to have ADHD.

ADHD is the medical term for a group of behavioural problems which include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

The doctors, whose findings are published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, said common misconceptions about ADHD mean too few children are diagnosed with the condition or prescribed drugs.

They said part of the problem is the idea that it is not a 'real' condition  and is in fact used to label children who are simply naughty.

The study of 24,000 patients around the world, including 14,000 children, concluded that Ritalin remained the best medical option for children with ADHD (stock image)

Professor Coghill said: 'We now have very clear evidence that the brains of children with ADHD both structurally and functionally are very different.'

The NHS-funded study examined data from 24,000 patients around the world, including 14,000 children, and concluded Ritalin remained the best medical option for children with ADHD  reducing symptoms by 78 per cent compared to a placebo.

By comparison, statins  one of the most widely taken drugs in Britain  cut the chance of heart disease by just 18 per cent.
A teenager is forced to live with a 22lb (10kg), 'defunct' right hand that has also left her with claw-like fingers.

Mita Sabar, 18, from a remote village in Odisha, eastern India, is thought to be suffering from a rare case of plexiform neurofibromatosis, which makes her hand so heavy she is unable to lift it.

Ms Sabar, who is an orphan, was just 12 years old when a growth developed on her back and gradually spread to her hand, leaving her unable to walk and forcing her to quit her studies.

Cared for by her older sister Kumari, the pair were unable to afford treatment and refused to accept free medical interventions over fears Ms Sabar may die during any risky procedures.

After several rounds of counselling, Ms Sabar has finally agreed to free treatment, with doctors deciding on the best course of action.

Mita Sabar is forced to live with a 22lb (10kg), 'defunct' right hand that has also left her with claw-like fingers. She is thought to be suffering from plexiform neurofibromatosis

The size of her hand means Ms Sabar cannot walk and was forced to quit her studies

Refused to be operated on over fears of dying

As children, Kumari took her sister to Padmapur Community Health Centre and later to SCB Medical College and Hospital for treatment, with them initially being turned down due to them being unable to afford any operations.

In 2014, state health workers from Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK) started an initiative to screen children for any health issues from birth to 19 years of age. They found Ms Sabar in her local village.

The health workers brought Ms Sabar to a hospital in Rayagada and then to SCB Medical college, but when doctors asked them to sign a risk bond, which is a normal procedure before surgery, the illiterate sisters refused.

The siblings left the hospital only to be found again by the same health workers in 2017.

Rajeshwar Patnaik, from RBSK, said: 'The girl was in immense pain. Her hand had grown bigger and her health had deteriorated.

'She was brought to the hospital but elder sister refused to sign the risk bond.

'She was again brought to the hospital on 30 July after several rounds of counselling. The girls have given their consent for further treatment.'

WHAT IS PLEXIFORM NEUROFIBROMATOSIS? Plexiform neurofibromatosis is a condition that causes tumours to appear anywhere on the body. It can affect up to one in 3,000 people in the US and UK to some extent. The most commonly affected areas are the head, neck, hands, feet, back and internal organs. Such tumours tend to grow slowly but may become enormous. When large, they can cause disfigurement, brain dysfunction and reduced organ function, as well as severe pain. Such complications occur in up to 60 per cent of patients. Surgery is the main treatment option, which cures around 75 per cent of patients. Others may have lasting cognitive damage. Source: Children's National Health System Advertisement

Despite initial fears she may die during treatment, Ms Sabar has finally agreed to medical help

Ms Sabar lives in a remote village and, as an orphan, has been unable to afford treatment

Ms Sabar is waiting while doctors decide on the best course of treatment for her condition

Her enormous hand attracted media attention, which made health workers aware of her case

'Her hand is defunct'

Speaking of what her treatment may involve, Dr Ananda Prasad Patnaik, head of the hospital's plastic surgery department, said: 'We have formed a committee of different disciplines and will conduct all possible tests like MRI, CT Scans, [a] biopsy, [an] angiography and take blood samples so we can diagnose her condition.

'We cannot comment on the condition but it seems to be an extremely rare condition of Plexiform neurofibromatosis, which are histologically benign tumors.

'Neurofibromatosis is not an uncommon condition but Mita's case is unique because of the enormous size. It has spread from her back to her whole upper right limb.

'It is painful and uncomfortable because of its weight. Her hand is defunct, she is not able to do anything with her hand.

'We cannot say how long will her treatment will continue but once the diagnosis is done we will start further course of treatment. there could be stage wise surgeries.'
A girl suffered burns to 65 per cent of her body and lost her memory after developing an allergic reaction to pain medication.

Alexa Juckiewicz-Caspell, 10, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, developed Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) after taking a prescribed analgesic to relieve a chronic pain condition known as Trigeminal Neuralgia.

After calming down the pains and twitches in her face, the medication then caused a reaction that led to rashes forming all over the youngster's body, with doctors believing she was going to die.

From April 2017, Alexa spent six weeks in the hospital and was put in a medically induced coma after SJS caused her eyes and mouth to become glued shut.

The youngster, who has been home for more than a year, is still adapting to being hearing impaired, as well as learning how to swallow food and walk, having recently spent eight weeks in a wheelchair.

Alexa's mother Kazmira, 36, is speaking out to raise awareness of SJS among doctors to help sufferers be diagnosed quicker.

Alexa Juckiewicz-Caspell suffered severely blistered lips and rashes all over her body due to an extreme reaction to a prescribed painkiller. Doctors told her mother she was expected to die

After suffering severe burns to 65 per cent of her body, she was put in an induced coma when her eyes and mouth became glued shut. Alexa later woke with her memory being wiped out

Alexa spent six weeks in hospital, with doctors initially being baffled by her condition

WHAT IS STEVENS-JOHNSON SYNDROME? Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a rare, serious disorder of the skin and mucous membranes. It often begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a painful red-purple rash that spreads and blisters. SJS affects up to six people per million in the US. Its UK prevalence is unknown. Other symptoms may include: Fever

Unexplained widespread pain

Blistering of the skin, mouth, nose, eyes and genitals The top layer of skin then dies and sheds. SJS' cause is often unclear but may be as a side effect of medication or an infection, like pneumonia. People are more at risk if they have a weakened immune system, or a personal or family history of the disorder. Treatment can include stopping unnecessary medications, replacing fluids, caring for wounds and taking medication to ease the pain. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

'I had to email photos to other hospitals to get a diagnosis'

Alexa, who was eight at the time of her ordeal, was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia in early 2017 and prescribed the painkiller.

The medication quickly caused reactions, with the first symptom being blisters on random parts of her body.

Kazmira said: 'She had extreme burning pain behind her ear, across her face and all the way down her neck. She explained it felt like someone was cutting her face.

'She started getting rashes on her skin and we had no idea what was wrong.'

Alexa was brought to hospital by her mother when blisters erupted on her lips, with doctors administering an EpiPen that made the reactions worse.

Kazmira said: 'None of the doctors knew what it was, so I had to email photos to other hospitals in order to get a diagnosis. One of them even thought it was herpes.

'I get angry at the hospital sometimes, but then I stop myself because I'm lucky that she's still here.

'A boy came into the hospital with the same condition right after Alexa and the doctors knew exactly what to do.'

When Alexa first arrived at hospital she was taken to the burns unit. With blisters covering her body, doctors were later forced to shave her head to rub the damaged skin away

After her eyes became glued shut, it took doctors two weeks to get them open again

WHAT IS TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA? Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is defined as a 'sudden, severe, brief, stabbing pain occurring in attacks lasting at the most a few seconds usually only on one side of the face and provoked by light touch'. Patients describe such attacks as being like an electric shock, with some being so severe sufferers are brought to their knees or unable to move. TN affects around 1.5 in every 10,000 people, with pain usually being felt on one side of a patient's face, particularly on their cheek or lower jaw. Although unclear, TN appears to be caused by the trigeminal nerve 'misfiring' and sending out pain signals. Some experience such pain a few times a month or as often as several times a day. In most cases, TN is progressive and worsens over time. Treatment usually focuses on strong medication to 'dull down' the nervous system. Such therapies are usually anticonvulsants for epilepsy, which can cause severe allergic reactions. If medication is ineffective or TN continues to affect a patient's quality of life, surgery may be required to reduce the nerve's activity. Source: Trigeminal Neuralgia Association UK Advertisement

'The doctor told me it was unlikely she would survive the night'

Speaking of her daughter's health battle, Kazmira said: 'She had to be kept in the burn unit as they scrubbed her body of the burned skin, shaved her head and wrapped her in foil. It took them two weeks to get her eyes open.

'The doctor told me it was unlikely that she would survive the night. I was terrified.

'There were blisters and burns on every part of her body you could imagine.'

After pulling through, the youngster forgot how to do basic everyday tasks.

Kazmira said: 'Alexa learned to breath, walk, talk and eat all over again. She amazed everyone around her with how determined she was, including the doctors.

'She's still choking on a lot of her foods and sometimes her mouth even starts erupting in blisters again after a meal.'

Although Alexa is back at school, she is unable to participate in certain activities and has to miss a lot of days to attend medical appointments.

Kazmira hopes her daughter will continue to recover, saying said: 'The school does everything they can to help her. It's very difficult for her to do the things she used to.

'She still gets weak, so it can be difficult for her to write or participate in physical activities with the other kids.

'We are blessed and we take each day as it comes. It is very hard, but we are strong.'

Although now home, Alexa still suffers blistering to her lips after eating meals

As well as the blisters, the youngster also frequently chokes on her food

Alexa's condition has left her weak and unable to participate in certain school activities

Despite her ordeal, Alexa (pictured after) and her family take each day as it comes
A six-year-old girl battling a rare cancer for the third time has met her idols Little Mix as her family launch an urgent appeal to send her abroad for treatment.

Rosie Veronica Mitchell, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, is battling neuroblastoma - a rare childhood cancer that usually starts in the abdomen.

Her parents have so far raised 40,000 amid fears her options are 'running out', as she nears the end of her grueling chemotherapy on the NHS.

If it is unsuccessful, they will spend the funds they have raised on sending Rosie to Germany or the US for further treatment or clinical trials.

Rosie's dream last month came true as her parents organised for their daughter to meet her favourite pop stars Little Mix during their gig in Falkirk.

The hit girlband reportedly told her she was the 'most gorgeous little girl they'd ever met', and star Perrie Edwards even gave Rosie a cuddle.

Rosie's dream last month came true as her parents organised for their daughter to meet her favourite pop stars Little Mix during their gig in Falkirk (pictured with the Little Mix members Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson Vocals, Leigh-Anne Pinnock)

Rosie Veronica Mitchell, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, is battling neuroblastoma - a rare childhood cancer that usually starts in the abdomen (pictured with her mother Donna-Louise Hurrell)

Speaking about her daughter's dreams of meeting Little Mix coming true, Rosie's mother Donna-Louise Hurrell said: 'She loved it. It was fab.

'They just said to her that she was the most gorgeous little girl theyd ever met. I think she loved meeting them because thats her favourite band.'

In a heartbreaking blog post, Ms Hurrell added: 'Rosie loves life so much and brings such joy and happiness to all who meet her.

'She has fought this horrible disease since she was a baby, but now we are running out of options.

'NHS staff are amazing but without more resources and research there is little they can do by way of a cure beyond trying early-stage clinical trials.'

Ms Hurrell added: 'We never wanted to be here but Rosie deserves the best shot we can give her.

The 40-year-old teacher said she and Rosie's 42-year-old father, Ross Mitchell, are 'so amazed' and 'completely overwhelmed' by the support they have received so far.

She said: 'I always found it hard to ask people to donate to save my child doing this has made me realise that there are good people out there that want to help.

Her parents have so far raised 40,000 amid fears her options are 'running out', as she nears the end of her grueling chemotherapy on the NHS

'I am so thankful for everyone donations so far. Weve been able to raise money through so many ways.'

The family have done sponsored haircuts, bucket collections and Rosie's primary school even had a 'blue day', where they raised 8,000.

Rosie was only 15 months when she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, which strikes 100 children in the UK each year.

It is the same cancer that killed Bradley Lowery, the child who earned the admiration of millions across the world before he passed away last July.

Rosie, who lives with her parents and twin brothers Dylan and Lucas, had the cancer in her abdomen, face, skull, lymph nodes and bone marrow.

She underwent 18 months of grueling treatment, including high-dose chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and immunotherapy, and spent six months in hospital.

The inspirational youngster, who also suffered a brain haemorrhage and liver disease along the way, managed to fight off the disease.

Rosie was only 15 months when she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, which strikes 100 children in the UK each year

Rosie, who lives with her parents and twin brothers Dylan and Lucas (pictured), had the cancer in her abdomen, face, skull, lymph nodes and bone marrow

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

Rosie was cancer free for two-and-a-half years. But in November 2016, the cancer returned and she was forced to undergo further treatment.

A routine scan in April this year revealed the cancer had once again returned in her bones, triggering a fresh round of chemotherapy.

Her treatment on the NHS finishes later this year, and now her family are beginning to look at other options abroad.

Ms Hurrell said because options are limited, many families fundraise to go to the US or Germany for treatment aimed at preventing the cancer coming back.

She added: 'Our daughter is fighting cancer for the third time.

'Doctors are trying to treat it but the options are becoming more and more limited, which is why we have turned to fundraise in case we may need to go elsewhere.

'Once you relapse your options become limited. She is going through chemo at the moment but were looking for a clinical trial.'

Ms Hurrell continued: 'But the way she has dealt with this is amazing. She just gets on with it, shes a fighter.'

The family has also set up a fundraising page for Rosie through Solving Kids Cancer (SKC), who support families affected by neuroblastoma.

According to the charity, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, such as skin, bones and internal organs, in around half of cases.

So far the page has raised over 24,000. But the family have not named a desired amount, and will continue to appeal for funds.

It is unsure where Rosie may go for further treatment but The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the biggest neuroblastoma unit in the world.

Readers who wish to donate to Rosie can do so here.
Scientists have revealed why drinkers get the 'drunchies' after a night out.

Drinkers develop 'drunk munchies' after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol due to alcohol causing blood sugar levels in the brain to rise and fall, leading to hunger, according to the researchers.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most crave salty food such as pizza, with healthy dark-green veggies being less appealing, the study found.

When hungover the following day, many drinkers opt for junk food like tacos over more nutritious options due to them believing the myth that heavy carbs 'soak up alcohol', the researchers add.

The scientists believe post night out binge eating may be driving obesity, which affects up to 60 percent of adults in the US and around 26 percent in the UK.

Scientists have revealed why drinker get the 'drunchies' after a night out (stock)

WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO STOP STUDENTS 'DOWNING' ALCOHOL? Telling students not to 'down' alcohol makes them drink more, research suggested in August 2017. Disapproving of drinking alcohol in one go, known as 'bolting', makes people more inclined to gulp their drink, a study review found. Warning others about the dangers of downing drinks also has no effect on the likelihood they will do it, the research adds. Yet, telling them that most people do not bolt drinks on a night out does reduce the risk they will, the study found. Study author Professor Charles Abraham, from the University of Exeter, said: 'This demonstrates how careful we need to be in selecting the right message in campaigns, and evaluating them before wider dissemination, as poorly designed campaigns, however well-intentioned, can backfire.' The researchers, which also included scientists from the University of Queensland, analysed three studies with a total of 221 participants. Some of the study's participants saw a poster saying that 70 per cent of peers 'disapprove of bolting' and 65 per cent 'do not bolt drinks on a night out'. All of the participants then completed a questionnaire that assessed their perception of bolting and how likely they are to do it. Advertisement

How the research was carried out

The researchers, from the University of Michigan, analysed 286 students at a large public college in the Midwest.

The inspiration for the study came from an advertisement the scientists saw in a university newspaper.

Lead author Professor Jessica Kruger explained: 'It said, 'Got Drunchies?' and had ads for pizza, tacos, and other fast-food places that were open late after the bars closed.

'So, we dug a bit deeper and first figured out what the "drunchies" were and then decided this would be interesting to study.

'Our first study in this area focused on what people ate while drinking alcohol. This study explored what they eat the day after drinking.'

The students completed an anonymous online survey that asked questions such as 'What do you typically eat for your first meal of the day?' and 'How often do you eat something before you go to bed?'.

Later in the survey, the participants were asked how often they eat something before bed on nights when they drink alcohol and what their first meal of the day typically is after an evening boozing.

'Alcohol stimulates the brain to feel hungry'

Speaking of the findings, Professor Kruger said: 'All alcohol drinkers were more likely to eat something before they went to bed after drinking alcohol than in general before they go to bed.

'It is believed that after drinking alcohol, the amount of blood glucose in the body can rise and fall which stimulates the brain to feel hungry.'

Despite craving food, drinkers are not more likely to drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages before bed, which can cause dehydration.

When hungover the following day, many drinkers opt for junk food like tacos over more nutritious options due to them believing the myth that heavy carbs 'soak up alcohol' (stock)

Teenagers are less likely to binge if their parents disapprove

This comes after research released in July last year suggested teenagers are less likely to drink if their parents show disapproval.

Study author Ms Jacqueline Bowden, from the University of Adelaide, said: 'Parents have more influence on their teenagers' decisions regarding alcohol than they probably realise.

'Parental behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol really do make a difference and can help prevent children from drinking at an early age.'

Mr Lincoln Size, chief executive of the Cancer Council Australia, which supported the study, added: 'This latest evidence highlights the need to educate young people about the consequences of alcohol consumption and for parents to demonstrate responsible drinking behaviour.

'We need to get the message through that what may be considered harmless fun actually has lifelong consequences.'
The Ebola death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now feared to have hit 36 amid a fresh outbreak in the African nation.

Officials have confirmed nine deaths so far but believe the virus - one of the most lethal pathogens in existence - is responsible for scores more.

A mass vaccination campaign began today to stem the outbreak in the east of the country, which comes two weeks after the DRC declared the end of another one.

Virologists feared the previous outbreak in north west DRC was 'reminiscent' of the 2014 Ebola pandemic, which decimated West Africa and killed 11,000 people.

Officials in the African nation have confirmed nine deaths so far (pictured: Doctors Without Borders team members walk through an Ebola security zone at the entrance of a hospital in DR Congo, where a fresh outbreak of the virus was declared in the east of the country)

The DRC's Ministry of Public Health yesterday tweeted there have been 36 deaths - but the World Health Organization claim the toll is 34.

Health officials have also confirmed 16 cases of Ebola in North Kivu Province, which borders Uganda and Rwanda. Another 25 are probable.

A further two probable cases have been noted in Ituri Province, which also borders Uganda and shares a crossing with South Sudan.

Officials are currently testing 46 other suspected cases in the laboratory to either confirm or exclude EVD.

EVD, caused by the virus with its namesake, kills around 50 per cent of people it strikes  but there is no proven treatment available.

Two healthcare workers have been struck down by Ebola, of whom one has died.

Genetic analysis has confirmed the virus strain in this latest outbreak is the Zaire strain, the same as the one earlier this summer.

However, Peter Salama, WHO deputy director for emergency preparedness and response, said it is genetically different.

The unsafe burial of a 65-year-old Ebola sufferer triggered the latest outbreak in the DRC, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

After she was buried members of her family began to display symptoms of the virus 'and seven of them died'.

Most of the cases have been recorded in Mangina in Mabalako, 18 miles (30km) west of the trading hub of Beni, where 230,000 people live.

Health officials have also confirmed 16 cases of Ebola in North Kivu Province, which borders Uganda and Rwanda. Another 25 are probable

HAS THE DRC HAD AN EBOLA OUTBREAK BEFORE? DRC escaped the brutal Ebola pandemic that began in 2014, which was finally declared over in January 2016 - but it was struck by a smaller outbreak last year. Four DRC residents died from the virus in 2017. The outbreak lasted just 42 days and international aid teams were praised for their prompt responses. The new outbreak is the DRCs tenth since the discovery of Ebola in the country in 1976, named after the river. The outbreak earlier this summer was its ninth. Health experts credit an awareness of the disease among the population and local medical staff's experience treating for past successes containing its spread. DRCs vast, remote geography also gives it an advantage, as outbreaks are often localised and relatively easy to isolate. Advertisement

But healthcare workers have been told they will have to navigate their response among more than 100 armed groups.

A WHO spokesperson said: 'This is an active conflict zone. The major barrier will be safely accessing the affected population.'

The outbreak earlier this summer

Vaccinations began today, following the success of the jabs in Equateur province, which two weeks ago declared the end of an Ebola flare-up.

Some 33 people were feared to have died in that outbreak, which started in the poorly-connected region of Ikoko-Impenge and Bikoro.

It travelled 80 miles (130km) north to Mbandaka, a port city on the river Congo  an essential waterway - with around 1.2 million inhabitants.

There was a concern it would spread to Kinshasa  364 miles (586km) south on the river, which has an international airport and 12 million people residents.

Dr Derek Gatherer, a virologist from Lancaster University, warned the outbreak earlier this summer was 'reminiscent' of the 2014 Ebola pandemic.

All neighbouring countries were alerted about the outbreak of Ebola before it was declared over amid fears it could spread easily.

Experimental vaccine

Officials hailed the use of an experimental vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV, in stemming the Ebola outbreak in North West DRC in July.

More than 3,000 doses remain in stock in Kinshasa, allowing authorities to quickly deploy it to the affected areas near the Ugandan border.

Barthe Ndjoloko, who oversees the health ministry's Ebola response, said officials are working round-the-clock to identify those who may be infected.

He revealed the vaccination campaign will focus on healthcare workers and those who have come into contact with confirmed cases.

The 2014 international response to the Ebola pandemic drew criticism for moving too slowly and prompted an apology from the WHO.

But international aid teams have moved much quicker in response this time - with vaccination campaigns already underway in several regions.
A new mother tested positive for opiates on the day she gave birth, simply because she ate a poppy seed bagel for breakfast that morning.

With the opioid crisis still wracking the US, there has been a dramatic increase in babies born with opioid withdrawal symptoms, so hospitals take great care to test new mothers for any signs of the drugs.

But making sure their blood tests catch as many true positives as possible means the screens sometimes return false positives as well.

Elizabeth Eden's bagel and opiates share the poppy plant - from which opium is derived - in common.

The new mother from Baltimore had to bring her own evidence that her bagel was to blame to the hospital to prove that she should get to take her baby home, she told WBALTV11.

Elizabeth Eden (left) tested positive for opiates while she was in labor with her daughter, Beatrice (right), but had only eaten a poppy seed bagel for breakfast, not taken drugs

On April 4, Eden began her day with a bagel and ended it with a tearful conversation wit ha Maryland social worker.

While she was preparing to give birth to her daughter, Beatrice, at St Joseph Medical Center, Eden was given some shocking news.

'I was in labor. I was sitting in the bed. I was having contractions. I was on a Pitocin drip, and the doctor came in and said, "you've tested positive for opiates,"' she told WBALTV11.

Eden was confused and horrified but she claims she had a vague memory of learning about poppy seeds being confused for opiate drugs in a health class.

'I said, "Well, can you test me again? And I ate a poppy seed bagel this morning for breakfast," and [the nurse] said, "No, you've been reported to the state,"' Eden said.

Since 2000, the number of babies born annually with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) - a form of drug withdrawal the infants of women addicted to opioids often suffer - has increased by five-fold.

Beatrice had to stay in the hospital for five days of observation because of Eden's blood test

So has the number of pregnant women and new mothers using the addictive drugs.

Their babies face greater health risks throughout their lives, and a particularly challenging first few days in the world.

Babies with NAS typically have to eight times as long in the hospital, and once they are discharged, doctors worry that their mothers' breast milk will expose them to more opioids.

To be sure that these babies are treated and the new mothers are properly supervised, many hospitals use highly sensitive blood tests.

At St Joseph Medical Center, anyone with 300 nanograms of opiates per millimeter of blood will test positive for the drugs, the chief of the hospital's OBGYN department told WBALTV11.

Depending on the drug, this would tell doctors if Eden had taken any opiates within one to three days - or if she had eaten a poppy seed bagel within six to 12 hours.

Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy plant, the same one that has been used to make the powerful sedative for thousands of years, and is still the basis of opiate and opioid drugs, including morphine, codeine, Oxycontin, and heroin.

The seeds, however, won't get you high and are not addictive.

After doing her own research about poppy seed consumption and opiate blood tests, Eden wrote an exhaustive letter to the hospital, and case workers stopped coming to her home

But the blood test cannot tell the difference. So Eden was told her newborn daughter would have to be kept in the hospital under surveillance for five days and the state would be sending a case worker to check on she and Beatrice once they were home.

'It was traumatizing,' she said.

Eden was determined to fight the test's findings, and her memory of hearing about poppy seeds and opiates in health class gave her a place to start.

She did exhaustive research, finding that she wasn't the first person whose breakfast was to blame for a positive drug test.

In fact, eating an 'excessive' amount of poppy seeds can send blood levels spiking to 2,000 nanograms/mL.

Eden piled her own findings into a letter to the hospital, begging them to reconsider her case. She also urged St Joseph's to change their test threshold and to do more to inform mothers.

Ultimately, the hospital sided with Eden, the home visits stopped, her case was closed and even Dr Judith Rossiter-Pratt, the OBGYN department chief agreed with her.

'We don't typically educate patients, and it's a really good point that people probably should know that if you use poppy seeds before you have a toxicology screen that it could result in a false positive test,' Dr Rossiter-Pratt told WBALTV11.
Jurors are deliberating whether or not to award a terminally-ill groundsman $412 million in damages over claims his use of the weed killer Roundup caused his disease.

The first-of-its-kind verdict has been delayed because jurors have asked for clarification on 46-year-old Dewayne Johnson's timeline of his symptoms, and to review testimony from his expert witness, a doctor.

The fact that jurors are asking for this evidence could mean that they are focusing on whether his symptoms began as a result of him using product or were latent.

Johnson, who worked a groundskeeper in Benicia, California, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - a cancer that starts in the white bloods cells - in August 2014.

He mixed and sprayed hundreds of gallons of Roundup to keep grass and weeds under control and believes the pesticide, which is made by Monsanto, is responsible for his terminal illness.

Despite the fact that jurors have been deliberating for at least five hours - since around 1pm on Wednesday - it could be another one to two days before a verdict is reached.

Monsanto's weed killer Roundup is under scrutiny as groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson claims it caused his terminal cancer. Pictured: Johnson walking toward the courtroom on July 9

Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - a cancer that starts in the white bloods cells - in August 2014 and believes Roundup is responsible. Pictured: Johnson's hand covered in lesions

The case is the first to reach trial alleging a cancer link from Roundup, one of the world's most widely used herbicides.

Johnson used a generic version of Roundup called Ranger Pro repeatedly in his job after being promoted to groundskeeper in 2012 through mid-2015.

One of Johnson's attorneys, Timothy Litzenburg, told DailyMail.com that Johnson called the Monsanto hotline in November 2014 about his diagnosis.

'He said: "Hey I just want to let you know I have this and I want to ask could it be contributing to my cancer?"' Litzenburg said.

Johnson's concerns landed on the desk of Dr Daniel Goldstein, the lead of medical sciences at Monsanto, who told colleagues he would call Johnson back but never did, according to an internal company email.

Litzenburg told Daily Mail Online that Johnson used hundreds of gallons of the products between 30 and 40 times per year.

Testimony was heard that twice Johnson became drenched in the Ranger Pro.

Before reaching their verdict, the jury asked for the testimony of Johnson's expert witness oncologist Dr Chadi Nabhan, the timeline of Johnsons first instance where he was sprayed with Roundup and all of his medical records, according to Courthouse News reporter Helen Christophi.

All was given but the medical records because they hadn't been entered as evidence.

In closing arguments, the attorney for Monsanto, George Lombardi, had railed against Dr Nabhan for claiming that glyphosate - the active ingredient in Roundup - causes mycosis fungoides, a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Lombardi said Nabhan was the only doctor to have found such a link and, if it was true, why he hasn't received awards for the discovery.

The jury also wanted a timeline of the first time Johnson was accidentally drenched in the pesticide.

While Johnson's attorney said the accident it occurred in 2014, Monsanto's attorney argued that it was in September 2013 and implied that Johnson's team lied about the dates to make it appear like it was closer to his diagnosis.

Johnson said he contacted the company in 2014 after he received his diagnosis to ask about a potential cancer link but never heard back. Pictured: Johnson's back covered in lesions

Litzenburg said Johnson, who is between rounds of chemotherapy, 'is actually on borrowed time, he is not supposed to be alive today.'

This is because in September 2015, doctors told Johnson that he was likely to die in less than a couple of years, Litzenburg said.

The case, filed against Monsanto in 2016, was fast-tracked for trial due to the severe state of Johnson's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The father-of-two testified on the stand that he would have 'never' sprayed Ranger-Pro if he knew it would cause harm.

'I would've never sprayed that product on school grounds or around people if I knew it would cause them harm,' he said on the stand, according to Courthouse News reporter Helen Christophi.

'It's unethical, it's wrong. I have children who go to school. People I don't deserve that. They deserve better.'

Another of Johnson's attorney's, Brent Wisner, told the court that he is seeking more than $39 million in compensatory damages and $373 million in punitive damages.

The father-of-two testified on the stand that he would have 'never' sprayed Ranger-Pro if he knew it would cause harm. Pictured: Johnson, right, with his wife Araceli Johnson

Johnson (pictured, with his sons) said he sprayed hundreds of gallons of the product between 30 and 40 times per year and was allegedly drenched in it repeatedly

Wisner said Monsanto opted against warning consumers of the risks and that instead 'they have fought science' by playing down the suspected link between the chemical herbicide and cancer.

'Monsanto made a choice to not put a cancer warning on the label, that is a choice that reflects reckless disregard for human health,' Wisner told jurors on Tuesday in closing arguments.

'Today is [Monsanto's] day of reckoning,' Wisner told jurors on Tuesday in his closing arguments.

THE SAGA SURROUNDING THE SAFETY OF GLYPHOSATE Glyphosate is an herbicide first registered for use in the US in 1974. It is marketed either as a salt or an amber-colored liquid with no smell. Monsanto markets glyphosate as part of the pesticide Roundup. Several studies found that high doses administered to laboratory animals caused cancer, although the evidence is 'limited' when it comes to humans. In March 2015, the World Health Organizatrion ranked glyphosate a Group 2a carcinogen, a substance that probably causes cancer in people. In 2017, California added glyphosate to its proposition 65 list, which requires Roundup to carry a warning label if sold in California. Monsanto has vehemently denied that its product causes cancer and says and more than 800 studies that have established its safety. Yet more than 4,000 plaintiffs have filed lawsuits - 800 over the past year - claiming Monsanto made them or members of their family sick. Advertisement

'Every single cancer risk found had this moment, where the science finally caught up, where they couldn't bury it anymore.'

Monsanto has denied any link with the disease, saying the product has undergone stringent testing and more than 800 studies have established its safety.

'The message from the evidence is clear, and that is this cancer was not caused by Ranger Pro,' said George Lombardi during closing arguments.

'The facts are what should lead you in this case.'

Attorneys for the company also said that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma takes two-and-a-half years to develop and that Johnson developed symptoms of his cancer about one-and-a-half years after he began using the product.

They therefore argued that his cancer had already likely taken hold.

'The story just doesn't make sense,' Lombardi told jurors.

But Wisner argued that Monsanto ghost-wrote research citing the weed killer's safety and then cited it.

Wisner contended that the main ingredient glyphosate - a chemical compound declared carcinogenic by the World Health Organization - combined with other chemicals in the Roundup, resulted in a cancer-causing 'synergy.'

A key to Johnson's case will be whether jurors are convinced that Monsanto's pesticide caused or exacerbated his illness.

'We don't have to show Roundup was the sole cause; we only have to show it is a contributor,' Wisner said.

Johnson's attorney say they are seeking $39 million in compensatory damages and $373 million in punitive damages.

Monsanto has denied any link with the disease, saying the product has undergone stringent testing and more than 800 studies have established its safety

If Monsanto loses, the case could open the door to hundreds of additional lawsuits against the company recently acquired by German-based pharmaceutical and chemical group Bayer.

'Your verdict will be heard around the world,' Wisner told jurors.

'Monsanto will have to finally do something - conduct those studies they never conducted and warn those people they never warned.'

Monsanto's flagship herbicide Roundup was launched in 1976.

Roundup has been approved the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to Lombardi.

Two years after the WHO labeled it 'probably carcinogenic', the state of California named glyphosate an ingredient that causes cancer under the state's Proposition 65, which requires Roundup to carry a warning label if sold in California.

Additionally, earlier this year, a peer-reviewed study found that women in agriculture-intensive areas of Indiana tended to have shorter pregnancies if they had been regularly exposed to glyphosate.

Founded in 1901 in St Louis, Missouri, Monsanto began producing agrochemicals in the 1940s. It was acquired by Bayer for more than $62 billion in June.

Bayer announced at the time that it would be dropping Monsanto's name and replacing it with Bayer as the company name.

'Bayer will remain the company name. Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio,' Bayer said in a statement to Reuters.

Bayers decision to drop the name means Monsanto products like Roundup will still be Roundup, but now they will be Bayers Roundup, not Monsantos Roundup. Roundup will still contain glyphosate.

'Bayer will remain the company name. Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio,' Bayer told Reuters in a statement

In other words, products like Roundup would retain their name, but be advertised as Bayer's Roundup, not Monsanto.
The American Medical Association urged the US Justice Department (DOJ) to stop the merger between CVS and Aetna on Wednesday.

The doctors' group has consistently warned that the deal could limit competition, driving up prescription prices, especially for older Americans.

A merger between the companies would increase concentration in 10 of the 34 Medicare Part D regional markets to the point where it is presumed likely to increase market power, according to the AMA.

CVS and Aetna have claimed that they operate in different sectors and are not competitors, but the AMA is working to convince the DOJ otherwise.

CVS plans to acquire Aetna in a $69 billion deal, but the nation's largest doctors' group, the American Medical Association is begging the Department of Justice to block the deal

The two companies 'operate as rivals in some of the same markets, raising substantial concerns,' said AMA President Barbara McAneny in a statement.

Since December, the AMA has been analyzing the possible fallout from the merger.

CVS and Aetna are each at the top of their respective markets.

Both companies have argued that their is a 'vertical merger,' meaning that they operate in separate be related commercial spaces.

Supporters have argued that because CVS - a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) - and insurer Aetna do not directly compete, their combination could offer an innovative model and drive competition in the healthcare space.

But others, including the AMA, the nation's largest association of doctors, believe that the partnership will offer a one-stop-shopping experience and prices that neither insurers nor PBMs can keep up with.

This is largely because each company holds a dominant position in its respective industry.

What's more, PBMs have traditionally benefited from trying to keep prices down for patients, which may mean getting the insurers to pick up more of the cost.

McAneny said the merger would mean higher prices, less choice and stifled innovation in PBM services, health insurance and pharmacy services.

CVS said in a statement that it strongly disagreed with the AMA's assessment of the deal.

'We believe that competition within each of the business segments in which we operate  pharmacy benefit management, pharmacies and insurers  is fierce and will remain so,' the company said in a statement.

But the AMA insists that 'federal and state antitrust officials now have powerful reasons to block this harmful merger and foster a more competitive marketplace that will operate in patients' best interests,' said Dr McAneny.
Next time your car or home insurance comes up for renewal, make the company explain why it's putting up the premium.

These days, greedy insurers have become so addicted to hiking prices that they try to sneak them through every year  even without having a good reason.

Cyril Laity, a Money Mail reader from Cornwall, says insurer NFU Mutual has raised the cost of the policy on his and his wife's cars by 36 per cent, or 190.38, without providing any sort of explanation.

Dan Hyde says next time your car or home insurance comes up for renewal, make the company explain why it's putting up the premium

'We have made no claims, had no speeding fines and the vehicles are one year older  it just does not make any sense,' he says.

Cyril couldn't get an explanation over the phone, and when NFU Mutual wrote him a letter, it said merely that 'the premium you have been charged is correct' and the firm is 'not obliged to provide our customers with detail of our rating factors, as this is commercially sensitive information'.

What utter cobblers. If asked, they should have a duty to give a breakdown of exactly why they're pushing up prices.

My advice to Cyril is to ditch NFU Mutual pronto. They don't give two hoots about your loyalty. Either that or use an old trick that works most of the time: shop around for a better quote then call your insurer and say you'll leave if they don't match it. I suspect the quote will tumble very fast.

Sadly, you could swap NFU Mutual with the name of any other insurer. Every week I receive letters and emails from insurance customers equally baffled by unexplained price hikes.

If you're with me on this, let's stage a fightback. Challenge your insurer to provide an explanation every time your premium is raised and see what they say. I want to hear your stories and will use them to hold these firms to account.

My suspicion is they simply make it up as they go along and that's why they don't have a reason for putting up prices. I've never seen any evidence to the contrary.

Rest assured, I'll be taking this up with the Association of British Insurers, the industry trade body which has just appointed a new chairman, Zurich chief executive Amanda Blanc.

Get it covered

One way to help the cause would be a free shopping around service for the elderly, disabled and anyone who is unable to access the internet.

We need a dedicated phone line where you can provide your details and someone else shops for good-value car, home and travel cover.

A letter from Money Mail reader Evelyn Reason, 67, shows what a difference this could make. Evelyn, who has had some health issues, found three travel cover quotes for a planned 13-day holiday to China with her husband, 82.

Staysure quoted 2,193.59 with all medical conditions included. LV wanted 1,352.04 excluding the conditions. Insurancewith, a specialist travel insurer for those with health problems, asked for 515.46 covering all medical conditions  a huge saving of 1,678 for the policy she wanted.

'I thought my retirement would be great but I spend many hours just trying to ensure that my husband and I get the best out of our savings and pension income,' she says.

'I have a dear friend who is the same age as me but is not computer literate. She is always having problems, and I worry that many older people are just being ripped off.'

Surely a shopping-around service would the perfect first project for Amanda Blanc at the ABI?

>Find out how to get travel insurance cover with a pre-exisitng condition at a FAIR price

Security guard

Have you noticed the new trend for banks, telecoms and energy firms to call us and say something along the lines of: 'Before we proceed, can I just ask a few security questions?'

Whenever I hear those words I say I'll call back and put the phone down. You can't be too careful these days, with crooks desperate to obtain personal data they can use to raid our bank accounts.

There's no way of knowing the call is legitimate  fraudsters can 'spoof' telephone numbers to make them seem genuine.

So surely we should be able to force banks and utility firms to confirm a password on our account before they can ask us? Only then should they be allowed to put us through all those infuriating but vital security checks.
The news that Facebook has been asking some of the world's biggest banks to share detailed financial information about customers is enough to send shivers down your spine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the social media giant has been in talks with JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Bancorp UBS to ask if they would consider discussing services they could host for customers on Facebook Messenger.

The talks are said to have included how they might share information on card transactions as well as checking bank balances and providing fraud alerts.

Maggie Pagano says the news that Facebook has been asking some of the world's biggest banks to share detailed financial information about customers is 'enough to send shivers down your spine'

As someone who has always avoided Facebook like the plague, the idea that this tech monster could have access to anyone's bank account is horrifying. Imagine the potential for breaches of data and people's embarrassment should they find their overdrafts being liked by friends and family.

You would think that after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, when Facebook shared data taken from its users without permission, that Mark Zuckerberg would have learnt a lesson. Apparently not.

Facebook's ambition knows no bounds. For years Zuckerberg has wanted to grow the platform commercially. The platform is particularly keen on finding out how it might work with banks to make its Messenger service, which has 1.3bn active monthly users, even stickier. It wants to know everything about you to the last penny  including where and how you shop.

As Facebook's recent first-quarter results showed, it needs new areas of growth. Moving deeper into financial services is an obvious sector as it has so much data on its 2.2bn active customers.

According to Pagano's sources, Facebook is one of several tech giants, along with Amazon and Google, to have applied to the Bank of England for a banking licence

It's why, according to my sources, Facebook is one of several tech giants, along with Amazon and Google, to have applied to the Bank of England for a banking licence.

Even without a full licence, new rules in the UK for Open Banking, making it easier to compare and switch UK banks, will make it easier for new entrants too. The nine banks which have signed up to Open Banking can now share their customers' data with other companies, so long as customers give permission. This would allow third parties to make payments on behalf of customers or manage their finances for them.

Both Facebook and Google are already in UK payments with products. And Apple, Google and Samsung offer a range of payment and peer-to-peer solutions.

Current accounts and mortgages cannot be far away and the younger generation trusts these tech giants more than they do the traditional banks.

Yet Facebook's wheeze raises huge issues of personal privacy. Zuckerberg's executives are said to have assured US banks data will not be used for ad-targeting or shared with third parties. But even hard-nosed US bankers are uneasy about sharing data.

They have souls after all.

Sofa, so good

If you are sitting comfortably, it's most likely you are on a sofa or chair made with foam from Zotefoams, one of the world's leaders in cellular material technology. The company is British, and a pioneer in making specialist materials for the aerospace, marine and automotive industries, as well as for furniture. It's also the sort of British tiddler that doesn't make the headlines often enough but should. Around since 1921  the founder invented the world's first hard and soft expanded rubber  it's recently been on something of a roller-coaster under boss David Stirling.

Shares have nearly doubled over the last year, valuing it at 267million. Half-year results are excellent, with profits up by 64per cent.

With factories in the UK and the US, Zotefoams has also raised 23million for a third site. Some of the froth has been shaken out of the shares, down at 520p, but still worth buying. And sitting on.

Brexit tidings

Trust Standard Life Aberdeen's roguish Martin Gilbert to go against the grain. Announcing details of a share buyback, Gilbert said the hit to financial services from a potential no deal Brexit would be minimal.

What's more, he said financial services are so adaptable that they can look after themselves whatever the outcome. Instead of worrying about the City, he suggested the Government should concentrate on sorting out manufacturing. Arise Sir Martin?
Veteran food boss Luke Johnson is plotting a rescue of the crisis-hit, high-end restaurant group Gaucho

Veteran food boss Luke Johnson is plotting a rescue of the crisis-hit, high-end restaurant group Gaucho.

The Patisserie Valerie boss is among a small number of bidders for the group which is in administration, Sky News reported, battling rival interest from American buyout firm Carlyle and Aurelius Equity Opportunities.

It could save hundreds of jobs out of a workforce of 1,300.

Gaucho group comprises the Gaucho and Cau restaurant chains, which have 16 and 22 restaurants respectively.

Its private equity owner Equistone made multiple offers to creditors but failed to reach an agreement with them. The firm failed to find a buyer and administrators were called in.

Underperformance at Cau, was one of the key reasons for the collapse.

However, the casual dining market has been hit by a fall in sales along with a crisis on the High Street that has seen 50,000 jobs axed during the first half of the year. Johnson, 56, made his name building up Pizza Express.
An Indian taxi app is launching in the UK as its global battle with Uber ramps up.

Ola has won permission to operate in South Wales and Manchester and is aiming to cover the rest of Britain by the end of the year.

It is the latest push by Ola in an international expansion that has also seen it launch services in Australia.

The Indian taxi app Ola is launching in the UK as its global battle with Uber ramps up

The company, which has more than 1million drivers in 110 cities, is Ubers arch-rival in India, where the pair are locked in an intense struggle.

Its launch in the UK is the first serious challenge to Ubers dominance, as the firm is facing tougher competition and pressure from regulators.

Ola will offer private vehicles for hire as well as black cabs. And it is in talks with regulators in London about launching in the capital.

At the moment Uber vastly outguns its smaller rival, with the firm commanding roughly 3million drivers in more than 600 cities. It gave customers 4billion rides in 2017.

Ola, founded in 2011, clocks 1billion rides each year globally and is expanding into food
Quality tester Intertek may not be the FTSE 100's best-known company but, as the quality tester behind conglomerates such as Unilever and Kraft, it's a heavy hitter.

Yet its shares sank 9.8per cent, or 574p, to 5296p, as it failed to report the kind of growth that investors were hoping for.

Revenue was up 3.9per cent, to 1.3billion, ignoring the effect of currency swings, although in actual terms this constituted a fall of 1.8per cent.

Quality tester Intertek may not be the FTSE 100's best-known company but, as the quality tester behind conglomerates such as Unilever and Kraft, it's a heavy hitter

Though investors reacted badly, AJ Bell's investment director Russ Mould said this was against the backdrop of 'a recent strong run for the shares and a premium valuation'.

He noted that revenue from products testing firms  and in turn, the profit and cash flow  is relatively predictable as it is often driven by regulation and the stock is still a relatively safe bet.

Intertek reaffirmed its own confidence as it announced a new, more generous dividend policy and hiked the mid-year payout by 35.7per cent to 31.9p per share  a total of 51million.

But organic revenue, which strips out the impact from any acquisitions, was still down by 2.3per cent. Intertek blamed currency headwinds and weaker performance in the trade and resources businesses.

Elsewhere in the blue-chip index, Intercontinental Hotels Group, which also owns Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, dipped 3per cent, or 142p, to 4607p.

Though its results were in line with expectations, with total revenue up 8per cent to 1.6billion, investors were disappointed that pre-tax profits fell back 15per cent.

Elsewhere in the blue-chip index, Intercontinental Hotels Group, which also owns Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, dipped 3per cent, or 142p, to 4607p

Still, revenue per room climbed 3.7per cent as hotels in China and Holiday Inn Express franchises proved particularly popular.

George Salmon, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'There's still the possibility of a nasty wake-up call in the future should the Chinese or American economies hit the skids.'

The FTSE 100 ended up 0.7per cent, or 54.70 points, at 7718.48, as weakness in the US dollar helped lift commodities prices and boost the resources sector, which accounts for 22per cent of the index.

STOCK WATCH: Silence Therapeutics Silence Therapeutics, which creates medications to cure life-threatening illnesses, is under siege. Competitor Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is about to get EU marketing authorisation for its patisiran medication, after the UK drugs regulator granted the treatment a 'positive scientific opinion'. Silence has said patisiran is a copy of its own work, and is seeking an injunction to prevent it being distributed. A decision is due in 2019. Shares fell 2.2per cent, or 2.5p, to 115.75p.

Usually, strength in the pound which corresponds with a lower dollar holds back the FTSE 100, as companies with exposure to the US benefit less from the currency play.

But the shift across the pond seemed to improve investors' risk appetite for the UK's biggest stocks, according to Accendo Markets' head of research Michael van Dulken.

Foam manufacturing company Zotefoams, which creates the padding for a huge proportion of the world's chairs and has been one of the FTSE All-Share's stellar performers in recent years, was a little squeezed as it released half-year results.

Though it revealed record revenue of 37.9million, up 12per cent on the previous year, with profit before tax up 64per cent to 4.6million, shares fell 4.7per cent, or 26p, to 528p.

Shareholders at plastics company Carclo were also disappointed, having got their hopes up for a grand takeover of the company.

Carclo revealed last month that it had been approached by medical equipment manufacturer Consort Medical, but said it dismissed the offer as it 'in no way reflected the fundamental value of the company'.

Carclo's shares had risen 45per cent in anticipation of another bid being made, but they plummeted back 20.4per cent, or 24p, to 93.5p yesterday as Consort confirmed it was walking away from any deal.

But recruiter Harvey Nash showed how beneficial a takeover approach can be, after its value rose after a 98.7million bid from asset manager DBAY. Harvey Nash recommended that its shareholders approve the bid, pushing shares up 16.8per cent, or 18.75p, to 130.25p.
Shock charges: Gary and Kitty Rycroft, with her phone

Like many 13-year-olds, Kitty Rycroft gets a modest monthly allowance from her parents and money from her grandparents at Christmas and on her birthday.

Her dad Gary set her up a Halifax account a year ago to help her manage her money.

He gives her 15 a month, which she tends to spend on clothes from New Look, cosmetics and Starbucks iced coffees.

Kitty likes to shop but spends within her means, according to Gary, 46, a Lancashire solicitor.

So when her bank statement arrived in May, she couldn't understand how her balance had fallen from 249 to just 48 in three months.

When she looked more closely, Kitty saw that ten payments of between 6.99 and 13.98 had been made to iTunes, Apple's online store.

She remembered using a smartphone app in February that allowed her to create music on her iPhone. But she thought the app was free and deleted it after a few days.

Kitty, who was 12 at the time, didn't realise she had signed up for a paid-for subscription.

And because the details of her Halifax Express cash account, aimed at 11 to 17-year-olds, were stored on iTunes, the money could be taken without her entering any payment information.

It was only after Money Mail intervened that Apple agreed to refund the full amount of 133.83 to Kitty.

Her story is a warning to parents about how easy it is for companies to help themselves to the money in children's bank accounts without them realising  and that the unusual payments may not be picked up by banks.

Kitty, who plays the drums, discovered the Beat Maker Go app via an advert on Snapchat, a picture messaging service popular with teenagers.

Snapchat targets users with adverts based on their interests. It has more than 12 million daily users in the UK, about a quarter of whom are under 18.

Users must be 13 or over, but Kitty was able to open an account despite being only 12.

With no mention of prices in the advert, Kitty assumed the app was free. She clicked on a link which took her to the Apple iTunes App Store and downloaded it.

Once it was installed, she was instructed to enter her email address to set up an account.

Jordan Swain, from Swain Brands, a digital campaign agency, says companies are increasingly using social networks to target teenagers (stock image)

Kitty used the email address linked to her Apple ID account, which she rarely checks. You need one of these to use an iPhone.

Users can keep their bank details stored in their Apple ID account so they can purchase apps or music.

But Kitty says she would never pay for an app. Like her friends, she just uses free social media services on her phone, such as Snapchat, or plays games.

There is no indication about the charges of Beat Maker Go until you scroll to the bottom of the page on the App Store.

How to keep children safe Set up parental controls on your child's smartphone to block or restrict in-app purchases and block any transactions.

On an iPhone, go to 'Settings', 'General', then 'Restrictions'. Tap 'Enable Restrictions'. Create a passcode. You can also set a PIN on Androids and BlackBerry phones.

Some apps allow you to control the sites your children can visit. NetNanny, for example, scans websites to determine whether they are appropriate, based on the preferences you set when you install the app.

Users are then presented with a confusing price list.

For example, 'Full Access to Pro Features' appears six times but the cost ranges between 1.79 and 35.99.

Gismart, the maker of the app, says this list includes weekly, monthly, annual and lifetime payment plans.

Even though she deleted the app a few days later, Kitty was charged 6.99 a week once the trial ended.

She was not aware of this until her bank statement arrived three months later.

She says: 'I thought, woah! Where has the money gone? My dad said I should have been more careful. But I honestly thought it was a free app.'

Gary says he takes an interest in what his daughter is doing online but also wants to give her freedom.

He says: 'I didn't appreciate how easy it is for companies to take money from children without them realising. It's creepy.'

The Rycrofts went to their local branch of Halifax, which told them to raise the matter with iTunes.

But Gary struggled to find an email or postal address for iTunes. When he tried to phone them, he says he was kept on hold and struggled to get through.

When Money Mail contacted iTunes on the Rycrofts' behalf, it agreed to refund the entire amount of 133.83, which included additional payments.

Tony Neate, from Get Safe Online, the cybersecurity initiative, says: 'I find it incredibly worrying that companies are able to bury the fees and charges where children won't look.

'They know children won't delve into the terms and conditions because many adults don't.'

Jordan Swain, from Swain Brands, a digital campaign agency, says companies are increasingly using social networks to target teenagers.

'The costs might not be advertised in such a short space, but offers such as 'free trials' need to be made absolutely explicit,' he says.

Gary says he is going to help Kitty set up online banking, so she can check her account whenever she needs to.

He also plans to put safeguards on her phone to allow him to monitor any online spending. Kitty has now removed her bank details from her iTunes account.

Halifax says it has 'stringent controls' across all its current accounts to protect customers from unauthorised transactions.

iTunes says Beat Maker Go presents notifications when add-ons are bought and sends email receipts.

However, it acknowledges that Kitty may not have received the notifications if this feature was turned off on her phone.

Gismart, the maker of Beat Maker Go, insists it always makes pricing clear and that subscriptions start with a free trial and users can unsubscribe at any point. It says it does not mislead users.

A spokesman adds: 'To access any subscription or free trial, users are required to input credit card information and are clearly notified that charges will be made accordingly.

'We adhere to all legal policies of the Apple App Store and Google Play, as well as FTC advertising laws.'
Claim rejected: Steven Jackson with his wife Julie

A father-of-two has been denied a 250,000 insurance payout because he purchased his policy 24 days before it was updated to include cover for cardiac arrest.

Steven and Julie Jackson, from Dartford, Kent, took out critical illness cover with Aviva on June 13, 2013. At 72.56 a month it wasn't cheap, but it gave them the peace of mind that their children George, 13, and Harry, ten, would be protected financially should either of them fall seriously ill.

But when Steven's heart stopped in August last year, leaving him in a coma for 72 hours and requiring surgery, Aviva refused to pay the couple's claim.

They said this was because Steven, 46, had suffered a cardiac arrest and not a heart attack  and Aviva had not updated its policy to include cover for cardiac arrest until July 7, which was 24 days after the Jacksons had signed up.

Earlier this year Money Mail revealed how Aviva had also refused to pay Steven and Vicky Huddleston's 66,500 claim because he, too, had suffered a cardiac arrest and not a heart attack. The couple had bought their critical illness policy in 2002  some 11 years before Aviva updated its terms and conditions.

However, after Money Mail contacted Aviva, it offered to pay more than 20,000 to cover the couple's lost income. Yet they refuse to extend the same help to the Jacksons.

The dilemma faced by both couples raises concerns about the different levels of cover offered by older and newer critical illness policies.

In the Nineties, insurers typically offered cover for around 23 conditions. Today, they cover as many 174, including cardiac arrest, Crohn's disease and benign spinal cord tumours, according to research by critical illness comparison firm CI Expert.

Many older policies also contain far stricter terms and conditions. Up until 2015, for example, many major insurers said customers had to lose two limbs rather than one in order to qualify for a payout.

They were also more strict on blindness claims. Previously they required customers to get a Snellen eye test score of 3/60  i.e. someone can read a letter at three metres that a person with normal vision can read at 60 metres  whereas today it is typically 6/60.

In the Nineties, insurers typically offered cover for around 23 conditions. Today, they cover as many 174, including cardiac arrest, Crohn's disease and benign spinal cord tumours, according to research by critical illness comparison firm CI Expert

However, there are some instances where older policies provide better cover. For example, prior to 2003, many insurers paid out if customers were diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. This condition is no longer covered because survival rates today are much higher.

Between 2002 and 2010 insurers also stopped paying full claims for coronary angioplasty  to widen blocked arteries  as patients are now often able to leave hospital the same day.

Alan Lakey, director of CI Expert, says: 'Over the years critical illness plans have improved immeasurably, but insurers do not have to inform existing customers of any changes or ask if they want to upgrade their cover.

'It means that if customers do not review their policies every couple of years, they could miss out on vital cover.'

Steven Jackson collapsed while at the gym. His heart had stopped and he needed CPR and two defibrillator shocks to get it going again. After being rushed to hospital the doctors said they thought he had suffered a cardiac arrest which may have been caused by a heart attack. They fitted him with a stent  a small mesh tube that is used to treat weak arteries  and put him into a coma for 72 hours.

Steven Jackson collapsed while at the gym. His heart had stopped and he needed CPR and two defibrillator shocks to get it going again (stock image)

However, doctors later concluded there was not enough evidence that the cardiac arrest had been caused by a heart attack.

According to the Aviva policy, a heart attack is 'the death of a portion of the heart muscle as a result of inadequate blood supply, as evidenced by an episode of typical chest pain, new electrocardiograph changes and the elevation of cardia enzymes'.

A cardiac arrest on the other hand is a disruption to the electrical system of the heart, causing it to stop beating.

Julie, who works in a school office, says: 'We didn't even know there was a difference between the two.

'Aviva would have known when we bought our policy that they were about to change their terms and conditions, yet no one told us  and now they refuse to show any compassion when considering our case.'

A series of complications meant Steven was re-admitted to hospital twice, in October and November. He then had to return in March to have a permanent defibrillator fitted in his chest as he was at risk of another attack.

He missed around 18 weeks of work. And as an agency worker in the banking industry he was entitled only to statutory sick pay. Julie also had to reduce her hours to help care for her husband and children.

The couple contacted Aviva on September 7 to make a claim for 251,352. Aviva then failed to tell them until January that they were not covered. When the couple complained, the insurer offered them 250 compensation for poor service. The Jacksons escalated their case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, but it ruled in Aviva's favour.

In its report the Ombudsman said: 'Although the terms heart attack and cardiac arrest can be used synonymously, there is a difference between the two and the plan schedule showed that the cover was limited to only certain types and severities of specified illnesses.'

An Ombudsman spokesman says: 'People take out critical illness cover in good faith, expecting the insurer will help them should they ever need to make a claim. But too often we hear from people, like the Jacksons, who only find out after they've had an illness that it's not covered by their policy.'

An Aviva spokesman says: 'Mr Jackson's medical evidence was assessed against the terms of his contract and unfortunately, as his policy does not cover cardiac arrest, we were unable to accept the claim.

'With Mr Huddleston, we felt it appropriate to offer some support while he was under cardiology review and to assess if any other underlying cause was established that would alter our ability to pay his claim.

'We understand Mr Jackson has recovered and has returned to work, and, therefore, we do not feel ex gratia support is appropriate in his case.'
A Spanish fighter jet accidentally fired a missile in Estonian airspace during a NATO training exercise in the Baltics.

The Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 fired the air-to-air missile carrying a 10kg explosive about 40km north of the country's southern city of Tartu.

The AMRAAM missile has a built-in self-destruct function for such accidents, but may have landed on the ground. However, no one was injured.

A Spanish air force Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 (stock pictured) fired an air-to-air missile carrying a 10kg explosive inside Estonia airspace

The missile was fired about 40km north of the country's southern city of Tartu

Colonel Riivo Valge, head of the Estonian Air Force, said the warhead was far less damaging than a ground-targeted bomb.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said the 'startling incident' thankfully had 'no human casualties, but is nevertheless extremely regrettable'.

'If you notice objects that may be rocket parts or rocket, they must not be touched in any way,' he said, urging people to immediately call police instead.

'I am sure that the Estonian defence forces will, in cooperation with our allies, identify all the circumstances of the case and make every effort to make sure that nothing like this happens again.'

He also said the NATO mission was a 'very important and necessary part' of the country's security.

Two Spanish Eurofighter jets, and two French Mirage 2000 jets, were taking part in the training exercise in a practice area in Estonia.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said the 'startling incident' thankfully had 'no human casualties, but is nevertheless extremely regrettable'

After the incident the jets returned to an air base in Siauliai in northern Lithuania where they are based.

Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik suspended all exercises and mock battles in the country's airspace, though the NATO air-policing effort would continue as normal.

Spanish jets would be replaced in the programme by Portuguese ones until the investigation was completed.

Defence forces were on the ground looking for remains of the missile and NATO and both countries' air forces were investigating the cause.
A photo study recently published by an online voucher code company has revealed what the average facial appearance of a Vogue cover girl looks like across seven different countries.

The methodology of facial feature extraction techniques were used for the project, titled the Faces of Fashion, on every female model featured on the cover of the admired magazine over the course of 25 years.

The morphed final images show what the average model's facial appearance looks like from the United States, Russia, France, Japan, Brazil, United Kingdom and Italy.

Myvouchercodes.co.uk released a photo study of the average Vogue cover model face in seven different countries over 25 years. Above shows the morphed final face for the US cover

Remarkably similar, the results for Russia also depict a fair-skinned woman with thin almond eyes

The result for France also shows a female model with a slimmer nose

Myvouchercodes.co.uk said the exceptions 'are the Russia and Japan editions, which were launched in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and Vogue Brazil, for which we were unable to source every single cover prior to 2000.

'We sourced the names of the models from a combination of Fashion Model Directory, voguescovers.blogspot.com and The Fashion Spot.'

After sourcing the images, designers used specific facial feature extraction techniques to pinpoint the main structures of the face.

'This works by placing markers on key areas of each face to determine things such as the position of the eyes, distance to the eyebrows and the length of the nose. There are 68 points in all, including 6 on each eye, 16 on the jawline and 9 on the nose.'

Designers then completed the study by using a technique called Delaunay Triangulation.

Designers used specific feature extraction techniques to pinpoint key structures of the face. Above shows the final face of Japan

'This technique splits each picture into triangles, then the averaging algorithm twists and warps two or three images at a time so that they align perfectly with each other,' the website says. Above shows the results for Brazil

The website explains of the technique: 'Once all of the triangles are put back together, the average face is born.' Above shows the results for the UK

The Faces of Fashion result for Italy is pictured above in this morphed image

'This technique splits each picture into triangles, then the averaging algorithm twists and warps two or three images at a time so that they align perfectly with each other,' the website said.

'Once all of the triangles are put back together, the average face is born.'

Slightly interesting but more so monotonous results from each of the seven countries depict a woman with a fair-skinned face, thin almond eyes and a slender nose.

The morphed images resemble the face of supermodel Kate Moss - who has famously posed solo or in a group setting for 117 Vogue covers across the world during her career, according to the Vogue cover archives.

The images resemble the face of supermodel Kate Moss, who is pictured in Paris, France on June 23, 2018

While the average results show predominantly white models, the fashion magazine is widely celebrated for its diverse covers featuring women from all backgrounds and cultures.

A recent memorable cover, from March 2017, titled 'Women Rule' captures Liu Wen, Ashley Graham, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Imaan Hammam, Adwoa Aboah and Vittoria Ceretti posed closely together in a photo by Inez & Vinoodh.

The cover was published in honor of Vogue's 125th anniversary last year.
Chairman John Tonner (centre) and Brenda Andre listen while Director of Department of Tourism Development, George Borugu praises stakeholders for achievements at wharf
A magistrate has questioned whether the current legal blood alcohol limit of 0.05 is too low, saying it is those who blow above 0.10 that are of most concern on our roads.

Magistrate Neil Lavaring told the court he thought the current limit might be a 'bit low,' after hearing that a 50-year-old man with no criminal history had lost his licence for blowing 0.062, The Courier Mail reports.

'He's not far over the limit,' Mr Lavaring said. 'Sometimes I wonder if the limit's a bit low. I shouldn't say that, but I don't know why we changed from the old 0.08 because no one at that end is really grossly affected, are they?

'What Im trying to say is the people who are 0.10 and above, they're the concerning ones,' he added.

A magistrate has asked whether the legal blood alcohol limit for driving is too low, after a man was charged with drink driving for blowing 0.062 (stock image)

Mr Lavaring said the costs for losing your licence for a borderline result can significantly outweigh the cost of the fine (stock image)

The court was told Victorian man Michael Richard Donne was on holiday in Agnes Water, Queensland when he was stopped by police officers for a roadside breath test.

The 50-year-old, who had no prior convictions, lost his licence on the spot for a minimum of one month and was fined $100 for blowing 0.062.

Donne had to pay for flights back to Bundaberg from his home in Victoria to face court, plus his legal representation, which left him significantly out of pocket.

Mr Lavaring added that the costs far outweighed the original fine and questioned whether the charges were too tough for someone who wasn't that 'far over the limit'.

While Mr Lavaring said there is no significant difference in the driving ability for a borderline result, according to the DrinkWise website a driver who has a blood alcohol reading of 0.05 is twice as likely to have a crash than a driver who hasn't been drinking at all.

Magistrate Neil Lavaring suggested the current limit might be 'a bit low' (stock image)

According to DrinkWise, a driver who has a blood alcohol reading of 0.05 is twice as likely to have a crash than a driver who hasn't been drinking at all (stock image)

The website also stated that a driver who has a blood alcohol reading of 0.08 is five times more likely to have a car accident than someone who hasn't had an alcoholic drink.

A Queensland police spokesperson said it wouldn't be an easy feat to increase the limit to 0.08 because it would require legislative change through the government.
A manhunt is underway after a petrol station attendant was shot in the arm by a masked gunman during an early morning armed robbery.

The man entered a Springvale South 7-Eleven at about 4.30am on Wednesday with a gun, before demanding money from the attendant.

As the robbery unfolded, the gunman shot the attendant - aged in his 40s - in the arm before fleeing the scene with cash from the till.

A manhunt is underway after a petrol station attendant was shot during an early morning armed robbery

At about 4.30am on Wednesday morning a man entered a Springvale South 7 Eleven, armed with a gun

The attendant was rushed to the nearby Alfred Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are investigating the possibility the botched robbery could be linked to an earlier robbery at a nearby 7-Eleven.

The earlier robbery took place on Heatherton Road, around the corner from the Springvale South 7-Eleven.

During that robbery, a man wearing a mask with a silver handgun stormed the store after a brick was thrown through the glass door entrance.

The attendant, who refused to speak on camera and asked to remain anonymous, said he was mopping in the back of the store when he heard a loud bang.

He said there were multiple offenders who fled the scene in a grey and white van after failing to open the till.

No one has been charged over either incidents.

Police are still investigating the scene and its not yet known what the offender got away with or in which direction he fled
Children's advocates want the American Psychological Association to condemn the tech industry's practice of using persuasive psychological techniques to keep kids glued to their screens.

The advocates, citing research that links excessive use of social media and video games with depression and academic troubles, say it's unethical for psychologists to be involved in tactics that risk harming kids' well-being.

Skeptics say the research is inconclusive, and they note that psychologists have been involved in other industries' marketing and advertising for decades.

The group seeking intervention includes 60 US psychologists, researchers, children's advocates and the Children's Screen Time Action Network, a project of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Children's advocates want the American Psychological Association to condemn the tech industry's practice of using persuasive psychological techniques to keep kids (file image) glued to their screens

The network was publishing a letter Wednesday to the American Psychological Association, coinciding with the association's annual meeting in San Francisco.

'There are powerful psychology principles and technology that are being used against kids in ways that are not in their best interests,' said Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

That technology uses computers to help figure out what motivates people and influence their online behavior.

It's built on age-old tenets of behavioral psychology that marketers and advertisers have long used to get people to buy their products.

The difference is smartphones are ubiquitous and unlike human marketers, they don't get tired, said B.J. Fogg, a behavioral scientist at Stanford University who has been called the technology's pioneer.

Fogg said he has aimed to use persuasive tech to enhance people's lives. But he also said he has long warned that it has a 'dark side,' including potential loss of privacy and the potential for encouraging behavior that isn't in users' best interests.

The letter to the psychology association cites a recent study that found that teen girls who spend a lot of time on digital devices, including on social media, are at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors.

That study couldn't show whether depressed girls might be more prone to using social media than other teens.

The letter also notes evidence that some teen boys overuse video games 'at the expense of obtaining real-world competencies,' including college educations and jobs.

'Families don't understand why their kids are so strongly attracted and pulled to these devices,' said Richard Freed, a Walnut Creek, California, psychologist who signed the letter.

He said the World Health Organization's decision in June to declare excessive video gaming an addiction shows that the problem is real.

Under Fogg's model, technology can change a person's behavior by tapping into hard-wired motivations, simplifying the activity and getting people to perform it with a 'well-timed' trigger.

In a letter to the psychology association, advocates cite a recent study that found that teen girls (file image) who spend a lot of time on digital devices, including on social media, are at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors

That could mean an app prompting a person to go running or it could be an alert persuading someone to spend more time on social media based on their innate desire to win acceptance and avoid social rejection.

It's not just the big tech firms. BuzzFeed reported Tuesday, based on a confidential company memo, that founders of a startup recently acquired by Facebook boasted of using a 'psychological trick' - custom social media profiles and mysterious calls to action - to get high schoolers to download a polling app. Facebook later shut down the app.

In job postings, big tech companies have sought psychologists and people with psychology training for research into user experiences. Microsoft's Xbox user research division is led by psychologists.

Amazon looks for hires who 'geek out over user research, psychology, ethnography.' Google's preferred qualification for some positions includes a doctorate in experimental psychology.

'We strive to learn and understand our users' needs, behaviors, and emotions to yield insights that inform product strategy and guide the design of the experiences we create,' says one Google job posting online this week.

Facebook and Google didn't return requests for comment Tuesday on whether they use psychological persuasion techniques to build digital products for children. Apple said Wednesday that it doesn't. Microsoft and Amazon declined to comment.

This year, those companies have promoted better digital well-being amid rising concerns about kids' digital distractions.

The Internet Association, an industry trade group, said its member companies endeavor to create safe and positive online experiences.

'This is an important conversation, and the internet industry remains committed to developing and sharing best practices, partnering and collaborating with experts, and developing resources and programs that will ensure positive online experiences,' the association's Noah Theran said in the statement.

Apple is introducing new tools meant to make its iPhone less addictive after two major shareholders earlier this year called on the company to curb smartphone addiction among children. Facebook, YouTube and Microsoft have introduced similar tools.

The American Psychological Association has no policy on using psychological research to develop persuasive digital technology.

But in a statement responding to the advocates' letter, association CEO Arthur Evans Jr said the group 'is concerned about the increasing amount of time children are spending on digital devices'.

He said the association is examining psychology's role in technology development, and that an association committee will discuss the letter and whether to recommend any action.
The majority of voters  including those who backed Remain  now want ministers to just get on with Brexit, a poll has shown.

Some 60 per cent said they no longer care how or when we leave the European Union, but just want it all over and done with.

The survey by Deltapoll found that even 48 per cent of Remainers agreed, compared to 47 per cent who did not.

The poll results are likely to please Downing Street as they seek to win support for the Prime Ministers Brexit blueprint- the plan thrashed out by her Cabinet at Chequers

The majority of voters  including those who backed Remain - now want ministers to just get on with Brexit, a poll has shown

According to the poll of 2,047 adults, 76 per cent of Tory Leave voters and 75 per cent of Labour-leaning Brexit supporters just want to get on with leaving the EU.

Among those who backed Remain, 58 per cent of Tories and 42 per cent of Labour voters said they agreed.

Tycoon: Id bet my 3bn fortune on UK getting free trade pact ONE of Britains wealthiest entrepreneurs is so convinced the country can get a free trade deal after Brexit that he would bet his 3.6billion fortune on it. But Peter Hargreaves, who co-founded blue-chip investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown in 1981, accused ministers of failing in their duty to negotiate a good deal as the UK leaves the EU. Nonetheless, in an interview with Bloomberg, he said: The best option is no deal. No deal would give us free trade with Europe because the three biggest economies in Europe, outside Britain, are huge exporters to the UK  thats Germany, France and Italy. And those three economies would absolutely demand free trade from the EU. I guarantee my entire wealth that we would get free trade. Advertisement

Joe Twyman, director of Deltapoll, said: What these results show is that for many people, particularly those who voted to leave the EU, the precise details of the negotiations are not important.

While politicians and commentators from all side of the political spectrum dissect, debate and discuss the minutiae of Brexit, the majority of British voters just feel like they want to get it over and done with as soon as possible.

The poll results are likely to please Downing Street as they seek to win support for the Prime Ministers Brexit blueprint.

Aides hope voters will ultimately choose to back the plan thrashed out by her Cabinet at Chequers, rather than send the Government back to the drawing board.

Ahead of the Brexit deadline in March next year, Mrs May has said the country has a choice of either supporting her plan or leaving the EU without a deal.

Yesterday she visited Edinburgh on the latest leg of her UK-wide tour to gain support for her plan.

But an international trade expert last night warned that her proposals to charge varying rates of customs tariffs on goods coming into the UK  depending on whether they were eventually destined for the continent or not  would fall foul of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).



Health chiefs call for stockpile of drugs in case of no deal DRUG companies will be asked to stockpile up to six weeks of medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Department of Health is expected to write to pharmaceutical companies, urging them to boost stocks to provide cover in case of import delays. The move is thought to be part of plans to ensure medical supplies will not be affected if Britain leaves the EU without a deal. The Government will pay for increased warehousing capacity but will not provide funds for the increased supply, the Health Service Journal said. The news comes weeks after NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said significant planning was taking place. Mr Stevens said last month: Theres extensive work underway between the Department of Health, other parts of Government, the life sciences industry and the pharma companies. Advertisement

In a report for the pro-Brexit group Lawyers for Britain, Professor David Collins from City Law School said at least two aspects of the so-called Facilitated Customs Arrangement could breach WTO law. He said the illusory plan would severely constrain the UKs capacity to sign free trade agreements with other countries.

He warned that foreign traders would find the system over-complicated and could lead some to decide not to bother exporting to the UK any more.

Meanwhile, the railway industry called for customs checkpoints to be established at rail freight terminals across Britain to avoid congestion in Kent after Brexit.The Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail firms, said there could be significant disruption and delays if only a single checkpoint near the entrance to the Channel Tunnel is used.

Public and private sector funds should be used to install customs facilities at existing freight terminals across the country, such as Daventry, under the proposals.

Former foreign secretary William Hague also warned Emmanuel Macron that it is not in Frances interests to stand in the way of Britains attempts to secure a favourable Brexit deal.

Lord Hague said it was clear ministers see France as the biggest national obstacle to an agreement. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: In the world of a rising China and a less reliable America, Britain and France will need each other more.
The man who murdered nine-year-old Debbie Keegan in her own bedroom in 1987 will not be set free on day release after previously having his security classification downgraded.

Rodney Thomas Clarke was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988, but after serving 31 years in Lithgow jail, his security classification was reduced to the lowest possible grade, C3, meaning he was able to leave the prison on day release.

However, following news of the downgrade, the NSW Commissioner of Corrective Services Peter Severin has now overturned the decision to allow him day release.

Clarke climbed through nine-year-old Debbie Keegan's bedroom window and raped her three times before smothering her with a pillow until she suffocated

In 1987, Clarke climbed through nine-year-old Debbie Keegan's bedroom window and raped her three times before smothering her with a pillow until she suffocated.

Debbie Keegan's younger sister Sarah  who was seven years old when the attack took place and in the same room  said the idea of Clarke being on the streets again made her 'nervous, angry and sick in the stomach'.

Knowing that he can be out in the community, even though he is on day release and is being monitored, makes me uncomfortable and concerned,' she said.

Speaking to 9NEWS, a spokesperson for the prison stressed the importance of allowing supervised day release for offenders 'to ensure [they] have the opportunity to assimilate into the community successfully'.

Clarke was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988, but having now served 31 years, his security classification was reduced, meaning he was permitted supervised day release

With Clarkes monitored day release sparking outrage from the community, Mr Severin stepped in.

'Following community concerns, the Commissioner has suspended escorted day release for this offender, pending review,' a spokeswoman said.

In 2005, Judge Peter Hidden granted Clarke's application for a parole date 28 years after his initial sentencing.

Clarke (who was 21 at the time of the attack) was denied parole in both 2015 and 2017, but will be eligible to apply again next year.

Speaking to reporters last year, Sarah Keegan said she is on a mission to keep Clarke behind bars.

'Rodney Thomas Clarke is in his early 50s now, still very much capable of committing heinous crimes against our children,' she said.

'This man shows zero remorse for his crimesnow this definition of evil thinks he should be paroled into society once more.

'We do not accept this monster living in our community, endangering our children.'
Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been called 'out of touch' by her own constituents who are fighting a development plan

The Cabinet minister who called for more greenfield sites to be built on was criticised for being 'out of touch' yesterday by residents fighting developers in her own constituency.

Liz Truss warned that the Tories needed to allow homes to go up on undeveloped land  or face frustrated voters unable to get on the property ladder handing power to Jeremy Corbyn.

The chief secretary to the Treasury also accused those who stand in the way of new homes being erected in fields of being Nimbys.

But she was criticised yesterday by voters in Downham Market, Norfolk, where she has her constituency home.

Locals, who have fought two bitter battles with developers keen to build on greenfield sites, said that she did not speak for them.

One 300-home development is in a field behind the detached three-bedroom house Miss Truss bought with accountant husband Hugh O'Leary for 180,000 in 2010.

The developer had permission for 170 properties but asked for 130 more.

The extra homes were refused by King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council earlier this year but given the green light in June after an appeal.

The South West Norfolk MP's next-door neighbour, Stuart Marsh, 56, said: 'If she is now saying there should be a free-for-all on building at greenfield sites then she is out of step with her constituents.

'The fields they want to build on are a beautiful area on the edge of town where lots of people walk their dogs. I can't think of a more unsustainable place to put 300 homes.'

David Bint, 77, who lives 100 yards from the Nightingale Lane development, said: 'My own view is that you should not build on greenfield sites. If Liz Truss is saying the opposite then she is out of kilter with me.'

Weeks before the successful appeal, Miss Truss used the case to underline her commitment to liberalising planning laws at a housing conference in London.

She told delegates: 'We have to support new development. Even if it is on the field that our house personally overlooks.'

Liz Trusswarned that the Tories needed to allow homes to go up on undeveloped land  or face frustrated voters unable to get on the property ladder handing power to Jeremy Corbyn

The other development, which was blocked in June, was for 19 two or three-bedroom homes in a former paddock.

One resident said developers had been 'licking their lips at the prospect of cramming it with as many houses as possible'.

Last year Miss Truss notified King's Lynn and West Norfolk Council of her intention to build a ground floor extension at her home, which is now worth 250,000.

Neighbours said the couple had not begun work on the extension.

The former environment secretary's controversial comments came a day after the Campaign to Protect Rural England published a report that revealed almost 460,000 homes have been approved for green belt land since 2013.

Miss Truss's Conservative colleagues have warned against any softening of green belt protection.

Former minister Crispin Blunt predicted electoral 'catastrophe' if the green lungs are not protected.

Shadow housing minister Sarah Jones said: 'Everyone knows someone affected by the housing crisis but, after eight years of failure, it's clear the Conservatives haven't got a clue what to do about it.'

A spokesman for Miss Truss said: 'Liz respects the vast range of views of all of her constituents.'
Marguerite Wallace, 19, was arrested on Monday by Madison County Sheriffs deputies and charged with falsely informing police, a misdemeanor

A 19-year-old Indiana girl staged her own sexual assault to live out a rape fantasy and then lied about it to police, it has been alleged.

Marguerite Wallace was arrested on Monday by Madison County Sheriffs deputies and charged with falsely informing police, a misdemeanor.

Authorities say that Wallace filed a complaint with police on July 3, WTHR-TV reported.

Wallace allegedly told investigators that a man snuck up behind her while she was jogging at Mounds State Park in Anderson.

Wallace said that the man then grabbed her and threw her to the ground, according to police.

She then told police that she punched and scratched her assailant until a bystander came by to help her.

Wallace allegedly told investigators that a man snuck up behind her while she was jogging at Mounds State Park in Anderson. Wallace (seen in the middle with two unidentified women) said that the man then grabbed her and threw her to the ground, according to police

She then told police that she punched and scratched her assailant until a bystander came by to help her. Mounds State Park is seen in the above stock image

The assailant turned out to be a 17-year-old boy who claimed he met Wallace on the app Whisper.

Whisper allows users to anonymously post and share photos and videos.

The boy told police he responded to Wallaces post about a rape fantasy.

He said he and Wallace spoke several times before meeting on July 3 in the park to act out the fantasy, according to the Herald Bulletin.

Investigators said that the boys screenshots on his phone corroborate his claims.

Police interviewed the alleged assailant who said that he met Wallace on the Whisper app (above), where she talked about living out a 'rape fantasy.' When confronted with the information, police say Wallace admitted lying about the sexual assault

When officers confronted Wallace with the new information, she admitted lying to investigators, according to authorities.

If convicted, Wallace faces a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a fine of $5,000.
Coco Pops and KFC have been found guilty of breaking rules designed to prevent firms from promoting junk food to children.

The rulings, published today by the advertising watchdog, set important precedents in terms of establishing how food and drink firms should market products that are high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS).

KFC ran into trouble for placing a telephone box poster promoting its Mars Krushems drinks near the entrance to a primary school.

KFC said the decision to place the poster near a school was a simple mistake and apologised for the error

Such a promotion is not allowed where more than 25 per cent of those who are likely to see it are under 16.

Meanwhile, Kelloggs broke rules by running a TV advert for its Coco Pops Granola, which is a lower sugar and healthier version of the chocolate breakfast cereal, around an episode of the Mr Bean cartoon series.

The Advertising Standards Authority said while the granola is not itself an HFSS food, the commercial centred on the Coco Pops monkey, pictured, associated with the higher sugar original cereal. As a result, the watchdog said the ad had the effect of promoting an HFSS product and HFSS product range during a programme watched by youngsters.

Kelloggs broke rules by running a TV advert for its Coco Pops Granola around an episode of the Mr Bean cartoon series

The complaints were brought by the Obesity Health Alliance, whose members include the Royal College of GPs and the British Heart Foundation.

Spokesman Caroline Cerny said: The ruling on Coco Pops Granola provides an important precedent for junk food marketing.

These adverts are designed specifically to appeal to children with fun cartoon characters and catchy jingles ... This is just another example of the ever-evolving tricks brands use to get their products in front of children.

KFC said the decision to place the poster near a school was a simple mistake and apologised for the error.

Kelloggs said it has taken steps to improve the health of its products. The firm added that changes made to Coco Pops mean the cereal is no longer classified as a HFSS food, so it can now be advertised on childrens TV.
Hundreds of thirsty cows have been filmed swarming a water truck after their owner drove more than an hour to get water just to keep them alive.

The stunning footage, shot with a drone, comes as 100 per cent of NSW is declared drought-affected, and there is no end in sight to the worst big dry in Australia for decades.

Farmer Amber Lea, who uploaded the video, told the Mercury that her 1300 cattle simply would not be fed unless she collected the water.

Hundreds of thirsty cows are filmed swarming a water truck amid extreme drought conditions

'Watering points or allocated watering troughs were too low...mills had stopped pumping,' she said.

'There was no supply...we often have to drive 50 to 70 kilometres one way to get water for them'.

According to the states Department of Primary Industries Combined Drought Indicator, 100 per cent of NSW is drought-affected

The indicator reveals 38.7 per cent of NSW is drought affected, 38.2 per cent is in a drought, and 23 per cent of the state is suffering through an intense drought

The NSW Department of Primary Industries' Combined Drought Indicator has revealed 38.7 per cent of NSW is now drought-affected, 38.2 per cent is in a drought, and 23 per cent of the state is suffering through an intense drought.

Zero percent is listed as non-drought or recovering from drought.

The NSW Government has announced a $500million emergency drought relief package as the state suffers.

On Sunday, Malcolm Turnbull announced extra cash payments of up to $12,000 for drought-stricken farmers through the allowance.

It comes as the Bureau of Meteorology revealed most of NSW has received less than 20 per cent of its usual rainfall since January, and Australia as a whole just experienced its warmest and driest July in 20 years.

It isn't expected to get any easier for farmers or other livestock currently suffering through unseasonably high temperatures.

Extreme temperatures have already been recorded in NSW and south-east Queensland this winter, leading to concerns a 'hot and deadly' summer is coming.

Amber Lea, who uploaded the footage, said her 1300 cattle would not be fed unless she drives over an hour to collect water

A kangaroo drinks from a water tank located in a drought-affected paddock on farmer Ash Whitney's property, located west of the town of Gunnedah in north-western New South Wales




Mortgage interest rates already started going up today amid warnings that Britain's homeowners face soaring payments in the coming year - with brokers advising them to make overpayments now while rates are still low. Barclays said today it was hiking rates by up to 0.35 percentage points on a range of fixed-rate mortgages and Halifax today announced rises of up to 0.20 percentage points on a handful of products from November 1. HSBC also said its rates would go up, and NatWest has increased rates on a range of its fixed deals by 0.1 per cent since Chancellor Rishi Sunak (top left, at Bury Market in Greater Manchester today) spoke yesterday, and TSB said they would be increasing their rates tomorrow. One expert said it was 'another, unwanted squeeze on the family budget', while another said homeowners should get on a fixed rate now, with those on a variable rate expected to feel the impact of inflation the greatest. Forecasts produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) alongside Rishi Sunak's Budget yesterday suggested homeowners will have to prepare for the biggest hike in interest payments since the financial crisis. This is because, according to the Treasury-funded public body, rising inflation may prompt the Bank of England to put up interest rates from the current 0.1 per cent to 0.75 per cent by the end of 2023 (centre). The OBR also said that in a worst-case scenario, interest rates would hit 3.5 per cent by then. The forecasters said even a 0.75 per cent interest rate would have a huge knock on effect on the amount of interest mortgage payers have to pay. They said that it would see the amount paid in mortgage interest soar by 13 per cent in 2023 (top right) - followed by another rise of 5.4 per cent the year after.
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Legal action has been taken against the operator of a retirement village that was the site of a mass staff walkout, leaving bedridden residents to fend for themselves.

Consumer Affairs Victoria confirmed it has begun criminal proceedings against the former operator, Stephen Snowden, and is seeking financial compensation.

The organisation claims Mr Snowden operated the Berkeley Living retirement village in Patterson Lakes, southeast Melbourne, between July and September 2017 without the required licenses.

Stephen Snowden (pictured) is facing legal action after claims he wasn't authorised to operate a retirement home

Staff at the retirement village walked off the job in September 2017, claiming they hadn't been paid in months.

As a result of the walkout, 16 elderly residents at the facility were left to fend for themselves, despite some of them being bedridden, ABC News reports.



Mr Snowden's aged care business, Cambridge Aged Care, was investigated by the Department of Health and the Victorian Coroner in 2013 in relation to the poor care of residents.

The Supreme Court of Victoria also ruled in favour of Westpac after the bank chased Mr Snowden for $13 million he allegedly misappropriated, The Age reported.

It's alleged Snowden scammed money out of Berkeley Living's (pictured) staff, who reportedly walked off the job in September 2017

Consumer Affairs Victoria allege Snowden scammed money out of staff and former residents

If found guilty under section 17 of the Retirement Villages Act, Snowden could face a maximum penalty of 50 penalty units for one count, which amounts to $8059.50.

The case will be heard at Frankston Magistrates' Court.
Two care workers lied after a 95-year-old dementia patient tumbled out of bed, saying her mouth injuries were caused by her false teeth falling out.

Simona Petcu, 24, and Maria Stoian, 37, 'panicked' when the woman, who was left alone in her room, ended up on the floor at Weston Park Care Home, Macclesfield.

Stockport magistrates heard the pair picked up the elderly patient, put her back in bed and called for a nurse to assist them.

But when help arrived, they attributed her cut mouth to her dentures.

The dementia patient, 95, fell on to the floor from her bed at Weston Park Care Home, Macclesfield, above

Simona Petcu, 24, was given a 12-month conditional discharge after admitting ill-treatment or wilful neglect at Weston Park Care Home, Macclesfield

It was only when bruising appeared on her face that an ambulance was later called and their lie unravelled.

After the resident had been taken to hospital, further bruising was found on her body, which meant she was unable to receive the correct treatment until seven hours after the accident, which occurred in November last year.

Maria Stoian, above, 'panicked' when the woman, who was left alone in her room, ended up on the floor

Both defendants, originally from Romania, lost their jobs.

Petcu, of Pitt Street, Macclesfield, and Stoian, now of Seaside, Eastbourne, were given 12-month conditional discharges after admitting ill-treatment or wilful neglect.

But Andrew Downie, defending Stoian, said the pair were 'overworked' at Weston Park.

'They were given responsibility for washing, changing, dressing and making good 15 residents in two hours.

'This is a heavy responsibility if any personal time has to be given, which is often the case,' he said.

In sentencing, chairman of the bench Joe Bangadu, said: 'That is a lot, we understand it can be difficult to give your full care to an individual if you have this amount.

'It makes your job very difficult, it is an onerous task.'

But he added: 'What was found seven-and-a-half hours later could have been more serious; a life could have been lost.'

It was said Petcu, the more experienced worker, suggested the cover-up.

Stoian - who needed a translator - now works as a cleaner while Petcu is about to qualify as a personal trainer.

Prosecuting, Ashley Seetal said: 'Both were responsible for looking after her. The defendants have said they panicked.'

Defending Petcu, Nikki Mundy said: 'It was a job she got considerable satisfaction from. She is an ambitious young lady who is dedicated to having a future here in the UK.'

Both must also pay 85 costs and were said to be sorry.

Just a month after the woman was injured the home was branded 'inadequate' and put in special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Weston Park is now graded as 'requires improvement' following a CQC inspection in March. The home has been contacted for comment.
A far-right Australian nationalist and Hitler sympathiser who made vile comments about raping a news presenter has been banned from Twitter.

Blair Cottrell, 27, was told he had violated the rules of the social media site on Tuesday following a series of tweets about his appearance on Sky News on Sunday.

The former leader of the far-right protest group United Patriots Front described the ban as 'insane censorship' amid media outrage over the controversial interview.

Sky News was slammed for hosting a softball interview with Cottrell, a convicted criminal who has reportedly called for Hitler's portrait to be hung in every Australian classroom.

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Blair Cottrell (pictured at an anti-mosque rally), 27, was told he had violated the rules of social media site Twitter on Tuesday

Despite being heavily criticised for his comments about raping Sky News political reporter Laura Jayes (pictured), Cottrell has refused to apologise and lashed out instead

The former leader of the far-right protest group United Patriots Front described the ban (pictured, above) as 'insane censorship' amid media outrage over the controversial interview

'Twitter just banned me for a week for no apparent reason,' he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night.

'I honestly don't care, I'm just making sure you see how insane this censorship is and how it's all linked in with the media.'

Despite being heavily criticised for his comments about raping Sky News political reporter Laura Jayes, Cottrell has refused to apologise and lashed out instead.

Claiming he was 'too articulate' to be engaged with, Cottrell complained about being the victim of a censorship campaign by the 'controlled media' before his ban.

Sky News backpedalled after the interview with Cottrell on Sunday night, hosted by former Northern Territory Country Liberal Party chief minister Adam Giles.

Videos of the interview were scrubbed from social media, and News Director Greg Byrnes apologised, saying it was wrong to give Cottrell airtime.

Cottrell's appearance was slammed by a number of Sky News employees including Ms Jayes

Sky News backpedalled after the interview with Cottrell on Sunday night, hosted by former Northern Territory Country Liberal Party chief minister Adam Giles

Cottrell's appearance was slammed by a number of Sky News employees including Ms Jayes, who described him as a 'far right-wing fascist who's a self confessed Hitler fan'.

Cottrell responded by tweeting: 'I might as well have raped Laura Jayes on the air, not only would she have been happier with that, but the reaction would've been the same.'

'It's pretty sad that my response to that news reporter may have been taken as an actual threat. It was obviously an ironic statement,' Cottrell told Daily Mail Australia.

The Adam Giles program has since been suspended by Sky News, and Cottrell was banned from the channel by outgoing CEO Angelos Frangopoulos.

Former Labor minister Craig Emerson quit as a Sky News commentator amid the fallout over the interview, and American Express suspended its advertising.

Last year Cottrell was convicted of inciting contempt, revulsion or ridicule of Muslims for the 2015 beheading of a dummy in protest of a mosque in Bendigo.

He has openly and repeatedly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler on social media, and published rants about Jews, Muslims and women. In later videos, he has distanced himself from some of these positions - claiming they were posted by a fake account

Last year Cottrell was convicted of inciting contempt, revulsion or ridicule of Muslims for the 2015 beheading of a dummy in protest of a mosque in Bendigo (pictured)

He has served time in prison for stalking his ex-girlfriend, throwing a missile and intentionally damaging property.

Cottrell also has convictions for aggravated burglary, attempting to burn down his ex-girlfriend's partners house, arson, weapons possession, testosterone trafficking and property damage.

He has openly and repeatedly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler on social media, and published rants about Jews, Muslims and women.

'There should be a picture of this man [Hitler] in every classroom and every school and his book should be issued to every student annually,' he wrote on Facebook, later claiming the post came from a fake account.

'Women have manipulated me using sex and emotion; demoralization, and I have manipulated them using violence and terror,' he said in another post.
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Britain was enjoying fresher and cooler weather today after the scorching heatwave came to a dramatic end last night when thunderstorms struck.

Despite temperatures peaking at 91.8F (33.2C) yesterday in Gravesend, Kent, the warm weather went out with a bang as thunderstorms arrived across the county - as forecasters warned of the risk of hail and flash flooding.

The stormy weather appeared to clear away shortly after midnight. Now, significantly cooler weather is being felt across the country today, with highs of 73F (23C) and lows of 57F (14C) expected in the South East.

And it looks like the cooler weather will last for a fortnight, with the Met Office forecasting 'temperatures generally around normal' for the next two weeks - before conditions return to 'warm or very warm' from August 22.

A beautiful sunrise early this morning on the beach at Whitley Bay in North Tyneside as conditions begin to cool down

Thunderstorms struck across parts of England last night, including at Broadstairs in Kent (pictured)

Lightning lit up the sky above Medway in Kent last night as a storm rolled across the south east coast

Lightning could be seen off the coast of Brighton last night. Now the storms have cleared, fresher weather will be felt

Lightning was also spotted across West Sussex early yesterday evening

People who flocked to Bournemouth beach to enjoy the weather were left holding umbrellas as it rained yesterday

Dark clouds massed above the London skyline at 4pm yesterday as predicted thunderstorms approached Canary Wharf

Frank Saunders, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'After weeks of predominantly high temperatures and very little rainfall for many parts of the country, high pressure is finally breaking down allowing a cold front to introduce cooler, fresher air from the Atlantic to all parts of the UK.

'Temperatures will still often be in the low to mid-20Cs (mid-70Fs) in eastern parts of England for the rest of this week, which although is above average for the time of year, will be notably cooler than recent weeks.

'Elsewhere, temperatures in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England will be closer to average, the high teens being typical.'

Met Office forecaster Dean Hall added that there will be 'quite a marked change to the feel of things' from the middle of the week as conditions turn 'fresher and more changeable'.

It is likely to stay cooler throughout next weekend, he said, with 'no real sign of any return of the heat that we have been seeing over the recent days'.

Temperatures are expected to fall to around 73F (23C) today following the heatwave that has hung over Britain

The mercury will remain in the low 70Fs (low 20Cs) tomorrow and on Friday as Britain experiences much cooler weather

A yellow thunderstorm warning was issued for the south east coast last night (left) as lightning struck across Kent (right)

And his colleague Craig Snell said: 'Fresher weather will spread south and east and it will be with us for the rest of the week, into the weekend.

'Temperatures will be down to the low 20Cs (low 70Fs) in the south and east, and high teens Celsius (mid-60Fs) elsewhere, but although it will feel cooler, those figures are around normal for the time of year.'

Mr Snell said there is the chance of showery rain at times over the coming days, most likely tomorrow, when there could also be thunder in the South East.

The top temperature in Britain has been over 75F (24C) for 46 days in a row up to and including yesterday. Of those 46 days, some 29 have seen temperatures of at least 85F (29.4C), while ten have been at least 90F (32C).

The hottest day of 2018 has been broken six times within the period - including on four days in a row in June. The lowest reading in the 45-day period was 75.2F (24C) on July 28, with the highest at 95.2F (35.1C) two days earlier.

A light drizzle couldn't stop punters in Cambridge from enjoying the view along the River Cam yesterday

Kent Storm Chasers tweeted this photograph of the 'first rumbles of thunder and strike seen in Dover' yesterday afternoon

People sunbathing and swimming in the sea in Bournemouth were forced to take cover as a light rain hit yesterday

People gather under umbrellas at Greenwich Park in South East London yesterday afternoon as the rain begins to fall

And the Met Office said Britain could see warmer-than-average temperatures in the autumn, with settled conditions more likely than unsettled weather from our typical Atlantic weather systems.

The hottest UK day ever recorded was August 10, 2003, when Faversham in Kent made it to 101.3F (38.5C).

The stormy forecast led Ryanair to cancel 14 departures and 13 arrivals at London Stansted Airport yesterday afternoon and evening, with the airline warning customers that they should 'expect further delays' later on.

A spokesman said: 'All affected customers have been contacted by email and text message and advised of their options: a full refund, rebooking on to the next available flight or transferring to an alternative flight.

'We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this weather disruption, which is entirely beyond our control, and we are working hard to minimise the disruption to our operations.'

How Britain's temperatures have been over 75F for 46 days in a row during the prolonged heatwave The top temperature in Britain has been over 75F (24C) for 46 days in a row up to and including yesterday. Of those 46 days, some 29 have seen temperatures of at least 85F (29.4C), while ten have been at least 90F (32C). The hottest day of 2018 record has been broken six times within the period - including on four days in a row in June. The lowest reading in the 46-day period was 75.2F (24C) on July 28, while the highest was 95.2F (35.1C) two days earlier. Here are the top temperatures recorded in Britain on each of the past 46 days: June 23: 76.3F (24.6C) June 24: 79.7F (26.5C) June 25: 86.2F (30.1C) June 26: 87.4F (30.8C) June 27: 89.4F (31.9C) June 28: 91.4F (33C) June 29: 90.5F (32.5C) June 30: 85.1F (29.5C) July 1: 90F (32.2C) July 2: 88.2F (31.3C) July 3: 86.2F (30.1C) July 4: 84.4F (29.1C) July 5: 88.6F (31.2C) July 6: 88.5F (31.4C) July 7: 88.7F (31.5C) July 8: 90.3F (32.4C) July 9: 86.9F (30.5C) July 10: 79.3F (26.3C) July 11: 81F (27.2C) July 12: 79.7F (26.5C) July 13: 82.6F (28.1C) July 14: 85.3F (29.6C) July 15: 87.4F (30.8C) July 16: 88.7F (31.5C) July 17: 78.4F (25.8C) July 18: 80.2F (26.8C) July 19: 84.3F (29.1C) July 20: 83.1F (28.4C) July 21: 84.4F (29.1C) July 22: 85.6F (29.8C) July 23: 91.9F (33.3C) July 24: 88.5F (31.4C) July 25: 89.6F (32C) July 26: 95.2F (35.1C) July 27 - 94.5F (34.7C) July 28 - 75.2F (24C) July 29 - 76.3F (24.6C) July 30 - 79.2F (26.2C) July 31 - 78.4F (25.8C) August 1 - 80.4F (26.9C) August 2 - 87.1F (30.6C) August 3 - 91.8F (33.2C) August 4 - 85.6F (29.8C) August 5 - 86.4F (30.2C) August 6 - 90.5F (32.5C) Yesterday - 91.8F (33.2C) This year's run of 46 days with temperatures over 75F (24C) is unusual for Britain - but just misses out on the record. That is held by 1995 which saw a 53-day period from July 5 to August 26 when the mercury hit at least 75F (24C). In comparison, the famous heatwave summer of 1976 saw 15 days in a row when temperatures hit at least 89.7F (32C). Advertisement

Here come the sunflowers (and Beatle the horse)... in a stunning portrait of our glorious summer

Plenty of Brits have spent the past month enjoying the glorious summer, but this picture of a girl and her horse sums up the wonderful weather.

Schoolgirl Sophie Golland, 16, was pictured making the most of the summer holiday heatwave when she rode through her grandfather's field of sunflowers.

She sat atop her nine-year-old colt Beatle yesterday as the sun beamed down on them in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Sophie's grandfather Nicholas Watts, 75, grows 100 acres of sunflowers using them to make bird feed.

The striking yellow flowers back onto a scorched field turned brown by the UK's longest heatwave since 1976.

Sophie Golland, 16, was seen making the most of the heatwave when she rode through her grandfather's field of sunflowers

Her mother Joanna Golland joined her in the field on her horse Flo in the field near Spalding, Lincolnshire
University students are being forced to take classes about consent during which they're told to use words like 'joystick' and 'vajayjay' rather than anatomically correct names for genitalia.

The Consent Matters class at the University of Technology, Sydney was brought in this year as a compulsory module that all students must complete in order to pass their course.

The class involves an online test in which students must score 100 per cent to pass. The test features slides of social scenarios, some involving drinking, and uses words such as 'hotdog' and 'vajayjay.'

University students are being forced to take classes about consent

Students are told to use words like 'joystick' and 'vajayjay' rather than the anatomically correct names for genitalia

A voiceover to the test informs the young adults that using slang like this instead of standard language makes it easier to discuss sex and consent.

The module is part of an initiative to deal with issues of sexual assault and harassment on campus.

'Our program of work is focused on a broader goal of bringing about a sustainable cultural change to enable a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence in our community,' the University webpage says.

The Introduction to Diversity class at the University of Sydney is required for anyone who wants to minor in 'diversity' and is run by lecturer Dr Jane Park, who regularly brings her white poodle cross to class.

'It is not just about let's hate all men and white people, that can be fun for like five seconds and then it gets boring. Also my dog is white. It is about white dog privilege. The idea of divide and conquer which brought us here  colonisation, capitalism, patriarchy,' Dr Park told a packed lecture theatre, reported The Daily Telegraph.

The module is part of an initiative to deal with issues of sexual assault and harassment on campus

A example of the slides in the online test students must take in order to graduate

'Our identity and our value is defined by our commodification as being valuable in a capitalist society that has to become something else, that has to become definable,' she said.

Australian Catholic University lecturer and education commentator Kevin Donnelly said he is concerned universities are no longer places of open debate where people can argue the evidence on certain topics.

'It is part of the PC movement, where we have safe spaces, victimhood, and students are no longer able to have robust debate because everyone is part of some victim group,' Mr Donnelly said.

'Our program of work is focused on a broader goal of bringing about a sustainable cultural change to enable a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence,' the University webpage says

The module was brought in this year and all students are required to complete the test




An animal lover has been shot dead in Tennessee while trying to save a Yorkshire terrier puppy who was being choked by his owner.

Robert 'Rob' Wilson, 37, died last month in Smyrna after he was shot in the chest when he stepped in to stop the mistreatment of the puppy.

He had confronted 35-year-old Donavous Jerome Drennon after allegedly spotting him holding the Yorkshire terrier by the throat.

The incident took place on the night of July 27 at the Uptown Suites: Extended Stay hotel.

Robert 'Rob' Wilson, 37, died last month in Smyrna after he was shot in the chest when he stepped in to stop the mistreatment of the puppy. His fiancee Sue Hoskins (above) witnessed the shooting

Drennon was captured on CCTV walking through the hotel with the puppy trailing behind him.

Wilson had been staying at the hotel with his fiancee Sue Hoskins while they looked for an apartment to rent.

His fiancee told the Murfreesboro Daily News that Wilson had called her from outside the hotel room to say someone was mistreating the dog.

'I dropped my phone and went running out there to see Rob saying, 'why are you doing that',' she said.

'The guy said it was his puppy and he just shot him.'

She put pressure on Wilson's gunshot wound, saying: 'All I could do was try to stop the bleeding.'

He had confronted Donavous Jerome Drennon after allegedly spotting him holding the Yorkshire terrier by the throat. Drennon was captured on CCTV walking through the hotel with the puppy trailing behind him

The incident took place on the night of July 27 at the Uptown Suites: Extended Stay hotel

The bullet, however, had already gone through Wilson's lung and he was unable to be revived.

His family described him as an animal lover and that there was no doubt Wilson would do the same thing a hundred times over.

'His mother was an animal lover,' his father Rick said.

'We've got an animal on her tombstone and we'll put an animal on his tombstone, a dog, because he thought that much of his pet. He would do it again, lose his life over it.'

Drennon turned himself into police last Thursday after initially going on the run.

He has been charged with criminal homicide.

Wilson's family said they tried to adopt the dog that was allegedly being abused, but authorities gave it to Drennon's family.
A quarter of employees for the new high-speed railway are on six-figure pay packets, it was reported last night.

HS2 paid 318 officials at least 100,000 in wages and perks last year, compared to just 115 staff between 2015 and 2016.

The taxpayer-owned company behind the project also spent more than 600million on consultants  more than double the figure of the year before.

HS2 Ltd has 1,346 staff, meaning 24 per cent of workers are currently enjoying a six-figure remuneration package including salary, bonus and pension contributions.

A quarter of employees for the new high-speed railway, HS2, are on six-figure pay packets. The taxpayer-owned company behind the project paid 318 officials at least 100,000 in wages and perks last year, compared to just 115 staff between 2015 and 2016. (Stock photo)

The proportion stood at four per cent four years ago, while it was less than 17 per cent two years ago.

The figures also revealed that 15 staff received more than 251,000 a year  with 112 topping 150,000 a year.

The scale of pay has fuelled concerns over the mounting costs of the rail project.

Martin Blaiklock, an infrastructure consultant, said the number of top earners was 'excessive'  especially as the building work has not even started yet.

HS2 Ltd has 1,346 staff, meaning 24 per cent of workers are currently enjoying a six-figure remuneration package including salary, bonus and pension contributions. (Stock photo)

Transport expert Christian Wolmar told The Times: 'They are basically paying over the odds to get people to work there.

'The project is not seen as well managed or attractive to people in the industry.'

Detailed pay figures of project workers have not previously been disclosed by HS2 because, under Cabinet Office transparency rules, it is only required to publish details of staff earning more than 150,000 each year.

Concerns have already been raised about the cost of HS2, which many experts fear will run over its 56billion budget.

One Cabinet Office assessment said it was 'highly likely' to overrun by 60 per cent, exceeding 80billion.

Concerns have already been raised about the cost of HS2, which many experts fear will run over its 56billion budget. (Stock photo)

Another infrastructure expert Michael Byng warned the first phase, from London to Birmingham, which has a 24.3billion budget, would in reality cost 51.25billion  and that the entire scheme could top 100billion.

This was rejected by transport secretary Chris Grayling. The project is due to be completed by 2026.

Phase 2B will link Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester, while Phase 2A will link Manchester and Crewe and will be completed by 2033.

Last week it emerged that 4.1billion had already been spent on the line before construction has even started.

A spokesman for HS2 Ltd said: 'In a highly technical project of the scale and complexity of HS2 it is necessary to employ the right level of expertise and knowledge to deliver the programme successfully.
Patients who were treated by a now-suspended dentist are being urged to get tested for serious blood-borne diseases after he was suspended from his Sydney practice over suspicious hygiene measures.

NSW Health has warned that patients treated by Dr James Pok-Yan Ng in Haberfield should visit the doctor to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

An investigation of the inner-west facility was conducted on July 23 after a complaint was made to the Dental Council of NSW.

Patients who visited a Haberfield dentist (pictured, centre) over past 35 years urged to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV

They found a poor practice environment with a lack of cleanliness and evidence of filthy dental equipment.

Dr Ng's registration was suspended on July 27, prohibiting him from practising as a dentist in Australia.

The Chief Health Officer has warned that all patients of the dental clinic over the past 35 years should visit their GP for testing - even if they saw a different dentist at the premises.

The risk is heightened for any patient who has undergone invasive procedures which typically involve a needle or instrument piercing the skin or a procedure where bleeding could have occurred.

Dr Zeina Najjar, the acting director of Sydney Local Health District's Public Health Unit, said that the infection risk was low and no one had been identified with a blood-borne virus related to the practice.

'Precautionary testing for hepatitis B, C, and HIV is recommended for anyone who attended the clinic over the past 35 years, especially those who had invasive procedures,' Dr Najjar said.

Dr James Pok-Yan Ng has been suspended after the inner-west dental facility was investigated by the Dental Council of NSW (pictured: image from the Haberfield dental facility as listed on realestate.com.au)

'This would have involved a needle or other instrument piercing the skin, gums or tooth root, or where bleeding may have occurred, but we recommend any patient of this practice sees their GP.'

Shane Fryer, the president of the Dental Council of NSW, said the Haberfield practice breached the Dental Board of Australia's guidelines on cleaning and sterilisation.

'The council carries out inspections of dental practices when a complaint is made which raises a possible concern about compliance with our infection control guidelines,' Dr Fryer said.

Dr Fryer said that the majority of dental practitioners 'overwhelmingly' follow infection control guidelines, procedures and obligations but patients who are worried should contact HCCC or the Dental Council.

Patients who are concerned about their health risk are urged to contact the hotline 1800 610 344.
The Australian government has brought in an additional 1,500 Centrelink staff, bringing its total number of new employees over the past year to 2,750.

These new staff members follow the 1,000 workers hired in April to help manage increasing demand, as well as the 250 employees drafted in late last year through a pilot program with Serco.

Centrelink answers around one million calls every week, and Federal Human Services Minister Michael Keenan told Seven that he expected a very significant improvement in call waiting times as a result of the additional staff.

Centrelink has hired 2,750 new staff over the past year in order to meet increasing demand

'We've been looking at the way we manage calls to make sure it is as efficient as possible and make sure you get to talk to someone in the first instance who can answer your query,' he said.

'Look, I don't want to put a KPI on it but people will notice  hopefully are already noticing  that they are getting a much better service than they have in the past.'

He noted that the additional 250 staff members from Serco last year reduced call waiting times by 20 per cent, so he expects the 2,500 additional staff this year to have a significant impact.

Centrelink workers respond to approximately one million calls every week (stock image)

The Department of Human Services signed contracts for the 1,000 additional staff in call centres in Victoria, along with Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

The cost of the 2,750 overall new staff members has reportedly cost the government at least $50 million this financial year.
The body of the world's most most endangered sea turtles has been found stuck in a barstool on a Florida beach.

Wildlife experts said that a Kemps ridley sea turtle was seen floating in the Gulf of Mexico just off Dune Allen Beach in Walton County.

A group of concerned bystanders notified the South Walton Turtle Watch, an environmental advocacy group.

Normally they would perform a necropsy (to determine how the turtle died), but she was too far gone, Sharon Maxwell, the groups leader, told Palm Beach Post.

The body of the worlds most endangered sea turtle whose head was disfigured and bloodied as it was trapped in a barstool washed ashore near Pensacola, Florida late Monday night

Wildlife experts said that a Kemps ridley sea turtle was seen floating in the Gulf of Mexico just off Dune Allen Beach in Walton County

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, or the Atlantic Ridley sea turtle, is the rarest species of sea turtle and critically endangered. The above image is a stock photo of a Kemp's ridley sea turtle swimming in the waters off Mexico

Its really sad. Theres no way we can tell how or when she died. We hate it.

The watch group reported the dead turtle to state authorities.

It was buried by a county agency early Tuesday morning.

When the turtle was found, it was entrapped in the legs of a silver barstool.

Maxwell believes the stool either mistakenly fell off a boat or floated out to sea from a beachside resort or restaurant.

WHAT IS A KEMP'S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE? The Kemp's Ridley is the smallest of the eight species of sea turtles.

Adults range from 75-100 pounds (34-45 kilograms).

The hatch-lings of this species are a solid grey- black color.

As they begin to grow into juveniles the coloration of the plastron (bottom shell) turns to white.

The adults are broadly oval or heart shaped and their shells are olive to gray green.

The skin color ranges from creamy color to white. The plastron is a creamy or yellow green in color.

The preferred habitat for the Kemps is shallow coastal areas, bays and lagoons.

While in these areas they often seek their favorite food, crabs. Why is it called Kemp's Ridley? In 1880 a Florida fisherman and naturalist named Richard M. Kemp found the first documented specimen of this turtle.

To honor his finding the species name became Lepidochelys kempii. Source: Sea Turtle Inc Advertisement

She said the bloody and disfigured head indicated that the turtle struggled to free itself from the stool before it died.

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, or the Atlantic Ridley sea turtle, is the rarest species of sea turtle and critically endangered.

They are the smallest type of sea turtle and generally prefer warm waters, but inhabit waters as far north as New Jersey.

They migrate to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida where they often inhabit the waters off Louisiana.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that there were as many as 40,000 nesting females found in a single population in Mexico back in 1947.

By 2011, there were less than 200, most of them in Texas.

Maxwell said that since nesting season began in May, 64 sea turtle nests have been found on Walton County beaches.

None of them, however, were Kemps ridley nests.

Two Kemps ridley nests were found in neighboring Okaloosa County in late May and June.

Turtles are easily affected by trash and debris left on beaches in areas where they typically nest.
The University of Southern California President has stepped down in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal surrounding a campus gynecologist.

C. L. Max Nikias resigned his post on Tuesday amid criticism that school administrators ignored decades of complaints against the employee.

Nikias, who had been president since 2010, agreed to relinquish his role 'effective immediately' but becomes president emeritus and a life, according to a letter from Board of Trustees Chair Rick J. Caruso.

C. L. Max Nikias, the former President of USC, stepped down on Tuesday amid a sex scandal surrounding a long-term campus gynecologist

Trustees hope to find his successor within four to six months, Caruso said.

Wanda M. Austin, who is a board member, was appointed interim president.

'She is a professional of impeccable integrity and character,' Caruso wrote.

Austin holds a USC engineering degree and was president and CEO of her own company, The Aerospace Corp.

She is a former member of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology and currently is on the boards of Chevron and Amgen.

Austin is 'a strong advocate for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines as well as for minorities and women,' he wrote.

George Tyndall is accused of groping and inappropriately photographing at least 50 women over the course of three decades

Nikias, 65, agreed in May to step down at an unspecified date.

He and the school faced accusations that they ignored complaints against Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist who worked at a university clinic for 30 years.

Tyndall, who has since retired, is the focus of some two dozen lawsuits and a police investigation into allegations involving at least 50 women.

The lawsuits allege Tyndall routinely made crude comments, took inappropriate photographs and forced plaintiffs to strip naked and groped them under the guise of medical treatment.

Nikias also came under fire after reports in the Los Angeles Times that USC medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito associated with criminals and people who used drugs and had been captured on video apparently smoking methamphetamine.

Puliafito gave up his post in 2016 but remained a faculty member until USC fired him last year.

In his letter, Caruso promised reforms.

'As I have said previously, it is evident that the recent crises have resulted from systemic and cultural failures,' he wrote.

'Both the behavior and the environment that allowed it to persist are inexcusable and will no longer be tolerated.'

Caruso said a law firm hired in May to investigate the Tyndall allegations had interviewed more than 100 witnesses and collected 4.5 million documents.

He also noted that the school has a newly formed Office for Professional Ethics to monitor and investigate complaints.
Two Westfield security guards have been stood down after footage emerged showing one throwing mother to the ground during a messy confrontation.

The footage shows a mother and her 15-year-old daughter growing aggressive after they were asked to leave the Manukau City Westfield shopping centre in Auckland.

As the two women were escorted out of the building on Tuesday, the altercation turned violent when the mother ignored orders and tried to re-enter the mall.

The woman is seen being escorted out of the shopping centre (left) before she turns around, is grabbed by security and falls to the ground (right)

When the mother turned around and tried to re-enter the shopping centre, one of the security guards grabbed her by the arm and she fell to the ground.

In apparent retaliation, her teenage daughter started to throw punches at a second security guard.

When more security guards arrived to try and dispel the confrontation, the teenager could be heard saying, 'you want some too bro?'

As the teenager threw punches at the security guards, her mother could be heard saying, 'she's only 15, she's only 15'.

In the footage, obtained by the NZ Herald, the girl appeared to be hurt at one point, doubled over and holding her face.

'Look what you've done to my daughter's eye, everybody saw you blacked my daughter's eye,' the mother said.

The teenager then stood upright and threw another punch at the security guard standing nearby.

The girl appeared to be hurt at one point, doubled over and holding her face (left) before standing upright and taking a swing at security (right)

The disturbing footage showed a group of frightened shoppers gathered around the group as they came to blows on the footpath.

Scentre Group, representing Manukau City Westfield, confirmed to Daily Mail Australia two of the centre's security guards were stood down while the incident was investigated.

Police told Daily Mail Australia the incident was reported and officers were investigating the circumstances.

They urged any witnesses to contact the police and help with their investigation.

Phone Acting Sergeant Matt Putt from Counties Manukau Police on (09) 261 1300 or phone Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Two new stains of gonorrhoea that are resistant to antibiotics have been detected in Australia for the first time.

The drug-resistant versions of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that produces the painful sexually-transmitted infection, have been found in Australia, a federal government report has revealed.

They are unable to be treated with antibiotic medicines ceftriaxone and azithromycin, leaving sufferers with an infection that causes extreme pain during urination.

Two new stains of gonorrhoea that are resistant to antibiotics have been detected in Australia for the first time

Professor John Turnidge, the senior medical adviser with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, said the findings highlighted the need for condoms to be used during sex.

'To prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), either to yourself or others, it is best to practice safe sex,' he said in a statement.

'Safe sex includes using a condom or dental dam to ensure that you do not pass an infection on to your partner.'

The commission's biannual National Alert System for Critical Antimicrobial Resistance report said the discovery of these gonorrhoea strains in Australia followed similar findings in the United Kingdom.

Two new stains of gonorrhoea that are resistant to antibiotics have been detected in Australia for the first time (stock image)

WHAT IS GONORRHOEA? Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. This bacteria is usually found in discharge from the penis or vaginal fluid. It is passed through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex, as well as sharing vibrators or sex toys that have been used without a condom. The bacteria can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat or eyes. It can also spread from pregnant women to their unborn babies. As the bacteria cannot survive outside the body for long, gonorrhoea is not spread by kissing, hugging, sharing towels, toilet seats or swimming. Around one in 10 men and half of women experience no symptoms. However, these can include: Thick green or yellow discharge from the genitals

Pain when urinating

Bleeding between periods in women Treatment is usually a single antibiotic injection and tablet. Gonorrhoea can be prevented by using condoms during sex and not sharing sex toys. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

'The detection of these strains is concerning because of the potential for N. gonorrhoea to cause a community outbreak of sexually transmitted infections,' the report said.

N. gonorrhoeae cases account for 38 per cent of cases of drug-resistant infections in Australia.

The report also revealed another five strains of gonorrhoea that had a high-level resistance to the antibiotic drug azithromycin.

It also highlighted an increase in the multi-drug resistant Shigella species  an infection associated with food-borne illness, particularly in people returning from overseas travel in developing countries.

'Clinicians in the community should be aware of risk factors for highly resistant community infections including overseas travel,' Professor Turnidge said.

Shigella usually results in diarrhoea, fever and nausea, and occassionally vomiting and stomach cramps.

The government report also found a rise in the number of drug-resistant Carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae, an infection also known as CPE, which lives in the bowel.

This illness is more commonly spread in unhygienic hospital wards overseas but is more commonly occurring in Australia.

'These bacteria do not discriminate. The latest report shows that few age groups are spared, including our youngest Australians, children aged up to four years,' the report said.

'As CPE are becoming commonplace across various hospital settings in Australia, clinicians need to be aware of the patient populations at risk to limit spread to other patients.'
A police officer used a taser on an 11-year-old girl at an Ohio grocery store, according to local authorities.

Cincinnati police said that an officer used the taser around 9.30pm on Monday at a local Kroger in Spring Grove Village.

The police said that the pre-teen was suspected of shoplifting, placing a lot of food into her backpack, WLWT reports.

Cincinnati police said that an officer used the taser around 9.30pm on Monday at a local Kroger in Spring Grove Village

Police Chief Eliot Isaac announced that he was launching an investigation into the matter.

'There needs to be a complete investigation,' said Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman, according to Cincinnati.com. 'It's hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be tased. I expect answers in 24 hours.'

Taser guidelines state that they can be used on anyone who is over the age of seven, according to Lt. Steve Saunders.

Officials said that anyone over the age of seven can have a taser used on them (stock)

But they are to be used 'for self-defense or to temporarily immobilize a subject who is actively resisting arrest.'

The 11-year-old child was charged with theft and obstruction of justice, police stated.

She was taken to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and then given to the care of a guardian.

The responding officer had attempted to turn on his camera but was only able to get footage of the moments following the detainment, according to police.
The father who is alleged to have thrown his infant son into the East River on Sunday is feared to have fled to Thailand.

New York police have identified the parents of the baby who was found in the waters off South Street Seaport in Manhattan on Sunday.

After seeing news reports about the dead baby, the mother walked into a Manhattan police precinct and told officers she was worried because her estranged partner did not return earlier in the day with their infant son, according to the New York Post.

The baby's father was supposed to return after a scheduled weekend visit.

The mother told police she believes that the father flung their 8-month-old son into the East River, WNBC-TV reported.

The father who is alleged to have thrown his infant son into the East River on Sunday is feared to have fled to Thailand. Authorities are seen above investigating the death of the baby boy who was found floating in water near the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday

New York police have identified the parents of the baby who was found in the waters off South Street Seaport in Manhattan on Sunday

When police began searching for the baby's father at his home in the Bronx, he was not there, according to the Post.

Investigators then reviewed surveillance footage which showed the father with his son earlier in the day.

In footage from later that same day, the baby was nowhere to be found.

Now police are in touch with authorities in Thailand in an effort to track down the father.

Investigators still do not know if the baby was alive when he went into the water.

Authorities have so far declined to publicly identify the parents.

Police want to know: How long was the boy in the water before an Oklahoma family spotted him Sunday afternoon?

Why was he wearing only a diaper?

Where are the adults who were supposed to be caring for him?

A medical examiner will determine how the boy, about 8 months old, died.

Police say he showed no signs of trauma.

Diana Campbell, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, first noticed the baby around 4pm Sunday.

Monte Campbell of Stillwater, Oklahoma (above) waded into the water near the Manhattan shoreline, retrieved the baby, and started CPR. But the baby was pronounced dead at a local hospital

Her husband, Monte Campbell, waded into shallow water near the Manhattan shoreline, retrieved the baby and started CPR.

'She just called me over and said there was a baby in the water,' Monte Campbell said.

'I called 911. At that point, I thought it was a doll.'

He said the baby wasn't breathing and showed no pulse.

Police officers arrived minutes later and took the baby onto the pedestrian walkway, where they continued CPR before the baby was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

No parent or guardian was present at the scene, police said.

The East River running between Manhattan and Brooklyn is a heavily trafficked tidal estuary subject to strong currents.

Both park-lined shorelines are usually teeming with tourists this time of year.
A multi-million-dollar facility that will turn rubbish destined for landfill into fuel has been opened.

Located in Sydney's west, the resource recovery plant will process 250,000 tonnes of waste each year, becoming the largest in Australia.

The Process Engineered Fuel (PEF) produced by the plant will reduce Australia's dependence on fossil fuels, with more than 20 billion tonnes burned worldwide every year.

Australia is among the highest global burners of fossil fuels, using more than 100,000 tonnes of coal alone per year.

The plant (pictured) will process about 250,000 tonnes of Australian waste each year, converting the non-recyclables into a sustainable fuel source

The plant will take in waste from up to 50,000 trucks heading to landfill every year, sorting recyclable materials from non-recyclables.

Anything that can't be recycled, including many plastics, is turned into the dry pulp known as PEF.

This pulp can be used instead of coal and gas in cement kilns.

WHAT IS PROCESS ENGINEERED FUEL? Process Engineered Fuel (PEF) is a pulp made from non-recyclable waste Materials include non-recyclable plastics, cardboard, paper and textiles as well as difficult to recycle timber That pulp can be used in cement heaters instead of coal and gas Advertisement

In 2017 Australia's greenhouse gas emissions rose nearly two per cent since the previous year, the third consecutive year of increase.

The plant will cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to Ben Sawley, the CEO of Sustainable Energy at ResourceCo.

'It will replace over 100,000 tonnes of coal usage per year alone and will take the equivalent of 20,000 cars annually off the road in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,' he said.

Using PEF improves environmental outcomes by reducing greenhouse gas production per tonne of cement produced, according to ResourceCo's website.

The plant will open up about 50 jobs for Australians in waste management (pictured)

There was a similar plant proposed for the western Sydney suburb of Eastern Creek.

However, that plant was an incinerator, which led residents to protest over concerns of pollution and fumes throughout the neighborhood.

The Eastern Creek plant was eventually refused approval to build.

The ResourceCo plant isn't in a residential area, but is surrounded by already established factories.

Australia only uses about four per cent of 64million tonnes of waste as an energy source

The plant will provide about 50 jobs to Australians and supply PEF to Boral, Australias largest construction material company.

Australia only uses about four per cent of its waste as an energy source, Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg told 9 News.

'Other countries do a lot more,' he said.

As a nation, Australia produces 64 million tonnes of waste annually but only recycles 35 million tonnes.
A health minister who performed a bizarre dance move in parliament has been accused of being drunk.

In the first question time following a six-week winter break, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard performed a dance number as Labor MP Jodi McKay was about to talk.

She told parliament that she didn't know what question had been asked, which led to Mr Hazzard calling Labor untrustworthy and dancing, the Daily Telegraph reported.

NSW Liberal Minister Brad Hazzard (pictured standing) performed a little dance number as Labor MP Jodi McKay was about to talk

Mr Hazzard (pictured far right) was accused of being drunk by Labor MP Jodi McKay

'Madam Speaker, I am not relevant to the questioncould I please ask through you...,' Ms McKay said as Mr Hazzard began to dance.

Astonished by his behaviour, Ms McKay questioned his actions.

'That is not how you behave as a Minister, do you really need to do that?' she asked Mr Hazzard.

The minister was then asked to resume his seat amid the chaos which ensued and Ms McKay asked him if he was drunk.

'Have you been drinking? Are you drunk?' Ms McKay asked as she pointed at him.

Speaker Shelley Hancock can then be heard saying: 'What an accusation to make. Run to the media, run to the media.'

Ms McKay snapped back and said: 'That would be the pot calling the kettle black', in reference to an incident in June when Ms Hancock claimed some Labor ministers were drunk during question time, the Daily Telegraph reported.

'That is not how you behave as a Minister, do you really need to do that?' Ms McKay (pictured) asked

Speaking to 2GB, Mr Hazzard said he hadn't 'had a drink in at least four days', and that he's more of a 'cha-cha' dancer

Speaking to 2GB's Ben Fordham on Tuesday, Mr Hazzard said he hadn't 'had a drink in at least four days'.

'I'm a reasonable dancer...the dance steps were good. I'm more of a cha-cha dancer,' he said.

'But in terms of her accusations were a little over the top and an indication theyre not ready for government.'
A photograph of a sea of workers commuting in high-vis has shone light on dramatic changes to Sydney's workforce amid a giant boom in the construction industry.

In a telling image captured during an early-morning commute through the CBD, employees are pictured making their way from Hyde Park towards Market Street.

The cluster of fluoro-clad workers is a stark difference to a few short years ago, when office wear was more likely to be seen than construction uniforms.

A photograph of a sea of workers commuting in high-vis (pictured) has shone light on dramatic changes to Sydney's workforce amid a giant boom in the construction industry

About 100 workers are featured in the photo uploaded to Reddit on Tuesday, with most speculating it was largely the result of the city's drawn-out light rail project.

Progress on the $2.1billion rail network, set to connect the city with Randwick and Kingsford, has been stunted amid court feuds with Spanish subcontractor Acciona.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance was told in April by the consortium in charge of building the light rail that construction was a year behind schedule.

A month later, a $4million lawsuit was launched accusing the government of misleading behaviour and breach of contract.

The cluster of fluoro-clad workers is a stark difference to a few short years ago, when office wear was more likely to be seen on pedestrians than construction uniforms

About 100 workers are featured in the photo uploaded to Reddit on Tuesday, with most speculating it was largely the result of the city's drawn-out light rail project

The government was already locked in a Supreme Court battle against Acciona, which wanted an extra $1.2billion, claiming it was misled over the complexity of the project.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'every major project had its challenges' but she was determined to have the network completed by 2019.

Her announcement came despite the Government being told the earliest end-date would be March 2020.

'I'm confident the project will be done and dusted by next year,' she said.

A leaked internal review revealed on Sunday revealed the government talked up the project before its challenging realities were fully known.

The NSW Government was already locked in a Supreme Court battle against Acciona, which wanted an extra $1.2 billion, claiming it was misled over the complexity of the project

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'every major project had its challenges' but she was determined to have the network completed by 2019

A leaked internal review revealed on Sunday revealed the government talked up the project before its challenging realities were fully known

Screenshots of a 2016 report entitled 'Lessons for Rail', released by NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley's office, showed changes to the project design triggered delays and hefty costs due to 'onerous' contract arrangements.

The report, written by Transport for NSW's internal experts, said underground 'realities' - utilities and drainage - weren't fully understood as the government promoted the project.

It warned the project would be blamed or delayed when it failed to meet the 'unrealistic expectations'.

Delays have already had a devastating impact on business owners, with many saying they are already being squeezed by landlords because foot traffic had been 'smashed'.

The report leaked on Sunday showed changes to the project design triggered delays and hefty costs due to 'onerous' contract arrangements

Delays have already had a devastating impact on business owners, many said they had already being squeezed by landlords because foot traffic had been 'smashed'

Some businesses had noticed a significant decline in the number of hours labourers spent working on the project amid claims Acciona was on a 'go slow'.

Steve Kulak, owner of Surry Hills' TITLE bookstore, said work was no longer being done around the clock.

'Labourers used to be slaving away for 12 to 18 hours a day. But now it is a 9am to 4pm operation, he said.

'At the beginning it was on, it was buzzing,' said Mr Kulak. 'Now nothing happens at night'.
Malaysia's embattled former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged on Wednesday with three counts of money laundering as part of a probe into money missing from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The charges, read out in a lower court, were related to three electronic transfers amounting to 42 million ringgit ($10 million) from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, into Najib's personal bank account.

The judge transferred the case to the high court to be heard later on Wednesday, along with previous charges.

Malaysia's embattled former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged on Wednesday with three counts of money laundering

The money laundering offence carries a penalty of a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine of not less than 5 times the value of the proceeds of any illegal transfers, or five million ringgit, whichever is the higher.

Last month, Najib was arrested and charged with abuse of power and criminal breach of trust following a probe into SRC International. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released after posting bail, but his passport was held.

He and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving the country since he lost an election in May, and the new prime minister, his mentor-turned-foe, Mahathir Mohamad relaunched an investigation into 1MDB.

Earlier, Najib arrived at the courthouse in a four-car motorcade accompanied by his children. He was dressed in a grey suit and sat in the dock looking calm.

Money allegedly siphoned off from SRC represents only a small fraction of the billions of dollars the U.S. Department of Justice has said was misappropriated from 1MDB.

Najib had founded 1MDB and headed its advisory board.

Lawsuits filed in U.S. courts by the DOJ allege that an estimated $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund and their associates.

1MDB is being investigated by at least six countries, including Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, over alleged money laundering and graft.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiif and Joseph Sipalan; writing by Praveen Menon; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
The daughter of the woman who broke her lover out of jail by hijacking a helicopter is a set to film a documentary in Australia about her mother's crime.

Maria Dudko, who was 10 years old at the time of the incident and now lives in Moscow, Russia, has spoken to True Crime Australia about the new documentary which will be titled 'Come Fly With Me'.

The documentary will see Maria and other members of the film crew interview those associated with the infamous event, including her mother's then-lover, armed robber John Killick, as well as NSW police officers close to the case.

The daughter of the infamous 'Red Lucy' is set to film a documentary about her mother's crime

Maria  also known as Masha  immigrated to Australia with her mother, Lucy Dudko, and father, Alex Dudko, in 1993 but her mother soon embarked on a three-year affair with Killic, The Courier Mail reported.

Killick  who has spoken extensively about his life with Lucy in a number of books was imprisoned for an armed robbery at a bank, and Lucy visited him regularly in jail.

The young family was thrown into the spotlight when Lucy hijacked a helicopter  by threatening pilot Tim Joyce with a gun  in March 1999, landing it at Silverwater jail amid gunfire before taking off with Killick on board.

Lucy Dudko embarked on a three year affair with armed robber John Killick

Lucy Dudko hijacked a helicopter, landed it at Silverwater jail and took off with Killick in tow

The pair then went on the run from police for a month and a half before being captured at a caravan park in Bass Hill, Sydney. Lucy earnt the nickname 'Red Lucy' amid the media circus surrounding the event.

Police established Lucy's involvement within one day of the crime and how this happened so quickly is one of the questions Maria is looking to answer.

She also wants to further understand the Australian laws that prosecuted her mother, and the media ethics surrounding the huge coverage of the event.

The firing point from the control tower where shots were fired at Lucy Dudko in the helicopter

Killick and Dudko went on the run for a month and a half before being captured by police

'I have so many questions now and I live in Russia but have come here (Sydney) to find some answers,' she told True Crime Australia.

'There is some things I don't understand like why police so quickly thought they know who was involved.'

Maria maintained a relationship with her mother while she was in jail via monthly letters, and later, weekly phone calls.

Lucy was released in 2006 - and Killick almost a decade later - and is thought to be living a quiet life in NSW.

Lucy has made several human rights complaints since her release, claiming that her trial was prejudiced by police, and will be collaborating with Maria on the documentary.

Maria has been to university and co-directed a Russian documentary series which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival in 2017, but this will be her first feature documentary.

A Bell 47 helicopter similar to the one hijacked by Lucy Dudko to break Killick out of jail
Thomas J and Dawna Colbert believe their team of sleuths have deciphered six letters written by notorious hijacker DB Cooper (seen in a police mock-up) to reveal his true identity as ex-military pilot Robert Rackstraw

A team of cold case sleuths who believe they know the real identity of the mysterious plane hijacker DB Cooper have revealed how they broke a series of codes hidden in six letters to come up with the answer.

Thomas J and Dawna Colbert, from Los Angeles, successfully sued the FBI in 2016 to have the documents released under public information laws, and since then have pored over them to uncover their secrets.

Helped by the code breaking expertise of a Vietnam veteran, they announced in February all the evidence pointed to ex-military pilot Robert Rackstraw. But only now have they revealed the methods used to come to that conclusion.

DB Cooper (an FBI codename for the hijacker) became one of the 20th century's most compelling masterminds after he took over a Boeing 727 at Seattle-Tacoma airport in 1971 and held its crew and passengers hostage with a bomb.

Once his demand of $200,000 cash - the equivalent of $1.2 million today - was reached and transferred onto the plane, he had the crew take off before he parachuted over the dense Pacific Northwest woods and disappeared.

Thomas Colbert, a TV researcher and writer, took up the hunt to find Cooper's true identity in 2011 by assembling a team headed by ex-FBI agents. Several difficult years chasing leads followed until the six letters came into the team's possession in 2018.

The Colberts are pictured on July 13, 2016 in Los Angeles announcing there suit against the FBI to release the documents under public information laws

The Colberts asked ex-Army code-breaker Rick Sherwood, 70, to examine this letter, in which someone signing themselves off a DB Cooper mocks the police

Sherwood said he had made coded references in the letter to three units Rackstraw had served with during the conflict. He broke all the codes using a number counting system, whereby each letter in the alphabet corresponded to a number

One, in particular, provided a breakthrough when it was passed into the hands of Rick Sherwood, 70, a veteran of the Vietnam War who was trained in Morse code and other similar techniques.

Court-released FBI memos that the Colberts' team has studied showed senior agents, including founder J. Edgar Hoover himself, considered this Dec. 11, 1971 note to be from the real D.B. Cooper letter.

Long dismissed as a fake, Sherwood says he proved it was real unmasking coded identifiers that finger Rackstraw as the author.

Rackstraw was investigated and cleared by the FBI. When Thomas Colbert named him as Cooper in 2016, the ex-pilot's lawyer called the claim 'the stupidest thing I've ever heard'. Rackstraw is alive today and lives in California.

But Sherwood thinks differently.

Examining the first letter, he cracked its codes using a simple number counting method, whereby each letter in the alphabet corresponded to a number.

Rackstraw (pictured, after being arrested for fraud and murder). He was cleared of the charges

Sherwood said he had made coded references in the letter to three units Rackstraw had served with during the conflict. As only Rackstraw had been with those three units, he must have been the author, Sherwood believes.

Another letter, sent to the Reno Gazette, on Saturday, November 27, 1971, merely said 'Attention! Thanks for the Hospitality. Was in a rut. D.B. Cooper'.

From these words, Sherwood uncovered the initials SWS, which he said meant Special Warfare School, where Rackstraw had learnt his coding.

Another letter contained a message to Rackstraw's accomplice saying he was 'going down to Sacramento', the code-breaker believes, while a further identified a parachute school he attended in 1967.

A final one, sent in 1972, actually provided Rackstraw's full name and rank, according to Sherwood, and informed the reader about: 'I want out of the system and saw a way by hijacking one jet plane'.

The code-breaking methods and conclusions reached by the Sherwood and his co-workers will inevitably prove controversial and face challenges.

But Thomas Colbert thinks they have managed to identify the right man, telling DailyMail.com that Sherwood's work proved the six letters had genuinely been sent by the hijacker, and also identified him as Rackstraw.

Rackstraw (right), who lives in California, has repeatedly denied the claims. The ex-pilot's lawyer called the claim 'the stupidest thing I've ever heard'

Another letter, (top) sent to the Reno Gazette, on Saturday, November 27, 1971, merely said 'Attention! Thanks for the Hospitality. Was in a rut. D.B. Cooper'. From these words, Sherwood uncovered the initials SWS, which he said meant Special Warfare School, where Rackstraw had learnt his coding. The other three letters (marked #2, #3 and #4, are explained here by Sherwood)

Colbert believes the FBI did not name Rackstraw as the hijacker because he worked for the CIA, citing several alleged references to the agency in the letters, and information from a 'deep source', as evidence.

He also says his team have 'more than 100 pieces of evidence, including DNA trails' that point to Rackstraw.

He also said two of the letters were dropped in mailboxes just 20 minutes away from the remote California hideaway he lived in for the first year after the jump - at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 500 miles from the Portland crime scene.

Colbert said he had extensively investigated Rackstraw's personal background as well.

Rackstraw had an illustrious military career as a pilot in the 1st Cavalry Division - one of the first major American air assault divisions.

A final one, sent in 1972, actually provided Rackstraw's full name and rank, according to Sherwood, and informed the reader about: 'I want out of the system and saw a way by hijacking one jet plane'

It was there that Rackstraw learned to parachute and was given two Distinguished Flying Crosses for his performance while in the air - but he was kicked out of the army after they discovered he had lied about dropping out of high school and attending two colleges.

Colbert believes the military gave him all the skills he needed to pull off the extraordinary heist.

In 1977, six years after the hijacking, Rackstraw was suspected of kiting checks for $75,000, but fled before arrest and went to Iran to teach the Shah's men how to fly helicopters.

Meanwhile, back at home, police raided his storage units and found 14 rifles and 150lbs of dynamite.

He lost his Iran chopper job and he was brought back the USA, where he was arrested for fraud and the murder of his stepfather. Philip Rackstraw was found in the grounds of his parents' home with two bullets in his head.

Cooper, who is one of the 20th century's most compelling masterminds, hijacked a Boeing 727 at Seattle-Tacoma airport in 1971 and held its crew and passengers hostage with a bomb

Rackstraw was acquitted of murder and made bail on the fraud charge. Then he faked his death, pretending to crash his plane in the ocean at Monterey Bay, California.

He was found and taken in by the FBI, who believed he might be Cooper, but a lack of evidence and the sudden discovery of some of the hijack money in Washington - planted, Colbert says, by an accomplice - led to his release.

Rackstraw made a plea deal and after serving a year in prison for his Stockton convictions, he moved to Riverside, California.

There he taught a law course in mediation before retiring to his yacht, 'Poverty sucks'.
The daughter of a gang kingpin has been convicted for identifying her father's rape victim - who was then forced to flee to Australia after receiving death threats online.

Gabrial Tiana-Lee Pepe Weston faced the New Plymouth District Court in New Zealand for breaching a suppression order after she named her father's victim on the evening he was convicted of rape, the NZ Herald reported.

Her father Dennis Craig Weston - who is president of the gang Black Power - was found guilty of the rape and indecent assault of a mother-of-four on July 14.

Gabrial Tiana-Lee Pepe Weston identified her father's rape victim on Facebook. Her father, Dennis Craig Weston, is president of the New Zealand gang Black Power (stock image of Black Power gang)

Ms Weston outed the victim in a Facebook post later that evening, attaching a screenshot of the mother-of-four's profile picture alongside two of her children.

'Here u (sic) go whanau the one that wished not be named,' the post read.

Facebook friends of Ms Weston responded to the post with one person suggesting the victim should 'start digging her hole now'.

Judge Timothy Black said the victim suffered from the entire experience and was forced to move away from New Zealand.

'The victim was raped by your father, and has had to relocate to Australia to avoid threats made against her,' he said.

Ms Weston counsel requested she be spared conviction as it would affect her future employment opportunities - she has completed two thirds of an early childhood teaching course.

Ms Weston faced the New Plymouth District Court (pictured) breaching suppression. Her application to avoid conviction was denied

Crown prosecutor Justin Marinovich opposed the application and said the level of offending was serious.

It was determined that the conviction would not affect Ms Weston's career as a teacher, and she was found guilty and fined $1000.

Victims of sex crimes receive automatic name suppression in New Zealand.

Last week, her father Mr Weston was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years imprisonment for the rape and indecent assault of the mother-of four.
Cowen Epere (right) pleaded guilty to the charge on Tuesday and was not suspended

A footy player has avoided suspension despite being dismissed for using a 'homophobic slur' against one of his opponents.

Cowen Epere of the Western Suburbs Magpies was sent off against Penrith Panthers on Sunday.

The Wests prop was charged with contrary conduct after referee Kasey Badger said he called Panther Adam Keighran a 'f***ing' f*****t'.

In the on-field audio heard by the league officials, Epere can be heard calling Keighran a 'f**ing p***y'.

Epere has been hit with a grade-one contrary conduct charge by the New South Wales Rugby League, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The war of words came with 10 minutes to spare at Panthers stadium in Penrith, western Sydney.

Epere pleaded guilty to the charge on Tuesday and avoided suspension.

Epere (right) indulged in a war of words with Panther Adam Keighran at Panthers Stadium in Penrith

The Wests prop was charged with contrary conduct after referee Kasey Badger (left) said he called Panther Adam Keighran a 'f***ing' f*****t'

Badger is the wife of Gavin Badger who has refereed more than 300 NRL matches.

She could soon be seen officiating NRL games as there have been calls to move her to the top level owing to her impressive performances in low grade matches.

If she does make the jump, she will be the first woman to take charge of first-grade NRL matches.
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Rare and astonishing black and white photographs by the late Dan Weiner have resurfaced that capture New Yorkers in their natural element throughout the mid-20th century.

The East Harlem-raised Weiner developed a passion for photojournalism in his younger years, when he had been kicked out of the home by his father, a Romanian immigrant who expressed distaste for his passion for art.

Weiner then enrolled in The Art Students League of New York, where he initially studied painting before switching his major to photography.

Following his time serving in the Air Force during World War II, Weiner went on to make a name for himself as a professional photographer.

Wallis Simpson, The Duchess of Windsor, and Charles Cushing are pictured in El Morocco, New York City, circa 1954

Couples embrace one another and share a kiss on New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York City, 1950

A shopper is seen contemplating a purchase inside a store in New York City in this 1952 photograph by Dan Weiner

Rosemary Clooney is seen singing happily at Telethon in New York City, circa 1950

Pool players gather around a table in this photo taken in 1945 in New York City

Two socialites are seen laughing and chatting in this photo taken in El Morocco, New York City, circa 1954

Showgirls are shown dressed in their costumes in this backstage photo taken in New York City, circa 1950

Weiner's son-in-law, John Broderick, who currently oversees his archive, spoke to The New York Times about his life and famed photo work.

'His father, Isidore, who was a Romanian immigrant, thought that was not an acceptable profession and threw him out of the house,' Broderick told the Times.

Broderick said Weiner went on to meet his wife, Sandra, while enrolled at the League, who assisted him on several photo projects. Their work is now on view at the Steven Kasher gallery.

Weiner and his wife captured individuals from all ages in the collection from the 1940's and 1950's. The photos were taken throughout various areas of the city - including train stations, newsstands, beaches, stoops and more.

This photo, with credits to Sandra Weiner, shows children standing against a brick wall in New York City, circa 1945

This photo, with credits to Sandra Weiner, shows little girls playing by the sidewalk in New York City, circa 1945

A young boy is seated at a desk in this 1945 photograph taken in New York City

Children are shown standing on the street near an open window in New York City, circa 1945

Kids are captured crouching over a closed basement door in New York City, circa 1945

A boy and his dog are seen standing on a sidewalk in New York City, circa 1945

Children are shown sitting on rocks at a port in New York City in this 1945 photograph

Young boys talk as they sit on steps outside in New York City, circa 1948

The photograph from the New York Kids collection, 1940-1949, shows a little boy named Mickey posing for a photo in 1948

Boys are seen standing in front of a poster-clad brick wall in New York City, circa 1945

Mickey (right) and neighbors are shown on East 26th Street in July 1948

Mickey is shown right with a young girl in New York City in this 1948 photograph

The photos show children happily playing, couples dancing and socialites chatting comfortably in front of the camera.

Broderick said of the photographs: 'You get drawn in... you can tell, besides the empathy, you can tell he had a tremendous respect for the people he photographed, no matter what they did or who they were.

'He would take a picture of someone, and you, by looking at that, you become that person. You feel that person. You see the personality of that person.'

Broderick added: 'He must have had some gift to make people completely comfortable around him... He didnt use long lenses. Hes up against them but seems invisible.'

Weiner produced work for publications like Collier's and Fortune before he passed away in a plane crash at the early age of 39.

A young boy sits in his chair as he poses for the camera on East 26th Street in New York City, circa 1948

A young girl is seen kneeling on the sidewalk in this 1945 photo taken in New York City

A mother and are two sons are seen at a window, New York City, circa 1945

Two women chat while walking their dogs in this photo on East End Avenue, New York City, 1950

Chauffeurs are pictured standing outside The Plaza in New York City, circa 1950

A woman and commuters are shown smiling during a fashion show in a train on the New Haven Railroad, 1949

Subway riders are shown at Herald Square in New York City, 1949

People lay out in the sun in this 1950 photo taken at the Health Resort in Brighton Beach, New York City

A photo of East 79th Street is shown in New York City, 1950

People are pictured working a newsstand in New York City, circa 1950

People dance on the beach while visiting Coney Island, New York City, 1949
Australia's crippling drought crisis has led the government to relax kangaroo culling laws in a bid to decrease the amount of the native animals moving closer to human habitation.

Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair released a statement on Wednesday claiming marsupials' numbers had jumped to 'plague proportions' across NSW.

'The NSW Government has cut red tape and given more power to our drought-stricken farmers in order to help manage the damage caused by kangaroos,' he said.

With the drought worsening and NSW declared completely drought ridden the humble Kangaroo will look to be paying a price as the government relaxes culling laws

Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair (pictured) said the changes were an attempt to 'give farmers more powers to protect their properties'

'The new approach will allow farmers to apply for licences over the phone or via email, to cull kangaroos, and more shooters will be able to operate on a property under the same licence.'

Prior to the changes kangaroo carcasses had to be tagged and left in the paddock.

Under the relaxed laws, farmers will no longer need to tag hunted kangaroos.

'(They) will be able to use the carcass for a range of non-commercial purposes such as bait meat,' Mr Blair said

'There will also be increased limits on the number of kangaroos that may be culled, based on property size.'

Mr Blair said the government has cut red tape and given more power to our drought-stricken farmers in order to help manage the damage caused by kangaroos

Previous license holders and current license holders are also being told they can apply for new licenses via the phone.

Mr Blair said the changes were an attempt to 'give farmers more powers to protect their properties'.

'Especially as they manage the challenging conditions,' he said.

'These changes will also maintain animal welfare standards and ecologically sustainable kangaroo populations.'

A Western grey kangaroo grazing in NSW grassland

The Eastern Wallaroo is one of the four species of Kangaroo across NSW

Kangaroos and other wild life are putting 'significant pressure' on water levels in drought stricken regions.

'Kangaroos around local food and water sources are putting significant pressure on farms - we must start to turn that around as soon as possible,' he said.

'Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left  this is the last thing any farmer needs at the moment.'

Mr Blair also said the changes, while harsh for kangaroos, were also set out to protect them from a far more brutal fate.

A troop of Eastern Grey kangaroos grazing grassland in NSW

The iconic Red Kangaroo is another of the four species of kangaroos across New South Wales

'If we dont manage this situation we will start to see tens of thousands of kangaroos starving and suffering ultimately leading to a major animal welfare crisis,' he said.

KANGAROO MANAGEMENT PLAN The commercial harvest area of New South Wales is divided into kangaroo management zones. Kangaroo management zones are used to allocate and issue harvesting quotas. A quota limits the number of kangaroos of each species that can be harmed commercially in any kangaroo management zone. Population estimates are used to calculate the quotas for the next year, in accordance with the management plan. The commercial harvest of kangaroos is prohibited within national parks and other reserved areas. Can only be undertaken on private landholdings with the written permission of the landholder (owner or occupier/manager). Source: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Advertisement

'I know both farmers and our regional communities are under immense pressure right now but I hope these changes are another way the NSW Government can assist in reducing some of the burden of drought.'

Wildlife expert Professor Steve Garlick told ABC News there was no plague of kangaroos and the extra steps were not necessary.

'Kangaroos are not in plague proportions, they might be in some specific areas, and that's because we are in a drought, there's no doubt about that,' he said.

'But no one seems to be interested in any of the wildlife in this drought situation.'

The management plan is designed to help control the population of some kangaroo species including the, Eastern grey, Western grey, Red and Wallaroo.

In order to maintain this sustainability in population the NSW government issues harvesting licenses, monitors the populations, establishes harvesting quotas and conducts research.

According to government figures the population for Red and Grey kangaroos in NSW is staggering.

The figures only encompass the Western Plains region and show that as of 2017 the Red Kangaroo total population was 5,132,654 and 3,855,747 Grey kangaroos.
The dead fetus found in the toilet of an American Airlines plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Tuesday morning was left there by a teenage girl from Brooklyn who suffered a miscarriage, it has been reported.

The teen suffered the miscarriage in the plane's lavatory while her sister stood guard outside the door during the flight, law enforcement sources told the New York Post.

The 18-year-old girl from East Flatbush, Brooklyn was on Flight 1942 from Charlotte to New York's LaGuardia Airport on Monday night.

She rushed to the bathroom after the plane had landed, telling airline staff that it was an emergency.

The fetus was found in the toilet of an American Airlines plane as it was cleaned in a hangar at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday morning (file image)

Flight attendants later told police that the teen appeared ill when she came out of the bathroom.

She checked in to Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn after midnight on Tuesday.

Seven hours later, the fetus was discovered in a hangar at LaGuardia.

Staff made the discovery on Tuesday and immediately called for help. American Airlines said it was assisting police with their investigation.

Police want to interview the teen and her sister, though investigators believe this was a miscarriage and that no laws were broken.

The fetus reportedly measured about a foot long and was said to be between three-to-six months along.

The City Medical Examiner is working to determine how the fetus died.

'We have no major impact to our operation this morning while we are working with law enforcement on an investigation,' an American Airline spokesman said.

Port Authority Police declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning.

They instead turned all questions over to the Queens District Attorney's Office which is yet to make a statement.

The aircraft in question has been taken out of service pending further inquiries.

American Airlines said it would not impact the rest of their fleet.


Donald Trump took credit for Troy Balderson's 'great victory' over his Democrat rival in the crucial Ohio special election on Tuesday night, even though the race is still too close to call.

Balderson led Danny O'Connor by about 1,700 votes (0.9 percentage points) at close of counting. But with 3,367 provisional and 5,048 absentee ballots, there is still enough for O'Connor to potentially get a recount. That occurs when the margin is less than 0.5%.

Trump said Balderson had been far behind in early voting before he hosted a rally for the candidate Saturday night in the suburban Columbus district. The president says that after his speech 'there was a big turn for the better'.

The President struck a triumphant note on Twitter and suggested his Saturday rally in support of Balderson had led to the 'great victory' - although the result has not yet been declared

At close of counting Balderson led by 0.9 percentage points, or 1,754 votes, but there are still 3,367 provisional and 5,048 absentee ballots left to be reviewed. A margin of less than 0.5% is enough for a recount

Trump wrote: 'When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov,' Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

'Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!' he added several minutes later.

O'Connor refused to concede on Tuesday night, and he urged supporters on Twitter to make donations for what 'could be a long and expensive recount.' Election boards can't begin to count those votes until August 18.

'We're not stopping now. Tomorrow we rest and then we keep fighting through to November,' O'Connor told supporters at a post-election party.

The Ohio contest is being seen as a referendum on President Trump's leadership and a test of Democratic strength ahead of November's midterm elections.

Trump visited the reliably Republican 12th Congressional District in Ohio at the weekend to try to head off an upset in the race after polls showed a tightening battle.

The winner takes the seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January to take a job for a business group.

The Ohio election was the marquee contest on a day of voting that featured primaries in four other states.

The 12th district, split between suburban Columbus, Ohio, and rural areas, has been represented by a Republican since the early 1980s. Trump carried it by 11 percentage points in the 2016 presidential race.

A happy looking Balderson greets a crowd of supporters during an election night party on Tuesday

Trump visited the reliably Republican 12th Congressional District in Ohio on Saturday to try to head off an upset in the race after polls showed a tightening battle

O'Connor has wiped out most or all of Balderson's lead in opinion polls. A Democratic win would set off alarm bells for Republicans already worried by a series of strong performances by Democrats in special elections in the Trump era.

'A month ago this race was flying under the radar, but it has become nationalized and become more of a referendum on Trump, which really generates Democratic enthusiasm,' said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute in New Jersey.

A Monmouth poll last week showed the race was essentially a dead heat, down from a double-digit advantage for Balderson a month ago. In addition to more Democrats expressing high interest in the race, Murray said the shift was driven by independents unhappy with the status quo under Trump.

Trump again pushed Balderson in an early morning tweet before voting began.

Democrats must pick up 23 seats in the House and two seats in the U.S. Senate in November to gain control of those chambers and put a brake on Trump's agenda. All 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats and 36 of 50 governors' offices are up for grabs in the Nov. 6 contests.

O'Connor, meanwhile, tried to rally his supporters at a watch party and declared, 'We're not stopping now'

The Ohio election was the marquee contest on a day of voting that featured primaries in four other states. Pictured: Trump and Balderson at Saturday's rally

Other well-known Republicans trekked to Ohio, including Vice President Mike Pence. A Republican advocacy group aired an ad featuring praise for Balderson, a state lawmaker, from Ohio Governor John Kasich, a frequent critic of Trump.

Republicans have tried to paint O'Connor, a local county official, as a liberal who would follow House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. However, O'Connor has walked a more moderate line, saying he wants new party leadership in Congress and would work with Republicans, while also criticizing the Trump tax cut.

Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington also held primaries on Tuesday, setting the stage for a number of competitive congressional and governor's races in November.

The Democratic race for governor in Michigan offered the next test of the electoral power of the party's progressive wing. Former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed lost his bid to become the country's first Muslim governor against a more moderate Democrat, former state Senate leader Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer will face Republican Bill Schuette, who was endorsed by Trump, in November.

Trump also praised GOP state Attorney General Bill Schuette for winning the nominations to run for Michigan governor on Tuesday

Voters in Michigan also decided other primary races. John James won the GOP Senate primary and will try to deny Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow a fourth term in November. Trump lauded James as a 'future star of the Republican party'

Trump praised Schuette in a tweet, writing: 'Congratulations to Bill Schuette. You will have a Big win in November and be a tremendous Governor for the Great State of Michigan. Lots of car and other companies moving back!'

Voters in Michigan also decided other primary races. John James won the GOP Senate primary and will try to deny Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow a fourth term in November.

'Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November can't come fast enough!' Trump tweeted.

In Kansas, Kris Kobach, a conservative leader in the movement to restrict illegal immigration and pass more restrictive voting laws, was running slightly ahead of Governor Jeff Colyer with about 30 percent of the votes counted for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Trump endorsed Kobach, Kansas' secretary of state, on Monday. Kobach was an immigration adviser to Trump's campaign in 2016 and vice chairman of Trump's commission to investigate voting fraud before the panel collapsed.

In Missouri, Attorney General Josh Hawley won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate race.

In Missouri, Attorney General Josh Hawley won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate race, leading to another tweet from Trump

Voters on Tuesday picked Hawley as expected over 10 other GOP challengers in the race for Democrat Claire McCaskill's seat.

He was the only candidate to have previously won a statewide election and had considerably more money than the other Republicans in the field.

He was backed by President Trump, who tweeted: 'Congratulations to Josh Hawley on your big Senate Primary win in Missouri. I look forward to working with you toward a big win in November. We need you in Washington!'

Cort VanOstran defeated four challengers Tuesday in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 2nd District. She will face U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner in November.

In the Washington primary, a state representative who resigned his chairmanship following allegations of inappropriate conduct was finishing in third place in the early returns.

Democratic Rep. David Sawyer on Tuesday trailed Melanie Morgan, a Democrat and local school board member, and Republican Terry Harder. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote getters advance to November, regardless of party.

Sawyer represents a district that includes parts of Tacoma.
Jean Pierre Ndossoka, 61, told authorities that his eight-year-old son pleaded with him while his one-year-old daughter just cried before he slit their throats

The man who fatally stabbed his two children while at his Texas home on Saturday, told police that the kids begged for their lives before he slit their throats.

Jean Pierre Ndossoka, 61, told authorities that his eight-year-old son pleaded with him while his daughter, one, just cried.

'Daddy, I'm sorry,' the little boy said, according to court documents.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Ndossoka had been calling his estranged-wife, Sabine Ntongo, while she was at work.

At around 3.30pm Ndossoka called her and told her he'd killed the children and had 'left a present' for her

Ntongo called 911 and rushed over to Ndossoka's apartment in southwest Houston, where she found both children stabbed to death, lying on the bed.

Officers found a bloody knife and hand-written note in French close to the bed. It said that Ntongo would 'carry the burden' of her two children's soul.

'Daddy, I'm sorry,' the little boy (pictured) was said to have said. He is pictured with his sister

The father - who was charged with two counts of capital murder - had said in the note that he planned to die with his children.

But Ndossoka had fled and when police found hium, he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Houston police say 61-year-old Jean Pierre Ndossoka was taken to a hospital in stable condition Sunday after authorities located him in Pasadena, just southeast of Houston.

Ndossoka is pictured with the eight-year-old son he stabbed

He claimed to have had high blood pressure and while he initially claimed to have not remembered what happened, he admitted that he 'did something bad' while at the hospital.

Ntongo was in tears outside of the Houston home after finding her children stabbed to death.

Heartbreaking photos show the mother being comforted by family members.

Sabine Ntongo is comforted by family after she found the bodies of her two young children

The Houston Chronicle reports that she had been married to Ndossoka for six years before they separated recently.

Police put out a vehicle description and mounted a search for the 61-year-old who had fled the home.

It was not immediately clear how authorities located him.

If convicted he could face the death penalty.
The founder of a popular online store has revealed how a simple mistake that cost his family business thousands of dollars ended up being money well spent.

A typo on the Appliances Online website meant that a Kitchen Aid that normally retails at $799 was listed on the site for just $281.

As a result of the glitch, 190 people purchased the appliance within 12 hours - prompting the online store's owner to make a big decision.

Appliances Online founder John Winning (pictured) said it's more important to impress 'every' customer than lose money

Appliances Online founder John Winning told news.com.au that when faced with the decision of sacrificing almost $100,000 or potentially losing 190 customers forever, the solution was simple.

He said when it comes to business it's more important to impress 'every' customer than lose money, which is why he believes customers keep coming back to his online store.

'It was a question of, do we disappoint hundreds of customers, or write off the loss? So it was pretty simple,' Mr Winning said.

He continued to say the best way to view a staggering loss such as the Kitchen Aid mistake is to look at it as an 'investment in customer relationships'.

'Word of mouth is the best form of marketing, which is why you see a lot less of our ads on TV,' he said.

Mr Winning said that customer satisfaction was of the utmost importance for his family business, and he believes this is why the company has been so successful.

A simple typo meant that a Kitchen Aid (pictured) that normally retails at $799 was listed on Appliances Online for only $281

Being successful has always been important for Mr Winning, who is also heir to the famous 113-year-old business, The Winning Group.

After finishing high school, he dabbled with the idea of a few other career choices before moving into sales, after his father asked him to join the family business.

The young entrepreneur realised pamphlets were expensive to distribute so he approached his father with the idea of developing an online store as a cheaper way to advertise goods.

'I thought maybe the internet would be a cheaper way  I knew eBay existed, and thought we could have an eBay store,' he said.

Being successful has always been important for Mr Winning, who is also heir to the famous 113-year-old business, The Winning Group

After getting the go-ahead from his father and obtaining a $50,000 loan, Mr Winning created the popular Appliances Online store in 2005 at age 21, which is now one of Australia's largest online appliance retailers.

Mr Winning said he believes one of the reasons why the business has been so successful is because he has always considered customer satisfaction paramount.

'The market is as big as ever and people love shopping. I dont think retail is dead, its alive and kicking. But if retailers are just putting stock on shelves and putting a price on it, theyll cease to remain relevant,' he said.
Two detectives were shot during an ambush while waiting at a red light in southern New Jersey on Tuesday night.

The incident took place at around 8:30pm at an intersection in the town of Camden.

The two police officers in an unmarked vehicle came under a hail of gunfire from an assailant believed to have been in a white van, WPVI-TV reported.

Two detectives are expected to survive after they were shot during an ambush as they were waiting at a red light in southern New Jersey on Tuesday night

The incident took place at around 8:30pm at an intersection in the town of Camden. The officers seen above are investigating

Police say that between 10 and 25 rounds were fired at the officers by the suspect.

The van then sped off after a brief exchange of gunfire with one of the officers.

A male detective suffered two gunshot wounds in the arm while the female detective was shot in the hand.

Authorities have not released the names of the detectives.
Vladimir Putin is said to have presented Donald Trump with a list of requests for them to negotiate on during their controversial summit in Helsinki, according to a leaked document.

According to the Russian document, which was obtained by Politico on Tuesday, Putin lobbied the US President on nuclear arms control and prohibiting weapons in space during their private meeting last month.

The headline on the document translated to: 'Dialogue on the issue of arms control', according to a US government adviser who obtained the page.

The White House denied being given such a document and refused to comment further.

Vladimir Putin is said to have presented Donald Trump with a list of requests for them to negotiate on during their controversial summit in Helsinki, according to a leaked document

A source who was involved in recent unofficial talks in Russia about arms control said the memo proved that Putin was interested in maintaining cooperation with the US on nuclear weapons.

'This is, 'We want to get out of the dog house and engage with the US on a broad range of security issues,' the source said.

The documents reportedly proposed a five-year extension to the New START Treaty that limits nuclear arms, as well as suggested several points where they could reduce nuclear dangers.

It also suggests reaffirming commitments to agreements that cover 'intermediate-range missiles'.

The topics of Putin and Trump's summit have not previously been disclosed, and it caused widespread concern in Washington DC given the two leaders held a two-hour closed-door negotiation.

No other officials were present apart from their interpreters.

Democratic lawmakers tried to subpoena Trump's Russian interpreter, amid a growing sense of alarm over the private summit given the US President's positive reaction to Putin in the post-meeting press conference.

Democrats tried to argue that the woman who translated for Trump - and the notes she likely took during the meeting - could provide critical information about what transpired.
President Donald Trump's trade war with China has forced a South Carolina television maker to lay off nearly all of its employees because of the sudden increase in the price of components for its products.

Element TV Company will let 126 workers go on October 5, leaving a skeleton crew of just eight employees to run its Fairfield County plant, in South Carolina.

The company says it was forced to take such drastic action after the Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent import tax in July that included Chinese components for TVs and video equipment.

President Donald Trump's trade war with China has forced a South Carolina television maker to lay off nearly all of its employees because of the sudden increase in the price of components for its products (staff stack empty boxes at Element Electronics in South Carolina)

Element TV Company will let 126 workers go on October 5, leaving a skeleton crew of just eight employees to run its Fairfield County plant, in South Carolina

'The layoff and closure is a result of the new tariffs that were recently and unexpectedly imposed on many goods imported from China, including the key television components used in our assembly operations in Winnsboro,' Element TV Company wrote to the state Department of Employment and Workforce on Monday.

The firm hopes that, with the cuts, it can reopen in three to six months.

Element are one of the casualties of the escalating trade war between China and the US.

Just last month, President Trump escalated his trade threats to a new level  threatening to impose tariffs of half a trillion dollars in order to counter a trade regime he says allows the U.S. to get 'ripped off.'

'I'm ready to go to 500,' Trump said in an interview stoking market jitters.

Trump brushed off potential market ramifications, after earlier imposing tariffs of $50 billion.

Last month, President Trump escalated his trade war with China (right is Chinese President Xi Jinping)  threatening to impose tariffs of half a trillion dollars in order to counter a trade regime he says allows the U.S. to get 'ripped off'

The amount would equal the amount of US annual imports from China, but fails to account for US exports to China. As CNBC noted, U.S. imports from the growing economic power were $506 billion, while exports were $130 billion.

'Look, I'm not doing this for politics,' Trump said, similarly dismissing concerns that a potential slow-down could harm his party's chances in the November elections.

'I'm doing this to do this right thing for our country. We have been ripped off by China for a long time and I told that to President Xi,' Trump said.

Washington has 'ignited the biggest trade war in economic history,' China's Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

China's No 2 leader, Premier Li Keqiang, said 'no one will win by fighting a trade war, yet China will take countermeasures in the face of unilateral moves,' the official Xinhua News reported. It said he spoke during an official visit to Bulgaria.

Tariffs could lead to more job losses across the US.

The auto industry is expect to be hit particularly hard.

Swedish carmaker Volvo has said tariffs could prevent it from reaching its goal of 4,000 workers by 2021 at its newly opened plant near Charleston, in South Carolina.

BMW has warned Trump administration officials that some if not many of its 10,000 workers at its plant near Spartanburg could have their jobs at risk if tariffs continue.

McMaster agrees with the president that tariffs will eventually bring not just open and free trade, but fair trade.

'I'm hoping when all the work is done and all the facts are known the business and industries in South Carolina will not be hurt and will instead prosper,' McMaster told reporters Tuesday after a media event to announce the accreditation of the state's probation agency.

The Element plant is near Winnsboro, which is 30 miles north of Columbia. It's the county seat of Fairfield County, which lost about 5,000 jobs last summer when construction was halted on two nuclear reactors.

The Element plant opened to huge fanfare about five years ago.

Trump's current UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, was South Carolina governor at the time.

In August 2014, she did a live video feed from the plant beamed to a Walmart manufacturing summit, where she spoke about how to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. by selling her state.

'We want to make sure that government is the first group to help you, not hurt you,' Haley said.

Haley promised 500 jobs, or about a quarter of the employees currently at the plant. A message left for officials at Element was not immediately returned.

Current South Carolina Gov Henry McMaster, one of Trump's earliest supporters, said the state and federal officials have talked about how tariffs can hurt the state.

'We have not convinced them of our point of view on every point, nor have they convinced us of theirs,' McMaster said.

Experts believe that China's tariff will hit flyover country the hardest - Trump's strongest supporter base.

But while Trump is flexing the White House's economic muscle in the direction of China's computer, auto parts and aerospace industries, the return fire is toughest on American agriculture, car manufacturers and crude oil - and Beijing's cuts appear to be more political in nature.

Wall Street Journal analysis found that in nearly 1 out of 5 counties where Trump beat Hillary Clinton, China's tariffs will affect more than 25 per cent of the local economy. Among counties won by Clinton, just 3 per cent will be hit as hard.

The potential political fallout from the tariffs and counter-tariffs that went into effect last month could begin to eat away at the solid base of support Trump enjoys in parts of the U.S. where his brand of economic nationalism has been received most warmly.

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moodys Analytics, told the Journal that in counties where one-quarter of business activity is targeted by Beijing's economic sanctions, 'theres a pretty good chance that the economy is going to feel it pretty significantly, could even contract, and see unemployment rise'.

Those places include Great Plains states where soybeans are grown, the upper Midwest where cars are assembled for export, and places like Texas and the Dakotas where energy production is the largest source of jobs.

The Trump administration is confronting Beijing over development tactics it says include stealing or pressuring foreign companies to hand over technology. American officials worry Chinese plans to create tech champions in fields including robotics, biotech and artificial intelligence will erode U.S. industrial leadership.

Washington imposed 25 per cent duties on $34 billion of imports from China - the first in a possible series of increases that President Donald Trump says could affect up to $550 billion of Chinese goods.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said 'retaliatory tariffs' took effect. The Communist Party newspaper People's Daily said they were imposed on a $34 billion list of goods issued last month that included soybeans, pork and electric vehicles.

China's ruling Communist Party has insisted on making changes at its own pace while sticking to state-directed technology development seen as the path to prosperity and global influence.

Beijing has announced reforms this year including ending limits on foreign ownership in its auto industry, but none directly addresses complaints that are fueling its conflict with Washington.

The administration is planning to impose 25 per cent duties on an additional $16 billion in Chinese imports in the next two weeks.

A ship hauls containers at a container port in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province - carrying exports from China

After that, the hostilities could intensify: Trump said Washington is ready to target an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports - and then $300 billion more - if Beijing does not yield.

That would bring the total of targeted Chinese goods to $550 billion - more than the $506 billion in goods that China shipped to the United States last year.

Chinese officials reject accusations they steal or force foreign companies to hand over technology.

But rules on auto manufacturing and other industries do require companies to work through state-owned partners, obliging them to share know-how with potential competitors.

Other governments express similar complaints toward Beijing, but Washington has alienated potential allies by raising import duties on steel, aluminum and autos from Europe, Canada, Mexico and Japan. Some have responded by hiking their own tariffs on U.S. goods.

The official China Daily newspaper accused the Trump administration of 'behaving like a gang of hoodlums.' It said they would damage the global economy unless other countries stop them.

'There should be no doubting Beijing's resolve,' the newspaper said.

Forecasters say global economic growth could be reduced by up to 0.5 percentage points in 2019-20 if both sides wind up raising tariffs on $250 billion of imports.








A woman in her sixties shot a man who exposed himself to her and was performing a lewd act while trying to break into her house, police have said.

The incident took place at around 5:15pm in Houston on Tuesday, when the woman was taking out the trash near her home on Cherrydale Drive.

Houston police said that she then noticed man approaching on a bicycle while he was masturbating, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Police said the woman yelled at the man to stop, but he ignored her.

The woman then went inside her house. She was horrified to see that the man was following her, police said.

She told the man to leave and that she had a gun.

At that point, police said the man was trying to break in to the house.

The incident took place at around 5:15pm in Houston on Tuesday, when the woman was taking out the trash near her home on Cherrydale Drive (above)

The woman then grabbed her gun and fired a round through the front door, hitting the man in the chest, according to police.

The man then ran back toward his bike and started pedaling. He rode the bike a few feet before collapsing to the ground.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and took him to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

Authorities say the man is expected to survive.

Police said they questioned the woman, who was not charged with a crime as of late Tuesday night.

Investigators are trying to determine what, if any, criminal charges to bring.

The man was out on bond for a separate exposure charge from a week ago, police said.

He was arrested last week for allegedly walking down a busy Houston street while naked.

The womans 14-year-old granddaughter was at home at the time of the shooting, but did not see any of the events which transpired.

Police initially believed the man exposed himself to the granddaughter, but they later learned this was not the case.

The woman is cooperating with investigators, police said.
An epileptic man has been left critically injured after his skull split open when he suffered a seizure as police were trying to arrest him.

The 33-year-old's head split open and he was flown to Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital after being arrested in Wonthaggi, Victoria, on Monday.

Footage of the arrest shows a police officer on top of the man as two others try to restrain his legs, The ABC reported.

His face is covered in his own blood.

The man had suffered an epileptic seizure and became aggressive before he started punching cars and the officers until they subdued him with capsicum spray, witnesses told the publication.

The mans friend, Damien Hall, claimed the police used unnecessary force during the arrest.

Other witness, including Bass Coast Shire councillor Brett Tessari, said the mans mother told people at the scene that he was suffering a fit and would then become aggressive.

'His mother didn't want me to call the ambulance because she said her son has epileptic fits often and when he comes to he becomes aggressive, and that's exactly what happened,' Cr Tessari said.

Epilepsy Action Australia chief executive officer Carol Ireland said while it was rare for sufferers to experience aggressive behaviour with a seizure, it did sometimes happen.

'What we call the postictal stage  when they're coming out of a seizure  they're very disorientated, they've just had a disruption to their electro-chemical activity in the brain, they're confused, they're disorientated, some people will become aggressive.'

A Victorian man (pictured) who had a seizure while being arrested was rushed to hospital

She added that restraining a person while they were having a fit was the worst thing that could be done for them.

Ms Ireland has offered training to officers through her organisation.

'If police were able to recognise the seizures more easily I think it's a better outcome for everyone,' Ms Ireland said.

The Police Association, the union that represents Victorian police, defended the officers' actions.

It said the officers' priority was to protect the community and themselves and that they should not be expected to be psychiatrists or doctors.
It's being billed as the world's biggest and most extreme catapult and it's ready for riders in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Not for the faint-hearted, the experience involves being rocketed 150m up and across the Nevis Valley on New Zealand's South Island.

Riders will experience up to three Gs of force - a force three times their weight - and reach speeds of nearly 100kmh in just 1.5 seconds.

The world's biggest and most extreme catapult is now ready for riders in Queenstown, NZ

'A hair-raising drop will have your blood pumping and you'll be screaming for another hit!' creators AJ Hackett Bungy NZ say in a YouTube video.

'There's a reason our crew dub it the thriller!'

The actual catapult experience lasts around three to four minutes, depending on the velocity.

Don't look down! The experience sees thrill-seeking riders catapulted over the Nevis Valley

Riders are rocketed up and out 150m, experiencing speeds of 100km per hour, in 1.5 seconds

The whole experience takes four hours and includes catching a 4WD Catapult Bus along a gravel track to the bungee point which is not accessible by car.

Riders must be between 45-127kg, over 13 years old and prepared to part with up to $NZ255 ($AU232) in order to take part.

AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch  co-founders of AJ Hackett Bungy NZ  were the original inventors of the bungee jumping industry back in the 1980s, and today they offer 10 different, adrenaline-pumping experiences across New Zealand.

Those brave enough to take the plunge will feel three Gs of force during the experience
A travelling clinician copped a $100 fine for 'camping illegally' despite following recommendations to avoid driving while tired.

Michael Harvey, who is a Melbourne-based clinician, has spent years driving around regional Australia to build and deliver custom-made orthotics, ABC reported.

Last week, the travelling clinician parked his van on the outskirts of Western Australian town Kununurra at around midnight to get some rest.

A council ranger knocked on Mr Harvey's door at 6am and told him he was not allowed to camp there.

Michael Harvey copped a $100 fine for 'camping illegally' when he pulled over to rest on the outskirts of Kununurra (pictured), Western Australia

Mr Harvey disagreed with the ranger and claimed that he was entitled to pull over and rest.

'I said I don't agree with that. I'm resting, which is not camping, and secondly I've been informed you're allowed to rest up to 24 hours and it's not considered a breach on major roads in most places unless there are parking restrictions,' he said.

Mr Harvey is not worried about the price of the fine but is concerned about the message the council is trying to deliver.

He said his fine contradicted the messages of State and Federal government campaigns that promote accounting for rest time instead of driving tired.

Mr Harvey, who often has to drive long distances in a short amount of time, said most people try and do a chunk of driving in the beginning before tiredness hits.

He said it's hard to predict when and where drivers will get tired as there journey is often affected by roadworks or hitting kangaroos.

'You cannot predict where you're going to be at the end of the day,' Mr Harvey said.

He said he doesn't intend to pay the fine and will fight the infringement.

Mr Harvey said his fine contradicted the messages of State and Federal government campaigns that promote accounting for rest time instead of driving tired (stock image: stop revive survive sign)

President of the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley, David Menzel, said Mr Harvey had a good chance at appealing the infringement.

A WA Road Safety Commission spokeswoman said drivers are encouraged to stop and get rest when travelling long distances.

'It is about managing fatigue on long trips and we want people to stop and make sure they get that rest,' she said.

There is differing legislation about sleeping in cars across the country as rules are enforced by state and local governments.

In New South Wales, drivers are reminded to pull over and rest with the 'Stop Revive Survive' campaign.

Vic roads recommends that drivers get appropriate rest as driver fatigue contributes to more than 20 per cent of accidents in Victoria.
A serial cat killer has been murdering beloved pets and removing their spines in Washington (photo of dead cat seen above)

A total of eight cats have been found horrifically slaughtered in a Thurston County, Washington neighborhood over the course of several weeks.

Police in the area said this week the unidentified feline killer has been murdering the beloved pets and removing their spines before heartlessly leaving their corpses behind for locals to find.

Harley, a 20-year-old deaf tabby cat, was just one of several victims in the string of cat killings in the county.

Kathy Harrigan had fed and brushed the semi-feral cat before leaving him in an outdoor house she had built for him in Olympia on Saturday night, she told Q13 Fox News in a statement.

The next morning, Harley - who she had taken care of for the past two years - was no longer there.

Police later came by to tell her that Harley was found mutilated on a neighbor's lawn.

Erika Johnson, an animal cruelty services investigator for Thurston County, said the killer had cut each cat open with a scalpel and removed its spine.

Then, the dead cat was left in a public place to be discovered.

A reward has been offered for information leading to the attacker's arrest

'This is not normal and it's very sick behavior,' she told Q13.

On Friday, another cat, named Olly, had turned up dead a mile from where Harley was found.

A necropsy found that Olly had been strangled, then cut open and had her spine removed.

But before she died, Olly had used her claws and fought to get away.

Now, investigators are working to see if DNA samples can be retrieved from under her claws to identify the person who killed her.

Washington residents expressed their disgust at the cat killer's actions on social media

Other mutilated cats have been found in nearby Lacey and Tumwater.

Last month, Debbie Drake's cat Tarot was found cut in half in a public park in Port Angeles.

And in early July, Patrick and Angie Swan's cat Callie was found mutilated.

'My fear is, if you're going to do cars, what's next?' Patrick told KFOR.

Residents are being warned to keep their pets indoors. They fear the cat killer also could be a danger to people.
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A woman flying from Los Angeles to Boston captured an incredible scene as smoke from the California wildfires surrounded her plane.

Vanessa Kuo was flying out of Los Angeles International Airport when she began recording the smoke billowing all around the aircraft.

The sky was full of dusty clouds of ash as a raging fire burned south of the city through the Cleveland National Forest.

Meanwhile, newly released images from the ground show apocalyptic scenes of total devastation due to what could become California's worst fire season in the state's history.

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Vanessa Kuo was flying out of Los Angeles International Airport when she captured an incredible scene as smoke from the California wildfires surrounded her plane

The new images show former neighborhoods and communities reduced to dust.

Burnt-out cars have been blackened by ash, their original colors completely unrecognizable, as battered trees lay on the graveyard of former homes.

In one photo a Buddha statue remains standing, covered in dust but still completely intact.

Some 14,000 firefighters from as far away as Florida and even New Zealand are struggling to curb 18 fires in the midst of a sweltering summer that has seen wind-whipped flames carve their way through national forest land and rural areas, threaten urban areas, and incinerate neighborhoods.

Newly released images from the ground show apocalyptic scenes of total devastation due to what could become California's worst fire season in the state's history. Pictured are remnants from the Ranch Fire in Spring Valley on Tuesday

In one photo from Spring Valley, a Buddha statue remains standing, covered in dust but still completely intact amid the rubble

Resident Arnold Lasker looks over the burned out remains of his girlfriend's house which was hit during the Ranch Fire

The largest wildfire ever recorded in California needed just 11 days to blacken an area nearly the size of Los Angeles - and it's only one of many enormous blazes that could make this the worst fire season in state history.

'For whatever reason, fires are burning much more intensely, much more quickly than they were before,' said Mark Hartwig, president of the California Fire Chiefs Association.

Some of the largest fires have broken out within the past few weeks as the state has seen record-setting temperatures - and the historically worst months of wildfire season are still to come.

In Northern California, the record-setting Mendocino Complex - twin fires being fought as a single conflagration - gained ground Tuesday but more slowly because its own smoke covered the area and lowered the temperature, according to the California Department of Forestry.

The flames, which have burned 457 square miles (or 251,166 acres), were raging in mostly remote areas. While no deaths or serious injuries were reported, 75 homes were destroyed.

A kitten lays next to a burned car after the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, hit Spring Valley. The Mendocino Complex flames have burned 457 square miles

Math cards are seen amidst the burned remains of a home which was hit during the Ranch Fire in Spring Valley

A singed page from a book is seen amidst the burned remains of a home in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks

As of Wednesday morning the Mendocino Complex fire was 46 per cent contained, according to Cal Fire.

The blaze first broke out on July 27 and initially spread quickly because of what officials said was a perfect combination of weather, rugged topography, and abundant brush and timber turned to tinder by years of drought.

Resources also were thin at first because thousands of firefighters were already battling a fire hundreds of miles north.

That fire, which spread into the city of Redding, killed six people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. The so-called Carr Fire was less than half contained.

Meanwhile, in southern California, a raging forest fire blazed south of Los Angeles.

There was no containment as of Tuesday morning of the blaze churning through the Cleveland National Forest as crews used aircraft to try and control the flames.

A chimney remains standing at a house destroyed in the Ranch Fire. At least 75 homes have been destroyed in the blaze

A sign is posted in front of a home completely destroyed by the fire in Spring Valley. Thousands upon thousands of people have been evacuated across California due to the fires

Jay Michael and Gretchen Fritsch rest in their car during the Ranch Fire in the parking lot of the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks. This is the eighth time they have been evacuated since living in the area and the third time this year

Aircraft were dropping retardant across ridgelines to keep the fire from racing down hillsides toward residential communities.

Flames that erupted Monday have scorched more than 6 square miles of dry brush and timber. Two rural canyons and some campgrounds have been evacuated.

No homes were immediately threatened but officials warned that smoke could blanket neighborhoods and create unhealthy conditions.

A blaze burning for 26 days in and around Yosemite National Park is also impacting three of the park's entrances. Officials say it is unclear when the park will be able to reopen.

Kelly Martin, the park's chief of fire and aviation, revealed on Tuesday that the blaze is very active on Yosemite's north rim, where it is being fueled by dry vegetation and dead trees.

The blaze has not reached the scenic Yosemite Valley but last week officials ordered the park's closure after the air reached hazardous pollution levels. The closure also helped clear roads for the more than 2,000 firefighters battling the massive blaze.

Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, on Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning the Mendocino Complex fire was 46 percent contained, according to Cal Fire

The blaze first broke out on July 27 and initially spread quickly because of what officials said was a perfect combination of weather, rugged topography, and abundant brush and timber. Pictured is the fire on Tuesday

Officials on Monday lifted several evacuation orders but said the communities of Foresta and Yosemite West are still being threatened.

The blaze, which started on July 13, has killed two firefighters and injured another 12.

California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change, and home construction deeper into the forests.

In becoming the biggest fire in California history, the Mendocino Complex fire broke a record set just eight months ago.

A blaze in Southern California in December killed two people, burned 440 square miles and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

California's firefighting costs have more than tripled from $242million in the 2013 fiscal year to $773million in the 2018 fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Cal Fire.

Resources also were thin at first because thousands of firefighters were already battling a fire hundreds of miles north, killing six people in Redding. Pictured is the Ranch Fire on Tuesday

A plane drops fire retardant as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the Cleveland National Forest near Corona, California on Tuesday

'We're in uncharted territory,' Governor Jerry Brown warned last week.

'Since civilization emerged 10,000 years ago, we haven't had this kind of heat condition, and it's going to continue getting worse. That's the way it is.'

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has raised eyebrows after he insisted California's deadly wildfires could be better fought if the state's water resources weren't 'foolishly being diverted' into the Pacific Ocean.

There is no indication that firefighters are lacking for water to quench the fires, which have killed eight people so far. Most of the operations use flame retardants instead.

DailyMail.com asked a White House aide on Monday if linking water use to firefighting was cover for Trump's real goal of better irrigating California's Republican and farm-rich central valley.

'Ya think? The speaker-to-be [House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy' has wanted it for years,' the aide shot back, adding that it's a smart 'smokescreen.'
A 50,000 reward is being offered by police searching for a man who 'disappeared off face of the earth'.

Michael Martin, from Salford, was last seen at a petrol station in Kearsley, Bolton, at on Sunday August 7, 2016.

He was spotted at the fuel garage at 7.30am but has never been seen since.

Detectives are treating the disappearance of Mr Martin, who was 25 when he was last seen, as murder.

Now, police are offering a reward of 50,000 for any information which leads to the conviction of those responsible.

In a video appeal, his mother Karen said: 'It's been torture, every single day.

Michael Martin, with his mother Karen, as a 50,000 reward is being offered by police investigating his murder

'I know he's out there somewhere and to never be able to see him or speak to him or hug him or tell him how much I love him again, it's a nightmare every day.'

Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes said: 'It has been two years since Michael was last seen and the agony that his family have had to endure every day since then is truly heart-breaking.

'We remain committed to finding out exactly what happened to Michael and believe that someone within the local community knows what happened to him or has information that could really assist with our enquiries.

Mr Martin, who was 25 when he was last seen, is believed to have been murdered, police have said

'We are offering a significant amount of money for any information that helps us find out what happened to Michael and bring those responsible to justice.

'If you know anything at all, I implore you, please get in touch with us so that we can provide Michael's family with some answers.'

Anyone with any information is asked to contact GMP's Major Incident Team on 0161 856 8797 or 07387 705 768, or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A graphic DVD comparing abortion to the Holocaust has been dropped into hundreds of people's letterboxes.

Great Southern District Police in Western Australia said they have received reports from a number of residents who had discovered the DVD and issued a warning in response.

'Residents of areas around Albany have reported receiving a DVD in their mailbox. No envelope, just in a plastic sleeve,' the warning reads.

A graphic DVD comparing abortion to the Holocaust has been dropped into hundreds of people's letterboxes

The DVD is believed to be a 2011 film titled 180 by New Zealand filmmaker Ray Comfort

'The disc contains graphic images and video that may cause concern. Please be aware before you load onto your computer.'

The DVD is believed to be a 2011 documentary titled 180 by New Zealand filmmaker Ray Comfort.

The controversial 33-minute film contains confronting images of the Holocaust interspersed with interviews of people on the street conducted by Comfort.

He asks interviewees hypothetical questions such as whether they would assassinate Hitler, if they had the chance.

The film purports to change the opinions of eight people in seconds through these hypothetical scenarios where links are drawn between Holocaust and abortion.

The film, which currently has 5.5 million views on Youtube, has been heavily criticised by various groups but has become popular in pro-life circles.

The DVD was published by Comfort's own Christian ministry, Living Waters Publications.

A still of the film, which currently has 5.5 million views on Youtube, and has been heavily criticised by various groups but has become popular in pro-life circles




Thirteen spectators who were sprayed with burning fuel at a car show are still unable to sue a year after being left seriously injured.

New footage of the Red CentreNATS motorsport festival, which took place in Alice Springs last September, has emerged showing a car revving its engine as it does a wild burnout.

The rear of the car is then pointed toward the spectators and it rubs the metal wire fence before catching fire and spluttering burning fuel on them.

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Thirteen spectators who were sprayed with burning fuel at a car show are still unable to sue a year after being left seriously injured

The rear of the car is then pointed toward the spectators and it rubs the metal wire fence before catching fire and spluttering burning fuel on them

The thirteen victims all required treatment for their burns, while four had to be flown to the intensive care unit in Adelaide

The 13 victims all required treatment for their burns, while four had to be flown to the intensive care unit in Adelaide, ABC News reported.

They were left with permanent physical and emotional scars following the incident.

However, a year after the event, the victims are unable to sue for negligence or seek compensation through public liability insurance.

Maurice Blackburn lawyer Melissa Meyers told ABC that the victims 'don't have the right to sue the organisers' for their injuries.

'It's completely unacceptable because it's just not fair,' she said.

The only option bystanders have is to bring up their incident with the NT Motor Accidents Compensation (MAC) scheme which covers medical costs and average wages.

There are calls for the NT Government to change the laws to make vehicle events safer for the public.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended his company's decision to allow far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to use the platform to spread his message.

Apple, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube and Pinterest have all banned Jones, who runs the website InfoWars, but Twitter says he hasn't broken its user rules.

But Dorsey maintained that his website won't bow to 'outside pressure' in a series of tweets on Tuesday night.

'We didn't suspend Alex Jones or InfoWars yesterday,' he said.

'We know that's hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasn't violated our rules. We'll enforce if he does.

'And we'll continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets aren't artificially amplified.

He added: 'Truth is we've been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past. We're fixing that.

'We're going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories.'

In a series of tweets on the subject, Dorsey said Twitter reasoned that it was journalists' job to shine the light of truth on unsubstantiated rumors or sensationalized issues.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (pictured) defended his company's decision to allow far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to use the platform to spread his message

In a series of tweets, Dorsey defended the decision to allow Jones to remain on the platform

'If we succumb and simply react to outside pressure, rather than straightforward principles we enforce (and evolve) impartially regardless of political viewpoints, we become a service that's constructed by our personal views that can swing in any direction,' Dorsey tweeted.

'That's not us.'

He added: 'Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so it's critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.

Twitter users have criticized the decision, arguing that the website is 'protecting the hate, violence and bigotry' of Jones and his associated accounts.

Jones has described Monday's retaliation from an array of Internet giants as a 'coordinated communist-style crackdown,' but it followed months of criticism demanding the social media services do more to combat disinformation and hate discourse.

His site InfoWars has accused victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting of being 'actors' in a plot to discredit the gun lobby.

In a series of tweets on the subject, Dorsey said Twitter reasoned that it was journalists' job to shine the light of truth on unsubstantiated rumors or sensationalized issues

Twitter has revealed it will not block controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from its site, despite recent bans from competitors Apple, YouTube and Facebook (file photo)

The 44-year-old saw his personal and InfoWars content removed from a host of the internet's biggest sites in an unprecedented series of bans this week.

Apple, YouTube, Spotify and Facebook all announced blocks of the conspiracy theorist's accounts and content within hours of one another on Monday, citing hate policy violations.

Following calls for similar restrictions on Twitter, a spokesperson for the site revealed Jones and his affiliated accounts would remain active.

They told MailOnline that InfoWars and its associated accounts were not currently in violation of Twitter's rules.

Content that is posted by InfoWars to other social media sites is often not also published to Twitter, they added.

Its policies on hate speech state that it does not tolerate users who harass, intimidate, or use fear to silence other social network users.

Twitter users that violate these rules could find their content deleted, or their access to the account suspended, according to the social network.

But the site has come under fire in recent months over the way it handles accounts that post abusive and threatening tweets - particularly those based on gender and religion - despite last year claiming it would crack down on abusive content.

The site suspended the accounts of several leaders of the far-right group Britain First in December for breaking its rules on hate speech.

Twitter users criticised the microblogging site for its failure to take a harder stance on Jones and InfoWars

Janice Leonard tweeted: '@Twitter please ban @realalexjones. We do not need to be subjected to his lies. Please'

Following bans from Facebook, Spotify and Apple, pornographic website YouPorn announced yesterday that it would remove any videos featuring Jones from its site. Twitter user Joyce Bolton criticised the microblogging site for failing to follow suit

It claims to have removed tens of thousands of accounts - many of them affiliated with neo-Nazi groups - since it pledged to make Twitter a 'safer environment' in November 2017.

But Twitter users criticized the microblogging site this week for its failure to take a harder stance on Jones and InfoWars.

Shaun King wrote: 'OK, @Twitter the ball is in your court. Every other major platform stepped up. Why are you protecting the hate and violence and bigotry of Alex Jones?'

Ed Krassenstein tweeted: 'Why isn't Twitter banning Alex Jones and his InfoWars propaganda? Everyone else is!'

Janice Leonard wrote: '@Twitter please ban @realalexjones. We do not need to be subjected to his lies. Please.'

Jones, a right-wing radio host based in Austin, Texas, frequently lands in hot water for inciting harassment against the targets of his political rants.

He claims his shows reach at least 70 million people a week.

WHO HAS TWITTER BANNED IN THE PAST? Twitter announced in November 2017 it would begin banning accounts affiliated with 'hate groups'. In March, former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson was banned for violating hate speech rules The news followed years of criticism from users that the site allowed neo-nazi, white supremacist and other extremist groups to spread abusive messages. Twitter suspended the accounts of several leaders of the far-right group Britain First in December 2017 for breaking its rules on hate speech. In March 2018, former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson was banned for violating rules governing 'hateful conduct'. The site announced it would soon undertake stronger measures to crack down on online trolls in May. Despite sweeping bans, the site has come under criticism for not doing enough to purge itself of abusive users. In July 2018, actor Seth Rogan lashed out at Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for continuing to verify the accounts of white supremacists. He tweeted: 'I've been DMing with @Jack about his bizarre need to verify white supremacists on his platform for the last 8 months or so, and after all the exchanges, Ive reached a conclusion: the dude simply does not seem to give a f**k.' Advertisement

Alex Jones, a right-wing radio host based in Austin, Texas, frequently lands in hot water for inciting the harassment of targets of his political rants. He claims his shows reach at least 70 million people a week

The theories he has promoted include that the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington were staged by the US government.

He has also promoted a theory that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was faked.

The shooting left 26 children and adults dead at a Connecticut elementary school.

Jones currently faces five lawsuits, including three fronted by parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre  which Jones claimed was a hoax run by left-wing forces to promote gun control.

A number of platforms have recently suspended or removed content posted by Jones and pages tied to InfoWars for violating hate content policies.

It's unclear why the companies are cracking down on Jones now, after allowing him to publish for years.

Facebook has been under fire recently for not banning Jones, but as recently as July 12 it tweeted that it sees pages 'on both the left and right pumping out what they consider opinion or analysis - but others call fake news.'

'We believe banning these Pages would be contrary to the basic principles of free speech,' Facebook posted in response to a question from CNN reporter Oliver Darcy, who had been pressing the company on why it continued to allow 'InfoWars' on its platform.

On Monday, the company said that it 'unpublished' the four pages after receiving reports that they contained content 'glorifying violence' and used 'dehumanizing language' to describe Muslims, immigrants and transgender people.

'While much of the discussion around InfoWars has been related to false news ... none of the violations that spurred today's removals were related to this,' Facebook said on Monday.

It came just hours after Apple revealed it removed the entire iTunes library for five of Jones's six InfoWars podcasts, including the shows 'War Room' and the daily 'The Alex Jones Show.'

Not long after Facebook and Apple took action, YouTube removed The Alex Jones Channel, which counts close to 2.5 million subscribers.

A twitter spokesperson said accounts run by the podcast host and his media platform InfoWars will be spared the ban hammer as they have not violated the site's policies (stock image)

WHAT IS TWITTER'S POLICY ON HATE SPEECH? Twitter says it does not tolerate behaviour that harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence other social network users. Twitter users that violate these rules could find their content deleted, or their access to the account suspended by the social network. What does Twitter forbid? According to the company, it will remove any tweets that do the following  Threaten physical violence

Promote attacks on the basis of their race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease

References to mass murder, violent events, or specific means of violence in which such groups are the primary targets or victims

Incites fear about a certain protected group

Repeated use of non-consensual slurs, epithets, racist and sexist tropes

Content designed to degrade a specific user Twitter users can target individuals or specific groups in a number of manners, for example using the @ mention feature, or tagging a photo. How does Twitter enforce these rules? According to the company, the first thing it does whenever an account or tweet is flagged as inappropriate is check the context. Twitter says: 'some Tweets may seem to be abusive when viewed in isolation, but may not be when viewed in the context of a larger conversation. 'While we accept reports of violations from anyone, sometimes we also need to hear directly from the target to ensure that we have proper context.' Twitter says the total number of reports received around an individual post or account does not impact whether or not something will be removed. However, it could help Twitter prioritise the order in which it looks through flagged tweets and accounts. What happens if you violate Twitter's policy? The consequences for violating our rules will vary depending on the severity of the violation and the persons previous record of violations, Twitter says. The penalties range from requesting a user voluntarily remove an offending tweet, to suspending an entire account. Advertisement

Facebook announced Monday that it removed four pages belonging to Jones for posting content that violated its policies around hate speech and violence. It marks an about face for Facebook, which had earlier refused to take down Infowars' content on grounds of free speech

Spotify also announced Monday it was taking further action against Jones, removing every episode of the Alex Jones Show from the streaming site.

Prior to this, Spotify had only gotten rid of specific episodes of the show, leaving most of the library up on its platform.

Pinterest also removed links to Jones' content with links to InfoWars' content no longer working.

A statement to Mashable said: 'Consistent with our existing, we take action against accounts that repeatedly save content that could lead to harm.

'People come to Pinterest to discover ideas for their lives, and we continue to enforce our principles to maintain a safe, useful and inspiring experience for our users.'

Even pornographic website YouPorn announced yesterday that it would remove any videos featuring Jones from its site.

Who is conspiracy theorist Alex Jones? Alex Jones is a controversial radio and podcast host based in Austin, Texas. The Right-wing conspiracy theorist says his 'InfoWars' shows, which are broadcast on various platforms, reach at least 70million people a week. Among other claims, he has called the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting a hoax. He was sued for defamation by families of some of the children killed in that attack, which left 20 children and six adults dead. He now admits it occurred, but said his claims were free speech. He has tried to have the lawsuit dismissed. Jones has also claimed that the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington were staged by the US government. While he began broadcasting his shows in 1999, Jones's profile has spread from the far-Right fringe in recent years. While running for US president in 2015, Donald Trump told Jones his reputation was 'amazing.' Advertisement

People often post non-pornographic content to porn websites due to their relatively relaxed copyright rules.

In recent weeks, Facebook and other tech giants have faced repeated backlash over its inaction against the US conspiracy theorist.

However, YouTube, Facebook and Apple all chose to take sweeping action against Jones on the same day, effectively removing his content from their platforms.

A notice on the Alex Jones Channel said the account had been 'terminated for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines.'

'All users agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines when they sign up to use YouTube,' a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.

'When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts.'

YouTube had pulled four down videos hosted by Jones last month for violating its policies around hate speech and child endangerment.

The firm became aware that Jones was continuing to violate its policies and took further action as a result.

YouTube's initial actions had triggered similar moves by Spotify, Facebook and Apple.

Apple announced its decision on Sunday night. Only one programme provided by InfoWars, 'RealNews with David Knight' remained on Apple's platforms at the time of publication.

In a statement to BuzzFeed, Apple confirmed it had also removed Jones' podcast for violating its guidelines on hate speech.

Just hours later, Facebook said it had 'unpublished' the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the InfoWars Nightly News Page.

Many have pointed out that the timing of Facebook's ban was peculiar, with the social media firm posting the announcement to its site at about 3am (PT), according to the Guardian.

It marks a major about face for Facebook, which had said in recent weeks that it refused to ban InfoWars on the grounds of protecting free speech on its platform.

Facebook in July banned Jones personally from posting on the platform for 30 days and removed four videos for violating its rules.

At the time, Facebook had warned that it would ban Jones and InfoWars' accounts should they continue to post content violating the company's standards.

'As a result of reports we received, last week, we removed four videos on four Facebook Pages for violating our hate speech and bullying policies,' Facebook wrote in a blog post.

'Since then, more content from the same Pages has been reported to us  upon review, we have taken it down for glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies.'

Facebook added that while many have criticized Infowars for posting fake news on the site, such as conspiracy theories related to 9/11 and the Sandy Hook shooting, the actions it took were not related to that.

While Jones and Infowars are technically unable to access the site, Facebook said they still have the right to 'appeal' the company's decision.

If neither party appeals or their appeal fails, Facebook will remove the Pages indefinitely.

Facebook said in a tweet last month that banning InfoWars' Pages 'would be contrary to the basic principles of free speech' after a CNN reporter asked why the firm had allowed Infowars, which had more than 900,000 followers, to continue to operate on its site.

In July, YouTube slapped Jones' channel with a 'community strike,' blocking him from broadcasting live on the site for 90 days.
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The Duke of Cambridge today paid tribute in France to the 'courage and endeavour' of troops who fought in the Battle of Amiens during the First World War as a poignant commemoration service marked its centenary.

Relatives of soldiers who served and died in the conflict also spoke of their pride and sadness as they joined Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May at the event staged exactly 100 years since the offensive began.

The battle changed the course of the war, as the comprehensive Allied victory, due to superior tactics, use of technology and leadership, finally convinced German commanders they could not win.

Prince William is greeted with a curtsy by Prime Minister Theresa May as he arrives at Amiens Cathedral today

William bows as he attends the service today, featuring readings including diary extracts, letters and poems

The Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath at the Chapel of Allies this afternoon next to French Defence Minister Florence Parly

Mrs May and former German president Joachim Gauck lay wreaths during the service at Amiens Cathedral today

Prince William and Madame Parly bow their heads after laying wreaths as they attend Amiens Cathedral this afternoon

William laughs with Madame Parly as they attend the service to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens today

More than 3,000 people were present at the service at the city's magnificent medieval gothic cathedral

Prime Minister Theresa May meets descendants of those who fought at Amiens, at the town's cathedral today

William and Madame Parly walk ahead of Mrs May during the ceremony at the stunning Amiens Cathedral today

William speaks with relatives of soldiers who took part in the Battle of Amiens after the cathedral service today

William said in his address to the congregation: 'What began here on August 8 was truly a coalition operation under the strategic command of a great Frenchman, Marshal Foch, a battle in which the forces of many nations came together to fight; in which aerial, mechanical and human courage and ingenuity combined with devastating results.

'Amiens was symbolic of the Entente Cordiale, the co-operation without which victory was impossible. It is entirely fitting therefore, that today, that same international coalition has returned to Amiens with our former enemy in peace and partnership.'

He also acknowledged the debt owed to the First World War troops in a message printed in the official programme, saying: 'The Battle of Amiens, and the continued fighting which followed during the summer of 1918, brought the Allies hope and optimism after four long years of bloodshed and stalemate.

'While it is right that we have collectively commemorated many of the significant battles and campaigns of those years, it is important that the success of the Battle of Amiens takes its rightful place in our shared history.'

The Prime Minister stands next to the Duke of Cambridge as they attend the service at Amiens Cathedral today

Mrs May and Prince William look around at the stunning interior of Amiens Cathedral this afternoon

William acknowledged the debt owed to the First World War troops in a message printed in the official programme

Mrs May highlighted how the Battle of Amiens heralded the beginning of the period known as the Hundred Days offensive

Mrs May paid tribute to the 'courage, bravery and skill' of troops who fought in the First World War Battle of Amiens

Kevin Sherlock, 58, a retired Rolls-Royce engine inspector from Derby, said his 19-year-old great uncle Ernest Harm, who was killed towards the end of the battle, 'paid the ultimate sacrifice', helping to bring peace to Europe.

He said the teenage soldier, also from Derby, a Lance Corporal in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion was killed, possibly by machine gun fire, going 'over the top' on August 11, 1918.

Mr Sherlock added: 'I think as I've got older I've thought about it more really, he was only 19, just a lad really, never experienced anything in his life.

'So there's sadness but also pride that he took part in a key battle that brought ultimately the Allied victory and no doubt about it, shortened the war as well.'

The Duke and Prime Minister sit among the attendees as they listen during the service at Amiens Cathedral this afternoon

William said it was 'important that the success of the Battle of Amiens takes its rightful place in our shared history'

William speaks to the congregation inside the impressive surroundings of Amiens Cathedral at the service this afternoon

Prince William (left) walks into the cathedral, with Mrs May (rear) and French Defence Minister Florence Parly (right, front)

The Prime Minister said: 'We remember with profound respect all those who served on both sides of the battle'

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attends the commemoration service at Amiens Cathedral today

A man wears a T-shirt at the service in memory of Corporal Walter Roy Whittingham, who died 100 years ago during the battle

Commenting on the fact his great uncle has no known grave Mr Sherlock added: 'It must be very painful for a mother to come to terms with, she probably thought he was listed as missing, killed in action, but there's always a small part of you thinking he might walk through the door one day.'

In Amiens Cathedral in northern France, the story of the battle was told through contemporary letters, diaries and poems read by guests from the 2,000-strong congregation.

Among those invited were Armed Forces minister Mark Lancaster, his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter, who is head of Britain's Armed Forces, and representatives of other nations including Germany.

In her message printed in the official programme Mrs May highlighted how the battle of Amiens heralded the beginning of the period known as the Hundred Days offensive.

After the 1918 conflict successive military victories eventually led to the surrender of German forces and the end of the conflict on Armistice Day on November 11 that year.

The Duke and the Prime Minister enter Amiens Cathedral for the service to mark the centenary of the Battle of Amiens

The Duke of Cambridge arrives for the commemorations in France today, marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens

William (left) walks as he arrives for the ceremony to mark the battle, which sounded the start of the Hundred Days offensive

William waves as he walks with officials for the ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War battle

After the 1918 conflict, successive military victories eventually led to the surrender of German forces

Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at Amiens Cathedral for the centenary service this afternoon

The Duke of Cambridge at the event. Meanwhile there was confusion in France among people who were expecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to also attend today's centenary commemorations

Mrs May (second left) shakes hands with Madame Parly (right) at the cathedral before the service today

Madame Parly arrives for the service at Amiens Cathedral in northern France this afternoon

Mrs May smiles with Madame Parly after they both arrive at Amiens Cathedral today to attend the service

The Prime Minister, who has been holidaying in Europe, wrote: 'Today, we commemorate that success, but we also reflect on the fear and hardship experienced by the people of this city and the surrounding battlefields, as well as the immense suffering demoralisation of the German troops.

'We remember with profound respect all those who served on both sides of the battle and we give thanks for their courage, bravery and skill which would lead to what the world had long yearned for, the guns finally falling silent.'

From the start of the battle exactly 100 years ago - August 8, 1918 - successive military victories eventually led to the surrender of German forces and the end of the conflict on Armistice Day on November 11 that year.

General Sir Henry Rawlinson, commander of the Fourth Army, combined air and land forces, from Australia, Canada, France, America and Britain, to great effect during the conflict.

He had learnt the lessons of the bloody Somme offensive - where he played a prominent role - employing improved tactics and new technology, utilised alongside subterfuge, from concealing troop numbers to ending the practice of firing range-finding shells so there was no warning of the attack.

The battle saw more than 500 tanks from the UK's Tank Corps deployed, more than 1,900 British and French aircraft used, tens of thousands of troops present, with the Australians and Canadians prominent in the attack, and all supported by more than 2,000 guns from the Royal Artillery.

Prime Minister Theresa May, who has recently been holidaying in Europe, is pictured at the event in northern France

Former German President Joachim Gauck (centre) walks with officials in Amiens before the 100th anniversary service

French gendarmes walk with their dogs in Amiens during the centenary ceremony today

Flag bearers arrive for today's service to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens

Guests arrive at Amiens Cathedral in northern France ahead of the ceremony this afternoon

Amiens Cathedral is reflected in a horn before the centenary ceremony in northern France

People gather outside Amiens Cathedral last night after it was lit up ahead of the service

Amiens Cathedral in France is lit up last night (left) and is pictured surrounded by sandbags in 1917 (right)

The location of Amiens as a major rail hub was deeply important to the Allies because it was used to receive supplies for the front line and move them out. (Above, the town in ruins in 1919)

The aftermath of bombing in Amiens on the Rue de Beauvais is pictured after the French town faced shelling in 1918

William said in his speech how bombing had destroyed many buildings in the town, which is pictured during the war

The scene in Amiens in 1918 near the town's cathedral - which survived the bombing during the First World War

Over the following days the gains made by Allied troops were huge, with many miles claimed from German forces - but its real impact was on the morale of many in the German high command, convincing them the war could not be won.

General Sir Nick Carter said: 'The Battle of Amiens marked the beginning of the end of the First World War.

'It was a remarkable achievement over the course of the war to expand the military, moulding a new citizen-based force into a very accomplished fighting force, against a backdrop of rapid technological change.'

Meanwhile there was confusion in France today among people who were expecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to also attend today's centenary commemorations.

A range of respected media outlets in the country had said Prince Harry, 33, and Meghan Markle, 37, would make their first official visit to France to pay their respects at the ceremony.

Standard-bearers wait as veterans and current members of the armed forces take part in a ceremony in Ypres, Belgium, today

Veterans, current members of the armed forces and family members take part in the Great Pilgrimage 90 Parade today

The ceremony marks 90 years since the first official pilgrimage by veterans of the First World War to the Menin Gate

Veterans come together to carry their standards through the Belgian town, before laying wreaths at the memorial today

Not only was Harry's old cavalry regiment - the Blues and Royals - present at the key battle in 1918, but locals were convinced Meghan would want to honour the fallen.

However, a Kensington Palace spokesman told MailOnline: 'It is the Duke of Cambridge who is attending the Battle of Amiens today and this was announced some time ago.'

French President Emmanuel Macron was today accused of 'historical ignorance' and committing a 'diplomatic fault' by snubbing the centenary commemorations in his hometown.

Mr Macron has instead chosen to remain on the Riviera rather than break of his holiday to honour those who took part in the battle.

Referring to Mr Macron and his Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, who is also staying away, French MP Jacques Myard tweeted that it was proof 'of their historical ignorance, a diplomatic fault', adding that Britain is 'our greatest military ally!'

'Amiens was symbolic of the entente cordiale': Prince William's Battle of Amiens centenary speech in full William told the congregation at Amiens Cathedral today that the building 'has such a profound connection to all those that served' I am delighted to join you all today to mark this important centenary in this historic Cathedral of Amiens. From the very start of the First World War, Amiens found itself at the heart of the conflict. For most of the war, it was just behind the Allied front lines, and military personnel soon became a familiar sight on its streets, around its shops, cafes and hotels. For thousands of servicemen, it became a home away from home. Above all, Amiens was a city of connections. Its railway line was a vital link between Paris and the north. Here, the armies of France and the British Empire came together. It connected the Allies. During the defence of the city against the great German offensive in April 1918, shelling and bombing destroyed many of the buildings here. Thankfully, this great cathedral was spared significant damage. In the summer of 1918, this was the springboard for the Allies offensive which would eventually lead to victory on the Western Front. After French, American and British forces had turned the tide against the Germans in the Second Battle of the Marne, the scene was set for a truly co-ordinated Allied effort to strike back. What began here on 8 August was truly a coalition operation under the strategic command of a great Frenchman, Marshal Foch; a battle in which the forces of many nations came together to fight; in which aerial, mechanical and human courage and ingenuity combined with devastating results. Amiens was symbolic of the entente cordiale, the co-operation without which victory was impossible. It is entirely fitting therefore, that today, that same international coalition has returned to Amiens with our former enemy, in peace and partnership. It is fitting too that we come together here, in this magnificent Cathedral, which has such a profound connection to all those that served. After the war, a commemorative tablet was installed here by the Imperial War Graves Commission, In sacred memory of six hundred thousand men of the armies of Great Britain and Ireland who fell in France and Belgium during the Great War. Memorial Tablets were subsequently installed by other nations to honour their fallen. And the Chapel of the Allies, where today we will renew the bonds forged during the War, is a lasting testament to the continuing relationship between those who served here a hundred years ago and the people of Amiens. Today we return to learn more about the experience of those involved during the historic summer of 1918, to honour the fallen of all nations, to commemorate all those who participated in this great endeavour, and to celebrate the bonds of friendship which unite our nations. Advertisement

First World War Mark IV tanks invade Dorset countryside as living history actors carry out mock battle to mark Amiens centenary

The sight of a First World War Mark IV tank rolling across the Dorset countryside is not an everyday occurrence.

But it was all part of a living history renactment at the The Tank Museum which saw crowds gather to watch a mock battle that commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens.

The crucial battle, which began exactly a century ago on August 8, 1908, saw more than 500 tanks spearhead an attack which ultimately led to the end of the First World War.

The commemoration also featured cavalry displays, static Great War aircraft and themed tours and talks  along with the chance to climb inside a Mark IV tank and to trace your family history.

First World War living history actors take part in a mock battle today during an event at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset

The battle recalled how more than 500 tanks spearhead an attack which ultimately led to the end of the First World War

The actors carried out the mock battle at The Tank Museum to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens

Pauline Gurling, whose father, Albert Victor Day, fought at the battle of Amiens as a tank driver, sits at the controls of a tank

A replica Mark IV tank from the First World War takes part in a mock battle during the event in Dorset today

Living history actors talk to each other during the event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens today

Actors stand next to a Mark IV tank during the event which helped mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens

People look at a tank which saw action at the battle with C Company, 8th Battalion, under 2nd Lieutenant Harold Whittenbury

Crowds of people gather to watch the mock battle in the arena during the event at The Tank Museum today
This is the incredible moment a 'firenado' shot 50ft into the sky as 50 firefighters attempted to tackle the massive blaze in South Derbyshire.

Firefighters battled the huge inferno as it ripped through a plastics factory in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Plumes of smoke could be seen up to 26 miles away in Nottingham while nearby residents were told to keep their windows closed after 60ft-high flames cause thick black smoke to billow into the sky.

Known as a fire whirl or firenado, the phenomenon is created as cool air enters the top of the hot air causing a swirl similar to how a tornado is formed, said a spokesman for Ashby Fire Station.

Bosses at the factory, which makes the bread trays for the whole of the UK, said the outside storage unit had been 'completely gutted' by the blaze, destroying more than 600,000 trays in the process.

Incredible 'firenado' shot 50ft into the air as 50 firefighters attempt to tackle the massive blaze in South Derbyshire

The fire at the Ravensbourn plastics factory, in Occupation Lane, in Woodville, began just after 1.40am on August 7 with 10 fire engines from three separate counties sent to tackle the blaze.

It took them 12 hours to get the fire under control, which saw thousands of plastic bread trays go up in flames.

Crews then spent the rest of the day damping down.

Russell Meredith, 36, operations director at Ravensbourn factory and his father David Meredith, 74, who is a co-owner of the firm, said the fire started after midnight when three people were still in the factory.

David told Burton Mail: 'The factory is fine; it is brand new and been operating for about four weeks. The outside storage has been lost.

The phenomenon is created as cool air enters the top of the hot air causing a swirl similar to how a tornado is formed, said a spokesman for Ashby Fire Station

Plumes of smoke can be seen up to 26 miles away in Nottingham while nearby residents were told to keep their windows closed after 60ft-high flames cause thick black smoke to billow into the sky
Alex Reuben McEwan told police a 'demon inside his head' made him brutally bash a Korean woman, drag her up a set of concrete stairs and dump her in a Brisbane park to die, a court has heard.

He has pleaded not guilty to murdering Eunji Ban in the city's centre in the early hours of November 24, 2013, but admits to her manslaughter.

In a recording played to the Brisbane Supreme Court jury on Wednesday, McEwan can be heard telling arresting officers 'on the night of the murder' he 'just woke up randomly and did it.'

The court earlier heard forensic evidence that Eunji Ban (pictured) was dragged feet first up a flight of concrete stairs leading from Albert Street to Wickham Park and dumped next to a tree where she drowned in her own blood

In a recording played to a jury, Alex McEwan (pictured) can be heard telling arresting officers 'on the night of the murder' he 'just woke up randomly and did it'

'I was kind of waiting for it my whole life,' McEwan can be heard telling the officers.

When asked what he was waiting for, he responds: 'To kill someone.'

His lawyer argues his schizophrenia left him unable to control himself when he killed Ms Ban.

Prosecutors allege the then 19-year-old punched Ms Ban repeatedly in the head, leaving her face so swollen her gender wasn't immediately obvious to police and paramedics attending the scene.

The court earlier heard forensic evidence she was dragged feet first up a flight of concrete stairs leading from Albert Street to Wickham Park and dumped next to a tree where she drowned in her own blood.

McEwan's lawyer argues his schizophrenia left him unable to control himself when he killed Ms Ban (Pictured: A memorial for Ms Ban)

Photos were shown to the court of items on the ground at the Albert Street site, including a smartphone and smashed prescription glasses.

There was also a square of blue fabric which looked like the pocket of a business shirt.

A blue business shirt missing its pocket was found under Ms Ban's body.

The trial is on Thursday expected to hear the police interview of McEwan following his arrest, along with more scientific and forensic evidence (Pictured: Ms Ban)

Earlier the court was shown CCTV footage from the morning in question, showing a man running shirtless into an address at Spring Hill.

McEwan's colleagues have also testified that he showed up to work at a panelbeaters in Brisbane's west Monday, November 25, 2013 claiming bandages on his hand were for injuries he'd sustained during a fight at a skate park.

The trial is on Thursday expected to hear the police interview of McEwan following his arrest, along with more scientific and forensic evidence.
Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pictured) was the pilot of the doomed flight

DID THE PILOT HIJACK HIS OWN PLANE?

Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah planned mass murder because of personal problems, locking his co-pilot out of the cockpit, closing down all communications, depressurising the main cabin and then disabling the aircraft so that it continued flying on auto-pilot until it ran out of fuel.

That was the popular theory in the weeks after the plane's disappearance.

His personal problems, rumours in Kuala Lumpur said, included a split with his wife Fizah Khan, and his fury that a relative, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, had been given a five-year jail sentence for sodomy shortly before he boarded the plane for the flight to Beijing.

But the pilot's wife angrily denied any personal problems and other family members and his friends said he was a devoted family man and loved his job.

This theory was also the conclusion of the first independent study into the disaster by the New Zealand-based air accident investigator, Ewan Wilson.

Wilson, the founder of Kiwi Airlines and a commercial pilot himself, arrived at the shocking conclusion after considering 'every conceivable alternative scenario'.

However, he has not been able to provide any conclusive evidence to support his theory.

The claims are made in the book 'Goodnight Malaysian 370', which Wilson co-wrote with the New Zealand broadsheet journalist, Geoff Taylor.

It's also been rumoured that Zaharie used a flight simulator at his home to plot a path to a remote island.

However, officials in Kuala Lumpur declared that Malaysian police and the FBI's technical experts had found nothing to suggest he was planning to hijack the flight after closely examining his flight simulator.

And there are also theories that t he tragic disappearance may have been a heroic act of sacrifice by the pilot.

Australian aviation enthusiast Michael Gilbert believes the doomed plane caught fire mid-flight, forcing the pilot to plot a course away from heavily populated areas.

IF NOT THE PILOT, WAS THE CO-PILOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MYSTERY?

Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, again for personal problems, was suspected by rumour-spreaders to have overpowered the pilot and disabled the aircraft, flying it to its doom with crew and passengers unable to get through the locked cockpit door.

Theorists have put forward the suggestion that he was having relationship problems and this was his dramatic way of taking his own life.

But he was engaged to be married to Captain Nadira Ramli, 26, a fellow pilot from another airline, and loved his job. There are no known reasons for him to have taken any fatal action.

There have been a series of outlandish theories about the disappearance of the plane

Others have suggested that because he was known to have occasionally invited young women into the cockpit during a flight, he had done so this time and something had gone wrong.

Young Jonti Roos said in March that she spent an entire flight in 2011 in the cockpit being entertained by Hamid, who was smoking.

Interest in the co-pilot was renewed when it was revealed he was the last person to communicate from the cockpit after the communication system was cut off.

DID THE RUSSIANS STEAL MH370 AND FLY THE JET TO KAZAKHSTAN

An expert has claimed the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was hijacked on the orders of Vladimir Putin and secretly landed in Kazakhstan.

Jeff Wise, a U.S. science writer who spearheaded CNN's coverage of the Boeing 777-200E, has based his outlandish theory on pings that the plane gave off for seven hours after it went missing, that were recorded by British telecommunications company Inmarsat.

Wise believes that hijackers 'spoofed' the plane's navigation data to make it seem like it went in another direction, but flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is leased from Kazakhstan by Russia.

However, Wise admits in New York Magazine that he does not know why Vladimir Putin would want to steal a plane full of people and that his idea is somewhat 'crazy'.

Wise also noted there were three Russian men onboard the flight, two of them Ukrainian passport holders.

Aviation disaster experts analysed satellite data and discovered - like the data recorded by Inmarsat - that the plane flew on for hours after losing contact.

Careful examination of the evidence has revealed that MH370 made three turns after the last radio call, first a turn to the left, then two more, taking the plane west, then south towards Antarctica.

MH370 WAS USED BY TERRORISTS FOR A SUICIDE ATTACK ON THE CHINESE NAVY

This extraordinary claim came from 41-year-old British yachtsman Katherine Tee, from Liverpool, whose initial account of seeing what she thought was a burning plane in the night sky made headlines around the world.

On arrival in Thailand's Phuket after sailing across the Indian Ocean from Cochin, southern India with her husband, she said: 'I could see the outline of the plane - it looked longer than planes usually do.There was what appeared to be black smoke streaming from behind.'

Ms Tee's general description of the time and place was vague and she lost all credibility when she later stated on her blog that she believed MH370 was a kamikaze plane that was aimed at a flotilla of Chinese ships and it was shot down before it could smash into the vessels.

Without solid proof of the satellite data, she wrote on her blog, Saucy Sailoress, the plane she saw was flying at low altitude towards the military convoy she and her husband had seen on recent nights. She added that internet research showed a Chinese flotilla was in the area at the time.

While the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage  and its crucial black box data recorders  remains stubbornly elusive.

THE JET LANDED ON THE WATER AND WAS SEEN FLOATING ON THE ANDAMAN SEA

On a flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur that crossed over the Andaman Sea on March 8, Malaysian woman Raja Dalelah, 53, saw what she believed was a plane sitting on the water's surface.

She didn't know about the search that had been started for MH370. She alerted a stewardess who told her to go back to sleep.

'I was shocked to see what looked like the tail and wing of an aircraft on the water,' she said.

It was only when she told her friends on landing in Kuala Lumpur what she had seen that she learned of the missing jet. She had seen the object at about 2.30pm Malaysian time.

She said she had been able to identify several ships and islands before noticing the silver object that she said was a plane.

But her story was laughed off by pilots who said it would have been impossible to have seen part of an aircraft in the water from 35,000ft or seven miles.

Ms Raja filed an official report with police the same day and has kept to her story.

'I know what I saw,' she said.

THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC SYSTEMS FAILURE AND CRASH-LANDED ON THE OCEAN

A catastrophic event such as a fire disabling much of the equipment resulted in the pilots turning the plane back towards the Malaysian peninsula in the hope of landing at the nearest airport.

Satellite data, believable or not, suggests the aircraft did make a turn and theorists say there would be no reason for the pilots to change course unless confronted with an emergency.

A fire in a similar Boeing 777 jet parked at Cairo airport in 2011 was found to have been caused by a problem with the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

Stewarts Law, which has litigated in a series of recent air disasters, believes the plane crashed after a fire - similar to the blaze on the Cairo airport runway - broke out in the cockpit.

After an investigation into the Cairo blaze, Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Central Directorate (EAAICD) released their final report which revealed that the fire originated near the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

The cause of the fire could not be conclusively determined, but investigators pinpointed a problem with the cockpit hose used to provide oxygen for the crew in the event of decompression.

Following the 2011 fire, US aircraft owners were instructed to replace the system - it was estimated to cost $2,596 (1,573) per aircraft. It was not known whether Malaysia Airlines had carried out the change.

If either pilot wanted to crash the plane, why turn it around? So the turn-around suggests they were trying to land as soon as possible because of an emergency.

THE US SHOT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT FEARING A TERROR ATTACK ON DIEGO GARCIA

The Boeing 777 was shot down by the Americans who feared the aircraft had been hijacked and was about to be used to attack the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean. So conspiracy theorists claim.

And former French airline director Marc Dugain said he had been warned by British intelligence that he was taking risks by investigating this angle.

There is no way of checking whether Dugain received such a warning or why he believes the Americans shot down the plane.

But adding to the theory that the aircraft was flown to Diego Garcia, either by the pilot Zaharie or a hijacker, was the claim that on the pilot's home flight simulator was a 'practice' flight to the island.

Professor Glees said: 'The Americans would have no interest in doing anything of the kind and not telling the world.

'In theory, they might wish to shoot down a plane they thought was attacking them but they wouldn't just fire missiles, they'd investigate it first with fighters and would quickly realise that even if it had to be shot down, the world would need to know.'
Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has launched a new series of 'Brexit beer mats' claiming a no deal departure from the EU would actually lower its prices.

Around 500,000 mats are being sent around the company's 875 pubs which describe Theresa May's Chequers plan as 'crazy'.

It follows a similar move by the firm in 2016 before the referendum urging voters to support the Leave movement through messages on beer mats.

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin, a strong supporter of Brexit, also outlined a 'four point plan' to leave last year, which he has expanded upon with the new mats.

JD Wetherspoon has launched a new series of Brexit beer mats, pictured, supporting a no deal departure from the EU

The mats carry a message from chairman Tim Martin to the country's political leaders claiming a no deal Brexit would actually lead to lower prices in shops and pubs

The message on the mats says: 'The vast majority of the public strongly objects to the crazy Government plan to pay 39 billion to Brussels, with nothing in return.'

Mr Martin added lawyers have stated there is no legal obligation for the UK to pay anything on leaving the EU.

He said: 'We are calling on the Government not to pay the money. The message on the beer mat also makes it clear that, from our viewpoint, the Government should also choose free trade, on leaving the EU, by ending the taxes or 'tariffs' which the EU imposes on more than 12,000 non-EU imports.

'Under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, EU imports would also be tariff-free in this case. Ending tariffs means lower prices in shops and pubs.'

The message on the beer mats adds: 'If the unelected President Juncker and his apparatchiks continue to be obstructive, remember that all EU products can be replaced by similar alternatives from the UK - or from the 93 per cent of the world not in the EU.

'Our good friends in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and Canada have slashed tariffs - their citizens are better off as a result, and their economies have thrived.

'And our good friends in countries like the USA and India are keen to do trade deals with us.'

The key elements of Mrs May's 'compromise' plan are a new free trade area based on a 'common rulebook'- requiring the UK to commit to a treaty to match EU rules.

Wetherspoon previously ran a series of 500,000 mats in 2016, pictured, urging the public to vote leave at the EU referendum

The pub's chairman has been a vocal supporter of Brexit and has run a series of schemes to raise the issue with customers

But this would not include banking or legal services, meaning the UK could set our own regulations.

It also includes a new 'facilitated customs arrangement' removing the need for customs checks at EU-UK ports while it would allow differing UK and EU tariffs on goods from elsewhere in the world to be paid at the border and continued use of the EHIC health insurance card.

In July Wetherspoon introduced changes to its menu selling more UK and non-EU produced goods.

Champagne and wheat beers produced in France and Germany were replaced, and sparkling wines from the UK and Australia were substituted for Champagne.

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin, a strong supporter of Brexit, said: 'This move helps us to broaden our horizons so that we create an improved offer for the two million customers who visit our pubs each week.

'It is the start of a review all products in the next six to 24 months, with the object of making our business more competitive.'
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The year is 2023 and the world is still recovering from the devastating North Korean nuclear attacks on Japan, South Korea and the United States three years before.

Almost 3million people died as soon as the bombs went off, causing a tornado of flame to rip through Tokyo, levelling Manhattan, and wiping the city of Jupiter, Florida, off the map - after narrowly missing Mar-a-Lago.

This is the dire future imagined by Dr Jeffrey Lewis, one of the world's foremost experts on the North Korean nuclear programme, as he paints a picture of what could happen should the peace talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un fail.

Dr Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, has imagined what nuclear war with North Korea could look like. In his fictitious history, Kim Jong-un launches dozens of missiles at Japan and South Korea (left) after wrongly believing that an American invasion is imminent. When this causes America to attack, he launches a dozen long-range nukes at the US (right) in the hopes it will force Trump to negotiate

Dr Lewis, who works at the the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, makes the prediction in his novel, The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States, in which he imagines himself analysing the events leading up to the strikes and the harrowing fallout.

Dr Lewis told Mail Online that he decided to write the book after struggling to get people to take the threat of nuclear war seriously in his everyday research.

He said: 'North Korea says it is willing to use nuclear weapons and that's what I was never able to convey in nonfiction, no matter what I tried, I could never really effectively express it.

'Nuclear war is an unimaginable horror so we discount the possibility of it happening, even though it actually happened to people who are alive now.

'I don't think the risk on any given day is very high, but this is a risk that we have decided to run forever, day after day after day, and the risk on a day to day basis - even if it is low - is much higher than it needs to be.'

In his book, the nuclear strikes take place after peace talks between Trump and Kim collapse, with the President returning to personal attacks on the dictator via Twitter while his advisers ratchet up pressure on his regime with aggressive military drills on the border.

This culminates in North Korea accidentally shooting down a South Korean plane filled with hundreds of civilians, including more than 100 children, after mistaking it for an American bomber.

Dr Lewis argues that the risk of nuclear war is 'much higher than it needs to be' and says the idea of North Korea attacking America with nukes is not as far-fetched as people would like to think

South Korea retaliates with a missile strike of its own, setting off a chain of events that quickly spirals into a nuclear conflict which none of the parties were intending to cause.

This event is based on the real-life shootdown of Korean Airlines flight KL007 which was destroyed by the Soviets in 1983, raising fears of a war between America and Russia.

Believing that an American invasion is imminent, Kim Jong-un fires nukes at South Korea and Japan, hoping to halt American troops in their tracks and force Trump to the negotiating table.

The initial attack kills 1.5million people in Tokyo, Seoul, Busan and other cities across Japan and South Korea, incinerating them in a blinding flash of light.

In fact, Kim's strike is huge miscalculation based on bad information and a rogue tweet from President Trump. American troops are not about to invade, but constant threats and military drills have convinced him that his country is about to be overrun.

While this scenario may seem unlikely, Dr Lewis argues that it is not as far-fetched as most people would like to believe - pointing to Saddam's actions before the US invasion of Iraq which ultimately saw him killed.

'One of the major question the US had leading up to the war was: why didn't Saddam realise it was over for him? Why didn't he realise this catastrophic war was coming and that it would end with his death? And the answer is that Saddam didn't seriously consider the possibility that the US would do anything more than seize the southern third of the country and set up an autonomous state just as they had in practice done in the north.

'It never occurred to him take seriously the possibility that the US would go into Baghdad.

'It's just such a monumental miscalculation - his life depended on him not making that mistake, and he still made it. So it's not hard for me to imagine Kim making the same mistake, or a similar kind of mistake, by concluding that he could use nuclear weapons to halt the United States invasion.

'Everyone thinks that view is crazy but that's literally why countries acquire nuclear weapons. They acquire them as invasion insurance.

'So it's certainly not a strange thing for Kim to think and it's not as strange as the things Saddam thought.'

Ironically, the nuclear strikes that Kim hoped would save him actually prompt the very attack he was dreading.

Seeing the American military heading straight for his borders, the young dictator reaches for his last line of defence - a dozen long-range nukes fired at the mainland United States.

It is thought that Kim already possesses such weapons, having successfully tested several Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles last year, which could be equipped with nuclear warheads.

Of course, Kim ends up dead - shooting himself in the head as special forces close in on his bunker, while his regime is dismantled as the American military rolls over North Korea in a matter of days, but not before his nukes can get airborne.

Some of these missiles either miss their targets or disintegrate, but seven manage to evade US defence systems before slamming into Hawaii, Florida, northern Virginia, and New York with horrific consequences.

In total, 1.4million perish instantly, while millions more receive third-degree radiation burns. Children stumble through the streets with charred flesh hanging from their arms in scenes reminiscent of the Vietnam war, while hospitals are overloaded with the dead and dying.

When negotiations between Trump and Kim break down the two leader resort to throwing insults at one-another while Trump's advisers ratchet up pressure on North Korea by conducting military drills on the border, which culminates in a war that none of those involved were actively trying to cause

It is thought that North Korea already possesses nuclear missiles capable of striking the mainland United States after it tested the Hwasong-15 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (pictured) last year

The initial nuclear strikes against Japan and South Korea kill 1.5million people, while another 1.4million people die in the US after New York, northern Virginia, Florida and Hawaii are reduced to ash (file image)

Black rain even begins falling from the sky as ash and dust kicked up from the bombs mixes with clouds formed by the explosion.

While the vision may seem over-the-top, in fact Dr Lewis drew on real-life testimonies from the US nuclear attacks on Japan while writing.

He said: 'It was very important to me when I sat down to write the survivor stories, that I didn't want to just make them up, so I used real stories [from Hiroshima].

'What I had noticed about them was that because people have foreign names and the place names are foreign and the grammar and phrasing is a bit stilted, people are able to hold those stories at arms length and say "those are things that happen to other people. That's a thing that happens someplace else to someone else and that's not a thing that could happen to us."

'I tried very hard to take those stories and curate them and put them in context and make them stories which might be more familiar to an American reader.'

Another 4.5million people perish across America in the ensuing years from their wounds, while millions more a left living with compromised immune systems as the result of radiation exposure.

This places a huge strain on the healthcare system, and causes the first recorded outbreak of plague in New York.

Dr Lewis said the book is intended to show that, even if we cause a second nuclear war, we still might not learn the consequences of having such weapons

Dr Lewis's message is that such a thing could happen, such a thing might even be likely to happen, if we are not careful enough about preventing it.

While talks between Trump and Kim are encouraging, he fears that the President is not being realistic enough with his aims.

Dr Lewis firmly believes that Kim is never going to give up his nuclear stockpile, so Trump needs to refocus and instead insist on a reduction in the number of weapons, while maintaining some form of dialogue with the North.

The worst outcome, in his opinion, would be for either nation to start increasing their nuclear stockpiles again, while returning to the baiting and name-calling of last year that saw branded Kim 'little rocket man' and Trump called a 'mentally deranged US dotard'.

He added: 'I understand and appreciate the deterrent value of nuclear weapons on a day-to-day basis, I can see why as a short term thing they are desirable, and it's hard to imagine just giving them up.

'But eventually that system is going to break down, so I think we have to take seriously the prospect of moving to a world in which these weapons are not central to our security policy.

'The details of how we do that are less important than simply recognising that we are living on borrowed time. This is like a family trust and we're eventually going to run out of money, so we should start planning for that future.'

Ultimately, the goal should be to eliminate the threat of nuclear war entirely, he says.

'When I talk to people it seems like such a big task: how do you eliminate nuclear weapons, it's a big ask,' he says.

'People get cynical and say: "Well when we have a bomb go off, that's what it'll take for change." And I don't agree with that. We've already had two go off, we know what these weapons do, we know people are imperfect.

'In the book, I wanted to make it clear that even if we kill a million people, there's no guarantee that we will learn the lesson that are already in front of us, so just learn them.'

The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States is available to buy now from Penguin
Jeremy Corbyn's allies are bullying MPs and trying to purge the Labour Party of his critics, veteran MP Dame Margaret Hodge last night warned.

The former minister launched a blistering attack on the Labour leadership for waging a war against moderate MPs.

She said some are determined to kick moderates out of the party - wither by deselection or disciplinary actions.

Her furious tirade comes after she was embroiled in a major row with Mr Corbyn's office over the anti-Semitism scandal.

The party launched an investigation into Dame Margaret - who is Jewish and lost family in the Holocaust - after she allegedly called Mr Corbyn a 'f***ing anti-Semite', but dropped the probe after massive criticism.

But Labour MP Ian Austin, who also had family murdered in the Holocaust, is still under investigation after rowing with the party leadership over anti-Semitism.

The former minister Dame Margaret Hodge (pictured in her Commons office) launched a blistering attack on the Labour leadership for waging a war against moderate MPs

Speaking to The Guardian, Dame Margaret said 'I have absolutely no doubt that there are those in the leadership who want to get rid, whether it is through de selection or disciplinary action, of any opposition.

What is the timeline of anti-Semitic scandals which have erupted under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership? Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been accused of failing to tackle the racism among his supporters The anti-Semitism scandal has dogged Labour since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader in 2015. Here is a timeline of the controversies: April 2016: Labour MP Naz Shah is suspended for anti-Semitic posts - including one in which she appeared to endorse calls for Israelis to be deported to the US. She apologised and was given a formal warning. Ken Livingstone goes on the radio to defend Ms Shah - but sparks fresh controversy by claiming that Hitler supported Zionism. He is suspended by Labour but refuses to apologise and has repeated the claim many times. He eventually quits Labour two years later, saying his suspension has become a distraction. June 2016: A two-month inquiry by civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti finds that Labour is not overrun by anti-Semitism. But the launch is overshadowed when Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth flees it in tears after being accused by Corbyn supporter Marc Wadsworth of colluding with the press. Critics accuse the report of being a whitewash and Ms Chakrabarti is widely criticised for accepting a peerage from Jeremy Corbyn shortly afterwards. October 2016: The Home Affairs Select Committee says Labour is guilty of incompetence over its handling of anti-Semitism and of creating a safe space for people with 'vile attitudes towards Jewish people'. March 2018: It is revealed that Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural and said the offensive art should be removed. He apologises saying he did not properly look at the picture before he made the post. Jewish leaders take the unprecedented step of holding a demonstration outside Parliament protesting Mr Corbyn's failure to tackle anti-Semitism. Several Labour MPs address the crowds. April 2018: Marc Wadsworth is expelled from Labour after being accused of anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, Labour Jewish MPs tell of the anti-Semitic abuse they have suffered in a powerful parliamentary debate - and round on their leader for failing to tackle it. July 2018: The Labour leadership sparks fresh anger by failing to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism Peter Willsman, a strong ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is secretly taped ranting that 'Jewish Trump fanatics' invented the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour. In an angry diatribe at a meeting of Labour's ruling executive committee, he said he was 'amazed' there was evidence party members hated Jews. He claimed 'some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump  they are Trump fanatics' before shouting: 'So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.' August 2018: Jeremy Corbyn issues a video insisting he is committed to tackling the racism - but it is panned by Jewish leaders. Corbynistas mount a social media campaign to get deputy Labour leader Tom Watson to quit after he criticises the party's handling of anti-Semitism. The Daily Mail exclusively publishes photos of Jeremy Corbyn holding a wreath at a ceremony where a terrorist linked to the Munich massacre was honoured. The Labour leader insists he was there to honour others killed - but faces fresh calls to quit over the scandal. Advertisement

'The new style of politics is bullying and intolerance, not gentle and inclusive.'

Her words are a pointed swipe at Mr Corbyn - who promised a return to a 'kinder and gentler' politics after he was elected.

Labour MPs have queued up to condemn the leadership for doggedly going after those who dare to criticise them over anti-Semitism while dragging their feet over disciplining those actually behind the racism.

And Dame Margaret accused Mr Corbyn's allies of bullying Mr Austin by launching the formal investigation into him.

She said: 'Arguing passionately for what you believe in should be encouraged and celebrated, not punished.

'That's what Ian was quite properly doing and trying to close down the issue by disciplining him is tantamount to bullying.'

And she also doubled down on her criticism of the leader's office, saying: 'I stand by my comments.'

Lawyers for Mr Austin have accused Labour of not telling him about the specific allegations against him.

In the letter, tweeted by Mr Austin, they say the party has 'failed to observe the most rudimentary principles of natural justice, due process and transparency'.

Mr Austin's solicitors, Hamlins, added: 'This process has been a farce and a disgrace.

It has plainly been designed to silence our client for his legitimate, honestly held criticisms of Mr Corbyn's failure to address the scourge of antisemitism in the Labour party.'

Dame Margaret's furious attack come as fresh details of the scale of the anti-Semitism scandal facing the party have emerged.

A cache of documents, leaked to The Guardian, show that Labour members under investigation by party bosses have dismissed the scandal as an invention of the Israeli lobby.

And an ally of Mr Corbyn behind a Facebook group which hosted anti-Semitic slurs has reportedly said it is a 'badge of honour' to be investigated by the Labour Party.

Elleanne Green is being investigated by party bosses after the controversial Palestine Live group was found to have hosted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.

Mr Corbyn was a member of the group - where members posted links to Holocaust denial myths - until 2015, but insists he did not see any offensive comments.

A leaked cache of documents, published in The Guardian today, show that Ms Green made the 'deeply troubling' comment saying the probe could be seen as a 'badge of honour'.

The revelation comes as the Labour leader faces continued fury from his own MPs and the Jewish community for failing to get a grip on the crisis tearing Labour apart.

Meanwhile, international holocaust experts have accused the Labour party of undermining efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance last night said the party's high controversial decision to refuse to fully adopt is definition of anti-Semitism was hampering efforts.

In their first intervention since the row erupted last month about Labour's refusal to take up the definition last month, they criticised Labour for excluding some of the specific examples of the racism.

They said: 'The significance of this definition lies in the international cooperation that led to it.

'Not only was it drafted with input from many of the worlds foremost experts on antisemitism, but it was unanimously approved by government representatives from all IHRA Member Countries.

'Gaining this level of international consensus was no easy feat, but antisemitism is a global phenomenon and so it was very important that we persevered in order to emerge with one common definition.

'As a result of this IHRA effort, there is not a western or an eastern definition of antisemitism; there is not a Jewish or non-Jewish definition  but an international definition.'

They add: 'Any modified version of the IHRA definition that does not include all of its 11 examples is no longer the IHRA definition.

'Adding or removing language undermines the months of international diplomacy and academic rigour that enabled this definition to exist.

'If one organisation or institution can amend the wording to suit its own needs, then logically anyone else could do the same. We would once again revert to a world where antisemitism goes unaddressed simply because different entities cannot agree on what it is.

'The real everyday threats to Jewish people and their communities demand coordinated international solutions.

'As members of the UK delegation to the IHRA, we are pleased that our work has provided an important tool to unite policymakers and stakeholders of different nationalities and ideologies in this urgent fight.'

Labour has been dogged by anti-Semitism claims ever since Jeremy Corbyn (pictured outside his Islington home on Monday) became leader in 2015
A retired couple lost their dream holiday house in Spain and more than 300,000 after being sold a home which the property developers had secretly taken a mortgage out on.

Stewart, 70, and Lynda Forrester, 68, of Nottage, Porthcawl, worked hard to give themselves a comfortable retirement and in 2000 they decided to purchase a second home on the Costa Blanca which had its own swimming pool.

They bought it for 120,000 but later found themselves in danger of it being repossessed thanks to a mortgage being taken out on their home without their knowledge.

They found out that despite the fact they bought the property outright, they had been sold a house which had debt on it.

Stewart and Lynda Forrester, of Nottage, Porthcawl, worked hard to give themselves a comfortable retirement and in 2000 they decided to purchase a second home in Alicante

They ended up losing the property, more than 300,000 and spent six years battling in Britain's biggest courts, along with other people from across the UK who had also lost their homes in Alicante.

Last month grandparents Stewart and Lynda were finally told at London's Court of Appeal they would be compensated after losing their home.

With developer Tecnologia Urbanistica and agents Atlas International Property Services in liquidation, the buyers sued Spanish lawyer Miguel Angel Aroca Seiquer who had been recommended to them and whose job it was to ensure that they got good title to the flats in return for their money.

Former postmistress Lynda, 68, said: 'We went with Atlas, we were both working at the time and went to look for property. They advertised as a one stop shop. They arranged to show us the house and we stayed in their hotel. They organised it all for you.

Lynda at the property. They had nine happy years there before they were forced to leave

'It was a holiday home but every time we went there we would have it painted, put in a new gate. There was always something and a lot of money was spent on it over the years.'

Former business management consultant Stewart, 70, added: 'We had nine happy years where we thoroughly enjoyed it and we went there hundreds of times.

'We had holidays there and friends used it and had family Christmases there. We loved it and the lifestyle was brilliant. I have never quite understood what really happened.'

In 2012, the couple went out to Alicante to live but kept their house in Nottage. It wasn't long before they returned after they discovered that all was not as it seemed.

The initial problem came after the foundations of the house collapsed causing irreparable damage, but the developers gave them a second property which they accepted.

TIMELINE OF HOW RETIRED COUPLE LOST THEIR HOLIDAY HOME 2000: Couple buy the property. Early 2012: Move to house permanently. Foundations of the house collapsed and developers move them to a second property. Discover neighbours who bought properties from same developer found out that mortgages had secretly been taken out on their homes - and they were in danger of being repossessed. June 2012: Couple decide to part with the house voluntarily and put it in the possession of the bank. Late 2012: Stewart and Lynda joined a group of people including seven couples and two individuals taking legal action against the developers, agents and law firm. 2012-2018: Legal battle begins and includes four court hearings at The Royal Courts of Justice and The Court of Appeal. After the third court hearing, Atlas International Property Services were liquidated which left lawyer Seiquer as the only remaining party in the case. July 2018: The Court of Appeal upheld the decision that Seiquer had been negligent. Advertisement

They then found out that neighbours who had bought properties from the same developer were discovering that mortgages had been taken out on their homes, despite buying the properties outright.

Stewart said: 'We were sold houses which had debt on them and the law firm we all used was the favourite law firm of the developers.

'I innocently found out we didn't have the house from other people who had flown in because they had the same problem. We had communication from the solicitors saying don't worry and we'd have the title deeds soon.

'We went out there in 2012 to live there for a period of time and we found out that other people's houses were up for repossession. We found out our house could be repossessed so we came home and sought legal advice.'

The couple decided to part with the house voluntarily and put it in the possession of the bank.

Lynda added: 'We could have stayed there a bit longer but there was the fear of any minute there could be a knock on the door from the bank, the bailiff, or a police officer saying 'we're taking possession of your house'. We didn't want to live under that stress.

The couple found out that neighbours who had bought properties from the same developer were discovering that mortgages had been taken out on their homes, despite buying the properties outright (Pictured: Alicante)

'We emptied it of everything we had, we cleaned it and took the furniture out and said goodbye to the house. That was June 2012 and we haven't been back there since.'

WHAT WENT WRONG AND WHAT DID THE JUDGE RULE ? In July this year, The Court of Appeal upheld the decision that lawyer Seiquer had been negligent. Lord Justice David Richards said: Seiquer failed in his duty to advise the buyers about the risk of paying final instalments on their flats without ensuring that they would get mortgage-free title to the properties.

The court heard the lawyer had been recommended to the buyers by British property agents who marketed the development in the UK and offered a 'one stop' service to purchasers.

But the judge said Seiquer failed to tell buyers that the transactions were not guaranteed by banks, as required by Spanish law.

And he neglected to advise them not to part with their cash until the developer could prove it had mortgage-free title to the flats.

Despite their legal ordeal coming to an end, Stewart and Lynda will have to wait to find out how much of their money they will get back with a date for the next court hearing not determined. Advertisement

Stewart and Lynda joined a group of people including seven couples and two individuals taking legal action against the developers, agents and law firm.

Their legal battle began in 2012 and has so far included four court hearings at The Royal Courts of Justice and The Court of Appeal. After the third court hearing, Atlas International Property Services were liquidated which left lawyer Seiquer as the only remaining party in the case.

In July this year, The Court of Appeal upheld the decision that Seiquer had been negligent.

Lord Justice David Richards said Seiquer failed in his duty to advise the buyers about the risk of paying final instalments on their flats without ensuring that they would get mortgage-free title to the properties.

The lawyer had been recommended to the buyers by British property agents who marketed the development in the UK and offered a 'one stop' service to purchasers.

The judge said Seiquer failed to tell buyers that the transactions were not guaranteed by banks, as required by Spanish law.

And he neglected to advise them not to part with their cash until the developer could prove it had mortgage-free title to the flats.

Despite their legal ordeal coming to an end, Stewart and Lynda will have to wait to find out how much of their money they will get back with a date for the next court hearing not determined.

Stewart and Lynda joined a group of people including seven couples and two individuals taking legal action against the developers, agents and law firm (Stock image of Alicante)

The couple's retirement plans has been left in disarray with Stewart going back into work to help fund their legal bills.

He said: 'We would have been backwards and forwards to Spain. We would have been home for a month and out there for a month and so on. We had the flexibility to do that.

'Both of us worked hard all our lives to do that. I was a management consultant and travelled all over the country. It was shattering because you lose a part of your life.

'The worst thing for me, apart from the fact I have not been able to spend enough time with Lynda while we see our friends going to the beach or for a picnic, but I needed to go back to work because we were unsure what money we had to do with and unfortunately I couldn't get a job despite my experience and qualifications. I just found the ageism incredible.

'We feel silly. I have had people say to me you're an intelligent man, how could you make such a mistake, how did I allow this to happen but we trusted two British firms. I will never trust another lawyer again.

'They have ruined lives. We were retired, not rich, but comfortable.'

Lynda added: 'It has totally changed our lives because of the stress of it.'
A Russian mother-of-three has died after undergoing breast enlargement plastic surgery and falling into a coma.

Nelli Dorozhkina, 37, from Khabarovsk, southeastern Russia, died three days after her breast implant operation, having gone into anaphylactic shock.

Before she fell into a coma, she reportedly told her husband she had overheard a 'furious row' between the surgeon and the anaesthetist.

Tragedy: Nelli Dorozhkina, 37, died three days after her breast implant operation in Khabarovsk, southeastern Russia

Dorozhkina was a doctor herself, and Russian media reports that she had warned medics in advance at an unnamed clinic in Khabarovsk that she was allergic to certain drugs.

Detectives now suspect one of these drugs were used.

Her widower Yury Saprykin said she had gone to the clinic for 'a little shape correction to her breasts - nothing major'.

'Her condition deteriorated the day after the surgery,' he said. 'I was in panic but the doctors assured me everything was normal.

'They said her temperature had shot up but it was nothing to worry about. They advised her to drink more water and rest.'

Mystery: Mrs Dorozhkina, a qualified doctor herself, had informed her surgeon before the operation that she was allergic to certain drugs

Her widower Yury Saprykin said Mrs Dorozhkina's condition had deteriorated shortly after she had woken up from her surgery

Heartbreaking: Mrs Dorozhkina fell into a coma soon after the surgery and never woke up

He told journalists: 'I spoke to her after the surgery and she told me she heard an argument between the surgeon and the anaesthetist about drugs that were banned for her.

'Nelli had given them the list when she first went to the clinic. She had a medical education and knew all about it.

'There has been no explanation or apology from the clinic.'

Daria Nemtseva, an official with the Investigative Committee which probes serious crime, said the victim had been moved to a major hospital when her condition deteriorated.

A criminal probe into 'death due to professional negligence' has been launched.

Ilya Tsarkov, in charge of the investigation, said: 'Tests will be carried out and witnesses are being questioned.'

Russian detectives now suspect one of the drugs she was allergic to had been used

Experts are also aware that another unnamed woman died in similar circumstances earlier this year.

Russia has faced series of recent deaths and serious failures in plastic surgery clinics, with multiple criminal investigations now underway.

Another death: Galina Rakushina, 30, died after 13 months in a coma after a botched breast operation

Inna Moskovaya, 44, a gynaecologist, died in May after falling into a coma following a 1,900 enlargement operation she had kept secret from family and friends.

Stock exchange trader Natalia Orlova, 54, died after a facelift led to acute spinal pain followed by liver and kidney failure.

Beautician Marina Kushkhova, 29, died in April after sinking into a coma following an operation to alter the shape of her nose.

The same month, a Canadian woman, aged 41, died after travelling to Moscow for breast implant surgery.

Galina Rakushina, 30, was in a coma for 13 months before she died in June. She had undergone breast enlargement in Moscow as a surprise for her husband.
Stephen Mottershead (pictured), 41, stabbed Liam Walsh in the liver following a noise dispute. Mottershead, who identifies as female, was sentenced to two years four months in Styal women's prison, Cheshire

A violent criminal who stabbed a man in the liver is to be sent to an all-women's prison after a court heard she intends to undergo gender reassignment treatment.

Stephen Mottershead, 41, who has a string of past criminal offenses, was arrested following the stabbing over a row about noise at an apartment block in Manchester.

Liam Walsh was left with serious injuries after the stabbing which damaged his kidney's as well as liver, and left him battling severe psychological demons.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Mottershead, from Stockport, appeared in the dock under the name 'Stephen aka Stephanie' and was jailed for two years and four months for unlawful wounding.

The defendant was referred to as a woman 'undergoing gender reassignment' during the hearing and will serve the sentence at Styal women's prison near Knutsford, Cheshire.

Mottershead had served previous stretches in all-male prisons for offences including robbery, wounding and possession of an offensive weapons.

Mr Walsh underwent three days of treatment in hospital, has since had 15 panic attacks and cannot return to the block of flats where the stabbing occurred.

The court heard the attack on August 11 last year occurred while Mottershead was caring for her father and on bail for another assault offence.

Prosecuting Duncan Wilcock said: 'Mr Walsh had gone to a block of flats where his father lived on the fourth floor. They tried knocking on the door of a person on the second floor without success but the defendant heard the knocking and came upstairs and began making gestures at the complainant and his father.

'Liam Walsh went downstairs to leave on his motorbike but as he was leaving, he was told by another resident that he was being filmed and he turned around to see the defendant filming him.

'He then returned to speak to the defendant because he didn't want any further trouble for his father. He knocked on the door and the defendant armed herself with a kitchen knife.

'When she answered the door, she stabbed Liam Walsh once in the chest. Mr Walsh went upstairs and a friend rang the emergency services. The defendant also rang the police and when they arrived, she was arrested.

'Mr Walsh was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary for treatment. The knife had pierced his skin, gone through his liver and to his kidney. Following treatment, he left the hospital three days later. He had three weeks off work with his injury although he says he was still not fit to go back then.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Mottershead, from Stockport, appeared in the dock under the name 'Stephen aka Stephanie' and was jailed for two years and four months for unlawful wounding, to be served Styal women's prison near Knutsford, Cheshire

'Since that date he has had 15 panic attacks and he couldn't return to the block of flats while the defendant was still living there. He says the mental harm won't let him move on.'

In mitigation for Mottershead who denied he charge, defence lawyer, Christopher Diamond said: 'Whether or not the perceived threat was real, the defendant herself genuinely believed that she and her father were in danger that day and she acted in what she believed to be self-defence.

'But her actions were disproportionate so I would invite your honour to see this as excessive self-defence. Although a weapon was used it was only a single blow. She was very distressed when the police came and it was her who called them in the first place.

'Even though the injury was serious and, I am sure, extremely painful, fortunately it did not require any surgical intervention and he was discharged from hospital after three days on just antibiotics and bed rest.'

But sentencing, Judge John Potter said: He said: 'You were in your father's flat and you became aware of a disturbance outside the flat. You went to the other flat and there was a confrontation between you and the other men.

'You took exception to words Liam Walsh used towards you and when Liam Walsh left the flat you filmed him.

Mottershead had served previous stretches in all-male prisons for offences including robbery, wounding and possession of an offensive weapons. Mr Walsh underwent three days of treatment in hospital, has since had 15 panic attacks and cannot return to the block of flats where the stabbing occurred

'He became aware aware of this and came to your flat to confront you about it. You knew he was coming and you decided to arm yourself with a kitchen knife.

'When he came to the flat, there was a violent incident where you stabbed Liam Walsh while trying to remove him from the premises.

'This went well beyond any kind of self-defence. He then went to another flat where he knew that his father would be to get help.

'The injury that he suffered was serious and could have resulted in him losing his life. It went through his liver and through to his kidney and almost hit a main artery. It's quite clear that he still suffers from the injury inflicted by you.'

The judge added: 'This is regrettably not the first time you have been convicted of a violent offence. In 1994, you were convicted of robbery, in 1995 you were convicted of wounding somebody, in 2007 you convicted of possession of a weapon, and in 2012 you were convicted of the offence of battery.

'There are other offences which do not make matters worse, but making matters significantly worse is your conviction in September 2017 of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

'You received for that a suspended sentence order of 45 months suspended for two years.

'I want to make it clear that conviction post dates the offence but you were on bail when you committed this offence. I appreciate that you are your father's carer and I appreciate it was a single blow that you inflicted on Liam Walsh.

'You are also undergoing gender re-assignment and I understand this will create difficulty for you while in custody. You have been in prison in the past but not whilst undergoing this procedure. But, I am of the view that this crime is serious and I can only give you immediate custody.'
A Florida tourist has died after being punched in the face by an SUV driver in New York who he likely mistook for an Uber worker.

Sandor Szabo, 35, was knocked unconscious around 1.15am on Sunday in Queens while trying to make his way home from his stepsister's wedding.

He fell backwards and hit his head on the pavement before being rushed to hospital in critical condition. He passed away on Tuesday.

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Sandor Szabo, 35, died on Tuesday, two days after he was punched in the head by an SUV driver in New York, who he likely mistook for an Uber worker

Florida tourist Szabo was leaving his stepsister's wedding when he knocked on the window of a white SUV, prompting the driver (pictured) to get out and hit him in the face

Josh Gillon, CEO of What If Holdings where Szabo worked, told CBS12: '[He was] a great guy to have as a colleague.

'We are still in shock and incredibly sad.'

Police are now hunting for the driver of a white SUV who struck the fatal blow.

The assault happened as Szabo left the hotel where his brother was staying following the wedding celebrations.

It is thought that he had called for an Uber and began knocking on car windows to find out which ride was his.

When he knocked on the window of a white SUV the driver climbed out, hit him in the face, and then drove away leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk.

Sandor's brother, Dominic Szabo, 33, told the NY Daily News that Sandor's attempts to avoid the punch by backing away actually added to the force involved when he hit his head on the sidewalk.

Dominic noted that prior to the incident occurring, Sandor's phone battery had died.

Dominic speculated that his brother had likely been attempting to hail a ride back to his hotel and 'probably just tapped on the wrong guy's car' that night'.

Police are hunting for the driver of this SUV who they believe fatally punched a Florida tourist in the face after he mistook his car for an Uber

The Florida man is believed to have knocked on the SUV window and somehow got into a confrontation with the driver which led to the fatal punch

Authorities told the Daily News that Sandor might've been drunk at the time of the incident.

The NYPD has released footage of the car and the man, who is described as being a bald dark-skinned male. He was last seen wearing a light colored long sleeved shirt and jeans.

Dominic described Sandor as being 'the nicest guy you'd ever meet,' who was also ready to help out a stranger or anybody else. Prior to attending his stepsister's wedding, Dominic, who works in digital advertising, had been in town for a trade show in New York City.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS.
A vehicle recovery driver killed a missionary worker by ramming into her car as he looked at his mobile phone.

David Shields crashed into the back of Yvonne Blackmans vehicle on the A75 in Dumfries in February 2017.

The 66-year-old woman was badly injured and died weeks later in hospital.

Damning footage taken from Shieldss lorry captured him focusing on his phone for a full 18 seconds in the lead-up to the fatal smash.

He is facing a lengthy jail-term after appearing at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday.

David Shields, left, has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing after admitting causing the death of Yvonne Blackman, right, by dangerous driving when he crashed his lorry into her car while checking his mobile phone

Shields  who had a previous conviction for speeding  pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

The 34-year-old was remanded in custody pending sentencing next month.

Mrs Blackman, of Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, was on her way to meet friends to discuss possible missionary work when tragedy struck.

The mother of four got caught in heavy traffic on the A75 Gretna to Stranraer road at 8.30am on February 8, 2017. Shields was driving in the area while working for 911 Rescue Recovery.

He met the same line of traffic  before ploughing into the back of Mrs Blackmans Toyota Yaris.

Prosecutor Liam Ewing said: Witnesses noted that the lorry did not appear to brake until a short distance before the collision, at which time it skidded or snaked.

The court heard Mrs Blackmans car hit a BMW in front before spinning to a halt. The pensioner was found unconscious in her car  as Shields sobbed at the roadside.

Mr Ewing said: He stated he had left Stoke and was driving to Kilmarnock. He did not say what caused the collision.

CCTV from inside his cab of Shields looking at his phone just before the crash was shown to the court, before he broke down in tears

Mrs Blackman was taken to hospital with serious spinal injuries and multiple rib fractures.

The court was told she passed away two weeks later on February 23. The cause of death was chest and spinal injuries due to the crash.

Shields, of Drognan, Ayrshire, was later questioned by police.

He initially said he had noticed at the last second that the traffic was not moving.

Shields added: There were no brake or hazard lights on the vehicle in front. I slammed the brakes on, slid and collided.

Crash investigators later stated Shields had a potential distance of 280 yards to stop and avoid the smash.

This was deemed sufficient to spot any car ahead.

But examination of the seven cameras in his cab showed his attention had been on a dash-mounted mobile telephone.

Mr Ewing said: An analysis established he had been focusing on the phone... therefore failing to maintain proper observations of the road ahead.

Pictured: Mrs Blackman's Toyota Yaris after the crash. She was taken to hospital but died from her injuries

[This was] for a period of 18 seconds prior to reacting to the presence of the car.

The footage was yesterday shown in court. Shields appeared to break down as it was played.

He is seen driving while checking the phone before his cab shudders as it hits Mrs Blackmans car.

It is not known what he was doing on his mobile at the time.

Part of the charge to which Shields pleaded guilty stated he did repeatedly interact with and focus your attention on a phone.

Shieldss defence lawyer, John Scullion, QC, said: He accepts full responsibility for the death and bitterly regrets driving as he did.

Lady Stacey banned him from the road as sentencing was deferred for reports.
A patrol car has been spotted driving down a busy expressway with a ladder hanging dangerously outside of the window.

The footage, taken north of Adelaide, showed the blue and white checkered patrol car driving down the expressway with an object dangerously protruding from it's rear left window.

The silver ladder was spotted sticking two metres out of the window, missing barriers in the road's centre by mere feet.

The patrol car's emergency lights were flashing as it drove by the person taking the video.

Video of the patrol car was taken on August 7.

The ladder was in the patrol car after there were reports of a ladder lying across two lanes of the North South Motorway at Regency Park.

South Australia Police has said they are investigating the incident.

In a statement a spokesperson said: 'Just after 9.30pm last night police responded to reports of a ladder lying across two lanes of the North South Motorway at Regency Park.

'The ladder was removed by police and the circumstances surrounding the way in which it was removed is being investigated.'
Advertisement

The rusted remains of torpedoes, moulding books, and 1980s propaganda posters are all that remains of a secret Soviet military research lab on the Black Sea.

Laboratory No 5 RI-400, known as 'Kasatka', developed experimental torpedo and underwater mine technology that were tested by some of Russia's most powerful submarines nearby.

Research was initially led by Nazi scientists captured in World War II and forced to work for the Soviets for a decade after the war ended.

The rusted remains of torpedoes are all that remains of a secret Soviet military research lab on the Black Sea

One torpedo is raised onto a platform as though it is still under experimentation, with wires suspended loosely from the rotting ceiling

Laboratory No 5 RI-400, known as 'Kasatka', developed experimental torpedo and underwater mine technology

Hidden on the eastern shores of the Black Sea in Abkhazia, now a contested part of Georgia, now lies derelict after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Georgian civil wars that followed.

The region was at the time also a hotbed of secret nuclear physics research at several other facilities, also initially spearheaded by former German scientists.

Rows after rows of rusting torpedoes lie on racks on the the floor and ransacked research spaces have their cabinets laid bare with boxes thrown open and the crumbling ceiling caving in.

The decaying exterior is marked by broken glass windows, peeling paint, and crumbling concrete with debris and grounded ships strewn across the yard that is being taken over by plants.

Now debris and grounded ships are strewn across the yard that is being taken over by plants

Ransacked research spaces have their cabinets laid bare with boxes thrown open and the crumbling ceiling caving in

Research was initially led by Nazi scientists captured in World War II and forced to work for the Soviets for a decade after the war ended

Numerous bookcases still have moulding books lying where researchers left them more than 25 years ago

This concrete building was one of several scientists used to design new torpedo and mine technology for Russian submarines

The facility was hidden on the eastern shores of the Black Sea in Abkhazia, now a contested part of Georgia

One torpedo is raised onto a platform as though it is still under experimentation, with wires suspended loosely from the rotting ceiling.

The spooky photographs were captured by Russian blogger and photographer Vladimir who travelled to the former USSR territory to peek inside.

'The atmosphere inside was post-apocalyptic, but everything was whole still. Everything was covered with grass,' he said.

'One of the topics that was studied here was the question of homing the torpedoes. For the development of this topic in the Soviet times, submarines for scientific experiments went to the water area of Abkhazia.'

Rows after rows of rusting torpedoes lie on racks on the the floor, abandoned after the facility was shut down in 1991

The secret lab researched auto-homing torpedoes and ways to increase their power so they could be used against NATO warships in he event of the Cold War boiling over

Kasatka was one of numerous such facilities dotted around the USSR and its warmer water meant research and testing could be done year-round, unlike those farther north

Machinery left to rust by departing scientists sits on a workshop floor that has been ravaged by looters

The concrete sheds are left to the elements as the crumble, covering the walls in mould and rusting equipment beyong recognition

Set on a warm beach front, the secret lab researched auto-homing torpedoes and ways to increase their power so they could be used against NATO warships in he event of the Cold War boiling over.

Kasatka was one of numerous such facilities dotted around the USSR and its warmer water meant research and testing could be done year-round, unlike those farther north.

It also conducted civilian research into non-corrosive coatings and fishing and trawling technology.

Russian safety posters give a cartoon representation of the potential hazards of working in the secret laboratory

A 1986 calendar hangs on a wall, untouched for 32 years but still intact despite the passage of times

Plants have started to invade the inside of buildings as smashed windows let rain and dirt inside, giving them a chance to grow

Abkhazia is now a subtropical resort that functions as an independent state since soon after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when the territory fought a war in 1992-93 against Georgia.

Georgia planned to keep the facility open for civilian maritime research but with no money after the war and little or no effective control over the area, it was abandoned.

Abkhazia is now a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), and only a handful of states recognise its independence.

The decaying exterior is marked by broken glass windows, peeling paint, and crumbling concrete
Hundreds of people have fallen sick after eating at just one Chipotle restaurant in Ohio in the most severe suspected food poisoning outbreak to hit the company.

Health officials say at least 624 people suffered stomach problems after eating at the restaurant in Powell, Ohio, last month.

That number far exceeds the 100 people who suffered from salmonella and E.coli poisoning in 2015, forcing Chipotle to close restaurants around the country for food safety training.

At least 624 people suffered stomach problems after eating at this Chiptole restaurant in Powell, Ohio, last month

Another 200 people were sickened during a norovirus outbreak at a California restaurant in 2015, before 133 fell ill with the same disease at a Virginia outlet in 2017.

Delaware Health District officials, who are investigating the latest case, say they have no idea what caused the outbreak.

Tests have been carried out for salmonella, shigella, E.coli and norovirus and all of them came back negative.

Further test results are still pending, officials said on Monday.

At least two people - Filip Szyller and Clayton Jones - are suing the food chain for $25,000 each after requiring medical treatment after falling ill.

Lawyers for the pair say they are in contact with other victims and expect more suits to follow.

Attorney Ron Simon said: 'These lawsuits will force Chipotle to change its ways and make its food safer for everyone not just in Powell, Ohio, but across the United States.'

The Powell restaurant was closed for a thorough clean after reports of people falling ill first emerged, and no cases have been reported since it reopened on July 31.

The news sent shares of the burrito chain down as much as 9 per cent at the time of the closure as officials launched their investigation.

Reports came in from entire families, as well as at least one pregnant woman, who called the store 'unsafe' and said she would not eat there again until she gave birth to her child

Reports came in from entire families, as well as at least one pregnant woman, who called the store 'unsafe' and said she would not eat there again until she gave birth to her child.

Health officials who carried out an inspection of the store recorded violations related to food holding temperatures, according to Business Insider.

Lettuce had not been properly cooled and beans had not been properly warmed, health records showed.

On Friday, one pregnant consumer reported her symptoms after dining at the restaurant, saying she would not be returning to the store until after giving birth to her child.

'My husband and I ate lunch at Chipotle in Powell, Ohio on July 27 around 1.00pm. I had chicken tacos with white rice, chicken, corn, sour cream and lettuce. My husband had a burrito bowl with black beans, chicken, brown rice, hot salsa and cheese,' she wrote.

'[G]erms that may be on your food can grow to high levels if the food is not stored, handled and cooked properly,' the US National Health Library National Institutes of Health explains.

These germs can make people sick, in the same ways this woman reported that she and her husband felt after their meals.

'Neither of us felt bad on Friday night. We both woke up Saturday morning with nausea, fever, diarrhea and headaches. We had the symptoms from Saturday morning to end of day Sunday,' she wrote.

Another report said an entire family of six was affected, after eating at the restaurant on Sunday, saying that Chipotle 'owes them big time'

'I am currently [seven] months pregnant so I will not be returning to Chipotle while pregnant. This is completely unsafe especially if they have failed food safety in the past week and still having issues with customers getting sick.'

Another report said an entire family of six, including four children, ages 8, 5, 3 and 1, was affected, after eating at the restaurant on Sunday.

'[Four] children, [two] parents. Celebrating completion of the summer reading program with the coupons provided as prizes Sunday night,' the report read.

'Nausea Sunday night, cramps and nausea Monday, diarrhea Monday night and into Tuesday. 4 kids...ages 8, 5, 3, 1. Plus sick parents. Chipotle: You owe me big time.'

Last year, Chipotle had to close a restaurant in Virginia for two days after customers contracted norovirus, which results in symptoms like the ones described and attributed to the Ohio store, over the weekend.

Noroviruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

'The virus spreads very easily and quickly from infected people to others, and through contaminated foods and surfaces,' the CDC says.

The virus that caused a widespread outbreak at Chipotle restaurants in 14 states in 2015 was E. coli.

'Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals,' the Mayo Clinic reports.

'Most varieties of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea. But a few particularly nasty strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.'
A warning has been issued by the RNLI after the venomous weever fish has turned up on Britain's shores.

The fish is commonly seen at low tide and despite its tiny size can give a nasty sting due to the venomous spines on its dorsal fins and gills, which can pierce the skin, discharging the venom.

They like to bury themselves in the sand, so they are camouflaged and can be difficult to spot for Brits keen to take advantage of the beach during the summer heatwave.

There have been reports of people being stung on beaches in Cornwall, Kent and Plymouth- prompting the RNLI to offer advice on what to do if you are stung.

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RNLI lifeguards in Cornwall with a dead weever. A number of people in the UK have been stung by the tiny weever, which can only grow up to 20 centimeters in length

The Greater Weever (pictured) is one of two species of weever found in the UK, the other being the Lesser Weever

The Dover RNLI lifeboat station in Kent have offered a warning to beachgoers and a helpful list of advice on what to do if you are stung by the small fish

The sting does not cause any lasting harm but can cause 'excruciating pain.'

The latest warning has come from the Dover branch of the RNLI in Kent who posted a message on their Facebook page.

A spokesman added: 'As we know there have been jellyfish sightings at Dover and further afield recently.

'And there is a lot of weever fish and jellyfish reports coming in from Folkestone.

'But around the coast more generally the rate of incidents has been going up.

'Most of the information we've received has been from members of the public telling us their stories.'

The weever fish lives in shallow water and despite its diminutive size can give you a nasty sting. If you are stung by it, wash the wound with seawater

Brits have been flocking to the UK's beaches after a roasting hot summer, so should be aware of the risk on stepping on one of the small venomous fish.

In July the RNLI lifeguards posted on their Facebook page in South East Cornwall and said: 'Recognise this little monster?



'Last week our Lifeguards reported 26 Weever fish stings across our beaches!

'This one was dead when we found it but we wanted to show you how small these little guys are.

'If you do get stung, come and visit our Lifeguards who are well rehearsed in treating these stings with hot water and perhaps some of their own Weever stories!'

The British Sea Fishing website gives an outline of what the sting is like and how long you can expect the pain to last for.

It says: 'Once the spines of the weever fish have pierced skin the venom is discharged. At first the only pain will be from the wound to the flesh, but soon the venom kicks in causing pain which can be excruciating.

'For around two hours the part of the body which has been stung will become red, inflamed and swell up.

'There may also be extreme numbness and in extreme cases there can even be localised paralysis for a short period of time.

'Usually the pain begins to subside after a few hours, and should be gone within 12 to 24 hours.

'Further complications will emerge if the spines have broken off into the wound, as they may need to be removed before the pain will subside.'

Guy Addington, Community Safety Partner, at the RNLI, urged people to take care with all risks associated with the coastal environment.

He said: Our lifeguards deal with and treat hundreds of weaver fish stings every year. While these stings are painful, they are generally nothing to worry about and will not cause any significant damage.

There are far greater risks and hazards associated with that coastal environment than weaver fish stings that we are concerned with.

'We would encourage people to go to a lifeguarded beach when they visit the coast, understand the nature of tides, water movement and the effects of cold water.

If you are planning on going in the water, swim between the red and yellow flags, the area our lifeguards have designated as the safest. If you need any advice on how to stay safe at the beach, our lifeguards are always happy to help.
A ghostly sighting of a 'phantom monk' has been caught on a teenager's camera while she was exploring a Welsh abbey at night.

Urban explorer Rosie Boulton, 19, had seen 'ghostly orbs' before, but nothing like what she discovered at Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Rosie and several friends say they have always been fascinated by the paranormal and visit several haunted hot spots per week.

The hooded monk (pictured) has gone down in local folklore as a reappearing reminder of the paranormal activity at Tintern Abbey in Monmothshire, Wales

Paranormal enthusiast Rosie Boulton (pictured) said she didn't see the ghostly figure until she got home and looked at the pictures she took from the night exploring the spooky abbey

Whist photographing Tintern Abbey at night, Rosie and friends didn't find anything unusual, apart from feeling creeped out whilst at the location.

However, when the 19-year-old returned home and looked at the images, she spotted the ghostly figure her camera had captured.

The hooded figure can be seen in the photographs standing in front of the ruins.

Rosie said the photos freaked her out and she called her friends immediately to tell them about the ghostly figure (pictured). The 19-year-old added that she can't wait to return to the abbey

Local legend in Tintern has it that the spooky apparition is a monk who betrayed the doomed King Edward II to his enemies when he was hiding out in the Abbey in the 1300s.

Having always believed in ghosts and the paranormal, Rosie couldn't believe her luck and said can't wait to go back to the abbey.

Rosie, from Stanford Bridge, Worcs, said: 'I get an adrenaline rush, especially when it's dark because it sets that eerie vibe.

'I felt okay at the beginning but it was a huge place which made it feel a little more spooky.

The current ruins at the abbey (pictured) are a mixture of building works from 1131 to 1536, with little remaining of the first buildings. It still boasts vast windows and soaring archways

'You're not supposed to go there at night. We felt like someone was coming towards us so we all ran out as we were scared.

'I didn't know about the ghost of the monk until I got home and looked back at the pictures.

'I was on my own going through the photos and it just freaked me out. I called my friends and told her about the photos straight away.'

Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, stands by the River Wye and it was founded by the Cistercian monks in 1131 AD and was the only the second Cistercian foundation in Britain - the first in Wales.

Rosie pictured posing outside Tintern Abbey. It is believed the abbey's monks died during the Black Death in 1348 and continue to haunt its premises and nearby medieval burial grounds

The current ruins are a mixture of building works from 1131 to 1536, with little remaining of the first buildings. It still boasts vast windows and soaring archways.

There have been many ghostly sightings of monks and other spiritual entities in the abbey.

In his book, South Wales Ghost Stories, Richard Holland claims that the Abbey which is near Chepstow is haunted by several phantom monks.

He writes: 'The monk has been seen in the main entrance making his way towards a spot where the Abbey church once stood and also in an open area bordering the River Clydach, the site of the medieval burial ground.'

The Black Death in 1348 saw many of the real life monks perish, and some claim to see their spirits within the halls of the abbey, lined up and holding torches.

Rosie's experience has only piqued her interest in ghosts further, she added: 'I want to visit more eerie ruins, like abandoned churches.'
The exiled leader of Venezuela's opposition has called the alleged drone assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro a 'staged farce', telling the leader 'neither the country not the world believes you'.

The 'attack' allegedly involved two drones loaded with explosives which was to be used to harm President Maduro during a military event in the capital Caracas on Saturday.

Maduro accused opposition leader Julio Borges and lawmaker Juan Requesens of having collaborated on the attack along with Colombia, backed financially by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida.

Hitting back: Venezuelan opposition leader Julio Borges has called the alleged assassination attempt of Nicolas Maduro a 'staged farce' after the President blamed him

No evidence was given to support the allegations, which have worsened already fraught ties between Caracas and Bogota.

In addition, details of Saturday's incident remain unclear, with conflicting information coming from various sources about whether or not it truly was an attack on the president's life.

Borges hit back on Tuesday night, calling the attack a staged 'farce.'

'Neither the country nor the world believe you when it comes to this farce of an attack, we all know that it was staged to persecute and repress those of us who oppose your dictatorship,' he wrote on Twitter.

The president said several raids were underway as part of investigations.

Borges is one of the most prominent figures of the Venezuelan opposition and like Requesens is a member of the Primero Justicia (Justice First) party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

So-called attack: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife reacts during an event which was interrupted by an explosion, in this still frame taken from video on Saturday

Venezuelan National Guard soldiers run during an event which was interrupted by an explosion, which the President later claimed came from drones intended for him

Primero Justicia said Requesens and his sister Rafaela were 'arrested and hit' in a sweep by the SEBIN national intelligence service unit. Rafaela was later released.

Today, Venezuela's all-powerful constituent assembly was called into session to strip the Requesens and other lawmakers accused of involvement of their parliamentary immunity so they could face trial for the alleged and failed bid to kill the president.

'When justice comes, it hits hard,' Cabello said.

The incident took place on Saturday during a parade marking the 81st anniversary of the National Guard, in the capital Caracas.

Video footage from the event shows Maduro standing flanked by military chiefs and his wife when suddenly explosions are heard.

Soldiers can be seen seen scattering away from the stage, before the broadcast was cut.

On Monday, interior Minister Nestor Reverol said six people have been arrested over the alleged assassination attempt, claiming two drones had been used, each carrying a kilogram (2.2lbs) of C4 explosive.

Blame: Maduro, pictured on Saturday, accused opposition leader Julio Borges and lawmaker Juan Requesens of having collaborated on the attack along with Colombia, backed financially by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida.

Venezuelan opposition deputy Juan Requesens, wounded by government supporters during a protest last year, has been arrested

No drones could be seen in the broadcast of the event, which was cut moments after the soldiers were seen scattering away from where Maduro was standing flanked by military chiefs and his wife.

Maduro and his allies insist it was a drone assassination bid, despite no evidence being provided to prove this.

'All the statements (of detained suspects) point to Julio Borges, who lives in a mansion in Bogota protected by the outgoing government of Colombia, we know he has the cowardice to participate in this type of events,' Maduro said yesterday.

He also railed against Requesens, describing him as one of his 'craziest and most psychopathic' adversaries.

Earlier, Requesens delivered a fiery speech in which he promised to keep pushing to get Maduro out of power.

'We are going to get Nicolas Maduro to leave in order to get out of this tragedy,' the 29-year-old politician said at the opposition-held legislature.

'We will be able to receive all Venezuelans who are crazy enough to return to the country, and for those of us who are here, we have no choice but to continue stretching this rope until it breaks and we can get Nicolas Maduro out.'

Clean up: Members of different security forces stand guard and take evidence after an explosion targeted President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela

Reporters wait as they try to get access to an apartment complex where an allegedly armed drone crashed, causing a fire, in Caracas, Venezuela on Sunday

A couple walks away from the venue where the government said that a drone armed with explosives detonated near Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas

Shortly before the opposition crackdown, the legislature had demanded an impartial investigation into the drone explosions, and denounced the government's efforts to use the event to 'increase political persecution' of the opposition.

'We reaffirm that Venezuelans' political struggle must focus... on obtaining free and fair elections with full democratic conditions under international observation,' added the declaration read in the semi-circular chamber.

The Constituent Assembly loyal to Maduro moved to May the presidential election usually held in December, leading to Maduro's election until 2025.

But the opposition and much of the international community rejected the results as illegitimate.
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A rape victim has been left outraged over the red carpet return from exile of Afghanistan's vice president - who he claims abducted and beat him.

Abdul Rashid Dostum fled to Turkey in 2017 after he was accused of organising the rape and torture of Ahmad Ishchi, a former governor of northern Jowzjan province, in 2016.

Ishchi said he had been held hostage in a private compound for several days, where he said his political rival had attacked him and ordered bodyguards to sexually assault him with their guns.

With Dostum still abroad, ostensibly for medical check-ups and family reasons, seven of his bodyguards were later convicted of sexual assault and illegal imprisonment and sentenced to five years in jail.

But Ishchi was left outraged after the 63-year-old, who had denied the accusations, returned to Afghanistan last month from exile in Turkey to a heroes welcome at Kabul International Airport.

Abdul Rashid Dostum fled to Turkey in 2017 after he was accused of organising the rape and torture of Ahmad Ishchi (pictured), a former governor of northern Jowzjan province, in 2016

Ishchi said he had been held hostage in a private compound for several days, where he said his political rival Abdul Rashid Dostum (centre, wearing the red tie) had attacked him and ordered bodyguards to sexually assault him with their guns

He claimed that some of the bodyguards who were supposed to be in jail were seen with the politician on his return to the country.

Ischi said there was 'no shame, there is no conscience' among Afghanistan's leadership, who he said had promised him justice.

According to the New York Times, he said: 'Their weapons in hand, in uniform, they were standing behind him. It's been seven months since the court sentenced them, and no one has taken action. This is clearly political treatment of the case, and admission of weakness.'

Dostum left Afghanistan in May 2017. He had denied the allegations and said his departure was for medical check-ups and family reasons.

He returned in late July amid high drama in the capital when a suicide attack near the airport killed more than 20.

Despite being linked to a catalogue of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, Dostum was mobbed like a celebrity as he arrived in Afghanistan after more than a year in exile.

He was travelling in an armoured vehicle and narrowly escaped the attack. But at least 107 others were wounded in the explosion, which happened as scores of people were leaving the terminal.

Ishchi (pictured) was left outraged after the 63-year-old, who had denied the accusations, returned to Afghanistan last month from exile in Turkey to a heroes welcome at Kabul International Airport

Despite being linked to a catalogue of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, Dostum (pictured) was mobbed like a celebrity as he arrived in Afghanistan after more than a year in exile

President Ashraf Ghani in 2009 described Dostum as a 'known killer', yet he chose him as his running mate in the 2014 presidential election, underlining the sometimes uncomfortable ethnic realities of Afghan politics.

That Dostum has not been prosecuted over the incident is seen by many as further evidence of how Afghan warlords and strongmen operate with impunity.

Observers have been sceptical the government would sack or bring charges against Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.

In July Presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri s deflected questions about whether Dostum would face charges over Ishchi's claims, saying 'the judiciary is an independent body, the government does not interfere in their decisions'.

Dostum, who helped the United States oust the Taliban regime in 2001, allegedly allowed hundreds of Taliban prisoners to be suffocated in shipping containers.
A frail 94-year-old's family were left 'disgusted' when they viewed secret cameras they had left in her home - as they spotted her carer falling on top of her.

Footage revealed Phamie Sutherland was roughly manhandled in her house by a carer sent in to look after her.

Family members say they are 'absolutely disgusted' by what they discovered on the covert cameras at her home in Lumphinnans, Fife.

Mrs Sutherland had been released from hospital just three hours before the carer clambered onto her armchair and pushed her into an upright position.

She then collapsed on top of Mrs Sutherland, who was struggling to move towards her bed with her zimmer frame.

An investigation has been launched into the incident involving staff from Avenue Care Services, which happened on July 27.

The carer started off behind her elderly client who had been discharged from hospital three hours previously

The carer adopts an unusual position by putting a hand on the woman's back and gripping her upright with her other arm

The woman the stands behind Phamie Sutherland and holds her under her arms - instead of offering proper support and guidance from the side of her client

Daughter Agnes Sutherland, a former carer herself, said: 'I was absolutely disgusted with what I saw.

'I would never have dreamt of doing that to anybody.

'The carer phoned me to say that my mum had slipped and so I asked Marie to go round and I went to look at the camera to see what had happened.

'I had just left at the back of 8pm and the fall happened at 10.17pm. She had just home from the hospital where they were monitoring her because of blood loss concerns.

'We had to take her back the following day because she said her foot was sore so they did some x-rays but there's just some bruising there, thankfully.'

The woman leans over her client who at this point has her frame so far away it is difficult for her to pull her body weight towards it

'She was pulling my mum by the arms to try and get her up and then climbed behind her on the couch, trying to push her up.

'The zimmer frame was moving further and further away from my mum so even if she did manage to get on her feet, there was nothing to hold onto.

'Her legs are rock solid, she can't really lift her legs at all. She just shuffles forward.

'I actually thought her face hit the zimmer but it didn't, it hit the floor. The carer then fell on top of her.

'Then, just two days later, the carers failed to turn up for their bedtime visit.'

Granddaughter Marie Stark, 35, added: 'The reason we are speaking out about this is not to insult the carers because my gran loves 95% of them and some of them are absolutely amazing with her.

'They realise their job is a lifeline for some people but it's other 5% who just use it as a way to pay their bills. They don't seem to really care.

'The failings that Avenue Care have done to my gran are unbelievable. We've had meeting after meeting but nothing changes.'

The carer and her Mrs Sutherland fall sideways after Mrs Sutherland is to unsteady to keep up with her outstretched frame

The carer falls on top of the frail 94-year-old at her home in Fife in Scotland. The incident is being investigated

David Heaney, Divisional General Manager from Fife Health and Social Care Partnership said, 'In all cases, including this one, where the social work service receives information relating to allegations of harm or potential harm to vulnerable adults in any setting, we have a duty under adult support and protection law to take appropriate action to safeguard the individuals.

'Appropriate action is therefore under way in this case.'

A Care Inspectorate spokesperson said: 'We are aware of this matter and concerned about what has been alleged.

'We have referred this to partner organisations to investigate and will assist with these investigations.

'Once they are concluded we will also investigate the matters of complaint or carry out a full inspection of the service.

'Everyone in Scotland has the right to experience safe, high quality care which meets their needs and respects their rights. Anyone with a concern can contact us on 0345 600 9527, anonymously if they wish.'

Avenue Care Services were approached for comment but declined to comment.
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When Flying Officer Leslie Pulfrey's Lancaster bomber was shot down over the Netherlands following a raid on a German oil refinery his family may never have known what happened to him.

But thanks to the efforts of a Dutch farmer who found his body after the crash in June 1944 and a military historian who researched the mission, his relatives eventually learned of his fate.

And the farmer even struck up an unlikely but long lasting friendship with the nephew of Fly Off Pulfrey, who even visited him in Holland.

Fly Off Pulfrey, of Bomber Command, 103 Squadron, was found by farmer Gerrit van Eerden in Wisch in the east of the Netherlands.

Flying Officer Leslie Pulfrey of RAF 103 Squadron was killed after the Lancaster bomber he was flying in was shot down near Arnhem, the Netherlands, following a raid on a German oil refinery. The airman was found wrapped in his parachute, which failed to open properly, and had bullet wounds to his neck. His medals, right, are now going up for sale at auction and could fetch as much as 1,200

His body was discovered by Dutch farmer Gerrit van Eerden, far right, who helped arrange for it to be buried alongside his fellow crew members at a nearby cemetery in Wisch. More than 50 years later, the officer's nephew Joe Pinguey, centre, was put in touch with the farmer by a Dutch historian researching the mission and visited him in Holland, pictured, forging a lasting family friendship which led to a flyover of the site by the RAF to commemorate the mission

Fly Off Pulfrey, pictured third left in the back row, was part of 103 Squadron, a bombing unit originally set up in World War One and which was reformed during World War Two. The squadron flew more than 6,000 missions during World War Two and sustained heavy losses, before the unit eventually became a helicopter search and rescue outfit during the 1960s and 1970s based in Cyprus and Singapore

His parachute had failed to open properly and there were bullet wounds to his neck.

Only one crew member, Flight Engineer Roy Kay, survived the attack, with the rest of the crew including Fly Off Pulfrey buried at the nearby Wisch Varsseveld Cemetery.

More than 50 years later a Dutch military historian who was researching the crew's demise sent a letter to the Sheffield Star newspaper asking if there were any surviving relatives of Fly Off Pulfrey.

His nephew, Joe Pinguey, saw the letter and wrote back to the historian.

This correspondence continued for several years and in 2001 Mr Pinguey visited the Dutch village of Aalten where he was introduced to Gerrit van Eerden, the farmer who found Fly Off Pulfrey's body.

By then well into his 90s, he still lived on the same farm and showed Mr Pinguey the fateful spot where he found his uncle.

A Dutch historian wrote to the Sheffield Star in the 1990s after researching the mission that killed Fly Off Pulfrey, pictured far right, and got a response from Mr Pinguey, who was then put in touch with the farmer and taken to the exact spot where his uncle was found, in what he described as an 'emotional and poignant moment'

This aerial photograph shows the spot the airman was found by Mr van Eerden in relation to where the farm is, and also shows the spot where a memorial was set up for the crew of the Lancaster bomber

Mr van Eerden's son, also called Gerrit, pictured, remains friends with Mr Pinguey today following his father's death and the pair exchange letters and Christmas Cards. He is pictured standing next to the memorial to Fly Off Pulfrey

The officer and his crewmates were buried in Winterswijk cemetery, pictured, alongside other Dutch soldiers

LANCASTER BOMBER AIRMAN IS THE LATEST TO BE HONOURED AFTER MEMORIAL TO VETERANS WAS UNVEILED IN 'BOMBER COUNTY' Bomber Command veterans from around the world came together earlier this year to unveil the UK's tallest war memorial, which is the same height as the wingspan of a Lancaster bomber. Over 300 veterans travelled from near and far for the official opening of the 102ft monument at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln. The emotional opening ceremony remembered the 57,821 young men and women who died working for the Second World War Bomber Command and whose names are engraved on the memorial. Lancaster bomber veteran Sgt Geoffrey Towers pictured at the memorial at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln, which was opened earlier this year and pays tribute to fallen airmen Among the war heroes was Len Manning, 93, who was just 19-years-old when he served as a rear gunner on a Lancaster Bomber within 57 Squadron. His plane was shot down by a German night-fighter over northern France on his third ever mission, targeting a railway goods yard. He said: 'I was burnt and the parachute was burning. I finished up with the resistance for three months until I was liberated by the Americans, having had lots of skirmishes. 'If a plane was shot down they [the Germans] knew exactly how many were in the crew.' Lincolnshire earned the title of Bomber County as 27 stations, a third of all those in the UK, were based there. The memorial, which is the same length as a Lancaster bomber's wingspan, contains the names of RAF airmen who were killed during the conflict The International Bomber Command Centre also boasts an information centre where visitors can learn the story of Bomber Command. The command played the central role in the strategic bombing of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, targeting airbases, troops and industrial complexes connected to the war effort. Almost half of the 125,000 who served as aircrew lost their lives. The average age of those serving was 23. Bomber Command saw more men killed in one catastrophic raid on Nuremberg than in the entire Battle of Britain. Advertisement

The friendship has endured and in 2014, to mark the 70th anniversary of the tragedy, four F-16 Fighters from the Royal Netherlands Airforce flew over the meadow to commemorate Fly Off Pulfrey and his five lost crew mates.

Now, Fly Off Pulfrey's nephew, 67, a retired motor mechanic from Penistone, south Yorkshire, is putting his medals, logbook and uniform on the market with Sheffield Auction Gallery.

They are tipped to sell for 1,200.

He said: 'A Dutch military historian sent a letter to the Sheffield Star saying he wanted to contact anyone who knew Fly Off Pulfrey as he was researching the deaths of the crew of the shot down Lancaster.

'Thankfully I saw his letter and got in touch with him and through this correspondence we arranged for us to visit him and the farm where my uncle's body was found.

'The farmer who found him was still alive and he took as to that very spot. It was very poignant and emotional.

Fly Off Pulfrey is pictured with various fellow airmen in these photos which remain as memorabilia of his exploits with 103 Squadron during the war

His medals include the War Medal, Defence Medal, Air Crew Star and 1939-45 Star, pictured, and are being auctioned at Sheffield Auction Gallery

Pictured are the British military graves at Winterswijk Cemetery shortly after the Lancaster bomber was shot down in June 1944

The memorial to Fly Off Pulfrey, pictured, contains photographs of him and is regularly visited by the family

'He died not long after but I have remained friends with his son and we exchange letters and Christmas cards.

'A few years ago a flyover was organised to commemorate my uncle and the other fallen crew but sadly I couldn't be there.

'The medals have just been gathering dust and I feel now is the right time for someone else to enjoy them.'

Fly Off Pulfrey was born in 1914 and grew up in Sheffield, signing up to the local police force.

At the advent of the Second World War, he joined the Royal Air Force, enlisting with 103 Squadron at Elsham Woods in Lincolnshire and flying 23 operations.

In August 1943, he was transferred to fly Lancasters with 550 Squadron at North Killingholme, Lincs.

On the night of June 16, 1944, while returning from a raid on the oil refinery at Sterkrade in Germany, his Lancaster ME840 was shot down by a German night fighter over Aalten, east of Arnhem.

Auctioneer John Morgan, of Sheffield Auction Gallery, said: 'It is a very poignant story and there is great interest in Bomber Command medals, especially of those brave men who were killed in action.

'From the tragedy a great friendship has developed between the farmer and the family.'

His medal group consists of a War Medal, Defence Medal, Air Crew Star and 1939-45 Star.
A group of Jeremy Corbyn's most vocal supporters have today dismissed the Labour anti-Semitism crisis as 'bogus' - saying there is a 'distinct lack of any evidence'.

The group, which includes activists Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein, said Mr Corbyn has 'nothing to apologise for'.

The far-left activists dismissed warnings that Labour poses an 'existential threat' to Jews and urged the Labour leader to ignore the controversy.

But as his supporters risked fanning the flames of controversy in the letter to The Guardian, Mr Corbyn was pictured soaking up the sun at a seaside cafe on holiday.

The letter states: 'One of the most noticeable things about these repeated claims of Labour party antisemitism is a distinct lack of any evidence.'

It adds: 'Jeremy Corbyn has nothing to apologise for and he should concentrate on the real task, winning a majority at the next election, and not be diverted by these bogus claims of anti-Semitism.'

Jeremy Corbyn was pictured soaking up the sun at a seaside cafe on holiday as his supporters risked fanning the flames of the anti-Semitism controversy by making their intervention in The Guardian

Elleanne Green (pictured centre) is being investigated by party bosses after the controversial Palestine Live group was found to have hosted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories

Meanwhile, members of Mr Corbyn's local Labour branch in Islington joined a protest accusing the BBC of bias reporting against him on the anti-Semitism scandal.

It comes as Dame Margaret Hodge - a Jewish Labour MP who lost family in the Holocaust - warned that Mr Corbyn's allies are using the anti-Semitism row to bully moderates and try to purge them from the party.

What is the timeline of anti-Semitic scandals which have erupted under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership? Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been accused of failing to tackle the racism among his supporters The anti-Semitism scandal has dogged Labour since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader in 2015. Here is a timeline of the controversies: April 2016: Labour MP Naz Shah is suspended for anti-Semitic posts - including one in which she appeared to endorse calls for Israelis to be deported to the US. She apologised and was given a formal warning. Ken Livingstone goes on the radio to defend Ms Shah - but sparks fresh controversy by claiming that Hitler supported Zionism. He is suspended by Labour but refuses to apologise and has repeated the claim many times. He eventually quits Labour two years later, saying his suspension has become a distraction. June 2016: A two-month inquiry by civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti finds that Labour is not overrun by anti-Semitism. But the launch is overshadowed when Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth flees it in tears after being accused by Corbyn supporter Marc Wadsworth of colluding with the press. Critics accuse the report of being a whitewash and Ms Chakrabarti is widely criticised for accepting a peerage from Jeremy Corbyn shortly afterwards. October 2016: The Home Affairs Select Committee says Labour is guilty of incompetence over its handling of anti-Semitism and of creating a safe space for people with 'vile attitudes towards Jewish people'. March 2018: It is revealed that Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural and said the offensive art should be removed. He apologises saying he did not properly look at the picture before he made the post. Jewish leaders take the unprecedented step of holding a demonstration outside Parliament protesting Mr Corbyn's failure to tackle anti-Semitism. Several Labour MPs address the crowds. April 2018: Marc Wadsworth is expelled from Labour after being accused of anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, Labour Jewish MPs tell of the anti-Semitic abuse they have suffered in a powerful parliamentary debate - and round on their leader for failing to tackle it. July 2018: The Labour leadership sparks fresh anger by failing to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism Peter Willsman, a strong ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is secretly taped ranting that 'Jewish Trump fanatics' invented the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour. In an angry diatribe at a meeting of Labour's ruling executive committee, he said he was 'amazed' there was evidence party members hated Jews. He claimed 'some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump  they are Trump fanatics' before shouting: 'So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.' August 2018: Jeremy Corbyn issues a video insisting he is committed to tackling the racism - but it is panned by Jewish leaders. Corbynistas mount a social media campaign to get deputy Labour leader Tom Watson to quit after he criticises the party's handling of anti-Semitism. The Daily Mail exclusively publishes photos of Jeremy Corbyn holding a wreath at a ceremony where a terrorist linked to the Munich massacre was honoured. The Labour leader insists he was there to honour others killed - but faces fresh calls to quit over the scandal. Advertisement

And the sheer scale of the anti-Semitism crisis facing the Labour Party has today been laid bare.

a spokesman for labour against Anti-Semitism group told MailOnline: 'The letter in today's Guardian, suggesting a lack of evidence of antisemitism in the Labour Party, is a lie.

'Labour Against Antisemitism has reported 1,200 suspected Labour members to the party for antisemitism, with a backlog of a further 1,000 suspected members.

'These reports always run to multiple pages of evidence, including some of the vilest racist propaganda you could imagine  so bad that our volunteers are frequently reduced to tears.

'Indeed, so overwhelmed has Labour's compliance unit been that they have added extra resource to cope and it has been reported today that they are struggling to process all the cases.

The signatories to this letter have not seen any of these reports so could not be aware of what they contain.

'One of the signatories, Tony Greenstein, was expelled earlier this year from the Labour Party, while another signatory, Jackie Walker, is currently under suspension after she claimed that Jews were the financiers of the slave trade.

'As for the suggestion that the antisemitism crisis has been somehow timed to coincide with what is happening in Israel, that belongs in the realm of crank conspiracy theory.'

Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against anti-Semitism, said: 'Rather than facing up to the nightmare he has created for British Jews and his party, Mr Corbyn seems to have decided to keep a low profile, whilst his supporters are busy accusing British Jews of making dishonest allegations.

'The Labour Party used to proudly stand up to racists, now it defends them.'

Leaked details of disciplinary cases against Labour members found that some have tried to blame Israel for inventing the scandal.

While an ally of Mr Corbyn behind a Facebook group which hosted anti-Semitic slurs has reportedly said it is a 'badge of honour' to be investigated by the party.

Elleanne Green is being investigated by party bosses after the controversial Palestine Live group was found to have hosted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.

Mr Corbyn was a member of the group - where members posted links to Holocaust denial myths - until 2015, but insists he did not see any offensive comments.

A leaked cache of documents, published in The Guardian today, show that Ms Green made the 'deeply troubling' comment saying the probe could be seen as a 'badge of honour'.

The revelation comes as the Labour leader faces continued fury from his own MPs and the Jewish community for failing to get a grip on the crisis tearing Labour apart.

International Holocaust experts last night warned that Labour is undermining efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism in by refusing to adopt the globally agreed definition of the abuse.

In the leaked papers, Ms Green wrote to investigating officers to say she hoped she would eventually see the disciplinary action by the party as a 'much vaunted 'badge of honour' one day  I do hope so'.

The paperwork, sent to members of the Labour's ruling national executive committee, says party officers found that response 'particularly troubling'.

And they warned that Ms Green showed a 'lack of interest in responding to these allegations'.

Ms Green has been referred for potential expulsion to the national constitutional committee (NCC), the party's highest disciplinary body.

The secret papers also included details of two other Labour party members facing disciplinary action over the anti-Semitism crisis.

One Labour party member allegedly said the scandal has been invented by the Israeli lobby.

Another member suggested that Hitler's policy on Zionism 'might not be mutually exclusive with his later actions'.

Another shared posts suggesting terror group Islamic State had used weapons manufactured in Israel.

And another member alleged to have posted on Twitter that the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, had 'Zionist sympathies' .

In a statement, Ms Green told the newspaper: 'Everything I have ever said is consistent with the following avowal: I believe in equal human rights for all human beings and I wish no harm to anyone of any race or religion, all Palestinians and all Jews included, with no exceptions.

'I have never for one second wished any harm to any human soul.'

Labour has been dogged by claims of anti-Semitism ever since Mr Corbyn was elected leader in 2015.

The Labour leader has been accused by his own MPs of purposely turning a blind eye to the racism and letting it fester and go unchallenged.

Jewish MPs have told how they have been hit by a wave of anti-Semitic abuse and death and rape threats for daring to speak out over the scandal.

And he faced a fresh wave of anger after his office launched investigations into Labour MPs Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin - who both lost family in the Holocaust - after they furiously criticised Mr Corbyn's failure to tackle the problem.

Corbyn's Labour is hampering efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism, Holocaust experts warn International holocaust experts have accused the Labour party of undermining efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance last night said the party's high controversial decision to refuse to fully adopt is definition of anti-Semitism was hampering efforts. In their first intervention since the row erupted last month about Labour's refusal to take up the definition last month, they criticised Labour for excluding some of the specific examples of the racism. They stressed the importance of a global definition of anti-semitism to any effort to tackle it. And they said that by picking and choosing what bits o the definition to use, the party is hampering efforts to actually tackle the abuse. They add: 'Any modified version of the IHRA definition that does not include all of its 11 examples is no longer the IHRA definition. 'Adding or removing language undermines the months of international diplomacy and academic rigour that enabled this definition to exist. 'If one organisation or institution can amend the wording to suit its own needs, then logically anyone else could do the same. 'We would once again revert to a world where antisemitism goes unaddressed simply because different entities cannot agree on what it is.' Advertisement

Dame Margaret has had her investigation dropped - but today launched a furious attack on Mr Corbyn's allies accusing them of trying to purge the party of his critics.

Despite the onslaught of criticism, Mr Corbyn has insisted he is trying to get on top of the scandal and released a video at the weekend admitting the party has a problem.

But Jewish leaders have said his efforts fall far short of what is needed

A Labour source said: 'When cases are brought to our attention we are acting quickly and decisively, investigating all complaints and taking appropriate disciplinary action.'

In a fresh development to the anti-Semitism scandal, international holocaust experts have accused the Labour party of undermining efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance last night said the party's high controversial decision to refuse to fully adopt is definition of anti-Semitism was hampering efforts.

In their first intervention since the row erupted last month about Labour's refusal to take up the definition last month, they criticised Labour for excluding some of the specific examples of the racism.

They stressed the importance of a global definition of anti-semitism to any effort to tackle it.

And they said that by picking and choosing what bits o the definition to use, the party is hampering efforts to actually tackle the abuse.

They add: 'Any 'modified' version of the IHRA definition that does not include all of its 11 examples is no longer the IHRA definition.

'Adding or removing language undermines the months of international diplomacy and academic rigour that enabled this definition to exist.

'If one organisation or institution can amend the wording to suit its own needs, then logically anyone else could do the same.

'We would once again revert to a world where antisemitism goes unaddressed simply because different entities cannot agree on what it is.'

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured outside his home) has been dogged by accusations that he has failed to tackle anti-Semitism crisis which has taken root among Labour members
At least ten people have died after eating contaminated food at a funeral.

Up to 50 people were airlifted to hospital after the deadly meal in the village of San Jose de Ushua in the Peruvian Andes.

The food appears to have contained organophosphates, a family of chemicals used in pesticides, said Health Minister Silvia Pessah.

Up to 50 people were airlifted to hospital after a meal in the village of San Jose de Ushua in the Peruvian Andes. Pictured: One of the poisoned people is transported to a helicopter

Autopsies will confirm the cause of the deaths as eight people remain in critical condition.

Mr Pessah said there have been two incidents of organophosphate poisoning in the same region in recent months.

In 2013, 23 Indian schoolchildren died after eating food contaminated with the pesticide monocrotophos, a substanace that belongs to the organophosphate family.

Abel Salinas, a former health minister, said on RPP that the tragedy was a reminder that pesticide containers should never be reused in food preparation.

Autopsies will confirm the cause of the deaths as eight people remain in critical condition
A woman who seduced a schoolboy after giving him a sedative pill at a party has been jailed for more than two years.

Jamie Garrett, 22, gave the 14-year-old boy the party drug Xanax before engaging in a 'variety of sexual acts' with him.

Sheffield Crown Court heard the offences happened in August 2016 when Garrett was aged 22 and had been drinking, smoking weed, and taking Xanax herself.

Jamie Garrett, 22, gave the 14-year-old boy the party drug Xanax before engaging in a 'variety of sexual acts' with him. Sheffield Crown Court heard the offences happened in August 2016 when Garrett was aged 22 and had been drinking, smoking weed, and taking Xanax herself

Prosecutor Ian Goldsack said Garrett told police that on the night she had taken five or six Xanax herself, 'drunk a variety of alcoholic drinks and also smoked cannabis'.

Garrett later told police that she had been prescribed the Xanax for her anxiety by her doctor.

The mother of the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was 'acutely embarrassed' by what had happened.

Katherine Goddard, mitigating, told the court that Garrett suffered from learning difficulties and suffered psychological abuse as a child.

Garrett had cared for her grandfather who passed away, leaving her completely alone.

Garrett, now 24, admitted sexual activity with a child and supplying a controlled drug. She was also placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said: 'I take into account there was the use of drugs to disinhibit the boy.

'You engaged in a variety of sexual acts with the boy. You have had a dreadful life, and have a range of personal vulnerabilities. But you have, however, committed a serious crime.'
Intense footage of the moment a child is rescued from between live power cables has emerged.

In the video shared on social media firefighters from Sutherland Fire Station 46 and Miranda Fire Station 45 can be seen trying to help a boy from on top of the power pole.

The boy, all in black, is seen crouching on the left-hand side of the power pole, grasping onto the centre of the pole behind him.

Firefighters can be seen attempting to coax the boy from between the live wires and onto the ladder platform around 1.20pm.

The boy was 15 metres off the ground according to 9 News.

However the boy appeared to hesitate about reaching out to the platform.

The firefighter on the far left then ducked under the platform so he could get closer to the boy.

The boy then reached out his left leg and is pulled over to the ladder platform.

He then ducked under the platform to safety.

His rescue was met with cheers and claps.

Sutherland Fire Station shared the video on their Facebook page.

In the video shared on social media firefighters from Sutherland Fire Station 46 and Miranda Fire Station 45 can be seen trying to help a boy from on top of the power pole

Sutherland Fire Station wrote on Facebook: ''A huge sigh of relief to see this ended positively'

The caption read: 'A miraculous rescue of a child with intellectual disabilities who managed to become precariously perched on top of a live power pole.

'Sutherland 46 was assisted by Miranda 45 and ladder platform 21 and other emergency services to rescue him and bring him to safety after power was cut by Ausgrid.

'A huge sigh of relief to see this ended positively.

'Job well done.'
Taxi driver Adil Khan, 48, was among nine men jailed over appalling crimes against girls

Three men from the notorious Rochdale paedophile ring will be stripped of their UK citizenship after they lost an appeal.

Taxi drivers Abdul Aziz, 47, Adil Khan, 48, and Abdul Rauf, 48, were among nine men jailed over appalling crimes against girls in Greater Manchester in 2012.

The then home secretary Theresa May ruled in 2015 that all three men - who have dual British and Pakistani nationality - should have their names deleted from the roll of British citizens.

The decision was a prelude to government plans to deport them to Pakistan upon their release from jail.

The trio, who all have British children, challenged the decision - claiming it violated their human right to family life.

But their campaign to stay British failed today when senior judges at the Court of Appeal ruled that stripping them of citizenship is 'conducive to the public good'.

Abdul Aziz (left), 47, and Abdul Rauf (right), 48, are also taxi drivers who were both jailed

The then home secretary Theresa May (pictured in Edinburgh yesterday) ruled in 2015 that all three men should have their names deleted from the roll of British citizens

Aziz, who was one of the ringleaders of the grooming gang and referred to by some of the others as The Master, was sentenced to nine years in prison for his part in i.

Rauf received a six-year term and Khan eight years. All three men are now out of jail.

Lord Justice Sales said that what they and others did to vulnerable girls in Rochdale amounted to 'serious organised crime'.

Gerald Clifton, the judge who jailed them at Liverpool Crown Court in May 2012, said victims were 'raped callously, viciously and violently'.

The case was dramatised in the BBC's Three Girls, which was broadcast in May 2017

He added at the time: 'In some cases, they were driven round Rochdale and Oldham to be made to have sex with paying customers.

What happens next? The first stage of deporting the men involved removing their UK citizenship, which will now happen following today's Court of Appeal ruling. Next, the UK Government is planning to apply for deportation orders to be signed to send the men to Pakistan. But the trio will have the right to appeal on human rights grounds - and that process could take many months. Advertisement

'All the men treated the girls as though they were worthless and beyond all respect.

Now Lord Justice Sales, who was sitting with the Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, and Sir Stephen Richards, said: 'They were motivated by lust and greed.'

He also ruled that Mrs May's conclusion that it was not in the public interest for them to remain British was 'reasonably open to her'.

Lord Justice Sales added: 'The crimes were plainly very serious and there was a sufficient element of organisation in the way they were committed to justify characterising the offending as participation in serious organised crime.

A judge said that what the men and others did to vulnerable girls in Rochdale (file picture) amounted to 'serious organised crime'

But he also said that, if deportation orders are signed against them, the three men will have the right to appeal on human rights grounds and that process is likely to take 'many months'.

Rochdale child sex gang's efforts to appeal 2012: Abdul Aziz, Adil Khan and Abdul Rauf are jailed for nine, eight and six years respectively for their part in the Rochdale child sex gang 2015: Home Office says Aziz, Khan and Rauf will be stripped of UK citizenship February 2017: Appeal is rejected by the Immigration and Asylum Chamber Today: Court of Appeal upholds move to strip them of UK citizenship, and they now face deportation Advertisement

The case was dramatised in the BBC's Three Girls, which was broadcast in May 2017.

The Pakistani men were convicted in May 2012 of preying on girls in Rochdale, plying them with drink and drugs before they were passed around for sex.

They have been given legal aid to fight deportation  after already receiving more than a 1million to unsuccessfully defend criminal charges.

Aziz, Khan and Rauf  part of a ring who raped, abused and tormented young girls - all received hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal aid at their trial.

Figures released under Freedom of Information laws show Rauf was granted 282,370, Khan 282,289 and Aziz 195,277 for their unsuccessful court battle.

But the figures are set to rise as three of the men are spending tens of thousands of pounds paying lawyers working on their bid to beat deportation.

A Home Office spokesman said after the Court of Appeal's ruling: 'Thiswas an appalling case - which is why we took action to deprive these criminals of their UK citizenship. We welcome the court's finding and will now consider next steps.

'Citizenship is a privilege, not a right, and it is right that the Home Secretary can deprive an individual of their citizenship where it is believed it is conducive to the public good to do so.'
Eleven people have been arrested in Palermo, Sicily, after police busted two gangs who used body-building weights to smash the bones of victims in order to commit insurance fraud.

Gang members would promise a cut of the profits to homeless or vulnerable people, who would have their limbs broken before being put in damaged cars by the roadside and claim they'd been in an accident.

However, once the gang successfully got their insurance payout, the victims, who often ended up in wheelchairs or needing to use crutches would be paid a pittance - if at all.

The gang would break a victim's bones and place them in a wrecked car by the road in Palermo, pictured, and get fake witnesses to speak to emergency services to commit insurance fraud

Among the eleven arrested is a hospital nurse who would procure painkillers for the victims in order to lessen their screams as their bones were broken, police said.

'The two criminal associations broken up as a result of police investigations demonstrated a particular cruelty in the way they hurled cast iron discs like those used in gyms at the victims' limbs,' police said in a statement.

A police spokesman in Palermo told AFP that the gangs ha operated separately in the city, using the same cruel modus operandi, praying on vulnerable individuals such as those in economic difficulty or suffering from addiction.

The gangs would place the victims alongside damaged vehicles on the side of roads on the outskirts of Palermo and use fake witnesses to speak to emergency services.

The victims, who police said would choose which bones they wanted broken, were attracted to the scams with promises of a 30-percent cut of the payouts, which police say were as high as 150,000 euros (135,170) depending on the extent of the injuries.

However the gangs would often only pay 50-100 euros (45 - 90), if anything, to the victims, who were often reduced to using crutches or wheelchairs as a result of their injuries.

Police said that one of the two gangs inadvertently killed a Tunisian man in January last year when it broke his bones in order to stage an accident.

Despite his death, the gang continued with the scam, putting the corpse on the side of a road and claiming the insurance.
A New Zealand MP has claimed women need to 'reclaim' a vulgar term after using it three times during a public rally where children were present.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the word 'c**t' three times at an anti-racism demonstration attended by families in Auckland on Friday night.

Ms Davidson said she stood by using the word, which she said needed to be reclaimed - turned into a positive - by women.

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Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the word 'c**t' three times at an anti-racism demonstration attended by families in Auckland on Friday night

'I stand by using that word,' she told Newshub.

'That word is a powerful word for women and shouldn't be used as abuse. I think it's a word that we have to disarm and reclaim.'

Ms Davidson said people had used the word towards her while threatening to kill her in relation to her support for banning Canadian speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux from council venues.

'Part of my responsibility as a leader was using my platform to resist misogyny and men using these words against us.'

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern disagreed with Ms Davidson saying she 'certainly wouldn't use that language'.

Opposition Spokesperson for Women Paula Bennett said Ms Davidson's language was 'disgusting'.

'You may want to ''reclaim the word'' but you should not use your privileged position to decide for parents that their children should hear you repeatedly say it. There is no excuse for bad manners,' she tweeted on Wednesday.

Ms Davidson refused to back down despite the criticism.

Ms Davidson said she stood by using the word, which she said needed to be reclaimed - turned into a positive - by women

'Is reclaiming the C-word now part of the Greens' kaupapa (policy)? No, it's just something I said at a protest rally,' she said.

Research published by the Broadcasting Standards Authority found 'c**t' was the word New Zealanders found most offensive, followed by 'n****r'.

Five years ago 72 per cent of people believed 'c**t' was an unacceptable word to use in any scenario - but that has now dropped to 63 per cent of those surveyed.
Saudi Arabia has executed and crucified a man who stabbed a woman to death.

The man from Myanmar was beheaded and his body put on display on a cross in Mecca on Wednesday.

Elias Jamaleddeen broke into a woman's home firing a gun and then stabbed her.

The man was beheaded and his body put on display on a cross in Mecca (pictured) on Wednesday

The man's conviction was upheld by the courts and his execution was endorsed by King Salman (pictured)

He was convicted of robbing her home and another, attempted rape, and stealing firearms and ammunition.

His conviction was upheld by the courts and his execution was endorsed by King Salman, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top executioners, but crucifixions - in which the condemned is usually beheaded and then the body put on display - are rare.

In the first four months of this year, the kingdom executed 48 people, half of them on non-violent drug charges, Human Rights Watch said.

Suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking face the death penalty.

Saudi Arabia said it was expelling the Canadian ambassador Dennis Horak (pictured)

It comes as Saudi Arabia is locked in a diplomatic row with Canada over human rights after Canada demanded the release of jailed activists.

Saudi officials last week expelled Canada's ambassador, giving him 24 hours to leave the country, and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa, while freezing all new trade over what it slammed as 'interference' in its internal affairs.

A pro-government Saudi Twitter account then provoked outrage when it posted - and then deleted - a 9/11-style digitally altered image showing a plane flying towards the Toronto skyline.

Since last night Saudi officials have reportedly given students one month to leave Canada, the foreign ministry has said it has a right to 'interfere in Canadian affairs' in retaliation and Saudi-owned media is calling out Canada's human rights record.

One post by a pro-government account on Twitter even claimed that 75 per cent of all prisoners in Canada died before their trial between 2015 and 2017.

The kingdom said on Wednesday it had stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and was working on the transfer of all Saudi patients from hospitals there.

Saudi Arabia froze new trade and investment with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador this week, pushing Canada to seek help from the United Arab Emirates and Britain to try to defuse the dispute.

Since rising to power in 2015, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has courted Western allies to support his reform plans, offering billions of dollars of arms sales and promising to fight radicalism in the kingdom.

A pro-government Saudi Twitter account provoked outrage when it posted - and then deleted - a 9/11-style digitally altered image showing a plane flying towards the Toronto skyline.

Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments were discussed during his trips to the United States and Europe.

The dispute with Canada has shed light on scores of political and rights activists arrested in Saudi Arabia over the last two years.

State news agency SPA said Riyadh had stopped sending patients to Canadian hospitals and 'is coordinating for the transfer of all Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals ... according to directives by the leadership.'

It was unclear how many Saudi patients would be affected by the decision and how many were covered by the kingdom's health care system. The government provides health care services through several government agencies for public employees.

The move follows a series of measures the kingdom has taken since the row erupted on Monday.
A mother has issued a stark warning after black henna tattoos that her sons got on holiday left them with severe chemical burns.

Toni Feeney, of Colne, Lancashire, took to Facebook on Friday cautioning other parents of the dangers of the trendy temporary tattoos.

The mother said she allowed her small children to be inked while on holiday 'not thinking for a second it would be dangerous'.

But the boys developed chemical burns, leaving them on antibiotics and antihistamines so they didn't develop an infection from their blistering burns.

Toni Feeney, of Colne, Lancashire, took to Facebook on Friday cautioning other parents of the dangers of black henna tattoos after her two sons were left with severe chemical burns (pictured)

The mother said she allowed her small children to be inked while on holiday 'not thinking for a second it would be dangerous'

What is Black Henna? Natural henna is orange/brown in colour and will not stain your skin black. It's created by crushing the leaves of a henna plant.

Black henna temporary tattoos (BHTTs) are not based on henna at all, but a substance called para-phenylenediamine (PPD) which is found in hair dyes.

PPD is allowed for use in hair dye, but its use for skin contact products such as temporary tattoos is illegal in the European Union.

When PPD is used on the skin in this way it can cause blistering, painful skin burns and may even lead to scarring.

It can also leave the person with a lifelong sensitivity to PPD, which increases the risk of a severe allergic reaction when using hair dye in the future.

Research among dermatologists in 2015 revealed that they were seeing an increase in reactions at their clinics across the UK. Advertisement

In a post that has since been reacted to more than 500 times, Ms Feeney wrote: 'Please share! This is what black henna can do to your skin!

'We let our children have them on holiday not thinking for a second it would be dangerous. The hospital have said that the chemicals/dyes in black henna are too strong.

'They now have chemical burns and are on antibiotics and antihistamines in the hope that they dont get infection or get poorly. If you are offered it say NO!'

The boys' tattoos were carried out using black henna, in which a substance called para-phenylenediamine is used.

The chemical is usually used in hair dyes, and not in brown or other coloured henna.

The para-phenylenediamine in black henna can cause blistering of the skin, painful burns and can lead to scarring.

It can also cause the sufferer to have a lifelong sensitivity to para-phenylenediamine, increasing the risk of severe allergic reaction when using hair dyes in the future.

Henna is an ideal way of getting a tattoo, without the long-term implications.

And real henna, not black henna, is perfectly harmless, but the two can be confused.

In June, Nathaniel Hainsworth, 13, and Kane Archibald, seven, broke out in blisters days after getting the popular temporary black tattoos from an elderly man in a shop in the resort of Cala Bona.

Nathaniel was left with an angry and inflamed red outline of a leopard on his back while the lizard on Kane's arm suffered the same fate.

In a post that since has been reacted to more than 500 times, Ms Feeney (pictured with her sons) wrote: 'Please share! This is what black henna can do to your skin! If you are offered it say NO!'

The boys were referred to a burns unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, had the tattoos bandaged up and were given anti-histamine syrup.

They were also told they must apply E45 up to six times a day for up to three months.

The NHS has issued guidance to help people tell the two inks apart. Its suggests that simply the colour of the ink is typically a good guide, with black henna, as the name suggests being black in colour, and regular henna being an orange colour, with a red or brown tint to it.

Very dark temporary tattoos should be treated as suspicious and with caution. They also advise anyone considering having a henna or other temporary tattoo to ask for a list of ingredients in the mix. If there is no list, do not allow the product to be used.

It is not guaranteed that black henna will cause a chemical burn.

Signs begin with discomfort in the area, then burning and tingling, eventually leading to painful stinging, swelling, redness and blistering of the skin.

With many cases the sufferer is left with a permanent scarring of the temporary tattoo area.

In June, Nathaniel Hainsworth, 13, and Kane Archibald, seven, broke out in blisters days after getting the popular temporary black tattoos from an elderly man in a shop in the resort of Cala Bona. Pictured: Nathaniel with a leopard design on his back after suffering an allergic reaction

The boys' tattoos seemed fine at first but after eight days they began to swell, itch and burn. Doctors at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle have now bandaged up the burns

Kane was left with a lizard design on his arm from the reaction. The chemical used in black henna is not used in brown or other coloured henna

Apart from the pain and possible scarring in reaction to a black henna tattoo, there is a real risk of becoming sensitised to PPD.

This means that if you come into contact with PPD again in the future, even years later, you can have a very serious allergic reaction.

This happened to British woman Julie McCabe, who died in 2012 after suffering a bad allergic reaction to a hair dye that she had used before.

The inquest into her death heard that five years earlier she had had a black henna tattoo abroad.

Since then, she had used her regular hair dye several times and experienced some reactions, such as itching and rashes. Tragically, the last time she used the hair dye, she had a very serious anaphylactic reaction and died.
Another round of Tube strikes have been announced to take place over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) based at the Ruislip Depot will walk out for 48 hours will walk out over a long-running dispute over pay.

Maintenance workers will carry out a 48-hour strike from the morning of August 22, followed by another two-day walk out from the evening of August 24.

London Underground claimed that previous strikes of such workers had no impact on passenger services.

Commuters are set for yet more misery as another round of Tube strikes were announced to take place over the Bank Holiday weekend

Closures are due to take place over the Bank Holiday weekend on the Bakerloo, District and Overground lines.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: 'RMT is angry and frustrated that our efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to this dispute continue to be kicked back at every turn by London Underground and as a result we have no choice but to escalate the action with these two forty eight hour strikes coinciding with a major programme of works on the network across the Bank Holiday weekend.

'Despite previous industrial action there has been no serious move by London Underground to resolve these disputes and the company need to wake up and take note of the anger on the shop floor.

'The union continues to remain available for meaningful talks in both disputes and the ball is in London Underground's court.'
A shocking video captured the moment an elderly Sikh man was viciously attacked by two men in the street in what authorities believe could be a hate crime.

Sahib Singh, 71, had been on his daily early morning walk in Manteca, California, on Monday when he was set upon by the suspects.

Video of the attack, which occurred shortly after 6am, was caught on a nearby home's security camera.

It shows Singh stop in his tracks as he sees the two men approach him as he walked down Turquoise Way near Graystone Park.

A shocking video captured the moment an elderly Sikh man was viciously attacked by two men

Sahib Singh, 71, was left with serious injuries after being attacked in the street on Monday

After a short interaction, he is seeing trying to walk around the two men, who follow him into the street.

Suddenly, one of the men kicks Singh, who falls to the ground with such force that his turban falls off his head.

As Singh attempts to get up and defend himself, the same man  clad in a black hooded top  kicks him to the ground again.

They are seen appearing to search Singh, presumably for a wallet or other belongings to take.

Without appearing to find anything, the suspects walk off, but seconds later, the man in the black hoodie returns to kick Singh a further three times and spits on him before leaving.

According to the Manteca Bulletin, the man also pulled out what appears to be gun and brandished it about.

Singh stop in his tracks as he sees the two men approach him and tries to walk around them

One of the assailants, dressed in the black hoodie, kicks Singh so hard that he falls backwards to the ground

They fled in a dark-colored sedan headed towards Louise Avenue.

Authorities are investigating the incident as an attempted robbery, according to the newspaper.

However, they 'are not ruling out the possibility of it being a hate crime.'

Singh, who has heart problems and other health issues, was found a short time after the attack by a man walking his dog

One of the suspects is described by police as black wearing a dark hoodie. The other is wearing a white hoodie and his race is undetermined.

Singh, who has heart problems and other health issues, was found a short time after the attack by a man walking his dog, according to the Manteca Bulletin.

He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and now has his neck in a brace.

Singh has had trouble communicating since having an epileptic seizure around seven years ago.

As a result, he is having trouble explaining to authorities what his assailants said, they are treating it as an attempted robbery rather than a hate crime.

'He was in such a shock,' Parminder Singh Sagi, a relative, told Fox40.

'He was not able to tell us exactly what happened so he would tell us one thing and then he will mumble and say something else.'

She added: 'We were disheartened, we were shaken, it was way worse than what we were thinking may have happened to him.'

The incident comes just a week after another Sikh man was attacked by white supremacists around 25 miles away in Keyes.

One of the suspects is seen apparently searching Singh for a wallet as he lays on the ground

The suspects walk off, but one returns to kick Singh a further three times and spit at him

Surjit Malhi was putting up campaign signs for local Republicans at night when two men ambushed him, throwing sand in his eyes before beating him in the head, shoulders and neck on July 31.

Police said Monday they are looking for the two men who beat Malhi and spray-painted a neo-Nazi symbol on his truck in what they branded a hate crime.

Malhi, 50, said the men screamed at him to 'go back to your country' before spray-painting the same message and a white supremacist symbol on his truck.

The men were wearing black hoods and had blue eyes, he said.

'I'm American, 100 percent,' Malhi said. 'This is my country. If you are a real American and you love America, you should not do that. That is not the American way.'

The attack comes just a week after Surjit Malhi (pictured) was attacked in Keyes, California

The symbol the men spray-painted on his truck is the white supremacist version of the Celtic Cross, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told The Modesto Bee that the assault is being investigated as a hate crime, saying it was 'a random despicable criminal act.'

Malhi said he believes the turban he was wearing saved his life during the attack because it softened the blows to his head.

'It's very scary,' said Malhi, who said he has been experiencing headaches and dizzy spells since the attack.

Malhi, 50, said the men screamed at him to 'go back to your country' before spray-painting the same message and a white supremacist symbol on his truck (pictured)

The Sikh Coalition reported an increase in violence and discrimination against Sikh Americans after the September 11, 2001, attacks, with more than 300 cases reported across the country in just one month.

In March, the collation said there has been another 'alarming recent spike' in hate crimes against Sikhs, with an estimated one a week since the beginning of 2018.

In January, two men were sentenced to three years in prison for the beating of a Sikh man in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In March, a Sikh man in Seattle said a man shot him in the arm in his driveway after telling him to go back to his country.

In 2012, a man shot and killed six Sikh worshippers and wounded four others at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee before killing himself.
The father of murdered toddler James Bulger is bringing a High Court case in a bid to remove Jon Venables' right to anonymity. Pictured: Venables after the murder

A legal action brought by the father and uncle of James Bulger against an order granting his killer lifelong anonymity will go ahead in December.

Ralph and Jimmy Bulger are challenging a High Court order which meant that Jon Venables would be allowed to live the rest of his life under a cloak of anonymity.

Venables has been living anonymously since his release from a life sentence for the kidnap, torture and murder of two-year-old James in February 1993.

The toddler was killed by Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, after they snatched him from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside.

They were both later granted lifelong anonymity and, following release, have lived under new identities.

Solicitor Robin Makin, for the Bulgers, said that the injunction was granted in 2002 on the basis that Venables was rehabilitated and would not re-offend.

But he had since been convicted twice and sent back to jail over indecent images of children, most recently in February.

He was jailed for three years and four months after admitting surfing the dark web for extreme child abuse images and possessing a 'sickening' paedophile manual.

He was charged after police found more than 1,000 indecent images on his computer.

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Two-year-old James Bulger (right) was murdered in 1993. His father (left, pictured in February) has previously said 'secret justice is no justice' in relation to his killer

Venables and Thompson snatched Bulger from outside a butcher's shop in Bootle, Merseyside, in 1993, while his mother popped into a store for just a few seconds

It was the second time he had been caught with such images and when he was arrested he told police he was plagued by 'stupid urges'.

James's mother, Denise Fergus, and father, Ralph Bulger, attended the Old Bailey when Venables was sentenced in February.

On Wednesday, in the latest of a series of rulings dealing with preliminary issues, judge Sir James Munby said the case would be heard by the new President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane.

The hearing, which is due to take place at Londons High Court on or after December 3, is estimated to last two days and will be held in public.

Venables, who has not yet been charged with any offence, and Thompson were both 10-years-old when they shocked Britain by abducting James, then just two-years-old.

Robert Thompson was also locked up over James' killing

The crime made the boys the youngest killers in modern English history and public enemy number one with millions of Brits.

The duo snatched Bulger from outside a butcher's shop in Bootle, Merseyside, in 1993, while his mother popped into a store for just a few seconds.

The toddler's mutilated body was found on a railway line in Walton, Liverpool, two days later.

Venables and Thompson were found guilty of killing Bulger in November 1993 and were sentenced to custody until they reached 18.

They were freed in 2001 after serving eight years behind bars, but by 2010 Venables was back in prison for violating the terms of his release by possessing child porn.

It was revealed that he had downloaded and distributed more than 100 images of child abuse, some involving victims as young as two being raped.

In one instance he messaged another paedophile claiming to be a married mother who abused her eight-year-old daughter, and offered to sell access to the child.

He was freed from prison for the second time in 2013 after a recommendation from the Parole Board.

At the time, Denise and Ralph Bulger said they were 'filled with terror' by the decision to grant parole to Venables.
A man and woman have been arrested after her four adopted children were found barricaded in boxes held together by plywood and screws.

Laura Cheatham and Daryl Head, both 38, were arrested on Tuesday after an anonymous caller contacted authorities to report the alleged abuse.

Police went to Cheatham's home in Farmington, Missouri, and were at first refused entry by Head.

When they forced their way inside, Cheatham, who adopted the three girls and one boy with her ex-husband Richard, was trying to remove the plywood that had been screwed on to the top of the boxes to free the children, according to charging documents.

It is not clear if she and Head are a couple. He is not thought to live there.

Laura Cheatham, 38, and Daryl Head, 38, were arrested on Tuesday after police found the woman's four adopted children in boxes at her home in Missouri

The three girls and one boy are aged between five and 12. They were adopted by Cheatham and her estranged husband and had been living at the home with her for a few weeks

The boxes had been 'specially constructed' by the pair and had no windows, light or plumbing.

The children resorted to going to the bathroom in vents in the floor, according to authorities.

Neighbors have since told police that they regularly saw the children doing manual labor, including sawing plywood they believe was later used to keep them captive in the boxes.

Police were horrified by the conditions the children were being subjected to.

Despite the conditions inside, the children were considered to be in good health. They are only thought to have lived there for a few weeks.

'Ive seen some pretty nasty things, but nothing this deplorable,' St Francois Sheriff Daniel Bullock told KMOV.

Cheatham and Head were both charged with four counts of second-degree kidnapping and endangering a child.

Their bond was set at $2million each. The children have been placed in government care.
A Facebook dispute boiled over into real life on Monday when a Democrat drove over to another man's home and shot him.

Brian Sebring, 44, of Tampa, Florida, was arrested for shooting Alex Stephens, 46, also of Tampa, in the thigh and buttocks after their online disagreement.

Police say the row began when the two men disagreed over politics on Facebook, and Stephens reportedly began sending Sebring 'explicit messages and threats'.

Brian Sebring (left in his arrest mugshot) was arrested for shooting Alex Stephens (right in a previous, unrelated mugshot) also of Tampa, in the thigh and buttocks after their online disagreement

Sebring armed himself with an AR-15 and a Glock and drove over to Stephens' house in Wallace Ave (pictured) - just two miles from his own home

In response, Sebring armed himself with an AR-15 and a Glock and drove over to Stephens' house in Wallace Ave - just two miles away from his own home, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

When he arrived, with his Glock in a holster tucked in his waistband, he honked his horn and waited for Stephens to come out to confront him about the messages, police say.

When Stephens saw Sebring, he charged towards him, which was when the suspect opened fire.

'The victim ran away and the defendant fled the scene,' police said.

Police did not explain the nature of the political dispute on Facebook which ignited the row but Sebring's page was full of provocative memes and political posts

Stephens (left) and Sebring (right) both attended Tampa's Robinson High School, in different years but it is not clear how, or for how long, the pair known each other

Stephens was taken to Tampa General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the shooting.

Police did not explain the nature of the political dispute on Facebook which ignited the row, and it is not apparent on either of their pages.

It is unclear who Stephens, a felon, supports politically, but Sebring, a pizza delivery driver and married father-of-two, is a registered Democrat who follows Barack Obama on Twitter.

It's not clear how the men know each other although both attended Tampa's Robinson High School, in different years.

Sebring, of Leila Avenue, turned himself in and was arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed firearm.

He was booked into the Hillsborough County jail and his bail set at $9,500.
Locals were forced to stay in indoors as a gang of 100 African youths threw rocks at police cars in Melbourne.

Officers were called to Taylors Hill, in Melbourne, following reports that a 'large group of youths' began to gather in the area at 5.30pm.

Police reported that 'a number of objects, believed to be rocks, were thrown and a vehicle was damaged'.

Police were called to Taylors Hill, in Melbourne, following reports that a 'large group of youths' began to gather in the area at 5.30pm

However despite damage to the police vehicle rear window there were no injuries or threat to community safety, according to officers.

The youths, who were reported as being of African descent by the Herald Sun, left the area a short time later.

A Bronte Way resident told the publication that police told them to 'stay inside'.

The resident said: 'They told me to stay inside, lock the doors and yeah, its scary, Ive got a nine-year-old and an eleven-year-old and theyre scared.'

Another resident told The Age: 'This has happened multiple times... but it hasn't happened for a good four or five months.'

In a statement Victoria Police said: 'Police continue to make ongoing efforts to address community concerns about safety in the western suburbs as part of Operation Regnant.

However despite damage to a police vehicle rear window there were no injuries or threat to community safety

'A number of specialist units were utilised including the Operations Response Unit and the Public Order Response Team to ensure public safety.'

Police air wing and the dog squad were also present.

It has also been reported by the Herald Sun that responding officers were wearing riot gear.

Police continued to monitor the area and will investigate damage to the vehicle.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make and online report here.
The grief-stricken friends of a woman allegedly murdered by her estranged husband claim the legal system let the mother-of-three down.

Adrian Basham, 41, was charged with murder last Thursday after Samantha Fraser, 38, was found dead at her home on Phillip Island, south of Melbourne, in late July.

Ms Fraser's friend Alice Bradley claims Basham had made threatening remarks to his wife, a respected psychologist.

'That he had contacts high up in the police force and that if she went to the police nothing would happen,' Ms Bradley told A Current Affair.

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Samantha Fraser (pictured) was allegedly killed by her ex-husband at her Phillip Island home in late July

Ms Fraser's friends Alice Bradley (left) and Patrice Mahoney (right) spoke to A Current Affair on Wednesday night

Ms Fraser's ex-husband Adrian Basham (pictured), who had previously been questioned by detectives, was charged with one count of murder last Thursday, August 2

She said the system had failed to protect Ms Fraser.

'I'm just so angry this has happened again. An articulate, intelligent, beautiful woman has been killed, and it's been allowed to happen again? This is just wrong,' she said.

Ms Bradley said Ms Fraser was in 'in fear most of the time' because Basham 'wanted to know where she was, what she was doing, who she was with all the time'.

She also claimed Basham had 'stalked' and 'followed' Ms Fraser.

Ms Fraser's and Basham's seven-year marriage ended in 2016.

'What made her decide to go was her fear of what the children were witnessing and hearing,' Ms Bradley claimed.

Ms Bradley said Ms Fraser (pictured) was 'in fear most of the time' because Basham 'wanted to know where she was, what she was doing, who she was with all the time'

Ms Fraser's (pictured) and Basham's seven-year marriage ended in 2016

Basham, 41, was meant to face court over nine assault charges after Ms Fraser reported him to police following their separation but the man was never kept in custody.

Detectives are investigating whether the impending court proceedings could have been a motive for the woman's death.

Ms Fraser's body was found after authorities were alerted when she didn't arrive to pick up her children from school on the afternoon of July 23.

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 police investigation four days after her body was found.

Basham first appeared in court last Thursday. He will next face court on January 10.
German schools have been told to take action on anti-Semitic hate crimes and bullying following several incidents involving Jewish students in the capital Berlin.

Earlier this year, a teenage boy at an international school in Berlin was subjected to months of bullying for being Jewish, while a Jewish girl at another school in the city received death threats after declaring her faith.

The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes in Berlin has increased by 19 per cent since last year, with one in five such crimes in Germany taking place in the capital, according to new statistics.

Increase: People wear Jewish skullcaps, or kippa, as they attend a demonstration against an anti-Semitic attacks in Berlin earlier this year, where such crimes have risen by 19 per cent

Figures published today found that at least 80 hate crimes against Jewish people had been registered in the capital in the first six months of 2018 - 20 per cent of all 401 anti-Semitic incidents registered across the country.

In the first six months of 2017, Berlin authorities reported only 67 anti-Semitic hate crimes, according to Deutsche Welle.

Last month, the German government announced plans to send 170 'anti-bullying experts' into schools across the country to tackle a rise in anti-Semitism among children.

It followed widespread outrage over the harassment case involving a 15-year-old Jewish boy at a German-American bilingual school in Berlin.

The teenager suffered anti-Semitic bullying for months, including having cigarette smoke blown in his face 'to remind him of his ancestors' - a reference to Nazi gas chambers.

Taking action: The German government is planning on sending 170 'anti-bullying experts' into schools across the country to tackle a rise in anti-Semitism among children

'We are dealing with a societal problem. Such incidents occur in all types of schools and all over Germany,' the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, said in a statement in response to the report.

'Religious bullying often comes from Muslim students, but not only them. Anti-Semitism is found in all segments of society.'

Jewish teachers are also reporting feeling increasingly wary of telling students of their faith, and are unsure how to tackle anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

Austria probes school students over Nazi role play during breaks Five Austrian school students are being investigated for playing Nazi guards as part of coursework designed to teach them about the risks of indoctrination, a prosecutor said Wednesday. The students allegedly put on the role play after a teacher at their school in Zurndorf in Burgenland state asked them to study the 1981 American film 'The Wave' and the book of the same name by Todd Strasser, alias Morton Rhue. Seeking to highlight Nazi indoctrination mechanisms, the teacher enlisted students in a fascist experiment, which they then appear to have voluntarily continued after the lesson. Some students pretended to be SS guards, while others took on the roles of 'dirty Jews', the Kurier newspaper said. The supposed leader, 15, demanded to be addressed with the Nazi salute; those who resisted were locked into a 'gas chamber'. Burgenland prosecutors initially launched an investigation against 10 students. But five are below 14 years old and so are considered minors under the law and are no longer being pursued, Fuchs said. The alleged leader has since said what the group did was a 'big stupidity. No one took it seriously,' according to the Kurier. Austria - which the Nazis 'annexed' into the Third Reich in 1938 - has some of the world's strictest laws against Holocaust denial and pro-Nazi activities. Advertisement

Such conspiracy theories are reportedly becoming increasingly prevalent, according to Germany's American Jewish Committee (AJC).

'Students will say: Well, I don't believe that - I'm going to ask my Imam,' Deidre Berger, director of the AJC in Berlin told The Washington Post.

'And that's when a secular democracy is very much put to the test, when students don't believe the authority of their teachers.'

A Berlin-based teacher who spoke to the Washington Post said she hides her faith, and that she had some pupils who praised Adolf Hitler to her face.

'I'm trying to ignore this as much as I can, but at the end of the day I have feelings, too,' she told the paper.

Germany, home to an estimated 200,000 Jews, reported a 2.5 percent increase in anti-Semitic crimes in 2017 despite an overall drop in politically motivated offences, according to government statistics released in May.

While almost 95 percent of such crimes had a right-wing motive, there was a notable increase in what Interior Minister Horst Seehofer called 'imported anti-Semitic crimes,' meaning attacks on Jews by migrants living in Germany.

Germany is not the only country confronting anti-Semitism but the legacy of the Holocaust, in which Nazis killed at least six million Jews, gives the issue particular resonance.

'Anti-Semitism is often also there where we don't expect it,' Felix Klein, the German government first ever commissioner for anti-Semitism said in response to the Berlin bullying cases.

'I call on the entire school community to draw the necessary consequences and to ensure that such bullying does not happen again.'
A Chinese drug lord known as the 'godfather of crystal meth' was sentenced to death yesterday.

Cai Dongjia, 55, is the former chief of Boshe village in Guangdong Province.

He used his political power to make crystal meth, also known as methamphetamine, and provide protection to local drug dealers, according to Xinhua News Agency.

During Dongjia's six-year tenure, Boshe grew to be China's infamous 'village of drugs' and produced a third of the country's crystal meth supply at one point.

A picture released by China's Nanfang Legal Newspaper shows Cai Dongjia during a trial in December, 2015, in Foshan. He has been sentenced to death by the Guangdong High Court

The picture shows some of the suspects caught during a drug bust in December 2013. Around 3,000 armed officers, speedboats and helicopters were deployed during the raid of Boshe

Boshe village is small. It occupies 133 acres and is less than a third of the size of London's Hyde Park.

However the village had as many as 77 drug factories, all backed by corrupt Dongjia, who was the Communist Party secretary and chief of Boshe.

All of Boshe's residents share the same ancestors and are surnamed Cai, making it more convenient for them to form a close-knit drug ring.

It is said that hundreds of Boshe residents - from children to pensioners - participated in producing, selling and transporting crystal meth from their homes.

These illegal factories were guarded by AK47-wielding residents, some as young as 18, who were extremely hostile towards outsiders, according to a report on China Central Television Station.

The notorious village was busted on December 29, 2013, after Guangdong police deployed 3,000 armed officers, speedboats and helicopters in a raid - the largest drug bust China has seen so far.

Police cars are seen during a raid where three tonnes of crystal meth were seized at Boshe village, Lufeng, Guangdong province, December 29, 2013. It is China's largest drug bust

Paramilitary policemen carry seized crystal meth at Boshe village, Lufeng, Guangdong province, December 29, 2013. Cai Dongjia and 181 other suspects were arrested in the raid

According to Guangdong police, Dongjia and 181 other suspects were caught during the raid, and officers confiscated nearly three tonnes of crystal meth, 260 kilograms of ketamine and 23 tonnes of raw material used to make drugs.

Police also shut down a factory which produced dynamite.

Dongjia was sentenced to death by Foshan Intermediate Court in first instance in 2016, together with two accomplices.

All of the three later appealed against the decision to a higher court.

Yesterday, the Guangdong High People's Court dismissed their appeals and kept the original ruling.

The high court said Cai Dongjia and his accomplices, Cai Guangchuang and Cai Zhaogui, had been making crystal meth in Boshe since 2011.

Dongjia and Guangchuang produced 180 kilograms of crystal meth with the help of other people; while Zhaogui ganged up with the others to produce 150 kilograms of crystal meth before selling them, the court said.

After Guangchuang and Zhaogui were arrested, Dongjia also tried to bribe the police in order to save the two, the court added.

Dongjia was found guilty of making and trading drugs as well as harbouring criminals. He was given a death sentence as a final judgement from the high court.

Guangchuang and Zhaogui were each given a suspended death sentence with two years probation for making and trading drugs.

The decisions are pending approval from China's Supreme People's Court.
A Green Party candidate for Congress in Ohio's nail-biter contest who won nearly enough votes to throw the race into an automatic recount  gave a speech-slurred interview this year in which he couldn't remember his own website address.

Joe Manchik also says he's descended from aliens and hails from the town of Hell, Michigan.

In Tuesday's closely watched special election, 1,127 Ohioans chose him over Republican Troy Balderson and Democrat Danny O'Connor.

Balderson's apparent margin of victory was just 1,754 votes. Presuming Manchik's base would otherwise have been O'Connor supporters, the result without him would have been a hair's-width away from triggering an automatic recount.

Joe Manchik, the Green Party nominee for Congress in Tuesday's Ohio special election, says his ancestors came from a distant planet and couldn't remember his own website address during an interview this year

Manchuk, a native of Hell, Michigan, claims to speak 19 languages including 'Spanglish' and 'Sheet Music'

Election officials said Tuesday night that there were still 5,048 outstanding absentee ballots to count, along with another 3,435 provisional ballots.

State law requires officials to wait 11 days before counting any of them, throwing the race into slow-motion chaos until at least August 18.

Manchik's personal Twitter account has 37 followers and is set to 'private,' meaning potential voters can't see his tweets unless he approves them in advance.

'I  G A R B A G E ! ! !' his bio reads. It also promotes a sparsely populated MySpace page.

His campaign-related Twitter account has 220 followers.

On Facebook he writes that he speaks 19 languages including Spanglish, Nicaraguan Sign Language, Trinidadian English and 'Sheet Music.'

The native of Hell, Michigan says he traces his lineage back to a more far-off place.

'My distant relatives originally came to planet Earth from a planet orbiting a star in the Pleiades star cluster located in the constellation of Taurus,' Manchik writes, boasting that he was 'voted "Class Musician" by my High School graduating class.'

He did not respond to a message left Wednesday at his personal phone number, which he posted on Facebook.

During a half-hour interview in March, a speech-slurring Manchik said Marijuana is the solution to America's opioid epidemic and everyone in the country should be required to grow hemp

Asked for his website address, Manchik was befuddled: 'Uh, no, off the top of my head I don't remember'

Manchik has run for Congress once before, winning more than 13,000 votes in 2016.

He gave an interview in March over Google Hangouts to Green Vigilante Media, whose video had been viewed 243 times as of Wednesday morning.

Clad in a rainbow peace sign t-shirt, Manchik spoke for a half-hour about election financing, gun control, the Iraq war, the virtues of single-payer healthcare and growing hemp, the evils of fossil fuels, and the 'war criminal' Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 'an American-based terrorist organization.'

His solution to America's growing opioid epidemic? More weed.

'The use of opiates has dropped dramatically in Colorado since many people are using marijuana as a substitute.'

With his voice slurring and a bottle of tequila visible in a cabinet behind him, he declared: 'Marijuana isn't addictive at all! ... People go wacky on opiates, and I've seen it happen personally.'

Manchik also praised the Green Party for advocating that every American should be required to grow hemp.

Manchik's unconventional Twitter account has 37 followers and is set to 'private,' meaning potential voters can't see his tweets unless he approves them in advance

But the most memorable Borat-style madness came at the end when the interviewer asked Manchik how viewers could donate money.

Asked for his website address, the perennial candidate was befuddled.

'Uh, no, off the top of my head I don't remember,' he laughed.

'Is it manchikforcongress.wordpress.com?' he was asked.

'Forward-slash something. Let me find it here,' he replied, fiddling with his PC and ultimately spelling it out, one letter at a time.

Manchik insisted that 'you can use a credit card, or a PayPal account' to donate, 'or a, another kind of card. What's it called? What do you call those cards?'

Debit cards, he was told.

'Yeah! That's the word I was looking for. Debit card. I don't have one of those so I can't remember what it was.'
Florida Atlantic University was forced to cancel graduation ceremony at the last minute yesterday after staff found a threatening note taped to a bathroom mirror.

An employee found the note in the women's bathroom of the Boca Raton campus, which police deemed a 'credible threat', just 45 minutes before students were due to take to the stage at 5pm on Tuesday.

'The Student Union is being evacuated due to what law enforcement considers a credible threat,' the university tweeted and messaged students to alert them to the threat.

Florida Atlantic University was forced to cancel graduation ceremony at the last minute yesterday after staff found a threatening note taped to a bathroom mirror

Students, dressed in their gowns and mortar boards, were understandably disappointed after their graduation ceremony was cancelled (pictured is student Rutina Johnston)

Police declined to go into more details about the note, saying it would hurt the investigation, but confirmed it was a 'threat specific to our graduation'.

'We took it seriously and canceled the ceremony', said Sean Brammer, chief of FAU police.

Students, dressed in their graduation gowns and mortar boards, were understandably disappointed.

'We were all kind of frustrated,' said Jackson Gaspard, who was expecting to graduate in art history. 'It was less fear, more so frustration. We were so close.'

'The Student Union is being evacuated due to what law enforcement considers a credible threat,' the university tweeted.

'Everyone is in shock, there's a lot going on,' Eleni Anastas told Local 10. 'Everybody was really looking forward to our graduation so its sucks it has to be cancelled.'

Many students had family flying in to watch the ceremony from all over the United States - or even further.

'Its tough because I have family that flew in, some from overseas,' Pablo Gastaldi complained.

Ruthie Gordian, of Lake Worth, had traveled to see her daughter Angela graduate. She said that panic spread throughout the line of parents and students waiting to enter the student union.

'I wasn't sure what was going on,' Gordian told the Sun Sentinel. 'I just wanted to get out of there and make sure [my daughter] was safe.'

Many students had family flying into to watch the ceremony from all over the United States - or even further. 'Its tough because I have family that flew in, some from overseas,' Pablo Gastaldi (pictured) complained

The ceremony was going to be the third and final commencement of the day with 462 students due to collect their degrees.

College President John Kelly told reporters he felt frustrated that his students had missed out on a 'crowning achievement'.

'I feel terrible for our students. I'm disappointed as well,' he said. 'We'll make amends in some way.'

Kelly said they were looking at options but they could either reschedule the event or mix it into a fall commencement.

No arrests have yet been made over the note and the investigation continues.
An Indiana family has been left devastated after their three-year-old son and his two-year-old sister were hit by a freight train after sneaking out of their home.

Caleb Wilson was killed on impact when he was struck by the train around 9.30am on Tuesday. His sister Ellie was hospitalized in critical condition.

The children's parents have been identified as Kelsey Benson and Jacob Wilson.

Family members said Caleb adored trains and that Ellie adored her big brother and would follow him anywhere he would go.

Caleb Wilson, three, was killed on impact when he was struck by a freight train in Portage, Indiana on Tuesday. His sister Ellie, two, was also hit and hospitalized in critical condition

The children were hit by a CSX railroad train (pictured) on the track, which was just four houses down their mobile home

'Caleb is a train person,' Denise Benson, the children's step-grandmother, told the Times of Northwest Indiana. 'And, of course, little Ellie follows Caleb everywhere.'

Relatives believe that the two children managed to sneak out of their mobile home in Portage by crawling through a hole in the screen door.

They somehow managed to get around a children's gate that was loosely covering the hole and then headed to the CSX railroad tracks just four houses down.

The only thing separating the mobile home park from the tracks is a steep embankment that is filled with weeds.

Family members said Caleb adored trains and that Ellie adored her big brother and followed him everywhere

Relatives believe that the two children managed to sneak out of their mobile home by crawling through a hole in the screen door (pictured)

The children's grandfather, Byron Benson said he was dumbfounded that the children managed to get out of the home (pictured) while three adults were present

'It's dumbfounding to me how they even got out,' the children's grandfather, Byron Benson, told WGNTV.

'With three grown adults, not on drugs, not drinking state of mind. Kelsey's a good mom, she has been from day one.'

Benson said that when his daughter returned from checking the laundry she realized her children had vanished.

'She came back and said, "Dad, the kids are gone"', he recalled. 'I got on my shoes. I went one way, my brother went the other way, she went another way.'

Benson said none of the adults, who live at the Woodland Village Mobile Home Park, checked the train tracks first because the children had never played there.

The conductor spotted the children on the tracks around 9.30am and blew the horn, hoping to get their attention as he attempted to slow the eastbound train.

The only thing separating the mobile home park from the tracks is a steep embankment (pictured) that is filled with weeds

The conductor spotted the children on the tracks (pictured) around 9.30 and blew the horn, hoping to get their attention as he attempted to slow the eastbound train

But he was unable to avoid hitting the toddlers.

'At three and two, kids don't understand how powerful a train can be,' Benson said. 'Even if you're walking by, you can get sucked under.'

Caleb died on impact while Ellie was found actively crying at the scene. She was airlifted to Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago with head trauma.

Destiny Lewis, the children's aunt, said Ellie was awake and talking by Tuesday night.

The Porter County Coroner's Office will conduct Caleb's autopsy on Wednesday.

But the conductor was unable to stop the train (pictured) in time and could not avoid hitting the toddlers

An investigation is currently being conducted by the Portage Police Department, Indiana State Police, Burns Harbor Police, Ogden Dunes Police and CSX Railroad Police.

Portage Police Chief Troy Williams released a statement praising the emergency responders who arrived at the horrific scene.

'This tragedy undeniably affected the first responders as several were visibly shaken by what occurred but worked through those emotions to provide every possible resource and effort throughout the entire incident,' he said.

Williams will send the findings of the investigation to the state attorney's office once it has been completed.
A brave mother tricked a thief who had stolen a bicycle from her 12-year-old son- and even managed to get him to deliver it straight back to her home.

Jemma Shaw, from Cleethorpes, in north-east Lincolnshire, spotted the BMX bike for sale on a Facebook swap and sell page within 24 hours of it being stolen.

She says that her 12-year-old son had been in the local recreation ground with his friend on Sunday when he was approached by two older males.

They sat and chatted to them for nearly an hour, before they decided that they would steal the young boy's prized BMX.

Jemma Shaw didn't feel worried about confronting the thief and she had her trusty pooch Tia (pictured) at home with her at the time

Jemma Shaw's 12-year-old son was in the local recreation ground when his bike was taken by two older males and then put on a Facebook group to be sold

After she was told about the incident she immediately appealed for information on social media.

Within 24 hours of the bicycle being stolen, one of the thieves was attempting to sell it on the Facebook group.

Desperately wanting to get the bicycle back for her son, Jemma took the matter into her own hands and asked the thief if she would be able to buy the bike off him for 100.

The thief was more than happy to do it, bringing it straight round to her house later that day.

The thief was more than happy to bring the bike over to Jemma Shaw, expecting a quick an easy 100 sale of the stolen BMX

While being filmed, he quickly becomes flustered when Jemma asks him where he got the BMX from

But what the thief was not expecting was for her to be filming the entire incident, as she calmly told the thief that he did not own the bike, but had in fact stolen it just a day before from her son.

In the video Jemma can be heard asking the thief how long he had owned the bike and where he had got it from.

He replied to her that he had 'owned it for ages' but begins to get flustered and stutter when quizzed about where he got it from.

Once Jemma informed him that she knew exactly how he had got the bike, stealing it from her son, the thief simply said 'OK' before fleeing her home as quickly as he could, probably feeling humiliated that he had been found out so easily.

She follows him out the house and says 'Do you know what you've stolen from a 12-year-old boy, this is going all over Facebook you absolute evil ******.'

Once Jemma Shaw informed him how she knew how he got the bike he says 'ok' and makes a hasty retreat

The thief makes a quick exit but helpfully had fixed the breaks on the bike before returning it to Jemma Shaw

Now Jemma is encouraging others 'not to be frightened' of thieves who are preying on young children by intimidating them and stealing their bicycles.

Jemma said: 'I really couldn't believe my eyes when this man turned up at my house wheeling my son's bicycle.

'I understand that what I did could have been dangerous, but I have a big dog in the house that keeps me safe, and I just wanted to show my son that you don't have to be scared of these people and that you can stand up to them without being violent.

'It is disgusting that these people would go up to a young child playing in the park with the sole intention of stealing their bicycle. It is beginning to get so horrible around here, it is full of plastic gangsters.

Jemma Shaw (pictured at home) has encouraged people 'not to be frightened' of thieves, after she managed to retrieve her 12-year-old son's stolen BMX

'I needed to show my son that you can be strong in these situations, but also peaceful, because violence is never the answer.

'I hope that this thief has now learned his lesson, and won't go around picking on other young children.

'But he at least did one good thing and fixed the brakes for us before trying to sell me it.'

A Humberside Police spokesman said: 'We always encourage anyone who has had any property stolen to call us in the first instance and report it. This can be done by 101, or anonymously on 0800 555 111 on Crimestoppers.

'Also insuring and registering your bike can be easily done online. We recommend you register it at the police-approved UK national property register www.immobilise.com. By doing this it helps reduce property crimes and improve the chances of getting them back in the event of loss or theft. '
The parents of a 13-year-old Arizona boy who was allegedly molested by his teacher, Brittany Zamora (pictured), are suing the school district for $2.5million

The parents of a 13-year-old Arizona boy who was allegedly molested by his female teacher are suing their son's school district, claiming that officials could have prevented the worst of the abuse had they gone to the police in a timely manner.

Lawyers representing the family on Monday filed a notice of claim against Liberty Elementary School District, laying out their complaint against Las Barisas Elementary School.

According to the court filing, the principal of the school failed to take the necessary steps to put an end to Brittany Zamora's alleged miscount after first hearing about it in early February.

Zamora, a 27-year-old married sixth-grade teacher, was not arrested until six weeks later, on March 22, after the victim's parents discovered explicit text messages and nude photos of his teacher on his phone and filed a police report.

The first-year teacher was charged with 10 counts of sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of molestation, two counts of furnishing sexually explicit material to a minor and one count public sexual indecency.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and her trial is scheduled to get under way in November.

The plaintiffs' court filing accuses officials at Liberty Elementary School District of failing to report the alleged abuse to the police in a timely fashion

Zamora, 27, was arrested in late March after the victim's parents discovered explicit texts from the teacher on the boy's phone

Court papers filed on behalf of the victims family allege that the school district could have put an end to the alleged molestation, given that most of the sexual encounters between Zamora and her student took place after the principal first heard about their alleged relationship from other students.

It was preventable, plaintiffs attorney Michael Medina told The Arizona Republic. We want to hold the school district accountable so this never happens again in the future.

According to police, Zamora had sex with the student on at least three occasions, from about February 1 to March 8 - including performing oral sex on him in a classroom and in her car.

She is also said to have sent the boy nude pictures of herself, and other sexually explicit text messages referencing sex acts.

After one of their trysts, the boy sent Zamora a text saying he wanted to have sex with her again. This was her response: 'I know baby! I want you every day with no time limit...If I could quit my job and (have sex with) you all day long, I would.'

Zamora, pictured in Facebook photos, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her and is set to go to trial in November

The boy told cops that Zamora initiated the relationship by 'flirting' with him in a classroom chat room called Class Craft.

The boy's parents discovered the text messages on his phone thanks to an app called Sentry Parental Control, which monitors messaging apps for 'suspicious content or behavior'.

It was previously reported that on February 8, three students at the school complained to administrators about Zamora favoring the 13-year-old.

Some of the students went so far as to say that she was 'dating' or 'in a relationship' with the teen.

'Everyone talks about them having an inappropriate relationship outside of class and at recess,' one of the students said, according to notes taken by Principal Tom Dickey in an interview.

'I've heard other kids in my class say that they think they are dating,' another note reads.

The school district interim superintendent, Richard Rundhaug, told the Republic that they investigated the allegations at the time, but found no evidence of a romantic relationship.

'We did investigate. We determined there were some elements of favoritism, and we gave the teacher some very specific direction on not allowing that favoritism to continue, and then we monitored to make sure those directions were followed,' Rundhaug said.

'Whenever we became aware of information, our response was pretty quick,' he added.

The boy's parents recently claimed Zamora's husband Daniel called them and begged them not to report his wife to police after they saw her sexual texts, saying she had made a mistake.

The teacher married Daniel Zamora, who she knew since she was 16, in 2015 (wedding photo)

A second student later came forward to police saying he had witnessed Zamora having sex with the 13-year-old and admitted to receiving naked photos from the woman as well.

The parents of the alleged victim told police that Zamora's husband 'harassed' the father over the phone, begging him not to go to the authorities and insisting that his wife had 'made a big mistake, but that she loved the kids,' according to the documents.

Daniel Zamora also allegedly suggested that he and the boy's dad 'meet up' and 'settle this,' but the parent turned down his offer and hung up on him.

Zamora and her husband, who she has known she was 16, married in 2015. They don't have any children.
Reginald Wooding Jr, 22, was trying to take his driver's test when he was arrested on Monday after police searched his mom's car

A Maryland man, who was trying to take his driver's test, was arrested on Monday after police allegedly found drugs, a loaded gun and $15,000 in his mother's car.

Reginald Wooding Jr, 22, was waiting in line to take his driver's exam at the MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration in Glen Burnie on Monday.

A drivers license examiner became suspicious when she smelled what she thought was marijuana coming from the vehicle that was about to be used for the test, according to a statement released by the Maryland State Police.

She reported her concern to a state trooper who was on-duty at the agency.

The trooper then confirmed the strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and investigated.

During a search of the vehicle, officers said they found nearly a pound of marijuana, a scale, more than $15,000 in suspected drug-related money and a 9mm Glock handgun with a loaded 30-round magazine.

Officers then arrested Wooding at the scene before he could take his exam.

Wooding was hit with multiple charges, including engaging in a drug-trafficking crime while transporting a firearm, possessing a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

MSP Maj Greg Shipley said Wooding was using using his mother's car for the test and that he voluntarily handed over the marijuana.

Shipley commended the driver's license examiner, saying 'an alert state employee who did the right thing'.

Wooding was released on a $7,500 unsecured bond. He is set to appear in court in September.

It's unclear if his mother will face any charges.

During the search of the vehicle, officers said they found nearly a pound of marijuana, a scale and more than $15,000 (pictured) in suspected drug-related money

Authorities said they also found a 9mm Glock handgun with a loaded 30-round magazine (both pictured)
Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York, who was Donald Trump's leading supporter on Capitol Hill during the 2016 election, has been charged with 13 counts of alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, false statements, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Collins faces insider trading charges along with his son, Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins' fiancee.

He has surrendered to the FBI. All three have been released on a $500,000 bond and had to surrender their passports. Additionally, Collins had to turn over his diplomatic passport he carries as a member of Congress.

The lawmaker is charged with passing insider information to his son so Cameron Collins 'could make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others,' according to the indictment.

Footage captured Rep. Chris Collins, circled in red, on the phone on the White House South Lawn during the time frame prosecutors charge he was talking to his son about the stock

Rep. Chris Collins was one of President Trump's biggest supporters on Capitol Hill, he's seen here at the Congressional Picnic at the White House with Trump and first lady Melania Trump

Rep. Collins is under federal indictment in New York for insider trading and leaves a court house in Manhattan on Wednesday

Collins, who was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump, touted his ties to the president.

And reporters overheard him near the House floor earlier this year talking on the phone about how he'd created millionaires in Buffalo, The Washington Post reported.

'He placed his family and friends above the public good,' said Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York, at a press conference on Wednesday.

The case is related to Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics, where Collins holds almost 17 percent in stock.

Innate's primary work was on a drug to help suffers of multiple sclerosis.

That drug, MIS416, had the potential for billions in profit because of a lack of treatment for the disease.

It failed its drug trial, however, and in June of 2017, Collins suffered a paper loss of $16.7 million when the company's stock tanked 92 percent largely due to that incident.

Video courtesy of WROC-TV

The CEO of Innate had emailed stock holders - including Collins - on June 22 to inform them of the failed drug trial, writing 'I have bad news to report.'

The email noted the drug tests showed 'no clinically meaningful or statistically significant differences' in the outcomes between MIS416 and a placebo.

Collins was attending the Congressional Picnic at the White House when he receive the message, according to the indictment, and responded: 'Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???'

He called his son within 15 minutes of receiving the email with six missed phone calls between the two before they connected.

According to the timeline in the indictment, Innate's CEO sent the email to the company's board of directors, which included Rep. Collins, at 6:55 pm. Collins responded from his location at the White House at 7:10 pm.

He then tried to contact his son six times between 7:11 pm and 7:16 pm when they finally connected.

The elder Collins was unable to trade his Innate stock for 'practical and technical reasons,' the indictment states, as he was under investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics for his ownership of the shares and because the shares he owned were held under the Australian stock exchange, which has already placed a hold on sales of Innate stock.

But Cameron Collins could sell the stock he owned in the company. The next morning Cameron called his brokerage firm at 7:42 am and traded over 16,000 shares in stock. Later that day he placed 17 additional orders to sell Innate stock.

Federal investigators showed there were multiple calls between the two Collins during this time period.

In total, Cameron Collins sold almost 1.4 million shares in Innate stock between June 23 and June 26, when Innate publicly announced its drug had failed in the testing stage.

Rep. Collins was at the Congressional Picnic at the White House when he got an email from the company CEO that sparked the investigation; Collins posted pictures from the even to his instagram page; he's seen here with Vice President Pence and Karen Pence

Cameron Collins also met with Zarsky during that time period. Zarsky sold his shares - avoiding $145,000 in losses - and contacted relatives who owned stock in the company.

According to the indictment, the trades the younger Collins engaged in proceeded the public release of the negative drug trial and 'were timed to avoid losses that they would have suffered once that news became public.'

The three men - the two Collins and Zarksy - avoided $768,000 in losses with those trades, the government alleges.

Rep. Collins also issued statements to the press during that time to cover up the stock sales, the indictment charges.

Separately the Securities and Exchange Commission levied insider trading charges against the three men.

The SEC also named Cameron Collins' fiancee - the daughter of Stephen Zarsky - and her mother, who were referred to in the Justice Department indictment but not named.

Charges were settled with Lauren Zarsky, Cameron Collins' girlfriend, and her mother, Dorothy Zarsky, for 'trading on the basis of material, nonpublic information,' the SEC said in a statement.

The two women 'consented to the entry of final judgments without admitting or denying the charges that they sold their shares of Innate based on tips they received from Cameron Collins,' the statement read.

Lauren Zarsky agreed to disgorge her ill-gotten gains of $19,440, plus prejudgment interest of $839, and pay a civil penalty of $19,440. A CPA, she also agreed to be suspended from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant, which includes not participating in the financial reporting or audits of public companies. She can apply for reinstatement in five years.

Dorothy Zarsky agreed to disgorge her ill-gotten gains of $22,600, plus prejudgment interest of $975, and pay a civil penalty of $22,600.

Lauren Zarsky

Dorothy Zarsky

According to the indictment, Lauren Zarsky, referred to as CC-1, had bought 40,464 shares of Innate earlier in June. On June 23, at 9:37 am, she ordered her brokerage firm to sell all of them. This allowed her to avoid loses of $19,440.

On the night of June 22, Cameron Collins and Lauren Zarsky drove to the home of Stpehen Zarsky and his wife, Dorothy, who is referred to as CC-2 in the federal indictment.

At 9:17 pm Lauren sent a text to her mother saying 'we're here.'

There, Cameron told the Zarskys the MIS416 drug test had failed and that he intended to sell his Innate share but 'he would allow Zarsky and CC-2 to sell their Innate shares first so as to avoid depressing Innate's stock price with his own sales beforehand.'

Dorothy Zarsky called her brokerage firm at 9:34 pm that night to sell her shares. One of the firm's representatives walked her through the process, allowing her to place an online order to sell 30,250 of her 50,000 shares of Innate on the Australian Stock Exchange before trading for that company was halted. She sold her U.S. shares the following morning, avoiding a loss of $22,600.

Stephen Zarsky placed a sale order on his shares at 7:52 am on the morning of June 23.

Attorneys for Rep. Collins said in a statement to CNN that they 'will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name.'

'It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate (Immunotherapeutics) stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated,' the statement noted.

House Speaker Paul Ryan called for a 'prompt and thorough' investigation by the ethics committee.

'Until this matter is settled, Rep. Collins will no longer be serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee,' the speaker said in a statement.

According to Rep. Collin's 2016 financial disclosure report, he held a stake in Innate valued between $25 million and $50 million at that time.

Four other Republican House members  Reps. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Billy Long of Missouri, Mike Conaway of Texas, and Doug Lamborn of Colorado  owned stock in the company.

Tom Price, the congressman turned Health and Human Service Secretary, also owned stock in Innate.

Mullin's office told the DailyMail.com that the congressman learned of Innate when it became 'a newsworthy topic.' He decided to invest in Innate 'only after doing his own personal research of the company.'

Berman, the U.S. attorney, would not say whether other members of Congress were under investigation, saying only that it was 'not an aspect of this indictment.'

The non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics investigated Collins' stock in the company and whether it was a conflict of interest with his work on Capitol Hill.

In July, the House Ethics Committee announced it was reviewing Collins' stock ownership.

'There is a substantial reason to believe that Representative Collins shared material nonpublic information in the purchase of Innate stock, in violation of House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law,' according to the Office of Congressional Ethics released last fall.

After Collins became a member of Congress in 2013, he began working on the 21st Century Cures Act.

That legislation, which became law last year, includes a provision Collins authored that speeds the drug approval process for companies like Innate.

But he argued there is no conflict of interest between his investment in the firm - which gives him about a 17 percent ownership stake in the company - and his work on the measure because Innate didn't have any business before the federal government.

His office also argued the company answers to Australian and New Zealand regulators and American authorities.

Collins has insisted his shares in Innate are about saving the lives of people with multiple sclerosis, not making money.

'What we've done and what we are doing is life changing and life-saving for potentially millions,' he told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle last year. 'I'm so proud of what this company is doing and without me, it wouldn't exist. When they write my epitaph, it's going to say Innate Immunotherapeutics, saving millions of lives. It's not going to be member of Congress.'
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Perched precariously on a mountain ridge near the top of North America's tallest peak, this is the wreckage of a sightseeing plane that crashed with the pilot and four Polish tourists on board.

Searchers on Monday found four people dead in the plane in Alaska's Denali National Park - a day and a half after thick clouds hampered the response to distress calls that they were alive but injured. The fifth is missing and presumed dead.

The pilot has been identified as Craig Layson, of Michigan, but park officials say the names of the four Polish passengers aren't being released at the request of the Polish Embassy in Los Angeles.

The crash occurred in rough terrain, on a hanging glacier which traverses a crevasse, near the top of Thunder Mountain, about 14 miles southwest of Denali, North America's tallest mountain, on Saturday.

The wreckage of a sightseeing plane that crashed Saturday on a mountain ridge near the top of Denali, North America's tallest peak, with the pilot and four Polish tourists on board

The pilot called for help and he and others did survive after the Saturday crash, but the line went dead and no one has been found alive

The pilot has been identified as Craig Layson (pictured), of Michigan, but park officials say the names of the four Polish passengers aren't being released

Poor weather prevented any rescue efforts until a ranger reached the area on Monday.

Now, park officials say they're working to determine if and when they can start trying to recover the bodies of the people killed.

After going down, Layson reported by satellite phone that passengers suffered injuries, but the connection failed before he could give details of their exact location.

The de Havilland Beaver aircraft was stocked with sleeping bags, a stove and food, giving hope that survivors would be found despite terrain described by the National Park Service as 'extremely steep and a mix of near-vertical rock, ice and snow.'

Low-lying clouds and rainy conditions prevented crews from spotting the wreckage until a break in the clouds on Monday allowed a helicopter to reach the crash site.

A park service ranger was lowered down on a line from the copter and dug through snow that had filled the aircraft to find the bodies of four people.

After going down, Layson (above) reported by satellite phone that passengers suffered injuries, but the connection failed before he could give details

The plane, operated by K2 Aviation, had taken off Saturday evening with Layson and the four passengers for a tour of Kahiltna Glacier. A file photo shows peaks in the Alaska range above the glacier

There were no footprints or other disturbances in the snow that would have indicated anyone made it out of the plane, the park service said. The ranger was pulled out after confirming the deaths.

The plane, operated by K2 Aviation, had taken off Saturday evening with Layson and the four passengers for a tour of Kahiltna Glacier, the jumping off point for climbers attempting to climb Denali.

It crashed near the top of 10,900ft (3,300m) high Thunder Mountain, which rises above the glacier and is described by the park service as more of a mile-long ridge than a mountain.

Immediately after crashing, Layson used a satellite phone to call the K2 office in the community of Talkeetna.

He made a second call about an hour later, Belcher said. On one of the calls, he said passengers were injured, but the connection failed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Ideally, an investigator would travel to the crash site and keep analyzing the wreckage when it was removed from the mountain, spokesman Clint Johnson said.

A recovery likely will not occur until later this week at the earliest because of foul weather and the dangerous location, he said.

Sightseeing buses and tourists are seen at a pullout popular for taking in views of North America's tallest peak, Denali

The de Havilland Beaver aircraft (above, stock photo) was stocked with sleeping bags, a stove and food, giving hope that survivors would be found

'My understanding is that it's in a crevasse-laden area,' Johnson said, adding that reaching the site will 'require technical climbing experience.'

Layson was from Saline, Michigan, the Saline Post reported. He also owned Stony Creek Collision in nearby Ypsilanti, Michigan, manager Bobby Seldkamp told The Associated Press by phone Monday evening.

Belcher said the park officials were working to contact family members in Poland before identifications would be released. Belcher said the tour had been arranged by a tour operator in Poland with K2 Aviation.

Jason Martin, director of operations for American Alpine Institute, said more crevasses appear with summer snow melt and climbing generally ends in mid-July.

'Everything becomes harder because of the amount of crevasses opening and the weaker snow bridges,' he said.

But sightseeing flights can still land on the glacier, allowing visitors to walk on the ice field, officials said.

Temperatures on the mountain at 11,000ft (3,353m) can be warm if the sun is out but likely below freezing at night, he said.

His company regularly flies with K2 Aviation for Denali climbs, and before taking off, pilots give passengers a briefing on emergency gear stowed in the back of the airplanes, he said.

K2 Aviation suspended all sightseeing flights after the crash and said it's cooperating with the investigation.

The company is owned by Suzanne and Todd Rust and has been family-owned and operated for 55 years, according to a statement.
The mother of two teenagers caught on camera attacking a McDonald's manager after being asked to leave has apologised for their 'unacceptable' behaviour.

In a Facebook message seen by MailOnline the mother said she is 'very sad and ashamed my boys would do this', before promising to 'deal with the situation'.

Her sons, believed to be between 16 and 19, were filmed 'drunk' and shouting abuse at staff at the fast food restaurant in Boston, Lincolnshire at around 11pm yesterday.

Witness Jasmine Brudenall, 28, captured the brawl on camera, which started when the manager told them to leave for locking an employee in a cupboard and 'flicking' his cap.

When they refused the pair erupted in a fit of rage and launched themselves at the manger, who was forced to fend for himself when no one stepped in.

The mother of the teenagers caught 'drunkenly' attacking a McDonald's manager sent this message to apologise for their behaviour

Ms Brudenall, of Boston, said the pair were accompanied by their father and all three had been drinking.

The mother also confessed she has been sent 'hate comments' over the incident and begged for them to stop.

The video starts with the manager trying to shield the other smaller employee from the two lawless teenagers, who are acting aggressively towards the two staffers.

Nearby customers have their backs turned away from the scene but can be seen laughing about the situation.

This is the shocking moment two teen thugs attacked a McDonalds manager after they were told to leave, as stunned diners watch the brawl but don't intervene on Tuesday night

Bystander Jasmine Brudenall, from Boston, Lincolnshire, filmed the disgraceful attack at the fast food restaurant location on Tuesday around 11pm

Jasmine said: 'The tall McDonald's worker went up to them and nicely asked ''Im going to have to ask you to leave''.

'I sensed it was going to erupt. Sometimes you can tell when someone is so drunk that there is no chance of reasoning with them.'

One of the teenagers then starts throwing punches at the manager, grabbing onto his collar and using his other hand to deliver the vicious blows.

The other teen then joins in on the attack, as both thrash the employee.

She said the young men were shouting abuse at workers behind the counter and picked on a smaller employee, who had been locked in a cupboard as they 'flicked' his cap

Jasmine added: 'They were so intoxicated, There was no stopping this  they would have hit anyone who got in the way.

'The other side of where people were eating were kids and old people. All the other guys were friends with them and carried on laughing.'

Jasmine said that a man in the building was one of the boy's father. She said he had been drinking too, and once the brawl started he left and got into his truck.

At one point, one of the teenager tackles the worker to the ground, but still no one intervenes to help.

The scuffle lasts around 30 seconds with the McDonald's manager holding his own against the two yobs, managing to push them towards the door before the video ends.

When the manager asked them to leave, they erupted in a rage and attacked the employee, who was left to fend for himself because no one stepped in to help

Jasmine added that once they were near the exit, the teens attacked the manager another two times.

She said: 'When outside at the front off the store they, used a metal bar they pulled off door and tried to hit him.

'The McDonald's staff member took a lot of punches. After theyd gone, [he] went into the back.'

Police arrived to the scene around ten minutes after the thugs left, Jasmine said.

It is understood the manager is not pressing charges.
A Republican lawmaker has come up with an alternative to make Mexico pay for the president's border wall.

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs wants the United States to fine countries $2,000 every time one their nationals is caught illegally crossing America's southern border. He proposes to redirect the money from those countries' foreign aid funds.

Mexico stands to lose an estimated $21 million in aid annually, a quarter of what the U.S. government sent the country in 2016, under such a proposal. Central American countries, where most of the migrants illegally entering America hail from, would be hit even harder.

A Republican lawmaker has come up with an alternative to make Mexico pay for the president's border wall. Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs wants the United States to fine countries $2,000 every time one their nationals is caught illegally crossing America's southern border

President Trump has repeatedly said that he'll make Mexico pay for his wall, one way or another. He's trying to make the ally and neighbor pay the price in North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

So far, the American taxpayer has been footing the bill for construction costs and border security enhancements requested by the Trump administration. Congress appropriated $1.6 billion to the project in 2018.

Biggs' legislative proposal would only scratch the surface of the total amount that President Trump has requested - at best it would send $1 billion annually to the project. And that's if illegal immigration numbers remain at their current levels.

President Trump has said he needs a minimum of $25 billion to complete the barrier's construction. Congress has steadfastly refused to give it to him.

Several proposals would have given the president the money he asked for in annual sums to be revisited each fiscal year, but he rejected those on the basis that they did not fully fund his wall up front. He took issue, as well, with concessions they made to Democrats seeking protections for illegal immigrants already living in the country.

Efforts have stalled to pass comprehensive immigration reform or standalone measures that deal with the president's priorities. Republicans hold a bare majority in the U.S. Senate and do not have the numbers to power through a Democratic filibuster.

Trump has hit the campaign trail hard in an effort to get more Republicans elected to the upper chamber. He has pushed the Senate's GOP leader, Mitch McConnell, to get rid of the filibuster altogether, as well.

He said in Monday evening tweet, 'Democrats want Open Borders and they want to abolish ICE, the brave men and women that are protecting our Country from some of the most vicious and dangerous people on earth! Sorry, we cant let that happen! Also, change the rules in the Senate and approve STRONG Border Security!'

The Trump administration has sought to dramatically lower arrivals in the absence of a physical barrier through a 'zero tolerance policy' that promises every person caught illegally crossing will be prosecuted under the full extent of the law.

That policy generated a backlash, however, after it caused thousands of migrant children to be separated from their parents or guardians.

Biggs' legislative proposal would only scratch the surface of the total amount that President Trump has requested - at best it would send $1 billion annually to the project

Biggs in a press release on Tuesday came forward with another arrangement. He proposed to reduce foreign aid to Mexico and Central American counties where most of the illegal immigrants are arriving from for every infraction at the border.

He also proposed to increase fees along I-94 fees from $6 to $25 in order to raise money for security along the border.

'Even with a Republican-controlled House and Senate, we have failed to secure the funds for the border wall. In the meantime, our Border Patrol agents suffer demoralizing losses of resources and personnel. Some in Congress view border security as leverage for an amnesty deal, but that would turn a crisis into a catastrophe,' he said.

In the current fiscal year, 317,571 foreign nationals had been apprehended by the end of July. At a fine of $2,000 per person, countries with offenders would be looking at a combined reduction in foreign aid of roughly $635 million.

The fiscal year closes at the end of September.

Using the previous year to assess the proposal, when 415,191 illegal immigrants were apprehended, Biggs' proposal would have generated $830 million by the end of fiscal year 2017.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data puts the number of illegal border crossings by Mexican nationals at 11,094 in FY 2017.

In 2016, the last year USAID released a full set of foreign aid data, the United States sent $87,017,147 million to Mexico. Roughly a quarter of the money, $21 million, would have been redirected to the building of Trump's border wall under Biggs' proposal.

Guatemala, another country that would be affected, in 2016 received nearly $297 million in foreign aid from the United States. The U.S. government says that $29 million of the money went directly to anti-narcotics operations.

At a rate of 39,484 illegal crossings, the fine for those infractions under Biggs' legislation would come out to roughly $79 million.

El Savador would be similarly affected. Honduras would also take a big hit in foreign aid if Biggs' policy were implemented.

President Trump has suggested at least twice in public that he could wipe out foreign aid to all of Central America in response to the migrant crisis.

'Think of all that aid that we give to some of these countries,' he said in a June speech to the National Federation of Independent Business. 'Well, I'm going to go very shortly for authorization that when countries abuse us by sending their people up  not their best  we're not going to give any more aid to those countries.'

Senior administration officials told DailyMail.com response that there are no actual plans in the works, however, to do what the president has been claiming.
A British holidaymaker's magic trick soon turned into a hilarious gaffe after running head-first into a patio door.

Martin Miller, from Glasgow, tried to pull of a 'disappearing blanket' trick which has become popular on the internet, particularly with pet owners trying to trick their animals.

The trick usually involves people throwing the blanket into the air and running out of shot while the blanket obscures the camera's view.

Martin Miller throws the towel up into the air (left) but then runs into the patio door and hits his head (right)

Yet the 41-year-old's attempt did not quite go to plan after he ran straight into the glass door in his apartment in Tenerife, much to the amusement of the person filming the blunder on Monday.

Mr Miller bounced off the glass when he ran head-first into the door. The Glaswegian did not realise his niece Niamh McKendrick had played her own trick on him by closing the door.

On the count of three, Mr Miller threw his towel into the air and then sprinted to the left.

A huge bang was heard as he hit the glass and stumbled back.

Niamh said: 'I shut the door without telling him. My little cousin tried to show us a magic trick and he tried to copy it but he banged into the door! It was hilarious.'

The video was posted on Twitter with the caption: 'Want to see a magictrick?'

Morgananneil responded: 'That was me in maga (Magaluf.)'

Sarcastic Sazza said to her friend kellyhitchens: 'Howling! Something you'd do.'
A man who visited a day spa while on holiday was left with horrendous wounds that could take months to heal.

The Perth man, 34, told 9 News that he and his wife had visited the spa in Bali's Legian to have a massage that included pouches of warm herbs being put on acupuncture pressure points.

However he claims when he felt a burning sensation and raised his concern staff dismissed it as sunburn.

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The man and his wife had visited the spa in Bali's Legian to have a massage that included pouches of warm herbs being put on acupuncture pressure points

The 34-year-old now must have a skin graft and wear compression bandages for up to six months after the wounds became infected

Now the man, who was admitted to Fiona Stanley hospital two days after he arrived back in Perth, must have a skin graft and wear compression bandages for up to six months after the wounds became infected.

The massage cost a total of $15 - or 160,000 rupiah.

It took the man a few hours to understand the severity of the situation after the massage.

He said he now wants to warn other tourists that it isn't worth getting a cheap massage.

Dr Dave Mountain, from the Australian Medical Association, told the publication: 'It is difficult to guarantee whenever you are going to a country that has poor regulations - or not guaranteed regulations - that those things won't happen.

'I think you have to be much more cautious.'

It is unclear what was in the herb bags that caused the wounds.
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Models wearing burqas and niqabs have strutted down the catwalk at Copenhagen Fashion Week in protest of Denmark's ban on Islamic face coverings.

Iranian-born designer Reza Etamadi caused a stir as he showed off his MUF10 brand on Wednesday, days after the law came into effect on August 1.

'I have a duty to support all women's freedom of speech and freedom of thought,' he said.

Models wearing burqas and niqabs strutted down the catwalk at Copenhagen Fashion Week in protest of Denmark's ban on Islamic face coverings in public places

His show included women in the full-body garments as well as a model wearing a hijab with sunglasses and a t-shirt with Arabic writing on it

Mr Etamadi said that by enforcing the ban, authorities were violating women's rights and 'the free choice we in the Western world are known for and proud to have.'

His show included women in the full-body garments as well as a model wearing a hijab with sunglasses and a t-shirt with Arabic writing on it.

Beefy male models dressed as police were also part of the provocative display, either representing the enforcement of the law or the demonstrations the previous week.

There was also a huge pile of flowers and two masked men sitting on the ground in handcuffs next to the policemen.

There was also a huge pile of flowers and two masked men sitting on the ground in handcuffs next to the policemen

At one point a female model dressed as a policewoman hugged one of the niqab-wearing women

Mr Etamadi said that by enforcing the ban, authorities were violating women's rights and 'the free choice we in the Western world are known for and proud to have'

At one point a female model dressed as a policewoman hugged one of the niqab-wearing women, possibly reenacting a similar scene during the protest.

Denmark's much-debated 'Burqa Ban' prohibits burqas and niqab - a Muslim head and torso covering which only shows the eyes - in public places. Both are rare in the Scandinavian country.

Protesters wearing niqab and body-length burqas marched in Copenhagen on August 1 to protest against the laws on the day they came into force.

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.

The hug between the policewoman and niqab-wearing models was possibly reenacting a similar scene when protester Ayah, 37, wept as she was embraced by a police officer during a demonstration on August 1

Protesters wearing niqab and body-length burqas marched in Copenhagen on August 1 to protest against the laws on the day they came into force

Denmark's face veil ban will affect Muslim women who argue the controversial law 'specifically targets a religious minority'

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.

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 bans, claiming they are not aimed at any religion in particular, and don't ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.

As of 2017, non-Western immigrants, about half of whom are Muslim, account for 8.7 percent of Denmark's 5.7 million population.
Police say a man in his 70s walked into a room at Westchetser Medical Center in New York Citys northern suburbs Wednesday morning, shot a female patient who was reportedly his wife and then took his own life.

Law enforcement officials revealed at a press conference just before noon that the gunman and victim, both in their 70s, have died.

Police officers who responded to the scene recovered the murder weapon, a .38 caliber revolver, for which the shooter had a license.

There is no word on a possible motive, and officials have not disclosed what the female victim was being treated for at the hospital when she was fatally shot in her bed.

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A man in his 70s killed an elderly woman believed to be his wife, and then took his own life, on the fourth floor of Westchester Medical Center in suburban New York at around 9.30am Wednesday

Westchester County police officers stand outside the emergency entrance to Westchester Medical Center following this morning's deadly shooting

Westchester County Police Commissioner Thomas Gleason answers questions during a news conference outside Westchester Medical Center Wednesday

Investigators say they believe the pair were in a domestic relationship, but they have not confirmed reports that the pair were married.

According to reporting by The Journal News, other patients at the hospital were told by staff that a man had shot his wife and then himself.

Police got a 911 call about an active shooter on the fourth floor of the Valhalla, New York, hospital, which houses the intensive care unit, shortly after 9.30am.

A reporter for the Journal later tweeted, citing information obtained from the police scanner, that the gunman was down and the weapon has been recovered.

The Westchester County Department of Public Safety stated that the incident was contained to a single room and there was no threat to anyone at the hospital.

According to the hospital's website, Westchester Medical Center operates six different facilities and treats more than 120,000 patients each year in every clinical specialty.

Dr. Srihari Naidu, an interventional cardiologist at the hospital, told The Associated Press by phone that he was at his office in a nearby building when he got an 'active shooter alert,' followed by a lockdown notification that lasted for about a half-hour.

The building where the shooting happened is 'very well-guarded,' he said, and many areas cannot be accessed without badges.

A physician walks out of the emergency entrance to Westchester Medical Center after a lockdown

Medical staff in lab coats and scrubs are pictured standing outside Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, during an active shooter investigation Wednesday

Jatziri Escobar, a patient who arrived at the hospital shortly after 9am, told The Journal News that she was in a room on the first floor when staff ran through the building alerting patients about the active shooting.

'I was kinda scared, but one of the officers told me to relax and all would be OK,' said Escobar, 22, of Elmsford.

Photos posted on The Journal News and social media showed police blocking the entrance to the hospital and workers in lab coats and scrubs gathered outside it.

The hospital totals over 600 adult, pediatric and psychiatric beds in a campus in northern Westchester.

Former President Bill Clinton went there in 2004 for chest pains and shortness of breath; a test revealed narrowing of several vessels of his heart, and he underwent a quadruple bypass three days later at a Manhattan hospital.

The hospitals burn center treated ESPN anchor Hannah Storm for burns to her face, hands, chest and neck in a propane gas grill accident in 2012.

Shootings at hospitals arent unheard-of: A 2012 study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine counted 154 of them from 2000 through 2011.

In July 2017, a doctor who had been forced to resign from Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York City two years earlier amid a sexual harassment claim opened fire inside the hospital on June 30, killing a doctor and hurting six others, authorities said. Police said the doctor, Henry Bello, killed himself at the scene.

Hospitals have been beefing up security in the wake of last years Bronx shooting.

Two hospitals on Long Island recently started arming their security guards. Another now requires visitors to show identification and obtain a hospital-issued guest pass before passing through security turnstiles.

Other New York-area hosptials have been hiring police officers to provide security.

A third-party company provides security for Westchester Medical Center.
Facebook has apologized after it emerged that one of their automatic celebration animations had been triggered by messages about Sunday's deadly earthquake in Indonesia.

More than 345 people are now reported to have died in the wake of the 7.0-magnitude quake which struck the island of Lombok last week, and many have taken to social media to show their support or reach out to friends and family.

However, writing the Indonesian word 'selamat' which means 'unhurt' or 'to survive' triggered a celebratory animation on Facebook as it also translates as 'congratulations'.

As a result, Facebook users writing in Indonesian about the devastating earthquake have been met with balloons and confetti.

Congrats in Indonesian is selamat. Selamat also means to survive.



After the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Lombok, Facebook users wrote I hope people will survive. Then Facebook highlighted the word selamat and throw some balloons and confetti. pic.twitter.com/DEhYLqHWUz  Herman Saksono (@hermansaksono) August 6, 2018

Upon being alerted to the insensitive feature, Facebook disabled the animation for the Indonesian language.

'This feature (a text animation triggered by typing 'congrats') is widely available on Facebook globally, however we regret that it appeared in this unfortunate context and have since turned off the feature locally,' Lisa Stratton, a Facebook spokesperson, told Vice Motherboard.

'Our hearts go out to the people affected by the earthquake.'

Meanwhile the death toll from the powerful quake continues to rise, with 347 people now reported dead, according to CNN.

Indonesian authorities are appealing for food, clean water and medical help for some 156,000 people forced from their homes and 1,477 severely injured in the disaster.

Many frightened, displaced villagers are staying under tents or tarpaulins dotted along roads or in parched rice fields, and makeshift medical facilities have been set up to treat the injured.

Getting off: A photo shows the evacuation efforts of thousands of tourists form Gili Trawangan island to neighbouring Lombok island the day after the earthquake

People are seen crowding the beach as they wait to be evacuated from Gili Trawangan island to neighbouring Lombok island

Aid: Indonesians carrying an elderly woman at a temporary shelter in Pemenang, in Lombok Island, Indonesia

Destruction: An aerial view shows collapsed houses in Gunung Sari, Lombok, following the earthquake on Sunday

The earthquake hit Lombok island, just a short distance from holiday hotspot Bali in Indonesia

Evacuees in some encampments say they are running out of food, while others are suffering psychological trauma after the 6.9-magnitude quake, which struck just one week after another tremor surged through the island and killed 17.

'We still need long-term aid, even though we have already received help from various (regional) governments,' national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Workers with heavy machinery are searching the rubble of homes, schools and mosques, with hope of finding any survivors fading.

'The corpses are starting to smell and we believe some people buried are still alive -- that's why it's a critical time,' Nugroho said.

Emotional: Indonesians are reunited as evacuations continue from nearby Gili Trawangan island at the port at Bangsal in northern Lombok

Rescue: Indonesian soldiers look for victims at a collapsed house following earthquake in Tanjung, in Lombok Island, Indonesia

Indonesian police and volunteers unload supplies as authorities continue to evacuate tourists from nearby Gili Trawangan island, at the port at Bangsal in northern Lombok

Local authorities, international relief groups and the central government have begun organising aid, but shattered roads have slowed efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north and east of Lombok, which bore the brunt of the quake.

Muhammad Zainul Majdi, governor of the West Nusa Tenggara region which covers Lombok, said there was a dire need for medical staff, food and medicine in the worst-hit places.

Hundreds of bloodied and bandaged victims have been treated outside damaged hospitals in the island's main city of Mataram and other badly affected areas.

'We have limited human resources. Some paramedics have to be at the shelters, some need to be mobile,' Majdi told AFP.

'The scale of this quake is massive for us here in West Nusa Tenggara, this is our first experience.'

Some evacuees are grappling with the traumatic scenes of death and destruction that accompanied the quake.

Indonesian police and soldiers evacuate a victim at the broken hospital following earthquake in Tanjung

'I saw my neighbour get stuck in the rubble and die. He asked me for help, but I couldn't help him, we just ran to help ourselves,' Johriah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP tearfully.

At an orphanage in West Lombok, some 80 children - including a one-year-old - were huddling under two large tents after their dorms were destroyed.

'We still have supplies for the next few days, but I'm not sure about after that,' Billa Rabbani, a spokeswoman from the Peduli Anak orphanage, told AFP.

The quake struck as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island and there are fears that one collapsed mosque in north Lombok had been filled with worshippers.

Rescuers have found three bodies and also managed to pull one man alive from the twisted wreckage of the mosque, reduced to a pile of concrete and metal bars, with its towering green dome folded in on itself.

Meanwhile, the evacuation of thousands of tourists from the Gili Islands - three tiny, coral-fringed tropical islands off the northwest coast of Lombok - has finished, officials said.
The Nashville woman who helped end a 34-hour manhunt for Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking will not receive a monetary reward from Crime Stoppers because she called 911.

Lydia French and her husband, Brian, called police twice in April after she saw Reinking walking through the woods near her and her husband's construction site.

French's call to police helped authorities track down and arrest the 29-year-old shooter.

While French did the right thing by alerting police, she said because she dialed 911 first it made her ineligible to receive a reward from Nashville Crime Stoppers.

Lydia French said she was not eligible for a Crime Stoppers reward because she called 911 to report a sighting of Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking

French's tip to police led to Reinking's arrest. The 29-year-old shooter is pictured above the day he was taken into custody

'They said had I called them first and reported the sighting then I would have been eligible for the reward,' she told the Tennessean. 'But because I called 911 first I was not eligible.'

French was not thinking of collecting a reward when she called 911 to report the sighting.

She told the outlet that 'anybody in their right mind would have done the same thing' she did, but she's still shocked Nashville Crime Stoppers won't give her the reward for helping authorities catch the mass shooter.

According to the nonprofit organization's website, tipsters who 'directly contact Nashville Crime Stoppers first' and provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and indictment of a wanted person are eligible for a cash reward.

The amount of the reward is determined by a community board of directors, but does not exceed more than $1,000.

Liz Parrott, chair of Nashville Crime Stoppers' civilian board of directors, told the Tennessean she feels for French but has to follow the organization's guidelines.

Reinking opened fire at an Antioch Waffle House on April 22 with an assault rifle, killing four people

The victims were identified as Taurean C. Sanderlin and Joe R. Perez (top left and right) and Deebony Groves and Akilah Dasilva (bottom left and right)

'We did not receive any tips that led to the arrest through the Crime Stoppers tip line and those are the ones that we monitor,' she said, adding that their tip line is set up to ensure callers remain anonymous. 'It's got to come through us for it to trigger the rewards.'

Parrott said although its advertised that tipsters should call Nashville Crime Stoppers to be eligible for the reward, they advise people to alert 911 when 'it's an active situation'.

'It that circumstance, it's better they call 911,' she said. 'Tips are great, but when it's an active situation like that, we would want you to go through 911.'

French said she wasn't concerned about the money, but felt Nashville Crime Stoppers misled her and they need to make their rules clearer.

'It's semantics. I hate it and I do feel for her,' Parrott said, telling the outlet that Crime Stoppers is not a part of the police department.

'I have to go by what our bylaws and our guidelines are and that's something that we'll have to discuss, and discuss with the police department going forward.'

According to the Tennessean, French and her husband did receive a $1,000 reward from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for their assistance.

Reinking has been charged with four counts of criminal homicide in connection with the shooting. The 29-year-old stormed the Antioch restaurant on April 22 and opened fire with an assault rifle, killing four people before a customer rushed him and wrestled the weapon away.

The victims were identified as restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29, and customers Joe R. Perez, 20; Akilah Dasilva, 23; and Deebony Groves, 21.
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This is the campsite known as the 'Great Ghetto', home to hundreds of African migrant labourers outside the city of Foggia, southern Italy.

Every summer, thousands of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, come to Italy's southern heel to harvest tomatoes, paid as little as 3 euros (2.70) an hour.

The 'Great Ghetto' is made up of barely roadworthy caravans and corrugated iron shacks and is where the 16 labourers killed in two separate traffic incidents this week lived.

United: Some of the hundreds of migrant farm workers living in what is known as the 'Great Ghetto' outside the city of Foggia in southern Italy

The 'Great Ghetto' is a campsite outside the city made up of barely roadworthy caravans and corrugated iron shacks

In both incidents, the workers reportedly died when their vehicles crashed into trucks transporting harvested tomatoes

Twelve migrants died on Monday as they travelled home after a day in the fields, with their packed van smashing head-on into an on-coming lorry.

Two days earlier, four migrants died in a near identical accident. Both crashes happened close to the city of Foggia, near the Adriatic coast.

Today, more than 200 migrants marched on Foggia from the Great Ghetto, some six miles away, to protest their deaths and their working conditions.

'No to slavery,' they chanted as they walked along country roads under a fierce summer sun.

Squalor: One of the caravans in the camp where many of the low-paid migrant workers live

The migrant workers, who pick tomatoes in the fields of Foggia are paid just 2.70 an hour and are forced to live in shacks

A young woman talks on her mobile phone in the 'Great Ghetto' camp six miles outside Foggia, southern Italy

The protesters say their work is unregulated, allowing unscrupulous bosses to take advantage, packing them into over-crowded vans and driving them from one farm to another without any type of contract..'

They rarely receive the benefits and salaries required by law, and many live in squalid conditions like in the Great Ghetto.

'We are treated like slaves but we don't have any option,' said Ibrahim Sissoko, 28, from Mali, who arrived in Italy in 2015.

'There is no other work here for us and they know it, so they take advantage.'

The Italian labour union USB has since called for a national strike to raise awareness over the extremely poor working and housing conditions of immigrant farm workers in Italy.

The Italian government has promised to crack down on labour abuses in the wake of the deadly crashes, but similar pledges in the past have come to nothing.

African migrant workers stage a march to protest against their work conditions, following the death of 16 of their colleagues in two separate road accidents, near Foggia, Italy

Migrant workers hold a banner in honour of Soumaila Sacko, a migrant agricultural worker from Mali who died

Big protest: More than 200 migrants marched on Foggia from the Great Ghetto, some six miles away, to protest the deaths of their colleagues

Agricultural workers in the 'Great Ghetto' attend a march to remember the 16 fellow migrants who died in two separate incidents while being transported from the fields

Several hundred tomato pickers marched from the shanty town to Foggia and were joined by labour union supporters

Far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini went as far as declaring was on what he called 'mafia criminality', exploiting the foreign workers.

'It's a mafia problem. In Foggia... there is mafia criminality that I intend to eradicate street by street, town by town, by all means legally available,' Salvini said at a press conference in Foggia on Tuesday.

Salvini, who is also co-deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right League, said his anti-migrant campaign would starve criminal gangs of people to exploit.

On Tuesday Salvini said that mafia networks had benefited from 'uncontrolled immigration'.

'If there were not thousands of desperate people to exploit, they would have more trouble doing business,' he said.

March: Local supporters line the roads and film the protesting migrant workers

Long walk: The migrant workers walked the six miles from their camp to the city of Foggia

Together: Some of the around 200 workers who took part in the demonstration in Foggia, southern Italy today

Agricultural workers march to remember 16 migrant farmhands who died in car accidents this week

The 45-year-old also announced his intention to tackle the 'importing of slaves' from within Europe, asking for more stringent checks from his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts.

He said that some Italian farmers should be labelled 'outlaws because some use mafia methods to enrich themselves'.

Salvini also claimed that the EU had helped create the situation that led to the use of what Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called 'slave labour' after his own visit to Foggia.

'If Europe didn't force us to accept the importing of Tunisian tomatoes, Moroccan oranges, Burmese rise and Canadian wheat maybe it would be easier for our farmers to live,' Salvini said.
A family cut short their week-long Pontins holiday after less than 24 hours because of 'glass, dirt and and peeling paint', describing it as a 'shambles'.

Hannah Nicholls and family paid 1,200 for a week's break at Camber Sands using inheritance left by her late grandmother.

The 30-year-old mother claims the room she was given didn't even have a working shower and when she expressed her disappointment management's response was that there were no other available rooms.

Hannah Nicholls with her daughter Maisie. The pair travelled from Essex with family but aborted their holiday after just one night citing the conditions of Pontins Camber Sands

Hannah and daughter Maisie, one, made the two hour journey from their home in Essex along with Hannah's dad, William, 56, and mum Deborah, 54.

The group were also joined by Hannah's brother and his partner and their kids.

They booked two rooms from Monday until Friday but ended up leaving the East Sussex resort after just one day.

Ms Nicholls said the room given to her was in disrepair and the the swimming pool was closed, describing the resort as a 'shambles'.

Hannah told Mirror Online: 'It was absolutely crazy, I thought "this can't be real." The kids said they wanted to go home, so we went in the end.

'They'd been so excited before we got there. It was a shambles.'

'CLEAN ME' was etched in the dirt on one of the window sills. Hannah said the holiday was a 'shambles' saying broken glass made her feel for her child's safety

As well as paint peeling off pipes, broken glass in outdoor areas, open paint containers and thick dirt, Hannah found huge stains under the beds

As well as broken glass leaving her fearful for one-year-old Maisie's safety, Hannah said there the pipes were peeling, dirty furniture, huge stains on carpets and discarded paint tins in a children's play area.

The mother-of-one added: 'It looked lovely on the website, but all the things that were on it were closed.

'We did phone them beforehand for reassurance, and were told that it had been revamped and the kids would love it.'

Paint containers left open and unattended on site at the Camber Sands branch of Pontins. Hannah paid 1,200 for the trip using inheritance money from her late grandmother

Broken glass in the outdoor area of Pontins, Camber Sands. Management couldn't move Hannah and her daughter Maisie, one, to another room because there were none available

Thick dust found in Hannah's room that she shared with her one-year-old daughter Maisie

Hannah said she has requested her money back but has yet to have a full response from Pontins.

Pontins came under fire recently when a mother claimed she was 'scarred for life' after being 'eaten alive' by bedbugs.

Leesa Dean and a group of friends paid 1,277 for a stay at Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park in July but 43-year-old was left covered in red sores from blood-sucking insects from her infested bed mattress.

Leesa, from New Cumnock in Ayrshire, Scotland had to see her doctor after the trip and was told the bites had caused an infection in her blood.

Family members Tracy, 37, Billy, three, Daniel, 36, Maisie, one, Harry, nine, Deborah, 54, and Hannah, 30, left after just 24 hours citing the terrible conditions at Pontins

She was given steroid cream and put on a course of strong antibiotics and has been scarred by the bites.

A TripAdvisor review from just yesterday said Pontins Camber Sands was 'dirty dirty dirty.'

Georgina M, from Gravesend, Kent said: ' Would have come home if it wasn't for my grandchildren. Had to clean apartment before we even went in the cub apartment. The whole camp was dirty!'

MailOnline has contacted Britannia Hotels, who own Pontins, for comment.
A frantic search is underway for two young sisters who went missing from their Maryland home on Saturday.

Detectives from the Montgomery Police Departments Special Victims Investigations Division are searching for Kandyce and Karmen Matos, who were last seen by their parents at 11pm on August 4 at their residence on Hunters Gate Court in Silver Spring.

The parents entered the girls bedroom to check on them at 11am the following morning and discovered that the sisters were gone.

Where are they? Police in Maryland are searching for Kandyce Matos, 11 (left), and her 16-year-old sister, Karmen (right), who went missing from their family's home on August 4

Police believe that Kandyce, 11, and Karmen, 16, are together. Their parents are concerned for their well-being, especially since the girls took off without any of their personal possessions, even leaving their eyeglasses behind.

'They left with nothing,' Ramon Matos, the girls' father, told NBC Washington, 'They've got nothing with them. They got no money, no clothes, nothing.'

He said it appears his older daughter, Karmen, had deleted her Instagram account before their escape.

Kandyce (left) is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighing 137lbs. Karmen (right) is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, and weighing 160lbs

Kandyce is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighing 137lbs.

Karmen is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, and weighing 160lbs. Both girls have black hair and brown eyes.

The sisters have been known to frequent Westfield Wheaton Mall located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in the Bel Pre area in Montgomery County.

Anyone with information about the Matos sisters whereabouts is asked to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5400..
I figured there would be some differences in Canada...but there are some similarities. U.S. Charters are SUPPOSED to be held to the same standards (curriculum/state standards as public schools) but I really don't think the oversight is the same. I think U.S. charters can be very selective.



I wanted to address the "flunking". Basically, holding back a student is the parent's choice and completely out of the hands of the teacher. The preference is that the child be held back BEFORE 4th grade and usually eligible for special help/tutoring, but at the end of the year the parent can refuse to hold back the child. If the teacher/principal insists, the parent will just pull the child OUT of that school and enroll them in another school. The same happens in cases where the student is a behavior problem. The parent PULLS them out of one school and enrolls them in another...rinse repeat.



First year teachers are probationary for 3 years and can be fired without cause--union members or not.

Underperforming teachers are given written warnings, a probation period, a mentor, administrative scrutiny through "visitations" and specific conditions (approval of lesson plans, etc). The idea is to assist that struggling teacher before firing.
Dublin police are building a temporary morgue ahead of Pope Francis's visit to Ireland later this month, as the hundreds of thousands of worshippers planning on attending the outdoor papal Mass have been warned of the risk of infection.

The papal Mass will be celebrated in Phoenix Park, Dublin on Sunday, August 26 with half a million expected to attend.

Health officials have warned that the event, set to be Ireland's biggest in 40 years, poses 'unique health risks to attendants'.

Risk: Pope Francis, pictured yesterday during his weekly general audience in Vatican City, is due to lead mass in Dublin on August 26, with more than 500,000 expected to attend

The temporary infrastructure being built in the park will also include a morgue, as there are fears that due to the significant number of elderly people in attendance, some may die of natural causes during the event, Irish media reports.

Officials have warned attendees to check their vaccines are up to date to avoid catching infectious diseases including influenza, mumps, hepatitis.

Dr Mary O'Riordan of Ireland's Health and Safety Executive said: 'Given the nature of this historic papal visit, a large number of young children and elderly visitors are expected to attend the final Mass, including many international visitors.

'In the current context of ongoing measles spread in Europe, it is highly advisable that all attendants, especially young children, ensure that they are up to date with their vaccinations.

She added: 'Outbreaks [at events] most commonly involve vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, influenza, mumps and hepatitis.

'Other reported outbreaks are mainly of gastrointestinal infections caused by a number of different pathogens.'

The pope is visiting Ireland for two days to coincide with the World Meeting of Families.

In what is being called the country's biggest event in 40 years, the papal Mass will be celebrated in Phoenix Park, Dublin on Sunday August 26. Pictured: Mass at the Vatican

Held every three years, this major international event brings together families from across the world to celebrate, pray and reflect upon the central importance of marriage and the family.

Organisers believe it will be the largest single event the country has hosted since Pope John Paul II visited in 1979.

Rail operator Iarnrod Eireann has laid on extra services on all main routes to the capital and advance booking is mandatory.

Extra trains will operate from Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Rosslare and Waterford to and from Dublin.

The rail company said intercity train tickets will not be available for sale on the day and there will be no access for anyone who does not have a ticket or reservation.

Pope Francis greets the crowd from the popemobile during a weekly general audience at St Peter's square

Holders of tickets to the papal Mass can travel free of charge from some commuter destinations.

An Iarnrod Eireann spokesman said: 'We are looking forward to playing a major role in bringing customers to and from the World Meeting of Families events.

'The Phoenix Park Mass is the largest single event the country has hosted since Pope John Paul II visited in 1979.'

There will also be special rail services from Westport, Ballina and Athlone to/from Claremorris for the Pope's Knock shrine event on August 26, including a free bus transfer.
Letters written by Tommy Robinson during his time in prison have revealed he complained about the food and number of Muslim inmates.

And an expert claims his handwriting also suggests he is immature, insecure and manipulative.

Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was released from jail on conditional bail last week after judges quashed a contempt of court decision against him.

While serving time at HMP Hull he wrote a series of complaint letters to bosses which have since been analysed.

Prison complaint letters written by Tommy Robinson have been analysed by a handwriting expert who claims they show he is 'insecure, immature and resentful'

In the letters, pictured, Robinson says he is concerned for his safety after being put in a prison 'where one in three prisoners are Muslim' and asks for a TV to make up for it

Language expert Elaine Quigley, who is chairman of the British Institute of Graphologists, told the Metro Robinson is suffering from low self-esteem and is resentful.

She said: This writing is immature and the writer is insecure, ambivalent and resentful, as he sees others as more fortunate than himself.

The personal pronoun is very small, showing his poor self-esteem and about the thinking of those who dont value him.

The poor layout of the writing shows his difficulty in organising his activities and thinking processes.

She added the wording of the letters suggests he wants a fresh start and could be due to a difficult childhood or spending time with an intimidating crowd.

In the letters, Robinson says he refused to eat prison food because it may have been tampered with and he relies on tinned food from the canteen.

He also asks for extra money so he can buy more food because he is losing so much weight.

Robinson also complained about his safety and said staff were failing in their duty of care towards him because he was in a prison where one in three prisoners are Muslim.

Robinson, left, also asks for extra visits from friends and family because he is being 'locked up for 23 hours per day'

He told bosses he felt he was being mentally tortured and asked for a television for his cell to make up for it.

Robinson also asked for extra visits because he was being locked up for 23 hours per day for his own protection.

Last week, three leading judges in London quashed a contempt of court finding against Robinson made at Leeds Crown Court in May.

They granted him conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence, pending new proceedings at the Old Bailey.

Robinson could still face jail over the allegation he committed contempt of court by filming people in a criminal trial and broadcasting footage on social media.
A sophomore in Northern California was made to leave class while another was lectured, for wearing T-shirts promoting the National Rifle Association.

The teens were in history class at Lodi High School on Friday, when they said they were singled out for wearing shirts featuring shotgun shell casings laid out in the shape of an American flag.

'She was basically being attacked in class,' Charlene Craig, the mother of the 15-year-old who remained in the classroom, told CBS.

'I don't think that makes it a safe learning environment,' she said.

It's unclear whether the teacher thought the shirts violated school rules prohibiting clothing depicting references to weapons, or he just didn't like them.

Lodi Unified School District said it reviewed the shirts and the school dress code, and determined the tops were not in violation of school rules.

A sophomore in Lodi, California was made to leave class on Friday while another was lectured, for wearing shirts promoting the National Rifle Association that depicted shotgun shell casings

The Lodi Unified dress code prohibits clothing depicting weapons, or any reference to weapons, according to a graphic provided by the district that summarizes what is and is not allowed to be worn at school.

The shirts the students were wearing were dark blue, with 'NRA' on the front in small letters, and the American flag design made out of shell casings on the back.

'National Rifle Association' was written across the back, under the flag design.

'She was basically being attacked in class,' Charlene Craig (center), the mother of the 15-year-old who remained in the classroom (left) told CBS reporter Angela Greenwood (right)

The Lodi Unified dress code prohibits clothing depicting weapons, or any reference to weapons, according to a graphic provided by the district that summarizes what is and is not allowed to be worn at school

Craig's daughter and the other student refused to change out of the T-shirts, Craig said, after the teacher started lecturing them about why guns are bad.

'He basically yelled at her, telling her that she would be writing an essay if she disagreed with him,' Craig said.

'I think he's there to teach. I don't think he's there to discuss his personal beliefs.'

Craig said she plans to continue to send her daughter to school in the T-shirt, which celebrates the lifestyle she's grown up with, as a member of a family of hunters and farmers.

'Thats what she is, thats what she does,' Craig said.

The school district said it will remind its staff of dress code policies, so that an incident like this doesn't happen again.
Who killed Elbert Williams? Authorities in Tennessee are reopening the investigation into the June 1940 killing of the 32-year-old civil right activist

More than 78 years after civil rights worker Elbert Williams' body was fished out of a Tennessee river, a district attorney announced Wednesday that he is reopening the investigation into the slaying.

Haywood County District Attorney Garry Brown said his office is launching an investigation into the death of the 32-year-old black man, whose body was found in the Hatchie River outside Brownsville in June 1940, three days after being taken from his home by a group of white men led by a police officer.

'We cannot do all in 2018 that should have been done in 1940, but justice and historic truth demand that questions about the cause of Elbert Williams' death, and the identity of his killer(s), that should have been answered long ago, be answered now if possible,' Brown said in a statement. 'We will do what we can.'

The Department of Justice initially ordered the case be presented to a federal grand jury, then mysteriously reversed itself and closed the case in early 1942.

A US attorney in Memphis declined to re-open the investigation in 2017, after a request from Williams' relatives and Jim Emison, a lawyer who became intrigued by the case.

Williams went missing the night he was taken away from his home for questioning by police officers Tip Hunter (left) and Charles Read (center), and a third man Ed Lee (right)

Three days later, Williams' decomposing body was fished out of the Hatchie River near Brownsville, Tennessee, and buried in an unmarked grave that save day

An NAACP official has called Williams 'the first martyr of the NAACP.' No one was ever charged in the case, and Williams' unmarked grave has not been found, though it is believed to be in a cemetery near Brownsville.

It was not immediately clear if Brown has new leads or if new evidence has been discovered.

The move comes about three weeks after the US government renewed its investigation into the 1955 slaying of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy from Chicago who was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he was brutally killed.

Lawman: Haywood County District Attorney Garry Brown said he want to get to the bottom of Williams' death for the sake of justice and historic truth

Former US Attorney Edward Stanton III said in a February 2017 letter to Williams' family that his office could not reopen the investigation because more than 75 years had passed since the crimes and many if not all of the potential witnesses have died. He also wrote that the statute of limitations for any federal crime had long expired.

However, there is no time limit on first-degree murder charges in Tennessee. Brown said the case falls under Tennessee's new Civil Rights Crimes Cold Case Law, which mandates a statewide survey of cold civil rights crimes and directs referral of viable cases for prosecution.

Brown's investigators plan to team up with a University of Tennessee forensic scientist to locate Williams' grave. Emison and others believe exhuming the body could lead to a murder weapon.

Williams' wife, Annie, said she saw what looked like two bullet holes in his chest after his body was found in the river. A relative is providing a DNA sample to help identify the body, Emison said.

Williams was killed more than two decades before NAACP leader Medgar Evers was gunned down by a Klansman outside his Jackson, Mississippi, home in 1963 but has received far less attention than the slayings of Evers and Till.

WHO WAS ELBERT WILLIAMS? THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 'THE FIRST MARTYR OF THE NAACP' This photos shows Williams (far left) attending a meeting of the Brownsville NAACP chapter in 1932 Elbert Williams was born on October 15, 1908, in Haywood County, Tennessee, to a family of farmer, according to BlackPast.org. In 1929, Williams married Annie Mitchell and the pair moved to Brownsville, Tennessee, where they worked for the Sunshine Laundry. In 1939, the Williamses became charter members of Brownsvilles NAACP Branch and joined the effort of registering black voters, but without success. On June 16, 1940, one of the people the Williamses had tried to register to vote, Elisha Davis, was abducted from home by a group of white men led by Brownsville policemen Tip Hunter and Charles Read, taken to a swamp and forced to name members of the local NAACP chapter. On the night of June 20, 1940, Hunter, Read, and a third man, Ed Lee, who managed a local Coca-Cola bottling company, took Williams to jail and questioned him about an NAACP meeting he was planning. Hunter later claimed he let Williams, but he was never seen alive again. On June 23, Williams body was found in the nearby Hatchie River. Annie Williams identified her husband and reported seeing two bullet-like holes in his chest. Haywood County Coroner Bill Cox ordered no autopsy and the coroners jury determined that the cause of Williams death was unknown. The coroner ordered an immediate burial, and Williams was laid to rest that same day in an unmarked grave. A grand jury concluded that Williamss death was caused by 'foul violence at the hands of parties unknown.' Under pressure from the NAACP National Office, the United States Department of Justice ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate Williams' death. The DOJ ordered the United States Attorney in Memphis to present the case to a federal grand jury but then reversed its decision and closed the case, citing insufficient evidence. NAACP Special Counsel Thurgood Marshall, later the first African-American justice on the US Supreme Court, was involved in the investigation and furious at reversal. The Elbert Williams Memorial Committee was formed in 2014 to bring attention to the cold case. In 2015, the Tennessee Historical Commission granted the committees application for an official historical marker honoring Williams, which was erected in Brownsville on June 20, 2015, the 75th anniversary of Williamss death. Source: BlackPast.org Advertisement

Williams was part of a group of people who registered black voters in western Tennessee in the early days of the civil rights movement. They toiled in rural areas where lynchings had taken place and civil rights workers were threatened with violence.

FBI and Justice Department documents Emison obtained from the National Archives showed that Brownsville police, upset because the local NAACP branch was registering blacks to vote, had led an effort to force its members out of town.

Then-US Assistant Attorney General Wendell Berge said in a letter to US District Attorney William Clanahan that the 'obvious purpose' of the police and others had been to frighten the town's black population and prevent them from voting.

Widow: Williams' wife, Annie (pictured years after her husband's death), said she saw what looked like two bullet holes in his chest after his body was found in the river

When police got a tip that he was planning an NAACP meeting at his home, policemen Tip Hunter and Charles Read, and a third man, Ed Lee, went to his residence, said they needed to question him outside and then took him away on June 20, 1940. Williams' body was found three days later in the Hatchie River.

No autopsy was performed and Williams was hastily buried. A coroner's jury ruled the body was badly decomposed and that the cause of death was believed to be by 'foul means by persons unknown.'

The Justice Department closed its investigation in spite of evidence gathered by Thurgood Marshall, then special counsel to the NAACP who later became the US Supreme Court's first African-American justice.

Emison, who has done exhaustive research, believes there may be witnesses - or perpetrators - still alive. He said a new investigation into Williams' death is 'a dream come true.'

'I hope this has a cascade effect,' he said. 'It's a matter of the pursuit of justice, no matter how long it takes.'

Stanton, the former US attorney, said the federal government couldn't find a way to reopen the case, but he called Williams "an American and civil rights hero."

"He dared to organize American citizens to register to vote and was likely murdered for it,' he wrote.
Tuesday's hotly contested special election for an Ohio congressional seat is tight and could get tighter still when nearly 8,500 absentee and provisional ballots are counted.

But it could take until August 18  or later  to determine whether Republican candidate Troy Balderson's 1,754-vote margin will stand.

Ohio law prohibits officials from making their county-by-county totals final until the 11th day following an election. That's because absentee ballots are counted if they're postmarked by Election Day and arrive by the 10th day afterward.

There are 5,048 outstanding absentee ballots in the Ohio squeaker.

Provisional ballots, too, have to remain sealed until August 18. Otherwise Ohioans who request absentee ballots and also show up to vote in person could be counted twice. When that happens, the voters are given provisional ballots.

Republican Troy Balderson (left) leads Democrat Danny O'Connor (right) by a slim margin in the congressional special election held Tuesday in central Ohio, but no one will know until at least August 18 if the result will stand

These sections from the Ohio Secretary of State's official election manual spell out how state boards of elections have to wait until the 11th day after polls close to make the results official, a process that includes absentee and provisional ballots that were not opened on Election Day; The waiting period is required in order to give mail-in ballots enough time to arrive

After 10 days have gone by and officials are sure those absentee ballots are still unaccounted for, the corresponding provisional ballots are opened and added to the totals.

The 12th Congressional District race saw 202,521 votes cast and counted on Tuesday. State law triggers an automatic recount if the margin of victory is less than 0.5 per centage points  in this case, 1,012 votes.

Green Party candidate Joe Manchik snagged 1,127 votes on Tuesday, more than enough to have put Balderson's margin of victory over Democrat Danny OConnor well into that range.

OConnor could still request a recount regardless of the numbers. And he's likely to run again in November.

Donald Trump decided not to wait for the dust to settle, taking credit Tuesday night for Balderson's 'great victory' in the bellwether race even though it's still too close to call.

The president said Balderson had been far behind in early voting before he hosted a rally for him on Saturday night in the suburban Columbus district. After that speech, he tweeted, 'there was a big turn for the better.'

Green Party candidate Joe Manchik brought in 1,127 votes; had his supporters supported the Democrat in the race, the margin would have been close enough to trigger an automatic recount

The President struck a triumphant note on Twitter and suggested his Saturday rally in support of Balderson had led to the 'great victory' - although the result has not yet been declared

At close of counting Balderson led by 0.9 percentage points, or 1,754 votes, but there are still 3,367 provisional and 5,048 absentee ballots left to be reviewed. A margin of less than 0.5% is enough for a recount

Trump wrote: 'When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov,' Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

'Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!' he added several minutes later.

O'Connor refused to concede on Tuesday night, and he urged supporters on Twitter to make donations for what 'could be a long and expensive recount.' Election boards can't begin to count those votes until August 18.

'We're not stopping now. Tomorrow we rest and then we keep fighting through to November,' O'Connor told supporters at a post-election party.

The Ohio contest is being seen as a referendum on President Trump's leadership and a test of Democratic strength ahead of November's midterm elections.

Trump visited the reliably Republican 12th Congressional District in Ohio at the weekend to try to head off an upset in the race after polls showed a tightening battle.

The winner takes the seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January to take a job for a business group.

The Ohio election was the marquee contest on a day of voting that featured primaries in four other states.

The 12th district, split between suburban Columbus, Ohio, and rural areas, has been represented by a Republican since the early 1980s. Trump carried it by 11 percentage points in the 2016 presidential race.

A happy looking Balderson greets a crowd of supporters during an election night party on Tuesday

Trump visited the reliably Republican 12th Congressional District in Ohio on Saturday to try to head off an upset in the race after polls showed a tightening battle

O'Connor has wiped out most or all of Balderson's lead in opinion polls. A Democratic win would set off alarm bells for Republicans already worried by a series of strong performances by Democrats in special elections in the Trump era.

'A month ago this race was flying under the radar, but it has become nationalized and become more of a referendum on Trump, which really generates Democratic enthusiasm,' said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute in New Jersey.

A Monmouth poll last week showed the race was essentially a dead heat, down from a double-digit advantage for Balderson a month ago. In addition to more Democrats expressing high interest in the race, Murray said the shift was driven by independents unhappy with the status quo under Trump.

Trump again pushed Balderson in an early morning tweet before voting began.

Democrats must pick up 23 seats in the House and two seats in the U.S. Senate in November to gain control of those chambers and put a brake on Trump's agenda. All 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats and 36 of 50 governors' offices are up for grabs in the Nov. 6 contests.

O'Connor, meanwhile, tried to rally his supporters at a watch party and declared, 'We're not stopping now'

The Ohio election was the marquee contest on a day of voting that featured primaries in four other states. Pictured: Trump and Balderson at Saturday's rally

Other well-known Republicans trekked to Ohio, including Vice President Mike Pence. A Republican advocacy group aired an ad featuring praise for Balderson, a state lawmaker, from Ohio Governor John Kasich, a frequent critic of Trump.

Republicans have tried to paint O'Connor, a local county official, as a liberal who would follow House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. However, O'Connor has walked a more moderate line, saying he wants new party leadership in Congress and would work with Republicans, while also criticizing the Trump tax cut.

Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington also held primaries on Tuesday, setting the stage for a number of competitive congressional and governor's races in November.

The Democratic race for governor in Michigan offered the next test of the electoral power of the party's progressive wing. Former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed lost his bid to become the country's first Muslim governor against a more moderate Democrat, former state Senate leader Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer will face Republican Bill Schuette, who was endorsed by Trump, in November.

Trump also praised GOP state Attorney General Bill Schuette for winning the nominations to run for Michigan governor on Tuesday

Voters in Michigan also decided other primary races. John James won the GOP Senate primary and will try to deny Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow a fourth term in November. Trump lauded James as a 'future star of the Republican party'

Trump praised Schuette in a tweet, writing: 'Congratulations to Bill Schuette. You will have a Big win in November and be a tremendous Governor for the Great State of Michigan. Lots of car and other companies moving back!'

Voters in Michigan also decided other primary races. John James won the GOP Senate primary and will try to deny Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow a fourth term in November.

'Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November can't come fast enough!' Trump tweeted.

In Kansas, Kris Kobach, a conservative leader in the movement to restrict illegal immigration and pass more restrictive voting laws, was running slightly ahead of Governor Jeff Colyer with about 30 percent of the votes counted for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Trump endorsed Kobach, Kansas' secretary of state, on Monday. Kobach was an immigration adviser to Trump's campaign in 2016 and vice chairman of Trump's commission to investigate voting fraud before the panel collapsed.

In Missouri, Attorney General Josh Hawley won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate race.

In Missouri, Attorney General Josh Hawley won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate race, leading to another tweet from Trump

Voters on Tuesday picked Hawley as expected over 10 other GOP challengers in the race for Democrat Claire McCaskill's seat.

He was the only candidate to have previously won a statewide election and had considerably more money than the other Republicans in the field.

He was backed by President Trump, who tweeted: 'Congratulations to Josh Hawley on your big Senate Primary win in Missouri. I look forward to working with you toward a big win in November. We need you in Washington!'

Cort VanOstran defeated four challengers Tuesday in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 2nd District. She will face U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner in November.

In the Washington primary, a state representative who resigned his chairmanship following allegations of inappropriate conduct was finishing in third place in the early returns.

Democratic Rep. David Sawyer on Tuesday trailed Melanie Morgan, a Democrat and local school board member, and Republican Terry Harder. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote getters advance to November, regardless of party.

Sawyer represents a district that includes parts of Tacoma.
Distressing footage has emerged of a desperate mother screaming at flight attendants on a crowded plane to open the passenger door after her baby allegedly passed out.

The woman was heard pleading for help when her baby got into breathing difficulties on board the Pakistan International Airlines flight from Paris to Islamabad, which had been delayed on August 3, according to Geo News.

The disturbing video shows the woman berating two male staff members while a man stands beside her holding the baby who appeared to be frothing slightly at the mouth and struggling to keep its eyes open.

The hysterical mother was pleading with airline staff to open the door on the sweltering plane after her baby 'passed out' on a flight from Paris to Islamabad

The disturbing video shows the woman and fanning her baby to keep it cool while staff refused to open the door

The hysterical mother was seen desperately fanning the baby to try and cool it down as she yelled at flight attendants for several minutes to no avail.

Several other passengers then surrounded staff to demand the door was opened, chanting 'shame', reported Dawn.

A crowd of angry passengers surrounds the flight attendants as they apologise profusely and try their best to calm them down.

One of the men calls for instructions on the phone but the crowd becomes more irate when he apparently tells them he cannot open the door.

Another small child being held by a parent is seen looking up at the camera and appears to be in some discomfort due to the stifling heat.

The child appears to be frothing slightly at the mouth and struggling to keep its eyes open

Several other passengers then surrounded staff to demand the door was opened and chanting 'shame'

The video, filmed by a passenger on a mobile phone, appeared on social media and has gone viral with more than 100,000 views in a day.

Passengers were reportedly forced to remain aboard the sweltering plane with faulty air conditioning for more than two hours before finally taking off, while staff guarded the door and refused to open it to allow ventilation.

The mother eventually gives up and returns to her seat with the baby as other customers continue to argue in vain with the staff.

The airline insisted the flight was only delayed for 30 minutes while the pilot waited for clearance to depart from Air Traffic Control.

The mother eventually gave up and returned to her seat while other passengers continued to shout at staff

The airline apologised on a statement on social media and says no there shall be 'no compromise on customer convenience and comfort'

The company's president today ordered a 'detailed inquiry' into what happened.

In a statement released on Facebook, the nation's flagship airline said: 'PIA has taken serious notice of the unfortunate incident that took place on PK750.

'The president and CEO Dr Musharraf Rasool Cyan has taken immediate and serious notice and has asked for a detailed inquiry into the matter.

'The delay was for 30 minutes as doors were closed, aircraft was ready for push back. However, Air Traffic Controller clearance was not received and the aircraft could not start its engine as the aircraft was still parked at the jetty.

'Details of the incident and explanations are being given to the Captain in Command, the ground handler and PIA's chief operating officer.

'Zero tolerance policy has been adopted in PIA and there shall be no compromise on customer convenience and comfort.'
A man who had grieved by his baby daughter's 'grave', twice a year for three decades, was shocked to discover he was mourning at the wrong place - as her headstone had been moved in error.

Manchester City Council has now apologised to George Salt, who visits Southern Cemetery in the city to pay his respects to little Victoria, who died less than two days after her birth in July 1988.

Mr Salt, who takes flowers with him, goes to the graveyard on the anniversary of Victoria's death, and also every Christmas.

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George Salt (pictured) was shocked to discover he had been mourning the loss of his baby daughter at the wrong site in a graveyard - for 30 years

Mr Salt visits Southern Cemetery, in Manchester, to pay his respects to little Victoria, who died less than two days after her birth in July 1988. Her name is one of 18 on a headstone (above) that was mistakenly moved during the 1980s

'I looked down and was completely gobsmacked. I thought, "Where's the stone gone?". I just wasn't told,' he explained to the BBC after his latest visit. Mr Salt goes to the site twice a year - on the anniversary of his daughter's death, and at Christmas

'I looked down and was completely gobsmacked. I thought, "Where's the stone gone?". I just wasn't told,' he explained to the BBC after his latest visit.

'When you go to a grave, you sit and talk and say what your troubles are - but the annoying thing is you're talking to a piece of ground where she isn't there,' he added.

After looking around, he noticed her name on a headstone, which has 17 other names on it, just yards from where he had been mourning all these years.

He said it stood out because not many of the other headstones in the area were still standing, plus it had all the trinkets of his put around it.

Manchester City Council had moved the headstone to an empty spot in the 1980s, but the mistake was only realised this year - after staff at the cemetery checked the grave records

Manchester City Council has since apologised for the distress Mr Salt has suffered

Mr Salt said the headstone with his daughter's name stood out because not many of the other headstones in the area were still standing, plus it had all the trinkets of his put around it

It has since emerged that the council had moved the headstone to an empty spot during the 1980s, but the mistake was only realised this year - after staff at the cemetery checked the grave records.

Mr Salt claimed he thought the headstone had been put in the wrong location at the time, but was told it was indeed the correct place, according to the Mirror.

Manchester City Council apologised for the distress he has suffered.

Southern Cemetery, which opened in 1879, contains more than 200,000 graves, and is one of the largest graveyards in the UK.

The headstone was relocated earlier this year to its correct position
Jeremy Corbyn is facing a fresh anti-Semitism storm after it emerged that activists from his local branch attended a protest where activists cast doubt over the scale of the scandal.

Activists from the Islington Labour party, in Mr Corbyn's constituency, joined a demonstration to protest against 'BBC bias' in the reporting of the leader and the crisis rocking the party.

Far-left activists reportedly made speeches reportedly calling Israel a 'racist state' and calling for members who had been ousted over the row to be reinstated.

The demonstration happened yesterday - just days after Mr Corbyn scrambled to try to quell the growing row by releasing a video admitting the party has a problem and pledging to tackle it.

But despite the leader's public words, his local branch were encouraged to head down to the picket in a move which risked fuelling the bitter controversy.

Far-left activists at the protest (pictured) reportedly made speeches reportedly calling Israel a 'racist state' and calling for members who had been ousted over the row to be reinstated

Mr Corbyn (pictured on holiday in Burnham on Sea) scrambled to try to quell the growing row by releasing a video admitting the party has a problem and pledging to tackle it

Meanwhile, leading Labour moderate Dame Margaret Hodge accused Mr Corbyn's allies of using the anti-Semitism scandal to purge the party of his moderate critics.

The MP - who is Jewish and lost family in the Holocaust - accused elements in the party of bullying MPs who dare to speak out.

Corbyn's Labour is hampering efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism, Holocaust experts warn International holocaust experts have accused the Labour party of undermining efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance last night said the party's high controversial decision to refuse to fully adopt is definition of anti-Semitism was hampering efforts. In their first intervention since the row erupted last month about Labour's refusal to take up the definition last month, they criticised Labour for excluding some of the specific examples of the racism. They stressed the importance of a global definition of anti-semitism to any effort to tackle it. And they said that by picking and choosing what bits o the definition to use, the party is hampering efforts to actually tackle the abuse. They add: 'Any modified version of the IHRA definition that does not include all of its 11 examples is no longer the IHRA definition. 'Adding or removing language undermines the months of international diplomacy and academic rigour that enabled this definition to exist. 'If one organisation or institution can amend the wording to suit its own needs, then logically anyone else could do the same. 'We would once again revert to a world where antisemitism goes unaddressed simply because different entities cannot agree on what it is.' Advertisement

On Monday night, Islington North Secretary Stephen Moorby emailed members to urge them to join the protest 'to call out the BBC on its persistent failure to report fairly and impartially the attacks on our MP Jeremy Corbyn', the Guido Fawkes website said.

Protesters reportedly made speeches calling Israel a 'racist state' while chanting 'shame on you, BBC'.

Labour Against the Witch Hunt were also handing out leaflets hitting out at 'purgists' in the party.

And they claimed the expulsion and suspension of Labour activists over anti-Semitism is part of 'a clear, determined attack on the left by a powerful section of the Party'.

Mr Corbyn's supporters are continuing to furiously deny the party has any problem with anti-Semitism and claim the whole affair is a witchhunt.

A group of them today dismissed the Labour anti-Semitism crisis as 'bogus' - saying there is a 'distinct lack of any evidence', in a letter in The Guardian this morning.

The group, which includes activists Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein, said Mr Corbyn has 'nothing to apologise for'.

The far-left activists dismissed warnings that Labour poses an 'existential threat' to Jews and urged the Labour leader to ignore the controversy.

But as his supporters risked fanning the flames of controversy in the letter to The Guardian, Mr Corbyn was pictured soaking up the sun at a seaside cafe on holiday.

The letter states: 'One of the most noticeable things about these repeated claims of Labour party antisemitism is a distinct lack of any evidence.'

It adds: 'Jeremy Corbyn has nothing to apologise for and he should concentrate on the real task, winning a majority at the next election, and not be diverted by these bogus claims of anti-Semitism.'
New York City moved Wednesday to regulate the explosive growth of Uber and other app-based ride services with a temporary cap on new licenses for ride-hailing services.

The City Council approved a package of bills that included a one-year moratorium on new licenses for for-hire vehicles while the city studies the rapidly changing industry.

The legislation also will allow the city to set a minimum wage for app-based drivers.

Backers of the proposals said both the traditional yellow cab industry and drivers for app-based services are suffering as Uber cars flood the city's streets.

They said the growth of ride-hailing apps has also worsened traffic congestion.

'More than 65,000 working families will be getting a desperately needed raise because of today's vote,' said Jim Conigliaro Jr., the founder of the Independent Drivers Guild, which represents drivers for Uber and other services.

New York City moved Wednesday to regulate the explosive growth of Uber and other app-based ride services with a temporary cap on new licenses for ride-hailing services. Cars are seen above driving on the Brooklyn Bridge last week

Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said the councils' vote set a precedent for the world as companies like Uber and Lyft use technological innovation 'to return us to a time of sweated labor, destroying lives and livelihoods across the planet.'

But Uber spokeswoman Alix Anfang said the pause on new vehicle licenses 'will threaten one of the few reliable transportation options while doing nothing to fix the subways or ease congestion.'

She said Uber will do whatever it takes to keep up with growing demand for its service and will work with city and state officials to pass 'real solutions' like congestion pricing for cars in Manhattan.

New York City is the largest American market for Uber and is now the first U.S. city to attempt to regulate the growth of app-based rides.

A similar cap on Uber and other car services was proposed in 2015 but did not attract enough support to pass.

Uber spokeswoman Alix Anfang said the pause on new vehicle licenses 'will threaten one of the few reliable transportation options while doing nothing to fix the subways or ease congestion.'

City officials said that in the intervening years the number of for-hire vehicles on the streets has surged from 63,000 to more than 100,000, forcing drivers to compete for scarce fares and making it difficult for any of them to earn a living wage.

At the same time, the value of the medallions that are required to operate a yellow cab has plunged from more than $1million to $200,000 or less, forcing many medallion owners into bankruptcy.

Debt and financial hardship have been blamed for the deaths of six taxi and car-service drivers in the last year.

Opponents of the legislation said Uber and Lyft provide much-needed service to areas outside of Manhattan that aren't served by traditional taxis.

They also said black and Hispanic New Yorkers need ride-hailing apps because yellow cab drivers often won't stop for them.

The legislation will now go before Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, who is expected to sign it. De Blasio is seen above in Tornillo, Texas in June

'They're talking about putting a cap on Uber, do you know how difficult it is for black people to get a yellow cab in New York City?' Rev. Al Sharpton wrote on Twitter.

But Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo, a Democrat, said Uber will still be available despite the moratorium on new cars.

'Uber as you know it is going to be Uber as you know it,' Cumbo said.

'You're not going to be stranded. Uber is not going away.'

The legislation will now go before Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, who is expected to sign it.
The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 606,926 people overstayed their visas in fiscal year 2017 to stay in the U.S. illegally  or 1.15 percent of more than 52.6 million people who were supposed to depart the country by the end of last year.

The largest proportion of those were 280,559 people (excluding Canadians and Mexicans) in the country on visas for business or pleasure, according to a new government report.

Among those, Brazilians had the highest proportion (31,912) of people believed to still be in the country illegally, followed by Venezuela (29,419), Colombia (21,070), China (16,225) and India (12,498).

Another 114,121 were here through the visa waiver program, which allows most citizens from participating countries to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less without a visa.

This chart illustrates the top source countries for people who overstayed their visas or legal limits for visiting the U.S. Canada and Mexico were the largest source countries - however entries from those countries are significantly less regulated and trackable than arrivals by sea and air. Overall, only 1.15 percent of all noncitizens overstayed last year

Visitors from the UK were the biggest offenders in that category, with 23,231 suspected of still being in the country by the end of the fiscal year. France was next with 14,406, followed by Spain (11,850) and Italy (9.043).

In addition, an estimated 93,073 of the overstays were from Canada and 47,537 were from Mexico.

The report also found 39,074 people remained in the country illegally after entering the country on a student or exchange visa by the end of FY2017. Among those, the highest proportion came from China (6,673) followed by India (2,833), Nigeria (2,172), South Korea (1,601), Brazil (1,465) and Saudi Arabia (1,445).

The overall numbers represent a slight decrease in total numbers from FY2016, when 628,799 people overstayed, representing 1.25 percent of the 50.4 million who were supposed to depart the country that year.

The past two years have seen an increase compared to FY2015, when just 482,781 people overstayed, or 1.07 percent of the 44.9 million people to who were legally supposed to leave the country.

Interpretation of the numbers varies depending on ideology, with some experts viewing the rate of over-stayers - 1.15 percent - as a systemic success.

'This is a pretty small issue and the number of people who entered the U.S. legally and overstayed and were supposed to leave in 2017 was very small,' said Alex Nowrasteh, senior immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

'It should make Americans realize that our immigration laws are much better enforced than most people realize,' Nowrasteh added. 'We focus on the illegal immigrant population in the United States, but there are many assets in our immigration system where there is a high degree of enforcement that is improving.'

This chart illustrates the type of visas and access had by people who overstayed their time in the U.S. during fiscal year 2017. People traveling on business or pleasure visas were the most common offenders, though overall, only 1.15 percent of all noncitizens overstayed last year

However immigration opponents said that the overall numbers are still too high and could pose threats to American jobs and national security.

'It's a startlingly large number of people who see no problem staying past the time authorized on their visa, they feel no risk of enforcement or consequences,' said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the anti-immigration Center for Immigration Studies.

She noted that the number of people who overstayed on business or pleasure visas increased by about 17,000 people year-over-year in 2017, which she said is significant because it's the category with the highest proportion of over stayers.

'If a huge share of the people who get the visas are not complying with them we shouldnt be issuing so many in the first place,' Vaughan said.

The government is using a new 'multifaceted approach' to deal with the issue of overstays that includes methods to better track people here on visas and remind them when it's nearly time to leave, Department of Homeland Security officials said in the report.

Those efforts include: Improving entry and exit data collection and reporting; notifying visitors when their visa time is almost up; cancelling travel authorizations and visas for violators; recurrent vetting of many of these visitors; and apprehending these so-called 'overstays' who are still present in the U.S.
If you've been following the Ohio special election thread the discussion veered off into why cities tend to favor the Democratic Party. One reason offered (by me) is that urban areas tend to be more educated/more diverse than country dwellers. Obviously there is disagreement on this. So my friend Hollywood offered this statement:





Which brings us to this thread.



It comes as no surprise that MANY on the Right are disgusted with public education and higher education and it begs the question that IF the RW/GOP is so distraught over public schools WHY don't more conservatives become educators and "FIX" the ailing public schools.

So that's question number one.



BUT we're starting with a POP Quiz. Republicans want to privatize public schools because--Multiple Choice:



a) Education is a multibillion dollar market, and the private sector is eager to get its hands on those dollars.

b) Conservatives are devoted to the free market and believe that private is inherently superior to public.

c) Shrinking public education furthers the Republican Party goal of drastically reducing the public sector.

d) Privatization undermines teacher unions, a key base of support for the Democratic Party.

e) Privatization rhetoric can be used to woo African American and Latino voters to the Republican Party.

f) All the above



The correct answer is f. All the above.



The new buzz word in politics and education is: Vouchers.

The word may seem harmless, but it's wrapped in political deceit and very PARTISAN political meaning and leaning. School vouchers are a way to diminish power. School choice allows children and money to leave the public school system, and that means there will be fewer public teacher jobs, lower union membership, and lower dues. It's a great way to destroy public schools.



Most Americans support public education, maybe because it's so....well...American! Apple pie. Flag waving. The idea that every child would be and should be educated was pretty exciting, back in the day. Most parents WANT their children educated because they want them to have happy, healthy, productive lives and education opens doors. So why the debate over public education?
A Florida woman turned her booking photo into a photo shoot when she was arrested late last month.

Tabitha Reitano, 19, managed to spice up her mugshots by playfully sticking out her tongue and flashing a sweet-looking smile.

She didn't seem too bothered about the reason she was getting her closeup, she was brought in on charges in Dade County on July 29.

Reitano was arrested in Miami for disorderly intoxication, battery and resisting an officer with violence to the officer's person.

Tabitha Reitano, 19, spiced up her mugshots by playfully sticking out her tongue (right) and flashing a sweet-looking smile (left) after being arrested on July 29 in Miami for disorderly conduct, battery and resisting an officer with violence to the officer's person

Other images shared online of the five-foot-four, 125-pound blonde show her consistently have a great time and mastering photo opportunities.

Reitano's profile picture on Instagram shows the teen in fishnet stockings and a black, crushed velvet bodysuit, cut high in the rear.

With bunny ears crowning her curly mane, the teen looks back over her shoulder towards the camera, showing off a fluffy white tail on her backside and matching folded French shirt cuffs.

On Facebook, Reitano's profile picture features her in a tropical setting with multiple brightly-colored birds surrounding her.

Reitano's profile picture on Instagram shows the teen in fishnet stockings and a black, crushed velvet bodysuit, cut high in the rear, with bunny ears ears crowning her curly mane

One hangs from her thumb and another perches on her opposite elbow, while two more are seated comfortably atop her head.

Reitano is outfitted in a green and white, two-piece swimsuit and denim shorts, with a pink crossbody purse slung over her torso and resting on her hip.

The vibrant young woman's portfolio also includes the standard social media fare of selfies, with one taken next to a large sunflower.

On Facebook, Reitano's profile picture features her in a tropical setting with multiple brightly-colored birds surrounding her, hanging from her thumb, perched on her opposite elbow, and even seated comfortably atop her head

The vibrant young woman's portfolio also includes the standard social media fare of selfies, with one taken next to a large sunflower

But this latest snapshot was definitely not a selfie. Her camera crew came equipped with badges and handcuffs.

The South Florida picture princess, who now lists Miami as her home, graduated from high school in Westport, Massachusetts.

She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and was freed on $3500 bond, with her upcoming court appearance scheduled for the end of the month.

Reitano's arraignment is currently scheduled for August 28.
Two men have today been found guilty of murdering an elderly jeweller who was brutally tortured for his safe code before being dumped in a country lane and left to die.

Ramniklal Jogiya, 74, from Leicester, was on his way home after locking up his store when he was jumped by thugs and bundled into the back of a white transit van.

A court heard the father-of-three was bound with cable ties and beaten so ferociously that his bicep was ripped away from the bone, six of his ribs on the left side were broken, and he had multiple injuries to his hands and fingers.

Thomas Jervis (left) and Charles McAuley (centre) were convicted of the murder of 74-year-old Ramniklal Jogiya from Leicester after a botched robbery. Callan Reeve (right) was cleared of the charge but found guilty of manslaughter

Last month Thomas Jervis, 23, Charles Mcauley, 20, Callan Reeve, 19, and Javon Roach, 29, from Leicester, went on trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Jervis and Mcauley were today found guilty of murder while Reeve was cleared of the charge but found guilty of manslaughter.

Roach was cleared of all charges by the jury who took around seven hours to deliberate their verdicts following a five week trial.

Ramniklal Jogiya bundled into the back of a van and was bound with cable ties and beaten so ferociously that his bicep was ripped away from the bone, six of his ribs on the left side were broken, and he had multiple injuries to his hands and fingers

CCTV footage captured the robbers wearing a full body burka and wheeling a shopping trolley

The father-of-three can be seen leaving his shop Vama Collections on Belgrave Road in Leicester before he was brutally tortured for his safe code

The attackers tortured Mr Jogiya to try and extract the alarm code and safe combination out of the shop owner.

The gang - one disguised in a burka and concealing a gun - entered Mr Jogiya's shop in a bid to steal jewellery and Asian gold worth 300,000.

But they left the Vama Collections store in Leicester empty-handed due to a timed lock set for 12 hours.

Mr Jogiya callously dumped near Stoughton, Leicester and died as a result of 27 separate injuries.

He was found lying in the field covered in mud by a couple driving past the scene the following day on January 25.

Detectives still do not know if he was killed instantly or whether he staggered around in the cold and dark for several hours before he eventually collapsed.

Detective Chief Inspector David Swift-Rollinson, of Leicestershire Police, said after the case: 'Rarely have I investigated a crime so wicked and ruthless.

'The depravity, inhumanity and utter contempt they showed for their victim has caused untold anguish for his family and stunned the whole community.

Detectives describe the crime 'wicked and ruthless' of the kind and gentle family man

The thugs realised they would not be able to get access to Mr Jogiya's safe and dumped him in a countryside lane where his body was found (pictured)

'The only possible comfort left for the family is that the people responsible for this terrible crime will now be locked up for a very long time.

'These men had planned to kidnap and rob Mr Jogiya, but it went tragically wrong.

'They launched a sustained and ferocious attack on Mr Jogiya which ultimately killed him.

'Mr Jogiya's safe was set with a 12-hour delay every night when he went home, and even with the right combination code no-one could have accessed it until 12 hours later.

'Realising they couldn't get access to the Asian gold he kept in the safe, the gang drove away from the scene, empty-handed, throwing their victim's phone out of the window in the countryside.

Mr Jogiya's safe in his shop (pictured) was set with a delay every night that could be be opened until 12 hours from once it was locked- even with the right combination code

'At some point they decided to dump Mr Jogiya in the middle of the open countryside, knowing he was a long way from help.

'Although he was still alive at this point, the injuries he had suffered were so severe that he could not be saved.

'Mr Jogiya was a kind, gentle and devoted family man. I cannot begin to imagine the horror he must have felt as the events of that ghastly night unfolded.

'Jervis, Mcauley and Reeve were responsible for the savage beating of a defenceless, elderly man and they left him to die. It almost defies words what they did to him.

'My thoughts, first and foremost, remain with Mr Jogiya's family.

'This was an extensive investigation to find the people responsible for Mr Jogiya's death and a team of officers and staff from different forces worked tirelessly on it.

'During the past six months we have examined CCTV, analysed vehicle movements, carried out phone work, spoken to witnesses and appealed for information, among other work, and I want to thank all of those involved for their hard work which has led to the convictions today.'

The court heard 'the sophisticated' kidnapping took place after 'several weeks if not months' of planning.

Prosecutor James House QC told jurors during the trial: 'He was badly beaten, almost tortured which caused a bleed to his brain.

'Once they had the information they needed - he was dumped miles away from his home and shop.

'Mr Jogiya was expendable to all means. Sadly they had to inflict serious harm.'

Jervis, Mcauley and Reeve were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on September 10.
A Marine was kicked out of the service after bragging about 'cracking skulls' and allegedly demonstrating with white supremacists at last summer's deadly 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Cpl Vasillios Pistolis was identified in photos from the rally on August 12 2017, violently smashing a Confederate flag onto a counter-protester, according to ProPublica.

'The Marine Corps' stance on membership in extremist or hate groups remains the same: there is no place for racial hatred or extremism in the Marine Corps,' Major Brian Block wrote in a statement.

Cpl Vasillios Pistolis is reportedly the man seen here smashing a Confederate flag onto a counter-protester on August 12, 2017 during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va

Pistolis (pictured) served 28 days behind bars, and was then kicked out after it was revealed he participated in the deadly Unite the Right rally

'Our strength is derived from the individual excellence of every Marine regardless of background,' Block's statement continued. 'Bigotry and racial extremism run contrary to our core values.'

Pistolis, who served 28-days behind bars before being kicked out of the service on July 11, was a member of the 2nd Marine Logistics group at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune.

A low-level military court convicted him on charges of disobeying orders and making false statements.

He also was docked two-thirds of one-month of his pay.

The Marine Corps began investigating Pistolis' behavior after ProPublica and PBS' 'Frontline' jointly identified him as one of several members of neo-Nazi organizations who also serve in the military.

That report says Pistolis is a cell-leader of the extremist group Atomwaffen. Members of the group have been charged in five murders and a bomb plot over the past year-and-a-half.

Pistolis is also allegedly a member of the Traditionalist Worker Party, another militant alt-right group.

Their report prompted Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) to urge Defense Secretary James Mattis to take action.

On August 12, 2017, the same day counter-protester Heather Heyer, 32, was run over and killed by a car, Pistolis bragged in an online forum 'Today cracked 3 skulls open with virtually no damage to myself.'

The axed marine allegedly bragged online about assaulting counter-protesters where he also described a blood-soaked flag as a result.

Pistolis bragged in an online forum the day this photo was taken: 'Today cracked 3 skulls open with virtually no damage to myself'

James Alex Fields Jr is accused of ramming his car into the crowd and killing Heyer.

Hes been in custody since the attack and is currently facing charges of first degree murder and other crimes.

Two other Marines, Sgt Michael Chesny and Staff Sgt Joseph Manning, were similarly removed from the service in 2017 for ties to white supremacist groups.
Juan Ramon Vasquez is shown in his 2016 mugshot. He is currently serving between eight to 20 years in jail for raping a child after reentering the US illegally following his 2009 deportation

A previously deported illegal immigrant from Honduras who raped a little girl in Philadelphia after being let loose by police instead of being handed over to ICE has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the US.

Juan Ramon Vasquez, also known as Ramon Aguirre-Ochoa, was first deported from the US in 2009.

In 2014, he was arrested for domestic abuse and in 2015, was released from custody by the Philadelphia Police Department.

ICE requested to be notified when he was let go in order to deport him but because Philadelphia is a sanctuary city, the department did not comply with their request and Vasquez resumed his life as an illegal immigrant.

In 2016, he was arrested again on child rape charges. Last year, he was jailed on that charge for between eight and 20 years.

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to reentering the country illegally after his 2009 deportation. The conviction will add a maximum of two years to his sentence.

Vasquez is now serving his time at a Pennsylvania state federal prison.

Once he has completed his sentences, it will be up to Philadelphia officials whether to comply with ICE's request for him to be handed over or if they will let him go again to rejoin society.

Vasquez, 45, is from Honduras. In 2015, he was given a 'free pass' by Philadelphia police who let him go free instead of handing him over to ICE. He went on to rape a child in 2016.

On Wednesday, the US Attorney William M McSwain condemned Philadelphia's decision to let him go in 2015.

'The facts of this case highlight the danger posed by the City of Philadelphias decision to disregard ICE detainers and release previously deported aliens from local custody.

'Those of us in the law enforcement business should be doing everything in our power to protect vulnerable children from predators like Vasquez.

'Instead, this defendant received a free pass from the City of Philadelphia and its Department of Prisons, headed straight back into our community, and committed a heinous crime he never would have had the chance to commit had the City of Philadelphia complied with the ICE detainer,' he said.

His case became a staple argument in the debate over sanctuary cities and immigration after it made headlines last year.


Judge T.S. Ellis (pictured) scolded prosecutors for taking too long in presenting their case and for having a witness sit in despite his ruling this would not be allowed

The judge overseeing Paul Manaforts tax fraud trial continued to clash with prosecutors throughout the day on Wednesday, quarrelling with them over witnesses and the slow pace of their questioning - as he has done throughout the trial.

Judge T.S. Ellis blew up at the government attorneys after discovering one of their witnesses had been sitting in the audience observing the entire trial  a practice the judge said he prohibited.

When I exclude witnesses, I mean everybody, he snapped at prosecutors, warning them not to do that again.

In the end Ellis allowed the witness, IRS Agent Matthew Welch, to testify.

The 78-year-old judge, who has been on the bench for 31 years and has a reputation for toughness in the courtroom, also urged the prosecution to wrap their case up as quickly as possible, noting that they had told him they would be done by Friday.

We need to find a way to focus sharply, he barked at prosecutors on Wednesday, arguing they did not necessarily need to use charts drafted by the FBIs forensic accountant to show the flow of money.

During the testimony of FBI forensic expert Morgan Magionos, the judge interjected to ask if the purpose of the prosecutions questioning was to argue Manafort didnt pay taxes on his income  of if the government was suggesting that Manaforts transfer of offshore money was illegal.

Prosecutors clarified that they were trying to show that Manafort failed to pay income taxes.

One can get lost with all these movements, argued Ellis, adding that this confusion might actually be what the government is aiming for.

While Ellis has been tough on both side during the case  he has repeatedly admonished the defense attorneys for asking compound questions and being too slow in their objections  he has directed most of his ire at the government attorneys.

Government prosecutors have copped the wrath of Judge T.S Ellis, who slammed the attorneys on Wednesday for taking too long to present their case (pictured, a courtroom sketch depicting prosecutor Greg Andres (standing left) questioning Rick Gates (right), on Tuesday)

Judge Ellis has been arguing with the prosecution throughout the case, and has regularly admonished them for focusing on Manafort's lavish lifestyle (pictured: Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye presents opening arguments as Judge T.S. Ellis sits back center)

His frustration with the prosecution reached a peak on Tuesday, when he yelled at U.S. attorney Greg Andres for not looking him in the eye and then appeared to call him out for crying.

Look at me! Dont look down, said Ellis.

Andres replied that he was trying to read a document  but the judge dismissed the excuse as B.S.

I understand how frustrated you are. In fact, theres tears in your eyes right now, said Ellis.

Ellis also snapped at Andres for addressing him informally without his title during their exchange, noting this trial was not an informal proceeding.

Before the trial even began, Ellis prohibited the prosecution from making almost any reference to the Trump campaign during the case.

He has also barred the prosecution from using the term oligarch to describe the wealthy Ukrainian businessmen who paid Manafort for his political consulting work, arguing that this description is pejorative and amounts to guilt by association.

Throughout the trial, Ellis has admonished prosecutors for emphasising Manaforts excessive spending habits.

It isnt a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending, said the judge on the first day of the trial, warning the government to stick to discussing the criminal charges.

He also rebuked the prosecution when they attempted to publish photos of Manaforts suits on TV screens in the courtroom.

The government doesnt want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, right? asked the judge.

When the prosecution attempted to continue the line of questioning, asking a witness to add up how much money Manafort spent at a high-end menswear store, the judge cut it off.

I said thats enough, Ellis said sharply. [The jury] can add.

Admission: Rick Gates, 46, was accused by Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing (left) of lying to Robert Mueller's attorneys about how many affairs he had

Ellis later told prosecutors that he can understand this effort to show [Manafort] lived lavishly, but did not believe this was relevant to the governments tax evasion and bank fraud charges against the former Trump campaign chairman.

IRS Agent Matthew Welch and FBI forensics expert Morgan Magionos both testified on Wednesday afternoon, the seventh day of Manaforts tax and bank fraud trial.

The defense grilled Magionos on discrepencies between Manaforts signature on bank documents that tied him to accounts in Cyprus. According to Manaforts attorneys, these signatures are different than ones that appeared on documents that the FBI seized from Manaforts home, which they suggested could be because Gates forged the Cyprus records.

Magionos conceded that the signatures did have differences.

However, prosecutors countered that Manaforts signatures had discrepencies even among the documents that were seized from his home by the FBI.

The defense also asked IRS Agent Matthew Welch if Manafort could have taken a tax deduction for money his lawyers allege was stolen from him by his former business partner Rick Gates. If this was the case, the defense suggested, then Manafort might not be liable for evading taxes on income he stored in offshore accounts.

Welch said there was indeed an embezzlement deduction and Manafort might have qualified for it.

Yes, it is allowable, said Welch. Embezzlement would come under that [deduction rule], yes.

However, prosecutors contended that Manafort would not have been allowed to take a deduction on income he never disclosed to the IRS in the first place.

Earlier in the day, Paul Manafort's defense team accused his former deputy Rick Gates of carrying on at least four extramarital affairs and then lying about it to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators in a fiery exchange.

Gates, 46, who has been cooperating with prosecutors as part of a plea deal, previously admitted on the stand to living 'beyond his means' and embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort, 69, while having an extramarital affair with a woman in London whom he gave an apartment.

But he also told the court that this affair was a 'mistake' that took place a decade ago and lasted only five months. Gates, a married father of four, said his wife is aware of the affair.

Gates said on Wednesday he informed Manafort about the affair at the time and Manafort was supportive of him. Manafort did not fire Gates, who was his second-in-command at political consulting firm DMP International.

Turncoat: Rick Gates (pictured earlier this year) is testifying against his former boss Paul Manafort, who is in prison while on trial

Legal team: Manafort's defense attorneys including Kevin Downing (center) and Thomas Zehnle (right) arrive for court Wednesday

After Gates described his relationship as a mistake, Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing asked Gates if he had disclosed to special counsel Mueller's team that he actually had affairs with four different women.

Gates appeared momentarily stunned by the question, responding 'Uhh' before prosecutors interrupted the exchange to object.

Downing told the judge that the question was necessary to establish whether Gates had lied to the special counsel's office.

The judge called the attorneys to a private bench discussion, which was not audible to the audience or jury.

When the attorneys returned, Downing reframed his line of questioning and asked Gates if his 'secret life' had coincided with the timeframe of the charges he pleaded guilty to on conspiracy to commit bank and tax fraud.

'I made many mistakes over many years and I regret them,' responded Gates.

Gates repeated a lot of the same information from his testimony on prior days, discussing the numerous foreign bank accounts he said he helped set up at Manafort's direction. He said he was also ordered by Manafort not to disclose these accounts to tax preparers.

At one point, the defense asked Gates if he realized he had been facing 200 years in prison before his plea agreement with the government.

Gates said he hadn't realized it was that much time  he thought it was 'only' 100 years  drawing laughter in the court room.

Manafort also faces over 100 years in prison for 18 charges of tax and bank fraud.

Gates's testimony began late Monday, continued all day on Tuesday and wrapped up on Wednesday morning.

He has provided first-hand accounts supporting the prosecution's allegations that Manafort hid millions of dollars in offshore banks to evade U.S. taxes, and knowingly falsified his financial information to obtain loans.

But he has also faced numerous attacks on his credibility from Manafort's defense attorneys.

They claim Gates stole millions from Manafort over the years to fund a lavish jet-setting lifestyle and secret mistresses  then committed tax and bank fraud under Manafort's name in order to cover up his own crimes.

Gates has admitted to at least some of the allegations from Manafort's attorneys, admitting to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort's company and to carrying on at least one extramarital relationship.

Gates said he kept an apartment in London for the affair and took first-class trips through Europe, using money from offshore bank accounts.

Gates told the court that Manafort directed him to hide millions of dollars in offshore accounts from U.S. tax collectors and to submit false financial information to banks in order to collect fraudulent loans.

He spoke bluntly about the criminal activity he claimed he carried out under orders from Manafort, who he first met at a Christmas party in 1995 while interning for the former Trump campaign chairman's lobbying company.

'At Mr. Manafort's request at different points in the years we didn't disclose the foreign bank accounts [to accountants],' said Gates.

'That was in order to reduce the taxable income on [Paul Manafort's] tax returns,' he added.

Watching brief: Manafort's wife Kathleen has been present throughout the trial

Day in court: Rick Gates's second day of cross-examination drew a crowd to the courtroom, where an overflow has been set up too

Happier times: Rick Gates (left) was at Paul Manafort side for more than a decade, including acting as his deputy when Manafort chaired Donald Trump's campaign. Both men were at the Cleveland Republican National Convention where Trump became the party's candidate

Gates said Manafort ordered him to lie to accountants, and directed him to hide the company's foreign bank accounts, which housed millions of dollars the firm had earned from Manafort's Ukrainian political consulting clients.

Gates also told prosecutors that he was aware his actions were illegal.

He said Manafort asked him to make wire transfers from their foreign bank accounts, which were primarily based in Cyprus. According to Gates, he and Manafort contolled 12 undisclosed accounts in Cyprus, two in the Grenadines, and one in the U.K.

Defense attorneys went after Gates's credibility, honing in on what they described as his 'secret life' on Tuesday.

'I acknowledge I had a period of time when I had another relationship,' admitted Gates.

'I was living beyond my means,' he said. 'It was a difficult timeI regret it clearly and I'm taking responsibility for it.'

Gates acknowledged that as part of this relationship he purchased a 'flat in London' and flights to Ukraine, using money from foreign accounts that the defense says Gates stole from Manafort.

Gates said he also paid for 'fancy hotels' and 'trips to Europe' with around $2.5 million the defense claimed he embezzled. He said he also used to money to travel to Las Vegas for an unrelated work meeting with a movie producer, which he admitted could be considered embezzlement.

Manafort's defense team also questioned Gates about a plea deal he reached with the government, which required his to cooperate with prosecutors on the Manafort case in exchange for lenient sentencing guidelines and a reduction in criminal charges against him.

Downing asked Gates if he had embezzled money from the Trump inauguration committee while he was working there in late 2016.

'It's possible,' said Gates.

When presented with a list of $3 million in his expenses by the defense, Gates initially told the court that some of the charges were authorized. He also admitted to previously telling investigators that six transfers, amounting to $450,000, were approved by Manafort.

Back in focus: The $15,000 ostrich skin jacket Paul Manafort bought with a wire transfer to a New York men's store was part of a scheme to avoid tax, an FBI accountant told the court

But when the defense asked him which charges from the list were authorized, Gates was unable to identify them.

The end of Gates's testimony was followed by more evidence which once agan raised Manafort's lavish lifestyle.

A forensic accountant told how the FBI traced payments from Manafort's offshore accounts to vendors in the United States, including a luxury menswear store where he purchased a $15,000 ostrich jacket.

Morgan Magionos, an FBI financial forensics expert, told the court on Wednesday that she tracked these transfers from accounts connected to Manafort in Cyprus, the Grenadines and the U.K. She traced the money through wire transfers and other bank records.

She said at least $748,000 in foreign account payments went to Alan Couture, a custom clothing store in New York where Manafort spent over $927,000 between 2010 and 2014, according to the store's manager.

Another $490,000 in foreign payments went to the Beverly Hills-based House of Bijan, which is known as the 'most expensive men's store in the world.' Manafort spent over $657,000 at the retailer between 2010 and 2013, the company's financial officer testified last week.

Manafort's purchases at the stores included a python jacket and a $21,000 watch.

Magionos also traced over $6 million from the accounts that Manafort spent on three properties in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Arlington, Va.

Over $200,000 was also transferred from Manafort's accounts to make payments at a Mercedes Benz dealership and a Landrover dealership, according to Magionos.

Prosecutors also showed Manafort's personal involvement in the transfers, producing several emails between the former Trump campaign chairman and his tax attorneys in Cyprus that showed him authorizing the payments.

Judge T.S. Ellis clashed with prosecutors once again on Wednesday over the slow pace of their questioning.

'We need to find a way to focus sharply,' he snapped at prosecutors, arguing that they did not necessarily need to use charts that were drafted by the FBI's forensic accountant showing the flow of money.

Later in Magionos's testimony, the judge interjected to ask if the purpose of her testimony was to argue Manafort didn't pay taxes on his income  of if the government was suggesting that Manafort's transfer of offshore money was illegal.

Prosecutors clarified that they were trying to show that Manafort failed to pay income taxes.

'One can get lost with all these movements of monies,' said Ellis, adding that this confusion might actually be 'what the government is aiming for.'

Ellis has urged the government attorneys throughout the trial to speed up and focus their questioning of witnesses. He has also admonished them for word choices he believes are prejudicial and their emphasis on Manafort's excessive spending habits.
Actress Alyssa Milano said Tuesday night on Twitter that a new episode of Russian election meddling is the only logical explanation for the 1,127 Ohio voters who chose a Green Party candidate over the Democrat running in a congressional special election.

'You know what sucks?' the entertainer-activist wrote. 'Because of our unwillingness to pass policy that protects our election integrity, I immediately think the Green Party votes tonight are Russian meddling.'

'Why else would anyone cast a protest vote in Ohio when theres so much at stake?'

U.S. intelligence agencies and, more recently, the Trump White House, have concluded that the Kremlin engaged in an ambitious but ultimately fruitless effort to sow chaos in the 2016 presidential elections. There has been no similar conclusion about this year's scattered special elections or the November midterms.

Green Party candidate Joe Manchik drove nearly nearly enough votes away from a Democratic candidate in Ohio's election on Tuesday to force a recount in the mid-state 12th Congressional District.

He says he's descended from aliens, claims marijuana is the key to solving America's opioid addiction crisis, and couldn't remember his own campaign website address during one speech-slurred interview this year.

Actress Alyssa Milano blamed Russia on Tuesday night for a Democratic congressional candidate's narrow defeat in Ohio, saying she couldn't come up with any other reason a Green Party spoiler candidate would have collected more than 1,000 votes

'Why else would anyone cast a protest vote?' the outspoken Democratic activist tweeted

America's intelligence agencies have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin sat atop an ambitious scheme to impact the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, but there's no evidence the attempt succeeded  and no evidence of a repeat performance this year

During a half-hour interview in March, a speech-slurring Green Party nominee Joe Manchik said Marijuana is the solution to America's opioid epidemic; he also couldn't remember the address of his own campaign website

In part because of Manchik's presence in the race, Republican Troy Balderson edged Democrat Danny O'Connor by just 1,754 votes with all precincts reporting Tuesday night.

That margin could shift, however, when election officials count absente and provisional ballots beginning on August 18.

Nearly 8,500 of them are still outstanding, and must remain out of reach until the absentees have had 10 days to arrive by mail. Some provisional ballots were cast by people who requested absentee ballots but showed up in person to vote Tuesday.

It's possible that the final results will hand Balderson a victory by a smaller margin than Manchik's total.

Milano is well-known for her roles on 'Who's the Boss?' and 'Charmed'  and for her liberal advocacy.

On Monday night she spoke in Brooklyn, NY alongside far-left gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon of 'Sex and the City' fame.

Milano was tied to the emergence of he #MeToo movement last year, and has testified before Congress in support of a 'Equal Rights Amendment' to the U.S. Constitution

Manchuk, a native of Hell, Michigan, believes his ancestors came from a distant planet and claims to speak 19 languages including 'Spanglish' and 'Sheet Music'

She told People magazine on Tuesday that if she had to choose between social activism and acting, she would be happy to say goodbye to Hollywood.

'If my integrity stays intact and I stay true to who I am and what I believe in  which is equality, and that every child deserves a healthy happy childhood  I have to stay true to that,' Milano said.

'And if it means I'm not gonna work in this industry, then I'm not gonna work in this industry. But at least I can go to bed knowing that I fought the good fight.'

'And also, I've been an activist since I was 15 years old,' she added. 'For me, I don't know any other way to function, like I can't not be vocal about issues.'

Election officials said Tuesday night that there were still 5,048 outstanding absentee ballots to count, along with another 3,435 provisional ballots.

State law requires officials to wait 11 days before counting any of them, throwing the race into slow-motion chaos until at least August 18.

Milano told People this week that she would choose political activism over acting if she had to pick one

While Ohioans were voting on Tuesday, Milano was in New Yorkto support far-left gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon

Manchik's personal Twitter account has 37 followers and is set to 'private,' meaning potential voters can't see his tweets unless he approves them in advance.

'I  G A R B A G E ! ! !' his bio reads. It also promotes a sparsely populated MySpace page.

His campaign-related Twitter account has 220 followers.

On Facebook Manchik writes that he speaks 19 languages including Spanglish, Nicaraguan Sign Language, Trinidadian English and 'Sheet Music.'

The native of Hell, Michigan says he traces his lineage back to a more far-off place.

'My distant relatives originally came to planet Earth from a planet orbiting a star in the Pleiades star cluster located in the constellation of Taurus,' Manchik writes, boasting that he was 'voted "Class Musician" by my High School graduating class.'

Missed it by that much: The actress tweeted her support for Democrat Danny O'Connor, who appears to have lost his congressional bid to Republican Troy Balderson

He did not respond to a message left Wednesday at his personal phone number, which he posted on Facebook.

Manchik has run for Congress once before, winning more than 13,000 votes in 2016.

He gave an interview in March over Google Hangouts to Green Vigilante Media, whose video had been viewed 243 times as of Wednesday morning.

Clad in a rainbow peace sign t-shirt, Manchik spoke for a half-hour about election financing, gun control, the Iraq war, the virtues of single-payer healthcare and growing hemp, the evils of fossil fuels, and the 'war criminal' Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 'an American-based terrorist organization.'

His solution to America's growing opioid epidemic? More weed.

'The use of opiates has dropped dramatically in Colorado since many people are using marijuana as a substitute, he said.'

With his voice slurring and a bottle of tequila visible in a cabinet behind him, Manchik declared: 'Marijuana isn't addictive at all! ... People go wacky on opiates, and I've seen it happen personally.'

Manchik also praised the Green Party for advocating that every American should be required to grow hemp.
The dead fetus that was discovered in the toilet of an American Airlines plane at a New York airport was left by a teenager who may have suffered a botched abortion.

American Airlines staff discovered the fetus, which appeared to be three to six months along, while cleaning the plane's bathroom on Tuesday at LaGuardia Airport.

The 18-year-old Brooklyn woman who left the fetus behind told police that she had no idea she was pregnant when she rushed into the plane's bathroom.

She told police she had begun to experience pain while on vacation in Jamaica and was treated at a clinic before flying back to the US, sources told the New York Post.

The dead fetus that was discovered in the toilet of an American Airlines plane at a New York airport was left by a teenager who may have suffered a botched abortion (file image)

She said the pain returned as she was flying from North Carolina to Queens on Monday night.

After the plane touched down and emptied out at LaGuardia, the teen rushed to the bathroom as her twin sister told the attendants it was an 'emergency'.

'She pulled the baby out and put it in the toilet and covered it with paper,' a law enforcement source told the New York Daily News.

A flight attendant who was on the plane told investigators that the teen looked ill when she came out of the bathroom.

The teen checked into Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn around 12.30am, where doctors reportedly determined she may have suffered a botched abortion.

The teen checked into Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn around 12.30am, where doctors reportedly determined she may have suffered a botched abortion

Cleaning staff discovered the fetus as the aircraft sat outside an airplane hanger around 6am on Tuesday.

Investigators located the teen at the hospital after flight attendants recalled the sick passenger and disclosed her seating assignment.

No charges have been filed against the teen and the investigation remains open until the autopsy, which will show if the baby was born dead or alive, is concluded.

The teen's grandmother said she was a 'good girl' who 'panicked'.

A neighbor said the girl and her twin sister recently graduated from high school and had a 'very strict' mother'.

'You don't even see them standing outside,' she said.
She was living the American dream, provided by her parents who had moved from Mexico before she was born, so she believes, to take advantage of some of the options that her parents never received while living across the border from the United States.

She became an adult; had three children born in the same country where she was led to believe that she was born in; worked and met her tax duties every April when the IRS came calling; and topped it all off by buying a home where she would raise her family.

But today, the federal government doesnt quite accept that she was actually born outside of Houston, as her mother told her over and over.

Now Ivonne Burciaga-Prieto, who since February has been in custody at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in Texas, isnt even sure when and if she will be allowed to walk out, according to a report first published by the Texas Tribune.

Ivonne Burciaga-Prieto, a single mother of three, has been held at the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca, Texas, since February after immigration officials accused her of falsifying documents claiming American citizenship.

Burciaga-Prieto, 36, who celebrated her birthday behind bars last Friday at the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca, had two birth certificates growing up.

Theres the American one that was authenticated by a midwife, backing up her parents claim that she indeed gave birth to Burciaga-Prieto, and then theres a Mexican document here folks were able to obtain, allowing their daughter to be lawfully recognized for dealing with the family business in Mexico.

The ordeal, Burciaga-Prieto thinks, is all centered on an ugly incident that occurred in November 2013 when she discovered that her then-youngest daughter, 6, had been sexually abused by her cousin.

The single mother of three children - now five, 11 and 13  fully participated with the prosecution, and her cousin was sent to jail.

The West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca, TX, where Ivonne Burciaga-Prieto, a Mexican-American is currently being detained for allegedly proving false documents as proof of US citizenship. She has been in detention since February.

While returning from a trip to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the following year, immigration law enforcement agents in El Paso apprehended Burciaga-Prieto. She was charged with falsifying her citizenship documents. However, the case was dismissed four months later by federal prosecutors who didnt want to continue with the case.

ICE agents showed up at her in February and took her away from her home in Midland while two of her kids were in school and another was present due to an illness.

In May, her attorney Stephen Spurgin said the arrest must have been a plot of a family relative forcing the parent and her daughter to go retract their original testimonies.

For now, Burciaga-Prieto is hoping the justice system and ICE can award her a U-visa, which is assigned to victims of crime or those that participate in the prosecution of criminal activities, and allow her to rejoin her three children who are under the care of her parents.

'Im a single mother, Im a mother and father and my children need me,' Burciaga-Prieto told the Texas Tribune. And I am here and I see that everyone is getting out, that mothers arrive with their kids and they get out and I am traumatized. I havent killed anyone. I am not a drug dealer. I dont have criminal charges.'

The Daily Mail reached out to Burciaga-Prietos attorney and ICE for additional comments.
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A Palestinian toddler and her pregnant mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza early Thursday, officials in the strip said, as Israel hit a series of sites in retaliation for '180 rockets and mortar bombs' allegedly fired from the strip.

Enas Khammash, 23, and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan were killed in an airstrike in Jafarawi in central Gaza, the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled strip said, while her husband was injured.

Gaza militants halted rocket fire by mid-day, with a Palestinian official saying 'they consider this round of escalation over.'

However, the Israeli military appear to disagree, warning that 'a full-blown military confrontation in the Gaza Strip' is near and that its government could start evacuating citizens near the border.

An explosion rocks Gaza following an Israeli air strike tonight after rockets were fired from the enclave

Explosions were heard across Gaza City last on Wednesday, leaving several people injured

'We are rapidly nearing a confrontation,' a senior Israeli Defence Force officer told Times of Israel.

'Hamas is making serious mistakes, and we may have to make it clear after four years that this path doesn't yield any results for it and isn't worth it.'

The Israeli military said its aircraft struck 150 facilities belonging to Hamas overnight, but offered no further comment on the casualties.

The United Nations late Wednesday called on the sides to step 'back from the brink'.

It was the third major escalation since July and came despite attempts by UN officials and Egypt to secure a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip.

Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza City

Smoke plumes rising following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City tonight. Injuries were reported on both sides of the conflict

An explosion begins to rise into the air above Gaza City after an Israeli missile detonated there on Wednesday evening

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.

In yesterday's skirmishes, smoke plumes could be seen rising from Gaza City following the military's announcement it was targeting 'terror sites in the Gaza Strip'.

The strikes came after two rockets launched from the coastal enclave hit the town of Sderot, near Gaza's northern border, police and the army said.

One person was lightly wounded by shrapnel while several others were treated for shock in Sderot, the United Hatzalah medical service said.

Sirens were sounded in several areas close to the border with Gaza, warning residents to seek immediate shelter, the Israeli army said.

'As of now, 36 rocket launches were identified from Gaza towards Israel,' the army wrote on Twitter.

The majority hit open areas while four were intercepted, it said.

Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for all fire coming from the long-blockaded coastal territory.

Boys walk past a fence in the Israeli town of Sderot damaged by an earlier round of rocket fire from Gaza last month

Israeli television broadcast images of a house and cars reportedly damaged by the rockets in Sderot.

Parts of the town have been closed off and police bomb disposal units were at the scene of the strikes, a spokesman for the force said.

The strikes came after two fighters from the military wing of Hamas, which rules Gaza, were killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday.

Hamas warned Israel -- with which it has fought three wars since 2008 -- it would pay for the attack.

The escalation comes after the Hamas leadership convened for a rare meeting in Gaza on Friday.

The gathering had raised hopes a deal for a lasting truce with Israel, with the backing of Egypt and the United Nations.

Clashes along the Gaza border since the end of March have seen at least 160 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire.

One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.
Brittney Whetzel, 28, allegedly had sex with two students after she searched the internet to determine whether or not it was legal

A South Carolina woman allegedly had sex with two of her students after she searched the internet to determine whether or not it was legal.

Brittney Whetzel, 28, reportedly made a joke to her colleagues at Battery Creek High School about 'hooking up' with one of the teens.

According to The Island Packet, Whetzel even said she couldn't wait for the boy to graduate so that on 'June 3rd' she could do whatever she wanted.

Whetzel allegedly spoke about a fantasy to have 'beautiful babies' with one of the teens she had a crush on, according to a report from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

But witnesses told authorities that Whetzel did not wait until graduation and instead had sex with the two students, who were both 18 years old or older, over spring break.

Two days before Whetzel and Battery Creek High media assistant Akina Andrews allegedly hosted an alcohol-fueled party, Whetzel had Googled questions about teachers having sex with students.

'Can teachers get in trouble for sleeping with former students?' was one of two searches authorities reportedly found in her cellphone.

On April 9, four boys were invited to Whetzel's home where they were allegedly given beer, wine and tequila.

A day later, a teacher who was aware of the incident, reported it to the school's assistant principal.

Whetzel's co-worker, Battery Creek High media assistant Akina Andrews (pictured) was also arrested for allegedly giving underage students alcohol

Though both students Whetzel allegedly had sex with were 18 or older, under South Carolina law, it is illegal for teachers to have sexual contact with their students, even if the students are above the age of consent.

Whetzel taught English at the high school and joined the district in 2016. Andrews started working for the district in 2017.

The SC Department of Education suspended Whetzel's teaching certificate on April 24, according to the Island Packet.

'Due to the serious nature of this allegation to misconduct, Ms. Whetzel may pose a threat to the health, safety and welfare of students who may be under her instruction, and that emergency action is required,' the department said.

In her first interview, Whetzel denied that she had sex with the students. She also claimed that none of the students had alcohol.

'I feel like somebody's trying to like get me in big trouble and I did not do anything  I am mad that I really even asked him to watch my cats,' she told deputies. '... I would never do that to a child.'

Though both students Whetzel allegedly had sex with were 18 or older, under South Carolina law, it is illegal for teachers to have sexual contact with their students, even if the students are above the age of consent. Pictured is the Battery Creek High School

But the students gave different accounts from that night.

In a second interview with police, Whetzel reportedly admitted that two of the students had spent the night and that she had driven them home the next morning.

She then claimed a combination of alcohol and a new medication had caused her to forget parts of her day.

When asked if she had had sex with the students, she told deputies 'I probably did'.

Police arrested Whetzel on April 16. She was charged with two counts of sexual battery and three misdemeanor counts of transfer of beer or wine for an underage person's consumption between April 9 and April 10, according The Island Packet.

She was released from jail the following morning on a $10,000 surety bond.

Andrews, 23, was charged with providing alcohol to minors at the same party. She was not charged with sexual battery of any kind.
Freedom of the press is a deadly drug, while censorship is the poison that permeates every institution. Every institution practices censorship. No government can, or will, use its police powers to prohibit institutional censorship:



The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits government from censorship. But suppose the threat of overt censorship doesnt come from government action, but rather, as a result of government inaction?



A lie of omission is censorship. The press engaged in censorship long before 1952:

"We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years.



It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supernational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in past centuries." David Rockefeller, Bilderberg meeting 1991

Farage: Treat Twitter like a biased publisher and sue



Aug. 07, 2018 - 5:51 - Tech companies are taking the lead in suppressing any voices that dissent against the left. In the past few days, Apple, Facebook, Youtube, Spotify, and other companies have all banned Alex Jones from using their platforms. Once that precedent was set, it took no time at all for other voices to fall victim. Brexit leader Nigel Farage believes Twitter and others should be treated like biased publishers. #Tucker



I was booted off one political lib board after one message. I wear that one as a badge of honor.



I recently resigned from one board in less than a day when the boards proprietor treated posters as employees. I told him to go and F--- himself and left with my dignity intact.



NOTE:

Just prior to his appointment as President Obamas so-called regulatory czar, Cass Sunstein wrote a lengthy academic paper suggesting the government should infiltrate social network websites, chat rooms and message boards . Such cognitive infiltration, Sunstein argued, should be used to enforce a U.S. government ban on conspiracy theorizing.



Such cognitive infiltration, Sunstein argued, should be used to enforce a U.S. government ban on conspiracy theorizing.
Tourists have been warned against stealing sand from Sardinia's beaches

Tourists are welcome to enjoy a slice of paradise at Sardinias stunning beaches  but be warned, if you try to take any sand home as a souvenir, you could cop a fine of up to 2,700.

Visitors to the sunny Mediterranean destination are apparently still illegally plundering snow-white sand from the island, famous for its emerald sea, coves and breathtaking scenery.

And in the latest incident, a 40-year-old UK resident, originally from Naples, was yesterday slugged with a 900 (1,000) fine after being found with just one plastic bottle full of sand, reports LUnione Sarda.it.

The sand had been taken from a beach on the coast near Olbia, on Sardinias north east coast, despite a ban against the practice.

The tourists fine comes after Germanys Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned visitors on its Facebook page: Take away sand? What at first glance may seem like a petty settlement is a serious matter in Sardinia.

In the latest incident, a 40-year-old UK resident, originally from Naples, was slugged with a 900 (1,000) fine after being found with just one plastic bottle full of sand in Sardinia

It's safer - and cheaper - to just look at the snow-white sand than risk a huge fine by stealing a handful of it as a souvenir

The warning posted on Facebook by Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Asking German travellers to respect and help protect Sardinias precious shores, it added: Every year tourists take tons of sand, stones and shells as souvenirs from the island.

This represents a considerable environmental damage and is therefore prohibited by law. And the punishment [ranges from] 500- 3,000. So please leave the sand where it belongs.

According to the BBC, over three summer months in 2015 alone, as much as five tonnes of sand were seized at Elmas airport, with sand also found at the islands other airports in Alghero and Olbia.

On a Facebook page set up by fed-up local residents, called Sardinia robbed and plundered, a woman commenting on yesterdays large fine posted: The sand lives on our beaches, feeds on the air, on the sea and is filled with light and colours.

'You do not understand that, as soon as you steal it and imprison it in squalid plastic bottles, DIE! [sic].

The taking of sand is illegal as the island wants to preserve the natural environment, and if visitors steal tonnes from the shores each year, residents fear that their beaches will eventually disappear.

Admire the views in Sardinia, but don't take any sand, shells or stones, visitors are advised
This is the mutant-looking eight-kilogram potato that has grown into the shape of a human foot.

The startling spud was discovered by farmers Marli and Paulo Ciquinel in the town of Meleiro in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Cantarina.

Photos show how the huge potato has grown to resemble a human foot, complete with toes that descend in height order.

The huge potato, which was grown in southern Brazil, resembles a human foot, complete with toes that descend in height order

The largest of the 'toes' is covered in roots that look like hair and the 'foot' reaches up to nearly knee-height.

The mutant-looking potato appears to have one extra toe.

The couple planted the potato in the vegetable patch behind their home where they also grow other vegetables.

The pota-toe was found by farmers Marli and Paulo Ciquinel who confessed they were 'a little bit scared' when they harvested it

Marli told reporters: 'We have never seen anything like it. Let's see what we are going to do with the potato. Perhaps, we can put it on display if anyone would like to see it.

'I was a little bit scared when we harvested that potato!'

The couple normally only plant vegetables for their own consumption but the couple do not expect to eat the eight-kilogramme (17-lb) potato.

Marli and her husband are retired and told reporters they have been planting potatoes behind their home for six years.
Siraj Wahhaj, 39, was arrested at the compound in Amalia on Friday with his brother-in-law, wife and two sisters

The Muslim extremist father arrested at a New Mexico compound with 11 starving children had been training them to carry out school shootings, new legal documents claim.

Siraj Wahhaj, 39, was arrested at the compound in Amalia on Friday with his brother-in-law, wife and two sisters.

He was heavily armed with an AR-15 rifle and four pistols when police stormed the compound to arrest him.

In court documents filed on Wednesday, prosecutors claimed he was using the weapons to train the children to perform mass school shootings.

It is not yet clear if they had set out a specific plan targeting any one school or if the practice was general.

The compound is close to the Colorado border.

The FBI had been watching the compound for months after being led to it in their hunt for three-year-old AG Wahhaj, Siraj's disabled son who he vanished with in December.

Their explanation for not raiding it is that they did not have a warrant because AG was never physically seen there.

Police now fear the remains of a young boy which were found on the compound this week may be his but they are yet to be formally identified.

Scroll down for video

Photographs taken on the compound on Tuesday show what looks like a make-shift target practice range

The compound is in the desert in New Mexico. It was put together with trailers and the children had been there for months

Neighbors have told how they heard shooting coming from within the compound over the last few months.

One man who lives nearby says the 11 children initially showed up near his plot of land to play with his kids but that they stopped coming several weeks ago.

Tyler Anderson, is a 41-year-old auto mechanic who lives near the site.

He has told how the Wahhaj family arrived in the desert in December with enough money to buy groceries and construction tools to build their home.

We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid Neighbor Tyler Anderson

Anderson helped them set up solar panels and the children in the Wahhaj family played with his at first but he started seeing them less and less.

He was aware of a target practice area set up on the compound and said he often heard shots coming from the property but that it stopped recently.

'We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid,' he said.

Lucas Morton, who is married to Subhanah Wahhaj, one of the sisters, owns the tract of land where the family was based and started building their compound.

Sisters Subhanah Wahhaj, 35, (left) and Hujrah Wahhaj, 38, (right) were arrested on Sunday

Jany Leveille, who also goes by the name Maryam, was also arrested for child abuse on Sunday. Wahhaj's brother-in-law, Lucas Morton, (right) was also taken in to custody

The compound is near Amalia, in the desert of northern New Mexico, is close to the Colorado border

The man who owns the patch next to it, however, says they started encroaching on his acreage as the compound grew bigger.

He appealed to the courts to have them convicted for the breach but nothing was done.

'I started to try and kick them off about three months ago and everything I tried to do kept getting knocked down,' he said on Tuesday.

The children were aged between one and 15 and all are related. They were taken into government care on Friday after they were discovered.

They had not eaten in days and were filthy. They escaped after a message from the inside, either written by them or one of their mothers, was intercepted by police.

Another photgraph taken at the site on Tuesday as investigators continue working at the scene. Despite landowners' efforts to remove the family, they remained there for months

The conditions inside the compound were described by police as the worst they had seen in 30 years after they found the children on Friday. There was no running water or food and the children all had terrible personal hygiene

Three-year-old AG, who has hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and requires daily medication, has been missing since December and was not found Friday. Remains found at the property are yet to be identified

It said: 'We are starving and we need food and water.'

The new details were shared on Wednesday as prosecutors pleaded with a judge not to grant Wahhaj bail.

At present, he stands accused of child abduction and neglect.

Police are yet to file charges relating to the discovery of remains of a boy on the compound.

They have also not yet confirmed whether the remains belong to Wahhaj's disabled three-year-old son AG who he vanished with in December.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Taos County Sheriff Jeffrey Hogrefe fought back tears as he described the grim discovery.

'We discovered the remains yesterday on Abdul's fourth birthday,' he said.

The children's grandfather is Imam Siraj Wahhaj, the leader of the Muslim Alliance of North America and the leader of a mosque in Brooklyn, New York City

Wahhaj, who is the son of a prominent New York City imam, reportedly planned to perform an exorcism on the toddler who he thought was 'possessed'.

They went missing from Georgia, where the family lived, in December.

AG's mother has been pleading for his safe return ever since.

Also arrested at the compound on Friday were the man's sisters, Hujrah and Subhanah Wahhaj, and his wife, Jany Leveille.

All three women, who police described at first as being 'brainwashed and intimidated' by the man, were charged with child abuse on Sunday.

Also charged was Lucas Morton, Subhanah's husband. He is charged with harboring a fugitive.
Donald Trump declared Wednesday that despite media reports focusing on Democrats' improved chances to win back control of Congress, the nation is actually in the midst of a Republican surge.

'RED WAVE!' the president tweeted, taunting the organized political left for its use of 'blue wave' as a rallying cry this year.

He also said on Twitter that he was '5 for 5' in races in which he has made endorsements.

But two of Tuesday's coattail exercises are by no means settled. Ohio Republican Troy Balderson leads Democrat Danny O'Connor by 1,754 votes with thousands of absentee and provisional ballots left to count.

And in the closely watched Republican primary race for Kansas governor, the Trump-endorsed Kris Kobach is clinging to a 191-vote margin.

Both electoral rumbles are considered too close to call.

President Donald Trump is either a soothsayer or in deep denial, claiming Wednesday that Republicans are in a strong position going into the midterm elections

The president tweeted 'RED WAVE!'  a taunt directed at Democrats who see a 'blue wave' coming to bury him and the Republicans in November

Still, Trump boasted that in the 18 months since he took office, Republicans have won nearly all of the contested special elections in the House of Representatives.

'The Republicans have now won 8 out of 9 House Seats, yet if you listen to the Fake News Media you would think we are being clobbered,' Trump wrote.

One contest was cut from his calculations: the 2017 election held to replace former Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra when he became California's attorney general.

Republicans didn't field a candidate at all in that election, held in an overwhelmingly Democratic district covering much of central Los Angeles.

Of the other nine, Democrats could only notch one win with Conor Lamb's southwestern Pennsylvania upset in March.

Trump was also counting Balderson's apparent but unofficial win. Republicans have also held on to seats in 2017 and 2018 special elections held in Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

But while Democrats have left nearly every House contest since January 2017 licking their wounds, they have been encouraged by seeing sliver-like margins that were thought to be unbridgeable.

Republicans held on to a Kansas House seat by just 6 points in April 2017, for instance, although they were expected to romp by 29.

This year's Arizona contest went from a 25-point Republican favorite to a narrower 5-point win.

In Tuesday's Ohio race, Republicans were originally expected to prevail by 14 points. The final margin, barring a dramatic development, will likely be about 1.

Political prognosticators divine those early predictions by combining margins of victory in the past two presidential elections, both in the district and nationally, and giving the more recent election twice as much weight.

The Trump-endorsed Ohio Republican Troy Balderson ran in a district where the previous GOP incumbent won re-election with 66 per cent of the vote, but Tuesday's election is still too close to call

Kris Kobach, Trump's pick in the Kansas Republican gubernatorial primary, leads the incumbent Republican by less than 200 votes

Election results typically conform to within a reasonable distance of the numbers, but since Trump won the White House most political norms have gone out the window.

The 'blue wave' Trump is trying to avoid could become a reality if the trend catches up to him and Democrats outperform expectations more dramatically in November.

Democrats have also won the only U.S. Senate special election in the Trump era when GOP nominee Roy Moore of Alabama self-destructed amid claims that he had molested teenage girls decades earlier.

'As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win!' he said. 'I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job Im doing. If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have a giant Red Wave!'

Historical precedent is stacked against Trump: In the past century, the party holding the White House has lost an average of 30 House seats and 4 Senate seats during midterm elections like the one scheduled for November.

Republicans have won 8 of the 10 special elections for U.S. House seats since Trump took office; the exceptions were a California district where no Republican was on the ballot, and a Pennsylvania race won in an upset by Democrat Conor Lamb (right), who beat a favored Republican by two-tenths of 1 per cent

Democrats snagged a Senate seat last year in the only Senate special election in the Trump era when Republican nominee Roy Moore's campaign imploded amid decades-old sexual abuse allegations

There have only been two such elections where a president's party gained seats in both houses of Congress.

One came in 1934 as first-term president Franklin Delano Roosevelt stared down the Great Depression. The other was George W. Bush's first midterm, in which he rallied Americans to his side in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Democrats hope to continue the larger trend, at least in the House. They need to 'flip' just 24 seats to regain the majority; and of the 48 races considered competitive, 25 are in areas of the country where Hillary Clinton outpolled Trump in 2016.

The Senate is a much steeper hill for Democrats to climb, even though a net gain of just two seats would put them in control.

That's because 26 of the 35 Senate seats involved in an election this year are currently in Democratic hands, meaning they have far more territory to defend.

Senators serve for six years, meaning that a typical 2-year election cycle involves only one-third of them.

Presidents, though, serve for four years at a time, putting them on the ballot in alternating elections.

Trump's next judgment day will be in 2020.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville on Wednesday declared a state of emergency ahead of the one-year anniversary of a violent white nationalist rally that left one person dead and dozens of others injured.

Officials said the declaration would streamline state and local operations this weekend while also allocating $2million in state funds.

The declaration authorizes the Virginia National Guard to assist in security efforts.

Law enforcement officials said there will be a heavy police presence meant to deter any violence.

People are seen above flying in the air after a white nationalist rammed his car into a crowd during a protest in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. Authorities are beefing up security as the one-year anniversary approaches

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (above) and the city of Charlottesville on Wednesday declared a state of emergency ahead of the one-year anniversary

Virginia State Police Superintendent Gary Settle said more than 700 state police will be activated during the weekend and 'state police is fully prepared to act' to prevent any incidents like last year.

Only one organizer of last summer's rally in Charlottesville seems intent on publicly marking the anniversary.

Jason Kessler has vowed to press ahead with plans for an Aug. 12 rally in Washington, D.C., after Charlottesville denied him a permit.

Authorities faced unrelenting criticism for their handling of last year's rally and an independent review that found serious police and government failures in responding to violence at the 'Unite the Right' rally.

It drew hundreds of white nationalists from across the country to the Virginia college town.

Chaos erupted before the event even began, with participants and counterprotesters brawling in the street.

Later, a woman was killed when a car drove into a crowd protesting against the white nationalists, and dozens more were injured.

Heather Heyer, 32, who was in Charlottesville to protest white nationalism, was killed last year

The man accused in that attack, James Alex Fields of Ohio, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Two state troopers who had been monitoring the event also were killed when their helicopter crashed.

The independent review by former U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy was sharply critical of both the city and state police, saying both 'failed' to 'stand up' to protect human life.

Several city officials left their jobs in the months after the rally.

The city attorney took a new job, the city manager's contract was not renewed, a spokeswoman quit and the police chief, who was 50 at the time, retired after less than two years on the job.

Several peaceful events are planned in Charlottesville to commemorate last year's event and promote racial healing.

The city is planning to establish a "defined security area" downtown where weapons will be banned.

Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said the goal for that community is to have a peaceful weekend.
Socialist star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saw a majority of her primary candidates go down in flames in Tuesday night's contests, with four out of the six contenders she supported losing their bids to become the Democratic Party nominee in their respective races.

Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed socialist Democrat who defeated Rep. Joe Crowley in a stunning primary upset in June, tried to leverage her new star power into helping other candidates follow her path to victory.

And several of Tuesday's contests echoed the bitter 2016 Democratic presidential primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, where establishment Democratic groups fought against liberal activists in a fight for the party's soul.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backed six candidates in Tuesday's contests and only two one

Michigan Gubernatorial Abdul El-Sayed was one of the tough losses of the night

Ocasio-Cortez tried to help Missouri candidate Cori Bush repeat her feat in toppling an incumbent Bush failed in her contest Tuesday

Ocasio-Cortez stayed positive about the defeats.

'Wins in the short-term are important milemarkers and necessary to building power. But you can't be afraid of loss. Fear keeps people from accomplishing great things,' she wrote on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

In Missouri, Ocasio-Cortez had backed candidate Cori Bush in her bid to do what she did earlier in the summer - topple a sitting member of Congress.

But Bush, a pastor and civil rights activist, failed to bring down longtime Rep. William Lacy Clay. She lost by 20 points, earning 37 percent of the vote to Clay's 57 percent.

The results could cause the remaining Democratic incumbents to breath a little easier as they head into their primary contests, given Clay's slam-dunk win.

Clay has strong ties to the St. Louis House district, where he has been the congressman for two decades and that his father, who helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, represented before him.

But some of Ocasio-Cortez's toughest loses came in Michigan, where Sanders defeated Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

Two of her candidates went down in flames: progressive gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed came in second in his contest and House candidate Fayrouz Saad came in a disappointing fourth in her primary.

Ocasio-Cortez stayed positive about the defeats

She praised her candidates for running strong races

El-Sayed was hoping to become the nation's first Muslim American governor. There are around 90 Muslim-Americans running for federal or statewide office this year.

Ocasio-Cortez said the El-Sayed and Bush ran 'incredible first-time campaigns.'

'They built power and experience at home that can be used to build on. For them to be this competitive their 1st time running for office, while heavily outspent, is proof of their extraordinary talents,' she wrote on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

El-Sayed came in second to the frontrunner, state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, who received key endorsements from labor groups and from EMILY's List, a political action committee that aims to elect pro-choice Democratic female candidates.

In the contest for retiring Republican Rep. David Trott's seat, Clinton's Democratic firing power shown through over Ocasio-Cortez's rising star buzz.

Ocasio-Cortez had endorsed Saad in that contest while Clinton endorsed and recorded a robo call for Haley Stevens, who won the Democratic nomination Tuesday night.

Trott's seat is one Democrats want to win in November as part of their effort to gain the 23 seats the party needs to regain control of the House of Representatives.

But another House candidate in Michigan, Rashida Tlaib, gave Ocasio-Cortez one of her two wins for the night.

Tlaib  who was once kicked out of a luncheon for heckling President Donald Trump  won the Democratic nomination and, given that Republicans didn't field a candidate, she will be the first Muslim woman in Congress.

She is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and defeated five other candidates to win the nomination. Like Ocasio-Cortez, she belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America.

House candidate Fayrouz Saad, backed by Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, came in a disappointing fourth in her primary

Rashida Tlaib won her primary and was one of Ocasio-Cortez's two wins of the night

The 13th district in Michigan is deep blue - as blue as New York's 14th, the district Ocasio-Cortez won in June, showing the power liberals have in heavily Democratic turf.

A House candidate in Kansas gave Ocasio-Cortez her second victory.

James Thompson won the Democratic nomination and will take on Republican Rep. Ron Estes in November.

Thompson and Estes had battled it out in an April 2017 special election to replace Mike Pompeo, who left to be President Donald Trump's CIA director (he's now secretary of state).

Estes won by six points.

The tougher loss was likely candidate Brent Welder in Kansas City, a former Sanders 2016 campaign staffer who was fighting to unseat Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder.

Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders held a rally in Kansas for their two House contenders last month.

Welder came in second to Sharice Davids, who was endorsed by EMILY's List and would be the first openly lesbian Native American in Congress if elected in November.

Brent Welder, a former Sanders campaign staffer, lost his contest

Democratic Kansas congressional candidate James Thompson was endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; he won his contest Tuesday night

Democrats are eying Yoder's seat as one of their top pickup opportunities this year. Clinton won Yoder's House district by one percent in 2016.

But there are still primary contests to compete in.

Ocasio-Cortez is backing Congressional candidate Kaniela Ing in Hawaii, which holds its primary contest on August 11.
The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would slap new sanctions on Russia in retaliation for the poisoning of an ex-spy in England.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious in a Salisbury park at the beginning of March. Authorities determined that they had been attacked with a military-grade Russian nerve agent known as Novichok.

Vladimir Putin's government violated an international act banning the use of chemical and biological weapons with the assassination attempt, the State Department said.

It announced the sanctions in a statement that it released without fanfare and without a comment from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would slap new sanctions on Russia in retaliation for the poisoning an ex-spy in England

Former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious at the beginning of March. Authorities determined that they had been attacked with a military-grade Russian nerve agent known as Novichok

Soldiers in chemical hazard suits arrive at the Salisbury bench where Russians Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal were found poisoned by Novichok in March

Acting in tandem with governments in Europe, the United States expelled 60 Russian diplomats it said were spies in March in response to the attack that landed Skripal and his daughter in the hospital.

It did not introduce new sanctions on the already heavily-punished country for the poisoning at the time, even though the White House said in statements that it agreed the attack was perpetrated by Russia.

Pushed to declare Russia in violation of international by the Republican lawmaker who chairs the House's Foreign Affairs Committee, the Trump administration moved on Wednesday to take delayed action to enforce international law.

Sanctions will go into effect on August 22 after a mandatory waiting period, the State Department said.

They will remain in effect until Russia provides reliable assurances that it will not use chemical weapons again and approves the use of U.N. inspectors.

In a brief press release, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said: 'Following the use of a Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on August 6, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

'Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018.'

The White House did not send out a statement on the State Department action. It did not respond to a request for comment on the sanctions from DailyMail.com, either.

President Trump remains at his Bedminster golf club and had no public events on Wednesday. He did comment on the sanctions on his Twitter account.

He has been at the property since last Thursday and has made only a handful of appearances since.

Republican Congressman Ed Royce initiated the determination in March when he asked for a ruling on whether Russia had violated international law with the poisoning.

Novichok is banned under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

The administration blew through a 60-day deadline to respond to Royce's request, and July 26 he sent the president a letter reminding him that upon making a determination that Russia violated the law mandatory sanctions would be imposed.

Royce noted that Trump had already acknowledged Russia was the likely culprit of the attack. He told the president that exercising the determination was 'critical to deterring additional attacks' of that kind.

'In recent years, Vladimir Putin has steadily escalated his campaign to consolidate power and undermine the United States,' he said. 'Your compliance with the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 is critical to showing Putin that we are serious about challenging his deadly acts, as well as his ongoing attacks on our democracy.'

In bringing up Putin's attacks on American democracy, Royce made reference to Kremlin-ordered election meddling, for which Russia has already been sanctioned.

His needling of Trump followed a summit with Putin in which the American president refused to call out his counterpart for the bad behavior. He even suggested that the interference the U.S. intelligence community pegged to the Kremlin may not have been carried out by Russia.

Days later the president claimed he misspoke when he said he had no reason to believe that the meddling was directed by Russia. And he backed away from an invitation this year for Putin to meet with him at the White House.

Royce wrote him last week to demand a decision on sanctions over the poisoning by noon on Thursday. He praised the Trump administration after it formally announced the sanctions before the expiration date of his ultimatum.

'The administration is rightly acting to uphold international bans on the use of chemical weapons. The mandatory sanctions that follow this determination are key to increasing pressure on Russia. Vladimir Putin must know that we will not tolerate his deadly acts, or his ongoing attacks on our democratic process,' he said.
About ten years ago, a female friend had the guts to write an opinion piece in a trendy publication much loved by the intelligentsia, saying the unsayable. She said the burka had no place on our city streets.

Shopping in central London, she found herself surrounded in an Oxford Street store by women covered from head to foot in black bags, only their eyes visible. These women did not communicate, except with each other. Mysterious, unknowable, walking one step behind their men.

My clever friend is a feminist to her core, and defends the right of any female to wear what she wants.

Her point - which seems even more relevant today - is that a lot of people (me included) see the niqab (which only leaves the eyes exposed) and the burka (which covers a woman's entire body rendering her a shapeless non-descript being) as highly distasteful in modern Britain (or any other western society), where we are all supposed to be doing our best to harmonise and integrate. It emphasises an aggressive difference, a lack of approachability.

Boris Johnson is a publicity-seeking buffoon, who would make just about the worst Prime Minister on record. He thrives on the oxygen of publicity, which explains his latest rantings about women in burkas looking like 'letterboxes', made at a time when he's not in any position of real power, writes Janet Street-Porter

You might argue that the women are kitted up like this of their free will, under no pressure from their community, their husbands or their families. They might be very religious, in a way most westerners find alien.

Really? 100% of them? After all, Anglican clergy go to great lengths to try and disguise the fact they are ambassadors for a church, and dog collars seem to be optional.

Even the Pope wears any old shoes, and isn't that bothered about his clothing, other than it's white and featureless. There's a lot wrong with Catholicism, but the Pope doesn't hide his face, he washes the feet of the poor and hangs out with prostitutes. He reaches out, not covering himself up.

And Catholics (even though their church's policies concerning abortion are repugnant to me) don't tell women what they should be wearing to reach a bit closer to God.

I'd like to see more prominent Muslims from all walks of life enlightening us on their position regarding the wearing of the burka. Is putting on an anonymous item of clothing really a sign you are proud to be British and ready to meet the neighbours? (Above, protesters in Copenhagen following Denmark's recent decision to ban wearing the burka in the street)

Ten years ago, you could (just about) say that the rise of the burka on the streets of our cities made you feel a bit uncomfortable, as if one group of people wanted to feel separate from the rest of society.

God forbid you voice that point of view now - you're called an islamophobe, a racist and God knows what else within seconds on social media. We have entered a puritanical age with black and white and nothing in between. No debate, just shrieking statements.

The latest spat about the burka has brought out the worse in all concerned, and laid bare our lily-livered snowflake society, full of knee jerk reactions and bids for Twitter stardom.

Boris Johnson is a publicity-seeking buffoon, who would make just about the worst Prime Minister on record. He thrives on the oxygen of publicity, which explains his latest rantings about women in burkas looking like 'letterboxes', made at a time when he's not in any position of real power.

Actually, he was making a valid point - that Denmark's decision to ban wearing the burka in the street - following France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the German republic of Bavaria- was ill-advised. He said 'women should be free to wear what they want'. Correct answer.

The knock-about jokes I can live without, but l respect his right to free speech.

Boris is brilliant at one thing - flushing out the tosspots who feel compelled to pontificate on any issue of the day.

Baroness Warsi found his remarks 'bigoted and indefensible'. Theresa May demanded an apology. Lord Sheikh wanted him chucked out of the Tory party.

Only Tory MP Nadine Dorries said BoJo had 'not gone far enough'- but what's her self-seeking agenda? The Tory party Chairman, Brandon Lewis, expects BoJo to offer an apology - dream on. Apologies are totally worthless in modern society, ten a penny. Our leaders have grovelled and apologised for slavery, police corruption, failed sex abuse trials and preventable hospital deaths caused by dirt and negligence and yet all those things still go on in modern Britain.

The cornerstone of modern society is the ability to disagree. Back in 1731, Benjamin Franklin, then a not-so-humble journalist and printer, explained in a famous tract why it was so important to express distasteful opinions, and upheld the fundamental right to offend. He even considered writing a standard 'apology' he could trot out every time he p*ssed someone off.

He cited the maxim 'when Truth and Error have fair play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter'. Precisely. The mistake the Telegraph made in printing Boris's rant, was not to allow equal space to a columnist to express their defence of the burka- even though no one can find it set out in the Koran, which is more concerned with women dressing modestly, than donning black bags.

By screaming for Boris to apologise, have we forgotten the art of debate?

In many ways free speech is facing a perfect storm of challenges.

'Snowflake' millennials demand a world where they only ever encounter their own opinions while the political and journalistic elite (who even in Franklin's day were uncomfortable with the unruly 'mob' - ie you and me - having a voice) are only too happy to connive at restrictions that reign in the internet's threat to their monopoly over public debate.

In defence of a web built on the principle of free speech, Mark Zuckerberg uses a similar argument to Franklin, that Facebook is merely a platform for people to express their views. It is a neutral facilitator, it does not authenticate them.

Now, we are demanding he apologises, for his site to be policed and offensive content removed. That is simply not possible because of the volume of traffic and almost everything will offend someone, somewhere.

Although Facebook made a big concession this week in America where, along with Apple and YouTube but not Twitter, they booted the loony right-wing conspiracy-theorist Alex Jones off their platform.

Can't we accept that if we allow free speech, then we WILL be offended - and have faith that we can counter hysteria, prejudice and fake news with well-reasoned rebuttal.

Don't shut down discussion; that way lies censorship and a narrowing of vision.

The biggest mistake at the moment is to talk about offending the Muslim 'community'- that's even more insulting than slagging off the burka. 'Community' is one of the most over-used words in the language - it lumps people into one homogeneous group, depersonalises them and makes it easier to attack them en masse.

The word community also does a very good job of preventing Britain (or any other civilised country) becoming one fair society, with shared simple goals of better health, education and social provision, regardless of religion or ethnicity. Communities tend to look after themselves first, and that's not good.

I'd like to see more prominent Muslims from all walks of life enlightening us on their position regarding the wearing of the burka. Is putting on an anonymous item of clothing really a sign you are proud to be British and ready to meet the neighbours?

And is screaming down anyone who questions the burka just an admission that the arguments in its favour are less than convincing?
Danielle Delores Teeples, 40, told police she was high on meth and took her clothes off because she was escaping a giant spider

A naked woman who confessed to being high on meth and crack told police she took her clothes off because she was trying to get away from a giant spider.

Danielle Delores Teeples, 40, has been charged with exposure of sexual organs.

She was arrested after bystanders reported seeing a naked woman at Bartlett Park in St Petersburg, Florida on Sunday.

Numerous people were around as Teeples ran through the park ar 2.13pm.

Teeples told police she had recently taken not only meth and crack, but also spice and cocaine, according to WFLA.

She said she thought a giant spider was on her, so she took off her clothes so she could escape it.

Witnesses told police that Teeples had been 'acting erratically' and could be seen rubbing her breasts and hair.

Teeples told police she had recently taken not only meth and crack, but also spice and cocaine. She thought a giant spider was on her, so she took off her clothes to escape it

They said she was screaming as she frolicked through the park and ran between two trees.

Authorities said vehicles on a nearby street were slowing down and honking at Teeples as she ran about.

Teeples initially refused to put her clothes back on as police arrived at the scene, according to authorities.

She later told police that she was disturbed by her own behavior.
The home of a Christian couple charged with their infant daughter's death after they refused to seek medical attention is littered with signs condemning evil and ordering people to seek God.

The hand-painted signs are nailed to fences surrounding Seth Welch and Tatiana Fusari's Michigan farm and affixed to trees in their front yard.

Welch painted the red, white and blue bible verse signs more than a year ago, asking his Facebook friends at the time to send him scripture ideas.

'What verses have really stuck in your head, either as an unbeliever coming to Christ, or as a motivator to you as a Christian,' he posted.

Scroll down for video

'Repent believe obey' and 'My kingdom is not of this world' are some of the religious messages painted on the property of Seth Welch and his wife Tatiana Fusari

Welch made the hand-painted signs more than a year ago, posting on Facebook ideas for bible verses to include

The signs are nailed to trees in the front yard of the couple's home and posted on the fence surrounding their property

Other signs read: 'Blessed are the peacemakers', 'the kingdom of God is within you' and 'amazing grace how sweet the sound'

Fusari and Welch (left and right) were brought in for questioning where they admitted to noticing their daughter was skinny and underweight as early as a month before her death

The parents, both 27, have been charged in 10-month-old Mary's death after she was found dead in her crib on August 2

The signs scattered across the yard include bible verses and warnings telling people to 'repent believe obey'.

Other signs read: 'Blessed are the peacemakers', 'Every knee shall bow and every throne will confess to God' and 'God knows what you need before you ask Him'.

Welch also painted religious messages in large white letters across his wooden fence.

'My kingdom is not of this world,' one message read, while another quoted Matthew 6:10: 'His kingdom comes, his will be done'.

Welch often shared photos of the placards on his Facebook page, along with dozens of images of highlighted verses in his bible.

Photos from inside the couple's home show handmade wooden desks and chairs, bare walls and images of their young children working on crafts- they have two older children. Welch often posted videos criticizing worldly things and encouraging believers to 'live off the grid'.

The couple, who consider themselves to be devote Christians, said they did not seek medical attention for Mary before of their religious beliefs

Welch's Facebook page is littered with religious posts, including highlighted passages in his Bible

The father-of-three often preached about the Bible and posted lengthy videos attacking worldly things, doctors and vaccinations

Welch and his wife, who is believed to be pregnant with their fourth child, were charged on Monday with felony murder and first-degree child abuse after Welch called 911 to say he found his 10-month-old daughter Mary dead in her crib.

First responders said the child had sunken eyes and cheeks and felt cold to the touch. An autopsy revealed that she died of malnutrition and dehydration due to neglect by adult caregivers.

Welch and Fusari, both 27, reportedly confessed to police that they noticed their daughter was skinny and underweight as early as a month before her death but did not seek medical help 'for fear of having Child Protective Services called, lack of faith and trust in medical services and religious reasons'.

In a bizarre rant posted two weeks before Mary died, Welch lashed out at doctors calling them 'skillful magicians and experts in charm'.

In another post he labeled doctors 'the priests of the medical cult'.

'The righteous shall live by faith,' he continued. 'It's God who is sovereign over disease and those sorts of things and, of course, ultimately deaths.'

Seth Welch and Tatiana Fusari, both 27, were charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse. Welch stared at the judge with his mouth wide open as she read out the charges, while Fusari burst into tears

Welch's last post was a message about his daughter dying and his other children being taken away from him and Fusari

The couple reportedly admitted to police that they noticed Mary (pictured in older Facebook photos) was underweight as early as a month before her death

Welch also hit back at critics who attacked him and his wife for not vaccinating their three children.

'It didn't seem smart that you would be saving people who weren't the fittest,' he said in a video. 'If evolution believes in survival of the fittest, why are we vaccinating everybody? Shouldn't we just let the weak die off and let the strong survive?'

The couple's two other children, a four-year-old girl named Elizabeth and two-year-old boy named John, were removed from the home and, according to a Facebook post from Welch, are being cared for by grandparents.

'Heart is about shattered right now,' he wrote on August 2, the day his youngest child was found dead.

'Woke up to Mary dead in her bed this morning - this evening had our children removed and placed on "no contact" because Tati and I are the worst parents ever - Thankfully they are with grandma and grandpa. Just numb inside right now. And I'm really enjoying the loving embrace of an isolation cell from the cops and government employees who keep assuring me "they are only here to help".'

The couple made their first court appearance on Monday where Fusari wept as a judge announced the charges. Welch stared at the judge with his mouth hanging open.

The parents are being held without bond and court records do not list lawyers who can speak on their behalf.

The couple could face life in prison without parole, if convicted of felony murder. They are back in court on August 20.
Sister Sarah Kuteh has seen the sanctions on her lifted after she was sacked two years ago

A senior hospital nurse sacked for offering a Bible to a patient has had her working restrictions lifted, it was revealed yesterday.

A tribunal ended the sanctions after saying Sister Sarah Kuteh had demonstrated full remediation and a high level of insight in regard to your failings.

The decision by the Nursing and Midwifery Council comes two years after the 49-year-old was marched out of the Kent hospital where she worked and sacked for gross misconduct having discussed her faith with patients.

She was never accused of any clinical failure or wrongdoing, but was told by the regulator that her fitness to practice was impaired and she had failed to respect equality and diversity.

She has been allowed to work in recent months only under the close supervision of a superior and in accordance with tight restrictions.

The mother-of-three, who has been a nurse for 15 years, welcomed the regulators decision yesterday and said being sacked and sanctioned had been embarrassing and very painful.

The NMC was told that in February 2016 she had an inappropriate conversation with a patient and their relative.

Mrs Kuteh, whose duties involved asking patients about their faith for a pre-op questionnaire, is understood to have asked the patient and relative whether they went to church, and suggested that they should.

Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, where Sarah Kuteh was sacked after she was said to have failed at respecting diversity

Between April and May she is said to have had one or more inappropriate conversations with patients about religion, and on an unknown date inappropriately gave a Bible to a patient.

The nurse was suspended in June 2016 by Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, and sacked that August. Her dismissal was then upheld by an employment tribunal.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing considered her fitness to practise this spring, ruling she breached professional standards.

It said: Your misconduct goes to the heart of what is the foremost and indispensable responsibility of a registered nurse. The public would expect a nurse to understand the importance of, and respect, equality and diversity, to recognise, respect and uphold the rights of patients, and to put the care of patients at the forefront of their practice.

This is the hospital at which Sarah Kuteh was accused of having one or more inappropriate conversations about religion

The NMC verdict said there was a risk that you will, in the future, put patients at unwarranted risk of emotional harm, bring the profession into disrepute, and breach a fundamental tenet of the profession.

However, in July, a panel who read her written submission noted that there have been no issues identified with your clinical practice and that you have made significant progress.

It said that removing sanctions on Mrs Kuteh would not undermine confidence in the profession, adding: It is in the public interest to return an otherwise experienced and competent nurse into practice.

Mrs Kuteh, who has been working for a private nursing home, will now be able to practice without the close supervision of a superior and without obeying restrictions which include reporting all employment to the NMC, reporting the sanctions to employers, and meeting managers regularly to discuss her performance.

Yesterday, recalling the moment she was suspended, she said: I was walked out of that hospital after all I had done during all my years as a nurse and I was told I couldnt even speak to any of my colleagues.

All I had done was to nurse and care for patients. How could it ever be harmful to tell someone about Jesus?

Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre, which backed Mrs Kuteh at the hearing, said her actions were wholly motivated by compassion, adding: But for the question on the pre-op questionnaire, these conversations would not have taken place.
Omarosa Manigault-Newman secretly recorded President Donald Trump and is using the recordings while shopping around her upcoming book on working in the White House.

The recordings feature everyday chatter, sources who heard them told the Daily Beast, but said they do seem to feature Trump's voice, either on the phone or in-person.

Omarosa made the recordings clandestinely on her smart phone while she worked in the West Wing.

Omarosa Manigault-Newman secretly recorded President Donald Trump it was revealed on Wednesday

She is said to be using the recordings to promote her upcoming book on working in the White House

In the book Omarosa describes how she and Ivanka Trump tried to rid the White House of leakers

It will likely infuriate the president, who reacted with anger when it was revealed his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, recorded their conversations.

Her publisher, Simon & Schuster, would not confirm or deny the existence the recordings.

'Without commenting on the specific contents of UNHINGED,' a spokesperson told The Daily Beast, 'we are confident that Omarosa Manigault Newman can substantiate her highly-anticipated account of life inside the Trump White House.'

The statement could be an indication that Omarosa made the tapes to back up her book should she come to feel the president's wrath.

In the book Omarosa describes an attempt by herself and Ivanka Trump to rid the White House of leakers. The short-lived White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci was leading the effort.

'Along with his comms directorship, Scaramucci had a secondary job. He was apparently the hired hit man,' Manigault writes, according to the Daily Beat. 'Very low-key, Ivanka [Trump] went around to the original Trumpers, the loyal soldiers, and asked the team to compile a list of suspected leakers. I'd already said my piece about [deputy chief of staff] Katie Walsh directly to Donald, and she'd been let go. But Ivanka wanted a new list and, once she had it, she would give it to Scaramucci, so he could fire them all. The final list that was texted to me on July 22 had ten names on it.'

Trump has been flattering of The Apprentice star in the past, while acknowledging her tough reputation

She lists those staff as: Vanessa Morrone, Lindsay Walters, Janet Montesi, Raj Shah, Kelly Sadler, Lara Barger, Ory Rinat, Kate Karnes, Michael Short, and Jessica Ditto.

A White House official with knowledge of situation told the DailyMail.com the list would appear accurate but notes Scaramucci needed to come up with a list of names so he just picked staffers - no matter their seniority or access - who used to work at the Republican National Committee.

But he didn't even get that right as not all the staffers listed were ex-RNC staff. Ditto, for example, worked on the campaign.

Walters, Shah and Ditto still work in the White House press office with Shah recently tasked with helping confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Scaramucci was fired after 11 days.

Trump has been flattering of Omarosa in the past, while acknowledging her tough reputation.

'Honest Omarosa: she won't backstab-she'll come at you from the front,' he tweeted on March 10, 2013.

And he wrote a few days earlier on March 3: 'I'll always like @Omarosa because she constantly defends me.'

Finally, on March 3 he wrote: 'Are people really afraid of @Omarosa. Would you be?'

The former 'Apprentice' star and White House adviser is about to rip the lid off what she deems the deteriorating mental condition ofPresident Trump in her bombshell new book.

She'll be on NBC's 'Meet the Press with Chuck Todd' this Sunday to promote it.

In an exclusive excerpt obtained by DailyMail.com, Omarosa, 44, who first met Trump when she appeared on The Apprentice and later became an assistant to the president, tells of the dread she felt while watching Trump's interview with Lester Holt last May.

'While watching the interview I realized that something real and serious was going on in Donald's brain. His mental decline could not be denied,' she writes in Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House.

'Many didn't notice it as keenly as I did because I knew him way back when. They thought Trump was being Trump, off the cuff.

'But I knew something wasn't right.'

In an exclusive excerpt of her new book, Omarosa, who first met Trump when she appeared on The Apprentice and later became the president's Director of African-American Outreach, tells of her dread while watching Trump's interview with Lester Holt last May

'Many didn't notice it as keenly as I did because I knew him way back when. They thought Trump was being Trump, off the cuff,' Omarosa writes. 'But I knew something wasn't right'

Omarosa was beside herself when the president contradicted the White House party line that FBI head James Comey was fired based on the recommendation by the Department of Justice.

'For the Lester Holt interview, I watched it on a small TV in the upper press room (the lower press room was built on top of the old swimming pool and turned into the briefing room) by the press secretary's office,' she writes.

'Throughout this erratic and contradictory interview, I kept thinking, 'Oh no! Oh no! This is bad!

'Donald rambled. He spoke gibberish. He contradicted himself from one sentence to the next.

'Hope [Hicks, then communications director] had gone over the briefing with him a dozen times hitting the key point that he had fired Comey based on the recommendation by the DOJ which the vice president and other surrogates had been reinforcing for days.'

But when questioned by Holt, the president contradicted previous reports about how the senior law-enforcement officer was dispatched from his office.

Omarosa is the latest former Trump aide to land a book deal, DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday, and it promises to be the juiciest yet.

In the interview Trump called Comey a 'showboat' and revealed he asked Comey whether he was under investigation for alleged ties to Russia.

Trump also told Holt that he asked Comey whether he was under investigation. He said that he spoke to Comey once over dinner and twice by phone.

'I said, 'If it is possible, would you let me know [if] I am under investigation'? He said, 'You are not under investigation.''

The White House had previously claimed that a Justice Department recommendation had spurred the President to oust the FBI chief. Reports in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, described the President's claim that Comey told him he was not under investigation as being false.

Trump also said that he had been planning to fire Comey, apparently contradicting initial reports from the White House that it was a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that spurred Comey's ouster.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com.

Omarosa is the latest former Trump aide to land a book deal, DailyMail.com revealed on and it promises to be the juiciest yet.

The former assistant to the president signed a seven-figure deal with Gallery Books - a division of Simon & Schuster - seven months after her dramatic departure from the White House.

According to the publisher, 'Their relationship has spanned fifteen yearsthrough four television shows, a presidential campaign, and a year by his side in the most chaotic, outrageous White House in history.

'But that relationship has come to a decisive and definitive end, and Omarosa is finally ready to share her side of the story in this explosive, jaw-dropping account.'

Former comms director Hope Hicks had gone over the briefing with the president a dozen times hitting the key point that he had fired Comey based on the recommendation by the DOJ before the Holt interview

Former assistant to the president Omarosa Manigault landed the book deal with Simon & Schuster seven months after her dramatic departure from the White House

Omarosa, who served as director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison, was supposedly fired on December 13, 2017 following reports of an altercation with Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Her controversial termination made headlines after it was reported that security had to carry her out of the White House.

She later denied those claims and insisted she had resigned from her post.

The former Apprentice star then appeared on Good Morning America in an exclusive interview with Michael Strahan where she repeatedly teased that she had a 'story' to tell.

Omarosa served as Trump's assistant and as director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison until her dramatic exit in December 2017

'I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally,' she said.

Her dramatic interview, however, did not move GMA anchor Robin Roberts, who believed her appearance was her own shameless plug for a book deal and dismissed her antics with 'Bye, Felicia,' a pop culture catch-phrase.

Omarosa is expected to include some of the stories she shared and the ones she teased to Strahan in the book.

After departing the White House, Omarosa appeared on Celebrity Big Brother where she made headlines for comparing it to a plantation; saying she was 'haunted' by Trump's tweets 'every single day;' and telling house guest Ross Matthews that she didn't think America was in good hands.

'No, it's not gonna be okay,' she said, appearing to tear up.

She ended up being the fifth runner-up on the show, evicted during the show's two-hour finale. But she had created plenty of headlines and melodrama along the way.

Omarosa moved back to Jacksonville, Florida full time, where her husband, Pastor John Newman is based.

He leads The Sanctuary at Mt. Calvary Church in Jacksonville.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Omarosa has been interviewed by federal investigators in the Trump-Cohen probe.

Omarosa previously worked as an editor for OK! Magazine and now-defunct Reality Weekly - which is owned by American Media Inc - which has been accused of paying off former Playboy model Karen McDougal for her story about her affair with the president.

The WSJ reports that Cohen had handled a dispute between Omarosa and AMI after she sued the company over its coverage of her brother's murder in 2011.
A man who was missing for two days in the foothills of Idaho was found alive on Monday trapped beneath his overturned truck.

Joe Rightmire, 21, was rescued from the area of Taylor Mountain Road and Henry Creek in Idaho Falls on Monday by a team of fire fighters.

He was conscious and speaking to the team despite having spent 48 hours stuck beneath the wreckage.

Rightmire was found by his sister, Tasha Goforth, who discovered the car while out looking for him.

Friends say he had been attending a fire in the area on Saturday when he crashed on his way home.

The 21-year-old man was trapped under his overturned truck which had crashed into a ravine

His car was found stuck in a ravine and he had been thrown from it.

Joe Rightmire, 21, was pinned to the ground for two days until his sister found the crash site

Friends and family appealed for information on social media in a desperate bid to hear from him before his sister found him.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that fire crews used airbags to lift the car up from under him after they realized he was stuck.

'When law enforcement and firefighters arrived, they found the vehicle had rolled down a ravine and landed on its side in a small, narrow creek bed.

'The victim had been partially ejected and pinned to the ground by the vehicle. Despite being in that position for days, he was conscious and talking to rescuers.

'Using large airbags that were inflated under the vehicle, as well as heavy extrication equipment, firefighters were able to get the young man out of the vehicle and stabilized by medics.

'He was then transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center by Life Flight Network in stable condition.

'The vehicle was then removed from the ravine by Hendrickson Towing using a large boom truck,' a Fire Department press release about the incident said.

The fire fighters used airbags placed underneath the truck to lift it off the young man who was conscious and talking to them throughout the rescue

The wreckage was down a ravine which was too difficult for ordinary fire trucks to access (above, a photo taken from the crash site)
Prince William and Theresa May led tributes to World War I troops yesterday as they marked the centenary of the Battle of Amiens.

Relatives of soldiers who fought and died in that conflict spoke of their pride and sadness at a special commemoration service attended by 2,000 people in the city's cathedral.

Prince William said he wanted to 'honour the fallen of all nations' and praised the international cooperation, saying the battle symbolised Britain's 'Entente Cordiale' with France.

He said the troops brought 'hope and optimism after four long years of bloodshed and stalemate'.

But French President Emmanuel Macron, who is from Amiens, did not interrupt his holiday to attend.

Mrs May paid tribute to the 'courage, bravery and skill' of the soldiers. This is how the decisive battle, which marked the beginning of the end of the war, unfolded . . .

Of all the great and bloody engagements of World War I  from Mons, the Marne, and Ypres, to the Somme and Passchendaele  Amiens is the forgotten battle

Of all the great and bloody engagements of World War I  from Mons, the Marne, and Ypres, to the Somme and Passchendaele  Amiens is the forgotten battle, lasting for just four days.

And yet it was one of the most crucial. The Battle of Amiens was the key that unlocked the Western Front and marked the beginning of the end of the so-called 'war to end all wars'.

It kicked off the Hundred Days Offensive  a three-month Allied onslaught that overwhelmed the enemy and paved the way to victory and the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918.

It also marked the end of trench warfare and saw the birth of high-tech conflict.

By August 1918, after four years of intense shelling, millions of dead and wounded, and untold misery and agony on both sides, the Front, in Northern France between the Allies and the Germans, had barely moved.

Suddenly, at Amiens  a tactically vital city and railway junction on the River Somme, 40 miles from the Channel  the scales tipped in the Allies' favour.

Prince William and Theresa May (pictured today) led tributes to World War I troops yesterday as they marked the centenary of the Battle of Amiens

With a coherent strategy, and advances in tactics, backed by more than 500 tanks, 2,000 heavy guns and a fledgling but highly effective air force, the combined might of 75,000 British, Australian, Canadian, American and French troops were able, at last, to make inroads into enemy territory on a 14-mile front.

The presence of the Americans, who had declared war on Germany in April 1917, did a huge amount to boost manpower, firepower and, most importantly, morale.

The battle began on August 8, 1918  later described as 'the blackest day of the German Army' by General Erich Ludendorff.

Just the day before fighting started, Kaiser Wilhelm, the German emperor, had warned Ludendorff: 'We have reached the limits of our capacity. The war must be ended.'

Ludendorff's spring offensive against the Allies, in March and April of that same year, had very nearly swung the war in the Germans' favour, after an injection of hundreds of thousands of troops.

But it soon ran out of steam and, by late summer, the Germans were exhausted.

Pictured: Soldiers wear gas masks as they carry a wounded colleague through the fields of Amiens

The Allied counter-offensive beginning at Amiens was, by contrast, a triumph. On that first day, the Allies advanced over seven miles  a vast distance given the terrible bloodshed wasted on advances of mere hundreds of feet in the previous four years  capturing more than 400 guns and taking 12,000 German prisoners.

Captain Edwin Francis Trundle of the Australian Imperial Force, one of three brothers who survived the war, wrote to his wife Louisa: 'During the last few days, we have advanced over 12 miles . . . up to the present, everything has gone excellently and everyone is in high spirits . . . I followed the attacking infantry with a team of 36 pack mules carrying ammunition forward. Ever since then, we have kept continually moving forward.'

The presence of tanks was key to that success. The tank was devised by the British inventors, Major Walter Gordon Wilson and Sir William Tritton, and first used at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in September 1916. By the time of Amiens the Allies had 580 tanks in action  more than in any single battle to that date.

And the generals showed that they had learned from the costly strategic blunders of the previous years. Instead of trying to soften up the enemy before an offensive with a heavy artillery barrage  a tactic which invariably gave away their position and often their plans  they deployed the tanks in a surprise attack, supported by howitzers, field guns and heavy guns which zeroed in on the Germans' lesser firepower of just 530 guns.

Amiens was destroyed after the battle and stood in ruins after the end of the Great War

The accuracy of the Allied fire was helped massively by aerial reconnaissance photographs.

At the beginning of the war, the RAF hadn't even existed  it was founded on April 1, 1918  but by the time of Amiens, only four months later, it was already on its way to becoming a lethally efficient outfit.

'In just four years, aeroplanes were turned from unreliable birdcages with no clear purpose into hardwearing machines capable of multiple tasks,' according to Joshua Levine, author of Fighter Heroes Of WWI.

The combined Allied force of infantry and tanks was backed by 1,900 Allied planes making elegantly coordinated raids over enemy lines.

An elaborate Allied decoy had also been set up. Two battalions were sent to Ypres in Belgium, some 75 miles north-east of Amiens which fooled the Germans into thinking that it was from here that an offensive would be launched.

The Allies further concealed their actions at Amiens by moving soldiers only at night. Even to their own men, Allied officers referred to the Battle of Amiens as a 'raid', not an offensive  to stop loose tongues spreading the truth of the massive new attack. Notices to the men were stamped with the blunt words: 'Keep Your Mouth Shut.'

In the event, the Germans were so surprised by the initial attack, launched in thick fog at 4.20am while some of them were eating breakfast, that it took them five minutes  an eternity in battle terms  before they returned fire.

By then, the Allies were moving so quickly that they had left the area the Germans were firing at.

Victory in the Battle of Amiens was quick and decisive  and dealt a massive blow to German spirits.

General Ludendorff later recalled how, to his horror, he saw his soldiers who were running away from the front line yelling at their officers: 'You're prolonging the war!'

Fellow Germans who were ordered in to replace them were, he wrote, derided as 'Blacklegs' by the deserting troops.

Alexandra Churchill, author of In The Eye Of The Storm: George V And The Great War, to be published next month, describes the Battle of Amiens as hugely important because: 'For the first time, the British Army combined everything they had learnt during the previous four years and employed it on a large scale . . . to deliver a stunning blow to the beleaguered enemy.

'What was just as important though, was that, rather than continue to press and advance for diminishing returns, as on the Somme and at Passchendaele, the damage was done and the attack called off.

'This saved valuable resources in men and material and meant that the British Army could regroup and then strike again.

'This they would continue to do for the rest of the year, bringing victory closer than most had previously dared to believe.'

Yet for all its success, Amiens led to terrible casualties: 22,000 British Empire soldiers and 22,000 French troops were killed or injured. There were 75,000 German casualties and 13,000 taken prisoner.

One soldier, Lance Corporal Frederick Palmer, 32, from Chingford, Essex, was wounded by a shell on the first morning of the battle. He died two days later.

Before the battle, Palmer, serving with the 54th Canadian Infantry Battalion, wrote a postcard home to mark the first birthday of his daughter Freda  a child he'd never seen as she'd been born two months after he left for the Front.

'My very sweet darling,' he wrote, 'just a line to wish you all happiness and many, many happy returns on your birthday.

'I shall be with you on your next one and then we shall have a lovely party for my little daughter. Be a good girl till I come back. From your loving Daddy with lots of kisses xxx.'

Frederick Palmer's granddaughter, Pat Bates, 61, attended the service at Amiens Cathedral yesterday for what she described as 'a funeral for him that I can attend'.
Terrified Melbourne residents have accused police of having their heads in the sand after two African gangs who bragged 'police can't touch us' wreaked havoc through the city's north-west.

Locals were told to 'stay inside and lock their doors' shortly after 100 youths gathered in Taylors Hill at about 5.30pm on Wednesday.

Heavily-armed riot police wearing bullet-proof vests were pelted with rocks when they attempted to move the crowd on, while roads were closed and traffic was diverted.

Residents were told rival gangs had arranged to meet 'for war' at Lonzo Park.

Despite the warnings, Victoria Police insisted there was 'no threat to community safety'.

Terrified Melbourne residents have accused police of 'having their heads in the sand' after a about 100 African youths wreaked havoc through the city's north-west

Riot police were deployed and officers were pelted with rocks, with residents told rival gangs had arranged to meet 'for war'

'My teens were at home alone and I get a call to rush home because they can hear helicopters and sirens and groups running and are scared,' one local wrote online.

'Don't tell me that this country is safe, because I don't recall ever feeling as frightened as my kids did today. Enough is enough.'

Another said: 'Residents told to stay indoors, but nah no threat to community safety,' while a third noted: 'Seriously, don't insult our intelligence.'

'Just so everyone knows we don't have an African gang problem in Victoria,' yet another wrote.

Shattered glass is seen at a bus stop in Taylors Hill after a youths gathered in the area on Wednesday night

Residents reported seeing children as young as 12, while some were wearing school uniforms and carrying backpacks.

One local told the Nine Network youths running past their home yelled 'police can't touch us'.

Another woman told The Age: 'I heard some kids coming down... and I looked out the window and I heard another lot and the next thing I knew there was sirens. Blue and red sirens.'

'The [police] dogs were out there, that was a bit later on, it just got full on. My neighbour on the corner said they were throwing rocks at her fence.'

The woman's husband said the once peaceful area had been troublesome for the past two years.

'We've been here nine years and this is the worst yet... You build a nice house in a nice area... you don't want to start seeing things like that, where is it coming from?' he questioned.

One local said the once peaceful area had been troublesome for the past two years

Others said police had warned the situation was not under control.

'In one area, there is a massive group the police said were Sudanese... there was another really large group of Sudanese and they basically said they don't have it under control but there is a strong police presence,' they told the Herald Sun.

'They told me to stay inside, lock the doors and yeah, it's scary, I've got a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old, and they're scared.'

Police told 3AW Radio the incident was arranged by two groups who had 'pre-existing tension' between them.

'There is a cohort in that larger group that are known to us... They'd agreed to meet up there to have a fight,' Commander Tim Hansen said.

Victoria Police said rocks were thrown at officers and a police vehicle was damaged

'Just so everyone knows we don't have an African gang problem in Victoria,' were among the online comments

In a statement, Victoria Police said rocks were thrown at officers and a police vehicle was damaged.

'Police continued to patrol the area and monitor the situation as the youths dispersed and were moved on from the area a short time later,' they said.

'A number of specialist units were utilised including the Operations Response Unit and the Public Order Response Team to ensure public safety.

'Apart from damage to the police vehicle there were no further issues, no injuries and no threat to community safety.'

No arrests were made.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
A leading black architect who says the profession is riddled with racism called in the police after she was criticised by a Cornish colleague.

Ghana-born Elsie Owusu claimed harassment by fellow architect Jonathan Ball and even accused him of making what could amount to a death threat.

Both are trustees of the Royal Institute of British Architects, of which 64-year-old Ms Owusu is one of three candidates hoping to be announced as its president today.

Ghana-born Elsie Owusu, 64, complained that its senior figures were 'all white' and there was an 'old boys' culture involving 'inappropriate jokes and banter'. Shortly after, she received an email from Mr Ball saying her 'megaphone politics' were a 'disgrace'

In a failed attempt to keep matters quiet, Riba sent a 'gagging letter' to her, telling her to stop running down the profession and the institute.

She has also been asked to apologise to 71-year-old Mr Ball, a self-proclaimed Cornish bard, for reporting him to police for harassment.

Ms Owusu was the first chairman of the Society of Black Architects and a key figure in the architecture foundation for youngsters created in the name of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

She said: 'When I talk about institutional racism, people at Riba tend to think I'm talking about people putting sheets over their heads and burning crosses. But I'm talking about unconscious bias which results in some people having a poorer relationship with the profession than others.

Jonathan Ball, sent Ms Owusu an email with a passage that contained numerous death references which was considered a threat

'It seems that when people take office at Riba they change from nice fluffy creatives to being bossy and sometimes downright unpleasant.'

Problems began in 2016, she said, after she wrote to Riba trustees about 'institutional racism'.

She complained that its senior figures were 'all white', suggested Freemasons had hidden power in the body, and there was an 'old boys' culture involving 'inappropriate jokes and banter'.

Shortly after, she received an email from Mr Ball objecting to her claims of racism and saying her 'megaphone politics' were a 'disgrace'.

He added: 'I am not racist but I am an enemy of all forms of extremism. I champion the celebration of cultural diversity as evidenced, I hope, by my passion and enthusiasm for my own Celtic tribe, the Cornish.'

He included a fable in which a man condemned to death by an ancient ruler bluffed his way out of being executed.

Ms Owusu consulted a lawyer who observed that the passage contained numerous references to death and could be considered a threat. She duly reported it to police, claiming harassment.

Although they took no action, she has since called in the Fraud Squad after saying there was a 1.1million hole in Riba accounts.

Riba honorary secretary Kerr Robertson has now sent her a 'cease and desist' letter, saying she had broken its regulations and damaged the organisation in the course of her presidential campaign, and asking her to stop 'making further damaging public statements about the Riba'.

She said she has also repeatedly been told to apologise to Mr Ball.

Mr Ball, of Bude, declined to comment.

Riba said it had investigated Ms Owusu's claims of institutional racism but said it expected its trustees to behave in a 'collegiate' manner, and had been providing mediation to help encourage that. It denies 1.1million is missing.
Mr Johnson, who is on holiday, refused to back down, despite calls from critics including the prime minister to apologise

Boris Johnson's burka broadside plunged the Conservatives into civil war tonight.

Senior figures called for him to apologise or lose the party whip for saying fully-veiled Muslim women resembled letter boxes or bank robbers.

Ruth Davidson, who is seen as a potential rival to Mr Johnson for the Tory leadership, said questioning the burka was like challenging the rights of Christians to wear a crucifix.

But Mr Johnson, who is on holiday, refused to back down.

His supporters claim the row is being exploited by Tory Remainers furious about his position on Brexit. As the row went into a fourth day:

A leading Tory Muslim lodged a formal complaint to the party about Mr Johnson, who could face a disciplinary panel;

Former ministers Dominic Grieve and Anna Soubry threatened to quit if he ever became leader;

Another Tory, Baroness Warsi, accused Mr Johnson of potentially inciting hate crime;

A snap poll suggested most voters backed Mr Johnson, saying he wasn't racist.

The row began on Monday when, in a Daily Telegraph column, Mr Johnson compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to letter boxes and bank robbers.

The former foreign secretary said he was opposed to banning the burka in public places, but added: 'It is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes. If a constituent came to my MP's surgery with her face obscured, I should feel fully entitled to ask her to remove it.

'If a female student turned up at school or at a university lecture looking like a bank robber then ditto.'

In a Daily Telegraph column, Mr Johnson compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to letter boxes and bank robbers

The remarks sparked outrage from Muslim groups and MPs who accused him of 'fanning the flames of Islamophobia'. Over the past three days Tory and Labour figures have taken to the airwaves to condemn Mr Johnson.

Yesterday, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright stepped up the attacks, claiming it was wrong for Mr Johnson to describe the burka as 'ridiculous and oppressive'.

He told the BBC: 'That's the sort of language I think we should try to avoid using.'

Miss Davidson, who leads the Scottish Tories, said: 'This wasn't an off-the-cuff slip, he wrote a column, he knew exactly what he was doing and I think it crossed from being provocative and starting a debate and actually it became rude and gratuitous.

'If you use the analogy of Christianity, would you ever write in the Daily Telegraph that you should have a debate about banning Christians from wearing crucifixes?

'It's the same argument but it's in a different faith so why are the parameters different for one faith and not the other?

'That's where I think you start getting these questions of what constitutes anti-Semitism, what constitutes Islamophobia, and if you have that comparator in your mind then that perhaps is a better guidance for not what you should or shouldn't say, but how you frame the debate.

'I agree with the point of his piece which was you shouldn't ban the burka, the niqab, the hijab  I don't think we should ban it  but what he said was a gratuitously offensive way of saying it.'

Tory Baroness Warsi accused Mr Johnson of potentially inciting hate crime as Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve also attacked his remarks

Lord Sheikh, the founder and president of the Conservative Muslim Forum, demanded the Conservative whip be withdrawn from Mr Johnson.

He said he had written to party chairman Brandon Lewis calling for severe action.

'To a certain extent they're racist  in a way it is racist,' the peer told Sky News. 'These words are very inflammatory. They will cause problems with race relations. I believe it will encourage bigotry in this country.'

The Conservative Party last night declined to comment on whether it would begin formal disciplinary action to investigate Mr Johnson.

Former party chairman Lord Pickles suggested he had been treated more lightly than other members might be.

Ruth Davidson said questioning the burka was like challenging the rights of Christians to wear a crucifix

He told BBC News: 'If this was a councillor from Scunthorpe or Middlesbrough or somewhere I'm not entirely sure he would have been given the amount of slack and, in truth, he wouldn't have been given the amount of attention, that Boris has got.'

Writing in The Guardian, Baroness Warsi said Mr Johnson's comments 'send out a message that Muslim women are fair game'.

She added: 'What starts as useful targets for 'colourful political language' and the odd bit of toxic campaigning ends up in attacks on our streets.

'He set out a liberal position, but he did it in a very 'alt-right' way. This allowed him to dog-whistle: to say to particular elements of the party that he's tough on Muslims. Yet again, he's trying to have his cake and eat it.

'So, as much as Johnson thinks he's being his usual clever self, he's helping to create an environment in which hate crime is more likely.

'Every time incidents like this occur in the party and there are no consequences, it sends out a clear message that you can get away with Islamophobia.

'It means that ugly comments can actually enhance reputations, rather than ruin them. If my party follows up on a demand for an apology with real action, then these comments would eventually become rare.'

But Nadine Dorries, a backbench Tory MP, said the backlash showed Mr Johnson's rivals were terrified of him challenging the Prime Minister.

She told TalkRadio: 'People who are outraged  who are utterly terrified  know that at some stage, any day soon, Boris may make a challenge for the leadership and the position in No 10.

'All those who are going to come out, particularly on the Remain side of the Brexit argument, are going to come out and they are going to attack him in force.

'The Prime Minister's statement that some people were offended. Yes some people were offended but they are not people who would vote for Boris or ever vote Conservative anyway.'

The first opinion poll on the row showed backing for Mr Johnson.

According to the survey by Sky Data, 60 per cent believe it was not racist to compare Muslim women wearing burkas to bank robbers or letter boxes, while 33 per cent said it was.

Forty-eight per cent thought Mr Johnson should not apologise for him remarks, compared with 45 per cent who thought he should.

Mr Johnson wrote the newspaper article after Denmark became the latest European country to impose a ban on wearing burkas in public.

Almost 60 per cent of respondents said they supported enacting such a ban in the UK, with 26 per cent opposed.

For the poll, Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,649 customers by text message.

Tory MP Conor Burns, who served as Mr Johnson's parliamentary private secretary said his critics had an agenda.

He tweeted: 'My memory may be letting me down but I don't recall too many of those piling in to attack Boris Johnson lining up to help him promote the international education of women and girls, which was one of his major priorities when foreign secretary.

'We are now into full bandwagon jumping territory on Boris Johnson article. Seeing some of the tweets from colleagues desperate not to get left behind I can't see they can even have read it. If they did they clearly didn't understand it.'
A seven-year-old girl who was killed by her violent father in a murder-suicide was struck in the head with a weight and had a note left on her body that said her family got what they deserved.

Kayden Mancuso was found dead by her stepfather in the living room of her father Jeffrey Mancuso's home in Philadelphia on Monday.

She had a plastic bag tied around her neck after being suffocated.

Her 45-year-old father was found dead in an upstairs bedroom but his cause of death has not been released.

Family told The Philadelphia Inquirer that a medical examiner said Kayden died after being hit in the head with a weight.

Heather Giglio, the girl's aunt, said Jeffrey Mancuso left a note on Kayden's body saying the family 'got what we deserved'.

Jeff Mancuso, 41, suffocated his seven-year-old daughter Kayden with a plastic bag then killed himself at his home in Philadelphia over the weekend while she visited him

Jeffrey Mancuso and the girl's mother Kathryn had been embroiled in a years-long custody battle. Her mother said Kayden told family members she 'didn't feel safe with her dad', court records show.

Kayden lived with her mother and her stepfather Brian Sherlock, who have been together since 2014, along with her two half-brothers. Her mother was never married to Mancuso and they separated when she was one.

Despite her mother's repeated attempts to stop him from seeing her and his history of extreme violence, a judge granted him visitation rights in May this year after a lengthy court battle where his history for violence was laid bare.

Jeffrey had a lengthy rap sheet including multiple assault charges and had been diagnosed with a 'major depressive' disorder.

Kayden was allowed to visit her father from Saturdays at 10am until Sunday at 6pm as part of the agreement.

On Sunday night, her stepfather became worried when she was not brought home as had been agreed.

The family called police but say they were told there was nothing that could be done because she was with her biological father.

Kayden lived with her mother Kathryn (pictured together center), her stepfather Brian (left) and her half-brothers. Kathryn had been trying to get full custody of her daughter for years but was told by a judge that because Kayden was a happy child, she must agree to visitation

On Monday, after Jeff failed to bring her home, Kayden's stepfather and her grandfather went to his home in Philadelphia (shown above). They found Kayden dead in the living room and Jeff dead in one of the upstairs bedrooms. It is so far unclear how he took his own life

Brian Sherlock, Kayden's stepfather, cries outside the home after finding her lifeless body on Monday

On Monday, Kayden's stepfather went to the home with her grandfather and found her dead inside.

The family is now calling on Judge Jeffrey G. Trauger, who allowed Mancuso visitation rights in May, to resign.

He allowed him to have access to Kayden despite being told about his extremely violent background and diagnosis from a court appointed psychologist.

Past incidents included Mancuso biting people's ears off during fights and trespassing.

He was charged multiple times over the last 10 years with various levels of assault in addition to facing accusations of harassing and trespassing.

In May, Judge Jeffrey G. Trauger granted Mancuso visitation rights because he said Kayden was a 'happy child'

Mancuso, who ran a construction recruitment business out of New Jersey, once told a court psychologist when describing one of his fights: 'I beat him up, he put me in a headlock, and I bit down on his ear and took off the top part of his ear,' according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.

On other occasions, he was seen by Kayden punching his dog and then himself in the face.

The psychologist diagnosed him with major depressive disorder, moderate with anxious disorder and identified narcissistic and antisocial personality traits.

They said was suicidal and and experienced feelings of 'hopelessness'.

Kayden's mother, who also underwent a psychiatric evaluation as part of the custody proceedings, was found not to have any ailments.

During the custody proceedings, the court was also told how he had been banned from his daughter's school because he had been so aggressive in his correspondence with teachers.

Other parents had remarked on how he belittled the teachers and left threatening comments on an online forum.

In his decision, Judge Trauger said he had 'serious concerns' about Muscano's ability to control his behavior but he allowed him visitation rights anyway.

Even though Kayden had told a custody evaluator that she wanted to 'not spend as many days with dad', the judge said she had no strong dislike of him, was not scared of him and since she wasn't being physically abused by him at the time, should be allowed to carry on seeing him.

Kathryn (seen with Kayden on her wedding to her stepfather, left, in 2016) had been trying for years to get full custody of her. She feared her ex would harm Kayden but was forced to allow him to spend time with her because of the court's decision, her sister said

Kayden is pictured with her stepfather and half-brother. Her family described her as an 'angel'

'Kayden presents as a happy kid with a generally normal relationship with both parents despite the volatile relationship they have with each other,' he said in his ruling, citing the findings of a custody evaluator.

Kayden had watched him not only fight with the family's dog but hit her grandmother and punch himself in the face.

Instead of keeping her from him, the judge ruled: 'The court nonetheless encourages father to focus on spending quality time with child but warns father that his way of handling third party conflicts is very troubling.'

Kayden's family now says they always feared he would harm her but prayed it would never be so extreme.

'We knew this was gonna happen one day, we just prayed it wouldn't.'

'The system failed us. My sister fought for her custody for years and they didn't listen to us. They let him take her and now she's gone,' her aunt Heather Giglio said.

She told DailyMail.com that Mancuso was a 'monster' who her sister had been trying to avoid since they parted ways.

'He had restraining orders against him from our entire family, yet a little girl was allowed in his care,' she said.

'The entire system failed her! They failed our beautiful baby girl.

'They failed my sister, they failed my family and they failed a community,' she added.

Jennifer Sherlock, Kayden's stepfather's sister, told DailyMail.com there were 'red flags' which should have prevented him from having access to her.

The girl's godfather Matthew Moffett added: 'This judge should have never allowed Kayden to be with him.

'Kathy fought tooth and nail until she was in debt for that baby's rights and she was denied safety.

'This should have been prevented.'

The family is now raising money through a GoFundMe page to pay Kayden's funeral expenses.
A California man who has been in a decade-long feud with his neighbors was arrested on suspicion of starting a wildfire that destroyed their homes.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was arrested and taken to the Orange County Intake Release Center on suspicion of two counts of arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

Authorities arrived at Clark's cabin in the Holy Jim Canyon area of the Cleveland National Forest on Tuesday to question him about the blaze.

As they attempted to arrest Clark he stripped down to his camouflaged underwear.

Forrest Gordon Clark was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of starting a wildfire in California

Clark stripped down to his underwear on Tuesday as authorities in Holy Jim tried to arrest him

At one point, Clark removed his underwear and appeared to stand naked with his hands on his hips

At one point Clark appeared to ditch his underwear as officers tried to take him into custody.

Authorities said Clark started a fire in the Holy Jim Canyon area of the Cleveland National Forest on Monday.

The blaze has burned more than 4,000 acres, including his neighbors' cabins. His residence was the only one in the area spared from the fire.

Clark was arrested on suspicion of two counts of arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest

It's not clear how Clark allegedly started the devastating wildfire.

Volunteer fire chief Mike Milligan told the Orange Country Register that Clark was running through the community last week screaming and sent him a threatening email saying, 'this place will burn'.

Milligan said Clark has been feuding with his neighbor and other cabin owners for the past decade.

'He has issues,' Milligan said. 'I hope they get him.'

Fire officials said Wednesday morning that the blaze was only five per cent contained and two firefighters suffered heat-related injuries.

More than 600 firefighters have been dispatched to the roaring blaze.

The fire was first reported around 1.15pm on Monday near Holy Jim Canyon and Trabuco Creek roads.

Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said the blaze has since spread to the Horse thief Canyon area and the Lake Elsinore area.

Authorities said ground crews are building bulldozer lines to try and contain the fire and 10 helicopters and seven fixed-wing aircrafts have been dispatched to the area, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Authorities said the fire destroyed all the cabins - except Clark's - in the Holy Jim Canyon area

Trabuco and Holy Jim canyons were under mandatory evacuation order, as well the Blue Jay and El Cariso campgrounds, officials said. Campgrounds in the Trabuco Ranger District were also closed, as well as road closures for Trabuco Creek, Maple Springs, North Main Divide, Bedford and Indian Truck Trail.

The Lake Elsinore area has not been placed under evacuation warning.

If convicted of the charges, Clark could face life in prison. He's currently being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is set to be arraigned Thursday.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is begging President Donald Trump to come campaign for him as he faces a tough contest from a rising Democratic star.

The senator said at a campaign stop in Texas on Monday that he's reached out to Trump to lend him a helping hand in his race against Democrat Beto O'Rourke.

'I would certainly welcome his support, and I hope to see him in Texas,' Cruz said. 'I think we are likely to see the president down in Texas before the election.'

Ted Cruz is begging President Donald Trump to come campaign for him

Cruz is in a tough race against rising Democratic star Beto O'Rourke

President Trump and Cruz have had a rocky relationship but Cruz said he's now an ally

It's a marked change in the relationship between the two men whose bitter battle for the Republican presidential nomination cumulated in a threat from Cruz supporters to try and force a vote for the nominee on the floor of the party's convention in Cleveland.

Trump secured the nod without the floor drama but he slammed Cruz repeatedly during their primary as 'Lyin Ted' and claimed -without proof - the senator's father had ties to the man who shot President John Kennedy.

Cruz acknowledged their relationship had its 'ups and downs' but said he now tried to be an ally to the Trump White House, according to the Houston Chronicle.

'We're talking to the White House every week, sometimes every day,' Cruz said. 'I've been proud to lead the effort to bring Republicans together.'

The president is flying high in Republican victories, with several of his contenders in Tuesday contests raking in primary wins: Senate candidates John James in Michigan and Josh Howley in Missouri was two of his big wins.

Additionally Trump has been congratulating Republican candidate Troy Balderson for winning a special House contest on Tuesday although that race has not been called as there are around 8,000 provisional and absentee ballots yet to be counted.

The president's power has worked the other way too. He was a frequent critic of Republican Rep. Mark Sanford, who Trump targeted on twitter with insult after insult. Sanford lost his June primary.

Cruz said he's asked Trump to come to Texas

Trump has been touting his campaign prowess

And Trump is touting his prowess.

'As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job I'm doing. If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have a giant Red Wave!,' he tweeted on Wednesday.

He's been out on the campaign trail as needed, holding a rally for Balderson on Saturday.

Cruz is fighting neck-and-neck in the polls with O'Rourke, who is setting fundraising records for a Democrat in the Lone Star State.
A van used by Aerosmith during a tour of New England in the 1970s has been found abandoned in the woods of a small town in Massachusetts.

The 1964 International Harvester Metro, which has a cartoon man and 'Aerosmith' painted in bright yellow on the side, was used by the band when it was still trying to make a name for itself.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, hosts of the History Channel show American Pickers, found it in Chesterfield, a town of about 1,200 residents 100 miles west of Boston.

The 1964 International Harvester Metro, which has a cartoon man and 'Aerosmith' painted in bright yellow on the side, was used by the band years before it sold out stadiums

Ray Tabano, (pictured) who helped found the band and played rhythm guitar before being replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971, confirmed it was the van the rockers used in the 1970s

The property owner said the van was there when he bought the land from someone with a connection to Aerosmith, which was formed in Boston in 1970 and has since sold some 150 million albums around the world.

'This guy is deep in the woods, he's off the grid, and I keep thinking to myself, "what the heck would this van be doing here?"' Wolfe wondered when he spotted the rusty vehicle for the first time.

Ray Tabano, who helped found the band and played rhythm guitar before being replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971, confirmed it was the van the rockers used in the 1970s.

'This is it, baby,' the rocker said, as he took a look inside at the rotting interior, with a carpet on the ceiling that was falling off.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, hosts of the History Channel show American Pickers, found it in Chesterfield. It still had the band name painted on the outside next to a cartoon man

The carpet ceiling of the vehicle was falling out and rust covered much of the interior after decades of neglect

Wolfe, who searched the United States with Fritz looking for neglected American antiques, said it is 'a piece of American rock and roll history'. The episode aired on July 30

'I'm afraid to say how long it is, but it's been like 40 years since we were in this thing. It was like a touring hotel... This is definitely the van. You found it.

'We'd drive from Boston up to New Hampshire for $125 [per gig]. Then after the gas, the tolls, and the food and back, we'd all make like $3 apiece.'

The pickers paid $25,000 for the vehicle.

Wolfe, who searched the United States with Fritz looking for neglected American antiques, said it is 'a piece of American rock and roll history'. The episode aired on July 30.

Aerosmith pictured on January 1, 1974. Left to right is Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Steven Tyler and Joey Kramer
NASA will send a spacecraft on a mission to get a closer look at the sun.

The Parker Solar Probe, named after American solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker, will fly closer to our star than any other man-made object.

The car-sized probe, which will get within 3.9million miles of the suns surface, is set to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday at 8.33am British time. It is expected to approach the sun in 2024.

The Parker Solar Probe will go closer to the sun than anything man-made object that has been sent up to space

Scientists hope to unlock mysteries such as why the suns corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, is hotter than its surface.

The spacecraft will orbit the sun 24 times  sampling the solar wind and providing close-up observations  while enduring temperatures of 1,377C (2510F).

A heat shield made using carbon composite coated with ceramic will protect it from the extreme conditions, Nasa says.
Lara Trump will help lead an animal rights crusade Thursday with fellow activists pushing to put a stop to greyhound racing in Florida.

President Trump's daughter-in-law is set to make a special guest appearance with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the fundraiser, 'Protect Dogs - Yes on 13,' that will take place in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The fundraiser is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States and GREY2K USA, a non-profit organization that promotes the protection of greyhound laws.

The 35-year-old mother-of-one has played an active role in several other animal rights campaigns - most notably pets for vets, which couples mentally and physically ill veterans and homeless pets.

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Lara Trump (pictured on Instagram in June) will lead an animal rights crusade Thursday alongside fellow activists pushing to put an end to dog racing in Florida

Trump (center in June on Instagram) will appear as a special guest for the event, 'Protect Dogs - Yes on 13,' that will be held in Greenwich, Connecticut

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is also a special guest for the fundraiser. Bondi is pictured in February in Washington, D.C.

While speaking to the Washington Examiner, Trump said: 'Our pets for vets concept is designed to connect pets with vets and to scale it in a way that promotes mental health and animal welfare.

'If we can do it at no or little cost to the taxpayer due to the approach of creating public-private partnerships and new synergies, then all the better.'

Trump, who is married to the president's third child, Eric, was pictured in October at a White House round table, where she discussed the pets for vets organization.

She wrote to her Instagram page back in the fall: 'I was honored to participate in a White House round table today discussing ways to help veterans and homeless dogs simultaneously.

Greyhounds are seen on the track as they race at Club/52 Melbourne Greyhound Park in Melbourne, Florida February 14, 2018

Greyhounds leave the start gate at Club/52 Melbourne Greyhound Park in Melbourne, Florida February 14, 2018

Trump is pictured in October 2017 attending a White House round table when she discussed the pets for vets organization

'My favorite moment was meeting a veteran named Justin and his service dog Thor (who likely sits better for Justin) More to come  stay tuned! #PetsForVets'

More recently, Trump has publicly promoted ethical breeding facilities across the country.

Trump wrote in a series of posts shared in June: 'A big thank you to @usdagov Secretary Perdue and John & Sadie Middleton!

'Middletons are dog breeders taking great care to raise all of their dogs in impeccable conditions and as their own.

'They welcomed me and Secretary Perdue today to their facility to help shed light on the way they hope to see all dog breeding facilities run nationwide. Thank you for a great morning at @farmsteadspuppy.'

Lara and Eric Trump are pictured posing for an Instagram photo she posted in July

Lara Trump and her husband Eric are seen taking a stroll near Central Park on Tuesday
Robert Mueller's investigation will 'blow up' on his own team and lead to FBI agents' demise, President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani claimed on Wednesday.

Giuliani accused Mueller of relying on fake Russian intelligence meant to smear Trump and suggested his investigation was so 'corrupt and illegitimate' it would lead to reforms on the scale of Watergate to stop it from being repeated.

He then claimed the ex-FBI director 'had no case and only wants the president to answer questions under oath so he could be tricked into a 'perjury trap'.

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Rudy Giuliani accused Robert Mueller of relying on fake Russian intelligence meant to smear Trump, and suggested his investigation was so 'corrupt and illegitimate' it would lead to reforms on the scale of Watergate

Giuliani, who was speaking to Fox News Sean Hannity, accused Mueller of relying on the fake dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, which contained allegations of conspiracy between Trump's campaign team and the Russian government.

This is a totally illegitimate investigation based on a report that was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democrats  perhaps the biggest illegality or collusion so far,' he said.

Hannity then suggested the dossier contained fake Russian evidence that was itself intended to influence the election by smearing Trump.

Maybe if Mueller and his band of Democrats were fair minded maybe they'd investigate - maybe thats the collusion,' Giuliani replied.

Giuliani repeatedly slammed the Mueller probe as 'illegitimate' and claimed it was being run by people who 'hate Trump'.

He then moved on to discuss Michael Flynn, who had a short-lived tenure as Trump's national security adviser before he was charged with lying to the FBI.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017, a move that helped precipitate Mueller's probe. The FBI director alleged afterwards that Trump had asked him to go easy on Flynn because he was a 'good guy.'

He knows the answers to every question hes going to ask,' Giuliani said. 'Hell ask did you tell Comey to go easy on Flynn? The President will say no I didnt." '

You [Mueller] wants to get him under oath so you can trap him into perjury, were not going to do that... you are trying to trap him because you don't have a case.'

Giuliani repeatedly slammed the Mueller probe as 'illegitimate' and claimed it was being run by people who 'hate Trump'. Mueller is pictured in the US Capitol on June 21, 2017

Giuliani then suggested Mueller and his team would themselves end up as the subjects of an investigation.

The real story here is not that this case is going to fizzle. Its going to blow up on them. The real question is what we were talking about before,' he said.

'Theres a lot more to what they did that nobody knows about yet. A lot more to the obstruction of justice, to the collusion, to the fake dossier to try and bring Steele in when he was completely discredited.'

He added that other presidents could have 'cracked' under the strain of the Mueller probe, and suggested it would lead to 'very big reforms, like Watergate'.

During the Hannity interview, Giuliani also touched on comments he had made earlier on Wednesday telling Mueller he had to conclude investigation by September 1 because it was dragging on and on.

'Were restating what we have been saying for months: It is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay,' he told the New York Times.

Trump's legal team has been going back and forth with Mueller for months about an interview with the president. President Trump says he wants to his clear his name but his attorneys have advised against it.

The president has referred to the probe that originated with Moscow's meddling as a witch hunt and has repeatedly directed his attorney general to put a stop to it.

Giuliani has said time and time again that it's time for the probe to end. He said in April when he joined the Trump legal team that his role would be 'limited' and he was really only there to drag the investigation across the finish line.

Trump (pictured at a business dinner in Bedminster on Tuesday) has referred to the probe that originated with Moscow's meddling as a witch hunt and has repeatedly directed his attorney general to put a stop to it

Four months later, with the probe showing no sign of stopping, Giuliani has become the face of the legal effort alongside Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow, appearing multiple times a week sometimes on cable and network news programs.

Giuliani has routinely created hay in the investigation, most recently with a claim that it wouldn't be illegal to participate in collusion.

Trump did not collude with Russia to steal an election, but even if he did, 'Collusion is not a crime,' Giuliani at the end of July stated of 'Fox & Friends.'

'The hacking is the crime,' he told CNN later. 'The president didn't hack.'

President Trump says he did not know about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer that his son, campaign chairman and son-in-law participated in.

The meeting was ostensibly to receive dirt on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, although all parties say no such exchange of information ever happened.

The Department of Justice is said to have told Trump on multiple occasions that he is not the target of the investigation.

They would like to speak to him about improper ties that have been alleged between his campaign associates, though, and the Russians.

They would also like to question him about Comey's firing. The White House said Comey was fired for incompetence but Trump admitted in an interview that the Russia probe was also on his mind.

Giuliani believes Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling, which has spiraled into allegations of collusion between the Kremlin and the president's campaign and possible obstruction of justice, should be concluded by September 1

If the president refuses an interview with Mueller, the United States Constitution could be put to the test. A president has never successfully been subpoenaed before.

Sekulow told ABC News on Sunday that the president's legal team would file a motion to quash, if that happens. He said the case would ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

'If the Special Council makes the determination and gets the authority, and thats a question, they have to have the authority to seek that subpoena.

A subpoena for live testimony has never been tested in court as to a president of the United States,' he said. 'Its hard pressed to see why they need the presidents testimony.'

He said he had seen no evidence of illegal activity pertaining to the Trump Tower meeting with the Russian nationals who used the meeting to lobby against sanctions on adoption.

As for new charges that Trump is obstructing justice through derogatory tweets about the special counsel probe, including ones putting pressure on the Department of Justice to tell Mueller it's time to go, Sekulow said, 'Obstruction of justice by tweet is absurd.

The president has a First Amendment right to put his opinions out there.'

Trump's legal team had said last week that it expected to have an answer for Mueller about in an interview in the coming days in response to an offer from the special counsel's office to reduce the number of questions pertaining to obstruction of justice.

The president's legal team is aggressively trying to limit the interview to the topic of collusion, with all questions falling within a timeline that precedes Trump's inauguration.

Sekulow declined to comment on reports on Wednesday that the Trump legal team had rejected the special counsel's most recent offer.

He confirmed to The Times and other outlets, though, that the president's attorneys had submitted a response.

Giuliani would not say what was in the latest offer, but he told The Times that they were still considering another 'avenue' that would put the president in front of Mueller and ensure the probe starts to wrap up.

'This should be over by Sept. 1,' Giuliani said. 'We have now given him an answer; he obviously he should take a few days to consider it, but we should get this resolved. If there is going to be an interview, lets have it.'
Disney plans to use former 'Guardians of the Galaxy' director James Gunn's script even though he was fired from the film.

Walt Disney Chairman Alan Horn said that the studio has 'severed our business relationship' with Gunn, according to Fox News.

But that still isn't stopping Disney from using the script he wrote.

Sources say that Gunn is in a intense negotiation with Disney over his exit settlement and that the script is a hot component in that agreement, the Hollywood Reporter reports.

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Walt Disney Chairman Alan Horn said that the studio has 'severed our business relationship' with James Gunn, but the company plans to still use his script for the third 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie

Gunn is said to have not been 'pay or play' - meaning that Disney isn't forced to pay him for his full fee regardless of if they use the script or not.

The director could expect to get a payout of roughly $7million to $10million.

The news comes just a few days after 'Guardians of the Galaxy' actor Dave Bautista voiced his discontent with the firing and his continued work with Disney, saying it's not what he 'signed up for.'

Bautista, who plays Drax, is contractually obligated to continue on after Disney axed the director for decade old Twitter jokes about pedophilia and rape.

Bautista tweeted on Sunday that 'Guardians of the Galaxy without James Gunn just isn't Guardians of the Galaxy.'

Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, took to Twitter Sunday to say that while he is obligated to act in the franchise's Vol. 3, its just not the same without axed director James Gunn

He also took a swipe at his 'Guardians' employer, Disney, in his tweet.

'It's also pretty nauseating to work for someone who'd empower a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis,' Bautista continued, referring to the right-wing commentator Mike Cernovich, who dug-up Gunn's decade old tweets.

Meanwhile Kurt Russell, who played Ego in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' had his own thoughts on the matter, and approached Gunn's firing with similar disdain.

Russell, 67, speaking to Variety, said 'It's sad. But it's part of our fabric now, and I get it.

'But I do think we're getting a little too sensitive on maybe some of the wrong people,' he added.

Gunn was gearing up to direct the third installment of the popular superhero science fiction franchise when the old tweets were reported on.

Kurt Russell who played Ego (pictured) in Guardians Vol. 2 also expressed his dismay at what appears to be Disney's final decision to not bring Gunn back to direct the third installment

James Gunn was fired after a series of tweets from a decade ago were unearthed that included jokes about rape and pedophilia

(L-R) Actors David Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Chris Pratt, Kurt Russel, Karen Gillan, director James Gunn and actor Michael Rooker attend the UK screening of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'

The cast posted an open-letter last week expressing their support of James Gunn while cautioning against weaponizing mob-mentality

Though the beloved director apologized and Hollywood, including the full Guardians cast, all rallied around him, the damage had already been done, with Disney severing their business ties with him.

'You have to realize that when you are in the world as a comedian, a writer, whatever you're always stretching the boundaries and trying to find something which lead him to something that the world loves, which is 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' Russell continued.

'He has a wonderful heart and a wonderful mind. I hope he is forgiven.'
Botched repair works of a protected Buddha statue in south-west China have left the relic covered in bright, cartoonish colours, sparking ridicule and outrage.

One web user joked that the stone sculpture, around 1,000 years old, now appears to have a giant lollipop behind its head; while another person lamented that the sacred figure looks like it belonged in a red light district.

The local government has issued an apology after photos of the flubbed restoration went viral on social media, where users called the paintwork 'disfiguring and disrespectful'.

Before and after: Botched repair works of a historic stone Buddha sculpture in Anyue county, south-east China's Sichuan province have left the relic covered in bright, cartoonish colours

The alarming facelift in China brought back memories of other botched works, including the failed restoration of a Jesus Christ fresco in a Spanish church in 2012 that left the saviour looking like a hairy monkey.

The restoration works on the protected artifact were actually carried out in 1995 by unqualified workers.

But the incident was brought to light on Saturday after Xu Xin, a guide at the Dunhuang grottoes in Gansu province, posted the pictures on his Weibo account, where criticisms and angry comments quickly gathered.

The relic is situated inside a grotto in Anyue county, Sichuan province, and dates back to the Song dynasty (960-1279).

Before and after pictures of the 1,000-year-old Buddha shows bright red, yellow, blue and green paint splattered onto the sculpture, creating a cartoonish colour scheme.

A halo behind the sacred figure was filled in with different colours, leaving the Buddha's head right in the centre of what looks like a rainbow dart board.

Xu told MailOnline that the botched repair is 'a great shame'.

The alarming facelift of the Buddha statue has prompted comparisons of other botched works, including the failed restoration of a Jesus Christ fresco in a Spanish church in 2012

'Cultural relics are called cultural relics because of their "old" appearances, indicating their historical value,' he said.

'Re-construction works may reflect the believers' faith, but if the original marks of the original artifact are covered up, it will be transformed into a religious statue and wouldn't be a historic relic anymore.'

The incident remained a trending topic on Weibo, with the page titled 'Grotto statue suspected of being brutally restored' gathering more than 42 million views.

'What is that behind the Buddha's head? Is it a lollipop?' One said.

'The once-dignified statue is now completely ruined by amateurs,' said another. 'Looking at the colourful Buddhua, I don't feel peace anymore.'

'The sculpture now looks like it belongs in a red light district,' commented another. 'The colour scheme reminds me of busy traffic lights.'

Before: Centuries-old Buddhist frescos were in a 270-year-old temple in the north-eastern province of Liaoning and dated back to the early period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

After: However, an unauthorised restoration project left them completely painted over with cartoon-like Taoist figures. As a result, two government officials were fired

The Anyue county prides itself on being 'the City of Lemons and the City of Buddhist Sculptures'. There are more than 100,000 sculptures dating back as early as the 900s erected across the township, according to the government website.

In a notice posted on its official Weibo account, the Anyue County government said the restoration job was proposed and paid for by local residents in June, 1995.

'Residents lacked professional knowledge on cultural relic conservation and restoration and hired workers to carry out the repair works,' the statement read.

It claimed that officials immediately stopped the job after finding out, but the Buddha statue was already re-painted. However, they were able to prevent similar works that were scheduled to be carried out on other statues in the same grotto.

'After the incident, the Administration of Cultural Heritage strengthened management and protection of other relics,' it added. 'No similar restoration work was carried out again in recent years.'

Before and after: A 16th-century St George sculpture erected in a small church in the town of Estella, Spain was left looking 'like a Disney cartoon character' after a botched facelift in June

China's Criminal Law and Cultural Relics Protection Law stipulates that anyone who damages cultural relics could face a fine ranging from 5,000 yuan (570) and/or up to 10 years in prison.

In 2013, centries-old Buddhist frescos in a temple in Liaoning province were ruined when they were painted over with cartoon-like Taoist figures during an unauthorised restoration.

The paintings were inside a 270-year-old temple and are said to be from the early period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). As a result, two government officials were fired.

Elsewhere, a 1930 'Ecce Homo' fresco of Jesus Christ in a church in Borja, Spain was wrecked by a pensioner in her 80s, who became the laughing stock of the world in 2012 after the failed restoration attempts sparked global condemnation.

In June this year, a 16th-century St George sculpture erected in a small church in the town of Estella, northern Spain was left looking 'like a Disney cartoon character' after a botched facelift by a local handicrafts teacher.
A bus driver in central China has been commended after he was filmed carrying an elderly man on his back to help him off the vehicle safely.

Video footage shows a feeble man in his 70s struggling to get on and off the vehicle in Shiyan city, Hubei province, when the kind-hearted man came to his aid.

'He reminded me of my own father,' driver Liang Yan later told reporters.

A bus driver in Shiyan city, central China's Hubei province, has been commended after he was filmed carrying an elderly man on his back to help him off the vehicle

Driver Liang Yan also helped the pensioner get on the bus as he was very weak

The No. 103 bus was travelling along Yunyang road on Monday when the elderly man boarded the vehicle.

Mr Liang got out of his seat and offered a hand to the man, who stepped onto the bus feebly despite the support of his walking cane.

The driver then helped the pensioner to an empty seat and asked him where he's getting off, according to Qinchu News.

When the bus approached Liu Jiaqiao station where the old man was supposed to get off, Mr Liang immediately offered the old man a piggyback ride to alight the vehicle.

The driver then helped the pensioner to an empty seat and asked him where he's getting off

When the bus approached Liu Jiaqiao station where the old man was supposed to get off, Mr Liang immediately offered the old man a piggyback ride to ensure his safety

'When I saw the old man, I thought of my own father,' Mr Liang said.

'I didn't think much of it at all - I was just hoping to do my job properly,' he added. 'The step at the bus exit was quite high, the man couldn't have gotten off safely.'

The touching moment was captured by surveillance cameras on the bus and widely praised by net users.

'What a kind man,' one said. 'People like Mr Liang make the world a better place.'

'May God bless this kind-hearted man!' another said.
9:20 p.m.

State Attorney General Bill Schuette wins the Republican nomination for Michigan governor, defeating three other candidates vying to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Rick Snyder.

Schuette beat Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines on Tuesday. Democrats running were former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer, ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and entrepreneur Shri Thanedar.

Schuette, a former congressman, state lawmaker and appellate judge, was endorsed by President Donald Trump. He says he would cut the state income tax, like Trump reduced federal taxes.

The Michigan governorship is a top target for the Democratic Party, which is eager to make gains in the Midwest, where Republicans have dominated state governments and which helped President Donald Trump take the White House in 2016.

9:55 p.m.

Gretchen Whitmer wins the Democratic nomination for Michigan governor, besting two competitors to advance to the November race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

Whitmer, a former legislative leader, defeated chemical-testing businessman Shri Thanedar and ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed in Tuesday's primary. She will face Attorney General Bill Schuette, who defeated Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines in the GOP primary.

Whitmer was considered the favorite because of her political experience and broad support from organized labor and other key groups. El-Sayed especially courted the party's more liberal, pro-Bernie Sanders wing, as did Thanedar, who spent millions of dollars of his own money on his campaign.

The Michigan governorship is a top target for the Democratic Party.

9:25 p.m.

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri wins the Democratic primary in her campaign for a third term.

Voters picked McCaskill on Tuesday as expected over six other Democratic challengers.

Republicans are eyeing the Democratic seat in a state that President Donald Trump won by nearly 19 points in 2016. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley was favored in an 11-candidate Republican primary for the right to face McCaskill in November.

A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races in the nation. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump and is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist.

9:30 p.m.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley wins the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate races.

Voters on Tuesday picked Hawley as expected over 10 other GOP challengers in the race for Democrat Claire McCaskill's seat. He was the only candidate to have previously won a statewide election and had considerably more money than the other Republicans in the field. He's backed by President Donald Trump.

Republicans are eyeing the now-Democratic seat as a prime pickup opportunity in a state Trump won by nearly 19 points.

A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the nation's top showdowns. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump. He is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist.

9:50 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall wins the Republican primary in the sprawling rural 1st District of western and central Kansas.

He advances to a November matchup against Democrat Alan LaPolice of Clyde in the heavily Republican agricultural district.

Marshall, a Great Bend physician, first gained national attention in 2016 for knocking off then Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary for the seat.

Democrats did not have a candidate in 2016, but LaPolice launched a long-shot bid as an independent. LaPolice, an educator, is taking another shot at it this year running as a Democrat.

While the district strongly supported President Donald Trump in 2016, some worry tougher immigration policies make it harder to fill agricultural jobs. Marshall wants to couple border-security measures with changes in visas for guest farm workers.

10:05 p.m.

Detroit-area businessman and Iraq War veteran John James wins the Republican nomination to run against Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow this fall.

James is a political newcomer endorsed by President Donald Trump. He defeated Sandy Pensler in Tuesday's primary.

Stabenow is seeking a fourth Senate term and has easily fended off past challengers, but Trump's narrow 2016 victory in Michigan has the GOP hopeful it can flip the seat.

The 37-year-old James is an executive at his family's automotive logistics companies and a West Point graduate who flew helicopters during the Iraq War.

He is Michigan's first black Republican nominee for a major statewide office in more than three decades, but he has said he only wants to be assessed on his character.

10:15 p.m.

A veteran Kansas legislator wins the Democratic primary for governor after stressing her Statehouse experience and fending off questions about her voting record.

State Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka defeated former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, former Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty and two other candidates Tuesday.

The 68-year-old Kelly has served 14 years in the Senate and is the top Democrat on the budget committee. She stressed those credentials in running and suggested that she was best able to fix problems created by Republican policies.

She faced criticism from Svaty and Brewer for votes she made in representing a GOP-leaning district for looser gun laws and for some of the nation's toughest voter identification requirements.

But she also had the backing of former two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

11:25 p.m.

Sen. Maria Cantwell advances to the November ballot in Washington's primary election.

The Democrat seeking her fourth term easily outpaced all other candidates. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters go on to November, regardless of party.

Cantwell is Washington's junior senator and the ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Cantwell will likely face Republican Susan Hutchison in November. Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman.

11:30 p.m.

Republican Susan Hutchison gains a top-two finish in Washington state's primary to advance to the November general election.

The former television newscaster and GOP state party chairwoman was finishing second in the voting in Tuesday's contest. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters go on to November, regardless of party.

Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman.

She is making a longshot bid to oust the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is seeking a fourth term.

11:45 p.m.

A black Ferguson city councilman leads longtime St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch in a contest some see as a referendum on McCulloch's handling of the investigation into Michael Brown's death.

With the vote counted from nearly 90 percent of precincts, the county reported Wesley Bell leading the 67-year-old McCulloch by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin in Tuesday's Democratic primary. No Republicans are running for prosecutor.

McCulloch, who is white, is seeking an eighth term.

Bell is a 43-year-old attorney and former municipal judge and prosecutor. He was elected councilman in 2015 as protests raged over Brown's death.

Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, died Aug. 9, 2014, in a street confrontation with white officer Darren Wilson. A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict Wilson, who later resigned. Some critics accused McCulloch of skewing the investigation in favor of the officer.

12:30 a.m.

A Washington state representative who resigned his chairmanship following allegations of inappropriate conduct is in third place in early primary returns.

Democratic Rep. David Sawyer on Tuesday trailed Democrat Melanie Morgan and Republican Terry Harder. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to November, regardless of party.

Sawyer represents a district that includes parts of Tacoma.

In June, Sawyer resigned as the chairman of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee a day after an outside investigation found he violated the chamber's policies on harassment, decorum and ethics.

Sawyer apologized and said in an email at the time that it was 'clear that I messed up and that it's time for me to acknowledge some personal mistakes.'
The Battle of Amiens, which began on August 8, 1918, proved to be the most decisive battle against the Germans on the Western Front.

The battle was the beginning of the end of the First World War, heralding the start of the period known as the Hundred Days offensive.

From the day the battle started exactly 100 years ago today - August 8, 1918 - successive military victories eventually led to the surrender of German forces and the end of the conflict on Armistice Day on November 11 that year.

Canadian soldiers in the Battle of Amiens during the First World War in August 1918

The location of Amiens as a major rail hub was deeply important to the Allies because it was used to receive supplies for the front line and move them out.

General Sir Henry Rawlinson, commander of the Fourth Army, combined air and land forces, from Australia, Canada, France, America and Britain, to great effect during the conflict.

He had learnt the lessons of the bloody Somme offensive - where he played a prominent role - employing improved tactics and new technology, utilised alongside subterfuge, from concealing troop numbers to ending the practice of firing range-finding shells so there was no warning of the attack.

The battle saw more than 500 tanks from the UK's Tank Corps deployed, more than 1,900 British and French aircraft used, tens of thousands of troops present, with the Australians and Canadians prominent in the attack, and all supported by more than 2,000 guns from the Royal Artillery.

Allied soldiers with captured prisoners of war after the Battle of Amiens in 1918

Over the following days the gains made by Allied troops were huge, with many miles claimed from German forces - but its real impact was on the morale of many in the German high command, convincing them the war could not be won.

German forces suffered a shattering blow, with 27,000 casualties, including 16,000 prisoners. The Germans acknowledged this spectacular reverse.

General Erich Ludendorff famously described it as 'the black day of the German army in this war'. The official German history described it as their greatest defeat since the start of the war.
William told the congregation at Amiens Cathedral today that the building 'has such a profound connection to all those that served'

I am delighted to join you all today to mark this important centenary in this historic Cathedral of Amiens.

From the very start of the First World War, Amiens found itself at the heart of the conflict. For most of the war, it was just behind the Allied front lines, and military personnel soon became a familiar sight on its streets, around its shops, cafes and hotels. For thousands of servicemen, it became a home away from home.

Above all, Amiens was a city of connections. Its railway line was a vital link between Paris and the north. Here, the armies of France and the British Empire came together. It connected the Allies.

During the defence of the city against the great German offensive in April 1918, shelling and bombing destroyed many of the buildings here. Thankfully, this great cathedral was spared significant damage.

In the summer of 1918, this was the springboard for the Allies offensive which would eventually lead to victory on the Western Front. After French, American and British forces had turned the tide against the Germans in the Second Battle of the Marne, the scene was set for a truly co-ordinated Allied effort to strike back.

What began here on 8 August was truly a coalition operation under the strategic command of a great Frenchman, Marshal Foch; a battle in which the forces of many nations came together to fight; in which aerial, mechanical and human courage and ingenuity combined with devastating results.

Amiens was symbolic of the entente cordiale, the co-operation without which victory was impossible. It is entirely fitting therefore, that today, that same international coalition has returned to Amiens with our former enemy, in peace and partnership.

It is fitting too that we come together here, in this magnificent Cathedral, which has such a profound connection to all those that served.

After the war, a commemorative tablet was installed here by the Imperial War Graves Commission, In sacred memory of six hundred thousand men of the armies of Great Britain and Ireland who fell in France and Belgium during the Great War.

Memorial Tablets were subsequently installed by other nations to honour their fallen. And the Chapel of the Allies, where today we will renew the bonds forged during the War, is a lasting testament to the continuing relationship between those who served here a hundred years ago and the people of Amiens.

Today we return to learn more about the experience of those involved during the historic summer of 1918, to honour the fallen of all nations, to commemorate all those who participated in this great endeavour, and to celebrate the bonds of friendship which unite our nations.
This photos shows Williams (far left) attending a meeting of the Brownsville NAACP chapter in 1932

Elbert Williams was born on October 15, 1908, in Haywood County, Tennessee, to a family of farmer, according to BlackPast.org. In 1929, Williams married Annie Mitchell and the pair moved to Brownsville, Tennessee, where they worked for the Sunshine Laundry.

In 1939, the Williamses became charter members of Brownsvilles NAACP Branch and joined the effort of registering black voters, but without success.

On June 16, 1940, one of the people the Williamses had tried to register to vote, Elisha Davis, was abducted from home by a group of white men led by Brownsville policemen Tip Hunter and Charles Read, taken to a swamp and forced to name members of the local NAACP chapter.

On the night of June 20, 1940, Hunter, Read, and a third man, Ed Lee, who managed a local Coca-Cola bottling company, took Williams to jail and questioned him about an NAACP meeting he was planning. Hunter later claimed he let Williams, but he was never seen alive again.

On June 23, Williams body was found in the nearby Hatchie River. Annie Williams identified her husband and reported seeing two bullet-like holes in his chest.

Haywood County Coroner Bill Cox ordered no autopsy and the coroners jury determined that the cause of Williams death was unknown. The coroner ordered an immediate burial, and Williams was laid to rest that same day in an unmarked grave.

A grand jury concluded that Williamss death was caused by 'foul violence at the hands of parties unknown.'

Under pressure from the NAACP National Office, the United States Department of Justice ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate Williams' death.

The DOJ ordered the United States Attorney in Memphis to present the case to a federal grand jury but then reversed its decision and closed the case, citing insufficient evidence. NAACP Special Counsel Thurgood Marshall, later the first African-American justice on the US Supreme Court, was involved in the investigation and furious at reversal.

The Elbert Williams Memorial Committee was formed in 2014 to bring attention to the cold case. In 2015, the Tennessee Historical Commission granted the committees application for an official historical marker honoring Williams, which was erected in Brownsville on June 20, 2015, the 75th anniversary of Williamss death.

Source: BlackPast.org
Italy is relaxing its child vaccination laws, leaving scientific and medical communities worldwide baffled and appalled.

The populist Italian government made an amendment to a law which requires all parents to prove their child has had 10 obligatory vaccinations, including polio, measles, and chickenpox, among others.

Under the new law, parents will be able to offer verbal confirmation of the completed immunisations without being required to provide concrete evidence.

It is currently unclear how the government will ensure parents are telling the truth about their childrens vaccinations on school enrolment forms.

Experts fear compliance with vaccines will drop under the new regulations, leading to a greater risk of the spread of disease across the country.

It was approved late last week by the upper house in Italy's parliament by a vote of 148 to 110 votes and will now be put in front of the lower house. If it's approved, the new law will be enforced in time for the September school term.

Italy is relaxing the laws surrounding the vaccinations of children, leaving the scientific and medical communities baffled and appalled. The populist government in the country has made an amendment to a law which requires parents to prove their child has had 10 obligatory vaccinations (stock)

The law was first introduced by the Democratic Party in July 2017 following a mass outbreak of measles.

Italy saw 5,004 cases of the highly-infectious viral infection  the second-highest figure in Europe after Romania, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

At the time, Italy accounted for 34 per cent of all measles cases reported by countries in the European Economic Area.

To prevent further outbreaks, Italy introduced the legislation that demanded children be immunised against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae B, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough and chickenpox.

Measles, mumps and rubella can be received in one injection  the MMR jab.

'Italy's measles vaccine coverage was par with Namibia, lower than Ghana,' said Roberto Burioni, professor of microbiology and virology at San Raffaele University.

'But the law was working, the coverage was improving. We should strengthen it, not weaken it.

'Now, children who are not vaccinated will endanger other children at school who are too small for vaccines or cannot be vaccinated because they suffer from immunosuppressive diseases.'

Since the law came into place, a general election occurred in the Mediterranean country, with a new populist government taking charge.

WHAT ARE THE 10 DISEASES ITALIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN WERE REQUIRED TO BE VACCINATED AGAINST? Vaccines against the following diseases are currently mandatory for all Italian schoolchildren  Polio Diphtheria Tetanus Hepatitis B Haemophilus influenzae B Measles Mumps Rubella Whooping cough Chickenpox Advertisement

Italy's Five Star movement and its coalition partner, the far-right League, voiced concerns over the policy when it was introduced.

They claim compulsory vaccinations are 'useless' and discourage school inclusion.

League leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said in June the 10 obligatory vaccinations 'are useless and in many cases dangerous, if not harmful.'

'I confirm the commitment to allow all children to go to school,' he added.

'The priority is that they don't get expelled from the classes.'

Health Minister Giulia Grillo, a Five Star member, said the government wants to 'spur school inclusion and simplify rules for parents.'

According to experts, the latest move erodes faith in science and undermines public norms.

'Weakening a law that works, that Italians are respecting and is doing some good to children and to the health system is a self-destructive strategy,' Roberto Burioni, a virologist at San Raffaele University in Milan, told the New York Times.

Mr Burioni cited the common school requirement that demands people wishing to take swimming classes possess a doctor-signed certificate of good health: 'If I die while I swim, I am not hurting anyone else.

'Here, we are here trusting people on something that does hurt everyone else.'

The difference with vaccinations, some believe, is that people have a moral obligation to immunise themselves in order to protect others who would be at heightened risk should they remain unprotected.

'Italy is part of a global trend of distrust in mediators  doctors and scientists  who can interpret and explain data,' said Andrea Grignolio, a lecturer in history of medicine and bioethics at La Sapienza University of Rome.

'With the advent of the Internet, people have the illusion they can access and read data by themselves, removing the need for technical and scientific knowledge.'

Italy saw 5,004 cases of the highly-infectious viral infection, the second-highest figure in Europe after Romania, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Parents will now not have t prove their children are fully vaccinated (stock)

HOW DO VACCINATIONS WORK? Vaccinations are a preventative form of medicine that is designed to allow the human body to fight off some diseases should they encounter them at a later date. They can come in the form of an injection or a nasal spray, and often contain a dead or severely weakened version of a pathogen - be it a virus or bacteria. This contains the same antigens and markers that identify the invasive pathogens as foreign and potentially dangerous. The human immune system then responds to this and kicks into action, increasing the rate of production of monocytes (white blood cells) and B lymphocytes. Monocytes engulf and break down the pathogen while B lymphocytes produce antibodies. This is the key part of the vaccination process as the antigens - identifying markers of the pathogen - latch on to the B lymphocyte and the cell then divides rapidly and secretes a huge amount of plasma cells and B memory cells. Plasma cells produce antibodies at an amazing rate and can release tens of thousands of antibodies per second. B memory cells have a prolonged lifespan, meaning they survive n the bloodstream and body for far longer than most cells. These cells can then act as a rapid-warning system should the same pathogen enter the body at a later date, triggering the production of antibodies and the rest of the immune system at a much quicker rate. Antibodies is a broad term that encompasses five different types of the immunoglobulin: IgA (immunoglobin A)

IgD (immunoglobin D)

IgE (immunoglobin E)

IgG (immunoglobin G)

IgM (immunoglobin M) They differ due to their varying structure in part of their Y-shaped arrangement. They are often found in different tissues around the body and have slightly different roles. Eventually, the body creates an antibody which can latch on to the antigen of a foreign invader and neutralise or destroy it. This can happen by either negating its physical mechanisms or by changing its molecular structure slightly to prevent it from replicating. Advertisement

Vaccinations are crucial in ensuring 'herd immunity', which protects populations from the spread of disease.

This occurs when the vast majority of a community  between 80 and 95 per cent  are immune and means that, when a disease is introduced, it is unable to spread.

Herd immunity means those who are unable to be vaccinated, including the sick, very young and very old, will still be protected.

Vaccine sceptics no longer reside among fringe groups, but work in the highest offices of power.

For example, US President Donald Trump has tweeted more than 20 times about the supposed link between vaccines and autism, a claim debunked by scientists.

When talking about the recommended vaccination schedule, Trump has stated he would prefer 'smaller doses over a longer period of time'.

The move to make vaccinations compulsory in Italy was controversial at the time, with many parents and campaign groups disagreeing with the decision.

Other countries in Europe have seen great success with similar vaccination programmes, but have not made the process obligatory.

In the UK, the NHS has a very clearly defined vaccination timeline, but compulsory vaccination has been repeatedly rejected.

This timeline includes several vaccinations at different ages, including: 6-in-1 vaccine at eight weeks (a single jab containing vaccines to protect against six separate diseases: diphtheria; tetanus; whooping cough; polio; Haemophilus influenzae type b, known as Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children; and hepatitis B.

Booster jabs are administered for several other diseases throughout infancy and the MMR is advised at around one year old.

A report published in 2003 by the British Medical Association (BMA) found vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect children from infectious disease.

The BMA said parents should be encouraged to choose immunisation for their children, but stopped short of supporting the idea of compulsory vaccinations.

In the intervening years, the debate has been revisited several times but compulsory vaccination has never been approved.

Vaccines are deemed to be safe by the scientific community worldwide.

The risk of disease or serious illness is considered minute, but poor scientific research has created a negative impression amongst the general public.

Andrew Wakefield was an accredited gastroenterologist who published a paper in the Lancet claiming the administration of the MMR jab causes autism.

After a 1998 paper further confirmed this finding, Wakefield said: 'The risk of this particular syndrome [what Wakefield termed 'autistic enterocolitis'] developing is related to the combined vaccine, the MMR, rather than the single vaccines.'

At the time, Wakefield had a patent for single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, and was therefore accused of having a conflict of interest.

IS ANDREW WAKEFIELD'S DISCREDITED AUTISM RESEARCH TO BLAME FOR LOW MEASLES VACCINATION RATES? Andrew Wakefield's discredited autism research has long been blamed for a drop in measles vaccination rates In 1995, gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield published a study in The Lancet showing children who had been vaccinated against MMR were more likely to have bowel disease and autism. He speculated that being injected with a 'dead' form of the measles virus via vaccination causes disruption to intestinal tissue, leading to both of the disorders. After a 1998 paper further confirmed this finding, Wakefield said: 'The risk of this particular syndrome [what Wakefield termed 'autistic enterocolitis'] developing is related to the combined vaccine, the MMR, rather than the single vaccines.' At the time, Wakefield had a patent for single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, and was therefore accused of having a conflict of interest. Nonetheless, MMR vaccination rates in the US and the UK plummeted, until, in 2004, the editor of The Lancet Dr Richard Horton described Wakefield's research as 'fundamentally flawed', adding he was paid by a group pursuing lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers. The Lancet formally retracted Wakefield's research paper in 2010. Three months later, the General Medical Council banned Wakefield from practising medicine in Britain, stating his research had shown a 'callous disregard' for children's health. On January 6 2011, The British Medical Journal published a report showing that of the 12 children included in Wakefield's 1995 study, at most two had autistic symptoms post vaccination, rather than the eight he claimed. At least two of the children also had developmental delays before they were vaccinated, yet Wakefield's paper claimed they were all 'previously normal'. Further findings revealed none of the children had autism, non-specific colitis or symptoms within days of receiving the MMR vaccine, yet the study claimed six of the participants suffered all three. Advertisement

Further research discredited the research and the paper was redacted in 2010, with Mr Wakefield losing his license to practice medicine.
Police forces are being challenged over concerns they are using a controversial snooping technology capable of tracking your every movement via a smartphone.

Rights charity are taking five UK police forces to court over their failure to confirm or deny whether they use the hardware, which mimics cell towers to silently connect with nearby mobile phones to spy on their movements.

These can also be used to intercept text messages and calls without the knowledge of the mobile phone owner.

Cellxion, the Surrey telecoms firm behind the technology, claims the system helps police to combat the growing use of mobile phones by criminals and terrorists.

But privacy experts warn the technology is 'rife for abuse' as it harvests data 'indiscriminately' from nearby cellular devices without consent.

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Police are being challenged over their use of a controversial snooping technology that could allow them to track your every movement through your smartphone. The hardware is known as an Known as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher (file photo)

Known as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher, the hardware tricks mobile handsets across an area of several miles into connecting with it.

Once this connection has taken place, IMSI can be used to pinpoint a smartphone's location and intercept text messages and calls without the knowledge of its user.

UK police were first caught using the technology in 2016 after a Freedom of Information Request (FoI) found the acronym CCDC present in various forces' accounts stood for 'Covert Communications Data Capture'  another term for IMSIs.

At least five forces are known to have used the equipment, with the London Metropolitan Police spending more than 1 million ($1.3 million) on IMSIs in 2015.

However, groups seeking more details on how the kits are deployed have been told officials can 'neither confirm nor deny' they hold any information.

Rights group Privacy International has now filed an appeal challenging police forces' silence on their purchase and use of the technology.

Rights groups are taking five UK police forces to court over their failure to deny they use the hardware, which mimics mobile phone towers to connect with devices, to spy on British citizens (stock image)

The legal action will challenge an Information Commissioner's Office ruling allowing forces to refuse Freedom of Information requests around IMSIs.

Privacy International argues the ruling, which allowed forces the power to 'neither confirm nor deny' they held information, essentially strips the Freedom of Information Act of its meaning.

Scarlet Kim, legal officer at Privacy International, said the police had relied on the 'knee-jerk "neither confirm nor deny" reaction' to requests for too long.

'This secrecy is all the more troubling given the indiscriminate manner in which IMSI catchers operate,' Ms Kim said.

'These tools are particularly ripe for abuse when used at public gatherings, such as protests, where the government can easily collect data about all those attending.'

WHAT ARE IMSI CATCHERS AND HOW DO THEY WORK? International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers trick mobile phones into giving up their data. The hardware mimics the signals given off by a mobile signal tower to fool smartphones into connecting with it. Once activated, it captures all smartphones within an area of several miles. The technology harvests the gadget for location data, and can intercept text messages and calls without the user's knowledge. In 2015, it was revealed that at least five UK police forces had invested in a version of the surveillance gear built by Surrey telecoms firm Cellxion Cellxion says IMSI catchers help police to combat the growing use of mobile phones by criminals and terrorists. But privacy experts warn the technology is 'rife for abuse' as it harvests data 'indiscriminately' and without consent. Advertisement

She highlighted refusals from police forces continued even while information on the devices was leaking across the media.

Purchase records revealed that on top of the Met's 1 million investment, Avon and Somerset police spent 169,575 ($220,000) on the technology in 2015.

South Yorkshire Police paid Cellxion 144,000 ($57,000) in the same period.

The telecoms firm has previously touted IMSI hardware as 'a comprehensive set of tools to combat the growing use of mobile phone communications technology in crime and terrorism'.

The National Police Chiefs's Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Megan Goulding, a lawyer for legal group Liberty, which is representing Privacy International inthe new case, said it was 'vital' for the public to have access to information on police surveillance tools.

'We hope the Tribunal acknowledges the threat to our rights and encourages a more diligent approach from the Information Commissioner's Office,' she said.
A newly-discovered WhatsApp bug allows hackers to infiltrate and message your group chats and private conversations.

If combined with other existing glitches, the vulnerability could allow cyber criminals to impersonate you and send fake messages to your friends and family, security experts have warned.

Researchers who unearthed the bug believe it is of the 'utmost importance' WhatsApp fixes the problem  as it could be used to quickly spread misinformation.

The Facebook-owned company says it is aware of the flaw but has no plans to patch the problem as the exploited vulnerability forms a core part of the app's design.

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A new WhatsApp bug allows hackers to infiltrate your group chats and private messages. The flaw means attackers can send (left) and quote (right) messages on behalf of someone else

First discovered by Israeli cybersecurity group CheckPoint Research, the flaw is incredibly complex and involves a gap within the app's encryption algorithms.

Writing on their website, the team said the vulnerability could make it possible for a hacker 'to intercept and manipulate messages sent by those in a group or private conversation' as well as 'create and spread misinformation'.

Hackers could use the bug to alter the text sent in someone else's reply to a group chat, essentially 'putting words in their mouth', the group said.

WhatsApp's 'quote' feature can also be used to change the identity of the sender, to make it appear as if it came from a person who is not even part of the group.

By doing this, it would be possible to incriminate a person or close a fraudulent deal, for example.

Finally, cyber criminals could send a private message to another group participant that is disguised as a public message for all, so when the targeted individual responds, its visible to everyone in the conversation, CheckPoint said.

HOW COULD HACKERS USE THE NEW WHATSAPP FLAW? A team of Israeli researchers has uncovered a vulnerability in WhatsApp that lets hackers infiltrate group chats and private messages. They say that a sufficiently motivated hacker can: 1) Alter the text of someone elses reply to a group chat, essentially putting words in their mouth. 2) Use the quote feature in a group conversation to change the identity of the sender, to make it appear as if it came from a person who is not even part of the group. 3) By doing this, it would be possible to incriminate a person or close a fraudulent deal, for example. 4) Send a private message to another group participant that is disguised as a public message for all, so when the targeted individual responds, its visible to everyone in the conversation. Advertisement

The vulnerability is incredibly complex, and involves a loophole in the way WhatsApp's web and mobile versions communicate.

CheckPoint found hackers can insert themselves into the code between the two to retrieve and send fake messages from within the service.

WhatsApp said it currently has no plans to fix the vulnerability as it forms a core part of the 'design framework' of the app.

The firm assured users the loophole does not affect its end-to-end encryption  the system that ensures only the users in a conversation can read its messages.

'We carefully reviewed this issue and it's the equivalent of altering an e-mail to make it look like something a person never wrote,' a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

The Facebook-owned company says it is aware of the flaw but has no plans to fix it as the vulnerability forms a core part of the messaging app's design (stock image)

'This claim has nothing to do with the security of end-to-end encryption, which ensures only the sender and recipient can read messages sent on WhatsApp.'

The report of the flaw comes as the Facebook-owned company faces increasing scrutiny over the use of its popular service as a tool to spread fake news.

WhatsApp is a convenient platform through which to forward messages to large groups of people.

Last month, the app announced limits of forwarding messages following pressure from the Indian government over a spate of recent lynchings

More than 20 people have been butchered in the last three months by crazed mobs after being accused of child kidnapping and other crimes in viral messages circulated wildly on WhatsApp.
Personal home robots that can socialise with people are starting to roll out of the laboratory and into our living rooms and kitchens. But are humans ready to invite them into their lives?

It's taken decades of research to build robots even a fraction as sophisticated as those featured in popular science fiction.

They don't much resemble their fictional predecessors; they mostly don't walk, only sometimes roll and often lack limbs.

And they're nowhere close to matching the language, social skills and physical dexterity of people.

Worse, they're so far losing out to immobile smart speakers made by Amazon, Apple and Google, which cost a fraction of what early social robots do, and which are powered by artificial-intelligence systems that leave many robots' limited abilities in the dust.

Anki CEO Boris Sofman holds Vector, the company's new home robot, in New York. The wheeled robot is designed as a successor to the San Francisco company's toy robot, Cozmo, which was introduced in 2016

That hasn't stopped ambitious robot-makers from launching life-like robots into the market - albeit with mixed results so far.

Two pioneers in a new vanguard of cute, sociable robots - Jibo, a curvy talking speaker, and Kuri, a cartoonish wheeled 'nanny' - have been early casualties. The makers of Vector, a less expensive home robot that was unveiled Wednesday, hope theirs will be a bigger hit.

Still others, including a rumoured Amazon project and robots designed to provide companionship for senior citizens, remain in the development phase.

'I think we're going to start seeing some come to market this year,' said Vic Singh, a founding general partner of Eniac Ventures, which has invested in several robotics startups. But they'll be limited to very specific uses, he warned.

Hopes for social robots keep outpacing reality.

Late last year, the squat, almost featureless Jibo graced the cover of Time Magazine's 'best inventions' edition.

Its creator, MIT robotics researcher Cynthia Breazeal, told The Associated Press at the time that 'there's going to be a time when everybody will just take the personal robot for granted.'

That time has not yet arrived.

Jibo, a foot-high, vaguely conical device topped by a wide hemispherical 'head,' stays where you put it, typically on a countertop.

But it can swivel its flat, round screen 'face' to meet your gaze; tells joke and plays music; and can shimmy convincingly if you ask it to dance.

It was pitched as 'the world's first social robot for the home.'

At almost $900 (700), though, Jibo didn't win anywhere near enough friends.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and robotics researcher Cynthia Breazeal touches social robot Jibo at the company's headquarters in Boston. Jibo can swivel its flat, round screen 'face' to meet your gaze; tells joke and plays music

Massachusetts Institute of Technology robotics researcher Cynthia Breazeal, left, stands next to social robot Jibo, right, at the company's headquarters in Boston. It was pitched as 'the world's first social robot for the home'

Jibo, a foot-high, vaguely conical device topped by a wide hemispherical 'head,' stays where you put it, typically on a countertop

It's still for sale online, but its parent company reportedly laid off much of its workforce in June and didn't reply to requests for comment.

'It's a really cool device, but it didn't offer a ton of utility,' Singh said.

In late July, another startup, California-based Mayfield Robotics, ceased manufacturing Kuri, a roving $699 (540) machine that would shoot pictures and video from cameras hidden behind its round, blinking eyes.

Other home robots, such as the three-foot, video-screen equipped personal assistant Temi ($1,499/1,163) and Sony's dog-like Aibo ($1,800/1,400), are even less affordable.

'You cannot sell a robot for $800 or $1,000 (620 or 775) that has capabilities of less than an Alexa,' said Boris Sofman, CEO of Anki, which plans to launch its pet-like Vector this fall.

Promising a robotic future beyond 'puck-like vacuum cleaners and lifeless cylindrical talking speakers,' Anki is pitching the $249 (190)Vector as an older brother to its tiny - and feisty - toy robot Cozmo. (Anki has sold 1.5 million Cozmos since its 2016 debut.)

Both robots are small enough to fit in your palm and scoot around on tank treads and chirp more than talk, but Vector can answer basic questions, set a timer or deliver messages from email and texts.

Anki is pitching the $249 (190)Vector as an older brother to its tiny - and feisty - toy robot Cozmo. (Anki has sold 1.5 million Cozmos since its 2016 debut)

Anki hired animators from Pixar and DreamWorks to give character to Cozmo and Vector. Israeli startup Intuitions Robotics brought on prominent industrial designer Yves Behar to help craft the look of ElliQ, which is designed for seniors

It can rest on a tabletop until it hears a door open or, using facial recognition, 'sees' a familiar person in view. It purrs when you rub its gold-plated back.

Social robots trace their lineage back to an interactive humanoid head named Kismet, which Breazeal built in an MIT lab in the 1990s.

Since then, advances in artificial intelligence have propelled the field forward.

The popularity of Alexa and its ilk has also helped take the strangeness out of talking machines.

The key for Vector and other companion robots, experts say, is to strike the right balance between usefulness and personality whilst accounting for affordability.

There is still plenty of disagreement over what makes the proper balance.

Fall short on personality, and 'you better be perfect because the moment you make a mistake, you're going to be the big lumbering robot that made a mistake,' Sofman said.

But people can forgive errors so long as the robot reacts in a realistic way.

Personal home robots that can socialize with people are starting to roll out of the laboratory and into our living rooms and kitchens. 'I think we're going to start seeing some come to market this year,' said Vic Singh, a founding general partner of Eniac Ventures

Temi answers a question during an event in San Francisco. The company has been invested in several robotics startups. But they'll be limited to very specific uses, he warned

Israeli startup Intuitions Robotics brought on prominent industrial designer Yves Behar to help craft the look of ElliQ, which is designed for seniors. The robot is expected to launch next year

Anki hired animators from Pixar and DreamWorks to give character to Cozmo and Vector.

Israeli startup Intuitions Robotics brought on prominent industrial designer Yves Behar to help craft the look of ElliQ, which is designed for seniors.

The robot is expected to launch next year.

'We were looking for an aesthetic that will earn the right to be part of people's life for a long period of time, not just a gadget or a toy,' said Dor Skuler, Intuition's founder and CEO.

Instead of cute, ElliQ aims for calm.

Designed to sit on an end table, the robot is shaped like a rounded table lamp with a circular light shining from inside its translucent plastic head.

It swivels frequently, directing attention to the person it's speaking with, and has an adjacent tablet screen to show off photos or text messages.

Many researchers say social robots hold great promise in helping an aging population.

Such robots could remind seniors to take medicine, prompt them to get up and move or visit others, and help them stay in better touch with extended family and friends.

For the robots to catch on across all ages, though, they need to prove themselves useful and helpful, said James Young, a researcher at the University of Manitoba's human-computer interaction lab.

'Whether that's by helping with loneliness, helping with tasks like cooking, that's key,' he said.

'Once people are convinced something is useful or actually saves them time, they're really good at adapting.'
Blocking sunlight to cool the Earth will not save humanity's farmland from climate change, according to a new study that dismisses a leading global warming prevention theory.

Researchers had speculated that injecting particles into the atmosphere would lower rising global temperatures enough to stop crops from dying out.

But scientists analysing the past effects of Earth-cooling volcanic eruptions showed that shielding the atmosphere damages crops as much as it helps them.

They concluded that any improvements to yield triggered by cooler temperatures would be negated by lower productivity due to reduced sunlight  making the process ineffective as a way of stopping global warming.

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One proposal for solar geoengineering is to inject sulphate aerosols into the atmosphere, similar to what happens after large volcanic eruptions. The blanket of smog acts as an umbrella, reducing sunlight and temperatures a few percent to counter global warming. However, according to the latest study this will kill off crops

Some previous episodes of global cooling were caused by gases emitted during massive volcanic eruptions.

Some experts believe that humans could inject sulphate aerosols into the upper atmosphere in a similar way.

This could artificially cool Earth and alleviate the greenhouse warming caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide.

Rather like using an umbrella to create shade from the sun, experts think that a global sunshade could in theory slow warning.

For example the eruption of Mount Pinatubo injected about 20 million tons of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere.

This reduced sunlight by about 2.5 per cent and lowered the average global temperature by about half a degree Celsius (nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit).

This type of solar geoengineering is one proposed method for helping humanity manage the impacts of global warming.

However, findings by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that this technology might not be as effective as hoped.

'Shading the planet keeps things cooler, which helps crops grow better', said lead author Jonathan Proctor, a UC Berkeley doctoral candidate in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

However, plants also need sunlight to grow, so blocking sunlight can affect growth.

'For agriculture, the unintended impacts of solar geoengineering are equal in magnitude to the benefits,' he said.

'It's a bit like performing an experimental surgery; the side-effects of treatment appear to be as bad as the illness.'

Particles injected into the atmosphere cannot stop damage to crops caused by rising global temperatures, according to the latest analysis (stock image)

Researchers say the problem in figuring out the consequences of solar geoengineering is that we can't do a planetary-scale experiment without actually deploying the technology.

'The breakthrough here was realising that we could learn something by studying the effects of giant volcanic eruptions that geoengineering tries to copy', said Solomon Hsiang, co-lead author of the study and Chancellor's Associate Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

The team linked maize, soy, rice and wheat production from 105 countries from 1979-2009 to global satellite observations of these aerosols to study their effect on agriculture.

Pairing these results with global climate models, the team calculated that the loss of sunlight from a sulphate-based geoengineering program would cancel its intended benefits of protecting crops from damaging extreme heat.

'It's similar to using one credit card to pay off another credit card: at the end of the day, you end up where you started without having solved the problem,' Dr Hsiang said.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF GEOENGINEERING STRATEGIES? Scientists have proposed all sorts of solutions to fight climate change, including a number of controversial geoengineering strategies. Among the many include: Afforestation: This technique would irrigate deserts, such as those in Australia and North Africa, to plant millions of trees that could absorb carbon dioxide. Drawback: This vegetation would also draw in sunlight that the deserts currently reflect back into space, and so contribute to global warming. Scientists have proposed all sorts of solutions to fight climate change. File photo Artificial ocean upwelling: Engineers would use long pipes to pump cold, nutrient-rich water upward to cool ocean-surface waters. Drawback: If this process ever stopped it could cause oceans to rebalance their heat levels and rapidly change the climate. Ocean alkalinisation: This involves heaping lime into the ocean to chemically increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. Drawback: Study suggests it will have of little use in reducing global temperatures. Ocean iron fertilisation: The method involves dumping iron into the oceans to improve the growth of photosynthetic organisms that can absorb carbon dioxide. Drawback: Study suggests it will have of little use in reducing global temperatures. Solar radiation management: This would reduce the amount of sunlight Earth receives, by shooting reflective sulphate-based aerosols into the atmosphere. Drawback: Carbon dioxide would still build up in the atmosphere. Advertisement

Some earlier studies suggested that aerosols might improve crop yields also by scattering sunlight and allowing more of the sun's energy to reach interior leaves typically shaded by upper canopy leaves.

This benefit of scattering appears to be weaker than previously thought.

'We are the first to use actual experimental and observational evidence to get at the total impacts that sulfate-based geoengineering might have on yields,' Dr Proctor said.

'Before I started the study, I thought the net impact of changes in sunlight would be positive, so I was quite surprised by the finding that scattering light decreases yields.'

Despite the study's conclusions, Dr Proctor said, 'I don't think we should necessarily write off solar geoengineering.

'For agriculture, it might not work that well, but there are other sectors of the economy that could potentially benefit substantially.'

They did not address other types of geoengineering, such as capture and storage of carbon dioxide, or issues surrounding geoengineering, such as its impact on Earth's protective ozone layer and who gets to set Earth's thermostat.

'Society needs to be objective about geoengineering technologies and develop a clear understanding of the potential benefits, costs and risks,' Dr Proctor said.

'At present, uncertainty about these factors dwarfs what we understand.'
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Airbus' pioneering solar-powered drone has managed to set a world record in its maiden voyage.

The Zephyr S was able to stay 70,000 feet in the air for 25 days, 23 hours and seven minutes.

That was just enough for it to set a world record for the longest continuous flight in Earth's atmosphere.

The craft landed safely on Wednesday after spending roughly three weeks in the air - two-thirds more than the previous record holder, according to Bloomberg.

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Airbus' pioneering solar-powered drone has managed to set a world record in its maiden voyage. After taking off on July 11, it was able to stay in the air for an astounding 25 days, 23 hours and seven minutes, which landed it a world record

Zephyr S took off on its first test flight from Arizona on July 11 and has stayed in the air ever since.

The previous record was set by a prototype Zephyr drone in 2015, when it managed to stay in the air for 14 days.

The drone had already broken this record on July 25, but Airbus had to wait to land the drone before it could officially announce the milestone.

'Zephyr S, Airbus High-Altitude-Pseudo-Satellite, has surpassed the current flight endurance record of an aircraft without refueling of 14 days, 22 minutes and 8 seconds and continues to pioneer the stratosphere,' the firm said.

Airbus unveiled its pioneering solar-powered drone last month. Called the Zephyr S, the aerospace giant presented the 'pseudo-satellite' to crowds gathered at Britain's Farnborough airshow. It's now planning to start further testing in Australia

'This first flight of the Zephyr S aims to prove and demonstrate the aircraft capabilities, with the final endurance record to be confirmed on landing.'

Zephyr S is able to operate at an altitude that's higher than Earth's weather systems, Bloomberg noted.

Previously, this was an altitude that was only reserved for the Concorde supersonic jet, the U2 spy plane and Lockheed Martin's Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbird.

This allows the drone to charge its solar panels more efficiently.

Additional test flights are now being planned at a site in Western Australia, Airbus said.

The drone was largely able to achieve the new record thanks to its ultra-light design: It has a wingspan of 82 feet, but weighs in at less than 165lbs.

The aerospace giant presented the 'pseudo-satellite' to crowds gathered at Britain's Farnborough airshow.

'This maiden flight of the Zephyr S aims to prove and demonstrate the aircraft capabilities, with a landing date to be confirmed once the engineering objectives have been achieved,' Airbus said in a statement announcing the test flight.

'Until today, the Zephyr aircraft has logged almost 1,000 solid hours of flying time.'

The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite can fly as high as 70,000ft in the air, which is twice the altitude of a commercial airplane. The drone has so much endurance thanks to its ultra-light design. It has a wingspan of 82ft, but weighs in at less than 165lbs

WHAT IS AIRBUS' ZEPHYR-S 'PSEUDO-SATELLITE? The Zephyr S has been built by Airbus Defence and Space engineers. It is powered by the sun during the day, which also recharges its lithium-sulphur batteries to power it by night. Its huge 22.5m wingspan means it can be launched by four military personnel on their shoulders. The psuedo-satellite can fly at more than 70,000ft  twice the altitude of a commercial airliner. British military forces will use the high-tech aircraft to monitor targets on the ground from anywhere in the world. The Zephyr drones will play vital roles in tracking targets in the ground using high tech antennae and a 'record-breaking kit' for high altitude surveillance Advertisement

Zephyr S has been in development for over a year and will be used by British military forces as a high-tech aircraft to monitor targets on the ground from anywhere in the world.

The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) can fly as high as 70,000ft in the air, which is twice the altitude of a commercial airplane.

During the day, it's powered by solar energy that also recharges its lithium-sulphur batteries, which then serve as its energy source at night.

'This has been chosen as the first launch and recovery site for the Zephyr [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] due mainly to its largely unrestricted airspace and reliable weather,' Airbus noted.

The site will be operational beginning in September, the firm added.

Zephyr S has been in development for over a year and will be used by British military as a high-tech aircraft to monitor targets on the ground from anywhere. During the day, it's powered by solar energy that recharges its lithium-sulphur batteries

Elite units will use the camera on the aircraft to monitor ground movement. Its antennae provides a communications platform for the furthest reaches of the globe

In addition to the Zephyr S, Airbus is also planning another HAPS called the Zephyr T.

It would feature a wingspan of more than 100ft, allowing it to carry bigger payloads.

The drones are 'a mix between a satellite and a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) with the capabilities of a satellite and the flexibility of a UAV,' Jana Rosenmann, senior vice president of unmanned aerial systems at Airbus, told AFP.

Aside from national security uses, the drones will also be used for maritime surveillance, border patrol missions and forest fire detection, according to the AFP.

If satellites are not available, special forces soldiers will use a control station to fly it over a range of up to 400km (250 miles).

Elite units will then use the camera on the aircraft to monitor ground movement. Britain's defense ministry has already ordered two of the Zephyr drones.

Its antennae provides a communications platform for the furthest reaches of the globe.
The Perseid meteor shower is said to be the best of the year, often bringing well over 50 shooting stars per hour in the northern sky.

This annual meteor shower comes as Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing bright streaks that appear as though theyre radiating from the constellation Perseus.

And this year, the viewing opportunities are about as good as they can get.

The Perseids will peak this weekend between the 12th and 13th, when moonless nights will make for an especially dark sky.

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At its peak, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to bring 60-70 shooting stars per hour. But in some years, its been known to produce more. And, stray shooting stars will likely be visible until the end of the month

According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower will reach the beginning of its peak at 4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday the 12th. This will last until 4 a.m. on the 13th.

Shooting stars will be visible north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views.

This means the United States, Europe, and Canada will be able to see the Perseids at their best, along with stellar views in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America.

Meteors will be visible for those south of the equator, too, though not at the rate seen in more northern areas.

The best time to look for meteors will be from a few hours after twilight until dawn, NASA says.

For viewers in southern latitudes, theyll start to appear in the sky around midnight and continue through the early hours of the morning.

The Perseid meteor shower is said to be the best of the year. This annual meteor shower comes as Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing bright streaks that appear as though theyre radiating from the constellation Perseus

Some Perseid meteors will even be visible during the early evening.

If youre lucky, you may spot an earthgrazer during this time, according to EarthSky.

These are the colorful meteors that appear long and slow-moving, and soar horizontally across the sky in the hours before midnight.

The event will coincide with the new moon, when the moon is essentially invisible in the sky.

The new moon falls the day before the peak, and the sky will remain dark for days after.

According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower is 'the best of the year.'

The Perseid meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the trail of cometary dust following comet Swift-Tuttle (illustrated above)

HOW CAN YOU SEE THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER THIS YEAR? Shooting stars will be visible north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views, according to NASA. Some Perseid meteors will even be visible during the early evening The Perseid meteor shower will reach the beginning of its peak at 4pm (ET) on Sunday the 12th. This will last until 4am on the 13th. As the event coincides with the new moon this year, observers will be treated to a dark, moonless sky for a clearer view of the meteors. North of the equator: Observers in the United States, Europe, and Canada should begin looking to the sky from a few hours after twilight until dawn. The same goes for viewers in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America. South of the equator: Meteors will be visible for those south of the equator, too, though not at the rate seen in more northern areas. For viewers in Australia and other southern locations, meteors will start to appear in the sky around midnight and continue through the early hours of the morning. You won't need binoculars to spot a shooting star this weekend, nor do you need to look directly at the constellation Perseus. Instead, just look up. NASA says you 'can look anywhere you want to,' to see the Perseids, 'even directly overhead.' Advertisement

At its peak, the meteor shower is expected to bring 60-70 shooting stars per hour. But in some years, its been known to produce more.

And, stray shooting stars will likely be visible until the end of the month.

According to NASA, the meteors will continue until August 24, though rates will drop after its peak on Monday.

Unlike most meteor showers, which have a short peak of high meteor rates, NASA explains, the Perseids have a very broad peak, as Earth takes more than three weeks to plow through the wide trail of cometary dust from comet Swift-Tuttle.
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers trick mobile phones into giving up their data.

The hardware mimics the signals given off by a mobile signal tower to fool smartphones into connecting with it.

Once activated, it captures all smartphones within an area of several miles.

The technology harvests the gadget for location data, and can intercept text messages and calls without the user's knowledge.

In 2015, it was revealed that at least five UK police forces had invested in a version of the surveillance gear built by Surrey telecoms firm Cellxion

Cellxion says IMSI catchers help police to combat the growing use of mobile phones by criminals and terrorists.

But privacy experts warn the technology is 'rife for abuse' as it harvests data 'indiscriminately' and without consent.
Flights were delayed at Schonefeld Airport in Berlin due to a security alert that was sparked by a sex toy in a passenger's luggage.

Staff had been carrying out routine X-ray checks on bags yesterday when they believed they discovered a hand grenade in a suitcase.

This prompted workers to raise the alarm, which resulted in a busy terminal being partially evacuated.

Flights were delayed at Berlin Schonefeld Airport due to a security alert that was sparked by a sex toy in a passenger's luggage

However, after a hour, authorities realised that the object was in fact a pleasure device.

According to RT, the owner wrote on social media: 'When I arrived, the terminal was being evacuated. I approached a police officer and told him that I needed to check my bag with the baggage handlers.

'He asked my name and for my passport. He then spoke into his radio and several armed police swarmed me with automatic weapons.

'After 60 tense minutes, [the member of the bomb squad] returned laughing. The hand grenade was in fact a vibrator from Ann Summers that my girlfriend and I had purchased two weeks previous.'

Later the German Federal Police confirmed that the alert had closed the check-in area for up to an hour, which caused delays to some flights.

The partial evacuation of Berlin Airport came on the same day that a security alert at Frankfurt Airport caused chaos (pictured)

The evacuation of Berlin Airport came on the same day that Frankfurt Airport was also cleared after a security officer let a French family of four through the terminal despite them testing positive for explosives.

Parts of Germany's largest airport were evacuated for several hours, causing huge delays for thousands during the busy summer holiday season.

The family were located in the terminal, re-checked and allowed to continue on their journey after no explosives were found.

The police gave no details on what had triggered the positive test.
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Airbnb has axed a competition that offered a chance to stay the night on the Great Wall of China.

The holiday rentals site had worked with historians and designers in Beijing to turn one of the landmark's ancient watch towers into a unique crash pad, complete with a master bedroom and bathroom.

Anybody wanting to stay at the wall had to write an essay on why it is 'more important now than ever to break down barriers between cultures' and 'how you want to build new connections'. But the contest sparked controversy in China, which led to the competition being scrapped.

Airbnb has axed a competition that offered a chance to stay the night on the Great Wall of China

Airbnb worked with historians and designers in Beijing to turn one of the landmark's ancient watch towers into a unique homestay, complete with a master bedroom and bathroom

News of the 'Night At The Great Wall' contest lit up Chinese social media, with critics calling it a publicity stunt that lacked respect for the ancient monument.

'No matter how they dress it up, this doesn't hide the fact that this contest is by a private company that will undeniably cause damage to an ancient artifact,' one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

Officials from the Yanqing district - home to the section of the Great Wall that was to host the sleepover - said in a statement that they had not been notified about the event and that no approval was given.

Airbnb confirmed that the competition was being cancelled due to the feedback it had received about the contest.

Images of the one-of-a-kind room showed it decked out with luxury furnishings. Its open-air design would have allowed guests to stare up at the starry night sky

An aerial view of the stunning open-air two-person suite. Chinese media say Airbnb did not get proper approval for the listing

It said in a statement: 'We were excited to promote the Great Wall and Chinese cultural heritage with our Night At The Great Wall and while there was an agreement in place that was the basis for the announcement of this event, we deeply respect the feedback we have received.

'We have made the decision to not move forward with this event and instead we are working on a range of other experiences and initiatives that showcase China as a destination and highlight how people-to-people travel can drive human connections.

'One of the goals of our Night At The Great Wall was to highlight how everyone can play a part in honoring and preserving this incredible piece of world history. We partnered with experts to help educate people about the Wall's heritage and raise awareness of protection and preservation efforts.

'If you entered the contest, we're very sorry for any disappointment caused and we will be in touch in the future about other ways you can explore and discover amazing experiences in China.'

The hotel room featured a cosy seating area with a window looking out over the countryside

Known as one of the greatest architectural feats in human history, the Great Wall was built as a border to protect Chinese states against raids thousands of years ago.

It is estimated to measure between 5,600 and 13,000 miles, depending on which sections are included.

The best known section today is the Ming Wall, constructed from 1368 to 1644.

The fortress covers approximately 5,500 miles from the Jiayu Pass in Gansu province and the Shanhai Pass in Hebei province.

Today, the Great Wall is widely considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world, attracting visitors from all over the globe.
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The beauty, mystery and majesty of the deep blue sea has been captured in breath-taking fashion by the winners of an underwater photography competition.

Scuba Diving Magazines annual Through Your Lens Underwater Photo Contest this year attracted 2,100 entries from all corners of the world.

And here we present the 13 snaps that wowed the judges the most.

They include a conceptual portrait of an octopus, a colourful underwater cave in Mexico and a mystical snap of a whale in Tonga that appears to be floating above the water.

The magazine said: The winning images were chosen for their beauty and creativity, and further for their ability to impact and inspire.

Scroll down and prepare your jaw for dropping.

This shot by Tom St. George of a cave in Tulum, Mexico, earned him third place in the wide-angle category. He said that it was 'a bit like diving on Mars'

Rodney Bursiel was declared the grand prize winner once judges had clapped their eyes on this image that he shot in Tonga. He told Scuba Diving Magazine: 'Our boat was gifted with a magical encounter with a curious and interactive mother and calf. As the mother hovered at 30 feet, her inquisitive calf would make its way to the surface to breathe, coming in close to inspect each of us. Here I attempted to create a unique perspective by flipping the image upside down so the whale appears to be floating just above the surface in full breach. I hope the image shares with others my take on the mystical world I find myself in each time I dip below the surface'

Karen Smith earned second place in the wide-angle category for this shot (left) of freedivers in Tulum's deepest underwater cave - The Pit. Alex Dawson's shot of a tank (right) in Tala Bay, Jordan, won him the top prize in the wide-angle category. The machine, an M42 Duster, was sunk by the Jordanian Royal Ecological Society to make a snorkel and dive attraction

This shot of a moray eel (left) at Tiran Island in the Red Sea earned Jamie Hall first place in the compact camera category. He said: 'I clicked a few shots as the eel stared and was over the moon when I viewed the image.' Conor Culver combined a shot of an octopus in Indonesia with a bottle from the USS Baja California dive site in Florida to create the conceputal image on the right. It won him first prize in the conceptual category

Yap Katumbal came second in the compact camera category for this shot of an octopus 'that looked like it was waiting to be photographed' in the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia

This image of a maroon clownfish in Bunaken, Indonesia, earned Christian Bachmann second place in the macro category

Ferenc Lorincz came third in the compact camera category with this shot of a grouper in Marsa Shagra, Egypt. The fish was lit from both sides with flashes

Rafael Fernandez waited for weeks until he could see the eyes inside a batch of clingfish eggs before photographing them. The image, taken in La Herradura, Spain, won him third prize in the macro category

This amazing shot of a champion freediver from Chile swimming in Mexico won Christian Vizl third prize in the conceptual category. The model was snapped swimming towards the surface very slowly and the image was turned on its side to create the illusion of entering a magical world
Former Getaway host Catriona Rowntree has been a fixture on Australian television for more than two decades.

And Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Randal Haworth has offered his expert opinion on how Catriona, 47, has maintained her youthful complexion over the years.

The CEO of DrHaworth.com told Daily Mail Australia: 'It is only on close inspection that clues arise as to what she may have done to keep her appearance polished.'

'She hasn't aged one iota since the 90s': A celebrity plastic surgeon has revealed the subtle clues that suggest Getaway host Catriona Rowntree, 47, 'has turned back the clock with Botox'. Pictured left in 1998, and right in 2018

Catriona, who looks like she has hardly aged since starting her TV career in her twenties, has never confirmed or denied having Botox or fillers.

According to Dr. Haworth, who has not treated Catriona himself, there are tell-tale signs that suggest she has had 'subtle' procedures to her face.

'Over the years, Catriona is, what I call, a perennial beauty. Starting off as a radiantly attractive woman, any aesthetic procedures she receives must be subtle and "under the radar", so to speak,' he explained.

'Any aesthetic procedures she receives must be subtle and "under the radar"': According to Dr. Randal Haworth, who has not treated Catriona himself, there are tell-tale signs she has had 'subtle' procedures to her face. Pictured left in 2000, and right in 2018

Please explain! Catriona, who looks like she has hardly aged since starting her TV career in her twenties, has never confirmed or denied having Botox or fillers. Pictured in the 1990s

'It seems that she hasn't aged one iota since the 1990s,' Dr. Haworth added.

'Certain natural wrinkles, such as the crows feet and the horizontal lines of the forehead, are noticeably diminished while wrinkles are present in the immediately adjacent areas.

'To me, this indicates that Catriona has had Botox.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Catriona Rowntree for comment.

'Certain natural wrinkles, such as the crows feet and the horizontal lines of the forehead, are noticeably diminished': Dr. Haworth claimed Catriona's youthful facial features may have been assisted by Botox. Pictured left in 2000, right in 2018

Dr. Haworth's claims come after Catriona revealed her strong thoughts on Botox and fillers in an interview with Who magazine last month.

'Whatever floats your boat, but don't distort your facial features with plastic surgery and try telling me that beauty comes from within,' she said.

The mother-of-two also criticised people who refuse to admit they have had cosmetic work done, adding: 'I won't stand for it!'

Earlier this year, Catriona was named as an ambassador for French skincare company Clarins, and revealed the secrets behind her age-defying appearance.

'I keep up my vitamins, drink a bucket load of water, appreciate a bit of sleep and regular skincare,' she said.
He was recently linked to his former Married At First Sight co-star Gabrielle Bartlett.

But it seems Sean Donnelly, 40, is making the most of his single status after recently romancing a 27-year-old fan he met on Tinder.

However, their romance was short lived after Sean allegedly 'lost all interest' in the woman, Nell, after she slept with him at his Adelaide home on a second date in June.

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EXCLUSIVE: Hit it and quit it! Married At First Sight star Sean Donnelly, 40, 'dumped a fan, 27, after meeting on Tinder and enjoying two dates at his home' as messages reveal he brushed off her attempts to arrange third date. Pictured: Sean on MAFS

'I matched with Sean on Tinder and we started speaking on there and then over Snapchat before he invited me to his house,' Nell told Daily Mail Australia.

'He said I could have stayed over but I didn't want too. Sean seemed really interested in me as we continued texting while arranging a second date.

'Sean mainly spoke about himself and how he's completely different to how he was [portrayed] on the show. He said he just got edited badly because a producer didn't like him.'

Following their first date, Sean messaged Nell saying, 'snuggling you would have been nice,' and told her she was 'hot' and he 'wished' they were in bed together.

Off to a good start! Following his first date with Nell, Sean messaged her saying, 'snuggling you would have been nice,' and told her she was 'hot' and he 'wished' they were in bed together

'You're so kind and lovely and hot as': Things were looking good for Nell and Sean following their first meeting at Sean's home in Adelaide

The pair later enjoyed a second date in June, when things became sexual.

Nell explained: 'My plan wasn't to sleep with him and I feel it was a mistake.

'Afterwards he started ignoring my messages and was making excuses when I tried to arrange a third date. He just lost all interest.'

In one message, Sean wrote: 'I'm just so busy all the time it's probably why I'm still bloody single. I'm sure we can catch up again, I do enjoy your company.'

Looking for love! Sean met Nell on dating app Tinder after screenshots of his profile (above) surfaced on social media earlier this year

Buyer's remorse? The pair later enjoyed a second date in June, when things became sexual. However, after this encounter, Sean became more distant. At one point, he took several days to respond to Nell and brushed off her attempts at arranging a third date

Reflecting on Sean's reluctance to arrange a third date, Nell said: 'I hate to say it, but I do feel like he used me for sex.'

The text message exchange between the pair shows Nell repeatedly messaging Sean, who took several days to respond to her at one point.

Nell added: 'During the dates he didn't even ask much about me and mainly just moaned about why he doesn't have as many Instagram followers as the rest of the [Married At First Sight] cast.'

'At first I thought he wasn't as bad as he seemed on MAFS but he's actually worse!'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sean for comment.

Excuses, excuses! In one message, Sean said, 'I'm just so busy all the time it's probably why I'm still bloody single. I'm sure we can catch up again, I do enjoy your company'
He played Summer Bay's handsome doctor Nate Cooper before leaving the long-running soap last year in June.

And now British-born Home And Away star Kyle Pryor is packing his bags and heading home for a new role on popular UK soap, Hollyoaks.

The hunky star revealed the exciting news in a video posted on Instagram on Tuesday.

Hello Hollyoaks! Former Home And Away star has revealed he is leaving Australia and heading back to his native UK to star in popular British soap Hollyoaks

Hi guys! The hunky star revealed the exciting news in a video posted on Instagram

Standing on a beach in sunny Sydney, he announced: 'I am heading to the UK to begin work on the UK series Hollyoaks, which I am really excited about.

'I am looking forward to meeting the cast and the crew and getting things rolling.

'So keep your eyes peeled stayed tuned and see you guys over there,' he added.

Kyle played the role of Nate on the long-running Channel Seven soap from 2013-2017.

New love interest? According to reports, his character will be linked to Sinead OConnor, played by actress Stephanie Davis

New pals? Kyle's future Hollyoaks co-stars, including left to right: Annie Wallace, Nadine Rose Mulkerrin, Rory Douglas and Anna Passey, pose on the red carpet at an event in London earlier this year

And he will no doubt feel at home on the set of Hollyoaks, an award winning British soap drama centered around a group of students at a local college and their families.

It is set in the fictional town of 'Hollyoaks' in Chester.

According to reports, his character will be linked to Sinead OConnor, played by popular actress Stephanie Davis.

Last August Kyle hinted he scored a role on US television series The Bold And The Beautiful, when he shared a picture of himself on the set of the iconic soap.

Seemingly confirming rumours he'd swapped Summer Bay for LA, he captioned the shot with the word: 'Homework.'

Popular star: Kyle played the role of Nate on the long-running Channel Seven soap from 2013-2017

In the image, shared with his 147,000 followers, the actor was seen in the office of one of Bold's main characters, Eric Forrester.

Bold centres around the Forrester family and their fashion house Forrester Creations.

The British-born star also tagged his friend and fellow actor Pierson Fode, who plays charming son Thomas Forrester in Bold, in the post.

Last year in an interview with TV WEEK, Kyle said he was looking for work in Tinseltown and hinted at his desire to be on Bold.

'With my career, I tend not to write anything off... It wouldn't be a bad introduction into the American market, either,' he said.

Last seen on Home And Away riding off into the sunset on his motorbike, Kyle's departure from the soap was left open-ended, so he may return one day after his new stint on Hollyoaks.
He was accused of cultural appropriation last month when he debuted dreadlocks on Instagram.

And Zac Efron continued to look almost unrecognizable on Tuesday when he stepped out for a meeting in Beverly Hills.

The 30-year-old Hollywood heartthrob kept a low profile in a hoodie, despite the 90 degree heat.

Zac, is that you? Zac Efron was almost unrecognizable on Tuesday when he stepped out for a meeting in Beverly Hills all covered up

Zac sported a white shirt underneath a dark sweater that read Los Cabos.

He paired his look with low rise green colored chino pants that were cuffed at the ankle and navy slip on Vans.

The former Disney star appeared to be going incognito with a light colored cap and tinted shades that covered much of his face.

New look The 30-year-old Hollywood heartthrob kept a low profile in a hoodie, despite the 90 degree heat

Has he cut them off? The remainder of his new look featured a grown out beard. It is not known if Zac was still rocking the deadlocks underneath his cap

The remainder of his new look featured a grown out beard. It is not known if Zac was still rocking the deadlocks underneath his cap.

Last month, Zac found himself in a bit of hot water when he took to social media to debut his new hair in a monochrome shot.

'Just for fun,' he captioned the image for his 36 million Instagram followers.

Right or wrong? Last month, Zac found himself in a bit of hot water when he took to social media to debut his new hair in a monochrome shot

The comments from followers were a mixed bag.

One Instagram user said: 'lmao take these out. This hairstyle does not belong to white people. Educate yourself and apologize.'

@h.k.ma agreed: 'Another white dude begging to be mixed race...'

But @rl.marmol disagreed: 'Yo. It's hair. It's not that serious.'

Zac, who is normally well groomed, opted not to respond to the controversy.

Meanwhile, the actor will be back on the big screen in the film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

He plays the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in the film, which also stars Lily Collins.
Mike Sorrentino will be able to avoid a touchy situation a little while longer.

The 36-year-old Jersey Shore star's sentencing in his tax evasion case has been postponed about a month from the September 7 date on the docket.

The reality star, who in January entered a guilty plea to tax evasion in his native New Jersey - and could spend up to five years in prison as a result - will not be sentenced September 7, but rather on October 2 at the United States District Court of New Jersey in Newark, Radar reports.

Delay: The sentencing of Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino, 36, has been postponed about a month from the September 7 date on the docket to October 2. He was snapped in New Jersey in January

The delay also applies to Mike's brother Marc, who pleaded guilty to helping prepare a fraudulent tax return, and faces three years in custody when he's sentenced; both brothers could be on the hook for up to $250,000 in related fines to their respective guilty pleas.

Sorrentino, who shot to fame flashing his abs on the MTV reality series, was slated to be sentenced June 5, then August 15. but his attorney Henry Klingeman successfully had it delayed to September 7 due to a 'long-planned family vacation,' according to the outlet.

Sorrentino, who's engaged to Lauren Pesce, 33, has been busy planning the details of their wedding, a source previously told the outlet, though it was not immediately clear if the latest date change would impact their plans.

Sorrentino as of late has been occupied promoting the latest installment of his reality show, Jersey Shore Family Vacation.

United front: Mike was snapped with fiance Lauren Pesce headed to court in January

United front: On Tuesday, The Situation took to Instagram to with a shot alongside his castmates on the show (L-R) Deena Nicole Cortese, Sorrentino, Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick

On Tuesday, he took to Instagram to with a shot alongside his castmates on the show, Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, 30, Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, 32, Vinny Guadagnino, 30, Angelina Pivarnick, 32, and Deena Nicole Cortese, 31.

'JERZDAY HAS RETURNED,' he wrote, tagging both the network and the handle of its show TRL.

Jersey Shore Family Vacation's second season hits MTV August 23rd at 8/7c.
Charlie Sheen has previously admitted responsibility over his dramatic falling out and feud with Two And A Half Men creator, Chuck Lorre.

And now the 52-year-old actor has revealed he wants to repair his relationship with the TV comedy producer.

When asked by the Today show's Richard Wilkins if he had made up with Chuck Lorre during an interview on Wednesday, the controversial star said: 'I haven't in person. It is a thing I really want to mend.'

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'It is a thing I want to mend!': Charlie Sheen has revealed he wants to fix his relationship with Two And A Half Men creator Chuck Lorre after their infamous falling out, back in 2011

'And he lives close by, I could easily go by and just drop a note under his door with my phone number, which I should, and I will.'

Speaking about a possible reboot of the comedy series that made him the highest paid actor on American TV, he said he was open to the idea, 'it would be so cool to reboot it.'

He continued: 'I am not knocking what they did when I left because that is really difficult to keep a show going when the main guy bails.'

'So what they did (after I left) is spectacular and it would be awesome for my growth and my journey but it would also be fantastic for the fans,' he said, adding he was ready and available.

Extending the olive branch: Speaking to Today show's Richard Wilkins about making up with Chuck Lorre, he said: 'it is a thing I really want to mend. He lives close by, I could easily go by and just drop a note under his door with my phone number, which I should, and I will'

Earlier this year, Charlie admitted responsibility over the pair's falling out on the same radio show.

'I kind of poisoned the waters and I take responsibility for all of that,' he said.

'You know I was really stupid and juvenile and uh, (Chuck is) one of the best and the brightest that this industry has ever had the pleasure of witnessing.'

The feud between the actor and sitcom producer dates back to 2011, when Charlie made anti-semantic comments about Chuck.

'I take responsibility for all of that': Earlier this year, Charlie admitted responsibility over their falling out. 'You know I was really stupid and juvenile and uh, (Chuck is) one of the best and the brightest that this industry has ever had the pleasure of witnessing' he said

CBS and Warner Brothers fired Charlie over his behaviour and he was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.

In a separate tirade back in 2017, again on The Kyle And Jackie O show, Charlie appeared to still have some ill-feeling toward Chuck, ranting: 'He's the most miserable f*cking douchebag.'

'The most talentless f*cking sack of sh*t of f*cking stupid this side of La Brea [a famous landmark in LA],' he said at the time.

Charlie will be in Australia for a speaking tour hosted by Richard Wilkins a stop in Melbourne on November 03 and Sydney on November 04.
Former SI Swimsuit stunner Molly Sims showcased her evergreen, 5ft9in bikini body while 'having the best time' on vacation in Italy and France with her husband Scott Stuber this week.

There was not an inch to pinch on the 45-year-old mother-of-three, who arrived in Europe with the 49-year-old Netflix film group head on Friday.

The Kentucky-born blonde donned swimwear designs from Marysia, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jade Swim selected by her stylist duo Rebecca Klein + Martina Gordon.

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'Excuse my French but I'm in France': Former SI Swimsuit stunner Molly Sims showcased her evergreen, 5ft9in bikini body while 'having the best time' on vacation in Italy and France with her husband Scott Stuber this week (pictured Saturday)

'I went to [Club Les Palmiers Ramatuelle] beach club because although we're in our 40's, we can have just as much fun as the 20 year olds, if not more!' Molly wrote on her blog Monday.

'Women at every age and every body type are rocking a one piece suit like it's the '70s all over again! And not only are the one piece suits in, but it's all about the one shoulder and off-the-shoulder suits!'

The model-turned-socialite has captured all of the bathing suit and luxurious, seaside action for her captive, combined 572K followers.

On Tuesday, Sims and Stuber - whose seventh wedding anniversary is September 24 - had a hot date at Ristorante Alle Darsene Di Loppia in Bellagio where they indulged in lobster and wine.

'Today's dose of vitamin sea!' There was not an inch to pinch on the 45-year-old mother-of-three, who arrived in Europe with the 49-year-old Netflix film group head on Friday (pictured Sunday)

'Having a yacht of fun!' The Kentucky-born blonde donned swimwear designs from Marysia (pictured Sunday), Diane von Furstenberg, and Jade Swim selected by her stylist duo Rebecca Klein + Martina Gordon

Molly wrote on her blog Monday: 'I went to [Club Les Palmiers Ramatuelle] beach club because although we're in our 40's, we can have just as much fun as the 20 year olds, if not more!'

She added: 'Women at every age and every body type are rocking a one piece suit like it's the '70s all over again!' (pictured Tuesday)

The Vanderbilt drop-out and the University of Arizona grad have also visited sensational scenic spots such as Lake Como, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, and Provence.

On Sunday, Molly and Scott joined fellow wealthy couples Gaines & Annie Belanger Wehrle as well as Brooke Graves and her silver fox at Michelin star restaurant, Le Belrose.

It was a bonding experience for the globe-trotting twosome, who left their son Brooks Alan, 6; daughter Scarlett May, 3; and son Grey Douglas, 19 months; behind in the States.

'Feeling like The Talented Mrs. Stuber': The model-turned-socialite has captured all of the bathing suit and luxurious, seaside action for her captive, combined 572K followers (pictured Monday)

Celebrating seven years of wedded bliss on September 24: On Tuesday, Sims and Stuber had a hot date at Ristorante Alle Darsene Di Loppia in Bellagio (pictured Tuesday)

Bellagio on Tuesday: The Vanderbilt drop-out and the University of Arizona grad have also visited sensational scenic spots such as Lake Como, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, and Provence

'The Amalfi crew takes St. Tropez!' On Sunday, Molly and Scott joined fellow wealthy couples Gaines & Annie Belanger Wehrle (R) as well as Brooke Graves (2-L) and her silver fox at Michelin star restaurant, Le Belrose

The former Delta Delta Delta sorority sister currently keeps busy running her lifestyle blog, tutorial-filled vlog, and serving as brand ambassador for the app, LIKEtoKNOW.it.

Meanwhile, Stuber produced Susanne Bier's post-apocalyptic thriller Bird Box - streaming December 21 on Netflix - which stars Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, and John Malkovich.

The LA native was previously married to The Librarians actress Rachel Nichols for seven months before their 2009 divorce.

Child-free holiday: It was a bonding experience for the globe-trotting twosome, who left their son Brooks Alan, 6; daughter Scarlett May, 3; and son Grey Douglas, 19 months; behind in the States (pictured July 12)

Make-up tutorial: The former Delta Delta Delta sorority sister currently keeps busy running her vlog and lifestyle blog, as well as serving as brand ambassador for the app, LIKEtoKNOW.it
I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.



Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com
She recently announced she would be returning to the Channel 4 soap three years after her last scenes as Sinead O'Connor were aired.

And Stephanie Davis has now made her comeback to the Hollyoaks set, with fans turning up outside the Lime Pictures' studios in Childwall, Liverpool on Tuesday - her second day of filming.

The actress, 25, was greeted by admirers, desperate for a selfie with Stephanie and the soap star's autograph.

Guess who's back: Stephanie Davis, 25, has now made her comeback to the Hollyoaks set, with fans turning up outside the Lime Pictures' studios in Childwall, Liverpool on Tuesday - her second day of filming

She seemed in good spirits, sporting an eye-catching grey hoodie and matching tracksuit bottoms.

The coordinated set featured muted silver sparkles all over and the high-waisted trousers clung to her gym-honed curves.

Stephanie slipped into a pair of silver sliders which were heavily embellished with diamante studs.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star styled her blondette tresses into a scruffy bun high up on her head, with strands left to fall loosely around her face.

Mobbed: The actress was greeted by admirers, desperate for a selfie with Stephanie and the soap star's autograph

Happy to be back: She seemed in good spirits, sporting an eye-catching grey hoodie and matching tracksuit bottoms

She opted for a flawless make-up look, with a heavy base and glamorous false eyelashes drawing attention to her piercing eyes.

Stephanie Davis made her official comeback to the Hollyoaks set to film the fun summer sequence titles, just two weeks ago.

For the fun summer sequence titles, which will be aired at the start of the soap, Stephanie showed off her character's new hairdo, which has seen her long raven locks transformed into a light brunette bob wig.

Stylish: The coordinated set featured muted silver sparkles all over and the high-waisted trousers clung to her gym-honed curves

In May, it was confirmed that Stephanie would be reprising her role as Sinead O'Connor as she revealed she was 'over the moon' to have been asked back by show bosses.

Of her big return to Chester, Stephanie told The Mirror: 'I'm over the moon to be given this amazing opportunity and so excited to bring feisty Sinead back to Hollyoaks.'

While the character isn't set to return to screens until later on this month, Stephanie previously admitted that she couldn't wait to reunite with her cast mates.

Fresh hair, fresh start: Stephanie made her official comeback to the Hollyoaks set to film the fun summer sequence titles, just two weeks ago

Stephanie continued: 'I just want to get stuck into learning my first scripts. I can't wait to be on set and back acting again, which is my passion.'

A spokesperson for Stephanie Davis said: 'We are so proud of her, she has been through so much and we and her have worked so hard to turn her life around.

'She is super excited to be back on screen in Hollyoaks in August. She has her own clothing range and make up range coming soon.

'She is looking after herself in every way never to go back to where she was.'

Amazing opportunity: In May, it was confirmed that the Celebrity Big Brother star will reprise her role as Sinead O'Connor as she revealed she was 'over the moon' to have been asked back

On set: While the character isn't set to return to screens until August, Stephanie admitted she can't wait to reunite with her cast mates and has been teasing her return

Before making her mark on the village in 2010, Stephanie launched her career at the tender age of 16 on BBC1's Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

But her acting career came crashing to a halt after show bosses decided to axe the fan favourite after a series of incidents, which included turning up to work intoxicated.

A statement from her spokesman said at the time: 'Stephanie's contract was terminated following warnings for lateness, attendance and after a final incident in which she turned up to set unfit to work because of alcohol consumption.'

However, there appears to be no bad blood between the star and Hollyoaks executive producer Brian Kirkwood, who said he's 'delighted' that the previously troubled star is making a comeback.

Speaking about Stephanie's return, Brian enthused: 'She's a hugely talented actress who has worked hard to overcome some personal issues.

'We welcome her return to Hollyoaks to reprise her role as Sinead O'Connor, a brilliant and vibrant character who the audience love.'

It's been a difficult few years for the reality star, who had one of the most tumultuous celebrity relationships with Jeremy McConnell, featuring reconciliations, public spats, domestic violence and a consequential restraining order.

Exciting times ahead: Despite a turbulent few years, there appears to be no bad blood between the star and Hollyoaks executive producer Brian Kirkwood (pictured on the soap)

Difficulties: It's been a difficult few years for the reality star, who had one of the most tumultuous celebrity relationships with Jeremy McConnell (pictured on Celebrity Big Brother)

Stephanie bravely confessed to being a recovering alcoholic back in February, and had sought professional help after ending of her turbulent relationship with the Irish model.

The soap actress put her career on hold to help care for her 18-month-old son Caben - who she shares with Jeremy - but previously hinted at a desire to return to the small screen.

Stephanie exclusively told MailOnline that her aspirations for the rest of 2018 included getting back on TV as an actress: 'I have missed it. My home is in front of the camera. I love it. I want to win an award for best actress. Any award.'

'It's important to get back to my career. As a single mum that freaks me out a little bit but it's important to still have an outside life too.

'You can forget who you are, so I want to find me again, which I didn't think I ever would.'
She has undergone painful laser removal procedures to rid herself of tattoo tributes to her ex boyfriends.

But this didn't deter Charlotte Crosby from once again going under the tattoo needle in honour of her current love, as she unveiled a new inking dedicated to her boyfriend, Joshua Ritchie on Tuesday.

The former Geordie Shore star, 28, proudly showed off her new 'Joshua' tattoo in flowing script across the back of her neck, as a sweet tribute to her 24-year-old boyfriend of six months, but the snap was met with an outpouring of mockery from fans.

Tatts another one: Charlotte Crosby once again went under the tattoo needle in honour of her current love, as she unveiled a new inking dedicated to her boyfriend, Joshua Ritchie on Tuesday

Smitten: The former Geordie Shore star, 28, proudly showed off her new 'Joshua' tattoo in flowing script across the back of her neck, as a sweet tribute to her 24-year-old boyfriend of six months

Tagging the tattoo studio in the sultry snap, The Charlotte Show star showed just how serious things have become between her and the Ex On The Beach hunk.

Fans were quick to ridicule the star in the comments with many simply asking 'when will she learn?'

Another quipped: 'oops she did it again' while one fan wrote: 'another one to get lasered off.'

Whoops! Fans were quick to ridicule the star in the comments with many simply asking 'when will she learn?'

Others praised the star though calling the delicate inking 'gorgeous' and pointing out it's 'her body.' And Charlotte herself was quick to respond to the haters,replying to someone asking why would you, with: Why would I not?, and later commenting: I got a good feeling about this one and Third time lucky.

Charlotte is no stranger to an inking in honour of a current beau, leading to numerous visits to the laser removal clinic when the romances went sour.

The reality veteran first decided to dedicate a marking to her ex-boyfriend Mitch, who she split from in 2016.

Charlotte had got the inking, which saw an 'M' in the middle of two crossed arrows, when she was last dating Mitch in 2015. She announced the news on Instagram with the caption: 'Happy valentines... #YoungStupidAndVeryCrazyInlove'.

Six months strong: Tagging the tattoo studio in the sultry snap, The Charlotte Show star showed just how serious things have become between her and the Ex On The Beach hunk

First ink: The reality veteran first decided to dedicate a marking to her ex-boyfriend Mitch, who she split from in 2016

Oh dear: Charlotte had got the inking, which saw an 'M' in the middle of two crossed arrows, when she was last dating Mitch in 2015

After breaking up, Charlotte was quick to reveal her desires to remove the tattoo in August of that year. She said in her Star magazine column: 'I need to get my 'M' tattoo removed, though. I can't walk around with that now we're not together, can I?'

Following on from her M inking was her tattoo collection in association with Bear, which saw the TV twosome get matching cartoon line drawings of fish, with Charlotte's on her wrist and Bear's on his finger. She has since had the inking lasered off.

Alongside this was the tattoo he chose for her when it was their turn to play contestants on Just Tattoo Of Us, as he gave her a huge half bear-half cheetah face on the side of her back, leading to a furious reaction from the bewildered star.

Charlotte and Mitch first called it quits in late summer of 2014, following a year and a half together, but reconciled months later - after Charlotte revealed to MailOnline he had dumped her by text message.

Here we go again: Following on from her M inking was her tattoo collection in association with Bear, which saw the TV twosome get matching cartoon line drawings of fish

Matching: Charlotte's was on her wrist and Bear's on his finger. She has since had the inking lasered off

Wild side: Alongside this was the tattoo he chose for her when it was their turn to play contestants on Just Tattoo Of Us, as he gave her a huge half bear-half cheetah face on the side of her back, leading to a furious reaction from the bewildered star

The pair became largely inseparable again following a trip to New York in January 2015 - confirming their reconciliation - before he accompanied her on her mammoth tour of Australia later that year.

Yet, it seemed the course of true love was not meant to be for the couple, as they broke up once again later that year, just before they were due to move in together.

Her romance with Bear meanwhile saw the duo enjoy an 11-month romance before they were plagued by a number of splits - resulting in their acrimonious breakup in December 2016.

Charlotte's body is littered with various inkings, including a huge rose emblem on her hip as well as a peace sign on her wrist, which was her first ever tattoo - done with her Geordie Shore co-stars in 2013.

End of the line: Charlotte visited the laser clinic to remove the inkings




They both rose to fame on reality television.

And Ex On The Beach's Jess Impiazzi and Love Island star Hannah Elizabeth were spotted joining forces for a night out in London on Tuesday.

Jess looked lovely in a simple black minidress while Hannah unveiled a more demure look than usual, donning neon green co-ords.

Girls' night out: Ex On The Beach's Jess Impiazzi and Love Island star Hannah Elizabeth were spotted joining forces for a night out in London on Tuesday

The girls went hand-in-hand as they strutted down the street, en route to the Fanged Up UK premiere at the Prince Charles Cinema.

Jess showed off her legs in the thigh-skimming number, which featured button down detailing.

She kept her accessories minimal and wore her brunette locks in wild curls.

Stylish: Jess showed off her legs in a thigh-skimming number, which featured button down detailing

Loving life: The girls went hand-in-hand as they strutted down the street, en route to the Fanged Up UK premiere at the Prince Charles Cinema

Meanwhile, Hannah showed off her tiny waist in a skimpy crop top that barely covered her ample cleavage.

The former Playboy bunny - who got engaged to TOWIE's Jon Clark during her 2016 stint on Love Island - completed her attire with a thigh-split skirt and heavily embellished sandals.

Formely a platinum blonde, Hannah showcased her new ash blonde locks and opted for a toned down beauty look.

Daring to bare: Hannah showed off her tiny waist in a skimpy crop top that barely covered her ample cleavage

Split: The Scouse stunner rose to fame on Love Island in 2016, getting engaged to Jon Clark (now of TOWIE fame) - but the couple split after just a few months

Wild child: Having previously favoured over-the-top outfits, big hair and bright colours, Hannah was positively demure these days

Having previously favoured over-the-top outfits, big hair and bright colours, Hannah was positively demure these days.

The Scouse stunner split with Jon just a few months after the show and is now happily engaged to her 'soulmate' George Andretti.

At the time of their break-up, Jon told OK! Online: 'I've got no animosity towards the girl, the break-up hasn't been good.

'We had arguments, there are things that happened between us, on both sides, not just mine."

'Couples say things to each other when they're angry, she said horrible things to me, I said horrible things to her, but at the end of the day it wasn't working.'
She bared all by posing naked for the recent American Women's Health edition.

And top dancer and actress Jenna Dewan has stripped down to a bikini for the Australian version of the health and fitness magazine's September issue.

The ex-wife of actor Channing Tatum, 37, flaunts her enviable body in the spread, defiant against critics who claimed she was too sexual for a mother.

One hot mama! Channing Tatum's ex-wife Jenna Dewan sizzles in bikini shoot for Australian Women's Health after posing nude for American cover

Jenna, who starred in Step Up alongside her ex-husband, proudly displays her taut abs and cleavage in the colourful two-piece swimsuit.

In an accompanying article, she responds to Instagram comments made by other women regarding a recent racy shot of her in lingerie.

The World Of Dance star scoffs: 'Apparently, when you become a mother, you're supposed to leave your sexuality at the door, and I never understood that.'

'Apparently, when you become a mother, you're supposed to leave your sexuality at the door': Jenna bared all for the US version of the magazine, posing completely naked for the cover and stunning inside images

Meanwhile, Jenna has bared all for the US version of the magazine, posing completely naked for the cover and stunning inside images.

The short-haired dancer admitted to becoming in touch with her 'womanly power' following the end of her nearly nine year marriage to Channing.

The couple announced their split at the beginning of April via shared Instagram posts.

Split! Jenna and Channing announced the end to their nine-year marriage at the beginning of April via shared Instagram posts

'It's always challenging to go through a big change and have the whole world have an opinion about it,' she said of their public personas.

Despite finding their new normal, Jenna remains optimistic about the future and positively co-parenting their five-year-old daughter Everly.

In addition to working on herself from the inside, Dewan is also focused in the gym to keep her dancer's body as fit as ever.
They have been together since 2010 and share an adorable son, Jack, one.

And on Monday night, Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley exemplified family goals in photos of them all together ahead of the Los Angeles premiere for the British actor's new film The Meg.

The 51-year-old action star looked chiselled in a tailored suit with his heavy designer stubble while his blonde model fiancee, 31, stunned in a figure-hugging black Stella McCartney gown as their son toddled around in his nappy.

Goals: On Monday night, Jason Statham, 51, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 31, exemplified family goals in photos of them all together ahead of the Los Angeles premiere for the British actor's new film The Meg

The former Victoria's Secret Angel shared the three black and white snaps on Instagram which saw little Jack demand attention from his parents, even wrapping his arms around his father's legs at one point.

Rosie gushed over her fiance, captioning the endearing pics: 'Dads movie premiere. So proud of you j. '

The model also shared a trio of breathtaking full-colour photographs of herself posing up a storm after having her hair and make-up attended to by professionals.

In the sensational snaps, the mother-of-one flaunted her natural beauty, which had been enhanced with a stunning make-up application.

Handsome family: The action star looked chiselled in a tailored suit with his heavy designer stubble while his blonde model fiancee stunned in a figure-hugging black Stella McCartney gown as their son toddled around in his nappy

So cute! The former Victoria's Secret Angel shared the three black and white snaps on Instagram which saw little Jack demand attention from his parents, even wrapping his arms around his father's legs at one point

So sweet: Rosie paid tribute to her fiance, captioning the endearing pics: 'Dads movie premiere. So proud of you j. '

Her blonde tresses had been swept back off her face into a sleek bun, leaving all of the attention resting on her enviably full pout and flawless skin.

Rosie captioned the photos: 'Fiance's Hollywood movie premiere glam. Who wants a product breakdown on @roseinc?!' drawing her followers to her blog.

Meanwhile, the British model couldn't resist taking inspiration from Elizabeth Hurley's iconic look from the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral for her own red carpet appearance.

Meanwhile, ahead of attending the LA premiere on Monday, the Rosie took to herInstagram Stories to share a snap of the actress, captioning it: 'Fiance's Hollywood movie premiere vibes.'

Wow! The model also shared a trio of breathtaking full-colour photographs of herself posing up a storm, while showing off her stunning David Webb earrings

Iconic: Meanwhile, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley couldn't resist taking inspiration from Elizabeth Hurley's racy look from the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral

It has been 24 years since Elizabeth stunned onlookers with a slinky black Versace dress, which held her in place with giant gold safety pins.

Arriving on the arms of her then boyfriend Hugh Grant, the Austin Powers oozed sex appeal as she put on a confident display for photographers.

And on Tuesday, Rosie slipped her statuesque figure into a figure-hugging black gown reminiscent of Elizabeth's.

Rosie was quick to take to her social media account to share two cropped pictures of Elizabeth, and tagged her stylist to inform her of the vibes she was hoping for the event.

Throwback! Ahead of attending LA premiere of The Meg with fiance Jason Statham on Monday, the British model, 31, took to her Instagram Stories to share a snap of the actress

Head-turning: It has been 24 years since Elizabeth stunned onlookers with a slinky black Versace dress, which held her in place with giant gold safety pins

Eyes on her! Arriving on the arms of her then boyfriend Hugh Grant, the Austin Powers oozed sex appeal as she put on a confident display for photographers

The Plymouth born beauty also uploaded two hair and beauty looks of models sporting glamorous blowdries, however ended up going for a chic chignon.

During the premiere for The Meg, Rosie showcased her cleavage in her sleeveless dress that had a plunging sweetheart neckline.

Her gown hugged her curves as it fell to the floor and pooled around her feet with a small train.

The stunner wore her long hair styled back from her face in a stylish updo and rocked statement diamond, platinum and gold earrings from David Webb, as well as a collection of chunky bangles.

Inspo: Rosie slipped her statuesque figure into a figure-hugging black gown reminiscent of Elizabeth's

A look: Rosie was quick to take to her social media account to share two cropped pictures of Elizabeth, and tagged her stylist to inform her of the vibes she was hoping for the event

Make-up look: The Plymouth born beauty also uploaded two hair and beauty looks of models sporting glamorous blowdries, however ended up going for a chic chignon

Glamorous: During the premiere for The Meg, Rosie showcased her cleavage in her sleeveless dress that had a plunging sweetheart neckline

Rosie looked in high spirits as she supported fiance Jason - who she shares one-year-old son Jack with - for his new flick.

The Meg is the mother of all shark movies, with Jason going head to head with a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon.

He stars as an expert deep sea rescue diver who's hired to rescue the crew of a submersible trapped on the floor of the deepest part of the Pacific after a run-in with the giant creature.

The horror action adventure opens in theatres on August 10.

Statement: Her gown hugged her curves as it fell to the floor and pooled around her feet with a small train

'Out in theatres on August 10': Rosie looked in high spirits as she supported fiance Jason - who she shares one-year-old son Jack with - for his new flick

So stylish: Earlier on in the day, Rosie looked chic as once again she opted for an all-black ensemble for a meeting in Beverley Hills, California

Earlier on in the day, Rosie looked chic as once again she opted for an all-black ensemble for a meeting in Beverley Hills, California.

She went bra-less in a silky cami and teamed the strappy top with a curve-hugging floral lace pencil skirt, adding a pop of colour with a suede brown, red and green Gucci clutch.

The elegant model strutted through the car park in a pair of rough-edged barely-there stilettos and looked ready-for-business with her blonde tresses pulled back into a simple bun.

Rosie acessorised with gold statement jewellery, including bold hoop earrings, bangles and an oversized 'R' initial pendant.


Australian TV and radio personality, Grant Denyer and wife Chezzi 'Cheryl' Denyer currently share two children Sailor, 7 and Scout, 2.

But now the Gold Logie winner has revealed he and his partner of eight years may be expanding their brood.

The 40-year-old presenter broke the exciting news on his 2DayFM breakfast radio show, Em, Grant & Ed, on Wednesday morning.

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'We haven't closed the door exactly': Grant Denyer (pictured) revealed on Wednesday that he and wife Chezzi have discussed extending their family

'Look we're not trying right now but I don't know if we've completely closed the door exactly.' he explained.

'Who was the last person out of you and Chezzi to bring up the idea of having another child? And when?' co-host Ed Kavalee asked.

Grant admitted that his lady love raised the idea of having another baby 'last week.'

Baby joy?! Grant admitted that his lady love Cheryl (pictured here pregnant with their daughter Scout) raised the idea of having another baby 'last week'

He also added that it's likely the couple would conceive twin girls due to both of their family histories.

'We have about 17 sets of extended twins in our family tree and it has been a while... since we've had some (kids),' he said.

Grant continued: 'I have this deep down feeling if we go again, it's going to be twins! And if we go again it will probably be girls!'

It's a family affair: The Australian TV and radio personality and wife Cheryl currently share two children Sailor, 7 and Scout, 2

'It's undecided at this stage!' he concluded.

'You heard it here first Grant Denyer and Chezzi pregnant with twins!' Em Rusciano remarked in jest.

The subject matter was prompted when a female caller named Myra phoned into the studio and asked: 'So I see in the tabloids all the time that you and Chezzi are trying for another baby. Is that true? Or just gossip?'

Grant recently paid tribute to his wife as he scooped the coveted Gold Logie at the 60th annual awards on the Gold Coast last month.

'To my beautiful wife, Chezzi. Oh my God, we did it, darlin': Grant recently paid tribute to his wife as he scooped the coveted Gold Logie at the 60th annual awards on the Gold Coast last month. Grant (right) and Chezzi (left) pictured at the 2018 TV WEEK Logie Awards

The emotional host dedicated the gong to his wife and their two daughters, Sailor and Scout, and thanked Cheryl for sticking with him through the 'best and worst times.'

Grant went to Thai health clinic for chronic exhaustion in 2013 and Cheryl, who had been dealing with PTSD and anxiety issues resulting from Grant's condition, accompanied him.

During his speech, he turned to Cheryl and declared: 'To my beautiful wife, Chezzi. Oh my God, we did it, darlin'. We did it! We b****y did it. We are an incredible team and I want you to share in this.

'You've been there to hole me up when I wasn't so great. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and you made the two most beautiful girls, Sailor and Scout.'

The TV presenter and Chezzi proudly welcomed daughter Sailor in 2011, followed by her sister Scout in 2015.

In September last year Chezzi told TV Week that Grant would 'love a son'.

'He'd love a little boy running around the house,' she said.

'Grant's an amazing dad, and we've spoken about it, so who knows,' she hinted.
Angelina Jolie has reportedly pulled out of upcoming Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland prequel Come Away at the 11th hour.

According to The Sun, the Oscar-winning actress, 43, was due to begin filming in Bucks on Monday morning alongside Lincoln actor David Oyelowo.

However, it was claimed that late on Monday, Angelina called producers to inform them she was pulling out of the project, leaving a question mark over the future of the fantasy prequel.

Reported: Angelina Jolie has reportedly pulled out of upcoming Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland prequel Come Away at the 11th hour

The brunette beauty is still in the UK, however it is not known whether she will return to the role or whether it will be re-cast.

A source told the website: 'Everything was set to get under way this week, it has all been agreed for months. Now nobody is quite sure what is going on.

She's an A-list star and a total pro so everybody expected things to begin as planned, but the way she is talking suggests she won't now take the role at all.

'The top producers are hoping to persuade her to reconsider so they can get things moving, but there are also contingency plans being considered to keep things on track.'

Combined: Come Away sees Alice (R- Mia Wasikowska in the 2010 film) and Peter Pan (L - Jeremy Sumpter in the 2003 film) as siblings, with Angelina and David playing their parents

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Angelina for comment.

Come Away sees Alice and Peter Pan as siblings, with Angelina and David playing their parents.

When their brother tragically dies, the pair unite to save their parent from their grief.

The alleged withdrawal from the film project comes after Angelina accused Brad Pitt of failing to support their kids financially amid the couple's long-running divorce.

Co-star: Angelina is due to star in the film alongside British actor David Oyelowo

Attorneys for the actress alleged on Tuesday that the 54-year-old actor hasn't paid 'meaningful' child support for 18 months, according to court documents seen by DailyMail.com.

'As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation,' Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean wrote.

The actress-turned-director alleged her third husband has not been meeting his financial obligations and has demanded the court force him to pay up.

Claim: The alleged withdrawal from the film project comes after Angelin a accused Brad Pitt of failing to support their kids financially amid the couple's long-running divorce.. Seen here in 2015

'Given the informal arrangements around the payment of the children's expenses have not been regularly sustained by [Pitt] for over a year and a half, [Jolie] intends to file an RFO for the establishment of a retroactive child support order,' the filing says.

She has asked the judge to arrange a meeting to discuss the issue.

'Meaningful' support was not defined in the filing and Pitt's team are yet to formally respond.

A Pitt source familiar with the situation hinted to Dailymail.com that the actor would likely fight the allegations, commenting: 'Brad always fulfills his commitments'.

The documents also demand that the divorce be finalized this year, with Jolie seemingly in a hurry to bring the battle to an end.

Jolie's net worth has been estimated at $160 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth and in 2014, she was ranked 74th highest-earning celebrity by Forbes. The same site puts Pitt's net worth at $240million.

It's been nearly two years since their shocking split was announced. Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016 citing irreconcilable differences.

Big brood: The duo's divorce has apparently ground to a halt over disagreements about how much time Pitt gets with their six children; Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, Vivienne, 10 and Knox, 10. Seen here in 2011

Attorneys for the 43-year-old actress alleged on Tuesday that the 54-year-old actor hasn't paid 'meaningful' child support for 18 months, according to court documents

It came amid allegations that Pitt had been 'rough' with one of their children on a private plane. Pitt was investigated but cleared of all wrongdoing.

It started months often nasty exchanges and the couple are still 'not even close to settling their divorce', according to E! News.

'They are so hung up on dealing with the custody issues' that the rest of the proceedings have not yet advanced, according to the site.

The duo's divorce has apparently ground to a halt over disagreements about how much time Pitt gets with their six children; Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, Vivienne, 10 and Knox, 10.

And it's these discussions that have held up the rest of the divorce proceedings -such as division of assets- with E!'s sources describing the process as being at 'kind of at an impasse at this point'.

And according to UsWeekly, a major reason for the holdup is the Maleficent actress' resentment towards her World War Z star ex.

'She can't see past her anger for Brad that he is on his way to getting joint custody,' said the magazine's source.

Jolie is allegedly making the divorce negotiations and child custody battle very hostile and has been 'out for blood' ever since her September 2016 divorce filing.

A source connected to the Fury actor told TMZ that they believe the Maleficent actress wants 'to kill any relationship he has with his kids'.

Bitter split? According to UsWeekly, a major reason for the holdup is the Maleficent actress' resentment towards her World War Z star ex

They also claim that there has been a lot of screaming on Jolie's part, adding, 'She's fueled with anger and has gotten ridiculously unreasonable.'

It's become so bad that the mother-of-six's lawyer Laura Wasser, who has represented many divorcing celebrities over the years, is apparently going to quit and has 'made it known' to Jolie because it's become too 'venomous'.

Wasser, who has worked for stars such as Ashton Kutcher during his split from Demi Moore, Heidi Klum and Seal as well as Mariah Carey amid her divorce from Nick Cannon, promotes settlements and co-parenting.

TMZ claims the Wanted actress has already hired another law firm to take over when Wasser officially leaves.

However Angelina's people have disputed that account.

'I've spoken directly to Laura,' Jolie's spokesperson told PEOPLE. 'The TMZ story is not true. She's not quitting now or in the future.'

Jolie is currently filming the sequel to Maleficent in London while Pitt films Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in LA.
Steve 'Commando' Willis, 42, has blasted a New Idea magazine article which claimed he was forced to reconsider his position on Australian Survivor due to tensions with his partner Michelle Bridges.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the former Biggest Loser trainer shared a photo of the magazine's cover alongside the caption: 'This post has come with great consideration. After much reflection I have decided to post in response to an article that is mean, hurtful, upsetting, mischievous and destructive.'

'It saddens and hurts me greatly that @newideamagazine and those who are behind such an article knowingly and intentionally go out of their way to tear down, bully and create disharmony within my family and loved ones but within the very fabric of Australian society,' he fumed.

'It saddens and hurts me greatly': Steve 'Commando' Willis, 42, has blasted a New Idea magazine article which claimed he was forced to reconsider his position on Australian Survivor due to tensions with his partner Michelle Bridges

The former military man went on to remind his fans to remain kind and peaceful, insisting that there is far too much 'discontent, anger, jealousy and grievances' in the world already.

'Good on you brother!' one fan commented, while another concurred: 'You have the full love and support of many Steve including myself!'

Michelle, with whom Steve shares his two-year-old son Axel, also showed her solidarity by sharing the lengthy post to her Instagram page.

Hitting out: Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the former Biggest Loser trainer shared a photo of the magazine's cover alongside the caption: 'This post has come with great consideration. After much reflection I have decided to post in response to an article that is mean, hurtful, upsetting, mischievous and destructive'

'We need to connect and stop tearing each other down': The former military man went on to remind his fans to remain kind and peaceful, insisting that there is far too much 'discontent, anger, jealousy and grievances' in the world already

Earlier on Wednesday, New Idea published a story claiming that Michelle had made life so 'difficult' for Steve prior to his appearance on Australian Survivor that he 'had no choice but to take drastic action to save his five-year relationship.'

'Turning to meditation to cope with the turmoil, Steve made the difficult decision to give up on his comeback dream', telling producers that he could no longer participate in the show- a move that left him heartbroken,' the magazine alleged.

A New Idea source allegedly said: 'Axel is so young and [Steve] was worried that if he made it to the final Axel may forget who he was.'

A New Idea source allegedly said: 'Axel is so young and [Steve] was worried that if he made it to the final Axel may forget who he was' (pictured L-R: Axel Willis, Steve 'Commando Willis, Michelle Bridges)

Claims: However, the publication alleged that Steve eventually decided not to pull out of the Fiji-based reality show following 'emergency meetings with his manager and interventions to calm Michelle's concerns'

However, the publication alleged that Steve eventually decided not to pull out of the Fiji-based reality show following 'emergency meetings with his manager and interventions to calm Michelle's concerns.'

In July, Michelle revealed to The Sunday Telegraph the one deal-breaking rule Steve had to follow while filming the show - keeping his hands off his camp-mates.

'No cuddling,' she said, insisting that he had a 'hands-off policy' when it came to his fellow camp mates.
Drake is looking to make Gods Plan his own - literally.

The superstar rapper, 31, and his team submitted paperwork July 31 in hopes of trademarking the phrase following the success of hit his single of the same name, which landed in the top spot on Billboard Hot 100 in its debut this past January, Page Six reported Tuesday.

The Toronto, Canada native could be with an eye toward marketing everything to a game show to clothes to future musical releases, according to TMZ.

Moving forward: Drake, seen here in his native Toronto in March, is seeking to trademark the title of his single God's Plan for future business endeavors

The Nice For What performer submit to the court material related to the single, ranging from screengrabs of the Wikipedia page to stills from the video, as well as press clippings from industry outlets, Page Six reported.

God's Plan was the debut single from his latest album Scorpion, which spent its first five weeks of release in the top spot.

The accompanying video - which has racked up more than 760 million YouTube views - shows Drake engaging in philanthropic acts all over Miami, donating cash to a womens shelter, firefighters, supermarket shoppers and a University of Miami student named Destiny James, who he donated $50,000 toward.

Acts of kindness: Drake in the clip is seek donating money all over Miami, Florida

Million dollar man: Drake called the video 'the most important thing [he's] ever done in [his] career'

Text displayed at the beginning of the video read, 'The budget for this video was 996,631.90 dollars. We gave it all away. Dont tell the label.'

He later called the music video 'the most important thing [he's] ever done in [his] career' in an Instagram post.

The rap artist, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, might be looking to monetize his influential use of phrases in the zeitgeist, as the phrase YOLO - short for You Only Live Once - caught fire in internet culture after he used it in his 2011 single The Motto, according to Page Six.
They have each romanced some of the world's most famous men.

And the friendship between Jerry Hall and Anjelica Huston has lasted longer than any of their romantic entanglements.

On Tuesday, the two caught up with one another as they enjoyed a leisurely lunch together in Beverly Hills.

Famous BFFs: Longtime friends Jerry Hall and Anjelica Huston were ladies who lunch Tuesday as they caught up with each other at a Beverly Hills restaurant

The Texan model, 62, and the Hollywood actress, 67, first got to know each other in London back in 1978.

The daughter of famed director John Huston, Angelica had traveled to the British capital to be with then boyfriend Jack Nicholson who was making The Shining for Stanely Kubrick.

Jerry at the time had just gone public with her romance with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger after leaving Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry.

in her autobiography Watch Me  A Memoir, published in 2014, Anhelia revealed she had modeled her 1991 film version of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family on her glamorous blonde American pal.

40 year friendship: The Texan model, 62, and the Hollywood actress, 67, first got to know each other in London back in 1978

Plenty to talk about: They have each romanced some of the world's most famous men. And the friendship between them has lasted longer than any of their romantic entanglements

Anjelica split from Nicholson in 1990 and went on to marry sculptor Robert Graham two years later. They remained married until his death in December 2008.

Jerry had four children with Jagger before they split for good in 1991.

In March, 2016 she tied the knot with media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Model looks: Jerry, who married media mogul Rupert Murdoch in March 2016 after 23 years with Mick Jagger, looked lovely in blue jeans, a dark pink t-shirt and a navy blazer

Flawless: Her shade of lip color matched her tee and she accessorized with silver-framed round sunglasses and gold earrings
When We First Met actress Alexandra Daddario is officially dating The Beat host Ari Melber as the new couple were spotted Sunday after having lunch together at Cuban restaurant Cafe Habana Malibu.

Once the Manhattan-born 32-year-old sat in the driver's seat of her car, the Seattle-born 38-year-old leaned in for a romantic kiss.

And judging by the Wait video vixen's athleisure attire and lack of make-up, her secret romance has been going on for a while with the Emmy-winning journalist.

New couple alert! When We First Met actress Alexandra Daddario is officially dating The Beat host Ari Melber as they were spotted Sunday after having lunch together at Cuban restaurant Cafe Habana Malibu

Alexandra and Ari were first spotted together on Saturday helping LA-based comedian Richard Lewis celebrate an impressive 24 years of sobriety.

It makes sense that Daddario would be attracted to Melber (a non-practicing attorney) considering that both of her parents are lawyers.

Their PDA session officially puts any rumors the Nothing But Nets ambassador was dating her Baywatch castmate Zac Efron to rest, and she told People they were just 'very good friends' in May.

And it's the handsome Cornell grad's first relationship since he divorced New York Observer A&E editor Drew Grant last year following four years of marriage.

Passionate liplock: Once the Manhattan-born 32-year-old sat in the driver's seat of her car, the Seattle-born 38-year-old leaned in for a romantic kiss

Intimate: And judging by the Wait video vixen's athleisure attire and lack of make-up, her secret romance has been going on for a while with the Emmy-winning journalist

'My pals!' Alexandra and Ari were first spotted together on Saturday helping LA-based comedian Richard Lewis celebrate an impressive 24 years of sobriety

Non-practicing attorney: It makes sense that Daddario would be attracted to Melber considering that both of her parents are lawyers (pictured in June and May)

By Tuesday night, Alexandra's Brooklyn-based beau was back in the Big Apple hosting his self-titled news and political program, which reportedly averages 1.3M viewers on MSNBC.

Ari - an avid hip-hop enthusiast - frequently uses rap lyrics to explain political or legal scenarios on The Beat.

'I would love to have Jay-Z on. I would love to have Kanye [West] on. We have made overtures to Diddy,' Melber told Vulture last month.

'50 Cent is planning to come on the show in the future and I am excited about that. We want to have musicians and cultural leaders on in the context of taking them seriously for the role they play in society, which I think should actually happen more.'

'We are very good friends': Their PDA session officially puts any rumors the Nothing But Nets ambassador was dating her Baywatch castmate Zac Efron (L) to rest

'Saturday hike!' And it's the handsome Cornell grad's first relationship since he divorced New York Observer A&E editor Drew Grant (L) last year following four years of marriage (pictured Saturday)

And Daddario is 'very excited' to executive produce and play Emma Corrigan in Elise Duran's upcoming romantic comedy Can You Keep a Secret? based on Sophie Kinsella's 2005 novel.

'I'm all about female empowerment!' the Kleenex Wet Wipes brand ambassador gushed to THR last month.

'We have a female director. We're working together to try to put together a great crew and cast, and just have a really positive, fun experience.'

Averages 1.3M viewers on MSNBC: By Tuesday night, Alexandra's Brooklyn-based beau was back in the Big Apple hosting his self-titled news and political program

'50 Cent is planning to come on the show': Ari - an avid hip-hop enthusiast - frequently uses rap lyrics to explain political or legal scenarios on The Beat (pictured July 20 with Kurtis Blow)
It has been less than a week since The Wiggles' Emma Watkins, 28, and Lachlan Gillespie, 32, announced their shock split after two years of marriage.

But it seems the pair haven't let their split get in the way of their professional obligations, no matter how awkward the circumstances may be.

On Wednesday, the former couple attended an official Wiggles business meeting at a Sydney university, posing together for the first time since announcing their break-up.

That's awkward! The Wiggles' Emma Watkins, 28, and Lachlan Gillespie, 32, looked VERY uncomfortable as they posed together for the first time since announcing their split on Wednesday

In the painfully awkward snap - which was uploaded to the Wiggles Instagram page- the duo wore cheesy grins as they faced forward while posing with a group of university staff members.

The pair made sure to keep small distance between themselves, while both grasping their hands in front of their bodies in a ceremonial fashion.

Also pictured in the snap was blue Wiggle Anthony Field, who beamed next to Lachlan in a suit and tie.

Shock breakup: It has been less than a week since Lachlan and Emma announced their shock split two years after tying the knot

'Consulting with educators from Macquarie University for the new Emma TV series to create some wonderful inclusive cultural experiences!' the snap was simply captioned.

The meeting will no doubt be the first of many business-only encounters between Emma and Lachlan - who pledged to their fans that they would continue performing together in the wake of their split.

In a statement to The Daily Telegraph on Friday, the couple said they 'have been navigating through a trial separation' for the past six months and have decided to go their separate ways.

The show must go on! The meeting will no doubt be the first of many business-only encounters between Emma and Lachlan- who pledged to their fans that they would continue performing together in the wake of their split

End of the line: In a statement to The Daily Telegraph on Friday, the couple said they 'have been navigating through a trial separation' for the past six months and have decided to go their separate ways

The pair added that they will continue to perform together in The Wiggles, but have 'chosen a different path to travel in [their] personal lives'.

In the statement, Emma and Lachlan claimed their friendship 'strengthened' since starting their trial separation in February.

No longer touring as husband and wife was 'a very positive change in [their] relationship', they added.

They will continue to perform as 'Emma and Lachy' in The Wiggles alongside fellow band members Simon Pryce and Anthony Field.

'Please know we are stronger than ever and can't wait to see you at a show soon,' the statement concluded.
Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett has shut down rumours of a split with his partner-of-13-years Madeleine West.

The MasterChef guest judge, 42, seemingly confirmed the couple were still together by sharing a photo of the former Neighbours star to his Instagram account on Wednesday.

He posted a snap of Madeleine, 38, reading one of her children's books from the Lily D, V.A.P series to a crowd of youngsters.

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What split? Shannon Bennett has shut down break-up rumours by sharing a photo of his partner Madeleine West on Instagram, following unconfirmed reports they separated after 13 years together. Pictured together in Melbourne on March 29, 2016

In the caption, Shannon wrote that his restaurant Vue de monde would be hosting an upcoming event with Audi celebrating the books.

The show of support appears to confirm that recent reports Shannon and Madeleine have split are false.

In an unconfirmed report by Woman's Day on Monday, it was claimed the couple - who share six children aged between three and 12 - broke up 'about a month ago'.

Still going strong! Shannon, 42, seemingly confirmed the couple were still together by sharing a photo (above) of Madeleine to his Instagram account on Wednesday

Show of support: Shannon posted a snap of Madeleine, 38, reading one of her children's books to a crowd of youngsters. In the caption, he wrote that his restaurant Vue de monde would be hosting an upcoming event with Audi celebrating the books

'Nobody knows what went wrong but whatever happened, it's sad. They have such a beautiful family,' an insider reportedly told the publication.

Doubt was cast over the split rumours, however, as Shannon and Madeleine bought a mansion in Toorak for a rumoured $16million only last September.

And despite the magazine's claims, Shannon has continued to 'like' Madeleine's Instagram posts in recent weeks. They also attended Byron Bay Bluesfest together earlier this year.

Claims: In an unconfirmed report by Woman's Day on Monday, it was claimed the couple - who share six children aged between three and 12 - broke up 'about a month ago'

Madeleine, who is best known for playing Dione 'Dee' Bliss on Network Ten soap Neighbours, began dating restaurateur Shannon in 2005.

They share six children together - Phoenix, Hendrix, Xascha, Xanthe and twins Xalia and Margaux.

In March this year, the couple listed their $5million home in Big Hill near Victoria's Great Ocean Road for sale.

In 2017, they listed another mansion in South Yarra for sale for $7.7million, in order to upgrade to a more expensive pad in Toorak.
They have both achieved icon status - he as the frontman for Aerosmith, she as Arwen in Peter Jackson's films of The Lord Of The Rings.

And over the weekend, Liv Tyler was joined by her father Steven Tyler on a family trip to Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallee a stone's throw from the French capital.

Liv, 41, was also joined by her beau David Gardner and their two children - a three-year-old son called Sailor and a two-year-old daughter called Lula.

Happiest place: Over the weekend, Liv Tyler was joined by her father Steven Tyler on a family trip to Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallee a stone's throw from the French capital

Posting an Instagram photo of her man and their little tykes in a ride carriage, Liv wrote in the caption that it was their '1st Time' on It's A Small World at that park.

She and Steven rode side by side on Le Carrousel De Lancelot, the European park's rough equivalent to the King Arthur Carousel at the original Disneyland in Anaheim.

Liv, who was born in New York City, stuck to the city's much-vaunted sense of chic by opting for an almost entirely black ensemble.

Having a ball: Liv, 41, was also joined by her beau David Gardner and their two children - a three-year-old son called Sailor and a two-year-old daughter called Lula

Legends: They have both achieved icon status - he as the frontman for Aerosmith, she as Arwen in Peter Jackson's films of The Lord Of The Rings

Round and round: She and Steven rode side by side on Le Carrousel De Lancelot, the European park's rough equivalent to the King Arthur Carousel at the original Disneyland in Anaheim

She slipped into a frilled and slightly pleated blouse with half-sleeves, pulling on a matching set of trousers and some open-toed sandals.

Letting her wavy dark hair tumble freely over her shoulders, the fantasy fan pinup looked delighted as she did the rounds on the carousel.

Meanwhile, her father's long brown hair featured streaks of grey and pink, and he accessorized with a summery straw cap and gold-tinted aviators.

Still in the Big Apple at heart: Liv, who was born in New York City, stuck to the city's much-vaunted sense of chic by opting for an almost entirely black ensemble

Giving her feet some air: She slipped into a frilled and slightly pleated blouse with half-sleeves, pulling on a matching set of trousers and some open-toed sandals

Having a ball: Letting her wavy dark hair tumble freely over her shoulders, the fantasy fan pinup looked delighted as she did the rounds on the carousel

He retained his sense of rock star style by wearing glinting dark nail polish, but in a nod to his advanced age also wore socks with open sandals.

The energetic 70-year-old, who has let a bit of scruff sprout onto his face, left several buttons of his navy and white Hawaiian shirt open over his chest.

Steven, who has been addicted to drugs but has sobered up, rounded off his look with a pair of dark jeans and added a splash of glitz with several rings and a bracelet.

Meanwhile: Her father's long brown hair featured streaks of grey and pink, and he accessorized with a summery straw cap and gold-tinted aviators

Swank: He retained his sense of rock star style by wearing glinting dark nail polish, but in a nod to his advanced age also wore socks with open sandals

All that sweet affection: The father of four, who has a brace of divorces under his belt, leaned off over toward a gleeful Liv and planted a kiss on her cheek as the carousel went round

The father of four, who has a brace of divorces under his belt, leaned off over toward a gleeful Liv and planted a kiss on her cheek as the carousel went round.

For a portion of his carousel ride with his daughter, the Demon Of Screamin' carried a lace parasol, resting the stem against his right shoulder.

That day, Liv and Steven posed together with a Disneyland Paris cast member dressed as Mickey Mouse, with Fantasyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle as a backdrop.

Extra elegance: For a portion of his carousel ride with his daughter, the Demon Of Screamin' carried a lace parasol, resting the stem against his right shoulder

Trio: That day, Liv and Steven posed together with a Disneyland Paris cast member dressed as Mickey Mouse, with Fantasyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle as a backdrop

History: Liv was borne of Steven's brief dalliance with ex-Playmate Of The Month Bebe Buell, who initially claimed her daughter was sired by Utopia musician Todd Rundgren

Whilst at Disneyland Paris, Liv and Steven also stopped off at a roller-coaster based on the 1998 Michael Bay film Armageddon - of which she was the leading lady.

In a video Liv posted for her nearly 2 million Instagram followers, Steven excitedly pointed out a poster of her in the film that was hanging outside the ride.

He then alighted on a poster of Bruce Willis, and when Liv asked: 'Who's that?,' he said: 'Oh, that's...oh, that's the guy that played your father.'

Backdrop: Bebe had an on-off romance with Todd through much of the 1970s, and they 'made a pact that he would be Livs father and if it ever became an issue, wed tell her at 18'

Family connections: As Bebe told Rolling Stone this year: 'But fate had something else up its sleeve and she had a hunch as early as nine years old...'

Party boy: Bebe also recalled to the magazine that at one point during her fling with Steven, she had to carry him from New York's Pierre hotel because he was so stoned

Pulling a grouchy face for the camera, he said with mock venom: 'I really love this guy,' and jokingly shook his fist in anger.

By this Tuesday, Steven had crossed the channel and was performing at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on London's Highgate Road.

The art deco edifice, which was constructed in 1934 as a movie theater and morphed into a concert hall in the 1980s, saw Steven in a splashy sleeveless shirt.

There they are: Whilst at Disneyland Paris, Liv and Steven also stopped off at a roller-coaster based on the 1998 Michael Bay film Armageddon - of which she was the leading lady

There she is: In a video Liv posted for her nearly 2 million Instagram followers, Steven excitedly pointed out a poster of her in the film that was hanging outside the ride

'I really love this guy': He then alighted on a poster of Bruce Willis, and when Liv asked: 'Who's that?,' he said: 'Oh, that's...oh, that's the guy that played your father.'

His colorful top clashed against his skintight dark jeans, which played up his wiry legs and were dotted all over with metallic studs.

Liv was borne of Steven's brief dalliance with ex-Playmate Of The Month Bebe Buell, who initially claimed her daughter was sired by Utopia musician Todd Rundgren.

Bebe had an on-off romance with Todd through much of the 1970s, and they 'made a pact that he would be Livs father and if it ever became an issue, wed tell her at 18.'

Hard at work: By this Tuesday, Steven had crossed the channel and was performing at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on London's Highgate Road

As Bebe told Rolling Stone this year: 'But fate had something else up its sleeve and she had a hunch as early as nine years old, but it wasnt until August 1988 when she turned 11 that she put it together and confronted me. Its not like I could lie to her.

She also recalled to the magazine that at one point during her fling with Steven, she had to carry him from New York's Pierre hotel because he was so stoned.

Bebe, who was staying at the home of the McCoy's Rick Derringer and his wife Liz, dished: 'At 3 o'clock in the morning, Steven calls and says: "Bebe, come get me. I'm at the Pierre hotel and I can't walk. And I'm the only white person in the room."'

Historic: The art deco edifice, which was constructed in 1934 as a movie theater and morphed into a concert hall in the 1980s, saw Steven in a splashy sleeveless shirt

'I said: "You can handle that." He said: "No, you dont understand, they can do a lot more drugs than I can." So I went up there, knocked on the door and it was a room full of seven-foot-tall men.'

Having 'just taken this fireman training class,' Bebe 'threw Steven over my shoulder and took him to Lizs and we threw him in the bathtub.'

Said Bebe: 'Finally, he woke up and Liz said go sleep in our room. I always joke that I think my daughter was conceived in Liz and Ricks bed.'

Singing up a storm: His colorful top clashed against his skintight dark jeans, which played up his wiry legs and were dotted all over with metallic studs

Hinting: Steven's top was faintly translucent, and he cinched his pants around his still trim waistline with a black leather belt that like his trousers had metal studs

In addition to Sailor and Lula, Liv also has a 13-year-old son called Milo by Spacehog frontman Royston Langdon, whom she was married to from 2003 to 2008.

Their Barbadian wedding occurred shortly before she filmed her famous kiss with Viggo Mortensen for that winter's The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King.

On the cast audio commentary of that film's extended cut, she recalled that she used her memory of her Caribbean nuptials as an acting aid in that scene.
Fresh Off the Boat's Constance Wu stunned in silver at the world premiere of Crazy Rich Asians at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday.

The Virginia-born daughter of Taiwanese immigrants sparkled in a square-corseted Ralph & Russo SS/17 gown selected by stylist Micaela Erlanger.

The SUNY Purchase grad donned matching earrings and rings with the sequinned creation with long white tassels hanging from the off-the-shoulder straps.

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Werk! Fresh Off the Boat's Constance Wu stunned in silver at the world premiere of Crazy Rich Asians at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday

Make-up artist Molly Greenwald applied Constance's Lashify-brand lashes and vampy pout.

And hairstylist Derek Yuen gave Wu's sleek dark locks a boost with extensions for the red carpet event.

In the Warner Bros. romantic dramedy - hitting US theaters August 15 - the dimpled brunette heads up the ensemble cast as Chinese-American economics professor Rachel Chu.

Jon M. Chu's Crazy Rich Asians - based on Kevin Kwan's 2013 bestseller - marks the first Hollywood studio film in 25 years to feature Asian Americans in leading roles.

Disco doll: The Virginia-born daughter of Taiwanese immigrants sparkled in a square-corseted Ralph & Russo SS/17 gown selected by stylist Micaela Erlanger

Fringed: The SUNY Purchase grad donned matching earrings and rings with the sequinned creation with long white tassels hanging from the off-the-shoulder straps

'And she's off!' Make-up artist Molly Greenwald applied Constance's Lashify-brand lashes and vampy pout

Behind the scenes: And hairstylist Derek Yuen gave Wu's sleek dark locks a boost with extensions for the red carpet event

And on Wednesday, the Family Feud video vixen did her first table read for the fifth season of ABC sitcom Fresh Off The Boat, in which she plays no-nonsense, married mother-of-three Jessica Huang.

'I went from being a [Boa Steakhouse] waitress to being one of the stars of an ABC sitcom,' Constance marveled to WWD on Tuesday.

'And I really learned how to navigate both the artistic side of how to carry a story with humor but also depth and complexity, and also how to handle the press side and how to make sure that people are being heard. So in that sense, I kind of felt called to do this [movie].'

While at Grauman's, Wu made sure to pose with her onscreen leading man - British-Malaysian newcomer Henry Golding - who made his acting debut as Nick Young in the $30M-budget flick.

Hitting US theaters August 15! In the Warner Bros. romantic dramedy, the dimpled brunette heads up the ensemble cast as Chinese-American economics professor Rachel Chu

Based on Kevin Kwan's 2013 bestseller: Jon M. Chu's Crazy Rich Asians marks the first Hollywood studio film in 25 years to feature Asian Americans in leading roles

'We're back!' And on Wednesday, the Family Feud video vixen did her first table read for the fifth season of ABC sitcom Fresh Off The Boat, in which she plays no-nonsense, married mother-of-three Jessica Huang

Constance marveled to WWD on Tuesday: 'I went from being a [Boa Steakhouse] waitress to being one of the stars of an ABC sitcom. And I really learned how to navigate both the artistic side of how to carry a story with humor but also depth and complexity, and also how to handle the press side...So in that sense, I kind of felt called to do this [movie]'

But The Feels actress looked far more excited about greeting The Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun, who dressed down in a white undershirt and black trousers.

The Korean-American 34-year-old (born Yeun Sang-yeop) next stars in Chang-dong Lee's drama Burning, which picked up two trophies at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Henry also flashed a goofy grin in the presence of the Okja star, who also posed with FOTB's Randall Park, his wife Jae Suh, and Hawaii Five-0 alum Daniel Dae Kim

Ocean's Eight funnywoman Awkwafina (born Nora Lum) looked sophisticated in a rose-tinted long-sleeved ball gown selected by her stylist Avo Yermagyan.

British-Malaysian newcomer: While at Grauman's, Wu made sure to pose with her onscreen leading man - Henry Golding - who made his acting debut as Nick Young

Oh hi! But The Feels actress looked far more excited about greeting The Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun, who dressed down in a white undershirt and black trousers

Star power: The Korean-American 34-year-old (born Yeun Sang-yeop) next stars in Chang-dong Lee's drama Burning, which picked up two trophies at this year's Cannes Film Festival

Smiles: Henry (R) also flashed a goofy grin in the presence of the Okja star, who posed with FOTB's Randall Park (M), his wife Jae Suh, and Hawaii Five-0 alum Daniel Dae Kim (2-R)

She added some bling to her ensemble with a pair of diamond, gold and platinum earrings from David Webb, as well as a dazzling ruby, diamond, gold and platinum ring by the same designer.

The 29-year-old rapper - who joked she was 'sewn into my Spanx' - plays Rachel's blonde Singaporean college BFF, Goh Peik Lin.

Also glammed up was Constance's frequent castmate Ken Jeong - who plays Goh Wye Mun in CRA and Gene in FOTB - on the arm of his wife and mother of his twin daughters, Tran Ho.

The Korean-American 49-year-old - who's a non-practicing family physician - also posed alongside Crazy Rich Asian author Kevin Kwan and Crazy Rich Asian director Jon M. Chu.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon alum Michelle Yeoh - who plays domineering, disapproving mother Eleanor Sung-Young - looked slim in a black sheer strapless dress.

'I was just sewn into my Spanx!' Ocean's Eight funnywoman Awkwafina looked sophisticated in a rose-tinted long-sleeved ball gown selected by her stylist Avo Yermagyan

Blonde ambition: The 29-year-old rapper (born Nora Lum) plays Rachel's Singaporean college BFF, Goh Peik Lin

The doctor is in! Also glammed up was Constance's frequent castmate Ken Jeong - who plays Goh Wye Mun in CRA and Gene in FOTB - on the arm of his wife and mother of his twin daughters, Tran Ho

Crew: The Korean-American 49-year-old - who's a non-practicing family physician - also posed alongside Crazy Rich Asian author Kevin Kwan (M) and director Jon M. Chu (R)

Purple trim: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon alum Michelle Yeoh - who plays domineering, disapproving mother Eleanor Sung-Young - looked slim in a black sheer strapless dress

PDA: The Malaysian-born 56-year-old gave her onscreen nephew Nico Santos - who plays Oliver T'sien - an enthusiastic cheek kiss on the jade-colored carpet

The Malaysian-born 56-year-old gave her onscreen nephew Nico Santos - who plays Oliver T'sien - an enthusiastic cheek kiss on the jade-colored carpet.

Ex Machina alum Sonoya Mizuno - who plays Araminta Lee - slayed in a strapless black-and-silver ruffled mermaid gown.

Filipina diva Kris Aquino - who plays snobbish Malay princess Intan - donned a dramatic yellow Michael Leyva gown alongside her 11-year-old son James Jr. with ex-husband, basketballer James Yap.

Also looking lovely were Constance Lau and Victoria Loke, who make their big-screen debuts in CRA as Celine Lim and Fiona Cheng, respectively.

Japanese-born Brit: Ex Machina alum Sonoya Mizuno - who plays Araminta Lee - slayed in a strapless black-and-silver ruffled mermaid gown

Filipina diva! Kris Aquino - who plays snobbish Malay princess Intan - donned a dramatic yellow Michael Leyva gown alongside her 11-year-old son James Jr. with ex-husband, basketballer James Yap

Chinese Londoner: Transformers stunner Gemma Chan - who plays Astrid Leong-Teo - dazzled in a metallic-sequinned cocktail dress and Jimmy Choo stilettos selected by stylist Rebecca Corbin-Murray

Daring duo: Also looking lovely were Constance Lau (L) and Victoria Loke (R), who make their big-screen debuts in CRA as Celine Lim and Fiona Cheng, respectively

SAG Award winner: Glee alum Harry Shum Jr. - who plays Charlie Wu - looked dapper in a white suit alongside his pink-clad wife, Steven Universe actress Shelby Rabara

Transformers stunner Gemma Chan - who plays Astrid Leong-Teo - dazzled in a metallic-sequinned cocktail dress and Jimmy Choo stilettos selected by stylist Rebecca Corbin-Murray.

Glee alum Harry Shum Jr. - who plays Charlie Wu - looked dapper in a white suit alongside his pink-clad wife, Steven Universe actress Shelby Rabara.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Ming-Na Wen rocked Zameer Kassam earrings with her cleavage-boosting, silver-fringed cocktail creation and matching stilettos.

ER alum: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Ming-Na Wen rocked Zameer Kassam earrings with her cleavage-boosting, silver-fringed cocktail creation and matching stilettos

Oscar nominee in the house! The Big Sleep screenwriting duo Kumail Nanjiani and wife Emily V. Gordon brought their real-life, incredible romance to the rom-com premiere

Emmy-winning screenwriter: Ready Player One actress Lena Waithe brought the swag in a tan hat, chambray shirt, and gleaming white sneakers selected by stylist Tiff Hasbourne

18-year-old sensation: Grown-ish starlet Yara Shahidi looked cute in a red-ruffled Prada mini-dress and matching Jimmy Choo stilettos selected by stylist Jason Bolden

The Big Sleep screenwriting duo Kumail Nanjiani and wife Emily V. Gordon brought their real-life, incredible romance to the rom-com premiere.

Ready Player One actress Lena Waithe brought the swag in a tan hat, chambray shirt, and gleaming white sneakers selected by stylist Tiff Hasbourne.

Grown-ish starlet Yara Shahidi looked cute in a red-ruffled Prada mini-dress and matching Jimmy Choo stilettos selected by stylist Jason Bolden.

Blue duo: Famous in Love's Perrey Reeves opted for a single-strapped denim dress and espadrilles alongside her suited husband, Aaron Endress-Fox

Making them green with envy! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Chloe Bennet (L) and Shadowhunters' Katherine McNamara (R) were clad in a leg-baring gown and striped FRAME pantsuit

SAG Award winner: The Office alum Kate Flannery wore a sheer-sleeved black floral frock and nude T-strap heels selected by stylist Amanda Jones

Famous in Love's Perrey Reeves opted for a single-strapped denim dress and espadrilles alongside her suited husband, Aaron Endress-Fox.

Making them green with envy were Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Chloe Bennet and Shadowhunters' Katherine McNamara clad in a leg-baring gown and striped FRAME pantsuit.

The Office alum Kate Flannery wore a sheer-sleeved black floral frock and nude T-strap heels selected by stylist Amanda Jones.
Laverne Cox cited inequality when tackling the hot topic of whether or not cisgender actors should be able to play transgender roles, amid recent headlines over Scarlett Johansson's withdrawal from Rub & Tug - a film in which she would have playing a transgender male - amid pushback from the trans community.

The Orange Is the New Black star, 46, was one of the entertainers involved in a roundtable discussion conducted by Variety in regards to current issues the trans community faces in Hollywood and beyond.

She said the fact that playing field isn't level in society toward trans people is a relevant factor in the discussion.

Speaking out: Laverne Cox, 46, cited inequality when tackling the hot topic of whether or not cisgender actors should be able to play transgender roles, in a chat with Variety

'I think if all things were equal, then everyone should be able to play every character,' she said. 'But all things are not equal.'

Cox spoke of the delicate balance between creating art and maintaining authenticity in regards to the issue.

'As an artist, I don't ever want someone telling me that I shouldn't play something,' she said. 'But the reality is, 84 percent of Americans do not personally know someone who is transgender. So most Americans learn what they learn about trans people through the media.'

The Mobile, Alabama native, in illustrating the ongoing inequality, pointed to ongoing political battles the trans community faces, both with individual states as well as President Donald Trump.

Ensemble: Laverne is flanked by Chaz Bono and Alexandra Billings on the cover of the magazine

'Right now in this country, in the first days of this year, 10 states introduced 21 pieces of legislation targeting trans people, mostly trying to limit our ability to go to the bathroom,' said Laverne, who plays Sophia Burset on the Netflix hit. 'The current president is trying to ban us from the military. Our unemployment rate is three times the national average.'

Cox circled back to the controversy that swirled around Johansson, who told Out magazine that she was thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film' as she withdrew from the motion picture.

Cox said that in the current 'cultural environment, when [trans people] see representations of cis people playing us over and over again, that reinforces the idea that trans women are not really women and trans men are not really men and nonbinary people don't exist.'

She called that element 'the basis of the discrimination that trans people experience.'

On the red carpet: Cox posed at a GLAAD Media event this past May

Cox said that at the heart of things, trans people 'just want more opportunities' in front of the camera, later noting that 'a trans actor has never been nominated for an Oscar before.'

Cox credited trans actress Candis Cayne's success as life-changing for her, and said she's happy with the role she's played moving forward.

'I can't tell you how many people I've met over the years who said, "I didn't think it was possible for me to be an actor, and then I saw you on TV,"' she said. 'Now there's a generation of trans kids coming up who think that it's possible for them to be openly trans and actually have a career as an actor. It's really exciting.'

Cox added that the trans community faces an uphill battle in undoing a century of what they have been portrayed as.

'When the media representations have been so much of what they have been over the past 100 years,' she said, 'its so much work to unlearn that and build shame resilience.'
She found fame on TV's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

And on Tuesday night, Chloe Bennet worked it as she walked the red carpet at the LA premiere for the big screen comedy Crazy Rich Asians.

The actress, 26, put her best foot forward in a sea green Tadashi Shoji gown slit to the thigh on one side and with cut out panels below the bust and at the side.

Leggy: She found fame on TV's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And on Tuesday, Chloe Bennet worked it as she walked the red carpet at the LA Hollywood premiere for Crazy Rich Asians

Chloe, who is half Chinese, showcased her figure in the long-sleeved number that fell to the floor, pooling around her feet as she posed for photos.

She stepped out in a pair of nude sandal heels and wore her dyed blonde hair loose around her shoulders.

After being cast in a supporting role in ABC's Nashville from 2012 to 2013, the actress nabbed the role of Daisy/Quake in the ABC superhero series that premiered in 2013.

Revealing: The actress, 26, put her best foot forward in a sea green gown slit to the thigh on one side and with cut out panels below the bust and at the side and she added nude heels

On the carpet: Chloe, who is half Chinese, showcased her figure in the long-sleeved number that fell to the floor, pooling around her feet as she posed for photos

TV star: After being cast in a supporting role in ABC's Nashville from 2012 to 2013, the actress nabbed the role of Daisy/Quake in the ABC superhero series that premiered in 2013

Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu in a big screen adaptation of the book by Kevin Kwan.

Wu stars as Rachel Chu, a native New Yorker who follows her boyfriend, played by Henry Golding, to Singapore where she meets his family - only to discover he is from a wealthy background.

It turns out he is one of the country's most eligible bachelors and soon she's trying to protect her romance from jealous socialites and his disapproving mother.

It opens in theatres on August 15.
Bachelor In Paradise star Sam Cochrane recently made extraordinary claims his ex-fiancee Tara Pavlovic physically and verbally abused him during their relationship - an accusation she later confirmed as being true, but 'out of character'.

And it hasn't taken long for the members of the extended Bachelor family to weigh in on the drama, with many flocking to social media to support Sam in the wake of the couple's bitter split.

The likes of Elora Murger, Leah Costa, Jen Hawke and Luke McLeod have all shared messages of support for Sam in recent days.

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Two sides go to war: Bachelor stars have thrown their support behind Sam Cochrane following his split from Tara Pavlovic amid 'physical and verbal abuse claims'. Pictured: Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane at an event in Sydney on June 8

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia earlier this week, Elora claimed that Sam 'made the right decision' to end things with Tara, saying: 'I think Sam and Tara had the pressure to try and make it work for a little bit and he made the right decision for his heart. He wasn't happy.

'I went through a similar experience with an ex recently and it's just really s**t when a person is just not for you. It's hard to get out of, and once you're out of it, it does have to be a clean cut.'

While she emphasised that she isn't in contact with Tara, Elora insisted that Sam was 'doing really good' since the split, adding: 'He's in Bali right now and it looks like he's having a lot of fun.'

Supportive: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia earlier this week, Elora Murger (pictured on Bachelor in Paradise) claimed that her friend Sam 'made the right decision' to split with Tara

Picking her side: Meanwhile, former franchise 'villain' Leah Costa *pictured) declared her allegiance to Sam by commenting below an Instagram post he shared on Tuesday

Team Sam! Leah also took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself and Sam during their time on Bachelor In Paradise, alongside the caption: 'Sending bulk love and Fiji vibes'

Meanwhile, former franchise 'villain' Leah Costa declared her allegiance to Sam by commenting below an Instagram post he shared on Tuesday.

'Oh Sammy, you are the most beautiful soul. You will look back and be grateful this happened now and not after a marriage and three kids. Any woman would be lucky to have you,' she wrote.

Leah also took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself and Sam during their time on Bachelor In Paradise, alongside the caption: 'Sending you bulk love and Fiji vibes'.

Kindness: 'You're the most beautiful soul. You will look back and be grateful this happened now and not after a marriage and three kids. Any woman would be lucky to have you,' wrote Leah

Weighing in: Ex-Bachelor star Jen Hawke (pictured) echoed Leah's sentiments, commenting: 'Sending you lots of love Sammy, you're a genuine and beautiful soul! Head up champ'

Brothers for life: Luke McLeod - who is currently holidaying with Sam in Bali, Indonesia - commented on Instagram recently, 'Brothers for life'

She added: 'Ignore the little people with the big opinions. they are the ones that believe they know the truth with in reality they've just been blinded by clever branding. You're the real sweetheart.'

Former Bachelor star Jen Hawke echoed Leah's sentiments, commenting: 'Sending you lots of love Sammy, you're a genuine and beautiful soul! Head up champ.'

Elsewhere, Luke McLeod has also been maintaining his close friendship with Sam in the aftermath of his split, with the pair jetting off to Bali for a boys' trip this week.

Twinning! Luke and Sam, who appeared on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise together, are on holiday in Bali at the moment

Luke has been posing for Instagram photos with Sam during the trip and recently commented 'brothers for life' beneath a holiday snap shared on Monday.

Meanwhile, former Bachelor star Sian Kelly has thrown her support behind Tara following the break-up.

On Tuesday, Sian took to her Instagram Story to share two clips taken from a previously-unseen, 27 minute video of Sam begging Tara for forgiveness.

Team Tara! Meanwhile, former Bachelor star Sian Kelly (pictured) has thrown her support behind Tara following the break-up

Sian, whose brother reportedly dated Tara before her relationship with Sam, accompanied the posts with the defiant caption: 'Sam, I don't care if this cops me some heat.

'Don't publicly humiliate my friend when we all know damn well how you feel about her.'

She added: 'I know what [Tara] has been through since she was little and over my dead body am I going to allow some petty little boy dare tarnish what she has worked so hard for and what she truly f**king deserves!'
She's been a David Jones ambassador for five years, walking the retail giant's countless runways.

And ahead of Wednesday night's spring/summer collection launch in Sydney, model Jessica Gomes spoke to Daily Mail Australia about the pressure to stay slim.

The 33-year-old also revealed the motto she swears by to stay happy and body-confident in such a competitive industry.

'Everyone is always going to have an opinion': Model Jessica Gomes (pictured), 33, speaks about the pressure to stay slim and reveals the motto that keeps her happy and body-confident

Jessica said that the secret to navigating the modelling industry is to not worry about the opinion of others.

'I think it's about how you feel about yourself and you can't really worry about what anyone else thinks. I think that's the way to keep yourself happy,' the founder of Equal Beauty skincare said.

The way Jessica stays body confident is also quite simple, with the star explaining: 'Everyone is always going to have an opinion, but I think it's the way you feel about yourself and so that's kind of been my motto.'

Stance: 'If I feel good and I know I'm doing well in my life, and I'm looking after myself, then that's all that matters. I don't really feel the pressure,' Jessica told Daily Mail Australia

'If I feel good and I know I'm doing well in my life, and I'm looking after myself, then that's all that matters. I don't really feel the pressure,' the brunette added.

Jessica, who signed on to become an ambassador for David Jones in 2013, is a regular to the retail giant's seasonal shows.

The Perth-born beauty, who has recently branched out into acting, will take to the runway on Wednesday night alongside Victoria Lee, Jett Kenny, Karolina Kurkova and Anwar Hadid.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last month, Jessica said that while she's dabbling in film, her passion will always be modelling.

Stunning: Jessica attended a press call on Wednesday in Sydney, ahead of David Jones' spring/summer collection launch. The brunette highlighted her slim figure in a chic white frock

'Modelling is my core but I have a great time doing film as it's creatively scary for me. I balance between both, but I love modelling,' she said.

Jessica also revealed the screen stars that inspire her.

'I'm inspired by a lot of different actors,' she gushed. 'Greta Gerwig, Joel Edgerton, Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet and Jennifer Lawrence to name a few.'

In addition to acting and modelling, Jessica is also a beauty entrepreneur with her own skincare line, Equal Beauty.

The range features a number of products, including a luxury moisturiser and serum.
Brad Pitt has paid 'millions' to support his children despite claims by ex Angelina Jolie that he has made no 'meaningful' contribution to their care, his friends say.

Pitt forks over hundreds of thousands each month on therapists for his six children, travel expenses and round-the-clock bodyguards, sources told Page Six.

The same sources accused Jolie of trying to smear him by making him out to be a 'deadbeat dad' amid their bitter two-year divorce battle.

Meanwhile another friend of Pitt's said Jolie is being 'ridiculously unreasonable' in her demands and is 'fueled by anger'.

The once golden couple of Hollywood, seen here in 2015, have been embroiled in a messy divorce since September 2016 with custody of their children at the heart of the battle

The friends spoke out after Jolie filed papers in a public court on Tuesday accusing her ex of failing to support their children financially since the split.

'The divorce case has been held in front of a private judge to keep it out of the press,' one friend said.

'But she filed in LA Superior Court knowing that it would go public and that he would be made out to be a deadbeat dad  which he isnt.

Another added: 'Brad has completely lived up to his commitments as far as child support and will continue to do so.'

Another insider told People that the 54-year-old actor had in fact provided financial support in an amount 'far more than any informal agreement would stipulate and far more than any judge would have ordered paid if there had been such an order.'

Jolie is asking the court to force her third husband to pay up.

'Given the informal arrangements around the payment of the children's expenses have not been regularly sustained by [Pitt] for over a year and a half, [Jolie] intends to file an RFO for the establishment of a retroactive child support order,' the filing says.

She asked the judge to arrange a meeting to discuss the issue.

Jolie is also asking that the divorce be finalized this year.

A spokesperson for the actress told People she wants 'closure to the marriage in a way that clears a path toward the next stage of their lives and allows her and Brad to recommit as devoted co-parents to their children.'

Jolies net worth has been estimated at $160 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth and in 2014, she was ranked 74th highest-earning celebrity by Forbes. The same site puts Pitt's net worth at $240 million.

Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016 citing irreconcilable differences.

It's been nearly two years since their shocking split was announced. Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016 citing irreconcilable differences.

It came amid allegations that Pitt had been 'rough' with one of their children on a private plane. Pitt was investigated but cleared of all wrongdoing.

It started months of often nasty exchanges and the couple are still 'not even close to settling their divorce', according to E! News.

Pitt and Jolie share six children - pictured in 2006 with daughter Zahara, second left, and son Maddox. They are parents to Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and 10-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox

Attorneys for Jolie filed legal paperwork Tuesday seeking a court order for Pitt to pay child support and for the divorce to be finalized this year

'They are so hung up on dealing with the custody issues' that the rest of the proceedings have not yet advanced, according to the site.

The duo's divorce has apparently ground to a halt over disagreements about how much time Pitt gets with their six children; Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, Vivienne, 10 and Knox, 10.

And it's these discussions that have held up the rest of the divorce proceedings -such as division of assets - with E!'s sources describing the process as being at 'kind of at an impasse at this point'.

And according to UsWeekly, a major reason for the holdup is the Maleficent actress' resentment towards her World War Z star ex.

'She can't see past her anger for Brad that he is on his way to getting joint custody,' said the magazine's source.

Jolie is allegedly making the divorce negotiations and child custody battle very hostile and has been 'out for blood' ever since her September 2016 divorce filing.

A source connected to the Fury actor told TMZ that they believe the Maleficent actress wants 'to kill any relationship he has with his kids'.

They also claim that there has been a lot of screaming on Jolie's part, adding, 'She's fueled with anger and has gotten ridiculously unreasonable.'

It's become so bad that the mother-of-six's lawyer Laura Wasser, who has represented many divorcing celebrities over the years, is apparently going to quit and has 'made it known' to Jolie she fells the process has become too 'venomous'.

Wasser, who has worked for stars such as Ashton Kutcher during his split from Demi Moore, Heidi Klum and Seal as well as Mariah Carey amid her divorce from Nick Cannon, promotes settlements and co-parenting.

TMZ claims the Wanted actress has already hired another law firm to take over when Wasser officially leaves.

However, Angelina's people have disputed that account.

'I've spoken directly to Laura,' Jolie's spokesperson told PEOPLE. 'The TMZ story is not true. She's not quitting now or in the future.'

Jolie is currently filming the sequel to Maleficent, in London, while Pitt films Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in LA.
Problems have arisen in the Hamptons during production of Bravo's reality series Summer House.

An incident occurred Saturday during a birthday party for the cast's Kyle Cooke near Sag Harbor, Long Island, according to Page Six, when a motorcade of expensive vehicles 'made quite a bit of noise and drew the crowd's attention' as it traveled down the main street in the affluent community.

'Someone called the cops, who showed up and told them they needed a filming permit and they couldn't film from the back of their van,' a source told the outlet.

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The beautiful people: Cast and crew for Bravo's Summer House series were recently confronted by police in near Sag Harbor, Long Island, sources told Page Six

Following their run-in with law enforcement, cast and crew members 'moseyed out of town' without any fines or tickets stemming out from the run-in, according to Page Six.

The show, which is in its third season, is currently based out of a rental home in Water Mill, New York.

In June, sources told Page Six that changes were in the offing with the reality series, as 'groups of friends change' and that 'the concept of a summer house is to get a group of friends together to hang out and split the cost.'

Party time: The show's Kyle Cooke was snapped in the midst of an Independence Day celebration earlier this summer

Fun in the Hamptons: Stars Cooke and Carl Radke relaxed in this recent Instagram shot

Filming permits issued for the show, which debuted last year, described the program as a 'comedy/docuseries filming a bunch of friends at a residence' in the well-heeled Long Island community, according to the outlet.

The source told the outlet that casting, screentime and presentation could be adjusted based on friendships and falling-outs, a formula that's been applied on many of the Real Housewives shows.
Love Island Australia will screen in the UK after British fans declared they're 'obsessed' with the show's drama-filled Australian version.

TV Tonight revealed on Wednesday that the popular reality program is poised to enjoy a 'full broadcast in the UK' over the coming months.

The Sophie Monk hosted series will air on 'digital channel ITVBe and online service ITV HUB from next Monday,' the publication reports.

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Giving it another Crapp! Love Island Australia will air in the UK after British fans declared they're 'OBSESSED' with show's drama-filled Down Under version. Pictured host Sophie Monk

UK followers dubbed the Australian version of the show a 'million times more entertaining' than their own version - and even called for British network ITV2 to broadcast the Aussie episodes.

TV Tonight also revealed that Love Island Australia, which is laden with X-rated scenes, 'cheating', jealousy and explosive on-air spats, generated a whopping 179 million views on YouTube.

Love Island Australia drew almost 200,000 viewers for its season finale on 9Go in July.

Big in the UK?! TV Tonight also revealed that Love Island Australia, which is laden with X-rated scenes, 'cheating', jealousy and explosive on-air spats, generated a whopping 179 million views on YouTube

During the finale, which aired last month, winners Tayla Damir and Grant Crapp decided to split the $50,000 cash prize between themselves.

They have since announced their split.

Last month a spokesperson from Channel Nine confirmed that talks are underway for season two of raunchy reality show.

The news comes after UK fans flocked to Twitter to talk about the Australian version after a clip of Eden and Grant's fight went viral.

'Love Island Australia is a million times better!' UK followers dubbed the Australian version of the show a 'million times more entertaining' than their own version - and even called for British network ITV2 to broadcast the Aussie episodes (pictured, Eden and Grant's brawl last month)

British viewers were gripped after Eden Dally and Grant Crapp's explosive brawl last month following Justin Lacko's shock eviction from the villa.

'Guys, Love Island Australia is actually a million times better than the uk one tbh! Ze drama,' one user wrote.

'Actually obsessed with love island Australia,' another wrote, while a third agreed: 'Unpopular opinion but Love Island Australia is better than the UK one.'

Others said the Australian version makes the UK show look 'so boring' and is 'ten times more entertaining'.

Loving it: UK followers dubbed the show a 'million times more entertaining' than their version and even called for British network ITV2 to broadcast the Australian episodes

Another viewer wrote: 'Think ITV2 should start showing Love Island Australia! I mean we have so many other Australian shows shown on UK channels so why not Love Island?'

Love Island Australia was filmed inside a Mallorca villa - the same location as the UK version.

The first international version of the show was Love Island Germany, which launched in 2017.

British network ITV has also revealed that the show will have three more versions later on in 2018, which are to be set in Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Drama: British fans flocked to Twitter to talk about the Australian version after a clip of Eden and Grant's fight went viral
Australian Survivor's Zach Kozyrski has received backlash on social media from both viewers and former stars of the show after insulting co-star Paige Kerin's appearance.

The reality TV villain, 39, took to Instagram to share a derogatory post about Paige, 24, after he was caught leering at her body on Tuesday's episode of the series.

In the episode, Zach remarked 'dat ass' as Paige walked past him, before apparently ogling her derriere.

Savage: Australian Survivor's Zach Kozyrski (L) has received backlash on social media from both viewers and former stars of the show after insulting co-star Paige Kerin's appearance (R)

He took to Instagram on Wednesday to offer a backhanded apology for the incident, which ended with him taking a snarky dig at the blonde's looks.

'I would like to issue a public apology for the comment I made to Paige on last night's episode of Australian Survivor because some people were clearly offended,' he wrote.

'I just want to say, it was all taken completely out of context and I would never actually say something like that to Paige in that way,' he continued.

Savage: Zach posted a photo of himself and some of his tribemates, including Paige (R), but he specifically failed to tag her in the photo

'Shes like a 6!' The 39-year-old offered a backhanded apology to Paige before insulting her appearance

'Because shes like a 6, and I would only say stuff like that to 8s and above!'

He finished the caption with several laughing emojis and the hashtags #savage #thuglife and #hifive.

Zach also dug the knife in deeper by sharing a photo of himself, some of his male tribemates, and Paige all together, but he specifically failed to tag Paige in the photo despite tagging everybody else.

'What a garbage person!' Zach received backlash from both viewers and former Survivor stars for his comments towards Paige

The post was immediately met with overwhelming backlash, with much of it coming from former Survivor stars.

'F**k you man, we're meant to look out for each other off the island - but this is just gross,' commented season one's Matt Tarrant.

'Lol at the fact that you must be so oblivious to how much of a twat you look like right now mate,' wrote season two's Sarah Tilleke. 'Bet you think youre hilarious hey?'

Star: Zach has emerged as a breakout star on Survivor, dubbing himself the '#Commandokiller' after defeating Steve 'The Commando' Willis in a challenge

Bromance: Zach is the leader of a controversial all-male alliance on the show (pictured)

'Muscles are clearly just for show!' wrote Survivor New Zealand's Dylan Conrad. 'Willing to bag on a contestant, have her in a picture, but not tag her #realsavage #hifive #loser #probablygotasmallsausage.'

Viewers of the show agreed, with one writing: 'What a garbage person, shout out to all the former castaways giving it to him in the comments.'

Australian Survivor currently airs on Channel Ten and is available to stream on Tenplay.
Entertainer Shane Jacobson is being sued by his ex long-time manager and publicist Deb Fryers for a portion of almost $1 million of his earnings.

As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday, Fryers filed a writ in July in Victoria, claiming she had not been paid commission for Shane's work in productions such as the Rocky Horror Show, Little Big Shots and The Real Full Monty.

Jacobson and Fryers were in partnership for more than 10 years, until February 2018.

In court: Entertainer Shane Jacobson (pictured) is being sued by his ex long-time manager and publicist Deb Fryers for a portion of almost $1 million of his earnings

However, Shane has hit back at Fryers' claims, asserting that she has been paid what is owed to her.

He also claimed Fryers 'abandoned' him in the week of his wedding.

The Herald reported that Shane's income for hosting Channel Seven's Little Big Shots was $215k, and $54k for stripping off in the network's The Real Full Monty.

Loggerheads: Shane's ex-manager Fryers filed a writ in July in Victoria claiming she had not been paid commission for the star's work in productions such as the Rocky Horror Show, Little Big Shots and The Real Full Monty. Pictured: Shane Jacobson in The Real Full Monty

Dynamic duo: Jacobson and Fryers were in partnership for more than 10 years, until February 2018. Pictured: Shane Jacobson (right) with The Real Full Monty choreographer Todd McKenney

He received $180k for his narrator role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a whopping $200k to appear in ads for IGA supermarkets.

Fryers is claiming her total earnings should be $136,892, representing a 15 or 20 per cent management fee for each of Shane's roles.

Shane's total earnings, from February through to November 2018, plus a Key Note Tour and a Big 4 Holiday Parks ambassador role in 2019, total $908,614.

Money man: The Herald reported that Shane's income for hosting Channel Seven's Little Big Shots was $215k, and $54k for stripping off in the network's The Real Full Monty

Shane has indeed been in the wars of late - he attended the TV Week Logie Awards in July on crutches, having snapped his Achilles tendon in a near-fatal injury.

He had had an operation after tearing his tendon in Marrakesh, Morocco, subsequently suffering deep vein thrombosis and two blood clots after flying home to Australia with the injury.

'My doctor said I absolutely cannot get on an aeroplane,' Shane told the Daily Telegraph recently.
She has quickly become the resident 'villain' on this season of The Block.

And Sara Tumino certainly lived up to her reputation when she was spotted filming scenes for the reality renovation show in April this year.

The strong-willed star was seen blowing off steam during a heated argument with fellow contestants and construction workers during filming.

She came in like a wrecking ball! The Block 'villain' Sara Tumino was spotted blowing off steam in a fiery argument with fellow contestants while filming on set in April this year

Surrounded by fellow contestants, camera staff and confused-looking contract workers, Sara didn't hold back as she screamed across the construction site.

The glamorous flight cabin leader looked ready for action, donning a yellow hi-vis vest and hard-hat.

She completed her look with a black jumper, grey skinny jeans and a pair of scuffed red lace-up boots.

Why so sour? Surrounded by fellow contestants, camera staff and confused-looking contract workers, Sara didn't hold back as she screamed across the construction site

What's wrong? Sara grimaced as she spoke to her fellow construction workers

Despite the gritty circumstances, Sara opted for a particularly glamorous makeup look, donning a pair of faux lashes and enhancing her eyebrows with an application of dark brown liner.

She also added a touch of sparkle to the other-wise dreary outfit by wearing a pair of diamond stud earrings.

Following her tense exchange, Sara was spotted looking downcast as she lugged two boxes of bathroom appliances across the bustling site.

Nothing can stop her! The glamorous flight cabin leader looked ready for action, donning a yellow hi-vis vest and hard-hat

Woman on a mission! Following her tense exchange, Sara was spotted looking downcast as she lugged two boxes of bathroom appliances across the bustling site

Doing it for herself: Despite her petite stature, the brunette carried the large boxes without any assistance

Not happy? Sarah looked displeased as she made her way across the construction site

Despite her petite stature, the brunette carried the large boxes without any assistance.

Later, Sara and her husband Hayden were spotted deliberating over a large box containing a bathtub.

Hayden looked decidedly more relaxed than his other half- who appeared frazzled by the high-stress environment.

Always by their side! Later, Sara and her husband Hayden were spotted deliberating over a large box containing a bathtub

Need a breather? Hayden looked decidedly more relaxed than his other half- who appeared frazzled by the high-stress environment

Defiant: Earlier this week, Sara defended her fiery attitude in an interview with New Idea , telling the publication that she doesn't care what viewers think of her

Brushing off her detractors: 'I'll probably be perceived as the evil villain, but who gives a crap really?' she said flippantly

Having worked as a project manager on construction sites for over two decades, Hayden seemed at home in his hard hat and hi-vis vest.

Earlier this week, Sara defended her fiery attitude in an interview with New Idea, telling the publication that she doesn't care what viewers think of her.

'I'll probably be perceived as the evil villain, but who gives a crap really?' she said flippantly.

Remaining authentic: 'I always said I was going to come in and be 100 per cent myself,' she insisted

Not an easy makeover! On this season of The Block, teams are renovating Melbourne's notorious Gatwick Hotel, which was once known as a 'festering fleapit'

'I always said I was going to come in and be 100 per cent myself,' she insisted.

On this season of The Block, teams are renovating Melbourne's notorious Gatwick Hotel, which was once known as a 'festering fleapit'.

The property was a cheap St Kilda rooming house that was a refuge for Melbourne's down and out from the 1950s until its closure last year.
Karolina Kurkova cemented her supermodel credentials at the rehearsal for David Jones' Spring/Summer Collections launch in Sydney on Wednesday.

Hours before the retail giant's highly-anticipated fashion parade, the Czech model commanded attention as she flaunted her flawless figure in a cleavage-baring swimsuit.

The Victoria's Secret model, 34, channelled her inner-superwoman as she stormed down the 'Spring harvest'-themed runway in the sexy ensemble fitted out with a sheer navy cape.

Victoria's Secret supermodel Karolina Kurkova (pictured) takes the plunge in cleavage-baring swimsuit at the David Jones Collections launch rehearsal

The blonde model offered onlookers a generous glimpse at her ample assets, which appeared to bust out of the gold buckle cleavage ties.

Karolina, who worked as a Victoria's Secret vixen in the early 2000s, oozed sex appeal as she playfully smirked in bright red lipstick.

The stunner seemingly enjoyed ditching her angel wings for the dark and broody cape, which floated gracefully behind her statuesque frame as she gained momentum down the catwalk.

Leggy display: The blonde beauty (pictured) who has walked for the likes of Prada and Louis Vuitton simultaneously gave fans a look-see at her lean and bronzed pins

The blonde beauty, who has walked for the likes of Prada and Louis Vuitton simultaneously gave fans a look-see at her lean and bronzed pins.

The high-cut one piece drew attention to the international supermodel's toned legs and flat tummy.

She continued her leggy display as she carved up the runway in a pair of towering strappy heels.

Rouge: Karolina, who worked as a Victoria's Secret vixen in the early 2000s oozed sex appeal as she playfully smirked in bright red lipstick

The longtime underwear model was joined by ambassadors Victoria Lee and Jessica Gomes as the women turned heads in a range of new season swimwear.

The former Victoria's Secret model, who is 5'11'', landed her very first Vogue cover in 2001 at age 17 and at the time, editor-in-chief Anna Wintour touted her as the 'next supermodel.'

Karolina is married to her actor husband of eight years Archie Drury. The couple share two sons, eight-year-old Tobin Jack and Noah Lee, two.

She will join the likes of Jessica Gomes and Victoria Lee in the David Jones Spring Summer show in Sydney on Wednesday evening.

Supermodel: The former Victoria's Secret model, who is 5'11'', landed her very first Vogue cover in 2001 at age 17 and at the time, editor-in-chief Anna Wintour touted her as the 'next supermodel'
Hollywood actor Richard Gere is reportedly set to become a dad again just a year short of his 70th birthday.

The screen icon-turned humanitarian activist is expecting his first child with new wife Alejandra Silva, respected Spanish daily ABC has claimed.

The Madrid-based newspaper broke the news of Geres wedding to the pretty Spaniard, 33 years his junior, earlier this year.

Happy news: Richard Gere, 69, is reportedly set to become a father again with wife Alejandra Silva, 35... four months after they tied the knot

The Pretty Woman star tied the knot with Alejandra after four years together at a civil ceremony in Spain in April before celebrating the occasion with friends and family at the actors home near New York the following month.

He admitted after the US blessing: 'I am the happiest man in the universe, how could I not be?'

ABC said it was not yet clear if the child would be born in Spain or the States, where Alejandra is now believed to be based most of the time.

Lots to celebrate: The Pretty Woman star tied the knot with Alejandra after four years together at a civil ceremony in Spain in April, (pictured in Berlin in February)

The pair both have children of their own.

Insurance agents son Richard, who will celebrate his 69th birthday at the end of this month, has an 18-year-old son called Homer with former wife Carey Lowell.

Alejandra, who met her current husband while divorcing her first husband Govind Friedland, the son of mining magnate Robert Friedland, has a five-year-old son called Alberto she calls Albertino.

Gere met his future wife at a luxury Italian boutique hotel Alejandra bought with her former husband and was managing at the time.

Former love: Richard, who will celebrate his 69th birthday at the end of this month, has an 18-year-old son called Homer with former wife Carey Lowell (pictured together in 2013)

The pretty Galician-born blonde, the daughter of a former Vice President of Real Madrid who was educated at Leweston School in Dorset, told glossy magazine Hola in September 2016: 'Richard has been my hero in real life.

'I was a little lost, without light, and meeting him gave sense to my life.

'I felt like someone was stretching out his hand and showing me the true path.'

Their relationship first became public in June 2015.

There has been no public comment from Richard Gere or his wife to the Spanish newspaper reports about them expecting their first child.

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Gere for comment.
She's no stranger to the David Jones catwalk, having served as an ambassador for the retail giant since 2013.

And so it's no wonder Jessica Gomes, 33, looked right at home as she stormed the runway in a skimpy silver bikini set at the David Jones Collection launch rehearsal on Wednesday.

Revealing a glimpse of cleavage in the sassy number, Jessica completed her look with a diaphanous silver cape that billowed as she walked.

Sensational in silver! Jessica Gomes, 33, looked right at home as she stormed the runway in a skimpy silver bikini set at the David Jones Collection launch rehearsal on Wednesday

The glamazon added height to her 1.77m-tall frame with a pair of strappy leather stilettos and accessorised her striking ensemble with some large hoop earrings.

Her exotic facial features were also enhanced with a dramatic application of makeup, including a slick of cherry-red lipstick and a swipe of peach-hued blush.

Jessica kept her hair look slick and simple, allowing her centre-parted locks to hang by her shoulders.

Va va voom! Revealing a glimpse of cleavage in the sassy number, Jessica completed her look with a diaphanous silver cape that billowed as she walked

Chic: The glamazon accessorised her striking ensemble with some large hoop earrings

Ahead of Wednesday night's Spring/Summer collection launch in Sydney, Jessica spoke to Daily Mail Australia about the pressure to stay slim in the modelling industry.

'I think it's about how you feel about yourself and you can't really worry about what anyone else thinks. I think that's the way to keep yourself happy,' the founder of Equal Beauty skincare said.

Jessica's motto to staying body confident is also quite simple: 'Everyone is always going to have an opinion, but I think it's the way you feel about yourself and so that's kind of been my motto.'

Primped: Her exotic facial features were also enhanced with a dramatic application of makeup, including a slick of cherry-red lipstick and a swipe of peach-hued blush

The Perth-born beauty, who has recently branched out into acting, will take to the runway on Wednesday night alongside Victoria Lee, Jett Kenny, Karolina Kurkova and Anwar Hadid.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last month, Jessica said that while she's dabbling in film, her passion will always be modelling.

'Modelling is my core but I have a great time doing film as it's creatively scary for me. I balance between both, but I love modelling,' she said.
He announced he had found love again with Hollyoaks production crew member Portia Hughes on Sunday.

And Jamie Lomas, 43, couldn't have looked happier as he made his first official public debut with the stunning 25-year-old for FriendsFest in Manchester on Tuesday night.

The soap star looked like the cat that had got the cream as he cosied up with the stunning brunette who showed off her flair for fashion in a pair of sexy thigh-high boots.

Smitten: Jamie Lomas, 43, couldn't have looked happier as he made his first official public debut with his new girlfriend Portia Hughes for FriendsFest in Manchester on Tuesday

Jamie kept it cool in a black jumper and casual matching bottoms, complete with contrasting white trainers and a silver chain.

Portia looked absolutely sensational as she teamed a clingy black top, tucked into a patterned floral mini-skirt and stylish boots.

Smiling ear to ear, the new couple looked delighted to be making their first public sighting together.

The I'm A Celeb alum and University of Manchester graduate, who is 18 years his junior, confirmed their romance on Instagram on Sunday night as the actor shared a gushing tribute to the stunning brunette.

Besotted: The soap star looked like the cat that had got the cream as he cosied up with the stunning brunette who showed off her flair for fashion in a pair of sexy thigh-high boots

Look of love: Jamie revealed he has found love again with Hollyoaks production crew member late last week, who is 18 years his junior

Posting a black and white picture of them together, the soap star wrote: 'Sometimes in life you win the lottery' while she shared an equally loved-up shot of them together on her own personal feed.

The beauty, who graduated from University of Manchester in 2017, has worked on the soap as a third assistant director and has since continued to make her mark on the long-running Channel 4 drama.

According to The Sun, Jamie is 'smitten' with the striking brunette ever since their romance blossomed while he made a brief return to the soap in May to reprise his role as bad boy Warren Fox.

A TV source told the publication: 'Jamie and Portia have been dating for some time, they seem to be really loved up.

'Things seem to be getting quite serious, we're predicting some engagement news soon. All of Jamie's pals would probably be thrilled  they are all in love with Portia too.'

Romance: The I'm A Celeb alum and University of Manchester graduate confirmed their romance on Instagram on Sunday night as the actor shared a gushing tribute to the brunette

Meeting: The beauty has worked on the soap as a third assistant director and has since continued to make her mark on the long-running Channel 4 drama.

The pair's cosy Instagram shots come after he was linked with ex Rangers WAG Nicola Mimnagh earlier this year after he shared a photo of them together and wrote: 'Happy Valentines day @nicola_mimnagh see you soon babe x'.

Previously, the British actor was married to Corrie star Kym Marsh, 42, and the couple are parents to daughter, Polly. However, the couple split in 2014 after six years together.

The soap duo split 13-months following their wedding when Kym filed for divorce citing unreasonable behaviour.

Meanwhile, the ITV actress split from her personal trainer beau Matt Baker back in April after more than two years together and has now revealed she has found love with Army Major Scott Ratcliff after being introduced by mutual friend.

Blossoming: Jamie is 'smitten' with the striking brunette ever since their romance blossomed while he made a brief return to the soap in May to reprise his role as bad boy Warren Fox

In the past: Previously, the British actor was married to Corrie star Kym Marsh, 42, and the couple are parents to daughter, Polly. However, the couple split in 2014 after six years together

The Coronation Street star, 42, said the relationship is still 'early days' but is very happy.

She wrote in her OK! Magazine column: 'It is true is that I've started seeing someone new in recent weeks, his name is Scott Ratcliff and he's a major in the Parachute Regiment and he lives and works away quite a lot.'

'We got papped outside Hotel Gotham on my birthday weekend, which is when the speculation started, I genuinely wasnt looking for a new relationship after my split from Matt.

Looking forward: Meanwhile, the ITV actress split from her personal trainer beau Matt Baker back in April after more than two years together and has now revealed she has found love with Army Major Scott Ratcliff after being introduced by mutual friend

'Both Scott and I were recently single  him some time before I was, hes a good friend of Antony Cotton, who introduced us knowing wed get on well, which turned out to be true.'

The soap star said the Corrie co-star introduced the pair over the phone, with her and Scott then deciding to meet up in person, with the relationship happening 'organically'.

Kym added their romance is 'early days but it's going well, and I'm happy and enjoying life as it rolls along.'

Love life: Kym added their romance is 'early days but it's going well, and I'm happy and enjoying life as it rolls along'

The mum-of-four confirmed her split from ex Matt in April, adding the decision to call it quits was amicable and they remain on good terms.

A spokesperson for the star told MailOnline at the time: 'Sadly, we can confirm Kym and Matt have made the decision to take some time apart, but remain friends. There will be no further comment at this time'.

It's understood that pressure piled on by their decision to splash out 500,000 on a lovenest for themselves just two months ago caused a rift in their romance.

'They wanted this to work out and have spent weeks trying to work through the issues but, sadly, it just wasn't to be,' an insider told The Sun .
He's rumoured to be following in the footsteps of Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins as the next Bachelor.

And on Wednesday, Jett Kenny certainly looked the part as he hit the runway at the David Jones Collections launch rehearsal at Sydney's Fox Studios.

Cutting a dapper figure in a tailored back suit, matching tie and crisp white shirt, the 23-year-old son of Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny gave his best Bond impression as he stormed the catwalk.

He certainly looks the part! Jett Kenny cut a dapper figure as he hit the catwalk for David Jones Collections launch rehearsal...as he talks THOSE Bachelor rumours

Pulling his sandy locks back to emphasize his impossible square-jaw, the hunky blond commanded attention while trailed by a gaggle of well-heeled models.

The sophisticated display comes as Jett addressed those circulating Bachelor rumours sparked by a report in New Idea on Monday.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia backstage on Wednesday, he poured water on the red-hot gossip.

Kenny...Jett Kenny! Cutting a dapper figure in a tailored back suit, matching tie and crisp white shirt, the 23 year-old son of Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny gave his best Bond impression as he stormed the catwalk

'There's been no actual talk of me being The Bachelor and I don't think I'm Bachelor-worthy,' he admitted.

'I don't think it's one of those things I see myself doing anytime soon.'

After he thrilled audiences with his recent striptease on Seven's The Full Monty, starstruck fans will be very happy to learn Jett's single and ready to mingle.

Leave your hat on: After he thrilled audiences with his recent striptease on Seven's The Full Monty (pictured), starstruck fans will be very happy to learn Jett's single and ready to mingle

He also revealed those living near his Sunshine Coast base have an immediate advantage.

'I am single,' he said, before adding, 'My ideal person (is) someone close for starters. On the Sunshine Coast would be nice.'

Recently crashing out of Australian Ninja Warrior in spectacular style, Jett also revealed he turned down the chance to star in dating reality show, Love Island.

Previously speaking to News.com.au, Jett said: 'I did get asked to go on Love Island but it would be pretty hard to find me on a dating show, it's not really my thing,' Jett said.
They split up after two years of dating and Kourtney Kardashian's protective sisters Kim and Khloe have branded Younes Bendjima a LIAR.

Their words came after the model was pictured canoodling with Tyga's model and social influencer ex Jordan Ozuna while on a 'boys' holiday', in Mexico.

But when Younes, 25, said they were nothing more than friends, the girls were quick to call him out on what they believe to be deceit.

Not having it: Kim and Khloe Kardashian branded Kourtney's ex Younes Bendjima a LIAR after he was pictured canoodling with Jordan Ozuna on a 'boys' trip' to Mexico on Monday

Younes wrote: 'Once again you guys failed. Im not attached to this "life" so you cant touch me.

#I know who I am, where Im from, and where Im going and that bothers you. Only one opinion matter [sic]. The one of my Lord. Have a wonderful day.'

Kim wrote, 'Nice pics from your boys trip,' adding a Pinocchio emoji, calling him a liar.

A little shade: Kim referred to him as Pinocchio, claiming he is lying as she wrote, 'Nice pics from your boys trip,'

Something to say: Kim did not appear convinced that Younes was telling the truth following his split from his girlfriend of two years, Kourtney

Yeah, whatever: And Khloe wasn't too impressed either, making her feelings quite clear on social media

She said: 'Heard it all before' as she pushed his defensive words to one side

Younes also posted the pictures of himself and the other woman in question on social media, angrily typing a defensive post.

He wrote: 'They really want me to be the bad guy  F*** your Hollywood bulls**t (cant have fun with your friends no more).'

Khloe wrote on The Shade Rooms screenshot of Younes post and added, 'Alexa play "Heard it all before" by Sunshine Anderson.'

Ex appeal: Jordan used to date Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga. seen here him in April, 2017

Kourtney and Younes' split was confirmed by TMZ on Tuesday, with their sources saying 'it was Kourtney who pulled the plug on the relationship.'

For her part, 24-year-old Ozuna also insisted the two are just friends, telling E! News after the photos surfaced that, 'we aren't romantically involved in any way, shape or form.'

The reality star and Younes hit the headlines last month when he appeared to throw shade at her online after she shared a picture of her in a tiny thong bikini.

A crack in the relationship: The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and Younes hit the headlines last month when he appeared to throw shade at her online after she shared a picture of her in a tiny thong bikini

He posted a comment which read: 'Is that what you need to show to get likes?'

He later deleted the comments.

The racy picture was taken while they were travelling around Europe together with Kourtney's children Mason, eight, Penelope, six, and Reign, three.

He was said to be fuming with her for flashing the flesh and parading her body around in front of the world as he believes her saucy pictures should be for his eyes only.

The pair started dating in in October 2016 but they didn't make their relationship public until the following May out of respect for Kourtney's ex-boyfriend Scott Disick.

(Disick had a history of cheating on Kourtney and was pictured with other women on numerous occasions during their long on-again off-again relationship.

These photographs will no doubt come as a fresh, humiliating blow to Kourtney.

Social media darling: Former waitress Jordan is known for posting photos of herself in a variety of flesh-baring outfits

Not fussed: Ozuna shared this shot, writing: 'Just waiting for my tequila' while on the trip
Love Island's Ellie Brown and Charlie Brake enjoyed a cosy date night on Tuesday, just hours after reports suggested they are on the rocks following a string of furious rows.

Ellie, 20, and Charlie, 23, both posted Instagrams from their romantic evening at plush London Japanese restaurant Kurobuta.

The defiant couple headed out amid claims millionaire heir Charlie threatened to embarrass his girlfriend live on air during the Love Island Reunion Show on Sunday night.

Defiant: Love Island's Ellie Brown and Charlie Brake enjoyed a cosy date night on Tuesday, just hours after reports suggested they are on the rocks after a string of furious rows

Before heading out for dinner Ellie shared a behind the scenes look at a shoot the couple worked on, cheekily filming her beau as he got changed before they got close for a selfie.

Later the blonde shared a boomerang of the couple toasting each other as she thanked the restaurant and Charlie for a 'lovely date night.'

Charlie uploaded his own boomerang of the couple tucking into a delicious looking dinner.

Cheers! Ellie, 20, and Charlie, 23, both posted Instagrams from their romantic evening at plush London Japanese restaurant Kurobuta

Cheeky: Before heading out for dinner Ellie shared a behind the scenes look at a shoot the couple worked on, cheekily filming her beau as he got changed

The date comes after a source told the MailOnline on Tuesday that the couple weren't even on speaking terms during the live reunion show on Sunday.

A source told MailOnline: 'Producers were forced to cut his microphone off after he threatened to embarrass her and walk off the show while it was being aired.

'They couple had also been filmed on their recent holiday to Monaco for a segment for the show, but bosses decided to cut that clip given the tense circumstances.'

Feast: Charlie uploaded his own boomerang of the couple tucking into a delicious looking dinner and wine

Making amends? The date comes after a source told the MailOnline on Tuesday that the couple weren't even on speaking terms during the live reunion show on Sunday

They added: 'He had been out drinking tequilas with Frankie Foster earlier in the day and they turned up to the studios wearing the same shirt which was also posted on their social media accounts.

'Charlie and Ellie had a huge row. They looked incredibly frosty during the programme and everyone could see it.

'Things were so bad that they went home in separate cars after the wrap party later that night and Ellie looked like she was about to cry. Things aren't looking good.'

Even a picture of the cast which was posted on social media showed them standing on opposite ends of the group and they were not pictured together at all at the wrap party, despite all the Islanders sharing lots of content on Instagram.

Frosty: Insiders told MailOnline hours before the date the couple are on the rocks after a furious row which saw him threaten to embarrass her live on the reunion show (pictured)

Awkward: Ellie and Charlie's recent trip to Monaco was filmed for the programme but ITV bosses decided to cut this given the atmosphere on the night

A show's source told MailOnline: 'They did get separate cars but his mic wasn't cut. They just weren't spoken to on the night of the show, as not all of the couples were.'

Frankie had shared pictures of himself and Charlie wearing matching shirts on social media from their day out drinking shots.

Samira's man Frankie then clearly changed out of his patterned shirt for the reunion programme but had it back on for the wrap party later on.

There, he shared a snap of them both in their identical tops while drinking Smirnoff alcopops while posing with Caroline Flack.

Showing him what he's missing: Ellie remains in high spirits though and shared this very sexy picture of herself on Instagram on Tuesday

Not looking good: Last week, the couple were once again locked in a heated exchange, as they stepped out in London following their TV appearance on This Morning

There are no pictures of Ellie from that night on Charlie's Instagram grid.

Last week, the couple were once again locked in a heated exchange, as they stepped out in London following their TV appearance on This Morning.

Walking slightly ahead of her boyfriend, a disgruntled Ellie was seen raising her hand to her head while speaking with Charlie, before moving away from the reality star.

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Ellie, Charlie and Frankie for comment as well as a representative for Love Island.

Going wild: Frankie Foster shared this picture of himself and Charlie ahead of the reunion show wearing matching shirts as he admitted they had been enjoying mid-day tequilas

Larking around: They also wore novelty hats and the situation had clearly irked Ellie leading to the furious argument

Bromance: Charlie shared this snap of himself and Frankie and Caroline Flack at the wrap party that evening - but there are no pictures of girlfriend Ellie on his grid from that night

Mixing it up: During the show earlier that evening, Frankie had changed into a white top but he soon threw that matching shirt back on to party with his pal

Just last week, Charlie was accused of being a 'spoilt brat' when he took to Twitter to slam the ITV2 series for not including the moment he asked now-girlfriend Ellie Brown 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.'

The recap happened during last Monday's finale, when a compilation went through all the 'best bits' from the series.

Bitter: Charlie - who was dumped from Love Island mid-way through the series - recently slammed the show that gained him fame for 'favouritism'

'U ok hun?: The millionaire was met with little sympathy for the situation, slammed by followers for acting like a 'spoiled brat'

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, recently slammed the ITV2 series for not including the moment he asked now-girlfriend Ellie Brown if she would like to be exclusive

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?'

Ellie began dating Charlie Brake midway through highly-rated show Love Island and was surprised to discover some way in to their romance that he is extremely well-off.

Just one week after entering the villa, Charlie asked Ellie to be his girlfriend by writing the question in lipstick on his chest.

Something the matter? Charlie failed to raise a smile during the reunion episode and the couple went home in separate cars after he threatened to walk out while live on air

Charlie's inherited wealth comes from his family's food distribution company business, Brakes.

It was founded by his grandfather and was later sold for 2.2bn in 2016.

Charlie introduced himself as a socialite who 'does what he wants, when he wants' when he entered the villa last month.

And the star frequently shared snaps of flash cars, private jets and champagne parties on Instagram before he appeared on the show.

The new-found reality star litters his Instagram page with photos from his holidays abroad.

He has been jetting off to destinations such as Bali, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Monte Carlo and Dubai.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Ellie shared a very sexy boomerang of herself wearing black lingerie as she put a brave face on things.

Time with the girls: Ellie was pictured outside Harrods in Knightsbridge earlier this week




She previously vowed to remove her double-E cup breast implants for health reasons.

So it's no surprise to see the 'world's hottest grandma' Gina Stewart continuing to make the most of her assets while she still has them, with the social media sensation taking to Instagram this week to share some of her raciest posts to date.

In one saucy image, the 47-year-old poses completely topless with nothing but her hair extensions and bikini bottoms to protect her modesty.

'Be proud of who you are!' The 'world's hottest grandma' Gina Stewart, 47, posed topless on Instagram and shared an empowering message with her followers this week

'Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how someone else sees you,' she wrote to her 88,000 followers.

The mother-of-four followed it up by sharing a video of herself in a red swimsuit - which featured a zip down the middle that she was quick to pull down.

Once she was unzipped, the busty granny's assets came dangerously close to spilling out.

Who needs clothes? The mother-of-four later shared an X-rated video of herself unzipping her swimsuit to reveal her double-E cup assets

Fortunately, she was able to zip the swimwear back up in time to avoid an X-rated wardrobe malfunction.

Despite proudly flaunting her curves for fans online, Gina has vowed to remove her breast implants after deeming them 'toxic and poison.'

In an exclusive video provided to Daily Mail Australia, the model said: 'I've been suffering severely from breast implant illness for the past year.'

Disaster averted! The 47-year-old was able to zip the swimwear back up in time to avoid a raunchy wardrobe malfunction

Big bucks: Gina's social media fame recently landed her a gig as the face of car trading app DealerStrip

'There is NO implant out there that is safe. They are all toxic, they are all poison,' Gina said.

She continued: 'Just because you think that because yours haven't ruptured that you're safe, well, you're not. Because the toxins and chemicals are actually around the shell of the implant as well.'

Gina, who claims to have never used Botox or fillers, became a viral sensation earlier this year after entering the Miss Maxim modelling competition.

'There is NO implant out there that is safe!' The busty blonde has vowed to remove her implants

The blonde beauty said that she entered the competition so she could donate the $10,000 prize money to her friend who had suffered a stroke.

'I'm only hoping to win to help my best friend of 30 years as she's had a stroke. If I win Maxim, I would be donating to her to help with her recovery,' she said at the time.

'I'm just hoping to raise awareness for stroke victims.'

The Gold Coast-based bombshell has two sons and two daughters, aged 27, 25, 23 and four, and a one-year-old granddaughter.
He's the younger brother of supermodel siblings Gigi and Bella Hadid.

But Anwar Hadid is stepping out of his sisters' shadows, coming into his own on the catwalk.

On Friday, the 19-year-old turned heads as he took to the runway at the David Jones Spring Summer Collections Preview in Sydney.

Move over Bella and Gigi! Anwar Hadid, 19, turned heads on Wednesday as he stormed the runway for the David Jones Collections Preview in Sydney

Looking every inch the fashionista, the teenage sensation first appeared in an eye-catching yellow hoodie teamed with tight jeans and trendy sneakers.

Anwar complemented the stylish streetwear look with a small earring and a silver chain draped around his neck.

Gliding down the runway with a nonchalant swagger, the Malibu-raised star proved he's certainly not riding on his sisters' coattails.

Edgy! Anwar complemented the stylish streetwear look with a small earring and a silver chain draped around his neck

A star in his own right! Gliding down the runway with a nonchalant swagger, Anwar proved he's certainly not riding on his sisters' coattails

Afterward, Anwar quickly changed into a more formal outfit, returning to the runway in a black tuxedo.

The genetically-blessed star appeared alongside models Jessica Gomes, Karolina Kurkova and Victoria Lee, who all looked sensational in evening gowns.

Anwar, whose mother Yolanda Hadid was also a top model in the 1980s and 90s, flew to Sydney especially for the runway show. which is an annual highlight for department store David Jones.

Fitting in nicely! The genetically-blessed star appeared alongside models Jessica Gomes (left) Karolina Kurkova (centre right) and Victoria Lee (far right)

Dapper! Anwar is currently signed to top agency IMG, and boasts more than 2.2 million Instagram followers

Model family: Anwar's older sisters are supermodels Gigi (left) and Bella (right). The trio are pictured together in 2015

Anwar is currently signed to top agency IMG, and boasts more than 2.2 million Instagram followers.

The model hit headlines back in June, when he was spotted kissing Kendall Jenner at the CDFA awards after-party in New York.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph earlier on Wednesday, he refused to answer to any speculation as to whether he and Kendall are an item, though TMZ has reported the friends are not seriously dating.
After a failed attempt at rebooting iconic Sir Bruce Forsyth game show The Price Is Right with Alan Carr as host, TV execs are recruiting the bespectacled comedian once again to helm another Brucie classic: Play Your Cards Right.

Bosses at ITV have commissioned a pilot with hopes to extend it into a full series.

A source has told The Sun: 'Its very early days but they have begun work on what the comeback would look like and everyone is excited. Theyre treading very carefully as they know its an iconic format, and was fronted by a legend.

Revival: After a failed attempt at rebooting iconic Sir Bruce Forsyth game show The Price Is Right with Alan Carr as host [pictured], TV execs are recruiting the bespectacled comedian once again to helm another Brucie classic: Play Your Cards Right

'But Alan is a great fit and is one of the very few current stars with the personality and skills to hold a show like this. C4 and the BBC have both failed in their efforts to do a Brucie classic justice, but ITV bosses are hopeful of cracking it.'

While the aforementioned attempt to revive The Price Is Right was considered a flop by Channel 4, the BBC's recent Generation Game reboot - hosted by presenting duo Mel & Sue - has also not sat well with viewers.

The latter aired in the spring and was slammed by critics.

Writing for the i paper, TV critic Jeff Robson declared that the reboot 'smacked of desperation', adding: 'It was unfortunate this latest effort arrived so close to the BBC's Bruce Forsyth tribute - a reminder of his gift for generating impromptu laughs from the contestants' ineptness or scene-stealing.

Legend: Sir Bruce died in August last year, after a 70-year show-business career

'By comparison, this felt forced and scripted, another territory for the Mel and Sue brand to colonise post-Bake Off rather than an original updating of an old format.'

Sir Bruce died in August last year, after a 70-year show-business career.

He hosted Play Your Cards Right from 1980 to 1987. An initial revival happened in 1994, with Brian Conley shooting the pilot. He was ditched, however, when Sir Bruce was coaxed back to the show, and he continued it through to 1999.

Coming up trumps: He hosted Play Your Cards Right initially from 1980 to 1987

Lured back: An initial revival happened in 1994, with Brian Conley shooting the pilot. He was ditched, however, when Sir Bruce was coaxed back to the show, and he continued it through to 1999

There was then another break, followed by a third incarnation of the series, again hosted by Sir Bruce in 2002. He fronted 16 seasons in total.

The show was originally based on American series Card Sharks.

Meanwhile, Channel 4's 2017 attempt to cash in on Sir Bruce's other well-known format, The Price Is Right, fell at the first hurdle.

Also based on an American format, the series began in the UK in 1984, hosted by Leslie Crowther. Presenting duties later passed to Bob Warman, then Sir Bruce and later Joe Pasquale.

Failed attempts: Other famous Brucie classics have had less success getting off the ground

Up in the air: The fate of The Generation Game reboot is still unknown

10 years later, Alan Carr's version was well-received, with fans demanding a full series. This is yet to materialise.

The Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson said: 'Bringing back this gameshow may be lazy, but the fantastically entertaining presenter makes it work.'

Tweets to the tune of 'I can't believe I liked it so much, Alan Carr is so perfect for this role as host he would make Leslie Crowther and Sir Bruce Forsyth very proud, hats off for C4 and Alan, let's hope there's more to come' materialised after the original broadcast.
She is heading to the reality star haven and party destination Ibiza on Wednesday.

Yet Lottie Moss made the most of her time in Chelsea with a female friend, in London on Tuesday before she swapped the swanky Kings Road for the Spanish shores.

Kate Moss' younger half-sister, 20, was catching rays on her tanned legs when she stepped out in a blue thigh-grazing summer dress with her pal hot on her heels.

Moss be glamorous all the time! Lottie Moss showed off her legs in a summer mini dress as she joined her female friend for a stroll in Chelsea on Tuesday

The blonde bombshell hung up her catwalk stilettos in favour of chic yet comfortable sandals which picked out the white detailing in her ensemble.

Lottie's long golden locks framed her face loosely and she applied natural touches of make-up to her looks to highlight her good genes.

The ex-girlfriend of Made In Chelsea's Alex Mytton looked happy and carefree after candidly confessing on Twitter her emotions were 'running high' in recent days.

Hey leggy lady! Kate Moss' younger half-sister, 20, was catching rays on her tanned legs when she stepped out in a blue thigh-grazing summer dress

Good times: The ex-girlfriend of Made In Chelsea's Alex Mytton looked happy and carefree after candidly confessing on Twitter her emotions were 'running high' in recent days

She wrote on Twitter: 'Emotions running high, love being 20 and having nothing figured out and literally feeling happy and sad at the same time but then also never.'

But the socialite, who is ever-present on the social scene in Chelsea, was absolutely buzzing about her upcoming trip to Ibiza.

Taking to social media on Tuesday, Lottie couldn't contain her excitement as she wrote: 'Ibiza tomorrow with @danyul_brown.'

Despite her party lifestyle and rousing love life, Lottie  who is friends with a number of Made in Chelsea stars  insisted she would never appear on reality TV.

Made for walking: The blonde bombshell hung up her catwalk stilettos in favour of chic yet comfortable sandals which picked out the white detailing in her ensemble

Fresh faced! Lottie's long golden locks framed her face loosely and she applied natural touches of make-up to her looks to highlight her good genes

The model told The Sun that she had been approached about MIC, but she isn't interested in taking part.

She said: 'I've been asked a lot from Made In Chelsea. Obviously I'm friends with everyone on it. It's not for me. I quite like having a private life. I don't like everything being on TV.

'My guilty pleasure, which is really bad, is Ex On The Beach and Geordie Shore. I absolutely love them.'
She was recently the target of cruel trolls who slammed her 'weird' stomach and questioned her wearing a cross necklace with skimpy swimwear.

And on Wednesday, former Home and Away star Pia Miller proved once again she doesn't care what the critics say, as she enjoyed a dip in Queensland.

The 34-year-old stripped off to a tiny black bikini and shared a sizzling snap to Instagram, proudly showing off her cross necklace.

Sticking it to the haters! Home and Away's Pia Miller puts on a busty display in a tiny black bikini...after trolls slammed her 'weird' tummy and attacked her for wearing a cross necklace with a skimpy swimsuit

In the snap, Pia appeared to be wearing light makeup and wore a black hat.

In the caption, she thanked the designer for the hat, saying she 'loves' it.

The brunette beauty swept her locks back and off her face, appearing to have it tied into a plait.

Reading time! The model enjoyed her morning dip in the cool waters and even stole a few quiet moments to read her book in the swimming pool

Pia enjoyed her morning dip in the cool waters and even stole a few quiet moments to read her book in the swimming pool.

The Chilean-born beauty recently defended herself against cruel trolls, who commented on a bikini snap she had shared on Instagram, attacking her 'weird' tummy and asking why she was wearing a gold cross around her neck.

Pia re-shared the image and said she was proud of her 'saggy skin and stretch marks.'

Making headlines: The Chilean-born beauty recently defended herself against cruel trolls, who commented on a bikini snap she had shared on Instagram (pictured), attacking her 'weird' tummy and asking why she was wearing a gold cross necklace

The mother-of-two said she's had a number of 'emergency operations' and is grateful of her body for bearing her children.

She captioned the Instagram story: 'Two kids, a couple of emergency ops and a necklace in memory of my abeula [grandmother in Spanish].'

She added: 'Scars, saggy skin, stretch marks. Grateful for it all.'

'Grateful for it all': The mother-of-two said she's had a number of 'emergency operations' and is grateful of her body for bearing her children

She also included some of the trolls comments she had received on the snap, including the words 'weird,' 'strange,' and comments including 'her stomach looks yuck.'

Other comments she wrote were: 'What's wrong with her stomach' and 'why is she wearing a cross?'

One of Pia's Instagram followers wrote in reference to her crucifix: 'You look absolutely beautiful, Pia, but I must say it is a bit inconsiderate/tasteless to wear a holy symbol in a bikini shot.'

Pia responded by writing: 'My grandmother left it for me and it never comes off.'
Millie Mackintosh has treated fans to photos from her official wedding service held at Chelsea Town Hall, where she married husband Hugo Taylor.

A few days prior to their lavish wedding in West Sussex, Millie and Hugo opted for a much more low-key affair to legally bind their marriage in their hometown of Chelsea, before then hosting a religious blessing for family and friends.

And now the former Made In Chelsea star, 29, has unveiled the bridal outfit she wore, inspired by Bianca Jagger, for the nuptials in a series of loved-up snaps of herself and her beau.

Stunning: Millie Mackintosh has shared snaps from her and husband Hugo Taylor's official wedding service held at Chelsea Town Hall, where she stunned in a chic bridal suit

Millie looked sensational in the white two-piece that paired together a chic wrap-over blazer jacket, that came complete with statement sleeves and a peplum hem, and complementing ivory white flared trousers.

The beauty wore leather court heels on her feet and accessorised her bridal getup with an over-sized floppy hat. She chose to add a pop of colour to her ensemble with a bouquet of roses in various shades of pink.

Fashionista Millie took inspiration from Bianca Jagger - the former wife of Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger.

Bianca famously married the musician in 1971 in a wedding suit that has been dubbed one of the most 'classic' and 'chicest' of all time by BRIDES magazine.

Look familiar? The beauty, 29, revealed her wedding outfit for the official service took inspiration from Mick Jagger's ex-wife Bianca on their wedding day in 1971

'Bianca Forever': Feeling inspired, Millie channelled the former actress and opted for a bridal suit that paired a chic wrap-over blazer with statement flared trousers

Cute: She and beau Hugo officially got hitched in their hometown of Chelsea, before throwing a lavish celebration and religious blessing in West Sussex with family and friends

She ditched the traditional wedding dress for a Yves Saint Laurent fitted blazer jacket, wearing nothing underneath, and pairing her designer garment with a flowing skirt and veiled sun hat.

As Millie posed in her strikingly similar ensemble, she gushed: 'Bianca forever,' while channeling the former actress and human rights advocate.

Looking nothing but smitten in the snaps taken after the couple's official wedding service, Millie is seen planting a kiss on her dapper husband Hugo. He opted to wear a stone-hued linen suit for the occasion, paring a light blue shirt underneath.

Sweet: Looking nothing but smitten in the snaps taken after the couple's official wedding service, Millie is seen planting a kiss on her dapper husband Hugo

Beauty: Millie gave fans a look at the natural make-up she favoured for the official service

Stunning: The fashionista also shared snaps of herself sporting a boho white dress the morning after she and Hugo tied the knot in West Sussex

Millie also gave fans a look at the minimalistic beauty look she favoured for the service - choosing to accentuate her natural beauty with a dewy foundation, long lashes and barely pink lip.

She even gave fans a glimpse at the boho-inspired white dress she chose for the day after she and Hugo received a religious blessing for their marriage in a lavish affair they held for family and friends in West Sussex in June.

Following their official service in Chelsea, the couple celebrated their marriage by tying the knot at Whithurst Park - which is owned by Hugo's uncle. They were joined by a host of their celebrity friends, including best man Spencer Matthews and his wife Vogue Williams.

Their religious blessing was a much more grand and traditional affair, with Hugo donning a tux and Millie designing her dream wedding dress purposely for the occasion.

Newlywed: Millie shared a behind the scenes look of her wedding dress fittings on Tuesday, posting a number of exquisite photos to her Instagram account

Millie has since shared a behind-the-scenes look of her wedding dress fittings on social media, posting a number of exquisite photos that revealed design sketches from designer Kate Halfpenny as well as selfies of Millie throughout the process.

The fashionista enlisted celebrated London designer Kate, who also crafted Emilia Fox's wedding dress, to create her bespoke, off-the-shoulder lace gown.

Using French lace, spotted tulle and silk organza, the dress included a quirky detail in its detachable bubble sleeves, while a long veil completed the look.

In the photos shared by Millie, a design sketch shows off the original handwritten notes from Kate, with the bride captioning the snap 'where the magic began.'

The beginning: The newlywed, who married husband Hugo on June 22, revealed sketches from London designer Kate Halfpenny who created the bespoke gown

She included close ups of the dress' gorgeous detail before posing in Kate's London boutique for snaps.

Millie also shared a closer look at her stunning gold leaf crown from Tilly Thomas Lux, which complemented the ethereal feel of her dress beautifully.

The final touch was her towering Gucci heels, with the platform pair covered in dazzling silver glitter.

Stunning: Using French lace, spotted tulle and silk organza, the dress included a quirky detail in its detachable bubble sleeves, while a long veil completed the look

Quirky touches: As well as the detachable sleeves, Millie's dress included a lace over skirt which could be removed

Millie and Hugo said their vows at his uncle's country estate, Whithurst Park, in West Sussex on June 22.

The couple dated in 2011 while on Made In Chelsea, but split when it emerged Hugo had cheated on her with her friend Rosie Fortescue, who attended the wedding alongside a bevy of their other co-stars including Caggie Dunlop and Jamie Laing.

They reunited in May 2016 shortly after Millie's split from first husband, rapper Professor Green.

Strike a pose: The bride-to-be posed for a number of mirror selfies throughout her fittings

Wedding bells: Millie and Hugo said their vows at his uncle's country estate, Whithurst Park, in West Sussex on June 22

Millie was married to the musician, real name Stephen Manderson, 34, for two-and-a-half years.

The couple announced their split in February 2016 and finalised their divorce in May 2016, the same week that Millie went public with Hugo.

Hugo then popped the question during a holiday in Mykonos, Greece, in July 2017.

Detail: Millie also shared a closer look at her stunning gold leaf crown from Tilly Thomas Lux, which complemented the ethereal feel of her dress beautifully

Talking about his bride, Hugo told Hello! magazine at the wedding: 'I knew she was The One within about five minutes of us getting back together.'

Millie concurred: 'But if we'd stayed together when we were younger, we wouldn't be together now.

'We had to go away, do our separate things and grow as people. We needed that time apart.'

Sparkle: The final touch was her towering Gucci heels, with the platform pair covered in dazzling silver glitter

After years of partying, it is not surprising that the couple injected details of their wild child ways into the day as they revealed they had named tables after nightclubs they held dear to their hearts - with them sitting on the 'Boujis' table.

Speaking of the big day, Millie said: 'The whole day has felt like an out-of-body experience.

'Even in my wildest dreams I didn't imagine it would be this perfect. I am so excited to finally be married to Hugo - he's the love of my life.'
She enjoys luxurious holidays all over the world, as the daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie.

And Tamara Ecclestone showed no signs of stopping on Tuesday, as she jetted to Mallorca with her husband Jay Rutland and daughter Sophia for their tenth getaway of the year.

The heiress, 34, showed off her killer tan in a skimpy pink bikini, as she played by the pool with her four-year-old in the sunshine.

Chilling out: The heiress, 34, topped up her killer tan in a skimpy pink bikini, as she relaxed by the pool with her four-year-old, and tucked into some lunch in the sunshine

Tamara made the most of the blazing weather in her vibrant pink two-piece, which plunged at the chest and tied into single strings, to allow for maximum tan potential.

Sweeping her hair into a low bun and adding minimal make-up, the mother-of-one looked completely relaxed as she enjoyed another pool day with her family.

First playing with an excitable Sophia in the water, Tamara was then spotted escorting her daughter back to their sun beds, for a spot of lunch with Jay.

Having a ball: Tamara was seen happily playing with her four-year-old daughter in the pool

Feast: After toweling off from their swim, the girls then joined Jay for a spot of lunch in the shade

The family have been enjoying an incredibly jet-set summer, with Marbella marking their tenth holiday of 2018 so far.

Last month, the trio cruised around Ibiza on her billionaire father Bernie's yacht - worth $40 million - before heading to his chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland for the third time this year.

They started the year as they meant to go on with a trip to LA in January, and later soaked up the sunshine of Dubai in May.

Low-key: Sweeping her hair into a low bun and adding minimal make-up, the mother-of-one looked completely relaxed as she enjoyed another pool day with her family

Catching up: After lunch, husband Jay was spotted checking his phone by the pool as he guarded the family's belongings

Relaxed: The family appeared to be on holiday with friends, who Jay chatted to while poolside

Following their trip to the desert, the family enjoyed some much-needed R&R at home before back-to-back holidays in the Bahamas and Mexico, and a whistle-stop weekend in Disneyland Paris.

Tamara welcomed her daughter into the world in 2014, one year after marrying Essex native Jay.

The pair married after a whirlwind romance and splashed out 7million on their nuptials in the South of France, where they were serenaded by Mariah Carey and Elton John.

Jet-setters: The family have been enjoying an incredibly jet-set summer, with Marbella marking their tenth holiday of 2018 so far (Tamara and Sophia pictured in Ibiza last month)

While she only turned 34, Tamara celebrated her birthday in her typical style last month - enjoying lunch in Chelsea, before she was greeted by a mariachi band, an entire room of flowers, a balloon display and three cakes, at a wild party at her home.

Tamara has previously gushed about how her husband spoils her, but insisted personalised sentiments impress her more than designer gifts.

She told The Mail On Sunday: 'Jay is brilliant at giving presents. For my birthday he gave me a DVD of pictures of us all, taken since Sophia was born. Personalised gifts mean so much to me.

The family, who reside in a 70million mansion in London's Kensington, gave insight into their luxurious life during their reality series Tamara's World, which aired last year.
She's well known for being one of the most stylish women in Sydney.

And Jasmine Yarbrough certainly lived up to her reputation on Wednesday night as she arrived at the David Jones Fashion Show in Sydney.

While she'll soon wear white for her wedding to Karl Stefanovic, the talented shoe designer, 34, switched things up by donning a jet black pantsuit for the fashion festivities.

The bride wore black! Jasmine Yarbrough (left) left fiance Karl Stefanvoic at home on Wednesday night as she attended the David Jones Fashion Show with business partner Tamie Ingham

Despite the chilly weather, Jasmine opted to forgo a shirt beneath her blazer, showing off her decolletage.

Adding to her vampish look, the blonde carried a black clutch and wrapped a thin choker around her neck.

She completed her ensemble with a pair of slides from her own Mara and Mine label, which is stocked in David Jones stores.

Vampish! The blonde carried a black clutch and wrapped a thin choker around her neck as she posed with business partner Tamie

Jasmine added to her striking look by pulling her locks back into a tight ponytail and adding a bold lip.

Brunette business partner Tamie, meanwhile, went for a completely opposite effect, with a billowing white dress, long flowing locks and a much lighter make-up palette.

She finished off her angelic look with a pair of tassled 'Tamsin Sandals' which retail on Mara and Mine's website for AUD $371.

White on the mark! Tamara finished off her angelic look with a pair of tassled 'Tamsin Sandals' which retail on Mara and Mine's website for AUD $371

Jasmine's outing comes after bad news for fiance Karl, with the Today show suffering its worst ratings in four years.

One media analyst claims the lacklustre numbers are a product of unspoken tension between Karl and his co-host Georgie Gardner.

An insider told The Herald Sun on Wednesday, 'It was widely known that Karl and Georgie were not close and then when the Uber story came out it went worse'.

Back in March, Karl was heard complaining about Georgie in a speakerphone conversation with his brother, Peter, which was overheard by an Uber driver.
Elliott Wright was packing on the PDA with his wife Sadie on Tuesday, as the couple shopped from some baby essentials in Marbella.

Joined by Elliot's youngest daughter Olivia, nine - who he shares with his ex-wife along with son Elliott Jr, 11 - the family couldn't stop beaming as they headed to a waiting car with their spoils.

Sadie and Elliott's outing was the first since announcing they were expecting their first child together last week, just ten months after tying the knot in a picturesque Bromley ceremony.

Loved-up: Elliott Wright, 37, was packing on the PDA with his wife Sadie, 26, on Tuesday, as the couple shopped from some baby essentials in Marbella

Sadie, 26, had her blossoming baby bump on full display in a pretty yellow sundress, sharing a tender kiss with her spouse as he closed the boot of their car.

The brunette beauty was every inch the glowing mother-to-be with her hair loosely curled and finishing her look with gold wedges.

Meanwhile Elliott, 37, oozed summer cool in a blue polo shirt and white shorts as he loaded the shopping into the car, with the pair certainly keen to get ahead in their preparations for the new arrival.

Romantic: Sadie had her blossoming baby bump on full display in a pretty yellow spotted sundress as she tenderly kissed her husband while loading the purchases into the car

Sweet: The couple were seen preparing for their arrival by making some baby purchases in the Spanish sunshine

Lovely: Sadie showed off her pregnancy curves in stylish gold wedges with her brunette tresses hanging in loose natural waves

Casual: Meanwhile restaurant owner Elliott was sporting a simple white shorts and blue polo shirt combo

Last week the couple announced they were expecting their first child together in a romantic interview with OK! magazine, after marrying in October last year.

Speaking about the surprise news Sadie said: 'We're so excited! I don't think you can ever plan anything because if you plan it, then it doesn't always work out. So I think it's always a surprise but we hoped it was coming.'

Restaurant owner Elliott added: 'We both started crying when we found out.'

Lovely: The couple were joined for the outing by Elliott's nine-year-old daughter Olivia - who he shares with his ex-wife along with son Elliott Jnr, 11

Sweet: The couple announced their pregnancy news last week in an interview with OK! magazine, just ten months after marrying in a picturesque Bromley ceremony

Low-key: Speaking about their baby news Sadie said: 'We're so excited! I don't think you can ever plan anything because if you plan it, then it doesn't always work out'

The reality star - who runs Olivia's La Cala in Malaga - gushed over his wife's caring nature as he branded her a 'great mum' for embracing his children: 'For her to embrace my kids the way she did and how my kids took to her, I just knew then that she was going to be a great mum.'

He continued: 'They even call Sadie's mum and dad Nan and Granddad and they did from after the first summer holidays together. Sadie's very family-orientated and I couldn't ask for more. I know she's going to be a super mum.'

When asked about whether they're going to find out the gender of their child, Sadie - who is four months pregnant - said: 'No, we're going to keep it a surprise. He was looking on the scan trying to see if he could see a willy.'

Delighted: When asked whether they are going to find out the gender of their child, Sadie said: 'No, we're going to keep it a surprise'
Chris Eubank appeared to place his own parking ticket on the windshield of the custom Bentley he was driving, during a London shopping trip on Wednesday.

The former boxer, 52, parked the customised car on swanky Savile Row, and the move was reportedly an apparent effort to deter parking wardens from giving him a new ticket.

After spending ten minutes in the Cad & Dandy store, the dapper star headed back to the car, with the personalised number plate of 1 KO and thought to belong to his boxer son Chris Jr, and removed the ticket.

Sneaky: Former boxer Chris Eubank, 52, appeared to place his own parking ticket on his son's custom Bentley parked on Savile Row, during a London shopping trip on Wednesday

Chris, who was declared bankrupt in 2005 over an unpaid 1.3 million tax bill, was dressed in a tight blue shirt for the trip, which featured a sheriff's badge on the front.

The snazzy dresser is a regular at the store and has collaborated with suit designs in the past, with the Telegraph previously reporting that he is a regular customer.

A representative for Chris has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

The sportsman was clearly keen to take the luxe car out for a spin, after son Chris Jr, 28, posed on top of the roof of the custom ride back in April for an Instagram snap.

The Continental GT model is thought to be worth around 160,000.

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2003, petrolhead Chris admitted he gets a lot of parking tickets, also confessing that in his younger days he had a 'need for speed.'

Cheeky? The act came as an apparent effort to deter parking wardens from giving him a new ticket

Bizarre: The former boxer parked the car, with the personalised number plate of 1 KO, on London's plush Savile Row, it's believed to belong to his son, Chris Jr, 28

He said: 'I was a speed freak once. I had an Aston Martin when I first made it big and I used to take it to its limits. I once drove from Lewes to London in 45 minutes - mad.'

I had a Range Rover that I would drive round with huge speakers blasting out. I was obnoxious and had the need for speed. And it is a need when you're young - like being on heat.'

Chris was spotted driving the same custom Bentley, during a dinner date with a mystery woman at Scott's restaurant in London last week.

Their outing comes a year after the sporting star confirmed his separation from second wife Claire Geary.

By himself: Chris cut a solo figure for the outing which saw him place the parking ticket on the car, before appearing to remove it after his shopping venture

Nice ride: In 2003, petrolhead Chris admitted he gets a lot of parking tickets, also confessing that in his younger days he had a 'need for speed'

Dressed the part: Chris was dressed in a tight blue shirt for the shopping trip, which featured a sheriff's badge on the front, as well as a quirky bow tie

He had appeared on Loose Women at the time and confessed his relationship with his former spouse 'just couldn't work'.

Chris explained that he and Claire lived on opposite sides of the world and while he stated that looking after his son in the UK had been his 'main priority', he admitted he 'still loved' Claire, despite their split.

When asked about the separation, he said: 'No one is really supposed to know about this. The fact is I've had to spend time with my son.

'My duty is and love is, as you know as a parent, it's like that [clasped hands]. I just would like to add, with Claire, I still love her, it's only I have to look after my son, the long distance relationship just couldn't work.'

Shopping: The star was well dressed for his day out in London as he went into upmarket stores

Having married back in 2014, the pair were no doubt driven apart by the fact that Chris resides in the UK where he trains his son, while Claire lives in Dubai as a manager for Emirates airline.

Reports surfaced at the time claiming Chris and Claire, who had been his former manager, had not spoken in a whole year prior to news of their split surfacing.

Claire told the Mail last August that at the height of his fame, he blew millions on flash cars, including a Stretch Hummer he bought on his credit card for 50,000.

Claire insisted he owed her nearly 100,000, but he denied owing her anything at the time.

She said he paid 45,000 for the vanity title Lord of the Manor of Brighton before the Inland Revenue made him bankrupt over the unpaid 1.3 million tax bill in 2005.

Claire said: He would stay in luxury hotels and walk out without paying, telling them to send the bill to me. I got bills from the Dorchester, the Landmark and the Carlton Tower  all five-star hotels in London.

One day he texted me to send him 5,000. He used my credit card in Selfridges to the tune of about 10,000. He even used it to pay for dinner when he met my parents for the first time.

He also ran up huge phone bills and flew around the world at her expense. She says she even paid for him to see a knee specialist in Germany.

I dont want to come across as bitter, because we did have some good times, and I went into the relationship with my eyes wide open, she said.

The pair wed back in 2014 in an impromptu ceremony while on holiday in Las Vegas, with Chris' son acting as best man.

Chris was previously married to his first wife Karron, and the pair welcomed four children together - Chris Jr., 28, Sebastian, 27, Emily, 24, and Joseph, 21.
She has showed no signs of slowing down on the social scene after marrying the love of her life Tim Robards in Italy two months ago.

And Anna Heinrich ensured her glamorous company were green with envy when she arrived at the David Jones spring/summer 2018 fashion show on Wednesday.

The Bachelor beauty stepped out without her new husband and accentuated her model waistline by bringing her khaki green jumpsuit in with two belts.

Green with envy! The Bachelor star Anna Heinrich looked glorious in khaki green jumpsuit at star-studded David Jones fashion show in Australia on Wednesday

Anna also displayed her cleavage in the plunging blazer-style neckline of her incredibly trendy one-piece as she posed up a storm against the flower walls.

The star brought a dazzling glow to her appearance by accessorising with shimmering saucer-style earrings, shown off by tucking her hair behind her ears.

Anna rubbed shoulders with a whole galaxy of stars including Victoria's Secret model Karolina Kurkova, Anwar Hadid and David Jones ambassador Jessica Gomes.

The flower walls at the star-studded event were made up of extravagant orchids, different greenery and pink wild flowers.

How to accessorise: The star brought a dazzling glow to her radiant appearance by accessorising with silver shimmering earrings, shown off by tucking her blonde locks behind her ears

Swinging through life! Anna also displayed her cleavage in the plunging blazer-style neckline of her incredibly trendy one-piece as she posed up a storm against the flower walls

In June, Anna tied the knot with her love Tim Robards in a romantic ceremony in Puglia, Italy among family and friends.

The Anna and Tim love story goes back to 2013 when they met on the set of reality television show The Bachelor.

They have never looked back since the pair acted on their chemistry five years ago.

Hot right now: The Bachelor star ensured her glamorous company were green with envy when she arrived at the David Jones spring/summer 2018 fashion show

Flying solo: Anna headed out onto the red carpet without her new husband Tim Robards

Recently, the reality star's husband ruled out having children at this stage in their lives as he insisted they were 'pretty busy'.

Anna is a criminal lawyer, blogger, brand ambassador and social media influencer while Tim has a budding career as a chiropractor and CEO of his own fitness regime.

Of their post-wedding plans, Tim told TODAY live on television in July: 'We're both pretty busy at the moment.'


Sir Ben Kingsley is set to transform into the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Chris Weitz's Operation Finale.

And the actor, 74, was unrecognisable as the brutal architect of The Holocaust in the new trailer for the spy thriller, which was released on Wednesday.

Set 15 years after the Second World War, the film follows a group of Israeli Mossad agents in their pursuit of Eichmann so that he could stand trial for his crimes against humanity.

Shock: Ben Kingsley was unrecognisable as Nazi war criminal and architect of the Holocaust Adolf Eichmann in the trailer for Operation Finale, which was released on Wednesday

The trailer begins ominously, with the SS officer walking through a forest before arriving at a ditch flanked by Nazi soldiers.

With their guns trained on frightened Jewish men, women, and children, Eichmann looks unperturbed as he waves his glove to signal the men to kill them.

Narrating over the disturbing scene in character, he says: 'You have no interest in what I have to say, unless it confirms what you think you already know.'

Speaking to Oscar Isaac's character Peter Malkin, he continued: 'My job was simple, save the country I love from being destroyed. Is your job any different?'

History: Eichmann was one of the major organisers of The Holocaust, and organised the mass deportation of Jews into Ghettos and Concentration Camps between 1941 and 1945

Unrecognisable: The actor (pictured in October 2016) looked completely different to normal in the role of the brutal Nazi

Dark: Speaking to Oscar Isaac's character Peter Malkin in the trailer, Eichmann says: 'My job was simple, save the country I love from being destroyed. Is your job any different?'

Eichmann was one of the major organisers of The Holocaust, and was tasked with organising the mass deportation of Jews into Ghettos and Concentration Camps between 1941 and 1945 by SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich.

The genocide resulted in the systematic murder of 6 million European Jews as part of Nazi Germany's 'Final Solution to the Jewish Question.'

A total of 17 million people were targeted and killed by the Nazis in this time, and other persecuted groups included the Roma, the 'incurably sick', Ethnic poles, Soviet citizens, Soviet Prisoners of War, political opponents, gay men and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Tough to watch: The trailer begins with the SS officer arriving at a ditch flanked by Nazi soldiers who have their guns trained on frightened Jewish men, women, and children

Mass murder: The genocide resulted in the systematic murder of 6 million European Jews

Genocide: A total of 17 million people were targeted and killed by the Nazis in this time

Aftermath: Following Germany's defeat by the Allied powers in 1945, Eichmann ran away to Austria before escaping to Argentina under false papers in 1950

Following Germany's defeat by the Allied powers in 1945, Eichmann ran away to Austria before escaping to Argentina under false papers in 1950.

Ten years later Israel's intelligence agency Mossad confirmed his location in Buenos Aires, where they captured him and brought him to Israel to stand trial for his crimes.

Weitz's film follows this mission, and focuses primarily on Nazi hunter Malkin and his team of secret agents as they try to track down and extract the war criminal.

Found: Ten years later Israel's intelligence agency Mossad confirmed his location in Buenos Aires, where they captured him and brought him to Israel to stand trial for his crimes

Thriller: Weitz' film follows this mission, and focuses primarily on Nazi hunter Malkin and his team of secret agents as they try to track down and extract the war criminal

Important: In the trailer, a character -played by Simon Russell Beale- says: 'If you succeed, for the first time in our history we will judge our executioner'

Please: He continued, 'If you fail, he escapes justice perhaps forever. I beg you, do not fail'

In the trailer, a character -played by Simon Russell Beale- says: 'If you succeed, for the first time in our history we will judge our executioner, and ward off any who may wish to follow his example.

'If you fail, he escapes justice perhaps forever. I beg you, do not fail.'

Eichmann was put on trial in April 1961, where he didn't deny that the Holocaust had taken place or that he played a role in it, but claimed to only be 'following orders'.

Trial: Eichmann was put on trial in April 1961, where he didn't deny that the Holocaust had taken place or that he played a role in it, but claimed to only be 'following orders'

Evil: During the trial, evidence was brought forward which proved Eichmann had said: 'I will leap into my grave laughing because the feeling that I have five million human beings on my conscience is for me a source of extraordinary satisfaction'

Charged: Eichmann was found guilty for many of his 15 criminal charges and was sentenced to death by hanging in December 1961, he was then executed in June 1962

Tackling the topic: This is not the first time that Kingsley has tackled the topic of the Holocaust, or the Second World War, as he has previously starred in films like Schindler's List

During the trial, evidence was brought forward which proved he had said: 'I will leap into my grave laughing because the feeling that I have five million human beings on my conscience is for me a source of extraordinary satisfaction.'

The Nazi was found guilty for many of his 15 criminal charges and was sentenced to death by hanging in December 1961, he was then executed in June 1962.

This is not the first time that Kingsley has tackled the topic of the Holocaust, or the Second World War, as he has previously starred in films like Schindler's List and Anne Frank: The Whole Story.

Operation Finale is released in cinemas across the US on August 29, and in the UK on September 14.

Starring: Other cast members include Melanie Laurent (pictured right), Lior Raz and Nick Kroll

Dark: Joe Alwyn is set to play Klaus Eichmann, Adolf's son who boasted about his father's Nazi exploits to his girlfriend Sylvia Hermann, who then passed on information to Mossad agents
She met Neighbours star Harley Bonner just weeks after calling off her wedding to ex-fiance Dan Adair.

Yet Natalie Roser was flying solo when she gave fans a glimpse into her roasting hot getaway to Miami on Instagram on Wednesday.

The Neighbours actor's girlfriend, 28, flaunted her fashion model physique when she slipped into her velvet mint green bikini while she sat on the sandy shore.

Green with envy: Natalie Roser exhibited her model figure in a velvet mint bikini as she caught rays on Miami getaway on Instagram on Wednesday

Natalie accessorised with two-tier silver pendants which were layered to ensure eyes were cast over her ample bust in her two-piece.

The fashion model  who has been holidaying for the past six days  continued to top up her Miami tan as she reclined under the scorching sunshine.

Natalie swept her bouncy golden curls over to the right side for a tousled look and she painted on nude make-up tones.

'He's perfect. I could not be happier!' Natalie previously told Daily Mail Australia she loved being the girlfriend of Neighbours star Harley Bonner

The blonde bombshell was flying solo without her man and Neighbours star Harley while she made the most of her Miami break.

'He's perfect. I could not be happier!' she previously told Daily Mail Australia at the Baby Driver premiere in Sydney last year.

Natalie debuted her romance with Harley in 2017, despite having never publicly confirmed her split from personal trainer Dan.

Going on her own: The blonde bombshell was flying solo without her man and Neighbours star Harley while she made the most of her Miami break

The Los Angeles-based bikini model revealed the new couple met in November, 2016 during a promotional trip.

'We met on a work trip with Heineken. We went to New Zealand and he was on the trip and I was on the trip and we became really good friends,' she said.

Natalie and Harley were joined by the likes of Tai Hara, Renae Ayris and Johnny Ruffo during the short getaway.

Must be love: Natalie debuted her romance with Harley (pictured together) in 2017 despite having never publicly confirmed her split from personal trainer Dan
Her beau of three years Chandler Powell is rumoured to be close to popping the question.

But on Wednesday, Bindi Irwin, 20, enjoyed some quality time with other loved ones: her mum Terri and brother Robert.

The trio looked the picture of happiness as they beamed for a hilarious beachside selfie.

'Our almost perfect family photo!' Bindi Irwin (right) shares hilarious selfie with mum Terri(centre) and brother Robert(left)... while rumours she's engaged to beau Chandler Powell continue to swirl

Posting the selfie to Instagram, which saw her brother pull a cheeky face, Bindi captioned the shot: 'Our (almost) perfect family photo!'

Bearing more than a striking resemblance to her beloved late father Steve, who passed away 12 years ago, Bindi flashed a toothy grin as her mum smiled adoringly at her son's antics.

The funny display comes just weeks after the former Dancing With the Stars US contestant celebrated her 20th birthday surrounded by her loved ones including boyfriend Chandler, 21, at her family's zoo on the Sunshine Coast.

Love's young dream: Bindi has been dating Chandler (pictured) since they first met at Australia Zoo back in November 2013

To mark his girlfriend's special day, the handsome American wakeboarder had nothing but praise for Bindi, describing her as 'strong' and 'kind' in a birthday post shared to Instagram.

Alongside a picture of the couple snorkelling together, he wrote: 'Happy Birthday @bindisueirwin! This will forever be my favourite day of the year. Celebrating the one that I love, my life adventure buddy.

'The one who in her spare time can be found drinking tea, writing letters, and getting flowers for everyone she cares about. Bee, you are the strongest person I know and spread so much kindness every single day.

'Celebrating the one that I love, my life adventure buddy!' To mark his girlfriend's special day, the handsome American wakeboarder had nothing but praise for Bindi, describing her as 'strong' and 'kind' in a post shared to Instagram.

'You inspire me to be a better man and I thank my lucky stars for every moment we spend together. I love you. Happy birthday,' Chandler continued.

Bindi has been dating Chandler since they first met at Australia Zoo back in November 2013.

Ever since the pair started dating, they have been plagued by engagement rumours, with many fans speculating when Chandler will propose to the young star.
She relocated to Melbourne to be closer with her love.

So it's no surprise Keira Maguire looked just at home on Jarrod Woodgate's family vineyard when she shared a taster with fans on Instagram on Wednesday.

The Bachelor In Paradise starlet shed her characteristically glamorous image as she dressed for their low-profile outing in a puffer jacket to keep warm.

Their own (Bachelor in) Paradise! Keira Maguire and Jarrod Woodgate enjoyed a vineyard day out on Wednesday after revealing plans for a baby on Instagram

Meanwhile, Jarrod donned a salmon-coloured hoodie while he toted a huge axe and chainsaw on their country walk.

They continued to explore the sprawling vineyards together, enjoying the rewards of each other's company.

The happy lovers chatted away to each other, proving their romance had come on leaps since they struck up a connection on Bachelor In Paradise.

Man about town! Meanwhile, Jarrod donned a salmon-coloured hoodie while he toted a huge axe and chainsaw on their country walk

Jarrod and Keira both agreed it was a 'standard' day for the duo who were on a mission to go chop down a tree at the vineyard.

Keira's Instagram Story comes after she shut down marriage rumours amid claims the pair had secretly tied the knot in Thailand.

Eagle-eyed fans were brazen when they pointed out the matching jewellery and assumed the couple must have tied the knot without any prying eyes.

Casual: Jarrod and Keira both agreed it was a 'standard' day for the duo who were on a mission to go chop down a tree at the vineyard

However, Keira quickly dismissed the rumours as mere gossip when she insisted they were 'defs (short for definitely) not married'.

Although marriage isn't on the cards just yet, Keira enthusiastically told one of her fans she wants 'babies'.

The loved-up couple fell head-over-heels for one another on the scorching Fiji shores while filming Bachelor In Paradise together.

They have already moved in together, with Keira making the move to Melbourne to enjoy life with Jarrod on his family's vineyard.
Bachelorette contestant Leandro Dottavio is being accused of sexual harassment while working as a stuntman at Universal Studios.

It's been revealed that the studio is investigating allegations against the 31-year-old star that have been made in a complaint to human resources.

TMZ reports that a complaint was filed Friday by someone who claims to have witnessed Leo making several women uncomfortable on the set.

Investigation: Leandro Dottavio - a contestant from the latest season of The Bachelorette - is being accused of sexual harassment while working as a stuntman at Universal Studios

Leo is being accused of 'excessive hugging' and 'unwanted flirting' and the complaint also mentions Leo using Instagram to direct message women 'making them feel uncomfortable with the conversation'.

The alleged behavior took place at the end of 2017 - before he was cast on The Bachelorette - while Leo worked on the WaterWorld show at the amusement park.

Leo, who has worked on the show for three and half years, has apparently been taken off the schedule while Universal investigates the issue.

The long-haired hunk told TMZ he was unaware of the new allegations.

A Universal spokesperson told TMZ 'We are aware of the situation and have taken appropriate actions while the matter is under investigation.'

Leo is being accused of 'excessive hugging' and 'unwanted flirting' and the complaint also mentions Leo direct messaging women 'making them feel uncomfortable with the conversation'

It comes after Leo acknowledged not being a 'perfect person' in response to sexual harassment allegations by fellow franchise star Bekah Martinez.

He released a statement on Friday to DailyMail.com after Martinez posted screenshots her fan base collected of Dottavio allegedly acting inappropriately toward women.

'There have been some recent stories about me that have garnered attention and I want to address them. I want to start by saying no one has ever directly accused me of sexual harassment. No one has ever come to me in any way and told me I made them feel uncomfortable,' Dottavio said in the statement sent by a representative retained by his attorney.

Speaking out: Leo issued a statement on Friday in response to sexual harassment allegations levied by fellow Bachelor franchise star Bekah Martinez

'However, I am not a perfect person, nor have I ever claimed to be. Did I do things in college that I would be embarrassed about now? Absolutely. Was I a part of my culture, the times, movies? Yes. I have grown as a person since college. I am not the man I was two years ago let alone 14 years ago,' the statement continued.

It concluded: 'It's important for women to speak out if they felt uncomfortable or harassed. I support that. If there was anyone I made feel uncomfortable why not come to me? I would love an opportunity to right my wrongs and speak to any woman that wants to tell me how and when I made them feel uncomfortable. I want to take this as an opportunity to better myself and the treatment of women in my life'.

Dottavio also told TMZ on Friday that he doesn't know 23-year-old Martinez, but claimed she was motivated to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment for 'attention.'

'In the Bachelor world, they say that she does it for attention, to stay relevant,' he said. 'I know that she has problems with that so I think that's why she does that.'

Online posts: Leo Dottavio, shown in a still for The Bachelorette, was accused of acting inappropriately toward women in online postings

Dottavio said it 'would have been nice if she reached out to' him prior to taking to Instagram with the allegations.

Dottavio emphatically denied any wrongdoing, noting that he'd be 'really hurt that anybody would say [he] harassed them, in any way shape or form.

'I've been kind to women all my life,' he told the outlet. 'I don't want to hurt women I don't want to harass women, I don't want to make them feel, like uncomfortable - at all.'

Ramped up: Bekah took to Instagram on Wednesday and warned Dottavio that he was 'messing with the wrong b****'

He said that his understanding was that people who he had attended college with him reached out to Martinez and 'a lot of them were third party' - friends of people he might have associated with.

Asked if he ever sent photos of his genitals to women, Dottavio stressed he's matured as a person in the years since he was in college. He said: 'As a human being, I know it's been a long time since college, I'm a different person now; college was 14 years ago, for me.

'What I did in college was college,' he said. 'I wouldn't say unsolicited, absolutely not - I've sent pictures, I've sexted people.'

Speaking with TooFab on Friday, Dottavio pointed out that no one has directly accused him of doing anything wrong to them personally.

Harsh reply: The Fresno nanny also shared screenshots of Dottavio's reactions to her posts

Court challenge: The former contestant on The Bachelor challenged Dottavio to take her to court

'If I'm correct here, I don't think anyone said, 'He did this to me.' It was all a friend of a friend or, 'I heard he did this to a person,'' he said. 'I want to know who it was. I want to talk about it. If I did something wrong, I want to right that wrong. I'm not gonna just let it fester.

'Like, talk to me if that's how you feel instead of speaking for a friend though some random girl on Instagram who has a few followers.'

In an Instagram Stories post Friday, Bekah said she was 'stepping away from this ongoing conversation about Leo for the next couple of days unless absolutely necessary.

'Please know I am not ignoring anyone or backing down, but I need a break,' she said. 'It's easy to focus only on the negative responses and to feel disheartened by men who continue to get away with inappropriate behavior and women who continue to protect abusers and attack their fellow women.'

Fifth place: Martinez, shown in February in Los Angeles, competed for the affection of Arie Luyendyk Jr on season 22 of The Bachelor

Among the aforementioned screengrabs Bekah previously posted included an Instagram post from four years ago, with Dottavio writing 'you need my big d***'.

Dottavio claimed the screenshot of his comment was digitally altered and has asked his attorney to investigate; Martinez said she saw multiple versions of the comment and believed it to be authentic.

She also said that many women have shared their own experiences with Dottavio.

'I started posting the screenshots [of their messages] because to me, it's not a coincidence that multiple women would be saying similar things about the same person,' she told The Post.

'There's no way these women happen to be lying about the same thing before seeing what other women are saying,' Martinez added.

Martinez also posted a video relaying that Dottavio's lawyer has demanded that she either remove the posts and issue a public apology or face a defamation lawsuit.

The Fresno, California native also posted a bikini photo on Wednesday on Instagram and addressed the matter in the caption.

She wrote: 'by the way if you need clarification, you can now check out the newest highlight addition to my page. I wasn't going to take it this far, but threatening me with legal action just ramped things up a notch. you're messing with the wrong b****. Just take responsibility and apologize.'

A representative for ABC told The Post they had no comment on the allegations.

Martinez competed for the affection of Arie Luyendyk Jr. on season 22 of The Bachelor and came in fifth place.
Kate Oates has been appointed as EastEnders' new senior executive producer, after she quit Coronation Street following weeks of criticism for dark storylines.

The 39-year-old is set to replace the BBC soap's temporary boss John Yorke, who was brought in following Sean O'Connor's surprise departure last year.

Kate's hiring comes after she exited Corrie in June following two years as the soap's producer, where she was the mind behind some of the soap's most high-profile plots, including Bethany Platt's grooming ordeal and Aidan Connor's suicide.

New face: Kate Oates has been appointed as EastEnders' new executive producer, after quitting Coronation Street earlier this year following weeks of criticism for dark story lines

On the hiring Kate said: 'Working across EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City is an amazing opportunity for me to have creative input into three of the UK's leading dramas.

'I'm excited about meeting the teams and talent behind each show and can't wait to get stuck in and tell some unmissable stories.'

As well as the Albert Square favourite, Kate will also oversee BBC's medical dramas Casualty and Holby City.

Moving on: It was announced on Wednesday that Kate will be at the helm of EastEnders, as well as the BBC's medical dramas Casualty and Holby City

Exciting: The 39-year-old is joining the Albert Square soap that, despite a well-received Christmas Day episode many bemoan has 'boring' plots

Kate announced earlier this year that she would be stepping down from her job as Corrie producer after two years in the job.

During that time she was the subject of much fan vitriol and acclaim, after some complained the Manchester-based show had become too dark.

Some of her most high-profile storylines included David Platt's rape - which played out earlier this year when the long-serving character was the victim of a horrific assault by the sinister Josh Tucker.

Controversial: During her two-year stint as Corrie producer, Kate was the centre of much fan criticism, as they claimed that storylines such as David Platt's rape (above) was too dark

Mixed: However other issue plots such as Aidan Connor's suicide (above) were praised by fans for highlighting the topic of male mental health

Another was the suicide of Aidan Connor, which did receive praise from fans for highlighting the issue of male mental health, and actor Shayne Ward was lauded for his performance.

However Pat Phelan's reign of terror - which concluded just weeks before Kate's exit from the soap with his grisly death via. stabbing - was accused of being a step too far by many viewers due to its gory violence - though its darkest scenes were aired post-watershed.

Bethany Platt's grooming ordeal also received much praise for highlighting a taboo subject, though others again said the soap went too far.

Over the top: Pat Phelan's reign of terror (above) was lauded as being too violent for pre-watershed viewing, with some saying the show went too far

Important: One of Kate's most high-profile story lines was the grooming of Bethany Platt, with some fans claiming the show went too far

Before her stint on Corrie, Kate was series producer on Emmerdale from 2013 to 2016, and worked on many story lines that earned much praise, including the Hotten bypass crash and Ashley Thomas' battle with dementia.

John was brought in to temporarily helm EastEnders following Sean's departure last year, which came following many complaints from viewers for the show's 'boring' plots and his plan to re-cast legendary character Michelle Fowler.

Since his return, reception for his storylines has again been mixed, though it's Christmas Day episode - which saw Lauren and Abi Branning fall from the Queen Vic roof after a furious showdown with their father Max - was acclaimed as one of its best for many years.

On the up: Kate will join EastEnders later this year, as the soap's current interim producer John Yorke will depart by the end of 2018

Gone: John took over as EastEnders boss temporarily last year, following the surprise departure of Sean O'Connor in 2017 (above)

CCO of BBC Studios Mark Linsey, said: 'Kate is a dynamic, passionate and creative storyteller and I couldn't be more thrilled that she's joining BBC Studios to work with our fantastic teams at EastEnders, Holby City and Casualty.

'At EastEnders, she will be taking the baton from John Yorke, who stepped in to run the show on a temporary basis in June 2017. I'd like to personally thank him for the great job he's done during this interim period.

'John will continue to work together with Kate to ensure a smooth handover until the end of the year, and we will be announcing his next role with us in the coming weeks.'

Acclaimed: Kate was also the series producer at Emmerdale from 2013 to 2016, with the Hotten bypass crash extremely well-received by soap fans
Ruth Negga has revealed she and Dominic Cooper 'still have each other's backs', despite their split earlier this year.

Speaking to Marie Claire, the actress, 36, admitted it wasn't difficult to work with her ex, 40, on their recent TV series Preacher, as they left things on good terms, and are still 'super-supportive' of each other.

Embarking on a stunning cover shoot for the magazine, the Misfits star also candidly discussed her experience of diversity in Hollywood, as well as how she deals with grief after the death of her father.

Good terms: Ruth Negga has revealed she and Dominic Cooper 'still have each other's backs', despite their split earlier this year (pictured in November 2017)

Candid: The actress discussed their relationship, as well as grieving her father and the issue of diversity in Hollywood, during her stunning cover shoot with Marie Claire

Ruth was the picture of sophistication at the shoot, modelling a mix of sleek dresses and blouses alongside retro jackets and even a preppy hounds tooth waistcoat.

One shot saw her pose braless beneath a military-style jacket, while she slipped into a quirky peasant dress for another - secured by a multi-coloured corset at the waist, to draw attention to her slim figure as she posed.

Sweeping her hair back into braids and opting for a light, sultry make-up look, the Warcraft star proved her striking natural beauty to all as she smouldered during the shoot.

Strike a pose: Ruth was the picture of sophistication at the shoot, modelling a mix of sleek dresses and blouses alongside retro jackets and even a preppy hounds tooth waistcoat

Stunning: Sweeping her hair back into braids and opting for a light, sultry make-up look, the Warcraft star proved her striking natural beauty to all as she smouldered during the shoot

Ruth has been in the industry for several years, but shot to the heights of fame after starring in 2016 drama Loving - for which she received an Oscar nomination.

She has now made a foray into US television, and is currently starring in AMC series Preacher, alongside her ex-boyfriend Dominic.

While many find such a job awkward, Ruth was quick to blast the idea of tension between them, and revealed it was actually a comfort to have someone who knew her so well on set.

No hard feelings: Ruth (above) and her ex Dominic currently star together on TV series Preacher, but she revealed it was easy to work side-by-side, as they know each other so well

'It just worked': She said of their relationship on set: 'He's super-supportive of me. I know this sounds like a f***ing spiel, but it's not. We've literally got each other's backs' (above in 2017)

She said of filming the TV series: 'I think if you really love someone and care about them, and you're going to work with them maybe it doesn't work for some people, but it just worked for us.

'We know each other, the way we work, and he's super-supportive of me. I know this sounds like a f***ing spiel, but it's not. We've literally got each other's backs.'

Ruth met Dominic when they worked together in the National Theatre's production of Phedre in 2009, and they started dating the following year.

Moving on: Ruth met Dominic when they worked together in the National Theatre's production of Phedre in 2009, but they split after eight years in April (pictured in June this year)

However, the pair parted ways after eight years in April, with reports claiming the romance had simply 'run its course'.

The star is now focusing fully on her career - continuing to star in Preacher, and anticipating the release of her new science fiction film, Ad Astra.

Yet, despite her success in the industry, Ruth confessed there still needs to be a change in its attitude to diversity - having experienced difficulty first hand, as an Ethiopian-Irish woman.

She explained: '[When a particular film or actor wins an award] 'People go, great, that's all sorted, and it drives me f***ng mad.

Leading lady: It is no wonder Ruth was chosen for the cover, having shot to the heights of fame after starring in 2016 drama Loving - for which she received an Oscar nomination

Speaking out: Despite her success in the industry, Ruth confessed there still needs to be a change in its attitude to diversity - having experienced difficulty as an Ethiopian-Irish woman

'This is a continuing conversation. We have to move forward with the questions we ask and evolve with our society.

'I mean if you're a brown woman, it doesn't mean you have the same thoughts as another brown woman. Of course it doesn't! It's damaging and diminishing. We have to ask different questions.'

Ruth has lived in London for the last twelve years while pursuing a career in acting, but grew up in Limerick, Ireland with her family.

While she has fond memories of the country, the Loving star admitted she still finds it hard to look back at her youth, having lost her father to a car crash at the age of 6.

Opening up: She also discussed the loss of her father at the age of 6 - and assured others its 'OK' to have grief, as its 'intrinsically part of you'

Discussing the struggles of losing a parent so young, she said: 'I've always had that thing of thinking, 'Do you have real memories of Dad? Or have I just taken a photograph of our time together and transplanted it into my brain?''

Explaining how she has coped over the years, she vouched for the power of acceptance - and assured others it is normal to never get over such a loss.

'One thing I would tell people is that it's OK to have your grief,' she continued. 'You can't do anything about it because it's intrinsically part of you. And that's OK.'

To read the feature in full, see the Sept issue of Marie Claire, out today - also available as a digital edition through Apple Newsstand
She tied the knot to British property developer Adam Ellis in a lavish ceremony in Tuscany, Italy last week.

And Lindy Klim still very much has marriage on her mind.

On Wednesday, the 40-year-old Balinese princess opted to wear another white dress, as she attended the David Jones Fashion Show in Sydney.

Still in wedding mode! Newlywed Lindy Klim donned another white dress as she attended the David Jones Fashion Show on Wednesday... a week after marrying property developer Adam Ellis in Italy

The frock, from luxury French fashion house Balmain, features tassled sleeves and gold buttoning.

However, it was far more racy than the beauty's white Toni Maticevski wedding gown, as it featured a thigh-skimming hem and a plunging neckline.

Leggy Lindy completed her look with a pair of emerald green pumps and tied her dark locks back into a tight bun.

Dare to bear! Lindy's Balmain frock was far more racy than the beauty's white Toni Maticevski wedding gown, as it featured a thigh-skimming hem and a plunging neckline

Speaking with Daily Mail Australia at the event, the fashionable mum-of-four cooed about her wedding.

'I think my day was perfect, everything was incredible. I enjoyed every moment!' she reminisced.

The star also took some time to gush over her new husband, saying: 'He's the most incredible father ever!'

White on the mark! Speaking with Daily Mail Australia at the event, the fashionable mum-of-four cooed about her wedding

Newlywed! Lindy told Daily Mail Australia that her day was 'perfect' and 'incredible' (Pictured with Adam and their four children)

The couple share one-year-old daughter, Goldie, and Adam is now a new step-father to Lindy's three older children, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Michael Klim.

Despite tying the knot, Lindy recently revealed she's not changing her current surname.

Speaking with Kidspot's The Juggling Act podcast earlier this week, the doting mum revealed she doesn't want her three oldest children - who all have the Klim moniker - to feel 'like outsiders'.
She's been happily dating her New York art dealer beau for a couple of months.

And now Jennifer Lawrence, 27, proved her romance is going from strength-to-strength alongside her other half Cooke Maroney, 33, as they strolled around Paris, France hand-in-hand on Wednesday.

The Oscar-winning actress, who had been pictured in JFK airport hours earlier, looked chic in a soft pink mini dress as they soaked up the sights of the Place Vedome in the City of Lights together.

Cosy: Jennifer Lawrence, 27, proved her romance is going from strength-to-strength alongside her other half Cooke Maroney, 33, as they strolled around Paris, France hand-in-hand on Wednesday

Jennifer's lingerie-inspired slip-dress featured white lace across the bodice and satin straps which teased at her cleavage and showcased her decolletage.

Making the most of summer in Europe, the American beauty's look highlighted her slender pins while she strolled across the pavement in her sky-high heels.

She accessorised her skimpy ensemble with a chic black Dior saddle bag for the outing and donned a pair of kooky pink shades.

Looking glamorous as ever, she left her trademark golden locks loose and let them be tousled in the breeze while she spent time with her gallery director other half.

Hand-in-hand: The Oscar-winning actress, who had been pictured in JFK airport hours earlier, looked chic in a soft pink mini dress as they soaked up the sights of the Place Vedome in the City of Lights together

Walk this way: Jennifer's lingerie-inspired slip-dress featured white lace across the bodice and satin straps which teased at her cleavage and showcased her decolletage

Pin-credible: Making the most of summer in Europe, the American beauty's look highlighted her slender pins while she strolled across the pavement in her sky-high heels

Delight: The pair strolled through the city hand-in-hand

Style savvy: The figure-flaunting look accentuated her slender frame with aplomb

Complementing his other half's appearance Cooke donned a simple white T-shirt for their afternoon out and about in the romantic city.

He teamed his crisp tee with a pair of beige chinos and Adidas trainers while leading Jennifer to their next stop.

Looking effortlessly cool, Cooke donned a silver watch and pair of sleek black sunglasses.

Cosy: Looking glamorous as ever, she left her trademark golden locks loose and let them be tousled in the breeze while she spent time with her gallery director other half

No shade: She accessorised her skimpy ensemble with a chic black Dior saddle bag for the outing and donned a pair of kooky pink shades

Walk this way: The beauty made sure to make a style statement in her slinky look

Hours earlier, Jennifer was spotted rocking a casual vibe in a white tee and denim as she walked through JFK airport with her beau.

Daring to impress, the Winter's Bone alum swathed her enviable figure in the simple ensemble as she stomped around in chic clogs. Cooke, an art dealer, kept it casual as well in a blue sweatshirt and grey trousers.

According to The Cut, he is the director of New Yorks Gladstone 64 gallery, which represents many A-list clients including Lena Dunhams father, Carroll Dunham, Anish Kapoor, Richard Prince and Bjorks ex-boyfriend, Matthew Barney.

Stepping out: Jennifer was pictured after her long-haul flight in a pair of sliders

Sun-soaked: She donned a pair of circular shades as she stepped out of her waiting car

Monogram: Jennifer held onto her monogram 'Jennifer' tote in her hand

Weary: Jennifer's beau followed behind in a navy jumper

The couple have been dating for a couple of months after Lawrence's friend Laura Simpson helped set them up.

He reportedly attended New York University where he studied art history and likes to hang out in the Hamptons.

Previously the actress dated Mother! director Darren Aronofsky from November 2016 to October 2017.

Casual movie star: Jennifer spotted rocking a casual vibe In New York City earlier in the day

After admitting she still loves Aronofsky in February, Lawrence explained on WTF with Marc Maron that shes on good terms with all her former beaus.

'I'm friends with all my exes, actually,' she said. 'For the most part, yeah, I have a theory: I think it's because I'm blunt.

'I don't think that you can have any sort of bad relationship with anybody if you're just blunt.'

Cute couple: The actress was summer chic in a white tee and denim as she was joined by her new beau Cooke Maroney, 33
She has returned to London after jetting off all across scorching hot Europe.

Yet Shanina Shaik, 27, ensured she travelled in style when she made a quick stop in Milan, Italy from Sardinia before heading back to the British capital on Wednesday.

The Aussie displayed her supermodel-enhanced good looks in the glamorous selfie snapped from her seat.

Supermodel life! Shanina Shaik showcased her supermodel good looks in a stunning selfie as she jets off to Milan on Wednesday

Shanina was every inch the diva in her retro-inspired violet tinted sunglasses which also had golden frames.

The model swapped her series of bikinis for a plain T-shirt for the last leg of her journey to the world's fashion capital.

Spain, Monte Carlo and Switzerland were just three of the destinations which topped Shanina's incredibly long list of destinations.

'Can always catch me on the beach': Shanina showcased her supermodel figure in a mint bikini as she enjoys another tropical getaway on Tuesday

Shanina has been settling into married life after she became the wife of DJ Ruckus, real name Gregory Andrews.

The close couple tied the knot in a Bahamian wedding on the beach in Barbados in May this year.

Reflecting on the starry occasion, Shanina gushed over the 'natural beauty' of the location they had chosen to get married.

Holiday lifestyle: She ensured she travelled in style when she made a quick stop in Milan, Italy from Sardinia before heading back to the British capital

Just to name a few! She has recently been hopping across different luxurious destinations, including: Spain, Monte Carlo and Switzerland

She told VOGUE Arabia in June: 'My favorite memory from the day was walking down the aisle to my new husband. The natural beauty in the Bahamas created an incredible backdrop.'

The model  who is of Lithuanian, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani heritage  enthused she was having an 'amazing time' adjusting to her married life.

'I'm having an amazing time adjusting to being married,' she also told the glossy publication.

'I'm very happy, excited, and so in love. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my life as a wife.'
Billie Faiers has reportedly 'dropped' Ferne McCann from being a bridesmaid at her wedding, leaving her reality star pal 'devastated'.

According to The Sun, the former TOWIE star, 28, has decided against having Ferne as a bridesmaid when she marries fiance Greg Shepherd - because of Ferne's ongoing row with her sister Sam.

Despite claims former BFFs Ferne and Sam had resolved their issues last month, new reports are suggesting Billie has 'excluded Ferne' in order to 'prevent any disputes' occurring on her big day.

Upset: Billie Faiers has reportedly 'dropped' Ferne McCann from being a bridesmaid at her wedding, leaving her reality star pal 'devastated'

Ferne and Sam became embroiled in a feud last year, following the arrival of Ferne's daughter Sunday, with the mother-of-one confirming her decision to film her own reality show had caused tension between herself and Sam.

The girls later appeared to put their differences aside and resolve any issues between them, however, as they reunited at Billie's Essex-based hen-do at the beginning of July.

But sources are now claiming that the feud between them is still ongoing and has now become 'so bitter' it is causing concern for Billie's upcoming nuptials.

A source told the paper: 'Billie and Ferne grew up together and spoke from a young age about how they would one day be each other's bridesmaids.

Drama: According to The Sun, the former TOWIE star, 28, has decided against having Ferne as a bridesmaid because of her ongoing row with Billie's sister Sam (pictured above)

Tense: Ferne and Sam became embroiled in a feud last year, following the arrival of Ferne's daughter Sunday and her decision to go ahead with her own spin-off series First Time Mum

Excluded: Sources claim while Ferne will still attend Billie's hen do in Ibiza and her wedding, she remains 'upset' that she won't be part of the bridal party on the day

'It was a big shock to Ferne when she was excluded from Billie's list of bridesmaids but she knows it is all down to her fall out with Sam.'

They added that while Ferne will still attend Billie's hen do in Ibiza and her wedding, she remains 'upset' that she won't be part of the bridal party on the day.

A spokesman for Samantha said: 'There is absolutely no truth in this story.'

A spokesperson for mother-of-two Billie responded: 'Any claims that Billie has decided not to have Ferne as a bridesmaid because of a situation (which has now been resolved) between her and Samantha are totally false.'

They instead insisted Billie 'couldn't choose' between her close friends, as she has so many, so has instead chosen just sister Sam to be both her 'chief bridesmaid and Maid of Honour' on her wedding day.

Setting the record straight: Billie's rep told the paper: 'Any claims Billie has decided not to have Ferne as a bridesmaid because of a situation which has now been resolved re totally false'

Hitting back: A rep for Billie has insisted she 'couldn't choose' between her close friends, so has instead chosen just sister Sam to be both her bridesmaid and Maid of Honour

Tying the knot: Billie is set to wed fiance Greg, following his proposal four years ago in the Maldives

Fall out: Sources have claimed the feud between Ferne and Sam is still ongoing and has now become 'so bitter' it is causing concern for Billie's upcoming nuptials

Billie is set to wed fiance Greg, following his proposal four years ago in the Maldives. It's reported the couple are heading back to the place they got engaged to tie the knot and have landed a wedding spin-off series on ITVBe to document the occasion.

Greg is currently toasting his last days as a non-married man in Las Vegas on his stag do, while Billie is set to head to Ibiza for her hen.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Ferne confirmed her attendance, addressing her spat with Billie's sister Sam - who has organised the hen do, as she said: 'We're all going to Ibiza for Billie's hen do... I haven't done anything wrong (to Sam) to worry about being there. To make this clear. Sam fell out with me.'

It was first claimed that the girls clashed over Ferne's relationship with ex Arthur Collins, but Ferne has insisted it was because she chose to go ahead with her spin-off show Ferne McCann: First Time Mum, that has a similar premise to Sam's successful The Mummy Diaries series.

Making up: Sam had hosted a 'warm-up' bridal shower, alongside her mother Suzanne Wells, for Billie last month, where Ferne had attended and the girls appeared to put their drama aside

Moving on? Sam has organised Billie's hen do in Ibiza and Ferne has confirmed her attendance insisting she 'hasn't done anything wrong' to be worried about reuniting with Sam (above)

Ferne said: 'The reason as far as I'm concerned is that she fell out with me is because I decided to take this show. We had like 15 years of friendship, my first baby is one week apart from her baby and it can still be lovely and all I'll say is it's a terrible shame.

'I haven't done anything wrong but take the show and of course I was going to take it.'

Sam had hosted a 'warm-up' bridal shower, alongside her mother Suzanne Wells, for Billie last month, where Ferne had attended and the girls appeared to put their drama aside.

The former TOWIE stars, as well as Sam's sister Billie have been best friends for years, with the trio all being propelled to fame thanks to the success of ITVBe reality show The Only Way Is Essex.
Once upon a time in Hollywood... men weren't worried about a crease here or there.

Sony has accidentally released a press photo for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood showing tweaks made to 43-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio and 54-year-old Brad Pitt.

Despite being two of the most handsome and in-demand bachelors in the industry, the studio still felt the co-stars needed a bit of airbrushing.

 Slide me  Spot the difference: Leonardo DiCaprio's chin was slimmed down in a press photo for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

 Slide me  Smooth: Brad meanwhile had his Adam's apple smoothed over with some neck wrinkles digitally evaporated

The promo pic shows to two A-listers standing side by side in their late sixties garb for Quentin Tarantino's upcoming period piece.

But a closer look reveals Leo's second chin hanging over the neck of his yellow turtleneck has magically been tightened.

Brad meanwhile had his Adam's apple smoothed over with some neck wrinkles digitally evaporated.

The production team told Page Six on Wednesday that the error was theirs, and that neither heartthrob had requested nor were even aware of the edits.

Before: The original photo was released in June

After: Sony accidentally released a press photo showing tweaks made to the leading men

'The actors did not request any retouching of photography from Once Upon a Time  in Hollywood,' they said. 'We take full responsibility for the error.'

A source close to DiCaprio told the site: 'He wasnt aware of any touch-ups, nor did he request it.'

Sony has since deleted the press file.

In the film Leo plays former Western star Rick Dalton in the much-anticipated flick, while Brad, 54, stars as his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth.

Dynamic duo: The pair have been frequently seen filing scenes on location on Hollywood Boulevard

Partners: In the film Leo plays former Western star Rick Dalton in the much-anticipated flick, while Brad, 54, stars as his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth

Old hat: Tarantino previously directed DiCaprio in Django Unchained, and Pitt in Inglourious Basterds

The pair embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves again in the film industry they no longer recognize in the Hollywood of 1969 - the year of the Charles Manson murders.

Margot Robbie stars opposite the actors as Rick's next door neighbor and Manson family victim, Sharon Tate.

The stellar cast also features Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Burt Reynolds, Timothy Olyphant, Emile Hirsch, Kurt Russell, Damian Lewis, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, and Luke Perry.
Love Island couple Charlie Brake and Ellie Brown were seen packing on the PDA on Tuesday, after reports have surfaced that things are going from bad to worse for the pair.

The duo - who were axed halfway through the 2018 season of the reality dating show - were seen all over each other during a photo shoot, with Ellie, 20, licking Charlie, 23, on the cheek in an OTT display.

This follows reports from The Sun that Charlie had demanded Ellie leave his London home just days ago, after they took a trip to Monaco together for a supposedly romantic break.

OTT: Love Island couple Charlie Brake and Ellie Brown were seen packing on the PDA on Tuesday, after reports have surfaced that things are going from bad to worse for the pair

A source told the publication: 'He chatted some other bird up on the flight home from Monaco. Ellie had a go at him. They got back to his flat and they had another argument.

'He went out for some drinks and he came back and chucked all her clothes out the window.

'She was living with him and was planning on making a serious relationship of it. But it doesnt look good for them.'

Charlie was with Ellie at a photo session on Wednesday, as she posed in skimpy ensembles in a rundown house, perched on the edge of a sofa and smiling broadly.

Tension? This follows reports from The Sun that Charlie had demanded Ellie leave his London home just days ago, after they took a trip to Monaco together for a supposedly romantic break

Over-compensating? The duo - who were axed halfway through the 2018 season of the reality dating show - were seen all over each other during a photo shoot, with Ellie, 20, licking Charlie, 23, on the cheek in an OTT display

Charlie seemed to be directing the shoot, standing to the side and watching with an editorial eye as their photographer snapped his girlfriend.

They took time out and sat together at one point, deep in conversation about something, later taking a break outside and embracing dramatically.

While analysing snaps of them at the shoot, body language analyst Judi James claimed the couple's behaviour together points towards a 'potentially toxic' relationship.

'This hug lacks any sign of romantic affection and Ellie seems to have compensated by posing in a way to imply they are indulging in some infantile play-fighting or romping,' she exclusively told MailOnline while discussing the photo of her licking him.

Too much? A source told The Sun - 'He chatted some other bird up on the flight home from Monaco. Ellie had a go at him. They got back to his flat and they had another argument'

She continued: 'Their torsos are pressed close but the way Charlie has encircled both his arms around Ellie's shoulders in a controlling 'ownership' pose makes it look more like a wrestling hold and she seems to have bent her arms at an upward angle to cling onto his shoulders rather than encircling his waist in a gesture or cuddle of reciprocal affection.

'Their heads are close here but instead of enjoying the mutual eye contact Ellie has tilted her head back and stuck out her tongue in what looks like an infantile gesture. The tongue poke can signal rejection or challenge and despite Ellie's smile there is much about this small grapple that makes it look like a non-verbal battle, albeit a jokey one.'

Judi also shared her thoughts on the photo of the couple sitting side by side on the chairs.

'This pose is very typical of the type of body language the pair displayed in the villa. Ellie's pose and non-verbal signals are clearly aimed at making them look like a couple but in typical Love Island style it is also aimed at showing her at her glamorous best for the camera.

Fractious? 'He went out for some drinks and he came back and chucked all her clothes out the window,' the source revealed

'Her legs are crossed towards Charlie in a gesture of agreeability and her torso leans in to his chair while the fingertip touch seems aimed at getting his attention and/or a reaction from him. Charlie's slumped torso suggests indifference though. His legs are crossed away from Ellie and his body is angled so that his pelvis is at maximum distance from her too.'

She added: 'His legs and his right hand form barriers to her, and his left arm on the chair forms a rejection signal as the hand seems to be holding his sunglasses appears to be performing a picking gesture with the thumb that could suggest irritation. His rather hard stare and puckered brows are not the facial expression of a man in love.'

'Both these poses hint at a very difficult or potentially toxic power balance. Ellie looks focused on posing in a way to suggest a love match is still on the cards but Charlie's poses are incompatible or incongruent here,' she claimed.

Tumultuous: 'She was living with him and was planning on making a serious relationship of it. But it doesnt look good for them,' the source concluded

James also suggested that the Ellie was the 'mover and driver' of their romance inside the Love Island villa.

'Ellie and Charlie's body language in the villa always wore the subtle hallmarks of a cobbled together relationship. Tellingly, they paired off at a time in the contest when strong bonds and declarations of love were vital if they were in with a chance of staying in or even winning the competition, and it often looked as though Ellie was more determined to see the show through than Charlie.

Ellie appeared to be the prime mover and driver, especially after Charlie's 'secret' wealth was revealed.'

Meanwhile, despite the pair posting defiant Instagrams from their romantic evening at plush London Japanese restaurant Kurobuta on Monday night, millionaire heir Charlie had allegedly threatened to embarrass his girlfriend live on air during the Love Island Reunion Show on Sunday night.

Striking a pose: Charlie was with Ellie at a photo session on Wednesday, as she posed in skimpy ensembles in a rundown house, perched on the edge of a sofa and smiling broadly

A source told MailOnline: 'Producers were forced to cut his microphone off after he threatened to embarrass her and walk off the show while it was being aired.

'They couple had also been filmed on their recent holiday to Monaco for a segment for the show, but bosses decided to cut that clip given the tense circumstances.'

They added: 'He had been out drinking tequilas with Frankie Foster earlier in the day and they turned up to the studios wearing the same shirt which was also posted on their social media accounts.

'Charlie and Ellie had a huge row. They looked incredibly frosty during the programme and everyone could see it.

Defiant: The pair enjoyed a cosy date night on Tuesday, just hours after reports suggested they are on the rocks after a string of furious rows

Cheers! Ellie and Charlie both posted Instagrams from their romantic evening at plush London Japanese restaurant Kurobuta on Monday

'Things were so bad that they went home in separate cars after the wrap party later that night and Ellie looked like she was about to cry. Things aren't looking good.'

Even a picture of the cast which was posted on social media showed them standing on opposite ends of the group and they were not pictured together at all at the wrap party, despite all the Islanders sharing lots of content on Instagram.

A show source told MailOnline: 'They did get separate cars but his mic wasn't cut. They just weren't spoken to on the night of the show, as not all of the couples were.'

Last week, the couple were once again locked in a heated exchange, as they stepped out in London following their TV appearance on This Morning.

Feast: Charlie uploaded his own boomerang of the couple tucking into a delicious looking dinner and wine

Making amends? The date comes after a source told the MailOnline on Tuesday that the couple weren't even on speaking terms during the live reunion show on Sunday

Walking slightly ahead of her boyfriend, a disgruntled Ellie was seen raising her hand to her head while speaking with Charlie, before moving away from the reality star.

Just last week, Charlie was accused of being a 'spoilt brat' when he took to Twitter to slam the ITV2 series for not including the moment he asked now-girlfriend Ellie Brown 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.'

The recap happened during last Monday's finale, when a compilation went through all the 'best bits' from the series.

Frosty: Insiders told MailOnline hours before the date the couple are on the rocks after a furious row which saw him threaten to embarrass her live on the reunion show (pictured)

Awkward: Ellie and Charlie's recent trip to Monaco was filmed for the programme but ITV bosses decided to cut this given the atmosphere on the night

Not looking good: Last week, the couple were once again locked in a heated exchange, as they stepped out in London following their TV appearance on This Morning

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.

Going wild: Frankie Foster shared this picture of himself and Charlie ahead of the reunion show wearing matching shirts as he admitted they had been enjoying mid-day tequilas

Larking around: They also wore novelty hats and the situation had clearly irked Ellie leading to the furious argument

Bromance: Charlie shared this snap of himself and Frankie and Caroline Flack at the wrap party that evening - but there are no pictures of girlfriend Ellie on his grid from that night

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?'

Ellie began dating Charlie midway through highly-rated show and was surprised to discover some way in to their romance that he is extremely well-off.

Charlie's inherited wealth comes from his family's food distribution company business, Brakes.

Bitter: Charlie - who was dumped from Love Island mid-way through the series - recently slammed the show that gained him fame for 'favouritism'

'U ok hun?: The millionaire was met with little sympathy for the situation, slammed by followers for acting like a 'spoiled brat'

It was founded by his grandfather and was later sold for 2.2bn in 2016.

Charlie introduced himself as a socialite who 'does what he wants, when he wants' when he entered the villa originally.

And the star frequently shared snaps of flash cars, private jets and champagne parties on Instagram before he appeared on the show.

The new-found reality star litters his Instagram page with photos from his holidays abroad. He has been jetting off to destinations such as Bali, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Monte Carlo and Dubai.
She's the hard-working journalist who cut her teeth in the hectic newsrooms of Tasmania.

But Georgia Love still loves to show off her silly side.

On Wednesday, the 29-year-old shared a snap to Instagram as she cuddled up with her beloved feline, Pawdrey Hepburn, in honour of International Cat Day.

She's just kitten around! Georgia Love dresses her cat Pawdrey Hepburn in a onesie for a cringeworthy Instagram selfie

In the snap, both Georgia and her kitty cat were dressed in matching zebra onesies, showing just how much the former Bachelorette star adores her furry friend.

'It's International Cat Day! Here's a photo of me and @pawdrey_hepburn being relationship goals,' Georgia captioned the cringeworthy snap.

She added the hashtags 'international cat day', 'dont hate us coz you aint us' and 'couples who dress together'.

Rising star: Georgia is a hard-hitting journalist who cut her teeth in Tasmanian newsrooms

Georgia is well-known pun enthusiast, so she may have been pleased by some of her followers' comments.

'Purrrrr-fect!' one humorously wrote.

'Oooh gosh I'm dying! This is pawsome!!' another follower meowed.

Weather girl! Georgia (left) has just completed a stint as Channel Ten's weather presenter for Eyewitness News Melbourne

Georgia is so enamoured by her four-legged friend that she even set up an Instagram account for Pawdrey Hepburn.

Pawdrey's page features a series of hilarious snaps, including one that shows the puss watching Orange Is The New Black on an iPad.

Meanwhile, feline-friendly Georgia has just completed a stint as Channel Ten's weather presenter for Eyewitness News Melbourne.

The star is one of the network's most loved talents, and also frequently fills in on chat show Studio 10.
Becca Kufrin has responded after last year's Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay pointed out differences in their respective finale episodes.

In a blog post for Us Weekly Rachel said she was a little 'p***ed off' at how Becca was not made to sit and watch her breakup with Blake Horstmann live on TV the way that she had to on her season.

Becca - who chose Garrett Yrigoyen in Monday night's finale airing - told Us: 'To be quite honest I didn't remember that that even happened last year, but every show format is a little bit different,

'Every show is different': Becca Kufrin has responded to last year's Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay after she pointed out unfair editing in their respective finale episodes

'You know last [season], we had the two-night finale where they showed the breakup and then everything after that in two nights, so I think its just always different. I don't really have much of a say in that.'

In her blog Rachel, 33, expressed her disappointment that more emphasis was put on her breakup with runner-up Peter Kraus than her 'happy ending' with fiance Bryan Abasolo.

Rachel sat through the three-hour live show watching the drama unfold along with the studio audience while Becca only joined for the last hour after the breakup had aired.

'Take a trip down memory lane to exactly, oh lets say one year ago. Becca did not sit on stage for three hours and watch the finale for the first time in front of a live audience. Becca did not have to deal with someone telling her she would live a mediocre life,' Rachel wrote.

Rachel, 33, expressed her disappointment that more emphasis was put on her break-up with runner-up Peter Kraus (pictured) than her 'happy ending' with fiance Bryan Abasolo

'Becca did not have to deal with being baited with real time questions about her emotions watching certain scenes' Rachel said in a blog about her finale last year

'You know more about the journey of my breakup than the journey to my proposal acceptance' Rachel said of the way her finale was edited

Rachel - who starred on season 13 in 2017 - went on further to suggest that ABC portrayed her in an unfavorable light compared to Becca, who they 'protected'.

'Becca did not have to deal with being baited with real time questions about her emotions watching certain scenes. Nope, that was me. Lets just be honest, Becca did not have the finale that I had. There was no controversy and she was not put in a position to face any. She was protected and I was placed on display for three hours and labeled an angry black female.'

The Dallas born beauty was indeed forced to sit through the three-hour live finale last year as viewers watched her break-up with Peter.

'I was labeled an angry black female': Rachel went on further to suggest that ABC portrayed her in an unfavorable light compared to Becca, who they 'protected'

Viewers watched their emotional split after Peter revealed that he wasn't ready to propose.

Rachel continued, 'Do you ever recall seeing Bryan profess how excited he was to propose to me? Do you recall seeing me cry about how I was so excited to say yes to Bryan and get my fairytale ending? The answer would be "no" to both of those questions. And it is a shame because both of those things actually happened. You just did not see them.

'See, you know more about the journey of my breakup than the journey to my proposal acceptance. I think it is fair to say that I was denied my on-camera happy ending.'

Becca chose Garrett Yrigoyen on Monday night's finale episode but appeared for just the last hour of the live show compared to Rachel's three hours

Despite being upset at how her fairytale played out on TV, Rachel said she's happy for Becca.

'Listen, I am so happy for Becca and I am so happy she is getting everything that she deserves, I remember this time. I remember how happy and hard it can be.'

Rachel ended her piece by gushing about how happy she is with fiance Bryan and looking ahead to their wedding.

'As for my happy ending, it was not demonstrated within the confines of your television screens, but I am living it every day in real life. So in regards to a future on-camera happy ending and whether or not I will get married on TV, I have no idea but they damn sure owe us one.'
She's been single since splitting with her on-off beau Brooklyn Beckham at the beginning of the year.

But Chloe Grace Moretz may have a new man in her life.

The 21-year-old Kick-Ass starlet was spotted on a night out with Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien, 26, in West Hollywood.

New couple alert? Chloe Grace Moretz may have a new man in her life after the Kick Ass starlet was spotted on a night out with Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien in West Hollywood on Tuesday

Fun night: The pair headed to Avenue together after spending time at The Nice Guy restaurant

The couple seemed to be trying to keep their date night low key as they left celebrity haunt The Nice Guy separately but were spotted getting into the same vehicle.

They headed off to Avenue to keep the party going until the wee small hours of Wednesday morning.

The beautiful blonde was simply dressed in a black lace dress that she wore under a black blazer. She completed her ensemble with black strappy sandals and painted her fingernails black to match her outfit.

Teen Wolf star Dylan was casually dressed in a grey T-shirt and black jeans with white sneakers.

The couple have some history, the actor dished to Hollywire in 2011 that he had a celebrity crush on her but later retracted his statement after realizing she was underage at the time.

Classy wheels: They both jumped into a waiting limo and headed off to Avenue where they kept the party going until the wee small hours of Wednesday morning

However, Dylan has a longtime girlfriend, Britt Robertson, but he has not been seen out with her since the beginning of the year, according to The Blast.

Chloe is believed to have been single since her split from David and Victoria Beckham's 19-year-old son earlier this year. The couple met at Paris Fashion Week in 2014, and briefly dated during the Brit's summer in Los Angeles.

They have been an on-off pair since then. However, Brooklyn was recently seen making out with a mystery brunette suggesting that he's over Chloe.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta-born actress has five projects on the go after bowing The Miseducation of Cameron Post on August 3.

Chloe's upcoming fantasy horror Suspira, with Tilda Swinton, is due out November 2.

The Widow, directed by The Crying Game's Neil Jordan and starring iconic French star Isabelle Huppert plus animation Red Shoes & The 7 Dwarfs, in which she voices Snow White, are both in post and have yet to set release dates.

She is presently voicing Wednesday Addams with Charlize Theron and Finn Wolfhard in animated movie The Addams Family, due out October 18, 2019, and her romantic drama Party Of The Century, co-starring Garrett Hedlund, is in pre-production.
She's usually pouting up a storm, sporting her signature brunette locks and bushy brows.

But Keira Knightley looks shockingly different in the brand new trailer for The Nutcracker and The Four Realms which Disney released on Wednesday.

The actress, 33, underwent a drastic makeover for her role as the Sugar Plum Fairy, which was unveiled for the first time in the short teaser.

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Total transformation: Keira Knightley, 33, looks shockingly different in the brand new trailer for The Nutcracker and The Four Realms which Disney released on Wednesday

Keira stars along Morgan Freeman, 81, as Drosselmeyer and Dame Helen Mirren, 73, who looked equally as unrecognisable as the antagonist Mother Ginger in the upcoming Disney flick.

For Keira's transformation, her glossy brunette locks were covered with a Marie Antoinette style wig in hues of light purple, pale pink and white piled high on her head, complete with side curls and hints of sparkly silver tinsel.

The Pirates of The Caribbean actress' full and fluffy brows had been turned into thin, heavily over-plucked eyebrows, with a garish pink eye-shadow drawing attention to her outlandish fake eyelashes.

Her naturally glowing skin caked in heavy white powder, and Keira's picture-perfect smile was transformed with crooked lower teeth and veneers.

Unrecognisable: The actress underwent a drastic makeover for her role as the Sugar Plum Fairy, which was unveiled for the first time in the short teaser

A glimpse of her costume was teased in the trailer, with a high standing pleated purple collar and thick chiffon shoulder straps leading to a corset with a sweet-heart neckline.

Keira's intricate costume cinches in at her tiny waist and finishes off with a tiered, full-bodied skirt.

The Disney interpretation of E.T.A. Hoffman's story-turned Tchaikovsky ballet stars Mackenzie Foy, 17, as Clara.

New star: The Disney interpretation of E.T.A. Hoffman's story-turned Tchaikovsky ballet stars Mackenzie Foy, 17, as Clara

A-list cast: The young girl is led into a mysterious world by a golden thread given to her by her godfather, played by Morgan Freeman at his annual Christmas party

Magical: Clara embarks upon a mission to find a special key to unlock a priceless possession of her late mothers which leads her to a mystical parallel world, where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy  played by Keira Knightley

A whole new world: Clara uncovers three Realms within the mysterious place: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets

The young girl is led into a mysterious world by a golden thread given to her by her godfather, played by Morgan Freeman at his annual Christmas party.

Clara embarks upon a mission to find a special key to unlock a priceless possession of her late mothers which leads her to a mystical parallel world, where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy  played by Keira Knightley.

Clara uncovers three Realms within the mysterious place: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets.

A different look: The young girl must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrannical Mother Ginger, played by a flame-haired Dame Helen Mirren, in order to retrieve the special key in a bit to restore harmony to the unstable world

Leading lady: Mackenzie Christine Foy is an American model and actress

It's coming: In addition to the video clip, Disney also released the official poster for the film, which set to be released on 2 November

The young girl must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrannical Mother Ginger, played by a flame-haired Dame Helen Mirren, in order to retrieve the special key in a bit to restore harmony to the unstable world.

In addition to the video clip, Disney also released the official poster for the film, which set to be released on 2 November.

The movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom (who previously directed Chocolat, starring Johnny Depp) and Joe Johnston (who directed the original Jumanji film, which stars the late Robin Williams).
He already follows Danny Dyer on Instagram and has a poster of one of his films on his bedroom wall.

So it's no wonder Jack Fincham looked a tad nervous about meeting his Love Island girlfriend Dani's father, flashing an excited smile as they headed to her 22nd birthday party at Danny's Essex home on Wednesday.

And it could be an evening of added celebration for Dani, who sources claimed is 'in talks' with Loose Women bosses to become the newest member of the ITV chat show's panel.

The big day: Love Island's Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham beamed as they prepare to meet her father Danny at her 22nd birthday dinner in Essex on Wednesday

The birthday girl dressed up for the special occasion, donning a summery chambray button-down midi dress which she teamed with yellow embellished sandals.

Styling her newly-dyed darker tresses in a sleek middle-parting, the budding actress framed her features with a slick of nude lipstick and subtle mascara.

Pen salesman Jack, meanwhile, kept things casual in a simple white T-shirt and black shorts teamed with off-white Nike trainers.

The 26-year-old later posted a series of sweet snaps from the family get-together at Dani's house.

Looking good: The birthday girl dressed up for the special occasion, donning a summery chambray button-down midi dress which she teamed with yellow embellished sandals

Preened to perfection: Styling her newly-dyed darker tresses in a sleek middle-parting, the budding actress framed her features with a slick of nude lipstick and subtle mascara

He wrote: 'Lovely evening round Dan's for her bday , happy birthday beautiful I hope you have had a lovely day love you loads xxx.'

He also posed up with his new love's siblings Sunnie, 11, and Artie, five.

It comes amid claims that Dani could be making her first appearance on Loose Women in a few weeks.

Producers like her 'feisty' personality and believe that she could become a regular feature on the panel if things go well, according to The Sun.

'Dani would be the perfect addition to the Loose Women line up,' an insider claimed. 'She's feisty and isn't afraid to speak her mind, or say what other people might be scared to.

Family gathering: Jack, 26, posted a series of sweet snaps from the family get-together at Dani's house

The whole gang: Jack was welcomed into the Essex home Dani shares with her parents Danny and Joanne Mas and posed happily with her family including sister Sunnie, 11, and brother Artie, five

Sweet: He wrote alongside the snaps: 'Lovely evening round Dan's for her bday , happy birthday beautiful I hope you have had a lovely day love you loads xxx'

Close: Jack and Danny finally met on Wednesday night at Dani's birthday dinner

'Bosses have said she reminds them of Stacey and how funny she is. Having her on board would be a real hit with the audience.'

MailOnline has contacted ITV and Dani's representatives for comment.

Earlier as Jack filmed her leaving the house, Dani carried a Liberty gift bag in her hand containing presents, as well as a giant Mini holdall and a Louis Vuitton bag.

She later shared clips of herself while in a car on Instagram, saying she was 'rushed off her feet' but can't wait to celebrate later. Thanking her fans, she sang, 'It's my birthdaaaay.'

Laidback look: The pen salesman kept things casual on the day in a simple white T-shirt and black shorts teamed with off-white Nike trainers

Rumour has it: It comes amid claims that Dani could be making her first appearance on Loose Women in a few weeks

Interesting: Producers like her 'feisty' personality and believe that she could become a regular feature on the panel if things go well, according to The Sun

Jack told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday about her gift: 'Yes I've got something really nice from a jewellers, she's gonna love it, it's somebody that she's mentioned.

'Big presentation. I need to get someone to wrap it cos I'm rubbish at wrapping.'

The couple are spending the evening with Dani's family, which is an opportunity for Jack to meet Danny Dyer for the first time.

Spoiling his girlfriend: Earlier, Jack filmed Dani carrying a Liberty gift bag in her hand containing presents, as well as a giant Mini holdall and a Louis Vuitton bag

Cute: Jack told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday about her gift: 'Yes I've got something really nice from a jewellers, she's gonna love it, it's somebody that she's mentioned'

Pen salesman, Jack, previously said: 'I'm looking forward to it, it's Dani's birthday tomorrow so we're going out for a meal tomorrow, I've met the rest of her family.

'I'm looking forward to it, I love meeting new people so it should be fun.'

Jack said Danny has some wise words for him, saying 'It's all so new to me and he's been in that industry [a long time].'

'It's so different to what I'm used to doing. I'm used to deal with stationery costs.'

Jack already follows Danny on social media, which is no surprise, given that his ex girlfriend Ellie Jones revealed he had a poster of the actor on his wall.

Already a fan? Jack already follows Danny Dyer on social media, which is no surprise, given that his ex girlfriend Ellie Jones revealed he had a poster of the actor on his wall
After more than a month of speculation, Denise Richards has confirmed she will be joining the cast of the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.

'I am so excited to join the cast of [RHOBH] as I am a huge fan of the show,' she told People. 'I am looking forward to spending time with all the ladies and hopefully meeting Boy George!!'

Denise, 47, will appear on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during its upcoming ninth season, which is likely to premiere in late 2018.

It's official! Denise Richards has officially joined the cast of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; seen in February 2017

It comes just days after Jerry O'Connell, 44, confirmed she would be joining the series while promoting his upcoming talk show, Real Men Watch Bravo.

'The eve before Denise is starting a new endeavor that we are very excited for her to be starting,' the Stand By Me actor told E!.

The Jerry Maguire star showed a photo to the outlet that showed himself with his wife Rebecca Romijn, Denise and her boyfriend Aaron Phypers.

Romijn shared the same image to Instagram, with the caption, 'Such an exciting day having lunch with @deniserichards and her hot bf Aaron on the day before her new endeavor (wink wink) Congrats girl! Break legs and have fun!'

Can't wait! The 47-year-old actress will appear on the show during its upcoming ninth season; the ladies of season; the cast of season eight pictured

Exciting news: Jerry O'Connell, 44, confirmed the news while promoting his upcoming talk show, Real Men Watch Bravo, 'The eve before Denise is starting a new endeavor that we are very excited for her to be starting,' the Stand By Me Actor told E!

There is still no official premiere date for the show's forthcoming season.

Insiders previously told People, 'Denise has been wanting to join the show for a long time,' but 'the timing was never right.'

The source said that 'everyone is really excited about the possibility of having' the mom-of-three - to daughters Sam Sheen, 14, Lola Rose Sheen, 13, and Eloise Joni Richards, seven - join the cast of the show. The insider added: 'Its not final yet, its very close.'

In the works for a bit: Insiders previously told People , 'Denise has been wanting to join the show for a long time,' but 'the timing was never right'; the cast of season five pictured

No surprise: 'She's a huge Housewives fan and watches all of the shows,' explained the insider. 'And she has close relationships with many of the women in real life, including Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna'; seen in 2011

'She's a huge Housewives fan and watches all of the shows,' explained the insider. 'And she has close relationships with many of the women in real life, including Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna.'

The high-profile casting move comes as 'producers needed to shake the dynamic of the show up after a season without much conflict,' according to the source.

'She's going to be a great fit. She's not afraid of the drama. And she lives a glamorous, Hollywood life - which the show looks for.'

Like many others on the Southern California-based series - inclduing Kyle and Lisa - Denise has longtime ties to show business.
She's a style icon in her own right.

And Katie Holmes proved on trend as she rocked a sophisticated chic ensemble during an outing in New York City on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old brunette beauty looked lovely in a pink ruffle top and navy skirt as she swapped her heels for sliders during her jaunt.

Style icon: Katie Holmes, 39, rocked a sophisticated chic ensemble during an outing in New York City on Wednesday

Daring to impress, the Dawson's Creek alum tucked the couture top into the pleated skirt allowing a glimpse at her lithe waist.

Clutching her collar and heels, the beautiful Toledo, Ohio native rocked a chic leather purse and cool retro shades.

Meanwhile, Katie squashed rumors of a breakup with Jamie Foxx as the couple couldn't keep their hands  or indeed their lips  off each other during a fun filled day in Malibu on Friday.

The couple - who have been linked together since 2013 - looked like they didnt have a care in the world as they wrestled with each other in full view at the Californian beauty spot.

Impressive: Daring to impress, the Dawson's Creek alum tucked the couture top into the pleated skirt allowing a glimpse at her lithe waist

Additions: Clutching her collar and heels, the beautiful Toledo, Ohio native rocked a chic leather purse and cool retro shades

The pair have been linked since a year after Katie ended her six year marriage to Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise.

The very private couple have reportedly been dating since being spotted dancing together at the Hamptons a year after the Dawson Creek star's highly-publicised separation from Cruise.

They have taken extraordinary measures to keep their relationship secret amid claims Katie's ex-husband included a clause in her 2012 divorce settlement banning her from publicly dating for five years.

Success! Looks like her business meeting was successful as Katie smiled from ear to ear

Cruise and Holmes romance was one the Hollywood's biggest headline makers after they got engaged in 2005 after just seven weeks of dating.

Holmes shares daughter 12-year-old daughter Suri.

Foxx is the father of daughters Corinne, 24, and Annalise, nine, from previous relationships.
It hit a scorching 89F in New York City on Wednesday.

But Nina Dobrev, 29, looked as cool as a cucumber in a stylish Ulla Johnson denim jumpsuit when she was spotted out with a guy pal in the Big Apple.

The beautiful brunette's one-piece featured a round neck, leg of mutton sleeves and baggy pants which was just one of her three outfits during her busy day in the Big Apple.

Pure jean-ius: It hit 89F in New York City on Wednesday but Nina Dobrev, 29, looked as cool as a cucumber in an Ulla Johnson jumpsuit when she was spotted out with a pal in the Big Apple

Seeing double: She also sported two additional outfits that day including a black velvet mini dress (left) and a casual look with a Rails shirt while leaving a television appearance

She thrust one hand into a pocket positioned at hip height and she hid her eyes behind sunglasses with round plastic rims.

The Vampire Diaries alum teamed her outfit with white, sling-back pumps and a small red Chanel handbag that hung from her shoulder on a long metal chain.

Her male buddy looked totally laid back in an orange cowboy hat and matching Mexican Indian-influenced moccasins that he wore with a white T-shirt and jeans.

On Monday Nina's canine comedy Dog Days premiered at the AMC in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles.

So stylish: The Vampire Diaries alum teamed her outfit with white, sling-back pumps and a small red Chanel handbag that hung from her shoulder on a long metal chain

Casual comfort: The Bulgarian beauty's friend looked laid back in an orange cowboy hat and matching Mexican Indian-influenced moccasins that he wore with a white T-shirt and jeans

The Bulgarian beauty stars with Eva Longoria and Vanessa Hudgens in the movie that follows a group brought together by their furry friends.

Nina wore a white dress with large black spots looking not unlike a Dalmatian - no doubt a draw for Disney's Cruella De Vil

Eva, 43, flashed her cleavage and her legs in a white blazer with an asymmetric hem and Vanessa, 29, oozed glamour in a sheer pink gown that showed off her legs and her tummy.

She's a wow: Nina changed into a black velvet mini-dress with a low-cut, square neckline and black strappy high-heeled sandals for her appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Leggy lady: She sported a plaid Rails shirt over a black top and tiny denim shorts

In a snap: She happily posed for photos with fans outside the Late Show With Stephen Colbert taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater

Nina changed later the same day, donning a black velvet mini-dress with a low-cut, square neckline and black strappy high-heeled sandals.

It seems the Flatliners actress was on her way to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert as she shared an Instagram selfie, showing her lying in bed surrounded by all sorts of treats.

She captioned it: 'Carb loading for @colbertlateshow #TequilaPlease @stephenathome TUNE IN TONIGHT on @cbstv.'

It's a ruff life: Nina's canine comedy Dog Days, also starring Eva Longoria and Vanessa Hudgens, premiered at the AMC in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday
Kim and Kourtney Kardashian have come under fire by animal rights group PETA for playing with marmoset monkeys in Instagram videos.

The duo where at their 83-year-old grandma Mary Jo's house, where Kim, 37, filmed herself and her children with the monkeys on her shoulders, saying, 'they're licking me, while wearing a skimpy white bikini.'

Her elder sister Kourtney, 39, fresh from her split with Younes Bendjima also shared pictures of the marmosets kissing her.

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Ill-advised: Kim and Kourtney Kardashian have been branded 'irresponsible' by PETA for promoting the 'violent monkey trade as they played with marmosets in a misguided stunt'

Not a clue: Kourtney also posed with the marmosets while spending a full day with her grandmother Mary Jo Campbell

However, Babe.net reports 'it is illegal to own a monkey as a pet in California, and the acquiring of a monkey involves killing entire families to obtain the young.

'Therefore, animal rights campaigners PETA and academics across the U.S. believe that by owning a pet monkey, you are promoting the violent monkey trade.'

Professor Erin Vogel, from the department of anthropology at Rutgers added that most pet monkeys are taken from their mothers who are then shot.

Not on: Professor Erin Vogel, from the department of anthropology added that most pet monkeys are taken from their mothers who are then shot

Professor Vogel added: 'It is absolutely irresponsible and inappropriate for a celebrity to promote the abuse that these monkeys experience'

Animal rights campaigner PETA said: 'We urges families to steer clear of exhibitors that drag wild animals around town for this type of misguided stunt'

He said: 'It is absolutely irresponsible and inappropriate for a celebrity to promote the abuse that these monkeys experience.'

Adding: 'Celebrities should spend more time promoting the conservation of the endangered habitats of these animals instead of taking "cute" pictures or videos for Instagram. It is appalling.'

PETA's Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet told MailOnline:

'Marmosets should be jumping from tree to tree, playing with one another, and raising their offspring in large, tight-knit social groups.

'PETA urges families to steer clear of exhibitors that drag wild animals around town for this type of misguided stunt.'

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Kim for comment.

What's that? After visiting Mary Jo, Kourtney spent some quality time with her new 'friend' - who rested on her shoulders and inspected her lips

Kourtney said in her Instagram story video: 'Morning! Look who I spend my morning with!' perhaps not understanding the seriousness of her post.

'Welcome! Welcome to my condo!' Mary Jo gushed, before remarking of Kourtney's feline themed filter, 'You little kitten!'

Kourtney was seen arriving to her grandmother's place, tapping the intercom system while rocking black leggings and a white tank top.

After visiting Mary Jo, Kourtney spent some quality time with the monkey, who rested on her shoulders and inspected her lips.

Uneducated about the issue? The reality star showered the monkey with kisses but animal rights campaigners said the monkey trade is a violent one

New BFF: The reality star showed off animal on her Instagram account, writing: 'Hi little friend'

'Hi little friend,' she wrote in the frame of a snap of the monkey.

She also shared a message about gratitude from her daily devotional book.

It all comes after it emerged Kourtney dumped Younes last month after she discovered he had allegedly cheated on her.

Sources close to the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star say that the breakup happened a month ago just after the couple's getaway to Italy.

Days after their romantic trip Younes, 25, jetted off for another vacation which is when he allegedly cheated.

Quality time: 'Morning! Look who I spend my morning with!' Kourtney said in her Instagram story video

The star found proof of the indiscretion and split from Younes immediately.

TMZ suggests the nasty breakup explains why Younes shaded Kourtney in the comments of her saucy booty Instagram last month.

'That's what you need to show to get likes?' Younes wrote underneath a photo of Kourtney smiling in a thong bikini.

Younes hasn't posted any Instagram snaps since July 2 when he shared a pictured of the couple on their Mediterranean vacation.

Additionally, Kourtney's clan insist that photos of Younes being very hands-on with brunette beauty Jordan Ozuna in Mexico this week were not the catalyst for the breakup.

Jordan has a history with the family - she was linked to Tyga following his split from Kylie Jenner last year.

Paying a visit: The mom-of-three stopped by her grandmother's condo on Wednesday

Sporty: She wore black leggings, a white tank top, and black sneakers
She bears a striking resemblance to supermodel Gigi Hadid.

And social media influencer Sammy Robinson got to rub shoulders with the star's younger brother Anwar Hadid on Wednesday night, as she attended the David Jones Spring Summer 2018 Collections Launch.

The blonde beauty also repped one of the brands Gigi is the face of, showing off her toned and very tanned midriff in a Tommy Hilfiger top.

Seeing double! Gigi Hadid lookalike Sammy Robinson reveals her very toned and tanned midriff in a Tommy Hilfiger top and pleated skirt at David Jones fashion show

Just like Gigi! The blonde beauty repped one of the brands Gigi is the face of, showing off her toned and very tanned midriff in a Tommy Hilfiger top and a pleated skirt

She teamed the casual long sleeve top with a dramatic cream pleated skirt that further accentuated her tiny mid-section.

Sammy let her eye-catching ensemble do all the talking by opting to wear very little accessories.

The bronzed beauty also kept her hair and makeup simple, with her blonde locks slicked back and metallic eye makeup to allow her sparkling blue eyes to pop.

Beauty: The bronzed beauty also kept her hair and makeup simple, with her blonde locks slicked back and metallic eye makeup to allow her sparkling blue eyes to pop

While Sammy did not pose with Anwar on the red carpet, Bella and Gigi Hadid's brother was not far away.

The teen cuddled up with fellow David Jones models before strutting his stuff in the catwalk show.

Social media sensation Sammy, who boasts more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, has built a strong following as she regularly dishes out beauty hacks and advice.

Popular: The social media sensation, who boasts more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, has built a strong following as she regularly dishes out beauty hacks and advice

Sammy previously explained to Daily Mail Australia how she achieves her youthful, glowing skin that she's become renowned for.

'I generally use a light amount of foundation and base products,' she said.

'My general rule is, to create a natural look use cream products that will melt into the skin and then when you want to amp up the drama I will layer some powders to really lock it down.'
Rylan Clark-Neal has revealed he was forced to abruptly leave the Eurovision after his husband had been taken ill with a mystery ailment.

The 29-year-old presenter had been in Lisbon, Portugal at the time for the song contest when he got the shock news that his long-term love Dan Neal had been struck down with an unknown illness.

At the time, Rylan tweeted that he had to leave the event early due to 'unforeseen circumstance' missing out on watching the final after hosting the semis with DJ Scott Mills.

Candid: Rylan Clark-Neal has revealed he was forced to abruptly leave the Eurovision after his husband had been taken ill with a mystery ailment

He wrote: 'Due to unforeseen circumstances having to fly back to the UK and will miss the final. Good luck to all delegations it's been a pleasure meeting you all and most of all good luck to our girl @SurieOfficial. Thanks Team UK it's been amazing.'

Now opening up about the terrifying time, the X Factor alum told The Sun that he dashed home as soon as possible to be by Dan's side.

He said: 'It got to the Friday, the day before the final. I'm not going to lie, I was so excited to be there. I've always been a fan and so to be asked to do it in the first place was a big tick off my list.

'But when I found out Dan was ill I didn't say anything to anyone. I just went on my phone, booked my flight and then explained "I'm really sorry, but I've got to go home."

Worry: The 29-year-old presenter had been in Lisbon, Portugal at the time for the song contest when he got the shock news that his long-term love Dan Neal had been struck down with an unknown illness

Worry: At the time, Rylan tweeted that he had to leave the event early due to 'unforeseen circumstance' missing out on watching the final after hosting the semis with DJ Scott Mills

Adding: 'Everyone got it because I wasn't going to do that lightly. I went back to sort everything that needed to be sorted out.'

The pair married in November 2015 after two years of dating. They first met when Rylan interviewed the ex-Operation Yewtree police officer following his stint in the Big Brother house.

In May, Rylan made a sensational return to This Morning as he hosted the live show in Birmingham, five months after he took a break for the sake of his 'mental health.'

The TV presenter made a brief appearance during the regular show on ITV as it cut to This Morning Live taking place at the NEC Arena, where he gave viewers a look at the holiday home prize.

Return: In May, Rylan made a sensational return to This Morning as he hosted the live show in Birmingham , five months after he took a break for the sake of his 'mental health'

Rylan announced back in December that he would be taking a break from This Morning, and his appearance also came a week after revealing he was forced to leave the Eurovision Song Contest early due to 'unforeseen circumstances.'

Rylan had confirmed in March that he would be at This Morning Live, but fans were still delighted by his appearance via video link.

As Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford hosted the regular show in London, they cut live to the stage showcase hosted by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Rest bite: Rylan announced back in December that he would be taking a break from This Morning, and his appearance also came a week after revealing he was forced to leave the Eurovision Song Contest early due to 'unforeseen circumstances'

Rylan revealed his break from This Morning late last year during one of his regular gossip segments, telling Phillip and Holly: 'I've not really said anything but after Christmas, next Friday, I'm going to be going away for a little bit.

'It's definitely not goodbye but I'm going to be taking a little bit of a break in the new year. But I just want to say thank you because it's been lovely and I will be back.'

While many fans were left wondering why he had decided on the hiatus - as he continued to host Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side in January - Rylan put the rumours to rest in January by revealing he needed a break from working five jobs for the 'sake of his mental health.'
It was the news of Grant Crapp's 'secret girlfriend' that caused Love Island Australia winner Tayla Damir to end their relationship after a matter of weeks.

But following her reunion with the Canberra-based electrician, the 'secret girlfriend' herself - Lucy Cartwright - has defended her decision to restart their relationship.

Stripping down to lacy underwear in a sexy bedroom photo shoot for OK! Australia on Thursday, the 21-year-old insisted she never found Grant untrustworthy.

'He has never lied to me': Grant Crapp's 'secret girlfriend' Lucy Cartwright (right) said on Thursday that the Love Island Australia star has 'never given her a reason not to trust him' after they reunited following his split with Tayla Damir. Pictured left: Grant and Tayla on Love Island

While the show was airing, fans observed on social media that Grant was in a committed relationship with another woman, Lucy, before he left for Spain.

Grant denied the rumours to Tayla on the show, and continued to downplay having a girlfriend outside of the villa after returning to Australia.

He has since acknowledged that he did have a relationship with Lucy before the show, but the pair insist it was never 'official'.

Secret girlfriend scandal: While Love Island Australia was airing, fans observed on social media that Grant was in a committed relationship with a woman before he left for Spain

Despite Grant hiding his relationship status from Tayla during and after the show, Lucy told OK! that his behaviour has not changed her opinion of him.

'Yeah, I trust Grant. He's never lied to me and never given a reason not to trust him,' she said.

In a previous interview with NW, Grant claimed that he only realised he wanted to be more than friends with Lucy after his TV romance with Tayla fell apart.

He rekindled their relationship via telephone amid the 'secret girlfriend' scandal.

'Yeah, I trust Grant': Despite Grant hiding his relationship status from Tayla during and after the show, Lucy (bottom) told OK! that his behaviour has not changed her opinion of him

Flip flop: Only last month, Grant made a desperate public plea for Tayla to forgive him by posting an apology video to Instagram. Pictured: Tayla and Grant on Love Island

Only last month, Grant made a desperate public plea for Tayla to forgive him by posting an apology video to Instagram.

Despite his efforts, Tayla was not impressed with Grant's method of communication.

'He's had numerous opportunities where he could've contacted me, and he just keeps choosing to do almost publicity stunts to try and get in contact with me,' she told The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

Following the split, Tayla has moved to Sydney and claims she is 'ready to focus on all the positives life has to offer'.
After reluctantly returning to the spotlight in 2016, former model Tziporah Malkah has found love and lost an impressive 19kg.

And on Wednesday, the 44-year-old enjoyed a spot of light exercise at a park in Sydney wearing a bed sheet, swimsuit and sneakers.

The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star was seen soaking up the winter sun and chatting on the phone during her brisk walk.

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: James Packer's ex-fiancee Tziporah Malkah enjoyed a spot of light exercise in a bed sheet and sneakers at a park in Sydney on Wednesday

The Australian socialite, who appeared to be wearing a full face of makeup, completed her unusual ensemble with a sun visor.

The bizarre sighting comes after Tziporah confirmed she had lost 19kg.

'I'm starting to look fabulous again,' she told The Daily Telegraph last month, defending her habit of wearing bed sheets in public.

Talking to Justin? The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star was seen soaking up the winter sun and chatting on the phone during her brisk walk

How quirky! The Australian socialite, who appeared to be wearing a full face of makeup, completed her unusual ensemble with a sun visor

Weight loss: The bizarre sighting comes after Tziporah confirmed she had lost 19kg

Meanwhile, her personal life is going swimmingly after confirming her new romance.

Tziporah is dating a man named Justin and the pair seem to be inseparable, having been spotted enjoying several romantic dates in recent weeks.

Speaking about her relationship with New Idea in June, she described her boyfriend as 'a very nice person', but 'private' by nature.

Proud: 'I'm starting to look fabulous again,' Tziporah told The Daily Telegraph last month, defending her habit of wearing bed sheets in public

Happiness at last! Meanwhile, Tziporah's personal life is going swimmingly after confirming her new romance

New couple alert! Tziporah is dating a man named Justin and the pair seem to be inseparable, having been spotted enjoying several romantic dates in recent weeks

She added that they were 'having a great time' together, and she was enjoying spending time with someone else 'a little older'.

Tziporah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, was one of the most in-demand models in Australia in the '90s and was even engaged to businessman James Packer.

She split with James, 50, after a two-year engagement in 1998 and later relocated to the US, eventually becoming an American citizen.

On the down-low: Speaking about her relationship with New Idea in June, Tziporah described her boyfriend as 'a very nice person', but 'private' by nature

Life with Justin: She added that they were 'having a great time' together, and she was enjoying spending time with someone else 'a little older'

Remember her? Tziporah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, was one of the most in-demand models in Australia in the '90s and was even engaged to businessman James Packer

Stateside: Tziporah split with James, 50, after a two-year engagement in 1998 and later relocated to the US, eventually becoming an American citizen

Dark times: Upon her return to Australia several years ago, however, Tziporah found herself broke, homeless and living in anonymity. Eventually she found work in aged care in Melbourne

Back on the scene: Tziporah was thrust back into the headlines in 2016 when unflattering photos of her wearing a bed sheet outside of her house were splashed across the tabloids. She has since embraced her return to the spotlight, signing with celebrity agent Max Markson

Upon her return to Australia several years ago, however, she found herself broke, homeless and living in anonymity.

Eventually she found work in aged care in Melbourne, but was thrust back into the headlines in 2016 when unflattering photos of her wearing a bed sheet outside of her house were splashed across the tabloids.

She has since embraced her return to the spotlight, appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and signing with celebrity agent Max Markson.

Throwback! It's not the first time Tziporah has been seen wearing a bed sheet. In April, Tziporah posted a throwback snap from 2006 of herself in a hotel room on the Gold Coast, sipping a bottle of champagne wearing nothing but a white bed sheet
Bill Shorten is refusing to be "judge and jury" as he waits for a report into claims one of his Labor MPs bullied and harassed her staff.

Western Sydney MP Emma Husar is publicly fighting back against the accusations, as more of her former staff come forward with complaints about her.

She says the NSW Labor investigation has been compromised by leaks, but Mr Shorten refused to comment on whether that was the case.

"The nub of your question is that the complaints process has been undermined by a lot of people talking about it. I'm not going to make that mistake am I?" he told reporters on Wednesday.

"I'm not going to be judge and jury."

Mr Shorten says he made inquiries with his own staff about when they knew about the investigation into Ms Husar, and they confirmed they were unaware of it until contacted for media reports.

Lawyer John Whelan has been investigating the complaints of Ms Husar's 22 former staff, with his report due to be handed to NSW Labor by Friday.

They include claims she bullied and sexually harassed staff in her electorate office, and diverted Labor funds into her personal bank account.

Ms Husar hit back, with documents published in Fairfax Media claiming other NSW Labor MPs have deliberately excluded her from events and are undermining her.

But NSW Labor said the Whelan report was being done by the book, and rejected Ms Husar's accusation that it had been compromised.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was hard to believe Mr Shorten wasn't aware one of his MPs was being investigated.

"For Mr Shorten, the test is very clear. What did he know? When did he know it?" he told reporters.
President Tran Dai Quang and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda Louise Mushikiwabo (Source: VNA)



The State President made the statement during receptions for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda Louise Mushikiwabo and Guinean Foreign Minister Mamadi Toure in Hanoi on August 7th.

He applauded the African ministers for their first visits to Vietnam, expressing his belief that the trips will contribute to effectively promoting bilateral relations between Vietnam and Rwanda and Guinea and the countries, thus optimising the interests of the countries.

President Quang congratulated the two countries on achievements of political stability and socio-economic development in recent times, affirming that Vietnam appreciates the role and contributions of Guinean President Anpha Conde and Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the rotating presidents of the African Union in 2017 and 2018 in promoting peace, development, regional and international integration of Africa.

He also spoke highly positive steps of development in political and economic ties, and mutual support and coordination between Vietnam and the two African countries at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations.

On the basis of sound political relations, the similarity of development level and need, Vietnam and African countries have been successfully implementing many cooperation projects on agriculture, telecommunication, health and education, President Quang said.

These are important premises for the countries to expand cooperation across fields, thus bringing benefits to Vietnamese people and those in Africa, including Rwanda and Guinea.

President Quang asked the sides to enhance exchange of all-level delegations, towards deepening their cooperation and fully tapping their potential.

Quang also urged the sides to devise specific measures boost trade ties, and improve legal frameworks to facilitate stronger multi-faceted collaboration between Vietnam and the two countries.

With the success of Vietnams agricultural projects in many African countries, Vietnam is willing to share its experience with Rwanda and Guinea in the field through bilateral or multilateral cooperation, he affirmed.

The Vietnamese leader hoped that the two countries would create favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors and businesses to make their inroads in the two countries in the future.

He took the occasion to invite the Presidents of Rwanda and Guinea to visit Vietnam in the coming time.

For their part, the African ministers highlighted the traditional friendship between Rwanda and Guinea and Vietnam, saying that the three countries experienced difficult historical periods and are now on the path of development.

Agreeing with President Quangs opinion on measures to foster the relations between Rwanda and Guinea and Vietnam, they affirmed their countries are willing to bolster cooperation with Vietnam in all fields./.
Former Nationals minister Luke Hartsuyker will retire from federal parliament at the next election.

The NSW MP was vocational education and skills minister in the Abbott government, before holding junior positions under Malcolm Turnbull who dumped him from the frontbench earlier in the year.

Mr Hartsuyker's retirement could fuel speculation of a comeback by former independent MP Rob Oakeshott.

Mr Oakeshott contested Cowper at the 2016 election, slicing the Nationals' margin to less than five per cent.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack and deputy Bridget McKenzie paid tribute to Mr Hartsuyker's 17 years in parliament.

"The people of the Cowper electorate put their faith in Luke Hartsuyker and he took their fight to Canberra," they said in a statement.

The Nationals leadership said he contributed to the work for the dole program, market access for farmers, and country of origin labelling.
The National Energy Guarantee will improve the reliability of power supplies and help bring down prices and create jobs, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall says.

Mr Marshall says his government will back the NEG at Friday's meeting of energy ministers in Canberra.

"We do this because fundamentally we are about lowering prices, making sure we have a reliable grid and doing this in an environmentally sustainable way," he said.

"We are convinced that a national approach is the right approach to take."

Mr Marshall said South Australia currently had the highest priced and least reliable energy in the nation and it was incumbent on the state government to do everything it could to lower the cost burden on households and businesses.

"We believe the NEG is exactly and precisely what is needed," he said.

The SA premier said he believed the guarantee would get the support of coalition party room despite concerns from some MPs.

He also urged Victoria to put the interests of the people first and support the plan.

"My message to (Premier) Daniel Andrews is get on board," he said.

"Anything other than a national approach is going to deliver higher prices and a less reliable grid."
LABOR MP EMMA HUSAR ALLEGATIONS

July 19 - BuzzFeed reveals Labor MP Emma Husar is under investigation for bullying and harassment, including having staffers walk her dog and pick up its faeces

July 20 - Labor leader Bill Shorten says he didn't know about the investigation led by lawyer John Whelan

July 24 - Husar goes on personal leave

July 25 - It is revealed Husar took a taxpayer-funded limousine to visit her divorce lawyer, while government ministers call on Labor to sack her if the bullying allegations are proven true

July 26 - Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese says he knew about the investigation for several weeks before it became public

July 27 - A former volunteer in Husar's office goes public to claim he was hospitalised after the bullying he received in her office

August 1 - Husar asks the parliamentary expenses watchdog to investigate her expenses after it was revealed taxpayers paid for her flight to Brisbane, where she saw a Bruno Mars concert

August 2 - Allegations from the Whelan investigation are revealed, including that she exposed herself to another Labor MP, sexually harassed staff members, employed a nanny in a taxpayer-funded role, and diverted Labor funds to her own bank account. Husar says the allegations are "absolute lies".

August 5 - Labor frontbencher Tony Burke says he knew about high staff turnover in her office, but not the details of specific allegations.

August 6 - Husar says the investigation is hopelessly compromised after a series of damaging leaks.

August 8 - Husar announces she will quit at the next election, saying she no longer thought she could hold her western Sydney seat.
Tasmania has backed federal government energy policy it believes will help the state strengthen its position as Australia's renewable energy battery.

State and territory energy ministers will meet in Canberra on Friday to discuss the coalition's National Energy Guarantee (NEG), aimed at reducing household power costs by up to $550 a year and setting targets to cut greenhouse emissions.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our state," Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman said on Wednesday.

"We are as a government very determined to ensure that Tasmanians are paying lower power prices."

Queensland, the ACT and Victoria have questioned the policy, with the latter wanting emission reduction targets set more frequently and by regulation rather than legislation.

Tasmanian Energy Minister Guy Barnett said he strongly supports the NEG and will vote for it as it stands.

The Liberal government wants the island state to be 100 per cent self-sufficient in renewable energy generation by 2022.

Mr Barnett said the NEG pushes the case for a second Bass Strait interconnector between Tasmania and the mainland, as well as further investment in the state's wind and hydro technology projects.

Mr Barnett accused the Labor Victorian government of playing politics with the policy and urged all states and territories to jump on board.

"What is at risk is lower power prices, not just in Victoria, but across the country," he added.

The state's peak business body supports the NEG.

"A second interconnector across Bass Strait will potentially unlock pumped hydro projects and major wind farm developments," Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey said.
Commonwealth Bank's full-year earnings benefited from tighter regulatory rules around home and investor loans following an industry-wide crackdown on banking practices.

Australia's biggest bank posted a two per cent rise in lending volume and a five basis point rise in net interest margin to 2.15 per cent for the year ended June 30 from a year earlier, helping its extensive retail banking services unit post a 5 per cent rise in cash profit to $5.19 billion.

CBA said the increase in NIM was largely due to the repricing of interest-only and investor loans to meet regulatory requirements.

Financial regulator APRA required banks to wind back the growth in interest-only lending and lending to investors in early 2017 following concerns about an overheating housing market.

The gains on earnings for CBA were partly offset by higher funding costs and the federal government's banks levy.

Interest-only mortgages have been a focus in recent months, with a report by ratings agency Moody's earlier this month warning that it expected delinquencies on home loans to rise as interest-only periods ended and borrowers faced higher repayments.

CBA chief executive Matt Comyn said the bank has been getting in touch with customers on interest-only mortgages early to discuss their options.

"We're communicating with customers well in advance of any switching that's required," he said on Wednesday.

"We're typically doing this as much as 12 months in advance, and we think this is going to deliver good customer outcomes, I think it will moderate any upward pressure on arrears."
A passer-by has rescued two people stranded in floodwaters south of Perth.

A man in his 70s and a woman in her 60s were walking the Bibbulman Track and had arranged to meet a relative in Nanga Brook on Tuesday afternoon when they noticed the Murray River had risen, so they tried to wade across a causeway.

The pair became stranded and the man was entangled in black berry vines, so they activated a personal locator beacon but a passer-by rescued them before police arrived.
West Australian police have revealed the elaborate lengths thieves went to in a bid to steal gold from a remote mine.

Several men broke into a room at a South Boulder waste collection compound some time between July 23 and 24 to steal keys for a specialised vacuum sewage truck.

On July 28, it was crashed through processing plant gates at Northern Star Resources' Kanowna Belle mine, a 27km drive from the truck depot.

Gold-bearing liquid was sucked up from a holding dam and two men were then seen fleeing the site in the Suez-branded truck.

Northern Star Resources chief executive Stuart Tonkin suggested the financial loss to his company was unremarkable as the thieves "don't know what they're doing."

"There's really no value. It's a trespassing issue," he told AAP at the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum on Tuesday.

"It's the most ridiculous thing I've heard and witnessed in Kalgoorlie.

"You've just got to look for the dumbest person in Kalgoorlie and you'll find them."

The thieves would need specialist equipment to extract gold from the liquid and Mr Tonkin suggested it would be worth less than the cost of the gate repairs.

Police have urged anyone with information about the offences to get in touch.
They came. They saw. They pitched and they networked.

The 27th Diggers and Dealers mining conference in the historic West Australian gold mining town of Kalgoorlie has wrapped up, the first run by new owners Sharon Giorgetta, the daughter of event chairman Nick Giorgetta, and Myles Ertzen, who bought the highly profitable forum from the founding Stokes family.

When Diggers started in 1992, just 250 delegates attended, but it soon became a mandatory annual pilgrimage for the industry, with numbers peaking at a record high of 2400 in 2012.

The 2018 turnout of almost 2300 was the best since then - an improvement of about 150 on last year - and reflected the sector's tenacious optimism in all but the most trying circumstances.

The mood was glum in 2008 when the global financial crisis hit, in 2010 amid the spectre of the Resources Super Profits Tax and in 2015 when low commodity prices had the industry in an official downturn.

With sentiment so downbeat that year, Diggers attendance fell to 1760 and Patersons Securities upped sticks, leaving the town without a broking house for the first time in almost 120 years.

This year's event seemed to be largely about networking, with little excitement or news flow coming from the presentations.

Some companies were talking about picking over old gold mines, striving to convince there was life in the project yet.

Others enthused about battery minerals but it was clearly early days for many of those players.

Iron ore was looking strong again, with one of only two female presenters at the conference, Fortescue Metals Group's Elizabeth Gaines, talking about the company's new Pilbara mine development and a pending decision on whether to proceed with another.

There was little takeover talk, but Ms Gaines hinted Fortescue may seek a seat on the now Hancock Prospecting-controlled board of Atlas Iron to reflect its 11.37 per cent stake.

Organising an event as big as Diggers, unsurprisingly, takes a mammoth effort.

Building and setting up the marquee involved about 200 contractors, some flown in from Perth, and the massive tent was among about 300 tonnes of freight brought to Kalgoorlie for the three-day talkfest.

Supplies brought in to feed the horde included:

Beef 1.5 tonnes

Lamb 700kg

Pork 300kg

Veal 500kg

Chicken 1.5 tonnes

Vegetables 2 tonnes

Fruit 2 tonnes

Bread rolls 15,000

Pastries 40,000

Cake slices 20,000

Savouries 20,000

Prawns and oysters 10,000

Coffee/tea serves 20,000

4 semi-trailers of catering equipment

2 large, 20 pallet refrigerated trucks

2000kg ice
A warning shot has been fired by Olympic champion Mack Horton ahead of this week's Pan Pacs in Tokyo - at his own 4x200m freestyle relay team.

Horton will launch his Pan Pacs campaign in the 200m freestyle in day one action on Thursday but his thoughts quickly turned to their relay squad's prospects in Japan.

And he didn't mince his words.

While Horton was excited by their potential, he turned up the heat on Australia's likely 4x200m team members of fellow Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers, Alex Graham and young gun Elijah Winnington to lift in the event ahead of Tokyo 2020.

"I think it's going to be very strong in a couple of years. I think we need to put a bit more emphasis on it, probably," he said.

"And we need to figure out how to be better relay swimmers. "

"Nobody swims as fast as they do in their individual (200m event), currently. We need to step it up for relays."

Horton faces some challenges of his own after finally ditching his beloved 1500m freestyle from his program to concentrate on the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle before the latter event makes its Olympic debut in 2020.

Even after winning Rio 400m gold Horton still considered himself a 1500m specialist but the 22-year-old said he had finally got his head around ditching what is considered Australia's premier swimming event.

However he warned it may be another 12 months before he sees results in his new program switch.

"I think it has definitely been sad letting go of the 1500m but at the same time I am excited about what could happen in the 200m, 400m and 800m," he said.

"I have only been training a couple of months since Comm Games now so I don't know what to expect.

"I don't know if there is going to be a big difference now or go through a whole other year to see a big shift but I am excited to see what happens."

Horton is considered a medal threat in the 200m on Thursday and hot favourite for the 400m starting on Friday after a personal best time to win the Gold Coast Commonwealth title.

But Horton said he had no idea what to expect in his new event 800m starting on Sunday.

"I don't think many people have figured out how to swim the race. I look forward to testing the waters there," he said.
Westpac has created a $100 million fund to loan to drought-affected farmers, who will be able to offset money put away in good times against money they've borrowed.

It comes after Agriculture Minister David Littleproud piled pressure on the bank to let farmers offset farm management deposits against their loans.

Earlier in the week, Mr Littleproud encouraged farmers to tell Westpac to "jam it" and take their business elsewhere.

But the bank has now joined Commonwealth Bank, Rabobank, NAB and Rural Bank in falling in line with the minister's demands.

Westpac will offer an interest adjustment for customers with farm management deposits to effectively offset balances against eligible business loans.

ANZ is the remaining lender yet to offer a farm management deposit offset.

The $100 million fund will provide loans of up to $1 million to existing Westpac agribusiness customers at discounted variable interest.

Drought-affected farmers with Westpac will also be able to defer principal and interest repayments for up to 12 months on existing loans.

Westpac's national agribusiness manager Steve Nanna said drought was the most difficult challenge farmers could face.

"Taking into consideration the widespread impact of the drought, we are committing $100 million to lend exclusively to eligible drought-affected customers to help them through these challenging times," Mr Nanna said in a statement.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung (Photo: VNA)



He made the statement in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of ASEAN establishment on August 8, 1967 and the 23rd anniversary of Vietnams membership.

The official said Vietnam was the second country after Singapore to fully implement commitments of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Vietnam is pioneering in the fields of security and politics, he added.

Vietnam is leading in international economic integration, he said, noting that the country is one of the three ASEAN member states to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Vietnam and Singapore are securing a free trade area agreement with the European Union (EU).

Vietnam was the first country in ASEAN to partake in the free trade area with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Dung noted.

The diplomat added that Vietnam gained a number of benefits after joining ASEAN.

First, it is the peaceful cooperation environment that enables the country to develop its economy and attract investment as well as expand markets for trade development.

Secondly, Vietnam implements its policy of international integration through ASEAN, Dung said, noting that ASEAN was the first step for the country to integrate itself into the world and connect with other economies.

Last but not least, Vietnam enjoys collective strength and interests when joining ASEAN.

ASEAN is a forum for Vietnam to promote its role and image as well as contribute more to the common interests of the region and beyond, he said.

ASEAN has recorded great achievements, which were acknowledged, after 50 years of formation and development, Dung stressed.

The bloc has become a successful organisation in many aspects such as security, politics, economy, culture and society, he said, adding that over the past five decades, ASEAN has learned the lesson that it is necessary to enhance unity and intra-bloc cooperation for mutual development.

ASEAN set up mechanisms led by itself which prove effective and are implemented by the groups member nations, Dung noted.

He added that ASEAN has affirmed its position and role in not only in Southeast Asia, but also in Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Dung, however, said ASEAN has also faced many difficulties and challenges in forming the ASEAN Community, including the development gap among member nations and the difference in organizational structures and political institutions as well as in their interests, the robust changes in the region, and the impact of the 4th industrial revolution.

The fierce competition in strategies from big countries, strong changes in the region, and the increasing protectionism are also challenges to ASEANs principle and purpose to support free trade, he noted.

All member countries should be aware of the value of community strength to them, to the region and the world, thus contributing to harmonizing benefit of their own countries with the interest of the ASEAN Community and the region, Dung stressed.

ASEAN should be determined to realise its set targets and commitments, while balancing its relations with partners, especially big countries, he added.

Regarding Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, Deputy Minister Dung said the assumption is not only the responsibility but also an opportunity for the country to prove its capacity, and promote its land and people.

The year 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of Vietnams ASEAN membership as well as five years of the establishment of the ASEAN Community and the mid-term review of the implementation of the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity (2015-2025), he said.

Therefore, Vietnam is constructively preparing for the Chairmanship in terms of material facilities, and financial and human resources, the official noted.

We need to understand what ASEAN needs so as to propose topics that serve the common interests of ASEAN member countries, he said./.
Bob Dylan's eloquent lyricism may have earned him a Nobel Prize in literature but he had nothing to say to his fans as he began his Australian tour in Perth.

Instead, the famed musician let his meaningful songs do all the talking during his almost two-hour concert at Perth Arena on Wednesday night.

Dylan's excellent band was not even introduced and the show overall lacked any spectacle at all.

There wasn't even a screen for fans at the back of the venue to see him clearly.

But the 77-year-old has never been much of a showman compared to rock stars like Mick Jagger or Bruce Springsteen.

It has always been about the powerful message of Dylan's lyrics, many of which remain as relevant today as they were when he penned them decades ago.

Some fans were probably disappointed that a few of his biggest hits did not make the setlist.

But there were some favourites including Blowin' In The Wind, It Ain't Me Babe, Simple Twist of Fate, Highway 61 Revisited and Don't Think Twice It's Alright.

Dylan barely sold out half the arena but it hardly seemed to matter as the audience cheered at the end of each song.

They were especially vocal when Dylan played his harmonica, but he spent most of his time behind the piano.

The Pulitzer Prize winner last toured Australia in 2014.

Given his age, and the fact that some of his contemporaries are embarking on farewell tours, this may well be the final time Australian fans will have a chance to see him perform live.

But for now, Dylan clearly still enjoys playing music in front of thousands of fans.

* Dylan will also visit Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and Brisbane.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has shot down Malcolm Turnbull's claim the coalition party room gave the tick of approval to the government's signature energy policy.

Mr Abbott has joined fellow Liberal backbenchers Tony Pasin and Craig Kelly in rejecting the prime minister's suggestion the national energy guarantee has been endorsed by the coalition.

"It was not endorsed by the party room. He's said that before, and I've disagreed with him before," Mr Abbott said.

"He's putting an interpretation on the facts and I'm putting what I think is a better interpretation on the facts."

Mr Abbott said the "bad policy" would be made worse after Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg meets with his state and territory counterparts on Friday.

The coalition party room will meet on Tuesday to debate the energy plan.

"We shouldn't ever be expected simply to rubber stamp the Labor Party's policy which is what it will be if it comes to us from the state Labor ministers," Mr Abbott said.

Mr Frydenberg has torpedoed a list of demands from Victoria that could have secured the state's support for the Turnbull government's energy policy.

Energy Security Board modelling which found Australians could save $550 a year on power bills under the policy.

But Mr Abbott pointed to the modelling's prediction of 36 per cent renewable energy by 2030, which he says will drive prices higher.

"I think the modelling is fanciful to put it at its kindest," he said.

"It will not bring down power prices."
A large gang of youths has thrown rocks and damaged a police car during another rampage in Melbourne's northwest that has left the community fearful and some residents preparing to move.

The incident occurred in the Taylors Hill area about 5.30pm on Wednesday after a large group of what residents say were African youths gathered in the area, media outlets report on Wednesday.

Police, including the Operations Response Unit and the Public Order Response Team, were called in to attend the incident.
The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are discussing a possible merger.

The vice-chancellors, Professor David Lloyd from UniSA and Professor Peter Rathjen from Adelaide University, will on Thursday hold talks on the next steps for a potential merger.

"Combined city campuses could create disciplinary precincts that make the most of government investment and combine and further develop areas of excellence and extend Adelaide as a vibrant city built around the university campuses," consultants Nous said in The Advertiser.
Australia is likely to follow the United States in ordering new sanctions against Russia over a nerve agent attack in Britain earlier this year.

The US has determined Russia violated an international ban on chemical weapons during the attack on a former Soviet spy and his daughter, and will impose further sanctions on Moscow.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was on Thursday asked if Australia would follow suit.

"This is a very serious matter and we will need to assess the full consequences of it," Ms Bishop told ABC radio.

"I believe the use of chemical weapons at any time, anywhere, under any circumstances is abhorrent. It cannot continue with impunity."

Australia joined dozens of other countries in expelling two undeclared Russian intelligence officers following the Salisbury attack on Salisbury Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March.

Russia has denied any involvement in the attack.

There are already sanctions in place against Russia in relation to its breaches of sovereignty in Ukraine and Crimea, with ongoing tensions between Canberra and the Kremlin over the downing of flight MH17.

"We will certainly take on board the US sanctions on Russia and consider our circumstances," Ms Bishop said.
Canada has sent peacekeepers to Africa for the first time in 24 years, joining one of the UN's most difficult and dangerous missions, MINUSMA in Mali

Soaring over the Niger river before entering the savannah in northern Mali, a Canadian twin-engined military helicopter is making one of its first forays into the country.

Two artillerymen are scanning the ground below when the pilot announces that "one of the gauges has stopped. We only have one engine left".

As Canada sends its first full-blown peacekeeping force to Africa in 24 years, they are discovering a conflict -- and weather conditions -- unlike anything they have dealt with in a long time.

They have joined one of the United Nations' most difficult and dangerous missions -- the 14,000 strong MINUSMA operation in Mali, a linchpin West African country in the vast, arid Sahel region.

Flying in northern Mali, which is mostly covered by the Sahara desert, "is like working in the Arctic, you just swap ice for sand and -40 degrees for +40," jokes Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Morrison, commander of the Canadian air troops in the northeast city of Gao.

Aircraft have to operate in extreme conditions in the Sahara and "there are few runways to land on" for repairs or refills, says Morrison, whose previous missions include Bosnia and Afghanistan.

- Canadians back in blue helmets -

Canadian lieutenant colonel Chris McKenna, commander of the Canadian air troops in the northeast Malian city of Gao

While it was Canada that helped mastermind the idea of large-scale UN peacekeeping missions back in the 1950s, it hasn't deployed significant numbers of "Blue Helmet" troops -- as the peacekeepers are known -- for more than a decade.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is keen for Canada to return to peacekeeping operations, not least in a bid to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2021.

The Mali operation marks the first full-throated Canadian peacekeeping mission to Africa since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when Ottawa led the UN mission there.

Since last month, a contingent of 250 Canadian soldiers and six helicopters -- two Chinook flying ambulances and four Griffon attack aircraft -- have taken over from German troops in conducting medical evacuations.

They are stationed at Camp Castor in Gao with around 900 German and 100 Dutch soldiers.

Not far away, another 4,000 soldiers from non-NATO countries are stationed in the UN "Supercamp".

- UN's most dangerous mission -

Peacekeepers raise the Canadian flag alongside the UN flag at the camp in Gao

MINUSMA is currently the UN's most dangerous peacekeeping mission.

Since it was deployed in 2013, over 170 members have been killed -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world.

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 the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks.

"We want to help the UN, but it is a difficult mission," says Chris McKenna, commander of the Canadian troops in Mali.

"It is complicated, but it is what we expected. The environment is harsh, with dust and heat. Working in a multi-lateral, multi-national environment comes with challenges, but we are doing very well," McKenna insists.

The soldiers themselves are happy about Canada's return to the Blue Helmets.

"It is a good thing to be back," says Major Dominique Simard, a helicopter pilot. "We are here to saves lives, it is rewarding."

The Canadian troops only take part in flying missions and are not deployed on foot.

And when they are not out in their helicopters, the soldiers are not allowed to set foot outside Camp Castor.

To pass the time, they have internet access, postal services, a cafeteria staffed with Indian cooks, a gym and a bar that does not serve alcohol.

But it's not easy being cooped up for so long.

"600 metres (2,000 feet) by 600 metres for seven months," one officer complains.

"Every day, we are in the sky, 35 feet above the theatre of operations, but we are not going to have terrestrial convoys, we are not equipped for it. That is not our mandate," says McKenna.
Najib was charged with three counts of money-laundering over claims he pocketed $10.3 million

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak was hit with new charges Wednesday linked to a multi-billion-dollar financial scandal that contributed to his shock election defeat in May.

Looking tired as he appeared in court, Najib was charged with three counts of money-laundering over claims he pocketed 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million). He faces up to 15 years in jail for each charge.

These are in addition to the charges he faced last month after he was first arrested -- three for criminal breach of trust and a separate count that he abused his position to take the money. He faces up to 20 years in jail for each of those charges.

Malaysia's new government is probing allegations that billions of dollars were looted from state fund 1MDB, which was set up by Najib, in a sophisticated fraud.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the electoral earthquake in May that toppled Najib's long-ruling coalition and ushered in a reformist alliance headed by his 93-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

In a packed Kuala Lumpur courtroom, the three new charges were read out to Najib. Asked if he understood the charges, Najib responded: "I understand".

His case was being transferred to another court for a plea to be taken. He previously denied the other four charges against him.

All the charges relate to SRC International, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB.

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, about $10 million originating from SRC was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts, a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Najib and his allies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.

The US Justice Department, which is seeking to recover items allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB cash in America, estimates that $4.5 billion in total was looted from 1MDB.

Investigations into 1MDB have been moving swiftly. On Tuesday, a luxury yacht allegedly paid for with money stolen from 1MDB arrived outside Kuala Lumpur after being handed over by Indonesian authorities.
Women's rights activist Wini Omer in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on May 14, 2018

Prominent Sudanese activist Wini Omer is determined to keep campaigning for women's rights, despite mounting legal woes she says are aimed at silencing her.

Omer, 30, was with another woman and two men in February when police raided the suburban Khartoum apartment where they were meeting.

She was later charged with prostitution under a controversial public order law.

"We tried to tell them that it was a house and it was a normal meeting," she said.

"We told them there is no reason for policemen to break through a window suddenly and accuse us of things like this."

Despite her protests, officers confiscated Omer's laptop and detained her for five days.

When her trial began on July 24, investigators told her she could face more charges, including espionage against the regime.

Such a crime carries the death penalty, although in early August Omer told AFP she had not been formally charged with spying.

"I'm not scared to face the state in any court," said Omer, who last year was on a US government fellowship for young African leaders.

"What counts for me is that we pass our message to everybody in Sudan and to the oppressive state institutions, and tell them that we are not afraid and we are always ready to fight for our rights."

At Tuesday's session of her trial, police told the court that they raided the apartment in February after keeping it under surveillance for two weeks, Sudanese media reported.

"The police informed the court that when they broke into the apartment, they found the four accused fully dressed and involved in a discussion," Omer's lawyer Fateh al-Hussein told AFP on Wednesday.

The public order law targets mainly women, activists say, including those selling tea on the streets of the capital.

According to activist Tahani Abbas from campaign group No to Women's Oppression Initiative, 15,000 women were sentenced to flogging in 2016 under the legislation.

The decades-old law also imposes punishments including hefty fines and jail terms.

Activists say that nearly every gathering of Sudanese men and women, whether in public or private, can be a police target.

"Regulations like the public order law are tools used to harass activists fighting for human rights and to instil fear in the citizens," said Omer, who is also a journalist and has written regularly on women's issues in the African country.

"When they target activists, it's a message to them that they are being watched and the state will suppress them."

Omer was previously accused of breaching the law through "indecent dressing" while waiting for a bus in Khartoum, wearing a headscarf, skirt and top. The charge was later dismissed.

- 'Keep fighting' -

Wini Omer won a US government fellowship last year for young African leaders

Despite the legal challenges, she has continued her campaigning work, which began when she was studying anthropology at university a decade ago.

She was in court in May when a Sudanese teenager, Noura Hussein, was sentenced to death for murdering her husband who Hussein says had raped her.

Following international outrage, an appeals court commuted the sentence to a five-year prison term.

Omer at the time said the case illustrated how women's rights needed to be taken more seriously, in a country where forced marriage and marital rape are prevalent.

She says Sudan's legal system arbitrarily applies Islamic law along with tribal traditions, and discriminates against women.

"By allowing child marriages and imposing restrictions on women, the system wants women to be confined only to specific duties," she said.

But Omer acknowledged that Sudan is witnessing changes, with social media seeing growing debates on women's rights.

"Questions about whether women have the right to dress the way they want, whether they have the right to marry the person they want, are increasingly asked now," she said.

"I believe that change happens when you stand up and fight for your rights... We have to keep fighting for our personal rights."
Pepsico chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi is the latest non-white CEO to step away from a US firm

Following other recent exits by non-white CEOs, Indra Nooyi's departure from PepsiCo announced this week renders America's collective corner office even whiter.

The Indian-born Nooyi cut an especially rare figure in corporate America as an immigrant woman of color. She will be replaced in October by Ramon Laguarta, a European man, the company said Monday.

The announcement follows the 2016 exit of former Xerox chief executive Ursula Burns, a rare African American female CEO, who stepped down when the company broke itself up.

In October, Kenneth Chenault announced he was stepping down as head of American Express, leaving just three African Americans CEOs among the Fortune 500, the lowest count since 2002.

Chenault, who was replaced as CEO by Stephen Squeri, a white male, later called the paltry count of African American CEOs "a real problem and embarrassing for corporate America" in a November 2017 interview.

Richie Zweigenhaft, a professor of psychology at Guilford College in North Carolina who has long tracked diversity at big US companies, said the progress in promoting women and nonwhites to CEO began stagnating after hitting a peak in 2011, well before Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.

"This trend certainly precedes the election but in the current political situation, I don't think there's been as much pressure to change this downward trend as there has been at various times in the past," Zweigenhaft said in a telephone interview.

A critic of affirmative action, Trump has unapologetically picked white men for most of the top jobs in his administration and often sparred with prominent minorities, including Kenneth Frazier, the African American chief executive of Merck.

Last August, Frazier stepped down from a White House advisory committee after Trump's muted response to a violent white supremacist rally in Virginia. Frazier's resignation set off a cascade of other CEO resignations, ultimately leading to the demise of a pair of CEO White House advisory panels.

- Improving the pipeline? -

The exact number of women and minority CEOs is difficult to pin down with the comings and goings of executives and because of the variance between different indices such as the S&P 500 versus the Fortune 500.

But regardless of the details, the dominance of white men atop major companies is clear. White men held the top job at 447 of the companies in the Fortune 500 at the end of 2017, by Zweigenhaft's count.

Zweigenhaft noted in an unpublished paper that the number of African Americans and Hispanics CEOs remained well below their share of the population.

Women were also significantly underrepresented, although white women had made gains compared with 2005. The paper also noted that Apple chief executive Tim Cook had publicly come out as gay, a first for a big company.

Also of note, some of the most prominent chief executives in the US do not fit this mold, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella, GM's Mary Barra and Sundar Pichai at Alphabet-owned Google.

Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, a senior director for research at nonprofit Catalyst, agreed that the headline numbers of women and minority CEOs was indeed too low but noted the figures had always been disproportionately low.

But Thorpe-Moscon said the group has seen improvement in the pipeline of senior executives and predicted more minorities and women would be promoted no matter who was president.

"Getting to inclusion is a journey that companies are on right now," she said.

"Regardless of the cultural context we're in, companies are always going to be responding to the need for the top talent, the need for innovation," she said, adding that these dynamics were amplified in today's tight US job market.

Thorpe-Moscon said corporate interest in diversity and inclusion remained robust. Major companies have sought the nonprofit's assistance after a February study found nonwhites pervasively reported being on-guard against racial and gender bias.

The report labeled this sense an "emotional tax" and recommended steps such as encouraging co-workers to "speak up, challenge the status quo, share dissenting opinions, and assume positive intent."

A report last month from executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles said women filled 38.3 percent of new independent board seats at Fortune 500 companies in 2017, the biggest share since the firm began tracking the data in 2009.

However, the total number of women on boards rose only 1.2 percent to 22.2 percent, suggesting that most of the new directors were replacing women who stepped down, the firm said.
Dewayne Johnson blames Monsanto weed killer Roundup and its commercial strength version Ranger Pro for his terminal cancer

The lawyer for a California groundskeeper dying of cancer urged jurors Tuesday to make Monsanto pay hundreds of millions of dollars for failing to warn about the health risks of weed killer Roundup.

"Today is their day of reckoning," attorney Brent Wisner told jurors as he urged them to impose a penalty of more than $400 million on Monsanto for hiding the cancer-causing potential of Roundup and commercial strength version Ranger Pro.

"Every single cancer risk found had this moment, where the science finally caught up, where they couldn't bury it anymore."

Terminally-ill Dewayne Johnson watched as his attorney accused Monsanto of putting profit over people's health by fighting research signaling Roundup's potential cancer risks and failing to issue warnings.

Johnson, 46, testified that he would "never" have used Roundup or Ranger Pro had he known it could lead to his illness.

The monthlong trial pits Johnson against the agrochemical colossus recently acquired by Germany-based Bayer in a deal valued at about $62 billion.

Diagnosed in 2014 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects white blood cells, Johnson used Ranger Pro repeatedly in his job at a school in Benicia, California, after being promoted to groundskeeper in 2012.

Wisner said Monsanto opted against warning consumers of the risks and that instead "they have fought science" by playing down the suspected link between the chemical herbicide and cancer.

The case is the first to reach trial alleging a cancer link from Roundup, one of the world's most widely used herbicides.

- 'High rhetoric' -

Monsanto defense attorney George Lombardi speaks during opening remarks of the trial in San Francisco, California on July, 09, 2018

The legal clash involves dueling studies, along with allegations Monsanto thwarted potentially damning research.

"There was a lot of high rhetoric here about just how terrible things are at Monsanto," defense attorney George Lombardi said during closing arguments.

"Unless (Wisner) can tie it to Mr Johnson's cancer, none of this means anything."

Wisner accused Monsanto of attacking research using the same tactics previously employed by other businesses to conceal proof of the health hazards of tobacco, benzene and asbestos.

"They are using the same playbook," Wisner told AFP outside the courtroom.

"We know how the tobacco story ends and we know how the Monsanto story will end at some point in my lifetime."

Johnson was drenched with the weed-killer twice when spraying gear malfunctioned, according to testimony at trial.

He called the Monsanto hotline, but received no follow-up calls from representatives despite promises they would do so.

Instead, Monsanto started plotting defenses for Roundup, ghost-writing research and citing it, according to Wisner.

Wisner contended that the active ingredient glyphosate, combined with other chemicals in the weed killer, resulted in a cancer-causing "synergy."

A key to Johnson's case will be whether jurors are convinced that Monsanto's pesticide caused or exacerbated his illness.

"We all know cancer is a complicated disease," Wisner said while stressing that the bar for proving cases in civil suits is lower than that in criminal cases.

Plaintiff attorney Brent Wisner wants jurors to punish Monsanto for concealing the cancer risks of its weed killer -- to the tune of $400 million

"We don't have to show Roundup was the sole cause; we only have to show it is a contributor."

Glyphosate's cancer links have been the source of long debate among government regulators, health experts and lawyers.

If Monsanto loses, the case could open the door to hundreds of additional lawsuits against the company.

"Your verdict will be heard around the world," Wisner told jurors.

"Monsanto will have to finally do something -- conduct those studies they never conducted and warn those people they never warned."

Jurors return to the San Francisco courtroom early Wednesday for instructions from the judge before commencing deliberations.

"The message from the evidence is clear, and that is this cancer was not caused by Ranger Pro," Lombardi argued.

"The facts are what should lead you in this case."

Lombardi questioned the timing of Johnson's diagnosis, saying it came so soon after using the weed killer that it was more likely his cancer had already taken hold.

"The story just doesn't make sense," Lombardi told jurors.

Launched in 1976, Monsanto's flagship herbicide Roundup has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for decades.

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer -- a World Health Organization body -- classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic," and as a result, California listed it as carcinogenic.
Contestants take part in a beauty contest of the torch festival of Yi ethnic group on a grassland in Zhaojue County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Lyu Mingze)

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"White Wolf", whose real name is Chang An-lo, previously headed one of Taiwan's biggest gangs before rebranding himself as a pro-China political activist

Investigators in Taiwan have searched the home and party offices of a pro-China former gang leader known as "White Wolf" in a probe over donations ahead of key elections.

It comes as concerns grow about the involvement of organised crime in politics and escalating tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

China has long tried to influence politics on the self-governing island, which it claims as part of its territory.

Last month, the website of the ruling party was breached allegedly by Chinese hackers and there were also security breaches leading up to the 2016 presidential elections.

"White Wolf", whose real name is Chang An-lo, previously headed one of Taiwan's biggest gangs before rebranding himself as a pro-China political activist.

Chang is known for his pro-unification stance and his Chinese Unity Promotion Party (CUPP) regularly organises rallies in support of Beijing.

"We indeed conducted a search of the CUPP headquarters and residence of the main suspects for possible violation of the political donations act," Chou Shih-yu, a spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, told AFP on Wednesday.

Chou declined to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.

Local media reported that authorities had been investigating since last September whether CUPP's finances originate from the Chinese government, which is against the law.

Chang claims his party's funds are all from his own company.

"My money doesn't come from any government... The money is from our own factory, our own company. How I use it is my business, not yours," he told reporters Tuesday after the police search.

The police rounded up more than 300 suspected gang members in May, confiscating illegal weapons and drugs, in a sweep it said was aimed at preventing manipulation of island-wide local elections in November.

Chang was imprisoned for 10 years in the US for drug trafficking and then lived in exile for 17 years in China before returning to Taiwan in 2013.

Members of his party were accused of attacking Taiwanese independence supporters and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong when he visited Taipei in January 2017.

The elections in November are seen as an important barometer of popular support for the ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) or the China-friendly Kuomintang.
With no feed, farmers have been forced to ship in grain or hay from other parts of the country to keep sheep and cattle alive

A crippling drought is ravaging vast tracts of Australia's pastoral heartlands, decimating herds and putting desperate farmers under intense financial and emotional strain, with little relief in sight.

While the country is no stranger to "big drys" and its people have long had a reputation as resilient, the extreme conditions across swathes of Australia's east are the worst in more than 50 years.

A smattering of rain earlier this week did little to ease one of the driest starts to the year on record, turning pastures to dust and destroying huge areas of grazing and crop lands.

With no feed, farmers have been forced to ship in grain or hay from other parts of the country to keep sheep and cattle alive, spending thousands of extra dollars a week just to stay afloat.

Some exhausted graziers spend hours each day hand-feeding their stock because the ground is too dry for grass to grow. Others have been forced to shoot starving cattle.

"They are shooting their stock because they don't want them to suffer. They are shooting them because they just can't afford to feed them anymore," Tash Johnston, co-founder of charity Drought Angels, told AFP.

Farmers have also had to ration water for their families and their herds because the dams on their properties are dry or nearly empty.

Many face the prospect of abandoning their homes altogether -- some after being on the land for generations.

It is a scenario repeated across New South Wales state, where agriculture contributes more than Aus$15 billion (US$11 billion) to the state's economy annually, employing more than 77,000 people.

Authorities on Wednesday officially declared the entire state in drought.

Conditions are similarly dire in Queensland to the north, where the state government says nearly 60 percent of land is suffering drought conditions.

"This would be the first time in two generations, back to the 1930s, that we haven't got a crop up in the autumn or winter time," Greg Stones, who runs a small farm of cattle, sheep, grain and crops near drought-hit Gunnedah, a five-hour drive north of Sydney, told AFP.

"The land is too dry... We've put cattle on the highway (near the farm) for the first time in my life (so) they get a bit of rough grass."

Farmers also had to ration water for their families and their herds, with the dams on their properties dry or nearly empty

With farmers facing ruin, the national government stepped in last weekend, pledging a Aus$190 million package of immediate relief measures.

It includes two lump sum payments worth up to Aus$12,000 per household, and changes to an assets test to grant support to thousands more farmers.

There was also cash for counselling and mental health services, with drought-related stress and even suicide a mounting concern, compounded by the isolation many feel on their remote properties.

"We are the land of droughts and flooding rains. We recognise that. Its a very volatile and often capricious climate and Australian farmers are resilient, they plan for drought, they are good managers but it can become really overwhelming," said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"They understand drought is part of the Australian climate and they manage for it, but this drought is longer and more widespread than any drought we've seen in over 50 years so that's why we've got to provide additional support."

- Shocking to see -

NSW Farmers' Association president James Jackson welcomed the government measures, but cautioned it was vital to ensure ongoing support, particularly to address mental health.

Others said it was too little, too late.

"I think the only problem is it was probably a little bit late coming for some people. They didn't act fast enough," Col Barton, whose family has been on their farm east of Gunnedah since 1938, told AFP.

"All the climate gurus that know all about the weather still can't tell us when (the drought is) going to break. We've got no idea so we run blind. We've just got to plan and hope and pray that it rains."

Australia's weather bureau has warned there is no end in sight

Australia's weather bureau has warned there is no end in sight and the Red Cross has set up a relief appeal, while the Salvation Army is distributing food hampers.

It is not just farmers doing it tough, but also the towns that service them.

Murrurundi, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Sydney, has received less than 170 millimetres of rain this year and could run out of drinking water within months.

Severe restrictions are in place, including three-minute showers and only two washing loads of clothes a week, with fears the town may need to truck in supplies.

Grazier Mark Wylie has spent Aus$30,000 in the past six weeks boring for groundwater, to no avail.

Many are facing the prospect of abandoning their homes altogether, including some who have been on the land for generations

Even if he or Murrurundi authorities find a water source, he told local media: "It's a finite resource, it won't go on forever."

Water diviner Glen Shepherd, who has lived in the town for more than three decades, said these were the driest conditions he had ever seen.

"It's shocking to see," he told AFP. "And the people in the city don't realise, or they are starting to realise now, everything does come off the land -- the bread, the cereal, the milk.

"If the drought doesn't break, it's going to happen," he added, referring to farms going out of business.
Airbnb's 'Night At The Great Wall' contest lit up Chinese social media, with critics calling it a publicity stunt that lacked respect for the ancient monument

Home rental website Airbnb has scrapped a contest offering a chance to spend the night at a section of the Great Wall of China after an online backlash from people worried it could damage the site.

News of the "Night At The Great Wall" contest lit up Chinese social media, with critics calling it a publicity stunt that lacked respect for the ancient monument.

"No matter how they dress it up, this doesn't hide the fact that this contest is by a private company that will undeniably cause damage to an ancient artifact," one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

Officials from the Yanqing district -- home to the section of the Great Wall that was to host the sleepover -- said in a statement that they had not been notified about the event and that no approval was given.

"We have made the decision to not move forward with this event and instead we are working on a range of other experiences and initiatives that showcase China as a destination," Airbnb said Tuesday.

Launched last week, the contest invited users to write about breaking down cultural barriers and building new connections.

Four winners would get the chance to spent the night in a customised bedroom built in an ancient watchtower of the wall, which Airbnb said was done in consultation with conservation experts so that "not a single nail" of the Wall would need to be moved.

"This unprecedented level of access will showcase the Great Wall to the world and promote sustainable tourism to China by spotlighting wide ranging efforts to preserve the Wall's deep heritage and bring Chinese culture to life," the contest site said.

Airbnb has run similar competitions for the Catacombs in Paris, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Abbey Road Studios in London.

More than 8.6 million Chinese tourists have used Airbnb and the company has about 150,000 room listings in China. However, it is facing stiff competition from local rivals such as Tujia and Xiaozhu, which have flourished in the absence of official government regulations surrounding the fast-growing sector.

Airbnb agreed at the end of March to provide travellers' passport information to local authorities to comply with regulations that require all foreign visitors to China to register their accommodation details with the police.

The company has come under increasing pressure elsewhere, as cities and landlords crack down on "hosts" essentially turning homes into hotels. Tourist hotspots such as New York, Paris and Tokyo have all passed laws regulating short-term rentals.
Shahidul Alam (C, shown arriving for a court appearance) was detained by plainclothes police at his home Sunday after giving an interview to Al Jazeera about the student demonstrations

An award-winning photographer who accused Bangladesh officers of assaulting him after his arrest during major protests in Dhaka was back in police custody after a medical checkup, an official said Wednesday.

Shahidul Alam, 63, was detained by plainclothes police at his home Sunday after giving an interview to Al Jazeera about the student demonstrations, an arrest which drew condemnation from international rights groups.

The high court on Tuesday ordered authorities to transfer Alam to hospital.

"We have completed the checkup and he didn't need hospital admission. He was taken back after the procedure," Bangabandhu hospital director Brigadier General Abdullah al Harun told AFP.

Doctors would report on Alam's condition to a higher court, he added.

Alam had been remanded in custody by a lower court for violating controversial laws on internet speech, but the remand order was suspended by a higher court.

He was accused of making "false" and "provocative" statements as tens of thousands of students protested in Dhaka to demand improvements to road safety and an end to corruption.

The renowned photographer told reporters outside a magistrate's court on Monday that he had been beaten so badly in police custody that his tunic needed washing to get the blood out.

On Tuesday morning he was shifted to hospital, his wife Rahnuma Ahmed told AFP, adding he looked better than during his appearance in court when he seemed shaken and was limping.

"He was walking by himself," she said.

Alam's arrest capped a turbulent week in Bangladesh as students poured onto the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus.

The rallies lasted nine days, with demonstrations at the weekend and Monday turning violent with more than 150 people injured.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and mobs allegedly aligned with the government attacked demonstrators, journalists and even the US ambassador's car.

Alam founded the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, a photography school in Dhaka that spawned hundreds of photographers. He shot images of the demonstrations and discussed the protests on Facebook Live.

New York-based Human Rights Watch demanded his release, denouncing authorities for targeting activists and journalists instead of prosecuting those responsible for unlawfully attacking student protesters.

The protests seemed to have fizzled out on Tuesday, with students telling AFP they feared further government repression if the demonstrations continued.
Biti is a senior figure in the MDC alliance and was the respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-13 power-sharing government

Senior Zimbabwean opposition figure Tendai Biti was arrested as he tried to flee to neighbouring Zambia to seek asylum, his lawyer said Wednesday, allegedly on charges of inciting violence over the disputed election result.

In last week's vote, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe's former ally, narrowly retained power, but the opposition MDC party has accused the electoral authority of rigging the result.

Supporters of the MDC took to the streets on August 1 to protest the alleged fraud, triggering a brutal response from the military which opened fire on the demonstrators leaving six people dead.

The day before the protests -- and before the final presidential results were announced -- Biti held a press conference at the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) headquarters in Harare claiming victory for the party.

Biti, who also alleged electoral fraud, is a senior figure in the MDC alliance and was the respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-13 power-sharing government.

"He was arrested at the Zambian border," Biti's lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo told AFP, adding by text message that he was trying to seek asylum.

The police were not immediately available to comment.

The state-run Chronicle newspaper said Tuesday that Biti was among nine suspects being sought for inciting the protests when the army opening fire.

Police detective Portia Chinho told the paper they were wanted for "participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence".
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says it is hard to imagine new talks with the US like these in Geneva on January 14, 2015 because "now no one trusts them"

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday it was hard to imagine new talks with the US after it lost the trust of the world with its erratic decision-making.

"Imagine negotiating now -- how can we trust them?" Zarif told reporters on state broadcaster IRINN. "America has zig-zagged constantly, so now no one trusts them."

Zarif was speaking a day after Washington reimposed a first tranche of harsh sanctions following its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.

President Donald Trump says he wants talks with Iran on a new deal covering the full range of its "malign behaviour" in the region, which has been dismissed by Iran.

"There is a big difference this time," said Zarif.

"Before nobody supported Iran. But now, all the countries in the world are supporting Iran."
All eyes were on President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila (at podium) ahead of an announcement on whether he will run in end-year elections

The Democratic Republic of Congo was braced Wednesday for President Joseph Kabila to announce either a successor, or his own candidacy for elections in breach of a two-term limit.

A church-backed group called the Lay Coordination Committee (CLC) and a pro-democracy group, Lucha, have called for protests across the country if Kabila says he will go for a third mandate.

In central Africa, Angola is the only country where in 2016 a ruling president, Jose Eduardo do Santos, chose a successor, enabling a peaceful transfer of power after 38-years.

Kabila's ruling coalition, the Common Front for Congo (FCC), has officially until 1530 GMT to submit the name of their candidate to the electoral commission.

Eight candidates including at least three from the opposition have already submitted their names.

On Tuesday, members of the FCC were summoned to Kabilas farm in Kingakati, outside Kinshasa, to discuss potential candidates for the December 23 vote.

Among the possible contenders are former prime minister Augustin Matata Ponyo, 54; chief of staff to the president Nehemie Mwilanya Wilonga, 50; and speaker of the National Assembly Aubin Minaku, 53.

Some fear Kabila, 47, could argue he has completed only one term in office because the constitution was changed since he became president that therefore he is eligible to run again.

"If he does, the implications for whether or not the elections should go forward are very significant", said Stephanie Wolters, Johannesburg-based analyst at ISS Africa.

"And if he doesnt, if he chooses a successor, its substantial progress for the process although of course not the end of the concerns that people generally have (about) the credibility of the elections".

- Peaceful transfer of power -

A country of some 80 million people, the DRC has never known a peaceful government transition since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Elections have been delayed since December 2016, prompting anti-Kabila protests that have been bloodily repressed.

Kabilas tenure over the vast mineral-rich country has been marked by a reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest.

Several provinces are in the grip of armed conflict and according to the UN High commissioner for refugees, more than four million people have had to flee their homes, many to Uganda, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia.

"Theres a heightened political awareness and an understanding that the ruling party and Kabila hasnt brought the kind of change that Congo needs and that Congolese want", said Wolters.

"Its essential to have some credible process or the Congo will keep spiralling and none of the important human security priority issues will be addressed".

- US sanctions -

The United States is ready to impose further sanctions on the DRC to "squeeze" Kabila's family and "his finances", the Financial Times reported Monday.

Analysts like Wolters believe the president "is probably factoring that into his thinking or at least is aware that the possibility exists".

The African Union this week reiterated calls for "all stakeholders to ensure peaceful, transparent and truly inclusive elections" in the DRC.

How much threats of sanctions and international opinion will inform Kabila's decision is unclear.

One of the key issues surrounds the fate of opposition leader Moise Katumbi who was barred from entering the country last week to lodge his candidacy.

Katumbi, 53, a wealthy businessman and former governor of the province of Katanga, was unable to cross the border from Zambia where he and his team remains as of Wednesday.

Among opposition candidates, there are Felix Tshisekedi, 55, leader of Congo's oldest opposition party UDPS, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, 55, a former warlord recently acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The definitive list of candidates is set to be announced on September 19 after each name is validated by the electoral commission.
The rubbish-strewn camp had little by way of food or water, while its inhabitants did not have shoes and wore rags for clothes

The body of a four-year-old boy has been found in a dilapidated camp in the US state of New Mexico where 11 children were rescued in appalling conditions, police said.

Two men were arrested in a raid on Friday as part of the operation connected to a months-long search for the child, according to New Mexico's Taos County Sheriff's office.

"We discovered the remains yesterday on Abdul's fourth birthday," Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said Tuesday, appearing to fight back tears.

The investigation kicked off late last year on the opposite side of the country in Jonesboro, Georgia, where 39-year-old Siraj Wahhaj was accused of kidnapping his young son Abdul-Ghani.

The boy's mother told police her child, who she said suffered from seizures along with developmental and cognitive problems, went to a park with his father Wahhaj last December and never returned.

On August 2, Sheriff Hogrefe issued a search warrant describing "a makeshift compound surrounded by tires and an earthen berm" where Wahhaj along with adult Lucas Morten were thought to be in hiding.

The investigation kicked off late last year on the opposite side of the country in Jonesboro, Georgia, where 39-year-old Siraj Wahhaj (pictured) of the state's Clayton County was accused of kidnapping his toddler Abdul-Ghani

The next day, a dozen officers kicked off the "all day" operation, discovering hidden beneath New Mexico's scrubland the two men with an AR-15 rifle, five loaded 30-round magazines and four loaded pistols, including one in Wahhaj's pocket.

Morten was charged with harboring a fugitive and Wahhaj was booked without bond on his Georgia warrant for child abduction.

Three women thought to be parents of the children -- aged one to 15 and all now in protective custody -- were also detained for questioning. They were released pending further investigation.

In the first operation, Abdul was not found.

But the officers returned to the site after questioning the suspects on Friday and Saturday, which led them to believe that the boy was still there.

"We had a good idea of a target location to look for the child," Hogrefe said.

Abdul's mother told the authorities that Siraj Wahhaj wanted to exorcize his son because he considered that his disability was due to a demon.

The other boys "are all safe and their needs are being met," Henry Varela, communications director of the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth and Families, told AFP.

The rubbish-strewn camp had little by way of food or water, while its inhabitants did not have shoes and wore rags for clothes.
Firebrand Buddhist monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara has faced several previous cases on charges of hate crimes against minority Muslims in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka

A firebrand Buddhist monk was sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for contempt of court.

Galagodaatte Gnanasara had already been sentenced to six months in June for intimidating a woman, whose cartoonist husband was abducted by the military, during a trial two years ago.

The Court of Appeal handed down Wednesday's additional sentence after finding him guilty of disruptive behaviour during that trial as well.

Rigorous imprisonment in Sri Lanka typically sees convicts performing menial tasks around the prison, such as cleaning toilets, kitchen duties and washing laundry by hand.

Gnanasara, who has faced several previous cases on charges of hate crimes against minority Muslims in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday, officials said, and was not present at the sentencing.

His intimidation of Sandya Eknaligoda took place when he attended the 2016 trial of military officers accused of abducting her husband Prageeth in 2010.

Prageeth's cartoons lampooned former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse.

Gnanasara accused Eknaligoda and her husband of supporting Tamil extremists and bringing the military into disrepute.

Last year, Gnanasara spent a month on the run as police pursued him in connection with a string of attacks against Muslims. He later surrendered.

His Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), or Buddhist Force, has denied allegations it was behind riots against Muslims in 2017 and 2014 that left four people dead.

Gnanasara maintains close ties with Wirathu, an extremist monk based in Myanmar whose hate speech has stoked religious tensions in that country.

Wirathu visited Sri Lanka as a guest of Gnanasara shortly after the 2014 violence in Sri Lanka's tourist resort of Aluthgama.
Indonesian shamans dance during a Jakarta festival: people still turn to them for guidance

An Indonesian shaman has been arrested for keeping an abducted teenager as a sex slave for 15 years by claiming he was possessed by the spirit of her imaginary boyfriend, police said Wednesday.

The distressed woman, who is now aged 28, was found naked by police on Sunday in a jungle cave near the village of Bajungan in Central Sulawesi province.

She was reported missing by her family in 2003, when she was 13, after visiting the shaman for treatment of an illness.

The victim's father spent years searching for his daughter. But police said the shaman, whose son is married to the victim's sister, had told the family the girl had gone far away and would not return.

"Every day, for many years, the shaman had sex with her under the pretence he was possessed by a male spirit," local police chief Iqbal Alqudusy told AFP on Wednesday.

The 83-year-old shaman, identified as Jago, tricked the woman into believing the spirit of a young man named Amrin lived inside him, Alqudusy said. The victim was convinced Amrin was her boyfriend.

The shaman is alleged to have hidden the woman in the cave during the day and to have had sex with her in a nearby hut at night.

Police rescued the woman, who is currently at a safe house, after receiving a tip-off from a family member.

"She is very disoriented, she's scared of people and keeps wanting to go back to the cave," Alqudusy said, adding she would undergo therapy.

The shaman faces 15 years in prison for allegedly having sex with a minor. His family members are also being investigated for failing to inform police.

In a police video obtained by AFP, the shaman admitted he forced the victim to have an abortion when he found out she was pregnant.

He said she was given a herbal concoction and miscarried a few days later. She then threw the foetus in a river.

The cave has now become a tourist attraction, with curious locals flocking to the site and vendors selling snacks.

Indonesia is a mainly Muslim country but superstitious practices are still widespread.

People often turn to shamans, practitioners seen as having influence in the spirit world, and the paranormal to treat illnesses or to consult on everyday life.

Authorities have introduced a law to ban black magic, with violators facing up to three months in jail or a fine of 450,000 rupiah ($41).
The 1st Tibet Yak Industry Development Forum was held in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 6, 2018. The three-day forum, focusing on yak industry development and Tibet animal husbandry, kicked off here on Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Dongjun)

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The 1988 protests catapulted Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero General Aung San, to prominence

Students and former activists in Myanmar marked the 30th anniversary of the famed 1988 pro-democracy uprising with a rousing but low-key ceremony, the culmination of three days of events to commemorate the revolt and its brutal suppression.

Some 2,000 people packed the Yangon University recreation centre, which was festooned with red flags sporting the "fighting peacock" logo of the movement that helped catapult Aung San Suu Kyi to prominence.

They crammed past exhibitions of photos and paintings, wrote messages of support on a mock prison cell wall, and took turns waiting for a photo next to a sculpture of a symbolic clenched fist.

Ex-political prisoner Min Ko Naing was among the former protest leaders to reflect on the long struggle against the military

Former protest leaders mounted the stage to reflect on the struggle against the military that first seized power in a 1962 coup.

"After 30 years, we students have come back here again," Min Ko Naing, one of the more prominent protest leaders, told the crowd to applause.

"But some aren't able to come back."

After years of economic decline and a tightening clampdown on rights, student-led protests swelled into nationwide strikes and marches on August 8, 1988.

But troops rushed in to stamp out the movement, shooting protesters and locking them up en masse.

The number of political prisoners in Myanmar's fetid jails swelled while many fled the country into prolonged exile.

Exhibitions of photos and paintings at Yangon University commemorate the 1988 uprising

During the uprising, Suu Kyi -- the daughter of independence hero General Aung San who had returned from England to care for her sick mother -- was seen as a beacon of hope, giving rousing speeches to adoring crowds and maddening the paranoid junta.

She was placed under house arrest for a combined total of 15 years before being released in 2010 and leading her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to victory in historic 2015 elections.

But her reputation as a global icon for rights has been shattered due to her handling of the country's Rohingya crisis.

Reconciliation with the army has been one of Suu Kyi's priorities since she came to power, angering many frustrated with the ongoing presence of the military in political life.

The 8888 uprising was brutally suppressed by the military

"I don't like the NLD government as they don't have the capacity to run a country," said 71-year-old Cho Aye, who said he took part in the uprising. "They broke their promises."

Few expect a change of government in the next election in 2020, but some prominent members of the 88 uprising have decided to start their own party in a sign of disillusionment with the NLD.

"It is wonderful to be here to celebrate together but we need to work a lot to move forward," Ko Ko Gyi, a former 88 student leader who is helping start the new party, told AFP after speaking on stage.
An online ivory store in Singapore has been exposed as a hoax

An apparent online ivory store which caused a furore in Singapore has been exposed as a hoax set up by environmental group WWF to highlight perceived shortcomings in local laws.

The outlet called Ivory Lane purportedly offered items including earrings and necklaces for sale and had a well-produced website, including a price list and images of women modelling the jewellery.

The hoax shop, which appeared online last week, insisted its products were made from ivory obtained before 1990, when an international ban on the trade came into force. It is still legal to sell pre-1990 items in Singapore.

But consumers in the city-state reacted with outrage at the website, flooding its Facebook page with angry comments and accusing the shop of supporting the slaughter of elephants. Some media including Agence France-Presse reported on the growing furore.

After a few days, a post from someone claiming to be the store's owner appeared and insisted all the products were "completely legal" in Singapore.

But in a statement late Tuesday, WWF admitted it had set up the online shop, and said the hoax was aimed at highlighting shortcomings in local wildlife laws.

The group said that by continuing to allow the sale of ivory obtained before 1990, recently poached ivory could be disguised as vintage ivory.

"It is not easy to understand wildlife laws and what is legal and not, a reality that is often misused by illegal traders," said Elaine Tan, chief executive of WWF-Singapore.

The WWF said setting up Ivory Lane had sparked a heated debate and generated over 65,000 reactions. It was part of a broader investigation by the group, which found more than 40 shops in Singapore selling ivory products.

Tan said there was a need for strong legislation to address the issue in Singapore, a major hub for the illegal wildlife trade due to its status as a global trading hub.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said the government was considering a domestic ban on the sale of ivory.
Authorities have been jolted into action after reports this month exposed the sexual abuse of more than 30 girls at a state-funded shelter in Bihar state

India has ordered the inspection of at least 9,000 shelters for abandoned and orphaned children after a wave of sex abuse scandals shocked the country, a minister reportedly said.

Maneka Gandhi, the country's women and child development minister, told the Indian Express newspaper in an interview published Wednesday that the probe would include background checks on the owners and managers of homes.

Authorities have been jolted into action after reports this month uncovered the sexual abuse of more than 30 girls at a state-funded shelter in Bihar state.

Police this week detained five people over alleged abuse at a shelter in Uttar Pradesh state where 24 girls were rescued after one escaped to tell investigators of mistreatment at the home.

"I have asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to ensure that the social audit is completed for all childcare institutions within the next 60 days," Gandhi said, according to the newspaper.

The inspections will look at basic amenities and living conditions for children, she added.

A 2017 government study revealed that half of the estimated 9,000 childcare institutions in India were unregistered.

The minister acknowledged there may be other unrecorded homes and called for the creation of central shelters for women and children in each state.

"That's the only way we can keep them safe," she told the Indian Express, adding that government funds could be given for new homes.

The ministry did not immediately respond to AFP's questions about the abuse cases.
Iran's Labour Minister Ali Rabiei, seen here addressing parliament on March 13, 2018, has been impeached amid mounting anger over the government's handling of an economic crisis which has deepened with the return of US sanctions

Iran's Labour Minister Ali Rabiei was impeached on Wednesday after months of mounting anger over the government's handling of an economic crisis which has deepened with the return of US sanctions.

Rabiei lost a confidence motion in parliament by 129 votes to 111, giving President Hassan Rouhani three months to replace him.

Rouhani has been under mounting pressure in recent weeks to reshuffle his economic team.

The withdrawal of the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal led to the first tranche of related sanctions being reimposed on Tuesday.

But Iran was already struggling with longstanding problems of unemployment and low investment, which his team has appeared powerless to tackle.

Rabiei, 62, is a longstanding ally of Rouhani, who also served as an adviser to reformist former president Mohammad Khatami between 1997 and 2005.
An Iraqi boy walks past concrete blocks in Baghdad on August 2, 2018

Suha Abdelhamid's life has dramatically improved over the past two months -- thanks to the removal of fortified roadblocks that had made her daily commute in Iraq's capital a misery.

Like people across Baghdad, the young dentist finds a certain joy in rediscovering streets that were previously behind a tortuously slow slalom of concrete barriers and checkpoints.

"Before, I never thought of passing through here" said Abdelhamid, as she shopped in a small supermarket in her wealthy home district of Al-Bounouk.

The removal of barriers and roadblocks is a work in progress.

After years of sectarian violence that culminated in the Islamic State group seizing around a third of Iraq in 2014, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the Sunni jihadists in December.

"More than 1,000 streets and alleyways have been reopened in Baghdad since last year", said General Saad Maan, spokesman for the city's security forces high command.

A total of "305 checkpoints and roadblocks have been taken down and the campaign is continuing", he added.

- Sectarian districts -

The first concrete walls in the old city sprang up in 2007, as violence between Sunni and Shiite militias intensified.

The Sunni dominated Al-Adhamiya district was the first to be sealed off by a "separation wall".

Other neighbourhoods followed.

An Iraqi boy walks past a concrete barrier in Baghdad on August 2, 2018

"In chasing and terrorising residents in mixed quarters, the 2005-08 civil war enabled the militias to establish homogeneous strongholds", Iraq researcher and author Caecilia Pieri told AFP.

In the decade since then, more than eight million citizens and nearly two million vehicles have had to endure daily jams in the capital, caused by the walls, other barriers and security checks.

But thanks to key routes and feeder roads being reopened, traffic circulation is now improving in some districts.

For 27-year-old civil servant Ahmed Abdelrahman, bringing his arthritic mother to a doctor in the largely Sunni district of Al-Harthiya was once a nightmare.

The jams between security checks used to make the journey a feat of endurance for her.

But "everything has changed since they shut the checkpoints and reopened certain streets", said Abdelrahman, helping his mother out of the car and into the street.

- Uptick in trade -

The dismantling of the barriers has also seen trade flow more freely.

"We could not bring trucks in and customers had to walk a long way to access the shops", said trader Rami Dhia in Al-Bounouk's main commercial street.

Business "activity has soared by four times" since the cement barriers were removed, Dhia added.

Iraqis drive next to a concrete barrier in Baghdad on August 5, 2018

But Abdallah Ali, who sells children's clothes, will never forget the many years "when we spent several days in a row selling nothing".

"Many shops closed" because of the roadblocks, he lamented.

While the economy took a hit from the checkpoints and walls, their presence made law enforcement easier, security specialist Hussein Allawi told AFP.

The gradual removal of the barriers is "proof that security is improving and that victory has been won over terrorism", he said.

"The next objective is to bring Baghdad back to normal life", he added.

That will require sustained peaceful cohabitation between the Shiite and Sunni communities, Pieri said.

"We must hope that the dismantling of these walls will be both the symptom and the cause of a real return to this cohabitation", she said.

But with barriers still making his life difficult, 48-year-old taxi driver Mahmud Shaker is not celebrating yet.

"They say we're done with terrorism -- but the streets remain blocked", he said.
Rakhine state has been largely sealed off by the Myanmar government since the beginning of the Rohingya crisis

The United Nations said Wednesday it still had not been granted independent access to the epicentre of Myanmar's Rohingya crisis two months after inking a deal with the government to carry out work there.

UN refugee and development agencies signed an agreement with Myanmar in June that permitted them to operate in northern Rakhine state where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims were driven from their homes in a brutal army campaign that started almost a year ago.

The agreement was supposed to let the UN help Myanmar create conditions on the ground that would be conducive to a safe and voluntary return for the stateless Rohingya, many of whom are currently languishing in camps in southeast Bangladesh.

So far they have refused to come back without any guarantee of security or basic rights such as citizenship.

The UN agencies said in a joint statement that requests dating back to mid-June for international employees to be allowed to start work in northern Rakhine state remained unanswered.

Though they highlighted some "encouraging" steps, such as visits to the area by UN officials, they said Myanmar needed to provide "effective access".

The UN refugee agency has kept an office in northern Rakhine state throughout the crisis but staff are not able to work in the field freely.

The statement also called on Myanmar to provide freedom of movement for all communities and to address the root cause of the crisis.

In Myanmar, the Rohingya are widely regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and most live under apartheid-like conditions, cut off from adequate healthcare and unable to travel.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August last year. Living in cramped shelters they have recounted horrific testimonies of murder, rape and torture at the hands of army troops and mobs of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

The US and UN brand the operations carried out by security forces as ethnic cleansing.

But Myanmar's military says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants and denies targeting civilians.

A spokesman for the Myanmar government could not be reached for comment.

Rakhine has been largely sealed off since the crisis exploded, with Myanmar undertaking a massive reconstruction programme that critics say amounts to the erasure of Rohingya history.

burs-rs/joe/rma
Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party protest in Harare against alleged fraud by the election authority and ruling party after the announcement of results on August 1, 2018

Zimbabwe's MDC opposition party on Wednesday confirmed it would launch a legal challenge to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's narrow election victory, which it says was due to fraud.

"Those results represent a total negation of the will of the people," MDC lawyer Thabani Mpofu told reporters. "The election results made by ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) will be challenged."

Mpofu declined to give the date when the legal case will be lodged, which is set to delay Mnangagwa's inauguration.

Under Zimbabwean law, the deadline for filing the challenge is Friday. The Constitutional Court must rule on the petition within 14 days.

"Evidence derives from ZEC's figures that in our view grossly mathematically fail to tally," said Mpofu.

"We have what we require for the purposes not just of mounting a credible and sustainable challenge, but that will yield a vacation of the entire process announced by ZEC.

"We are convinced once this has been placed before a court, there will only be one outcome."

The MDC headquarters were raided by authorities in what Mpofu described as "an attempt to destroy our evidence", but he said their data was "secure".

He gave no details about the evidence of alleged fraud, promising to reveal "a secret weapon" in court.

Mnangagwa, a former ally of ousted Robert Mugabe, narrowly retained power in last week's landmark vote, but the MDC has repeatedly said it actually won.

The president, the ruling ZANU-PF party and the electoral commission have dismissed charges of cheating.
Indian MP Kannimozhi (3rd L in yellow) of the DMK party looks at the body of her father and DMK president Muthuvel Karunanidhi, as others gather to pay respects

Indian police Wednesday used batons to drive back tens of thousands of mourners thronging the funeral of a revered regional politician, triggering a stampede that reportedly left two devotees dead.

Grieving supporters of Muthuvel Karunanidhi poured into the southeastern city of Chennai to pay last respects to the man who died Tuesday aged 94.

A sea of mourners swelled in the streets as the coffin was taken to its resting place in the Tamil Nadu state capital.

But there was a stampede as police pushed back against mourners as they strove for a final glimpse of Karunanidhi.

Two people were killed and others injured in the melee, Indian news outlets reported. Police officials contacted by AFP were unable to confirm the reports.

Tension had been building in the city after the state government Tuesday denied permission for the politician to be buried at the popular Marina beach.

Karunanidhi's party, the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), approached the state's highest court. It ruled that the five-time state chief minister should be buried next to his mentor C.N Annadurai at the seaside memorial.

Karunanidhi, a charismatic self-styled champion of the poor, reshaped regional politics through his opposition to high-caste hegemony and was idolised by legions of his supporters.

He earned the loyalty of many rural voters with a series of populist schemes and fiery speeches in support of the so-called backward castes.

A school dropout, Karunanidhi became involved in politics at a young age, spearheading the DMK party through 12 state elections, all of which he contested and won.

Affectionately called "Kalaignar" or scholar, he wrote reams of poems, lyrics and books and was a prolific screenwriter for the Tamil film industry.
The Foggia region hosts thousands of Africans who spend the summer harvesting season picking tomatoes in blazing temperatures alongside workers from eastern Europe

Hundreds of mostly African farm labourers downed tools Wednesday and marched from fields in southern Italy chanting "we are not slaves", protesting at conditions for tomato pickers after 16 migrant workers died in two road crashes.

The near-identical accidents within 48 hours of each other highlighted the plight of farm workers around the the city of Foggia in the Puglia region, where thousands of foreign labourers spend the summer season harvesting tomatoes, often at the mercy of recruiters sometimes linked to organised crime.

Striking demonstrators, many wearing red caps, waving flags or carrying tomatoes, walked for three hours in the baking sun from the countryside towards Foggia, shouting: "We are not slaves, no to exploitation."

"You know how much Italian tomatoes cost? The price of African blood," said 41-year-old Kogyate Diakine, from Ivory Coast, who has lived in Italy for more than a decade.

Striking demonstrators shouted "we are not slaves, no to exploitation" as they made their way from the countryside towards the city of Foggia in the southern Puglia region

Italy's government has scrambled to respond to the outcry over the deaths, with hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini declaring war on the "mafia" in and around Foggia and promising to eradicate it "street by street, town by town", during a visit to the region on Tuesday.

Both the road crashes in the region happened when lorries transporting tomatoes slammed into vans carrying foreign farm workers returning from their day's work.

An accident on Saturday left four African farm workers dead and four others seriously injured, while another on Monday killed 12 people, all non-EU citizens.

- 'Discouraged and unwelcome' -

The Foggia province hosts thousands of Africans who spend the summer harvesting season picking tomatoes in blazing temperatures alongside workers from eastern Europe, typically Romanians, Bulgarians and Poles.

"We are discouraged and unwelcome. Here we are nothing," said Barri Alfa, from Ivory Coast.

Although most of those working in the fields in Italy have regular papers, they rarely receive the benefits and salaries required by law, and many live in squalid conditions.

Twelve migrant agricultural workers were killed on August 6 when the van transporting them during tomato harvest season smashed into a lorry in southern Italy

They are often beholden to the recruiters, who operate as intermediaries and collect a portion of the workers' pay.

"I work eight to 10 hours per day for 30 euros (35), with only 30 minutes break at midday, and I still have to pay five euros for transport," said one 22-year-old Malian worker.

His pay was around average of those interviewed by AFP, despite being below the minimum wage of 48 euros in agriculture for a working day of up to seven hours.

For years, unions and associations that help migrant workers have called for a public transport system to be created around Foggia for the peak harvest season.

The Puglia region has now budgeted for such a system, governor Michele Emiliano said on Monday, but he added that cooperation and transparency from the farms was crucial.

Italy's main farming union, the Coldiretti, criticised market pressures saying that in a 1.30 euro bottle of tomato sauce sold in Italian supermarkets, the tomato represented just eight percent of the price, with 10 percent for the bottle, 18 percent for processing and 53 percent for distribution.
Ikea is set to open its first Indian store in Hyderabad on Thursday

Ikea's boss promised Wednesday to meet the "needs, frustrations and dreams" of local consumers with the Swedish firm's first Indian store, its second attempt to break into a vast but difficult market.

"We bring an inspiring, affordable and convenient home furnishing offer," Jesper Brodin said a day before the grand opening of the furniture giant's vast store on the outskirts of the southern city of Hyderabad.

"We promise to give great quality at affordable prices and try to expand quickly and reach other parts of the country with multiple stores," Brodin told a news conference.

Ikea, whose founder Ingvar Kamprad died in January, is present in 49 countries. But its previous attempt in 2006 at reaching India's burgeoning middle class fell foul of local regulations.

This time around, Ikea expects to attract seven million visitors per year to its 13-acre (5.3 hectare) Hyderabad site, the first of 25 outlets it hopes to open across the country of 1.25 billion by 2025.

But Brodin admitted having to give Ikea's business model a local twist of Indian spice to try to attract a vast middle class not used to a company which expects them to assemble products themselves.

The differences between Hyderabad and the furniture giant's 400-odd outlets elsewhere start in the 1,000-seater restaurant, its biggest worldwide and according to Ikea "possibly India's largest".

Hyderabad store manager John Achillea (L) says it will cater to customers with 'big aspirations for their homes and small wallets'

Instead of beef or pork, the company's signature meatballs -- almost as famous as its "Billy" bookshelves -- will be either chicken or vegetarian. Local favourite biryani is also on the menu for 99 rupees ($1.44).

A plate of eight vegetarian meatballs will cost 129 rupees.

- Coconut mattresses -

"We have changed quite a lot for India. We have two ranges. One is the Swedish unique range and one is the local range," Ikea food manager Henrik Osterstrom told AFP.

"Food is part of the total experience. It's a big store and you need to have some energy boost halfway through. So we have sold everything here at different parts of the day," Osterstrom added.

Alongside standard Ikea furniture, on offer are "locally relevant products" such as masala boxes, Indian frying pans called tawas, rice cake makers and mattresses with a coconut-fibre centre.

There are also more than 1,000 products under 200 rupees to satisfy consumers whom John Achillea, Ikea Hyderabad store manager, says have "big aspirations for their homes and small wallets".

A major hurdle for Ikea's DIY model, successful elsewhere, is abundant cheap labour and ubiquitous family-run shops whose staff visit customers' homes and assemble furniture.

Ikea has therefore teamed up with UrbanClap, an online platform that helps connect handymen with consumers, and the firm also met 1,000 families to try to understand their needs.

The Swedish company is investing $1.5 billion in India as it bets big on luring a rising middle class away from local furniture makers.

After Hyderabad, Ikea plans to open outlets in the financial capital Mumbai next year, followed by stores in Bangalore and New Delhi as it seeks to grab a share of India's estimated $40 billion home goods market.

But analysts warn that profits won't come quickly or easily.

"Ikea will have to focus on staff training, the right mix of branding and reaching out to more customers in smaller cities and towns. Profitability will take time," Satish Meena, of research firm Forrester, told AFP.

burs-pdh/sm
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the private airline company Shaheen Air International (SAI) to pay monetary compensation to the passengers who were left stranded in China for over a week.

According to the local media reports, a three-member bench of the country's top court resumed the hearing of its suo-motu notice on the matter on Tuesday.

Over 214 Pakistanis were left stranded at Guangzhou airport in China due to a payment dispute between the Shaheen Air International and Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is the country's aviation regulator.

[ Editor: WPY ]
Tens of thousands of Israeli Druze and supporters stage a rally to protest against the Jewish nation-state law in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv

Israel's parliament held a special session on Wednesday to debate a controversial law passed last month declaring the country the nation state of the Jewish people.

Here are five questions and answers related to the law:

Why is the law controversial?

It has long been taken for granted by many that Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people, as described in the 1948 declaration of independence at the country's founding in the wake of the Holocaust.

As a result, the controversy surrounding the law has much to do with what is not in it rather than what is.

It contains no mention of equality or democracy, implying that Israel's Jewish nature takes precedence -- what Israel's far-right religious nationalist politicians have long advocated.

Beyond that, several clauses contained in the legislation are also sources of concern, especially since the text is part of Israel's so-called basic laws, which form a de facto constitution.

One section speaks of Israel as the historic homeland of the Jews and says they have a "unique" right to self-determination there.

Israeli lawmakers gather for the vote approving the controversial Jewish nation state law on July 18, 2018

Another defines the establishment of Jewish communities as in the national interest and makes Hebrew the sole official language, downgrading Arabic to special status.

This has led to concerns that Arab Israelis, who account for some 17.5 percent of Israel's more than eight million population, could now be openly discriminated against in everything from housing to budgeting and land allocation.

Are there other laws protecting equality and democratic principles?

Only in part. Israel's basic laws include references to the country as "Jewish and democratic", but no specific right to equality apart from the declaration of independence.

Amir Fuchs, of the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank and who participated in committee meetings on the legislation as an expert, said courts have interpreted a right to human dignity in basic laws as guaranteeing equality.

Much will depend on how Israel's courts interpret the new legislation in comparison to what was on the books, said Fuchs, who called it a "terrible law which changes the definition of Israel."

Emmanuel Navon, senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum, a think tank that advocated the legislation, said equality is already anchored in law due to court decisions regarding it and existing laws.

"Those principles are enshrined in Israeli law, not only by those basic laws but also by many decision from the supreme court, by the Israeli jurisprudence," he said.

What are examples of changes the law could provoke?

Israel's Arab minority fears the law legalises discrimination that will allow them to be openly excluded from housing, for example, or see state budgets skewed against them.

Sheikh Muafak Tarif, spititual leader of Israel's 130,000-strong Druze minority, who unlike other Arabs are required to serve in the military, joins a mass rally against the Jewish nation state law in Tel Aviv on August 4, 2018

Fuchs said the immediate impact is more symbolic than practical, but over the long-term he can envision gradual changes.

That could include laws such as forcing parliament members or new citizens to take an oath saying they are loyal to a "Jewish and democratic" state.

But even if there are no immediate practical effects, Fuchs said the symbolism of it remains powerful.

"Whoever you talk to who is an Arab or not Jewish will tell you, and rightly so, that this sends a message that you are not full citizens in this country," he said.

For Navon, the law was necessary to protect Israel's identity as a Jewish state against future attempts to erode that.

He named possible changes in laws that could allow Palestinians who marry Arab Israelis to more easily gain citizenship, a potential threat to the country's Jewish majority.

Navon also spoke of symbolic issues such as challenges to Israel's Star of David flag or programmes supporting the Jewish diaspora.

Why was it approved now?

Israel's religious nationalist politicians, including those who oppose a Palestinian state and want to annex much of the occupied West Bank, have for years called for such a law.

Analysts say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for the Jewish nation state law to shore up his political base and fend off rivals from the far right as elections loom

But a range of political analysts say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israel's history, pushed for it now with upcoming elections in mind.

Parliament's current term ends in November 2019, but there has been speculation that Netanyahu, facing a possible corruption indictment, could call early polls.

The law is seen as allowing Netanyahu to shore up his political base and fend off rivals from the far-right.

What has been the response?

Five court challenges have been filed. There have also been protests led by Israel's 130,000-strong Druze minority, who are required to serve in Israel's military unlike other Arab Israelis.

At Wednesday's parliament hearing, there were calls from the opposition to make Israel's declaration of independence its constitution.

Netanyahu says that without the law "it will be impossible to ensure for generations the future of Israel as a Jewish national state."
Sri Lanka plans more electric fences to ward off marauding elephants

Sri Lanka Wednesday announced plans to substantially extend electric fencing after marauding elephants killed 375 people in the past five years and villagers retaliated by slaughtering nearly 1,200 of the beasts.

The government said the toll marked a clear escalation of the human-elephant conflict and urgent steps were needed to protect both people and wildlife.

Government spokesman Gayantha Karunathilaka said authorities would begin constructing 2,651 kilometres (1,556 miles) of new electric fencing to keep elephants away from villages bordering wildlife reserves.

The cabinet also approved a plan to upgrade the existing 4,349 kilometres of electric fences -- which repel elephants but do not seriously hurt them -- and ensure better maintenance.

There was no immediate estimate of the costs.

The announcement came two days after President Maithripala Sirisena called for urgent action, saying elephants were straying from national parks, raiding villages and destroying crops.

Sirisena said wildlife, including elephants, destroyed about 35 percent of the country's agricultural produce.

A monkey population of one million in the island of 21 million people was responsible for wiping out much of the coconut harvest earlier this year and driving prices up, the president said.

He also said there were almost daily reports of elephants attacking villagers or destroying property.

Official figures show 5,800 incidents of elephants attacking property in the past five years.

Elephants are considered a Buddhist symbol and protected by law. Killing wild elephants is an offence punishable by death, but there were regular reports of angry villagers poisoning or shooting them.

Sri Lanka also bans the capture of wild elephants, although many people have illegally raised baby jumbos -- seen as a status symbol.

Official records show there were about 200 domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka before the recent ban on capturing them. The population in the wild is estimated at 7,500.
Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms has been granted permission to land at the southern port of Algeciras, it said Wednesdya

An NGO ship which rescued 87 migrants off Libya has been given the green light to dock in the southern Spanish port of Algeciras on Thursday, the charity said, after Italy refused them entry.

The migrants, nearly all from Sudan including Darfur, had spent 50 hours at sea on board an inflatable boat, without drinking water, and many suffered burns from a mixture of fuel and salt water before they were rescued on August 2.

After patrolling the waters off Libya for days looking for a port that would accept it, the ship belonging to the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms was finally allowed to come dock in Spain.

It will arrive on Thursday morning in Algeciras, across the bay from Gibraltar, an NGO spokeswoman told AFP.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had tweeted "anywhere but not Italy" when the ship was looking for a port, repeating the new government's hardline policy closing the country to migrant rescue ships.

Spain once again stepped in even as it has overtaken Italy as the main destination for migrants this year due to a crackdown by Libyan authorities and Rome's hardline approach.

More than 23,700 people have arrived in Spain by sea so far this year with 307 dying in the attempt, according to the International Organization for Migration -- more than during all of last year.

In June, the French NGO Aquarius ship, which had picked up 630 stranded migrants, was allowed to dock in Spain's eastern port of Valencia after Italy and Malta refused access, precipitating a European political crisis.
Simone Gbagbo was first detained without trial after her arrest in 2011 and later convicted and sentenced in 2015 on a charge of endangering state security

Former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo, who had been serving a 20-year jail term, was released on Wednesday, two days after being amnestied by President Alassane Ouattara.

After seven years detention, Gbagbo returned to her home in an upmarket district of Abidjan to be greeted by around 1,000 supporters.

The 69-year-old wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo was convicted over political violence that claimed several thousand lives in 2010-11.

"The old page is turned," she told activists outside her home. "Get ready for a new page."

On Monday -- the eve of the Ivory Coast's independence day -- Ouattara announced an amnesty for Gbagbo and around 800 others in the name of national reconciliation.

She had been implicated in the 2011 shelling of a market in an Abidjan district that supported Ouattara and for belonging to a "crisis cell" that allegedly coordinated attacks by the armed forces and militias in support of her husband.

About 3,000 people died in post-election violence in the country's commercial capital, Abidjan, when Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to Ouattara, his bitter rival, in a presidential ballot in November 2010.

Supporters of Simone Gbagbo celebrated in front of her home in the upmarket district of Cocody. The former first lady and her husband, Laurent, retain enthusiastic support among part of the electorate

She was first detained without trial after her arrest in 2011 and later convicted and sentenced in 2015 on a charge of endangering state security.

Laurent Gbagbo has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for seven years. He has been on trial since 2016 for alleged crimes against humanity.

- Contested amnesty -

She arrived home in the upmarket district of Cocody to a welcome from supporters

Ouattara has been under pressure to foster reconciliation. The legacy of the 2010-11 conflict is still felt deeply today, especially in politics.

The Gbagbos retain a groundswell of support within the Ivorian Popular Front, the party they co-founded in the 1980s but which has since split into two factions.

Leader of the pro-Gbagba faction, Abdoudramane Sangare, said her release "prepares the arrival of Laurent Gbagbo".

"One step has been taken, another remains to be done. I know that we will overcome all obsticles," he said.

On Tuesday, 11 rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, lashed the mass release.

"There should be no amnesty for those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations," they said.

"To decide, after seven years of judicial proceedings involving hundreds of victims and alleged perpetrators, that only 60 people will face justice is not only an arbitrary decision but will be an act of disrespect to victims."

Among others granted amnesties were former defence minister Lida Kouassi -- a key Gbagbo ally -- who was sentenced this year to 15 years for conspiracy, and former construction minister Assoa Adou, jailed in 2017 for four years.

Around 500 of those named have already been released provisionally from detention, the president said. They will have their criminal records erased.

In February 2012, the ICC also issued a warrant for Simone Gbagbo's arrest.

But in 2016, Ouattara said he would "no longer send" Ivorian nationals to the court, as the country now had a "functioning justice system."

Ouattara on Monday also announced a reform of the Independent Electoral Commission, a panel which has been accused of bias and inequality.
The second largest country in Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo is blessed with abundant raw materials and minerals but cursed by violence, graft and poverty.

- Enormous, untamed -

Eighty times the size of its former colonial master Belgium, the DRC covers 2.3 million square kilometres (919,595 square miles) in the middle of Africa, behind only Algeria in area on the continent.

Fewer than 40 percent of its population of 78.7 million people (2016) live in urban areas, according to the World Bank.

It is a nation plagued by conflict and disunity. While the official language is French, it has four indigenous national and 200 vernacular languages, hampering the forging of a national identity since independence in 1960.

Civil war broke out almost immediately after independence and the DRC has since been run by a series of strongmen.

Mobutu Sese Seko grabbed power in a coup in 1965, imposed the name Zaire and set up a dictatorial kleptocracy that lasted 32 years.

In 1997 he was toppled by rebel leader Laurent-Desire Kabila, who renamed the country after the mighty Congo river.

- Current political crisis -

Kabila's son Joseph inherited the presidency after his father was killed by a bodyguard in 2001.

He went on to win elections in 2006, the first free polls since independence, and a second term in 2011.

Kabila was meant to step down in 2016 at the end of a two-term limit, but declined.

He stayed on thanks to a constitutional clause enabling a president to remain in office pending the election of a successor, but his refusal to go prompted demonstrations met with bloody crackdowns.

Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office provided new elections were held in 2017.

But there was a new delay until December 23, 2018, blamed on organisational problems amid surging violence.

- War, disease -

Democratic Republic of Congo

Two wars in the DRC in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in at least six armies and left more than three million dead in Africa's deadliest conflicts in recent history.

Today, the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu are major centres of unrest involving rival militia.

Central Kasai province is another hotspot, tipping into violence in 2016 after soldiers killed a tribal chief leading a rebellion against the central government.

More than 3,000 people have died in the region since then.

In January 2018, the UN said there were some 4.25 million displaced persons in the country and 600,000 DR Congo refugees in sub-Saharan Africa.

Two outbreaks of Ebola, respectively the ninth and 10th in the country since 1976, have occurred this year, claiming 40 lives.

- Cobalt, copper, coltan -

The DRC has the potential to be one of Africa's wealthiest countries "if it can overcome its political instability," the World Bank says.

It is the world's leading producer of cobalt, a key ingredient in top-range batteries including for smartphones and electric cars, and a top supplier of coltan, another mineral used for electronic products.

It is also Africa's top producer of copper and sits on hydrocarbons, tropical timber, gold, diamonds and other minerals.

But competition for the wealth has bred conflict, graft, smuggling and mismanagement. The watchdog Transparency International ranked it 156 out of 176 countries in its 2016 corruption index.

Economic growth slumped to 2.4 percent in 2016, its lowest since 2001, the World Bank says. This was mainly due to declining prices and a shrinking global demand for raw materials.

The poverty rate dropped to 64 percent in 2012 (World Bank), but the DRC still ranks among the world's poorest countries.
Fervently Christian but ruthless by reputation, she never sought to deny exercising political influence after her husband Laurent Gbagbo rose to power in 2000 elections

Ivory Coast's "Iron Lady" Simone Gbagbo basked in her role as the power behind the throne during her husband's regime, but to foes she was a pitiless killer.

Fervently Christian but ruthless by reputation, she never sought to deny exercising political influence after her husband Laurent Gbagbo rose to power in 2000 elections.

"All the ministers respect me, and they often consider me above them. I've got what it takes to be a minister," she told the French newsweekly l'Express in 2001, justifying her stance after a life she said had been dedicated to activism.

"I engaged in political struggle against the former regime alongside men. I spent six months in prison, I was beaten, molested, left for dead. After all those trials, it's logical that people don't mess with me."

She was released from prison on Wednesday in an amnesty, three years into a 20-year sentence for "endangering state security" for her role in political violence that claimed some 3,000 lives after her husband lost a bitter 2010 presidential election.

The couple were arrested in April 2011 by forces loyal to President Alassane Ouatarra during a French-backed military operation, after five months of fighting.

She was accused of actively supporting Laurent Gbagbo in his bid to keep power, the culmination of a turbulent decade in office.

He has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for seven years.

- 'Blood Lady' -

Born in the predominantly Christian south in 1949 as one of 18 children of a policeman, she studied linguistics and history before becoming a trade union activist.

Her militancy led to a jail term in the 1970s for openly criticising then president Felix Houphouet-Boigny -- Ivory Coast's first leader after independence from France in 1960 -- when he rejected opposition calls for multi-party elections.

She and Laurent Gbagbo married in 1989 after founding the opposition socialist Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), and she was later elected to parliament in the world's leading cocoa producer.

Her husband sought to change relations with former colonial master Paris, arguing that previous regimes had been servile, and the first lady proved a fierce critic of "neo-colonialism", once famously describing France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy -- a main mover in her husband's downfall -- as "the devil".

Supporters of Simone Gbagbo's commitment to political causes hailed her as "the Hillary Clinton of the tropics".

But for detractors, the "Iron Lady" became the "Blood Lady", amid allegations by human rights activists that the regime used teams of killers to deal with opponents.

Those concerns were reinforced when she was implicated by a French judicial inquiry into the sinister disappearance of French-Canadian journalist Guy-Andre Kieffer in Ivory Coast in 2004.

Gbagbo frequently mingled politics with the evangelical faith she practised after "miraculously" surviving a car crash and starting prayer meetings at the presidential palace.
DR Congo President (l) has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (r) as his successor in upcomiong elections

DR Congo President Joseph Kabila, ending months of speculation, has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary to be his successor in upcoming elections, the government said on Wednesday.

The announcement came just hours before the deadline for lodging applications for the December 23 election.

Ramazani Shadary, a Kabila loyalist, was among a group of Congolese officials sanctioned by the European Union in 2017 for violations of human rights.

He "will represent our political family in the presidential election," spokesman Lambert Mende told a press conference.

"We will all rally behind him."

Kabila, 47, who has ruled over the war-torn country for 17 years, should have stepped down at the end of 2016 when he reached a two-term limit.

But he stayed on thanks to a constitutional clause enabling the president to remain in office until an election is held, sparking protests that were bloodily repressed and condemnation from the United States and the European Union.

The United States welcomed Wednesday's announcement but said more must be done to ensure a democratic transfer of power.

"This development is another step, but there is much more to be done," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement.

French diplomatic sources meanwhile gave the announcement a cautious welcome, with one labelling it a "historic decision in Central Africa, even if it does not solve everything".

The validation of candidates and respect for the election timeline remains a concern, the source added.

Jean-Mobert Senga, Amnesty International's Researcher for the DRC, said a range of concrete measures were still required.

"His (Kabila's) government must show real commitment to ensuring an environment where people can freely exercise their human rights throughout the election cycle, by formally lifting the ban on peaceful demonstrations. It must also end the suppression of peaceful demonstrations and opposition and civil society meetings."

The government's intention to use voting machines has been criticised by the opposition, who claim they are difficult to use and could be hacked.

- 'Absolute loyalty' -

Late Tuesday, Kabila held talks with his political allies, who are joined in an electoral platform called the Common Front for Congo (FCC), on picking a candidate who would succeed him.

Their choice was "the conclusion of consultations that the president, the moral authority of the Common Front for Congo, undertook to find the rare bird," Mende told journalists.

"Shadary has no special qualities other than absolute loyalty to the current head of state," an analyst at a political NGO, based in Kinshasa, told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Described in his official biography as "the man you need for difficult times," Shadary was due to lodge his candidacy in person at the electoral commission in Kinshasa on Wednesday.

Shadary on Wednesday paid tribute to Kabila whom he called "an exceptional man in Africa and even throughout the world".

Hours after his candidacy was announced he told reporters that "the people need peace".

The 57-year-old added that the country needed reconstruction and social services, "that's what we are going to do", adding that "we are open to the whole world".

The fate of opposition leader Moise Katumbi who was barred from entering the country last week to lodge his candidacy has caused political friction ahead of the registration deadline.

Katumbi, 53, a wealthy businessman and former governor of the province of Katanga, was unable to cross the border from Zambia where he and his team remain as of Wednesday.

- Corruption, inequality and unrest -

A country of some 80 million people, the Democratic Republic of Congo has never known a peaceful government transition since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila's tenure over the vast mineral-rich country has been marked by a reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest.

Several provinces are in the grip of armed conflict and according to the UN High commissioner for refugees, more than four million people have had to flee their homes, many to Uganda, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia.

Some 20 candidates, including two former prime ministers -- Adolphe Muzito and Samy Badibanga -- have submitted their names to the electoral commission.

The candidates also include Felix Tshisekedi, 55, leader of Congo's oldest opposition party UDPS, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, 55, a former warlord recently acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The definitive list of candidates is set to be announced on September 19 after each name is validated by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).
US House Republican Chris Collins, a loyalist to President Donald Trump, has been charged with securities fraud in an alleged insider trading scheme involving an Australian biotech company

US House Republican and Trump loyalist Chris Collins, who has been indicted by federal prosecutors for securities fraud, remained defiant Wednesday as he vowed to clear his name and secure re-election.

Collins was arrested and charged along with his son Cameron Collins and another defendant for their role in illegal trading of stock in Australian biotech firm Innate Immunotherapeutics, where the elder Collins was a board member, according to the indictment, which was just unsealed.

"As I fight to clear my name, rest assured I will continue to work hard for the people and constituents of the 27th Congressional District of New York, and I will remain on the ballot running for re-election this November," he told a press conference late Wednesday.

Collins, 68, "tipped his son to confidential corporate information at the expense of regular investors. And then he lied about it to law enforcement to cover it up," according to Geoffrey Berman, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Cameron Collins then used the insider information "to make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others," the indictment alleges.

Among the charged co-conspirators was Cameron's fiancee's father, Stephen Zarsky.

Innate had been developing a drug to treat multiple sclerosis, but in June 2017 the drug's clinical trial was declared a failure.

As a board member, Collins was informed of the "extremely bad news" by the company's chief executive before the findings were publicized.

Collins was a major investor in the company, owning millions of dollars' worth of its stock.

He himself did not trade any of his holdings ahead of the negative report's publication, in part because he was already under investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics regarding his holdings.

His stock ultimately declined by millions of dollars in value when the share price plummeted by 92 percent one day after the trial results were released, federal prosecutors said.

But he knowingly broke the law by alerting his son to the privileged data before its publication, it added.

- 'Meritless' charges -

The trades allowed Cameron Collins, Zarsky and others "to avoid over $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise incurred" if they sold the stock after the announcement, according to the indictment.

Lawyers for the congressman insisted he had done nothing wrong and would be "completely vindicated."

Collins told reporters he was "proud" of his affiliation with Innate.

"I may have lost most of the money that I invested in the company, but I took the chance to bring relief to those who deal with the dreadful disease of secondary progressive MS every day," he said.

"The charges that have been levied against me are meritless, and I will mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name."

Collins, who represents Buffalo's suburbs and other counties in western New York, was the first House Republican to openly support Trump's bid for the party's nomination in the 2016 race, and he has remained loyal to the president.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said the allegations demand a "thorough investigation."

But he stopped short of a harsh reprimand, stating only that Collins will be removed from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Democrats have long sought to portray the Trump-era Republican Party as corrupt, and the opposition leadership pounced on Wednesday's news.

"The American people deserve better than the GOP's corruption, cronyism, and incompetence," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, as she called for new laws that would "crack down on the self-dealing that has metastasized under the GOP Congress and the Trump Administration."
Palestinians receive aids at a United Nations food distribution centre in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on August 8, 2018

Workers have seized partial control of the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Hamas-run Gaza, its head said Wednesday, accusing their union of "mutiny" over job cuts.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced last month more than 250 staff in Gaza and the occupied West Bank would lose their jobs, after a $300 million cut in annual funding from the United States.

The redundancies have prompted daily protests by the agency's labour union in the enclave, which UNRWA's Gaza head said have led to security concerns.

"They have taken over the compound where my office and other offices are," said Matthias Schmale.

The agency's Gaza chief admitted UNRWA does not have full control over the site, in Gaza City, explaining he has not been able to work from his own office for more than two weeks.

"I am the captain of the ship which has 13,000 sailors on it and they have basically thrown me off the bridge and consigned me to my captain's quarters," he told AFP, referring to the number of employees in Gaza.

UNRWA provides support for more than three million Palestinians across the Middle East, including the majority of Gaza's two million residents.

It operates more than 200 schools in the enclave, which may not open at the start of the academic year without new funding and an end to the labour dispute.

Schmale accused the labour union of multiple incidents of "threatening and intimidating other fellow Palestinian staff. For me that crosses a red line."

"I am very concerned about the safety and security of my Palestinian colleagues," he added.

The union denied all allegations of intimidation and is due to continue demonstrating, with a general strike expected in the coming days unless a deal is reached.

"This is a peaceful and safe sit-in inside the regional headquarters of UNRWA to demand (employees') right to be able to continue their work," Amir al-Mishal, head of the UNRWA employee union in Gaza, told AFP.

He said some of those affected by the cuts had been working for the agency for more than 30 years and they were seeking dialogue with the management.

- Hamas visits -

UNRWA employees and their families protest against job cuts announced by the agency outside its offices in Gaza City on July 31, 2018

On Wednesday the protest inside the UNRWA compound was visited by Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas member, who pledged his Islamist movement's full support for protesters, an AFP correspondent said.

Schmale was unaware that Zahar had been inside the compound, saying any visit by a figure from Hamas -- considered a terrorist organisation by the US and European Union -- was forbidden as it breaches the UN's impartiality rules.

A small number of employees have begun a hunger strike against the cuts outside Schmale's office, seeking to force management to reverse course.

Ismail al-Talaa, who worked in psychological support in a school, said he was on his fourth day without food.

He compared his salary of around $1,000 a month with what he called the huge incomes and benefits earned by Schmale and other senior UNRWA leaders, who are usually internationals.

The funding crisis was sparked in January by the United States, traditionally the largest donor to UNRWA, cutting its annual grant from $360 million to just $60 million.
Though Vietnam has one of the region's best performing economies, it is plagued by corruption, ranking 107 out of 180 on Transparency International's corruption Index, behind Thailand, Indonesia and China

Vietnam fired a deputy minister of public security on Wednesday for allegedly aiding a fugitive spy, as communist officials extend their unprecedented anti-corruption drive to the powerful security sector.

The one-party state has jailed former officials -- mostly linked to the state oil sector -- along with dozens of bankers and businessmen as part of a widespread campaign to weed out graft in one of Asia's most corrupt countries.

The vast and opaque Ministry of Public Security (MPS), one of the country's most powerful and protected institutions, has largely been unscathed in the campaign which critics say also aims to sideline political foes.

But on Wednesday the government said an MPS deputy minister Bui Van Thanh was dismissed and had his rank demoted for "serious violations in his work" after he aided a fugitive spy, Phan Van Anh Vu, to travel abroad.

Vu, a former property magnate who also worked for MPS, was arrested in Singapore in January carrying two passports -- one fake, one real -- and sent back to Vietnam to face trial.

He was jailed for nine years last month for leaking state secrets, though officials have not detailed his crimes, citing national security.

The government said Thanh broke the rules in allowing Vu to travel overseas and was stripped of his title.

"The Prime Minister implements the disciplinary action by dismissing... Bui Van Thanh," a statement on the government's website said.

His rank was lowered from lieutenant general to colonel, the statement added.

Thanh was also accused of illegally signing documents approving the sale of state properties, according to an earlier official statement.

The dismissal comes as the government launches a major restructuring of MPS, with hundreds of departments to be scrapped in a bid to turn the sprawling ministry into a "lean and effective machine", state media reported this week.

Vietnam's vast police force -- both uniformed and plainclothes -- and parts of the cybersecurity and intelligence units fall under the MPS umbrella, though staffing numbers are not made public.

Earlier this year, several high-ranking MPS officers were arrested for running a massive online gambling ring, including the official in charge of policing internet betting.

Vietnam's anti-corruption campaign, waged by a conservative leadership in charge since 2016, has stunned a public unused to seeing powerful figures publicly punished.

Observers say the drive is aimed at cleaning up graft -- but is also driven by political infighting.

Though Vietnam has one of the region's best performing economies, it is plagued by corruption, ranking 107 out of 180 on Transparency International's corruption Index, behind Thailand, Indonesia and China.
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- No consultation has been underway between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for another inter-Korean summit, Seoul's unification ministry said Wednesday.

Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman of the unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs, told a regular press briefing that South Korea has not yet consulted with the DPRK on the inter-Korean summit.

The comment came amid rising media speculation that South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un may meet again as early as late August to find a breakthrough in the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula.

Moon and Kim held summits in April and May, agreeing to meet again in Pyongyang this fall.

[ Editor: WPY ]
Julian Assange is currently living in the Ecuador embassy in London, where he sought asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over assault and rape allegations, the investigation of which has been dropped, though he still faces arrest by Britain

WikiLeaks said Wednesday that its founder Julian Assange was "considering" a request by a US Senate committee to testify about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

The whistleblowing website posted on Twitter a letter purportedly from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence asking Assange to "make yourself available for a closed interview with bipartisan committee staff at a mutually agreeable time and location".

It added: "WikiLeaks' legal team say they are 'considering the offer but the conditions must conform to a high ethical standard'."

In the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, WikiLeaks published documents hacked from Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign.

US intelligence officials have blamed Russia for the theft of the documents, which they say was part of a deliberate attempt to hurt Clinton's chances.

They claim WikiLeaks knowingly acted in concert with Russian intelligence.

WikiLeaks has denied that the source of the material was the Russian government, while stressing it will never reveal where it gets its information.

On Wednesday, WikiLeaks said the Senate letter -- dated August 1 -- was delivered to Assange via the US embassy in London, but the mission declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

There was also no immediate confirmation from the Senate committee.

Assange is currently living in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he sought political asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault and rape.

He said the claims were a political smear linked to WikiLeaks' work and said he feared being transferred from Sweden to the United States to face trial for the release of leaked US military documents.

The Swedish investigation has since been dropped but Assange stayed in the embassy, as he still faces arrest by British police for skipping bail six years ago.

Ecuador and Britain are currently in talks over his fate.
A customer looks at an Iranian-made washing machine at a shop in Baghdad on August 8, 2018

Caught in the crossfire between its key allies Tehran and Washington, Iraq's economy could suffer the heaviest collateral damage from the US reimposing sanctions against Iran.

Washington slapped unilateral sanctions back on Tehran on Tuesday, after pulling out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in May.

For Iraq, recently emerged from an expensive war on jihadists, the embargo on its neighbour could hit jobs and cut off a crucial source of cheap imports.

In 2017, Iraq imported around $6.6 billion (5.7 billion euros) worth of products from Iran, ranging from cars and washing machines to agricultural goods.

Iraq has already witnessed a month of protests over a stagnant economy, widespread corruption, unemployment, chronic power cuts and an agriculture sector devastated by drought.

"Eighty percent of products on the market are Iranian-made, so if the border closes, it will be a crisis for us," said Ali Ajlan, whose Baghdad store sells household electrical items.

Another importer, Abbas Mukhaylef, said he can't even imagine an alternative to Iran as a supplier.

"Each year we import between 200,000 and 300,000 containers of air coolers" from Iran, he said. "We depend on Iran for most goods."

For the Iraqi consumer, Iranian goods have a big advantage: they are the cheapest on the market.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday he would reluctantly comply with the new American embargo.

"We don't support the sanctions because they are a strategic error, but we will comply with them," Abadi said. "In general, sanctions are unjust."

- Car imports stopped -

Baghdad is allied with Washington, a strategic partner in the war that saw Iraq declare "victory" over Islamic State group jihadists in December 2017.

But Baghdad also has strong ties to Tehran, a Shiite powerhouse that is heavily involved in the politics of Shiite-majority Iraq.

Imports paid in US dollars have already ground to a halt.

"To comply with the American sanctions, we've stopped imports of Iranian cars," said a senior official in the auto import industry.

The official, who asked not to be named, said Baghdad had asked for an exemption from Washington to allow imports of Iranian spare parts for car assembly facilities in Iraq.

Production has ground to a halt with 5,000 jobs on the line, he said.

Labourers stack boxes of Iran-built appliance at a store in the Iraqi capital Baghdad

While Iraq's exporters won't feel too much of a pinch -- Iran only imported $77 million worth of Iraqi goods last year -- economic tourism looks set to take a hit.

"The two or three million Iranian pilgrims who come each year (to Shiite holy sites) represent a major economic activity that Iraq could now be deprived of," warned Muzhar Mohammed Salah, an economic advisor to Iraq's prime minister.

- Winners and losers -

The big winner will be the black market, which will feed demand for Iranian goods, predicted trader Ajlan, pointing out the border between the two countries runs more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles).

"Imports will continue, even if, officially, they are prohibited," he said.

A labourer helps a customer stack an appliance box in his car at a store in the Iraqi capital Baghdad

Yassin Faraj of the chamber of commerce in Sulaymaniyah, an Iraqi Kurdish province bordering Iran, told AFP smugglers could use several unofficial crossing points.

He also forecast that tougher US sanctions on Tehran would spark "an influx of Iranian workers", especially to the autonomous Kurdistan region, in a fresh blow to Iraq's own workforce.

Iraq can ill afford further economic and social troubles.

At least 14 people have been killed since protests erupted in early July in the southern province of Basra before spreading north, including to Baghdad.

Iraq itself endured more than 12 years of international sanctions after late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Czech honor guards carry a flag-draped coffins of one of the three Czech soldier killed in Afghanistan as they arrive at the Ruzyne airport in Prague on August 8, 2018

The bodies of three Czech soldiers killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the Taliban in Afghanistan were on Wednesday returned home.

Staff sergeant Martin Marcin, 36, and corporals Kamil Benes, 28, and Patrik Stepanek, 25, died while on patrol in the east of the country while a US member of the patrol and two Afghan soldiers were also wounded.

The attack was the deadliest assault on NATO soldiers in many months.

Sirens were blown, flags on government buildings flew at half mast and church bells rang as the three coffins wrapped in Czech flags were repatriated.

"We have witnessed a tragedy that can hardly be prevented when you serve in the army," Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar told reporters after a ceremony at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport.

The attack against the Resolute Support soldiers by a lone bomber on foot happened in the city of Charikar in Parwan province 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Kabul early on Sunday morning.

The Taliban claimed responsibility in a statement, saying they killed or wounded eight American soldiers in a "tactical explosion".

"Nothing has changed about the army's activity, we continue to fulfil our tasks, our commanders in Afghanistan continue to fulfil theirs," said deputy chief-of-staff Jiri Baloun.

Thirteen Czech soldiers have been killed in NATO missions in Afghanistan.
Rick Gates, seen here in a December 2017 file photo, wrapped up three days of testimony in the tax and bank fraud trial of his former boss, ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort

Defense attorneys for Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort, on trial for tax and bank fraud, attacked the credibility of the key prosecution witness as he wrapped up three days of grueling testimony on Wednesday.

Rick Gates, Manafort's long-time deputy, acknowledged having made "many mistakes over many years" but insisted he was telling the court the truth about the alleged financial misdeeds of his former boss.

Gates, 46, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is cooperating with the government as it prosecutes Manafort for allegedly evading US taxes on tens of millions of dollars earned from political consulting work they did together in Ukraine from 2006 to 2014.

Manafort, 69, a veteran Republican political operative, was Trump's campaign chairman from May to August 2016, when he was forced to step down amid questions about his work for Ukraine's former pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych.

Although Manafort is not on trial for anything he did while working for Trump, the case is being seen as a key test for the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who brought the charges.

Gates pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and making false statements in exchange for his testimony against Manafort and cooperation with the Special Counsel's office.

Kevin Downing, Manafort's lead defense attorney, sought to undermine Gates' credibility in the eyes of the jury on Tuesday, pressing him about embezzling money from Manafort and an extramarital affair.

Gates, who is married and has four children, acknowledged having had a "relationship" a decade ago and admitted to stealing from his boss during a "difficult time" in his life by inflating personal expenses.

On Wednesday, after eliciting an admission from Gates that his plea agreement could be thrown out if he lied, leading to further charges, Downing asked him if had told the Special Counsel "that you actually engaged in four extramarital affairs?"

Prosecutor Greg Andres immediately objected and Downing did not return to the subject after a hushed consultation among the lawyers with Judge T.S. Ellis.

Donald Trump's former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, seen here in a June 2018 file photo, is on trial for tax and bank fraud

During his three days of testimony, Gates laid out in detail how payments to Manafort's company from political work in Ukraine were made to bank accounts in Cyprus and the money was never reported to accountants or the Internal Revenue Service.

Closing arguments before the six-man, six-woman jury hearing the case in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, could be later this week.

Mueller, a former FBI director, has indicted more than 30 people -- including 26 Russians -- in connection with his probe into whether members of Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to help get the real estate tycoon elected.

While Gates and others have pleaded guilty, Manafort has refused to strike a deal and legal experts say he may be holding out hopes of a pardon from Trump.

Trump has denounced the probe as a politically motivated "witch hunt" and denied there was any collusion with Moscow to defeat Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila Kabange, seen here in a September 23, 2017 picture at the United Nations, has decided not to seek re-election

The United States on Wednesday welcomed President Joseph Kabila's decision to step aside and not seek re-election in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but said more must be done to ensure a democratic transfer of power.

Kabila ended months of speculation when his government announced that former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary will be the governing party's candidate in the December 23 presidential election.

"We welcome reports that President Kabila will not seek a third term in accordance with his countrys constitution," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement.

"This development is another step, but there is much more to be done," she added.

The national elections commission "must take all steps necessary to guarantee the Congolese people have the right to exercise their vote in free, fair, and credible elections on December 23, 2018," she added.

The United States had pressed Kabila to step aside and declare that he would not be a candidate in the December polls, which could pave the way to the first democratic transition in the mineral-rich country.

Haley traveled to Kinshasa last year to press leaders to hold the elections after much delay.

The United States has also criticized plans to use electronic voting in the polls, saying the voting machines could undermine the credibility of the elections.

The elections have come under intense scrutiny at the Security Council, which is planning to pay a visit to the DR Congo later this year, possibly in October.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had planned to travel to Kinshasa along with African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki in July but that visit was postponed, at Kabila's request.

The United Nations noted the announcement that Kabila's party had nominated Ramazani Shadary as its presidential candidate.

"We welcome the continued progress towards the holding of free, fair and peaceful elections on 23 December," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

British Ambassador Karen Pierce, whose country holds the Security Council presidency, declined to comment, saying the council must first discuss the development.

The Security Council has called for a transfer of power in the DR Congo.

In power since 2001, Kabila had faced calls to step aside amid fears that the country was headed toward all-out violence as it neared the December vote.

Fresh elections should have been held in December 2016, but were then postponed until 2017 before finally being scheduled on December 23.
After being promoted in 2012 to groundskeeper in a Benicia, California school district, Dewayne Johnson's job came to include spraying Roundup, and more often a professional version from Monsanto called RangerPro

Cancer-stricken Dewayne Johnson vowed to fight to his death in a David versus Goliath court battle against agrochemical giant Monsanto, whose weed killer he blames for robbing him of his future.

"I will fight until my last breath," Johnson, a 46-year-old former school groundskeeper, said while testifying at a potentially history-making civil trial.

Jurors began deliberating on Wednesday after a month of hearing testimony in a San Francisco, California state court.

Despite terminal cancer and bouts of chemotherapy, Johnson -- known to friends as "Lee" -- managed to smile at times as he told jurors of his life and his struggle to hold Monsanto accountable.

He moved and spoke slowly, appearing older than his years, but his voice was strong while testifying during the last week of July.

His bearing defied the fact he has been told he has only a couple more years to live.

"It's very hard," said Johnson, his head shaved but a slight goatee on his face.

- "Pesticide professional" -

Photos shared in court showed Johnson with lesions over much of his body. Jurors were told of his open sores, some even on Johnson's eyelid causing pain every time he blinked.

"I've been through a lot of pain," Johnson testified.

He told of people staring at him in public, and of avoiding sunlight due to his skin being too sensitive.

Johnson looked strong despite his ordeal. He walked carefully in and out of court, politely holding the door for others at times and softly exchanging pleasantries.

The father of two boys, ages 10 and 13, spoke of enjoying writing and making music before he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2014.

The incurable cancer affects white blood cells.

After being promoted in 2012 to groundskeeper in a Benicia, California school district, Johnson's job came to include spraying Roundup, and more often a professional version from Monsanto called RangerPro.

The active ingredient in both products is glyphosate, which has been at the center of a debate regarding whether it poses a cancer risk.

Monsanto, recently acquired by Germany-based Bayer in a deal valued at about $62 billion, has held firm that there's no link between the weed killer and cancer -- especially not the kind suffered by Johnson.

Johnson's job included vanquishing rodents, weeds or other non-human schoolyard pests in Benicia, a small city near San Francisco.

The weedkiller glyphosate

He underwent training as a "pesticide professional" to safely handle chemicals used to do the job, according to testimony in court.

"I liked my job a lot," Johnson testified.

"I took my job very seriously."

He proudly explained that he learned most of his work skills on the job, prompting smiles in the courtroom as he told of doing away with "30 skunks; 25 raccoons, and one squirrel."

Johnson also killed weeds, and for that he was armed with Roundup or RangerPro. As per instructions, he diluted the solutions with water before spraying.

He was adamant that had he known the chemicals might cause cancer, he "would never have sprayed" it anywhere.

Johnson decided to file a lawsuit against Monsanto two years ago, backed by lawyers from the Miller Firm, which specializes in these kinds of cases.

Johnson said he had no idea about the controversy around glyphosate until rashes set his skin fiercely itching and he took to the internet in search of answers.

- "Not getting better" -

Johnson said he took meticulous care at work, following product label instructions and wearing protective gear while spraying weed-killer. There is nothing on Roundup or RangerPro labels warning of a cancer risk, something that the lawsuit charges was so negligent it amounted to Monsanto putting profit over people's health.

Johnson twice was drenched with RangerPro when spraying gear malfunctioned. Attorney Brent Wisner argued in court that chemicals in the mix enabled glyphosate to penetrate Johnson's protective suit and soak his skin, causing or exacerbating the cancer.

Johnson said he "panicked" after getting soaked the second time with RangerPro and a rash broke out on his skin.

"I was in denial until this case," Johnson said. "But, now it's pretty scary. I am not getting better."

Johnson's wife, Araceli, testified that her husband's job meant everything to him, and that he was "sexy" and happy before his illness.

The couple took walks, went out to dinner. Johnson kept the house organized. But now, all that has changed.

Johnson is no longer able to work. To support the family and pay medical bills, his wife works two jobs -- one in a school and another in a retirement home.

Johnson told of cancer treatments so painful they made him weep.

Jurors are being asked not only to side with Johnson against Monsanto, they have been urged by his attorney to award him more than $400 million in a verdict that would punish the giant.

The case is the first alleging a cancer link from Roundup, one of the world's most widely used herbicides, to reach trial. A Monsanto loss could open the floodgates for hundreds more similar cases in the pipeline.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- shown here at the NATO summit in Brussels in July 2018 -- has made it clear that rights will come first in his foreign policy

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday refused to apologize for calling out Saudi Arabia on its human rights record, after Riyadh said it was considering further punitive measures against Ottawa over its criticisms of the kingdom.

Tensions have been high between the two countries since Monday, when Riyadh expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and froze all new trade and investments.

Riyadh also said it will relocate thousands of Saudi students studying in Canada to other countries, while state airline Saudia announced it was suspending flights to Toronto.

The kingdom was angry at Ottawa for openly denouncing a crackdown on rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

But on Wednesday, Trudeau stood firm.

"Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights," he said.

"We do not wish to have poor relations with Saudi Arabia," he added, saying Ottawa recognizes that Riyadh "has made progress when it comes to human rights."

Trudeau noted that his foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, had "a long conversation" on Tuesday with her counterpart Adel al-Jubeir to try to resolve the dispute.

"Diplomatic talks continue," he said.

On Wednesday, Saudi state media said the kingdom has nevertheless also stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and was working on transferring all Saudi patients there to other countries.

Further straining ties, the Saudi central bank has instructed its overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost," the Financial Times reported.

But in an apparent effort to safeguard its economic interests, Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the dispute will not affect state oil giant Aramco's clients in Canada.

Saudi oil supplies are independent of political considerations, Falih was quoted as saying by state media.

- 'Matter of national security' -

Last week, Canada sparked fury in Riyadh by calling for the "immediate release" of rights campaigners, including award-winning women's rights activist Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has overseen dramatic reforms but drawn criticism over human rights

That arrest came after more than a dozen women's rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state.

When asked about the jailed activists, Jubeir on Wednesday reiterated the government's stance that they had been in contact with foreign entities, but did not specify the charges against them.

"The matter is not about human rights, it is a matter of national security," Jubeir told reporters.

"Saudi Arabia does not interfere in the affairs of Canada in any way. Therefore, Canada must correct its actions towards the kingdom."

Jubeir ruled out mediation as a way to put an end to the row.

"There is nothing to mediate," he said.

"Canada made a big mistake... and a mistake should be corrected."

Jubeir added that Saudi Arabia was "considering additional measures" against Canada, without elaborating.

Experts have said the Saudi move illustrates how the oil-rich kingdom is increasingly seeking to use its economic and diplomatic muscle to quell foreign criticism under its young de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In Canada, there was disappointment that major Western powers including the United States -- a key ally of Saudi Arabia -- have not publicly come out in support of Canada, though it is not the first country to be targeted for speaking up.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Stockholm over criticism by the Swedish foreign minister of Riyadh's human rights record.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia was scaling back its dealings with some German companies amid a diplomatic spat with Berlin.

The move came after Germany's foreign minister last November remarked that Lebanon was a "pawn" of Saudi Arabia after the surprise resignation of its Prime Minister Saad Hariri while in Riyadh.
An explosion rocks Gaza following an Israeli air strike on August 8, 2018

Israel launched air strikes on Gaza late Wednesday, killing one Hamas militant, after dozens of rockets were fired from the enclave into its territory.

Injuries were also reported on both sides.

Smoke plumes could be seen rising from Gaza City following the military's announcement it was targeting "terror sites in the Gaza Strip".

A Palestinian was killed in northern Gaza, while at least six were wounded in raids aimed targeting sites across the strip, the Gazan health ministry said.

Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the Strip, named the dead man as Ali Ghandour, saying he was a member of the group's armed wing.

The strikes came after at least two of dozens of rockets launched from the coastal enclave hit the Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza's northern border, police and the army said.

One person was lightly wounded by shrapnel while several others were treated for shock in Sderot, the United Hatzalah medical service said.

A statement from the military wing of Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, claimed responsibility for the rockets.

It said the Palestinian "resistance" had fired a large number of rockets at "enemy positions in the Gaza envelope."

Sirens were sounded in several Israeli areas close to the border with Gaza, warning residents to seek immediate shelter, the Israeli army said.

Smoke plumes rising following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, on August 8, 2018

"As of now, approximately 70 rocket launches were identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory," the army said in a statement.

The majority hit open areas while 11 were intercepted, it said.

Israeli television broadcast images of a house and cars reportedly damaged by the rockets in Sderot.

Parts of the town have been closed off and police bomb disposal units were at the scene of the strikes, a spokesman for the force said.

--Alarm--

The United Nations condemned the Hamas rocket fire.

"I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, and particularly by today's multiple rockets fired towards communities in southern Israel," UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in a statement.

He called on all sides to step "back from the brink."

The strikes came after two fighters from the military wing of Hamas, which rules Gaza, were killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday.

Hamas warned Israel -- with which it has fought three wars since 2008 -- it would pay for the attack.

Boys walk past a fence in the Israeli town of Sderot damaged by an earlier round of rocket fire from Gaza on July 14, 2018

The escalation comes after the Hamas leadership convened for a rare meeting in Gaza on Friday.

The gathering had raised hopes a deal for a lasting truce with Israel, with the backing of Egypt and the United Nations.

Clashes along the Gaza border since the end of March have seen at least 163 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire.

One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.

The last war in 2014 ended with a tense ceasefire and analysts say another round of conflict remains likely.
Cars destroyed by the Ranch Fire near Clearlake Oaks, California -- part of the giant Mendocino Complex fire

Thousands of firefighters, backed by US troops and crews from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, made progress Wednesday in their battle with California's biggest wildfire on record -- but the weather forecast for the rest of the week is not promising, officials said.

Nearly 20 major fires have ravaged the sprawling western state over the past two weeks, fanned by strong winds and sweltering temperatures.

The wildfires have left at least nine people dead, including four firefighters, and forced tens of thousands of residents to abandon their homes.

"It's scary, it's nerve-wracking," said Jay Michael, who was resting in a van in a parking lot in Clearlake Oaks with Gretchen Fritsch after they fled their home.

Jay Michael (R) and Gretchen Fritsch (L) rest in their car in the parking lot of the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks, California, after fleeing their home because of the Ranch Fire

"I got a feeling my home's still there," Michael told AFP. "My gut's telling me it's still there but..."

He said it was the eighth time they have evacuated while living in the area north of San Francisco, and the third time this year.

The National Weather Service said conditions were expected to remain very hot and windy until at least Saturday evening.

While no respite was expected from the weather, authorities said the 14,000 firefighters battling the blazes have made progress against the giant Mendocino Complex Fire in the state's north -- made up of the River Fire and the Ranch Fire.

Map locating the areas burnt by the 'Mendocino Complex' which has become the largest in California's history, destroying an area the size of Los Angeles

The Mendocino Complex Fire has ravaged 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) -- an area approximately the size of Los Angeles -- and is California's largest wildfire since record-keeping began a century ago.

The River Fire is 81 percent contained, having burned 48,920 acres, Cal Fire said.

The Ranch Fire has grown to 251,000 acres and is 46 percent contained.

- Fire sweeps over barriers -

Overall, the Mendocino Complex Fire has destroyed at least 221 structures, 116 of them residences, Cal Fire said. More than 10,000 other structures are threatened.

The Ranch Fire, which poses the biggest challenge, has swept across natural barriers like rivers, as well as a ditch dug with earth-moving machinery.

"The River Fire is looking really good, looks like we've got some good containment line around that fire," said California firefighters' spokesman Kevin Sweeney.

"So the focus now is on the north and east line of the Ranch Fire -- also, we're looking at the southern border," he said.

An air tanker drops retardant on the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, the biggest on record in California

Helicopters and airplanes, including two massive DC-10s and a 747 jumbo jet, have supported firefighters by dousing the flames with water.

Besides firefighters from around the country and abroad, about 1,000 National Guard personnel are supporting wildfire operations in California, with another 450 in Oregon and 170 in Washington state.

The Carr Fire, near the town of Redding, has engulfed more than 173,000 acres since igniting July 23, killing seven people so far, including two firefighters.

As of early Wednesday, firefighters had managed to get it 47 percent contained.

Another major fire, Ferguson, has left two people dead and forced the closure of part of Yosemite National Park. It is currently 43 percent contained.

In southern California near San Diego, hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to tackle the fast-moving Holy Fire.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was arrested on several charges including two counts of arson in relation to that blaze.

A whirlwind of ash rises from a ridge at a fire near Lake Elsinore in southern California

Cal Fire officials said a shift in the weather can make a big difference for firefighting crews- lower temperatures give crews a chance to slow fire growth and better contain them.

On Monday alone, 127 wildfires were burning on 1.6 million acres of land in 11 states, the National Interagency Fire Center said.

The Mendocino Complex Fire is the second blaze to break records in California in as many years, following the Thomas Fire in December 2017 that destroyed 281,893 acres.
Infrastructure overload

Many experts agree that Vietnams airport infrastructure is in a state of overload as a series of airports are facing the likelihood of being overburdened once again soon after they have been upgraded and expanded.

According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Cam Ranh, Cat Bi, Phu Quoc and Lien Khuong Airports are all operating beyond their design capacities.

A great number of opportunities are opening in the sky but if the ground infrastructure challenges are not resolved, Vietnams aviation sector could repeat Indonesias failure. When many airlines are in service, the overburdened airport infrastructure will create great pressure on management, which could lead to safety issues and widespread flight delays and cancellations.

Vietnam currently has 21 airports in operation with a combined capacity of 75 million passengers a year, just equivalent to Malaysias Kuala Lumpur Airport and a little more than Singapore Changi Airports capacity of 50 million passengers.

At present, foreign visitors who wish to arrive in Quy Nhon, Quang Binh and Phu Quoc usually have to take at least two flights with one connection from major airports such as Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat.

Key airport hubs are overburdened, causing long waiting times for flight check-in, while most smaller local airports are operating at a loss due to scant passengers and are difficult to upgrade to international airports in order to attract foreign tourists.

Under the national aviation development plan until 2020, with a view to 2030, Vietnam will make the top four largest markets in ASEAN in terms of passengers by 2030. Vietnams passenger growth is expected to reach an annual average of 16% until 2020 and 8% over the next ten years.

To catch up with this strong growth, the government has approved a plan for a total of 26 airports, including those already in operation, at a cost of US$10.5 billion. 11 projects are underway, of which seven are scheduled for completion in the next three years.

Increasing airport capacity and fleet numbers over the next three years will be the key to opening new development opportunities for Vietnams aviation market.

While the state budget is limited, calling for the private sectors investment is considered a feasible solution for Vietnam to attain a modern airport infrastructure system.

Therefore, economic experts state that a breakthrough in airport infrastructure is needed and the private sectors participation in management could address the current shortcomings to improve service quality.

Huge potential

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, there are currently five airport infrastructure projects with the private sectors investment which are underway or are awaiting approval, including Van Don, Cam Ranh, Phan Thiet, Cat Bi and Chu Lai Airports.

It will take a long time to recover the investment in aviation infrastructure but it will bring many benefits to the community, boost regional economic growth and improve the competitive edge of both the investors and the country.

According to a report by the US Commerce Department, with a growing GDP and population of 90 million, Vietnam is forecast to be one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in Southeast Asia over the next 10 - 20 years.

Dr Ngo Tri Long shares the same view that Vietnams aviation market still has a lot of room for development. In the Southeast Asian region, Vietnam has the third largest population but only ranks fifth in domestic transport infrastructure.

Vietnams GDP growth is forecast to continue topping the region in the years ahead, meaning there is still much room for the domestic aviation market to grow.

The attractive market is reflected in the impressive revenue and profit growth of airlines in recent years. In 2017, the total passengers of Vietnam Airlines grew by 10%, while those of Vietjet Air surged by 22%. Vietnam Airlines plans to increase its fleet to 116 in 2018 and Vietjet to 200 by 2023.

Experts on the private sector have stated that, compared with many regional countries, Vietnam is falling behind in terms of aviation liberalisation. For example, the population of Thailand is equivalent to just 70% of Vietnams but the country has roughly 40 airports, more than ten airlines and triple the number of international passengers of Vietnam.

Therefore, it is necessary to make it easier to grant air transport licenses and encourage more investment in airport development and operations.

Recently, property developer FLC has entered the market by establishing a new airline called Bamboo Airways, which plans to launch its first flight in October and primarily focuses on key tourist destinations.

The increase in the number of airlines is expected to change the structure of the aviation market and open more high-end markets.

Nevertheless, experts state that the air transport market is not easy to conquer because it requires a huge amount of investment, advanced technologies and is regulated by many stringent rules.

New airlines should enter the niche markets and utilise small airports in order to avoid competition from larger carriers and tap into their internal strengths.
Larry McDaniel (L) and his brother Charles McDaniel, Jr. (C), sons of Korean War veteran Army Master Sergeant Charles McDaniel, receive his long-lost military identity tag

The two sons of a US Army soldier who went missing during the Korean War were given his long-lost military identity tag on Wednesday, after North Korea handed over the remains of dozens of US troops.

The chipped, stainless steel "dog tag" belonged to Master Sergeant Charles McDaniel, an Army medic thought to have been killed in action in October 1950 during a Chinese attack deep in North Korea.

It was uncovered among a jumble of bones and small personal items such as buttons and boots that North Korea gave to the United States last month.

The repatriation of what are thought to be the remains of 55 US troops followed a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during which Kim agreed to send home some of America's war dead.

"I sat there and I cried for a while, and it took a while to compose myself," said Charles McDaniel Jr., the namesake eldest son of the missing soldier, reflecting on the moment he learned that the identity badge had been discovered.

McDaniel, 71, was three years old when his father went missing and has only fuzzy memories of his dad.

His younger brother, Larry McDaniel, was just two and does not remember him at all.

He said he was proud his dad was extremely patriotic and had dedicated his life to his country.

"But the thing is he was one of thousands of guys in that generation that did it and I don't think the fact we found his dog tags should overshadow any of that," Larry McDaniel, 70, told reporters after a brief ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, close to the Pentagon.

The identity tag was uncovered among a jumble of bones and small personal items such as buttons and boots that North Korea gave to the United States

Forensics experts have told the brothers that the identity tag does not necessarily mean McDaniel's bones are among the remains.

Scientists need to test these for DNA matches and look for other identifiers such as teeth that match military dental records.

More than 5,300 US troops are still missing in North Korea.

Every year, hundreds of relatives of missing troops from the Cold War and Korean War gather in the Washington area to hear updates from military officials about their loved ones' cases.

The McDaniel brothers received their father's military tag at this year's event in a hotel in Arlington.

Marie Willower, who was attending the gathering, said she had come in the hopes of finding news about her uncle, Private First Class John McDonnell, who was captured in July 1950 and died after a forced march up the banks of the Yalu River on the border with China.

Aged just 17 or 18, he is thought to have died of malnutrition.

Willower said she had been given new hope that his remains might one day come home after learning of the recent repatriation from North Korea.

"It would be closure to know that he's finally home and put to rest," she told AFP.
US Central Command Commander Army General Joseph Votel

The general overseeing US military operations in the Middle East said Wednesday that an Iranian naval exercise around the Strait of Hormuz was meant to send a message to Washington before it reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Iran launched the exercise in the Gulf last week, sending dozens of small attack boats out into the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital, oil-shipping waterway that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last month threatened to shut down.

"It's pretty clear to us that they were trying to use that exercise to send a message to us that as we approach the period of the sanctions here that they had some capabilities," US Central Command head General Joseph Votel told Pentagon reporters.

The capabilities include ocean mines, explosive boats, coastal defense missiles and radars, he said.

Votel said he saw Qassem Soleimani, who heads the external operations Quds Force for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as being responsible for the exercise.

"He is an individual who is perpetrating a lot of this destabilizing activity," Votel said.

"Wherever you see Iranian activity, you see Qassem Soleimani."

The United States on Tuesday reimposed sanctions on Iran, after President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Angelina Jolie Pitt says she wants her divorce from Brad Pitt finalized before the end of the year.

The declarations came in a request for a case-management hearing filed Tuesday by Jolie Pitt's attorneys in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The document says her attorneys will work with Pitt's lawyers to ensure the actors are single again in 2018.

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2015 file photo, Angelina Jolie, left, and Brad Pitt arrive at the 2015 AFI Fest opening night premiere of "By The Sea" in Los Angeles. Jolie Pitt says she wants her divorce from Brad Pitt finalized before the end of the year, and that she intends to seek retroactive child support. The declarations came in a request for a case-management conference filed Tuesday by Jolie Pitt's attorneys in Los Angeles Superior Court. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

The court filing contends Pitt "has paid no meaningful child support" since the couple's separation. It says he has failed to live up to their informal financial arrangements, and she'll seek a court order to get retroactive payments from him.

Pitt's attorney Lance Spiegel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jolie Pitt filed for divorce nearly two years ago and currently has primary custody of their six children.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host now in charge of the Miss America Organization, says the organization needs to heal a rift that has seen over a dozen state groups call for her and other top leaders to resign.

In an interview with The Associated Press that Carlson said would be her last on the subject, she said Miss America officials at all levels need to be "on the same page" and she hoped that would happen before the next Miss America is crowned in Atlantic City on Sept. 9.

"It would be important that we all try to come together and have a healing process," she said.

FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2017, file photo, Gretchen Carlson participates in the BUILD Speaker Series to discuss her book "Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Back Your Power" at AOL Studios in New York. Carlson, the former Fox News host now in charge of the Miss America Organization, says the group needs to heal a divisive rift that has seen 20 state organizations call for her and other top leaders to resign. In an interview with The Associated Press that Carlson said would be her last on the subject, said Miss America officials at all levels need to be "on the same page," and hoped that would happen before the next Miss America is crowned in Atlantic City on Sept. 9, 2018. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

Yet Carlson, chairwoman of the Miss America Organization, dismissed critics as "a noisy minority" unhappy over the elimination of the swimsuit competition from this year's nationally televised broadcast and resistant to change in general.

Carlson, who was Miss America in 1989, also said on Tuesday the decision to eliminate the swimsuit competition has made the pageant more relevant and has been praised by many supporters who considered the pageant outdated and demeaning to women.

Twenty-two state-level pageant officials last month signed a letter expressing no confidence in Carlson, president and CEO Regina Hopper and the current board, claiming "Miss America 2.0 is simply a new title for the same old tactics of obfuscation and fear-based governance." Three states have since disassociated themselves from the letter, the organization said Wednesday.

Several opponents told the AP actions are being considered for the week of the Miss America competition, including litigation, news conferences and public demonstrations outside Boardwalk Hall, where the pageant will take place. However, at least 30 former Miss Americas have voiced confidence in the current leadership.

Hopper said critics are unhappy that Miss America is eliminating the swimsuit competition, a staple of the pageant since it debuted in 1921. She said the reinvention of Miss America is a turnaround that would typically take two to four years in the corporate world but had to be done in eight months, forcing people to come to terms with it much quicker than usual.

Carlson and Hopper were among a wave of female leadership swept into office after emails from former pageant leaders denigrating the appearance, intellect and sex lives of ex-Miss Americas surfaced last December. But the decision to drop the swimsuit competition and the way opponents say it was presented to them led many to rethink their initial support for the new regime.

Many opponents say Carlson and others presented the swimsuit elimination as an ultimatum, coupled with a threat that the pageant would lose its national television broadcast if swimsuits were retained.

"We were told we had a choice - it was either swimsuit or TV," said Leah Summers, executive director of the Miss West Virginia Organization.

"I heard from Regina Hopper and Gretchen Carlson that sponsors and networks will not come if we had swimsuit," added Jennifer Vaden Barth, a former board member and former Miss North Carolina.

Vaden Barth said when she and others questioned that, "they said, 'No, no, no, we didn't mean ABC, we were talking about production companies.'" An ABC spokeswoman told the AP the network never threatened to cancel the broadcast, and Hopper confirmed that in January, months before the swimsuit decision was made, ABC agreed to broadcast the pageant.

Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell said the decision to eliminate swimsuit was presented as a fait accompli.

"I thought it would be like, 'Hey, what's y'all's opinion?'" she said. "But, no. It was, 'I have taken away swimsuit and we expect your support.' If they had taken a poll, they would have gotten a resounding 'no.'"

Carlson said she had heard warnings that this year's swimsuit-less pageant might be "boring" to TV viewers. She said there is "something disturbing" about assuming that a celebration of women's talents and personalities would be boring.

Opponents have said Miss America leaders have failed to say how much will be given out in scholarship money this year. Hopper told the AP that at least as much would be given out this year as last year: around $500,000 from the Miss America Organization and the Miss America Foundation.

Critics say the swimsuit decision was not the genesis of their opposition to Carlson and her team but rather was a symptom of poor management and poor communication.

Hopper said state officials and former Miss Americas were given a voice in the future direction of Miss America but have confused that with veto power.

"Just because you have a voice doesn't mean your particular opinion gets accepted," Hopper said. "States are licensees. If I'm a McDonalds licensee and the corporate office decides, 'We're going to serve chocolate french fries' and I'm sitting here saying, 'I don't want to serve chocolate french fries,' well, you're going to serve chocolate french fries."

___

Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2015, file photo, newly-crowned Miss America 2016, Betty Cantrell poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Cantrell said the decision to eliminate swimsuit was presented as a fait accompli. "I thought it would be like, 'Hey, what's y'all's opinion?'" she said. "But no. It was, 'I have taken away swimsuit and we expect your support.' If they had taken a poll, they would have gotten a resounding 'no.'" (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Paul Manafort's protege wrapped up his testimony Wednesday after implicating the former Trump campaign chairman and himself in financial crimes while also enduring stinging attacks on his character and credibility.

Rick Gates has been the government's star witness in Manafort's financial fraud trial, testifying how, at the behest of his longtime boss, he helped conceal millions of dollars in foreign income and submitted fake mortgage and tax documents.

Defense lawyers saw an opening to undermine his testimony by painting him as liar and a philanderer, getting him to admit to an extramarital affair and reminding jurors how he had lied to special counsel Robert Mueller's team while working out a plea deal for himself.

The defense team for Paul Manafort, including Kevin Downing, front left, and Thomas Zehnle, front right, arrive at federal court for the continuation of the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman, in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The testimony, stretching across three days, created an extraordinary courtroom showdown between the two former Trump campaign aides who were indicted together by Mueller but who have since opted for radically different strategies: Manafort is the lone American charged by Mueller to opt for trial, whereas Gates pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate by testifying against his former boss.

Neither man was charged in connection with their Trump campaign work, but the trial has nonetheless been a distraction for a president who insists Manafort was treated shabbily and who continues to publicly fume about Mueller's investigation into potential ties between his associates and the Kremlin.

Prosecutors sandwiched the testimony of Gates around other witnesses who, in sometimes dry and detailed testimony, described Manafort's lavish spending and use of offshore accounts to stash Ukrainian political consulting fees.

A clothier said he sold Manafort more than $900,000 in luxury clothes, a bookkeeper says she helped disguise foreign income as a loan to reduce Manafort's tax burden and, on Wednesday, an FBI forensic accounting specialist said Manafort hid more than 30 offshore accounts in three types of currencies from the IRS.

Overall, the accountant traced more than $65 million flowing into offshore accounts controlled by Manafort, and she detailed for jurors how more than $15.5 million flowed out to fund his lavish lifestyle between 2010 and 2014.

But it was Gates' testimony that has so far generated the most drama, as the witness admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his boss, confessed to an extramarital affair and turned in spectacular fashion against a longtime mentor.

Prosecutors relied on Gates to provide direct, first-hand support of the accusations against Manafort.

He told jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manafort's tax bill. He recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

Prosecutors sought to soften the blow of the cross-examination by asking Gates to acknowledge his own crimes, including a lie to Mueller's team in February. But Gates nonetheless faced aggressive questioning by Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, who at one point asked him, "After all the lies you've told and the fraud you've committed, you expect this jury to believe you?"

Downing made one last effort Wednesday to erode Gates' credibility as he tried to confront him over whether he had engaged in four extramarital affairs, instead of just the one that he had admitted to earlier in the trial.

But after a lengthy conference between lawyers, Downing asked Gates only about the time span of his "secret life."

Gates replied, "I made many mistakes over many years" before he stepped down from the witness stand.

Downing also sought to counter earlier testimony that Manafort had encouraged Gates to deceive authorities. He got Gates to acknowledge that Manafort told him to be truthful about offshore shell companies and bank accounts during a 2014 interview with the FBI.

The interview was part of an FBI investigation that sought to recover assets looted from the Ukrainian government under the rule of former President Viktor Yanukovych.

Gates said under questioning Wednesday that he told FBI agents and Justice Department lawyers about some of the offshore companies that contained millions of dollars in proceeds from their Ukrainian political work.

But prosecutor Greg Andres followed up by suggesting that Gates and Manafort were not fully truthful.

"Did you tell the FBI that there was hidden income in those accounts?" Andres asked.

"No, I did not," Gates responded.

Once Gates finished testifying, prosecutors resumed trying to make their case through documentary evidence to demonstrate Manafort's control of offshore bank accounts containing millions of dollars. None of those accounts were reported to the IRS as required by U.S. law.

An FBI forensic accountant, Morgan Magionos, told jurors bank records from Cyprus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Kingdom revealed the accounts were connected to Manafort and his associates. She said Manafort's passport was used to open many of them in U.S. dollars, euros and British pounds.

Using charts, emails and financial and tax records, Magionos told jurors how she traced millions of dollars of payments for mortgages, home improvements, rugs and clothes back to his hidden foreign bank accounts. In one case, she alleged that foreign accounts were used by Manafort to pay for more than $3.5 million in home improvements.

Konstantin Kilimnik, a man prosecutors say has ties to Russian intelligence, was also among the beneficial owners of some of the companies. Kilimnik is charged along with Manafort with witness tampering in a separate case. Gates was also listed as an owner of several of the accounts.

Also Wednesday, an IRS agent, Michael Welch, testified that Manafort didn't report at least $16 million on his tax returns between 2010 and 2014. He also said Manafort should have reported multiple foreign bank accounts to the IRS in those years.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III repeatedly has interrupted prosecutors to encourage them to speed things along. He poked fun at himself Wednesday as he haggled with attorneys over the number and type of charts prosecutors could present during the testimony of the accountant.

"Judges should be patient. They made a mistake when they confirmed me. I'm not very patient, so don't try my patience," Ellis said.

Prosecutors say they have eight witnesses left and expect to rest their case by Friday afternoon.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Barakat contributed to this report.

This courtroom sketch depicts Rick Gates on the witness stand as he is cross examined by defense lawyer Kevin Downing during the trial of former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on bank fraud and tax evasion at federal court in Alexandria, Va., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. U.S. District court Judge T.S. Ellis III presides. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Kathleen Manafort, right, wife of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arrives at federal court to attend the trial of her husband in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
NEW YORK (AP) - The microwave ate my homework? Reusable notebooks where writing disappears with heat are among the basic school supplies raising their game against gadgets like iPads.

Also hot in the paper aisle this year: Decorative tape, creative journals and scented pencils in smells like bacon and pickle.

"There's an explosion of innovation and fun" in school supplies, said Scott Bayles, vice president of stationery at Walmart. He noted that people are looking for ways to relieve stress through creative expression, and that's trickling down to kids.

This July 18, 2018, photo shows a display of back to school backpacks in a Staples store in Pittsburgh. Llamas are in demand for decoration on backpacks and other school supplies this year. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Companies that make school supplies have figured out how to get parents to spend more by offering innovations on the basics, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry adviser at The NPD Group. At Staples, for example, a pack of 72 basic No. 2 pencils costs about $15.49, or 21 cents each, while a pack of five scented pencils runs $7.99, or $1.60 each.

Overall, stores expect a healthy back-to-school shopping season, fueled by a strong economy and high consumer confidence. Deloitte forecasts that back-to-school spending will increase 2.2 percent to $27.6 billion this year, with the average spending per household rising slightly to $510 from $501 last year. That includes $112 on school supplies, up from $104.

Here are four trends:

- NEW KINDS OF NOTEBOOKS AND PENS: The Rocketbook Wave notebook that runs about $25 works like a traditional pen and paper version. But when pages are full, you can scan them with the app and send the contents to the cloud. If you used the Pilot FriXion pen, you can erase the notes by heating it in the microwave, and then reuse it. Using only the Pilot FriXion pen works in a similar way. You can make corrections on a page by heating the ink in the microwave or by rubbing the eraser tip to cause friction. Put it in the freezer and the ink will reappear.

Bullet journals that adults have adopted over the past few years are making their way to the back-to-school aisles. The notebooks become a mix between a diary, a wish list and a to-do list, and can help keep track of homework, school projects and school events. Events can be marked by an "O'' bullet, while tasks can be a dot.

- DECORATIVE TAPE: Adhesive tape including Japanese paper called washi has been growing in popularity, and the trend has moved into school supplies. Kids are using the tape to decorate their notebooks, pens and pencils and other items, says Kaleigh Sands, a Staples spokeswoman.

"It's customizable," Sands said, noting that kids want to personalize their own items.

- SCENTS AND COLORS: Elmer's has been expanding beyond its famous white school glue to purple, pink and blue glitter glue and even a slime starter kit. Retailers are also widening their arrays of scented pencils. Walmart has added such smells as bacon, grass, onion, mud and pickle. Target's scented pencils feature such smells as cola and jelly doughnut.

- LLAMAS VS. UNICORNS: Rainbow unicorns are seeing a bit of competition. Llamas are in demand for decoration on backpacks and other school supplies. Dayna Isom Johnson, a trend expert at Etsy, said the search results for unicorns have more than doubled in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year. They're still way ahead, but the interest is llamas is growing - search results for them more than tripled in that same time frame.

"It might be time for something new to come along," Johnson added.

___

Follow Anne D'Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio

This July 19, 2018, photo shows a display of sparkle Elmer's glue in a Walmart in Pittsburgh. Elmer's has been expanding beyond its famous white school glue to purple, pink and blue glitter glue and even a slime starter kit. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

In this Aug. 1, 2018, photo, from left, Cash Miller, his sister Kaya Miller, their mother Angie Miller and their brother Jax Miller work on artwork at their kitchen table in Hartford, Wis. Angie Miller bought them some of the hot items in the back to school aisle this year, including glitter glue, scented pencils, special erasable pens, a bullet journal and decorative tape. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

This July 18, 2018, photo shows a display of scented markers and crayons in a Staples in Pittsburgh. Scented pencils and markers are among the hot items in the school supplies aisle this year. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

In this Aug. 1, 2018, photo, Kaya Miller holds up some of her work in a bullet journal, including use of wash tape, in Hartford, Wis. The bullet journal and wash tape are two of the hot items in the school supplies aisle this year. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - Prosecutors on Wednesday released hours of video interrogation of Florida's school shooting suspect, footage showing the young man slouching in a chair, being repeatedly urged by a detective to speak louder and punching himself in the face when he is alone.

The footage contained the same material as a transcript released earlier in the week, and both were edited to remove what authorities say was a direct confession by Nikolas Cruz to the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

In other developments, a sheriff leading the state commission investigating the massacre said Wednesday that the suspect's behavior before the shooting was a "roller-coaster," where he would have stretches of good conduct before it deteriorated.

In this image made from video provided on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Nikolas Cruz points his fingers to his temple at an interrogation room, while officers are out of the room, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Prosecutors on Wednesday released hours of video interrogation of Florida's school shooting suspect, footage showing the young man slouching in a chair, being repeatedly urged by a detective to speak louder and punching himself in the face when he is alone. (Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission that Cruz's fluctuating behavior through the years made it difficult for school officials to determine how he should be handled. Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, is charged with killing 17 people in the Valentine's Day attack there.

"It was really a roller-coaster with Cruz really from birth," Gualtieri said. A report released last week by the Broward County school district said he began showing behavioral issues that got him kicked out of pre-kindergarten. He spent his school years shuttling between regular campuses and those for children with emotional and behavioral problems. "He had some really bad low times but at times he was without behavioral issues," Gualtieri said.

The video made public Wednesday shows Cruz hunched over at times, leaning back at others. He is seen wearing hospital clothes and speaking so softly at the beginning that Broward Sheriff's Detective John Curcio has to repeatedly urge him to talk louder. At one point shortly after entering a small interrogation room, the detective asks Cruz: "You all right? Got to be able to speak so I can hear you."

At one point, with the police out of the room, the video shows Cruz take two fingers, put them to his left temple and pretend to pull a trigger. He gave a little shake after doing this. Later, he is seen punching himself hard in the face with both hands and occasionally scratching at his right arm with a small object he picked up off the floor.

Much of the interrogation focused on a demonic voice Cruz claims he has heard inside his head for years that urges him to commit violent acts. When asked what the voice usually said, Cruz answered, "Burn. Kill. Destroy." He also said the voice told him to cut himself.

At another point with Curcio out of the room, Cruz mutters, "Kill me," and then, later, "I want to die."

Earlier, at Wednesday's public safety commission session, Gualtieri said there were times in middle school and at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that Cruz's behavior "dive-bombed," and he required an escort to monitor him.

Gualtieri didn't go into details Wednesday, but it has been previously reported that Cruz got into fights, committed vandalism, cursed teachers and drew a swastika on his backpack. Administrators conducted a threat assessment of him in 2016, about five months before he was kicked out of the school.

The 14 appointed members and five ex-officio members will learn more about Cruz's educational, mental health and medical history during a closed session Thursday as they conclude their monthly two-day meeting.

The commission must file a report with its findings of what led to the shooting and recommendations for system improvements by Jan. 1. Commission members include law enforcement and educational officials, mental health professionals, a legislator and two parents of students who died in the attack.

Guy Grace, the security head for the Littleton, Colorado, school district, presented the commission Wednesday with suggestions for improving safety at Florida's schools. He said his district boosted security after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School that left 13 dead plus the two student attackers. He said measures can range from high-tech solutions such as camera systems that can alert monitors to potential problems to simply making doors easier to lock. Stoneman Douglas teachers complained after the shooting that their classrooms couldn't be locked from the inside - they had to go into the hallway with a key.

Grace said his district has also issued devices to all staff members allowing them to initiate a lockdown at their schools.

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Associated Press writers Curt Anderson in Fort Lauderdale and Mike Schneider in Orlando contributed to this story.

In this image made from video provided on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Detective John Curcio, left, talks to Nikolas Cruz at an interrogation room in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Prosecutors on Wednesday released hours of video interrogation of Florida's school shooting suspect, footage showing the young man slouching in a chair, being repeatedly urged by the detective to speak louder and punching himself in the face when he is alone. (Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP)

In this image made from video provided on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Zachary Cruz, left, reacts as he was speaking with his brother Nikolas Cruz at an interrogation room in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Prosecutors on Wednesday released hours of video interrogation of school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz. (Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Democrats didn't walk away with a clear win Tuesday night. But they didn't necessarily have to. They essentially battled Republicans to a draw in a central Ohio congressional district that should have been an easy win for the GOP. It will take actual victories for Democrats to reclaim the majority, but even a too-close-to-call result was a sign of Democratic momentum and offered clues for how to run in November.

Some takeaways from another round of voting ahead of the fall midterm elections:

URBAN-RURAL-SUBURBAN SPLITS PREVIEW NOVEMBER BATTLES

Danny O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, shakes hands with supporters during an election night watch party at the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Westerville, Ohio. O'Connor ran against Republican Troy Balderson in a special election race for Ohio's 12th District after the retirement of Pat Tiberi who served as the U.S. Representative from 2001-2018 in the reliably Republican district. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Democrat Danny O'Connor's strong showing in Ohio's 12th Congressional District offers his party a roadmap to the House majority: Galvanize suburbanites to join the party's urban base and offset the Republican advantage in rural areas.

O'Connor came close to upsetting Republican Troy Balderson by running up his numbers closest to Columbus, performing better than Democrats recently have in the district's suburban core, and even managing to dent the GOP advantage in rural areas. O'Connor won 65 percent of the vote in precincts closest to heavily Democratic Columbus. He ran ahead of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential marks across the district: about 6 percentage points ahead of her mark in vote-rich Delaware, small-town Licking and rural Morrow counties.

Far from the city, Balderson answered with his own wide margins, peaking at 69 percent in rural Morrow County. In suburban Delaware County, Balderson led by 8 percentage points.

Many of the districts Democrats are hoping to flip in November are more favorable to them than the Ohio 12th. If they can compete there, they're well positioned in the key battlegrounds.

The tight outcome also underscores lingering questions about President Donald Trump's value - or liability - to Republicans in the districts that will determine whether the party maintains its control of Congress. Trump won the district by 11 percentage points in 2016, and he rallied on Balderson's behalf ahead of Tuesday's vote. While Trump declared Balderson the winner, the close margin, several thousand provisional votes and absentee ballots, and Ohio law putting off a final count means it will be weeks before the outcome is known.

REPUBLICANS STILL HAVE A BOOST FROM THE MAP

The Ohio result shows why Democrats' enthusiasm, and an advantage this year among independents, won't automatically translate into flipping control of Congress. The reason: gerrymandered districts and Democrats' concentration in cities.

Former Rep. Pat Tiberi won the Ohio seat nine times before retiring in January, but his margins went up after Ohio's Republican legislature redrew congressional district lines. That process shifted some heavily Democratic areas of Franklin County - where Democrat O'Connor got more than 46,000 of his almost 100,000 votes - into another district. If O'Connor had that lost territory - and less of the rural parts of the district - he could be the leading candidate instead of Balderson.

Similar dynamics exist in competitive-but-GOP-leaning districts in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina, among other states. The Supreme Court earlier this year decline to declare partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional. Certainly, both parties have engaged in the practice over the years. But this year, the overall advantage tilts toward Republicans.

Political players in both parties say that means Democrats could win the combined national House vote by 5 or 6 points and still not win a majority of seats, essentially because you could have wider-than-usual margins in city-based Democratic districts but still have Republicans winning with closer-than-usual margins in the districts nearby.

THE YEAR OF WOMEN CONTINUES

Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Laura Kelly of Kansas joined a list of eight Democratic women running for governor in November. Both will face Republican men.

Unlike some of their fellow Democratic nominees in other states, neither would become their state's first female governors. Whitmer and Kelly both have extensive records as legislative leaders and pitch themselves as get-it-done pragmatists. That's not in line with some of the headliners of the #MeToo era and the anti-Trump resistance movement, but it may be Democrats' best shot to flip two governor's mansions that Republicans have held since 2011.

In other races, women are carrying the banner for the progressive movement that is trying to pull the party leftward - and some of those women would mark historic firsts in Congress.

In Michigan, Rashida Tlaib, daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is in line to become the first Muslim woman in Congress after successfully running as an unapologetic progressive for the heavily Democratic seat vacated by former Rep. John Conyers. And in eastern Kansas, Sharice Davids won a battle of party liberals to take on Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder in a battleground district that sided narrowly with Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016. She'd be the first LGBT Native American woman in Congress.

Meanwhile, two all-female races are set in Washington state. Democrat Lisa Brown, a university administrator and former state lawmaker, will take on Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the highest-ranking female House Republican, in an eastern Washington seat. Former state Republican chairwoman Susan Hutchison will try to unseat Sen. Maria Cantwell.

DEMS HAVE THEIR ANTI-TAX LAW PLAYBOOK

The narrow results in Ohio leave Democrats confident that they can win voters by running full-force against the GOP tax plan.

O'Connor watched Republican outside groups outspend him as they poured millions into the race. But the GOP barrage mostly steered clear of touting the tax cuts that Republicans once said would be the key to maintaining control of Congress. Instead, they dusted off their well-worn approach of tying Democratic nominees to unpopular national party leaders like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

O'Connor, meanwhile, hammered the tax law as a threat to Social Security and Medicare. It's a similar argument to what Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania used earlier this year to win a special election in heavy GOP territory.

Republican incumbents still insist that they'll champion tax cuts as the reason for strong economic numbers so far this year. But two high-profile special elections leave Democrats confident in their attacks on the signature legislation of Trump's first two years, and that ensures voters in battleground House districts will see and hear plenty of advertisements warning them about potential consequences of the Republican law.

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Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP .

Troy Balderson, Republican candidate for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, shakes hands with a few supporters during an election night party Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Newark, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Michigan gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer gives her acceptance speech after winning the Democratic primary during her election night party at the Sound Board at Motor City Casino, in Detroit, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP)

State Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka arrives at her watch party in Topeka's Ramada Hotel and Convention Center Tuesday evening, Aug. 7, 2018, to await the results of her contest for her party's nomination in the race for governor. Kelly won the Democratic primary for governor Tuesday, Aug. 7, after stressing her Statehouse experience and fending off questions about her voting record. (Thad Allton/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

Susan Hutchison speaks at the State Republican Headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Hutchison has gained a "top two" finish in Washington state's primary to advance to the November general election. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)
The ancient bibliographies in Bac Kan has been handed down from generations to generations, many of them being hundreds of years old. The documents record the traditional rites of passage, such as the cap sac rite, which is held to declare the coming-of-age of Dao men within the community, ceremonies to pray for peace and bumper crops, and funerals.

Each ethnic group in Bac Kan has their own bibliography, which are kept in different families as one handwritten copy.

The guardians of the ancient documents are elders and patriarchs of the families in the village, who are masters of ancient languages and transcripts and experienced in traditional ceremonies.

A majority of the documents were written in Han (Chinese script) and Nom (Vietnamese ideographic script); however, the number of those who are fluent in the scripts is becoming fewer in the village as many of the guardians have grown old and passed away.

For example, there is now nobody in Vi Huong commune, Bach Thong district who can read and understand the ancient transcript engraved in the local bell.

The family of Be Dinh Giai, an old Tay ethnic man in Bann Nhi hamlet, Bang Lang commune, Cho Don district, now possesses three bibliographies, including a collection of 80 wedding poems, a collection of 100 Then folk songs for ceremonies to dispel bad luck, and Tong Tran  Cuc Hoa and Pham Tai  Ngoc Hoa folk stories, which have been preserved since 1913.

According to Giai, his family consider the books a valuable treasure, which reflect the ritual practices of Tay ethnic people, but only the elders can thoroughly understand the contents.

Many other ancient documents with a high degree of erudition written in Han and Nom scripts are being preserved by families at remote areas.

Trieu Xuan Hoa, a Dao ethnic man in Vi Huong commune, Bach Thong district, is the seventh generation of guardians of Cho Shong, a book of the Dao peoples ethical lessons.

The book teaches the moral standards and code of conduct that Dao people should be equipped with in life, from simple gestures of walking, speaking, and standing to the acts of supporting elders and children.

However, as the book was written in Nom script, few people can read it, thus youngsters in the community are less in favour of studying the book, which is now kept for display.

Trieu Quang Phuc from Quang Bach commune, Cho Don district worried that most of the men who can read and understand the ancestors ancient documents are becoming older, thus the collection and preservation of the documents is necessary to help younger generations learn more about the traditional rituals and practices.

Being fully aware of the situation, Bac Kan provincial Peoples Committee recently invested VND250 million for the provincial library to collect and digitise the ancient documents in the locality.

With sponsorship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Fund, the provincial library has been facilitated with a server, projector, scanners, cameras, 40 computers and peripheral devices to help in taking photos, scanning and digitising the documents.

So far, the library staff members have collected 88 objects, and 64 ancient bibliographies with nearly 3,500 pages. The collected documents are of varied materials of cloth, wood, do (poonah) paper, and metal, and are transcribed in assorted languages, patterns and symbols.

According to Deputy Director of the provincial library, Mai Thi Nga, further research has been carried out on the origins, practice and development of the customs of ethnic groups in Bac Kan as well as their spiritual and cultural life.

The data is formatted and backups are regularly created with digital library software, creating a source of information and communication for future research.

The library leaders have also take measures to translate the collected documents to popularise the content of the documents among the public, helping to raise their awareness of the treasured tangible heritages of the ancestors.
TAOS, N.M. (AP) - A father arrested at a ramshackle New Mexico compound where 11 hungry children were found living in filth was training youngsters to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday.

The allegations against Siraj Ibn Wahhaj came to light as authorities awaited word on whether human remains discovered at the site were those of his missing son, who is severely disabled and went missing in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

The documents say Wahhaj was conducting weapons training with assault rifles at the compound on the outskirts of Amalia, a tiny town near the Colorado border marked by scattered homes and sagebrush.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, left, sits next to public defense attorney Aleks Kostich at a first appearance in New Mexico state district court in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, on accusations of child abuse and abducting his son from the boy's mother. Authorities were waiting to learn if human remains found at a disheveled living compound were those of Wahhaj's missing son. Authorities also allege Wahhaj was conducting weapons training with assault rifles at the compound near the Colorado border where they say they found 11 hungry children living in filthy conditions in a raid Friday. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

"He poses a great danger to the children found on the property as well as a threat to the community as a whole due to the presence of firearms and his intent to use these firearms in a violent and illegal manner," Prosecutor Timothy Hasson wrote in the court documents Wednesday.

Authorities raided the compound Friday in an investigation that has yielded a series of startling revelations - including the discovery of the 11 children in rags and word that Wahhaj wanted to perform an exorcism on his son because he thought the boy was possessed by the devil.

Prosecutor Timothy Hasson filed the court documents while asking that Wahhaj be held without bail after he was arrested last week with four other adults at the compound facing child abuse charges.

Prosecutors did not bring up the school shooting accusation during initial court hearings Wednesday for the abuse suspects. A judge ordered them all held without bond pending further proceedings.

In the court documents, authorities said a foster parent of one of the children removed from the compound had told authorities the child had been trained to use an assault rifle in preparation for a school shooting.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe previously said adults at the compound were "considered extremist of the Muslim belief." He did not elaborate, saying it was part of the investigation.

Aleks Kostich of the Taos County Public Defender's Office questioned the accusation of a school shooting conspiracy, saying the claim was presented with little information beyond the explanation that it came from a foster parent.

Kostich believes prosecutors are not certain about the credibility of the foster parent, whom he has no way of reaching to verify the claim, he said.

The human remains were being analyzed by medical examiners to determine if they are those of Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, the missing boy.

Earlier this year, his grandfather, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, posted a plea on Facebook for help finding his grandson.

The elder Wahhaj heads the Masjid At-Taqwa in Brooklyn, a mosque that has attracted radical speakers over the years. He met Mahmud Abouhalima when he came to the site to raise money for Muslims in Afghanistan. Abouhalima later helped bomb the World Trade Center in 1993.

In a Georgia arrest warrant, authorities said 39-year-old Siraj Ibn Wahhaj had told his son's mother that he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child. He later said he was taking the child to a park and didn't return.

He is accused in Georgia of kidnapping the boy.

The arrest warrant issued there says the missing boy has a condition caused by lack of oxygen and blood flow around the time of birth. He cannot walk and requires constant attention, his mother told police.

For months, neighbors worried about the squalid compound built along the remote New Mexico plain, saying they took their concerns to authorities long before sheriff's officials raided the facility described as a small camping trailer in the ground.

The search at the compound came amid a two-month investigation that included the FBI. Hogrefe said federal agents surveilled the area a few weeks ago but did not find probable cause to search the property.

That changed when Georgia detectives forwarded a message to the sheriff that he said initially had been sent to a third party, saying: "We are starving and need food and water."

Authorities found what Hogrefe called "the saddest living conditions and poverty" he has seen in 30 years in law enforcement. He said Wahhaj was armed with multiple firearms, including an assault rifle. But he was taken into custody without incident.

The group arrived in Amalia in December, with enough money to buy groceries and construction supplies, according to Tyler Anderson, a 41-year-old auto mechanic who lives nearby.

He said he helped them install solar panels after they arrived but eventually stopped visiting.

Anderson said he met both of the men in the group, but never the women, who authorities have said are the mothers of the 11 children, ages 1 to 15.

"We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid," Anderson said.

As the months passed, he said he stopped seeing the smaller children playing in the area and didn't hear guns being fired at a shooting range on the property.

Jason Badger, who owned the property where the compound was built, said he and his wife had pressed authorities to remove the group after becoming concerned about the children.

The group had built the compound on their acreage instead of a neighboring tract owned by Lucas Morton, one of the men arrested during the raid.

However, a judge dismissed an eviction notice filed by Badger against Morton in June, court records said. The records did not provide further details on the judge's decision.

After the raid, Anderson looked over the property for the first time in months.

"I was flabbergasted from what it had turned into from the last time I saw it," he said.

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Hudetz reported from Albuquerque. Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta, and Russell Contreras in Albuqerque, N.M., contributed to this report.

Lucas Morton, center, pleads not guilty to child abuse charges in state district court in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Morton is accompanied by public defense attorneys, Greg Dawkins, left, and Aleks Kostich, right. Morton was arrested Friday, Aug. 3, in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities say say they found five adults and 11 children living in filth and later recovered the remains of a small boy. Authorities are waiting to learn if the remains belong to a boy that went missing from Georgia in December. Authorities say another resident of the compound near the Colorado state line was conducting weapons training with assault rifles. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

CORRECTS BYLINE TO MORGAN LEE INSTEAD OF LEE MORGAN - A makeshift shooting range stands adjacent to a disheveled living compound in Amalia, N.M., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. A New Mexico sheriff said searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound that was raided in search of a missing Georgia child. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

CORRECTS BYLINE TO MORGAN LEE INSTEAD OF LEE MORGAN - Taos County Planning Department officials Rachel Romero, left, and Eric Montoya survey property conditions at a disheveled living compound at Amalia, N.M., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. A New Mexico sheriff said searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound that was raided in search of a missing Georgia child. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

CORRECTS BYLINE TO MORGAN LEE INSTEAD OF LEE MORGAN - Taos County Solid Waste Department Director Edward Martinez, center, surveys property conditions at a disheveled living compound at Amalia, N.M., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. A New Mexico sheriff said searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound that was raided in search of a missing Georgia child. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

Taos County Solid Waste Department Director Edward Martinez surveys property conditions at a disheveled living compound at Amalia, N.M., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The investigation into a group of starving children found in the desert compound in New Mexico took another dark turn Tuesday, when authorities said they found the remains of a young boy at the squalid property. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

CORRECTS BYLINE TO MORGAN LEE INSTEAD OF LEE MORGAN - Police tape restricts access to a disheveled living compound in Amalia, N.M., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. A New Mexico sheriff said searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound that was raided in search of a missing Georgia child. A New Mexico sheriff said searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound that was raided in search of a missing Georgia child. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

CORRECTS LAST NAME TO MORTON, NOT MORTEN - This photo provided by the Taos County Sheriff's Department shows Lucas Morton, left, and Siraj Wahhaj. Morton and Wahhaj were arrested after law enforcement officers searching a rural northern New Mexico compound for a missing 3-year-old boy found 11 children in filthy conditions and hardly any food. (Taos County Sheriff's Department via AP)

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe announces at a news conference in Taos, N.M., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, that searchers have found the remains of a boy at the makeshift compound that was raided in search of a missing Georgia child. Hogrefe said authorities are awaiting a positive identification of the remains found Monday on the outskirts of Amalia, N.M. Authorities say the search for the child led them Friday to the squalid compound where they found his father, four other adults and 11 children living in filthy conditions. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, center, confers with one of his attorneys at a first appearance in New Mexico district court in Taos, N.M., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, on accusations of child abuse and abducting his son from the boy's mother. Authorities were waiting to learn if human remains found at a disheveled living compound were those of Wahhaj's missing son. Authorities also allege Wahhaj was conducting weapons training with assault rifles at the compound near the Colorado border where they say they found 11 hungry children living in filthy conditions in a raid Friday. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)
BEIJING (AP) - Six people have been imprisoned for up to four years for their part in a scheme to cheat on China's national graduate school exam, state media reported Wednesday.

Exam takers were provided with wireless transmitters and receivers and told to read the questions out loud, according to the reports. Researchers off-site would then find the answers in textbooks and read them to the test takers through their receivers.

Among those sentenced Tuesday were two exam takers who helped recruit clients. It wasn't clear how much the cheaters paid for the service or what punishment they received, although permanent disqualification from the exams is the usual sanction in such cases.

The six defendants were sentenced to between 20 months and four years and fined up to 40,000 yuan ($5,900). They could have faced as much as seven years in prison under a 2015 amendment to the law.

Exam scores make up the overwhelming preponderance of criteria for acceptance in the Chinese education system from early education onward.
BANGSAL, Indonesia (AP) - Aid began reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after a powerful earthquake that killed more than 130 people as rescuers intensified efforts Wednesday to find those buried in the rubble.

The national disaster agency stood by its latest death toll of 131 from Sunday's quake despite other government agencies including the military reporting much higher figures.

The governor of the province that includes Lombok where the quake was centered, the military, the national search and rescue agency and regent of North Lombok issued different death tolls that ranged from 226 to 381.

A military paramedic tends to a boy who suffers head injury from Sunday's earthquake at a makeshift hospital in Kayangan, Lombok Island, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok has been devastated by the magnitude 7.0 quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing more than 100 people. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

But disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement the information from those sources was incomplete and hadn't been cross-checked for duplication. He has said several times that the number of deaths will increase. An interagency meeting will be held Thursday to compare information, Nugroho said.

As the aid effort stepped up, volunteers and rescue personnel erected more temporary shelters for the tens of thousands left homeless on Lombok by the magnitude 7.0 quake.

Water, which has been in short supply due to a prolonged dry spell on the island, as well as food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks. The military said it sent five planes carrying food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers.

Still, government assistance was barely a trickle in the west Lombok village of Kekait where Zulas Triani, an elementary school teacher who was sharing a tent with 30 others, said they had received only a basket with three noodle packets, five eggs and a small ration of water.

"My house was flattened. We are all frustrated to live like this - in a tent without certainty. Where should we go if we have no house anymore, nowhere to live?" said the mother of 15- and 9-year-old girls.

"I don't know how to rebuild on my own. We're all relying on the government to help. I do hope the government can help," she said.

Nearly 1,500 people have been hospitalized with serious injuries and more than 156,000 have been displaced due to the extensive damage to thousands of homes. Thousands of people have been sleeping in makeshift shelters or out in the open.

At a collapsed mosque in Bangsal district, emergency workers in orange uniforms removed a woman's body from the ruins on Wednesday morning. A green and yellow dome rested on the pile of rubble, the only part of the structure still intact.

Authorities said all the tourists who wanted to be evacuated from three outlying vacation islands due to power blackouts and damage to hotels had left by boat, some 5,000 people in all.

The quake was the second in a week to hit Lombok. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake on July 29 killed 16 people and cracked and weakened many structures, amplifying the damage that occurred in Sunday's quake.

Like its famous neighbor Bali, Lombok is known for beaches, mountains and a lush interior. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

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Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Todd Pitman in Kekait, Indonesia, and Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

Villagers gather at a temporary shelter after fleeing their damaged village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Aid has begun reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after an earthquake killed over 100 people as rescuers intensify efforts to find those buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A man looks out from a mosque window as damaged homes are reflected on a glass window in the Kekait village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Locals view the devastation of a collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Emergency workers recover a body from the Jamiul Jamaah Mosque after it collapsed during an earthquake in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

An elderly man injured in an earthquake lies at a temporary shelter in the Kekait village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Aid has begun reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after an earthquake killed over 100 people as rescuers intensify efforts to find those buried in the rubble.(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Mohammad Muzak inspects his damaged home in the Kekait village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Aid has begun reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after an earthquake killed over 100 people as rescuers intensify efforts to find those buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

A villager visits his damaged house in the Kekait village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Aid has begun reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after an earthquake killed over 100 people as rescuers intensify efforts to find those buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Locals view the devastation of a collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Rescuer teams continue to search for victims in the collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful earthquake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)ll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
AHIHUD, Israel (AP) - Anwar Saeb spent two decades in the Israeli military, rising to the rank of colonel and suffering wounds in battle while serving as a brigade commander during the 2006 war in Lebanon.

Now, the 51-year-old lawyer, a member of Israel's Arabic-speaking Druze minority, finds himself on the front lines of a different and unlikely battle - leading a campaign against a contentious new law that critics say sidelines minority groups.

Tens of thousands of Druze Israelis, along with Jewish supporters, thronged a Tel Aviv square on Saturday night in a rare demonstration against government policy by the typically muted community. Saeb and Amal Assad, a retired brigadier general, led the protest.

FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 file photo, Israelis from the Druze community participate in a rally against a contentious new law, in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Druze minority -- Arabic speakers who serve in the country's military -- are demonstrating against the "Nation-State" law, saying it downgrades them to second class citizens. Israel's nationalist government says the recently passed law merely reinforces the country's Jewish character. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

For Saeb, the campaign is especially painful. The Druze minority is fiercely loyal to the state and well-integrated in society, yet its members feel betrayed by the new "Nation-State" law.

"We don't think it's good for the Jewish people. It's not good for the state of Israel," he told The Associated Press at his office, which has been turned into the "Headquarters of the Nation-State Law Protest."

Israeli and multicolored Druze flags covered nearly every inch of the walls, and his desk was stacked with posters bearing a Jewish Star of David in the Druze colors: green, red, yellow, blue and white.

The law, sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and passed by parliament last month, endorsed the country's identity as the nation-state of the Jewish people. But it also downgraded Arabic from an official language to one of "special standing" and emphasized "developing Jewish settlement as a national value."

Advocates of the law say it merely enshrines the state's existing character and upholds the rights of minority groups in a democratic society. But critics say it turned the country's Arab minority - 20 percent of the population - into second-class citizens. The law has faced both civil opposition and legal protests, including multiple challenges in the Supreme Court.

Netanyahu's government has had a strained relationship with much of the Arab minority. Many oppose his hard-line policies toward their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza or remain scarred by his 2015 election-day attempt to galvanize supporters by warning that Arabs were voting in "droves."

But the backlash among the Druze is surprising and potentially politically damaging.

The Druze belong to a small secretive sect that splintered off Shiite Islam in the Middle Ages, with populations concentrated in the mountainous areas of Lebanon, Syria and Israel. Less than 1 percent of the population, Israel's 130,000 Druze carry outsized influence in the country.

Unlike the Muslim and Christian Arab minorities, Israeli Druze are drafted to the military and many strongly identify as Israeli. Most live in hilltop towns and villages in the Galilee, where memorials honor the more than 500 Druze soldiers and police officers killed in the line of duty. They have risen to senior military positions and have served as senior ministers and diplomats.

Saeb said there was no conflict between his Israeli and Druze identities, likening it to the dual identity of American Jews. How would they feel, he asked, if the U.S. passed a law stating the country was a Christian nation?

"We Druze decided before the foundation of the state (in 1948) to go with the Jews, and if the Jews bite the dust, we go down with them," Saeb said. "We're not connected to the Jews to protect them, we don't serve the Jews. We're not loyal temporarily. We're loyal to our home. This is my home."

Speakers at Saturday's rally said that special relationship between the Jews and Druze had suffered a major blow because of the Nation-State Law.

A handful of Druze soldiers in the Israeli military criticized the law on social media, breaking military rules that prohibit soldiers from expressing political opinions.

Lt. Amir Jmall wrote in a post directed at Netanyahu that he, his brothers, and father all served in the military and in return are treated like "second class citizens" by the law.

"I don't want to continue and I am sure that hundreds of other people will stop serving and be released from the military because of your decision," Jmall said. He did not respond to requests to be interviewed.

Anat Baeeny Kara, a Druze woman volunteering in the protest campaign, said her 17-year-old son is set to enlist in the Israeli military next year, and feared the nation-state law would turn Israel into a "racist state."

"I always wanted my son to have a military career. I want him to safeguard the country's security." She said she's still telling her son he must serve, "but there's a feeling of being a mercenary, of not being an equal citizen."

Netanyahu met last week with Druze leaders in a bid to assuage concerns. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu cut the meeting short after Assad, Saeb's fellow protest leader, warned the law would "lead to apartheid."

Despite the rally, Netanyahu doubled down on his defense of the law on Sunday, saying it doesn't harm any citizens and was needed to "ensure the future of Israel as the state of the Jewish people for generations to come."

Saeb says the law could be fixed by adding one clause: "equality for all citizens."

The protest leaders have called for Israel's declaration of independence, which enshrines protection of minority rights, to supplant the new legislation.

Issued in May 1948, it proclaimed the country as the Jewish homeland, rebuilt after 2000 years of exile. But it also called for the "development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants." It guarantees "complete equality of social and political rights to all inhabitants irrespective of religion, race, or sex."

Saeb said that he himself has never "felt second class" as a Druze in Israel, and his qualm is solely with government policies.

"I'm fighting so that the state doesn't become second-class, because laws like this turn it into second-class state," he said.

FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 file photo, Israeli Druze Spiritual Leader Sheik Mowafaq Tafik, center, is seen on a screen as he speaks during a rally against Israel's Jewish Nation bill in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Druze minority -- Arabic speakers who serve in the country's military -- are demonstrating against the "Nation-State" law, saying it downgrades them to second class citizens. Israel's nationalist government says the recently passed law merely reinforces the country's Jewish character. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 file photo, an Israeli man from the Druze community participates in a rally against a contentious new law that critics say sidelines Israel's non-Jewish citizens, in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Druze minority -- Arabic speakers who serve in the country's military -- are demonstrating against the "Nation-State" law, saying it downgrades them to second class citizens. Israel's nationalist government says the recently passed law merely reinforces the country's Jewish character. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 file photo, Druze Spiritual Leader Sheik Mowafaq Tafik, center, participates in a rally against a contentious new law that critics say sidelines Israel's non-Jewish citizens, in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Druze minority -- Arabic speakers who serve in the country's military -- are demonstrating against the "Nation-State" law, saying it downgrades them to second class citizens. Israel's nationalist government says the recently passed law merely reinforces the country's Jewish character. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer will lead Michigan's first all-female statewide ticket in the November election, winning the Democratic nomination for governor and pitting her against Republican state Attorney General Bill Schuette, an ally of President Donald Trump.

Schuette and Whitmer - both veteran officeholders - easily bested their opponents in Tuesday's primary to set up their head-to-head race to succeed Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who reached his term limit. Another Trump favorite, black Iraq War veteran and business executive John James, defeated self-funded detergent manufacturer Sandy Pensler for the chance to take on Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who is seeking a fourth term.

Though Whitmer may still choose a male running mate, the Democrats are fielding women for governor, Senate, state attorney general and secretary of state. Democrat Rashida Tlaib won a race to run unopposed for the Detroit-area House seat vacated by John Conyers, making her poised to become the first Muslim woman in Congress, and two women advanced to a fall showdown for an open suburban Detroit district.

Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer stands with her family and addresses her supporters after winning the primary, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Detroit. Whitmer will face Republican Bill Schuette in November. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

"We need to throw Bill Schuette a big retirement party come November," Whitmer told jubilant supporters in Detroit. "We need a governor who knows how to get things done, who's ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work."

The 46-year-old from East Lansing appealed for party unity, saying she was proud to have run against a diverse field of candidates that included Dr. Abdul El-Sayed - Detroit's liberal ex-health director who hoped to become the nation's first Muslim governor - and big-spending entrepreneur Shri Thanedar, an immigrant from India. Both had criticized her for accepting corporate political action committee money and not embracing a "Medicare-for-all" single-payer health care system.

Whitmer asked the supporters of El-Sayed - who was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders - and Thanedar to join a "big tent" to fight for clean drinking water, better roads, broader health coverage and better-funded schools.

Schuette, 64, received congratulatory calls from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence after he beat Lt. Gov. Brian Calley - a close partner with Snyder - conservative state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines, an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Schuette, who had been accused by Calley of misusing his public office for political business, also sought to bring Republicans together and criticized Whitmer.

"Whatever differences we may have, it is my hope starting tonight that we can unite in our common goals - more jobs, greater growth and bigger paychecks for Michigan families," he told backers in his hometown of Midland. He credited Republican leaders for helping the state "get off the mat" after a decade-long downturn and said Whitmer would "take us back to a time of shuttered industries, dashed dreams and higher taxes."

The GOP has controlled Michigan for 7  years, and Democrats are eager to capitalize on what is typically rough sledding for the president's party in midterm elections and the state electorate's penchant for backing the opposite party when a governor leaves due to term limits.

Though voters went with outsiders Snyder in 2010 and Trump in 2016 - the first Republican presidential victory in the state in decades - some said Tuesday that they liked Whitmer and Schuette's political experience.

"She was in the Legislature fighting battles when there was no hope to win," said 45-year-old John Hetzler, of Grosse Pointe Woods, who noted that he might vote Republican but only if they rejected Trump. "Detroit in on a great track, but there are so many things that need to be done. There's a growing sense of more people being left behind. Look at Flint and the Detroit schools. Michigan could be doing a lot better."

Steve Lauer, 75, a retired business consultant from Traverse City, said he backed Schuette - a former congressman, state senator, agriculture director and appellate judge - because of his experience and conservative beliefs. Lauer said he likes Trump but that the president's endorsement didn't sway him.

"I like balanced budgets. I like lower taxes," he said.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Schuette had roughly half of the GOP vote to Calley's quarter, with Colbeck and Hines at 13 percent and 11 percent respectively. Whitmer also won slightly more than half of the Democratic votes, while El-Sayed received more than 30 percent to Thanedar's 18 percent.

With the gubernatorial and Senate victors being declared not long after the closure of all polls, attention turned to several closely watched House battles.

In the 8th District stretching from the northern Detroit suburbs to Lansing, former U.S. national security official Elissa Slotkin, a Detroit, moved on to face Republican Rep. Mike Bishop in what is expected to be a competitive general election. In suburban Detroit's 11th District, GOP businesswoman Lena Epstein and Democrat Haley Stevens won wide-open contests to follow a retiring Republican congressman in what is considered a toss-up seat.

In another suburban Detroit district, the 9th, Andy Levin beat former state Rep. Ellen Lipton in the Democratic primary to succeed his father, longtime Rep. Sandy Levin.

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Ed White in Detroit and John Flesher in Traverse City contributed to this story.

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Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert

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Sign up for "Politics in Focus," a weekly newsletter showcasing the AP's best political reporting from around the country leading up to the midterm elections: https://bit.ly/2ICEr3D

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette talks to supporters, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Midland, Mich. Former Democratic legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer and Republican state Attorney General Schuette won the nominations to run for Michigan governor on Tuesday, advancing to a November showdown to succeed term-limited Republican Rick Snyder. (Nate Manley/Saginaw News via AP)

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008, file photo, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, is photographed outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich. In the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, Democrats pick former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib to run unopposed for the congressional seat that former Rep. John Conyers held for more than 50 years. Tlaib would be the first Muslim woman in Congress. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley talks to the media during a news conference, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, at Barbat Holdings in West Bloomfield, Mich. Calley is a gubernatorial candidate in Tuesday's primary. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Detroit health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed addresses his supporters at Cobo Center in Detroit after the voting polls close, Tuesday night, Aug. 7, 2018. (Todd McInturf/Detroit News via AP)

Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James arrives at a primary night election party in Detroit, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
BANGSAL, Indonesia (AP) - The Latest on the recent earthquake in Indonesia (all times local):

9 p.m.

Indonesia's national disaster agency is insisting the death toll from the Lombok earthquake still stands at 131 after other government agencies including the military gave much higher figures.

Emergency workers recover a body from the Jamiul Jamaah Mosque after it collapsed during an earthquake in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

The governor of the province that includes Lombok, the military, the national search and rescue agency and regent of North Lombok issued different death tolls on Wednesday that ranged from 226 to 381.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement that information being provided by different agencies needs to be complete before it can be cross-checked and officially verified.

He said his agency is "still verifying the correctness of the data."

He said victims can be counted several times because of the common practice of people in Indonesia using several names and noted that families of victims are entitled to financial compensation from the government when a death is confirmed.

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1:30 p.m.

Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll from the earthquake that shook Lombok island Sunday evening has risen to 131.

Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there are reports of other deaths but they still need to be verified. He said the death toll is still expected to increase.

Nearly 2,500 people have been hospitalized with serious injuries and more than 156,000 people are displaced due to the extensive damage to homes.

The magnitude 7.0 quake came a week after another quake on Lombok killed 16 people.

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This version corrects the spelling of the spokesman's name.

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1 p.m.

Aid began reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after a powerful earthquake, while rescuers doubled down on efforts to find the dead, pulling another body from the rubble.

Volunteers and rescue personnel were erecting more temporary shelters for the over 80,000 people left homeless on Lombok by the magnitude 7.0 quake on Sunday evening. Water, food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks.

The military said five planes carrying food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers left Jakarta for the island early Wednesday.

A woman's body was recovered from the rubble of a collapsed mosque on Wednesday morning in Bangsal district in the north of the island.

Authorities have said the death toll, 105 as of Tuesday evening, would increase as the search effort continues.

Emergency workers recover a body from the Jamiul Jamaah Mosque after it collapsed during an earthquake in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Rescuer teams continue to search for victims in the collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful earthquake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (AP) - A Chinese company's announcement two years ago that it would spend more than $1 billion and hire hundreds of workers for a paper mill on the outskirts of this rural college town was seen as a much-needed shot in the arm for the region's economy.

A web video promoting Arkadelphia - "It's a great place to call home!" - continues to tout the Sun Paper project and its potential to generate jobs and boost development. But optimism has been giving way to concern in recent months amid President Donald Trump's escalating trade dispute with China.

The threat of a full-blown trade war has delayed the project further and prompted the state's governor to send his top economic development official to China to make sure it stays on track. It also has caused other Chinese companies considering investing in Arkansas to put their plans on hold.

In this July 25, 2018, photo, Stephen Bell, president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce, talks about a new railroad spur that is being built to support the needs of what he hopes will be a new paper mill, one of several Chinese-backed deals Arkansas has landed in recent years, in Arkadelphia, Ark. State and local officials in Arkansas are scrambling to preserve development deals with Chinese companies amid President Donald Trump's escalating tariff battle. "It's like a dark cloud hanging over the future of the project," Bell said. "Right now, the clouds are off on the horizon. But I think no one knows where the trade situation is going right now." (AP Photo/Karen E. Segrave)

"It's like a dark cloud hanging over the future of the project," Stephen Bell, the president and chief executive officer of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce. "Right now, the clouds are off on the horizon. But I think no one knows where the trade situation is going right now."

The uncertainty in Arkansas, where voters overwhelmingly supported Trump in the 2016 president election, highlights how U.S. states are trying to ease the sting of the president's threatened trade war by appealing directly to Chinese companies.

Those companies invested $29 billion in the U.S. last year, virtually all of which was related to corporate mergers and acquisitions, according to the research firm Rhodium Group. While that was down from a record $46 billion in 2016, those investments remain crucial for local economies.

Trump's trade dispute has squeezed U.S. states and communities in at least two ways: It has slowed direct investment, as in Arkansas, and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by other countries have made it harder for local farmers and manufacturers to sell abroad.

Political leaders from both parties have objected. Governors from Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina, for example, protested tariffs on imported solar-energy components, saying it would cost tens of thousands of U.S. jobs. Trump went forward with those tariffs, anyway.

In Arkansas alone, retaliatory tariffs from China, the European Union, Mexico and Canada threaten $339 million in exports, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The tariffs Trump imposed on China were estimated to add $150 million to the original $1.8 billion price tag of the Sun Paper plant in Arkadelphia, prompting the company to delay its plans.

State and local officials have been trying to reassure Sun Paper, with Gov. Asa Hutchinson sending his top economic development adviser to China. The governor, a Republican, says the Trump administration has assured him it will work with them on tariff exemptions for the facility.

State and local officials say they remain optimistic about the paper mill, but the governor says the trade fight isn't good for luring new industry.

"It's obvious that with uncertainty, businesses hesitate to invest in new projects. That's whether you're a United States businessman or whether you're a China investor," the governor said.

Arkadelphia, about an hour's drive southwest of Little Rock, and the state have a lot riding on the plant, which - if built - will produce liner board for cardboard boxes.

A state university and Baptist college have been the main economic drivers in the town of less than 11,000 people, which is still recovering from a devastating tornado that wiped out much of the downtown 20 years ago.

The population has dipped over the past decade despite the presence of the two colleges, and federal labor statistics show the county's unemployment rate remains slightly above the state average. Clark County voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase in 2007 to raise money for luring new businesses, a step that appeared to pay off when Sun Paper announced its plans.

The paper mill would be one of the largest economic deals in the state's history, so the state and local governments are working hard to salvage it and the investments in it they've already made.

They are providing $10 million in incentives to buy 900 acres about five miles south of Arkadelphia and adding a rail spur to service the plant. The state also is providing $12.5 million to prepare the site and buy equipment, and up to $3 million to train the workforce.

Officials expect the mill to employ 2,000 people during its construction and create an additional 1,000 jobs in the timber industry. The facility, once up and running, is expected to receive as many as 500 truckloads of timber per day.

"Anything like a new pulp mill is seen as good news. We need more markets," said Pete Prutzman, president of Kingwood Forestry Services in Arkadelphia, which manages hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland.

Supporters of the Sun Paper project say the mill is the type of deal Trump should like, with a foreign company investing in the U.S. and hiring hundreds of American workers.

It's one of several Chinese-backed deals Arkansas has landed in recent years, but efforts to woo more to the state have been jeopardized by the trade fight. The state's top economic development official said other Chinese companies considering projects in Arkansas have remained on the sideline as the trade battle rages.

"It came up in every conversation I had," said Mike Preston, the head of the state's economic development commission. "The prospects especially who were looking to do investments in the U.S. have kind of said, 'Well, we appreciate your visit and we're interested, but we need to wait and see how this all shakes out before we move forward with doing our investment.'"

Sun Paper said it remains committed to the Arkadelphia project, but said it would have moved much faster without the trade friction.

The uncertainty has added to the skepticism some locals say they already had about the plans. Bill Abernathy, a reforestation adviser who works in neighboring Bluff City, said the promise of that many jobs and that big of an investment always seemed too good to be true.

"I'll believe it when I see steel coming up," he said.

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Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and economics writer Paul Wiseman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

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Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo

In this July 25, 2018, photo, Stephen Bell, president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce, talks about a new railroad spur that is being built to support the needs of what he hopes will be a new paper mill, one of several Chinese-backed deals Arkansas has landed in recent years, in Arkadelphia, Ark. State and local officials in Arkansas are scrambling to preserve development deals with Chinese companies amid President Donald Trump's escalating tariff battle. "It's like a dark cloud hanging over the future of the project," Bell said. "Right now, the clouds are off on the horizon. But I think no one knows where the trade situation is going right now." (AP Photo/Karen E. Segrave)

In this July 25, 2018, photo, Stephen Bell, president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce, shows parts of the 900-acre site of what he hopes will be a new paper mill, one of several Chinese-backed deals Arkansas has landed in recent years, in Arkadelphia, Ark. State and local officials in Arkansas are scrambling to preserve development deals with Chinese companies amid President Donald Trump's escalating tariff battle. (AP Photo/Karen E. Segrave)

In this July 25, 2018, photo, Stephen Bell, president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce, shows parts of the 900-acre site of what he hopes will be a new paper mill in Arkadelphia, Ark. State and local officials in Arkansas are scrambling to preserve development deals with Chinese companies amid President Donald Trump's escalating tariff battle. "It's like a dark cloud hanging over the future of the project," Bell said. "Right now, the clouds are off on the horizon. But I think no one knows where the trade situation is going right now." (AP Photo/Karen E. Segrave)
MOSCOW (AP) - A Ukrainian filmmaker on hunger strike in a Russian prison has become increasingly frail and his condition has worsened considerably, his lawyer and his sister said.

Wednesday marks the 87th day that Oleg Sentsov has been refusing food. Sentsov is demanding that he and 64 other Ukrainians imprisoned in Russia whom he calls political prisoners be released.

His lawyer Dmitry Dinze said after visiting him Tuesday that Sentsov has a very low hemoglobin level, resulting in anemia and a slow heartbeat. Sentsov is serving his sentence in a prison on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, a region known for its harsh conditions.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015 file photo, Oleg Sentsov gestures as the verdict is delivered, as he stands behind bars at a court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The lawyer for a hunger-striking Ukrainian filmmaker imprisoned in Russia says his client has become increasingly frail. Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 marks the 87th day that Oleg Sentsov has been refusing food in a Russian prison. His lawyer Dmitry Dinze said after visiting him Tuesday that Sentsov has a very low hemoglobin level, resulting in anemia and a slow heartbeat of about 40 beats per minute. (AP Photo, file)

Dinze said that Sentsov refused to be moved to a civilian hospital, saying that a doctor there had threatened to tie him to a bed and force-feed him.

Sentsov's sister, Natalya Kaplan, said on Facebook after receiving a letter from him that his condition is "catastrophically bad" and he can barely raise himself from the bed.

"He wrote that the end is near, and he doesn't mean his release," Kaplan said.

She added that her brother also wrote to her that he wasn't getting any letters and found himself in an "information vacuum."

Sentsov is an opponent of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and he was sentenced in 2015 to 20 years for conspiracy to commit terrorism, charges he denies. He has refused to seek a pardon from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Western nations have campaigned for his release. Last month, the European Court of Human Rights urged Sentsov to end his hunger strike.
MILAN (AP) - Three or four days a week, Ogochukwu Efeizomor takes a train from Lecco, a lakeside town where he stays in a center for migrants, to Italy's financial capital, Milan.

He has long settled on a specific corner, near a coffee bar and a garage, about a 20-minute walk from the station. He stands with a yellow wool cap to ask passers-by for change - always with a smile, always a "buon giorno," never insisting too much.

The change, food and sometimes clothes that people bring him supplement the meals and the 2.50 euros a day he receives from the center. Sometimes he even gets a 10- or 20-euro bill.

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, from Nigeria, 30, poses for a photograph as he begs in Milan, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Efeizomor is Nigerian, 30 years old and a trained civil engineer. But he lost his job with an oil company in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, after a series of health problems. Efeizomor said they started after a neighbor in his village in southern Nigeria poisoned him. In short order, he suffered acute appendicitis, problems with the mammary glands, kidney issues and dental problems. He still has two wounds on his hands from where he says a cultist who wanted to induct him into a secret society burned his hands, "which left me an everlasting mark."

He decided to leave Nigeria in 2016, reaching Libya and then boarding a smugglers' boat toward Italy.

In Italy, he has had three surgeries, two on the stomach and one on the mammary glands. Now, he is waiting for his asylum application to be processed, seeking international protection based on human rights violations suffered in his native country. He studies Italian some days, and others he panhandles, standing on his chosen corner from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., before returning to Lecco on the train.

"Here I meet a lot of different types of people, staying on the street. There are many so good, nice and friendly, so accommodating. There are people that hate you, they don't like you, they are not friend. So when you come in contact with those people, they can make you feel bad. But the majority of the people are nice," he says.

Since Italy's new populist government took office this spring, racist incidents against migrants and other outsiders appear to be on the rise.

One day recently, a cyclist veered toward Efeizomor, spraying him with mucus from his nose as he passed. Sometimes passers-by call him "Marrocchino," a vaguely insulting moniker used generally for North Africans. Efeizomor prefers to focus on the kind people.

"Italy has always been my dream," he says. "To live with other nationalities."

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, begs as people walk in Milan, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, begs in Milan, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, walks in a tunnel to the Garibaldi train station in Milan, Italy to return to the Lecco Progetto Arca shelter center. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, walks to the Garibaldi train station in Milan, Italy to return to the Lecco Progetto Arca shelter center. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, waits for a train at the Garibaldi train station in Milan, to return to the Lecco Progetto Arca shelter center. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, Ogochukwu Efeizomor, 30, of Nigeria, shows his hands burned in the center by a Nigerian secret confraternity while he was living in his origin country, in Milan, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, checks his phone, as he sits on a train from Milan back to the Lecco Progetto Arca shelter center, in Lecco, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, holds his phone, as he sits on a train from Milan back to the Lecco Progetto Arca shelter center, in Lecco, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, helps a woman to carry a stroller down the stairs of the Lecco railway station, as he returns to the Progetto Arca shelter center, in Lecco Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, walks by the Lecco train station, as he returns to the Progetto Arca shelter center, in Lecco, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, asylum seeker Ogochukwu Efeizomor, of Nigeria, 30, walks back to the Progetto Arca shelter center, in Lecco, Italy. A Nigerian asylum-seeker in Italy spends his time begging or learning Italian as he waits for a decision on his application, while anti-migrant tensions rise under Italy's new populist government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)


Speaking at a ceremony to mark 45 years of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic relations on August 7, Vice Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, Le Thanh Liem, noted that Vietnam and Malaysia share many cultural similarities and their people began to exchange and learn from each other a long time ago.

The relationship has been further reinforced since the two countries first set up diplomatic ties on March 30, 1973, and, especially, after they lifted the relations to the level of strategic partnership in 2015, Liem said.

With 562 projects worth over US$ 12 billion, Malaysia currently ranks seventh among the countries and territories directly investing in Vietnam, while bilateral trade reached US$ 6.67 billion in the first half of 2018, up 19.2 percent annually, and is expected to hit US$ 15 billion by 2020.

Liem went on to say that Malaysia has invested US$ 4.6 billion in nearly 250 projects in Ho Chi Minh City, ranking third among the 98 foreign investors there.

Aside from political and economic partnerships, bilateral collaboration in security-defence, culture, education and labour have also resulted in positive outcomes, thereby contributing to the comprehensive bilateral cooperation, as well as to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region, the official added.

For his part, Sofian Akmal Abd. Karim, Malaysian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, affirmed that the sound relationship between Malaysia and Vietnam is the outcome of the unceasing efforts by the leaders and people of both nations, especially since the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2015.

According to the diplomat, over the past four decades, bilateral trade and investment ties have grown considerably, driven by the favourable economic environment. Meanwhile, encouraging outcomes have also been seen in people-to-people diplomacy, as approximately 248,000 Vietnamese people visited Malaysia and 480,000 Malaysians came to Vietnam in 2017. Educational cooperation programmes and youth exchanges have also taken place regularly, helping to foster mutual understanding, solidarity and friendship.

He said that, although Ho Chi Minh City has attracted one-third of Malaysian investments in Vietnam, the two sides cooperation potential remains huge, particularly in education and tourism.

The official asked the Ho Chi Minh Citys leaders to continue to support activities that are aimed at promoting the bilateral ties in order to help intensify the strategic partnership between Malaysia and Vietnam.

The ceremony featured song and dance performances by Vietnamese artists. The Malaysian Consulate General and partners also introduced a Batik flower-themed fashion collection symbolising the friendship between the two nations.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) - A major wildfire blackening hills in Portugal's southern Algarve region likely will take several more days to bring under control, the country's prime minister said Wednesday.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that efforts to control the fire that broke out Friday were being hampered by gusting winds, the region's deep ravines and the numerous plantations where combustible eucalyptus is grown for paper pulp.

Costa spoke after visiting the headquarters of the Portuguese Civil Protection Agency, the government body that is coordinating the emergency response to the fire.

People observe as fire gets closer to the village of Monchique, in southern Portugal's Algarve region, Sunday, Aug. 5 2018. Over 700 firefighters were still battling a forest fire near the Portuguese town of Monchique in the southern Algarve region, a popular tourist destination. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

The Civil Protection Agency said almost 1,300 firefighters from across Portugal were assigned to the blaze, the most since it started. Public TV network RTP said more than 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) have burned in the fire.

The prime minister is aware of potential political repercussions from major wildfires; the deaths of 109 people in blazes last year almost brought down his government.

Costa acknowledged that much more work was needed to prevent catastrophic fires, including diversifying the vegetation in Portugal's forests and establishing fire breaks.

High clouds of black smoke have towered for days over the Algarve region, a top European vacation destination.

While winds have made the firefighting effort more difficult, crew working overnight kept flames from reaching the town of Silves, a popular tourist spot and home to about 6,000 people.

The torrid weather that has hung over much of Europe for weeks also was subsiding, with a high of 31 degrees Celsius (88 F) forecast for the Algarve on Wednesday.

Along with ground crews, 13 aircraft and more than 380 vehicles were battling the blaze.

In neighboring Spain, 27 aircraft were helping some 700 firefighters put out a fire near Valencia. Radio broadcaster Cadena SER said nearly 2,900 hectares have been burned.

A person walks dogs on the beach early in the morning, at Whitley Bay, in North Tyneside, England, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel struck targets in the Gaza Strip after dozens of rockets were launched Wednesday from the coastal territory ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas group, the Israeli military said.

The exchange came amid continued attempts by Egypt to broker a broad cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Sirens wailed in southern Israel, warning of incoming rockets from Gaza, and Israeli media reported six people were wounded by shrapnel in the border town of Sderot.

Injured person is taken to ambulance after a missile from Gaza Strip hit in the town of Sderot, Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Sirens wailed in southern Israel warning of incoming projectiles from Gaza and Israeli media reported two people were lightly injured from shrapnel in the border town of Sderot. (AP photo/Yehuda Peretz)

One Palestinian rocket hit a house, Israeli media said, showing footage of houses and cars pockmarked with shrapnel. Reports said it wasn't clear if one of those hurt was wounded by a rocket or by debris from the rocket defense system.

The military said that it identified 36 rockets fired from Gaza at Israel and that the Iron Dome defense system intercepted several of them.

Gaza residents reported several Israeli airstrikes after the Palestinian rocket barrage.

Israel's military later confirmed it struck Gaza, saying it hit 12 Hamas sites in all, including "an offensive maritime terror tunnel ... several terror sites in military compounds throughout the Gaza Strip ... rocket manufacturing facilities and a central logistical military complex."

Gaza's Health Ministry said three Palestinians were slightly injured in the strikes.

Israel's military earlier said shots were fired from Gaza at civilians working on the barrier that separate the territory and Israel, damaging a vehicle. Israel said it struck a Hamas post in retaliation. No casualties were reported.

On Tuesday, Israel struck a Hamas military post in Gaza, saying it was in response to militant fire at Israeli troops. Hamas said two of its fighters were killed. It also disputed Israel's account, saying shots were fired as part of a graduation ceremony for a group of fighters inside the camp.

Also Wednesday, a U.N. aid agency called on Israel to allow emergency fuel into the Gaza Strip to avert the shutdown of hospitals and sanitation facilities

Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, in a news release called Israel's restriction of fuel imports "a dangerous practice, with grave consequences on the rights of people in Gaza."

Israel halted the supply of petroleum and natural gas to Gaza last week in response to incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza into southern Israel. Israel temporarily suspended fuel shipments to Gaza in July for similar reasons.

Israel has been battling large fires caused by kites and balloons rigged with incendiary devices or burning rags launched from Gaza that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock.

The almost daily airborne arson attacks have been part of months of weekly border protests led by the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza aimed in part at drawing attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after it took control of the territory in 2007.

The demonstrations have been fueled in large part by pervasive despair caused by the blockade that has caused widespread economic hardship and left the coastal territory with crippling fuel shortages and just a few hours of electricity a day.

Over the past four months, 158 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including at least 120 in the protests near the fence and others in Israeli air strikes and other incidents elsewhere in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and a local rights group. Twenty-four of the slain protesters were minors, the ministry has said. One Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this period.

Israel says it is defending its border and nearby communities and accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover for attempts to breach the fence and carry out attacks.

Mahmoud Daher, of the World Health Organization in Gaza, said in a telephone interview "the situation is very serious." He said by the end of the month, all fuel supplied by the U.N. will run out "and the problem is there is no sign of renewed funding from donors in the horizon."

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report.

Israeli security stands at the site where a missile from Gaza Strip hit in the town of Sderot, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Sirens wailed in southern Israel warning of incoming projectiles from Gaza and Israeli media reported two people were lightly injured from shrapnel in the border town of Sderot. (AP photo/Yehuda Peretz)
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. WHERE OHIO AND KANSAS RACES STAND

Two high-stakes elections - one for a House seat in Ohio, the other for Kansas' governor - are too close to call, though Trump claimed victory for Ohio Republican Troy Balderson.

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008, file photo, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, is photographed outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich. In the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, Democrats pick former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib to run unopposed for the congressional seat that former Rep. John Conyers held for more than 50 years. Tlaib would be the first Muslim woman in Congress. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

2. WHO MADE HISTORY IN MICHIGAN

Rashida Tlaib will become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after she won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed.

3. CROSS-EXAMINATION ON MANAFORT PROTEGE GETS PERSONAL

The questioning of Rick Gates turns confrontational, focusing on his own crimes as well as an extramarital affair and a plea agreement.

4. AID BEGINS REACHING ISOLATED AREAS OF INDONESIAN ISLAND

The death toll from the magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Lombok rises to 131 as rescuers intensify efforts to find those buried in the rubble.

5. HOW ONE STATE IS IMPACTED BY TRUMP'S TARIFFS

Officials in Arkansas are scrambling to preserve development deals with Chinese companies amid the president's escalating trade battle.

6. EXPERTS WARY OF IRANIAN CYBER THREATS

The U.S. is bracing for cyberattacks Tehran could launch in retaliation for Trump's re-imposition of sanctions this week.

7. MADURO MAKES DRONE ATTACK ALLEGATIONS

The Venezuelan president accuses two opposition legislators of having roles in what officials have called an assassination attempt.

8. RED-HOT VOYAGE TO SUN WILL BRING US CLOSER TO OUR STAR

NASA's Parker Solar Probe will be the first spacecraft to "touch" the sun, coming within just 3.8 million miles of the surface.

9. WHAT CHILDREN'S ADVOCATES WANT PSYCHOLOGICAL BODY TO DO

Condemn the tech industry's practice of using persuasive psychological techniques to keep kids glued to their screens.

10. MISS AMERICA HEAD SEEKS 'HEALING PROCESS'

Gretchen Carlson tells the AP that the organization needs to heal a rift that has seen 20 state groups call for her and other top leaders to resign.

Kansas Republican gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach and his wife Heather thank their supporters and send them home for the night after problems with polls in Johnson County, Kan., delayed the final results until the early morning on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka, Kan. (Chris Neal/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)
FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) - Authorities have arrested a New Jersey man who is accused of leaving a young pit bull mix to drown in a cage at water's edge in a rising tide.

Aaron Davis faces a court appearance Wednesday. The 36-year-old is charged with animal cruelty, attempting to cause death or serious injury to an animal and other offenses.

A person walking their dog in Veterans Memorial Park in Highlands spotted the small dog cowering in the cage on a portion of sand between a bulkhead and the water as the tide came in on July 31.

The person rescued the animal and adopted it. The dog is now known as River.

Davis could face up to five years in prison if convicted of animal cruelty.
AMIENS, France (AP) - Britain's Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May, joined by ministers and ambassadors from Allied countries and a former German president, marked on Wednesday the centenary of the Battle of Amiens - a short, bloody and decisive confrontation in northern France that heralded the end of World War I.

Chilling readings by May and others recounted the Allied offensive in the eyes of those who fought, including a private, a tank captain, a commander present in the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 8, 1918 for the opening salvos of the combined air and ground assault by soldiers from Britain, Australia, Canada, the United States and France.

They quickly began to push back German troops to turn the tide on the Western Front.

Britain's Prince William and British Prime Minister Theresa May arrive at the Amiens cathedral, northern France, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in northern France - a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Each country was represented at the commemoration of the battle that is widely seen as a turning point, leading to the four-month-long Hundred Days Offensive, a string of battlefield successes that led to the Allied victory consecrated three months later by the Nov. 11 Armistice.

Also present was former German President Joachim Gauck.

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, addressing the gathering, hailed "the cooperation without which victory was impossible."

"It is entirely fitting, therefore, that today that same international coalition has returned to Amiens with our former enemy, in peace and partnership," he said.

A British youth choir took part in the moving ceremony under the towering columns of the vast 13th century Amiens Cathedral, which was sandbagged at the time to protect it during a series of battles in the northern Picardy region. The emblematic cathedral now contains a Chapel of the Allies.

William and May lingered after the nearly 90-minute ceremony to talk with people in attendance, apparently descendants of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Amiens, as they were scheduled to do.

The Battle of Amiens saw tens of thousands of soldiers pour into the region, more than 1,900 French and British aircraft and more than 500 tanks from Britain's Tank Corps.

The momentum from the first day of battle continued and convinced the Germans that the war was unwinnable.

"The effect of the war was moral and not territorial," May, in her reading, quoted then-British Prime Minister David Lloyd George as writing.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly represented France at the commemoration. President Emmanuel Macron, who comes from Amiens, was not present.

___

Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.

Britain's Prince William arrives at the Amiens cathedral, northern France, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in northern France - a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

British Prime Minister Theresa May leans to welcome Britain's Prince William, left, at the Amiens cathedral, northern France, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in northern France - a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Britain's Prince William arrives at the Amiens cathedral, northern France, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in northern France - a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Britain's Prince William, left, gestures as he arrives at the Amiens cathedral, northern France, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in northern France - a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, arrives at the Amiens cathedral, northern France, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in northern France - a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and former German President Joachim Gauck, left, attend a religious ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the World War I Battle of Amiens, at the Cathedral in Amiens, northern France, Wednesday, Aug.8, 2018. The first day of the Battle of Amiens pushed back German forces significantly, continuing in following days. The battle is said to have convinced the Germans that the war was unwinnable. (Benoit Tessier/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prince William, second right, and French Defense Minister Florence Parly, third right, walk ahead of Britain's Prime Minister Thersa May, fourth right, during a religious ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the World War I Battle of Amiens, at the Cathedral in Amiens, northern France, Wednesday, Aug.8, 2018. The first day of the Battle of Amiens pushed back German forces significantly, continuing in following days. (Benoit Tessier/Pool via AP)
BANGSAL, Indonesia (AP) - Rescue teams are searching for missing villagers on Indonesia's Lombok island after it was hit by a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Sunday night. More than 130 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 1,500 have been hospitalized with serious injuries. Volunteers and rescue personnel are erecting temporary shelters for the tens of thousands left homeless. The quake was the second to rock Lombok in a week and also shook its more famous neighboring island, Bali.

Rescuer teams continue to search for victims in the collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful earthquake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Locals view the devastation of a collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The north of Lombok was devastated by the powerful quake that struck Sunday night, damaging thousands of buildings and killing a large number of people. Rescuers were still struggling to reach all of the affected areas and authorities expect the death toll to rise. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A man looks out from a mosque window as damaged homes are reflected on a glass window in the Kekait village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo relatives react as rescue teams recover the bodies of victims killed in an earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo, rescuers carry a body of an earthquake victim recovered from the collapsed Jabal Nur Mosque in North Lombok, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo, a man inspects the earthquake damage to his relative's in Tanjung, Lombok, Indonesia. Thousand left homeless by a powerful quake that ruptured roads and flattened buildings on the Indonesia tourist island Lombok as authorities said rescuers hadn't yet reached all devastated areas and expect the death toll to climb. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo, a doctor examines a child injured in the earthquake at a makeshift hospital in Tanjung, North Lombok, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo, villagers injured in an earthquake are tended to inside a makeshift hospital in Tanjung, North Lombok, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo, rescuers carry the body of an earthquake victim recovered from the collapsed Jabal Nur mosque in North Lombok, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, photo, rescuers search for earthquake victims at the ruin of a building in Tanjung, Lombok Island, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, photo, rescuers search for victims feared buried under the rubble of a building flattened by an earthquake in Tanjung, Lombok Island, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, photo, rescue teams search for victims in the earthquake-damaged at a mosque in North Lombok, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, photo, an elderly man rests in a makeshift hospital after surviving a major earthquake in Kayangan on Lombok Island, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, photo, usable items are salvaged from a home destroyed in an earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia. The powerful earthquake struck the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok, killing a number of people and shaking neighboring Bali, as authorities on Monday said thousands of houses were damaged and the death toll could climb. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, photo, workers clean up debris at a building damaged by an earthquake in Bali, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's government says Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Turkey's president when he makes a state visit next month and discuss the countries' differences.

The German president's office says Recep Tayyip Erdogan will come to Berlin Sept. 28-29, a trip that comes after a difficult period in German-Turkish relations.

Merkel spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said Wednesday the chancellor will meet him and "all the important issues, including differences, will be addressed." She added that details of the visit have yet to be worked out.

Turkey's detention of German citizens for what Berlin considers political reasons in the aftermath of the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey has been a major irritant in relations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said seven are currently in detention.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) - An ex-mayor who was ousted by voters in 2015 amid a lead-tainted water crisis in Flint has lost his bid for a seat in the Michigan House.

Results of Tuesday's Democratic primary for the Flint-area seat showed Dayne Walling with 31 percent, while John Cherry, who has worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, advances to the November election with 47 percent.

Walling told The Flint Journal that perception of his time as mayor, including his handling of the water crisis, was a factor.

In 2014 and 2015, Flint was run by state-appointed emergency managers when it didn't properly treat corrosive Flint River water. Lead in old pipes contaminated the water.

Walling and other officials initially told residents the water was safe. They eventually blamed state and federal agencies for the problems.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut man who robbed five banks, and twice threatened to kill or shoot bank employees, has been sentenced to nearly nine years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors say 26-year-old Bryce Alexander Laister, formerly of Bridgeport and Stratford, was also sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $25,000 in restitution.

Authorities say between November 2016 and June 2017, Laister robbed banks in Milford, Plainville, Westbrook, Shelton and New Haven.

During the Shelton robbery, he brandished a handgun, and during the Plainville and Westbrook robberies, he threatened to kill or shoot bank employees if they did not comply with his demands.

He was arrested in Stratford in June 2017 following a two-hour standoff with police.

He pleaded guilty in February to armed bank robbery.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - American photographer Chuck Fishman was just 21 when he began traveling behind the Iron Curtain in 1975 to document a Jewish community on the verge of dying out after centuries of existence in Poland. He couldn't have foreseen a Jewish revival that came after the fall of communism in 1989.

A new photo exhibition opened this week in Warsaw that brings together Fishman's early documentation of a melancholy and declining Jewish world with the revival of traditions by the third and fourth generations after the Holocaust, a transformation that left him astounded.

Titled "Re-Generation: Jewish Life in Poland," the exhibition showing at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw will run until Oct. 28 and then go to the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow for several more months.

American photographer Chuck Fishman gestures in front of photos featured in an exhibition of his work, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. A new photo exhibition in Warsaw documents more than 40 years of Jewish life in Poland _ from the 1970s, when it appeared that Jewish life was on the verge of extinction, to an unexpected revival in the years following the fall of communism. The exhibition, "Re-Generation," features dozens of black-and-white images taken by American photographer Chuck Fishman. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Fishman, now 65, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his motivation for documenting Poland's Jews in the 1970s and 1980s was to record their history before the centuries-old Jewish community died out completely.

On the eve of the Holocaust, Polish Jews numbered around 3.3 million, the largest community in Europe. Most were killed by Nazi Germany, while post-war violence and an anti-Semitic campaign by the Polish communist regime in 1968 forced thousands of the survivors and their children into exile.

"It was supposed to be the last of 1,000 years of Polish Jewish life. That's what everyone was saying - everyone," Fishman said. "And if it was not for the fall of communism, it would have been the end."

Fishman did five reporting trips to Poland from 1975-1983, often to cover other historical events, like the first visit of Polish Pope John Paul II to his homeland in 1979 and the rise in the 1980s of Lech Walesa's anti-communist Solidarity movement. On those trips he also turned his camera on Yiddish-speaking Holocaust survivors who gathered in derelict buildings to pray together. At the time, Jewish life took place in private because of fears of discrimination.

In some cases he managed to capture those praying during Sabbath services. While some opposed him taking pictures on the Sabbath, a violation of Jewish law, Fishman recalled that others were willing to overlook it.

"I was this nice Jewish boy from America," Fishman said, recalling how the sympathetic worshippers with non-verbal language seemed to be saying: "leave him alone. What's the difference? When we're gone there's nothing here."

After a 30-year absence, he returned again to Poland in 2013 - a span of time in which communism collapsed and Poland joined the European Union and NATO. He was blown away by the new wealth of the capitalist era - the ATMs and luxury cars and everything else that had transformed the country - and by an optimistic and growing generation of Jewish families who finally had rabbis and who felt comfortable about celebrating their traditions openly.

In some cases, Poles learned of Jewish roots in deathbed confessions of relatives who finally felt that it was safe to pass on their secrets.

While the numbers of Jews is small, perhaps no more than 20,000 people among 38 million, Poland now has renovated synagogues, Jewish street festivals, a Jewish school, kosher restaurants and even Jewish arrivals from the U.S. and Israel.

"Coming back was beyond trippy," said Fishman, who lives in the New York area. "Everything was astounding to me."

Photos from Fishman's first trip to Poland were featured in a 1977 book, "Polish Jews: the Final Chapter." But most of the photos on display in Warsaw now had never been published in print. During communism he made a point of never publishing images of young Polish Jews, fearing that to identify them publicly could have negative repercussions for them.

All of Fishman's photos are in black-and-white and were shot with film and developed by him in his dark room, something that creates a feeling of consistency in the collection despite spanning 43 years and radically different political systems.

A visitor looks at a photograph documenting Jewish life in Poland from the 1970s, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. A new photo exhibition in Warsaw documents more than 40 years of Jewish life in Poland _ from the 1970s, when it appeared that Jewish life was on the verge of extinction, to an unexpected revival in the years following the fall of communism. The exhibition, "Re-Generation," features dozens of black-and-white images taken by American photographer Chuck Fishman. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Photographs on display documenting Jewish life in Poland from the 1970s, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. A new photo exhibition in Warsaw documents more than 40 years of Jewish life in Poland _ from the 1970s, when it appeared that Jewish life was on the verge of extinction, to an unexpected revival in the years following the fall of communism. The exhibition, "Re-Generation," features dozens of black-and-white images taken by American photographer Chuck Fishman. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

A visitor looks at photographs documenting Jewish life in Poland from the 1970s, when it seemed Jewish life was on the brink of extinction, to a Jewish revival underway in present day, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 in Warsaw, Poland. A new photo exhibition in Warsaw documents more than 40 years of Jewish life in Poland _ from the 1970s, when it appeared that Jewish life was on the verge of extinction, to an unexpected revival in the years following the fall of communism. The exhibition, "Re-Generation," features dozens of black-and-white images taken by American photographer Chuck Fishman. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

A visitor points at one of the photographs on display documenting Jewish life in Poland from the 1970s, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. A new photo exhibition in Warsaw documents more than 40 years of Jewish life in Poland _ from the 1970s, when it appeared that Jewish life was on the verge of extinction, to an unexpected revival in the years following the fall of communism. The exhibition, "Re-Generation," features dozens of black-and-white images taken by American photographer Chuck Fishman. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
During the meetings, President Quang affirmed that Vietnam wants to strengthen and further develop the relations and cooperation with all the countries across all fields.

Vietnams authorities will work closely with, and create favourable conditions for the ambassadors to complete their tasks, contributing to expanding the fruitful relations between Vietnam and the nations.

In the meeting with Chilean Ambassador Jaime Chomali Garib, President Quang said Chile is one of the most important partners of Vietnam in Latin America, adding that Vietnam looks forward to continuing to step up the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

He thanked Chile for supporting Vietnams candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the United Nation Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

Vietnam will closely coordinate with Chile to successfully organise the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2019, he affirmed.

President Tran Dai Quang shakes hands with Ambassador of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Gareth Ward

Talking with Ambassador of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Gareth Ward on measures to boost the economic ties between the two countries, President Quang asked the diplomat to encourage UK businesses to boost investment and business in Vietnam.

He also called on the UK to help Vietnam access capital sources from the UKs wealth fund, especially in Vietnams priority fields such as business environment improvement, climate change adaptation and infrastructure development.

The President also asked the UK to support Vietnam in enhancing relations with the European Union (EU), and to call on the EU to sign and ratify the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in 2018.

Vietnam hopes to bolster cooperation with the UK in education and training, he said, asking the European country to support Vietnam in training in law, finance-banking, insurance, hi-technology.

Cultural and sport exchanges should be prompted between Vietnam and the UK, towards strengthening their friendship and mutual understanding, the Vietnamese leader stressed.

President Tran Dai Quang shakes hands with Polish Ambassador Wojciech Gerwel

At the meeting with Polish Ambassador Wojciech Gerwel, President Quang noted with pleasure the significant progress made in economic ties between Vietnam and Poland over the past time, affirming that Poland is Vietnams largest trade partner in the Central Eastern Europe.

The leader also applauded achievements in bilateral cooperation in culture and education-training, and expressed his hope that the two sides will step up their collaboration in this field on the basis of the agreement on educational cooperation signed in 2017.

He thanked Poland for its support for Vietnams bid to run for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, and called on Poland to continue backing the Vietnam-EU partnership and comprehensive cooperation, including the signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement in 2018.

President Tran Dai Quang and Gambian Ambassador Ramzia Diab Ghanim

Receiving Gambian Ambassador Ramzia Diab Ghanim, President Quang said Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperation with traditional African friends, including Gambia.

However, the bilateral collaboration has yet to match potential of the two countries, he noted, urging both sides to intensify the visits by delegations and boost people-to-people exchanges in order to increase mutual understanding.

Vietnam and Gambia should sign important legal documents to create a framework for bilateral cooperation in specific realms, while boosting their affiliation in the spheres in which the two countries have advantages such as agriculture, maritime economy and tourism, President Quang said.

At the reception for Uganda Ambassador Dorothy SamaliHyuha, the leader suggested Vietnam and Uganda strengthen their economic ties, expressing his hope that the diplomat will promote the African nations trade and investment potential in Vietnam.

Vietnam stands ready to share experience and partner with Uganda in agriculture, fishery, garment-textile and construction, he said.

Meeting Nepali Ambassador KhagaNathAdhikari, President Quang called on the diplomat to contribute to boosting delegation exchanges between the two countries via the Party, State and National Assembly channels, as well as exchanges between their residents and businesses.

While receiving Jamaican Ambassador Antonia Hugh, the President said Vietnam wishes to reinforce cooperation with Jamaica by increasing delegation exchanges and creating favourable conditions for enterprises of both sides to study the respective markets and seek business opportunities.

Sharing with Guatemalan Ambassador Herbert Estuardo Meneses Coronado about positive development in the bilateral relations, especially in economy and trade, President Quang said there is a large room for Vietnam and Guatemala to boost cooperation in agriculture, industry, science technology and services.

He suggested the two sides organise meetings for businesses to explore investment opportunities in the respective markets, as well as promote negotiations to sign cooperation agreements, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, and create a favourable legal framework for the long-term cooperation development.

Welcoming Botswana Ambassador Mothusi Bruce Rabasha Palai, President Quang affirmed Vietnam always attaches importance to relations with African countries, including Botswana, adding that Vietnam hopes to enhance cooperation with Botswana for the benefits of the two peoples.

He recommended the two countries strengthen delegation and people-to-people exchanges for better mutual understanding and soon sign a cooperation framework agreement on economy, culture, education, information technology.

The President urged the two sides to boost collaboration in the fields of their strength such as agriculture, tourism, and information technology.

He said Vietnam welcomes the Botswana President to pay an official visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties in 2019.

The ambassadors expressed their pleasure at the growing friendship and cooperation between their countries and Vietnam over the past time and wished the Vietnamese State and people would gain more achievements in the coming time.

They pledged to spare no efforts to beef up the cooperative ties with Vietnam in economy, trade, investment, tourism and education.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Out-of-power Kansas Democrats smelled opportunity Wednesday in the tight, unsettled GOP primary race for governor between Gov. Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a close political ally of President Donald Trump and a conservative lightning rod who alienates even some Republicans.

Kobach led Colyer by fewer than 200 votes out of the more than 300,000 cast in the seven-candidate Republican primary contest. The state won't have final results until at least early next week because thousands of mail-in and other ballots have yet to be counted - and a recount seems likely if the tally remains as close.

But Kobach moved to both cement his status as the presumptive nominee and blunt any advantage Democrats might gain from the short-term uncertainty about the GOP nominee. He said during a news conference that he's launching the fall campaign immediately and will turn it over to Colyer if further vote-counting makes Colyer the nominee.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach spoke to the media during a news conference at the Topeka Capitol Plaza hotel in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Thad Allton /The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

"It is essential that we run this race as a team, a relay team, if you will," Kobach declared. "Whenever Republicans in the past have lost statewide races or have lost big congressional races, it's almost always because of disunity within our party."

Kansas has been deeply red since 2010, when the GOP began a clean sweep of statewide and congressional races. But the state also has a solid bloc of moderate GOP and independent voters and a history over the past 50 years of alternating between electing Republican and Democratic governors.

Colyer was trying to avoid becoming the first Kansas governor to lose a primary since 1956, and the first nationally since Hawaii's Neil Abercrombie lost a Democratic primary in 2014.

Results were slow in coming Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from the state's most populous county, Johnson County in the Kansas City area, which has 23 percent of the state's registered voters. The county suffered problems with new voting machines .

The governor did not concede, citing the closeness of the vote and the "extraordinary problems" in Johnson County in a statement.

"To be honest, we're very optimistic that those votes will continue to come in on our side," Colyer said later, during a Statehouse news conference. "We want to make sure that every vote - every legitimate vote - is counted, and that's what our expectation is over the next couple of weeks."

Kobach did not rule out a recount and said he would not blame Colyer for seeking one if the race remains extraordinarily close. Kansas has no provision for automatic recounts.

In a primary, a candidate must post a bond and pay for the recount if the results don't change - and Colyer's campaign sent out a fundraising email Wednesday afternoon.

But when he was asked about the possibility of a recount, Colyer said: "My focus is: We've got to get this first count right."

As the state's chief elections officer, Kobach is facing questions about whether he should recuse himself from any involvement in a recount. He told reporters that county officials would do the actual work and forward the results to his office.

"The secretary of state's office merely serves as a coordinating entity, overseeing it all, but not actually counting the votes," he said.

The Democratic nominee for governor is veteran state Sen. Laura Kelly, of Topeka, who has some appeal among GOP moderates.

Kansas City-area businessman Greg Orman also has launched what could become the most serious independent candidacy for governor since the 1930s and argues he can build a coalition starting with voters upset with both parties.

While Orman's bid complicates Democrats' efforts to recapture the governor's office, they expect to tap into voters' dissatisfaction with former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and the budget woes following now-largely reversed income tax cuts Brownback championed. Colyer was elevated to governor from lieutenant governor in January when Brownback stepped down for an ambassador's post.

Democrats have tied both Colyer and Kobach to Brownback for months. Kobach has promised to cut both income and sales taxes - and reduce government spending to make it work.

Kelly said Wednesday that voters "want to put the last eight years behind us."

"They want to slam that door tight and move on," she said. "It sort of doesn't matter whether it's Kobach or Colyer. Both of them will bring all of that back, one way or another."

But Ethan Corson, the Kansas Democratic Party's executive director, said an unsettled GOP race helps.

"We've emerged from last night unified," Corson said. "They are well on their way to what could be another week of a brutal and toxic gubernatorial primary."

Some Republicans worried that Kobach's aggressive personality would create the opening that Democrats need, even with Orman running a strong campaign.

After voting for Colyer on Tuesday in Topeka, Carolyn Wojakowksi, a 71-year-old retired teacher, said she supported the governor because she believes he has the better chance of winning the general election.

As for Kobach, she said: "He's alienated himself from part of the people in Kansas by his strong stance."

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For the latest information on the Kansas primary election: https://apnews.com/cb6342773a6145d18863036e3d67e92f

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Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, along with his running mate Tracey Mann, talk to reporters in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, a day after his primary race against Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)

Secretary of State Kris Kobach, surrounded by his family and running mate Wink Hartman, talked to the media during a news conference at the Topeka Capitol Plaza hotel in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Thad Allton /The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, along with his running mate Tracey Mann, talk to reporters in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, a day after his primary race against Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Environmentalists and beekeepers in Poland have staged a protest against the government's authorization of a class of pesticides that the European Union says poses a serious risk to bees.

Poland's Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday the temporary permission it gave for the use of neonicotinoids on oilseed rape fields was a response to hot weather that allows "harmful organisms" to develop and destroy the crops.

Greenpeace activists put up a stall outside the ministry that had vegetables to illustrate the value of bees and spread a banner with bees and the word "Help" on it.

An activist holds a placard reading "Stop Pesticides" in front of the Agriculture Ministry in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, protesting against a government decision that allows the use of pesticides that are lethal to bees. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

They say the value of honey produced by bees in Poland and of naturally pollinated fruits and vegetables amounts to some 4 billion zlotys (940 million euros; $1 billion) each year.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) - Two high-stakes elections that tested President Donald Trump's clout and cost both parties millions of dollars were too close to call on Wednesday. Trump claimed victory in one nevertheless and proclaimed himself '5 for 5' for Tuesday's Election Day.

In battleground Ohio, the president took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance, calling it "a great victory," though the congressional contest could be headed to a recount. Democrats could also celebrate their strong showing in the district that has gone Republican for decades.

"We're not stopping now," Democrat Danny O'Connor told cheering supporters Tuesday night. Whoever is eventually declared the winner in the special election will take office immediately but only until the end of the year. The two men will face off again in November for the full 2019-2020 term.

Troy Balderson, Republican candidate for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, speaks to a crowd of supporters during an election night party Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Newark, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

But Trump declared unconditional victory, tweeting Wednesday, "As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win!"

He claimed to have helped five GOP candidates win, including Bill Schuette for Michigan governor, John James for Michigan Senate and Josh Hawley for Missouri Senate. "5 for 5!" Trump tweeted.

Though, as in Ohio, the Kansas primary for governor was too close to call.

With election officials halting the vote count Wednesday morning, Secretary of State Kris Kobach led incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer by fewer than 200 votes. It could be several days before all absentee votes are counted.

The day's races in five states, like many before them, tested the persistence of Trump's fiery supporters and the momentum of the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance.

The results were helping determine the political landscape - and Trump's standing within his own party - as the GOP defends its House and Senate majorities this fall.

If Balderson holds on in Ohio, Republicans will have won eight of nine special House elections since 2016, most in Republican-leaning districts.

In Kansas, Republicans were fighting among themselves in an unusual battle for governor in which the president sided with the incumbent's challenger.

A new state law allows ballots postmarked as of Tuesday to be counted, so long as they arrive within three days of Election Day.

Kobach received a late endorsement from Trump. Colyer received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association and had the backing of Kansas political legend Bob Dole.

Should the polarizing Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governorship to Democrats this fall. The race could become further disrupted if Kansas City-area businessman Greg Orman makes it onto the November ballot. He submitted petitions Monday with more than 10,000 signatures for what could become the most serious independent run for Kansas governor in decades.

Trump made his preference clear for Kobach.

"He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country - he will be a GREAT Governor and has my full & total Endorsement! Strong on Crime, Border & Military," the president tweeted on the eve of the election.

In Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, Sharice Davids became the state's first Native American and gay nominee for Congress.

The 38-year-old attorney and activist prevailed in a close six-candidate Democratic primary and will face four-term Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder.

Davids edged labor lawyer Brent Welder, who received the endorsements and a June campaign visit from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Democrats are targeting the district, which includes the state's metropolitan Kansas City area. Hillary Clinton narrowly won it in the 2016 presidential race.

In Ohio, the script for the special election was somewhat familiar this year: An experienced Trump loyalist, Balderson, was fighting a strong challenge from O'Connor, a fresh-faced Democrat in the state's 12th congressional District, a Columbus-area suburban area held by the Republican Party for more than three decades. As voters were going to the polls, Trump said Balderson would make a "great congressman."

The winner takes the seat previously held by Pat Tiberi, a nine-term incumbent who resigned to take a job with an Ohio business group.

There were at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough to force a recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races subject to an automatic recount.

In a special election season that featured nearly a dozen congressional contests, Democrats claimed just a handful of wins, but they may have cause for optimism this fall. In virtually every special election test dating back to the spring of 2017, Democratic candidates performed significantly better than their party had in those same places two years earlier.

Trump won Ohio's 12th Congressional District, for example, by more than 11 points in 2016; on Tuesday night, Balderson and O'Connor were separated by less than 1 point.

There are 79 House races this fall considered more competitive than the Ohio district - at least looking at Trump's 2016 performance - according to data compiled by the Democrats' national campaign committee.

Despite the deadlocked race, the details of the Ohio returns suggest considerably higher Democratic enthusiasm less than 100 days before the midterms.

O'Connor's total of nearly 100,000 votes far exceeded what the Republican Tiberi's Democratic opponent got in 2014. Balderson's total - just more than 101,500 votes - was barely two-thirds of Tiberi's 2014 mark of about 150,000.

"Over the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great again, so that when we come back here in November - get ready, we gotta come back here in November - I have earned your vote for a second time," Balderson told supporters.

It's unclear how much Trump's support helped or hurt Balderson. Described by campaign operatives as a "Whole Foods" district, the largely suburban region features a more affluent and educated voter base than the typical Trump stronghold.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a leading voice in the GOP's shrinking anti-Trump wing, once represented the district in Congress.

At times, the race centered on Trump's tax cuts as much as the candidates.

O'Connor and his Democratic allies railed against the tax plan, casting it as a giveaway for the rich that exacerbates federal deficits and threatens Medicare and Social Security. Balderson and his Republican allies have backed away from the tax plan in recent weeks, training their fire instead on top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

O'Connor's campaign spent $2.25 million on advertising compared to Balderson's $507,000, according to campaign tallies of ad spending. But the Republican campaign arm and its allied super PAC picked up the slack, spending more than $4 million between them.

In Michigan , former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib is poised to become the first Muslim woman in Congress. She won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed in November.

The field was set in two Senate contests.

In Missouri, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill claimed her party's nomination, while state Attorney General Josh Hawley will represent the GOP.

And in Michigan, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow will take on military veteran and business executive John James, who won the GOP nomination. James would join Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina as the chamber's only black Republicans.

Trump tweeted that James is "a potential Republican star."

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Peoples reported from Washington. Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Angie Wang in Westerville, Ohio, contributed.

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Troy Balderson, Republican candidate for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, greets a crowd of supporters during an election night party Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Newark, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Kansas Republican gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach greets supporters during his primary election watch party on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka, Kan. (Chris Neal/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

Danny O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, shakes hands with supporters during an election night watch party at the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Westerville, Ohio. O'Connor ran against Republican Troy Balderson in a special election race for Ohio's 12th District after the retirement of Pat Tiberi who served as the U.S. Representative from 2001-2018 in the reliably Republican district. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

FILE - In this May 30, 2018, file photo, Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, right, answers a question from reporters as Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann, left, listens during a news conference in Topeka, Kan. Colyer and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach were virtually tied atop a seven-candidate field with nearly two-thirds of the precincts counted in the primary, late Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

Voters cast their ballots among an array of electronic voting machines in a polling station at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. Two-term state Sen. Troy Balderson, is fighting off a strong challenge from Democrat Danny O'Connor, a 31-year-old county official, in a congressional district held by the Republican Party for more than three decades. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Michigan U.S. Senate candidate John James gives a thumbs up after casting his ballot on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018 at Orchard United Methodist Church in Farmington Hills, Mich. (Max Ortiz/Detroit News via AP)
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) - The Latest on primaries in Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Washington state and a congressional special election in Ohio (all times local):

5:45 p.m. p.m.

A late addition to voting tallies in Ohio's congressional special election has further tightened the race.

Kansas Republican gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach greets supporters during his primary election watch party on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka, Kan. (Chris Neal/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

The Franklin County Board of Elections said Wednesday afternoon that a routine preliminary audit identified hundreds of additional votes cast in suburban Columbus precincts.

The elections board says the tally from the precincts in Worthington included 388 votes for Democrat Danny O'Connor and 198 for Republican Troy Balderson.

Unofficial vote tallies before those ballots were announced had Balderson leading by about 1,750 votes, with the race too close to call.

Franklin County Elections Board spokesman Aaron Sellers says votes from a portion of one voting location weren't processed into the tabulation system.

Elections boards must still count hundreds of absentee and provisional ballots in the race before the final results are known.

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4:45 p.m.

Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones has won a special primary election to serve the final two months of former Michigan Rep. John Conyers' congressional term.

Jones defeated three other Democrats in Tuesday's special primary, including former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Tlaib won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed in the general election for the House seat. No Republicans are running for the seat in either the special primary or general election.

The 89-year-old Conyers was first elected to the House in 1964. He stepped down in December citing health reasons, though several former female staffers had accused him of sexual harassment.

The heavily Democratic 13th District covers much of Detroit and some of its suburbs.

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3 p.m.

A former Michigan state lawmaker who might become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress has thrown out a challenge to "the biggest bully," President Donald Trump.

Rashida Tlaib told supporters Wednesday after declaring victory in Michigan's 13th District Democratic primary that she's "pretty ready for it," but doesn't know if Trump is ready for her.

The 42-year-old Tlaib says she will fight "against every single oppressive, racist structure that needs to be dismantled, because you deserve better than what we have today in our country."

She defeated five other candidates Tuesday for the Democratic nomination for the seat.

It had been held by Rep. John Conyers, who stepped down in December, citing health reasons. Several former female staffers had accused him of sexual harassment.

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11:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is celebrating Tuesday night's election results by proclaiming himself "5 for 5!" on Twitter, even though two of the races remain too close to call.

Tuesday's primaries in five states were seen as a test of Trump's clout as well as the persistence of his hard-core supporters as they face energized, anti-Trump Democrats.

But races in Ohio and Kansas remain too close to call.

That didn't stop Trump from claiming victory in tweets Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Trump earlier took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance in battleground Ohio, even though that contest could be headed to a recount.

The Republican primary for governor in Kansas is also too close to call, with Trump-endorsed Secretary of State Kris Kobach leading incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer by fewer than 200 votes.

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11:15 a.m.

A former Obama administration official will face a Michigan co-chairman for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the race for the suburban Detroit congressional seat held by retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott.

Haley Stevens won the Democratic nomination, edging out four other Democrats in Tuesday's District 11 race. She was a Treasury official who worked on the auto bailout under Obama.

Detroit-area business executive Lena Epstein won the Republican nomination. She bested four other Republicans in Tuesday's primary. She co-owns an automotive oil company.

Democrats are hoping to flip the district, which includes Detroit's affluent northwestern suburbs. Although it has traditionally leaned Republican, Trump barely won the district in 2016.

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11:10 a.m.

Kansas won't have final results for the close Republican primary between Gov. Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Kris Kobach until early next week.

Kobach led Wednesday morning by fewer than 200 votes.

But state elections director Bryan Caskey said the secretary of state's office is estimating that between 8,000 and 10,000 provisional ballots were cast. Voters get such ballots when it's not clear whether they are eligible to vote at a particular polling place.

State law also allows mail-in ballots postmarked Tuesday to be counted if they arrive by Friday. Caskey said state law prevents county officials from canvassing their results until Monday.

Colyer was not conceding the race. In a statement, he cited the close results and "extraordinary problems" in Johnson County, the state's most populous county.

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10:25 a.m.

Sharice Davids has become Kansas' first Native American and gay nominee for Congress.

The 38-year-old attorney and activist prevailed in a close six-candidate Democratic primary and will face four-term Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder.

Davids also is a former mixed martial arts fighter who introduced herself to fellow Democrats with a video showing her in the ring and landing solid kicks to a large punching bag.

She was raised by a single mother and earned a law degree from Cornell University. She was a White House fellow during Barack Obama's presidency.

Democrats are targeting Yoder this fall because Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly won the district in the 2016 presidential race.

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9:10 a.m.

The Republican primary for Kansas governor is too close to call.

With election officials in Kansas halting the vote count Wednesday morning, Secretary of State Kris Kobach leads incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer by fewer than 200 votes. It could be a few days before all absentee votes are counted.

A new state law allows ballots postmarked as of Tuesday to be counted, so long as they arrive three days after Election Day.

Kobach received a late endorsement from President Donald Trump. Colyer received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association and had the backing of Kansas political legend Bob Dole.

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8:54 a.m.

Two high-stakes elections that tested President Donald Trump's clout and cost both parties millions of dollars were too close to call early Wednesday. Trump claimed victory in one nevertheless.

In battleground Ohio, the president took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance, calling it "a great victory," even though the contest could be headed to a recount. Democrats could also celebrate their showing in a district that has gone Republican for decades.

In deep-red Kansas ' Republican gubernatorial primary, the candidate Trump backed on the eve of the election, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, was neck and neck with current Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer.

The day's races in five states, like many before them, tested the persistence of Trump's fiery supporters and the momentum of the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance.

Sharice Davids addresses her supporters at Breit's Stein and Deli in Kansas City, Kan., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Davids, a Democrat, is running for a seat in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District. (Luke Harbur/The Kansas City Star via AP)

FILE - In this May 30, 2018, file photo, Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, right, answers a question from reporters as Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann, left, listens during a news conference in Topeka, Kan. Colyer and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach were virtually tied atop a seven-candidate field with nearly two-thirds of the precincts counted in the primary, late Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

Danny O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, shakes hands with supporters during an election night watch party at the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Westerville, Ohio. O'Connor ran against Republican Troy Balderson in a special election race for Ohio's 12th District after the retirement of Pat Tiberi who served as the U.S. Representative from 2001-2018 in the reliably Republican district. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A regulatory board decided Wednesday that Maine's baby eel fishery, the only one of its kind in the U.S. and one of the most lucrative fisheries in the country, will not be allowed to expand next year.

Fishermen in Maine are allowed to harvest a total of 9,688 pounds of the elvers per year, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shot down a proposal to increase that by about 20 percent. The increase would've been a boost to a fishery that routinely fetches some of the highest prices in the country on a per-pound basis.

Baby eels, called elvers, can be worth more than $2,000 per pound at docks because they are used by Asian aquaculture companies in the worldwide supply chain for Japanese food. Maine is the only state in the U.S. with a significant fishery for them, and worldwide supplies have been low, making them even more valuable.

FILE - In this May 25, 2017, file photo, baby eels swim in a plastic bag after being caught near Brewer, Maine. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is set to consider on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, if Maine's baby eel fishermen should be allowed to catch more of the tiny, big-money fish. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Maine's elver fishery is coming out of a contentious season that ended in May, when authorities shut down the fishery early amid concerns about illegal sales. The fishery is tightly monitored to deter poaching, and the illegal transactions circumvented a swipe card system used to track elver sales in Maine, authorities said.

"There are a lot of really good people in this fishery," said Patrick Keliher, Maine's Department of Marine Resources commissioner, who supported expanding the quota. "I would hate for a few of the bad people to ruin it for the good people."

The fishery was closed at a time when Maine fishermen had harvested more than 90 percent of their annual limit. The closure was necessary to ensure the quota was not exceeded by the illegal sales, said Jeff Nichols, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Darrell Young, co-director of the Maine Elver Fishermen Association, said before the vote that he was hopeful the illegal sales wouldn't play a role in the decision about whether to allow more fishing. But members of the Atlantic States commission said they were concerned about the effectiveness of law enforcement and the stability of American eel populations.

"I think we're all aware that there's plenty of glass eels," said Young, using another term for elvers. "It's a matter of whether the state can keep it under control with law enforcement."

The elver fishing season happens every spring. The price this spring was even higher than normal, ending at more than $2,300.

The added quota would have kept fishing limited to responsible levels while providing farms with seed stock, said Sara Rademaker, who runs Maine's sole eel farm, American Unagi, before the vote. Most of the elvers are exported to Asia.

"The idea to keep the fishery sustainable is in everybody's best interest," Rademaker said.
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Hundreds of people on Wednesday commemorated the 30th anniversary of Myanmar's 8888 uprising, a seminal and ultimately bloody episode in the Southeast Asian nation's struggle for democracy.

The flag of the uprising - a fighting peacock - flew on the campus and in a hall of Yangon University, where activists including those who took part in the mass revolt heard speeches and viewed exhibits that recalled the events.

The Aug. 8, 1988, uprising came after more than a quarter of a century of military rule and international isolation that had condemned once-prosperous Myanmar - then called Burma - to poverty. More than 1 million people are estimated to have protested throughout the country, driven to take to the streets after the government's sudden demonetization of the country's currency, which wiped out many people's savings.

A boy holds a portrait of Gen. Aung San during a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the pro-democracy uprising, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. August 8 marks the 30th anniversary of the nation-wide protests for democracy against the then military dictatorship. The protest was referred to as 8-8-88 (four eights) uprising- in which more than a million people took to the streets. The military government took power in Sept. 1988 after crushing the democracy movement killing several hundred. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

The revolt dislodged longtime dictator Ne Win but was violently crushed by the army in the weeks that followed. Estimates of the number of deaths range as high as 3,000. Although an equally repressive set of generals took over, the events also marked the founding of the pro-democracy movement of Aung San Suu Kyi, which finally took power peacefully in 2016, although under a restrictive constitution that forced it to share power with the military.

Many of the leading figures of the 1988 uprising are still active in political and social work, and several on Wednesday recalled the momentous historical events and how they started.

"Suddenly, someone put out the student flag, which had been hidden under his shirt, and waved it," recounted former student protest leader and 88 Generation activist Min Ko Naing. "At the same time, another person brought a bamboo stick to the fence and tied that flag to the top. All the rest started chanting and waving their posters." All of a sudden, the demonstration had begun, he recalled, adding that it had been "born in our hearts" many years before.

Along with hundreds of others, Min Ko Naing was arrested in the army takeover that followed. He spent approximately 19 years behind bars, before finally being released in 2012 during a mass pardon of political prisoners.

An exhibition inside the university showed in detail what took place in 1988. People young and old stopped to read carefully preserved archives of journals and newspapers, hanging like ornaments.

Members of the 88 Group, an association of protest veterans, also showed visitors how word spread to the streets in the pre-internet era, relying on foreign radio stations including Voice of America and BBC. Using simple manual printing techniques, transcripts of the broadcasts were shared in quiet teashops from Yangon to Mandalay, the traditional venues for gossip and discussion.

Members of National League for Democracy party show their respect in front of the numbers "8888", during a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the pro-democracy uprising, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. August 8 marks the 30th anniversary of the nation-wide protests for democracy against the then military dictatorship. The protest was referred to as 8-8-88 (four eights) uprising- in which more than a million people took to the streets. The military government took power in Sept. 1988 after crushing the democracy movement killing several hundred. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A German pharmaceutical company has filed a lawsuit to prevent Nebraska from using lethal injection drugs next week in what would be the state's first execution in more than two decades.

The federal lawsuit filed late Tuesday could delay the Aug. 14 execution of Carey Dean Moore, who was sentenced to death for killing two Omaha cab drivers in 1979. The company, Fresenius Kabi, opposes the use of its drugs in executions and alleges that the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services' supply of potassium chloride was made by the company.

Moore has stopped fighting the state's efforts to execute him , leaving death penalty opponents with no real options other than to hope a drug manufacturer challenged the state's use of its products. In Nevada, a judge indefinitely postponed an execution last month after drugmaker Alvogen filed a similar lawsuit over one of its products.

Nebraska state officials have refused to identify the source of their drugs, but Fresenius Kabi alleges the state's supply of the drug is stored in 30 milliliter vials. Fresenius Kabi said it's the only company that supplies potassium chloride in vials that size. The company said it may also have manufactured the state's supply of cisatracurium, and that Nebraska's use of its drugs would damage its reputation and business relationships.

"While Fresenius Kabi takes no position on capital punishment, Fresenius Kabi opposes the use of its products for this purpose and therefore does not sell certain drugs to correctional facilities," company attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.

The company said it only sells those products to wholesalers and distributors who sign a contract agreeing not to supply the drugs to correctional departments. Drugs obtained illicitly are also at risk of changing chemically because they may not have been stored at proper temperatures, said Matt Kuhn, a company spokesman.

"These drugs, if manufactured by Fresenius Kabi, could only have been obtained by (the corrections department) in contradiction and contravention of the distribution contracts the company has in place and therefore through improper or illegal means," the company said in the lawsuit.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the lethal injection drugs were purchased lawfully "and pursuant to the state of Nebraska's duty to carry out lawful capital sentences."

A spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nebraska has never carried out an execution by lethal injection, and the state plans to use an untried combination of four drugs during Moore's scheduled execution. The state's last execution, in 1997, used the electric chair, which the Nebraska Supreme Court later declared unconstitutional.

Nebraska's current execution protocol calls for four drugs: the sedative diazepam, commonly known as Valium, to render the inmate unconscious; fentanyl citrate, a powerful synthetic opioid; cisatracurium besylate, which induces paralysis and halts the inmate's breathing; and potassium chloride to stop the heart.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, a leading death penalty opponent, praised the company's intervention and chastised the state for refusing to release documents identifying the supplier. State officials have done so in the past without objection.

"While more states are turning away from the death penalty, Nebraska officials are rushing to carry out an execution cloaked in secrecy with an untested four-drug scheme that carries immeasurable risks for unnecessary pain and a botched execution," said Danielle Conrad, the group's executive director.

The lawsuit could force Nebraska to reveal its supplier to prove it doesn't have any of Fresenius Kabi's drugs, said state Sen. Ernie Chambers, of Omaha, an outspoken opponent of capital punishment. Chambers said he was glad the lawsuit was filed in federal court, saying it was more insulated from political pressure than the state courts.

"The state cannot simply enter a denial," he said. "They're going to have to establish that what has been presented isn't true."

The lawsuit is not Nebraska's first run-in with Fresenius Kabi. Last year, a company spokesman told The Associated Press that state officials had obtained a batch of its potassium chloride in 2015 because one of its distributors made a mistake.

A company spokesman said at the time that Fresenius Kabi discovered the sale through an internal audit and requested that the Department of Correctional Services return the drugs, but state officials never did. Those drugs expired in January 2017.

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Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte
BERLIN (AP) - German authorities say they have arrested a German man who is accused of spying on a mosque for Jordan.

Federal prosecutors said the 33-year-old, identified only as Alexander B. because of German privacy rules, was arrested Tuesday. They didn't specify where.

The prosecutors alleged in a statement issued Wednesday that the suspect worked in 2016 for a Jordanian intelligence agency, gathering information on the mosque in the central German city of Hildesheim.

He allegedly handed over information on several people he suspected of planning to travel to Syria to join Islamic militant groups or who had already traveled there.

German authorities banned the organization that ran the mosque in March 2017. They long had considered the DIK group to be a magnet for radicals.
LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):

8 p.m.

Firefighters are making progress against the largest California wildfire ever recorded although thousands of homes and buildings remain under threat.

Tim Grant watches a wildfire burn in the Cleveland National Forest, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, near El Cariso, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

State fire officials Wednesday night say the Mendocino Complex - twin fires that are being fought together - has destroyed 119 homes and 472 square miles (1,222 square kilometers) of brush and timber north of San Francisco.

The complex is 47 percent contained. However, the smaller of the two blazes actually is 81 percent surrounded. Fire crews have kept the southern edge from spreading. Authorities lifted mandatory evacuation orders for most communities near the resort of Clear Lake.

Meanwhile, a fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes in and around Redding in Northern California remains 47 percent surrounded.

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6 p.m.

It's unclear if there will be any practical effect of the Trump administration's directive to prioritize California water for fire-fighting over protecting endangered species.

The directive from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross tells the National Marine Fisheries Service to make clear that protecting life and property "takes precedence" over other water use agreements in California.

But state fire officials say they don't need more water to fight the fires raging across the state. Neither federal nor state officials said if direct action was being taken in response.

Mike Mohler, deputy director for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, says he doesn't know if the Trump administration had contacted any California state agencies before issuing Wednesday's directive.

Gov. Jerry Brown's office and state water officials directed questions to Mohler.

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4:40 p.m.

Northern California officials are contending with a norovirus outbreak at a wildfire evacuation shelter.

Lake County Public Health Director Denise Pomeroy said Wednesday that 20 to 30 people had shown symptoms of the virus in the last 48 hours. The airborne bug causes diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach cramps.

Officials are taking steps to separate those who have shown symptoms from others at the shelter and hired a company to clean and disinfect inside. Additional handwashing stations also were set up.

Pomeroy says about 150 to 175 people were at the shelter in Lower Lake High School on Tuesday night. Many were leaving Wednesday as officials lifted more evacuations.

About 1,500 people remain under evacuation orders as firefighters battle the largest wildfire recorded in California history, called the Mendocino Complex.

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3:10 p.m.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has directed the National Marine Fisheries Service to prioritize water use in California for fire-fighting, potentially overriding its use to protect endangered species.

"The protection of life and property takes precedence over any current agreements regarding the use of water in the areas of California affected by wildfires," Ross said in a statement. "Going forward, the Department ... (is) committed to finding new solutions to address threatened and endangered species in the context of the challenging water management situation in California."

The directive follows a tweet by President Trump on Sunday that blamed the severity of California's wildfires partly on its water management policies.

State experts disputed the charge. The fires are in hills far from the Pacific Ocean and from the man-made storage and distribution system that transports water from the wetter, northern part of the state to the southern part.

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2:15 p.m.

Evacuations have been ordered for several small mountain communities near where a forest fire continues to grow in Southern California.

Authorities said Wednesday that a 51-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the blaze in the Cleveland National Forest south of Los Angeles.

The fire sparked Monday has blackened nearly 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) of dry brush and timber. A dozen cabins have burned and several rural canyons are under new mandatory evacuation orders. Officials didn't immediately know how many people are affected. The fire's just 5 percent contained.

The flames gained renewed strength Wednesday, sending up thick smoke that officials say is creating unhealthy conditions in some neighborhoods.

About 385 firefighters are working in steep terrain amid sweltering temperatures.

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12:30 p.m.

Authorities have lifted mandatory evacuation orders for most lakeside communities impacted by the largest blaze in California history.

Lake County Lt. Corey Paulich says the majority of residents along the shores of Clear Lake in Northern California were allowed to return home Wednesday.

About 19,000 people were displaced during the peak of the blaze that started on July 27 and continues to burn in Mendocino, Lake and Colusa Counties

Paulich says about 1,500 people, mainly in his county's Spring Valley area, remain under evacuation orders.

He says fire officials are confident with the containment lines they have managed to cut around half the Mendocino Complex fire burning about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

The twin blazes have charred 470 square miles (1,217 square kilometers).

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12:10 p.m.

Police have arrested a man in connection with a Southern California wildfire that has burned 12 cabins and led to some evacuations.

Officials at the Cleveland National Forest say 51-year-old Forrest Gordon Clark was booked Wednesday on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, and one count each of felony threat to terrorize and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

It's unclear whether he has an attorney.

Clark is being held on a $1 million bail and is set to appear in court Thursday.

He was arrested in connection with the so-called Holy Fire, which has burned more than 6 square miles (15 square kilometers) in the Santa Ana Mountains.

More details about Clark's arrest are set to be released at a 2 p.m. news conference.

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9:15 a.m.

A smoky Southern California forest fire is raging in mostly unoccupied land but firefighting crews are concerned the flames could race down hillsides toward foothill communities.

The blaze churning through the Cleveland National Forest south of Los Angeles is just 5 percent contained Wednesday morning.

Flames that erupted Monday have blackened nearly 6-and-a-half square miles (17 square kilometers) of dry brush and timber. Several cabins have burned and two rural canyons and some campgrounds have been evacuated.

No homes are immediately threatened but some residents have voluntarily evacuated. Officials warn that thick smoke blanketing neighborhoods is creating unhealthy conditions.

About 385 firefighters are working in rugged terrain amid scorching temperatures with help from 10 helicopters and 7 fixed-wing aircraft.

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7:15 a.m.

California fire officials say they expect to gain control of the biggest blaze in state history in September.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Wednesday the blaze burning near Clear Lake in Northern California has destroyed 116 homes since it started on July 27. It is threatening another 10,000.

The agency also says two firefighters were injured but provided no details.

Experts say California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change and home construction deeper into the forests.

The massive Mendocino Complex fire of twin blazes burning side-by-side expanded even more overnight to nearly 470 square miles (1,217 square kilometers).

More than 4,000 firefighters battling the blaze have contained 47 percent of it.

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This version corrects that firefighters have contained 47 percent of the twin blazes, not one third.

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12:00 a.m.

California could be facing the toughest wildfire season ever as some 18 gigantic blazes ravage the state - and the historically worst months are still to come.

Some 14,000 firefighters are battling fires that have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and claimed six lives thanks to wind-whipped flames that have caused an explosive spread through vegetation left tinder-dry by years of drought.

Mark Hartwig of the California Fire Chiefs Association says fires are burning more intensely and quickly than before.

California's largest recorded blaze - the side-by-side fires dubbed the Mendocino Complex - needed just 11 days to blacken an area nearly the size of Los Angeles.

A deadly fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the Redding area of Northern California is less than 50 percent contained.

A plane drops fire retardant behind homes along McVicker Canyon Park Road in Lake Elsinore, Calif., as the Holy Fire burned near homes on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP)

Martin Lovrin, a Ranch fire evacuee, rests at a makeshift shelter on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Shortly after, Lovrin and other Lucerne residents received notice that they could return home as mandatory evacuations for their area became downgraded to an evacuation advisory. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residents along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore, Calif., load a truck as they evacuate as the Holy Fire burns near their home on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP)

The Holy Fire burns in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP)

Residents watch as smoke rises from a wildfire burning in the Cleveland National Forest Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, near El Cariso, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A boat floats on Lake Mission Viejo as the "Holy Fire" burns in the mountains behind Mission Viejo, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Kevin Sullivan/The Orange County Register via AP)

Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Shane Sherwood, center, answers questions from the media during a news conference at the Orange County Fire Authority headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Irvine, Calif. Police arrested a man in connection with a Southern California wildfire that has burned 12 cabins and led to new evacuation orders on Wednesday as flames grew nearer to several small communities. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Shane Sherwood, center, answers questions from the media during a news conference at the Orange County Fire Authority headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Irvine, Calif. Police arrested a man in connection with a Southern California wildfire that has burned structures and led to new evacuation orders on Wednesday as flames grew nearer to several small communities. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The "Holy Fire" burns near homes in Horsethief Canyon in Corona, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP)

The "Holy Fire" burns near homes in Lake Elsinore, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP)
The State President made the statement during receptions for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda Louise Mushikiwabo and Guinean Foreign Minister Mamadi Toure in Hanoi on August 7.

He applauded the African ministers for their first visits to Vietnam, expressing his belief that the trips will contribute to effectively promoting bilateral relations between Vietnam and Rwanda and Guinea and the countries, thus optimising the interests of the countries.

President Quang congratulated the two countries on achievements of political stability and socio-economic development in recent times, affirming that Vietnam appreciates the role and contributions of Guinean President Anpha Conde and Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the rotating presidents of the African Union in 2017 and 2018 in promoting peace, development, regional and international integration of Africa.

He also spoke highly positive steps of development in political and economic ties, and mutual support and coordination between Vietnam and the two African countries at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations.

On the basis of sound political relations, the similarity of development level and need, Vietnam and African countries have been successfully implementing many cooperation projects on agriculture, telecommunication, health and education, President Quang said.

These are important premises for the countries to expand cooperation across fields, thus brining benefits to Vietnamese people and those in Africa, including Rwanda and Guinea.

President Quang asked the sides to enhance exchange of all-level delegations, towards deepening their cooperation and fully tapping their potential.

He also urged the sides to devise specific measures boost trade ties, and improve legal frameworks to facilitate stronger multi-faceted collaboration between Vietnam and the two countries.

With the success of Vietnams agricultural projects in many African countries, Vietnam is willing to share its experience with Rwanda and Guinea in the field through bilateral or multilateral cooperation, he affirmed.

The Vietnamese leader hoped that the two countries would create favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors and businesses to make their inroads in the two countries in the future.

He took the occasion to invite the Presidents of Rwanda and Guinea to visit Vietnam in the coming time.

For their part, the African ministers highlighted the traditional friendship between Rwanda and Guinea and Vietnam, saying that the three countries experienced difficult historical periods and are now on the path of development.

Agreeing with President Quangs opinion on measures to foster the relations between Rwanda and Guinea and Vietnam, they affirmed their countries are willing to bolster cooperation with Vietnam in all fields.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian authorities say brown bears have either attacked or startled several tourists in the Carpathian mountains.

The Prahova Ambulance service said a man camping in a forest in a tourist area received medical aid for a hand injury Wednesday after a bear, which was looking for food, attacked him as he slept.

Separately, a 39-year-old tourist camping in a forest sustained injuries to his arms Tuesday after a bear entered his tent.

Mountain rescue officials helped five tourists to safety Tuesday after they were chased by a bear with her cubs in the Prahova valley. The bears ripped apart their knapsacks.

Last week, two men were hospitalized with serious injuries after a bear attacked them in central Romania.

There are believed to be more than 6,000 brown bears in Romania.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - It's been 25 years since a major Hollywood studio released an English-language film with a primarily Asian cast. The last was Wayne Wang's adaptation of the generational tear-jerker "The Joy Luck Club," which was released in 1993.

But that dry spell is about to end with the release of the opulent romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" on Wednesday Aug. 15. The film is based on Kevin Kwan's best-selling book about a Chinese-American woman who gets a culture shock when she meets her boyfriend's wealthy family in Singapore.

Veteran producer Nina Jacobson said that when she and her Color Force partner Brad Simpson ("The Hunger Games") read Kwan's manuscript, they knew it had to be a movie.

The cast and crew of "Crazy Rich Asians arrive at the film's premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

"We just tore through it," Jacobson said. "It was so specific that it became really universal: Anybody who has ever faced in-laws who felt that they were not worthy of their beloved."

They knew that the film would likely never survive the studio development process, however, and decided to have a vision, a script and a budget to sell as a package before going to the marketplace. Ivanhoe Pictures' John Penotti signed on to help and Warner Bros. would ultimately join to partner with them to release the film.

"Hollywood has done a bit of a disservice by not taking us into these worlds," Simpson said. "There is a hunger for not just token representation but to really dive into the world of different ethnicities and races."

Meanwhile, Jon M. Chu, who would eventually sign on to direct "Crazy Rich Asians," had already been hearing about this new book from family members. His last name is the same as that of the main character, Rachel Chu, and they're both from Cupertino. There's even a reference to his family in Kwan's book, but ultimately the book spoke to the uniqueness of the Asian-American experience.

"I think a lot of Asian-Americans go through the same journey ... I relate to having that dual cultural identity of being full-on all-American, all-California boy, but having a Chinese side to me," Chu said. "I remember going to Asia for the first time and there's a very specific emotion that you feel that's like, 'Oh, this feels like home but it's not my home and these people don't see me as being part of this.' Then when you're home you start to notice people may not see you as part of that either."

Having known Jacobson and Simpson for years, he knew they would "protect" the film and do it right. He signed on to transport audiences to an unbelievable world of wealth, privilege and tradition - part Edith Wharton, part "Gossip Girl."

Chu brought on Malaysian-born screenwriter Adele Lim to give the script an Asian specificity and set off to assemble his dream cast. The worldwide search had casting directors looking in Canada, New York, Los Angeles, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. All had to be English-speaking - and have the right accents, too.

"Fresh Off the Boat" star Constance Wu was chosen to play the lead, Rachel. They found an unknown to play her boyfriend, Nick, in Henry Golding, a handsome and charismatic TV host who had the perfect English accent to play the London-schooled heir, and cast Michelle Yeoh to be his disapproving mother, Eleanor. But even this hand-picked ensemble caused some consternation on the internet over the specific ethnicities and whether they matched exactly with what the book laid out.

Chu said that there's even a discussion is important.

But just the mere fact of a film having a female Asian-American lead and a majority pan-Asian cast is significant. A USC Study found that 37 of the top 100 films from 2017 featured no Asian-American speaking characters, despite making up 5.6 percent of the U.S. population.

"Since I've graduated from drama school I never get to play the lead," Wu said. "The fact that Asian-Americans never get to center the narrative means that their parts are always going to be not as whole and fleshed-out."

That made it an emotional experience for many on the set.

"Everyone had gone through the process of what it's like to be an Asian-American in Hollywood or around the world," Chu said. "You could see the difference between someone like Michelle Yeoh who literally said, 'I'm the majority where I'm from so I don't understand the plight that you guys are going through.' It was very shocking for her to see how it affected these young actors and how people would just cry on the set and how happy they were that they got to do this."

Jacobson described it as a "joyful sense of purpose that we all shared."

Wu, who is an outspoken advocate for Asian representation on social media, said the film is significant for differentiating the Asian experience and the Asian-American experience.

"You show that our culture is more than just skin-deep," Wu said. "You show our similarities and how we're different."

Warner Bros. has been enthusiastically promoting the movie for months, with early screenings for press and influencers alike, along with a full-force ad campaign.

"I hope people go see it because I think we have a great movie and if they go see it, it changes things," Chu said. "People have to show up. I guarantee four new stories of Asian-Americans will be greenlit in two weeks if it comes out and does well. That's what's on the line and that's what I think is still up in the air."

The film is currently tracking for a strong $18 million opening against a $30 million production budget, although some experts predict it will be even bigger. Tracking can be an imperfect metric for films that don't have direct "comps," or similar films that might suggest how a new film will perform.

"I think we have to take control of our own voice and our own story," Chu said. "And we won't be perfect, this discussion is ongoing the more stuff that gets made, the more discussion we can have about what we want. We just never had the privilege of having that conversation."

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AP writer Marcela Isaza contributed from Las Vegas.

Henry Golding, left, and Constance Wu arrive at the premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Director Jon M. Chu arrives at the premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Director Jon M. Chu arrives at the premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Awkwafina arrives at the premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Henry Golding arrives at the premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Pressure to take down America's monuments honoring slain Confederate soldiers and the generals who led them didn't start with Charlottesville. But the deadly violence that rocked the Virginia college town a year ago gave the issue an explosive momentum.

Confederate monuments at public parks, county courthouses and college campuses fell almost daily for weeks after a speeding car killed a woman and injured dozens in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. The vehicle plowed into a crowd protesting a gathering of white supremacists whose stated goal was to protect a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee.

At least 30 Confederate monuments have been uprooted in the year since the Charlottesville clashes, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Groups including the Sons of Confederate Veterans complain America is purging history. Others say the monuments romanticize the Confederacy and downplay its defense of slavery and racism.

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 photo, a No Trespassing sign is displayed in front of a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., at the park that was the focus of the Unite the Right rally. Pressure to take down America's monuments honoring slain Confederate soldiers and the generals who led them didn't start with Charlottesville. But the deadly violence that rocked the Virginia college town a year ago gave the issue an explosive momentum. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Many more Confederate monuments remain standing. Seven Southern states have laws protecting them.

Here's a look at some key monument battles in Charlottesville's aftermath.

PROSECUTING A TAKEDOWN

A 2015 law in North Carolina essentially prohibits permanent removal of Confederate monuments on public property without approval from state lawmakers. Protesters in Durham took matters into their own hands using a ladder and a rope - and found themselves charged with rioting and vandalism.

It was Aug. 14, two days after the violence in Charlottesville, when an angry crowd gathered around a monument to Confederate soldiers outside a former courthouse building. A woman climbed a ladder and attached a rope to the bronze statue. Protesters yanked it down.

The woman on the ladder, 22-year-old college student Takiyah Thompson, was among a dozen protesters charged with crimes in the monument takedown.

None of the cases stuck. A judge found one defendant not guilty and dismissed charges against two others. On Feb. 20, six months after the statue came down, Durham District Attorney Roger Echols dropped all remaining prosecutions.

A 2015 state law essentially prevents permanent removal of Confederate monuments unless the General Assembly agrees to it.

'QUICKLY AND QUIETLY'

Like other U.S. cities, Baltimore began reconsidering its Confederate monuments before Charlottesville gave the issue new urgency.

Following the 2015 slayings of nine black church members in Charleston, South Carolina, by an avowed white supremacist, Baltimore named a special commission that spent a year reviewing four monuments on Baltimore city property. The panel ultimately urged the city to keep two Confederate monuments, with some changes. It advocated removing two others, including a monument honoring Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

They remained standing for almost another year before Mayor Catherine Pugh ordered all four taken down on Aug. 15, 2017, following the violence in Charlottesville. City crews dismantled them in the dead of night.

The Maryland Sons of Confederate Veterans complained that Baltimore acted without approval from the Maryland Historical Trust. Pugh said waiting would have risked more violence.

"It was important that we move quickly and quietly," Pugh said.

FINDING A LOOPHOLE

Civil rights groups wanted Confederate statues out of public parks in Memphis, arguing they glorified racism in a city where most residents are black. But Tennessee's Heritage Protection Act prohibited removing monuments to U.S. military figures on public land.

Memphis city leaders sought a waiver in 2016 to relocate one monument - a statue of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, who had also been a slave trader and Ku Klux Klan leader. Their petition was denied.

After Charlottesville's bloody protests, the Memphis city council looked for new options. And they found a loophole.

On Dec. 20, the city sold the two public parks for $1,000 apiece to a nonprofit group. Almost immediately, the new owner took down the Forrest monument as well as statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Capt. J. Harvey Mathes.

A judge upheld the move. Tennessee legislators were outraged. They soon amended the law to close the loophole. The state House also stripped $250,000 for Memphis' bicentennial celebration from a budget bill.

MONUMENT AVENUE

Take down Jefferson Davis, but leave standing statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and three other Confederate officers.

A commission delivered those recommendations in July to city officials in Richmond, Virginia, after spending nearly a year considering five Confederate statues along Monument Avenue in the former Confederate capital.

Virginia has one of the oldest state laws protecting war monuments. Richmond's city attorney warned that removing any of the statues would risk fines and possible criminal charges.

Still, the commission urged removing the monument to Davis, saying its design "most unabashedly" romanticizes the South while downplaying the role of slavery in the Civil War.

Lee's monument stands on state property, meaning the city can't move it. The commission said statues of J.E.B. Stuart, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and Confederate naval commander Matthew Fontaine Maury should stay, but with new signs or plaques to add historical context.

City officials haven't taken action. Meanwhile, vandals splattered the Lee monument's base with red paint in early August, about a week before the Charlottesville anniversary.

CONFEDERATE RUSHMORE

Carved into a mountainside, the towering Confederate figures of Stone Mountain have shown a rock-solid resistance to the wave of toppling Southern monuments.

The giant sculpture of Jefferson Davis and Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson has long made Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta one of Georgia's top tourist attractions. After the bloodshed in Charlottesville, the Democrat running to become the state's next governor said it's "a blight on our state and should be removed."

Stacey Abrams would be the first black woman elected governor of a U.S. state if she wins in November.

Demolishing the granite monument would be tough, and not just because of its imposing scale. Stone Mountain is protected by its own state law that mandates the carving "be preserved and protected for all time."

Confronted about her criticism of Stone Mountain at a recent event, Abrams said the sculpture was created "to terrify African Americans." But she also hedged on whether it should be destroyed.

"I never once said sandblast, but I did say that we should do something about the fact that we have this massive monument to domestic terrorism without context and without information," Abrams said. "And I believe absolutely the state should not be paying for a monument to domestic terrorism."

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For the complete AP coverage marking one year since the rally in Charlottesville, visit https://apnews.com/tag/CharlottesvilleAYearLater .

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2017, file photo, State Police keep a handful of Confederate protesters separated from counter demonstrators in front of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Pressure to take down America's monuments honoring slain Confederate soldiers and the generals who led them didn't start with Charlottesville. But the deadly violence that rocked the Virginia college town a year ago gave the issue an explosive momentum. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2018, file photo, paint covers the base of the Robert E. Lee memorial on Richmond's Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Pressure to take down America's monuments honoring slain Confederate soldiers and the generals who led them didn't start with Charlottesville. But the deadly violence that rocked the Virginia college town a year ago gave the issue an explosive momentum. (Mark Gormus/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, File)

FILE - This Aug. 22, 2017, file photo shows the statue of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Pressure to take down America's monuments honoring slain Confederate soldiers and the generals who led them didn't start with Charlottesville. But the deadly violence that rocked the Virginia college town a year ago gave the issue an explosive momentum. (Chad Williams/DroneBase via AP, File)

FILE - This Aug. 22, 2017, file photo shows part of the Confederate President Jefferson Davis on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Virginia has one of the oldest state laws protecting war monuments. Richmond's city attorney warned that removing any of the statues would risk fines and possible criminal charges. (DroneBase via AP, File)

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 photo, a statue of Thomas Jefferson is surrounded by fencing and a No Trespassing sign in front of the rotunda on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. The statue was the focal point of a clash between torch carrying white nationalists and students the night before the white nationalist rally in downtown Charlottesville that ended in the death of three people. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
UKIAH, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters said for the first time Wednesday that they have made good progress battling the state's largest-ever wildfire but didn't expect to have it fully under control until September.

The blaze north of San Francisco has grown to the size of Los Angeles since it started two weeks ago, fueled by dry vegetation, high winds and rugged terrain that made it too dangerous for firefighters to directly attack the flames now spanning 470 square miles (1,217 square kilometers).

Crews, including inmates and firefighters from overseas, have managed to cut lines around half the fire to contain the flames, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The blaze about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of San Francisco around the resort region of Clear Lake has destroyed 116 homes and injured two firefighters.

A girl wades through water while watching a wildfire burn in the Cleveland National Forest in Lake Elsinore, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Evacuations have been ordered for several small mountain communities near where a forest fire continues to grow in Southern California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Those lines have kept the southern edge of the fire from spreading into residential areas on the east side of the lake. But Cal Fire said the flames are out of control to the north, roaring into remote and unpopulated areas of thick forests and deep ravines as firefighters contend with record-setting temperatures.

California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change and home construction deeper into the forests.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox said the area has few natural barriers to slow flames and terrain that firefighters can't get to. So firefighters fall back to the nearest road, ridge or river, where they bulldoze a wide line and wait for the flames to come to them.

The Mendocino Complex, which will take months to put out, is one of 18 burning throughout the state Wednesday. Because of such extreme conditions early on, officials and experts warn that California could be facing its toughest wildfire season yet, with the historically worst months still to come.

Here's a look at the firefighters who are battling California's blazes:

14,000 FIREFIGHTERS

They are deployed statewide and led by Cal Fire. The state's firefighting agency employs 5,300 full-time firefighters and hires an additional 1,700 each fire season. Trained prisoners and firefighters from 17 states and around the world fill out the ranks.

They are battling blazes on the Nevada border and along the coast. Cal Fire crews are helping federal firefighters put out flames in national forests and one that has reached Yosemite National Park, prompting its closure at the height of tourist season.

Those on the ground get help from more than 1,000 fire engines, 59 bulldozers, 22 air tankers, 17 airplanes, 12 helicopters and 11 mobile kitchens.

Firefighters under Cal Fire's command have helped Oregon authorities fight a fire near the California border and responded to a blaze that broke out this week in Orange County and burned a dozen cabins.

4,088 AT MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE

The state's largest wildfire in history has drawn a contingent to battle what is actually two fires burning so closely together that they're being attacked as one.

Though it's exploded in size, more firefighters are fighting a fire near Redding that has killed six people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses. It threatens a much larger urban area, so Cal Fire has devoted more resources to it.

Both blazes are considered nearly half contained.

1,916 INMATES

California prisoners also are fighting fires. Cal Fire trains minimum-security inmates and pays them $1 an hour in the field and $2 a day when they're not on duty. Inmate firefighters also typically have their sentences reduced for every day spent fighting fires.

They do similar work to any firefighter, working long hours and sleeping in camps with other inmates. Most are on the front lines, using chain saws and hand tools to reduce tinder-dry brush and trees to stop the flames.

53 FROM DOWN UNDER

Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are helping California, arriving this week at the Mendocino Complex Fire after an 8,600-mile (13,840-kilometer) flight and two-hour bus trip.

Craig Cottrill, chief of the Wellington Fire Department in New Zealand, said his country doesn't see fires nearly as big as California's.

"Everything is on a 100 times scale," he said. "This thing's massive."

Rob Gore, a firefighter from the Australian capital of Canberra, said it makes for good relationships that Australians often fight fires in North America and that Canadians and Americans regularly fight fires in his country.

"When those big events happen across the continents, we all pitch in," he said.

The New Zealanders have been assigned as safety officers, line supervisors and heavy equipment "bosses" who direct bulldozer operators.

200 SOLDIERS

They are undergoing four days of training to fight wildfires and are expected to be deployed to California next week, U.S. Army Col. Rob Manning said in a statement. Authorities haven't decided where to send the soldiers from the Tacoma, Washington-based 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion.

They will be outfitted with wildland protective gear, organized into 10 teams and led by experienced civilian firefighters. Personnel from the same base helped fight California wildfires last year.

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Elias reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles and Haven Daley in the Mendocino National Forest also contributed to this report.

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Follow AP's wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires

Onlookers are silhouetted against the reflection of a wildfire burning in the Cleveland National Forest in Lake Elsinore, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Evacuations have been ordered for several small mountain communities near where a forest fire continues to grow in Southern California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Onlookers watch as a wildfire burns near Lake Elsinore, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Evacuations have been ordered for several small mountain communities near where a forest fire continues to grow in Southern California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Video journalist Chris O'Neal records the sun visible through thick smoke from a wildfire as a helicopter flies past him Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Two police officers walk up a road covered with fire retardant as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Lake Elsinore, Calif. Evacuations have been ordered for several small mountain communities near where a forest fire continues to grow in Southern California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A photographer takes pictures of a wildfire burning near a residential area Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Lake Elsinore, Calif. The flames gained renewed strength Wednesday, sending up thick smoke that officials say is creating unhealthy conditions in some neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighter Rob Gore from Canberra, Australia, mans a lookout point while battling the Mendocino Complex Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in the Mendocino National Forest, Calif. Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are helping California, arriving this week at the Mendocino Complex Fire after an 8,600-mile (13,840-kilometer) flight and two-hour bus trip. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Phil Tapscott, a task force leader on the Mendocino Complex Fire, speaks with a crew from Montana on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in the Mendocino National Forest, Calif. Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are helping California, arriving this week at the Mendocino Complex Fire after an 8,600-mile (13,840-kilometer) flight and two-hour bus trip. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Fire retardant covers a street sign in Lakeport, Calif., as crews work to contain the Mendocino Complex Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Firefighters said Wednesday that they have made good progress battling the state's largest-ever wildfire but didn't expect to have it fully under control until September. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Fire retardant covers mailboxes in Lakeport, Calif., as crews work to contain the Mendocino Complex Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Firefighters said Wednesday that they have made good progress battling the state's largest-ever wildfire but didn't expect to have it fully under control until September. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Rob Gore from Canberra, Australia, mans a lookout point while battling the Mendocino Complex Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in the Mendocino National Forest, Calif. Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are helping California, arriving this week at the Mendocino Complex Fire after an 8,600-mile (13,840-kilometer) flight and two-hour bus trip. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Rob Gore from Canberra, Australia, mans a lookout point while battling the Mendocino Complex Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in the Mendocino National Forest, Calif. Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are helping California, arriving this week at the Mendocino Complex Fire after an 8,600-mile (13,840-kilometer) flight and two-hour bus trip. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Tim Grant watches a wildfire burn in the Cleveland National Forest, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, near El Cariso, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
MOSCOW (AP) - U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader's spokesman said Wednesday.

Paul, who defended Trump in the wake of his summit with Putin last month in Helsinki, has been visiting Russia with a delegation for several days.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin has not yet examined the letter Paul presented.

Sen. Rand Paul, left, speaks with Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Paul said he invited Russian lawmakers to visit the United States to help foster inter-parliamentary contacts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

"We expect that in the nearest time it will come to the presidential administration," Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies.

Paul said on Twitter that "the letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas, including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."

However, deputy White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the missive was a "letter of introduction" that Trump had written at Paul's request and "mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin." There has been no indication that a Putin-Paul meeting would occur.

The Kentucky Republican met with members of the Russian parliament's upper house who serve on the foreign affairs committee Monday. Paul said he had invited them to Washington.

Sen. Rand Paul speaks during his meeting with Russian lawmakers in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Paul said he invited Russian lawmakers to visit the United States to help foster inter-parliamentary contacts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Sen. Rand Paul speaks during his meeting with Russian lawmakers in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Paul said he invited Russian lawmakers to visit the United States to help foster inter-parliamentary contacts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Top from left: a member of the Senate of the legislative Assembly of the state of Texas Peter Hettler, Texas Sen. Don Huffines, Sen. Rand Paul and his communications director Sergio Gor attend a meeting with Russian lawmakers in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Paul said he has invited Russian lawmakers to visit the United States to help foster inter-parliamentary contacts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The top executive of a one-time leading manufacturer of boots for the U.S. military has been sentenced in a "Made in USA" scheme.

A statement from U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey says 66-year-old Vincent Lee Ferguson of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced Monday to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy.

The statement says Overbey was president and CEO of Wellco Enterprises Inc., which sold boots to the military that were falsely advertised as being made in the U.S.

Prosecutors say Ferguson conspired with his executive team to import boots made in China. Authorities say they concealed the fraud at first by requiring the Chinese manufacturing facility to include "USA" labels and later by having factory workers tear out "Made in China" labels.

Five others charged in the scheme were sentenced in June.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Southern California utility reached a nearly $120 million settlement over a massive blowout at a natural gas storage field that became the nation's largest known release of climate-changing methane and forced thousands to flee their Los Angeles homes almost three years ago, officials announced Wednesday.

The settlement between Southern California Gas Co. and state and local governments aims to mitigate the greenhouse gases that spewed uncontrollably for nearly four months. The October 2015 blowout at an Aliso Canyon well sickened residents of the San Fernando Valley and led to evacuations of 8,000 homes.

Under the settlement, the utility agreed to pay up to $25 million for a study of long-term health consequences; reimburse city, county and state governments for responding to the blowout; monitor chemicals in the air along the boundary of the facility for eight years; and not pass costs of the settlement along to ratepayers.

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015, file pool photo, crews work on a relief well at the Aliso Canyon facility above the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles. Southern California Gas Co. said announced Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 that a nearly $120 million settlement has been reached in litigation stemming from a leak at a Los Angeles storage field where a massive methane release forced thousands from their homes. (Dean Musgrove /Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool, File)

"This settlement says that they have to eat all the costs," said City Councilman Mitchell Englander, who lives in the area. "During the blowout, their stock price actually went up. That was insane, and it was insulting, and I know the people that were living there were very upset about that, and they wanted it to come out of their pocket."

Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the tentative deal, which will be open to public comment and requires court approval, addressed violations of health and safety codes, the illegal discharge of air contaminants and failure to report the release of hazardous materials.

"There is no excuse for what happened," Becerra said in a statement. "For over four months, this leak exposed our communities to natural gas emissions that resulted in adverse health impacts and disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of Californians."

In a previous settlement of criminal charges, the utility agreed to a $4 million settlement with Los Angeles prosecutors after pleading no contest to a single misdemeanor of failing to notify state authorities about the blowout soon enough.

The company, which is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, has spent over $1 billion because of the blowout, according to a quarterly report released Monday. The majority was spent relocating families for months and reimbursing them for meals and other costs and cleaning homes. The remaining costs include legal expenses, paying for a study of the blowout's cause, efforts to cap the well, and the cost of lost gas.

The company has insurance for $1.4 billion but faces lawsuits from 30,000 people, said attorney R. Rex Parris, who represents about a third of them. He said they all are seeking $2.5 billion in damages for injuries and harm caused by the massive disruption to their lives.

Residents were not initially notified when gas began seeping out of the ground in the mountain-top storage field that looms above the community of Porter Ranch.

Aliso Canyon is the largest natural gas storage facility in the U.S. West. Gas was piped into an empty oil field more than a mile underground through repurposed aging oil wells - some more than 50 years old.

Within days, the slow leak turned into a high-pressure gusher that special crews couldn't contain. Residents began complaining of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea.

People began moving out of the neighborhood of neat subdivisions where the film "E.T." was shot. Developments of single-family homes began to resemble ghost towns.

After the leak was capped, Southern California Gas had to meet much stricter regulations to store gas in the field, which required overhauling wells, incorporating new equipment to monitor for leaks and capping wells that didn't pass regulations. The incident led to stricter rules for other facilities statewide.

More limited operations resumed in July 2017. SoCal Gas said it had met and sometimes exceeded state safety requirements.

The company said in a statement that it was pleased to reach the settlement and would also hire an independent ombudsman to monitor and report on safety at the facility.

Officials noted that the settlement was only aimed at claims that state and local governments could bring and did not address the personal costs by those directly affected.

Still, those who live near the facility and want it shut down were upset the agreement didn't address their concerns.

"It does little or nothing for the victims who are still sitting on that ticking time bomb," said Matt Pakucko, who organized the group Save Porter Ranch.

Others were critical that some settlement funds would pay for projects that would not help the area affected by the blowout and could further enrich the utility. For example, $26.5 million is supposed to pay for a project to capture methane from Central Valley dairies, which would help mitigate greenhouse gases and also be used to produce energy.

"SoCalGas is unfairly benefiting from this agreement by getting over $26 million in subsidies to import gas from polluting factory farms, which it wants to use to refill Aliso Canyon, which still leaks regularly," said Alex Nagy of Food & Water Watch, an environmental group that wants the facility closed.

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Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2016 file photo, protestors wearing gas masks attend a hearing over a gas leak at the southern California Gas Company's Aliso Canyon Storage Facility near the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles. A tentative settlement has been reached in litigation stemming from a leak at a Los Angeles storage field where a massive methane release forced thousands from their homes three years ago. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Los Angeles. Becerra announce a tentative settlement with SoCalGas in litigation over the Aliso Canyon gas leak that occurred near Porter Ranch in 2015. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2016, file photo, protesters carry signs and an image of California's Gov. Jerry Brown while demanding a shut down of the Southern California Gas Company's Aliso Canyon Storage Facility near Porter Ranch in Los Angeles. A tentative settlement has been reached in litigation stemming from a leak at a Los Angeles storage field where a massive methane release forced thousands from their homes three years ago. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) - High level meetings in Washington between senior U.S. and Turkish officials concluded Wednesday without an apparent resolution to the case of a detained American pastor.

The State Department said Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal met in a bid to ease the crisis in relations caused by Turkey's continued detention of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson.

Brunson's detention led the Trump administration last week to slap punitive sanctions on two Turkish Cabinet ministers and to warn of additional measures if the case is not soon resolved.

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)

Wednesday's meeting addressed Brunson and the sanctions, aiming to end the sharp rift between the NATO allies.

Afterward, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "the conversations continue." She did not elaborate.

Brunson is on trial on espionage and terror-related charges related to a failed 2016 coup attempt, which he and the U.S. government adamantly deny. The administration has repeatedly demanded Brunson's release.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously linked Brunson's return to the U.S. to the extradition of the cleric Turkey's government holds responsible for the failed 2016 coup. The cleric, who denies orchestrating the coup attempt, lives in Pennsylvania.

Turkish requests for his arrest and extradition have been denied.

Brunson has lived in Turkey for 23 years and served as pastor of Izmir Resurrection Church, a small Protestant congregation.

During a recent hearing, Brunson rejected charges against him.
PRAGUE (AP) - Czech leaders have paid their respects to three service members whose bodies were transported by military plane to Prague after they were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Andrej Babis and other government and military officials attended a ceremony on Wednesday at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport together with the families of the three.

Babis described as "heroes" Staff Sgt. Martin Marcin, 36, Cpl. Kamil Benes, 28 and Cpl. Patrik Stepanek, 25.

Soldiers carry coffins containing the bodies of three fallen service members during a ceremony at the Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The three soldiers were killed while on a foot patrol as part of a NATO forces near the Bagram military base in the province of Parwan in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

They were killed while on a foot patrol as part of NATO forces near the Bagram military base in the province of Parwan in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday.

Bells tolled across the country as the plane landed, while sirens rang at noon for 140 seconds Wednesday to honor the fallen soldiers.

Soldiers carry coffins containing the bodies of three fallen service members during a ceremony at the Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The three soldiers were killed while on a foot patrol as part of a NATO forces near the Bagram military base in the province of Parwan in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Soldiers carry coffins containing the bodies of three fallen service members during a ceremony at the Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The three soldiers were killed while on a foot patrol as part of a NATO forces near the Bagram military base in the province of Parwan in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina teenager pleaded guilty Wednesday to allegations that he tried to fight for the Islamic State group.

Zakaryia Abdin pleaded guilty during a hearing in Charleston to a charge of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization, according to federal court documents. The charge carries a possible 20-year prison sentence.

Abdin, 19, was arrested at Charleston's airport in March 2017 as he tried to board a plane for Jordan. According to authorities, he told an FBI agent posing as an Islamic State recruiter he wanted to torture an American, and would attack a U.S. site if he couldn't get out of the country.

The teen has been monitored for years. At 16, authorities have said, he talked about robbing a gun store to get weapons to kill soldiers as revenge for American military action in the Middle East. He was arrested before any robbery took place and pleaded guilty. A parole board agreed to his early release after about a year in jail.

Abdin knew that authorities were still watching him, but apparently didn't realize his "recruiter" was a federal agent.

"We are most likely to contact an undercover agent than a real brother," Abdin told the undercover agent. "That is why I carry guns in my house, in my car and even I used to secretly take to school. It is very humiliating to be captured."

According to an FBI statement released after Abdin's indictment last year, he told the agent that if he did get to torture an American hostage, he wanted his face shown on video, saying, "I want to be the one to send the message because they know who I am."

Abdin also sent a video of himself pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State in Arabic and told them he could do whatever was needed, according to the sworn statement. The FBI said he also practiced shooting several different guns during the first three months of 2017.

The FBI said Abdin knew agents would learn of his purchase and travel plans, and so tried to hide his tracks by contacting authorities to tell them he bought guns for hunting and would be traveling to the Middle East on a vacation. He also asked authorities for a meeting, where he told them he no longer held the extreme beliefs that led to his first arrest.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/
VUFO Vice President, Bui Khac Son, handed over the insignia to the outgoing ambassador at a ceremony in Hanoi on August 7.

Speaking at the event, VUFO Vice President Son applauded the diplomats contributions to the Vietnam-Belgium ties, especially in politics-diplomacy, trade, economy, development, education and people-to-people exchanges.

She has actively organised visits and working sessions between the leaders of ministries, agencies, organisations and businesses of both countries, he said.

She has also worked to accelerate the implementation of the Belgian Governments non-refundable aid projects in several localities in Vietnam, in the fields of State management, human resource development and climate change response, he added.

VUFO Vice President Son expressed his wish that Jehanne Roccas, in any capacity, would continue contributing to consolidating and developing the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium.

For her part, the Belgian ambassador said she was honoured to receive the insignia, the most notable reward of the VUFO.

She affirmed that her country is ready to support Vietnam in various areas, especially education, believing those who have studied in Belgium would serve as an important bridge for the two nations friendship and cooperation.

She promised that, in any capacity, she will do her utmost to develop the relationship between Vietnam and Belgium, as well as the amity and solidarity between their people.
TORONTO (AP) - Canadian health authorities said Wednesday that hundreds of Saudi doctors and residents who make up the largest segment of foreign medical trainees in the country will remain in Canada until the end of the month, giving hospitals a few weeks to cope with the sudden staffing loss caused by a diplomatic spat.

The 800 medical trainees are among more than 15,000 Saudis whose government has ordered them to suddenly leave the country due to Canada's criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom's arrest of women's right activists.

The Saudi Embassy bureau that places the country's students in Canada convinced the kingdom's government to let the medical trainees stay until Sept. 1, said Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, the vice dean of post-MD education at the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine.

The Saudi Arabian Embassy is shown in Ottawa, Canada, on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. Saudi Arabia has ordered Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horak to leave the ultraconservative kingdom within 24 hours after his nation criticized the recent arrests of women's rights activists. The Saudi Foreign Ministry also said it would freeze "all new business" between the kingdom and Canada. (David Kawai/The Canadian Press via AP)

Spadafora oversees 216 of those Saudis in the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network.

He said the loss of the trainees will cause disruptions at Canadian hospitals, particularly in some specialized fields, but said it's too early to fully know the impact.

"At the end of the day it's still 216 people that might not be showing up for work," he said.

"We have until Sept 1. That's not saying it's going to easy or straightforward. It is like people not being there one day, but we have the luxury of people having more time."

While the Saudi government says the students, whose education it is paying for, can now study in other nations, the change will dramatically alter the future for many.

Some of the residents and doctors are entering their final and fifth year of their programs and the change will derail some careers, Spadafora said.

"These are very dedicated and bright and hard-working people who are studying very hard," he said. "To have that disrupted is very stressful for them."

Salvatore Spadafora said it's very difficult for those with families and leases.

"All we've done is gotten a little bit of time to the end of the month. It's not necessarily going to solve everything but it helps the individuals which has really been our focus," he said.

"Hopefully at the highest levels there is resolution that we can avoid all of this."

Brian Hodges, executive vice-president for education at Toronto's University Health Network, oversees about 94 from Saudi Arabia including 58 or 59 trained specialists or fellows.

"It is sudden," he said. "That's a lot of clinical care. We're really working on making sure if people do leave we are actually arranging proper on-call coverage and clinical handover so that it doesn't affect our patient care in any way."

Hodges said the Saudi's are distributed across all their programs including surgery and mental health and family medicine. He said of 1,300 or 1,400 residents overall, 36 are from Saudi Arabia and 58 or 59 of the 520 fellows are from Saudi Arabia.

"It will require the other residents and fellows and the faculty to pick up additional work," he said.

He said some have already provided notification that they are leaving.

"We already have requests to be exempted from on-call studies and clinical responsibilities as soon as next week," Hodges said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chyrstia Freeland has said Saudi students continue to be welcome. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday Freeland had spoken to Saudi Arabia's foreign minister the day before.

"Diplomatic talks continue." Trudeau said. "But as the minister has said and as we will repeat, Canada will always speak strongly and in private and in public on questions of human rights."

Trudeau said Canada does not want a bad relationship with Saudi Arabia.

"This is a country that still has importance in the world. And is making progress in human rights. So we will continue to underscore the challenges when they exist there and elsewhere in the world," he said.

Saudi state television has reported that Education Ministry was coming up with an "urgent plan" to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. The Saudi state airline also said in a statement on its official Twitter account that it would suspend all flights to Toronto starting Monday, Aug. 13.

The dispute appeared centered around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to "immediately release" detained women's rights activists.

Among the arrested activists is Samar Badawi, whose writer brother Raif Badawi was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam while blogging.

His case long has been raised by international human rights groups and Western diplomats, including Canadians, who have called on Saudi Arabia to free him.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas state representative who won the Republican primary for secretary of state on the second anniversary of his 10-year-old son's death on a giant water slide says it was a "day full of paradox."

The Kansas City Star reports that Rep. Scott Schwab, of Olathe, says he and his family didn't spend Tuesday "caring a whole lot about politics."

Schwab's son, Caleb Schwab, was decapitated on Aug. 7, 2016, when he was riding the 17-story Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Scott Schwab, who won the republican primary for Secretary of State, addresses a watch party gathering during Tuesday's election night gathering on Aug. 7, 2018 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Overland Park, Kan. (John Sleezer/The Kansas City Star via AP)

Schwab said during his victory speech at an Overland Park hotel that he and his family would have loved to have Caleb with them on the stage. He said they "took a moment and said, 'God, say hi to him for us.'"
ELK POINT, S.D. (AP) - A high school graduate is suing a South Dakota school district and two officials, accusing them of sexual discrimination over an article she wrote for a school newspaper in which she said she likes to "Netflix n' Chill."

Addison Ludwig alleged in the lawsuit that she was unfairly singled out last September after the article appeared in Elk Point-Jefferson High School's publication, "The Husky."

Principal Travis Aslesen told Ludwig in a closed-door meeting that the phrase is used to refer to casual sex, according to the lawsuit filed last week. Aslesen asked Ludwig to look up the phrase on her school-issued laptop and read aloud one of the definitions referring to the term as a sexual innuendo. Ludwig, who was editor of the school newspaper at the time, said she thought it meant to watch movies.

The lawsuit alleged the confrontation violated district policy because a staff member of the same gender must be present when discussing sex and gender. Ludwig felt "humiliated, uncomfortable, ashamed and embarrassed," according to the court filing.

Aslesen and the current superintendent, Derek Barrios, haven't returned a request for comment. The superintendent at the time of the incident, Sheri Hardman, is also named in the lawsuit, but no longer works for the district.

Court documents state that Aslesen removed Ludwig from honors study hall and revoked her senior privileges. He also demanded that she write an apology to the newspaper and step down as editor.

Ludwig alleged that male students had used the term without punishment. One student had used the phrase in a newspaper article months earlier and another had worn a shirt with the term on it to school, according to the suit.

The lawsuit claimed the reasoning behind Aslesen forcing a young woman to repeat "vulgar sexual content" to him in his office but overlooking the same reference when used by male students was a "pretext to achieve domination and control" over Ludwig.
WILBRAHAM, Mass. (AP) - Two Saudi Arabian college students who drowned while trying to save two young children struggling in a Massachusetts river have been honored by their home country for their heroism.

The Republican newspaper, citing a statement from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, reports that Theeb Alyami and Jaser Daham Alrakah have been posthumously awarded the Order of King Abdulaziz of the First Degree for their bravery.

Massachusetts authorities say the men jumped into the Chicopee River in Wilbraham on June 29 to rescue two young children having trouble. The children survived but the students were swept away by the currents and drowned.

Alrakah was a student at Western New England University in Springfield. Alyami attended the University of Hartford in Connecticut. The men, who were cousins, were both studying engineering.

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Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, http://www.masslive.com/news/
MOSCOW (AP) - As tensions simmer between Saudi Arabia and Canada over arrests of women's rights activists, Russia's Foreign Ministry says critics of Saudi Arabia should not claim a stance of moral superiority.

Saudi Arabia on Monday expelled the Canadian ambassador and froze "all new business" with Ottawa. The dispute appears centered around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to immediately release detained women's rights activists.

"We believe that Saudi Arabia, having embarked on a path of large-scale social and economic reforms, fully has the sovereign right to decide how to move forward in this important area," Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Wednesday. "In such matters, constructive advice and assistance are perhaps needed, but not from the position of 'moral superiority'."
SEATTLE (AP) - The Seattle Sounders bolstered their defense heading into the final months of the MLS season by acquiring defender Brad Smith on loan from Premier League club Bournemouth on Wednesday ahead of the secondary transfer window closing.

Seattle used targeted allocation money to land the 24-year-old Australian. The loan is through June 2019 but he could be recalled by Bournemouth in January.

"There were other options in England but I decided to go out and test myself. Open myself to a new challenge," Smith said.

Smith spent the past two seasons at Bournemouth after starting his career in the youth system at Liverpool. He debuted for Liverpool during the 2013-14 season and, after being loaned to Swindon Town for a season, returned to Liverpool and made 10 appearances during the 2015-16 season before moving on to Bournemouth. Smith also has 18 caps for the Australian national team.

"Once I heard the interest and spoke to the manager it was a no-brainer," Smith said.

Smith should help solidify Seattle's back line and will likely be in competition for time at left back with youngster Nouhou Tolo and veteran Waylon Francis. Smith started in the youth system as a striker and has experience playing in the midfield.

"We'll have to assess that. Players have to come in and earn their spots," Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said. "He'll have to come in and compete and we'll assess it as a group this week."

Seattle is unbeaten in its last seven matches, including four straight wins. The Sounders host Western Conference-leading FC Dallas on Sunday and have moved within five points of a playoff spot. Smith likely won't make his debut until Aug. 18 at the earliest when Seattle hosts the LA Galaxy.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Brad Pitt said in court documents Wednesday that he has given estranged wife Angelina Jolie Pitt more than $1 million and lent her another $8 million since their separation two years ago, countering her assertion from a day earlier saying he has paid "no meaningful child support."

Pitt's attorneys said in the two-page document filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that he "adamantly disputes the contention that he has not paid significant child support." The document added that he loaned Jolie Pitt $8 million to buy her current home, and has paid over $1.3 million in bills for the benefit of Jolie Pitt and their six children.

Jolie Pitt's attorneys said in their own court filing Tuesday that Pitt has failed to live up to their informal financial arrangements and she'll seek a court order to get retroactive payments from him.

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2015 file photo, Angelina Jolie, left, and Brad Pitt arrive at the 2015 AFI Fest opening night premiere of "By The Sea" in Los Angeles. Jolie Pitt says she wants her divorce from Brad Pitt finalized before the end of the year, and that she intends to seek retroactive child support. The declarations came in a request for a case-management conference filed Tuesday by Jolie Pitt's attorneys in Los Angeles Superior Court. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Pitt's attorneys said in documents they filed for him that Jolie Pitt's lawyers have made no mention that she had any problems with the amounts he has given her for the children. It's not clear what child-support arrangements the couple has in place during the divorce process.

The two filings were rare unsealed public documents in the case that gave a glimpse into the slow-moving divorce of the 54-year-old actor Pitt and the 43-year-old actress and director Jolie Pitt.

Pitt's attorneys said the filing was utterly unnecessary and "a thinly veiled effort to manipulate media coverage" of the split.

Jolie Pitt's filing also said she wanted to have the couple's marriage dissolved by the end of the year by separating some of the lingering issues to be resolved later. Neither side specified what those issues were.

Pitt's lawyers answered that the actor actually suggested expediting the divorce in this way, and had already agreed to it.

Jolie Pitt's filing requested a case management hearing to discuss the issues of child support and finalizing the divorce soon. Pitt's response said that a status conference that is already scheduled would serve the same purpose.

Jolie Pitt's attorneys did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

The Hollywood power couple had been together for 12 years and married for two when she filed for divorce in 2016. Jolie Pitt currently has primary custody of their children.

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Follow Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton .
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Republican challenger Josh Hawley kicked off their battle for Missouri's highly sought U.S. Senate seat on Wednesday with a debate about debating.

The candidates' easy primary wins set up a marquee race for a seat in a GOP-dominated state that Republicans staked out as a top target this fall. After coasting to victory, McCaskill and Hawley quickly pivoted to challenging each other to verbal sparring matches, but they disagreed on some of the details.

McCaskill said in addition to a Missouri Press Association debate Sept. 14, she wants four town-hall style debates moderated by local journalists.

Josh Hawley speaks after securing the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri during the GOP watch party at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield, Missouri. (Andrew Jansen/The Springfield News-Leader via AP)

"Missourians deserve the same chance to ask you questions and hear your answers as they have consistently had with me," she wrote in a letter to Hawley, referencing the more than 50 town halls she held since 2017 in rural areas of the state where support for President Donald Trump is strong.

Hawley planned a Wednesday event in St. Charles to push the debate issue. He wants unmoderated showdowns "on the back of a flatbed truck" and said town halls are "a good start, but Missourians deserve more."

"These are not debates," Hawley wrote in a Wednesday letter to McCaskill. "Missourians deserve to hear directly from us and to watch as we question each other directly. No stifling rules. No buzzers or bells. No pundits or moderators."

Hawley said he accepted debates with four local broadcast stations, as well as Fox News and CNN.

Hawley so far has tied himself to Trump. McCaskill on Wednesday told reporters that she's an independent voice compared to Hawley and will side with the president when it's good for Missouri or question his policies if they hurt the state.

She also touted high Democratic turnout during the primary, which she said signaled enthusiasm "that will ultimately benefit our side of the equation."

Josh Hawley speaks after securing the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri during the GOP watch party at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield, Missouri. (Andrew Jansen/The Springfield News-Leader via AP)

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill speaks to a group of supporters at her Columbia Democratic Party headquarters in Columbia, Mo., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Hunter Dyke/Columbia Daily Tribune via AP)
PHOENIX (AP) - Federal prosecutors say they are dropping a bribery case against former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce and three others after a mistrial.

The U.S. attorney's office informed a judge in a court filing Tuesday that all charges will be dismissed against Pierce, his wife Sherry, water company owner George Johnson and lobbyist Jim Norton.

Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, declined to comment on what led prosecutors to dismiss the case.

FILE - In this June 7, 2017, file photo, former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce, and his wife Sherry, left, leave court in Phoenix after being arraigned on bribery and fraud charges. Prosecutors said Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018 that they are dropping the bribery case against Pierce, his wife and two others after their trial ended three weeks ago with a mistrial. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Patricia Gitre, an attorney for Gary Pierce, said in a statement the case was difficult for her client and his family, and the legal system ultimately worked the way it should.

"Gary Pierce and his family, as all of the defendants, stood firm, maintaining their innocence throughout the past year and five weeks of trial, turning down plea offers that carried no jail time, choosing to maintain their innocence, no matter the cost," Gitre said.

Ashley Adams, an attorney for Sherry Pierce, declined to comment.

The mistrial was declared in mid-July after jurors deadlocked. All four defendants denied that they participated in an influence-buying scheme.

Prosecutors previously said the bribe money was funneled to Gary Pierce by Johnson and that Pierce tried to get the water company owner to buy him land worth at least $300,000.

In exchange, they have said, Pierce voted for a rate increase that benefited Johnson's company and approved a measure that allowed Johnson to use ratepayer money to pay his personal income tax bill.

Authorities also said money was paid to Sherry Pierce, who was hired by a consulting firm owned by Norton's wife, and deposited into a bank account held by her and her husband.

Sherry Pierce insisted she was paid for doing legitimate political work.

Norton, who lobbied on Johnson's behalf, was accused of facilitating the bribery scheme and assisting in the real estate transaction.

Authorities have said money for the purchase of land in Mesa was going to be provided by Johnson, but the deal was never finalized.

Phone messages left Wednesday for attorneys representing Johnson and Norton were not immediately returned.

The government's key witness was Norton's ex-wife, Kelly Norton, who owned the consulting firm that made the payments to Sherry Pierce. Kelly Norton, who is now divorced from the lobbyist, has acknowledged her role and was granted immunity.

Gary Pierce served eight years as a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission and left in early 2015 because of term limits. The commission regulates electric utilities, water companies, railroad safety and securities.

Authorities have said the bribery allegations were discovered during a larger, unrelated federal investigation, though prosecutors have declined to reveal its focus.

Pierce has acknowledged he was questioned by FBI agents investigating the 2014 commission election.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the parent company of electric utility Arizona Public Service Co., was widely believed to have spent $3.2 million backing Republicans for the utility commission.

Pinnacle West Capital disclosed in public filings in August 2016 that it received federal grand jury subpoenas seeking information on elections.

The FBI said it was conducting a long-term investigation related to the financing of some statewide Arizona elections in 2014, but it has not named APS as a target.

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Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://bit.ly/2GGWEPO.
Speaking at the reception, NA vice Chairwoman Phong emphasised that the Vietnam-RoK strategic cooperative partnership has seen strong and comprehensive development with practical achievements in the recent past.

The Vietnamese NA supports and attaches importance to strengthening the friendship and cooperation with the NA of the RoK, she added.

She also suggested that the two legislatures work closely together in implementing their cooperation agreements, as well as sharing experience in law-making and the supervision of the NAs and their subordinate agencies.

The two legislative agencies should maintain regular high-level meetings and facilitate exchanges and cooperation between the two nations sectors and localities, towards enhancing mutual understanding and political trust and expanding the multi-faceted cooperation, she noted.

For his part, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the RoK Yun Jae-ok expressed his thanks to NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong for her welcome to the delegation. He also underlined the importance of parliamentary cooperation in promoting the bilateral relations between the RoK and Vietnam.
TORONTO (AP) - Four-time champion Novak Djokovic and top-seeded Rafael Nadal advanced to the third round of the rainy Rogers Cup on Wednesday.

Djokovic, coming off his fourth Wimbledon title, beat Canadian wild-card Peter Polansky 6-3, 6-4. The Serb had seven aces and never faced a break point in the 1-hour, 25-minute match that just beat the afternoon rain.

Nadal, playing for the first time since a five-set loss to Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals, topped France's Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-3 at night after a series of rain delays.

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, celebrates defeating Peter Polansky, of Canada, at the Rogers Cup men's tennis tournament in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)

A former world No. 1, Djokovic is seeded ninth in the event he last won in 2016.

"I thought I served well in the moments when I really need it," Djokovic said. "I thought I found pretty good accuracy and angles with the first serve, and also my second serve worked pretty well. Overall, my game was so-and-so. In the moments when I probably needed to step it up, I did."

Heavy morning rain delayed the match by about an hour.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a match against Djokovic, knocking off seventh-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Nadal will face Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, a 1-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (10) winner over Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany, the winner last week in Washington, beat American Bradley Klahn 6-4, 6-4, and fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa edged Russia's Evgeny Donskoy 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (0).

Eighth-seeded John Isner, the American who won at Atlanta two weeks ago, beat France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6 (3), 6-2. Italy's Fabio Fognini, the No. 14 seed coming off a victory at Los Cabos, fell out with a 6-3, 7-5(14) loss to Canada's Denis Shapovalov.

Also, Karen Khachanov of Russia beat 12th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-4, 7-6 (3); Ilya Ivashka of Belarus topped American Ryan Harrison 7-6 (5), 6-4; and American Frances Tiafoe edged Canada's Milos Raonic 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-1.

Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina withdrew because of a left wrist injury.

"Sorry to my fans in Toronto, but I have to pull out of the tournament since my left wrist needs some days of rest," Del Potro said in a tweet.

Del Potro, who had a bye in the first round after reaching the Los Cabos final last week, was set to play Robin Haase of the Netherlands. Haase instead played Mikhail Youzhny, beating the Russian 7-5, 6-2.

Rafael Nadal, of Spain, returns a shot to Benoit Paire, of France, during the Rogers Cup men's tennis tournament in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP

Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates defeating Benoit Paire, of France, during the Rogers Cup men's tennis tournament in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Peter Polansky, of Canada, during the Rogers Cup men's tennis tournament in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States announced Wednesday it will impose new sanctions on Russia for illegally using a chemical weapon in an attempt to kill a former spy and his daughter in Britain earlier this year.

The new sanctions, to be imposed later this month, come despite President Donald Trump's efforts to improve relations with Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, and his harsh criticism of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The State Department said the U.S. this week made the determination that Russia had used the Novichok nerve agent to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, and that sanctions would follow. It said Congress is being notified of the Aug. 6 determination and that the sanctions would take effect on or around Aug. 22, when the finding is to be published in the Federal Register.

FILE - In this March 13, 2018, file photo, police officers guard a cordon around a police tent covering a supermarket car park pay machine near the spot where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill following exposure to the Russian-developed nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, England. The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for the country's use of a nerve agent in an assassination attempt on a former Russian spy and his daughter. The State Department says Aug. 8, sanctions will be imposed on Russia as the country used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Those sanctions will include the presumed denial of export licenses for Russia to purchase many items with national security implications, according to a senior State Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to do so by name.

The U.S. made a similar determination in February when it found that North Korea used a chemical weapon to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2017.

Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the Novichok military-grade nerve agent in the English town of Salisbury in March. Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Months later, two residents of a nearby town with no ties to Russia were also poisoned by the deadly toxin. Police believe the couple accidentally found a bottle containing Novichok. One of them died.

The U.S. had joined Britain in condemning Russia for the Skripal poisoning and joined with European nations in expelling Russian diplomats in response, but it had yet to make the formal determination that the Russian government had "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals."

Several members of Congress had expressed concern that the Trump administration was dragging its feet on the determination and had missed a deadline to publish its findings.

Lawmakers praised Wednesday's announcement.

"The administration is rightly acting to uphold international bans on the use of chemical weapons," said Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Royce had previously accused Trump of ignoring the Russian nerve agent attack.

"The mandatory sanctions that follow this determination are key to increasing pressure on Russia. Vladimir Putin must know that we will not tolerate his deadly acts, or his ongoing attacks on our democratic process," Royce said Wednesday.

While criticized as too keen to strike up a friendship with Putin, Trump maintains that he's been tough on Moscow. His administration has sanctioned a number of Russian officials and oligarchs for human rights abuses and election meddling.

In March, the Trump administration ordered 60 Russian diplomats - all of whom it said were spies - to leave the United States and closed down Russia's consulate in Seattle in response to the Skripal case. The U.S. said at the time it was the largest expulsion of Russian spies in American history.

The State Department announced a number of possible exceptions to the sanctions announced Wednesday. Waivers have been issued for foreign assistance and space flight activities, while commercial passenger aviation and other commercial goods for civilian use will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to the official who briefed reporters.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The Latest on the Washington state primary (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

A Washington state representative who resigned his chairmanship following allegations of inappropriate conduct was still finishing in third place in updated primary returns, but was closing in on the second spot.

On election night, Lisa Brown, Democratic candidate for Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District, arrives at the Carpenters Hall to speak to a crowd of supporters in Spokane, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review via AP)

Democratic Rep. David Sawyer on Wednesday was just 77 votes behind Republican Terry Harder. Democrat Melanie Morgan, a local school board member, had captured a majority of the votes from Tuesday's primary election. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote getters advance to November, regardless of party.

In June, Sawyer resigned as the chairman of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee a day after an outside investigation that he violated the chamber's policies on harassment, decorum and ethics.

The investigation found Sawyer sent a House employee multiple "inappropriate and offensive" text messages over a period of three months. It also found he made comments and jokes about another House employee's sexual orientation, and used employees' time to discuss a newspaper's investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.

Sawyer represents a district that includes parts of Tacoma.

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12:25 p.m.

Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is challenging her Democratic opponent to three debates in the month of October.

McMorris Rodgers is the highest ranking woman in House leadership, and faces a strong challenge from Democrat Lisa Brown as she seeks an eighth term from eastern Washington's 5th District.

In a letter, McMorris Rodgers proposed two debates in Spokane and one in Walla Walla, sponsored by business groups.

Brown says she has already accepted debate offers from two of the Spokane organizations and is waiting for an offer from the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce, which she plans to also accept.

Brown says she would also like to have a debate on a college campus and one televised to the entire district.

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9:59 a.m.

Democrats in Washington state celebrated early primary returns as they sought to capture three GOP-held congressional districts, including one occupied by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a top GOP House leader.

In the 5th Congressional District in eastern Washington, McMorris Rodgers advanced Tuesday along with Democrat Lisa Brown.

Brown is a former chancellor of Washington State University who previously served as majority leader in the state Senate. Brown and McMorris Rodgers were nearly tied in early returns.

State Democratic Party chairwoman Tina Podlodowski said that even though many more votes need to be counted, early returns Tuesday night show that "nothing is guaranteed" for incumbent Republicans.

Democratic candidates in the state's 3rd and 8th congressional districts were taking more of the vote than the GOP candidates.

On election night, Lisa Brown, Democratic candidate for Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District, arrives at the Carpenters Hall to speak to a crowd of supporters in Spokane, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review via AP)

Campaign volunteers work at a table below a sign that reads "Ride the Blue Wave," during a gathering at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash. on the night of Washington state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Shannon Hader, candidate for 8th District Congress, center, greets supporters at her election night party at Geaux Brewery in Auburn, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times via AP)

Shannon Hader, candidate for 8th District Congress, center right, greets supporter Robert Moody who says he is wearing his lucky kilt at her election night party at Geaux Brewery in Auburn, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times via AP)

Sen. Maria Cantwell and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene talk at the Redmond Coordinated Campaign Office in Redmond, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Erika Schultz/The Seattle Times via AP)

Eighth Congressional District Candidate Kim Schrier laughs about her hectic day while answering a swarm of questions at her election watch party at the YWCA in Issaquah, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Rebekah Welch/The Seattle Times via AP)

A sign counts down the days to the November election at a gathering at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash., on the night of Washington state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Dino Rossi thanks supporters for their vote in the 8th Congressional race at the State Republican Headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The Democrat who advances will face Republican Rossi, a long-time state lawmaker and former candidate for governor and the Senate, in November. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)

Susan Hutchison calls together her campaign staff before heading downstairs to meet reporters at the State Republican Headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Hutchison has gained a "top two" finish in Washington state's primary to advance to the November general election. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)

Susan Hutchison calls together her campaign staff before heading downstairs to meet reporters at the State Republican Headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Hutchison has gained a "top two" finish in Washington state's primary to advance to the November general election. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., talks to supporters, following the release of early results in Washington state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, during a gathering at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash. At left is state Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., right, talks to supporters, following the release of early results in Washington state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, during a gathering at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash. At left is state Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., applauds as she greets supporters, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, following a speech at a gathering on the night of Washington state's primary election at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., greets a supporter, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, during a gathering on the night of Washington state's primary election at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., applauds as she listens to speakers following the release of early results in Washington state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, during a gathering at a combined campaign headquarters for Democrats running for office in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal listens as her campaign volunteers speak during a primary night event for Jayapal in the 7th congressional district race, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018 at Optimism Brewing in Seattle. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Genna Martin)

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) cheers as the initial primary night numbers drop comes in giving her 82% of the vote in her uncontested primary race, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018 at Optimism Brewing in Seattle. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Genna Martin)
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on developments in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting (all times local):

5:05 p.m.

Prosecutors have released video of the police interrogation of Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz in which he claims a demonic voice in his head urged him to do violence.

The video release Wednesday comes after authorities previously made public a transcript of the interview conducted hours after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Both were edited to remove Cruz's direct confession to the crime.

The hours of video show Cruz and Broward Sheriff's Detective John Curcio in a police interrogation room, with the camera angle from above. Cruz, dressed in hospital clothing and not handcuffed, initially speaks so softly Curcio repeatedly urges him to talk louder.

Much of their conversation focused on what the 19-year-old Cruz insisted was a voice that told him things like "burn, kill, destroy." Cruz also mutters "kill me" when Curcio is out of the room.

Cruz faces the death penalty if convicted.

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3:10 p.m.

When classes resume at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School next week, visitors will have only one way in to enter and will be screened through a video intercom before entering. Classroom doors will remain locked at all times and 18 security monitors will patrol the campus.

The Broward County School District has been under intense criticism for not doing more to protect students after a gunman opened fire at the Parkland, Florida, school on Valentine's Day, killing 17 people.

During a tour Wednesday, officials said the school will have a dozen campus security monitors, three security specialists and three school resource officers who will patrol new fences and gates at the beginning and end of the day to ensure that only staff and students wearing ID badges are entering.

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1:30 p.m.

The sheriff leading the state commission investigating the Florida school massacre says the suspect's behavior before the shooting was a "roller-coaster," where he would have stretches of good conduct before it deteriorated.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission that Nikolas Cruz's fluctuating behavior made it difficult for school officials to determine how he should be handled. Cruz is charged with killing 17 people there Feb. 14.

A report released by school officials last week said he began showing behavioral issues that got him kicked out of pre-kindergarten. Gualtieri said there were times in middle school and at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that Cruz's behavior "dive-bombed," and he required an escort to monitor him.
TLAXCALA, Mexico (AP) - A zoo in central Mexico is growing its population of rare white lions with hopes of eventually establishing a sanctuary featuring the animals.

The Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, about two hours east of Mexico City, recently began publicly showing two white lion cubs that were born in March.

Just about a dozen white lions remain in the wild, according to the Global While Lion Protection Trust, based in South Africa, though several hundred are held in zoos around the world, including several in Mexico. They are not albinos, but have coloration that results from a genetic rarity.

A pair of four-month-old white lion cubs play together in their enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Mexico, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Just over a dozen white lions remain in the wild, according to the Global While Lion Protection Trust, based in South Africa, though several hundred are held in zoos around the world, including several in Mexico. They are not albinos, but have coloration that results from a genetic rarity. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The Tlaxcala Zoo, run by the state government, has five other white lions, including three adults and a cub born last year.

Cesar Toriz, the zoo's director, says the cubs' mother rejected them so they had to be bottle fed formula for their first few months. They were the second litter of white lions for Miztli and Thonatiu, the parents, who are white lions themselves.

Toriz says the cubs are gaining weight - now about 44 pounds and 23 inches long - and eat chicken and milk.

The zoo is holding a naming contest for them and Toriz hopes that in a few years they can find them mates.

A pair of four-month-old white lion cubs play in their enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo is holding a naming contest for them and the zoo's director Cesar Toriz hopes that in a few years they can find them mates. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

One of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs snarls as they play together in their enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Cesar Toriz, the zoo's director, says the cubs' mother rejected them so they had to be bottle fed formula for their first couple months. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A pair of four-month-old white lion cubs play inside their enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo is holding a naming contest for them and the zoo's director Cesar Toriz hopes that in a few years they can find them mates. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Children react as they watch a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs playing inside their enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo is holding a naming contest for the cubs. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

One of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs runs to veterinarian Rodrigo Gutierrez Zecua as he prepares to move them from the cage where they spend the night to the enclosure where they are visible to the public during visiting hours, at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo hopes to eventually establish a sanctuary featuring the animals. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Veterinarian Rodrigo Gutierrez Zecua attempts to get his straw hat back from one of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs, who was playfully chewing on it, inside the cubs' enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo, about two hours east of Mexico City, has welcomed the two white lion cubs born in March and recently presented to the public.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

One of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs chew on the straw hat of veterinarian Rodrigo Gutierrez Zecua as they play inside the cubs' enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo's director Cesar Toriz says the cubs are gaining weight, now about 44 pounds and 23 inches long and eat chicken and milk. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

One of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs bites the pants of veterinarian Rodrigo Gutierrez Zecua as the cubs play inside their enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. White lions are a rarity unique to an endemic region in South Africa. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A girl locks eyes with one of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs, through a fenced entrance gate to the cubs' enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. White lions are a rarity unique to an endemic region in South Africa. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

One of a pair of four-month-old white lion cubs rests inside the cubs' enclosure at the Altiplano Zoo in Tlaxcala, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The zoo's director Cesar Toriz says the cubs are gaining weight, now about 44 pounds and 23 inches long and eat chicken and milk. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Latest on immigration judges accusing the Attorney General Jeff Sessions of undermining judicial authority (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

An immigration official says a judge at the center of a grievance filed Wednesday by immigration judges alleging the U.S. Attorney General undermined his judicial authority may have violated procedures.

A spokesman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review said late Wednesday that Judge Steven Morley potentially violated practices and policies governed by federal law during a recent case that launched the grievance from the immigration judges' union. The spokesman said the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge will investigate issues raised about Morley's conduct.

The statement didn't say what the alleged violations were.

The grievance alleges that Morley was removed from a case so another judge could produce the desired outcome of a deportation order. It asks that all of Morley's cases that were later reassigned, be returned to his court.

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11:05 a.m.

Immigration judges are accusing the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions of undermining a Philadelphia judge's independence by having cases removed from his court, apparently because he was too slow to issue deportation orders.

The judge's union filed the grievance Wednesday.

The grievance stems from a case of a Guatemalan immigrant who had come to the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor and had missed several court hearings.

Judge Steven A. Morley had suspended the case to examine whether proper notice had been sent to the man. The agency then reassigned the case to a supervisory judge who traveled from Virginia to hear the matter and issued a deportation order.

The union says dozens of additional cases were also removed from Morley.

The Justice Department wasn't immediately available to comment.
ROME (AP) - Italian media, citing a regional train operator, say a conductor risks being fired after announcing that Roma should get off at the next stop.

They say Wednesday shocked passengers reported the incident to the northern Trenord line, which says the conductor will face discipline.

Passengers on Tuesday heard the conductor use a vulgarity on the PA system to say Roma, also known as Gypsies, had exhausted everyone's patience.

The incident follows a string of racial incidents as Italy's new populist government cracks down on migrants.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who recently called for a census of Roma, said people should worry about "aggressions" against passengers and crew, not messages "against molesters."

Passengers said the conductor told them "don't give money" to Roma, who should "get off at the next stop."
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Nearly two dozen people were arrested Wednesday and charged with using small aircraft to smuggle heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine over the U.S. border at the behest of one of Mexico's most notorious drug cartels, authorities said.

The arrests of 22 suspects come on the heels of a nearly three-year investigation into three drug trafficking organizations that authorities say were working on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel. The groups, which received the drugs from the cartel in northern Mexico, would then stash them in soup cans, inside hidden compartments in cars and used small aircraft - though authorities wouldn't say whether they were manned or drones - to transport the drugs over the border, officials said.

"More than seizing the drugs and the money, this investigation was able to identify the top level Mexico-based traffickers who directed the transactions and who thought they were using secure communications to commit the crimes," said Tracy Wilkison, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.

Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBI's field office in Los Angeles, right, speaks with reporters at a news conference in Los Angeles Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Federal authorities in Los Angeles say 22 people have been arrested for smuggling large amounts of narcotics into the U.S. from Mexico. The announcement Wednesday comes on the heels of an investigation into three drug-trafficking organizations that authorities say were working on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel. Prosecutors allege the groups would bring cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S. (AP Photo/Mike Balsamo)

Authorities seized 850 pounds (385 kilograms) of methamphetamine, nearly a ton (907 kilograms) of cocaine, 93 pounds (42 kilograms) of heroin, almost 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of marijuana and $1.42 million.

Once the drugs were brought into the U.S., they would be stored in stash houses in the Los Angeles area, said Paul Delacourt, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's field office in Los Angeles. The drugs were sold in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere in the U.S., prosecutors said.

The suspects are also charged with trying to smuggle large amounts of cash back into Mexico to pay the Sinaloa Cartel, Wilkison said.

Delacourt touted cooperation from Mexican authorities and said they were helping to locate suspects who may still be in the country.

In total, 59 people have been charged as part of the indictments unsealed Wednesday and about three dozen suspects were still being sought by authorities.

The Sinaloa cartel, a Mexican drug gang with one of the largest footprints in the U.S., was formerly run by notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was extradited to the United States last year. In an unrelated case, Guzman has pleaded not guilty to charges that his cartel laundered billions of dollars and oversaw a ruthless campaign of murders and kidnappings.

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Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1 .
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on Tesla CEO Elon Musk's plan to take the electric car maker private (all times local):

1:30 p.m.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that government regulators have opened an inquiry into Tesla CEO Elon Musk's Tuesday tweet disclosing a proposed $72 billion buyout of the electric car maker.

FILE - In this June 14, 2018, file photo, Tesla CEO and founder of the Boring Company Elon Musk speaks at a news conference in Chicago. Board members at Tesla are evaluating Musk's $72 billion proposal to take the electric car and solar panel maker private. Six of nine members say in a statement Wednesday, Aug. 8, that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

The Journal reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission is asking whether a Musk tweet on the subject was factual. In that tweet, Musk announced that he had secured financing to buy Tesla's outstanding shares at $420 per share. The newspaper cited unidentified people familiar with the matter.

The SEC declined to comment on the report Wednesday. Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Journal reported regulators are also questioning whether the disclosure about the proposed buyout in a nine-word tweet fulfills Tesla's legal obligations as a publicly traded company.

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8:45 a.m.

Board members at Tesla are evaluating CEO and Chairman Elon Musk's $72 billion proposal to take the electric car and solar panel maker private.

Six of nine members say in a statement Wednesday that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week. This included discussing how being a private company could better serve Tesla's long-term interests. The statement says board members met several times and also addressed funding for the move.

Musk, his brother Kimbal and director Steve Jurvetson were not included in the statement.

The eccentric Musk announced the bombshell move Tuesday on Twitter, writing that he had secured funding to buy Tesla Inc.'s shares at $420 each.

Shares rose 11 percent Tuesday but fell slightly Wednesday to $377.96.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A candidate for a new, moderate third-party is bringing a trove of cash and a little Mormon humor to a northern Utah congressional race against a longtime Republican incumbent.

Businessman Eric Eliason is facing an uphill climb in the three-way race to unseat eight-term U.S. Rep. Bob Bishop in a heavily Republican district, but he could be bolstered by anxiety some voters feel about President Donald Trump as well as partisan wrangling in Washington.

He's one of more than a dozen candidates the United Utah Party is fielding after another third-party candidate made a mark in the state's 2016 presidential vote.

FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2018, file photo, Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop speaks on the Senate floor at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. A northern Utah candidate for a new centrist third-party is trying to drum up support for his challenge to eight-term U.S. Rep. Bishop with a trove of cash and some Mormon humor. Eric Eliason is facing an uphill climb in a heavily Republican district, but the United Utah Party candidate could capitalize on anxiety some voters still feel about President Donald Trump as well as partisan wrangling in Washington. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Eliason, a Mormon, is running TV ads with the lighthearted tagline "release the bishop," referencing the end of service by lay leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bishop, who is also Mormon, responds "we have enough Bishops in Utah, let's keep this one in Washington."

Eliason's messaging will soon turn to weightier issues, and he hopes to do well enough in polls taken in the coming weeks to participate in the race's main debate.

"For us, it's almost the quality of our primary, it's the election before the election," Eliason said. He's got about $195,000 in cash on hand to get his name out. Much of that is his own money, but he's also attracted big-name donors like Utah Jazz executive Greg Miller. His haul is dwarfed by Bishop's $561,000, but far outweighs Democrat Lee Castillo, who has raised and spent about $5,000.

Castillo, meanwhile, is betting that the addition of a third party in the 1st Congressional District race could fracture the Republican vote, leveling the playing field for the social worker and gay single father, campaign manager Sheila Raboy said.

Bishop, for his part, expects the two challengers to split voters dissatisfied with his tenure, while he wins re-election from those happy with him, campaign manager Kyle Palmer said.

Bishop has represented Utah's 1st Congressional District, which includes the cities of Logan, Ogden, and Park City, for 16 years. The chairman of the powerful House Natural Resources Committee has said that this will be his last congressional race.

Third-party candidates haven't historically fared well in Utah, but in 2016, former CIA officer and independent conservative Evan McMullin earned a healthy 21 percent of Utah presidential votes. Eliason has hired McMullin's former campaign manager.

On issues like public land, Eliason takes a nuanced approach but disagrees with Bishop's support for downsizing two sprawling national monuments. He says the congressman is too influenced by big donors in the oil and gas industry.

Bishop has argued that oversized monuments hinder land uses like energy development and grazing.

Bishop is a former school teacher who can't afford to fund his own campaigns, but he wants to broaden access to public lands to benefit regular people, Palmer said.

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This story corrects the first name of Utah Jazz executive who donated to Eliason's campaign, it is Greg, not Derek.

Businessman Eric Eliason appears for an interview with KUED Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Salt Lake City. Eliason, a northern Utah candidate for a new centrist third-party is trying to drum up support for his challenge to eight-term U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop with a trove of cash and some Mormon humor. Eliason is facing an uphill climb in a heavily Republican district, but the United Utah Party candidate could capitalize on anxiety some voters still feel about President Donald Trump as well as partisan wrangling in Washington. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
During a meeting with Minister - Head of the Government Office, Mai Tien Dung, on August 7, the WB official praised the efforts made by the Government Office in e-government development, with positive results in promoting reform, especially in the one-stop shop mechanism, improved business environment and removing barriers to facilitate businesses.

Currently, according to the United Nations, Vietnam ranks 88th in terms of e-government, which is a positive result, but the country could do better, Ousmane Dione affirmed.

Minister Dung said that, in parallel with the implementation of the e-government, Vietnam is focusing on institutional reform and cutting cumbersome procedures to facilitate businesses.

He stated that currently there are 5,905 business conditions that need to be cut and the country has reduced 900 (accounting for 15.2%), along with more than 2,900 conditions with a cut-off deadline by mid-August. The working groups of the Prime Minister are urging the ministries and sectors concerned to reduce their business conditions by more than 60% by the deadline.

According to the minister, the reform process has brought about positive results in cutting down the informal expenses for enterprises related to import and export goods, with the customs clearance time being decreased by 3 hours (from 58 to 55 hours) and import declaration reduced by 6 hours (from 62 to 56 hours).

The head of the Government Office also expressed his wish to receive further WB's support in the work, specifying the priorities to be implemented first, such as building a national public service portal and it expanding to ministries, sectors, and then the local level.

Ousmane Dione said that supporting Vietnam to build an e-government is one of the WBs tasks. The WB country director requested the Office and the WB to continue discussing the content in the most specific way to achieving the final results.

During the implementation process, the formulation of specific policies, technical support requirements and the identification of resources should be clearly determined to result in a specific roadmap and milestones should be achieved in building an e-government, he added.

Also at the meeting, Estonian experts said that the e-government building in Vietnam is on the right track. Estonia's related documents on the content of the e-government will be provided to Vietnam in the next few days, they said. Meanwhile, there will be experts in the specific field from the WB assigned to help Vietnam.
A look at the escalating diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia:

HOW IT STARTED

The dispute is centered on two Canadian government tweets that called on Saudi Arabia to release detained women's rights activists.

"Very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, Raif Badawi's sister, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia," the Aug. 3 tweet read. "Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi."

"Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and woman's rights activists in #Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi," another Aug. 3 tweet read. "We urge Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists."

The tweets referred to Samar Badawi and her writer brother Raif Badawi. He was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam while blogging. His case long has been raised by international human rights groups and Western diplomats, including Canadians, who have called on Saudi Arabia to free him. Raif Badawi's wife and three children became Canadian citizens earlier this year

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HOW SAUDI ARABIA HAS RESPONDED

The kingdom expelled the Canadian ambassador and ordered 15,000 Saudi students, including about 800 medical trainees, to halt their studies in Canada. The Saudi state airline also announced it was suspending operations in Canada. The kingdom also cancelled new trade with Canada and barred Canadian wheat imports. The Financial Times reported that the Saudi central bank and state pension funds instructed their overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Media said it is investigating a pro Saudi government Twitter account that posted a photo of an Air Canada plane heading toward the CN Tower, eerily reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks. The tweet was accompanied by a message that contained a saying, "He who interferes with what doesn't concern him finds what doesn't please him."

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HOW CANADIANS HAVE REACTED

Canada's government has expressed alarm at the moves but has not backtracked or apologized. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he doesn't want bad relations with Saudi Arabia but added that Canada will continue to speak out on human rights.

Canadian hospital officials have said they will face a shortage of staff in the coming weeks as Saudis leave but other trainees and medical staff will be able to pick up the slack so patients are not affected.

Canadian schools have talked about the impact on the dislocated Saudi students rather than the hit to their budgets from the higher tuitions they get from Saudi students.

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CAN IT GET WORSE?

The main impact could be on the Canadian division of General Dynamics, based in London, Ontario, which signed a $15 billion deal with Saudi Arabia in 2014 to export its light-armored vehicles to the kingdom. It is Canada's largest arms deal and a cancellation could hurt. Canada's foreign minister said the government is awaiting a response for what it means for that deal.

Otherwise, bilateral trade between the two nations is just $3 billion a year. Canada does get 10 percent of its imported crude oil from Saudi Arabia, but that could potentially be replaced with U.S. shale oil or oil from Canada's oil sands region - the third largest oil reserves in the world.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - As wildfires ravage the U.S. West, Republican Senate candidate Mitt Romney has called for more logging and a high-tech early detection system in a plan that was met with some skepticism.

Romney, a candidate in Utah, said in an essay that more logging would thin out forests and clear dead timber so fires have less fuel.

"If the devastation of wildfires were being caused by a foreign enemy rather than by natural causes, we would do and spend whatever it took to stop it," he wrote.

FILE - In this June 20, 2018, file photo, Mitt Romney smiles during a campaign event in American Fork, Utah. Romney is calling for a high-tech early detection system and more logging to prevent wildfires ravaging the U.S. West. The U.S. Senate candidate in Utah said in an essay Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, the government can do more to prevent fires there and other places like California, which is fighting its largest wildfire in state history. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke also advocated for thinning out forests in a USA Today op-ed published Wednesday, as California fights its largest wildfire in state history.

Zinke took aim at "radical environmentalists," who oppose logging, but Romney said there could be common ground if stopping fires meant saving animals and habitat.

Romney's Democratic Senate opponent Jenny Wilson lauded protective measures but said Romney's plan misses the mark by not specifically addressing climate change-linked factors such as warmer weather and drought.

"We must address climate change as a national crisis in order to protect the American West," she said in a statement.

Romney said he also wants to beef up regional firefighter resources and create an early detection system of drones, satellites and sensors. Romney's campaign didn't provide additional detail on his ideas.

Fire experts said an early detection system isn't at the top of their wish list. The Utah governor's office agreed with most of Romney's plan but said most wildfires are spotted and suppressed quickly.

"We believe that prevention, preparedness and suppression response capacity should be the top priorities for investment," said Paul Edwards, deputy chief of staff for communications and policy.

Such a system would likely be expensive and would only help with a small portion of wildfires - ones that start at night when people are asleep and are fast-moving near urban areas, said Tom Cova, director of the University of Utah's Center for Natural and Technological Hazards

"Detection of wildfires is not really a problem," Cova said. More logging would help but wouldn't solve the problem, he said.

Firefighters use human spotters in lookout towers. There are also cameras placed on existing cell towers on mountaintops in many Western states, including Nevada and California, said Jessica Gardetto, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Money spent thinning forests of weeds and other vegetation, especially near buildings, is well spent, she said.

Wildfires are a confluence of many factors, including longer, hotter summers, she said.

"We're seeing more of a fire year whereas we were seeing fire seasons in the past," she said.

Nearly 1,000 fires large and small have been sparked in Utah alone this year, costing some $60 million to fight, the state said.

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Associated Press reported Brady McCombs contributed to this report.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Call it Michigan's pink and blue wave.

Gretchen Whitmer's victory in the gubernatorial primary on Tuesday means the Democrats will field an all-female statewide ticket this fall if she picks a woman to be her running mate. It would be a first for either party in Michigan and is part of the broader surge in women running for office - mostly as Democrats - since the election of President Donald Trump.

The number of women in Michigan's 14-member House delegation will at least double, to four, because of the primary results. It could triple, to six, if the Democrats can pick up Republican-leaning seats in November.

Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer addresses her supporters after winning the primary, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Detroit. Whitmer will face Republican Bill Schuette in November. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

"There is tremendous intensity among Democratic women to participate in the election," said Bernie Porn, a pollster with EPIC-MRA in Lansing who attributed the surge to a backlash against Trump. He pointed to his June poll of likely November voters that showed 57 percent were extremely interested in the election and extremely motivated to vote, but among Democratic women it was 67 percent.

Though Whitmer could choose a male lieutenant governor candidate, Democrats also are fielding Sen. Debbie Stabenow for re-election to a fourth term, lawyer Dana Nessel for state attorney general and election expert Joceyln Benson for secretary of state - which is already unprecedented.

Democrat Rashida Tlaib is set to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after she won the nomination to run unopposed for the House seat long held by Democratic Rep. John Conyers, who retired while facing sexual harassment claims. And either Republican business executive Lena Epstein or Democratic former auto bailout chief of staff Haley Stevens will succeed a retiring congressman in suburban Detroit.

The nominations of Whitmer, a former legislative leader who will face Republican state Attorney General Bill Schuette, and Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly of Kansas brought the number of female gubernatorial nominees this year to 11, breaking the previous record of 10, according to the Gender Watch 2018, a project of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University and the Barbara Lee Family Foundation. The number of female House nominees is at least 185 nationwide and stands at 10 in Michigan, which also are records.

Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Michigan secretary of state's office, said Tuesday's turnout was "drastically higher" than in past primaries, approaching 2.2 million voters. That is nearly 28 percent higher than the 1.7 million who turned out in 2002, which is believed to be the previous Michigan midterm primary record. Turnout figures posted online only go back to 1978.

Whitmer would not be Michigan's first female governor, nor has she made the anti-Trump resistance movement a centerpiece of her campaign, instead focusing on issues such as road repairs, school funding and water. But she was an outspoken advocate for women's issues long before the January 2017 Women's Marches and #MeToo era, publicly disclosing during a 2013 legislative debate on health insurance coverage for abortions that she had been raped in college.

She said earlier this week that "there wasn't a single mom" consulted when the decision was made to switch Flint's water source, which led to lead contamination that has been blamed primarily on Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's administration.

"Women leaders use our platforms and our power to make sure that we are being representative, that we are making decisions with all voices around the table," Whitmer said. "When you've got a Legislature that's so male, all the leaders making decisions around our health care being white males ... you get the policies that we have here in Michigan. They've pushed anti-choice. They've cut us out of the debate about everything from our health care to our water. So electing more women empowers those voices and informs better decision-making."

In other races that will be closely watched this fall, Democrats nominated former national security official Elissa Slotkin and former state Rep. Gretchen Driskell for Republican-held House seats in southeastern Michigan. Slotkin, who has raised more money than Rep. Mike Bishop, said that particularly this year, voters are looking for candidates "who will no longer just kind of check the box on voting the right way" but are asking how they will defend their rights.

She said even Republican-leaning women in Oakland County north of Detroit are volunteering for her campaign.

"They come to the race and will tell us, 'We really believe in electing women because women will be more civil and get more done in Washington,'" Slotkin said.

While the Michigan GOP's statewide ticket will be led by Schuette and Senate nominee John James, who are backed by Trump, it is still taking shape and could include women. Party activists will choose attorney general and secretary of state nominees at a convention in late August, and Schuette said Wednesday his running mate will be a woman. He declined to name her.

Vice President Mike Pence, who sought to unify Republicans at a post-primary rally in Grand Rapids, said the "blue wall" crumbled in Michigan with Trump's 2016 win - the first for a GOP presidential nominee in decades.

"I'm here to tell you: right here right now, come November, the red wave is coming right through Michigan," he said.

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Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert .

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FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008, file photo, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, is photographed outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich. In the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, Democrats pick former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib to run unopposed for the congressional seat that former Rep. John Conyers held for more than 50 years. Tlaib would be the first Muslim woman in Congress. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette and Vice President Mike Pence stand together after a GOP unity rally at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a GOP unity rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Nate Holcomb, 16, of Haslett, has his photo taken with Vice President Mike Pence during a GOP unity rally at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

West Michigan Community Organizer for Planned Parenthood, Tessa Gawrylowicz, organizes a rally outside of the Grand Amway Plaza Hotel as Vice President Mike Pence visits Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Alyssa Keown /The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
A father and son skied to a remote bear den on an Alaska island, shot a mother bear in front of her two cubs and then one of them turned his rifle on the shrieking newborns, killing them, authorities said Wednesday.

The men didn't know that the black bears were part of an observation program and the slaughter was caught on video by a motion-activated camera outside the den.

Andrew Renner, 41, and son Owen Renner, 18, have been charged with multiple counts, including the illegal killing of a bear and both cubs in the April incident.

Under state law, it's illegal to kill black bear cubs or sows with cubs in most of Alaska, including where the shooting occurred.

Online court records don't list attorneys for the men from Palmer, a city near Anchorage, and a message left at a number listed for an Andrew Renner in Palmer wasn't immediately returned Wednesday.

The video camera that captured the shooting was placed on Esther Island in Prince William Sound as part of a bear study by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

A father and son skied to a remote bear den on an Alaska island, shot a mother bear in front of her two cubs and then one of them turned his rifle on the shrieking newborns, killing them, authorities said Wednesday. The photo above is a stock image of a black bear family

Troopers later obtained the camera, which contained multiple 30-second video clips.

The clips from April 14 show Andrew and Owen Renner approaching the den and noticing the female bear, court documents say.

'Owen Renner shoulders a rifle and fires as least two shots at the bear. Cubs begin shrieking in the den after the initial shots are fired,' the documents say.

'The defendants listen for several minutes and eventually realize that it is not the dead sow, but the orphaned cubs, making the sounds.

'The defendants then move closer to the den where Andrew Renner takes aim through his rifle scope only feet away and fires several more shots, killing the newborn bear cubs,' according to the court papers.

The camera then catches the elder Renner saying, 'It doesn't matter. Bear down.'

The father and son then drag the mother bear from the den and realize it has a Fish and Game collar.

'Undeterred, Andrew Renner states, "I'm gonna get rid of these guys" while tossing the cubs' limp carcasses onto the snow outside the den,' the documents say.

In another video clip, the younger Renner says, 'We got the collar off,' the court papers say.

The video camera that captured the shooting was placed on Esther Island in Prince William Sound as part of a bear study by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

'Andrew Renner says, "We're gonna skin it that way",' and points away from the den.

'Owen Renner agrees, saying, "They'll never be able to link it to us."

'They proceed to butcher the sow and place it in game bags, then ski away.'

Subsequent video shows the Renners returning two days later.

They retrieve the collar and talk about disposing of the cubs.

'I gotta go in the den and make sure there aren't any little parts,' one of them says about the cubs.

They pick up the shell casings, place the cubs' bodies in a bag and ski away.

Andrew Renner took a black bear sow to a state wildlife office on April 30, claiming he and his son had killed it near Granite Bay in Prince William Sound on April 14.

Troopers interviewed Renner, who said he skinned the bear and brought the collar in.

He said he had no knowledge of the sow having cubs and no cubs were in the area.

Authorities say Renner also falsified documentation about killing the animal when it was his son who did so and failed to note the number of bears illegally killed.


A self-styled prophet who helped lead a Utah doomsday cult that practiced polygamy and promoted child marriage showed no remorse for his actions Wednesday as he was sent to prison for at least 25 years.

A defiant John Coltharp, 35, told a judge he was following 'heavenly laws' and was an Old Testament figure in the mold of Jacob, Elijah and John, returned to Earth to encourage child marriage, the Deseret News reported.

'My marriage was the right thing to do,' Coltharp, dressed in a white-and-orange striped jail garb, told the court. 'If Im a sex offender for what Ive done, if I go to the other side, Ill be in good company with all those other sex offenders.'

Scroll down for video

False prophet: John Coltharp, 35, one of the leaders of the tiny fundamentalist doomsday cult the Knights of the Crystal Blade, was unapologetic at his sentencing in Utah Wednesday

Fanatics: Coltharp (left) and his accomplice, Samuel Shaffer (right), 34, formed the group based on arcane Mormon ideas long abandoned by the mainstream church, including promoting child marriage and polygamy

Prosecutor Kevin Daniels shows the court a drawing from one of the young child brides, which he said depicted bees and wasps attacking Coltharp and Shaffer

Asked by the judge if he thought his sentences should run consecutively or concurrently, Coltharp maintained that it doesn't matter how long he spends behind bars because doomsday was coming.

'I personally don't care either way. Society isn't going to last that long,' Coltharp declared, adding that he would have been OK with the death penalty as well.

Judge Marvin Bagley told Coltharp his beliefs are wrong and don't come from the Bible. He said he hopes Coltharp is never released from prison.

Coltharp pleaded guilty to sodomy and child bigamy charges in June. He could spend life in prison as he waits for a parole board to determine a possible release date.

Coltharp and his friend Samuel Shaffer, 34, formed a group called the Knights of the Crystal Blade based on arcane Mormon ideas long abandoned by the mainstream church, authorities said.

Moving on: These obscured photos show two of the four girls, between ages four and eight, who were victimized by the self-styled prophets. They started school Thursday

The children were hidden in 50-gallon plastic water barrels and inside an abandoned trailer near the cult's makeshift compound in Utah in December

The two have described the religious group a 'fundamentalist group for millennials' that believed in an impending Muslim invasion of the United States and a nearing apocalypse.

Both men held the title of prophet at different points and each secretly married each other's two daughters ages four through eight, according to prosecutors.

Deputies discovered the four girls in barrels and an abandoned trailer on a makeshift compound of shipping containers in the Utah desert about 275 miles south of Salt Lake City in December 2017.

A mother of two of the girls had reported them missing along with two of her sons, which triggered an Amber Alert. The men took all six children to the compound in preparation for an apocalypse or in hopes of gaining followers, authorities said.

At his sentencing on Wednesday, Colthrap argued that straight, white men all across the world were under attack and pointed a finger of blame at feminism, reported Fox 13.

Defiant: Coltharp likened himself to Old Testament prophets and insisted that marrying children was the right thing to do

Claiming that he was speaking at the Lord's command, Coltharp declared that the government of the United States and all the others governments in the world will be overthrown.

Prosecutor Kevin Daniels showed the court a drawing from one of the young victims, which he said depicted bees and wasps attacking Coltharp and Shaffer, reported Good4Utah.

Daniels wistfully said he wished he could pursue the death penalty against the defendant, but explained that under Utah laws, his hands were tied.

The court also heard from Steve Soble, a maternal grandfather of some of the young victims, who said that the children have been struggling to overcome the trauma inflicted by the cult leaders but were now finally getting ready to start school.

After the hearing, Soble told reporters he was comforted by the thought that Coltharp will likely spend the rest of his days in prison and said he was hopeful his time behind bars would be 'uncomfortable.'

Shaffer is serving a prison sentence of at least 26 years and up to life following separate convictions related to the abuse.

A third man, 35-year-old Robert Roe, who authorities said joined the group after meeting its founders via Facebook, has also been charged with child sexual abuse, and police have said Coltharp's own parents have cooperated with investigators.

Roe, who is accused of taking a 5-year-old girl as a bride, has not entered a plea yet and his next court appearance is scheduled for October 19.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Gov. Bruce Rauner says he will not dispatch the Illinois National Guard to Chicago to stem gun violence.

The Republican said Wednesday that "the National Guard is not for neighborhood policing."

He dismissed suggestions that he call up the Guard after more than 70 people were shot in the city last weekend. At least 11 were killed.

Chicago police have said 600 additional officers will be patrolling the affected neighborhoods.

Rauner told reporters in Peoria that "the violence in Chicago is heartbreaking, it's got to end."

But he says state troops would only be appropriate for "a riot or some issue like that."

Rauner says improving economic opportunities will help end the violence.
HELENA, Mont. (AP) - "Superman" actress Margot Kidder's death has been ruled a suicide, and her daughter said Wednesday it's a relief to finally have the truth out.

Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve's Superman in her most famous role, was found by a friend in her Montana home on May 13.

At the time, Kidder's manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, said Kidder died peacefully in her sleep.

FILE - In this Oct. 3, 2000 file photo, actress Margot Kidder, who dated former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, arrives for his funeral at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal. Kidder's daughter says the Superman actress' death has been ruled a suicide. Maggie McGuan told The Associated Press Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, that she knew her mother died by suicide when she was brought to Kidder's house in May 2018, and that it is a big relief to have the truth out. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

A statement released Wednesday by Park County coroner Richard Wood said the 69-year-old Kidder "died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose" and that no further details would be released.

Maggie McGuane, Kidder's daughter by her ex-husband Thomas McGuane, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that she knew her mother died by suicide the moment authorities took her to Kidder's home in Livingston, a small town near Yellowstone National Park.

"It's a big relief that the truth is out there," she said. "It's important to be open and honest so there's not a cloud of shame in dealing with this."

Kidder's death is one of several high-profile suicides this year that include celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade.

McGuane noted that Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation and she urged people with mental illness to seek help.

"It's a very unique sort of grief and pain," McGuane said. "Knowing how many families in this state go through this, I wish that I could reach out to each one of them."

Kidder struggled with mental illness much of her life, and it was made worse by a 1990 car accident that left her in debt and led to her using a wheelchair for almost two years.

Kidder and Reeve starred in four Superman movies between 1978 and 1987. She also appeared in "The Great Waldo Pepper" with Robert Redford in 1975, Brian De Palma's "Sisters" in 1973 and "The Amityville Horror" in 1979.

She later appeared in small films and television shows until 2017, including "R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour." She received a Daytime Emmy Award as outstanding performer in a kids' series in 2015 for that role.

Kidder, a native of Yellowknife, Canada, was a political activist who was arrested in 2011 in a Washington, D.C., protest over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada's oil sands.

Her final years were troubled by conflicts with people who were down on their luck that she took into her home. Between August 2016 and her death in May, authorities were called to her house 40 times on reports of people trespassing, theft and other disturbances, according to police logs released to the AP under a public-records request.

The calls include responses by ambulances five times in seven months, including at the time of her death.

Joan Kesich, a longtime friend who found Kidder's body, said Kidder was fearless and always spoke the truth, regardless of the consequences.

"In her last months, she was herself - same kind of love, same kind of energy," Kesich said. "The challenges that she had were very public. I want what I know about her to be out there because it was glorious. She was really a blazing energy."
NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on a dead baby found floating in a river near the Brooklyn Bridge (all times local):

7:25 p.m.

A dead baby found floating in a river near the Brooklyn Bridge has been identified.

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2018, file photo, a New York Police Department officer stands guard as authorities investigate the death of a baby boy who was found floating in the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge in the Manhattan borough of New York. A Bronx father hopped a plane to Thailand after carrying his dead 7-month-old baby around New York City in a backpack and tossing the boy's body into the river and other tourist hotspots, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted, File)

New York police say the father of 7-month-old Mason Saldana tossed the boy's dead body into the East River and then fled to Thailand.

Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said Wednesday he expects the boy's 37-year-old father to be returned to the U.S. within the week to face a felony charge of concealment of a human corpse. Additional charges could be filed pending an autopsy.

A tourist from Oklahoma noticed the baby near the South Street Seaport on Sunday afternoon.

Police say the baby was alive on Saturday when his father took him to his Bronx apartment under a custody arrangement. Detectives believe the boy was dead when his father left the apartment and headed for Manhattan on Sunday.

___

3:30 p.m.

New York City police say the father of a 7-month-old baby found floating in the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge fled tod Thailand after throwing the boy's dead body into the water.

Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said Wednesday he expects 37-year-old James Currie to be returned to the U.S. within the week to face a felony charge of concealment of a human corpse.

Additional charges could be filed pending an autopsy.

A tourist from Oklahoma noticed the baby near the South Street Seaport around 4 p.m. Sunday.

Shea says the baby was alive on Saturday when Currie took him to his Bronx apartment under a custody arrangement.

He says detectives believe the child was dead when Currie left the apartment and headed for Manhattan on Sunday.

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2018, file photo, authorities investigate the death of a baby boy who was found floating in the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan in New York. A Bronx father hopped a plane to Thailand after carrying his dead 7-month-old baby around New York City in a backpack and tossing the boy's body into the river and other tourist hotspots, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted, File)
An endangered orca is still clinging to her dead calf in the waters of British Columbia more than two weeks after her newborn died.

The calf died July 24 and the image of the 20-year-old mother whale clinging to the dead calf has struck an emotional chord worldwide.

Scientists say the animal has now fallen behind her pod and is at risk of becoming isolated.

Orcas are highly sociable and live in large groups, known as pods, often with dozens of other animals.

They hunt in these groups, and animals that become isolated can suffer a potentially life-threatening food shortage, experts warn.

Scroll down for video

An endangered orca is still clinging to her dead calf more than two weeks after her newborn died. The calf died July 24 and the image of the mother whale clinging to the dead calf has struck an emotional chord worldwide

Michael Milstein, a spokesman with NOAA Fisheries, says researchers on Wednesday spotted the 20-year-old whale, known as J35  or Tahlequah, still carrying her dead young off the tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

Experts at the Whale Museum on San Juan Island have been monitoring the whale since her calf died last month.

While the pod has been staying by her side, concerned researchers told the Seattle Times the grieving mother is now starting to fall behind the group.

According the researchers, the orca and her pod are going through 'a deep grieving process'.

Mr Milstein says researchers with Fisheries and Ocean Canada also spotted another member of the same pod - the 3 -year old whale J50 that is emaciated. The ailing orca was swimming with her mom Wednesday.

A team of experts led by NOAA Fisheries have been searching for the young whale to assess her health and potentially give her medication.

The Puget Sound calf was the first in three years to be born to the dwindling population of endangered southern resident killer whales.

There are only 75 of the mammals left.

After the devastating loss of her calf, the mother was seen propping the dead newborn on her forehead and trying to keep it bobbing near the surface in the waters off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia.

Earlier this year, a study by a non-profit organisation revealed whales and dolphins will hold 'vigils' for their dead. The animals will cling onto the lifeless bodies of their offspring for days and will try to keep them safe from predators.

'The baby was so newborn it didn't have blubber. It kept sinking, and the mother would raise it to the surface,' said Ken Balcomb, senior scientist with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island, which closely tracks individual whales.

By the time the whale entered her third day of mourning, Dr Balcomb, said he had never observed a whale mourn for such a long time.

WHY SCIENTISTS THINK WHALES AND DOLPHINS MOURN Whales and dolphins have been spotted 'carrying' or caring for their dead young multiple times. These creatures could be mourning or they have failed to accept or recognise that the offspring or companion has died. Scientists still do not know if aquatic mammals truly recognise death and are looking to carry out more research on this issue. In 2016, scientists found evidence that whales and dolphins hold 'vigils' for their dead. They analysed several cases where mammals clung to the bodies of dead compatriots, and kept vigil over a dead companion. At the time, they said the most likely explanation was mourning. The study compiled observations from 14 events. They found mothers often carried their dead young above the water, often flanked by friends. In many cases, the dead offspring were decomposed, indicating they had been held for a long time. Advertisement

'It is horrible. This is an animal that is a sentient being,' Deborah Giles, science and research director for the nonprofit Wild Orc said.

'It understands the social bonds that it has with the rest of its family members.'

'(The mother) is bonded to (the calf) and she doesn't want to let it go. It is that simple. She is grieving,' she added.

According to Dr Giles, the other members of the family knew J35 was pregnant because of their sonar, which the animals also use to communicate with one another.

'So, they must be grieving, too,' she said.

In June, researchers revealed that it was not uncommon for whales and dolphins to keep holding onto their dead offspring for days at a time.

Experts from the Dolphin Biology and Conservation at Oceancare in Cordenons, Italy, analysed 78 records of aquatic mammals' treatment of their dead between 1970 and 2016.

More than 90 per cent of the dolphins studied were attentive to their dead, with grieving females making up three quarters of these interactions.

Seventy five per cent of the incidents were of adult females looking after their dead calf, with some of them carrying decomposing bodies for up to a week.

The behaviour often involved one or more individuals attending to the deceased.

Researchers have been monitoring the activity of a grieving mother orca over the last week, as she tows her dead calf's body through the Puget Sound, off British Columbia. The whale has now been carrying the body for seven days throughout the region, after it died July 24

They attempted to keep the dead creature afloat if it sank or pushed it down if it was too buoyant, even performing 'resuscitation' attempts.

Researchers spotted mothers seeming to grieve for other females in the group.

They also observed this touching behaviour in one pod of whales with the corpse of a male adult who may have died after a fight.

Researchers wrote in their paper, published in Zoology, that an explanation of this behaviour could be 'strong attachment resulting in a difficulty of "letting go" possibly related to grieving'.

They said the practice of postmorten attentive behaviour (PAB) could be because individuals had failed 'to recognise or accept that an offspring or companion has died'.

This most recent orca death represents another reproductive failure for the salmon-eating southern resident killer whales that typically show up in Puget Sound waters from spring to fall.

This is the latest troubling sign for a population already at its lowest in more than three decades.

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 pollution and noise and disturbances from boats.

Female orcas have been having pregnancy problems because of nutritional stress linked to lack of salmon.

A multi-year study last year by University of Washington and other researchers found that two-thirds of the orcas' pregnancies failed between 2007 and 2014.

About half of the 11 calves born during a celebrated baby boom several years ago have died.

'On average we expect a few calves born each year. The fact that we haven't seen any in several years and then to have reproductive failure is further evidence that we have a severe problem with the reproductive viability in the population,' said Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.

Experts at the Whale Museum on San Juan Island have been monitoring the whale, known as J35, since her calf died. Jenny Atkinson, the museum's executive director, said the orca was still carrying her dead calf on Monday afternoon

The researchers say the orca and the rest of her pod are going through 'a deep grieving process'. The mother has been seen propping the dead newborn on her forehead and trying to keep it bobbing near the surface in the waters off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia

Adding to concerns is the health of a 4-year-old female orca known as J-50.

Dr Hanson said she looked thin and 'clearly emaciated' when he and others observed from a boat Saturday near San Juan Island while collecting the whale's breath samples.

The breath droplets will be analyzed for possible pathogens. It could be that the animal is starving, or some other disease process is resulting in them not wanting to eat, Dr Hanson said.

Dr Giles, who was out studying the whales had alerted Dr Hanson to a foul odour on the orca's breath, a smell detected on other orcas that later died. But the whale did not smell as bad on Saturday.

'You could see the shape of her skull through her blubber,' said Dr Giles.

'I've never seen an animal this emaciated make it. But I'm hopeful that she will bounce back.'

Several groups on Wednesday said the loss of the calf highlights the need for quick action.

Washington Govenor Jay Inslee signed an executive order in March directing state agencies to take immediate action to help the orcas.

A statewide task force he formed has been meeting since May to come up with recommendations. A report is due later this year.

Since then, an adult male orca went missing in June and is presumed dead. There are now just 75 of the orcas, down from 98 in 1995.

'The death of the orca calf is a heartbreaking reminder of the urgency we face in saving these iconic animals,' the governor's spokesman Jaime Smith wrote in an email.

The task force is considering a range of efforts, from increasing hatchery production of salmon, training more private boats to help respond to oil spills, and prioritizing areas where important habitat can be restored.

But Balcomb and others say more aggressive measures are needed.

They have called for the removal of four dams on the Lower Snake River to restore salmon runs. 'We have to address the issue of salmon restoration, wild salmon particularly,' Balcomb said.

The orcas are distinct from other killer whales because they eat salmon rather than marine mammals.

Individual whales are also identified by unique markings or variations in their fin shapes, and each whale is given a number and name. Their movements are closely tracked and photographed by researchers, whale watchers and fans.
Bungling people-smugglers behind a hare-brained scheme to bring migrants across the English Channel on jet-skis are facing jail.

At least 18 people were transported from near Calais to Dymchurch in Kent in dangerously overcrowded inflatable boats designed for six.

When the rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) got into trouble, ran out of fuel and had to be rescued, the gang turned to the alternative of a three-person jet-ski.

Six men who were part of a crime group attempting to use small boats & a jet ski to smuggle migrants across the Channel into #Kent have been found guilty, following an investigation led by the NCA working with @ukhomeoffice & @kent_police. Full story: https://t.co/e55Y3PuZnl pic.twitter.com/FFNBEyzmkv  National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) August 7, 2018

Had the gang not been stopped by a National Crime Agency-led surveillance operation, they would have been the first to have tried to run migrants across the worlds busiest shipping route on jet-skis.

Following an Old Bailey trial, six men from the Kent-based transport gang and their Albanian travel agents were convicted of people-smuggling.

The court heard that migrants, including men, women and children, were charged up to 6,000 each to journey across the English Channel.

The operation centred on attempts made to cross the Channel from #Dymchurch in Kent in 2016. NCA's Brendan Foreman said: These men were involved in a staggeringly reckless plot to bring migrants to the UK illegally and in a highly dangerous manner." pic.twitter.com/MACVobMTF4  National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) August 7, 2018

The criminals had little boating experience or knowledge of the danger they were exposing them to.

They are believed to have carried out one successful trip in an RHIB called Rebel.

It was found abandoned on the beach at Dymchurch with childrens life jackets on board on May 11 2016.

When border officials went to investigate, the professed owner, Wayne Bath, claimed to have been out night fishing when he experienced engine trouble.

On May 26, French police spotted a group of people signalling a boat in the water off Cran dEscalles beach near Calais.

Migrants on a beach near Calais. (National Crime Agency/PA)

The migrants began to wade out to meet it, but the Antares RHIB left after a parked car signalled using its headlights.

Prosecutor Timothy Probert-Wood QC told jurors they were clearly not there for a day on the beach.

Two days later, the gang tried again with the newly acquired White Scanner RHIB, under the watch of NCA agents.

The White Scanner picked up 18 migrants from France  including two children aged 16 and 17 and a woman.

On the return journey, they ran out of fuel and the migrants were forced to start baling out as the vessel flooded with sea water.

The terrified group sent desperate text messages, with one saying: We are in England, tell police, we are drowning.

The Coastguard helicopter and RNLI launched a rescue operation and found the inflatable vessel.

The woman was suffering from hypothermia and was wrapped in a blanket in an attempt to warm her up.

The Old Bailey heard that the Antares had tried to rescue its sister boat but was later found abandoned out to sea.

The Antares RHIB was abandoned by the gang. (National Crime Agency/PA)

A Mitsubishi Shogun used to tow it had been abandoned and set on fire.

In July 2016, the White Scanner two-man crew of Mark Stribling, 35, from Farningham, Kent, and Robert Stilwell, 33, from Dartford, Kent, were jailed.

Undeterred, the gang bought another larger boat from Southampton  referred to as The Boat With No Name.

NCA operatives planted a bug on the boat to listen in as the gang plotted their next migrant run.

On July 25, Albert Letchford took out the Boat With No Name but ran into rough sea and turned back.

On August 13, the NCA secretly filmed a meeting of the Kent gang and their Albanian partners in a pub car park.

Ringleader Leonard Powell (right) met Albanian partners Sabah Dulaj and Artur Nutaj (centre) in the car park of the Lion public house (NCA/PA).

They went together to buy a jet-ski with a view to using it to transport migrants from France to Britain.

The NCA moved in to arrest them over safety fears if the jet-ski was brought into use.

The ringleaders were 40-stone Leonard Powell, 66, from Dartford, and his son Alfie, 39, of no fixed address.

Another son, George Powell, 42, from Farningham, in Kent, had already admitted his part in the conspiracy.

The Boat With No Name in Ramsgate. (National Crime Agency/PA)

Following a trial, Leonard and Alfie Powell were found guilty of conspiring to breach immigration law along with Wayne Bath, 39, of Sheerness, Kent; Sabah Dulaj, 24, of south-east London; Albert Letchford, 42, of Dartford; and Artur Nutaj, 39, of north London.

Alan Viles, 28, of Folkestone, Kent and Francis Wade, 59, of Rochester, Kent were found not guilty after a jury deliberated for 29 hours.

Mugshot of Leonard Powell (NCA/PA)

NCA regional head of investigations Brendan Foreman said: These men were involved in a staggeringly reckless plot to bring migrants to the UK illegally and in a highly dangerous manner.

They were prepared to risk lives for the sake of profit, treating people as a commodity to ship across the worlds busiest shipping lane using small boats and even a jet-ski.

Were it not for the intervention of the NCA, Border Force and other agencies involved in this operation, including the Coastguard and RNLI, I am certain there would have been tragic consequences.

Key player Alfie Powell, 39, was found guilty of plotting to people smuggle Albanian migrants (NCA/PA)

NCA senior investigator Mark McCormack said: When the Boat With No Name crossed the English Channel, a number of times it crossed the traffic, it did circular pirouettes and was under the bow of a number of container ships.

They were rescued in the vicinity of a large container ship that was bearing in on it.

He cast doubt on the jet-ski plan, saying: A three-person jet ski does have a range of 60 miles but it is the ability to get over there and potentially refuel and come back and cross in that type of vessel in the busiest shipping channel in the world.

While jet-skis have been used to smuggle drugs and contraband from North Africa to Spain or Gibraltar, it has never before been attempted in the English Channel.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said: This people smuggling gang saw these individuals simply as commodities from whom to make money, with no care for their safety or well-being.

The work of Border Force was vital in the interception of these criminals, leading to the successful prosecution by the National Crime Agency.

Border Force will continue to work with the NCA and other law enforcement agencies to put those involved in this type of criminality behind bars.

Judge Mark Dennis QC adjourned sentencing until a date to be fixed.
The clash started at midnight after Taliban militants stormed headquarters of Azra district and surrounding neighborhoods from different sides, Pajhwak Afghan News reported on its website.

Citing Abdul Wali Wakeel, a member of provincial council, the report said that 35 security personnel and civilians were killed during the clash and gunfight in the remote district while at least 15 police officers died in an ensuing friendly fire when US-led NATO coalition forces conducted an airstrike on a police checkpoint in Azra.

"The militants were closing in on the district center and fierce gun-battles were underway in different parts of Azra, sharing a border with eastern Nangarhar province," the report said.

Several militants were also killed or wounded during the fighting.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed that Taliban fighters were advancing into the district administrative center by early Tuesday, according to the report.

Taliban militants, who ruled the country before being ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, killing government troops as well as civilians.

They have intensified armed attacks against security forces across the country since April 25 when the Taliban's so-called yearly rebel offensive started.

The Logar province, which is located 60 km south of national capital city Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban since early this year.
A man has described the pain of losing his seven-year-old son in a suspected arson attack.

Joel Urhie was found dead after the blaze in Deptford, south-east London, and his mother, sister and brother are in hospital.

Speaking to reporters outside the house he moved out of around five years ago, father John Urhie said: He was a very lovely boy who was just loving life and its a terrible loss.

He said he was supposed to see his son on Monday but did not because Joels mother, Sophie, wanted to take him out.

Joel Urhie, who died in the fire in Deptford (Family handout/PA)

He said Mrs Urhie is recovering in hospital with their 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, and son Sam, 21.

Describing his son, Mr Urhie, 54, said: He played with everyone around here. He was a very nice looking boy.

Its terrible, the pain we can never forget.

Neighbour and close family friend Grace Gbenedio, 56, said she rushed outside after hearing screams.

She said she held Mrs Urhie and asked her where Joel was, and she said: My son is inside, my son is inside.

John Urhie (Thomas Hornall/PA)

Mrs Gbenedio said: She was on the floor crying Help, help, help;.

She added: I held her and said Where is he? She said Hes still in there.

The fire was just too much, like a curtain, no-one could go in or out.

I said Where, where, where? She said That room.

We heard the last blast of the glass and she just collapsed.

Police and forensics officers at the scene of the fire in Adolphus Street, Deptford (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Kayla McClellan, 23, who lives next door to the property, said: I just woke up to screaming and when we opened the door a wall of fire came through the front and we immediately closed it and went out through the back.

Next-door neighbour Andre Pavanello, 21, said he heard really, really loud screaming.

As I came out here I heard screaming and the front of the window smashed.

I think they had to smash the window to get out and they had to jump out because the fire was getting too big.

He added: I think that he (the boy) was trapped inside the room because the flames were way too big to start with.

Police and fire investigations officers at the scene in Adolphus Street, Deptford (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Clive Stagg, 64, said all hell was breaking loose and added: I have never seen anything like it. The whole house was ablaze.

You couldnt even get near it, even if you would have tried.

Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters tackled the blaze in Adolphus Street after they were called at 3.25am on Tuesday.

Nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution and crews brought the fire under control just before 4.50am.

A seven-year-old boy has died in a fatal fire in #Lewisham. Officers have launched an arson investigation. https://t.co/OeGuCGSbov pic.twitter.com/IYSiMGzDAZ  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 7, 2018

The Metropolitan Police have launched an arson investigation.

Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan, of Lewisham Police, said: At this early stage there are a number of possible lines of inquiry; however, officers retain an open mind with regard to motive.
A defence lawyer has accused the protege of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of being immersed in so many lies he cannot remember them all.

Defence lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of long-time Manafort deputy Rick Gates by pressing him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Muellers investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Mr Downing also ventured into territory the two sides have mostly avoided: discussion of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. The charges are not related to Mr Manaforts work with the Trump campaign.

Mr Gates has pleaded guilty in Mr Muellers investigation and agreed to cooperate with investigators by testifying in the financial fraud trial.

After all the lies youve told and the fraud youve committed, you expect this jury to believe you? Mr Downing asked.

Mr Gates said he did, but the defence lawyer was not satisfied.

A courtroom sketch depicts Rick Gates on the witness stand as he is cross examined by defence lawyer Kevin Downing (Dana Verkouteren/AP)

He scoffed at the idea that Mr Gates had repented for his actions, noting that prosecutors have said they will not oppose his bid for probation and getting him to acknowledge he had not repaid the money he had taken from Mr Manafort.

After Mr Gates described his theft as unauthorised transactions instead of embezzlement, Mr Downing prodded him to use the latter term  and Mr Gates ultimately relented, saying, It was embezzlement from Mr Manafort.

Earlier, Mr Gates told jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Mr Manaforts tax bill.

Mr Gates recounted how he and Mr Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service).

But the grilling got more intense on Tuesday afternoon when Mr Downing pressed Mr Gates about a secret life he said was funded by embezzlement, including an extramarital affair that Mr Gates himself acknowledged.

Mr Gates also said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trumps inaugural committee, which he helped operate.

After Mr Gates struggled to recall precisely what he had told Mr Muellers team, Mr Downing asked if he had been confronted with so many lies that he cannot keep his story straight.

Rick Gates, Mr Manaforts long-time former deputy (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Mr Downing at one point asked whether Mr Muellers investigators had interviewed Mr Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with US District Judge TS Ellis III. The defence moved on.

Both sides have agreed to limit discussion of the campaign to avoid prejudicing the jury, though they did permit testimony about the overlap of a bank loan with Mr Manaforts role in the Trump election effort.

Mr Gates previously told jurors he embezzled from Mr Manafort by filing false expense reports. He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Mr Manaforts direction.

Prosecutors summoned Mr Gates to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Mr Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme.

Mr Gates testified that he and Mr Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years, saying they had stashed money in foreign bank accounts and falsified bank loan documents.

In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts, Mr Gates said.

Mr Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in Mr Muellers investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Mr Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Mr Muellers investigation of Mr Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

On Tuesday, Mr Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Mr Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

He said Mr Manafort asked for tickets to Mr Trumps inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the centre of his financial fraud trial.

Mr Gates also said Mr Manafort floated banker Stephen Calks name for consideration as Secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get.

The email exchange occurred after Mr Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Mr Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee.

Mr Gates described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Mr Manaforts behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and, later, that his funds were drying up.

In one email, Mr Manafort wrote WTF about tax payments he was going to have to make, Mr Gates said.
Patients in the European Union may not be able to receive medicines from the UK post-Brexit if AstraZeneca does not prepare well for a no-deal scenario, the company said.

The pharmaceutical giant has its research headquarters in Cambridge and manufactures medicines for treating cancer, heart and lung problems.

Ad Antonisse, the director of market access and external affairs for the company, said it was carrying out tests in both the UK and EU as it prepares for the strongest Brexit scenario.

Mr Antonisse, told the Dutch government Brexit-loket site: If we do not prepare well for Brexit, patients in the EU may no longer be able to receive their medicines. Just because production happens to happen in the United Kingdom.

Science is simply an international playing field.

The Anglo-Swedish firm focuses on developing treatments for cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and respiratory issues.

These are serious diseases and you do not want Brexit to have a problem with delivery to the patient, Mr Antonisse said.

Last month, the new Health and Social Care Secretary said officials were considering working with industry to stockpile drugs, medical devices and supplies in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Matt Hancock said that he was confident that a deal could be reached but said that it was responsible to prepare for a range of outcomes.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has said officials are considering working with industry to stockpile drugs in the event of a no-deal Brexit (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

This includes working up options with industry to stockpile medical supplies if a deal cannot be reached, Mr Hancock told the Health Select Committee on July 24.

He said: We are working right across Government to ensure that the health sector and the industry are prepared and that peoples health will be safeguarded in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

This includes the chain of medical supplies, vaccines, medical devices, clinical consumables, blood products.

And I have asked the department to work up options for stockpiling by industry.

We are working with industry for the potential need for stockpiling in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Boris Johnson has come under fire for offensive comments made about burkas in a controversial newspaper article.

The former foreign secretary opposed calls to ban face-covering garments in public places  but was criticised for saying that Muslim women wearing face coverings look like letter boxes, and comparing them to bank robbers and rebellious teenagers.

His article came in the wake of a burka ban coming into force in Denmark  a move that has already been implemented in several countries across the world.

(PA Graphics)

Here are some of the countries to have taken the controversial step.

France

In 2004, the country banned most religious symbols, including the hijab, in public schools. But in 2010, an act of parliament was passed banning the wearing of face-covering headgear, including burkas, in public places.

The law came into effect in April 2011, making it illegal to wear a face-covering veil in places such as the street, shops, in parks and on public transport.

Those caught flouting the rules face a 150 euro (135) fine, while anyone who forces another person to wear a face covering can be fined 30,000 euros (27,000) and sentenced to a year in prison.

Belgium

The Belgian parliament passed a bill in 2010 to ban any clothing that would obscure the identity of the wearer in public places. The ban was upheld in 2017 by the European Court of Human Rights following a challenge by two Muslim women.

A demonstration on the first day of the implementation of the Danish face veil ban in Copenhagen, Denmark (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Bulgaria

Bulgaria outlawed the wearing of clothing that partially or completely covers the face in public places such as government offices, educational institutions, and places of public recreation in September 2016. Fines here are as much as 1,500 levs (688).

Austria

The Austrian parliament adopted a legal ban on face-covering clothing in public spaces in 2017, coming into force in October that year. Like France, penalties amount to a 150 euro (135) fine.

Germany

In a 2016 speech, German chancellor Angela Merkel called for a burka ban in Germany wherever legally possible while making her pitch for a fourth term in the role. The German parliament agreed a ban on face-covering garments for soldiers and state workers in 2017, while a ban on the same clothing for car and truck drivers was approved in the same year.

In August 2017, the state of Lower Saxony banned the burka along with the niqab in public schools.

Burkas have been banned in public places in several countries (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The Netherlands

Earlier this year, The Netherlands became the ninth EU country to outlaw face-coverings in public places, including schools, hospitals and public transport. The ban does not affect the hijab, which only covers the hair, and does not apply in public streets.

Denmark

A full ban on niqabs and burkas was announced in May this year, and came into force on August 1.

A fine of around 120 has already been imposed on a woman wearing one in a shopping centre in the town of Horsholm, after another woman reportedly tried to tear it off.
Farmers in Australias most populous state have been given enhanced authority to shoot kangaroos because of the drought.

The conditions in New South Wales state this year have been the driest and most widespread since 1965.

The conditions mean kangaroos have been competing with livestock for sparse pasture during the intensely dry spell.

Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, centre right, has unveiled a package of measures to assist farmers (Ivan McDonnell/AAP Image via AP)

We understand the mental toll the drought takes on farmers, families and rural communities.  Malcolm Turnbull  (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 5, 2018

The state government said on Wednesday that 100% of New South Wales land area of more than 309,000 square miles was now in drought.

The government has also lifted the number of kangaroos that farmers are allowed to shoot and reduced bureaucratic red tape facing landholders applying for permission to shoot.

We wont leave you behind.

Weve got your back. pic.twitter.com/JuITamrDJf  Malcolm Turnbull  (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 5, 2018

Australias prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled a package of measures to assist farmers coping with the conditions.

New South Wales primary industries minister Niall Blair said farmers were enduring one of the driest Southern Hemisphere winters on record.

This is tough. There isnt a person in the state that isnt hoping to see some rain for our farmers and regional communities, Mr Blair said in a statement.

The requirement to tag dead kangaroos to keep a tally of the number shot across the state had been dispensed with.

Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left, Mr Blair said.

If we dont manage this situation, we will start to see tens of thousands of kangaroos starving and suffering, ultimately leading to a major animal welfare crisis, he added.

But Ray Borda, president of the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia, which represents commercial shooters who hunt kangaroos for meat and leather, raised animal welfare concerns about the regulation changes.

Anybody on the land that will make a phone call to the Department of Environment can get permission to shoot almost whatever they want to shoot and its unaudited and unchecked and thats our concern  animal welfare, Mr Borda told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The government would have been better off subsidising professional shooters to reduce kangaroo numbers more humanely, he said.

We see this as probably the worst possible outcome for the kangaroo, but Ive got to emphasise we do understand the plight that farmers are in, Mr Borda said.
Police targeting some of south-east Londons most prolific drug dealers have arrested 14 suspects in dawn raids.

Some 185 officers raided 15 properties on Wednesday morning, with senior police figures believing the intelligence-led operation could lead to a drop in violent crime in parts of the capital.

Scotland Yard set out hoping to smash a violent drug-dealing network  and seized vast quantities of Class A drugs and a suspected handgun.

The bulk of the drugs were being supplied in the New Cross area, police said.

Police officers prepare to raid an address in Peckham, south London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

One woman and 13 men, aged between 18 and 48, were arrested during the swoop, according to Scotland Yard.

They are being held on suspicion of drug-related offences at several south London police stations.

Officers conducted a series of raids this morning as part of a proactive operation to tackle drug dealing and violent crime in #Lewisham. A suspected handgun and a number of Class A and B drugs were recovered. 14 people were arrested. pic.twitter.com/CZXHo5D8Yb  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 8, 2018

Officers found what appeared to be a handgun wrapped in a sock at one property.

Police seized what appeared to be a handgun inside a sock during the raids (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The lone female suspect, 48, was arrested on suspicion of a firearm as well as possession of Class A drugs, police said.

Large amounts of cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine were also recovered during during searches.

A police officer removes drugs and other evidence from an address in New Cross, south London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)]

Shouts of Police had shattered the early-morning peace when officers wearing helmets stormed houses in Lewisham and Southwark in south-east London, and Wembley in the north-west of the city.

At one address in New Cross a panicked occupant threw a suspected class A drugs package out of the window  which was caught by an officer below.

It was found to contain what is suspected to be more than 200 rocks of cocaine and heroin.

A knife was recovered from an address in New Cross, south London, during the raids (Metropolitan Police/PA)

A rucksack containing a knife and large quantities of suspected drugs was found near the Wembley address, police said.

Temporary Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: Todays activity has seen us target some of the most prolific drug dealers in the borough who cause misery and are a blight on our community.

We know that drugs and violent crime are intrinsically linked and believe some of these suspects may have links to recent offences of violence we have seen across the borough.

As part of todays operation we were assisted by Lewisham Council and the Childrens Society, who are helping us work to safeguard any vulnerable or exploited individuals identified as part of the policing activity.

We remain resolute in our efforts to target those involved in criminality and will continue to take all possible action to disrupt their activity and reduce the levels of violence taking place on our streets.

Police officers raid an address in Peckham, south London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Fifteen addresses were raided in total  12 in Lewisham, two in Southwark and one in Wembley.

Some suspects were linked to gangs, known to carry knives and had been involved in violent crime in the past, police said.

A man is arrested in south London during a series of raids to tackle an organised crime network (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Detectives are probing the network for any county lines activity, to find out if drugs were being taken outside the capital and supplied to neighbouring counties.

Geeta Subramaniam, director of public protection and safety at Lewisham Council, said she hoped the operation would reduce crime in the area and deter others from falling into drug dealing.

She said she had been working to educate teenagers about the dangers, saying: Its so hard for kids once theyre in these criminal networks to get out.
The death toll from the earthquake that shook Indonesias Lombok island has risen.

The countrys disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there are reports of other deaths but they still need to be verified.

He said the death toll is now 131 but is still expected to increase after Sundays tremor.

Nearly 2,500 people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries and more than 156,000 people are displaced due to the extensive damage to homes.

Rescue teams continue to search for victims in the collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque (Tatan Syuflana/AP)

The magnitude 7.0 quake came a week after another quake on Lombok killed 16 people.

Aid is now reaching isolated areas of the island while rescuers continued efforts to find the dead, pulling another body from the rubble.

Volunteers and rescue personnel were erecting more temporary shelters for the over 80,000 people left homeless on Lombok.

Food and medical supplies were being distributed from vehicles.

A man inspects the ruins of houses (Fauzy Chaniago/AP)

The military said five planes carrying food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers left Jakarta for the island early on Wednesday.

A womans body was recovered from the rubble of a collapsed mosque in Bangsal district in the north of the island.
A body found on a beach in Wales 33 years ago has been identified as a 63-year-old man from Ireland.

The body of Joseph Brendan Dowley, from Kilkenny, was found washed ashore at Rhosneigr on Anglesey by an RAF airman who was running on the beach on November 9 1985.

Despite an extensive police investigation at the time, attempts to identify the man failed and a subsequent inquest returned an open verdict.

The death was not treated as suspicious and the man was subsequently interred in an unmarked grave in Menai Bridge Cemetery on Anglesey.

An investigation by the Garda missing persons bureau and North Wales Police led to the body being exhumed on June 19.

At the time of the exhumation the remains were believed to be those of Mr Dowley, who had been living in London and was last seen in October 1985 when he was driven to a ferry terminal by a relative.

The body of Joseph Brendan Dowley, from Kilkenny was identified by police in Wales 33 years after his remains were discovered on a beach (North Wales Police/PA)

Detective Sargent Don Kenyon, of North Wales Police, who is leading the operation, said: We have received a very positive result from the familial DNA analysis of the remains exhumed from Menai Bridge Cemetery.

The DNA report has been sent to HM Coroner Mr Dewi Pritchard Jones, who has already been provided with a full file of evidence in relation to the case of missing person Joseph Brendan Dowley.

Mr Dowleys family have been kept updated with this most recent development and (Mr) Pritchard Jones will now consider the entirety of the case to establish if there is sufficient evidence to make a formal identification.

The exhumation followed an investigation under Operation Orchid where detectives in Wales use the latest DNA technology to help identify human remains.

DS Kenyon added: We combine the latest advances in DNA technology and traditional investigative methods to help conclude inquiries started years ago to help bring some closure to families who have lived with uncertainty for such a long time.

Criminality is not suspected in any of the cases and the focus of the operation is simply to identify, reunite and allow the dignity of a funeral service for family and friends to pay their respects.
Wolves have completed the signing of Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore for what is thought to be a club record transfer.

The Spaniard joins the Premier League new boys on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of 18million.

The 22-year-old completed his medical on Tuesday morning before signing a five-year deal at Molineux.

Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore has joined Wolves in what is thought to be a record deal for the club (Richard Sellers/PA)

Im so happy, its a great day for me and my family and hopefully for the team, Traore told Wolves TV.

I know the history of Wolves. It is a team with a big history and when people tell me I had the possibility of coming here I thought it was great.

After that my mentality is to work every day and be prepared for whatever comes.

Traore began his career in the Barcelona youth system and made a handful of first-team appearances at the Nou Camp before joining Aston Villa in August 2015.

He moved to Middlesbrough the following summer, scoring five goals in 71 appearances at the Riverside.

I think Wolves are definitely ready for the Premier League, Traore added.

Adama Traore speaks to Wolves TV for the first time after joining the club on a five-year-deal. #BienvenidoAdama



 pic.twitter.com/TgDvofUVTy  Wolves (@Wolves) August 8, 2018

My mentality is to fit in to the tactics but I think how Wolves play will definitely suit me .

Before I make any decision I know how they play, how they move, how the winger play.

Traore becomes Wolves fifth summer summer following the arrivals of Rui Patricio, Jonny Castro Otto, Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez.
A Royal Navy warship has shadowed two Russian warships as they passed through the English Channel.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond sailed from Dover, Kent, to monitor the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov on Tuesday as they passed through the UKs area of interest which is either the UKs territorial waters or near to this area.

Commander Ben Keith, the commanding officer of the Portsmouth-based ship, said: HMS Diamond is proud to once again be playing her part in protecting the UK by monitoring these vessels on their transit.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond at work in the English Channel (Ministry of Defence/PA)

This is routine business for the Royal Navy and the second time my ships company have undertaken such an escort duty this summer.

While many families are enjoying their summer holidays, my ships company are working hard at sea to keep Britain safe and will continue to do so for as long as we are required.

I would like to thank the families of my crew whose support is vital while we carry out our duty to the nation.

A navy spokesman said: The Udaloy-class destroyer Severomorsk and Slava-class cruiser Marshal Ustinov have just finished taking part in the Russian Navy Days event in the Baltic port of St Petersburg and are now deploying out of the area.

Overnight HMS Diamond has maintained watch in UK waters, monitoring the Russian warships as they approach the UK coast.

As the ships entered the busy shipping lanes between Norfolk and continental Europe, Diamond manoeuvred into formation alongside them and made them aware of her presence.

The ships were then escorted towards the Dover strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

HMS Diamond continues to monitor the ships, remaining with them as they transit past Dover and along the south coast of England, after which they are expected to continue south, exiting the UK area of interest. 

A Russian Blackjack Tupolev Tu-160 (Ministry of Defence/PA)

At the beginning of the year, frigate HMS Westminster was dispatched to keep track on the activities of two Russian frigates and their support vessels returning to the Baltic after operations in the Middle

East, while HMS St Albans monitored the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov at Christmas.

And in June HMS Diamond and a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton were dispatched to follow the underwater reconnaissance ship Yantar after it approached the UK coast.

The RAF is also involved in monitoring Russian activity.

In January, two Russian Blackjack bombers were intercepted by the RAF over the North Sea.

Two RAF Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland but the Russian aircraft did not enter sovereign UK airspace.

After HMS St Albans escorted Admiral Gorshkov through the North Sea on Christmas Day last year, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said he would not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression.

He said: Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests.
Photo: cankaoxiaoxi

BEIJING, Aug. 7 -- China's service trade mounted to a new high in the first half (H1) of this year as the government has made more efforts to further bolster and open up the service sector.

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday the country's service trade rose 8.5 percent year on year to stand at 2.53 trillion yuan (nearly 370 billion U.S. dollars) in H1.

Service exports increased 13.6 percent to 841.57 billion yuan, while imports gained 6.1 percent to 1.69 trillion yuan, which resulted in a deficit of nearly 848.18 billion yuan, down by 2.66 billion yuan from the same period a year ago.

It was the first time in eight years China has seen a decrease in service trade deficit in half-year data.

MOC official Li Yuan attributed the shrinking deficit to a rapidly-growing service sector, policy support from the government, and increasing exports of emerging services, such as telecom and insurance.

Despite the retreat, Li predicts the deficit will continue to grow in the coming years, as the Chinese continue to have a huge demand for overseas trips and education, and will finally cap in 2025.

Trade in services refers to the sale and delivery of intangible products such as transportation, tourism, telecommunications, construction, advertising, computing, and accounting.

China has taken steps to improve the development of trade in services, including gradually opening up the finance, education, culture, and medical treatment sectors.

The service trade expansion has outpaced the growth rates in goods trade, the value added in the service sector, and GDP in the same period. Service trade accounted for 15.2 percent of China's total foreign trade in the first six months, up 0.1 percentage point year on year.

Exports of emerging services jumped 23.6 percent in H1 to 440.2 billion yuan and accounted for more than half of the total service exports.
A senior Zimbabwean opposition politician has been arrested while trying to cross into Zambia, his lawyer has said.

Tendai Biti, who was finance minister in an uneasy coalition government from 2009 to 2013, is a leading member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party.

His arrest comes amid increasing concerns over a government crackdown after last weeks disputed presidential election.

The Movement for Democratic Change has denounced the election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as fraudulent and vowed to challenge it in court this week.

Zimbabwes main opposition party says President Emmerson Mnangagwa won the election fraudulently (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Mr Biti declared last week, before official election results were announced on Friday, that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won the vote. Mr Chamisa also claimed he had been victorious.

In a normal country Chamisa would be sworn in right now, Mr Biti told reporters a day after the election.

God truly is in it . History has been made .  TENDAI BITI (@BitiTendai) July 31, 2018

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has said it is illegal to announce results before its own official pronouncement.

Mr Mnangagwa was more restrained than the opposition during the vote count, saying only that the situation looked positive. However, some reporting in state-run media emphatically declared him the winner before the official results were out.

The opposition has seven days from the announcement of the official election results to file a court challenge.

Mr Chamisas lawyer Thabani Mpofu told reporters that they will file the challenge within the prescribed timeframe. That would push back an inauguration that Mr Mnangagwas administration had already planned for Sunday.

Mr Biti was named along with Mr Chamisa in a search warrant issued last week that said they and several others were suspected of the crimes of possession of dangerous weapons and subversive material as well as public violence, according to a copy of the warrant seen by The Associated Press.

Im UNSHAKEN & UNMOVED. By Gods grace we WON. Gods promises are sure & true. Get ready to behold the NEW. Change is coming! Im fortified by Job 19:25..For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth.#Godisinit.  nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 5, 2018

Police raided the opposition party headquarters a day after the military rolled into the capital, Harare, and dispersed protesting opposition supporters with gunfire.

The supporters were angry over the announcement that the ruling party had won a majority of seats in parliament and some were rioting. Six people were killed, including a woman vendor who was shot in the back.

International election observers and Human Rights Watch have condemned the violence and intimidation against opposition supporters that have continued into this week and have urged security forces to use restraint.

A week ago, Zimbabwe went to vote in the spirit of hope & freedom. The campaign & voting were blessed by the entire world. The final results were in line with polling & identical to the tallies of ZESN & other foreign monitors. A free, fair & credible election (1/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 7, 2018

The violence that followed was regrettable & tragic. There is no place for violence in our society, and allegations of further incidents concern us all. Any claim supported by evidence will be examined and investigations are underway as we seek truth & justice (2/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 7, 2018

We have much to learn from this seminal week in our history. Recommendations from the international community are welcome and will be implemented. Transparency and accountability remain paramount. And despite the naysayers, in this new Zimbabwe, freedom will reign (3/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 7, 2018

Mr Biti, one of the most vocal critics of the government, had said months before the election that the Zimbabwean military was casting a shadow over hopes for genuine reform in the southern African nation.

He said that while the ouster of former leader Robert Mugabe was welcome, the military takeover that led to his resignation in November set a dangerous precedent for further involvement of generals in civilian affairs.

The genie is out of the bottle, Mr Biti said at a forum on Zimbabwe held in Johannesburg in late June.

We had a coup in November, Mr Biti said at the time. We didnt seek to understand what it meant and we didnt carry out political reform to make sure that another coup does not happen.
Theresa May has paid tribute to the courage, bravery and skill of troops who fought in the First World War Battle of Amiens as a poignant commemoration service marked its centenary.

Relatives of soldiers who served and died in the conflict also spoke of their pride and sadness as they joined the Prime Minister and the Duke of Cambridge at the event staged exactly 100 years since the start of the offensive.

The battle changed the course of the war, as the comprehensive Allied victory, due to superior tactics, use of technology and leadership, finally convinced German commanders they could not win.

William acknowledged the debt owed to the First World War troops in a message printed in the official programme: The Battle of Amiens, and the continued fighting which followed during the summer of 1918, brought the Allies hope and optimism after four long years of bloodshed and stalemate.

While it is right that we have collectively commemorated many of the significant battles and campaigns of those years, it is important that the success of the Battle of Amiens takes its rightful place in our shared history.

(PA Graphics)

Kevin Sherlock, 58, a retired Rolls-Royce engine inspector from Derby, said his 19-year-old great uncle Ernest Harm, who was killed towards the end of the battle, paid the ultimate sacrifice, helping to bring peace to Europe.

He said the teenage soldier, also from Derby, a Lance Corporal in the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion was killed, possibly by machine gun fire, going over the top on August 11 1918.

Mr Sherlock added: I think as Ive got older Ive thought about it more really, he was only 19, just a lad really, never experienced anything in his life.

So theres sadness but also pride that he took part in a key battle that brought ultimately the Allied victory and no doubt about it, shortened the war as well.

Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Battle of Amiens - a battle that heralded the Hundred Days Offensive & started the path to the Armistice.



The Duke of Cambridge will attend the commemorations at Amiens Cathedral. #Amiens100 pic.twitter.com/BrjeJ1PvkW  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 8, 2018

Commenting on the fact his great uncle has no known grave Mr Sherlock added: It must be very painful for a mother to come to terms with, she probably thought he was listed as missing, killed in action, but theres always a small part of you thinking he might walk through the door one day.

In Amiens Cathedral in northern France, the story of the battle was told through contemporary letters, diaries and poems read by guests from the 2,000-strong congregation.

Among those invited were Armed Forces minister Mark Lancaster, his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter, who is head of Britains Armed Forces, and representatives of other nations including Germany.

Missing from the commemorations was Emmanuel Macron, who held Brexit talks with Mrs May last week at his summer retreat.

A parade outside Amiens Cathedral, France, ahead of the service (Yui Mok/PA)

Frances president, who is from Amiens where the event was staged, is believed to be on holiday.

In her message printed in the official programme Mrs May highlighted how the battle of Amiens heralded the beginning of the period known as the Hundred Days offensive.

After the 1918 conflict successive military victories eventually led to the surrender of German forces and the end of the conflict on Armistice Day on November 11 that year.

The Prime Minister, who has been holidaying in Europe, wrote: Today, we commemorate that success, but we also reflect on the fear and hardship experienced by the people of this city and the surrounding battlefields, as well as the immense suffering demoralisation of the German troops.

We remember with profound respect all those who served on both sides of the battle and we give thanks for their courage, bravery and skill which would lead to what the world had long yearned for, the guns finally falling silent.

Amiens Cathedral, lit up on the eve of the service (Victoria Jones/PA)

William said in his address to the congregation: What began here on August 8 was truly a coalition operation under the strategic command of a great Frenchman, Marshal Foch, a battle in which the forces of many nations came together to fight; in which aerial, mechanical and human courage and ingenuity combined with devastating results.

Amiens was symbolic of the Entente Cordiale, the co-operation without which victory was impossible.

It is entirely fitting therefore, that today, that same international coalition has returned to Amiens with our former enemy in peace and partnership.

General Sir Henry Rawlinson, commander of the Fourth Army, combined air and land forces from Australia, Canada, France, America and Britain to great effect during the battle.

Today marks the centenary of the Battle of Amiens, which was a decisive victory for the allied powers during the First World War. At an event at Amiens Cathedral later the Armed Forces will lead the whole country in remembering the sacrifices made 100 years ago. #Amiens100 pic.twitter.com/9oo4zvduqQ  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) August 8, 2018

He had learnt the lessons of the bloody Somme offensive  where he played a prominent role  employing improved tactics and new technology, utilised alongside subterfuge, from concealing troop numbers to ending the practice of firing range-finding shells so there was no warning of the attack.

The battle saw more than 500 tanks from the UKs Tank Corps deployed, more than 1,900 British and French aircraft used, tens of thousands of troops present, with the Australians and Canadians prominent in the attack, and all supported by more than 2,000 guns from the Royal Artillery.

Over the following days the gains made by Allied troops were significant with many miles claimed from German forces  but its real impact was on the morale of many in the German high command, convincing them the war could not be won.

During the service Mrs May read an extract from the memoirs of her predecessor David Lloyd George from 1918 about the battle of Amiens.

The Duke of Cambridge speaks during the service (Victoria Jones/PA)

She said: The fact of the matter was that the British Army itself did not realise the extent and effect of the triumph they had won that day.

The effect of the victory was moral and not territorial. It revealed to friend and foe alike the breakdown of the German power of resistance.

At the end of the ceremony the duke and Mrs May laid wreaths in the cathedrals Chapel of the Allies and met descendants of soldiers who fought in the battle.

William chatted to Pippa Britton whose grandfather Christopher Ribbans was the gunner in the famous Musical Box Whippet tank.

Vice-chair of Sport Wales Mrs Britton, from Newport, South Wales, said: We recently read a letter saying his crew were really looking forward to a good scrap on the day of the actual battle.

Musical Box got the furthest behind German lines because Whippets are very fast, rather than the big heavy tanks. They famously took out a four-gun battery to support the Australians and really made a hole in the (enemy) line.

(PA Graphics)

The 55-year-old this week with husband Nigel, 62, plans to retrace the tanks journey during the battle.

She added: Eventually they ended up so far ahead of any of the other troops, they literally kept forging ahead, forging ahead.

They had petrol cans on the roof of the tank and they got punctured and the petrol ran inside and the fumes created ignited. They all bailed out on fire, the driver got shot and my grandfather and the commander officer were taken prisoner.

General Sir Chris Deverell, Commander of Joint Forces Command, summed up the day for the nations Armed Forces saying: Not only do we remember those who died and the families who made such sacrifices but we also signal to the existing servicemen and women what they do is recognised by the nation.
Police have defended their decision to shut a railway station while dealing with chaotic queues as people tried to get a train home from Brighton Pride.

Revellers complained of being crushed against the gates which were shut at Brighton train station on Saturday night when huge crowds arrived after Britney Spears finished her headline performance at the festival.

Sussex Police previously denied being behind the decision to close the gates, which was criticised online by those caught up in the queues.

We have released a joint statement with our colleagues @BTP around the overcrowding issues at #BrightonRailwayStation following #Pride2018. Read all about it here.https://t.co/uiiwNfzdAS  Sussex Police (@sussex_police) August 8, 2018

On Monday, a force statement said: The Sussex Police command team for the operation did not request that the gates at the station be shut.

During the planning of the event we made it clear that there needed to be a robust plan at the station and good transport arrangements. This was the responsibility of other partners to arrange.

But in a joint statement on Wednesday from the forces assistance chief constable Steve Barry and British Transport Polices assistant chief constable Charlie Doyle, it was confirmed officers did make the decision, but it was necessary to keep everyone safe.

The statement said: Just after 11pm, a British Transport Police officer asked a Sussex Police officer to go to the front of the station to make an assessment on the number of people arriving.

A decision was quickly made by the Sussex Police officer to close the gates, and with the support of station staff, the station was temporarily closed.

Police later admitted they closed the gates on safety grounds (@JevdetOrgen/PA)

This decision was made on safety grounds to allow the safe departure of passengers on trains. Staggered entry was then managed by police until the station re-opened fully just after midnight.

Safety is our main priority and this decision was necessary in order to prevent further harm coming to passengers and staff within the station.

We understand this decision resulted in people being delayed in getting home, but it was essential to prevent a dangerous situation from escalating.

The latest statement also highlighted problems with a lack of trains and the queuing system, adding: It was evident that the queuing system at the station was unable to cope with the number of people, resulting in potentially dangerous overcrowding on the concourse and platforms.

Thousands of people took part in the Brighton Pride parade (Flora Thompson/PA)

This was compounded by the availability of trains at the relevant time.

Earlier in the week, event organisers said they were appalled to see attendees stranded because of insufficient train services and expressed disappointment with train operators as pictures surfaced showing hundreds of people waiting to try and get onto the platforms.

Southern Railway said measures were put in place following concerns of overcrowding, having earlier warned that the station could be closed at short notice.

The incident prompted Brighton and Hove City Council to open up the Brighton Centre conference and concert venue for anyone needing somewhere to stay while waiting for a train. Many gave up trying to travel and were said to have slept on the beach instead.

The police forces thanked members of the public for their understanding and patience. Lessons would be learned and plans would be reviewed for the future, they said.
A senior Zimbabwean opposition politician was briefly arrested while trying to cross into Zambia, lawyers said.

Tendai Biti, who was finance minister in an uneasy coalition government from 2009 to 2013, is a leading member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

His brief arrest came amid increasing concerns over a government crackdown after last weeks disputed presidential election.

The arrest, after scenes of the military opening fire in the streets of the capital and growing opposition claims of harassment, further challenged the Zimbabwe presidents assertions of a flowering of democracy in the months after long-time leader Robert Mugabe stepped down under military pressure.

Lawyer Denford Halimani said details were not immediately clear on the circumstances around Mr Bitis release but confirmed that he was on Zambian soil and seeking asylum on an urgent basis.

The MDC has denounced the election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as fraudulent and vowed to challenge it in court this week.

Zimbabwes main opposition party says President Emmerson Mnangagwa won the election fraudulently (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Last week Mr Biti declared, before official election results were announced early on Friday, that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won,

In a normal country Chamisa would be sworn in right now, Mr Biti told reporters a day after the election.

Mr Chamisa also declared victory.

God truly is in it . History has been made .  TENDAI BITI (@BitiTendai) July 31, 2018

Im UNSHAKEN & UNMOVED. By Gods grace we WON. Gods promises are sure & true. Get ready to behold the NEW. Change is coming! Im fortified by Job 19:25..For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth.#Godisinit.  nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 5, 2018

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has said it is illegal to announce results before its own official announcement.

Mr Mnangagwa was more restrained during the vote count, saying only that the situation looked positive. However, some reporting in state-run media declared him the winner before the official results were out.

A week ago, Zimbabwe went to vote in the spirit of hope & freedom. The campaign & voting were blessed by the entire world. The final results were in line with polling & identical to the tallies of ZESN & other foreign monitors. A free, fair & credible election (1/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 7, 2018

The violence that followed was regrettable & tragic. There is no place for violence in our society, and allegations of further incidents concern us all. Any claim supported by evidence will be examined and investigations are underway as we seek truth & justice (2/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 7, 2018

We have much to learn from this seminal week in our history. Recommendations from the international community are welcome and will be implemented. Transparency and accountability remain paramount. And despite the naysayers, in this new Zimbabwe, freedom will reign (3/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 7, 2018

The opposition has seven days from the announcement of the official election results to file a court challenge.

Mr Chamisas lawyer Thabani Mpofu told reporters on Wednesday they will file the challenge in time. That would push back an inauguration that Mr Mnangagwas administration already had planned for Sunday.

Mr Biti was named along with Mr Chamisa in a search warrant issued last week that said they and several others were suspected of the crimes of possession of dangerous weapons and subversive material as well as public violence, according to a copy of the warrant seen by The Associated Press.

Police raided the opposition party headquarters a day after the military rolled into the capital, Harare, and dispersed protesting opposition supporters with gunfire.

The supporters were angry over the announcement that the ruling party had won a majority of seats in parliament and some were rioting. Six people were killed, including a woman vendor who was shot in the back.

We condemn the murders of compatriots, Mr Biti said on Twitter that day; he has been silent ever since. We call for restraint.
Conservatives have set out an ambition for women to make up half of its list of approved candidates for Westminster elections.

The 50 per cent figure was announced by party chairman Brandon Lewis, who said that the party needed to 'do more' to make sure its gender balance better reflects the society it seeks to represent.

Women currently make up 21 per cent of Conservative MPs, compared to 45 per cent for Labour.

Party Chairman Brandon Lewis says the Conservatives must better reflect the society that they wish to represent

A proposal last year by the Commons Women and Equalities Committee to set a 45 per cent female representation target for Parliament and local councils was rejected by the Government.

Mr Lewis made clear he was not imposing a quota or target or the introduction of all-female shortlists, and said that local Conservative Associations would continue to have the final say in selections.

But he said in a speech: 'We need the best people in our Parliament and in our party, representing their communities up and down the country. We will not achieve this if women are excluded and if their voices are not heard.

'Right now, around 30 per cent of those on our approved candidates list are women. This is not enough. That's why I am setting out an ambition here today  to have women make up 50 per cent of our candidates list.

'This is not an easy ambition. But we have a duty to achieve it and I will personally work tirelessly to make this a reality.'

Women MPs elected at UK general elections

Mr Lewis was criticised recently for breaking a pairing arrangement with Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson, who was unable to take part in a crunch Brexit vote because she was on maternity leave.

He repeated his apology to Ms Swinson for what he said was a 'mistake', and insisted that he did not know at the time that he had been paired with her, in an arrangement between the parties to cancel out the impact of MPs being unavoidably absent.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Mr Lewis made clear Tories were not following Labour's lead in operating all-women shortlists for candidates.

'In terms of quotas and shortlists, I think that just masks the underlying problems within organisations,' he said. 'We need to change the culture across our political landscape, get that systemic change, not just a short-term fix.'

Mr Lewis said that two out of the three Conservative candidates selected so far for the general election expected in 2022 have been women.

'This is a promising start,' he said. 'But in order to reach our ambition, we need to have a wider strategy.'

He promised further action to 'level the playing field' between male and female candidates.

The UKs first female prime minster was Conservative Margaret Thatcher in 1979

'We now require association selection panels to reflect their local areas  including gender balance  to help ensure that at every stage women are treated fairly and equally,' he said.

The party has commissioned research to examine why women do not put themselves forward as candidates, which will be used 'to take action to break down barriers wherever they exist, and provide the practical steps to overcome them'.

Conservative councils will be encouraged to offer better paternity and maternity policies, a new Young Women's Network will be established and the party will provide mentoring and shadowing opportunities to women considering standing for election.

Mr Lewis's announcement was welcomed by women's rights pressure group the Fawcett Society.

But the society's chief executive, Sam Smethers, added: 'The challenge now is how they roll this out at constituency level, address attitudinal and procedural barriers and get those women into winnable seats.

'The Conservative Party chairman has today also committed to introducing maternity, paternity and parental leave policies for councillors in Conservative-run councils.

'We know that just four per cent of councils in England and Wales have policies in place. This is something that Fawcett has been calling for.'

Ben Wilson, executive director at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, welcomed the Tory move as 'a positive step towards achieving gender equality in politics and ensuring that women's voices and experiences are included in the democratic process'.

Mr Wilson added: 'To bring about real change, the Government must identify and remove barriers to women's participation in politics including the intimidation of female parliamentarians and issues around parental leave and flexible working.

'We repeat our call for mandatory reporting on parliamentary candidate diversity data for political parties.'
A petition which could unseat North Antrim MP Ian Paisley has opened.

The senior Democratic Unionist was suspended from the Commons for 30 sitting days over his failure to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan Government.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Paisley could become the first MP to lose his seat under legislation introduced by the former coalition government following the Westminster expenses scandal, although the DUP has a massive majority in North Antrim.

Should 10% of the electorate, or 7,543 people, sign the petition, then a by-election will be held and Mr Paisley is currently suspended from the DUP pending a party investigation.

Sinn Fein Stormont Assembly member Philip McGuigan said the Ian Paisley recall petition was an issue of public integrity. pic.twitter.com/1JEuarGyIC  michael mchugh (@mmchugh02) August 8, 2018

If he loses the backing of Northern Irelands largest unionist party, his prospects for re-election would be damaged.

Sinn Feins Stormont Assembly member Philip McGuigan said: This is an issue of integrity in Government, it is not an orange and green issue.

This is not even about nationalism versus unionism.

This is an issue about trust in your politicians that they will do their jobs with integrity.

In March 2014, Mr Paisley lobbied the then prime minister David Cameron against a proposed United Nations resolution to investigate alleged human rights abuses during a civil war on the Indian Ocean island without disclosing his financial benefit.

Mr Paisley has already apologised for what he said was his unintentional failure to register the hospitality.

He has vowed to fight any by-election campaign.

Three petition centres were opened across North Antrim but Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann has criticised the Electoral Offices limited provision.

He said: The Ulster Unionist Party will not register as campaigner during the recall petition, but we would encourage any North Antrim electors who think what Ian Paisley did was wrong to sign the petition and allow the entire North Antrim electorate to have their say.

He added: I believe the findings of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards are so serious and go to such an extent that the only option is for a by-election to be called.

The petition can be signed at centres in Ballymena, Ballymoney and Ballycastle.

The Electoral Office is running the petition process and those signing have to produce a driving licence, UK or Irish passport, electoral identity card or bus or rail pass.

The DUPs 10 pro-Brexit MPs are crucial allies of Prime Minister Theresa Mays minority Government.

The recall petition will be open for signing for six weeks.

Signage for the recall petition which opened at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney

Mr Paisley has been MP for the constituency since 2010, following in the footsteps of his father and DUP founder Ian Paisley.
A man who was arrested over the murder of Raymond Johnston in Belfast earlier this year has been released unconditionally.

Mr Johnston, 28, died after being shot at a house in Glenbawn Avenue in the west of the city just before 8pm on Tuesday February 13.

His partner and her 11-year-old child were in the house at the time.

Raymond Johnston was shot at his house in Glenbawn Avenue, west Belfast (PSNI/PA)

In June, police said he was shot by dissident republican group Arm na Poblachta.

A 41-year-old man was arrested under the Terrorism Act on Tuesday in the Poleglass area by detectives investigating Mr Johnstons murder.

On Thursday a PSNI spokesman said the man has been released unconditionally.

He will however be reported to the Public Prosecution Service for a number of unrelated offences.
The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for its use of a nerve agent in an attempt to kill a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK.

The State Department said the sanctions will be imposed on Russia because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law.

The State Department just announced that the U.S. has determined Russia violated the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act by poisoning former Russian spy & his daughter. Sanctions will go into effect later this month. pic.twitter.com/ektEkEi8mZ  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 8, 2018

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, in Salisbury in March.

Yulia Skripal was contaminated with the nerve agent Novichok along with her father Sergei Skripal (Dylan Martinez/PA)

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poisoned by the substance.

Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions will take effect on or around August 22, according to a statement from the State Department.
Theresa May has stepped up her efforts to win over Conservative members to her Brexit proposals, with a letter insisting her Chequers plan does not represent a concession to Brussels.

In the letter, sent to Tory members around the country, Mrs May acknowledged that last months Brexit White Paper had provoked strong feelings within the party.

But she insisted the proposals will honour the result of the 2016 referendum and set the UK on course for a productive relationship with the remaining 27-member EU.

The letter, obtained by the ConservativeHome website, came as it emerged Mrs May is considering calling a top-level summit of Cabinet ministers early in September as part of the process of stepping up preparations for a possible no-deal Brexit.

A slew of polls taken since the Cabinet summit in Chequers suggest unhappiness among large swathes of Tory members with Mrs Mays plans, with many preferring the no-deal option.

The PM has already attempted to allay concerns by inviting Conservative Association chairs to Downing Street and taking part in a conference call to discuss her plans.

Theresa May secured support for her Brexit plans at a Cabinet summit in Chequers last month (Joel Rouse/Crown Copyright)

In her letter, Mrs May recognised Tory concerns that her proposal for a common rulebook with the EU on goods would stop the UK doing trade deals, but insisted this is not the case  and I would not be proposing it if it would.

Mrs May said talks with the EU had reached an impasse, as both of the options on offer from Brussels  a standard free trade agreement or an EEA-style customs union  were not acceptable to me or to the United Kingdom.

The only way to break the deadlock was to get the EU to consider a third option, but they will only do that if we put forward proposals they find credible, she said.

She said getting a good deal would require pragmatism and compromise from both sides.

But she insisted: This vision for our future relationship with the EU will be very challenging for the EU  it is in no sense a concession to their demands.

I have been very clear that we are rejecting the two models they have put forward. Instead, we are asking them to accept a bespoke model which meets the unique requirements of the United Kingdom.

The letter included messages of support for the Chequers plan from leading Leave-backing ministers Liam Fox, Michael Gove, Dominic Raab and Andrea Leadsom, as well as Chancellor Philip Hammond, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and party chairman Brandon Lewis.
Britain has welcomed new US sanctions on Russia in response to the nerve agent attack on a former spy in Salisbury.

The US State Department issued a formal determination that Russia violated international law by poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Novichok in the Wiltshire town in March.

The decision triggers new sanctions expected to come into effect on or around August 22 following a 15-day Congressional notification period.

The US has already expelled dozens of Russian diplomats after agreeing with the UKs assessment that Moscow was highly likely to have been responsible for the attack. The Kremlin vehemently denies involvement.

According to US media reports, the new measures include a ban on granting licenses to export sensitive national security goods to Russia.

A second round  kicking in three months later unless Russia provides reliable assurances it will not use chemical weapons again and agrees to UN inspections  could include downgrading diplomatic relations, suspending flights to the US by state airline Aeroflot and cutting off many exports and imports.

The Salisbury home of Sergei Skripal, where he is believed to have come into contact with the deadly nerve agent Novichok (Ben Mitchell/PA)

A Downing Street spokesman said: The UK welcomes this further action by our US allies.

The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged.

In a statement setting out the new US action, the State Department said: Following the use of a Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on August 6, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018.

Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with Novichok believed to have been discarded by the Skripals attackers. (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Russia has also been blamed for the death of 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess and the poisoning of her partner Charlie Rowley, who are believed to have come into contact with Novichok discarded by the Skripals attackers.
Giant panda Fu Ban (L) and its mother Yang Yang are seen with gift packages at the Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria, on Aug. 7, 2018. The twin pandas Fu Feng and Fu Ban celebrated their second birthday party with their mother on Tuesday by receiving birthday gifts, packages of potatoes, carrots and special bamboo shoots. (Xinhua/Liu Xiang)

VIENNA, Aug. 7 -- The twin pandas Fu Feng and Fu Ban celebrated their second birthday party with their mother on Tuesday by receiving birthday gifts, packages of potatoes, carrots and special bamboo shoots.

The mother, Yang Yang, opened the gift packages first and then joined by Fu Ban, the brother, who was more curious, while the sister Fu Feng was a bit shy, said a panda keeper, adding the whole family is in good health condition.

"The twin pandas are both very playful, the female is a bit shy and the boy is more curious, easy to be attracted by new things," a keeper told Xinhua, noting "they also still drink milk from the mother Yang Yang." The twins are also eating bamboos, she added.

The twins were born in the summer of 2016. The cubs' father Long Hui died of tumor in December 2016. Yang Yang and Long Hui arrived in Austria in 2003 and they managed to breed five giant pandas naturally at the Schonbrunn Zoo.

In Europe, most pandas are bred through artificial insemination.

Under the contract signed between China and Austria, the offspring of Yang Yang and Long Hui should be returned to China after two years old. However, due to the hot summer, the twins are supposed to leave for China in autumn, a bit late than expected.

The other three offspring of the panda couple, Fu Long, Fu Hu and Fu Bao, which mean lucky Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard respectively, were returned to China after two years old, an age the cubs in the wild should leave their mother.

Since the twins are still with the mother, the zoo currently has no plan to find a stepfather for the cubs.

"We hope that after the twins have left soon we will get a new male and we also hope Yang Yang will have other offspring in the future," the panda keeper said.

The giant pandas are the most famous symbol of the Schonbrunn Zoo which attracts a large number of visitors every year.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has been criticised over a speech in which he described Israeli attacks on Gaza as attempted genocide.

But the Labour MP made clear he would not back down from his comments, releasing a statement which said he takes pride in his record of condemning brutality against Palestinians.

The row came amid continuing controversy over Labours position on anti-Semitism, with the Jewish News reporting that Momentum founder Jon Lansman had been lobbying the partys leadership for weeks to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition in full.

File photo dated 10/02/18 of Shadow chancellor John McDonnell (Yui Mok/PA)

Sources close to Mr Lansman  whose movement has been strongly supportive of Jeremy Corbyn  told the paper he regretted that the Labour leader had not offered a firm commitment to adopt in full the definition and its list of examples of anti-Semitic behaviour.

Mr McDonnells comments, in a speech in 2012, were highlighted by the Daily Telegraph, which also drew attention to his 2016 appearance on a platform alongside activist Jackie Walker, who was suspended by Labour for alleged anti-Semitism.

Speaking to a Unite the Resistance event at a time of intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza enclave, Mr McDonnell said: Its absolutely critical now that we use every platform we can to expose whats going on, which is effectively an attempt at genocide against the Palestinians.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, told the paper his remarks were not only inaccurate, but irresponsible and deeply offensive.

Mr McDonnell accused the Telegraph of doing a number on him.

Telegraph doing number on me about 2012 speech.Our response:John takes pride in & stands by his track record of forcefully & justifiably condemning brutal attacks on the Palestinian men,women &children of Gaza &will always stand up for victims of such disproportionate violence.  John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) August 8, 2018

He released a statement saying: Our response: John takes pride in and stands by his track record of forcefully and justifiably condemning brutal attacks on the Palestinian men, women and children of Gaza and will always stand up for victims of such disproportionate violence.
By Camillus Eboh and Felix Onuah

ABUJA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Nigeria's security forces stopped lawmakers entering parliament on Tuesday in a blockade seen by the opposition as a bid to intimidate its leaders, but the presidency condemned the move and the acting president fired the head of the security agency.

It is the first such incident since Nigeria became a democracy in 1999 and coincides with increased tension between the National Assembly and the executive ahead of an election in February 2019 when President Muhammadu Buhari will seek a second term.

For some, it revived memories of the decades when the military and security forces held sway over politics in a country that has one of Africa's largest economies.

Armed men wearing the black uniform of the Department of State Security (DSS) stood at the gates of the building in the capital Abuja and were later joined by police officers blocking entry for up to an hour, witnesses said.

Images of the incident were shared widely on social media. The motive for the blockade was not immediately clear.

But a spokesman for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said in a statement that the DSS director general, Lawal Musa Daura, had been fired. Osinbajo is acting president for Buhari, who last week left for a 10-day holiday in Britain.

"The unlawful act, which was done without the knowledge of the presidency, is condemnable and completely unacceptable," said a separate statement issued later by Osinbajo's office.

It described the move as an "unauthorised takeover of the National Assembly complex" which was "a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order".

The statement gave no reason for Daura's dismissal. The presidency later said Matthew B. Seiyefa, the most senior director in the DSS, will act as director general until further notice.

DEFECTION

The blockade followed the defection of around 50 lawmakers from Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party to the main opposition in the last few weeks. These included the country's third most senior elected official, Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The defections cost the APC its Senate majority and present a challenge to Buhari's re-election bid because most of those who left joined the opposition People's Democratic Party which ruled Nigeria from 1999 until Buhari took office in May 2015.

Saraki's supporters said the blockade was part of a plan to impeach and replace him. Parliament went on recess last week until Sept. 25 but meetings were to be held on Tuesday.

"We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the National Assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible," said Saraki in a tweet.

After the blockade, Saraki's supporters greeted him with chanting in the parliament building.

"The presidency's sack of Daura was a damage-control stunt and a knee-jerk gimmick which came as a response to the national and international outcry against the armed invasion of our legislature," said a PDP statement.

The ruling party said attempts to blame its leaders for Tuesday's blockade were "false allegations" and "mischievous".

"The use of armed security agents to force political outcomes does not bode well for the February 2019 general election," said Malte Liewerscheidt, vice president at Teneo Intelligence, in a note. (Additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram and Chijioke Ohuocha in LagosWriting by Alexis AkwagyiramEditing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
By Ricardo Brito and Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A Brazilian federal appeals court judge on Tuesday overturned a ruling barring Venezuelan immigrants fleeing economic and political turmoil from entering the country, the Solicitor General's office, which had made the appeal, said.

On Sunday, a federal judge in the northern state of Roraima ordered the border closed until the state could create "humanitarian" conditions to receive a massive influx of Venezuelans, who have overwhelmed state social services and caused a growing humanitarian crisis.

Appeals court judge Kassio Marques acknowledged "grave violations of the public and judicial order," but overturned the lower court's ruling. He said the closure would not help to improve humanitarian conditions for Venezuelans fleeing their country, as the federal prosecutors and public defenders offices who brought the case had argued.

The Brasilia-based judge's decision was cited in a statement by the Solicitor General's office.

The federal police said on Tuesday that it never actually closed the frontier but had begun preparations for shutting it on Monday.

"Those measures were promptly suspended this morning, in the wake of the new judicial decision ... and the normal flow of Venezuelan immigrants was re-established," the federal police said in a statement.

A state government official in Roraima said that although the federal police never closed the border, officers did momentarily stop Venezuelans entering.

"They only let pass those who had been granted asylum, residency or could prove they has passage out of the country," the official told Reuters. "There was even a little protest."

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) welcomed the Brazilian judiciary's decision.

Nearly 33,000 Venezuelans had asked for asylum in Brazil as of April 30, while another 25,000 had entered the country by other means, including humanitarian visas, labor and migration visas, UNHCR spokesman William Spindler told reporters in Geneva.

"In 2018, the number of asylum seekers from Venezuela is already larger than for the whole of 2017," he said.

Venezuela is in the grip of a severe economic crisis, with people going short of food, medicines and other essentials, and periodic waves of protests against the country's leftist president, Nicolas Maduro.

In appealing Sunday's ruling, the Solicitor General's office said closing the border in Roraima would likely do little to stem the flow of Venezuelans, as the border is so extensive.

The Brazilian Air Force began flying Venezuelan immigrants in Roraima to other cities of Brazil in May and has so far flown more than 800 Venezuelans out of Boa Vista, the state capital. (Additional reporting by Staphanie Nebehay in Geneva Writing by Gabriel Stargardter Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Marianna Parraga and Mircely Guanipa

HOUSTON/PUNTO FIJO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has limited the damage from an unprecedented slump in crude exports by transferring oil between tankers at sea and loading vessels in neighboring Cuba to avoid asset seizures.

But the OPEC member nation is still fulfilling less than 60 percent of its obligations under supply deals with customers.

Venezuela has been pumping oil this year at the lowest rate in three decades after years of underinvestment and a mass exodus of workers. The state-run firm's collapse has left the country short of cash to fund its embattled socialist government and triggered an economic crisis.

PDVSA's problems were compounded in May when U.S. oil firm ConocoPhillips began seizing PDVSA assets in the Caribbean as payment for a $2 billion arbitration award. An arbitration panel at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ordered PDVSA to pay the cash to compensate Conoco for expropriating the firm's Venezuelan assets in 2007.

The seizures left PDVSA without access to facilities such as Isla refinery in Curacao and BOPEC terminal in Bonaire that accounted for almost a quarter of the company's oil exports.

Conoco's actions also forced PDVSA to stop shipping oil on its own vessels to terminals in the Caribbean, and then onto refineries worldwide, to avoid the risk the cargoes would be seized in international waters or foreign ports.

Instead, PDVSA asked customers to charter tankers to Venezuelan waters and load from the company's own terminals or from anchored PDVSA vessels acting as floating storage units.

The state-run company told some clients in early June it might impose force majeure, a temporary suspension of export contracts, unless they agreed to such ship-to-ship transfers.

PDVSA also requested the customers stop sending vessels to its terminals until it could load those that were already clogging Venezuela's coastline.

Initially, customers were reluctant to undertake the transfers because of costs, safety concerns and the need for specialist equipment and experienced crew.

But PDVSA has managed to export about 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil since early July, up from just 765,000 bpd in the first half of June, according to Thomson Reuters data and internal PDVSA shipping data seen by Reuters.

That was still 59 percent of the country's 2.19 million bpd in contractual obligations to customers for that period, and some vessels are still waiting for weeks in Venezuelan waters to load oil.

There were about two dozen tankers waiting this week to load over 22 million barrels of crude and refined products at the country's largest ports, according to Reuters data.

"We are not tied to one option or a single loading terminal," PDVSA President Manuel Quevedo said on Tuesday of the company's exports. "We have several (terminals) in our country and we have some in the Caribbean, which of course facilitate crude shipping to fulfill our supply contracts."

CUBAN CONNECTION

PDVSA has also used a route through Cuba to ease the impact of the Conoco seizures. That route is for fuel rather than crude.

The Venezuelan company has used a terminal at the port of Matanzas as a conduit mostly for exporting fuel oil, according to two people familiar with the operations and Thomson Reuters shipping data. Venezuela's fuel oil is burned in some countries to generate electricity.

Two tankers set sail from the Matanzas terminal for Singapore between mid-May and early July, Reuters data showed. Each ship carried around 500,000 barrels of Venezuelan fuel, Reuters data shows.

In recent months, Venezuela has been shipping fuel to Matanzas in small batches, according to the data.

PDVSA and Cuba's state-run oil firm Cupet have used Matanzas to store Venezuelan crude and fuel in the past but exports from the terminal to Asian destinations are rare.

That is in part because vessels that use Cuban ports cannot subsequently dock in the United States due to the U.S. commercial embargo on Cuba.

Cupet did not respond to requests for comment.

PDVSA has also used ship-to-ship transfers to fulfill an unusual supply contract it has with Cuba's Cienfuegos refinery.

The refinery dates from the 1980s - when Cuba was a close ally of the Soviet Union during the Cold War - and the facility was built to process Russian crude.

PDVSA typically uses its own or leased tankers to bring Russian crude from storage in the nearby Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao to Cienfuegos. But it is now discharging the imported Russian oil at sea in Cayman Islands' waters via these seaborne transfers.

ConocoPhillips last month ratcheted up its collection efforts by moving to depose officials from Citgo Petroleum, PDVSA's U.S. refining arm, arguing it had improperly claimed ownership of some PDVSA cargoes.

Citgo did not respond to requests for comment.

ConocoPhillips is also preparing new legal actions to get Caribbean courts to recognize its International Chamber of Commerce arbitration award. If it succeeds in those efforts, it would be able to sell the assets to help satisfy the ruling. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston and Mircely Guanipa in Punto Fijo, Venezuela; additional reporting by Marc Frank in Havana Editing by Simon Webb and Brian Thevenot)
By Henning Gloystein and Jessica Jaganathan

SINGAPORE, Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China in July fell to their lowest level in a year and are expected to decline further as the Sino-U.S. trade dispute forces utilities to seek alternative supplies.

In an escalating trade dispute, China last week said it may slap a 25 percent import tariff on U.S. LNG supplies in retaliation to a raft of duties on Chinese goods that U.S. President Donald Trump has announced since June.

"The import tax will make U.S. exports of LNG uncompetitive," energy research group Bernstein said in a note this week.

Traders said Chinese buyers were already seeking alternatives.

"The Chinese are already indicating that they would prefer not to take U.S. cargoes for any new spot deals," said a Singapore-based energy trader who deals with Chinese LNG importers.

He declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak publicly about commercial operations.

The main beneficiaries of this shift are producers in the Asia/Pacific region, who have been quick to snatch market share from the United States since the trade disputes broke out in June.

"Short-term, alternative volumes could come from many other projects including the more proximate Australian, Papua New Guinean (PNG) and Qatari projects which have some flexible volumes," said Saul Kavonic, Director of Asia/Pacific Markets and head of energy research for Australia at Credit Suisse.

Shipping data shows that U.S. LNG sales to China have already slumped from almost 400,000 tonnes in May to just 130,000 tonnes in July, while supplies from Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia and Papua New Guinea have increased.

U.S. LNG exports only started in 2015, and sales to China were a booming business opportunity for the American natural gas industry. They were also a convenient tool to reduce the American trade deficit with China.

Analysts said U.S. LNG sellers such as Cheniere would still be able to find a home for its supplies, including in Europe.

Still, they warned that the spat with China could stall planned future U.S. export projects that were hoping to sell into China.

"While Chinese tariffs will not halt the United States's rise to be among the world's top-3 largest LNG exporters, they could slow or stop the progress of some projects... reducing the overall weighting of U.S. LNG in the global LNG mix over the next decade," said Credit Suisse's Kavonic.

(Reporting by Henning Gloystein and Jessica Jaganathan Editing by Eric Meijer)
By Stephanie Kelly

NEW YORK, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Oil prices slid about 3 percent on Wednesday as a trade dispute between the United States and China escalated further and after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in energy demand.

Brent crude futures fell $2.37 to settle at $72.28 a barrel, a 3.17 percent loss.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $2.23 to settle at $66.94 a barrel, a 3.22 percent loss. The session low of $66.32 was the lowest since June 22.

China is slapping additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports, from fuel and steel products to autos and medical equipment.

The escalating trade war has rattled global markets. Investors fear a potential slowdown of the world's two largest economies would slash demand for commodities.

"The U.S.-China trade war is set to worsen, and its impact on oil prices will be gradual as the situation develops," said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energy in London. "Crude oil and refined products affected by additional duties will reduce their competitiveness in the Chinese market."

China's crude imports recovered slightly in July after two straight monthly declines, but remained low due to a drop-off in demand from smaller independent refineries.

Shipments into the world's biggest importer of crude last month rose to 8.48 million barrels per day from 8.18 million bpd a year earlier and June's 8.36 million bpd, customs data showed. However, July imports were still the third lowest so far this year.

Also weighing on prices, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that crude inventories fell just 1.4 million barrels in the latest week, less than half the 3.3 million-barrel draw analysts had expected.

Gasoline stocks notched a surprise rise of 2.9 million barrels, not the 1.7 million-barrel drop analysts had predicted in a Reuters poll.

"Overbearing product builds are weighing on the entire energy complex," said Anthony Headrick, energy market analyst at brokerage firm CHS Hedging LLC.

Prices drew some support from U.S. sanctions against Iran, introduced Tuesday in a range of sectors. From November, Washington will target the petroleum sector in Iran, the No. 3 producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

An Iranian newspaper reported that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said a U.S. plan to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero will not succeed.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York, Henning Gloystein in Singapore, and Dmitry Zhdannikov and Amanda Cooper in London; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Lisa Shumaker)
Chief Legal Officer  Preeni Koralege handing over the donation to the Mr & Mrs Rajapaksha alongside with Chief Financial Officer  Ali Wahid, Vice President Retail Banking and Marketing  Siddeeque Akbar, Manager Card Business and Value Added Services  Sanjeewa Fonseka and Manager Quality Assurance - Sahan Wickramasinghe.

Amana Banks CSR focuses attention on children especially in the areas of education and health. Amana bank recently stepped forward to help a fourteen year old Thalassemia Major patient Hasini Imasha Rajapaksha, who is the only child of Retired Sri Lankan Army Soldier Mr. R Maruna Krishantha Rajapaksha.

When Amana Bank got to know via media about Hasini, who waited 13 years to find a matching bone marrow, Amana Bank came forward to bridge the full balance payment required to settle the surgery and hospitalization charges within a few days. When the bank approached them in their financial call, Hasinis father said Webegan treatment when she was just eight months old and I have been fighting really hard to raise funds while also serving my country. I am thankful for Amana Bank for coming forward to support my family during this hour of need. In addition Amana Bank has offered financial assistance for post-surgery treatment to facilitate complete cure, which is still a daunting challenge for the parents.

Commenting on this initiative, Amana Banks Vice President Retail Banking and Marketing Siddeeque Akbar said when we heard of the status of Hasinis surgery, we wanted to come forward and help her and her parents to overcome the situation they were facing.We are happy that Hasini is on her way towards a stable recovery, and appreciate the untiring effort of her parents in curing her illness.We are so honoured to be involve in this contribution supporting the family of a retired war hero.

Amana Bank PLC is a stand-alone institution licensed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with Jeddah based IDB Group being the principal shareholder having a 29.97% stake of the Bank. The IDB Group is a AAA rated multilateral development financial institution with an authorized capital base of over USD 150 Billion which has a membership of 57 countries. Fitch Ratings, in June 2018, affirmed Amana Banks National Long Term Rating of BB(lka) while upgrading its outlook to Positive from Stable. Amana Bank does not have any subsidiaries, associates or affiliated institutions representing the Bank.
First-ever Child Protection Unit inaugurated at Ragama Police Station

We refer to children as the future generation. Therefore we say that they need to be nurtured under the proper environment to become better citizens. While all this is being said and in most instances done at the higher strata in society, the children at lower strata, who also falls into the future generation category, treads on an entirely different path. For most of them, abuse, incest, violence and rape are common occurrences. Childhood trauma is one of the causes of depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders in the long run. In Sri Lanka, although there is an established department of Police for people to make their complaints, seeking the assistance of law enforcement officers may not be a pleasant experience at times. Identifying the need to establish a friendly environment for children to demand their rights, the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan was working on an idea presented to them in 2015. The result was the newly established Child Protection Unit at the Ragama Police Station. This unit was established largely due to the collective effort of its members, donors, well-wishers, Sri Lanka Police and the Ministry of Public Administration, Law and Order.

Child Protection Unit

Built at a cost summing up to Rs. 10 million, the Child Protection Unit is furnished with modern equipment. Designed under careful supervision and attention to detail, the interior of the Unit appears to be more like a pre-school. The Unit consists of five rooms which serve different purposes. The child or the victim visits this place in shock, pain and grief. Hence the environment, including the officials working at the Unit should ensure that the child doesnt experience more pain and mental suffering. Hence the Unit comprises the following areas :

Rest room : As soon as the child enters the premises, the Rest room is on the right. As its name suggests, the child is allowed to rest here for a while, playing with toys and getting used to the environment before he or she is taken in for interrogation.

Interview room : The Interview room is on the left side of the premises and is equipped with two tables and seats, similarly to those at montessories. This is to make sure that the Police officer who is conducting the interrogation is seated at the same level as the child. This way the child feels even more comfortable to talk and speak out. This room is equipped with a recorder and a

one-sided mirror.

Observation room : This room adjoins the Interview room and it is from here that the Officer-In-Charge observes the proceedings that take place at the Interview room. The observation room is equipped with all recording equipment.

OICs room : This room is for the OIC to occupy and is equipped with an attached bathroom and other office furniture. It has been requested that a female officer takes this position.

Office room : This is where all the ground work is done once a child makes a visit and a complaint is made.

A beacon of hope for children who have experienced abuse

Addressing the gathering Project Chairperson and Past President Kumar Mirchandani said that the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan has always worked for the benefit of the children. We therefore want this Child Protection Unit to be a beacon of hope for children who have suffered from violence and been abused. Through this initiative we also hope that the Police will be able to totally banish crimes against children.

We want this Child Protection Unit to be a beacon of hope for children who have suffered from violence - Kumar Mirchandani

This idea was initiated back in 2015 when Yasantha Kodagoda mooted the idea to one of our club members. She picked up the project and initiated it while the rest at the club offered their fullest cooperation. We had several fundraisers and under the continued guidance of Yasantha himself, the Club was able to pull it off. I also like to thank all the donors and well-wishers who stood by us to make this dream a reality.said Mirchandan.

This Unit should empower children to speak out for their rights

In his comments, Immediate Past President Rukshan Perera said that the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan mainly focuses on children and their well-being. This is the biggest project we have carried out ever and although it was challenging, the team challenged the unchallengeable. But this building is just the beginning.

We want to ensure that this Unit will empower children to speak for their own rights, educate them on what their rights are and give them confidence - Rukshan Perera

We want to ensure that this Unit will empower children to speak for their own rights, educate them on what their rights are and give them the confidence to go out and speak for themselves without fear. We look forward to the day that children will be able to speak fearlessly and confront the perpetrators, said Perera.

Delay in legal process and re-victimisation

It is quite a tedious process to file a case with the existing legal process in Sri Lanka. Even after a case is filed it would take a long time before a verdict is given. In most instances, because either party has given up on the hearing process, the cases tend to be dismissed. Therefore, the efficiency of the legal process is always questioned. In his comments, Additional Solicitor General and President Counsel Yasantha Kodagoda said that out of the unfortunate incidents which take place in the world, child abuse is at the forefront. Once a child experiences a crime, he has to face a criminal investigation, a forensic investigation, conditions in which to file a criminal case and the criminal case itself.

According to a survey done in 2015 the conviction rate of child abuse cases at the High Court in Colombo is as high as 80%. This is higher than any other conviction rate in other countries. This is because the Police and the forensic specialists have been able to adhere to their principles and work in a professional manner. This is one result we could be happy about. But there are two negatives which we are also concerned about. One is that a case filed for serious crimes would take up to 10 years and two months to conclude. Even if it concludes producing a verdict the process takes this time. If appealed, the trial itself takes seven to nine years.The second negative factor is re-victimisation. In most instances, a child who has already gone through physical and psychological trauma will be treated inhumanely when taken for questioning. In the absence of properly trained officials and the right environment, there is a tendency for the victim to experience re-victimisation, said Kodagoda.

The launch of this Child Friendly Unit is one step in the right direction. This is the first time a project of this nature was launched and it is not only important to build it, but the senior officials serving it should also be sensitive and work professionally. I hope other service organisations will also take a cue from this initiative and help the Police to curb violence and abuse against children in the best possible way, he said.

Police should be a friendly place for people and children

In his remarks, Minister of Public Administration, Management and Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that as of late the Police has become a dangerous place. But it should be a friendly place for people to come and relate their grievances. It should be a place that encourages a child to come and speak for his or her own rights. I always read the situation report sent by the Police every morning and I have observed that we have to take care of our children at this day and age of increasing crimes.

I always read the situation report sent by the Police every morning and I have observed that we have to take care of our children - Ranjith Madduma Bandara

As a result of using technology, moral values and ethics are on their path to extinction. As elders we have to pave the way for a brighter future when it comes to the younger generation. More than seven to eight cases of violence against children and females are being reported daily and Im sure that the numbers are even higher. Once a child is abused, he or she no longer possesses self-confidence. Therefore it is our duty to help them regain their confidence and face society with courage. The crime rate has reduced between 2014 and 2018 and it needs to reduce further. We see an emerging trend of drug peddling, organised crimes and the emergence of the underworld. Our attention has been diverted onto these cases and we have given all the rights to the Police to put the perpetrators behind bars. We need the continued support of voluntary organisations such as Rotary to ensure that the younger generations have a safe, friendly society to live in. said Bandara.

Such units should be established at all provincial Police stations

Addressing the gathering, Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara said that the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan has set an example to the rest of the voluntary service organisations in the country. Children who have gone through abuse and violence need to be presented with a proper environment in which they are comfortable to relate what they experienced. For this purpose we will include specially trained female officers. The Education Ministry and foreign organisations are supporting the Police in training its officials for programmes and Units such as these.

We live in an era where children are being trapped in a drug menace and orphaned children are exposed to the risk of being involved in various crimes - Pujith Jayasundara

I also have an idea to establish this Unit at all other Police Stations at provincial level as an attempt to curb violence and abuse against children. This is a timely initiative and we need to make maximum use of it. It is indeed an attempt to heal the minds of children who have been tortured. We live in an era where children are being trapped in a drug menace and orphaned children are exposed to the risk of being involved in various crimes. We have introduced special letter boxes to collect complaints by children at various schools. The officials at Community Police Stations are helping children who are not attending school with the necessary equipment and they are also assisting children who cannot afford to attend school. Complaints related to child abuse cases, which are received by other Police stations, will also be referred to this Unit in the near future,said Jayasundara.
Unlike Colombos congested port, Hambantota handles goods including large car carriers, requiring more worker hours (Photo AFP)

Corruption is a luxury cruiser sailing exclusively outside Europe and non-Anglo waters and seems to find a safe harbour only in our parts of the world. So its no surprise a recent New York Times (NYT) article, How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough up a Port, muddies four distinct issues: Mahinda Rajapaksas alleged corruption, Sino-Lanka economic ties, alleged Chinese expansionism and Magampura Ports viability.

The NYT allegations and selective facts are blatant: Their estimates of ship arrivals to Hambantota use 2012 data, rather than the over-10-times higher 2017/18 figures.

With Western and Indian loans not forthcoming, China was invited to step in

Chinas economic rise offers a post-Western-hegemony new multipolar world

Meanwhile, the former Government (now opposition) denies being funded by China, and the present regime (former opposition) denies being under pressure to cough up Magampura Port to China. So where does this all this back-and-forth respiratory rasping leave us? Cough-cough!

We need a historical and geopolitical clearing of the throat here. Lets contextualise Hambantotas erased history of suffering, the counter-hegemonic role played by China in the global economy and Sri Lankas need for industrialisation.

A hasty history of Hambantota  Port of the Sampan

Colombo always misapprehends Hambantota. Take Leonard Woolfs Village in the Jungle where a Colombo capitalist casanova tries to seduce a local married woman, promising to make her husband a gambaraya. Yet Woolf dared not explain how this gambaraya post was created.

500 years of colonial invasion rendered Ruhunas Magampura  Hambantota  desolate, the regions flourishing dry-zone civilization (with vibrant links to Asia and Africa) destroyed, including industries such as ship building.

English wars post-1780s, their massacres of 1818 and 1848, and attendant regional land-grabs, bequeathed scattered and impoverished peasant settlements there by the late 19th century.

The English handed stolen Crown Land to colonial and local absentee landowners for paddy cultivation. These landowners hired on-site managing agents (gambarayas) to exploit local peasants and migrant landless labourers. With moneylenders and merchants also preying on these tenants, who even resorted to hunger renting, capital gushed into parasitic Colombo, and further West.

The 1980 ban on eco-friendly hena cultivation diverted those lands to Western boondoggles, creating even greater impoverishment. Resistance was met with nationwide massacres of at least 60,000 people in the late-1980s, with Hambantota bearing the brunt. This wrought neither cough nor hiccup from the international community.

Origins of the Magampura Port Project

A UNP government once declared, The construction of a seaport at Hambantota is a project of high priority aimed to strengthen  the maritime industry and help Sri Lanka regain its historical position as a maritime hub in South Asia A seaport at Hambantota would improve the economic situation of the southern region, viewed as Sri Lankas poorest region and stimulate the industrial development of the region. The proposed port is viewed as a hub on the Europe-Middle East and Far East shipping corridor and a gateway to the India-Pakistan-Bangladesh sub-continent.

The first practical Hambantota proposal came in a 2002 Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) report, Regaining Sri Lanka: Vision and Strategy for Accelerated Development, with present PM Ranil Wickremesinghes UNP in Government, though SLFPs Chandrika Kumaratunga remained President.

With a planned 2005 launch date, a Canadian government-funded feasibility study was contracted to notorious SNC Lavalin, a Rockefeller-oil-front which spawned the Canadian aid agency CIDA (that also funded feasibility of JRs post-77 accelerated Mahaweli boondoggle).

In 2003, a SLPA-linked ministerial task force reviewed the Lavalin study, declaring it not bankable, and not a full feasibility study. The task force report noted the Grand Master Plan objective to study the entire Hambantota terrains geophysical data was not achieved; while identifying factual errors.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankas Ministry of Ports Development & Development of the South, and the Ports Authority (SLPA), after a 2001 call for tenders, selected and paid Denmarks consultancy firm Ramboll for a new Hamban-Port feasibility study.

With Western and Indian loans not forthcoming, China was invited to step in and construct the port following the Danish reports specifications.

Oceanic ports dont bloom instantly, but require decades to develop hinterland and trade. Unlike Colombos congested port, Hambantota handles goods including large car carriers, requiring more worker hours. Its good for Southern workers  and would get even better if they make and load bikes, 3-wheelers, cars, ships and machinery to be sold here and elsewhere.

Outside our own determination, who could help us enable such a transformation?

Assessing Allies: China & the USA

Imperialist interference in Sri Lanka escalated after our 1948 transit from crown colony to crown dominion. In 1952 the US blocked aid after our Rubber-Rice Pact with China, which US adviser to our Central Bank, Theodore Morgan, called a Military-Political-Economic offensive against the Free World!

Western-backed Big Pharmas sabotage of Senaka Bibiles progressive national pharmaceutical policy is well-known. Less known is the US embassy in Colombos threat of sanctions after the GoSL moved to ban genetically modified food in 2001.

A Caregie Mellon University study analysing data from 117 elections worldwide, found US interference in at least 4 Sri Lankan elections (1956, twice in 1960 and 1965). Wikileaks revealed US Embassy concern about JVP misappropriation of financing for General Sarath Fonsekas presidential bid. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry recently admitted to US spending $585 million to promote democracy in several countries including ours.

As for China, the 1952 Rubber-Rice Pact was signed by a US-allied, avowedly anti-communist UNP Government. It was Sri Lanka that approached China for loans as Western and Indian credit  hungry for short-term projects with quick returns  was not forthcoming. More recently, China agreed to help the hapless Yahapalana Government despite its election on a campaign of racist insults.

Sri Lanka cannot afford to alienate sources of credit alternative to the predatory IMF and World Bank, whose structural adjustments exacerbate the development of underdevelopment. Chinas economic rise offers a post-Western-hegemony new multipolar world, which serves Lankas interests if harnessed strategically.

Hambantota offers an alternative to the dictatorship of Colombos mercantile elite, who believe village idiots dont need modernised facilities

Debt-trap Diplomacy & String of Pearls

The loudest coughing cacophony on Chinas debt-trap diplomacy comes from the Indian Centre of Policy Research, funded by the Indian Government and such US funders as the Bill Gates, Hewletts, Omidyar, Ford, and Asia Foundations (all sellers of overpriced industrial goods and services).

The String of Pearls allegation that China is using civilian facilities to build a chain of Indian Ocean naval and military bases originates in a 2004 report to the US Department of Defence by Booz, Allen, Hamilton, a US military think-tank contractor  employer of whistleblower Edward Snowden, who accessed top-secret reports due to its lucrative Pentagon links.

Even a 2013 Economist article states, Chinas growing empire of ports abroad is mainly about trade, not aggression, echoing Beijings insistence it does not seek hegemony. Nevertheless, the NYT repeats this SoP argument, while ignoring the scatterplot of US military bases around the world including our region. This NYT article comes out when the Central Bank Bond fraud has undermined their allies claims to good governance (Yahapalanaya). US attempts at provoking a military confrontation in the South China Sea, since Obamas Pivot to Asia, have been replaced by internationally condemned trade wars, with Trump firing the first salvos.

After Aprils Modi and Xi summit, relations between India and China have improved. Beijing-based Global Times opines, the USA

 hopes India can play an essential role in balancing the rise of China. Does India really want to play the role that the US expects? this strategy has a strong military stance against China. At the very least, it is redividing Asia-Pacific with Cold War thinking  It is better for India to look to China for ways of self-development. What India can learn from China is that its ability to stand on its own feet will determine its place in Asia and the world.

The message from Beijing, of self-reliant cooperation for mutual advancement, is surely more persuasive than Washingtons confrontationist superpower agenda beyond its expiry date. Self-reliance should also be our stance!

Regaining Sri Lanka

Hambantota offers an alternative to the dictatorship of Colombos mercantile elite, who believe village idiots dont need modernised facilities that provide better jobs, and should stick to seasonal, low-productivity cultivation.

As an entrepot based on a productive hinterland, Hambantota could become a manufacturing base for modern industrialisation of an historically marginalised region. It could provide a template for the development of Sri Lankas peripheries, allowing them to shake off the parasitic port of Colombo.

Yet export industrialisation is a short-term solution. A home market for locally produced goods is vital for sustainable development. Will our usurious banks and their import-happy merchants invest in it? Leaving the NYT aside, can our media inspire a national conversation to develop the country in this way?

The real corruption is in the multinational corporate system of lobbying, kickbacks, insider-trading, pricing, tax evasion, and capturing the countrys wealth wasted in imported conspicuous consumption by a cabal that has served the West faithfully for centuries.
Buoyed by higher tourist arrivals from India and Europe, Sri Lankas total tourist arrivals during the month of July rose 6 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 205,482 the data released by the countrys tourism office showed.



Europe was the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 44 percent of the total traffic received in July 2018.



Asia and Pacific accounted for 42 percent of the total traffic, Middle East 7 percent, America 6 percent and Africa 0.5 percent.



India continued to be the biggest source market for Sri Lanka accounting for 14 percent of the total traffic during July. The number of Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka during the July rose 7 percent YoY to 31, 032.



China, which was the second largest source market, accounted to 13 percent of the total traffic. However, Chinese arrivals during July fell 3.5 percent YoY to 27, 460.

Arrivals from United Kingdom rose 6.9 percent YoY to 25,186 and the UK accounted for 12 percent of the total traffic during July.

As per regions, visitors from Americas, mainly Canada and the United States, rose 21.4 percent YoY13, 668 while arrivals from Africa rose 53 percent YoY 1, 267. Arrivals from Asia & Pacific rose 1.8 percent YoY to 91, 909. Tourists from South Asia edged up 0.8 percent YoY 41, 319 despite higher arrivals from India. Visitors from Oceania, which mainly consists of Australia and New Zealand, rose 28.4 percent YoY to 10, 208. Arrivals from Europe, led by UK, the Netherlands, Germany and France rose 9.2 percent YoY to 96, 468. Tourists from Eastern and Central European countries, led by Russia and Ukraine, rose 17 percent YoY 6, 312. Middle Eastern arrivals fell marginally by 0.2 percent YoY to 14, 517 during July.



For the first seven months, Sri Lanka has attracted little over 1.38 million tourists, up 13.7 percent YoY. The government aims to attract three million tourists this year. Tourist arrivals in 2017 hit an all-time high of 2.11 million, which represented a 3.2 percent growth YoY.
RAMALLAH, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China signed an agreement with the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday to provide 2.35 million U.S. dollars support to the Gaza food program for 2018.

The agreement was signed by Guo Wei, director of the Office of the People's Republic of China to the State of Palestine, and Pierre Krahenbuhl, the UNRWA commissioner general.

The UNRWA called the agreement a generous support from the Chinese government amid the agency's funding shortfall after the United States cut its aid by over a half.

Krahenbuhl said China has historically given "great attention to the issue of Palestine and has always shown attention and solidarity for Palestine refugees throughout the region."

Guo reiterated the China's unwavering position in supporting Palestinians through various channels, and declared that "China would like to announce a grant of 100 million yuan (14.64 million dollars) in helping the economy development and improving living conditions of Palestinians."

He also said China will provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Palestinians and make further contributions to the UNRWA.

The U.S. aid cut came after it threatened to reduce financial support to the Palestinians unless they agree to return to the negotiation table with Israel, which has been stalled for four years.

Palestinian officials said the U.S. move comes in line with President Donald Trump's attempt to ignore the final issues of the Palestinian-Israel peace process, removing the issues of Jerusalem and the refugees "off the table," which he also wrote on twitter after he recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Dec. 6, 2017.

The UNRWA said recently it has succeeded in reducing deficit from 446 million dollars to 217 million dollars, but warned that it would have to cut its services because of the deficit.

The UNRWA has over 700 schools serving almost 525,000 children and offers healthcare for some 3.5 million refugees through a network of 150 clinics. In addition, the agency's food and cash assistance program offers some 1.7 million dollars to extremely vulnerable refugees.

Throughout the region, the agency serves 5.3 million Palestinian refugees.

China has formerly urged the international community to help the UNRWA overcome its financial crisis in order to uphold its obligations towards millions of refugees who rely on the UNRWA services, particularly in Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian crisis deepens.
A news item under the above heading in Daily Mirror on July 27, 2018 has reported that the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) is to launch a systematic field investigation under the guidance of the present chairman whom I believe is not a professional geologist. With due respects to this officer, I would like to categorically state that this effort of the GSMB is definitely an exercise of reinventing the wheel.



My sincere conviction is that the chairman has not been educated about the past attempts of the Geological Survey Department (GSD), the predecessor to the GSMB, in on-shore and off-shore surveys carried out since 1958 for detection of radioactive minerals containing uranium and thorium.



In this article, I hope to outline the pioneering work the GSD carried out since 1958 and hope the GSMB could ascertain follow up areas with the information in the library for detailed exploration including large-scale mapping, geophysical and geochemical surveys, which could be integrated to conclude whether it is economically feasible to exploit these non-renewable resources.



However, I hope the records of the earlier work carried out by the GSD are still there as it was reported that some of the files were removed by senior geologists, who were/are consultants to private companies.



Past surveys for radio-active minerals (19031958)



The Mineral Survey of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was initiated by Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy for the British Colonial Office in 1903 and was terminated in 1906 with a recommendation to set up a Mineralogy Department.



Apart from industrial minerals such as mica, graphite, iron ore, moonstone, garnet and gemstones, etc. it must be stated that thorianite (a mineral containing thorium a radioactive mineral) was discovered. With the recent development of breeder reactors, especially by India, thorium can be utilized for generation of energy, especially for electricity.



The first air borne geophysical survey was carried out in 1958 by Hunting Survey Corporation under the Colombo Plan Canadian Technical Assistance Programme. Special airborne magnetometer and radiometric surveys were carried out in the north as well as special lines were flown in the south.



These surveys indicated that radioactive minerals such as thorianite and uranium-bearing minerals are present. The outcome of this survey was the location of thick Miocene limestone rocks with potential for hydrocarbons in the north covering Jaffna and Mannar as well as iron ore deposit at Panirendawa and monazite (containing thorium) off shore at Kaikawela and a high-density rock mass running north west-south east covering the Sinharaja forest reserve, which was followed up by ground surveys.



Surveys for radio-active minerals (19581997)



A stream sampling programme for detection of uranium was carried out by the GSD covering the Precambrian basement, which is over two-thirds the surface area of the island with the assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations in Vienna.



The IAEA provided an expert to plan out this stream sediment programme. The results of the initial survey were reviewed by another expert at the beginning of 1983 and nine target areas were identified for further follow-up work, which was to include a collection of samples on a closer grid, radon gas surveys collection of chip samples and diamond core drilling.



The total area for the follow up work was 6780 square kilometres and this area was selected from the original area of 60 000 square kilometres, which covered the preliminary survey. It is regretted that no follow-up work has been carried out by the GSMB.



Although the GSD planned out to carry out the follow-up work within a period of five years, with the assistance of foreign geological surveys, it did not materialize with the change of institutions.



Offshore exploration for heavy minerals in SLUNRFNRE contract SRL/88/NO 1-1



On July 1991 (27 years ago), the United Nations Revolving Fund for Natural Resources Exploration (UNRFNRE) signed a project agreement with the Sri Lanka government to explore the offshore area between Panadura and Bentota for economic concentrations of heavy minerals and this project was planned to be conducted in two phases, which included Minimum Work Programme (Phase1) with a commitment to expend not less than US $ 360000 to locate heavy sand minerals containing monazite, ilmenite, rutile and zircon. This phase was completed between March and April 1997.



The head of the UNRFNRE consulted me when I was an Economic Affairs Officer at United Nations ESCAP in Bangkok on this survey, before launching the project.

The offshore survey was carried out by the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic) under contract with the UNRFNRE.



The minimum work programme used a high resolution seismic reflection, side scan sonar and eco sounder systems, which were towed from a tug boat. Eleven hundred line kilometres of high resolution data were collected over more than 450 square kilometres of the inner continental shelf between approximately 10 to 50-meter water depths. Sixty eight surface sediment samples were collected to assist the interpretation of the geophysical data.



The above survey delineated about 400 million cubic meters of sediments that could be dredged for sediments containing 11 potential resource areas. These areas are interconnected on shore to off shore distributary systems (Panadura, Kalu and Bentota consisting of submerged river channels in filled with sediment and interconnected inshore and offshore basins previously fed by sediments transported by the paleo  rivers.)



The Minimum Work Programme concluded that the identified basins and channels contain approximately 400 million cubic meters of sediment with potential for heavy mineral sands of monazite (containing radioactive thorium) ilmenite, rutile and zircon. It is also significant to note that Since the higher concentrations of heavy minerals sands occur at the base of the sediment pile, the above estimate is considered to be very conservative.



A follow up Phase 11 sampling programme was planned to determine the heavy mineral content of the sediments that infill the 11 potential resource sites by vibro-coring to more than two meters depth by sampling below the seabed with full mineralogical and geochemical analyses.



Finally the economical exploitation of this offshore deposit by integrating Phase 1 and Phase 11 was recommended. Further, it is also recommended that exploiting offshore sands for both heavy mineral content and aggregate for construction may improve the resource economics.



It was also recommended that a full environmental impact assessment should be carried out prior to any commercial extraction of the offshore heavy minerals.

However, 22 years have passed since the completion of Phase 1 and the GSMB did not even attempt to launch Phase 11.

I would like to stress that the president, who is in charge of the GSMB, should investigate whether spending more than Rs.100 million from the GSMB budgetary allocation is justified and as to why the earlier projects undertaken by the GSD were not taken into account with follow-up work without starting the work a fresh



Recommendations and conclusions



In this short article, I have attempted to highlight the exploratory activities carried out by the GSD from the inception of the mineral survey of the island from 1903 to 1994 when this government institution was converted to a semi-government statutory body.



It must be stressed the GSD operated on a allocation of only Rs.6 million as compared with the GSMB, which is collecting royalties and other fees exceeding over Rs.1000 million. The staff of the GSD was only 13 geologists and one inspector of mines and later increased to about three with trainees, who never returned to Sri Lanka after their training period in the UK. The total staff of the GSD in 1994 was only 75, including the support staff.



Today, the GSMB has about 14 regional offices spreading throughout the island with mining engineers as compared to only one inspector of mines, who controlled and regulated all mining activities in the country. I will leave it to the readers to judge the regularization and supervision of present mining including sand, rock and other materials with all the facilities and manpower of the present GSMB.



I wrote an article to Daily Mirror published on July 29, 2007, under the title Critical Review of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) and concluded, The transformation of this department (GSD) to a semi-autonomous body has severely affected the regulatory functions of the state and also carrying out basic geological sciences in Sri Lanka.



It is accepted that the GSMB has generated a significant revenue to the Treasury since 1994 but it should be questioned at what costs sacrificing environmental degradation due to illicit mining activities sometimes initiated by politicians and high government officials.



I also commented as follows. Political patronage would only result in creating more chaos in this statutory body and will result in appointment of square pegs in round holes. Please leave the scientific community from political interference.



Again, it is up to the reader to judge the veracity of this statement.



With my experience of over 53 years as a professional earth scientist, I would recommend that the GSMB, without launching fresh surveys for detection of uranium and thorium, should focus in carrying out follow-up activities as reported in surveys already conducted by the GSD from 1958 to 1994.



A recent communication from a consultant in remote sensing from Malaysia has indicated from the interpretation of satellite data that there is a possibility of uranium mineralization in the lower levels of the Miocene limestone in Jaffna (Mesali) as well as the limestone stretch from the eastern end of the Jaffna peninsula to Trincomalee and these areas should also be investigated.



Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SINTEC) and Laughs Gas entered into a joint venture to produce titanium oxide and titanium without the acid route (sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid that gives rise to environmentally harmful ferrous sulphate and chlorides when released to the sea). It is regretted that no progress has been reported to the public.



I was recently reading a book titled Seven Elements That Have Changed the World by John Browne published by The Orion Publishing Group London. These seven elements are iron, carbon, gold, silver, uranium, titanium and silicon.



It is ironical that Sri Lanka has significant quantities of minerals containing carbon (graphite) titanium (ilmenite and rutile) and silicon (silica quartz) and also irons (magnetite  Seruwila and Panirendawa and limonite (Dela Noragolla in the Ratnapura District) and uranium (IAEA Survey in 1983 - 9 target areas).



The minerals graphite, ilmenite as well as silica quartz are today used in high-end technology such as in computers, grapheme, which have multiple uses, carbon fibre optics, solar panels for electricity generation, coating in TVs, etc. I hope to write a follow-up article highlighting these applications at a later date.



It must be stressed that young earth scientists are enthusiastic to carry out integrated surveys to quantify these economically minerals indicated above but some senior geologists sit on their laurels and invariably ignore the younger generation. It must also be stressed that a senior geophysicist should play an active role in the project to locate radioactive minerals.



Finally, I would like to stress that the president, who is in charge of the GSMB, should investigate whether spending more than Rs.100 million from the GSMB budgetary allocation is justified and as to why the earlier projects undertaken by the GSD were not taken into account with follow-up work without starting the work a fresh. A director of the present board of the GSMB, a former director general, was involved with the IAEA and should be able to effectively guide this survey with emphasis on the follow-up to the GSD surveys.



I would also like to question whether there were any indications of uranium mineralization in the surveys carried out in the Matale and Kandy Districts as I was the geologist who mapped these areas prior to my departure for postgraduate studies in the UK in 1972.



(Dulip Jayawardena, Director of the Geological Survey Department from 1985 to 1987 and Economic Affairs Officer United Nations ESCAP from 1990 to 2003 with 53 years of professional experience since 1965 in Sri Lanka and Asia as an economic geologist as well as marine affairs, can be contacted at fasttrack@eol.lk)
SLGJA proposes to allow jewellery exporters to import gold at zero duty according to foreign currency invoices

Warns 15% duty could hamper indirect jewellery sales to tourists thereby affecting tourism earnings

Earnings from jewellery exports declined 51% YoY to US $11.49 million during first half of 2018

By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) is proposing a regulatory framework to enhance accountability in order to allow importation of gold bullion at zero duty for direct and indirect Jewellery exports while warning that the current 15 percent import duty on gold imports could adversely affect earnings from the tourism industry.



Speaking to Mirror Business SLGJA Chairman A.H.M. Imtizam said a proposal to this effect has already been submitted to the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by the President and to the Central Bank.



SLGJA is proposing to the government to allow direct and indirect jewellery exporters to import gold at zero duty according to the invoices filed by them on foreign currency accumulation from gem and jewellery exports.



The manufacturers will have to deposit their profits to banks with invoices. Hence, its accounted that they have sold this amount of gold for foreign currency. They can use a portion of it to import gold, Imtizam said.



He further said SLGJA is also comfortable with purchasing zero duty gold from commercial banks but added that it is up to the government to decide whether to involve the individual licence holders in the process.



Meanwhile, Imtizam said indirect exports of jewellery, which takes place through the sale of jewellery to tourists, were estimated to be around US $200-250 million two to three years ago.

He pointed out that these indirect exports could also come down considerably due to taxation, reducing tourism earnings.



Imtizam highlighted that Sri Lankas Jewellery industry has US $1-1.5 billion export potential in the short-term from direct and indirect exports, given the increasing number of tourist arrivals to the country. He further stressed that jewellery industry can be a serious industry, if the proper infrastructure and regulatory frameworks are provided.



He lamented the ad-hoc policies pursued by the authorities to curb surging gold imports by imposing a 15 percent gold duty rather than enhancing accountability. According to him, the surge in gold import occurred due to extension of gold import licences to several individuals beyond commercial banks. Individual licence holders bought large quantities of gold and thats why gold imports surged to that extent suddenly.



There was no accountability. If the government wants accountability, they can easily monitor who has imported this gold and can demand them to submit proof to whom they have sold this gold. Instead of doing that the government came up with the 15 percent duty, Imtizam charged. He noted SLGJA was not in favour when the government extending the license to individuals beyond commercial banks.



Meanwhile, several gold jewellery manufactures said that most of their peers have turned to gold smugglers to secure gold bullions for manufacturing, mainly for the local market.



Nobody imports gold officially now. As a result, gold is smuggled into the country and sold by keeping a 10 percent margin, a jewellery manufacturer said. Imtizam acknowledged that it is reasonable to have a duty for the local market. However, he said that import duties should be reduced to discourage smugglers and the black market. Its fine to have a lower percentage, not 15 percent for the local market. If the duty stays around 5 percent, then the smuggling will not become viable for them, he said.



Imtizam noted that several important decisions are expected to be made at the NEC meeting with the gem and jewellery industry stakeholders, which is yet to be scheduled.



Earnings from jewellery exports declined 51.12 percent year-on-year (YoY) to US $11.49 million during first half of the year while gem exports dipped 11.49 percent YoY to US $76.39 million. SLGJA blamed the government taxation policies for the decline in gem and jewellery exports.
TNA and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan has been in the forefront of Tamil politics

All this hullabaloo in Parliament by the joint opposition demanding the appointment of Dinesh Gunawardene as Opposition Leader leaves a window open for the islands citizens to think deeply about the national question.

Sampanthan, has found a way to coexist with the Yahapalana regime

The unity among Tamils would mean they vote together in bringing about a change in regime

When the current Opposition Leader R.Sampanthan was appointed to this post in September 2015 there was allround approval for him even by the hard-line Sinhala MPs in parliament. There was no question about his qualifications and experience and many expected the senior politician to deliver the goods on behalf of the minority Tamils.

Despite Sampanthan having completed almost three years in his post there still exist grumbling Tamils in the north who wish to have their lands back. Apart from the land issue the Tamil politicians have also requested the removal of certain Military Camps in the north.

Liberal minded people of this country wish to have a president who serves all communities equally regardless of cast, creed or colour. The last Tamil vote at a Presidential Election went to a person of that calibre, Maithripala Sirisena

Sampanthan, unlike the Governor of the Northern Province, C.V Wigneswaran, has found a way to coexist with the Yahapalana regime. He seems to prefer the non-aggressive approach to find a political solution to the national question.

In the meanwhile, the Government has found it a challenge to deal with Wigneswaran who prefers to put across his views and demands with a clenched fist. What Sampanthan has to realise is that nothing gets done in Sri Lanka without the parties that are in need staging protest or making aggressive demands. Many felt that Sampanthan was too soft in his stance as Opposition Leader, hence the little progress he has made in winning the rights of the Tamil community.

But there is also a school of thought that a person in the likes of Sampanthan is ideal to deal with the Yahapalana Government during these times of peace. President Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe are cool as cucumbers and its easy for a personality like Sampanthan to approach the duo when compared to the aggressive Wigneswaran.

Despite the road leading to the north opening up and investments being made in this war-torn area, there are still shadows of a dark past that haunt the Tamil people. Right now sword gangs are operating in broad daylight and this indicates two things; one being that that the north still needs military camps and the other is that these gangs could be backed by an unseen powerful hand of a politician.

Only Wigneswaran has spoken openly about checking these gangs. He has recently said that if police powers are given to the Northern Provincial Council he would be able to stop these gangs from operating. This statement makes citizens wonder whether Wigneswaran is a magician or whether he is aware of the source thats backing these gangs. If these armed gangs are backed by a Tamil politician to earn the rights of Tamils, it then defeats the very purpose of working towards a peaceful settlement to the national question.

Sampanthan was forced to leave the country during the war and he himself has said that he lived under challenging conditions in India. A lawyer by profession, Sampanthan has been in the forefront of Tamil politics since returning to Sri Lanka. He is also the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance.

As much as Sri Lanka needs to get out of the debt trap which she is in, there needs to be a similar effort to find a solution to the national issue.

Sampanthan, attending a book launch in Jaffna, had said that Tamils should unite in their efforts to find a political solution to their problem. The unity among Tamils would mean they vote together in bringing about a change in regime. This is why this unity is so important. Retaining Sampanthan as the Opposition Leader has its advantages too. This is because he still would be the preferred choice if the Sinhalese Politicians wish to negotiate with a representative of the Tamils.

Sampanthan had at that book launch reminded those in attendance that it was the Tamil vote that was vital at the 2015 Presidential Elections in bringing about a regime change. Liberal minded people of this country wish to have a president who serves all communities equally regardless of cast, creed or colour. The last Tamil vote at a Presidential Election went to a person of that calibre, Maithripala Sirisena.

its wise to have Sampanthan continuing in this pivotal post, given that the outside world is monitoring the welfare of this minority group during the post war reconciliation process

The Joint Opposition has called for the appointing of one among them as the Opposition Leader and backs this request by stating that it enjoys 70 members in Parliament. The UPFA has already unanimously decided that Sampanthan should remain as Opposition Leader. Whoever, if at all, there is one who gets the nod from the joint opposition to be the Opposition Leader, he is likely to be controlled by the Rajapaksas, who are slowly working their way to towards returning to power. In this context its wise to have Sampanthan, a Tamil, continuing in this pivotal post, given that the outside world is monitoring the welfare of this minority group during the post war reconciliation process.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has said that he would make a statement in Parliament regarding the post of Opposition Leader after consulting all party leaders and seeking legal advice. Government minister Lakshman Kiriella has said that a section of the UPFA cant hold the post of Opposition Leader. Lets hope that the lawmakers take a wise decision that makes the big problems this nation is facing little ones.
The segment of the Galle Road from the Ceramic Junction towards the NSA Roundabout in Colombo had been temporarily closed due to a protest march carried out by the depositors of ETI Finance, the Police said a short while ago.

They said nearly 400 of depositors were marching towards the Central Bank from Ibbanwala Junction following a meeting at Hyde Park.

Video by Sanjeewa
If having a female at the helm is a sign of modernity in an organization, the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) was dragged into modernity in 2015. So late? I can hear you exclaiming incredulously - after all by 2015 RASSL was 170 years old.

Yet it is true. The society fell into compatibility with its more modern peer societies only when Dr. Hema Goonatilake made her successful bid for the presidency in 2015, amidst an unedifying display of kicking and screaming by a section of its membership.

There is something quaintly charming about a Mom & Pop business undertaking, one notable commentor wrote to an online news site of her presidential bid, referring to the fact that the outgoing president she was aspiring to succeed was her own husband. In his final slam, using an analogy which was unintentionally revealing, this commentor asked, Will the discerning membership of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka opt for Marie Antoinette in place of the outgoing Bourbon?

The analogy becomes revealing by presenting Hema Goonatilake, a woman with academic, scholarly and activist credentials separate and independent of her husband as analogous to Marie Antoinette, who did not have an autonomous entitlement to lead except what was derived from her husband.

Hema G seems to have anticipated and planned ahead for storming this regressive bastion of male intellectual dominance. She and Malini [Dr. Malini Dias, fellow council member and former Director (Epigraphy and Numismatics) in the Department of Archaeological Survey of Sri Lanka] put their heads together and drew up a plan for the siege.

There is a certain kind of person, who is capable of doing that [contesting for office at RASSL]. Most people have a lot of other involvements. I didnt have many involvements. I became the secretary and right throughout I was the secretary for about 10 years. Even when I went to Australia for four years to do my PhD, they reserved the place for me until I came back because no one was interested in writing minutes

Actually, I wanted Malini Dias to become the president. She didnt want to. But very thoughtfully she said, she would propose me for vice president. She said, its easy then for you. She then made me vice president, immediately after my four years as editor. My husband had nothing to do with it. It was totally my hard work. I set an example to RASSL. How? By editing two journals a year. From the inception of RASSL, they had only done one journal a year. I was determined to do two a year. Several said, you will find it very difficult to get the articles and all that. I said, dont worry, I will do it and I did it.

I consider the position of president easy-its harder to get there but the work involved is not that difficult. But being the editor is very difficult, if you want to do a good job.

RASSL is a funny organization, or so I thought. The photographs of the 1985 ceremonial opening of its permanent headquarters in the Mahaweli Centre, reproduced in an article in a journal of the RAS by a joint honorary secretary, shows only one woman. Clad in a below the knee frock of some printed material, she stands out among the Sri Lankan men in national and European dress. Being Margaret Thatcher, she wouldnt have been surprised to find herself the only woman in an all male setting. But the lack of women in those photographs surprised me.

Surely in 1985 Sri Lanka had enough female academics and intellectuals to throng happily around Thatcher as RASSL council members, shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues at their headquarters opening? Contrast this with the situation in the universities. It wouldnt have been possible for Thatcher to attend a ceremonial event at any of the SL universities in 1985 and be the only woman in the core group.

In the year of the headquarters opening, two female members graced the RASSL council; Dr. Lorna Dewaraja and Ms. Deloraine Brohier. According to Professor K. D. Paranavithana, a former president and long-term secretary of the RASSL, who was ousted as a result of a power play [as they claim on the scholarly grapevine] by Hemas husband, Dr. Susantha Goonatilake, there was no systematic discrimination or conspiracy by the RASSL to exclude women from its highest office. There were no candidates. Dr. Mrs. Lorna Dewaraja was there and she could have become the president. She didnt contest. She was the most qualified lady at that time. Dr. Mrs. Kiribamune could have been another person but she didnt come from Peradeniya. Recalling the RASSL Mahaweli Centre headquarters opening ceremony, which he attended in the capacity of secretary, Professor Paranavithana reveals that despite not appearing in the photographs Lorna Dewaraja was indeed present, though Deloraine Brohier did not attend for some reason.

They were not interested, K.D. Paranavithana responds each time I mention women who might have contested for RASSL president. This way, we bring altogether four women under the credentialed but not interested classification, including Professor Paranavithanas own wife Rohini Paranavithana, Emeritus Professor, Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo, who wasnt interested enough even to get into the council. Apparently, its not everyone who will contest for president or any other office at the RASSL. Even Professor J.B. Disanayaka was not interested in the presidency, K.D. Paranavithana informs me, when I ask if Professor Kusuma Karunaratne - Emeritus Professor and wife of J.B. Dissanayaka couldnt have become president.

There is a certain kind of person, who is capable of doing that [contesting for office at RASSL]. Most people have a lot of other involvements. I didnt have many involvements. I became the secretary and right throughout I was the secretary for about 10 years. Even when I went to Australia for four years to do my PhD, they reserved the place for me until I came back because no one was interested in writing minutes.

However, lack of interest displayed hitherto by countless women in a particular position doesnt diminish the significance of a woman finally attaining that position. Lack of interest could well be the result of the insidious pressure exerted by the zeitgeist and the status quo whispering subliminally; It hasnt been done. Its not done. Perhaps it takes a certain kind of woman to override these under the radar directives and Hema Goonatilake was that kind.

She certainly overrode the status quo when she became instrumental in reinstating the Bhikkuni ordination in Sri Lanka. This topic comes up when I meet her at headquarters to discuss the RASSL. I am acting in other organizations. Hema Goonatilake says to me in a sibilant whisper in the middle of our RASSL talk. Like? I ask intrigued. All Ceylon Buddhist Womens Congress. I organize various things. When it comes to action, I fight for rights, all kinds of rights. Such as the Bhikkuni ordination? I want to know. I am the villain, Hema G admits pleasurably. All the things Buddhist monks have written about me. If you only knew! Yet when a prominent Thera, who used to be a leading critic of her was on his deathbed, Hema tells me, he sent her a message through another Thera, Tell Hema, to send a Bhikkuni to my last rites Very edifying, redeeming and heart-warming, but what about discipline, I want to know. After the Bhikkuni ordination lapsed in Sri Lanka, all those centuries ago, is it according to Theravada Vinaya, to re-establish it from China? Hema pounces on the word Vinaya.

According to Professor K.D. Paranavithana however, Hema Goonatilake is a superfluous scholar

Thats it! Vinaya. Theres no difference in Vinaya between Theravada and Mahayana. Dewasala went to China [all those centuries ago] and gave our ordination to Chinese nuns. And we got it back from the Chinese, she remarks, triumphantly establishing legitimate provenance and lineage. I was the first to write about it. Of course, Western women do not quote me. Western women only quote Western women, says Hema Goonatilake product of SOAS, University of London for her PhD in Buddhist Studies and part of her first degree.

Do you know Pali? I ask her interrogatively, interested in finding out why Western women dont quote her. I have a Pali honours degree, Sanskrit, Sinhala Honours, German, French and Cambodian, Hema comes back smartly and reduces me to an Oh. She continues, I went to Cambodia as the Country Director for Cambodia from the UN. I was in New York and asked for Cambodia. So, I mastered the Cambodian language.

According to Professor K.D. Paranavithana however, Hema Goonatilake is a superfluous scholar and lacked a sufficiently independent intellectual footprint to prevent her from being an extension of her husbands intensely political, non-collegiate and confrontational persona. Professor Paranavithana and I spend some time reminiscing about Susantha Goonatilakes love of confrontation.

They [Mr. and Mrs. Goonatilake] were not interested in making the [RASSL] journal academic. Their political interests were put into the journal. Most of the writers were chosen from their inner circle, Professor Paranavithana tells me. I ask him about his forced exit from the RASSL allegedly over his treacherous willingness to commemorate Portuguese imperialism in SL in the early 16th century.

They argued that the Portuguese have done wrong things, so they shouldnt be commemorated. Meanwhile, I got the permission from the council and went to Paris to speak in that conference [to commemorate the 500-year anniversary of Portuguese advent in Sri Lanka]. It was organized by the Gulbenkian Foundation. While I was away, Susantha started writing that I am a traitor, I am participating in these peoples conferences, etc. He circulated letters.

Portuguese in the sixteenth century and their interactions were grounded in a different zeitgeist and every Sri Lankan ruler wanted to take part in the power equation they embodied. Whats the use of judging them from the distorting vantage point of our current zeitgeist? Professor Paranavithana agrees, That was the spirit of the age. We cant keep away from our research and intellectual pursuits because we dont now approve.

Back at the RASSL Hema Goonatilake tells me that the ousting of K.D. Paranavithana was not a coup as I claim. It was a transparent process called a no confidence motion. I suppose the RASSL wanted to make an institutional protest about the atrocities of the Portuguese era and felt its confidence betrayed when a council member went for a conference organized by the enemy. What an interesting organization, I think to myself. May it acquire more diversity and more women presidents.
SAITM founder Dr. Neville Fernando said that as the SAITM Institute was abolished by President Maithripala Sirisena the staff should ask him for their salaries.

There is no academic activity at SAITM since it was abolished. So, there isnt any need for staff. As there is no income Im unable to pay them. The staff should ask their salaries from the President, who took the decision to abolish the institution, he said.

SAITM in an announcement issued on August 4, 2017, halted student intake, however, it had paid the staff until May.

According to an employee, academic staff salaries had been paid until the month of May while other staff cadres were not paid their July salary.

They said that since the beginning Dr. Fernando had managed the business in an arbitrary manner and even though a financial crisis existed Dr. Fernando had attempted to hire the remaining staff making false promises that their salaries would be paid.

They stressed that although Dr. Fernando had no money to pay their salaries as he had started a business in Hokandara. The disturbed employees added that SAITM should follow the standard protocols when closing down a business by compensating them before sending them home. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
The German Team at the SEA Showroom in Rajagiriya

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The Team from SEA Bauformat Germany

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Commenting on JAT Holdings introducing SEA Bauformat - the ultimate German experience in Sri Lanka, Nishal Ferdinando  CEO, JAT Holdings stated: We are pleased to introduce SEA Bauformat, a globally recognized brand that designs and creates high-end kitchens for opulent houses, apartments, residential developments and hotels. JAT Holdings has always been passionate about transforming spaces by offering a wide range of premium products and services. As a testament to this, we have secured and carried out several SEA projects at some of the countrys largest and most iconic residential developments and hotels such as Altair, Luna Tower, ITC and Ritz Carlton. Combining the JAT Brand with technical experience and expertise of SEA Bauformat,we aim to provide our clients with a holistic experience that combines classic German quality with unmatched levels of customer service.

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After the annexation of Kandy in 1815, the Amarapura Nikaya found its way to the Central Province, tapping into not just non-Govigama monks and laymen but even Govigama monks who felt disgruntled with the rigidity of their overseers. Among the latter group from the Siyam Nikaya who severed their ties with their ecclesiastical superiors were Mayilave Gunaratne Thera and Rambukwelle Sobita Thera, who had belonged to the Suduhumpola temple (Malalgoda, page 139). But arguably the most vociferous opponent of the Nikaya from within the fraternity was Yatanvela Sunanda Thera, who belonged to the Asgiriya Chapter (the most powerful in the Nikaya) and who had got re-ordained by the Amarapura monks at Balapitiya in 1834. The Act of Appointment granted by the Colonial Office in 1825 would have had an impact here.

But from the beginning, what was seen as an all-embracive ethos and philosophy within the Amarapura Nikaya became a definitive factor in the segmentation of that sect in later decades. There were no less than five groups of monks who went to Burma to be ordained in Nikaya. Moreover, the founders of Amarapura belonged to no less than three different, distinct castes: in order of importance, Salagama, Karawa, and Durawa. They were brought together by their opposition to the Govigama elite, but as the years progressed, the underlying tensions between them erupted. What worsened these tensions, interestingly enough, was the absence of a patron under whom some semblance of unity could be maintained, and the fact that the most powerful caste in the fraternity, Salagama, was divided into four sub-castes, each with its own ideological affiliations and share of privileges. During British rule, these four sub-castes effectively became two, but even with this, the differences grew rapidly.

The most vociferous opponent of the Nikaya from within the fraternity was Yatanvela Sunanda Thera

The founders of Amarapura belonged to no less than three different, distinct castes

Consider that merely 10 months after Kapugama Dhammakhanda Thera obtained a Certificate of Confirmation from the Colonial Office, monks from the Karava and Durawa castes held a meeting at Kottegoda, where they selected a representative for their caste: Ambalangoda Wilegoda Punnasara Thera. They even went as far as to petition the government for a separate Certificate, and when they failed, they then persistently sent petitions for an Act of Appointment. In 1825, almost 10 years after Dhammakhanda Thera had converted to Christianity, the government appointed a Chief Monk over the Salagamas, which infuriated the Karava and Durawa monks.

As Professor Malalgoda has noted, the latter group tended to view the Salagamas as inferior to themselves, which made them reluctant to side with them against the Govigama elite. One wonders as to why the British, having appointed a Salagama representative, did not appoint representatives for the Karawas and Durawas. One can only conclude that this was symptomatic of their ambivalent attitude towards caste in the country: while they were able to tap into caste rifts to perpetuate British rule, they were rather unwilling to make official declarations which would divide society even further through those rifts. On the other hand, by appointing a Salagama representative without paying heed to the other castes, they managed to widen those rifts even more.

Of the two other castes, it was the Karawas who were most vociferous in their demand for ecclesiastical autonomy. This had to do with the fact that they were also the largest of those castes and also the most powerful, and that they were close to the Salagama monks, with their headquarters in Dodanduwa. Surprisingly, while they opposed the Salagama sect, they colluded with them over important ecclesiastical functions. The leader and founder of the Karawa sect, Kataluwe Gunaratne, had moreover obtained his ordination, not at Amarapura, but at Ramanya. Their link with this Burmese city would later lead to them using the designation Kalyanivamsa (after their leader), when attempts at dividing the Amarapura Nikaya further on the basis of caste affiliations continued to fail and when an alternative sect, the Ramanya Nikaya, made their use of the Ramanya label obsolete. The Kalyanivamsa, over time, gradually found their way to Kalutara and Panadura, and even the Christianised Moratuwa, all of which would become the bastions of the Karawa caste. But long before any of this happened, the Amarapura Nikaya had already splintered, thanks to a fatal leadership vacuum.

This process of splintering began when the Salagama monks along the coastal belt affiliated themselves to either of the two lines of succession which had been initiated by the two founders of the Amarapura Nikaya: that of Ambagahapitiya Nanavimala, based in Welitara, and that of Kapugama Dhammakhanda, based in Dadella. It is an irony of fate that while Dhammakhanda had gone with a contingent of monks to Burma intending to supplement, or aid, the efforts of Nanavimala in commencing an alternative monastic order, this merely led to the segmentation of that order. Initially, however, the laymen were opposed to this segmentation. They wanted the two lines to converge, which they apparently managed to do after Dhammakhanda converted to Christianity. Having convinced the Welitara monks to unite with the Dadella monks, they managed to reinforce the unity they had brought about by appointing Nanavimala Thera as the leader of both the Salagama groups. When Nanavimala passed away in 1834 (the year that Yatanwela Sunanda Thera rebelled against his Asgiriya roots and entered the new Nikaya), leadership passed over to Bopagoda Sumana Thera.

Here we must reflect on and consider the fact that the Salagamas of the South were not merely opposed to the Karawas and the Durawas; they were also opposed to each other on the basis of the sub-castes which had been formed within their clan. It was during Sumana Theras term that these rifts between the sub-castes widened so much that the Salagama Amarapura Nikaya split. This began when the Theras chief pupil, Lankagoda Dheerananda, who belonged to a higher sub-caste, founded an autonomous group within the Nikaya. It then worsened when a controversial issue that had not been resolved with the unification of the two Salagama camps made itself felt again.

This was the controversy over the sima, which in Buddhist terminology refers to a boundary drawn up to demarcate a sacred area within a temple, so as to separate the sacred world (lokoththara) from the profane (lawkika). Without delving too much into the niceties of this term, it is enough for us to know that when the two Salagama camps were founded, the simas were based on the respective chief temples, in Welitara and Dadella. The two simas had to give way to one when the two camps converged, but for a long, long time, controversy raged over where it should be based. The Welitara monks, led by Beratuduve Dhammadhara Thera, were adamant that it be based in Balapitiya, near the Madu Ganga. The issue remained unresolved (in fact no upasampada ceremony was conducted in Balapitiya thanks to this dilemma), but eventually, Bopagoda Sumana, despite his affiliation to the Dadella branch (which had its sima at the Gin Ganga), agreed to enlarge the sima at the Madu, in 1845. It was this decision which was challenged by Lankagoda Thera, the chief pupil, six years later.

Lankagoda Theras justification for his stance was that the sima at Balapitiya was in effect defiled by a bridge built within the structure which intruded on the sacred area. This, apparently, made the demarcation of the sacred boundaries a confusing affair. The debate that it compelled led to what historians refer to as the Simamskara Vadaya, which was less a debate (as the term vadaya suggests) than a controversy.

The embittered teacher, Bopagoda Sumana, who had been appointed to unify those twin camps before, found himself in a precarious position. Given that the controversy had brought discomfort to Salagama monks in general, he was, naturally, in no mood to add to it even further. For this reason, Sumana Thera decided to throw his weight behind the group which had the larger following: the Welitara camp, led by the pupil of Beratuduwe Dhammadhara, Kahave Nananda Thera. A further series of debates resulted, after which the Sangharaja of Burma was consulted. The Sangharajas decision, however, made matters worse: he stood by the decision of the (minority) Dadella camp, and even after a delegation from the Welitara camp was sent in 1858 to consult him and try to persuade him into looking at the matter from their side, the Sangharaja refused to be swayed. He was, however, worried over the split it had caused in the order, and to this end sent a missive to Bopagoda Sumana explaining his concerns.

Having written a further letter to a powerful, non-partisan Amarapura representative, Bulatgama Sumana Thera, he tried to bring the two camps together. Upon Bulatgama Sumana Theras request, some form of unity and agreement was reached, but neither side was willing to let go of its stance on the controversy of the sima, which continued even after the passing away of the respective leaders of the camps: Bopagoda Sumana in 1864, and Lankagoda Dheerananda in 1871. The conflict had begun in 1851. It was never to be fully resolved. In later years, the students of both these leaders organised their own splinter groups: the Saddhammavamsa fraternity, after Lankagoda Thera, and the larger Mulavamsa fraternity, after Bopagoda Sumana. What made the issue more complicated, as I will explore in the next piece, was the founding and emergence of the Ramanya Nikaya, which had its beginnings in the Amarapura Nikaya itself.
In which country do you find the tallest Buddha statue in the world? Most people think that the Buddha statue in the Bamiyan Valley was the tallest. But the world biggest Buddha statue is located in the beautiful Sichuan province of Western China.

This wonderful artistic stone statue is 71 metres tall, which is 18 metres higher than the tallest statue in Bamiyan valley of Afghanistan.

Sichuan province has a rich culture of Buddhist which is second only to the Tibet province. Quite a number of Buddhist monasteries can be found in all around the province including Leshan and Chinas oldest Buddhist monastery named Emei.

Reason behind building the Leshan Giant Buddha statue

Situated in one of most beautiful cities in West China, Leshan, became very popular among tourists because of the Leshan Giant Buddha statue as well as its location between three sections of the upper Yangtze River connecting junction. Sub sections of Yangtze River, the Min River,Dadu River and the Qingyi River connect to the Yangtze River in the middle of Leshan city, which is a spectacular scene from the city. The idea behind building this Buddha statue was also due to this.

Half of the Sichuan province is geographically a basin surrounded by high mountain ranges that connect to the Roof of the world  Tibet from its West end. Because of this geographical location, Sichuan basin suffer heavy floods due to the upper Yangtze River flowing into this basin. Among all the cities in Sichuan, Leshan is often devastated by floods that claim thousands of lives. During the Tang Dynasty era, a leading Buddhist monk Hai Tong thought that building this Statue that faces the city, would calm down the river.

Monk Hai Tongs idea and effort

The construction was started in 713 AD under the leadership of Hai Tong. According to locals, Hai Tong was begging for more than 20 years with his disciples to collect funds to build this statue. What was so special about his plan was that it was not just a religious monument, there was a scientific involvement too. By building this, he thought the volume of rubble that was carved from the cliff would be deposited in the river, which in turn would become a breakwater.

But when the construction was at the halfway stage, Hai Tong was passed away and the constructions had to be suspended due lack of funds. However, it resumed after 70 years when Jiedushi Wei, a renowned regional military head of the Tang Dynasty decided to fund the project. Owing to his effort, this wonderful statue was completed as per Hai Tongs wish in 803 AD.

Situated in one of most beautiful cities in West China, Leshan, became very popular among tourists because of the statue as well as its location between three sections of the upper Yangtze River connecting junction

Beauty of designs and technology

The face of the statue is looking at the city of Leshan with a calm smile. The statue is also known as Maitreya Buddha which was a Buddhist concept among the Chinese at that period of time. Worshipping Maitreya Buddha was very popular in China throughout 4th to 7th centuries.

Leshan Giant Buddha is unique statue not just because of its size, but for its architectural importance. The entire statue, other than its ears were carved out from red granite rock which gives the statue a beautiful light reddish outlook. The ears were crafted from wood and covered with clay. The hair of the statue shows the unique skills of the architectures who had designed and built it. Hair is arranged with 1021 spiral curl twists gives a magnificent look

.

The head of the statue is 15 meters high and the shoulders are 28 metres wide while the smallest toenail is equivalent to a size of a grown human. One foot of the statue is enough for 100 monks to sit on. The 7 metres long pair of ears can hold two persons dwell inside.

There are several drainage passages were built inside the statue to save it from erosion. The drainage system was built with several hidden gutters and channels that let the rain water flow freely and thereby keeping inner area dry always.

The city of Leshan in the Sichuan province attracts a large number of tourists and easily accessible. Situated just 130 km from Sichuan province from the capital Chengdu city. The journey takes only two hours to reach by bus. Chengdu is the only place in the world where Giant Pandas live in the suburban forests. For a tourist who visits Leshan can enjoy watching hundreds of pandas in Chengdu Panda breeding centre. Also Chinas oldest Buddhist monastery and Buddhists sacred Mountain Emei also can be reached within 90 minutes from Leshan. A trip to Sichuan basin will give any visitor a memorable and wholesome experience.
EXCERPTS:

Q How is your groups preparation for the forthcoming Provincial Council polls?

Both, the SLFP and the UPFA contested the local government polls and were beaten badly. A large number of SLFP and UPFA members have joined the Joint Opposition (JO) since then except for a few like Duminda Dissanayaka and Mahinda Amaraweera and few others. Our target is to achieve a landslide victory against the UNP and form a SLFP government under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister before the Presidential poll scheduled to be held at the end of next year. A sound victory for the SLPP at the forthcoming PC polls would be considered a stepping stone towards the Presidential and Parliamentary polls success, and we have no doubt that we, in the JO will meet that target easily.

We are on good terms with SLMC leader, Minister Rauff Hakeem, ACMC leader, Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, EPDP leader Douglas Devananda and CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman

Q Several Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the SLFP members have been charged in various courts on allegations of corruption, murder, embezzlement and many other crimes. Do you expect to form the next government with them?

No one can claim that the SLFP lost elections in 2015 because of the action of a single person. We all must take the responsibility for that setback collectively and no one can point the finger against Basil or any others singularly. Yes, there were allegations against a number of SLFP members and that was one of the main contributory factors for our defeat. But you must keep in mind that none of those who were charged had been convicted. However, if any of the SLFP, UPFA or SLPP members who had been found guilty of any offence, he/she would not get nominations from any of the party at the future elections.

But I must remind you that no legal action has been taken against MP Ravi Karunanayake, Ministers Malik Samarawickrama or Lakshman Kiriella and several other UNP members, despite the fact that they have many allegations against them on various misdeeds.

Q The PC polls expected at the end of this year or early 2019, Presidential and Parliamentary polls too are set to follow. As the result of this, there would be a bitter encounter among main parties such as UNP, SLFP and SLPP. What are the strategies in store to win these elections?

We, the group of 16 SLFPers will contest all forthcoming polls with the JO, though a few in our group want to contest alone. In doing so, we need to get a few minor issues sorted out, such as choosing a symbol, registering a party and selection of candidates etc. However, any SLFP or UPFA member of a local government body would get nominations provided he/she comes forward to contest the PC polls with us. The new electoral system which the SLPP had won the Local Government polls handsomely, is not an issue for us. Besides, a majority of SLFP and UPFA members are engaged in secret deal with SLPP. So, victory at all elections up to 2020 is ensured for the JO.

Our target is to win all these polls someway or the other. Mahinda, Basil, Gota and Namal are fully committed to this task, and therefore, joining even with the demon to achieve a massive victory against the UNP, is not an issue for us.

Our target is to achieve a landslide victory against the UNP and form an SLFP government under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministers before the Presidential poll scheduled to be held at the end of next year

Q Is any rapprochement possible between the UNP and SLFP after the PC polls to set up administrations in local government bodies, as it is extremely doubtful that a single party would be able to secure a majority in many of the Provincial Councils?

The SLFP went further down in the February 10 local government polls than in the Parliamentary polls in August, 2015, and one of the main reasons for this huge electoral setback was the marriage with the UNP to form the Yahapalana Government. We would never condone any political deal with the UNP in future. We firmly believe that we would be in a position to set up administrations in all PCs, elect our own President and form a government on the results of the three forthcoming polls. Anyhow, if we need the help of any other political party, we would turn to minority parties but never to the UNP.

We are on good terms with SLMC leader, Minister Rauff Hakeem, ACMC leader, Minister Rishad Bathiuddin, EPDP head Douglas Devananda and the head of CWC Arumugam Thondaman. I have no doubt that when the time is right, they would join hands with us to form a government if we extended an invitation.

I have no issue with Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera or Duminda Dissanayaka personally or politically. Both have done much to uplift the party. I am also aware that Duminda was disappointed with the MR regime on how his father, late Berty Premalal Dissanayaka who totally dedicated his life for the SLFP, while Mahinda had some issues in his district (Hambantota) with Rajapaksas

Q The split among many factions within the SLFP has reached its peak now. This will no doubt affect badly on the party at the future polls. How are you going to tackle this?

Yes, this is a challenge to meet our ultimate targets. But, you know, the SLFP has suffered more serious splits in the past. In 1987, the SLFP was down and out in the countrys political landscape with the setting up of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP). Senior members of the party, the likes of T. B. Illangaratne, Ratnasiri, Chandrika, Vijaya and Ossy Abeygunasekara abandoning the SLFP. But many of them returned to the party and successfully contested elections from the SLFP and by 1994, an SLFP government regained power. I have a great confidence that the SLFP cannot be destroyed but there could be setbacks and divisions within.

Before the local government polls in February, the SLFP conducted a survey to get an idea on the voting pattern with the help of the Kelaniya University. The result was that SLPP was to get 32%, UNP 21% and the SLFP 12% of votes and the forecast was almost correct. I would say none of the traditional and established political parties such as the MEP, CPSL, LSSP or even the JVP should be driven away from the political scene. But, dont forget that in the event the SLPP joins the SLFP and progressive forces in the JO, that combination would be an extremely formidable political force against the UNP.

We, the group of 16 SLFPers will contest all forthcoming polls with the joint opposition though a few of our group want to contest alone

When I convened the SLFP branch organizations at Hanguranketha a few days before the local government polls, a large majority of SLFP supporters indicated that they were to vote for the SLPP albeit remaining in the SLFP. That was the trend. It is the current trend too.

Q Though you are a member of the SLFP and do politics under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena, you virtually stand with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at each and every national issue. How and why?

I took a wrong decision in my political journey when I quit the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga regime. I would have remained in the party even after resigning from my cabinet portfolio. When Maithripala Sirisena was fielded as the common candidate in 2014, he invited me to his camp, but I refused. That was another blunder. I wish and pray to bring the two leaders on stage together to fight the UNP.

Q How do you see the exposure of the New York Times which alleged the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) had funded Mahinda Rajapaksas Presidential Polls campaign in 2015?

The NY Times exposure is not something exclusive or new. It was a reproduction of a report published in the Daily News in February 2015, based on an inquiry on the matter. The truth behind this episode was that companies  foreign and local and top businessmen and entrepreneurs fund election campaigns of top politicians and political parties. This is common all over the world. Those who donate small amount of financial support cannot even meet the leader of a main political party and they hand over the money to a second-tier politician of that particular party. This is common and happens to any party with no difference whether it is the SLFP, SLPP or the UNP. It is not something illegal or a crime. But my personal view is that there is an ethical issue involved with it.

A sound victory for the SLPP at the forthcoming PC polls would be considered a stepping stone towards the Presidential and Parliamentary polls success, and we have no doubt that we, in the JO, will meet that target easily

Q But neither the CHEC nor the Chinese Govt. had denied these allegations...

Not necessarily. The Chinese government or the China Harbour Engineering Co. must not respond to a newspaper report that said one gave money to another. There was no legal validity or violation of any law in the transaction if it had taken place at all.

Q The MoU reached by the UNP and the SLFP to form the Yahapalana Govt after August 2015 Parliamentary polls, expired in December 2017. Presently there is no MoU to run the country under a unity government. How do you see this?

There was no agreement at all. If there was one, it was not possible to accept by Parliament or by a court of law. Even today there is no legally valid agreement to form a unity government jointly by the UNP and the SLFP.

Q You held important portfolios under Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapakse and finally under President Maithripala Sirisena. Are you comfortable doing politics as an ordinary MP now?

Yes, to be frank with you, we are not comfortable because we had lost all the privileges, perks and comforts involved with a cabinet portfolio. We had a big personal

staff, an official residence, luxury vehicles with a chauffeur and many more. I had two offices in Kandy and Colombo. These days, I am trying to buy a jeep on a Rs.10 million lease agreement with a finance company.

The Chinese government or the China Harbour Engineering Co. must not respond to a newspaper report which says one has given money to another whether it was correct or not. There is no legal validity or violation of any law in the transaction if it took place at all

Q There are media reports that a new General Secretary is to be chosen at the next UPFA General Meeting and a new SLFP General Secretary at the next SLFP convention in early September. How credible are these reports?

I have no issue with Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera or Duminda Dissanayaka personally or politically. Both have done much to uplift the party. I am also aware that Duminda was disappointed with the MR regime on how his father, late Berty Premalal Dissanayaka who totally dedicated his life for the SLFP. While Mahinda had some issues in his district (Hambantota) with Rajapaksas. But I believe all these are not big issues to keep them apart, because we all have a common objective of winning all forthcoming polls and forming our own government and electing our own President. It was a good decision of the SLFP to appoint Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa as the General Secretary of the party even for a period of a few months.
Trump says anyone doing business with Iran not allowed to maintain business ties with U.S.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said here Tuesday that anyone doing business with Iran will not be allowed to maintain business ties with the United States.

Trump tweeted that "the Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level."

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States," he warned.

The remarks came as the first batch of the re-imposed U.S. sanctions on Iran came into full effect on Tuesday.

These U.S. actions target Tehran's purchase of U.S. banknotes, trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the use of graphite, aluminum, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes.

They would also affect transactions related to the Iranian Rial, the issuance of sovereign debts, and the country's automotive sector.

Another round of sanctions, to be reinstalled on Nov. 5, will be on Iran's port, energy, shipping and ship-building sectors, its petroleum-related transactions, and business deals by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran.
Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Liu Jinsong (C-L) and Afghan state minister for disaster management and humanitarian affairs Najib Aqa Fahim attend a joint press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 7, 2018. Chinese embassy to Afghanistan announced Tuesday that China will provide rice and flour as emergency food assistance to drought-affected areas in the militancy-hit Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Dai He)

KABUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese embassy to Afghanistan announced Tuesday that China will provide rice and flour as emergency food assistance to drought-affected areas in the militancy-hit Afghanistan.

"On behalf of the government of China and its people, I have the honor today to confirm that China will provide rice and flour to the government of Afghanistan to cope with the drought situation in the country," Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan Liu Jinsong said at a joint press conference here.

Flanked by Afghan state minister for disaster management and humanitarian affairs Najib Aqa Fahim, the ambassador stated that the Chinese government agreed to provide emergency relief supplies to the Afghan government and would also help to construct early flood warning system in the country.

Speaking at the conference, Fahim said that the drought has effected millions of Afghan people in more than 20 provinces.

"As the result of drought more than 1.4 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and we predict that around 3 million people will be in need of aid until the end of this year," the minister asserted.

Fahim also expressed gratitude to China for its cooperation, saying the people and government of Afghanistan are thankful to the People's Republic of China for its contribution towards rebuilding Afghanistan and supporting its people in the hour of need.
BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The State Council investigation team has stepped up efforts to investigate defective human rabies vaccines, pledging severe consequences for those convicted of criminal offenses and neglecting regulatory responsibilities.

Work has started on recalling defective rabies vaccines produced by Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Limited in both domestic and overseas markets, an official statement said.

The investigators found the company had violated rules on production management and national drug standards for the vaccines from as early as April 2014.

The violations included blending expired fluid to produce certain products and falsifying production dates.

China has set up a panel consisting of experts in virology, vaccinology and related fields to review the risks in safety and the effectiveness of vaccines on the market.

The panel has said that given the clinical character of rabies, people who received the vaccines from Changsheng do not need to be inoculated again. It also suggested hospitals provide free vaccines (from other producers) for those who have not finished their vaccination or asked for re-inoculation.

The incubation period of rabies normally varies from one to three months, rarely surpassing a year, according to a World Health Organization report in April.
SANDAG recently acquired nearly 112 acres of native habitat and old agricultural lands in Carmel Valley, according to a news release.

The old agricultural lands will be restored to wetland habitat and the remaining land will be preserved as open space. The land, referred to as Deer Canyon East, is immediately adjacent to and upstream of the 31-acre Deer Canyon West wetland mitigation site. The acquisition was finalized this June shortly after the West property was deemed successfully restored by federal and state agencies.

The acquisition of Deer Canyon East is part of the SANDAG TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program (EMP) and represents the last inholding needed to complete the City of San Diegos Del Mar Mesa Preserve. Restoration of the wetland habitat is anticipated to begin in September.

The award-winning, $850 million EMP program is dedicated to the protection and preservation of native San Diego habitats while transportation agencies work to improve transportation and infrastructure in the region, the news release stated.

We are very proud of the ongoing work being done by the TransNet EMP program, said SANDAG Chair and Del Mar City Councilmember Terry Sinnott. Not only does it offset the environmental impacts of building transportation projects, it also helps our region meet its environmental goals, preserve critical habitat in a smart and comprehensive way, and protect threatened or endangered native species of wildlife and plants.

These important environmental efforts offset wetland impacts that will occur from construction on the Rose Creek Bikeway and a Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor bridge replacement project in Rose Canyon.

Over the past decade, the EMP program has helped acquire and/or restore more than 8,780 acres of land in San Diego County, with a total value of more than $150 million.

SANDAG, in partnership with Caltrans, successfully completed work at the 31-acre Deer Canyon West wetland mitigation site in June. Mitigation efforts on the Deer Canyon West site consisted of creating and restoring wetland and upland habitat for bird species such as the federally endangered Least Bells vireo and federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher. Since the mitigation has been completed, several pairs of gnatcatchers have been observed on-site.

The 31-acre Deer Canyon West site, which is located south of State Route 56 and McGonigle Canyon, was acquired in 2011. A five-year maintenance and monitoring period has now been completed, and the site was signed off by the state and federal resource agencies in June. The land will be transferred to the City of San Diego with an endowment to be managed as biological open space in perpetuity.

Funding is provided by TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax. The SANDAG Environmental Mitigation Program is a unique component of TransNet. It goes beyond traditional mitigation for transportation projects by including a funding allocation for habitat acquisition, management, and monitoring activities to help implement the Multiple Species Conservation Program and the Multiple Habitat Conservation Program. For more information visit KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/EMP.
Proposal accelerates construction and preservation of over 6,000 units and buys land for future use over five years, in part with increase in marijuana tax

DENVER  Mayor Michael B. Hancocks proposal to double the Affordable Housing Fund  from $15 million to $30 million annually  and partner with the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) to generate an estimated $105 million funding surge for affordable housing over the next five years advanced out of the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness (SAFEHOUSE) Committee today.

Affordable housing remains a primary challenge to our residents and families, and this proposal will produce more affordable homes quicker to deliver housing Denver families need and can afford, Mayor Hancock said. I want to thank the SAFEHOUSE committee for advancing this proposal, as well as the Housing Authority and our community and marijuana industry partners for coming together for Denvers people and provide more funding to address this critical need in our city.

The proposal to double Denvers Affordable Housing Fund would improve the alignment of the fund with the five-year housing plan, Housing an Inclusive Denver. Through this proposal, Denver will be able to secure the building, preservation or land needed for more than 6,000 affordable homes for families over the next five years.

Two separate ordinance requests were advanced out of committee today: an intergovernmental agreement between the city and DHA, and an amendment to the Affordable Housing Fund removing its sunset provision and increasing the citys retail marijuana tax rate from 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent. These ordinance requests are expected to be heard on first reading by the full City Council on August 20, with final reading on August 27.

The proposed partnership with DHA brings more funding in the form of bonds to accelerate building and preserving much-needed affordable housing. It also increases the land available for future affordable housing creation for Denvers lowest-income residents and those experiencing homelessness. By leveraging DHAs expertise in serving those most in need of housing they can afford, the proposal expands the citys ability to deliver on additional areas of housing needs identified in the five-year plan.

The estimated $105 million will be generated from the issuance of bonds by DHA, supported by the appropriation of an existing half property tax mill from the city. The bonds will accelerate the timing and enhance the redevelopment of housing units maintained by DHA and create a new land acquisition fund to secure a pipeline of projects.

The new $105 million bond appropriation to DHA will:

Create or preserve at least 1,200 units over the next ten years, serving those experiencing homelessness and very low income individuals and families through land and property acquisition, paired with at least 300 project-based vouchers.

Create or preserve an additional 1,294 units at the DHA properties of Sun Valley, Westridge and Shoshone over the next five years.

DHA is proud to be a partner in this creative funding opportunity that will accelerate and expand the creation and preservation of much needed affordable housing targeted at Denver's lowest income and most vulnerable residents, stated Ismael Guerrero, DHA Executive Director. This collaboration underscores the citys and the Housing Authority's commitment to deliver real solutions for Denver residents most impacted by the high cost of housing.

Under the proposal, an additional yearly $7 million General Fund contribution will be made to the Affordable Housing Fund starting in 2019. To backfill the half mill that will be appropriated to DHA, the proposal will increase the citys special marijuana sales tax from 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent, generating an estimated $8 million per year for the fund. If approved, the marijuana tax rate increase would take effect October 1, 2018.

"Marijuana Industry Group (MIG), the leading trade association for Colorado's cannabis businesses, cares about the communities where we live and operate. Lack of affordable housing is a serious issue for people living in Denver. The city was transparent about their efforts to solve the problem, and our group deliberated the proposed tax increases against already high taxes, and the need to keep prices at a level that continues to incentivize purchasing at legal, licensed and regulated establishments. We're just a small part of the larger economy, and while cannabis is not the cause of this issue, it can be part of the solution," said Kristi Kelly, Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group.

The new $7 million annual General Fund allocation will:

Create or preserve at least 750 units over the next five years.

Serve at least 1,000 additional households over the next five years through programs such as displacement assistance.

The structure of this proposal will allow the city to ensure we make tax dollars stretch further for housing in a financially responsible way without raising taxes on the very households we are trying to serve, said Denver Chief Financial Officer Brendan Hanlon.

Through our local funding, smart policy innovations and our housing partners, were pulling every lever we can to make Denver affordable and accessible for all, said Eric Hiraga, Executive Director of the Denver Office of Economic Development. The proposed doubling of the Affordable Housing Fund provides a significant boost for our community, and we look forward to applying these funds to further build our momentum in fostering housing stability citywide.

The proposal directs about half of the newly doubled Affordable Housing Fund to support those experiencing homelessness and very low income individuals and families, and allocates the other half to fulfill other priorities within Housing an Inclusive Denver, including support for workforce families, long-time residents who want to stay in their homes and first-time homebuyers.

Since 2011, the Hancock Administration has helped to build or preserved more than 5,000 affordable housing units and launched the citys first dedicated affordable housing fund. Efforts are guided by the recently approved five-year housing policy, strategy and investment plan, Housing an Inclusive Denver, which includes several innovative approaches ranging from eviction assistance, land trusts, land banking, accessory dwelling units, and preference policies aimed at stabilizing residents at risk of displacement.

A total of 1,187 new affordable units that have received city financing are currently under construction, and an additional 1,260 are anticipated to break ground over the next year. Last year, the city assisted 10,391 renters, homeowners, homebuyers and people experiencing homelessness by working with community partners to provide services ranging from tenant-landlord counseling to down payment assistance. Denver has also launched new anti-eviction strategies to help keep people in their homes, including the Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance program, landlord-tenant mediation, and in-court eviction assistance.
Photo: China Youth Daily

A university in Southeastern China has received widespread attention, and its not for their main academic offerings, but rather for an elective that could be the first of its kind in the country, China Youth Daily reported.

China University of Mining and Technology in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province now offers Psychology of Love and Relationships, an elective designed to help young adults gain a better understanding the strongest human emotion.

During one recent evening class, Zhang, a teachers assistant, held up a placard that read, Friendship Hint.

The focus of the class examined the difficulties in understanding how males and females experience love.

So far, the online course, which is streamed live and available to the general public, has generated over a million hits. On the QQ platform it is not uncommon for 20,000 people to tune in. Viewers can leave comments and on this particular evening, someone wrote, Even with a worm in the belly, I do not know how girls think.

The class was created by psychology professor Duan Xinxing, who assembled a team and spent two years designing the course and syllabus. When it was first offered, over 600 students signed up.

As Duan explained, most women think that to feel love from someone else, understanding comes first. Instead of speaking directly to their male counterparts when they need help, they insinuate or beat around the bush.

The course also has offline activities and interactive teaching, which helps students acquire a better understanding of love.

The course takes a Marxist approach to understanding love. Students use a book containing 10 chapters on Plato, and theres 50 video nodes that offer theoretical teaching.

"If students can learn how to handle relationship problems, then theyll acquire some imparting knowledge. We just want to help them understand the true meaning of love, Duan said.

The class is focused on actual experience and students are encouraged to share stories from past relationships on topics ranging from love at first sight, unrequited love, long-distance love, and sex.

Although the class is popular, some students have said it is harder than math. By the end of the Spring semester, only half of the 480 students had earned an A.

One assistant, Si Ying, told reporters, "The best thing is to get credit for the class and find love. It helped me find a wonderful girlfriend.
By Cate Swannell

30 July 2018

(MJA)  Farmers who are under 35 years of age, both live and work on a farm, are experiencing greater financial hardship, and are in outer regional, remote, or very remote New South Wales, more frequently report personal drought-related stress (PDS), according to research published by the Medical Journal of Australia.The researchers, led by Ms Emma Austin, from the Centre for Water, Climate, and Land at the University of Newcastle, wrote that drought-related stress may contribute to general psychological distress, but is distinguishable from it.This stress included worry about the impacts of drought on themselves and on their families and communities, and was influenced by socio-demographic and community factors that were different from the factors that influenced the incidence of general psychological distress.Analysing data from the NHMRC-funded Australian Rural Mental Health Study (ARMHS), a longitudinal cohort study run from 2007 to 2013, the researchers sought to measure PDS, community drought-related stress (CDS) and general psychological stress (using the K10 score).They found that the incidence of PDS was lower following mild wet periods and that of psychological distress higher. The incidence of CDS was significantly increased by moderate dry and moderate wet weather, and reduced by mild wet weather.Farmers [aged 1834 years] reported higher PDS and CDS scores than older respondents, Austin and colleagues wrote. The incidence of psychological distress was also significantly lower for participants aged 55 or more. The incidence of PDS was lower among retired than employed participants, and both PDS and psychological distress were lower among prosperous or very comfortable than for less financially secure respondents. [more]
By Chennabasaveshwar 4 August 2018Idukki, 4 August 2018 (Oneindia News)  The water level in Keralas Idukki dam touched 2396.34 feet on Saturday due to continuous heavy rainfall. The Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of the dam is 2403 feet.Idukki Dam is 554 feet (168.91 meters) tall, constructed between the two mountains  Kuravanmala (839 meters) and Kuravathimala (925 meters ). Length of the dam on its top is 365.85 meters. It has a width of 7.62 meters in the top and 19.81 meters in the bottom. []The water level rises at the Idukki dam in Kerala on Tuesday, 31 July 2018. The dam may be opened for the first time in 26 years, owing to rising water level of the Periayar River following heavy monsoon rains in Kerala. A team of National Disaster Response Force has already been deployed in Ernakulam and Thrissur and another team would reach Idukki, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post. The Kerala state electricity board (KSEB) is determined to make maximum use of the water in the catchment area in Idukki dam. The KSEB officials said that there has not been any excess water in the dam that needs to be released. Electricity Minister M.M. Mani has said that a trial run will be held when the water level in the Idukki dam reaches 2,398 ft. [ more ]

Water level reaches 2396.34 feet in Idukki dam

31 July 2018 (First Post)  One of the highest arch dams in Asia, Keralas Idukki Dam is going to be opened for the first time in 26 years, owing to rising water level of the Periayar River following heavy monsoon rains in Kerala. On Monday night, the water level in the Idukki reservoir touched 2,395 feet against its maximum of 2,403 feet and just nine feet short of the full level, prompting the authorities to issue an orange alert in Idukki, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts.A high-level meeting was conducted by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan where it was decided that the dam would be opened when the water level reaches 2,400 feet. However, state power minister MM Mani had cautioned the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) against waiting till the water level reached 2,400 feet and hence, it was decided to advance the opening of the dam.The meeting, which was also presided by revenue minister E Chandrasekharan, water resources minister, Mathew T Thomas and revenue additional chief secretary, PH Kurian, was called to decide on the precautions to be taken once the shutters of the dam are opened.The dams shutters were last opened in 1992. However, this is the first time that the dam will be attaining its full level during the South West Monsoon. The arch reservoir comprises of three dams built across the Periyar River  Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu. They were built for the Idukki Hydroelectric Project of the KSEB, but Idukki, being the highest, is used to store water while the other two are used to route it to the 780 MW powerhouse. The 550 foot high, double curvature dam is built between two granite hills  Kuravan and Kurinchi.The opening of the dam would lead to large-scale evacuation of residents of nearby areas. Thus, in the meeting it was decided that the disaster management officials will take a stock of buildings in and around 100 metres of the dam area with the help of satellite pictures and collect details of people residing in those buildings to aid in the evacuation process, the Financial Express reported.The shutters will be opened only in daylight and after sufficient notice is given to the public and all stakeholders concerned, a statement released by government authorities said. It added that there was no need for the public to panic and that the final red alert will be issued when the water level touches 2,399 feet. Earlier, the Kerala government had put the army, navy, air force and coast guard on alert to tackle any emergency situation. [more]
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Chinas tariff counteractions against the US wont have a huge impact on itself. The country has the confidence and ability to maintain stable and healthy economic development, Chinese experts said.

On Aug. 3, China announced its decision to impose additional tariffs of four rates on 5,207 items of imported US products worth $ 60 billion. The rates of additional tariffs on such products will be 25 percent, 20 percent, 10 percent, and 5 percent, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.

China will instantly implement the countermeasures if the US obstinately puts its additional tariff measures into effect, said the commission.

The decision came one day after the U.S. Trade Representative proposed targets for 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, up 15 percent from that launched on July 11.

China adopted the countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). They are lawful measures to safeguard the multilateral trading system and the global value chain, the experts said.

The US has seriously violated WTO rules, undermined the global industrial chain and free trade system, and once again unilaterally escalated trade frictions. Its behaviors are typically trade blackmail, said Chen Wenling, chief economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

That China decisively took countermeasures has demonstrated its resolution to oppose, counter and strike back at the US trade blackmail, Chen said.

The tariff countermeasures were taken to save Chinas economy under a passive circumstance. They are to alleviate the adverse effects of US protectionist measures and safeguard interests of China and the Chinese people, said Li Chunding, head of the institute for international economics of College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University.

They have also manifested China is resolved to oppose trade protectionism and safeguard multilateral trading system, Li added.

The countermeasures are reasonable actions taken under the circumstance that the US continued to intensify the China-US trade frictions, according to Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Tu stressed that only consultation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit is an effective way to resolve trade differences. Any unilateral threat or blackmail will only intensify trade disputes and damage the interests of all parties.

According to the statement of the commission, we will strive to minimize the impact of the measures on Chinas domestic production and peoples lives, said Gao Lingyun, a research fellow of the Institute of World Economics and Politics with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

China has given full consideration to possible adverse effects of imposing the four-level tariff rates on the production of domestic enterprises and peoples lives, said Gao, adding that the countrys countermeasures are resolute and strong, as well as restrained and rational.

The countermeasures will not have a huge impact on Chinas domestic market, Chen noted, explaining that China has fully considered and estimated the possible impact on the Chinese people and enterprises. The new tax revenue from the countermeasures will be mainly used to mitigate the impact on enterprises and employees, she said.

China has both confidence and ability to maintain stable and healthy economic development, said Li Yong, deputy director of the China Association of International Trade Expert Committee.

Chinas economy is stable, Li Yong said. The countrys GDP growth reached 6.8 percent in the first half of the year, maintaining a medium-high speed of growth for 12 consecutive quarters. China has a very large market, with the final consumption expenditure contributing 78.5 percent to the national GDP growth.

China, with complete industrial categories and strong motivation for innovation, is the worlds second largest patent applicant. In addition, new business activities are continuously injecting impetus to the economy.

China has been steadfastly pushing forward reform and opening up. For example, the country has been easing its market access, broadening and deepening joint construction of the Belt and Road and preparing for the first China International Import Expo.

These major decisions and measures will stimulate new vitality and generate new impetus to economic development, as well as bring more sense of gain to the people, Li Yong noted.

Chinas export of high value-added goods is growing rapidly, occupying an increasing proportion. Countries and regions participating in building the Belt and Road have become a new highlight in the export market, said Zhao Ping, director of the Department of International Trade Research at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Zhao added that under such circumstances, Chinas foreign trade will not be greatly reduced due to damaged exports to the US, and is still expected to see stable growth in the future.
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VANCOUVER (AP)  The City Council in Vancouver has adopted a resolution in support of replacing the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River.

The resolution asks Gov. Jay Inslee and the Washington State Legislature to provide funding for the long-debated project.





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MEDFORD, Ore. (AP)  Wildfire smoke in southern Oregon is forcing organizations that are dependent on tourist dollars to scramble for other options.

The Mail Tribune reports the air quality in Medford and surrounding towns continues to range from unhealthy for sensitive groups to hazardous levels. The air quality Sunday night in both Medford and Ashland moved into hazardous territory.





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Image from CenterPoint





SEATTLE  An almost 12-acre industrial property at 5900 and 5960-5990 First Ave. S. has sold for $73 million, according to King County records.





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KENT  A commercial property at 23031 Military Road S. in Kent has sold for $3.1 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Gai and Gai Partnership, which acquired the property in 1999 as part of a larger land deal worth $6.1 million.





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The US-China trade dispute has been escalating since the beginning of this year. The Trump administration attempts to disrupt economic globalization, change the structure of bilateral trade and reduce its trade deficit with China.

In addition, with the 2018 midterm elections around the corner, Trump has further accelerated the trade dispute for political purposes. The consequent incidents also aggravated the trade dispute, putting more uncertainties on bilateral trade relations.

The US trade deficit against China is still widening on a quantitative basis, and the US is still Chinas largest trading partner. Though the trade war will undoubtedly have a huge impact on Chinas foreign trade and economy as a whole, China has seen decreased dependence on trade with the US. In addition, Chinas trade with the US is becoming less decisive as the country gradually expands the scope of its trading partners and increases trade volumes with them.

The US government knows clearly that China and the US are economically interwoven and interdependent. But as Chinas reliance on the trade with the US is decreasing, taking unilateral measures against China in trade, finance and technology will only exert greater negative effects on the American economy.

The US economy will be devastated if the Trump administration levies tariffs on $ 450 billion worth of imported Chinese goods as it announced. It is no different from a political suicide. The additional tariffs will greatly increase the living cost and reduce consumption choices for US citizens, as well as raise operating costs for US enterprises.

Moreover, the tariffs will also tremendously hinder the US economic recovery and counteract the positive effects of its economic stimulus plans. By then, even Trumps most loyal supporters will switch sides.

Trumps attempt to contain Chinas technological development and restrict Chinese technological talents from studying in the US under the banner of protecting the US national security is unrealistic and meaningless.

His move will bring opposition from the global technology industry which attaches high importance to academic exchanges. In the short term, the Trump administration might be able to restrict Chinese talents and disrupt academic exchanges, but such restriction will also create negative impacts on the progress and development of its own cultivation of technology personnel. Such practice, bound to be protested against by the US technology and academic worlds, will have to be stopped.

Chinas exports to the US totaled $505.6 billion in 2017 and the value of its imports from the US stood at $ 130.4 billion, according to the US Department of Commerce. If the US tariffs on Chinese goods are imposed at full scale and Chinas tariffs on American goods remain unchanged, which means the US average tariffs on imported Chinese goods will be lifted from 3 to 25 percent, Chinas economic growth will see a 0.4-percent drop. If China levies reciprocal tariffs on imported American goods, the figure will be limited to 0.34 percent.

Besides the direct impacts, the multiplier effect of the trade war on the Chinese economy is also limited in the short term. Most Chinese enterprises have established their production factors, indicating that the trade war could hardly affect their investment. Therefore, in the short term, China is able to take the impact of the trade war.

As a result, on one hand, the China-US trade relations will be adjusted in terms of quantity, rather than subversively changed. On the other hand, the US has withdrawn from a variety of international organizations; but China is gaining more global support for its effort to push forward trade globalization, tackle climate change and improve global governance. In this regard, it is believed that China can mitigate the negative impacts created by this round of China-US trade dispute.

This article is based on related studies of the report on China-US trade relations released by a research group led by Professor Li Daokui at the Center for China in the World Economy, Tsinghua University
Recently, China has been acting calmly in its counteraction against the US-led trade war, on just grounds, to its advantage, and with restraint.

The countrys calmness and confidence come from not only morality, systems and history, but also its broad domestic market.

China is a large country, and its broadness is what emboldens it. With vast land, abundant resources and a large population, China has always enjoyed favorable conditions in economy, business, politics and culture over the past more than two thousand years since the Qin and Han Dynasties.

In addition, China has its unique advantage in domestic market. It is an advantage beyond reach of most of the countries, especially in todays world where global trade and cross-border investment are developing in unprecedented speed. Chinas domestic market will not only help the country lessen external impacts, but also improve the countrys influence in the international economic and industrial system.

Moreover, Chinese market is favored by the international community. The First China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held this November in Shanghai, as a major measure for the country to open its market to the world and a new platform for other countries to access the Chinese market.

So far, more than 2,800 enterprises from over 130 countries and regions have confirmed to participate in the event. It is estimated that the expo will attract over 150,000 purchasing agents from both home and abroad.

China enjoys a sound momentum of growth. The countrys foreign trade is seen as a miracle by the international community  the its export volume has stayed the worlds largest since 2009.

In fact, the fast expansion and upgrading of the countrys domestic consumption is also a noteworthy miracle. Final consumption contributed an average figure of 55 percent to the economic growth of China on an annual basis from 2013 to 2016, becoming a major engine driving the countrys economy. Besides, China ranks the second in the world in terms of its GDP and domestic market size.

Statistics showed that domestic final consumption has been making high contribution to Chinas economic growth, and has been generally on an upward trend in recent years. Since 2012, the annual contribution of this sector to Chinas GDP growth stood at respectively 54.9, 47.0, 48.8, 59.7, 66.5 and 58.8 percent, driving up economic growth by 4.3, 3.6, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5 and 4.1 percent.

The commodity and service trade deficits of the US saw a monthly increase of 7.3 percent in June, the first scale-up in the recent four months, according to the latest data from the US Department of Commerce. It is a proof that the trade war cannot reduce trade deficit.

The huge market size of China suggests large space for maneuver. Thanks to the market size, China enjoys high macroeconomic stability, which enables its government to have a wide space in implementing macro-control and maintaining stable economic growth. In the meantime, the Chinese manufacturers, facing changing external environment, can still get rid of the troubles in a quicker manner and stay competitive in the global market.

Given the development of each major economy and Chinas contribution to related countries in recent years, it is believed that China is still able to consolidate its leading position in the global economic and industrial system with the help of its domestic market despite of the complicated trade conflicts,

(Mei Xinyu is a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce)
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Four (4) lucky motorists will have the chance to win a lifetime supply of free gas with SEAOIL

Running on its second year, the Lifetime Free Gas, Oh My Gas! promo, still the only one of its kind in the world, has kicked off yesterdat at the City Club in Alphaland Makati.

Last years Lifetime Free Gas promo was so successful, and was received so well that we decided to run it again this year. This is not just to thank our loyal customers, but also to celebrate the successes of SEAOIL over the past years, said SEAOIL CEO Glenn Yu. SEAOIL is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Aside from a lifetime supply of gas, SEAOIL customers can expect to win over 100,000 instant prizes through peel-off cards. Thirty (30) P10,000 worth of SEAOIL gift cards will also be raffled off in the monthly draws.

To qualify, a customer must gas up at least P500 worth of Extreme 97, Extreme 95, Extreme U, Extreme Diesel fuels and/or SEAOIL Lubricants at any SEAOIL station nationwide. Customers can double their chances of winning if they register at www.lifetimefreegas.com.

This year, the company also announced new brand influencers, true SEAOIL believers who bring credibility and recall to the brand. They are international car racer Marlon Stockinger, TV host and radio DJ Joyce Pring, and Atoy Llave, founder and owner of A-Toy Customs, the leading car customizer in the Philippines.

SEAOIL has also forged a strategic partnership with independent fuel company, Caltex Australia (CAL). The partnership will support the companys plans for growth in the next five years. CAL is a 100% publicly-owned company in Australia and does not share any ownership with the local Caltex.

The Oh My Gas promo runs from August 18 to November 18, 2018. Winners of this years promo will be determined via three monthly draws on September 19, October 19 and November 29.

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XI'AN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has unveiled a regulation which bans smoking in all indoor public venues.

The regulation, released on Tuesday by the city government, also prohibits smoking in some outdoor public places, such as schools, stadiums and health institutions for pregnant women and children.

Smokers who do not adhere to the regulation will be fined 10 yuan (1.5 U.S. dollars), and venue owners may be fined up to 1,000 yuan.

The regulation will take effect on November 1.

Xi'an, home to the Terra-Cotta Warriors, is the latest major Chinese city to ban smoking in all indoor public venues, following Beijing and Shanghai.

There are over 300 million smokers and 740 million people exposed to second-hand smoke in China.

The country has set a target to reduce the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above to 20 percent by 2030 from the current 27.7 percent, according to the "Healthy China 2030" blueprint issued in 2016.
Chinese household appliances attract many local agents at Brazil Expo/Photo by Zhang Yuannan from Peoples Daily

Chinese household electronics and appliances were well received at a recent brand show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which targeted the Latin American market.

About 120 Chinese enterprises participated in the fifth China Home Appliances & Electronics Brand Show organized by Chinas Ministry of Commerce. Domestic brands, such as large Chinese home-appliance brand Galanz and drone maker DJI, showcased products at the event.

Chinese brands have been increasingly drawn to the Brazilian market, as the countrys economy continues to recover and consumer spending shows signs of picking up, while Chinese brands are becoming more popular among Latin American countries owing to enhanced technological research and development as well as brand marketing strategies.

China has ushered into a smart manufacturing era. In recent years, Chinese enterprises have paid more attention to intellectual property rights, increased product research and development and promoted the development of high-end products.

In Latin America, Chinese manufacturing used to be labeled as crude, said Edward, a Brazilian distributor of DJI and a participant of the expo. But now, he added, Chinese products such as DJI drones, with core technologies making it hard for peers to match, amaze people in Latin America.

Chinese brands make products that are of good quality, but opened their market in Brazil much later than peers from Europe, the U.S., Japan and South Korea, said a refrigerator salesperson at a shopping hall in Rio de Janeiro.

As such, Chinese companies have taken measures to advertise overseas, such as inviting celebrities to be spokesmen and building joint ventures with local companies for win-win results.

Many Chinese companies participated in the Expo with the aim of introducing Chinese brands to Brazil and other countries in Latin America, creating more cooperation opportunities for companies from both sides.

The Latin American market is full of prospects, a loudspeaker producer from China told a journalist at the Expo, expressing hope to enter the market.

A general manger of an electronics company from east Chinas Jiangsu province also has high expectations after attending the Expo, saying that he had established contacts with a number of local distributors.

Thanks to the efforts of Chinese household appliance companies in Brazil, China's exports of household appliances and consumer electronics to Latin America totaled $2 billion in the first quarter of 2018, up 31 per cent year-on-year.

Chinas home appliance companies will soon find a place in the Latin American market thanks to their advanced technologies and good quality.
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Even within the watch industry, brands are no longer immune from this phenomenon. In a world increasingly polarized around moral values, they must flaunt their credo and take a stance on social issues far removed from their field of activity. This is not just a matter of supporting various causes and association. Weaving a brand into philanthropic storytelling that reflects its nature, which often means preserving the ocean and/or the environment in general, is no longer enough. Basically, watch brands can no longer buy themselves a good conscience; they must have squeaky clean hands and watches to match. While gold is more or less on the right track, diamonds and other gems are not really keeping pace. High expectations in this respect are hardly likely to be met for the time being, especially when it comes to the watch industry.

Frequently under pressure from American customers, brands are increasingly driven towards transparency. The United States has indeed long since understood that, when it comes to non-electoral matters, it is effective to vote with one's wallet and to make such a move known. It was under American pressure that a de facto embargo had been placed on the use Burmese rubies, embezzled by the governing junta. These stones have thus all but disappeared from the ornaments created in the West, to the delight of Chinese and Indian merchants.

Thus, in order to maintain, win over  and in fact convince  this vast and choosy clientele, brands are revealing what makes them tick. In particular, the traceability of resources is a central issue. After all, if you want to know where that chicken you eat was raised, or the origins of that coffee you drink, and whether they stem from industries that meet your moral standards, it makes sense that the same should apply to the elements composing a watch. The key materials here are gold and diamonds. Because of their value, they are the most controversial. Given the parts of the planet where they are produced, they are the most likely to be dodgy. The notions of fair trade, respect for the environment, appropriation and diversion of resources and corruption have become consubstantial requirements for the exploitation of mining resources. The congress organised by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which has just been held in Geneva, was a powerful reminder of this.

 Chopard

The pressure is all the greater in that the watch industry has its eyes, brain and strategic direction firmly focused on millennials, a very loosely labelled category of individuals in terms of age, localisation and aspirations  but for whom it is clear that the ethical dimension of production and consumption is essential. A closer look at the environmentally responsible models offered by Baume, the new entity launched by the Richemont group and an offshoot from Baume & Mercier, shows that this brand is doing everything it can to meet the expectations of this demographic. Its ethos includes straps made from natural and upcycled materials, along with donations to various charitable associations. Another stakeholder that has taken a firm stance on one of these subjects is Chopard, which is steadily increasing the use of Fairmined certified ethical gold. The switch to 100% ethical gold was announced for July 2018. It represents an initiative that is unique in terms of both its timing and its scope.

In actual fact, ethical gold accounts for barely 10 to 15% of worldwide new metal production. And the industry also uses recycled metal, which is by definition a heterogeneous melting pot. There is therefore nothing straightforward about sourcing gold that can be certified as not originating from a problematic open-air mine using mercury or exploiting its employees.

However, apart from this initiative, very little is being done, especially when it comes to gemstones. Most watch brands proclaim their commitment to the principles of the Responsible Jewellery Council. This entity partially took up the role played by the Kimberley Process, created in the wake of the scandal surrounding blood diamonds from Angola and Sierra Leone. But like its predecessor, its collegial decision-making process and the limited scope of its standard-setting role, along with the nine-figure numbers involved in this industry, all contribute to making it a somewhat unsatisfactory player, particularly with regard to the demands arising in recent years. The message was further blurred when stones from Mozambique, temporarily excluded due to the nationalisation of mines undertaken by the then president Robert Mugabe, were reincorporated into the RJC without the slightest change in this grotesque dictatorship.

It is thus impossible to know the origins of a gemset bezel. Simply impossible. The structure of the diamond chain classifies gems according to their mineral properties  cut, clarity and colour  but not their origin. Some brands are attempting to promote traceable stones such as those from the Alrosa mining company. To win over American customers, it highlights its mine to market programme and boasts of producing diamonds exclusively from Russia  a country whose ethical positioning is hard to defend and currently subject to international sanctions. The sheer opacity of the precious metals supply chain is such that it is constantly biting its own tail. All of which means that today more than ever, synthetic diamonds represent a neutral and clean alternative. And this despite an inexistent or unfavourable image doubtless reflecting the saying that the heart has its reasons which reason ignores In total, the Laureato Summer Edition 2018 collection has ten variations, limited to 75 pieces each.
200-car convoy from the US to YPG

US-led coalition forces YPG continues with its loyalty. After a long hiatus, the US has contributed to the re-terrorist weapons, as well as a convoy of 200 cars.

The US continues to maintain its sincerity with allies and the PKK with the Syrian arm YPG despite all the reactions. Search for a particular period that weapons and military aid after Turkey's reaction to the US sent guns and ammo convoy with YPG.

200 VEHICLES CONVOY

The US, which has not sent weapons and ammunition support to YPG for a long time, is a new party material from the terrorist organization. With trucks of 200 vehicles, the weapons and ammunition going to Rojava were sent to the area for the use of YPG.

It was learned that there was military munition in the convoy.

200-car convoy from the US to YPG - VIDEO

US-YPG CO-OPERATION

Since 2014, the United States has regularly provided YPG with military resources. The aid was rejected by many countries, especially Turkey. In particular, Turkey's allies, perform an action at a time when it questioned the US, it has been interpreted as a move that could further force the environment.W Washington has not yet given an explanation for the 200-car convoy.
BENGALURU, India, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

- Companies that commence transformation from their core are leading in digital disruption - Lack of digital skill sets is the greatest barrier to transformation

Infosys [http://www.infosys.com ] , a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today released global research, The New Champions of Digital Disruption: Incumbent Organizations, that reveals that under a quarter of organizations surveyed, understand that commitment to digital is at the heart of true transformation. And, it is these organizations that are reaping rewards from digital disruption. According to the research, more than half of all respondents surveyed, rank focus on digital skillset as the most important factor in successful transformation, followed by senior leadership commitment and change management, implying the need for a conducive organizational culture.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg )

Visionaries, Watchers and Explorers

The research identifies three clusters of respondents based on the business objectives behind their digital transformation initiatives.

- Visionaries (22 percent) understand the potential of the digital revolution to completely transform their business - Explorers (50 percent) commit to digital programs driven by the need to enhance customer experience - Watchers (28 percent) see digital transformation through the prism of efficiency

True transformation begins from the core

While Watchers and Explorers are primarily focusing on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and 3D printing for digital transformation initiatives, Visionaries are not only looking at emerging technologies, but are also focusing strongly on core areas such as mainframe and ERP modernization.

Visionaries believe that true transformation comes from the core and without this in the background, digital technologies will not perform to their potential. The study reflects that their commitment to modernizing from the core will yield benefits, such as improved productivity and efficiencies.

Agility in championing digital disruption

Visionaries watch and explore futuristic trends which currently escape the notice of the other two cohorts. They boast of increased clarity on opportunities and threats of digital disruption over Explorer and Watchers, as well as an increased ability to execute on them.

Visionaries look further into the future. They attach a higher rating to the impact of market drivers such as Emerging Technologies (86 percent Visionaries vs 63 percent Explorers, 50 percent Watchers) and Changing Ecosystems (63 percent vs 39 percent, 31 percent) - enabling them to be agile and disruptive.

Lack of digital skill set - greatest barrier

When ranking barriers on the path to digitization, building digital skill sets was found to be the most prevalent (54 percent) challenge for organizations, highlighting the lack of digital skill set available.

Transforming from a low risk organization to an organization that rewards experimentation (43 percent) and lack of change management (43 percent) were the second and third greatest barriers, showcasing the turbulence and resistance to change associated with digital transformation.

The importance of establishing an ecosystem

Building in-house capabilities was on the list of 76 percent of Visionaries, who were keen on acquiring digital native firms, to quickly gain the digital skills that 71 percent of the Visionaries believed were lacking in-house. Thereby, showcasing the increasing trend towards acquisitions and development of a sustainable ecosystem. Comparatively, the proportion of Explorers and Watchers looking at the acquisition and ecosystem options was negligible.

Pravin Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Infosys, said, "Navigating the digital disruption requires companies to drive a holistic approach to transformation and foster a digital culture that brings together leadership commitment and a renewed approach to skill building. Infosys with its long standing partnerships with global corporations is focused on accelerating their digital transformation journey from their core systems while building new capability to drive competitive advantage."

Overcoming barriers to digital transformation

Enterprises are relying on their transformation partners to help them scale barriers. Preparing workforce for digital transformation and developing strong capability in managing large organizational change have emerged as top strategies to overcome these barriers. This is especially critical to Visionaries who are aiming to transform business culture.

For a full copy of the report, please visit:https://www.infosys.com/navigate-your-next/research

Methodology

Infosys commissioned independent market research company Feedback Business Consulting to undertake a study to understand the decision-making processes and challenges around the digital transformation journey businesses embark on. From March to April 2018, the qualitative and quantitative subset of the study was carried out, interviewing over 1,000 respondents senior management level executives who have a role in digital transformation initiatives. Respondents were from organisations with 5,000 employees or more and $1 billion global annual revenue. Overall, the respondents represented 11 industry groups from Australia, China, France, Germany, India, the UK, and the US.

About Infosys Ltd.

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

(CONTINUA)
I have had several dealings with the Panama Papers law firm, Mossack Fonseca, over the years, while trying to identify its clients who had wronged my own.

Despite acquiring the appropriate court disclosure order forcing Mossack Fonseca to reveal the identity of a client patron (accused of some form of wrongdoing by my clients), the firm was difficult to deal with: the level of cooperation appeared to randomly fluctuate between non-existent and half-baked.

In one case, all UBO (ultimate beneficial owner) identification data regarding a BVI company (which I was told was held in Panama) was not forthcoming. In another, a BVI court disclosure order was skirted around via what minimally could be called an aggressive approach to finding a way to hide an apparent UBO.

In 2016, Mossack Fonseca realized it had lost in excess of 11 million sensitive documents. A new tranche of what has now become known as the Panama Papers has recently been released.

Not surprisingly, this new release indicates the level of panic within the law firm when it first learned of the massive data leak in 2016 and as it desperately tried to fill in its knowledge gaps about its clients. Indeed, the firm was apparently in the dark about a staggering 75 percent of its clients.

The means of acquiring the missing information was basic. Mossack Fonseca employees simply wrote, emailed and called introducers such as banks, accountants and lawyers in an effort to bridge the knowledge gap. Unsurprisingly, those on the receiving end of the Mossack Fonseca requests were unimpressed when they realized that their clientele, who had sought confidentiality, had had their position compromised by the Panama Papers leak.

This new tranche of leaked Mossack Fonseca papers casts a new light on the firms apparent reluctance to cooperate, painting a picture of a factual inability to comply in some cases. Instead of admitting that in many instances they had no idea who the client was, they sought to bluff their way out of the hole they had dug for themselves, frustrating the legal process.

Historically, in the 1980s and 1990s, the world of offshore and shell companies was akin to something out of the Wild West. The lack of regulation and control led to agents simply ignoring the basics, with the result that NGOs and governments of developed countries brought pressure to bear and new regimes were implemented.

Despite the overwhelming evidence at the time, Mossack Fonseca was quoted in response to the 2016 scandal, denying any wrongdoing: We are responsible members of the global financial and business community.

Sadly for Mossack Fonseca, it was often unable to claw back the information now being demanded, its earlier recklessness being its commercial undoing. Despite slashing prices, and craftily offering clients the opportunity to change their entities name in order to provide post-data-leak prudence, the damage was overwhelming. Ultimately the firm endured a slow and painful demise.

In February 2017, Panamas attorney genera described Mossack Fonseca as a criminal organization that is dedicated to hiding money assets from suspicious origins. Later the firms founders were arrested on suspicion of money laundering. They are currently out on bail and the investigation reportedly continues.

Invariably, Mossack Fonsecas name is once again being linked to all offshore service providers, including those in the wider Caribbean area. Those who disparage the islands providing offshore financial and company administration services would do well to remember that pre-Panama Papers, locations such as the BVI, the Cayman Islands and elsewhere had already implemented much more stringent regulatory protocols than those in places such as Delaware or Scotland, for example. Yet once the genie was out of the Mossack Fonseca bottle, it appears the damage has been irreparable. And the reverberations can be felt elsewhere.

One has been the UK Parliaments (and governments) decision to force the UK overseas territories to create a public register of UBO details by 2020. Yet it seems the UK government has not been prepared for an ensuing backlash. Putting aside the constitutional arguments impugning the new law, and the public demonstrations on the islands concerned, many peers in the House of Lords recognized that the decision was not only an infringement on the territories rights to self-rule, but also seriously flawed on the merits.

Their Lordships were cognizant of the fact that territories such as the BVI had already invested heavily in setting out new compliance regimes. These regimes ensured the availability (at two-hours notice in an emergency and 24-hours notice routinely) of the UBO information to the competent authorities in the UK. They appreciated that there was no rule-based notion of secrecy in the overseas territories and that the necessary UBO identification information collected is held and available, but not publicly to the masses (and frustratingly for some of the NGOs), or to those who simply want to know everybodys business.

The UK debate continues and the anger in the territories is tangible. They have openly debated whether to sever ties with the UK. Indeed, their respective governments are being openly defiant, stating that they will adopt the UKs demands if and only when they become the global regulatory norm for all. Constitutional challenges in court by the territorial governments against the imperial statute of the Parliament of Westminster are a certainty.

The Panama Papers made a difference, and for that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists should be justifiably proud. But bashing the overseas territories because of historical failings that they rectified some years ago (and using the demise of Mossack Fonseca as a catalyst for doing so) needs to stop. Hopefully common sense will prevail.

___

Martin Kenney, pictured above, is Managing Partner of Martin Kenney & Co., Solicitors, a specialist investigative and asset recovery practice based in the BVI and focused on multi-jurisdictional fraud and grand corruption cases www.martinkenney.com |@MKSolicitors. In 2014 he was the recipient of the ACFEs highest honor: the Cressey Award for life-time achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud. He was selected as one of the Top Thought Leaders of the Legal Profession in 2018 by Whos Who Legal International and as the number one offshore lawyer for asset recovery in 2017.
Malaysias former prime minister Najib Razak was charged Wednesday with three counts of money laundering tied to the looting of billions of dollars from a government sovereign wealth fund.

Police in Malaysia said Najib stole about $10 million from a unit of 1MDB called SRC International. He allegedly made three electronic transfers into his own bank accounts.

Najib, 65, pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Wednesday.

He set up 1MDB, short for 1Malaysia Development Berhad, in 2009.

He headed the fund while he served as prime minister from 2009 until his ruling coalition lost power in elections in May.

The coalition had ruled Malaysia for six decades, largely controlled by Najibs family. His father and uncle previously served as prime ministers.

In 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that Najib deposited about $700 million from 1MDB into his personal accounts.

Najib has said allegations about 1MDB are part of a political vendetta against him. A government panel he appointed cleared him of wrongdoing.

The new prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, 92, led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003. After he switched to the opposition, he promised to investigate the looting of 1MDB and Najibs alleged role.

During raids on houses and condos owned by Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, Malaysian police said they seized $273 million worth of cash, jewelry, handbags, watches, and other valuables.

Last week Indonesia returned to Malaysia a $250 million yacht allegedly bought with money stolen from 1MDB.

The U.S. Justice Department has alleged in court filings that more than $4.5 billion was looted from 1MDB from 2009 through 2015 by high-level officials of the fund and their associates. Najib wasnt named.

The DOJ filed forfeiture actions against nearly $1.7 billion of 1MDB-linked assets.

In Malaysia, police arrested Najib in July. He was charged then with criminal breach of trust for the transfers from SRC International.

He pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, Najib faces prison sentences of up to 20 years on the breach of trust charges, and up to 15 years for money laundering.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), a global venture capital firm investing in consumer, enterprise and healthcare technology companies, promoted Anna Khan to vice president.

In her new role, Khan will begin focusing on early-stage investments for the firm in consumer businesses and continue investing in software companies.

Since joining Bessemer in 2012, she has sourced several of the firms notable investments, including customer messaging platform Intercom and cloud contact center and inside sales technology provider NewVoiceMedia.

Khan also co-authors BVPs State of the Cloud annual report with Bessemer partners Byron Deeter and Kristina Shen.

Based in San Francisco, she works closely with partner Byron Deeter and has helped with Bessemers investments in online learning platform Guild Education, esports company Team SoloMid (TSM) and enterprise SaaS optimization platform Zylo.

Khan served as a board observer for Intacct until the company was acquired for $850 million by SAGE Group and currently serves as a board observer for Rainforest QA, Vidyard and Zylo.

Outside of Bessemer Venture Partners, she is the founder and chair of the incubator Launch X, launched in 2015 to help female entrepreneurs raise capital for their businesses. Khan has been named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumna.

Before joining Bessemer, she was chief of staff to the CEO of 4INFO, a mobile advertising platform and started her career as an investment manager at both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

Khan holds an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, where she was a Rock Center Fellow, and graduated with honors from Stanford University with degrees in science, technology and society (STS), English literature and political science.

FinSMEs

08/08/2018
DiA Imaging Analysis, a Beer Sheva, Israel-based artificial intelligence medical imaging analysis startup, closed a $5m funding round.

The round was led by Connecticut Innovations with participation from Defta Healthcare, existing investors and a government grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.

The company plans to use the new capital to continue penetrating the market with its FDA/CE-approved automated tools while at the same time expanding its portfolio and building support teams for its activities in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Founded by Hila Goldman Aslan (CEO), Michal Yaacobi (VP R&D) and Arnon Toussia-Cohen (VP BD), DiA Imaging Analysis is a medical imaging analysis software company providing fully automated, implementable tools that enable quick, objective and accurate ultrasound analysis, with the first product line in echocardiography. The companys FDA- and CE-cleared cognitive image processing tools are based on advanced pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms that automatically imitate the way the human eye identifies borders and motion, producing accurate and reliable data for the use of physicians.

DiA is collaborating with market leaders including GE Healthcare, Neusoft Medical System, Google Cloud and others to implement its FDA/CE-approved automated tools within ultrasound devices, healthcare IT systems and cloud platforms. The company has reference cites in leading US medical centers, including Yale, Mount Sinai, RUSH, USF and UCSD. DiAs Scientific Advisory Board is supported by world-leading physicians specializing in cardiology and primary care ultrasound.

FinSMEs

08/08/2018
FairFleet, a Munich, Germany-based drone startup, raised funding from High-Tech Grunderfonds.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

Led by CEO Florian Waubke, FairFleet provides a destination for drone services covering the entire value chain from booking, airspace approval, pilot management, aerial survey to data analysis.

The company operates its services in industries such as real estate, insurance, energy, agriculture and large infrastructure projects.

It has over 1,600 verified and professional pilots in over 42 countries.

FinSMEs

09/08/2018
PerkSpot, a Chicago, IL-based HR technology company, received $50M in first outside funding.

Susquehanna Growth Equity made the investment.

The company intends to use the funds to recruit talent and expand its offerings.

Founded in 2006 by Chris Hill, Executive Chairman, and led by Jace Mouse, CEO, PerkSpot provides a private marketplace that allows employees to save money on a variety of goods and services. Offered as a benefit through employers, employees can save an average of $2,300 each year on purchases with exclusive discounts on brands such as Apple, Samsung, AMC Theatres, and Target.

Over the past two years, the company expanded its offering to integrate employers rewards and recognition programs, has grown to over 750 clients and nearly tripled its revenue.

FinSMEs

08/08/2018
Domino Data Lab, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an open data science platform, secured $40m in funding round.

The round, which brought total capital raised to $81.2m, was led by Sequoia Capital and Coatue Management.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to deliver new data science platform products, acquire talent, expand globally, and secure and deepen strategic partnerships with companies like SAS and AWS.

Founded in 2013 by Nick Elprin, CEO, Domino Data Lab provides an open data science platform for companies to run their business on models. Model-driven companies like Allstate, Instacart, Dell, and Monsanto use the companys platform to accelerate research, increase collaboration, and deliver high-impact models.

Domino has earned new business at EasyJet, Lloyds Banking Group, SunCorp Group, and the international insurer BNP Paribas Cardif, and other global enterprises across various industries.

FinSMEs

08/08/2018
Ten Eleven Ventures, a cyber-focused venture capital firm, closed its second fund, at $140M.

Among others, LPs in Ten Eleven Growth Fund II include KKR and Temasek, an investment company headquartered in Singapore. Ten Eleven will work with Temasek as the firm further expands its global investment strategy into several new geographic regions  including Southeast Asia. Already 50% of its portfolio has reached the point of scaling operations far enough to open Asian regional offices in Singapore.

TEG II will continue the firms strategy of investing in and supporting the best entrepreneurs focused on protecting both countries and companies digital assets and infrastructure. This fund builds upon the results of 2015 vintage TEG I that has invested in growth stage security businesses including Darktrace, Ionic Security, Ping Identity and Optiv.

Ping Identity, an identity defined security company, was sold to Vista Equity Partners in 2016 while Hexadite, an Israeli-based early player in security orchestration and automation market, was sold to Microsoft in 2017.

Led by Mark Hatfield and Alex Doll Founder, and newly added partner and COO Brian Draves, Ten Eleven now has $250m under management across three funds and invested in 15 portfolio companies in California, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Colorado, Georgia, Texas and Oregon as well as internationally in the United Kingdom and Israel.

The firm has offices in Boston, MA, Burlingame, CA, and Boulder, CO.

FinSMEs

08/08/2018
Tot Biopharm Company Limited, a Suzhou, China-based bio-pharmaceutical company specializing in developing, manufacturing and commercializing oncology drugs, completed a US$102m Series B financing round.

The round was supported by China Universal (Cayman) GP Limited and several domestic and foreign investors, as well as investors who had participated in earlier rounds, including Center Laboratories Group, Vivo Capital, Chengwei Capital, Yuanta Financial Holdings Group and Cathay Capital.

Led by general manager Gloria Huang, Tot Biopharm focuses on the R&D, manufacturing and marketing of anti-tumor drugs. The company now has over 10 drugs in the R&D stage, including three biologics and three small molecules, which have received investigational new drug application (IND) approvals, as well as one antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), which is expected to receive approval soon.

Tot Biopharm intends to use the funds to continue to accelerate development of its key pipelines.

The company recently announced results of the Phase I clinical trial (double-blind, head-to-head pharmacokinetics and safety comparisons) of Bevacizumab biosimilar, TAB008, which is now in Phase III clinic trial. The IND application for TAA013, an ADC, is currently in the review process. Tot Biopharm is also in the process of ramping up production of its third-generation innovative oncolytic virus drug TVP211.

FinSMEs

08/08/2018
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Have you met The Bachelorette Becca Kufrin?

The 28-year-old publicist from Minnesota picked 29-year-old medical sales rep Garrett Yrigoyen during the ABC reality love competition's season finale on Monday night.

Below, check out some quick facts about the reality star.

No stranger to Bachelor Nation

The Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. popped the question to Kufrin, who was a contestant on his season. However, the romance was short-lived.

Luyendyk would later break up with Kufrin just weeks after his proposal to be with 25-year-old Virginia native Lauren Burnham, who was initially the runner-up. Luyendyk and Kufrin had been engaged for two months.

Bidenisbae

Kufrin wore a Biden my time shirt in a February 2017 Instagram post.

Just over here like , she captioned the snap. #bidenmytime#2020#haveyouseenhimeatanicecreamconetho#bidenisbae.

Kufrin also used the hashtag #imwithher, referring to then presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, in a Nov. 8, 2016 post on the social media platform.

Stamps are one of her must-haves

Kufrin was asked about five items she "can't live without" in her "Bachelor" contestant questionnaire.

"Chapstick, facial lotion, bobby pins, popcorn, and stamps," she shared.

She also listed some "embarrassing" listening choices.

"Country (when I'm feeling sad) or the Sister Act 2 soundtrack, which I don't think is embarrassing at all, but my friends disagree," Kufrin said.

Breaking the law?

Kufrin was hit with an underage consumption summons in January 2009, Radar Online reported.

The future "Bachelorette" pleaded guilty for the misdemeanor offense, the outlet said, adding that she was told to shell out no less than $431 in fines.

Shes engaged

Kufrin shared the good news with People in May, before her season premiered.

"It was the happiest moment of my life," she told the publication. And it feels so good to say it. I still pinch myself, like, did that all just happen? Its been a whirlwind.

Yrigoyen asked Kufrin to marry him in the Maldives.

Fox News Katherine Lam contributed to this report.
The crew on Season 14 of Deadliest Catch had their work cut out for them as they reach the end of their crab fishing season. With competition more fierce than ever, loyalties were tested when a nasty rumor began to spread among the fleet.

The episode opened with a brief teaser about captain Jake Andersons ship, the Saga, being unreachable. Things cut back in time from there to more mild times aboard the Cornelia Marie, where captains Casey McManus and Josh Harris were reaping the benefits of some intel Harris borrowed from his late father following the end of the supermoon event.

Meanwhile, aboard the Northwestern, Sig Hansen is having some serious trouble bouncing back from the harsh weather. His pots are coming up empty, forcing him to go back to the drawing board to find a hot spot. Eventually, he starts to track where the rest of the fleet is dropping pots and how long theyve been there. That helps him determine where he can fish, but it means that other fisherman are already there.

Typically Hansen avoids other boats at all costs, but when theres quota on the line, hes willing to bend his own rules. The question is, how far will he go?

Meanwhile, Anderson is gambling on heartier western waters to find crab away from the rest of the fleet. His men are getting pummeled with 25 foot waves and, despite their efforts, pots are still coming up short. However, the numbers arent so bad that they can call the grounds a dud, forcing the Saga to just grind it out in tough conditions. Luckily, morale is high, but that all changes in a big hurry.

Meanwhile, Hansen finds his way to Josh and Caseys honeypot. He breaks the code of the sea and starts placing his pots almost on top of the Cornelia Maries. The boys notice in a big hurry. Theyre annoyed and note that no one wins when they split territory like this. The final straw comes when one of Sigs lines gets tangled in one of theirs. The process to untangle them would put the Cornelia Maries crew at risk, and Casey isnt going to play ball with that. He goes on deck and personally cuts Sigs line.

Casey calls the veteran captain, who is rude over the radio and suggests that its a young-captain thing to have a territory war, despite constantly avoiding and chastising other captains for doing it. Just when it seems like the competition had gotten to the captains and caused a rift between them, theyre put to the test.

The episode returns to where it was at the beginning, with the other captains having a minor panic at the news that an emergency call was coming from the Saga, with Anderson unavailable on the radio. Everyone gets on the radio and spreads the news, but its Hansen who is the most concerned for his former protege.

When radio contact fails he calls Anderson. After a tense amount of ringing, the captain answers and reveals that everything is fine. In fact, Sigs call is the first hes hearing of any kind of distress call. Anderson double checks his equipment and cant figure out how the rumor that his boat is in distress got started. While everyone else is relieved, he is not at all amused.

He calls his crew for a meeting and informs them that they need to call their families as word must have gotten out that theres a situation. Just like that morale is in the toilet. He gets a call from the ships owner who tells him that, although hes happy theyre safe, its time to drop anchor and wait out this bad weather.

The episode ends with Anderson, somewhat prophetically given hes unaware of the tension between Hansen, Harris and McManus, that all the captains take care of each other, and for that hes grateful.
Actress and outspoken activist Alyssa Milano sounded off on Twitter about the Ohio special congressional election and even went as far as to speculate on Russian meddling in the race.

As the Republican candidate, Troy Balderson, appeared to take a slim victory over the Democratic challenger, Danny OConnor, in the states 12th district, Milano jumped on Twitter to accuse the Russians and lament the possible outpouring of support for a third-party candidate.

You know what sucks? Because of our unwillingness to pass policy that protects our election integrity, I immediately think the Green Party votes tonight are Russian Meddling, she said. Why else would anyone cast a protest vote in Ohio when theres so much at stake?

As of this writing, the Trump-backed Republican candidate has the lead. However, as TheWrap notes, even if the votes to the Green Party went to the Democratic Party candidate, it wouldnt make up the difference.

Later in the day, Milano shared a video posted by fellow Hollywood star Debra Messing from CNN in which a commentator scolded Green Party voters for not voting for the lesser of two evils.

Comedian Kathy Griffin chimed in as well on Twitter with similar sentiments.

Green Party voters.. No one is saying you cant vote for your candidates...but dont tell me you care about the environment if you know your vote will make the difference between Dem winning over a Rep and you still choose to vote for your candidate who has NO chance of winning.
Looks like Ariana Grande was acting like a dangerous woman in the carpool lane!

The 25-year-old pop star seemed to have a little too much fun while filming a new segment of "Carpool Karaoke" with James Corden for "The Late Late Show."

James Corden Teases Ariana Grande 'Carpool Karaoke'

On Tuesday night, Grande took to social media to share a bandage around her hand after the taping. Posting a pic of her bandaged hand giving a thumbs-up sign to both Twitter and Instagram Stories, Grande wrote, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Im AN IDIOT.

She added, But I LOVE my bandage it looks sick @JKCorden Ill be ok one day.

When a fan asked Grande what happened, she replied, Youll seeits so  stupid.

Another fan asked if she had fun filming the popular sketch, to which she answered, Omg cute. Yes, tons of fun. And I love my bandage its so cool, I will miss it when I heal.

Ariana Grande Comes to Fiance Pete Davidson's Aide After He Slices His Finger

Corden didnt reply to the bandage incident, but did tweet, This has made my day. The #CarpoolKaraoke we just shot might be one of my favorite ever! I cant wait for you to see it. @ArianaGrande is the real deal, which prompted her response, Ive.. never had more fun.

Thankfully, it doesnt look like her giant new diamond engagement ring from fiance Pete Davidson was affected by the incident. Apparently both Grande and Davidson have suffered hand injuries recently. Earlier this month, the "Saturday Night Live" star was featured on Grande's Instagram Stories frowning in a photo.

"My baby sliced his finger in Colson's video so I fixed it," she captioned the shot.

Ariana Grande to Perform at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards
Just hours after Brad Pitt spoke out against Angelina Jolie's claims that he's avoiding child support payments, the actress is responding to her estranged husband.

In a statement provided to Us Weekly on Wednesday, Jolie's lawyer, Samantha Bley DeJean said: Angelinas filing of yesterday was both legally appropriate and factually accurate in all respects.

"What has been filed by Brads side today is a blatant attempt to obfuscate the truth and distract from the fact that he has not fully met his legal obligations to support the children," the statement concluded.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pitts lawyer spoke out against claims Jolie made about him not paying child support and called the accusations manipulative.

According to People, Pitts lawyer, Lance Spiegel, filed a court brief in the Superior Court of the State of California on Wednesday in which he addressed claims that hes not paid meaningful child support.

Spiegel reportedly called the claims unnecessary and a thinly veiled effort to manipulate media coverage.

As previously reported, Jolie filed court documents asking a judge to both finalize their divorce and force Pitt to pay child support for their six children, as well as retroactively pay for what he has allegedly missed as per an informal agreement. The duo married in 2014 after being together since 2003.

Spiegels new filing not only denies the claim that he hasnt paid, but lays out the numbers. Pitt loaned Jolie $8 million to help her purchase a house and has since contributed $1.3 million in various bills and other benefits for the children.

Jolie, 43, filed for divorce from Pitt, 54, in September of 2016 citing irreconcilable differences. Since then the split has been very public and at times contentious.

According to E! News, the couple is keen to formally end their marriage, but they are focused on the custody battle above all else. As a result, the process does not seem to be taking big steps forward.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Terry Crews is opening up about being on the front lines of the #MeToo movement.

We can now tell out truth, he told reporters during the 2018 Television Critics Association's Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton on Wednesday.

And, its funny because these are lessons that Ive learned while I was doing this show Its all about freedom," the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star continued.

Its about being able to tell your story, and one thing that influenced me was being here and feeling safe and having friends and family on this show that I felt secure enough that I could actually tell my truth and still do the work."

Last October, Crews tweeted that a high-level executive grabbed his crotch at a party in 2016. Not too long after it came to light that WME partner Adam Venit was the alleged groper in question.

One month later, Crews filed a lawsuit against Venit, which was dismissed by the Los Angeles District Attorney earlier this year, citing the statute of limitations. According to People Magazine, Venit, who denied the allegations, was suspended then later demoted.

Since coming forward, Crews has been a vital part of leading the charge against harassers and offenders in show business.

In June, the 50-year-old actor testified about his experience on Capitol Hill, telling the Senate Judiciary Committee: The assault lasted only minutes, but what he was effectively telling me while he held my genitals in his hand was that he held the power. That he was in control.

Crews echoed that sentiment in a conversation with reporters Wednesday.

This is how toxic masculinity permeates culture, he said. As I shared my story, I was told over and over that this was not abuse. This was just a joke. This was just horseplay. But I can say one mans horseplay is another mans humiliation. And I chose to tell my story and share my experience to stand in solidarity with millions of other survivors around the world. That I know how hard it is to come forward, I know the shame associated with the assault. It happened to me.

As Crews continues to be one of the many voices combating harassment and sexual assault, he feels his role in the movement will forever change the landscape of the industry and thanked his castmates and women who came forward before him for giving him his own strength.

It made a difference, he said. And I thank each and every person thats standing up here right now because they gave me the strength to do that along with all of women who came forward in the #MeToo movement where I got a ton of my strength from. Its funny because I was actually talking about this stuff with the cast members the day before I went public with my tweets."

He continued: And this is just the beginning, and I feel like this is going to be a new day and now the town will be safer for my wife, for my son and for my daughter.
Its safe to say Tom Hardy thinks highly of his friendship with Prince Harry.

The 40-year-old actor spoke briefly about his bond with the Duke of Sussex during his interview with Esquire released Tuesday. Although Hardy would only say he and Harrys friendship is deeply private, the actor had one phrase to describe the royal.

Harry is a f---ing legend, Hardy told Esquire.

Hardy said he flew from New Orleans to London the day of Harry and Meghan Markles wedding in May, put on a suit and attended the royal event with his wife, Charlotte Riley.

He was pictured at the wedding hand-in-hand with his wife while sporting a shaved head and blue suit.

Hardy and Harry have been friends for years. The actor has been an ambassador for Prince Charles charity The Princes Trust since 2010. Harry and Prince William also starred with Hardy in Star Wars: The Last Jedi," though the scene didnt make the cut reportedly because the royals were too tall to be Stormtroopers.

Harry and Hardy were also seen talking at the Audio Polo Challenge in 2016 in London.
A food fight has broken out between France and Belgium  as the countries bicker over who really invented the French fry.

French newspaper Le Figaro published a story last week with the headline No, French fries are not Belgian  awakening the ire of its neighbor.

Even if the Belgians dont like it, the fries of today are fundamentally Parisian, food historian Pierre Leclercq said in an interview with the paper, which was published on International Belgian Fry Day, as if to add flame to oil.

KFC HAS CHOSEN ITS NEXT CELEBRITY 'COLONEL SANDERS'

Common Belgian lore claims the original fry was born in Namur, where locals were fond of fried fish. One winter, when the River Meuse froze over in 1680, they fried potatoes instead and pommes frites were born, the BBC reported. Legend has it that American soldiers serving in World War I mistakenly gave the beloved treat the name French fries  and it stuck.

Leclercq, however, claimed the Belgian origin is not plausible  explaining that potatoes werent introduced in the region until 1735, and that even then, it would have been unlikely for the Namurois to fry the spuds.

We are used to the French looking down on us.  Bernard Lefevre, president of the national association of frietkoten

In the 18th century, fat was a luxury for people of limited means, he explained. Butter was expensive, animal fat was rare, and cheaper vegetable fats were consumed with parsimony. Thats why peasants ate fat straight, without wasting it, on bread or in a soup.

Instead, he claims the original deep-fried delicacy was the pomme Pont-neuf sold to theater-goers by pushcart vendors on Paris oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf, in the late 18th century.

The inventor of the fried potato will probably always remain anonymous, said Leclercq in the article. But we can guess his job: peddler. We can also guess his origin: Parisian.

CHICK-FIL-A OPENING ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL LOCATION, BUT NOT WITHOUT PROTESTS

Belgians are having none of it. They take their frites seriously  there are some 4,500 frietkoten, or fry shops, dotting the countrys streets.

Eve must have first fried frites for Adam because it is natural but that would not have been in Belgium."  Bernard Lefevre

We are used to the French looking down on us, Bernard Lefevre, the president of the national association of frietkoten, told the Telegraph UK.

I think it is not an attack  it is more a feeling of embarrassment that one exceptional thing was not invented in France, he quipped.

Lefevre pointed out that traditional frites are made with a potato that grew in southern Germany and the Netherlands, but not Paris  and were fried twice in beef fat, not oil.

But he conceded it was a hard recipe to trace.

Eve must have first fried frites for Adam because it is natural but that would not have been in Belgium, he said. Unless Belgium is the Paradise. I didnt think it was, but I know that paradise is not in France.

He added: Nobody invented water but somebody invented the spa. Potatoes do not come from France or Belgium, they came from Peru. But Belgians made frites an art and a perfect product.

Belgium is petitioning UNESCO to endorse the fry as an official icon of Belgian cultural heritage.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post.
At least nine people have died in Peru after eating contaminated food following a funeral ceremony on Monday.

Some 50 people fell ill after eating food following a funeral in San Jose de Ushua, located in the Ayacucho region. Sky News reported several people were in critical condition.

Regional health director Jhon Tinco told a local radio station the victims reported eating a meat dish and consuming a drink of fermented corn called chicha. Tinco said health officials were investigating to determine what could have led to the deaths.

NAVY VETERAN WITH MS, 94, GOES FOR GOLD IN NATIONAL VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES

Perus Health Minister Silvia Pessah said the contaminated food may have contained organophosphates, a group of chemicals used in pesticides. Samples of the food were being tested.

Radio Programs of Peru reported the wake was for Victor Santos Cucho Atucsa, a local man, whose family shared a meal with others following the ceremony.

San Jose de Ushua Mayor Ivan Villagomez Llamoca said the mourners were served mote broth and stewed meat with chili. He himself said he had a headache after the meal and went to the hospital to save myself.

CANCER STUDY OF NEW MEXICO NUCLEAR TEST SITE EXPECTED TO FINISH IN 2019

"The whole village has been poisoned. I can't grasp it yet  I have lost my family. It's a huge tragedy, thank God I'm alive," Villagomez said.

The incident comes just weeks after hundreds of Peruvian students became sick after eating breakfast provided to them at more than a dozen schools in the Canete province, the BBC reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A young woman in India is finally getting treated for a rare condition that caused her defunct right hand to grow to 22 pounds.

Mita Sabar was admitted to a hospital in Odishas capital city of Cuttack on Monday, following a decade of suffering with the enlarged limb that makes it hard for her to work, study or walk on her own, The Times of India reported.

MARYLAND MOM TESTS POSITIVE FOR OPIATES AFTER EATING BAGEL

We will have to carry out some investigations and tests to find out the exact cause behind the unnatural growth of the girls palm, said Dr. Patnaik, the head of plastic surgery at SCB Medical College. After knowing the exact problem, we will plan the line of treatment.

Patnaik further identified the condition as a possible rare form of Plexiform neurofibromatosis, which causes tumors to form on nerve tissue, but said he cannot be sure until further tests are performed, The Daily Mail reported.

It is painful and uncomfortable because of its weight. Her hand is defunct, she is not able to do anything with her hand, he said, adding that treatment could include several surgeries.

Sabars plight was first brought to light by Indian media outlets, before the district overseeing her village stepped in to help with her medical issues.

BREASTFEEDING MOM TOLD TO COVER UP, INSTEAD PUTS CLOTH OVER OWN FACE

Prior to their intervention, Sabar and her family were unable to afford treatment, the Daily Mail reported. She and her sister were also wary of free medical procedures, as they were uncomfortable signing risk waivers until counselors convinced them to undergo the treatment, according to the outlet.

Sabars condition was initially discovered in 2014, after the local health officials performed a screening in her village. She now feels hopeful that her suffering will come to an end.

I have been suffering for years. I hope the doctors at SCB will cure me, she told the India Times.
A Little Caesars employee in Arkansas tested positive for hepatitis A, the states health department announced Tuesday.

Health officials warned patrons who ate at a Paragould Little Caesars restaurant between July 19 to Aug. 2 to get vaccinated against hep A "immediately" if they haven't already done so.

Other locals may also want to get vaccinated as well.

CONTAMINATED FOOD SERVED AFTER FUNERAL KILLED CEREMONY KILLS AT LEAST 9 MOURNERS

The ADH encourages all Greene County residents who are age 19 to 60 to get vaccinated for hep A whether or not they visited Little Caesars Pizza between July 19 and August 2, the health department wrote in a Facebook post.

Little Caesars said it would close the restaurant until it was thoroughly cleaned.

WOMANS AD FOR RAW-CHICKEN TEDDY BEARS PULLED FROM FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE

We are doing everything we can to ensure a safe environment for our customers and employees," the pizza chain said in a statement to The Associated Press. "We are going above and beyond the health departments requirements, including voluntarily closing the store and having it professionally cleaned and sanitized.

Little Caesars said the Paragould establishment would reopen after the deep-cleaning concluded, adding that all employees would also receive vaccinations before returning to work. The chain said it hasn't received any reports of illnesses so far.

The health department calls hepatitis A a vaccine-preventable, highly contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus.

The disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months, health officials say, noting in rare instances it could be deadly.
A Virginia woman who donated her kidney to a stranger is being called a guardian angel by the family of the man whose life she likely saved.

If it wasnt for [Crysti Shirley] I would be attending a funeral. She is a beautiful person, Maysa Munsey Slominski, the recipient's cousin, told Fox News on Wednesday.

Until recently, Jim Abed was in desperate need of a new kidney. The Fairfax, Va., man had been on the transplant list roughly two years, receiving dialysis multiple times a week while he waited.

In short, Abeds time was running out.

NAVY VETERAN WITH MS, 94, GOES FOR GOLD IN NATIONAL VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES

So, initially against her familys wishes, Slominski took to Facebook in February with the hope she could find a donor for her cousin.

At first, her call for help went unanswered. But the following month, Slominskis former co-worker, Crysti Shirley, saw her post for the first time. While she knew Slominski from her previous job, she and Abed were complete strangers.

In mid-March, Shirley was scrolling through her Facebook feed when a post suddenly caught her eye.

"When I say caught my eye, I mean gave me goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach. It was the story of someones loved one who needed an O kidney, she wrote on Facebook.

I knew in my heart that I was meant to give him my kidney, Shirley told Fox News. I cant explain it.

Shirley then contacted Slominski, who helped her begin the process to find out if she would be a match for Abed, a father of two.

After a whirlwind few months of blood work, evaluations and extensive testing, Shirley was informed she was Abeds perfect match.

She felt like there was true calling, that her faith was telling her to do this, Slominski said, who added that Abeds doctors suspected his closest match would be a family member, such as a sibling or parent  not a stranger.

On July 26, the two underwent the surgery, which took place at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

It went beautifully, Shirley said, adding that she had an overwhelming sense of peace and was not nervous the morning of the procedure.

Shirley was released from the hospital two days after the surgery, but stayed in a nearby hotel with her husband until Abed was released as well. Both are now at home recovering.

[Abed] was very taken aback by the goodness of a complete stranger, said Slominski of her cousins reaction.

God called me to do this; there is no thanks thats needed."  Crysti Shirley

INDIAN WOMAN WITH 22-POUND HAND FINALLY GETTING TREATMENT FOR RARE CONDITION

While Abeds family sees Shirleys action as a blessing, the opposite is true for her.

I am the one who received the blessing, she said. "My hope is that he can go out and live a full, beautiful life.

God called me to do this; there is no thanks thats needed, she added.
Those poor employees.

Burger King U.K. recently challenged its Twitter followers to retweet one of its posts in exchange for getting Toto's 1982 song "Africa" played in one of its locations over and over again for one entire day.

They did this by tweeting: If this tweet gets 1000 RTs well play Toto  Africa all day in one of our restaurants.

VIDEO OF VIOLENT MCDONALD'S BRAWL IN ILLINOIS MAY LEAD TO ARRESTS, POLICE SAY

And of course, the post got nearly 6,000 retweets, so Burger King, true to their word, reportedly fulfilled the promise. The fast-food chain soon announced on it would be blasting the soft rock hit in a restaurant in Camden Town, London, on Tuesday.

Social media users have yet to share footage from the Camden Town location to confirm the stunt played out as promised, but fans seemed thrilled by the idea, and had asked if the fast-food joint can post a livestream of the restaurant all day.

Others, meanwhile, felt bad for the employees, who no doubt will have a headache after listening to the same song for hours on end.

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Toto, however, appeared to totally approve of the stunt, after the band's official Twitter account responded on Monday.

Does this come with fries? Toto joked.
Not once, but twice upon a time, two identical twin sisters married two identical twin brothers at Ohios Twins Days festival, exactly one year after meeting at the famous Twinsburg gathering.

Brittany and Briana Deane married Josh and Jeremy Salyers on Saturday, in a double fairy tale ceremony that marked a lifelong dream come true, People reports. Guests were seriously seeing double, as the outdoor ceremony was officiated by identical twin ministers, as well.

Its really been a fairy tale come true. Marrying twins is something thats very important to us, Briana, who married Jeremy, said of the big day. Even when we were little girls I can remember being in kindergarten, knowing that that is what we saw for ourselves.

OKLAHOMA MOM OFFERS HERSELF AS STAND-IN FOR DISAPPROVING PARENTS AT SAME-SEX WEDDINGS

Likewise, the Hagerstown, Md. men agree that they had long known theyd never tie the knot unless it was with identical twin sisters.

"You know when you know," Jeremy told ABC News. "Weve always known our whole life if we were going to be married that it was going to be with twins."

I think that they experienced a lot of the same challenges dating what we call singletons, that means non-twins. Its hard when youre dating someone and they dont understand the twin bond, Brittany mused.

Their two love stories and joint wedding is set to hit television in early 2019, with a special on TLC. In a promotional teaser, the Deane sisters reveal that even though they have been attending the Twins Day festival since 2011, they didnt meet their future husbands until the last day of the 2017 gathering  and the rest is history.

After months of dating, on February 2 (2/2), the twin brothers proposed at Twin Lakes State Park in Virginia, where the foursome shared their respective first dates. Fast-forward to their August wedding, and the couples say planning the big day was a breeze.

We have all the same tastes, I feel, Brittany said, and Briana agreed. Wedding colors, decor, wedding gowns, identical dresses, identical veils, we got engaged together  it just made sense we have one big double wedding.

The 32-year-old Virginia brides wore matching, off-the-shoulder gowns and chapel length veils, while their 34-year-old grooms sported matching identical tuxedos for the nuptials.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Now, the two new Mr. and Mrs. Salyers will all be honeymooning together in Prince Edward Island.

The same resort, different rooms, the sisters said with a laugh.

Moving forward, Brittany and Briana say that the couples are excited to eventually move into the same house and raise their future children together, under one roof.

When we have children, my and Joshs children will be genetic siblings to Briana and Jeremys children, Brittany told People. Even though theyre cousins, theyre technically genetic siblings. We imagine it will be like two moms and two dads all raising our families together.

Coincidentally, on August 4, two sets of identical twins from Michigan also celebrated their recent, respective weddings with a joint reception as well.
Veterinarians in Virginia are warning pet owners to be on the lookout for a mysterious disease  similar to whooping cough  spreading among canines in the Charlottesville area.

OLYMPIC SKIER GUS KENWORTHY REVEALS THE DOG HE ADOPTED IN PYEONGCHANG HAS DIED UNEXPECTEDLY

The Autumn Trails Veterinary Center in Charlottesville told CBS 19 they've treated roughly 22 dogs for the unknown disease in the past week. Concerned, the veterinary clinic contacted other practices in the area to see if they were noticing a similar trend.

"There is an epidemic underway in the Charlottesville area," Autumn Trails announced in a Sunday Facebook post. "It appears to be highly contagious, with more than 150 cases seen in the community in the past month."

Many dogs coming in with the disease, which can last for weeks, are well vaccinated, CBS 19 reported. Vets are running tests to determine what exactly the disease is and how it can be treated.

Symptoms of the unknown illness include coughing, sneezing, low-grade fevers and lethargy, according to Autumn Trails.

MICHIGAN DOG RECEIVES NOTICE HE'S ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Emily Gordon, manager of Autumn Trails, told the news station she suspects the sickness is coming from dog parks, groomers, boarding [and] kennels.

She cautioned pet owners to be wary of socializing their dog until the illness is contained. In the meantime, Autumn Trails assured customers it will take proper precautions.

"Any dog that is boarding with us that starts exhibiting these symptoms will be immediately placed in isolation," the clinic wrote. "If you must bring your loved one in for medical treatment, please advise the staff if your pet is exhibiting symptoms before entering the building."
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President Trump took full credit and proclaimed victory for Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson in a special U.S. House election in Ohio Tuesday, though the tight race remained too close to call. Balderson also claimed victory.

The Republican candidate led Democrat Danny OConnor, the Franklin County recorder of deeds, by 1,754 votes, with all precincts reporting. However, nearly 8,500 provisional and absentee ballots remained to be reviewed. That wont happen until Aug. 18. A recount would be mandatory if the winner at that point is ahead by less than one-half of 1 percent.

President Trump tweeted Tuesday night: When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.

Regardless of the final outcome of the special election, Balderson and OConnor will face each other in the Nov. 6 general election for a full two-year term in the House.

The presidents claim that he gave Balderson a boost is very plausible. But in addition, Republicans in general clearly outspent Democrats in a bid hold the district in the Columbus area that Trump carried by 11 points in the 2016 presidential election.

House Speaker Paul Ryans super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund, spent $3 million on the congressional race, sending volunteers to knock on 600,000 doors.

Scott Ryan, a GOP state legislator who is no relation to the House speaker, said he was pleased that it looked like his party would hold the seat. But he admitted to the Columbus Dispatch that the fact that this is close is certainly not what we were hoping for.

Ohio native Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics said the GOPs narrow lead in the special election is very much in line with what weve seen all over the country in special elections this cycle: Democrats often running well ahead of Hillary Clintons 2016 performance.

The reason Republicans have to worry about the special election results of the past year or so is that they are defending 42 districts in November without the advantage of having an incumbent in the race. If Republicans win a clear majority of those open seats, they keep the House. If they dont, there will be a Democratic speaker elected for the first time since 2009.

Tuesdays primary results in states other than Ohio give Democrats hope they will make gains in November.

Unions in Missouri were able to put a referendum on that states ballot challenging a new GOP-passed law ending the requirement that union membership be compulsory. Public employee unions flexed their muscle, and the GOP right to work law went down to a 2 to 1 defeat.

But it was in Washington state that the clearest storm warnings were spotted in Tuesdays primary. That state uses an unusual jungle primary system in which all candidates regardless of party appear on the same ballot.

Historically, the totals that each partys candidates post in the primary come close to the partisan division in the November election. Because of the states open primary, it has been said that Washingtons primary often functions like a high-participation poll.

On that basis, Republicans werent happy with Tuesdays results. In three key congressional races for seats currently held by Republicans, the total vote for the GOP was below 50 percent. Thats a clear sign of tough, competitive races this fall.

In Spokane, for example, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the No. 4 Republican in House leadership, only narrowly edged out Democratic opponent Lisa Brown.

Republicans lost ground in state legislative primaries as well, Seattle talk-show host and 2000 GOP candidate for governor John Carlson told me. They can bounce back in November but it will be a knockdown, drag out fight.

The reason for the GOP angst is simple. President Trumps policies now often poll favorably with a majority or near-majority of the voters, but his personal ratings hurt his party with swing voters.

Political handicapper Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report says that this fall the GOP will pay a Trump penalty, which he defines as the price Trump and his party are paying for the presidents modus operandi.

President Trump himself has decided that if he has become the issue for many voters, then so be it. Expect to see him continue as the center of attention in this falls campaign. That will make the November election an up-or-down referendum on the president  and that apparently is exactly the way he likes it.
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The strong performance in Tuesdays special election in Ohios 12th Congressional District by Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson against Democrat Danny OConnor shows President Trump made the difference. Voters in the central Ohio district sent a message: the Trump agenda is leading America in the right direction and they dont want to turn back.

President Trump, Balderson and the Republican National Committee all claimed victory for Balderson. However, news organizations are saying the race is too close to call because of provisional and absentee ballots that wont be looked at until Aug. 18.

Anti-Trump media set the stage for a big Democratic upset in the Ohio race. But the Trump economy is booming and the presidents dedication to keeping the House in Republican control worked to Baldersons advantage.

Balderson was ahead of OConnor by a razor-thin margin of 1,745 votes before the examination of all absentee and provisional ballots. This shows that talk of a blue wave sweeping Democrats to victories over GOP candidates is clearly premature.

Democrats are finding out that strong economic numbers like 4.1 percent annualized economic growth, 3.9 percent unemployment, and 3.4 million jobs created on President Trumps watch will make success in November harder than expected for the left.

Furthermore, President Trumps warning about Republican complacency paid off and Buckeye State voters responded.

So with 89 days until the midterm elections Nov. 6, its a fitting time to do a reset about where things stand. First and foremost, lets make one thing perfectly clear. President Trumps name may not be on the ballot come Election Day, but his agenda is on it.

President Trump is a political force of nature like weve never seen and 2018 is a national election  like it or not. The Trump economy is on the ballot; Trump immigration policy is on the ballot; the Trump foreign policy is on the ballot; and impeachment is absolutely on the ballot.

The Trump coalition must recognize this and use it to motivate our forces on Election Day. Every Democrats name on the ballot this fall is the name of a supporter of the harmful agenda of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

The Pelosi-Schumer agenda calls for tax hikes, open borders, sanctuary cities, impeachment and more of the failed Washington status quo. And every Republicans name on the ballot stands for the Trump agenda of tax relief, job creation, border security and reforming Washington. Thats the stark reality of where we are as a country.

Its become cliche to say so, but this is  once again  the most important election of our lifetimes. The battle lines have been drawn and make no mistake, America is at the crossroads.

The Democratic base is an angry mob of Trump haters who not only want to defeat this outstanding president and his agenda at the ballot box, but want to remove him from office by any means necessary.

Reasonable Americans must decide if they want to change course to go down a road that is littered with chaos, socialism and multimillion-dollar taxpayer-funded political investigations  or if they want to continue on our current path of economic prosperity, national security and standing up for law and order. You cant have it both ways.

A Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will grind the Trump economic agenda to a halt. Pelosi and company will spend all their time and energy on their Russia conspiracy hoax in cahoots with their allies in the biased mainstream media. Because of this, our economy will undoubtedly suffer.

When the legislative, executive, and judicial branches are all mired in phony investigations, the American people lose. These are the facts and that is what the Democrats want.

Americans can rest assured that they have a clear choice on Election Day about what kind of America they want to live in and raise their children in. The question for Republicans is how do they match this crazed anti-Trump Democratic intensity at the ballot box?

The answer rests with President Trump. He must continue to take his accomplishments directly to the American people and educate them on the choice they face on Election Day. We must let Trump be Trump.

President Trump will campaign all across the country with the same ferocity that he made famous in 2016. He must inspire his coalition of Republicans, independents, and Reagan-Trump Democrats to vote like its 2020.

The president, along with Republican candidates for the Senate and House, must all be singing loudly and beautifully out of the same hymn book. The message is simple. Vote like your paycheck depends on it. Vote like our national sovereignty depends on it. Vote like your constitutional freedoms depend on it. Vote like the rule of law depends on it. Because they do!
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Former Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H. once left the Republican Party because he said it wasnt conservative enough. The late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., ran unsuccessfully against President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980 because he didnt think Carter was liberal enough.

And yet  hard as it is to believe today  Smith and Kennedy were good friends, despite holding political views that were polar opposites.

Kennedy, known as the lion of the Senate, went out of his way to make Smith feel welcome and appreciated when Smith became a senator. The two would sit together at Senate gatherings, with Kennedy cutting across a room full of his colleagues  many of them fellow Democrats  just to chat with conservative Republican Smith.

By the time Smith left the Senate in 2002, he and Kennedy had worked together on a host of issues.

We bring up this anecdote not to engage in wistful nostalgia, but to point out that America does better when the two sides of the aisle talk to each other, respect each other, and even like each other. America does best when Americans recognize that people from the other party still want whats best for the nation  they just have a different route to get there.

That, unfortunately, does not describe our current political environment. Democrats and Republicans today demonize and attack each other with ferocity. Oftentimes, its not enough to say members of the other party have the wrong ideas  members of the other party are portrayed as evil, incompetent and out to do harm to America.

This escalation of political opposition into political hatred doesnt benefit anyone. For the good of the nation, Americans must start to see the good in each other.

Time was that what we are calling for here was not controversial. The Reagan administration is a prime example.

In the 1980s, Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Thomas P. Tip ONeill of Massachusetts were about as far apart politically as you could get. ONeill was a liberal New Deal Democrat who favored big government spending, funded by high taxes. Reagan was a conservative Republican who favored small government and low taxes.

While ONeill believed government was able to solve problems, Reagan famously said in his first inaugural address in 1981: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.

Yet President Reagan and Speaker ONeill genuinely liked each other. They could gently make fun of each other, like friends do, as when President Reagan said that he knew a Valentines Day card was from Speaker ONeill because the heart was still bleeding.

As President Reagan said, they were friends after 6 p.m.  that is, when the cameras were off and they could speak to each other as people, not politicians from opposing parties.

Reagan and ONeill got a lot of good things done for the American people because of their friendship. Together, they helped negotiate a ceasefire  which eventually led to peace accords  to end the bloody violence in Northern Ireland. They worked together to curb Soviet aggression across the globe, including in Afghanistan.

Oh, and they worked together to pass President Reagans signature achievement, the 1986 tax reform legislation that simplified the U.S. tax code, lowered income taxes, eliminated tax shelters and broadened the tax base. It remains a nearly universally admired piece of legislation  one that had a tremendous positive impact on the economy. America won because Democrats and Republicans talked to each other and put country first.

Perhaps this cooperation is why President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, awarded ONeill the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991.

While Democratic and Republican politicians attack each other with angry rhetoric today, polls show most American agree on some issues.

For example, our nations infrastructure is in disrepair  and Americans agree we need to fix it. Similarly, Americans agree we need a greater focus on career and technical education, and agree we should expand the earned income tax credit. We want less crime, less disease, more jobs, a more secure world and greater prosperity. We all want our children to have the opportunity to get a good education and good jobs.

Whats holding us back isnt popular opinion or the issues themselves. It is the vitriol of our political discourse. We can only take on the issues we all agree on when we tamp down our rhetoric and see the good in each other.

Yes, there are outliers  people who cant be reasoned with and who will not respect us regardless of any olive branch extended. Some bigots hate people because of their race, religion or ethnicity and will never accept their ideas. Some people holding far-left or far-right views see any compromise as a sign of weakness and will never give an inch.

Those exceptions, however, make emphasizing our shared values and shared goals all the more important. If our political discourse becomes little more than shouting at each other with hatred, our nation will not survive. Those of us still capable of listening to the other side must extend our hands. A coherent, respectful center will push extremists further to the fringe.

America has become an angry place, a place where demonizing the other side has become the rule. But that anger needs to stop. We must put down our vicious tweets and blog posts and pick up a six-pack or a cup of coffee and talk with someone of a different political persuasion.

We might find out we actually like each other. And we  like Ronald Reagan, Ted Kennedy, Bob Smith and Tip ONeill  might do some good for the country we all love.



Harry J. Kazianis, a Republican, (@grecianformula) is director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest and executive editor of The National Interest.
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Ohio Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson claimed victory over Democrat Danny OConnor in a special election in Ohios 12th Congressional District near Columbus Tuesday, but the race remained too close to call and will be decided after provisional and absentee ballots are counted. Balderson was helped in no small measure by a weekend campaign rally featuring President Trump.

The president, who enjoys very high approval ratings among Republicans, was said by many to be a potential drag on Baldersons campaign. The district, which is largely suburban, highly educated, and economically well-off, is considered by many analysts to be exactly the kind of place to give the president and his party fits in the Nov. 6 general election.

Some Republicans who make places like Ohios 12th District home are said  even by some nominal conservatives among the chattering class  to abhor President Trumps conduct, his manner, and the brusque statements emanating frequently from his Twitter account.

Polls showed the race tightening over the last few weeks. With all precincts reporting, Balderson led Franklin County Recorder of Deeds OConnor by just 1,754 votes. The margin was just under 1 percent  compared to an 11 percent victory margin for Trump in the district in the 2016 presidential election. Republicans have held the congressional seat since 1983.

The victor in the race remained undetermined because at least 3,425 provisional ballots and 5,048 absentee ballots must be reviewed. Those votes wont be looked at until Aug. 18, and if the margin of victory for either candidate turns out to be less than one-half of 1 percent a recount would be mandatory under state law.

Whatever the outcome of the special election, Balderson and OConnor will face each other again in the Nov. 6 for election a full two-year term for the congressional seat.

President Trumps appearance at a campaign rally Saturday may have made all the difference in helping Balderson.

Like most of the special elections for congressional seats held since the president was elected, the results in Ohios 12th District were closer than expected and perhaps closer than they should have been.

Republican Pat Tiberi, who gave up the congressional seat to take a job as head of an Ohio business group, got 67 percent of the vote in 2016. That works out to just over 250,000 votes more than were cast for either candidate in Tuesdays special election.

The battle over the Ohio congressional seat was fought with every weapon either party had at its disposal. It was supposed to foreshadow how the national election would go in the fall.

A win for the Democrats there Tuesday was predicted by some cable TV commentators, mainstream political reporters, and even some GOP politicians. They said the district was not Trump country  something the president no doubt grew tired of hearing. Instead, it looks like the energy he injected into the race may, for the GOP, have given Balderson a needed boost.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was not shy about making the connection between Trump and Balderson coming out ahead before the counting of all absentee and provisional ballots.

In a statement McDaniel claimed victory for Balderson and praised the districts voters for having elected a true conservative committed to pro-growth policies that have already brought new jobs and economic confidence to the state under President Trumps leadership.

If all that wasnt bad enough for the pundits who predict an outcome of gloom and doom for everything Trump touches, the president saw other statewide candidates carrying his endorsement breeze to victory.

In primaries on Tuesday there were these results:

Michigan

Michigan Republicans chose Trump-endorsed GOP Attorney General Bill Schuette as their candidate for governor over Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who had the backing of term-limited Gov. Rick Snyder.

If theres a downside for the GOP in Michigan it is that the primary vote hints at a slight intensity advantage for the Democrats. Both parties had competitive gubernatorial contests, with about 130,000 more Democrats voting in their primary.

On the Democratic side, former state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer defeated Abdul El-Sayed, who made a late surge thanks to backing from Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders in what some described as a proxy for the fight over the control of the national

Democratic Party and its nominating process.

In the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate to take on Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November, Trump-endorsed candidate John James  a businessman and combat veteran seeking to become the second African-American Republican in the Senate  defeated self-funding businessman Sandy Pensler.

Most analysts think Michigan will be tough for the GOP in the fall and competition is expected to be will be fierce.

Kansas

The Republican primary for governor in Kansas remained too close to call Wednesday morning.

President Trumps endorsed candidate for governor, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, held a statewide lead of just 191 votes over GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer. Colyer took office earlier this year when Republican Gov. Sam Brownback resigned to take a post at the U.S. State Department.

Provisional ballots still had to be reviewed and mail-in ballots were not all counted in the tight race. Because of the closeness of the contest there could be a recount.

Stylistically, many party professionals would prefer to see Colyer emerge as the nominee. Hed have an easier time in the general election against Democrat Laura Kelly and independent Greg Orman, the 2014 U.S. Senate candidate who nearly beat Republican Pat Roberts and who filed petitions this week to run for governor as an independent.

Kobach is an immigration hardliner believed to be the ultimate source behind several presidential comments about foreign nationals voting in the 2016 election. The secretary of state is considered toxic by the establishment types whove dominated the state GOP for years.

Ormans entry into the race gives disaffected GOP moderates in places like Johnson County somewhere to park their vote without helping the Democrats.

But to get across the finish line, Kobach  if hes the nominee  will likely need additional help from President Trump.

Missouri

In Missouri, veteran Democrat Lacy Clay easily beat back a challenge from a Bernie Sanders-style progressive to win renomination in the 1st Congressional District.

But this contest between left and far-left was of little help to two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Up until now McCaskills had all the breaks, but her streak may be coming to an end. Her opponent in the fall will be Republican State Attorney General Josh Hawley, who won 59 percent of the vote Tuesday against four primary opponents in a race in which almost 664,000 votes were cast.

Hawley is unlikely to flame out like the last candidate to run against McCaskill. Hes considered thoughtful, steady, and one of the best GOP recruits this cycle, having led the statewide ticket in 2016.

McCaskill won her primary for another term with an impressive 83 percent of the close to 605,000 votes cast.

Hawley, even without a Trump endorsement, goes into the general election with an intensity advantage over his two-term opponent.

Washington state

Washington state holds nonpartisan primaries where the top two finishers  even if both are from the same party  advance to face off in the Nov. 6 election.

In the race for the U.S. Senate, Democratic incumbent Maria Cantwell came out on top with over 50 percent of the vote in a crowded 28-candidate field. She will face Republican Susan Hutchinson in November.

GOP stalwart Dino Rossi, a former candidate for governor and the U.S. Senate, was the top vote-getter in the 8th Congressional District primary to pick a successor to retiring U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert and is favored to keep the seat in Republican hands. Democrat Kim Schrier came in second and will face Reichert in November.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the No. 4 Republican in the House leadership, managed to come out on top in her primary in the 5th Congressional District and will face Democrat Lisa Brown in November.

Based on what happened Tuesday, several things seem clear.

First, the big blue wave Democrats have talked about for months continues to fail to materialize.

Second, President Trump can still get the vote out and his endorsement in GOP primaries does make a difference.

And third, the civil war in the Democratic Party between the left and the far left is real, is getting closer and closer to the boiling point, and is very much going to be a factor in determining who controls Congress come January.
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Results from voting Tuesday showed once again that few things have more power in American politics than an endorsement from President Trump. Empirical evidence proves it.

The Trump endorsement has changed the trajectory of races, given a tailwind to outsiders and unseated one incumbent while saving another. During this election cycle, nearly 90 percent of Trump-endorsed candidates won their primaries or special elections  a powerful record. But the topline doesnt tell the whole story. The details do.

At the end of July, Iraq War veteran John James, a candidate in the Michigan Republican primary for the U.S. Senate that was held Tuesday, was losing to opponent Sandy Pensler. James began to make headway in the polls by mid-July, leading Pensler by 7 points, but President Trumps endorsement increased his lead dramatically. Post-endorsement, James jumped in the polls before going on to secure a near 10-point victory in the primary.

Elections throughout the 2018 cycle paint a similar picture. In Georgias highly touted congressional special election in June last year, Democrats spent $30 million trying to propel Democratic nominee Jon Ossoff to victory. Prior to President Trumps June endorsement of Republican nominee Karen Handel, Ossoff maintained a 1-point lead.

But the President Trumps endorsement changed everything, bumping Handel up to a 2-point lead in the polls and an eventual 3.8 percent victory. President Trumps endorsement changed the trajectory of the race, overcoming an extraordinary 6-to-1 Democratic spending advantage.

In primaries (as opposed to special elections), President Trumps endorsement has proven to be a lightning rod. Look no further than outsider Brian Kemps victory in Georgias Republican gubernatorial primary.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle was the frontrunner, maintaining a 7-point lead in one poll and falling behind by 3 points in another. President Trumps endorsement was decisive, with Kemp climbing to an 18-point lead in polls and an eventual 39-point victory.

How does a candidate take a 3-point spread and turn it into an astonishing 39-point victory? The answer is simple: a Donald Trump endorsement.

New Yorks 11th Congressional District Republican primary reveals a similar pattern. In late May, former Rep. Michael Grimm had a 10-point advantage over his competitor, incumbent Rep. Dan Donovan, in a race that became a de facto contest of who will be the most loyal Trump supporter in Congress.

Ultimately, Donovan scored the endorsement of President Trump, and in doing so, the overwhelming faith of voters in the district, who elected him as their nominee by a 27-point margin over the previously leading Grimm.

The tale of the incumbents is likewise illustrative of the power of a Trump endorsement.

The average re-election rate for congressional incumbents is typically above 95 percent in any given election cycle. In other words, unseating an incumbent member of Congress is an exceedingly difficult task  nearly impossible.

But in South Carolinas 1st Congressional District, an impossible task was made possible by a Trump endorsement. In a shocking turn of events, Rep. Mark Sanford lost the Republican nomination to Trump-backed Katie Arrington by approximately 4 percent.

Conversely, Rep. Martha Robys congressional seat in Alabama was saved by a Trump endorsement. In the June Republican primary, Roby garnered 39 percent of the vote, thereby forcing a run-off election with challenger Bobby Bright.

Though President Trump withheld his endorsement in the June primary, he endorsed Roby before the runoff  a move that Roby backers say put the incumbent in early control of the runoff, according to Politico. Roby eventually soared to victory with 67 percent of the vote.

The Trump endorsement is a powerful force to be reckoned with in races across the country. With the Presidents pledge to campaign several days a week leading up to the November elections, Democrats ought to be nervous as America sees the Trump effect play out across the country. It has the power to turn a blue wave into a red tsunami.
Hours after the polls closed in Kansas on Tuesday night, the state was still awaiting the results of the GOP primary nomination in the heated race between Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer.

So both candidates decided to send their supporters home for the night.

The race was still too close to call and results were still trickling in from the state's most populous county in the Kansas City area  where Colyer initially was leading.

The Kobach-Colyer race was considered a key test of whether President Trump's late endorsement would prove decisive for Kobach.

Trump on Monday endorsed Kobach with a Twitter message of support, calling him a "fantastic guy" who would "be a GREAT Governor."

The current governor - who took on his role in January after Gov. Sam Brownback left state politics to join the Trump administration - raised more money than Kobach, received the National Rifle Association's endorsement, committed to his pro-life views and earned support from Kansas political legend Bob Dole.

An early supporter of Trump's candidacy and the former chair of the president's now-shut down federal commission on voter fraud, Kobach is best-known nationally for his hardline stance on illegal immigration and for advising the Trump administration on immigration, non-citizen voter registration and the 2020 Census.

The state's Democratic nomination went to State Sen. Laura Kelly, who defeated four other candidates in the primary. The 68-year-old has served 14 years in the Kansas Senate and is the top Democrat on the budget committee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Missouri's Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley were projected to easily defeat their primary opponents Tuesday night to set up a key race in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate this November.

McCaskill, who is seeking a third term, received 82 percent of the vote in defeating six other little-known Democrats. Hawley garnered 58 percent of the vote in defeating 10 other Republicans, including one-time Libertarian Party presidential candidate Austin Petersen.

After McCaskill won the primary, she promptly challenged Hawley to four town-hall style debates.

"It's on," McCaskill tweeted Tuesday in a plea for donations.

Republicans have placed Missouri high on their list of potential Senate pickups in what is expected to be a challenging midterm environment. President Trump won the state by 19 percentage points in the 2016 election and Republicans control every statewide elected office except the auditor's office and have supermajority control of the state House and Senate.

Hawley is throwing his support behind Trump, who has heaped praise on the candidate and attended multiple fundraisers for him. On Monday, he tweeted that Trump "asked me to take back this Senate seat for Missourians," and Hawley pledged that he would.

McCaskill often cites the town halls she'd held -- more than 50 since 2017 -- in rural areas of the state where support for the president is strong. She's campaigning on issues that could play to both Republicans and Democrats, including health care and high drug costs. She has clashed with the president on trade and some other issues, but she also touts areas of agreement with the administration and other Republicans.

Hawley has attempted to paint McCaskill as a liberal obstructionist -- citing her vote against Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch as an example -- as well as an out-of-touch elitist. Ads by his campaign and outside groups slammed her for flying on a private plane to some stops on a recent tour of the state in her RV.

Democratic criticism of Hawley has centered on him joining a lawsuit as attorney general against ObamaCare. He has drawn criticism for campaigning against climbing political ladders, then entering the Senate race shortly after taking office as attorney general.

He's also faced pushback over allegations of corruption related to a top donor to his attorney general campaign. The Democratic Senate Majority PAC has run multiple ads accusing him of refusing to investigate, although the attorney general's office does not have initial jurisdiction in such cases.

Democrats also have tried to tie Hawley to the state's Republican former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned amid political and personal scandal as lawmakers considered impeaching him. Although Hawley publicly called for Greitens to step down, Democrats said he took too long to act and failed to do enough to investigate.

In Michigan, another Trump-voting state where Republicans hope to pick up a Senate seat, John James was projected to defeat Sandy Pensler and face three-term Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow in November.

James, an Iraq War veteran who Trump called "a potential Republican star" this week, is the first black Republican in more than 30 years to run for a major statewide office in Michigan.

Pensler, an Ivy-Leauge educated buyout specialist, entered the race with a financial advantage after loaning his campaign $5 million. But James made up the ground quickly, raising $3.9 million as of the end of June while securing endorsements from Right to Life, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Senate Conservatives Fund.

Entering July, James had $1.3 million cash on hand compared to Pensler's $2.3 million. Stabenow, who had no primary challenger, had $9.6 million in the bank.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump's legal team is engaging in "ongoing discussions" with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team on a potential sit-down involving the president and federal investigators, Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said in an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" on Tuesday.

But Sekulow added that while the decision is ultimately up to Trump, he was strongly leaning against granting Mueller access to the president.

"Frankly it is the position of the legal team, and it's been pretty clear on this, is that there's not a constitutional basis to move an interview forward," he said.

Sekulow cited several concerns with Mueller's probe, saying it was initiated in part because of the unverified DNC-funded Steele Dossier and what he described as politically motivated leaks by fired FBI Director James Comey.

"The depth of corruption that led to this investigation, and that frankly continues to permeate this investigation, is unprecedented," Sekulow told Sean Hannity.

Sekulow also raised constitutional concerns with any federal investigation into alleged obstruction of justice by Trump, saying it was "inappropriate" to pursue criminal charges against a president for exercising his inherent constitutional powers, such as firing an FBI director.

"If you look at the constitutional issues that are implicated by an interview, it's very serious," Sekulow said. "It raises very serious constitutional issues that go to the heart of the separation of powers, and [the president's] Article II authority."

SEKULOW BLAMES 'BAD INFORMATION' FOR MIXUP ON TRUMP TOWER MEETING

Sekulow's comments echoed those by fellow Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, who last month said Mueller could not compel Trump's cooperation through a subpoena because federal investigators could not show the requisite need for his testimony.

On Sunday, Sekulow blamed "bad information" for erroneously denying the president had a role in drafting his campaign's response to a key June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower.

Donald Trump Jr., his brother-in-law Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort were known to have attended the meeting with Kremlin-linked attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya.

An initial July 2017 statement, dictated by President Trump and issued by Trump Jr. immediately after the meeting came to light, read in part: "We primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children that was active and popular with American families years ago." The statement made no mention of Trump officials seeking damaging information on Hillary Clinton, which Trump later suggested was in fact the point of the meeting.

Mueller's team reportedly is looking into the president's actions concerning the meeting, and his tweets.

But Sekulow told Hannity that Mueller's actions could have lasting negative ramifications on presidential authority and democracy itself.

"This is not a trial. This is a political process that is going forward," Sekulow said. "The constitutional issues ... in fact are the major issues that this investigation turns on. There are serious constitutional implications not just for this president, but for the presidency, and that's what history will remember."

Sekulow, however, declined to say whether Trump would declassify and release Justice Department and FBI documents currently sought by House investigators through subpoenas related to possible anti-Trump bias and the Russia probe.

"He's respecting the process that's in place; that's not the decision we make as his private lawyers -- we're not the White House Counsel," Sekulow said. "That decision I'm sure is being discussed."
Maryland Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous cursed at a reporter on Wednesday for asking if he's a socialist.

Not to put too fine a point on it, do you identify with the term socialist? a reporter asked Jealous during a press conference on Wednesday.

Are you f---ing kidding me?" replied Jealous, the former leader of the NAACP. "Is that a finer point?

The reporter, Erin Cox of the Washington Post, responded: Thank you, sir.

Video was posted online by a reporter for The Daily Record, a Maryland news organization.

Jealous is challenging Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose campaign has painted the Democrat as a far-left candidate. Jealous has been endorsed by democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders.

JEALOUS WINS DEM GOVERNOR PRIMARY IN MARYLAND

On Wednesday, the Democrat dismissed the labels.

Him calling me a far-left socialist, thats what the Tea Party called President Obama, its what Barry Goldwater called Martin Luther King, Jealous said. And when you see conservatives like Hogan name-calling, you realize that theyre scared.

Hogans campaign pounced on the comment.

"The governor believes in raising the level of political discourse in our state and in our country, and cursing at reporters asking questions is the exact opposite of that," said Doug Mayer, Hogan's deputy campaign manager.

Later Wednesday, Jealous tweeted his apology to the reporter for his "inappropriate language."

"As a former journalist, I know how important it is for a free society to respect reporters and answer their questions honestly," Jealous said.
Rick Gates has finished three days' worth of dramatic testimony in federal court against his former business partner, ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort -- but not before defense lawyers caused a stir by pressing him for details on his past infidelity.

A day earlier, Gates acknowledged having a single extramarital relationship in London while working for Manafort.

But on Wednesday, Manafort attorney Kevin Downing seemed to accuse Gates of having affairs with multiple individuals, asking Gates whether he disclosed four affairs to the special counsels office. The question was part of an apparent bid to catch Gates in a lie, after he testified that his plea agreement would be in jeopardy if he didnt tell the truth on the stand.

Prosecutor Greg Andres, though, swiftly objected to the question before Gates could answer. And the witness never did.

But at another point Wednesday, Gates attempted to express remorse from the stand, saying Ive made many mistakes over many years.

The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, cut off Gates, saying, this isnt the time for that.

RICK GATES ADMITS EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR IN LONDON

Testimony returned later Wednesday to allegedly false financial statements filed by Manafort with federal authorities and banks. IRS agent Michael Welch testified Wednesday afternoon that Manafort should have "marked the box" indicating on his tax filings that he had foreign accounts, and said none of Manafort's payments to vendors from those accounts were reported to the IRS.

"He controlled the money," Welch said, adding that Manafort had made "false" claims to the IRS that certain income was actually from a loan, perhaps to reduce his taxable income.

Defense attorneys on Wednesday also questioned an FBI forensic accountant, Morgan Magionos, as to why two signatures on Cypriot banking documents purportedly belonging to Manafort looked so different.

Magionos acknowledged that nothing was done to verify that the documents in fact contained Manafort's signature, and admitted that the signatures looked "a little different, but Im not an expert" on that topic.

For the previous two days in court, Gates has testified that he and Manafort committed bank and tax fraud together.

Gates testified Tuesday that in 2016 Manafort requested a profit-and-loss statement for his firm to be converted from a PDF file to the Microsoft Word format, which could be edited more easily. According to Gates' testimony, Manafort then altered the statement to change a $638,000 loss to a multimillion-dollar profit -- and Gates sent it on to a bank to obtain a loan.

Gates also said there were "hundreds" of emails showing Manafort explicitly approving Gates' actions and wire transfers, including ones from allegedly unreported foreign bank accounts.

Both Manafort and Gates were indicted last year on charges of bank and tax fraud as part of Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe. Prosecutors dropped charges against Gates after the former business partner took a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

During cross-examination on Tuesday, the defense painted Gates as living a secret life in London and accused him of embezzling money from Manaforts foreign accounts at center of the trial to indulge in an extramarital affair in the United Kingdom.

Ive acknowledged there was a period where I had another relationship, said Gates, who is married.

In an aggressive cross-examination on Tuesday, Manaforts lead attorney Downing said to Gates: You stole from Mr. Manafort.

Downing accused Gates of lying on expense reports to make trips to London and around Europe.

Gates admitted during testimony on Monday to embezzling money from Manafort. But on Tuesday, he denied using that money to finance his extramarital relationship, saying he used bonus money and family money.

The questioning is part of the Manafort defense strategy of presenting Gates to the jury as someone who lies and cannot be trusted.

Downing summed up his questioning by asking Gates: "After all these lies, and the fraud you have committed, you expect this jury to believe you?"

"I am here to tell the truth and to take responsibility for my actions. Mr. Manafort had the same path, Gates said. I am here. I have accepted responsibility and I am trying to change.

Fox News' Jake Gibson, Serafin Gomez and Gregg Re contributed to this report.
One of the most highly talked about cases of the year is taking place inside Judge T.S. Ellis courtroom  and he's making sure Special Counsel Robert Muellers team knows it.

Muellers team has leveled multiple charges of tax and bank fraud against Paul Manafort, President Trumps former campaign manager, particularly pertaining to his political work in Ukraine.

But while Manafort is the one on trial, the prosecution has often been on the receiving end of Ellis rebukes. The judge has lashed out at them for a variety of alleged missteps, from how they address him to how theyve sought to portray the defendant.

Ellis has also cautioned the team about the high bar set for conviction; prosecutors have to prove Manafort knowingly violated bank and tax laws related to his political work overseas.

Heres a look at some of the more colorful comments Ellis has directed toward Muellers team and key witnesses.

Crying prosecutor?

Ellis seemed to suggest a prosecutor was so discouraged he was crying in his courtroom.

I understand how frustrated you are. In fact, theres tears in your eyes right now, Ellis said Monday, according to a Bloomberg-obtained transcript.

When the prosecutor, Greg Andres, denied Ellis claim, the judge said, Well, theyre watery.

EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT MUELLERS RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

Before the exchange, Ellis had rebuked Andres for not looking at him while he was talking.

Look at me! Dont look down, Ellis said.

When Andres said he was looking at a document, Ellis said thats B.S.

And on Wednesday, Ellis chastised Andres again for how he speaks to him. At one point, Andres responded with a simple yea.

Be careful about that, this is not an informal proceeding, Ellis warned.

You dont really care about Mr. Manafort

In May, Ellis accused Muellers team of caring more about a Trump impeachment than prosecuting Manafort for alleged crimes. He also suggested the team was seeking unfettered power in its investigation.

You dont really care about Mr. Manafort, Ellis said during the preliminary hearing. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever.

Ellis also questioned the scope of the investigation, saying, We dont want anyone with unfettered power.

HERES WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED IN MUELLERS RUSSIA PROBE SO FAR

You dont really care about Mr. Manafort. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever.  Judge T.S. Ellis

Muellers team said its authorities are laid out in documents, including the August 2017 scope memo, and some powers are secret because they involve ongoing investigations and national security matters.

But Ellis summed up the argument of the special counsels office: We said this is what the investigation was about. But were not going to be bound by it.

Undermining star witness testimony

Even Rick Gates, Manaforts former business associate and star witness for the prosecution, hasnt been able to escape Ellis retorts.

During the trial, Gates testified that Manafort was good at knowing where the money was and how to spend it.

Ellis interjected, saying, he wasnt that great at it if Gates was able to steal money from Manafort without him noticing.

Gates has testified he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort when he was working for him. He said the extra cash was used for bonus money and family money to pay off an American Express credit card  without Manaforts knowledge.

RICK GATES RETURNS TO STAND AS ANGRY JUDGE LASHES OUT AT PROSECUTORS

Mueller dropped numerous bank and tax fraud charges against Gates after he struck a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Prosecutors earlier had suggested they might not call Gates to the stand, but Ellis told them they cant prove conspiracy without him.

We dont convict people because they have money

Ellis has repeatedly rebuffed Muellers team as they sought to present evidence for the jury regarding Manaforts wealth and lavish lifestyle  particularly photos of his closet, showcasing his expensive clothes.

To parade all this again seems to be unnecessary, irrelevant and may be unfairly prejudicial, Ellis said.

Mr. Manafort is not on trial for having a lavish lifestyle, but for not reporting income on his taxes, Ellis also told prosecutors.

A LOOK AT TS ELLIS, THE JUDGE IN THE MANAFORT, MUELLER CASE

He said the photos would seem unnecessary, irrelevant and potentially prejudicial.

Enough is enough. We dont convict people because they have a lot of money and throw it around, he said.

Watch your language

Ellis put a lid on the use of the word oligarch by prosecutors to describe the wealthy Ukrainians Manafort associated with in his business dealings. He said the word has pejorative meaning that isnt relevant for this particular case.

Ellis said the word could also make it seem as though Manafort has associated with bad people  and make him seem guilty by association.

Its not the American way, he said.

They made a mistake when they confirmed me

Ellis told lawyers on both sides that judges should have patience  only he doesn't.

Judges should be patient. They made a mistake when they confirmed me. I am not patient, Ellis said.

He made the remark as he cautioned the attorneys against spending too much time arguing over evidence a witness would be asked about.

Fox News Anne Ball, Peter Doocy, Jake Gibson and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
Former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib won the election for Michigans 13th district in 2018  which set her up to be one of the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

Many Democratic women made history with their victories in the 2018 midterm elections. Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress. Tlaib is the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress.

Tlaib, 43, has been a vocal critic of President Trump and has called for his impeachment. Speaking to a crowd of supporters after she was sworn in, Tlaib said, When your son looks at you and says, Momma, look you won. Bullies dont win. And I said, Baby, they dont because were gonna go in there and were gonna impeach the motherf---er.'

Earlier in the day, Tlaib used a 1734 English translation of the Quran that belonged to former President Thomas Jefferson for the swearing-in ceremony. She also wore a traditional Palestinian thobe for the occasion.

From her campaign platform to her vocal opposition to Trump, read on for five things to know about Tlaib.

Shes the daughter of Palestinian immigrants

Tlaib is the oldest of 14 children  and she has two boys of her own, according to her website.

Born and raised in Detroit, Tlaib is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Her father, a former Ford Motor Co. employee, was born near Jerusalem, her mother near Ramallah, a city near the West Bank.

She graduated from Wayne State University and Thomas Cooley Law School.

FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION HEADQUARTERS

It is something that is inspiring to many people  even if youre not Muslim  to know that a girl like me who grew up poor in south Detroit, who didnt speak English when I started school, with a faith that is literally being targeted every single day by not only this administration but the media, could run and make history, Tlaib told The Detroit News in 2018.

Even though people still may not understand my faith, I expose it in such an impactful way through public service. People still cannot pronounce my name, but they remember the things that I do for them.  Rashida Tlaib

Even though people still may not understand my faith, I expose it in such an impactful way through public service, she said. People still cannot pronounce my name, but they remember the things that I do for them.

Tlaib said much of her strength comes from being Palestinian.

Tlaib has already made political history

Tlaib served six years in the Michigan state legislature until she was term-limited in 2014. She was the first Muslim-American woman to be elected to the state House, according to the Detroit Free Press.

With Republicans in control of the state House, Tlaib was in the minority party. Her district covered parts of Detroit and Dearborn, one of the largest Muslim populations in the U.S.

TRUMP CALLS JOHN JAMES FUTURE STAR OF GOP AFTER MICHIGAN SENATE WIN

She also served as the Democratic chair of the state House Appropriations Committee and championed funds for Meals on Wheels deliveries to senior citizens, after-school programs and free health clinics, according to her campaign website.

As a state representative, she went after fraudulent mortgage bankers and helped hundreds of citizens prevent losing their homes to foreclosure. Tlaib also took on federal immigration agents who she said stalked undocumented parents outside of an elementary school without warrants.

She got support from Michael Moore, Rep. Jayapal

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was an earlier backer of Tlaib, endorsing her in May.

She will be a powerhouse woman of color in Congress and a steadfast champion for our values. She's challenged Donald Trump face-to-face, taken on and defeated the Koch Brothers in her own backyard, and her record of getting results for working people is simply stellar, Jayapal said.

Tlaib was also supported by liberal filmmaker Michael Moore who often encouraged Michiganders to vote for someone who he called a bright, shining star.

Shes a progressive Democrat

Her platform includes Medicare-for-all, raising the minimum wage, protecting unions and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, according to her campaign website.

She was endorsed by the Greater Detroit Democratic Socialists of America, People for Bernie and Justice Democrats.

Tlaib has long been outspoken about her disagreements with Trump. Along with a dozen other women, Tlaib stood up at an event in August 2016  when Trump was just the Republican presidential nominee  and interrupted his speech.

TRUMP CALLS JOHN JAMES 'FUTURE STAR' OF GOP AFTER MICHIGAN SENATE PRIMARY WIN

Tlaib told Trump to read the U.S. Constitution and said our children deserve better before she said she was removed from the event.

Ive never been one to stand on the sidelines.  Rashida Tlaib

As a responsible parent who continues to reflect and read the criticisms of my actions, I think of my two boys and I remind myself: silence is not an option and it never should be, she wrote of the demonstration.

She also reportedly gave a book arguing for Trump's impeachment to all of her fellow new members of Congress.

She's a lawyer who has worked for immigrants

After her time in the state House, Tlaib worked with the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice in Detroit. There, she was instrumental in organizing campaigns to put people over profits and to build more inclusive communities, according to her campaign website.

She lists litigating against the state charging a fee for a drivers license and leading campaigns against anti-Arab bigotry as some of her successes at the Sugar Law Center.

Shes also worked for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, doing advocacy work for immigrants.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has nominated socialist ex-President Michelle Bachelet of Chile to be the next human rights chief, the U.N. said Wednesday.

Spokesman Farhan Haq said that Guterres has informed the General Assembly of the nomination for high commissioner of human rights.

Bachelet served as president of Chile twice, from 2006-10 and from 2014-18. Between those terms, she was executive director of the U.N body for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The pick came after High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein chose not to seek another term in office. Zeid was known for his fiery rhetoric, particularly against President Trump, who he once compared to the Islamic State.

The U.S. has been pushing back against what it sees as anti-Israel and anti-U.S. bias at the U.N. Last month, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the Human Rights Council -- with Ambassador Nikki Haley deriding it as a cesspool of political bias. While the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and the HRC are separate bodies, they work together in promoting the U.N.s agenda on human rights.

Haley reacted to the nomination by saying that it was incumbent on Bachelet to "avoid the failures of the past."

"The UN has failed to adequately address major human rights crises in Iran, North Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, or stop its chronic, disproportionate obsession with Israel," she said in a statement. "It is up to Ms. Bachelet to speak out against these failures rather than accept the status quo. We hope that she does. The United States will."

SENIOR U.N. OFFICIAL BLASTED FOR FLOATING ISRAEL'S SUSPENSION FROM WORLD BODY

Bachelet ended her first term as president with high approval ratings and a strong economy. But her second term was marred by allegations of corruption and a sluggish economy -- sending her approval ratings plummeting.

A Wall Street Journal op-ed this year described her as leaving behind a legacy of economic malaise.

Former Obama-era U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power reacted to initial reports of Bachelets pick with approval, calling her a strong choice and noting that she and her family were persecuted under dictator Augusto Pinochet.

In addition to being a successful two-term president and experienced w/in @UN, Bachelet has a lifelong commitment to the cause of human rights. Her father was tortured under Pinochet & died in custody. She and her mom were also arrested and beaten, she said. Shes a fighter.

But U.N. Watch, an independent monitoring group based in Switzerland, expressed serious concerns about what it called her spotty record on supporting human rights in countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

"There's no question that the former Chilean president is a highly educated and intelligent politician, who also brings important negotiating skills," said Executive Director Hillel Neuer in a statement. "But she has a controversial record when it comes to her support for the human rights abusing governments who rule Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and we need to know how she plans to address these urgent situations before her nomination is voted upon."

U.N. Watch cited a controversial visit by Bachelet to Cuba this year, where she met Raul Castro without also meeting any members of the opposition.

The organization also said that she praised deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez for his most profound love for his people and the challenges of our region to eradicate poverty and generate a better life for everyone and his profound love for Latin America.

Bachelets nomination will now go to the U.N. General Assembly for approval.

Fox News' Ben Evansky contributed to this report.
The national push to check union power was dealt a rare blow Tuesday when voters in Missouri rejected a right-to-work law that would have prevented private-sector unions from collecting compulsory fees from workers who do not join.

The law was defeated by a 2-1 margin and came after unions had secured a referendum on the measure, signed into law by then-Gov. Eric Greitens in February 2017. Unions immediately cheered the result on Tuesday, which comes as a relief for Big Labor as a break from a series of blows to union power.

The defeat of this poisonous anti-worker legislation is a victory for all workers across the country, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement.

The victory in Missouri follows a national wave of inspiring activism that is leading to life-changing collective bargaining agreements and electoral triumphs that remind America the path to power runs through the labor movement, he said.

The result was also hailed by left-wing Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who called on right-to-work legislation to be defeated nationwide.

We must stand together, beat back union busters, and continue to build and grow the trade union movement in this country, he said.

The referendum comes on the heels of the Supreme Courts Janus decision, which dealt a significant blow to unions by ruling that government workers cant be forced to pay union fees for collective bargaining. Missouris law would have extended protection to all private-sector employees.

A number of states had previously brought in right-to-work laws, despite fierce opposition from union leaders. Since 2012, five strong union states -- Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Kentucky -- have adopted such laws, bringing the total of right-to-work states to 27.

In Missouri, unions had massively outspent right-to-work supporters, pouring more than $15 million into the fight.

No miscalculation. It was a deluge of money coming in from out of state that helped them get to $20 million to buy the election, Dan Mehan, executive director of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. We just got blown out.

Unions argue that since they must represent employees even if they dont join the union, it is right that those employees contribute to the union bargaining for them. But right-to-work supporters say that workers should not be forced to contribute to unions, many of which engage in political activity.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Their cases could not be more different. But it's getting increasingly difficult to defend the New York Times for hiring a writer with a history of racist and anti-Trump tweets, while Facebook, Apple and other tech giants are perfectly comfortable banning Alex Jones.

The debate around Sarah Jeong, the Times' newest editorial writer, initially focused on her Twitter postings denigrating and mocking white men. But critics have found equally troubling tweets since then.

First there was the discovery of "F--- the police" and "cops are a--holes." How does a major American newspaper defend that?

The Times, and Jeong herself, initially said she regrets the white men-are-"bull----"-and-"dogs" tweets, but was imitating the online hate she was drawing as an Asian-American woman.

I didn't buy the explanation, but felt a bit of sympathy for Jeong as the latest victim of a social media mob demanding her firing. As is all too common in these matters, conservatives have led the charge against Jeong, just as liberals have spearheaded the online opposition against such conservative writers as Kevin Williamson (hired and then quickly unhired by the Atlantic over his past comments such as equating abortion and murder).

But the latest Jeong tweets, noted by The Washington Times, are as beyond the pale as attacks on white men and police officers.

Jeong has tweeted that "Trump is Hitler," "Trump=Hitler," "trump is basically hitler," and "Was Hitler as rapey as Donald Trump?"

How is it even remotely acceptable to compare the president of the United States to a Nazi who was one of history's greatest mass murderers? The Times would never hire a writer who hurled charges like that against a Democrat. So there is a reeking double standard here.

The paper, which declined comment yesterday, has said, among other things, "we had candid conversations with Sarah as part of our thorough vetting process, which included a review of her social media history." The view at the Times is that there's an orchestrated campaign against Jeong by people with an agenda and the company doesn't want to fan the flames. That's understandable, but the toxic nature of the tweets has ensured that this is not a one-day story.

One contrast: When the editorial board recently hired and unhired writer Quinn Norton, it was over tweets that were hostile to gays, not white people in general. So there is a line for the Timesit's just that, somehow, Jeong didn't cross it.

In the aforementioned Atlantic, National Review's Reihan Salam tries to explain the Jeong world view:

"Many of the white-bashers of my acquaintance have been highly-educated and affluent Asian American professionals. So why do they do it?"

He says its often glorified trolling, "the most transgressive thing you can get away with saying without actually getting called out for it. In this sense, it's a way of establishing solidarity: All of us in this space get it, and we have nothing but disdain for those who do not. And some may well be intended as a defiant retort to bigotry."

Salam argues that especially for Asian-Americans, "embracing the culture of upper-white self-flagellation can spur avowedly enlightened whites to eagerly cheer on their Asian American comrades who show (abstract, faceless, numberless) lower-white people what for."

That still seems to me like an intellectual way of justifying not a "defiant retort to bigotry," but plain old bigotry.

Andrew Sullivan says that "#cancelblackpeople probably wouldn't fly at the New York Times, would it? Or imagine someone tweeting that Jews were only 'fit to live underground like groveling goblins' or that she enjoyed 'being cruel to old Latina women,' and then being welcomed and celebrated by a liberal newsroom. Not exactly in the cards.

As a member of a minority group, Sullivan says, Jeong is deemed "incapable of racism," and that's why she "hasn't apologized to the white people she denigrated or conceded that her tweets were racist. Nor has she taken responsibility for them."

As for Alex Jones, I'm getting a lot of pushback from conservatives who say it's an assault on the First Amendment for Facebook, YouTube, Apple and Spotify to ban him from their hugely popular platforms. But it has nothing to do with the First Amendment, as these are private companies who are deciding what content they will allow.

There is a free speech question, of course, and Facebook and Twitter have in the past discriminated against conservatives, and they acknowledge they have a problem. But the case against Jones isn't based on his political views; its aimed mainly at his propagation of conspiracy theories, such as that the horrific Newtown school massacre never happened.

Jones still has an online show; his speech hasnt been suppressed, though it's been curtailed by these Big Tech giants. But it would be a mistake to cast the Infowars founder, who blames a "yellow journalism campaign," as being punished for just being on the right.

And yet it's not hard to understand why conservative critics can't believe that Sarah Jeong emerged unscathed.
New York Republican Rep. Christopher Collins has been indicted on insider trading charges, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

"These charges are a reminder that this is a land of laws and that everyone stands before the bar of justice," Geoffrey Berman, an attorney for the U.S. Southern District of New York, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

The indictment also names the congressman's son, Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of his sons fiancee. The fraud counts relate to securities of an Australian biotechnology company called Innate Immunotherapeutics, where the 68-year-old congressman served on the board.

"Christopher Collins, the defendent, violated the duties he owed to Innate by passing material; nonpublic information regarding the Drug Trial results to his son, Cameron Collins, the defendent, so that [his son] could use that information to make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others," the indictment states. "Cameron Collins traded on the inside information and passed it to Stephen Zarsky."

Among the charges, the defendants are accused of multiple counts of securities fraud, along with one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count each of making false statements.

All three pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday afternoon.

Prosecutors allege that Collins passed along secrets to his son, Cameron, in June 2017. They say the son traded on the inside information and passed it to Zarsky. They added that Zarsky traded on it and tipped off at least three others.

According to the indictment, Collins specifically got early word that a drug the company developed to treat multiple sclerosis wasn't performing well in a medical trial and passed on the tip to his son.

Prosecutors said the three avoided over $768,000 in losses by trading ahead of the public announcement of the failed drug trials.

The advocacy group Public Citizen filed a request for an investigation of Collins' stock dealings with the Office of Congressional Ethics and the Securities and Exchange Commission in January of 2017.

The Republican congressman, who has served New York's 27th District since 2013, surrendered to federal agents in Manhattan on Wednesday morning and is expected to appear in federal court in lower Manhattan later in the day.

Attorneys representing Collins released the following statement on Wednesday: "We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name. It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated."

In 2017, the House Ethics Committee probed the congressman at the behest of the late Rep. Louise Slaughter. She authored the STOCK Act, which barred lawmakers and aides from using propietary information to trade securities.

The Ethics Committee report on Collins was muddled. It did not punish Collins. But it did not exonerate him either.

When asked about the report by Fox News, Collins at the time called Slaughter a despicable human being, a rare moment of course language used by a U.S. congressman to describe a colleague. Collins disputed the findings and said he has always followed ethics.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said on Wednesday that he was removing Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Ryan called insider trading "a clear violation of the public trust." He said he's moving against Collins even though a court will decide whether the lawmaker is guilty of the allegations.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement that "the charges against Congressman Collins show the rampant culture of corruption and self-enrichment among Republicans in Washington."

The American people deserve better than the GOPs corruption, cronyism, and incompetence," she added.

Collins has a track record of publicly backing Trump, including being one of the first sitting members of Congress to endorse his candidacy. Most recently, Collins called for an end to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into campaign collusion and blamed the Obama administration for failing to push back on Russia.

"I share President Trump's continued frustration as the left continues to try to nullify the 2016 Presidential election with claims of Russian interference," he said.

Collins ran unopposed in the Republican primary and holds what's largely considered a safe Republican seat in a state that went to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. He's being challenged by Democrat Nate McMurray, a Grand Island, New York, town supervisor.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Tamara Gitt and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kansas, fended off an unusual primary challenge Tuesday night, beating Ron Estes.



Estes won the race after being faced with a challenger who spent very little money but did have the power of name similarity. Ron M. Estes, a first-time candidate with no political organization, described himself as The Real Ron Estes in the lead-up to Tuesday night.



The M is for Merica! an ad for the challenger read.



In an interview with The Kansas Wichita-Eagle, the challenger said he had spent about $2,000 on the race and hadnt planned on spending any more. A former employee for Boeing, he said it was important to give voters another choice.

TRUMP-BACKED TROY BALDERSON TAKES NARROW LEAD AGAINST INSURGENT DEM CHALLENGER IN OHIO HOUSE SPECIAL ELECTION, CLAIMS VICTORY

We want to go out and provide voters a chance to have someone adequately represent them, and not just follow the current administrations agenda, Estes said.

But Rep. Estes campaign was apparently unnerved by the push and sent out fundraising emails attacking his opponent, saying the M in his middle name stood for misleading.

This appears to be a coordinated attempt to mislead voters and undermine our electoral process. However, Rep. Ron Estes remains focused on lowering taxes, growing the economy and fighting for general aviation without being distracted by political games, Josh Bell, a spokesman for Rep. Estes, told the Wichita-Eagle.

TRUMP CALLS JOHN JAMES 'FUTURE STAR' OF GOP AFTER MICHIGAN SENATE PRIMARY WIN

Rep. Estes secured an important win in the race when Kansas officials allowed him to use Rep. as a prefix on the ballot to distinguish him from his opponent.

Estes was elected to the seat in a special election in 2017 to replace now-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who left the seat vacant when he went to Washington to serve then as CIA Director.



Estes will face Democrat James Thompson in November, who he only narrowly beat in last years special election.
A candidate running for a school board seat in Florida has denied posting threatening messages to a former student who joined others in posting anecdotes about the candidates reputation for a quick temper, according to a report.

Lets meet face to face!!! Say what you have to say big boy!, said a response posted via Facebook Messenger through an account identified as that of candidate Kenny Mathis, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

I have that paddle ready, came another response, purportedly from the Pasco County School Board candidate.

When questioned about the messages, Mathis, a former music teacher, denied writing them and alleged that someone else had created a fake account made to resemble his own, the Times reported.

Later, the candidate went on Facebook and accused the newspaper of harassing him, and posted an image of a Times reporters head on the body of a weasel, the report said.

Mathis claims of a fake account were met with skepticism by two experts contacted by the paper  the founder of a national social media help line for schools, and a security communications manager for Facebook itself.

The candidates opponents in the school board race declined to comment.

The Times noted in a separate story that Mathis resigned from his teaching job in January after multiple warnings, reprimands and a suspension. Allegations included misuse or work time, improper interactions with students, interference with a district investigation and lying to district officials, the report said.

Click here for more from the Tampa Bay Times.
Across the country, far-left progressives and democratic socialists suffered decisive electoral defeats in Tuesday's primaries, despite high-profile barnstorming efforts by left-leaning leaders like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.



The routs were a sign not only that Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders may lack the star power necessary to bolster candidates, but also that national enthusiasm for socialism is generally weak as the U.S. economy posts strong unemployment numbers and sustained growth.

Earlier this month, former President Barack Obama pointedly declined to endorse Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist candidate in New York's 14th Congressional District, in a snub that underscored the challenges facing progressives campaigning to the left of the Democratic Party establishment in hopes of taking their views mainstream.

For Sanders, who vied for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 presidential race and may run again in 2020, the defeats Tuesday were a continuation of his recent losing streak. Over the past two years, several candidates he has backed in several important races -- including in gubernatorial primaries in Virginia and Ohio, and in several House races in Iowa and New Jersey -- have come up short.

Ocasio-Cortez, who unseated longtime establishment Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in a shocking June primary win, tweeted an acknowledgement of the rough day on Wednesday.

"Wins in the short-term are important milemarkers and necessary to building power," she wrote. "But you cant be afraid of loss. Fear keeps people from accomplishing great things."

Such losses were plentiful for Ocasio-Cortez this week. Abdul El-Sayed, an avowed populist who was vying to be Michigan's first Muslim governor, finished nearly 20 percentage points behind establishment Democrat Gretchen Whitmer in Tuesday's primary.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE SNAPS AT REPORTER FOR ASKING ABOUT SOCIALISM: 'YOU F--KING KIDDING ME'?

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez had aggressively trumpeted El-Sayed, who had advocated a $15 minimum wage, universal health care and free college tuition for families making under $150,000 annually. At a rally in Detroit this week, Sanders -- who defied expectations by winning the Michigan primary against Hillary Clinton in 2016 -- called El-Sayed's platform "very bold."

And Fayrouz Saad, who was angling Tuesday night to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress, finished in a distant fourth place in Michigan's 11th Congressional District primary, despite support on the stump from Ocasio-Cortez.

In Missouri, Rep. Lacy Clay soundly defeated Cori Bush, who was also supported by both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez had spent a day in July in St. Louis campaigning on Bush's behalf, and called her "one of the most inspiring people I've ever met in my life."

Before the vote, Bush, 42, had sounded a note of optimism despite polls showing Clay to be the clear favorite: "I actually feel like we have the momentum. I believe that we have what we need to be successful."

And in Kansas, former Sanders staffer Brent Welder narrowly lost to Sharice Davids in the race for the Republican-held 3rd Congressional District, which Clinton carried in 2016. Democratic socialists had hoped a Welder win would prove their broad appeal to urban voters.

OCASIO-CORTEZ SHUNS WEST COAST ELITES IN WEST COAST TOUR

James Thompson, another Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez candidate, won his primary for Kansas' 4th Congressional District, but he is widely expected to lose in November against Republican Rep. Ron Estes. The race will be a rematch of the 2017 special election betwene Estes and Thompson in the largely Republican district.

Meanwhile, in Washington State, 30-year-old Sarah Smith billed herself as running on the "same slate as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," and she was recruited by the same group that had backed the Bronx democratic socialist.

But Smith's challenge to longtime Washington Democratic Rep. Adam Smith in Tuesday's 9th Congressional District primary appeared unsuccessful as votes rolled in -- and the incumbent suggested that demographics were a major reason why his challenger could not replicate Ocasio-Cortez's success.

Have you been to Queens, N.Y.? Smith said in an interview with The Seattle Times before the vote, noting that Ocasio-Cortez is a Latina running in a strongly Hispanic district. Queens is not SeaTac or Seattle, I am not Joe Crowley, and Sarah Smith is not Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Other than that, the comparisons perfect.

However, there was a bright spot for Ocasio-Cortez in the heavily gerrymandered, hyper-Democratic 13th Congressional District in Michigan, where Rashida Tlaib won the nod to replace retiring Rep. John Conyers. He announced his retirement amid sexual harassment allegations.

Tlaib will effectively run unopposed in November's general election, making it all but certain that she'll become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

She is also poised to become the second card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America in Congress.
The state of Texas is seeking a nationwide injunction against the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA), telling a federal judge in a hearing Wednesday that the government should be barred immediately from issuing or renewing more permits under the program.

Texas is part of a 10-state coalition that filed a still-pending lawsuit to end DACA in May. The state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, joined several other state attorneys general Wednesday in asking U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen to halt DACA, which protects about 700,000 people from deportation, until that litigation is concluded.

Paxton said in a statement that the lawsuit was "vital to restoring the rule of law to our immigration system."

The Trump administration has sought to rescind DACA using executive authority, in a manner similar to how the Obama White House implemented the program. But federal judges have blocked these efforts, saying the White House cannot legally terminate an agency program like DACA under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) for "arbitrary and capricious" reasons.

But in its motion for a preliminary injunction against new DACA permits and renewals, Texas turned that argument on its head, saying that in fact it was the Obama administration that failed to follow key provisions of the APA when it implemented the policy.

"DACA violated the procedural requirements of the APA because it was created without notice and comment," Texas' filing stated. Notice and comment procedures, in which the public is made aware of pending changes in the law and offered a chance to discuss them, typically are required when a new policy affects peoples' substantive rights and interests.

SESSIONS RIPS FEDERAL JUDGE FOR 'EVISCERATING' FEDERAL POWER ON DACA -- WHY ARE JUDGES STANDING IN TRUMP'S WAY?

Paxton justified the need for a preliminary injunction -- as opposed to waiting for a decision on the merits of the case -- by arguing that the state had an urgent legal duty to protect its citizens, whom he said were being harmed directly by the soaring "healthcare, education, and law-enforcement costs" associated with DACA recipients, as well as the economic competition from illegal immigrants.

"Texas spent approximately $376,000,000 to provide Emergency Medicaid services to unlawfully present aliens over the last 11 years for which data are available," Texas wrote in its motion for a preliminary injunction. "Likewise, Texas spent approximately $6,200,000 to provide Family Violence Program services to undocumented immigrants over the last 11 years for which data are available."

However, opponents of Texas' request for an injunction rejected the idea that the state was suffering imminent, irreparable harm.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) told the judge that claims about DACA recipients draining state resources were "both irrelevant and grossly inflated."

Nina Perales, an attorney for MALDEF, questioned why Texas had waited six years to claim the program was causing "irreparable" damage if it really was such an imminent threat to residents.

Texas' lawyers also argued that DACA was an unconstitutional violation of the president's duty to take care that laws passed by Congress were faithfully executed.

The attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, and West Virginia joined Paxton in making the request for an injunction.

Hanen did not issue an immediate ruling Wednesday. But he asked pointed questions of both sides about how this case compared to his ruling three years ago against another expansion of immigrant protections by former President Obama.

In that case, Hanen ruled against an expansion of DACA and new protections for immigrant parents. A federal appeals court sided with Hanen and the U.S. Supreme Court split 4-4, leaving his ruling in place. The expanded protections never went into effect.

Texas now has asked for Hanen to stop the U.S. government from enforcing Obama's 2012 memorandum creating DACA. Three other federal judges have stopped President Trump's administration from ending DACA.

If Hanen rules in Texas' favor, legal experts said that conflict would draw the attention of higher courts and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court.

DACA has authorized around 700,000 people brought to the U.S. illegally as children to obtain work permits and driver's licenses.

"No one in this case is a bad guy."  U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen

On Wednesday, state attorney Todd Disher said the new case raised legal questions that Hanen already had addressed in his previous ruling.

The states technically sued the U.S. government because the government runs the program. But with the Trump administration aiming to end DACA, states that support the program intervened, along with MALDEF, to argue that the program should remain in place.

A group of people protected by DACA attended the hearing and protested outside the courthouse afterward. Hanen acknowledged the attention the case has received and its importance to DACA recipients involved in the case, who he said "were just trying to live the best life they possibly can."

He added, "No one in this case is a bad guy."

Hanen instructed attorneys on both sides of the issue to submit new filings by Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach claimed a "tentative victory" on Wednesday as unofficial results showed him leading by a razor-thin margin in his states Republican gubernatorial primary.

With the last outstanding county reporting its results, Kobachs agency posted a count showing him ahead by just 191 votes  leading incumbent GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer.

But Colyer hasnt been ousted yet. His campaign put out a statement saying the race is too close to call, and noted that provisional ballots still need to be counted.

During a press conference in Topeka, Kobach acknowledged the results could change but said he needs to start running a general election campaign anyway.

"It is certainly possible the result of the race could change," Kobach said. "The Republican Party must not stand still, and we must run the race before us."

He added, "This is a tentative victory, and I am carrying the baton with the full knowledge that I may hand the baton to Jeff. ... We have to begin running right now because our opponents have already started running."

The secretary of states office, which handles the vote tally, also noted on Twitter that the results are unofficial, and provisional as well as some hand-counted paper ballots are not yet included.

Results will be considered official after a state canvass; even then, there could be legal challenges.

Kobach, an immigration hardliner and controversial figure nationally, climbed to the top of the field after receiving a glowing endorsement on Twitter from President Trump, who referred to Kobach as a "fantastic guy" who would "be a GREAT Governor."

Colyer raised more campaign contributions, was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, and had the backing of Kansas political legend, former U.S. Senator Bob Dole. Colyer became governor in January, succeeding Sam Brownback.

But Kobach was an early supporter of Trump's candidacy and the former chair of the president's now-shuttered federal commission on voter fraud. He is best-known nationally for his tough stance on illegal immigration and for advising the Trump administration on immigration, non-citizen voter registration and the 2020 Census.

Democrats have criticized Kobach over policies they say suppress voter turnout.

No state had gone further than Kansas in requiring prospective voters to provide papers documenting their U.S. citizenship when registering, until a federal judge struck down the law in June as a violation of voting rights.

If Kobachs lead holds, its unclear whether his presence on the ballot could energize Democratic turnout in the fall and jeopardize Republicans hold on the seat.

The state's Democratic nomination went to state Sen. Laura Kelly, who defeated four other candidates in the primary. The 68-year-old has served 14 years in the Kansas Senate and is the top Democrat on the budget committee.

Fox News currently rates the race as lean Republican.

Kansas contest wasnt the only airtight race Tuesday night. A winner has still not officially been called in the Ohio special election for a vacant GOP-held seat. But Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson claimed victory  and he appeared to be inching closer to beating back a challenge by insurgent Democrat Danny OConnor.

A victory in the race for Ohio's historically conservative 12th Congressional District would deny Democrats the major upset they had sought ahead of the November midterm elections. The winner takes the seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January to take another job.

Speaking to cheering supporters Tuesday night, Balderson said O'Connor ran a "hard race" and claimed victory. And in a tweet Tuesday night, Trump wrote that Balderson had won a "great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting."

Fox News Gregg Re, Adam Shaw and Kelly Burke and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
State Attorney General Bill Schuette won the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan on Tuesday night, defeating three other candidates vying to fill the seat to be vacated by conservative Gov. Rick Snyder.

Schuette was endorsed by President Trump, who tweeted his congratulations to Schuette following the victory.

"Congratulations to Bill Schuette. You will have a Big win in November and be a tremendous Governor for the Great State of Michigan. Lots of car and other companies moving back!" the president wrote.

As for the Democratic primary, Gretchen Whitmer, a former legislative leader, won the party's nomination in the gubernatorial race.

She earned the nomination by defeating Shri Thanedar, a chemical-testing businessman, and Abdul El-Sayed, an ex-Detroit health director who was vying to become the country's first Muslim governor.
President Trump labeled Michigan Republican Senate candidate John James a future STAR of the GOP after the conservative black Iraq War veteran won his partys primary Tuesday.

Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November cant come fast enough! Trump tweeted.

James, 37, defeated Sandy Pensler in the GOP primary Tuesday. The Michigan businessman and political newcomer and Pensler exchanged barbs over business records, conservative credentials and the president.

Trump endorsed James last week. James also boasted support from Michigan rocker Kid Rock and Rob O'Neill, the retired Navy SEAL who killed Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Early in the primary campaign, Pensler, who loaned his campaign $5 million, had a financial advantage over James, who gave only $50,000 to his campaign. James ultimately raised $3.9 million by the end of June, with an additional $1.3 million in cash by August.

James is Michigans first black GOP nominee for a major statewide office in more than three decades, but he says he wants to be judged based on his character.

James graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2004, according to his campaign website bio, and became a Ranger-qualified aviation officer. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he earned a Combat Action Badge and two Air Medals while logging more than 700 hours leading two Apache platoons.

He returned to Michigan in 2012 and currently serves as president of the family business, James Group International. James has taken the company from $35 million to $137 million in revenue, the site states, and has created 100 jobs in Michigan and elsewhere. He is married with two young children.

James will compete against incumbent Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November, who had no primary challenger. Stabenow is seeking a fourth Senate term and has easily fended off past challengers.

Stabenow was elected to the Senate in 2000, and is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senate Energy, Finance and Budget Committees. According to her website, she authored a bipartisan Farm Bill that is strengthening Michigan agriculture and making unprecedented investments in protecting the Great Lakes.

Though seen as an uphill battle, Republicans are optimistic that James could potentially turn the blue Senate seat red, after Trumps victory in Michigan in the 2016 race.

"Washington has enough career politicians," James said in a news release after his victory. "We need people who have experience getting results. You aren't going to get results from a 43-year career politician. Debbie Stabenow better get ready for the fight of her political life."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump predicted Wednesday that Republicans could ride a giant Red Wave into the November midterm elections  with his help  as he claimed victory for several candidates he endorsed in the latest set of primaries.

Democrats are consistently leading in so-called generic congressional ballot polls, are widely seen as having the edge in the race for the House and have turned a slew of races in once-safe Republican districts into competitive contests.

But in most of those races, the Democratic candidates have come up short.

Trump seized on the trend Wednesday morning as Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson held the lead over Democrat Danny OConnor in Ohio's special election for a vacant House seat Tuesday. The race remains too close to call, but Trump and Balderson have claimed a GOP victory.

The Republicans have now won 8 out of 9 House Seats, yet if you listen to the Fake News Media you would think we are being clobbered. Why cant they play it straight, so unfair to the Republican Party and in particular, your favorite President! Trump tweeted.

The president also highlighted how his endorsed candidates, including Balderson, outperformed the field in Tuesdays races  and went on to claim that his personal campaign touch can lift Republicans over Democrats in other races across the country.

As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job Im doing. If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have a giant Red Wave! he tweeted, after writing, 5 for 5!

The score was a likely reference to five endorsed candidates either winning or leading the field as of Wednesday. Moments earlier, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, another Trump-endorsed pick, was shown in the lead in the unofficial tally for his states Republican gubernatorial primary  though that race has not been officially called either.

Elsewhere, Trump-backed candidates won in three Missouri and Michigan races.

Its unclear how much Trumps help boosted turnout for his favored candidates  but the president may have played a significant role in the reportedly high turnout in the Ohio contest by staging a rally in suburban Columbus on Saturday night.

O'Connor has not conceded, saying in a statement "we don't know the results quite yet."

Democratic leaders still contend that their ability to turn such races into competitive contests exposes Republican vulnerability in the fall.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan said in a statement hes never been more confident his party can reclaim the House.

"That #OH12 is too close to call speaks volumes about @dannyoconnor1's strength and the GOPs expensive, failed playbook.  #OH12 should have been a GOP slam dunk. That we are still counting ballots is an ominous sign for the GOP in November, the DCCC tweeted.

Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, a staunch ally of the president, countered that Troy Balderson's win tonight is another example of the so-called 'blue wave' being nothing but a ripple."

Fox News Gregg Re contributed to this report.
President Trumps legal team said Wednesday they have responded to Special Counsel Robert Muellers request for an interview with the president as part of the probe into Russias interference in the 2016 election.

"We have responded in writing to the latest proposal from the Office of Special Counsel regarding its request to interview the President, said Jay Sekulow, an attorney for the president. It is not appropriate, at this time, to comment publicly about the content of that response."

Rudy Giuliani, another lawyer for Trump, in a statement reiterated calls to end the Russia probe.

"Millions of pages of documents along with testimony from dozens of witnesses have been provided, he said. We're re-stating what we have been saying for months: it is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay."

SEKULOW SLAMS 'UNPRECEDENTED' RUSSIA PROBE CORRUPTION

Sources have told Fox News that the letter would largely turn down any Trump-Mueller meeting that would include any questions related to obstruction of justice.

Earlier Monday, Giuliani would not go into the details of their offer, but he told Fox News: Its not a refusal, but at the same time, its not a completely unreasonable position. I can see a way in which [Mueller] may agree with it.

Giuliani acknowledged that Mueller could try to subpoena the president if an agreement for an interview cannot be worked out. The presidents attorneys have repeatedly stated that they will fight any attempt to subpoena Trump.

Talks between Trumps lawyers and the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election have restarted in recent days, and it is not clear a deal will be struck.

Trump has publicly expressed a desire to be interviewed, but his lawyers have repeatedly objected to the investigators proposals.

Trump attorneys say both sides have exchanged proposals for conditions for such a Trump interview.

The negotiations come amid a backdrop of Trumps escalating attacks on the probe, including his blunt declaration that his attorney general should terminate the probe right now.

Trump has also assailed the trial, just underway, of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort by the special counsels team.
Russia used "chemical or biological weapons" to try to assassinate a former British spy, the U.S. said on Wednesday, adding that new sanctions would be imposed on the country for the attack.

"Following the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on August 6, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," the State Department said in a statement.

"Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018," the department continued.

The sanctions will be applied against all Russian state-owned enterprises, a senior State Department official told Fox News, adding that around 70 percent of the Russian economy would be affected, influencing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of trade.

Both the Russian government and U.S. allies were formally informed of the decision to impose the sanctions on Wednesday, the official said.

Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the military-grade nerve agent in the British town of Salisbury in March.

Britain earlier accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin has denied vehemently.

On March 15, Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May said in a joint statement that they "abhorred" the attack against Skripal.

"It is an assault on U.K. sovereignty and any such use by a State party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all, the statement read.

Skripal was discharged from a U.K. hospital in May, following his daughter's April release.

Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poisoned by the substance.

Fox News' Ben Florance and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The White House pushed back against Sen. Rand Paul Wednesday after the Kentucky Republican implied on Twitter that President Trump had asked him to deliver a letter of introduction to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Paul, who has been visiting Russia with a delegation for several days, said, "I was honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putins administration."

The White House told Fox News that Paul asked Trump to write a letter of introduction to the Russian leader. While Trump obliged the senator and wrote the letter, the White House said the idea that Trump asked Paul to deliver the letter to Putin on Trump's behalf is not true.

According to the White House, the letter read: "I would like to introduce Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a voice for expanding dialogue with the Russian Federation. He will be in Moscow from August 5 to August 8.

"Senator Paul would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss several topics. He (Paul) is interested in legislative exchanges, parliamentary dialogue and cultural and educational exchange programs, increased counter-terrorism co-operation, building on recent successes like the disruption of the St. Petersburg plot and resolution of the military conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

"Thank you for considering meeting with Senator Paul during his visit to Russia."

Paul tweeted that the letter "emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin has not yet examined the letter Paul presented.

"We expect that in the nearest time it will come to the presidential administration," Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies.

The senator met with members of the Russian parliament's upper house who serve on the foreign affairs committee Monday. Paul said he had invited them to Washington.

There has been no indication that a Putin-Paul meeting will take place.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Bermuda Triangle can be easily explained, says an ocean scientist, noting that the area does not deserve its mysterious reputation.

The body of water, infamous as a place where many vessels have sunk, stretches across a western part of the North Atlantic between Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda. The area, also known as the Devils Triangle, has claimed over 1,000 lives in the last 100 years, according to The Sun.

Recent research conducted by scientists in the U.K. noted that a natural rogue wave phenomenon could play a part in the Bermuda Triangles reputation.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE MYSTERY 'SOLVED,' SCIENTISTS CLAIM

Rogue waves are one explanation and they do occur in the Bermuda region but by no means uniquely here  they are far more common off the Cape of Good Hope (off the South tip of Africa), explained Dr. Simon Boxall, an oceanographer and principal teaching fellow at the U.K.s University of Southampton. They were things of myth and sailors tales, but since the introduction of satellite systems capable of measuring waves there have been a number as big as 30 m (100 feet) measured and verified.

The rogue waves come and go very randomly and quickly but are always part of a storm, according to Boxall. The thriller movie of a flat calm sea with a 100ft wave hitting the cruise liner out of the blue is myth, he told Fox News via email. The rogue waves, he added, would not deter him from taking a cruise.

The research was presented as part of The Bermuda Triangle Enigma, a Channel 5 documentary series.

Boxall also cited busy maritime traffic in the Bermuda Triangle as the key factor in its reputation.

The area covered by the triangle accounts for nearly a third of all privately owned vessels in the U.S., he said. The 2016 Coastguard annual report shows that in this area 82 percent of all incidents involving marine traffic of any kind was caused by people with no experience or training. The numbers speak for themselves as to why so many incidents occur here.

SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

A similar factor likely played a part in the famous disappearance of Flight 19, a group of five U.S. torpedo bombers that went missing on Dec. 5, 1945, according to Boxall. The infamous bomber squadron that went missing in 1945 was actually a training flight with new and inexperienced crews. In those days nav[igation] was very much by eye and it is easy to get it wrong, says Dr. Boxall. The evidence shows this was the case. Taking that out, there are no more plane disappearances [in the Bermuda triangle] than anywhere else in the world.

The Sun notes that a seaplane deployed to search for the aircraft also went missing.

Boxall is keen to debunk the myth of the Bermuda Triangle as a mysterious place where strange things happen. Along with Scotlands Loch Ness Monster there is no mystery, he told Fox News. But it does sell books and creates great discussion.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
After months of spewing hot lava into residential neighborhoods and into the sea, it appears that Hawaii's Kilauea volcano may be taking a pause after a slowdown in activity since the weekend.

The U.S. Geological Survey said in a series of updates since Sunday that there was been a "significant reduction" in lava from fissure 8, which fed a channelized lava flow that reached the Pacific Ocean.

"It is common for eruptions to wax and wane or pause completely," the USGS said Tuesday. "A return to high levels of lava discharge or new outbreaks in the area of active fissures could occur at any time."

In aerial photos taken on Tuesday, fissure 8 now only contains a small lava pool below the channel spillway.

Another photo shows that lava in the fissure 8 has now completely crusted over

In addition to the low activity in fissure 8 and the lower east rift zone (LERZ), the USGS said that the volcano's summit remains "quiet" after a collapse last Thursday.

ROAD DAMAGE FROM EARTHQUAKES IS LATEST HAWAII VOLCANO PERIL

"Summit and LERZ changes considered together imply that the rate of magma leaving the summit to feed the Lower East Rift Zone eruption has decreased. How long this condition will persist is unknown," the USGS said. "It is possible that outflow will pick up again, resulting in renewed summit area deflation leading to another collapse event and renewed eruption vigor on the LERZ."

During a conference call on Monday, scientists at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory said while there may be a pause in activity for now, hazards associated with the eruption that began May 3 remain.

HAWAII LAVA BOMB VICTIM HAUNTED BY BLAST: 'I THOUGHT I WAS DYING'

It could be weeks or months before we feel comfortable calling the eruption and the summit collapse over," HVO scientist-in-charge Tina Neal said, Maui Now reported.

The volcano has destroyed more than 700 homes since lava began pouring into residential neighborhoods from fissures in May, including 500 in just two days.

One man was injured in the weeks after the eruption began, and another 23 people were hurt July 16 when lava entering the ocean exploded onto a tour boat.

Last week, the 20-year-old Illinois tourist who was hit by a lava bomb spoke out for the first time from her hospital bed, saying she thought the vessel was getting dangerously close before an explosion sent debris flying through the roof.

"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."
The identities of the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who planned the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville may be revealed thanks to a judges ruling on Monday in a federal lawsuit brought by victims.

The event last August, where white nationalists demonstrated in favor of maintaining Confederate statues in the city and clashed with anti-racist protesters, led to the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer when she was struck by a car driven by James Alex Fields.

According to Gizmodo, attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case filed a subpoena earlier this year asking the chat site Discord to turn over information including chat logs and the identities of users in a Unite the Right planning server. Their goal was to prove that organizers of the rally intended to cause as much mayhem as possible and were notas they have claimedvictims of counter-protesters and police officers.

DARPA PROTOTYPES BREAKTHROUGH CYBERATTACK HUNTING TECHNOLOGY

U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero, who is overseeing the case, ruled that the plaintiffs have a right to know the account information of over 30 users on the server. That information should shed light on whether anyone who used the chat service ended up attending the rally and could lend credence to the plaintiffs claims of malicious intent.

The judge also ruled that the Stored Communications Act prevents him from releasing the actual contents of the messages to the plaintiffs, the tech site reports.

The Discord server was used to spread racist propaganda and discuss everything from what kinds of improvised weaponry participants should bring to whether they could secure fedora shaped helmets, reports The Washington Post.

Although Spero gave the plaintiffs access to the account data, he said it must be restricted to only a few people  meaning it will not be seen by the general public, but only by attorneys and court personnel.

Marc Rendazza, an attorney representing one of the Discord users, told the Post that he is still considering an appeal of the ruling.

The courts decision to limit disclosure to these select few groups strikes me as a recognition of the potential First Amendment harms that would result if the information was publicly disclosed, Electronic Frontier Foundation staffer Aaron Mackey told Wired. The court recognized that even at this highly charged and emotional moment, the First Amendment limits when private litigants can unmask anonymous online speakers.

FACEBOOK NIXES FARRAKHAN VIDEO OPPOSING INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE AFTER OUTCRY

But Mackey cautioned that the same tools used to unmask white supremacists could be used against historically powerless individuals and groups to intimidate, harass, and silence them.

In a statement to Gizmodo, Discord said it has taken action to remove servers and users promoting harassment and violence, but it declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.

The Wall Street Journal reports that infighting, lawsuits and a social-media crackdown are hampering white nationalist and other right-wing groups, while others have been blocked or banned by social media companies and financial services companies.
Facebook has apologized after posts by users voicing their concern about the deadly earthquake in Indonesia were mistakenly festooned with animated balloons and confetti by the social network.



An earthquake Sunday killed at least 131 people, including some who perished inside buildings that had been weakened by an earlier July 29 quake on the tourist island of Lombok.

A Facebook algorithm reportedly misinterpreted the Indonesian word selamat, in the posts, triggering the inappropriate animations. Depending on the context, selamat can mean unhurt or congratulations, according to the BBC.

FACEBOOK FOUND 'HATE SPEECH' IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

After the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Lombok, Facebook users wrote I hope people will survive. Then Facebook highlighted the word selamat and throw some balloons and confetti, tweeted Herman Saksono, a doctoral student in computer science at Northeastern University.

Facebook subsequently told Saksono that the feature had been disabled.

This feature (a text animation triggered by typing congrats) is widely available on Facebook globally, however we regret that it appeared in this unfortunate context and have since turned off the feature locally, a Facebook spokesperson told Motherboard. Our hearts go out to the people affected by the earthquake.

FREE FROM FACEBOOK: STUDY REVEALS WHAT TYPES OF PEOPLE ARE FLEEING THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Facebooks algorithms are in the spotlight at the moment. The social network, for example, recently tagged an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence as hate speech. Facebook subsequently acknowledging its error and restored the post.

Despite algorithmic errors, Facebook continues to ramp up its efforts around AI to better serve society. The social network has already harnessed the technology to help blind people see the platform and also flag posts by people thinking of harming themselves.

Fox News Chris Ciaccia and The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
Twitter is facing heat for deciding not to ban conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from its platform, breaking ranks with Facebook, Apple, Google and Spotify  all of which have banned him or removed his podcasts.

The company is resisting pressure to follow suit, clarifying that Jones has not yet broken its rules.

We welcome everyone to express themselves on our service. Sometimes these expressions may be offensive, controversial, and/or bigoted, Twitter said in a Tuesday blog post. We prohibit targeted behavior that harasses, threatens, or uses fear to silence others and take action when they violate our policies.

FACEBOOK SORRY FOR ERROR THAT ADDED CONFETTI AND BALLOONS TO INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE PHOTOS

The microblogging platform, which has been dogged by accusations that it does not do enough to protect its users from hate speech and disinformation, said that it will only take action against accounts for harassment if they specifically @-mention or tag another account or threaten violence.

Despite being banned by some tech companies and having his podcasts removed, the Infowars iPhone app became the fourth most popular news app in the App Store on Tuesday, according to screen grabs shared online.

However, Jones did threaten to take down U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller  calling the man in charge of investigating alleged Russian collusion with Americans a monster in a video posted to YouTube while mimicking a pistol with his hand.

Several users on Twitter pointed out the seeming inconsistency of Twitters policies.

CEO Jack Dorsey tried to clarify the company's position in a series of tweets, saying that while Jones had not violated Twitter's rules, the company will continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets arent artificially amplified.

Dorsey also appeared to reference the decisions by other big tech firms in recent days to shut down Jones and Infowars.
Another day, another airplane fight

An Aeroflot passenger was caught on video in a heated argument with crew members  purportedly over a missing cellphone.

The man, who according to the airline had been drinking on the flight from Moscow to Tel Aviv, had to be restrained by another passenger when he got violent toward the steward, shouting at him and attempting to punch him, Metro reported.

BRITISH AIRWAYS EMPLOYEE CLAIMS HE WAS FIRED FOR HIS MAN BUN

The fight reportedly broke out after the man thought he lost his phone and blamed the airline, though he later found the phone in his possession, according to Metro.

While the passenger is shouting in Russian, Metro reports that at one point he yells, Where did you put it? I will f--k you up.

He also reportedly told the steward, Lets sort it out in Moscow. Well meet up in Solntsevo.

A spokesperson for Aeroflot told Fox News the angry passenger had ignored written warnings from the captain regarding his disruptive behavior and that upon arrival in Tel Aviv, he was handed over to Israeli police.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

We are conducting a full investigation into this incident  Aeroflot has a zero tolerance approach to anti-social behavior on board and violence against crew members, and will take action against passengers who are in breach of regulations, the spokesperson said.

Under new amendments to the Russian Transport Code that came into effect in June, Aeroflot has the right to blacklist disruptive passengers and ban them from all Aeroflot flights for up to a year.
A plane full of passengers is claiming ViaAir stranded them in a city 450 miles away from their destination and then denied them compensation.

According to Nick Lenius, one of the dozens of passengers, he and his wife bought round trip nonstop tickets on the airline to fly from Oklahoma City, Okla. to Austin, Texas, KFOR reported.

We thought with it being listed on Expedia it's got to be at least somewhat reliable, right? Lenius said of the small domestic liner to KFOR.

After a four-hour weather-related delay, the flight boarded and began taxiing on the runway. However, before takeoff, the pilot came over the intercom and told passengers they were making a stop in Tulsa, Okla.

Everybody on the plane you could hear them almost gasp, Lenius said to KFOR.

DRUNKEN CO-PILOT LEAVES 106 PASSENGERS STRANDED IN GERMANY

According to reports, the plane made the stopover in Tulsa because there were passengers already onboard the plane when it had been diverted to the Will Rogers Airport in OKC. The airline crew decided to drop those passengers off first before continuing to Austin.

This is not right for you guys to not tell us that we have to go to Tulsa first, Melissa Woody, who was heading to Austin, said. You should have told us this before we ever boarded that flight.

Lenius told KFOR a flight attendant assured the passengers it would be a quick 45-minute turnaround to Tulsa and then to Austin. Though once the plane touched down in Tulsa, everyone was ordered to deplane because of a mechanical issue.

Five-hours after the plane landed in Tulsa, the airline canceled the trip and  according to passengers  the airline crew on board told them to figure out another way to get to Austin.

They stranded us, Lenius said.

PASSENGERS CLAIM SPIRIT AIRLINES LEFT THEM STRANDED AT LAX ON 'TRIP FROM HELL'

Even though the passengers never took the nonstop flight to Austin they had purchased tickets for, Lenius said ViaAir would not reimburse their tickets.

ViaAir denied it because the ticket was used, Lenius was told. I'm like, 'What does that mean?'

Woody told KFOR she received the same response.

I called and said, I want my money back, and they said, No, that's considered a flight taken. I said, But I ended up Tulsa.

ViaAir has an F rating on The Better Business Bureau site and a history of complaints from passengers claiming they never received compensation promised from the airliner for canceled trips.

If this is the way they're going to run their business, then they should not be in business."  Melissa Woody

ViaAir did not return a request for comment from Fox News, but VP of Flight Operations, Dominic Acevedo, sat down for an on-camera interview with the news crew from KXAN and claimed he did not know about the reimbursement issues.

I believe in customer service. I was not aware of the details of these travelers, but we will resolve this in a more systemic issue in terms of improving the training in the department, look at the oversight as well in that department to see what the breakdown was, but Im committed to fixing it.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"We are a rapidly growing company and were working hard to meet the needs of our guests, Acevedo added. But, moving forward, well definitely take into consideration all of these complaints and everything that has happened to our guests and try to get the airline better organized moving forward.

Lenius and Woody finally made it to Austin, but Woody vowed to never use the airliner again.

If this is the way they're going to run their business, then they should not be in business," she said to KFOR.

So a flight that should have taken 2 hours non-stop was 24 hours, a hotel room, and 4 airports later, we were [finally] in Austin," Lenius said.
The remains of a young child were discovered on the grounds of the New Mexico compound in which 11 kids were found abused and living in squalor, the Taos County Sheriff's Office revealed Tuesday.

Investigators found the remains on Monday morning, Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said at a news conference. The child was found on the "inner portion of the compound," and the sheriff said that information law enforcement agencies obtained led them to a "good idea of a target location" of where to look for the child.

MOMS ARRESTED AFTER 11 CHILDREN FOUND IN 'FILTHY' NEW MEXICO COMPOUND WITH ARMED MUSLIM EXTREMISTS,' COPS SAY

Officials are waiting on an identification of the body, and can't positively say if it's the body of missing 3-year-old Abdul-ghani Wahhaj.

"We discovered the remains yesterday on Abdul's fourth birthday," Hogrefe said, appearing to fight back tears.

Abdul-ghani went missing in December 2017 and sparked the two-month investigation that led authorities to the "filthy" compound.

Five adults were arrested following a raid on the location, in which investigators discovered 11 children  ages 1 to 15  living in what Hogrefe described as "the ugliest looking, filthiest" conditions he's seen.

The boy's mother told authorities that her son suffered from seizures, couldn't walk because of severe medical issues, and required constant attention.

She told police that in December, the boy's father, 39-year-old Siraj Ibn Wahhaj  one of the five arrested on child abuse charges  took the boy on a trip to a park in Clayton County, Georgia, but never returned.

Documents made public in a court filing on Monday said the father told the boy's mother before he left Georgia that he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child because he believed he was possessed by the devil.

Upon a search of the New Mexico property, Hogrefe said investigators found Wahhaj armed with an "AR-15 rifle, five loaded 30-round magazines, and four loaded pistols, including one in his pocket."

Police said Sunday that investigators believed the missing boy was at the compound in recent weeks.

Fox News' Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A far-left student group at the New School in New York City created a report card to grade how campuses treat illegal immigrants, CampusReform.org first reported.

The Sanctuary Working Group, which bills itself as a collective of undocumented and international students, allied students, and faculty and staff, said it was working with faculty, staff and administration across the university to address deficits in creating a sanctuary campus for illegal immigrants affected by racist and anti-immigrant policies and everyday practices on campus.

On the sanctuary report card, SWG judges how much support the university or college provides for illegal immigrants in 15 different categories, such as financial aid, free housing, legal support, mental health, DACA support, and denying requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other government agencies.

In each category, schools were given an A for substantial measures taken, a B for half-measures taken, and the lowest score being a C for inadequate measures or no measures taken.

The New School, where the group is located, received the lowest mark for the majority of the scorecard and was the only school to receive a lower grade on DACA signatory for signing up late. The group graded 11 other schools, including the University of California, Los Angeles, which received the highest grades overall.

Despite pressure from SWG and its 16 points toward a sanctuary campus, the New School doesnt identify as a sanctuary campus.

The university supports free expression by members of our community and their right to form groups around common interests, a New School spokeswoman told Fox News in a statement.

NEW SCHOOL UNDER FIRE FOR PUTTING LINDA SARSOUR ON ANTI-SEMITISM PANEL

In the beginning of the school year, SWG partnered with the Dream Team to build a Dia de los Muertos altar in the Social Justice Hub to draw attention to the lack of commitment to sanctuary from the administration, and most recently, in March, organized a petition in support for student of color-only space on campus.
See you later, alligator.

Social media postings discussing an alligator sighting in Texas are bogus, authorities said Saturday.

The New Braunfels Police Department explained the situation in a post on its Facebook page.

After some investigation this morning it has been determined that recent social media posts purporting to show an alligator in the Comal/Guadalupe Rivers in New Braunfels are a hoax, the department wrote.

INDIANA WOMAN PLANNED ATTACK AT PARK TO FULFILL RAPE FANTASY: REPORT

The reptile, in fact, is something else entirely.

A remote-controlled alligator head was used to create photos and videos that you may have seen on Facebook and other social media sites.

However, it wasnt meant to be malicious - police called it apparently unintentional.

"We learned that the person that made the initial video of the remote-controlled unit sent the video to some friends without any context, and one of them thought it was real and posted it on their personal social media, leading to some concern," authorities told Fox News.

"Our post was in an effort to stop the spread that rumor before it actually got out of hand."
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) _ RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ) on Tuesday reported a key measure of profitability in its second quarter. The results missed Wall Street expectations.

The real estate investment trust, based in Bethesda, Maryland, said it had funds from operations of $127.9 million, or 73 cents per share, in the period.

The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for funds from operations of 75 cents per share.

Funds from operations is a closely watched measure in the REIT industry. It takes net income and adds back items such as depreciation and amortization.

The company said it had net income of $57.4 million, or 33 cents per share.

The hotel real estate investment trust posted revenue of $484.7 million in the period, which also missed Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $488.6 million.

The company's shares have risen slightly since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $22.04, an increase of 7.5 percent in the last 12 months.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on RLJ at https://www.zacks.com/ap/RLJ
A husband and wife were killed Wednesday in an apparent murder-suicide in which the man stated he wanted to end the woman's suffering, police said.

Richard DeLucia, 71, used a licensed .38-caliber revolver and fired a single shot at his wife, Ann, 70, in her room at Westchester Medical Center, and then took his own life, Westchester County police spokesperson Kieran O'Leary said.

DeLucia left a note at the couple's condo about how his wife's suffering had made him distraught, and he wanted her pain to end.

Police said the couple was found in Ann's room on the fourth-floor of the hospital in Valhalla, roughly 35 miles north of Manhattan. It wasn't immediately clear what her medical condition was.

"Everybody's just shocked," Valeria Tassone, a resident at the DeLucias' condo in Yorktown Heights, told The Associated Press. But, she said, "whatever took place is their business."

CHICAGO SHOOTINGS LEAVE 2 DEAD FOLLOWING BLOODY WEEKEND OF 11 MURDERS

The medical center was briefly locked down amid the gunfire as authorities investigated the shooting. Police said the hospital's security staff responded immediately, and law enforcement arrived within two minutes.

Hospital employees warned people within the hospital that there was an alert about someone with a weapon. One visitor said "they just made sure the patients were secured  they shut all the doors. They did what they had to do."

Westchester Medical Center is an 895-bed Regional Trauma Center, which provides medical services to New Yorks Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut.

Former President Bill Clinton was taken to Westchester Medical Center for chest pains and shortness of breath in 2004. A test revealed the narrowing of several vessels of his heart and he had a procedure three days later at a Manhattan hospital.

ESPNs Hannah Storm was also taken there in 2012 to treat injuries sustained in a propane gas grill accident.

Hospitals have been increasing security in the wake of last years Bronx hospital shooting, in which a doctor, Henry Bello, who had been forced to resign amid a sexual harassment claim, opened fire inside the hospital. Police said he killed a doctor and hurt six others.

A third-party company provides security for Westchester Medical Center.

Fox News Shira Bush and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police in North Carolina have arrested a male juvenile suspected of robbing a 9-year-old boy's lemonade stand of $17 over the weekend, authorities said Wednesday.

The Union County Sheriff's Office told Fox 46 the unidentified teen was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The young drink seller, identified only as Mark, was held up at gunpoint Saturday while hawking lemonade at a traffic circle near the entrance to his community in Monroe. Police said the suspect walked up to Mark, pointed a gun at his stomach and demanded he hand over the money he'd earned.

The suspect fled the scene with the money. Investigators later discovered a camouflage hat, a metal tin and a black BB gun in a nearby wooded area.

NORTH CAROLINA BOY ROBBED WHILE SELLING LEMONADE GETS LAWN MOWER

Authorities told Fox 46 Wednesday that they obtained surveillance video showing a person matching the suspect's description in the area of the robbery, enabling them to make an arrest.

Mark was planning to save the money to buy a mower for his second job mowing lawns, his father told Fox 46.

After seeing news reports about the robbery, officials at the Lowe's home improvement chain gave Mark a $1,100 riding mower on Monday. The company headquarters is in the Charlotte area.

A woman identified as Mark's mother told The Associated Press that her son sold lemonade at the community pool the day after the robbery and collected $256 in donations.

Fox News' Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man arrested in connection with a Southern California wildfire that has burned 12 cabins and led to some evacuations reportedly had warned in an email: This place will burn.

Officials at the Cleveland National Forest said 51-year-old Forrest Gordon Clark was booked Wednesday on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, and one count each of felony threat to terrorize and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

He was arrested in connection with the so-called Holy Fire, which has burned more than 6 square miles in the Santa Ana Mountains.

Clark, according to The Orange County Register, owns a cabin in the area of the fires, and he sent the email to Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan warning: this place will burn.

Milligan told The Register that Clark ran through the community screaming last week.

The Register reported that Clarks Facebook page, which was still up and public on Wednesday evening, was teeming with religious imagery, rants about a neighbor, references to marijuana and pictures of Clarks face in which he claimed he has skin cancer.

Its unclear whether he has an attorney.

Clark is being held on a $1 million bail, and is set to appear in court Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A woman was shot in the head and two others were killed in Chicago on Wednesday, days after the city saw a burst of gun violence that left at least 11 people dead.

The woman who was shot in the head was fleeing what police believe was an attempted robbery, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The 31-year-old was reportedly driving in the Englewood neighborhood of the South Side with two others when they approached a man they didn't know about 2 a.m.

TIPPING POINT? HEAT'S ON RAHM IN RE-ELECTION RACE AFTER BLOODY CHICAGO WEEKEND

Fearing they would be robbed, the woman reportedly drove from the scene. The male allegedly fired shots at the car and hit the woman in the head. She reportedly remains at the University of Chicago in critical condition.

On the city's West Side on Wednesday, two people were reportedly killed and another was wounded when the vehicle they were in was shot at and crashed.

With five people inside, the vehicle hit a pillar just before 4 a.m. in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

A man, 21, was shot twice in the chest and once in the wrist, according to the newspaper. A 22-year-old woman was also shot, and both were pronounced dead after being transported to Mount Sinai Hospital.

A 19-year-old man who was traveling in the vehicle was shot in the chest and remains in serious condition at Stroger Hospital.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference on Tuesday that after the increased violence the city saw over a three-day span last weekend, additional officers would be deployed to the West and South Sides, where most of the shootings occurred.

At least 11 people  ages 11 to 63  were killed and some 70 were wounded. One of the victims was a teenage boy who was riding his bike on Sunday afternoon.

Johnson announced that 400 additional officers have already been deployed, and that another 200 officers would be added by this coming weekend.

In order to achieve the increase, some officers will have their regular shifts extended, while others will have their days off canceled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The father of an 8-month-old baby found dead in the East River last weekend may have fled to Thailand, authorities said after speaking to a woman who claimed to be the baby's mom.

The Bronx woman, 36, walked into a police station Monday after hearing a news report about a baby found in the water wearing only a diaper, The New York Post reported. Her son fits the approximate age of the baby.

The woman reportedly filed a domestic incident report against the father at the station. According to NY1 News, the parents were locked in a custody battle.

She told police the father tossed the baby off the Brooklyn Bridge into the river, WNBC-TV reported.

Investigators have reportedly used surveillance footage to track the fathers movements on the day the child was found. Footage showed the father leaving his home with the baby, and later showed him returning without the child, The Post reported.

Authorities have not released the identities of the parents.

Monte Campbell, who was vacationing with his family from Oklahoma, spotted the baby in the shallow water around 4 p.m. Sunday. He retrieved the baby from the East River and started CPR. He said the baby had no respiration and didnt show a pulse.

Police arrived on the scene minutes later and brought the baby onto a pedestrian walkway and continued CPR. The baby was later taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

A medical examiner has not yet determined how the boy died. It wasnt clear how long the baby had been in the water or whether he had died elsewhere. Police said he showed no signs of trauma.

Fox News Ryan Gaydos and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man accused of a vicious cannibal-style attack on a Florida couple in 2016 was hit with a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday claiming the alleged killer is wrongly being painted as an ordinary college student who suffers from mental illness.

OKLAHOMA POLICE HOPE GOLDEN STATE KILLER METHOD COULD BREAK OPEN 2004 COLD CASE

The family of Michelle Mischcon Stevens filed the lawsuit Tuesday against Austin Harrouff, 21, who is accused of beating and stabbing the woman and biting her husband John Stevens flesh on Aug. 15, 2016 at the couple's Palm Beach house.

Stevens family said they're frustrated on the lack of progress in the murder case and how Harrouff has been portrayed to the public.

We are tired of and sickened of Austin being portrayed by his team as an ordinary college student who didnt do any drugs and must suffer from mental illness because theres no other explanation for what he did, Jodi Mishcon-Bruce, Michelles sister, said, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

In the court filing, the family said Harrouff was a drug and alcohol user who displayed violent behavior before the killings. Harrouff had abused a slew of drugs including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, acid, Ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms, Vyvanse, Xanax and Adderall, the suit alleged.

The suit also stated Harrouff recorded songs that showed his desire to kill with a knife.

"Austin is a monster, and he deserves to pay with his life or, at a minimum, to be locked up in prison for the rest of his life, but, again, we have no control of that," Mischcon-Bruce said. "Our only recourse at this point is to file a civil lawsuit against him and show the world exactly who Austin is."

TEXAS DAD SLIT CHILDREN'S THROATS AS SON PLEADED 'DADDY, I'M SORRY,' RECORDS SHOW

On the day of the incident, Harrouff had stormed out of a restaurant following a fight with his father. His mother said she found her son drinking a concoction of cooking oil and Parmesan cheese that, according to the lawsuit, was mixed with hallucinogenic mushrooms.

About 45 minutes later, Harrouff launched his attack at the Stevenses, leaving their mangled and bloody bodies in their driveway as deputies arrived to find the horrifying scene. Harrouff, then 19, was found wearing only underwear, making animal noises and biting Stevens' face as he pinned his victim's body to the driveway.

Harrouff also allegedly attacked a neighbor trying to intervene with the attack.

The lawsuit seeks more than $15,000 for damages and expenses.

Harrouff is awaiting trial and is being held without bail on charges including first-degree murder.

His attorney, Nellie King, previously said her client has severe mental illness and that tests determined Harrouff was not on flakka or bath salts at the time of the incident. Tests also shows small amount of THC, component in marijuana, in Harrouffs system.

She told the New York Daily News on Tuesday that claims made by the recent lawsuit are illogical and transparent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Florida tourist died Tuesday, two days after he reportedly was punched in the face by a driver he may have mistaken for an Uber driver in New York City.

Sander Szabo, 35, died at the hospital two days after the driver of an SUV delivered a blow to the Florida natives face, causing Szabo to fall back and slam his head into the pavement, police told the Palm Beach Post on Wednesday. Szabo was in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens returning to his hotel just after 1 a.m. Sunday when he was hit.

When he was hit, he was struck so hard in the face," Szabos brother, Dominic, told the New York Daily News on Monday. He hit his head on the asphalt. Thats what caused the brain injury.

Szabo lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The driver, described as a man with a bald head, fled the scene in a white SUV.

Szabo's family said Szabo probably knocked on the drivers car because he thought it was an Uber. Szabo had just left his brothers hotel after attending his stepsisters wedding that weekend.

He probably just tapped on the wrong guys car, Dominic said.

Szabo was the vice president of sales at Whatif Media Group, a job he started in March 2017, according to his Facebook page.

Police released surveillance video of the driver and his SUV.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
A woman in St. Petersburg, Fla., reportedly told authorities she took her clothes off and ran through a park naked in an attempt to get away from a giant spider.

The woman, identified as 40-year-old Danielle Delores Teeples, also admitted to police she had taken drugs, such as crystal meth and crack cocaine, prior to taking off her clothes, WFLA-News reported.

OKLAHOMA POLICE HOPE GOLDEN STATE KILLER METHOD COULD BREAK OPEN 2004 COLD CASE

Witnesses who observed Teeples on Sunday told police the woman was acting erratically, rubbing her hands through her hair and on parts of her body while running through the park.

Teeples, who allegedly refused to put her clothes back on initially, was later arrested and charged with indecent exposure, the station reported.

FLORIDA TOURIST DIES AFTER BEING PUNCHED BY DRIVER IN NEW YORK CITY FOLLOWING STEPSISTER WEDDING, REPORTS SAY

Fox News Katherine Lam contributed to this report.
Mollie Tibbetts' mysterious disappearance more than a month ago thrust a small Iowa city into the spotlight as it scrambled for clues in the desperate search for the missing University of Iowa student.

Tibbetts' body was found in an Iowa cornfield Tuesday. A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico was identified as her suspected killer. The murder suspect was identified by authorities as Cristhian Bathena Rivera, who had been living in the area for several years.

Tibbetts, 20, was last seen in Brooklyn, Iowa. She was staying at her boyfriends house, watching his dogs, while he worked at a construction site almost 100 miles away in Dubuque.

The small city in Poweshiek County always seemed like a friendly, safe place to residents who lived there. Tibbetts' boyfriend, Dalton Jack  who has been cleared as a suspect in the case  said he was "blindsided" by his longtime girlfriend's disappearance.

MOLLIE TIBBETTS, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT, MISSING: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Its Brooklyn ... nothing ever happens in Brooklyn," he previously told Fox News.

But Jack's attitude has since shifted, along with many other residents.

We lock our doors now. Every night," Jack added at the time.

Here's what we know about Brooklyn.

It's small

Brooklyn, located about 70 miles east of Des Moines, has a population of roughly 1,400 people.

The small city earned its name in the 1850s because it was situated between two brooks: Big Bear Creek and Little Bear Creek.

It's not very diverse

According to 2010 census data, the most recent information available, Brooklyn isn't a very diverse city. The majority of its residents  95 percent  are white. There are slightly more females (54 percent) compared to males (46 percent).

Most people (57 percent) are between the ages of 18 to 64.

It bills itself the "Community of Flags"

The small city created a large display of flags in 1991 to welcome bicyclists participating in the annual Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). The makeshift avenue of flags inspired resident Alexander Wehrle to create a permanent display.

The flag display, complete with 11 rows of five flag poles, is featured outside the Brooklyn Historical Museum on Jackson Street.

MOLLIE TIBBETTS VIDEO SHOWS HER ACTING 'TOTALLY NORMAL' THE DAY BEFORE SHE VANISHED, FRIEND SAYS

In the center of the display sits an 80-foot flag pole that proudly waves the American flag. It can be seen from portions of Interstate 80 and Highway 6, according to the city.

It's had the same mayor for nearly a decade

Dennis "Skip" Solem was elected mayor of Brooklyn in 2009  and he's been re-elected three times since then. Solem, a Brooklyn native, retired from his position at the retail chain Theisen's in 2013 and has been focusing on his government role.

"He loves kids and enjoys umpiring Little League games," the city describes on its website.
A 26-year-old Missouri woman faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder after loading her children into a car she allegedly stole and driving the vehicle into the Kansas River, according to reports.

The woman, identified as Scharron Renea Dingledine, of Columbia, and her 1-year-old son were rescued Friday, but the body of her 5-year-old daughter was pulled from the river Saturday, near Lawrence, Kan., Kansas Citys FOX 4 reported.

Dingledine had no known connection to Lawrence or Kansas, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.

Just hours earlier, Dingledine had been released from a 24-hour hold in a mental institution, the daughters father told the Kansas City Star.

She didnt want anybody to have her kids, the father, Clinton Bradley, told the newspaper. She thought someone was going to take them from her.

She didnt want anybody to have her kids. She thought someone was going to take them from her.  Clinton Bradley, father of child who died

Dingledine was admitted into the psychiatric facility following a domestic violence dispute with the father of the boy, Bradley said.

Upon her release, she was scheduled to have a meeting with state Social Services officials, prompting her fears about losing her children, Bradley told the Star.

On Tuesday, a lawyer representing Dingledine said she wanted her client to undergo a mental evaluation to assess her competency to stand trial, FOX 4 reported.

Judge Peggy Kittel granted the request, the Journal-World reported.

The boy remained in intensive care, the station reported. Dingledines medical condition after being rescued from the river was not available.

She was being held on $1 million bail, with her next court hearing scheduled for Aug. 28, the Journal-World reported.
The widow of a Louisiana sheriffs officer was ordered held Tuesday after a judge ruled there was probable cause connecting her to her husbands shooting death in June, according to a report.

Sgt. Troy Smith, 44, died June 24, one week after his wife called 911, claiming he had tried to commit suicide by shooting himself inside their home in Waggaman, La., the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.

But detectives with the same sheriffs office arrested Shantel Parria Wagner, 35, on July 11 after forensic evidence and an investigation led authorities to conclude that Smiths injury was not self-inflicted, the newspaper reported.

FOX 8 in New Orleans published a transcript of the 911 call that Wagner made after her husband was shot.

Magistrate Commissioner Paul Schneider reduced Wagners bond from $500,000 to $300,000, but ordered that she wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor if she makes bond, according to the Times-Picayune.

Attorney Leo Palazzo, representing Wagner, argued that the state failed to prove that Wagner shot her husband, but Assistant District Attorney Kellie Rish countered that Wagner had made several inconsistent statements and allegedly confessed to a witness.

Click here for more from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans.
The method used to track down the Golden State Killer suspect is being replicated by Oklahoma police hoping to crack a cold case rape and murder.

Brittany Phillips, 21, was found dead in her Tulsa apartment in September 2004. Police said at the time there were no signs of forced entry and she was raped before she was killed, according to the Tulsa World. She had been attending classes at Tulsa Community College.

A potential lead in the Phillips murder case came in January when Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based DNA laboratory, created a computer-generated composite of the potential killer using samples left at the scene from the assailant, according to FOX23 News.

The same lab recreated the face of a woman who was found brutally murdered and left in a Delaware ditch in 1977. The composite of the womans face was released Sunday.

To find the alleged Golden State Killer, investigators used a public genealogy website to identify potential relatives of the suspected serial killer, Joseph DeAngelo, based on DNA collected at one of the crime scenes.

Investigators ran tests on a semen sample found at the double murder of Lyman and Charlene Smith in 1980 in Ventura County to find one of DeAngelos relatives and, eventually, the suspect, investigators said.

Eddie Majors, who investigates cold case murders for Tulsa polices homicide unit, said the investigation into the Golden State Killer presented an opportunity in the Phillips' murder case.

Majors asked the Virginia company to submit DNA into GEDMatch, a genealogy website, and compare the samples with their database, according to the Tulsa World. Close matches will be given to authorities.

Were essentially giving them leads, Ellen Greytak, director of bioinformatics at Parabon, told the newspaper. What weve seen in most of these cases that weve worked on is we give them a lead, and if its a strong lead of an individual, then theyre able to go out and get abandoned data from that person and test whether it matches. If were giving them a family, then they need to investigate and figure out who this could be, who was in the right place at the right time and all of that.

Greytak said the standard time to give information back to police is usually 45 days, but the Golden State Killer breakthrough has made the system popular and jammed up their turnaround.

Parabon helped identify the suspect in the April Tinsley case. The 8-year-old Indiana girl was murdered in 1988 and police arrested a suspect using DNA found on used condoms.

The Phillips case was already evaluated and Greytak believes the Parabon team could generate useful information for police.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The parents of a 13-year-old Arizona boy who was allegedly molested by a female teacher plan to sue their sons school district for $2.5 million, claiming the district failed to properly report the relationship.

The parents on Monday filed a notice of claim against the district, signaling their intention of filing a lawsuit, Fox 10 in Phoenix reported.

The teacher, Brittany Zamora, 27, was arrested in March on multiple charges, including felony sexual conduct with a minor and molesting a child.

She has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail, with her next court appearance scheduled for Wednesday, the Arizona Republic reported. A trial is set to begin in November, the report said.

PARENTS OF TEEN WHO ALLEGEDLY HAD SEX ROMP IN CLASS WITH TEACHER, 27, SAY SHE SHOULD SPEND 'LIFE IN PRISON'

In their filing, the parents claim that the Liberty Elementary School District could have prevented the alleged molestation, Fox 10 reported. Their attorney says a majority of the alleged sexual activity between the teacher and student occurred after the school was alerted about the alleged relationship, the report said.

It was preventable, Tempe attorney Michael Medina said, according to the Republic. "We want to hold the school district accountable so this never happens again in the future."

It was preventable. We want to hold the school district accountable so this never happens again in the future."  Michael Medina, attorney representing student's parents

Three other students at Las Bristas Academy Elementary School in the West Valley area near Phoenix had expressed concern about the relationship in February and submitted written statements, the Republic reported. They alleged that Zamora was dating the student, gave him favorable treatment in class, and gave him warnings when other students received detention, the report said.

Richard Rundhaug, the school districts acting superintendent, told the Republic in a previous interview that district officials had investigated the other students claims, and had given Zamora specific instructions designed to end favorable treatment of the student in question.

Zamora was arrested in March, after the schools principal contacted police. Reports said the boys parents had found graphic Instagram messages between the teacher and student, describing specific sexual acts.

Zamora also sent the boy photos of herself, naked or wearing lingerie, according to court records viewed by the Republic.

The parents suspicions were raised after they began monitoring their sons communications using Sentry Parental Control, a cellphone monitoring application, the newspaper reported.

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this story.
A dispute over politics on Facebook went from virtual to physical this week when one man shot another in the thigh and buttocks, officials said.

Authorities said Brian Sebring, 44, shot Alex Stephens, 46, after their political argument became too heated, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Sebring is a registered Democrat, the report said, while Stephens, a former felon, has no party affiliation, the report said, citing corrections records.

"After receiving several explicit messages and threats, the defendant responded to the victims home to confront him in reference to the messages," a police official said, according to the Times.

Sebring reportedly arrived at Stephens' home with a Glock handgun and an AR-15 rifle, honked his truck horn and waited by his vehicle for Stephens to come out of his home.

Stephens saw Sebring and "immediately sprinted" toward him, Tampa's WFLA-TV reported.

After Sebring fired two shots, striking Stephens in the right thigh and buttocks, both men fled the scene, the report said.

The relationship between the two men was not immediately clear.

Sebring later surrended to police and has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed firearm, the station reported.

Stephens had non-life-threatening injuries.
A previously deported illegal immigrant from Honduras -- who raped a child after Philadelphia authorities ignored an ICE detainer and released him -- pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal reentry.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Juan Ramon Vasquez, 45, faces up to two years in federal prison.

Vasquez was deported from the U.S. in 2009, but was found to be back in the country in March 2014 and taken into custody. After local criminal charges against him were dropped, Philadelphia officials did not comply with a detainer by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Vasquez was released, according to the U.S Attorney's Office.

After his release in 2015, Vasquez was rearrested and convicted for the rape of a child and unlawful sexual contact with a minor. He's now serving 8 to 20 years in state prison.

The facts of this case highlight the danger posed by the City of Philadelphias decision to disregard ICE detainers and release previously deported aliens from local custody, U.S. Attorney William McSwain said in a statement.

Those of us in the law enforcement business should be doing everything in our power to protect vulnerable children from predators like Vasquez," McSwain continued. "Instead, this defendant received a free pass from the City of Philadelphia and its Department of Prisons, headed straight back into our community, and committed a heinous crime he never would have had the chance to commit had the City of Philadelphia complied with the ICE detainer.

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS PHILADELPHIA MAYOR FOR DISGUSTING VICTORY DANCE OVER SANCTUARY CITY RULING

Vasquez, also known as Ramon Aguirre-Ochoa, has used aliases and alternate birth dates to evade authorities, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Earlier this year, during a court hearing over Philadelphia's sanctuary city policies, First Deputy Managing Director Brian Abernathy said in testimony the city had Vasquez in custody in 2015 but released him when charges were dropped, even though ICE had issued a detainer, the Inquirer reported at the time.

City officials contended they would have turned Vasquez over to ICE if federal officials had obtained an arrest warrant.

ICE was alerted about his most recent arrest through the Priority Enforcement Program after his fingerprints were matched against a set currently in the database.

Last month, Philadelphia announced it will end a major information-sharing contract with ICE, bowing to intense pressure from activist groups and drawing immediate condemnation from federal officials.

The move means the city will not renew a decade-long arrangement to share real-time arrest information with ICE when the agreement expires at the end of August.

Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.
A boozed-up South Carolina woman pulled over for blowing past a stop sign at 60 mph told cops she shouldnt be arrested because shes a very clean, thoroughbred, white girl, according to a police report.

But Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaws lecture didnt convince officers from the Bluffton Police Department  who arrested her on charges of speeding, disregarding a stop sign, simple possession of marijuana, driving under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia, a police spokesman confirmed to The Post.

After getting pulled over at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday near Bluffton and May River roads, where she was spotted speeding through a four-way stop sign, Cutshaw told cops she had had just two glasses of wine, according to the police report obtained by the Island Packet.

I mean I was celebrating my birthday, Cutshaw, who turns 33 on Thursday, told the cops when they asked her how big the glasses were for her alleged two drinks, according to the report.

But she didnt stop there. Cutshaw gave the officers a litany of other reasons why she deserved to be let off the hook: She maintained perfect grades during all of her school years, was a cheerleader and a member of a sorority. Her partner is also a cop, Cutshaw said.

Im a white, clean girl, Cutshaw said, according to the report. When the officers asked what exactly that meant, she replied, Youre a cop, you should know what that means.

The police report indicated how surprised the officers were by the comments.

Making statements such as these as a means to justify not being arrested are unusual in my experience as a law enforcement officer and I believe further demonstrate the suspects level of intoxication, according to the report.

The officer also noted that Cutshaw, who had a blood alcohol level of 0.18, failed sobriety tests and had bloodshot eyes. She was also slurring her words, according to the report.

Click for more from The New York Post
An 8-year-old cried daddy, Im sorry as a Texas father slit his childrens throat on Saturday, then called his estranged wife to tell her he left her a present, court documents show.

Jean Pierre Ndossoka, 62, was charged Tuesday with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of his two children, 8-year-old Marcel Ndossoka and 1-year-old Anna-Belle Faith Ndossoka, in his Houston apartment. The childrens mother, Sabine Ntongo, discovered their bodies after receiving a disturbing call from her estranged husband.

According to court documents released Tuesday, the Houston father slashed his two childrens throats as they cried and begged. Ndossoka told police his daughter just kept crying as his son mumbled his last words.

SOUTH CAROLINA MOTHER ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE AFTER LEAVING NEWBORN IN TRASH BAG ON CAR FLOOR

Ndossoka called Ntongo multiple times Saturday after the slaying. According to Ntongo, Ndossoka told her that he killed the children and had left her a "present." He also said she needed to come to his place and there was a key under the mat, according to court documents.

Police found a bloody knife at the apartment and a handwritten note in French placed on the bed near the boys body.

Ndossoka appeared to sign the note that indicated he intended to die with his children.

Ndossoka was found alive a day later in his car parked in Pasedena. He was suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and taken to the hospital in stable condition. Though he initially said he didnt remember what happened, he eventually confessed to investigators that he did something bad and reported having high blood pressure.

"The defendant then admitted that he had done something to his children and when asked 'what?' he motioned towards his neck," according to the court documents.

The 62-year-old said he choked the children, but later changed his statement to report he used a knife. He admitted writing the note left in the apartment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two plainclothes detectives were shot Tuesday night while sitting in their vehicle at a red light in what authorities in Camden, N.J., were calling an ambush attack.

At least one suspect fired as many as 25 rounds at the police officers, Camden County Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said.

The information we have thus far is that they were essentially ambushed, Thomson told reporters at a late night news conference. A male walked up and began opening fire. We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers.

A male walked up and began opening fire. We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers.  Camden County Police Chief J. Scott Thomson

No information was available on a possible motive for the attack, Fox 29 in Philadelphia reported.

One of the detectives was able to return fire, Thomson said, but it was not immediately clear if anyone else was shot. Thomson said his department was in communication with hospitals in the region.

The detectives  one male and one female -- were taken to an area hospital and were expected to survive.

"At this point in time our officers have non-life-threatening injuries but not for the grace of God quite frankly," Thomson said. "The amount of rounds that were fired at close range and particularly through the windshield."

Police continue to search for the suspect or suspects involved in the "unprovoked" attack.

"Maybe they did know they were police officers and that's the reason why they did it. Maybe they thought they were somebody else. We'll find that out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

The shooting occurred on National Night Out, an event designed to bring local police and the communities they serve together.

Camden is located just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A year after the Trump administration unveiled a broad new strategy for the 17-year war in Afghanistan, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East said he doesn't expect any major change in the strategy to end the conflict as a new general takes over the campaign.

Army Gen. Joseph Votel told reporters that the campaign to use military, social and political pressure to force the Taliban to the peace table is still valid. Incoming Afghanistan commander Army Gen. Scott Miller will make his own assessment of the war's progress, Votel said, but while he may make tactical changes on the ground fight, "I don't think that that will result in a relook at the strategy of the overall approach here."

Speaking to Pentagon reporters on Wednesday, Votel said Miller is likely to take a close look at the Afghans' continued use of checkpoints in remote regions, where their forces are often more vulnerable to Taliban attack. And he said the U.S. also wants to address concerns about the Afghans' dependence on their increasingly competent special operations forces. Miller, he said, will want to make sure the commando troops are being deployed properly and not overused.

Votel also said the reconciliation plan doesn't extend to Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan.

"While we apply military pressure against the Taliban to bring them to the table of reconciliation, we harbor no illusion about reconciliation with ISIS-K," said Votel, using the acronym for the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan. "Our mission there is to destroy that organization."

Last week several hundred fighters of the Islamic State affiliate surrendered to Afghan forces in the northern province of Jawzjan. Votel said the fighters were taken to government detention facilities and will be held accountable for any war crimes they committed. He said the U.S. military will be able to interrogate them.

According to local Afghan government officials, the IS militants 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 number of Islamic State insurgents in Afghanistan has fluctuated, and they have been largely confined to Jawzjan and the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar. The estimates range from several hundred to a few thousand.

Votel said the surrender of such a large group suggests the fight against the group is progressing. He said he believes the group has not been able to expand and has lost strength in Afghanistan.

The group, however, has been able to conduct a number of high-profile, deadly attacks across Afghanistan, often targeting Afghan security forces and the country's Shiite minority.
An Indonesian shaman was arrested Sunday for allegedly keeping a young girl hidden in a cave for 15 years and tricking her into having sex with him, police said.

Tolitoli police rescued the woman, who was only identified as HS, and who was trapped in a crevice between large rocks near Galumpang village, the Jakarta Post reported. Police saved the woman after they received a report she was being held captive by an 83-year-old witch doctor named Jago.

We found the victim in a gap between rocks, Tolitoli police Chief Muhammad Iqbal Alqudusy told the Jakarta Post, adding police suspect Jago was keeping the woman as his sex slave.

The man showed HS a picture of a boy named Amrin who she thought was her boyfriend, Iqbal said.

She was led to believe that Amrins spirit had entered (the elderly mans) body, Iqbal said at a news conference Tuesday. It is obvious that he was satisfying his lust.

The man reportedly told HS the spirit was guarding the hole to stop her from leaving the cave.

The woman believed she was having sex with Jin Amrin since 2003 when she was really having sex with the shaman, Iqbal told Reuters.

The womans sister was married to the shamans son, according to the Jakarta Post. The shaman had been known for his healing methods and his so-called abilities to channel spirits.

The shaman reportedly told the victims parents in 2003 she had gone to Jakarta to find work.

Jago faces charges under Indonesias child protection laws. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
An ex-Russian spy and his adult daughter were critically injured after they were poisoned by a nerve agent back in March  and now Russia is paying for the attack.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found unconscious March 4 on a bench in a shopping mall in Salisbury, about 90 miles west of London. The pair were released from the hospital two months later and moved to a private, secure location.

On Aug. 8, the U.S. announced it was imposing sanctions on Russia for using a chemical weapon in violation of international law, though the Kremlin repeatedly denied involvement. Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions took effect on or around Aug. 22, according to a statement from the State Department.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said days after the poisoning that it was highly likely Russia was responsible. And the U.S., Germany and France all appeared to back her.

2 RUSSIANS CHARGED OVER NOVICHOK POISONING OF EX-SPY, USED FAKE PERFUME BOTTLE, BRITISH OFFICIALS SAY

Since the March attack, a British couple with no ties to Russia have also been poisoned by the substance in Salisbury.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, died more than a week after authorities believe she was exposed to Novichok  the military-grade nerve agent also used in an attempt to assasinate Skripal. Charlie Rowley, 45, was also exposed to the agent and remains in critical but stable condition.

On Sept. 5, authorities in Britain charged two Russian men, identified as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, as well as Sturgess.

The nerve agent used to poison the Skripals was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and applied to the front door of their house, according to Metropolitan Police. Police believe the couple later found that same bottle, thus exposing them to the toxic nerve agent.



Heres what we know about Skripal, and the incident that nearly killed him.

His background as a spy

Skripal served with Russias military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU, and retired in 1999. He then worked at the Foreign Ministry until 2003, and later became involved in business.

Skripal was arrested in 2004 in Moscow and later confessed to having been recruited by British intelligence in 1995. He also said at the time that he provided information about GRU agents in Europe, receiving over $100,000 in return.

WHAT'S THE GRU, RUSSIA'S MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY? 3 THINGS TO KNOW

At the time of Skripals trial, the Russian media quoted the FSB domestic security agency as saying that the damage from his activities could be compared to harm inflicted by Oleg Penkovsky, a GRU colonel who spied for the United States and Britain. Penkovsky was executed in 1963.

In 2006, Skripal was convicted on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years. However, he later was pardoned and released from custody in July 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap, which followed the exposure of a ring of Russian sleeper agents in the U.S.

Skripals wife and son have both died in recent years.

Prior to his wifes death, however, she reportedly told police she feared for her husbands life, the New York Daily News reported.

How world leaders responded to the attack

On March 15, world leaders said in a joint statement they "abhor" the attack against Skripal.

"It is an assault on U.K. sovereignty and any such use by a State party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all, the statement, signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, read.

The leaders called on Russia to "live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security."

May had given Russia until midnight on March 13 to respond to the charges. When Moscow failed to respond, May expelled 23 Russian diplomats from the U.K. They were given a week to pack their belongings and head back to Russia.

This will be the single biggest expulsion for over 30 years and it will reflect the fact that this is not the first time the Russian state has acted against our country," May said at the time.

The U.S. also ordered 60 Russian diplomats to leave and announced it would close the Russian consulate in Seattle. In response, Russia then said it would expel 60 U.S. diplomats and close the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg.

Two dozen countries, including the U.S., ordered more than 150 Russian diplomats out within a one-week span in a show of solidarity with the U.K.

How Russia reacted to the allegations

On March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would cooperate with the U.K. in an investigation of the poisonings, calling them a "tragedy." However, Putin said if the claims they were poisoned by the Soviet-designed nerve agent were true, the victims would've died instantly.

"Russia does not have such [nerve] agents," Putin said, according to The Guardian. "We destroyed all our chemical weapons under the supervision of international organizations and we did it first, unlike some of our partners who promised to do it, but unfortunately did not keep their promises.

Putin added that he thought "any sensible person would understand that it would be rubbish, drivel, nonsense, for Russia to embark on such an escapade on the eve of a presidential election."

Putin's remarks came after Russia earlier retaliated against the U.K.: Moscow announced March 17 that it also would expel 23 British diplomats, among other diplomatic measures.

Fox News' Travis Fedschun, Zoe Szathmary, Madeline Farber, Kathleen Joyce and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chilling new images published in Spanish media Tuesday show ISIS terrorists smiling as they prepare explosives before last year's deadly attacks in Barcelona and a nearby resort town.

The previously unreleased photos were leaked from the investigation into the van attack in Barcelona's Las Ramblas district and the vehicle and knife attack in the coastal town of Cambrils that killed 16 people on Aug. 17-18.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks saying the perpetrators were soldiers of the Islamic State."

In one of the photos published by the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, one of the terrorists, identified as Youssef Aalla, can be seen smiling and posing with an explosive belt at a house in Alcanar, Spain.

Authorities said at the time the terror cell used the house in Alcanar as a bomb factory, and were planning to set off bombs at high-profile targets, until a blast at the home killed two terrorists Aug. 16 -- the day before the attacks. Authorities initially thought the blast was due to a gas explosion but later realized the building was packed with butane canisters.

In another photo published Tuesday, terrorists identified as Younes Abouyaaqoub and Youssef Aalla can be seen preparing explosives at the house.

Spanish newspaper La Razon said the images were recovered along with video files from the rubble of the house in Alcanar. The newspaper also published transcripts of dialogue between the terrorists, who are captured making fun of their soon-to-be victims, and bragging about the planned attack.

"Allah has chosen us from among millions of people to make you cry blood," a man identified as Omar Hichamy is quoted by La Razon as saying.

Abouyaaqoub, a Moroccan native, was the person who rented the vans and was the driver who carried out the first deadly attack, in Barcelona's Las Ramblas tourist district.

BARCELONA VAN DRIVER CAUGHT IN CHILLING VIDEO MOMENTS AFTER TERROR ATTACK

Authorities said Abouyaaqoub was part of the 12-man terror cell that unleashed another attack hours after the Ramblas attack in the nearby seaside town of Cambrils. Five members of the gang plowed into pedestrians before going on a rampage with an ax and large knives, stabbing one person to death. The five terrorists were eventually shot by police.

Abouyaaqoub was killed by police on Aug. 21 about 30 miles west of Barcelona after an extensive manhunt. He was wearing an explosive belt at the time.

The photos were released ahead of the first anniversary of the attacks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Whether at a lubricant factory, orphanage, potato company or fish-pickling plant, Kim Jong Un has conducted sporadic visits to odd and quirky North Korean sites throughout the years.

Through the years, Kim has visited several companies, including a newly-remodeled Pyongyang Teacher Training College and trackless trolley factory, around the regimes capital to provide "field guidance," according to North Korean propaganda. The despot is often photographed with a massive grin and interacting with factory workers as several officials stand in the background taking notes -- about something -- during the visit. The only details released about the trips come through the official state news agency, KCNA.

Kim usually includes praise for the workers.

At times, hes joined by his rarely-seen wife, Ri Sol Ju, and his sister, Kim Yo Jong, with the women often seen peering at glass cases of beauty products or standing -- smiling -- behind the despot.

Here are some of the more bizarre photos of Kim during his visits.

2013 to 2016: Kim at a foodstuff factories

Kim was photographed visiting foodstuff factories several times since assuming power in 2011. He inspected biscuits at Foodstuff Factory No. 354 in 2013 while officials took notes behind him. The leader visited Pyongyang Chidrens Foodstuff Factory in 2014 wearing a large furry hat and lab coat while holding a package of food. Another visit in 2015 had him giggling in front of a glass case of packaged food.

The leaders visit to Kumkop General Foodstuff Factory for Sportspersons came after the facility went through a complete renovation, KCNA reported. The state-run news agency added Kim was pleased that production was occurring on a highly intensive basis."

August 2014: Kim at a lubricant factory

The leader was all smiles while watching an unknown substance squeeze out of a machine and into a blue canister at the Chonji Lubricant Factory. Kim reportedly praised factory employees for their work and thanked them for producing a product North Korea previously imported. He called for steadily improving technical specifications to improve international competitiveness.

August 2014: Kim at a hosiery factory

Kim gave some field guidance at Pyongyang Hosiery Factory and was seen talking to workers as they stood in front of a wall of colorful socks. The North Korean despot made the visit because he was reportedly deeply concerned about consumer goods for peoples life, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"The production capacity of the factory is very big, he noted, calling for operating all production processes in full capacity so as to meet the demands of people for hosiery," KCNA said in its statement.

2014 to 2015: Kim at Pyongyang Baby Home and Orphanage

Kim's first visit to the orphanage was in 2014, when the facility was under construction. Kim returned the next year to a new building filled with bright-colored furniture. He is seen laughing as he played with children and toys. Another photo showed a hoard of toddlers coming toward Kim.

September 2017: Kim at a farm

Kim gave more field guidance during a visit to Farm No. 1116, strolling through a field of unknown plants and then picking up a vegetable and inspecting the quality of it. He was also pictured marveling at apples in an orchard.

October 2017: Kim at a footwear factory

Kim and his wife visited Ryuwon Footwear Factory in early October. This was the first time his wife was spotted in public in months. He watched a worker at a sewing machine and looked at childrens shoes. The photos were released with a scathing threat that called President Trump a rabid man in the White House.

October 2017: Kim at a cosmetics factory

Kim visited the remodeled Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory and was very pleased with the products, which were aimed to make North Korean women more beautiful.

He said he felt good as the factory has been remodeled to be proud of in the world so that it would be flawless in the distant future, too, KCNA said in a statement Sunday.

Kim also discussed important tasks for the next phase of modernizing the factory. Details of the plans were not released.

November 2017: Kumsong Tractor Factory

Kim had some fun at a tractor factory in November while, once again, giving field guidance, KCNA said. The despot was even pictured in the drivers seat of a tractor with his hands on the wheel. A group of people were seen taking notes as Kim talked to them.

December 2017: Kim at a tire and potato flour factories

Just three days after launching the Hwasong-15 ICBM, Kim visited a factory and thanked workers for making the tires for the vehicle that transported the missile. The workers built large-size tires for the 9-axle missile truck. Kim also called for efforts to raise production to "satisfy the daily-increasing needs in developing the country's economy and beefing up national defense capabilities," KCNA stated.

Kim in September tasked the Amnokgang Tire Factory with making the tires for the "great event in November," the agency reported.

The next week, the dictator was photographed in front of a mountain of potatoes during an inspection of a potato flour factory. Snow was also seen on the roofs of the building while Kim, wearing his black peacoat and hat, was surrounded by his officials.

December 2017: Kim at the "sublime mountain of revolution"

Kim strolled Mouth Paektu, an inactive volcano and North Koreas highest peak the regime dubbed the sublime mountain of revolution, with several officials to celebrate the rogue nation's Nov. 29 missile launch.

Imposingly standing on Janggun Peak, the respected Supreme Leader gave a familiar look for a while at the dizzy cliffs and the sea of trees, recalling the emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force without yielding even a moment and with the indomitable faith and will of Paektu, KCNA said in a statement.

The state-run media boasted about the nice weather seen during the visit. Kim also spoke about building a new hotel and better facilities around Paektu station for tourism.

January 2018: Kim at newly-remodeled school

Kim visited a newly-remodeled Pyongyang Teacher Training College on Jan. 17 and checked the classrooms for their desks and technology. In one photo, Kim is seen looking at a projection of cartoon students sitting in desks  possibly a demonstration on how the classroom would appear with children.

On Jan. 25 Kim and his wife Ri also did a field guidance at Pyongyang Pharmaceutical Factory. Officials took notes during the visit, though its unclear what information he provided.

Just before the month ended, Kim also visited factory workers at the newly remodeled trolley bus factory.

Looking at the factory with a bright smile on his face, he said that all buildings are neat and fine, KCNA said in a statement. "[Kim] stressed that officials and workers of the factory should bear in mind the honor and pride of working at the glorious worksite associated with patriotic sweats of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and their love for people and make constant innovations."

And to celebrate Kims New Years Day address, KCNA also released a stamp of the despot from the speech.

August 2018: Kim at a fish-pickling factory

Kim and his wife were seen inspecting a fish-pickling factory in Kumsunpo in North Koreas South Hwanghae Province. Photos released by KCNA showed the despot wearing a white T-shirt and hat  an unusually light and casual outfit, compared to the Mao-style suits he usually wears.

Kim told factory workers they did a lot of work when he heard the facility made 30 pickled fish products, including shrimp, eel, anchovy and shellfish.

On Aug. 13, KCNA announced Kim visited one of the regimes livestock farms, and he was seen walking through the cow pens with his group of officials towing behind him.

[Kim] underscored the need to scrupulously organize scientific and technological work for preventing degeneration of fine breeds and keeping the characteristics of pure breeds and change the cow breeds of low weight increment, poor taste and milk into good breeds, KCNA said in a statement.

On the same day, the North Korean leader also visited a fish farm used to breed fish for the man-made lake in Kaechon City. Kim stressed to officials the importance of massively [raising] mandarin fishes and other young fishes for the lake to become functional.

April 2019: Kim at a department store

Kim provided "field guidance" at a recently remodeled department store, Taesong Department Store, in Pyongyang ahead of its grand opening, KCNA reported. The despot was pictured looking at shoes while his officials stood behind him taking notes.

Now that the modern department store has been completed, it has become possible to provide citizens of the capital with different varieties of more quality foodstuffs, clothing, footwear, household articles, sundry goods for daily use, school things and goods for cultural use, Kim was quoted saying during the visit.

The North Korean leader donned a Mao-style suit for the visit.

October 2019: Kim on horseback

Kim opted for a more active photoshoot this time round, channeling his inner Vladimir Putin with images of him riding horseback on a sacred mountain.

The undated images, released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shoed Kim dressed in a long winter coat riding a white horse on snow-covered Mount Paektu, the highest point on the Korean peninsula.

The government-run agency also said that during a visit later that day in Samjiyon County, Kim lamented over the U.S.-led U.N. sanctions that were imposed after nuclear talks broke down.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Latest on the recent earthquake in Indonesia (all times local):

9 p.m.

Indonesia's national disaster agency is insisting the death toll from the Lombok earthquake still stands at 131 after other government agencies including the military gave much higher figures.

The governor of the province that includes Lombok, the military, the national search and rescue agency and regent of North Lombok issued different death tolls on Wednesday that ranged from 226 to 381.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement that information being provided by different agencies needs to be complete before it can be cross-checked and officially verified.

He said his agency is "still verifying the correctness of the data."

He said victims can be counted several times because of the common practice of people in Indonesia using several names and noted that families of victims are entitled to financial compensation from the government when a death is confirmed.

___

1:30 p.m.

Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll from the earthquake that shook Lombok island Sunday evening has risen to 131.

Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there are reports of other deaths but they still need to be verified. He said the death toll is still expected to increase.

Nearly 2,500 people have been hospitalized with serious injuries and more than 156,000 people are displaced due to the extensive damage to homes.

The magnitude 7.0 quake came a week after another quake on Lombok killed 16 people.

___

This version corrects the spelling of the spokesman's name.

___

1 p.m.

Aid began reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after a powerful earthquake, while rescuers doubled down on efforts to find the dead, pulling another body from the rubble.

Volunteers and rescue personnel were erecting more temporary shelters for the over 80,000 people left homeless on Lombok by the magnitude 7.0 quake on Sunday evening. Water, food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks.

The military said five planes carrying food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers left Jakarta for the island early Wednesday.

A woman's body was recovered from the rubble of a collapsed mosque on Wednesday morning in Bangsal district in the north of the island.

Authorities have said the death toll, 105 as of Tuesday evening, would increase as the search effort continues.
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American photographer Chuck Fishman was just 21 when he began traveling behind the Iron Curtain in 1975 to document a Jewish community on the verge of dying out after centuries of existence in Poland. He couldn't have foreseen a Jewish revival that came after the fall of communism in 1989.

A new photo exhibition opened this week in Warsaw that brings together Fishman's early documentation of a melancholy and declining Jewish world with the revival of traditions by the third and fourth generation after the Holocaust, a transformation that left him astounded.

Titled "Re-Generation: Jewish Life in Poland," the exhibition showing at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw will run until Oct. 28 and then go to the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow for several more months.

Fishman, now 65, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his motivation for documenting Poland's Jews in the 1970s and 1980s was to document history before the centuries-old Jewish community died out completely.

On the eve of the Holocaust, Polish Jews numbered around 3.3 million, the largest community in Europe. Most were killed by Nazi Germany, while post-war violence and an anti-Semitic campaign by the Polish communist regime in 1968 forced most of the survivors into exile.

"It was supposed to be the last of 1,000 years of Polish Jewish life. That's what everyone was saying  everyone," Fishman said. "And if it was not for the fall of communism, it would have been the end."

Fishman did five reporting trips to Poland from 1975-1983, often to cover other historical events, like the first visit of Polish Pope John Paul II to his homeland in 1979 and the rise in the 1980s of Lech Walesa's anti-communist Solidarity movement. On those trips he also turned his camera on Yiddish-speaking Holocaust survivors who gathered in derelict buildings to pray together. At the time, Jewish life took place in private because of fears of discrimination.

In some cases he managed to capture those praying during Sabbath services. While some opposed him taking pictures on the Sabbath, a violation of Jewish law, Fishman recalled that others were willing to overlook it.

"I was this nice Jewish boy from America," Fishman said, recalling how the sympathetic worshippers with non-verbal language seemed to be saying: "leave him alone. What's the difference? When we're gone there's nothing here."

After a 30-year absence, he returned again to Poland in 2013  a span of time in which communism collapsed and Poland joined the European Union and NATO. He was blown away by the new wealth of the capitalist era  the ATMS and luxury cars and everything else that had transformed the country  and by an optimistic and growing generation of Jewish families who finally had rabbis and who felt comfortable about celebrating their traditions openly.

While the numbers of Jews is small, perhaps no more than 20,000 people among 38 million, Poland now has renovated synagogues, Jewish street festivals, a Jewish school, kosher restaurants and even Jewish arrivals from the U.S. and Israel.

"Coming back was beyond tripping," said Fishman, who lives in the New York area. "Everything was astounding to me."

Photos from Fishman's first trip to Poland featured in a 1977 book, "Polish Jews: the Final Chapter." But many of the photos on display in Warsaw now have never been published. During communism he made a point of never publishing images of young Polish Jews, fearing that to identify them publicly could have negative repercussions for them.

All of Fishman's photos are in black-and-white and were shot with film and developed by him in his dark room, something that creates a feeling of consistency in the collection despite spanning 43 years and radically different political systems.
Former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is refusing to apologize despite pressure from Britains political class -- including Prime Minister Theresa May -- after he said Muslim women who wear the burqa look like bank robbers and letter boxes.



The Conservative Party MP made the remarks in a column for The Daily Telegraph, in which he pushed back against Denmarks recent ban on the full body and face covering, saying that while he thought that the clothing looked ridiculous, he didnt think a ban was an appropriate measure.



But his choice use of language to describe what women in the veil looked like drew ire in a country where criticism of Islam is a hot-button issue.



If you tell me that the burqa is oppressive, then I am with you. If you say that it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces, then I totally agree  and I would add that I can find no scriptural authority for the practice in the Koran, he said, before adding that it is is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.

BORIS JOHNSON SUGGESTS TRUMP HANDLE BREXIT TALKS: 'HE'D GO IN BLOODY HARD'



Not finished, he said that he would ask anyone who came to his MPs office with their face covered to remove it.



If a female student turned up at school or at a university lecture looking like a bank robber then ditto: those in authority should be allowed to converse openly with those that they are being asked to instruct, he said.



However, despite his comments, Johnson said he did not agree with a ban of the kind that have been enacted in many European countries such as Denmark, France and Belgium, arguing that it could play into the hands of those who want to politicize and dramatise the so-called clash of civilizations; and you fan the flames of grievance.



But despite the libertarian conclusion, and past polling that found a majority of Brits are in favor of a tougher stance on the burqa by the government, the outrage against Johnson was swift and vocal.



London Labour MP David Lammy called him a pound-shop Donald Trump and accused him of fanning the flames of Islamophobia to propel his grubby electoral ambitions.



Those calls were echoed by Brandon Lewis, the chairman of the Conservative Party, who said Johnson should apologize. Lewis comments were backed by May. She said it was imperative that people should be careful in the language they use in discussing the issue.



Its very clear that the language Boris Johnson used to describe peoples appearance has caused offense," May said. "It's not language I would have used, I think its wrong to have used that language and I agree with Brandon Lewis.



But Johnson brushed off the calls, with an ally of Johnson telling The Telegraph calls for him to apologize were ridiculous.



If we fail to speak up for liberal values then we are simply yielding ground to reactionaries and extremists," the ally said."It is ridiculous that these views are being attacked -- we must not fall into the trap of shutting down the debate on difficult issues."



Johnson was backed up by fellow Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg, who said he was unsure what it was that Johnson has to apologize for.

BORIS JOHNSON QUITS AS UK FOREIGN SECRETARY, LEAVING MAY'S GOVERNMENT ON BRINK OVER BREXIT



"It's hard to see what he should apologize for. He has defended people's right to wear the burqa whilst saying it is an inelegant garment, he told the paper. Neither of those two proposals are unreasonable."

Johnson, a key member of the pro-Brexit wing of the Conservative Party, resigned last month over May's plan to leave the E.U., which he has slammed as a surrender to Brussels. His movements are being watched closely amid speculation he may launch a leadership challenge against May in the Fall.
U.N. agencies appealed Wednesday to Myanmar's government to do more to implement an agreement on the return of hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya who fled military violence.

The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, and development agency, UNDP, said in a statement that they seek "tangible progress to improve conditions in Rakhine state," the area in western Myanmar from where about 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after a brutal crackdown following an attack by militants on Myanmar security forces last August.

Myanmar's security forces have been accused of widespread human rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes, that some critics charge amount to ethnic cleansing.

The U.N. agencies in June signed a memorandum of understanding offering assistance for the safe and sustainable return of the refugees. Wednesday's statement said they need more access to Rakhine state, freedom of movement for all residents and a government willingness to address the root causes of the crisis.

It said some initial actions taken under the June 6 agreement were "encouraging," but substantial progress was urgently needed.

"First, effective access requires being able to consult, freely and independently and on a day-to-day basis, with communities in Rakhine state about their needs," the agencies said. They said they have not received a response from the government to a June 14 request for authorization for international staff to work in the area where resettlement would take place.

They said "freedom of movement, as well as increased public services delivery, are crucial for all communities in Rakhine state, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or citizenship status," but was denied, especially to Rohingya residents.

The agencies said it was fundamental to address the root causes of the crisis, "including a clear, voluntary and equal pathway to citizenship for all eligible individuals."

Muslim Rohingya face official and social discrimination in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, which denies most of them citizenship and basic rights. They are considered immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many families settled in Myanmar generations ago.
If you've been sitting on a great idea for a talk that would fit in well with the Design track of talks at Game Developers Conference 2019, organizers want to hear it -- and soon!

That's because GDC 2019 organizers are only accepting submissions to present lectures, roundtables, panels, posters and tutorials through next Thursday, August 16th!

Next year's show is happening March 18-22 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, and will again play host to thousands of game developers from all around the world for a week of learning, networking and inspiration.

It's going to be the 33rd edition of GDC, the world's largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, and as always, organizers are looking for submissions of expert talks that would be a great fit for the show!

But of course, today we want to specifically highlight what GDC Advisory Board members are looking for in a great Design talk. With that in mind, here's a bit of guidance on what organizers are looking to see in a Design talk submission:

Design submissions in all areas are welcome, and we are particularly interested in talks on free-to-play game design as well as high-quality, deep and insightful game design talks presented at an advanced level for experienced professional game designers.

These can range from the production side of design (such as designing characters for diverse audiences or dealing with testing for a procedural content generation system), to the nuts and bolts design problems of character ability tuning, to the aesthetics side of design (such as how to create an interactive space that elicits certain emotions from players) - or anything in-between.

As usual, we have seen amazing new developments in hardware and platforms, an ongoing evolution of business models, and huge changes to our audiences and the way they engage with our games - talks that explore and explain the impact of these changes and how to better design games in consideration of them will be especially welcome. The key is to show that you have deep and non-intuitive insights into your topic, forged through hands-on experience working on relevant games.

Also, those interested in submitting for any of the GDC Summits (all of which take place on the Monday and Tuesday of the event) or Friday's Game Career Seminar should know that the call for submissions will open later!

For more details on the submission process or GDC 2019 in general visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.



Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas
Manuela "Mona" Rodriguez, of Long Beach was shot in the head by the safety officer, Eddie F. Gonzalez, on the afternoon of Sept. 27 about a block from Millikan High School, authorities said.
An international team of paleontologists and other geoscientists has discovered the first North American co-occurrence of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks in the lower Cantwell Formation within Denali National Park, suggesting that an aspect of the continental ecosystem of central Asia was also present in this part of Alaska during the Late Cretaceous.

This comprehensive cross-disciplinary effort has resulted in a paper  entitled An unusual association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks within Late Cretaceous rocks of Denali National Park, Alaska  published in Scientific Reports, an online open access scientific mega journal published by the Nature Publishing Group, covering all areas of the natural sciences.

Anthony R. Fiorillo, Ph.D., chief curator and vice president of research and collections at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas, is the lead author. Co-authors are Paul J. McCarthy, Ph.D., University of Alaska, Department of Geosciences; Yoshitsugu Kobayashi, Ph.D., Hokkaido University Museum, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; Carla S. Tomsich, graduate student, University of Alaska, Department of Geosciences; Ronald S. Tykoski, Ph.D., director of paleontology lab, Perot Museum of Nature and Science; Yuong-Nam Lee, Ph.D., School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, South Korea; Tomonori Tanaka, graduate student, Hokkaido University Museum, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; and Christopher R. Noto, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Fiorillo and a colleague published on a distinct single footprint in Denali National Park in 2012 that they determined to be made by a therizinosaur, an unusual predatory dinosaur thought to have become an herbivore. Therizinosaurs are best known from Asia. Upon his return in 2013 and 2014, they conducted a more detailed analysis of the area, and he and his colleagues unearthed dozens more tracks of therizinosaurs. What surprised Fiorillo and his team most was the co-occurrence of dozens of hadrosaurs, also known as duck-bill dinosaurs.

Hadrosaurs are very common and found all over Denali National Park. Previously, they had not been found alongside therizinosaurs in Denali. In Mongolia, where therizinosaurs are best known  though no footprints have been found in association  skeletons of hadrosaurs and therizinosaurs have been found to co-occur from a single rock unit so this was a highly unusual find in Alaska, and it prompted my interest, said Fiorillo. From our research, weve determined that this track association of therizinosaurs and hadrosaurs is currently the only one of its kind in North America.

The plant-eating therizinosaurs are rare and unusual creatures in the fossil record. The strange-looking dinosaurs had long skinny necks, little teeth, a small beak for cropping plants, and big torsos accompanied by large hind feet and long arms with hands like Freddy Krueger.

Though therizinosaurs are known from Asia and North America, the best and most diverse fossil record is from Asia  even up to the time of extinction  and therein is the connection. Fiorillo has long postulated that

Cretaceous Alaska could have been the thoroughfare for fauna between Western North America and Asia  two continents that shared each others fauna and flora in the latest stages of the Cretaceous.

This study helps support the idea that Alaska was the gateway for dinosaurs as they migrated between Asia and North America, said Dr. Kobayashi.

To support the theory, Fiorillos international team of scientists from across the U.S., Japan and South Korea worked to establish if the tracks were those of a therizinosaur and to study any unique aspects of the ecosystem. The members  including a sedimentologist, geologist, paleobotanist, paleoecologist and additional paleontologists including an expert on therizinosaurs  determined that this particular area of Denali was a wet, marsh-like environment and that one fossil in particular looked like a water lily, which supported the theory that there were ponds and standing water nearby. They suspect that both therizinosaurs and hadrosaurs liked these wetter locations.

Fiorillo believes that this Alaskan discovery may connect these animals environmentally and perhaps behaviorally to other therizinosaurs in central Asia. An Asian report of these animals being associated also came from an interval of rocks that was unusually wet at the time, relative to rocks above and below it.

This discovery provides more evidence that Alaska was possibly the superhighway for dinosaurs between Asia and western North America 65-70 million years ago, added Fiorillo.

Reference:

Anthony R. Fiorillo, Paul J. McCarthy, Yoshitsugu Kobayashi, Carla S. Tomsich, Ronald S. Tykoski, Yuong-Nam Lee, Tomonori Tanaka, Christopher R. Noto. An unusual association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks within Late Cretaceous rocks of Denali National Park, Alaska. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30110-8

Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
felicilin at 6-08-2018 12:36 PM (3 years ago) (f)

Twenty four Nigerian migrants detained in one of Libyas slave camps have snubbed the repatriation efforts of the Federal Government, insisting they must reach Europe, their final destination.

Twenty four Nigerian migrants detained in one of Libyas slave camps have snubbed the repatriation efforts of the Federal Government, insisting they must reach Europe, their final destination. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this in Abuja.

According to her, 116 other Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya have agreed to be repatriated home.

She said that the Federal Government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have located the detention camps of the Nigerians, and offered to bring those willing back home.

The Nigeria Mission in Tripoli, she said, had traced the migrants to Osama Detention Centre, Zawiya, Libya.

The 116 Nigerian migrants have been processed online by the Nigeria Mission and IOM for repatriation back to Nigeria, she added.

She said that Federal Government moved to rescue the detained migrants after their plea for assistance through video clip from Libya on July 8.

In the video, the stranded Nigerians who veiled their faces said that their final destination in Europe but was intercepted by the security agencies in Libya and locked up in dehumanizing conditions.

The migrants had in the video said they were being tortured to death daily under a dehumanizing condition

We are dying here. Come and rescue us. Europe is our final destination but we are trapped in Libya subjecting us to inhuman treatment, one of the Nigerians said in the video.

Dabiri-Erewa said that 9,438 Nigerian migrants had so far been repatriated by the Federal Government and the IOM.

She gave assurance that President Muhammadu Buhari would continue to ensure that all stranded migrants willing to return home are brought back.

President Muhammadu Buhari early this year directed the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from Libya.

According to her, those that have been brought back are being profiled and enrolled in various technical and vocational training centers with relevant agencies and NGOs.

She appealed to Nigerian youths to avail themselves of the opportunities in the country as against risking their lives to search for non-existing and deadly greener pastures abroad. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this in Abuja.According to her, 116 other Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya have agreed to be repatriated home.She said that the Federal Government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have located the detention camps of the Nigerians, and offered to bring those willing back home.The Nigeria Mission in Tripoli, she said, had traced the migrants to Osama Detention Centre, Zawiya, Libya.The 116 Nigerian migrants have been processed online by the Nigeria Mission and IOM for repatriation back to Nigeria, she added.She said that Federal Government moved to rescue the detained migrants after their plea for assistance through video clip from Libya on July 8.In the video, the stranded Nigerians who veiled their faces said that their final destination in Europe but was intercepted by the security agencies in Libya and locked up in dehumanizing conditions.The migrants had in the video said they were being tortured to death daily under a dehumanizing conditionWe are dying here. Come and rescue us. Europe is our final destination but we are trapped in Libya subjecting us to inhuman treatment, one of the Nigerians said in the video.Dabiri-Erewa said that 9,438 Nigerian migrants had so far been repatriated by the Federal Government and the IOM.She gave assurance that President Muhammadu Buhari would continue to ensure that all stranded migrants willing to return home are brought back.President Muhammadu Buhari early this year directed the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from Libya.According to her, those that have been brought back are being profiled and enrolled in various technical and vocational training centers with relevant agencies and NGOs.She appealed to Nigerian youths to avail themselves of the opportunities in the country as against risking their lives to search for non-existing and deadly greener pastures abroad.

Post Reply Posted: at 6-08-2018 12:36 PM (3 years ago) | Hero
damyti at 7-08-2018 07:41 AM (3 years ago) (m)

A woman has fallen to her death while trying to escape from a scorpion in Alaja community, Megida, in the Ayobo area of Lagos State.

A woman has fallen to her death while trying to escape from a scorpion in Alaja community, Megida, in the Ayobo area of Lagos State.

The 40-year-old petty trader, Ablavi Hunkpati, fell into an abandoned well and died, GISTMANIA reports.





Our correspondent learnt that after failed attempts by residents, relatives and sympathisers to rescue her, officials of the Lagos State Fire Service were called to the scene.



Her remains were subsequently recovered and handed over to the police by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.



The Togolese woman, her husband and their four children were said to have lived in the house for over 20 years.



A resident, who did not identify himself, said the incident happened on Saturday around 2pm.



He said:



The woman has been living in the house for over than 20 years. As of the time she packed in, that well had been abandoned. Usually, people sit and relax on the planks used to cover the well. She was trying to run from a scorpion. She rested on the planks, which gave way. That was how she fell into the well and died.



The abandoned well was at the entrance into the victims room and parlour apartment.



The house had also been cordoned off by security operatives.



A relative of Hunkpati, who identified himself only as David, showed our correspondent a bottle of soft drink he bought for her before the incident.



He said:



She kept the drink on a drum and wanted to rid the planks on the well of insects because children usually play around there. She had finished cleaning the place when she fell.



David explained that the victim had sighted a scorpion, and panicked when she fell into the well.



She screamed and we rushed to see how to help her, but it was too late. She had died before anyone could do anything because the well is over 100 feet deep. We called the fire service, but when they came, it was too late, he added.



It was learnt that the victims husband and children had gone to Togo to break the news to other family members.



The Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mrs Bola Ajao, who spoke for the acting Director, Rasak Musibau, said firefighters arrived as soon they received a distress call about the incident.



She said:



We received the distress call around 2.59pm and the Abesan Fire Station, being the closest to the area, responded. The officials arrived at the scene around 3.06pm. By the time they got there, it was discovered that some of the victims relatives had lowered themselves into the well with ropes. They, however, could not bring her out. The fire service men recovered the womans corpse.



We have been telling residents that no matter how little an emergency may appear, they should always get in touch with emergency workers. The person who tried to bring the deceaseds woman out was not trained in safety techniques and it is possible that it was in the process of dragging her with ropes that the situation aggravated. The 40-year-old petty trader, Ablavi Hunkpati, fell into an abandoned well and died, GISTMANIA reports.Our correspondent learnt that after failed attempts by residents, relatives and sympathisers to rescue her, officials of the Lagos State Fire Service were called to the scene.Her remains were subsequently recovered and handed over to the police by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.The Togolese woman, her husband and their four children were said to have lived in the house for over 20 years.A resident, who did not identify himself, said the incident happened on Saturday around 2pm.He said:The abandoned well was at the entrance into the victims room and parlour apartment.The house had also been cordoned off by security operatives.A relative of Hunkpati, who identified himself only as David, showed our correspondent a bottle of soft drink he bought for her before the incident.He said:David explained that the victim had sighted a scorpion, and panicked when she fell into the well.he added.It was learnt that the victims husband and children had gone to Togo to break the news to other family members.The Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mrs Bola Ajao, who spoke for the acting Director, Rasak Musibau, said firefighters arrived as soon they received a distress call about the incident.She said:

Post Reply Posted: at 7-08-2018 07:41 AM (3 years ago) | Upcoming
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In a packed Glasgow City Council meeting Monday, Aug. 6, the council decided to move a proposal for a city ordinance to allow the raising of chickens in city limits to go to a first reading at the city council meeting, which will occur at 5:30 p....
A.J. Etherington / The Courier

Josh Fjare (r), shows off the teeth of his 29-inch walleye (the largest walleye of the week) with his fishing guide Ricci Olson (l), the president of Glasgow's Walleyes Unlimited. Rumor has it Olson was putting his veterans on some of the largest fish of the week.
Barry Beaudoin, 68, of Henderson, Nev., passed away in hospice with his wife, Ginny, by his side after a battle with cancer.

Burial of his ashes will be at 11 a.m., Friday, Aug. 31, at Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, with a celebration of life following at Howard's Pizza (the Steinhaus) for family and friends from 12 to 2 p.m. Howard's is located at 713 1st Ave N., Great Falls.

He was born to Sylvain (Skid) and Wanda Beaudoin in Great Falls, Mont., on March 24, 1950. He attended public schools in Shelby, Great Falls and Libby. On Nov. 25, 1972, he married the love of his life, Ginny (Virginia) Schneider, in Glasgow, Mont.

He graduated from Montana State University in 1978 with a BS degree in Plant Protection. He loved his Bobcat team and he was a Sigma Chi. He loved working in the field of agriculture, working as a pesticide specialist for the State of Montana and several agriculture companies including American Cyanamid, Wilbur-Ellis and Monsanto. He enjoyed meeting new people and he had the gift of gab. He could tell jokes and never forgot them once he heard a new one.

He enjoyed being outside, whether it be "hacking" a little white ball around or "fooling" a fish. He loved life. His biggest pride and joy were his two adult children and three grandbabies.

He was preceded in death by his mother,Wanda Carlson Beaudoin; his father, Sylvain Beaudoin; his grandmother, Verda Middleton; and one aunt, Mildred Beaudoin.

He is survived by his bride, Ginny; one son, Brooks, of Long Beach, Calif.; one daughter, Brianna (Daniel) Zupon; three grandchildren, Cecilia, Lincoln and Lilly; one sister, Denise (Gary) Marr, of Walla Walla, Wash.; and one nephew, David Marr, of New York, N.Y.

Memorials can be sent to MSU College of Agriculture, PO Box 2830, Bozeman, MT, 59717.
James Jim Arthur Parke, 72, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018.

A celebration of his life will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 14, from 2 to 4 p.m., at First Lutheran Church in Glasgow. Light refreshments will be served following the celebration.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia , Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MGX Minerals Inc. (MGX or the Company) ( CSE: XMG / FKT: 1MG / OTCQB: MGXMF ) is pleased to announce it has entered into an Memorandum of Understanding (the MOU) to acquire 50% of the issued shares of Chilean Lithium Salars SpA (CLS). CLS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chilean Lithium Salars Holdings Ltd. (CLSH) and holds a 100% interest in three prospective lithium exploration Projects (the Projects) located in Chile, including Francisco Basin, Laguna Brava and Laguna Escondida Lithium Projects.



Francisco Basin Lithium Project

The Francisco Basin lithium project (Francisco Basin) is located 30km south of Maricunga salar, 100 km southeast of the regional center of Copiapo and accessible via a regional highway and established tracks. The lease area comprises 12,900 hectares. Historical exploration work on the project was previously limited to hydrology studies. In January 2018, CLSH completed a reconnaissance brine sampling at the project. This sampling confirmed the presence of lithium enrichment in the surface brines. The samples were assayed at the University of Antofagasta (Antofagasta), Antofagasta, Chile which has one of the two leading laboratories in the world for this type of brine analysis. In May 2018, sampling continued and a 2.5L sample was taken near the southern shore of the surface Northern lagoon and sent to Servicios Quimicos Ltda. (SERQUIM), Antofagasta, Chile for content analysis. CLSH reported results to date are shown in Table 1.

A geophysical program comprising an electromagnetic survey was completed in April 2018. The survey was based on a grid of sections which indicated the presence of high conductivity brines in two zones with significant thickness and horizontal coverage. The presence of anomalous lithium levels in the water body area located in the Northern lagoon, which is potentially underlain by a fault bound, saturated basin of undetermined thickness and the presence of widespread felsic to intermediate volcanic rocks as a lithium source.

Table 1. Francisco Basin Assay Samples

Sample Na g/L K g/L Li ppm Mg g/L SO4 g/L B ppm Dens Northern Lagoon - January 2018 LNF 01 75.2 4.59 372 2.00 4.07 799 1.179 LNF 02 72.5 4.34 372 1.92 4.07 832 1.170 LNF 03 69.5 4.06 369 1.85 3.74 767 1.163 LNF 04 74.5 4.32 374 1.75 4.02 832 1.174 LNF 05 80.0 4.40 388 1.78 4.71 961 1.188 LNF 06 67.9 3.98 361 1.73 3.85 821 1.181 LNF 07 79.8 4.66 387 1.74 4.44 864 1.183 LNF 08 73.4 4.31 371 1.86 3.93 842 1.172 LNF 09 76.8 4.39 374 1.70 4.05 864 1.174 LNF 10 80.0 4.56 384 1.86 4.38 896 1.185 Northern Lagoon - May 2018 LNF 01 103.0 6.62 694 3.54 28.70 - - Southern Lagoon - January 2018 LNF 11 2.35 0.19 7.9 0.15 3.07 248 1.007 LNF 12 0.57 0.41 3.0 0.003 1.55 151 1.121 LNF 13 1.27 0.01 0.4 0.07 0.61 65 1.002

The Francisco Basin salar is within a large, fault-bound, alluvium-filled basin to the immediate south of the Copiapo Volcano. The basin is closed, drains a large area and the salar appears to be the lowest point within the drainage.

The rocks in the drainage surrounding this salar are dominantly volcanic, ranging in age from Eocene to Miocene, juxtaposed with some older rocks. To the west is a Cretaceous sedimentary sequence separated from the volcanic rocks of the Francisco Basin area by the Cerro Guerrita Fault. To the east, an older Oligocene to Miocene volcanic sequence is overlain by the Copiapo volcanic rocks.

The Francisco Basin alluvial basin sits at the junction of three catchments. These river systems presumably provide the fill for the basin and are in part, along with the limits of the salar, structurally controlled. The alluvial fill may be covering post-Copiapo aged faulting.

Laguna Brava Project

The Laguna Brava salar (Laguna) is geologically prospective for lithium brine. The catchment is large and dominated by volcanic rocks, many of which have been altered by hydrothermal fluids associated with volcanism. The lake is also fed by active hot springs. Historical sampling of surface brines indicated significant lithium enrichment. In December 2017, CLSH undertook a four-hole reconnaissance drilling program at a southern access point of the salar to investigate the deeper aquifer. Prior to the CLSH reconnaissance drilling program in December 2017, no previous work had been undertaken to assess the volume and grade of the subsurface resource. Previous work recommended that the subsurface brines be investigated on the basis of his conclusion that Laguna Brava is geothermally fed. The presence of hot springs being present either at the margins or beneath salars is common within the Chilean Altiplano, other notable locations include the Salar de Coposa in Region I and Salar de Atacama in Region II. The principal origin of lithium in the Salar de Atacama is interpreted to be the lithium-bearing geothermal waters from the El Tatio Geyser Field, located north of the salar. The geothermal fluids enter the northern part of the Salar de Atacama via surface and subsurface flow. It has also been reported that the chemistry of the salar brines is almost identical to the chemistry of the geothermal fluids of El Tatio.

Furthermore, work by Risacher et al., (2003) has shown that subsurface brines contained within the volcanic geology are of a much higher concentration, typically 250,000350,000 mg/L TDS. Given this hypothesis, CLSH commissioned a reconnaissance drilling program in December 2017 comprising four bores; the locations are shown in Figure 6-4. Two bores reached the design depth of 120 m, and the other two bores were abandoned due to collar collapse because of high water flows. The results from this program confirmed the presence of lithium at depth. Results were as follows (Sanchez, 2018):

Table 2. Assay Results from Reconnaissance Drilling



Bore No. of Samples Li

(mg/L) Na

(mg/L) K

(mg/L) Mg

(mg/L) So4

(mg/L) B

(mg/L)

Density LBRC001 5 190 31860 1842 1453 8726 504 1.066 LBRC002 11 167 28376 1635 1175 8189 494 1.058 LBRC003 24 184 30979 1730 1288 8995 536 1.064 LBRC004 16 201 34059 1999 1587 8513 519 1.071 Average 185 31,320 1800 1375 8605 515 1.065

A geophysical program comprising electromagnetic and gravity surveys was completed by CLSH in February 2018. The electromagnetic survey based on sections around the periphery of the salar indicated the presence of high conductivity brines exceeding 100 meter thickness at the margins of the salar. The survey indicated that drill holes completed prior to the program were in an area with brines of relatively low conductivity.



Within the vicinity of the Laguna Brava salar, the Project includes additional concessions covering Lagunas del Gilguero and the southern margin of Piedra Parada.

Laguna Escondida Salar

The Laguna Escondida project (Laguna Escondida) is located approximately 200 km eastnortheast of the regional capital and is accessible via a provincial highway to within 1015 km of the project.

Regional Geology

The Portfolio of projects are located within the Central Volcanic Zone in the foothills of the Andes mountain range on the eastern side of Chile. All the projects are located at altitudes exceeding 4,000 m. The geology of this region, like the rest of Chile, is dominated by the eastward subduction zone under the entire country generating uplift that has created the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Cordillera (Moreno and Gibbons, 2007). This subduction has intensely deformed the older rocks and generated volcanic activity that spans geological history from the Mesozoic to the present.

Terms of the MOU

To acquire an undivided 50% interest in CLS, MGX has agreed to make Option Payments totaling US$1.5 million. The first US$100,000 portion of the Option Payments are payable in cash at the discretion of CLS while the remainder of Options Payments will be payable in common shares of the Company. MGX has agreed to incur exploration expenditures totaling US$2 million and also complete an NI 43-101 resource estimate on at least one of the Projects no later than 20 months after the Effective Date of the MOU. MGX will act as project operator and appoint Mr. Aldo Boitano, current project manager for CLS, as project manager to work alongside Kura Minerals. CLSH shall contribute an equal amount of expenditures to maintain its respective interest in CLS. MGX also maintains the right to participate as a service provider of the engineering, construction and/or procurement of a brine processing plant using its rapid lithium extraction technology. Closing of the transaction remains subject to due diligence.

Rapid Lithium Brine Extraction Technology

MGX has developed a rapid lithium extraction technology that reduces the capital cost of recovery compared to traditional solar evaporation as it does not require the investment in large, multi-phase, lake sized, lined evaporation ponds, greatly reducing the physical footprint and enhancing the quality of extraction and recovery across a complex range of brines previously considered un-processable due to complexity or geographical location outside of solar evaporation appropriate zones. This includes 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 earlier this month ( 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 .

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 .

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7ee824f-0c4e-47be-a14e-86e0c8810687

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ecea6248-24cb-4066-9c1a-2ff19f5fa095
One of the most dramatic sights in a garden is an ornamental grass backlit by late afternoon sun. They seem to come alive as their tawny flowers spikes glow and sway in the breeze. Their gentle movement and soft whispering sounds can bring your garden to life as few...
Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation.
A GOOD YEAR FOR PENSIONS

Pension Plan Preliminary 2018 Return 2018 Ending Balance 2017 Ending Balance 2017 Percentage Funded New York City's five pension funds 8.7% $194 billion $178 billion 56-69% New York State Common Retirement Fund (FY Ends March 31) 12.95% $206.9 billion $192 billion 94% Oklahoma Teachers 9.7% $16.5 billion $15.6 billion 70% North Carolina Retirement Systems 7.3% $98.2 billion $94 billion 92% California State Teachers Retirement System 8.96% $224 billion $210 billion 64% California Public Employees Retirement System 8.6% $351 billion $328 billion 68.3% (FY 2016) Florida Retirement System Pension Plan 8.99% $160.4 billion $154 billion 84% Wisconsin Retirement System Core Fund 8.6% Data Not Available $93 billion 100%

Pension plans are reporting another better-than-expected year for investment returns. But experts caution that most pensions still face long-term challenges when it comes to improving their overall fiscal health.Looking at roughly half a dozen major plans that have released their preliminary annual return,found that most pensions bested their annual projections, reporting a nearly 9 percent return on their investments in fiscal 2018. For most plans, that's more than one percentage point above projections.North Carolina Retirement Systems reported the lowest return rate of only 7.3 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, New York state reported a nearly 13 percent annual return.This better-than-expected year comes after an even better one : In fiscal 2017, many plans reported double-digit returns. A booming stock market is a big reason for the positive growth these last two years as pension plans typically have anywhere from about 40 to 50 percent of assets invested in equities.Pension plans rely heavily on investment earnings because annual payments from current employees and governments aren't enough to cover yearly payouts to retirees. As it stands, roughly 80 cents on every dollar paid out to retirees comes from investment income.Two years of investment returns exceeding expectations undoubtedly helps, says Fitch Ratings Senior Director Douglas Offerman. "It's great to have a string of positive years," he says. "It does make an incremental difference."After two years of stellar returns, for example, California's Public Employees Retirement System expects to bump up its funded status by three points to 71 percent. But, Offerman adds, this year's positive news has to be viewed "against a larger backdrop of unrelenting pressure on pensions."Nationally, public pension plans have collectively exceeded their assumed rates of return at least five times since the financial crisis in 2008, according to data collected by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research. (This year would mark the sixth.) Yet funding ratios have steadily declined for five straight years. Since 2012, the average plan has hovered around having 72 percent of the money it needs to eventually pay retirement benefits to current and future retirees.Meanwhile, governments' contributions to pension plans have ballooned, growing by 74 percent between 2010 and 2017, according to an analysis by Fitch.In other words, it's a lot harder to make up ground than it is to lose it. This is primarily due to the fact that there are more retirees than ever, which means that in some years plans will have more money going out in payouts than coming in via worker and government contributions and investment earnings. Governments have collectively gotten better at making their full pension contributions in recent years thanks to a stabilizing economy. But because of the way pension accounting is done, every year a government skimps on a payment or investment returns fall short of expectations, a pension's funded ratio gets worse.Pension plans have previously resisted lowering their investment return assumptions because it means higher bills from contributing governments to make up the difference. But in recent years, that resistance has fallen away as dozens of plans have begun shifting their assumptions downward. For the first time, dozens of plans are assuming a lower than 7 percent annual rate of return on investments, while the national median has gone from 8 percent in 2001 to 7.5 percent this year. In doing so, many believe pension plans are setting themselves up for more stability down the road -- assuming governments can keep up their pension payments."The fact that [plans] are getting more realistic about return assumptions is a positive," says Offerman. "It at least forces a recognition of what the real cost of benefits are."
Undocumented workers in Idaho have the right to claim workers comp payments and even temporary disability payments if theyre hurt on the job.Now, the Idaho Supreme Court says their immigration status isnt an absolute bar from long-term disability payments, either.The high courts ruling, issued Friday, stems from a 2015 complaint filed by a Mexican citizen living in Emmett against the Treasure Valley painting company that employed him.Elfego Marquez came to the U.S. illegally in 2000, when he was about 30 years old. He had a college degree and had worked as an elementary school teacher in Mexico, but in the U.S. he used fake Social Security cards to get jobs doing manual labor.Marquez injured his right wrist, arm and shoulder at work in 2010, while preparing a building to be painted. He needed multiple shoulder surgeries and couldnt return to his job.
One of the year's greatest political comeback stories is playing out in Hawaii. Gov. David Ige, who looked like a sure loser a few months ago, now appears poised to win a second term.Polls conducted this spring showed Ige trailing Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa by 20-point margins. At a time when fears of a North Korean nuclear attack were high, a false emergency alert in January warning Hawaiians of an impending ballistic missile -- and Ige's slow response to it -- appeared to doom his reelection chances.But polls heading into Saturday's Democratic primary showed Ige with the lead. And in Hawaii, all the action is in Democratic primaries. Republicans are essentially irrelevant. They hold no seats in the state Senate and five seats out of 51 in the state House. The Democratic nominee for governor will be considered a lock against state Rep. Andria Tupola, the GOP nominee."The first and most important thing is that Colleen Hanabusa [Ige's opponent] ran a terrible campaign," says Colin Moore, who directs the University of Hawaii's public policy center. "She wasn't in the state for the most important period" -- because she was serving in Congress -- "and never really articulated a clear campaign message that gave voters a reason to vote for her."Ironically for a governor whose fortunes were almost sunk by a false nuclear warning, Ige's chances were revived largely thanks to natural disasters. Huge rainstorms over Kauai in April led to historic flooding there, damaging or destroying more than 500 homes. Meanwhile, volcanic lava has ruined so many homes on the Big Island of Hawaii that, as Hurricane Hector approached, there was mordant joking that there's nothing left to destroy.Recovery is ongoing, but the disasters gave Ige the chance to demonstrate leadership qualities that were conspicuously not on display during the false missile alert."Gov. Ige has run a vigorous campaign driven by effective messaging, combined with the advantage of being the incumbent during two major disasters," says Donalyn Dela Cruz, a communications consultant.Incumbency provided Ige with other advantages. He was able to make the local news when he held bill signing ceremonies, while Hanabusa was trapped 5,000 miles away in Washington. Neil Abercrombie, Ige's predecessor, resigned his seat in Congress to make his run for governor, recognizing the difficulties of seeking the office long distance.Hanabusa did not make that move.Four years ago, she did give up her seat in the U.S. House to run unsuccessfully for the Senate. In 2016, she won back her House seat. Running for her third different office in as many election cycles led to some grumbling that she was seeking the governorship mostly to satisfy career ambitions.Although she derided Ige's leadership abilities, Hanabusa had not articulated major policy differences with him. She was a longtime labor lawyer and had received some union support. But Ige has the endorsement of the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the Sierra Club, and managed to present himself as the more progressive choice.While Ige is running at a time of historically low unemployment in the state -- its 2 percent rate in May was the lowest recorded by any state since the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics began keeping track back in 1976 -- the cost of living and housing remains a serious sore point.Ige himself unseated Abercrombie four years ago. If he had lost, it would have been the second time in a row the governor lost his seat in a primary -- something that's happened only a handful of times in American history.
As governor, Rick Scott has been very critical of the "brutal and oppressive" Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela, including calling on state investment fund managers to sever ties with companies that do business with that country."Any organization that does business with the Maduro regime cannot do business with the state of Florida," Scott said in Miami last summer.But Scott and his wife, Ann, held substantial investments as recently as last year in three firms that have done business in Venezuela: Goldman Sachs, Invesco and BlackRock.That's according to the 125-page financial disclosure statement Scott filed on July 27 as a U.S. Senate candidate. It's the most complete accounting of Scott's finances since he last opened his blind trust in 2014, and includes Ann Scott's investments, which are not required to be disclosed under Florida ethics laws.According to the July 27 statement, the Scotts received stock dividends or capital gains income of between about $345,000 and about $1.8 million in the past year from their investments in the three Wall Street firms. Under federal law, candidates can report income in broad ranges, not in specific amounts.The financial statement shows highly diversified investments and noted that some of that stock is no longer held by the governor or his wife.The governor, a wealthy former hospital executive, put his assets in a blind trust after he took office in 2011, a decision that was supported by the state Commission on Ethics but which is being challenged in a Florida court."The governor had no role in selecting those investments," said a spokeswoman for Scott's campaign, Lauren Schenone. "The blind trust is managed by an independent financial professional who decides what assets are bought, sold or changed. The rules of the blind trust prevent any specific assets or the value of those assets within the trust from being disclosed to the governor, and those requirements have always been followed."Units of all three firms were large institutional holders of Venezuela debt, according to news accounts last November by CNN Money.The Scotts' latest disclosure statement also shows that they held stock in a worldwide shipping company that does business with the Putin regime in Russia, the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald reported.The trustee who oversees the Scotts' finances, Alan Lee Bazaar, is a former business associate of Rick Scott before he became governor.As a U.S. Senate candidate, Scott has aggressively sought to appeal to the state's growing and diverse Hispanic community, especially in South Florida, and has attended rallies in Miami to show his solidarity with Venezuelans.He was in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday to attend the inauguration of the country's new president, Ivan Duque. The governor's office said Scott would meet with Venezuela exile leaders living in Colombia.
After a years-long battle between labor unions and right-to-work advocates, Missourivoters on Tuesdaykilleda new law that prohibited labor groups and employers from requiring private-sector workers to pay union membership fees.The states so-called right-to-work bill was signed last year by then-Gov. Eric Greitens, but unions forced the issue onto the August ballot."Working people needed 100,000 signatures to get that issue on the ballot. We submitted over 300,000," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a speech Tuesday , anticipating a positive outcome for unions. "Working people are writing a comeback story unlike any Ive seen in my 50 years in the labor movement."The Missouri vote represents avictory for unions in a political landscape that is increasingly hostile toward them. The state's debate received national attention after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to public-sector unions in June. In that case, Janus v. AFSCME, the justices ruled it is unconstitutional to require "nonconsenting employees" to pay fees to unions."Anti-union forces awoke a sleeping giant," says Philip Dine, a former labor reporter and author of. "I think unions have become energized and realize they have to fight back."Right-to-work advocates argue that requiring workers -- both union members and non-members -- to pay union fees violates their First Amendment rights. They also claim that right-to-work laws make states more attractive to businesses. Critics of the right to work argue that because all employees of a unionized company benefit from union services, they should have to pay union dues.Missouri was among a new wave of states pushing this policy."Previously most of the 28 [right-to-work] states were in the South or Southwest  they were pretty conservative anyway," says Dine. "Whats concerning for labor now is that the states were talking about are not anti-union states."Within the last eight years, right-to-work bills were signed by Republican governors in Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin -- three states with historically strong unions. During that time, Republicans gained more control over state legislatures, and anti-union lawmakers used the 2008 recession to promote right-to-work laws as a way to be more business-friendly, says Dine.The majority of right-to-work states, however, implemented their laws shortly after the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act gave them the authority to do so. After the 1960s, right-to-work became a "mostly dead issue" until the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, says Gordon Lafer, an associate professor at the University of Oregons Labor Education and Research Center. The Citizens United decision permitted unlimited corporate spending on politics, leading to a boost in corporate lobbying on state legislative issues like right to work, he says.Right-to-work states tend to have fewer union members and lower wages for workers. Throughout the country, union membership increased by 262,000 people in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Missouri union members, however, dropped from 9.7 percent of the states workforce to 8.7 percent from 2016 to 2017.Though the law is dead in Missouri, the labor battle continues.Whatever happens with future right-to-work legislation, unions will need to adapt in the current climate, says Rafael Gely, a law professor at the University of Missouri. This may involve restructuring how they collect fees or market their services, he says, but it will take some "innovation and creativity."
One of the most tech-concentrated cities in the country is turning to its tech community to help solve persistent urban ills like homelessness and mobility.Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan established the Innovation Advisory Council last week, which will bring together leaders from companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Expedia and others to explore issues, and then look to technology to help generate solutions.Were a city that knows we have challenges, but were also a city that has companies, great companies ... and their employees who want to help meet those challenges, Durkan said during an Aug. 2, 2018 press conference at the Zillow Group offices in Seattle.This new collaboration with Seattles technology community will help us surface the data, know where the gaps are, look for technology solutions that can make us a more equitable and vibrant city, she added. And we really want to make sure that this technology and data is harnessed in a way that increases equity, rather than hardening inequity.Co-chairs for the advisory council will include: Aman Bhutani, president for Brand Expedia Group; Andrew Beers, chief technology officer for Tableau; Trish Millines Dziko, co-founder and executive director of the Technology Access Foundation; and Tonya Peck, senior vice president and general manager for Artefact Group.From homelessness to transportation and mobility, the issues are urgent and complex, but we're ready to contribute, said Peck, in an email. Artefact, a design consultancy, has experience working in health care, transportation, government and other sectors.Seattle, like many U.S. cities riding a wave of economic prosperity fueled by a robust tech economy, has seen housing prices rise sharply, while urban ills like homelessness have also been increasing.As a city were facing many challenges, and I firmly believe that everyone from government to business, to the individual has a role to play in addressing those issues that, as a city, we face, said Racquel Russell, vice president of government relations and public affairs for the Zillow Group, speaking at the mayors press conference.Median rent prices in Seattle have increased 38 percent since 2013, according to Russell, citing Zillow data.The bottom third of income-earners here in Seattle are spending about 51 percent of their incomes on rents, said Russell.Consequently, more than 11,600 residents in the Seattle region were homeless in some fashion in January 2017, according to the Seattle/King County Point-in-Time Count , an annual event to track homelessness. This represented a 15 percent increase in two years, according to a report byIm excited to see this group coming together and look to rolling up our sleeves, setting aside any differences and getting to work, said Bhutani, also speaking during the Aug. 2 press conference. I bring with me my commitment to learning  learning about the unsheltered members of our community.Some of the areas where technology could help contribute toward solutions include making it easier for officials who work with homeless populations to locate shelter space. Today, the citys navigation team goes out into the community and after encountering homeless residents, they call a shelter asking about space availability.Could the city build an app so that every social service provider could look on the phone and say, 'look, this shelter has five spots. You can go there,' said Durkan.Durkan would also like to make it easier for service providers to put homeless people in touch with services for which they may qualify.I think there could be a technology solution for that so that theyre not walking out the door with nothing for them, Durkin said. I think theres a range of things that well be able to use this for.
(TNS)  HARRISBURG, PA.  Pennsylvania state Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-25) and Reps. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) and Clint Owlett (R-Bradford/Potter/Tioga) Tuesday applauded the release of $1.5 million in state funds for a rural broadband expansion project.The funding was awarded to Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative through the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project program."Quality broadband service is vital to the livelihood of the rural communities we represent, affecting our local economy, educational opportunities and access to health care," Scarnati said. "This is an important and much-needed investment in our future."The funding will be used by Tri-County Rural Electric to provide broadband service to approximately 1,383 customers in portions of Potter County, including approximately 830 residential, 540 seasonal and 13 commercial customers who currently lack access to adequate Internet speed. It includes the construction of 103.1 miles of fiber, attached above ground on poles owned by the cooperative and in rights of way already acquired by it."I commend Tri-County Rural Electric officials for their initiative in addressing the need for broadband service in our communities," Causer said. "In today's world, quality Internet access is becoming just as important as the electric service the cooperatives made possible decades ago. This is great news for our region.""I want to thank the governor for releasing this funding for the Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative Fiber to Home project," said Owlett. "I was happy to advocate for this injection of funds, which will help improve broadband access for the region. This is a total game changer and just the first step in increasing service to the entire Northern Tier."Craig Eccher, president and CEO of Tri-County Rural Electric, notes the project is the just the first phase of a long-term effort to boost Internet speeds in the cooperative's service area."Our goal is to bring broadband to rural communities just like we brought electricity to them back in the 1930s," Eccher said. "The entire initiative is a six-year project with 2,700 miles of fiber delivering high-speed Internet to our members. We are excited to get started on phase one."Funding for the project was authorized by lawmakers in the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act.
(TNS)  It might not be the first-of-its-kind, open-source software voting system that Travis County, Texas, Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir has sought for more than a decade, but the county will have a voting system with a paper trail by the November 2019 election.Travis County commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved the purchase of an about $8.2 million electronic voting system with paper backup from Election Systems & Software. About $1.5 million in costs for other election day equipment will need to be approved in coming weeks, bringing the total cost to about $9.7 million.The county will be among the first in the nation to commit to rigorous statistical auditing using that backup.The new system, which will replace the countys 17-year-old one, will allow voters to see paper copies of their selections and verify that those are correct before casting their ballots. It also will create a paper record that can be checked against electronic voting totals during audits or recounts.This model offers the best of both worlds, DeBeauvoir told commissioners, as it offers the speed of an electronic system combined with the reassurance and auditability of a paper trail system.DeBeauvoir, the countys chief election official, said a voter will be given an activation card at the polling place to insert into the voting machine. That card will prompt the machine to display the correct ballot for the voter.Voters will make their selections on a touchscreen before printing out a paper vote record and checking its accuracy. The final step will be to insert the paper record into a sealed machine that scans and records it. Storage devices, similar to flash drives, from those machines then will be put into a reader and tallied.Our voters have been asking for it for a long time, and it was not available on the marketplace, DeBeauvoir added in an interview. I tried to build it myself. We got a long way down the line, and  we caused, we influenced the marketplace to come back and do this.Since 2009, the county had been working with experts to design a voting system with a paper trail, called STAR-Vote  short for Secure, Transparent, Auditable and Reliable. The plan was for it to be open source, meaning free and available to anyone (or in this case, to a select group of election officials) to study, use and modify.But in September, DeBeauvoir announced that a 2016 request for proposals from private companies to build the system had fallen flat. The companies just werent interested in an open-source approach because it wouldnt require continual renewal of expensive software licensing agreements, she said.Open source was central to the STAR-Vote design, however, because it brought down the cost of equipment, DeBeauvoir said. Its much cheaper to buy tablets in bulk, for example, than pricey proprietary hardware.The voting technology market, highly regulated and difficult to break into, is very small  just three companies control about 92 percent of the marketplace, according to a March 2017 report by the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative.Companies only began to develop paper trail systems about three to four years ago, DeBeauvoir said. Certification of a system generally takes up to four years, she said.(The marketplace is) not highly innovative because its so small and so regulated, she said, but these companies are trying to do that now (move to paper trail systems), and a lot of it was because STAR-Vote demanded it. The whole country was looking at STAR-Vote.The countys new system will be paid for with about $3 million previously allocated to STAR-Vote as well as non-voter approved bonds. The roughly $9 million price tag is lower than STAR-Votes, which was expected to cost between $12 million to $16 million.DeBeauvoir said the county plans to kick off a public education campaign in summer 2019 to familiarize voters with how the new system works. The county will review its polling locations to make sure they can accommodate the larger amount of space the new equipment will require.Gavino Fernandez, president of a Central Travis County chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which has worked with the county clerks office on voting issues for 15 years, said he was pleased with the new system.Many of the voters  always wanted to have something to verify that their vote had counted  and this provides that, Fernandez said. We look forward to working with Dana DeBeauvoirs office and hosting meetings in the community so voters will get familiar with the machines.Commissioners, including Jeff Travillion, applauded DeBeauvoirs long-term efforts to improve election security and voter confidence.This has been a fact-based, system-based, verifiable, documented approach, and I think that our citizens and taxpayers can have confidence in our system because of that, Travillion said.The county also has committed to doing so-called risk-limiting audits, a process recommended by cybersecurity experts that involves taking a statistically significant sample of paper ballots, its size dependent on the election outcomes margin, and comparing them with the electronic record.Just three states have laws requiring such audits, considered the gold standard by some elections experts: Colorado, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures If you are not using your paper trail to go back and compare it to your electronic copy, then you never know if the machine is casting votes as intended and if the votes are counted as cast, she said.Reports of Russian interference in the 2016 election have led to heightened national concern over the integrity of U.S. elections, leading jurisdictions across the country to speed up efforts to replace aging voting systems ahead of the 2020 presidential election.Asked about election system integrity by Commissioner Brigid Shea, DeBeauvoir said the most prevalent foreign threat is sowing distrust through social media and other networks and voter registration hacks, not voting machine tampering.In March, President Donald Trump approved the allocation of $380 million for states to make election security improvements as part of his $1.3 trillion spending bill.Thirteen states still contain counties that use machines without paper trails, which cant be audited, and five of those states are entirely paperless, according to Verified Voter, a nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates election accuracy and transparency and monitors voting systems nationwide.About 30 percent of Texas counties will be using systems without paper trails in November 2018, according to the organizations database After the events of the 2016 election cycle, people understand the risk that Verified Voting and many other organizations have been talking about for the past 14 years, said Marian Schneider, the organizations president. Finally our election infrastructure is getting a lot of much needed attention.While Schneider said it was a shame that the county had to drop STAR-Vote, she said she was encouraged by its interest, and many other jurisdictions, in risk-limiting auditing.Election Systems & Software, one of the nations largest voting machine vendors, was the lowest bidder, and the other four companies that responded did not meet all the countys requirements, DeBeauvoir said. The company is not new to the county, which used its hand-marked paper ballot system before going electronic in 2001, and serves voters in 42 states and 145 Texas counties.Tom Burt, president and CEO, told commissioners Tuesday that the company is very honored to have been chosen.Clerk DeBeauvoir has established herself and her team nationally with a very strong reputation for election security and administration, Burt said.The countys current vendor, Hart InterCivic, another respondent, is not yet certified on a state or federal level, and it would take the company too long to do so ahead of the target rollout of November 2019, DeBeauvoir said. The company disagreed in a statement provided to the American-Statesman.We acknowledge the Countys decision and are disappointed it chose to forego the opportunity to implement an innovative product tailored to the Countys specifications that met the spirit of the Clerks years-long, publicly stated objectives of STAR Vote, the statement read. Hart proposed just such a solution that would be ready in the timeline the county communicated to us that it desired. Any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect.Hart will review its options. In the meantime, we wish nothing but the best for the Clerks constituents and the voters of Travis County.The county will eventually sell its old hardware, which cost about $7 million when the county bought it in the early 2000s, but DeBeauvoir said she will be waiting to recommend doing so until the new system is operating at 100 percent.As for STAR-Vote, the project is far from over. The city of San Francisco and Portland-based company Free & Fair, among others, have picked up the project where Travis County left off, she said.I cant tell you what a relief it is to finally be here, DeBeauvoir said. I feel like I have been in the fight of my life to bring voters what they have been asking for.
(TNS) - Parker County ESD No. 1 and the Stephenville Fire Department are joining fire departments from across Texas sending personnel and equipment to California to help fight that state's massive wildfire outbreak.In all some 98 firefighters from 29 Texas fire departments in 20 counties are heading this week to the Golden State to battle wildfires that have burned more than 750,000 acres.The deployment is an activation of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) for wildfire suppression in Texas and beyond.Its about neighbors helping neighbors, said Tom Boggus, Texas A&M Forest Service director. We call TIFMAS our surge capacity for Texas. Guess this time their reach is a bit farther away but we hope to make a big impact in peoples lives.Last week, California requested help from Texas A&M Forest Service through TIFMAS, the fire and rescue framework that provides wildfire and all-hazard incident support. Under Emergency Management Assistance Compact authorization, Texas will also send 25 fire engines with five strike teams to the 290,692-acre Mendocino Complex, the largest wildfire in California history.Nationally, we know that resources are tapped, said Texas A&M Forest Service Chief Regional Coordinator, Steve Pollock, who is heading up the Texas convoy to California. We are glad to help out and that TIFMAS firefighters were able to answer the call. The apparatus we are deploying are a mix of small and mid-sized engines used in structure fires.California currently has 20 non-contained wildfires. Scorching temperatures and explosive fire conditions have made them difficult to suppress or contain. So far, nine persons have died, thousands have been evacuated and nearly 160 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the Mendocino Complex, comprised of the 241,772-acre Ranch Fire, eight miles northeast of Ukiah and the 48,920-acre River Fire, six miles north of Hopland, Calif.Texas remains entrenched in its own wildfire season, so state fire officials here are planning carefully. To date, 6,975 Texas wildfires have been reported burning more than 492,393 acres.Local fire departments participating in the California mutual aid effort include:Abilene Fire Department, Austin Fire Department, Baytown Fire Department, Borger Fire Department, Bryan Fire Department, Canyon Lake Fire Department, College Station Fire Department, Dallas Fire and Rescue Department, District 7 Fire Rescue, Frisco Fire Department, Galveston Fire Department, Kyle Fire Department, Lake Cities Fire Department, Lewisville Fire Department, Little Elm Fire Department, Lubbock Fire Department, Montgomery County ESD No. 6 (Porter Fire), Nacogdoches Fire and Rescue, Oak Hill Fire Department, Travis Co. ESD No. 3, Parker County ESD No. 1, Round Rock Fire Department, San Antonio Fire Department, Schertz Fire Department, Southlake Fire Department, Stephenville Fire Department, Texas A&M Forest Service, Webster Fire Department, Wichita Falls Fire Department and Willis Fire Department.A convoy of transports deployed last night and more engines are rolling out for the two-day trip to northern California. Responders will board flights beginning tomorrow and are expected to report for duty by Thursday morning, Aug. 9.We will be praying for them as they convoy to the Mendocino Complex, said Boggus. This is truly a joint effort and TFS appreciates the partnerships involved to deliver this assistance.For more information about TIFMAS please visit www.tifmas.org.2018 the Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Texas)Visit the Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Texas) at www.mineralwellsindex.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Dr Helmut Marko has denied that Max Verstappen vetoed Red Bull's top driver choice for 2019.

Red Bull is considering which driver should replace the Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo next year.

At the top of the shortlist are Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly, but reports have suggested Dutchman Verstappen vetoed Sainz after their time together at Toro Rosso.

Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko told Diario Sport: "The rumours are wrong. Red Bull is the one who decides about drivers."

For his part, Sainz is not jumping the gun.

"At the moment I'm still a Renault driver," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"If Red Bull asks me to come back, that would of course change. I owe Red Bull a lot. The mutual respect is great.

"I also have a very good relationship with Helmut Marko. It's thanks to him that I'm in F1," the Spaniard added.

(GMM)
Renault had to jump at the chance to sign Daniel Ricciardo.

That is the view of the French team's boss Cyril Abiteboul, after it was announced that Australian Ricciardo is switching for 2019 from Red Bull.

Abiteboul admitted that Esteban Ocon had been "on the short list" but it "did not work out". Also considered was Carlos Sainz, but Ricciardo "was the only option, besides being the best, for us to have a 100pc Renault driver".

Abiteboul said Ocon "would have been loaned to us by Mercedes".

And with Ricciardo on the market, it was "too great a chance to miss", the French boss told RMC Sport.

"We could not afford to not sign him. Only once every two or three years does this occasion arise. The next time the train of top drivers comes past, it may be after 2021," Abiteboul added.

(GMM)
Force India has been rescued by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, the billionaire father of Williams driver Lance Stroll.

Canadian media including the Montreal Gazette, TSN, QMI Agency and others report that the consortium has reached a definite deal with the Silverstone based team's administrators.

La Presse Canadienne claims that Force India will now "exit creditor protection, pay its creditors" and secure the future of the team's 405 employees.

"The team will continue its activities starting with the Belgian grand prix at the end of the month," the report said.

It is claimed Andre Desmarais, CEO of the Canadian conglomerate Power Corporation, is heavily involved in the deal among others.

"This news secures the future of Force India in formula one and will allow our team to compete to our full potential," said sporting director Otmar Szafnauer.

"I would like to thank Vijay, the Sahara group and the Mol family for their support and for leading the team to the extent of their abilities," he added.

Administrator Geoff Rowley said a rescue from insolvency on this level is "rare".

"As a result of a serious process, we finally received a very strong offer to save the company and restore solvency," he said.

"All creditors will be paid in full, all jobs will be preserved and the team will have significant funding to invest in its future."

(GMM)
Jacques Villeneuve has backed Daniel Ricciardo's surprise move to Renault for 2019.

Australian Ricciardo shocked the F1 world with the announcement he is leaving Red Bull to join the French outfit.

But 1997 world champion Villeneuve told the Journal de Montreal that he's not surprised.

"I've been talking about this for a month, but no one believed me," he said.

"Everyone thought he was staying at Red Bull, but it's great that he's going to Renault.

"It's a factory team with great resources," Villeneuve insisted.

"The cooperation of Red Bull and Honda is not credible. Red Bull is also Max Verstappen's team in the sense that all the attention is on him," he said.

(GMM)
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released its proposed Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation (earlier post) and a Draft Environmental Analysis (Draft EA) for public comment. CARB will conduct a public hearing on 27 September in Sacramento to consider the proposed ICT Regulation.

As currently written, the ICT contains a number of elements to bring about the transition to a complete zero-emission bus (ZEB) fleet. ZEB is defined as a bus with zero tailpipe emissions. Battery electric buses and fuel cell electric buses qualify. Elements of the ICT include:

ZEB Rollout Plan. Every California transit agency would be required to submit a ZEB Rollout Plan approved by governing board, with due dates of 30 June 2020, for a large transit agency (with 100 or more transit buses) and 30 June 2023, for a small transit agency (with fewer than 100 transit buses). ZEB purchase requirements. A large transit agency would phase in ZEB purchasing starting in 2023 at 25% of annual new buses purchased. This would increase to 50% in 2026 and 100% in 2029. A small transit agency would have a 25% target in 2026, and a 100% target in 2029. Early compliance waivers. Purchase requirements otherwise effective in calendar year 2023 would be waived if California transit agencies collectively purchase 1,000 or more ZEBs by 31 December 2020. Purchase requirements otherwise effective in calendar year 2024 would be waived if California transit agencies collectively purchase 1,150 or more ZEBs by 31 December 2021. Zero-Emission Mobility Option. A transit agency may use zero-emission cars or vans or bicycles to meet a portion of its ZEB requirements. ZEB Bonus credit. A transit agency can receive bonus credits for early placement of ZEBs, including extra credits for early Fuel cell electric buses; however, bonus credits do not apply to the waiver for early compliance. Optional Joint Zero-Emission Bus Group. Allows for transit agencies to form a Joint Zero-Emission Bus Group to pool resources and more efficient utilization of infrastructure. Use of low NO x engines. Starting 1 January 2020, transit agencies would be required to purchase low NOx engines if available for the bus and fuel type being purchased. The requirement does not apply to buses dispatched from NO x -exempt areas. Use of renewable fuels. Starting 1 January 2020, large transit agencies would be required to use renewable fuels for diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses when fuel contracts are renewed to support existing renewable fuel policies. Deferral. A transit agency may submit a request for extension or exemption from ZEB purchase requirements, under conditions outside the transit agencys control. Reporting. Starting in 2021 all transit agencies would be required to report their fleet information annually for the prior compliance year.

Staff plans to provide the Board with an update on costs and performance of ZEBs by the end of 2021, which is two years before the first ZEB purchase requirement starts in 2023.

Background. Under Californias current Transit Fleet Rule, public transit agencies operating urban bus fleets were required to select either a diesel bus path or an alternative-fuel bus path and comply with retrofit, fuel purchase, fleet average, and reporting requirements. The diesel bus path required retrofitting existing buses with diesel particulate filters, while agencies utilizing alternative-fuel path had to ensure that 85% of urban bus purchases were alternative fueled buses. To date, about 55% of all buses in California operate on alternative fuels.

In 2006, an amendment to the Transit Fleet Rule added a 15% zero-emission bus (ZEB) purchase requirement for larger transit agencies defined as with more than 200 urban buses to purchase ZEBs starting in 2011. Ten transit agencies subject to the ZEB purchase requirements accounted for about 60% of the statewide urban bus fleet. To date, except for the ZEB purchase requirement, all other regulatory provisions have been met and are being implemented.





In 2009, CARB staff presented ZEB technology evaluations to the Board and concluded that the ZEB technologies were not commercially ready at that time. The Board directed staff to prepare proposed amendments to the regulation to delay the ZEB purchase requirement, conduct further research on commercial-readiness metrics, implement the purchase requirement once commercial readiness had been achieved, and report back to the Board in 2012 on progress towards ZEB commercialization.

CARB staff in 2015 concluded that ZEB technologies were now in their early commercialization stage. Staff updated the Board in February 2016 at a public hearing about the status of ZEB technology, price, and deployment. In the update to the Board, staff discussed plans to reinstate ZEB purchase requirements, including the public process on amending the rule with a broader goal of making a transition to an all ZEB fleet.

Staff has continued to analyze and update technical and cost information, as well as evaluate various regulatory strategies. This proposed ICT regulation is a result of that process.
Sport

Zampa, Warner star as Australia notch up second straight win with Sri Lanka romp

Warner smashed 64 off 42 balls and Finch hit 37 off 23 deliveries as Australia romped to 155-3 in 17 overs for its second successive win in Group 1. Australia, which defeated South Africa in the first game, joined England at the top of the group.




Haiti - Politic : Presentation of the Prime Minister appointed to the National Palace





Tuesday at the National Palace, President Jovenel Moise, officially presented to the Nation the Prime Minister named Jean-Henry Ceant, who must replace in the coming days in case of ratification of its General Policy by the Haitian Parliament, the Prime Minister resigning Jack Guy Lafontant.



The ceremony was attended by the outgoing Prime Minister and his outgoing ministers, the Presidents of the two Chambers Joseph Lambert (Senate) and Gary Bodeau (Chamber of Deputies), the Diplomatic Corps and the personalities of the Civil Society. It should be noted that the political class was almost absent at the ceremony. Me Ceant made no statement during her official presentation.



For his part, President Moise wished all success and delivered his expectations to the new Prime Minister, reminding him that he was facing many challenges, asking him, if it is ratified, to work towards restore public confidence in state institutions and implement the decree relating to the reduction of the state lifestyle.



Barely presented to the Nation Gary Bodeau invited in a correspondence, the appointed Prime Minister to submit as soon as possible, to the General Secretariat of the Chamber of Deputies, all the documents required by the Constitution in Article 157.



Letter from Deputy Bodeau :



The Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies sends you its best compliments for your choice as appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti.



It hereby informs you that arrangements have already been made to initiate the process of filing, presenting and analyzing your policy statement in the manner prescribed by Section 158 of the current Constitution.



As an introductory step, you are requested to send, as soon as possible, to the Secretariat General of the said Chamber, all the documents required by the Constitution in Article 157, augmented by all the others required in the circumstances.



These documents will be scrutinized by a parliamentary committee formed for this purpose. Following the compliance report drawn up by the said Commission, the Bureau will fix and communicate to you the date of the meeting related to your General Policy Statement [...]"



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25175-haiti-politic-various-reactions-to-the-appointment-of-the-new-pm.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25165-icihaiti-politic-presidential-order-appointing-jean-henry-ceant-as-prime-minister.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25163-haiti-flash-moise-chooses-jean-henry-ceant-as-new-prime-minister.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : Freedom of religion, the UEH responds to the allegations of the OPC





The Rectorate of the State University of Haiti (UEH) notes a debate in the public opinion on the scheduling of admission competitions of entities of the UEH in weekend, which according to some points of view, would be a violation of freedom of worship https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25178-haiti-justice-ueh-competitions-undermine-freedom-of-conscience-and-religion-dixit-l-opc.html



The Rectorate wishes to clarify without ever explicitly naming the Office of the Protection of the Citizen (OPC) yet at the origin of this debate, that "the State University of Haiti remains a secular space, respectful of beliefs and religious orientations of everyone. The UEH, as an institution, is not linked to any religious denomination. The respect for the freedom of worship of which our Constitution speaks does not mean that the UEH must comply with the norms or rules set by a particular religious sect. The institution advocates, academic freedom and scientific research.



The Rectorate also wishes to point out that admission competitions are traditionally held during the weekend, as adequate spaces for academic and security reasons are available only on weekends. At the same time, lessons are given at the UEH from Monday to Saturday, or even Sunday, depending on the load of the schedules and the academic requirements of certain entities. Internships and some essential practical work are often held during the weekend, depending on the opportunities.



If one had to take into account each religious confession, no day of the week would be suitable for the organization of competitions [...]"



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25178-haiti-justice-ueh-competitions-undermine-freedom-of-conscience-and-religion-dixit-l-opc.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















(Reuters) A British government pension scheme that looks after local authority retirement pots in West Yorkshire has more than halved its stake in hedge funds in favour of other alternative assets, according to its latest annual report. West Yorkshire Pension Fund, which has 13.6 billion pounds in assets under management, had cut its hedge fund investments to 127.6 million pounds as of March 31 from 254.3 million pounds the year before.

To read this article:
The plan is to make the decision early this autumn. I dont want to promise what the decision will be, as were still doing the preparatory work to determine whats feasible, he stated in an interview with Uusi Suomi on Tuesday.

Kai Mykkanen (NCP), the Minister of the Interior, has revealed he is set to make a decision on whether to commission an independent assessment of the position of asylum seekers in Finland.

Mykkanen assured that commissioning the assessment is nevertheless regarded as a genuine option to move forward in developing the asylum system.

Together with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Ombudsman for Equality, weve already looked into how such an assessment could be conducted. Weve yet to make the final decision, but my thinking is that itd be very useful to have access to an assessment conducted by an outside independent expert, he said.

The Ministry of the Interior, he also estimated, will likely be able to decide on whether to commission the assessment independently as the budgetary ramifications will be so limited that no debate will be necessary in the government's budget session scheduled for 2829 August.

My presumption is that this would be treated as an ordinary development project under the ministrys administrative branch, commented Mykkanen.

Members of the Greens, Left Alliance and Social Democrats have demanded that an independent assessment be launched into the asylum system of Finland.

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) conducted an internal analysis of the quality of the asylum system and decisions this spring at the request of Mykkanen, recommending in conclusion that the issue be investigated further.

When the calls for an independent assessment emerged in February, I pointed out that itd inevitably take over a year if we decided to open a tendering process for commissioning such an outside assessment. I wanted to conduct an internal analysis quickly, and that allowed us to find areas in need of fine-tuning and draft 28 development proposals, which are now being implemented quickly, said Mykkanen.

But it doesnt rule out the possibility that these issues could be assessed also from the outside, he added.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Roni Rekomaa  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Orpo on Tuesday stated in a press conference that he has asked three permanent state secretaries to review the employment measures outlined by the government and to devise additional measures with a positive short-term impact on the employment situation in Finland.

Petteri Orpo (NCP), the Minister of Finance, has revealed that further measures to improve the employment situation are under consideration.

The task force is headed by Martti Hetemaki, the permanent state secretary at the Ministry of Finance, and also includes his counterparts from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

We cant give up yet, underscored Orpo. Getting the 250,000 people who have been unemployed  some for a long time  back into employment is absolutely a question thatll determine our fate.

Orpo estimated that the situation has improved since the latest recession in that the variety of job vacancies has increased and that job vacancies are also found outside the largest population centres.

Were really in a situation where there are job openings all across Finland. Labour market matching is no longer as big a problem as it was when we emerged from the recession and there were openings in Helsinki, the capital region and in and around larger cities, but not in the provinces, he argued.

He pointed out that the ranks of the unemployed have not decreased as rapidly as employment statistics would suggest because a number of those who have returned to the labour force have done so from outside the ranks of the unemployed.

The Finnish government, he also estimated, should pursue a tax solution that keeps taxes on wage earners and the self-employed in check and generates additional revenues by means of environmental and Pigouvian taxes.

Ill propose to the governments ministerial working group that labour and income taxes wont increase for anyone next year. I think thatd be a smart tax policy direction.

Well steer behaviour and consumption in a more environment-friendly and sustainable direction. I think adopting and committing to such a blue-green tax reform would be smart tax policy making, commented Orpo.

The Ministry of Finance will unveil its budget proposal for 2019 on Thursday. The Finnish government, in turn, will hold its budget session between 28 and 29 August.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Assyrians After ISIS: "I Want My Child to Grow Up in Iraq"

Siba and her child, an Assyrian from Baghdede (Qaraqosh) ( ACN) For some Christians in Iraq, the future is just a few weeks old. Baby Timotheus was born in mid-May. "It is my heartfelt wish that my son will be able to grow up in Iraq. God will find a way," his father Samir hopes. He and his wife Siba are proud parents -- and devout Christians. Their baby will be baptized in just a few weeks. The young people -- he is 30, she 25 -- live in Bartella, a Christian town on the Nineveh plains near Mosul. The majority of its inhabitants are Syriac Orthodox. Their small son lies quietly in the arms of his mother. His parents will later tell him about the difficult times the family went through in the years leading up to his birth. The Islamic State arrived in Bartella in August of 2014. All of the Christians living in the town fled in panic from the Islamic extremists. Their churches and houses were destroyed, damaged, and almost all of them were looted. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is making it possible for Christians to return to the places they call home. A large project has been called into being to restore the houses made uninhabitable by IS. This has paved the way for more than 45 percent of families displaced in 2014 to return to their homes, a total of more than 8,700 families as of June 2018. The house Timotheus is spending the first year of his life in is not owned by his family. "The house does not belong to us. The owner lives in Sweden. However, thanks to ACN, we are living in this house for one year for free," Samir explains. This has been a big help to the young family. "May God bless the benefactors and support them in every stage of their lives. They live by the words of Jesus: I was homeless and you welcomed me." Siba's husband, Samir, an Assyrian from Baghdede (Qaraqosh). ( ACN) This is possible because the reconstruction committee, which is sponsored by ACN, has stipulated that assistance will only be granted for the renovation of houses destroyed or damaged by IS if owners who do not live in their houses themselves allow a needy family to live in them for one year for free. Samir and his family are the beneficiaries of this requirement. However, in November it will have been a year since Timotheus' parents returned to Bartella and they will have to start paying rent as of then. But Samir is still looking towards the future optimistically. "I live from day to day, just as Jesus taught us. May God give us our daily bread." Samir earns his family's daily bread as an English teacher. "I prepare students for university." Assyrians in Baghdede (Qaraqosh) reconstructing their houses which were damaged by ISIS. ( ACN) He primarily teaches non-Christian children of the Shabak peoples, an ethnic group that follows Shia Islam. Muslims are a growing part of the population of Bartella because many Christians are selling their land to them before leaving for other countries. This worries Samir. Samir also earned his living as an English teacher when he lived in Iraqi Kurdistan as a refugee. Most of the Christians had fled to safety there. "The years as a refugee were of course difficult. We hardly had any money. We would not have made it without the support of the Church." Despite everything, though, leaving Iraq has never been an option for Samir. "Without a doubt: we live in an unstable country. However, it is still our homeland. As long as nothing absolutely terrible happens, I want to remain here." His wife Siba agrees with him. "I love my homeland. The support of my Lord and my husband give me the strength to endure all hardships." Samir is happy that things are improving again in the town. "Most people have gone back to their normal lives. Things have returned to the way they used to be." In fact, the sound of hammering and renovations can be heard all over town, as people repair the damage left behind by IS. However, in the Syriac Orthodox parish church in Bartella, not all traces have been removed. Father Jacob, the priest, leads the way through the church. It has been renovated using monies granted by ACN. The walls are radiantly white. The painted wooden altar gleams in vibrant colours. The anti-Christian graffiti and the Islamic creed that the IS terrorists wrote on the walls have been whitewashed. Only a charred chapel has been left as a reminder of IS. "We left the chapel like this on purpose. It is supposed to act as a reminder of the awful things that happened to us. However, thanks to God's help and the generosity of the benefactors of ACN, we have come back."
Amid shortages, rationing, separation, and grief, Americans fought to keep the yuletide spirit alive.

Christmas 1941 was little different for most Americans from that of the previous year, despite the calamity of Pearl Harbor only weeks before. Both coasts had begun to post antiaircraft gunssome obsolete, others wooden fakes, only there for spurious confidence. Sentries, often bearing 1918-vintage rifles, were seen at railway stations and armaments factories. And anxiety about Japanese air raids had resulted in the relocation of the New Years Day Rose Bowl from Pasadena, California, to Durham, North Carolina, where Duke would play Oregon State.

Yet shops everywhere burgeoned with holiday goods; Christmas trees were plentiful; and in the traditional Christmas extravaganza at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the Rockettes worked hard to dance away any gloom. Everywhere across the nation, the Japanese were being thwarted in the Terry and the Pirates comic strip, and Gary Cooper as Sergeant York was defeating the Germans single-handedly in the previous world war.

The hit book for Christmas giving, at a hefty $2.50, was Edna Ferbers Reconstruction-era romance Saratoga Trunk. For the same price, war turned up bombastically and distantly in a two-disc set of the 1812 Overture, performed by Artur Rodzinski and the Cleveland Orchestra. Gift crates of oranges and grapefruit from Florida were $2.79 at Bloomingdales. Hattie Carnegies dresses began at $15, while the Rogers Peet menswear store offered suits and topcoats from $38. (At recruiting stations, the army was offering smart khaki garb gratis.) Henri Bendel featured silk stockings at $1.25 a pair; stockings in the current wonder weave,nylon, sold for $1.65. Nylon stockings would be almost nonexistent by the following Christmas, when the fabric would be the stuff of parachutes. Among the Christmas toy glut, shops across America advertised a remote-control bomber, at $1.98, that ran along a suspended wire to attack a battleship.

The Japanese had not needed suspended wires at Pearl Harbor, or in the Philippines, Malaya, or Hong Kong. The Royal Navys principal ships in the Pacific were at the bottom of the Gulf of Siam, and the depleted American fleet had only two destroyers available between Vancouver and San Diego.

On the other side of the continent, Winston Churchill crossed the Atlantic on the new battleship Duke of York amid violent, frigid gales for a late December meeting with President Roosevelt. The American brass was worried about having the prime minister at the presidents elbow, where he could employ his glib persuasiveness and imperial visions despite his very weak hand. At precisely 4:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, as dusk gathered and the temperature dropped, the red-coated Marine Band on the White House lawn struck up Joy to the World, accompanying choirs from area churches. Thousands had gathered in the fading light. After some further carols, the band began Hail to the Chief.As the sunset gun at nearby Fort Myer boomed, the president and Mrs. Roosevelt appeared on the South Portico with a group of guests, and only then did Churchills arrival in the United States become news. Roosevelt pressed a button signaling the lighting of the national Christmas tree, as if wartime blackouts elsewhere had no relevance. The band encored Joy to the World,but there was little joy in Washington.

The British and American conferees worked through Christmas on joint planning, breaking in late afternoon for holiday dinner. Army chief of staff George C. Marshall, who rarely hosted formal dinners at Fort Myer, invited some of the British contingent. When Katherine Marshall discovered belatedly that December 25 was Field Marshal Sir John Dills birthday, she sent Sgt. James W. Powder, her husbands paragon of efficiency, to find a cake and candles. Despite holiday closings he returned with both, and also with miniature British and American flags to press into the icing. Dill, confiding that he had not had a birthday party since he was a small boy, plucked the flags to cut the cake and discovered they were stamped Made in Japan. Then, because Powder had thought of (almost) everything, a Western Union messenger brought a singing telegramwhich was intercepted by a Secret Service detail. There was wartime security somewhere.

During the first full year of war, defense and withdrawal metamorphosed into offense and reoccupation, both in the South Pacific and the Mediterranean. The costs were showing up at home even in small things. Nationwide gas rationing began on December 1, 1942 (four gallons a month, later reduced to three); that and a 35 mph Victory Speed Limit kept holiday revelers close to home.

Although merchants were calling the 1942 Christmas tree supply pre-war normal, the number of fathers at home to buy, transport, and trim them had dwindled. In small town America, boys with absent heads of households were taken under the wing of World War I veterans from such organizations as the VFW and the American Legion. That year, and on wartime Christmases to come, these surrogate fathers delivered trees to blue- and gold-star houses and ensured that gifts materialized beneath them.

Many service fathers did not have much of a Christmas particularly those whod been taken prisoner in the Philippines and shipped, if they made it alive through December, to Japanese POW camps in Formosa and Manchuria. Maj. Gen. Edward P. King Jr., the commander of Filipino-American forces on Bataan, recalled a carol sing-along with other officer POWs and the special holiday treat they were given with their gruel: an apple.

That Christmas, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was supervising the retaking of New Guinea from his new command post in Australia. The commander of the Eighth Army, Lt. Gen. Robert Eichelberger, sent him a present from the front in Buna: a dead Japanese officers ornate sword. In French North Africa, which the Allies had invaded in early November, Lt. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower received a more significant gift. The month before, he had made an odious but seemingly necessary deal to get the Vichy forces to surrender by appointing the chief collaborationist on the scene, Fleet Adm. Francois Darlan, as head of the French state. On Christmas Eve a young Frenchman named Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle shot Darlan. He died on Christmas Day.

In mid-1943, Allied forces jumped from North Africa to Sicily, then to the boot of Italy. During Christmas 1943, while Anglo-American troops were clawing their way up Italy, Eisenhower and his staff were in Algiers, entertained by the visiting Winston Churchill, who was recuperating from pneumonia in a seaside villa Ike had provided. Presiding in a padded silk Chinese dressing gown, Churchill conferred there with high brass on Christmas Day about further landings in Italy. A festive luncheon followed, with turkey and plum pudding.

In the southwest Pacific, Americans involved in the costly island-hopping toward the Philippines and Japan were hardly aware of the holiday. On Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, soldiers and marines were fighting the tenacious Japanese ridge by ridge. The 1st Marine Division spent its Christmas on pitching LSTs before going ashore on New Britain the next day. POW Edward King was at a small camp in Manchuria, where for Christmas the Japanese gave us a little pork and a piece of bread. The sixteen officers in the campBritish, Dutch, and Americanimprovised a religious service and sang what carols they remembered. None of them would have known Irving Berlins White Christmas, which had been introduced by Bing Crosby the previous year in the film Holiday Inn and was now being broadcast by Armed Forces Radio everywhere Americans could listen.Ill Be Home for Christmas was the latest hit, but, as the lyrics explained, that joyous return home might occur only in my dreams.

At home, metal toys for Christmas had nearly disappeared, along with bicycles, typewriters, alarm clocks, and other hard goods gift items large and small. In 1943, zinc had replaced copper in pennies, but kids expected more than the unfamiliar dull coins from Santa. Opportunistic growers again loaded up on Christmas trees, raised prices, and (according to one overstocked wholesaler) kept cutting right up to the night before Christmas. While certain things were in short supply bacon, butter, sugar, lamb chops, Kleenex, and new shoes, to name a fewChristmas trees werent among them. Ten million evergreens went unsold.

Following D-Day in June 1944, the home front began to smell victory ahead. That winter, the cost of Christmas trees dropped sharply. Trees that had been priced at $4 the year before were now $2.50, while trees sold on the stump ranged from 25 to 45, for the fewer fathers around to cut them. Continuing deprivations included silk for dresses, cuffs on trousers, whiskey for grownups, and bubblegum for kids. The Office of Price Administration announced the return of canned vegetables to the ration list, and increased restrictions on butter, sugar, and meats. On Christmas Eve, President Roosevelt spoke to the nation and the armed forces by radio from his home at Hyde Park, saying,The Christmas spirit lives tonight in the bitter cold of the front lines in Europe and in the heat of the jungles and swamps of Burma and the Pacific islands. From an NBC studio, Bob Hope broadcast to seamen on a Liberty ship about to weigh anchor for a Pacific destination, telling them that he knew it took courage to transport a cargo of ammunition. Terry of the Pirates strip risked his own white Christmas by flying munitions over the icebound Himalayan Hump to China.

MacArthurs menas he labeled all the troops in his commandwere on Leyte in the central Philippines, where they had driven the Japanese into a corner of the island. On Christmas Eve, the general paced after dark on the veranda of an elegant house vacated by the enemy command. As he puffed on his corncob pipe, a group of GIs gathered below to sing carols in a steamy climate and setting far removed from the typical American Christmas. Suddenly a low-flying Japanese nuisance raider buzzed over the compound. The singing abruptly stopped, and soldiers dived for the hedges. Then searchlights caught the intruder in their crossbeams and a burst of antiaircraft fire dropped it. MacArthur leaned down to thank the returning carolers, and then resumed his pacing.

In Europe, Christmas brought the climax of the Bulge, the dismaying German surprise attack in the forest of the Ardennes that added further misery to a harsh winter. In the days approaching it, only the encircled and bypassed crossroads town of Bastogne stood between the Wehrmacht and the banks of the Meuse. But on December 23, the snowy skies cleared briefly, and previously grounded supporting aircraft could finally pound the enemy.

For many beleaguered Americans it was already too late. Two regiments of the 106th Infantry Division and much of the 28th Infantry Division had been shattered, and thousands of GIs those still alivewould spend a cold Christmas in windowless boxcars clattering eastward toward German prison camps. RAF bombers interdicted one train on December 25, killing sixty Americans, including two doctors. Survivors kept spirits up by singing carols; a fortunate few received a potato for Christmas. (Some POWs held in the United States that Christmas fared a good bit better. At Fort Dix, New Jersey, twenty-one lightly secured Italian POWs escaped, had Christmas dinners with hospitable families nearby on whose farms they had worked, and returned happily to camp to face useless AWOL charges.)

Undeterred by the weather, Lt. Gen. George S. Pattons Third Army was pushing north to relieve Bastogne and break the German siege. They were still on the move on Christmas Day, when Patton jeeped among his units in the snow to ensure that, at the least, his troops got hot turkey sandwiches with gravy. It may not have been much, but it would have been a feast to POW Edward Kingnow in occupied Chinawho knew it was Christmas only because of the marks he made on a crude notebook calendar. Patton hurried off between inspections to placid Luxembourg City, enjoying Christmas dinner at Gen. Omar Bradleys well-stocked mess at the Alfa Hotel, where his staff trimmed a tree with scraps from the tinted window of a downed bomber. On Christmas Day at Eisenhowers headquarters in Versailles, the mess offered roast turkey with all the traditional trimmings, and champagne. The general opened his gifts from home, including fancy bedroom slippers from Mamie.

Far to the east, the battle to flatten the Bulge still raged. When tanks from Pattons 4th Armored Division at last broke through into Bastogne, a crewman climbed out to greet Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division. Gee, I am mighty glad to see you, said the general. It was just one day too late for Merry Christmas!

Originally published in the December 2007 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
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Last month, 28 French Bulldog puppies were found by a Texas Department of Public Safety officer packed tightly in plastic crates in a moving van in Texarkana, Texas. The Humane Society of the United States was asked to help find placement for these dogs, and connected local authorities to Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, a rescue partner in Chicago, Illinois. Today, the surviving puppies were transported to Illinois by the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue to continue to receive rehabilitative care and eventually seek adoption.

It was 121 degrees inside the back of the moving van, where the puppies were found without access to food and water. They were suffering from heat-related illnesses.

The Humane Society of the United States provided financial assistance to pay for the care of the puppies before they could be moved to Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. HSUS is grateful to the City of Texarkana, the City Attorney, the Texarkana Texas Police Department, the Texas SPCA, Texas State Troopers, the Bowie County District Attorney and the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue for their considerable efforts to rescue these puppies from the cruel conditions they were confined in.

Timeline

July 1028 - French Bulldog puppies are loaded into cargo aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Kiev, Ukraine to Chicago, IL.

The final destination of the puppies is intended to be Houston, TX, but the individual who purchased them is denied entry into George Bush Intercontinental Airport for the purpose of importing live animals.

July 11 - The individual rents a moving van, which is not climate controlled, in Chicago and loads the puppies into the van. He and another individual begin the drive from Chicago to Houston.

July 12 - The van is pulled over in Texarkana by Texas State Troopers. 27 puppies are found in various stages of heat exhaustion in plastic cargo containers in the van and one puppy is found dead.

July 12-26 - Assistance in finding a rescue partner, and financial support, is requested of and provided by HSUS. Four additional puppies die from various illness, possibly caused or exacerbated by the compromised conditions in which they were discovered. HSUS works with rescue partner, Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, and local authorities, to ensure that if ownership is divested of the individual responsible, that the animals go to Chicago French Bulldog Rescue.

July 26 - A civil forfeiture hearing is held. It is determined that the puppies were treated cruelly. The Court divests ownership of the animals and orders they be awarded to the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue.

August 6 - The July 26 court order is not appealed, and as a result the court order to award the puppies to the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue is enforceable.

August 8 - The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue picks the puppies up in Texarkana and flies them to Chicago, where they will receive intensive rehabilitative care.

Without the swift intervention of local law enforcement, it is likely many more of these puppies would have succumbed to heat stroke and died during the remaining 300-mile journey to Houston in the sweltering heat of that cargo van, said Katie Jarl, regional director for the Humane Society of the United States. Sadly, puppies sold at local pet stores and flea markets across Texas endure similar mistreatment and we encourage anyone looking for a pet to visit their local shelter or rescue.
Nashville Music Hackathon Registration Opens

Registration in now open for the second Music Hackathon organized by Music Tech Nashville. The day will start with music tech presentations followed by the hackathon. The day is free and open to designers, coders and musicians.

Lunch and dinner will be provided with support from First Tennessee Bank.

Speakers and workshops will be announced in the coming weeks, but register now to reserve a space for the September 15th event to be held at Ink Building 3rd Floor, 613 Ewing Ave in Nashville.

Details here.

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'John Williams' Film Night' showcases the Boston Pops and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Chorus. (Hilary Scott, BSO photo)

Tanglewood Presents Powerhouse Programs



Andris Nelson leads a program Friday night on 'Why Music Matters.'

This week, Tanglewood continues its high energy 2018 classical season with a powerhouse pair of programs performed by the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (TMCO) and the Boston Pops, with guest artists the TMC vocal Fellows and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Young Artists Chorus.



The "heavy hitters" are John Williams' "Film Night" - always an audience favorite event and a high point of each year's Tanglewood offerings - led by Mr. Williams and Boston Symphony maestro Andris Nelsons. Conductor Stefan Asbury directs a TMCO instrumental chamber ensemble accompanying the TMC vocal Fellows in a concert version of Leonard Bernstein's thought-provoking opera "A Quiet Place."

Tanglewood

 Thursday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: Maestro Stefan Asbury leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows, and TMC Alumni Dominik Belavy and Ryne Cherry in a fully staged performance of Leonard Bernstein's opera "A Quiet Place." Peter Kazaras directs the performance and features scenic design by Laura Jellinek, costume design by Terese Wadden, and lighting design by Barbara Samuels. Conceived as a sequel to Bernstein's 1952 one-act opera "Trouble in Tahiti," (performed in Ozawa Hall on July 12), and presented here in a recent new version for chamber orchestra by Garth Edwin Sutherland, "A Quiet Place" - Bernstein's final work for the stage - was originally premiered in 1983 on a double bill with "Trouble in Tahiti."



 Friday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra will present a unique, hour-long program titled "Why Music Matters - According to Ludwig and Lenny." Designed especially for young audiences and their families, the program is inspired by Leonard Bernstein's pioneering work as a fabulous educator through his landmark series of televised "Young People's Concerts" with the New York Philharmonic (originally broadcast from 1958-1972) that introduced classical music to millions of listeners. Following in the tradition of her father, Jamie Bernstein will be the evenings host and presenter. The repertoire includes excerpts from Beethoven classics: Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 9, the "Leonore" Overture No. 3 and Bernstein's own "Symphonic Dances" from "West Side Story" and the "Meditations" from "Mass," for cello and orchestra. The cellist will be 18-year-old Michael Arumainayagam, one of the Fidelity Investments Young Artist Competition winners who performed with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops this past June at Symphony Hall.



 Saturday, Aug. 11, "John Williams' Film Night" 8 p.m. in the Shed: One of Tanglewood's most popular summer traditions, "John Williams' Film Night" showcases the Boston Pops and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Chorus. For the second year, Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams shares the podium with BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons. Maestro Nelsons leads the first half of the concert, which features Leonard Bernsteins music from the multi-Academy Award-winning film "On the Waterfront," as well as other classic musical selections from Hollywood, including "The Sea Hawk," "Sunset Boulevard," "Psycho" and "A Place in the Sun." The second half of the program will feature Mr. Williams leading music excerpted from his own scores: Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Amistad and Star Wars.




iciHaiti - DR : Manufacture of homemade weapons, 2 Haitians arrested





On Monday, members of the Dominican Central Criminal Investigation Department (DICRIM) arrested two Haitians who manufactured clandestinely homemade weapons.



The detainees identified as Luis Santos Pierre (32 years old), and Dinson Vasoban (18 years old), without identity document were arrested, caught red-handed in a vacant lot next to their residence, located in the area of Los Mina, of the community of Villa Tabacalera, in Navarrete (Province of Santiago)



DICRIM said that during the action conducted in coordination with the preventive police of the Central Cibao regional directorate, the two foreigners manufactured artisanal hand gun commonly called "Chilean". 6 homemade weapons, welding equipment and various tools and materials were seized at the scene.



These weapons were intended for resale to Haitian criminals who are rife in the poor neighborhoods and municipalities of Santiago and other parts of the Cibao. The two Haitians said there were other workshops in the country that made firearms of this kind. DICRIM has opened an investigation to verify the statements of the two Haitians on the existence of other workshops in the Dominican Republic.



SL/ iciHaiti


















Suparna Chaudhry has been named director of the Reiff Center for Human Rights at Christopher Newport University. My research is on state repression of civil society, the Indian American educator said. (CNU.edu photo)
WestBridge Capital, an investment firm that focuses on investments in India, has sponsored the Akshaya Patra Foundations kitchen in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, which will provide midday meals to 100,000 students. We take our work very seriously. This is not charity  it is a childs right to have access to good nutrition, said Vandana Tilak, Indian American CEO of the Akshaya Patra Foundation. (photo provided)
Chairman and Managing Director of the Mahindra and Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra (L) poses with CEO of Ola Cabs, Bhavish Aggarwal for a selfie during a joint press conference in Mumbai Sept. 8, 2016. Ola plans to launch services in the U.K. the company said Aug. 7. (Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images)
By Jon Mulcahy, Inaki Villanueva, Charlotte Radford

Surging investment across the battery raw materials supply chain, stemming from growing demand for electric vehicles, has fuelled an increasing appetite for transparent market intelligence.

The spotlight is on lithium especially. Battery technology has evolved to a point of investor and exchange interest, with mass consumer adoption on the cards, but the way the material is priced is yet to make such a definitive shift.

Yet, while the battery sector seeks to understand the true cost of its lithium-ion battery supply chain, the appetite for third-party impartial pricing is mounting.

The absence of updated Chinese trade data since April has highlighted the risk of relying solely on customs data as a source for market participants pricing processes.

As China Customs continues to delay the release of import and export figures for a large number of commodities, participants active in battery minerals, including lithium, must find alternative ways to ensure they have access to reliable data on commodity pricing.

Pricing

Multi-year lithium supply contracts have traditionally been agreed on a fixed-price basis, increasingly with an option to renegotiate that price at pre-determined intervals considering the swift price moves in recent years.

Renegotiations typically take place yearly or biannually with some companies on a quarterly basis, and while the price itself is fixed for a period, trade statistics often form the basis of price discussions and renegotiations.

Chinese trade data usually arrives monthly from the countrys National Audit Office and can be used to derive an average price for cargoes arriving in/leaving the country.

What that data fails to do is distinguish between material where the price was agreed (based on market fundamentals) perhaps five years ago or more, or where the price was agreed in very recent weeks. The price for the latter cargo is the one that has accounted for the surge in demand for lithium to date.

Trade data also does not distinguish between lithium compounds that have qualified for battery applications, and those that are only suited for more traditional end-uses. This is a distinction that Metal Bulletin considers necessary when collecting spot price data.

IOSCO Regulation

Metal Bulletin has aligned all of its pricing practices with the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) standards, to ensure we are providing robust and reliable prices across the commodities spectrum.

The IOSCO association is responsible for the regulation of global securities and futures markets, therefore adherence to the certified pricing principles increases the relative credibility associated with commodity pricing.

Spot pricing in comparison

Metal Bulletin Group has adopted and developed a clear and rigorous price discovery process and methodology to produce assessments that are a consistent and representative indicator of the value of the market to which they relate for the trading period they measure.

Metal Bulletins journalistic price assessment methodology is applied across its battery raw material coverage, whereby greater weighting is given to actual concluded transaction data. Bids, offers and assessments are also taken into account.

Therefore Metal Bulletin is able to provide close to real-time pricing insights unlike trade statistics that often lag behind the market and do not distinguish between products.

Metal Bulletin tracks a wide-range of lithium compounds and raw materials such as lithium spodumene, distinguishing between hydroxide and carbonate technical, industrial and battery grades as well as from the material traded in the spot and contract markets.

The complexity of the lithium market means Metal Bulletin has developed clear specifications to capture the value of each product.

With the majority of spot liquidity focused in China, Metal Bulletin feels the region will evolve to become the global proxy for pricing, similar to other markets such as iron ore.

With fundamental pricing dynamics varying throughout South East Asia, Metal Bulletin has developed a range of prices to capture the relative value of lithium hydroxide and carbonate both inside China and delivered to Japan, Korea and China.

Despite China clearly acting as the price driver for the lithium market, a global proxy is yet to emerge and as such Metal Bulletin has positioned itself to provide reliable prices into what is a rapidly evolving market.

Insights from data analysis

At present, the lithium market often settles negotiations through the use of trade statistics and one-to-one negotiations.

The latest Chinese Customs lithium pricing data available in March 2018 stated that the price was at $14.15 per kg, up 6.5% from February.

Metal Bulletin published a similar equivalent price of $14.50 per kg back in August 2017. The market has only gone up since August and in late June 2018, the price was at $17.50 per kg.

Based on that, the time lag in reporting prices by Chinese Customs is about seven months  or eight months if we count the extra month it takes Chinese Customs to publish the data. This is because the Chinese Customs prices include mainly long-term contracts settled long before arriving at Chinese ports.

Chinese Customs data also captures spot transactions but fails to distinguish between prices for technical, industrial and battery-grade products, unlike Metal Bulletins spot price assessments.

The value of real price discovery, such as that undertaken by Metal Bulletin, is in the global lithium teams constant collection of pricing data points, with price reporters in China and Europe enabling Metal Bulletin to provide a price that captures market variations on a weekly basis.

Trade statistics are able to provide a trend over a long-time period but give little indication into short-term market movements, and are slow to adjust to or reflect periods of volatility.

There is another, quite pressing reason why lithium market participants will be evaluating alternative pricing mechanisms and diversifying away from fixed-price contracts tied to trade data.

The Chinese customs department has suspended the publication of trade data for key products, with very limited data received since the end of April that relates to Marchs imports and exports.

The department has referred to the sale of trade data as "problematic practice," and is currently "adjusting the solution" to publishing data. Yet the April data is still not available to the market and no publication timetable has been given.

Market maturation

Although its still in its relative pricing infancy, the lithium market has shown early indications of developing to a more reference-linked pricing structure.

The complexity associated with the chemical composition of lithium means it will likely, should long-term contracts break down, evolve into an index-linked system where quality of material can be adjusted for and normalized to a widely acknowledged industry specification.

Although index-linked pricing is some way down the road, pressure from the financial community has resulted in a recent shift toward greater market transparency.

Another benefit of spot-linked pricing is that close to 'real time pricing mechanisms provide an opportunity for the implementation of risk management tools through exchange-based contracts and sometimes over-the counter swaps and contracts.

In fact, recent interest from major exchanges such as the London Metal Exchange, demonstrates market participants appetite for developing a benchmark in the lithium market, where huge capital investment in the industry could be offset.

A cash-settled contract would be on the cards, but that requires a consensus from the physical market as to how they wish to structure their long-term contracts going forward, specifically, which reference price or prices they wish to tie their business to for now.

In other markets  cobalt, iron ore and alumina, for example  that reference has emerged in the form of an international or seaborne price.

But the spot cif markets remain relatively illiquid for lithium. Under the eager watch of the financial sector, exchanges and lithium juniors, to name a few, that benchmark could emerge as a domestic Chinese price, or at least a price that incorporates Chinese market activity, where the greatest spot liquidity  a necessity for robust price discovery  lies.

While that would be unusual, it is arguably appropriate when talking about a material so crucial to the battery and electric vehicle sector, the boom of which has been so dictated and steered by China in recent years.

*Industrial Minerals is part of the Metal Bulletin Group of companies and a division of Euromoney Plc
Indian actor Priyanka Chopra is doing a lot more than many other Bollywood actors have in a long time. The Quantico actress has said that doing the kind of films she is, she will not compromise on anything for herself. The actor makes the statement amidst rumours of her quitting Salman Khans film Bharat and also dating rumours with Nick Jonas.

In a recent interview with a leading publication, Priyanka said she has been playing characters which have nothing to do with her ethnicity and that she feels is great. She hopes that it will open the doors for Indian and South Asian talent to come into mainstream cinema. However, she goes on to say that why do they only have to play sidekicks when they can also play lead roles. Priyanka talking about herself said she will only play the leading roles and will not settle for anything else and compromise on it.

Interestingly, Priyanka is working on not one but two Hollywood films currently. The first is called Isnt It Romantic with Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine and Rebel Wilson. She will also be seen with Chris Pratt in Cowboy Ninja Viking. The actress signed the film, immediately after Ali Abbas Zaffar said that her engagement with Nick Jonas is the reason for her quitting Bharat.




The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the names of five candidates with exemplary performance in the just concluded 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The board said Galadima Israel Zakari from Biu in Borno State, who sat for the examination in Ogun, scored 364 to emerge overall best candidate.

Subsequently, Governor Kashim Shettima on Tuesday, August 7 hosted Galadima in his office in Maiduguri.

He also awarded five years University Scholarship to Galadima who has already secured an admission at Covenant University, Enugu.

The governor said:

It will be my greatest honour to host Nigerias JAMB King, Galadima Israel Zakari and his mother in my office tomorrow. Galadima is that young Bornoan (from Biu local government area) who has made us very proud by coming first nationwide after scoring 364 in the 2018 JAMB examination. I am this great son of Borno. He deserves to be celebrated.

See more photos below:

Meanwhile, JAMBs Head, Public Affairs, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Sunday, August 5 in Abuja said Adekunle Jesufemi from Ogun State who sat for his examination in Abeokuta scored 358 to come second and the third position went to Alikah Oseghale from Edo State who sat for the examination in Ekpoma with a score of 357.

The fourth is Ademola Adetola from Ogun State who sat for the examination in Lagos with a score of 355.

While Akinyemi Paul from Ogun state, who wrote his examination in Lagos, Ape Moses from Benue who wrote the examination in Makurdi and Obi-Obuoha Abiamamela from Rivers who wrote the examination in Port Harcourt came fifth with a tie score of 354.

Dr Benjamin said that the information became necessary to put the records in proper perspective following a circulated misinformation in some quarters.

According to him, the attention of the board is drawn to publications that Ape Moses from Benue came top in the entire exercise.

The report, he said, was untrue and incorrect. However, Moses with 354 score was the highest scorer from Benue State and the entire North Central.
Davido and very few other African artistes are championing the globalization of the Afrobeat sound. The DMW boss has risen to the top within few years and he has toured several European and American countries.

In a recent interview with Pause Magazine, Davido was asked to advise Nigerian artistes in the overseas who are trying to get their songs heard in the continent and he responded Go to Nigeria.

Read excerpts from the interview below.

Theres a lot of African artists based in London, but theyre trying to reach you guys in Nigeria, what advice would you give them?

Go to Nigeria.

Really, you think they should go back?

If theyre trying to reach somewhere its the best place to be. But it just depends, to be honest. Mr. Eazi was in London, then he came back.

Do you think you have to get the love from home first before things take off?

To be honest, me, Im not into this international stuff but Im really doing it because Im one of those people pioneering this movement. I have to put a cape on my back and do it for the culture but I always prefer being at home.


Justice David Oladimeji, a high court judge sitting in Osogbo, Osun state has dismissed certificate case against Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Shortly after Senator Adeleke, won the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primaries in the state, aggrieved members of the party, Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu, filed a suit against him in court.

According to them, Adeleke lacks the eligibility to represent the party as its governorship candidate owing to the fact that he doesnt a possess Secondary School Certificate.

They therefore asked the court to stop their party from presenting him to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate.

In his ruling, Justice Oladimeji maintained that Adeleke has the power to contest in the election, because not having a certificate doesnt disqualify the senator .

The judge noted that the constitution stipulates only that the candidate for governorship position must be educated to secondary school level and didnt state that he must have a certificate.

Justice oladimeji clarified also that the Senator attended Ede Grammar School, therefore is qualified.
The oldest prisoner in Nigeria is currently serving a prison sentence in Enugu and he has just clocked 100 years.

Anywhere in the world, 100 years is usually marked with fanfare but not so for Nigerias oldest prisoner, Pa Celestine Egbunuche, who clocked 100 last Saturday; August 4, within the confines of Enugu Maximum Prison.

The centenarian, who hails from Akokwa in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, was condemned to death along with his son, Paul and another relation, now 87.

They were said to have been engaged in a fight over a piece of land and in the process, somebody died. With such fate, Pa Egbunuche has for over 17 years lived in desolation and hopelessness.

But all hope is not lost as a non-governmental organisation, Global Society for Anti-corruption (GSAC) is pushing for his release. GSAC has appealed to the Federal Government and Governor Rochas Okorocha to use their board of mercy and release Egbunuche, his 78 years old relation and son from prison.

Zonal Resource Executive of GSAC, Amaka Nweke commended Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Priscilla Emehelu for her recent prison visit where many inmates were granted freedom pleaded with her to look into the case of Pa Egbunuche whom she said their investigation showed might be Africas oldest inmate.

According to the NGO, Egbunuche has suffered from diabetes over the years, adding that with his age and failing health, it will be proper to release him to go and possibly die peacefully at home. If eventually released, the organisation would also want the Federal and State Governments to take care of Pa Egbunuches rehabilitation.

Experts said that in other jurisdictions, inmates above 65 years are eligible for either parole or state pardon.

Meanwhile, Daily Sun gathered that inmates of Enugu Maximum Prison have not had the luck of receiving Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to perform the usual granting of amnesty during ceremonial occasions like the Independence Day, Democracy Day and yuletide.

During a recent visit by our reporter, some of them claimed that they had turned a new leaf and appealed to the governor to emulate his counterparts in Anambra, Ebonyi, and Abia by granting them amnesty.

Their cries seemed to have attracted the attention of the chief judge, Emehelu, who during the 2018 jail delivery sessions in the three prisons in the state pardoned about 130 inmates.


Wife of APC National leader, Senator Remi Tinubu, was ordained an Assistant Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) today, August 7.

Senator Ashafa took to his twitter handle to congratulate her on her ordination.

Her husband was also at the convention to show his support.

Continue to see more photos from the ordination service below:
Lauretta Onochie, aide to president Muhammadu Buhari on new has asked the media contracted by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to apologise to Nigerians for yesterdays drama at the National Assembly.

Onochie, accused the opposition party of being those behind yesterdays blockade of the National Assembly by masked DSS officers.

The presidential aide further stated that, while Senator Ben Murray Bruce played the publicity secretary of the show, his friends were busy drinking whiskey inside the Assembly complex.

Onochie made this revelation via her Twitter handle on Wednesday morning.

See what she wrote below
Sleeping for more than eight hours a night could lead to an early death, new research suggests.

A global study led by Keele University has found that people who regularly make time for more sleep could end up with a serious sleep disorder that disrupts their breathing and causes an increased risk of heart disease.

As a result, the researchers, who looked at data from 74 studies, said that excessive sleep could be a marker of poor health.

Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study examined the link between self-reported sleep, cardiovascular disease and mortality in more than three million participants from 1970 to 2017.

The scientists found that a sleep duration of ten hours is linked with 30 per cent increased risks of early death compared to sleeping for seven hours.

The study also revealed a 56 per cent increased risk of stroke mortality and a 49 per cent increased risk of cardiovascular mortality for those who slept for more than eight hours.

Lead researcher Dr Chun Shing Kwok, who works at Keele Universitys Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, explains: Our study has an important public health impact in that it shows that excessive sleep is a marker of elevated cardiovascular risk.

Our findings have important implications as clinicians should have greater consideration for exploring sleep duration and quality during consultations.

If excessive sleep patterns are found, particularly prolonged durations of eight hours or more, then clinicians should consider screening for adverse cardiovascular risk factors and obstructive sleep apnoea, which is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a persons breathing is interrupted during sleep.

The study, which also found that poor sleep quality was associated with a 44 per cent increase in coronary heart disease, is one of many that highlight the impact sleep can have on a persons physical health.

Last month, the University of Sydney revealed that oxygen deprivation caused by sleep apnoea could cause your brain to shrink in the regions which play an important role in memory and which are also affected by dementia.

Similarly, a recent study by the University of Glasgow found that an insufficient amount of sleep could also be detrimental to your mental health.

The findings concluded that a disrupted circadian rhythm can lead to an increased possibility of developing mood disorders and lower levels of happiness.

-Culled from The Independent
A 25-year-old woman, Faith Nyokabi, was on Tuesday arrested in Thika town, Kenya for allegedly asking her husband to pay before breastfeeding their baby.

Nyokabi reportedly abandoned her four-month-old baby at her matrimonial home in Kiganjo Estate over a week ago and refused to return without receiving Ksh.100,000 ($995) in cash from her husband, Charles Kiiri, reports Citizen TV Kenya.

According to the 36-year-old Kirii, a casual labourer, he was informed on August 1, 2018, that his wife had taken off and left their infant in the house.

He reportedly rushed home and found the baby under the care of neighbours. Kiiri pleaded with Nyokabi to return home to breastfeed her baby but she told him that her mother had taken her to a local hospital where she had been injected with a drug that supposedly dried out her milk supply.

Nyokabi told her husband, she wouldnt come back home unless he gave her the money.

The frustrated husband reported the matter to the Thika Childrens Offices and was referred to Muranga Childrens Offices.

Kiiri said the main issue between the two was occasioned by his mother in-law whom he accused of making frequent financial demands.

According to Thika Childrens Officer Lina Mwangi, the woman will be charged with child neglect and denying a child protection and care contrary to the Childrens Act.

Mwangi advised the father to look for a temporary caregiver to look after the infant under his watch as the court handles the matter.


Senate president Bukola Saraki, alongside the speaker of the House of representatives, Dogara Yakubu this afternoon addressed a world press conference over yesterdays blockade of the National Assembly.

The Senate president who condemned the siege on the National Assembly in all its entirety, described the lock down as a show of shame.

Here are four points made by Saraki, during the August 8th conference

1.The seat of democracy was under knockdown

It is a matter of record that yesterday, lawmakers and staff of the National Assembly were prevented from entering the National Assembly Complex by heavily armed security agents of the Department of State Services (DSS). All entries to the Complex were blocked as early as 6.30 am. The National Assembly, the seat of democracy in Nigeria, was under lockdown. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives were prevented from gaining access.

2.The lockdown shamed us as a democratic nation

The ensuring standoff was a show of shame that played itself out over several hours in full view of the country. In no circumstances should this have happened. And we as a nation reaped the bitter fruits instantaneously, as evident in media images relayed around the world, images that shame us as a democratic nation. The siege was also an act of cowardice by those seeking to carry out an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate in flagrant disregard of the law. People who seek control at all costs, by whatever means, never minding the injury to democratic norms.

3. The lock down is not about either Saraki or Dogara  its about the soul of Nigeria

We have to say that this is not about us  Abubakar Bukola Saraki or Yakubu Dogara as an individual. It is not about Ike Ekweremadu, nor is it about Yusuf Lasun. We are speaking for my colleagues when I say that this is about the soul of Nigeria, what we represent as a country, (people) and our standing in the comity of nations. This is a country where so much is expected of us, so many rungs of the ladder that we are supposed to have ascended as a nation. Instead we are wallowing in impunity and illegal show of force, all of which retard our progress.

4. Remember I warned that there is a government within the government

This is most disheartening. We dont get any joy in saying: We said so. We dont. However, some of you may recall that about two years ago, I stated that there was a government within this government, to a purpose that was not in the interest of what the people voted for. I said it then, and now, almost on a daily basis, we are seeing the manifestations of that government within a government
MILLGROVE, ON (August 7, 2018)- Close to a dozen teams from the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series powered by Torque Builders Inc. made the Civic Holiday Weekend trek to Flamboro Speedway for the second time of the 2018 season at the venerable Hamilton, Ontario oval. With a pair of 20 lap feature events on the schedule  instead of the standard qualifying heats and a single A main  crews rolled to the line Saturday, August 4th for the first time since Chad Strawns trip to victory lane July 21st at Peterborough Speedway.

The first feature had Randy Hollingsworth and Craig Stevenson on the front row. Several teams experienced issues, including former series champion John Baker Jr. who suffered a blown motor of his #63 machine and Brad Stevenson who was forced to retire from the event early after contact with another car. Anthony DiBello took the checkered flag over Rob Warnes, Willow Barberstock, Hollingsworth, Rick Warnes, Baker Jr., Brad Stevenson, Craig Stevenson, Chad Strawn and Craig Scott.

In the second 20 lapper, Brad Stevenson and Rick Warnes brought the field to the initial green flag. Despite sustaining some serious damage in the first feature, Brad Stevenson  the reigning champion  picked-up the win over Anthony DiBello, who came from near the tail-end of the field. Chad Strawn was 3rd, with Rob Warnes, Rick Warnes, Craig Stevenson, Willow Barberstock and Randy Hollingsworth. John Baker Jr. and Craig Scott completing the running order.

Ontario Modifieds Racing Series notebook: The spirit of teamwork and good sportsmanship showed itself to be alive and well in the OMRS camp during the Flamboro Speedway date. A few days before the race, Craig Scott was looking to obtain a flywheel for his #69 car. At the track, distributor issues sidelined Scotts effort, but when Chad Strawns #77C suffered a broken driveshaft during practice, crews from both teams made a swap so Strawn could make the starting grid for the second featureNext on the schedule, teams will head to the London, Ontario area for a first-ever date  Saturday, August 18th  at Delaware Speedway.

To learn more about the 2018 Ontario Modifieds Racing Series  powered by Torque Builders Inc.  schedule, visit the groups social media platform, www.facebook.com/OMRS or look for the newly redesigned web-site www.ontariomodifiedsracing.com, coming soon.

For over a decade, Torque Builders Inc. has worked with partners and clients in the construction industry, offering new, general construction services, renovations and retrofits in the industrial, commercial and institutional sector. See www.torquebuilders.com to find out more. The 2018 OMRS tour is also supported by Complete Mechanical, Borque Transmission, Gen-3 Electrical, Sterling Tire and Clarke Motorsports Communications.

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports

613.968.6410
By Wu Liming

A good news recently from Singapore said that China and ASEAN countries have arrived at a Single Draft Negotiating Text (SDNT) of theCode of Conduct in the South China Sea. This is a clear message to the world that China and ASEAN countries have the ability to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and have the wisdom to arrive at a set of regional rules of conduct that all stakeholders will observe.

The SDNT marks a major progress in the South China Sea Code of Conduct consultations between China and ASEAN. China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi used a metaphor to illustrate the breakthrough: one can say that China and ASEAN countries are building a house together. In the past, there were 11 designs from the 11 countries on how this house would look like. Now, they have laid a good groundwork for a single design for this house and have also put in place the fundamentals, like the supporting pillars, of this house.

As early as 2002, China and other South China Sea countries signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. After a series of twists and turns, the framework for South China Sea Code of Conduct was officially adopted in Manila, the Philippines, in August last year, and became a part of the South China Sea Code of Conduct consultations. The Single Draft Negotiating Text shows that all parties have agreed on the basic consultation text, technically ensuring a major step forward.

In recent years, some states and forces outside of the region have often stirred trouble with the purpose to create bad waves in this peaceful region. Undoubtedly, these moves run counter to the trend of pursuing peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and China and ASEANs common aspirations for win-win cooperation. The Single Draft Negotiating Text also shows that consultations can be accelerated as long as relevant countries remove external interference and unite as one.

Starting from the meeting, the South China Sea has taken more solid steps to become an area of peace and cooperation. Today, Chinas most advanced marine rescue vessel has been on duty on the Nansha Islands to provide timely maritime rescue services for ships from various countries. In the future, China will gradually provide international public services such as scientific research and meteorology services to regional countries. Moreover, China and ASEAN will hold joint maritime exercises this October to respond to security challenges and safeguard regional stability more powerfully.

It is a fact that there are disputes on some issues between the countries surrounding the South China Sea. However, they are capable to properly resolve the disputes through consultations, and they do not welcome states outside of the region to make indiscreet remarks or criticisms.

In fact, external forces will not stir up the waves of the South China Sea as long as countries in the region maintain their own strength and get away from outside interference. As long as China and ASEAN continue to work together and move in the same direction, the South China Sea will remain a sea of peace and cooperation.
Matt Lippiatt, MetLife Australia head of retail sales, said the appointment of the group of experienced and highly capable professionals significantly strengthens the firms capabilities.

Richards new role signals our commitment to delivering a consistent end-to-end adviser experience from new business through to policy administration, Lippiatt said. Rachel and Stuarts experience and insights will enable us to build trusted, mutually productive relationships, with licensees and advisers. Simon, Adrian, Fiona, and Hadley all have proven reputations at blending commercial risk assessment with solid understanding of advisers business needs.
gavel on wooden background tax

Broadly speaking, the court confirmed the existing understanding of the law as it relates to UK withholding tax (UKWHT) on interest payments. Had the court done otherwise, the resulting upheaval could have led to UK taxpayers needing to re-examine a huge raft of debt arrangements.

But while being suitably grateful to Lady Justice Arden, who gave the leading judgment on June 21, some taxpayers and their advisers may feel that an opportunity has been missed to simplify and streamline the law in this area. Even worse, Ardmore may actually make life more complex.

Facts of the case

Ardmore, a UK-based, family-owned construction company borrowed money from trusts in Gibraltar. Ardmore did not deduct UKWHT from interest payments to the Gibraltan lenders.

In keeping with its long-standing position in such cases, HMRC determined that the interest payments had a UK source and so were subject to UKWHT. HMRCs view was that, because Ardmore was a UK company, the source of the interest was the UK. As Ardmore had not accounted for the UK tax due, HMRC assessed Ardmore for that tax.

Ardmore and its advisers argued that, because the lenders were in Gibraltar, the debt arrangements were governed by Gibraltan law, and the loan documents included a Gibraltan jurisdiction clause, Gibraltar was the source of the interest and not the UK (and so no UKWHT was due). In short, Ardmore effectively thought it could justify this position by saying that the loan, rather than the debtor (and the funds from which the debtor serviced the interest), was the source of the interest.

The UK Court of Appeal upheld the previous lower tier tribunal decisions. Lady Justice Arden dismissed the idea that the origination of the loan from Gibraltar meant that the interest also originated there.

She said: The immediate search is for the source of the interest rather than a search indirectly for the source of the loan. The funds paid over as interest derived from funds generated in the UK.

The activity of lending became passive once the loan was made, whereas the business of Ardmore was actively conducted to produce those funds.

She added: Furthermore, relative to the links with the UK, the links with Gibraltar were of an insubstantial kind: there was no evidence that they were backed up by any kind of other activity within Gibraltar, nor was it explained why it was necessary for the trusts to form companies in the British Virgin Islands or what commercial purpose those companies served.

Gibraltan law, she went on, would, under the terms of the loan, govern the arrangement only in the event of a default by the borrower, and this had not happened.

However, the UK Court of Appeal did not endorse the hitherto-existing approach of HMRC, which is that a UK-resident debtor must, generally, deduct UKWHT from interest payments to overseas lenders (subject to the availability of any relief or exemption). Cases may be different, and HMRC should look at all the relevant factors in each case and weigh them accordingly. For instance, it may not be appropriate for HMRC simply to look to debtor residence where there is an active lender and a passive borrower.

The correct approach, she added, was not merely multifactorial, but should also be acutely fact-sensitive.

HMRC already considers a number of factors in such cases, but their position has for some time been that one of the most important factors is the residence of the debtor and the location of their assets. Other factors (upon which HMRC tends to place less weight) include the residence of any guarantor, the location of any security for the debt, the competent jurisdiction for any legal action and the relevant law of contract, and the method of payment of interest. Following Ardmore it may be prudent to reconsider how appropriate any such hierarchy is in light of the facts.

A practical and substantive approach should be taken to weighing the factors in each case. As Lady Justice Arden said, the key test was whether a practical person would regard the source [of the interest] as in  [the UK] or elsewhere.

All factors ought to be considered and each has some relevance. That may sound reasonable, but  in contrast to the existing HMRC priority given to a debtors residence and location of their assets  advisers and HMRC must now weigh them all.

An opportunity to simplify the rules in this area has been missed and the court declined to set out an objective test of universal application. If anything, the Ardmore judgment has made the job of hunting for a UK source more complex. However, the courts approach of having regard to the facts in hand is reasonable  debt arrangements are increasingly complicated and very often more complicated than Ardmores arrangements  as applying a one-size-fits-all approach would carry its own significant challenges. The courts action in broadly upholding the status quo, then, deserves two cheers.

This article was prepared by Oliver Walker, a tax partner, and Stuart Pibworth, a tax associate, of Weil, Gotshal and Manges (London).

The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws.  2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ.

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Transfer pricing is on the radar again in the Philippines, reports Maria Carmela Peralta of KPMG. Its too early to tell whether the lengthy discussions taking place will bear fruit and the Philippines will have something other to show than its 2013 TP regulations, which the Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is perceived to have overlooked.
August 8, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult and medical use. It now heads back to the Senate, which approved a similar proposal in May.

H.B. No. 20-178, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), was approved 18-1-1 in the House. A detailed overview of the bill is available on the Marijuana Policy Project's website. In summary, the legislation:

allows adults 21 and older and patients with certain medical conditions to possess limited amounts of marijuana (one ounce), marijuana-infused products (16 ounces in solid form, 72 ounces in liquid form), and marijuana extracts (five grams);

allows adults 21 and older and patients with certain medical conditions to possess limited amounts of marijuana (one ounce), marijuana-infused products (16 ounces in solid form, 72 ounces in liquid form), and marijuana extracts (five grams);

creates a Homegrown Marijuana Registry, through which adults and patients can register to grow a limited number of marijuana plants (six mature and 12 immature or up to twice that amount in the case of medical need) for personal use;

directs the legislature to enact taxes and fees on all marijuana sold by a producer, as well as an excise tax on retail sales of marijuana for adult use (medical marijuana is exempt);

provides for six types of regulated marijuana businesses: producers, testing facilities, processors, retailers, wholesalers, and lounges; and

establishes a nine-member appointed CNMI Cannabis Commission, which will serve as the regulatory agency overseeing commercial marijuana and hemp.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands would be the first U.S. territory to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use. Such laws have been adopted by voters in eight states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Lawmakers in Vermont and voters in D.C have adopted laws making marijuana possession and cultivation legal for adults, but not regulating commercial production or sales.

Statement from Gerry Hemley, co-founder of Sensible CNMI:

"The true essence of legalization has always been about having safe and legal access to cannabis without fear of arrest and harassment. This thoughtful legislation will control, regulate, and tax marijuana in a manner that is similar to alcohol. It was carefully crafted to improve public health, protect children, and keep our communities safe. We hope senators will join their House colleagues in supporting this commonsense measure."

Statement from Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project:

"We applaud CNMI legislators for keeping this important legislation alive and moving it forward. Taking marijuana off the illegal market and regulating its production and sale will improve public health and safety. Patients with debilitating conditions who could benefit from marijuana deserve steady access to quality-controlled medicine. The Senate now has a chance to make history by signing off on the bill and sending it to Gov. Torres."

The Marijuana Policy Project is the nation's largest marijuana policy organization. For more information, visit https://www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

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Thunder Bay, Ontario - August 8, 2018 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV:BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the completion of trenching and channel sampling on its recently acquired Bolton Bay project (see PR dated April 13, 2018). The Bolton Bay project is located 120km west of Thunder Bay and is contiguous to Benton's Bark Lake project under option to Rio Tinto. The Company completed a total of 8 mechanically-stripped areas over a 3.5km strike length in locations of previously known gold mineralization and newly identified prospective zones. Over 137 samples were channel cut and submitted for assay.

The property has the potential to host gold as well as copper-nickel-platinum-palladium mineralization. Recent work has identified mafic-ultramafic intrusive rock units that bear similarities to the copper-nickel-platinum-palladium-rich boulders found on the Bark Lake property. Historical work completed on the property identified quartz-rich, mineralized zones over 9km across the property, which included the following highlights:

East Zone - 13g/t Au (grab samples)

West Zone - 4.46g/t Au over 7m (historic drilling)

Zones 1 &2 - 11.6g/t Au (grab samples)

Clear Lake East - 17.21g/t Au (grab samples)

1925 showing - 15.47g/t Au (grab samples)

Island Zone - 3.57g/t Au (grab samples)

Recent logging in the area has provided excellent access to the mineralized zones which historically were only accessible by water or air. Stripping and channel sampling had been recommended in many previous reports but access had prevented the work from being completed.

In addition, Benton would like to announce that it has completed an initial prospecting and mapping program on both its GNP black shale gold project and the Cape Eagle project, both located in the Northern Peninsula area of Newfoundland. Interestingly, the Company has identified black shale with pyrite nodules over a large area on the GNP block but to date has only had moderate success with weakly anomalous gold values ranging from trace to 239ppb. Benton is planning a follow-up program to start this week on the GNP and newly-staked western block on the GNP project.

The Company believes that the Gunners Cove style of gold mineralization could potentially represent an important new discovery in a unique geological environment similar to other large gold deposits hosted in black shale environments around the world.

Finally, the Company would like to acknowledge and thank the government of Newfoundland and Labrador for providing funding assistance under the JCEAP program.

About Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV:BEX)

Benton Resources Inc is a well-funded Canadian-based project generator with a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements. Benton holds multiple high grade projects available for option which can be viewed on the company's web site. Most projects have an up to date 43-101 report available. Interested parties can contact Stephen Stares from the contact below.

Nathan Sims (P.Geo.), Senior Exploration manager for Benton Resources Inc., is the qualified person responsible for this release and has prepared or supervised the preparation of or reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc.,

"Stephen Stares"

Stephen Stares, President

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

For further information contact Stephen Stares @:

684 Squier Street,

Thunder Bay, ON

P7B 4A8

Phone (807)475-7474

Cell (807)474-9020

Fax (807)475-7200

www.bentonresources.ca

sstares@bentonresources.ca

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Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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Vancouver, British Columbia - August 8, 2018 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Genesis Metals Corp (TSXV: GIS) ("Genesis" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a comprehensive program of surface prospecting and mapping has commenced at the Chevrier gold project near Chibougamau, Quebec.

The main objectives of the current work are to define potential extensions to the gold mineralization within the Chevrier Main Zone and to identify new areas with the potential to host gold. Most field activities will be focused within the Fancamp Deformation Corridor ("FDC") which is the major structural break controlling the location of gold mineralization within the belt. The FDC extends for more than 15 km across the Chevrier property.

The current work is funded as part of the FIELD-ACTION 2018 initiative co-ordinated jointly by SIDEX and Fonds de solidarite FTQ. This initiative is designed to encourage junior mining companies to perform fieldwork in Quebec while at the same time supporting their working capital.

Highlights

Prospecting activities on the 130 sq. km property will focus on five areas shown on Fig. 1.

Exploration along the FDC between the Chevrier Main Zone and trench T-29, the latter was completed to evaluate an induced Polarization ("IP") anomaly. This trench was completed in 2017 and returned 2.55 g/t Au over 2.3 meters (see Company news release dated October 3rd, 2017). The IP anomaly remains open to the south-west toward the Chevrier Main Zone.

Exploration to the east of East Showing on new claims acquired in 2017 and crosscut by the FDC. The East Showing was explored by Falconbridge Copper in the early 1980's who reported an historic resource of 180,000 t @ 3.58 g/t Au. (Readers are cautioned that this resource pre-dates NI 43-101 and should not be considered reliable).

Exploration on new claims acquired in 2017 and 2018 and located on the FDC. These claims host gold showings previously defined by other workers. The 2017 claims are located at the contact with the Muscocho intrusive. The area is overlain by felsic and intermediate volcanic rock and gabbro.

Figure 1 - Targets for immediate exploration, Chevrier gold property http://www.genesismetalscorp.com/_resources/news/20180808-fig1.jpg

In 2017 the company completed a property-scale compilation of all data for the Chevrier Property and successfully identified 6 new targets in addition to those mentioned in this release. These targets will require additional work to prepare them for further testing by drilling.

The compilation focused on the synthesis of available geological, geochemical, geophysical and structural data generated from all previous exploration work on the Property.

Genesis also announces that the company has granted an aggregate of 650,000 stock options to consultants of the company. Each stock option entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the company at a price of $.10 cents per common share for a period of five years from the grant date.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

The Company maintains a rigorous QA/QC program with respect to the preparation, shipping, analysis and checking of all samples and data from the Property. Quality control for field sampling and drill samples at the Company's projects covers the complete chain of custody of samples, including sample handling procedures and analytical-related work, plus the insertion of standard and blank materials. The QA/QC program also includes data verification procedures. Actlabs in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada (ISO 17025 certification) assayed all rock and core samples from the current field program using fire assay and atomic absorption finish for gold and gravimetric finish if gold grades exceeded 5 g/t Au.

Mr. Andre Liboiron, P. Geo, Exploration Manager for the Company and the Qualified Person as defined within National Instrument 43-101 for the Chevrier Project, has reviewed the contents of this news release.

About Genesis Metals

The Company is focused on advancing the Chevrier Gold Project located 35 km southwest of Chibougamau, Quebec. The Project is located along the Fancamp Deformation Zone, 15 km northeast of the high-grade Monster Lake gold deposit and 15 km northwest of the past producing Joe Mann gold mine.

Genesis also owns 100% the 203 km2 October Gold project located in the southern Swayze greenstone belt in Benton Township, Ontario. This project is located 35 km northwest of IAMGold and Sumitomo Mining's Cote Lake deposit and 50km southeast of Goldcorp's Borden gold deposit.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Brian Groves"

Brian Groves

CEO and Director

"Jeff Sundar"

Jeff Sundar

President and Director

Suite 1500, 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1T2

Telephone: 604-646-8356

Fax: 604-484-7155

Email: js@genesismetalscorp.com

Website: www.genesismetalscorp.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 release.

Certain disclosure in this release, including statements regarding the intended use of proceeds from the private placement, constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") for the purpose of applicable securities laws. In making the forward-looking statements, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company, including that the Company is able to obtain any government or other regulatory approvals required to complete the Company's planned exploration and development activities, that the Company is able to procure personnel, equipment and supplies required for its exploration and development activities in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis and that actual results of exploration activities are consistent with management's expectations. Although the Company considers these assumptions 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 others, that the Company will be unable to obtain required regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all, that actual results of the Company's exploration activities will be different than those expected by management and that the Company will be unable to obtain or will experience delays in obtaining any required government approvals or be unable to procure required equipment and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and 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 required by law.

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Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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Photo from Dan Ashby

Teams from 12 countries are battling it out in the Field Kitchen round of the International Army Games, an event that has seen countries from all over the world pitch their armies in an "Olympics-style" contest.

In the Field Kitchen round, the cooks must shoot at targets and then complete field kitchen challenges, in which they prepare and serve an array of top dishes. The teams must use military kitchen equipment, including gas stoves and army ovens.

In the first cooking round, the cooks were given 50 ingredients and told to make the same Russian meal.

Lieut. Colonel Shavit, from the Israeli team, said: "This is the Army Games. We start out in the army doing only one profession and that's always as a soldier. And then we go to our second profession: and that's as cooks."

Among the dishes they have prepared are Kazakhstan rice, special soups, and tabboulehs.

Crowds of hungry onlookers gathered to watch the chefs prepare their dishes, which had to be presented to a panel of military judges.

Lt Col Shavit added: "It's the best place to meet other people, make a relationship with other countries. We've got a lot of friends out there. We've got 12 states in the competition and it's all good."

But while it may be friendly, there's a competitive edge.

When asked what he would do if he won, the chef said: "I think I'd buy each of my own team a bottle of Russian vodka! I'd give it to each of my team and let them do with it as he wants!"

The baking and pastries round saw Mongolia top the leaderboard, with Belarus, Azerbaijan, and China taking up the other leadering positions.

The Field Kitchen contest is just one of the many challenges in which countries are battling it out at the International Army Games.

The marquee event, the Tank Biathlon, saw armies race T-72 Soviet tanks around a three-kilometer assault course, all the while firing off cannons to hit far-off targets.

Countries must also show their skills in underwater depth charge removal, parachuting, target practice, building bridges, ground attack, grenade throwing and aerial bombardment.

By Dan Ashby
Photo: Reuters/Jason Lee

Since the rise to power of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys relations with the West have seen a dramatic deterioration. At the same time, the country that is often described as a bridge between Asia and Europe, has tilted its affinity steadily towards the East.

That trend is reflected in frequent visits from Chinese officials to Turkey, according to Al-Monitor, including in the area of security. And according to Chinese military official Chen Qingsong, speaking in Ankara recently, that trend will only accelerate following Erdogans reelection.

Chinas military attache to Turkey, speaking at the same event commemorating the 91 st anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Liberation Army, said that the two militaries will produce fruitful results. The attendance of high-level diplomats, politicians, and Turkish Armed Forces commanders at the ceremony was remarkable, said Al-Monitor.

Relations of the two countries are developing favorably. Turkeys central corridor strategy that aims at linking Europe to Central Asia and to Afghanistan, Pakistan and China matches with Chinas Belt and Road initiative, Chen said.

The comments from a military official reflect the key to the bilateral relationship, the deepening economic ties.

China is the second largest economy in the world, which is now projecting its economic power to the rest of the world through the Belt and Road Initiative. At the moment, China is the largest source of Turkeys trade deficit and current account deficit, Altay Atli, a scholar at the Istanbul Policy Center of Sabanci University, told Al-Monitor.

However, what is important here is expectations for the future. Turkey expects, and rightfully so, to have China as a major source of investment and technology for its own economy. On the other hand, Turkey is important for China, too, because it is located right at the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative. So it is a case of mutual benefits, and both sides are eager to develop this further into the future, he added.

But, down the road, security and military cooperation are going to be increasingly important, Atli says, a development which will further test Ankaras treaty alliance with the West.
 Many civilian rescue teams from China joined the rescue efforts in Laos after a tragic dam collapse

 A PLA medical team rushed to the frontline to provide medical assistance, winning praise from locals

 Hydroelectric projects backed by China all withstand heavy rain with no safety breaches

A Blue Sky Rescue team member helps Lao victims in Attapeu province on July 29. Photo: Courtesy of Sun Guangyong

"You eight go to the flooded villages by boat to conduct search and rescue operations. You remaining 20 go provide supplies and offer medical help to villages where waters have receded," ordered Sun Zhenhai, member of Blue Sky Rescue (BSR), the first civilian Chinese rescue team that rushed to Laos after a deadly dam collapse in Attapeu province.

The tragic collapse of a hydroelectric dam on July 23, which unleashed 5 billion cubic meters of water from the mountain upon 13 villages downstream, has claimed at least 34 lives, with 100 still missing. More than 13,000 people are affected, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

In this time of emergency, several Chinese private rescue teams, including BSR, have rushed to Laos to provide support. A medical team of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), which was in Laos participating in a training mission, was the first foreign medical team to arrive and help in the disaster area.

In addition, many Chinese enterprises and Chinese chambers of commerce in Laos are also doing their part in the rescue and relief operation. On July 30 and 31, two batches of relief supplies from China arrived in Laos.

"We appreciate very much the help from China! The PLA Peace Train medical team, many Chinese civilian rescue teams and rescue teams organized by Chinese enterprises like Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) all have played an important role [in the relief effort]," Khamlieng Outhakaisone, deputy director general of the General Staff Department of the Lao People's Army, and also commander of the rescue operation, told the Global Times.

Victims from flooded villages cluster in a shelter at a local primary school in Laos. Photo: Courtesy of Sun Guangyong

Non-government assistance

After the lethal collapse of the dam of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, a joint venture of South Korean, Thai and Lao companies, SK Engineering and Construction of South Korea, the main builder of the project, declared that the collapse was due to the continuous rainstorms that led to high water volume in the reservoir. But some Lao officials regarded the poor quality of the dam as the reason. As reported by the Vientiane Times, the reason for the disaster is under investigation by the Lao, South Korean and Thai governments.

It took more than an hour to travel 13 kilometers from the command center in Sanamxay county to a frontline temporary shelter in a village. The Land Rover frequently plunged into puddles more than half a meter deep. Along the road were dilapidated houses, with the bodies of animals like pigs and cows floating in the remains of the flood water.

Yin Shangwen, a volunteer with BSR, said the road was already much improved. "When we first set foot in this area on July 26, there was no road at all and we could only see water. But that evening, we found and rescued nine victims. We rescued in total more than 20 victims over the past several days," said Yin.

Nearly 1,000 homeless victims were temporarily relocated in a nearby primary school. According to Zhang Yupu, who is commander-in-chief of the BSR team in Laos, these people were from three nearby villages. The school was chosen because it is on the highest ground in the area. Some other victims have been moved to Sanamxay.

Many people live in the flood area, so it is challenging to ensure access to safe food and drinking water and medical treatment. Epidemics remain a risk. Two BSR volunteers in protective garments were spraying disinfectant around the shelter. "[Our] main targets are garbage dumps and places people often come into contact with, such as tables and chairs, cars and walls. We come to sterilize the area once every day, to avoid an outbreak of infectious diseases," they told the Global Times.

More than 80 volunteers from BSR have worked in the frontlines for several days. The medical branch of BSR has brought with them plenty of medicine, so that people with minor illnesses such as diarrhea and bruises can get timely treatment on the site. People with serious diseases must be transported to normal hospitals.

Once, a mother carried a red-faced child to the rescue team. Learning the child has suffered from fever for four days, the rescuers decided to send the child away for better treatment right away.

"We see hope when we see the blue of the rescue team," a villager told the Global Times. During the interview, locals were spotted giving thumb-ups to the rescue team members and some showed them the victory sign with their fingers.

Besides BSR, other rescue teams are on the scene helping, including the Rescue Team of Ram Union from China's Zhejiang Province, Yangguang Rescue Team from Guizhou Province, SOS Rescue Team from Fujian Province, and others.

Staff from PowerChina donate supplies to victims in Laos. Photo: Courtesy of Sun Guangyong

PLA medical help

After the collapse, a PLA medical team named Peace Train, which was carrying out the "Peace Train-2018" Humanitarian Medical Rescue Joint Training Mission in the Lao capital of Vientiane, responded quickly and sent a team of 32 doctors to the site on July 25 at the request of the Lao defense ministry.

Carrying a large quantity of medical equipment and supplies, the team arrived at the site in batches by train or air, racing against time. The Peace Train medical contingent is an experienced team that participated in the relief efforts in the Wenchuan earthquake and Nepal earthquake. Some members have even gone to Africa to fight against Ebola.

In an open space beside the county hospital in Sanamxay, the Peace Train contingent erected two green military tents with the sign of the Red Cross. Near the tents was a reception table with long queues of flood victims. More than 10 doctors in olive green uniforms were busy treating the patients.

Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone visited the temporary medical location on July 28 and shook hands with the team members, saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed. China is a real friend for Laos."

Ordinary people are as grateful. Benlong, who managed to escape as his village was inundated with water, suffered a stomachache afterward. The doctors checked him with ultrasonic scanning and prescribed him pills.

Learning that the Global Times reporters are from China, the man, who is in his 70s, gave a firm handshake with tears in his eyes, saying, "China and Laos are one family. You help us a lot. Your [the PLA medical team] arrival makes us see hope in life again."

Saiasi, who was studying in a medical college related to the Lao ministry of national defense, was dispatched to help the Chinese medical team because he is able to speak Chinese. According to Saiasi, the team has never rested since they arrived in Sanamxay on July 26.

According to Jiang Wen, a member of the medical team and doctor with the first affiliated hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, a squad of the medical team visits the three shelters in Sanamxay every day.

"Most of the patients suffer from diarrhea, stomachache, or traumatic infection. We also found some tropical diseases they already suffered from. We will help them cure all these diseases," Jiang said.

Enterprises' effort

On July 30, a Chinese plane slowly landed at Vientiane International Airport. The plane carried urgently needed supplies for the flood-stricken area, including boats, water purifiers and tents. More aid from China has arrived since then.

Abundant signs of the Chinese aid were seen during several days of interviews. In Sanamxay, trucks had banners with Chinese characters, indicating that these supplies are from Chinese enterprises in Laos or local chambers of commerce and organizations.

In the Sanamxay middle school, which is one of the shelters, the victims of the disaster were getting relief materials donated by PowerChina, China Three Gorges Corporation, and many other Chinese companies.

"Many thanks to the Chinese who helped Laos get through the difficulties," a victim told the Global Times. At many rescue scenes, upon seeing the Global Times reporters, many Lao staff members would say simple Chinese greetings like xie xie to express their gratitude.

Currently, Laos has about 47 hydropower stations, and electricity is its main export and primary source of foreign exchange. Many of the stations are funded and built by Chinese companies.

After the flood, many Chinese enterprises have thrown themselves into relief work. For example, PowerChina has taken charge of providing relief supplies, equipment and technological assistance. PowerChina also helped restore roads and bridges severely damaged by the flooding. The company has dispatched more than 20 vehicles and 30 people, including experts in hydraulic engineering and hydroelectricity, to participate in the relief operation on the frontline.

The Global Times found that hydropower projects built by Chinese companies all have strict standards in terms of construction. This year, the strong rainstorms in Laos have caused the water levels to rise in many rivers and consequent floods. In this grim situation, companies like PowerChina have set a series of strict procedures and emergency plans, such as keeping a close eye on the structure of the dams and changes in the water level to prevent possible mishaps.
Today

Rain likely. Low 53F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 53F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Tomorrow

Showers in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. High 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
By Zhang Wenwen

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (ChinaMil) -- The US government re-imposed a wave of sanctions on Irans non-energy sectors including finance, metal, minerals, and automobiles on August 7, and sanctions on Irans oil industry and other fields were scheduled for early November.

Recently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy conducted a military exercise in the Persian Gulf waters. Although the spokesperson of the Iranian military claimed this was a "routine military exercise" aimed at ensuring the safety of international sea routes, the military exercise reminded watchers of Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis indicationif Iran is blocked from crude oil export, it may block the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz has strategic significance to global energy supply. Located between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, the strait is shaped like the Chinese character "" and is known as the "oil valve of the world". It is the only waterway that connects the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea and an important chokepoint for world shipping.

Middle East oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all rely on the Strait of Hormuz to transport oil to the rest of the world. About one-third of the world's oil trade on the sea depends on the Strait of Hormuz. Once blocked, it will have a major impact on global oil prices and the world economic situation. Besides, the US military relies on the Strait of Hormuz to transport military supplies to its military bases as well as some of the Gulf countries.

In the face of Irans threat of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the US made a tough response. The US Defense Secretary James Mattis warned that the US would conduct military intervention if Iran blocks the strait.

Some analysts believe that the confrontation between the US and Iran in the Persian Gulf area is unlikely to happen as the mainstream public opinion in Iran does not support escalating the contradictions with other countries, and its domestic media have kept a low profile on the recent military exercise.

However, the world has to be clearly aware that the US has posed a great threat to regional security and stability with the "big stick" of sanctions willfully waving in its hands. It has become more uncertain if Iran will withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal or if the arms race in the Middle East will intensify.

The US failure to keep its promise on the Iranian nuclear deal and sanctions against Iran will exacerbate the anti-American sentiments of the Iranian people, push various parties in Iran to give firmer support to a hard-line diplomacy, and further increase the possibility of the US-Iran confrontation.

At the same time, it is reported that the US government is getting in touch with a number of countries in the Persian Gulf area to establish a unified anti-Iran coalition, adding to the possibility of regional confrontation and conflicts.

The escalation of the US-Iran confrontation is the result of the unilateral withdrawal of the US government from the Iranian nuclear deal and the adoption of arbitrary sanctions. Re-imposing sanctions against Iran by the US lacks international legal basis. Hence, such a move has led to widespread criticism and resistance from the international community. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said on August 6 that the United Nations will continue to encourage countries to support the comprehensive agreement on Iranian nuclear issue.

As the US re-imposed sanctions against Iran in non-energy sectors, the European Commission announced on its website that the EU's latest anti-sanctions regulations came into effect on August 7 to protect the interests of its residents and companies.

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, issued a joint statement with foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany on August 6, saying that maintaining the comprehensive agreement on Iranian nuclear issue is a matter of respect for international agreements.

"The latest anti-sanctions regulations issued by EU will come into effect on August 7. The purpose is to protect European companies who are doing legitimate business with Iran from US extraterritorial sanctions." This joint statement once again highlights the divergence between the US and Europe on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Though Iran may not rashly take "closed-door" measures to block the Strait of Hormuz in the future, the confrontation between the US and Iran will surely become more complicated. It remains to be seen whether the two sides will spark an accidental conflict.

Disclaimer: The author is Zhang Wenwen. The article was published on the PLA Daily on August 8. It is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military online.
SALEM, Ore.  Those in Southern Oregon who frequently check air quality readings due to unhealthy levels of lingering smoke may be pleased to learn that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) which operates many of those monitoring stations just received a $314,375 investment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the EPA, the grant is specifically intended to help support the DEQ's air monitoring programs, maintaining the state's monitoring network for hazardous air pollutants. The DEQ also works to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants and enforces air regulations in the state.

Pollutants Levels Drop Between 1970 and 2017 (from the EPA) Sulfur dioxide (1-hour) -  88%

Lead (3-month average) -  80%

Carbon monoxide (8-hour) -  77%

Nitrogen dioxide (annual) -  56%

Fine Particulate Matter (24-hour) -  40%

Coarse Particulate Matter (24-hour) -  34%

Ground-level ozone (8-hour) -  22%

EPA and our regulatory partners at the state and local level have taken significant steps to dramatically reduce hazardous air pollutants and provide important health protections, said EPA Regional Administrator Chris Hladick. This grant helps further protect our communities and gives us a better understanding of the air pollution sources that may be affecting Oregons local air quality.

There are currently 187 hazardous air pollutants, or "air toxics," regulated under the Clean Air Act that have been associated with a wide variety of adverse health effects, including cancer and neurological effects. These air toxics come from multiple sourcesincluding major stationary, area, and mobile sources, resulting in community exposure to these pollutants.

The National Air Toxics Trends Station program was developed to fulfill the need for long-term hazardous air pollutants monitoring data of consistent quality. These sites are part of a 27-site national network of air pollution monitoring stations. The primary purpose of the network is tracking trends in ambient air pollutant levels to help measure progress toward reducing emissions and health risks.

DEQ is currently operating two of these National Air Toxics Trends monitoring sites in Oregon. One station is in La Grande (a rural site) and the other is in Portland (an urban site). EPA grant funding supports the activities of DEQ in the operation of these two sites. EPA has provided grant funding to support DEQs air quality monitoring program for more than a decade.

EPAs grant will support our ability to make science-based decisions, which is the cornerstone of our work and critical for advancing healthy communities and economic progress in Oregon, said DEQ Director Richard Whitman. Our progress is most effectively achieved with support from our federal partners and work with local communities to meet regulatory standards."

According to the EPA's most recent air trends report, the combined emissions of six major pollutants dropped by 73 percent between 1970 and 2017. The EPA also claims that average concentrations of many pollutants decreased significantly between 1990 and 2017 [see sidebar for more details].

The Clean Air Act was established to lower levels of six common pollutantsparticles, ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxideand toxic pollutants. The gathering of data on actual conditions is key to both state and local clean air programs.
By Zhao Danfeng and Ren Yinni

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (ChinaMil) -- Chinas second peacekeeping helicopter detachment, which will be deployed to the UN peacekeeping mission area in Darfur, Sudan, was established at an army aviation brigade of the PLA 81st Group Army on Tuesday morning.

The second detachment is equipped with four Mi-171 medium multi-purpose helicoptersand consists of an aviation company, a maintenance company and a support company, with 140 peacekeepers in total.

In order to carry out tasks effectively, the peacekeeping helicopter detachment has conducted various training programs based on the actual situation of the mission area, as well as language training and foreign affairs knowledge, prior to their departure.

The second detachment will fly to the mission area at Sudan in two batches in mid or late August respectively. Their main duties are to conduct support tasks, such as air patrol, battlefield reconnaissance, and transportation of personnel and supplies.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the UNs peacekeeping operations and also the 28th anniversary of Chinas participation in UN peacekeeping operations. China has become the major troop-contributing and fund-contributing country to UN peacekeeping operations and has made significant contributions to safeguarding world peace.
Sebelum Anda bermain, Anda perlu mengetahui apa yang Anda butuhkan untuk masuk ke dalam permainan roulette kasino online ini. Jika Anda sudah mendaftar di situs judi casino online dan sudah memberikan user ID, login terlebih dahulu dan pilih menu live casino yang tertera di situs judi tersebut. Pertama pilih dealer dan putuskan sendiri, lalu pilih meja atau kursi di dalam ruangan. Jika namanya tertera dan berwarna coklat, maka kursi tersebut sudah ditempati oleh pemain lain, dan pilihlah kursi kosong berwarna hitam.

Kasino Roulette adalah salah satu permainan paling populer di situs perjudian kasino. Jadi dalam permainan ini kamu harus menebak angka berapa yang akan keluar. Ada 36 nomor berbeda dalam permainan populer ini di mana sebuah bola kecil diputar dan dilemparkan ke dalam mesin roulette. Anda harus menebak dari mana bola kecil itu masuk dan di nomor berapa ia berhenti. Ada banyak jenis pilihan angka dari 0-36, dan mereka dihitung secara berbeda. Sebagai agen casino terpercaya, panduan permainan roulette ini juga memberikan informasi tentang jenis pilihan dan nama permainan roulette casino online sebagai berikut:

Jika Anda ingin bermain roulette di situs kasino online, caranya sangat sederhana. Anda dapat bermain di Kasino ION, Kasino Sbobet, dan Situs Kasino. Di bawah ini adalah artikel panduan bermain di mana Anda dapat mempelajari roulette langsung dan memainkannya di situs judi online mana pun.

tangkapan layar

Sebelum Anda bermain, Anda perlu mengetahui apa yang Anda butuhkan untuk masuk ke dalam permainan roulette kasino online ini. Jika Anda sudah mendaftar di situs judi casino online dan sudah memberikan user ID, login terlebih dahulu dan pilih menu live casino yang tertera di situs judi online tersebut. Pertama pilih dealer dan putuskan sendiri, lalu pilih meja atau kursi di dalam ruangan. Jika namanya tertera dan berwarna coklat, maka kursi tersebut sudah ditempati oleh pemain lain, dan pilihlah kursi kosong berwarna hitam.

Panduan Bermain Online Kasino Roulette

Kasino Roulette adalah salah satu permainan paling populer di situs perjudian kasino. Jadi dalam permainan ini kamu harus menebak angka berapa yang akan keluar. Ada 36 nomor berbeda dalam permainan populer ini di mana sebuah bola kecil diputar dan dilemparkan ke dalam mesin roulette. Anda harus menebak dari mana bola kecil itu masuk dan di nomor berapa ia berhenti. Ada banyak jenis pilihan angka dari 0-36, dan mereka dihitung secara berbeda. Sebagai agen casino terpercaya, panduan permainan roulette ini juga memberikan informasi tentang jenis pilihan dan nama permainan roulette casino online sebagai berikut:

1. Straight Up: Penempatan angka tunggal dari 0 hingga 36. Contoh perhitungan straight up adalah mengalikan taruhan dengan 35. Ini adalah jenis taruhan tertinggi dalam permainan roulette kasino, jadi 50 dikalikan dengan 35 memberi Anda 1750, mengapa jenis taruhan ini menghasilkan pengembalian yang begitu tinggi? Hal ini karena tidak mudah untuk memenangkan pilihan nomor dengan memilih hanya satu nomor dari banyak.

2. Taruhan split: Jenis taruhan yang ditempatkan pada dua angka atau di antara dua angka yang berbeda. Misalnya, menempatkan di sela-sela angka 9 dan 12 atau 13d dan 14 dihitung sebagai jenis taruhan split. Setiap nomor dapat ditempatkan dalam jenis ini selama nomor tersebut berdekatan dan persis seperti Gambar A dan B. Untuk taruhan ini, jika Anda memenangkan contoh dan mengalikannya dengan 850, Anda akan menerima jumlah taruhan yang dikalikan dengan 17. .

3. Taruhan jalanan: bertaruh dengan 3 angka ke bawah, misalnya 1,2,3 atau 10,11,12. Semua taruhan jalan akan menerima kemenangan dikalikan dengan 11. Misalnya, 50 dikalikan 550.

4. Taruhan sudut: Jenis taruhan di mana empat angka ditempatkan saling berhadapan, seperti 13,14,16,17 atau 19,20,22,23. Semua angka valid karena terdiri dari 4 angka yang diisi seperti kotak dan taruhan dikalikan 8 (misalnya 50 kali 800).

5. Taruhan baris: Atau, Anda dapat mengatakan bahwa ada 6 jenis taruhan yang terdiri dari 2 baris, tetapi 6 poin dengan 2 peregangan, seperti taruhan jalanan. Misalnya, jika Anda memilih angka 7 hingga 12 dan 13 hingga 18, taruhan 50 adalah 5 kali dan kemudian dikalikan dengan 250 kemenangan.

6. Kolom Inner Bet: Jenis taruhan vertikal dengan 12 poin berturut-turut, seperti kolom numerik 1,4,7,10,13,19,22,25,25,28,22,24,34 atau kolom lainnya. Dan jika dia memenangkan kolom, 50 taruhan digandakan dan 100 taruhan.

7. Lusin : Jenis taruhan menempatkan 12 angka tetapi menempatkannya pada kotak berbentuk seperti contoh Kolom A dengan angka 1 sampai 12 dan odds dengan kolom lain untuk dipilih dengan memilih 1 kotak pertama untuk Kolom A. Kalikan dengan 2, 50 taruhan 100.

8. Zero part : Cara bertaruh 0.1,2,3 sama persis seperti di gambar, karena berdekatan dengan angka 0, anda hanya bisa bertaruh 0.1,2,3. Menempatkan taruhan ini mengalikannya dengan 50. hingga 8.

9. Zero Corner: Bertaruh pada angka 0.1,2 atau 0.2,3 adalah dua pilihan karena Anda hanya bertaruh mendekati angka nol. Jenis taruhan ini dikalikan 11 jika taruhan menang.

10. Two Dozen: Jenis taruhan dengan hanya dua pilihan: 1-18 atau 19-36. Jika taruhan Anda adalah 50, itu dikalikan dengan 1 hingga 50 jika Anda menang.

11. Merah atau Hitam: Masukkan taruhan Anda dengan memilih Merah atau Hitam sebagai warna angka yang muncul saat taruhan 50.

12. Genap/Ganjil: Pilih angka yang menghasilkan jumlah jenis taruhan ganjil.
U.S. national security adviser John Bolton accused North Korea Tuesday of failing to move ahead with denuclearization pledged by Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-un at his Singapore summit in June with U.S. President Donald Trump.

"What we really need is not more rhetoric," Bolton said in an interview on Fox News. "What we need is performance from North Korea on denuclearization." He said that since the summit, North Korea "has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize."

Bolton said the U.S. is not considering relaxation of its economic sanctions against Pyongyang. The key White House official said that Trump, in a recent letter to Kim, proposed sending U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo back to the North Korean capital for further talks. Trump also said he was willing to hold a second summit with Kim.

It was the second time in three days that Bolton expressed irritation at Pyongyang's slow moves in implementing Kim's vague pledge to Trump to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. His attacks came as U.S. news reports said North Korea was continuing to build missiles and produce plutonium.


UPDATE: Cottage Grove police have arrested two in a carjacking and kidnapping reported in Cottage Grove Wednesday.

Police said they identified Dustin Borg, 37, and Kristie Jones, 28, as suspects. They found the two in a motel room and arrested them.

Both are now in the Lane County Jail facing charges including robbery and kidnapping.

On Aug. 8 a man reported being kidnapped and his car stolen. Police have located the vehicle.

_____________________

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. -- Cottage Grove police are looking for the people they say carjacked and kidnapped a person this morning.

Officers said the suspects pointed a gun at the victim around 2:35 a.m. on the 700 block of Gibbs Avenue, and they drove the victim to an unknown location where they released that person.

Police said they are looking for a man and woman, both white, driving a white Chevy Malibu with Oregon plates.

Anyone who has information is asked to call police.
WINSTON, Ore. -- First responders are raising awareness about the 'slow down, move over' law by partnering with Spirit Ride.

Spirit Ride is a nation-wide campaign highlighting the sacrifices of first responders that are killed when drivers dont follow the law, which requires drivers to move into a non-adjacent lane or slow down when approaching a vehicle stopped on the side of the road.

Every year 100 men and women are killed on average in the line of duty when responding to wrecks.

On Tuesday, law enforcement, firefighters and towing companies gathered at Wildlife Safari in Winston for a ceremony to promote the need for public to obey the law.

Gary Provencal, owner of Kokua Towing, said while theyre saving lives, they need you to protect theirs.

"Just passing a law doesnt cut it," Provencal said. "Everybody needs to be made aware and kept aware that when you see emergency services on the side of the road, slow down or move over. Its important to all of us. We all want to go home at the end of the day.

The commemorative casket is on its way to California.

When this years tour is completed in November, it will have covered well over 30,000 miles.
EUGENE, Ore. -- The University of Oregon is considering tearing down the historic McArthur Court for it's new $45 million classroom building and faculty office.

After a meeting Tuesday, the building planning committee narrowed the list of five potential sites down to three.

Those three include Mac Court, a parking lot across the street from the Prince Lucien Campbell building and Collier House.

The Collier House also holds historic value to the University as it is one of the school's oldest buildings and a city landmark. If that site is chosen, Collier House will be moved rather than demolished.

If Mac Court is selected from the list of three sites, planning associate Eleni Tsivitzi said the entire arena would likely be demolished. However, she said there's a chance it could be remodeled.

"We are very interested and eager to get feedback from campus and the wider community as well," Tsivitzi said. "This has been a challenging process of analysis."

The University held a public open house Tuesday evening for the three sites.

Tsivitzi said the next one is scheduled for Sept. 27.
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. -- Parents of Special Olympics athletes plan to protest on Main Street Wednesday to demand answers from the state organization after tens of thousands of dollars went missing from an endowment fund for Cottage Grove Special Olympics.

The money was gifted by Michelle Portmann, a local educator who died in 2011. Volunteers in Cottage Grove said the money paid for uniforms, equipment, and other expenses, and they thought it was going to last them for generations. But on Aug. 1 volunteers said state organizers told them the account was never set up and they had no record of the money.

RELATED: VOLUNTEER: $50,000 MISSING FROM COTTAGE GROVE SPECIAL OLYMPICS ACCOUNT

Janine Nilsen, whose son Eric has Down Syndrome and competes in Special Olympics events, plans to attend the protest.

I'm saddened by the lack of empathy for people they serve and the compassion and the priority that this should take over anything," Nilsen said. "Im very disappointed.

Special Olympics Oregon told KEZI 9 News that roughly $14,000 from the account has been found, but that's far less than the $50,000 documents show was in the account at the end of 2016. Officials said 2017's books are still being audited. In a statement, they said "Special Olympics Oregon and its newly installed CEO, Britt Carlson Oase, are committed to achieving greater transparency and education moving forward."

Even so, Nilsen said she plans to make her voice heard until she finds out what happened to the money.

Raising the question of where has this money gone and why, Nilsen said. Bringing the people who are responsible for this into account because they need to be called to the table. They need to face the people they have cheated out of all this fun.

Organizers plan to start the protest at 4 p.m. Wed. at Opal Park in Cottage Grove.
The United States on Tuesday declined to get involved in a diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia, two of its closest allies.

Both countries have recalled each other's ambassadors after Canada criticized the Saudis for arresting human rights activists.

"Regarding Canada, we have raised that with the government of Saudi Arabia. They are friends. They are partners. Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday.

Nauert said the U.S. would ask the Saudis for more information about the arrests and urged them to "respect due process."
EUGENE, Ore. -- As qualified employees in several trades retire, employers throughout western Oregon are struggling to find skilled replacements.

Kristina Payne, executive director of the Lane Workforce Partnership, said the carpentry, nursing and electrician trades are among those most hurting.

Payne said most people dont realize these jobs tend to have good pay and benefits and often dont require a college degree.

When we said college for all, what we should really say is additional education beyond high school, Payne said. And what individuals really should be focusing on -- young people -- is exploring what their natural skills and abilities are.

Payne said there are a variety of ways for people to get a degree or certificate that qualifies them for these jobs.

Payne said people can get additional education at a community college or through an apprenticeship program through a number of companies.
EUGENE, Ore. -- The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County announced Wednesday it has withdrawn a proposal to build the new teen boys shelter on the Bethel School District property.

Executive Director Terry McDonald said the agency is searching for a new location for the shelter in the Eugene, Springfield or Bethel school districts.

McDonald said there are three main reasons as to why they're reconsidering a new location.

"The degree to which people in the neighborhood believe that we kind of snuck this into the neighbors, that there was no consideration of the neighborhood characteristics and that St. Vincent de Paul was doing this ahead of a due process and involving people and not getting fair market value for the property," McDonald said.

This announcement follows months of pushback from community members.

"It's fantastic that the school board and St. Vincent de Paul took the time, paused, backed up, talked to the community, listened to the wants and needs of the people in this community and balanced that with the kids who need to finish high school," said Bethel resident Vern Hayden.

"I think it's great that we're trying to find the best location for this house and the best location for the program ... not an easy one, not a convenient one but the best one," Hayden said.

Dwayne Raabe, a Bethel resident, said if the site were still to be located in it's original proposed location, he would be happy to have the boys as neighbors.

"How would I feel if I was a homeless teenager and school was a problem so I feel the 15 or so they would have living there and young people who want to make a change in their life," Raabe said.

Neighbors also told KEZI 9 News they did not feel involved in the early stages of the process and McDonald said he hopes to rebuild their trust.

Last week St. Vincent de Paul and the school district held listening sessions to hear feedback from community members.

The meetings consisted of multi-sided conversations, with some offering criticism of the location near Legacy and Avalon streets in the Meadow View neighborhood of Eugene and others offering praise.

McDonald said their next step is to look for locations and involve neighbors before any serious planning starts.

St. Vincent de Paul spokesperson, Paul Neville, previously told KEZI he would like to begin construction of the site in spring next year, but McDonald said that may need to be pushed back. However, he did say that it all depends on when they can find a new location.
Police on Tuesday raided the offices of Shinil Group and homes of executives over a scam about a sunken Russian ship full of gold.

The company is accused of fraud for luring investors with claims that it found the Dmitrii Donskoi, a Russian warship that sank off the coast of Ulleung Island during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, with W150 trillion worth of gold bars on board.

Twenty-seven investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided a total of eight locations that morning, including the group's headquarters and international office, the homes of five executives, and a server management firm.

"We're trying to gather as much evidence as possible from accounting files and office computers to prove their crime," a police officer said.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A trial is set for the man accused of stabbing people at a Mason City bar.

Raul Millares Arias, 39 of Mason City, is charged with five counts of willful injury resulting in serious injury and one count of going armed with intent. Police say he stabbed five people in the neck and back on the night of July 4 at the Place 2B. Authorities say Arias had an eight inch blade but none of the wounds were life threatening.

Arias is pleading not guilty to all charges. His trial is scheduled to being on September 11.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A man accused of hitting someone in the face with a knife is pleading not guilty.

Jared Michael Kropf, 28 of Ames, is scheduled to stand trial on October 2 for willful injury causing serious injury as a habitual offender and 2nd degree criminal mischief.

He was arrested July 10. Law enforcement says an argument in the 900 block of 16th Street NE in Mason City escalated when Kropf took out a pocket knife and, without unfolding the blade, hit a man in the face with it. Authorities say the victim suffered a fractured orbital bone on the right side of his face.

Kropf is also accused of damaging the victims car by breaking out the windows, tail lights, and trunk.
MASON CITY, Iowa  Two people arrested in a North Iowa drug bust are pleading not guilty.

Heather Mae Copas, 37 of Clear Lake, is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver methadone hydrochloride, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and failure to use a drug tax stamp.



Joshua Debower Joshua Debower

Joshua Dean Debower, 26 of Clear Lake, is charged with possession of meth.

They were arrested after Clear Lake police searched a home in the 10 block of Plaza Drive on July 13. Officers said they found over 20 grams of meth, as well as marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Copas and Debower are scheduled to stand trial on October 16.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A Cerro Gordo County teen is pleading not guilty to dealing drugs.

Tirrell Harlan Hopkins, 18 of Mason City, was arrested in the early morning hours of July 3 after he was stopped by police who suspected he was driving drunk. Officers say Hopkins was found with marijuana, plastic baggies, marijuana max in a small case, and small baggie of cocaine was found in his underwear when he was booked into the county jail.

Hopkins is pleading not guilty to possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of contraband in a correctional facility. His trial is set to begin on October 16.
BEIJING, Aug 8 (Reuters) - China's monthly aluminium exports rose to their second-highest level on record in July, as a weaker yuan and a still-favourable price arbitrage to international markets outweighed the imposition of U.S. import tariffs and growing trade tensions.

China's unwrought aluminium and aluminium product exports came in at 519,000 tonnes last month, the General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday.

That was up 1.8 percent from 510,000 tonnes in June, previously the second-highest figure on record, and up 18 percent from 440,000 tonnes in July 2017. Meanwhile China's steel product exports came in at 5.89 million tonnes in July, customs said. The figure was down 15 percent from 6.94 million tonnes in June, the highest in 11 months, and down the same percentage from 6.96 million tonnes in July last year.

China is the world's top producer of steel and aluminium, which have been subject to 25 percent and 10 percent import tariffs, respectively, in the United States, since March 23.

Many steel and aluminium products were also included in a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on which the United States has threatened to impose higher tariffs from September. Elsewhere, tight checks by customs to halt the smuggling of scrap steel to Southeast Asia have forced some Chinese steel exporters to cancel or delay shipments, benefiting rival exporting-countries like Russia. [nL4N1U21JS

For more details, click on (Reporting by Tom Daly and Muyu Xu Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
* LME/ShFE arb: bit.ly/2wZSAEz

* GRAPHIC-2018 asset returns: tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl

* Aluminium jumps to highest since July 24 (Updates prices, adds quotes)

By Zandi Shabalala

LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Copper edged lower on Wednesday as the United States geared up to begin collecting tariffs on a further $16 billion of Chinese goods later this month but a weaker dollar stemmed losses.

Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange slipped 0.1 percent to $6,168 per tonne by 1538 GMT.

The metal used in power and construction rose 0.6 percent in previous session on short-covering and optimism that China will prop up its economy with stimulus measures.

The news overshadowed data showing exports from top metals consumer China surged more than expected in July despite U.S. duties.

Copper is still a metal that is suffering under the trade conflict between the U.S. and China, said Quantitative Commodity Research consultant Peter Fertig.

Any new message in this trade conflict which is not pointing towards de-escalation has a negative impact on risky assets including commodities and base metals, he said, adding that support for the metal was near $6,000 per tonne.

CHINA COPPER: Chinas imports of copper concentrate rose to an all-time high last month as Chinese smelters ramped up purchases to feed their growing capacity and take advantage of high processing charges.

CHINA ALUMINIUM: Chinas aluminium exports rose to their second-highest level on record in July, as a weaker yuan and a still-favourable price arbitrage to international markets outweighed the imposition of U.S. import tariffs and growing trade tensions.

ALUMINIUM JUMPS: Aluminium jumped more than 3 percent to a two-week high of $2,113.50 per tonne, in a flurry of activity in afternoon trade.

Aluminium was held down by fund selling and now that has turned around, a trader said, adding the softer dollar had helped the metal push higher.

DOLLAR: A weaker greenback makes dollar-denominated commodities cheaper for non-U.S. firms, a relationship used by funds to generate buy and sell signals.

ESCONDIDA: The union at Chiles Escondida copper mine, the worlds largest, said BHP must alter its negotiating strategy and improve its contract offer during the final phase of talks if it hoped to avoid a strike.

ALUMINIUM STOCKS: On-warrant stocks of aluminium available to the market in LME-registered warehouses touched their lowest since August 2007 at 833,075 tonnes. MALSTX-TOTAL

Stocks monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange are down 8 percent to 905,924 tonnes from this years peak but still up over 20 percent in 2018.

ALCOA WALKOUT: Alcoa workers in Western Australia have walked out indefinitely over an enterprise agreement dispute with the aluminium maker, the Australian Workers Union said.

OTHER METALS: Lead fell 0.6 percent to $2,137, tin was down 0.6 percent at $19,465, zinc gained 0.5 percent to $2,612.50, nickel was up 1 percent to $13,985.
(Kitco News) - The gold market is once again under pressure as trade tensions between the U.S. and China continue to escalate.

Tuesday, the U.S. government announced that it would raise tariff to 25% on $16 billion worth of good from China. China quickly followed suit and Wednesday also raised tariffs to 25% on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports.

The gold market quickly saw all of its session gains erased following the latest trade rhetoric and is now negative on the day as investors move back into the safety of the U.S. dollar. December gold futures last traded $1,216.70 an ounce, down 0.13% on the day.

Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank said that it is not surprising to see gold down on the trade news. He added that in the near-term increased tariffs will put more pressure on the yuan, which will continue to push the U.S. dollar higher and weigh on gold.

In the near-term gold prices could fall to critical support around $1,180 an ounce, he said. However, he added that he is not ready to throw in the towel on the yellow metal just yet.

While the market still hasnt bottomed, he said that he sees some positive signs for gold.

Short-term the trade war will be bad for gold, but the longer this goes on, the more the U.S. economy is at risk, he said. A weaker U.S. economy will weigh on the U.S. dollar and give gold the opportunity it needs to shine.

Aside from trade wars, Hansen said that momentum in the U.S. dollar appears to be waning.

There is going to be a limit to U.S. dollar strength because it will start to weigh on growth, he said. The U.S. government still has to deal with its growing debt and with their record bond issuances.

Although Hansen does see some prospects for gold later in the year, he added that a lot of work has to be done before all of the negative sentiment in the marketplace is erased.

He added that the first level traders need to watch is $1,235 an ounce as this is critical initial resistance. Ultimately, he said that prices need to get back to $1,300 to attract significant investment capital.

Gold can push to $1,265 an ounce and it could still be viewed as a weak correction in a major downtrend, he said. But if we get above $1,235 we will see some bears start to sweat.

Because of golds historic short-positioning, the market could see a powerful short-squeeze if once the precious metals fortuned have turned, he said.

For investors looking for investment opportunities, Hansen said that he likes the idea of buying December $1,250 call options. He added that these are far enough out of the money to provide value for investors and it might not take much to push prices above this level by the end of the year.
The U.S. also called on its allies including Korea and India to halt imports of Iranian crude oil before Nov. 5, when the second stage of the sanctions begins.

The boycott bans dollar purchases by Iran and imposes sanctions against businesses that do business with it in order to isolate the Iran in international financial markets.

Trump on Tuesday initiated a secondary boycott threatening foreign countries that they have a choice of either trading with Iran or the U.S.

Korean petrochemical and construction firms are worried after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions against Iran after unilaterally pulling out of an international nuclear deal with Tehran.

This could have a devastating impact on Korean refiners, who were among the first to resume business with Iran when the deal was agreed with the U.S., EU, Russia and China in 2015.

The government here has already asked the U.S. for an exemption from the sanctions. "During a meeting with U.S. officials last month, we asked to be exempted from the sanctions in return for cutting down on imports of Iranian crude oil," an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said.

Korea has been bracing for the fresh sanctions by decreasing Iranian crude imports from 11.59 million barrels in March or 14 percent of its total oil imports to 5.6 percent or 5.49 million barrels in June.

Iranian crude is favored by Korean refiners and chemical companies since it is cheaper than oil from other Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia.

Iran is also the No. 1 foreign market for the Korean construction industry, and the sanctions could deliver a significant blow to builders here. Korean construction companies won a total of US$523 million worth of orders from Iran last year, including a 3.1 billion euro gas plant for Hyundai Engineering and Construction in March of 2017.

But the other parties to the nuclear deal are still on board, and the EU has called on firms to defy the fresh U.S. sanctions and evoked an opt-out mechanism. Trump is believed to be trying to make waves ahead of U.S. mid-term elections before seeking a fresh deal with Iran.
* July copper concs imports up 31.8 pct y/y to record 1.845 mln T* China smelters buying more ore amid capacity expansion - analyst* Unwrought copper imports at 452,000 T last month

(Recasts, adds analyst comment)

BEIJING, Aug 8 (Reuters) - China's monthly imports of copper concentrate rose to a record in July as Chinese smelters ramped up purchases to feed their growing capacity and take advantage of high processing charges.

China, the world's biggest copper consumer, imported 1.845 million tonnes of copper ores and concentrates last month, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Wednesday.

That was up 31.8 percent from a year earlier, beating the previous record of 1.78 million tonnes in November 2017, and also 5.4 percent higher than the revised figure of 1.75 million tonnes imported in June.

"China is adding new smelting capacity and it is also the case that the copper price is going down and the spot treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) are going higher, so that is maybe the reason smelters are importing more concentrate to process," said Helen Lau, an analyst at Argonaut Securities in Hong Kong.

Miners pay copper smelters the TC/RCs, which Lau said were currently in the high $80s per tonne, to process ore into refined metal.

The TC/RCs fall when supply decreases, which could soon be the case amid the prospect of a labour strike at the Escondida copper mine, the world's largest, in Chile. Meanwhile, China's unwrought copper imports - which include anode, refined, alloy and semi-finished copper products - rose by 2.7 percent from a month ago to 452,000 tonnes in July, customs said. The imports were up 15.9 percent year-on-year. For more details, click on (Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
* Conte says wont make foolish demands when negotiating with EU

* Italian government bond yields lower 5-7 bps on comments

* Econ Min Tria says budget plans compatible with EU rules (Adds quotes, background)

By Abhinav Ramnarayan and Virginia Furness

LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Italian government bonds rallied across the curve on Wednesday after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the government would not make foolish demands while negotiating with the European Commission over its 2019 budget.

Conte told a news conference that Italy would negotiate with the commission on a courageous budget programme but would not be unreasonable and foolish in our demands.

Yields were down 5-7 basis points across the curve after the comments, having been flat to 2 bps lower on the day just before.

The yield on the countrys benchmark 10-year government bond was lower 5 bps at 2.82 percent, its lowest in nearly a week, while the closely-watched spread over Germany was at 242 bps, also its tightest in nearly a week.

Contes remarks can be understood as a sign that some spending measures could be phased in over more than one year, said Mizuho strategist Antoine Bouvet.

In general, the tone also seems non-confrontational which helps in terms of Italys relationship with the EU. But it is very early in the process, he added.

Italian government bond yields had already been close to their weekly lows in early trade, after Economy Minister Giovanni Tria told local news paper Il Sole 24 Ore that all reforms included in the governments plans were compatible with Italys EU commitments on public finances.

Italian public spending is a key focus for investors, with the eurosceptic governments high spending plans unnerving financial markets.

Italy is one of the most indebted countries in the euro zone, with a debt-to-GDP ratio 131.8 percent at the end of last year, according to Eurostat. This compares with 86.7 percent for the euro zone overall.

Borrowing costs among other euro zone sovereigns were little changed with the yield on Germanys 10-year government bond, the benchmark for the region, flat at 0.41 percent. (Reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan and Virginia Furness Editing by Sujata Rao and Raissa Kasolowsky)
In a survey of 3,011 part-time workers by job portal Albamon released on Tuesday, 85.8 percent, or 2,583 respondents, said they were concerned about the minimum wage hike next year.

More than half of part-time workers are concerned that the increased minimum wage next year will cost them work.

As reasons, some 57 percent cited difficulty finding a job as there would be fewer part-time jobs available because small business owners cannot afford the hike.

Some 47 percent said they feared a rise in living costs, and 21 percent were worried about layoffs and shortened work hours.

Respondents were allowed to give multiple answers.

Part-time workers were also concerned that small businesses will face tougher financial conditions. Some 82.2 percent said they could understand employers' concerns, and only 17.8 percent said they could not.

The minimum wage will increase by 10.9 percent to W8,350 per hour next year (US$1=W1,123). Some 49 percent of part-time workers said the increase is in line with their expectations.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Rain ending early. Remaining cloudy. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Rain ending early. Remaining cloudy. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Some 10 months have passed since North Korean coal was imported into South Korea labeled as Russian in origin, but the government has not held a single meeting to discuss the issue.

A government official said Tuesday, "The Foreign Ministry has served as the main contact point and notified the Korea Customs Service, Unification Ministry and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, while keeping the National Intelligence Service briefed."

"We have not held a government-wide meeting, but will look into holding one," he added.

But a government-wide response could be crucial in blocking the future import of illegal North Korean coal and manage the fallout of the scandal.

There are concerns that this lack of coordination among government agencies led to the import and use by KOEN of North Korean coal mislabeled as Russian last year. A KOEN staffer said, "We were investigated by the KCS in November last year, but nobody told us about suspicions that the cargo was from North Korea. We wouldn't have used it if we'd known."
Memos by former Woori Financial Holdings chairman Lee Pal-seung that were submitted as evidence at trial on Tuesday reveals that he bribed ex-President Lee Myung-bak to the tune of W3 billion (US$1=W1,123).

The memos suggest Lee took the bribes in cash and kind but proved thankless in return. Prosecutors submitted the 41 pages document written between January and May 2008 in court after they were provided by Lee Pal-seung, who apparently still feels bitter.

The former president is charged with taking W2.25 billion in cash and W12.3 million worth of suits from Lee Pal-seung, either through his brother and former lawmaker Lee Sang-deuk or his son in law Lee Sang-joo.


A fund managed by Macquarie invested in the Seoul-Chuncheon Highway, which opened in 2009. Courtesy of Seoul-Chuncheon Highway



Platform throws down gauntlet to Macquarie on fees



By Park Hyong-ki



Platform Partners Asset Management will continue to fight Macquarie Korea Asset Management over what Platform claims is Macquarie's "irregular and unreasonable management fee and incentive structure."



Macquarie said last week in a press statement it would lower its fees by 8 percent from what it collected in 2017, in accordance with the Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund's (MKIF) enterprise value, without taking into account its net debt.



Platform responded Macquarie's fee reduction move is "insignificant and meaningless," adding it will up the ante against the Australian fund manager at its shareholders' meeting on Sept. 19.



As an activist investor, Elliot Tcha, Platform's managing director, believes Macquarie has been collecting "too much" in management fees and incentives for the small amount of work it has been doing for the fund's shareholders, including its minority ones.



He said Platform wants to set things right once and for all.



"Minority shareholders are shareholders. Our voices about this issue need to be heard at the meeting," Tcha said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul.



"We are not going after the money Macquarie has earned over the last two decades since the fund's stock listing. The management contract is hurting shareholder value. Our fight is to make it fair and reasonable."



Macquarie has been managing the MKIF since the early 2000s. The MKIF has 12 infrastructure assets including the Yongin-Seoul Expressway, Seoul-Chuncheon Highway and Incheon Airport Expressway.



Platform holds a 4.99 percent stake in the fund, with a 3.2 percent voting right. Macquarie Group has 3.6 percent of the fund. Tcha worked at Macquarie Korea for about 10 years before joining Platform, an asset manager and a shareholder activist that invests in infrastructure and biotechnology.



Macquarie has earned 535.3 billion won ($475 million) from managing the fund since 2006, Tcha said, citing its data.



The Australian asset manager has taken an average of 30 percent of what the fund's shareholders have received as returns on investment. Macquarie also gets incentives when the fund's stock price increases.



For instance, when the fund surpasses 10,000 won per share, Macquarie gets 60 billion won in incentives. The higher the incentives it gets, the lower the returns for its shareholders because Macquarie delivers the returns after subtracting its fees and incentives, Tcha explained.



The fund is currently trading little above 9,000 won per share.



This is why its shareholders do not want to see the share price of the fund to go up, leading some investors to unload its shares to keep it below 10,000 won.



Tcha said Macquarie is making "excessive gains" from those 12 infrastructure assets whose positive cash flows are guaranteed by the government. The assets' main source of revenue is toll fees and taxes paid by people and residents.



In other words, Macquarie is just sitting back without putting out a lot of effort or reinvesting its gains, and acting like a "chaebol" with a minority stake but thinks it is in full control over the 12 assets as if they were its subsidiaries, he added.



"It is working only for Macquarie Group's interest, and not for its shareholders," Tcha said. "Fund managers are like butlers. If they do not work hard or at all, their employers have the right to change or let them go."



This is the reason Platform Partners in alliance with other minority shareholders has called for the fee reduction and change of fund manager, aligned with standards in advanced countries.



The country's securities law only allows boards to decide on management service fees. And Macquarie had used "delayed tactics" by not responding to Platform's calls. Macquarie asked Platform recently for a certificate of proof showing the activist was one of the fund's shareholders, he noted.



Platforms then sent it to Macquarie, and requested to hold a shareholder meeting where it seeks to raise the fee issue with other shareholders.



"How can a fund manager not recognize its investors? It has deliberately been delaying opening a meeting, and framing this as a hostile takeover by us. This is nonsense," Tcha said.



"Only the board can decide on the fees. But we can raise the issue at the shareholders meeting and gather a consensus, while demanding a change in the fund manager."



It seeks to change it to KORAMCO REITS Management & Trust, which agreed to manage the fund at one-eighth of Macquarie's management fees. KORAMCO would manage it until the fund selects a new asset manager through a "fair bidding" process, he said.



Macquarie gets fees 20 times more than what KDB Infrastructure Investments Asset Management receives for managing the investment in the Seoul-Chuncheon Highway, Tcha noted.



"Any managers such as KB or Mirae Asset can then come in and bid for it."



Earlier, Macquarie said its fee structure is similar to that of other global infrastructure funds, citing Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP), John Laing Infrastructure Fund (JLIF) and 3i Infrastructure as examples.



Tcha, in response, said they are similar.



But he stressed the big difference is "they are active investors and Macquarie is a passive one," adding BIP and 3i and JLIF have been actively investing and reinvesting their own money and gains in new projects and assets over the years.



The number of assets MKIF invested in over the last decade is zero, and Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. in the U.S. has not made any investment since 2015, according to data provided by Tcha.



There were eight listed funds managed by Macquarie with a similar fee structure. Seven no longer exist following their shareholders' discontent over management. Only one continues to exists, and that is MKIF.



"Shareholder activism is about engaging to fix what has gone wrong and change to make a better investment environment," Tcha said.




The number of nights that foreign guests stayed at hotels and other accommodations averaged 5.66 in the first half of the year, with 55.3 percent of them visiting the South Korean capital for recreation, fun and holidays, a survey showed Wednesday.

According to the survey conducted by the Seoul metropolitan government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation, 83.8 percent of 3,000 foreign respondents picked the Myeongdong shopping area as the most popular destination in the city.

More than 92 percent of the respondents said they enjoyed shopping the most, while the first thing about 79 percent wanted to do during their stay in Seoul was to taste the local cuisine.

Fifty-seven percent and 50.5 percent visited duty-free stores and traditional markets, respectively, for shopping. Cosmetics topped the list of goods they bought with 68.1 percent, trailed by garments with 55.1 percent and food with 39 percent.

The survey also revealed an overwhelming 94.3 percent of the respondents tasted Korean food, with street food, and cafes and coffee shops enjoyed by 64.5 percent and 49.6 percent, respectively.

It found 48.6 percent of the respondents made a second visit to Seoul, compared with 42.5 percent in the same period last year. Almost 90 percent of foreign visitors to Seoul said they wish to visit again, it said. (Yonhap)
By Kim Bo-eun



Multiple reports of ships allegedly carrying North Korean coal to South Korea are expected to weigh on the alliance between South Korea and the U.S., despite the two governments stating that this is an excessive concern.



But these discoveries are becoming a sensitive issue for the U.S., which has vowed to maintain sanctions strictly until the North takes concrete denuclearization steps.



The government is currently investigating nine instances of suspected North Korean coal imports. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions imposed last August ban Pyongyang from exporting coal, iron and other mineral resources, and member states from buying them.



A further damning allegation is that suspected North Korean coal was bought by a subsidiary of the state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).



The U.S. has maintained a clear stance on North Korean sanctions, with Washington issuing an enforcement advisory last month, days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the UNSC and called for the strict maintenance of the restrictions imposed on Pyongyang.



"We still want strict enforcement of all the sanctions _ we continuously speak with all the countries in the region about the importance of that," National Security Adviser John Bolton said in an interview with Fox News, referring to the cases under investigation.





UN approves plan to unlock humanitarian aid to North Korea US holds key to ending Korean War What are possible steps to ease North Korean sanctions "We're not going to tolerate diminution of the effect of the sanctions and will take necessary steps including enforcement steps to keep the sanctions tight."



The U.S. referred earlier to South Korea as a partner that is heeding UNSC sanctions, but concerns may develop as new findings continue to surface.



A VOA report stated Tuesday that a vessel suspected to have carried coal from North Korea is currently anchored at South Korea's southern port of Pohang, based on data from Marine Traffic.



The Belize-flagged vessel Jin Long departed from Russia's Nakhodka Port that handles coal shipments, and is presumed to have entered Pohang carrying coal from Russia, based on satellite images from Planet Labs. It is one of the three vessels Rep. Yoo Ki-june of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party referred to as having brought North Korean coal to the South. The lawmaker leads a taskforce looking into suspicions over North Korean coal imports.



"The Jin Long, which has been reported as a vessel suspected to have carried North Korean coal, carried 5,100 tons of what is presumed to be coal from Russia's Nakhodka port and entered Pohang port Saturday and will leave today," Yoo said in a press conference Tuesday.



The lawmaker as well as data from Marine Traffic state the Jin Long has entered South Korean ports on 18 or 19 occasions since August last year.



Resolution 2397 adopted by the UNSC last December states "member states shall seize, inspect and freeze any vessel in their ports" if there are grounds to believe the vessel was involved in activities or the transport of items prohibited by resolutions.



The government's stance is that investigations are ongoing, and it is too early to take measures such as seizing suspicious vessels.



"The government conducted inspections and did not find allegations of UNSC resolution violations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said in a briefing, Tuesday.




A South Korean military aircraft carrying relief supplies has left for Laos, the foreign ministry said Saturday, following the government's announcement that it will provide help with recovery from the deadly flooding that resulted from the collapse of a dam that was under construction.

The military jet took off at 8 a.m. from an airport in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The relief supplies include 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 government announced Friday it would dispatch a disaster relief team to Laos and provide US$1 million worth of emergency assistance.

The Korea Disaster Relief Team, comprising 15 medics and five support staff, is to leave for Laos on Sunday.

SK Group also has offered to donate $10 million. Its building unit, SK E&C, has been part of the dam construction with a 26 percent stake in the $1.02 billion project to build two main hydroelectric dams and five auxiliary dams.

The government said earlier it plans to provide $500,000 in cash and $500,000 worth of materials to assist recovery from the disaster that swept away villages. (Yonhap)
South Korea plans to dispatch a special envoy to Libya for consultations on ways to win the release of a South Korean national kidnapped by an unidentified armed group there, a government official said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will soon send Baik Joo-hyeon, former ambassador to Kazakhstan, to the North African country as her special envoy.

The South Korean man and three Filipinos were taken hostage on July 6 in an attack on a water project site in western Libya, according to the authorities.

A video clip showing them was posted on social media last week amid the government's monthlong secret activity to locate and rescue the hostages.

The South Korean and Libyan governments have already commissioned a "world-class" risk management consulting firm to analyze the footage for a clue to the whereabouts of the hostages, according to the official.

"The results of the analysis are in use for efforts to secure their release," the official told reporters in a background briefing, adding that the government is closely cooperating with the relevant Libyan and Filipino authorities on the issue.

The envoy will fly to Libya as soon as preparations are completed, with a plan to stay there for two or three days, the official said.

Baik served as the ministry's director-general of the consular affairs bureau in the early 2010s before his stint as ambassador to Kazakhstan.

He handled efforts to resolve two kidnapping cases involving South Korean fisherman operating in waters near Somalia. (Yonhap)
An ammunition storage in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, blew up on Aug. 2, possibly because of extreme heat and the Army's failure to manage the building properly in the conditions. Korea Times file



By Ko Dong-hwan



The heat wave grilling South Korea for weeks hasn't spared the Army, suffocating soldiers obliged to wear wool berets and allegedly causing an ammunition storage in Anyang to explode.



The problems have prompted calls that the military rearrange its force and equipment to fare better in the heat.



The ammunition storage in Gyeonggi Province, built above ground in 1967, blew up on the morning of Aug. 2, according to Rep. Kim Joong-ro of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party.



Kim, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, said Tuesday an artillery division's storage containing "dual-purpose improved conventional munitions" allegedly exploded because of a "chemical reaction due to high-temperature heat," citing a division official.



No one was injured in the explosion, but the storage was close to stacks of dynamite, white phosphorous and other explosives.



Kim attributed the accident to the old storage being vulnerable to extreme heat and the division not following heat-wave regulations  extra shade for the storage's roof, mixing inside air with outside air and using water to cool equipment.



He said the Army chose the above-ground storage over an underground "cave" because it was cheaper to build.



"Concerning some of the storages in the middle of cities, the Army must immediately search all ammunition storages and check for any hazards possibly leading to accidents affecting citizens," Rep. Kim said.





Army soldiers have complained about their berets being ineffective in extreme heat. Korea Times file.





Actor Hyun Bin, who served in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, wears a brimmed hat that is said to be more comfortable than the beret in extreme heat. Korea Times file
By Kim Bo-eun





Baik Joo-hyeon
By Lee Min-hyung





The Marine Corps formed a civilian-government-military joint investigation team Wednesday to find the exact cause behind the fatal crash of a Surion helicopter last month.







It took about three weeks to form the special probe team, as bereaved families of the accident victims failed to come to terms with the military's earlier plan to include only military experts in the investigation.







According to the Marine Corps, the probe team was launched after reaching an agreement with the bereaved families. Thirty-seven experts have joined the team and will carry out an in-depth investigation into the disastrous helicopter crash. The incident left five soldiers dead and another seriously injured.







"The team will conduct an independent investigation and get to the bottom of the accident," a Marine Corps official said.







Last month, the ill-fated chopper crashed at a military airfield in the nation's southeastern coastal city of Pohang, only about 10 seconds after lifting off the ground.







The Marine said the team includes nine civilian experts in aerospace security and metal engineering, five government officials and 22 military personnel handling aviation maintenance work and military investigations.







The military is also contacting overseas aviation experts who took part in investigations of the 2016 deadly crash of an AS332 Super Puma in Norway. Surion was redesigned from the helicopter and its recent crash resembled that of the Super Puma.







At that time, investigators concluded the Super Puma crash resulted from faults in a gearbox. Both of the crashes look similar in that their rotor blades separated from the aircraft while in flight.






By Park Yoon-bae





Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said last month that his ministry will expand telemedicine service for the disabled and those who have mobility difficulties.







But he had to retract his remarks just five days later in the face of a strong backlash from doctors, civic activists and progressive politicians who are against the introduction of telemedicine, which dealt a setback to the program.







Telemedicine refers to the provision of health care services by utilizing information and telecommunication (IT) technology without a face-to-face consultation. Patients can get services such as diagnoses and prescriptions without visiting clinics and hospitals if the innovative service is put in place.







Telemedicine is convenient. It can revolutionize the way we get medical services, helping patients save time and money. Korea, one of the world's most wired countries, has already made a significant technological breakthrough in telemedicine.







The country's efforts to develop telemedicine technology date back to 2000 when the government started a pilot program to make telemedicine available in public health centers in 16 cities and counties in mountainous Gangwon Province.







In 2005, prisons and correctional facilities began to allow inmates to enjoy the unconventional healthcare service  though in a limited way. In 2007, soldiers were allowed to access remote medical services.







From 2010 to 2013, the authorities started a pilot smart healthcare program targeting patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. In 2016, another pilot program was launched to help poor patients living on remote islands and out-of-the-way areas.







Korea is now exporting its telemedicine knowhow to Russia. Regrettably, however, the country cannot tap telemedicine to the fullest domestically despite the time and effort put in to develop the related hardware and software.







The reason is because the country lacks a legal foundation for telemedicine. The Medical Services Act only allows telemedicine between medical professionals. This means doctors, in principle, cannot provide telemedicine services to patients directly. They are only allowed to do in exceptional cases such as for patients on islands or remote areas.







So it is necessary to revise the act to enable doctors to provide remote medical services for patients directly. But it is difficult to change the law because most doctors, progressive unionists and civic activists, and left-leaning politicians are firmly against telemedicine. They have accused the health authorities of trying to introduce telemedicine for the purpose of "privatization" or "commercialization" of health care services.







They fear telemedicine may undermine the public nature of medical services. Doctors, particularly clinic operators, stubbornly insist on the traditional way of examining patients face-to-face, while warning against possible misdiagnoses and medical malpractice telemedicine may cause.







However, their objections appear to have more to do with their concerns about a decline in their income or a loss of their jobs if the new type of medical service becomes dominant.







Over the past 18 years, the government has failed to persuade doctors and other interest groups to accept a push for telemedicine. President Moon Jae-in even promised not to allow telemedicine during his campaign last year.







Moon may renege on his promise just because he wants to reinvigorate the sluggish economy by promoting innovation. Telemedicine has the potential to boost Moon's innovation-led growth, one of the two pillars of his economic policy together with income-led growth. He needs to find new growth engines as his inclusive growth policy has so far produced little progress.







According to the Hyundai Research Institute, telemedicine can create a new healthcare market of 2 trillion won ($1.78 billion) if 20 percent of Koreans use the new service. It can also help create more jobs and reduce medical spending.



The country can no longer delay the adoption of telemedicine as it faces a rapidly aging population which will lead to a surge in healthcare bills.







Telemedicine is increasingly becoming a global trend. Japan has been taking the lead through the full-blown implementation of telemedicine since 2015. Its aim is to curtail soaring healthcare spending amid the rapid graying of the population.







In China, more than 100 million people are using telemedicine after it allowed hospitals to offer remote medical services to patients in March 2016. In the United States, telemedicine is more widely used; this new method deals with one out of every six treatment cases.







According to statistics portal Statista, the global telemedicine market will grow to $26.5 billion this year from $20.2 billion in 2016 and $23 billion in 2017. It is forecast to expand further to $30.5 billion in 2019, $35.5 billion in 2020 and $41.2 billion in 2021.







But for Korea, the expanding market is only a pie in the sky. It is time to act now to make telemedicine an integral part of daily life before it is too late. Otherwise, the country will inevitably be left far behind not only in telemedicine but also deregulation and innovation.







) is the chief editorial writer of The Korea Times.





Park Yoon-bae ( byb@koreatimes.co.kr
By Joseph S. Nye





CAMBRIDGE  By June 1 of this year, U.S. President Donald Trump had made 3,259 false or misleading claims, according to the Washington Post Fact Checker's database, which tracks and categorizes every suspect statement uttered by the president.







That's an average of more than 6.5 false claims a day, up from a daily average of 4.9 untrue claims in his first 100 days, and reaching eight per day in May. Trump is clearly going for a record.







Trump's supporters justify his mendacity on the grounds that "all politicians lie." Indeed they do, and a little introspection leads us to admit that all humans lie. But the amount and type of lying make a difference. Too many lies debases the currency of trust.







Not all lies are born equal. Some are self-serving. A president may lie to cover his tracks, avoid embarrassment, harm a rival, or for convenience.







Other presidential lies serve a loftier purpose. In some circumstances, historians even applaud the fact that a president decided to deceive the public for what he considered a larger or later good. John F. Kennedy misled the public about the role of American missiles in Turkey in the deal that ended the Cuban missile crisis in 1962; but that was certainly better for their interests than a high risk of nuclear war.







A more ambiguous example occurred in 1941, before the United States entered World War II. In trying to persuade an isolationist public that Hitler's Germany was a threat, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that a German submarine had attacked a U.S. destroyer, when in fact it was the American side that had initiated the action.







In wartime, when loose lips can sink ships and secrets are crucial, Winston Churchill argued that the truth may be "so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."







Machiavellian deception is often part of a strategy in bargaining to get a deal, and Trump claims to be a master of that art. Perhaps that explains his lies about North Korean weapons, European tariffs, and Russian President Vladimir Putin's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.







But his dishonesty concerning the size of the crowd at his inauguration, the payment of hush money to women, or his reasons for firing former FBI Director James Comey has nothing to do with statecraft. It is purely self-serving manipulation of others and the public.







Even when a president's motives are not self-serving, he should be cautious about choosing to lie. Before he turns to lying as an instrument of statecraft, he should consider the importance of the goal, the availability of alternative means to achieve it, and whether the deception can be contained or is likely to establish a pattern.







The more a leader deceives the public, the more he erodes trust, weakens institutions, and creates damaging precedents. Roosevelt's lies in 1941 were intended to awaken the American people, but he also set a precedent that Lyndon B. Johnson could use in 1964 to win congressional support for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which led to a dramatic escalation of the Vietnam War. The danger is that leaders tell themselves they are lying for the public good when they are doing so for political or personal gain.







Johnson did not want to seem cowardly or to be portrayed as the man who lost Vietnam. He continually lied to the American people about the progress that was being made in the war. He also wanted to keep the war limited.







One of the moral benefits of a limited war is the prevention of damage through escalation. But such wars involve an element of bluffing. To maintain credibility in bargaining with the enemy, a president must maintain a relentless public optimism, which serves to misinform the public. In Johnson's case, this imperative was reinforced by his personal motives. By 1968, people were saying that the only way to tell if he was lying was to see if his lips were moving. He decided not to run again.







Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon, also lied about the Vietnam War, including his expansion of it into Cambodia. This was followed by his lying about his role in the cover-up of the break-in at the Democratic Party's headquarters, which had been carried out at the behest of his administration. When this was finally revealed by the Watergate tape recordings, Nixon resigned the presidency in 1974 to avoid impeachment.







The damage that Johnson and Nixon did was not only to their presidencies but also to public trust. At the beginning of the 1960s, polls showed that three-quarters of Americans had a great deal of confidence in government. By the end of the following decade, only a quarter felt that way. While the causes of the decline were complex, presidential lies played a part.







Some observers, pointing to his record in the private sector, argue that Trump merely lies out of habit. Others believe that the frequency, repetition, and blatant nature of his lies reflect not habit but a deliberate political strategy to damage institutions associated with truth. Either way, Trump has eroded the credibility of institutions such as the press, the intelligence agencies, and the U.S. Department of Justice, making everything relative and playing to his extremely loyal base.







Can a post-Trump America recover? It is worth remembering that Johnson and Nixon were succeeded by Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, who were notably more honest, and that public trust in government rose somewhat under Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. But as the sheer number of lies indicates, the U.S. has never seen a president like Donald Trump.









Joseph S. Nye is a professor at Harvard and author of "Is the American Century Over?" Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (

).




One leader of a defectors' group accused a member of the commission of making inappropriate remarks.

The commission is investigating claims that the North Korean women were duped into defecting from the restaurant in Ningbo, China to South Korea in 2016.

North Korean defector groups and the National Human Rights Commission are at loggerheads over the commission's decision to investigate the murky defection of a group of North Korean restaurant workers from China.

Defector Ji Seong-ho, who was famously invited to U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address earlier this year, called a press conference on Tuesday in front of the NHRC's office in downtown Seoul.

"I met [lead investigator] Cho Young-sun of the NHRC on Monday and heard devastating news. During interviews, the North Korean restaurant workers voiced concerns over possible harm to their family if their identities and motives are revealed, and Cho told them the NHRC does not have time to worry about such things," Ji said.

"What is the purpose of the NHRC?"

The NHRC in a statement denied Cho said any such thing. "In fact Cho sympathized with defectors who refused to cooperate with the interview due to fears of reprisals against their family members and there was no coercion," it said.

The commission decided to investigate after the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana, suggested there was something fishy about the defection and some of the women told him they had been duped.

The restaurant manager has made contradictory statements to the media, some of them to the effect that he was lured with promises by South Korea's National Intelligence Service.
By Deauwand Myers





"Every woman adores a Fascist, /The boot in the face, the brute /Brute heart of a brute like you." (From "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath)



These lines from Plath's famous poem often come to mind when I reckon with the current state of world affairs. Across Europe, the United States, and places in between, an apparent resurgence of the good, bad old days, when fascism, xenophobia, and cheap and easy populist rhetoric from gaudy, feckless political figures gripped much of the world.



Have we forgotten the 20th century, with its Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Polpot, and Mao Zedong: its pogroms and purges; its Holocaust and World Wars; its conflagration of miseries and atomic afterglows? The cicatrix of Poland and the cicatrix of Cambodia and Laos, the burned-out remains of Hue, the palls from these were thick with the stench of death; we, some of us at least, do not remember.



Americans are often accused of being poor students of history. Yet, places where genocide and fascism's grip were commonplace in living memory: Hungary and Poland, England and Italy, for example, a swell of right-wing, anti-immigrant, nationalist, xenophobic and white supremacy has taken hold.



Granted, democracy is fairly new for the human species. Theocracies, monarchies and vast dictatorships have mostly been the way in which we've organized civilization throughout recorded history.



This is the danger we now face with Trump and company in power: a longing for the years of the black, crooked cross and the red flags of glory. Never mind the deaths of tens of millions, the cruelties and mass murders. We were one nation, under a kind of god.



On his recent and infamous trip to Europe, Trump stated that European leaders "better watch themselves" because immigration is "changing the culture" of their societies.



He went on: "I think it has been very bad, for Europe ... I think what has happened is very tough  I just think it is changing the culture, I think it is a very negative thing for Europe  I know it is politically not necessarily correct to say that, but I will say it and I will say it loud." He should have used the adverb "loudly," but I digress.



Trump was most likely referring to the waves of refugees making the deadly trek towards Europe from decimated Syria and other unstable countries in the Middle East and North Africa, places wracked by war and famine.



This sentiment of "us versus the unwashed, colored masses" isn't an exclusively Anglo-American and European one either.



A coordinated, brutal mass murder and forcible removal of the minority Rohingya Muslims by the Buddhist majority Myanmarese government has ensued for years now.



Just a few weeks prior to Trump's predictably treacherous (and ill-informed) comments on "immigration," hundreds of thousands of Koreans petitioned the government to disallow any refugees from entering Korea in response to Yemeni refugees entering Jeju Island.



Korean society, for all its democratic and economic progress, is still deeply racist and xenophobic. Moreover, those Koreans opposing the 550-plus Yemeni refugees fleeing war-torn Yemen have a short memory. Millions of ethnic Koreans have resettled in China, Japan and North America during and after the Korean War and in the quasi-dictatorships of the 1970s-1990s.



Further, like Trump, some European politicians and political parties, and some Koreans, there is (I think often deliberately so) a conflation of illegal, economic immigration and legitimate refugees seeking lawful political asylum.



The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (Europe and Korea are signatories to both) guarantees basic human rights for political refugees. The Yemeni refugees clearly fall under these conventions' purview.



These refugee conventions were signed to address the appalling ways in which refugees were treated in World War II. The U.S., et al., could have saved thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi Germany.



In one terrible incident, America rejected a ship of 900 German Jews. Not long thereafter, the U.S. declined to enact a proposal to allow some 20,000 Jewish children fleeing burning Europe to stay in America. We know the ghastly end to that story.



Besides the obvious moral implications of rejecting refugees, economic immigration built Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, and rebuilt much of post-WWII Europe, particularly places like Britain.



Xenophobia is a key constituent in demolishing democracy. Racism and fear  albeit useful political tools  can only lead towards death and human misery. (The conservative estimate for WWII's death toll is 80 million).



I worry Plath was all too correct. Every woman, indeed, every person, does adore a fascist. The satanic sheen of shiny, black boots, and goose-stepping soldiers in pressed and glittery military regalia marching through the streets may very well be appealing and romantic to the dark and shadowy places of the human heart.





Deauwand Myers (deauwand@hotmail.com) holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside Seoul.


By Baek Byung-yeul





Naver CEO Han Seong-sook
Police in east China said they recovered the bodies of the twin sisters from the sea on Monday. Qq.com



By Phoebe Zhang

Police on Monday recovered the bodies of twin eight-year-old girls who are believed to have drowned while swimming in the sea off the east China coast. Police on Monday recovered the bodies of twin eight-year-old girls who are believed to have drowned while swimming in the sea off the east China coast.

Pei Yuanjin and Pei Yuantong had been on a trip to a beach in Qingdao, Shandong province, with their mother on Sunday when the tragedy happened, a local television company reported.

The mother, who was not named, said the girls had been playing on the sand just a few metres from where she was sitting.

She said she had been checking messages on her social media accounts but had kept a close eye on the pair. It was only when she looked up a final time that she saw they had gone.

Police from the Huangdao district of Qingdao said in a statement on Weibo that following a search officers found the bodies of the two girls in the sea, the first at 11:30am and the second at 3:40pm.

The statement did not give an exact location for where the bodies were found, but said the children, who were due to start third grade at the end of the holidays, had drowned and that an investigation was ongoing.

The television report said that despite being dotted with "No Swimming" signs, the beach was popular with day trippers. It was also unregistered, which meant it was not manned by lifeguards or had a watchtower, it said.

In the wake of the tragedy, several local governments issued statements online warning of the dangers of swimming at unregistered beaches.
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Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Rain likely. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
In the mid-2000s, as interest in Korea mounted among foreigners and the university expanded classes taught in English, there was a brief surge in foreign intake, but it peaked at 2,166 in 2014 and has been falling since.

At Oxford University, by comparison, the proportion is 17 percent among undergraduates alone.

The university only has 1,711 foreign undergraduate and graduate students, 388 of whom are exchange students. That is just around six percent of the student body, which is low for a university aspiring to international status.

SNU teaches far fewer classes in English than some private universities in Korea and lacks support for international scholars. Students are divided between those who support more classes being taught in English and those who are against accepting foreigners who cannot speak Korean.

Korea's top institution of higher learning, Seoul National University, is struggling to attract enough foreign students as it strives to boost its international kudos.

Rita Galves (24), who comes from the Philippines and is the vice president of the foreign students' organization at SNU, said, "Foreign students who come to SNU are surprised and disappointed when they find out how few classes are taught in English."

In some instances, professors advertised classes in English but changed their minds and ended up lecturing in Korean, either because their own or the Korean students' English was not up to scratch.

Galves, who majors in material engineering, said, "In some classes that are taught in English, key terms are explained in Korean or the professors' teaching assistants can't speak English and can't get the material across to foreign students."

Out of 3,480 undergraduate lectures, only 10 percent are in English, while at private Yonsei and Korea universities, the proportion is over 30 percent.

Gissele Chicas (20), who comes from El Salvador and began studying chemistry at SNU this year, said, "I chose to study at SNU because I was impressed by the advanced level of science education, but the classes in Korean are too difficult to understand and there are not enough taught in English."

An SNU admissions officer said if foreign students want to complete all the necessary credits under the present curriculum, they must listen to lectures available in Korean, but very few foreign students learn Korean before coming here. "It's getting more and more difficult to attract foreign students," the officer added.

Professors are divided about the need to offer classes in English, making it more difficult for the university to expand their number.

Noh Yoo-sun, a professor at SNU, said, "There are many students who have problems due to the language barrier since we accept foreigners whose Korean language skills are weak. But it's hard to ask prospective students to learn Korean before applying."

Disappointed foreign students leave with negative attitudes toward SNU, which discourages others from applying. "We need to offer systematic support, such as offering Korean-language classes to foreign students," Noh said.


Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
North Korea has evaded sanctions since 2016 by exporting its coal disguised as Russian product and receiving payment in installments, U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Asia reported Monday.

When the UN banned coal exports, the North took a 30 percent deposit from coal importers beforehand in case shipments were confiscated at sea, a source in the Chinese city of Dandong told RFA.

The North took another 30 percent when a ship sailed to an importing country from a Russian port, and the rest when the shipments reached a port in the importing country. Pyongyang used bank accounts of Chinese companies and paid fees for the service, the source added.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho arrived in Tehran for talks on Tuesday, the same day U.S. President Donald Trump imposed fresh economic sanctions on Iran after backing out of a nuclear deal.

Both North Korea and Iran face tough sanctions over their nuclear weapons development, though Iran has gone much further toward verifiable denuclearization.

The official Fars News Agency only said that Ri sat down for talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss bilateral relations and Middle-Eastern issues.

But there could be more important matters on the table. "Currently, the two countries are in the same boat as far as U.S. sanctions are concerned," a diplomatic source said. "They'll try to send a message that they won't give in to U.S. pressure while calling for further developing their long-standing friendly relationship."


Rep. Roger Marshall has won the Republican primary in the sprawling rural 1st District of western and central Kansas.

He advances to a November matchup against Democrat Alan LaPolice of Clyde in the heavily Republican agricultural district.

Marshall, a Great Bend physician, first gained national attention in 2016 for knocking off then Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary for the seat.

Democrats did not have a candidate in 2016, but LaPolice launched a long-shot bid as an independent. LaPolice, an educator, is taking another shot at it this year running as a Democrat.

While the district strongly supported President Donald Trump in 2016, some worry tougher immigration policies make it harder to fill agricultural jobs. Marshall wants to couple border-security measures with changes in visas for guest farm workers.
Chinese market boosts Mercedes-Benz sales to reach new record

From:Xinhua | 2018-08-07 04:09

Video PlayerClose

BERLIN, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Strong demand from Chinese market boosts the sales of German carmaker Mercedes-Benz to reach a new record in the first seven months of 2018, a statement of the Stuttgart-based company showed on Monday.

A total of 392,780 units have been delivered to Chinese customers from January to July 2018, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.1 percent.

Alone in July, Mercedes-Benz sold 52,616 cars in China, up by 8.3 compared to the same month in 2017, according to the statement.

Worldwide, the company delivered 1,356,350 vehicles in the first seven months, which is an increase of 2.3 percent and a new record.

"Never before have so many customers taken delivery of their new Mercedes-Benz in the first seven months of a year," said Britta Seeger, member of the board of management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz cars marketing and sales.

"Since the market launch of the C-Class Saloon and Estate, more than 9.5 million of these models have already been sold. Since July, our new models of the C-Class family have been in the showrooms of the European dealerships, with whom we intend to continue the success story of our bestselling series," Seeger added.
Home  Just In  Biplav Maoists spokesperson arrested in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, August 8

Members of the Nepal Polices Special Bureau have arrested the spokesperson of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Nepal Communist Party.

Spokesperson Khadga Bahadur Biswhakarma, who is also a former minister, was arrested from Naagdhunga on the western outskirts of Kathmandu, sources said.

He was returning to Kathmandu after attending some meetings of his party outside the Valley while police caught him. His aide Prem Darnal has also been arrested.

It has been learned that the Metropolitan Police Range in Kathmandu will file a chargesheet against him.

Meanwhile, police raided his rented room in Kapan of Kathmandu.
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Here's the story, of a house named Brady. But to see what happens in the next episode you're going to have to watch HGTV.

The cable network was announced Tuesday as the bid winner for the famous North Hollywood home, which went on the market in July for the first time since the 1970s.

The CEO of Discovery (which includes HGTV) David Zaslav made the announcement during an earnings call with Wall Street analysts, Deadline reports. Zaslav offered the beginning of an explanation for why paying a bunch of money for the Brady Bunch house was a smart investment:

I'm excited to share that HGTV is the winning bidder and will restore the Brady Bunch home to its 1970s glory as only HGTV can. More detail to come over the next few months but we'll bring all the resources to bear to tell safe, fun stories about this beloved piece of American TV history.





The Brady Bunch house at 11222 Dilling Street in North Hollywood. (Photo by Tony Hoffarth/Flickr CC)

This pending purchase of the Sherwood Schwartz sitcom exterior hasn't been without pop star controversy. Because why would it be?

Over the weekend, 'N Sync's Lance Bass tweeted in revelatory elation: "they accepted my offer on the #BradyBunch house." And later Instagrammed in defeat: " Im feeling heartbroken today ... there's another Corporate Buyer." Enter the L.A. Times with a twist: the "broker says it was never a done deal." (But don't worry, Lance can't be mad at HGTV).

So great.

This is all interesting.

But will the forthcoming rehab include an homage to Greg's room?

You remember it.

Season 2, Episode 18, "Our Son, The Man."

The one where Greg goes to high school, shuns camping, demands his own bedroom, rocks a headband, moves into his dad's office, and ditches mid-century vibes for a psychedelic aesthetic?

HGTV, your move .
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The Southern California Gas Co. has tentatively reached a settlement with California and the city and county of Los Angeles to pay $119.5 million for the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas well blowout.

In a joint press conference with Los Angeles city and county leaders, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the settlement and how officials plan to spend the money.

One key provision of the settlement is that SoCal Gas cannot pass on the costs to ratepayers. In addition, Becerra said SoCal Gas will reimburse the local, county and state governments' legal fees, meaning taxpayers will not foot the bill for all the litigation that went into the settlement.

REMIND ME WHAT HAPPENED

In late October 2015, one of 114 gas wells operated by SoCal Gas failed. It was the start of what ultmately became the largest-ever uncontrolled release of natural gas in U.S. history. In all, more than 100 metric tons of natural gas and other substances were released into the atmosphere.

And it went on for months. SoCal Gas didn't seal the well until February 2016. By then, more than 8,000 households had evacuated from Porter Ranch and adjacent neighborhoods. Thousands of individuals and companies have sued SoCal Gas alleging physical or financial damage -- and those lawsuits dealing with individual claims were not part of Wednesday's settlement

WHO DID SETTLE ?

The City of Los Angeles

L.A. County

California's Attorney General (on behalf of the California Air Resources Board)

Also, the settlement resolves the county's lawsuit against the state Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources aka DOGGR. The county had sued the state over its approval for the Aliso Canyon storage field to return to limited operations last year.



L.A City Attorney Mike Feuer, at the lectern, was among the government officials announcing they had agreed to a $119 million settlement with SoCal Gas. (Sharon McNary / LAist)

WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO: ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS

More than $45 million of the settlement will go cover the cost of projects that benefit the environment. That includes $25 million earmarked for an extensive health study of Porter Ranch residents .

Officials said the money also would cover the cost of additional air quality monitors near the site of the leak that will be operated by an independent organization. That's intended to address previous complaints by residents living nearby that air monitors installed by SoCal Gas -- part of an earlier settlement of criminal charges -- were sometimes offline.

The company commits to spend $26.5 million projects to offset the environmental damage that the greenhouse gases from 109,000 metric tons of methane did and to set aside another $7.6 million in reserve in case more work remains to be done. Those projects will mostly be methane capture projects at Central California dairies.

City Attorney Mike Feuer said Wednesday that the benefits will extend beyond the Porter Ranch community directly affected by the gas leak. He gave examples such as air filters in schools and electric school buses for communities that suffer the most pollution. It could also pay for lead paint testing, he said.

WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO: CIVIL PENALTIES

The settlement includes $21 million dollars in civil penalties, to be split three ways between the city, county and state. That money is to be dedicated to consumer protection programs, said Scott Kuhn, acting assistant county counsel. Also, the settlement covers $19 million of the county's legal costs.

SO, IS EVERYONE HAPPY?

Not so much.

State Sen. Henry Stern, who represents the area, also criticized the agreement. Stern said in a statement that he plans to introduce a bill that would prohibit settlement money from being spent outside the area directly affected by the methane pollution.

Food & Water Watch, a group that has been calling for the gas storage field to be permanently closed, was also critical. The settlement is "bankrolling SoCal Gas' efforts to keep California dependent on gas," said Alexandra Nagy. Her group said settlement money should not be used to import dairy-produced methane from Central California to refill the Aliso Canyon gas field. And she also called for the health study to be done by a neutral third party, and not by the county, which the group said "downplayed and misled the community about health issues" stemming from the gas release.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER CLAIMS?

Officials say this settles the government plaintiff's cases, but there is still a ton of litigation to go. Nearly 400 other lawsuits with some 48,000 plaintiffs still remain to be heard. Those cases have been combined into a single case under a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.

IS THIS IT FOR PENALTIES FOR SOCAL GAS RELATED TO THIS LEAK?

No. The company still faces enforcement action from the California Public Utilities Commission. The agency is carrying out a study as to whether the underground storage field at Aliso Canyon that leaked can be minimized or closed entirely.

The gas field has been the Los Angeles region's energy backstop for decades. It stores a large supply of natural gas that, during normal use, can be withdrawn when not enough is flowing in pipelines to power local gas-fired electrical plants or heat homes.

But the gas field was temporarily barred from operating, but it has been allowed in the past year to operate at a lower volume, which lessens the pressure on the field's wells. State regulators permit gas to be withdrawn from the field only in energy emergencies.

SO WHAT'S THIS COST THE COMPANY SO FAR?

The announcement of the settlement came the same week that SoCal Gas officials reported the cost of the disaster -- the largest-ever uncontrolled release of natural gas in U.S. history -- had reached $1 billion. Half of that cost was spent on relocating 8,000 families and clean up, according the company.

SoCal Gas has insurance to cover up to $1.4 billion in damages, it was not immediately clear if insurance would be used to cover the $119.5 million settlement.

Brush up on the history of the incident: Why The Aliso Canyon Gas Blowout Is Still In The News: $1 Billion Cost And Counting

READ THE SETTLEMENT

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

UPDATES:

2:13 p.m. This article updated througough with additional context and response.

11:51 a.m.: This article updated with the provision prohibiting the company passing on settlement costs to ratepayers.

11:14 a.m.: This story updated with information about the costs to date.

This article was originally published at 10:22 a.m.

This story is part of Elemental: Covering Sustainability, a new multimedia collaboration between Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KJZZ, KPCC, Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS SoCal.

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Hot on the heels of his fourth Shark Week appearance, La Jolla Shores-based SD Expeditions business owner Nick LeBeouf had some fish tales to share with a crowd at Birch Aquarium on July 30.

LeBeouf discussed the marine life that can be found up to 60 miles off the San Diego coast  blue sharks, mako sharks, ocean sunfish, blue whales and pacific white-sided dolphins.

Focusing on his experience with blue water trips (at least 15 miles off shore), he peppered his presentation with videos and anecdotes.

About 100 people file in to the Birch Aquarium lobby for the shark lecture July 30. Ashley Mackin-Solomon

Shark trips are something I enjoy sharing with people, he began. We run a cage-less shark encounter with blue and mako sharks.

Blue sharks are the worlds most widely traveled, a fisherman in Japan reported a tag from San Diego, to give you an idea of how far these sharks can migrate. Mako sharks are the worlds fastest, with a birthing ground in Southern California, so San Diego tends to get smaller, juvenile makos, but we also get the big moms here to give birth.

There are less than five spots in the world where you can dive and see blue sharks: San Diego, South Africa, the Azores (off the coast of Portugal), Rhode Island and one or two more. These sharks are beautiful. They have a purple iridescent hue on their back and theyre fun, he said.

But in addition to sharks, LeBeouf said there are mola mola (ocean sunfish) which can make for an even better encounter, that San Diego divers can see.

Some people travel to the Far East and dive down 100 feet to see these. They have no idea you can see them off the surface of San Diego! he said.

A lot of people like to go out on a boat and look for this thing that swims unlike other fish (with a fin on its dorsal and ventral sides, top and bottom, rather than its sides). They are the worlds largest bony fish.

He recalled times in which mola mola have been documented turning on their sides near the surface and letting birds clean parasites off their bodies, and when they breach, they look like pepperoni pizza and have a nice big splash.

Mola Mola Wikimedia Commons

Offering an insider tip, LeBeouf said: Its important to not chase mola mola, or any other wildlife, because thats going to lead to a short encounter. You want to be as small as possible to not overpower it. If you have the chance, dont wear a wetsuit.

With a wetsuit, you look like a sea lion, and mola mola might not be as welcoming as if you have a beige body.

Addressing the various dolphin species found off the coast, LeBeouf said hes seen the short beaked common dolphin, near shore bottlenose dolphin, offshore bottlenose dolphin, pacific white-sided dolphin and others.

The common dolphin I also like to call the disappearing dolphin, because you will see a pod of over a thousand following a boat, because they like to play in the boats wake, and then you jump in and never see one. Its unreal. I dont know how they do it; its a magic act, he said.

Similarly, blue whales are able to maneuver in mysterious ways.

Blue whales are one of the largest animals on Earth and one of the most elusive Ive ever been around, considering they are so big. It takes a lot of logistics to get in the water with a blue whale, he said, adding: They feed on krill, and if you see it, thats a once in a lifetime experience.

Its a special thing to witness and the whale will not care that you are there. They cannot swallow you whole, but their tongue weighs nine tons, so that could crush you.

Other whale species migrate closer than their blue cousins.

We have gray whales closer to shore, as well as minke and humpback whales, he said.

But just because these creatures can be found off the coast, doesnt mean they will. LeBeouf concluded: You dont get it all every time; sometimes you get nothing. You have to get in the water and accept what the ocean will present to you.
That advertising balloon flying over The Lot movie theater since at least early June is apparently flying in the face of San Diego City Municipal Code.

The Light has received two reader complaints about the blue globe  which is about 5 feet wide, reads THE LOT in white letters and hovers about 50 feet off the ground at 7611 Fay Ave.

Putting aside whether or not I like the balloon, said La Jolla resident Kevin Knight, I think theres a bigger issue, which is that if we just let people go around doing all kinds of things they fancy that are in code violation, then its a slippery slope and it gets worse.

You allow one balloon and, sooner or later, youre going to have 50.

City Code states that flying a balloon over a business is allowed for a maximum of 10 business days in a one-month period, for a total of 20 calendar days per year. (Temporary inflatable signs are covered in the Code section 142.1255.)

Therefore, The Lot appears to be in violation.

The marketing director for The Lot acknowledged receiving an email requesting an interview. She then asked if she could call back and did not by deadline.

The owner of a neighboring business, who asked not to be identified, reached out to Councilmember Barbara Brys representative Mauricio Medina. Medina then forwarded the Light the reply he received from the Citys Communications Department, which stated that the Code Enforcement Division (CED) responds swiftly to address serious private property violations. These include things that have the highest potential result in significant harm to the community, such as leaking sewage, dangerous and unstable structures and uninhabitable living conditions.

All other cases, the communication stated, are directed to Alternative Compliance, which helps to produce voluntary compliance at the neighborhood level.

The only remedy for complaints directed to this department is one letter, sent to the alleged violator and describing the issue and what needs to be corrected, and another letter, sent to the complainant, confirming that the first letter was sent. After these letters are sent, all cases are automatically closed and any further requests are referred to mediation through the National Conflict Resolution Center.

So, basically, theyre not going to do anything unless somebody says its dangerous, Knight told the Light after the communication was read to him. Great.

At this point, Knight paused, recalled the windy period La Jolla had in July and said: The balloon was bouncing around down toward the street, which I think is potentially distracting to drivers and therefore dangerous.

Making matters more frustrating, the website that Medina directed the business owner to (www.sandiego.gov/ced/report/investigation) accepts complaints only against residences, not businesses.

I had to write in the business name, the business owner said. And when he reported calling, just to check whether there wasnt another website dedicated to business complaints, he claims that a City employee told him: We just dont enforce business code compliance.

Medina reported speaking to a senior zoning investigator with CED, who told him that the case was assigned to an investigator and the letter to The Lot is on the way.

As the Light went to press, the balloon was still aloft.
Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu Valley on Wednesday have given priority to different issues from political, sociocultural and financial spheres. The death of two alleged abductors in a police encounter in Doleshwor of Bhaktapur district on Monday has sparked a controversy as some people have claimed that the police attack was pre-designed and fake. Some major newspapers have given the top priority to this issue.

Likewise, a press conference hosted by medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC has also received significant attention.

Other issues that have been covered on the front pages of major newspapers are activities of the National Assembly and the House of Representatives and their thematic committees, increasing cases of rape and attempted rape in the country among others.

Interestingly, the dispute between ruling and opposition parties about the rejection of Deepak Raj Joshee for the position of Chief Justice has not been covered on the front page in any newspaper today.

Important

Bhaktapur police encounter sparks controversy

Lead stories in Kantpur, Annapurna Post and Nagarik as well as other front pages stories in Naya Patrika and Republica have reported that police could not rightly deal with the abduction of an 11-year-old boy in Kathmandu on Monday, and lack of their competence resulted in the death of the boy.

Annapurna Post and Naya Patrika claim police officials had sent a text to one of the alleged abductors urging him to release the child at the earliest, warning they would be killed otherwise. Subsequently, the suspects killed the boy in haste, according to reports.

Gorkhapatra also analyses in its anchor story that police could have saved the abducted boy if there had been an access to use of technologies and an effective coordination among police units.

KCs urge to honour agreement

Medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC has urged the government to fully implement the agreement that the government signed with him to convince him to break an indefinite hunger strike around two weeks ago, according to reports in Nagarik, Annapurna Post, Republica and The Kathmandu Post.

Nagarik says he has warned of launching another round of fast-unto-death if the government fails to implement the agreement. An emotional KC also burst out crying saying he could not provide service to his patients due to the strike and subsequent health problems, according to Annapurna Post.

He had organised a press conference in Kathmandu yesterday to remind the government of the agreement.

Ignored

23 rape cases reported in one month

The lead story in Naya Patrika informs that at least 23 cases of rape have been reported from all across the country in past one month. Victims of four cases among them were killed following the case, the report says, adding six of the victims were below 10 years of age.

Meanwhile, the suspects include students, senior citizens and police personnel too, according to the report.

Race for panel chiefs in ruling NCP

A four-page story in Rajdhani reports that lawmakers belonging to the ruling Nepal Communist Party are lobbying inside the party to get leadership positions in various parliamentary committees as the party is likely to lead all panels except the Public Accounts Committee.

Party leaders Subas Chandra Nembang and Dev Gurung are consulting top leaders to begin the selection process, according to the report.

Subedi seeks info on his recall

Former Chief Secretary Som Lal Subedi, who had left the top bureaucratic position to join the Asian Development Bank Headquarters as the Alternative Director, has urged the government to clarify why he was recalled from the Bank, reports Kantipur in a snippet.

Earlier, the government had received to call him back from the position arguing his transfer was against rules and regulations. Subedi, however, has claimed the Cabinet decision violated his constitutional rights.

Dang Maoists sell captured land

A long anchor story in Republica filed from Dang district of western Nepal reports that Maoist cadres of the district, who were engaged in an armed conflict against the state earlier, has begun selling land that they had captured from locals during the insurgency period though their party has now been merged with the currently ruling Nepal Communist Party.

At the time, naive farmers thought that as the Maoists were purportedly working for the welfare of the people, they would eventually return the land to their rightful owners, the report reads, However, as time passed, the Maoists started getting greedy and eventually said they assumed ownership of the lands, thereby cheating the farmers out of their own property.

Nepal Chamber of Commerce to transform into federation

Nepal Chamber of Commerce, which claims to be the umbrella body of Nepali traders, has decided to withdraw itself from the membership of Federation of Nepalese Chambers and Commerce, the umbrella organisation of Nepali private sector, as it has decided to transform itself into the federation. The two organisations were at odds for last few months as the Nepal Chamber of Commerce decided to expand its network across the country, according to The Himalayan Times.

Interesting

Children can get birth certificates without mentioning father

The Himalayan Times reports in its lead story that a newborn will be entitled to a birth certificate even if the mother decides not to disclose the identity of the childs father soon. Once the draft of bill on right to safe motherhood will come into effect, the mothers name will be enough for the certificate, according to the report.

The bill has been registered in Parliament on Tuesday.
Car flips over on Pearl Street

A black Mercedes heading east on the 600 block of Pearl Street flipped over after it struck the back of a parked, restaurant-supply truck shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 6.

The driver told La Jolla Light she was blinded by the glaring, early morning sun as the vehicle collided into the stationary truck, which took up most of a single lane on the four-lane (two directional) road. The driver was able to crawl out of the flipped vehicle without injury.

The truck driver was making a delivery inside The Taco Stand during the collision.

San Diego Police officers diverted east-bound traffic on Pearl Street onto Cuvier Street for about an hour, before the Mercedes was towed away.

Rape reported after night of drinking

San Diego Police Department detectives are investigating an alleged rape that took place between a victim and a known suspect. Around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4 on the 2000 block Torrey Pines Road, two adults who met earlier in the night and drank at multiple locations, ended up together with a group of friends at a residence.

The victim is alleging sex acts occurred. There were no independent witnesses, reports Lt. Jason Weeden. A detective has been assigned to investigate.

Woman seriously hurt in UTC accident

The San Diego Police Department traffic unit is investigating a collision that left a woman with a life-threatening head injury. Around 12:52 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, a 38-year-old driver entered the Costa Verde shopping center parking lot and hit a female pedestrian who was walking through the lot. Police report the pedestrian sustained an injury to her left leg and head.

Police Blotter

July 4

Vehicle break-in/theft, 500 block Rosemont St., 2 a.m.

July 6

DUI: Alcohol, 300 block Nautilus St., 12:09 a.m.

July 18

DUI: Alcohol, 1200 block Torrey Pines Road, 1:30 a.m.

July 19

Open container in park, 1200 block Prospect St., 5:15 p.m.

July 20

DUI: Alcohol, 8100 block Prestwick Drive, 10:04 p.m.

July 22

Residential burglary, 400 block Bonair St., 2:15 a.m.

Petty theft, 5400 block La Jolla Blvd., noon

July 23

DUI: Drugs, 6400 block La Jolla Blvd., 4:39 a.m.

July 28

Commercial burglary, 700 block Turquoise St., 4 p.m.

July 30

Vehicle theft, 9200 block La Jolla Shores Drive, noon

Petty theft, 7400 block Olivetas Ave., 8:10 p.m.

July 31

Residential burglary, 1500 block El Camino Del Teatro, 9:26 a.m.

Petty theft, 5600 block Dolphin Place, 6 p.m.

Aug. 1

Commercial burglary, 1000 block North Torrey Pines Road, 4:27 p.m.

Aug. 3

Assault against police officer, 7000 block Soledad Park Road, 8:15 a.m.

Vandalism ($400 or more), 3300 block Caminito Eastbluff, 10 p.m.

Aug. 4

Petty theft, 7800 block Bellakaren Place, 7 a.m.

Grand theft, over $950, 2200 block Avenida de la Playa, 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 5

Vandalism (less than $400), 8300 block Via Sonoma, 9:25 a.m.

 By Ashley Mackin-Solomon and Daniel K. Lew
Home  Business  Nepal to lobby for big investors involvement while revising commerce treaty with India

Kathmandu, August 8

Commerce officials of Nepal and India are beginning a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on Thursday in a bid to revise the existing Treaty of Trade and Commerce.

Nepali officials say they will lobby for the involvement of large scale investors from the southern neighbour in Nepali industries during the meeting.

Nepals another priority on the agenda will be measures to reduce its ever increasing trade deficit with India. Therefore, Nepal will seek Indias assistance in developing the country as a centre of production, not only as a destination to supply consumer products.

An official at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies says India will also be requested to establish factories of their popular products in Nepal.

We have concluded that plants of Indian companies which have a big share in the Nepali market can be brought here, the official informs, Therefore, we are raising the issue of investment.

The two governments had agreed to revise the treaty during a meeting of Inter-governmental Committee in April last week. Accordingly, Nepal is sending its eight-member delegation under the leadership of Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Rabi Shankar Sainju.

The two countries had last revised the treaty in 2009.

The meeting will last for two days.
As managing editor, Scott Kraft oversees the Los Angeles Times newsroom, including Sports, the Washington, D.C., bureau, Column One, enterprise, investigations and Sports.

During more than three decades at The Times, Kraft has been a national and foreign correspondent as well as deputy managing editor/news and national editor.

He was a New York-based national writer for the Associated Press before joining The Times as a staff writer in its Chicago bureau. He later was The Times bureau chief in Nairobi, Johannesburg and Paris. He covered the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid as well as the ill-fated U.S. military mission in Somalia, among other major stories. His story for the Los Angeles Times magazine on the AIDS epidemic in Africa won the SPJ Distinguished Service Award for Foreign Correspondence. As national editor, he directed work that won four Pulitzer Prizes.

Kraft has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature writing, and was a Pulitzer Prize juror in international reporting in 2014 and chair of the public service jury in 2015 and the international reporting jury in 2020. He also is on the Board of Governors for the Overseas Press Club of America.

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He was born in Kansas City, Mo., and has a bachelors degree in journalism from Kansas State University.


Platinum Energy, a West Coast gas station and car wash empire, is set to remain firmly a family business as founder David Delrahim prepares his daughter to take the reins. Shannon Delrahim, who has worked for her fathers business since high school, is promising to retain its distinctively from the ground up focus, while adding some contemporary ideas.

Every Saturday [and] Sunday morning, my dad would drop me off there at 6 a.m., Shannon recalled of her days as a teenage barista at the companys original Agoura Hills service station, opened in 1983. I figure, in part for him, for me to start somewhere similar to where he started. By the time she graduated high school, Shannon had already worked for her dad for two years. She then started to learn the basics of actually operating a gas station and car wash, often working on paperwork alongside her father, David Delrahim, in the Agoura Hills office. At that point, what would become Platinum Energy consisted of just two retail locations. As it grew towards what it is today  150 gas stations across California, Oregon and Washington, and an expanding list of Southland car washes  Shannons role matured, too.

My dad asked me to get more involved: learn more, understand more, meet more people, to the point where we had four or five locations, she explained. He said, Shannon, its time to put our arms around the H.R. departments  because we need to have more accountability. Shannon remained in Platinum Energys human resources department for several years, and then two years ago, resumed working at Platinum  only this time, she was being groomed to take the companys reins.

[I was involved] more in a capacity of shadowing my dad in all aspects of the business than just focusing on the H.R. department, she said. For now, I think its my responsibility to learn as much as I can from my father, but also to help him and the rest of the company with a millennial perspective. While handing over Platinums leadership to a young, second-generation Iranian-American woman might suggest a radical shift, Shannon expects any changes on companys core operation to be subtle.

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As far as the culture of the company goes, I cant see much changing, she said. Because how we run the company right now  as far as caring, first and foremost, about, as my dad calls them, our extended family [team] members  to me, I think thats the best way of running the company. David Delrahim, President of Platinum Energy, has always kept his company a family affair. He opened his very first gas station with his cousin and uncle, working shifts seven days a week. Today, he still co-owns that same location with his aunt.

For David Delrahim, keeping the business in the family is about not only continuing a compassionate, inclusive culture, but expanding this still further as Platinum continues to expand, especially in the car wash business. Working toward the American dream since arriving in the L.A. area in the early 1980s, the elder Delrahim now wants to offer others the opportunity to propel their families forward through hard work and initiative.

I want to use all of our wealth, all of our success, as a channel to be more impactful, he said. Not only to our extended family members  but to our community, to our society  to really show other people that they can do the same thing.
When Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday that he was considering taking Tesla private, and claimed that funding had been secured, he only inflamed the debate over whether the electric car company is about to drive itself off a cliff or propel itself toward financial glory.

The Times talked to two financial professionals with different opinions on Musks motivations and diametric views on the prospects for Tesla as a private company.

Michael Jacobs, Jacobs Capital

Michael Jacobs is pretty sure he knows why Elon Musk wants to take Tesla private.

Whats driving him nuts are the short sellers, said Jacobs, who runs Jacobs Capital, a mergers and acquisitions advisor in Chapel Hill, N.C. There are a lot of people who benefit from badmouthing his company. He doesnt want his image tarnished.

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Also a professor of finance at the University of North Carolinas business school, Jacobs dismissed the idea that private investors would put more pressure on Musk and cause him more distress than Wall Street and short sellers already are doing.

Any major participant in a Tesla buyout will have already bought into Musks vision for the company, he said.

A big investor who wanted to weigh in on some strategic issue is very different from a short seller talking trash about his business, he said. At least hed have everyone rowing in the same direction.

Jacobs noted he has no idea how such a deal would be structured  like most everyone outside Musks innermost circle. But its unlikely to resemble a typical leveraged buyout dominated by private equity investors who depend on debt financing. More likely: a few big investors who already have the cash.

Tesla talked with Japanese tech investor SoftBank Group Corp. last year about a private buyout, Bloomberg reported. And on the same day Musk was tweeting about a possible deal, the Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund had invested up to $2 billion in a Tesla stake.

Given a strong economy and so-far unrelenting stock gains, more individuals and family investors are joining private equity groups as major funders of private buyouts.

And unlike equity firms that often must cash out their funds after about 10 years, more and more families and individuals are investing with absolutely no time horizons. They dont have to get out of an investment to please limited partners in a hedge fund. Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and elsewhere can be just as patient or more.

Still, a huge buyout between $70 billion and $80 billion will require a herculean effort to pull off, Jacobs acknowledged. For private investors, he said, cash flow is the driving force, and Teslas free cash flow is persistently negative.

But if anyone can do it, Elon Musk can do it, Jacobs said. Hes a legend and a genius. Hes the smartest guy since Einstein.

(For what its worth, Jacobs drives a Tesla Model S and loves it.)

John McClain, Diamond Hill Capital Management

Like much of Wall Street, John McClain questions how real Musks buyout plan is.

You could make a valid argument that this company shouldnt be part of the public market, said McClain, the portfolio manager at Diamond Hill Capital Management in Columbus, Ohio.

Tesla has been in business for 15 years, its bleeding cash and it hasnt posted an annual profit since it went public in 2010, he noted. In other words, its a long-term bet. But executing a buyout on this scale  potentially up to $60 billion  is daunting.

The valuation is so rich, its hard to make the argument to step in with that kind of capital, McClain said. The sheer magnitude of putting that many chips in one basket doesnt seem likely.

While every chief executive desires a higher stock price, McClain sees several incentives for Musk and Tesla to goose its shares higher.

The principal on $920 million in convertible bonds comes due next March. The bonds are convertible to equity shares if the stock price trades at $359.87 or above. (Tesla stock closed at $370.34 on Wednesday. It was trading at about $345 when Musk issued his tweet Tuesday saying funding was secured for a private buyout.)

If the debt converts to equity, Tesla no longer needs to pay off the bonds and saves itself from a $920-million cash outlay.

To McClain, that constitutes a stealth equity raise.

Furthermore, Musks compensation is tightly tied to massive increases in the market value of Tesla stock, although he must also hit certain earnings targets, too. His pay package is unlike anything weve ever seen before, McClain said.

For each $50-billion hike in Teslas stock value, Musk receives a 1% share of company stock. Thats worth $1 billion if the company hits a $100-billion market value (in addition to the gain in the 20% of Tesla stock he already owns). If the companys market value ever reached $650 billion, Musk would have gained a total of $55 billion from the new stock grants alone.

Another incentive: According to government filings, Musk has personally borrowed at least half a billion dollars, and possibly more, using Tesla shares as collateral. If the stock falls below a level set under the lending terms, Musk would have to pledge more shares to meet collateral obligations under whats known as a margin call.

Theres also an emotional component to the plan Musk laid out Tuesday, McClain said: He wants to stick it to short sellers, who own more than a quarter of Tesla stock and who can only lose more money as Teslas stock price rises.

(McClain said Diamond Capital doesnt allow him to reveal whether it holds Tesla positions, short or long.)

russ.mitchell@latimes.com

Twitter: @russ1mitchell
Former Today co-host Tamron Hall has signed a deal to develop and host a new daytime talk show for Disney/ABC, the company announced Wednesday.

The program is to be syndicated on TV stations starting in fall 2019.

Hall had been a popular fixture for years at NBC News, where she anchored a daily program on cable network MSNBC from 2007 to 2017. She was also a co-host of the 9 a.m. hour of its morning franchise Today from 2014 to 2017. The role made her the first African American woman to serve as a host of Today in the programs more than six-decade history.

Hall left NBC News after management decided to scrap the third hour of Today and give the time to Megyn Kelly, who joined the network from Fox News. Ratings for the hour have faltered since it became Megyn Kelly Today in September.

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Since she left NBC, Halls TV appearances have been limited to Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall, her series for ID Discovery.

Hall had signed a deal to develop a talk show with the Weinstein Co. before sexual misconduct scandals brought down the companys co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. The deal expired shortly after the scandal broke, freeing Hall to align with another production company.

Hall will enter a challenging landscape when she launches the new show. Daytime audiences for syndicated talk shows have been declining, as more viewers are choosing to stream shows or play back series on their DVRs instead of watching live TV during the day.

No syndicated talk show with a solo host has succeeded since The Steve Harvey Show was launched in 2013. Disney/ABC has not entered the syndication market with the format since Katie Courics program, which had a two-year run in daytime that ended in 2014.

Hall does enter the field with a track record with the daytime audience. The third hour of Today typically drew 3 million viewers while she was co-host.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio
Members of Tesla Inc.s board of directors confirmed Wednesday they are evaluating Elon Musks plan to take the electric car company private  a plan the mercurial founder, chief executive and chairman announced Tuesday in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission has asked Tesla about that tweet and whether his claims  including that funding was secured  were accurate, the Wall Street Journal reported.



For the record: An earlier version of this story misspelled Kimbal Musks name and said he is Elon Musks cousin.

In a statement Wednesday, six board members  all of Teslas directors except Musk, his brother Kimbal Musk and Steve Jurvetson, who is on a leave of absence amid sexual harassment allegations at another firm  said Musk approached the board last week to discuss going private, a conversation that included how Musk might finance such a transaction.

This included discussion as to how being private could better serve Teslas long-term interests, and also addressed the funding for this to occur, directors said in Wednesdays statement. The board has met several times over the last week and is taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this.

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Musk not only said he might take the company private but also suggested a price for such a transaction: $420 a share  valuing the Palo Alto, Calif., automaker at more than $70 billion. Musk is the companys largest shareholder, with a stake of about 20%, but he might have to come up with more than $50 billion to close a deal at that price.

Very unusual: Elon Musks tweet on Tesla going private at specific price 

Though it wasnt initially clear whether Musks tweet was serious, Tesla shares jumped on the news, climbing 11% Tuesday to $379.57  a price that suggests investors believe a deal at Musks tweeted price is possible but not a sure thing. The stock gave back some of those gains Wednesday, closing down 2.4% at $370.34.

Going private could be advantageous for Tesla, which continues to burn through cash and has struggled to meet production goals for its Model 3 sedan. As a public company, Teslas books are public, giving investors  and Musks critics  a front-row seat to the companys financial troubles.

If Musk takes the company private, those books would be closed.

The company burned through more than $1.5 billion in cash in the years first half and had $2.2 billion in cash remaining.

Musk said recently that Teslas cash flow will be enough to fund the company going forward and that he didnt plan to raise new funds through stock or debt issues. But some analysts doubt Teslas ability to post significant growth without new outside capital.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren

UPDATES:

1:20 p.m.: This article has been updated with a Wall Street Journal report that the SEC has inquired about Musks tweet, and a closing stock price.

This article was originally published at 7:20 a.m.
The already small roster of Fortune 500 companies led by women will shrink even further after PepsiCo Inc. Chief Executive Indra Nooyi steps down from her role this year. But in one sector that has been male-dominated, gender balance seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

By next year, three of the top U.S. defense firms  Lockheed Martin Corp., General Dynamics Corp. and most recently, Northrop Grumman Corp.  will have a female CEO. And Boeing Co. has had a woman at the helm of its $21-billion defense, space and security business since 2016.

While industry officials and observers have cheered the progress, many also say the corner office moves dont reflect sweeping change in the overall industry. An survey released last year by trade publication Aviation Week found that only 24% of the aerospace and defense workforce is female. That number is down from 26% 10 years earlier.

Women made up only 3.2% of the logging industry, 9.1% of the construction workforce and 23.5% of the transportation and utilities industry, according to a report published last year by Catalyst, a nonprofit organization that supports women in the workplace.

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Half of the population in the world today is women, said Leanne Caret, chief executive of Boeings defense, space and security sector. If we want to take full advantage and be the company we can  then we need to have full access and availability to the talent globally. And why would we ever want to limit ourselves to a portion of the population?

Northrop Grumman is the latest defense company to name its first female CEO, announcing last month that company President Kathy Warden will move into the top job next year. She will join CEOs Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin and Phebe Novakovic of General Dynamics.

Hewson, Novakovic and Caret were all named to Fortunes list of most powerful women in business last year. Nooyi of PepsiCo also made the list, as well as Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors Co., and Denise Morrison, then-CEO of Campbell Soup Co.

Its a lot of the larger companies and heavier industry today where the meritocracy reigns supreme again, said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean and a professor in the practice of management at the Yale School of Management.

Warden, like Hewson, Caret and Novakovic, has steadily ascended the ranks of her company over the years since joining Northrop Grumman in 2008 as vice president of strategic intelligence initiative. In the last 10 years, she served as president of the companys software-focused mission systems sector and chief operating officer.

That kind of upward trajectory into various leadership positions is important if women are to advance within these companies, industry observers said. And the growing number of female CEOs across the defense industry indicates that the pool of women engineers that joined the workforce decades ago has finally reached senior positions that are eligible for higher promotion.

You almost have to get to the point where you have women in executive vice president and senior vice president positions in order for them to demonstrate how successful they will be, said Rachel McCaffrey, executive director of Women in Defense, a professional organization that supports the advancement of women in the national security sector.

Marillyn Hewson and chief test pilot Alan Norman await a visit by President Trump in front of an F-35 fighter jet. (Alex Wong / Pool Photo)

Companies can help eliminate barriers that hold women back, said Anna Beninger, senior director of research and corporate engagement partner at Catalyst. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin recently won the Catalyst award for their work to increase workplace diversity.

Its not surprising to me, honestly, that you now have women leading these companies, because theyre really working to create opportunities for women across the board, Beninger said.

Increased diversity on a companys board of directors is also a factor in increasing the number of women in the C-suite as the board signs off on CEO candidates, McCaffrey said. Northrop Grummans 13-member board includes four women, while Lockheed Martins 12-member board has three women and General Dynamics has three women on its 10-person board. Boeing has three women on its 13-member board.

A report by Catalyst found that in 2016, 21.2% of board seats at S&P 500 companies were held by women.

The increased number of female CEOs in defense could also help recruit and retain women, as it shows career advancement is possible, industry officials said.

Part of my responsibility is to open the doors for those that come after us, men and women, said Caret of Boeing. Make sure folks can see themselves in the future, can see themselves in large roles and they have that inspiration to do that.

Caret is a second-generation Boeing employee; her parents worked at the firm and met at a facility outside New Orleans where they were building the Saturn V rocket that would take astronauts to the moon.

She joined Boeing in 1988 and has served as chief financial officer for the defense, space and security division, and vice president of Boeings rotorcraft programs, and led the firms global services and support business, which serves commercial and government customers.

Caret noted that she, Hewson, Warden and Novakovic built a track record by succeeding at tough assignments over the years.

I think a lot of people assume the aerospace and defense industry is a traditionally male-dominated and male-led industry, and I think what folks are realizing is that thats not quite true, Caret said. This industry specifically recognizes talent wherever talent exists. These arent positions you get to because someone handed them to you. Weve earned them just like everyone else.

The industry has made strides since Linda Hudson was dubbed the first lady of defense by Washingtonian magazine after she was named president and CEO of the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems in 2009.

But some of the industrys most notorious C-suite scandals have hinted at a boys club culture. That includes the dismissal of former Boeing CEO Harry Stonecipher in 2005 after he had an affair with a female executive. In 2012, incoming Lockheed Martin CEO Christopher Kubasik resigned after an ethics investigation confirmed hed had a close personal relationship with a subordinate.

He was replaced by Hewson, who became Lockheed Martins first female CEO.

More recently, the editor of trade publication Defense News wrote in an op-ed that more than 200 women from the national security sector recently signed a #MeToo letter describing themselves as survivors of sexual harassment, abuse or assault, or knew others that were.

Were not there yet, Jill Aitoro wrote.

Beninger of Catalyst said more needs to be done to ensure better representation of women of color in the workforce and in leadership ranks. And work has been done to increase awareness of science, technology, engineering and math careers as early as elementary school, said Robin Thurman, director of workforce policy and industrial base development at the Aerospace Industries Assn. trade group.

The fact that these women have been able to be successful does say a lot about these organizations, Beninger said of defense firms. But they do have a ways to go in terms of reaching parity.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga
Facebook Inc.s push to gain access to users banking data and other sensitive financial information could help make online banking more efficient  or it could backfire among those skeptical that the worlds biggest social network can reliably safeguard personal data.

The site has joined a growing race among big technology companies seeking private information once regarded as off-limits: users checking-account balances, recent credit card transactions and other facts of their personal finances and everyday lives.

Facebook said this week that it had proposed data-sharing partnerships with banks and credit card companies that would enable users to access their personal account information from within the social networks messaging service, Facebook Messenger, as an alternative to speaking with customer service representatives or automated chat bots on the companies banking or credit sites.

Facebook said the data would not be shared with marketers or used for ad-targeting purposes, and no major U.S. financial institutions have announced that theyre interested in a joint arrangement. But a company representative said several unnamed banks and credit card companies have voiced interest in teaming up with the social network, even proposing their own potential deals.

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The idea is that messaging with a bank can be better than waiting on hold over the phone  and its completely opt-in, Facebook spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana said. Were not using this information beyond enabling these types of experiences  not for advertising or anything else. A critical part of these partnerships is keeping peoples information safe and secure.

But Facebooks past scandals over data privacy have left industry and privacy experts wondering how the more than 1 billion Facebook Messenger users might react to the company wanting to link their social media profiles with their private finances and spending histories. Facebook said the banking information wouldnt be included in the vast stores of information the site uses to build peoples personality profiles.

Its the most intimate information about our personal behavior possible, perhaps even more intimate than how we comment on our friends feeds, said Zachary Townsend, the former chief data officer for the state of California and a partner at Deciens Capital, a venture capital fund that specializes in financial technology. The idea that Facebook, which basically aggregates information to sell to third parties, could also add financial information to that mix seems uncomfortable, given their history.

Many of the tech worlds major players have shown similar ambitions in tapping users financial data, which could help companies lock in customer loyalty, help developers provide more sophisticated tools  and give advertisers lucrative clues into users offline interests and buying intentions.

Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google provide mobile-payment services that enable users to access financial information and pay for products with their phones. Amazon.com Inc.  whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns the Washington Post  offers users a credit card issued by JPMorgan Chase. And last year, Google announced a deal that would let it review and analyze roughly 70% of all credit and debit card transactions in the United States.

What you purchase is the ultimate predictor of what youll purchase in the future. Its an indication of your stage of life, and theres a lot that can be packaged up and targeted based off that, said Mike Herrick, an executive at Urban Airship, which works with companies on digital wallets and mobile engagement. Everybodys mad at Facebook, but theyre just one of many participants in this data ecosystem.

Facebooks pitch to the financial world  first reported by the Wall Street Journal  comes months after the social media giant was found to have allowed political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to improperly access the data of 87 million people. The episode turned Facebook into a poster child for tech privacy abuses, sparking public outrage, congressional hearings and mounting concerns over how much the site knew and shared about its global audience.

Representatives from major banks said they talked often with Facebook about possible deals, and banks and credit card companies routinely advertise on the social network in hopes of reaching new customers for checking accounts or credit cards. But they also said they were stepping lightly because of possible customer concerns about data security and privacy.

A Citigroup spokesman said, While we regularly have conversations about potential partnerships, safeguarding the security and privacy of our customers data and providing customer choice are paramount in everything we do.

A U.S. Bank spokesman said his bank has not shared any customer data or information with Facebook or any other platforms. A JPMorgan Chase spokesman said his company isnt sharing our customers off-platform transaction data with these platforms, and have had to say no to some things as a result. Wells Fargo said it is not actively engaged in data-sharing conversations with Facebook.

Facebook already has smaller agreements with financial institutions, including PayPal and American Express, that enable users to do things such as review transaction receipts on Facebook Messenger. In March, Facebook launched a service that would enable Citibank customers in Singapore to ask a Messenger chat bot for their account balance, their recent transactions and credit card rewards.

While some parts of the financial system are heavily regulated, there are few rules about the transaction of account and spending histories, giving the companies wide leverage in how they use and share the data, Deciens Capitals Townsend said.

But financial institutions remain largely split over how much of their customers data theyre willing to share. Banks are trying to be more like tech companies, and some tech companies are trying to be more like banks, Townsend said.

Harwell writes for the Washington Post.
The city of Los Angeles is in the middle of a multi-year process to rewrite its zoning code. Among the neighborhoods that are in the process of having that code retooled: Boyle Heights. City planners have been staging meetings around the neighborhood to develop the plan, which is expected to go into effect in 2019.

The plan will affect residential building and bring a new Innovation District to the neighborhood at a time when Boyle Heights has been contending with anti-gentrification protests.



For the record: This story states that Jason Gallegos serves as chair of the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Councils Planning & Land Use Committee. He has since left that post and has been replaced by Rafael Chagoya.

As with similar plans for other parts of Los Angeles, the Boyle Heights Community Plan calls for higher-density building along transit corridors and changing backyard setbacks to help legalize existing apartment units in an effort to alleviate the housing crunch.

According to the Southern California Assn. of Governments, Boyle Heights is predicted to expand by more than 8% in the next two decades, from an estimated 86,000 residents to 93,000. The number of residential units in that same period is expected to grow from 23,000 to 27,000.

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The zoning plan will also include strategies for preserving the neighborhoods intimate commercial corridors  walkable stretches along East 1st Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue that are lined with mom-and-pop businesses.

The idea, says senior city planner Haydee Urita-Lopez, who is overseeing the update on the Boyle Heights plan, is to prevent commercial strips from turning into dull rows of big box chains that push out out small family businesses.

We have frontages, massing standards, things that are important to the character of the area, she says. These are things that help mimic existing patterns of development. If people hear zoning, they think, Im getting pushed out. But these new zoning codes will codify what is already there.

Part of the goal, adds principal city planner Craig Weber, is to get buildings to properly address the street so that we dont have blank walls and parking lots.

The section of the plan likely to draw the most scrutiny is devoted to the largely industrial area that borders the Los Angeles River  the area known as the Flats. The area, which is lined with light industrial infrastructure, much of it dating to the early or mid-20th century, has been a draw to art galleries that have occupied some of the old warehouse spaces.

The community plan as it stands has designated the industrial portions of the neighborhood an Innovation District, geared at commercial enterprises as well as light industry, including green businesses and clean technology. This would potentially make the neighborhood part of a biotech corridor that would extend between USC and Cal State Los Angeles.

Urita-Lopez says the idea behind the district is to set aside land that could support employment in the future.

There is 30% youth in the area, she notes. So we want to leave some light industrial while still being open to other industries and manufacturing. We want to plan for the generation of today and of tomorrow.

But those benefits all depend on the plans execution.

We are still thinking that piece through and investigating what it means, says Isela Gracian, who heads the East L.A. Community Corp., a nonprofit housing developer. What jobs does that bring? Biotech can mean so many things.

A manufacturing plant could bring needed blue-collar jobs, while a research laboratory would be dependent on a more highly skilled, better paid workforce.

The district could be a benefit, Gracian says, if the city works toward making sure that new businesses truly serve the community.

It can be done if the industries that are recruited can commit to local hiring and have training programs, she adds. But that would take coordination with the economic development team  the citys Economic & Workforce Development Department, headed by Jan Perry.

Zoning can do only so much. While zoning laws can set general standards, they dont always have the capacity to tackle the issues faced by a neighborhood at a hyper-local level.

New zoning codes and affordable housing address the citywide aspects of affordable housing, says Jason Gallegos, who serves as chair of the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Councils Planning & Land Use Committee. But it is found lacking here, in that it doesnt specify (and by law) cannot target the housing issues specific to Boyle Heights.

How could we ensure that these new developments have something that ensures that Boyle Heights residents get first dibs? How can you change the percent of low, extremely low area median income to reflect not county or city levels, but local levels within Boyle Heights?

Those are the issues that planners will be tackling in the months to come.

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carolina.miranda@latimes.com | Twitter: @cmonstah
What is it about Johnny Depp that makes him so Teflon to accusations of bad behavior?

As Hollywood enters a new age of accountability, Depps erratic  and allegedly violent  behavior continues to exist in its own reality with no obvious consequences.

Until now. Maybe.

On Monday, Variety reported that Depps upcoming crime thriller, City of Lies, was yanked from the calendar just a month before its Sept. 7 premiere date.

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This time last month, Depp and the film were making headlines, thanks to a lawsuit filed by a location manager who alleged that Depp had berated and punched him while on set.

Its possible that the movies last-minute scheduling issues are just a coincidence and have nothing to do with the civil suit. But it wouldnt be the first time that Depp has avoided real-life consequences for potentially abhorrent behavior.

Travel with me, if you will, back to 1989, when Depp was a fledgling actor on the TV series 21 Jump Street, when he was arrested on suspicion of assault on a security guard in Vancouver, Canada.

Or to 1994, when Depp was arrested on criminal mischief charges after inflicting nearly $10,000 worth of damage to a hotel room.

And then, in 1999, Depp was arrested after threatening paparazzi with a wooden plank while in London.

And thats just the 20th century.

None of those things derailed Depps career, if his paychecks and three Academy Award nominations are any indication.

Then again, Hollywood has always been forgiving of its bad boys. Mel Gibson scored an Oscar nomination in 2017, 10 years after his racist, abusive meltdown. Roman Polanski won an Oscar for direction in 2003 while still on the lam after his conviction of unlawful sex with a minor decades prior. And the less said about the fate of the former host of NBCs The Apprentice, the better.

Depps persistent immunity to bad press is even stranger, given the good company he seems to keep.

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter scribe and vocal proponent of feminism and equality, described herself as genuinely happy that Depp had been cast as the lead in the upcoming franchise film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

She even went out of her way to justify why she didnt hold Depp to the same standards as Harvey Weinstein or even Donald Trump.

Based on our understanding of the circumstances, Rowling said, alluding to accusations of abuse levied against Depp by ex-wife Amber Heard in 2016, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp appear at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2016. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Heard and Depp settled their contentious divorce, but not before a restraining order was issued and photographs of a bruised Heard cycled through the internet.

Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love, the pair said in a statement, with neither confirming nor denying any abuse accusations. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.

So here we are in 2018 and Depp is coming up on nearly 30 years of volatility and alleged violence. Surely, some employer will take a stand, right? Maybe a company that just fired a director for tweets made nearly a decade ago?

There was lots of fanfare last month when Disney stripped James Gunn of his directorial duties on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a strong stance from a company that values wholesome family fun.

Yet on Monday, rumors surfaced that Disney is moving ahead with plans for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, launching speculation about Depps potential involvement.

Why wouldnt he? In the last 15 years, Depp has starred in nine Disney titles, including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which was released after the actors divorce from Heard.

In fairness, Depp has never been convicted of anything, despite a history of violence shadowing him at every turn.

Perhaps the lawsuit spurred by City of Lies will end up as water off his back, at which point Depp can pitch Disney on a gritty, Tim Burton reboot of Howard the Duck.

Depp is good at ducking, after all.

libby.hill@latimes.com

@midwestspitfire
It felt like everything was finally happening. After years of struggling to land acting roles in Hollywood, Lauren Miller Rogen was one of the leads of a big movie  a movie she had co-written, no less  For a Good Time, Call  The raunchy comedy had sold to Focus Features in a $2-million deal at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and everyone wanted to meet with Rogen. She was going on high-profile auditions, meeting with producers about scripts.

Meanwhile, Im breaking inside, she recalled. It was like everything Id ever wanted was happening, and yet my mom was getting sicker and sicker with Alzheimers and disappearing in a very painful way.

Rogens mother, Adele, developed early-onset Alzheimers when she was just 55. Her daughter has been public about her familys struggle, putting on an annual celebrity-filled variety show, Hilarity for Charity, with her husband, Seth Rogen, to raise money for Alzheimers research.

But by the time For A Good Time, Call was released, Adele was about five years into her diagnosis, and her condition had deteriorated rapidly. No longer was she just repeating stories  she had been admitted to the hospital for a seizure just days before the release of Laurens new film.

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Rogen was so distressed by the situation, she said, that she developed silver dollar-sized acne on her back. Shed snap at anything  she was at a 10 at all times. She even got into a few minor car wrecks.

So she decided to get into therapy. And six years later, at 37, shes gathered enough perspective on the situation to channel her experience into a new film, Like Father. On the surface, the movie  which was released on Netflix last Friday  doesnt mirror Rogens life at all.

It follows a workaholic executive (Kristen Bell) who is so obsessed with her job that she carries her cellphone down the aisle at her wedding, where she is then promptly left at the altar by her fed-up fiance. In a drunken stupor, she decides to bring her estranged father (Kelsey Grammer) on her Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise instead.

The idea behind the film wasnt hers  it came from Anders Bard, one of the producers behind 2009s I Love You, Man. Bard mentioned the project to Rogen at a general meeting, noting that he already had a writer working on the screenplay.

I was like, I love it. I wanna write it, Rogen said of the conversation. And he was like, Youre not hearing me, someone else is already writing it. And I just stayed on him for a few months and my agent stayed on him.

Rogen was sitting at Froma, a small wine cafe on Melrose Avenue, a few blocks away from where she and her husband live in West Hollywood. It was here that  long after agreeing to let her take a stab at the script  Bard gave Rogen the greenlight to make Like Father her directorial debut.

As the producer, building a project with a first-time director is incredibly challenging, Bard acknowledged. And five years ago, there was much less of a narrative of supporting female filmmakers. So we laughed: OK, were about to make our lives really hard. And it was  but boy, am I happy we didnt waver.

Indeed, the pair found that no studios were interested in signing onto a first-time filmmakers movie without big names attached. Rogen kept saying she needed a distributors help in finding those stars, and eventually Netflix agreed to be that partner.

Kelsey Grammer and Kristen Bell in a scene from Like Father, in which they play an estranged father and daughter. (Emily Aragones / Netflix)

Throughout the process, Rogen herself questioned why she was so passionate about this particular film. Sure, the screenplay told the story of a woman on an emotional journey  but what was it about the project that she couldnt let go of?

It wasnt until after we shot and I was in the editing room that I realized: It was a woman who thought she had it all going, and all of a sudden, not so fast, she said. And until she deals with it, she cant get to the other side.

Rogen has always been close to her parents. When she was 8, her family made the move from Long Island to Lakeland, Fla., after her dad, the manager of a manufacturing plant, switched positions within his company. At first, she felt like the new Jewish kid in a Florida town where the Chamber of Commerce said Churches: 300, Jewish Churches: 1.

Eventually she found her place at a local arts high school, and after graduation she decided to study fashion design at New Yorks Fashion Institute of Technology. There, she modeled her clothes after designer Nanette Lepore  lots of ruffles and pleats and layers. But she wasnt happy sitting at a sewing machine.

So one day, on a whim, she decided to try her hand at acting  sort of. Shed seen a flyer at school advertising a film production looking for extras. It was Shaft, the 2000 reboot starring Samuel L. Jackson.

You can see my torso walk by in one scene, Rogen said with a laugh. As silly as it sounds, those three days being on set, I was like, I wanna be an extra forever! They did your hair and makeup and wardrobe. At the time, it felt beyond special.

Her parents, however, were less than thrilled with her new career direction. Instead of staying in New York to audition, her father suggested she transfer to film school. Rogen wanted to go to NYU, far away from all of the kids shed gone to high school with, but Florida State University was far more affordable.

I went to Florida State kicking and screaming, Rogen said, rolling her eyes at herself. And can I tell you, within the first 10 minutes of being there I was like, Here I am. These are my people.

She became so close with her classmates that two years later, when the program was finished, the group of aspiring filmmakers caravaned across the country to move to L.A. together. Rogen scanned the UTA job list and landed a couple of internships, later becoming the assistant to producer Steve Starkey, one of Robert Zemeckis partners.

In her free time she would work on screenplays, and even landed an agent. She also started dating a new guy  the one who would eventually become her husband  after the two met at a party one night. Four months into their relationship, The 40-Year-Old Virgin was released and the actors career took off.

Spouses Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen on the set of Like Father. Lauren wrote and directed the film in which Seth has a small role. (Emily Aragones / Netflix)

He was so much further along than I was, but its always been easy with Seth, Rogen said. Honestly, I think the fact that we do the same thing is a blessing. The only time I was ever frustrated was when he wouldnt respond to something fast enough, because hes really casual. But that doesnt happen anymore.

The couple is low-key about the relationship -- Seth even has a role in Like Father, playing a guy Bell hooks up with on the cruise. You wouldnt know the connection from his Twitter feed, where he casually posted this message last Friday: Im in a movie called Like Father out now on Netflix! I think you will enjoy it if you watch it. Thank you!

In the 13 years theyve been together, hes become an advocate for people with Alzheimers, even testifying in front of Congress in 2014 to advocate for research financing. And together, the couple moved Rogens parents from Florida to L.A. so she could be closer to them.

Adele hasnt been communicative for four years, and her daughter said shes gotten to a place of acceptance and knowing what I can handle  how much time I can be over there. At first, she found it difficult to sit by her mothers bedside and talk endlessly, only to be greeted by silence. Things eased as soon as she began reading to her mother.

She always loved Danielle Steel novels, so those are a favorite, said Rogen. The funniest part of the books is that theyre really steamy and Im like, Should I read this to her? She doesnt know. All right!

Because Alzheimers is so prevalent within her own family, Rogen is proactive about her health. She goes to an Alzheimers prevention clinic in New York for brain assessments, and tries to eat foods that are good for her: sardines, blueberries, walnuts, curcumin.

Rogens frankness about her mothers struggles has long impressed her friends, including For a Good Time, Call  costar Ari Graynor, who said the actress would often be completely open with what she was dealing with personally and then seamlessly transition to a conference call as a fierce and fearless leader.

Lauren was, and has always been, incredibly honest about her experiences centered around her moms health, Graynor continued. I dont think anyone could do for Alzheimers what shes done from a place of denial. Lauren is in possession of what I think is the greatest superpower: strength and vulnerability in equal measure. She has incredible fortitude matched only by the openness of her heart. Which not only makes her a beautiful person, but someone destined to be a great director.

Lauren Miller Rogen on the set of Like Father. (Linda Kallerus / Netflix)

amy.kaufman@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA
After Dom Kennedy released his Yellow Album in June 2012, the local rapper was nowhere to be found.

The Leimert Park native, according to those working with his independent label Other Peoples Money (OPM), had seemingly disappeared.

Thats not entirely how Kennedy, born Dominic Hunn remembers it, but he concedes it was a hard day.

The 13-track free, downloadable album represented a shift for the artist. Kennedy moved away from feel-good anthems like his 2008 breakout hit Watermelon Sundae and into more adventurous sounds. Opening track So Elastic, which feels like soul music moving in slow-motion, set the tone with the line, Im just exploring.

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Kennedy was apprehensive about how people would receive his new vision.

As an artist, I felt like [the album] was good, but it was probably the worst day of my career, the now 33-year-old said during dinner at one of his favorite Beverly Hills restaurants. I said, People are [either] going to love it or think Im stupid. 

And some were indeed confused.

I literally talked to people who knew me as a kid that were like, What are you doing?  he said.

Yet despite Kennedys doubts about the album, which features guest appearances from Rick Ross and Freddie Gibbs, along with fellow West Coast rappers Too Short and Kendrick Lamar, the Yellow Album turned out to be one of his most celebrated projects. The response to the album further solidified Kennedys independent mind-set, and today, a few years removed from it, Kennedy continues to operate as a beloved cult artist on the local scene.

Earlier this summer, Kennedy celebrated its six-year anniversary with a sold-out show at the 2,300-plus capacity Novo downtown. The Yellow Album, Kennedy said, put me in the conversation with all the great rappers.

If you want to know what L.A. feels like or youve never been here, the Yellow Album is what you should listen to, said Niko G4, a longtime Kennedy supporter and OPM signee.

Many of the twenty-something fans at the concert spoke lovingly before the show of how the album captures the essence of Los Angeles.

Kennedy on the work allows listeners to spend the day with him, in turn seeing L.A. through his eyes. He invites us into the studio with Dont Call Me, and then takes listeners on a ride on Gold Alpinas, a sort of not-so-touristy tour of L.A. Whether its a drive down Fairfax Avenue or a block party in Leimert Park, the tone is of an artist welcoming fans to his hometown.

The album, said Kennedy, was just things that we liked.

It was our real life, just captured the right way, he added.

The anniversary show was something of a return to the stage for Kennedy. Hes released multiple projects since Yellow Album but began a year-long hiatus in 2016 to focus on music production and rely less on samples, he said.

I had to become a master, so I took some lumps over the last couple of years to do what Im doing now, he said.

Kennedy took his time with his most recent album, Los Angeles Is Not for Sale, Vol. 1, which was released at the end of 2016 for purchase as a download as well as on streaming platforms. However, he doesnt mind that it flew a bit under the radar.

Popularity doesnt always go with artistry, he said. Like, sometimes you learn more about yourself in adverse times than you do when everybody is telling you they love this. Why do you love it? If you dont know, or if you cant make it again, you dont really know what you did. You dont know what they loved.

Kennedy, who recently celebrated a decade of rapping, said that a follow-up, Volume 2, will be symbolic of the next chapter of his career. He hasnt set a release date yet, but in the meantime, he dropped a surprise free project titled Addicted to the Underground on the Fourth of July.

In addition to his solo work, Kennedy is also part of the duo Half-a-Mil with producer and rapper Hit-Boy, perhaps best-known for his work with Kanye West and Jay-Z on the 2011 album Watch the Throne. The duo released a trilogy of self-titled projects in the last two years and is at work on more music.

Ive learned so much working with Hit, Kennedy said. I get out of my comfort zone and I get to work with the best producer in my age bracket. Thats never a bad thing, because I had to step my game up.

The artist aims to remain independent rather than seek mainstream success like peers such as YG, Nipsey Hussle and Lamar.

At this point, [my goal is to] release five great albums in a row, he said. To me, that would be success. Before, it was probably to be hot, but at this point, I can do anything I want to do.
The Blue Hawaiians from Los Angeles were there, as were Frankie & the Pool Boys from San Francisco and Fascinating Creatures of the Deep from Santa Cruz.

The Black Flamingos came in from New Jersey as well as King Pelican from Texas, Tremolo Beer Gut from Denmark, Surfer Joe from Italy, the Kaisers of Kalifornia from Argentina, Les Agamemnonz from France and Urban Surf Kings from Canada.

They were there for the 11th annual Surf Guitar 101 convention last Saturday at the Alpine Village in Torrance, and for the 500 or so hardcore fans in attendance it was a chance to savor tasty guitar solos while lounging in prime Tiki decor.

The restaurant resembled a 1960s beach party filled with flower leis, Hawaiian shirts and Tiki accessories. Flamingo-shaped lights illuminated the room while live surf music blasted so loud it could be heard from the parking lot.

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Surf rock came of age in early-60s America. The instrumental music, pioneered by such acts as Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, the Ventures and Jan and Dean, was meant to evoke the sounds of crashing waves and the chill beach lifestyle. It started on the shores of Southern California, but it soon spread around the world where the sound continues to have fans to this day.

It helps that its instrumental, said event coordinator Jeff Big Tiki Dude Hanson. Its a music that crosses borders easily because theres no language barrier  I think its interesting that surf music has grown all over the world but people still associate it with here.

Hanson has been the showrunner for the festival since its beginning and treats it like a family reunion. And like many family reunions, there was joy and laughter as well as tears and a heartfelt tribute to a beloved member of the tribe.

This niche surf music family was born on the website Surf Guitar 101. Since 2006, the forum has been the central hub for all news regarding surf music. The music convention allows the community to meet in person each year and celebrate its love of catchy beach sounds together.

Each year Hanson tries to incorporate different types of surf rock, including younger bands with a modern sound. This year Hanson brought on four international groups, including Frances Les Agamemnonz. The group  which performs in togas  made its way to the States for the first time ever, kicking off its tour at Surf Guitar 101.

If youre wondering how a group of young French musicians discovered surf rock, the answer is Quentin Tarantino, who used surf music such as Dick Dales Miserlou in his films.

I just heard about the surf music from Pulp Fiction but I didnt know about the scene, said lead guitarist Benjamin Bonaventure, who was signing autographs for older fans. For the first time I fell in love with the music and Im always discovering new stuff from the 60s era.

Bonaventure described surf music as a language that stays alive through the records and bands that continue to play it. He said hes looking forward to performing in the birthplace of surf music.

Bands, including Les Agamemnonz, and vendors staked out tables around the perimeter of the space where music, gadgets and collectibles could be purchased.

Drip Switch creator Mel Waldorf, left, and Les Agamemnonz guitarist Benjamin Bonaventure talk shop during the Surf Guitar 101 convention. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Across from the Les Agamemnonz merchandise table stood New York surf guitarist Mel Waldorf, who proudly played surf music before Pulp Fiction popularized it again.

Ive been playing surf music since 1993 and got lucky with Pulp Fiction, Waldorf, 47, said. I was a loser and after [Pulp Fiction] hit I was suddenly cool.

Waldorf, who plays guitar for Meshugga Beach Party, created a small, blue device called the Drip Switch that adds an additional mix on Fender amps, which helps surf bands control the reverb thats part of the surf music sound. The Fender reverb is what creates the famous and recognizable surf-like sound.

Although he said he only sells a few, the mixing box does well at conventions like these because this is his market.

Waldorf is not the only one who creates accessories for surf musicians. David Outline, 30 was one of the many Tiki shop owners who sold artwork and memorabilia during the convention.

Outline just moved to Long Beach for his business Outl1n3 Island, which designs and sells stickers, buttons and Tikis inspired by different islands. He joined the surf and Tiki family while showing up to share his work at different events.

Surf music is the soundtrack to Tiki culture so it is great to be a part of something like this, Outline said.

Marie King, executive bar manager at Los Angeles oldest Tiki bar, the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood (theres another location in Palm Springs), helped merge the Tiki scene with the surf community this year at 101. She said her fiance  Jonpaul Balak, who proposed to King at Surfer Joe, an Italian surf music festival  played guitar Saturday at the Alpine Village event.

We are exchanging vows next summer at 2019 Surfer Joe, King said, to which her soon-to-be husband drolly added, Well, its in the paper so now theres no turning back!

King talked about the closeness of the surf music family, recalling that back in 2010, hundreds of people from the community gathered to raise money for King after she survived a car accident that left her unable to work for two years. They called it MariePalooza.

The energy remained high throughout the 12-hour festival until things took an emotional turn when legendary surf band PJ & the Galaxies took the stage  minus a prominent member.

Paul Johnson, a major influence on surf music, was diagnosed with leukemia two weeks before the event. He couldnt attend the convention because he was receiving treatment.

Many performers dedicated their sets to the music legend, including David Arnson, creator of the longest-running modern surf band Insect Surfers. Arnson told the crowd he went to visit Johnson in the hospital leading up to the event and recorded a message from the musician.

The surf party came to a sudden halt so everyone could hear the iPhone voice message.

I feel youre all with me today  and I trust that when this is all over were gonna have some stories to tell, Johnson said.

The crowd cheered as he continued, I wish I could be with you, maybe next year. God bless you all and thank you so much for todays tribute, I call it a blessing and a stoke.

After Johnson spoke, the tribute commenced as fans raced to hit the dance floor. Arnson played fan favorites along with other surf music icons Matt Quilter, original bass player of PJ & the Galaxies, Steve Pugh, Dave Wronski and Pete Curry.

The small yet mighty Kita Curry, surf music groupie and cousin to Pete, danced her way down to the front row to boogie until her feet were swollen. This wasnt her first convention and it certainly wouldnt be her last.

Its amazing, the camaraderie of it all, she said. No egos involved; theyre just up there playing music for us and for Paul.

erin.benmoche@latimes.com

Twitter: @ebenmoche
Its been said that baking pies is the only legitimate reason to turn on an oven in the summertime and we quite agree.

Another reason would be to use some of these super-stylish accessories and baking toys, er, we mean tools.

Gorgeous, ripe summer fruit and flaky crusts go together like concerts and the Hollywood Bowl and are the perfect piece de resistance for a picnic or summertime soiree.

Of course whether youre making a masterpiece or a humble crumble, in the end the best pies taste best when shared.

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Did someone say seconds?

1 / 10 Lattice Pie Crust Cutter, $19.95 at Williams Sonoma. (Williams Sonoma) 2 / 10 Portable pie box, $35 at PieBox.com. (Steven Karl Metzer) 3 / 10 Heart Pie Server by Beehive Handmade, $56 at Food52.com. (Rocky Luten / Food52) 4 / 10 Maple Tapered Rolling Pin, $79 at SarahShermanSamuel.com. (Sarah Sherman Samuel) 5 / 10 Straight and fluted pastry cutter, $12.95 at Williams Sonoma. (Williams Sonoma) 6 / 10 Summer fruit and cherry pie crust cutting set, $16.95 at Williams Sonoma. (Williams Sonoma) 7 / 10 Eres Pie dish, $42 at Anthropologie. (Anthropologie) 8 / 10 Embroidered dish towels from Draper James, set of 2, $25 at Crate & Barrel. (Crate and Barrel) 9 / 10 Pies the Limit two-piece serving set, $58 at Anthropologie. (Anthropologie) 10 / 10 Stoneware 11-inch pie plate by Farmhouse Pottery, $100 at Food52.com. (Mark Weinberg / Food52)

Want more pie-spiration? 6 Instagram accounts you need to follow

Check out six hot-and-fresh pie-baking accounts to follow on Instagram. You can also find plenty of luscious pie recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen at latimes.com/recipes, and let us know if there are other pie-inspired Instagram accounts that you think are a slice of heaven.

@LokoKitchen San Diego native Lauren Ko is a genius at celebrating the geometric beauty of Pi(e).

@WinstonPies Lawyer-turned-piesmith Brianna Abrams dishes up handcrafted, seasonal pies with Southern charm a la mode in Brentwood.

@ThePieHoleLA Home of the Earl Grey Tea Pie, five generations of family recipes are the secret ingredient to success and the bakerys motto: Pie Is Love.

@KCRWEvan Evan Kleiman, host of Good Food on KCRW-FM (89.9) and creator of L.A.s favorite pie-making contest, celebrates her love affair with all things pie.

@KnowRealityPie For this award winning bakery (earning multiple honors in the KCRW Good Food Pie Contest), being flaky is an artform.

@AwesomeAtticus The folks at Atticus Creamery & Pies in West Los Angeles are known for pairing artisanal mini-pies with homemade ice cream. Win-win.

Home@latimes.com

Bonnie McCarthy contributes to the Los Angeles Times as a home and lifestyle design writer. She enjoys scouting for directional trends and reporting on whats new and next. Follow her on Twitter @ThsAmericanHome

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A federal appeals court appeared uncertain Tuesday whether it had authority to weigh in on a dispute about the Trump administrations plans to replace border fencing in California.

California and several environmental groups challenged the projects, arguing that the administration lacks authority to build them and illegally waived environmental requirements and other laws in a rush to establish new barriers on the border.

The administration counters that it has wide discretion under a 2005 federal law that gave the Department of Homeland Security the ability to waive enforcement of environmental rules and other laws that can stymie border construction projects.

During a hearing in Pasadena, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals questioned lawyers about the precise wording of the federal law and how to interpret it.

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Judge Consuelo Callahan, appointed by George W. Bush, asked why the plain language of the federal law didnt support the governments case.

On some level the borders are a security issue, she said. People debate as to how much a security issue.

Most of the arguments Tuesday were technical, parsing the wording of the federal law and addressing whether it barred circuit courts from even considering such appeals.

The law, intended to accelerate construction of border barriers, said district courts could consider only constitutional challenges of projects and that appeals had to go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court, bypassing circuit courts.

Judges M. Margaret McKeown, a Clinton appointee, and Jacqueline Nguyen, an Obama appointee, also appeared at times to challenge Californias interpretation of the federal law.

H. Thomas Byron III, representing the Department of Justice, said the law was intended to speed up border projects by barring protracted legal challenges.

Congress specifically imposed a very clear and very specific prohibition against these kinds of claims the plaintiffs are bringing, Byron told the court.

California Deputy Atty. Gen. Noah Golden-Krasner argued that Congress permitted waivers only for certain border projects that were built years ago.

California is appealing a decision by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who ruled in favor of the Trump administration in February.

Curiel is the judge whose fairness Trump questioned when he referred to him as a Mexican during litigation over fraud at the now-defunct Trump University. The judge, who presided over a class-action case against the real estate school, was born in Indiana.

The legal challenge is over two projects that have already begun. One involves replacing barriers along a 14-mile stretch in San Diego and the other on a two-mile stretch of Calexico.

Brian Segee, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups fighting the projects, said after the hearing that Curiels rejections of the challengers constitutional arguments will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He said the barriers would restrict the movement of endangered species and other wildlife, from jaguars to butterflies.

Trumps senseless border wall fixation needs to be stopped in its tracks, Segee said.

The 9th Circuit could rule at any time.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan
An African American firefighter filed a lawsuit against the city on Monday, alleging he repeatedly faced discrimination and retaliation while working at a fire station in South Los Angeles.

Emanuel Brown, a 10-year employee, said the mistreatment began Easter Sunday in 2017, when he found feces in a compartment where he stored his jacket and breathing apparatus. The department has had a history of incidents of fecal matter being used in the harassment of black firefighters, he said in his lawsuit.

Brown, 40, discussed the incident with his colleagues and reported it to a captain outside his station, which triggered an internal personnel complaint, according to his filing. Several months later, Brown informed his colleagues he planned to discuss his situation with The Times.

All three actions resulted in harassment and retaliation from Browns coworkers, said Matthew McNicholas, Browns attorney.

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In one incident, a firefighter called him a slur used against gay men, the lawsuit states. In another, a colleague taunted him and called him a chocolate piece of [expletive], the lawsuit states.

McNicholas said his clients experiences show that some strands of deep-seated racial animus have yet to be rooted out of the department. The case also demonstrates there is an institutional dislike within the agency for firefighters who report employee misconduct, he said.

Peter Sanders, a spokesman for the Fire Department, said the agency does not discuss pending litigation.

Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer, said Feuers office would review the complaint and had no further comment.

Browns filing comes six months after Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas issued a letter saying the department had experienced a series of divisive workplace incidents. In one instance, he said, firefighters from different ethnic backgrounds had a near physical altercation after someone showed up late to work.

On another occasion, an internal investigation received reports of a perceived lack of sensitivity toward nonwhite firefighters, the chief said.

McNicholas, Browns lawyer, is also representing five black firefighters and two Latino firefighters in a separate case against the city. In that lawsuit, the plaintiffs said they had been systematically looked down upon because of their race, gender or association with black firefighters.

Brown was hired in 2008 and earns $97,219 annually, according to a spokesman in the citys personnel department.

In March, the Fire Department formally closed its investigation into the fecal matter incident, citing insufficient evidence. By then, Brown had filed a second complaint, saying he was being subjected to harassment, retaliation and race-based discrimination for having reported misconduct.

One fellow firefighter harassed Brown by making cork-popping noises whenever he walked in the room, the lawsuit states. Another mentioned the importance of having a living trust  a statement that, according to Brown, implied that his death was likely.

During a drill, another firefighter mentioned that someone may die as a result of the training exercise, the lawsuit states. Brown described that statement as part of a larger effort to intimidate him.

That same month, Brown said, a coworker mocked him by asking how much sugar he would be putting in his coffee. The coworker, he said, was insinuating that Brown was soft and weak.

Brown said in his lawsuit that his experiences had caused him to suffer physical, mental and emotional injuries, as well as lost wages and earning capacity. He said his damages are in excess of $25,000.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidZahniser
A 60-year-old employee of a Sylmar store has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting three children under the age of 12, police said Wednesday.

Enrique Ramirez was arrested by detectives from the Los Angeles Police Departments Mission Division on July 26 and charged with three counts of sexual assault against a minor, according to online court and jail records.

One of the victims filed a complaint against Ramirez on July 17, accusing the 60-year-old of assaulting him several times inside American Dollar Plus, a convenience store in a strip mall in the 12700 block of Glenoaks Boulevard in Sylmar, according to a news release issued Wednesday by LAPD.

An undated handout photo shows Enrique Ramirez. (LAPD)

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A second person contacted police three days later and accused Ramirez of repeatedly abusing him inside the store over a 10-month period that began last year, according to Det. Ian Lewis, the lead investigator on the case.

Investigators served a search warrant at the store on July 26, and Ramirez was arrested without incident.

The third assault took place in 2006, according to Lewis, who said Ramirez had previously been under investigation in connection with that incident. Lewis declined to comment on what, if any, relationship Ramirez had to the victims, or say where the 2006 assault took place.

He is being held in lieu of $1.8 million bail, according to jail records. Ramirez did not enter a plea at his first court appearance, and he is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 25, records show. A call to Ramirezs attorney seeking comment was not immediately returned.

It was not immediately clear whether Ramirez owned the store where two of the assaults took place or simply worked there. A call to American Dollar Plus was not immediately returned Wednesday morning.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.

UPDATES:

12:00 p.m.: This article was updated with information on Ramirezs court appearances.

10:05 a.m.: This story was updated with additional information about the assaults.

This article was originally published at 9:15 a.m.
Lying in a bed inside the jail ward at L.A. County-USC Medical Center, Bobby Joe Maxwells head lolled to one side as his sister entered the room.

Bobby. Bobby, she cooed softly last week as his eyes darted left to right, then up. She wasnt sure if he was reacting to her voice or just making what little, random, motions he could.

The 68-year-old accused serial murderer was prone under a mess of tubes and wires, his wrists and ankles outfitted in braces to prevent bedsores. Maxwell has been comatose since December of last year, when he suffered a massive heart attack.

An obstruction to Maxwells feeding tube nearly caused his death on July 4, according to his relatives. Doctors say his condition will never improve, and in a recent court filing, warned that he may have only months to live.

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Legal experts and Maxwells loved ones have long questioned why the Los Angeles County district attorneys office has yet to drop its case against Maxwell, a comatose defendant who is likely to die before he could ever face a verdict.

On Thursday, prosecutors finally relented.

In a statement issued to The Times, the district attorneys office said it will ask Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler to dismiss all charges against Maxwell at a hearing Friday morning, ending a 40-year legal odyssey that involved a jailhouse informant scandal, tossed convictions and a defendant who claimed he was innocent right up until the moment he lost the ability to speak.

Fidler previously declined a request for an interview through a court spokeswoman.

Maxwell has been jailed since 1979, when he was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and accused of being the Skid Row Stabber, a serial killer believed to have claimed the lives of 10 homeless men in downtown L.A.

A jury convicted Maxwell in two of the murders in 1984, during a trial that largely hinged on the testimony of a jailhouse informant who claimed Maxwell confessed to the murders. Those convictions were later thrown out when it was revealed that the informant was part of a network of Los Angeles County jailhouse snitches who had been fabricating confessions in exchange for lighter sentences from prosecutors.

Maxwells convictions were overturned by an appellate court in 2010, but an appeal of that decision delayed the case again until 2013, when prosecutors obtained an indictment to bring Maxwell to trial again for five of the murders. He has remained in custody, ineligible for bail as his attorneys and prosecutors argued over reams of discovery documents and evidence that had been destroyed or lost by the LAPD.

In seeking to dismiss the case, prosecutors cited Maxwells deteriorating health, adding that the decision was not an acknowledgment of factual innocence.

Our office learned that Mr. Maxwell was comatose in late December 2017, district attorneys office spokesman Greg Risling said in the statement. Doctors from LAC + USC Medical Center certified that Maxwell would not likely recover in May 2018 but did not do so in writing until July 2018.

Maxwell nearly died while the district attorneys office was debating his case.

His sister, Rosie Harmon, said she was awoken by the sound of her phone ringing July 4. A nurse on the other end of the line said her brothers heart had stopped. Doctors managed to resuscitate him, but the episode only deepened her anger over her brothers legal situation.

Why are they still holding onto something? she asked during an interview last month. They know hes not able to get out the bed. He cant go nowhere.

In a letter sent to Fidler, who is presiding over the case, the jail wards chief physician confirmed Maxwells health would not improve, and warned he could die before the end of the year.

The patient is not able to perform any activities of daily living. He is not expected to regain consciousness. He will continue to require mechanical ventilation in the foreseeable future, Nickolay Teophilov, the chief physician for correctional health services, wrote in the letter. He will not be able to participate in the legal proceedings. His prognosis is grave. His life expectancy is shorter than six months.

Bobby Joe Maxwell shortly after his capture by the LAPD in 1979. (William J. Smith / Los Angeles Times)

When first questioned about its refusal to drop Maxwells case in April, the district attorneys office expressed concern about Maxwells need for round-the-clock medical care. Maxwell could be discharged from the jail ward if he is no longer in police custody.

But in a court filing made public in July, the chief executive officer of L.A. County-USC Medical Center, Jorge Orozco, promised that Maxwell would not be denied or otherwise left without medically necessary care unless his condition improved. Risling said that promise weighed in the decision to ask for dismissal.

Maxwells relatives and lawyers had long argued that a series of missteps led to his wrongful arrest and conviction.

Maxwell was the third person arrested in connection with the killings, but the only one to stand trial. Legal experts and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals were skeptical of the LAPDs investigation of the case, questioning the strength of the evidence collected against Maxwell.

The only physical evidence tying Maxwell to the murders was a palm print on a bench near one of the murder scenes, according to police and court records. Maxwell was carrying a knife that was consistent with wounds suffered by some victims of the Stabber, but police could not conclusively link it to the slayings. Witnesses who described a suspect walking away from some of the murder scenes could not identify Maxwell at trial either, records show.

The evidence that they relied on, it wasnt just weak, it was ridiculous, said Verna Wefald, who represented Maxwell during the appeals process.

In vacating Maxwells conviction in 2010, the appellate court found that the informant who testified at his original trial had lied on the stand and was unreliable. The court described the remaining evidence against Maxwell as circumstantial.

At the time of the original trial, even the district attorneys office noted the case against Maxwell was weak from an evidential standpoint, according to the 41-page decision issued by the 9th Circuit.

Maxwells attorneys, Fred Alschuler and Pierpont Laidley, have repeatedly accused the district attorneys office and LAPD of misconduct in their handling of the case. Their claims have ranged from an allegation that the LAPD allowed the real killer to leave California to more recent accusations that prosecutors failed to turn over thousands of relevant documents during discovery, an issue that had frozen the court case for years before Maxwell suffered his heart attack.

Capt. Billy Hayes, who leads the LAPDs elite Robbery-Homicide Division, said earlier this year that he still believed Maxwell was responsible for all 10 murders.

On the discovery documents, Hayes said investigators likely destroyed evidence in cases where a death penalty verdict had not been reached, or if the appeals process had been exhausted. In Maxwells case, physical evidence was destroyed in the three murders he was acquitted of. Some evidence in one of the two slayings he was convicted of was also destroyed.

Legal experts had raised questions about the effort and cost of pursuing the case.

Situations like this are rare, and the way the system works is one depends on the prosecutor to use their discretion, said Laurie Levenson, a professor at the Loyola Law School and a former federal prosecutor.

The battle between Maxwells attorneys and the district attorneys office may have only been in search of a moral victory: Even if the judge honors the prosecutions request to dismiss the case Maxwell is unlikely to ever leave his hospital bed. If the case were to continue, Maxwell would almost certainly die before a jury trial is completed.

But Harmon thinks its critically important that her brother die a free man, rather than an accused serial killer.

Even if he doesnt know it.

This man is in his bed. The doctor said he wasnt coming back to us, she said. Clear his name. Let him go peaceful.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.

UPDATES:

Aug. 9, 2018, 5:10 p.m.: This story was updated with information about the Los Angeles County district attorneys office request to dismiss all charges.

This story was first published at 5:00 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2018.
A deadly collision between a panga and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vessel off the Encinitas shore in 2015 was caused by the erratic evasion efforts of the panga driver, not the agents trying to halt the human smuggling operation, a federal judge in San Diego has ruled.

The opinion, filed Friday, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller clears the three federal agents aboard the M901 vessel of any blame in the crash, which killed a 32-year-old Mexican woman who was attempting to enter the U.S. illegally.

The judge rendered the decision after a two-day bench trial in May.

The parents of the deceased woman, Graciela Lopez Franco, and two brothers who were injured during the interdiction filed a lawsuit against the U.S. on claims of wrongful death and negligence.

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The panga, with 20 people aboard, was spotted by U.S. aircraft off the coast of Baja California, Christopher Hunter, a CBP supervisory marine interdiction agent who was commanding the agencys 38-foot patrol vessel, testified.

Hours later, at about 2 a.m., CBP agents saw the low-profile boat about 12 miles off the coast of Encinitas and tried to stop it.

None of the agents recalled giving verbal warnings over the boats loudspeaker, although several people in the panga testified that they heard commands to stop.

The agents activated sirens and flashing lights, and Hunter said the panga driver, wearing a yellow rain slicker, accelerated and turned away. The agents then fired two flare shots, but the panga did not slow down.

The agents fired shotgun blasts to disable the pangas engine and maneuvered the boat to bring it in close, Hunter said. Within seconds after the shots, the panga made a drastic left turn, colliding with the M901 and was forced under the larger boat while still moving forward.

It was chaos. People were frantic, clinging to items, even with life jackets on, Hunter testified. Life rings and heaving lines were thrown to people farther out, and people were pulled into the M901.

Hunter and several others noticed a man sitting on top of the capsized panga, but he would not let go.

Agent Craig Jenkins testified that at some point the man on the wreckage told him that a woman was under the boat. Jenkins, who was busy hauling people from the water into the CBP vessel, told the man to get the woman from under the boat but he did not react, according to testimony.

Franco eventually was found after the others had been rescued and pulled aboard. Agents performed CPR on her for 30 minutes but were unable to revive her.

Hector Lopez Garcia, a panga passenger who was injured in the collision and sued the government along with his younger brother, said he tried to take the throttle from the panga driver when the CBP boat flashed its lights and sounded the siren. But the driver instead accelerated and told Lopez to duck as bullets were flying above.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that force used by CBP was not appropriate for the situation, putting the panga passengers at unnecessary risk. Additionally, the approximately 94 seconds between the initial lights and siren and the disabling shots did not allow enough time for the panga occupants to surrender.

The judge concluded otherwise.

The clear intent of the panga driver was to elude the M901 and avoid interdiction, Miller said. He further determined that the collision was solely caused by the erratic operation of the panga by the driver.

The panga driver, Jose Pina Espinoza, was sentenced in 2016 to 30 months in prison, while Salvador Sanchez Garcia  who admitted to helping with fuel duties for a cheaper smuggling fee  received 36 months.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla said Tuesday that it has settled two of the three gender discrimination suits filed against the center last year by a trio of prominent female researchers.

Salk President Fred Rusty Gage and two of the plaintiffs  Katherine Jones and Vicki Lundblad  issued a joint statement that reads, in part:

In recent weeks the Institutes leadership and Drs. Kathy Jones and Vicki Lundblad commenced discussions in hopes of resolving our disputes.

Those productive conversations have led to a resolution of all claims between these parties that will enable us to put our disagreements behind us and move forward together at Salk for the collective good of the Institute and science.

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The statement does not mention the third plaintiff, biologist Beverly Emerson, 66, who left Salk in December when her contract expired. It also says nothing about the settlement terms.

Jones, 63, and Lundblad, 65, are faculty members at the institute.

All three women filed separate lawsuits last year accusing the elite biomedical research center of systemically discriminating against them on salary, promotions and access to grants.

The lawsuits caused an uproar in the scientific community, which was followed by the unexpected retirement of Salk President Elizabeth Blackburn, a Nobel laureate.

Salk also had to cope with the departure of star researcher Inder Verma, who resigned amid allegations that he had sexually harassed eight women.

The allegations were reported by the journal Science and denied by Verma.

Tuesdays announcement from Gage comes just more than two weeks before the nonprofit institute is scheduled to celebrate Symphony at Salk, an annual musical and fundraising gala. Last years event occurred not long after the three women had sued Salk.

Emerson spoke in July at an event focusing on women in science. Not mentioning Salk, Emerson said discrimination is much more serious when the institute itself knows and tolerates harassment and discrimination.

Its not a matter of one person being harassed by the bad guy down the hall and then going to HR. Its when the whole organization will collude with the bad guy, Emerson said at the July seminar in San Diego. She then described a scenario in which an employee goes to multiple people in the organization for help and no one listens.

That is a severe dysfunction of the culture in that organization, and its based on the reward system of the organization.

Emerson intends to keep pursuing her lawsuit, according to a story in Science.

Dr. Emerson intends to proceed until justice is fully achieved, Science quoted Emersons lawyer, Alreen Haeggquist of the San Diego law firm Haeggquist & Eck, as saying Tuesday night.

Jones and Lundblads attorney, Deborah Dixon of the San Diego law firm Gomez Trial Attorneys, declined to discuss the settlement terms, which are confidential, Science said.

Robbins and Fikes write for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Holy fire marched toward Lake Elsinore on Thursday afternoon, forcing a new round of evacuations as flames came perilously close to homes.

Residents living in homes on the mountainside of Lake Street and in the southeast region from Grand Avenue to Ortega Highway were told by the U.S. Forest Service to leave their homes immediately as the fire moved their way.

The Holy fire began Monday in Orange County and burned more than 10,236 acres through the Cleveland National Forest and into Riverside County. It was 5% contained. As night fell, the fire could be seen from across Southern California as it burned along the peaks of the Santa Ana Mountains.

On McVicker Canyon Road and Edgewood Drive, Todd Campbell sat on a ladder leaning against his garage. A second ladder leaned on the rooftop.

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Despite the evacuation orders, Campbell had stayed behind to protect his two-story home. He was using garden hoses to water his roof, trying to keep an eye on embers that could spark spot fires.

I put one out on my neighbors side, he said.

For a while, the situation looked grim. Trees swayed as the winds continued to gust. Ash fell from the sky as smoke from the charred canyons reduced visibility.

Above, a DC-10 was dropping fire retardant and helicopters swooped down to make water drops. Still, the flames raged.

It got to a point where it felt fruitless because of the intensity of the heat and winds, Campbell said. It was too overwhelming.

In the end, the air attacks made a difference.

The firemen have done a really good job, Campbell said.

Ana Tran and her friend, Bao Vinh, 33, got in her car when the fire approached. They opened the garage door and saw fire retardant falling from above on homes, cars and plants.

They then noticed the flickering flames behind homes, black smoke billowing and ash falling.

It was so scary, she said.

Tran sped past firefighters heading in to defend homes and neighbors who were also trying to flee the inferno. But she decided to pull to the side and wait it out. After a while, she returned to find her neighborhood still standing.

But billowing smoke made her feel like her neighborhood had been attacked.

It feels like a war zone, she said.

I dont even recognize the neighborhood, Vinh added.

Officials said Thursday night that despite the raging battle, no new homes had been lost. Poor weather conditions, however, temporarily grounded aircraft. Those operations did eventually resume. Even though many in Orange County saw flames from the blaze tonight, officials said the fire was not burning back in that county.

1 / 53 A firefighter douses hot spots in the McVicker Canyon neighborhood of Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 53 Kenneth Leishmans home is pink from fire retardant in the McVicker Canyon neighborhood of Lake Elsinore. Leishman stayed to protect his house from the fire. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 53 A bird perches on a rock Saturday morning at a lookout on Ortega Highway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 53 An air tanker drops fire retardant on a flare-up of the Holy fire on a mountain ridge above Lake Elsinore, Calif. Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Gina Ferazzi) 5 / 53 People watch as the Holy fire rages on a mountainside in Temescal Valley. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 53 Fire crews from Ventura County brace themselves as fire retardant falls on them after being dropped from the sky while they work to stop the progression of the Holy fire in Lake Elsinore. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 53 Helicopters make drops near homes threatened by the Holy fire in Lake Elsinore. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 53 As the sun rises above Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, the overnight crew working to contain the Holy fire prepares to leave. Containment levels have continued to rise since the fire broke out Monday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 53 The charred remains of vehicles lie along Ortega Highway on Saturday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 53 Residents keep watch Friday night as the Holy fire burns out of control in the hillsides above Temescal Valley. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 53 Firefighters try to stop the progression of the Holy fire as it makes its way toward homes due to the strong evening winds from Lake Elsinore. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 53 Stephen Woodward looks towards the sky as helicopters make rounds from Lake Elsinore to the hillside in their fight against the Holy fire on Friday. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 53 Residents keep watch Friday night as the Holy fire burns out of control in the hillsides above Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona. (Gina Ferazzi / Los AngelesTimes) 14 / 53 Jeff Qualls stands on his roof to watch an air tanker drop fire retardant on flames from the Holy fire as it make its way down the hillside in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 53 Fire retardant paints a Lakeland Village neighborhood pink in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 53 Firefighters try to stop the progression of the Holy fire as it makes its way toward homes due to the strong evening winds in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 53 An air tanker drops a load of water to save a home in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 53 A helicopter fighting the Holy fire drops water on flames at North Main Divide along Ortega Highway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 53 Firefighters battle to save a home from a wall off flames as the Holy fire continues to burn out of control in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 53 Residents and law enforcement wear breathing mask to avoid the thick smoke created by Holy Fire in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 53 Chief Mark Lamont, center, oversees firefighting operations at North Main Divide along Ortega Highway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 53 Two dozers cut a fire line next to flames at North Main Divide along Ortega Highway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 53 Afternoon winds fan flames close to a home north of Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 53 Firefighter Jon Polansky rest after working an overnight shift at a lookout on Ortega Highway above Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 53 Kai Cano rest after working an overnight shift at lookout on Ortega Highway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 53 Firefighters watch for flareups as they prevent the flames from the Holy fire from crossing the Ortega Highway in Lake Elsinore. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 53 Firefighters conduct a burn operation to remove fuel around homes on Grand Avenue as the Holy fire grows to more than 10,000 acres. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 53 Fire crews watch as a helicopter makes a water drop on a flareup as they prevent the Holy fire from crossing the Ortega Highway above Lake Elsinore. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 53 The Holy fire, which has grown to more than 10,000 acres, is reflected off the water of Lake Elsinore. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 53 Jeff Itschner, 43, sprays water on the bushes at his in-laws home on Amorose Street near Leach Canyon in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 53 A helicopter makes a water drop on burning brush on a hill across from homes in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 53 Manuel Trujillo packs his belongings as flames from the Holy fire approach his Lake Elsinore neighborhood. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 53 Firefighters struggle to keep the Holy fire from jumping Lincoln Street toward homes in Lake Elsinore. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 53 Residents evacuate the 29000 block of Sandpiper Drive in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire approaches homes. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 53 Flames come close to homes in the 29000 block of Sandpiper Drive in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 53 Worried residents watch as flames advance toward their homes on Sandpiper Drive in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 53 Stephanie Caceres packs her belongings into her car as the Holy fire approaches homes on Sandpiper Drive in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 53 Cal Fires Mario Gonzalez keeps an eye on the Holy fire raging near homes in Leach Canyon. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 53 An air tanker fights the Holy fire, which forced more evacuations of neighborhoods in the Lake Elsinore area Wednesday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 53 The Holy fire on Wednesday approaches Lake Elsinores McVicker Canyon neighborhood, which is under mandatory evacuation orders. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 53 Two men monitor the Holy fire from a rooftop as it approaches the McVicker Canyon neighborhood in Lake Elsinore. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 53 The Trabuco Canyon home of arson suspect Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, stands untouched amid charred remains in his neighborhood. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 53 Chris ONeal, a video journalist from Laguna Niguel, is silhouetted by a smoke-obscured sun as a fire helicopter keeps an eye on the Holy fire approaching McVicker Canyon. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 53 The Holy fire reached very close to homes in a Lake Elsinore neighborhood forcing evacuation and deployment large air tankers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 53 The Holy fire burns toward homes in a Lake Elsinore neighborhood, forcing evacuation orders and the deployment of large air tankers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 53 Smoke from the Holy fire darkens the sky over the Glen Ivy Golf Club as the blaze burns on the mountain ridges around Corona. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 53 The Holy fire in the Cleveland National Forest pushed closer to some homes Wednesday, prompting a new round of mandatory evacuations. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 53 Lester and Blanca Fronk watch for planes fighting the Holy Fire in Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 53 Felipe Montiel fishes at Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire reflects across the water while burning in the Cleveland National Forest above homes in Lake Elsinore. (Los Angeles Times) 50 / 53 U.S. Forest Service fire crews make their way to the Holy fire, burning on mountain ridges in the Cleveland National Forest near Corona. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 53 Bob Tyler clears his driveway covered by ashes from Holy Fire falling on his neighborhood of 11000 block of Kingbird Drive in Corona. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 53 A plane drops fire retardant on the Holy fire burning in Cleveland National Forest above a home in Lake Elsinore on Aug. 7. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 53 A man prepares to fish as smoke rises from the Holy fire in the Cleveland National Forest in Lake Elsinore on Aug. 6. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

Authorities say the Holy fire was intentionally set.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest in connection with the ignition of the blaze.

It was not immediately clear how the fire was set. Clark was booked Wednesday and was being held on $1-million bond.

RELATED: As Holy fire raged, arson suspect told newsman he had no idea how it started: I was asleep, I had two earplugs in 

(Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times)

Susan Kang Schroeder, spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorneys office, said it would file criminal charges against Clark.

We expect to bring him to justice for these terrible crimes, she said.

An arrest has been made in relation to the Holy Fire. Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was booked into Orange County Jail on August 8, 2018, on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize, and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest. pic.twitter.com/CMspxOIvSk  Cleveland NF (@ClevelandNF) August 8, 2018

Clark is slated to appear in court Thursday, records show.

The Holy fire, which was 5% contained and burning toward Horsethief Canyon and McVicker Drainage, broke out Monday and has destroyed 12 structures.

Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order Thursday to expedite recovery efforts in areas hardest hit by Californias wildfires.

Assisting fire-ravaged communities in Lake, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino and Napa counties, the order suspends regulations on clearing fire-related debris and eliminates limits on the number of hours emergency personnel can work. More than 13,000 firefighters are battling blazes across the state.

The order also suspends planning and zoning requirements and waives state fees for manufactured homes and mobile home parks, extends a state ban on price gouging during emergencies, and allows accelerated hiring of additional personnel for emergency and recovery operations.

It comes nearly two weeks after the governor declared a state of emergency in Mendocino, Lake and Napa counties. Last week, Brown announced that the White House had approved his request for a federal major disaster declaration in Shasta County.

Eighteen wildfires that continue to burn across the state have scorched about 600,000 acres, an area nearly the size of Sacramento County. The largest is the Mendocino Complex fire  made up of the Ranch and River fires  which has burned more than 300,000 acres and is the biggest fire ever recorded in California. It was 51% contained as of Thursday morning.

Times staff writer James Queally and Alex Riggins of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

Twitter: @latvives

UPDATES:

9:45 p.m.: This article was updated with new details.

6:20 p.m.: This article was updated with new fire figures.

5:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information from the scene of the fire.

5:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information from the fire near Lake Elsinore.

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a new fire in the Ramona area.

2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with news of new evacuations as the fire approached Lake Elsinore.

7:50 a.m. Aug. 9: This article was updated with the latest figures on acreage burned.

4:55 p.m.: This article was updated with new acreage for the Holy fire and comments from fire officials.

2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with new evacuations.

2 p.m.: This article was updated with wildfire updates and comments from fire officials.

This article was originally published at 12:10 p.m. Aug. 8
The smoke creeping up from a steep hillside near this small community 27 miles south of Yosemite Valley was a sure sign a spot fire was burning, hidden beneath the tall pine trees.

In years past, firefighters might have proceeded with just the limited information provided by a helicopter operator struggling to see through the haze.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said that the Rim fire had burned in San Diego County. It burned in and around Yosemite National Park.

Instead, a California Air National Guard aircraft with infrared capability flying thousands of feet above the Ferguson fire was able to determine that firefighters were facing not one spot fire but seven, which were quickly growing together.

Amid weeks of conflagrations and heat waves that have shattered grim records across California, the Ferguson fire has made some good history: It marked the first time incident commanders battling a wildfire have been able to tell firefighters what was being reported from high above the fire in exact detail in near real time.

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California fire coverage: 18 blazes scorch 600,000 acres across the state 

For firefighting, its a game changer, no doubt. And its only going to get better, said Damian Guilliani, situation unit leader on California Interagency Incident Management Team 4, which helped battle the Ferguson fire.

Firefighting technology in California took a big leap five years ago, when the Guard first used a large drone to fly over the Rim fire, which burned in and around Yosemite National Park in 2013. It sent video footage back to an operations facility.

Since then, the Guards 163rd Reconnaissance Wing has helped fight more than 20 wildland fires.

The California Air National Guard arrived at the Ferguson fire on July 18, initially employing drones as well as a manned aircraft. (The drones soon were diverted to the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires.)

Command leaders fighting the blaze that has closed Yosemite Valley indefinitely have taken the Guard intel and gotten it to their troops on the ground  hotshot crews, incident mapmakers and air assault teams  within 15 minutes.

In coming fire seasons, leaders anticipate that process will only become more efficient.

The Guards aircraft can fly at night and at high altitudes, above the smoke, recording video via infrared technology. It also can fly around the fires perimeter faster than a helicopter.

The technology  is absolutely amazing, Guilliani said. Not only can they see live video, but you can actually see at 25,000 feet when they shoot down on the fire line, you can actually see people walking around and see fire trucks through infrared.

RELATED: Devastating drone images show neighborhood hit by Shasta County fire 

Since it began July 13 in the Sierra National Forest, the Ferguson fire has burned more than 94,000 acres. On Tuesday, it was at 43% containment, with almost 2,400 firefighters and support personnel working to stop it.

The regions unforgiving landscape  steep, rocky hillsides and deep canyons and cliffs  has made portions of the wildfire too perilous to reach. Nearly 50% of the Sierra National Forest is wilderness, making it one of the largest contiguous blocks of such land in the continental United States, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Instead of focusing on fighting the fire with a perilous frontal assault, crews have worked for several days to burn a boundary around the fire to keep it from reaching farther into Yosemite National Park and toward the small communities along Highway 41.

Along with 33 bulldozers, dozens of hotshot crew members have journeyed miles through the forest to carve out a fire line against the spread of flames. Usually a crew  often dropped off by helicopters into the forest  can construct a mile of line in a setting like the Sierra National Forest in one day. Because of the number of trees killed by drought and a bark beetle infestation that have fallen throughout the region, theyve been lucky to construct one-third a mile of fire line, officials said.

Sources: Nextzen, OpenStreetMap, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Priya Krishnakumar / Los Angeles Times)

Between 2010 to 2017, an estimated 129 million trees have succumbed in California. That includes two areas where the Ferguson fire has burned: 31.8 million dead trees in the Sierra National Forest, and another 9 million in the Stanislaus National Forest.

A fire of this magnitude means there are a lot of different challenges and a lot of different obstacles in firefighters way, said Joe Amador, a public information officer. Its not just about taking a hose up the hill and putting it on the fire and then [the fire] goes away.

Hand crews have spent days working 16-hour shifts using chain saws, Pulaskis  part ax, part grub hoe  and other tools to clear miles of manzanita and other brush along roads and highways in preparation for back burning. The technique, which involves firefighters burning a line around a wildfire, is designed to slow or stop the blaze by depriving it of fuel.

[Clearing brush] makes the burning operation much more safe and effective as a whole, said Jennifer Martin, a crew boss trainee with the Forest Service overseeing a hand crew of about 20 people last week.

If we have full brush, its going to be throwing embers across, making it hard to hold the fire line, she said.

Robby Peterson, a Corona battalion chief, said his team was hearing and seeing dead trees, dubbed by firefighters as snags, fall every few minutes.

To avoid the danger, he said, firefighters do their best to avoid them, trying to make sure they are uphill from the dead trees and being mindful to identify which ones they think might fall.

Imagine a sparkler thats 150-feet tall thats throwing sparks across our line, Peterson said. Thats the problem. Thats what makes it a challenge. It doesnt take much wind to carry those [embers] because the trees are so high.

Thats part of the reason the California Air National Guards presence has been so crucial.

By knowing a wildfires exact behavior in real time, fire chiefs can place firefighters more strategically  and hopefully keep them safer.

Since the Ferguson fire began, two firefighters have been killed.

Cal Fire heavy equipment operator Braden Varney died on July 14 when his bulldozer fell down a steep canyon while he was working. Two weeks later, Capt. Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots was killed by a falling tree.

The information from Guard aircraft, officials said, will help ensure crews have a more precise idea of what theyre up against.

In 45 years of fighting fires, its never easy being on an incident where you have fatalities, said Deputy Incident Commander Rocky Opliger. This will help us reduce exposure, flat bottom line.

jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com

@jaclyncosgrove
U.S. and visiting Turkish officials held a second day of talks at the State Department on Wednesday to discuss U.S. demands for the release of an American minister who has been detained by Turkey for nearly two years, but no progress was reported.

Washington long has demanded the release of Andrew Brunson, an evangelical Christian preacher who has lived in Turkey for nearly two decades. He was arrested with tens of thousands of Turks and others after an attempted military coup failed to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016.

Brunson is being held on terrorism-related charges and has proclaimed his innocence, as has the U.S. government.

The case has inflamed tensions between Turkey and the United States, which are NATO allies. The Trump administration last week imposed economic sanctions on two senior Turkish officials it held responsible for Brunsons detention and threatened other punitive steps.

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The meetings in Washington were led by John Sullivan, deputy U.S. secretary of State, and Turkeys deputy foreign minister, Sedat Onal.

They discussed a range of bilateral matters, including Pastor Brunson, Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, said Wednesday. The talks continue, she added, without providing further detail.

Turkey hosts U.S. military bases that Washington has used for the wars in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has said Washington also has demanded the release of other U.S. citizens detained in the post-coup crackdown, as well as Turkish employees of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

Brunson has received the most attention, however. His church belongs to the same national evangelical congregation as Vice President Mike Pence, who has frequently called for the North Carolina natives release.

Erdogan has suggested trading Brunson for Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish-born Muslim cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania whom Erdogan blames for instigating the coup attempt.

Gulen has denied involvement, and the Justice Department has declined to extradite him, saying Turkey has not provided sufficient evidence that he committed a crime.

Turkey also is seeking the release of a Turkish banker, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who was convicted in a U.S. federal court in May on sanctions-busting charges related to the purchase of Iranian oil.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter
The number of people who were apprehended trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally did not decrease significantly after the Trump administrations zero tolerance policy began this year  but the number who attempted to cross legally did, according to government figures released Wednesday.

An official with Homeland Security, which includes Customs and Border Protection, said the number of illegal crossings fell 8% from last month, and 22% from its highest point this year in May, when zero tolerance started.



For the record: An earlier version of this article was unclear about the time frame for a statistic on people crossing the border.

In July, Border Patrol apprehended 31,303 people crossing the southwest border illegally; 34,095 in June and 40,333 in May.

The decline was expected, due to an annual dip during hot summer months, said the official, who spoke about the figures before their release on condition of anonymity.

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The proportion of families versus individuals caught crossing illegally rose to 29% last month, up from 19% last year, he said.

The increase was driven in part by a dramatic spike in the number of families crossing in Yuma, which more than doubled so far this fiscal year from October through July to 10,736, compared to 4,735 during the same time period last fiscal year. The number of unaccompanied youth crossing at Yuma also more than doubled so far this fiscal year compared to last fiscal year. Family and unaccompanied youth crossings also increased during the same period around Tucson and El Centro. Family and unaccompanied youth crossings also increased during the same period around Tucson and El Centro.

Many of the families that attempted to cross in the Yuma area were Guatemalan, the Homeland Security official said, and Border Patrol has been working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to catch, detain and deport them back to Central America.

Its extraordinarily hot this time of year and can be dangerous for that crossing, he said.

Under zero tolerance, the administration began prosecuting parents in federal criminal court and separating them from their children. More than 2,550 families were separated before Trump issued an executive order June 20 effectively halting the practice.

Many of the immigrant families separated under zero tolerance were also Central American, and advocates have sued to reunite them. A federal judge in California ordered the administration to comply by July 26. Officials said they met the deadline without reunifying about 572 children, including at least 410 whose parents had been deported and deemed ineligible. The administration has since resisted a court-imposed 20-day limit on detaining families, including those recently reunited.

We dont have family units completing their immigration proceedings. They go to the back of the line in immigration court, and get released pending resolution of their cases, which given the current court backlog could take years, the Homeland Security official said.

As the proportion of families attempting to cross illegally increased during zero tolerance, the number attempting to legally claim asylum at border bridges decreased, a troubling trend, the official said.

Last month, 3,027 family members sought asylum at ports of entry on the southern border, 36% fewer than in May.

Immigrant advocates have complained that U.S. immigration officials stopped families on border bridges in recent months and prevented them from entering.

In Texas Rio Grande Valley, the top destination for migrants, families were stopped on bridges from Matamoros, Miguel Alleman and Reynosa, Mexico, in recent months, some forced to camp out with their children for weeks without access to bathrooms and running water.

The Homeland Security official blamed smugglers, advocacy groups and the media for telling immigrant parents that families were being separated at the bridges, leading them to cross illegally instead.

There are places where we have higher capacity, where asylum seekers might be processed quicker, but we are not turning people away at the bridges, he said.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

@mollyhf
The race for the Republican nomination for Kansas governor  a contest in which President Trump endorsed his close political ally Kris Kobach  was too close to call early Wednesday.

With all precincts reporting results and more than 311,000 votes tallied, Kobach held a lead of nearly 200 votes over incumbent Jeff Colyer, a moderate seeking his first full term after replacing Sam Brownback, who resigned as governor in January to serve in the Trump administration as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Problems with tallying ballots in a Kansas City, Kan., suburb had led to delays in getting a final vote count. Provisional and mail-in ballots are still being tallied.

Few candidates across the country have been as closely allied with Trump as Kobach.

Shortly after the 2016 presidential election, Trump appointed Kobach to his immigration policy team. Months later, in May 2017, Trump tapped him to team up with Vice President Mike Pence to head a now-defunct commission on voter fraud.

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Throughout the primary campaign, Kobach focused heavily on curbing illegal immigration and frequently dropped Trumps name in interviews, praising the administrations zero tolerance policy that has separated immigrant families that entered the country illegally.

Trump, in an endorsement on Monday, called Kobach, who is Kansas secretary of state, a fantastic guy who will be strong on immigration and crime.

Not all Republicans thought the endorsement was a good idea. Some in Washington had urged Trump to stay out of the race, fearing that a Kobach win could lower turnout this fall by moderates and hurt the party in a pair of competitive congressional races.

Colyer shares Kobachs views on immigration but focused his campaign on issues surrounding the states budget woes, which began in 2012 when Brownback ushered in massive tax cuts. (Colyer was Brownbacks lieutenant governor at the time.)

In November, the winner will face state Sen. Laura Kelly, who won the Democratic primary.

Kansas leans Republican and hasnt elected a Democratic governor since 2006. Democrats would prefer to face Kobach in general election, hoping his candidacy would energize their base and turn off moderates.

If Colyer wins, the Democratic strategy will be to tie him to the unpopular Brownback with the aim of boosting turnout in a handful of moderate and left-leaning pockets in college towns like Lawrence and Manhattan.

Kobach has been at the forefront of national efforts to reduce illegal immigration.

In 2010, he helped craft Arizonas controversial immigration-enforcement legislation  Senate Bill 1070, the so-called show your papers law. Critics said the law hinged on racial profiling, and the Supreme Court eventually stuck down many of the provisions.

He also helped local officials in Hazleton, Pa., draft a 2006 ordinance that banned landlords from renting to people in the country illegally. The ordinance faced several legal challenges and was never implemented.

In June, a federal judge struck down a 2011 Kansas law that Kobach said was aimed at ending voter fraud by requiring people to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. Opponents argued the law aimed to reduce registration of blacks and Latinos, who tend to vote Democratic.

Recently, the same judge ordered Kobach to pay more than $26,000 in legal fees to the American Civil Liberties Union and a related legal team stemming from the fight over Kansas proof-of-citizenship voting law.

A supporter of Republican gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach looks at poll results during Kobachs primary election watch party Tuesday night at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. (Chris Neal / The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @kurtisalee

UPDATES:

Aug. 8, 5:05 a.m.: This article was updated with later results.

This article was originally published on Aug. 7 at 9:55 p.m.
A Kansas man who opened fire in a suburban Kansas City bar, killing an immigrant from India and wounding two other men, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to three consecutive life prison sentences for what federal prosecutors said was a hate crime.

Adam Purinton, 53, of Olathe did not speak in court Tuesday as he was sentenced for the Feb. 22, 2017, shooting at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe that killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a citizen of India who had stopped at the bar with a co-worker, Alok Madasani, both 32, for an after-work drink.

The shooting raised concerns that immigrants were facing more harassment after the election of President Trump and prompted officials in India to question whether their citizens were safe in the U.S.

Witnesses said Purinton was asked to leave the bar after he verbally harassed Kuchibhotla and Madasani, at one point yelling, Get out of my country. He later returned with a handgun and fired several times at the two men, killing Kuchibhotla and wounding Madasani. A third man who tried to intervene, Ian Grillot, also was wounded.

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Purinton was arrested later in Missouri after he told a bartender he was running from police because of the shooting.

He pleaded guilty to federal hate-crime charges in May, in a deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty. His sentence on Tuesday will run consecutively to another life sentence Purinton previously received for first-degree murder in Johnson County District Court in Kansas.

Prosecutors read a statement that Sunayana Dumala, Kuchibhotlas widow, had addressed to Purinton.

Srinu and I came to the United States of America full of dreams and aspirations. Now, my American Dream  and that of Srinus  is broken, she wrote. If you could have kept your anger inside and spoke to my husband softly, Srinu would have been more than happy to share his background and help you understand that not every brown-skinned person is suspicious or evil, but kind, smart and contributing to America. Instead you chose to rage and bully in anger and when you were stopped, you decided to take their lives.

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said in a statement that Purintons crimes were detestable.

The defendant acted with clear premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man, simply because of their race, religion and national origin, according to the statement. As a result, a promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been filled with suffering. Securing this sentence is important not only to the victims and their loved ones, but also to our justice system and our nation as a whole.
The Pentagon plans to create a new military command responsible for war fighting in space, but opposition in Congress could block a more ambitious space force, a new military service that President Trump has endorsed repeatedly in tweets and campaign rallies.

The outcome of the bureaucratic reshuffling could have major implications for Los Angeles. More than 6,000 personnel are based at the Air Forces Space and Missile Systems Center in El Segundo, which does most of the services space planning and procurement.

Trumps idea for a futuristic space service has raised deep concerns among some military officials and senior Pentagon commanders, especially in the Air Force. They fear losing responsibility for space and the nearly $8.5 billion of its budget that now goes for building and launching satellites, along with other space systems.

Vice President Mike Pence will renew the administrations call for a space force in a speech at the Pentagon on Thursday. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will lay out interim steps, including establishing a space command and a new joint agency for buying satellites, which the Pentagon plans to create by the end of the year.

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According to a Pentagon report to be released Thursday, the new U.S. Space Command would be responsible for drafting war plans for space and for conducting military operations in space, much like Central Command draws from all military services and is responsible for fighting wars in the Middle East.

Trumps broader call for a space force as a new branch of the armed services  joining the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard  faces an uncertain future. It can only be implemented with the approval of Congress. Senior lawmakers in the Senate have voiced staunch opposition to the idea, which is unlikely to be taken up until next year in any case.

If Congress eventually approves a space force, it would probably have 30,000 to 40,000 personnel, drawn mostly from the Air Force but also from the Army and possibly the National Reconnaissance Office, the little-known intelligence agency responsible for building and launching spy satellites.

That would make the space force by far the smallest military service, behind the Marine Corps, which has an active duty force of 186,100 this year.

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis played down the disagreements between the Pentagon and the White House on Tuesday. We are in complete agreement with the presidents concerns about protecting our assets in space, he told reporters, adding, I dont have all the final answers yet.

Current and former Pentagon officials say consolidation of space functions now performed by the Air Force, Navy and other military branches into a single independent service would add layers of bureaucracy and might not immediately improve the militarys capabilities.

The Pentagon is complicated enough, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters in June 2017, when asked about a potential space force. This will make it more complex, add more boxes to the organization chart and cost more money. If I had more money, I would put it into lethality, not bureaucracy.

Some current and former Air Force officers cautioned Congress to go slow in reshaping the militarys space operations.

A space force must be planned and executed deliberately, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula and Lt. Col. Michael Martindale, an associate director at the Air Force Academy, said in a statement released Wednesday by the Air Force Assn., an independent nonprofit professional military and aerospace group.

By itself, standing up a U.S. Space Force will not necessarily improve the resource deficiencies in space operations and could pull space professionals from the community of warfighters they have worked so hard to integrate with over the past quarter century, the statement said.

If designed like the other military services, a space force would be responsible for training and equipping personnel for warfare in space but would not engage in combat. Instead, its personnel would be assigned to the space command the Pentagon is proposing or to existing combat commands.

Trump has never explained at length why he favors creation of a space force as an additional military service, but the concept often draws loud cheers at rallies.

Hopes by Pentagon officials that the idea would fade away were dashed in June when Trump during a meeting of the National Space Council, a government advisory body, directed Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to create a separate but equal military service for space.

We got you, a clearly uncomfortable Dunford replied.

Trump has not let the matter drop, saying at a campaign rally Saturday for a congressional candidate in Ohio that he had directed the Pentagon to begin the process of creating the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces called the space force. Space, very important.

Under pressure from Pence and civilian appointees at the Pentagon, the military brass has been unable to punt the issue completely to Congress.

The Pentagon now has 11 so-called combatant commands. Eight focus on geographic regions and three have global responsibilities, such as Strategic Command, which oversees planning for nuclear war.

Instead of relying on a separate space force, the new space command would draw military personnel with space expertise from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Army, and would be headed by a four-star commander.

The Pentagon report being released Thursday is also expected to call for creation of a space development agency, which would take over responsibility for buying satellites and other military space systems.

The agency also would take over space contracting now spread across other services and agencies. The Trump administration is requesting $12.5 billion for unclassified military space programs next year. Most the money  $11.4 billion  would go to the Air Force, along with an unknown amount in classified spending.

The Pentagon had a Space Command from 1985 until 2002, when then-Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered it merged with Strategic Command partly in an effort to reduce bureaucracy and redundancy.

Complicating matters even more, the Air Force has its own lower-level Space Command. Headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, it oversees the Space and Missile Systems Center in El Segundo, as well missile launch operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base and other Air Force space units.

Its not yet clear whether the Pentagons partial steps to unify space operations will blunt Trumps push for congressional action on a space force.

Pentagon spending on satellites and other space programs long have been plagued by major cost overruns, delays and bureaucratic infighting. The uneven record led, in 2015, to designation of the Air Force secretary as the Defense Departments principal space advisor, with new powers to coordinate space-related spending and planning across the department.

But the General Accountability Office, Congresss investigative arm, last year said the problems were so severe that lawmakers should consider more far-reaching reforms, including creation of an independent space force, as Trump has recommended.

Given the long-standing fragmentation in space leadership and consequent challenges faced by [the Defense Department] in synchronizing its extensive space enterprise, other, more significant reform measures may deserve a closer look, the GAO said in a report to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

But the report also warned that such changes would cause significant short-term disruption at the Pentagon.

Careful consideration of any such changes is therefore essential for helping to ensure a better track record of providing warfighters with the capabilities they need on time and within cost, the GAO said.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT
Investigators found the remains of an unidentified boy after raiding a compound in New Mexico where they suspect a father had taken his severely disabled son after saying he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child and abducting him in Georgia, authorities said Tuesday.

The remains were found Monday during a search on the outskirts of Amalia, a remote town near the Colorado border marked by scattered homes, sagebrush and open plains.

Authorities were awaiting positive identification of the remains by medical examiners.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe indicated the body appeared to be that of a boy similar in age to Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, who suffers from seizures and was reported missing in December after his father said he was taking him to a park in Jonesboro, Ga., south of Atlanta.

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The father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, had told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child, authorities said.

We discovered the remains yesterday on Abduls fourth birthday, Hogrefe said, appearing to fight back tears.

The search for Abdul-Ghani led authorities Friday to the squalid compound shielded by old tires, wooden pallets and an earthen wall studded with broken glass. Investigators said they found the heavily armed Wahhaj along with four other adults and 11 hungry children living in filthy conditions.

Message leads to discovery of 11 children in squalid New Mexico compound 

Wahhaj was taken into custody without incident.

All the adults were arrested on suspicion of child abuse. Wahhaj is also is being detained on a Georgia warrant that seeks his extradition to face a charge of abducting his son. He was expected to appear in court Wednesday.

Authorities returned to search the compound after interviews on Friday and Saturday led them to believe the boy might still be on the property.

We had a good idea of a target location to look for the child, Hogrefe said.

The Georgia arrest warrant said the boy suffers from severe medical issues including a defect caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow about the time of his birth. His mother said he cant walk and requires constant attention.

At a news conference in Taos, Hogrefe described FBI surveillance efforts in recent months that included photographs of the compound and interviews. He said the images were shared with the mother of Abdul-Ghani but she did not spot her son.

I had no probable cause to get a search warrant to go onto this property, the sheriff said.

He said FBI officials were invited to the news conference but declined to attend. An FBI spokesman didnt immediately return a call seeking comment.

Hogrefe said the breaking point in seeking a search warrant came when Georgia authorities received a message that may have originated within the compound that children were starving inside.

It wasnt clear who sent the message or how it was communicated. Georgia detectives forwarded it to the Taos County Sheriffs Office.

Children ages 1 to 15 were rescued from the compound that had been under investigation for months. The sheriff said it appeared the children hadnt eaten for days.

Property owner Jason Badger said he and his wife had pressed authorities to remove the group that he said had built the compound on his acreage instead of a neighboring tract owned by Lucas Morton, one of the men arrested during the raid.

I started to try and kick them off about three months ago and everything I tried to do kept getting knocked down, Badger said.

Court records show a judge dismissed an eviction notice filed by Badger against Morton in June. The records didnt provide further details on the judges decision.

Tyler Anderson, who lives near the compound, believes the group had moved to the area to live off the grid, just as he had done.

Anderson said he had helped the newcomers install solar panels after they arrived in December. But he eventually stopped visiting the compound. He said the children at first played at neighboring properties but stopped in recent months.

The women, believed to be mothers of some of the children, have been identified as 35-year-old Jany Leveille, 38-year-old Hujrah Wahhaj and 35-year-old Subhannah Wahhaj.

Jail booking photos show them wearing traditional Muslim veils or hijabs.

Aleks Kostich, managing attorney in the Taos County public defenders office, said the office was gathering information and assigning attorneys to the defendants. He declined to comment on their behalf, citing the early stage of the case.

However, he questioned the legal sufficiency of the criminal complaints filed against the men and women, saying they were vague.

Im not sure how much investigating has been done, he said. Im not sure how much law enforcement knows and how long theyve known it for.
U.S. Rep. Christopher Collins (R-N.Y.) has been indicted on charges that he used inside information about a biotechnology company to make illicit stock trades.

The charges were announced and the indictment unsealed in New York City on Wednesday.

The indictment charges Collins, the congressmans son and the father of the sons fiance, with conspiracy, wire fraud and other counts.

Prosecutors say the charges relate to a scheme to gain insider information about Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, a biotechnology company headquartered in Sydney, with offices in Auckland, New Zealand.

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According to the indictment, the defendants tried to get early word on the results of the trial of a drug the company developed to treat multiple sclerosis.

Collins, whose district covers parts of western New York between Buffalo and Rochester, has denied any wrongdoing. When the House Ethics Committee began investigating the stock trades a year ago, his spokeswoman called it a partisan witch hunt.

We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name, his attorneys, Jonathan Barr and Jonathan New, said in a statement Wednesday. It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated.

All three defendants were in federal custody Wednesday and were expected to make their initial court appearance in the afternoon.

Collins was a member of Innates board of directors and held nearly 17% of the stock. When the drug trials failed, the public announcement caused the stock price of Innate to plunge 92%.

Prosecutors allege that Collins passed along secrets to his son, Cameron, in June 2017. They say the son traded on the inside information and passed it to a third defendant, Stephen Zarsky. They say Zarsky traded on it and tipped off at least three others.

Prosecutors say the three avoided over $768,000 in losses by trading ahead of the public announcement of the failed drug trials.

The advocacy group Public Citizen filed a request for an investigation of Collins stock dealings with the Office of Congressional Ethics and the Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2017.
California voters this year were again faced with a slew of special elections to fill vacant seats in the Legislature. But the job of filling the 32nd Senate seat has been especially confusing. Two primary elections for the seat were held on the same ballot on June 5  one to find candidates to fill the empty seat for the short term and another to find candidates to fill it for the longer term.

That was silly in its own right, but then, to make matters worse, voters chose different candidates to advance to the runoff in the two elections, even though the slate of people running was exactly the same. Its hard to follow, we know, but the bottom line is this: There is a real possibility that the winner of the short-term runoff that was held Tuesday will represent the district for just three weeks before the legislative session ends. Then in December, she could be out of the job entirely.

What a waste of money and effort! If there was ever a poster child for special election reform, this is it.

This latest round of vacancies in the Legislature was brought on by the sexual harassment scandals that have rocked the Capital over the last year. Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), who held the 32nd Senate seat, and two members of the Assembly all resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) stepped down for health reasons.

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Special elections are expensive  typically more than $1 million each  with local governments footing the bill.

State law lays out a strict timeline that the governor must follow when filling vacancies in the Legislature. A special election must be announced within two weeks and held within 126 to 140 days, unless there is a regularly scheduled election occurring sooner or immediately afterward.

Sometimes theres an opportunity to consolidate the special election with regularly scheduled elections. But often, county elections officials have to arrange stand-alone special elections, which tend to draw extremely few voters because, well, whos expecting an election on a Tuesday in April or August? And why turn out for just one race? As a result, its not unusual to see fewer than 15% of registered voters cast ballots.

Such special elections are expensive  typically more than $1 million each  with local governments footing the bill. And theyve become more frequent as term-limited politicians quit midyear to run for higher office. One resignation triggers an election that is often won by another elected official, which triggers another election for that seat and so on. There have been more than 30 special elections to fill vacant legislative seats in the last decade.

Some are unavoidable. If a politician resigns early in his or her term, then, yes, its appropriate to hold an election to fill the seat. But legislators and the voters should give the governor more flexibility to consolidate trips to the ballot box. That could mean changing the law to allow the governor to appoint a temporary caretaker for an open state legislative seat or to leave a seat vacant until the next regularly scheduled election.

The governor is allowed to fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate and various other state and local offices. But the rules are different for legislative seats.

The 32nd Senate seat is an example of how messy and confusing this can become.

Mendoza resigned from the Senate in February rather than face expulsion by his colleagues after an independent investigation.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

The timing of Mendozas resignation in the last year of his Senate term required both a special election and a regular election for the 32nd Senate district on the same ballot on June 5. The winner of the special election will serve until the current term expires, and the winner of the regular election will start a new four-year term on Dec. 3.

But voters picked different Democratic candidates for the special election and the regular election. Montebello Mayor Vanessa Delgado, a Democrat, and Republican attorney Rita Topalian advanced to Tuesdays special election to decide who will fill Mendozas seat for the rest of his term. In November, voters will choose between Pico Rivera Mayor Bob Archuleta, a Democrat, and Topalian, who placed first in both contests.

The district is heavily Democratic. If elected, Delgado may serve just a few months on the job.

Theres got to be a more efficient way to fill legislative seats and get voters off the merry-go-round of special elections.

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When Pope Francis declared the death penalty inadmissible last week, he codified a profound recognition that capital punishment is a vestige of a barbarous past.

Predictably, Catholic proponents of the death penalty are arguing that his move is just another reckless act by a pope who is careless with doctrine and heedless of the need for continuity in church teaching.

But in fact, by ruling out capital punishment, Francis simply brought to fruition a change that had been percolating in the church for decades. His position is particularly in line with that of the three popes who preceded him.

A strong opposition to violence marked the first three centuries of Christian life. Athenagoras of Athens, Hippolytus of Rome and Tertullian of Carthage all held that violence went against the teachings of Jesus. Many early Christians refused to serve in the Roman army for the same reason, and some were executed for their refusal.

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When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, he did not bring a more extreme position to the Vatican so much as a more outspoken one.

In the 4th century, however, the Roman Catholic tradition started supporting the death penalty. St. Augustine, who lived in the 5th century, viewed it as a part of war, consistent with the military obligations of a state in wartime. St. Thomas Aquinas, in the 12th century, saw it as a legitimate means of safeguarding society from dangerous criminals.

This position began to shift in the 1960s. Pope Paul VI removed capital punishment from the fundamental law of the Vatican in 1969. A few years later, he asked the Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco to commute the death sentences of five convicted Basque terrorists.

It was Pope John Paul II, elected in 1978, who really began urging an end to the practice, calling it cruel and unnecessary. He sponsored efforts to reduce its use around the world and instructed papal representatives to oppose executions in particular countries.

When the Catholic Church first published the current catechism, in 1992, during John Pauls pontificate, it affirmed a preference for bloodless penalties but allowed for the death penalty in cases of extreme gravity.

The church then revised the catechism five years later, amending its position on capital punishment into a near-refusal and stating that cases in which criminals should be deprived of redemption are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.

Pope Benedict XVI made the churchs opposition even firmer, vowing to abolish the death penalty and urging justice ministers to support efforts to eliminate it around the world.

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, he did not bring a more extreme position to the Vatican so much as a more outspoken one. He did, however, bring a greater emphasis on the idea of mercy, especially when it came to the churchs involvement in worldly affairs.

To Francis, as he has put it, mercy is the justice of God. Accordingly, he views the church as a bearer of mercy rather than of justice or judgment exclusively. He even called a rare Extraordinary Jubilee Year in 2015 to focus on the issue of mercy, inviting Catholics and the world at large to both seek mercy from others and show mercy to others.

His changes to the catechism are an extension of this emphasis on mercy. The new text begins by spelling out the churchs past rationale for capital punishment: Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

It then states that this old reasoning is flawed, because the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. It adds: More effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.

The teaching concludes: [T]he death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person and [the church] works with determination for its abolition worldwide.

Francis did not make a radical break with the teachings of his predecessors. Rather, he did away with the idea that there is that very rare instance in which the execution of a criminal is sanctioned. Whatever their misdeeds, a criminal remains a person  and therefore capable of remorse, a conversion of heart and redemption.

The churchs position is now consistent with the global movement to abolish the death penalty. More than 140 countries have eliminated it or stopped executions by legal or de facto moratoriums. The countries that do continue to allow the practice  including Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea and, yes, the United States  are exceptions.

Capital punishment is not justice. It is a vendetta, one that makes killers of those who inflict it. By eliminating the death penalty, Pope Francis has set a standard for Catholics and the rest of the world, offering a model for justice that is tempered by mercy, always and in every instance.

Mario Marazziti is the author of 13 Ways of Looking at the Death Penalty and coordinator of the global anti-death penalty campaign of the Community of SantEgidio, a Catholic organization in Rome.

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To the editor: The idea that asylum seekers are gaming the system is false.

I recently visited Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, Texas, where I met with detainees who shared harrowing stories of near-fatal beatings and unlawful detentions in their home countries. All of these individuals had negative credible fear interviews, which are administered to determine the validity of asylum claims, and were seeking review by immigration judges.

One judge, who not only denies attorney participation in hearings but treats respondents poorly, has aptly been nicknamed El Diablo, or the devil, by detainees. Because cases are randomly assigned, some of the people with whom I met will likely prevail in their review hearings. But others who are assigned to adjudicators like El Diablo will be deported to dangerous places.

Recently, U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions issued a decision to severely restrict asylum eligibility that specifically targets women fleeing domestic violence. This directive, coupled with the injustice currently unfolding at the border, puts women at grave risk and is a flagrant violation of our obligations under the International Refugee Convention.

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We must do more to extend a bridge to safety to those who have real reason to fear for their lives.

Morgan Weibel, San Bruno, Calif.

The writer is executive director of Tahirih Justice Centers San Francisco Bay Area office.

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
Republican candidate Troy Balderson narrowly led a closely watched special election Tuesday in an Ohio congressional district that his party has dominated for decades  a slim margin that did little to settle doubts about Republican chances in the midterm elections this fall.

With Balderson leading by about 1,700 votes, both parties eyed slightly more than 3,000 provisional ballots and perhaps as many as 5,000 absentee votes that may not be fully counted for days and could determine the final result.

In another tight contest, Kris Kobach, a candidate backed by President Trump, was deadlocked in a race for the Republican nomination for governor of Kansas. Kobach, a firebrand on immigration and voting restrictions, was just 191 votes ahead of incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer. A recount is likely.

In other results from around the country, Democrats in Michigan nominated a woman as their candidate for governor, continuing a string of victories by women in Democratic primaries nationwide; and voters in Missouri handed organized labor a major win on a ballot referendum.

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While the final Ohio result remains unsettled, the takeaway for the rest of the country was clear: The district, Ohios 12th, was drawn to be a GOP stronghold, but Trumps election has put it  and similar districts across the country  up for grabs.

The suburbs of Columbus, the state capital, which make up the most populous part of the district, are prime territory for the sort of Republicans who have turned against the party in the Trump era  politically moderate, college educated and affluent.

At the same time, the districts more rural sections moved heavily toward Trump in 2016 and have stayed with him.

The result of those opposing forces was to move the district from a safe Republican area to toss-up territory. Democrats hope  and many Republican strategists fear  that similar dynamics will turn enough red seats blue this fall to end the GOP majority that has controlled the House since the 2010 election.

About 70 Republican-held districts are more favorable for Democrats than Ohios 12th, based on their past voting history. Democrats need to win two dozen seats for a majority.

Speaking to supporters, Balderson declared himself honored to have been elected. His Democratic opponent, Danny OConnor, did not concede, however.

Were not stopping now, OConnor told supporters. Keep fighting through to November.

Tuesdays election delivered the seat to the victor for only a few months; the two candidates will face each other again in three months with a full two-year term at stake.

Republicans threw resources into holding Ohios 12th Congressional District  spending extensively on television ads in the final weeks of the campaign and sending Trump to rally voters over the weekend.

In a tweet Tuesday night, the president claimed credit for Baldersons victory.

After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better, he wrote.

Whether Trump helped or not is hard to tell  the election day results closely matched polls that had forecast a toss-up race.

The Ohio special election attracted the most attention among political strategists, but primary results in several other states also provided clues about each partys future.

In Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, a former state legislator with backing from labor unions and womens groups, defeated two other candidates who ran to her left as they sought the Democratic nomination for governor.

Her win adds to two trends that have dominated Democratic primaries this year  victories by women and, for the most part, by conventional liberals over candidates further to the left.

Whitmer has a clear liberal record. She boasted on the campaign trail of her work to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. A bill she helped push through the state legislature expanded the program and provided coverage for about 600,000 state residents, government figures show.

But Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other leaders of the partys progressive wing backed one of her opponents, Abdul El-Sayed, the 33-year-old former chief of Detroits health department.

El-Sayed endorsed Sanders call for Medicare for All, and attracted considerable national attention in part because he would have been the nations first Muslim governor. Whitmer said she would not endorse a statewide single-payer plan, declaring that she would not support buzz phrases that would require major tax increases.

A third candidate, Shri Thanedar, complicated the race. The novice politician and successful entrepreneur dumped millions of his own money into the campaign. He also favors a single-payer health plan.

In the end, though, neither Thanedars money nor El-Sayeds endorsements were a match for Whitmers record and support from long-standing Democratic constituencies. She won handily and will face Republican Bill Schuette, the state attorney general, in the fall.

The Sanders wing of the party scored a major upset in June when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a congressional primary in New York City, defeating a member of the Democratic congressional leadership. Other than that, however, the candidates he has backed have lost more than they have won.

The opposite political dynamic dominated the Republican campaign in Kansas, where the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination pitted the establishment against a candidate from the right, and tested Trumps sway among GOP voters.

Colyer, the incumbent, took over in January when his predecessor, Sam Brownback, stepped down to take an ambassadors post. Colyer campaigned for a full term of his own. But he was challenged by Kobach, a favorite of Trumps who promised to run an even more conservative administration than Brownbacks. With all the precincts reporting, Kobach led Colyer 40.6% to 40.5% with an undetermined number of absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted.

Against the wishes of the Republican Governors Assn., which mostly exists to back incumbents, and some White House staff members, Trump jumped into the race on Monday with a tweet endorsing Kobach, whom he labeled a strong and early supporter of mine.

Some Republican operatives fear that Kobach, who became well known for crusading against illegal immigrants and has persistently pushed debunked claims of widespread voter fraud, would turn off moderately conservative voters. That could not only risk handing the governors race to a Democrat, but also endanger two Republican congressional seats in the state.

Also, Tuesday, voters in Missouri rejected a so-called right to work law. The bill, pushed by state Republicans, would have barred contracts that require workers at unionized firms to either join the union or pay it a representation fee.

Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington >> 

David.Lauter@latimes.com

For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter

UPDATES:

Aug. 8, 8 a.m.: This article was updated with 100% of precincts reporting results in Kansas.

10 p.m.: This article was updated with late returns.

8:25 p.m: This article was updated with remarks from the Ohio candidates.

This article was originally published at 7:50 p.m., Aug. 7.
President Trumps lawyers on Wednesday continued to parry with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III on his request for an interview, further prolonging negotiations after months in which Trumps team has tried to limit the scope of potential questions.

We have responded in writing to the latest proposal from the Office of Special Counsel regarding its request to interview the president, said Jay Sekulow, one of the presidents lawyers, in a statement. It is not appropriate, at this time, to comment publicly about the content of that response.

The latest exchange provided another opportunity for Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who is also representing the president, to call on Mueller to start bringing his investigation to a close.

Millions of pages of documents along with testimony from dozens of witnesses have been provided, Giuliani said in a statement. Were re-stating what we have been saying for months: it is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay.

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Mueller was appointed in May 2017 to investigate Russias 2016 election interference and whether anyone from Trumps campaign conspired with the Russians. Hes also been examining whether Trump obstructed justice by interfering with the probe.

The back-and-forth over an interview has dragged on for months, and the latest letter from Trumps team is unlikely to resolve the issue.

Sekulow described the exchange on his syndicated radio show on Wednesday.

That will be our response. And then theyll respond back, he said. Well see how this develops in the days ahead.

After a meeting with prosecutors earlier this year, Trumps lawyers drafted a list of roughly four dozen potential questions the president could be asked.

Many of the queries were related to whether Trump obstructed justice, such as, What did you mean when you told Russian diplomats on May 10, 2017, that firing Mr. Comey had taken the pressure off? That was a reference to Trumps remark to Russian diplomats a day after he fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who previously oversaw the Russia probe.

Those types of questions have been a sticking point for Trump and his allies.

The legal team and the president have been saying and believe that obstruction isnt the focus and shouldnt be part of this, said a friend of the presidents who recently spoke with him. The friend requested anonymity to describe a private conversation.

About one-quarter of the questions on the list focused on what the president knew about Russias efforts to interfere with the campaign.

One question  When did you become aware of the Trump Tower meeting?  references the June 2016 gathering that Donald Trump Jr., the presidents elder son, hosted with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who was said to have incriminating information on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

The president has consistently denied having prior knowledge of the meeting, but his story has shifted before. When the meeting was revealed last year, he helped draft a statement from his son saying the discussion was focused on adoption policy.

But on Sunday he tweeted unambiguously that the meeting was to get information on an opponent, something he defended as totally legal and done all the time in politics.

Despite Trumps defense, U.S. law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions to political campaigns here, which includes donations and other things of value, such as opposition research.

Trumps shifting stories could spell trouble for him in a conversation with prosecutors.

Trump has long waffled on granting an interview. Last year he said he would be 100% willing to testify under oath. He backed off in January, saying an interview may not be necessary.

When they have no collusion, and nobody has found any collusion, at any level, it seems unlikely that youd even have an interview, Trump said.

In May, the president said he would sit down with prosecutors if he thought he would be treated fairly despite advice from his lawyers not to speak. If I thought it was fair, Trump said, I would override my lawyers.

The presidents friend said Trump is more confident than his lawyers in his ability to handle an interview.

Trump thinks he can go in and just clear things up, the friend said, adding, Trump believes in his ability to charm and persuade in person.

Times staff writer Eli Stokols contributed to this report.

Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington 

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian
The leader of the state Department of Motor Vehicles apologized on Tuesday for a recent steep increase in hours-long wait times at the agencys locations across California, as complaints over excessive delays sparked new scrutiny from legislators.

The wait times you are experiencing are not what we ever want our customers to go through, said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto, who testified at an Assembly hearing convened to address the issue following months of public frustration.

We want to do better and we will do better. Our customers deserve it, Shiomoto added.

The DMV  often maligned as the epitome of government bureaucracy  has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, after wait times swelled to four to six hours in high-volume locations, Shiomoto said.

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Legislators, citing constituent complaints, said they heard of wait times that lasted even longer.

No one should have to wait hours to receive a basic government service, Assemblyman Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) said, expressing concerns that state budget dollars are not adequately spent on improving customer service at the DMV.

Is a Real ID California drivers license hard to get? No. But is the hassle worth it? 

The DMV attributed the soaring wait times in part to complexities around Real IDs, a new type of driver license and identification card that federal law will require citizens and legal residents to present when boarding domestic flights, or visiting military bases and other federal facilities starting Oct. 1, 2020.

DMV officials said that educating the public about Real ID and the documents it requires adds approximately five minutes to each customer interaction at field offices, leading to bloated wait times.

The federal Real ID law was passed in 2005, leading legislators to argue the department had plenty of time to prepare for increased demand for the new IDs.

We hear a lot of excuse-making that...the Real ID  this is the reason we have all of these delays. Thats not the only cause of these long wait times, said Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), one of several legislators seeking a legislative audit of the DMV. Patterson added that failing technology and inadequate staffing levels are also to blame.

Shiomoto acknowledged the department has experienced outages and computer glitches due to recent new IT systems. She said that increased staffing levels should help mitigate the delays. The department has hired about 550 new employees, and asked last month for an additional $16 million to hire 230 more.

In advance of Tuesdays hearing, DMV officials announced several new initiatives to reduce wait times, including shifting 240 employees from the departments headquarters and other state agencies to field offices throughout the state. The department also expanded Saturday hours and early morning hours on weekdays at select locations, and will launch pilot projects such as self-serve kiosks and text notifications to let customers know when a representative is ready to assist them

The goal, Shiomoto said, is for time-saving initiatives to be in place by mid-September, so wait times can be reduced to the norm  15 minutes for customers with an appointment, 45 minutes for those that do not  by the end of the year.

In addition to prompting sharp questions from lawmakers, the long wait times have inspired legislative proposals, including a bill by state Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would give Californians an additional 90 days to renew licenses that are set to expire this year.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that in their first year of life, 14% of babies exposed to Zika before birth had one or more health problems likely caused by the mosquito-borne virus. And for some of those babies, the toll of that gestational exposure was not evident at birth, the U.S. public health agency revealed.

Microcephaly  a smaller-than-usual head size -- has emerged as a hallmark of Zika exposure in babies. But in many babies whose mothers were infected by the Zika virus during pregnancy, follow-up care revealed health issues that were less immediately evident, including brain and eye damage, vision and hearing abnormalities and nervous system problems such as seizures.

Many of those babies had appeared healthy at birth, and only as the babies grew older did those abnormalities become evident.

The rate of congenital abnormalities that are known to be caused by Zika virus infection (including microcephaly and eye damage) is roughly 30 times higher than would normally be seen in a population not exposed to the virus, the CDC said. That number could rise as experts establish that Zika is the clear cause of many of the less evident abnormalities seen among the babies, the authors of the new CDC report added.

We expect to learn more as these children grow and develop and additional problems are diagnosed, said Peggy Honein, who directs the CDCs Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders. As we learn more, we are likely to identify additional children with health problems. So the Zika story is not over and we have so much more to learn.

Those findings emerged from an analysis of 1,450 infants born in U.S. territories and freely associated states (including American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) between 2016 and early 2017, and who were tracked for at least a year after birth. Those babies were among some 4,800 children confirmed to have been exposed in utero and who are now being tracked by the CDC. All of the tracked pregnancies in the U.S. Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry (USZPIR) occurred between 2016 and 2018.

The CDC says that in 2018, it has found no evidence of local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the continental United States. The last confirmed cases of local mosquito-borne transmission in the U.S. were in Florida and Texas, where two and five cases, respectively, were reported in 2017.

Zika is still a threat internationally, however, and the health agency recommends that women who are pregnant should not travel to a long list of countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Central and South America, where mosquitoes are still transmitting the Zika virus. That list also includes Mexico and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

U.S. officials reported that roughly 74 cases of local mosquito-borne transmission have been confirmed in 2018 in Puerto Rico.

The new figures offer a clearer picture of Zikas toll in cases where a woman carrying a developing fetus is infected by Zika, either because she was bitten by a virus-bearing mosquito or because she has had unprotected sex with a man infected in the last three months.

On Tuesday, the CDC also unveiled new recommendations aimed at preventing the sexual transmission of the Zika virus. The agency had previously recommended that men infected with the virus abstain from sex or use a condom during sex for six months after they have shown symptoms of infection, including fever, rash, conjunctivitis and joint or muscle pain. It now says such protections are necessary for three months only.

Honein said that the new findings do not offer further clarity on how the timing of Zika infection during pregnancy affects a babys health. While exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy appears to pose the greatest danger to a fetus, she said abnormalities were seen in babies born to mothers infected later in pregnancy as well.

Were still learning more every day about the full impact of the virus, Honein said on Tuesday.

Of the 4,165 Zika-affected pregnancies that make up the CDCs study population, seven infants were excluded who reportedly died before reaching their first birthday. Three of those babies died during the first 14 days of life.

Honein said the full picture of Zikas effects would be clearer if more of the babies born to Zika-infected mothers had undergone a complete battery of recommended tests after birth. Among the studys 1,450 children, only three-quarters had at least one developmental screening or evaluation, and 60% underwent recommended brain scanning after birth. Fewer than half were evaluated for hearing problems, and just 36% underwent a vision evaluation.

That level of follow-up care came despite the fact that the childrens outcomes were a subject of study, despite recommendations that full evaluations should be performed on all Zika-affected babies, and despite solid evidence that prompt action can make a difference in a baby with neurodevelopmental problems.

In cases where vision or hearing problems are identified, for instance, corrective eyeglasses or hearing aides might boost a childs developmental prospects. But those conditions might go undetected if a Zika-affected child has no signs of microcephaly at birth.

Brain scans or vision evaluation can detect such abnormalities in time to make a difference, Honein said Tuesday.

Because the full spectrum of adverse outcomes related to congenital Zika virus infection is not yet known, careful monitoring and evaluation of children born to mothers with laboratory evidence of confirmed or possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy is essential for ensuring early detection of possible disabilities and early referral to intervention services that might improve outcomes, the authors of the new study wrote.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

@LATMelissaHealy

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Burbank residents made it clear this week to Burbank Water and Power staff that they would like to see the city-owned utility make use of renewable sources.

More than 30 people participated in a town hall meeting hosted by Burbank Water and Power at the Buena Vista Branch Library Monday night, when staff from the city-owned utility gathered input and suggestions from the public regarding the future of the citys energy sources.

Burbank Water and Power is currently in the process of drafting a long-term plan that would help guide the city and utility toward energy sources residents would like them to use in the foreseeable future. This was the second forum the utility held at the library, with the first one occurring on Saturday.

Several people in attendance at Mondays meeting told Lincoln Bleveans, assistant general manager of power supply for the utility, that the city should move away from receiving energy from coal-fired facilities.

Burbank currently receives about 31% of its electricity needs from the Intermountain Power Plant in Utah, the largest facility of its kind in that state. The city has received power from this source since the mid-1980s, Bleveans said.

That power plant will be ceasing its coal-driven operations in 2025 and converting to a natural gas-fired facility. It has been losing customers because cities from Southern California are barred by California Senate Bill 1368 from buying or renewing long-term contracts from facilities that create too much pollution, Bleveans said.

Some residents were concerned about a possible 50-year contract with the Intermountain plant, which they said was too long a deal.

Bleveans countered their concerns, calling the large transmission line running from Intermountain Power Plant to Southern California a crown jewel that is a renewable-energy super-highway. The only way to maintain our rights for that is to keep our seat at the table, he said.

Resident Jack Panossian, a member of Burbanks Community Development Goal Committee, said he is more interested in finding ways to retain energy created by Burbank Water and Powers own natural gas-fired plant or received from external sources, such as the Intermountain Power Plant or the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona.

Bleveans said there is no shortage of power in Burbank, and in many cases Burbank Water and Power will sell off energy that isnt needed by the city.

He added that the technology to store energy in private homes or businesses is available, but the systems are still too expensive and not efficient enough to use on a citywide scale.

Thought it is still far off, Panossian said the utility should start looking into and investing in energy storage technology so Burbank can be at the forefront of renewable energy.

Its not just about sustaining where and how the energy is coming and going, I want to sustain the communities, the people, Panossian said.

For those who could not make it to either of the town hall meetings, Burbank Water and Power has an online survey on its website, burbankwaterandpower.com, where residents can give their two cents on what the citys energy future should look like. The survey will be available through the end of August.

Once the online surveys are complete, Bleveans said he and his staff will use the information to develop a long-term plan. He is aiming to have a report finished by November to be reviewed by the Burbank Water and Power Board.

If approved by the utility, it is expected go to the City Council for consideration sometime in December.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
A man and woman are under investigation by Burbank police for allegedly committing a robbery late last month disguised as a fake kidnapping.

Two women had just driven to the Home Depot at 1200 Flower St. at about 4:15 p.m. July 29 when their vehicle was approached by two armed men who demanded their purses. One of the men went up to the passenger side window and shattered the glass with his gun and struck one of the women, according to Sgt. Derek Green, a spokesman with the Burbank Police Department.

The men then grabbed the other woman, forced her into a vehicle and fled from the scene.

Green said the incident happened in broad daylight and in full view of several bystanders.

The initial investigation revealed the abducted womans ex-boyfriend was allegedly the culprit. Detectives identified the former couple as Sylvia Silva-Cerebros, 26, of North Hills and 26-year-old Jesus Lomeli of Pacoima.

They were eventually found together several hours later outside a Canoga Park home linked to Lomeli. Green said Silva-Cerebros denied being involved in a robbery and kidnapping after she and Lomeli were approached by detectives.

Claiming not to have known the other female and not to have known about a kidnapping  thats when suspicions grew, he said.

Authorities soon determined Silva-Cerebros was involved in concocting the kidnapping scheme with Lomeli and the other man, who has not yet been identified, to rob the woman she was with.

Its unknown what connection Silva-Cerebros had to the other woman, Green said.

Lomeli and Silva-Cerebros were placed under arrest and charged with robbery by the Los Angeles County district attorneys office.

Green said no firearms were recovered at the Canoga Park home and detectives did not find any personal items belonging to the woman who was robbed.

He added the car the women used to drive to Home Depot belonged to neither woman and was registered to a person living in Northern California.

The case remains under investigation.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
The Laguna Beach City Council approved a construction company for the Village Entrance project Tuesday, though overall costs for the long-debated effort have escalated by more than $2.5 million in recent months.

On a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Steve Dicterow dissenting, Chino-based C.S. Legacy Construction Inc. was awarded an $8.4-million contract to build the project near the corner of Forest Avenue and Broadway.



For the record: This article originally stated incorrectly that the construction contract was for $8 million and that the overall cost had increased to $10.8 million. The correct figures are $8.4 million and $11.1 million.

To the councils dismay, however, overall costs have risen from about $8.4 million  the amount the panel approved in December  to around 11.1 million. City officials attributed the increase to escalating labor costs, looming tariffs, rising crude oil prices and the fact that they received only three qualified bids.

Still, some council members said waiting longer to embark on the Village Entrance likely wont make it cheaper. Mayor Kelly Boyd, who is not running for reelection to the council this year, noted that debate on the project has been going on since the 1970s and he wants to see it start.

Its time to get it done, he said. Its time to move forward.

Dicterow said he was frustrated by the cost increase. He said he had harbored hopes of a $5-million project and that he struggled with approving the $8.4-million price in December.

The newest increase, he said, is the straw that broke the camels back for me.

Dicterow suggested exploring an alternative Village Entrance plan that could tap into private sector resources, namely the owners of the Hive, a newly rebranded commercial center on Laguna Canyon Road, not far from the project site.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman scoffed at the idea, saying hoping for a private entity to chip in could cause a 10-year delay.

The Laguna Beach City Council decided to spend about $100,000 to repaint and patch up the 1930s-era sewer digester building rather than spend more than $430,000 for a comprehensive rehabilitation. (File Photo)

Some residents expressed concern that the Village Entrance money is doing too little to improve the 1930s-era sewer digester building on a city parking lot at the site. The council said it appreciates the buildings historical nature and Spanish architecture but feels the Village Entrance project isnt the right time to revive the structure.

Instead of spending more than $430,000 for a comprehensive rehabilitation, the council opted to spend about $100,000 to repaint the building and patch up small holes.

The Village Entrance project could break ground as soon as Sept. 4, the city says. A tentative construction schedule has it being completed by summer 2020, with year-round work except for a construction break during summer 2019.

The project has been approved for more than 120 new trees, thousands of new shrubs and new pedestrian and bicycle pathways in the spirit of making the citys entry more aesthetically pleasing.

Other elements of the project include parking and circulation improvements and median improvements along Laguna Canyon Road between Forest Avenue and a point north of Canyon Acres Drive.

Bradley Zint is a contributor to Times Community News.
More improvements have been made to plans for the forthcoming Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California.

The Glendale City Council voted unanimously at its July 31 meeting to approve the following items in regards to the museum: exempting the project from the California Environmental Quality Act, a variance permitting the loading area to be partially located off-site, the Stage II design and the ground lease agreement.

Councilwoman Paula Devine called the action a historical decision for the city.

I am thrilled about having a museum in Glendale, said Councilman Ara Najarian. My support for this project was firmly based in the fact that the governance and the operation and the management was going to be shared by the different Armenian political parties, cultural organizations and churches.

The proposed ground lease terms include the museums parking garage to rise to three levels and have 262 spaces, said Darlene Sanchez, deputy director of economic development. The terms also include a demonstration kitchen, gift shops, a retail store, a restaurant and an auditorium.

Jay Platt, senior urban designer, said the three-story building will be a large rectangular mass of metal-clad aluminum panels forming these kind of jagged openings.

The museum is scheduled to be located in the southwest corner of Glendale Central Park. In April, council members agreed to a 55-year lease with 10-year renewals at $1 annually.

Councilman Vartan Gharpetian expressed his excitement for the project.

This is indeed a historic moment. Im proud to be part of it, he said.

michael.livingston@latimes.com

@MLivingston06
Kenneth Village merchants voiced their objections last week to the idea of a crosswalk being added to the street where their cluster of businesses is located.

Around 50 people attended the Aug. 2 meeting at Balboa Elementary School centering on the proposal of a crosswalk in the middle of West Kenneth Road. A city-sponsored survey showed that 19 of the 22 respondents opposed the idea.

This was strictly a community discussion on a proposed sidewalk. There was no decision to put a crosswalk in, said city spokesman Tom Lorenz.

The three respondents who did support the crosswalk said it would encourage pedestrian safety and minimize jaywalking, Lorenz said.

Lorenz said those who opposed the crosswalk offered alternative ideas, such as putting in speed bumps, educating pedestrians on the rules of the road, and increased patrol and traffic enforcement by Glendale Police officers.

The city was seeking input from the community. Public works and [Glendale] police will work with the residents and the merchants based on their requests, Lorenz said.

The proposed crosswalk would have eliminated six parking spots for 16 businesses on West Kenneth that have no parking lot.

For us, losing six spaces right in front of my salon wouldve closed me. It would be detrimental to us, said Chrissy Stone, owner of Chrissys Hair Color Experts.

Arameh Yeghikian, co-owner of gourmet pizza restaurant Georges Cucina Italiana, said a crosswalk would be hectic for customers who already have limited parking options.

Yeghikian said the increased interest in Kenneth Villages pedestrian safety may be tied to the Villages rise in popularity.

Its odd how all of a sudden, the Village gets busy and the city is looking into it. We really dont understand, Yeghikian said.

[City officials] want a safe way to get to Kenneth Village in the middle of the block because of jaywalking and speeding concerns, Stone said.

She added her belief that pedestrians dont always pay attention to cars. Since we have a speeding problem, we felt more people would be hurt [with a crosswalk in place], she said.

Yeghikian disagrees with the notion that Kenneth Village, which lies between Sonora and Grandview avenues, needs a crosswalk for safety when no incident has occurred since his business opened.

Weve been there for 10 years. The Village has been there for well over 50 years. We havent seen anyone have any accident. Its unheard of, he said.

Lorenz said that no more future meetings about the crosswalk are planned.

michael.livingston@latimes.com

@MLivingston06
A La Canada resident and former sheriffs psychologist sentenced in January to life in prison for molesting his stepchildren now faces civil charges of gender violence, assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.

Michael Dane Ward, 46, is the named defendant in an Aug. 3 lawsuit filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court by the mother on behalf of the minor victims, a boy named in the suit as E.M. and a girl referred to as C.M.

The abuse began in 2012  when E.M. and C.M. were 8 and 7 years old, respectively  and continued throughout the next four years, until the children informed their mother of what was happening in April 2016. Criminal charges were filed that May.

Ward and the victims mother, now divorced, were married in 2012, at which time Ward became stepfather to his wifes biological children from a previous marriage. He maintained a rule in the familys La Canada home that no one was allowed to lock the bathroom door, including while showering, according to the suit.

Sometime after the marriage, Ward approached E.M. and required he perform oral sex on him. Later, the suit indicates, he demanded reciprocal oral sex and copulation and would attempt to shower with the 8-year-old boy. Over the next four years, Ward is said to have repeatedly tied up E.M. against his will and raped him.

The lawsuit claims the incidents of abuse took place in various locations throughout the family home.

Also in 2012, the defendant began to engage in naked wrestling with female victim C.M., requiring her to get naked with him and shower with him. The suit says neither victim knew what was happening to the other and that the mother was not aware of the illegal sexual acts occurring in the home.

Doug Rochen, an attorney representing the plaintiffs through Los Angeles law firm Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, L.L.P. says his clients are demanding a jury trial, in part, to seek restitution pertaining to the ongoing trauma the children experience to this day.

The lawsuit claims both victims continue to suffer from mental and physical pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of self-esteem, disgrace, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life and suicidal thoughts and actions as a result of the abuse. E.M. allegedly attempted to take his own life at age 11 and struggles with his sexual identity, the document states.

The criminal system can only do so much, Rochen said in a phone interview Tuesday. It doesnt often provide the emotional and financial support that helps these children in their healing, which is what a civil suit does.

According to the suit, Ward served as an active duty psychologist for the U.S. Navy from 2000 to 2011 before taking a position with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department as an operation psychologist and industrial organizational consultant.

In August 2017, jurors found the La Canada man guilty of four counts of lewd acts on a child, two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14, three counts of oral copulation of a child 10 years or younger and one count of sodomy with a child under 10, according to an Aug. 25, 2017 statement issued by the district attorneys office.

Ward, whose work with the Sheriffs Department involved advising and training law enforcement officers, was relieved of his duty when he was arrested by the departments Special Victims Bureau in May 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A final status conference is scheduled for Jan. 17, but Rochen said Tuesday that after the lawsuit is served to Ward in prison the next steps involve conducting an initial discovery of facts and determining what kind of compensation might be sought.

The mother has depleted much of what she has to live on to help these kids, he said. And shes really done nothing wrong, except bringing the wrong man into her life.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Relief workers and soldiers worked to restore electricity, distribute tents and set up temporary kitchens Wednesday as officials raised the death toll in a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok to 131.

An additional 26 fatalities were confirmed from Sundays temblor as relief teams were finally reaching some villages and mountainous areas that had been inaccessible due to landslides, collapsed bridges and other damage.

But as emergency crews comb more of the eastern Indonesian resort island, the death toll will continue to grow, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency.

There is a lot of damage, Nugroho told a news conference in Jakarta, adding that another 1,500 people were injured and 155,000 were displaced from their homes.

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Nugroho said all the fatalities so far are Indonesians.

Villagers gather at a temporary shelter after fleeing their damaged village following Sundays earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia (Tatan Syuflana / Associated Press)

Many of those affected by the earthquake  the second to hit the island in a week  have been sleeping in the open outside damaged or flattened homes and have been cut off from rescue and aid teams trying to negotiate damaged roads and bridges.

Relief workers Tuesday pulled at least two people alive from the rubble of buildings, including one man who was trapped when a mosque collapsed during evening prayers.

Rosemarie North, Asia-Pacific regional communications manager for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, said that some places have been cleared up a lot since Monday, but there are still places that no ones been able to reach yet.

We are still seeing bridges down and landslides, and huge traffic jams in some places, North said.

Officials have recommended that those affected by the disaster try to move downhill toward relief teams struggling to hurdle cracked and cratered roads.

The Indonesian Red Cross said its rescue workers had reached West Pemenang in northern Lombok, believed to be one of the worst affected areas, where they found hundreds of houses heavily damaged. As of Wednesday morning, people are still in dire need of clean water, blankets and tarpaulins, the group said on Twitter.

Around 5,000 tourists were evacuated Monday and Tuesday from the Gili Islands off the north of Lombok, where the earthquake also caused massive damage. Most of the visitors were taken on crowded boats to Bali, the nearby resort island where two of the deaths took place.

Almost 6 million tourists visited Bali last year, about half of whom were Australian or Chinese. Visitors to Lombok usually arrive via Bali, a 3-hour ferry journey across the Lombok Strait.

Lombok, with its hiking, turquoise-water diving and relatively quiet beaches, is seen as an escape from Balis Cancun-style hedonism.

But undermining the allure of such lush physical charms is Indonesias geography and geology. Sitting on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, it is one of the worlds more seismically active countries.

We experience a lot of earthquakes, we have a lot of volcanoes, it is part of life for us, said Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

Since a 9.1-magnitude Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami killed more than 230,000 people across the region in 2004, there have been several more deadly earthquakes in Indonesia.

Spanning the vast archipelago of 260 million people are 130 active volcanoes stretching from Aceh on Sumatra island in the northwest to Papua in the east roughly the same distance as from Alaska to New York.

Awareness of earthquakes and tsunamis has increased since the 2004 disaster. The coast of Aceh is dotted with flat-roofed towers where people in low-lying areas can climb to seek shelter in case of a tsunami.

But even before Sundays earthquake, there were calls for Indonesia to ensure that the low buildings that are typical of island villages were more quake-resistant.

We have the rules, the building code, but that is just for [buildings of] four stories or more, Natawidjaja said. But the buildings with less than four floors, they dont have the same obligations.

Roughneen is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Shashank Bengali contributed to this report from Mumbai, India.
Bangladeshs information minister accused the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday of poking its nose into the countrys domestic affairs, as he responded to a Facebook post that criticized authorities heavy-handed response to road safety protests by students.

The ministers rebuke marked the latest shot in Bangladeshs increasingly fraught relations with the United States. It came as the government faced embarrassing, but now ebbing, student protests in Dhaka.

Speaking to reporters in his office Tuesday, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said: By issuing this statement [on Facebook], the U.S. Embassy took an ill attempt of poking [its] nose in Bangladeshs internal politics in an indecent way. We condemn this.

In huge protests over the past week, tens of thousands of university students and schoolchildren brought the worlds attention to Bangladeshi authorities lax enforcement of road rules after two students were hit by a speeding bus.

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They blocked roads and checked drivers licenses to highlight how poorly traffic rules are enforced. Adding to the governments embarrassment over the protests, among those caught breaking rules were government ministers. In one instance, protesters asked a minister to walk to his destination because his driver was not carrying a valid license. Another ministers car was turned back for driving against the flow of traffic on a busy road.

But over the weekend, the initially peaceful protests turned violent, and police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at crowds.

The embassys Facebook post on Sunday afternoon noted that some students were involved in violence, but the message was directed primarily against the police use of force against students.

Nothing can justify the brutal attacks and violence over the weekend against the thousands of young people who have been peacefully exercising their democratic rights in supporting a safer Bangladesh, it read.

In recent months, the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, has castigated Bangladeshs slide toward increasingly authoritarian rule. Bernicat has made public comments expressing concern over reports of intimidation and ballot-stuffing in a recent mayoral election  reports that the government denies. She also has criticized the large number of police killings during drug raids, which the government deems necessary to rid the country of addiction.

Bernicats frankness has reportedly irked Bangladeshs top brass. On July 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas son, who is also a government advisor, accused the ambassador of being a mouthpiece of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. On Saturday evening, on her way home from a dinner party, Bernicats motorcade was attacked by unidentified armed men. Investigators are still looking into the attackers motives.

On Monday, the government adopted tougher penalties for reckless drivers, promising to introduce the death penalty for deliberate road deaths.

But the apparent concession came with warnings: Police arrested a prominent photographer who criticized the government on television.

By Tuesday morning, an eerie calm had replaced the festive commotion of the protests in Dhaka.

Many students stayed off the streets, fearing further violence and reprisals, as parents warned them to stay indoors.

But many also celebrated what the protests have achieved.

Its good to see people have become more aware of our traffic rules after our protests, said Rabbi Hasan, a student at Dhakas Government Laboratory College.

Mir Rezaul Alam, who oversees Dhakas traffic police, reported a surge in cases filed against rule breakers. Yesterday, we filed about 8,500 cases, when the average case was 3,000 in the past. We are strictly enforcing the law, and people are cooperating, he said.

For some, the protests offered a glimpse of a brighter future for this crowded capital region, home to more than 18 million people.

The protests showed ... what should be done, what the government should do, what the people should do, said Ilias Kanchon, a Bangladeshi movie star and advocate for road safety. You can see a result already today in Dhaka. The number of vehicles is very limited today. The reason is that no one is taking their car out without having the proper document or proper license for their driver.

Others felt disillusioned that the protests became political, increasingly attacking the ruling Awami League party and drifting from the issue of road safety.

At first, I thought it was my moral duty to protest, said Sharif Adnan, a student at Dhaka University. But I did not join the protest later when I felt it was being politicized. Due to this politicization, an ethical protest literally failed.

Doshi reported from New Delhi.
The European Unions foreign policy chief Tuesday encouraged companies to do more business with Iran despite new U.S. sanctions, saying Tehran had upheld its commitments under the deal to limit its nuclear program.

Federica Mogherini told reporters during her trip to Wellington, New Zealand, that its up to Europeans to decide whom they want to trade with.

We are doing our best to keep Iran in the deal, to keep Iran benefiting from the economic benefits that the agreement brings to the people of Iran because we believe this is in the security interests of not only our region, but also of the world, she said. If there is one piece of international agreements on nuclear nonproliferation that is delivering, it has to be maintained.

The United States reimposed stiff economic sanctions on Iran on Monday, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite statements of deep dismay from European allies, three months after President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international accord limiting Irans nuclear activities.

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Trump declared that the landmark 2015 agreement was horrible, leaving the Iranian government flush with cash to fuel conflict in the Middle East. Trump warned that those who dont wind down their economic ties to Iran risk severe consequences.

German car and truck maker Daimler AG on Tuesday said it was suspending its very limited activities in Iran. In early 2016 the company announced plans for local truck production and cooperation with an Iranian partner, but those plans had not panned out in a weak market. A representative office will not be continued, the company said.

Iran accused the U.S. of reneging on the nuclear agreement, signed by the Obama administration, and of causing recent Iranian economic unrest.

European allies said they deeply regret the U.S. action.

Trump said in a statement, We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice: Either change its threatening, destabilizing behavior and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.

A first set of reimposed U.S. sanctions affects financial transactions that involve U.S. dollars, Irans automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals including gold.

A second batch of U.S sanctions targeting Irans oil sector and central bank are to be reimposed in early November.

European ministers said the Iran deal was crucial for Europes and the worlds security, and the European Union issued a blocking statute Monday to protect European businesses from the impact of the sanctions.

Mogherini, speaking at a news conference alongside New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, said the EU and New Zealand saw the need to maintain the nuclear deal with Iran, notwithstanding the U.S. withdrawal, and that she and Peters had discussed in detail how to keep open trade and financial channels with Iran.

We are encouraging small and medium enterprises in particular to increase business with and in Iran as part of something [that] for us is a security priority, Mogherini said, explaining that trade is an integral part of the nuclear deal.

Trade between Iran and the EU is a fundamental aspect of the Iranian right to have an economic advantage in exchange for what they have done so far, which is being compliant with all their nuclear-related commitments, Mogherini said.
The truck driver had just come off his shift in Chitungwiza, a satellite town of Zimbabwes capital, when soldiers ordered him and a colleague out of their vehicle.

The soldiers, about 15 of them, accused the driver of opposing the government and beat him with iron bars until he lay on the ground crying, the man said in an interview Wednesday.

They said we had been burning things and tearing down posters of the president in Harare, the capital, said the man, who gave his first name as Wonderful, but who declined to provide his last name because of safety concerns. Ive never been politically active.

Hours earlier  just days after millions of Zimbabweans voted peacefully in national elections  the army had launched a bloody crackdown on opposition supporters in downtown Harare, opening fire on a demonstration and killing six people.

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Zimbabwe officials last week declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ruling ZANU-PF party the winners in the July 30 election, which was expected to lift the country out of its self-imposed isolation and economic crisis.

Mnangagwa, who took over as president in November after longtime President Robert Mugabe was ousted by the army, has pledged to bring a new era to Zimbabwe, despite having been in Mugabes government for decades.

He has promised a free and fair vote, and on polling day, voters agreed it was the most open atmosphere they could remember after years of turbulent elections, particularly a wave of postelection violence in 2008.

But Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, has called the official results fake and says he won the popular vote according to his partys tallies. His party plans to file a legal challenge of the official results in Zimbabwes courts, potentially delaying Mnangagwas inauguration, which has been set for Sunday.

In the last week, Chamisas party and human rights groups say the countrys security forces have been systematically targeting opposition leaders and supporters. Scores of people have been arrested, harassed and beaten, they say, and the optimism of election day has been eclipsed by a familiar sense of guardedness and fear.

Mugabe was one of the last post-colonial autocrats of Africa, and when he resigned under pressure in November, throngs of people took to the streets to celebrate. Now, the army that people were thanking for forcing his exit faces its own accusations of violent repression.

In an unusually strong statement Tuesday, several diplomatic heads of mission in Zimbabwe, including the U.S., condemned the violence, attacks and acts of intimidation targeted at opposition leaders and supporters and called on the government to ensure the Zimbabwean army act with restraint.

These human rights violations have no place in a democratic society and contravene the fundamental tenets of international human rights standards, the statement said.

Before Aug. 1, it was much better than ever before, said Douglas Mwonzora, one of the Movement for Democratic Change partys top officials. After, it has relapsed to what was happening in past years, where the military are targeting civilians, arresting them, detaining [them] sometimes without charge.

Last week, police arrested nearly 30 opposition supporters in Harare on charges of inciting public violence, and computers at MDCs headquarters were confiscated. Most of those held were let out on bail this week.

Party officials have also been targeted in raids by security forces, rights groups say, with some going into hiding. Opposition leader Tendai Biti, who has been accused of inciting public violence, was in hiding for several days before fleeing to neighboring Zambia on Wednesday, where he sought and was denied asylum.

It looks like they have made a decision to hand us back to the Junta. We are truly in Gods hands, Biti said in a message put on Twitter by Human Rights Watch on Wednesday.

Soldiers have been moving in small groups, threatening or beating up civilians in several neighborhoods around Harare, rights groups say, while accusing people of supporting the opposition in last weeks vote.

A Zimbabwe Defense Forces spokesman did not respond to a request for comment, but has said the army has not deployed soldiers in any residential area to beat up people at night or any time of the day and suggested they might be criminals bent on tarnishing the image of ZDF.

Mnangagwa has said he would order an independent investigation into the armys opening fire on civilians last week.

But somebody had to have ordered soldiers in the street, said Fidelis Mudimu, national programs director for the Counseling Services Unit, a group that treats victims of political violence. He says his group has helped at least 24 people affiliated with the opposition party who have fled home after being threatened in the last week.

If youve got another unknown factor thats directing [soldiers], this unknown factor is not accountable to anyone, he said. Thats very worrying. Things like this can tend to quickly get out of hand. Things started off like this in 2008.

In Harare Central Hospital on Tuesday, a few people were still recuperating from the armys crackdown on demonstrators. One 25-year-old, who said he was sitting in a taxi downtown when the army opened fire, had a bullet removed from his foot the day before.

The man, who did not want to have his name published for fear of reprisal, said he wasnt downtown to join the opposition. He says his brush with the military has not inspired him to get involved in politics  just the opposite.

If the government cared for us, they would not have sent soldiers into the street, he said. In 2023, theyll do the same thing again. Id rather stay out of it.

Tendai Biti, one of the leaders of Zimbabwes main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, addresses a news conference in Harare on June 1, 2018. (Aaron Ufumeli / EPA/Shutterstock)

Mahr is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

3:45 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times reporting.

This article was originally published at 9:55 a.m.
Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, fired at least 70 rockets Wednesday across the border into Israel, which retaliated with airstrikes on the Palestinian territory.

Israel intercepted 11 rockets, but a house and at least three other sites in the southern Israeli city of Sderot were hit, according to the Israeli army. Nine Israelis were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries.

In Gaza, authorities reported that five people suffered serious injuries. Palestinian media reported that one man was killed.

Tensions between Israel and Gaza have been high since the Trump administration announced in December that it was moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, but Israel claims the city in its entirety as its capital.

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Gazans began weekly protests along the border in late March, demanding a right to return to their ancestral homes in Israel. Palestinian authorities there say that Israel has killed 155 Palestinians in strikes to contain the protests. On the Israeli side, one soldier was killed.

The latest round of violence came a day after the Turkish Anadolu news agency, which often transmits messages from Hamas, reported that a cease-fire agreement was imminent.

The Israeli army said it targeted 12 terror sites in Gaza, including several military compounds and a tunnel along the Mediterranean coast through which militants could access Israel. Gazans reported seeing massive explosions in their port.

The strikes were a response to rocket attacks as well as shots fired at civilians working on the border fence, Israeli officials said.

Rocket fire from Gaza continued into the night as Israeli air raid sirens blared. Two hundred thousand Israeli civilians living in border communities were ordered to spend the night in shelters, and summer camps were instructed to operate only within reinforced shelters on Thursday. The army also banned large public events.

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman convened a special meeting to discuss the escalating violence, and military analysts predicted that the military would launch a bigger operation if the attacks on Israeli communities continued.

In Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a midnight emergency meeting with military and Defense Ministry officials.

With elections scheduled for next year, Israeli opposition lawmakers slammed Netanyahu for failing to achieve a lasting truce despite ongoing Egyptian attempts to mediate.

Netanyahu and Lieberman! You failed! Avi Gabbay, the Labor Party leader tweeted. Is this how to run a negotiation? Our hearts are with the residents of the Gaza border region and we support the army in its mission of restoring security to residents of the area.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said that Hamas had fulfilled its promise to avenge the blood of the martyrs.

Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent. Hana Salah, also a special correspondent, contributed to this report from Gaza City.
King Bibi, a documentary tracking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus 40 years of public life through the lens of his appearances in the news media, sold out both times it played at the Jerusalem Film Festival, which closed Sunday.

It was an easy sell: Israelis are obsessed by the media and by their long-serving prime minister, who is considered both a wizard of communication and a leader defined by his hatred of the press.



For the record: This article states that a video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been viewed on Facebook and Twitter about 200,000 times. That was based on traffic at the time the article was written, on accounts under Netanyahus name. However, his office says the video was viewed more than 1.5 million times as of Aug. 8, on a range of accounts associated with the prime minister.

Production notes for the film mention that 20 years before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, Netanyahu already understood the political benefits of a toxic relationship with the media, and direct communication with the public.

But those domestic benefits have their limits. Once widely seen as a scrappy society struggling to survive in a hostile region, Israel is now often described in Europe and the United States, especially from the left, as an unjust society and a brutal occupying force.

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Within Israel, critics on the left believe that its problems stem from bad policies that no amount of good public relations can conceal. Critics on the right assert that foreign coverage  there are nearly 500 foreign correspondents in the country  is inherently biased against Israel.

Even if Israel had 1,000 beautiful, Oxford-educated spokespeople who were prompt and professional at all times, it wouldnt make much difference, said author Matti Friedman, who formerly worked for the Associated Press in Jerusalem.

In late July, Michael Oren, Israels former ambassador to the United States, wrote that the countrys mishandling of the media is the most glaring failure of its policy toward the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the militant group Hamas. Oren, a member of the Israeli parliament since 2015, charged that Israel has no professional communications team.

There is  no single authority that coordinates and supervises these various activities, he said.

The remarkable thing about that complaint is that, for the past two years, Oren has served as Netanyahus deputy minister in charge of public diplomacy.

Moreover, there is a National Information Directorate, a unit within the prime ministers office responsible for coordinating the public diplomacy activities of various governmental bodies in foreign and security affairs.

Yet the general feeling is that when it comes to media, no one is in charge. Yarden Vatikay, who is in charge of the directorate, does not interact with the public or the news media. (In keeping with his low profile, he declined to comment for this article.)

The bench of official Israeli spokespersons is pretty much empty, said Shalom Lipner, a veteran of 26 years in the prime ministers office, who is now a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution. It is a virtual wasteland.

Netanyahus press secretary, Shir Cohen, 26, does not have a public role. David Keyes, 34, the prime ministers Los Angeles-born foreign media advisor, was known as a wunderkind of online activism before his 2016 appointment.

Keyes is both praised and blamed for planning Netanyahus strategy of interacting with the public almost exclusively through video clips posted on official social media platforms.

The Israeli government has prioritized a digital approach to communications, said Yigal Palmor, director of public affairs and communications for the Jewish Agency and formerly the spokesman for Israels foreign ministry. Such a social-media-based national communications strategy, he said, was so flawed as to be unforgivable.

Keyes defended the strategy. Prime Minister Netanyahu is using powerful technologies to bring the truth about Israel to enormous new audiences around the world, he said. His series of short online videos has been seen by many tens of millions of people and the results are incredible and inspiring.

The strategy can appear, at the least, counterintuitive. In late July, one day after three Palestinians were killed in Gaza border clashes and as protests against Israels controversial nation-state law escalated, Netanyahu posted a video about an imaginary, oppressed Iranian schoolgirl called Fatameh.

This is a tough story. But you need to hear it pic.twitter.com/vTpoKTrd2r  Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 29, 2018

This is a tough story, the prime minister intoned from his office, but you need to hear it.

The Fatameh video has been viewed on Facebook and on Twitter about 200,000 times, but it is difficult to gauge its effect in transmitting Israels narrative to the world.

At a time when Western governments are increasingly leery of Facebooks algorithms, the state of Israel, according to all its official spokesmen, assesses the relative success and reach of its media strategy by relying on standard Facebook analytics.

Udi Segal, a veteran political correspondent and television host, was blunt: There are no professionals responsible for Netanyahus communications.

In the absence of an Israeli Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis has been the face that Israel projects to the world  or doesnt.

On May 14, 60 Palestinians were killed in clashes on the Gaza border. At roughly the same time, in Jerusalem, the United States Embassy was being jubilantly inaugurated. The army made no comment about the fatalities, but the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted celebratory tweets on the embassy opening, a long-sought diplomatic achievement for Netanyahu,

From left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin attend the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on May 14. (Menahem Kahana / AFP/Getty Images)

On May 15, after media outlets the world over had reported on the violence on the border, the army released a laconic statement announcing, with no additional information, that following inquiries, it appears that at least 24 terrorists with documented terror background were killed during the violent riots.

No journalists were permitted to embed on the Israeli side, where they might have witnessed some of the violence Israel alleged.

Manelis was held responsible for what some called a public relations failure. Ron Ben-Yishai, a veteran columnist at the tabloid Yediot Ahronot, called the armys 24-hour delay in issuing any statement on Gaza inexplicable.

The issue goes deeper, Palmor said. They are speaking in Israeli, assuming the public around the world can grasp concepts familiar to Israelis. For example, why say Gaza fence? Why not call it an international border, which it is? What does an American think of when hearing the word fence?

The army, some observers here say, should not be tasked with representing Israels complex reality to the world.

Israeli leaders are sending the army to address a fundamentally civilian problem, Barak Ravid, Israeli Channel 10 News senior diplomatic correspondent, said after a news conference in which Manelis faced a barrage of questions.

In an interview with The Times, Manelis, a respected military intelligence officer who is close to the chief of staff and has no previous experience with media, said his job is to explain how the army is fulfilling the orders it receives from the government, not the governments national policy. But he believes that Israel is achieving its public diplomacy goals.

Like Keyes, Manelis deems Israels results in digital media excellent.

In terms of public awareness and Israels messaging we have had significant successes, he said, attributing the way the events of the past months are perceived by the public in Israel, Gaza, the Arab world and part of the Western world to a wide range of outreach via traditional media and the IDFs [Israel Defense Forces] digital platforms.

We are getting our message directly to the public, he said. They get it straight from us.

Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent.
A Cape Coral man was charged with homicide after officers responding to an early morning call reporting a slaying found the mans roommate stabbed to death inside the home they shared.

Cullen Scott Roe, 24, of 1141 Van Loon Commons Circle # 103, surrendered without incident to the officers answering the 2:21 a.m. call.

Those officers found Roes roommate, Kody Scott Detling, 25, deceased as a result of knife wounds, police reported.

The Cape Coral Police Major Crimes Unit arrested Roe for 2nd Degree Murder, a release from the CCPD states.

He was later transferred to the Lee County Jail.
Restoring the Everglades is a multifaceted, multi-project undertaking.

Even though the Everglades is south of Lake Okeechobee, part of the restoration effort is occurring north of the lake, too.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking public comment on a project north of Lake Okeechobee: the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project.

This project is a part of the overall Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

The Corps held a public meeting in Lehigh Acres Tuesday to explain the project and get feedback. The project is in its draft report now; a final report will be submitted to Congress to get authorization to do the project, and then it will have to be funded through a future Water Resources Development Act. Reaching the funding stage of this project is probably about two years away, said Corps spokesman John Campbell. Its a 50/50 cost share between the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District, but the Corps is taking the main lead on this project.

The Lake Okeechobee project hones in on the water coming into the lake from the Kissimmee River. Estimated at $1.4 billion, it will establish a wetland attenuation feature, two restored and managed wetland areas, and 80 aquifer storage and recovery wells.

This is above and below ground storage, plus treatment, said Lisa Aley, the Corps Planning Lead. It gives us more flexibility to not make some releases to the estuaries.

The wetland attenuation feature works as a shallow reservoir, holding 1.5 to 3 feet of water depth. Its planned at about 12,500 acres. It would be build north of the lake and to the west of the Kissimmee River.

It will mostly look like a wetland, Aley said.

The Corps will be able to divert the Kissimmee River through the two planned wetland restoration areas, which will help clean the water and slow its arrival into Lake Okeechobee.

Aley gave a history lesson on why this storage north is needed. In 1947, a series of bad floods prompted the government to start managing the states rivers and lakes to prevent homes and businesses from being flooded out year after year  draining southwest Florida, she said.

It caused the environmental issues the state faces today, but also allowed more development on dry land which was historically wet. The Kissimmee River also used to have a more winding, meandering path, which slowed the waters arrival to the lake.

Weve lost a lot of natural storage north of the lake, she said.

So, then theres the 80 wells. They will be clustered together in areas mostly north of the lake, with the exception of one cluster near the C-43 Canal and another near the C-44 Canal.

Bob Verrastro, a hydrogeologist with SFWMD, said these wells will go down about 1,000 feet and span about 300 feet in width. Their surface footprint is relatively small.

Water can be pulled from the canals and the attenuation feature into these wells to store and reduce the amount going into Lake Okeechobee.

The water has to be treated before it enters the well, through both a filter and an ultraviolet blast to kill bacteria, Verrastro said.

While in the well, the phosphates that may be in the water get reduced because the well will be made of limestone, which reacts and bonds with the phosphorous, he said.

Limestone has an affinity for phosphorous, Verrastro said.

The water must meet drinking water quality standards when it gets in the well; then, when more water is needed, its pumped back out and cleaned again.

The Corps already has two pilot wells in operation to test the project. So far, one has retained 90 percent of the water put in it.

The remaining 10 percent could be mixing with the groundwater flowing beneath the well, but Verrastro said the wells wont lose much: the groundwater moves, on average, 0.01 feet per day.

After a year, youd maybe lose a foot (of water), he said.

The Corps believes these well systems will be a more efficient way of storing water to the north, as it doesnt require tens of thousands of horizontal acres.

The entire scope of the wetlands, attenuation feature, and wells will increase storage, cleaning mechanisms and wildlife habitat north of the lake according to the Corps study.

The Corps held a similar meeting several weeks ago to collect input about a project south of Lake Okeechobee; however, recent water quality concerns brought a higher number of attendees to Tuesdays meeting.

Many of those in attendance expressed concern about the red tide in the Gulf of Mexico and cyanobacteria in the Caloosahatachee.

We are dealing with a very major disaster in our area. This all goes back to storing water and sending it south, said Kay Haering, a meeting attendee, during public comment. We dont want to see contaminated water sent down our Caloosahatachee. We may not have a choice in taking water, but we dont want the contaminants with it.

Karl Deigert is a hotel owner, tour captain, and president of the Matlacha Civic Association in Matlacha. He said during public comment that he hasnt gotten a phone call for business in weeks.

This week, he noticed for the first time small clusters of cyanobacteria in the canal behind his business.

He said hes honest with people who want to book boat tours right now  and he wont take them anywhere the water is questionable.

Businesses will fail. Employees will go, he said. Were already thinking about selling.

He said he was concerned about the 10 percent of water lost into the Florida aquifer in the wells proposed by the Corps.

Its seeping to somewhere  into our drinking aquifers, Deigert said.

Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds outlined some of the actions the Corps is taking now to work on the water quality issues, but warned a long-term fix wasnt happening soon.

From the Corps perspective, a significant portion of the long-term answer is the Everglades restoration. Storage and conveyance south, she said. There are a lot of projects, theyre going to take a long time. We know we cant wait.

She said the Corps was working with SFWMD to identify all available storage, including finding out how much more water the lake can safely hold outside the 12.5-15.5 feet preferred range and how much water can be put into canals, cleaned, and sent south into the Everglades.

And its still not enough, Reynolds said. And, we know that.

More information and maps of the Lake Okeechobee project are available at saj.usace.army.mil/LOWRP.

Public comment on the Lake Okeechobee project ends Aug. 20.

To submit a question or comment about the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project to be included in the official report, email OkeechobeeWatershedRestoration@usace.army.mil
With Matt Caldwell terming out as state representative in District 79, the race for the House seat encompassing North Fort Myers, Alva and Lehigh Acres is wide open.

In a traditionally Republican district, Spencer Roach and Matt Miller are vying for the GOPs slot on the ballot in the Aug. 28 primary.

The winner will face Democrat Mark Lipton in the general election.

Neither has held public office before.

Matt Miller

Age: 48

Residence: Alva

Occupation: Businessman

Matt Miller is no stranger to running for office, having run for county commissioner in 2012 and for state representative in 2014 and 2016 as a Republican and an independent.

Miller, an Air Force veteran of Desert Storm, said its hard to break out of the two-party system, which is why hes running as a conservative.

There are a lot of RINOs (Republican in Name Only). They say theyre Republican because they know its a Republican town, Miller said. Im not one to give up and Im not doing this for fame or fortune.

Miller said if he wins he will not collect a salary and that he would fight those who are in this not to help their state but for the money. He said if people want to get into public service, they need to do the right thing.

I have to do the right thing for the future of this country, he said.

Miller believes government should be run like a business and will advocate for taxpayers by cutting unnecessary spending. He is against Common Core and is for local control of schools; supports phasing out property tax, especially those who are over 65; and supports introducing legislation for term limits for all elected officials in the state.

Miller, a 25-year resident of Lee County, said hes going to tell the voters things as they are since he is not in bed with special interests and wont take money from anybody, a key issue politics now.

Matt Caldwell spent a half-million dollars to my $13,000 last time. Is that fair for a $28,000 seat? he said.

Spencer Roach

Age: 40

Residence: North Fort Myers

Occupation: Retired Coast Guard JAG Officer

Spencer Roach spent nearly his entire adult life in the Coast Guard, which helped put him through law school at the University of Miami. He has since worked for U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney before leaving to run for office for the first time.

Roach said the words that resonated with him when he joined the Coast Guard still resonate today, particularly about jobs.

Working for Rep. Rooney really whetted my appetite to get involved in policy and politics and when this seat opened after Matt termed out, I thought why not take a stab at it, Roach said. For me, this is a continuation of the service ethos I had with the Coast Guard.

Roach said his main goal is to continue job growth that is among the strongest in the nation. He said he would do this through work force development, economic stability and upward mobility.

I want to promote expanded access to trade schools and offer it in the high schools. When we look at whats happening here, were poised to add 180,000 jobs this year alone, Roach said. We need to work on workforce development to continue to give us that edge over other states.

Roach said he would address water quality and giving the best care to veterans to make Florida the most veteran friendly state in the nation. He also said he would keep the federal government in check and push back against the federal administrative state.

Roach said he wants to continue the conservative principles that have helped the state achieve a great bond rating, low unemployment and great fiscal health.

It shows that conservative priorities work and I want to continue that fight when I get to Tallahassee, Roach said.
By MEGHAN McCOY

mailto:news@breezenewspapers.com>news@breezenewspapers.com

The Lehigh Acres Senior Center is partnering with the Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District to offer two life -saving classes for both its members and the general public.

Lehigh Acres Senior Center Director Melissa Barry said one of the things they have been striving to do is teach their members to take better care of themselves, as well as others. She said since their board is required to know CPR, they started opening it up to other members.

It can help anybody at any point in time, she said. When they learn life basic skills, they can protect themselves and the ones they love. You can be at a restaurant, come across an accident. It can help you at any point of time.

The CRP class, open to Senior Center members and the public, will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17. The program is free for members and $4 for nonmembers.

They have to sign up because space is limited, Barry said. Its an awesome class.

The class can accommodate 20 people.

She said they work with the Lehigh Acres Fire Department because they know what works and does not work in terms of CPR.

Thats what I love about the programs offered through the fire department. These men see this first hand, they see the damage that can be done, she said.

Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District EMS Training Captain Martin McDowell said the CPR class is a family and friends kind of course that focuses on adult, child and infant CPR. It also includes conscious choking and unconscious choking for an infant, child and adult.

I include ventilation in as a component and the use of AED, McDowell said.

They try to offer the CPR class the last Friday of every month free to the public through the fire district. The classes are offered to all ages; the only restriction is the individual has to be old enough to understand the class.

They just need to sign up at Station 105 with Anita, McDowell said.

The CPR classes are important because they save lives.

Its the most important thing. The person who does save lives is the closest person to that patient that needs it, McDowell said. The first 10 minutes of cardiac arrest is the most important to save someone.

Twice a year, he presents the Phoenix Award, which is given to dispatchers, law enforcement as well as firefighters.

To see the survivor and the families and how thankful they are, that is reward enough, McDowell said.

The second class the Senior Center is partnering with the Fire Department for is a fire extinguisher class, scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 7. This class can accommodate 20 to 25 people. It is free for members, $4 for nonmembers.

Barry said this class makes their seniors better prepared for any instance at the Senior Center, as well as in the outside world.

This is the second time the Senior Center has partnered with the fire department to offer the fire extinguisher class. Barry said last time the class attracted 15-20 people.

I participated in the class. I learned a lot. Everyone learned something about fire extinguishers, she said.

Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District Assistant Chief of Life Safety/Fire Marshal Ken Bennett said they brought the participants to the fire station located off South Sunshine, which they will do again this time.

The class first met inside the classroom where they talked about fire extinguishers, what they look like and how to use them.

We talk about using a fire extinguisher for personal safety and safety of others in the building, he said.

After about 30 to 45 minutes the class was opened up to a question-and-answer period before going outside to use old fire extinguishers that still had air inside of them for the demonstration.

We created a fire inside of a pan and knocked the fire out with the fire extinguisher, Bennett said.

During the fire portion, they have a fire truck there because people generally feel more at ease with firefighters standing around them, he said.

The class is beneficial because most people dont know how to use a fire extinguisher properly. Bennett said its important to aim the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire because it will generally knock the fire out.

Its a great confidence booster. A lot of people are scared of trying, he said. Most of the people that take this type of training will actually use a fire extinguisher if they have to.

Bennett said they generally try to schedule the classes once a month through the fire district.

We can do it as little as five people and as many as 30, he said. We generally would have them contact Janis Williams at 303-5317, touch base with her to set something up. (From there we will) figure out where the best place to do the actual demonstration at one of the fire stations.

Bennett said he likes teaching the classes because he enjoys watching participants leave the class with new knowledge and confidence.

Barry said she is grateful for the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District because they get the job done.

They are willing to teach and they want you to learn. When you learn you can teach others and their job is so much easier. It is safer for them and safer for you, she said.

To register for either of the classes, contact the Senior Center at (239) 369-5355, or stop by at 219 Plaza Drive.
The Lee County School Board approved a tentative budget earlier this week of $1.44 billion dollars, a reduction from the previous budget of $1.5 billion.

I am satisfied with the tentative budget, especially considering the reduction in revenue resources across the board, Board Member Mary Fischer said.

The tentative budget includes $876,666,082 in the general operating budget; $115,484,050 in the special revenue budget; $63,931,247 in the debt service budget; $256,263,553 in the capital outlay budget and $131,370,559 in the internal service budget.

We are in a position where we are going to continue to have to do more with less, Chief Financial Officer Greg Blurton said in a prepared statement. We must decrease expenditures to balance our budget.

Fischer said for this coming year, the general fund is lower, as is the capital fund.

We have received some Certificates of Participation, which lower the balance, she said.

In addition, the property tax millage rate, which is used to calculate the state and local funding for the district, has decreased 1.35 percent. The decline in the tax rate results in $5 million less in local contributions than last year.

The $5 million less we received this year would have been enough for a 1% raise for every one of our employees, Blurton said in a prepared statement.

The tentative millage levy for prior period funding adjustment is 4.153 with a $342,377,034 proposed amount to be raised, the basic discretionary operating tentative millage levy is 0.748 with $61,665,789 proposed amount to be raised and capital outlay tentative millage levy is 1.500 with a proposed $123,661,342 amount to be raised.

To balance the budget, the district looked into such areas as transportation. Fischer said they saved more than $1 million in transportation costs by reducing the number of bus routes from 766 to 718, purchasing new buses at a cost saving. She explained that the upkeep on a new bus is $2,000, compared to $8,000 on older buses.

Other areas where the district found cost savings was reevaluating staffing levels and eliminating vacant positions.

Vacant positions at the district office were eliminated and duties redistributed, Fischer said.

An area that was affected substantially was the districts reserves and fund balance going into the next budget. Hurricane Irma left a trail of $31 million in damages to the districts facilities.

Reserves were used to fund necessary repairs and cleanup, which were result of Hurricane Irma, Fischer said.

The district expects to be partially reimbursed for damages through insurance and FEMA, which, unfortunately, could be many more months, if not years.

When you combine that with our minimal increase in funding from the State, and the rising cost of healthcare, we took a substantial hit to our reserves and fund balance going forward and expect the FY19 Budget to be stressed in all areas, Superintendent Dr. Greg Adkins said in a prepared statement.

The final approval of the budget will be done at the Sept. 11 meeting.
To the editor:

On Tuesday, I was one of the 500 residents who attended the presentation with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in Cape Coral. Going in, I knew that the Corps is in charge of the discharge of water, not the quality.

First of all, the speaker Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds explained her qualification and that she ran projects around the world  Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Serbia.

Most of these countries burn the American flag and support terrorism. If the Corps want to take credit for these accomplishments, versus correcting problems at home with the discharges from Lake Okeechobee that have been a problem since the 1940s shame on them.

A common question, I think, on everyones mind is how can you possibly send this water our way? If a private citizen were to dump pollutants into the lake they would be arrested, yet a taxpayer-funded government agency is releasing millions of gallons of pollutants killing off marine life, creating a ecological disaster and affecting our health, tourism, housing values and quality of life. Shame on them for these criminal actions.

The lieutenant colonel explained the releases will continue, the water will not stop, there is no where to store it for years to come, and the residents and taxpayers are collateral damage for these failed actions by the corps.

Being this an election year for governor and senate positions, be cautious. Sen. Bill Nelson, in the past 40 years, did little to correct this problem; the same with Gov Rick Scott. They say this will be corrected in the future yet little was done in the past.

At this time I would like to applaud all people that showed up. Remember there is strength in numbers.

James Michalski

Cape Coral
To the editor:

Blue Water Hawaii: We just returned home to Cape Coral from visiting several islands in Hawaii. The water around all of the islands was so clean, blue and beautiful.

It saddened my wife and I to think that we moved to Southwest Florida in 2014 to enjoy the fishing, boating and beaches that we have here, only to find that the waters here are so often brown and polluted from the discharges from Lake Okeechobee, now full of algae and red tide. When friends and family visit here they ask why is the water is so gross?

The politicians act like they care but nothing seems to get done! The water from Lake O needs to flow south again like nature intended, to the Everglades. The Army Corps of Engineers created this problem, now they need to fix it!!!

Gary Westhues

Cape Coral
Stock Market News

Economic Forecast - Tajikistan approves economic forecast for next year 08-08-2018 01:03



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
Stock Market News

Gold Price - Gold prices to jump after US loses trade war & its debt bubble blows  Peter Schiff to RT 08-08-2018 04:07



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
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Lycoming College has once again been recognized as a top national undergraduate institution by The Princeton Review, who selected Lycoming College for inclusion in its Best 384 Colleges 2019 edition. This is the second consecutive year that Lycoming has been named a best college by the college admissions resource.

The Princeton Reviews Best 384 Colleges rankings are based on surveys of 138,000 students at 384 top colleges that include a wide representation of students by region, size, selectivity, and character. The book includes detailed profiles of the colleges with rating scores in eight categories. In this years survey, Lycoming students cited wide availability of internships, great financial aid, a campus that is easy to get around, and happy students, all as reasons to shortlist the liberal arts and sciences school in college searches.

Lycoming has undergone a transformation in recent years that helped to solidify our commitment to undergraduate mentorship and experiential learning, as well as our dedication to teaching leadership qualities to aspiring scholars. All of this is evidenced by our recognition in the Best 384 Colleges listing, said Mike Konopski, vice president of enrollment management at Lycoming College. Further proof of the Colleges commitment to preparing students for the future can be seen in the addition of new fields of study on campus. The addition of a biochemistry major helps prepare students to work at the forefront of pharmaceutical medicine, and an innovative new minor in entrepreneurship can be combined with any major or students who are pursuing their passions in unique ways.

Students said that Lycoming College is a school that allows all students to realize [their] potential and that small class sizes guarantee professors will know you by name. Additionally, they said opportunities for involvement on campus are plentiful, such as student senate, volunteerism and social activities, as well as cultural and employment opportunities.

Lycoming recruits from the full mosaic of America, with the three most recent entering classes including more than 30 percent domestic students of color; greater geographic diversity, with half of all students hailing from outside of Pennsylvania; and a growing international student body  all contributing to the Colleges potential to expose students to the breadth of human knowledge and experiences and to change lives.

This is a well-deserved accolade, and one that will help ambitious young people discover the life-changing nature of Lycoming College as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, said Konopski.

The Princeton Review, in addition to the Best 384 Colleges, recognized Lycoming on its 2019 Best Colleges Region by Region as one of the best Northeastern institutions. The annual listing calls out schools that are considered academically outstanding and well worth consideration in college searches.

For more information on the rankings and methodology visit www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/how-it-works.

The Lycoming College profile can be found online at https://www.princetonreview.com/college/lycoming-college-1022971.
Tesco Petrol / Diesel Fuel 10p off per Litre Money Saving Promotion

Tesco have just started a new promotion that runs until the 26th of August 2018 that allows drivers to save 10p per litre of fuel (upto 100 litres) at Tesco petrol stations which amounts to an approx saving of 7.5% on fill ups. To get a fuel discount coupon one needs to spend at least 60 either in store or online. Where coupons issued at the till are valid for 2 weeks whilst those issued online are valid until the 9th of September.

Though note that the vouchers cannot be used when paying at the pump so pay at the kiosk only. Also not valid at Tesco express Esso petrol stations.

Also big spend shoppers can break up shops to obtain multiple vouchers. Though as this years Doritos promotion illustrated Tesco can be a pain in the arse when it comes to preventing customers from capitalising on promotions as the following video illustrates:

Nadeem Walayat

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

Copyright  2005-2018 Marketoracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd). All rights reserved.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




US Stock Markets Higher Until November 2018 - Part 1

Our research team at Technical Traders Ltd. have been laboring over the recent market moves attempting to identify if and when the market may be likely to turn lower or contract. Weve been pouring over all types of various data from numerous sources and have concluded the following is the most likely outcome for when the US stock markets may find a reason to pause of contract. As you read this research post, please allow us a brief introduction of the facts that supported our research.

(source: https://palisade-research.com/warren-buffet-indicator-signaling-market-crash/)

First, our research team started this investigative work after watching the Buffet Indicator climb from the 2015~16 rotation levels to new highs and achieve some recent news events. This indicator, being one of Warren Buffets favorite tools for understanding market valuations in comparison to debt levels provides some interesting components for our team to study. Yet, we believed this indicator chart lacked something relating to the global markets and the use of the debt capital to spur future global economic activity.

Therefore, our team went off in search of something that could help us rationalize these high Buffet Indicator levels in true relation to the global markets and in relation to the capital shift that we believe is currently taking place throughout the planet. The first component of our assumption about the global markets is that capital is rushing away from riskier markets and towards more stable markets. The second component of our assumption is that national debt obligations are being re-evaluated based on perceived risks and contagion issues throughout the globe. The last component of our assumption is that the new US President is shaking up quite a bit of the old constructs throughout the globe and that the processes and policies put in place by President Trump are creating a very dynamic global capital market environment at the moment.

When you consider these three components and their combined results on the global capital markets, we have to understand that there is a very strong possibility that the largest GDP producing countries on the planet, and their banking, institutional and investor classes, are all operating within some aspect of these three components. This means there is a potential for at least $7 to $15 Trillion (10~20% of total global GDP) US Dollars that are actively sourcing and seeking secure returns while avoiding risks and debt contagion. This is a massive capital shift that is taking place currently  likely the largest the planet has ever seen.

As the Buffet Indicator is showing, the US stock market is nearing or passing all-time highs in valuation in relation to US debt levels. Yet, how does the Buffet Indicator correlate the global capital shift that is taking place and equate these dynamics into fair value. The US market, being the likely target of this massive capital shift, is a fair source for valuations comparisons, but we are experiencing a capital shift that has never before been seen at the levels we are currently experiencing. Sure, there have been shifts of capital before  but not at the $10 to 20 trillion USD level.

If we compare the Buffet Indicator to this Fred Global Stock Market Capitalization to GDP chart, some interesting facts begin to take shape. First, the peaks in 1974, 1999, 2008 and 2018 on the Buffet Indicator are not as evident on this chart. The 1974 peak is relatively nonexistent. The 1999 peak is a much more muted (28%) peak than on the Buffet Indicator chart and the 2008 and 2018 peaks are relatively correlated to the Buffet Indicator chart. One should be asking the question, why are the two most recent peaks more correlated than previous peaks on this global capitalization to GDP chart?. Our answer to that question is that after the 1999~2000 US market peak, the globe entered into a much more cooperative economic phase with the EU, China, South America and many other nations operating as global peers vs. global competitors. It was after this time that the capital markets began to sync in some form to the central banks policies and the unification processes that were taking place throughout the globe.

We should, therefore, assume that any global market contagion or crisis will likely take place in some measured form throughout nearly all global markets when it happens. Additionally, as regional debt or capital market crisis events occur in certain nations, capital that was deployed in these nations or capital markets will likely rush to new, safer environments for periods of time. Capital is always hunting for the safest and most secure returns while attempting to avoid risk and devaluation.

The central bank policies of the past two decades have allowed a massive increase in the available capital throughout the globe. Global GDP has risen from $33.57 Trillion in 2000 to $80.68 Trillion today  a whopping 140% increase in only 18 years. Historically, global GDP has risen by approximately these levels every 15~20 year for the past 50+ years. This is likely the result of the US moving away from the Gold standard and foreign nations following along with fiat currency central banks since after the 1960s~70s.

This tells us that the peak in 2000 on this global capital market to GDP chart resulted in a moderately isolated capital market peak that was uniquely available within the US and major economies  not globally. The 2008 peak represented a more globally equal capital market peak. This means the majority of the global capital market experienced capital appreciation. The same thing is happening right now  the global markets are experiencing an overall capital market appreciation that is a result of the past 20+ years of central bank policies and economic recovery efforts.

Stay Tuned for PART II Next with Charts and Trading Analysis!

53 years experience in researching and trading makes analyzing the complex and ever-changing financial markets a natural process. We have a simple and highly effective way to provide our customers with the most convenient, accurate, and timely market forecasts available today. Our stock and ETF trading alerts are readily available through our exclusive membership service via email and SMS text. Our newsletter, Technical Trading Mastery book, and 3 Hour Trading Video Course are designed for both traders and investors. Also, some of our strategies have been fully automated for the ultimate trading experience.

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.




Assange, Infowars and the Constitution

This morning I woke up, looked around me, and saw a world sinking into a quagmire of voluntary censorship, a world willing to let someone far away choose what it can and cannot see of itself, and about itself. A world that no longer appears to recognize, or care, that this goes directly against its founding principles of liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of the press.

I can think of many reasons why someone would want to ban Infowars and Alex Jones, and I dont even know them other than from incidental tweets and comments. But I also acknowledge that that is not the point. Just because you would like to ban a person or organization, just because you dont agree with them, doesnt mean you can, or should be able to.

And if Facebook, Google, Apple, Spotify and Pinterest -all within hours of each other-, think its a good idea to ban Jones regardless, they had better do a lot better than saying something about violating their community standards. They should identify specific instances where these alleged violations take place, and identify them publicly.

You cant ban anyone on vague standards from media that cover half the planet. Because thats a danger to the entire planet, and to all of mankind. As Facebook and Google are very busy lobbying Washington, Brussels et al to drop any anti-trust charges against them, and let them continue to be private enterprises, they are shirking ever close to the various intelligence communities.

Politicians and secret agents alike have long recognized the potential Big Tech offers for controlling their populations. Long before those populations themselves have recognized the danger embedded in this potential. The treatment of Julian Assange and Infowars, 180 different as they are, puts all this in very sharp perspective.

How are you going to be informed, and stay informed, of whats happening in the world, of what your government does and plans, if your media, both old and new, conspire to let you know only what they want you to, and to present a version of the world, of reality, that they invented in order to safeguard their future and that of their sponsors? Whos going to tell you what happens behind the infinite layers of curtains?

What is most important here is not who Alex Jones is, or what hes done and said. Whats most important is that he stands up for Julian Assange as the media, across the board, is either silent or actively smearing Assange with impunity. So for once, go to Infowars and sign the petition to Trump to Free Assange.. If anyone can get through to Trump, its Alex Jones, and theyre trying to prevent him from doing just that.

Youre being sold out, your rights and freedoms are being sold out, while youre busy looking at pictures of what your friends had for dinner last night. And if thats your thing, fine, but not before and until youve checked what is happening to your life and liberty, and that of your children, while youre watching the next photo of a creme brulee or some cute kitten 1000 miles away.

We all know these things. And were all overloaded on info, so were all tired and developing headaches in echo chambers, and cute kittens are so much easier to deal with than petitions. But pretty soon, if youre not careful, kittens will be the only thing youre allowed to look at. Kittens and news about evil Russians allegedly plotting to do to you exactly what your own governments already, and actually, do right now.

In one word: youre being brainwashed. Brainwashed into handing over the liberties your ancestors fought very hard, and often lost their lives, to obtain and guarantee in your constitution. You cant just give those things away, you have no right to. You owe it to them to protect what they fought for. If and when your government, your House and Senate, refuse to do that, then you will have to do it.

And that starts with protecting and standing up for Julian Assange. You dont get to pick and choose which part of freedom you would like to protect, you either protect the entire concept or you do not. Freedom doesnt mean you get to chop freedom into bits and pieces. And if you fail to stand up for the part you dont like, you also fail to protect what you do like.

You dont get to cherrypick, And neither should Google, Apple, and Facebook. Check your constitution for that one. Sure, we get it, its hard to stand up for Alex Jones. But if he can get chucked out for violating opaque community standards of some private enterprise, then so can you. Well, unless you only look at kittens and desserts. But is that what you want your life to look like going forward?

This is about a principle engraved in the Constitution, and not just the American one. And of course there would always be people trying to get of that principle, because it got in the way of their personal power and interests. But thats exactly why its in the Constitution. So it cant just be eradicated at whim.

New media, social media, have taken the world by storm, and everyone has to scramble to keep up and think about what this means. What it should never ever mean, though, is that some parties get to use the confusion in order to trample on the Constitution. But that is whats happening today.

Well resolve this eventually. You cant let companies that have half the world as their clients continue as private enterprises; theres far too much in the way of monopoly and anti-trust law to allow that to continue. But as long as this is not solved, Google and Facebook will be used as political tools, even while their legal status, and that of their policies, will be increasingly questionable.

So, you know, standing up for Alex Jones today equals standing up for the Constitution. That is harder for people to understand than it is that calling for Julian Assange to be protected and freed is, But it is the same thing. This is proven more than anything by the fact that Jones gets shut down at the very moment he seeks to protect Assange.

Swallow your pride and your disapproval of Alex Jones. Sign the petition to Trump to Free Assange.. Its much bigger than your pride, or whatever you happen to like or dislike. This is about your future. And the people in the past who gave their lives to make it what it is. Dont give it away. Prove Orwell wrong.

That we must defend Alex Jones just to stand up for Julian Assange should be all you need to know. You cant defend Assange without also defending Infowars right to speak. And if they say things that go against the Constitution, a bunch of geeks in Silicon Valley should never be the judges of that.

By Raul Ilargi Meijer

Website: http://theautomaticearth.com (provides unique analysis of economics, finance, politics and social dynamics in the context of Complexity Theory)

 2018 Copyright Raul I Meijer - 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.

Raul Ilargi Meijer Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




US Stock Markets Higher Until November 2018 - Part 2

Now, we are ready to share some new research that will help all of us understand the current and future market conditions given the ratios of the capital markets to GDP as represented in our previous article Part I. The research team at www.TheTechnicalTraders.com believe we have identified a means of structurally understanding the US capital markets in relation to risks or reversal and crisis contagion. As the Buffet Indicator is now warning that the US capital market may be nearing a critical price top, we can now attempt to put this data into perspective in relation to capital flows and capabilities. Yes, in terms of historical price appreciation, we are now at or near levels that have historically been associated market tops and price collapses. Lets look at how the Buffet Indicator has reacted at times using our new Custom Market Cap Volatility Index.

This Daily Custom Market Cap Volatility Index shows data from 2016 until now. It clearly shows the deeper price rotation near the elections in 2016 and the deep price rotation in February 2018. Lets compare these levels to the Buffet Indicator reactions. In 2016, the Buffet Indicator fell nearly 15% as the US stock market indexes fell 13.5%. In February 2018, the Buffet Indicator fell nearly 8.5% as the US stock market fell 11.88%. Our Custom Market Cap Volatility index operates as a range of price rotation that assists us in determining if and when the price is outside normal price ranges. We are attempting to map price appreciation in relation to volatility in a historical form. When price retraces or contracts, volatility spikes higher. With this process of volatility increasing and price decreasing, the increased VIX levels will show up as very deep Custom Market Cap Volatility price corrections. The VIX will increase much faster than price will collapse, thus any price collapse will likely stay within these ranges, or fall outside these ranges if the price collapse is more extended.

Extended price collapses will result in much higher VIX levels while prices continue to decrease. If the price collapse is very aggressive, the increase in VIX will shoot higher and our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index will crash to very low levels. If the price collapse is an orderly price decline, then the VIX levels will increase as price decreases more gradually and the Custom Market Cap Index will likely stay within moderate ranges. At least we hope this works as we are suggesting. Lets take a look a longer-term data.

This Weekly Custom Market Cap Volatility Index shows the same date range as the previous Daily chart. We should be able to see the Blue channel levels that originate much earlier as normal price channel ranges. We have added a Std. Deviation channel to this chart originating from the 2010 lows that show the range as associated by the deviation ranges.

This data tells us that US stock market prices have recently rallied from near the middle of these historical channels and still has quite a bit of room to the upside. This would indicate to us that the US stock market is not overly priced and that capital is still working into the US stock market in ways that support further price appreciation. Once price reaches above the Std. Deviation channel and above our Blue price channel levels, then we would start to become concerned that prices may retrace as they did in February 2018.

Take a look at the rally from 2016 until now. Notice how the lows near 2016 represented a relatively depressed price channel range with our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index. In other words, prices were hovering near the lower channels with no real signs of risk as prices did not collapse below these levels. One correlation we can make with the Buffet Indicator that may become evident in our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index is that as US Bond rates increase, capital is usually moving away from the stock market and into Treasuries. When we consider the past actions of the US Fed and the correlations of the Buffet Indicator to these central bank actions  we might find a direct correlation.

Yet we believe our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index is valuable for a number of reasons; first, we can use this index as a measure of price rotation and standard deviation low price identification. This will allow us to determine when prices are poised to form a bottom setup and when an opportunity exists for upside price acceleration. Second, we can identify when prices are nearing the upper channel as an early warning that prices may be attempting to hammer out a longer-term top formation  allowing us to reduce risk and scale back our positions. Lastly, we can look for cycles that may help us determine key dates for price rotation.

This cycle chart highlights the deeper low price rotations in our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index. These low points are when the US stock market has seen increases in volatility and moderately deep or deep price corrections. Notice how the early 2018 price collapse is clearly shown as a very deep price rotation in our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index. Notice how the 2016 and 2017 deeper price rotation on the Custom Market Cap Volatility Index correlate with price rotation in the US major indexes. Also, pay attention to the price appreciation that took place after these deeper price corrections.

These cycles suggest that the US stock market should continue to push higher for at least the next 90+ days till near November 2018. Near this date, there is a relatively strong likelihood that some type of deeper price correction will hit the US markets  possibly a bit sooner or after this date. The cycle frequency and accuracy of these bottoms suggest that the price of the US stock market will likely push higher over the next 30+ days  then possibly stall while attempting to form a potential top. It is likely that this top formation or horizontal price range will become extended consolidation before any deeper price correction begins. In the meantime, we believe the US stock market will continue to push higher as our Custom Market Cap Volatility Index shows.

Our suggestion at this point is that the Buffet Indicator is failing to correlate the global capital pool that exists currently and is also failing to adequately reflect the capital migration that is currently taking place throughout the globe. We believe the US stock market could continue much higher at this point, depending on how the global markets react to this shift in capital and the longer term debt issues that are playing out. We certainly dont want to mislead anyone  so we are alerting you that November or December of 2018 appears to be a time where prices may rotate a bit more violently to the downside. This may be correlated to some type of global crisis event or it could be an extended capital shift away from the US stock market where capital flees to new opportunities in other global markets. All we know right now is that the US stock market is still on a path to move higher and we still have quite a bit of room for market cap growth over the next 3+ months.

If you want to know how our other proprietary price modeling systems and indicators help us keep our valued members and subscribers informed of future market moves, then visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn how we can help you find and execute better trading decisions with our specialized research, daily video updates, detailed trading signals and more. Dont let the other news fool you with generic content and comments  true researchers pull from resources or create new resources to give them a much clearer understanding of the market dynamics ahead. Get ready for further upside prices and watch for an end of year price rotation that could be dramatic.

53 years experience in researching and trading makes analyzing the complex and ever-changing financial markets a natural process. We have a simple and highly effective way to provide our customers with the most convenient, accurate, and timely market forecasts available today. Our stock and ETF trading alerts are readily available through our exclusive membership service via email and SMS text. Our newsletter, Technical Trading Mastery book, and 3 Hour Trading Video Course are designed for both traders and investors. Also, some of our strategies have been fully automated for the ultimate trading experience.

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.




Profitable Ideas Exchange (PIE) is a leading provider of facilitated executive roundtables for large professional services companies.

We are based in Bozeman, solidly profitable, and growing. In response to increased demand for our services, we are currently hiring for multiple positions: Associate Director, Associate, and Senior Project Coordinator. For full descriptions of each position, please visit our website: http://www.profitableideas.com.

We are looking for engaging individuals who can think on their feet, are eager to learn, and arent afraid to call a CEO. PIE offers competitive salaries, a strong benefits package, and has a vibrant company culture.

If you are interested in applying for a position, please email [email protected] to request an application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and must be received by Monday, September 10.
When buying our favorite fruits and vegetables from the farmers market, we typically dont have the economy in mind. But that is exactly what were helping grow when we shop at our local farmers market.

National Farmers Market Week is Aug. 5-11, 2018 and is an ideal time to reflect on the impact farmers markets have on the growth of small businesses.

By Jeremy Field

SBA Regional Administrator, Pacific Northwest

First, dollars spent at farmers markets have a strong impact on the local economy.

For every $100 spent at a farmers market 62% stays in the local economy.

According to the Farmers Market Coalition, for every $100 spent at a farmers market, 62 percent stays in the local economy. And, growers selling locally create 13 jobs per $1 million in revenue. Those are jobs created and retained in rural areas and small towns.

Plus, farmers markets provide a unique local supply chain. For example, Scratch and Peck Feeds in Burlington, Washington sells their organic feed to small businesses who then sell their eggs and meat at farmers markets. The supply chain continues at the market where rural and urban small business meet. Many restaurants source their ingredients from farmers market vendors, continuing the growth of all local small businesses.

Second, farmers markets provide startup space for new entrepreneurs and an opportunity to connect with customers.

Farmers markets are often the starting point for new entrepreneurs to test their product with potential local customers. Id even venture to say they are the original startup space for entrepreneurs, providing a cost-effective way to test market a new product.

Well-established businesses also see the value in farmers markets, like Sipping Streams Tea Company which can be found at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market in Fairbanks, Alaska every Wednesday and Friday. Whether launching a new product or growing an established business, farmers markets provide face-to-face interactions with customers unlike any other sales platform.

Third, the SBA powers the American dream and helps local businesses grow.

For 65 years, the SBA has empowered entrepreneurs by helping them start, grow, expand and recover. From microloans to help a business launch to technical assistance on business management, the SBA and its network of partners help many farmers market regulars grow.

For example, Diana Ambauen-Meade of Scratch and Peck Feeds met with a SCORE mentor who provided her with the tools to measure her business financial health. That led her to the SBA Emerging Leaders program aimed to help growing small businesses get to the next level.

After receiving SCORE mentoring, Scratch and Peck annual sales grew from $1.2 million to $6.2 million in a four-year period; and, the number of full-time employees doubled from 10 to 20. Since completing the SBA Emerging Leaders program in 2016, annual sales grew to $8 million the following year plus an additional seven employees.

Another great example is Jenny Tse who worked with an adviser from the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) when she established Sipping Streams Tea Company. She used their assistance again as she looked to her entrepreneurial future.

"The SBDC in Fairbanks helped me reevaluate my business and its progress by analyzing my finances and its avenues of sales and demographics," Tse said. "They also helped me update my business plan so I can see what steps I should take in moving my business to the next level."

In addition to our resource partners, the SBA is also working with USDA to power businesses in rural areas. Our goal is to increase lending in rural areas by five percent nationwide; and, to make services more accessible to farmers and rural businesses.

Join us in supporting rural small businesses by shopping at your local farmers market.

Find Farmers Markets http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwODA3LjkzNDA3NDcxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDgwNy45MzQwNzQ3MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MjAwMTU4JmVtYWlsaWQ9cnVzc0BtYXRyLm5ldCZ1c2VyaWQ9cnVzc0BtYXRyLm5ldCZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&103&&&https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Read SBA Business Guide http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwODA3LjkzNDA3NDcxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDgwNy45MzQwNzQ3MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MjAwMTU4JmVtYWlsaWQ9cnVzc0BtYXRyLm5ldCZ1c2VyaWQ9cnVzc0BtYXRyLm5ldCZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&104&&&https://www.sba.gov/business-guide?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Wayne Gardella, U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA) Montana District Director announced the selection of Brent Donnelly as the new Deputy District Director for the SBAs Montana office. Donnelly replaces Roger Hopkins, who retired from the agency earlier in the year. Donnelly comes to the SBA after a nine year career at the USDAs Rural Development Administration.

Donnelly has an extensive background in economic development, including a comprehensive understanding of the needs of small businesses in Big Sky Country. Over the last several years he has developed well-established relationships with state, local and federal economic development organizations, lending institutions, and chambers of commerce.

Mr. Donnelly spent over 10-years working in private sector residential real estate lending and working in secondary market long-term agricultural real estate lending through the Farmer Mac I program. At Rural Development, Donnelly served in a number of capacities including as an Area Specialist for Single Family Housing in Idaho, and as the Director of the agencys Business-Cooperative Program in Bozeman, MT.

Brent grew up in Aurora, OR, and then moved to Washington State to attend Pacific Lutheran University. Donnelly, and his wife Heidi and their four children, reside outside of Three Forks, MT and enjoy riding their horses, cattle drives, rodeos, and taking advantage of the great Montana outdoors.

Brent can be reached at 406-441-1081 and his email address is [email protected]

Wayne Gardella, CPA

District Director  Montana

10 West 15th Street  1100

Helena, MT 59626

406-441-1080

http://www.sba.gov
Prospera Business Network is the lead non-profit organization advancing and supporting community-centered economic development in southwest Montana. Our focus is helping people start and grow their business  in turn strengthening our regions economy and communities.
With a market capitalization of close to $9 billion and more than 170 equity listings, the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM) is one of the most vibrant in Africa.

It is also where many of Mauritius ultra-high net-worth individuals store significant portions of their fortunes through equity stakes in their own and other companies, which they typically hold via both direct and indirect investments. Based on figures derived from investment agencies, the latest annual reports and confirmations from capital market registrars, these are the 15 richest people who own stocks listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius.

Billionaires.Africa lists individuals rather than multigenerational families who share large fortunes, but in cases where ownership breakdown among siblings and couples arent clear, we attribute the fortune to the most visible-prominent member of the family. The value of their shares is based on prices at the end of trading on Aug. 20, and valuations are converted to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates

#1 Arnaud Lagesse & family

Net worth on SEM: $130.4 million

Holdings: Ireland Blyth Limited (IBL)

Arnaud Lagesse is the CEO of Ireland Blyth Limited (IBL Group), a family-controlled business that has been in existence for close to two centuries. IBL is Mauritius largest conglomerate with more than $900 million in annual revenues. Through its subsidiaries, it engages in the agro and energy, building and engineering, commercial and distribution, financial, hospitality, life and technologies, logistics, seafood, and properties businesses. Lagesse and his brothers Benoit, Hugues, Jean-Pierre, Thierry and Stephane own a joint ownership stake of 16.81 percent of the groups total issued ordinary shares. The stake is worth $130.4 million.

#2 Desmond de Beer

Net worth on SEM: $80.04 million

Holdings: Lighthouse Capital

Property tycoon Desmond de Beer was a founder of Resilient REIT Limited, a South African Real Estate Investment Trust, where he has served as CEO since listing in 2002. He was also a founder of New Europe Property Investments Plc and its successor NEPI Rockcastle Plc. He is the largest individual shareholder of Lighthouse Capital Limited, a company that invests globally in direct property in developed and developing markets, as well as listed real estate and infrastructure securities. He owns a 13.71-percent stake in Lighthouse Capital  a stake that is worth $80,044,840

#3 Barry Stuhler

Net worth on SEM: $36.7 million

Holdings: Lighthouse Capital

South African-born Barry Stuhler is a chartered accountant who a 6.29-percent stake in Lighthouse Capital worth $36,726,456. He is the managing director at Capital Property Fund in South Africa.

#4 Norbert Dentressangle

Net worth on SEM: $24,227,818

Holdings: CIEL, Sun Mauritius

French billionaire Norbert Dentressangle, who built his fortune in transport and logistics, owns a 5.11-percent stake in CIEL worth $11.983 million  as well as a 17.32-percent stake in Sun Mauritius worth $12.24 million.

#5 Chian Ah Teck

Net worth on SEM: $23,678,632

Holdings: Gamma Civic, Lottotech

Chian Tat Ah Teck is the executive chairman of Gamma Civic. He was previously managing director of the company from 1987 to January 2011. Gamma Civic is an investment holding. It operates in the following sectors: building materials, contracting, investments, lottery and corporate services. Chian Ah Teck owns a 6.93-percent stake in Gamma Civic worth $9,253,664.45 and also owns a 19.6-percent stake in Lottotech worth $14,424,968.

#6 Dominic Galea

Net worth on SEM: $22,827,748

Holdings: Mauritius Union Assurance Company, United Docks

Dominique Galea is chairman at Mauritius Union Assurance Company where he owns a 15.75-percent stake worth $21.1 million. He also owns 6.6 percent of United Docks, a leading real estate developer that owns around 100,000 square meters of prime freehold land in Port-Louis.

#7 Louis Boulle

Net worth on SEM: $18.4 million

Holdings: Ireland Blyth Limited (IBL Group)

Louis Gaetan-Jan-Fredrik Boulle is a prominent boardroom guru who serves on dozens of corporate boards in Mauritius. He is the chairman of Ireland Blyth Limited (IBL Group), where he owns a 2.33-percent stake worth $18.33 million. He also owns 0.05 percent in Lux Island resorts worth $58,925.53

#8 P. Arnaud Dalais

Net worth on SEM: $18.6 million

Holdings: Ciel Group

The Mauritian businessman is non-executive chairman of Ciel Group, one of the island nations largest business conglomerates. He owns an 8.02-percent stake in CIEL.

#9 Jean-Pierre Dalais

Net worth on SEM: $11.9 million

Holdings: Ciel Group

A member of the Dalais family, the controlling shareholders of the Ciel Group, Jean-Pierre Dalais owns a 5.46-percent stake in the company worth $11.9 million.

#10 Pierre De Speville

Net worth on SEM: $14,927,013

Holdings: Pierre De Speville holds a 12.83-percent stake in Medine, a Mauritian conglomerate with interests in agro, leisure, property, and education.

#11 Pierre-Emile Latour

Net worth on SEM: $14,594,674

Holdings: Pierre-Emile Latour holds a 10.89-percent shareholding in Mauritius Union Assurance Company, worth $14,594,674.03

#12 Timothy Taylor

Net worth on SEM: $12,164,585

Holdings: Timothy Taylor holds a 9.27-percent stake in Cim Financial Services, a non-banking deposit-taking institution that avails individual consumers, SMEs and large corporates with financial services such as consumer finance, credit cards, forex, leasing and factoring.

#13 Vincent Ah-Chuen

Net worth on SEM: $6,698,653

Holdings: Vincent Ah-Chuen holds a 16.41-percent stake in ABC Motors, a Mauritian company that markets, distributes and repairs automobiles; a 1.13-percent stake in Mauritius Union Assurance Company and a 25.04-percent stake in P.O.L.I.C.Y Limited, an investment company in Mauritius.

#14 Cyril How Kin Sang

Net worth on SEM: $9,284,305

Holdings: Cyril How Kin Sang holds a 6.94-percent stake in Gamma Civic, an investment holding company.

#15 Pierre-Guy Noel

Net worth on SEM: $9,062,745

Holdings: Pierre-Guy Noel is the CEO of MCB, one of Mauritius largest banking groups. He owns a 0.55-percent stake in the company.

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HARRISBURG >> Whitewater boating enthusiasts once again will converge on Bucks Countys Tohickon Creek Saturday and Sunday, November 6 and 7, when the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) releases water from Lake Nockamixon into Tohickon Creek. Releases are historically scheduled on a semi-annual basis, usually occurring on the third weekend in March and the first weekend in...
West Rockhill supervisor requests another look at township resolution regarding bridges
Photo and posters: Pictoral prism into the past
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
August 08, 2018 Why They Fail - The Quintessence Of The Korengal Valley Campaign A new excerpt from a book by C.J. Chivers, a former U.S. infantry captain and New York Times war correspondent, tells the story of a young man from New York City who joined the U.S. army and was send to the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. While the man, one Robert Soto, makes it out alive, several of his comrades and many Afghans die during his time in Afghanistan to no avail. The piece includes remarkably strong words about the strategic (in)abilities of U.S. politicians, high ranking officers and pundits: On one matter there can be no argument: The policies that sent these men and women abroad, with their emphasis on military action and their visions of reordering nations and cultures, have not succeeded. It is beyond honest dispute that the wars did not achieve what their organizers promised, no matter the party in power or the generals in command. Astonishingly expensive, strategically incoherent, sold by a shifting slate of senior officers and politicians and editorial-page hawks, the wars have continued in varied forms and under different rationales each and every year since passenger jets struck the World Trade Center in 2001. They continue today without an end in sight, reauthorized in Pentagon budgets almost as if distant war is a presumed government action. That description is right but it does not touche the underlying causes. The story of the attempted U.S. occupation of the Korengal valley, which Civers again describes, has been the theme of several books and movies. It demonstrates the futility of fighting a population that does not welcome occupiers. But most of the authors, including Chivers, get one fact wrong. The war with the people of the Korengal valley was started out of shear stupidity and ignorance. The main military outpost in the valley was build on a former sawmill. Chivers writes: On a social level, it could not have been much worse. It was an unforced error of occupation, a set of foreign military bunkers built on the grounds of a sawmill and lumber yard formerly operated by Haji Mateen, a local timber baron. The American foothold put some of the valleys toughest men out of work, the same Afghans who knew the mountain trails. Haji Mateen now commanded many of the valleys fighters, under the banner of the Taliban. Unfortunately Chivers does not explain why the saw mill was closed. Ten years ago a piece by Elizabeth Rubin touched on this: As the Afghans tell the story, from the moment the Americans arrived in 2001, the Pech Valley timber lords and warlords had their ear. Early on, they led the Americans to drop bombs on the mansion of their biggest rival  Haji Matin. The air strikes killed several members of his family, according to local residents, and the Americans arrested others and sent them to the prison at Bagram Air Base. The Pech Valley fighters working alongside the Americans then pillaged the mansion. And that was that. Haji Matin, already deeply religious, became ideological and joined with Abu Ikhlas, a local Arab linked to the foreign jihadis. Years before October 2004, before regular U.S. soldiers came into the Korengal valley, U.S. special forces combed through the region looking for 'al-Qaeda'. They made friends with a timber baron in Pech valley, a Pashtun of the Safi tribe, who claimed that his main competitor in the (illegal) timber trade who lived in the nearby Korengal river valley was a Taliban and 'al-Qaeda'. That was not true. Haji Matin was a member of a Nuristani tribe that spoke Pashai. These were a distinct people with their own language who were and are traditional hostile to any centralized government (pdf), even to the Taliban's Islamic Emirate. The U.S. special forces lacked any knowledge of the local society. But even worse was that they lacked the curiosity to research and investigate the social terrain. They simply trusted their new 'friend', the smooth talking Pashtun timber baron, and called in jets to destroy his competitor's sawmill and home. This started a local war of attrition which defeated the U.S. military. In 2010 the U.S. military, having achieved nothing, retreated from Korengal. (The sawmill episode was described in detail in a 2005(?) blog post by a former special force soldier who took part in it. It since seems to have been removed from the web.) Back to Chivers' otherwise well written piece. He looks at the results two recent (and ongoing) U.S. wars: The governments of Afghanistan and Iraq, each of which the United States spent hundreds of billions of dollars to build and support, are fragile, brutal and uncertain. The nations they struggle to rule harbor large contingents of irregular fighters and terrorists who have been hardened and made savvy, trained by the experience of fighting the American military machine.

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Billions of dollars spent creating security partners also deputized pedophiles, torturers and thieves. National police or army units that the Pentagon proclaimed essential to their countries futures have disbanded. The Islamic State has sponsored or encouraged terrorist attacks across much of the world  exactly the species of crime the global war on terror was supposed to prevent. The wars fail because they no reasonable strategic aim or achievable purpose. They are planned by incompetent people. The most recent Pentagon ideas for the U.S. war on Afghanistan depend on less restricted bombing rules. Yesterday one predictable and self defeating consequence was again visible: An American airstrike killed at least a dozen Afghan security forces during intense fighting with the Taliban near the Afghan capital, officials said Tuesday.

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Shamshad Larawi, a spokesman for the governor, said that American airstrikes had been called in for support, but that because of a misunderstanding, the planes mistakenly targeted an Afghan police outpost.

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Haji Abdul Satar, a tribal elder from Azra, said he counted 19 dead, among them 17 Afghan police officers and pro-government militia members and two civilians.

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In the first six months of this year, United States forces dropped nearly 3,000 bombs across Afghanistan, nearly double the number for the same period last year and more than five times the number for the first half of 2016. ... Civilian casualties from aerial bombardments have increased considerably as a result, the United Nations says. One argument made by the Pentagon generals when they pushed Trump to allow more airstrikes was that these would cripple the Taliban's alleged opium trade and its financial resources. But, as the Wall Street Journal reports, that plan, like all others before it, did not work at all: Nine months of targeted airstrikes on opium production sites across Afghanistan have failed to put a significant dent in the illegal drug trade that provides the Taliban with hundreds of millions of dollars, according to figures provided by the U.S. military.

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So far, the air campaign has wiped out about $46 million in Taliban revenue, less than a quarter of the money the U.S. estimates the insurgents get from the illegal drug trade. U.S. military officials estimate the drug trade provides the Taliban with 60% of its revenue.

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Poppy production hit record highs in Afghanistan last year, where they are the countrys largest cash crop, valued at between $1.5 billion and $3 billion. More than 200 airstrikes on "drug-related targets" have hardly made a dent in the Taliban's war chest. The military war planners again failed. At the end of the Chivers piece its protagonist, Robert Soto, rightfully vents about the unaccountability of such military 'leaders': Still he wondered: Was there no accountability for the senior officer class? The war was turning 17, and the services and the Pentagon seemed to have been given passes on all the failures and the drift. Even if the Taliban were to sign a peace deal tomorrow, there would be no rousing sense of victory, no parade. In Iraq, the Islamic State metastasized in the wreckage of the war to spread terror around the world. The human costs were past counting, and the whitewash was both institutional and personal, extended to one general after another, including many of the same officers whose plans and orders had either fizzled or failed to create lasting success, and yet who kept rising. Soto watched some of them as they were revered and celebrated in Washington and by members of the press, even after past plans were discredited and enemies retrenched. Since World War II, during which the Soviets, not the U.S., defeated the Nazis, the U.S. won no war. The only exception is the turkey shooting of the first Gulf war. But even that war failed in its larger political aim of dethroning Saddam Hussein. The U.S. population and its 'leaders' simply know too little about the world to prevail in an international military campaign. They lack curiosity. The origin of the Korengal failure is a good example for that. U.S. wars are rackets, run on the back of lowly soldiers and foreign civil populations. They enriche few at the cost of everyone else. Wars should not be 'a presumed government action', but the last resort to defend ones country. We should do our utmost to end all of them. Posted by b on August 8, 2018 at 20:00 UTC | Permalink Comments
Petty theft

Someone stole a 50-pound bag of dog food, worth about $40, from Wal-mart, 170 Cochrane Plaza. The thief left in a white Mercedes with a black drivers side door. The crime was reported 8:23pm July 31.

A thief or thieves stole a treadmill worth about $300 from the front porch of a residence on La Mancha Lane. The crime was reported 4:10pm July 24.

Someone walked out of Safeway, 235 Tennant Station, with two quarts of vodka and bread, without paying for the items. The crime was reported 8:23am July 25.

Suspicious person

Police arrested a man on suspicion of auto theft after an employee of Rite Aid, 16000 Monterey Road, reported a suspicious vehicle in the stores parking lot. The employee called police to report the man was sitting in a black Acura after the store closed, and the employee was afraid to go outside. Officers arrived and contacted the Acura driver, who was arrested on suspicion of stealing the vehicle he was sitting in. The crime was reported 10:35pm July 31.

Auto burglary

Someone broke into a Toyota Tacoma truck on East Dunne Avenue and stole tools. The crime was reported 5:59am Aug. 1.

A thief or thieves stole tools from a locked toolbox on a Dodge pickup on the 2200 block of Brega Lane. The crime was reported 6:24am Aug. 1.

Someone broke into a Ford F150 pickup on Cosmo Avenue and stole tools. The crime was reported 7:13am Aug. 1.

A burglar or burglars smashed the window of a Chrysler 300 on Burnett Avenue and stole a computer. The burglary was reported 7:26am July 29.

A thief or thieves broke into a Chevrolet Silverado pickup on Del Monte Avenue and stole tools. The crime was reported 3:38pm Aug. 1.

Someone broke into a white Dodge Ram parked on Condit Road and stole power tools. The crime was reported 7:12am July 31.

A burglar or burglars broke into a Chevrolet 3500 pickup parked on Condit Road and stole a pressure washer and blower from the vehicle. The burglary was reported 11:19am July 26.

A thief or thieves broke into three vehicles parked on the 18400 block of Shadowbrook Way. The vehicles were identified as a Dodge Ram pickup, a Toyota Camry and a Kia. The crime was reported 9:50am July 22.

Stolen vehicle

A thief or thieves stole a gold 1995 Honda Accord parked on Burnett Avenue. The crime was reported 10:39pm July 27.

Someone stole a white Toyota pickup with a camper shell from the parking lot of Josephines Bakery Cafe, 19500 Monterey Road. The theft was reported 5:48am July 29.

A vehicle that was previously reported stolen out of Alameda County was recovered in the parking lot of California Inn, 16525 Condit Road in Morgan Hill. The vehicle was recovered 9:22am July 23.

Someone stole a dark green Dodge van from the area of Wright and Del Monte avenues. The crime was reported 4:55pm July 26.

A thief or thieves stole a green BMW from a spot on East Edmundson Avenue. The owner of the vehicle left the key in the center console. The crime was reported 10:41pm July 26.

Someone stole a brown 2016 Mazda CX5 from a spot on El Pajaro Court. The crime was reported 8:19am July 27.

Accident

A bicyclist suffered minor injuriesincluding pain to his leg and road rashwhen a motorist collided with the bicycle in the area of Hale and Tilton avenues. The accident was reported 6:28pm Aug. 2.

Theft

Someone broke into a storage container at a construction site on Golden Eagle Drive, and stole speakers, a jackhammer and other items. The total loss was about $650. The crime was reported 3:23pm July 30.

A suspect stole about 20 cartons of cigarettes from Safeway, 235 Tennant Station. The crime was reported 1:52am July 20.

Vandalism

Someone tried to break into a vehicle in Paradise Park, 449 La Crosse Drive, and broke off a piece of metal in the door lock. The crime was reported 2:18pm July 20.

Burglary

Someone broke into a home on Gitana Court and stole a large safe. The crime was reported 11:46pm July 21.

All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.
Farmers markets represent a unique bridge between urban and rural communities that provide an opportunity to support the local economy, as well as access to fresh, nutritious foods. Aug. 5-11 is National Farmers Market Week. This designation seeks to increase the publics awareness of the role local farmers markets play in creating healthy communities and in building prosperity among farmers and small businesses.

Farmers markets support Californias small and diversified farms, and return money to our local economies. At a farmers market, 100 percent of your food dollar goes to your local farmer, while a farmer only receives 15 cents of every food dollar that consumers spend at traditional food outlets. Studies have shown that all farms, regardless of scale, are significantly more likely to survive if they have local food sales as a part of their marketing portfolio.

Local markets also provide low-barrier entry points for new farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs, allowing them to start small and test new products.

In 2017, 7,377 markets and direct-marketing farmers accepted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) electronic benefit transfers, resulting in $22 million in SNAP spent at farmers markets. This provides access to fresh, local produce and enables SNAP recipients to purchase the nutritious foods their families need to stay healthy.

A growing number of farmers markets also offer incentive programs to low-income seniors and WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program) customers.

Unlike many supermarkets, farmers markets put fruits and vegetables front and center and create a shopping environment where nutritious foods are not only affordable, they are celebrated.

Visit your local farmers market this week and enjoy the bountiful crops that are grown close to you.

Sen. Bill Monning represents the 17th State Senate District, which includes all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties, and portions of Monterey and Santa Clara counties. The weekly Morgan Hill Farmers Market takes place year-round 9am to 1pm Saturday, at the Caltrain parking lot on Depot Street in the citys downtown.
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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.
Existing Home Sales "Cooled" in Q2, Prices Did Not

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said existing home sales cooled during the second quarter amidst what it called "staggeringly low" inventories and steadily appreciating prices. The median national price of an existing single-family home in the second quarter was $269,000, which is up 5.3 percent from the second quarter of 2017 ($255,400) and surpasses that number as the new peak. The median sales price during this year's first quarter rose 5.7 percent on an annual basis.

NAR's quarterly existing home sales report focuses on major metropolitan markets, and the second quarter edition says that single-family home prices increased during the period in 90 percent of measured markets. Sales prices gained year-over-year in 161 out of 178 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) tracked by the association. Twenty-four metro areas (13 percent) experienced double-digit increases, down from 30 percent in this year's first quarter and the San Francisco MSA joined that of San Jose with a median sales price above $1 million.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says, despite the strong buyer demand, this year's spring buying season did not meet expectations. "The ongoing supply crunch affecting much of the country worsened for most of the second quarter, as the growing number of interested buyers in many markets overwhelmed what was already a meager level of available listings," he said. "With not enough homes for sale, multiple bids caused prices to rise briskly and further out of the reach of some prospective buyers."

Total existing-home sales, including single family and condos, were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.41 million units during the quarter, down 1.7 percent from 5.51 million in the first quarter. Sales are 2.4 percent lower than the 5.55 million pace during the second quarter of 2017.

"Solid economic growth, a healthy labor market and the large millennial population should be driving home sales much higher," said Yun. "As long as economic conditions maintain current levels, there's still a chance for sales to break out this year. However, with mortgage rates trending higher, it will only happen if supply levels improve enough to cool the speedy price growth in a majority of the country."

Inventory levels did increase slightly from the second quarter of last year, rising 0.5 percent to 1.95 million homes for sale. The average supply during the second quarter was 4.1 months compared to an average of 4.2 months in the previous second quarter.

While the national family median income did rise to $75,106 in the second quarter, overall affordability declined due to higher prices and interest rates. To purchase a single-family home at the national median price, a buyer making a 5 percent down payment would need an income of $64,239, a 10 percent down payment would require an income of $60,858, and $54,096 would be needed for payments after a 20 percent down payment.

"The unaffordable conditions in many of the largest metro areas - especially in the West - continues to be a growing concern for many middle-class households aspiring to buy a home," said Yun. "Homebuilders, facing higher costs and labor shortages, are simply not producing enough affordable homes to satisfy demand. Local governments need to acknowledge this glaring issue and ease some of the zoning laws, permitting processes and regulations that are slowing construction."

Four of the five most expensive housing markets were in California. The San Jose MSA led with a median existing single-family price of $1,405,000. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward followed at $1,070,000; Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine had a median of $830,000 and San Diego-Carlsbad was fifth at $645,000. Urban Honolulu was the fourth most expensive at a median of $795,200;

At the other end of the spectrum were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, at $94,400; Cumberland (Maryland), $94,900; Decatur, $96,900; Elmira, $106,300; and Erie, at $121,700.

NAR tracks condo and cooperative prices in 61 metro areas. It found the national median existing-condo price was $248,200 in the second quarter, up 3.6 percent from the second quarter of 2017 ($239,600). Ninety percent of metro areas showed gains in median condo price from a year ago.

Second quarter sales were mixed across regions, but all four posted price gains. Sales in the Northeast were unchanged from the first quarter at an annual rate of 683,000 and down 8.9 percent from a year ago. The median existing single-family home price in the Northeast rose 2.3 percent on an annual basis to $288,900.

In the Midwest sales were up 1.6 percent quarter-over-quarter but were 2.8 percent below a year ago. The median home price grew 3.5 percent to $210,600.

The South saw sales down 2.7 percent in the second quarter, but the region held on to an 0.6 percent edge year-over-year. The median existing single-family home price in the South was $238,500 in the second quarter, 4.0 percent above a year earlier.

Existing-home sales in the West were lower for both the quarter and the year, down 4.1 percent and 3.6 percent respectively. The median existing single-family home price increased 8.3 percent to $403,300.

NAR began tracking of metropolitan area median single-family home prices in 1979; the metro area condo price series dates back to 1989.
Beerologist, libationist, beer devotee, wert guru, beer maven, beer expert, hophead, beer snob, a tippler, a grog artist, a boozer, a beer buff, beer nut, a slops surveyor, an ale addict,beeroisseur, a hops handler, a quaffer, or chairman of the brewed. Whatever you call yourself, Dayton certainly offers lots of options for beer lovers.

As the craft beer community continues to grow, so to do the number of beer centric events in the Miami Valley. Our MostMetro calendar has the most comprehensive list of the best upcoming beer events in town and heres our list of dont miss brew-centric happening this week:

Hop Picking Party Fifth Street Brewpub Its fresh hop time again! The folks from Little Miami Farms are ready to supply us with freshly picked hops for this years fresh-hopped beer. We need your help picking the hops from the bines tonight at 6pm. You pick, well supply you with 1/2 off FSB beers. (Rain or shine we will pick so Darren can brew with the hops the following day.) Find out more 

FESTIVALE The Steam Plant $75 FestivAle will highlight Daytons booming craft beer culture! Guests will be able to get a taste of the diverse beers Dayton has to offer from several local breweries. Along with enjoying savory sips of craft beer, you will also indulge in delicious food samplings while perusing the silent auction and dancing the night away. Find out more 

Friday Night Biergartens The German Club Edelweiss Come to the Friday Night Biergartens at the German Club Edelweiss the first four Friday nights in August! Live music provided by Frank Svet the first two weeks and by Steve Makofka the last two weeks. A different dinner will be available for purchase each week. Brats, metts, desserts and beverages will also be available for purchase each week. Find out more 

Dayton Brew Tour Meet at Eudora Brewing Company  4:00 pm $65 Each tour will visit three local breweries. We will spend approximately 40 minutes at each location. Well set you up with a flight of beers (four 4oz samples) at each brewery, so youll get a taste of what each brewery is doing. Feel free to order a pint of your favorite, or get a growler to go and well keep it cold for you on the bus! Your ticket includes bus transportation, beer samples at each stop as well as snacks, a shared growler or two and water on the bus. Sat, 8/11  1pm  Eudora Brewing Co, Devils Wind Brewing & Yellow Springs Brewery Find out more 





Great American Beer Tasting Fifth Third Field  6:00 pm $30 Mark your calendars for the Dragons annual Great American Beer Tasting, brought to you by Heidelberg Distributing. This years event tickets are $30 and include 20, 4 oz samples, a custom pint glass, and a raffle ticket for Budweiser and Dragons merchandise and prizes! Find out more 

Down The River, Down a Beer Lock Nine Riverfront Park  10:00 pm $30  $35 Do your dinner plans this Saturday include cabbage rolls and Guinness brownies from Dobos Delights, barbecue treats from TKs BBQ, and Mulligans famous sliders, sausage & kraut or soft pretzels with beer cheese dip? Pair it with a milkshake IPA, Peanut Butter Porter, a Passionfruit Saison, or a Java Man Cometh. Theres wine and bottled water too. Bid on great beer items in the silent auction as Mark Cantwil sings and River Fire Rings light up the night sky over the river. Find out more 

And while its much more than a beer event, youll find some great beers at the Germanfest Picnic:
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So, yes, you know the first Monday in September means a day off from work and school for most of us. And maybe you also know that Labor Day is a tribute to American workers. But if things start to get foggy beyond that, weve rounded up nine facts about the annual federal holiday sure to impress your barbecue guests.

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Littleton Courier North Country Senator facing multiple counts of domestic violence

by Tara Giles

Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter write the author WHITEFIELD  Sen. Jeff Woodburn of Whitefield will be arraigned on Aug. 20 at the Circuit Court in Lancaster, where he will answer to the charges of domestic violence.



The Attorney General's announcement of the charges last week came as a shock to the 58 communities Woodburn represents in the New Hampshire Senate, as well as to several colleagues in Concord who know Woodburn well.



Woodburn turned himself in to the Concord Police Department after learning of the charges against him on Thursday afternoon, where he was released on $500 cash bail. The third term Senator is to have no contact with the victim as part of the conditions of release.



In his only public comment on the case to date  a statement released through his attorney, Preti Flaherty of Concord  Woodburn said, "This afternoon, I learned that a warrant had been issued for my arrest. I voluntarily responded to the police station, cooperated with law enforcement during the booking process, and was released. I intend to fully address and defend against these charges in court."



The 53 year old Woodburn will answer to several class A misdemeanor charges, including two counts of simple assault alleging that he caused unprivileged physical contact to the adult female victim by throwing a cup of water in her face and then throwing the empty cup at her as well; striking her in the face on Aug. 10, 2017; and striking the victim in the stomach with his hand on Dec. 24 , 2017. Two additional counts of simple assault charge Woodburn with causing bodily injury to the adult female victim by biting the victim on her left hand, resulting in bruising on Dec. 15, 2017; and biting the victim on her right forearm, resulting in bruising, on or between June 9 and 10 of this year. Two counts of criminal mischief charge Woodburn with causing damage to the property of the adult female victim by: kicking the door of her clothes dryer, causing it to be broken away from the dryer housing, having no right to do so nor any reasonable basis for belief of having such a right, on Aug. 10, 2017; and kicking in the locked door to the victim's home which damaged the door and door casing, having no right to do so nor any reasonable basis for belief of having such a right, on Dec. 24, 2017 and one count of criminal trespass charging Woodburn with entering or remaining in the residence of the adult female victim, after forcing open the locked door to the residence, an occupied structure knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so on Dec. 24, 2017.



New Hampshire's entire Congressional delegation joined political figures from across the state in condemning the accusations against Woodburn as unacceptable and calling on him to resign from his position.



Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter said, "While Sen. Woodburn, like all citizens, is entitled to his day in court, these charges are extremely serious. We cannot look away and cannot excuse any domestic abuse. Domestic violence is a horrible crime and cannot be tolerated anywhere. Senator Woodburn must resign immediately."



Sen. Maggie Hassan, who worked side by side with Woodburn on several issues pertaining to the North Country during her tenure as governor, said, "We must never tolerate the grave and despicable crime of domestic violence. Given these extremely disturbing and serious charges, Jeff Woodburn must resign immediately."



Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem) said "I'm shocked and disturbed to learn of the domestic violence charges against Sen. Jeff Woodburn. Elected officials exist to serve the public interest and should be held to a higher standard. There is no excuse and absolutely no room for domestic abuse and violence in our society."



Congresswoman Annie Kuster said of the charges, "The allegations against Sen. Woodburn are deeply disturbing and unacceptable. Domestic violence is abhorrent and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Sen. Woodburn should resign his position immediately."



New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley was among the first to issue a statement, which said "The New Hampshire Democratic Party stands firm in our belief that any form of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic violence is completely unacceptable behavior for anyone let alone our public officials who should all be held to a higher standard. We take these accusations against Senator Jeff Woodburn very seriously and stand with his accuser and support her during this unimaginably painful time. We are asking Senator Woodburn to resign from office immediately."



Lou D'Allesandro of Manchester was the only one of the Senate's nine remaining Democrats not to endorse the party's statement, suggesting instead that there should not be a rush to judgment until Woodburn has had his day in court.



U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wrote, "Domestic violence should always be condemned in the strongest terms and there must be accountability for acts of abuse. I'm appalled by these charges and call on Jeff Woodburn to resign."



Speaking for the state Republican Party, Chair Wayne MacDonald said, "I am deeply shocked and outraged by these allegations. As a State Senator and the highest ranking leader of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Sen. Woodburn has betrayed the public trust and inflicted serious and lasting harm. He should resign immediately. Tonight our thoughts and prayers should be with the victim of these terrible acts. I hope and pray that the victim may now begin the healing process."



MacDonald then turned his fury on the Democratic party's leadership, stating "These events, and the preemptive leaks by Democratic officials, also raise serious questions about the entire Democratic Party. How did the Democratic Party know about these charges before the Attorney General's announcement? How long did Democrats cover these events up? Every Democrat now needs to answer this question: what did you know and when did you know it? All of these questions must be thoroughly investigated, and I have full confidence that the Attorney General's office will do everything it can to bring this tragic case to a just conclusion."



Shortly before noon on Monday, Woodburn issued a follow-up statement through his attorney announcing that he would be stepping aside as Senate Minority Leader "to devote my full attention to clearing my name and representing my North Country constituents."



"As a father, my family comes first," he added. "Supporting them will be my priority during the difficult time ahead."



Woodburn, who had no prior criminal record, has been a strong advocate for the interests of the North Country during his tenure in the Senate. WHITEFIELD  Sen. Jeff Woodburn of Whitefield will be arraigned on Aug. 20 at the Circuit Court in Lancaster, where he will answer to the charges of domestic violence.The Attorney General's announcement of the charges last week came as a shock to the 58 communities Woodburn represents in the New Hampshire Senate, as well as to several colleagues in Concord who know Woodburn well.Woodburn turned himself in to the Concord Police Department after learning of the charges against him on Thursday afternoon, where he was released on $500 cash bail. The third term Senator is to have no contact with the victim as part of the conditions of release.In his only public comment on the case to date  a statement released through his attorney, Preti Flaherty of Concord  Woodburn said, "This afternoon, I learned that a warrant had been issued for my arrest. I voluntarily responded to the police station, cooperated with law enforcement during the booking process, and was released. I intend to fully address and defend against these charges in court."The 53 year old Woodburn will answer to several class A misdemeanor charges, including two counts of simple assault alleging that he caused unprivileged physical contact to the adult female victim by throwing a cup of water in her face and then throwing the empty cup at her as well; striking her in the face on Aug. 10, 2017; and striking the victim in the stomach with his hand on Dec. 24 , 2017. Two additional counts of simple assault charge Woodburn with causing bodily injury to the adult female victim by biting the victim on her left hand, resulting in bruising on Dec. 15, 2017; and biting the victim on her right forearm, resulting in bruising, on or between June 9 and 10 of this year. Two counts of criminal mischief charge Woodburn with causing damage to the property of the adult female victim by: kicking the door of her clothes dryer, causing it to be broken away from the dryer housing, having no right to do so nor any reasonable basis for belief of having such a right, on Aug. 10, 2017; and kicking in the locked door to the victim's home which damaged the door and door casing, having no right to do so nor any reasonable basis for belief of having such a right, on Dec. 24, 2017 and one count of criminal trespass charging Woodburn with entering or remaining in the residence of the adult female victim, after forcing open the locked door to the residence, an occupied structure knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so on Dec. 24, 2017.New Hampshire's entire Congressional delegation joined political figures from across the state in condemning the accusations against Woodburn as unacceptable and calling on him to resign from his position.Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter said, "While Sen. Woodburn, like all citizens, is entitled to his day in court, these charges are extremely serious. We cannot look away and cannot excuse any domestic abuse. Domestic violence is a horrible crime and cannot be tolerated anywhere. Senator Woodburn must resign immediately."Sen. Maggie Hassan, who worked side by side with Woodburn on several issues pertaining to the North Country during her tenure as governor, said, "We must never tolerate the grave and despicable crime of domestic violence. Given these extremely disturbing and serious charges, Jeff Woodburn must resign immediately."Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem) said "I'm shocked and disturbed to learn of the domestic violence charges against Sen. Jeff Woodburn. Elected officials exist to serve the public interest and should be held to a higher standard. There is no excuse and absolutely no room for domestic abuse and violence in our society."Congresswoman Annie Kuster said of the charges, "The allegations against Sen. Woodburn are deeply disturbing and unacceptable. Domestic violence is abhorrent and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Sen. Woodburn should resign his position immediately."New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley was among the first to issue a statement, which said "The New Hampshire Democratic Party stands firm in our belief that any form of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic violence is completely unacceptable behavior for anyone let alone our public officials who should all be held to a higher standard. We take these accusations against Senator Jeff Woodburn very seriously and stand with his accuser and support her during this unimaginably painful time. We are asking Senator Woodburn to resign from office immediately."Lou D'Allesandro of Manchester was the only one of the Senate's nine remaining Democrats not to endorse the party's statement, suggesting instead that there should not be a rush to judgment until Woodburn has had his day in court.U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wrote, "Domestic violence should always be condemned in the strongest terms and there must be accountability for acts of abuse. I'm appalled by these charges and call on Jeff Woodburn to resign."Speaking for the state Republican Party, Chair Wayne MacDonald said, "I am deeply shocked and outraged by these allegations. As a State Senator and the highest ranking leader of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Sen. Woodburn has betrayed the public trust and inflicted serious and lasting harm. He should resign immediately. Tonight our thoughts and prayers should be with the victim of these terrible acts. I hope and pray that the victim may now begin the healing process."MacDonald then turned his fury on the Democratic party's leadership, stating "These events, and the preemptive leaks by Democratic officials, also raise serious questions about the entire Democratic Party. How did the Democratic Party know about these charges before the Attorney General's announcement? How long did Democrats cover these events up? Every Democrat now needs to answer this question: what did you know and when did you know it? All of these questions must be thoroughly investigated, and I have full confidence that the Attorney General's office will do everything it can to bring this tragic case to a just conclusion."Shortly before noon on Monday, Woodburn issued a follow-up statement through his attorney announcing that he would be stepping aside as Senate Minority Leader "to devote my full attention to clearing my name and representing my North Country constituents.""As a father, my family comes first," he added. "Supporting them will be my priority during the difficult time ahead."Woodburn, who had no prior criminal record, has been a strong advocate for the interests of the North Country during his tenure in the Senate.

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Winnisquam Echo Cruise Night gives Veterans Home residents a chance to rock and reminisce

by Donna Rhodes write the author

Don Baldinelli, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars who served in both the U.S. Army and Air Force, posed for a photo with Melissa Libby, a Social Worker Consultant at New Hampshire Veterans Home and owner of his favorite car in last week's Cruise Night, a fully restored 1927 Ford Model T. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) TILTON  Residents of New Hampshire Veterans' Home were rockin' and reelin' to the sounds of the Bel-Airs doo-wop band last week as they looked over rows of antique and classic cars that overflowed their parking lot, tapping their fingers and feet all the while to timeless hits like "Rockin' Robin" and "Blue Suede Shoes."



Joining the veterans were family, friends and members of the general public as they admired the more than 80 vehicles that took part in the event.



Louise Dean, a World War II Navy Nurse, was among the residents of NHVH who made the rounds and looked over nearly a century's worth of Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Mercury trucks and cars lining the parking lot, along with newer Corvettes, Mustangs, Chevelles, Camaros and much more.



"They're all beautiful," Dean exclaimed as she was wheeled around the lot.



Her favorite by far though were all the antique pick-up trucks on display.



"I've never driven one, they looked like way too much for me to handle, but I can't help but think 'Oh, I do like that one,'" she said with a smile as she pointed out a 1969 Ford F-250.



Assisting Dean for the event was her new friend Dan, a resident of Northfield and the Vice President of the Combat Warriors Motorcycle Club. An Army veteran himself, Dan was among the many veteran clubs and Bank of New Hampshire's members of the Military Support Assistance Group who made sure all the residents interested in cruise night could get out and about to enjoy the evening.



Harry Trott was another resident who liked what he saw as he made the rounds last Thursday. His preference? Chevys.



"The first car I ever had was a '34 Chevy, so I like seeing them here every year," Trott said.



The residents' preferences were important that night too. They were all asked to drop tickets into buckets placed in front of each vehicle they wanted to cast a vote for in categories like Most Memorable, Best in Show, and everyone's favorite, Most Likely to Get a Ticket.



Donald Baldinelli is the Sergeant at Arms of the NHVH Resident's Council, which the evening benefitted through 50/50 raffles, refreshment sales and donations. While he said he admired a pretty '57 Thunderbird, his eyes stayed fixed on a 1927 Ford Model T owned by NHVH staff member Melissa Libby and her father Jeff Libby.



"The paint job on this Model T just blows me away," he said. "I don't see a car here that beats it."



Melissa Libby appreciated his comments and said that she and her dad first bought just the rusted shell of the Model T then took its restoration on as a joint project. For three years they sand blasted the body, added a 410 horsepower, 5.7-liter Corvette engine, then turned it over for a professional paint job and restoration of the upholstery.



"We did as much of it as we could do together. It was a lot of fun," Melissa said.



The results drew a lot of appreciative attention at Cruise Night



Baldinelli was pleased with the turnout that night, saying it is always a great time for not just the car owners, but the residents and their families as well.



"It keeps us all busy and I know I like staying busy, too," he said.



In his eyes, he added, every car that took part in the event was a winner. TILTON  Residents of New Hampshire Veterans' Home were rockin' and reelin' to the sounds of the Bel-Airs doo-wop band last week as they looked over rows of antique and classic cars that overflowed their parking lot, tapping their fingers and feet all the while to timeless hits like "Rockin' Robin" and "Blue Suede Shoes."Joining the veterans were family, friends and members of the general public as they admired the more than 80 vehicles that took part in the event.Louise Dean, a World War II Navy Nurse, was among the residents of NHVH who made the rounds and looked over nearly a century's worth of Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Mercury trucks and cars lining the parking lot, along with newer Corvettes, Mustangs, Chevelles, Camaros and much more."They're all beautiful," Dean exclaimed as she was wheeled around the lot.Her favorite by far though were all the antique pick-up trucks on display."I've never driven one, they looked like way too much for me to handle, but I can't help but think 'Oh, I do like that one,'" she said with a smile as she pointed out a 1969 Ford F-250.Assisting Dean for the event was her new friend Dan, a resident of Northfield and the Vice President of the Combat Warriors Motorcycle Club. An Army veteran himself, Dan was among the many veteran clubs and Bank of New Hampshire's members of the Military Support Assistance Group who made sure all the residents interested in cruise night could get out and about to enjoy the evening.Harry Trott was another resident who liked what he saw as he made the rounds last Thursday. His preference? Chevys."The first car I ever had was a '34 Chevy, so I like seeing them here every year," Trott said.The residents' preferences were important that night too. They were all asked to drop tickets into buckets placed in front of each vehicle they wanted to cast a vote for in categories like Most Memorable, Best in Show, and everyone's favorite, Most Likely to Get a Ticket.Donald Baldinelli is the Sergeant at Arms of the NHVH Resident's Council, which the evening benefitted through 50/50 raffles, refreshment sales and donations. While he said he admired a pretty '57 Thunderbird, his eyes stayed fixed on a 1927 Ford Model T owned by NHVH staff member Melissa Libby and her father Jeff Libby."The paint job on this Model T just blows me away," he said. "I don't see a car here that beats it."Melissa Libby appreciated his comments and said that she and her dad first bought just the rusted shell of the Model T then took its restoration on as a joint project. For three years they sand blasted the body, added a 410 horsepower, 5.7-liter Corvette engine, then turned it over for a professional paint job and restoration of the upholstery."We did as much of it as we could do together. It was a lot of fun," Melissa said.The results drew a lot of appreciative attention at Cruise NightBaldinelli was pleased with the turnout that night, saying it is always a great time for not just the car owners, but the residents and their families as well."It keeps us all busy and I know I like staying busy, too," he said.In his eyes, he added, every car that took part in the event was a winner.


By PTI

NEW DELHI: The resurgence of "nativism and protectionism" in the West is a disturbing phenomenon and there is a need for thinking afresh while building goodwill and peace among nations, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said today.

Singh, while addressing the gathering at the the launch of former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy's book 'Ten Ideologies: The Great Asymmetry between Agrarianism and Industrialism' here, noted that during the course of the last three centuries, the industrial revolution had become a "full blown global phenomenon".

"I am happy to note that Shri Jaipal Reddy is trying to build a new approach to meet the current crisis in the world, this is what we should focus on. The resurgence of nativism and protectionism in the West are disturbing phenomenons. Old and tried approaches may not suffice," Singh said.

"We should not hesitate to think afresh. While doing so, the paramount thing is to build goodwill and peace among nations," he said.

The former prime minister noted that the conflict of mindsets of agrarian and industrial eras that Reddy has focussed upon in his book were highly relevant.

"When the instruments of destruction are developing at a lightning pace, the human mind cannot remain stagnant and get stuck in morass of yesterday's passions and prejudices.

"The mind must keep abreast of the machine, otherwise humanity is likely to fall into this yawning abyss and convert the blessings of the recent industrial progress into a curse," he said.

A host of leaders from various political parties, including H D Deve Gowda, former vice president Hamid Ansari, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Sharad Yadav, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, were present at the event.

Speaking on the launch of the book, Reddy said, "I am bothered about the increasing ignorance of ideologies and the de-intellectusalisation of politics.

People are passing through an 'anti-intellectual mood' and there is a disappearance of ideological debates in the current political discourse.

" "I have been deeply disturbed in recent decades by the fact that ideological debates or intellectual discussions are no longer in fashion.

I have, therefore, undertaken this plain presentation of rekindling intellectual interest in political processes," he said.

In the book, Reddy discusses 10 major ideologies that shaped the world -- nationalism, democracy, liberalism, capitalism, evolutionary socialism, revolutionary socialism, feminism, environmentalism, nuclear pacifism and globalism.

Reddy was Union minister for Information and Broadcasting in the I K Gujral cabinet in 1998.

In 1999, he returned to the Congress party after 21 years.

In 2004, he was re-elected to the 14th Lok Sabha and served as Union minister for Information and Broadcasting and Union minister for Urban Development in the United Progressive Alliance-1 government.

In 2009, he was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha and was Union minister for Urban Development and Union minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

He also served as minister in the ministries of Earth Sciences and Science and Technology from October 2012 to May 2014.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Homegrown cab aggregator Ola Cabs is taking on rival Uber in yet another foreign market, with the firm announcing on Tuesday that it plans to expand into the United Kingdom. The firm had made its first international foray early this year when it launched services in Australia.

Making the announcement, Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola, noted that the UK is one of the worlds most evolved transportation markets. (It) is a fantastic place to do business and we look forward to providing a responsible, compelling, new service that can help the country meet its ever-demanding mobility needs, he added.

The taxi calling app has obtained licences to operate in South Wales and Greater Manchester, and will launch operations in South Wales by September. According to company officials, Ola is eying a pan-UK presence by the end of 2018. Aggarwal also said Ola would continue its engagement with policymakers and regulators to expand further and build a company embedded in the UK.

Ola, meanwhile, might have an advantage over its rival Uber in its newest market due to the structure of its platforms. Unlike the latter, Olas UK platform will offer passengers the option to hail private hire vehicles (PHVs) as well as local Black Cabs. By incorporating local Black Cabs that operate on UK roads, Ola is aiming for a more diverse service than its rivals.

Uber has also come under some scrutiny recently over passenger safety, with even bans on the cab operator instituted in a few UK cities. The firm had had to go through a legal battle to keep hold of its licence to operate in London. Uber and Ola are both backed by Japans Softbank and already compete in India.

Olas overseas expansion has been quite rapid, with the firm already present in seven major cities in Australia, with over 40,000 drivers registered on its platform since its launch. The company is now inviting drivers in Cardiff, Newport and Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales to register with Ola and get an introductory commission rate of 10 per cent for PHVs and 5 per cent for metered taxis.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chennai-based TVS Motors reported a 13 per cent rise in first-quarter profit to Rs 146.6 crore, helped by better sales of its scooters and motorcycles during the three-month period. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 129.5 crore in the year-ago quarter ended June 2017.

Revenue in the quarter ended June 2018 rose 21 per cent to Rs 4,171 crore, lifted by a 14 per cent rise in the overall two-wheeler sales of the company, including its exports of 8.93 lakh units during the quarter.

An average monsoon and a hike in selling prices per unit may lift demand for its two and three-wheelers in rural parts of India, a Reuters poll had revealed earlier.

The company, which sells motorcycles under the brands Apache and Star, said its motorcycle sales grew 17 per cent to 3.87 lakh units, while its scooter sales rose 12 per cent to 2.88 lakh units in the quarter. Exports grew by 52 per cent to 1.92 lakh units, the company said in a statement.

TVS three-wheeler sales also picked up, with its sales doubling to 0.36 lakh units from 0.17 lakh units in the quarter.The companys first-quarter EBITDA grew to 7.4 per cent to `306.5 crore from 6.7 per cent or `227.9 crore in the year-ago period, TVS said in a statement.

Profit after Tax (PAT) for the quarter ended June 2018 was Rs 146.6 crore in comparison to Rs 129.5 crore in the first quarter of FY18.

The operating PAT in April-June 2017 prior to consideration of fair valuation gains and one-time GST discount was Rs 115 crore.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Just within 20 days of a second-year postgraduate student of the University of Hyderabad committing suicide, another student from the central university committed suicide on Wednesday. Rajneesh Parmar a first-year MA English student from Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand committed suicide by hanging from the fan in his hostel room, in 'I Hostel' of the university.

Around 8 pm some students went to Parmar's hostel room and knocked. After a long time when no one opened the door, the students informed security officials after which the door was forced open and Parmar's body was found hanging from the fan.

As per some students who approached Parmar's room soon after the suicide came to light, there was a diary in his room in which he had made some entries. Entries in the diary indicated that Parmar was suffering from depression.

Rajneesh Parmar

Parmar had written that he did not share his woes with anyone in the university and that his family did not understand his problems. A letter was also found in Parmar's room that was dated the same date as his suicide, August 8 and it was addressed to hostel warden of Men's Hostel-I.

In the letter, he wrote that he has withdrawn his admission from the university and is also leaving the hostel. He asked for permission to leave the hostel and also mentioned that he has taken all his belongings.

When contacted, UoH spokesperson, Vinod Pavarala, said that Parmar had withdrawn his admission last week and that he withdrew from the hostel on Wednesday and that the university is trying to establish contact with the parents.

Madhapur Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCP), A Venkateshwar Rao said that Parmar had taken admission in UoH last month, on July 17. Rao said, as per preliminary investigation, Parmar suffered from depression and also had some problems with his family.

As per information from the Gachibowli police, a friend of Parmar told the police that he has been reading the novel 'Nausea' from the third year of his undergraduate in Benaras Hind University and was developing negative thoughts and was considering life to be painful.

This is the third suicide death of a UoH student this year. Last month an MSc second-year student from Hyderabad went to a high rise residential building after attending classes in the university and jumped to her death. Before that in May, a woman PhD scholar from Odisha committed suicide by self-immolation.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: The nationwide 24-hour motor strike called by the All India Motor Transport Organisation (AIMTO) on Tuesday evoked a near-total response here, with private buses, taxis and autorickshaws staying off the roads. But the strike had only a partial impact on normal life in the city as private vehicles plied as usual.

Compounding the woes of commuters, the KSRTC Joint Trade Union Committee's token strike coincided with the AIMTO offensive after conciliatory talks with KSRTC CMD Tomin Thankanchary failed on Monday. Lack of customers meant the majority of shops across the city remained closed. Several University exams scheduled for Tuesday were also put off.

Apprehending roadblocks by the motor strike supporters, several vehicles with 'Airport' written in bold letters emblazoned on their windshield were seen tearing through the deserted city streets at the crack of dawn.

" This being Kerala, to be on the safer side, I was forced to leave for the airport at 6am for a 10 am flight to New Delhi," said Swati Dey Roy, who was here for a wedding. The office-goers bore the brunt as there was no public transport available.

Since majority of the online cabs chose to keep off the streets coupled with the surge pricing, the average person on the street had his cup of woe runneth over. "I had to wait for nearly 20 minutes to get a cab, that too at 2X surge pricing," said Dhanya P R of Vennala. Despite the near-total response, there were no immediate reports of private vehicles or essential services being targeted by the strike supporters.

Normal attendance

But the strike failed to affect the functioning of the district administration, with offices recording 76 per cent attendance. The situation at the district collectorate was even more impressive as 86 out of the 130 staffers turned up. The Regional Transport Office functioning on the second floor of the Civil Station though saw a fall in attendance.

Metro to the rescue

The commuters who got down at the Ernakulam Town(North) and Ernakulam Junction(South) Railway stations easily found a way to get around by boarding the Metro. With a spike in the ridership, there was a sharp rise in the number of people who travelled on the Metro on Tuesday. Over 31,919 passengers used the service on Tuesday, according to a Metro report. The strike was called to put pressure on the Centre to withdraw certain provisions proposed to be included in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: President Ram Nath Kovind's visit here triggered an unseemly controversy, with Mayor Soumini Jain shooting off a letter to Kovind alleging breach of protocol. She has also demanded a probe into the circumstances resulting in the omission, which she termed an affront to Kochiites.

Jain said she was denied an audience with the President when he arrived at the Naval Base on Tuesday morning. The Mayor said neither the Protocol Officer nor the district administration had formally conveyed news of the President's arrival here.

" I was denied the opportunity to call on you during your recent visit to Kochi following the failure to follow protocol. It is highly unfortunate the Mayor was not invited to be a part of the august gathering during the visit of the Honourable President of India," said the letter, a copy of which is with Express. " It has been the tradition all along and is also mandatory the Mayor ought to be invited to 'receive his excellency(the President) on his arrival and also to the function to mark the departure of his excellency from the city," the missive says.

Jain also alleged the incident is the latest in a series of similar happenings which occurred during the VVIP visits to the city. "I believe my name was deliberately left out of the list. It is indeed an insult to the people of Kochi as I represent the city's entire population. The government should announce a probe into this," the Mayor told Express. The Mayor also sought time from the President to personally convey the city's greetings.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: At least 43 people are feared to have been injured in a fire that broke out at the hydrocracker unit of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) refinery at Mahul near the eastern suburb of Chembur in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon.

"We have shut the hydrocracker and assessment will be done on Thursday to know how long we need to keep it shut," R. Ramachandran, head of the refineries said while stressing that the reasons for the blast and fire can be known only after the investigations tomorrow.

Of the 43 injured in the initial blast and consequent fire, 22 have been allowed to go home after preliminary treatment at BPCL health centre, 21 have been shifted to Inlax hospital in Chembur. One of the injured workers is said to be critical and has been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), police have said.

According to Nisar Sheikh (28) a contractual labor at the plant where the blast and fire occurred, there were over 200 workers working in the area when the blast occurred just around 3 pm. "The CISF security guards immediately threw open all the gates and all the labors were instructed to evacuate the premises," he said.

Pradeep Pawar, a resident of Mahul village adjacent to the BPCL plant, said that while he was working inside his home, he heard a massive blast at around 3 pm. "I felt the blow of the blast even as I heard a loud thump. I could feel tremors in my house. I came to see what has happened as saw people running here and there. All of them appeared tribally frightened. This is our life. We live here in the shadow of death," Pawar said.

According to fire brigade sources, the call was received at around 3.03 pm, the fire was categorized to be of 'grade 3' and nine fire engines were pressed in the service. The firefighting operations were on till the time of going to the press. Fire and blast in Hydrocarbon plant containing 72-ton hydrocarbon used for diesel generation in cracking vacuum gas oil and hydrocarbon unit caused damage to nearby plants also. Hence, all plants had to be depressurized and shut down for safety reasons.

Tremendous heat and buildup pressure compelled the fire brigade to conduct firefighting operations from a safe distance and by using monitors, said chief fire officer Prabhakar Rahangadale. However, the fire is now well under control, he added.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Parents of Ayesha Meera, a pharmacy student who was brutally attacked, raped and murdered in December 2007, and womens organisations have demanded a CBI probe into the case by claiming that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was not able to re-investigate it properly.

In this regard, they will meet RP Thakur, the director general of police (DGP), and request him to hand over the case to the CBI.

Ayesha Meeras parents, womens organisations and lawyers who are dealing the case said that a detailed inquiry by the CBI will bring out the truth, which will help in arresting the real culprits.

Shamsad Begum, Ayeshas mother, said: We have been requesting the government and police to call for a CBI inquiry into the case. But they appointed a SIT for re-investigation and the case has now come back to square one. The team has utterly failed to bring the guilty to justice. Hence, we have decided to meet the DGP and seek CBIs involvement in the case.

The SIT officials were not able to obtain even a single piece of information against the culprits. Their lawyers statements requesting narcoanalysis test on the seven suspects at the metropolitan magistrate court proved weak. We still wonder how can the SIT finish their investigation without any physical evidence, said advocate Pichuka Srinivas.

After the High Court acquitted Pidathala Satyam Babu from the murder charge on March 31, 2017, former DGP N Sambasiva Rao had constituted a SIT, headed by Vizag-range DIG Ch Srikanth and three other senior police officials, to conduct a fresh probe.

As part of re-investigation, SIT officials questioned college officials and a few persons residing near the hostel premises where Ayesha was brutally murdered. They further questioned the seven suspects: Koneru Satish Babu, Abburi Ganesh, Chintha Pawan Kumar, hostel warden Inampudi Padma and her husband Sivaramakrishna, and Ayeshas roommates K Kavitha and Sowmya.

Later, the SIT officials filed a petition with the fourth additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) in March requesting permission to allow all the seven suspects to undergo narcoanalysis test, which was dismissed with the suspects objecting to it stating health concerns.

Meanwhile, after the High Cout pulled up the SIT for the poor investigation, officials are looking for other methods to complete the probe in stipulated time, it is learnt.

On July 13, the HC gave the team an extension of two months and blamed officials apathy for not approaching it when the local court dismissed petition for the narcoanalysis test.
By PTI

LOS ANGELES: Actor Angelina Jolie has claimed that former husband Brad Pitt is not paying enough child support for their six children.

In the court documents filed by Jolie, the actor claimed that Pitt has not paid any "meaningful" child support for their six children -- Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne -- in a year and a half and has asked the court to make him pay.

"(Pitt) has a statutory duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation," Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, writes in the legal documents.

"Given that the informal arrangements around the payment of the children's expenses have not been regularly sustained by (Pitt) for over a year and a half, (Jolie) intends to file an RFO (request for a court order) for the establishment of a retroactive child support order," the documents state.

A source close to Pitt, however, said that he "has fulfilled his commitments", according to The Los Angeles Times.

Jolie, 43, filed for divorce from Pitt, 54, in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
By PTI

CHENNAI: A writer par excellence, M Karunanidhi began penning scripts as a 20-year old for plays which became a vehicle for propagating principles of the Dravidian movement.

A voracious reader and prolific author, he went on to write screenplays and dialogues for over 50 movies, prominent among them being "Parasakthi" starring Sivaji Ganesan in 1952, and scripted the story for several of them.

Age did not wither his pithy prose as Karunanidhi wrote his last script at the age of 90 for a television serial based on the 11th century reformist Hindu saint Ramanuja, who strove for an egalitarian society.

ALSO READ | LIVE UPDATES | Madras HC allows Karunanidhi's burial at Marina beach

Scripting dialogues for the television soap based on the Vaishnavite saint in 2015, Karunanidhi had praised Ramunja for throwing his weight behind the oppressed and backward classes.

Karunanidhi, who passed away yesterday aged 94, took a keen interest in Tamil literature, poetry and drama.

As a teenager, he ran a handwritten magazine "Manava Nesan" in 1941.

In 1947, Karunanidhi wrote the screenplay and dialogue for the blockbuster 'Rajakumari', the debut movie of M G Ramachandran, who later became his arch political rival and founded the AIADMK.

Little did the DMK chief know that his dialogues in 'Parasakthi, which debutant 'Sivaji' Ganesan delivered with panache, would become a big hit and aid in catapulting his political career as well.

'Manohara' (1954), 'Malaikallan' (1954), 'Rangon Radha' (1956) were among the movies in which he was involved as a screenwriter.

ALSO READ | M Karunanidhi's agitations and stance against various issues

In addition to penning dialogues, he had also written stories for movies, including successful films like 'Marudanattu Ilavarasi', 'Mandiri Kumari (both 1950), Tirumbipar (1953) and Arasilangkumari (1961).

'Mani Makudam', 'Marakka Mudiyuma', 'Avan Pithana', 'Pookkari' and 'Needhikku Thandanai' were among his several other movies.

A noted Tamil author, Karunanidhi has over 100 works to his credit, including poems and novels.

His novels include 'Romapuri Pandian', 'Thenpandi Singam', 'Nenjukku Needhi' (his autobiography and commentary on contemporary politics), Sanga Thamizh, Kuraloviam, Ponnar Shankar, Thirukkural Urai.

His stage plays include 'Manimagudam', 'Ore Ratham', 'Thooku Medai,' 'Kagithapoo' and 'Silapathikarum.'
A Harini Prasad By

Express News Service

Having been raised in the US on films like Madhumati and Mughal-E-Azam, it was a dream come true for Pooja Kumar when she signed a film with veteran actor, Kamal Hassan. She didnt know at the time that shed go on to complete a hat-trick of films with him  Vishwaroopam, Uttama Villain and Vishwaroopam 2  with the latter set for release this Friday. I consider myself fortunate to have this opportunity. For my role in Vishwaroopam 2, I had to dig deep, in terms of emotion. The character I play (Dr Nirupama) uses her skills to become a part of the team and help catch the villains, says the 41-year-old actor. The original Vishwaroopam marked her comeback as a lead actor in Indian cinema, ten years after her 2003 Malayalam film, Magic Magic 3D.

A trained Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Kuchipudi dancer herself, Pooja is a self-confessed admirer of Kamals dancing ability. She shares that theres no end to learning, when with such an artiste, whos at once an actor, dancer and director. Kamal sir makes Bharatanatyam look so easy and beautiful. Just watching him perform can teach you so much. Theres so much to learn from him, and theres never enough time. My biggest lesson is to never give up, she says.

Born to Indian parents who settled in the US, Pooja grew up admiring actors like Madhuri Dixit, Rekha and Sridevi, who she calls her inspirations. All three of them are brilliant actors. I was enchanted by how they portrayed so many emotions on screen. It felt good to see Indian people on screen, says this former Miss India USA winner, adding that her respect for female actors increased when she began acting. Thats when she realised the long hours of shooting, the burden of heavy costumes and the volatility of weather conditions.

Back when she was growing up in the US, not many Indian films were easily accessible, but that didnt stop Pooja or her parents from somehow watching Hindi films almost every other week. My parents are film buffs. I remember my father buying CDs from a bus station and renting a projector at home, so we could watch Indian films, she recollects. However, when Pooja decided to make a career in the film industry, it wasnt so easy to convince her parents. It was tough, but with time, they understood and supported me. For outsiders, films seem easy because they only see the final two-hour-long output. Nobody looks at the year-long struggle that goes behind it, says Pooja.

In the last decade or so, the representation of Asian actors in America cinema and television has had quite a boost. With actors like Mindy Kaling, Kal Penn, Padma Lakshmi and the recent entrant Priyanka Chopra, the horizon has certainly widened for those of Indian origin. Pooja too has benefitted from it. Thanks to the IT boom and globalisation, our generation has had better opportunities to explore fresh stories about relationships. Today, people are able to talk about being brown in America and how that makes them feel. When I was younger, I remember Persis Khambatta and how she rocked her role in Star Trek, says Pooja, who admires the work of actors like Kumail Nanjiani, Om Puri and Naveen Andrews, among others.

Having worked in both Hollywood and Indian cinema, Pooja is convinced that cinema is evolving in both industries, both in terms of content and filmmaking format. The biggest difference, however, she points out, lies in the storytelling method. Indian films are more family-oriented with more romance and less negativity. Lately, we have had more representation of women and topics that earlier were untouched. Consider films such as Hitchki, Veere Di Wedding and Kahaani.

The increase in IT and job opportunities has led to more women working and that has reflected on cinema as well. It is remarkable to see actors like Anushka Sharma produce films. We are behind the camera too, she says with a smile. But we need more. The Vishwaroopam films may be of the action genre, but Pooja would quite like to try her hand at other genres too. In particular, I would really like to do romantic comedies.
By Online Desk

DMK president M Karunanidhi passed away on Tuesday after prolonged illness at the age of 94 in Chennai's Kauvery Hospital.

"Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond," said a press release by Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Executive Director of Kauvery Hospital.

Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan said Tamil Nadu government can't allot land near Anna Memorial for laying former CM and DMK chief M Karunanidhi to rest, since many petitions are pending before courts. However, government is ready to allot two acres of lands near Gandhi Mandapam.

Soon after, flash protests erupted across Chennai with DMK party cadres demanding that their late leader be buried at Anna Memorial in Marina Beach.

Following the protests, DMK lawyer P Wilson filed a petition to acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Huluvadi G Ramesh requesting land next to Anna Samadhi for burying Karunanidhi. The Acting Chief Justice has asked Wilson to come back by around 10:30 pm on Wednesday after numbering the petition in Madras High Court.

Karunanidhi's body will be kept at Rajaji hall for public homage from 4 am.

The veteran of Dravidian politics was shifted to the hospital on July 28 from his Gopalapuram residence following a dip in his blood pressure and he was under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit ever since.
By Online Desk

DMK stalwart and one of the spearheads of the Dravidian movement, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, was laid to rest beside his political mentor C.N. Annadhurai at the Anna memorial in Marina beach on August 8, a day after he was declared dead by the Kauvery Hosptial in Chennai.

The former five-time CM was initially refused a burial place at the Marina beach by the state government headed by E. Palaniswami. However, a midnight court hearing which then continued in the morning ensured that the DMK supremo gets his place next to his beloved Anna.

The Marina beach already houses the memorials of Karunanidhi's mentor Anna and his contemporaries MGR and Jayalalithaa.

ALSO READ: Karunanidhi demise Highlights: Midnight Court drama ends as court adjourns hearing till 8 AM

One of Tamil Nadu's most prolific leaders and a former five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi, passed away at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on August 7 at the age of 94. Karunanidhi's mortal remains which was first taken to his Gopalapuram residence and then to his CIT colony residence was then placed at Rajaji hall for supporters and political leaders to pay their final respects.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress has decided to field its nominee as a joint opposition candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman after the other parties that have joined hands against the BJP chose not to nominate their candidate.

With the deadline for filing nominations ending tomorrow, the Government today reached out to the rival camp in a hope of building consensus on NDA nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh, who is from the JD(U).

At the same time, the BJP along with its allies was also trying to secure support of neutral parties like the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the event of an election.

Janata Dal (U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik seeking the BJD's support for his party candidate.

Making its position clear, BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena said it will support the NDA's nominee as it was an "apolitical" post.

The BJP president Amit Shah called his Sena counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and sought support for the August 9 election, Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said in Mumbai.

Leaders of a number of opposition parties today met twice after which they decided to put up a united fight for the post.

Various opposition parties were asked to discuss the issue with their leadership and propose a candidate suitable for the post.

However, the parties including the NCP, the SP, the TMC, BSP and Left parties said they will not field any candidate and asked the Congress to put up its candidate.

"The Congress party will be putting up a candidate for the deputy charman's post," said a senior Congress leader after the meeting.

An opposition leader said though the name of NCP's Vandana Chavan was discussed, the NCP was not too keen on fielding its member.

As no other party wanted to field their candidate, the Congress was authorised to pick a candidate and all opposition parties decided to support the nominee, the leader said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters today that BJP leaders, including he himself, have contacted the Congress and other opposition parties as they wanted a consensus to emerge on Harivansh' name.

In Bhubaneswar, BJD spokesman Sasmit Patra said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will take a decision on the BJD's stand tomorrow after Nitish Kumar sought his party's support.

Tomorrow is the last day for filing nomination for the post and BJP sources said they wanted cross-party support for the JD(U) leader and therefore refrained from making any formal announcement about his candidature.

The ambivalence of BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dal has added to the suspense over Harivansh's fate amid indications that the party may abstain.

Sources said the Akali Dal held a meeting of all its top leaders, including party MPs, at the residence of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Though the Akali Dal's stance was not immediately known, sources said Badal would be meeting BJP chief Amit Shah tonight before taking a final decision on the issue.

Sources, however, said that the SAD is likely to finally support the NDA nominee.

The NDA nominee is likely to get support of 13 AIADMK members and six of TRS, but the decision of the BJD, which has nine members, will be significant.

If the BJD backs the NDA candidate, his prospects will brighten in case of an election but if it abstains from voting, then his fate will become more uncertain.

The sources say the TDP has agreed to support a Congress-picked candidate.

In today's meeting, the opposition parties also discussed the matter pertaining to Nitish Kumar calling up BJD chief seeking support for the NDA nominee, the sources said.

The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members would be needed for a win in the full House.

The BJP is the largest party in the House with 73 members.

Its allies JD(U), Shiv Sena, Akali Dal have 6, 3, 3 MPs respectively.

The BJP is hoping to get support of four of the six Independent members and three of the four nominated members.

The Congress has 50 members.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Congress and some other opposition parties today staged a walkout of the Lok Sabha demanding setting up of a joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The issue was raised by the Opposition during a discussion on the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2018-19.

"By not replying to the allegations on the Rafale deal, the government has accepted whatever we have said. He (the Finance Minister) has accepted. They should resign," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said soon after minister Piyush Goyal replied to the debate on the supplementary demands.

"We demand the setting up of a JPC on Rafale deal we are walking out," he said and led the walkout of Congress and CPI(M) members who were present in the House at that time.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to expunge all remarks relating to the Rafale deal.

"It seems that they are not walking out of the House but they will walk away from the 2019 elections," Kumar said.

Earlier in day, other opposition members too demanded setting up of JPC on the Rafale deal, dubbing it as a scam.

Congress MP K C Venugopal, while initiating the debate on the Supplementary Demand for Grants for 2018-19, said that the House should know about the cost of the Rafale deal and alleged that there was "a major scam".

"We demand a JPC inquiry into this deal," he said.

Objecting to his demand, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey urged Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai that Venugopal should place the evidence before the House before making any "wild allegation".

Later, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy also said that the Rafale deal was "one of the biggest scandals of independent India."

"The country is going to lose Rs 2,500 crore due to Rafale deal," Roy said, while demanding a "full-fledged enquiry" into the fighter jet deal.

During his speech, Jai Prakash Narain Yadav (RJD) also demanded setting up of JPC to probe this fighter plane deal with France.

Quoting a report of Dassault Aviation, the makers of the Rafale aircraft, Rajiv Satav (Cong) said when Qatar and Egypt have got these planes at Rs 1,319 crore, the government should explain why it is buying the aircraft for Rs 1,600 crore.

The entire deal seems to be mired in corruption, it needs to be probed by JPC, Satav said.
By PTI

BIHAR: Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal accused Brajesh Thakur today denied having any close links with Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma.

He was produced in a special POCSO court here, along with nine other accused arrested in the case.

Talking to news channels outside the court, Thakur claimed that he was being "framed" in the case.

Thakur, whose NGO ran the shelter home, has been in jail for the past two months.

Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma is in the eye of the storm ever since the name of her husband cropped up in the sex scandal case at the Muzaffarpur shelter home.
Anand S T Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma, whose husband is accused of frequenting the Muzaffarpur shelter home and being close to the main accused in the case of sexual abuse of inmates, resigned on Wednesday minutes after meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Sources said the CM had asked Verma to see him and, after a brief conversation, asked her to put in her papers. Verma had been under constant attack from the Opposition parties ever since the sexual exploitation of minor girls at a government-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur came to light.

Call records of accused Brajesh Thakur should be made public, we will then see who all he used to talk to: Manju Verma,Bihar Minister who resigned. #MuzaffarpurShelterHome pic.twitter.com/Vmxl3bTzNz  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

Even some leaders of BJP, the ruling ally in Bihar, had sought her resignation. Verma, a two-term MLA of Nitish Kumar's JD(U), rushed to her residence immediately after resigning and refused to speak to reporters there. Her aides said she would speak on Thursday.

While Nitish Kumar had defended her two days ago, he had also said that she would have to step down if any evidence comes up showing her involvement in the case. Kumar had also said action would be taken against her husband if he is found linked to the case.

Verma's husband Chandeshwar Verma, a former MLC of JD(U), had allegedly been in constant touch with scandal mastermind and NGO head Brajesh Thakur.

Also Read | One-third shelter homes for distressed children and women in India not registered

Phone call details accessed by police allegedly showed that he had made several phone calls to Thakur between January and June.

Staunchly denying her husband's involvement in the case, Verma had said recently that she would personally hang him at a public square if he is found linked to the accused in the sexual exploitation of minor girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home. Medical examination of the minor girls residing at the shelter home has confirmed that 34 of them had had frequent sexual contacts.
Anand S T Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma, whose husband is accused of frequenting the Muzaffarpur shelter home and having close links with the main accused in the case of sexual abuse of minor girls there, resigned on Wednesday minutes after meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Sources said the CM had asked Verma to see him and, after a brief conversation with her at his 7 Circular Road office in Patna, asked her to quit the cabinet. Her resignation letter was immediately forwarded by fax to Governor Satya Pal Malik, who was in New Delhi.

The development comes a day after the Supreme Court criticised the Bihar government over the Muzaffarpur incident and asked why there was no inspection of shelter homes in the state earlier to prevent such incidents.

Verma had been under constant attack from the Opposition parties ever since the sexual exploitation of minor girls at a government-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur came to light. Even some leaders of BJP, the ruling ally in Bihar, had sought her resignation. But both Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi of BJP had been defending her.

Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarpur scandal, had admitted during his appearance at a court earlier in the day that he and Vermas husband, former JD(U) MLC Chandeshwar Verma, had been talking over phone.

A two-term MLA from the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), Verma rushed back to her residence immediately after resigning and told journalists that her husband is innocent.

I resigned because of the relentless chorus by the Opposition parties and the media seeking my resignation. I insist even now that my husband is innocent. He will also be proven innocent, she said, adding: I have full faith in CBI and the high court that is monitoring the probe.

She also demanded that the call details report (CDR) of Thakur, which allegedly mentions that he and Chandeshwar Verma had 17 phone conversations between January and June, should be made public. All those who spoke with him (Thakur) should also resign, she said.

The day my husband is proven innocent, I will file a defamation suit against that woman, she added, referring to the wife of an arrested accused who had accused Chandeshwar Verma of often entering the shelter home without anyone accompanying him.

Asking Manju Verma to quit was a difficult decision for Nitish Kumar as the MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur belongs to the OBC Koeri caste, which accounts for nearly 9 per cent of Bihars population, making it the third largest community in the state after Muslims and Yadavs.

This delayed resignation by the minister, which came only after heightened pressure from the Opposition parties, the media and the judiciary, shows how Nitish Kumar was keen to defend the minister despite growing evidence against her, said Shakti Singh Yadav of the Opposition RJD.

Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri welcomed Vermas resignation. It should have come earlier. It was necessary to ensure a fair probe, he said.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India has urged owners of media houses not to "bow down to political pressure" and practise free and independent journalism.

The guild referred to recent cases of senior journalists leaving electronic media channels because there was alleged government interference in editorial content. The guild has received one formal complaint on the issue, said the statement. Editors were being forced by their employers to tone down content critical of the government, the Guild said in a statement, adding that owners and journalists had equal responsibility to preserve press freedom and fight external pressure.

The guild also expressed its disappointment over recent instances of TV programmes critical of the government being reportedly disrupted or blocked. The statement said one TV channel had shared evidence indicative of government interference.

"This is an attack on not only media freedom but also the foundations of democracy. Such interference is an attempt to silence dissent", it said.

The guild demanded that the government take cognizance of instances of disruption in TV programme signals, investigate the matter and explain the circumstances under which it had happened. Freedom of airwaves cannot be tampered with, the guild said in the statement.

The editors' consortium also spoke out against reported instances of the government selectively denying journalists access to information. Denying journalists this right would lead to biased coverage, it said.

The guild said it was 'pained and agitated' to learn of the detention of Shahidul Alam, an eminent photographer and educator, in Dhaka under the provisions of the Information and Communication Technology Act of Bangladesh. It called the detention "arbitrary and unreasonable". The statement said the guild stood by Alam and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: The Army today paid floral tributes to four of its personnel, including a Major, who lost their lives in a gunbattle with militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

Late Major Kaustubh Prakash Kumar Rane, Rifleman Hameer Singh, Rifleman Mandeep Singh Rawat and Gunner Vikram Jeet Singh sustained bullet injuries during the operation in Kanzalwan, Gurez of Bandipora district.

The mortal remains of the martyrs were flown for last rites to their native places. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav)

They were provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital here but succumbed to injuries.

"Army paid a befitting tribute to four of its comrades who made the supreme sacrifice during counter infiltration operations on 7 August in Gurez sector in which two terrorists were eliminated," Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said here.

He said in a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment here, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen A K Bhatt, and all ranks paid homage to the martyrs on behalf of a proud nation.

In a show of solidarity, the spokesman said, Director General of Jammu and Pashmir Police, S P Vaid, and representatives from other security agencies also joined in to pay their last respects. Major Rane (29) had joined the Army in 2011 and hailed from Thane, Maharashtra.

Soldiers pay tribute to Major Kaustubh Prakash Kumar Rane, Rifleman Mandeep Singh Rawat, Rifleman Hameer Singh & Gunner Vikram Jeet Singh, who lost their lives in Gurez Sector of J&K during the wreath-laying ceremony at Palam airport in New Delhi.

(Photo | Shekhar Yadav)

He is survived by a wife and a son, the spokesman said, adding Rifleman Singh (28) had joined the Army in 2011 and hailed from Pohkhriyal Gaon, Dunda Tehsil, Uttar Kashi, Uttarakhand. Singh is survived by wife and a daughter. Rifleman Rawat (26) had joined the Army in 2012.

He belonged to village Shivpur of Kotdwar in Uttarakhand and is survived by his mother, while Gunner Singh (25) had joined the Army in 2014 and belonged to village Tepla of Brara Tehsil in Ambala, Haryana and is survived by wife, the spokesman said.

"The mortal remains of the martyrs were flown for last rites to their native places, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their dignity and well being," he said.
By IANS

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday condoled the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, describing him as a "father figure" who always showed great kindness and consideration to her.

In a letter to Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin, Gandhi wrote: "I am deeply saddened at the passing away of your revered and beloved father... For me, Kalignar's loss is very personal. He always showed me great kindness and consideration, which I can never forget. He was like a father figure to me."

LIVE | DMK chief Karunanidhi to rest at Marina beach behind Anna Samadhi, funeral procession at 4 PM

The former Congress President also said that Kalaignar was a "towering figure in the world of politics and public service in both Tamil Nadu and our nation".

"Throughout his long and magnificent life, he stood unwaveringly for social justice and equality, for the development, progress and prosperity of Tamil Nadu, and for the well-being of every single citizen, especially the poorest and most marginalized," she said.

The Congress leader said Karunanidhi was also a brilliant literary figure who did so much to promote Tamil Nadu's rich and distinctive culture and arts and brought worldwide recognition for it.

"His decades at the helm of Tamil Nadu's government and politics have left a superb and enduring legacy, for which he will forever be honoured and remembered. I believe he had full confidence that you would nurture and take forward his legacy," she said.

"You must draw solace from the fact that your father lived a long and wonderfully fulfilled life, he is now released from suffering, and that you looked after him during his illness with utmost devotion.

"We shall not see the like of Kalignar again, and our nation is poorer without his wise statesmanship, and his dedication to our country and our people," she added.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Protestors at Parli in Beed district of Marathwada in Maharashtra ended their 21-day-old sit-in agitation for Maratha quota on Tuesday after an appeal from the Bombay High Court to the community to refrain from violence and committing suicide.

The court also made it clear that statutory procedures needed time to complete.

Honorable court has said the procedures would need some time and has appealed to the community to observe restraint. Hence, we have decided to suspend the agitation till November end, Abasaheb Patil, leader of the agitation in Parli, said.

Earlier in the day, a bench of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai said the community must remember that the high court has taken note of the situation and urged the community to refrain from resorting to extreme measures.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is seeking reservation and directions to the backward classes commission to submit its recommendations on the entitlement of such quota expeditiously.

The HC directed the commission to complete the collation of data related to the communitys socio-economic status and submission of its recommendations as expeditiously as possible.

Government counsel Ravi Kadam informed the HC that the commission had completed the collection of data from government agencies, village panchayats and educational institutes.

It had set up a three-member panel to analyse the data which was likely to submit its report to the commission by September 5, which will then need time till at least November 15 to submit its recommendations.
By PTI

KOLKATA: Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan today said conducting an NRC exercise would not be allowed in West Bengal and asked the propagators of this idea not to "play with fire".

Parties should desist from trying to reap political dividends by polarising people in the name of NRC, Mannan said while addressing a convention on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

The complete draft of the NRC which was released on July 30 has left out over 40 lakh applicants.

"Where will those having been born 50 years back will go? What is happening to Bengalis and other linguistic minorities in Assam will happen to others also in future, if we can't resist this dangerous trend to divide people along communal and linguistic lines," said Mannan, the leader of the Opposition of the West Bengal assembly.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha yesterday urged upon the Indian Muslims, especially those living in West Bengal to support an NRC exercise in the state claiming that it is becoming a hub for infiltrators under the Trinamool Congress rule.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had also said the NRC will be published in the state on the lines of the one in Assam if his party is voted to power in the state.

Without naming the BJP, Mannan said, "Some people are also talking about conducting the NRC exercise in West Bengal if they came to power in future. They should not play with fire. We assert this will never be allowed to happen in our state."

Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty described omission of over 40 lakh applicants in the complete NRC draft as "against humanity".

Besides Bengali-speaking, names of many non-Bengalis were dropped from the final draft list, Chakraborty claimed.

"This is not a fight between Assam and Bengal. This is not a fight between Assamese and Bengalis. This is an attack on human beings who have lived in the country as bonafide citizens for ages," he said.

The CPI(M) MLA said he was also against the policy of targeting a particular religious community in the name of deportation.

Chakraborty also termed Dilip Ghosh's statement on conducting an NRC exercise in West Bengal as "audacious". Bengali poet Subodh Sarkar also spoke in the convention.

The 'Assam Sanhati Manch' that organised the convention later took out a protest rally in the city.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena today said it will support the NDA's nominee in the election for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman's post.

BJP president Amit Shah called his Sena counterpart Uddhav Thackeray today and sought support for the August 9 election, Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said here.

"Amit Shah called up Uddhav-ji today and sought Shiv Sena's support. We have decided to give our support to the JD(U) because the post of Deputy Chairman is apolitical," he told PTI.

Janata Dal (United) MP Harivansh Narayan Singh has emerged as the ruling National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the post.

The post of the Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since June this year following the retirement of P J Kurien, who had been elected to the Upper House on a Congress ticket from Kerala.

The Congress today said its nominee will be the joint candidate of the Opposition.

The name of NCP's Vandana Chavan was discussed by opposition leaders as their candidate, the NCP was not too keen on fielding its member, leaders said earlier in the day.

The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members would be needed for a win in the full House.

The BJP is the largest party in the House with 73 members.

Among its allies, the JD(U) has six MPs while the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal have three each.

The BJP is also hoping to get the support of four of the six Independent members and three of the four nominated members.

The Congress has 50 members.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday defended the validity of section 497 of the Indian Penal Code before the Supreme Court, stating that adultery was a crime because it damaged marriage and the family and therefore it was a public wrong.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra reserved its order on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the penal law on adultery.

The court questioned the government's stand defending the adultery law, which punishes married men while absolving married women who are involved in a relationship outside their marriage.

The CJI asked the Centre how the penal provision preserved the sanctity of marriage when an extramarital affair would be non-punishable if the woman's husband stood by her.

Arguing on behalf of the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand said, "In India, marriage is a sacred institution, so any intrusion into that is something which should attract penal consequences."

"Where is the sanctity of marriage when the husband can consent?" asked Justice R F Nariman.

The Chief Justice further said, "We are not questioning the legislature's competence to make laws, but where is the 'collective good' in Section 497 of IPC?"

The ASG responded, "We, in India, must evolve our laws according to the societal developments and not go by what happens in western countries or other societies. The idea of section 497 is not to enforce monogamy but protect fidelity in marriage, which is part of the promise made by parties to a marriage."

Anand also said that judgments in foreign jurisdictions setting aside adultery as a criminal offence should not be taken into account and the instant matter should be decided on the basis of the social conditions prevailing in India.

Referring to inconsistencies in the penal provision, the bench posed that the burden of maintaining the sanctity of marriage rested only with the husband and not the woman.
Aishik Chanda By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: Security agencies hope that interrogation of Mohammad Jahidul Islam alias Kausar alias Boma Mizan, a most wanted Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist suspected to be the mastermind of Burdwan and Bodh Gaya blasts who was arrested in Bengaluru on Sunday night, could help bust several JMB modules operating along the porous Indo-Bangladesh international border most notably in Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum districts of West Bengal.

While police teams of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala are interrogating Kausar for terror activities in south India, West Bengal police is likely to soon seek his transit remand for interrogation into Burdwan and Bodh Gaya blasts.

Most of the JMB leadership involved in Burdwan blasts was nabbed by us in September, 2016. However, Mizan was at large and carefully formed modules of younger terror operatives in Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum districts over the past two years. The pressure cooker bombs planted in Bodh Gaya during Dalai Lamas visit in January were made in Murshidabad under his directions, a senior Kolkata Police Special Task Force (STF) official said.

Kausar had also formed several grenade-making factories along the border districts of West Bengal for terror acts in Bangladesh on the directions of the top JMB leadership. The raw materials used to be supplied from both Bangladesh and their modules in south Bengal districts. While the grenade-making factories have been busted after getting inputs from the nabbed JMB terrorists in September 2016, the mastermind of these factories which was Kausar was still at large. He is a bomb expert who was behind several bomb blasts in Bangladesh and is wanted there, he added.

Several modules of the terror outfit has been busted over the past two years but security agencies are particularly concerned with the cross-border movement of the JMB terrorists between central districts of West Bengal and western districts of Bangladesh.

We suspect that JMB made Chapai Nawabganj a major base just to cross over into India during times of emergency. We want to permanently damage these hideouts and safe-houses in our territory and nab the local Indian collaborators of JMB operating along these two central West Bengal districts. For this, information from Boma Mizan is of utmost importance, a top West Bengal CID officer said.

Terrorist nabbed

Another JMB terrorist suspected to be involved in Bodh Gaya bomb blasts was arrested by Kolkata STF from Pakuria in Jharkhand on Wednesday. The terrorist Dilwar Hassan, a resident of Kaliachak in Malda, would be brought on transit remand to Kolkata on Thursday and presented in the court.
Dr Sumanth C Raman By

In the end it was one battle too many. As a fighter all his life, he had also fought the vagaries of age for the last several years but this was one battle that he was not destined to win, and the end of a long and eventful life came at 6.10 pm yesterday. M Karunanidhi, the five-time former chief minister of Tamil Nadu who strode the political stage in the state like a colossus for over six decades, passed into eternity.

Few leaders have captured the imagination of the people of the state as Kalaignaras he was reverentially and affectionately calleddid. His fiery oratory, quick wit, political acumen and never-say-die spirit ensured that he gained a mass following in the state, a following that stayed with him till the very end.

There will be many positives in Kalaignar that will be highlighted but the stand-out attribute was his penchant to put in hard work, day after day for decades, often in situations that would have driven lesser men to despair. His was an indefatigable spirit if ever there was one; his ability to keep the DMK cadre together and keep them motivated for long periods of time when out of power will remain an important chapter in Indian political history.

For 13 years, the DMK was in the wilderness especially during the MGR years and yet when in 1989 the AIADMK split soon after the death of MGR, he was quick to seize the opportunity and guide the DMK to an electoral win and a return to power. Born in 1924, Karunanidhi was involved in politics from his teens. Inspired by Periyar E V Ramasamy and Annadurai, Karunanidhi became one of the lieutenants of Annadurai as he built the DMK through the decades until it ultimately came to power in 1967. In less than two years thereafter Annadurai died, and in the battle of succession that followed, Karunanidhi emerged triumphant. Thereafter there was no looking back as Karunanidhi stamped his larger-than-life personality on not just the DMK but on the body politic of Tamil Nadu for the next five decades.

A script writer, a poet, a playwright, an author of several books and a chronicler of ancient Tamil history, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister effortlessly managed all this while still maintaining his unwavering focus on politics. The DMK was the party that championed social justice in Tamil Nadu and whatever else he may have compromised on during his long political career, Karunanidhi showed a strong commitment to the plank of social justice. The breaking of the Brahmin hegemony in Tamil Nadu was made possible due to a large extent by the DMK and Karunanidhi played a sizable role in the DMKs efforts in this regard. If Karunanidhi were to have been asked how he would like to be remembered the most, it is very likely that his answer would have been as a fighter for social justice.

An orator par excellence his mesmerising speeches would be laced with wit and poetry and repartee. Cadres would go into rapture just at his opening remarks to them where he would call them as those who were more dear to him than life itself. His administrative acumen and ability to grasp the intricacies of governance were spoken of admiringly by bureaucrats, who would often be asked sharp questions about the issues they took to him for approval. Throughout his career, Karunanidhi was considered a good administrator and even those not fond of him would concede him that.

If ever there was a pragmatic politician, it was Karunanidhi. His ability to differentiate between personal friendships and political rivalry meant that no one was deemed a permanent enemy. Thus he was able to find himself in the political company of both the BJP and Congress at different points of time.Heading a regional party confined to one state he successfully managed to exert significant influence in Delhi, especially during the UPA years from 2004 to 2013 when the DMK exited the Union government.

Under Karunanidhi, the DMK started many social welfare schemes that have ensured that the social indices in Tamil Nadu today are among the best in the country. Some of these schemes were at that time criticised but in time their worth was mostly proven. As with any politician, and one who had as long a political innings as he did, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister faced his share of criticism. His promotion of his family members in politics and the party was fiercely criticised and his brushes with charges of corruption would never really fade entirely from public memory.

Karunanidhi was a leader who never flinched from taking hard questions from the media. He would answer the most difficult of questions with his quick wit and sometimes sharp tongue. He was a media mans delight, as one could always expect a good quote and a catchy headline from him. Due to his being in indifferent health for a while the DMK patriarch managed to anoint his son and chosen heir M K Stalin as the partys working president and so Karunanidhi leaves the party the way he wished toa unified entity and in as capable hands as he would have believed possible. In the history of Indian politics, there have been few men who have strode its stage for as long and as rightly as M Karunanidhi. Tamil Nadu will remember him and his legacy for a long long time to come.
By Express News Service

GUNTUR: In two separate fire accidents in Guntur district on Tuesday, as many as 11 shops were gutted. The mishaps occurred in Chilakaluripet and Pedanandipadu areas.

In one of the incidents, shops selling old wooden items, near Chakali colony of Chilakaluripet, caught fire on the wee hours and short circuit is said to be the reason. Two fire tenders were immediately sent to the spot and two more joined the fleet later to douse the fire. The shops belonged to Manukonda Sambi Reddy, Nallamala Jeeva Ratnam, Sk Sharif, Sk Md Abdul, Sk Noor Abdul Ravoof and Manukonda Siva Reddy among others.

The owners claimed they suffered heavy losses due to the fire mishap, said Tahsildar P Ch Venkaiah. Chilakaluripet MLA P Pulla Rao reached the spot and donated `50,000 to each proprietor. He also assured them of further help from the government.

The second fire accident took place at SNC Bio Bricades company in Varagani of Pedanandipadu mandal. Fire official V Srinavasa Reddy rushed to the spot with seven fire tenders. Meanwhile, DSP D Gangadharam said the agricultural waste kept on the premises caught fire, which later spread to the entire establishment.

None hurt

The reason for the fire accident at Chilakaluripet is said to be short circuit. Agricultural waste kept on the premises of SNC Bio Bricades firm caught fire first and it later spread to the entire establishment. Luckily, no one was hurt in the two incidents
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Days after The New Indian Express reported about the Centre mulling to shift Aero India 2019 out of Bengaluru, KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao wrote to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding that as a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, she must ensure that Aero India is retained in Bengaluru. Saying that Karnatakas legislators had elected Nirmala to the Rajya Sabha despite her being from a different state, Rao demanded that she protect the states interests first.

The Congress has accused the Union government of continuously discriminating against Karnataka.

Aero India is a prestigious show that attracts visitors from across the globe and there is no better venue than Bengaluru to host it. What have you given to Karnataka as a Rajya Sabha member from here? Instead of giving us something, you are taking away what we already have, Rao said at a press conference releasing the letter written to the Defence Minister. Highlighting that Karnatakas legislators had elected Nirmala Sitharaman to the Rajya Sabha despite her being from a different state, Rao demanded that she protect the interests of Karnataka first.

The Congress, in its letter, has urged the minister to reconsider the Centres decision of moving the venue of Aero India to Lucknow. Defence and aviation firms are in Bengaluru. Defence manufacturing companies are in Bengaluru. But the minister says she is still in the process of finalising venue and dates for the show. She refuses to give a clear response, Rao added.

Accusing the BJP of refusing to lend a helping hand for farm loan waiver, not intervening in Mahadayi water sharing row, causing losses to the State with 15th Finance Commission implementation, the Congress has accused the Modi-led government of bias. The Centre has shifted the only CRPF centre in South in Taralu of Karnataka to Chandoli in Uttar Pradesh. Now they want to shift Aero India also to UP. As if it wasnt enough that they ill-treated HAL in the Rafale deal, they now want to take away the air show from here too, Rao alleged.

TNIE, on August 3, had reported that the Ministry of Defence was mulling shifting Aero India 2019 from Bengalurus Yelahanka to Lucknows Bakshi Ka Talaab. Sitharaman, who had visited Bengaluru on Saturday, had refused to comment on the issue, but maintained that many states had been demanding that they be allowed to host the air show.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Although seen as a hawk whenever tempers arose in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing of Cauvery waters, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and a towering leader of the Dravidian movement, M Karunanidhi, has had a big influence on many leaders of Karnataka, from championing the cause of backward classes to ensuring that a Kannadiga  HD Deve Gowda  becomes Prime Minister.

Gowda, whose friendship with Karunanidhi stood strong over the last 50 years, termed him as his elder brother and recalled his role in making him Prime Minister.

READ | Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy, other state leaders pay homage to M Karunanidhi

I have lost my elder brother today. Karunanidhi played a big role in proposing my name and getting me elected as the 11th Prime Minister of the country in 1996, he said.

Kannadigas cannot forget

Karunanidhis help and cooperation in getting the states icon and thespian Dr Rajkumar freed from the captivity of forest brigand Veerappan, recalled former minister P G R Sindhia, who served as minister in the cabinets of Gowda, J H Patel, Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy.

Takes part in a meeting on Cauvery with

then Chief Minister J H Patel

When he was Chief Minister, Karunanidhi went out of his way to open back-channel negotiations with Veerappan to secure the release of Dr Rajkumar.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sindhia said, Karunanidhi, as the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, pulled out all stops in extending cooperation with the S M Krishna government to get Rajkumar freed. He had to go out of his way as Chief Minister in putting into action some of the moves that were tried to free Rajkumar, Sindhia said.

READ | Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border districts on high alert

The family members of Rajkumar, including Parathamma, Shivarajkumar and Raghavendra have showered praise on Karunanidhi for his help in getting Rajkumar freed.

One of Karunanidhis daughters is based at Jayanagar in Bengaluru. The family has left for Chennai, but security has been beefed up at the house as a precautionary measure. Karunanidhis family also has a farm Harohalli in Kanakapura taluk.

While many view Karunanidhi as a hawk who tried to play on Tamilans regional sentiments, Sindhia termed it as a misconception. Karunanidhi always wanted to resolve the Cauvery dispute amicably through negotiation. Though he was committed to protecting his states interests, he never incited the people to violence, Sindhia said.

The commitment of Karunanidhi for the cause of backward and dalit communities has influenced many leaders in other states too, including Karnataka.

Former Karnataka chief minister D Devaraj Urs, who is hailed as a champion of backward classes, was an admirer of Karunanidhi, Sindhia said.
Anu Kuruvilla By

Express News Service

KOCHI: If one thought the Church would stay clear of the clutches of trade unionism in the state, which has seen its good and bad impacts, think again. In what is believed to be a first in the world, Sextons hailing from the Catholic Church across the state have come together to form an association, which will soon be registered as a trade union.

The aim is to fight for rights, said social activist Paulachan Puthupara. Until now, the Sextons didnt have a voice of their own. They were an exploited lot, afraid of speaking out loud fearing repercussion.

The meeting held secretly in a boat on the Vembanad lake decided to call it the Kerala Church Staff Welfare Association and selected its office-bearers. Antony Puthenveettil was appointed the president, while Varghese Oliparambil and Martin Porous were named the secretary and treasurer, respectively.

With the establishment of the association, which currently has 50 members, Sextons hope their various demands, including proper pay scale, provident fund and other remunerations, will be heeded to. But most importantly, Paulachan said, Theyll have a strong voice once they stand together.

Activist Paulachan Puthupara said, The aim behind its formation is to prevent the Sextons from suffering a plight similar to Johny of Malayattoor Kurishumudi. The number will go up soon once all Sextons come to know about it. Do you know that there are more than 1,000 churches in the state alone.

The general feeling among the Sextons is they are made to remain mute witnesses to the frauds in the churches.

They also have to bear the brunt of the atrocities meted out by the priests. Fear of a backlash is big among them that the meeting was held in utmost secrecy, said Paulachan.

One of the major complaints raised by the Sexton community is that if a priest finds the Sexton in his parish is not toeing his line, he gets him fired from the job by turning the parishioners against him. The priests come up with damning stories and try to frame these Sextons in false cases like they have stolen from the offering box, said a Sexton who attended the meeting.

Money matters

According to another Sexton, the priests commit the biggest fraud by pocketing the money paid for conducting special masses. Even if a priest gets money to offer 10 masses, he deliberately curtails it to one mass and pays the Sexton the money for a single mass. While the rest of the amount is pocketed by the priest, he said. The new trade union of Sextons is expected to take up these issues and many more.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest sleuths of Kulathupuzha forest range on Tuesday arrested three persons for allegedly killing a Sambar deer after hunting it down at Ponmudi forest area.

The arrested are siblings Sajeer and Sameer of Mylamoodu, Kulathupuzha, and Nishad of Tholicode, Nedumangad. Ponmudi Grade SI Ayub, a police driver, a civil police officer of Ponmudi station and Manu, postmaster of Kollayil near Madathara, are yet to be traced. Seven kilos of meat, two air guns, five knives and a car have been seized.

The incident took place on Sunday around 11.30 pm. Ayub is allegedly the mastermind and he invited Sajeer, Sameer, Manu and Nishad. Ayub sought the assistance of the police driver and a CPO to hunt down the animal which was found at the meadows near the 21st hairpin curve near the Ponmudi hill station. Manu brought the guns as he did possess a license. The incident came to light after the information leaked from the Police Department.

Acting on a tip-off, the Forest officials inspected the house of Sajeer at Kulathupuzha and found the deer meat, sources in Forest Department said.

Abdul Jaleel, Forest Range Officer, told Express efforts were on to trace the four accused.

Three police officers including Grade SI Ayub involved in the incident have been suspended pending inquiry. Rural SP P Ashok Kumar initiated the departmental action following state police chief Loknath Beheras instruction.

Earlier in the day, Forest Minister K Raju termed the polices act shameful and ordered stringent action against the accused cops. Whatever happened was not called for. The government will take stringent action against the offenders invoking the relevant sections of forest and wildlife acts, Raju told Express.
By IANS

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh expressed his condolence on the death of DMK President M Karunanidhi and wrote to his son MK Stalin saying that the country has lost a versatile genius.

"In his death our country has lost a versatile genius who was an outstanding artist, an eminent writer and a true leader who always stood for the cause of poor and downtrodden classes of the society," he said.

Singh also added that he was an exceptional public servant who was a very able administrator and served the nation and Tamil Nadu with "great distinction in diverse capacities".

"I respected Thiru. Karunanidhi deeply who had a special affection towards me and whenever I went to Chennai, I tried to find time to meet him personally there. His services to the nation will be remembered for many years to come," he added.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also expressed grief over Karunanidhi's demise saying that he was "repository of federalism in India".

"Karunanidhi was the harbinger of politics of deprived and politics of the poor in the state of Tamil Nadu. He represented scientific temper and creation of a casteless society. He led people of Tamil Nadu and shaped the destiny of the state," he said.

Karunanidhi, 94, passed away on Tuesday evening. He was admitted to the hospital on July 28 and his condition worsened on Monday.
By PTI

CHENNAI: Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a doyen of Dravidian politics, was today laid to rest on the Marina beachfront as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell after an unsavoury courtroom battle his party won to secure for him the final resting place at the Chennai landmark.

English translation: 'Here rests the man who worked tirelessly'

The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to the "Thalaivar" (the leader), school dropout, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life over decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

The 94-year-old leader had breathed his last at a hospital here after fighting for life for 11 days.

A galaxy of leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and his Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan, K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu were in attendance.

The specially designed chair used by DMK leader Karunanidhi, seen left alone at his Gopalapuram house after his demise. (Express Photo)

So were CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his predecessor Prakash Karat, and former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav.

Karunanidhi was buried with full military honours with soldiers giving him a gun salute and buglars sounding the last post.

ALSO READ: HIGHLIGHTS | DMK chief M Karunanidhi laid to rest with full state honours at Marina beach

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Rahul Gandhi, union minister and the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad placed wreaths at the feet of the departed leader at the Marina.

Karunanidhi's son and heir apparent 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.

In poignant scenes, Stalin was seen crying inconsolably after touching his father's feet before the casket containing Karunanidhi's body was lowered into the grave.

Bengaluru based miniature artist Mallikarjuna Reddy shows a chalk sculpture of the late DMK leader and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The sculpture is 6mm thick and 10mm in height that took 4 hours to complete. (Photo | EPS / Pushkar V)

The leader's youngest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi fondly caressed his head and cheek one last time.

Karunanidhi being a self-proclaimed atheist and rationalist, no Hindu rituals were performed.

Earlier in the day, as thousands of grieving DMK supporters, leaders and celebrities filed past the golden casket containing the mortal remains of the leader draped in the national tricolour at the stately Rajaji Hall, a courtroom battle raged over where he should be buried.

The state's AIADMK government had yesterday rejected DMK's demand for space at the Marina for Karunanidhi's burial and construction of a memorial to him, citing pending litigations over ecological concerns.

The DMK had swiftly moved the Madras High Court which partially heared its petition around midnight and resumed the hearing at 8 this morning.

The court ruled in DMK's favour and the Thalaivar got his final resting place next to his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai.

Stalin breaks down on hearing Madras HC green signal for Karunanidhi burial. (Photo | ANI)

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place. Provide a place for a decent burial forthwith in terms of the rough sketch given by the petitioner," the division bench of the court comprising Acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and S S Sundar ruled.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place. Already alloted place in the marina for all Dravidian leaders. There is no need to take different stand in the present case," the bench said.

The court's order was greeted with loud chants of "Kalaignar Pugazh Onguga (long live Kalaignar's fame)" by thousands of DMK cadre at the Rajaji Hall some 8 km away.

A glum-faced M K Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president, who stood pensively beside the casket, sobbed uncontrollably, before regaining composure and wiping off tears of joy amid the pervasive gloom.

A group of transgenders mourn the demise of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi at Khajapettai in Tiruchy. (Photo | M K Ashok Kumar)

Shouts of "vendum vendum, Marina vendum (we want Marina)" had greeted Chief Minister K Palaniswamy earlier in the day when he arrived at the Rajaji Hall to pay his tributes.

The court's order dealt a big blow to the AIADMK, which spared no effort to deny Karunanidhi, who headed its rival outfit DMK for half-a-century, a feat unparalleled in the country's history, the final resting place at the Marina.

AIADMK founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran and his protegee J Jayalalithaa, who were buried on the beach and have memorials there, had died in office, and the government cited this as a ground for not bestowing the same privilege on Karunanidhi as he was not a serving chief minister.

There was a massive surge of people at the Rajaji Hall where lakhs had gathered to pay homage to Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister and political warhorse who won 13 assembly elections on the trot.

#TamilNadu: PM Narendra Modi arrives in Chennai to pay last respects to DMK chief M #Karunandhi. pic.twitter.com/6FWth7AZnZ  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowed in solemn reverence and placed a wreath at the leader's feet. Clad in white kurta-churidar he spoke briefly to Karunanidhi's wife Rajathi Ammal with folded hands.

He clasped Stalin's hand and the two talked quietly for some time.

The crowd swelled by the minute, people pressing against each other in a massive surge, pushing, shoving, stumbling on each other and clashing with police whose personnel wielded batons to control them.

Some fainted, scores were injured, prompting Stalin to make an appeal to maintain calm. Identical scenes were witnessed at the Marina.

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets as the flower-bedecked gun carriage inched its way there from Rajaji Hall. Many crashed their way through the barricades.

An ocean of supporters were present at Marina to take part in the funeral procession of their beloved leader. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath)

Others perched precariously atop trees and lamp posts for the one last glimpse of their beloved leader.

Stalin and other male members of the Karunanidhi family walked quietly behind the gun carriage as police personnel threw a security cordon around them. The DMK's red-and-black flags fluttered across the landscape.

As the golden sun began to dip slowly into the sea, it shone a light on the inscription on the casket in Tamil that read "the one who slogged all his life without rest, rests here", signifying the end of an era in Tamil Nadu politics.
By Online Desk

As grief enveloped the nation with the demise of Dravidian patriarch M Karunanidhi, the shockwaves quickly travelled unrestricted beyond the Himalayas. The foreign media in the South and SE Asia, Europe and US woke up to the heartrending occasion.

Here is how some section of the foreign media reacted to M Karunanidhis death:

The International media giant BBC, in their article, called Karunanidhi a veteran Indian politician and a radical wordsmith who shook up Indian politics.

LIVE| DMK chief Karunanidhi to rest at Marina beach behind Anna Samadhi, funeral procession likely at 4.30 pm

The media house wrote: He was being treated for age-related illnesses in Chennai (formerly Madras) in southern India's Tamil Nadu state. Mr Karunanidhi served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu five times between 1969 and 2011, and also played a key role in federal politics. He contested - and won - 13 elections in the state.

For CNN, Karunanidhi was one of India's largest serving politician and a political icon who breathed his last on Tuesday. In their article, they wrote: Muthuvel Karunanidhi, one of India's longest-serving politicians, died Tuesday at the age of 94. Karunanidhi, chief of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in southern Tamil Nadu state, was admitted into the hospital on July 28 after a drop in his blood pressure.

The New York Times in their report termed the last Dravidian stalwart as 'popular scriptwriter-turned-politician' who died of prolonged illness.

Neighbouring Pakistan's national daily The Dawn penned a report on the "Towering Tamil leader's" death who began his "career as an anti-Hindi agitator at the age of 14 and fought regressive social mores all his life". Experts: As per his political creed, his remains will be buried and not cremated, an assertion of his lifelong contest with upper caste Hinduism. This has been the tradition also with other Dravidian leaders, including those from the rival AIDMK.

The Sri Lankan news portal, "Ceylon daily" too joined the bandwagon of the foreign media in reporting the death of Karunanidhi, a "charismatic self-styled champion of the poor, had been in Intensive Care ... since 28 July in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu State."
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: As thousands of people across the state of Tamil Nadu mourned the death of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, an emotional Stalin wrote a moving condolence letter to his father titled as Shall I address you as Appa once at least now ?

Here is the English translation of his letter.

"You used to tell me the place where ever you go. Now, where did you go without telling me? Where did you go leaving us in lurch? 33 years ago you said what should be written in your memorial: Here lies the person who worked untiringly throughout his life. Now, have you decided that you did enough to the Tamil society?"

"Or Are you hiding somewhere to see whether anyone can beat your achievements during 80 years of public life? On June 3, on your birthday, I begged for half of your ability; now will you give the heart you got long ago from Arignar Anna too, to me? Because, with that significant donation, we will fulfill your unfulfilled dreams and ideals!"

ALSO READ | Here's why M Karunanidhi named his son Stalin

"On behalf of crores of Udanpirappukkal (Karunanidhi used to address DMK cadre as Udanpirappu (blood brothers), I appeal to you: Just utter the phrase Udanpirappe once and that will make us work for a century! I used to address you as thalaivare (leader) most of the time in my life than calling you as appa. At least now, shall I address you once as appa?"

"With tears, MK Stalin."
By UNI

NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and the US envoy to India Ken Juster have condoled the death of DMK patriarch and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

"I am deeply saddened by the death of former Chief Minister and senior political leader Karunanidhi," said the Sri Lankan President said extending his condolences to the bereaved family and party cadres.

FOLLOW LIVE: Karunanidhi's mortal remains placed at Rajaji hall; public, political leaders pay final respects

On July 30, a representative of Sri Lanka President had visited the hospital in Chennai where former Tamil Nadu CM was undergoing treatment.

The emissary also had submitted a letter from Sirisena to DMK working President M K Stalin wishing a speedy recovery to Karunanidhi Often hailed as the Tamil Inaththalaivar' or 'the leader of the Tamil race', Late Karunanidhi stood for the cause of the Tamils in Sri Lanka for decades.

Ken Juster, US ambassador to India, also condoled the death of the DMK leader.

On behalf of the United States Mission in India, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of former Chief Minister Muthuvel #Karunanidhi and the people of Tamil Nadu. He will be remembered for his years of public service to his state and the country at large.  Ken Juster (@USAmbIndia) August 7, 2018

"On behalf of the United States Mission in India, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of former Chief Minister Muthuvel #Karunanidhi and the people of Tamil Nadu.

He will be remembered for his years of public service to his state and the country at large," Mr Juster said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has condoled the passing away of Kalaignar M Karunanidhi and said the DMK patriarch always gave encouragement to the Christian community and its activities.

"We mourn his loss and express our gratitude for all the support and encouragement he gave the Christian community and its activities," a statement from the CBCI said here.

The apex Christian body placed on record its appreciation for the immense contribution made by M Karunanidhi, to the state of Tamil Nadu and to the country.

"This towering Dravidian icon with great intellectual prowess and pragmatism shaped the political narrative in Tamil Nadu over the past few decades and worked hard to uplift the common man," it said.

"We will remember with affection this tall personality, who with his work especially as the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, for five separate terms, during the 1969-2011 period has carved a special place for himself in the hearts of millions of people," the statement said.


T Muruganandham By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Among the political events in the long history of M Karunanidhi, two junctures are significant  the ouster of MG Ramachandran in 1972 and the attempt to merge the party he founded  AIADMK  with the DMK in 1979.

On March 31, 2009, at a function, Karunanidhi and Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani revealed the facts behind the merger and how it was thwarted by Panruti S Ramachandran.

The DMK president revealed he had agreed to retain the flag of present AIADMK (with Arignar Annas bust at the centre). He also wanted the Rs 9,000-limit for reservation (economic criterion) to be withdrawn. Karunanidhi further said MGR could continue as the Chief Minister while he (Karunanidhi) would be the president of the party.

MGR had agreed to these conditions and asked Karunanidhi to convey his approval. However, within a few hours, MGR had changed his mind.

Panruti Ramachandran went on record admitting that he had changed MGRs mind. He had explained to MGR that after the merger, the AIADMK cadre might not enjoy equal status in the unified party.

This argument resonated with MGR, who gave up the idea of a merger and the rest is history.

Dravida naadu in MKs signature

DMK president M Karunanidhis peculiar signature, indeed, has a message, and he revealed it while signing the gift deed donating his Gopalapuram residence to the Annai Anjugam Trust.

M Karunanidhi's signature.

When Karunanidhi was asked to affix his signature on many pages, his past days flashed before him, and he told industrialist N Mahalingam and party colleagues around him that You see, Dravida Naadu is in my signature, pointing to the V shaped curve which resembled the southern part of India on the map.

He further said that the dot under the signature resembled Sri Lanka. He also reminisced that he had practised his signature for around six months while he was in Tiruchy prison many decades ago.
By AFP

BENI: Nine confirmed Ebola victims have died since the virus resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo this month, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.

The previous official toll was seven dead, with the two latest victims -- like all the others -- registered in the Beni region in North Kivu province, an eastern region with deep security problems which shares borders with Uganda and Rwanda.

The health ministry on August 1 announced that the country was facing its 10th outbreak of Ebola since 1976.

Thirty-three people died in an outbreak in the northwest which was only declared over at the end of July.

ALSO READ | In Congo city where Ebola resides, fear but not panic

"In total, 43 cases of haemorrhagic fever have been reported in the (Beni) region, including 16 confirmed and 27 probable, and 46 suspected cases are under investigation," the ministry said Tuesday.

Almost 1,000 people who have had "contact" with the virus have been registered in health zones under surveillance, it said.

Ebola causes serious illness including vomiting, diarrhoea and in some cases internal and external bleeding. It is often fatal if untreated.

ALSO READ | DR Congo announces fresh Ebola outbreak

Thirty-three people died in an outbreak in the northwest which was only declared over at the end of July.

"In total, 43 cases of haemorrhagic fever have been reported in the (Beni) region, including 16 confirmed and 27 probable, and 46 suspected cases are under investigation," the ministry said Tuesday.

Almost 1,000 people who have had "contact" with the virus have been registered in health zones under surveillance, it said.

Congolese health officials prepare to disinfect people and buildings at the general referral hospital in Mbandaka, Congo. (Photo | AP)

Ebola causes serious illness including vomiting, diarrhoea and in some cases internal and external bleeding. It is often fatal if untreated.

Targeted vaccinations are expected to begin on Wednesday.

"Twelve teams of vaccinators will be deployed in different affected areas," the ministry said, adding that teams had arrived in Beni.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the "deterioration of the security situation" in affected area was expected to hinder the response to the outbreak.

The Red Cross announced that it was rushing a "multidisciplinary" team of 19 people to Beni.
By IANS

SAO PAULO: Brazil has reopened its northern border with Venezuela after a federal judge annulled a ruling that barred immigrants from entering the country.

Border entry points were opened again on Tuesday following a ruling by an appellate court revoking the measure adopted Sunday by federal judge Helder Girao Barreto, Efe news reported.

According to the media, at least 100 Venezuelans were held up at the border following the ruling.

Judge Kassio Marques, as per a request by Brazil's attorney general - stated that "closing the border means not regarding immigrants and Brazilians as equals."

The entry point was closed at 5 pm on Sunday as per Barreto's orders, who said the measure would remain in place until a "balance" is reached between the number of incoming Venezuelans and migrants leaving to other cities.

Barreto conditioned the influx of Venezuelans to the process implemented by the federal government that relocates immigrants entering Roraima to other cities, in an effort to ease the pressure inflicted on Brazil's poorest state.

The state - which has received some 50,000 Venezuelans in the past 7 months - requested the federal government to temporarily close the border due to the "federal government's inability to live up to its constitutional role of controlling the border".
By AFP

TEHRAN: US President Donald Trump warned the world Tuesday against doing business with Iran as Washington reimposed "the most biting sanctions ever" on the Islamic republic, triggering a mix of anger, fear and defiance in Tehran.

Trump's May withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran had spooked investors and triggered a run on the Iranian rial long before the punishing sanctions went back into force.

The newly reimposed sanctions, which target access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets, were unlikely to cause immediate economic turmoil.

READ| Iran's Hassan Rouhani says negotiations with sanctions 'makes no sense'

Iran's markets were actually relatively buoyant, with the rial strengthening by 20 percent since Sunday after the government relaxed foreign exchange rules and allowed unlimited, tax-free gold and currency imports.

But the second tranche of sanctions, which kicks in on November 5 and targets Iran's vital oil sector, could be far more damaging -- even if several key customers such as China, India and Turkey have refused to significantly cut their purchases.

"The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less."

European governments -- who signed the Iran nuclear deal along with Washington -- are infuriated by Trump's strategy that has prompted many of their large firms to leave Iran for fear of US penalties.

Within hours of the sanctions taking effect, German carmaker Daimler said it had "suspended our already limited activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions."

Trump said Monday that he was open to new talks to reach a "more comprehensive deal" with Iran.

"We want to see a much broader retreat by Iran from their support for international terrorism, their belligerent military activity in the Middle East and their ballistic missile, nuclear-related programs," National Security Advisor John Bolton told Fox News.

"There's a lot going on here that Iran needs to be held accountable for."

But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the idea of talks while sanctions are in effect, and accused America of waging "psychological warfare."

In Tehran, residents were on edge.

"I feel like my life is being destroyed," said one construction worker on the streets of the capital. "I can't afford to buy food, pay the rent."

The return of US sanctions left some of Washington's partners unimpressed. British Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said that the "Americans have really not got this right."

The nuclear deal was important "not only to the region's security but the world's security," he told the BBC.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by the return of sanctions, adding that it would do "everything necessary" to save the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters that the global reaction to Trump's move showed that the US was diplomatically isolated.

Most Iranians see US hostility as a basic fact of life, so their frustration is largely directed at their own leaders for not handling the situation better.

"Prices are rising again, but the reason is government corruption, not US sanctions," said Ali, a 35-year-old decorator in Tehran.

Long-running discontent over high prices, unemployment, water shortages and the lack of political reform has sparked numerous protests over the past week, though the verifiable information is scarce due to heavy reporting restrictions.

Many hope and believe that Iran's leaders will "drink the poison cup" and negotiate with the US eventually.

There have been rumours that Trump and Rouhani could meet in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly -- though Rouhani reportedly rejected US overtures for a meeting at last year's event.

Iran's regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the tough new US policy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the renewed sanctions as "an important moment for Israel, for the US, for the region, for the whole world."

Iran's currency has lost around half its value since Trump announced the US would withdraw from the nuclear pact but has surged since Sunday, following the arrest of the central bank's currency chief and new plans being announced.

The new rules mean foreign exchange bureaus will reopen after an attempt to fix the value of the rial in April backfired spectacularly, with corrupt traders making a fortune out of a mushrooming black market.

Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, told AFP that the sanctions would inflict "significant harm" on the Iranian economy.

"But this is not the first time that the Iranian leadership is dealing with sanctions," Vaez said.
By PTI

NEW YORK: A 42-year-old Muslim woman has won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed for a House seat in Michigan, bringing her closer to becoming the first female from the minority community to be elected to the US Congress, according to a media report.

Rashida Tlaib, a former state Representative, has won a crowded battle to replace former US Representative John Conyers Jr. in Michigan's 13th Congressional District Democratic primary, The Detroit News reported.

No Republican is running for the seat in the Democratic-leaning district, meaning Palestinian-origin Tlaib is virtually guaranteed to win the seat in election scheduled for November.

Rashida Tlaib had pulled in 33.2 per cent of the vote over Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, who has 29.2 per cent, with 96 per cent of precincts reporting, it said.

She has boasted a grassroots campaign and came out on top in fundraising, topping USD 1 million. She said her day had been filled with emotion and described it as "happy chaos," the report said.

"Especially meeting voters and talking to them, they are inspired," she was quoted as saying by the report.

"One resident said she's happy for me and it's already written. It's been amazing to interact with families at polling locations. I feel very much supported.

" Tlaib had served in the Michigan House from 2009 until 2014. The 89-year-old Conyers was first elected to the House in 1964.

He stepped down in December citing health reasons, though several former female staffers had accused him of sexual harassment. The daughter of Palestinian immigrants and the eldest of 14 children, Tlaib became the first Muslim woman in the state legislature in 2008.

She was a lawyer and community activist prior to her political career. The 13th Congressional District she will represent includes a large southern area of suburban Detroit in Wayne County.

After boundary lines were redrawn in 2012, the 13th is the only congressional district entirely within one county.

Her victory comes amid the increase in Islamophobia across the US, in the wake of US President Donald Trump's election in 2016 and Trump's hostile immigration policies towards immigrants.

In 2016, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the 13th District by 60.6 points while Trump, a Republican, won by 0.2 points.
By ANI

BOGOTA: Colombia's conservative Ivan Duque Marquez on Tuesday took oath as the country's 60th president, succeeding Juan Manuel Santos, who had been in power since 2010.

Duque defeated Petro, in a presidential run-off in June with 54 per cent votes. He finished more than 12 points ahead of former guerrilla Gustavo Petro, though the runner-up's performance at the ballot box was the best ever for the left in one of Latin America's most conservative nations

He was sworn in during an open-air session at Bolivar Square in the historic centre of Bogota. Over 12,000 police were deployed at Bolivar Square for Duque's swearing-in ceremony, according to local reports, as per Aljazeera.

The mayor of the US city of Miami, Francis Suarez, and the leader of Spain's Popular Party, Pablo Casado, attended the event. Duque who formerly served as a senator was the presidential candidate for the Democratic Centre Party for the election in 2018.

Apart from politics, he has penned down many books as well. Duque is married to Maria Juliana Ruiz, with whom he has three children namely Luciana, Matias, and Eloisa.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: For the first time, Pakistani soldiers will undergo training at Russian military institutes after the two countries signed an agreement related to it, in a sign of further strengthening their defence ties amid Islamabad's increasingly uneasy relations with the United States.

The agreement was signed yesterday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC) - the highest forum of their defence collaboration, according to Pakistan's defence ministry.

"Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RF's (Russian Federation) Training Institutes," the ministry said.

The Russian side was led by Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen.Alexander V Fomin who visited Pakistan from August 6-7 to attend the first session of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC).

Lt.Gen (retd) Zamir Ul Hassan Shah, Secretary Defence, led the Pakistani delegation during the JMCC meeting.

Prior to the inaugural meeting, held yesterday in the ministry of defence Rawalpindi, the visiting dignitary called on secretary defence and the defence minister.

The two sides discussed the present status of their defence relations with the aim to further strengthen, expand and diversify mutual cooperation.

During the inaugural session of the JMCC, both sides exchanged views on bilateral and major international issues including the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the ministry said.

A comprehensive issue based review was also carried out during which the two countries expressed satisfaction on the milestones achieved since the signing of a groundbreaking Agreement on Defence Cooperation in 2014.

The two sides also held in-depth discussions on avenues of future cooperation, the defence ministry said.

Col-Gen Fomin also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs.

An Army spokesman said that Col Gen Fomin met Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed the regional security situation and matters of mutual interest including enhancement of bilateral defence and security cooperation.

Fomin expressed his appreciation for Pakistan Army's achievements against terrorism and expressed requirement of greater cooperative and collaborative approach among the global community to defeat extremism.

Pakistan's defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

Pakistan has shown eagerness to build military-to-military ties with Russia.

Earlier this year, the then foreign minister Khawaja Asif visited Moscow during which the two sides agreed to set up a commission to boost military cooperation.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed 'Friendship'.

The drills stem from a defense cooperation agreement the two countries signed in 2014, lifting a long-running Russian embargo on arms sales to Pakistan.
By AFP

CARACAS: Venezuela's all-powerful constituent assembly is launching proceedings Wednesday to try opposition lawmakers over a failed "attack" on President Nicolas Maduro, who also accused exiled opposition leader Julio Borges.

Constituent Assembly chief Diosdado Cabello called the session to strip the lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity so they could face trial for the alleged and failed bid to kill the president.

"When justice comes, it hits hard," Cabello said.

Maduro and his government said the president had been targeted by two flying drones each carrying a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of powerful C-4 explosives.

In this still from a video provided by Venezolana de Television, President Nicolas Maduro, center , delivers his speech as his wife Cilia Flores winces and looks up after being startled by and explosion, in Caracas, Venezuela, August 4, 2018. (Photo | AP)

But details of Saturday's incident remain unclear, with conflicting information coming from various sources.

The Maduro administration said Colombia -- including ex-president Juan Manuel Santos, who ended his term Tuesday -- had collaborated on the attack with the "ultra far-right" Venezuelan opposition, and it was financed by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida.

No evidence was given to support the allegations, which have worsened already fraught ties between Caracas and Bogota.

In a television and radio address, Maduro simultaneously accused opposition legislator Juan Requesens and Borges of having plotted a drone "assassination" attempt on the Socialist leader over the weekend.

The president said several raids were underway as part of investigations.

Borges is one of the most prominent figures of the Venezuelan opposition and like Requesens a member of the Primero Justicia (Justice First) party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

ALSO READ | Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro to risk first public appearance since drone 'attack'

Primero Justicia said Requesens and his sister Rafaela were "arrested and hit" in a sweep by the SEBIN national intelligence service unit. Rafaela was later released.

"All the statements (of detained suspects) point to Julio Borges, who lives in a mansion in Bogota protected by the outgoing government of Colombia, we know he has the cowardice to participate in this type of events," Maduro said.

He also railed against Requesens, describing him as one of his "craziest and most psychopathic" adversaries.

Increased political persecution

Earlier, Requesens delivered a fiery speech in which he promised to keep pushing to get Maduro out of power.

"We are going to get Nicolas Maduro to leave in order to get out of this tragedy," the 29-year-old politician said at the opposition-held legislature.

"We will be able to receive all Venezuelans who are crazy enough to return to the country, and for those of us who are here, we have no choice but to continue stretching this rope until it breaks and we can get Nicolas Maduro out."

Shortly before the opposition crackdown, the legislature had demanded an impartial investigation into the drone explosions, and denounced the government's efforts to use the event to "increase political persecution" of the opposition.

ALSO READ | Venezuela arrests six terrorists over attack on President Nicolas Maduro as opposition fears reprisals

"We reaffirm that Venezuelans' political struggle must focus... on obtaining free and fair elections with full democratic conditions under international observation," added the declaration read in the semi-circular chamber.

The Constituent Assembly loyal to Maduro moved to May the presidential election usually held in December, leading to Maduro's election until 2025.

But the opposition and much of the international community rejected the results as illegitimate.

On Monday, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said several suspects were in custody and authorities would track down "all those who conspire against public peace."

He called the drone attack, in which seven soldiers were said to be wounded, "an attempted massacre."

Interior Minister Nicolas Reverol said Sunday that six suspects had been arrested.

No drones could be seen in the broadcast of the event, which was cut moments after the soldiers were seen scattering away from where Maduro was standing flanked by military chiefs and his wife.
By AFP

WESTERVILLE: Rashida Tlaib, a mother of two and daughter of Palestinian immigrants once detained for disrupting a Donald Trump speech, made history on Wednesday, poised to become the first Muslim woman in US Congress.

The 42-year-old former social worker won a Democratic primary in Detroit safe seat. With no Republican or third-party candidates, she is positioned to enter the House of Representatives after November midterm elections.

"Thank you so much for making this unbelievable moment possible. I am at a loss for words," she tweeted. "I cannot wait to serve you in Congress."

Her defeat of five other candidates tees her up to become the first Muslim woman in Congress, 12 years after Minnesota's Keith Ellison became the first Muslim in the US House of Representatives.

She would also be the first Palestinian-American woman elected to the House. Representative Andre Carson, elected in 2008 and from Indiana, is the only other Muslim currently in Congress.

Tlaib is one of scores of Muslims and hundreds of women running in record numbers in elections up and down the country this year, most of them part of a groundswell of Democratic opposition to the Republican president.

Video footage shared on social media showed an emotional Tlaib surrounded by ecstatic supporters and hugged by her mother, who comes from a village in the West Bank, where extended family were cheering her on.

"They're glued to the TV. My grandmother, my aunts, my uncles in Palestine are sitting by and watching their granddaughter," she said tearfully.

'Bat signal'

She has called Trump's election a "bat signal" for all women and described her run as very personal, motivated by her sons' anxiety about being Muslims amid increased Islamophobia in America.

The Pew Research Center estimates that around 3.45 million Muslims live in the United States, making up about 1.1 percent of the total US population.

"Me being elected is a big message to the whole country that we are part of the government. We are part of society and that we want to give back just like anyone else," Tlaib told CBS News last May.

"'Clear out the room boys, let's put some women there... Let's deal with all these crises that we have in our country. It's about time that maybe we get an opportunity to take a stab at it'," she added.

She now stands to replace 89-year-old John Conyers, who resigned after 52 years in the House following sexual harassment accusations. Her two-year congressional term is scheduled to start in January.

Twenty-eight-year-old political novice Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose own insurgent win in a New York primary jolted the Democratic establishment in June, was among those who congratulated her on Wednesday.

Born and raised in southwest Detroit, Tlaib was also the first Muslim woman elected to the Michigan state assembly, serving from 2009-14. She has a law degree and has worked as an attorney for social justice.

Sally Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn who has known her for 25 years, described Tlaib is "tough, capable and hard-working" and "very charismatic."

'Our win'

"She cares about people, about the community she grew up in," Howell told AFP.

"She was not running as a Muslim per se, but as someone from southwest Detroit... who happens to be a Muslim. But her campaign was definitely picked up and championed by the Muslim community which feels greatly maligned."

In August 2016, Tlaib interrupted a Trump address in Detroit, telling him "our children deserve better" and imploring him to read the US Constitution, before being grabbed by security guards and ejected from the hall.

"My mother, so upset, 'you got arrested on national TV'," Tlaib told CNN. "I got detained. It's fine. It was the most American thing I could ever do."

She backs equal pay for women, tuition-free college, public healthcare, LGBTQ rights, overturning Trump's travel ban, environmental protections and immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for those undocumented.

But if Tlaib's seat is progressive, Trump was the first Republican president to carry rust-belt Michigan since 1988.

Three other Muslim women, in Arizona, Massachusetts and Minnesota, still in congressional races of their own, will now be hoping that a Tlaib bounce will also help blaze a way for them.

"I feel that her win is our win," candidate Tahirah Amatul-Wadud told AFP from Massachusetts. "It is wonderful to be a part of the changing face of democracy and our country."
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low around 50F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low around 50F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Tigers maul the Red Devils 44-36 On Friday night, the Washington Wilkes Tigers took on the Lincoln County Red Devils in the 85 meeting of the 378 War. The first drive for both teams stalled, with...

Washington Firefighters assist Oglethorpe County Firefighters with raging barn fire On October 20, an Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue truck from Salem sent out a call for mutual aid to battle an enflamed 500-gallon fuel tank, which Wilkes County stations promptly...

EMTs and firefighters train for farm rescues Over October 23-24, several EMTs and firefighters from around the southeast came to Wilkes County to receive training in responding to agricultural medical emergencies. Training over the first day focused...
The events of the recent days may be seen as a setback to that reform process and Germany encourages the government to see to it that this will not be so. That will include from our perspective and I am sure others will share this view to see to it that there will be calm in the country, that there will be political dialogue between the parties so that the country returns to normalcy as soon as possible, he said.
(Newser)  It's been called one of the British Museum's must-see marvels. But Hoa Hakananai'a won't remain there, if Easter Island's indigenous people get their way. The 7-foot-tall Moai statue housed in London since it was taken 150 years ago from what's now a Chilean territory is "the only tangible link that accounts for two important stages in our ancestral history," Rapa Nui leaders said Tuesday, calling on Chile's government to help in recovering it, reports AFP. According to Felipe Ward, Chile's national treasures minister, the request "seems appropriate" given that the Rapa Nui in December took over conservation of their archaeological past, including the more than 900 human figures carved mostly from volcanic ash from the sixth century to the 17th century. Hoa Hakananai'a, meaning "stolen or hidden friend," was uniquely carved from basalt.

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"It is widely considered one of the finest examples still intact today," with an "extraordinarily expressive" face, as well as symbols of the "bird man" religion once practiced there on its back, per the Evening Standard. Taken from the Pacific island 2,000 miles off the Chilean coast in 1868 by British Navy Commodore Richard Powell, Hoa Hakananai'a was presented to Queen Victoria, who donated it to the British Museum in 1869. Believing a protective spiritual force inhabits the Moai, the Rapa Nui describe the statue as stolen, though the UK rejected a previous request to return it based on concerns about its care, reports Telesur. Ward says "the circumstances have changed" since then, while Rapa Nui leaders say the statue's recovery, and that of another Moai kept in Paris, would help close "the sad chapter of violation of our rights by European navigators." (Read more Easter Island stories.)
(Newser)  There were more bombshells as Rick Gates' testimony in Paul Manafort's trial continued Tuesday, with the former Trump campaign chairman's defense team attacking the credibility of his erstwhile right-hand man. Gates, who has already admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort, confessed to an extra-marital affair under cross-examination from Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, the Washington Post reports. "There was a period in my life, about 10 years ago, when I had a relationship, yes," the married 46-year-old said, though he denied that the first-class travel and luxury hotels involved were funded with money stolen from Manafort, reports the Guardian.

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Gateswho served as deputy campaign chairman and was on President Trump's inauguration planning committeeadmitted that it was "possible" he had stolen money from the inauguration by submitting false expenses claims, BuzzFeed reports. Gates also testified that Manafort, who left the campaign in Aug. 2016, had written to him suggesting that Steven Calk, one of his bankers, be appointed Secretary of the Army, reports CNBC. As Manafort stared at him, Gates, the prosecution's star witness, provided more details about how he had helped Manafort allegedly funnel millions of dollars from Ukrainian business partners into shell companies. (There was a strange exchange during a break in testimony.)
(Newser)  Australia's most populous state was declared entirely in drought on Wednesday, and struggling farmers were given new authority to shoot kangaroos that compete with livestock for sparse pasture during the most intense dry spell in more than 50 years. Much of Australia's southeast is struggling with drought. But the drought conditions in New South Wales state this year have been the driest and most widespread since 1965. The state government said Wednesday that 100% of New South Wales' land area of more than 309,000 square miles, an area bigger than Texas, is now in drought, the AP reports.

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Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair says farmers are enduring one of the driest winters on record. Farm reservoirs have dried up and crops are failing.The state government has lifted the number of kangaroos that farmers are allowed to shoot and reduced bureaucratic red tape facing landholders applying for permission to shoot. "Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left," Blair says. "If we don't manage this situation, we will start to see tens of thousands of kangaroos starving and suffering, ultimately leading to a major animal welfare crisis." Wildlife groups, however, warn that farmers will end up killing off the "genetically superior kangaroos that can survive the drought."

(Read more Australia stories.)
(Newser)  Ruby Rose is making history with her latest role as Batwoman, the first openly gay superhero to headline a TV series. Batwoman will be introduced in a December crossover event between the CW network's other DC Comics shows, Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, the AP reports. A stand-alone series about Batwoman, whose real name is Kate Kane, is in development for the 2019-20 TV season. Kane is described as a highly trained street fighter with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind.

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Rose, a native of Australia who gained stardom when she was cast in the third season of Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, per Variety, wrote Tuesday on Instagram that she's "thrilled and honored" and "an emotional wreck" over the news. She added that as a young, gay person, she never felt represented on TV. Deadline reports that Rose came out as a lesbian when she was 12 and identifies as gender fluid.

(Read more Ruby Rose stories.)
(Newser)  The blaring horn and screeching brakes of the passing freight train first tipped off locals that something terrible was happening Tuesday morning, they tell CBS Chicago. Police in Portage., Ind., soon after were called to the CSX railroad tracks just south of a mobile-home park, where they made an awful find: a 3-year-old boy who'd been killed by the train, with his injured 2-year-old sister nearby, the Times of Northwest Indiana reports. Caleb Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene, while Ellie Wilson was airlifted to a Chicago hospital. The little girl was in critical condition with a head injury, though an aunt notes Ellie was awake and talking as of Tuesday evening. Portage Police Chief Troy Williams says the train conductor spotted the children at the last minute, leaned on the horn, and tried to get the train to stop, but it was too late.

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Now investigators are trying to piece together how Caleb and Ellie got out on the tracks. Williams says relatives who were home with the kids think they slipped out through a screen door without any adults noticing, and that family members were trying to find the kids when the train came through. The children's mobile home is only four homes down from the tracks, with no fencing or other barrier keeping anyone from climbing up the steep hill to the tracks. "Caleb loves trains and, of course, little Ellie follows Caleb everywhere," a relative tells the Times. The Porter County coroner has issued a warning in the wake of the tragedy, asking parents of little ones to "please keep a vigilant eye on their children during these summer months when they are more likely to roam outside," per the Chicago Tribune. (Read more train accident stories.)
(Newser)  A Cincinnati police officer is on restricted duty after using a Taser on an 11-year-old girl suspected of stealing food from a Kroger. "It's hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be tased. I expect answers in 24 hours," Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman tells the Cincinnati Enquirer, which reports the off-duty officer approached the 11-year-old suspected of shoplifting while working security at the Kroger around 9:30pm Monday. When she ignored commands and proceeded to walk away, the officer, whose name hasn't been released, stunned the girl in the back before arresting her on charges of theft and obstructing official business, according to police.

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"We are extremely concerned when force is used by one of our officers on a child of this age," says Police Chief Eliot Isaac, promising "a very thorough review of our policies as it relates to using force on juveniles, as well as the propriety of the officer's actions." Per the Enquirer, the department's policies allow Taser use "to temporarily immobilize a subject who is actively resisting arrest," so long as the suspect is between the ages of 7 and 70 and not pregnant. The 11-year-old was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center for evaluationno word on her conditionand released to a guardian, per CBS News. She's accused of using a backpack to steal food, per KSBW. (Read more Taser stories.)
(Newser)  University of Southern California President CL Max Nikias stepped down Tuesday in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal involving a campus gynecologist in which school administrators faced criticism they ignored decades of complaints. Nikias had been president since 2010; his $3 million in pay, bonuses, and benefits in 2015 made him one of America's best-paid academic honchos, per the Los Angeles Times. He has agreed to relinquish his role "effective immediately," but becomes president emeritus and a life trustee of the school, according to a letter to faculty, students, and alumni from Board of Trustees Chair Rick J. Caruso, who said trustees hope to find Nikias' successor within four to six months. Wanda M. Austin, who is a board member and the former CEO of Aerospace Corp., was appointed interim president, reports the AP.

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Nikias, 65, agreed in May to step down at an unspecified date. He and the school faced accusations that they ignored decades of complaints against Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist who worked at a university clinic for 30 years. Tyndall, who has since retired, is the focus of some two dozen lawsuits and a police investigation into allegations involving at least 50 women. The lawsuits allege Tyndall routinely made crude comments, took inappropriate photographs, and forced plaintiffs to strip naked and groped them under the guise of medical treatment. Nikias also came under fire after reports that USC medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito associated with criminals and people who used drugs and had been captured on video apparently smoking meth.

(Read more University of Southern California stories.)
(Newser)  A deceased Virginia man's funeral was interrupted last week when his mother says around a dozen police officers barged in to arrest a mourner. Per WWBT, Hopewell police were acting on a tip when they showed up Friday to the funeral of 31-year-old Troy Howlett in order to arrest his best friend, Rodney Peace. Peace was wanted on a felony credit card fraud charge, but Howlett's mom believes police could have waited to make their move. Instead, Donna Watson said around 12 cops "completely surrounded the funeral home" and posted themselves at every door in tactical vests. Peace reportedly was allowed to stick around for the service, but was not permitted to eulogize his friend as planned. Watson said Peace was cuffed and allowed only to watch in the foyer on CCTV.

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In spite of Watson's outrage, Hopewell police insist they did the right thing, and even did Peace a favor. Hopewell Police Lieutenant Paul Intravia told WTVR that his officers "actually showed a lot of compassion" by allowing Peace to stay at all. Intravia noted that Peace is also accused of domestic abuse and that a victim's rights needed to be respected, as well. Watson, however, believes the police ruined the funeral for everyone, not just Peace. She has called their conduct "barbaric" and asked for an apology from the Hopewell PD. (Read more police stories.)
(Newser)  GOP Rep. Chris Collins surrendered to federal agents in New York on Wednesday to face insider trading charges. CNBC quotes the Justice Department as saying the indictment is tied to "securities of Innate Immunotherapeutics ... an Australian biotechnology company on whose board of directors Christopher Collins served." The allegation is that Collins told his son Cameron nonpublic information about the company's drug trials in order to facilitate "timely trades." His son allegedly both acted on the information and conveyed it to Stephen Zarsky, the father of his fiancee. Zarsky is also said to have made trades. More:

The info allegedly allowed Cameron Collins, Zarsky, and others to sidestep more than $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise experienced, per the indictment. Both of those men are charged as well.

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The AP reports Innate was working on the development of a drug for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS).

NPR gets into the details of the accusation via the indictment, which alleges that while at the June 22, 2017, congressional picnic in DC, Collins read an email from Innate's CEO alerting him that the SPMS drug, which "had the potential to be enormously profitable," had failed a clinical trial. At 7:10pm, he replied to the email, writing, "Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???"

He called his son at 7:11pm; the two didn't connect until 7:16pm, at which point they spoke for six minutes. Cameron then allegedly informed Zarsky of the news. The two men subsequently made trades.

Attorneys for Rep. Collins says they are "confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated" and point out the elder Collins isn't accused of unloading his own shares, which ended up losing all but 8% of their value. But NPR notes the indictment specifies that his stock was held in Australia, where trading had been put on ice prior to the announcement. Shares held by his son and Zarsky were in the US.

CNBC reports Zarsky's wife Dorothy and Cameron Collins' fiancee, Lauren Zarsky, also allegedly made trades based on the information; the women have already settled with the SEC.

What House Speaker Paul Ryan had to say in a statement, per the Buffalo News: "While his guilt or innocence is a question for the courts to settle, the allegations against Rep. Collins demand a prompt and thorough investigation by the House Ethics Committee. ... Until this matter is settled, Rep. Collins will no longer be serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee."

CNN adds that the first endorsement of Donald Trump's presidential bid by a sitting member of Congress came from Collins. NBC News reports Collins is up for re-election in November and had been expected to be a shoo-in.

(Read more insider trading stories.)
(Newser)  A rep for Vladimir Putin says visiting GOP Sen. Rand Paul has presented a letter from President Trump to the Russian leader, though he added that the letter has not yet been examined by the Kremlin, reports the AP. "We expect that in the nearest time it will come to the presidential administration," he said, according to Russian news agencies. Politico clarifies that Putin has not been in Moscow this week, so the letter was given to his reps.

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Paul said he was "honored" to participate in the handover, tweeting that "the letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges." Paul on Monday announced he had invited Russian lawmakers to DC; it would mark their first visit in nearly three years.

(Read more Rand Paul stories.)
(Newser)  The US is poised to impose sanctions on Russia in retaliation for a March nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter. Per BBC, US investigators have determined the country is behind the March 4 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, who were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, England. The British government revealed earlier that the nerve agent Novichok, a type developed in Cold War-era Russia, was used in the attack that failed to kill the Skripals. They pulled through after weeks in a hospital. "The government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. Nauert said the sanctions will go into effect later this month.

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Russia has forcefully denied they were behind the poisonings. However, the US was among some 20 countries who took a unified stance with the UK against the Kremlin by expelling Russian diplomats. Per the AP, the US alone kicked out 60 officials the Trump administration referred to as spies for the Russian government. The US also shut down Russia's consulate in Seattle. In the months since, two other cases of nerve agent poisoning made headlines not far from where the Skripals were discovered near death. In late June, Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charles Rowley, fell ill 10 miles from Salisbury in the town of Amesbury after police believe the couple accidentally came into contact with a bottle containing Novichok. While Rowley survived, Sturgess was not as lucky. (Read more Sergei Skripal stories.)
New Delhi:

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday announced that a bourse that he inaugurated as a finance minister 25 years ago, is yet to yield its full potential. He mentioned that the best is on its way for the National Stock Exchange (NSE). National Stock Exchange was originated in 1994 to bring a potential reform in the Indian market.

While NSE operations were commenced long back, Singh referred to the foundation of it and emphasised about the skepticism involved in the financial sector during that time. Former prime minister, who is celebrated as the architect of Indias economic reforms, said that it is a good fortune of the country that the skeptics have been proven wrong.

Also Read | Sensex, Nifty surge to record highs

Singh was attending the exchanges silver jubilee celebrations in New Delhi when he mentioned that it made him proud that NSE turned out to be a brilliant decision taken by him as a finance minister in 1994.

He further added that the reforms of 1991 and the reforms that followed have led the foundation for India emerging as one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

According to Singh, NSE has been an institution of great national importance and played a crucial role in the transformation of Indias capital markets and also in building trust in markets.

"I am sure NSE will continue to contribute towards the objective of both market development for financing India's economic growth and integration of Indian economy with the global economy," he added.



While President Ram Nath Kovind was not able to attend the event personally owing to his busy schedule, his message was read out loud at the event.

Also Read | FBIL sets rupee reference rate at 68.6465 against dollar

"NSE is one of the largest and most important financial institutions in India. NSE has been playing a pivotal role in providing a stable, transparent and globally trusted market platform that has encouraged Indian and global investors to trust the Indian capital markets," the message noted.

"I hope NSE will continue to highlight the Indian growth story, improve investor awareness and, in the process, give a further fillip to the culture of household savings in India," Kovind said in the message.

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, who was also present at the event, reflected that NSE has borne many fruits for India. He said that the best period for the Indian economy is yet to unfold as India has only two per cent of households which invest into the capital markets, compared to 40 per cent in developed markets like the US.

Also Read | Rupee spurts 6 paise against US dollar

He motioned confidence that NSE will be a powerful driver in retail penetration going forward.

Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also graced the exchanges silver jubilee celebrations.

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New Delhi:

Six men, including a Bangladeshi national, have been arrested for allegedly firing on a police team and injuring an officer, during their dacoity bid, foiled by the police late last month in east Delhis Preet Vihar area, the police said on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as Islam (32), Ikram (30), Sohail (28), Harun (46), Appan (40) and Suttan Sheikh.

The police also recovered from them two country-made pistols, two empty cartridges, gold jewellery, two mobile phones, two knives and one Bangladeshi passport and several house-breaking instruments, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Pankaj Singh.



ALSO READ | Deoria Shelter Home Case: Uttar Pradesh government recommends CBI probe

He said on the intervening night of July 26 and 27, the police were informed of the presence of some suspected thieves in G Block of Preet Vihar, following which they rushed to the spot and found the miscreants trying to enter a house.

Accosted by the police, they tried to run away but one of them were nabbed by Assistant Sub Inspector Lokesh, following which the miscreants began grappling with him and hit on his head with a pistols butt to have their associate freed.

As the ASI did not yield, one of them opened fire on the police, injuring the ASI and managed to flee and disappear into the darkness along the adjoining railway tracks, said the DCP.

The police later found their bag near the railway tracks, he said, adding that the contents of the bag yielded vital clues about them, following which several police teams were formed and sent to different places.

One of the teams managed to nab Ikram near Kanpur Central Railway Station and on his revelations, his two other accomplices, Islam and Sohail, were arrested, the DCP said.

The police subsequently nabbed three others - Appan, Suttan and Haroon from Ghaziabad and Delhi respectively.

On interrogation, the arrested accused confessed that Ikram knew well of Preet Vihar topography and was in contact with Bangladeshi men both in Delhi and in Bangladesh. He roped in other members of the gang to commit thefts and dacoites,the DCP said.



ALSO READ | Plane overshoots airstrip, hits boundary wall in Sri Ganganagar

On July 5, the gang had committed a dacoity in a house at Preet Vihar, the DCP said, adding that on the intervening night of July 26 and 27, they were again planning to commit the crime in the area.

The investigations have revealed they had recently committed dacoities in Kerala and Bangalore too, he added.
New Delhi:

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella organisation of Maratha groups, on Wednesday said a day-long shut down would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, on Thursday to demand reservation for the community.

It will be a state-wide bandh, excluding Navi Mumbai. All the essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh, Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj said.

Jadhavrao said the protest would be held in a peaceful manner from 8 am to 6 pm and urged his fellow Maratha youths to desist from committing suicides.

Also Read | Maratha Reservation stir: Schools, commercial units to remain shut in

Jadhavrao also said committing suicide would not help the community and its cause.

In view of the bandh, authorities ordered closure of schools and colleges on Thursday in some areas, fearing violence.

Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram in an order said roads might be blocked and the possibility of stone-pelting on vehicles and arson cannot be ruled out.

Even if there is no untoward incident during the protest, roads might be blocked and we dont want students to be inconvenienced and parents to be anxious unnecessarily, PTI quoted Naval Kishore Ram as saying.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said nothing could be done on their demand till November 15.

Nothing can be done till November 15, the deadline for submission of the report by the Maharashtra State Commission for the Backward Classes which has been tasked with coming up with a time-bound programme on implementing quota for the Maratha community, Patil said.

Read more | Maratha Reservation stir: 'Nothing can be done till November 15'

The Maratha community, which constitutes around 30 per cent of Maharashtras population, had been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category.

According to the police, 276 cases of violence were registered across the state during the quota reservation stir between July 18 and 27. There were incidents of stone pelting at over 250 places and 198 incidents of arson.

Property, including both public and private, worth more than Rs 4.5 crore was damaged within those 10 days, police said.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday appealed to members of the Maratha community to refrain from resorting to violence or committing suicide over their demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Thursday marks the second anniversary of the Maratha mobilisation, which started in Marathwada in 2016 and culminated in pro-quota protests across the state.

(With Inputs from PTI)
Thiruvananthapuram:

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Kerala on Wednesday, leading to copious inflows into reservoirs and sounding of a red alert at Idamalayar dam in Ernakulam district.

The rapid rise in water levels at the dam led the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) to prepone opening of the shutters to 6 AM on Thursday from 8 AM.

The KSDMA took the decision at its meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Also Read | 45 injured in fire at Bharat Petroleum Corporation refinery in Mumbai

It asked the public not to panic and said that if the water level rises to 170 meters before 6 AM on Thursday, only one shutter would be opened and 82 cusecs released.

"The increase in water level downstream due to this limited discharge is estimated to be contained within the river banks," it said in a release.

KSDMA said that a decision on having a trial run to open the shutters of Idukki dam at 2,398 feet would be taken after assessing the situation on a concurrent basis and be announced subsequently, if necessary.

Also Read | Mizoram to begin Bru repatriation from August 14

The water level in the Idukki reservoir touched 2396.96 feet this afternoon against its full level of 2,403 feet.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department said various parts of the state received heavy to heavy rains in the last 24 hours, ending 8 am today.

Nilambur in Malappuram received 15 cm showers of rain, Vythiri in Wayanad 14 cm and Idukki 13 cm, it said in a release.
New Delhi:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday initiated a preliminary investigation against British farms Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research (GSR) for alleged data breaching of Indian from social media platform Facebook.

There were reports that the Cambridge Analytica had supported US President Donald Trump during the 2016 Presidential election in the USA by obtaining information from more than 87 million Indians, associated with Facebook.

After the first stage of the enquiry, the agency will decide whether the allegations against the data mining and analysis firm deserve a full-blown investigation through an FIR or not.

Earlier in July, Union Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed Rajya Sabha that the Centre will hand the probe over to the CBI.

CBI initiates a preliminary inquiry to look into data theft of Indians from Facebook by British firms Cambridge Analytica & Global Science Research. pic.twitter.com/mlg4WUywow  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

According to Prasad, there were also reports that user data was "illegally accessed by hardware manufacturers who had tie-ups with Facebook.

Read | Researchers find flaw in WhatsApp

In regard to this issue, Facebook has reported that they are not aware of any misuse of information, including Indian users' information".

Facebook has over 20 crore users in India. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company, in its clarification, said that the data of about 87 million people - mostly in the US -might have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. The Facebook, however, had promised to take all the necessary steps to ensure that such breaches do not recur in near future.

Cambridge Analytica, on the other hand, gave an initial response that the data of Indians was not breached but this was not in conformity with what was reported by Facebook.

The ministry's move came after Christopher Wylie, who blew the lid off the scam involving mining of Facebook user data to manipulate elections, tweeted details that claim to expose the British consultancy's work in India dating back to 2003.

Read | Bad week in social media gets worse; Twitter hammered

Wylie claimed that SCL India (formerly Strategic Communication Laboratories, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica) was asked to provide electoral research and strategy for the 2010 Bihar elections for the Janata Dal-United. The JD-U, however, has rejected the claim.

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London:

The future of the Force India Formula One team was secured after its administrator accepted a bid backed by a consortium of investors, effectively ending Vijay Mallyas 10-year-old reign at the midfield squad.

The team was put into administration ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix last month following the legal action taken by its Mexican driver Sergio Perez.

According to a statement issued on behalf of administrator Geoff Rowley, all 405 jobs at Force India will be saved following a deal with the team management, joint administrators and consortium of investors led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who happens to be the father of Williams driver Lance Stroll.



ALSO READ | X1 Racing League plans to invest over Rs 100 crore in next 3 years

Commenting on the deal, Force India Chief Operations Officer Otmar Szafnauer said This outcome secures the future of the Force India team in Formula 1 and will allow our team of racers to compete to our full potential.

I am delighted that we have the support of a consortium of investors who believe in us as a team and who see the considerable business potential that Force India has within F1 now and in the future.

He also acknowledged Mallyas contribution in the success of the team.

At Force India, our expertise and commitment has meant that we have always punched above our weight and this new investment ensures that we have a bright future ahead of us. I also would like to thank Vijay, the Sahara Group and the Mol family for all of their support and taking the team as far as their circumstances would allow added Szafnauer.

Mallya and Sahara had a 42.5 percent stake each in Force India while Mol Family owned 15 percent.



ALSO READ | Mallya resigns as Force India F1 director, seeks appeal in assets case

India is currently seeking Mallyas extradition from the UK over unpaid loans linked to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

Since their first season in 2008, Force India have gone on to become a strong midfield team, finishing fourth in the past two seasons.

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New Delhi:

A man, who allegedly raped and killed a five-year-old girl in Ghaziabad last week has been arrested by the police, an official said. The girls dead body was discovered on the roof a house, stuffed in a bag in Ghaziabad, the police said. The heinous incident took place on August 2. The girl was missing since Thursday and her father had lodged a missing report at the Khoda police station, Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said.

ALSO READ: Deoria Shelter Home: Uttar Pradesh government recommends CBI probe

The dead body was discovered the next day in a bag on the terrace of his elder brothers house, the official said.

Police acting on a tip-off, arrested the man on Wednesday. He has been identified as Deepak Singh, a taxi driver, the SSP said.

ALSO READ: M Karunanidhi gifted his Gopalapuram residence for a hospital in 2010



Singh used to live in the same area as that of the minor girl and the incident occurred when his wife had gone for a short vacation to her parental house, the police said.

On finding the girl alone, Singh brutally raped her and after she raised an alarm, he strangled her to death, the SSP said.

Singh thought he would be out of any suspicion as he helped the police squad during the search for the girl, Krishna added.

ALSO READ: M Karunanidhi: 10 fascinating facts about the DMK leader

Meanwhile, the post-mortem has confirmed that the minor was raped before being strangled to death and he now has been sent to jail under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, the SSP said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

In a controversial statement, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday said that India and Pakistan would have remained one country if Jinnah had become the first Prime Minister in place of Jawaharlal Nehru. The monk has also called Nehru "self-centred", triggering a fresh storm while addressing students at the Goa Institute of Management.

"Look at India, Mahatma Gandhi wanted Prime Ministership to go to Jinnah but Nehru refused to agree. I think Pandit Nehru was a little self-centred," the 14th Dalai Lama was quoted during his interaction in Goa.

"If Mahatma Gandhi's wish had materialised then India and Pakistan would have been united." Holding Nehru responsible for the partition, the Dalai Lama said, "I know Pandit Nehru very well, he was a very experienced person, very wise but sometimes mistake also happens," the spiritual leader went on to claim further.

#WATCH Dalai Lama says, "Mahatma Gandhi ji was very much willing to give Prime Ministership to Jinnah but Pandit Nehru refused." pic.twitter.com/WBzqgdCJaJ  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

Read | NN Exclusive | Imran Khan will lead Pakistan towards development: Pervez Musharraf

Meanwhile, responding to the Dalai Lama's remarks, BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy said that this kind of topics should be discussed during historical debates and it does not hold much value in the current political backdrop of India.

The BJP MP, however, has later pitched the Dalai Lama's comment on Nehru, adding that "Yes, it is true that Mahatma Gandhi wanted Jinnah to be the Prime Minister as he would have been a minority Prime Minister and he could be removed once the British were gone. But it is also true that Jawaharlal Nehru only thought about himself. Gandhi was only thinking of how the British could be removed".

Read | Imran may take oath as Pakistan's Prime Minister on August 14

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New Delhi:

In what could be a big relief for Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M K Stalin and his family, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused the plea seeking a stay on the last rites of veteran leader Karunanidhi at Marina Beach in Chennai. The plea was filed by K R Ramaswamy, popularly known as Traffic Ramaswamy, a social activist from Chennai, who moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order which allowed the burial of Karunanidhi at the Marina beach on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the High Court allowed performing the last rites of Karunanidhi, observing that there was no legal impediment in providing a place at Marina Beach as sought by the party.

A two-judge bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar, in an unusual midnight hearing, passed the order on a petition filed by the DMK. The judgment came after a heated argument between counsels representing the petitioner and the government.

Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking stay on the last rites of #Karunanidhi at #MarinaBeach. Ramaswamy had moved SC against the Madras High Court order which allowed to perform the last rites of #Karunanidhi at the Marina beach. pic.twitter.com/II9OwEgUWE  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

Read | Karunanidhi Funeral Live Updates: Mortal remains of DMK chief taken to Marina Beach

The apex court directed the ruling AIADMK government to forthwith provide a place for a decent burial of Karunanidhi, who passed away on Tuesday, within the precincts of the burial place of DMK founder C N Annadurai in consonance with the rough sketch submitted by the petitioner.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place...," the division bench said after hearing senior counsels.

"The writ petition is allowed with the direction to the respondent authorities to provide a place for decent burial to lay the mortal remains of late Kalaignar M Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, on the Marina beach...," it said in the operative portion of the order.

Considering the exigency involved, the operative portion was released and a detailed order would follow, the bench added.

Read | 'Kalaignar' Karunanidhi had special connection with MS Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings and Cricket

Meanwhile, scores of DMK cadres and Kalaignar followers have joined the funeral procession near Marina beach, as DMK chief M Karunanidhi has already left for his eternal abode.

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New Delhi:

A week-long state mourning has been declared in Tamil Nadu as DMK chief and five-time Chief Minister M Karunanidhi passed away at 6:10 pm on Wednesday. Affectionately called as Kalaignar by his followers, Karunanidhi in 2010, gifted his Gopalapuram residence to set up a hospital for the poor. He is also the only Indian politician to have never tasted defeat in any of the 13 assembly election that he contested consecutively.

ALSO READ: Karunanidhi: Tamil leader who scripted superhit political potboiler

On his 86th birthday, Kalaignar donated his Gopalapuram residence to Annai Anjugam Trust (named after his mother) to set up a hospital for the poor after his and his wifes lifetime.

ALSO READ: Karunanidhi passes away; here is how national leaders react on Twitter

In 1968, he registered the house in the name of his sons Stalin, Alagiri, and Tamilarasu and got their consent to donate it to the Annai Anjugam Trust in 2009.

ALSO READ: MK Stalin pens letter to M Karunanidhi, says Shall I call you 'Appa'?

Famous Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu and former union minister A Raja are among the noted trustees of the Trust.

Karunanidhi had purchased the Gopalapuram house in 1955.

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New Delhi:

Maratha quota leaders on Wednesday said that community members will hold stern protests across Maharashtra on August 9 for the unfulfilled promises made by the government to the Maratha community. They added that they have decided to put an end to all communication as a part of the protest.

"The state government has not only failed to implement its promises made to the Maratha community before the 2014 assembly elections and in the last four years, but also delayed the procedure of withdrawing police complaints filed against the Maratha youth across the state," said Vinod Pokharkar, a leader of the Maratha Kranti Morcha.

ALSO READ: Jobs meant for OBCs won't go to other categories: Devendra Fadnavis

Pokharkar, while accusing Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders of not keeping their quota promise, claimed that at least 2,000 youths were arrested by the police under serious charges after the strong protest held in several areas across the state in July.

"With the August 9 protest imminent, the state government ensured that hearing on the cases against the Maratha youth would take place after August 9. This means that these youths will remain behind bars till Thursday," he alleged.

ALSO READ: MK Stalin pens emotional letter to M Karunanidhi, says Shall I call you 'Appa' now?

Pokarkar further claimed that not a single police station has received the state governments letter asking them to withdraw charges against the youths who were arrested.



Earlier on June, Maharashtra CM Fadnavis had announced that the government would take back non-serious charges against the Maratha youngsters.



Meanwhile, another leader Bhaiyya Patil said several meetings have been scheduled in some districts to plan out the strategy for the 9 August protests.

ALSO READ: Why Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan cant fill void in Tamil Nadu politics created by Karunanidhis death



"We will finalise the agitation plan in these meetings. We want to show the strength of the community to the government," Patil said.

The Maratha community has been protesting for their demand for reservation in jobs and education under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.



Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday appealed to the Maratha community to avoid violence or commit suicide over their demand.

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New Delhi:

MK Stalin wrote an emotional letter to his father and DMK supremo M Karunanidhi after his demise as thousands of people across Tamil Nadu mourned the death of the towering Tamil leader. Stalin titled the letter as Shall I address you as Appa once at least now?

The full transcript of the letter (Translated from Tamil to English):

"You used to tell me the place where ever you go. Now, where have you gone without telling me? Where did you go leaving us all in the lurch? You had said 33 years back, what should be written in your memorial- Here lies the person who worked untiringly throughout his life. Have you now decided that you did enough for Tamil society."

ALSO READ: M Karunanidhi: 10 fascinating facts about the DMK leader

" Are you hiding somewhere, to see if anyone can beat your achievements? On June 3, the day of your birthday, I begged for at least half the ability you had. Now will you give the heart you got long ago from Arignar Anna, to me? Because, with that significant donation, we will fulfill your unfulfilled dreams and ideals."

ALSO READ: DMK chief Karunanidhi passes away; here is how national leaders react on Twitter

"On behalf of crores of 'Udanpirappukkal' (Karunanidhi used to address DMK cadre as Udanpirappu (blood brothers), I appeal to you: "Just utter the phrase 'Udanpirappe' once and that will make us work for a century! I used to address you as 'thalaivare' (leader) most of the time in my life than calling you as 'appa'. At least now, shall I address you once as 'appa'?"

ALSO READ: Kalaignar Karunanidhi  the towering Tamil leader who scripted superhit political potboiler

"With tears, MK Stalin."

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New Delhi:

There is no mistaking the fact that the US and its European allies are on collision course on sanctions against Iran. There is an undercurrent of resentment against US president Donald Trumps fiat to choke Iran through economic sanctions.

With the US all set to re-impose economic sanctions against Iran that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord following President Donald Trumps decision in May to withdraw from an international deal that sought to limit Irans nuclear programme, the European nations are in strong disagreement.

By abrogating the US-Iran nuclear deal with which former US president Barack Obama had hemmed in Iran, Trump has shown scant regard for accords especially when he had also withdrawn from the Paris Climate accord soon after he assumed office.

Also Read | Donald Trump warns countries against doing business with Iran

In a statement on new sanctions against Iran recently, Trump said the Iranian Government faces a choice: Either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.



But the isolation is being resented by Europe which sees a sacrifice in trade benefits that is uncalled for.

International inspectors have concluded that Iran is complying with the accord, contrary to the US rant. We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and the European Union said in a joint statement on Monday in a rare show of defiance against the US.

Indeed, after a long time, an American president has brought governments in Europe to a point of collision with it after decades of good feeling and constructive cooperation.

The sanctions ban any transactions with Iran involving US dollar bank notes, gold, precious metals, aluminium, steel, commercial passenger aircraft and coal, and they end imports into the United States of Iranian carpets and foodstuffs.

India is one of the largest buyers of Irans oil, and has pledged to invest millions in Irans Chabahar Port. Recent demands by top American officials that India reduce its oil imports from Iran to zero by November led to sore feelings in New Delhi. Those demands were later softened, but the damage was done.

Also Read | Trump insulting Modi will only hurt long-standing India-US ties

Indian relations with the United States have suffered as a consequence though there is no overt protest from India. A counter to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative is being mooted with the US, Australia, Japan participating in it but India has opted to keep out of it as of now, apparently because it does not want to annoy Beijing with which it has forged improved ties.

India is second only to China when it comes to oil import from Iran, and in February 2018, after President Rouhanis meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, India had committed to increase that intake by 25 per cent this year.

How India will convince the Americans to relent on Iranian oil imports remains to be seen. On Chabahar Port development also, the loser would be India if there is any backtracking by New Delhi on using the port as a counter-weight to Gwadar Port that Pakistan is developing in a big way.

Also Read | The Modi-Imran peace line and the cold reality

The Chinese have said that they would continue to buy Iranian oil in defiance of US sanctions. Beijing is unlikely to seriously curb economic ties with Iran unless it receives significant concessions on other issues  something the Trump administration is unlikely to grant.

Already stung by US hikes in import duties on a range of products, the Chinese are seething with anger at Trumps measures. They would do everything to be on the same page as Europe on the Iranian sanctions issue.

Trump seems to revel in shock treatments, but in the process of his policy twists he is driving the US farther and farther away from its traditional allies while not building new equations. At least on external relations, Trump has proved to be a veritable disaster.

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New Delhi:

The vehemence with which the AIADMK unsuccessfully tried to deny the final resting place to Kalaignar, among the tallest of national leaders from Tamil Nadu, only unwittingly gave the DMK and Karunanidhis political heir and son MK Stalin the state of Tamil Nadu on a platter. Even those neutral in Tamil Nadu politics as also the man on the street were aghast at the shameful and shocking politics played by the AIADMK government and spread a fresh wave of anger against the AIADMK and the government, whose popularity was already on the decline.

ALSO READ: Why Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan cant replace Karunanidhi?

For sure, the unsuccessful move of the AIADMK to deny the burial place sought by Karunanidhis family members, party cadres only helped the DMK and Stalin to reinvent themselves in Tamil Nadu politics.

Stalin has, even by being silent, reinvented himself politically and more so in the last 12 days than he did in the past two years when he failed to cash in on the infighting within the ruling AIADMK.



Even when within a striking distance of power with 98 members in 234-member assembly, Stalins move to dislodge the Edapaddi Palanisami government through a no-confidence motion died in a whimper.



There were also murmurs of discontent over his leadership and fighting skills among regional chieftains who were flexing muscles.

But with a foolish self-goal by Palanisami, he handed over the Tamil Nadu state to a rising DMK, especially after it has been able to reinvent itself in the last fortnight or so ever since Karunanidhi was hospitalised, felt Prof Ramu Manivannan, a political analyst from Madras University.

ALSO READ: Karunanidhi: Tamil leader who scripted superhit political potboiler

If the Tamil Nadu government contents the Madras High Court order allowing burial of Karunanidhi at Marina Beach, it would be scoring more self-goals. But for a government that has scored other self-goals, what are one or two more. It would make little or no difference to the end game and result.



The reasoning behind this reading is that the AIADMK has seen a split, with a breakaway faction threatening to do more damage when the time comes.



TTV Dhinakaran, rebel AIADMK leader, is drawing huge crowd and is 24X7 on a tirade against the ruling dispensation. The AIDMK and the government too are losing the perception battle, for seemingly bowing to the central government diktats on a host of issues. Whether it was NEET or its handling of Sterlite protests, the perception is that the government was acting against the interests of the people in the state.



The DMK on the rise



It is amidst this situation that the mantle of the DMK has fallen on Stalin, who has been the longest-serving understudy to DMK party president for 40 years and his father Karunanidhi. And since the succession plan was already in place and he was virtually anointed as his political successor, Stalin does not have a challenge to his position within the party.



Moreover, in the last two years when his father was out of active politics due to illness, Stalin took a firm grip over the party apparatus and had ejected his trouble-making brother MK Alagiri out of the party.

ALSO READ: Tamil superstars will have to sweat a lot to make it count in politics



Even after the death of Karunanidhi last evening, it is Stalin who is seen as in control with his sister Kanimozhi at his side, conveying the impression he has even the family under control.



The party is secure in his hands and the DMK is a cadre-based party. On that front, he has no problems, contrary to media speculations about the nuisance value of his elder brother Alagiri who was once a party strongman in Southern Tamil Nadu. But he has faded out and unless he is propped up by AIADMK and other anti-DMK forces he stands little or no chance to make any difference to the DMK prospects.

ALSO READ: MK Stalin pens letter to M Karunanidhi, says Shall I call you 'Appa'?

What Stalin will be benefitting from is both from sympathy factor following the demise of his father and due to the growing unpopularity of the AIADMK government. But he has his task cut out  if he can be magnanimous and muster political sagacity to forge alliances that will propel the DMK to power.
Despite spending BD1.5 billion on expanding roads the traffic issue remains more or less the same forcing the Government to come up with Metro Bahrain, Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed said yesterday.

Metro Bahrain will address the traffic issue to a great extent. The service will be appealing, especially to the youth, the minister said. He explained that the first phase of the project includes the establishment of a 29-km network including 20 stations that will be operated across two lines.

The first line will connect Bahrain International Airport with Seef Mall and will have stations at King Hamad Hospital, Avenues Mall, Bab Al Bahrain and City Centre.

The second line will connect Juffair with the educational area in Isa Town, through Al Fateh Street, the Diplomatic Area and Bab Al Bahrain.
An Ethiopian domestic servant snapped the hand of a woman police officer out of her fear for handcuffs, it was revealed. The 35-year-old maid was detained at the Public Prosecution premises after being accused of illegal stay in Bahrain and her victim was assigned to accompany her.

The Ethiopian woman is said to have caused a chaotic scene when police officers, including the victim, attempted to handcuff her. When I saw the handcuffs, I got desperate and I snapped the police officers hand. I regret my acts and am sorry for what happened, the Ethiopian woman said.

There was an Indonesian woman with the Ethiopian maid at the same detention. And it was alleged that she also had attacked police officers.

However, she refuted such claims during questioning. Both women were earlier charged by the Public Prosecution with attacking on-duty police officers. They will appear before the High Criminal Court.
The Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF) is all set to celebrate the 10th edition of Spectra  one of the largest art carnivals for students in the Kingdom.

The event aims at unearthing artistic talent among the youth while creating a future generation who would be catalysts for social change.

Speaking to Tribune, ICRF chairman Aruldas Thomas said, This annual event, which started in the year 2009, is scheduled to be held on Friday, 14 December, 2018, from 7 am onwards at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, Sanabis.
The family members of the muezzin who is accused of murdering a Bahraini Imam will be repatriated soon, it was learnt. The senior imam at a mosque in Muharraq was kidnapped and cut into pieces and the body was thrown near a scrapyard in Askar, a day after he was reported missing. A Bangladeshi man who was working as a muezzin at the same mosque was arrested in connection with the incident.

Speaking to Tribune, Bangladesh Embassy labour consul Shaikh Tahidul Islam said, We will cooperate with the investigation process carried out by the Interior Ministry and Public Prosecution. Mr Islam said the incident was too brutal and the accused was blacklisted by the embassy for selling illegal work permits to expats in the black market. Steps are being taken to send the family of the accused back home as they are under his sponsorship. The embassy official said that the incident defamed the whole community in the Kingdom.

It is our duty to help the family of the accused. They have no clue over continuing their lives in the Kingdom and hence it has been decided to send them back home. The imam will be buried in Muharraq. His immediate survivors include wife and 10 children. Abdul Jaleel Hamood was a senior Imam at Bin Shiddah Mosque in Muharraq. He went missing in the early hours of Sunday after he had gone to perform Al Fajr prayers (dawn prayers). Unable to contact the imam, his family members alerted the police, which began the hunt of missing man in full swing.

The imams picture and information were shared on social media by his family members, which went viral instantly. A few hours later the Interior Ministry announced that the imams body was found in pieces inside a plastic bag in Al Mazra area near the scrapyard in Askar.
Three Asian ex-employees of a major construction company appeared yesterday before the Lower Criminal Court after being accused of embezzling BD1.5 milllion. The trio includes the general manager, the project manager and a quantity surveyor.

They pleaded not guilty and judges at the court adjourned the hearing until August 19, 2018, to hear prosecution witnesses.

According to the companys lawyer, Maha Jaber, the general manager had been serving in the company for 21 years and he collaborated with his co-defendants in pocketing money generated from selling movable properties owned by the company.

They have been doing this for three years, and the company discovered their misconduct recently. An auditing process was performed via an external auditing firm, in which it was discovered that the general manager transferred BD1.5m to his country in the past three years, although his total earnings since his recruitment dont exceed half million Bahraini dinars, she added.

Explained how the suspects manipulated the companys accounts, she said: The defendants used to deposit the money earned through selling the movable properties into their accounts. And then show in the records that they used it in carrying out other activities for the company in collaboration with another company which was operating in waste collection

The quantity surveyor was forging the reports submitted to the company about the sites in return of bribes provided by the general manager and the project manager.
Manama : Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the countrys sovereign wealth fund, has sold its stake in Nobel Learning Communities, one of the leading providers of private education in the United States (from pre-school to high school). Nobel Learning Communities has a network of more than 190 private schools across the United States, catering to the needs of children of all ages. As one of the largest private school operators in the country, the company also operates Laurel Springs School, an accredited private online school, offering college preparatory programmes for students globally.

Nobel Learning has grown considerably since our investment three years ago, answering the needs of more people with their quality educational programmes. On average, each additional year of education a child receives increases their adult earnings by about 10pc, explained Mahmood H Alkooheji, CEO of Mumtalakat.

Our investment in Nobel Learning reflects our optimistic outlook on the US market. While we focus on investing in sectors that address economic needs and partner with companies with robust management teams and a proven track record of growth, we are committed to continued investments in the education sector and have built a strong team of industry experts to support the growth of our portfolio companies. We continue to seek investments in different education subsectors, including private pre-K and K-12 education, vocational training, and educational support software, added Alkooheji.

Mumtalakat made its first investment in the education sector in 2009 when the sovereign wealth fund established an aviation academy catering to the needs of the aviation market in the Gulf region. This was followed by investments in the regional and global education sector through acquisitions in companies providing private education.
Manama : Al Haram Import and Export, a Saudi Arabian operator of value fashion retail centres, has hired 30 Bahrainis as it launches operations in the country. The company plans to open four stores in Bahrain over the next three years making an investment of $150 million, creating 200 jobs for Bahrainis. The opening of these stores will see the company make an investment of $150 million in Bahrain as it creates and expands its footprint. Al Haram plans to open its first outlet in Janabiya by the end of October with Salmaniya, Alba Roundabout and Diyar Al Muharraq chosen as the next store locations.

The Alba Roundabout store will open by the end of the year followed by Salmaniya in February 2019 and the final store will open in Diyar Al Muharraq two years from now, said Al Haram Import and Export Chairman and President Khamis Mubarak Al Qahtani. Commenting on the companys plans for Bahrain, Al Qahtani said, We are pleased to allocate part of our investment in Bahrain which we consider as an oasis of investment and investment-friendly due to the sound policies followed by the government of Bahrain.

The operator has a more than 60 per cent market share in Saudi Arabias affordable fashion and lifestyle apparel market. We have been looking to bring Al Haram to Bahrain for a number of years as huge numbers of shoppers from Bahrain drive across the causeway to buy from our stores. Over the years, we have achieved great success thanks to our loyal customers, quality products and competitive pricing, Al Qahtani said. We source quality products from suppliers around the world and our dedicated service ensures customers get a comfortable and wholesome shopping experience, he said.
Japan's Defense Ministry will raise the age limit of applicants for Self-Defense Forces members and cadets from the current 26 to 32 as early as October, ministry officials said Tuesday.

To conduct the first age hike in 28 years, the ministry will amend an ordinance on rules to implement the SDF law after seeking public comment.

The ministry had initially planned to push up the age ceiling in fiscal 2019 starting next April. But consent from the Air, Ground and Maritime SDF was obtained more smoothly than expected, the officials said.

The number of applicants for SDF members and cadets has been declining on the back of the falling birth rate and economic recovery in the country.

The ministry hopes that the easier age requirement will help the SDF secure capable personnel, the officials added.
Scores of Nigerian youths, Wednesday stormed the Wadata Plaza, national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), demanding among others, tickets to participate in the 2019 general elections on the platform of the party.Decked in white T-shirts with the inscription, Ready To Run, they chanted solidarity songs primarily calling for affirmative action in support of youths inclusiveness in the 2019 polls.Leader of the group and Convener of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run, Samson Itodo while presenting a list of demands to the PDP National Youth Leader, Honourable Sunday Udeh-Okoye, said the youths were at the partys secretariat to solicit for support for the aspirations of young Nigerians, many of whom, he said, had indicated interest to contest various elective positions in 2019.Itodo, whose presentation drew applause from representatives of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), bemoaned the high cost of nomination forms for the various offices, adding however that the youths were not asking for free forms but a reduction in the cost to be able to afford them.We are asking that this party should support young Presidential aspirants, reserve tickets for the youths, reduce cost of nomination forms and adopt the direct primaries option in the selection of candidates for elective positions. Additionally, we are calling for an end to vote buying.Nigerian youths are now more aware of what is going on. The nation is being celebrated today across the world for reducing the age limit to run for elective offices simply because of that step taken to address this issue.As a party that represents transformation, you must reduce the cost of obtaining nomination forms, he said, warnung that the youths will not accept crumbs from politicians this time.Responding on behalf of the party, Udeh-Okoye pledged the readiness of the PDP to take the youths along, noting that the party is famous for championing youths aspirations since the return to democratic mode of governance in 1999.The Bill (Not-Too-Young-To-Run) was sponsored by our member who has defected for one or two reasons, but which has nothing to do with the PDP not doing well but for his personal reasons. Even as he has defected, he is still our member in spirit.Our party will protect your interest. We believe in you and we have respect for our youths. We want the young ones to grow which is why while the other political parties were kicking against the Bill, we stood our ground and ensured that it was passed.The field is now open for every Nigerian youth to run as age is no longer a barrier. I challenge you to begin to confront the political arena to vie for position, without looking at anybodys face, he stated, even as he tasked the youths to be dogged in their demands for inclusiveness.Power is not given; it is taken. Once we march in unison and support ourselves to get what we want, certainly we will get there.This party will not disappoint you and we assure you that all our primaries are going to be transparent. We assure you that the interests of the youths are going to be protected, he added.
Ahamad Lawan, senate majority leader, says the defection of Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressiv...

Ahamad Lawan, senate majority leader, says the defection of Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has swallowed the recent defections from the ruling party.





He said the former governor of Akwa Ibom state is an uncommon senator who enjoys support all over the country.





Lawan spoke at the APC rally organised in Akwa Ibom on Wednesday to receive Akpabio into the ruling party.





The ruling party recently lost 14 of its senators including Senate President Bukola Saraki to the PDP.





But Lawan said Akpabios defection to the APC is one bigger than that of those senators.





Senator Akpabios defection has swallowed all the others. It is one that is equal to more than 14 others, he said.





This uncommon senator is a nationalist who believes in a united Nigeria; in a stable Nigeria and in the administration of Muhammadu Buhari. He believes that Nigerians should support this very good and noble cause.





From this moment, this our member is a full-blooded APC caucus member; but he has always been. He has always been a patriotic Nigerian.





He added that as a minority leader, Akpabio offered constructive criticism while in the PDP.





According to him, I used to refer to him as the minority leader, I never call him opposition leader because he has always been considerate as minority leader, as someone who should be opposing government.




The last has not been heard on the battle between the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State and Senator Shehu Sani.

The last has not been heard on the battle between the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State and Senator Shehu Sani.





The chapter, just a few days ago, insisted that Sani remained suspended.





On Tuesday, the lawmaker was accused of forging the partys letterhead and allegedly sponsoring some fake executives who wrote a statement insisting he was not suspended.





Ibrahim Salisu Togo, Chairman APC Kaduna South, in a letter to the state chairman called for probe of the matter.





The letter titled: Impersonation of Ward 6 Kaduna South APC Leadership, Attempted Factionalisation of Ward 6 APC South and Forgery of letterhead of Ward 6 APC Kaduna South by Senator Shehu Sani reads:





We write to officially report to the State Working Committee a case of Impersonation of Ward 6 Kaduna South APC Leadership, Attempted Factionalisation of Ward 6 APC Kaduna South and Forgery of letterhead of Ward 6 APC Kaduna South instigated by Senator Shehu Sani who is on indefinite suspension from the APC.









Last week, the APC executive in Ward 6 issued a public reminder that the party had since 2016 placed Shehu Sani on indefinite suspension. Senator Shehu

Sani responded to this by instigating some people to pose as the executives of Ward 6 Kaduna South and disclaim his indefinite suspension.





These persons forged the letterhead of Ward 6 Executive and signed a document impersonating the ward excos. The statement bore the name of one Abbas Muhammad Anni as Ward 6 Chairman and 17 others purporting to be the excos of Ward 6.





None of the signatories of this forgery is on the Ward 6 Executive duly elected at the Ward Congress of 5th May 2018. Ibrahim Salisu Togo is the chairman of the executive that emerged at the ward congress.





This act is an attempt at factionalizing our party by portraying a list of ward excos different from duly elected and constitutional leadership. This action, aside from being a criminal case, is a violation of Article 21A of the party constitution.





Mr. Chairman will also recall, that in our previous correspondence, we reported to your good office, various anti-party activities of the Shehu Sani, including open meetings with the leadership and members of the Peoples Democratic Party in our Ward.





Shehu Sani does not regard the APC as a party deserving of his loyalty, respect and commitment. He views the APC as purely a tool for his personal ambition, which he can dump at will. That is why he has placed posters without the logo of our party.





As you can see, his acts of indiscipline are on the increase. By his conduct, he has given us no reason to review his indefinite suspension.




Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commiss...

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.Magu arrived the Acting Presidents office at 2:29 p.m.The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Senate President Bukola Saraki visited the Minna, capital of Niger state, residence of former military President Ibrahim Babangida on Wednes...

Senate President Bukola Saraki visited the Minna, capital of Niger state, residence of former military President Ibrahim Babangida on Wednesday to hold a private meeting with the elder statesman.





He met with IBB shortly after he gave a hint of nursing a presidential ambition.
Stakeholders in Imo State said they were seriously befuddled over the silence of Governor Rochas Okorocha on the plan to legalise cattle ranching in the state.Provoked by the said development, Imolites in different fora spoke to South-East Voice in Owerri, saying that they would resist any attempt by the government to establish cattle ranching in Imo State.They were among other things perturbed that the day governors of the South-East in one accord said they were not in support of cattle ranching, Governor Okorocha was said to be absent from the meeting.Not long after that, the story of Imo State House of Assembly, on the plan to legalise cattle ranching took the centre stage of public discussion.The Assembly was said to be looking into a bill, which if passed, would lawfully provide land for herdsmen in the name of establishing cattle ranches.This is despite several reports by South-East Voice, where herdsmen were said to have caused maximum damages on farms of their host communities.As a result of the said silence by Okorocha to speak against cattle ranching, the Coalition of Imo socio-cultural organisation and town unions, through its leader, Emeka Diwe, urged stakeholders in the state to oppose the establishment of cattle ranches in the state.Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Imo State chapter, had warned against such move by the state House of Assembly in giving legal backing to ranching in the state.According to Diwe, the Coordinator of the Coalition of Imo Socio-Cultural Organisation and Town Unions said: We, the Coalition of Imo Socio-Cultural Organisations and Town Unions have rejected the bill for the establishment of cattle ranches in Imo State as well as a bill for the registration and issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, to land in the rural areas currently before the Imo State House of Assembly.Cattle rearing is a personal business of northerners and herdsmen who do not own any land or village in Imo State.They lamented that Imo State House of Assembly abandoned other critical areas begging for their intervention only to dabble into the dangerous invitation of the herdsmen into Imo State through the said bill.The state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, was not left out in the protest against the said plan to establish cattle ranches in Imo State.Also, the Imo State CAN, through the Secretary, Rev. Eches Divine Eches, was not happy over the said bill to establish cattle ranches in the state.They went further to say that according to their investigation, it was a lawmaker in the House, who wanted to use the bill to attract favour to himself.The stakeholders said: It has come to our notice that a member of the Imo State House of Assembly sponsored a Grazing Bill and for the establishment of ranches.This is a very important issue to Ndi Imo. Hence, when the information came to us as a Body, CAN, we went into action by investigating the root of the matter.After so many calls and meetings in the last two days,(17th and 18th July 2018), we came to an understanding of the following:That the said bill is not an executive bill but was sponsored by a member who is trying to use the bill to gain cheap popularity. Hence, it should be disregarded.That we have been assured by the leadership of the House through the CPS of Mr Speaker that the leadership of the House will soon dissociate self from the said bill.That the Speaker having led the Southern Speakers Forum last year to reject such a bill, it will now amount to double standards if such bill happens to find its way through the back door to the House with same Speaker.That in line with our understanding with the leadership of the House through the CPS to Mr Speaker, a press statement disassociating the leadership of the House from the bill will be released today, the 19th of July,2018 or before the end of this week so as to douse the tension generated by the said bill.That Imo people are law-abiding citizens. Hence should go about their normal duties as the said Bill will not see the light of the day.We sincerely appreciate every one in the last two days, that showed concern in one way or the other (both those who called) so as to nip this thing in the bud.
A federal high court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), to produce Mahmood Yakubu, chairman o...

A federal high court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), to produce Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in court on August 14.





Stephen Pam,a judge, gave the order after Adegboyega Awomolo, counsel to Yakubu, told the court that he did not know where his client was.





On August 1, the court had issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Yakubu for flagrant disobedience of court orders.





According to Pam, the bench warrant issued for the arrest of Yakubu has not been vacated and still subsists.





The I-G is hereby ordered to enforce it by bringing him to court on the next adjourned date, he held.





He adjourned the matter until August 14 for continuation of committal proceedings.





Earlier, Awomolo told the court that he had written a letter to Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, chief judge of the federal high court, asking that the matter be transferred to another judge.





Awomolo also told the court that he had filed three appeals in respect to three different rulings delivered by Pam on the matter.





He asked the court for an adjournment to allow the chief judge reassign the matter to another judge.





Gordy Uche, counsel to Ejike Oguebego, the plaintiff, however, opposed the application for an adjournment on the grounds that there was no basis for adjournment.





Uche told the court that although Awomolo had written to seek the disqualification of the judge, the letter was not copied to him or the judge as he was only just informing the court.





He submitted that the judge could not act on the letter since there had been no directive from the chief judge for him to act on the letter.





Uche also argued that it was a special court constituted with a fiat to hear the contempt charge within a specific timeline.





According to him, as at today, the fiat has not been withdrawn and in spite of Awomolos letter, there has been no order from the chief judge directing Justice Pam to stop sitting on the matter.





The contempt charges were brought against the INEC chairman by Oguebego for his refusal to recognise him as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra.





This was in compliance with a supreme court judgment of December 2014.





Pam had, on July 5 and July 10, ordered Yakubu to appear in court and show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court.




A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for the investigation of the sacked Director General of the Department of State Serv...

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for the investigation of the sacked Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.





The legal luminary accused Daura of human rights violations, abuse of office, corruption, incompetence and crass impunity.





In a statement on Tuesday after Matthew Seiyefa was appointed as acting DG, Falana said Daura shouldnt have been appointed in the first place.





Falana noted, Having regards to the fact that he was removed from the DSS for incompetence, Mr. Daura should not have been appointed as the DG of the security agency. He exhibited such empty arrogance and crass impunity.





Daura constituted such colossal embarrassment to the federal government. I call on the acting DG of the SSS to release the hundreds of detainees being illegally held incommunicado in the SSS detention dungeon.





I had a running battle with Daura over the illegal detention of many detainees, including Zamfara legislators, 2 Indian nationals, politicians, student leaders, journalists etc.





He prevented the federal government from complying with the orders of the court to release Col. Sambo Dasuki, Ibraheem Elzakzaky and his wife, Zeinab Elzakzaky.





He housed the fugitive, Abdurasheed Maina. He countermanded the nominations of the President and colluded with fifth columnists to sabotage the democratic process.




The Benue State Government has confirmed the freezing of its account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC.

The Benue State Government has confirmed the freezing of its account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC.





Confirming the development, Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said it was true that the state governments account was frozen by the EFCC.





Recall that we had earlier on Wednesday that the state governments account has been frozen by the anti-graft agency.





Akase said the action of the EFCC was already having impact on the running of the government of Benue state, adding the salaries of civil servants and pensions have been affected.





He said Yes, it is true that accounts of the Benue State Government have been frozen by EFCC.





It is part of the political witch-hunt against Governor Samuel Ortom. The action of EFCC is already having negative impact on the running of government in Benue State. It is a move that will affect salaries, pensions and other sundry payments.





The Governors aide maintained that up till press time the anti-graft agency has not come up with a reason for carrying out the action.





He said, The question we are asking is; why did EFCC not investigate the Governors security votes when he was still a member of APC? Why start the investigation now?





EFCC should not allow itself to be used as an attack dog unleashed against perceived political opponents.





Let the Federal Government tell us how much it has spent on prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram and how much it spent on the other operations such as Python Dance, Crocodile Smile and Whirl Stroke.





Benue has suffered heavy attacks by Fulani herdsmen since the beginning of the year. Within the period, the State Government has spent a lot to legitimately support security agencies to protect the people of the state. Governor Ortom has not diverted funds. He runs a transparent administration.




The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has stated that it would not accept any peace deal with South-East governors or Ohanaeze Ndigbo unt...

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has stated that it would not accept any peace deal with South-East governors or Ohanaeze Ndigbo until they mount pressure on the federal government to produce its leaders, Nnamdi Kanu, and his parents.

The group made the statement days after its leadership met with foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at Atani, Ogbaru local government area.





Nwabueze had called both groups to consolidate on an earlier peace deal he brokered between them in Enugu.





But a press statement signed by the IPOB deputy leader, Uche Mefor and IPOB head of directorate of state, Chika Edoziem, gave five conditions for reconciliation, among which was also the lifting of the proscription of IPOB.





The statement read in part, Ohaneze Ndigbo should lead Igbo governors in the public de-proscription of IPOB in the South East. This is because we are mindful of the fact that Ohanaeze Ndigbo and lgbo governors were the first to ban IPOB before the Federal Government stepped in to tag all of us terrorists.





Ohaneze Ndigbo must prevail on the Federal Government to de-proscribe IPOB. This is an absoute prerequisite.





An unreserved apology must be tendered to IPOB over the complicity of lgbo governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo in instigating Operation Python Dance that resulted in the death of hundreds of IPOB activists.





Ohanaeze Ndigbo should publicly demand for the whereabouts of our leader Maxi Nnamdi Kanu, his parents, Sir I. O Kanu and Ugoeze Sally N. Kanu.





The statement added, They should also apologise to the Afaraukwu Ibeku community for their complicity in the invasion of the palace of their traditional ruler.





Federal Government should set up a high powered delegation to meet with IPOB High Command in Europe to negotiate terms for a final status settlement.




It was dance galore as Adams Oshionhole, the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), and party leader Ahmed Tinubu, joined others to formally receive defecting ex-senate minority leader Godswill Akpabio.Akpabio and his wife, Ekaette, and others senators displayed their dancing prowess to the melodious music, Shekem.Oshiomhole described the event as the reception for an uncommon defector and a man of honour.He described Akpabio as a symbol of unity who would lead Akwa Ibom to join Edo as APC states in South South in 2019.He explained that opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deceived the people for 16 years and Nigerians were no longer ready for party.The chairman of APC said that Senator President Bukola Saraki could not emulate Akpabio by relinquishing his seat.Senator Akpabio has demonstrated what the people of South South stand for by quitting the seat of senate minority leader.It is the turn of Saraki to vacate his seat as President of the senate.Oshiomhole, said Akpabio was joining APC to solidify his position as the former minority leader of the senate.Akpabio, he said, has demonstrated that he meant good for the people of South South.He urged the people to appreciate Akpabio for his role as a builder.I feel extremely proud of Akpabio and humble also with the kind of crowd that I have seen in Ikot Ekpene today.I am happy I came he today to see the bond that exist between Akpabio and the people of Akwa Ibom and I deeply appreciate this, Oshiomhole said.
Matthew Seiyefa, a director of the Department of State Services (DSS) from Bayelsa state, has been appointed as acting director-general of t...

Matthew Seiyefa, a director of the Department of State Services (DSS) from Bayelsa state, has been appointed as acting director-general of the service.

The announcement was made on @NGRPresident, the verified Twitter handle of presidency.

UPDATE: Matthew B. Seiyefa, the most senior Director in the Department of State Services (DSS), will act as Director-General until further notice. https://t.co/n3ORJwuCsT August 7, 2018

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had ordered the sack of Lawal Daura, former director-general of the secret police, and directed him to hand over to the most senior officer in the agency.





Seiyefa arrived at the presidential villa in Abuja around 4pm on Tuesday.





After meeting with Osinbajo, he left the villa without speaking with reporters.





Seiyefa was the director, Institute of Security Studies, Abuja.





With about 34 years of experience, Seiyefa has served in different capacities, including the state director in Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos states.





Seiyefa is also a member of the National Institute.
The plot was like that of a movie, leaving trained security and intelligence officials confused. At the end of it, Lawal Daura, then head ...

The plot was like that of a movie, leaving trained security and intelligence officials confused. At the end of it, Lawal Daura, then head of one of Nigerias foremost security agencies was whisked away while his well trained security aides waited for him.





Multiple sources at the Nigerian Presidency have revealed how Mr Daura, former Director-General of State Security Service, (SSS), was sacked and arrested on the orders of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday.





Mr Daura was sacked after masked SSS operatives laid siege to the National Assembly complex preventing lawmakers and civil servants from gaining access into the building.





The siege was only lifted about an hour after Mr Dauras sack.





OSINBAJO OUTRAGED

Sources at the presidential villa said Mr Osinbajo, who has been in charge since President Muhammadu Buhari proceeded on a 10 day vacation to the UK, was outraged by the actions of the SSS.





When the siege began, the acting president quickly went to action and was able to gather preliminary information of what was going on after which he invited some of the security chiefs concerned for a briefing, one of the sources said.





He said those invited include the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the former DG, Mr Daura.





The source also said the acting president was briefed earlier by National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.





When Lawal Daura came in, the acting president asked him who cleared him to order operatives to lay siege on the National Assembly; and his response was shocking.





He simply said its within his powers and that he is only answerable to the President and Commander-in-Chief who appointed him, the source said.





The source also said unknown to Mr Daura, the acting president had already spoken to Mr Buhari after initial reports indicated that Mr Daura was in play with President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.





After his response, Mr Osinbajo told his media aide, Laolu Akande, to immediately issue a statement announcing the sack of Mr Daura.





The acting president also asked the National Security Adviser to hand over the sacked DG to the police for further investigation, he said.





DAURA ARRESTED

Another source at the Villa , who witnessed the drama that followed the directive from Mr Osinbajo, said as soon as his arrest was ordered, the Aide De Camp (ADC) to Mr Osinbajo was seen rushing to the ceremonial gate, where the Mobile Police Force office is located.





The ADC returned to the VP wing with some mobile police officers in a rush and asked that a vehicle should be brought immediately to the rear area for (Dauras) evacuation.





We thought the VP, who is the only one whose convoy uses that place, was about to go out and there was a need for additional vehicle. An SUV was scrambled but the ADC said they should bring a tinted Hilux van, he said.





Meanwhile, the source said Mr Daura s convoy and personal security were waiting for him, like they normally do, at the administration gate (a separate one from the ceremonial gate) not knowing what was going on inside.





All of them thought the DG was still meeting with the acting president until the convoy was asked to return to headquarters empty, he said.





Another source, a former director in the SSS who worked with Mr Daura, said he (Daura) is currently being detained at the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), in Abuja.





The fact that he was handed over to SARS and not detained in a guest house (for high profile suspects) should give you an indication of how the government is handling this matter. He is now considered a suspected serious criminal, he said.





He also said a combined team of both the police and SSS would have begun interrogating Mr Daura by now.





THE REPLACEMENT





It was reported how on Tuesday Mr Dauras security details returned to the SSS headquarters without their principal.





A senior official at the SSS said the security details, after waiting for Mr Daura to come out from the meeting with the vice president, simply received an order from a director at the agency that they return to the agencys headquarters.

By then, an acting Director-General had been named for the SSS.





Matthew Seiyefa, was until his appointment the director in charge of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), an institution established in 2005 as the cardinal training institution for the SSS.





Mr. Seiyefa was the most senior official at the SSS after Mr Daura. He briefly met with Mr Osinbajo on Tuesday.





The acting DG, an indigene of Bayelsa State, was director of operations between 2007 and 2010 when Afakriya Gadzama ran the agency.





With about 34 years experience, Mr. Seiyefa served in different other capacities, including being state director in Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos States.





He is also a member of the National Institute, having studied at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.




It is no longer news that Godswill Akpabio will be defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC...

It is no longer news that Godswill Akpabio will be defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). What has remained unclear, however, is why the former governor of Akwa Ibom state is leaving the PDP  a party he held sway as one of its key figures: a former governor and a senate minority leader.





The opposition party has alleged that the APC used the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to cow him into joining them. There have also been arguments about politicians being converted to saints the moment they join the ruling party.





But the federal government has come out to deny the claim. Lai Mohammed, minister of information, said the APC will not provide cover for anyone involved in any crime.





Beyond the ministers denial, however, why is Akpabios case generating ripples? What crimes is he accused of and why are their concerns he will be born again the moment he joins the APC?





AKPABIOS RUNNING BATTLE WITH THE EFCC

The senators battle with the anti-graft agency began on October 16, 2015 when he was first invited for questioning over an alleged N108 billion fraud.





The invitation followed a petition written to the commission by Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer and activist. Ekpeyong accused the former governor of devising a means of enriching himself at the expense of the state while in office.





He alleged that the looting was done in connivance with two top government officials of the state Etekamba Umoren, former government house permanent secretary, and Udo Isobara, former accountant-general of the state.





Key allegations Ekpenyong raised in the petition were:

Fraudulent withdrawal of N18 billion from the states share of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation above in a surreptitious manner to conceal their dishonest intention.

Spending of over N50 billion state funds by the former governor during the 2015 election

Withdrawal of N18 billion from the states coffers under the guise of special services, reception of very important guests and sundry items.

Illegal acquisition of luxury including a multi-billion naira mansion at Plot 5, Ikogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja; a multi-billion naira mansion at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja; 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; Plot 23 Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos and a multi-billion naira 25-storey building at Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

N1.4 billion as gift to a bank in the sums of N566, 883,728.66; N441,808,081.90; and N392, 631,943.37.





THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO THE RESCUE?

The commission, at the time, said its efforts to interrogate state officials fingered in the alleged fraud were bring frustrated by the state government. Apart from the lack of response to letters seeking information, the state government officials invited for questioning were said to have refused cooperating with the commission.





For instance, it was reported that the EFCC had on one occasion written to the secretary to the state government, asking that some officials of the civil service be released for questioning over the matter.





The state attorney-general, in return, went to court seeking, among other things, the interpretation of the powers of the EFCC regarding the probe with a view to stalling investigation.





AKPABIO, HOWEVER, DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS

The senator had accused disgruntled persons of being behind his ordeal. According to him, the petitions against him were politically motivated.





He had said: I just want to urge all my people in Akwa Ibom state who probably were disturbed to know that such monies were not missing from the coffers of the state, that is the simple truth. And if we had such additional sums as he (the petitioner) mentioned it, we would have done more for the state.





CASE CLOSED?

The senator was admitted on bail during his fist time in EFCC custody in 2015 but returned barely 24 hours later and the investigations continued. He was grilled for hours and subsequently released while he insisted he had nothing to hide.





Since then, not much has been heard regarding the investigation, except for unconfirmed reports such as the seizure of a school said to be belonging to Unoma, the senators wife and linked to the alleged fraud.




Strong indications have emerged today that the National Assembly will reconvene next week to consider and pass the proposed budget for the 2019 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.The National Assembly will call off the break to consider the letter of President Muhammadu Buhari on the proposed sum of N164 billion to be provided for through virement or supplementary of the 2018 budget as well as look into the not less than N242 billion that would be required for the conduct of 2019 general elections.The decision to reconvene was arrived at after a closed door meeting between the Principal officers of the National Assembly and the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and other officials of the Commission.The meeting was presided over by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara in attendance.Though principal officers of the All Progressives Congress, APC were not at the meeting, that of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP attended the meeting at room 301, Senate Wing.
Timi Frank, the immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that the partys Nation...

Timi Frank, the immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that the partys National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomohle, deceived President Muhammadu Buhari to depart for London after promising him (Buhari) that he (Oshiomhole) will remove the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, within 10 days.

Frank was reacting to yesterdays invasion of the National Assembly by men of the Department for State Service, DSS.





The former APC chieftain berated Oshiomhole for denying allegedly having anything to do with blockage of the National Assembly and the attempt to impeach Saraki.





Part of Franks statement said, Why is Oshiomhole lying when every Nigerian knows that he is the one out to foist a new leadership on the Senate at all cost even when he knows that the APC lawmakers lack the two-third constitutionally stipulated number of Senators to legally remove Saraki and Ekweremadu?





Nigerians must not be deceived, Oshiomhole is a dictator. He does not like anything democratic. He only mouths democracy when he has something to gain but when his interest is at stake like it is right now, he is usually forced to show the dictatorial stuff he is made of.





Besides, having deceived President Buhari to leave for London and give him 10 days to remove Saraki, he is now quick to wash his hands off the dirty plot now that he seems to have failed to deliver on his evil promises.





Thankfully, a friend just sent me a Whatsapp photo of Buhari purportedly watching Oshiomholes instigated malfeasance at the National Assembly gate. If that photograph is true, I want Buhari to know that he has been deceived by Oshiomhole. Nigerians want the rule of law and due process to be followed in order to deepen our democracy not crude tactics now being employed by Oshiomhole.





Besides, any resort to self-help will never fly with Nigerians because they know the price those who fought for democracy in the country had had to pay to bring us to where we are today.





Once again I call on Nigerians and members of the international community who are now rightly horrified by this coup against democracy in Nigeria to hold Oshiomhole responsible for any breakdown of law and order capable of truncating democracy in the country, he stated.





Frank also urged Nigerians not to accord the statement credited to the Acting President, Yemi Osibanjo purportedly condemning the invasion of the National Assembly with any modicum of believability.




Oluremi Tinubu, Senator from Lagos State has been ordained as an Assistant Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG.

Oluremi Tinubu, Senator from Lagos State has been ordained as an Assistant Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG.

Mrs Oluremi, who is the wife of a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu was ordained assistant pastor during RCCGs 66th Annual Convention.





In attendance was the APCs National Leader and former governor of the State.





The APC National Leader also met with the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.





Reacting to Mrs Tinubus ordination, a Senator from Lagos State, Gbenga Ashafa in a tweet wrote: I congratulate Your Excellency, Distinguished Senator @oluremitinubu OON, on your ordination as a Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.





It is my prayer that Almighty God will continue to strengthen you as you serve the Nation, humanity and in His Vineyard. #Celebrate.




















The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo should shed the idea of using the sacked Director General...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo should shed the idea of using the sacked Director General of the Department of Services, Lawal Daura as the fall guy for Tuesdays invasion of the National Assembly by security forces.





PDP insisted that the invasion by the DSS and the Police was with the absolute knowledge and approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).





A statement by PDPs spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said Dauras sack was an afterthought, diversionary and deceitful.





PDP recalled that it issued series of statements at the weekend alerting Nigerians to the plots against the National Assembly and democracy ahead of President Buharis overseas trip but the Presidency was silent on all the alarms raised.





The statement reads, If anything, they urged the Senators and Members to remain steaded in their grave plan to ridicule our bastion of democracy, the National Assembly.





The Presidencys sack of Daura was a damage-control stunt and a knee-jerk gimmick which came as a response to the national and international outcry against the armed invasion of our legislature by security agents as directed by the Buhari Presidency.





The action of security agents that blocked the National Assembly is treasonable and must attract appropriate sanctions under our law. It is not enough to take populist approach of easing Daura out of office. Our party demands an immediate investigation by an independent panel of inquiry headed by a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria to examine the remote and immediate cause of the invasion.





Moreover, Section 16 of the Legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, provides that any person, who by any act, obstructs members of the National Assembly from performing their legislative duties, is liable and punishable by imprisonment.





Nigerians observed that the invasion was not only by the DSS, but also had the involvement of the Police, whose high command has not received any sanction or reprimand by the Presidency for its serial acts of impunity.




Experts on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take his anti-corruption effort across the African continent to sensitise the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the evil effects of corruption on societies.An economist, Prof. Olanrewaju Olaniyan, the Director, Centre for Sustainable Development University of Ibadan and Mr David Olojede, a council member of Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.Olaniyan however said among the things on the front burner for President Buhari to tackle in ECOWAS are the issues of corruption and accountability at the ECOWAS secretariat and also in individual countries that made up ECOWAS.Another thing that he should tackle is that of free movement of persons especially as it concerns the movement of herdsmen and their cattle; so as to check the insecurity challenge in Nigeria; though, there is a protocol in ECOWAS that allows herdsmen to move from Senegal across Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana to Nigeria.The director also enjoined President Buhari to look into the issue of single currency by energising the West African Central Bank and ensure it come to fruition as it has been long overdue.Olojede in his contribution urged the president to ensure Common Economic Tariff and also consolidate on economic integration, adding that it will boost income of member States if fully implemented.The common economic tariff is 20 per cent then we added the adjusted economic tariff which is 50 per cent meaning there is 70 per cent tariff on any goods in Nigeria.This implies the goods will be expensive in Nigeria and it will encourage smuggling, as people dont want to pay 70 per cent tariff on goods in Nigeria.They however, urged President Buhari to improve on Nigerias infrastructure and provide required leadership in ECOWAS so that members clamouring for Morocco to join the community can believe in Nigeria.NAN reports that President Buhari was on July 31 in Lome elected the new chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS.The presidents election was one of the high points of the 53rd Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS which held in the Togolese capital.NAN also reports hat on July 25, 2017, Buhari accepted his nomination to lead members of the African Union on anti-corruption crusade.The President who has been in London since May 7 after leaving Abuja to see his doctors for follow-up medical checks gave the acceptance in a letter of appreciation addressed to President of Guinea, Alpha Conde.Buhari was nominated by African leaders at the 29th Session of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 4.
With all the farmers markets in Lee County, especially during season, it seemed only a matter of time before North Fort Myers got another one to call their own.

Starting in November, it will. The Local Ladies Social Network announced the opening of the new Marinatown Farmers Market, which will be held in the parking lot at Marinatown Yacht Harbour every Sunday from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. starting Nov. 4 and running through April.

It isnt the first time the area has hosted a farmers market, as there is certainly a demand for them, especially on the weekend.

We asked our followers what would be a good place to put a farmers market. They said there was a real need in North Fort Myers, said Christy Dunn, co-owner of LLSN. We contacted the marina and they were more than happy to have us there.

LLSN is a privately owned event coordinating company that supports small business. and organizes many free events throughout the year, including numerous farmers markets.

The company was founded by Dunn five years ago when she lived in New Jersey. It moved to Florida two years ago.

The first event I did was a Christmas festival in Cape Coral. The response was overwhelming and thousands of people showed up, Dunn said. Since then the community has really gotten involved in these events. They do very well.

Marinatown hosted a farmers market three years ago that was sponsored by the North Fort Myers Civic Association. It was held every Friday.

Unfortunately, that market experienced bad weather, with it being the wettest winter on record.

I researched the previous markets they had in the area. I saw they did the market on Friday. The problem is that a lot of people work on Friday and on Saturday, Dunn said. Sunday would be a good day because it would give people a market to go to.

LLSN is seeking vendors to sell fresh produce, plants, baked goods, cheese, honey, jams and jellies, spices, dips, pickles, olives, sauces, grass-fed meats, flowers, organics, soap, local artists, crafts, healing oils, jewelry and much more except seafood, which is full.

Vendor spaces are available for as little as $40 per week. Monthly spaces are also sold at that rate, up to $200 for five weekends in March. They are looking for sponsors.

Dunn said her company has a strong vendor following and they are very excited about the new market. The farmers markets tend to draw about 40 vendors.

For more information, visit marinatownfarmersmarketbyllsn.com.
An English army captain recently smashed his way out of a barracks toilet after being stripped naked and locked in there by soldiers during a drunken prank. He is now being investigated and will most likely have to pay for the damages.

The incident took place last last week, in the barracks of an Army bomb disposal unit, at Carver Barracks in Essex, England. The unnamed captain and his soldiers started drinking last Tuesday, right after he attended a formal ceremony to mark the reformation of 49 Field Squadron. Army sources who preferred to remain anonymous claims that at one point, the captain fell asleep, and the soldiers stripped him naked and locked him in a disabled toilet, as a prank.

Photo: Daily Mail

After about six hours, the captain woke up and demanded that the soldiers let him out, but they just laughed and told him that they would only open the door if he gave them a pay raise.

When he woke up he started banging on the door, screaming at the blokes to let him out. They replied theyd only let him out if he gave them a pay rise, a source told the Daily Mail. Then he went on the rampage, demolishing the toilet and repeatedly smashing the rail against one of the walls. He made a big enough dent that he could then hack away at the plaster and climb out. The blokes found it hilarious. Hes in trouble rather than them because he should never have got drunk in their rooms.

As you can see in the pictures, the man managed to do some serious damage to the wall, so the incident had to be reported to military police the next morning. He left behind a huge pile of wall debris, as well as pieces of the broken toilet and metal rail scattered on the floor. Its actually quite impressive, if you think about it, a drunk, naked man locked in a tiny room with no tools, tearing through a wall.

Photo: Daily Mail

Hopefully, hell eventually see the funny side. At least it was an impressive display of initiative, how he used the tools at his disposal to complete a difficult task, while heavily intoxicated, the source said.

British media reports that as long as he pays for the damage he did to the toilet, the army captain is not expected to face any serious charges and should be able to keep his post.

We are aware of an incident at Carver Barracks, Wimbish, Essex. It is being investigated by the Royal Military Police, the Army said in a statement.
Sometimes we just want to use what we have in the house without doing any big shopping. We had some chicken breast in the freezer and some soft queso bla...

6 days ago
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Lady Gaga put the rumors surrounding her upcoming Las Vegas Residency to bed with a formal announcement today posted to Instagram. The residency, titled Enigma, will open December 28th for a 23-show run with an additional limited run of four piano and jazz shows.

Related | Lady Gaga is heading to Vegas

Gaga's poster look is a luminescent day-glo color story that harkens back to some of her more avant-garde outfits in her Fame Monster days. Rumor has it that her next single will also be named "Enigma," suggesting a possible return to the glossy electro-pop of pre-Joanne Gaga. Drawing on Vegas EDM and raver culture as inspiration, Gaga's return to form evokes a couture Electric Daisy Carnival.

Styled by long-time Gaga collaborator, Nicopanda founder, and fashion director for Uniqlo, Nicola Formichetti, she is wearing a neon green tulle dress from Laurence & Chico's Spring 2018 collection, available for $295.

Speaking to their Spring 2018 concept, the queer designer duo told PAPER they were "inspired by our fantasies about the glamorous world of makeup and our friend Masa, the creator of Chinese cosmetics brand Marie Dalgar. Chico designed the collection with over-the-top glamour and dramatic beauty in mind."

In the Vegas promo photo, Gaga is also wearing latex gloves and a swim cap from Vex Clothing, whose pieces have been worn by everyone from Rihanna and Bjork to Nicki Minaj. The opera gloves currently retail for $60 and the swim cap at $110.

Altogether, the cost for the look clocks in at just under $500, which is roughly the equivalent to six Enigma tickets (on sale August 13th). The choice is your's.

Photography: Inez & Vinoodh
From its roots in New York and Japan to a proliferation around the world thanks to the connectedness of social media, intricate, over-the-top nail art is alive and well and has never been more inventive. Each day, Nailed It will highlight a manicure or style we love, from both celebrity and underground nail artists.

Cartoon nail art may not be entirely brand new (see: Roy Lichtenstein), but they're still fun as hell, and this set by Miami-based artist Dallas Alexia makes us want to put a full comic book on our hands.

Photo via Instagram


Belgian designer Raf Simons, known for his namesake menswear label and tenure at Jil Sander and Dior, joined Calvin Klein as chief creative officer in 2016. When Simons was appointed to the New York-based fashion brand in 2016, skeptics questioned his ability to reinterpret what Americana means for the label today. Simons has since quelled the doubtful murmurs by remixing and layering American iconography from pop art and Hollywood films to marching band uniforms and western dressing.

Related | Raf Simons Goes All American in His Calvin Klein Debut

In recent season, Simons has taken a keen interest in American craft heritage, particularly quilts. The iconic textile has become a central part of Calvin Klein collections, campaign imagery, and installations in the brand's Madison Avenue store. On October 2, the designer will be honored by Manhattan's American Folk Art Museum for his celebration of the quilt at Calvin Klein.

As a part of the institution's annual benefit, Simons will be recognized alongside social and cultural heavyweights including the Wunsch Americana Foundation, an organization committed to preserving American decorative arts.

Image Via Instagram
The dust has settled from Red Stripe's annual Reggae Sumfestthe largest concert festival in Jamaica. The 25th anniversary of took place July 20-21 this year in Montego Bay, St. James, and locals and reggae music lovers across the world gathered for a week of groundbreaking performances from legends of the genre including Ding Dong, Popcaan, Bounty Killer, Damian Marley, Spice, and Beres Hammond to name a few. With just five women on the Reggae Sumfest bill, PAPER traveled to the festival with Red Stripe to highlight some of their most memorable moments from the weekend and an inside look into their world.

Starting in Kingston, we traveled with Zuri Marley, granddaughter of the late great reggae icon Bob Marley and daughter of Ziggy Marley, an icon in his own right. Zuri joined us for a tour of the Bob Marley museum located in his old homean experience that shared the true essence of the Marley family. At just 22 years old, Zuri has already made steps toward her own career as an independent artist. Currently based in Brooklyn, she shared how her famous last name has molded her:

Zuri Marley "I think the pressure comes from people on the outside of my family who think they might have an idea of who I am, what kind of music I should make, or what kind of clothes I should wear," Marley said. "There's so many things you can take from Bob Marley's legacy. People assume that I'm going to take on dreadlocks or reggae music, but really what I care about is the message, which is freedom. That's what it means to me, at least. So freedom, what am I going to do with that? I'm going to do whatever the fuck I want."

Jamaica, like many other countries, is still experiencing female firsts. At Ocho Rios, where we gathered at Mystic Mountain with two members of Jamaica's first Women's Olympic Bobsled Team, which made its debut at this year's winter games. After giving us a crash course in bobsledding at the park, team members Carrie Russell and Audra Segree spoke about the courage it takes to compete in a male dominated sport:

"Based on what you see in the world, it's males getting more recognition than females," Russell said. "So we are trying to push past that because everyone knows Cool Runnings and things for the guys, mostly. We are trying to break that barrier and give women inspiration. Don't limit yourself."

Carrie Russell and Audra Segree The final stop was with none other than dancehall queen Spice. Some may know the artist from her recent spot on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, but she has been dominating in her genre since releasing "Romping Shop" in 2008 with Vybz Kartel. Spice's Wakanda-inspired Sumfest performance, featured African tribal makeup, Dora Milaje army looks and demanded the attention of the crowd. Even through a controversy with security, who wouldn't let performers onto the stage with Spice, causing the show to briefly stop, she still delivered a fiery performance for thousands of fans.

Grace Hamilton on Instagram: Wakanda forever. They say i'm black so i came out in my Black Panther theme  Proud of the skin i'm in representing like a strong black PAPER caught up with Spice following her show: Do you think you are finally getting the respect you deserve in dancehall ?

I'm the current new queen of the dancehall but honestly, I don't really think I get the respect that I deserve. I don't think any woman gets the respect they deserve. When I was performing last night, there was a lot of chaos on the stage and it's one of the most talked about things right now in Jamaica. When the men performed everything was smooth, but during my set security was telling everyone to get off of the stage. When a male artist performs they have an entourage of 100 people. That's just one example, why I don't think women artists get treated equally. What do you think needs to be done to change these circumstances? It's been going on for years and I'm not sure it will ever change. Well we will be sure to shine light on female artists today. Who are the women you believe have paved the way for you to have the spot you are in now? Patra was the one who started it in Dancehall. Of course, you can't mention dancehall and not mention Lady Saw. Those two for sure.

Spice Aside from dancehall icons, which other artists inspire you? Nicki Minaj! Everybody knows I'm a Nicki fan. Foxy Brown as well, who's also my sister. We talk everyday so she really inspires me and pushes me to keep going. I really love Rihanna as well. I think that I'm into the fact that they are from the Caribbean, so I look up to them and I hope to be like them one day. What would you say to young women who are trying come up in music today? What steps did you take to gain a presence not only in Jamaica but in the U.S. as well? The steps that I took to really gain the love was the keep my composure with my pride and my dignity. I didn't go around sleeping with everyone that I met, so the respect that I get is because of that. A lot of women will say, oh it's difficult for us as women because people try to sleep with us, but I always say if you're laughy-laughy and you laugh too much, then people are going to feel like you're flirting-flirting. But if you're about your business and you keep a straight face, and they know that you don't mix the business with pleasure, then they have to respect that. I would say that to any woman, to just respect yourself and you will gain respect.

At what point in your career did you realize, this is something I can really do? My career took off when I did "Romping Shop" with Vybz Kartel. That's when my career really started popping, because that went on the Billboard charts. The moment that I really gained popularity was in 2014 when I did "So Mi Like It." It has like 78 million views.

What do you think your purpose is as an artist breaking barriers in Jamaica and crossing over into the states? You know when you travel the world and your hear reggae music, the first name they call is Bob Marley. When they think of a female in dancehall, I want them to be able to say Spice. That's really what I am working on.

Photography by Bukunmi Grace


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Fast Company did an extensive interview and profile on Spotify and it's CEO Daniel Ek that's definitely worth a read if you have the time. The report notes that "From the beginning, Ek's plan was to compete with Apple, which in the mid- to late-2000s dominated the digital-download business through iTunes. In essence, he wanted to replace the iPod by offering on-demand music via mobile phones. Apple dominated the download era of digital music, and did not adopt streaming until almost two years after download revenues started to decline. In other words, Apple was late to the party and Spotify, the little train that could, had cleanly beaten Apple's iTunes kingdom by taking music distribution in a new direction, just as Apple took smartphones in a new direction in 2007. So it's no wonder that Apple's CEO couldn't resist taking a few cheap shots at Spotify in his brief Fast Company interview.



When Spotify debuted in October 2008, people loved the experience, and the company signed up millions of users in its first year and 250,000 paying subscribers.

Even before it launched in the United States in 2011, it developed a cult of American fans, including Napster cofounder Sean Parker and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Spotify's chief R&D officer, Gustav Soderstrom stated that "It turned out that people weren't paying for access to music. They were paying for convenience."

Today, 60% of Spotify's paying customers have been sourced from its free product, an unquestionable success.

Going through some of the history of the company, the report notes that "At the end of 2013, Spotify had 36 million users and 8 million paying subscribers; by January 2015, it announced 60 million and 15 million, respectively. Forty-two percent of time spent on Spotify was now via phones and 10% on tablets, the first time mobile listening surpassed desktop."

It further noted that it was that fearlessness (some might say recklessness) that drove Spotify to being the industry leader, and it continues to drive its culture and actions. Ek says, "Success for us will be determined by our ability to move faster than everyone else in this space."

Ninety percent of Spotify's current revenues come from subscriptions, but if the free product expands, so can Spotify's radiolike advertising business. As Ek notes, with typical understatement, "We still have a lot of room to grow."

Fast Company's report temporarily shifts to add a few statements from Apple CEO Tim Cook: "I couldn't make it through a workout without music. Music inspires, it motivates. It's also the thing at night that helps quiet me. I think it's better than any medicine."

Cook's words embody Apple's longstanding critique of Spotify, which is that its algorithms are eroding music's spiritual role in our lives. Cook doesn't mention Spotify by name but says, "We worry about the humanity being drained out of music, about it becoming a bits-and-bytes kind of world instead of the art and craft."

Fast Company's Spotify Profile clearly showed a number of the music company's human curators to show that perhaps Cook was a little out of date on Spotify.





The report further noted that Spotify, from the outset, had Spotify users generate their own music playlists. The company itself, though, stayed out of that curation. But in 2013, not long after Spotify opened up its platform to outside developers, it noticed a small Swedish firm called Tunigo that was providing human-created playlists defined less by genre than by activity: music for studying, music for cooking, music for a sunny day or a rainy one. It was a different, more emotional way to engage listeners. Spotify quickly purchased Tunigo and moved its team and leader, Nick Holmsten, inside the company's operations.

Once again the report was showing that Spotify had moved to human curation before Apple ever got into the music streaming business. In fact, Spotify was so ahead of Apple, who was unsuccessful finding a streaming music business model that it was forced to overspend and acquire Beats by Dre for $3 billion in 2014. A year later it launched Apple Music.

All those iPhones are a formidable advantage over a stand-alone operation like Spotify, and Apple has something else that Spotify doesn't: profit, almost $14 billion in its second quarter of 2018. Apple can approach music as a loss leader, or as Cook says directly, "We're not in it for the money."

Well, of course Apple is in it for the money by making their music app a feature to sell more iPhones. Cook's line is hypocritical if not condescending.

In the end, Fast Company notes that it's Spotify that still has more listeners, more paid subscribers, and a more central cultural position in the music world, because its software is more elegant and its playlists (created by both algorithms and humans) are wildly popular.

Ek, who doesn't like to mention Apple by name any more than Cook likes mentioning Spotify, points to his company's focus as the reason: "Music is everything we do all day, all night, and that clarity is the difference between the average and the really, really good."

For more on Fast Company's Spotify's profile report click here.

While Cook says that Apple worries about the humanity being drained out of music, you could say that much of today's mindless music is doing more damage to music than just algorithms. Maybe it's just me, but simpleton pop and rap is like listening to nails on a chalkboard to most adult ears and there's nothing "spiritual" about that.



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Ive just read a short but interesting article in the latest issue  4 August 2018  of the Economist, titled Hosannahs in the sand?

It seems that Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, who has broken with tradition by allowing cinemas to open, open-air pop concerts to be held, and, most amazing of all, women to drive, is thinking about permitting the opening of churches within the boundaries of Saudi Arabia. In October 2017, he indicated that he wants his nation to be open to all religions, traditions, and people around the globe. He has even hosted the Maronite Christian patriarch, as well as a papal emissary (Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran), in the royal palace.

Why is this so shocking? It has often been argued that churches were banned from the Arabian Peninsula in the days of the Prophet Muhammad himself, or very, very soon thereafter  which is to say, fourteen centuries ago. And Saudi Arabia has barred the construction of churches since the establishment of the Saudi state in 1932. Elsewhere its no problem, the Economist quotes a senior Saudi prince as commenting, but two dins [singular din, pronounced deen], or religions, have no place in the Arabian peninsula. (He is paraphrasing a purported hadith or saying of Muhammad.)

In other words, Muhammad bin Salman may well face opposition from within his own extended ruling family if he chooses to permit the construction of Christian churches within the Kingdom.

However . . .

Out among the date palms and the sand dunes near the eastern oil fields and the city of al-Jubayl, fenced off by the Saudi antiquities authority and surrounded by guards, lie what seem to be the ruins of a seventh-century Christian monastery, which suggests that seventh-century Islam permitted the construction of churches on the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, early Arab chroniclers record the existence of a Christian synod in a diocese called Beit Qatraye, near al-Jubayl, in AD 676, fully forty-four years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad.

Moreover, all six of the other countries that share the Arabian Peninsula with the Saudis have allowed the building of churches within their boundaries. Qatar, which follows the same rigorous Wahhabi version of Islam that the Saudis do, permitted the construction of a new Christian church about a decade ago. Bahrain did the same already in 1906 and, this year, allowed ground to be broken for a new cathedral to be called Our Lady of Arabia. (The article doesnt mention the rather spectacular new Latter-day Saint stake center in Abu Dhabi, within the United Arab Emirates, shown above.)

The Economist reports that at least some Saudi theologians think that the Prophets prohbition of two dins in Arabia has been misinterpreted. They want to argue that the word refers not to religions as such, but to religious authorities. They also point to the so-called Constitution of Medina, which seems to me very promising territory and which I think Ill treat at greater length in another blog entry sometime.
Response to Orthodox and Protestant Criticisms

From one of the more thoughtful Protestant participants at the Coming Home Network board (in blue) with my replies:

* * * * *

Its the specific and legalized approach thats the hardest thing or me to embrace about the RCC. Thats not to say that I dont see the reason for having central authority or accepting the teaching of the magisterium. But in the EO [Eastern Orthodoxy] there is an intriguingly comparable approach which, however, doesnt put the same emphasis on pinning down everything, defining everything.

There are two ways to look at that. I would say (as a veteran of many discussions with Orthodox on this very thing) that, just as we are described as being overly-rational and legalistic, they could be described as suffering from the opposite problem: being under-rational and insufficiently legalistic.

Arguably, these problems have led to the much greater instance of heresy among the eastern patriarchs in the early centuries (especially Monophysitism and Monotheletism, but also Arianism). It was the very lack of precision and order that the Latin West possessed (and the central papal authority) that led to this.

Were accused of being so hyper-rational, and the targets are often St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. The criticisms have become so extreme and irrational, that we see, e.g., an absurd statement like the following:

Latin Scholastic theology, emphasizing as it does the essence at the expense of persons, comes near to turning God into an abstract idea. He becomes a remote and impersonal being . . . a God of the philosophers, not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph. (Bishop Kallistos [Timothy] Ware, The Orthodox Church, New York: Penguin Books, revised 1980 edition, 222)

I could go on and on in response to this ludicrous charge.

First of all, anyone who is familiar with St. Thomas knows that he was not just about minute distinctions and legalism and what-not. He was also quite a mystic and a devotional person (especially later in his life). He could combine both things and not see a contradiction. Its the Catholic both/and outlook.

Secondly, the same Church that so highly exalts St. Thomas has an extraordinary mystical tradition, with saints like St. Francis, St. Catherine, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese, St. John of the Cross, etc. We dont feel the need to dichotomize these two strains against each other. The Catholic Church is large enough for both; it rejoices in both. We have both great thinkers and logical analysis and great mystics and mystical reflection (sometimes in the same person). But Orthodox so often have to run down the rationalistic or legalistic aspects of the Catholic Church. They are exclusivistic insofar as this sort of high-level thinking is frowned upon. We are inclusivistic and welcome both serious, logical thinking and mysticism and personal devotion to God.

Thirdly, while it is running down our legalism, Orthodoxy has had a difficult time in opposing modernity and secularism. It is precisely because we define more specifically and logically that we have stood fast against, e.g., divorce and contraception. The Orthodox have not, and so consequently, they allow divorce and they are increasingly caving on contraception, that was regarded as a grave sin in their own circles until essentially the last 40-50 years.

We think very deeply about the nature of true marriage, divorce, and annulment, and so we have maintained the traditional teaching. We have things like Humanae Vitae and NFP, that makes the proper and essential distinctions, so as to not cave on the issue of contraception.

Fourth, there is a certain double standard involved in such criticisms coming from Orthodox, since it was, again, very fine-tuned distinctions in theology in the early centuries of the united Church, that were the reason for the many heresies not overcoming the Christian Church.

Orthodoxy may not care for precise distinctions now, but that was certainly not the case with the many eminent early eastern fathers, such as Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, Maximus the Cofessor, John Chrysostom, and so forth. These were every bit as rational as western fathers (if not even more so), yet now the very same thought processes are frowned upon, as if one thing were true a thousand years ago and now something else contradictory to it is the case.

Fifth, we see the same incoherence in the case of someone like St. Gregory Palamas (1296-1359). Many Orthodox Ive come in contact with have completely eschewed the notion of doctrinal development (collapsing it into a caricature of itself, as evolution of dogma). But he developed the mystical tradition / practice of hesychasm. Kallistos Ware notes this (it aint just my Catholic opinion):

A hesychast is one who in silence devotes himself to inner recollection and private prayer. While using the apophatic language of negative theology, these writers claimed an immediate experience of the unknowable God, a personal union with Him who is unapproachable. How were the two ways to be reconciled? How can God be both knowable and unknowable at once? This was one of the questions which was posed in an acute form in the fourteenth century. . . . how was this vision of Divine Light to be reconciled with the apophatic doctrine of God the transcendent and unapproachable? All these questions concerning the transcendence of God, the role of the body in prayer, and the Divine Light came to a head in the middle of the fourteenth century. . . . To explain how this was possible, Gregory developed the distinction between the essence and the energies of God. It was Gregorys achievement to set Hesychasm on a firm dogmatic basis, by integrating it into Orthodox theology as a whole, and by showing how the Hesychast vision of Divine Light in no way undermined the apophatic doctrine of God. . . . his work shows that Orthodox theology did not cease to be active after the eighth century and the seventh Ecumenical Council. (The Orthodox Church, New York: Penguin Books, 1980 revision, 73, 75-76, 79)

My sense is that by putting a strong emphasis on definitions, the church unintentionally discourages the spontaneous response of the heart to Gods unimaginable love.

I would say it is exactly the opposite, as other commenters have noted. G. K. Chesterton wrote (and while he was still Anglican, by the way, 14 years before he became a Catholic):

And if we took the third chance instance, it would be the same; the view that priests darken and embitter the world. I look at the world and simply discover that they dont. Those countries in Europe which are still influenced by priests, are exactly the countries where there is still singing and dancing and coloured dresses and art in the open-air. Catholic doctrine and discipline may be walls; but they are the walls of a playground. Christianity is the only frame which has preserved the pleasure of Paganism. We might fancy some children playing on the flat grassy top of some tall island in the sea. So long as there was a wall round the cliffs edge they could fling themselves into every frantic game and make the place the noisiest of nurseries. But the walls were knocked down, leaving the naked peril of the precipice. They did not fall over; but when their friends returned to them they were all huddled in terror in the centre of the island; and their song had ceased. (Orthodoxy, 1908, ch. 9)

Now I know well that there have been many mystics in the church throughout the ages, so of course this is only a generalization, but as one who from the beginning of my faith life has experienced God in deep mystical ways, it concerns me that so much of what is put forward to help people understand the church has to do with the minutiae of rules.

I dont deny that there are abuses in practice. That is always the case. People who are not truly following God in a personal way tend to fall back on legalism and mere rules, and cease to operate from the heart and their whole being: heart, soul, will, and mind, just as when people are seriously not getting along, they will fall back on legal intermediaries, rather than plainly talk to each other. But the actual teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church incorporates all of these elements.

For that reason I am deeply grateful to God that He originally drew me to Himself through the nondenominational charismatic movement. By emphasizing Gods deep love for us, and teaching us that the only appropriate response to that love is to love Him back deeply, we were kept focused on the essence of what it means to be a disciple.

Thats good, and my own evangelical background was very similar indeed, but the spiritually mature Christian moves on to serious theology as well, and that cant be done without serious thinking and utilization of rationality.

Reading the Bible with the intent of learning how to love God more fully, being encouraged to express our love through singing of psalms and other scripture, having our pastors continually emphasize the condition of the heart rather than the observance of the rules  all these firmly grounded me in my relationship to God. I know I would have given up early if I had been confronted with a myriad of rules that I was expected to follow or otherwise be in danger of falling off the path.

Again, this is good, except for the fallacy of pitting these aspects of faith against rules, as if they are antithetical. Many cults that developed out of the Protestant milieu showed what happens when rules and proper theological thinking are cast to the wind or relegated to a non-required status, or sort of frowned upon.

As I understand them, the rules are there to describe the boundaries of the path: observe these rules and you wont go astray. But as we know from raising our children, an overemphasis on rules can lead to the childs internal sense of right and wrong being stunted, because it hasnt had a chance to be personally exercised, relying instead on external rules. What works better is to have a few simple, clear rules within which the child can learn the subtleties of personal discernment.

I would argue (with some experience myself in raising four children), that both rules and love must exist side-by-side. The love is always there and it is unconditional, and a close relationship. But the rules are also there, so that they have a very clear sense of boundaries and right and wrong. Going to the extreme of having one without the other causes huge problems (that are so obvious I need not even mention them). They should both be there, and the loving parent has to be ready to be firm enough to discipline, to whatever extent is necessary to stop the sinful behavior.

Parents are worried about raising children who will be decent, loving, caring persons, good Christians, and law-abiding. God is concerned with raising children and preparing them ultimately for heaven. If Christians go astray, they go to hell, so this is no small matter. The discipline and rules are needed so as we dont end up in hell.

Im reminded of the story of King David coming to the tabernacle with his men, who were hungry. They took the showbread and ate it, which of course was forbidden. Yet the lesson of the story is that rules were made for man, and not man for rules.

Exactly. Yet Jesus didnt reject the Law at all. It was still in force, just developed. Quite to the contrary, He said:

Matthew 5:17-20 Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus continued to observe the law. Paul called himself a Pharisee. The early Christians continued to attend synagogue and temple worship.

What Im sitting with/reflecting on is the perception that the church cares more about rules than about life.

People perceive a lot of different things. But these can often be false perceptions, based on insufficient data. The quintessential example is the ubiquitous bad nun childhood stories. Who cares if there was one mean nun at school or something? What does that prove? Nothing I can see, except that, well, there was one mean nun! Would anyone deny that this would be the case somewhere?

The point is that we need to think deeply about this issue and  as you say  the relationship between rules and regulations and rationality (the three rs?) and our personal relationship with God.

We know thats not true, but my observation from hearing many ex-Catholics talk about their faith and their perception of the Catholic Church once they had left revolves around their sense that the RCC was all about rules, whereas their experience in protestant-land was a focus on the experiential knowledge of God rather than on following rules.

Ex-Catholic stories are notoriously inaccurate and skewed. Ive dealt with those time and again, just as Ive dealt with several atheists and their deconversion stories away from Christianity. Most of these people  I think it is safe to say  never fully understood (or practiced) their former faith. This is very clear, for example, in the common complaint of former Catholics that they supposedly never heard the gospel at Mass. Its muddleheaded thinking: far more indicative of the confusion of their own brains and spiritual life than of the reality in the Church (though, of course, in individual cases, there can be any number of horror stories with sinners involved).

But I dont understand the reason for the minutiae of the rules as discussed in some of the threads, or on the various call-in shows I listen to (Catholic Answers Live, etc.).

Its because life is complex, and the complexity of problems in a complex life require complex answers that sufficiently deal with all the objections that are raised. Of course, one simplifies so that those who arent as trained in thinking and as educated can also understand, but that doesnt rule out the more in-depth explanations for those who require those, and in order to avoid heresies and related falsehoods.

One can make an individual judgment that the Church goes too far in this, but that gets back to the difference between private judgment and belief in an infallible Church, specially guided by the Holy Spirit in order to fully preserve apostolic truth. We have to yield to that at a certain point. We dont judge the Church, in the final analysis. We accept her teachings in faith, by the grace of God.

However, its the condition of the heart that matters to God, and as were all well aware, following rules is often strictly external in nature, with no effect on the heart.

Amen! Thats what we teach. Vatican II stressed this with regard to participation in the Mass:

In order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects it is necessary that the faithful come to it with PROPER DISPOSITIONS, that their minds be attuned to their voices, and that they cooperate with heavenly grace lest they RECEIVE IT IN VAIN. Pastors of souls must, therefore, realize that, when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than the laws governing valid and lawful celebration. It is their duty also to ensure that the faithful take part FULLY AWARE of what they are doing, ACTIVELY ENGAGED in the rite and enriched by it.Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered above all else, for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit. Therefore, in all their apostolic activity, pastors of souls should energetically set about achieving it through the requisite pedagogy. (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Dec. 4, 1963, ch. 1, I, sec. 11 and II, sec. 14; emphasis added)

So what am I looking for?

What the Church offers.

Just some others to sit in this place of wondering with me  wondering about the nature of man, that on the one hand he needs clear lines to guide him, and on the other hand, he can completely miss where the path is leading by focusing exclusively on the lines.

Its not exclusively on lines. Its lines and non-lines together. It is avoiding extremes of going too far in one direction and losing sight of other important aspects, and not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.



Chesterton again hits the nail on the head when he discusses orthodoxy (i.e., true doctrine, not the Orthodox Church) and creeds:

Here it is enough to notice that if some small mistake were made in doctrine, huge blunders might be made in human happiness.It was the equilibrium of a man behind madly rushing horses, seeming to stoop this way and to sway that, yet in every attitude having the grace of statuary and the accuracy of arithmetic.It is always simple to fall; there are an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands. Orthodoxy, ch. 6) The Christian creed is above all things the philosophy of shapes and the enemy of shapelessness. The condemnation of the early heretics is itself condemned as something crabbed and narrow; but it was in truth the very proof that the Church meant to be brotherly and broad. If the Church had not insisted on theology, it would have melted into a mad mythology of the mystics, yet further removed from reason or even from rationalism; and, above all yet further removed from life and from the love of life. And that is why the Church is from the first a thing holding its own position and point of view, quite apart from the accidents and anarchies of its age. (The Everlasting Man, II-4)

Wondering about Gods promise that he would write the law on our hearts; that Christs sacrifice has set us free from slavishly following the law; that Gods will for us can be summed up simply in love the Lord thy God, and thy neighbor as thyself.

The pitting of law and grace against each other in many unbiblical ways, is one of the problems of several forms of Protestant theology. False dichotomies abound there. The new perspective on Paul theology in Protestant circles (N. T. Wright et al) is turning a lot of this on its head. They understand that not only do Catholics not teach a salvation by works, but that the ancient Jews did not, either. They believed that salvation came by faith, too. But it got distorted among many individuals and schools (just as it does among liberal and nominal Catholics).



Wondering about what the Catholic church can learn from the experience of its members who have converted from other christian traditions, not in terms of truth (because it already has the truth) but in terms, perhaps, of how the truth is imparted.

Tons. I think I use my own experience virtually anytime I write about anything in theology or apologetics. Vatican II is very explicit in noting this.



I know I am speaking about meat here, and not milk, but Id like to hear from others on this level.

I hope there is enough for you to chew on in my analysis!



I need to hear others who came from protestant backgrounds share what they have found that they can do in the Church to share some of the good things that they brought with them  things like small groups where people live out their commitment to support and help one another on an intimate level; Bible studies and prayer groups where we can encourage one another in our growth in understanding the scripture and in praying effectively; participatory music thats accessible to all  both music aimed at praise (horizontal) and music aimed at worship (vertical).



All great things . . . Catholics can learn a lot of things from Protestants. I am always very thankful that I was a Protestant because I learned a lot of these things there, that are not so prevalent, sadly, in the Catholic Church; yet are entirely Catholic, historically speaking.

It seems to me that by giving a lesser place to the things that stir up a hunger for the immediacy of relationship with God, Catholics are then vulnerable to finding that elsewhere.



Indeed.

By the way, I was very happy to hear someone tell about the program based on Maria Montessoris methods that is being adopted in churches to teach children about God. That apparently is speaking directly to the need to stir up a hunger for direct relationship with God.



Amen.

***

(originally 9-8-08)

Photo credit: Saint Thomas Aquinas (1605), by Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

***
Here lately Ive had more than my usual share of proselytizers. These are people who begin religious conversations not to learn or even to share, but to win. Their goal is to aggressively convert me to their religion, not by convincing me its a better way, but by insisting its the only way. Most are Christians, some are atheists, a few are Muslims.

Im a public Pagan  it comes with the territory. And its not like theres even a remote chance theyll be successful. There is no Christian or atheist argument I havent heard, considered, and rejected at least a dozen times (the few Muslim arguments have been little more than simple assertions of superiority  I dont think Im getting the best Muslim missionaries). I like discussing religion, I can hold my own in a debate against anyone, and I can walk away any time I like.

But its getting annoying. Perhaps its because Im trying to balance my usual paying work and Pagan work with trying to get the rewrites finished on my second book. Perhaps its because both Mars and Mercury are retrograde. Whatever the cause, Im finding these would-be converters especially frustrating right now.

If youre a Christian or a Muslim or an atheist who goes about your religion (or lack thereof) and respects everyone elses right to do the same, this isnt directed at you. If you promote your religion publicly, this isnt about you  I support a free marketplace of religions. This is about those who turn their religion into a competitive sport, and especially those who try to win at all costs.

I have something to say to those folks.

No, you do not have the One True Way

Do you understand the sheer arrogance required to believe that your way is the One True Way and everyone else is categorically wrong?

Different people around the world followed hundreds of tribal religions for tens of thousands of years (and some still do) but your prophet did away with all that? The Indian religions are at least 3500 years old (and are likely much older) but you dismiss them without the first consideration? And we all have to follow your prophet exactly or well end up in eternal torment, but we cant be sure what your prophet said because he didnt write anything down himself?

Gotta give the atheists credit here  they do write stuff down and they dont claim youll end up in hell if you dont agree with them. But they still dont have the One True Way.

Most of you grew up in a Christian society and you never questioned what you were taught. Or you grew up in a Christian society and you threw the baby of religion out with the dirty bathwater of fundamentalism.

Believe what your heart and your mind tells you is true. Explore it as deeply as you can. Practice it as authentically as youre capable. But these are mysteries that are ultimately unknowable. Have a bit of humility, which begins by admitting but I might be wrong.

You are not Socrates

The Socratic method of asking questions designed to lead students to a logical conclusion is a fine teaching method  one developed by ancient Pagan philosophers. But its proper use requires that the philosopher has examined their own foundational assumptions and is arguing from firm ground. The vast majority of proselytizers dont even know what a foundational assumption is, much less which ones are controlling their thinking.

Ive heard your arguments before. When I answer them, most of you respond by moving the goal posts. Or you respond with truisms like the Bible says (for Christians) or there is no evidence (for atheists).

Its all rather boring, and Im tired of playing your games. Debates require some common ground from which to proceed, and that cant happen unless you recognize that your assumptions are assumptions, not facts (as are mine, and everyone elses).

No, its not that I havent found the right one

Im sorry you had such a bad experience growing up  its clear you just werent in the right church. The right church, of course, is whichever one youre in right now. Independent fundamentalists are the worst about that which is ironic, since the Baptist church where I grew up was damned close to that (choice of profanity intentional). But I occasionally get it from Catholics, as well as from more aggressive mainline Protestants.

I understand that different churches do things very differently. There is nothing inherently wrong with the teachings of Jesus; most of my family and many of my friends are Christians. I sometimes wonder how things might have worked out if I had grown up in a liberal, mystical, Episcopal church (which is never the right church the proselytizers are pushing).

But I didnt. I found my home in the worship of the many Gods. And Im happy here.

My Paganism is an orientation

Changing your religion is a commonplace thing in this culture, but the vast majority of changes are from one version of the same religion to another. How did I become a Pagan?

Back in March I explored the idea of Paganism as an orientation:

There has always been something inside me that said Nature is sacred. There has always been something that said theres more to life than what can be measured and quantified. Ive always known the Divine has a feminine side, that the world is full of spirits, and that magic is real.

I tried to be a Christian. I tried to believe the things I was told I had to believe. I couldnt  they rang false. And I never considered becoming an atheist  something always whispered theres more. I can be what I am, or I can be a liar.

I choose to embrace my orientation and be as devout and devoted a Pagan as I can be.

Religion and identity cannot be fully separated

The idea that religion is a choice of what to believe is a very modern, very Western, very Protestant idea. For most of history throughout most of the world, religion has been  and remains  about what you do, who you are, and whose you are. For many people, the question of religion is meaningless. These are our Gods. These are our ancestors. These are our festivals. This is what we do. This is who we are.

When you attack someones religion, you attack their heritage, their culture, and their very identity. If you cannot see how and why this is wrong, I doubt I can convince you.

Which is not to say anything goes. We can and must judge peoples behavior, and where their religion leads them to do evil things we must oppose them. I have no tolerance for Daesh, for the Westboro Baptist Church, or for racist religions of any variety including those that fall under the Pagan umbrella.

But where people just want to be left alone to worship the Gods who call to them, you have no right to try to take that away from them.

A coerced conversion is not a free conversion

I appreciate the disaster relief work done by some Baptist groups. Their numbers and their wealth give them resources Pagans will not have for generations, and I applaud their responsible and compassionate work. And I condemn the disaster relief work by some fundamentalist groups which is done as a pretext for evangelism. Preying on vulnerable people to win converts is despicable. So is child evangelism, which preys on those without the maturity and breadth of knowledge to make a free choice.

Turn or burn evangelism isnt much better. Even if you honestly believe thats true, scaring people into converting to your religion by insisting you know exactly what happens after death  which is perhaps the greatest mystery of life  is at best disingenuous.

Religion is in part about our highest values. If supporting the free religious choices of others isnt one of your highest values, I question the integrity of your religion.

You can promote your religion without being obnoxious

We live in the most religiously diverse society in the history of humanity. This is a good thing  it gives seekers a better chance of finding the religion that calls to them. It also gives those of us who are curious about the worlds many religions a wonderful opportunity to learn. Certainly you are as entitled as anyone else to promote your religion.

Form groups, write books, keep blogs, and advertise to your hearts content (or at least, to the extent of your budget). Engage in interfaith conversation, where such conversation is welcome and within the bounds of good hospitality.

I cant speak for other Pagans, but I dont mind one bit if you point out weaknesses in my logic or inconsistencies in my beliefs. Im always looking to refine my thinking and I cant do that if I ignore challenges. Just understand that a difference in foundational assumptions is not a logical fallacy, and that my refusal to continue a debate ad infinitum does not mean youre right.

You arent going to win

With the exception of my college years, I have always lived a very religious life. Not just in doing the things I thought I was supposed to do, but also in thinking deeply about the premises, concepts, beliefs, and doctrines of the religions I was trying to practice. Whatever argument youre going to make, Ive heard it, examined it, contemplated it, and rejected it.

I have a Pagan orientation, but I grew up in a Christian world. I was thrilled when I discovered Paganism, but I floundered for eight years because I hadnt dealt with all the baggage from my the religion of my childhood. On Thanksgiving Night 2001 I had an epiphany that changed all that. I worked through the baggage, killed my inner fundamentalist, and built a strong religious foundation based on reason and experience. It worked so well I wrote a book about it: The Path of Paganism.

My Pagan religion challenges me to live as virtuously as I can. It tells me that the greatest good is building and maintaining respectful and mutually supportive relationships. It gives me confidence to deal with the Big Questions of Life. It has been a good thing for me, and it will remain a good thing when I leave this world and move on to whatever comes next  about which I have some educated guesses but absolutely zero certainty (and neither do you).

So present your religion to the public. Let your God call who he will call. Welcome those who want to join you.

And leave the rest of us alone.
IRAN: Hardliner Body Calls For Extensive Changes in Rouhani's Cabinet

08/07/18

Source: Radio Farda

Iran's hardline-dominated Assembly of Experts has called on President Hassan Rouhani to be accountable for Iran's "chaotic economic situation," and demanded extensive overhaul of his cabinet. In Iran's worsening economic situation, hardliners have been increasingly putting the blame on Rouhani, demanding action.



"Is it important to change drivers or pave the road?"

Asks Iranian magazine Atiyeh No

Iran's economy has nosedived due to long years of sanctions, but more fundamentally because of mismanagement and lack of structural reforms. Hardliners who play a major role in the inefficient system are the first to oppose serious reforms.



The AoE statement published on the website of IRGC-linked news agency Tasnim, also addresses Rouhani's economic team and the other powers of the government, but its demands particularly address Rouhani.



According to Tasnim, "the statement called on Rouhani to bring about extensive changes in the cabinet and among his senior economic and financial managers to improve the country's economic situation," using what elderly AoE members called "lively forces."



The Assembly told Rouhani to do this "without any consideration," meaning that Rouhani should forget about his cabinet members' political affiliations or their personal bonds with him as his long-time team members.



The Assembly of Experts' main function is to determine a new Supreme Leader when he is no longer around or capable to meet his official responsibilities, and to supervise the leader's performance. Nevertheless, the assembly has been always criticized by both hardliners such as former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and reformists such as Abolfazl Qadiani, for being subordinate to Khamenei rather than to exercise checks and balances to control his authoritarian rule.



The Assembly's mission statement does not include offering policy options to the executive body or meddling with executive affairs of the state.



However, following protests that started with public discontent over the country's economy and soon turned into political dissent, more than 190 of parliament's 290 members last week also called on Rouhani to make essential changes to his cabinet to address the ongoing economic crisis, which is marked by a fast-declining currency and rising prices.



The AoE statement further called on Rouhani "to stop lip service and start addressing the people's financial hardships and particularly the problems of the underprivileged strata."



The statement has been signed off by "The Assembly of Experts." However, it is not clear whether it reflects the views of its members or presidium, or simply contains the views of its Chairman Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati.



A statement issued by the Assembly in May against Rouhani, turned out to have been authored and signed only by Jannati when other Assembly members said they had not signed such a statement and did not agree with its contents. Later, the AoE secretariat admitted that the statement reflected the views of the chairman and not the members of the Assembly of Experts.



The new statement by the AoE, regardless of who signed it, could be yet another attempt by Iran's hardliners to exert their influence on the cabinet and rob Rouhani of some of his ministers who are relatively moderate conservatives. These include Labor, Economy, Housing and Mining ministers who are from Iran's reform camp although like most Iranian reformists, their policies are far from implementing real reforms.



In the second term of former pragmatist President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1992-1997), hardliners managed to take control of several ministries including Culture and Trade, curtailing Rafsanjani's power to a minimum.



Iran's hardliners do not conceal their plan to take over a few ministries, but Rouhani has reminded them several times during the past year that "their candidate lost the election in 2017" and they should let the winner to implement his policies with his own team.
Lawyer Calls on Iran's President Rouhani to Work For Human Rights Attorney Abdolfattah Soltani's Release

08/07/18

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Soltani Granted Furlough to Mourn Daughter's Death

One of Iran's most prominent human rights lawyers, Abdolfattah Soltani, was granted furlough from Evin Prison to mourn his daughter's death on August 4, 2018.

Soltani's 30-year-old daughter, Homa, had passed away on August 3 from a heart attack. Video clips posted on social media showed the moment Soltani was reunited with his remaining family at a mourning ceremony for his daughter. One clip shows Soltani breaking down into tears as he embraces his wife, Masoumeh Dehghan, who is wailing.

"I pledge in the presence of all the martyrs to always serve the people and work for the greatness of the country," said Soltani in another clip showing him standing over his daughter's grave. "I hope to God that we will always do the things that make the people happy. I pledge to never forget the people. I pledge in the presence of your good soul to never forget your mission to bring happiness and help the people. We will strive to bring a smile onto the faces of the people. I salute you all."

Imprisoned attorney #FreeSoltani's words at his daughter's grave "..I pledge to never forget the people. I pledge in the presence of your good soul to never forget your mission to bring happiness and help the people. We will strive to bring a smile onto the faces of the people." pic.twitter.com/sR6noyEChc  IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) August 6, 2018

It is not clear how long Soltani will be allowed to stay on furlough. On August 5, his lawyer Saeed Dehghan called on President Hassan Rouhani to seek Soltani's release.

Soltani, 64, has been eligible for release since 2014 but the Intelligence Ministry, which operates under Rouhani, has blocked his freedom despite Soltani's deteriorating health, according to his surviving daughter, Maede.

"They don't want him to go free only because he insists on his rights and innocence," Maede Soltani told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) in September 2017.

"The judiciary isn't impartial or independent. The real decision-maker is the Intelligence Ministry," she added.

Soltani has been behind bars since 2011, serving a 13-year prison sentence for "being awarded the [2009] Nuremberg International Human Rights Award," "interviewing with media about his clients' cases," and "co-founding the Defenders of Human Rights Center."

Soltani represented several detainees held on politically motivated charges in Iran throughout his career as one of Iran's most fearless defense attorneys.

Former staffers of the now defunct center, Narges Mohammadi and Nasrin Sotoudeh (also a defense attorney), are also currently imprisoned in Evin Prison. Facing repeated threats that she would also be imprisoned, the center's co-founder, Nobel Peace Laureate and attorney Shirin Ebadi, fled Iran in 2009.

In September 2017, a formerly imprisoned Baha'i faith leader said she would "never forget" Soltani's brave attempts to defend her before she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

"In one of the court sessions, after a lot of wrangling, our lawyers were given a chance to present a defense. I remember Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, the prominent lawyer who I greatly respect, standing up and rejecting the charges on three grounds," Mahvash Sabet told CHRI.

"Despite their firm belief in Islam, he [attorney Hadi Esmailzadeh] and Mr. Soltani defended us regardless of our beliefs," she "What mattered to them was that their clients were human beings and citizens of this country, just like them."

Article 58 of Iran's Islamic Penal Code allows prisoners to be conditionally released after serving a third of their sentence.
China, Russia defend trade ties with Iran after US sanctions

08/08/18

Source: Press TV

China and Russia have repudiated new US sanctions on Iran, pledging to maintain trade ties with Tehran after President Donald Trump warned countries against doing business with the Islamic Republic.



The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Known commonly as the Iran Nuclear Deal or Iran Deal



"China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions and long-armed jurisdiction," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, addressing Trump's decision Monday to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

"China's commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable, fair and lawful, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions," it said, adding "China's lawful rights should be protected."

Beijing has close economic and diplomatic ties with Tehran. It is Iran's biggest oil customer, taking in more than 650,000 barrels per day from the country.

The world's No. 2 economy is reportedly gearing up to take more and "vacuum up much of the Iranian oil that other nations won't buy because of the threat of US sanctions."

Chinese companies are also interested in Iran's oil and gas projects.

State energy firms CNPC and Sinopec have invested billions of dollars in Iran's giant Yadavaran and North Azadegan oil fields and eye participating in further developments of the deposits.

CNPC is also about to take over Total's stake in the giant Iranian South Pars gas project after the French company decided to leave amid US sanctions.

Iran plans to increase the production potential of its oil fields by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the form of 34 projects, estimated to cost more than $6 billion.

Russia 'deeply disappointed'

As many as 12 projects in Iran's petroleum sector have been presented to Russia's Gazprom, Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Zarubezhneft, Taftneft and Lukoil for development.

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is prepared to continue its oil investment in Iran at the level of $50 billion in the face of US plans to reimpose sanctions on the Iranian oil and gas sector on November 4.

On Tuesday, Russia said it was "deeply disappointed by US steps to reimpose its national sanctions against Iran" as it pledged to do "everything necessary" to protect its shared economic interests with Tehran.

"This is a clear example of Washington violating UN Resolution 2231 (on the Iran nuclear deal) and international law," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement dismissed US hopes to browbeat Iran into submission through exerting fresh pressures on the country.

"As long-term experience has shown, it will not be possible to gain concessions from Iran using pressure," it said.

Russia called on the international community to save the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and "not to allow such significant achievements in multilateral diplomacy to be sacrificed in the name of American aspirations to settle political scores with Iran."

Zarif: US cannot stop Iran's oil exports

Trump has pledged to bring Iran's oil exports - currently at around 2.4 million bpd - to zero but Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that the US leader will not succeed.

Tantrums & CAPPED TWEETS won't change the fact that the world is sick & tired of US unilateralism. Stopping US trade and killing 100K US jobs is fine with us, but the world won't follow impulsive tweeted diktats. Just ask EU, Russia, China & dozens of our other trading partners.  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 7, 2018

"If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences," Zarif was quoted Wednesday as telling the Iran newspaper.

"They can't think that Iran won't export oil and others will export," he said.

The minister said the Americans "have assembled a war room against Iran" but Tehran "can't get drawn into a confrontation with America by falling into this war room trap and playing on a battlefield."

Reminder: International relations is not a beauty pageant, with tired cliches about a desire for WORLD PEACE.

And it is not the first time that a warmonger claims he is waging war for "world peace".  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 7, 2018

Zarif also dismissed any direct or indirect talks currently being held with the US after Trump said he wanted negotiations with Tehran on a new deal.

"Imagine negotiating now -- how can we trust them?" Zarif told state broadcaster IRINN. "America has zig-zagged constantly, so now no one trusts them."

Reminder: International relations is not a beauty pageant, with tired cliches about a desire for WORLD PEACE.

And it is not the first time that a warmonger claims he is waging war for "world peace".  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 7, 2018

The minister said Iran is now in a much better position than the last time when it was under Western sanctions which were lifted in early 2016 under the nuclear deal.

"There is a big difference this time," said Zarif. "Before nobody supported Iran. But now, all the countries in the world are supporting Iran."
Nana Damoah who heads as the Public Relations Officer of the Energy Ministry has resigned. Nana Damoahs resignation was after a deleted Facebook post in which he threatened to tell the true story surrounding the Ameri deal.



He resigned just moments after he hinted of exposing all other government officials who contributed to the controversial Ameri power renegotiation deal.



In a deleted Facebook post, Nana Damoah alleged that the sacked energy minister, Boakye Agyarko, was not entirely to blame for controversies surrounding the controversial Ameri deal as there are other people involved. Its time for the emails. Lets play. He is to blame abi? He did it alone right? Ok? the Facebook post indicated.



On his resignation, he wrote again on facebook which says;



It is only right now that I step down. May the good lord see the rest through. Thank you all,



Background:



The $510 million Ameri power deal was signed between the Mahama led government in 2015 at a time when the country was experiencing the power crisis. This power deal was to help bring Ghana out of the energy crisis which had cost the country millions of cedis. However, the deal triggered a well of controversy with civil society groups including IMANI, ACEP raising issues about the cost of the power plant.





Before the Akufo-Addo administration, the NPP vowed to review the agreement if it won power and shortly after it did, the Akufo-Addo led government quickly set up a 17-member committee led by Philip Addison, a lawyer, to investigate the details of the agreement.



Based on this new agreement, the government believed a new deal will save the country a whopping amount of $400 million over a 15-year period. Under this agreement, a new company- Mytilineous International Trading Company will take over the management of the Ameri power plants for 15 years. The new company has offered to pay Ameri an amount of $52,160,560.00, with the government paying the remaining $39 million to the Dubai-based company so they can wash their hands off the deal entirely.



According to Boakye Agyarko, this new agreement will see the price at which government buys power to be reduced from 14.5919 cents to 11.7125 cents per kWh which will lead to a savings of $405.067 million.



The drop in the tariff of US cents 2.8793 per kWh has resulted in a yearly cost savings of about $27.004 million. The total cost of savings over the 15 year period is $405.067m, excerpts of the new agreement stated. This new agreement by Boakye Agyarko was fiercely rejected by the opposition NDC which argued that the deal will make Ghana pay double the amount for the original contract to AMERI.









Source: the publisher









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Alhaji Illiasu, spokesperson for the National Hajj Board, which supervises the travel of Muslims from Ghana to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has debunked media reports that some Ghanaian pilgrims had been arrested in possession of Cola nuts, which is a banned substance in Mecca.



According to him, the Ghanaian pilgrims were thoroughly searched at the airports before they left the shores of the country, and that there was no way anyone could have been arrested with any banned substance.



Aside being thoroughly searched, we also made sniffer dogs to go through their belongings so it is impossible for any pilgrim to carry illegal goods.



Speaking on Kessben FM in Kumasi, the spokesperson said the pilgrims were well educated so none of them would dare travel with an illegal item.





The pilgrims went through series of checks at the airports before they left the shores of Ghana and none of them caused problems for us, he noted.



Alhaji Illiasu was hopeful that the Tamale Airport operations would end on Thursday and would be followed by the Accra operation to ferry the pilgrims to the Holy Land.



He saluted the Ghanaian media for their unalloyed support, which had contributed to making this years hajj very successful, so far.



Approximately 6,000 pilgrims will travel from Ghana to the holy city to perform Hajj, a key pillar in the Islamic religion, this year.



Out of the total number, over 3,300 of them would travel to Saudi Arabia from Accra, while 2,600 would also emplane from the Northern Regional capital of Tamale.

Source: the publisher









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President Akufo-Addo believed that more can be done in upholding the rights of people than has currently been achieved.



He has therefore charged law students, especially in Africa to help deepen respect for human rights.



This was when he delivered the keynote address at the 27th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition held on the campus of the University of Ghana yesterday.



As the world would be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Akufo-Addo expressed disappointment in the fact that the purpose of the instrument has not been fully achieved even though considerable advancement has been made in the universal protection of human rights.



Quoting the late South African President and Nobel Laureate, Nelson Mandela who said one could hardly think of a better way to advance the cause of human rights than to bring together students who are the leaders, judges and teaches of tomorrow  from different countries, with Chief Justices and Professors, to debate some of the crucial issues of our time in the areas it is existing in a challenging atmosphere of a courtroom, where they can test their arguments and skills against one another in a spirit of fierce but friendly competition, Nana stressed that Africa has a sacred task to ensure that the fight for the protection and respect of human rights remains a constant one.



On his part, the Director of the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, (organizers of the Moot Court Competition), Professor Frans Vilijoen expressed delight in the kind of energy and preparation put into the competition by all 19 participating countries while commending authorities at the University of Ghana which is hosting this years event for their tireless effort in ensuring that the competition went on smoothly.



Moot Competition



The African Human Rights Moot Court Competition is the largest gathering of students, academics and judges around the theme of human rights in Africa.



The annual event brings together all law faculties in Africa, whose top students argue a hypothetical human rights case as if they were before the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights.



The competition continuously prepares new generations of lawyers to argue cases of alleged human rights violations before the African Court.



Since its creation in 1992, 150 universities from 50 African countries have taken part in this permanent fixture on the Africa legal education calendar.



The Moot has been a catalyst for the establishment of the leading programmes in the field of human rights teaching and research in Africa.



In 2017, the 26th edition of the Moot Court Competition was hosted at the University of Mauritius. The event brought together 54 teams from 20 African countries.

Source: Daily Guide









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Zimbabwe's government has set this Sunday, 12 August, as the date for president-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa's inauguration following a disputed election.



There have been deadly protests and accusations of rigging but no formal or legal challenge to Mr Mnangagwa's win has been mounted.



The main opposition MDC Alliance is yet to lodge its court application contesting the results, but has until Friday's deadline to do so.



The party says the poll was manipulated to deny its leader the presidency.



Among its claims are that ballot boxes were stuffed, and that numbers were deflated for their candidate Nelson Chamisa and inflated for President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa.



If the MDC Alliance lodges an application challenging the election result and the courts decide that the group has a case, then the inauguration could be put on hold.

Source: BBC









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The policies and programmes being implemented by the Nana Akufo-Addo government are meant to address the age-long issues of geographical exclusion from national development, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated.



According to Vice President Bawumia, these policies, such as the Free Senior High School, national roll-out of the Ghana Card, Digital Property Addressing System and the establishment of the three Development Authorities are designed to ensure that the challenges militating against nationwide access to development opportunities are addressed in a holistic manner and benefit all.



Dr Mahamudu Bawumia outlined the rationale behind the policies of the Nana Akufo-Addo government when he addressed the ongoing 2018 Annual Conference of the Ghana Geographers Association and the Geography Teachers Association at the North Campus of the University of Education, Winneba on Wednesday 8th August, 2018. It is under the theme Geography- The Missing Link in Ghanas Development Agenda?



Over the past 19 months that the Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been in power, we have been aware that Ghana has no reason not to develop. For this reason we have taken a number of giant steps to develop Ghana and in all cases the aim is to address the challenge of geographical exclusion from development, the Vice President stated.



If you look at the sort of policies that Government has been implementing in the last 19 months, at the heart of these policies is the attempt to make sure that regardless of where you are in this geographical space called Ghana, you will be included in the development of this country. That is really fundamental, and if you want to understand what the President and the government is doing, it is in the whole area of inclusion.



The Free Senior High School programme, for instance, is meant to ensure equitable utilization of the national cake  meaning wherever you live, we must provide you the opportunity to free yourself from poverty through education. We see education as key to success and whether you live in rural or urban areas, whether poor or rich, the country owes you the responsibility to get you educated, Vice President Bawumia explained.



The Vice President explained that having a unique national ID card is a prerequisite for any nation aspiring to modernise, and the Akufo-Addo government is determined to ensure Ghana takes her place in the comity of developed nations.



There is no modern society where you dont have individuals who work within or live within their geographical area and are not uniquely identified. If you take away the system of unique identification, those economies will fall apart. That is why in Ghana we have began the process of issuing a unique ID card for Ghana. But that is just the beginning.



Registering and having the Ghana Card defines the territorial integrity, safety and security of Ghana. President Nana Akufo-Addo has a firm belief that every Ghanaian, living in the city or village, rich or poor neighbourhood must be known, must be uniquely identified to speed up our development.

Vice President Bawumia indicated that the creation of new Regions and regionalization for development is in direct response to the complaint by some Ghanaian citizens about how far away they are from their respective regional capitals, hence are deprived of their fair share of the national cake due to their location.



Some say they live in 'overseas'. Governments effort is to ensure equitable regional development and therefore bringing Government to the people is vital. We are interested in the creation of new regions to bring balanced development. Again, politically and socially defined Development Agencies and Institutions are being reorganized into Geographic Regional Development Agencies, namely Northern, Middle-belt and Coastal Development Authorities.



Other initiatives, such as the land digitisation agenda, the One Village One Dam, One District One Factory, and the Planting for Food and Jobs are all meant to create jobs, ensure food security, and address the mass migration of unemployed youth to cities in search of non-existing jobs, he added.



They are all designed to kill many birds with one stone: create jobs, reduce migration to big cities, create balanced spatial development, improve local economies, and make use of regional potentials.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Following the controversies that have rocked the Miss Ghana beauty pageant organised by Exclusive Events Ghana Limited, many have called for a probe into the pageant.



Aside from pimping allegations levelled against CEO of Exclusive Events Ghana, Inna Mariam Patty, the pageant contract between organisers and contestants have been questioned.



Former holders of the crown including Margaret Dery (Miss Ghana 2017), Stephanie Karikari (Miss Ghana 2010), Giuseppina Nana Akua Baafi (Miss Ghana 2013) and Antoinette Delali Kemavor (Miss Ghana 2015) have raised concerns over the contract presented to them to sign.



They allege that they were made to sign their contracts under duress and not allowed to take the agreement to a lawyer to understand the clauses better.





However, Afua Asieduwaa Akrofi, Miss Ghana 2015 first runner-up who became reigning queen for 2016 because Antoinette Delali Kemavor resigned has jumped to the defence of the organizers.



In an interview with Joy News Maxwell Amoofia, the 2016 queen downplayed the need to seek legal advice before signing the contract with the excuse that the agreement is written in English.



She said when the organisers hand the documents "you go through the contract over and over againit is written in English. They are read in EnglishMy parents went through my contract.



Afua Asieduwaa Akrofi also debunked the claim that she is being used a stooge by Inna Mariam Patty to defend the scandalous activities of Exclusive Events Ghana Limited.



Ghanas representative to the 2017 Miss World pageant described her experience with Miss Ghana as wonderful.



She was proud of completing her mechanized water system in Nabuli in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region to curb the lack of clean drinking water in the area.



Watch the video below:





Source: myjoyonline.com









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It is no more news that American televangelist, Dr Juanita Bynum will be ministering to thousands at the 5th edition of Tehillah Experience organised by Ohemaa Mercy.



The American International Empowerment Lecturer, Recording Artist, Author, Conference Host, and Entrepreneur is expected to arrive in Ghana on Thursday, August 9, 2018, ahead of the Sunday experience. Management of Ohemaa Mercy tells that Dr Bynum arrives in Ghana early to help her prepare for the spirit-filled encounter happening at ICGC Calvery Temple on Sunday.



Juanita Bynum upon her arrival on Thursday evening will meet the press on Friday at the Tang Palace Hotel and subsequently a conference with the president of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



Other renowned Ghanaian gospel musicians who are expected to lead thousands who will troop to the Calvary Temple off the Spintex road on Sunday, August 12, 2018, for the 5th edition of Tehillah Experience include Elder Mireku, Ceccy Twum, Akese Brempong, Moses O.K, Cwesi Oteng, Oware Jnr, Pastor Isaiah and many others.



Dr Juanita Bynum sits as President of Juanita Bynum Ministries and CEO of Juanita Bynum Enterprises, with headquarters in New York City.



Over the last two decades, Dr Bynum has become a fixture of inspiration, hope, and new life and served as an example to men and women around the world.



With accomplishments including being a New York Times Best Selling Author, Platinum Recording Artist, Awarded Actress and Television Host, as well as a record-breaking Conference Host.

Source: Zionfelix









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Tracy Ama, wife of rapper Sarkodie has incurred the wrath of Ghanaians and social media users for wading into the Menzgold-Bank of Ghana saga.



Tracy Sarkcess, as she popularly known, as a reply to a Bank of Ghana press release Nana Aba Anamoah posted on her instagram page, commented that the Bank of Ghana should rather focus its energy on actual banks and leave Menzgold alone.



She also resorted to educating the Bank of Ghana on what Menzgold does, which according to her does not include taking cash deposits.



Her comments, however, got her the biggest backlash of her life as she basically had to run into hiding from social media.



Most social media users brutally clapped back at her, advised her to keep quiet and stay in her lane and leave the Menzgold-Bank of Ghana issue for those who have knowledge in the field.



Some also resorted to mocking the wife of Sarkodie and questioned whether she was the newly appointed PRO for Menzgold.



Her comments has since gone viral and there seems to be no hiding place of Tracy as people continue to mock, troll and clap back at her from all angles without any mercy.



It is safe to say that this may be the first and last time Tracy will ever comment on the Bank of Ghana and Menzgold issue looking at the kind of backlash she has received following her comment.







Comments below-

Source: ghanaweb.com









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Mark Turner (left) will be Executive Chairman and Rodger Levenson (right) will be Chief Executive Officer of an expanded WSFS Corp. after they purchase the largest bank in Philadelphia, enabling the company to make bigger loans, expand online services and close surplus branches. Pictured at WSFS offices in Wilmington, Del. In the foreground is a copy of WSFS's annual report, depicting landmarks from the Delaware Shore to Center City Philadelphia, and also illustrating Turner's childhood home and Catholic parish in the city's Logan section. Atop the report is a relic Turner's mother gave him as a child of St. John Neumann, the immigrant bishop who helped found Beneficial. Levenson grew up in Broomall. Read more

WSFS Financial Corp. of Wilmington has agreed to pay $1.5 billion in stock and cash for Philadelphia's Beneficial Bancorp., merging the region's two largest locally based banks into a $13 billion-asset company to better compete with five larger, national banks that dominate the regional market for bank loans, deposits, and investments.

Its leaders say WSFS will target area developers, consumers, and small and midsized companies that don't feel well-served by the big banks that have dominated Philly banking since buying up CoreStates, Commerce, and other local lenders in job-destroying mergers more than a decade ago.

WSFS bosses Mark Turner and Rodger Levenson plan to close 30 of the combined companies' 120 branches and eliminate around 350 of their 2,100 jobs. With 90 remaining branches, the enlarged WSFS will be the region's sixth-largest bank, its deposits trailing Wells Fargo, TD, PNC, Citizens, and Bank of America at local offices.

The bank plans to plow some of the savings and profits into updated software that supports online, mobile, and high-speed finance. The goal: to make opening a deposit account, for example, a process that is too often "time-consuming and frustrating," as simple as hailing and paying an Uber or buying online at Amazon, Levenson, WSFS chief operating officer, told investors in a conference call.

Turner, WSFS chairman and CEO, says small and local banks need to "level the playing field" by improving their technology and making bigger loans so they can compete with the big national lenders. The deal makes WSFS at least triple the size of other independent Philadelphia-area lenders, such as Bryn Mawr Trust, Univest, Firstrust, and Republic.

As a bigger bank, WSFS will be able to lend to developers and businesses twice the size of those the banks have lent to until now, Turner said.

"Beneficial growth has been slower than WSFS," Joe Gladue, bank analyst at Merion Capital in Wayne, noted in a conference call with the bankers. Beneficial, formerly a depositor-owned mutual savings bank, as WSFS was until the 1980s, became a fully publicly traded bank only this year, ending restrictions on sale shares and the businesses it could enter. However, Beneficial's price/earnings ratio is double that of WSFS, because investors expected it to be sold soon.

Turner said his goal is to boost Beneficial sales and profits to WSFS levels, by selling more WSFS loans and financial services to Beneficial customers, and to larger businesses the smaller banks couldn't previously reach.

WSFS is betting that real estate development will continue, and that it will be able to borrow money cheaply from loyal depositors, at a time when some economists worry that the steady growth of the U.S. economy since early 2009 will start slowing due to rising interest rates, higher import costs, and weaker real estate demand. If the company doesn't keep boosting profits, WSFS will itself become an acquisition target.

WSFS plans to cut $68 million, or more than 40 percent, of Beneficial's current yearly costs, as it combines duplicate office and computer systems. Although it plans to eliminate about 350 branch and back-office jobs, it expects that many of those workers will fill vacancies over the next year. It will also invest $32 million in better IT, online, and mobile customer systems.

After the Trump administration signaled more liberal enforcement of banking regulations for midsized lenders, WSFS's Turner and Beneficial CEO Gerry Cuddy began talking about combining their banks over beers at the Union League club last winter. WSFS signaled formal interest to Beneficial in a letter on Memorial Day weekend.

During the secret talks, which included a July directors meeting at the Ritz Carlton hotel, the dealmakers code-named WSFS "Rodney," for Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington, and dubbed Beneficial "Bishop," recalling its founding as a savings bank for Irish immigrants with support in the 1850s from the Catholic bishop of Philadelphia at the time, St. John Neumann.

The enlarged bank will use the WSFS name, with its main headquarters at the glass-walled WSFS office tower near I-95 in downtown Wilmington, and a second central office that WSFS boss Turner, a Chadds Ford resident and native of the city's Logan section, calls "HQ2" at Beneficial's Center City headquarters, 1818 Market St.

If the deal wins regulatory approval, as expected, the banks will replace blue Beneficial signs with green WSFS signs late in 2019.

The enlarged WSFS will be big enough to lend to individual companies with up to half a billion dollars in yearly sales, doubling current capacity. Turner says Philadelphia-area businesses can reach him and other top decision-makers more easily than his rivals in distant cities such as San Francisco, Toronto, and Pittsburgh.

The combined banks expect to employ 1,700 after combining computer systems and back offices, and shutting about 15 duplicate and 15 marginal branches; Beneficial currently has 61 full-service branches, and WSFS, 60. WSFS also is raising Beneficial's $14-an-hour minimum wage to its own $15 level.

Turner will serve as executive chairman of the combined banks as his lieutenant, Levenson, becomes chief executive. Beneficial's Cuddy will be a vice chairman. WSFS has signed management contracts for eight senior Beneficial managers to stay on for at least the next two years.

WSFS has branches across Delaware and in parts of Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery Counties. Beneficial has branches around the city and its northern and western suburbs, and in suburban South Jersey. WSFS also manages $19 billion in investments for clients across the U.S., through affiliates including Christiana Bank & Trust and Cypress Capital Management.

WSFS, like other banks, has been consolidating branches as customers go online. The company shut two underused offices in affluent neighborhoods near Concord Mall earlier this year and directed users to a new, smaller office, with desks instead of teller stations, south of Chadds Ford on U.S. 202, next to the new Wilmington University campus and a big new Wawa.

WSFS will add Cuddy and two more Beneficial directors to its 11-member board under terms of the deal.

WSFS hired investment bank Boenning & Scattergood Inc., West Conshohocken, as financial adviser for the deal, along with Washington law firm Covington & Burling. Beneficial used adviser Sandler O'Neill + Partners LP, New York, and law firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.

WSFS (stands for Wilmington Savings Fund Society, the company's bank subsidiary) and Beneficial (long known as Beneficial Savings Bank) are the last of the region's former depositor-owned mutual savings banks, which also included the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS).

Now that his bank is coming to Philly, Turner has said he looked into making use of the old PSFS name, which still adorns the bank's landmark high-rise Market Street East ex-headquarters, but found that PSFS successor Citizens Financial Group, of Providence, R.I., has rights to its old signage. Turner has also joked that he doesn't want Philadelphians pronouncing the PSFS name to rhyme with "wiss-fiss," as his bank is known.
A promising Vanguard Group executive has left the company, instead of taking the top post he was given to oversee a key growth business for the Malvern investment giant.

In June, Vanguard CEO Tim Buckley named Phil Korenman, 37, to head Personal Advisor Services (PAS). The company is counting on the unit, which charges clients fees to advise on their investments, to help boost Vanguard revenues as fund management fees fall toward zero amid industry automation and competition. Korenman had earlier led the group that developed PAS while he was a Vanguard corporate strategist.

A Bloomberg analyst has called PAS "the Amazon of finance" for its impact on retail competitors. PAS assets have topped $100 billion, a small but fast-growing fraction of Vanguard clients' $5 trillion total, which largely includes low-fee stock and bond mutual funds and exchange-traded funds based on the S&P 500 and other market indices.

The appointment was to take effect this month, with Korenman replacing Frank Kolimago, a veteran Vanguard executive moving to Australia to head the company's business there, so former Vanguard Australia chief Colin Kelton can head back to Malvern as the parent company's top marketing officer.

But Korenman didn't take the top PAS job on schedule in August, and has instead left the company that was his only corporate home since he finished his undergraduate management degree at Penn State in 2002, Vanguard insiders told me.

"We are actively searching for a new head of Vanguard Personal Advisor Services," Vanguard spokesperson Emily M. Farrell confirmed. Korenman "is no longer with the company." Vanguard wouldn't say what sparked the change in plans. Korenman didn't respond to attempts to reach him online. Current and former Vanguard staff who worked with Korenman called him affable, and his sudden departure a mystery.

In an email last week to staff, Korenman's boss and past mentor, Vanguard retail chief Karin Risi, acknowledged the group had gone through a "less than awesome" time and an unusual management meeting, but assured them the unexpected leadership transition won't slow progress on adopting consultants' recommendations to speed PAS growth. She batted away suggestions PAS would be "hitting pause," and told them its management depth could keep growth plans on track.

Korenman had "played a critical role in the early days" of PAS as corporate strategist developing the group's "foundational design," Risi had written in a June email announcing Korenman's promotion. "We're thrilled," she added. "We're excited." And, "No pressure, Phil!"

Korenman seemed made for the PAS job. He rose quickly through the ranks, with five annual promotions after his arrival with a brand-new IT management degree in 2002, then several years as corporate strategist, before joining the management elite as a Principal in 2011 and leading efforts to set up PAS.

As he rose, Korenman prepped for a top management role, earning an MBA from Villanova, and last year going through Harvard's Advanced Management Program. He starred in promotional videos and Q&A interviews boosting the service.

A sudden departure of a high-level boss is unusual for Vanguard, which has a history of picking management candidates from young hires. "They have a management team model that seems to work. They give a lot of thought to longterm planning. They aren't a public company, so they don't have to think in months; they think in decades," says Barry Ritholtz, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC, a New York firm which offers clients Vanguard funds among other products.
Prosperity begets prosperity: On a global level, economists and historians have shown that places that prospered 100, 500, even 1,000 years ago tend to be more economically developed today.

But how? We're less clear on the exact channels by which economic activity sustains itself over the millennia. Could dynastic wealth play a role? How about the concentration and transmission of knowledge via institutions such as schools and libraries? How does military might factor in?

Now, a team of Danish economists has put forth a forceful case for one largely overlooked driver of economic development in Europe: roadways built by the Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago. They demonstrate that the density of ancient Roman roads at a given point in Europe strongly correlates with present-day prosperity, as measured by modern-day road density, population density, and even satellite imagery of nighttime lighting.

Their data show that infrastructure investments are a pathway to long-term prosperity.

To arrive at this conclusion, Carl-Johan Dalgaard of the University of Copenhagen and his colleagues first obtained a geographic database of the major roads of the Roman era, compiled by Harvard University's Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilizations.

Roman roadways were massive infrastructure projects even by modern standards. They consisted of several base layers, including stone, gravel, and sand, over which large stone slabs were laid. At the empire's peak in 117 A.D., scholars estimate, the Romans had built more than 80,000 kilometers of roadway across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Many of the routes have lasted well into the present day.

Dalgaard and his colleagues took a map of the major Roman roads and superimposed it over satellite imagery showing the level of nighttime illumination in 2010. Economists often use nighttime lighting as a proxy for economic activity: more lights, more development.

The visual relationship is particularly striking in France. There, you can clearly see the paths of ancient roadways connecting not just major modern cities, like Paris and Lyon, but many minor ones, too. Across inland France, nearly every junction of ancient roads is marked by a splash of light in the modern era.

While just eyeballing it like this is suggestive, it's not good enough for social science research. So, Dalgaard and his colleagues took it several steps further: They divided the entire ancient Roman Empire into a grid of squares  one degree of latitude by one degree of longitude  and measured the density of Roman roads within each. For each square, they also measured modern-day population, the density of current roadways, and economic activity as indicated by the satellite imagery.

They then ran a battery of statistical tests to determine how the presence of ancient roadways was related to the modern-day variables they measured. The answer: quite a bit. Places with more Roman roads in antiquity tended to have more roads today, as well as more people and greater levels of economic development.

Now, there's a big question of causality looming over all this: Can we really say that ancient roads caused greater economic development down the line? Or is it more accurate to say that more prosperous areas in the ancient world had more of a tendency to build roads to other places as a natural result of their prosperity?

Dalgaard and his colleagues marshal convincing evidence to argue in favor of a causal link that runs from ancient roadbuilding to modern-day prosperity. For starters, Roman roads weren't typically built with trade in mind: their primary purpose was to move troops and supplies to locations of military interest. Trade was an afterthought.

"Roman roads were often constructed in newly conquered areas without any extensive, or at least not comparable, existing network of cities and infrastructure," Dalgaard and his colleagues wrote. In many instances, the roads came first. Settlements and cities came later.

Then there's the question of what happened to Roman roads built in North Africa. At some point between 500 and 1,000 A.D., wheeled transport was essentially abandoned in that region. Goods were ferried around on the backs of camels, rather than in carts pulled by oxen. The exact reasons for this are up for debate and probably involved costs, advances in saddle technology, and the increasing military and political might of groups that traditionally relied on camels for transport, Dalgaard and his colleagues explain.

If you're not pulling carts around, you have less of a need for paved roadways. As a result, the Roman roads in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) weren't maintained the way they were in Europe, where cart-based transit remained dominant. "The implication of these developments is that since ancient roads fall into disrepair in the MENA region, to a much greater extent than in Europe, one should expect to see much less persistence in infrastructure density."

Indeed, that's what Dalgaard and his colleagues found. The correlation between ancient roadways and modern-day development so prevalent in Europe is much smaller and less significant for the Middle East and North Africa. "As ancient roads are left to decay they ultimately become a less reliable predictor of modern road location in the MENA," they found. "Roman road density does not predict current-day economic activity within the MENA region."

In sum, Dalgaard's research adds historical heft to the idea that infrastructure investments can be a driver of economic growth. While most research into that question has focused on short-term results, Dalgaard's paper suggests that infrastructure investments today could continue to bear fruit for thousands of years to come.
Even Pope Francis heard about Pennsylvania's probe into Catholic Church sex abuse. Read more

In anticipation of findings, however redacted, of a statewide grand jury investigation into sex abuse in six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses, I revisited a 2005 grand jury report on the same topic in Philadelphia.

Thirteen years later, it's as horrific as it was back then.

Findings included "how dozens of priests (at least 63) sexually abused hundreds of children" and "how Philadelphia Archdiocese officials  including Cardinal Bevilacqua and Cardinal Krol  excused and enabled the abuse."

Details were sickening.

"We mean rape. Boys who were raped orally, boys who were raped anally, girls who were raped vaginally."

Specifics were worse.

An 11-year-old girl whose priest raped her, and when she became pregnant took her for an abortion.

A boy who woke intoxicated in a priest's bed to find a priest performing oral sex on him while three other clerics watched.

There was much more.

And the cover-up was found to be "at least as immoral as the abuse itself."

After the report's release, I wrote the shortest column of my career. Three sentences: "Know what I hope? I hope all those Catholic priests are right. I hope there is a hell."

Now, here we go again. Another grand jury. More specifics. And, no doubt, more immoral cover-up.

The issue, if one can call it that (it's more of an abomination), always raised questions for me because of my own education.

As the product of a Catholic grade school, a Catholic high school, and an all-male Catholic college, I never once heard a whisper of anything approaching sexual abuse by clergy.

Never. Not during. Not since.

Well, at least not since the release last week (updated this week) by the Diocese of Harrisburg: 72 names of priests, other clergy, and seminarians accused of sexual abuse of children.

The list included priests I knew or met as a high school student, or later in Catholic parishes. One named priest was a fellow student of mine in grade school.

But, like most veteran journalists, I'm long since inoculated against surprise. I wasn't stunned to find familiar names.

In fact, it underscored my troubled thinking on the topic. Which is this: Clearly, abuse has always been there. Imagine the pained silence of generations. How many never came forward? How many still don't? How many never will?

And the torment is the fact that evil done by "men of God" hidden for so long is doubly malevolent. It allowed more evil to stay hidden longer.

It prevented (overdue) child-protection efforts by the church, from Rome on down, that could have started decades ago.

There could have been fewer victims. There could have been transparency, education, moral leadership.

As is, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro's grand jury report is to be released any day now after a nearly two-year investigation of the Dioceses of Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Scranton.

It's 900 pages, covers decades, and found more than 300 "predator priests."

The state Supreme Court ordered its release after a legal fight, but agreed to redact names of those challenging findings on grounds their rights weren't represented in front of the grand jury.

Shapiro's been aggressive. With the investigation. In fighting for release of findings. Even in writing Pope Francis for aid in ending church resistance to making findings public.

So, he was blasted this week by the Catholic League, a New York-based antidefamation group, as "Salacious Shapiro," interested solely in embarrassing the church with explicit details of abuse.

A statement from league president Bill Donohue argues Shapiro singled out the church: "A grand jury report on sexual misconduct in any institution could also serve the prurient interests of the public."

This is the ever-popular everybody-does-it defense. But crimes are crimes. And crimes committed against children are the worst. Especially when committed by clergy. Then covered up. Why wouldn't any prosecutor always go after the worst?

I suspect among hard-core church supporters there's an ugly undercurrent of, well, you know, Shapiro's Jewish, as is former Philly DA Lynne Abraham, who released the `05 report. And isn't that a little suspicious?

No. That's a little anti-Semitic.

And as for me? I still hope there's a hell.
Kevin Rodenbaugh, 20, of King of Prussia, with a 45-inch long muskie he says he caught in the Schuylkill July 17 in Norristown, Pa. Read more

When Kevin Rodenbaugh and a friend recently hauled in a 45-inch muskie that weighed up to 40 pounds, it caught a lot of people by surprise: Though the catch wasn't a record, the location was unexpected.

That's because it was caught in the Schuylkill in Norristown, not a pristine waterway in rural Pennsylvania. Muskellunge, often shortened to muskies or musky, have sometimes been found in that range in other areas, such as the Youghiogheny River or Lake Arthur in Butler County. Set in 1924, the state record for a muskie has proved hard to beat: 54 pounds, 3 ounces at Conneaut Lake in Crawford County.

Rodenbaugh, 20, of King of Prussia, said many people thought his Facebook post of a picture of him with the fish was a fake.

"As soon as I showed it to my mom, my mom asked me that exact same question," Rodenbaugh told Schuylkill River Greenways NHA, a nonprofit conservation organization. The group posted Rodenbaugh's video of the catch on its site.

Rodenbaugh recounted that on July 17 he and a friend were fishing on the Schuylkill  he won't disclose exactly where  when they spotted what they thought was a two-foot-long muskie. They had light poles at the time, not being prepared for such a large fish. But Rodenbaugh thought the opportunity was too good to pass up and put a big spinner on his line without a leader.

Then the muskie bit.

"He was jumping out of the water.  It took like 15 minutes to get him in," Rodenbaugh said.

Finally, the pair wrested the fish in, but Rodenbaugh had a finger sliced open when he reached under the fish's gill. He took off his shirt and used it to stop the bleeding.

"That's actually the first muskie I've ever caught," he told Schuylkill River Greenways NHA.

The fish came in at 45 inches long and weighed from 30 to 40 pounds. The muskie is present in the Schuylkill, but not normally associated with that size in recent years. A Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission interactive map of common fish location does not note muskie in that stretch. But a group, Muskies Inc Chapter 50, did stock the fish in the sarea in 2016.

Rodenbaugh sent the photo to Schuylkill River Greenways NHA, which shared it on Facebook Aug. 3  that's why the catch is just getting known in the area. The photo had about 219,000 views as of Wednesday, the organization reported.

Rodenbaugh said he was shocked at how popular the photo became. He said he has fished in the same area on the Schuylkill for about three or four years and once caught a 58-pound catfish.

Schuylkill River Greenways NHA said the water quality in the river has improved greatly in the last 20 years  thanks in large part to conservation groups.

"Working together, these organizations have funded millions of dollars toward projects and programs that directly and positively impact water quality, and these investments have paid off. The Schuylkill River is now healthy enough to support a robust recreational industry, including kayaking, boating, and fishing," said Schuylkill River Greenways NHA executive director Elaine Paul Schaefer. Schaefer's organization is managed by the nonprofit Schuylkill River Greenway Association.

The organization oversees the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund, which provides grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations for projects that improve the quality of water in the watershed to focus on major sources of pollution. Last year, the fund awarded $364,193 and has distributed $3.3 million  and leveraged $5 million more  for river restoration projects.

Also a big help: closing of industries along the river, as well as grants for other environmental organizations dedicated to not only the Schuylkill, but also that of the Delaware River watershed. The Schuylkill feeds into the Delaware.

So what did Rodenbaugh do with the fish?

He let it go.
The ability to acquire and master new skills  and be of value in the workplace  is not age-dependent. Read more

I recently attended a digital marketing conference in Philadelphia, an educational opportunity in my own city that I could not pass up. I was psyched for two intense days of learning. Plus, there would be networking. I threw a new batch of business cards in my bag along with my iPhone and iPad.

As a marketing and communications professional eager to learn about trends in my field, this conference was a godsend. Roughly a thousand others felt likewise, given the size of the crowd at registration. As I waited in line, I scrolled through my Instagram feed. Conversations sprinkled with buzzwords  keyword optimization, Facebook's new algorithm, Google ad words  wafted around me.

I walked briskly through the vast hallways of the Convention Center to the opening session, a four-hour workshop on search engine optimization. On the way, I observed my fellow attendees. This was indeed a diverse crowd. White, black, brown faces. Probably half women, half men. A variety of dress, from suits to jeans.

There was one demographic noticeably absent, however: The 55-and-over segment.

Yeah, I'm talkin' 'bout my generation.

As I searched for a seat, I scanned the rows for another woman my age. Even a man my age. For God's sake, someone who would know I just quoted a lyric by The Who. I was adrift in a sea of millennials, Gen X-ers, Gen Z-ers, but, gee whiz, no Boomers. I tried shaking the uncomfortable feeling that I was a generational misfit.

Perhaps this was precisely why my contemporaries stayed away.

I live-tweeted throughout the conference, getting likes and follows and making some new Twitter friends. Had they realized I was close to the age of their parents, however, would they have been so willing to engage?

Maybe I was steeling myself for the bias I have encountered time and time again. Unlike some cultures, ours does not revere elders for their wisdom; rather, the idea of us older folks competing in a younger niche is scoffed at. Ask anyone over 50 about applying for a job. It's daunting.

Stereotypes about older folks persist. Try Googling "tech & senior citizens" images and you'll see what I mean. Doddering white hairs shaking their heads at this newfangled contraption, the smartphone. Puzzled seniors pointing at the screen and laughing maniacally.

Who are those people?

I admonished myself to ignore the lopsided demographics and instead concentrate on the presentations, which were excellent. After the final workshop, I waited behind two young women to ask the presenter a question. My mind wandered with ideas for the blog post I would write the next day, but a voice intruded into my thoughts.

"What can I do about my clients who are, like, in their 50s and 60s?" the first woman asked the presenter. "You know, like,  giggle  these old people, they are so clueless when it comes to social media, they just don't get it "

I couldn't stop myself.

"I resent that," I said.

The second woman swiveled her head to stare at me. She tittered nervously. The first woman looked aghast. I felt my face redden but plunged ahead.

"What you just said. You realize that's ageism, right?"

The first woman spluttered and backed away, her friend grabbing her arm.

Later, I felt guilty. I hadn't meant to embarrass anyone. On the other hand, perhaps it had been a teaching moment.

The ability to acquire and master new skills  and be of value in the workplace  is not age-dependent. If we acquiesce to the label of incompetence, we tend to fade into the background. And avoid going to tech conferences.

Oh, and those new business cards? Never took them out of my bag. My teachable moment: Business cards are so last century.

Helene Cohen Bludman is a digital marketer and writer living in Montgomery County.
Marcel Braun brought A Starship in Every Garage, a team of glass artists, to The Sculpture Garden in Philadelphia to create a glass coins from scratch to be used as currency among glass collectors. Marcel works on a cake-like piece of glass is pulled down into long cane. That cane is then cut and worked into a particular coin. Read more

Last week, a starship made its way from Eugene, Ore., to North Philadelphia, where its crew members turned a 40-pound, 3,000-degree hunk of borosilicate glass into an alternative, coin-based form of money known as Art Units.

To its creator, that form of currency represents a way out of our traditional economic system.

"Piloted" by longtime glass artist Marcel Braun, the so-called Starship is a group of glassmakers who create the glass coins. It takes its name from Braun's compound in Oregon. After months of preparation, Braun and his crew, also known as "A Starship in Every Garage," worked with Old City's Ruckus Gallery to come to Philadelphia.

On Friday, they gave a demonstration at the Sculpture Courtyard. Braun and a crew of about 10 made an Art Unit for Philly. Finished outdoors in the dark and rain around 3 a.m. Saturday, the coin reads "Ruckus Presents 7.10 Art Units for the City of Brotherly Love." With that, Philly became part of what Braun, 41, calls the "sacred economy" of the Art Unit  an economic system that focuses on community success rather than individual wealth.

Braun's Art Units are not the first alternative money of their kind. In economic terms, they're "community currency," a type of money often focused on a geographic region. Examples include Ithaca Hours in Ithaca, N.Y., COjacks in Colorado, Eugene Skinners in Eugene, Ore., and BerkShares in Massachusetts. Art Units are similar but focus on glass collectors as an interest group, specifically those based in the glass pipe movement, in which Braun made his a name over the last 20 years.

"The Art Unit is a piece of art, like the Mona Lisa downsized into little inch-by-inch coins, and it's backed up by the art itself," says Jessica Boggs, 38, Braun's significant other, mother of their child, Phoenix, and member of the crew. "It's kind of like a gold coin, but it has work and energy in it instead of a precious metal."

The Ruckus event was the first of its kind for the Starship, in which Braun and his team created an Art Unit from start to finish. The unit was later cut and polished into individual coins at a glass studio run by Katie Severance, Jocelyn Beaucher, Patty Clune. They will be released to the public on Wednesday at Ruckus Gallery, along with an an exhibit explaining the production of the coins.

Bearing heady messages like "Art Seeds Dreams" and "An Alternative Is Possible," Art Units began in 2013 as an extension of Braun's Project 33. More a philosophy than an art project, Project 33 focuses on "mutual support," Braun said, and involves everything from growing your own food to creating an alternative economy. Art Units are among its most ambitious directives, and are created by a variety of artists on a volunteer basis.

"Each Art Unit is $10, so in terms of what it's worth, it's measured by the amount of resources and community energy and skill that goes into the creation of the coin," says local filmmaker Dan Collins, director of Project 33: An Alternative Is Possible, a free documentary on Vimeo about Braun's project that was screened at Friday's event. "Essentially, it's meant to serve as a form of barter that removes the glass community from the burden of using U.S. dollars and buying into the banking system."

About 40 Art Unit editions have been produced. Denominations range from 3.3 to 100, meaning the coins have a face value of between $33 and $1,000. Coins have been created to help various charities and individuals; others  those marked with an infinity symbol  are intended as gifts. Sales are handled primarily at A Starship in Every Garage's Instagram page.

Several glass-related suppliers, distributors, and artists accept the coins as partial or full payment for items from raw glass and tools to finished pipes and art pieces.

Some West Coast marijuana dispensaries have agreed to accept Art Units as payment, and the Starship has used them to pay for tree cutting and IT services, as well as for an Airbnb, Boggs says, though he acknowledges they have a way to go before being considered the next Bitcoin.

As art objects, the units themselves are glass murrine, commonly known as millefiori or "millie." The term describes a glassblowing technique that produces decorative patterns that was popularized by Venetian glassmakers in the 1500s. Today, millies are collectible, regularly fetching hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

Philadelphia has become notable in the glass pipe movement over the last decade, thanks to artists like Marble Slinger, Germ, and Snic Barnes, as well as to its proximity to South Jersey, where much of America's early glass industry developed. The National Liberty Museum highlighted glass pipe artists last year with its "Treachery of Images" exhibit, which included glass pipes valued at as much as $250,000. The once-vilified glass pipe is becoming as legitimate  and expensive  as art that you can't smoke weed out of.

>> READ MORE: Glass smoking pipes, bongs get high art treatment at National Liberty Museum

Braun's most elaborate pipes typically sell for tens of thousands of dollars. He studied under major glass artists, including Pino Signoretto, Emilio Santini, Roger Parramore, and Brian Kerkvliet. In the words of Project 33 partner and fellow pipe artist Matty White, Braun "has the skills to mega-pay bills."

"He's an artist who found pipes as a way to make a living and used that opportunity to pursue loftier artistic goals that go way beyond the pipe," Collins, who also edited the 2011 pipe doc Degenerate Art, says. "Creative minds are going to move into new territory, and I think that's what we're seeing here."

Braun is also creating equipment. Ruckus Gallery director Jocelyn Beaucher, 22, says the project is revolutionary.

The two major types of glass are soda-lime, or "soft glass," which is used in decorative pieces, and "hard," or borosilicate, glass that has historically been used in science and industry and that requires much more heat to work with.

Soft glass is often worked in furnaces in large, expensive studios; borosilicate is usually worked on torches and can be done relatively cheaply. Braun takes soft glass techniques from the studio glass movement and applies them to borosilicate, his usual medium, for his Art Units. As a result, he and the Starship crew have had to develop new tools, equipment, and processes.

"There is not a human being out there doing this besides them," Beaucher, who organized the event after a trip to the Starship in Eugene, says. "People in the glass art world, rather than just the pipe scene, are paying attention, and that's important."

The project could help break down the wall between traditional glassworkers and glass pipe makers, who have historically been at odds over the pipe industry's association with marijuana. But as legalization has spread, cannabis has become more socially permissible, as has the paraphernalia, and, in turn, the artists who make it.

The Sculpture Courtyard event was an unusual practice in glass working, which is is highly competitive and typically involves secretive processes. But Braun lets it all hang out in a kind of open-source gesture to anyone interested, as well as a way to educate audiences about the Art Unit project.

When Braun and his Starship landed in Philly, they came with a full shop in tow, equipment ranging from specially designed furnaces and kilns to glassblowing torches and tools, as well as polishing equipment. Also included was a stage for manufacturing the Philly coin, the debut of the Starship's traveling incarnation.

"This is definitely glassblowing Special Forces stuff," said glass artist Josh Chiodo, 33, Marcel's assistant, also known as Odo Glass.

On Friday, VIP ticketholders showed up starting at 5 p.m., and work on the coin started around 8:30 p.m. For more than six hours, Braun and his crew worked on the coin, battling rain, heat, and darkness. After assembling a cakelike lump of glass with an image and text in the center, they heated it, climbed a ladder, and pulled it into a longer, smaller cane to be sliced into individual, polished coins. (Such demonstrations are referred to as pulls.)

Braun and the Starship crew have created coins at glass industry events like East Coast Melt in the Poconos, Michigan Glass Project in Detroit, and the Degenerate Flame Off in Portland, Ore., but never from start to finish as in the Philadelphia demo. Braun hopes to build his touring equipment and take it to other cities. He said he hopes to see it evolve into a multiday festival that revolves around making a new Art Unit wherever the Starship touches down.

Braun also hopes to increase Art Unit edition sizes, which currently supply around 100 coins per pull. The Starship has not kept track of how many Art Units exist, which Braun admits is a mistake.

The project, he says, will one day need to take on official employees, like bookkeepers, but is limited by funding and manpower. Though they're making a form of currency, Braun says he and the Starship crew aren't getting rich off Art Units and typically make only enough to recoup costs and funnel proceeds back into the project.

The main criticism of the project, Braun says, is that Art Units, despite his efforts, probably won't become a form of money. But what matters to supporters of the project is that Braun is at least making an attempt to get people out of the current economic system.

"That's all it takes, that one person standing up," Chiodo says. "In the movies, you see one person stand up and start clapping. I think Marcel is that first goofy b-, going, 'Let's start clapping.' "

GLASS Starship in Every Garage coin release party 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Ruckus Gallery, 27 N. Second St., free, 267-457-5544, www.ruckusgallery.com
The Chestnut Hill Village rental complex in northwest Philadelphia has been acquired by a private investment unit of New York's Goldman Sachs Group.

The 821-apartment property sold on July 27 for $170 million, a spokeswoman for seller Apartment Investment & Management Co., or Aimco, of Denver said in an email Tuesday.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Real Estate said in a release this week that it acquired the rental complex because of its highway access and its proximity to shopping and to SEPTA's Chestnut Hill Regional Rail station.

The unit plans to renovate the property with new flooring, kitchen countertops, cabinetry and fixtures, as well as common area improvements, it said.

Chestnut Hill Village is the private real estate fund's 18th apartment property investment. It owns approximately 5,600 apartments across the United States, it said.

The fund's other holdings in the Philadelphia area include the Radnor Court office building in Wayne, a warehouse in Phoenixville, and light industrial buildings in Malvern and Langhorne.

Aimco plans to use proceeds from the Chestnut Hill Village sale to fund its purchase of four properties in Center City and University City that it is acquiring from Philadelphia developer Carl Dranoff, Aimco spokeswoman Cindy Lempke said.
Jeanette Oakley, a secretary at Chestnut Hill Hospital, can't believe the health-care plan her new employers are proposing.

The plan being offered by Tower Health, which acquired Chestnut Hill Hospital last fall, doesn't appear to have any "in-network" doctors in Philadelphia. Sure, Oakley could get her blood drawn at Chestnut Hill, but if she wanted to see an actual doctor, she'd have to pay more. And Chestnut Hill doesn't have a pediatric unit or a maternity ward.

The biggest in-network hospital, the facility with the most extensive services and in-network doctors, is Reading Hospital  about an hour drive from Chestnut Hill.

"Why would I go to Reading?" said Oakley, who is in her late 50s. "I live in Philadelphia."

Another question on Oakley's mind: Why would a Chestnut Hill Hospital employee, especially a low-wage worker such as Oakley and her coworkers who are represented by SEIU Healthcare PA, even want to pay for a health-care plan like this?

These roughly 200 workers  phlebotomists, nursing assistants, emergency room technicians, most of whom live in Philadelphia  make $12 to $20 an hour. Not all of them have cars.

Oakley, a union leader and Southwest Philly resident who has worked at the hospital for six years, says it seems clear to her: "You didn't consider us," she told Tower.

Tower Health spokesperson Ann Valuch said that she could not discuss negotiation specifics but that "the union's characterizations of some of these issues are not accurate." She wouldn't confirm whether there are currently any in-network doctors in Philadelphia but did say the proposed health plan "will provide" in-network access to "primary care, ob/gyn, and specialist physicians located in Philadelphia and the entire Tower Health service area" by January, which is when the plan is slated to go into effect.

The Chestnut Hill Hospital workers of SEIU Healthcare PA have been negotiating their first contract with Tower Health for almost a year, and health care is a huge sticking point  health-care costs will affect their demands around wages, Oakley said. But the ordeal is a window into some of the effects of the health-care consolidation frenzy and how there are few incentives for health-care systems getting into the insurance business to offer patients more options when it comes to care.

Pure greed?

In the fall, Chestnut Hill Hospital was acquired by Tower Health (the former Reading Health), along with four other suburban hospitals in Southern Pennsylvania, to create a new health system. Earlier last year, Tower Health formed a joint venture with Pittsburgh giant UPMC to offer health insurance in the Philly area.

The announcement triggered a dispute between Tower Health and Independence Blue Cross, the dominant insurance provider here. IBC was suddenly in the position of "funding a rival," as Anthony V. Coletta, president of facilitated health networks at Independence Blue Cross, said in an interview last fall. Eventually, the two parties reached an agreement, allowing Tower hospitals to still be considered in-network for those patients with IBC insurance.

But Tower isn't selling its insurance within city limits, Valuch confirmed.

Tower Healths Service Area

The health system is selling insurance only in counties outside of Philadelphia. And, as Seattle-based health-care consultant Tory Wolff put it, "if you're not looking to compete in Philadelphia, there's no particular reason to build out a broad network there."

New Hope-based health-care consultant Joshua Nemzoff described the situation as a "power play."

Tower wants to push patients to its hospitals  that's a big reason health systems get into the insurance business, Wolff said  so it doesn't make financial sense to contract with other hospitals, Nemzoff said: That would mean sending business to Penn or Jefferson or Hahnemann.

"It's pure greed," Nemzoff said, adding that this proposal suggests that Tower is prioritizing its bottom line over its employees.

There are reasons an insurance provider would choose a "narrow network" and encourage its customers to get care within a subset of hospitals, instead of offering an "open network" with more freedom and choice. For one, narrow networks are generally cheaper for the insured because it means the insurer can negotiate a better deal with hospitals since it'll send so much business there, Wolff said.

There's also a health benefit, he said. Narrow networks allow for what's known as "population health," where doctors provide proactive care to keep people out of hospitals. If you're confined to a certain group of doctors, that means they can coordinate care better.

The trade off, though, is convenience and accessibility, Wolff said.

A maternity ward desert

The situation of the Chestnut Hill workers is one that's become increasingly common in rural areas, as struggling hospitals shut down, forcing people to travel as far as 100 miles for certain kinds of care, such as the delivery of a baby. It's a phenomenon that has serious implications: Women go to fewer doctor's appointments, and more babies are born premature, according to experts at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center.

With technological advances and a movement toward proactive care, people are going to the hospital less, Wolff said, which is a good thing  but it also means less money to keep hospitals open. The trend is exacerbated by the fact that hospitals have historically leveraged more profitable service lines, such as orthopedics or cardiology, to pay for those that don't make money, such as maternity wards or behavioral health. But if hospitals lose out on the more lucrative business to, say, a cheaper nearby hospital, then they don't have money to offer the other services.

In 2008, Chestnut Hill Hospital closed its maternity ward for financial reasons. At the time, it was the latest in a trend: 15 hospitals in the region had shut down their maternity wards over 10 years.

Staff writer Harold Brubaker contributed to this article.
When York, Pa.'s Live  the toast of grunge rock with a spiritual lyrical bent  plays this weekend at Camden's BB&T Pavilion, it will mark the return of a band broken apart for seven years. The four old friends are making new music  "Love Lounge" is freshly released, with an EP's worth of tunes to follow in the fall.

"Making new music was definitely a part of us getting back together," said Ed Kowalczyk, the throaty tenor vocalist-lyricist who left Live for a solo career in 2009 only to rejoin Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey in 2016. "But as old friends from grade school days, making music  like just being together again  is second nature. It only took a few days from our first meeting to get back in the studio and start again."

Guitarist Taylor added something poignant: "My concern wasn't about the band," he said. "I simply missed my childhood friend Ed. The fans cared about the band, and I understand this, but Ed, Chad [Gracey], and Patrick are my family. Even if we never made music, I was hopeful someday we'd have the strength to put the past behind us, which we did. The unexpected and joyful reunion of our quartet is simply the icing on the cake."

Friends and collaborators since the early 1980s with band names such as First Aid and Body Odor Boys, the foursome became Live in 1991, hit the studio with producer Jerry Harrison, and recorded the Four Songs EP and their debut album, Mental Jewelry. "What united us as friends at 12, 13 years old was a shared love for music  and, thank god, the same kind, the same aesthetic, the same vibe," said Kowalczyk. "Oddly enough, too, we had a fairly complex and complete feeling about what we wanted to sound like."

In Kowalczyk's eyes, Live was young but had a fully formed vision of itself intact, with lyrics based on his own spiritual quest for understanding.

"When I met three guys who loved music as much as me, it felt like an oasis far from the pressures of normal teenage life," said Taylor. "I'm sure to older adults we were a bit of a freak show. To our peers, they couldn't understand our obsession with sound, instruments, and even the execution of performance. I mean, there was a collective sound that only the four of us could make. I recall falling in love with my guitar, as the instrument and its case had such a distinct smell. I practiced so much that I often slept with the guitar next to me in bed."

Complex grunge-era guitar rock inspired by the mysticism of Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti is what gave Live its unique edge (and its rabid fan base) on such platinum-plated successes as 1994's Throwing Copper (which contained the hits "I Alone" and "Lightning Crashes"), 1997's Secret Samadhi, and 1999's The Distance to Here (containing "Dolphin's Cry"). Kowalczyk recalls the moment he believed Live found its fans  "fitting into that alternative sound of the moment, R.E.M., the Cure, Bauhaus, bands we had covered"  at a "ticketed gig at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster where we debuted our originals. The crowd and us totally connected."

Live went on for 10 years of live LPs, greatest hits packages, and experimental recordings, but by 2009, the four friends needed space from one another. "That same passion and vibe we started with is here now, but it certainly had its ups and downs, a breakup that turned sour. Still, it was natural. We spent nearly every day of our lives since age 13 together  Luckily now, we're better than ever and on the same page, but things got weird for a minute," Kowalcyzk said.

During that minute, Kowalczyk released two gospel-inspired solo albums that brought him back to the raw instinct of his start (2010's Alive, 2013's The Flood and the Mercy) while Taylor & Co. formed a new band, the Gracious Few, before redoing Live (without Ed). "I have nothing but fond memories of these songs and the band," Taylor says of his non-Kowalczyk output.

As for the break, Taylor claims he had no clue "how good and positive the break would be for ourselves, and the music."

Kowalczyk says the more he began missing his buds in the band, the more the quartet needed to hash things out. "About three years ago, after emails back and forth, we decided to meet for a beer," he said. "Forty-eight hours later, we jumped on the bike, and were playing together. None of us expected it would happen so fast, but it did. Then again, we had so many great decades  not just years  that there is a gratitude among the four us to be on stage as one again."

MUSIC

Live and Counting Crows
From left to right, Daisy Lopez, Carmen "Milly" Chevere Ortiz, and Soraida Perez, laugh while riding the Big Bus tour in Center City on August 6. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Perez and Lopez met and forged a bond with Chevere Ortiz, a woman whose Puerto Rico neighborhood had been washed out by rising floodwaters. Nearly a year later, Chevere Ortiz visited Philadelphia, courtesy of Perez and Lopez. Read more

On the 38th day after rushing floodwaters from Hurricane Maria left her neighborhood coated in a mask of gray mud, Carmen Chevere Ortiz received a gift from two Philadelphia women: a night in a hotel.

The mother of six, known by friends as Milly, cried at the sight of the crisp white bedding.

"I knew she needed to get away," said Daisy Lopez, who met Chevere Ortiz while volunteering in Puerto Rico with her fiance, Soraida Perez. "And the only getaway we were able to provide her was a hotel room."

It was a simple gesture, but one that bonded the women. As Chevere Ortiz has slowly helped rebuild her devastated neighborhood in the suburbs of San Juan, Perez and Lopez have supported her from afar, checking in often and sending what money they can.

This week, they gave her a gift reminiscent of their first: a plane ticket to Philadelphia, a few days' escape from the still-daily struggles of life on the island.

"God sent angels. They don't have wings, but they're angels," Chevere Ortiz, 42, said Monday, as the women shared a meal of grilled meats, rice and beans, and fried plantains at the Reading Terminal Market.

The three met by chance.

Perez, 42, and Lopez, 44, had planned their vacation to Puerto Rico, where both have family, long before Hurricane Maria hit on Sept. 20. After the storm, they knew immediately they would turn their vacation into a mission trip. They gathered donations and used their savings, loading five suitcases full of batteries, water-filtration straws, matches, tea lights, battery-operated fans, and other supplies. The baggage fees cost more than the plane tickets.

The first day they struck up a conversation with Chevere Ortiz's uncle, who was visiting from California and staying at their hotel near San Juan. He took them to meet his niece in Villa Calma, a neighborhood of Toa Baja, about 10 minutes away.

There, they heard Chevere Ortiz's harrowing story, how she had seen the floodwaters rising from a creek in her backyard and driven through her neighborhood, yelling "Get out! Get out!" over the pounding rain.

Dozens of people followed her to a nearby school, which was on higher ground. And though some warned her about breaking into government property, Chevere Ortiz barely gave a second thought to bashing in the locks. Then, she and others got in kayaks and pulled people from their flooding homes.

Soon, more than 200 people, 16 dogs, eight horses, two cats, one pig, one hamster, and one rabbit were safe in the school  nicknamed "The Ark" by its temporary residents. They ate what they could find in the cafeteria, used curtains as blankets, and set textbooks on fire to keep warm.

Chevere Ortiz, for her leadership both during and after the storm, has become a local celebrity. She was featured in a December article in New York magazine. Chelsea Clinton on Twitter called her an "American hero." Her face is featured on billboards on the island, a part of the Pantene hair-care company's "Strong Is Beautiful" campaign.

But when she met Perez and Lopez five weeks after the storm, none of that praise and little outside help had arrived. The waters had risen to 20 feet in some areas, well into the second floors of many homes. Everything that had been submerged was destroyed, and the belongings pulled out and piled in the streets.

"We saw so many different neighborhoods," Perez said. "And they were the worst off."

Perez and Lopez had planned to stay for a few hours. Instead, they were there all day, brought Chevere Ortiz back to their hotel that evening so she could get a night of good sleep, then returned again in the morning. A few days later, before they left for the airport, they returned and gave Chevere Ortiz nearly everything they had, while vowing to send help until the neighborhood had fully rebuilt.

Read More: Hurricane Maria inspires Philadelphia City Council staffer to aid in the land of her ancestors

As the storm's one-year anniversary nears, Chevere Ortiz said much still needs to be done.

Many homes have been cleaned, using equipment donated by nonprofits and private companies. But she said little FEMA aid has flowed into the neighborhood, because most residents in the poverty-stricken area don't have title to their homes.

Chevere Ortiz said the power came back in March, about six months after the storm. Today, many residents who left for shelters or the mainland have yet to return, their homes still uninhabitable. A team of volunteers, including Chevere Ortiz's five sons, is moving slowly house to house, power-washing away the dirt and repainting.

Chevere Ortiz's home was among the first repaired, so it has become the neighborhood hub for donations and supplies. A dentist for a time set up a clinic in her living room. A church held Mass in her garage.

All the while, Lopez and Perez have checked in on her from Philadelphia, calling as often as once a week. At the end of every call, they ask her what she needs.

Before Christmas, they sent money for gifts.

Several times, they paid for diesel to power a fridge in the community kitchen, where many of the neighborhood's elderly store their medicine.

Currently, they are raising donations for school supplies, with plans to send Chevere Ortiz back from Philadelphia with an extra suitcase packed with notebooks and crayons and pencils.

"We're in a good spot in our lives where we're able to donate, and I have great friends and family that are able to donate money to our causes," Perez said. "Now she's no longer just someone in Toa Baja. She's our family now. And we love her."

On Monday in Philadelphia, the women climbed the stairs of a double-decker sightseeing bus and settled into the back row. It was Chevere Ortiz's first visit to Philadelphia. But she came to tears when reflecting on her connection to the city, which goes beyond Perez and Lopez.

She said some of the earliest volunteers to arrive in her neighborhood were Philadelphians. The group of about 20 people helped tie blue tarps in place of roofs that had been ripped off. Chevere Ortiz said that in the chaos, she never wrote down their names.

Today, she wishes she could thank them again.

"I'm very grateful for the people of Philadelphia," she said, dabbing her eyes.

As the bus took off, circling City Hall and then heading toward the Art Museum, the women leaned in for a selfie. They angled the camera to get a passing landmark in the background: the Puerto Rican flag hanging along the Parkway.

How to help

Donations to help in the recovery effort in Villa Calma, Carmen Chevere Ortiz's neighborhood, can be sent to:

Carmen Chevere Ortiz

Calle Buenos Aires 416

Villa Calma

Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, 00949
Puzzle pairs cinema's two most placid performers  Kelly Macdonald and Irrfan Khan  and waits for the sparks to  to  .well, to move ever so slightly.

On screen, Macdonald and Khan are known for being able to achieve a remarkable degree of gravity through tranquility, and that's a nice skill to have, but it does raise concerns that the movie's resting heartbeat will be dangerously low.

There is a little of that, but mostly  as intended  the suggestion that these are two gentle souls, suitably matched. In the metaphorical language often employed by the movie, they are two pieces who fit together.

In the story this is awkward, as Macdonald's Agnes is inconveniently married and living in a suburban home in New Rochelle, N.Y. It's a deeply patriarchal household that seems to belong to another era, or perhaps another culture (the movie is adapted from an Argentinian movie, Rompecabezas).

Puzzle opens with Agnes cleaning up during a party, moving unnoticed among the busy guests even though the house is hers. Is Agnes put upon? No doubt, but we also see her ignoring and resisting the entreaties of guests and family to join the party. She is, by nature, uncomfortable in the spotlight.

This often causes her to be misread by her all-male family. Her self-involved eldest son (Bubba Weiler) has low regard for her meekness, which he mistakes for weakness. Her more sensitive youngest son (Austin Abrams) mistakes her efficient mastery of domestic responsibility, and the satisfaction she gets from it, for subservience. In an interesting wrinkle, her husband (David Denman) expects Agnes to stay within the prescribed boundaries of homemaker, but he also praises her lavishly and sincerely for being so good at it, and knows she's the rock that holds the household together.

Still, it would be a mistake to say this woman is happy  Macdonald sketches Agnes as a woman who simply does not see happiness as a huge priority. This changes when a jigsaw puzzle, of all things, enters her life. She completes it in minutes, learns that she has an unnatural aptitude for jigsaw-puzzle solving, and is soon sneaking off to New York to develop this new skill, under the tutorship of an eccentric Manhattan millionaire Robert (Khan), who develops her talent, and develops an ardent interest in her.

None of this is especially plausible. We know that Agnes is too careful, too smart, and too precise for the kind of tactical missteps we see her make as she tiptoes away from her old life. Still, Khan and Macdonald make it watchable. Khan has a matchless ability to up the impact of dialogue by slowing the tempo (like midcareer Morgan Freeman), and he does wonders here with some on-the-nose metaphors about puzzle-solving.

Elsewhere, the movie pivots away from cliches that we expect to grow from Agnes' participation in puzzle-solving tournaments, and allows Macdonald room to show her character's march toward a new sense of self.

MOVIES

Puzzle
Police investigate the scene at Broadway and Walnut Streets in Camden, N.J. where two Camden County Police Detectives were ambushed, in their unmarked car, while sitting at a red light on Aug. 7, 2018. Read more

Two police detectives were shot in an unprovoked attack Tuesday night in Camden.

Authorities said the shooting happened at Broadway and Mount Vernon Street around 8:30 p.m. as police agencies around the country marked National Night Out with a variety of community events.

The detectives, identified only as a man and a woman, were taken to Cooper University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

During a late-night briefing, Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson was joined by local officials as well as representatives from the FBI and ATF in relaying the specifics of what he called an "ambush."

"At approximately 8:30 tonight, we had two officers in a non-enforcement, plainclothes capacity in an unmarked vehicle sitting at a red light" when someone began shooting into their windshield, Thomson said.

On Wednesday the Camden County Prosecutor's Office two gunmen had fired on the vehicle.

"The information we have thus far is that they were essentially ambushed We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers," Thomson said. "One of the officers was able to return fire."

"We have no indication whether anyone else was hit," Thomson said, referring to the gunmen or bystanders.

"At this time the officers have non-life-threatening injuries  but not for the grace of God, to be quite frankly, with the amount of rounds that were fired at close range, particularly through the windshield," Thomson said.

Sources at the scene said the male detective suffered wounds to an arm, and the female detective had a hand wound.

"We have a rapid investigation unfolding," Thomson said.

Authorities were checking hospitals in the region for anyone seeking treatment for gunshot wounds from the detective's return fire.

"It was completely unprovoked. Our officers were not taking any enforcement action," Thomson said.

The motive for the ambushed was unknown.

"Maybe they did know they were police officers and that's the reason why they did it. Maybe they thought they were somebody else. We'll find out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

The chief noted that the ambushed comes a day after a Philadelphia SWAT officer  "one of our brothers across the river"  was shot in the face while trying to serve an arrest warrant.

Thomson said it was not lost on him that this occurred on National Night Out.

"Unfortunately on a night when we were supposed to celebrate safety, two of our officers were engaged as victims," Thomson said.

Before the shooting happened, Camden city officials hosted four National Night Out events throughout the city. National Night Out was designed to bring together police and the communities they cover.
Police identified a 35-year-old man found shot to death inside a residence early Tuesday evening in the city's Wissinoming section.

About 6:05 p.m., police responded to a report of a shooting in the 2000 block of Anchor Street and found Wakil Horton, who lives in the block, lying naked in a hallway outside a bedroom with a gunshot wounds to his torso and head.

Medics pronounced him dead at the scene. Police were looking for three males considered suspects in Horton's death. No motive for the shooting was given.
The national association of immigration judges has filed a formal grievance over the Justice Department's removal and replacement of a Philadelphia jurist who had delayed the deportation of a Guatemalan immigrant.

The removal of Judge Steven Morley subverted the judicial process, undermined his independence, and impugned his competence and integrity, all to obtain a particular outcome in the case, according to the judges' union and its labor complaint.

"This is a direct interference with a judge's decisional independence," said Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, and a sitting immigration judge in Los Angeles.

The case involved a man named Reynaldo Castro-Tum, who came to the United States four years ago as an unaccompanied 17-year-old. After Morley sought to ensure that Castro-Tum had been properly notified that he was to appear in court, a replacement judge was sent to Philadelphia to take over the case. She ordered Castro-Tum deported without further inquiry.

The Justice Department declined to respond on the record to questions about the grievance.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Tabaddor revealed that the Justice Department had removed roughly 60 additional cases from Morley's calendar. She described the judge, who did not respond to an earlier request for comment, as "enraged" and "disturbed" by his removal but still coming to court and on the job.

READ MORE: In Philly immigration court, a judge is replaced after delaying man's deportation

Tabaddor described the removal of a sitting judge from an active case as unprecedented, calling it part of "a step-by-step encroachment" into judicial authority by a Justice Department led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Immigration court is a civil system, composed of roughly 60 jurisdictions and 350 judges. In the flow chart of the federal government, these courts come under the Justice Department, not the judiciary. 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, outside observers say, and judges have come under increased Justice Department regulation since President Trump was elected.

In April, judges were told 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.

That has led immigration attorneys to worry: Will judges feel they must rush through some cases so they can achieve their quota? What if a judge needs to clear 10 cases in three days to meet that 700-case goal? How can those 10 defendants get the same quality of justice?

In June, Sessions reversed a ruling that granted asylum to a Salvadoran woman who said she was physically and emotionally abused by her ex-husband. The attorney general told immigration judges that domestic abuse and gang violence were no longer sufficient grounds.

The labor complaint was filed in keeping with the collective-bargaining agreement between the judges association and the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review. Morley and the association are listed as grievants.

The Justice Department violated the authority of an immigration judge to make an independent decision and to grant a continuance for good cause  along with the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution, the complaint said.

News broke last week that the Justice Department had replaced Morley after he had asked for more legal information in a deportation case, inserting a new jurist who quickly ordered the defendant removed from the country. Fifteen retired judges signed a letter of protest, calling Morley's ouster the latest attack on judicial independence.

Initially, Castro-Tum had been released into the care of a relative in rural Washington, Pa. He subsequently failed to appear for at least two court hearings.

On May 31, seeing that the man had no lawyer, Philadelphia immigration attorney Matthew Archambeault stepped forward as "a friend of the court" to provide representation. He asked for a continuance to try to locate Castro-Tum, the complaint said.

Archambeault said the case was likely headed toward a ruling of deportation, but at the same time it was unclear if Castro-Tum had received the notices telling him to come to court. Knowing that answer was vital to determining whether Castro-Tum could be ordered to be removed in his absence, the complaint said.

On July 19, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jack Weil told Morley that the case had been reassigned, because the Philadelphia judge should not have continued the case at the request of a friend of the court, and should have proceeded with an order of removal  as per Sessions' earlier decision restricting judges' use of what is called administrative closure.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review sent Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Deepali Nadkarni to Philadelphia to conduct a single hearing. She ordered the defendant removed without further inquiry.

Among other remedies, the judges' association wants a written acknowledgment that no cases will be assigned or reassigned in a way that interferes with a judge's authority to make decisions.
In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 photo, a No Trespassing sign is displayed in front of a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., at the park that was the focus of the Unite the Right rally. A second rally, Unite the Right 2, is being held on Aug.12, the one-year anniversary of the violent Charlottesville protest. Read more

The controversial Unite the Right movement will hold another protest this weekend, a year after the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., left one dead and 35 injured when a car plowed through counter-protesters.

Counter-protesters are again expected to confront the white nationalists, this time in Washington, D.C. Last year's events sparked debate across the country about the place for Confederate and other controversial monuments, including Philadelphia's monument to former Mayor Frank Rizzo.

Here's a look at what's expected for this weekend's events and a recap of what happened in the 2017 deadly rally and its repercussions nationwide, including in Philadelphia.

The 2018 protest

The event will be held in Lafayette Square in Washington on Sunday, Aug. 12. According to the rally's website, protestors will assemble at the Vienna Metro Station in Virginia at 2 p.m. on the day of the rally. From there, they will take the train to D.C.'s Foggy Bottom Station and march to Lafayette Square, where a demonstration will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

In an interview with NPR, organizer Jason Kessler contended that white people are "not allowed" to have organizations catering to their specific interests.

"I'm not a white supremacist, I'm not even a white nationalist," he said. "I consider myself a civil and human rights advocate focusing on the underrepresented caucasian demographic."

Kessler also said neo-Nazis were "not welcome" at his rally.

According to Kessler's permit application, about 400 people are projected to attend the march. However, this number doesn't include law enforcement or expected counter-protesters.

>> READ MORE: Judge: App user not entitled to anonymity in rally case

Kessler initially wanted the rally to be held in Charlottesville but was denied a permit from the city, which cited its inability to protect protesters from violence, among other reasons. Kessler filed a lawsuit in response to the denial. A state of emergency has been declared in Charlottesville ahead of the anniversary.

The Unite the Right 2 website also provides a list of instructions on remaining peaceful, including a reminder that "antifa, the media and law enforcement know everything that [protesters] do." Antifa is shorthand for anti-fascist, a label adopted by radical leftists who have also engaged in violent protests.

While the website instructs attendees to leave guns, shields and other weapons at home, it does encourages them to bring water, body cameras and American or Confederate flags.

The counter-protest

Like one year ago in Charlottesville, counter-protesters will be present.

One of the larger counter-protests, Shut it Down DC, is being held from noon to 3 p.m. in Freedom Plaza, also on Sunday. Their call to action is signed by 38 groups including Philly Antifa.

>> READ MORE: Facebook page's removal angers Washington protest organizers

"Jason Kessler will find no rest, no refuge, no respite," the call reads, "Communities in D.C. will unite against hate, borders, prison, and the vision of Unite the Right."

>> READ MORE: Charlottesville gave momentum to Confederate monument foes

Shut it Down DC is also encouraging individuals outside of the D.C. area to stage counter-protests in their local communities.

Earlier this month, Facebook controversially removed the counter-protest's page on the social media giant, saying it violated a ban on "coordinated inauthentic behavior."

In Charlottesville, the site of the original event, an organization is working to encourage citizens to stand with the counter-protestors.

>> READ MORE: Hate has no home in Philly. What to do if you see hate and bias incidents | Opinion

The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a Joined in Strength campaign Wednesday to show "solidarity against racism," spokesperson Adam Healey wrote in an email.

"It took strength for Charlottesville to stand up to hate," Healey wrote. "And it will take strength for our brothers and sisters in D.C. to do the same."

The Charlottesville violence

The 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville originated as a protest of the city's planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and was colored by white supremacist and white nationalist ideals.

Violence had already been bubbling up before a vehicle plowed through a group of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. People in attendance "chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays," said a television news report from the event, describing the scene.

>> READ MORE: A year after Charlottesville, Confederate nostalgia continues to undermine democracy | Opinion

The chaos prompted then-governor Terry McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency and sent police in riot gear to order the rally's dispersal.

Aftermath and repercussions in Philly

The violent protest's aftermath sparked nationwide controversy surrounding neo-Nazism and modern white supremacy and nationalist organizations. The violence in Charlottesville prompted marches in Philadelphia and other cities to condemn racism, fascism and President Trump.

The ensuing debate also brought conflict over Confederate statues and memorials of leaders with questionable civil rights records, leading to some racially fueled clashes.

>> READ MORE: Was Frank Rizzo racist, or just a product of his time?

Many cities, including Philadelphia, decided to remove contentious memorials.

In November, in response to dissenting Philadelphians, Mayor Kenney authorized the removal of a statue of former mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo. Rizzo's critics say he oppressed black citizens and played into whites' racial fears during the 1960s and 1970s.

The statue, however, will not be removed from Thomas Paine Plaza for a few more years, as the city develops plans to find a new location for the statue and rework the plaza.

>> READ MORE: The moments that made Frank Rizzo Philly-famous

Meanwhile, a mural of Rizzo in the Italian Market has been vandalized and Mural Arts Philadelphia sought feedback on what should happen with the artwork. Officials said this week that the mural would stay up, though private funding is being sought to pay for future costs.
The Camden County Prosecutor's Office is seeking help identifying these persons of interest in the shooting of two Camden County police officers. Read more

Two Camden County Police detectives ambushed at a traffic light were on a special detail in a high-crime Camden neighborhood just six blocks from the city's downtown when two male suspects opened fire on their unmarked police vehicle, authorities said Wednesday.

Both officers sustained wounds in a fierce gun battle with their attackers Tuesday night in the city's Bergen Square section. Officials said 10 to 25 rounds were fired at the officers. The two  a male and a female detective whose names were being withheld  remained hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening.

As an intense manhunt continues for the two shooters, new details emerged about the attack, which drew national attention and responses from law enforcement officials from around the country offering to help capture the suspects. There were also unanswered questions about a motive for the unprovoked attack.

"I'm thankful to God that I didn't have to call for lowering the flags," Mayor Frank Moran said in an interview Wednesday. "It could have been a different story in the city of Camden."

Chief Scott Thomson said the officers were in plainclothes, stopped at a red light, working in a non-enforcement capacity.

The shooters pulled up behind the detectives at Broadway and Mount Vernon Street around 8:30 p.m., got out of their car, and began firing at the officers through the back windshield of their vehicle, said Dan Keashen, a police spokesperson.

One of the officers jumped out of the vehicle and returned fire, he said.

It was unknown whether the suspects possibly recognized the detectives, authorities said. The detectives were working on a high-crime reduction detail in the area, which has been plagued recently by drug and gang activity, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case but not authorized to speak.

Both detectives have been on the force for several years and were working undercover, said Rick Kunkel, president of the Camden County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 218. He declined comment on a possible motive.

"It appears they were completely ambushed while sitting at a stoplight," Kunkel said. "They were doing their jobs and then ambushed.  I think them being aware of their surroundings and reacting quickly saved them."

The gunfire sent residents, accustomed to the sounds of gunfire, scrambling for cover. Mothers with young children in tow hustled from the area.

"It's something you get used to around here, but last night it was just different. It was something else," said Jane Carter, who said she was about two blocks away when she heard gunfire. "Everyone was in a panic."

The blocks along Broadway near where the shooting took place is well-traveled by gaunt prostitutes and drug users. Nearby are alleys and trash-filled lots between homes where users shoot up. Many businesses in the area are boarded up, but in front of Duran Grocery at Broadway and Chestnut is a popular spot for many locals to pass time and drop inside for snacks.

At the shooting scene, a large Camden County Police Department mobile unit and three marked police cars sat idling Wednesday. Reaction from neighbors ranged from shrugs to shock that police were ambushed.

Additional details about the investigation and the search for the suspects were sketchy. Under state guidelines, Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo is heading the probe because the shooting involves municipal officers. A spokesperson declined further comment.

"The investigation is ongoing, and further information is not being released at this time," the spokesperson, Alexandra McVeigh, said in an email.

Earlier, Keashen, the police spokesperson, declined to comment on whether authorities believed the two male suspects were still in the area. Witnesses reported seeing a bullet-riddled van fleeing the area.

"We are casting a wide net," Keashen said.

Law enforcement agencies from around the country have offered assistance, including the FBI and ATF, to help investigate what Thomson and Moran described as an ambush on the detectives.

Before the shooting happened, Camden city officials hosted four National Night Out events throughout the city Tuesday. National Night Out was designed to bring together police and the communities they cover.

The incident marks the third time that Camden County police officers have been wounded since the department took over patrols in Camden in 2013 and the city police force was disbanded. The officers in the previous shootings survived their injuries.

In the latest incident, Kunkel said one of the detectives was shot once and will be released soon; the other sustained four gunshot wounds and is consulting an orthopedic specialist. Both were in stable condition Wednesday at Cooper University Hospital, Keashen said. Both have been placed on administrative leave pending the prosecutor's review of the use of force.

Keashen said a Camden officer on patrol in the area heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene. The officer "scooped up" the wounded detectives and took them to Cooper in his patrol car, he said. No bystanders were struck and it was unknown if the suspects were wounded.

Aracelis Torres, 56, said she was in a restaurant when the shooting happened, and when she tried to walk home she had to take a detour because of the police tape and emergency vehicles and personnel at the scene. Despite the area being a hotbed for crime, including her son being shot in the chest and critically wounded four years ago in front of her house, the shooting of two officers surprised her.

"You have to have respect for a police officer, you know what I'm saying? This is ridiculous drama. Just crazy," she said.

A few blocks away, Carlo Granger lamented not just the shooting of the officers but the crumbling state of his block. Houses on both ends of the four-house block are abandoned and missing windows. Behind his house, the ground is littered with drug needles and garbage left by the many drug users who have turned the area into a shooting gallery.

"It don't make no sense. They tell me they're going to send somebody out here, but they never do," Granger said of the city, sitting on his well-maintained porch on Newton Avenue.

Authorities were checking hospitals in the region for anyone seeking treatment for gunshot wounds from the detective's return fire.

The Camden County Police Department replaced the Camden city police force in 2013 in a move officials said was intended to slash costs and hire officers to help curb crime in a city once ranked among the most dangerous and violent in the country. Since the takeover, crime has dropped drastically. In 2017, the city had 22 homicides, its lowest number in about three decades. This year there have been 11 slayings.

"We're going to continue to make Camden a safer place," the mayor vowed. "We're not going to let this set us back."

Staff writers Will Feuer and Avalon R. Zoppo contributed to this article.

People who have information on the shooters can contact Major Crimes Detective Matt McKeown with the Camden County Prosecutor's Office at 609-820-7192. Tips can also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org
A Bristol Township man who admitted to sexually assaulting a girl nearly every month for two years has been ordered to serve up to two decades in state prison after he accepted a plea deal, authorities said Wednesday.

Darrius Prince, 35, had pleaded guilty to charges that include the rape of a child, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said. Had Prince not accepted the plea deal and instead been convicted at trial, Raymond McHugh, a judge in Bucks County Court, said, Prince "would be receiving a much, much longer sentence."

The Monday plea agreement  under which Prince must serve a minimum of seven years in prison  spared the victim from having to testify in court and endure more trauma, authorities said. According to a news release from the prosecutor's office, Prince began sexually assaulting the child in 2015, when she was 11.

Prince admitted to sexually assaulting the child when he went to the emergency room of Lower Bucks Hospital on Oct. 24, 2017, saying he wanted to kill himself over what he did, authorities said. After he had left for the hospital, Prince's wife told police officers who came to her home for a report of a suicidal person that her husband wanted to die by suicide because of "sexual misconduct activities," according to a probable cause affidavit.

"I'm very sorry for what I did," Prince told McHugh in court Monday. "I'm not going to ever let it happen again."

Authorities said Prince will be on probation for 20 years after being released from prison. He will also have to register with the Pennsylvania State Police as a sex offender.
Gregory Harvey, 81, a top election lawyer, Democratic activist, and leader of the effort to recall former Mayor Frank Rizzo, died Tuesday, Aug. 7, after battling heart problems for several months.

Mr. Harvey, an attorney for the firm Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, stood out as an expert in campaign finance, ethical issues, election litigation, and the First Amendment. He represented the campaigns of numerous public officials, including Democratic Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, and Democratic State Sen. Larry Farnese.

He was also active in Democratic Party politics. Mr. Harvey recently served as the Democratic cochair of the Eighth Ward in Center City, and in the late 1970s led the Southeastern chapter of Americans for Democratic Action. In the 1980s, Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. appointed him to chair the city's Board of Ethics.

Farnese, leader of the Eighth Ward, called Mr. Harvey a mentor and friend who helped him win elected office in 2008.

"It didn't matter who the Eighth Ward leader was. Gregory was always the de facto patriarch of the ward," Farnese said. "He was the person everyone always turned to for advice."

Mark Sheppard, a partner at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, said, "Gregory was the consummate Philadelphia lawyer  patrician in his demeanor but a scrapper and a fighter underneath."

Adam Bonin, a fellow local election attorney, credited Mr. Harvey with "creating this field in Pennsylvania."

"He really was the model of not only working with candidates, working with the party, and working with groups trying to reform politics, but also doing it conscientiously," said Bonin. "He was a strongly principled guy."

Election lawyer Kevin Greenberg said Mr. Harvey "has been for my entire career the leading light." Mr. Harvey had previously worked at the legal firm Morgan Lewis.

"He litigated cases 50 years ago that we still talk about today. And every time he was across the table, I learned a ton."

Larry Otter, another member of the small fraternity of Philadelphia-area election lawyers, said Mr. Harvey stood out with his knowledge and patience. "Greg was the king, the founding father. He was a gentleman and a worthy adversary and my friend."

Mr. Harvey was patient with opposing counsel and the many reporters who called him for pointers on political stories. He had a knack for explaining complex legal issues.

Activist Ralph Nader, who had complained for years about "two-party tyranny," attempted to run for president in Pennsylvania in 2004 on the Green Party ticket. But with Mr. Harvey as the lead attorney on the case for the Democratic Party, Nader was knocked off the state's ballot.

Mr. Harvey was unimpressed, estimating at the time that 85 percent of signatures Nader submitted on nomination petitions were flawed or forged. "In terms of fictitious signatures, this sets a Pennsylvania record," Mr. Harvey said 14 years ago this week.

Mr. Harvey had crossed swords with plenty of tough politicians. He served as chairman of the 1976 campaign to recall Rizzo as mayor, forging a diverse coalition of voters upset about rising taxes, as well as white liberals and African Americans fed up with what they saw as Rizzo's racist approach to politics.

The anti-Rizzo forces needed signatures from at least 141,000 voters to get their question on the ballot; they received more than 211,000. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ultimately thwarted their cause, however, ruling that the city's provision permitting elected officials to be recalled was unconstitutional.

Mr. Harvey was also active in the arts. He served on the Association for Public Art, formerly known as the Fairmount Park Art Association, for 38 years.

"He was really dedicated to civic space and the idea that public art is for everyone, which is consistent with his ideas of public life," said Penny Balkin Bach, the association's executive director.

Election lawyer Sam Stretton said going up against Mr. Harvey in the 1970s and 19080s was an education for him and many other lawyers.

"Greg Harvey taught me just about everything I know about election law," Stretton said. "He taught us. He beat the daylights out us. And then we started beating him. He taught us to fly on our own."

Mr. Harvey grew up in northern New Jersey and attended Harvard as an undergraduate and for law school. He is survived by his wife, Emily Mitchell Wallace.

Mr. Harvey scored a final victory, albeit on a small procedural issue, in a decision in state Commonwealth Court handed down Tuesday. It involved a race for the state House.

"He actually beat me in court today," said Greenberg.

Mr. Harvey also represented newspapers such as the now-closed Philadelphia Bulletin and various suburban outlets, and won the James Madison Award from the Philadelphia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for his work on First Amendment issues.

A funeral service is scheduled for Mr. Harvey on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 11 a.m. at Christ Church, 20 N. American St., Phila.
The Matlacha Hookers have done it again filled a school room with every conceivable school supply plus a check for $1,070.

Desks were filled with boxes of crayons, stacks of pencil boxes, scissors, #2 pencils, erasers, Expo whiteboard markers, Ziplock bags, glue sticks, Crayola colored pencils, pens, Elmers glue, loose leaf paper, marbled composition books and a lot more.

Sandra Williams, information specialist at Pine Island Elementary, spearheads the effort.

Any child that needs supplies gets what they need, Williams said. Parents can let us know before school starts that their child needs supplies and well handle it here at the school.

For the Hookers, the school supply drive begins early in the summer.

We start to collect school supplies shortly after the school year ends, Hookers Madam Julia Simpson said. This year we started on June 5th and collected until Saturday, July 28th. As you know this is a very generous island and Pine Island always gives more than youd expect.

We have a lot of families on Pine Island struggling to make ends meet, Simpson said. This pooling of our resources helps the families out by providing the school supplies their children need to be successful in school.

Sometimes teachers have to buy supplies using their own money, Williams said. The Matlacha Hookers want to make sure that our Pine Island Elementary teachers and students have the supplies that they need.

Families will be able to request supplies by filling out a form at the Open House Aug. 8th and the children will receive whatever they need in the first few days of school, Williams said. This year were going to try something different. I plan to have 10 pre-assembled bags with school supplies. Its important that no student goes without.

PIE Principal Steven Hook appreciates the help provided by the Hookers, and the residents and businesses on the island.

The beginning of every school year is a special time as our students and staff return ready for an awesome new year, Hook said. The supplies and money donated by the Hookers and island community make it even more special. Through their efforts and the islands generous spirit, no child goes without needed supplies for the entire year. We are very grateful for these donations.

I also want to thank all of the local businesses that participate in the collection of these supplies  businesses located all over Pine Island and Matlacha. Sometimes it takes a community  Simpson said.
A protester on the Matlacha Bridge. PHOTO PROVIDED Two of those supporting the clean water protest in Matlacha. PHOTO PROVIDED The protesters line Pine Island Road in Matlacha. PHOTO PROVIDED Residents and visitors young and old showed up Sunday for the ROAR-sponsored protest. PHOTO PROVIDED

Nearly 200 supporters turned out for the Save Our Water protest on the Matlacha Bridge Sunday, Aug. 5. Organized by Pine Island ROAR (Rise Up, Organize, Agitate, Resist), the event was also supported by the South Florida Clean Water Movement, and the local civic associations.

As one protester said, This is not a partisan issue. Florida voters of all persuasions have repeatedly voted by large majorities to buy conservation land south of Lake Okeechobee, restore the natural flow to the Everglades, and stop toxic discharges into our rivers. We demand Tallahassee comply with the will of the Florida voters.

Organizers of the protest said, tourism, fishing and the Southwest Florida way of life is seriously being damaged by this combination of red tide and blue green algae closing the beaches, poisoning our marine life and affecting human health. Water quality is a state responsibility, and its the job of our elected representatives in Tallahassee to restore clean water to south Florida.
To the editor:

Lugenpresse  the concept of lying press  has been around a long time. It is a pejorative political term and has been in use since at least Emperor Nero and his hostis publicus. It was made famous by the Nazi party in Germany during Adolf Hitlers rise to power, but has been used by all of historys greatest tyrants. Mao Zedong, Josef Stalin, Hitler and others have used the term to incite the populace against the press.

The Lying Press charge in United States politics is new. Americans, by and large, have acknowledged freedom of speech and press as foundational rights, and have historically fought against attacks on them. This is changing.

The Trump Administration is the first to call the press enemy of the people, echoing Stalin, Mao and Hitler. Despite the U.S.s historical tradition of opposing tyrannical measures, the tactic seemed to gain traction. Over 40 percent of Americans recently polled by Gallup believe there is widespread fake news.

Its time for Americans to behave like Americans, and not like oppressed people subject to a dictators whims. Freedom of the press doesnt mean liking what you read and hear, but means supporting the freedom and right to say it without threat or retaliation. Fact checking is the responsibility of all. Free people dont just fall for false charges. There is truth and accuracy in the press and media. Now more than ever, Americans need to seek it out.

Susan McGuire,

on behalf of Pine Island ROAR,

Bokeelia
Written by Martin Hodgson

If my Dad had owned a Moto Guzzi of any kind Id have thought that was pretty darn cool; but it turns out kids these days expect a hell of a lot more and a stock 1996 Moto Guzzi California 1100 just isnt good enough. Spurred on by his children and pictures of some sweet Guzzi customs the owner of this here ride needed someone to build his dream. In Brent Giesbrecht of MotoVida in Kelowna, Canada, he found just the man, even if Google maps showed they were exactly 4673km apart. But the long distance love affair paid off with the old soul turned into a sweet big bore Scrambler they call V11x.

Its easy to see why the owner decided the travel was worth it, being new to the custom world and having owned the Guzzi since new you dont want to hand your pride and joy over to just anyone. At MotoVida, Brent and the team have created a relaxed atmosphere where everybody feels welcome, an ego free zone and a true community vibe. As Brent tell us there are a few other reasons to go to Kelowna, quick access to some of the best riding around and with a climate that offers a lengthy riding season. Not to brag but we also have some of the best wineries, microbreweries (we are beside one), micro distilleries around! Everyone should come for a visit!

Down to business with the beastly Guzzi up on the bench, you could forgive the crew for thinking they might have bitten off more than they could chew. The California is an enormous cruiser style motorcycle and tips the scales at a rather obese 251kg without fluids. So first things first, she needed the Jenny Craig treatment and parts started to come flying off. We binned all the chrome, gauges, lights, wheels, seat, tank, fenders, rear suspension, luggage racks, emissions gear, air box, tractor battery, and fuel injection. sighs Brent.

[superquote]With the beastly Guzzi up on the bench, you could forgive the crew for thinking they might have bitten off more than they could chew.[/superquote]

Assembling the rolling chassis started with the selection of significantly lighter wheels from Excel. The aluminium items are laced up to the original hubs and now measure 19 at the front and 18 at the rear with both wrapped up with Avon TrekRider tyres. The factory front end comes with decent kit, now blacked out the BiTubo forks do the job with adjustable rebound and twin discs with Brembo calipers working well in the braking department. But to deal with the significant changes to the bike and riding style the rear end gets longer, progressive rate coil over shocks.

Floorboards might be comfortable on a cruiser but they have no place on a scrambler ripping down a dirt track, so the lower subframe was modified to move the stock controls back 6 and mounts fabricated for the Biltwell pegs. With the fundamentals sorted the visual design could start to come together and this was Brents greatest challenge of the project. Honestly, the hardest part of the build was creating a bike that would keep the client stoked but not copying in any way the bike he originally saw as his inspiration. I wanted to create something unique while still respecting his vision.

Starting at the rear the stock fender was heavily cut back and remounted to provide the rider with plenty of protection. Both the seat and pan were custom-made as a long single saddle with a small but sturdy parcel rack behind. A secondary saddle to match was also made that can bolt in place of the parcel rack for extended two up riding. Wanting to narrow the midsection the ECU and a smaller battery were moved lower and forward from stock position while relays and other electrical were moved inboard of the frame, explains Brent.

Most of which youll never see thanks to the raw metal side covers that were fabricated in-house and feature the company logo on a second piece of steel for an industrial look. Adding to the utilitarian vibe are the Swiss Cavalry saddle bags circa 1940 that are attached to the side mounted luggage racks. With the big ugly tank long gone the replacement comes from another Guzzi, a factory V7II. Which required some modification to install the fuel pump and pressure regulator inside, while a bag matching leather strap compliments the outside.

Press the starter button and the thundering 1064cc air-cooled V-Twin comes to life before settling down into slightly lumpy idle. These engines arent about horsepower but stump pulling torque all the way through the rev range. To free it up Brent ditched the carbon canister and huge airbox and allows the motor the breathe easy thanks to a pair of K&N pod filters. The enormous chrome exhaust also gets shown the exit, being restrictive and weighty; with the stock headers wrapped and finishing in twin reverse cone mufflers.

Not wanting to put on anymore weight on the scrambler than was absolutely necessary, a single Acewell speedo was chosen. While lighting is taken care of with a Lucas replica at the rear and a yellow lensed headlight with hand-made grill. The final touch is the gold Renthal bars which like the headlight were the owners request and it was time for him to come and collect. It is a blast to ride  it really ended up riding like a burly V7, and we built it to ride, a proud Brent reports. And the lucky new owner would make sure of that choosing to climb aboard and thrash the Guzzi nearly 5000km back home to his waiting kids; who now have to be chuffed that Dad rips it up on his own MotoVida special, show and tell anyone?

[ MotoVida  Facebook  Instagram | Photos by Brent Giesbrecht ]
ARUA- In an effort to retain Arua Municipality Parliamentary seat, the ruling NRM party has intensified its campaigns with improvised new strategies that will leave no single voter isolated.

It has been witnessed that a team of NRM moves household after the other preaching Party gospel.

The team that is headed by the NRM Regional Chairperson Hon Sam Engola and the Deputy SG Hon Richard Todwong has tirelessly pitched camp in the Municipality to help the Flag bearer Hon Nusura Tiperu win this hotly contested race.

Sources reaching PML Daily reveal that the team is holding meetings at every Ward/Parish level attended by several leaders who include LCI leaders, women councils, members of the NRM committees at both village and Ward, LCII committees, area councillors and LCII councils among other categories of leaders.

According to Hon Todwong, the exercise is progressing well and its effective in delivering the campaign messages to the voters.

The team has so far covered two wards, Kenya and Pangisha out of six that make up Arua Municipality.

The forthcoming Arua Municipality by-election is scheduled August 15.

The seat fell vacant after the incumbent, Col Ibrahim Abiriga, was gunned down alongside his brother, Saidi Kongo, in Kawanda, Wakiso District, on June 8.

Besides several meetings, Rogers Mulindwa the NRM Communications Officer confirmed Candidates routine rallies on a daily basis as follows:

Wednesday August 8th:

?09:00 am: Leaders Meeting in Baazar Ward.

?02:00 pm: Leaders meeting in Awindiri Ward

?04:00 pm: Candidates rally in Tanganyika Ward.

Thursday August 9th:

?09:00 am: Leaders Meeting in Tanganyika Ward

?02:00 pm: Leaders meeting in Nvara Ward.

?04:00 pm: Candidates rally in Awindiri Ward.

Friday August 19th:

?Meeting with the business community & the Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

Related
NAGURU  Mr Emilian Kayima, the Police spokesperson has denied reports on the 4000 new missing guns in Uganda Police Force stores, labelling the information as irresponsible reporting.

Media reports on Wednesday, August 8, had indicated that the country was headed for deeper troubles as sources in the security institutions revealed that a number of guns were missing in Police stores.

Mr Kayima has, however, refuted the information saying the Police is not aware of any guns missing from their classified stores.

Reports also indicated that the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Internal Security Organization (ISO) are investigating force on the alleged disappearance of over 4,000 guns from classified stores belonging to the Uganda Police Force.

CMI detectives have since interrogated a senior Police officer, Good Mwesigwa, who is attached to the stores, New Vision reported on Wednesday.

The paper added that the guns went missing at the Police Training School in Kabalye and remain unaccounted for.

However, in a Wednesday statement by Police, Kayima has denied that police is not being investigated.

We are not aware of any investigations by CMI or ISO on the same, Kayima said.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Martins Okoth-Ochola in May this year halted acquisition of firearms until the registration process is complete.

The Police has, however, said that the findings of the audit are yet to be submitted, discussed and shared with the parties that must share them.

The police now want the story by New Vision retracted saying it endangers national security.

We strongly advise that New Vision retracts the story corrects the impression created and seek for a clear position from the right and credible sources, Mr Kayima said.

Related
GULU  The Minister of State for Primary Health Care Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu is perturbed by the rate at which diabetes has increased in Uganda.

While inspecting a medical camp organised by Indo Africa and Uganda Medical Mission at Pece war memorial stadium in Gulu town on August 7th, the minister was shocked by the report that in just two days the team had diagnosed 70 children with diabetes 50 with high blood pressure.

Dr Joyce Kaducu urged the community of Gulu district to intensify fight against non communicable diseases arguing that such diseases still remains a big problem in Uganda and its on the rise among the urban population.

Our people should change their mindset towards checking their health status regularly to prevent non communicable diseases, she advised.

Kaducu called for collective responsibility in terms of sensitisation on diabetes, oral hygiene and intensifying the fight on non communicable diseases through exercising and regular screening.

Harry Moses Kabonge, the coordinator of Uganda Medical Mission says a feasibility study that they carried out in Gulu recently showed that children and women lack health services and that is why they decided to do a focus medical camp.

Kabonge said the number of diabetes cases registered at the camp is overwhelming and shows that many people in the community have diabetes but are living with it unknowingly.

The coordinator said the figure of 70 children diagnosed with diabetes in just one day during the camp is alarming and more cases are still suspected.

The camp is running for 12 days from Monday 6th to Wednesday August 17.

Mark Mpungu, assistant coordinator Uganda Medical Mission said by Monday 6th 1,023 patients from gynaecology, paediatrics, eye and dental cases had been seen.

Mpungu said the health camp will help reduce the overwhelming Gynaecological cases like effects of induced abortion, common miscarriages, intrauterine problems and paediatrics problems among others at the Gulu regional referral hospital.

He said 275 patients with dental illnesses were served and most of them were diagnosed with dental carries, Palpitis, and tumours.

Four children were diagnosed with serious cardiac conditions and will require surgery worth over shs20 million per a child, which amount he says they are trying to source sponsors for from the Indian Association in Uganda.

However, for the minor surgeries, Mpungu said the medics will soon organise a mini camp at Gulu regional referral hospital for children.

In the eye clinic, a total of 433 patients were diagnosed with eyes defects and 200 of them had been treated by Monday. The most common eye problems were cataract, total blindness, teligium, presbyopia among elders and some people in need of specialised eye care have been referred to Dr Agarwal hospital in Kampala.

Harris Patel, Managing Director of Haree Group of Companies says Gulu communities need more health services and he promised to organize another health camp later on.

Patel attributed the high cases of diabetes to the starch rich food commonly eaten by the people in the region.

The medical team includes doctors from Canada, United States, India and the United Kingdom, 49 medical professionals, 10 nurses from government health facilities in Kampala and Gulu in Uganda.

Vasant Lakani the Coordinator Indo-Africa Charitable society based in Canada said last year the team with Uganda Indian Association treated over 15,000 patients with eye diseases in Lira district.

Democratic Party President Nobert Mao who benefited from the eye clinic commended the services at the camp and appealed to the local businessmen to emulate the Indian Association in giving back to the community that provide them the market for their products.

Related
MAKERERE- The Director of Makerere University Gender and Mainstreaming, Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine has urged the new students to openly defy the sexual harassment vice and stand strong for their academic rights.

This was during the Makerere Freshmens Orientation Meeting held on Monday August 6.

Speaking to thousands of freshmen at the Freedom Square, Dr. Mugisha encouraged students to acquaint themselves with the University policy and regulations against sexual harassment.

The policy clearly defines sexual harassment and provides its various forms. It provides details on whom you should contact and where to go in case you are harassed, Dr Mugisha said.

She encouraged new students to let someone know right away in case a person is engaging them in actions that they dont feel comfortable with.

The university appointed the Sexual Harassment Committee, some of the members are placed at the respective colleges, dont hesitate to contact them, she said.

Makerere organizes the students orientation meeting, at the beginning of each academic year, which presents an opportunity to the university administration to interact with new students.

Students are given a comprehensive package that appeals to their academic and social wellbeing. The university also provides relevant information and knowledge crucial to students stay at the campus.

Mr. Alfred Namoah Masikye, the University Academic Registrar congratulated the freshmen upon joining Ugandas oldest institution of higher learning.

He urged students to immensely engage in the university academic activities and develop life-long passion for learning.

According to the Academic Registrar, developing a culture of studying, consultation as well as engaging in the academic activities of the university will not only enable the students achieve their academic goals but also provide a platform to attain good grades.

You have the best professors and lecturers please use them. At Makerere University, we commit ourselves to upholding the values we cherish as an academic institution, and to fostering an atmosphere that is respectful, supportive and welcoming to all. The diversity of our backgrounds, talents and perspectives will continue to enrich us all as we live and learn together, he said.

The Dean of Students Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe encouraged the new entrants to read, understand and strictly follow the rules and regulations governing the institution.

We have rules and regulations you must observe. These regulations apply to all students of Makerere University, he said.

The academic year has started at a time when the university image is tainted over cases of sexual harassment and unending strikes.

Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Makerere Vice Chancellor on Monday August 6, suspended three students for allegedly engaging in acts of violence at the university and causing damage to university property.

Related
KAMPALA  Jinja Road Police on Tuesday foiled an attempted burglary forcing suspects to abandon a safe containing Ushs82 millions they had stolen from the warehouse.

The suspects attacked the warehouse premises belonging to Virony Finefair Uganda Enterprises Ltd located at 6th Street Industrial Area at 1 am, after surveillance and assessing the security weaknesses.

The suspects efforts were however foiled by foot patrollers who were later reinforced by the motorised mobile 999 patrol.

The company administrators have thanked the police for their timely response and swiftness and confirmed that the 82million shillings cash was still intact.

Two suspects identified as Isaac Angura, Joseph Oluka born of Bukedea and Serere respectively are currently in police custody at Jinja Road Police Station to assist with investigations in connection to the attempted office burglary.

According to the 2017 Police crime report, crimes reported to police increased by 3.3%. However, there was a decrease in the following crime categories, economic crimes, sex-related crimes, breakings, robbery, assaults and political/ media crimes.

Related
It is an accepted but lamented fact of life among police officers that in order to rise on the promotional ladder, one must endorse the political fashions currently in favor among the citys politicians. And the higher one ascends on that ladder, the more convincingly one must do so. As a consequence, reflecting the governing principles of almost any city you can name, most police chiefs are liberals, or at least pretend to be with a passing level of feigned sincerity.

But this creates a problem within a police department, to wit, a division in the rank structure between those at or near the top who adopt the leftist nostrums of the politicians, and those at the bottom who must go out onto the streets each day and confront the very real problems engendered by those very same leftist nostrums.

There exists no more vivid example of this than the city of Chicago, where Hillary Clinton received 84 percent of the 2016 presidential vote, and where there hasnt been a Republican mayor since 1931. Between Friday afternoon and Monday morning, 74 people were shot in the city,12 of them fatally. In one seven-hour span, from about midnight Saturday to about 7:00 a.m. Sunday, 41 people were shot, five of whom died.

These spasms of violence are sadly characteristic of Chicago, or at least parts of it. And equally as routine as the weekend violence are the Monday press conferences at which Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson put on their angry (or sad) faces and denounce the perpetrators and talk about how the mayhem is unacceptable. What happened this weekend did not happen in every neighborhood in Chicago, said Emanuel, but it is unacceptable [that] it happened in any neighborhood in Chicago.

A question for the mayor: If it really is unacceptable, why do you continue to accept it?

Hell never answer that question, but the answer is that for him, facing re-election as he is, its politically untenable to take the steps necessary to stop it.

Read Complete Article at PJMedia.
Two plainclothes detectives from the Camden County (NJ) Police Department were ambushed and shot while sitting in an unmarked vehicle at a red light Tuesday evening. Authorities describe the wounds as "non-life-threatening." They are reportedly in stable condition.

"They were essentially ambushed," Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said of the attack at Broadway and Mount Vernon Street around 8:30 p.m. Authorities say two gunmen walked up and shot "between 10 and 25 rounds," including some that went through the vehicle's windshield, the chief said.

One detective managed to return fire at the gunman, who fled the scene, the chief said.

Thomson said police were checking with area hospitals for anyone arriving with gunshot wounds.

The female officer was shot in the hand, a police officer told the Courier-Post. No details about the other officer's injuries was available.

The shootings occurred on National Night Out, an annual celebration designed to build partnerships between police officers and the communities they serve. The Camden County Police Department was among those participating, with officers attending community events throughout the city.
After more than a year and a half workshopping their force related policies with community stakeholders, the Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen unveiled his departments final document to them on Monday.

The 27-page document outlines proper use of weapons, scenarios in which officers should use them and how incidents should be reported after the fact. It also specifies that officers involved in shootings are prohibited from immediately viewing video evidence, according to Denverite.

In 2016, when then-Chief Robert White announced the new policy would be penned, community groups made it clear they wanted a seat at the table as the document came together. In January 2017, White announced theyd have their shot. In the months since, a small group of civilian representatives have been providing input and fighting for changes.

Pazen said the entire force should be trained in the new standards by the end of the year. In 2019, more intensive training will take place for all officers. That next stage will include an emphasis on simulator training using the department's new VirTra V-300 system.
Documents filed by Taos County, NM, prosecutors say that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was training children to conduct school shootings. His father a New York Imam is reportedly an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The father of a missing Georgia boy was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit school shootings, Taos County prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday.

The documents say Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was conducting weapons training with semi-automatic rifles at the compound where 11 hungry children were found in filthy conditions and five adults were arrested on a variety of charges.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj and Lucas Morton are each facing 11 counts of child abuse. Also charged are three women, believed to be the childrens mothers: Jany Leveille, Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhannah Wahhaj. Other charges are expected.

Prosecutor Timothy Hasson filed the documents while asking that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj be held without bail after he was arrested last week with four other adults facing child abuse charges, KDVR reports

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj is the son of the Brooklyn imam of the same name, 68, who heads the Masjid At-Taqwa in Bedford-Stuyvesant, several congregants at the mosque confirmed to The New York Post.

Prosecutors named the elder Siraj Wahhaj  born Jeffrey Kearse  as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He also was a character witness in the trial of convicted terror plotter Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman.
The Virginia State Police will begin instruction and training on their SIG Sauer P320 pistols and officially place them into service with the Virginia State Troopers as their official duty sidearm in 2019. (Photo: SIG Sauer)

SIG Sauer Inc. announced that the Virginia State Police has officially selected the SIG Sauer P320 Pistol as their official duty sidearm. The Virginia State Police is comprised of three bureaus, with over 2,100 sworn personnel, providing exemplary service to the public, and other law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

"We are proud to earn the confidence of the Virginia State Police through their selection of the SIG Sauer P320 as their official duty pistol," began Tom Jankiewicz, Executive Vice President, Law Enforcement Sales, SIG Sauer Inc. "Due to the modularity of the P320 the Virginia State Police now have the ability to easily customize their standard issue firearm for grip preference, without ever compromising the superior SIG Sauer accuracy, reliability, and safety features they have come to rely on."

The P320 is a modular, striker-fired pistol available in full-size, carry, compact, and subcompact sizing. The serialized trigger group makes the P320 adaptable to multiple caliber, size, and grip options. The P320 is available in 9mm, .357SIG, 40S&W, and .45ACP, with a choice of contrast, or SIGLITE Night Sights. SIG says the intuitive 3-point takedown requires no trigger pull for disassembly, and safety features include a striker safety, disconnect safety, and optional manual safety.

The Virginia State Police will begin instruction and training on their SIG Sauer P320 pistols and officially place them into service with the Virginia State Troopers as their official duty sidearm in 2019.

"It's a tremendous honor for all of us here at SIG Sauer to be given the opportunity to provide the men and women of the Virginia State Police with this particular firearm. We look forward to continuing our relationship with this prestigious law enforcement agency and supporting their mission," concluded Jankiewicz.
European Public Prosecutor's Office now has 22 members

Despite its initial hesitance Malta has joined the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) as the 22nd member, the European Commission announced on Tuesday. The addition of a new country comes only a week after the Netherlands joined the EPPO created to step up efforts to protect the EU budget against fraud. Hungary chose not to become a member.

Vera Jourova, EU Commissioner for Justice, Gender Equality and Consumers, said she was very pleased" to receive Malta as a member of the EPPO, noting that a month ago, Maltese authorities reaffirmed to her their will to fight crimes against the EU budget.

We can do this together through the EPPO. This is why I urge all remaining Member States to join in. The more Member States participate in the EPPO, the stronger the Office will be

, said Jourova.It will be operational by the end of 2020 in all participating EU Member States. Member States that have not yet chosen to participate in the European Public Prosecutor's Office can join at any time after the adoption of the Regulation, if they wish to do so.The following EU countries are already participating to the EPPO: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Slovenia.Hungary chose against taking part in this particular co-operation, arguing that the institutions having the power to fight such crimes are already in place and setting up a new office with the same objective would only weaken the functioning of the existing institutions.Poland and Sweden also signalled that in its current form they cannot back the establishment of the EPPO. Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom (which is to leave the EU in 2019 in any case) are not even part of the co-operation in this particular area of justice and home affairs.
Writing a book about the pivotal presidential election of 1968 turned out to be a walk down a not-always-pleasant memory lane for Michael Schumacher.

"It really fired me up all over again," Schumacher said of writing "The Contest," newly published by the University of Minnesota Press. "It flooded back to me what those times were like."

In 1968, Schumacher was an 18-year-old political junkie who kept a close watch on national and international events, including the war in Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement and, of course, that years presidential election. It was a year of tragedy, with the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. It was a year in which a sitting president, Lyndon B. Johnson, announced he would not run for re-election.

And, it was a year in which two Minnesotans, Sen. Eugene McCarthy and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, ran for the White House and fell short.

It was McCarthys unexpected strong showing in the New Hampshire primary on an anti-war platform that drove Johnson from office. Humphrey picked up the Democratic Party once Johnson was out, McCarthy had faded and Kennedy had been killed. But Richard Nixon ended the year as president  and we all know how that turned out.

"The message was that you can protest in the streets, whatever you want, but the powers that be are still in charge," Schumacher said in an interview.

In writing "The Contest," though, he cast aside his personal bad memories of that year. "I wanted to go into it without any preconceptions," Schumacher said. "I knew how it turned out, but I wanted to look at it as if for the first time."

In 1968, he said, "I was too young. It was all gut. What I didnt know was what was really going on."

In preparation for writing the book, Schumacher read everything he could find on the election, including biographies of the major players, and listened to countless hours of oral history recordings.

"Im very proud of the amount of material I used from oral histories," Schumacher said. "A lot of those people arent around anymore. I was able to get voices in the book of people who have been long gone."

After all that, his take on a few of the candidates:

 McCarthy: "He lost all of his starch when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. They had put so much energy into their campaign against each other."

 Humphrey: "His campaign was just about as poorly run as you can imagine. He stubbornly stuck by Johnson, but the people wanted a change and they wanted it right now."

 George Wallace: "While Im not defending Wallace, he was a much better candidate than I originally thought he was."

As for the election itself, Schumacher said it ushered in a realignment of American politics that lasted for decades. Nixons so-called southern strategy and law-and-order platform appealed to reactionaries unhappy with what today would be called identity politics.

While writing the book, Schumacher immersed himself in the music, television programs and movies of 1968.

"I wanted to understand," he said. "I wasnt just writing a book. I was retracing my own steps."
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
MUMBAI and NAGPUR, India, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Confidence Petroleum India Limited, India's largest LPG cylinder manufacturer and one of the leading private sector LPG retailers, reported its financial results for the first quarter ended on June 30, 2018, as approved by its Board of Directors.

Financial Highlights - Q1 FY2019 Consolidated

Revenue from operations at INR 190.07, up by 32% y-o-y

EBITDA (including other income) at INR 27.47 crore , up by 77% y-o-y

, up by 77% y-o-y Profit after tax at INR 13.36 crore , up by 206% y-o-y

Commenting on the performance Mr. Nitin Khara, Chairman & Managing Director, Confidence Petroleum said, "Confidence Petroleum has reported an impressive performance Q1 FY2019. Growth momentum continued across business segments during the first quarter. Our retail LPG distribution business which contributes 60% to the revenue grew by 64% and our overall profitability improved significantly."

Segment-wise Business Highlights

Cylinder Manufacturing - contributed 39.58% to Q1 FY2019 consolidated revenue

Q1 FY19 Revenue at INR 75.22 crore , up 3% y-o-y

, up 3% y-o-y The order book position as on June 30, 2018 stood at INR 305 crore

Retail LPG - contributed 60.42% to Q1 FY2019 consolidated revenue

Q1 FY19 Revenue at INR 114.84 crore , up 63% y-o-y

, up 63% y-o-y Confidence Petroleum markets LPG under the brand name 'GoGas'

The company is one of the largest private sector players in Auto LPG Dispensary Stations. The company has 140 operational ALDS As 07.08.2018 and has all the requisite permission to set up total 200 ALDs which it plans to set up by 2019

Recent Developments

During the board meeting held on July 25, 2018 , Confidence Petroleum's board approved allotment of 1.50 crore preferential shares @ Rs. 52/- each to M/s. Jasol Investment And Global Strong Growth Fund, part of Americorp Capital. Besides this, company is planning to raise INR 1040 million through issue of 2 crore preferential warrants @ Rs. 52/- each to promoters & others, the necessary approval for it is awaited from stock exchange.

Commenting on the fund raise, Mr. Khara said, "The funds raised will help the company achieve its plan of setting up 500 Auto LPG Dispensing Stations to promote the environment-friendly pollution free Green Fuel (LPG) at a national level by 2022 so also set up 100 LPG Bottling Plants & Cylinder Units to meet the continuing demand of Bottling & Cylinders for the Prestigious Ujjawala Scheme floated by the Government of India and PAN India marketing of 10 lakh MT LPG per annum particularly in non-subsidised commercial & industrial segment, which is presently in great demand."

About Confidence Petroleum India Limited:

Confidence Petroleum India Limited (BSE: 526829) is India's leading private sector Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) retailer. The company markets LPG under the brand name 'GoGas' and has 140 as on 07.08.2018, Auto LPG Dispensing Stations spread over Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra. The company has recently introduced light-weight and blast-proof composite LPG cylinders under the brand name 'GoGas Elite' for the domestic and commercial LPG use. Confidence Petroleum is India's largest manufacturer of LPG Cylinders with a capacity of manufacturing 5 million units per annum. The company has pan India presence with 15 cylinder manufacturing units and 58 bottling plants across India. For more information, visit http://www.confidencegroup.co

For More Information, please contact:

Confidence Petroleum India Limited

CA Nirali Sanghvi

+91-7447426379

[email protected]

Dickenson Financial PR

Mehul Mehta

+91-9820280325

[email protected]

President - Financial PR, Dickenson Group



SOURCE Confidence Petroleum India Limited
TORONTO, August 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

CellCube Energy Storage Systems Inc. ("CellCube" or the "Company") (CSE: CUBE) (OTCQB: CECBF) (Frankfurt 01X) is pleased to announce the following update to its shareholders and the broader investment community.

The Company continues to successfully execute its strategy of providing innovative grid scale energy storage solutions and related products and services to companies, utilities and other customers around the globe. CellCube is one of the most advanced and proven large scale energy storage systems utilizing leading vanadium flow battery technology.

Several leading independent research firms are forecasting rapid growth in energy storage. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance's research, storage markets are estimated to reach 40 GW by 2030, and are estimated to spend over $100 billion in the ramp-up phase over the same time period. According to Navigant Research, the grid-connected energy storage market is expected to grow 44 per cent annually with the market size reaching $18-billion (U.S.) by 2024.

CellCube believes that the energy storage industry is on the verge of a tipping point to mass deployment. To-date, vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) have proven to be a leading method of grid scale energy storage. Management strongly believes CellCube is ideally positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for VFBs worldwide to help meet the world's rapidly growing energy storage needs and to be part of the solution to address global warming and advance the transition away from fossil fuels toward greater reliance on renewable energy sources.

2018 Highlights:

Acquisition of Gildermeister Energy Storage GmbH assets. Gildemeister has been one of the world's first and largest researchers, developers, manufacturers and distributors of vanadium flow batteries("VFBs"). As industry leaders, they installed 130 VFBs on sites around the world. Several of its VFBs have nearly 10 years of operating history, and have proven to be extremely robust. CellCube's VFBs are used for a variety of purposes including grid storage; microgrids; off grid storage for solar and wind power; diesel power replacement; back-up power systems; farming applications; electrical vehicle charging stations; industrial plants and office building applications; and emergency power sources.

Appointment of Mr. Mike Neylan as CEO of CellCube. Mr. Neylan has over 20 years of extensive financial, legal and international corporate experience. Most recently, he was a portfolio manager in the private equity division of Sprott Inc. ("Sprott"), a leading alternative investment manager with over $11 billion in assets under management, where he was primarily responsible for establishing Sprott Asia. While at Sprott, he helped raise over $500 million of institutional investment capital from China and Korea and executed over $300 million of investments predominantly in the resource and renewable power sectors. Sprott, and certain investment entities managed by Sprott, have also invested in CellCube.

Appointment of Mr. Stefan Schauss as President of CellCube. Mr. Schauss has over 20 years of sales and business development experience worldwide with a focus in recent years on utility scale energy storage. He has extensive experience in marketing and sales of VFBs, the leading battery for large scale stationary energy storage. Stefan has worked extensively in both Europe and North America . He has a MSc. Physics from University Mainz, Germany with a concentration in physical chemistry and electronics.

Purchase of Jet Power & Control Systems Ltd. (renamed EnerCube Switchgear Systems Inc.). EnerCube is one of Western Canada's largest independently owned switchgear manufacturers providing custom and turnkey solutions. The Corporation provides complimentary products and services to CellCube and will continue to provide innovative and high-quality products such as: Arc Resistant and Metal Clad Switchgear, Motor Control Centers, VFD's and inverters to heavy power users, pipelines, refineries, manufacturers, municipalities and infrastructure providers.

Appointment of Mr. Brian Ricker as President & CEO of EnerCube Switchgear Systems Inc. Mr. Ricker brings over 30 years of business experience in the electrical industry, including 15 years in senior management roles. He recently left Eaton Corporation (a multinational power management company) where he was responsible for managing domestic and international projects in the engineered equipment space.

CellCube announced its intention to spin-out its 100% owned vanadium project, the Bisoni MacKay and Bisoni Rio in Nevada, USA , into a newly formed entity, V23 Resource Corp., which is to be publicly listed. Vanadium prices have increased over 320% since January 2017 with V2O5 prices now approximately US $19 per pound. Vanadium, widely used as an alloy to strengthen steel and in vanadium flow batteries for the energy storage industry, is the best performing battery metal over this time period surpassing cobalt, copper and nickel. CellCube will retain 19.9% and certain off-take rights. Shareholders of record will receive one share of V23 Resource Corp. for every two shares of CellCube held by CellCube shareholders. The spin-out and the record date are expected to occur in September 2018 .



, into a newly formed entity, V23 Resource Corp., which is to be publicly listed. Vanadium prices have increased over 320% since with V2O5 prices now approximately US per pound. Vanadium, widely used as an alloy to strengthen steel and in vanadium flow batteries for the energy storage industry, is the best performing battery metal over this time period surpassing cobalt, copper and nickel. CellCube will retain 19.9% and certain off-take rights. Shareholders of record will receive one share of V23 Resource Corp. for every two shares of CellCube held by CellCube shareholders. The spin-out and the record date are expected to occur in . First product shipment of CellCube VFB to Germany . The Company shipped its first energy storage system to the German municipal utility Gelsenwasser for their EnerPrax project.

Shipment of 2 VFBs to New York . The Company announced that the first of two CellCube energy storage systems was installed at O'Connell Electric in Victor, New York . The battery will be part of a micro-grid solar plus storage system to maximize the use of energy and lower costs by 30-40%.

CellCube further announced the purchase of a 10% stake in Braggawatt Energy Inc., a FinTech platform for financing North America's C&I and non-profit solar projects. The companies have agreed to co-develop financial solutions for energy storage projects that will accelerate the global rollout of CellCube VFBs.

While CellCube does not normally comment on market activity or market rumours, the Company believes it is appropriate to issue the following remarks in light of the unusual activity related to its common shares.

CellCube reiterates that neither the prospects for the energy storage industry nor the fundamentals of its business have changed since the acquisition of the Gildemeister assets. The Company is aware of no material events that would contribute to the unusual trading activity.

"We continue to execute our growth strategy, and our business is progressing as expected," commented Mike Neylan, CEO. "We are very encouraged by the interest shown in CellCube by institutional investors and clean energy companies in both North America and Europe."

The Company also states that several officers and directors have been buying shares in the open market over the past several weeks.

About CellCube:

CellCube's acquisition of the assets of Gildemeister Energy Storage GmbH has transformed CellCube and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Enerox GmbH, into a leading integrated resource and energy storage company. Together with the company's recent acquisition of Jet Power & Control Systems Ltd. (now renamed EnerCube Switchgear Systems Inc.) and Hillcroft Consulting Ltd. (renamed PowerHaz Energy Mobile Solutions Inc.) and its investment in Braggawatt Energy Inc., CellCube is gearing up to deliver fully vertically integrated energy storage solutions to utilities and independent power producers for both stand-alone energy storage projects as well as projects where energy storage enhances the value proposition from renewable energy generation.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur; 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. 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. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements are discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at http://www.sedar.com. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Glenda Kelly

CellCube Energy Storage Systems Inc.

Telephone: 1800 882-3213

Email: info@cellcubeenergystorage.com

http://www.cellcubeenergystorage.com

SOURCE CellCube Energy Storage Systems Inc.
STOCKHOLM, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrolux announced today it has divested its U.S.-based commercial and central vacuum cleaner businesses in North America, including the brands Sanitaire and BEAM. The decision is in line with the strategy of the business area Home Care & SDA to focus on global brands and product categories.

Electrolux has divested the commercial business, which provides professional customers in North America with a wide range of vacuum cleaners under the Sanitaire brand, to BISSELL Inc. The global central vacuum cleaner business based in North America, which provides products under the BEAM brand, is sold to Nuera Air. The divested operations had combined revenues in 2017 of around USD 70 million.

"This is an important strategic step to support our profitable growth journey and further investments in innovation. We have an exciting pipeline of launches for this year and next, as we continue to build a responsive ecosystem of products for wellbeing in the home," said Ola Nilsson, Head of Electrolux Home Care & SDA. "Both BEAM and Sanitaire are strong brands with excellent products that will have better opportunities to grow with their new owners."

As part of the process to improve the global competitiveness of Home Care & SDA, Electrolux in late 2016 divested its main North American vacuum cleaner brand Eureka. With today's announcement, the business area is now shifting its North American headquarters to San Francisco, where an innovation hub was established last year. Working out of this hub, Electrolux earlier this year launched its award-winning robotic vacuum cleaner Pure i9 in the United States.

The transactions are not expected to result in any material changes to future earnings or net one-off effects on the Group income statement.

Ernst & Young Capital Advisors, LLC (EYCA) acted as exclusive financial advisor to Electrolux in conjunction with the transaction.

For further information, please contact Electrolux Press Hotline, +46-8-657-65-07.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/electrolux/r/electrolux-divests-beam-and-sanitaire-in-north-america,c2587876

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Electrolux
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Batty Over Halloween Celebration Was A Treat! The Central Astoria LDCs 6th annual Batty Over Halloween Celebration held on Sunday, October 24 was a real treat for everyone who came out. Excited...

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...
Moscow court recovers over $3.9 million from Russian Authors Society ex-head

 RIA Novosti, Alexey Filippov

12:59 08/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 8 (RAPSI)  The Presnensky District Court of Moscow has recovered 247.5 million ($3.9 million) from Sergey Fedotov, ex-Director General of the Russian Authors Society (RAO), sentenced to 1.5 years in a penal colony for large scale fraud, the press-service of the court has told RAPSI.

The defendant has already appealed the ruling.

On December 7, the Ryazan Regional Court upheld a lower courts ruling to grant parole for Fedotov.

Moscows Meshchansky District Court convicted and sentenced Fedotov, who had pleaded guilty, in June 2017. The convict was to serve 6 months in prison because the time he had spent in detention was included in the length of the punishment.

As previously reported, employees of the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service (FSB) have revealed a fraud scheme over illegal alienation of RAOs property. Damage caused to the RAOs property has been estimated at 500 million rubles (about $8.5 million at the current exchange rate).

However, Fedotovs defense team insisted that the damage amount reached about 297 million rubles. His lawyer Denis Baluyev also claimed that his client was a victim of calumniation.

The Russian Authors Society is a non-governmental organization created in 1993 for collective management of authors rights. At this moment over 25,000 people are listed as its members.
Ex-Komi government officials sentence for bribery, money laundering upheld

 RIA Novosti, Vitaly Belousov

16:33 08/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 8 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld a 7-year prison sentence passed on ex-Deputy Chairman of the Komi government Konstantin Romadanov for participation in a criminal gang, taking a bribe and money laundering, RAPSI reported from the courtroom.

Romadanov was convicted and sentenced in late May. In addition to the prison term he was fined 170 million rubles ($2.7 million) and prohibited from holding government posts for 5 years.

The case against Romadanov was separated from embezzlement case involving Vyacheslav Gaizer, the former Komi Republics head.

Investigators believe that a criminal gang involving Gaizer, another republics ex-head Vladimir Torlopov, ex-deputy head Alexander Chernov, ex-Chairman of the Republican State Council Igor Kovzel and 10 other people, was organized in 2006. Depending of their involvement and role in crimes, they are charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and money laundering.

According to investigation, the gang leaders and members committed crimes aimed at occupation of the regions highly profitable enterprises or instituting control over them for the purposes of unlawful enrichment. They allegedly caused a 4.5-billion-ruble (over $70 million) damage to the republic.

Investigators also accuse the gang members of taking bribes totaling to 160 million rubles in 2013. Moreover, Gaizer himself received 37.5 million rubles in bribes for assignment of a person identified by investigators to the post of the Syktyvkar liquor producers director.
Russian court sentences Kyrgyz national to 6 years for terrorist recruitment

 RIA Novosti, Vitaly Belousov

17:59 08/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 8 (RAPSI)  Kyrgyzstan native Feruza Inakov has been sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony for recruiting his compatriots for fighting in support of Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organizations banned in Russia, the United press-service of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI.

The Moscow District Military Court has found Inakov guilty of soliciting, recruiting or other involvement of a person for committing terrorist crimes. The defendant denied wrongdoing.

Inakov and seven other persons were arrested after searches conducted by the police, Russias National Guard and Federal Security Service (FSB) in St. Petersburg on April 5 and April 6, 2017, two days after a terror attack in St. Petersburg metro. Investigators maintain that the defendants activity is not related to the terror attack.

On April 3, 2017, an unknown device exploded in a train between St. Petersburg metro stations Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad. According to law enforcement authorities, 16 people died in the blast including a suicide bomber, over 50 were wounded. 112 persons were acknowledged as victims in the criminal case.
About 167 prisoners released after recalculation of their jail terms

 RIA Novosti

14:59 08/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 8 (RAPSI)  About 167 inmates have been released after recalculation of their prison terms in accordance with a new legislation, Russias Federal Penitentiary Service reports Wednesday.

Moreover, sentences of 86 prisoners were reduced, the statement reads.

On August 6, lawyer Ruslan Koblev told RAPSI that Vladimir Anikeyev, the leader of Russias hacking group Shaltai-Boltai, or Humpty Dumpty, sentenced to 2 years in a penal colony, was released from prison due to the recent amendments to Russian legislation. According to the lawyer, the penal colonys administration decided to approach the matter in a swift manner and recalculated Anikeyevs term in one month instead of six ones, which is why he was released as one of the first inmates affected by this change.

In July, President Vladimir Putin signed a bill on recalculation of terms of imprisonment into law. Amendments were proposed to the Criminal Code of Russia. Under the law, 1 day in a detention center would be counted as 1.5 days in a general regime penal colony or 2 days in a penal colony settlement.
PAN, July 13, 2018

At least 20 civilians and 26 Taliban militants have been killed during hours long clashes and airstrike in Zurmat district of southeastern Paktia province, residents said on Friday.

The ground and air offensive was carried out on Thursday and the following night in Sahak area, said Sherin Jan, a resident of nearby Shamolzai village.

Eleven civilians, including three children and as many women, were killed when an airstrike struck their home, he said, adding the Taliban had fired at security forces prior to the airstrike.

He said another nine civilians had been killed by government forces during their operations in villages nearby Sahak area. He said 26 Taliban gunmen were killed during the operations.

Another resident of Sahak area, Hassan, confirmed the killing of 20 civilians but had no information about Taliban casualties.

Angry over the civilian deaths, the residents said the security forces also arrested a number of civilians.

Zurmat district chief Hakim Waziri also civilian casualties in the operations, but said exact figures were not yet known.

Provincial officials said 32 Taliban gunmen were killed in the operations in Zurmat district while civilian casualties were being investigated.

The official said the civilians suffered casualties because the Taliban used their homes as bastions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense in a statement claimed 107 Taliban militants were killed and 25 others wounded in the operations in Zurmat district.

But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected if the rebels used peoples homes as bastions for attacks on security forces. He said the government forces killed and wounded 35 civilians in Zurmat operations.

He said a number of security forces sustained casualties in clashes with the Taliban in the district. He said two fighters were killed and three others wounded.
Ufuq News (Translated by RAWA), July 29, 2018

By Hussain Ahmadi

Local authorities in Daikundi province have said that a 14-year-old girl was hung to death in the Sang Takht o Bandar district of this province.

Ali Akbar Naatiqi, spokesperson for the governor of Daikundi, told Ufuq News that the matter is under criminal investigation but the cause and motive is not yet clear. He added that a man and two women have been arrested by the district security forces in connection to the case and are being questioned.

Mr. Naatiqi said that the arrested are neighbors of Kubras family, but it is not yet clear whether they had any enmity between them or not. According to him, Kubra Rezayi was 14-years-old and the locals found her beaten body near her home.

The investigation team had told the local authorities that they had found Kubras scarf hanging from a tree branch where she had been hanged. They said it is not yet clear whether she had committed suicide or other people had murdered her and set the scene that way.

However, the locals and Kubras family have said that she was first beaten by several men and then hung.

Jawad Dadgar, head of the provincial office of the human rights commission, told Ufuq News that today (July 29th) an investigative team had been sent to the location.

Violence against women is high in Daikundi, particularly suicide by girls and cases of killings due to personal enmities.

According to a report by TOLOnews.com, Kubras family members have traveled to Kabul to seek justice for her. They claim that Kubra was killed by local strongmen who have also threatened them to be silent.
Khaama Press, July 31, 2018

A woman and her teenage daughter were shot to death by the Taliban militants in northern Faryab province of Afghanistan, the local security officials said.

The officials further added that the incident took place in the vicinity of Kohistan district earlier today.

According to the officials, the Taliban militants shot the woman and her daughter after accusing the woman that her husband is having links with the public uprising forces.

The anti-government armed militant groups including Taliban militants have not commented regarding the report so far.

Faryab is among the relatively volatile provinces in North of Afghanistan where both the Taliban and militants affiliated with the other militant groups are actively operating.

Todays incident has taken place amid sharp rise in the cases of violence against the women.

The officials in northwestern Badghis province said Monday that a man has killed a nine-year-old girl who was married to him while she was only seven years old.

Provincial police spokesman Naqibullah Amini said the minor child bride was killed by her husband in Qads district of Badghis.
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The MCA notification lays down a deadline of August 31 for the fulfillment of the KYC requirements

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Company directors now need to provide their Aadhaar numbers to the government, according to a July 5 gazette notification by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, which makes it mandatory for all directors to go through the new KYC process, including Aadhaar details.

This has angered a set of directors, particularly those without the identity document, who are assessing their legal options to challenge the ministry for contempt of the Supreme Court.

Last week, directors of a handful of startups even met in Bengaluru and sought legal advice on the situation from lawyers who fought the Aadhaar constitutionality case in the SC, sources said.

The lawyers advised the directors to get a formal response from the ministry or the government stating that Aadhaar is mandatory, which can be used as evidence in the petition that four separate groups are planning to file in the high courts of Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, said a source, who was present in the meeting.

The KYC procedure for directors is a yearly affair, which, if left incomplete, leads to invalidation of the director information number without which a person cant officially run the company or act on its behalf.

This has worried directors who are reaching out to others who dont possess Aadhaar or dont want to share it via WhatsApp groups.

One such group has at least a dozen willing participants willing to be petitioners in their respective high courts.

One such director of an internet services company told Business Standard that hes willing to contribute with time and money when the petition is filed in the court.

I am not comfortable getting an Aadhaar, so I cant be expected to share it before the Supreme Court has decided on it.

"I am willing to be a petitioner as the company can go to default if official documents are not filed in time, he said.

The MCA notification lays down a deadline of August 31 for the fulfillment of the KYC requirements and says that the Director Information Number can be deactivated if the form is not submitted on time.

The central government or regional director (Northern Region), or any officer authorised by the central government or regional director (northern region) shall deactivate the Director Identification Number (DIN), of an individual who does not intimate his particulars in e-form DIR-3-KYC within stipulated time in accordance with Rule 12A, the notification states.

The de-activated DIN shall be re-activated only after e-form DIR-3-KYC is filed along with fee as prescribed under Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014, it added.

At this juncture, the form notified in the gazette is quiet on the mandatory nature of Aadhaar even as it asks for the number to be filled in one of the fields and requires a scanned copy of the document to be uploaded in the next page.

When directors tried to file the documents without Aadhaar, the form wasnt expected, at least five people told Business Standard.

The FAQ posted on the MCA website, however, clarifies, If the director is a citizen of India, then he should mandatorily enter his Aadhaar number in the form.

Suitable message urging the stakeholders to obtain Aadhaar as early as possible for integrating their details with MCA21 was already posted on the MCA21 portal, it states.

This prompted Samir Kelekar, director of Teknotrends Software Pvt Ltd, to write to the Registrar of Companies in the state seeking relief from providing the Aadhaar details citing the pending SC judgement. Kelekar said he hasnt received a response yet.

Business Standard reviewed this and other correspondence sent by the industry seeking relief to the ministry and the registrar of companies.

Meanwhile, Kiran Jonnalagadda, co-founder of HasGeek - a startup in Bengaluru - said that the industry just wants relief and its considering all options - legal and otherwise.

The gazette notification does not appear to make Aadhaar mandatory, but the form requires it. We have approached the MCA for a clarification, as the Supreme Court has not approved mandatory Aadhaar.

"We are waiting for their response, and considering an appeal to courts for the SC order to be upheld, Jonnalagadda told Business Standard.
The five-year-old Chinese brand's assent to the summit comes after a year of astounding rise -- often growing by over 200 percent a quarter, reports Arnab Dutta.

Vikas Agarwal, general manager, OnePlus India, poses with a OnePlus 6 mobile phone during a press briefing in Mumbai, on July 31, 2018. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

OnePlus 6 was launched in India on May 22.

OnePlus has emerged as the top smartphone brand in India's fast-growing premium phone market, outstripping stalwarts like Samsung and Apple.

The five-year-old Chinese brand's assent to the summit comes after a year of astounding rise -- often growing by over 200 percent a quarter.

Since its launch in India, OnePlus handsets have been considered to be value-for-money.

But the brand's winning formula -- apart from its great software and hardware -- has been in its ability to retain old customers and bring new ones on board -- mostly from the iOS universe.

OnePlus bagged the top slot with a market share of 40 per cent in India's premium phones segment, pulling ahead of Samsung which has a share of 34 per cent, and Apple which is now languishing at 14 per cent.

This week Counterpoint Research came out with its report on the smartphone market for the June quarter of 2018.

For the first time, OnePlus bagged the top slot with a market share of 40 per cent in India's premium phones segment, pulling ahead of Samsung which has a share of 34 per cent, and Apple which is now languishing at 14 per cent.

OnePlus has benefitted hugely from its loyal customer base.

It began its journey with a 'refer-only' sales model where potential buyers needed to get an invitation from an existing user to be able to purchase a device.

This worked in both setting up a dedicated user base as well as creating aspiration for the brand among smartphone users.

According to Vikash Agarwal, country head, OnePlus India, today nearly 40 per cent of existing OnePlus users go for the next OnePlus device.

"We now have a sizeable user base, which makes for a captive audience every time a new device is launched.

"It is a set of core users who have gone through the past three-four OnePlus devices.

"Now a critical mass has been reached and it's become big enough to make OnePlus the number one brand," Agarwal said.

The migration of iOS users to the OnePlus platform has been another critical factor in bumping up the Chinese brand's market share.

In fact, the migration of iPhone users to Android devices is now a global trend which is playing out in India as well.

As Agarwal pointed out, "This has benefitted OnePlus during the last quarter in India.

"Data show that a lot of our new customers have switched from the iPhone.

"As per Google, a third of the people searching for iPhones are also looking for OnePlus."

OnePlus's unique promotional efforts have also contributed to its phenomenal growth.

Unlike most other premium brands, OnePlus bet on social media influencers rather than television commercials.

For example, on the photo and video sharing platform Instagram, it has roped in celebrities who promote new OnePlus devices to their followers through personalised video messages.

OnePlus's volume uptake grew by 343 per cent in the 2017 calendar year, and 2018 promises to be no different going by the growth in the first two quarters.

This is an exciting strategy, feels brand consultant Harish Bijoor.

First, it gives a personal touch to the promotion, so people are more likely to trust it.

Second, since most smartphone users inhabit a digital world, it's a smart way to reach out to them individually on their devices.

The numbers show how breathtaking OnePlus's rise has been.

Its volume uptake grew by 343 per cent in the 2017 calendar year.

And during the first two quarters of 2018 its growth rate stood at 192 per cent and 284 per cent, respectively.

What's more, its current market share  40 per cent  is the highest for any player other than the two big boys of the premium handset space, Samsung and Apple, during the past four years.

OnePlus 6, the latest model from its stable which was launched in India on May 22, captured 30 per cent of the market, beating all other devices in the category.

Agarwal is now looking to expand the firm's offline presence.

Once an online-only brand, OnePlus opened its first store in Bangalore last year and plans to launch 10 stores in major metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata by the end of 2018.

It has also tied up with Croma to offer its new device in over 100 stores.
The home-grown biscuit brand looks to get inside the customers mind as it steps outside the boundaries of its mass-market identity

How does a budget brand leverage its mass following and legacy to extend itself into the premium category?

For Parle Products, this question forms the core of its branding and promotion efforts as it looks to take the Parle brand to a growing band of premium consumers.

While a definitive answer is still elusive, Mayank Shah, product category head at Parle Products, believes that the best way to do that is to let the consumer lead the brand and not the other way around.

This means a complete overhaul in the branding strategy that the Mumbai-headquartered company, whose flagship Parle-G turns 90 next year, has adopted so far.

Instead of creating a product and promoting it within a niche, it now needs to work backwards to create a biscuit/cookie brand and that can be a hugely unsettling experience.

No surprise then that while Parle-G still brings in the volumes for Parle Products, the company has spent the bulk of its advertising budget over the past year trying to separate its corporate identity from that of its most popular product.

It has also brought in actor-author Twinkle Khanna on board as endorser for its premium Parle Platina range and has taken a lot of its advertising on to digital platforms.

Parle beyond G

K V Sridhar, founder and chief creative officer at Hyper Collective says Parle-G was the bread and butter brand for a long time; for the company the market was a low-profit, high-volume game.

And though the company spread itself into different categories and launched new brands, its identity has been sharply aligned to the glucose biscuits.

Parle-G has just been named the brand with the largest footprint in India according to a report by Kantar Worldpanel.

It tops the list of the 50 most chosen consumer brands in the country, as per the Brand Footprint 2018 study.

With 4,623 million consumer reach points (CRP), which measures how many households are buying the brand and how often they buy the brand, it beat Amul that came second with 3,605 million CRP.

The biscuit market in India is around 2.9 million tonne per annum, and in value terms it is around Rs 32,000 crore.

CRP is a metric that shows the width and depth of the brand. How cohesive the brand is or how loyal the consumer is to the brand, says Shah.

The company has around 50 brands that it has classified into three categories: Heritage includes Parle G, Monaco, KrackJack, Cheeslings, Popular includes Parle 20-20, Magix, BakeSmith Marie, Top and the Parle Platina range has Hide-n-Seek, Milano, Nutricrunch and others.

For most consumers however, the brand is synonymous with Parle-G and its familiar yellow and red packaging.

Harish Bijoor, CEO Harish Bijoor Consults says that sometime around the 2000s, Parle realised that the brand has to grow beyond its heritage labels.

It had to do more to grab a slice of the rapidly expanding premium category in biscuits and more recently, the growing health-conscious segment of consumers.

Different strokes for different folks

Shah elaborates on the brands journey from mass to premium. He says that unlike in the past, biscuits are now a food for multiple choices, occasions and moods.

Health is one such, but it is growing faster than the rest.

A premium brand has to understand the nuances that separate consumers according to preference and also according to lifestyle choices in the premium category.

Shah cites the example of Nutricrunch under the premium range.

It comes in three variants to cater to the sugar conscious or sugar less cookie buyer, to those who check fat content and to those looking for a digestive biscuit.

Nutricrunch is targeting around 15 per cent share in the health segment, which is estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore and growing at around 15-20 per cent, he says.

Nutricrunch will be one of the major drivers for Parles premiumisation drive, which is expected to contribute around 25 per cent of the companys total revenue as against 15 per cent currently.

The brand is meant to cater to different consumers within the premium band by offering them many variants of the product.

Bijoor says that the market intelligence powering Parles brand extensions and bifurcations is very effective.

This has helped them to create a premium category around the label that is still associated with a mass product.

The advertisement trail

The company spends around seven per cent of its turnover on branding expenditure.

It has recently said that the current turnover is around Rs 10,000 crore, which is aimed to grow to Rs 20,000 crore in next five years.

Three to four years back, the branding budget for digital used to be around five to six per cent, which has grown to around 15 per cent today, it said.

Sridhar says that the company has also shown prudence in its advertising strategy.

They are doing the right thing, he says by making consumers aware about the number of brands under its umbrella.

For instance it was not as well known that the Hide-n-Seek brand of biscuits is also part of the Parle group, he explained.

For the Platina range, the company has Twinkle Khanna as ambassador and the ads use humour to drive home the message.

Her name is expected to appeal to urban professionals, a segment that Parle has trained its sights on.

The company has been slowly widening the circle around its target audience for Parle-G too.

In the past it was aimed largely at school-going children and the advertising focused on taste, purity and development.

Last year the company switched to nationalism and more recently to friendship, victory, grit and determination as the advertising narrative with an eye on millennial consumers.

Photograph: Courtesy, Parle
The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a preliminary enquiry against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook, officials said on Wednesday.

It is alleged that Cambridge Analytica received data from Global Science Research which employed 'illegal means' of personal data harvesting of Indians using Facebook, they said.

After receiving a reference in this regard from the Centre, the CBI has initiated the preliminary enquiry which is normally a first step to decide whether the allegations deserve a full-blown investigation through a first information report or not, they said.

Data mining and analysis firm Cambridge Analytica earlier faced allegations that it used personal information harvested from 87 million Facebook accounts to help Donald Trump win the 2016 US presidential election.

Union Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had told Rajya Sabha last month that the probe will be handed over to the CBI.

He had said there were also reports that user data was 'illegally accessed by hardware manufacturers who had tie-ups with Facebook. In regard to this issue, Facebook has reported that they are not aware of any misuse of information, including Indian users' information'.

Facebook has over 20 crore users in India. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company had said that the data of about 87 million people -- mostly in the United States -- might have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

After the data breach came to light, the IT Ministry had in March and April shot off communications to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica seeking clarification on the issue from them.

"Facebook responded that they will streamline their internal processes regarding handling of personal data. They stated that the case of Cambridge Analytica was a case of breach of trust. They promised to take various other steps to ensure that such breaches do not recur," Prasad had said.

However, he had said, Cambridge Analytica gave an initial response that data of Indians was not breached but this was not in conformity with what was reported by Facebook. Cambridge Analytica also did not respond to a subsequent notice.

The ministry's move had come after Christopher Wylie, who blew the lid off the scam involving mining of Facebook user data to manipulate elections, tweeted details that claim to expose the British consultancy's work in India dating back to 2003.

Wylie claimed that SCL India (formerly Strategic Communication Laboratories, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica) was asked to provide electoral research and strategy for the 2010 Bihar elections for the Janata Dal-United. The JD-U has rejected this claim.
In Karunanidhis passing the real loser is Tamil Nadu and Tamil language. So far there is no one on the horizon to fill the vacuum left behind by him, says R Rajagopalan.

Muthuvel Karunanidhi is no more, a legend has come to an end. But merely paying rich tributes to him is not enough. While the translation of Karunanidhis ideals, his social engineering, his time-tested Dravida ideology are essential, it will be difficult to shape them for the future generations.



The immediate political question that arises from Karunanidhis demise is, how will the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam absorb this shock? For there are many strands at play here, like the partys internal dynamics, and the generation gap between the succeeding leadership and the present one, much like what is currently going on in its ally, the Congress party.

While the immediate bearing of Karunanidhis passing will be felt on Tamil Nadu, it is also bound to have strong a ripple effect on national politics.

For the DMK, the testing ground for what happens next will be the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and if M K Stalin leads it to success.

Tributes to Karunanidhi in any format, in poem, script or portrait, will all fall short, given his gigantic contribution to the development of Tamil language and culture. Karunanidhis base is Dravida politics which he imbibed as a student of E V Ramaswamy Naicker and C N Annadurai whose ideals he articulated to great effect, carrying them to villages and towns of Tamil Nadu.

But all said and done there will always be a shift from the past with the takeover of a new leadership, and the same will happen with the DMK under Stalin as well.

Given that the party is deeply tied to the Karunanidhi family, it will be interesting to watch how the new leader will get along with the elders in the party. Or with M K Azhagiri and Kanimozhi.

Could the DMK, under the strains of these pulls and pressures, split, much like its rival All India Anna DMK did after the demise of Jayalalithaa?

More interesting will be how these internal squabbles in the DMK affect its fortunes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls which, in Tamil Nadu, will many firsts.

It will be the first election that wont see arch-rivals M Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha on the campaign trail.



It will be the first time that Tamil superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan will be testing the political waters.

It will be the first time that three factions of the AIADMK will go to the polls, each claiming to be the true inheritors of Ammas legacy.

It will also be the first time that Tamil Nadu will see a five-cornered contest, among the DMK and AIADMK fronts, TTV Dhinakaran and Rajini and Kamal. Which way will the sagacious voter go, is a tantalising question.

But yes, Karunanidhis passing, as indeed Jayas, will lead to sympathy votes for both the rivals.



But unlike with the AIADMK, in Karunanidhis passing the real loser is Tamil Nadu and Tamil language. So far there is no one on the horizon to fill the vacuum left behind by him.

Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo.



R Rajagopalan is a senior journalist and a keen observer of Tamil Nadu politics for over 40 years.
'Brajesh Thakur spoke to half a dozen Union ministers, some Bihar ministers and Manju Verma's husband between the process of lodging the FIR against him on May 31 and his arrest on June 2.'

M I Khan reports from Patna.

IMAGE: Former Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma addresses a press after resigning over allegations against her husband, who is accused of his links with the Muzaffarpur shelter rape case, in Patna on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo



Under fire over the sex-scandal at the state-funded Muzaffarpur shelter home, Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma handed over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday.

Sources in the Chief Minister's office said Verma met Kumar and submitted her resignation letter to him.

The Opposition had been continuously gunning for her head following allegations by the wife of an arrested accused from the department that Verma's husband was a frequent visitor to the Muzaffarpur shelter home, where 34 girls were allegedly raped over a period of time.

After initial reluctance to talk to media, Verma said she resigned on moral grounds after media reports that examination of mobile phone details of Brajesh Thakur -- the main accused in the case -- showed that he had spoken to her husband 17 times from January to June this year.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, has reportedly obtained evidence of her husband Chandrashekhar Verma's association with Thakur.

The CBI is studying the call detail records for three mobile numbers Thakur used before he was arrested.

"Thanks to the CDR, there is evidence that Brajesh Thakur was in touch with Manju Verma's husband, whose whereabouts are not known," a senior police officer told this correspondent.

The CBI on Wednesday seized bank accounts of Thakur and is also investigating his properties.

Hours after her resignation, Verma said her husband is innocent and demanded the Patna high court, which is monitoring the probe, to bring out call detail record of Thakur in public.

IMAGE: A woman threw ink on the face of main accused in the case Brajesh Thakur while he was being taken to a court in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo



"My husband will be proved innocent," Verma said.

"I request that all CDRs of Brajesh Thakur available with the CBI should be made public. If my husband is guilty then everyone who spoke to Thakur should be guilty, she said.

The CDR should be brought out to make it clear whether my husband was the only one who was talking to Thakur or were there other people too, she said.

Verma said action should be taken against all those whose names figure in the CDR.

She expressed anger over repeated demands of her resignation by the Opposition and media.

Speaking to media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur, Thakur admitted that he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was on political issues'.

Meanwhile, a woman blackened the face of Thakur when he was produced in the local court on Wednesday.

When the local police tried to detain the woman, they were opposed by protestors present on the court premises. The protestors, it is learnt, were from Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party.

Thakur told reporters in the court premises in Muzaffarpur that he was being framed and that he has no relationship with Manju Verma or her husband.

"I am being framed," Thakur claimed, speaking in Hindi, "because I wanted to fight the election from Muzaffarpur."

"I am not involved in the case," Thakur, who owned the shelter home where the girls were allegedly molested, said, adding, "I have no relationship with Manju Verma."

He also refuted any relationship with Madhu Kumari, another accused in the case who is absconding after the police filed a first information report.

Madhu Kumari is said to be the 'mystery woman' who may have incriminating information about Thakur.

IMAGE: Thakur being taken to a special POCSO court in Muzaffarpur. Photograph: PTI Photo



Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was under immense pressure from the opposition parties as well as his ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, to take action against Minister Verma, who is a member of his party, the Janata Dal-United.

No action against the minister in the wake of the shelter home horror episode had been bringing a bad name for the CM as well his government across the country.

Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress politicians have alleged that Chandrashekhar Verma often visited the Muzaffarpur shelter home and his wife knew about these visits.

"Thakur spoke to half a dozen Union ministers, some Bihar ministers and Manju Verma's husband between the process of lodging the FIR against him on May 31 and his arrest on June 2," a police officer said.

Verma, who till Monday denied any links with Thakur, has now admitted that he used to telephone her home.

She said her husband had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence.

'We are politicians and in public life, several people call us. We have to talk to them. It is simple,' the minister said.

She had also said that she was being targeted because she belonged to the Kushwaha caste, an OBC group.

An MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district since 2010, Verma was minister in the NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar from JD-U quota.

Rejecting the Opposition's demand to sack Verma, Nitish Kumar had virtually given her a clean chit on Monday.

'I asked her, but she denied her involvement,' the chief minister told reporters, 'The CBI probe is underway. Anyone found guilty will be sent to jail. No one will be spared.'

The CBI on Tuesday quizzed Raju Kumar, Thakur's driver, and scrutinised his mobile phone.

The Bureau took serious note of reports that Thakur has been resting in a Muzaffarpur hospital after his arrest and is not in jail.

The CBI has sought a report on Thakur's condition from the Muzaffarpur jail authorities.

Meanwhile, a watchman of Madhubani shelter home, from where the Muzaffarpur shelter home case's main witness went missing, has been arrested.

With PTI inputs
For the first time, Pakistani soldiers will undergo training at Russian military institutes after the two countries signed an agreement related to it, in a sign of further strengthening their defence ties amid Islamabad's increasingly uneasy relations with the United States.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC) -- the highest forum of their defence collaboration, according to Pakistan's defence ministry.

"Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RF's (Russian Federation) Training Institutes," the ministry said.

The Russian side was led by Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen Alexander V Fomin who visited Pakistan from August 67 to attend the first session of Russia-Pakistan JMCC.

Lt Gen Zamir ul Hassan Shah (retd), Secretary Defence, led the Pakistani delegation during the JMCC meeting.

Prior to the inaugural meeting, held yesterday in the ministry of defence Rawalpindi, the visiting dignitary called on secretary defence and the defence minister.

The two sides discussed the present status of their defence relations with the aim to further strengthen, expand and diversify mutual cooperation.

During the inaugural session of the JMCC, both sides exchanged views on bilateral and major international issues including situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the ministry said.

A comprehensive issue based review was also carried out during which the two countries expressed satisfaction on the milestones achieved since the signing of ground breaking Agreement on Defence Cooperation in 2014. The two sides also held in depth discussions on avenues of future cooperation, the defence ministry said.

Col Gen Fomin also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs.

An Army spokesman said that Col Gen Fomin met Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed the regional security situation and matters of mutual interest including enhancement of bilateral defence and security cooperation.

Fomin expressed his appreciation for Pakistan Army's achievements against terrorism and expressed requirement of greater cooperative and collaborative approach among global community to defeat extremism.

Pakistan's defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

Commenting on the agreement, Lt Gen Talat Masood (retd) said that the pact has opened new avenues of cooperation between the two countries and also showed that both sides are eager to further deepen their defence ties.

It was a 'very good move', he added.

Masood, who also served as the defence secretary, said that strategically Pakistan is trying to diversify its relations due to strain in its ties with the US, while Russia was also looking for a market to sell weapons.

"There is desire on both sides to improve ties and it is working well and the two countries are cooperating to increase economic, defence and political relations," he told PTI.

Defence and political analyst Dr Syed Farooq Hasnat told PTI that the agreement is an evident that Pakistan has come out of the US bloc.

"This agreement is a positive development and in days to come Pakistan and Russia will come more close to each other in the face of hostile attitude of the US," he said.

He said Pakistan has no conflict with Russia besides it is already close to China which is a good friend of Pakistan.

"In fact, President Donald Trump's policies towards Pakistan has forced it to find new alliances," he added.

Pakistan has shown eagerness to build military-to-military ties with Russia in recent years.

Earlier this year, the then foreign minister Khawaja Asif visited Moscow during which the two sides agreed to set up a commission to boost military cooperation.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed 'Friendship'.

The drills stem from a defense cooperation agreement the two countries signed in 2014, lifting a long-running Russian embargo on arms sales to Pakistan.

Image only for representation. Photograph: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters
Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo



At least 45 workers were injured in a fire that broke out following a boiler blast at a Bharat Petroleum refinery in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The incident took place at the public sector oil firm's plant on the Mahul Road in Chembur area of East Mumbai around 2.45 pm, they said.

The fire was brought under control after three hours, a Mumbai Fire Brigade official said, adding that cooling operations were underway.

Locals in the area staged a protest after the incident, saying a similar accident in the future could turn out to be more devastating.

45 workers were injured in the incident, Shahaji Umap, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-VI), said.

Photograph: Sahil Salvi



After preliminary treatment at the BPCL's first aid centre, 22 of them were allowed to go home, while others were shifted to a nearby hospital in Chembur, he said.

Nine fire tenders, two foam tenders and two jumbo tankers were pressed into service to douse the blaze.

Along with the Fire Brigade, the refinery's own fire-fighting team, HPCL, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, RCF and Mazgaon Dock fire brigades were also engaged, an official of the Disaster Control Room of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.

The incident took place in the 'Compressor shed of Hydrocracker plant', as per the company's statement.

"The hydrocracker unit has been safely shut down while the other units are normal. No product shortage is envisaged on account of the fire," the company said late in the evening.

Fire Brigade Chief P S Rahangdale said the fire fighting was made difficult by heat and built-up pressure inside the plant.

Photograph: Sahil Salvi



According to Santosh Aadhar, a local resident, a "massive" explosion was heard in the surrounding area.

"Its tremors shook windows of our building which is 500 metres away from the refinery," Aadhar told reporters.

People living in the vicinity gathered at the refinery's gate, shouting slogans and demanding that they be relocated from the area.

Hundreds of families displaced for various government projects or due to slum demolitions have been resettled in Mahul village.

"Had the boiler exploded near our building, we would have been reduced to ashes," said Puja Waghmare, a local resident.

Reshma Chavan, another woman, said, "Today's explosion shattered the window panes in our building. We were lucky that the plant where it happened is farther from our building. Can anyone guarantee that such incident will not take place in future?" she asked.

Shivraj Pandit, convenor of Chembur Welfare Brigade, a local outfit, said air pollution in the area is a major concern, and the government agencies were neglecting it.
IMAGE: DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's mortal remains being taken for the last rites from Rajaji Hall to Anna Memorial in Chennai on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo



Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a doyen of Dravidian politics, was on Wednesday laid to rest on the Marina beach front as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell after an unsavoury courtroom battle his party won to secure for him the final resting place at the Chennai landmark.

IMAGE: DMK working president M K Stalin, his brother M K Alagiri, former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and other family members during the funeral. Photograph: PTI Photo



The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to the 'Thalaivar' (the leader), school dropout, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life over decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

IMAGE: Stalin receives the national flag wrapped around his father's body before he was laid to rest at Marina Beach. Photograph: PTI Photo

The 94-year-old leader had breathed his last at a hospital in Chennai after fighting for life for 11 days.

A galaxy of leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and his Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan, K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu were in attendance.

IMAGE: DMK MP Kanimozhi pays her last respects to her father. Photograph: PTI Photo

So were Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his predecessor Prakash Karat, and former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav.

Karunanidhi was buried with full military honours with soldiers giving him a gun salute and buglers sounding the last post.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with former Union minister A Raja, at Rajaji Hall in Chennai on Wednesday. Photograph: P Ravikumar/Reuters

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Rahul Gandhi, Union minister and the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad placed wreaths at the feet of the departed leader at the Marina.

IMAGE: Congress president Rahul Gandhi with Stalin at Rajaji Hall. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

Karunanidhi's son and heir apparent 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.

IMAGE: Personnel from the three services gave the 21-gun salute as the lid of the coffin was closed and lowered into the grave. Photograph: ANI

In poignant scenes, Stalin was seen crying inconsolably after touching his father's feet before the casket containing Karunanidhi's body was lowered into the grave.

The leader's youngest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi fondly caressed his head and cheek one last time.

Karunanidhi being a self-proclaimed atheist and rationalist, no Hindu rituals were performed.

IMAGE: People gather to pay their last respects to the DMK chief as his cortege passes through the streets of Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo

Earlier in the day, as thousands of grieving Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supporters, leaders and celebrities filed past the golden casket containing the mortal remains of the leader draped in the national tricolour at the stately Rajaji Hall, a courtroom battle raged over where he should be buried.

The state's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government had on Tuesday rejected the DMK's demand for space at the Marina for Karunanidhi's burial and construction of a memorial to him, citing pending litigation over ecological concerns.

IMAGE: A tri-colour is placed on the mortal remains of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

The DMK had swiftly moved the Madras high court which partially heard its petition around midnight and resumed the hearing at 8 on Wednesday morning.

The court ruled in DMK's favour and the Thalaivar got his final resting place next to his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place... Provide a place for a decent burial forthwith in terms of the rough sketch given by the petitioner," the division bench of the court comprising Acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and S S Sundar ruled.

IMAGE: Police personnel control the crowd gathered at Rajaji Hall. Photograph: PTI Photo

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place. Already alloted place in the marina for all Dravidian leaders. There is no need to take different stand in the present case," the bench said.

The court's order was greeted with loud chants of 'Kalaignar Pugazh Onguga (long live Kalaignar's fame)' by thousands of DMK cadre at the Rajaji Hall some 8 km away.

A glum-faced Stalin, who stood pensively beside the casket, sobbed uncontrollably, before regaining composure and wiping off the tears amid the pervasive gloom.

IMAGE: A sea of humanity accompanied the cortege of Thalaivar. Photograph: PTI Photo

Shouts of 'vendum vendum, Marina vendum (we want Marina)' had greeted Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy earlier in the day when he arrived at the Rajaji Hall to pay his tributes.

The court's order dealt a big blow to the AIADMK, which spared no effort to deny Karunanidhi, who headed its rival outfit DMK for half-a-century, a feat unparalleled in the coutry's history, the final resting place at the Marina.

IMAGE: Stalin breaks down after Madras high court allows Karunanidhi's burial at Marina beach. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

AIADMK founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran and his protegee J Jayalalithaa, who were buried on the beach and have memorials there, had died in office, and the government cited this as a ground for not bestowing the same privilege to Karunanidhi as he was not a serving chief minister.

There was a massive surge of people at the Rajaji Hall where lakhs had gathered to pay homage to Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister and political warhorse who won 13 assembly elections on the trot.

IMAGE: Lakhs gathered to pay their last respects to the leader popularly known as Kalaignar. Photograph: P Ravikumar/Reuters

Prime Minister Modi bowed in solemn reverence and placed a wreath at the leader's feet. Clad in white kurta-churidar he spoke briefly to Karunanidhi's wife Rajathi Ammal with folded hands.

He clasped Stalin's hand and the two talked quietly for some time.

IMAGE: Karunanidhi's coffin is lowered into the grave at Marina Beach. Photograph: ANI

The crowd swelled by the minute, people pressing against each other in a massive surge, pushing, shoving, stumbling on each other and clashing with police whose personnel wielded batons to control them.

Some fainted, scores were injured, prompting Stalin to make an appeal to maintain calm.

Identical scenes were witnessed at the Marina. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets as the flower bedecked gun carriage inched its way there from Rajaji Hall.

IMAGE: Crowd at Rajaji Hall. Two people died and 33 injured in the scuffle and stampede outside the hall in Chennai. Photograph: P Ravikumar/Reuters

Many crashed their way through the barricades. Others perched precariously atop trees and lamp posts for the one last glimpse of their beloved leader.

Stalin and other male members of the Karunanidhi family walked quietly behind the gun carriage as police personnel threw a security cordon around them.

The DMK's red-and-black flags fluttered across the landscape.

IMAGE: Supporters in the funeral procession hold a portrait of the leader. Photograph: P Ravikumar/Reuters

As the golden sun began to dip slowly into the sea, it shone light on the inscription on the casket in Tamil that read 'the one who slogged all his life without rest, rests here', signifying the end of an era in Tamil Nadu politics.

WATCH: Stalin breaks down after Madras HC verdict
Coming as it does only months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Chennai meet could provide the launch pad for a national alternative to the BJP-NDA, and MK Stalin may be given the credit for getting it going, says N Sathiya Moorthy.

At times, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams MK Stalin used to be compared to Britains Prince Charles -- for their eternal wait to wear the crown. In Stalins case it has now happened, with only the formalities to be fixed by the party general council, which anyway was scheduled to meet in mid-August, purportedly for the very same purpose.

But more important than this meeting would be the August 30 all-party conference on national integration that Stalin as the partys working president had called some time before patriarch Muthuvel Karunanidhi made his last visit to the hospital.

As things stand, Congress ally in the state is expected to be represented by none other than Sonia Gandhi, as son and party president Rahul Gandhi is expected to be travelling overseas that day.

Top communist party leaders at the national level and also most non-Bharatiya Janata Party chief ministers are also likely to make it, especially to make Stalins acquaintance.

As is known, Telugu Desam Partys Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Telangana Rashtriya Samithis K Chandrashekhar Rao, Aam Aadmi Partys Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) and Trinamool Congresss Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal) touched base with Stalin in the past months, purportedly to enquire about Karunanidhis health, or to sound the DMK out on a non-Congress, anti-BJP coalition of the post-poll 1996 kind.

The chances of Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samajwadi Partys Mayawati too making it to Chennai are also not unlikely, be it to pay their last respects to Karunanidhi, or to participate in the conference, or even both. So too with the Rashtriya Janata Dal leadership from Bihar.

Otherwise, too, political veterans like Nationalist Congress Partys Sharad Pawar, National Conferences Farooq Abdullah and/or son Omar, and also Keralas Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, are also expected to attend the August conference.

Coming as it does only months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Chennai could provide the launch pad for a national alternative to the BJP-NDA, and Stalin may be given the credit for getting it going.

In his time, patriarch Karunanidhi claimed such credit ahead of the Lok Sabha polls of 1989, when he spearheaded the launch of the anti-Congress United Front at the Centre, after which V P Singh replaced Rajiv Gandhi.

Likewise, at the end of elections 1996, Karunanidhi, along with breakaway Tamil Maanila Congress founder G K Moopanar, played a key role in the election of Karnatakas H D Deve Gowda as prime minister.

With the Congress too now displaying an open willingness to accept any anti-BJP prime minister, if it came to that post-poll, the possibilities flowing from the Chennai conference may be for real.

So could be the possibilities for a relative growth in Stalins stature at the national-level, with its larger-than-life reflection in the State and the party, too!

True, Stalin does not have the stature or age that Karunanidhi commanded, be it in 1989 or in 1996. But unlike much of the rest among the regional party leaders, he does not have any prime ministerial ambitions.

Even if the SP or RJD got more LS seats than the DMK in any emerging scenario, their young leaders still lack Stalins stature (however confined to his own state just now).

With Mamata Banerjee not wanting to do anything with the CPM in particular in terms of ministry-making, the present-day Marxist leadership cannot hope to play the kind of role that the late Harkishen Singh Surjeet played in 1996 and later.

Thus, either it has to be the Sonia-Rahul duo, or someone as neutral as Stalin -- alone or together, if and when it came to their attempting a non-BJP coalition government at the Centre.

Going by the present situation, that is all far off in comparison. Right now, Stalin will have to focus much more on regional politics, if only to establish himself as an election-winner for and by the party.

Over the past two decades, it was Stalin who was mostly running the DMKs poll campaigns, including alliance talks and seat allocation within the party.

Yet, when the DMK won, as in 2006 (assembly) and 2009 (Lok Sabha), the party was shy of conferring full credit on him.

Yet, when the DMK lost in elections 2011 (assembly) following the 2-G scam, and 2014 (Lok Sabha, thanks to the Modi wave), there were murmurs from within and criticism from outside that he was not a natural winner.

Again when the DMK-led alliance, with Congress as a partner, polled the highest-ever 98 seats in a House of 234 in the assembly polls of 2016, there were more brickbats than bouquets.

The fact that the victor-loser poll percentage was the narrowest one per cent anywhere in the country at any time (41-40) also did not seem to count for the Stalins critics.

This apart, the DMK under Stalin has been unsure whom to target as their electoral adversaries in the post-Jayalalithaa AIADMK family, if it could be described so.

On the one side is the official AIADMK under Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM, O Panneerselvam. On the other, is the breakaway Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam of Jayalalithaas jailed live-in confidante Sasikala Natarajan, whose nephew T T V Dhinakaran is making waves at the cadre-level, still.

With a third judge of the Madras high court seized of Dhinakaran camps challenge against assembly speaker P Dhanapal disqualifying 18 faction MLAs, with possibilities of further appeal to the Supreme Court, the DMK is as unsure as the rest of them all, about what is in store for Tamil Nadu politics, as for the party, as well.

In the midst of all this, Stalin as DMK leader will also has to define/re-define the partys equations with the BJP-NDA leadership at the Centre, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

There is nothing to suggest that Modi is not well disposed towards Stalin or the DMK  and, there is nothing to suggest otherwise, either.

The fact, however, remains that the PMO did not grant him an appointment when he sought time thrice in as many months through 2017, to present Tamil Nadus case on various issues as the Leader of the Opposition with a substantial backing.

As for politics and elections, the BJP, first under Vajpayee and now under Modi, did record about an additional five to seven per cent vote-share than the usual two percent.

However, the DMKs experience with the Hindutva party as an ally showed in elections 1999, the BJP has no transferrable votes for the party, though the reverse was not the case.

In the AIADMKs combine, however, the BJP votes happily transferred to the other.

More recently, ahead of the R K Nagar by-polls, PM Modi calling on Karunanidhi, out of turn, if only to enquire about his health, was enough for the substantial number of minority voters in the constituency to go the Dhinakaran way, near-wholesale.

Yet, with hopes of ushering in DMK rule in the state in the none too distant future, Stalin in particular understands that he would need all the support and assistance from the Centre, to put the states economy in order -- who ruled the Centre would not and should not matter, as long as the other side too is able to make the distinct delineation.

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and political analyst, is director, Observer Research Foundation, Chennai Chapter.
Data reveals that heart attacks, suicides kill 15 times more CRPF jawans than anti-Naxal operations.

Heart attacks, depression and suicides claimed lives of Central Reserve Police Force troops 15 times more than anti-Naxal operations during the last two years.

Minister of State for Home Hansraj G Ahir in a written reply in the Lok Sabha said while a total of 1,294 personnel of the force were killed between 2016 and July this year, 85 troops died in operations in the Left Wing Extremism affected states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

According to data, last year 156 Central Reserve Police Force personnel died due to heart attack, six due to malaria and dengue, 38 because of depression and suicide and 435 due to other non-operational reasons.

Similarly, the data for 2016 reveals that 92 troops of the force died due to heart attack, 5 due to dengue or malaria, 26 because of depression and suicides while 353 lost their lives due to other reasons.

This year till July, 39 personnel died due to heart attack, 5 due to malaria and dengue, 19 because of depression and suicide while 124 lost their lives due to other reasons.

The over three-lakh personnel strong CRPF is country's largest Central Armed Police Force and is also the lead force to conduct anti-Naxal operations and render a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country.

The combined data shows that heart attacks, depression, suicides, malaria, dengue and other such reasons constitute 15 times more over operational duties as the major reasons for the death of CRPF jawans and officers in the last two years.

The minister added that in order to boost the morale of the troops deployed in anti-Maoist operations, measures like grant of risk allowance, house rent allowance and extension of facility for retention of government accommodation at the last place of posting is "already in place".

"In addition, insurance and various advances and loans are given to ensure financial well being. Basic amenities like proper accommodation, medical facilities, timely evacuation of injured, better promotional avenues, gallantry awards, rewards/appreciations, grievance redress among others are being addressed," Ahir said.
'They told me that the marriage registrar would send a letter to my parents informing them about my marriage.'

'The marriage registrar also told me that he would also speak to my neighbours and only then he will give me a character certificate which will ensure that I get married.'

'Worse, the officials in the marriage court discouraged me to marry a Muslim man.'

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Anita (name changed), a resident of Gurugram in Haryana, wanted to marry her boyfriend Aslam, under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which facilitates inter-religious marriages.

However, a Haryana government rule stymied her, forcing her to knock on the doors of the Punjab and Haryana high court, where she scored a major victory last month.

In his order, Justice Rajiv Narain Raina ruled that the procedure of a court marriage 'must reflect the mindset of the changed times in a secular nation promoting inter-religion marriages'.

The Court Marriage Check List, the judge said, 'largely violates the couple's Right to Privacy' and it should be simplified.

Anita spoke about her legal victory, why she went to court against the Haryana government, and how she was threatened with murder by her family in an interview to Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

I, Anita, an Indian adult, was trying for the last two years to marry my boyfriend Aslam in Gurugram.

I tried to convince my parents, but they did not agree.

Though I wanted to marry Aslam, I didn't want to convert to Islam, but remain a Hindu.

So I thought I must marry under the Special Marriage Act which gives two people freedom to marry each other irrespective of the religion or faith followed by either.

But when I went to the Gurugram marriage registrar, I was shocked to find the rules under the Act in Haryana.

They told me that the marriage registrar would send a letter to my parents informing them about my marriage and that he would also personally visit my parents's home (for verification).

The marriage registrar also told me that he would also speak to my neighbours and only then he will give me a character certificate which will ensure that I get married.

This news was shocking. I told him that if you are going to send a notice to my parents, then what is the point of the Special Marriage Act? Why do we need it?

Worse, the officials in the marriage court discouraged me to marry a Muslim man.

They told me that Muslims sell Hindu girls after marriage and that I must not marry Aslam.

They also told me Aslam will get another wife soon and my status in his life would be reduced to a second wife as Muslims keep four wives quite often.

Discouraged by such events I thought I will find some solace with my friends, but they too ditched me.

They thought I have lost my mental balance to marry a Muslim man.

So, Aslam and I were left to fight our battle alone.

I could have converted to Islam and any maulana could have got us married, but I did not want to do that as the whole world would have then called Aslam as 'love jihadi'.

I didn't want that. I wanted my identity to remain intact as Anita.

Not knowing what to do, I approached Dhanak of Humanity organisation that helps couples like us to marry according to our choice.

They told us that if I did not want to change my religion to marry, then the only way was to challenge the Haryana government's rule which requires parents being informed before the marriage.

After consulting with Aslam, I challenged this law in the court.

The judgment was in our favour and the court instructed the marriage registrar not to send any letter to my parents informing them about my marriage.

The court also said that in future too this will not happen to other couples.

In fact, I wonder when the Supreme Court has allowed live-in relationships, then why do couples need to stay in different homes before they get married? (Under the Haryana rule they were required to submit different address proofs to get the marriage registered).

Why can't they stay in one home before marriage and, while registering their marriage, give the same address?

I could have got married in Delhi too, but I wanted to get married in Gurugram as my office is nearby.

Now I am ready to marry, but I feel sad that my parents will not be a part of the ceremony.

I love them, but just because I fell in love with a Muslim boy, the equations have changed.

My parents do not accept a single paisa from my earnings as they feel I should not have fallen in love with a Muslim boy.

They told me to marry a Hindu man and tried to emotionally blackmail me by saying it would 'save their honour'.

I told my parents that if I got married according to their wish, I would not be happy; and they too will be unhappy for life.

So what is the point of marrying someone else?

When I fell in love with Aslam I never believed that this will bring problems in our lives.

My parents had locked me up at my native place for a week but then better sense prevailed and they let me go to work.

My upbringing was very secular and I never realised that, culturally, Hindus are so different from Muslims.

I have now disappeared from social media as I do not want my picture to circulate.

I was even threatened by my family that they can bump me off too.

In office too, my colleagues do not know about my personal life. I get this feeling that they will be too shocked to know that I am in love with a Muslim boy.

Therefore, I keep quiet and don't discuss my personal life.

Many of my friends told me that I must dump him, but I cannot leave Aslam just because he is a Muslim.

I went to court against the Haryana government because I felt that if today I do not take a stand, in future too, no Hindu girl will dare to marry a Muslim, or vice versa.

I don't want that. And I am not saying everything will change in society but something will surely change by this victory of mine.

I feel the only difference between Hinduism and Islam is the way we pray.

Hindus have a different method of praying and Muslims have different method. Good and bad people are there in all religions, that is what I feel.

As far as our children are concerned, chances are that they might follow the religion of their father, but if they want to be a Hindu, then we will let them to be.

We have no problems with that.
'Does it mean that we are witnessing the end of an era?'

'Probably not, but the post-Trump trade war has certainly brought a lot of instability in China,' notes Claude Arpi.

IMAGE: China's supreme leader Xi Jinping waits for Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing, June 21, 2018. Photograph: Fred Dufour/Reuters

The annual summer conclave of China's bosses has just begun at the beach resort of Beidaihe, 300 km east of Beijing, in Qinhuangdao city, Hebei province.

Every year the main power brokers of the Middle Kingdom discuss the nation's (and the Communist party's) future in an informal setting.

Usually, we only indirectly know about the presence of the top leadership in Beidaihe; it is not reported anywhere else in China or abroad.

Historically, Beidaihe has often been in the news in China, for good or bad.

In August 1958, Beidaihe witnessed an enlarged meeting of the politburo of the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

At the centre stage during the 1958 Beidaihe conference was the poor economic situation (like it is this year); for days, the industrial and agricultural productions were discussed and finally a series of critical documents were issued.

It was then decided to raise the steel production target to 10.7 million tons and the grain target to 350 million tons; the following year, it was proposed to produce 30 million tons of steel and 500 million tons of grain.

Mao Zedong's megalomaniac targets and the nation-wide setting-up of people's communes would lead China to the Great Leap Forward during which 40 million Chinese died.

Hopefully this year, the outcome will be less dramatic.

The South China Morning Post newspaper, however, observed: 'There could be a cloud over this year's seaside gathering, as an escalating trade dispute with the United States threatens to affect not only China's economy, but also its domestic politics and foreign policy.'

The Taiwan News also believes that 'trouble may be brewing for China's leaders at the Beidaihe summit.'

The Taipei publication, which is usually well-informed, added: 'Factionalism in the party begins to show as CCP leaders and elder statesmen convene this week in Hebei province.'

The economic 'troubles' are partially due to the policies of US President Donald J Trump, who with his erratic decisions seems to have destabilised Beijing, particularly Xi Jinping, who is bound to get the blame for the failures.

IMAGE: Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrive at the Kigali Genocide Memorial during his visit to Kigali, Rwanda, July 23, 2018. Photograph: Jean Bizimana/Reuters

On July 31, immediately after Xi returned from his trip to Africa to attend the BRICS meeting, he called a meeting of the CCP's politburo; all sorts of news started circulating about the 'core' leader's lack of ability to answer Trump and tackle the economic slowdown.

The Taiwan News explained: 'Some observers consider the sudden politburo meeting to be a political show of strength by Xi before the upcoming CCP summit at Beidaihe.'

The pattern in the publishing trends of The People's Daily was telling for many observers: Xi had been absent from the front pages for several days before his foreign trip.

Did Xi want to 'turn down the spotlight on his leadership, perhaps in an attempt to diminish his cult of personality which some fear has grown excessive to the point of being a liability?' asked a Japanese publication

Other rumours say that Permier Li Keqiang, who heads the state council (China's government), 'may have been leading a campaign behind the scenes to diminish Xi's authority, especially in economic matters and trade negotiations with the US.'

Further, former leaders Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin or Wen Jiabao would have sent a letter of concern to Xi; the purported letter would cite: 'China's expansionism and militarism in the South China Sea, as well as the increasingly nationalistic rhetoric cultivated by Xi's leadership is in many ways responsible for encouraging the current trade conflict with the US'; all this would have led to the present economic difficulties.

IMAGE: Xi Jinping arrives for an event commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx, Beijing, May 4, 2018. Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters

Another serious development. Unirule, a liberal economic think-tank in Beijing, published a 10,000-character essay by Xu Zhangrun, a scholar teaching at Tsinghua University 'which has lit up the Chinese Internet at a time when the voice of Chinese intellectuals has been dying out', said China Change, a Web site monitoring the Middle Kingdom.

The 'Ten Thousand Word Petition' carries out a systematic critique of the retrograde tendencies in Chinese social and political life, in particular since the end of 2017, commented Initium Media, a Hong Kong-based Web site.

Elaborating, it continued: 'It explicitly points out and warns against the danger of the return to totalitarianism, and calls for a stop to the cult of personality and the resumption of term limits on the post of the state chairman. The piece has become one of the few direct criticisms of contemporary ills in China among the intellectual class.'

Xu Zhangrun's essay, titled Our Dread Now, and Our Hopes is in four parts: Four Bottom Lines; Eight Forms of Anxiety; Eight Hopes, The Interim.

The point about the abolition of term limits for the post of president, which was passed in March by the national people's conference, directly targets Xi Jinping; it is like 'scrapping 30 years of political reform with one flick of the pen.'

Among the Eight Fears are 'increased repression and thought reform of intellectuals becoming trapped in a new armed race, war, and new cold war' or 'the end of the opening up and the comprehensive return of totalitarian politics.'

The Eight Hopes includes: Stop wasting money abroad; abolish the privilege system for retired high-ranking cadres; immediately put a stop to the cult of personality or overturn the political verdict on June 4 (Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989).

Many of these issues are linked with Xi's China Dream and an everyday more powerful (and bullying) Chinese State.

China is discovering that every coin has two sides; the 'side-effects' of quick growth and the party's pervading dominance have triggered the recent worrying developments.

Last month, The South China Morning Post argued: 'China's ruling Communist party tightened control over think-tanks and a crackdown on extravagance could be having an impact on how the leadership handles foreign affairs.'

Citing the example of Beijing's understanding of Trump, the Hong Kong newspaper explained: 'Beijing appears to have been caught off guard by Trump's protectionist trade blitz, and that it underestimated rising anti-China sentiment among the US elite.'

Beijing's tight control over ideology at all levels, including college campuses, which requires students and researchers to closely follow the Communist party line, has hampered the working of the think-tanks.

As a result, nobody was able to predict the new US policies: 'Any discussion of government policy without permission could be regarded as acting wantonly and issuing groundless criticism of the party's decisions and policies.'

'It could result in punishment,' observed the Hong Kong newspaper, further remarking that 'since the top priority of Beijing's policy is to maintain the party's power, some policy advisers have avoided in-depth discussions with US think-tank researchers.'

IMAGE: Xi Jinping is applauded by China's leaders after his speech saluting Karl Marx on his 200th birth anniversary, Beijing, May 4, 2018. Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters

Last month, Richard McGregor in The Financial Review asked: 'Has China's leader Xi Jinping now passed his peak?'

'China seems set on an inexorable rise to superpower status to rival the US. But that begs another question which has been sweeping Beijing over the northern summer-- whether we are now witnessing peak Xi Jinping?' asked McGregor, author of The Party, an authoritative study of China's Communist leadership.

McGregor quoted a variety of sources: Retired leaders, rival factions within the Communist party and some 'intelligentsia'.

According to McGregor: 'Xi has acquired many enemies along the way in the country's traditional power centres.'

Does it mean that we are witnessing the end of an era?

Probably not, but the post-Trump trade war has certainly brought a lot of instability in China.

One sign of change in the balance of power was Premier Li Keqiang's recent visit to Tibet. It was the first-ever visit by a premier to the Roof of the World.

Like everything under the Communist regime, these visits are scripted and Tibet has never been the premier's responsibility. It is usually the chairman of the Chinese people's political consultative conference, also a member of the all-powerful standing committee of the politburo (presently, Wang Yang) who 'inspects' Tibet.

One reason for this unexpected change could be that Xi Jinping (then travelling in Africa) finally delegates some of his responsibilities to Li Keqiang.

The present scenario is bound to bring deep changes in China; it may result, among other things, in a more collective leadership running the affairs of the Middle Kingdom.

It is. however, doubtful if Professor Xu Zhangrun's Eight Hopes could soon become a reality.
Freedom in the World 2018 - Libya

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 28 May 2018 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018 - Libya, 28 May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b6ab9957.html [accessed 29 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.

Freedom Status: Not Free

Aggregate Score: 9 (0 = Least Free, 100 = Most Free)

Freedom Rating: 6.5 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Political Rights: 7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Civil Liberties: 6 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Quick Facts

Population: 6,300,000

Capital: Tripoli

GDP/capita: $8,700

Press Freedom Status: Not Free

Net Freedom Status: Partly Free

OVERVIEW

While a popular armed uprising in 2011 deposed longtime dictator Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, Libya is now racked by internal divisions, and international efforts to bring rival administrations together in a unity government have failed to date. A proliferation of weapons and autonomous militias, flourishing criminal networks, and the presence of extremist groups like the Islamic State (IS) have all undermined security in the country. The ongoing violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and human rights conditions have steadily deteriorated.

Key Developments in 2017:

Despite UN-led attempts at reconciliation, Libya remained mired in political disarray throughout the year, with three separate governments competing for power and legitimacy.

In July, the Constitutional Drafting Assembly voted to approve a draft constitution, but plans for a referendum on the text remained stalled at year's end.

Khalifa Haftar, the commander of a military alliance known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), expanded his control over eastern and southern Libya during the year. He reached a cease-fire deal in July with the government recognized by the UN, but in December he claimed that the UN-brokered Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) of 2015  which led to the creation of the UN-recognized unity government  had expired.

POLITICAL RIGHTS: 1 / 40 (-2)

A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 0 / 12 (-1)

A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4

The LPA was signed in December 2015 in an effort to resolve a civil conflict that erupted after the 2014 elections led to the formation of two rival governments. However, the resulting UN-backed government has failed to assert its authority over the two existing structures, meaning Libya has had three governments competing for control and legitimacy since 2016. The internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) is based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. Khalifa al-Ghwell is the prime minister of the National Salvation Government (NSG), also located in Tripoli, which stemmed from a faction that rejected the outcome of the 2014 elections. A third government based in the east is led by Abdullah al-Thinni, associated with the House of Representatives (HoR) elected in 2014, and militarily aligned with Haftar's LNA.

A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4

The 2014 elections were deeply flawed, with less than a month of preparation and ongoing fighting in some areas. Only a small fraction of the voting-age population cast ballots, and all candidates were required to run as independents. Some members of the incumbent legislature, the General National Congress (GNC), challenged the new Tubruk-based HoR's legal validity and continued to meet in Tripoli, backing the NSG as the legitimate government.

Under the LPA, the HoR was to remain in place as the interim legislature. The agreement also created the State Council, a secondary consultative body comprising members of the GNC who had rejected the outcome of the 2014 elections. However, the HoR never formally approved the LPA's provisions or recognized the GNA.

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 0 / 4 (-1)

An August 2011 constitutional declaration, issued by an unelected National Transitional Council, serves as the governing document for the ongoing transitional period between the revolution and the adoption of a permanent constitution. While an electoral law was published in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution and an electoral commission was appointed, Libya lacks a functioning electoral framework in practice.

In July 2017, a Constitutional Drafting Assembly that was originally elected in 2014 voted to approve a draft constitution, but given the broader political impasse, there was no subsequent progress on holding a referendum to formally adopt the document.

Ghassan Salame, head of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), laid out a roadmap in September to address the breakdown of the LPA. The plan included amending the agreement, convening a national conference with all political actors, and holding the constitutional referendum, to be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections. The HoR voted in favor of the roadmap in November, but the State Council rejected it. In December, Haftar declared that the LPA and the mandate of the GNA had expired, further dimming the prospects for political reconciliation and national elections.

Score Change: The score declined from 1 to 0 due to ongoing political disagreements and civil conflict that obstructed the creation of a functional system for conducting a constitutional referendum and national elections.

B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION: 1 / 16 (-1)

B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? 1 / 4

A range of political parties organized to participate in the 2012 GNC elections, but all candidates were required to run as independents in the 2014 HoR elections, and civilian politics have since been overshadowed by the activities of armed groups. While various political groups and coalitions existed as of 2017, the chaotic legal and security environment did not allow for normal political competition.

B2. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 0 / 4

Libya remained divided between rival political and military factions throughout 2017, with no legal framework for holding elections and no opportunity for a democratic rotation of power.

B3. Are the people's political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group that is not democratically accountable? 0 / 4

Citizens and civilian political figures are subject to violence and intimidation by various armed groups, which continued to engage in active fighting during 2017. In one of the year's most high-profile assassinations, unidentified gunmen abducted and killed Mohamed Eshtewi, the mayor of Misrata, in December. Separately, the LNA has replaced a number of civilian mayors with military figures in areas under its control.

B4. Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? 0 / 4 (-1)

The ongoing political impasse and civil conflict prevented all segments of the population from exercising their basic political rights in 2017, and communities that lacked an affiliation with a powerful militia were especially marginalized. For example, tens of thousands of people who were forcibly displaced from the town of Tawergha after the 2011 uprising due to their perceived loyalty to the old regime remained under the control of militias from Misrata. The Tawerghans, whom many Libyans regard as ethnically distinct, were supposed to be returned under an agreement ratified by the GNA in June, but disputes persisted and the Misratan forces continued to block the displaced people's return at year's end.

Score Change: The score declined from 1 to 0 due to the complete breakdown of the political process, which made it impossible for any major segment of the population to participate in politics and advocate for their interests.

C. FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT: 0 / 12

C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 0 / 4

None of the country's feuding political institutions constituted an effective national government in 2017, and all were dependent for their security on fragile alliances with autonomous armed groups.

C2. Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 0 / 4

Corruption has long been pervasive in both the private sector and the government. The fall of the Qadhafi regime initially raised hopes that the level of graft would decline, but oil interests, foreign governments, smuggling syndicates, and armed groups still wield undue influence, and opportunities for corruption and criminal activity abound in the absence of functioning fiscal, judicial, and commercial institutions.

C3. Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 0 / 4

There are no effective laws guaranteeing public access to government information, and none of the three competing governments are able to engage in transparent budget-making and contracting practices.

CIVIL LIBERTIES: 8 / 60 (-2)

D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF: 4 / 16

D1. Are there free and independent media? 1 / 4

Most Libyan media outlets are highly partisan, producing content that favors one of the country's political and military factions. The civil conflict and related violence by criminal and extremist groups have made objective reporting dangerous. Many journalists and media outlets have censored themselves or ceased operations to avoid retribution for their work, and a growing number of journalists have fled the country.

D2. Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 1 / 4

Religious freedom is often violated in practice. Nearly all Libyans are Sunni Muslims, but Christians form a small minority, with most hailing from neighboring countries. Christian and other minority communities have been targeted by armed groups, including IS. Salafi Muslim militants, whose beliefs reject the veneration of saints, have destroyed or vandalized Sufi Muslim shrines with impunity.

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? 1 / 4

There are no effective laws guaranteeing academic freedom. The armed conflict has damaged many university facilities and altered classroom dynamics, for example by subjecting professors to intimidation by students aligned with militias.

D4. Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? 1 / 4

Although the freedom of private discussion and personal expression improved dramatically after 2011, the ongoing hostilities have taken their toll, with many Libyans increasingly withdrawing from public life or avoiding criticism of powerful figures.

E. ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS: 2 / 12

E1. Is there freedom of assembly? 1 / 4

A 2012 law on freedom of assembly is generally compatible with international human rights principles, but in practice the armed conflict and related disorder seriously deter peaceful assemblies in many areas.

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights- and governance-related work? 1 / 4

The number of active nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has declined in recent years due to armed conflict and the departure of international donors. Militias with varying political, tribal, and geographic affiliations have attacked civil society activists with impunity. Many NGO workers have fled abroad or ceased their activism in the wake of grave threats to themselves or their families.

E3. Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? 0 / 4

Some trade unions, previously outlawed, formed after 2011, but they remain in their organizational infancy, and normal collective-bargaining activity is impossible in the absence of basic security and a functioning legal system.

F. RULE OF LAW: 0 / 16

F1. Is there an independent judiciary? 0 / 4

The role of the judiciary remains unclear without a permanent constitution, and judges face frequent threats and attacks. The national judicial system has essentially collapsed, with courts unable to function in much of the country. In some cases, informal dispute-resolution mechanisms have filled the void.

F2. Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? 0 / 4

Militias and semiofficial security forces regularly engage in arbitrary arrests and detentions with impunity. Thousands of individuals remain in custody without any formal trial or sentencing. Investigations into a large number of cases involving torture and extrajudicial executions before and during the 2011 revolution, including the killing of Qadhafi, have made little progress.

F3. Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? 0 / 4

Libya's warring militias operate with little regard for the physical security of civilians. Various armed groups have carried out indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, torture of detainees, summary executions, rape, and the destruction of property. Militias also engage in criminal activity, including extortion and other forms of predation on the civilian population.

The conflict's main battleground has been eastern Libya, in the cities of Benghazi and Derna, though fighting has taken place across the country. During 2017, the LNA continued its siege of Derna, which was controlled by the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council, an alliance of anti-LNA Islamist groups. Civilians in the city faced shortages of vital supplies.

Although IS was largely ousted from its stronghold in Sirte on the central Mediterranean coast in 2016, it maintained a presence in the region and continued to carry out attacks in other parts of the country during 2017.

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? 0 / 4

Libyans from certain tribes and communities  often those perceived as pro-Qadhafi, including the Tawerghans  have faced discrimination, violence, and displacement since 2011. The Tebu and Tuareg minorities in the south also face discrimination, and migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa have been subject to serious mistreatment, particularly at the hands of armed groups.

Women are not treated equally under the law and face practical restrictions on their ability to participate in the workforce. Widows and displaced women in particular are vulnerable to economic deprivation and other abuses.

Under Libya's penal code, sexual activity between members of the same sex is punishable by up to five years in prison. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people face severe discrimination and harassment, and have been targeted by militant groups.

G. PERSONAL AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: 2 / 16 (-2)

G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? 0 / 4

The 2011 constitutional declaration guarantees freedom of movement, but government and militia checkpoints restrict travel within Libya, while poor security conditions more generally affect movement as well as access to health care, education, and employment. Airports in Benghazi, Tripoli, Sabha, and Misrata have been attacked and damaged, severely limiting access to air travel. The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs estimated that 1.3 million people in Libya would need humanitarian assistance in 2017, including more than 313,000 who were internally displaced. Many others have reportedly sought safety in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt.

In February 2017, the LNA issued a decree banning women under the age of 60 from traveling outside Libya without a male guardian. However, backlash against the decree led to its replacement later in the month by a new order barring men and women between the ages of 18 and 45 from unapproved travel.

G2. Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? 1 / 4

While Libyans formally have the right to own property and can start businesses, legal protections are not upheld in practice. Businesses and homes have been confiscated by militias, particularly in Libya's eastern regions, and ongoing unrest has severely disrupted ordinary commerce, allowing armed groups to dominate smuggling networks and informal markets.

G3. Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? 1 / 4 (-1)

Laws and social customs based on Sharia (Islamic law) put women at a disadvantage in personal status matters including marriage and divorce. Libyan women with foreign husbands do not enjoy full citizenship rights and cannot transfer Libyan citizenship to their children. There are no laws that specifically address or criminalize domestic violence, and most such violence goes unreported due to social stigma and the risk of reprisals. The law imposes penalties for extramarital sex and allows rapists to avoid punishment by marrying their victims. Rape and other sexual violence have become increasingly serious problems in the lawless environment created by the civil conflict.

Score Change: The score declined from 2 to 1 because the general breakdown of state authority has increased opportunities and impunity for personalized forms of violence.

G4. Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? 0 / 4 (-1)

Forced labor, sexual exploitation, abuse in detention facilities, and starvation are widespread among migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, many of whom are beholden to human traffickers. There are an estimated 750,000 to 1 million migrants in the country.

Libya lacks comprehensive laws criminalizing human trafficking, and the authorities have been either incapable of enforcing existing bans or complicit in trafficking activity. Traffickers have taken advantage of civil unrest to establish enterprises in which refugees and migrants are loaded into overcrowded boats that are then abandoned in the Mediterranean Sea, where passengers hope to be rescued and taken to Europe. The voyages often result in fatalities.

A series of reports by foreign media during 2017 exposed a growing practice in which detained migrants are sold as slaves or rented out to perform forced labor. The reports linked the trend to an increased backlog of migrants in the country as European governments work with local authorities and militias to reduce sea crossings.

Score Change: The score declined from 1 to 0 due to the increasing scale and severity of the labor exploitation suffered by migrants and refugees who are detained in the country while attempting to reach Europe.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Libya: Residents of Tawergha 'dying in desert' in attempt to return home after seven years

Publisher UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Publication Date 20 February 2018 Cite as UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Libya: Residents of Tawergha 'dying in desert' in attempt to return home after seven years, 20 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b6abfa34.html [accessed 29 October 2021]

GENEVA (20 February 2018) - Libya must ensure the safety of hundreds of former residents of the northern town of Tawergha, who are stranded and even dying in the desert despite an agreement allowing their safe return, a UN human rights expert has said.

The entire population of around 40,000 people was forcibly evacuated in 2011 as collective punishment for their perceived support for deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi. Their return, in line with the government-endorsed agreement, has been blocked by armed groups.

"I am appalled at the news that thousands of people from Tawergha, who have already had to face seven hard years away from their homes, are being barred from returning and are being forced to live in makeshift shelters in the desert," said Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.

"Two men have died already following strokes, possibly as a result of the harsh weather conditions with temperatures dropping close to zero degrees at night. Many children, women and men stranded in the desert are suffering from extremely poor living conditions such as poor sanitation, lack of health facilities, shortage of medicine and limited drinking water.

"It is critical that the Libyan Government, as well as the UN and NGOs, act to ensure that no more lives are lost as a result of this situation and that the Tawerghan people are allowed to reach their homes in safety and dignity."

Around 200 families are camped out in makeshift tents in Qararet al-Qatef near Tawergha, while others are living in tents or public halls in nearby towns.

"Although some of the families camped out in the desert are receiving assistance from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it is essential for Libya to fulfil its international obligation to protect and help them," the Special Rapporteur stated.

"The UN's Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement make clear it is the primary duty and responsibility of the national authorities to provide humanitarian assistance to address people's most urgent needs, in order to support them in achieving durable solutions - in this case supporting their return to and reintegration in their place of origin."

Local authorities and armed groups from nearby Misrata blocked the Tawerghans' return, despite an agreement between representatives from the two areas for the long-anticipated process to start on 1 February.

"Although the agreement was endorsed by the Government of National Accord, the returning Tawerghans were met with threats of violence by armed groups and local authorities and were prevented from entering their town," she said.

"The town has been uninhabitable for the past seven years as a result of deliberate destruction by armed groups from Misrata, and it is crucial that the government ensures that sustainable conditions are in place for Tawerghans to rebuild their lives there," she added.

One of Ms. Jimenez-Damary's main recommendations after visiting Libya in January was for the Government to develop a national roadmap which would clearly define roles and improve coordination of dedicated Ministries and organizations, to ensure that people forced from their homes receive all necessary and effective protection and assistance.

"Lasting solutions must be found for all those affected by displacement in Libya, including those from Tawergha," Ms. Jimenez-Damary said.

The Special Rapporteur, the first special procedure of the UN Human Rights Council to undertake a country mission to Libya, will present a report on her visit to the Human Rights Council in June 2018.
TAMPA, Fla.  From a stage looking down on a beer and brat fest to fete Wisconsin, vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, the man of the hour, gave the states GOP Senate candidate, Tommy Thompson, a shout-out.

I cant tell you how proud I am about Wisconsin, how proud I am about our leaders that have stepped up in Wisconsin. Youre going to help us send Tommy Thompson to the United States Senate so Harry Reid is no longer Majority Leader, Ryan shouted to a large tent filled with beaming delegates.

While Ryan praised him, Thompson waved to try to get his attention and that of the Badger States delegates as well, but to no avail. The former governor and cabinet head was blocked by a large crowd of people as he hastily walked in moments before Ryans address, and the audience was otherwise transfixed by the vice presidential nominee.

The moment seemed to perfectly encapsulate the Wisconsin Senate race to date: In a state with a booming national influence, the all-important contest that could determine control of the Senate has been an afterthought.

But Republicans cant afford to neglect Thompsons race against Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D), despite recent polls showing him up by as much as 9 points, and Thompsons time in Tampa shows just that.
Cryptocurrencies dropped back into the red after the US securities watchdog postponed its decision on a Bitcoin exchange-traded-fund or ETF. Bitcoin retreated below $7,000.

Overall cryptocurrency market capitalization also eroded sharply. As of 10.23 am ET, market capitalization was $229.11 billion versus $256 billion around the same time a day earlier, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Here is a wrap of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain space over the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin Price Falls Below $6500 After SEC Postpones ETF Decision

Bitcoin fell further down, to sub-$6,500 level Wednesday, influenced by the Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to delay a ruling on a keenly awaited Bitcoin exchange-traded fund. The watchdog postponed its decision by a further 45 days whether to approve a rule that would allow Chicago Board Options Exchange to offer shares of an ETF issued by VanExk SolidX Bitcoin Trust. Read more...

Opera To Launch Browser For Desktop PCs With Crypto Wallet

Web browser maker Opera Software AS is set to launch its web browser for desktop computers with a built-in mobile crypto wallet access after the positive response received to the recently launched crypto wallet in Opera for Android. "Opening up the PC browser to crypto marks Opera's second step towards making cryptocurrencies and Web 3.0 mainstream," said Charles Hamel, Product Lead of Opera Crypto. Read more...

Bob Goodlatte Is First Congress Member To Disclose Crypto Holdings

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is likely the first Congress member to disclose holdings in cryptocurrencies, as reported by Sludge. According to his annual Financial Disclosure Statement, Goodlatte owns between $17,000 and $80,000 in digital currency. He has principally invested in Bitcoin, along with nominal holdings in Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash. Read more...

Huge Crypto Scam Botnet On Twitter Uncovered

Internet security researchers have uncovered a huge crypto-scam botnet that worked to spread a fake "cryptocurrency giveaway" on legitimate Twitter accounts. Comprised of at least 15,000 bots in a three-tiered hierarchical structure, the botnet evolved over time to remain undetected. Read more...

Bitcoin ATM Machine Global Numbers Cross 3500 Mark

The number of Bitcoin ATM machines (BATM) installed across the world has crossed the 3,500 threshold, according to Coinatmradar.com. Bitcoin ATMs are installed in 73 countries in the world. Two thirds of them are concentrated in North America. Out of a total of 3,504 BATMs worldwide, 2163 are installed in the United States, and 613 in Canada. Read more...

Current Prices

As of 10.26 am ET, Bitcoin was down 8.49 percent at $6,476.81 and Ethereum was lower by 11.37 percent at $362 on Coinbase.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
The Republican candidate in Ohio House special election escaped with narrow win against a Democratic surge on Tuesday in a traditionally conservative district, indicating that the outcome could still spell trouble for the party in November midterm elections.

With a margin of 0.9 percent, Troy Balderson had a lead of 1,754 votes against the Democratic Party candidate Danny O'Connor. However, according to the Ohio secretary of state, 3,435 provisional ballots remain to be counted in addition to 5,045 outstanding absentee ballots. If the margin reduces to less than 0.5 percent after that, it will lead to an automatic recount.

Democrats, who need to get 23 seats to seize control of the House, have made it clear that O'Connor's strong performance gives them optimism to overturn the Republican majority in November.

DNC Chairman Tom Perez told CNN that the outcome in a safe Republican seat held by them since 1983 is a sign of what's to come when voters head to the mid term polls in three months.

President Donald Trump congratulated the Republican candidate for the "victory" even as the official result is awaited and O'Connor yet to concede defeat.

In a Twitter statement Wednesday, Trump claimed that his campaign at the last minute helped Balderson, who has been trailing until the weekend, to get ahead with a slender lead.

"When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting," he tweeted. He predicted a big win for the Ohio state senator in November.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
By SA Commercial Prop News

Rob Davies: Trade and Industry Minister



Developing countries have a lot to offer in terms of making a meaningful contribution to the economic development and growth discourse, says Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.

There is great value in developing new thinking and forging a new dialogue on appropriate strategies for economic growth and development in developing countries in light of the shortcomings of mainstream economic thinking on the subjects that have been exposed during the recent crisis.

There is urgent need to draw on these experiences to construct a new, more relevant paradigm for development, said Davies.

The minister was speaking at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) XIII Conference, held in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.

He said there were examples of successful policy programmes and measures that some developing countries have undertaken to overcome structural constraints and employment creating growth and development paths.

Davies said South Africa believed that UNCTAD could play a positive role in providing technical and policy support for the integration of the African continent.

African countries have embarked on an ambitious agenda to promote development integration across large parts of the continent, based on combining market integration with programmes for infrastructure development and cooperation to develop value added productive sectors.

We are of the view that UNCTAD could play a positive role in ensuring that this agenda is successful, said Davies.

The minister stated that rapid increases in trade and investment flows amongst developing countries in the past few years offered new opportunities for growth and development.

UNCTAD can play a supporting role in identifying ways to ensure that such investment and trade supports sustainable development, builds cooperation, avoids destructive competition, and overturns entrenched patterns of trade wherein raw materials are exchanged for high value-added manufactured products.

Davies said South Africa and other developing countries believed that there was a need for a deepened structured engagement on protectionism and its impact on international production, trade, finance, investment and technology.

Of particular importance in our view, is the need to arrive at an appropriate shared understanding from a developmental perspective of the distinction between protectionism and the use of legitimate policy measures to promote industrial development and employment.

At a time when the global economy is in crisis, the Doha trade round is at an impasse and multilateralism is under challenge, it is vital for UNCTAD to strengthen its role of policy dialogue, consensus building and capacity building in developing countries.
Four militants were killed and a para commando of the Indian Army was injured on Wednesday in an ongoing gunfight in the forests of Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said.

Defence Ministry officials said four militants have been killed in the Dooniwari forests. The operation is still going on.



A para commando was injured in the gunfight and was evacuated to hospital for treatment.



"Encounter going on in Dooniwari forest area of Police Station Dangiwacha Sopore, report of presence of 5 terrorists. Wish success to our boys," state police chief S.P. Vaid said on his Twitter page.





Following specific information about the presence of militants in the area, the army started a cordon and search operation. The hiding militants fired at the forces, triggering the encounter, a police source said.



The encounter is going on, the source said, adding that these militants could have infiltrated into the hinterland from across the Line of Control (LoC).
Former BJP ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie on Wednesday alleged that the Rafale jet deal was "unilaterally" finalized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by violating mandatory procedures, and this defence scandal was "larger than any thus far."

Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who addressed the media with the former NDA ministers, said the manner in which the order for Rafale jets was changed made for a "clear case of criminal misconduct". Besides the "gross violation of mandatory procedures," a public sector undertaking was "inexplicably dropped" from the project, he said.



Demanding a time-bound probe by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, they asked the government to come clean on the issue.





"If the Modi government had stuck to the old deal (negotiated by the UPA government), we could have already got 18 aircraft in flyaway condition and production would have started on the rest of 108 in India. But a new deal of 36 aircraft was finalized without due procedure. Ye raat ko ilhaam kahan se aaya (When did this divine revelation come)?" Shourie asked.



"A new deal was finalized without floating any fresh tenders and the public was given to believe that we would get these aircraft in ready-to-fly condition within two years. But the fact is that we will get all the 36 in batches that would complete by mid 2022."



Bhushan said the government was trying to hide behind a secret clause in order to avoid revealing the cost of each jet, but this clause did not actually pertain to prices.



He said as per the prices revealed by Dassault Aviation, the final cost of each aircraft along with weapons, equipment and technology transfer is more than double the rate finalised in the old deal.



Sinha pointed out that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which should have vetted and cleared the deal first, was "nowhere in the picture" when Modi signed the deal in April 2016, and the CCS was seized of the matter around one year after the deal had been signed.



"The CAG should complete the forensic audit of the deal within three months and place its report in the public domain. We cannot hinge our hopes on Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) as the present Lok Sabha is on its last legs and JPC cannot take it up now," Sinha said.



Asked if they would move the court in the matter, Bhushan replied in the negative, citing various reasons, including the judicial climate.
Heres what we think. Sometimes laws and regulations are absolutely necessary to knock some common sense into some people and force them to do the right thing.

The Governments decision to install parking meters is one of those issues where we find that while it is sad to see a rule is needed to monitor certain behaviour, we are relieved something is finally being done about it.

We are talking about the issue of public parking spaces in the increasingly busy township of Apia. It is no longer a secret that it is becoming harder and harder to find park, especially in some of the busiest areas in town.

But thats not because there are no spaces for parking. There are spaces, and lots of it. The problem is the people who hog the spaces and take them up as if the parking belongs to their families  including many senior Government officials.

Then there are the taxi drivers who congregate at these public parking spaces making it virtually impossible to find park.

Lets face it. No one wants to pay for parking. Its a headache and there will be many people who will argue against the decision. If the Government was unpopular before with a number of measures they had introduced to squeeze cash from the public, they have not done themselves any favours with this law.

Lets be fair here. If you were in the Governments shoes, what would you do to try and alleviate the problem of finding park in the Apia Township today?

Its probably fair to say that in the beginning, the issue of parking was not well thought of given the fact there werent many vehicles in Samoa back then.

But times have changed and Samoa is a very different place today as opposed to what it was. The opening up of Samoas doors to more vehicles from overseas obviously means all these cars will need somewhere to be parked.

And during the past few years, we have all seen how congested the traffic in Apia has become and just how hard it is to find park.

Now the Government has resorted to install parking meters as one of the tools to manage the parking spaces. They have started rolling out the meters this week with the Chief Executive Officer of the Land Transport Authority, Galuemalemana Taatialeoitiiti Tutuvanu-Schwalger saying they will probably be operational in a few months time.

There is a process that we need to follow that is why we cant really set a time on when (the meters will become effective), but for sure it will be operational in six months time, said Galumalemana.

Part of the process obviously will involve determining how much it would cost and other details like the peak hours, early bird specials, late night rates and holiday rates where users might expect parking to be a bit cheaper.

There is also the issue of which parts of the Apia Township are premium parking space and how much more should they cost as opposed to general areas.

On the other hand, with the decision to charge for parking, there must be a long-term plan and campaign to encourage the use of public transport within the vicinity of the Apia Township.

Think of overseas cities like Melbourne where you can take a tram from one end of the city to the other at a fraction of the cost to drive and park a vehicle. Of course we are nowhere near how advance those big cities have become in terms of town planning, but it is something worth thinking about.

As Samoa grows in technology and developments, the challenges here will not be much different from most cities and towns in the world. We need to be able to learn and adapt best practices that work for us.

But then all these should be considered when it comes to the bigger, especially the Apia Waterfront development. They need to ensure that these parking meters are taken into account and that the relevant authorities are talking to each other.

That said, we are aware that move will not be popular with many people. The Government will certainly cop a lot of flak in the days to come.

But this is one way of ensuring that parking spaces are readily available for all members of the public and that they are not selfishly hogged by drivers who think they can do whatever they want in town at all hours of the day.

Lastly, we hope the Government will free up all those parking spaces they have allocated for themselves at some of those big buildings in Apia. If they are going to move to a user pay system, let the Government officials, including Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister, pay for their parking space too. It would be so hypocritical of them to charge ordinary members of the public while they reserve prime parking spaces for themselves.

What do you think?

Have a wonderful Wednesday Samoa, God bless!
Dear Editor,

Well Wendy in Wonder, I categorized you with our friend Orlando on the grounds that you are both residing in Samoa and I imagine it is via Marriage, where you are very welcome to our Country. I am also glad to note that you are not a reluctant residence hence your constructive comments shared via our forum herewith are more than welcome!.

However your unChristian beliefs are not that much welcome now that our current Parliamentary leaders had made it clear in our Nations Constitution. Most definitely we do not believe on any tom dick or hairy myths or fairy tales but of the Living God!

The one whom loved us first why he created us to LOVE even you whom are proudly claiming your unchristian understanding for most certainly you were not born out of nothing as your limited Evolution theory but of your parents LOVE.

I was kind of happy thinking to myself that you want to meet up with me but re-reading your position saddens me for it was not me that you wished but of our Loyal Faiava friend Orlando, hehehe. Which reminds me of how Prof. John Lennox explains onto Prof. Stephen Hawkings the necessity of Christ Jesus the son of God becoming man. Because of the similar urge you had of Mr. Huaman the great mind, perhaps he could be close to Mr. Hawkings?

Anyhow, appreciate your genuine compliment where it certainly proves Mr. John and Vai Autu gobbledygook reference of my writing language wrong for you do understand my message. And would not mind our paths crossed one day should you wish to understand more of such truth I am talking about.

Molioo F.M.M.M.L. Pio Molioo

Country Manager - Samoa
A grandmother has spoken about how difficult it is to have to bury her grandson.

Tuusao Misi is the grandmother of 26-year-old, Uili Misi, who was killed on Sunday when he crashed a Bluesky vehicle at Faatoia.

The deceased man lost control of the vehicle before it flipped. The Police said he died at the scene. Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Tuusao said she is still trying to come to terms with their loss.

When I heard about the news, my heart scattered into a million pieces, she said.

She said the past few days has been very difficult for her family.

I just dont know what to do because I miss him very much, said.

Even at this very moment, its like Im looking at him coming over to drop off some food for me and to ask if I had eaten and if there was anything that I needed. Its those small things that I really miss."

When I am angry at his aunties he would tell me Mum dont be angry, its not good for you, you need to calm down. Its very hard. I dont want any parent to have to go through this.

Tuusao remembered her grandson as a hardworking person.

He is a very obedient person, she said.

When he started working at Bluesky thats where I saw his love for me and to everyone."

Every time he gets paid, he will always give me $200 from his pay and he would buy all that is needed around the house."

He would even take all the kids to McDonalds and feed them. Misi had a kind heart and he loved everyone equally especially his aunties who looked after him when his parents were separated."

He loved his dad very much and he had a special place for me in his heart and that is why I love him so much.

Misi is the eldest of Tuusaos grandchildren.

I took care of him when he was just a baby, she said. His mother brought him to my house and I had cared for him ever since. She will only come to feed him and then she would leave him with me so I would bathe him, look after him, take him to the hospital when hes sick."

He was such a humble person and I miss him very much.

According to Tuusao, on the night of the incident, her grandson was drinking with some friends at their home.

He fell asleep for about one hour and then he woke up around 4am to go to work, she said.

One of his aunts dropped him off to work at that time then she came back.

She said Uili had taken the car to buy some noodles when it crashed.

We didnt know until a police officer came in the morning about 7 oclock and told us that Misi is gone.

He is the eldest of seven children.

The Police confirmed Uilis death in a statement.

At about 5.50am on Sunday 5th August 2018, Traffic Unit Apia responded to a traffic accident as Faatoia.

Upon arrival police confirmed a Bluesky Toyota Hilux Registration number 4409 driven by Misi Uili male 26 years of Maagao and Vaivase-uta lost control of the vehicle and caused it to flip over."

The said driver died at the scene and was transported to the Motootua Hospital.
A group called Prayer for Israel Samoa (P.F.I.S.) is preparing to welcome the second Messianic Jewish leader to visit Samoa this year as part of its efforts to strengthen the understanding of Samoans about Israel and its strategic importance today.

On Saturday, Pastor Avi Mizrachi and his wife, Pastor Chaya Mizrachi, are scheduled to arrive in Samoa for a week of meetings and different opportunities where they will minister to local churches and leaders.

Pastor Avi is the Executive Director of Dugit Messianic Outreach Centre and the Senior Pastor of Adonai Roi Congregation in Israel. He was born in Tel Aviv to a Jewish family.

He becomes the second Jewish leader to visit Samoa following the historical visit by another Messianic Jewish leader, Pastor Benjamin Berger, earlier this year. He met with the Head of State, Prime Minister and a host of local Church leaders. He also travelled to American Samoa.

This time, the Chairman of P.F.I.S., Reverend Nuuausala Siaosi, of the Apia Protestant Church, said they are excited to welcome Pastor Avi to continue the momentum of what was achieved during Pastor Bergers trip.

He said they are expecting the meetings and prayer sessions to be a blessing not just for Samoans who will attend but also for the visitors from Israel who will have the opportunity to take something with them back to Israel from Samoa.

Like Pastor Bergers visit, Pastor Avi has a similar programme. He is scheduled to preach at Apia Protestant Church this Sunday morning before he speaks at Peace Chapel Church later in the evening.

On Tuesday, he is scheduled to address a Prayer Breakfast at the T.A.T.T.E. Building where senior Government officials and leaders of the private sector are expected to attend.

Pastor Avi will Minister to the men while his wife, Pastor Chaya will minister to women. The couple will also speak at two public rallies scheduled for Wednesday night and Thursday night at the T.A.T.TE. Building. All are welcome.

During the meetings, Pastor Avi is expected to speak about the glory of the Lord, the revelations and expand on what recent events regarding Israel mean for Samoa.

The P.F.I.S. membership consists of members from different denominations throughout Samoa. They have all been to Israel at one time or another, with most of them having attended a conference organised by a group of Messianic Jews in October 2017. Samoa was part of a large Pacific delegation, which included a group from American Samoa.

ABOUT PASTOR AVI:

In 1984, after serving in the Israeli Air Force, he traveled to America where he met Yeshua as his Savior and Lord. During this time, he also met his wife Chaya. Together they attended Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. Avi and his wife Chaya returned to Israel to serve the Kingdom in 1987.

Avi is a recognized leader in Israel and an international conference speaker. It is his hearts desire to bring the Gospel to Israelis and to disciple them to become strong believers, rooted and grounded in the Word of God.

Chaya helps Avi with the ministries of Adonai Roi Congregation and Dugit Messianic Outreach Center. She is also involved in the Pro-Life movement in Israel, where she has given Post Abortion Syndrome workshops; providing relief and support to women suffering from the trauma that follows having an abortion.

Avi and Chaya have four daughters, three sons in law, and are proud grandparents! 3 of their daughters have proudly served in the Israeli Defense Forces, and their fourth daughter, Orel, is currently taking a two-year prep course for the Army.
Retailers along Beach Road expect to benefit from new parking meters installed in the Apia Township on Monday.

According to the Land Transport Authority C.E.O., Galuemalemana Ta'atialeoitiiti Tutuvanu-Schwalger, the meters will be operational in six months.

The L.T.A. aims to reduce overcrowding in public spaces and traffic congestions, but some business owners see another benefit  more customers being able to park in front of their stores.

Parking spaces on Beach Road are typically occupied all day by staff from neighbouring banks and ministries.

Milano cafe Manager, Giovanni Rossi, says parking charge could allow their customers to have proper parking spaces.

He said people arent interested in trying to have their lunch or meetings at his cafe because they know they will struggle to find parking.

My guess is this will release more parks in town, said Giovanni.

Plans to introduce parking meters in the Apia Township and popular public places began last July.

Back then, the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Papalii Niko Lee Hang, said traffic needs to be managed properly because of Apias rapidly growing economy.

With the growing number of vehicles year in and year out, the parking meters will somewhat alleviate the overcrowding of public parking spaces and minimise traffic congestions, as well as traffic accidents.

From one retailers perspective, there are no disadvantages to installing parking meters.

Tanoa Samoa Manager, Nora Seui, said it would be great to have parking for customers and her staff, and not just the people who work at the banks.

She described how parking will encourage people to stay for short lengths of time to do their shopping before moving on and creating a space for another customer to do the same.

I want to thank the L.T.A. for doing this, Nora said. For Tanoa there are only advantages here.

Todah Cafe Manager, who wished to stay anonymous said he thinks a parking charge may deter those staff and and taxi drivers from taking up parking spaces his customers should be using.

My customers tell me they are circling and circling and they go right around to McDonalds and do a circle to try and find a park, the Manager said.

I think it will be a real benefit for us business owners along this whole strip.

Asked where the money collected should be spent, all three retailers said it should go back into traffic control or maintaining good roads.
Members of Samoas tourism industry will take part in the first day of the China Ready seminar at Tanoa Tusitala hotel, organised by the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) today.

Conducting the seminar will be Samoas new tourism Market Representative in China, Marcus Lee, who is a world renowned business strategy advisor and the Chairman of the International China Investment forum, which boasts a membership of 11,000 corporate companies.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, China is the fastest growing outbound travel market in the world with more than 133 million outbound tourists and is forecasted to grow to 200 million by the year 2020.

Adding to the value of that market is the change in the travelling habits of Chinese, which has changed from prioritising sightseeing to discovering new experiences in recent years with a recorded tourism spending of around $8000 per person in specific market segments.

Aiming to tap into even just a fraction of that market, the S.T.A. wants to increase the Chinese tourist arrivals from 3,000 to 10,000 by 2021.

The China Ready Programme is an opportunity to learn about what the Chinese Tourist prefers to experience when visiting our shores.

It is a programme that will ensure that those who have businesses in or related to the tourism industry can tailor their products or services to be China Ready.

Participating members will also have an opportunity in being supported through the 12 months period as well as having access to promotional opportunities in the Peoples Republic of China.

The S.T.A. plans to have a Chinese website operational by September to direct businesses to the enrolled agencies and companies and will be conducting a destination audit of Samoa.

The Audit will be discussed during the workshops today and tomorrow on the kinds of products and service that Samoa can design and establish to cater to the experiences orientated Chinese visitor.




Regional meetings like the ones taking place in Apia this week matter because the issues discuss help the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat offer advice and guidance for the Forum leaders agenda.

So says the Secretariats General Secretary, Dame Meg Taylor. She was speaking during the Forum Officials Committee meeting at the Taumeasina Island Resort yesterday.

These mechanisms, as highlighted by Dame Meg, include the Specialist Sub-Committee on Regionalism, the newly established Sub-Committee on Forum Engagement and Advocacy, the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting, and the Forum Fisheries Council Meeting.

This meeting also provides an opportunity to ensure that we all are connecting well with each other in progressing the policy priorities of our region, Dame Meg said.

Achieving the objectives of the framework for Pacific regionalism requires the collective contribution of member countries and regional organisations. I am very grateful for the presence today (yesterday) of my Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (C.R.O.P.) colleagues.

Dame Meg also said the Blue Pacific serves to empower Pacific Islanders, the value and potential of our region, and encouraging us to think and act from a position of strength.

Since its endorsement last year, we have already seen the power of the Blue Pacific in providing coherence and focus in the way that we work together as a region."

This was very apparent in our regions contribution to the Pacific Leaders Meeting with Japan this year  (P.A.L.M. 8). This was a demanding negotiation, but the spirit of the Blue Pacific was very evident to me in the way that member countries, as well as C.R.O.P. organisations, worked together to ensure meaningful outcomes for our region.

Dame Meg said the Blue Pacific is a powerful narrative in the current geopolitical environment."

These include shifts in global power and globalisation, rising inequality, changing multilateral relations, depletion of natural resources, regional and global conflict and ongoing advances in technology."

By reason of geography and our assets, we are a region of interest to the wider world and indeed there seems to have been an acceleration of interest and attention in very recent times."

This context must be recognised in our deliberations and advice to leaders. With that intent in mind, the first substantive item on our agenda today (yesterday) seeks to provide a strategic frame for our discussions, based on the excellent theme proposed by Nauru for this years Forum Building a Strong Pacific  Our Islands, Our People, Our Will, said Dame Meg.

Dame Meg thanked Australia for chairing the Forum Officials Committee over the past 12 months and welcomed Cook Islands as the chair for next year.

She also acknowledged the Government of Samoa for the hospitality and the dedication to the Forum as the chair for the past year.
The Ministry of Police have revisited their call for harsher penalties pertaining to irresponsible and drunk drivers.

The call comes after another weekend where the Police noted a number of drunk drivers were caught during their routine roadblocks.

In a statement, Deputy Commissioner Monalisa Keti confirmed that a total of 17 drivers were caught.

Two failed to comply with breathalyser process, seven careless driving matters.

Given the increase number of drivers driving vehicle under the influence of alcohol, road blocks will continue in the next coming months.

Police also will proceed to request the Courts for serious penalties to be issued to these irresponsible drivers.

Last week, the Police in their weekly reports, noted the Traffic Section Apia recorded seven careless driving, two dangerous driving and one negligent driving causing bodily injuries matter over the week.

In Savaii, Police recorded two dangerous driving, two careless driving and one negligent driving causing bodily injuries.

Afega recorded one careless driving, Lotofaga recorded two careless driving and Faleata recorded one careless driving.
Theres no better place to strengthen the bond between a father and son then in Samoa.

Meet Robin Hawkins from Timaru, New Zealand, who has been travelling to various destinations with his son, and this time they decided to visit Samoa.

Their first visit to the islands couldnt be more relaxing, a perfect atmosphere for them.

Robin told the Dear Tourist team that the locals are very laid back, relaxed and these make Samoa the ultimate getaway destination.

I find the people in general very quiet, which is fine and the Samoans back in New Zealand are very similar, he shared.

Through the large number of Samoans in New Zealand, they became more interested in Samoa and wanted to learn more about the island and its people.

They rented a car for three days and visited different sites around the island, including tasting local cuisines in different resorts.

Robin has been to Fiji a couple of times and also visited New Caledonia. As a first time visitor, the thing that struck me is the number of churches, he said.

When you compare New Caledonia with Samoa, I would say New Caledonia is more sophisticated. Here is lovely and very relaxing, the people dont seem to worry and they show that.

It is hard for visitors to see the struggle, but you dont see people protesting or anything, I guess they must have accepted the way of life in such a beautiful place.

They have been happy with the services at the Taumeasina Island Resort.

I guess the advertising agencies in New Zealand know very little about Samoa and what Samoa has to offer, which is much more than people probably think. It is only four hours away, he said.

Robin said he would like to return to Samoa.

I am absolutely happy that I came and I will recommend Samoa particularly at this time of the year because in New Zealand so cold and to come here for four or five days to this glorious climate is something else.

I would have loved to stay some more days here, Robin said.
A family history brought the Phillipps sisters from Wellington, New Zealand to Samoa.

Wendy, Julia and Kaye Phillipps flew into Samoa to visit the place where their grandparents tied the knot in the 1920s.

Julia said their grandmother Queenie travelled from New Zealand on a trading boat called Mokoia to bring some products to Samoa.

At the time, our grandfather Arthur Phillips was an accountant for the Hospital Board of Samoa, she said.

So it was around that time that our grandmother came to Samoa that she met our grandfather. In the year 1920s on the month of November our grandparents got married here and we were told they were married at the Protestant Church in Apia, she told the Dear Tourist team.

And after that they had their wedding reception at the Sheraton Hotel which was called Aggie Grey back in the days.

This is their first time in Samoa and they stay at Le Manumea Hotel, which they describe as a beautiful accommodation.

The staff members are very nice, the rooms are beautiful and the view from there is just amazing, Julia said.

According to Julia, they have found what they had set out to search for in Samoa.

She made the front page of a newspaper in Apia when she was here, said Julia.

Now that we have found what we were looking for, we will spend three days in Apia and then we will be going to Saletoga Sands for a holiday, a few walks and snorkeling.

This coming Sunday we will also be attending the church that our grandparents had married in so we are looking forward to that.

Kaye added the one thing they would be doing the most is soaking up Samoas sunshine.

We want to get more sunshine, warmth and relax at the beach, she said.

But so far we have been greeted with so much love and kindness by the people of Samoa. Samoa is a nation of really beautiful people on the inside and on the outside.

They are very caring and genuine and just lovely, and we have travelled quiet a lot in Europe, Rarotonga and Fiji and Samoa beats it.

Its fresh and clean and the environment is just beautiful.

The sisters shared that Samoa shouldnt spoil its natural surroundings and maintain its uniqueness and cultural identity.

Keep it simple, its a beautiful view here and there are so much church buildings. So far its the warmth of the people here, we feel safe and feel cared for and we dont get that feeling in other countries.

They agreed that Samoans are genuine and lovely people.
NEW YORK (AP)  One out of every seven babies born to U.S. mothers who were infected with Zika during pregnancy developed some kind of health problem, according to the first long-term look at those children.

Tuesday's study focused on the children of women in Puerto Rico and other territories, where most of the U.S. cases were seen when the disease swept across the Americas more than two years ago.

Most people infected with Zika don't get sick. In others, it can cause a mild illness, with fever, rash and joint pain. But infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects.

Earlier studies focused on those birth defects. The new research is unique in that it's a large study that looked for conditions that became apparent only later, said Margaret Honein of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the authors.

The researchers looked at 1,450 kids who were at least 1 year old and whose mothers were infected with Zika while pregnant. Most were in Puerto Rico, but the count included American Samoa, the Marshall Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Micronesia.

Of those children, 6 percent had birth defects, such as abnormally small heads, damaged brains or eye irregularities. That's about 30 times what's seen in children generally.

The percentage rose to 14 when the researchers also counted later-developing problems possibly caused by Zika, including seizures, developmental delays and difficulty swallowing or moving.

Researchers also found that not enough kids were being checked for problems. For example, only about a third received recommended eye exams by a specialist, half got a hearing evaluation, and less than two-thirds got brain scans.

Medical services have been disrupted at times in hurricane-battered Puerto Rico. Still, it means kids who need therapy or treatment may not be getting it, Honein said.

Most Zika infections are spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes, but it can also be spread through sex or blood transfusion. The CDC previously has advised couples planning to conceive to abstain from sex or to use condoms for at least six months after a male partner comes down with Zika. On Tuesday, health officials changed the recommendation to three months in the wake of research that found the risk of sexual transmission is shorter than originally feared.
Think a minuteSome time ago in Egypt, we learned of terrible attacks on foreign news reporters, including the horrific sexual assault of Lara Logan, a well-known female journalist from South Africa. In another instance, a reporter from the New York Times was kidnapped by the Taliban for 8 months, but was eventually able to escape. Of all the jobs in news and journalism, being a war correspondent is the most dangerous.

Young 25-year-old Leonard Spencer was a reporter for the London Morning Post. His assignment was the Boer War in South Africa. Leonard was riding a train to the frontlines of battle when suddenly there was a violent crash. The Boer army had ambushed this British train. During the shooting Leonard jumped out amidst the flying bullets and exploding shells to help clear the train tracks. Ironically, after the trains getaway with many British soldiers saved, the one man left behind to face the enemy alone was this young newspaper reporter, Leonard Spencer.

He was captured and put into the Pretoria prison, known for its maximum security and few escapes. Yet amazingly, young Leonard escaped this famous fortress. However, he still had 300 miles of enemy territory through which he had to find his way to freedom. He walked alone for many days and nights, continually dodging enemy soldiers. Tired, hungry and thirsty, he finally reached a mining town and knocked on the door of the only British citizen living there. Leonard was then smuggled onto a train to the British consul and safety.

What is surprising is that Leonard Spencer is not remembered for his bravery in the South African Boer War. For this young journalist who saved a train of British soldiers and escaped the enemy against all odds, continued to do the impossible for the rest of his life. We know him as Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, Englands brave and brilliant Prime Minister who helped save the free world from Adolf Hitlers murderous, evil tyranny.

Churchill decided from an early age what kind of character he would have that served others well throughout his lifetime. Our way of life and character starts with the choices we make now. If we have not chosen to do the right things in our daily life, we definitely will not choose to do them later when there is a greater risk and price to pay. Jesus is the only One Who can truly strengthen our willpower so we can start changing our heart and habits today. With His guidance and power, you can start living His way every dayno matter how much it costs you. Wont you ask Jesus to forgive you for not living the way you know you should? Then ask Him to take charge of your heart and way of life every day, so you will develop His character and courage to consistently do the right thing. Just think a minute...
Dear Editor,

Ive noticed over the years that you get the same old names popping up in the Letters to the Editor: Joe Hollywood, Wendy Wonder, someone called the Mad Man or some such thing, Orlando, P.S. Jefferies and someone who just keeps quoting psalms, etc., etc.

They all seem to comment on each others letters, but the thing that stands out is that most do not keep to the subject, or to the point that the writer is trying to make. Side issues are what they go on about - except Wendy. Not showing preference for her, just that she gets to the point and keeps to the subject at hand.

It happened to me, as you will remember when I wrote about how it may be a good idea for people to install cameras in their homes and on their properties, and for folks to start dobbing in thieves.

I was cross and wrote an unfortunately harsh note, as I couldnt believe how far from the subject the comments were. Psalms were quoted by one person. Another got philosophical about who steals and why. My answer to that is, thieving is not the pastime of just the poor and desperate, many people in that situation dont steal at all. Any theft is bad, immoral and impacts on someone or on many. Even white collar stealing may not be so personal, but its theft just the same.

Another writer tried to analyse my wealth. In his eyes I must have been living with the elite in Apia when I was there  wrong. That I live in an up market place in Australia  wrong. He even went about analysing the street I live in (how bizarre is that?) and he was wrong again. But the one that really amused me, was where they tried to analyse me by my name. They dont know how wrong they were, off with the pixies and obviously way off the subject as well.

Good heavens - as I said, cameras were all I was suggesting, and turning in the thieves to authorities and I used a bit of an example of safe places around the world.

Ill go off subject a tad here myself and say, isnt it so Samoan, to go off subject that is and be contradictory and throw in some religion to boot. Its no wonder I love Samoa so. Only in Samoa - hey! Wonderful stuff - the only place in the world where you write about a few cameras and get guidance through prayer, a bit of philosophy, lifestyle and personal analysis. Wow. Very amusing, but gets us all nowhere. Just a load of speculative old rubbish really.

Instead of the backward and quite often insulting and personal side issue comments that the regular scribes make, wouldnt it be refreshing if they actually give encouragement to the writer of a letter and provide positive suggestions and ideas on their subjects.

Best of all, how good would it be if they all got together and came up with a tangible idea to make Samoa a better place - just one - and implemented it. Even if it was to make life better for just one poor soul, like the old lady shown in the paper, living under a rusty old piece of tin with her girls.

That would actually be helping about ten people at once, for very little cost. Or think big and try to get some funds to at least provide decent shelter for all Samoans. If we can start a discussion on that and have an outcome (no side talk), Im in. How about a title, ah  Benevolent Scribes of the Samoa Observer. Pipe dreams, I guess!

Ive often said that with only about 200,000 people living in Samoa, and the amount of money that has poured into the country, no one should be without decent shelter or go hungry. The government are in denial, led by Stui, who is quoted as saying as much, and will do nothing for the poor. They dont care about our brothers and sisters who are living life hard. So its up to us.

My wife and I have wracked our brains and cant come up with much other than we will leave our pittance to the poor of Samoa when we pass, which wont be much, but it is something we guess and hopefully will help some, but the poor need help now.

Any suggestions out there? Come on P. S. J., you seem to have a world of ideas and knowledge and youve always got plenty to say. And please try to stay pleasant and on the subject, its about the poor and the thieves. Cameras, food and shelter, they are our subjects.

I know all of you writers are obviously decent people, from the passion you show in your words every time that you take the time and effort to write (and of course that includes you Mr. Editor) and you have a resilience second to none, to keep coming back, even after being insulted and shot down in flames by some sharp tongue on side issues. Keep writing, who knows, some day it may have some effect. Old Joe had a win, with action taken on one of his letters - gives us hope and inspiration hey?

Like my wife and I, you scribes have a love for the country, its people, and want a better Samoa for everyone. Bless you all.

John

Your friend from afar
The coronial inquest into the deaths of two babies at Savaii early last month has been adjourned after prosecution advised they are yet to get the postmortem results.

The matter went before District Court before Judge Fepuleai Ameperosa Roma yesterday, who asked the prosecution if they got the report from the postmortems that were done on the two toddlers, who died after they were allegedly vaccinated at Safotu.

Constable Richard, in response, advised the court that the police had yet to get the postmortem report and asked for an adjournment in order to get further instructions.

I have just returned from our office and I am seeking the indulgence of the court to adjourn the matter to four weeks so we can obtain instructions on when we will most likely receive the reports from the postmortem, he said.

Judge Fepuleai said he has seen briefs of the inquest on file, but it was best that the matter is adjourned so the postmortem results could be presented at the next hearing.

Ive seen the briefs of the inquest from several witnesses in the file."

I think its best that we set a date and then have all the witnesses called to appear on that date so we can hear all their testimony on that day."

The inquest has been adjourned to the 12th of September for the report of the postmortem and be presented in to court, he said and granted the application.

Lannacallystah Samuelu and Lameko Si'u, both one-year-olds, died after receiving their measles, mumps and rubella (M.M.R.) shots at the Safotu Hospital. The coronial inquest held its first hearing last month in Tuavisi  due to the deaths occurring on Savaii  but was adjourned and moved to Apia on the request of the families of the deceased toddlers.

The coronial inquest proceedings will resume on September 12.
The Land Transport Authority (L.T.A.) has put to rest claims that parking meters in Apia is part of the Governments desperate efforts to collect revenue to pay off its foreign debt.

The Authority responsible for rolling out the plan has done this on a Facebook post which responds to feedback from members of the community  both negative and positive.

But it is the last point of a nine-bullet point message that has had people talking, even sharing the L.T.A. post.

Revenue gained from parking meters will go towards road upgrade/maintenance; not to pay for loans in China, the post reads.

The statement does not elaborate on Samoas loans in China.

But the issue has been a controversial topic of late, with the latest official figure showing that Samoa owes China more than $400million, making China the biggest creditor.

Samoas foreign debt stands at $1.10 billion.

The following is what the L.T.A Facebook post says about the parking meters:

Land Transport Authority appreciates the constructive feedback and queries raised by the public regarding the parking meters. Further information is summarized below:

1. Parking Meters will be effective in September 2018

2. Why parking meters? Travelling public into Apia are finding it difficult to find car parks directly in front of businesses or offices in Apia as they have been occupied by vehicles parked for longer hours. As a result, vehicles have had to circle many times before finding a car park which has contributed to traffic congestion in Apia. Parking meters should alleviate this problem.

3. You do not have to park at parking spaces that are metered. There are parking spaces in Apia that are not metered (free parking space). Your choice.

4. LTA will pilot for the first 6 months the use of 8 parking meters which have been installed at car parks in front of ANZ Bank until SNPF Plaza. After the pilot, LTA plans to continue installation of parking meters at other areas in Apia

5. Operating Hours/Days: Mondays to Fridays 8am  4pm. LTA may enforce the use of parking meters on Saturdays but that will be confirmed at a later date.

6. 1 tala for 0- 15mins therefore 4 tala for an hour. For 8 hours it will cost 32 tala.

7. The parking meters only accepts coins- 2 tala, 1 tala, 50 sene, 20 sene and 10 sene

8. Monitoring and enforcement will be a joint collaboration by LTA and Ministry of Police

9. Revenue gained from parking meters will go towards road upgrade/maintenance; not to pay for loans in China

Thank you,

LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
Parking in Apia Township will cost vehicle owners $1 for 15 minutes from September this year.

The Land Transport Authority (L.T.A.) announced the costs and enforcement measures yesterday at their headquarters in Vaitele.

Eight parking meters were installed on Sunday, from the main ANZ building to the National Provident Fund (N.P.F.) Plaza, which account for 84 parking spaces along Beach Road.

L.T.A. said the parking meters will charge $1 for the first 15 minutes of parking, and then $4 per hour.

C.E.O. of the Land Transport Authority, Galumalemana Ta'atialeoitiiti Agnes Tutuvanu-Schwalger said the charges are non-refundable should drivers return to their car before their time is up.

All proceeds from the parking meters system shall be given to assist with fixing our roads, Galumalema said.

There are so many works that need to be done on our roads but less funding which is why this will assist with developing our roads.

L.T.A. will run a one month operational test run where the rules will be relaxed, followed by a six month trial with all rules in place.

Galumalemana said the publics inability to find parking is a problem which needs addressing.

We are planning for these parking meters to be operational from Monday to Friday starting from 8am-4pm, she said.

We will most likely include Saturdays as well but we will start off first with Monday to Friday and we are keeping the public informed should any changes come up.

L.T.A. will be running awareness campaigns and advertisements in the coming weeks to inform the public well before the parking meters are operational.

The monitoring and enforcement of the use of the parking meters will be carried out by the L.T.A. Traffic Division and the Ministry of Police.

L.T.A. Traffic Division Manager Muagututia Mark Tominiko said drivers who are found to be parking over their paid time limit will be fined $50 within their first half hour, and towed thereafter to the the L.T.A. compound in Vaitele.

Our traffic officers will be waiting until the owner of the vehicle will come back and inform the owner that it has been towed and direct them to our compound to claim their vehicle, he said.

It will cost drivers $142 to reclaim their vehicle from L.T.A.

Of the $142, the L.T.A will only collect a $37 administration fee.

The rest goes to Uhrle Auto Repairs, Paint and Panel, the towing company hired by L.T.A.

Uhrle Auto Repairs, Paint and Panel has been working with the L.T.A. for two years.

Francis Uhrle, the owner and operator says he has two tow trucks and has ordered a third.

He says he supports the governments implantation of parking meters.

Everyone has to throw in a coin to help the betterment of the country. I am a proud Samoan and I will do anything to help Samoa, he said.
Australias Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, has arrived in Samoa for a two-day visit.

She has a full programme in Apia, starting this morning.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells is also in the country and will lead Australia's delegation to the Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting tomorrow.

In the meantime, Bishop is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi to discuss ways to strengthen security, development and economic cooperation as part of Australia's stepped-up engagement with the Pacific.

Bishop is also scheduled to meet with New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters.

Australia is the largest destination for Samoan goods exports. We will meet with Samoan business representatives to explore further links and opportunities for private sector-led growth, a statement from her office says.

We will launch a number of Australian-funded initiatives, including phase three of the Australia-Pacific Technical College and the Pacific Aid Map developed by the Lowy Institute and open the Samoa Family Health Association Clinic.

Australia and Samoa have an enduring relationship that extends across political, security, economic and people-to-people links. We are committed to working with Samoa and other Pacific partners to develop innovative solutions to development challenges.
One of two nurses implicated in the deaths of two babies who died at Safotu hospital last month after they were injected with MMR vaccination has been charged.

This was confirmed by the Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, in a statement.

The Attorney General does not say what the charge is.

But it is the latest development with the on-going Police investigation into the deaths of two infants in Savaii in July.

It can be confirmed that one of the nurses involved with the vaccination injections of the two babies who passed away 6th July 2018, was charged by police on Saturday 4th August 2018, the statement reads.

She is set to appear in Court 14th August 2018, where the charges will be confirmed publically.

According to A.G. Lemalu, the file was referred to this office for advice last week, after swift and hard-working investigations by the CID section of the Ministry of Police both in Apia and Savaii, which is to be commended.

And the decision to charge was thereafter supported by advice; and it is also confirmed by Police, that investigations are still active and on-going.
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla said Tuesday that it has settled two of the three gender discrimination suits filed against the center last year by a trio of prominent female researchers.

Salk President Fred Rusty Gage and two of the plaintiffs  Katherine Jones and Vicki Lundblad  issued a joint statement that reads, in part:

In recent weeks the Institutes leadership and Drs. Kathy Jones and Vicki Lundblad commenced discussions in hopes of resolving our disputes.

Those productive conversations have led to a resolution of all claims between these parties that will enable us to put our disagreements behind us and move forward together at Salk for the collective good of the Institute and science.

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The statement does not mention the third plaintiff, biologist Beverly Emerson, 66, who left the Salk in December when her contract expired. It also says nothing about the settlement terms.

Jones, 63 and Lundblad, 65, are currently faculty members at the institute.

All three women filed separate lawsuits last year accusing the elite biomedical research center of systemically discriminating against them on salary, promotions, and access to grants.

The lawsuits caused an uproar in the scientific community which was followed by the unexpected retirement of Salk President Elizabeth Blackburn, a Nobel laureate.

The Salk also had to cope with the departure of star researcher Inder Verma, who resigned amid allegations that he had sexually harassed eight women.

The allegations were reported by the journal Science, and denied by Verma.

Tuesdays announcement from Rusty Gage comes just over two weeks before the non-profit institute is scheduled to celebrate Symphony at Salk, an annual musical and fundraising gala. Last years event occurred not long after the three women had sued the Salk.

Emerson spoke recently at an event about women in science. While not mentioning Salk, Emerson said that in her career sexual discrimination is much more serious when the institute itself knows and tolerates discrimination and harassment.

Its not a matter of one person being harassed by the bad guy down the hall, Emerson said at the July meeting. That is a severe dysfunction of the culture, and its based on the reward system of the organization.

Emerson intends to keep pursuing her lawsuit, according to a story in Science.

Dr. Emerson intends to proceed until justice is fully achieved, Science quoted Emersons lawyer, Alreen Haeggquist of the San Diego law firm Haeggquist & Eck, as saying Tuesday night.

Jones and Lundblads attorney, Deborah Dixon of the San Diego law firm Gomez Trial Attorneys, declined to discuss the settlement terms, which are confidential, Science said.

Related reading

San Diegos scientific community confronts #MeToo as women in science speak out

To Prevent Sexual Harassment, Academic Institutions Should Go Beyond Legal Compliance

Salk Institute professor Inder Verma resigns after investigation

Sexual harassment uproar in Berkeley leads to meeting at UCSD

Gender discrimination controversy grows at fabled Salk Institute

Leaked documents expose long-standing gender tensions at Salk Institute

Sexual harassment must not be kept under wraps

What we learned  or didnt  from the Bob Filner scandal

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
President Donald Trumps tariffs against China are causing a South Carolina television maker to lay off nearly all of its employees because of the sudden increase in the price of components for its products.

Element TV Company will let 126 workers go, most of them on Oct. 5, leaving behind a skeleton crew of eight employees to watch the Fairfield County plant in hopes it can reopen in three to six months, the company said in a letter to state employment officials Monday.

The layoff and closure is a result of the new tariffs that were recently and unexpectedly imposed on many goods imported from China, including the key television components used in our assembly operations in Winnsboro, the company wrote to the state Department of Employment and Workforce.

The Trump administration imposed a 25 percent import tax in July that included Chinese components for TVs and video equipment.

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The Element plant opened to huge fanfare about five years ago. Trumps current U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley, was South Carolina governor at the time. In August 2014, she did a live video feed from the plant beamed to a Walmart manufacturing summit, where she spoke about how to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. by selling her state.

We want to make sure that government is the first group to help you, not hurt you, Haley said.

Haley promised 500 jobs, or about a quarter of the employees currently at the plant.

A message left for officials at Element was not immediately returned.

Current South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, one of Trumps earliest supporters, said the state and federal officials have talked about how tariffs can hurt the state.

We have not convinced them of our point of view on every point, nor have they convinced us of theirs, McMaster said.

Tariffs could lead to more job losses in the state, especially in the auto industry. Swedish carmaker Volvo has said tariffs could prevent it from reaching its goal of 4,000 workers by 2021 at its just opened plant near Charleston. BMW has warned Trump administration officials that some if not many of its 10,000 workers at its plant near Spartanburg could have their jobs at risk if tariffs continue.

McMaster agrees with the president that tariffs will eventually bring not just open and free trade, but fair trade.

Im hoping when all the work is done and all the facts are known the business and industries in South Carolina will not be hurt and will instead prosper, McMaster told reporters Tuesday after a media event to announce the accreditation of the states probation agency.

The Element plant is near Winnsboro, which is 30 miles north of Columbia. Its the county seat of Fairfield County, which lost about 5,000 jobs last summer when construction was halted on two nuclear reactors.

The layoffs were first reported by The State newspaper.
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has not produced power since January 2012 and is in the process of being decommissioned.

But dismantling the site, operated by Southern California Edison, requires a series of approvals from a host of federal and state agencies, including obtaining a new lease from the California State Lands Commission.

With the existing lease expiring in 2023, the staff of the State Lands Commission has prepared a draft for a new lease and is working on an Environmental Impact Report. As required by the California Environmental Quality Act, the commission is getting oral and written input from the public.

The first of two days of public input began at City Hall in Oceanside Tuesday evening. About 150 turned out.

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For Gary Headrick, co-founder of the advocacy group San Clemente Green, a major concern centers not on what will be left behind at SONGS but what may be taken away.

He wants to make sure that spent fuel pools are left on the site. Thats the only way to deal with a canister thats cracked or damaged in any way, he said.

There are 3.55 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel at SONGS but the State Lands Commission hearing does not directly deal with the waste issue. Thats the responsibility of a federal agency  the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The State Lands Commissions purview does include areas just offshore from the plant, including intake and discharge conduits that extend from the plant into the ocean.

Commission staff said it would also hear comments about the spent fuel pools at SONGS.

About 150 people turned out to deliver public comment to the State Lands Commission hearing in Oceanside. (Photo by Rob Nikolewski)

Used-up fuel is thermally hot and to cool it, nuclear operators place the fuel in a metal rack and submerge it in a deep pool in what is called wet storage.

Once sufficiently cooled, the fuel can be transferred into dry storage. Edison already has 50 canisters of waste on site in a dry storage installation. A second installation, recently constructed and approved by the California Coastal Commission, is in the process of transferring 73 canisters from wet storage.

Edison officials say the complete transfer will be finished by next year. Twenty-nine canisters have been moved thus far.

Headrick and other critics of the dry cask storage facility worry the walls of the casks are not thick enough and could crack due to earthquakes, a Fukushima-like tsunami, a terrorist attack or other disasters. Edison officials have long insisted the site is safe.

Headrick wants the wet storage pool to remain intact as a backup location to keep spent fuel, in case a problem is discovered in a dry storage cask.

Edison would be leaving us with no other option if the pool is dismantled, Headrick said. It would run us off a cliff.

Edison spokeswoman Maureen Brown said storing spent fuel in dry casks is a proven, safe technology that has been used for more than three decades.

Brown said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2016 considered fuel pools at sites being decommissioned as unnecessary and cited how the Union of Concerned Scientists has echoed a similar opinion.

More than 2,000 dry storage canisters have been loaded with used nuclear fuel, and there have been no incidents that prompted return of a welded canister to a spent fuel pool for repair, Brown said in an email.

Others speaking at the Oceanside meeting Tuesday evening expressed worries ranging from radiation monitoring in case of a leak to the expenses racked up during the life of the plant.

The electric companies keep making mistakes and I want it to stop, said Michael Summers, a retiree from Fallbrook. It costs the ratepayers.

Edison ran into a problem in March during the transfer of spent fuel from wet storage to the new dry storage facility. Work was delayed 10 days after workers discovered a piece of shim  essentially, a pin 4 inches by a half-inch  came loose while a canister was being loaded.

Edison received assurance from Holtec International, the makers of the shim, and an independent engineering firm that the canisters integrity was sound and the transfer process has continued.

SONGS is located on an 85-acre chunk of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, owned by the Department of the Navy. The plant sits between the Pacific and one of the busiest freeways in the country  Interstate 5. About 8.4 million people live in a 50-mile radius of the plant in an area with a history of seismic activity.

The dry cask storage facilities are about 100 feet from the ocean, protected by a seawall 28 feet high.

The State Lands Commission will hold a second public hearing Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in San Clemente.

The three voting members of the commission are not taking part in the public hearings. Commission staff will prepare the Environmental Impact Report and a vote by commissioners is anticipated Dec. 11.

A joint venture called SONGS Decommissioning Solutions has been contracted to tackle the time-consuming and highly technical work involved in dismantling the plant. Edison oversees the joint venture, consisting of Los Angeles infrastructure company AECOM and Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions.

Its been estimated it will take about 10 years for the decommissioning process to be completed.

Edison officials have set a target date of end of 2032 to remove nearly every remnant of the plant. The property would then return to the U.S. Navy, which owns the land.

California State Lands Commission

Environmental Impact Report

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

Wednesday, 1 p.m.

Holiday Inn Express San Clemente

North Pier Ballroom

35 Via Poco Plaza, San Clemente 92672

Written comments to the commission will be accepted through Aug. 28 at CEQA.comments@slc.ca.gov

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
In a surprising turn of events, an initiative that would have raised San Diegos hotel tax to underwrite a long sought expansion of the citys bayfront convention center does not have enough valid signatures to make the November ballot.

Hoping to still salvage the measure, the City Council, at the request of Mayor Kevin Faulconer, will meet Thursday afternoon to consider placing on the ballot a proposal very similar to the initiative, which called for raising the hotel tax to not only fund the convention center project, but also finance homeless initiatives and road repairs. The meeting has been scheduled for 4 p.m.

I will not be deterred from addressing the urgent issues of homelessness, road repair and protecting our economy, Faulconer said. I will ask the City Council on Thursday to place a measure on the November ballot.

Such a move, though, would raise the required voter approval threshold to a daunting two-thirds majority. As a citizens initiative, the measure may have only required a simple majority, based on a California Supreme Court ruling last year.

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Expansion of the convention center has been a top priority of Faulconers since he took office in 2014. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade the City Council last year to hold a special election in November 2017 for a slightly different hotel tax hike measure.

We were prepared for any eventuality because the mayor was absolutely committed to moving forward on these critical issues, said Matt Awbrey, Faulconers deputy chief of staff, of the key components addressed in the initiative. San Diegans have demanded action on the expansion, homeless solutions and road repairs, and the mayor has heard their calls for change and is using his authority to ask the council to place the measure on the ballot.

 Business reporter Lori Weisberg and business editor Diana McCabe talk about the initatives that are on and are off Novembers ballot.

In a statement, the initiative campaign, Yes! for a Better San Diego, said it supports Faulconers push for the November ballot measure.

San Diego cant wait to combat homelessness, repair roads and create jobs, said Laura Fink, spokeswoman for the campaign, which is backed by a coalition of tourism and business leaders, organized labor and homeless advocates. Our coalition is in full support of the Mayors efforts to uphold the will of more than 100,000 San Diegans and place a measure on the ballot; inaction is not an option.

On Wednesday, the mayors office scrambled to come up with an alternative plan after San Diego City Clerk Elizabeth Maland reported earlier in the day that a random count of the initiative campaigns more than 114,000 signatures by the county Registrar of Voters fell short. As a result, she said, a full verification of all signatures is now needed. The problem, though, is such a count takes up to 30 days to complete, and the deadline to place anything on the ballot is this Friday.

In a random sampling, the number of valid signatures must exceed 110 percent of the number of signatures required, but the initiatives projected valid signatures fell under that percentage, Maland reported. Although the random sampling estimated that the initiative would slightly exceed the more than 71,600 required signatures of registered voters, percentage-wise, it still fell considerably short of the 110 percent threshold, reaching only 101.5 percent.

Colossal failure, Councilman David Alvarez, who does not favor the initiative, tweeted early in the day.

In an interview, he objected to any effort to now place a similar measure on the ballot, saying such an action breaks faith with the electorate.

At this point, this would further erode public confidence and send a message that City Hall only listens to big special interests, said Alvarez, whose own ballot proposal to increase the citys hotel tax to raise money for homelessness programs was rejected this week by the council. We had that chance earlier and chose not to do that. Clearly, there was a struggle to get signatures and it goes to the fact that people are pretty clear about what they want to see: more money for housing and homelessness.

Like the citizens initiative, which sought to revive a long-stalled expansion of the convention center, the proposed ballot measure calls for boosting the citys effective hotel tax of 12.5 percent to 15.75 percent for downtown hotels, 14.75 percent for Mission Valley and Mission Bay-area hotels and 13.75 percent for hotels in the northern and southern peripheries of the city.

Potentially weighing on the fate of the measure and a future convention center expansion is whether a previously approved financial deal the city secured for control of the project site will remain intact.

That deal, which was tied directly to the success of the citizens initiative, authorized a payout of more than $33 million to longtime port tenants Ray Carpenter and Art Engel, who proposed building a $300 million hotel complex on the 5-acre waterfront parcel that they control under a lease with the port.

As part of that deal, the Fifth Avenue Landing leasehold, as it is known, was to get an upfront payment of $5 million ahead of the November election. The city will now have to negotiate an amendment to the agreement should the council approve the ballot measure Thursday. Also party to the pact was the Port of San Diego.

We are going to work with all the parties to ensure that the agreement will still stand even if the measure is placed on the ballot by the City Council, Awbrey said. The city, Fifth Avenue Landing, and the port have been in conversations throughout the day and we expect to have a productive and positive dialogue between all three parties following the vote .

Carpenter declined to make any comment on Wednesday.

Backers of the initiative spent more than $1.4 million through the first half of this year to get the measure on the ballot, soliciting contributions from major companies, including Sempra Energy, and large hotels. In the waning days of the signature-gathering campaign in June, supporters grew so desperate that they sent out an appeal to the business community for help, enlisting the aid of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown San Diego Partnership to reach out to their members.

Over the 42-year life of the measure being considered by the council, the city says the tax hike would generate an estimated $5.9 billion, although backers of the citizens initiative had estimated the total amount at $6.4 billion. During the first five years, homeless funding, which could be used to finance services and housing, would be accelerated.

The greatest share of revenues from the tax increase - nearly $3.5 billion - would go for the convention center project, including continued upkeep and marketing. More than $1.8 billion would be set aside for addressing homelessness, and $551 million would be set aside for road repairs, according to calculations from the city.

A staff report prepared for Thursdays meeting notes that under the ballot measure, 20 years after the tax hike goes into effect, the council could approve a changed allocation that would divert money set aside for the convention center to increased spending on homelessness and street repairs. That provision is similar to what was contained in the initiative.

Carl DeMaio, a radio talk show host and former San Diego city councilman, is vowing to launch an opposition campaign against the measure.

From the get go, the politicians denied that they were involved with this initiative for a tax increase, and now theyve just outed themselves as having always concocted this in the back room, DeMaio said of the move to have the council put a measure on the ballot.

DeMaio says he has money to spend  $1.25 million from Reform California, a political action committee he heads that opposes tax increases and is seeking to repeal the recent California gas tax.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 Twitter: @loriweisberg
A measure that could limit the size of homes on Del Mars beachfront properties will go on the November ballot, despite appeals this week to take the issue straight to court.

The citizens initiative filed by resident Rick Thompson, if approved by voters, would essentially change the complicated formula used to regulate the bulk and scale of any development at the edge of the beach, according to Assistant City Attorney Barry Schultz.

Thompson calls his measure the Shoreline Protection Initiative, but many of his neighbors say it is simply an attempt by the billionaire video-game investor to limit the size of a house proposed for the vacant lot next to his recently remodeled $22 million Del Mar home.

It came about because of a neighbor who doesnt want somebody to build next to him, said Brian Fletcher, also a beachfront resident and a member of one of the citys founding families. Someone with private property should be able to build what they want.

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Thompson expressed disappointment Tuesday that the City Council chose to put the measure on the ballot, rather than approve it as written, which was the only other option under the state election code.

Although we would have preferred this to have been negotiated and settled with the people who call themselves our leaders, were ready to go straight to Del Mar voters with the case that fair and consistent rules on development of beachfront lots benefits all our residents, Thompson said in a statement issued by his public relations firm.

Several residents and attorneys urged the City Council at its meeting Monday to try a third option, which was to take no action on the initiative and ask a judge to declare it invalid.

Councilman Terry Sinnott supported that idea, and cast the only vote against placing the initiative on the ballot.

This is a case where we need to definitely pursue a declaratory relief effort, and Im willing to spend the money to do it, Sinnott said. We have a lot of good legal minds.

But other council members said they would rather try to avoid going to court.

I trust the citizens of Del Mar to be able to figure this out for themselves, said Councilman Dave Druker.

I agree, and trust the citizens of Del Mar, said Councilwoman Sherryl Parks. Ive lived here for 44 years, and Ive never seen anything like this initiative pass.

Some residents have said that the paid solicitors who collected signatures for the measure falsely described it as an effort to stop McMansions, when most of the lots affected are already occupied with modest-sized homes, and Thompsons house is the largest on the beach.

The measure would affect just 28 of 92 beachfront properties in Del Mar. Most of those lots already have homes, but the initiative would prevent some of the owners from rebuilding the structures to their present size should anything ever happen to them.

Residents and their attorneys said that amounts to an illegal taking of their long-held property rights.

My family has owned (the lot next to Thompsons) for 90 years, said Natalie Naftzger Davis. She lives in a house built by her grandparents in the 1930s on less than a quarter of the large lot.

It was the first home built on the north beach, Naftzger said. Its virtually unchanged. I get teased for that a lot  no insulation, no heat, no air, one story.

The new house would be built on the vacant portion of the lot for her sister, Sandra Naftzager, and her family.

The proposed initiative would cut her development rights and property value by 30 percent, Natalie said. She and others said the city can expect litigation if the initiative passes.

All four council members present, Ellie Haviland was absent, agreed to go on record as opposed to the initiative.

The citys rules for building on beachfront lots are complicated, having evolved over the years and with a spotty history of application, said Mayor Dwight Worden.

There may be something broken  but probably not too badly  (and) this initiative is not the right way to address it, Worden said. Its hitting a very small nail with a very big hammer.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
Four-term Carlsbad City Council member Mark Packard announced Tuesday afternoon he will not seek re-election in November.

After long, careful consideration with my wife, family and God  I have decided to step back from my candidacy, Packard said in an email. It has been an honor to serve our city  and I hope the citizens will decide to stay the course so that Carlsbads future is even better.

Packard, 63, is the nephew of former Carlsbad Mayor Ron Packard, who went on to serve in the U.S. Congress from 1983 to 2001.

Packards decision makes him the second Carlsbad City Council incumbent not to seek a return to office this year. Michael Schumacher, first elected in 2014, announced in April that he would not run for another four-year term.

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The November election will be Carlsbads first with council members elected to represent specific districts of the city, with Districts 1 and 3 open this year. Districts 2 and 4 will be open for the first time in 2020.

Packard lives in District 1, and Schumacher lives in District 3. Their decisions extend the regular filing period, which ends Friday, to Aug. 15 for both districts.

People who have so far indicated they intend to be candidates for District 1 are Linda Breen, Tracy Carmichael, Barbara Hamilton and David McGee. Prospective candidates for District 3 are Priya Bhat-Patel and Corrine Busta.

Two District 1 residents, Noel Breen (husband of Linda) and Mary Anne Viney, and one District 3 resident, Kris Urdahl, initially took steps to run but later said they had decided against it.

Also this year, Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, first elected to the council in 1994 and twice elected mayor, is seeking re-election to the at-large position. His only challenger so far is Cori Schumacher, no relation to Michael, who was first elected to the council in 2016.

Cori Schumacher lives in District 1 and, if not elected mayor, could continue to serve until 2020 as an at-large council member.

Incumbent City Clerk Barbara Engleson and City Treasurer Craig Lindholm are both expected to run unopposed.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
In 2016, in light of a county grand jury report that highlighted the misuse of bond money by former San Ysidro school administrators, the school board voted to establish a citizens oversight committee. Almost two years later, a panel has not been created.

The committee was meant to provide a measure of oversight and accountability for the district, which has been roiled by financial and leadership troubles in recent years.

Plans for the panel apparently never drew sufficient interest. However, some say top administrators who resigned last year dragged their feet and didnt do enough to form the committee.

The districts new superintendent, Gina Potter, who stepped into the position in May, said she is committed to forming the panel.

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In its scathing report released in May 2016, the county grand jury shed light on the districts spending of funds from Proposition C, a $250 million bond measure approved by voters in 1997.

The report said former administrators misused bond money to pay for travel and administrative services, double-paid vendors and received services that did not match purchase orders. The district issued nine bond series totaling $217 million between 1997 and 2015, according to the report.

The grand jury found the former administrators withheld information from trustees about expenditures and bond obligations and entered into contracts without the school boards approval. Trustees, meanwhile, approved expenditures for purposes other than those listed in the ballot measure, according to the report.

The grand jury urged the district to immediately establish a committee to oversee spending of bond money and funds from Certificates of Participation, or COPs, saying it would increase transparency and accountability.

It was not the first time there were calls for a bond oversight committee. According to the grand jury report, trustees ignored demands from the Parent Teachers Association in 1998, a year after the districts bond measure was passed.

An oversight board is not a legal requirement for the district, partly because its bond measure was approved three years before the state began to mandate oversight in 2000.

Still, San Ysidro trustees voted in October 2016 to create an oversight committee made up of at least seven members. According to the approved policy, the panel was to ensure the remaining bond money was spent on projects authorized by trustees and not for administrative services.

The policy urges the district to make its best effort to form a committee that includes a business stakeholder, a member of a taxpayer organization, a senior and parents or guardians of the more than 4,700 students enrolled in the district. Members are to be limited to three two-year terms.

In 2017, the district accepted applications. It received four, said district spokesman Francisco Mata.

Some parents and trustees say former Superintendent Julio Fonseca and former Deputy Superintendent Arturo Sanchez-Macias are to blame for the lack of interest.

At the time, interested candidates were asked to contact Sanchez-Macias, who stepped down in November 2017, two months after Fonseca resigned.

A state audit released in June found Sanchez-Macias and Fonseca  who were hired in 2015  may have engaged in fraud or misappropriated funds.

Rudy Lopez, whose son is enrolled in the district, emailed Sanchez-Macias in May 2017, expressing his interest and requesting more information about the application process. He said Sanchez-Macias never replied.

Nonetheless, he turned in two applications, one of which he requested at the districts office, the other he downloaded online. Again, he never heard back from the district.

Lopez, who had heard about the committee from news reports, said he believes the districts efforts to put the word out were inadequate. The district put out information about the committee via social media, the districts website and at least one news release.

I feel that theyre putting themselves at risk of falling back into the same routine, said Lopez, now a member of the Sweetwater Union High School Districts bond oversight committee.

Trustees Rodolfo Linares and Antonio Martinez said Fonseca and Sanchez-Macias said there was a lack of interest when the school board requested updates.

They dragged their feet, Linares said. They didnt want this to happen, so they didnt get input from the community and didnt follow through.

Asked if he thinks the district did enough to promote the committee, he said, No.

Why?

Well, we dont have a committee, he said.

Martinez acknowledged forming the committee is one of the many things we have to work on.

Frankly, I think we need to do it now, he said. Im sure with more outreach, we can get more applicants.

Potter, San Ysidros new superintendent, said she welcomes the opportunity to work with a bond committee.

I am committed to establishing a robust citizens oversight committee to regain the trust and faith of our community and maintain an atmosphere of transparency in our school district, she said in a statement.

She noted she helped create an oversight committee during her tenure with the Lemon Grove School District. The panel scored an A+ on the San Diego Taxpayers Educational Foundations 2017 transparency scorecard for school bond committees.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
Because this season of La Jolla Music Societys SummerFest is Cho-Liang Jimmy Lins last as music director, all the concerts will have special resonance to them. But theres one that will likely stand out.

In curating My Favorite Playlist, which will be performed Tuesday at Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, Lin was especially adventurous in his selections.

I love this program, he said, speaking from Chamber Music Northwest in Portland last month. Its not your meat-and-potatoes Beethoven and Mozart concert. Its really something unusual. And all the musicians are truly first-class. Im excited to be in the audience for this concert.

The concerts world premiere, Vis-a-vis, was composed and will be performed by internationally acclaimed artists who are based in San Diego. It also is a collaboration of old friends, including Lin.

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The piece, written by accomplished UC San Diego composer and professor Lei Liang, showcases the unusual instrumental combination of percussion and pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute. It features Liangs fellow UCSD professor and percussionist extraordinaire Steven Schick and renowned pipa master Wu Man.

Its very much like friends gathering and making music together, said Wu Man, also speaking from the Portland festival, where she and Lin both performed. I highly respect Maestro Jimmy. Hes not only a wonderful musician, but a sweet person. In Portland, I told him: I met you in the early 1980s when I was a little student. He visited my school in Beijing with his violin professor. I was chosen to play for them. He remembered the piece I played for him! It gave me goosebumps.

Liang, 45, has composed for Wu Man, 55, in the past. While in Beijing, she took a class from his mother and recalls seeing him riding his bicycle as a teenager in Chinas capital city. She has known percussionist Schick for almost 20 years.

Its amazing how the circle comes back, Wu Man marveled, and how friends and music give you life and meaning.

In addition to Liang, a Chinese-born American, the other composers whose work will be featured in Tuesdays borders-jumping concert are Mahler (Austria), Debussy (France), Turina (Spain) and Ginastera (Argentina). But its not just the globe-spanning nature of the concert that Lin was aiming for.

He also chose works that he personally loves and that are not common SummerFest fare. In fact, he noted, most have not been performed here during his tenure as music director.

Its all about contrast, juxtaposition  music that crosses time and continents, he said. It pushes all sorts of boundaries. Theres no theme to the mix, only variety of mood. Its about what emotional responses well get from the music.

One would suspect that a lot of mixed emotions would be stirred as Lin completes his 18th and final season of this highly successful music festival. But, in characteristic fashion, he is feeling very positive about this change.

Leaving SummerFest will allow Lin to work on a labor-of-love project in Tapei, the capital of his home country. He is developing a music academy and festival, set to launch there next year.

In the meantime, he looks forward to both playing in  and listening to  this months SummerFest concerts. Hes especially pleased that My Favorite Playlist highlights so many gifted artists, both from around the world and our backyard.

From day one  when I began my tenure at SummerFest  Ive been very mindful of the fantastic musicians and composers living in San Diego, Lin said. Being a good neighbor, SummerFest has utilized that talent. This program is a culmination of that process.

Cho-Liang Jimmy Lins descriptions of My Favorite Playlist

Turina: Escena Andaluza, Op. 7 (Scenes of Andalusia)

Paul Neubauer, viola; Saetbyeol Kim, piano; Rolston String Quartet

Its pastoral and beautiful, atmospheric. If youve been to Grenada or Seville, youll hear the music and immediately be transported to that magical place.

Debussy: Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano

Jian Wang, cello; John Novacek, piano

People may think of Debussys work as impressionist, nice and fluffy; this proves them dead wrong. This is a very craggy work. He knew he was dying and you can hear it in his music. It almost conveys a sense of defiance, as if hes fighting. Its amazing how this 14-15 minute sonata carries such a huge range of human emotions. Its a perfect example of how to say the most by writing the least.

Lei Liang: Vis-a-vis, for Pipa and Percussion (world premiere)

Wu Man, pipa; Steven Schick, percussion

Its now around 15 minutes long and Liang said he hopes to develop it to a 45-50 minute theatrical piece. Lets hear this version first to hear the DNA in the longer version.

Mahler: Ruckert-Lieder (a five-part song cycle, based on poems written by Friedrich Ruckert)

Tamara Mumford, mezzo-soprano; Ken Noda, piano

This shows a different side of Mahler. Hes being so intimate; its different from his huge, long symphonies. He is almost whispering to you. Its poignant. I urge listeners to read the poems first. Reading them can bring tears to your eyes, even without the music. But the music enhances it, in an understated way. Thats why its so beautiful.

Ginastera: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 20

Rolston String Quartet

This is a wonderful piece, almost like an Argentine Bartok and Stravinsky. Its very rhythmic, hyper-energetic and filled with incredible colors and propulsion. This will get peoples pulses racing.

SummerFest presents Cho-Liang Lins My Favorite Playlist

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday; 7 p.m. prelude by Nicolas Reveles

Where: UC San Diegos Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla

Tickets: $45-$75

Phone: (858) 459-3728

Online: ljms.org
Felix Mendelssohn was not content merely to accept music as he found it (and he found it early, composing brilliant string symphonies before he entered his teens, and a masterpiece  the Octet for Strings  before he turned 20). Before his too-early death, at 38 in 1847, he had grabbed music by the throat and decisively changed the course of the art form as a conductor, educator, administrator and performer.

In a way, Mendelssohn is still with us, dropping buzz-bombs of energy wherever a group of dedicated musicians open a window into the past and show us that great art, no matter how old, is always new.

Thats what happened on Tuesday evening at La Jolla Music Society SummerFests Music from the Heart concert when violinists Paul Huang and Anna Lee, violists Tien Hsien Cindy Wu and Heiichiro Ohyama, and cellist Hai-Ye Ni came onstage in UC San Diegos Conrad Prebys Concert Hall and set the place on fire with Mendelssohns Opus 87 String Quintet.

Over 20 years of attending SummerFest concerts, I have heard many performances I recall with pleasure. But this one moved the bar.

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It was, in a word, magnificent  both in its overall impact and in its separate parts.

Huang blazed out the solo lines in the allegro vivace first movement as his colleagues kept easy pace with a richly burnished texture out of which cross-currents broke like surf, all of it anchored by Nis cello lines, alternately assertive and supportive as needed.

Violinist Martin Beaver and pianist Joyce Yang opened the concert with a performance of Stravinskys Suite Italienne. Beavers first notes lofted listeners into a special place outside the worlds jumble and worry. His marvelous tone is, you might say, the result of nature and nurture: nature, because his violin  made by Nicolo Bergonzi in 1789  has a highly individual timbre that combines great sweetness with just an occasional touch of vinegar; nurture, because his technical prowess, honed over years of study and a decade as the Tokyo String Quartets first violin, enables him to make music that blooms with unusual generosity. His softest playing fills the hall with sound, and when Stravinsky asks the violin to growl and snap, his tone keeps its bright spin.

Yangs piano collaboration was so relaxed and unforced that its difficulty was easy to overlook. Stravinsky was a virtuoso pianist (a skill upon which he relied in the lean years of World War I and immediately afterward to put bread on the table), and even in this short piece, the pianist must propel as well as follow, with lots of technical challenges along the way.

Rachmaninoffs two-piano version of his Symphonic Dances closed the program, music I would happily take with me to a desert island, although not, I regret to say, in this performance, in which Yang was joined by Shai Wosner.

Perhaps the lapses that undermined their work could be chalked up to insufficient rehearsal time: too much absorption in the score and too little inter-pianist communication; elegance that sagged into preciousness and overemphasis, a faltering line in the tempo di valse movement that nearly shut off the musics interior engine and, above all, the substitution of theatricality and noise for the sense of intimate, coiled urgency that must propel this piece from start to finish.

But what an evening: music by three great masters, rotating the very idea of music before us like a great kaleidoscope. SummerFest is just getting started. You can grab a little, or you can grab a lot, but grab it you must.

Overton is a freelance writer.

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It may not take a certified genius and mandolin master to make a heady concept album billed as a meditation on committed relationships in the present day, particularly in light of the current unsettled political climate. But if it does, Punch Brothers leader Chris Thile qualifies on all counts.

A co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning trio Nickel Creek, this Oceanside native has been dazzling audiences with his jaw-dropping mandolin prowess since even before he was a teenager. Now 37, Thiles musical command and vision have grown exponentially since then.

So has his profile.

Thile has been a recording partner of everyone from cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Dixie Chicks to jazz piano star Brad Mehldau and Dolly Parton. In 2012, he became a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, a prestigious international honor more commonly referred to as the MacArthur genius grant.

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In 2015, he made the album Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1, on which Thile adapted the famed composers most demanding solo violin pieces to mandolin. In 2016, he became Garrison Keillors handpicked successor to host NPRs A Prairie Home Companion (now known as Live from Here).

With Punch Brothers, the genre-leaping acoustic music band he formed in 2006, Thile has made five increasingly ambitious albums. The nine-song All Ashore is both their most ambitious and understated yet. It offers an enchanting blend of bluegrass, chamber music, folk, pop, blues, contemporary classical, and more, which are employed and executed with unique skill and imagination.

We were hoping to create something that would be convincing as a complete thought, in this case as a nine-movement, or nine-piece, thought  though its rangy in what its talking about, and in the characters who are doing the talking, Thile explained in a recent statement about the album.

That these are not the typical characters who inhabit songs is made clear from the first lines of All Ashores title track, which gently opens the album. It starts with Noam Pikelnys banjo intro, which obliquely references the sitar figure at the start of The Beatles Within You, Without You. Thile then delicately enters on mandolin, followed by Paul Kowert on upright bass, Gabe Wichter on violin and Chris Eldridge on guitar.

Singing in a plaintive voice, Thile begins: Mama cuts like a man-of-war / Through the fog of an early morning / With nothing more than a coffee filling up her sails. A few moments later, he fills in the picture with: Daddy burns like a meteor / Through a night of his own diversions / Hoping to blaze half a second of a glowing trail.

Clocking in at just over seven minutes, its a daring way to start the album, which takes several airings before it really opens up and reveals its aural riches. Except for two sparkling instrumentals, Jungle Bird and Three Dots and a Dash, the six other songs that follow All Ashores title track are similarly low key in tone and delivery. They revel in hushed nuances, pinpoint dynamics and deceptively intricate song structures that twist, turn and gracefully shift gears with seamless elan.

Just Look at This Mess is easily one of the loveliest musical laments about any American president in memory  or at least the current president  although he is never identified here by name.

Then again, lines like our sandlot-antagonist-cum-king leave little doubt about whom the angelic-voiced Thile is singing about. Neither does everybodys business is mine, and Ive been doing just as I please (from Its All Part of the Plan) and with his grandpas money and his daddys heart (from Jumbo, which suggests an especially inspired collaboration by Randy Newman, The Beatles and the Beach Boys).

As for the mediation on committed relationships in the present day that Thile cites as a prime inspiration for All Ashore, it may well be the relationships he cities are between our nations increasingly divided population.

The question now is how attentively the Punch Brothers audience will listen when this singular band performs these soft, unusually restrained, songs live at Observatory North Park on Aug. 25. Heres hoping the crowd savors this exquisite music with the hushed respect it deserves, then whoops it up between songs. Orange County native Madison Cunningham opens the show.

Punch Brothers

All Ashore

Nonesuch Records

Punch Brothers, with Madison Cunningham

When: 8 p.m. Aug. 25

Where: Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., North Park

Tickets: $37 (general admission); $99 and $159 (VIP packages)

Phone: (619) 239-8836

Online: ticketweb.com

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga
One sailor was killed and another injured last week when a fuel tank fell from an HH-60 helicopter at Naval Air Station North Island, the Navy confirmed Tuesday.

The incident, first reported by Military.com, occurred around 6:30 p.m. on July 30 during what is called a hot seat exercise, meaning the engines of the aircraft were left on.

Helicopter Aircrewman 1st Class Jonathan Richard Clement and another unnamed sailor were conducting a post-flight inspection of an HH-60 helicopter when a fuel tank fell off, injuring them both, a Navy spokesman said.

Cmdr. Ron Flanders, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces, said Clement was transported to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. The next day Clements family chose to remove life support and he died.

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The second sailor was treated and released the same day with minor injuries.

The incident was not disclosed by the Navy and was not reported until the Navy Safety Center released information on Monday. The report stated that an E-6 had died and an E-5 had been injured, treated and released.

After consulting with the family, Flanders said, the Navy decided not to issue public notification.

Clement was stationed at North Island with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 and had been since 2017, Flanders said.

When something like this occurs, there are multiple investigations, Flanders said, adding it was too early to say whether a defect contributed to the incident. An investigation began immediately and is ongoing.

Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter.
August 8, 1974 Evening Tribune

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.

Thursday, August 8, 1974

In 1974, President Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president to resign from office.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story:

NIXON QUITS

Cites losses in Congress, goes without bitterness

Special to EVENING TRIBUNE

WASHINGTONPresident Nixon announced tonight that he will resign tomorrow.

Vice President Gerald R. Ford will take the oath of office as President from Chief Justice Warren Burger of the Supreme Court at 9 a.m. tomorrow, San Diego timenoon in Washington.

In an address to the nation on television tonight, Nixon announced at 6:05 p.m. that he would resign effective at noon tomorrow.

He said he was resigning because he has learned that he no longer has a strong enough political base of support in the Congress to justify continuing in office.

I would have preferred to carry through to the finish, he said, but the interest of the nation must always come before personal considerations.

And to those who have not felt able to give me your support, let me say I leave with no bitterness, he said.

Nixon did not specifically mention the impeachment procedure that had begun in the Congress.

But he said to continue to fight for his own vindication would have totally absorbed his time and attention, together with the time and attention of Congress.

Therefore I shall resign the presidency at noon tomorrow.

In a clear reference to the Watergate scandal, Nixon said:

If some of my judgments were wrongand some were wrongthey were made in what I believed at the time were the best interests of the nation.

He said he regrets deeply any injuries his decisions in may have caused.

Nixon asked all Americans to support Ford.

I know the leadership of America will be in good hands, he said.

Nixon is expected to fly tomorrow with his family to his home in San Clemente to resume life as a private citizen.

The Presidents voice was firm and his hands were steady as he faced the television cameras in the White House for what he said was the 37th and final time during his presidency.

He expressed regret at not completing his term but recited with pride what he considers his accomplishments in office.

These were mainly achievements in foreign policythe end of the war in Vietnam, the reopening of relations with China, the peace in the Middle East, the nuclear arms limitation treaty and detente with the Soviet Union.

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.
The union representing rank-and-file Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies announced its endorsement Wednesday of upstart candidate Alex Villanueva, boosting his bid to upset Sheriff Jim McDonnell in a November runoff election.

Runoffs are rare in sheriffs races, with incumbents usually enjoying sizable advantages in funding and name recognition. But Villanueva won 33% of the vote in the June primary while McDonnell fell short of the majority he needed to avoid a runoff in the nonpartisan race. McDonnell, a former high-ranking member of the Los Angeles Police Department and ex-Long Beach police chief, won 48% of the vote.



For the record: A previous version of this article identified Villanuevas campaign manager as Paula Mitchell. She is Paula Ramirez.

In announcing its endorsement, the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs said it believed Villanueva, a retired sheriffs lieutenant, connected with fellow deputies in a way that McDonnell could not.

It is our firm belief that the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is in need of transformation, and that Villanueva is best suited to lead that change given his background, skills and character, the unions president, Ron Hernandez, said in a statement.

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The son of a Puerto Rican father and a Polish American mother, Villanueva, 55, performed well in June in heavily Latino areas such as Southeast Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and Pomona, according to a Times analysis of the vote. A registered Democrat, he was also endorsed by the countys Democratic Party.

He retired in February after serving in the department for three decades, including many years on street patrol in East Los Angeles and, more recently, Pico Rivera. He has criticized McDonnell for low morale and campaigned on a plan to reorganize the department.

McDonnell, who outspent Villanueva 16-to-1, is a well-respected lawman who has the backing of regional power players including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, County Supervisor Hilda Solis and the California Peace Officers Assn.

McDonnell had been a registered Republican in the past  something that could always prove problematic in deep-blue L.A. County  but says he is no longer affiliated with a political party.

McDonnell, 58, has touted a decrease in serious use-of-force incidents inside the countys vast jail system, which he oversees, and said his management experience is key to implementing further reforms.

Paula Ramirez, Villanuevas campaign manager, said the challenger is extremely pleased with the endorsement.

I think this is really good news and it shows a lot of faith in Alexs ability to be sheriff, she said.

In a statement, McDonnell said the endorsement was not unexpected.

By endorsing my opponent, ALADS has endorsed a candidate who has publicly opposed the reforms underway that have reduced jail violence and increased accountability. He would take the Department backwards to a time of chaos and corruption like it was under Baca and Tanaka, McDonnell said, referring to former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, who were both convicted on charges for their roles in a jail corruption scandal.

I have come in and implemented accountability measures and the ALADS Board has taken issue with that, and I am not going to apologize for holding accountable those who tarnish the badge.

Times Staff Writer Maya Lau contributed to this report.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.

UPDATES:

5:05 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from McDonnell.

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information about Villanueva and McDonnell.

This article was originally published at 1 p.m.
Authorities arrested nearly two dozen people Wednesday in a series of drug raids across Southern California, disrupting a vast smuggling ring linked to Mexicos notorious Sinaloa cartel that funneled hundreds of pounds of narcotics across the border using small aircraft and other means to cities throughout the United States.

Capping a three-year investigation, more than 250 law enforcement officials fanned out across Los Angeles, Santa Ana and several Inland Empire cities, arresting 22 people, said Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles field office. In all, 57 defendants were named in three indictments stemming from the case. Many of those named remain fugitives in Mexico, officials said.

The case provided a rare glimpse into how one of Mexicos most powerful drug organizations sends enormous quantities of narcotics over the border, using an Amazon-like network of warehouses and stash houses to distribute the contraband across the U.S., federal law enforcement officials said.

Operation Narconetas targeted three separate drug organizations attached to the Sinaloa cartel and resulted in the seizure of roughly 850 pounds of methamphetamine, 93 pounds of heroin, 50 pounds of marijuana, nearly a ton of cocaine and approximately $1.42 million in drug money.

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Delacourt said the drug traffickers used a variety of vehicles with concealed compartments to hide the narcotics, as well as several small aircraft in an attempt to avoid detection at the U.S. border.

During a downtown news briefing Wednesday in Little Tokyo, Delacourt said the arrests and indictments had an immediate impact on cartel operations in the region, removing drugs from the streets and preventing violence. The raids included the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies.

Federal prosecutors said the operation also helped identify significant players in Mexican drug operations who continue to drive criminal enterprises in Southern California.

More than simply seizing large quantities of drugs and money, this investigation was able to identify the top-level, Mexican-based traffickers who directed the transactions, and who thought they were using secure communication devices to commit their crimes, Tracy Wilkison, first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said in a statement. Our ability to obtain those communications continues to be an important part of our ability to solve these crimes.

In a border battle of wits, the Sinaloa cartel has historically sent drugs through the Calexico crossing to a labyrinth of traffickers in Southern California.

Heavily armed tactical officers conducted Wednesdays pre-dawn raids at houses in the Inland Empire communities of Perris, Hemet and Rialto. Federal prosecutors are seeking to force the forfeiture of several properties they charge were used to stash drugs.

The indictments list a variety of drug trafficking and conspiracy charges that could result in federal prison sentences of a decade to life without parole.

With easy routes to the border, Los Angeles and increasingly the Inland Empire are key distribution points for drug trafficking, officials said.

Todays joint operation sends a clear message that law enforcement is committed to stemming the flow of narcotics into our country and protecting Americans from the violence that accompanies drug trafficking, DEA Special Agent Bill Bodner said.

Investigators acknowledged the quantities seized are likely a small part of the enormous volume of narcotics the Sinaloa organization sends across the border annually, and officials said the group works on the assumption that some of its traffickers will be caught. The cartel was formerly run by Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 to face drug trafficking, money laundering and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

During Operation Narconetas, federal agents uncovered efforts to send proceeds from drug sales south of the border, recovering $286,550 concealed in a Honda Crosstour and $403,320 in a Kia Sorento in 2016.

The latest arrests come just three months after federal prosecutors in San Diego indicted 75 people nationwide in a large drug money laundering operation involving the Sinaloa cartel. In that case, agents seized $6 million from people accused of being money movers who picked up cash from drug deals in San Diego and places as far-flung as Ohio and Kentucky. The network used the popular WhatsApp messaging service to communicate.

The FBIs Delacourt said the Mexican government was cooperative throughout the current investigation. The U.S. spends $100 million annually in Mexico assisting law enforcement and provided intelligence that allowed authorities there to take down Guzman.

Times Staff Writer James Queally contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

7:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the drug raids and comments from law enforcement officials and was rewritten throughout.

This article was originally published at 11:50 a.m.
Under a smoky haze, Larry Wiedey idled Tuesday in a parking lot outside a makeshift shelter at Mountain Vista Middle School in Lake County, where several fire refugees had set up cots and parked their cars.

Hes been camping there for three nights, displaced by what is now the largest fire on record on California. The Mendocino Complex  made up of the Ranch and River fires  continued to burn on both sides of Clear Lake. By Tuesday night, the complex had consumed more than 292,000 acres in 12 days and was 34% contained. Firefighters took advantage of cooler-than-expected temperatures to strengthen containment lines, slowing fire growth significantly.

No matter where you live, theres always some form of catastrophe, said Wiedey, who was camping at the shelter with his wife and their three dogs, Thang, Lucky and Mulderoy. It is what it is.

A few parking spaces down, Rick Travis was more restless. He said he has made several attempts to skirt past authorities to pick up his van stocked with his necessities: diabetes and allergy medication, food stamps, photos and important papers. He never managed to get through.

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In other areas of Lake County Tuesday, residents were allowed to return home as firefighters gained the upper hand on the River fire, which was 78% contained by Tuesday night. They still had a ways to go on the Ranch fire, which was only 20% contained. Flames were still active along its northern flank, pushing toward Snow Mountain Wilderness.

Were seeing fire behavior that firefighters have never seen in their careers, said Steve Kaufman, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. They move faster, theyre more erratic, more unpredictable, we have more wind on our fires.

California fire coverage: 18 blazes scorch 600,000 acres across the state 

In the wilderness, firefighters have to adhere to forest protection rules that could slow down containment. For example, they need permission to use bulldozers and other heavy equipment, said Paul Gibbs, a spokesman for the multi-agency fire response.

Despite its massive size, the Mendocino Complex has been far less destructive than other recent California fires. Less than 100 structures have been lost and no one has been killed. Thats in marked contrast to last falls firestorms to the south and west in wine country, which consumed thousands of homes and killed more than 40 people.

Travis said he knows how much worse things could have been in Lake County.

I know its going to be over and Im glad nobody has been hurt, he said. Its just frustrating.

President Trump said Tuesday that he was keeping a close eye on the California wildfires, more than a dozen of which have scorched more than 619,000 acres and destroyed more than 2,000 structures across the state. Almost 36,000 residents are still displaced from their homes.

Were going to have some meetings about it, because there are reasons and there are things you can do to mitigate whats happening, Trump said, offering thoughts and prayers to the families who have lost loved ones and praising firefighters. Ive been watching them go into areas where very few people would go. And some of them dont come out alive. Theyre risking their lives  so they can save our lives. My administration will do everything in our power to protect those in harms way.

Resident Arnold Lasker looks over the burned out remains of his girlfriends house in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP/Getty Images)

In Redding, firefighters were hoping favorable weather conditions would help them beat back the deadly Carr fire, which has claimed seven lives. The blaze has slowed in recent days, but continues to challenge firefighters with unpredictable wind shifts and spot fires that jump defensive lines, incident commanders said.

The Carr fire has so far scorched 172,055 acres since a vehicle malfunction sparked it on July 23 on Highway 299 near Whiskeytown Lake. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in the fire, which was 47% contained Tuesday night.

While firefighters have gained ground, the fires push to the southwest has some officials concerned. Winds could still blow embers that might reignite brush and other fuel sources, and the northern portion of the blaze has continued to burn in rugged terrain where firefighters cannot attack the flames directly.

A high-pressure system has kept Redding broiling in the triple-digits in recent days, but it is also keeping a lid on the fire by trapping the smoke in the Sacramento Valley, meteorologists said. The stew of heat and low air quality might be unhealthy for residents and firefighters, but the conditions are also keeping the flames at bay, officials said.

Even as firefighters are making progress on one end of the state, problems continue to spring up in Central and Southern California. A sudden ignition in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County quickly grew to 3,399 acres Monday, and the fire was visible from as far away as Catalina Island, producing a towering plume of thick smoke. Authorities had initially estimated the Holy fires size to be 4,000 acres. By Tuesday night, it was 5% contained.

A fire that broke out in the Stanislaus National Forest had burned 11,344 acres as of Tuesday morning. The fire has been burning since Aug. 1, but grew significantly over the weekend.

Meanwhile, near Yosemite National Park, weather conditions over the last few days have helped firefighters increase containment of the Ferguson fire, which has been burning for 26 days and caused the indefinite closure of Yosemite Valley.

As of Tuesday, the deadly wildfire had scorched 94,992 acres and was 43% contained.

The last couple of days have been good for us, Incident Commander Mark Von Tillow told reporters Tuesday.

Firefighters are working desperately to prevent a stubborn finger of the fire from moving northeast and into Yosemite National Park, where it can burn through dead trees and dry vegetation, essentially extending the life of the fire and producing a new set of problems for fire officials.

Its a critical piece, said Kelly Martin, chief of fire and aviation management at Yosemite National Park. Theres potential for long-term impact.

Reyes-Velarde reported from Ukiah, Tchekmedyian from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Joseph Serna, Ruben Vives, James Queally and Eli Stokols contributed to this report.
When Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended the companys decision to keep conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his InfoWars empire on Twitters social-media platform even after Jones got the boot from Facebook, Apple, YouTube and Spotify, Dorsey probably thought he had all of his defense ducks in a row.

He was wrong.

Dorseys tweets explaining that the guy who says that the Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax and that Hillary Clinton was running a child sex ring out of a Washington, D.C., pizzeria hasnt violated any of Twitters rules were met with a major backlash, with some users calling for a boycott of Twitters advertisers and others just calling for Dorseys neatly groomed head.

And the more he tweeted, the worse it got.

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After his too-brief defense of Twitters decision not to suspend Jones or InfoWars (The reason is simple: he hasnt violated our rules), Dorsey went on to place the responsibility for policing Jones and his fellow conspiracy theorists on someone else.

Apparently, Twitter cant handle guardianship of the truth.

Accounts like Jones can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, Dorsey continued, so its critical journalists document, validate and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.

In other words, Twitter is happy to spread the words of a social-media scourge whose followers hounded the parents of a Sandy Hook victim so relentlessly, they had to move seven times in five years. But making sure these words are true? Thats someone elses job.

Whether it is Russian bots sewing discord on Facebook or some random guy you follow on Twitter repeating the rumor that Ruth Bader Ginsberg is resigning from the Supreme Court, misinformation and outright lies are the toxic swamp bubbling beneath the chatty surface of our social-media feeds. And if you are in the business of spreading the words of your users, you need to also be in the business of booting users who spread words that are not true.

To their credit, the people at Facebook are at least making an effort on that front. It has been very late in coming, but Facebooks fight against false news now includes partnerships with certified, non-partisan fact-checkers (like the invaluable PolitiFact.org) that will help the social-media behemoth identify false news, flag false news stories and notify people when they have shared false news.

So there is that.

But while Dorsey admits that accounts on its very own site often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, he doesnt seem to think there is anything Twitter can do about it. He doesnt even think Twitter should try.

The truth is, journalists, fact-checking organizations and ordinary civic-minded citizens document, validate and refute false information on Twitter all the time. PolitiFact tweets constantly. So does FactCheck.org. And AP Fact Check. And San Diego Fact Check, a service of Voice of San Diego.

But to get the truths that these fact-checkers are passing along, you generally need to follow them. And social-media users tend to hunker down in their own bunkers with people who think like they do. Its hard to help people get a handle on the truth when they dont even see the truth.

Twitter cares enough about the truth to verify the identities of their account-holders. So if Twitters Powers That Be can manage to verify that, say, the Donald Trump you are following is @realDonaldTrump, shouldnt they attempt to make sure that @realDonaldTrump is telling you the real truth?

I suppose its possible that Alex Jones tweets somehow managed to skirt Twitters Hateful Conduct Policy. But shouldnt the constant pummeling of common sense, facts and evidence count as hate, when what you are doing is hating the truth?

At one point in his barrage of explanatory tweets, Dorsey said, If we succumb and simply react to outside pressure, rather than straightforward principles we enforce (and evolve) impartially regardless of political viewpoints, we become a service thats constructed by our personal views that can swing in any direction.

Once again, hes wrong. There is nothing more straightforward than the truth. And there is no principle more important than making sure people tell it.

Twitter: @karla_peterson

karla.peterson@sduniontribune.com
A hearing to determine whether a 20-year-old man should stand trial for the stabbing death of a popular Ocean Beach transient opened with a twist Tuesday.

Noah Jackson, 20, is charged with murder in the July 22, 2017 death of Walter Ras Riley, known on the streets as The Incense Man.

The first prosecution witness looked at a security camera photo of a man police believe is the killer, walking near the crime scene and wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Thats not Noah, said Caleb Wooldridge, 19, who had met Jackson for the first time several hours before the knife attack on Riley.

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Another witness, Harrison Ellis, a childhood friend of Jackson, also denied that he told detectives he could identify his friend from the surveillance photos.

I said it could be a possibility, Ellis told Deputy District Attorney Michael Reilly.

Reilly told San Diego Superior Court Judge Steven Stone that the case against Jackson will come down to identification issues.

Ellis, questioned further by the prosecutor, said Jackson told him that listening to people on the street talk about Rileys death ate him alive and he couldnt take it any more.

Jackson said he poked Riley because the man was with Jacksons girlfriend, Ellis testified.

Riley, known for selling incense on the streets of Ocean Beach for years, was knifed on the sidewalk in front of a Bacon Street clothing boutique store. One security camera video shows several people in a nearby alley and walking up and down Bacon before the attack.

A witness to the assault, Jamie Hill, testified that he saw Riley crumple to the ground and ran after the assailant. Hill lost him a few blocks away.

The prosecutor said some surveillance video shows the killer, a slim man in a hoodie, jeans and gray shoes, walking to the crime scene and away from it.

The prosecutor also said Jackson made incriminating statements that placed him near where Riley was found, bleeding from his wounds. The 65-year-old died at a hospital.

Jacksons lawyer, Eugene Iredale, said police got the wrong man.

He said at the very time  12:25 a.m.  that a 911 caller was telling San Diego police some people were chasing a man who attacked a transient, Jackson was on his cellphone talking to a friend.

It would have been impossible, Iredale said, for Jackson to hold that conversation while running hard down a street.

Iredale also said that the surveillance video shows the man in the hoodie apparently texting on his cellphone.

There were no texts on Noah Jacksons phone after midnight, the lawyer said.

Detectives focused their investigation Jackson, in part based on tips to Crime Stoppers after surveillance photos were made public. They arrested Jackson in February at a Huntington Beach medical facility. The reason he was in the facility has not been disclosed.

The hearing is expected to take two more days before the judge decides if enough evidence was presented to order Jackson to stand trial.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
A deadly collision between a human smuggling panga boat and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vessel off the Encinitas shore in 2015 was caused by the erratic evasion efforts of the panga boat driver, not the agents trying to halt the smuggling operation, a federal judge in San Diego has ruled.

The opinion by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller, filed Friday, clears the three federal agents aboard the M901 vessel of any blame in the crash, which killed a 32-year-old Mexican woman who was attempting to enter the U.S. illegally.

The judge rendered the decision after hearing testimony and argument during a two-day bench trial in May.

The parents of the deceased woman, Graciela Lopez Franco, and two brothers who were injured during the interdiction filed a lawsuit against the U.S. on claims of wrongful death and negligence.

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The panga, with 20 people aboard, was spotted by U.S. aircraft off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, late June 17, 2015, according to the testimony of Christopher Hunter, a supervisory marine interdiction agent with CBP who was commanding the agencys 38-foot patrol vessel.

About 12 miles off the coast of Encinitas hours later, the CBP agents saw the low-profile panga for themselves and took steps to try to stop it. It was about 2 a.m. and very dark.

None of the agents recalled giving verbal warnings over the boats loudspeaker, although several people in the panga testified that they heard commands to stop.

The agents activated sirens and flashing lights, and Hunter said the panga driver, outfitted in a yellow rain slicker, accelerated and turned away. The agents then fired two flare shot but the panga did not slow down.

The agents decided to fire shotgun blasts to disable the pangas engine and maneuvered the boat to bring it in close, Hunter said. Within a few seconds after the shots, the panga made a drastic left turn, colliding with the M901 and was forced under the larger boat while still moving forward.

It was chaos. People were frantic, clinging to items, even with life jackets on, Hunter testified. Life rings and heaving lines were thrown to people farther out and people were pulled into the M901.

Hunter and several others noticed a man sitting on top of the capsized panga but he would not let go at first.

Agent Craig Jenkins testified that at some point the man on the wreckage told him that a woman was under the boat. Jenkins, who was busy hauling people from the water into the CBP vessel, told the man to get the woman from under the boat but he did not react, according to testimony.

Franco was eventually found after the others had been rescued and pulled aboard. Agents performed CPR on her for 30 minutes but were unable to revive her.

Hector Lopez Garcia, a panga passenger who was injured in the collision and sued the government along with his younger brother, said he tried to take the throttle from the panga driver when the CBP boat flashed its lights and sounded the siren. But the driver instead accelerated and told Lopez to duck as bullets were flying above.

Lopez testified that the driver had been smoking something before and that he was laughing and barking like a dog during the CBP encounter. Maybe he was doing drugs, I dont know, he said.

CBP Mark Levan testified as an expert in marine interdiction tactics and said the agents properly followed policies and procedures  a position that the judge ultimately agreed with.

Levan said that the tactic the agents had used had been deployed 139 times  including 39 times in the San Diego region  without serious injury or death.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the force used was not appropriate for the situation, putting the panga passengers at unnecessary risk. Additionally, the approximately 94 seconds between the initial lights and siren and the disabling shots did not allow enough time for the panga occupants to surrender.

But the judge concluded otherwise.

The clear intent of the panga driver was to elude the M901 and avoid interdiction, Miller said. He further determined that the collision was solely caused by the erratic operation of the panga by the driver.

The accused panga driver, Jose Pina Espinoza, was sentenced in 2016 to 30 months in prison, while Salvador Sanchez Garcia  who admitted to helping with fuel duties for a cheaper smuggling fee  got 36 months.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
San Diegos decision-makers are mostly white, male and economically advantaged, according to a new report released Tuesday.

The 51-page report comes from the Center on Policy Initiatives, a San Diego think tank that has ties to local labor unions. Researchers assessed five governing boards and commissions from September to January, saying they were seeking a broad picture of public leadership throughout the county.

The review found that the five elected and appointed boards and commissions fail to reflect the rich variety of people, cultures and experiences in San Diego.

They are disproportionately white, male, and economically secure or advantaged, the report said. Few of the incumbents on the boards and commissions have the lived experiences to fully understand and connect with the challenges facing people of color, women, low-wage workers, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and other historically underrepresented people.

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Experts and representatives from more than 20 organizations unveiled the findings at a news conference Tuesday afternoon in front of the San Diego County Administrative Building, downtown.

Paola Martinez-Montes, director of the San Diego nonprofit Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, said that the report confirms how minority groups are underrepresented in San Diego government.

These are folks that dont like us and dont understand our struggles, Martinez-Montes said.

Over the five-month period, researchers reviewed and conducted interviews with leadership from the Escondido Union High School District Board, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, the city of San Diego Planning Commission, the Port Commission of San Diego and the Metropolitan Transit System Board, or MTS.

Kyra Greene, executive director for the Center on Policy Initiatives, said 12 out of 38 leaders were interviewed for the study. Many of them ignored or refused repeated requests for interviews, Greene said.

We think its very telling at how responsive, or not responsive, they were, Greene said. We used the same channels as their constituents, and in some cases, got more of a response than the average citizen, but still did not hear back from the majority of folks we reached out to.

According to the report, the Escondido school board and the countys Board of Supervisors are the least representative of their constituencies.

Escondido Union High School District serves about 9,500 students, 64 percent of whom are Hispanic or Latino, and more than a quarter are black, according to state education data.

All five trustees, including three women and two men, appear from photos to be white, the report said. Since none of them agreed to be interviewed, we were unable to ask about their self identification.

Escondido school board members are in charge of directing the districts $103 million budget. Its not uncommon for trustees to run unopposed for re-election. Three of the five current members won by default.

Greene said the group chose to review the Escondido school board, as opposed to a larger district like San Diego Unified School District, because of its diverse community.

If there was a place where it would be reasonable to expect representation of Latinos, for instance, on the board, that would be the place to look, Greene said. We also tried to not to focus too much on the city of San Diego because most of the time  that is where all of the focus goes, and a lot of people live outside the city.

The countys five supervisors oversee a $5.79 billion budget for most county departments and programs that serve the areas 3.3 million people. No one from the board responded to requests for interviews for the study.

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 46 percent of the countys population is white. About 34 percent are Hispanic or Latino, 5 percent are black and 12 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander. All five supervisors are white, the report said, adding that current supervisors also have socio-economic backgrounds that fail to represent the average worker in San Diego.

None of the five supervisors responded to calls and emails seeking comment about the report Tuesday.

The city of San Diego Planning Commission has seven members appointed to four-year terms by the mayor. The report said commissioners disproportionately live in neighborhoods with higher median household income, and the lack of representation from lower-income districts or low-income backgrounds affects the perspectives during deliberation and decision-making.

Four out of the seven planning commission members agreed to be interviewed in the report.

The study also identified structural factors that limit diversity and full representation, such as social networks that secure nominations, preferences for professionals from related industries and financial restrictions.

Except for the county Board of Supervisors, who made an average of $164,000 in 2017, the leadership roles are unpaid or include token pay for a considerable time commitment, presenting a significant financial barrier to participation by low-income working people, the report said.

There were some positives. The report said the Port Commission and the MTS board have become more diverse in recent years.

Ramla Sahid, executive director of the nonprofit Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, said its not just about race or money. Leaders backgrounds and life experiences help shape how they govern.

Life experience is not transferable and cannot be learned unless you personally live it, Sahid said. If we want champions for every person  we need representatives who really understand the circumstances of the people who live in this area.

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Dr. John Berger, a Hillcrest family medicine practitioner, wanted to inject cortisone into his patients knee this week, but ended up aborting the procedure when his office staff informed him that his supply of lidocaine had run out.

Without the local anesthetic, there was just one option.

I couldnt do it, because it would have been way too painful, Berger said. I had to send her on her way.

Eventually, he said, he was able to locate the doses he needed, but only at five times the usual price.

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Such is the nature of an ongoing lidocaine shortage, one of 106 current drug shortages listed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drug shortages, especially those associated with injection opioid painkillers, have been a continuous problem for medical providers at all levels this year.

A survey of San Diego County health providers found that, in general, the lidocaine shortage seems to be hitting independent practitioners in primary care the hardest. The largest systems seem to be doing better and stockpiling supply.

Kaiser San Diego, for example, reported having a four- to 10-week supply of the drug on hand, depending on dosage strength. Neither Kaiser, Scripps Health nor Palomar Health reported any procedure cancellations due to shortages of the drug also known as Xylocaine.

But that doesnt mean that Bergers experience was necessarily an outlier.

Virginia Herold, executive officer of the California State Board of Pharmacy, said Tuesday that she is aware of hospitals postponing surgeries due to drug shortages in California, including lidocaine.

Drug shortages are impacting patient health, Herold said.

Zeroing in on lidocaine in particular, its not clear exactly what is driving the current shortage. In the FDAs online database of shortage notices, one manufacturer lists manufacturing interruptions and demand increase as the main reasons why it has not been able to meet demand while another stopped making the drug and a third says its supply is backordered due to a manufacturing delay.

And, supply from a key compounding pharmacy, a company that mixes IV bags, pre-loaded syringes and other products, came under heavy scrutiny earlier this year for substandard manufacturing practices. On Feb. 27, the state board of pharmacy issued a cease-and-desist order to PharMEDium Services, citing 14 different quality-control issues and baring the company from shipping its products into California. In December 2017, the FDA issued an inspection report which took exception with some manufacturing practices at the companys plant in Memphis.

Are these issues contributing to lidocaine shortages in California? Maybe, but thats not the whole story, Herold said. Hurricaine damage in Puerto Rico, where many drugs are manufactured, is likely another part of the puzzle. Doctors are also more often using lidocaine instead of opioids when treating pain in hospitals. Hospitals, Herold added added, also tend to have full-time dedicated purchasing managers able to spot coming shortages early and stockpile the drugs they need.

Hospitals work very hard to make sure they dont run out, Herold said.

Dr. Ted Mazer, a San Diego ear, nose and throat specialist and president of the California Medical Association, said he, like Herold, suspects that shortages are being felt more directly in doctors offices than in emergency departments or surgical suites.

They have prioritized supply to larger providers, Mazer said. At the medical society, the lidocaine issue has not itself been the main issue, but we are constantly fielding calls from doctors on other medication shortages, especially for some opioids.

Mazer said that the growing number of drug shortages often defies easy explanation. He said it is incumbent upon the FDA to get to the root of these shortages and find a way to make the supply of bedrock medical staples like lidocaine more reliable.

It is reasonable to ask the FDA to step in and investigate the constant shortages of staple medications and determine how much of this is preventable, Mazer said.

Toward that end, the FDA recently announced a new Drug Shortages Task Force which, according to a statement from the agency, will delve more deeply into the reasons why some shortages remain a persistent challenge.

Our mission is to ensure that patients have access to the drugs they need. The task force will report regularly on its progress, the FDAs statement said.

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paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
A notable string of accomplishments in less than 12 months have made Diane Hansen a lock for the top spot at Palomar Health, despite initial plans for a nationwide search.

Today, rather than sifting through a stack of resumes, the hospital systems board is negotiating a two-year contract with Hansen, though some in the community have continued to call for directors to cast a wider net for CEO candidates to administer an organization with $732 million in net revenue, medical centers in Escondido and Poway, a skilled nursing facility and many outpatient services.

Its quite a statement of faith for the certified public accountant from Michigan who has not previously run a hospital, let alone two.

In the end, said Dara Czerwonka, chair of the Palomar board, it was a combination of the executives performance over the last nine months and the fact that five members of the public health care districts board face re-election in November that made a nationwide search seem like something of a wasted effort.

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Hansen, Czerwonka said, has not acted like a caretaker.

She cited the 49-year-old executives rapid resolution of union contract talks that had been stalled for 10 months, staff restructuring that reduced expenses by more than $3 million and resolution of a government investigation that declared parts of Palomars operation out of compliance with Medicare regulations as the kind of evidence that board members found too compelling to ignore.

All indications were green in terms of her performance, Czerwonka said. Faced with the very probable chance of at least some changes in the board in November, it was reasonable, we thought, to move ahead with a two-year contract with our interim CEO.

That stance has not stopped some from questioning the process. Dr. Marcelo Rivera, a local internist long affiliated with Palomar and a former hospital board member, said he has no problem with Hansen. But he said Palomar is big enough and complex enough to draw interest from a broad range of candidates.

I would have loved to see a national search, Rivera said. We are a great system, and we have the ability to attract a talented pool of applicants. If the current interim CEO comes out on top, fabulous, but it should be competitive.

Czerwonka said she is aware of this opinion. It was leveled at the board by public speakers at the meeting in May where she announced the boards intention to remove the word interim from Hansens title. But at the moment, the board remains resolutely on its current path.

I believe in Diane, I absolutely do, Czerwonka said. Shes exactly what this district needs right now. Thats why I have no issue standing up to people who, perhaps, are longing for years gone by or leaders gone by, if you will.

For her part, Hansen said she has tried to remain focused on her work.

She said Palomar staff learned last month that the California Department of Public Health does not intend to return for another survey after finding several times in a row that Palomar Medical Center was not meeting certain quality standards required for the hospital to continue billing Medicare.

The experience of responding to inspectors concerns, she said, was the kind of crucible that brought everyone together and got them to focus more tightly on quality.

I think, as an organization, we were complacent, Hansen said. I believe sometimes you get into doing things a certain way, and you dont have a fresh perspective to come in and reassess what youre doing. As difficult as the past year was, I believe it was a platform for us to make a significant change in what we were doing.

Hansen served for five years as Palomars chief financial officer before being named interim CEO. She came to Palomar from Indiana University Health, where she was director of financial operations for physician groups and ambulatory services for three years.

Her time at the university was preceded by a two-year stint as director of budget, forecast and planning for Indianapolis-based Wellpoint Inc., now Anthem Inc., the nations third-largest health insurance company. From 2002 to 2005 she was a financial analyst at Palomar Pomerado Health and was promoted to director of financial planning in 2005 before leaving in 2006.

Hansen said returning to Palomar, and Southern California, was about more than the weather. After time spent on the insurance side of the health care industry, there was a desire to return to an organization that directly cares for patients.

I love that we take care of people at their most vulnerable times when they need someone to step in and tell them things are going to be OK, Hansen said. Thats what resonates with me, and thats what we do every day.

Her vision for the future, she said, includes adding services. Talks are underway with Rady Childrens Hospital about expanding the size of Palomar Medical Centers neonatal intensive care unit.

Palomar is also working with Kindred Healthcare, which plans to break ground on a 52-bed acute rehabilitation hospital near Palomar Medical Center to replace capacity now located in Palomars recently-sold downtown Escondido campus. There is also a need for a parking garage to serve the new hospital.

Broadening Palomars offerings is important, but reinforcing a culture of service is equally important, Hansen said.

What I want the employees and the physicians to know is that it is a privilege to work here at Palomar, she said. Its a privilege to take care of the patients that walk through our doors. I think if we get everybody rallied around that idea, I think thats when we change culture.

Given that Hansens career and background is in finance, not medicine, she must be good at finding experts with deep medical credentials and experience to inform her clinical decisions.

Czerwonka, Palomars board chair, said the board has been pleased with the team that Hansen has assembled, including newly appointed chief operating officer Sheila Brown, a registered nurse who has served in a range of administrative roles since she came to Palomar in 1992.

One of her greatest strengths, I think, is her emotional intelligence, Czerwonka said. It isnt just about being a numbers person, it isnt just about being a dynamic leader, it isnt just about having a keen intellect. It requires myriad skills, and I think she has them.

When her contract is finalized, which is expected to occur in the next 30 to 60 days, Hansen would be Palomars first permanent female CEO. The late Victoria Penland served as acting CEO for two years in the late 1990s but withdrew from contention, stating she didnt feel she had the boards full support.

Hansen has two grown children. She is currently paid $720,000 per year in her role as interim CEO.

Clarification: A previous version of this article stated that Hansen served as Palomars director of financial planning from 2002 to 2006 as listed on the executives resume. Hansen clarified that she listed her highest position attained during the time frame but clarified that, from 2002 to 2005, she was a financial analyst at the health system.

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paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
In what could be model for a continuous funding source of affordable housing in San Diego County, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to begin negotiations with six organizations that plan to create housing for 1,000 people facing financial hardships.

The organizations were among 13 that submitted proposals seeking a share of a $25 million Innovative Housing Trust Fund supervisors created from reserves last October to help pay for affordable housing projects.

Three projects will be in the San Diego communities of Otay Mesa, San Ysidro and Southcrest, two will be in Vista and the other two will be in Poway and San Marcos.

Negotiations are expected to be completed by December, construction on most could start over the next two years and people could move in by 2021 or 2022.

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While the industry standard usually sees subsidized units remain affordable for 35 to 55 years, these would remain affordable for 99 years.

In all, the projects would represent $200 million in construction costs, would create about 500 units and house about 1,000 people, including the homeless, people with disabilities, families in need, seniors and veterans.

Gordon Walker, CEO of the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless, praised the board for creating an affordable housing trust fund, which he said was a key element in the success he had in reducing homelessness in Utah when he was director of Housing and Community Development in the state.

This can be the beginning of a very important part of a process that can be used consistently in San Diego, Walker said about the fund, which provides low-interest loans to developers.

By the time Walker left his position in Utah in 2015, the states trust fund had grown to $130 million and was being replenished more by interest paid by developers than by new money, he said.

During Walkers tenure in Utah, the state was credited with reducing chronic homeless by 91 percent from 2005 to 2015.

The state followed a housing-first model, providing housing for homeless people as a first step in getting them off the street and into programs to stabalize their lives.

San Diego County has adopted a housing-first model, but has been hindered by low vacancy rates and a lack of affordable housing.

Besides helping house the homeless, supervisors saw the new approach as a way of helping many San Diego County residents in need.

This is good news for so many families in San Diego, said Supervisor Ron Roberts, who had recommended creating the trust fund along with Supervisor Dianne Jacob in June 2017.

Roberts and Supervisor Greg Cox said they hoped other cities and agencies in the county would follow their lead in setting aside money to help fund affordable housing.

We need 18 cities in the county to realize theyre part of the solution, too, Cox said.

A 2017 study by the California Housing Partnership Corp. found San Diego County had lost almost 3,600 affordable housing units between 1995 and 2016, leaving 32,000 units as of last year.

San Diego Housing Federation Executive Director Stephen Russell has said the county has a shortage of about 142,000 affordable housing units, which are usually defined as a home that costs a household 30 percent or less of its income.

Following the supervisors 4-0 vote Tuesday, with Jacob absent, county officials will begin negotiations with six organizations.

In San Diego, Chelsea Investment Corp. is proposing the 139-unit Paseo la Paz in San Ysidro for families in need and the 42-unit Playa del Sol in Otay Mesa for families and people with developmental disabilities.

Also in San Diego, Townspeople is proposing the 52-unit Vista del Puente  already under construction in Southcrest  for families, homeless households with special needs and homeless veterans with special needs.

In Vista, Solutions for Change is proposing the 47-unit Solutions East Vista for homeless families, individuals with a history of substance abuse or mental illness and survivors of domestic violence, and Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. is proposing the 81-unit The Grove for seniors, with 24 units set aside for extremely low-income seniors.

In Poway, Mercy Housing is proposing the 54-unit Villa de Vida for adults with developmental disabilities.

In San Marcos, National CORE is proposing the 88-unit Villa Serena for families, homeless veterans and individuals with mental illness.

Besides those projects, the county also has plans to create affordable housing on 11 properties it owns, and plans already are underway for three.

In another project, the county has used federal dollars to expand the rehabilitation project of Vista las Flores in Carlsbad to provide 28 units for people with special needs.

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The U.S. on Wednesday cleared the way for a new round of sanctions against Russia after the State Department formally concluded that Moscow violated the international ban on chemical weapons with a nerve agent attack this year against a former Soviet spy and his daughter.

That determination  which Congress had been pushing the Trump administration to make since March  triggers mandatory sanctions under a 1991 U.S. law.

International monitors already had blamed Russia for the attempted assassination in Britain of Sergei Skripal and his adult daughter, Yulia, in March.

At that time, several countries took diplomatic action against Moscow, including the U.S., which expelled 60 Russian diplomats.

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Russia has denied any role in the attack.

The new sanctions will target national security and sensitive equipment, goods, electronics and technologies that Moscow seeks to import from the United States, senior State Department officials said.

It could hit as much as 70% of Russias state-run economy and 40% of its workforce, said one of the officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity in keeping with State Department rules.

U.S. lawmakers had asked the Trump administration to make the formal determination to trigger sanctions in March.

After the White House missed a two-month deadline to take action, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a second letter two weeks ago, pressing the president to act.

Critics say the administrations slow response was another example of Trumps reluctance to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Wednesday, Royce praised the new sanctions.

The administration is rightly acting to uphold international bans on the use of chemical weapons, Royce said in a statement. The mandatory sanctions that follow this determination are key to increasing pressure on Russia. Vladimir Putin must know that we will not tolerate his deadly acts, or his ongoing attacks on our democratic process.

Administration officials downplayed the delay in imposing the sanctions, saying it was because of the complicated nature of the measures. They noted that in previous applications of the same law  against Syria and North Korea  deadlines also were missed.

The officials also sought to dispel any idea that Trump dragged his feet or that there were internal disputes over whether to impose additional sanctions.

This is not about different bits of the administration going in different directions, the official said.

Trump also delayed enacting an earlier package of sanctions ordered by Congress to punish Moscow for its interference in the 2016 U.S. election and continued meddling.

The sanctions announced Wednesday could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the State official said, impacting a very great sweep of the Russian economy.

But they also said the new order would contain carve-outs, or exceptions to the sanctions, including space programs and foreign aid.

The sanctions will go into effect in about two weeks while Congress is notified, the statement said.

If Russia cannot demonstrate it has stopped using chemical or biological weapons within 90 days, the administration would be required to levy a second draconian tranche of sanctions, the official said.

The use of chemical or biological weapons violates the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson

UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: The article was updated with reaction from Royce and additional background.

The article was originally published at 12:40 p.m.
Adoptions of Russian children? Opposition research on Hillary Clinton?

President Trump has for the first time acknowledged that a June 9, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower was the latter. But he and his team have offered shifting explanations on the confab. Thats key to special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

A look at the details, the Trump teams shifting explanations of the meeting, and why it matters:

THE MEETING

The presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., had high hopes going into the meeting, according to a Senate interview and his own emails. Ahead of it, music promoter Rob Goldstone sent an email to Trump Jr. saying, The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. In agreeing to the meeting, the younger Trump told Goldstone, "[I]f its what you say I love it.

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Trump Jr. and other campaign figures, including Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, attended the meeting with high expectations. At the center of the session: Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and others with Russia connections.

The Trump team maintains that the meeting failed to yield compromising information on Clinton, Trumps Democratic opponent.

WHY IT MATTERS

It is illegal for a campaign to accept help from a foreign person or government. The U.S. intelligence community, members of Congress in both parties and even Trump have acknowledged that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller is investigating whether anyone connected with the presidents campaign conspired with Russia to tip the election in Trumps favor. Hes also looking at whether Trumps tweets, statements and other actions amount to an attempt to obstruct the investigation.

WAS IT ILLEGAL?

At minimum, the meeting raises counterintelligence concerns for investigators trying to determine foreign efforts to penetrate an American political campaign or sway public policy. But there are potential criminal concerns as well. Federal campaign finance law makes it illegal for a political campaign to accept a thing of value from foreign nationals, and its possible that opposition research  though not in and of itself illegal  could be considered in that category for these purposes.

It depends on motives and knowledge at the time of the meeting. Willfully soliciting a foreign contribution is a crime, Rick Hasen, a campaign finance expert and law professor at UC Irvine, said in a statement. You have to know you are doing something illegal and the courts would have to consider the opposition research from Russian agents a thing of value for campaign finance purposes.

EXPLANATION 1: IT WAS ABOUT ADOPTION

Trump Jr. said in a July 8, 2017, statement to the New York Times that the meeting participant primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children. The statement does not mention that he was promised damaging information about Clinton.

EXPLANATION 2: IT WAS ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON

A day later, the paper reported that Trump Jr. was promised damaging information about Clinton at the meeting. Trump, Jr., issued a second statement that read in part: [T]he woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs. Clinton. He added that No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. A few days later, Trump Jr. tweeted an image from an email chain he said disclosed his interest in getting incriminating information on Clinton from the Russian government lawyer.

EXPLANATION 2a: IT DOESNT MATTER

The Trump camp maintains that it doesnt matter anyway, because information on Clinton was never delivered by the Russians, or received by the campaign, in the meeting.

WHO WROTE THOSE EXPLANATIONS?

The New York Times reported that the president signed off on his sons statement, but Trumps lawyer, Jay Sekulow, repeatedly denied that through the rest of that month. On July 31, 2017, the Washington Post reported that the president personally dictated a statement in which Trump Jr. said that he and the Russian lawyer had primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children at the Trump Tower meeting.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that the president certainly didnt dictate the statement.

DID TRUMP DICTATE HIS SONS STATEMENT?

Yes.

In January this year, Trump lawyers John Dowd and Sekulow wrote to Mueller, in part, that the president dictated a short but accurate response to the New York Times article on behalf of his son, Donald Trump Jr. Dowd subsequently resigned from the Trump team. Sekulow said this past weekend that he had been acting on bad information at the time.

EXPLANATION 3: SEE EXPLANATION 2

The president appeared to change his story in a Sunday tweet in which for the first time he confirmed that the Trump Tower meeting was supposed to produce dirt on Clinton.

This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics  and it went nowhere, said Trump. He went on to distance himself from Trump Jr. and the meeting: I did not know about it!

QUESTIONS ABOUT A CALL

Trump Jr. spoke by phone several days before the meeting with a caller who had a blocked number, but said he didnt recall who the person was and didnt know if his father used a blocked number. He told the committee that he didnt alert his father to the meeting beforehand.

WHAT HASNT CHANGED

Whatever his explanation, Trump has consistently said he didnt know about the Trump Tower meeting.
A labor union has filed an environmental lawsuit seeking to block construction of a 72-acre project near Rancho Penasquitos that many consider a new model for suburban development in San Diego.

Merge 56 aims to be a densely built, walkable community with a sense of place, common in more urban areas. It would include 242 residential units, six-story office buildings, retail shops, a hotel and a movie theater.

The lawsuit is likely to delay construction of the project by creating uncertainty and jeopardizing some of the financing, developer Gary Levitt said by phone on Tuesday.

The union that filed the lawsuit, Local 89 of the Laborers International Union of North America, has requested Levitt agree to a project labor agreement for Merge 56, which generally imposes terms that are labor-friendly on the builder.

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Critics complain that labor unions seeking such union-friendly deals are increasingly using environmental litigation to gain leverage over resistant developers.

Whatever the motivation, the lawsuit raises several significant concerns about Merge 56s potential effects on nearby wildlife, greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion and cancer risk for residents in the area.

Merge 56, which the City Council unanimously approved in May, would be built on mostly vacant land immediately adjacent to the biologically protected Del Mar Mesa Preserve, which includes a U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge.

A comprehensive environmental impact analysis by the city determined that all environmental impacts could be mitigated to levels below significance.

But the lawsuit says that analysis is severely flawed in several ways, noting that Merge 56 would be built on the last big stand of old growth chaparral left in coastal Southern California and a large cluster of vernal pools.

The biological analysis is incomplete, inadequate and not supported by substantial evidence, says the lawsuit, which was filed last month by Local 89 attorney Rebecca Davis.

The 72-acre site is south of state Route 56, east of Interstate 5 and west of Interstate 15.

On health issues, the lawsuit says the environmental impact report fails to include a quantified health risk assessment of the project.

The EIR fails to disclose the serious cancer risks to nearby residential communities and an elementary school created by diesel engine exhaust emitted during the construction phase of the project, the lawsuit says.

The litigation also attacks the traffic analysis.

The EIR fails to describe the project in a manner sufficient to allow for an accurate assessment of the projects traffic impacts, as well as air quality impacts that are based on the traffic analysis, the suit says.

Finally, the lawsuit says the city and the developer should have considered shrinking the project to reduce its environmental impacts.

Levitt said agreeing to a project labor agreement in North County, where such agreements are rare, would put him at an unfair disadvantage compared to other developers. He said the state Legislature should prohibit the disingenuous use of environmental law by labor unions who are simply seeking concessions from developers.

Community leaders have embraced the project, which is a re-design of a development approved for the site in 2004 that would have followed an older model of suburban development: a big box shopping center surrounded by a sizable parking lot with apartment buildings and a self-storage facility nearby.

Thom Clark, chairman of the Rancho Penasquitos Community Planning Group, said by phone on Tuesday that he was disappointed to hear of the lawsuit.

The community learned what the design was all about and they embraced it at the end, Clark said. Everybody that came out to the meetings was supportive of the project.

Clark said he agreed that Merge 56 was a new model for suburban development, praising the projects sense of scale and variety of uses.

I think its a very livable, walkable environment that theyve proposed, he said.

Hilary Nemchik, a spokeswoman for City Attorney Mara Elliott, declined to comment on the litigation other than saying, We will review the complaint and respond through the courts.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
A man experiencing stroke-like symptoms on a fishing boat more than 70 miles off San Diegos coast was evacuated to shore by a San Diego-based Coast Guard helicopter crew Tuesday, authorities said.

Crewmembers aboard Oceanside 95, a 95-foot sport fishing vessel, contacted the Coast Guard around 11:30 a.m. asking for help for the ailing 62-year-old passenger, Coast Guard officials said. At the time of the call, the boat was about 72 miles south of Point Loma.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego rendezvoused with Oceanside 95 around 2:45 p.m., officials said. The crew lowered a rescuer onto the vessel and then hoisted the stricken passenger into the airship.

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The crew flew the victim to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he was admitted at 3:15 p.m. in stable condition.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
Investigators sought the publics help Tuesday to identify a woman suspected of charging more than $10,000 to fraudulent credit cards she opened using a San Diego residents stolen identity.

The suspected fraud began July 12 when the woman opened several credit accounts using the stolen identity at stores in San Diegos College Grove neighborhood and nearby Lemon Grove, San Diego police Officer Mark Herring said. She also unsuccessfully attempted to open several other credit accounts.

Before the victim realized what was happening and closed the accounts, the suspect had already charged more than $10,000 to the fraudulent credit lines, Herring said.

The victim does not know how the suspect gained access to their personal information, Herring said in a statement. Investigators with the San Diego Police Departments Financial Crimes Unit are still determining how the suspect was able to open the fraudulent accounts.

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Investigators obtained surveillance photos of the suspect, describing her as a roughly 25- to 35-year-old black woman with a medium build and blond hair.

Authorities Tuesday offered a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in the case. Tipsters were asked to call the SDPDs Financial Crimes Unit at (619) 446-1050 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
A 29-year-old man is facing a murder charge in the stabbing death of a man late last month outside a 7-Eleven in El Cajon, authorities confirmed for the first time Tuesday.

Antonio Jesus Muro was arraigned Thursday in an El Cajon courtroom. Hes accused of stabbing David Twofeathers Durbin on July 28.

El Cajon police released some information about the slaying on the Saturday afternoon that it happened, identifying the victim only as a 25-year-old man. Lt. Jason Taub said the victim was stabbed around 2 p.m. in front of the 7-Eleven at Jamacha Road and Washington Street.

The wounded man  now known to be Durbin  walked toward the store, probably to get help, and collapsed, Taub said that day. Medics took him to a trauma center, where he died.

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Police were told the assailant left in a white, four-door Oldsmobile. Sometime soon after, police received a report of a hot-prowl burglary on North Mollison Avenue, where a man had broken into the home while a resident was inside, Taub said.

Officers arrested the burglary suspect and noticed his description was similar to the man wanted in the stabbing.

Muro was booked into the San Diego Central Jail a little before 1 a.m. July 30, nearly 36 hours after the stabbing was reported. Muro pleaded not guilty to the murder charge Thursday, and a judge set his bail at $2 million.

Bail was set at my request, and the defense did not argue, Deputy District Attorney Clayton Carr said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

Carr provided details about the arraignment but said he couldnt comment on the case.

Muros attorney, Deputy Public Defender David A. Thompson, did not return a call seeking comment Tuesday. A police spokesman Tuesday afternoon declined to provide Muros name or other details in the homicide, citing investigative reasons.

According to court records, Muro has at least two prior felony convictions in San Diego County Superior Court dating back to 2010, and was sentenced to state prison on at least two previous occasions.

A preliminary hearing on the murder charge is set for Aug. 29. Carr said Muro faces 28 years to life in prison if hes convicted.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
Police were searching Tuesday night for an elderly South Bay woman with dementia who had reportedly been missing more than 36 hours.

Dania Josefina Lopez, 72, was last seen around 9 a.m. Monday leaving her home in the San Diego portion of the South Bay, San Diego police said. Her last contact with family members came around 6:30 Monday morning.

Lopez has been diagnosed with dementia and has high blood pressure, police said. She did not take her medication when she left.

Shes described as a 5-foot-2-inch, 150 pound Hispanic woman with brown eyes and gray hair. She was last seen wearing black pants with a dark shirt and brown vest.

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Anyone with information about Lopezs whereabouts was asked to call the San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
The White House is seriously considering a new policy that would penalize legal immigrants seeking permanent status for accepting healthcare services paid for by the government.

The rule, which is expected to be officially announced soon per NBC News, would change the definition of when a legal immigrant is considered a public charge to the government, and affect the decision over whether they qualify for permanent resident status.

The mere suggestion of the expanded policy has already had a real chilling effect on immigrants using healthcare services, Alberto Gonzalez of the advocacy group Community Catalyst told the Washington Post. Doctors have witnessed examples on the ground of people not wanting to access their local providers because theyre afraid if they take their kids for a checkup it will be communicated to the federal government, he said.

Since the beginning of the Trump administration, officials have been working on a plan to broaden a long-standing immigration law that takes into account an immigrants current and possible dependence on the government when considering whether to grant them legal status. For decades, the U.S. government has calculated an immigrant to be a public charge if they rely or are expected to depend on the government for more than half of their income.

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The current calculation considers whether the immigrant uses welfare or long-term care benefits, such as accessing a nursing home through Medicaid. The Trump administration is thinking about expanding the definition of public charge to include more public benefits -- such as other Medicaid services, subsidies to help pay for health insurance under Obamacare, food stamps and public housing, according to a draft plan obtained by our Post colleague Nick Miroff. Medicare services would not be included.

Homeland Security officials seeing decrease in legal attempts to cross U.S.-Mexico border 

The proposal is by no means a done deal. Once finalized, the rule would then be opened for public comments. But immigration advocates are already organizing a massive pushback campaign.

If implemented, the implications for healthcare would be sweeping. A new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine this month determined that the number of immigrants who wouldnt access Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) because of the policy would result in at least 1 million people becoming uninsured. Gonzalez said mental illnesses may go untreated, kids will miss pediatric visits, and families will forgo preventive care such as cancer screenings.

It will be a public health crisis, Gonzalez said.

Advocates say another effect of such a policy would be that legal immigrants may also refuse social services like healthcare because they think it will reduce the chances of bringing their kids, or other relatives, across the border to join them. The draft policy suggests an immigration caseworker could deny a visa based on the use of public benefits by anyone in the immigrant sponsors household.

Democrats are pouncing on this possibility following the uproar over now-ended separations of thousands of migrant families at the border under Trumps zero tolerance illegal immigration policy.

The proposal of such a rule is a back-door attempt to circumvent Congress and unilaterally restrict family reunification, Democratic U.S. House members wrote in a May 7 letter to the administration. Expanding the definition of public charge under this rule would in essence create a new authority to bar immigrants from obtaining legal entry or permanent resident status in the country by virtue of caring for their family through the use of social services that they are legally entitled to use while under their current status.

Judge pushes for reunification of migrant families still separated 

Even the possibility of change is already affecting behavior of legal immigrants.

An organization in Denver, called the Mile High Health Alliance, surveyed health providers to see whether theyd noticed a drop-off in their immigrant patients. Of those who responded, 87% said there had been a decrease in appointments made by immigrants since the beginning of the Trump administration and 66% said thered been an increase in patients expressing concern about having their personal information shared with other agencies that might jeopardize their continued residency in the country or legal status.

In June, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, sent a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget echoing those findings. Sadly the rule is already having an effect, regardless of the fact that it has yet to be released, social service providers in Minnesota report that just the prospect of this draft rule has begun causing children and adults to fear accessing safety net programs, he wrote.

Dr. Bernard Dreyer, a past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told me that many of his patients arent signing up for food stamps or for infant formula through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program out of fear that it will hurt their chances of staying in America.

California seeks Trump administration records showing separation policys impact on immigrant children 

Dreyer, who works at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, estimated about 90% of his patients are immigrants. He and the other pediatricians are discussing how to best communicate to their patients that no policy has changed yet and theres more potential damage if they dont get, for instance, proper nutrition for their children or routine immunizations.

I have patients who say I wont sign my kid up to preschool even though universal pre-K is not a means-tested program, but the fear is pervasive, Dreyer told me. Already a huge amount of damage has been done because of the fear in the immigrant community.

The rule is being written at the Department of Homeland Security, but this wont be the first time a Trump immigration policy change overlapped with the responsibilities of the Department of Health and Human Services. Readers will recall that HHS has been responsible for reunifying parents with their children who were separated at the border.

Asked for HHSs reaction to the effect this policy could have on immigrants health, a spokesperson responded in an email: As a matter of policy, HHS and CMS do not comment on alleged, leaked documents.

Most of the anti-immigration rhetoric from the Trump administration has focused on immigrants who are here illegally, so what makes this proposal different is it exclusively affects people lawfully admitted or seeking lawful admittance into the country.

It would even affect children who are U.S. citizens if their parents are not and thus afraid to take advantage of benefits. Immigration advocates accuse Trump officials of seeking to enact a policy that targets low-income, Latino or black immigrant communities where there are already deep disparities in healthcare.

In a call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said such a rule sets up an impossible choice for all but the richest immigrants. She said it would have the broadest effect of any immigration proposal in recent memory, with the potential to affect tens of millions of people.

A common thread is [Trump is] attacking families at their core, she said. This proposed regulation is at the top of their anti-immigrant wish list.

DHS spokeswoman Kate Waldman told the Washington Post in March that proposed changes are intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the U.S. are self-sufficient.

Its notable then that a study published in the International Journal of Health Services released Wednesday morning found immigrants pay more into the healthcare system than they receive. Immigrants account for 12% of the population but only account for 8.6% of total U.S. healthcare expenditures while U.S.-born individuals account for 90% of the population but 93% of expenditures, the researchers wrote.

Most of the data they analyzed were from before the ACA was implemented. But Wesley Boyd, a Harvard psychiatry professor who participated in the study, told me he believed the findings would now be more robust because there would be more immigrants subsidizing health insurance for native-born Americans than we found in our study, and that therefore the contribution that immigrants make to the bottom line of the U.S. healthcare system would be even greater.

It is unlikely that restrictions on immigration into the United States would result in a meaningful decrease in healthcare spending. To the contrary, restricting immigration would financially destabilize some parts of the healthcare economy, the researchers concluded.

Until theres a final rule, immigration advocates greatest concern is that immigrants dont seek healthcare services that they need now.

Were hearing stories about families worried that they want to sponsor a family member but counseled to get family off of benefits as to not jeopardize that family members visa, said Jackie Vimo, policy analyst at National Immigration Law Center. Immigration law is extremely complicated. A big piece of how this works is the chilling effect. The families who dont understand the nuances are going to play it safe.
Insider trading was a family affair for upstate New York Congressman Chris Collins, federal prosecutors charged Wednesday.

The Republican lawmaker, one of President Trumps earliest supporters, is accused of sharing inside information about a biotechnology company with his son and the father of his sons fiancee in a scheme that allowed them to dodge nearly $800,000 in stock losses, prosecutors say.

Congressman Collins, who by virtue of his office helps to write the laws of this nation, acted as if the law didnt apply to him, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman.

The securities-fraud charges against the three men stem from Collins relationship with Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech firm. Collins sits on the firms board of directors and is one of its largest shareholders.

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Manhattan federal prosecutors say the upstate New York congressman was at a White House picnic when he tipped off his son Cameron Collins, 25, that a new multiple sclerosis drug had failed a medical trial  a crushing blow for a company whose fate rested with the medication.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman announces insider trading charges against New York Rep. Chris Collins, his son Cameron Collins, Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins fiancee Aug. 8. (Alec Tabak for New York Daily News)

Cameron Collins immediately dumped more than a million shares of Innate stock and passed along the news to his fiancees father, Stephen Zarsky, 66, and others, the indictment says.

The public announcement of the failed drug trials caused the Innate stock price to plummet 92%. By dumping their shares early, the Collins clan managed to skirt stock losses totaling $768,000, the indictment says.

Congressman Collins cheated our markets and our justice system in two ways, Berman said. First, he tipped his son to confidential corporate information at the expense of regular investors, and then he lied about it to law enforcement to cover it up.

The three defendants surrendered to authorities Wednesday. They were arraigned in Manhattan Federal Court on a raft of charges including securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI.

The trio, after pleading not guilty, were freed on $500,000 bail. Collins, 68, kept his mouth shut as he left the courthouse surrounded by a scrum of reporters and photographers, and hopped into a black SUV.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called on Collins to resign. But in a statement to his supporters, the upstate legislator vowed not to give up his seat.

As I fight to clear my name, rest assured that I will continue to work hard for the people of the 27th Congressional District of New York while remaining on the ballot for reelection this November, it read.

Collins defended the stock sale at an early evening press conference.

I believe I acted properly and within the law at all times, he said. The charges that have been levied at me are meritless.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, soon after the charges were announced, kicked Collins off the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

While his guilt or innocence is a question for the courts to settle, the allegations against Rep. Collins demand a prompt and thorough investigation by the House Ethics Committee, Ryan said.

Collins vowed to fight the charges and remain in office.

I will remain on the ballot running for re-election this November, he said.

In a separate action, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Chris Collins, his son and Zarsky. The conspiracy also involved Cameron Collins fiancee, Lauren Zarsky, and her mother, Dorothy Zarsky, who both reached a settlement with the SEC, officials said.

Collins found out about the drug-trial failure via an email he received from Innates CEO while he was attending the White House congressional picnic on June 22, 2017, the indictment says.

The congressman replied to the CEO 15 minutes later.  Wow. Makes no sense, he wrote. How are these results even possible???

Then Collins and his son traded six missed phone calls over the next four minutes. They finally connected a minute later in a call that resulted in Chris Collins sharing the news of the failed drug trial with his son, the indictment says.

A photo taken at the picnic shows Collins talking into his cell phone.

The next morning, Cameron Collins sold 16,508 shares of Innate stock. He sold additional shares in the subsequent hours and days after the conversations with his father, the indictment says.

In total, he dumped nearly 1.4 million shares of Innate stock between June 23 and June 26. The massive sale allowed him to avoid roughly $570,900 in losses, the indictment says.

Chris Collins did not trade any stocks himself, and his holdings ultimately lost millions of dollars in value once the drug trial results were made public. Prosecutors say Collins was blocked from making his own trades because he was under investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics and his shares were held in Australia where a halt was put on any Innate share buys or sells.

The congressmans office later released a misleading statement to reporters that suggested his son had not sold any Innate shares prior to the public announcement of the drug trial, the indictment says.

Allegations of suspicious stock trades have dogged Chris Collins for more than 18 months. With Collins leading the charge, Congress passed legislation that would expedite the FDAs approval process for experimental drugs like the one produced by Innate Immunotherapeutics.

It was an open secret in Washington and in upstate New York that Collins convinced several of his businessman friends and fellow Republicans to invest in the stock.

Do you know how many millionaires Ive made in Buffalo the past few months? Collins was overheard saying into his cell phone off the House floor in early January 2017.

Collins isnt the only high-profile Republican who has made a mint selling shares of Innate stock.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price more than tripled his investment when he sold his shares in the company in Feb. 2017, raking in at least $225,000, according to public records.

A spokeswoman said Price, then a GOP congressman from Georgia, learned about the company from Collins. Price resigned as health secretary last September amid waves of criticism for wasting taxpayers money on pricey charter flights.

By the summer of 2017, the multiple sclerosis drug was the only viable medication in the pipeline for Innate, raising the stakes of the drug trial, authorities said.

Convinced that the results were going to be positive, Cameron Collins had earlier purchased more than 5 million shares of additional stock in the company. On June 20, 2017, his girlfriend Lauren Zarsky also invested in the company for the first time.

A year earlier, she suggested to her parents to buy Innate stock  and even alluded to Chris Collins insider role at the company.

Well always keep in touch with cams dad who Im guessing would know how things are looking as we get closer to the end of the trial, she wrote in a text message, according to the SEC filing. She followed up a few days later.

Ill make sure cams dad keeps us in the loop, she wrote, according to the SEC filing.

In their settlement, Dorothy and Lauren Zarsky agreed to return ill-gotten gains of a combined $43,000 and pay a civil penalty totaling the same amount, officials said.

Lauren Zarsky also agreed to stop working as an accountant for five years. She can then apply for reinstatement, officials said.

- With Stephen Rex Brown and Kenneth Lovett
Almost two years ago, when San Diego City Council members agreed to spend just over $200 million on a 20-year lease-to-own deal for a downtown office tower on Ash Street, they were told the place would cost little more than a $10,000 power scrubbing to make it ready.

The building had served as the executive offices of Sempra Energy and Manchester Financial  whose names graced the skyline during their occupancy  so would need little in the way of improvements for city workers to move in.

The council has since learned that the building will need more than a power wash, and members agreed on Tuesday to spend $30 million to renovate the mid-century office tower. Meanwhile the building will stand vacant, continuing to cost taxpayers $18,000 a day  as it has since January 2017.

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The unanimous vote did not mask the exasperation expressed by several council members over Mayor Kevin Faulconers handling of the purchase, which was supposed to save millions of dollars in future rent payments and consolidate city workers in a new property.

I feel like the administration has heard this councils frustrations over the last several months, Councilman Mark Kersey said before voting on the new spending. I dont want to re-litigate any of that. I think weve had ample opportunity to go through that.

The decision Tuesday was one of three options the Mayors Office put to council members.

The first choice was to forsake major renovations and move workers into the building as soon as possible without any fixes, an option that still would have cost $4.3 million but would also deny the city some $50 million in rent savings over the next 20 years.

Another alternative called for the city to spend $23.5 million upgrading five of the 19 floors, then moving in fewer employees. That choice would have saved about $1 million in lease payments over the next two decades.

But on a 6-0 vote, absent members David Alvarez, Chris Cate and Chris Ward, the council decided to spend more now in order to increase savings down the road. By spending just over $30 million now, the city expects to save $43 million in future rent costs.

I believe a complete 19-floor renovation is the most fiscally responsible way to move forward because it will guarantee that were getting the maximum use and efficiency out of this long-term investment, Kersey said.

The money includes almost $26 million in construction and other capital costs for contractor West Coast General Corp. and more than $4.2 million in finance and moving charges. On Tuesday, officials said they anticipate moving into the tower at 101 Ash Street by fall of 2019  later than the previous projection of late this year.

The council vote Tuesday is the latest twist in an embarrassing episode for Faulconer and his aides, who scoured the city for months for additional office space to house thousands of city employees downtown.

They settled on the recently vacated Ash Street tower in 2016. Then they told the City Council the building was in prime condition and could be occupied within months for the $10,000 scrubbing cost.

The original plan to move hundreds of workers into the office tower by July 2017 was delayed after city officials decided to place up to 1,150 workers inside the refurbished building -- about 350 more employees than initially expected.

The project was also vexed by unanticipated heating and air-conditioning upgrades, revised work stations, asbestos abatement, design costs and other expenses. The city initially estimated that tenant improvements would cost $5 million -- to be covered by lease credits agreed to by the seller, Cisterra Development.

Councilwoman Barbara Bry was especially pointed in criticizing the citys failure to identify the added expenses before the lease was signed.

An unfortunate series of decisions and events happened, which I wont recount today, and we are where we are, she said. In business, you look at something as a sunk cost at this point.

Bry also was bothered that no one at City Hall stepped forward to accept responsibility for the delays.

I dont want to know who did what when at this point, but I think the lesson is, going forward, an individual needs to be accountable for moving projects forward with timelines, she said. Hopefully this was a lesson learned -- an expensive lesson learned -- but one that hopefully will not happen again.

In a statement issued after The San Diego Union-Tribune first reported the lease-to-own transaction in April, an aide to Faulconer said the mayor was not pleased with how long this is taking and that the process following City Council approval should have been better.

Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin, who previously chastised city officials for how they managed the project, recommended the $30 million option as the most prudent decision at this point.

Improving the entire building all at once maximizes use of space in this city-owned building, Tevlin wrote. It also allows the city to consolidate more employees into one building, which positively affects operational efficiencies.

Under the agreement signed in January 2017, the city is spending $535,000 a month to lease the 315,000-square-foot office tower, plus operating and maintenance costs. That comes out to almost $18,000 a day for the unused office space.

In October 2016, the council approved Faulconers plan to invest just over $200 million in the building over two decades to provide additional work space for city employees. The building had sold for $72 million earlier that year.

City officials say the arrangement with Cisterra Development, which purchased the building from longtime owner Sandor Shapery two years ago, will save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over two decades by reducing the citys rental needs elsewhere in downtown.

The city, which has spent almost $11 million to date on lease payments while the building has been vacant, will own the property outright by 2037.

Staff writer David Garrick contributed to this report.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
El Cajon City Councilman Bessmon Ben Kalasho is suing his former attorney in San Diego Superior Court.

Kalasho and his wife, Jessica Kalasho, sued attorney Stephen Liosi this week, alleging that Liosis legal malpractice cost the councilman almost $40,000 in a legal judgment and a host of additional damages.

The lawyer owed plaintiffs certain fiduciary duties to act at all times in good faith and in plaintiffs best interests, the complaint states.

Liosi disputed the allegations, saying he acted professionally but was presented an unwinnable case.

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The deeper I got into representing the Kalashos, the more I realized theyd have great difficulties defending themselves against certain allegations, he said by email.

The underlying lawsuit accused Kalasho, his wife and their for-profit chamber of commerce of fraud and defamation. Among other things, they were accused doctoring photos of naked women to harass a one-time winner of the Miss Middle East USA Beauty Pageant.

According to that case, the El Cajon councilman also created a series of fake social-media profiles to post unflattering comments about the plaintiffs. The 2017 lawsuit also accuses Kalasho of offering to name another woman the winner of his Miss Middle East USA beauty pageant if she agreed to sleep with him.

Kalasho denied all of the allegations, and filed a countersuit against the accusers. A Superior Court dismissed the counter-complaint as unfounded -- a decision Liosi said he told his clients was likely. Earlier this year, the judge accepted the allegations as true when Kalasho did not appear to dispute them. Before that, Kalasho was ordered to pay almost $40,000 in legal fees to one of the plaintiffs.

Internet records showed that many of the social media posts came from the Kalashos home computer and another IP address at the Los Angeles area home of a family friend -- while Jessica was visiting the woman, court records said.

The matters traced back to their IP addresses would be virtually impossible to defend against, Liosi said. As I explained to the Kalashos, Who else would do something like that? Who else would have such a motive other than the two of you? I cant imagine a jury thinking it was anybody else but the two of you.

Neither Kalasho or his new lawyer, James Finigan, immediately responded to questions about the lawsuit.

Previously

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
Exactly a year after a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., the city has issued a precautionary state of emergency for the weekend.

The Virginia State Police will position about 700 additional law enforcement officials in the area from Friday through Sunday, according to the Daily Progress. The Virginia National Guard will also send 300 members and the city will enforce a security perimeter downtown beginning Wednesday evening.

Declaring this state of emergency in advance of the anniversary and the related planned events will help us ensure that the state and the city have all available resources to support emergency responders in case theyre needed, Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement.

Virginia continues to mourn the three Virginians who lost their lives in the course of the demonstrations a year ago. We hope the anniversary of those events passes peacefully.

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Heather Heyer, 32, was killed at last years Unite the Right rally, as were Virginia State Troopers H. Jay Cullen III and Berke M.M. Bates.

By declaring a state of emergency, Charlottesville mobilizes resources from state agencies, including the Department of Emergency Management, the State Police, the Department of Health and the National Guard, and concentrates them in the area, where officials are expecting unrest.

Jason Kessler, who organized the 2017 rally, was planning another one for the anniversary, but had his permit rejected by the city. Instead, hes planning a similar march on Washington, D.C., this weekend.
Instead of withdrawing from a lawsuit that threatens funding for a vital component of the most important waterfront development in San Diego County, the Airport Authority dug in its heels.

Remarkably, the authority is arguing the Port of San Diego does not have the right to collect a small fee from rental car users to build a 1,600-space public parking garage, integral to success of a new convention center and related 1,600 hotel rooms that will anchor the Chula Vista Bayfront.

Related: Why the Airport Authority is challenging Port fees from rental car agencies

This narrow view flies in the face of the type of regional collaboration anchoring a waterfront project that will create 20,000 permanent jobs and $2 billion in annual economic impact for the entire San Diego region. Its also just flat-out wrong.

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The Airport Authoritys precipitous action and meritless claims reflect a misunderstanding of its role as a tenant of public tidelands. The port remains the steward of all 6,000 acres of tidelands in San Diego County (which includes San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado) regardless of whom the tenant may be. No man is an island; neither is the airport.

The port is not just the landlord for the airport and owner of the land on which the rental car companies do business; it is a state tidelands trustee obligated to activate the entire waterfront. In fact, state law authorizes the port to collect a fee from rental car companies operating at San Diego International Airport, Lindbergh Field, or the airport to build convention center parking structures. This authority was left intact by the state after the airport separated from the Port of San Diego in 2003 and became a tenant.

Rental car customers use state tidelands  including those at the airport  to rent cars. Many of them drive those cars to conventions on tidelands and require parking. How can the port attract conventions without adequate parking?

The 535-acre Chula Vista Bayfront project, jointly managed by the port and city of Chula Vista, is a triumph for both economic development and environmental protection. More than 200 acres are dedicated to recreational and wildlife open space, balancing this regional economic engine fueled by a new convention center resort complex. The project will transform a largely vacant and underutilized industrial landscape into a thriving recreational, residential and resort destination.

It is a game-changing development that will provide the same type of investment opportunities in the South Bay that other parts of the San Diego region have long benefited from.

To finance a parking garage for the convention center and resort complex, the port is reviving a modest fee applied to rental car users  $3.50 per rental, or about 1.5 percent of the average three-day car rental. This is the same amount it collected from 1999 to 2006 to pay for the $29 million public parking garage adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center. The ports $3.50 per transaction fee is a fraction of what the airport charges rental car users  up to $45 per transaction  to pay for the airports new rental car facility. The port fee will terminate once the parking garage is paid for.

The Airport Authority did not challenge this fee when it was used to pay for the parking garage that services the San Diego Convention Center, as well as Petco Park, the Gaslamp Quarter and the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.

The authority did, however, recently join a lawsuit filed by two rental car companies challenging the ports right to collect the fee for the Chula Vista project. It did so without attempting to work out its differences with the port. It had several weeks to sit down with port leaders to discuss their concerns. Instead, the authority blindsided the port, joining a lawsuit seeking to wipe out the rental car fee.

This is about more than fairness for the South Bay. Its also a solid business proposition for the Airport Authority. Numerous Chula Vista convention attendees will fly into the San Diego Airport and many of them will rent a car. The Chula Vista Bayfront development is expected to generate 20,000 to 44,000 new car rentals a year, according to a new study.

Thanks to recent media coverage, the airport has initiated talks with the port and while that is encouraging, it needs to quickly produce results. The airport, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and The Hertz Corp. should drop their lawsuit. Their position is inconsistent with state law. Its also short-sighted and bad for business.

Padilla is a California coastal commissioner, a Chula Vista City Council member and former Chula Vista mayor. Moore is a San Diego port commissioner, former city attorney of Chula Vista and land-use attorney.
No one should assume that President Donald Trump, who was elected in large part on pledges of tougher enforcement of immigration laws, will ever back down on his promise to build a big, beautiful wall on parts of the U.S.-Mexican border that dont already have walls or fences  even though hes made little progress to date. U.S. Customs and Border Protection built several prototype walls last year near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego County, but the president has so far been unable to secure the $18 billion for his plan he sought from Congress in January. This ridiculously led him to warn last week that he would shut down the federal government if lawmakers didnt heed his requests.

That threat seems doubly ridiculous in light of a new U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Monday that provided ample reasons to explain why even Republicans who support an immigration crackdown should have their doubts about building a border wall. The 43-page analysis found that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had not undertaken basic planning steps to evaluate such factors as the cost-effectiveness and practicality of where to begin constructing the wall, given the different terrains near the border, or to establish metrics that could be used to determine where less expensive methods than walls could be used to increase border security. The GAO warned that because DHS is proceeding with the wall project without key information, the agency faces an increased risk that it will cost more than projected, take longer than planned or not fully perform as expected.

This report should surprise no one who has been paying attention to the Trump administration, which on its 500th day in June had not put forth candidates for 204 of 665 key federal jobs requiring Senate confirmation. While the president likes to blame Democrats for thwarting him, sweating the details hasnt seemed especially important to him.

But even Trumps biggest fans should expect more out of him. If the president wants better border security, he should strive to do so in a way that gives taxpayers the most bang for their buck. He seemed to agree last summer when he upset some of his supporters by saying there was no need to build a wall along all 2,000 miles of the southern border because of natural barriers such as rivers and mountains and because of the remoteness of some border areas. Now such pragmatism seems to have been replaced by impatience. This is no way to launch a multibillion-dollar project, and it gives credence to the theory that Trump isnt really serious about a border wall beyond delighting in using it as a divisive talking point.

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Remember when Republicans always billed themselves as the party of fiscal discipline? If any GOP members of Congress have anything approaching an elephants memory, they should remember what they used to consider a core principle  and tell the Trump administration to prepare a thorough, credible plan. Thats not politics. Thats just good government 101.

California already has one huge public works boondoggle  the states over-budget, behind-schedule bullet train project. The last thing Californians need is a second such fiasco at the international border.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
The Mendocino Complex fire in Northern California is now the largest wildfire in California history, a milestone it achieved on Monday night by eclipsing the 281,893-acre Thomas fire, which scorched Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in 2017.

We broke the record, Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean told the Los Angeles Times. Thats one of those records you dont want to see.

Comprising two different fires and spanning Mendocino, Lake and Colusa Counties, the Mendocino Complex fire had grown to 290,692 acres by Tuesday afternoon. It took only 11 days to become the largest wildfire on record. Its explosive growth means that the 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego County is now No. 3 on the list. By comparison, the Thomas fire took 19 days to become what was then the states largest wildfire.

Cal Fire describes the Mendocino Complex fire as extremely fast, extremely aggressive and extremely dangerous.

Heres a look, day by day, at how far and how fast the fire has moved. The maps, especially, show its massive growth.

Day 1  July 27

The Mendocino Complex is made up of the River fire and the Ranch fire, which keep roaring closer and closer to one another on two sides of a large body of water known as Clear Lake. On the very first day, Cal Fire gave an indication of just how perilous the fire already was; officials said high temperatures, rugged terrain and aggressive fire behavior had been hindering the efforts of firefighters and began evacuations.

Those conditions continued for much of the 11-day span.

Both wildfires began around mid-day. By midnight, heres what the Mendocino Complex looked like.

Size: 5,000 acres

Containment: 0 percent

Structures threatened: Multiple

Structures damaged or destroyed: 2

Day 2  July 28

By 7 a.m. on the second day, the wildfire had nearly doubled. It had tore through another 4,500 acres by nightfall. Firefighters faced heat, steep terrain and low humidity once again. Hundreds of structures were suddenly under threat in Mendocino and Lake Counties.

Size: 14,000 acres

Containment: 10 percent

Structures threatened: 386

Structures damaged or destroyed: 2

Day 3  July 29

The wildfire exploded in its third day, burning more than 10,000 acres overnight, threatening thousands of structures and requiring many more evacuations. Cal Fire expressed a need for more suppression and overhead personnel to help with the fight as harsh conditions persisted.

Size: 30,500 acres

Containment: 10 percent

Structures threatened: 10,200

Structures damaged or destroyed: 6

Day 4  July 30

Fire retardant is dropped near a home as a wildfire burns off of Keck Road, just west of Lakeport, Calif., Monday, July 30, 2018. Jose Luis Villegas/The Sacramento Bee via AP

More evacuations as the wildfire pushed deeper into the Mendocino National Forest.

This is a very fluid situation, Cal Fire section chief Charlie Blankenheim said. We want to make sure everybody understands that the evacuations changed rapidly yesterday. Same weather pattern today so we expect similar conditions.

Size: 55,987 acres

Containment: 10 percent

Structures threatened: 10,200

Structures damaged or destroyed: 6

Day 5  July 31

Cal Fire

From the fourth to fifth day of the wildfire, it grew more than a whopping 25,000 acres.

Size: 80,408 acres

Containment: 12 percent

Structures threatened: 12,200

Structures damaged or destroyed: 12

Day 6  Aug. 1

The fires are described as having rapid growth and 41 structures are damaged or destroyed, the largest number by far of any day so far.

Size: 94,912 acres

Containment: 24 percent

Structures threatened: 12,200

Structures damaged or destroyed: 53

Day 7  Aug. 2

Cal Fire

Size: 125,168 acres

Containment: 39 percent

Structures threatened: 8,200

Structures damaged or destroyed: 53

Day 8  Aug. 3

For the first time, the number of threatened structures fell as the course of the fire shifted.

Size: 157,450 acres

Containment: 30 percent

Structures threatened: 9,200

Structures damaged or destroyed: 107

Day 9  Aug. 4

Cal Fire

Size: 229,006 acres

Containment: 32 percent

Structures threatened: 15,300

Structures damaged or destroyed: 125

Day 10  Aug. 5

Embers smoulder along a hillside after the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, burned though the area near Clearlake Oaks, California, on August 5, 2018. NOAH BERGER/AFP/Getty Images

Firefighters were relieved to have a more stable weather system in the morning, but conditions had worsened by the afternoon, pushing the fire onward.

Size: 266,982 acres

Containment: 33 percent

Structures threatened: 9,300

Structures damaged or destroyed: 156

Day 11  Aug. 6

Size: 283,800 acres

Containment: 30 percent

Structures threatened: 11,300

Structures damaged or destroyed: 169

Day 12  Aug. 7

Cal Fire

The wildfires continue to grow and arent expected to be fully contained until Sept. 1.

Size: 290,692 acres

Containment: 34 percent

Structures threatened: 11,300

Structures damaged or destroyed: 169

For the most up to date information on the Mendocino Complex and other state wildfires, go here.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
It will be several more weeks before the Rancho Bernardo Road widening project between Bernardo Center Drive and Interstate 15 overpass will be complete, according to a project official.

Kurt Bruskotter, vice president of land development at Lennar, and Luis Schaar, a deputy director in the City of San Diegos Public Works Department, said the projects end is in sight when speaking at the Rancho Bernardo Community Councils Aug. 2 meeting.

I want to express my apology to the community for how long this project has taken, Bruskotter said in his opening remarks.

He said the expansion project  that began in February 2017  was to be completed by last December, but due to several reasons was delayed during its various phases.

The good news is that one month from now we will finish the paving, Bruskotter said. The bad news is that you, as a community, have had to deal with the construction.

Schaar, who at the Public Works Department is in its construction management and field services sector, said the addition of a third westbound lane toward the freeways on-ramp and correction of a partial lane on its eastbound side was deemed necessary by city officials due to the development of Del Sur in the Black Mountain Ranch area.

The developer when the project was first announced was CalAtlantic Homes, but now is Lennar  is paying for the endeavor, not the city. Bruskotter, who also participated in the February 2017 presentation, said it is a mitigation project for the developer since the new residents might use Rancho Bernardo Road.

Del Sur is a few miles west of Rancho Bernardo, adjacent to 4S Ranch.

The road widening is one of three Rancho Bernardo projects  including an already completed endeavor on West Bernardo Drive in the Rancho Bernardo Community Park area  plus similar work to widen Camino del Sur, Carmel Valley Road and some Rancho Penasquitos streets that the city required of the developer.

Bruskotter said while Lennar is funding the project, it is working with several subcontractors who are doing the work. This has led to some of the delays, along with coming across underground utilities not indicated on the maps they were given.

We are on the hook for the mistakes, Bruskotter said. The city is not on the hook.

The first delay was on the work completed at the northwest corner of Rancho Bernardo Road and Bernardo Center Drive, next to the Mobil gas station, where workers discovered a 3-inch steel high pressure gas line no one knew existed, he said.

We hired a civil engineer, but were only as good as the information we get, Bruskotter said.

That discovery meant a redesign of the project and additional coordination with San Diego Gas & Electric, leading to a four- to five-month delay at the corner. The City of San Diego was helpful in expediting permits, he said, adding once the new design was approved that segment was completed within three weeks.

But the new lane added by the gas station cannot open until adjacent lane work just west of it  including construction of a retaining wall along The Mercado property  is complete. That phase has led to another delay and about $1 million more in costs since a misreading by a subcontractor caused 16 wall pylons to be placed two feet into the citys right-of-way.

We had to go back to the drawing board, Bruskotter said of the new problem. After getting the redesign through the city relatively quick, work resumed. He explained that each time there was a problem, the project had to be shut down, redesigned and new plans reviewed by the city. Subcontractors and other entities  such as SDG&E and Cox  had to be rescheduled to return around their other work.

The tentative timeline now includes having final paving done by Aug. 29 and the lanes open by Aug. 30, though painting the lane stripes will not occur for roughly nine days after.

We hope to have traffic flowing by the end of this month, Bruskotter said, adding, It will help having a third lane and hopefully ease flow onto the highway.

Bruskotter said despite the months of delays, the project could have been worse if instead of having traffic travel along two narrower westbound lanes with a fence separating traffic from the construction site, traffic was funneled into one lane.

As for the eastbound work, that will create a full third lane from the freeway, which will serve as a right turn lane at the Rancho Bernardo Road/Bernardo Center Drive intersection. Originally it had a jog in that lane, so vehicles there were directed to merge left only to merge right a short distance later. That work should be completed when the westbound lanes are done and unknown utilities discovered there also led to delays, he said.

Hopefully by September were out of your hair, Bruskotter said.

Community Council member Tom Lettington told Bruskotter that in the projects early phases the council was shown detailed plans, but the members have yet to see them for this last component.

We want to see that plan and, if necessary, provide feedback, Lettington said. It would be better than having something done that doesnt meet requirements. Details he is interested in include lane striping, signage and signals. We can assess and put our minds at ease that you will do it properly, he added.

Bruskotter said he will show the council the requested information.

When asked what the city will do to see that such extensive delays do not happen with future projects, Justin Garver  City Councilman Mark Kerseys representative at the meeting  said the councilman is looking into various ways for the city to have more oversight and more frequent updates from those performing work in these types of projects. Options could include permit language.

There are delays that are unexpected, especially when digging into roads that have been down for a long time, Garver said. There is not a whole lot of ... construction control.

The private developer performing the Rancho Bernardo Road widening project has missed one deadline after another, and I share the communitys frustration with these delays, Kersey said in a statement on Friday. I am working with the mayors office on permit language that will strengthen the citys ability to hold contractors accountable to their schedule on future private projects in the public right-of-way.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
The return of monsoonal moisture should bring a tiny bit of relief from an extended heat wave in inland areas of San Diego County on Wednesday, but with that moisture comes higher humidity that could make it seem just as hot.

Some clouds from the southeast drifted over the county early Wednesday, and more are expected over the mountains and desert later in the day. The mountains and desert will see a slight chance of thunderstorms Wednesday and an increased chance on Thursday.

Hurricane John, which was west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula Wednesday morning, will have a minor impact on San Diego weather. The storm is not expected to send any moisture or energy this far north, but the position of the storm will affect the flow pattern in the region.

The coast should see very limited onshore flow, which means temperatures arent likely to drop much. The beaches should see temperatures rise into the mid to upper 80s  5 to 10 degrees warmer than normal.

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The inland valleys, many of which reached or topped 100 degrees on Tuesday, should have highs in the mid 90s on Wednesday. Hurricane John is also helping steer monsoonal moisture over the region through Friday.

Saturday through Monday, humidity levels drop and temperatures should be as close to normal as the region has seen in weeks.

San Diego has had an unusually hot start to August. Through the first seven days of the month, the average temperature, which combines the highs and lows, was 79.6 degrees  8.6 warmer than normal. Tuesdays high of 91 degrees broke the daily record of 87 set in 1983, and the high of 85 on Aug. 2 and 3 tied the daily records.

Through Thursday morning, the city had not dropped below 72 degrees all month, and five days set or tied records for highest minimum temperature. The normal low in town in August is 67.

The nighttime warmth has been mainly attributed to extremely warm coastal waters. Scripps Pier, where ocean temperatures have been monitored for 102 years, had its highest reading ever last week, with the water reaching 78.8 degrees.

The hot and humid weather prompted San Diego Gas & Electric to declare Thursday a Reduce Your Use day, in which customers on the Reduce Your Use Rewards program receive a credit on their monthly bills by conserving energy between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. About 80,000 SDG&E customers have signed up for the plan.

Staff writer Rob Nikolewski contributed to this story.

rob.krier@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2241

Twitter: @sdutKrier


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For more about Gay Haubners life in the North Country, read the other chapters in her serialized memoir.

The Cape Cod vacation of drinking, solo hiking, and free fish was over; I was back at work. I fretted over my imprisonment in my secretarial fishbowl and tried to figure out a way to escape to the editorial side of Viva. The insanity of my chocolate article  an article both the advertising saleswomen and the editorial staff hated, an article about candy only one percent of the world could afford, an article written by a secretary  was a Hersheys miniature of the insanity that Viva was at the time, a mashup of Vogue, Playgirl, and Ms.

The imaginary reader of Viva was a young woman with an unlimited budget for clothes and makeup (not to mention chocolates), who enjoyed sex with a wide variety of partners and without a shred of guilt, with literary taste that ran to Alice Munro and Joyce Carol Oats and who was a card-carrying leftie. Id love to meet that girl. Shed be my new best friend.

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The editors were on a mission to put Viva on the side of the angels, feminist angels anyway, with serious articles about the Equal Rights Amendment, sexism around the world, and profiles of firebrand womens libbers.

This antidote to Vivas penis problem (an experiment with the full Monty that did not end soon enough) was like grabbing the wheel of a car headed off a cliff and yanking it as far to the other side as possible, no matter what was there. Their concept of the Viva reader was the female equivalent of the man who supposedly bought Playboy for the articles, a reader so enthralled with the feminist content that she could ignore the gauzy photos of entwined lovers caught in the act, the ads for Penthouse, and the tips on how to make your boobs look bigger.

The sex advice column was replaced with features on notable but forgotten women in history, called, of course, Her Story. I managed to corner Viva editor Gini in the art department after days of bird-dogging her, toting around a tome on the French Revolution.

Gini, have you heard of Madame Roland? I asked and showed her an engraving of one of the most important thinkers and salon hostesses of the French Revolution; the engraving portrayed Madame Roland bravely ascending the steps of the guillotine (sent there by her male oppressors).

Rowan Johnson, Vivas art director, looked over and realized that here was camera-ready art and therefore one less thing for him to do: Yeah, Madame Rolaid, everyones heard of her, shes famous in South Africa, he said, and toddled off to lunch.

Gini gave her grudging consent to yet another secretary-written article, and I had my second byline in Viva. And despite my bad reputation as a mere secretary and a fake Pet, I began to worm my way into the good graces of the Viva staff.

Except for the fearsome Anna Wintour, the fashion editor. Kathy Keeton once asked me to deliver some notes about the fashion pages to Anna Wintour. I tiptoed up to her always closed office, thinking Thar be dragons here. To my surprise, my tentative knock (I was going to rap softly once and then dash back to my cubicle) was answered by a cracking of the door and a sliver of Anna Wintours face appeared, the part with the nose she looked down on me with. Yes?

I apologized for having to interrupt Miss Wintour with written instructions from our boss. Anna responded with an expression telegraphing no, she could not possibly read anything written by such a person as a South African. I backed off, curtsying my way down the hall, when she said, I have this jacket, and stuck her right hand out the crack of the door, holding on the crook of her index finger a brown and ivory houndstooth. Maybe you would like it. I was going to give it to my maid. It was an Yves St. Laurent and I wore it wore for twenty years.

I had barely snatched up the jacket when Anna shut the door on my face. I slipped Kathys hand-written pages under the door and immediately heard the rustling of paper being trod on by high heels.

(In 1979 after the tax break ended and Viva shut down, we broke into Anna Wintours office. It was a treasure trove  racks of designer clothes, shoes, and handbags, and bins of cosmetics, lotions, and perfume. The stuff was piled to the ceiling, as if the Collyer brothers had been fashion victims. It was a fluke that Anna had given me that Saint Laurent jacket, as apparently she never parted with as much as a lipstick.)

By the time I got back to Miss Keeton, she had forgotten about her notes to Anna Wintour and was in the grip of a brainstorm:

Gay, get me Gini and that beauty woman, Suzanna. Oh, andAnna Wintour here Kathy looked off in the air, as if trying to will Anna Wintour to appear.

I was not about to go back to the lionesss den.

Miss Keeton, I just dropped your notes off. Anna wasnt available.

Kathy sighed, out of relief or frustration, I couldnt tell. Well fetch that round-faced girl who works for her. That would be Georgia Gunn, Anna Wintours lackey and a lovely person.

Once I gathered everyone in Miss Keetons office, I headed back to my fishbowl.

Wait Gay, commanded Kathy. I want you to stay.

Was this it? Was I being promoted to the editorial staff?

Kathy spoke slowly as if announcing the discovery of the double helix. Vivaisgoingto

Run recipes? Go back to naked men? Shut down completely?

Do a makeover. Kathy sat back and awaited the accolades. I was the only one who beamed and smiled; nobody in that room had the nerve to tell Miss Keeton that even in 1978, the makeover was not a new idea; womens magazines had traded for years in the ugly duckling business.

Two actually. Well makeover Gay, she ordered, pointing at that insignificant person badly in need of a haircut who was standing in the back, arms full of page proofs, mouth hanging open. And that little brunette girl of Rowans meaning the art directors assistant, Wanda DiBenedetto. And that was all; we were dismissed to carry out Kathys demands.

A week later I had a day off from my secretarial fishbowl and telephoning perverts, a day spent in a photo studio being transformed from frumpy and cheerful to Green Steel. The new me looked like a sawed-off villainess in a made-for-TV spy movie.

After loading about ten pounds of slap on my face, the makeup artist finished her work by smearing on a lipstick the exact shade of my outfit: a gold satin shirt and matching knickers. After a costume change, the makeup woman was called on again to brush contour shadow on my chest, in a bootless attempt to make it appear that I had two real breasts under the man-tailored jacket.

I tried not to take those gold satin knickers personally. Georgia Gunn told me Anna Wintour had been so offended by the trite, hackneyed, boring makeover idea that she had refused to take any part in it. Plus it was not being shot in Marrakech or Tahiti.

Georgia, caught between Kathy Keeton and Anna Wintour, Scylla and Charybdis, brought the clothing to the shoot, threw it in our direction, and spent the rest of the time hiding in a corner.

The day after my makeover shoot, Stephanie Coombs announced her resignation; she had landed a book contract and was on her way to becoming a full-time writer. Hoping that I was still basking in the twinkle of the diamond bracelet, I approached Miss Keeton on bended knee and asked for the now-open assistant editor position. I got it.

That issue of Viva, where I was transformed into a cut-rate Morgan Fairchild, was where my name first appeared on the editorial masthead.

My freelance for Oui prepared me for my slight responsibilities as assistant editor. Like Oui, Viva ran 10-12 short pieces in the front of the magazine promoting new books, music, places to go, things to eat, stuff to put on your hair, face, and body  except for NO CLOTHES as decreed by Anna Wintour; she would have had my guts for gaiters if I encroached on her fashion kingdom by so much as a hat pin.

I also accommodated the despondent Viva ad saleswomen, further befuddling the Viva reader by plugging cameras  The Single Lens Reflex for the Single Girl, stereo equipment  Speakers for the House, cheap foreign cars  Drive Him Crazy, and booze  Cocktail Tease, lifting copy directly from press releases and hoping Id find a Technics turntable or a bottle of Galliano or a small Subaru delivered to my desk as my reward.

My goal was to get free stuff. I had barely got to taste the chocolaty fruits of my original Viva article. The first things I wrote as a real editor, even if only an assistant one, was on Viva letterhead to record companies telling them that my new position would include music reviews. The albums duly arrived, as did the occasional pair of concert tickets. Haircuts and manicures cost me only tips, because I wrote about new styles and trends from NYCs top salons  the salons that colored my hair and scraped my foot calluses for free.

Whatever was fashionable in beauty, food, music, nightlife, Vivas readers found in my little section, Tattler, three months after it had already passed out of style in New York City.
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2018 -- Baryte is a naturally occurring barium sulfate mineral and a part of baryte group. Baryte has great range of colors and varied crystal habits. It is found in the form of crystals in sediments and sedimentary rocks. It is also found in concretions and vein fillings in limestone, dolostone, sand and sandstones. Baryte is majorly found in countries such as Nigeria, Canada, Liberia, Mexico, Peru, Turkey, South Africa, Thailand, UK, China, Greece, India, Iran and Ireland among others. It is non-toxic, has good inertia, good stability, low solubility, high specific gravity and moderate rigidity that makes it an environmental friendly material. Baryte often replaces other minerals and organic materials such as fossils, shells and wood among others.



Baryte is a very important industrial mineral and has wide range of applications. Majority of baryte is used as a weighting agent for drilling muds in oil and gas industry to repress pressure and prevent blowouts. Baryte is also used as a pigment in paints and as a weighted filler for cloth, rubber and paper. Since baryte is a primary ore of barium, it is used to make wide variety of barium compounds such as chloride, nitrate, carbonate and hydrate among others which can be used for ray shielding. Baryte has ability to block X-ray and gamma-ray emissions and is used in hospitals, power plants and laboratories. Baryte compounds have been used in diagnostic medical tests where patients are made to drink liquid containing barium powder to get an xray of the soft tissue of the esophagus. Since barium is opaque to X-rays and blocks their passage, an image of the esophagus is possible. Similarly, barium enema can be used to image the shape of colon. The non-toxic property of baryte also makes it an ideal substitute of titanium dioxide in cosmetics. In addition, baryte compounds containing nitrites are used in manufacture of fireworks and ceramic glazes and baryte compound containing flurodes are used for infrared applications.



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The increasing demand for oil has lead to increase in the drilling activities of oil and gas industry, which will be a major driving factor for the baryte market. The rapid economic growth in Brazil, Russia, China and India has lead to increase in infrastructure projects and increase in demand for automobiles, which is likely to have a positive impact on the bayrte industry. In addition, a booming construction industry is expected to increase the demand for paints and coating, which will be another major driving factor for the baryte industry. However, the escalating world demand for baryte has resulted in price increase in recent years.



Asia Pacific dominates the demand and supply of baryte and is the fastest growing region for the baryte industry. China, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Paksitan and India are the key markets in this region. The Middle East and North Africa is also an important market for baryte with Morocco, Turkey, and Iran being key players in this region. Driven by the shale oil and gas exploration boom, demand for baryte is set to grow tremendously in the U.S. in the next couple of years.



Some of the important players in this market are Standard Industrial Minerals Inc, Excalibar Minerals LLC, P and S Baryte Mining Co., Ltd, Silver and Baryte Ores Mining Co. SA, International Earth Products LLC, Spirit Minerals LP and Milwhite, Inc. among others.



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Key geographies evaluated in this report are:



North America

U.S

Canada

Europe

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK

Eastern Europe

CIS

APAC

China

India

Japan

Australia

Others

Latin America

Argentina

Brazil

Others



Key features of this report



Drivers, restraints, and challenges shaping the Baryte market dynamics

Latest innovations and key events in the industry

Analysis of business strategies of the top players

Baryte market estimates and forecasts(2015 -2021)
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2018 -- Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate and is an important industrial and commercial mineral. It has broad applications as an industrial mineral due to its resistance to heat, electricity and acids and oil and grease adsorption. Talc has extensive commercial use because of its luster, softness, purity, fragrance retention, softness and whiteness. It is the softest known mineral and has a rating of 1 on the Mohs hardness scale. It can be scratched by a fingernail and is also sectile that means it can be cut by a knife. It has a specific gravity of 2.5 -2.8 and has clear luster. Talc is slightly soluble in dilute mineral acids and insoluble in water. It is a metamorphic mineral and occurs due to metamorphism of magnesium minerals such as olivine, amphibole, serpentine and pyroxene in presence of water and carbon dioxide. Talc is a tri-octahedral layered mineral and has a similar structure to that of pyrophyllite.



Talc can be used as an ingredient in paints, roofing materials, ceramics, insecticides, rubber, talcum powder and insecticides among others. It is also used by the cosmetics industry, pulp and paper industry and food industry. Talc is often used to manufacture laboratory countertops and electrical switchboards due to its resistance to heat, acids and electricity. It is used by the cosmetic industry as a lubricant and as a filler by the pulp and paper industry. Talc is extensively used to make astringent baby powders that prevent rashes covered by a diaper. Talc is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a glidant (a substance that is added to powder to improve its flow ability) and by the food industry as an additive. In the European Union the additive number is E553b. In medicine, talc is used as a pluerodesis agent to prevent pneumothorax or recurrent pleural effusion. Talc is also an effective dispersing agent and anti caking agent and helps fertilizer plants and animal feeds to function efficiently and can be used for fertilizers.



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The paper and pulp industry remains the largest global end market for talc and is the key driving factor for the talc Industry. The automotive industry, ceramics industry and the paint and coatings industry are the other major consumers of talc. The use of talc as a filler in the paper industry is declining today but the use of talc for the manufacture of under the hood automotive parts is substantially increasing that has further lead to surge in demand for talc by the automotive industry.



Asia Pacific is the largest market for talc with China, India, Japan, Bhutan, and South Korea being the key markets in this region. The Indian talc industry is the world's third largest and continues to grow due to increase in domestic consumption. North America and Europe are other regions with a substantial market share of talc. Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom are the major consumers of talc in Europe.



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Some of the major companies dominating the talc market are Imerys talc, Mondo Minerals, Golcha Group, American Talc, IMI FABI, Nippon Talc, Minerals Technologies Inc, the Jai Group, Aihai Talc, Behai Talc, Shuiquan Talc, Xin Talc, Haumei Talc, Guiguang Talc and Xin Talc among others. Imerys talc is the world's leading producer of talc followed by Mondo Minerals.



Key geographies evaluated in this report are:



North America

U.S

Canada

Europe

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK

Eastern Europe

CIS

APAC

China

India

Japan

Australia

Others

Latin America

Argentina

Brazil

Others



Key features of this report



Drivers, restraints, and challenges shaping the Talc market dynamics

Latest innovations and key events in the industry

Analysis of business strategies of the top players

Talc market estimates and forecasts(2015 -2021)
San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/08/2018 -- An investigation was announced concerning possible securities laws violations by Danske Bank A/S and certain of its directors and officers in connection with certain financial statements.



Investors who purchased shares of Danske Bank A/S (OTC: DNKEY), have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554.



The investigation by a law firm focuses on whether a series of statements by Danske Bank A/S regarding its business, its prospects and its operations were materially false and misleading at the time they were made.



Copenhagen, Denmark based Danske Bank A/S provides banking products and services to various customers. On July 18, 2018, Danske Bank A/S stated that it wants to pay back approximately $230 million earned in profits in connection with its alleged role in an international money laundering scheme involving illicit funds from Russia, Azerbaijan and Moldova, which were funneled through Danske's Estonian office.



Those who purchased shares of Danske Bank A/S (OTC: DNKEY) have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation.



Contact:

Shareholders Foundation, Inc.

Michael Daniels

3111 Camino Del Rio North - Suite 423

92108 San Diego

Phone: +1-(858)-779-1554

Fax: +1-(858)-605-5739

mail@shareholdersfoundation.com
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/08/2018 -- Albeit there are few players that dominate the global market for plant growth regulators, nature of the market is highly competitive on account of numerous small vendors that hold significant market shares. The intense competition in the market can be mainly attributed to the widespread foothold of leading market players coupled with their huge production facilities globally. These players compete on the basis of product innovations, cost and quality. A new report of Transparency Market Research identifies key players underpinning growth of the global plant growth regulators market that include WinField Solutions, Dow Chemical Company, Valent Bioscience Corporation, Nufarm Limited, Syngenta AG, Xinyi Industrial Co., Ltd., Somitomo Chemicals Company LTD, Bayer Cropscience, FMC Corporation, and BASF SE.



According to the report, an impressive expansion will be reflected by the global market for plant growth regulators between the forecast period 2017 and 2026. Sales of plant growth regulators around the world are poised to bring in more than US$ 3,000 Mn revenues by 2026-end.



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In a bid to curtail production costs and ensure crop protection, farmers are being prompted to employ new methods such as utilization of agrochemicals and organic farming, driven by increasing profitability concern. Adoption of these farming methods will create significant demand for the plant growth regulators, especially in agriculture-driven nations. In contrast, robust use of fertilizers in agriculture sector will constrain adoption of plant growth regulators upto a certain extent. Stricter regulations associated with use of pesticides will further restrain demand by shifting focus of farmers toward bio-based alternatives that are cost effective. Plant growth regulators seek extensive adoption in modification of the plant physiological processes, which include regulation of the plant metabolism and inhibition or stimulation of enzyme systems. Growth in textile industry in countries such as Turkey, India, Germany, Bulgaria, and China, will create high demand for cotton. Plant growth regulators are extensive used for the regulation of cotton metabolism, which in turn will augment the market expansion.



Tremendous surge in expansion of the organic industry is considered to be a major factor fuelling demand for plant growth regulators. Soaring awareness on health hazards apropos to utilization of chemicals in household and food products has been impelling individuals in shifting their preference toward organic food products. In addition, there has been a rapid growth of the pharmaceutical sector in the recent past, driven primarily by rising prevalence of chronic diseases, growth in aging population, unhealthy consumption patterns of consumers, and their changing lifestyles. Growing pharmaceutical industry entails the requirement for herbal medicines, owing to rising prices of their allopathy counterparts. Leading pharmaceutical companies have been making huge investments in research and development of plant-derived medicines for coping up with growing demand for herbal medicines. These instances will further create demand for plant growth regulators in the foreseeable future.



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TMR's report has profiled key participants driving growth of the global plant growth regulators market, which include BASF SE, FMC Corporation, Bayer Cropscience, Somitomo Chemicals Company LTD, Xinyi Industrial Co., Ltd., Syngenta AG, Nufarm Limited, Valent Bioscience Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, and WinField Solutions.
How could Trump let this happen?Rashida Tlaib set to become first Muslim woman in US CongressRashida Tlaib is set to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after comfortably winning her Democratic primary election in the US state of Michigan.The 42-year-old, who is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, won Tuesday's primary in the state's 13th congressional district, securing 33.6 percent of the vote, compared with the 28.5 percent her nearest rival Brenda Jones received. Bill Wild received 14.5 percent, according the Detroit Free Press.No Republicans or third-party candidates entered the primary, meaning Tlaib is set to win the seat in November's election for a two-year term that will begin in January.She is simultaneously running to serve out the last two months of John Conyers' term, who stepped down in December citing health reasons amid allegations of sexual harassment. That special election is still too close to call, according to the Associated Press, who said on Wednesday that Tlaib and her opponent, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, were in a dead heat. The winner of the race will also run unopposed in November's election and will serve out the last two months of Conyers' term."Thank you so much for making this unbelievable moment possible. I am at a loss for words. I cannot wait to serve you in Congress," she wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.In 2006, Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, became the first Muslim elected to Congress. He is currently running for attorney general in his home state. Andre Carson, a Democratic representative from Indiana, was the second Muslim to serve in Congress. He was elected in 2008.Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, described Tlaib's win in the primary as inspirational for women and minorities."There were records broken in terms of the number of women that were successful in these primaries, at least 11 women will now be running for governor in November and at least 182 women will be running for the House of Representatives," she said.
TORONTO, Aug. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avante Logixx Inc. (TSXV: XX) (Avante or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has acquired all the outstanding shares of Watermark Security Inc. (Watermark). Watermark provides alarm monitoring and cottage check services to a number of clients in Muskoka and the surrounding areas. Avante has executed a share purchase agreement (Agreement) with Doug Clendenan and Kim Clendenan (the Vendors). The transaction closed after market hours on August 7, 2018, with an effective date of August 1, 2018.



We are very pleased to acquire Watermark and we are excited at the opportunity this represents in the Muskoka region, said Craig Campbell, CEO of Avante Logixx. Watermarks underlying core business of providing complete security solutions to premium customers aligns well with Avantes core business and our renewed strategy. Muskokas slogan Once discovered, never forgotten is very fitting as we continue our geographic expansion. Watermarks current clients will certainly not forget Avante now that they have discovered us. Welcome to Avante!

Watermark is a family owned security systems integrator operating out of Port Carling, ON in the Muskoka Lakes Region at the "hub" of lakes Rosseau, Muskoka and Joseph. It provides services which include integrated alarm and video systems installations, guard response, property management and cottage property checks to a solid base of clients in the region. It is managements belief that the acquisition will have an immediate accretive impact both strategically and financially as Avante continues to execute on its renewed strategic vision.

Avante Logixx is also pleased to announce that in conjunction with the acquisition, Watermarks President, Doug Clendenan, will remain with Avante as he transitions to the role of Manager, Muskoka Region. Doug will oversee the region as Avante executes on its strategic growth plan. We look forward to working with Doug as we set a new standard at Avante and within the Muskoka region.

The proposed transaction is arms length and advisory fees are payable or to be paid in connection with the transaction.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities described herein in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities described herein have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under U.S. federal and state securities laws or an applicable exemption from such U.S. registration requirements.

About Avante Logixx Inc.

Avante Logixx Inc. (TSXV: XX) is a Toronto based provider of high end security services. We acquire, manage and build industry leading businesses which provide specialized, mission-critical solutions that address the needs of our customers. Our businesses continuously develop innovative solutions that enable our customers to achieve their objectives. With an experienced team and a proven track record of solid growth, we are taking steps to establish a broad portfolio of security businesses to provide our customers and shareholders with exceptional returns. Please visit our website at www.avantelogixx.com and consider joining our investor email list.

Avante Logixx Inc.

Craig Campbell

CEO

(416) 923-6984

craig@avantelogixx.com

Forward-Looking Information

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, may constitute forward looking information with respect to Avante within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, plan, continue, planned, expect, project, predict, potential, targeting, intends, believe, potential, and similar expressions, or describes a goal, or a variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, should, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward looking information, including, without limitation, the list of risk factors identified in Avantes Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A), Annual Information Form (AIF) and other continuous disclosure, which list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Avantes forward-looking information. In connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this and subsequent press releases, Avante has made certain assumptions about its business and the industry in which it operates and has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of Avantes normal course of business. Although management believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date the statements are made, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Avantes forward-looking information is based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and Avante does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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.




At a time of growing regional competition, DMCA is focusing its efforts on streamlining processes to make Dubai an investment-friendly and attractive environment for maritime companies from all over the world and the number one choice for companies looking to base themselves in the region.

We aim to provide the best marine services and develop them on the basis of innovation and intelligent transformation, says Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of DMCA. We are simplifying, accelerating, and facilitating government services.

Earlier in 2018, DMCA rolled out a new digital payment and services portal, which it hopes will enable it to process transactions and queries more speedily and efficiently, and reduce the number of visits to its customer service centres by 80% by the end of the year. The gateway allows users to track application statuses, verify crew and craft licence validity, as well as deal with penalty objections and payments, among other services.

DMCAs other main role is building and supporting a vibrant maritime community in Dubai. According to DMCA, Dubai currently hosts more than 5,500 maritime companies and 13,000 maritime activities, which in turn support more than 76,000 jobs. The authority regularly hosts workshops and training programmes and collaborative meetings between the private sector and key government bodies involved in the maritime industry.

As part of efforts to encourage knowledge-sharing and innovation in the sector, over the past year it has launched the Dubai Maritime Virtual Cluster, the Maritime Innovation Lab and Innovation Quay.

We have launched initiatives designed to improve the local maritime infrastructure, enacted new key regulations, adopted the best international practices, and forged important local, regional, and global partnerships, says Bin Sulayem.

Read More: DP World buying Drydocks World and Dubai Maritime City for $405m

DMCAs activities are shaped by the Maritime Sector Strategy, drawn up by the authority a few years ago. Enhancing maritime services, operations, and logistics services in Dubai is part and parcel of our strategy, says Bin Sulayem. We make this possible by promoting excellence, quality, and inclusiveness across key indicators such as shipping services, maritime legal expertise, and maritime insurance, to name a few.

We will continue to develop and implement strategic initiatives centered on nurturing a maritime environment that attracts leaders of maritime industries all over the world. We will also consistently provide all the necessary legislative and infrastructure to enhance the components of the maritime cluster, especially shipping, ports, maritime engineering, training and maritime support services. These components collectively form a strong foundation for maximising the contributions of the maritime sector to the local economy.

The maritime sector currently contributes about 7% of Dubais gross domestic product, equivalent to AED26.9bn ($7.3bn). The government hopes to significantly increase this proportion by 2030, although no concrete target has been made public. Norwegian consultancy, Menon has predicted that Dubai could become the seventh leading maritime capital by 2020, displacing some of todays established centres.

Learn more about innovation and smart shipping at Seatrade Maritime Middle East in October 2018
Warning vs rice hoarders, smugglers welcome, but...

NANCY ASKS WHY NO CRACKDOWN ON CARTELS YET

Sen. Nancy Binay today welcomed Malacanang's stern warning against rice hoarders but expressed frustration that for years not one smuggler has been charged, arrested or jailed.

According to Binay, despite the repeated warnings to those behind large-scale smuggling activities, no crackdown on warehouses of alleged rice hoarders and smugglers has been made.

"It's one giant step that the President will use the entire power of the State to go after rice smugglers and hoarders. It's good na natututukan ang problema sa bigas, pero ang nakalulungkot wala pa ring nakukulong o nakakasuhan hanggang sa ngayon," the senator said.

Binay expressed frustration that despite the numerous congressional probes and warnings, rice cartels continue to freely operate.

"I hope the government is serious in going after those behind large-scale rice smuggling activities. Ang usual na ginagawa kasi ay wawarningan ang mga smugglers at hoarders. The funny thing is, we're giving smugglers and hoarders a lead time to clean up their tracks. Sana, sampolan na agad--wala ng warning warning. Implement the full force of the law," she pointed out.

Law enforcement agencies have not made any major crackdown or arrest in spite of the intelligence reports.

"The DOJ, the DOF and Malacanang are provided with intel reports of the operations and identities of rice hoarders, cartels and their protectors, but sadly, since the 70s until today, not one president was able to stop rice smuggling," she noted.

The law calls for non-bailable charge of economic sabotage for illegal shipment of at least P1 million of rice or other staples.

Binay said she hopes the President orders intelligence agencies to unmask those engaging in economic sabotage, including firms and individuals who are guilty of committing acts inimical to the interests of the public.

"It's about time to walk the talk. These rice smugglers and cartels have cost the government billions in revenue, created artificial rice shortage, caused prices to shoot up, and threatened the livelihood of local farmers," the senator added.
Press Release

August 8, 2018 De Lima bats for creation of Philippine Road Safety Institute To avoid endless and wasteful experimentations, Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has proposed the creation of a specialized institute that would conduct empirical-based research, planning and development of road safety programs across the country. De Lima has filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 1897 which seeks to create the Philippine Road Safety Institute (PRSI) to look closely into the myriad aspects of road and transportation safety situation in the Philippines. "Road safety is a problem in the country, especially in highly-urbanized areas. It is considered a public health issue, having contributed significantly to the mortality rate," she said. World Health Organization noted that pedestrians make up 19 percent of road deaths in the Philippines, with road crash incidents caused by driver error, defective vehicle condition and bad road condition. Fatalities due to road crashes have also increased by almost 14.6 percent each year, according to the Department of Transportation. Under her proposed measure, to be known as the "Philippine Road Safety Institute Act of 2018," De Lima noted that PRSI would be attached under the University of the Philippines National Center for Transport Studies (UP NCTS). This arrangement would allow the university-based center for transport studies to provide empirical-based expertise and technical competency in road safety and transportation, the Senator from Bicol explained. While there are already existing programs implemented by the DOTr that aim to improve transportation management, De Lima noted there is still no existing institute in the country that looks closely in improving road safety infrastructures. "The PSRI mandate shall cover all aspects of road safety situation in the country," said De Lima, who now chairs the Senate social justice, welfare and rural development committee. Under SB No. 1897, De Lima explains the mandate of the proposed PRSI: to regularly collect data pertinent to road safety, develop road safety policy framework, recommend legislation and promulgation of necessary rules and standards to be adopted by government agencies, and develop road safety annual reports and related study, among others. Once approved into law, the PRSI is authorized to engage researchers and other professional staff from other government offices and agencies to conduct specialized studies and researches for the PRSI.
English Finnish

F-Secure Corporation, Half Year Report, 8 August 2018 at 09.00 EEST

F-Secure Half Year Report 1 January - 30 June 2018

F-Secure Acquired MWR InfoSecurity to Accelerate Corporate Security Growth

- Corporate security revenue increased by 8% in Q2

This is a summary of F-Secures Half Year Report. The full report is attached to this stock exchange release and it is also available on the company's website at the address: www.f-secure.com/ir.

Highlights of April-June (Q2)

Revenue was at previous year's level, and was EUR 43.4 million (43.3m)

Revenue from corporate security increased by 8% to EUR 20.0 million (18.6m)

Revenue from consumer security decreased by 5% to EUR 23.4 million (24.7m)

Deferred revenue increased by 10% to EUR 66.7 million (60.4m) at the end of the quarter

EBIT was EUR 0.5 million, representing 1% of revenue (2.2m, 5%), including 0.6 million of M&A related costs

Earnings per share (EPS) was EUR -0.00 (EUR 0.03)

Cash flow from operations was EUR 1.3 million (7.9m)

On 18 June, F-Secure announced the acquisition of MWR InfoSecurity. The acquisition was completed after period-end, on 2 July.

Highlights of January-June (H1)

Revenue increased by 3% year-on-year to EUR 86.5 million (84.2m)

Revenue from corporate security increased by 12% to EUR 39.4 million (35.2m)

Revenue from consumer security decreased by 4% to EUR 47.1 million (48.9m)

EBIT was EUR 2.7 million, representing 3% of revenue (3.7m, 4%)

Earnings per share (EPS) was EUR 0.00 (EUR 0.03)

Cash flow from operations was EUR 1.0 million (13.4m)

Figures in this report are unaudited. Figures in brackets refer to the corresponding period in the previous year, unless otherwise stated.

Outlook

New outlook for 2018

The company's new outlook for 2018 including the acquisition of MWR InfoSecurity is:

Revenue from corporate security is expected to grow by over 35% compared to 2017

Revenue from consumer security is expected to stay at the same level as in 2017

Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of EUR 14-18 million (More information under Alternative performance measures)

M&A related acquisition and integration costs in 2018 are expected to be 3.5-4.0 million

As previously communicated, F-Secure gives a new outlook for 2018. As of 2 July 2018, F-Secure includes the acquired MWR InfoSecurity in the Groups financials. Management remains confident in reaching the initial outlook for 2018 both in terms of revenue growth and profitability excluding the impacts of the acquisition. New outlook for 2018 is given to include the impact of the acquired company.

Old outlook for 2018

The old outlook for 2018 was:





Revenue from corporate security is expected to grow by over 15% compared to 2017

Revenue from consumer security is expected to stay at the same level as in 2017

EBIT is expected to be in the range of 8-12M

Outlook for the strategy period 2018-2021 is unchanged

The demand for cyber security products and services is expected to continue in strong growth and F-Secure aims to grow faster than the market. Revenue from corporate security is expected to grow above 15% annually during our strategy period 2018-2021.

Driven by the anticipated revenue growth and scalable business model, profitability is expected to improve significantly in the long-term. The management continuously seeks to balance the growth investments and profitability to optimize long-term growth and value creation for the shareholders.



CEO SAMU KONTTINEN





In June, we announced the acquisition of MWR InfoSecurity. As a result, we now expect corporate security revenue to grow by over 35% in 2018. The successful completion of this deal was a major milestone for us, as we had been looking for a suitable target company to support our strategy to drive corporate security growth for some time. MWR InfoSecurity is a globally operating cyber security company and well known in the industry for delivering both high-quality professional services and industry-leading solutions for threat hunting and detection. It is a great fit for F-Secure.

Our financial performance in the second quarter was soft. The 5% revenue decline in consumer security was expected for the quarter, but 8% revenue growth in corporate security was below our expectations. In total, F-Secures revenue remained at previous years level, and was EUR 43.4 million. While I was not satisfied with our topline performance during the quarter, we were able to meet our profitability goals. Overall, we remain confident with our initial guidance for the year both in terms of growth and profitability. That said, following the acquisition we are now issuing a new guidance that includes the financials of the acquired company.

In corporate security, our endpoint protection business was stable during the quarter, and we could see clear positive development with renewals at all-time high levels. New customer acquisition was impacted by the increased focus IT departments had to put into the implementation of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Also, some corporate customers are weighing the potential benefits of integrating new features for endpoint detection and response in their existing solutions, and are delaying purchase decisions in the endpoint protection market.

Overall, we continue to see significant business opportunities with detection and response solutions. The pipeline for F-Secure Rapid Detection Service (RDS) has steadily gotten stronger in several countries, customer satisfaction is very high, and so are the renewal rates for existing RDS implementations. Going forward, our position in this market will be further enhanced with the addition of MWR InfoSecuritys threat hunting solution, Countercept, into our portfolio. Combining the technology and know-how of our two companies we can develop a truly industry-leading product offering for detection and response.

The demand for cyber security services remained high, and we continued to successfully recruit new cyber security experts to grow our services organization. With the acquisition of MWR InfoSecurity we have significantly improved our position in the cyber security services market. F-Secure is now one of the few truly global technical cyber security advisors with hundreds of world-class consultants on four continents.

Overall, I am confident that we are targeting the right growth markets with our corporate security business. F-Secure is in a very competitive position to support the corporate mid-market and enterprises globally with both products and services. This is a strong platform to build our future growth on. In consumer security, the operator channel continues to be a strategic differentiator for us. With our broad offering of security and privacy solutions for all connected devices, we are poised to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in this market.



Key figures

EUR m

4-6/2018

4-6/20174)



Change 1-6/2018 1-6/20174 Change

1-12/20174) Revenue 43.4 43.3 0 % 86.5 84.2 3 % 169.8 of which corporate security 20.0 18.6 8 % 39.4 35.2 12 % 72.2 of which consumer security 23.4 24.7 -5 % 47.1 48.9 -4 % 97.5 Adjusted EBITDA1) 2.7 4.0 -33 % 6.6 6.9 -5 % 18.1 of revenue, % 6.3 % 9.3 % 7.6 % 8.3 % 10.7 % EBITDA 2.1 3.6 -42 % 6.0 6.5 -9 % 17.8 of revenue, % 4.9 % 8.4 % 6.9 % 7.8 % 10.5 % Adjusted EBIT1) 1.1 2.5 -56 % 3.4 4.1 -18 % 11.9 of revenue, % 2.6 % 5.9 % 3.9 % 4.8 % 7.0 % EBIT 0.5 2.2 -77 % 2.7 3.7 -26 % 11.5 of revenue, % 1.1 % 5.0 % 3.2 % 4.4 % 6.7 % Earnings per share, (EUR) 2) 3) -0,00 0,03 -103 % 0,00 0,03 -92 % 0,07 Deferred revenue 66.7 60.4 10 % 65.7 Cash and financial assets at fair value through P&L 79.8 80.7 -1 % 90.2 ROI, % 0.6 % 18.9 % 10.3 % 14.2 % 20.0 % Equity ratio, % 70.0 % 62.0 % 61.9 % Gearing, % -112.7 % -125.1 % -127.8 % Personnel, end of period 1,201 1,091 10 % 1,104



1)Adjustments are material items outside normal course of business associated with acquisitions, integration, gains or losses from sales of businesses, and other items affecting comparability.

2) Based on the weighted average number of outstanding shares during the period 156,953,567 (1-6/2018)

3) Earnings per share (EPS) excluding returned withholding taxes was EUR 0.05 for 1-12/2017.

4) As of 1 January 2018 F-Secure has adopted the new guidance on revenue recognition, IFRS 15, and therefore restated 2017 financials

Alternative performance measures

F-Secure has included certain non-IFRS based alternative performance measures (APM) as of the second quarter of 2018. Alternative performance measures are provided to reflect the underlying business performance, and to exclude certain non-operational or non-cash valuation items affecting comparability (IAC). The aim is to improve comparability, and alternative performance measures should not be regarded as substitutes for IFRS based measures.

Alternative performance measures include EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBIT. Depreciations, amortization and impairments are excluded from EBITDA. Also, the adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBIT exclude IACs which are material items outside normal course of business. These items are associated with acquisitions, integration costs, gains and losses from sales of businesses, and other items affecting comparability.

Events after period-end

Acquisition of MWR InfoSecurity

On 2 July, F-Securecompleted the acquisition of MWR InfoSecurity, a privately held cyber security company operating globally from its main offices in the UK, the US, South Africa and Singapore. As a result F-Secure holds 100 % of the share capital of MWR InfoSecurity. Total purchase price is estimated to be GBP 107.6 million of which the initial consideration of GBP 82.6 million was paid on 2 July. Deferred considerations at maximum GBP 25 million will be paid after 18 months from completion subject to the achievement of agreed business targets for the period from 2 July, 2018, until 31 December, 2019.

To finance the transaction F-Secure entered into bilateral EUR 60 million five-year financing arrangement with Nordea Bank. The financing arrangement comprises a term loan of EUR 37 million which was withdrawn on 2 July as well as a revolving credit limit.

The acquisition is a significant milestone in the execution of F-Secures growth strategy, and makes it the largest European single source of cyber security services and detection and response solutions. With close to 400 employees, MWR InfoSecurity is among the largest cyber security service providers serving enterprises globally, and their threat hunting platform (Countercept) is one of the most advanced in the market and an excellent complement to F-Secures existing technologies.

More information of the acquisition is available in the stock exchange release published on 18 June, 2018.

Press conference and webcast

A news conference for analysts and media will be held (in Finnish) at the Company's headquarters (address: Tammasaarenkatu 7, 00180 Helsinki) today at 11.0012.00 a.m..

A webcast for investors and analysts will be held (in English) at 14.00 p.m.

To participate in the online meeting, please click on the link: https://meet.f-secure.com/tapio.pesola/DCC6TV5L

To participate via phone, please dial in to +358975110100. The conference ID is 77394.

The material will be available at the company's website before the call begins: www.f-secure.com/investors .

Additional information

This is a summary of F-Secures Half Year Report. The full report is attached to this stock exchange release and it is also available on the company's website at the address: www.f-secure.com/ir .



Contact information

Tapio Pesola, IR Manager, F-Secure

+358 44 3734693

investor-relations@f-secure.com





Financial calendar

F-Secure Corporation will publish its interim reports during 2018 as follows:

Q3/2018: 2 November 2018

Attachment
Press Release

August 8, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 357:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Supreme Court's denial of her plea to appear and orally argue in the case re: withdrawal from the Rome Statute/ICC 8/8/18 I am deeply disappointed by the decision of the Supreme Court denying my motion, as supported by my co-petitioners, to personally argue the case on the government's withdrawal from the Rome Statute / International Criminal Court. Humbled and honored by the confidence reposed in me by my colleagues in the minority, I remain in earnest to be able to argue on an issue of transcendental importance that has both grave national and international implications. Human rights and accountability. These are the two torches that I have carried this past decade. Truly, taking on such a task of arguing before the SC in this case would be a natural progression of my decade-long twin advocacy for upholding human rights of all persons, and the holding of public officials accountable to their abuses against the people they ought to serve. The case is very personal to me since it reflects the hostility of the President to international human rights institutions and officials with whom I closely identify with as former CHR Chair. I felt that in arguing this case before the Court, I would also be defending them and fighting for the cause that we all hold close to our hearts: human rights and human dignity. My request to personally argue the case was also borne out of a desire to highlight the importance of the Philippines' continued status as a State-Party to the Rome Statute, and why Duterte is deathly afraid of it. This is Duterte ensuring impunity for himself. The withdrawal from the ICC is a self-serving act of the President, and is the best reason why the Constitution could not have contemplated that one man alone should be able to revoke and abrogate a whole nation's solemn obligations to the international community. Through our Petition, we, the minority bloc, are simply asserting the Senate's constitutional role treaty making and un-making. With this development, my co-petitioners and I will now decide on a proper course of action to ensure that we will be duly heard by the Supreme Court.
Press Release

August 8, 2018 POE: SET UP HOTLINE FOR MEDIA WORKERS Sen. Grace Poe asked the government to set up a dedicated hotline for media workers to report threats amid increasing cases of work-related harassment and killings. "This is a priority--a dedicated hotline [for the media]. It's really to report threats," said Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, who presided over a hearing Wednesday on media killings. The senator also said telecommunications firms can help in a way that reports sent through text messages may be free of charge. "We need a hotline. Matagal na nating hinihingi 'yan," Poe said. Poe said she will also push for media workers' benefits, such as hazard pay and insurance. The senator has filed Senate Resolution 820 directing her committee to find feasible ways and means to provide standardized social protection mechanisms such as health and accident insurance to the media. "This is also for the welfare of media in general. You could coordinate with other government agencies to provide insurance for high-risk groups," Poe told the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) during the hearing. From the time the media task force was created through Administrative Order No. 1 in 2016, there have been some eight work-related media killings. Asked about the "red-tagging" of some media organizations as alleged communists and being branded as enemies of the state, Poe said: "Supposedly this is already an obsolete presentation--it should never be a relevant presentation to begin with. Hihingi tayo ng reaksyon ng AFP kung bakit may mga ganitong presentasyon. 'Di ba sinasabi nga ng lahat na ang media nga ang tagabantay so dapat proteksyunan din naman sila at maresolba na rin itong mga kaso laban sa mga pagpatay." The media task force, currently chaired by journalist Usec. Joel Sy Egco, should be independent and composed of media practitioners. At present, media organizations, human rights groups and the academe are mere observers in the task force. "You know how legislation takes long. But in the process, I think we should be able to file a measure na magkaroon ng independent group for the protection of media practitioners...an independent commission...Sa ngayon na wala pa yan, ang puwede nating gawin ay ilaan talaga sa budget na mayroong mapunta sa task force na iyan. Sinabi na natin sa kanila na ang composition ng kanilang board ay dapat mayroong independent practitioners na miyembro, members of the academe at hindi lamang government officials para patas ang pag-iimbestiga," Poe said.
Press Release

August 8, 2018 Settling of Govt's P195 B IRA debt is federalism test case - Recto The first test of the administration promise that federalism will funnel more funds to grassroots is for it to immediately comply with the Supreme Court decision raising the share of local governments from national tax collections. "The administration is being presented with the opportunity to put its money where its mouth is, in a case that will prove federalism's model of granting the regions more money is feasible," Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said. "Kung hindi nila kayang pondohan ang isang desisyon na inutos mismo ng Korte Suprema, paano pa kaya ang gastos ng pederalismo na di hamak ay mas malaki?" Recto said. He said government compliance on the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) case can be made through the 2019 budget, "or to avoid breaching its P3.757 billion ceiling, which is not allowed by the Constitution, a separate law or a supplemental appropriations measure can be passed by Congress." "Bawal kasing magpasa ng isang national budget na ang total amount ay lampas sa hinihingi ng Pangulo, kaya pwede supplemental na lang," Recto said in explaining the supplemental appropriations route. "Kung sa loob naman ng 2019 budget kukunin ang kinakailangang pondohan - P195 billion - ay mahihirapan namang hanapan ng puwang sa isang budget na maliit na ang elbow room for alteration," Recto said. "Kung may off-budget means of settling this payable, pwede rin i-explore for as long as legal and fiscally-responsible, meaning hindi uutang na malaki ang interest," he said. The Supreme Court on July 4 ruled that the share of LGUs from taxes paid should be sourced from "all national taxes and not only national internal revenue taxes." The mechanism by which the taxes are plowed back to local governments is the Internal Revenue Allotment. The latter is apportioned as follows: 23% for provinces, 23% for cities, 34% for municipalities, and 20% for barangays. The Supreme Court ruled that in computing the share of local governments, collections made by the Bureau of Customs, and other fees collected by government agencies, must be included. Recto said the High Court ruling on IRA case proves that public funds can be sent to the grassroots without tinkering with the Constitution, but by way of ordinary legislation, Recto said. Recto has filed three "equal IRA share" bills, which contain other reform provisions like basing the IRA on internal revenues collected two years before, instead of the present three, and allowing the direct remittance of national wealth income, like share from mining, to host LGUs. "Pwedeng 50-50 or hating kapatid ang national at mga lokal. Pwedeng gawing 60-40 in favor of local governments . Pwedeng taasan pa based on a new division of labor. Kung decentralized ang ilang functions which LGUs can better do at less cost, then dagdagan ang pondo nila," Recto said.
Views on the outlook for The a2 Milk Company, the best performing stock on the S&P/NZX 50 Index last year, are widely divergent with one broking house this week reinstating an 'outperform' rating based on its potential for future global growth, while another downgraded it to 'sell' saying excess product is starting to build in Australia.

A2 Milk, which markets milk with a protein variant said to have health benefits, has had a meteoric rise in recent times, cracking a major milestone in February when it became the largest listed company in New Zealand by value, as its infant formula in China and liquid milk in Australia surged in popularity. At today's price it is valued as the fourth-largest New Zealand listed company although opinions on its future are mixed.

In an Aug. 6 research note, Forsyth Barr analysts Chelsea Leadbetter and Matt Dunn reinstated their 'outperform' rating on the stock, saying the specialised milk marketer has a key opportunity to evolve into a global dairy nutrition company broadening its product range, markets and position. While there are threats from growing competition, a2 products command a premium because of the company's sole a2 focus and its Australia and New Zealand base, they said.

"ATM has a product in demand and, despite unprecedented success to date, has only scratched the surface of the potential market in our opinion," they said. "Recent insights are predominantly positive to growing demand, while investment should support longer-term growth."

However also this week, Citi research analyst Sam Teeger downgraded his a2 rating to 'sell' in an Aug. 7 report, noting that while a2 is an exceptional brand with international potential, there are risks to expectations for its future growth given excess inventory appears to be building in multiple channels.

"A2 is emerging from multiple years of excellent execution," Teeger said. "However falling Australian daigou store prices and increasingly dated manufacturing dates suggests excess inventory is likely building domestically. Despite its strong brand, we downgrade our recommendation to 'Sell' as we see downside risks to consensus FY19e sales growth expectations of 35 percent."

A2 Milk is due to report its annual earnings on Aug. 22, and the company said last month that annual sales lifted 68 percent to $922 million and it expects to maintain an earnings margin of about 30 percent in the coming year even with increased spending.

In mid-afternoon trading today, the company's shares slipped 0.8 percent to $10.47, having so far this year traded as low as $7.68 in January and touched a high of $14.62 in February. The stock has gained 31 percent so far this year, outpacing a 5.7 percent gain in the benchmark index.

(BusinessDesk)

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Vital Healthcare Property Trust saw adjusted earnings grow in 2018 as it continued to invest and expand throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The listed hospital owner and developer's adjusted funds from operations - the preferred measure of listed property investors - rose 4.5 percent to $49.5 million in the year ended June 30. The figures are adjusted for a one-off $13.8 million benefit in 2017 from a lease termination receipt.

The hospital investor has been expanding and diversifying its portfolio since it raised $160 million in a rights issue in 2016, and spent $194.7 million on acquisitions in the year. It bought four sites adjacent to its existing private hospitals in Australia in the year, for a total of A$9.6 million, so it can expand in future to meet forecast ongoing healthcare demand.

The company has committed to spending $112 million on development over the next four years, with plans to spend A$8.6 million by the end of the year on two hospital projects, and $4 million on building Wellingtons first radiation oncology centre at Bowen Hospital.

We start 2019 with Vitals portfolio and financial position ready to withstand short term headwinds, particularly in Australia for hospital operators, balanced by a relatively positive outlook in New Zealand," said David Carr, chief executive of manager NorthWest Healthcare Properties Management.

"Vitals investment thesis is backed by underlying long-term trends. We continue to see, and believe, in the strong demographic and technological trends driving demand for healthcare services  especially those delivered from quality healthcare infrastructure and by market leading operators, like those in Vitals portfolio."

Vital Healthcare's net profit dropped to $100 million, from $217.6 million a year earlier. Net property income rose 1.1 percent in the year to $90.6 million, and the biggest impact on net profit was a lower revaluation gain on investment property, at $85.5 million in 2018 from $168.5 million a year earlier. Its 42 properties - 12 in New Zealand and 30 in Australia - are at a 99.3 percent occupancy rate with a weighted average lease term of 18.2 years.

Expenses also grew, with management fees rising to $11.9 million from $8 million in 2017, and incentive fees of $13.1 million from $12.3 million, which Vital said in a statement was as a result of revaluation gains. The value of Vital's property portfolio rose to $1.73 billion as at June 30, from $1.38 billion a year earlier.

Vital's bank debt has expanded to $668.7 million from $401.9 million a year earlier. It renewed two tranches of debt in June, putting its weighted average debt maturity at 3.1 years, and has $114 million of headroom from $64 million a year earlier.

In early May, Vital's manager NorthWest Healthcare Properties bought a 10.1 percent interest in ASX-listed Healthscope, Australias second-largest private hospital operator, acquiring 176.1 million shares through a derivative transaction at A$2.39 per share. At that time, NWH said it and Vital "currently intend to pursue any potential Healthscope real estate acquisition jointly, with scope to introduce other capital partners as appropriate."

Healthscope, which owns 45 hospitals in Australia, was then entertaining two takeover offers - one from Brookfield Asset Management and another from private equity firm BGH and Australian Super - but rejected both later that month and gave an earnings downgrade. Since then, Healthscope has sold its Asian pathology businesses for A$279 million. It is set to give a full earnings update on August 21st.

Vital said today it has incurred $3.6 million in strategic transaction costs towards acquiring that Healthscope interest, which it said was a "generational opportunity to jointly acquire a sizeable, quality portfolio of Australian private hospital real estate assets concentrated in large metropolitan centres."

In a presentation accompanying today's results, Vital said Healthscope's underlying real estate "is (and has always been) of significant strategic interest", and the 10 percent stake gives it influence and flexibility. Vital's next steps are to "monitor situation, develop strategic and tactical plan to execute at appropriate time", it said.

The board will pay a second-quarter distribution of 2.1875 cents per unit on Sept. 20, pushing the annual dividend to 8.5625 cents per unit, ahead of the 8.5 cents guidance. It said the 2019 dividend will total 8.75 cents per.

Vital units dipped 0.5 percent to $2.145, and have declined 2.5 percent this year.

(BusinessDesk)

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AURORA, Ontario, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Magna International Inc. (TSX: MG; NYSE: MGA) today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Please click HERE for full second quarter Financial Statements and MD&A. Record second quarter sales, up 12% year over year to $10.3 billion

Record second quarter diluted earnings per share of $1.77, increased 23%

Record second quarter Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.67, up 15%

Returned $844 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends

Full year outlook reduced to reflect stronger U.S. dollar, developments in our transmission joint venture operations, and estimated impact of tariffs

THREE MONTHS ENDED

JUNE 30, SIX MONTHS ENDED

JUNE 30, 2018 2017(2) 2018 2017(2) Reported Sales $ 10,280 $ 9,140 $ 21,072 $ 18,040 Income from operations before income taxes $ 819 $ 744 $ 1,670 $ 1,537 Net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 626 $ 548 $ 1,286 $ 1,125 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.77 $ 1.44 $ 3.60 $ 2.95 Non-GAAP Financial Measures (1) Adjusted EBIT $ 803 $ 758 $ 1,678 $ 1,576 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 1.67 $ 1.45 $ 3.51 $ 2.97 All results are reported in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share figures, which are in U.S. dollars. (1) Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted diluted earnings per share and Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales are Non-GAAP financial measures that have no standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP, and as a result may not be comparable to the calculation of similar measures by other companies. A reconciliation of these Non-GAAP financial measures is included in the back of this press release. (2) 2017 amounts included in this Press Release have been adjusted for our adoption of the new revenue standard (Accounting Standard Codification 606) and recast for our new reportable segments.

THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018

We set second quarter records for sales, Adjusted EBIT and Adjusted EPS, and returned $844 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. Our Body Exteriors & Structures and Seating Systems segments both performed in line with our expectations in the second quarter of 2018, excluding the negative sales and earnings impact to our business from the fire at a Tier 1 supplier that disrupted vehicle production at a number of our customers. Our Complete Vehicles business experienced lower vehicle production of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class in the second quarter of 2018, partly as anticipated due to the changeover to the new version in the quarter, and partly due to two unrelated supplier issues on the launch of the program. The lower production on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, together with higher launch and other costs negatively impacted our Complete Vehicles sales and Adjusted EBIT. Our Power & Vision segments consolidated operations performed in line with our expectations in the second quarter, however the performance of our transmission joint venture operations, for which we equity-account, was below our expectations. A write-down of inventory and receivables, an expected commercial pricing settlement that did not materialize, higher warranty costs, and lower production volumes on certain transmission programs together led to equity income that, while being higher than the second quarter of 2017, was lower than our expectations. Lastly, in our Corporate and Other segment we experienced a $22 million unfavourable impact of foreign exchange losses in the second quarter of 2018 compared to foreign exchange gains in the second quarter of 2017 related to the re-measurement of net deferred tax assets.

On a consolidated basis, we posted sales of $10.28 billion for the second quarter of 2018, an increase of 12% over the second quarter of 2017. The strong growth was achieved in a period in which light vehicle production was essentially unchanged in North America and increased 7% in Europe. We delivered sales growth in each of our operating segments. Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation and net divestitures, sales increased 9%.

Adjusted EBIT increased 6% to $803 million in the second quarter of 2018 resulting in an adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales of 7.8% in the second quarter of 2018 compared to 8.3% in the second quarter of 2017. This margin decline was largely driven by an increase in the proportion of sales generated in our Complete Vehicles segment, which have a significantly lower margin as a percentage of sales than our consolidated average.

Income from operations before income taxes and net income attributable to Magna International Inc. were $819 million and $626 million for the second quarter of 2018, increases of 10% and 14%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of 2017.

Diluted earnings per share increased 23% to $1.77 in the second quarter of 2018, reflecting higher income from operations before income taxes, a lower income tax rate primarily as a result of U.S. tax reform, and the favourable impact of a reduced share count. Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 15% to $1.67 compared to $1.45 for the second quarter of 2017.

In the second quarter of 2018, we generated cash from operations before changes in operating assets and liabilities of $939 million, and invested $472 million in operating assets and liabilities. Investment activities for the second quarter of 2018 were $482 million, including $379 million in fixed asset additions, and a $103 million increase in investments, other assets and intangible assets. We also invested $200 million in Lyft, Inc.

We made progress recently on some strategic fronts. We signed an agreement with BJEV to expand our vehicle assembly operations into China and announced an acquisition that will expand our global footprint in Lighting. However, relative to our expectations, our joint venture transmission business is experiencing headwinds. Nevertheless, we expect the business to continue to grow, driven by further penetration of dual clutch transmissions.

- Don Walker, Magnas Chief Executive Officer

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9b0db72-f260-413b-8ee1-6c926f93d8ca

SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018

We posted sales of $21.07 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2018, an increase of 17% from the six months ended June 30, 2017. European and North American light vehicle production increased 4% and decreased 1%, respectively, in the first six months of 2018 compared to the first six months of 2017.

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, income from operations before income taxes was $1.67 billion, net income attributable to Magna International Inc. was $1.29 billion and diluted earnings per share was $3.60, increases of $133 million, $161 million and $0.65, respectively, each compared to the first six months of 2017.

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, Adjusted EBIT increased 6% to $1.68 billion, compared to $1.58 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2017. Our Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, and Seating Systems segments each posted higher Adjusted EBIT compared to the first six months of 2017.

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, we generated cash from operations before changes in operating assets and liabilities of $1.97 billion, and invested $927 million in operating assets and liabilities. Total investment activities for the first six months of 2018 were $839 million, including $622 million in fixed asset additions, and $217 million in investments, other assets and intangible assets. We also invested $200 million in Lyft, Inc.

Our updated outlook for 2018 substantially reflects the strengthening U.S. dollar, reduced equity income from joint ventures in our transmission business, and the estimated impact of tariffs. The reduction to our equity income outlook in 2020, and the corresponding reduction to our Adjusted EBIT margin percentage reflects a continuation of some of the trends impacting our joint venture transmission business this year. We continue to be focused on reinvesting in our businesses and returning excess capital to our shareholders. In the quarter, we returned $844 million in the form of dividends and share repurchases to Magna shareholders bringing our full year total to approximately $1.1 billion.

- Vince Galifi, Magnas Chief Financial Officer

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd5d6275-720b-4069-9f64-bd95d3a7841c

RETURN OF CAPITAL TO SHAREHOLDERS

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, we paid dividends of $115 million and $233 million, respectively. In addition, we repurchased 11.7 million shares for $729 million and 13.5 million shares for $832 million, respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.

Our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 with respect to our outstanding Common Shares for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. This dividend is payable on September 14, 2018 to shareholders of record on August 31, 2018.

SEGMENT SUMMARY (2)

($Millions unless otherwise noted) For the three months ended June 30, Sales Adjusted EBIT 2018 2017 Change 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures $ 4,551 $ 4,109 $ 442 $ 385 $ 337 $ 48 Power & Vision 3,197 2,892 305 299 266 33 Seating Systems 1,424 1,367 57 116 117 (1 ) Complete Vehicles 1,280 869 411 1 15 (14 ) Corporate and Other (172 ) (97 ) (75 ) 2 23 (21 ) Total Reportable Segments $ 10,280 $ 9,140 $ 1,140 $ 803 $ 758 $ 45





For the three months ended June 30, Adjusted EBIT as a

percentage of sales 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures 8.5 % 8.2 % 0.3 % Power & Vision 9.4 % 9.2 % 0.2 % Seating Systems 8.1 % 8.6 % (0.5 )% Complete Vehicles 0.1 % 1.7 % (1.6 )% Consolidated Average 7.8 % 8.3 % (0.5 )% ($Millions unless otherwise noted) For the six months ended June 30, Sales Adjusted EBIT 2018 2017 Change 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures $ 9,170 $ 8,276 $ 894 $ 725 $ 686 $ 39 Power & Vision 6,387 5,855 532 657 594 63 Seating Systems 2,894 2,702 192 246 233 13 Complete Vehicles 2,940 1,396 1,544 20 21 (1 ) Corporate and Other (319 ) (189 ) (130 ) 30 42 (12 ) Total Reportable Segments $ 21,072 $ 18,040 $ 3,032 $ 1,678 $ 1,576 $ 102





For the six months ended June 30, Adjusted EBIT as a

percentage of sales 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures 7.9 % 8.3 % (0.4 )% Power & Vision 10.3 % 10.1 % 0.2 % Seating Systems 8.5 % 8.6 % (0.1 )% Complete Vehicles 0.7 % 1.5 % (0.8 )% Consolidated Average 8.0 % 8.7 % (0.7 )% (2) 2017 amounts included in this Press Release have been adjusted for our adoption of the new revenue standard (Accounting Standard Codification 606) and recast for our new reportable segments.

For further details on our segment results, please see our Managements Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Position and our Interim Financial Statements.

UPDATED 2018 OUTLOOK

Current Previous Light Vehicle Production (Units) North America 17.2 million 17.3 million Europe 22.6 million 22.6 million Segment Sales Body Exteriors & Structures $17.1 - $17.9 billion $17.3 - $18.1 billion Power & Vision $12.2 - $12.8 billion $12.3 - $12.9 billion Seating Systems $5.5 - $5.9 billion $5.5 - $5.9 billion Complete Vehicles $6.1 - $6.5 billion $6.4 - $6.8 billion Total Sales $40.3 - $42.5 billion $40.9 - $43.1 billion Adjusted EBIT Margin(3) 7.7% - 7.9% 7.9% - 8.2% Equity Income (included in EBIT) $270 - $305 million $335 - $375 million Interest Expense, net Approximately $90 million Approximately $90 million Income Tax Rate(4) 22% - 23% 22% - 23% Adjusted Net Income attributable to Magna(5) $2.3 - $2.5 billion $2.4 - $2.6 billion Capital Spending Approximately $1.9 billion Approximately $1.8 billion (3) Adjusted EBIT Margin is the ratio of Adjusted EBIT to Total Sales (4) The Income Tax Rate has been calculated using Adjusted EBIT and is based on current tax legislation (5) Adjusted Net Income attributable to Magna is Net Income attributable to Magna after excluding Other (Income) Expense, net after-tax

In this 2018 outlook, we have assumed:

2018 light vehicle production volumes (as set out above);

no material unannounced acquisitions or divestitures; and

foreign exchange rates for the most common currencies in which we conduct business relative to our U.S. dollar reporting currency as follows:

o 1 Canadian dollar equals U.S. dollars 0.771

o 1 euro equals U.S. dollars 1.185

UPDATED 2020 OUTLOOK FOR EQUITY INCOME AND ADJUSTED EBIT MARGIN PERCENTAGE

We have updated our 2020 outlook only for our transmission joint venture operations in China and Europe, reflecting our current views on market developments and estimated production volumes on programs to supply transmissions. We now expect equity income in 2020 to be between $330 million and $380 million, compared to a range of between $400 million and $450 million previously, as set out in our outlook dated January 16, 2018. As a result of our reduced equity income outlook, we now expect our 2020 Adjusted EBIT margin percentage to be in the 8.3% to 8.7% range, compared to a previous range of 8.5% to 8.9%, as provided in January.

We have made no other updates to our 2020 outlook from January, including updates in assumptions with respect to total light vehicle production volumes, material unannounced acquisitions and divestitures and foreign exchange rates.



NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION

Adjusted EBIT The following table reconciles net income to Adjusted EBIT: For the three months ended June 30, 2018 2017 Net Income $ 636 $ 561 Add: Interest expense, net 23 11 Other (income) expense, net (39 ) 3 Income taxes 183 183 Adjusted EBIT $ 803 $ 758 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales (Adjusted EBIT margin) Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales is calculated in the table below: For the three months ended June 30, 2018 2017 Sales $ 10,280 $ 9,140 Adjusted EBIT $ 803 $ 758 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales 7.8% 8.3% Adjusted diluted earnings per share The following table reconciles net income attributable to Magna International Inc. to Adjusted diluted earnings per share: For the three months ended June 30, 2018 2017 Net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 626 $ 548 Add: Other (income) expense, net (36 ) 3 Adjusted net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 590 $ 551 Diluted weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the year (millions): 354.1 379.5 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 1.67 $ 1.45

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION

Adjusted EBIT The following table reconciles net income to Adjusted EBIT: For the six months ended June 30, 2018 2017 Net Income $ 1,305 $ 1,148 Add: Interest expense, net 44 30 Other expense (36 ) 9 Income taxes 365 389 Adjusted EBIT $ 1,678 $ 1,576 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales (Adjusted EBIT margin) Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales is calculated in the table below: For the six months ended June 30, 2018 2017 Sales $ 21,072 $ 18,040 Adjusted EBIT $ 1,678 $ 1,576 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales 8.0% 8.7% Adjusted diluted earnings per share The following table reconciles net income attributable to Magna International Inc. to Adjusted diluted earnings per share: For the six months ended June 30, 2018 2017 Net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 1,286 $ 1,125 Add: Other expense (33 ) 9 Adjusted net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 1,253 $ 1,134 Diluted weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the year (millions): 357.0 381.4 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 3.51 $ 2.97

Certain of the forward-looking financial measures above are provided on a Non-GAAP basis. We do not provide a reconciliation of such forward-looking measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To do so would be potentially misleading and not practical given the difficulty of projecting items that are not reflective of on-going operations in any future period. The magnitude of these items, however, may be significant.

This press release together with our Managements Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Position and our Interim Financial Statements are available in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.magna.com/company/investors and filed electronically through the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) which can be accessed at www.sedar.com as well as on the United States Securities and Exchange Commissions Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (EDGAR), which can be accessed at www.sec.gov .

We will hold a conference call for interested analysts and shareholders to discuss our second quarter ended June 30, 2018 results on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 7:30 a.m. EDT. The conference call will be chaired by Don Walker, Chief Executive Officer. The number to use for this call from North America is 1-888-223-4641. International callers should use 1-416-981-9080. Please call in at least 10 minutes prior to the call start time. We will also webcast the conference call at www.magna.com. The slide presentation accompanying the conference call will be available on our website Wednesday prior to the call.

TAGS

Quarterly earnings, record quarter, financial results, sales growth

INVESTOR CONTACT

Louis Tonelli, Vice-President, Investor Relations

louis.tonelli@magna.com  905.726.7035

MEDIA CONTACT

Tracy Fuerst, Director of Corporate Communications & PR

tracy.fuerst@magna.com  248.631.5396

OUR BUSINESS (6)

We have more than 173,000 entrepreneurial-minded employees dedicated to delivering mobility solutions. We are a mobility technology company and one of the world's largest automotive suppliers with 339 manufacturing operations and 89 product development, engineering and sales centres in 28 countries. Our competitive capabilities include body exteriors and structures, power and vision technologies, seating systems and complete vehicle solutions. Our common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MG) and the New York Stock Exchange (MGA). For further information about Magna, visit www.magna.com .

______________

(6) Manufacturing operations, product development, engineering and sales centres and employee figures include certain equity-accounted operations.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We disclose "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") to provide information about management's current expectations and plans. Such forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding our future plans, objectives or economic performance, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, and other statements that are not recitations of historical fact. We use words such as "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "plan", "aim", "forecast", "outlook", "project", "estimate", "target" and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to:

Potential electric vehicle engineering and manufacturing opportunities through our new joint ventures with Beijing Electric Vehicle Co. Ltd.;

The expected benefits of our acquisition of OLSA S.p.A.;

Magnas forecasts of light vehicle production in North America and Europe;

Expected consolidated sales, based on such light vehicle production, including expected split by segment in our Body Exteriors & Structures; Power & Vision; Seating Systems; and Complete Vehicles segments; Consolidated Adjusted EBIT margin for 2018 and 2020;

Consolidated equity income;

Equity income in 2020 for our Chinese and European transmission joint venture operations;

Net interest expense;

Effective income tax rate;

Adjusted net income;

Fixed asset expenditures; and

Future returns of capital to our shareholders, including through dividends or share repurchases.

Our forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us, and are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances.

While we believe we have a reasonable basis for making such forward-looking statements, they are not a guarantee of future performance or outcomes. Whether actual results and developments conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and the effects of which can be difficult to predict, including, without limitation:

Risks Related to the Automotive Industry

economic cyclicality;

intense competition;

potential restrictions on free trade, including new or higher tariffs on commodities and/or automobiles;

escalation of international trade disputes; Customer and Supplier Related Risks

concentration of sales with six customers;

shifts in market shares among vehicles or vehicle segments;

shifts in "take rates" for products we sell;

potential loss of a material purchase order; Manufacturing / Operational Risks

product launch risks;

operational underperformance;

restructuring costs;

impairment charges;

labour disruptions;

supply disruptions; IT Security Risk

IT/Security breach; Pricing Risks

pricing risks between time of quote and start of production;

price concessions;

commodity costs;

declines in scrap steel prices; Warranty / Recall Risks costs to repair or replace defective products;

warranty costs that exceed our warranty provision;

costs related to a significant recall; Acquisition Risks

an increase in our risk profile as a result of completed acquisitions;

acquisition integration risk; Other Business Risks

risks related to conducting business through joint ventures;

our ability to consistently develop innovative products or processes;

changing risk profile;

risks of conducting business in foreign markets;

fluctuations in relative currency values;

tax reassessments and exposures related to changes in tax laws;

changes in credit ratings assigned to us;

the unpredictability of, and fluctuation in, the trading price of our Common Shares; Legal, Regulatory and Other Risks

antitrust and compliance risk;

legal claims and/or regulatory actions against us; and

changes in laws.

In evaluating forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, and readers should specifically consider the various factors which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including the risks, assumptions and uncertainties above which are discussed in greater detail in this document under the section titled "Industry Trends and Risks" and set out in our Annual Information Form filed with securities commissions in Canada and our annual report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and subsequent filings.
Rajinikanth: My Kalaignar passed away today, its an unforgettable black day in my life. May his soul rest in peace. I humbly request Tamil Nadu Government to take necessary steps to allocate a place for him near Anna Memorial which would be the true honor for the legend.

Karunanidhi, one of the most charismatic figures of Tamil Nadu politics, died at a hospital in Chennai on Tuesday after prolonged illness. He was 94. Film celebrities across South India are conveying their condolence messages on the internet and other platforms.

Kamal Haasan:

After Annas demise, it was Kalaignar and MGR who safeguarded DMK. All the three should have memorials in the same place. Sad that the last children of ADMK didnt have the good values like MGR. If MGR is alive now, he would have allocated a place near Anna memorial for Kalaignar.

Mammootty:

An irreplaceable loss. And the end of a great era. Writer, Author, Screen Writer, Orator and one of the greatest leaders of our time. A revolutionary. But more than all of the many facets to his persona his love for tamizh and his people stand tallest. The opportunity I had to play him in Manis film is something I miss today. All of my meetings with him are fond memories discussing cinema, politics and literature. Deeply saddened by this loss.

Mohanlal:

A revered politician, a cinematic genius, a fighter for social justice and above all a great human being who redefined Tamil Nadu's political chapter is no more. Strength and Condolences to Kalaignar's family.Udal mannukku Uyir Thamizhukku!

Ajith:

A five-time Tamil Nadu CM Kalaignar is a great Tamil scholar and administrator. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family, DMK party cadres, and fellow Tamilians. May Almighty rest Kalaignar's soul in peace.

Vijayakanth:

Vijayakanth has sent an emotional video message from the USA and burst into tears after knowing the sad demise of Kalaignar.

Sarathkumar:

Through his unparalleled speeches and writing, Kalaignar sowed the revolutionary seeds in the minds of Tamilians. Kalaignars sudden demise is shocking and his loss is irreplaceable. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and Tamilans across the globe.

AR Rahman:

You may have left this earth but your infectious passion and love for Tamizh will stay and reflect with us foreverDeep Respect ! #Karunanidhi

AR Murugadoss:

Tamil mother lost its first child, Tamil Nadu lost its leader. My heartfelt condolences sir

Dhanush:

Kalaignar taught self-esteem to the betrayed Tamilians and converted them into Gold. He taught politics to all of us through Parasakthi and opened doors for laymen like me to enter into cinema. We bid farewell to you with moist eyes.

Dulquer:

End of an era ! Kalaignar was such an essential part of the fabric of Chennai and Tamil Nadu. All of us who've lived there will feel an inexplicable loss. RIP

Nivin Pauly:

Deeply saddened to hear the demise of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. A strong leader, a great writer and a simple human being. You will be missed sir! #RIPKalaignar

Vishal:

Dr Kalaignar Karunanidhi is Truly an irreplaceable leader. Nobody can match his contribution in politics and cinema. My deepest condolences to his beloved family and his followers worldwide. His famous dialogues and scripts are still a trendsetter. The Film industry will miss him dearly. Kalaignar Ayya definitely deserves a place in Marina Beach for his contribution and being a leader for a Political party for 50 years. I hereby request the Tamilnadu Government to take all efforts possible to allot space in Marina for Kalaignar Ayya's burial. #RIPKalaignar #MarinaForKalaignar

Harris Jayaraj:

Deeply saddened by the demise of the iconic leader who ruled the peoples heart for more than 5 decades. Today I saw two suns set #RIPKalaignar

Yuvan Shankar Raja:

#TamilNadu has lost a great leader of our times. We people and Our #Tamil language will miss #Kalaignar #Karunanidhi my deepest condolences to the entire family members.

Anirudh:

End of a legendary era. Heartfelt condolences.

Devi Sri Prasad:

Havin grown up in Chennai, KALAIGNAR KARUNANIDHI is a name engraved on d mind of evry individual and it will be forever !!!R.I.P the Legendary Leader !! Ur LEGACY will live on forever Sir !!#RIPDrKalaignar.

Ghibran:

A Wonderful journey as an Inspirational Creative Artist / Leader/ 5 time #ChiefMinister & incomparable Human #RIP . Had the opportunity to meet #KalaignarKarunanidhi ayya. Sure #Tamil community will miss #Kailagnar #Karunanidhi Ayya

Arya:

We have lost an architect of Dravidian movement and one of the tallest leader of our time. I vividly remember the brief audience that was filled with so much care and generosity. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Kalaignar Ayya RIP.

Jayam Ravi:

Your love and support towards us will never be forgotten

Vikram Prabhu:

Grandads oldest friend, his best man at his wedding, a part of the family even before the brand Sivaji came in to the industry & a well wisher of all things related to Annai illam . We will miss you Aiyah

Khushbu:

I feel I am orphaned..have lost a father figure..my guru my guide..People like him never die.. they never fade away..they live with us forever and ever..

Radikaa:

Dark day for us, my mind and heart is full of memories of this tall leader @kalaignar89 , man who instilled and strived for the pride of Tamils. His spirit will always live on, will miss him terribly. A tall and great leader gone, bid him a tearful adieu. Tamilnadu and politics will never be the same again for me.

Trisha:

Another era.Another end.Tamizh cinema will truly miss you

Anushka

My deepest Condolences on the passing away of Former Chiefminister of TamilNadu Dr. M. #Karunanidhi ji. His Contribution towards Arts,Literature & Indian Politics will be remembered forever, My thoughts and prayers are with his family and followers #RIPKalaignar

Samantha:

The end of an era !! Over 6 decades . Did the impossible . Will forever be remembered

Hansika:

With profound grief I have learnt about the loss of our beloved Kalaignar Dr M Karunanidhi one of the best leaders the country has ever witnessed. I hope God gives courage and hope to the family member and fellow Tamilians to cope with this huge loss #RIPKalaignar

Andrea:

RIP MK ... truly the end of an era for Tamil politics May your legacy live on forever #proudtobe.

Sayyeshaa:

#RIPKalaignarAyya It is a void that will never be filled. One of the greatest leaders of our country. A leader with kindness, generosity and love for his people. My sincere and deepest condolences to his family.

Allu Arjun:

KALAIGNAR . Patriarch of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. 5 times CM , 6 Decades Of Political Career , Bhishma Pitamah of TN Politics , Dravidian Pride . Condolences to Family , Followers & every Tamilian . May his soul RIP #Karunanidhi #RIPKalaignar.
Dublin, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Medical Robots Market by Product, Application, and Region - Global Forecasts to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The medical robots market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21%.



The medical robots market is projected to reach USD 16.74 billion by 2023 from an estimated USD 6.46 billion in 2018. The major influencing factors driving the growth of this market are advantages offered by robot-assisted training in rehabilitation therapy, increase in funding for medical robot research, technological advancements in medical robots, and the issuance of IPOs by medical robot companies.

Safety concerns over robotic surgery devices are expected to limit the growth of the market to a certain extent. According to recent studies, a number of technical difficulties and complications were experienced by performing procedures using robotic systems. According to the FDA, surgical robots have been linked to over 144 deaths, over 1,391 injuries, and 8,061 device malfunctions, from 2000 to 2013 which is likely to restrain market growth in the coming years.

The laparoscopy robotic systems segment to dominate the surgical robotic systems market during the forecast period.



On the basis of product, the medical robots market is segmented into instruments & accessories and robotic systems. The robotic systems segment has been further segmented into surgical robotic systems, rehabilitation robotic systems, noninvasive radiosurgery robotic systems, and hospital and pharmacy robotic systems. The surgical robotic systems segment is further bifurcated into laparoscopy robotic systems, orthopedic robotic systems, and neurosurgical robotic systems. In 2017, the laparoscopy robotic systems segment accounted for the largest share of the global surgical robotic systems market. This segment is also expected to register the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2023. The large share and high growth of this segment can be attributed to the advantages offered by robotic laparoscopy systems such as greater stability than the human hand, reduced number of incisions, and better visual magnification. Robotic surgeries also generally result in lesser pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery of patients.



The laparoscopy segment is expected to be the largest application segment.



On the basis of application, the medical robots market has been segmented into laparoscopy, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, pharmacy applications, and other applications (medical robotic applications in gynecology, urology, cardiology, nanomedicine, and rehabilitation). The laparoscopy segment accounted for the largest share of the global medical robots market in 2017. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the growing volume of laparoscopic surgeries performed worldwide.



In 2018, North America to dominate the medical robots market and Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.



The medical robots market is divided into four major regions- North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. In 2017, North America accounted for the largest share of the medical robots market. The major factors contributing to the large share of this segment include the increasing adoption of surgical robots by hospitals in the region, favorable funding scenario for research on medical robots, and the availability of technologically advanced medical robots.



Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The major factors driving the growth of this regional segment include growing geriatric population, increasing adoption of medical robots, and robot-assisted training initiatives for surgeons.

Competitive Landscape - Dominated by 3 Key Players



The major market players in the medical robots market include Intuitive Surgical (US), Stryker Corporation (US), and Mazor Robotics (Israel). Other players in the medical robots market include Hocoma (Switzerland), Hansen Medical (US), Accuray (US), Omnicell (US), Arxium (Canada), and Ekso Bionics Holdings (US).



Key Topics Covered



1 Introduction

1.1 Objectives of Study

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Market Scope

1.3.1 Markets Covered

1.3.2 Years Considered for the Study

1.4 Currency

1.5 Limitations

1.6 Stakeholders



2 Research Methodology

2.1 Research Data

2.1.1 Secondary Data

2.1.1.1 Key Data From Secondary Sources

2.1.2 Primary Data

2.1.2.1 Key Insights From Primary Sources

2.1.2.2 Key Data From Primary Sources

2.2 Market Size Estimation

2.3 Market Data Validation and Triangulation

2.4 Assumptions for the Study



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Medical Robots Market Overview

4.2 Medical Robots Market, By Product (2018 vs 2023)

4.3 Robotic Systems Market, By Type (2018 vs 2023)

4.4 Medical Robots Market, By Application (2018 vs 2023)

4.5 Geographic Snapshot of the Medical Robots Market



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Advantages Offered By Robot-Assisted Training in Rehabilitation Therapy

5.2.1.2 Technological Advancements

5.2.1.3 Increase in Funding for Medical Robots Research

5.2.1.4 Issuance of IPOS By Medical Robot Companies

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Safety Concerns Over Robotic Surgery Devices

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Rapid Growth in the Geriatric Population

5.2.3.2 Rising Patient Preference for Minimally Invasive Surgeries

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 High Cost of Robotic Systems



6 Product Pipeline Assessment

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Clinical Trials for Medical Robots



7 Medical Robots Market, By Product

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Instruments & Accessories

7.3 Robotic Systems

7.3.1 Surgical Robotic Systems

7.3.1.1 Laparoscopy Robotic Systems

7.3.1.2 Orthopedic Robotic Systems

7.3.1.3 Neurosurgical Robotic Systems

7.3.2 Rehabilitation Robotic Systems

7.3.2.1 Therapeutic Robotic Systems

7.3.2.2 Assistive Robotic Systems

7.3.2.3 Exoskeleton Robotic Systems

7.3.2.4 Other Rehabilitation Robotic Systems

7.3.3 Hospital & Pharmacy Robotic Systems

7.3.3.1 Pharmacy Robotic Systems

7.3.3.2 IV Robotic Systems

7.3.4 Noninvasive Radiosurgery Robotic Systems

7.3.5 Other Robotic Systems



8 Medical Robots Market, By Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Laparoscopy

8.3 Orthopedic Surgery

8.4 Pharmacy Applications

8.5 Neurosurgery

8.6 Other Applications



9 Medical Robots Market, By Region

9.1 Introduction

9.2 North America

9.2.1 US

9.2.2 Canada

9.3 Europe

9.3.1 EU5

9.3.2 RoE

9.4 Asia Pacific

9.5 Rest of the World



10 Competitive Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Medical Robots Market: Ranking of Players, 2017

10.3 Competitive Scenario

10.3.1 Product Launches and Approvals

10.3.2 Joint Ventures, Agreements, and Partnerships

10.3.3 Mergers and Acquisitions

10.3.4 Product Enhancements

10.3.5 Expansions



11 Company Profiles

11.1 Intuitive Surgical

11.2 Stryker Corporation

11.3 Hocoma

11.4 Mazor Robotics

11.5 Hansen Medical (A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Auris Surgical Robotics)

11.6 Accuray

11.7 Omnicell

11.8 Arxium

11.9 EKSO Bionics

11.10 Kirby Lester



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cjcmx9/medical_robots?w=12
After going around the casket in which the body was kept, the Prime Minister patted M.K. Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and political heir, and his daughter Kanimozhi, an MP, and comforted them with words of solace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday led a sea of mourners in paying homage to DMK patriarch and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi whose DMK won a major legal battle for his last resting place on the Maina Beach here.

Lakhs of emotionally charged people from all over Tamil Nadu gathered near Rajaji Hall, the British-built banquet hall in the sprawling government estate, where the 94-year-old Karunanidhi's body lay in state wrapped in the national tricolour.

DMK cadres and people belonging to all ages cried their eyes out in recognition of their leader's service to the poor and oppressed with pioneering welfare schemes. Thousands of police personnel deployed near Rajaji Hall had a difficult time keeping the crowds under check.

Modi, who flew from Delhi in a special plane, led a host of dignitaries from politics, cinema and various other fields to pay respect to the late DMK President after laying a wreath on the body.
In less than two years, Tamil Nadu has witnessed the deaths of arch nemeses, the two people who were the indisputed heads of their parties for decades preceding their passing.

At 94, DMK patriarch Karunanidhi had outlived generations of leaders before he breathed his last on Tuesday evening.

What could this mean for the state?

And what legacy does the man who spent the best part of eight decades in politics leave behind?

Perhaps he has more in common with Jayalalithaa than he would like to have thought.

As it happened in her case, the moment of death marked a fight over the burial. In her case, relatives who had been estranged for years insisted on being part of the ceremonies. Her friend Sasikala became the protagonist and made an attempt at becoming her political heir.

In Karunanidhis case, legal hurdles have reportedly prevented the Tamil Nadu government from allotting him a resting place on Marina Beach, where all the Dravidian party leaders of prominence over the last century are buried. There was drama enough, down to a midnight court hearing.

Unlike Jayalalithaa, his family tree has enough offshoots to resemble a banyan.

But like her, he has groomed no indisputed heir.

For much of his life, his sons Stalin and Azhagiri were fighting for the title of lieutenant. Stalin eventually triumphed, but he did not ascend to the throne. He has not played a prominent enough role in the states politics to be seen outside the shadow of his father. He spent much of his life, even as a senior citizen, heading the youth wing of the party and being described as the youth leader.

There appears to be a modicum of peace and cooperation between Stalin and his half-sister Kanimozhi, but one cannot quite predict how their fathers death will affect this dynamic.

There is no clear heir to the throne, no one of whom Karunanidhi could say, as Annadurai once did of him, that the show will go on and that it will be directed by this specific person.

Karunanidhi has often been praised for his way with words, and for the screenplays that brought him his fame and perhaps the Dravida parties to power in Tamil Nadu, once a Congress bastion. He is seen as a powerful orator, and a skilled writer.

But he was also shrewd, navigating the states politics with acumen. He chose the medium for his writing that would have the maximum impact among the largest number of voters  cinema.

While claiming to be progressive, down to declaring in assembly that one of his partners was his wife and the other was his daughters mother, he managed to pass sly, snide remarks about his arch rival Jayalalithaas chastity.

Though Annadurai had proclaimed Karunanidhi his successor, the throne was not his for the taking. It was widely expected that V R Nedunchezhiyan would assume the reins after Annadurais death.

His early years in the leadership of the DMK were marked by his rivalry with MGR, whose popularity he could not outdo. And so there were cases of corruption against the party, right from the early 1970s to 2010, when his daughter was accused in the 2G scam. The fact that the party survived, and that its frontline was largely unscathed, owes no small debt to Karunanidhis cunning.

And so, what is the legacy he leaves behind, other than the linguistic chauvinism which saw Tamil Nadu change the names of its cities and signboards, and the propensity for self-immolation of party workers, another instance of which marked his death?

In a rather morbid portent of what lies ahead, Karunanidhi almost literally seemed to turn in his grave  his body slid quite horrifically inside its coffin, complete with the days Murasoli newspaper lying on his remains, its headline announcing the death of its founder.

We dont know which way the Marans will swing, and what Azhagiri might do without his father to check his hostility towards his brother.

With Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan both starting their own political parties, will another legacy continue  that of the state being run by people with little qualification aside from long careers in cinema  under the charge of new faces?

Will the corruption charges overwhelm the party, or will the Stalin-Kanimozhi combine prove formidable?

Is the double blow to Tamil Nadu strong enough to allow the BJP or Congress to claw their ways back into the state?

Karunanidhis legacy, like the man himself, will perhaps present itself only through riddles and complicated allegiances.

Nandini is a journalist and humour writer based in Madras. She is the author of Hitched: The Modern Woman and Arranged Marriage.
State-owned China Tower trades flat on Hong Kong debut



Hong Kong, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



State-owned China Tower -- the world's largest operator of telecommunications towers -- kicked off its trading debut in Hong Kong Wednesday in the latest high-profile listing in the city.

Shares were trading at HK$1.28 ($0.16) in the morning, only slightly up on their IPO price of HK$1.26.

China Tower is the world's largest IPO since Postal Savings Bank of China's $7.6 billion offering in 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

But although Hong Kong's recent listings have grabbed headlines, investor confidence has been overshadowed by US-China trade tensions and falling global markets.

China Tower raised $6.9 billion after pricing its initial public offering at the low end of the expected range.

The Beijing-based telecoms giant is the second prominent company to price at the low end recently, following Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's disappointing valuation in July.

Some observers say investors may see China Tower as a safe bet on the country's mobile market because of its government backing.

But others argue the state-backed monopoly could face limited growth due to lack of competition.

The muted trading price was "reasonable" given market conditions, said Jackson Wong of Huarong International Securities.

China Tower would enjoy favourable policies as a strategic asset, particularly given China's push for next generation 5G wireless internet technology and that would benefit investors in the future, said Wong.

While Wong described the stock as "old-economy and not really sexy" it could still be profitable to investors.

"It's a pretty simple business model and China is trying to push 5G, so we should see dividend-paying very soon," he said.

Chinese telecoms companies Huawei and ZTE are poised to become global leaders in the 5G rollout, which is beginning this year in several countries.

However, they are likely to face severely tightened access to the US market over data security.

The technology is heavily cloud-based, potentially leaving sensitive data accessible by the service provider.

China Tower was established by China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom in 2014. They agreed to combine their tower assets by selling them to China Tower in 2015.

Speaking at Wednesday's launch in Hong Kong, China Tower chief executive Tong Jilu noted that the company had just celebrated its fourth birthday.

"Today is our new milestone," he said of the stocks debut.

Hillhouse Capital, affiliates of China National Petroleum Corp and Taobao -- a subsidiary of Alibaba -- are reported to be among the 10 cornerstone investors.

The company said at its IPO launch event in Hong Kong in July that "international companies and giant domestic companies" were among the cornerstone investors.

Hong Kong is seeking to become a destination for major IPOs after being snubbed by Alibaba's overseas listing in 2014.

Since then, listing rules have been overhauled to allow weighted voting rights for different sets of shareholders.

Xiaomi was the first firm in Hong Kong to trade with the controversial dual-class structure.
Pune, India, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Market Research Future, (MRFR), the Specialty Chemicals Market was valued at USD 710.03 Bn in 2017 and is anticipated to reach an evaluation of USD 1018.9 Bn by the end of the assessment period of 2018 to 2023, witnessing a steady CAGR of 6.21% during the forecast period with other projections made in the report.

Market Overview:

Specialty chemicals are specially formulated for use across various end-use industry verticals such as automotive, paint & coatings, plastics, construction, and food & beverages among others. Many of these industries are growing rapidly to meet the rising demand from consumers. Rapid industrialization, urbanization and the subsequent increase in purchase power have resulted in increased demand from an ever-growing consumer population. As a result, the demand for specialty chemicals has increased significantly.

There has been a visible shift in preference of specialty chemicals over commodity chemicals. Specialty chemicals are high value, low volume and highly economical chemicals that are used to achieve a particular effect or performance determined by consumer preferences. As such, many specialty chemicals are patented, leading to a highly competitive market with healthy growth. However, the wide variety of formulations which use different raw materials depend on the application, some of these have fluctuating prices. For instance, the fluctuating rates of crude oil are expected to hamper growth owing to the price escalation. It should be noted that volatile raw material costs do not encumber many specialty chemicals. Moreover, use of these chemicals to create unique formulations for cosmetic and personal care products has evolved. Market players in the cosmetics and personal care industry are collaborating with chemical providers to develop specialty chemicals which are unique to their formulation, thus providing market expansion opportunities.

Receive a Sample of this Research Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2026

Key Players in Market

MRFRs report covers the competitive landscape extensively and offers an insight on the market strategies employed by market-leading players. The global specialty chemical market is influenced by market strategies that include R&D investments, patent filing, collaboration and acquisitions & mergers. Notable market-leading players include Solvay SA KGaA, AkzoNobel NV, Henkel AG & CO., BASF SE, Evonik Industries AG, Clariant AG, Lanxess AG, ExxonMobil Corporation, Ashland Inc., Lenzing AG, BHS Specialty Chemicals, and DowDuPont.

Latest Industry News

AkzoNobel Speciality Chemicals is collaborating with Renmatrix, to jointly develop biomass-based performance additives for paints, coatings and construction materials. Use of green chemistry is AkzoNobel's innovative strategy to achieve and offer a sustainable advantage.

Ergon Chemicals LLC has entered the specialty chemicals market with its recent acquisition of Resinall Corporation and all its subsidiaries. Resinall is a leading developer of specialty chemicals such as thermoplastic resins, and polymers for use across various industrial applications.

Market Segmentation

MRFR segments the Global Specialty Chemicals Market on the basis of source, type, and region for a comprehensive study of the market. By source, the market is segmented into crude oil, naphtha, ethane, propane, butane, wood, and others. The naphtha segment accounts for the most significant share of the market and is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 6.19% during the assessment period. The increasing demand for specialty chemicals sourced from naphtha, particularly in the thriving automotive industry is a major contributor to the position of the segment in the market. Meanwhile, the crude oil segment accounts for the next largest market segment due to its varied use across different end-use industries. The crude oil segment is expected to reach an evaluation of 119.60 Bn by the end of the review period.

Browse the market data and information spread across 232 pages with 214 data tables and 20 figures of the report Specialty Chemicals Market Report - Forecast 2018-2023 in-depth alongside table of content (TOC) at:

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/specialty-chemicals-market-2026

By type, the market is segmented into agrochemicals, flavors ingredients, fragrances ingredients, dyes & pigments, personal care active ingredients, water treatment chemicals, construction chemicals, surfactants, textile chemicals, polymer additives, bio-based chemicals, and others. Sub-segmentation and detailed analysis of the same is available in the report. The agrochemicals segment has the majority share of the global market due to the increasing consumption, and demand for food combined with the swift growth in demand for functional food products.The global market is also segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Regional Analysis

The Asia-Pacific leads the global market with its inclusion of rapidly emerging economies such as India, China, South Korea, Japan, and others. The region possesses a market share of roughly 46% due to the presence of several thriving and growing industries such as textiles, agrochemicals, automotive and food & beverages. The region has several agriculturally significant countries where the agrochemicals market is growing rapidly and placing a demand for specialty chemicals. Moreover, industrialization, urbanization, and the subsequent premiumization in the region have led to a high consumption pattern with regards to automotive vehicles. Across the region, the economic growth being experienced has led to an overall increase in consumption patterns across several end-use industry verticals.

North America and Europe are significant regional markets where early industrialization has led to gradual maturity of the global specialty chemicals market. The presence of leading market players in the region has contributed significantly to the global market growth. Concurrently, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa have the smallest market shares due to the detrimental impact of several socio-economic and political factors. However, countries such as the U.A.E, Qatar, Mexico, and Brazil are witnessing a proliferation of industrialization, particularly in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

Browse Related Reports:

Basic Chemicals Market by Type (Organic (Ammonia, Chlorine), and Inorganic (Benzene, Ethylene)), Application (Plastics, Fiber, Rubber, Soaps & Detergents, Adhesives, Building Materials), and Region - Forecast till 2023

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/base-chemical-market-998

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), & Consulting Services.

MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

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.
China exports top forecasts but warning over US tariffs impact



Beijing, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



China on Wednesday posted a forecast-busting surge in exports for July but while its surplus with the US dipped slightly there was a warning that the full impact of US sanctions was yet to be felt.

The figures come as the world's two largest economies exchange threats of stiff duties on billions of dollars worth of goods, fuelling fears of a full-blown trade conflict that could hit global growth.

Beijing reported a $28.1 billion surplus with the US in July, down from the record $28.9 billion seen in June. But it was 11 percent higher than in the same month last year.

China's global trade surplus also fell, from $41.5 billion in June to $28 billion in July. Exports surged a better-than-expected 12.2 percent in July, while imports soared 27.3 percent, also beating estimates.

But the latest readings are unlikely to ease tensions with Donald Trump's administration.

China's gaping trade surplus with the United States has long been a bone of contention, with the president accusing the country of unfair practices, stealing American jobs and thieving its technological know-how.

While July's numbers narrow the gap, the relatively small change will do "little to cool down the escalating trade tensions between the two countries", said Betty Wang, senior China economist at ANZ Research.

The White House on July 6 imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese products entering the US, triggering a tit-for-tat response from Beijing.

Analysts were split on how much effect the tariffs had on July's reading.

"The impact of tariffs on exports is yet to be reflected. We will see a full-month tariff effect in August," Iris Pang, greater China economist at ING Wholesale Banking in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News.



- 'Easy to win' -



But Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economists said: "Shipments to the US did weaken slightly, which hints at some impact from the tariffs.

"Equally though, this may reflect a broader softening in economic momentum among developed economies given that exports to the EU edged down too."

Trump has boasted that trade wars are "easy to win" and warned he would hit virtually all Chinese imports if Beijing does not back down and take steps to reduce its $335 billion surplus with the US.

On Tuesday, US officials said they would slap 25 percent levies on another $16 billion worth of Chinese imports from August 23.

In a statement, the office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said its "exhaustive" investigation showed "China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation are unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce."

US officials said there were 279 new goods to be targeted in the latest round of tariffs, including motorcycles, tractors, railroad parts, electronic circuits, motors and farm equipment.

The move had been widely expected but with China lining up retaliatory measures it reinforced worries that the two sides are heading for an all-out trade war that could hammer the global economy.

Washington has also lined up an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports and last week Trump said he could raise tariffs on those products to 25 percent instead of the previously touted 10 percent.

Beijing has called on US officials to be "cool headed", but has warned it will retaliate to any tariffs with its own measures.

However, the US imports far more from China than the other way around, meaning Beijing may at some point need to look for other means of retaliation.

The US-China trade war will cut the global gross domestic product by 0.7 percent by 2020, Oxford Economics said in a note Tuesday.
China set to respond to new round of US tariffs



Beijing, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



China said Wednesday it will impose 25 percent tariffs on a further $16 billion of US goods, making good on its promise to retaliate against new American levies.

The announcement is the latest round in a tit-for-tat trade conflict between the world's two largest economies which has left global markets on edge.

China's levies will come into force at 12:01 on August 23, according to a statement on the finance ministry's web site.

The decision follows Washington's announcement Tuesday that it will implement levies on $16 billion of Chinese products starting from the same date.

The taxes were the second tranche of a planned $50 billion package that began on July 6 when the US slapped duties on $34 billion in Chinese goods, provoking a dollar-for-dollar response from Beijing.

Washington and Beijing are locked in a battle over US accusations that China's export economy benefits from unfair policies and subsidies, and especially from the theft of American technological know-how.

US President Donald Trump has boasted that trade wars are "easy to win" and warned he would hit virtually all Chinese imports if Beijing does not back down and take steps to reduce its $335 billion surplus with the US.

Washington has so far lined up an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports and last week Trump said he could raise tariffs on those products to 25 percent instead of the previously touted 10 percent.

Beijing has called on US officials to be "cool headed", but has warned it will retaliate against any tariffs with its own measures.

However, the US imports far more from China than it exports to it, meaning Beijing may at some point need to look for other means of retaliation.
Pakistan defends its economic partnership with China



Islamabad, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



Pakistan Wednesday defended its economic partnership with China, amid fears that the terms of opaque multi-billion dollar investments by Beijing could be exacerbating Islamabad's economic woes as it considers a fresh IMF bailout.

"We have noted recent media reports questioning the viability of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), claiming that it would create an unbearable debt burden for Pakistan," the government said in a statement issued to the media.

"Such media reports are often one-sided, distort facts, and are based on irresponsible statements by individuals who either have no understanding of CPEC or are driven by ulterior motives," the statement continued.

CPEC is an ambitious plan by Beijing to build infrastructure in Pakistan, mainly energy and transport, connecting the western Chinese region of Xinjiang with the Arabian Sea.

It is part of China's massive "Belt and Road" initiative seeking to revive ancient trade routes through a massive rail and maritime network via $1 trillion in investments across Asia and Europe.

But the opaqueness of the CPEC terms has led to concerns as Pakistan faces a looming balance-of-payments crisis, with analysts saying it will need to take urgent action, potentially seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"It is because of the favourable financing arrangements that Pakistan opted for Chinese investment under CPEC," said the statement, issued under the caretaker administration currently running the country pending the formation of a new coalition government by election winner Imran Khan.

"China stepped forward to support Pakistan's development at a time when foreign investment had dried up, and economic activity was being crippled by energy shortages and infrastructure gaps," it said, calling CPEC a "win-win".

Chinese energy companies have "raised funds from Chinese banks and investors", and these do not constitute any debt obligation on Pakistan, the statement said.

"CPEC projects are financed through a composite financing package comprising long-term government-to-government concessional and preferential loans, as well as grants from the government of China. Repayments on these loans would not commence in the immediate future," it added.

The details come after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced concerns in July over any IMF bailout being used to repay Islamabad's debts to China, with whom Washington is engaged in a trade war.

On Tuesday Pakistan's likely future finance minister Asad Umar announced that the decision on a possible IMF loan would be taken by "the end of September".

"There is a general perception that we have picked up very expensive loans from the Chinese. I personally don't think so," he told reporters in Islamabad.

"They are like most commercial loans," he said, denouncing the "lack of transparency" by the previous government on the subject.

China's financial largesse, in the form of the Belt and Road project, has raised concerns over the vulnerability of poorer nations to such massive debt.

Last year Sri Lanka was forced to hand over majority control of its Hambantota port to China after being unable to repay its loans.
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Atlantic City, N.J., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When New Jerseys Paid Sick Leave Act goes into effect on October 29, people who work in New Jersey will be able to take up to five sick days without losing any pay. Cooper Levensons Russell L. Lichtenstein, Esq., chairman of the Labor & Employment Practice Group, is offering a free white paper explaining key provisions of the new law to employers.



The Act represents a significant change in the law related to sick leave, explained attorney Russell L. Lichtenstein, Esq., chairman of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at Cooper Levenson, PA. Employers will need to make certain that their payroll and human resources departments understand these changes and are ready to implement the new law when it becomes effective.



New Jerseys Paid Sick Leave Act requires employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year to covered employees. The new state law preempts any municipal laws for earned sick leave, so employers will need to review and adjust their policies to comply with the acts requirements prior to its start, according to Lichtenstein.



Under the Act, sick leave is broadly defined to encompass an employees own health needs or those of a family member, including an individual whose close association is equivalent to a family relationship. Sick leave also covers parent-school conferences.



Full-time, part-time and seasonal employees each will earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked with a maximum of 40 hours sick time per benefit year. There are exemptions, such as construction industry labor under contract and per diem healthcare employees. Covered employees are entitled to payment if sick leave is not used while working for their employer.



Lichtenstein is offering a free white paper that explains New Jerseys New Paid Sick Leave Act in greater detail, and that provides key action items for businesses to take to ensure they are in compliance. For a copy, contact whitepaper@cooperlevenson.com.



Cooper Levenson is a full service law firm since 1957, with 75 attorneys and New Jersey offices in Atlantic City and Cherry Hill. The firm also has offices in Bear, Del., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Las Vegas, Nev. For more information, visit www.cooperlevenson.com .

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EDMONTON, Alberta, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Visionstate Corp. (TSX-V:VIS) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Montreal-based 10384801 Canada Inc., doing business under the name Chatbot Incubator, has signed an LOI with Cranky Dwarves to design an AI-based process which will facilitate cryptocurrency transactions in the financial services and consumer industry.



Chatbot Incubator has proposed some extremely innovative ideas for making access to cryptocurrencies easier and more user-friendly. This is a great opportunity for us to develop new revenue streams, says Gary Reuter, CEO of Cranky Dwarves.

Chatbot Incubator intends to design a program that will allow Cranky Dwarves to expand its current cryptocurrency mining operation to offer both B2B and B2C cryptocurrency services. We are extremely excited to get involved in the cryptocurrency industry, thanks to this opportunity with Cranky Dwarves, said David Weiser, CEO of Chatbot Incubator. With the cryptocurrency market cap currently hovering near the US $300B mark, we believe there is a multitude of opportunities for AI-based technologies in this sector as traditional financial services organizations begin to rollout cryptocurrency services to mainstream consumers.

Under the terms of the LOI, Cranky Dwarves will award Chatbot Incubator a $50,000 contract to design a new approach for the acquisition of cryptocurrencies by consumers. Chatbot will also have a right of first refusal on future design and implementation work required by Cranky Dwarves following this initial contract.

About Chatbot Incubator Inc.

Chatbot Incubator is a Montreal-based private company that specializes in creating applications for artificial intelligence, particularly in customer service delivery and sales & marketing. Visionstate currently holds 30 per cent of the company with an option to buy the remaining 70 per cent.

About Visionstate Corp.

Visionstate Corp. (TSX-V:VIS) is a growth-oriented company that invests in the research and development of promising new technology in the realm of sustainability, analytics and the Internet of Everything. Visionstate provides investors with the access to holdings in disruptive technologies that include artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain platforms and solar energy. Through Visionstate Inc. it helps businesses improve operational efficiencies, reduce costs and elevate customer satisfaction with its state-of-the-art devices that track and monitor guest activities and requests. The footprint of its WANDA smart device now extends to hospitals, airports, shopping centres and other public facilities across North America. Through building up a collection of synergistic technologies, Visionstate Corp. will continue to innovate, reduce environmental impact and transform consumer experiences.

For more information, please visit www.visionstate.com and follow @Visionstate on Twitter and Facebook. Additional investor information is available on SEDAR.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, which involve risks and uncertainties associated with Visionstates business and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but reflect Visionstates current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Visionstate assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements.

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.

For further information, please contact:
Boulder, CO, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the fifth consecutive year, Naropa University has been recognized as a College of Distinction for its student-focused commitment to a progressive and contemplative education. The College of Distinction designation honors schools for excellence in the four distinctions: student engagement, high-quality teaching, community vibrancy, and successful student outcomes. Naropa University's Colleges of Distinction profile can be found here.

Naropa President Charles G. Lief said, Naropa is happy that our rich mix of academic rigor, contemplative practices and experiential learning has consistently been recognized as worthy of inclusion as a College of Distinction.

As one of only six colleges recognized in the listing in the state of Colorado, Naropa University is proud and excited to be featured for its fifth consecutive year.

Naropa will also appear in the 500-page 2018 Colleges of Distinction Guidebook, which features rich profiles of almost 400 universities and colleges that use methods centered on long-term student satisfaction and success.

We are absolutely thrilled to recognize Naropa University as a College of Distinction for its effective dedication to student success, said Tyson Schritter, Chief Operating Officer for Colleges of Distinction. Colleges of Distinction is so impressed with Naropa Universitys curriculum, which is enriched with the kind of High-Impact Educational Practices that are most crucial for student development. Such innovative engagement is preparing the next generation of young adults to thrive after college.

Request more information about undergraduate or graduate degrees at Naropa University.

# # #

About Naropa University (www.naropa.edu): Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a private, liberal arts institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Naropa University is a leader in contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that integrates Eastern wisdom traditions and traditional Western scholarship. Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

About Colleges of Distinction

For 15 years, Colleges of Distinction has been a resource for more than 40,000 guidance counselors, thousands of parents and students, and hundreds of colleges/universities across the U.S. Its mission: help parents and students find not just the best college but the right college.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork, the largest global freelancing website, announced the launch of its Program Owner Experience for Upwork Enterprise clients. Announced at its second annual Work Without Limits Executive Summit , the new program provides companies with the resources and tools they need to drive flexible workforce adoption. The majority (59 percent) of companies are leveraging flexible teams including freelancers, temporary and agency workers, yet existing contingent models are no longer effective in meeting companies accelerating talent needs.



Workforce transformation is the next critical stage of digital transformation and a requirement for companies competing for talent, said Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork. While companies today spend $3.5 trillion on contingent labor, existing models are restrictive; constrained by geography, lack of transparency and prohibitive cost structures. Were helping companies shift their contingent spend to a flexible workforce model that provides them with the visibility, access to talent and management capabilities they need to compete at a global scale.

Technological innovations and increasing demand for service sophistication is driving companies to explore alternatives to traditional staffing. Fortune 500 enterprises such as GE, Samsung and Microsoft are embracing online talent platforms to access flexible, temporary talent around the world to increase the speed of innovation. While adoption of flexible staffing is on the rise , many companies lack the institutional knowledge and resources needed to support this new way of working.

The new Program Owner Experience takes Upworks Enterprise offering to new heights providing companies with the resources and tools they need to build, scale and measure the impact of their flexible talent program, while adding bottom-line value.

Program toolkit

The Upwork Enterprise portal offers program owners who are responsible for building flexible teams a robust toolkit to help assess an organizations overall program effectiveness, including organizational adoption and ROI. The portal features:

Performance metrics to enable program owners the ability to track and report on its flexible workforce adoption progress, which includes the number of registered and inactive users, while offering actions they can take to meet business goals.

to enable program owners the ability to track and report on its flexible workforce adoption progress, which includes the number of registered and inactive users, while offering actions they can take to meet business goals. Tools and resources with tactical guidance to help administrators across the organization drive adoption and ensure program success. The tools and resources include training and consultations, marketing support, peer-to-peer guidance and best practices, and the ability to invite colleagues within the organization.

Insights and Trends

The new Insights and Trends page via the portal gives program owners access to key data to help them better understand how their program is performing against traditional staffing, identify gaps and compare with how other enterprise companies are using the platform. The Insights and Trends section provides:

Talent data summary which includes details on how the company is leveraging the platform to engage talent, the average time-to-hire, fill rates and total spend.

which includes details on how the company is leveraging the platform to engage talent, the average time-to-hire, fill rates and total spend. Program utilization monitoring to enable program owners the ability to easily review their companys utilization data by category, hiring manager or freelancer within a given time period and share the data across the organization.

to enable program owners the ability to easily review their companys utilization data by category, hiring manager or freelancer within a given time period and share the data across the organization. Skills and project insights that enable program owners to educate users on the types of work that can be done on the platform utilizing data obtained on the average project costs per skill and available talent, and sample job posts.

that enable program owners to educate users on the types of work that can be done on the platform utilizing data obtained on the average project costs per skill and available talent, and sample job posts. Enterprise trends, available through the Trends Page, offers program owners a view into how other enterprise customers are using the platform. The Trends page also provides program owners the latest insights on fast-growing skills, top categories and top countries to help ensure program success.

For more information about Upwork Enterprise visit: https://www.upwork.com/enterprise/ .

About Upwork

Upwork is the largest global freelancing website. Upwork Enterprise combines technology and services, giving companies a single solution that makes it simple, quick and cost effective to access qualified freelance talent.

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Canadian start-up seeks French testing ground for hyperloop train



Droux, France, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



A Canadian company hoping to build what it bills as the future of public transportation will seek permits this week to set up a testing centre in central France for developing super-fast "hyperloop" trains.

Transpod co-founder Sebastien Gendron told AFP that his company would file its application Friday with officials in the Haute-Vienne region for a three-kilometre (1.9-mile) track, which it claims would be the longest in the world.

It is one of several groups developing the technology, which aims to transport people in train-like "pods" through low-pressure tubes that would reduce atmospheric friction, allowing travel at nearly the speed of sound.

High-profile investors including Elon Musk, the head of electric car pioneer Tesla, and Virgin's Richard Branson have also put their financial muscle behind hyperloop projects.

Transpod, which has raised nearly 50 million euros ($58 million) from North American and Italian investors, aims to build its first commercial line running at 1,000 km/h (620 mph) by 2030, Gendron said.

The technology "will make humans and freight travel on earth as fast as a plane, while feeling like you're in the metro," Gendron said.

It chose the town of Droux -- population 400 -- north of the central city of Limoges for the 21-million-euro project after intense lobbying by enthusiastic local officials.

"The state needs to act as a facilitator in this case because, whether or not its the future of transportation, the possibility of a research facility on this scale can only benefit the region's reputation and its university," said Raphael Le Mehaute, the government's representative in the Haute-Vienne department.

Transpod said it would unveil French and international partners for the project this autumn -- the national train operator SNCF has already invested in Virgin Hyperloop One, which announced this week plans to build a $500-million research site in Spain.

France is already home to a research site for Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, an American company which is operating in Toulouse, southwest France.

juc/js/spm

GENERAL ELECTRIC
Samsung to invest billions in new tech to drive fresh growth



Seoul, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



South Korea's Samsung Group on Wednesday said it would invest $22 billion over the next three years in cutting-edge technology including artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and biopharmaceuticals, as it searches for ways to drive future growth.

The investment will be primarily led by Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest maker of memory chips, which has faced a string of setbacks in recent years, including a fall in smartphone sales and a corruption scandal that saw its vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong jailed last year.

Although demand for its memory chips remains robust, the market for its smartphones appears to have hit a wall, prompting the company to search for fresh growth opportunities.

"Samsung expects innovations powered by AI technology will drive the industry's transformation, while the next-generation 5G telecommunications technology will create new opportunities in autonomous driving, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics," the company said in a statement.

The $22 billion is part of a total of 180 trillion won ($161 billion) that the group plans to invest over the next three years across its businesses, with more than 70 percent of the money to be spent in South Korea.

Samsung will also expand investments in manufacturing hubs, seeking to increase production of semiconductors and display screens as well as dominate new markets by developing technology to power self-driving cars.

"Today's announcement shows Samsung is serious in its efforts to develop new growth engines" at a time when its semiconductor business and mobile sector are both facing mounting competition from Chinese rivals, Greg Roh of HMC Securities & Investment told AFP.

The company said it expected to add 40,000 new jobs over the next three years, in news that will likely bring relief to South Korea's government which is currently struggling with high youth unemployment.



- 'Begging for investment' -



The announcement came two days after South Korean Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon met the group's de-facto head Lee, calling for Samsung to create new jobs and boost the economy.

The scion of the founding family, Lee was jailed last year for his part in the graft scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye.

He has since been released after some of his convictions were quashed on appeal, and is now awaiting a Supreme Court decision.

Critics say Kim's meeting with Lee may send a wrong signal to the court that the government backs leniency for the beleaguered businessman.

"Kim's visit... gave a wrong impression that a top government minister is begging for investment by Samsung", Chung Sun-sup, head of the corporate analysis website Chaebol.com, told AFP.

Chung said reformist President Moon Jae-in's campaign to clip the wings of the country's powerful family-run conglomerates, known as chaebols, appeared to be losing steam in the face of stonewalling business groups which are "wielding prospects for investment as their weapons".

"Kim's visit to Samsung... showed the momentum for chaebol reform has been all but lost", he said.

Samsung's second quarter profit dipped slightly to 11.04 trillion won, down from 11.05 trillion won a year earlier.

Total sales for April-June fell 4.1 percent year-on-year to 58.48 trillion won, with revenues for the company's mobile division plunging 22 percent in the same period.

The company has been fighting off competition from Chinese rivals including Huawei, which last week said it could replace Samsung as the world's top smartphone maker by late next year, after data showed it surpassed Apple for the number-two spot in a tightening global smartphone market.

Investors greeted Wednesday's news with cautious optimism, with Samsung Electronics' shares rising 0.21 percent to close at 46,800 won.
Volatile visionary: Tesla's Musk divides Wall Street



New York, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



"Boring bonehead questions are not cool. Next?" Tesla chief Elon Musk complained in May, shortly before shutting down questions from Wall Street.

The now-infamous conference call in a nutshell represents the unorthodox approach of Musk, whose brazen aspirations to remake the transportation universe and confrontational approach to opponents has aroused both passionate support and furious criticism.

Recognized as one of the most influential innovators in the United States, the South African-born Musk, 47, appears to approach his quarterly question-and-answer sessions with Wall Street analysts the way a boxer might prepare to enter the ring against a challenger.

"We're going to go to YouTube. Sorry," Musk said in the May 2 exchange. "These questions are so dry. They're killing me."

Though he apologized in last week's call for being impolite in May, he cited the benefits of exiting the quarterly earnings treadmill when he made the shock proposal Tuesday to take Tesla private.

Tensions with Wall Street have not prevented the company from astronomical growth, despite burning through huge amounts of cash and never reporting an annual profit.

With Tuesday's surge after the announcement, Tesla is now worth $10 billion more than General Motors, the biggest US carmaker.



- Punching back at critics -



A self-proclaimed visionary for a future transportation system of electric and autonomous vehicles, Musk, who has a Twitter following of more than 22 million, has not shied from trying to squash critics whom he views as enemies of his vision.

At the end of July, a contributor to the financial website seekingalpha.com writing under the pseudonym "Montana Skeptic" exited the website after Musk personally called the author's employer threatening legal action following negative Tesla posts.

Another bizarre moment came in July when Musk labeled a British caver a "pedo" -- implying he as a pedophile -- after the rescuer dismissed the Tesla chief's idea for bringing 12 Thai boys from to safety in a miniature submarine he designed.

Musk's conduct has drawn comparisons to US President Donald Trump, another prominent figure who has embraced filter-free social media and whose mental stability has been questioned.

And like Trump, Musk has lambasted the media and been picky about appearances, granting a few rare interviews to publications like the Wall Street Journal, while favoring Rolling Stone magazine.

Musk has suggested the skeptical coverage of the company stemmed from the media's dependence on advertising from the oil and conventional car industry. He has discussed creating a website to "rate the core truth of any article" that would be called Pravda.



- Growing wealth -



"Maybe what he says is crazy. Maybe it's pure genius," the website Business Insider wrote last year.

Regardless of his reputation, Musk, who has frequented the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual gala among other glitzy appearances, has seen his wealth soar with Tesla after earlier ventures.

After leaving South Africa, Musk, who holds US and Canadian nationalities, completed academic work in Ontario and a prestigious business school in Pennsylvania.

By 25, he had created Zip2, an online advertising platform, and was a millionaire by age 30 after selling the company to Compaq Computer in 1999.

He followed that with the creation of the online bank, X.com, which was later merged into PayPal and in 2002 bought by eBay for $1.5 billion.

Forbes estimates Musk's wealth at $22.1 billion.

He also manages a foundation focused on education, renewable energy and pediatric health.

Musk also has had a stormy personal life, who has been divorced three times -- twice from the same woman -- has five living sons.

Besides Tesla, his current ventures include SpaceX which aims to "revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets," according to the website.
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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mirantis today announced the availability of Spinnaker Fundamentals, a hands on, instructor led training program aimed at DevOps professionals looking to learn best practices in cloud native continuous delivery and immutable infrastructure.

Spinnaker is an open source, multi-cloud continuous delivery platform for releasing software changes with high velocity and confidence. Created at Netflix, it has been battle-tested in production by hundreds of teams over millions of deployments. It combines a powerful and flexible pipeline management system with integrations to the major cloud providers.

Based on upstream Spinnaker, the Spinnaker Fundamentals (SPIN50) course will cover the first principles of safe, frequent, and reliable software releases: Immutable infrastructure, deployment strategies, automation, and operational integration. Targeted to do it yourself Spinnaker users, students will learn both from presentations, and with a workshop where they will gain hands on experience with Spinnaker. Students will ultimately be able to manage and set up the Spinnaker continuous delivery tool on Kubernetes. In this course Spinnaker is used as the CI/CD pipeline for a kubernetes cluster.

Spinnaker is used to deploy more than 95% of Netflix infrastructure in AWS, with hundreds of microservices and thousands of deployments every day. With this pedigree, many other businesses can leverage Spinnaker, said Tomasz Barczyk, Director, Engineering Services EU. This course will get developers up and running on this valuable platform.

Mirantis first announced their product based on Spinnaker back in April with the release of the Mirantis Application Platform. The Mirantis Application Platform helps enterprises run applications in the public cloud, employing the approach pioneered by hyperscalers like Netflix and Google and commonly referred to as cloud-native continuous delivery.

Mirantis has been a leader in open source training for 7 years, training more than 20,000 cloud professionals, many of whom are employed with Fortune 500 companies.

The first SPIN50 class from Mirantis will take place on September 24 in Campbell, CA and in a live virtual format, and is currently available at an introductory price.

About Mirantis

Mirantis is a managed open cloud company focused on harnessing open source innovation to help enterprise application owners become free of infrastructure and operations concerns. The company employs a unique build-operate-transfer approach to deliver two distinct products:

Mirantis Application Platform, which is based on Spinnaker and helps enterprises adopt cloud native continuous delivery to realize cloud ROI at scale.

Mirantis Cloud Platform, which is based on Kubernetes and OpenStack and helps services providers and enterprises run highly tunable private clouds powered by infrastructure-as-code and based on open standards.

To date, Mirantis has helped more than 200 enterprises and service providers build and operate some of the largest open clouds in the world. Its customers include iconic brands such as Adobe, AT&T, Comcast, Reliance Jio, State Farm, STC, Vodafone, Volkswagen, and Wells Fargo. Learn more at www.mirantis.com.



Contact information:

Joseph Eckert for Mirantis

jeckertflak@gmail.com
Canadian UN peacekeepers return to Africa after 24 years



Gao, Mali, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



Soaring over the Niger river before entering the savannah in northern Mali, a Canadian twin-engined military helicopter is making one of its first forays into the country.

Two artillerymen are scanning the ground below when the pilot announces that "one of the gauges has stopped. We only have one engine left".

As Canada sends its first peacekeepers force to Africa in 24 years, they are discovering a conflict -- and weather conditions -- unlike anything they have dealt with in a long time.

They have joined one of the United Nation's most difficult and dangerous missions -- the 14,000 strong MINUSMA operation in Mali, a linchpin West African country in the vast, arid Sahel region.

Flying in northern Mali, which is mostly covered by the Sahara desert, "is like working in the Arctic, you just swap ice for sand and -40 degrees for +40," jokes lieutenant-colonel Chris Morrison, commander of the Canadian air troops in the northeast city of Gao.

Aircraft have to operate in extreme conditions in the Sahara and "there are few runways to land on" for repairs or refills, says Morrison, whose previous missions include Bosnia and Afghanistan.



- Canadians back in blue helmets -



While it was Canada that helped mastermind the idea of large-scale UN peacekeeping missions back in the 1950s, it hasn't deployed significant numbers of "Blue Helmet" troops -- as the peacekeepers are known -- for more than a decade.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is keen for Canada to return to peacekeeping operations, not least in a bid to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2021.

And the Mali mission 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.

Since last month, a contingent of 250 Canadian soldiers and six helicopters -- two Chinook flying ambulances and four Griffon attack aircraft -- have taken over from German troops in conducting medical evacuations.

They are stationed at Camp Castor in Gao with around 900 German and 100 Dutch soldiers.

Not far away, another 4,000 soldiers from non-NATO countries are stationed in the UN "Supercamp".



- UN's most dangerous mission -



MINUSMA is currently the UN's most dangerous peacekeeping mission.

Since it was deployed in 2013, over 170 members have been killed -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world.

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 the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks.

"We want to help the UN, but it is a difficult mission," says Chris McKenna, commander of the Canadian troops in Mali.

"It is complicated, but it is what we expected. The environment is harsh, with dust and heat. Working in a multi-lateral, multi-national environment comes with challenges, but we are doing very well," McKenna insists.

The soldiers themselves are happy about Canada's return to the Blue Helmets.

"It is a good thing to be back," says major Dominique Simard, a helicopter pilot. "We are here to saves lives, it is rewarding."

The Canadian troops only take part in flying missions and are not deployed on foot.

And when they are not out in their helicopters, the soldiers are not allowed to set foot outside Camp Castor.

To pass the time, they have internet access, postal services, a cafeteria staffed with Indian cooks, a gym and a bar that does not serve alcohol.

But it's not easy being cooped up for so long.

"600 metres (2,000 feet) by 600 metres for seven months," one officer complains.

"Every day, we are in the sky, 35 feet above the theatre of operations, but we are not going to have terrestrial convoys, we are not equipped for it. That is not our mandate," says McKenna.
Germany warns US Iran sanctions could cause 'chaos'



Berlin, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran could further destabilise the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.

Trump brought back the punishing sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and Western powers to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We still think that it is a mistake to give up on the nuclear accord with Iran," Maas said in an interview with the daily Passauer Neue Presse.

"We are fighting for the deal because it also serves our purpose by bringing about security and transparency in the region."

Noting Iran's geographic proximity to Europe, Maas warned that "anyone who's hoping for regime change must not forget that whatever follows could bring us much bigger problems."

"Isolating Iran could boost radical and fundamentalist forces," he said, adding that "chaos in Iran, as we have experienced in Iraq or Libya, would further destabilise an already troubled region."

In a desperate bid to save the nuclear accord, European governments have pledged to do what they can to keep business links with Tehran.

Despite the political will to hold firm, many large European firms such as German automaker Daimler are leaving Iran for fear of US penalties.

The US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, welcomed the news.

"We are pleased to see German businesses stopping their trade with Iran, complying with U.S. sanctions, and helping pressure the Iranian regime back to the table," he tweeted.

"We stand together to stop Iran's malign activities."

hmn/dlc/bmm
Bodies of Czech soldiers killed in Afghanistan returned home



Prague, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



The bodies of three Czech soldiers killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the Taliban in Afghanistan were on Wednesday returned home.

Staff sergeant Martin Marcin, 36, and corporals Kamil Benes, 28, and Patrik Stepanek, 25, died while on patrol in the east of the country while a US member of the patrol and two Afghan soldiers were also wounded.

The attack was the deadliest assault on NATO soldiers in many months.

Sirens were blown, flags on government buildings flew at half mast and church bells rang as the three coffins wrapped in Czech flags were repatriated.

"We have witnessed a tragedy that can hardly be prevented when you serve in the army," Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar told reporters after a ceremony at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport.

The attack against the Resolute Support soldiers by a lone bomber on foot happened in the city of Charikar in Parwan province 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Kabul early on Sunday morning.

The Taliban claimed responsibility in a statement, saying they killed or wounded eight American soldiers in a "tactical explosion".

"Nothing has changed about the army's activity, we continue to fulfil our tasks, our commanders in Afghanistan continue to fulfil theirs," said deputy chief-of-staff Jiri Baloun.

Thirteen Czech soldiers have been killed in NATO missions in Afghanistan.
Israel strikes Gaza after rockets fired from enclave



Jerusalem, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



Israel launched air strikes on Gaza late Wednesday after dozens of rockets were fired from the enclave into its territory, with injuries reported on both sides.

Smoke plumes could be seen rising from Gaza City following the military's announcement it was targeting "terror sites in the Gaza Strip".

At least two Palestinians were wounded in raids aimed targeting a Hamas base in the southern Gaza Strip, the enclave's health ministry said.

The strikes came after two rockets launched from the coastal enclave hit the town of Sderot, near Gaza's northern border, police and the army said.

One person was lightly wounded by shrapnel while several others were treated for shock in Sderot, the United Hatzalah medical service said.

Sirens were sounded in several areas close to the border with Gaza, warning residents to seek immediate shelter, the Israeli army said.

"As of now, 36 rocket launches were identified from Gaza towards Israel," the army wrote on Twitter.

The majority hit open areas while four were intercepted, it said.

Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for all fire coming from the long-blockaded coastal territory.

Israeli television broadcast images of a house and cars reportedly damaged by the rockets in Sderot.

Parts of the town have been closed off and police bomb disposal units were at the scene of the strikes, a spokesman for the force said.

The strikes came after two fighters from the military wing of Hamas, which rules Gaza, were killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday.

Hamas warned Israel -- with which it has fought three wars since 2008 -- it would pay for the attack.

The escalation comes after the Hamas leadership convened for a rare meeting in Gaza on Friday.

The gathering had raised hopes a deal for a lasting truce with Israel, with the backing of Egypt and the United Nations.

Clashes along the Gaza border since the end of March have seen at least 160 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire.

One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.
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SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silver Air , the private jet management and charter company, has signed a Gulfstream GV under its PURE Jet Management program. Based out of Van Nuys, California (VNY), the jet is now available to charter for global operations.



The 16-seat jet has been newly renovated this year, with new paint and an updated interior. With a global 6,500nm range, the GV is capable of flying anywhere in the world, perfect for nonstop flights to Beijing or New Zealand from California. The GV also incorporates business amenities including international and domestic inflight Wi-Fi and a 4-seat conference table for productivity in route.

We are excited to bring this beautiful GV to the LA market for charter, said Chuck Stumpf, Silver Air President of Business Development. This GIV is a truly global aircraft, and brings more than 6,500nm range to our customers worldwide. It is a welcomed addition to our fleet in Los Angeles.

Silver Air's PURE Management model treats jet owners as partners rather than assets, creating quality management plans at the best value. Unlike traditional jet management companies that act as multiple service providers, Silver Air does not profit from selling fuel, maintenance, hangers or other fixed costs back to jet owners. Instead, Silver Air expertly manages the multiple service vendors on the owners behalf ensuring a cost effective and transparent relationship.

Silver Air manages and operates privately owned aircraft from bases throughout the United States. Silver Air is the only operator to offer unrestricted charter availability on a Boeing Business Jet. Silver Airs fleet features other light to large-cabin jets from Gulfstream, Dassault, Bombardier, Embraer, Cessna, and Hawker/Beech.

Silver Airs charter operations have earned an ARGUS Platinum rating and the company is currently IS-BAO stage two compliant, demonstrating the industrys highest safety practices. Silver Air is also a member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation.

For more information on Silver Air visit http://www.silverair.com/ .

Follow Silver Air at www.facebook.com/FlySilverAir , www.twitter.com/FlySilverAir and https://www.instagram.com/flysilverair/ .

About Silver Air

Silver Air is a pure private jet management service provider that delivers a transparent, owner-advocate approach to management creating valuable partnerships with private jet owners. Founded in 2008, the company is based in Southern California with corporate offices in Santa Barbara. Silver Air manages a comprehensive fleet of luxury aircraft from light to long-range heavy jets and a global network operating around the clock, 24-hours-a-day. Silver Air is ARGUS Platinum and IS-BAO rated and is a member of the National Business Aviation Association.

Media Contact:

Van Holmes

For Silver Air

310-902-9457

van.holmes@specpr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a0f5e30d-84cd-4c1a-95f9-f673b9dabb11



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3198dad-a3bf-404c-a755-be3dd7820c50



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95b775de-7270-428b-addb-be7ce257ae62



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2d31a94-34c2-4644-9770-3aa6edd66681












RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA)  Brazils front-running presidential candidate has announced he will close the Palestinian embassy in Brasilia in addition to moving his countrys embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Is Palestine a country? Palestine is not a country, so there should be no embassy here, Jair Bolsonaro, a lawmaker from the Social Liberal Party, declared on Tuesday when the National Congress re-opened after a three-week recess. You do not negotiate with terrorists, he added.

The right-wing lawmaker is a strong admirer and supporter of Israel. He slammed the fact that Palestinian Authority diplomatic representation is located less than two miles away from the Planalto Palace, Brazils government headquarters.

Elections are scheduled to be held in Brazil on October 7.

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Brazil recognized Palestine as an independent state in 2010 as part of former far-left President Luis Inacio Lula da Silvas alignment with extremist governments such as Iran and Libya. At that time, Brazil donated $10 million to Hamas. Lulas political heir, Dilma Rousseff, continued the anti-Israel sentiment during her term until she was impeached in 2016.

Bolsonaro, a 62-year-old conservative politician who appears to be as pro-Israel as he is anti-gay and pro-law and order, said he will seek to broaden the dialogue with Israel, the United States and Europe.







The candidate has participated in a handful of television interviews in recent weeks, where he bragged that he has never been accused of corruption during his nearly 30-year political career and also repeated he intends to move the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem.

Like evangelical and deeply conservative politicians in the United States, Bolsonaro is divisive among Jewish voters, who tend to be socially liberal but want their representatives to be strongly pro-Israel.

My heart is green, yellow, blue and white, Bolsonaro said to an audience of 400 at the Hebraica club in Rio in 2017 in a reference to the Israeli and Brazilian flags. He won big applause as he hailed the Jewish state for its power and social welfare system, saying it should inspire Latin Americas largest nation.

Bolsonaros passionate supporters usually refer to him by the nickname Mito, from the word myth or legend. With over 5.5 million Facebook followers, Bolsonaro was the top vote-getter among 46 congressman elected from the area in 2014 and won his sixth consecutive term in 24 years. His three sons, also politicians, have been constantly photographed wearing T-shirts with messages in Hebrew.

Brazils leftist workers party, or PT, has launched the official campaign of Lula for president despite the fact that the charismatic former head of state is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and money laundering and in all likelihood will not be on the ballot.

Local research institutes are carrying out polls with and without Lula, who ruled from 2003 to 2011, as an option. All polls that include his name have him tied with Bolsonaro.
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.
Since late March Hamas, in Gaza, has been organizing large demonstrations near the Israeli security fence in an effort to create enough chaos to get people, especially Hamas fighters, into Israel. While that effort has failed, and over 130 Palestinians have died (often while throwing rocks or firebombs at Israeli troops) it wasnt until July 20th that an Israeli soldier was killed at the fence, while trying to persuade a large group of Palestinians to get away from the fence. A Hamas sniper, apparently using an Iranian AM-50 12.7mm Iranian sniper rifle, killed the Israeli soldier who was on the Israeli side of the fence. Since this was the first Israeli fatality since Hamas began its current campaign of weekly violent demonstrations Israel retaliated so swiftly and on such a massive scale that Hamas agreed to a ceasefire to avoid what they believed would be an Israeli invasion. That ceasefire did not last, but the impact of the swift and massive Israeli retaliation did.

Israel knew there were 12.7mm sniper rifles in Gaza and Hamas had boasted of having some Steyr HS50 12.7mm rifles as far back as late 2013. But none of these were ever seen in action. Iran has been supplying Hamas with weapons for over a decade and Israel was more concerned with longer range Iranian rockets that had reached Gaza.

It was common knowledge that Iran had imported 800 Austrian Steyr-Mannlicher 800 HS50 12.7mm (.50 caliber) sniper rifles to Iran in 2006. Actually, these had been ordered in 2004, right after they were put on sale, and Steyr insisted the sale was legal (despite weapons sanctions on Iran) because they for use by Iranian border patrol forces against Afghan and Pakistani drug smugglers. The United States saw the weapons as eventually being used against U.S. troops and thats what happened by 2007 when American soldiers were killed by these weapons and raids on Iran backed militias found more than a hundred of them.

The HS50 is a 12.4 kg (28.5), bolt action rifle with an 833mm (33 inch) barrel and overall length of 137cm (54 inches). There is no magazine and each round much be manually loaded. Effective range is 1,500 meters. By 2013 Iran had produced a copy of the HS50 called the AM50. There were some differences from the HS50. The barrel used a different design (which Steyr had improved on for the HS50) and was longer (933mm). The overall length of the AM50 was greater as well (148cm) but the AM50 was lighter (12.2 kg). The first version of the AM50 was single shot but a few years later an improved version appeared that had a three round magazine. The later HS50 M1 had a five round magazine as well as several other improvements. Iranian sales brochures cited a maximum effective range of the AM50 as 1,200 meters.

The AM50 is seen as a somewhat crude, but effective copy of the HS50 and when equipped with high-end electronic sights and quality ammo is as effective as the HS50. Many AM50s exported to places like Gaza and Lebanon often do not have the high-end sights or quality ammo. Even so in the hands of an experienced sniper, the AM50 is useful.

Iran made a good case for getting these weapons for purely police use. Iranian troops have been fighting an increasingly bloody war with drug smugglers along their border with Afghanistan and Pakistan. This fighting gets particularly nasty because the drug smugglers are from Sunni tribes (usually Pushtun or Baluchi), that often believe the Shia Moslem Iranians are heretics. That makes the fighting about religion, as well as money. The fighting picked up after the Taliban were taken down in late 2001. After that, the drug business grew larger, and the smugglers saw Iran as a prime access route to European and Persian Gulf customers, as well as a good market in itself. With so many Iranians rapidly becoming drug addicts, the government sent thousands of troops and police to the Afghan and Pakistani borders, to try and stop the smugglers. This soon turned into a fierce battle, as the smugglers would often try and fight their way past Iranian patrols, or even ambush Iranian forces. The smugglers also tended to have better weapons than the Iranians, as well as night vision devices and satellite telephones.

Iran makes a lot of its own small arms but does not have the technical expertise to produce high tech things like .50 caliber sniper rifles, electronic sights for rifles, and other military electronics (ground radars and other sensors). Thus Iran has turned to anyone who will supply it with the high tech weapons it wants. Because of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, illegal, and legal, imports into Iran are closely watched by many intelligence organizations. Because of the HS50 rifles exported to Iran, the United States included Steyr-Mannlicher among nine companies it imposed sanctions on because they were caught supplying weapons to Iran. Six of the sanctioned firms were Chinese. But the Austrian firm was providing equipment most likely to end up in the hands of terrorists attacking American troops. Steyr-Mannlicher insisted that the deal was legit and had a difficult time getting out from under the sanctions, which limited its ability to sell goods inside the United States. Steyr-Mannlicher promptly supplied the United States with the serial numbers of the HS50 rifles delivered to Iran and was helpful in other ways. Some of these HS50s showed up in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and other conflict areas. Not all of them were from the batch sold to Iran. This was not unusual as arms smugglers obtain their weapons from many sources and sell them at a big profit to users who cannot legally obtain them. The HS50s sold to Iran cost over $6,000 each but can bring more than twice that on the black market.
WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Target-date funds, such as the Vantagepoint Milestone Funds, provide investors with exposure to multiple asset classes within a single strategy, gradually adjusting the asset mix as investors draw closer to their retirement dates. These types of funds have become an increasingly sought after element of investors financial security, today accounting for more than 20 percent of total retirement plan assets, according to a recent Pensions & Investments survey.1

The Vantagepoint Milestone Funds serve as the cornerstone of prudent retirement planning for many participants in the employer-sponsored 457, 401, and RHS plans that are administered by ICMA-RC, said Wayne Wicker, Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer. By reducing fees in these funds, we are helping to ensure participants investments grow and compound more over time, helping them achieve their long-term savings goals.

Costs in the Vantagepoint Milestone Funds vary depending on their asset mix, so the fee waivers also vary across the fund family, specifically:

Fund Name Waiver Retirement Income 0.09% Milestone 2010 Fund 0.11% Milestone 2015 Fund 0.07% Milestone 2020 Fund 0.05% Milestone 2025 Fund 0.05% Milestone 2030 Fund 0.06% Milestone 2035 Fund 0.07% Milestone 2040 Fund 0.06% Milestone 2045 Fund 0.07% Milestone 2050 Fund 0.08% Milestone 2055 Fund 0.13%

The Vantagepoint Funds were developed to help participants build retirement security, and we believe these changes in fees will help increase our competitiveness in the marketplace.



About Vantagepoint Funds

The Vantagepoint Milestone Funds are not a complete solution for all of your retirement savings needs. An investment in a Milestone Fund includes the risk of loss, including near, at or after the target date of the Fund. There is no guarantee that the Fund will provide adequate income at and through an investor's retirement.

ICMA-RC provides investment advisory and management services to VantageTrust Company with respect to the Vantagepoint Funds and the VT PLUS Fund. For more information, please review ICMA-RCs Form ADV, available at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Before investing, please read the Funds' offering and disclosure documents carefully for a complete summary of all fees, expenses, investment objectives and strategies, and risks. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of the amount invested. Investors should carefully consider the information contained in the Funds offering and disclosure documents before investing. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

About ICMA-RC

Founded in 1972, ICMA-RC is a non-profit, independent financial services corporation with approximately $54 billion in assets under management and administration (as of June 30, 2018), focused on providing retirement plans and related services for over a million public sector participant accounts. ICMA-RCs mission is to help public sector employees build retirement security. The organizations mission is delivered through its RealizeRetirement approach in which ICMA-RC representatives actively engage participants in their retirement programs, help them build their asset base, and help them realize their retirement goals through a comprehensive retirement planning strategy. For more information, visit www.icmarc.org or follow ICMA-RC on Facebook, LinkedIn , and Twitter.





1 Target-date assets continue to climb, by Meaghan Kilroy, Pensions & Investments, February 5, 2018. http://www.pionline.com/article/20180205/PRINT/180209963/target-date-assets-continue-to-climb
Chinese claims on Filipino territory are asserted relatively discreetly but relentlessly and more Filipinos are persuaded to submit rather than fight. At the same time many Filipinos have become more outspoken in their protests and warnings of the damage Chinese domination could inflict. China keeps offering economic deals that seem favorable, but in fact give China more access to Filipino assets or territory in return for not much. China is slowly asserting its possession over areas where it has built bases on seven artificial islands (by dredging up sand). China offers seemingly attractive joint exploration deals to look for oil, gas and other resources in offshore areas where, by international law, Filipinos should be in charge but where China acts like it is already a partner. China offers small gifts (usually of military equipment) and promises of large investments (that often do not appear) and makes loud protests at anything it objects to; like Filipinos displaying banners saying; "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China." Displaying such banners is legal in the Philippines but not in China. This is the point for Filipinos that Chinese officials dont quite comprehend.

For nearly a decade, until 2017, the United States refused to pressure China to back off on its claims, even though a UN backed tribunal ruled that China had violated international law and a treaty China itself had signed, but seizing Filipino maritime territory. China ignored that ruling (set it aside and continued to build new bases and coerce other nations to recognize these claims. Now the United States is challenging the Chinese claims but so far China is ignoring those challenges (American warships and aircraft passing through waters and air space China insists is now part of China.) Because of the more forceful attitude by the Americans (and British, Australians and others) Filipinos are unsure which is best; resist or submit. Either way China is going to hurt the Philippines. If there is resistance China will seek to impose economic damage. If there is submission the Philippines loses valuable territory forever.

ISIL Scrambles

The three largest Moslem Islamic terror organizations in the south (Abu Sayyaf, Maute Group and BIFF) have all pledged allegiance to ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) since 2014. That has not worked out to their advantage with the three suffering major losses last year and making the Philippines a place to avoid by other Islamic terrorists in the region looking for a safe sanctuary. The Philippines is no longer safe. The heavy losses these three groups took in 2017 have rendered them unable to carry out many attacks. These groups now make the news with reports of surrenders, raids on their camps or losses to aggressive patrols.

It gets worse for some of the Filipino groups. Abu Sayyaf has taken heavy losses since early 2017 and the military believes that continuing operations against Abu Sayyaf at the current level (intense, with more troops being assigned to the effort) the Islamic terror group may cease to be a major Islamic terrorist threat by the end of 2018. An example of the Abu Sayyaf weakness was demonstrated early (in mid-May) when Abu Sayyaf released two policewomen they had kidnapped in Sulu three weeks earlier. The government repeated its policy of no ransom (after Abu Sayyaf demanded $100,000) and concentrated troops and police in the area to find the two policewomen and any of the other 15 hostages Abu Sayyaf was known to be holding. Many of the soldiers and police had prior experience searching this area and knew who the usual suspects, and locations, were. The released policewomen confirmed this fear among their captors as well as details of the morale and other details of the Abu Sayyaf men who took and held them. During the search three soldiers and at least 11 Abu Sayyaf men were killed and Abu Sayyaf operations in the area were disrupted. Abu Sayyaf has continued suffering losses like that and more of their members, especially recent recruits, are surrendering.

The two other ISIL affiliates in the Philippines, Maute Group and BIFF are also fading as casualties, desertion and voluntary surrenders shrink their numbers and make it more difficult to find new recruits. While all these groups are weak and they are not likely to disappear completely. The ISIL leadership that unites Abu Sayyaf, Maute Group and BIFF is still operational but spending most of its time avoiding detection.

The Communist Threat

The NPA (the illegal armed wing of the local Communist Party) depends on extortion, theft and other criminal activity to survive. The NPA can no longer do much political work when their very survival is at risk. The government is trying, without much success, to negotiate a peace deal with the NPA. The leadership, as well as the commanders of various armed factions, are split on a peace agreement and most are continuing the fight. The NPA, to most Filipinos, has become bandits with a veneer of communist ideology to justify their violence. The banditry option is not working well enough to assure long-term survival of the organization. This can also be seen when factions run short of money. Those actions begin to suffer from desertions. The army will grant amnesty to NPA members who surrender, especially if they bring their weapons and some useful information with them. Information on where NPA camps or weapons storage sites are considered useful and the fact that more NPA camps are being attacked and weapons storage sites seized indicates that NPA is losing secrets as well as people and popular support. Some NPA leaders feel this is all a temporary setback and that a peace deal would enable a revitalized Philippines Communist Party to become a major political power. These delusions make negotiating a peace deal more difficult. Meanwhile the NPA has become a major source of criminal (as opposed to Islamic terrorist) activity in the country.

August 6, 2018: In the north (Isabela province) soldiers seized a small NPA camp that was well hidden in a remote area. The troops had to search for about two days to locate the camp after they had received information about it. The camp was home for about ten NPA members, who are now scrambling to find new accommodations. The military has been increasingly successful at finding these camps, in large part to the growing number of NPA members surrendering or getting captured.

August 5, 2018: In the south (Agusan del Sur) an army patrol encountered some armed NPA men and killed two of the leftist rebels in a brief gun battle.

August 3, 2018: In the central Philippines (Masbate province) troops were ambushed by NPA rebels. Three soldier died but the NPA attack was repulsed and the rebels fled, taking some dead and wounded with them.

August 2, 2018: In the south (Sulu) six more Abu Sayyaf members turned themselves in. That makes 150 Abu Sayyaf members who have surrendered so far in 2018. The government treats Abu Sayyaf members with no known criminal record leniently as long as they provide accurate information about their experiences in Abu Sayyaf.

August 1, 2018: In the central Philippines (Masbate province) NPA rebels were believed responsible for a bomb that went off near a coast guard speedboat docked in a port town. There were no injuries.

July 31, 2018: In the south (Basilan) ISIL took credit for a vehicle suicide bombing at an army checkpoint that left 11 dead including six soldiers and four civilians. Suicide bombing are rare in the Philippines and a survivor of this attack noted that the driver of the van with the bomb appeared to have a foreign accent.

July 27, 2018: In the north (Quezon province) troops, acting on a tip, caught up with a group of 25 armed NPA rebels and a 30 minute fire fight one leftist rebel dead while the rest fled, taking some wounded with them.

July 26, 2018: President Duterte approved the long-awaited BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) thus keeping his promise to do so if the Moslem separatist organizations MILF and MNLF cooperated in eliminating ISIL activity in the Moslem south. Earlier this year Congress agreed that it was now willing to pass the controversial BOL this year and after two weeks of frantic activity earlier in July the BOL got congressional approval was ready for the president to sign. It wasnt just the Moslem willingness to suppress ISIL but also the cooperation between the two former rival organizations. For example, in early 2017 MILF agreed to combine its 2014 peace deal with the government with the 1996 peace agreement rival MNLF signed with the government. This settled several disagreements the two major Moslem organizations had to deal with. The two groups had originally disagreed over who would have what powers under the new autonomy deal. MILF has been pressuring Congress to either pass or reject the peace deal. If approved BOL creates Bangsamoro which is an autonomous Moslem area in the southwest. It was not surprising that this new law would be difficult to get through the national legislature. It was always understood that because of the 2016 elections the treaty would have an opportunity to try getting approval from two different Congresses. The main problem is that too many Christians do not trust the Moslems to remain at peace and curb violence against Christians in the south. While Moslems are the majority in some parts of the south (mainly the areas in the southwest that will become Bangsamoro) Christians are the majority in the southern islands that radical Moslems insist should be under Moslem control and all Christians expelled. Even in Bangsamoro Christians are a large minority. As an alternative the government recently proposed that the entire country be given the same option by creating a more federal form of government with the country organized into five entities with Bangsamoro being one of them. This means no appearance of special treatment for Moslems. This five region proposal did not generate a lot of support while the BOL did. That idea is on hold. Bangsamoro is supposed to include Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur, as well as portions of Lanao del Norte and Cotabato provinces. These areas must reaffirm their willingness to belong to Bangsamoro voting on it. It will take until to 2022 to get that done. At that point over 30,000 armed members of Moslem militias (mainly MILF and MNLF) can be disarmed or incorporated into government sponsored local defense groups.

July 21, 2018: The Philippines received another gift from China; four 12 meter (38 foot) coastal patrol boats (armed with some 7.62mm machine-guns) and 200 grenade launchers. China provided a week of training for 25 Filipino sailors who will operate the boats.

July 19, 2018: In the south (Sulu) two clashes between troops and Abu Sayyaf left one soldier and five Islamic terrorists dead.

July 11, 2018: In the south (Sulu) two clashes between troops and Abu Sayyaf left one soldier and six Islamic terrorists dead. One encounter was with Special Forces operators who were seeking a specific target. Most encounters are patrols sent to an area where Abu Sayyaf presence is suspected. The patrols have orders to be aggressive and they are.

July 10, 2018: In the south (Maguindanao provinces) three days of renewed fighting with BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) left 12 Islamic terrorists dead. In early July a five week offensive, which extended into Liguasan Marsh region plus North Cotabato against BIFF seemed to end after 45 of the Islamic terrorists were killed, 28 wounded and six captured. Four soldiers died and twenty were wounded. Since June 1st the army patrols have found several BIFF camps including one with a bomb workshop where ten assembled bombs were seized. Also found were ammo and weapons supplies as well as military equipment and documents. When the army planned this offensive they believed there were as many as 400 BIFF members in the area of operations and have set no end date on the current campaign. The 6th Infantry Division, which is supplying most of the troops, can rotate units in and out of the area for months. The object is to destroy BIFF presence on Mindanao Island and captured documents and prisoner interrogations indicate that this is a possibility. Four of the BIFF dead are also being investigated as possibly foreign Islamic terrorists who had come to work for BIFF in return for sanctuary.

Over 10,000 civilians were forced to flee their homes to avoid some of the fighting and there were some civilian casualties. In most cases the civilian displacement was temporary as the army kept pursuing the BIFF gunmen and civilians could return home after hours or days.
PLANO, Texas, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Birdville Independent School District is one of the largest school districts in the state of Texas, with more than 23,400 students in grades K through 12. Over the last three years, the technology department has been engaged in improving technology and communication systems focusing on innovative ways to integrate existing infrastructure with new technology to provide the highest value to the most sites. Goals were to improve functionality, day to day communications and to provide enhanced security across 44 unique locations.



The project, named Birdville ISD Access Control Integration (BISD ACI), is engineered and designed by Cistera Networks, developers of Unified Communications and collaboration solutions. Campus wide public-address systems used for paging and notifications, card reader door access control systems, and an existing email system are now connected through Cistera custom engineering and API integrations. This has enabled emergency communication functionality and features that were not previously available.

This is a well put together integration to maximize the potential of existing systems, states Chris Reese, Security Engineer, Birdville ISD Technology Department.

Cisteras Secure Campus platform allows for network-based hard wired public-address systems to be integrated with school emergency lockdown systems, enabling door and card reader locking mechanism activation throughout campuses while 911 is automatically dispatched. Facilities where the new IP-based public address speakers have been installed also have displays to ensure that announcements can be heard and seen in that particular area. Cisteras solution enables the districts Unified Communications Phone System to push visual messaging to phone screens in the event the district is on silent notification.

From the conception idea to the finished product, this solution has enabled BISD to be more proactive towards situational awareness and response planning in the event of a Campus wide emergency, states Darrell Maxey, Telecommunications Engineer, Birdville ISD Technology Department.

This system is critical for administrators to be able to communicate lockdowns and ensure that any other signals are ignored.

The BISD ACI currently has three methods of activation, mainly separated by lockdown activation timing:



IP handset activation: Can be activated by teachers and requires authentication to ensure students do not activate. This can take 7-10 seconds to lockdown and alert authorities.

Supervisor direct URL: Bypasses authentication and is possible to remotely lock and unlock the system. The URL is placed on key handsets and is also accessible through the Cistera Mobile App for admin staff to be able to bypass authentication and choose the desired level of lockdown. This takes no more than 2.5 seconds to lockdown and alert.

Panic Buttons: This is a single button push and activates lockdown and alert within 1 second. The button is placed in key locations that only campus managers are aware of.

All levels provide visual and audible notifications. Whenever a lockdown is initiated pre-recorded messages go out to all phones and IP speakers including legacy IP systems. Emails are sent to pre-defined distribution groups that contain emergency contacts including local 911. The new IP-based public-address system has been added to standard guidelines for new construction.

We are very pleased of the way that this project has worked out and are thankful to Cistera Networks for providing the ability for us to customize and integrate our existing Cisco infrastructure and door access control solution to provide better security for Birdville ISD, Dave Lambson, Executive Director, with the Birdville ISD Technology Department.

Cistera provides school safety management solutions that can be customized to campus security and scheduling needs. Our applications can automate first responder 911 calls and then connect campus security and various public safety departments to communicate during a crisis and unify action plans.

Cistera Networks

Kim Pankey

+1-562-235-7257

klouis-pankey@cistera.com

www.cistera.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4dcc88f-1c90-4808-adc1-4a228824a036
HOUSTON, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sanchez Midstream Partners LP (NYSE American: SNMP) (SNMP or the Partnership) announced today that the board of directors of its general partner has declared a quarterly cash distribution on its common units of $0.4508 per unit ($1.8032 per unit annualized).



The board of directors of the general partner has also declared a distribution to the holders of its Class B preferred units equal to 310,009 Class B Preferred PIK Units and a cash distribution of $0.22580 per Class B preferred unit.

The distributions are payable on Aug. 31, 2018 to holders of record on Aug. 21, 2018.

About the Partnership

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP (NYSE American: SNMP) is a growth-oriented publicly-traded limited partnership focused on the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of midstream and other energy related assets in North America. The Partnership has ownership stakes in oil and natural gas gathering systems, natural gas pipelines, and a natural gas processing facility, all located in the Western Eagle Ford in South Texas.

Additional Information

Additional information about SNMP can be found in the Partnerships documents on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) and in the Investor Presentation available on the Partnerships website (www.sanchezmidstream.com).

This press release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b) and (d). Brokers and nominees are treated as withholding agents responsible for withholding distributions received by them on behalf of foreign investors and should treat one hundred percent (100.0%) of SNMPs distributions to non-U.S. investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, SNMPs distributions to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. All of these types of statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and other than as required by law, we do not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PARTNERSHIP CONTACT

Kevin Smith

VP of Investor Relations

(281) 925-4828

General Inquiries: (713) 783-8000

www.sanchezmidstream.com
Eugene Howard Hume, long time Sidney resident died on August 4, 2018. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Thursday, August 9th in the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church with Pastor Neil Carlson officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Wednesday from 1-7:00 P.M. A memorial is being established. You may view Gene's Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at www.gehrigstittchapel.com.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Gene's care and funeral arrangements....
At the north end of Hickory Street is a small store with a big understanding of "the cowboy way." It is a store with an assortment of what is needed for a safe ride, maybe what a cowboy didn't realize he, or she, needs until talking with the store owners. Along the way, the customer gets to conduct business in the country way, with a handshake and a steady look in the eye.

Monte and Kathy Decker are opening "Cowboy Connection" at 827 Tenth Ave. The store offers a full line of new and used saddles and tack. What they offer is the knowledge of what is best for the rider and horse and how to m...
Congressman Adrian Smith (center) visited Lukjan Metal Products on Monday to honor the business as one of eleven that were selected within the Nebraska's Third Congressional District for the Excellence in Economic Development Award. Watching on is Sidney Mayor Joe Arterburn.

Congressman Adrian Smith spent the morning in Sidney Monday, with business and healthcare foremost on his agenda.

Smith opened the morning at Lukjan Metal products, presenting its leadership team with the 2018 Third Congressional District Excellence in Economic Development Award. Lukjan was named as one of 11 individuals and businesses helping to strengthen Nebraska communities through innovation, hard work, entrepreneurship, and historic preservation.

Smith presented the award, along with a proclamation that had been entered into the Congressional record, extolling the company for its part...
Create an event that interests people and you also increase the chances of people visiting cafes and businesses in town as well. That is the theory among the tourism industry: give people a reason to attend an event, and they are more likely to also stop at a restaurant, shop at a local store and possibly rent a hotel room.

However, to get there, people need to know about the event. They need a reason to take the day trip, or further.

Cheyenne County Tourism Director Kevin Howard met with the Cheyenne County Commissioners Monday regarding a grant request from the Cruisen Class Car Club....
BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trilogy International Partners Inc. (the "Company") (TSX:TRL) today announced that Stewart Sherriff, Chief Executive Officer of its New Zealand subsidiary, 2degrees, has stated that he intends to retire. Mr. Sherriff will remain in the role until a replacement is found, at which point he will serve on the 2degrees Board of Directors.



He was 2degrees Chairman of the Board beginning in 2010, but stepped in as Interim CEO in April 2013 following the tragic death of CEO Eric Hertz. Following a global search, he agreed to take on the role permanently later that year.

What I hadnt appreciated was how quickly New Zealanders had come to embrace 2degrees and the huge opportunity such a strong brand presented, said Mr. Sherriff. After 40 years working in more than 20 countries I still dont think there is anything quite like 2degrees. Whoever takes on this role will be getting the best job in New Zealand, leading a remarkable team of people and a business with huge potential. While I will miss working here, the company is tracking well and this is the right time for me to move back into a governance role  and see more of New Zealand.

Brad Horwitz, Trilogy International Partners President and CEO of the Company, and 2degrees Chairman of the Board, said, Stewart is leaving a legacy to be proud of, including taking 2degrees from a start-up operation to a profitable full-service telco. Weve worked closely together for almost 30 years, in some 13 countries, and he will be missed. Were glad that we will have the benefit of his experience and knowledge of the New Zealand telecom market on the 2degrees board. Mr. Horwitz said a global search for a new CEO will begin immediately.

About Trilogy International Partners Inc.

Trilogy International Partners Inc. (TSX:TRL) is the parent company of Trilogy International Partners LLC, a wireless telecommunications operator formed by wireless industry veterans John Stanton, Theresa Gillespie and Brad Horwitz. Its founders have an exceptional track record of successfully buying, building, launching and operating communication businesses in 15 international markets and the United States.

The Company currently provides wireless and fixed communications services through its operating subsidiaries in New Zealand and Bolivia. Its head office is located at 155 108th Avenue NE, Suite 400, Bellevue, Washington, 98004 USA.

For more information, visit www.trilogy-international.com .

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

Certain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 of the United States of America. Forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are often, but not always identified by the use of words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "will", "may" and "should" and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. This news release includes forward-looking information and statements pertaining to, among other things, the expected closing date of the debt facility and further investments in the 2degrees business. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause the actual events and results to differ materially from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.

Please see Risks Factors in our Annual Information Form available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com, which is also included with the Companys Annual Report on Form 40-F under the Companys profile at www.sec.gov, for information on the risks and uncertainties associated with our business. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and statements, which speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this release represent our expectations as of the date of this release. We disclaim any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Take A Mulligan: The Big 7-0

Here is the $64,000 question. Just exactly how old is old? In my teens, I figured it was about 35 but when I was getting close to that age, it ...
Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Texas A&M University-Kingsville is home to one of the top bass trombone players in the world.

Music student Eden Garza recently won the prestigious Edward Kleinhammer Bass Trombone Orchestral Excerpt Competition. He was one of three finalists for the competition held yearly by the International Trombone Association at their international festival.

This competition focuses on the preparation of orchestral excerpts which is essential in the growth of young trombonists. The trombonists that win or are chosen as a finalist or alternate usually go on to win a chair in a professional symphony orchestra. The 22-year-old undergraduate student has often found himself competing against graduate students.

To compete, Garza, performed and recorded the etudesshort musical compositions for one instrument selected by a professional committee. The recording was submitted to the association and blindly judged by three professional bass trombonists that hold chairs in major orchestras. Only three finalists were chosen to compete at the International Trombone Festival.

Garza was selected as one of the finalists this year. Some of the other competitors that were finalists and or alternates were from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary; Conservatorium van Amsterdam in Amsterdam, Netherlands; New England Conservatory in Boston; Mannes College of Music in New York and many others. The professors of these students all perform for major orchestras all over the world. One of the finalists the he competed against even has a paid position in an orchestra back in his home country.

This is basically the biggest set of international competitions in the trombone world! This is a huge win for Eden and our wonderful university, said Dr. Oscar Diaz, assistant professor of trombone. It was a well-deserved win for such a hard-working and talented young man. He is first to win from Texas A&M-Kingsville.

This is not the first time that members of the universitys Trombone Studio have been honored during these same sets of competitions. The Trombone Choir was named one of the top five ensembles in the world, Garza has been an alternate before and several other trombone students have been either chosen as an alternate or received an award.
ATLANTA, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WestRock Company (NYSE:WRK), a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Schluter Print Pharma Packaging, a German-based supplier of a full range of leaflets and booklets.



Schluter will become part of WestRocks Multi Packaging Solutions business.

Schluter has an excellent reputation as a high-quality supplier to customers in the pharmaceutical and automotive industries, and this acquisition will enable us to build our business in these growing markets, said Marc Shore, president of WestRocks Multi Packaging Solutions business. It will also expand our geographical footprint to better serve customers throughout Europe.

"We are excited about what becoming part of WestRock means for our customers and employees, said Andreas Schluter, owner of Schluter Print Pharma Packaging. We firmly believe that WestRock is well positioned to grow the business and continue developing solutions that will help our customers address the challenges they face today and in the future.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Forward Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on managements current views and assumptions and are typically identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "target," "prospects," "potential" and "forecast," and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements include statements such as that (a) the acquisition of Schluter Print Pharma Packaging will (i) enable us to build our business in the growing pharmaceutical and automotive markets and (ii) expand our geographical footprint to better serve customers throughout Europe, and (b) WestRock is well positioned to grow the acquired business and continue to develop solutions that will help its customers address the challenges they face today and in the future. Actual results may differ materially. Factors that may affect actual results include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive and market conditions generally, volumes and price levels of purchases by customers; and competitive conditions in WestRocks businesses and possible adverse actions of their customers, competitors and suppliers. Please refer to the cautionary statements set forth in Item 1A of WestRocks annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2017 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018. WestRock undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRocks 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com.

CONTACT: Investors: Media: James Armstrong, 470-328-6327 John Pensec, 470-328-6397 Vice President, Investor Relations Director, Corporate Communications james.armstrong@westrock.com mediainquiries@westrock.com John Stakel, 678-291-7901 Senior Vice President  Treasurer john.stakel@westrock.com




MOUNT KISCO, N.Y., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tokio Marine HCC today announced that Christopher R. Skarinka has been appointed Chief Operating Officer for its Professional Lines and Public Risk Groups, which specialize in small accounts errors & omissions coverage and municipality business, effective August 6, 2018.



We are very excited to attract such a talented professional to our team, which attests to Tokio Marine HCCs excellent reputation in the marketplace. Chris has demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit that sets us apart from our competitors. His experience in the financial industry and expertise in envisioning and designing artificial intelligence will help us execute growth plans for our Professional Lines unit and our leading Public Entity practice, said Thomas A. Harmeyer, President of Professional Lines and Public Risk at Tokio Marine HCC.

Prior to joining Tokio Marine HCC, Mr. Skarinka was a co-founder of Weather Analytics, LLC, a risk analytics company, and served there as President and a member of the Board of Directors. In 2012, he co-founded and served as Chief Financial Officer of Kanopy Insurance, an independent personal lines agency. From 2010 to 2013, Mr. Skarinka worked as an Associate for Great Hill Equity Partners, a private equity firm. He started his career as an Analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities in 2007, after graduating from Harvard University with a BA in Social Studies.

Tokio Marine HCC is the marketing name used to describe the affiliated companies under the common ownership of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc., a Delaware-incorporated insurance holding company. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Tokio Marine HCC is a leading specialty insurance group with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Tokio Marine HCCs major domestic insurance companies have financial strength ratings of AA- (Very Strong) from S&P Global Ratings, A++ (Superior) from A.M. Best, and AA- (Very Strong) from Fitch Ratings; its major international insurance companies have financial strength ratings of AA- (Very Strong) from S&P Global Ratings. Tokio Marine HCC is a member of the Tokio Marine Group, a premier global company founded in 1879 with a market capitalization of $34 billion as of December 31, 2017. For more information about Tokio Marine HCC, please visit www.tokiomarinehcc.com.

The Professional Lines Group of Tokio Marine HCC provides protection against claims arising from professional negligence, which can lead to financial losses, expensive litigation and staggering jury awards. Its Architects and Engineers division is one of the nations leading providers of professional liability insurance for architects, engineers and contractors. The group also provides professional liability insurance for scientists and technical consultants involved in fields related to design, construction and analysis. Through its Employment Practices Liability Insurance, the group provides protection for an employer against claims made by employees, former employees or prospective employees alleging among other things, harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and more. The group also offers Miscellaneous Professional Liability for all kinds of professionals, businesses and consultants and underwrites the most diverse and complex types of coverage to help keep ones budget and operations intact.

The Public Risk Group of Tokio Marine HCC offers a proven range of Risk Control Services to government agencies and organizations that help protect the public. Through its Public Entity program, the group offers one of the most cost effective and comprehensive municipal insurance programs available in the U.S. that is customized for the needs of each client. Its in-house Claims Service processes all claims for Tokio Marine HCC Public Risk. Staffed by a team of experienced claims attorneys and claims professionals, the group investigates, analyzes and resolves claims in a timely manner and utilizes a state-of-the-art processing system, document management system and automated accounting system to expedite the process.
HOUSTON, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riviera Resources, Inc. (OTCQX: RVRA) (Riviera or the Company) announced today that its common stock has qualified to trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol RVRA. Investors can find real-time quotes and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com . The Company believes the OTCQX (which is operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc.) constitutes an established securities market within the meaning of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980.



ABOUT RIVIERA RESOURCES

Riviera Resources, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas company with a strategic focus on efficiently operating its mature low-decline assets, developing its growth-oriented assets, and returning capital to its stockholders. Rivieras properties are located in the Hugoton Basin, East Texas, North Louisiana, Michigan/Illinois, the Uinta Basin and Mid-Continent regions. Riviera also owns Blue Mountain Midstream LLC, a midstream company centered in the core of the Merge play in the Anadarko Basin. More information about Riviera and Blue Mountain Midstream LLC, is available at the Companys website, www.RivieraResourcesInc.com .
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCQB: DUOT), a provider of intelligent security analytical technology solutions, will hold a conference call on Tuesday, August 14 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Financial results will be issued in a press release prior to the call.



Duos management will host the presentation, followed by a question and answer period.

Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time)

U.S. dial-in: (888) 339-2688

International dial-in: (617) 847-3007

Passcode: 74066735

Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Liolios at (949) 574-3860.

The conference call will be broadcast simultaneously and available for replay via the investor section of the company's website here.

About Duos Technologies Group, Inc.

Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCQB: DUOT), based in Jacksonville, Florida, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Duos Technologies, Inc., provides advanced intelligent security and analytical technology solutions with a strong portfolio of intellectual property. The Companys core competencies include intelligent technologies that combine machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced video analytics that are delivered through its proprietary integrated enterprise command and control centraco platform. The Company provides its broad range of technology solutions with an emphasis on mission critical security, inspection and operations within the rail transportation, retail, petrochemical, government, and banking sectors. Duos Technologies also offers an asset management system in conjunction with professional and consulting services for large data centers. For more information, visit www.duostech.com.

Contacts: Duos Technologies

Corporate

Tracie Hutchins

Duos Technology Group, Inc.

904-652-1601

tlh@duostech.com

Investor Relations

Matt Glover or Tom Colton

Liolios

949-574-3860

DUOT@liolios.com




Last week at a news conference in Queens, NY1 reporter Zack Fink asked Governor Cuomo about whether or not Crystal Run Health gave money to his campaign in the form of straw donors. After saying that he couldn't comment on an ongoing investigation, Cuomo said "speaking of fraud, Charter Spectrum has been executing fraud on the people of this state," and continued to say "You are defrauding the people of the state. Thats a fraud.

It was a dramatic moment, but as the New York Times reports, it never made it on air at NY1, which is owned by Charter Spectrum. The Governor also called the NY1 newsroom to explain himself further, and that never made the news either. Charter Spectrum did not return a request for comment about why Cuomo's comments never appeared on air.

We stand fully behind Spectrum News and the journalists who make it a tremendous asset to our customers, the company said in a statement to the Times.

The unaired coverage comes two weeks after the New York State Public Service Commission announced that they are revoking approval of the 2016 merger agreement between Charter Communications (a.k.a. Spectrum) and Time Warner Cable, because of Spectrum's alleged failure to provide public benefits it promised in exchange for state approval of the merger.

Here's the full transcript of what happened when @ZackFinkNews (a Charter Spectrum employee) asked @NYGovCuomo about a federal investigation into a Cuomo donor. pic.twitter.com/lOtTGtcIGr  Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) July 31, 2018

The incident also raises questions about whether the Governor complained to Charter company officials about critical coverage of him or his administration. We asked the Governor's office about this claim. Richard Azzopardi, Cuomo's spokesperson, did not answer our question, but said in an email:

The facts clearly debunk any conspiracy theory and in fact everything has been played out in public. The Broad band access is imperative for all, New Yorkers and the PSC-Charter franchise agreement was supposed to ensure it. For the past year Charter has refused to honor their obligations and has blacked out any news coverage of the PSC violations to their subscribers while running charter sponsored ads claiming they were "ahead of schedule". The PSC referred charter to the AG for consumer fraud and the governor has been publicly criticizing charter and charter has refused to cover that either. Finally after other news outlets started covering the Governor's criticism this week Charter agreed to stop their ads which they had refused to do for months. To be clear, this has to do about Charters reneging on its own commitments and Spectrums total media blackout their parent companys failures. Zack Fink has covered the Governor for years and we respect his work.

"Those who have tracked the Public Service Commission said its drastic step to revoke Charters merger with Time Warner in 2016 was extraordinarily unusual. It came in a special session called with less than 24 hours notice, while one of the commissions most vocal members had told colleagues she would be out of town on vacation," reports the New York Times.

A spokesperson for Spectrum told Gothamist, In the weeks leading up to an election, rhetoric often becomes politically charged. But the fact is that Spectrum has extended the reach of our advanced broadband network to more than 86,000 New York homes and businesses since our merger agreement with the PSC. Our 11,000 diverse and locally based workers, who serve millions of customers in the state every day, remain focused on delivering faster and better broadband to more New Yorkers, as we promised.

Thomas Rutledge, CEO of Charter Communications, has said that politics is driving this decision, including Cuomo working to court the vote of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3. 1,800 Spectrum workers, who are members of the union, have been striking for over a year.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
On Aug. 1, pastors of predominantly black churches assembled at the White House to have a meeting with the 45th president of the United States to discuss criminal justice reform. Among those in attendance were televangelist pastors John Gray and Paul White; businessman Bishop Dale Bronner, co-owner of Bronner Bros. and Bronner Bros. International Hair Show; Trump supporter Pastor Darrell Scott; and Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

We expect our leaders to host convenings on pressing issues; however, despite the fact that the prison industrial complex disproportionately impacts communities of color, this meeting provoked much suspicion. After reviewing the minutes released by the White House, our suspicions were justified. No work had been accomplished or substantive conversation held. Instead, the pastors praised the president without recognizing how divisive and damaging his agenda and policies have been for communities of color. Even as we mark the anniversary of the Charlottesville white nationalist rally, where one person was killed and Trump's response was to call the white nationalists in attendance some "very fine people," Pastor Darrell Scott declared at this meeting with Trump: "To be honest, this is probably going to be ... the most pro-black president we have had in our lifetime."

As a person of faith, hearing these words was very disappointing. A collective of African American pastors reached out to challenge those who were in the meeting in an open letter about Trump's dangerous antics and politics.

After days of not being able to shake the failure of this meeting, I started to think about how it impacts communities of color, but also those involved in other movement spaces working on justice reform, tackling HIV decriminalization, felony disenfranchisement, and equitable sentencing for petty crimes that involve marijuana. Participating in a meeting like this can create the illusion that your issues are being addressed. But with some basic investigation, you'll find that the current Justice Department, under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has been doing the opposite of supporting criminal justice reform. This does not dismiss or refute the great opportunity and responsibility that these preachers had and missed, but instead brings us to begin a conversation on how we as advocates show up and use our power and influence in spaces to leverage power for communities we serve.

Some of the pastors here, like Scott, are supporters of Trump and his agenda. But some of them may have thought that they should attend the meeting to build a bridge or to use the opportunity to highlight the problems people face who are returning to our communities from prison. Many of us who are advocates have been in the position of the latter group. I personally, at times, have felt like Ariel in the animated film The Little Mermaid when she bargained her voice for something that appeared to be greater. Yes, I've also fumbled the opportunity to challenging the status quo and bringing other perspectives into a space and speak truth to power because I felt as if the opportunity to be in the room was good enough.

As a black gay man living with HIV from the South, using my voice has afforded me the opportunity to sit at many tables that I'd never imagined. From coalition meetings to local HIV planning councils to national HIV/AIDS policy meetings at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with members of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (before Trump effectively dismantled the office and appointed members of the advisory council resigned in protest).

I learned from those humbling opportunities that how you use your influence and power will impact many people, communities, and generations to come. These opportunities will challenge your resolve and your readiness, and they will begin to shift your understanding of how issues are moved from a passionate table discussion to direct action. We are not all born equipped to handle our power and influence; they are instead cultivated with intention and often moments of failure and critique from friends, foes, and your community.

In recent years, I've adopted the three "B"s, which have guided me so that I could be a better steward of the opportunities that I've been afforded and not flounder: Be Prepared. Be Present. Be Persistent.

Be Prepared

Many high-level meetings come with invitations. Whenever you read the invitation, you will see that the purpose of the meeting is usually stated clearly. The organizer gives you the when, where and what. These are usually meetings with government agencies, elected officials, leaders of institutions of higher education, or corporations. However, as movement leaders, that's not where the majority of invitations come from. More likely than not, for those working in community to challenge social and structural issues of the world (i.e., HIV and AIDS, infant mortality, police accountability, access to health care, education reform, reproductive justice, immigration rights, etc.), invitations aren't packaged so nicely and the expectation from our participation is often unclear.

Most of our invitations come through an email, a text message, or a Facebook post inviting us to said event. We accept these invites because we know our voices need to be heard and the population we serve should be at the table, but little to-no-detail is provided. Should you decide to accept an invitation, it's best to do your homework beforehand, so you can fully participate in the meeting. Here are some things I recommend:

If you don't know the organizers of the meeting, research them, and if they include an attendee list, research the other attendees. Sometimes you can do that research based on the email addresses in any email communication.

Spend some time reading up on the issue(s) before going to the meeting. Go to government websites, research papers, news articles, podcasts, or online videos. If they send out any materials in advance, read those before you attend.

Come prepared with questions.

Take notes; bring your own pen and paper in case you can't use a laptop.

Be Present

You were invited to the meeting and space for a reason. You were called upon because you possess the ability to speak and move an issue forward. The first thought about being present is acknowledging that you are enough to be at the table. Now that you're there, it's time to show up.

Recommendations:

If possible, get a good night's rest. If you've traveled, don't spend all night at the club before the meeting.

Create a regimen that balances your thinking. That could include, but is not limited to, mediation, exercise, prayer, or yoga.

Drink your coffee, tea, water, or whatever gets you up and going.

Introduce yourself to people you don't know.

Write down names of those in the room that you personally would like to/need to follow up with afterwards.

Depending on the nature of the meeting, bring some enthusiasm or excitement.

Continue to reflect on goals of meeting (if provided).

If possible, bring a young person or someone newer to advocacy work along with you to experience the meeting, so you are also helping to develop the skills of others.

Be Persistent

Follow up is always key. We've all gone to meetings to talk about the next meeting, which often involves little-to-no follow-up.

Recommendations:

Ask the organizers what the follow-up will look like.

Create a timeline of progress of items (i.e., one month, three months, six months),

Explore ways of assisting the organizers in hosting a follow-up meeting,

Read any notes that come out after the meeting and look at the items that are listed for follow-up. Make sure that you do any work you committed to doing afterwards.

Let others in your community or organization know about the meetings you attend. Not many people are able to know the inner workings of government or what issues are coming down the pike that may impact their lives. Hold community report-backs if you attend a national or international meeting or conference.

Whether it's a meeting with program staff at a civil rights organization, a meeting with a clinical team about treatment recommendations for a patient you are advocating for, or even a meeting at the White House with the president of the United States, you have influence and power.

Each opportunity for influence, big or small, should be handled with care. It's life or death for so many, so your seat at the table is critical. Don't let your voice go unheard for fear of rocking the boat, but instead show up with all the power you possess, given to you by our ancestors. And change the world.

Marvell L. Terry II is the founding principal for Netherwood Consulting Group, a social impact consulting group designed to help build strategy and strength among community, institutions, and individuals. Terry is also the Founder of The Red Door Foundation and the annual Saving Ourselves Symposium, a convening for black LGBTQ living in the South on health, wellness, and social justice.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council tightened the screws on New York's booming "home-share" market yesterday, with the mayor signing a bill that could dramatically reduce the number of apartments available on websites like Airbnb while also making information on hosts available to the city.

"This law provides the City with the critical data it needs to preserve our housing stock, keep visitors safe, and ensure residents feel secure in their homes and neighborhoods," said Christian Klossner, executive director of the Mayors Office of Special Enforcement, in a statement.

The law splits public opinion. Airbnb, of course, opposed it from the start, arguing that many New Yorkers rent their apartments to earn much-needed supplemental income. In an open letter, the company also suggested that city councilmemberswho unanimously passed the bill in mid-Julymay have been influenced by campaign donations from the hotel industry. (The Hotel Association of New York City, a lobbying group, has been on the offensive against companies like Airbnb, even going so far as to suggest that that Airbnb aids and abets terrorists.)

The New York Civil Liberties Union, meanwhile, has raised privacy concerns over the way the law requires Airbnb and similar sites to provide host names, addresses, and contact information to the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, along with details on when, how long, and for what fee those people rented out their spaces.

The City Council, however, maintains that the legislation actually helps protect low-income city-dwellers, who find themselves priced out of the housing market possibly (or at least partially) because Airbnb encourages people to rent their homes to visitors and tourists instead of residents. Councilmember and bill sponsor Carlina Rivera said at the signing ceremony that the law would allow the city "to go after the most egregious operators." In the city's eyes, these bad operators include companies like Big Apple, which is at the center of a lawsuit that illuminates a lot of this conflict.

New York sued Airbnb, TripAdvisor, and Bookings.com on July 20th, arguing that Big Apple had repurposed 26 rent-stabilized units into temporary (and illegal) sublets. That violates the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law, which bars people from letting their apartments for fewer than 30 days, unless those permanent occupants are present. The vast majority of Airbnb profits nationwide, and 75% of the company's revenue in New York alonecurrently its largest market, with 50,000 listingscome from whole-unit rentals that likely violate state law.

Under the new law, home-share platforms face either a $1,500 fine or one year's worth of rental fees for the unit in question, every time they fail to turn over the requested host information. It goes into effect in February 2019.

In a statement, Josh MeltzerAirbnb's Head of Northeast Policysaid the company was "disappointed" in de Blasio's decision to "sign this hotel industry-backed bill instead of defending the needs of middle class New Yorkers who rely on sharing their home to get by."

"While the Mayor himself has said regular New Yorkers should not be the target of enforcement, many responsible homeowners are currently facing aggressive, unchecked policing, and are fearful of what will happen under this new legislation," the statement reads. "As we continue to advocate for our host community across the five boroughs, we hope to work with the Mayor to create common sense regulations that finally distinguish these families from the few bad actors who should feel the full force of the law."
Over the weekend, the New York Times editorial board published an unequivocally correct endorsement for swimmable public beaches off the coast of Manhattan. Thanks to a $12 billion investment in wastewater management, their argument goes, the borough's adjacent rivers are cleaner than they've been in a century. If lesser cities like Boston have undertaken steps to bring protected swimming areas to once-polluted waters, what's taking us so long? And also, have you ventured outside recently???

But when the newspaper asked the mayor's office about it, his camp seemed "wholly uninterested" in the refreshing proposal. "This is a fun idea that would cost millions of dollars we believe would be better allocated to initiatives aimed at lifting New Yorkers out of poverty and building a stronger and more resilient city in the face of climate change," Natalie Grybauskas, a spokesperson for Mayor de Rain-On-Our-Parade-io, said in a statement:

And yet, the sun-soaked dream that we helplessly sweaty and SUV-less New Yorkers might one day have a beach of our ownthat we might merrily escape the effects of the Urban Heat Island without having to leave the islandremains very much alive. After taking flack for his downer of a response, de Blasio seemed to warm a bit to the idea on Monday, explaining to NY1's Errol Louis, "Theres a lot of great beaches, but for Manhattan, if we can find a way it would be really intriguing."

"It would take a ton of work," he added, inspiringly.

But just how much of a challenge would it really be? According to Ben Orlove, a senior research scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and a professor at the Columbia School of International Affairs, it's entirely possible that swimmable beaches could open off Manhattan "in the next 5 to 10 years, and perhaps sooner."

The main obstacle is our combined storm water and sewage systemthe world's biggest!which, after a bad storm, has an unfortunate tendency to empty millions of gallons of raw sewage into the East River, the Hudson River and New York Harbor. But that problem isn't relegated to Manhattan, Orlove notes; Orchard Beach, for example, often closes after a major storm, only to reopen to the public once the contamination passes.

"We can imagine beaches in Manhattan that would occasionally be closed but still provide the opportunity for people to enjoy themselves most of the time," Orlove told Gothamist. (Indeed, a part-time beach is better than no beach at all!) And the city is already taking necessary steps to reduce heavy sewage flow after a rain storm. "If a few of these sewer sheds become swimmable often enough for them to be opened, that in turn would create vast momentum," says Orlove.

Meanwhile, some groupsand brave swimmersare making the case that the conditions are already right for dipping into the river. A project called + POOL has been working to raise money for a floating pool somewhere off the coast of Manhattan, which claims to filter the water below it, "making it possible for New Yorkers and its visitors to swim in clean river water."

A spokesperson for the group says they're in contact with the Mayor's Office, adding, "Its all very feasible...the benefits of returning our citys greatest public resource back to public recreational use are huge and we hope the electeds will work with us to make this a reality in the very near future."

Whether de Blasio green lights this specific public-private partnership, or throws his support behind a different future beach plan, is not our most pressing concern right now. At the moment, what really matters is that the mayor show his support for the concept as a whole, rather than dismissing it entirely, or playing up the hurdles.

"We never imagined that so many areas of our city would become free of dog waste or tobacco smoke, so let us now imagine that they could become free from of human waste," says Orlove. "I would love to walk down to Riverside Park and just jump in."


Federal prosecutors have indicted and charged U.S. Congressman Chris Collins with alleged securities fraud, wire fraud and false statements. The Republican representative, whose district covers the Buffalo region, reportedly surrendered to the FBI from inside his attorney's Manhattan office on Wednesday morning.

Collins is accused of trading insider information related to Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeuticswhose board he served onbefore it became public that the company had failed a drug test. Collins's son Cameron is also facing charges, along with the father of Cameron's fiancee, Stephen Zarsky.

In June of 2017, Collins "violated the duties he owed to Innate by passing material, nonpublic information regarding the Drug Trial results to his son...so that [his son] could use that information to make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others," according to the indictment (below) filed Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York.

Last October, Buffalo News reported that the Office of Congressional Ethics had "substantial reason to believe" Collins had violated federal law by touting the obscure Australian biotech stock based on insider information. The ethics body also believed he may have violated House ethics rules by persuading officials with the National Institute of Health to meet with company staff.

"The 155 pages of evidence released with the Office of Congressional Ethics report collectively portray a congressman working hard on behalf of an Australian company in possible violation of U.S. law and House ethics rules," the newspaper noted at the time.

The western New York representative was the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump, and has since become a regular fixture on national television, defending the president and sparring with Governor Andrew Cuomo.

He knows were all in 100%, have been from Day One, defending him, promoting his agenda and his accomplishments, Collins said of Trump last year.

Prosecutors are expected to hold a press conference at noon. We'll update as more information becomes available. You can read the full indictment below:
Localize.city, a website that analyzes data about New York City addresses, released a new report today highlighting the 12 most dangerous areas for pedestrians and cyclistsneighborhoods where they are three times more likely to be injured or killed in a crash than other areas.

The analysis found that throughout the city, crashes are more likely to occur around elevated tracks or bridges, and their approaches, in areas where sight lines might be blocked. Analyzing data from January 2013 to January 2018, Localize.city isolated a dozen areas with an average of 238 crashes, compared to an average of 75 in the rest of the city.

Around major bridges in New York City, you have heavy vehicle, bike, and pedestrian traffic all cramming into a narrow corridor, increasing the risk of crashes. This is exacerbated in places like Williamsburg and the Lower East Side, where many vehicles find their way to the bridge through busy residential neighborhoods, Localize.city urban planner Andrew Lassiter said in the report. And in neighborhoods with elevated subway or LIRR tracks, the streets below the tracks can be pretty chaotic. Visibility is tough with so many support posts, and the layout of the street can make drivers actions unpredictable.

Using city crash stats, data analysts compared the number of crashes against an index "that weighted one-, two- and multi-lane streets differently to avoid a bias toward streets with more traffic," the report's authors explain. Further:

To devise the most dangerous intersections by one-, two- and three-lanes by borough, the data scientists filtered the locations by looking at junctions where the number of crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists (using NYPD motor vehicle collisions data) that were above the 99.5 percentile in their category between 2013 to 2017, and between 2015 to 2017.

More than half of the causes of the crash were unspecified in police reports. The data Localize.city used does not specify the severity of the collisions or injuries.

We know how to prevent death and serious injury on our streets, and with this study, we also have a better understanding of where the City should target investments in safer street redesigns, said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, in the report. Traffic deaths are falling in New York thanks to the Citys data-driven approach to street safety. Thanks to this critical research, we can further reduce the threat to pedestrians and bicyclists at the intersections where help is needed most.

A 2017 study by the NYC Health Department revealed adults 65 and older, which represent only 13 percent of the city population, had the highest rate of pedestrian fatality, at 37 percent. Brooklyn had the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities among older adults, and children and older adults were more likely to be struck within 10 blocks of home. The report also gives a profile of the drivers involved in fatal pedestrian accidents. 83 percent are male and 30 percent were 18-34 years old.

A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Transportation told Gothamist in an email that the DOT will review the report, and that the Vision Zero Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans identify priority corridors, intersections, and areas throughout New York City. When asked about how the DOT will address pedestrian and cyclist safety around the Williamsburg Bridge, with the impending L train shutdown, the DOT spokesperson said "last summer, DOT improved access to and from the Brooklyn entrance of the Williamsburg Bridge bike path and improved connections from the bridge to East Williamsburg and Bushwick. The project included improved bike access to the Williamsburg Bridge Bike Path and pedestrian access to each side of Borinquen Place where the Brooklyn - Queens Expressway and Williamsburg Bridge structure separates the neighborhood. It also enhanced bicycle connections to and from the Williamsburg Bridge from the east by proposing new bike routes to East Williamsburg and Bushwick."

Here are the 12 most dangerous areas for pedestrians and cyclists, according to Localize.city:

Brooklyn

Williamsburg: general boundaries between Lee Avenue and North Seventh/Metropolitan Avenue, from Berry Street to Bushwick Avenue

Downtown Brooklyn: general boundaries between Atlantic Avenue and Willoughby Street, from Boerum Place and Bond Street

Crown Heights/Bedford-Stuyvesant: general boundaries between Pacific and Fulton streets, from Bedford to Brooklyn avenues

Bronx

Fordham/University Heights: general boundaries between Aqueduct Avenue and Ryer Avenue, from West Fordham Road and West Tremont Avenue

Manhattan

Lower East Side/Little Italy/Soho: concentrated around Delancey/Kenmare Street. General boundaries between Spring and Grand streets, from Broadway to Forsyth Street

Queens

Corona: general boundaries between 35th and Roosevelt Avenues, from 94th to 108th streets

Jackson Heights: general boundaries between 37th Avenue and Broadway, from 76th Street to 84th Street/Whitney Avenue

Flushing: general boundaries between College Point Avenue and Parsons Boulevard, from 37th to Franklin avenues

Ridgewood: general boundaries between Woodward and Myrtle avenues, from Grove Street to Forest Avenue

Jamaica: general boundaries between 89th to 90th avenues, from 164th Street to 168th Place

Staten Island

St. George/Tompkinsville: general boundaries from Jersey to Bay streets, between Victory Boulevard to Fort Place/Taft Avenue

Stapleton: general boundaries between Bay and Van Duzer streets, from Wright to Tompkins streets
Five people have been charged in an international counterfeiting scam involving nearly half a million pairs of knock-off Nike Air Jordans, and an unknown number of gullible sneakerheads.

For the last two years, the counterfeit ring has imported dozens of containers of unlabeled sneakers from China to the Port of Newark, authorities said on Tuesday. The sneakers, made to look like various iterations of Jordans, were then allegedly transported to Brooklyn and Queens, where the defendants affixed them with the Nike-trademarked logos, and sold them.

In total, the men are accused of bilking Nike out of more than $70 million, through the distribution of around 380,000 pairs of shoes. The average pair can retail for nearly $200and remain very much a thing in the hypebeast community.

The five defendantsMikuki Suen, 43, Jian Min Huang, 42, Songhua Qu, 54, Kin Lui Chen, 53 and Fangrang Qu, 31were charged with trafficking conspiracy and trafficking in counterfeit goods. Each faces a max sentence of 20 years in prison.

"I commend our law enforcement partners for helping to bring todays charges, which send a clear message to would-be counterfeiters: Just dont do it,'" said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman in a statement.

Slam dunk, guys.


Several dozen demonstrators called on Flatbush residents to put their dollars into black-owned businesses and sign a petition to permanently shut down a nail salon where a grandmother and her two granddaughters were seen on video beaten with a broomstick and doused with acetone after a payment dispute.

"There's other places to go to where my dollars matter, that are black-owned shops. We don't have to go to them if they treat us like this," Natasha Wilkens, a 38-year-old Bushwick resident told Gothamist on Tuesday evening, just before the protest in front of New Red Apple Nails at 1426 Nostrand Avenue (the business is also listed as 888 Happy Red Nail).

More than 50 protesters, most of them African-American and led by community activist Carol Branch, gathered outside the still-shuttered storefront seeking 3,000 signatures for a petition calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to permanently shut down the business.

On August 3rd, Christina Thomas, her grandmother and another relative were attacked by multiple salon workers for refusing to pay $5 for a botched eyebrow waxing, according to one witness who posted video of the fight to Facebook.

Salon staffer HuiYue Zheng, 32, was charged with misdemeanor assault for beating Thomas in the back with the wooden stick, according to the criminal complaint.

Thomas, 21, was also arrested for punching, slapping and dragging another salon worker across the floor, according to the criminal complaint.

"The girl shouldn't have been arrested, they were held against their will and had nail polish remover thrown on them," said Pascale Baguidy. "Watching the video made my blood boil."

State Assemblywoman Diana C. Richardson, whose district includes Flatbush, went on Facebook Live on Tuesday morning and classified the altercation as a "hate crime."

Residents from across the city marched seven blocks from New Red Apple Nails to Beautiful Red Apple Nails, a different salon that some residents claimed is owned by the same family.

"It's not the business owners we have a problem with, it's the workers," said Baguidy, 29, of Queens. "They share the same workers. Yesterday, the workers from this place walked down the block to the place down there to work."

Branch and other neighbors remembered a time when 888 Happy Red Nails had better customer service.

"I use to get my nails done here until they changed owners, but once (he) left and sold it, they brought in new workers and they were just rude," said Ria, 36, a 10-year resident, who declined to give her last name.

During the short walk, Branchwhile holding a wooden broomstick like the one used in the attackled the crowd's chants of "Black Dollars Matter" and "No Nails, No Toes, These racist businesses has got to go."

A handful of demonstrators caused a brief ruckus when they stopped at another unrelated nail salon calling on those customers to leave and put their money into black-owned businesses.

Erica Huang, 32, the manager of Beautiful Red Apple Nails, posted a notification on the business's front door alerting customers that despite similar signage they are not affiliated with the other shop.

Huang told Gothamist before the protesters arrived that her brother-in-law Bao Quan Pan, 39, bought their storefront at 1226 Nostrand Avenue in 2015 from a businessman who once owned both locations before retiring.

Huang was saddened by the actions of the employees of the nearby salon.

"I am so sorry to see that. I am very sad," said Huang who handles customer complaints very differently. "I would tell them don't pay or I ask if we can fix it. It's good for business to let them go if it was our mistake."

Minutes after the demonstrators arrived at the second location, Huang and Pan abruptly closed their doors two hours early.

Calls made to New Red Apple Nails on Wednesday morning went unanswered.

Last night, the NYPD said one officer sustained a minor head injury after he was struck in the head with a beer bottle thrown by someone in the crowd of protesters outside 1426 Nostrand Avenue. No arrests were reported.

Christina Carrega is a Brooklyn native who dedicated her journalism career to telling stories surrounding the criminal justice system. When Christina's not reporting hard news, she writes for a lifestyle website she co-founded called 32Letter.com and enjoys traveling.
Rebel is Rebecca Carroll's regular conversation on race and pop culture. You can hear Rebecca talk about these issues with guests on Wednesday mornings on WNYC, or participate in one of Rebel's monthly conversations in The Greene Space.

Many times, we've heard that black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party. I would argue, though, that we are also the lifeblood.

Our lifeblood  the force and movement and unique judgement and empathy of black women  is what keeps the Democratic Party alive. And Cynthia Nixon knows it. She also knows that in order to defeat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in September, she needs to listen to, and surround herself with, smart black women.

Shortly after she announced her run for governor, Nixon hired L. Joy Williams as senior adviser to her campaign. She gave her first televised interview to Wendy Williams, and more recently, she brought on Jamilah Lemieux, a celebrated and vital voice in the black community, as an advisor on communications and engagement.

For this week's Rebel, I spoke with Lemieux about why Nixon is what New York needs, whether marijuana licenses should be used as reparations, and the role of black women in New York's political landscape.

"I think that black women are just uniquely empathetic," because of being at the crossroads of race and gender, she said. "We have a concern for people outside of ourselves that other people don't always have for us, but we don't let that stop us from wanting and fighting for what's best for the world at large."

Listen to the interview with Jamilah Lemieux on WNYC below.





Rebecca Carroll is a cultural critic and Editor of Special Projects at WNYC, where she develops, produces and hosts a broad array of multi-platform content, including podcasts, live events and on-air broadcasts. Rebecca is also a critic at large for the Los Angeles Times, and a regular columnist at Shondaland in addition to Gothamist. She is the author of several interview-based books about race and blackness in America, including the award-winning Sugar in the Raw, and her personal essays, cultural commentary and opinion pieces have been published widely.


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Linkedin Kornelius Purba (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 09:51 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51ec5c3 1 Opinion ASEAN,Mahathir,Mahathir-Mohamad,#Mahathir,Southeast-Asia,Malaysia,democracy,#commentary Free

The comeback of Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister coincided with an abundant harvest of durians across Malaysia. The abnormally hot weather, combined with heavy downpours, has resulted in a prolonged and plentiful durian season. The love it or hate it fruit is now available not only to Malaysians, but also neighbors in Singapore.



Indonesians, as well as Malaysians, describe unexpected god fortune as mendapat durian runtuh (to get a falling durian). The proverb applies for supporters of Mahathir and his political coalition  and now hopefully also for all Malaysians  that shockingly defeated graft-ridden then-prime minister Najib Razak in Mays general election.



Its time for Malaysians to share their durian runtuh with fellow ASEAN members. We need the elder statesman Mahathir to play an active role, because he previously dealt with ASEAN for 22 years, including during some difficult times for the group. We need him to be in the vanguard, at least for a while, amid the challenges facing ASEAN.



Given his age, the Malaysian prime minister is often described as a transitional leader who will transfer power to his former political foe Anwar Ibrahim. Knowing his past record, however, the former dictator will maintain his grip as long as possible.



But I do not intend to discuss Mahathirs domestic politics, but the larger picture, which is ASEAN.



The 10-member ASEAN celebrates its 51st anniversary today (Wednesday) amid very real threats of a global trade war and a more assertive China in the South China Sea. ASEAN leaders are committed to unity in confronting the economic and security problems because they know the issues are too complicated to handle individually. But how?



ASEAN currently has a major leadership vacuum and therefore it needs to cultivate Mahathirs 22 years of experience as Malaysian leader. Although Indonesias former president Soeharto often belittled Mahathir and described him as Little Sukarno, Mahathir worked hand-in-hand with Soeharto in navigating ASEAN until Soehartos fall in May 1998.



Mahathirs blunt statements often angered Western leaders, including those of the United States and Australian, leaders, but unlike Soeharto he succeeded in overcoming the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Now ASEAN needs Mahathirs involvement to help the regional grouping face the global difficulties.



ASEAN is facing a serious leadership crisis because, among other reasons, President Joko Jokowi Widodo, as the leader of the groups largest economy, seems uninterested in foreign policy. Jokowi will also be preoccupied by his reelection bid in April next year.



Other leaders, like the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, apparently prefer a bilateral approach. Duterte decided to sideline his countrys territorial dispute with China for pragmatic economic reasons. Cambodias Hun Sen takes advantage of all possible opportunities from his relationship with China, although he could do this without upsetting fellow ASEAN leaders.



ASEAN actually has veteran leaders such as Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, but he almost never talks about ASEAN affairs. Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also has extensive experience and has learned a lot from his father Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of the city state.



Mahathir is scheduled to make a state visit to China and will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing next week. The Malaysian leader is very firm in his determination to convey an unpleasant message to his hosts, yet Beijing still intends to give Mahathir a red-carpet welcome.



During his previous tenure as prime minister, Mahathir was the favorite of the international media and journalists because he did not hesitate to provoke the anger of other countries, especially in the West, with his frank and straight verbal expressions.



During the election campaign earlier this year, he strongly criticized Chinas heavy investment in Malaysia, which he described as unilaterally benefitting China. He canceled some of Chinas US$20 billion mega projects immediately after he was sworn in as prime minister on May 10.



In a recent interview with CNN Mahathir openly spoke his mind about the worlds second-largest economy, which will have upset Beijing. After his recent 90-minute discussion with Mahathir in Kuala Lumpur, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi opted to remain silent about Mahathirs criticism of China-Malaysia relations.



When CNN asked him about Chinas claim over nearly all of the South China Sea, Mahathir cited an old saying the powerful will take what they will and the weak will yield what they must. Malaysia, like its ASEAN neighbors Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, is a claimant in the South China dispute, but Mahathir has chosen to accept the reality of the situation.



If they declare South China Sea belongs to them we are not going to war with them, Mahathir said. They are the powerful and we cannot fight against them [so] how do we benefit from their wealth and their power?



He does not hesitate to express his dislike of US President Donald Trump, whom he describes as a leader who can change his mind three times in 24 hours. He thinks he is powerful so he can ask people to pay for what he wants to do.



In Mahathirs view, ASEAN has little choice concerning the South China Sea, but it still could work together to profit from Chinas economic might. At least for a while, it is clear that only Mahathir has the capacity to openly talk with China and Trump on behalf of ASEAN.



So Malaysia, please share your abundant falling durians with us.
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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 08:20 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51e47a0 4 Editorial #Editorial,ASEAN,Southeast-Asia,multilateral-relations,diplomacy,China,South-China-Sea Free

Today ASEAN celebrates its 51st anniversary amid various changes both in the region and the world that may affect the groupings dream of achieving a peaceful and prosperous community.



Internally, ASEAN member states are still struggling to finish all the work required to reach One Community based on One Vision and One Identity. Compared to the European Union, widely considered to be the holy grail of regional integrity, ASEAN is much more diverse, not only in its cultures but especially the political systems. ASEAN is a melting pot of democracy: democracies in transition, constitutional and absolute monarchies, communist and military regimes.



Cambodia and Malaysia have presented two contrasting examples of a shift in democratic process, while all eyes are now on Thailand over whether the military junta will fulfil its promise to hold a long overdue democratic election. Myanmar still has to do its housekeeping with the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, where Muslim minority Rohingya were forced to flee their homes.



Meanwhile, a more assertive China, flexing its muscles to become a superpower militarily and economically, combined with a hesitant United States on how to engage the region, have pulled ASEAN thinly stretched on how to deal with the two hegemons. As the Indonesian proverb goes, when two elephants are fighting, the deer is crushed in the middle. Being the deer, ASEAN has to carefully walk between those two giants, or in founding vice president Muhammad Hattas words, row between two reefs.



It is not all bleak though, as ASEAN and China launched on Thursday the single draft of the Code of Conduct on the disputed South China Sea during the 51st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Singapore. The single draft will be the basis of future COC negotiations and is considered a breakthrough as previously there were 11 competing drafts of the COC. An agreement can now more conveniently be reached, although all parties refused to set a clear deadline.



China claims most of the South China Sea using the vague Nine-Dash Line, which is not internationally recognized. While Indonesia is a non-claimant and has no territorial water disputes with China, there is indeed an overlapped claim on Indonesias Exclusive Economic Zone with Chinas traditional fishing ground, which has led to a number of skirmishes.



Indonesia has played the role of an honest broker in the South China Sea dispute to solve it altogether for the good of all parties concerned.



Another work in the making is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which aims to create a free trade agreement involving ASEAN and its six major partners, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and India.



With so much work to be done, ASEAN could not be blamed for a slightly relaxed day on its birthday, contemplating the past and charting the future to achieve the peaceful and prosperous One Community. Happy birthday ASEAN.
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Linkedin Cedomir Nestorovic (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Wed, August 8, 2018 16:37 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5202d0f 3 Opinion geopolitics,manager,business,company,international-relations,insurance Free

Until relatively recently and perhaps not since the oil crisis of the seventies, managers did not need to worry about geopolitics. However, the calculus has changed utterly.



Managers have hitherto had three ways to shield their businesses from political upheavals. The first was to get rid of borders and establish the free flow of people and goods. The push for globalization that came with EU integration, the introduction of the WTO and numerous other free trade agreements permitted management to limit their exposure to state influence in business decisions and give them a free pass.



Alas, populist movements in Europe and the election of Donald Trump in the United States have signaled a halt to further globalization and even reintroduced protectionist policies, as can be seen in effect between the USA and China. Gone is the era when globalization was a silver bullet for corporations seeking to free themselves from political interference.



The second way corporations sought protection was through political risk insurance. All countries utilize state-sponsored institutions such as the Exim Bank in the US or Coface in France that cover the political risk. This way, if something happens in a third country (expropriation, currency fluctuations) the investment/cost is covered by the political risk insurance.



The problem is that this political risk insurance does not cover domestic political risk and ethical questions. When Sabadell bank had to decide whether to move its headquarters out of Catalonia in 2017 because of the referendum or should Airbus move out of the UK because of Brexit, there is no political risk insurance to insulate against that. It is up to every corporation to assess the political, social and/or reputational risk and make the correct decision.



The third way corporations could injure themselves was to leverage the political capital of the company or resort to corruption and bribery in order to mitigate the risk. For political capital, the company would use its network through lobbying in pursuing its interests on either local or international level. As for corruption and bribery, even if unethical, this was often the easiest way to secure a positive decision from political decision-makers. Naturally this approach comes with a risk.



A good example is that of BNP Paribas, the biggest French bank that enjoys a huge political capital in France, that had to pay a record fine of US$8.9 billion to the US because of its activities in Sudan, Cuba and Iran. As we have seen in Malaysia, being close to the former Prime Minister Najib Razak was once politically expedient but very quickly became toxic once he was accused of embezzlement of the 1MDB fund.



All considered, businesses cannot count anymore on multilateral agreements, or their own countries for protection. They have to assess by themselves the level of political risk and come up with their own policies and strategies.



What are some effective policies and strategies available to businesses?



The first and most unlikely option is to behave like a state and seek complete autonomy from state interference. In the past, both the British East India Company and Dutch East India Company used to behave like states. They established their own currencies and their own armies. These days, some of companies have a turnover far higher than the GDP of some countries. They may also employ more people than entire populations of some countries.



So they might be justified in asking why a country like Monaco, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$6.5 billion and 30,645 inhabitants is member of the United Nations and Walmart with revenues of $500 billion and 2,300,000 employees is not. For companies, the Westphalian model, which gives preeminence to states is passe and companies should also be considered actors in international relations. However, as mentioned, this is an unlikely possibility.



The second possibility for companies is to organize clubs or unions in order to defend their interests. States have clubs like the United Nations, OPEC and the G7 and no one calls into question their legitimacy, so why cant companies have them? An interesting proposal comes from Jean-Sebastien Jacques, the CEO of Rio Tinto, one of the biggest companies in the mining world. He proposed building a United Nations of the mining world, because it is increasingly difficult to negotiate concessions individually and be at mercy of countries that change their minds about the natural resources they control. It is potentially much more efficient to negotiate collectively with countries. This scenario is more likely because it does not affect the sovereignty of states with private armies and currencies. However, companies would quickly be accused of building cartels and public opinion would view such a move negatively.



The most likely scenario is for businesses to negotiate a trade-off with a state. If businesses are more involved in the social provision of the state through Corporate Social Responsibility the company can ask something in return. This could be the basic acceptance that the private business is an integral part of the society and that the state should be pro-business by minimizing regulation and barriers.



The real trade-off would be the invitation from the government to companies to be partners in designing policies that would be the most efficient and beneficial for all stakeholders. In order to have a balanced approach and mutual benefit, it is impossible to ask companies to actively contribute to the common good and receive nothing in return for that effort.

***

The writer is a professor of international marketing and geopolitics at ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific, Singapore.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Upcoming Hollywood movie Crazy Rich Asians, based on the bestselling book by Kevin Kwan, is centered on the lives of the ultra-rich and famous in Singapore. So it is only fitting that the film's world premiere, held in Los Angeles on Tuesday, August 7 night, reflected some of that fabulous glitz and glamour.

Here are what some of the cast members wore (yes, diamonds, sequins and feathers were absolutely necessary):

Constance Wu

American-Chinese actress Constance Wu, who plays leading lady Rachel in the film, showed up in a strapless white sequinned dress with tassled sleeves. The dress was so glamorous, it was only sensible that she chose to keep her hair simple and slicked back.

Henry Golding

Leading man Henry Golding, who plays Singapore's most eligible bachelor Nick Young in the film, showed up in a pale blue suit. And while most men would look like they were heading to a high school prom in that colour, Golding is hunky enough to pull it off.

Janice Koh

Singaporean actress Janice Koh, who plays Nick's aunt Felicity, flew the Singapore flag high on the red carpet in an entirely Singapore-designed get-up: Her black dress is by local fashion designer Ong Shunmugam, the earrings by local jeweller Choo Yilin, and a clutch by Singapore's Ling Wu.

Tan Kheng Hua

Home-grown actress Tan Kheng Hua, who plays protagonist Rachel's mother in the film, showed up in a black dress by Singaporean fashion designer Thomas Wee. For a bit of colour contrast, she accessorised her outfit with a pair of bright blue and red dangly earrings.

Michelle Yeoh

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who plays Nick Young's disapproving mother Eleanor, wore a tiered Armani gown. The dress looks great on her, but we are not so sure about her choice to wear her hair in an updo with swirly bangs.

Read also: The Crazy Rich Asians trailer made netizens emotional

Fiona Xie

Singaporean actress Fiona Xie, who plays status-seeking actress Kitty Pong in the movie, went with a puffy strapless black gown with an asymmetrical hem. It is too bad that the dress overwhelms and takes away the focus from her glittery necklace.

Crazy Rich Asians opens in Singapore on Aug 22.
Artist Andita Purnama raises the issue of nikah siri (unofficial, unregistered marriage) in her ongoing exhibition, while sharing love and hope as well as terrible loss and grief with viewers.

Andita admits that her solo exhibition, Fractura Hepatica: Love, Pride and Dignity at the Cemara 6 Gallery in Menteng, Central Jakarta referred to the lowest point in her life.

In 2016, she was devastated when her husband, an Australian gallery owner who had entered into nikah siri with her, left her suddenly, just 10 days before they were to have registered their married status and held a wedding reception.

She became the subject of unwanted rumors and speculation, and incurred huge losses from her preparations for the big day, from the catering to the venue and of course, her wedding dress.

My friends from Australia had even arrived in Indonesia to attend my wedding, said the soft-spoken, 37-year-old artist.

Andita, however, could not claim her rights as a married woman because she did not have a valid marriage certificate. Two years later, she created her exhibition not only to break her silence on this dark episode in her past, but also to raise awareness on nikah siri.

Running from Aug. 1 to 10, Fractura Hepatica, which derives from medical terms that mean crack and heart, is the second solo exhibition from Andita, a graduate of the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta.

Since 2000, Andita has participated in at least 35 group exhibitions at home and abroad, from Australia to Poland.

Curated by Christine Cocca, Fractura Hepatica showcases 13 pieces  paintings, statues and installations  on the glory of love and womens dedication to marriage.

My paintings are about how women struggle to have their right recognized and protected by the law, while they fight alone to raise their children without status and documents and are vulnerable to domestic violence, she said.

Andita recalled that people denounced her verbally for her troubled relationship, and that her ex-husband also accused her of materialism as a way to justify his irresponsible action of leaving her.

Fractura Hepatica is unlike her earlier exhibition, because it includes her paintings. Before, Andita diplayed only her sculptures and installations.

For her, painting is like meditation, and helps her through the hard times.

I searched for the meaning of life through painting, she said.

At the exhibition opening, Andita appeared in a Javanese wedding dress, but more interesting were the bold words painted on her upper torso: pride, loyalty, trust, sincerity and dignity.

Having lived in Yogyakarta for 14 years during gave her a better understanding of Javanese philosophy. According to her observations, Javanese philosophy was in harmony with feminism because it valued women, including their self-esteem and dignity.

That is why her exhibited works are rich with Javanese culture. Among them is a batik fabric bearing a parang (Javanese machete) motif, which symbolizes honor and loyalty as the highest Javanese values.

Andita said the batik was memorable, because it was part of the attire for groomsmen that the male members of her family were to have worn at her wedding.

Clouds Number Six by Andita Purnama (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

The konde, a bun-shaped traditional hairpiece, also appears in an installation titled Sukma Nguntal Rogo (spirit unites with body) in her exhibit. Two years ago, she bought many konde for her female relatives to wear as her bridesmaids. But, like the batik, they ended up being useless.

The batik and konde are not the only pieces in her exhibition that draw from Anditas personal archives. In the Sigaraning Nyowo (Soulmate) installation, she displays her own hair that she lost during the period.

In this work, the hair lost is the product of grief and disappointment, she said, explaining that the breakup made her so severely despondent that her hair started falling out. She did not throw away the hair she lost, but kept them instead.

Through the installation, she attempts to deliver the message that parts of our bodies, such as hair  universally considered as symbolizing feminine beauty  can respond to what we are feeling.

Andita said that Fractura Hepatica did not aim to expose her grief or to seek sympathy.

The idea to raise awareness over the issue of nikah siri came to her mind after she read a report from the Empowerment of Female Heads of Households Program (Pekka). The report made her realize that she was not the only victim.

This exhibition is also [the victims] voices. I just want to embrace them, she said.

She hopes that her exhibition will make more people aware of the issue. Another reason behind Fractura Hepatica is to show the artwork that reflect her honesty and her side of the truth  a principle she always abides by as an artist.

Andita herself has moved on.

Near the Sukma Nguntal Rogo installation is Gusti Mboten Sare (God Never Sleeps), an installation of a queen-size wedding bed with a black silk sheet, accompanied with her broken-hearted poem of the same title.

God does not sleep. He will give us a way, said Andita. Making art is the process of healing and forgiving myself.
The multi-starred French chef Joel Robuchon, who died on Monday aged 73, will be honored with a public ceremony next week near his hometown in central France, a spokeswoman for his family told AFP on Tuesday.

Accolades have poured in for Robuchon, a classically trained perfectionist whose revolutionary idea of stripping fine dining of its more elaborate trappings became a template for up-and-coming chefs around the world.

At one point he held a record 32 Michelin stars at the same time for his galaxy of Atelier ("workshop") restaurants, with people lining up for seats at establishments from Las Vegas to Tokyo.

While his funeral will be private, the public will be able to pay their respects at a ceremony in the Vienne region, where he was born in the city of Poitiers in 1945.

"His wife, his children Eric and Sophie, his grandchildren, along with the rest of his family ask that their privacy be respected," the statement said.

Robuchon, who was hailed as one of four "chefs of the century" by the Gault & Millau industry bible in 1990, announced his retirement a few years later, saying he wanted to slow down and enjoy his family after years of long days in the kitchen.

But it didn't last long, with his daily cooking shows on French television, a series of books and consulting work for food companies.

Read also: 'Chef of the century' Joel Robuchon dies at 73

In the early 2000s he returned to the forefront of French dining with his Ateliers, a no-reservation concept where diners could watch chefs in action while perched on stools around a U-shaped bar.

Inspired by the sushi bars of Japan and the tapas of Spain, he bet that a new generation of food fans did not want the ultra-elegant linens and fancy silver of traditional starred restaurants -- and the sky-high prices that went with them.

Building on the success of his first Atelier in Paris in 2003, he expanded the restaurants around the globe, in particular Asia, where he had five establishments with seven stars between them in Tokyo alone.

Robuchon died of pancreatic cancer in Geneva, where he was planning to open his latest restaurant, his friend Gilles Pudlowski, a noted food critic, told AFP.

"Joel Robuchon has put his mark on French cuisine, by always taking his own course and his mix of freedom and rigour," fellow globetrotting chef Alain Ducasse told AFP.
Pop star Lady Gaga on Tuesday announced a residency in Las Vegas with twin shows to display her two sides -- extravagant and glitzy, and stripped back and jazzy.

At 32, Lady Gaga is unusually young and culturally prominent to launch a residency in Sin City, generally the preserve of older artists who either want to set up elaborate productions away from the rigors of the road or to cash in on the nostalgia of tourists.

Lady Gaga said her shows would begin on December 28 at the newly rebranded Park MGM, a giant complex on the Las Vegas Strip which was initially built as the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in the style of the Mediterranean gambling hub.

The synth-pop star once known for her eye-popping attire and ultra-extroverted sexuality plans two shows, with one, entitled "Lady Gaga Enigma," promising more of her theatrics.

"We're creating a show unlike anything I've done before. It will be a celebration of all that is unique and different within us," she said in a statement.

Read also: Lady Gaga cancels tour dates due to 'severe pain'

"The challenges of bravery can be overcome with creativity and courage that is grown out of adversity, love and music."

The other show, "Lady Gaga Jazz and Piano," will star her singing minimalist versions of her songs as well as pop standards.

Gaga refashioned her career four years ago when she teamed up with classic crooner Tony Bennett, who is six decades her senior.

She similarly adopted a more mature sound on her latest album, "Joanne," which veered into country music with lyrics about family ties.

Lady Gaga announced "Enigma" shows through November 2019 with only a handful of the stripped-back concerts.
Messaging app Line Indonesia has launched official animated sound stickers of six Wiro Sableng film characters, including Wiro Sableng (Vino G. Bastian), Mahesa Birawa (Yayan Ruhian) and Sinto Gendeng (Ruth Marini).

Users can download the stickers, which use images taken directly from the film, for Rp 12,000 (less than US$1) per one set of eight stickers.

The animated stickers can be used on Line 4.4.0 version or higher for iOS and Android devices, or 3.7 version or higher for Windows phone users.

We consider the Wiro Sableng film to have the same target audience as Line, so we decided to create the stickers, said Revie Sylviana, the company's strategic partnership and business-to-consumer director, in a statement. Hopefully these stickers will be able to further introduce legendary fiction characters like Wiro Sableng to the young generation."

Read also: Wiro Sableng film boasts fresh storyline, targets young audience

Were very proud that the Wiro Sableng film can collaborate with Line stickers because Indonesian film needs this [kind of] support, said the film's producer, Sheila Timothy. I hope this collaboration makes [the audience], especially Line users, [feel] closer to [the characters].

The messaging platform also launched a sticker competition where users can send Wiro Sableng stickers to as many friends as possible between Aug. 7 and 12 to win prizes, including three exclusive Wiro Sableng T-shirts, 10 tickets for the film's screening on Aug. 29 and six tickets for the films gala premiere on Aug. 27. (wir/kes)
Did you know that in Indonesia, every day, more than 35 women are victims of sexual violence?

Sexual violence occurs at home behind closed doors, the workplace, schools and other public areas. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) noted that in 2017 sexual violence was the most common form of violence in the public domain with more than 2,500 cases. The three most common types of sexual violence are harassment, abuse and rape.

In a note on 15 forms of sexual violence, Komnas Perempuan wrote that rape was an attack in the form of coercion of sexual relations by using the penis toward the vagina, anus or mouth of the victim. Coercion can also happen with fingers or other objects. This attack is carried out by violence, a threat of violence, psychological pressure, abuse of power or by taking advantage of a coercive environment.

Rape is a traumatic event, an event that is psychologically interpreted as a mental experience that threatens life and surpasses the average person's capacity to bear it. A traumatic experience can cause drastic changes in a person's life, including changes in perception of life, behavior and emotional well-being. Rape disturbs the well-being of its victim; thus, they need an array of services comprising legal, medical (including mental health) and social services. The interaction between a rape victim and different systems impacts the recovery process.

Read also: How I went from being a rape victim to a survivor

A sexual assault victim needs immediate medical attention. These include careful assessment and management of any physical injuries, medical forensic examination, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV) and emergency contraception methods. Such services are provided by community health centers and general hospitals. In addition to medical care, rape victims also require psychological intervention with so-called "psychological first aid". Psychological intervention is essential to promote and accelerate recovery of sexual violence victims.

Read also: How I went from being a rape victim to a survivor

Rape almost certainly causes mental distress. Changes in perception of oneself and one's world require extraordinary adaptation so that individuals can continue their lives. Symptoms of mental distress that may be found in rape victims include fear, insomnia, nightmares or excessive alertness. These are normal psychological responses to an abnormal event. These symptoms may slowly disappear and get better in around six weeks period as part of the normal adjustment process. To adapt, rape victims may try to go about their lives as normally as possible, get back to the usual routine, talk about what they trust, do relaxation exercises, eat and exercise regularly, as well as spend some time with family and friends.

The reaction of a rape victim to the events varies depending on their personality traits, the established social support and the response from the community or the prevailing cultural values. Rape victims will go through the stages of mental response known as five stages of grief. Kubler-Ross describes this phase as a phase of shock and denial, anger, bargaining, desperation and acceptance. Generally, these five stages take place sequentially, although in some people it can occur otherwise. The length of time a person spends at each stage can vary, and there is no specific benchmark to determine how long it will take to reach the acceptance stage. Psychological assistance services are needed to help rape victims reach the stage of acceptance.

Recent studies in Western countries suggest that 16 to 60 percent of rape victims get mental health services following the incident. This service includes mentoring, counseling, support groups and mediation. Generally, mental health services are provided to help rape victims feel comfortable; therefore they are less hesitant to disclose issues pertaining to their violent experiences. Counseling is also expected to strengthen emotional resilience and help victims so that they feel empowered to make decisions and necessary choices.

Rape victims, as well as other trauma victims, need prompt and appropriate treatment. The purpose of providing treatment is to prevent severe physical and psychological distress. One of the efforts of the Indonesian government in meeting the needs of rape victims is by establishing the Integrated Womens and Childrens Center (P2TP2A). The most common form of service is an integrated crisis center spread across various government-owned health centers and hospitals.

In the community, attempts to help rape victims recover consist of legal certainty, provision of safe houses, home visits to get support from families and surrounding communities and educational activities. Another need is the provision of adequate information about sexual violence. Mass media plays an important role in educating the public and providing support for victims of violence. The mass media should be able to write facts-based information, deconstructing the myths, understanding complex issues and publicizing resources to help rape victims.

Read also: Treat rape victim as victim

Barriers to help rape victims can arise from existing social systems. Services that are not responsive to the needs of victims, officers and community do not show empathic attitudes and do not provide support, and increase the risk of making the victim have a perception that they are powerless. This may lead to the emergence of a second rape experience during the help-seeking process. Victims who experience this can feel ashamed of themselves and have a sense of guilt that has the potential to hinder efforts in help-seeking.

Inadequate treatment increases the risk of mental disorder in rape victims. One in three rape victims will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, prolonged mental distress that occurs within six months of the traumatic event. It is estimated that 35 to 70 percent of assault victims develop some depressive disorder and 15 percent experience psychotic disorder. The other may develop substance abuse problems, suicidal thoughts and other chronic physical health problems. Rape as a traumatic event is perceived as a fundamental betrayal of their self, identity, judgment and safety. However, the psychiatric sequelae are not only due to the trauma itself but also due to the negative responses from the social system. Rape victims with mental distress need psychiatric help from professionals.

Rape is a forceful attempt through violence that causes trauma to its victim. Victims of a traumatic event can recover themselves with adequate social support and optimal professional services. Contributions from crisis services for rape victims, legal certainty, comprehensive and sustainable health services, as well as empathic and supportive attitudes from the community are expected to help the recovery process of these victims. (kes)

***

Gina Anindyajati is a psychiatrist at Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital. Her scope of work is closely related with community psychiatry, psychosocial rehabilitation and trauma. Besides delivering mental health services for patients, Gina is also working with stakeholders from government and civic organizations. During her leisure time, she loves to ease her mind by watching good television series or going for long walks.
Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Tuesday in a letter to employees that he is considering taking the electric car maker private at a price of $420 per share.

Musk said a final decision has not yet been made, but the reason is to create an environment for Tesla to operate best.

Read also: Musk tweets video parody of Hitler `shorting Tesla stock'

"As a public company, we are subject to wild swings in our stock price that can be a major distraction for everyone working at Tesla, all of whom are shareholders," Musk wrote in the letter.

Trading in the company's shares were halted at $367.25, up 7.4 percent, after Musk tweeted earlier that he was considering taking the company private at $420 per share.
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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura  Wed, August 8, 2018 08:43 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51e61b2 2 National #Papua,Papua,armed-civilian-groups,Paniai,TNI,#TNI Free

An armed group returned on Tuesday four firearms it seized from the Indonesian Military (TNI) in a recent incident in Wagemuga village in Paniai, a restive regency in Papuas central highlands.

The firearms were handed in to the TNI via Wagemuga village head Deki Gobay and his counterpart of nearby Wegebino village on Tuesday morning, a day after the incident took place in Bokoa, Wagemuga.

Three of [the firearms] are rifles and one is a handgun, Cendrawasih Military District Command spokesperson Col. Muhammad Aidi said on Tuesday.

An unidentified armed group ambushed the Papua Terang (Bright Papua) expedition team on Monday when it entered Bokoa to map out electricity needs.

The armed assailants seized four firearms from a group of 16 TNI personnel who were deployed to guard the expedition team, which was deployed by state-owned electricity company PLN. At least five military personnel were injured in the incident.

The groups decision came following a discussion between its members and local leaders who urged the group to turn in the firearms to authorities.

The incident was a misunderstanding. The Wagemuga people are in fact longing for development and access to electricity, Muhammad said.

It is reported that the survey team consisted of three PLN experts, four University of Indonesia (UI) students and seven students from Jayapura-based Cendrawasih University.



The survey team was immediately transported to Enarotali, the capital of Paniai. They are now safe. (ipa)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Buenos Aires, Argentina  Wed, August 8, 2018 09:10 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51e81c8 2 World #Argentina,Argentine,vice-president,corruption,convicts Free

Argentina's former vice president, Amado Boudou, was sentenced to nearly six years in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of corruption while serving under former president Cristina Kirchner.

The charges related to Boudou's attempt to buy a company that printed currency through a front business while serving as Kirchner's economy minister.

A court found him guilty of "passive bribery" and conduct "incompatible" with his duties as a public servant, sentencing him to five years and 10 months in prison.

Boudou, who served in Kirchner's cabinet from 2009 to 2015, has been banned for life from holding public office.

His lawyers are expected to appeal the conviction.

Argentina has been rocked by a major corruption scandal involving top political and business figures and compared to neighboring Brazil's sprawling Operation Car Wash probe.

Kirchner herself, president from 2007 to 2015, has been summoned for questioning next week amidst allegations that tens of millions of dollars in bribes were funneled to the presidential residence, and executive mansion and offices.

Boudou told the court that he had never negotiated a 70 percent stake in Ciccone eight years ago, saying the "alleged bribe has no basis or link to the evidence because it didn't exist."

Five other entrepreneurs were convicted alongside Boudou, including the company's former owner Nicolas Ciccone, who was given a four year, six month sentence.

Laura Alonso, head of the anti-corruption office, said this case showed the country had "tried corruption in an open and public trial" and that there is "justice in Argentina.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Sao Paulo, Brazil  Wed, August 8, 2018 09:35 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51ea1c9 2 World #Brazil,Elle,magazine Free

Brazilian Elle and Cosmopolitan will disappear from newsstands and some 500 people will lose their jobs in what Brazilian magazine group Abril called a "reorganization," according to reports Tuesday.

According to local media reports, about 170 journalists will be among those getting axed.

Abril, one of South America's biggest magazine publishers, did not confirm the job numbers, but said it would "concentrate its human resources" on its main brands, including the widely read current affairs weekly Veja.

Cosmo and Elle confirmed on their social media accounts that they would shut down, including their online versions.

Abril said that cuts would "guarantee the operational health in a climate of deep technological transformations, whose impact is being felt across the whole medium."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 10:57 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51ee727 1 Business FWD-Life-Indonesia,health-insurance,informal-sector Free

Joint venture insurance firm PT FWD Life Indonesia has launched sharia-based health insurance that targets informal workers that earn an irregular income.

FWD CEO Choo Sin Fook said on Tuesday that the monthly premium for annual coverage of Rp 50 million to Rp 100 million started from Rp 75,000 (US$5.20).

He said the insurance provided pre-hospitalization, hospitalization and post-hospitalization coverage, including check-ups, hospital stays, surgery and medicines.

Citing the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Choo said 28.8 percent of 127.08 million workers worked in the informal sector, including freelancers.

He said only 2 percent of freelancers in the country had access to health insurance, while 40 percent of formal workers were covered by national health insurance. (acr/bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Berlin, Germany  Wed, August 8, 2018 17:10 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5205a46 2 World #Germany,#Iran,#Donald-Trump,Germany,Iran,Donald-Trump,sanctions Free

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran could further destabilise the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.

Trump brought back the punishing sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and Western powers to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We still think that it is a mistake to give up on the nuclear accord with Iran," Maas said in an interview with the daily Passauer Neue Presse.

"We are fighting for the deal because it also serves our purpose by bringing about security and transparency in the region."

Noting Iran's geographic proximity to Europe, Maas warned that "anyone who's hoping for regime change must not forget that whatever follows could bring us much bigger problems."

"Isolating Iran could boost radical and fundamentalist forces," he said, adding that "chaos in Iran, as we have experienced in Iraq or Libya, would further destabilise an already troubled region."

In a desperate bid to save the nuclear accord, European governments have pledged to do what they can to keep business links with Tehran.

Despite the political will to hold firm, many large European firms such as German automaker Daimler are leaving Iran for fear of US penalties.

The US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, welcomed the news.

"We are pleased to see German businesses stopping their trade with Iran, complying with U.S. sanctions, and helping pressure the Iranian regime back to the table," he tweeted.

"We stand together to stop Iran's malign activities."
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Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 14:40 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51fb0c2 1 Business foreign-workers,Morowali,central-sulawesi,hanif-dakhiri,Moeldoko Free

The government expects that the rumors of an influx of foreign workers at Central Sulawesi's Morowali Industrial Park would be laid to rest after journalists investigating the story uncovered facts that negated the rumors.

Yes, there are foreign workers here [Morowali Industrial Park], but do they number in the millions? No, Bisnis Indonesia journalist David Eka Setiabudi said on Tuesday by video conference to a meeting at the President's Jakarta office.

Data at developer PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) shows that only 10.9 percent of the 28,568 workers employed at the industrial park, or 3,121 people, are foreign nationals, while the remaining 25,447 are local workers.

Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri, who also attended the meeting, said the journalists findings should put an end to the controversy surrounding the issue of foreign workers in Morowali.

He said that many parties, including lawmakers and manpower officials, had provided similar testimonies following their visit to the industrial park.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko concurred with Hanif, expressing his hope that the rumors would not be exploited for the political interests of certain parties.

Hanif added that foreign workers in Indonesia were expected to provide knowledge and skills transfers to local workers to improve their competence. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8 2018

The Jakarta Education Agency has told schools in the city not to force students to donate money to buy livestock to be sacrificed during Idul Adha (Islamic Day of Sacrifice), following a report that SMA 101 state senior high school in Joglo, West Jakarta, had asked its students to donate at least Rp 50,000 (US$3.50) each.

I stated that students should not be forced to donate toward qurban [sacrificial animals], because it is supposed to be a learning experience, agency acting head Bowo Irianto said on Monday as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

He said if a school wanted to collect qurban donations, it should not set a minimum amount that students must give.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8 2018

Residents of Nambo village in Buton, Southeast Sulawesi, have rescued four short-finned pilot whales that were trapped in the mangroves of the Lawele Bay, and footage of the rescue has been making the rounds on social media.

The video was posted on the Facebook account of local resident Adi Bakri on July 29. The rescue reportedly took place two days earlier.

Thank God we managed to save four whales that were trapped. Elderly villagers said this was a sign; a reoccurrence of 1995, he wrote in the caption of the video, which has been viewed around 200,000 times and shared by 3,700 people.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 12:49 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51f68ba 1 National #Indonesia,boat-incident,fire-accidents,Komodo-National-Park Free

A motorboat caught fire while carrying 15 foreign tourists near Padar island, one of the main islands of Komodo National Park in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday morning.

Coordinator of West Manggarai Search and Rescue Team, Edi Suryono, said on Tuesday evening that all the tourists and boat crew were safe.

He explained that the tourists came from five countries, namely seven from England, four from the United States, two from France, one from Portugal and one from the Netherlands.

The KM Molise (Alba Cruise) boat serves as an interislands recreational boat to transport passengers around Komodo district.

The motorboat carries tourists all day from Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores to other islands that located around Komodo district, he said, as quoted by kompas.com.

The passengers were rescued by people from another motorboat sailing nearby Padar island when the incident occurred.

The wreckage of the boat was being taken to the nearest island as of Tuesday evening.

The cause and the chronology of this incident are still under investigation, he said.

Last week, 10 hectares of savanna vegetation burned on Gili Lawa Darat island  also part of Komodo National Park  which is located around 20 kilometers north from Padar island. That case, which was allegedly caused by a lit cigarette tossed by a visitor on the islands summit, is still under investigation.

Gili Lawa Darat island has been closed until further notice, while other islands in Komodo National Park are still open for tourists. (sau)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 17:23 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df52061b3 1 City Asian-Games-2018,banners,typo,#2018AsianGames,jakarta Free

Jakarta has welcomed the Asian Games by putting up banners, but they have typos and misplaced elements.

One banner in Palmerah, West Jakarta, is landscape-oriented and displays a collapsed mascot and the Jakarta administration logo, and a missing g in the Indonesian word terselenggara, becoming terselengara. Terselenggara means being staged.

Another banner bearing the administrations logo has gone viral on social media because it has a typo, with Asian Games written as Asean Games. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Prominent writer Goenawan Mohamad rhetorically questioned who was to blame for the typo - the Jakarta administration or whoever made the picture that was used.

Pemprov DKI salah? Atau foto ini yg salah? pic.twitter.com/BBARELouKl  goenawan mohamad (@gm_gm) August 7, 2018

Goenawan tweeted another picture with the misspelling of Asian Games as Aisan Games, adding jokingly Were waiting: ASINAN GAMES. Asinan is an Indonesian dish of salty vegetables or fruits.

Public policy analyst Agus Pambagyo commented on his Facebook account: How could [the Jakarta administration] not be thorough? [It] has become a public mockery. He also pointed out the banner bearing the term Aisan Games, which was seen in Kartini subdistrict in Central Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Jakarta City Councils head of Commission D overseeing development, Iman Satria, showed the assistant to the governor for development and the environment, Yusmada Faizal, a picture of the misspelling on the banner, which went viral on the internet

"Here is one, Sir. Why was it spelled Asean on the Asian Games banner? Imam questioned during a session at the City Council on Tuesday. We could be a laughingstock. This is embarrassing, Sir. Especially with the Jakarta governments logo on it." (stu)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 8, 2018 14:44 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51fb482 1 City Monas,special-team,historian,denial,involvement,Monument-National Free

A second historian has said that he was not part of a special team tasked with reviewing and approving events to be held at National Monument (Monas) Park in Central Jakarta, which has an operational budget of Rp 461 million (US$32,000).

Historian JJ Rizal said he was not involved with the team, although he was on its roster, and that he had never received an official letter on his appointment or an invitation to join the team.

I was never even told that the team was being put together and what it was for. Thats why Im confused that my name is on the list [of team members], said Rizal on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

In May, historian Anhar Gonggong also said that he was not notified about the team.

Anhar was also listed as a private sector representative alongside JJ Rizal and Asro Kamal Rokan under the relevant decree.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issued Gubernatorial Decree No. 276/2018 on establishing the special team soon after he opened Monas Park for public events.

Under the decree, the team is tasked with checking the event requirements and reviewing requests to hold activities in the vicinity of Monas. The team is also responsible for determining whether the event fulfilled all requirements and then submit a suggestion to the governor.

The decree also states that Anies, his deputy Sandiaga Uno and the governor's undersecretary for culture and tourism will supervise the team, which is to serve an eight-month term.

The team is to be headed by the city secretary and the economy and finance deputy assistant, while the Jakarta Tourism Agency head is the team secretary.

The team is to comprise representatives from the city's Assets Management Body, Tax and Levies Board, Capital and One-Stop Integrated Service Agency, Cipta Karya Planning and Land Agency, Monas management, the city secretariats economic bureau, the State Secretariat, the Jakarta Police and the Jakarta Military Command. (ami)
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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jepara, Central Java  Wed, August 8, 2018 09:51 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51eb99e 1 Business solar-energy,Karimunjawa-Islands,Central-Java Free

Solar energy is gradually replacing fossil fuel in the Central Java islands of Karimunjawa, occupied by about 8,000 people, due to the operation of solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) power plants starting this August, an official has said.

Karimunjawa district head Saptwagus Karnanejeng Ramadi said on Tuesday that starting Aug. 1, three outer islands  Parang, Genting and Nyamuk  have been fully electrified with solar PV power plants.

After we held a month-long test in July, now the three islands can be electrified for 24 hours with the capacity of 1,500 watt hour [Wh], he said adding that previously, the region had six hours of electricity per day.

The Karimunjawa Islands  three hours by boats from Jepara regency  used to require at least 35,000 liters of non-subsidized diesel fuel per month Rp 11,550 (80 US cents) per liter to fuel power plants in the district, including its three surrounding islands.

Two years ago, state-owned electricity firm PLN took over the diesel-based power plants, after which residents had to pay the same electricity rate as the people in Java because of the governments one-price policy.

However, for the three islands, Karimunjawa district still has to allocate around 6,000 liters of diesel fuel per month.

But the consumption [of diesel fuel] may go down to zero because of the three Solar PV power plants. The diesel fuel will only be used as backup, said Karimunjawa district secretary Nor Soleh.

The three Solar PV power plants are part of phase 3 (ESP3) of Denmarks environmental support program worth Rp 26 billion, whose goal is to promote renewable energy in Indonesia. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Wed, August 8 2018

Today ASEAN celebrates its 51st anniversary amid various changes both in the region and the world that may affect the groupings dream of achieving a peaceful and prosperous community.

Internally, ASEAN member states are still struggling to finish all the work required to reach One Community based on One Vision and One Identity. Compared to the European Union, widely considered to be the holy grail of regional integrity, ASEAN is much more diverse, not only in its cultures but especially the political systems. ASEAN is a melting pot of democracy: democracies in transition, constitutional and absolute monarchies, communist and military regimes.

Cambodia and Malaysia have presented two contrasting examples of a shift in democratic process, while all eyes are now on Thailand over whether the military junta will fulfil its promise to hold a long overdue democratic election. Myanmar still has to do its housekeeping with the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, where Muslim minority Rohingya were forced to flee their homes.
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Linkedin Eric Randolph with Thomas Watkins in Washington (Agence France-Presse) Tehran, Iran  Wed, August 8, 2018 07:55 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51e3c7f 2 World #DonaldTrump,Donald-Trump,#Iran,Iran-US-nuclear-deal,sanctions,business Free

US President Donald Trump warned the world Tuesday against doing business with Iran as Washington reimposed "the most biting sanctions ever" on the Islamic republic, triggering a mix of anger, fear and defiance in Tehran.

Trump's May withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran had spooked investors and triggered a run on the Iranian rial long before the punishing sanctions went back into force.

The newly reimposed sanctions, which target access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets, were unlikely to cause immediate economic turmoil.

Iran's markets were actually relatively buoyant, with the rial strengthening by 20 percent since Sunday after the government relaxed foreign exchange rules and allowed unlimited, tax-free gold and currency imports.

But the second tranche of sanctions, which kicks in on November 5 and targets Iran's vital oil sector, could be far more damaging -- even if several key customers such as China, India and Turkey have refused to significantly cut their purchases.

"The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less."

European governments -- who signed the Iran nuclear deal along with Washington -- are infuriated by Trump's strategy that has prompted many of their large firms to leave Iran for fear of US penalties.

Within hours of the sanctions taking effect, German carmaker Daimler said it had "suspended our already limited activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions."

Trump said Monday that he was open to new talks to reach a "more comprehensive deal" with Iran.

"We want to see a much broader retreat by Iran from their support for international terrorism, their belligerent military activity in the Middle East and their ballistic missile, nuclear-related programs," National Security Advisor John Bolton told Fox News.

"There's a lot going on here that Iran needs to be held accountable for."

But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the idea of talks while sanctions are in effect, and accused America of waging "psychological warfare."

In Tehran, residents were on edge.

"I feel like my life is being destroyed," said one construction worker on the streets of the capital. "I can't afford to buy food, pay the rent."

- 'Not got this right' -

The return of US sanctions left some of Washington's partners unimpressed.

British Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said that the "Americans have really not got this right."

The nuclear deal was important "not only to the region's security but the world's security," he told the BBC.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by the return of sanctions, adding that it would do "everything necessary" to save the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters that the global reaction to Trump's move showed that the US was diplomatically isolated.

- 'Poison cup' -

Most Iranians see US hostility as a basic fact of life, so their frustration is largely directed at their own leaders for not handling the situation better.

"Prices are rising again, but the reason is government corruption, not US sanctions," said Ali, a 35-year-old decorator in Tehran.

Long-running discontent over high prices, unemployment, water shortages and the lack of political reform has sparked numerous protests over the past week, though verifiable information is scarce due to heavy reporting restrictions.

Many hope and believe that Iran's leaders will "drink the poison cup" and negotiate with the US eventually.

There have been rumours that Trump and Rouhani could meet in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly -- though Rouhani reportedly rejected US overtures for a meeting at last year's event.

Iran's regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the tough new US policy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the renewed sanctions as "an important moment for Israel, for the US, for the region, for the whole world."

Iran's currency has lost around half its value since Trump announced the US would withdraw from the nuclear pact, but has surged since Sunday, following the arrest of the central bank's currency chief and new plans being announced.

The new rules mean foreign exchange bureaus will reopen after an attempt to fix the value of the rial in April backfired spectacularly, with corrupt traders making a fortune out of a mushrooming black market.

Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, told AFP that the sanctions would inflict "significant harm" on the Iranian economy.

"But this is not the first time that the Iranian leadership is dealing with sanctions," Vaez said.

"I doubt that in the next two years we would see the collapse of the government or the regime in Tehran."
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States  Wed, August 8, 2018 23:23 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df520f4b5 2 World #DonaldTrump,congress,fraud-cases Free

Republican congressman Chris Collins, one of the first US lawmakers to declare support for Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, was indicted by federal prosecutors Wednesday on charges of securities fraud connected to an alleged insider trading scheme.

Collins, 68, was arrested and charged along with his son Cameron Collins and another defendant for their role in illegal trading of stock in Australian biotechnology firm Innate Immunotherapeutics, where the elder Collins was a board member, according to the indictment released by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The congressman is accused of tipping off his son about the results of Innate's failed drug trial before the results were publicly released in June 2017.

Collins broke the law by "passing material, nonpublic information regarding the drug trial results to his son... so that Cameron Collins could use that information to make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others," the indictment alleges.

Cameron Collins is accused of passing on that information to his fiancee's father, Stephen Zarsky, and others, who also benefited financially from the insider knowledge.

The trades allowed the Collinses, Zarsky and others "to avoid over $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise incurred" if they sold the stock after the announcement, according to the indictment.

On the day after the trial results were released, the company's stock lost 92 percent of its value.

Chris Collins' lawyers responded swiftly, insisting he will be "completely vindicated."

"We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name," they said in a statement.

Collins, who represents Buffalo's suburbs and counties in upstate New York, was the first House Republican to openly support Trump's bid for the party's nomination in the 2016 race, and he has remained a loyalist to the president.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Wed, August 8, 2018 09:00 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df51e6da8 2 World #USA,#Russia,USA,Russia,Georgia,border Free

The United States on Tuesday urged Russia to pull out Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Kremlin-backed separatist regions of Georgia.

Russia recognized both as independent a decade ago, and Moscow has a significant military presence there.

"Our position on the Russian occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and also South Ossetia is unwavering. That remains unwavering today. The regions are part of Georgia," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

"They are not part of Russia and the United States continues to support Georgia's sovereignty its independence and also its territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders," as of the 2008 ceasefire, she stressed.

Her comments came hours after Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili condemned Russia's continued "occupation" of its territory.

Moscow and Tbilisi have long clashed over the small, former Soviet Caucasus republic's wishes to join the European Union and the transatlantic military alliance NATO, a potential outcome Russia sees as dangerous encroachment on its zone of influence.

In summer 2008, tensions turned into conflict when the Russian army intervened on Georgian territory to fly to the aid of South Ossetia, where Tbilisi had launched a deadly military operation.

In five days, Moscow's forces routed the Georgian army and threatened to take the capital.

A peace deal negotiated by then French president Nicolas Sarkozy finally led to the withdrawal of Russian troops, but Moscow recognizes the independence of the separatist regions in a major strain in East-West relations.
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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9 2018

The government is weighing up its options following the United States attempt to impose annual sanctions of up to US$350 million on Indonesia over a trade dispute, a move which came as a surprise as the US had previously agreed not to proceed with the matter for a determined period of time.

The US has filed a request with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to allow it to impose sanctions on Indonesia over a trade dispute that allegedly cost US businesses up to $350 million in 2017.
Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta is one of the country's oldest hotels and cultural heritage sites.

The first hotel in Indonesia built to international standards, it has become a source of national pride.

Here are five things to know about Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta:

1. Houses a collection of artworks from local and international artists

Hotel Indonesia boasts numerous masterpieces from local and international artists, thanks to the country's first president, Sukarno, who wanted to reflect Indonesian culture in the hotel.

An art enthusiast, Sukarno was known for his excellent taste and helped supervised the construction of Hotel Indonesia.

The artworks include a Dewi Sri sculpture by Trubus, a large mosaic depicting an Indonesian traditional dance by G. Sidharta, a flora and fauna themed painting by Lee Mang Fong, along with a stone-carved relief by Yogyakarta-based Sela Binangun workshop, according to a statement from the hotel.

2. A center for cultural activities and urban lifestyle

During its heyday, Hotel Indonesia routinely staged musical and theatrical performances that helped catapult numerous Indonesian artists to fame, such as Slamet Rahardjo and Rima Melati.

It also became a center for urban lifestyle as the elites, government officials and successful business people often held meetings and social functions in the hotel.

The property also became a preferred venue for state dinners, like in 1962 when president Sukarno hosted a dinner for Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.

Read also: Five historical locations to learn about Jakarta's ancient past

3. Designed to depict a blend of modern and traditional architecture

The hotels 25,082-square-meter building was design by United States architect Abel Sorensen and his wife Wendy.

Sorensen was commissioned by Sukarno who wanted the hotel to showcase a modern Indonesia.

Sorensen gave the hotel a modern and minimalist style, but at the same time, incorporated elements of local architecture, namely from West Sumatra. The building was also designed to form the letter T, so guests can get an unobstructed view of Jakarta.

4. Built to promote tourism

Hotel Indonesia is located strategically in the heart of Jakarta for a good reason.

During the hotels inauguration, Sukarno said Hotel Indonesias doors were wide open for tourism. It indeed became the face of Indonesia as many notable people, from Indonesia and abroad, came to the hotel to stay and hold events.

The Welcome Statue located in front was intended to welcome guests who visited Jakarta during the fourth Asian Games in 1962.

Read also: Sukarno's Bengkulu home nominated for most popular historical site

5. A hub for the 1962 Asian Games

Hotel Indonesia was designated as an information center for the fourth Asian Games in 1962, the property's first major event.

From there, information about Indonesia spread around the world and the hotel became a dynamic hub of activity. It even cooperated with one of the US biggest newspapers, the New York Times. (anm/kes)
Indonesia's most famous lake, Lake Toba in North Sumatra, will soon be able to be viewed from all angles in Google Street View, with photographs for the online platform beginning to be taken on Monday.

Arie Prasetyo, Lake Toba Authority Agency head, expressed enthusiasm for the process, saying featuring the lake on Google Maps would be a positive impact in globally exposing the beauty of the world's largest crater lake.

"Hopefully Lake Toba will be more known and become famous through the Street View images," Arie Prasetyo told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Arie further said the images would help ease navigation around Lake Toba. For example, he said, tourists that want to travel to Lake Toba can first get a visual idea of the area through Google.

"This method will help tourists find tourist locations they want [to see] in Lake Toba," Arie said, while explaining that the step was initiated by Google Maps in the aim of supporting tourism to Lake Toba.

Read also: Indonesia's tourism boom explained

Google Indonesia communications manager Jason Tedjasukmana said in a statement that the implementation of Google Street View on Lake Toba is a form of commitment to support the development of tourism in Indonesia.

Jason said the platform would offer visitors virtual panoramic views of the lake from various points across the area.

The images on Google Street View are slated to be launched on Sept. 27, Jason said, which would coincide with World Tourism Day.

"The hope is that after launching this Street View service from Google, it can support the government's efforts as a boost to the target of 1 million tourists to Lake Toba by 2019," Jason said.

Lake Toba is one of the government's "10 New Balis", a policy focusing on priority destinations being developed as part of an ambition to welcome 20 million foreign tourists next year. (liz/kes)
The Tourism Ministry has establish the Tourism Crisis Center in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, to help foreign and domestic tourists who are trapped in the region following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday evening.

The Tourism Ministry is set to focus on travelers. Our thoughts are also with the locals, but they are already taken care of by social affairs agencies, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

The crisis center started operating on Monday by transporting tourists on the islets of Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno to Lombok. It has a team tasked with exploring heavily affected areas in search of tourist who require help.

The Tourism Ministry has also provided 10 buses to transport travelers to seaports and airports, 25 rooms that can be used for free in Mataram, as well as food and water.

The minister has requested state-owned shipping operator PT Pelni and airline companies to provide extra ships and aircraft to transport stranded tourists from Lombok to Bali, Surabaya in East Java and Jakarta.

Read also: What you need to know about the Lombok earthquake

The Foreign Visitor Help Desk for tourists who have been affected by the Lombok earthquake can be contacted at +62 878 6412 4151. The help desk can also respond to WhatsApp messages and help tourists who have lost their passports.

Tourists with expired visas will not be subject to penalties. The Foreign Ministry will assist those in need of a visa renewal, Arief said. (mut)
The state attorney generals office has announced the establishment of an $8 million restitution fund for current and former tenants of notorious landlord Steve Croman.

Earlier in the summer, Croman was released from jail after serving 8 months for mortgage and tax fraud. In addition to prosecuting him on criminal charges, the AG also sued the real estate mogul in civil court. The restitution fund was part of a settlement agreement reached with Croman last year, following an investigation for harassment and coercion of rent stabilized tenants. Heres more about the fund from a press release put out yesterday by Attorney General Barbara Underwood:

Tenants are eligible for restitution if they are or were a tenant in a rent-stabilized or rent-controlled apartment owned by Croman between July 1, 2011 and the date of the agreement (December 20, 2017); they received a buyout of less than $20,000, not including any amount that purported to cover rent or arrears; and no other tenant in their apartment received money from the restitution fund. Several hundred current and former tenants are potentially eligible to apply for these restitution funds. This week, JND Legal Administration, the claims administrator, mailed claim notices and forms to current and former rent-stabilized and rent-controlled tenants in Cromans buildings. Those forms and additional information are also available at www.cromanrestitutionfund.com. The $8 million will be divided equally among eligible claimants and distributed to tenants in installments over a period of 38 to 42 months, with the first installment coming as soon as the claims administrator processes all of the first-round claim forms.

Another part of the agreement required Croman to turn over management of his buildings to an independent company for the next five years. More about that from the AG:

In addition to the $8 million Tenant Restitution Fund, the settlement also requires over 100 Croman residential properties to be run by a new, independent management company with no ties to Croman, for five years  the longest-ever term for independent management in OAG history. Moreover, the settlement requires seven years of independent monitorship to oversee compliance with the terms of the consent decree and provide regular reporting to the Attorney General  the longest-ever monitorship required in any tenant harassment case. Earlier this year, OAG approved New York City Management as the independent management company; the management company took over operations of the buildings on July 1, 2018. Pursuant to the settlement, New York City Management is instituting new policies at the Croman properties to ensure full compliance with the law and correction of all past violations. It will also post a comprehensive set of Tenants Rights in every building it manages.

Croman owns buildings across the city, including quite a few on the Lower East Side.
Taking place on the screen of a laptop, Searching is a thriller clearly moulded to the twenty first century, where a proportion of our lives now take place on the computer.

When David Kim (John Cho)'s teenage daughter, Margot, goes missing, he resorts to searching through Margots laptop to find clues about her whereabouts. Told through a collection of facetime calls, messages and Instagram posts, we get an intimate look into Margots world, as her father tries to piece together evidence and uncover the secrets behind Margots seemingly perfect life.

With John Cho in the starring role, Searching will be the first mainstream thriller in Hollywood with an American-Asian actor as the lead. The film also stars Debra Messing, perhaps known best for her long stint as Grace Adler in Will & Grace.

Despite being director Aneesh Chagantys first feature-length film, Searching could be the story our social media dependent society needs. Scoring an impressive 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this novel portrayal of our lives on the internet could be a turning point in cinema.

Read The National Student's review of Searching at Edinburgh Film Festival here.

Searching is set for cinema release in UK cinemas on 31st August 2018
There have been a lot of shark movies over the years; some masterful, some disastrous, but none can reasonably be called boring. Given the kind of action thrills shark movies can provide, its no surprise that there have been many memorable on-screen shark attacks.

With the upcoming The Meg, out Friday, this trend looks set to continue as former Navel Captain Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) heads a rescue mission to save the crew of a sunken submersible and face the monster that haunts hima Carcharodon Megalodon. If hopes that Statham will in fact punch the giant shark turn out to be true, the scene will surely go down in film history along with these other memorable shark attacks scenes.

1. Where are we going? - Jaws (1975)

A statement that will be controversial to no one, is that Jaws is the finest example of a shark movie; after all it was the first. To be such a classic a film must have many memorable moments and Jaws is no exception, from the dolly-shot on Brodys (Roy Scheider) face during the beach attack to youre gonna need a bigger boat. However, if you want suspense nothing can beat the opening scene; starting off almost whimsically, as youths Tom and Chrissie head to the water for a swim, the tension slowly builds as the underwater predator stalks its prey and the brilliant score (with jarring cuts to silence) make this one of the best scenes in horror cinema.

2. Here's Brucey! - Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo is a film that contains many colourful characters (often literally colourful), but wed be lying if we didnt have a soft spot for Bruce, the Jolly and polite Great White determined to change his nasty image (Fish are friends, not food). That is until the smell of Dorys blood revives his predatory instinct. A thrilling chase scene ensues, where you fear for the loveable Marlin and Dory, but this particular shark attack is made memorable by Bruces one-liners (Im having fish for dinner) and the frantic remindings of the twelve-step programme by his pals.

3. Shark vs. Zombie - Zombie 2 (1979)

Not to take too much away from Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci (director of cult classics City of the Living Dead and House by the Cemetery), but if there is one thing his career is defined by, its this scene in his 1979 film Zombie 2, where a zombie fights a shark. Yes, this happens. Set on an island where a zombie virus breaks out, the wife of an American couple takes a scuba diving trip, only to be attacked first by a shark and then by a zombie, who fight each other after she escapes. The battle is, as you would expect, bizarre and amazing and as you would also expect, the shark proves to be the apex predator, tearing off the zombies arm before it swims away.

4. You think water's fast? - Deep Blue Sea (1999)

This 1999 Renny Harlin flick is most definitely a B-Movie; you can take that any way you wish. Bosting a considerable amount of memorable faces (including Stellan Skarsgard, LL Cool J and Saffron Burrows) the biggest non-shark draw is Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Franklin, a corporate executive who has faced dangers no man should. After a genetically engineered shark escapes the underwater research facility, killing three people in the process, Franklin gives a rousing speech about group unity and human strength to unite the squabbling scientists. Then suddenly with an atrocious display of CGI he is violently pulled away by a shark, leaving a crimson pool of blood and Michael Rapaports confused expression. It doesnt get more memorable than that.

5. Resignation - Open Water (2003)

Many shark films released in the past few years are viewed (both positively and negatively) as low-budget shlock. A film that wanted to break that mould however, was 2003s Open Water, a tense survival thriller about a couple who go on a scuba diving trip, only to be abandoned in shark infested waters when the crew of their boat accidentally leave them behind. Arguably the whole film is one slow-burning shark attack, with the sharks gradually taking chunks out of our protagonists, almost like an act of torture. But the ending is perhaps the most memorable; with her husband dead and gone, Susan (Blanchard Ryan) resigns to the fact that no one is coming to rescue her, as a mass of sharks slowly circle her. To spare herself the pain, the removes her scuba gear and drowns herself, the shot zooming out to show a wide stretch of calm water, as though nothing had happened. What is scarier after all, than uncontrollable nature?

6. Glass breaks - Jaws 3-D (1983)

The original Jaws demonstrated the innate terror shark movies can portray. Jaws 3-D released eight years later, demonstrated the innate hilarity shark movies can portray, decades before Sharknado. While perhaps not the worst premise (Chief Brodys sons must protect the visitors of a Sea World type resort when a great white attacks), the execution is far from Spielberg. The crowning hilarity? Probably when the shark very slowly swims (I think) up to the glass of the underwater control centre; workers screaming in panic when suddenly the shark stops and the glass unconvincingly smashes. Never mind the fact that sharks cant stop swimming, this scene is brilliant in its stupidity.

7. Shark vs. chainsaw - Sharknado (2013)

This may have been an instance where they came up with a great name and then based a movie around it, but you cant deny it packed some very memorable moments into its 86-minute run time. Some notable highlights; sharks flying through the air and dismantling a Ferris wheel, John Heard being swallowed whole after trying to rescue a dog, Tara Reids lack of a reaction when her boyfriend is munched on. But the one moment that stands above the rest; when the tornado portion of the sharknado finally dies down, sharks plummet to the ground, bringing more destruction. Trying to protect his family, our hero Fin (Ian Ziering) jumps into the open mouth of a falling shark, chainsaw at the ready. Miraculously he survives and saws his way out, pulling out the unconscious Nova as he does. This scene is bizarre even by sci-fi movie standards. But wed be lying if we said it didnt make us grin.

The Meg is out in UK cinemas on 10th August.


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Over 3,000 Grosse Ile voters cast ballots in the Aug. 7 primary election, renewing four millages for township services and operations.

The first ballot proposal, which passed by a margin of approximately three-to-one, ensures that the Grosse Ile Recreation Department will have funds for the next five years.

Recreation Director Kim OFarrell said the estimated $224,000 will help maintain her departments momentum.

Ive been here for a year and am very pleased with the voter turnout and passing of the millage, she said. I look forward to serving the residents of Grosse Ile with new events and programs to continue building a happy and healthy community.

The Grosse Ile Police Department millage also was renewed for the next five years, which will raise an estimated $448,000 for departmental operations. Grosse Ile has repeatedly been named one of the safest cities in Michigan over the past three years.

In the biggest blowout of the four millage renewals, voters said yes to providing funds to improve and maintain drainage and stormwater management projects.

Department of Public Services Director Lorinda Beneteau, whos been working in public service since 1993, said the renewal was expected and confirms that the work her department has been doing since 2010 will continue.

The fourth millage renewal signifies voters approval of the townships decision to remove its library from the Wayne County system, which Grosse Ile Township Supervisor Brian Loftus said has resulted in improved service at a lower cost.

Overall, Loftus said hes happy with the results.

I was very pleased to see that all the resolutions passed, he said. Well spend our residents money wisely and keep services running at the levels theyve come to expect.

In numbers, the library millage passed 2,425 to 1,191; the draining millage passed 2,848 to 672; the police millage passed 2,742 to 872 and the recreation millage passed 2,401 to 876.
It'll be hard for Hardy to top Grace's performance in Spider-Man 3.

Source: Inverse

Topher Grace's turn as Venom in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 is the height of villainy. Ever since the film's release in 2007, Grace's Venom has topped every Greatest Villain list ever released. This all said, it's a blessing that Grace gave his own blessing to Tom Hardy to portray the villain anti-hero in the upcoming Venom movie.



"I understand Sam's interpretation, which was to do a dark version of Tobey [Maguire]'s character," he says. "I was thrilled because I was such a fan of the character, but I was aware of how it was different from what I had grown up reading. I thought it was cool, but I'm really excited to see [Tom Hardy's version]. That's the character I grew up with."

Venom, directed by Ruben Fleischer, is set to release October 5, 2018.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Rain, heavy at times early. Low 57F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain, heavy at times early. Low 57F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.


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Welcome to this Project!

This blog was conceived on the 8th August 2008,hence its title. 8 is the number of new beginnings, which was also the prophetic declaration over the Church through various prophets in 2008.

On,Now,To the Third Level is not some elite form of Christianity. It is God's Norm. Watchman Nee would have called it the Normal Christian Life. Others in time past called it brokenness. We call it life. Rob Rufus explains in "Taking Away The Veil" that Christ has opened the way through to God for us. We can live there.

Why bother using the phrase "Third Level"? Because there are 3 places in God's Tabernacle. And there are 3 stages of growth in 1 John 2. More than this, historically and corporately we have known forgiveness by grace. Then from 1906 onward the Church has known a charismatic empowering by grace. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and supernatural manifestations.

But what we are now saying is we can live full-time to God's glory and in God's glory. There are keys of faith to each stage and in these last days God has been revealing the grace keys to this final level....a level that has had the Veil Taken Away.

It is the level that is the full realisation of the New Covenant in Christ's Blood, but also the life that God promised when He said "The Knowledge of the Glory of God shall cover the Earth as the Waters Cover the Sea".

A FULL LIST OF SUBJECT LABELS CAN BE FOUND LISTED ALPHABETICALLY AT THE BASE OF THIS PAGE.


Nearly a fifth of Investec bank's shareholders have voted to ditch KPMG as auditor

Nearly a fifth of Investec bank's shareholders have voted to ditch KPMG as auditor in South Africa amid a scandal over the accounting firm's work in the country.

Investec bosses last night defended their decision to retain KPMG despite the revolt at their annual general meeting, saying the financial system and audit profession needed stability.

Several large institutions in South Africa have been severing ties with KPMG after failings emerged in its work for the Gupta family, who are alleged to have used their links to former president Jacob Zuma to amass wealth.

The Guptas deny wrongdoing.

In June the UK's auditing watchdog said KPMG's work auditing UK firms had deteriorated unacceptably.
NHLANGANO  An electrical fault at the Shiselweni Regional Administration Offices triggered a major emergency response yesterday morning, with services grounding to a halt.



Police and firefighters from Nhlangano responded swiftly after receiving a call at around 11:30am, reporting about a fire at the government offices.



An issue with the lighting system had caused smoke at the Regional Administrator Themba Masukus office, while he was attending to an unnamed client. The fault announced itself by a strange smell that was later followed by the smoke, causing work to grind to a halt.

Staff and clients who had come for various services had to be evacuated, and the offices were shut down temporarily as fire personnel tried to locate the source of the smoke.



Haste



Over 50 people had to leave the building in haste after word was sent around about a possible fire breaking out. The incident also attracted a number of onlookers who came to observe the operation.



There was also a bit of sparks, so I had to leave the office very quickly. We treat an incident of this nature in a very serious light because the safety of the people is our number one priority. I consider myself without an office for now until there is assurance about the safety of the building, said Masuku.

He indicated that they had launched a full investigation, in collaboration with the police and the National Fire and Emergency Services. Masuku thanked the various role players who worked tirelessly to ensure everyone in the building was safe.



There were no injuries reported, according to Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba, who also confirmed the incident.

It is understood that quick action by emergency personnel prevented what could have been a major disaster at the government offices. Had this incidence occurred, the consequences could have been dire as critical documents relating to the governance of the region are kept inside the offices, as the RA later explained in the aftermath of the incident.

Several other businesses next to the government offices complex would have also been seriously threatened, given the close proximity of a fuel station. Besides, the interior of the offices is divided with a frame wall made of timber, which would have further made it easy for the fire to spread quickly. This was also noted by Senior Fire Officer Morris Simelane, as he made an inspection around the building.
MANZINI  Pastors in the Kingdom of Eswatini have been accused of using the pulpit to spread stereotypes against LGBTIs.



They have done this by allegedly preaching against the LGBTI community by saying its members were nothing but demons.

This transpired during the Religious and Intercultural Dialogue where lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex people engaged with local pastors at The George Hotel in Manzini.



At the dialogue, the LGBTI community came together with pastors and church members to discuss stereotypes that society had against homosexuals.

While others argued that the main reason why the stereotypes were popular was lack of education, most of the LGBTIs decried that most churches preached that they wanted them to change their lifestyle and return to God.



According to the members of the LGBTI community, pastors used names such as titabane and tinkonkoni when preaching and encouraged other church members to stay away from them. Besides the alleged attack on the pulpits, there was a concern that LGBTIs were referred to as drunkards who wasted their time on drugs, something which those in attendance viewed as something that perpetrated the stereotypes.



Another concern was that the media was also contributing in that it reported negatively on LGBTIs. The accusation against churches and pastors was further spread during testimonies which some of the LGBTI members shared where they related how they were forced to quit fellowshipping due to the treatment they received.



One of the members who shared his testimony alleged that he had been a member of one of the oldest churches since 2005 where he was a member of different committees.

The churches will not be named due to the fact that their leaders were not present to respond.

I am gay and have been in a relationship since 2011. Things changed when elders discovered the kind of person that I am and stopped me from participating in most of the church activities. The church is destroying gay people, he said.



Another testimony was shared by a young man clad in traditional regalia, who alleged that he was a son to one of the local pastors.

I was playing a keyboard in church but things changed when my father discovered that I was gay. He stopped me from playing the keyboard and started preaching about Sodom and Gomorrah almost every Sunday when he was on the pulpit, the young man said.



He highlighted that it led to a point where his father ordered him to leave his homestead and go to stay with his grandmother. A testimony that touched hearts was one of a young woman, who alleged that she discovered that she was a homosexual at the age of 12, got raped by a brother-in-law and fell pregnant at 15 years. She alleged that her family did not support her, which made her attempt to commit suicide eight times.
MBABANE  Swaziland Building Society has failed to give reasons justifying the dismissal of Seth Nkambule, who declined to allow Hlobisile Ndlovu to make a cash withdrawal without a passbook.



The Industrial Court made this finding yesterday. Ndlovu is the former Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs. After making its findings, Judge Dumisani Mazibuko awarded Nkambule a sum of E345 464 for unfair dismissal. Nkambule, who worked for the bank for 16 years, was dismissed in 2009.



He was charged with showing poor judgement and insensitivity and failure to follow fair and reasonable instructions from his employer.

Nkambule was found guilty by the disciplinary hearing and his appeal was dismissed.



Judge Mazibuko said the bank failed to hear Nkambule on appeal, which was a classic case of a miscarriage of justice. As a result, the judge said there was no evidence before court to support the allegation that Nkambule had committed an offence.



According to Judge Mazibuko, the conduct of Leonard Nxumalo, who sat as the appeal tribunal, revealed that he did not apply his mind to the facts that were before him.



The judge said it appeared that the role of Nxumalo was to rubber-stamp the decision that had already been taken by the senior management of the bank.

The court also found that there was no evidence of poor judgement or insensitivity on Nkambules part. In the banks written submission, it stated that Nkambule failed to dissuade the former minister from closing her account.



The applicant (Nkambule) could not be expected to dissuade the minister in a manner that would breach the respondents rules and policies, said the judge. The judge noted that the reason Nkambule was charged with disciplinary offences was because Ndlovu closed her account.
By Trend





Iraq has lifted a ban on exports of five agricultural products from the Islamic Republic of Iran, a report said.

Iraqs Agricultural Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday, lifting restrictions on the import of garlic, potato, tomato, watermelon and lemon, IRNA news agency reported.

The ministry had banned the import of the agricultural products since 2015. It removed the ban after consultations and meeting with Iraqi and Iranian officials.

The average value of Irans exports to Iraq is the highest among those dispatched to other destinations.

According to Nasser Behzad, Irans commercial attache to Iraq, the average value of Irans exported commodities to Iraq during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22) stood at $527 per ton, which is 1.2 times higher compared to the average value of Irans exports elsewhere.

The average value of Irans exports to China and the UAE, the Islamic Republics first and second export destinations during the period under review stood at $336 and $456 respectively.
By Trend





Kazakhstan's Kaz-Ir AGRO LLP made the first shipment of safflower oil to Japan in the volume of 37.3 tons, Kaz-Ir AGRO said.

Kaz-Ir AGRO is the first company in the history of Kazakhstan supplying food products to Japan, specializing in growing safflower, as well as producing unrefined safflower oil of cold pressing.

In June Kazakhstans exporter concluded the contract for safflower oil export to Japan.

The cooperation with Japan for Kaz-Ir AGRO is an opportunity to enter a big consumer market. Presently, the company is holding negotiations on the conclusion of an annual contract for the supply of safflower oil to the Netherlands.

The company exported 400 tons of products in January-June 2018. Safflower oil is exported to China, Czech Republic, Japan, Russia and Uzbekistan.
A while back I was looking into new headphones and I ended up purchasing the Logitech G430. They were nice at first, comfortable, snug but not too snug. However, after a few months of use, they start to become very relaxed, likely due to the plastic bending. Making them very easy to come off, they start to sound quieter. They also have some pretty bad build quality. Mainly made of plastic these things aren't going to last me. I've actually already broken a pair, working on my second. I've looked at some new things, and I like Logitech, this has to be the first product I've had serious problems with from them, so I'm willing to give them another shot. I just want to be sure of one thing before I sink $100 into them, the Logitech G633, are they good for hard music such as DnB? I lost a bit of my hearing as a child so what may seem 'loud' to you is moderate for me. But apparently other people have had this issue with the G430 as well, I've tried all of sorts of different outputs and drivers and the headphones won't output a decent well-defined sound with a hard drop when one hits. It almost starts to sound flat, almost like it's adjusting for the bass and lowers it to the sound level of sounds prior. So, my question is, does the G633 have any sound problems? Such as quality, sound level, static, focused frequency (frequency that's much more apparent than others), sounding flat after a while, etc.. And what about build quality, will they last? I don't want to pay $100 yearly, or even every other year. I want a pair that'll last a while.



Edit: Let me make this blatantly clear, I am curious, will the G633 Logitech headphones have any of the issues the G430 had? Such as: Bad durability, horrible sound adjustment, or eventual poor sound quality?
The monastery is situated on a wooded slope surrounded by fir trees, 920 metres above sea level, in the Agios Petros region, eight kilometres from the town of Xerokampi, 47 kilometres from Tripoli and 30 kilometres from Astros

The miraculous monastery of Malevi or the Dormition of the Virgin is one of the most important monasteries in the Kynouria province of Peloponnese.

Constructed on Mount Parnon, it is known as the Second Mount Athos and Mount Athos of Southern Greece, both because Christians from Mount Athos immigrated here during the reign of Emperor Constantine IV (668-685) and because no other Greek mountain has so many monasteries.

The monastery is situated on a wooded slope surrounded by fir trees, 920 metres above sea level, in the Agios Petros region, eight kilometres from the town of Xerokampi, 47 kilometres from Tripoli and 30 kilometres from Astros.

The first Malevis Monastery was built on a high place called Malevou which is now called Kanala in the isolated and trackless forests of Malevou. The chronical book of the monks notes that the first monastery was founded in 717 AD, but a year later all of the Monks died, and the final monk, seeing his inevitable end, left a hidden message of what transpired. From that time other monks decided to leave this monastery at the Channels and re-build the monastery at another, lower location.

There are many icons of Panagia during the centuries that have been shown miraculous by the Grace of Christ and the Theotokos and for over forty years, the ancient Icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos (called Panagia Malevi) has been exuding Holy Myrrh which is intensely fragrant, and has helped work many, many miracles throughout the world.

Images painted by the Evangelist St. Luke

The miraculous Icon is traditionally known as one of the seventy images painted by the Evangelist Saint Luke. The icon was brought by residents of Mount Athos to the first monastery in the Canal.

After the tragic end of the monks who died due to the extreme cold and the roaring winds, the miraculous Icon was left alone and came to the place it is today. It repeatedly was found in some local bushes and was constantly found illumined by a divine light. Three attempts were made to move the Icon to no avail, so a church was built at that location in 1116, and in the year 1362, the silver covering was added to the Icon.

It is a miraculous image of Panagia that is celebrated on the 23rd of August. It is a day where thousands of believers from all over the country come here to pray.

Read more at greekcitytimes.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

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Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal) said construction was progressing as per schedule on its ambitious Khalifa Avenue Project with nearly 70 per cent of the work already completed.



Khalifa Avenue project runs from the Al Wajbah Palace Interchange (west) to the Tilted Interchange (east) and along Al Gharrafa Road from Al Rayyan Street (south) to Thani bin Jassim Street (north).



The scope of work includes the construction of 11.6 km of dual carriageway with four lanes in each direction replacing a three-lane way besides seven major free-flowing interchanges, service roads, and auxiliary lanes along sections of the road.



The entire project is due for completion by the first quarter of 2020, said a statement from Ashghal.



A new flyover was opened recently on Bani Hajer Interchange as part of the Khalifa Avenue project to ensure free flow of incoming traffic from capital Doha towards Al Rayyan Road.



The 1.15-km-long overpass comprises two lanes that can accommodate 1,500 vehicles per hour, said the statement.



The flyover will largely ensure less transit time and create better traffic flow since road users on Khalifa Avenue can have a direct access to Al Rayyan Road, avoiding the diversions that existed in the area, it added.



Speaking at the opening, Abdullah Qassim, the project engineer at Ashghal's Highway Department, said the new flyover comes after consecutive openings of Bani Hajer Interchange and is part of several openings that happened on Khalifa Avenue project.



Khalifa Avenue is a key connection, and the new bridge will enhance traffic mobility in the congested and populous area there as well as serve various vital businesses and facilities like Qatar Foundations Education City where thousands of students head for diverse colleges, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Aecom, a leading provider of professional technical services in the fields of engineering, consulting, planning and architecture, has appointed David Clifton as the group's new strategy and growth director for its construction services business in the Middle East region.



Aecoms construction services business in the region provides construction management, construction supervision and program management services to projects across all sectors.



Its Middle East portfolio includes Midfield Terminal Complex, Warner Bros. World, King Khalid International Airport, Tatweer Schools Program, Mall of Oman, Doha Oasis, Damac Heights and Ministry of Housing projects in Saudi Arabia.

In his new role, Clifton will leverage his substantial industry knowledge to expand Aecoms existing client relationships and grow its market share from his office in Dubai, said a statement from the company.



He comes from Faithful+Gould where he was the regional development director, it stated.



Having worked in the industry for more 18 years (US, UK and the Middle East), Clifton has an extensive network of contacts and in-depth knowledge of the regions unique macro-economic and construction economics trends, said the statement.



He also has first-hand experience in the delivery of large projects and has contributed to a number of industry improvements including the development of project management offices, it added.



"This is a really exciting time to be in the industry due to the immense developments that are coming on stream and in the pipeline," said an ecstatic Clifton.



"Im delighted to have joined Aecom, a company with global resources and depth of regional talent that can support clients to realise their dreams," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
PAN Emirates Home Furnishings, a leading home-grown indoor, patio, and outdoor furniture brand in the region, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a special promotion offering prizes worth Dh5,000 ($1,361) to its customers for 25 weeks.



Founded in 1992, PAN Emirates quickly emerged as a trusted name, and a one-stop shop for all furniture and furnishing needs of the region, said a top official.



The store features diverse collections, including traditional, classic, rustic, country, and Victorian themes that are chosen to suit the needs and taste of the customers.



PAN Emirates imports products from countries like Turkey, Egypt, US, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Italy, Germany, and India, thus bringing the best quality from around the world to the region.



The company is planning to open four new outlets in the UAE and one in Oman within the next six months. This in addition to the 16 existing branches all over GCC.



"Over the last 25 years, Pan Emirates has been known for providing high quality and competitively priced furniture solutions to clients. We have enjoyed a loyal customer base through the years, and it is our pleasure to be able to give something back to them," remarked Mohammedi Katawala, the deputy general manager and finance director.



As part of the special anniversary gala, customers who spend Dh500 at our stores will get an opportunity to weekly win home makeovers worth Dh5,000 for 25 consecutive weeks," he stated.



Katawala said PAN Emirates is also conducting a signature wall competition, "wherein the customers can visit the store and write down their comments on a wall along with their email ids".



"We will select the best comment and the winner will get a Dh500 voucher," he added.



PAN Emirates, he said, was planning to pull out frequently shopping loyal pool of customers and give them surprise gift as a token of appreciation for their continuous love.



As the campaign says #25yearsofpurelove, PAN Emirates is celebrating this pure love in a huge way with their customers.



"We will be providing multiple deals for budget healthy shopping and discounted offers besides VAT free shopping for the whole of 2018," he added.-TradeArabia News Service


Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has signed 10 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with a range of suppliers in Taiwan focused on the development of offshore wind supply chain.



The MoUs come as a complement to previous agreements signed with Yeong Guan Energy Technology Group (YGG) and Swancor Holding Co. They further demonstrate the commitment of SGRE to the development of the offshore wind supply chain in Taiwan, fully in line with helping reach the governments goal of 5.5 GW installed offshore by 2025, said a statement from the company.



The agreements cover solutions for offshore wind turbine components including on machining, control systems, coolers, and more. Timelines have not been set for finalisation of the cooperation agreements, it said.



Andreas Nauen, chief executive officer of the offshore business unit at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, said: We are encouraged by the localisation plans for Taiwan of our major suppliers, and the growth plans of local suppliers.



The growing offshore wind market in the region requires sound, skilled partnerships to meet the ambitious governmental goals. As the industry leader in offshore wind, we look forward to bringing global supplier concepts to the local market, and bringing local supplier concepts to the global market with partners of all sizes, he added.



Taiwan IDB deputy director general Yang Chih-Ching, present at the SGRE Offshore Wind Localization Day, said: As a global leader in offshore wind, SGRE, together with its global suppliers, can collaborate with Taiwan's major component manufacturers, not only to build up local capabilities, but also to enhance their international competitiveness for a long-term, sustainable offshore wind supply chain for the Taiwanese and global markets.



The following MoUs were signed today between SGRE and partners to further develop the offshore wind supply chain in Taiwan, more specifically, with regards to:



 SGRE and AH Industries and YGG: Machining for large steel and metal components

 SGRE and Jupiter Bach: Composites for wind turbine components such as canopy and spinners

 SGRE and KK Wind Solutions (KK): Control systems and converters

 SGRE and Nissens: Cooling systems

 SGRE and RMG Steel: Steel parts such as various sheet metal and weldments solutions

 SGRE and SINBON Electronics (SINBON) and TA YA Electric Wire & Cable (TAYA): Low Voltage cables harnessing

 SGRE and SINBON and Walsin Lihwa Corporation (Walsin Lihwa): Low Voltage cables harnessing

 SGRE and TECO Electric & Machinery (TECO): Yaw motors

 SGRE and Walsin Lihwa: High voltage cables

 SGRE and Wuerth: C-parts and fasteners



Each of the non-binding MoUs include, among other terms, the establishment or the use by suppliers of facilities in Taiwan, price competitiveness, as well as compliance to SGREs quality, health, safety and environment (HSE) standards. Siemens Gamesa will provide support and advice on technical qualifications, and ramping up activities for each supplier.



Niels Steenberg, executive general manager for Siemens Gamesa Offshore Asia Pacific, said: As 5.5 GW of grid capacity were awarded in June 2018, a promising pipeline was laid out towards 2025.



In this context, the support of a complete, competitive, and high-quality supply chain is essential for us to deliver our utmost to the local and regional market, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia has again welcomed the Qatari citizens wishing to perform Hajj for the year 1439 AH, reaffirming full willingness and readiness to enable them to perform the sacred rituals, a media report said.



The move comes despite the actions taken by Qatari authorities who have blocked the electronic links allocated by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to record their Hajj data, reported Emirates news agency Wam.



The Saudi Ministry has underlined Saudi leadership's orders to enable Qatari citizens to come to the Kingdom and complete the registration of their data upon arrival at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



It pointed out that the arrival of Qatari pilgrims will be through any airline except Qatar Airways, and that Qataris residing in the Kingdom can register their requests to perform Hajj from within the Kingdom through the link allocated by the Ministry to the Qatari citizens.






The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has successfully completed hot functional testing (HFT) on Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



This significant pre-operational testing process incorporated all lessons learned from the same test on Unit 1 in order to achieve the highest international standards of quality, safety and efficiency, said a statement from Enec.



Enec worked closely with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), the joint venture partner and prime contractor for the Barakah project, and under the observation of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the UAEs independent nuclear regulatory body, to achieve this major milestone in the testing and commissioning of Unit 2, it said.



Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive officer of Enec, said: We are proud to have maintained our track record of safety and efficiency with the successful completion of Hot Functional Testing on Unit 2. By incorporating the lessons learned from the same tests on Unit 1, we continue to establish Barakah as the benchmark for new nuclear construction projects worldwide.



Keeping construction progress approximately one year apart for each of the units at Barakah makes it possible for us to implement all lessons learned from one unit to the subsequent ones, in line with international best practices in the management of megaprojects, he said.



HFT takes place over a number of weeks and consists of almost 200 individual and integrated tests performed on major systems to check their performance under normal operational conditions, without the presence of nuclear fuel in the reactor.



The test includes the first time that most of the reactors systems experience the operational temperature of nearly 300 degrees Celsius and operational pressure of more than 150 kg per sq cm, which is the equivalent of 1,500 m below water.



It is also the first time that the turbine is spun at its maximum speed of 1,500 revolutions per minute (rpm), demonstrating its readiness to operate once the reactor starts up for normal operations.



Al Hammadi continued: This most recent round of testing ensures that Unit 2s systems and components are on track to reliably and safely perform their intended functions when the plant becomes operational.



The pre-operational commissioning phase of a nuclear energy plant is a complex and critical step towards starting to operate the plant. It is essential that it is tested under operational conditions without nuclear fuel to demonstrate that the highest standards of safety, security and quality are achieved, he added.



During the HFT, components were checked for thermal expansion, vibration and wear. The results demonstrate that all systems perform in accordance with the highest quality and safety standards under normal operating conditions. Most notably, the pressuriser safety valve test, pre-core reactor coolant system flow measurement test and main turbine system test were performed, proving that major components and systems work as designed and meet all requirements for normal operation.



JongKap Kim, chief executive officer, Kepco, said: We continue to achieve major milestones at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, working together with Enec and our joint venture subsidiary Nawah.



The completion of HFT on Barakah Unit 2 in an efficient and timely manner is the result of incorporating the experience we have from Unit 1, but also from having completed the same test on the APR1400 reactors at Shin Kori 3 and 4, as well as Shin Hanul 1 in the Republic of Korea. These successful tests clearly demonstrate the safety, reliability and technological robustness of the reactor design, Kim added.



Along with testing the performance of a wide range of components, the HFT provided plant operators from Nawah Energy Company (Nawah), the joint venture subsidiary in charge of operations, the opportunity to control pressure and temperature safety-related equipment, start and place the turbine in service, and complete various other operating procedures.



This gives operators a unique ability to identify any issues with procedures or the equipment and take corrective actions to ensure that once it is started up, the plant will operate safely and sustainably for the coming decades.



Construction of Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant began in April 2013, one year after Unit 1. All four units at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant are progressing safely and steadily, with Unit 1 construction completed and turned over to Nawah for preparation to operate, pending regulatory approval.



As of end of June, the construction of Unit 2 of the Barakah Plant is 93 per cent complete and overall construction progress rate for the four units is now more than 89 per cent. All four units will deliver safe, clean, reliable and efficient electricity to the UAE grid, and prevent the release of more than 21 million tons of greenhouse gas emission every year, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE-based Sicuro Group said it has been signed up by the Iraqi government as the exclusive operating partner for Basra's Oil Operations Centre (OOC).



The OOC is the information, incident management and emergency response centre for the Iraqi government's Basra Operations Command (BaOC).



It has been established, collocated and integrated with BaOC at its command headquarters in Basra, in support of all international oil companies operating in the south of the country and is managed by highly experienced international staff.



Sicuro Group is a specialist in delivering communications, information and procurement solutions to those operating in challenging environments throughout the Middle East, Africa and Eurasia. It is a Iraqi CMC (Communications and Media Commission)-licensed tracking, communications and information provider with vast experience in Iraq as the exclusive operating partner.



The Dubai-headquartered group was selected by Benaa Al Basra, which had been tasked with the job of making Basra's OOC operational by the Iraqi Prime Minister's office.



"This new partnership will ensure the required expertise and resources are applied to the centre in order to deliver timely information, civil and military authority liaison and coordination, incident management and emergency response to all international oil companies operating in Southern Iraq," said a company spokesman.



The OOC will be operational from mid-August, delivering enhancements to the Basra Operations Command, he stated.



"An ISO 27001-certified and GDPR compliant company, Sicuro has its headquarters and 24/7 operations room in Dubai, in support of its regional offices, including Baghdad," remarked the spokesman.



"Sicuro's Iraq branch holds Iraqi CMC licencing for its tracking, monitoring and support services. Intelyse, Sicuro's incident, information and analysis service, has dedicated Iraq analysts and has provided in-depth reporting on Iraq since 2012," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Emirati media personality, Taim AlFalasi, and Iranian actress and Unicef ambassador, Mahtab Keramati, joined dozens of celebrities from across the globe to celebrate female travellers this week in Thailand.



More than 60 female celebrities, key opinion leaders, bloggers and journalists headed to Thailand to celebrate pioneering female travellers. Amongst a number of other celebrities, AlFalasi and Keramati both experienced Thailand and many of its female-friendly activities first-hand.



AlFalasi, who was recently named in Forbes 30 under 30 Arabs list earlier this year, runs her own online radio channel and several food and beverage start-ups in the UAE. During her visit to Thailand, she experienced the buzzing capital, Bangkok, and the hidden gem resort of Hua Hin where she took part in cooking classes and visited several markets. Keramati, who was appointed as a Unicef National Ambassador in Iran 12 years ago, spent five days exploring Bangkok and Phuket. AlFalasi and Keramati explored several family and female-friendly sights as well as wellness-orientated activities.



Both women joined a number of other pioneering females at a spectacular event called Womens Journey Thailand, which was organised by Tourism Authority Thailand and represented trailblazing Arab women on stage alongside other celebrities and opinion leaders.



Last year, over 616,000 people from the Middle East visited Thailand, 40 per cent of these visitors were female and the figure looks set to increase this year as more and more Arab women look to Thailand for unique travel experiences. With Islam being the second largest religion in the country, Thailand offers numerous Muslim-friendly activities, hotels and restaurants for travellers from across the Middle East. - TradeArabia News Service
Egypt's tourism industry is expected to receive a boost over the next couple of months, as analysts predict Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh to become tourist hot spots over the next couple of months with forecasted growths of 8 per cent and 5per cent, respectively, in revenue per available room (RevPAR).



According to Colliers Internationals Mena Hotel Forecast for July to September, the Red Sea resort in Hurghada continues to benefit from positive security perception and the return of chartered flights from traditional source markets. The growth in both occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) from the leisure segment is expected to drive RevPAR.



Similar to Hurghada, travel advisories from most source markets are now relatively relaxed resulting in a surge in international leisure demand. The market is growing from a relatively low base.



The report also showed that Fujairah and Abu Dhabi were among the GCC cities that were expected to maintain a confident and steady performance over the next few months, with Fujairah's RevPAR staying flat in Q3 and Abu Dhabi RevPAR edging up 3 per cent till September.



Abu Dhabi beach hotels, which witnessed strong momentum in occupancy in H1, are expected to see the same trend continue in Q3 as well, mostly driven by the leisure segment. Fujairah is expected to benefit from strong leisure demand over school vacations, Eid and weekends. However, the summer season sees limited demand from international tourists.



On the other hand, Manama and Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road/DIFC will continue to feel the negative impact of declines in travel demand. During Q3, occupancy and ADR levels in Manama are expected to fall, impacted by limited corporate and Mice activity, followed by subdued leisure demand, resulting in an 8 per cent decline in RevPAR for the period.



For Sheikh Zayed Road/DIFC, growing demand from more price-sensitive source markets will result in a drop in ADR, which will adversely impact RevPAR (down 7 per cent).



Overall, analysts forecast that Egypt and Jordan will experience an uptick in foreign arrivals, with RevPAR moving upwards, while the rest of the Middle East will see RevPAR either move downwards or stay flat as the summer season peaks. - TradeArabia News Service
New Multi-Exchange Crypto Asset Brokerage Voyager to Launch in Q4

Voyager Digital (Voyager), a new and licensed crypto asset brokerage, today announced its plans to formally launch with its first offering  a mobile application that will provide retail investors an institutional-grade platform delivering best execution via smart order routing technology for trading a wide choice of popular crypto assets commission-free. Voyager will provide a single access point for investors to efficiently and securely manage all their crypto assets in one place, with no commissions and no minimums.

Founded by Silicon Valley and Wall Street veterans, Voyager was developed to provide investors and traders with the trust, accessibility and efficiency that a modern online brokerage offers while addressing their growing needs for navigating this emerging asset class through a turnkey solution. A customer-first experience, Voyager facilitates the trading of a wide universe of digital assets across many exchanges and market makers.

A shared vision for how impactful this alternative asset class will become coupled with a belief that crypto-assets are empowering a new generation of investors is what brought us to launch Voyager, said Stephen Ehrlich, Co-Founder and CEO. We looked at what was currently available for investors to participate in this market and agreed there needs to be a better way. Investors deserve an offering that is stable, safe and cost-efficient, and that provides them with the best features and functionality, including responsive customer service. They will have all of this with the launch of Voyager and be able to trade crypto assets with the same confidence that they have come to expect from more established markets.

Our multi-exchange platform will help aggregate and unify a largely fragmented ecosystem, offering retail investors fast execution and better pricing. Additionally, we have developed and adopted best-in-class security practices in line with banking, brokerage and healthcare standards offering investors a safe and secure environment to invest in this new asset class, Ehrlich added.

The Voyager Mobile App will feature:

Instant account opening and funding in fiat and crypto currencies with no minimums

Access to no less than 15 of the most popular digital assets

Smart order routing through the optimal mix of exchanges based on market conditions

High speed fiat/coin and coin/coin trading at better pricing and no commissions

News, social feeds and alerts to keep users connected to the market

Intuitive interface and advanced tools to trade, research ideas and track investments

Best-in-class 24/7 customer service through instant chat and phone

Our goal is to become a trusted agent and guide users through the new world of cryptos. So we created an open architecture platform that is fully scalable to deliver a simple and intuitive user interface, said Oscar Salazar, Founding Investor at Voyager and formerly Founding Chief Technology Officer at UBER. It also provides access to a suite of tools and functionality including trading alerts, social media feeds and news, all to help users make smarter and more informed decisions.

Voyager is currently in beta testing phase with plans to launch in Q4 2018 to residents in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Montana. Applications to register in more key States are pending with a goal of ultimately having more than 40 approved States.

Sign up for early access at www.investvoyager.com

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Treasury Market Eyes Aggregated Streams

A new trading protocol has taken root in the electronic US Treasuries market, according to a recent poll conducted by industry analysis firm Greenwich Associates.

When asked which electronic trading methodology would be the most successful in three years, the majority of respondents did not select central limit order books (31%) or requests-for-quotes (11%), but chose aggregated streams (51%).

"You could look at it as the best of both worlds between central limit order book and RFQ, because you still get that sort of point-and-click functionality that people like in order-book markets," said Kevin McPartland, managing director, market structure and technology at Greenwich Associates. "You also can get that bilateral interaction that allows you to maintain those relationships that you have through RFQ markets.

This is something that we have been promoting for some time, Nichola Hunter, CEO of LiquidityEdge, told Markets Media. It's taken a little while for us to educate and to help participants fully optimize their interaction through a streaming protocol versus the more familiar CLOB & RFQ models. So it was gratifying to see the outcome of the poll because it demonstrates that we and others are having an impact."

With the rise of non-traditional liquidity providers in the Treasuries market, they can use aggregated bilateral streams to connect with end-customer directly as well as with their banks and buy-side counterparties, noted McPartland.

Trading via aggregated bilateral streams is trading in a non-CLOB order book where participants can rest and work orders, according to Hunter.

Its an order book where you as a consumer of liquidity can rest and work an order like in a CLOB but participants still only face the counter-parties or types of counterparties they desire," she added. "This is typical in e-FX, and it's something that we offer in Treasuries.

Although electronic trading has tended to have a stronger foothold within on-the-run Treasuries, Hunter does not equate the trading protocol with just a portion of the market.

Aggregated streams work equally well for on- and off-the-runs, noted Hunter. It really is just a matter of whether or not liquidity can be streamed in off-the-runs to a good enough extent that its attractive for participants and we, obviously, believe that it can be for the most liquid off-the-runs.

Greenwich Associates' McPartland doubts that the dealer-to-client and dealer-to-dealer markets would adopt a single trading protocol. "But will we have more interactions with the various market participant types? It seems like we're going in that direction," he added.

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The Surprising Factor Financial Firms Need to Invest in To Accelerate Growth

Financial services has always been competitive when it comes to talent. Headlines blare when a team is poached or a top trader leaves. But when it comes to people, a firms success relies on more than just the top contributors to the bottom line.

Thats one of the key findings from our 2018 Readiness Report which gathered feedback from 1,500 senior decision-makers at financial services firms around the world. What we actually found is that firms that are prioritizing investments in digital expertise are growing nearly twice as fast as their peers.

Why is digital so important? As revenue models across the buy side, sell side and insurance come under threat, firms have to invest in the areas that accelerate growth. And our analysis finds that a comprehensive digital innovation strategy has a close correlation to growth.

Addressing the human side of the strategy makes sense. In fact, 22 percent of executives say organizational culture is one of the biggest barriers to digital innovation, while 15 percent point to an insufficient understanding of digital issues. Another 14 percent cite talent gaps.

The top performing firms understand this, and theyre already taking action: recruiting for new digital skills, appointing leadership roles with an innovation remit and encouraging a more open and innovative culture across functions. By contrast, the rest of the industry has been more varied  and less intensive  in its approach to digital innovation.

This new approach highlights that the rest of the industry doesnt fully understand the transformational value that digital innovation brings. Used to traditional industry business models and ways of working, these institutions can be slow to recognize the full extent of the opportunities and threats brought about by emerging technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI).

Some firms are also adopting new senior leadership structures to help direct their efforts. For example, HSBC set up a technology advisory board comprising CEOs, scientists and entrepreneurs from China, India, Israel and the U.S. to help steer its digital strategy.

Others are turning to the tech sector to acquire digital expertise. Goldman Sachs, for instance, recently recruited the former head of Amazon Web Services AI laboratory to spearhead its

AI strategy.

But vying for tech-sector talent brings new demands: to compete with practices in high-tech firms in Silicon Valley, for example, BlackRock has introduced a new flexible vacation policy for its employees.

The cultural aspect of a digital innovation strategy is also central. As financial services firms bring new ways of working and new business models into play through digital innovation, they will need to adapt performance management practices and incentive structures.

For example, the real pay-offs of emerging technologies such as AI and distributed ledger may be some years away, so different success measures may need to be applied for top talent in these areas  rather than short-term metrics based on financial performance.

So what should firms do in this new eras? To put it simply, remember the people side of digital innovation.

A digital innovation strategy will increasingly separate the industrys winners and losers. The top performers are putting significant energy into getting the right expertise at the leadership level to help oversee innovation projects and identify which emerging technologies to pursue. They are also adapting their organizational culture to ensure the best outcomes from their innovation strategies.

To catch up, firms must invest in digital talent  whether thats hiring expertise or working with innovative partners  and create a culture that is truly open to new ideas. Only then will they be able to create new value for clients and move to the front of the pack.

Marianne Brown is the chief operating officer of FIS Global Financial Solutions (GFS) organization, which includes FIS banking, payments, and institutional and wholesale offerings for large financial institutions and capital markets globally.

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FINRA Requests Comment on Fintech Innovation in the Broker-Dealer Industry

FINRA recently issued a Special Notice seeking comment on how it can support financial technology (fintech) innovation consistent with its mission of investor protection and market integrity. The announcement builds on an initiative FINRA launched last year to improve communication with the securities industry around fintech. In addition, FINRA requests comment on certain fintech areas, including the provision of data aggregation services, supervisory processes concerning the use of artificial intelligence, and the development of a taxonomy-based machine-readable rulebook. The Notice requests comment by October 12, 2018.

Under FINRA360, FINRA has enhanced resources dedicated to this rapidly developing area of the industry, establishing an Innovation Outreach Initiative last year to foster an ongoing dialogue with the securities industry and to better understand fintech innovations and their impact on the industry. As part of this dialogue, a number of market participants expressed a desire for FINRA to solicit broader feedback regarding the effects of any FINRA rules or administrative programs on fintech innovation. The Special Notice is intended to provide an opportunity for such feedback.

The Innovation Outreach Initiative is led by FINRAs Office of Emerging Regulatory Issues which, in collaboration with a cross-departmental team, developed the Notice after engaging with market participants through the initiative. The Notice summarizes steps already taken by FINRA through the initiative in support of fintech innovation and requests comments on potential additional measures.

The Innovation Outreach Initiative has helped us better understand fintech developments across the broker-dealer industry, said FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook. As we consider taking additional steps, it is important to broaden the dialogue to hear how any FINRA rules or administrative processes could be modified to better support fintech innovation without adversely affecting investor protection or market integrity. We also hope to learn about any potential areas of innovation that would benefit from a greater focus on investor protection safeguards.

ABOUT THE INNOVATION OUTREACH INITIATIVE

To foster an ongoing dialogue with the securities industry and to better understand fintech innovations, FINRA established an Innovation Outreach Initiative in June 2017. FINRA created a cross-departmental team that is responsible for carrying out the initiative and working closely with industry participants to gain real-time intelligence on fintech issues. The team is tasked with creating and managing a Fintech Industry Committee to facilitate a continuous discussion on fintech developments and how FINRA's rules and programs interact with technology innovations. The team is also responsible for conducting regional roundtables to provide a forum for market participants (including FINRA members and non-members) to share thoughts, ideas, and concerns regarding fintech topics; developing internal training programs on fintech topics for FINRA staff; enhancing collaboration with other regulators (both domestically and internationally); and developing timely publications on fintech topics.

The Innovation Outreach Initiative enables FINRA to better track fintech developments across the rapidly changing industry environment in order to support innovation in the industry while maintaining investor protection and market integrity.

The Innovation Outreach Initiative has already resulted in a number of positive changes, including:

FINRA formed a Fintech Industry Committee composed of both large and small member firms, non-member firms offering fintech-related services, as well as committee observers from the SEC and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), to provide a platform for ongoing dialogue and analysis of fintech developments.

FINRA held a blockchain symposium in July 2017, a San Francisco fintech regional roundtable in September 2017, a Dallas fintech regional roundtable in November 2017 and a New York City fintech regional roundtable in April 2018.

In response to feedback we received through our discussions with market participants since the start of Innovation Outreach Initiative, FINRA is exploring the development of a report highlighting the implications of regtech for the securities industry. FINRA has also issued related Investor Alerts: Know Before You Share: Be Mindful of Data Aggregation Risks; Dont Fall for Cryptocurrency-Related Stock Scams; and Initial Coin Offerings: Know Before You Invest.



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United States Congressman David McKinley attended the Tyler County Fair on Thursday and mingled with senior citizens during their annual lunch event. He shook hands and greeted several residents of Tyler County while promoting some of the platforms he stands for as a United States Congressman.

One platform he is passionate about is the opportunity to increase funding for treatment facilities to battle the ongoing opioid epidemic. McKinley added he feels President Donald Trump has recognized that there is a drug problem, so there is more federal funding available than ever before. However, West Virginia has been struggling to receive its fair share. West Virginia is the epicenter of the opioid crises, and we need the proper funding if we are to ever make a difference stated McKinley.

He has spoken with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) about the funding and he was told that West Virginia was not properly applying for grants. Therefore, McKinley got SAMHSA to hold a conference in Morgantown to give a presentation on grant writing. McKinley added that West Virginia is receiving five times the amount received last year.

The Congressman noted that West Virginia is competing against other states for funding, and he mentioned that New Hampshire had received 25 percent more funding than West Virginia even though West Virginia leads the nation in overdose related deaths.

The funding can be used for the building of treatment facilities, hiring resource officer for school and providing mental health services at the schools which McKinley feels are all going to be essential in battling this crisis.

McKinley added that the pharmaceutical companies are starting to pay for their oversupplying and are under more control, but the damage is already done. The drug of choice has gone from pharmaceutical medications to the cheaper drugs of Methamphetamine and Heroin  causing a major social disturbance.

The overdose rates have also increased because of the use of these drugs. Therefore, McKinley would like to see more rehabilitation facilities where people can get proper treatment. McKinley also added that there a

re companies out there that are starting to hire those with a criminal record for drug possession as a way of giving them a second chance; however, turnover rates are high because people are having trouble staying sober.

The question remains as to how we reach the 30-35 year old demographic that seems to be struggling with addiction.
The World Bank Group and the UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR have decided to locate the new World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement in the UN City in Copenhagen.

The Data Center will strengthen collection, analysis and sharing of data on refugees and internally displaced persons. The Center will be established with support from Denmark and other actors.

I am pleased that Denmark has been selected as host country for the new Data Center. The Center will contribute to a more effective response to major refugee and displacement crises in conflict-affected regions and countries, including support to the return of forcibly displaced people. I am proud that Denmark in its capacity of forerunner on new IT technologies and digitalization can contribute to supporting innovative approaches and solutions which help vulnerable displaced people, says the Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Trns.

An improved response to major refugee crises is one of the key priorities of the Global Compact on Refugees which UN Member States are expected to agree on in the autumn of 2018. In this context, solid data on refugees and their host communities are identified as a prerequisite for finding the necessary solutions and creating better livelihoods for displaced people in conflict-affected regions and countries. We need far more evidence on the impact of refugees within their host communities, and how the return of refugees to their countries of origin can be supported in the best possible way. The World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center is being established to address these challenges and to support the efforts of the international community to strengthen comprehensive humanitarian and development intervention for forcibly displaced people.

The priorities of the Joint Data Center are fully in alignment with priorities defined in Denmarks Strategy for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, The World2030, as well as with the Sustainable Development Goals. Denmark will support the Center with approximately 100 million DKK for four years, subject to parliamentary approval.

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An aerial view taken on May 5, 2018, shows burned-down villages once inhabited by Rohingya in northern Rakhine state, Myanmar.  REUTERS/ Michelle Nichols

Two months since the signing of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNHCR, UNDP, and the Government of Myanmar, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and UNDP, the UNs development agency, are both urging Myanmar authorities to make tangible progress to improve conditions in Rakhine State. The Myanmar governments willingness to take the lead in the implementation of this agreement is critical to creating conditions conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees.

The government has taken some encouraging steps since the MoU was signed on 6 June, including the formation of a tripartite Technical Working Group to support the implementation of the MoU; enabling an important visit by senior UNHCR and UNDP officials to the northern part of Rakhine State in early July; and facilitating an initial joint field visit to Rakhine State by the Technical Working Group mid-July. However, substantial progress is urgently needed in three key areas covered by the MoU: granting effective access in Rakhine State; ensuring freedom of movement for all communities; and addressing the root causes of the crisis.

First, effective access requires being able to consult, freely and independently and on a day-to-day basis, with communities in Rakhine State about their needs. It also necessitates a predictable, flexible and simplified procedure to approve travel authorizations within a reasonable period of time for UNHCR and UNDP staff to go to the areas where these communities reside. These are basic criteria for enabling us to carry out our work in the areas of Rakhine State covered by the MoU. On 14 June, UNHCR and UNDP submitted travel authorization requests for international staff to be based in Maungdaw and to start their work in the northern part of Rakhine State, and are waiting for a response from the Government to these requests.

Second, freedom of movement, as well as increased public services delivery, are crucial for all communities in Rakhine State, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or citizenship status. During the visit by senior UNHCR and UNDP officials in early July, it was evident that the remaining communities in the northern part of Rakhine State continue to live in fear of one another. All communities have been affected by the violence, but the remaining Rohingya communities are affected most of all. In particular, local orders severely restrict their freedom of movement. These restrictions prevent Rohingya communities from being able to work, go to school, and access healthcare. They also prevent them from being able to interact with friends, family, and other communities in Rakhine State. Freedom to move was one of the most frequent requests expressed by Rohingya communities during the UNHCR-UNDP visit.

Third, it is fundamental to address the root causes of the crisis. The most sobering feature of northern areas of Rakhine State today is the empty space where villages used to stand. Unused and empty paddy fields are a stark reminder of the missing population who used to cultivate them. The signing of the tripartite MoU with the Government of Myanmar will not, in itself, allow Rohingya refugees to return home to Myanmar. In line with the MoU, root causes need to be addressed by implementing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, including a clear, voluntary and equal pathway to citizenship for all eligible individuals.

Confidence building measures need to take root, starting with facilitating access for UNHCR and UNDP to commence needs assessment visits to identify quick-impact projects in priority village tracts that have been agreed with the Government.

UNHCR together with UNDP remains prepared to support Myanmar in improving conditions in Rakhine State and operationalizing the MoU.

For more information on this topic, please contact:

For UNHCR :

In Yangon, Paul Vrieze, [email protected] , +95 944 803 4427

, +95 944 803 4427 In Geneva, Andrej Mahecic, [email protected] , +41 79 642 9709

For UNDP:
This concept image of the Multistage Polymer Delivery System illustrates a 3-D printed, biodegradable device that allows for a personalized medicine approach to treating a variety of illnesses. Implanted for localized delivery, the device uses specialized geometric shapes to control drug release and dissolves after treatment.

(Aug. 7, 2018) -- Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) are developing a 3D printed implant that, when injected in a patients body, could deliver a personalized dose of medicine to treat infections and ailments such as arthritis, cancer and AIDS. The project, led by Lyle Hood in the UTSA College of Engineering and Albert Zwiener in SwRIs Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division, is supported by a $125,000 grant from the organizations Connecting through Research Partnerships (Connect) program.

For a drug to be effective, patients must take a minimum amount, but not so much that it makes them ill or causes serious harm. Subsequently, someone who needs frequent and precise doses of a specific medicine either has to take a pill each day or visit a doctor for treatment. To remedy this, the San Antonio researchers are developing an implantable device that can deliver a controlled, personalized dose of medicine over several weeks.

The implant addresses a specific patients illness in addition to their medical history and other health issues, Zwiener said. We inject this non-invasive device into the body to deliver medicine over a significant period of time.

The design, which Zwiener and Hood created with UTSA graduate research assistant Priya Jain, incorporates complex geometries to personalize each device to an individuals ailment and takes advantage of the selective timing and release of the compound. The team will create the device with a specialized 3D printer at UTSA that can print biodegradable materials. This makes removal of the implant unnecessary; it will simply dissolve inside the body when the treatment is complete.

The implant is also engineered to trigger localized immunotherapy for cancer treatments. Immunotherapy enlists the body to attack cancerous tumors. The UTSA-SwRI team believes that the devices localized treatment capabilities can trigger the body to destroy the invasive cancer.

If clinically translated, this would allow for doctors and pharmacists to print specific dosages to meet patients needs, Hood said. In immunotherapy, most strategies employ systemic circulation through an IV line, much like chemotherapy. This can cause issues with immune reactions far away from the intended target. We hope that by delivering locally, we can keep acute effects constrained to the diseased region.

While the implant is ideal for cancer treatment, its designed to be drug agnostic, meaning that it can work with any type of drug and could have a significant impact on a wide array of diseases and ailments.

The Connecting through Research Partnerships (Connect) Program, sponsored by the UTSA Office of the Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise (VPREDKE) and the SwRI Executive Office, is a grant opportunity offered to enhance greater scientific collaboration between the two institutions and to increase both UTSAs and SwRIs research-funding base with cross-campus collaborative programs.
UW Educators Take Part in Statewide STEAM Conference

Rebecca Upjohn, a fifth-year graduate student in UWs Program in Ecology and a 2017-18 LAMP fellow, presents during last weeks Roadmap to STE(A)M Conference in Gillette. (UW Photo)

University of Wyoming students and educators joined Wyoming K-12 teachers and community college colleagues last week at a conference in Gillette to enhance their hands-on teaching skills.

The Wyoming Department of Educations Roadmap to STE(A)M Conference was a professional development opportunity focused on active-learning experiences with high-level engagement and innovative practices and instructional strategies to prepare students for success. The theme of this years conference was Exploring Makerspaces.

UWs Learning Actively Mentoring Program (LAMP) awarded eight scholarships to K-12 educators from Wyoming schools to attend:

-- Rock Springs High School -- Larissa Apel and Deborah Jensen.

-- Wyoming Indian School -- Keith Bauder.

-- Moorcroft Elementary School -- Jenna Thomas.

-- Laramie High School -- Rebecca Watson.

-- Campbell County School District -- Lisa Geer and Julie Rankin.

Jeanie Cooper, of St. Stephens School, also was funded but was unable to attend due to a family death.

A fifth-year graduate student in UWs Program in Ecology, Rebecca Upjohn was a 2017-18 LAMP fellow, and she presented at the conference on the yearlong instructional project that she designed and piloted in the poisonous plants course for which she was the lead instructor.

Undergraduate student Olivia Croft, a sophomore from Sundance in the Wyoming Research Scholars Program (WRSP), also attended the conference as a spokesperson for the WRSP/LAMP Roadshow. Throughout the 2018-19 academic year, the Roadshow will take WRSP students to the classrooms of the LAMP scholarship-winning teachers to engage their K-12 students in active learning. Upjohn and LAMP Director Rachel Watson will accompany WRSP students to Wyoming schools.

Among hundreds of educators at this years Roadmap to STE(A)M conference, the LAMP-funded educators stood out, Rachel Watson says. They seamlessly integrated science into hands-on, minds-on projects that inspire students to truly transformative, creative endeavors. We thank the Wyoming Department of Education for the ongoing partnership and opportunity to be a part of the Roadmap to STE(A)M Conference. We are so excited to continue our travels across the state of Wyoming, where both the students and educators inspire us.

Other LAMP fellows attending the conference included Rosemary McBride, of Laramie County Community Colleges agroecology/natural resource economics program, and Sridhar Budhi (chemistry) and Dinesh Kasti (mathematics), of Eastern Wyoming College.

K-12 educators who won the LAMP scholarship to the Roadmap to STE(A)M Conference in 2017 presented on their active-learning projects as well. Michelle Aldrich spoke about her integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in family and consumer sciences courses. She taught Cheyenne high school students animal husbandry and food production through the creation of a bee apiary. Iva Moss-Redman presented on an integrated project in which Fremont County students applied their math skills to engineer and build a teepee.

Active learning, a foundational element of the UW Science Initiative, is a process in which students are required to synthesize and apply their knowledge rather than just memorize. It requires doing rather than observing and can range in scope from small learning activities to the format for the entire class. LAMP is a comprehensive, sustained mentoring and professional development program for educators with an emphasis on how to best adopt active-learning strategies in their classrooms.

WRSP, also part of UWs Science Initiative, pairs undergraduate students with faculty mentors to participate in research for multiple years.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Clear. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low around 50F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low around 50F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
According to the new Law on Technology Transfer dated 19 June 2017 and Decree No. 76/2018/ND-CP which was issued on 15 May 2018, registration of technology transfer has been made mandatory from July 1, 2018, in Vietnam. Earlier, registration was only mandatory for technology transfers which were restricted.

Types of technology transfers

Except for restricted technology transfers which require specific permits, following are the types of technology transfer that needs to be registered with the state management agencies of science and technology.

Technology transfer from a foreign county to Vietnam;

Technology transfer from Vietnam to a foreign country; and

A domestic transfer which uses State capital/budget, excluding ones that have already received the Certificate of Registration of Science and Technology Task Outcomes.

Technology is defined as a solution, process, or know-how that may or may not be supported by instruments and facilities to convert resources into products. Technology transfer is the transfer of the right to own or use (part or whole) of a technology from a party which has the right to transfer.

If the transferred technology involves intellectual property rights protection, the transfer will be carried out according to the Law on Intellectual Property. Involved parties need to register for intellectual property rights and technology transfer separately.

Responsible parties

The Vietnamese party is solely responsible for the registration process.

Transfer from a foreign country to Vietnam  the transferee;

Transfer from Vietnam to a foreign country  transferor; and

Domestic transfer using State capital/budget  transferee.

Government authority

In case of a domestic technology transfer, the provincial Department of Science and Technology is the registration authority. In case its between a Vietnamese firm and a foreign country entity, the authority is the Department of Technology Appraisal, Examination, and Assessment under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Fees

To examine the technology transfer agreement, the government has set the fee equivalent to 0.1 percent of the total value of the agreement. However, it should not be less than VND 5 million (US$ 214) and not more than VND 10 million (US$428).

Registration process

Involved parties need to submit their registration application within 90 days of the agreement signing date. In addition to the registration agreement, other supporting documents required are:

Original or certified copy of the technology transfer contract;

Notarized or authenticated translated copies of the technology transfer agreement in Vietnamese;

Investment Registration Certificate copies of both parties;

Documents confirming the legal status of the representatives of the parties to the contract; and

Power of Attorney, in case a third party has been authorized to carry out the procedures.

Contracts signed before July 1, 2018, but renewed after July 1, must follow the new regulations.

Processing time

Once the application has been filed, the competent authority has five working days in which it must either issue the registration certificate or provide reasons for refusal.

In case an agreement is incomplete, the government authority needs to inform the applicant within three working days. If an agreement is being amended/supplemented, the competent authority needs to inform the transferor within five working days.

The new regulations will enable the government authorities to keep track of technology transfers into Vietnam and assist tax authorities during audits and inspections in evaluating deductible expenses as the contracts will be registered.
44 new caves found in Phong Nha  Ke Bang national park

Of those, 33 are located in Dan Hoa, Hoa Son, Trung Hoa and Thuong Hoa communes in Minh Hoa district, nine are in Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district and the remaining in Truong Son and Truong Xuan communes, Quang Ninh district.

As part of the six geological strata of La Khe, Bac Son, Mu Gia, Cat Dang, Muc Bai and Le Ninh, mostly in La Khe and Bac Son that cover the largest area, the caves are 44-602m from the seawater level.

Stalactites of different shapes have also been recorded there.

Vo Van Tri, head of the parks Science and International Cooperation Office, said it is necessary to conduct an in-depth study to better understand values of newly-found caves, contributing to their sustainable preservation and exploitation.

Dubbed the Kingdom of Caves, Phong Nha  Ke Bang National Park was declared a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO twice in July 2003 and July 2015 thanks to its impressive scenery and archeological value.

It is also home to Son Doong cave, which was recognised in 2016 as the largest of its kind by three international organisations, including the UK-based Guinness World Records, Hong Kong-based World Record Association, and the US and India-based World Kings.

As of mid-July, tourist arrivals in Quang Binh reached nearly 1.9 million, up about 17 percent year-on-year, bringing an estimated revenue of 2 trillion VND (88.8 million USD), marking a year-on-year increase of 15 percent.

In 2018, Quang Binh strives to greet 3.5 million tourists by the end of the year, including 120,000 foreigners.
Credit Suisse received the coveted title for the ninth time in Vietnam

Commenting on the awards, Helman Sitohang, Credit Suisse CEO for Asia Pacific, said: These accolades are a testament to Credit Suisses position as the trusted bank for entrepreneurs in Asia Pacific. I am delighted that we are the only bank over the last two years to have been recognised as the Best Investment Bank, Financing House and Wealth Manager in Asia. These strengths are core to delivering holistic advisory and solutions that meet the wealth and corporate interests of clients in the region. Our clients confidence in Credit Suisse is reflected in these awards, and I am thankful for this, and the collaborative effort of our staff.

The drivers of success

Chris Wright, the Asia editor of Euromoney, one of the worlds leading global banking and capital markets publications, said: Credit Suisse is a story of finding profitable niches and attacking them with commitment, innovation and smart use of the balance sheet. At the heart of the Credit Suisse model in Asia is true partnership between the private bank and the investment bank  something everyone says they do, but which really is instrumental to this bank's success. The Credit Suisse model, deploying the balance sheet in interesting structures in order to get a decent fee from specialised areas, is the right approach for a changed investment banking environment in Asia.

In its assessment of Credit Suisses award for Vietnam, FinanceAsia highlighted that Credit Suisse has become a house bank to some of Vietnams increasingly dominant private sector corporations and described Vietnam as the crown jewel in Credit Suisses strong Asian frontier markets franchise.

Le Hoai Anh, managing director, Investment Banking and Capital Markets Asia Pacific at Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse is delighted to receive these top country awards again from both Euromoney and FinanceAsia. These awards underscore our strong commitment and successful track record in Vietnam. Credit Suisse has been active in Vietnam since 2001 and we are honoured to have worked with many of the leading corporates and burgeoning entrepreneurs in the country over the years, raising over $7 billion for Vietnamese clients and advising on many landmark transactions. We will continue to support the Vietnamese economy and expand our activities in the country, said Le Hoai Anh, managing director, Investment Banking and Capital Markets Asia-Pacific at Credit Suisse.

Excellence in Southeast Asia and frontier markets

In addition to Vietnam, Credit Suisse received industry recognition in a number of other markets across its Southeast Asia and Frontier Markets franchise.

Euromoney named Credit Suisse the Best Investment Bank in Indonesia for the 12th time (since 2004), in Pakistan for the second time, and in Thailand for the first time.

These accolades add to the significant success last month, when FinanceAsia named Credit Suisse Best International Investment Bank in Indonesia for the 19th time (since 2000); in Malaysia, Pakistan, and Singapore for the third time; and in Sri Lanka for the first time. The banks breadth and depth of expertise as an advisor on many of the most high profile and complex transactions was cited as key to achieving these accolades.
This award was handed over personally by Charles Kohler, deputy head of Global Payment Services at Wells Fargo, to Eximbanks deputy CEO Nguyen Huong Minh.

This award is granted by Wells Fargo to its correspondent banks, who had over 90 per cent of their SWIFT messages sent through to Wells Fargo for money transfer (at Eximbank, the percentage was 95 per cent). Once the SWIFT messages are received by Wells Fargo, the requests will be processed and the funds can be transferred to the receivers bank account in less than one minute.

The award, as such, is a recognition and affirmation of the speed and quality improvements in payment processing operations and that Eximbank have managed to keep up with international standards and customers demands.

This is the eighth year in a row that Eximbank has been granted this award for its high rate of SWIFT messages, not only from Wells Fargo, but also from other international banks like BNY Mellon that recognised the SWIFT message ratio of over 97 per cent for the period of 2015-2017, as well as HSBC and JP Morgan Chase at 99 per cent and 98 per cent, respectively.

It is an honour to be viewed by Wells Fargo as one of the banks that provide high-quality and well-performing payment services. With our efforts to align with international standards, we are committed to continuously improve international settlement service quality, aiming at realistic values and interests for our customers and partners," said Minh.

Eximbank receiving the Operational Excellence Award from Wells Fargo

Eximbank is known for its quality international settlement services and this award represents strong operational support and partnership from its correspondent banks. Looking at the mutual achievements gained over the last 20 years, Eximbank and Wells Fargo believe that their partnership will strengthen over time, thus bringing about more benefits to customers.

Eximbank, with more than 29 years in operation, is one of the fastest growing financial institutions that offers prestigious and quality products and services based on its cutting-edge technology platforms. The bank is continuously enhancing its competition capabilities to achieve its strategic sustainable development targets that embrace innovation as the core to create more values for its corporate and individual customers, thus realising its future expectations.
EY sees slight cooldown in regional M&A transactions, Source: internet

Confidence versus challenge

As per EYs 2018 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) survey, entitled Global Capital Confidence Barometer, confidence across the regional M&A market remains strong, with some 75 per cent of the Southeast Asian companies surveyed believing in its improvement over time, up from 53 per cent six months ago. Nevertheless, 83 of these respondents admitted that they have failed to complete or cancelled a planned acquisition in the past 12 months.

The reasons for the failure, as cited by these companies, include competition from other buyers or disagreement over the valuation (54 per cent), concerns about competition or antitrust views (22 per cent), and intervention by activist investors (15 per cent).

According to Vikram Chakravarty, leader of EYs ASEAN Transaction Advisory Services, although interest in conducting M&A in the region remains very high, internal and external pressures are impacting companies ability to complete deals. A more effective and structured portfolio transformation may be necessary to ensure that deals are closed and are successful, he said.

Deal competition is increasing and evolving. Traditionally, corporate buyers have been dominating the Southeast Asian M&A market. However, we are now seeing an increasing number of private equity firms, which have significant dry powder funds to invest, looking to pursue high-value assets in the region, he added.

With regards to Vietnam, following an active year with the withdrawal of state capital from state-owned enterprises (SOEs), M&A activities are seen to be cooling down this year, while the local stock market is in a technical correction phase that caused the VN-Index to fluctuate around the 1,000-point level for months.

Vietnam has been a hot spot for M&A in the past few years, which gives domestic companies more options in finding a partner. Currently, medium-sized companies tend to seek strategic partners who can add value by providing management best practices as well as expertise in market expansion, said Tran Vinh Du, EY Vietnam partner and leader in Transaction Advisory Services.

Meanwhile, big local companies often look for global financial investors with big brand names to boost their reputation and plan for initial public offerings (IPOs). Accordingly, to a certain extent, small and medium private equity funds seem to have disadvantages in winning investment deals with good companies, Du added.

More for less

For Vietnamese companies, and ultimately their counterparts in the Southeast Asia cluster, to prepare themselves for future M&A activities, portfolio transformation is viewed as the top priority, with 72 per cent of respondents agreeing. Through continuous assessment of current operations, risks, and opportunities, executives are looking for ways to identify strategic gaps in their current portfoliossomething they will need to do more of if they want to boost their ability to see deals through to completion.

In addition, cloud computing and big data (39 per cent), distributed ledger technology such as blockchain (29 per cent), and artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (21 per cent) also feature prominently on the board agenda of the Southeast Asian corporations, which look to improve overall decision making and boost company performance through these technologies. As more companies adopt new technologies, 64 per cent of Southeast Asian respondents indicated that they are struggling to hire people with the right skillset.

Digital transformation is driving companies to adopt a laser focus on portfolio transformation. Opportunities offered by new technologies as well as the potential threats posed by digitally savvy competitors are now key factors in businesses transformation plans, said Chakravarty.

To support M&A plans from the corporate sector in the near future, Southeast Asian executives now demand more government spending on smart public infrastructure investment. 90 per cent of respondents see this as a critical driver for their M&A growth plans. This is much higher than expectations from respondents in the US (59 per cent) and across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (69 per cent).

According to Chakravarty, governments in the region are focused on building smart cities, improving transport infrastructure, using new technology, and building digital eco-systems.

With investments in the region, including those from Chinas One Belt One Road Initiative, Singapores focus on smart nations and digital economy, and significant infrastructure budgets in other countries, we are seeing notable deal activity in sectors such as technology, utilities, automotive, and transportation driven by this investment and expect this trend to continue.

Home sweet home

The top investment destinations among Southeast Asian respondents, as the survey found, are Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Power and utilities, oil and gas, and industrials are the top sectors across Southeast Asia that look to make acquisitions. The automotive and transportation, technology, and life sciences sectors are also hunting for assets as they address the impact digital disruption has on their business.

In Vietnam, following the case of Vinfast, the automotive sector will definitely become a hot sector to watch, with major investments expected to materialise. Other sectors which have been in the centre of attention for the last few years such as food and beverage, consumer-related industries (especially light manufacturing), and retail will also continue to be key magnets in the countrys M&A landscape.
JD.com

At the beginning of 2018, Chinese online retailer JD.com announced its strategic investment in Tiki, Vietnams leading B2C e-commerce platform. JD.com signed a share subscription agreement as co-lead investor in Tikis recent Series C financing round. Upon completion of this investment, JD.com will become one of Tikis largest shareholders.

Under the plan, JD.com will partner with Tiki in a range of areas including merchandising, cross-border trade, logistics and fulfillment, technology, financing, and operational capabilities. The two companies will also co-operate to deliver a wider selection of global brands to consumers, while assisting in the international expansion of Vietnamese brands via JD.coms global platforms.

Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba recently injected a further $2 billion into Lazada Group, boosting its total investment to $4 billion. Lazada will become Alibabas main vehicle for expansion into the Southeast Asian consumer market.

After six years in Vietnam, Lazada in Vietnam has reported growth figures doubling year-on-year, with about 30 million visits a month, four large warehouses, and 43 distribution centres nationwide.

In April this year, Japanese e-commerce player Scroll Corporation also completed the purchase of a 26.9 per cent stake in Cat Dong Trade and Services JSC, which runs e-commerce websites CungMua.com, NhomMua.com, and Shipto.vn. The two companies will supply solutions in e-trading, logistics, warehousing, and business expansion. Cat Dong will sell Japanese products and tours to Japan, provided by Scroll on its websites.

In 2017, Norwegian telecom group Telenor acquired Cho Tot, marking a deeper foray into Vietnams online retail market. Cho Tot is currently the leading online marketplace in Vietnam with more than one billion page views per month. Cho Tot has recorded strong performance, with 3.3 million successful transactions in 2017, up 34 per cent from 2.8 million in 2016.

Ralf Matthaes, managing director of Infocus Mekong, told VIR that the role of foreign companies investing in the e-commerce space is mainly about bringing in technology, marketing know-how, and, above all, a better logistics roadmap than what is currently available in the country.

Fabrice Carrasco, strategic initiatives regional director of Kantar Worldpanel Asia, said that foreign investors are very interested in e-commerce, as it is the quickest way to penetrate a young, dynamic, and fast-growing consumer goods market. Foreign investors want to secure a firmer foothold in Vietnam to clinch the first-entry advantage.

Vietnams e-commerce market is still in the early stages of its development, and thus requires big players to bring in knowledge, know-how, and e-commerce expertise. The fastest way for foreign investors to enter the local e-commerce market is via mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

The appearance of foreign players with loftier expectations will help further develop the e-commerce market in Vietnam, said Carrasco. As a result, the e-commerce landscape will be much more competitive and more M&A will occur, consolidating the market.

Carrasco noted that M&A also offer another touch point for the multi-channel strategy of both retailers and producers. For example, Thailands Central Group acquired 49 per cent of shares in the traditional electronics retailer Nguyen Kim. The joint venture then acquired the e-commerce platform Zalora to enlarge its market share in online retail.
Only five of the 100 biggest M&A deals in Vietnam in the past 10 years were pharma-related, Photo: Le Toan

After opening an office in Hanoi in late 2016, Indias Renova Global Pte., Ltd. is looking for opportunities to co-operate with local manufacturing companies in Vietnam to transfer technology and co-invest.

We are very actively looking for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) opportunities in leading local pharmaceutical companies. Several discussions are ongoing. Very soon, there will be some major investments from the Indian pharma industry in Vietnam, Renova Globals director Pankaj Aora told VIR.

Other multinational corporations (MNCs) have shown interest in expanding to and within Vietnam via M&A. They, however, still hesitate to invest heavily, as the sector remains a conditional business, with some restrictions for foreign investment.

Growing interest, few big deals

Since 2009, Vietnam has seen five M&A transactions in the pharmaceutical industry in The List 100 announced recently by AVM Vietnam.

The most valuable of these deals was worth $100 million, coming from Taisho Pharmaceutical Ltd.one of the Japanese largest companies in the fieldacquiring a 24.9 per cent stake in Vietnams biggest publicly traded drug maker, DHG Pharmaceutical JSC, in 2016. The four others included CFR Internationals $63 million stake acquisition in Vietnams third-largest listed drug maker Domesco JSC (DMC); Adamed Groups $50 million deal with Davipharm, Vietnams fastest-growing pharmaceutical company; the acquisition of Vietnamese drug manufacturer Glomed by US-based Abbott Laboratories; and Daiwa-SSI Funds acquisition of a 20 per cent stake in CVI Pharma.

Despite slow beginnings, pharmaceuticals and healthcare are among the sectors with the greatest potential for M&A deals in the coming months, driven by the accelerated equitisation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) will divest a large number of state shares in DMC and DHG in 2018-2020. SCIC holds 35 per cent of DMC and 43 per cent of DHG. DMC and DHG are expected to appeal to foreign investors, as DMCs foreign ownership limit (FOL) was scrapped in 2016 and DHGs will follow this year. Two other promising state capital divestments are the sale of 20 per cent of Vietnam Medical Equipment Corporation in 2018 and Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporations sale of another 30 per cent this year, after 35 per cent of it was put up for sale in 2017.

According to the Pharma Group of the European Business Chamber in Vietnam

(EuroCham), which now has 26 members, lifting the FOL in the pharmaceutical industry would send a positive signal to foreign investors. A clear path in converting partnerships into majority ownership would persuade companies to invest more heavily in Vietnam.

The speed with which US-based Abbott made steps to increase its holdings in DMC demonstrates how attractive the local pharmaceutical industry is. In September 2016, when DMC removed its FOL, Abbott increased its stake in the firm to 51.7 per cent.

For DHG, the FOL removal will allow Taisho to increase its stake. The Japanese company has raised its ownership in DHG from 24.9 to 32 per cent.

The trend is now gathering momentum, as many MNCs have worked with SCIC on M&A. Japan, Singapore, India, and South Korea are among the most interested.

South Korean companies often concentrated on green-field investments and the establishment of production bases in Vietnam. They now focus on M&A to tap into their Vietnamese partners available assets, thus reducing costs and expediting expansion in the country, Michael DC Choi, senior deputy director of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, told VIR., There are some M&A deals under negotiation in Vietnam, focusing on agro-chemical, pharmaceutical, and services.

EuroChams Legal Sector Committee predicts that the number and value of completed M&A deals in Vietnam are expected to grow further in 2018-2019, especially if the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is ratified and enters into force as anticipated.

Gains and losses

One year after Daiwa-SSI Fund made its investment in CVI Pharma, the company showed positive business results in 2017, with an on-year rise of 60 per cent in revenue and 40 per cent in profit.

All our operations are now more transparent, with improvements in business governance. In addition, we have funding for a high-tech factory which will be put into operation in late 2018. We might sell more stakes in the future to serve our development plans, said CVI Pharmas chairman Phan Van Hieu.

Not all M&A transactions have brought immediate positive outcomes like CVI Pharmas, and some have even resulted in reduced business targets in the short term.

As shown in its second-quarter consolidated financial statement, DHGs pre-tax profit hit VND360.7 billion ($16.03 million) in the first half of this year, fulfilling just 44 per cent of the whole-year target, while net profit touched VND310 billion ($13.77 million), down 14 per cent on-year.

Doan Dinh Duy Khuong, acting CEO of DHG, admitted that the FOL removal will force the drug maker to give up some business lines, including sales of goods manufactured by other units. Therefore, it set a target of no revenue growth in 2018. Besides, DHG has decided to reduce its annual growth targets in 2018-2020 to 13 per cent in revenue and 7 per cent in profit. DHGs previous annual revenue growth target was 15 per cent.
Washington had already imposed tariffs on US$34 billion on Jul 6 but held off on a final US$16 billion in goods as a result of concerns from US companies. (AFP Photo)

Washington already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on US$34 billion in Chinese products on Jul 6. But it held off on a final US$16 billion as a result of concerns raised by US companies.

Although the move was expected, it cements the view that there appears to be no effort underway to defuse the dispute between the world's two largest economies that have continued to exchange threats.

China has already retaliated with duties of its own, and has pledged to match the United States dollar-for-dollar with new tariffs, including on the next US$16 billion.

Americans import far more from China than the other way around, however, meaning Beijing may at some point need to look for other means of retaliation.

Washington and Beijing are locked in battle over American accusations that China's export economy benefits from unfair policies and subsidies, and especially from the theft of American technological know-how.

Trump, who has boasted that trade wars are "easy to win," has threatened to ramp up the pressure and slap tariffs on virtually all of China's exports to the United States if Beijing does not back down and take steps to reduce the US$335 billion US trade deficit with that country.

The dispute has continued to escalate, as Trump last week threatened to jack up the tariff rate on the next US$200 billion in Chinese imports his administration plans to target to 25 per cent, from the planned 10 per cent.

Beijing has called on US officials to be "cool headed," but fired back warning it would impose duties on an additional US$60 billion in US goods, a threat the White House dismissed as "weak."

279 MORE PRODUCTS TARGETED

The office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said its "exhaustive" investigation showed "China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation are unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce."

USTR said there were 279 new goods to be targeted in the latest round of tariffs. Those include imports like motorcycles, tractors, railroad parts, electronic circuits, motors and farm equipment.

US industries and farmers have been caught in the crossfire, and the Trump administration announced US$12 billion in aid to help farmers hurt by Chinese duties on crops such as soybeans.

Trump's aggressive trade actions have drawn sharp criticism from business and from members of his own Republican party, as well as numerous warnings that an continuing to ramp up the trade war will harm the US and global economies.

In May, Chinese importers trying to beat Beijing's looming counter-tariffs led to a surge in US exports of crude oil and soybeans, temporarily driving down the trade deficit and helping boost GDP growth in the April-June period to 4.1 per cent.

The growth rate was the strongest in nearly four years, and Trump said it was further proof his economic policies were working.
Although the road is due to open in September, many parts remain under construction.-Photo zing.vn

In Tinh Ha Commune, Son Tinh District in Quang Ngai Province, more than 250 homes had been affected by the highway. Dinh Thi Kim Anh, a local resident, told the online newspaper zing.vn that steamrollers had caused her houses foundations to sink.

Many cracks have appeared on the walls. The rainy season is coming and we dont know if my house will resist storms and floods, she said.

Many households affected by the highway construction said that compensation was too low for them to make repairs.

Nguyen Thanh Dinh, deputy head of Tinh Ha Commune Peoples Committee, said that the highway investors paid compensation to 151 households of between VND500,000 and 12 million (US$21.5 - 516) each.

There are 100 more houses damaged yet their owners have not received any compensation, he said.

Meanwhile in Nui Thanh District in the central province of Quang Nam, among 53 damaged houses, only 22 households accepted the compensation, with the rest saying that the amount of money was too low to repair their houses and demanded another evaluation.

On August 3, Dinh Van Thu, head of Quang Nam Province Peoples Committee, asked the Ministry of Transport and Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) to develop a detailed plan to provide damaged houses with appropriate payments.

Responding to the demand, Transport Minister Nguyen Van The tasked VEC to collaborate with local authorities on evaluating 500 houses in affected areas in Quang Nam Province, Quang Ngai Province and Da Nang City to compensate for damage.

He also asked investors to solve all issues by the end of August in preparation for the roads opening on September 2.

The project is invested at US$1.64 billion. Of this, $798 million has been loaned from Japan International Co-operation Agency and $590 million from the World Bank. The rest is allocated from the State budget.
Vietnam has one of the most active M&A markets in the region, and 2017 was a record year in terms of volume, with transaction value reaching $10.2 billion, an increase of 175 per cent over 2016. Landmark deals include Thai Beverages nearly $5 billion purchase of a 53.59-per-cent stake in Vietnams leading brewer Sabeco, and Jardine Cycle & Carriages acquisition of 8 per cent of Vinamilk for more than $900 million. 2018 is continuing this momentum, with the value of M&A deals in the first six months reaching $3.55 billion, a 155-per-cent increase on-year.

However, Vietnams M&A market is not just a story of large transactions and greater volumes, it is also enjoying greater depth and breadth than ever before. Last year, the number of deals reached close to an all-time high across a range of sectors, including consumer retail, infrastructure, real estate, and industry.

So what is driving this success? The pick-up in activity has been spurred in part by Vietnams favourable macro-economic backdrop. GDP growth reached 6.81 per cent in 2017 and we forecast 6.7 per cent growth for both this year and the next, making Vietnam one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. This strong economic performance is supported by Vietnams rapidly increasing middle class population, which Boston Consulting Group expects to double to 33 million by 2020.

Furthermore, opportunities are emerging from the many free trade agreements signed by the government, resulting in investors growing increasingly confident in investing in Vietnam, with the outlook remaining positive for 2018 and beyond.

With investor confidence growing and several SOE divestments on the horizon, the Vietnamese M&A market is set to keep growing this year, Photo: Le Toan

Divestment dividend

Of course, one of the most important contributors to the increase in transaction volumes is the governments ambitious equitisation programme of SOEs. Under the plan, the Vietnamese government is looking to sell stakes in more than 400 SOEs, both to increase fiscal revenue and to reduce government expenditure. The divestments offer the opportunity for investors to gain access to a more diverse range of sectors, such as construction and technology.

In addition to raising capital, these divestments are also accelerating the development of the M&A market and improving corporate governance in Vietnamese companies as the number of foreign investors increases. The rising foreign investment in Vietnam has likely contributed to its current place in the World Banks annual Ease of Doing Business report, in which it ranks 68th out of 190 countries. That is a jump of 14 places compared to 2017.

One objective of the governments intention to liberalise the Vietnamese economy is to improve operational efficiencies among local corporations to meet international standards through the investments and growth plans of global companies. This has led to companies from other Southeast Asian countries offering high valuations for stakes in the Vietnamese subsidiaries of global groups, encouraging those international companies to monetise their assets. A notable outcome has been a rapid increase in the volume of Thai investment into Vietnam, with Thai companies particularly active in M&A deals in 2017.

HSBC has played a leading role in many of the biggest deals involving Thai investors. For example, we acted as the lead financial adviser to Frances Groupe Casino on its sale of Big C Vietnam to leading Thai conglomerate Central Group, for an enterprise value of $1.1 billion. We were also the exclusive financial adviser to Siam City Cement when it acquired a 65-per-cent stake in Lafarge Holcims operations in Vietnam. The deal had an enterprise value of $875 million and is the largest transaction ever conducted in Vietnams construction materials sector.

The power of partnerships

Despite the progress, there are still a number of challenges that investors face when buying assets in Vietnam.

It is important to be aware that the government has yet to settle on a standardised sales process for divestments as it continues to learn from successful and ongoing equitisations. This is in part because the government has different strategic goals and objectives for SOEs in various industries.

Investors should also ensure they are confident about the valuation of any proposed acquisition, as transactions in Vietnam do not always have the same level of information availability as in developed markets. Fortunately, the government is aware of investors concerns and is working to streamline the process, increase the availability of information, and reduce the regulatory burden on investors.

To facilitate local navigation and improve transaction certainty, several global investors have teamed up with local partners to pursue investments in Vietnam, a strategy which has contributed to the success of their acquisitions.

The fragmented nature of Vietnams banking market means that investors may also want to choose a bank that is well entrenched in the domestic market and can offer a full range of services.

Our long commitment to the Vietnamese market, combined with our comprehensive suite of banking services that includes M&A advisory, acquisition financing, and cash management and custody services, means HSBC is well positioned to meet the needs of investors  from preparation to acquisition and operation.

In addition, our deep understanding of the Vietnamese market means we are in the best place to help investors grasp the regulations and navigate the process of dealing with local stakeholders.

Confidence in success

Whatever the challenges, they do not detract from the clear opportunities available in Vietnam. The country offers one of the most dynamic and exciting markets for investments, an appeal that is recognised by investors every day.

This increasing confidence will ensure that MMA activity in Vietnam goes from strength to strength in the years to come.

By Winfield Wong - Head of Wholesale Banking, HSBC Vietnam
Good co-operation between both partners is crucial after an M&A deal is finalized, Photo: Le Toan

Getting down to work

Two weeks ago, Thai Beverage finally took a dominant role in the board of Vietnams leading brewer Sabeco. The Thai investor, which forked out almost $5 billion for 53.59 per cent of Sabecos outstanding shares last December, vowed to restructure its Vietnamese investee following the merger.

In a series of sweeping actions, ThaiBev replaced Sabecos CEO, scrapped the companys foreign ownership limit, abandoned Sabecos inspectorate committee, and set up an internal auditing team. Major goals include improving Sabecos business efficiency, cutting costs, and overhauling its matrix of 36 subsidiaries and affiliates. There are also plans to collaborate with ThaiBev and export Sabecos products. Sabeco chairman Koh Pong Tiong stressed that the Thai investor would keep the heritage Saigon Beer brand.

The key management appointments [of ThaiBev] to Sabeco will further strengthen the management team there, said Andy Lim and Alfie Yeo, senior analysts at DBS Vickers Securities. The analysts viewed this move as positive, adding that ThaiBev can help Sabeco improve its profit margin and operational efficiency.

At other companies, foreign investors are also working closely with their Vietnamese partners, even before the ink on their billion-dollar deals is dry. One example is Japans Taisho Pharmaceutical Ltd., which has been a strategic partner at Vietnams DHG Pharmaceutical JSC since 2017. The Japanese partner now owns 32 per cent of DHG, which recently erased its foreign ownership cap.

According to Doan Dinh Duy Khuong, CEO of DHG, Taisho has provided the Vietnamese company with international expertise, which ranges from business strategy to manufacturing, research and development, the supply chain, and building a new certified assembly line. Thanks to Taisho, DHG estimated that it has saved VND165 billion ($7.3 million) in manufacturing costs and VND24.5 billion ($1.1 million) in advisory fees.

Taisho has so far sent 12 experts to help DHG with the assembly line and has promised to continue its assistance with the EU-standard line for strategic products in the near future. Taisho said it would nominate members to the board to boost corporate governance and business efficiency at DHG, as well of sending staff members from the Vietnamese company to Japan for training. In return, Taisho plans to transfer part of its assembly line to DHG turning the Vietnamese company into a manufacturing hub for its ASEAN activities.

In its extraordinary meeting last month, fellow Vietnamese pharmaceutical maker Traphaco JSC also laid out collaboration plans with its new strategic Korean partner Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The Korean investor, which has a 40 per cent stake in Traphaco, has invited senior leaders from the Vietnamese company to its South Korea-based facilities.

David Park, head of the Business Strategy Department at Daewoong, said that it is committed to its partnership with Traphaco. In particular, Daewoong intends to transfer state-of-the-art technologies and manufacturing bases to Traphaco, and in return would like Traphaco to help distribute South Korean products in Vietnam.

Both sides must win

It is apparent from the aforementioned cases that following a merger and acquisition (M&A) deal, both partners must work together for a win-win strategy. This usually means exposure to the Vietnamese market for the foreign investor and, on the other hand, stronger corporate governance, modern technology, and exports for the Vietnamese party.

In theory, M&A deals must provide added value for both sides, as they work towards a common goal. However, in reality, this can be very difficult to achieve, especially for cross-border M&A, often due to mismatches in business strategy and cultural differences, said Phan Van Truong, senior lecturer at Pantheon-Sorbonne University in France. Truong has decades of experience working with French, German, and British companies in their post-deal integration.

For example, Truong pointed out that some Vietnamese executives may not like being critiqued by board members, as they are used to having the most power at the company. Moreover, Vietnamese employees may not be familiar with foreigners emphasis on contracts and other legal documents, as cross-border M&A transactions remain a new trend in Vietnam.

The most infamous case of post-M&A conflicts in Vietnam is the aftermath of the deal between South Koreas Lotte Group and Vietnamese confectionery company Bibica. The two sides have been partners for 10 years, but very little added value has been created for either side, as Lotte and Bibica have serious disagreements on future goals. For example, Bibica refused to either distribute Lottes products in Vietnam or rebrand itself as Lotte Bibica. Lotte also demanded a monopoly on exports, which was swiftly turned down by the Vietnamese side.

The Lotte-Bibica conflict has shown no signs of abating, even after Bibica welcomed another strategic partner from Vietnam, PAN Group. During Bibicas 2018 annual shareholders meeting, Lotte vehemently disapproved of Bibicas plan for a new factory in the southern province of Long An.

Gaku Echizenya, CEO of Navigos Group, recently wrote in VIR that prior to a deal, both sides have to carefully choose a partner with similar goals and culture. Later on, in the integration stage, a positive and open mindset is crucial.

Companies should organise internal communications throughout M&A dealsbefore, during, and after. Along with this, the companies leaders need to co-operate in managing the transfer period. They then need to regularly share their targets, Echizenya wrote.

Experts also advised M&A partners to emphasise internal communication and carry out internal education programmes for staff members. For example, following its takeover of Vietnams Domesco JSC, US firm Abbott held a meeting with all staff members at Domesco, reassuring them that their jobs are secure even after the change in leadership.
Pablo Casado promised a fresh start when he replaced former premier Mariano Rajoy as head of Spain's conservatives last month AFP/Pau BARRENA

Spain's conservative Popular Party (PP), freshly ousted from power over a series of corruption cases, has been hit by another scandal as new leader Pablo Casado stands accused of getting a Masters degree as a "gift."

The 37-year-old promised "regeneration" when he replaced Mariano Rajoy on Jul 21 as PP chief following the latter's ouster as prime minister in a no-confidence vote called over the corruption scandals affecting his party.

But a judge at a Madrid court believes he may be guilty of "bribery and misfeasance" for getting his diploma in regional law from the Spanish capital's King Juan Carlos University in 2009 without going to lectures or passing exams.

In a court document seen by AFP Tuesday (Aug 7), Judge Carmen Rodriguez-Medel says she found possible evidence of wrongdoing as she investigated the university and other students over degree irregularities.

She has asked the Supreme Court to probe Casado, the only tribunal able to do so given his special status as a lawmaker.

Casado has already admitted to not attending lectures to get his Masters, and according to the court document, said he got his diploma based on "work" he submitted.

But Rodriguez-Medel, who was unable to question Casado, said her investigations had found no trace at the university of any work.

She believes he received the Masters as a "gift," one of several to have allegedly benefited from this special favour.

The King Juan Carlos University is where Casado's fellow party colleague Cristina Cifuentes obtained the same diploma in dubious circumstances in what became known as the "mastergate" scandal.

Under fire for weeks, Cifuentes eventually resigned as president of the Madrid region in April when footage emerged of her allegedly shoplifting 40 euros ($46) worth of cosmetics.

Casado on Monday ruled out resigning and the PP lept to his defence.

"Innocent people must never resign," the PP's secretary general Teodoro Garcia told reporters on Tuesday.

He said that Casado had "many of the documents that he later submitted," adding that under its regulations, the university destroys student paperwork after seven years.

Garcia also said he was "surprised" that members of the ruling Socialist party who had "faked" their CV were not being probed.

He pointed to Jose Manuel Franco, secretary-general of the Socialist party in Madrid, who in April admitted an "irregularity" in his CV, having written he had a degree in maths when he never did.
With a price tag of nearly $5 billion, ThaiBevs takeover of Sabeco last year is Vietnams biggest M&A deal ever, Photo: Le Toan

ThaiBev and Sabeco

On December 18, 2017, Vietnam Beverage (49 per cent of which is owned by ThaiBev) won an auction to acquire more than 343.66 million Sabeco shares, equivalent to 53.59 per cent of the companys stake, at VND320,000 ($14.16) per share. This brought the deal value to nearly $5 billion.

This is the largest share sale ever in Vietnam last year.

After the transaction, Vietnam Beverage officially became Sabecos parent company and holds a controlling stake in the company.

GIC and Vinhomes

This April, Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Ltd. announced that it will invest about $1.3 billion into Vietnamese giant Vingroup and related entities for its real estate arm ahead of its market debut.

Notably, GIC will purchase ordinary shares and extend a debt-like instrument to the subsidiary of Vingroup, namely Vinhomes, subject to the satisfaction of mandatory regulatory and other conditions. The combined value of the investment and debt instrument is approximately VND29.5 trillion ($1.3 billion).

Central Group and Big C

In April 2016, Thailands Central Group became the new owner of Groupe Casinos Big C Vietnam after paying $1.14 billion to take over a network of 43 stores and 30 shopping centres under the Big C brand.

According to the press release on the deal, Central Group, in partnership with Vietnams Nguyen Kim Group, continues Big C Vietnams strategy, particularly concerning the supply of goods produced in Vietnam for Big C stores.

Singha, Masan Consumer, and Masan Brewery

In late December 2015, Masan Group and Singha Asia Holding Pte., Ltd. signed an agreement to form a strategic partnership. Upon investing $1.1 billion, Singha owns 25 per cent of Masan Consumer Holdings and 33.3 per cent of Masan Brewery. Masan Consumer Holdings owns the remaining 66.7 per cent of Masan Brewery.

The balance of the $450 million investment package was transferred to raise the ownership rate of Singha at Masan Consumer Holdings to 25 per cent from 14.3 per cent.

In January 2016, Masan announced the receipt of its first investment from Singha, worth $650 million. Of the amount, $50 million went to hold 33.3 per cent stake at Masan Brewery. The remaining $600 million was to retain 14.3 per cent of the stakes at Masan Consumer Holdings, which used the investment to lift Masan Groups holding rate at Masan Consumer from 77.8 to 96.7 per cent.

TCC Holdings and Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam

In early 2016, Thailands TCC Holdings, the largest investor in Berli Jucker PCL (BJC), completed the purchase of Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam from German Metro Group. TCC thereby acquired Metro Groups complete wholesale operations in Vietnam, including all 19 wholesale markets and the related real estate portfolio for an enterprise value of 655 million ($711 million).

One year later, in January 2017, TCC officially announced rebranding Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam to MM Mega Market Vietnam.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and VietinBank

In December 2012, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU), the core retail and commercial bank arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., agreed to buy a 20-per-cent stake in VietinBank, one of the leading state-owned commercial banks in Vietnam, for VND15.5 trillion ($685.84 million), at the unit price of VND24,000 ($1.06).

This transaction was the largest-ever M&A transaction in the Vietnamese banking industry to date and a milestone for VietinBank after its equitisation in 2008, enhancing the banks financial capabilities and securing stable long-term funding for the banks development plan, and raising VietinBanks corporate profile with expected benefits from BTMUs global expertise.

Mizuho and Vietcombank

In September 2011, Vietcombank, the nations largest listed bank by market value, completed its four-year search for a strategic foreign investor by clinching a deal to sell a 15-per-cent stake for $567.3 million to Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. This Japanese bank bought 347.6 million new shares in Vietcombank for VND34,000 ($1.50) apiece.

As part of the deal, Mizuho became Vietcombanks only strategic foreign partner and provided the local institution with technical services to improve its business performance, including sending Japanese experts to Vietnam, training Vietcombank staff, and offering business opportunities.

Siam City Cement and LafargeHolcim

Last year, Siam City Cement, which is the second-largest cement group in Thailand, spent $524 million buying 65 per cent of LafargeHolcim Vietnam, showcasing its strong interest in the Vietnamese cement market. After the transaction, Holcim Vietnam was re-branded as Insee Cement.

This deal was recognised as the Best Acquisition Deal at the Vietnam M&A Forum 2017.

Fraser and Neave Ltd., Vinamilk, and SCIC

In mid-December 2016, Fraser and Neave (F&N) spent $500 million purchasing nearly 80 million shares in Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk), equivalent to 5.4 per cent of the dairy firms stakes.

After the auction, F&N increased its holdings in Vinamilk to 16.35 per cent and became the second-largest stakeholder, behind SCIC with 39.33 per cent.

It was recognised as the Investment and Private Equity Deal of the Year at Vietnam M&A Forum 2017.

TTCS and Bien Hoa Sugar

In 2017, Thanh Thanh Cong Tay Ninh Sugar JSC (TTCS) acquired Bien Hoa Sugar JSC to create the largest sugar producer in Vietnam and protect Vietnams sugar position in the home market.

TTCS issued nearly 304 million shares to convert all outstanding shares of Bien Hoa Sugar at a ratio of 1:1.02. In other words, each share of Bien Hoa Sugar was equal to 1.02 shares of TTCS.

After the merger was completed, Bien Hoa Sugar was renamed Thanh Thanh Cong Bien Hoa-Dong Nai Sugar Co., Ltd. to mark TTCSs sole ownership of the company.

The merger, valued at $475 million, took place as Vietnam was losing its biggest sugar consumer, China, and Vietnamese sugar also struggled against Thai sugar on the domestic market.

VIPD and Vincom Centre A

In March 2013, Vietnam Infrastructure and Property Development Group Corporation (VIPD) completed the purchase of Vincom Centre A Ho Chi Minh City from Vingroup for $470 million.

The deal was completed after the two parties had signed a capital transfer agreement one month earlier.

The centre, situated in one of the most attractive locations in Ho Chi Minh City, is the most luxurious property in the city. Vincom Centre A is housed in a French-style building connected to The Continent Hotel.

Mondelez International and Kinh Do

In August 2016, Mondelez officially became the owner of Kinh Do after buying the remaining 20 per cent stake in Kinh Dos snack unit for $90 million.

Previously, in November 2014, Mondelez had bought 80 per cent of Kinh Do for $370 million and formally launched its activities in July 2015, following Kinh Dos official withdrawal from the snack business. After the deal, the Cadbury and Oreo maker changed the brand name to Mondelez Kinh Do.

Warburg Pincus and Techcombank

In March this year, Techcombank announced that global private equity firm Warburg Pincus would invest $361 million into the bank, subject to local regulatory approval.

As the pre-eminent private equity investor in Vietnam, this transactionto be managed by two separate legal entities under Warburg Pincuswill represent the largest-ever private equity investment in Vietnam and brings Warburg Pincus total commitment in the country to over $1 billion.

JC&C and Vinamilk

In November 2017, Singapores largest automotive group, Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd. (JC&C), announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Platinum Victory Pte., Ltd. had completed the purchase of 80.28 million Vinamilk shares, representing approximately 5.5 per cent of the stakes in the company, in two back-to-back transactions. The deals value was estimated to be $319 million.

In July of this year, Platinum Victory acquired over 129,000 Vinamilk shares, raising its ownership to 10.62 per cent. The fund also registered to buy 14.5 million more shares, which would raise its ownership to 11.62 per cent. The transaction will take place between July 18 and August 16.

LienViet Bank and Vietnam Post Corporation

In 2011, LienVietBank signed a 50-year co-operation agreement with Vietnam Post Corporation to merge with Vietnam Postal Savings Service Company (VPSC), changing its name to Lien Viet Post Joint Stock Commercial Bank (LienVietPostBank). The total value of the deal was reported to be $317 million.
116 technical safety employees at the Nayirit chemical plant in Yerevan have received AMD 55 million in back pay for the first five months of this year.

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan reported the news on his Facebook page, saying that the employees would get paid for June and July as well.

The Soviet-era industrial giant remains idle, with a crew of maintenance workers on hand to monitor safety at the plant.

A large fire broke out at Nairit in August 2017, fueling fears that toxic fumes had escaped into the environment.
Vietnam M&A Forum 2018 celebrates its 10th anniversary today

This afternoon, the 10th Vietnam M&A Forum, organised by Vietnam Investment Review and AVM Vietnam, took place in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, as well as 18 speakers and 500 senior leaders from government agencies, organisations, leading businesses, and investment funds from both Vietnam and overseas.

Vietnam M&A Forum 2018, under the theme New Thrust. New Era, takes place as M&A activities in Vietnam are entering a new period of growth, with promises of great opportunities for investors in Vietnam and abroad. The Vietnamese government is striving to launch a comprehensive set of solutions that can push the economy forward in a sustainable manner.

M&A is becoming an attractive source of investment, as well as an important part of Vietnams economic restructuring, pushing the efficiency and competitiveness of the economy and businesses in the country. We want to hear from the investors and businesses about what the Vietnamese government can do to support the economy and M&A activities, said DPM Hue.

According to DPM Hue, the Vietnamese government is working hard to create a transparent and supportive business environment, raising the quantity and quality of M&A activities in Vietnam, fitting in with the general growth direction of the economy.

In this new era of growth, the Vietnamese market of nearly 100 million people continues to draw in capital from all over the world. At the same time, market regulators in Vietnam are launching new policies to support M&A activities.

For the past 10 years, M&A has become a powerful tool to lead capital flows from low-efficiency sectors to more profitable destinations. Between 2009 and 2018, the total deal value reached $48.8 billion with thousands of transactions. In 2017 alone, the value of M&A deals stood at $10.2 billion, setting up a new record.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue speaking at Vietnam M&A Forum 2018

With support from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, throughout the past 10 years Vietnam M&A Forum has become an open discussion platform on M&A for regulators, experts, businesspeople, and investors. The forum also connects businesses and investors from both Vietnam and overseas, bringing them together for new opportunities.

"In the past decade, Vietnam M&A Forum has welcomed 500 guest speakers from Vietnam and abroad, connecting 5,000 investors and helping with the success of 4,000 deals," said Le Trong Minh, editor-in-chief of VIR and head of the Organising Committee for the forum.

This afternoons event consists of guest speeches and three panel discussions, focusing on the most urgent issues of M&A activities. DPM Hue will join the discussions, together with leading M&A experts and businesses.

To provide a summary of the past decade of M&A in Vietnam, the forum will also include an awards ceremony for the top M&A deals and advisory firms of 2017 and 2018 during the Gala Dinner, slated to begin right after the forum ends this evening.

In honour of the 10th anniversary of Vietnam M&A Forum, the organisers will also announce the Top 100 M&A deals of the decade, and the Top 10 firms with the best M&A strategy.

After the forum, the organisers will also hold a Master Class on M&A Strategy on August 9 and 10, led by international strategy experts who have years of experience in doing M&A.

Together with the forum, VIR has published the Vietnam M&A Outlook 2018 Special Publication in order to provide a comprehensive and systematic look at the M&A market in Vietnam, including statistics, data, and insights, as well as forecasts for the market in the coming years.

Post-M&A period a challenge for all When foreign investors partner up with Vietnamese companies, post-merger integration becomes a complex task, focused on cross-cultural understanding and the setting of mutual goals.

Vietnam M&A Forum: Top ten deals in 2009-2018 During the past ten years, Vietnam continued to witness high-value mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions in a variety of sectors, such as food manufacturing, real ...

M&A market poised for New Thrust, New Era Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Vietnam are opening up new opportunities to create a new thrust and a new era building on the record high ...
By Taline Voskeritchian

Breaking with the past practices of his predecessors, Armenias recently appointed minister of the diaspora, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, said on August 4 in a town hall meeting in Watertown, Massachusetts, that he wanted to get to know the diaspora better; listen to its many voices, even those that criticize his governments policies; offer information about participating in Armenias development; correct the mistakes of the past; and heal relations between the two wings of the Armenian nation. On July 31, Hayrapetyan had a similar meeting with the Los Angeles Armenian community.

Its been said many times that the diaspora is not a unitary and unified entity, and Hayrapetyan based his comments on this view. He spoke of thousands of communities scattered throughout the world, and of his determination to work with everyone who wants to work with his government. In usage, this was a departure from past practices when the Armenian world seemed to be divided between the homeland and what was not the homeland, territory and extra-territory,  and . Actually, the word diaspora does not represent the full picture of the Armenian diasporic world today that Hayrapetyan ascribes to. In the absence of a better alternative, I use the word here with reservation.

The idea of the diaspora implied in this writing is broad and ahistorical, but diasporas develop across generations and achieve a tenuous permanence over time. In this respect, they are different from migrant or exilic communities. I have lumped all these forms of dispersion and resettlement together because of space constraints.

Hayrapetyans introductory comments and the answers he gave to selected questions sent in advance were based on two key ideas: Several times during the meeting, he underlined the importance of this historic moment in Armenia-diaspora relations, arguing that conditions after the so-called velvet revolution are ripe for diaspora Armenians to help Armenia become a cool country, a country based on justice, transparency, and rule of law. The non-violent popular uprising of April, with its ideals of solidarity and love, had created a unique opportunity, he said, to set aside the attitudes and practices of the past and embark on a new, more dynamic course.

The minister was forthright in discussing these past practices.

Were not asking for money, he said. Armenia needs professional expertise from abroad mainly in health and agriculture; he pointed out that the regions, and not Yerevan, are the most in need of such interventions. One of the goals of the Pashinyan administration is this kind of professional repatriation as he put it.

Later, he turned his attention to his own ministry, indirectly criticizing the way things were done in the past: the concentration of decision-making powers in the hands of the minister, and the identifying of the ministrys policies with the person of the minister. He answered a question about the ways that his ministry would measure the success of a particular program by saying that if the program withstood the transition from one minister to another, then it had the hallmarks of success. Ministers come and go, he seemed to be saying; policies and institutions stay and grow, if they are well thought-out and efficiently implemented. This was a particularly revealing moment, a sharp contrast to the oft misguided declarations of his predecessor, Hranoush Hakobyan, who headed the ministry from its creation in 2008 until her resignation in April.

In his invitation to the Watertown audience to act on the urgency of the moment, Hayrapetyan repeated the necessity and attractiveness of investing in Armenia. This has been the mantra of all government officials who talk to diaspora audiences.

You can make money in Armenia, the minister told his audience. He reported that his government was working on a series of measures to eradicate corruption and nepotism, to make the process of investing in Armenia clearer, less cumbersome, and more transparent, in short, to protect business interests. Investments dont have a homeland, he said. The assurance was noteworthy for the way it turned the idea of the homeland on its head to serve the interests of capital. But more than that, it was significant for what it left out: a governments duty is also to safeguard the interests of the countrys workers, their environment and working conditions. Investments may or may not have a homeland, but if an Armenian diaspora business person or entity from Los Angeles or Moscow is investing in the homeland, then the patriotic imperative is to demand that workers rights be protected stringently. Sadly, this idea of justice as a pervasive principle is often absent in the self-image of many diaspora communities. In the US at least, traditional Armenian organizations and political parties have limited the practice of justice to the genocide and to genocide recognition and neglected social and labor justice, to the detriment of the diasporas full engagement in the public life of the countries where Armenians live, and by extension, sometimes of Armenia itself.

Hayrapetyan returned to this theme of the historic moment several times and urged the diaspora to step forward, aim for unity of purpose in building the new Armenia. He appealed specifically to the youth and listed some initiatives that the government had undertaken. As past Armenian ministers go, Hayrapetyan is young, and his words carried the enthusiasm of his years and of the peaceful regime change he and his comrades successfully engineered. But his audience in Watertown was a group of some 200 listeners who were largely middle-aged. (It may be argued that this condition is specific to the Boston-area community, but I watched the ministers meeting in Glendale and noted no significant difference.) In the emerging diaspora communities of post-Soviet countries, the involvement of youth may be easier because ties to the homeland are stronger.

In the classical diaspora, Hayrapetyans ministry may have to work with, but also around, the established community organizations to reach these marginalized young people and harness their energies. If organizations of the diaspora, inspired by the April popular uprising, are serious about energizing their structures, they would have to re-imagine a mission that is expansive and outward looking. In the case of the US diaspora, this would involve a re-thinking of the genocide cottage industry that the political and cultural organizations of the diaspora (as well as some cultural figures and celebrities) have so energetically supported. They have reproduced the hackneyed rhetoric of the past, dismissed any criticism as elitism or countering with the well-at-least-theyre-doing-something jargon, but most important, reduced the national tragedy to public relations. (I am borrowing the term genocide industry from Norman Finkelsteins notion of the holocaust industry, with a qualifier.)

Hayrapetyans vision of a modern, cool state all Armenians can be proud of is of a country that would put right the mistakes of the past, the corruption of the former administration, but also the injustices that the Armenian nation had endured. We have a historic opportunity, he said, to prove that the genocide was a failure. He may have been tailoring his remarks to an American-Armenian community where the genocide and its recognition cast a long shadow, but this was the ministers only reference to the genocide (and to its many rhetorical offshoots), and a modest departure from the language of the past. True, Hayrapetyans optimistic assertion carried a hint of triumphalism, and he did not say much about the limits of his governments capability to carry out this monumental mandate. But his speechdelivered in English--was free of the moth-ridden pathos and weepy patriotism of victimhood. It offered rationality, honesty, and pragmatism as correctives. He promised details, which he said would be announced soon.

Hayrapetyans second key idea was the relationship between Armenia and the diaspora--or rather the many diasporas and communities-and-enclaves-within-diasporas that make up what we have come to call the diaspora, the classical, post-genocide diasporas of the Middle East and the more recent, emerging diasporas of the post-Soviet realm. He said that Armenia did not have a clear understanding of the diaspora. The admission is commendable; the reasons are complex; the solutions are long-rage.

Part of the reason for this lack of understanding is how his predecessors, going all the way back to Soviet times, saw the diaspora. To understand the diaspora would have meant to accept the diasporas fluid, de-centered character and its hyper-vulnerability to civil war, revolution, economic turbulence; to confront the idea that diasporas are always in a state of formation and dissolution; and to be aware of the limits of exerting control over diaspora communities.

Another reason lies in the diaspora itself, which does not really know itself very well, has not taken stock of its real resourcesfinancial, professional, cultural, and political--and has not developed democratic, inclusive institutions that encourage debate, change, even dissent. The diaspora does not know its cultural heritage very well either despite all the talk about Armenians being champions of culture. In the US, for instance, the diaspora has not seized ownership of its Western Armenian language (as a friend says, You want your children not to speak, read, and write Armenian? Send them to an Armenian school!). In short, it has not taken itself seriously, has not achieved the kind of self-consciousness that would make it a real participant in the conversation with the homeland.

Hayrapetyan said that to understand the diaspora means to research the capacities of its constituent parts, measure their potential, define their characteristics, find their luminaries through systematic, scientific work, all of it necessary and urgent for investment and repatriation. To understand the diaspora takes time; it is a long-term project. It is complicated by the vast differences in history, development, language, social life and habits of being. A first step might be to integrate diaspora history and culture (especially the literature) in the curriculum of schools in Armenia, to find a place of consequence for the Western Armenian language (begin by refusing to call it a dialect), to foster in students at least an awareness if not a consciousness of the homelands other. Another step would be to develop programs of real exchange. Why should there not be, for instance, a Birthright Diaspora? High school and college students from Armenia could work as volunteers and interns in diaspora organizations and communities. But for such a vision to materialize, the diaspora has to put its house in order and be ready to cast aside its old habits and ways of doing things.

The diaspora is not only tourists flitting into Yerevan, spending money in eateries, visiting monasteries. Neither is it celebrities, well-intentioned as they may be, speaking as self-appointed spokespersons of a diaspora that has yet to develop mechanisms of democratic representation. It is ironic that these spokespersons often seem uninterested in the problems of the diaspora, in organizing its potential, protesting its sclerotic organizational structures.

To understand the diaspora in the way that Hayrapetyan imagines would benefit Armenia immensely. But it is also true that in the absence of reliable data, the idea of the diasporas potential and resources have assumed mythic proportions. In the end, the diasporas potential is tied to individuals choosing to be involved or not in Armenias future. Some diaspora Armenians are indifferent to what happens in Armenia, to Armenias fate. Or they are, at best, enthused temporarily by events of the day only to return to the demands of their life. In this day and age, to say, for instance, as some of these spokespersons have, that the reason large sectors of diaspora Armenians are not involved is that they do not have enough information is to propagate an untruth, and to relegate the problem again to the old stand-by, accessibility.

Hayrapetyan did not spend much time talking about limits and constraints though he did say that his government will be forthright in saying what it can and cannot do. His emphasis was on the positivesa strong diaspora means a strong Armenia and vice versa. As the representative of a state, the minister has a clear idea of what makes for a strong state, but what about the diaspora?

Is a strong diaspora one that exerts pressure internationally? That has high levels of education, professional success, institutional flexibility and resilience? That has a noticeable and continuous cultural and scientific presence in the host country? That is able to provide substantial support to the homeland? That can take care of its most vulnerable populations? Armenia will define the strength of the diaspora according to the countrys needs. Are those needs the same as those of the diaspora itself? And as Armenia develops incentives for repatriation, would that strengthen or weaken the diaspora? Should there be a congruence between the states definition of a strong diaspora and the diasporas own definition if such a definition ever materializes?

The enthusiastic response Hayrapetyan received was partly, and understandably, due to the diasporas endemic unease with its non-state status, with its longing to be part of the state. But Armenia is also limited in how it can help the diaspora, the preparation of textbooks and the running of teacher training programs notwithstanding. These efforts, commendable for a small country like Armenia, may be touted as examples of how the state can be of benefit to the diaspora in the realm of national preservation (). But whose definition of national identity, the homelands or the diasporas? To act as though they are one and the same is to be blind to the facts. As part of its program of national identity preservation, the Armenian government may offer, as the minister proposed, financial assistance to a school that is closing its doors, but that is and should be-- the responsibility of the community, which knows better than anyone else the causes and means of salvaging the situation. Sometimes, schools have to be shut down.

For Hayrapetyan, the diaspora should exist, but opportunities must be created to connect diaspora Armenians with Armenia in concrete ways that are mutually beneficial. No one can or should argue with that, but the operative idea here is the existence of the diaspora. Should it exist, or should it endure and grow and change and respond to changing circumstances and environments? Existence is a bit like survival. After a decade of post-genocide identity-formation, it is time perhaps to move beyond the stranglehold of survival.

Both in the Los Angeles and Watertown town meetings, someone in the audience raised a question about the fate of Melkonian Institution in Cyprus. In Watertown, the immediate response came from the floor: Go ask the AGBU. Its a valid answer, but it does not make the question irrelevant or misguided. On both occasions, the intent was, I think, to appeal to Armenia as a state that has an international presence and perhaps can, if it wants, exert pressure, negotiate, or formulate solutions to protect the interests of Armenian communities and institutions, particularly in the turbulent Middle East region. In Los Angeles, Hayrapetyan refrained from offering a response to how Armenia can help in re-opening and revitalizing Melkonian. As I understand it, Melkonian is currently closed and under the custody of the Cypriot government.

In Watertown, where the same question was asked impromptu, from the margins at it were, after the event had officially ended, Hayrapetyan said that the closing of any Armenian school is a very serious matter, and that the closure of the Melkonian is part of a larger problem that needs to be addressed. Contrary to what the minister said, the Melkonian situation is not the same as that of the Armenian school in Amman, Jordan, which shut its doors recently. Together with Nishan Palandjian College in Beirut, Melkonian was a venerable diaspora institution, one of the major repositories of the diasporas collective cultural and intellectual memory. For this reason, its closure is a major setback to the diasporas efforts at national identity preservation. I think it is also for this reason that in both meetings, the subject of Melkonian came up. It was an appeal to the Armenian government to use its resources in securing a viable solution.

The Melkonian situation is also part of a larger consideration. The same logic that propelled the questioners in Glendale and Watertown would be relevant to Jerusalem whose Armenian Quarter houses the rich heritage of Armenian treasures (surpassed only by Etchmiadzin). The Armenian government may face a similar imperative should the community and the St. James Brotherhood become vulnerable in the ongoing Judaization of the city. In both cases, Armenia can play a role, as it can for Aleppo, a role above and beyond hosting Armenian refugees who fled the city at the height of the Syrian civil war.

(Taline Voskeritchians work has appeared in The Nation, London Review of Books, Armenian Review, Alik (Tehran), Journal of Palestine Studies, BookForum, Daily Star (Beirut) and other on-line and print publications. She teaches at Boston University.)

Top photo: Dejection of Noah from Mt. Ararat (Aivazosky, 1897)
Photo: Disney

Disneys Christopher Robin is a kids movie built around a crater of despair, like a small tourist town that has grown up around the impact of a meteor. In her review, Vultures Emily Yoshida described it as one of the more sadistic family films I have ever seen, as it depicts Pooh and his ragged compatriots wasting away in exile as Christopher Robin grows up, goes to war, and tries to forget about them and focus on his job as an efficiency expert.

Of course, Pooh eventually creeps back into Christophers life and gets him to enjoy it and reconnect with his daughter  but not before Christopher Robin forces its audiences to face the realities of aging and capitalism, and also the fantastic terrors posed by Heffalumps. Up until everything resolves itself, there are 100 acres of grim, dark feelings to trudge through in Marc Forsters movie, which is really like Paddington for people who think about death too much. What is the saddest thing about Christopher Robin? There are so many options to choose from, we had to break them down.

The part where young Christopher Robin leaves the 100 Acre Wood.

Rating: 3 Eeyores out of 5.

Just to punch you in the gut real quick, the movie begins with an elaborate tea party for Christopher Robins departure from the 100 Acre Wood, since he has to go grow up and act like an adult British man and repress all his emotions. The teacakes and honey look very tasty but everything else is bittersweet.

The montage where Christopher Robin grows up.

Rating: 4 Eeyores out of 5.

Once Christopher Robin leaves, almost immediately he gets sent to a boarding school (terrible, of course), his dad dies (even worse), he falls in love with underutilized screen talent Hayley Atwell (thats nice), gets sent to World War II (bad, obviously), and ends up stuck in an office job (also bad, but in a different way).

The part where Christopher Robin hates his life.

Rating: 2 Eeyores out of 5.

Our hero works for a fancy luggage company thats trying to make cuts, because people simply do not buy enough fancy luggage. He works too hard and ignores his very sweet daughter and wife, which is understandable, but rude. This is all sad, but so is all adult life, so we cant say its heartbreaking or anything (plus, like we said, not everyone gets to have a super-sweet British daughter who somehow isnt creepy at all).

The part where Christopher Robin goes back to the 100 Acre Wood and its terrible.

Rating: 4 Eeyores out of 5.

While his familys off on vacation without him (already sad!), Christopher Robin runs into Pooh, who makes him come back to the 100 Acre Wood because everything has gone wrong there. When they get to the fantasy land (by going through a tree, of course), its misty, and empty, and creepy. Imagine your own childhood dreamscape turned to desolation  its enough to make you have nightmares about letting your parents get rid of your stuffed animals.

The part where Pooh disappears.

Rating: 5 Eeyores out of 5.

Christopher Robin, a serious businessman, gets fed up with Poohs ramblings and yells at him and tells him he wishes Pooh had never come back, and then, as if the fact Christopher remembered Pooh was all that was holding him together, the bear suddenly disappears. This equates forgetting your childhood imaginary friend to homicide. Just something to think about.

The Heffalumps.

Rating: Not sad, just scary.

I dont care if theyre not real, I heard the creepy howling and shivered in my seat.

Everything involving Eeyore.

Rating: I have to give him all the Eeyores, obviously, but its not as sad as Pooh disappearing.

Eeyore speaks in the depressive language familiar to anyone on the internet, where sadness is also a kind of humor, and predicting that everything will end badly is also funny. Whenever he says something, you will think, same, and then wonder if you have gotten too comfortable with the commodification of sadness. Anyway, same.

The part where Poohs plan to save Christopher Robin fails.

Rating: 2 Eeyores out of 5.

Instead of helping Christopher Robin, Poohs attempt to return his very important work documents to him in London goes spectacularly wrong when they end up being scattered to the wind! This is sad, but you understand that it is a plot point that will be resolved soon, so its not too sad. Plus, Pooh gets to meet Christophers daughter and wife who adjust to the whole talking stuffed animal thing really fast, so thats happy.

The part where Christopher Robin wins but then you realize his whole argument is predicated on playing into the system and maybe so is this movie and maybe there is no escape.

Rating: 3 Eeyores out of 5.

Spoiler alert: Christopher Robins plan to save his job ends up being that his very rich boss should give everyone at his company paid vacation, because then he can also sell them luggage. On the one hand, this is a big win for their general happiness and a takedown of the man. On the other, its still pitched in terms of making money for the wealthy guy in a movie from a big corporation that wants you to imagine things, but primarily to imagine things in terms of merchandise you can buy from them, and that, in some way, is also sad.
Photo: ANDREW COOPER/ 2018 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As a reminder that Photoshop is so good now and all photos are now Photoshopped, Page Six published an unedited version of last months Once Upon a Time in Hollywood promo photo featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitts full 60s moment. The photo, they report, was inadvertently uploaded with its edits visible. The truth is out! The truth being Leonardo DiCaprio has a lil double chin and, ostensibly, Brad Pitt has neck wrinkles, but those are sort of a stretch to see.

The actors did not request any retouching of photography from Once Upon a Time  in Hollywood, Sony Pictures and the films production reportedly told Page Six. We take full responsibility for the error. Well, its a little late for that, now that youre wandering the earth a husk, hollow-eyed, mind burned away by the veil between you and Reality being lifted too fast, too soon. Those jackets still looks top-notch, though.
It may take until September to contain the largest fire in California history, which is bigger than the size of the city of Los Angeles.

So far, two firefighters have been injured while fighting the Mendocino Complex Fire, which consists of the Ranch and River fires -- in Northern California. The two have burned 302,086 acres and were 47% contained as of Wednesday evening.

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The colossal fire altogether has destroyed 119 residences, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.

Cal Fire estimated that full containment could take until September 1. The Mendocino Complex Fire ignited on July 27.

Last year's Thomas Fire, which is the second-largest fire in California history, took more than six months to extinguish after burning 281,893 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Firefighters in the state are battling 15 large fires.

Arrest made in connection with Holy Fire

About 20,000 residents are under a mandatory evacuation as the Holy Fire grows in Riverside County, according to Thanh Nguyen with the SoCal Team One Fire Management Team.

Meanwhile, a man has been arrested in connection with the Holy Fire, which forced mandatory evacuations near the border between Orange and Riverside counties in Southern California.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was being held at the Orange County Jail on Wednesday on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, a count of felony threat to terrorize and misdemeanor resisting arrest, the Cleveland National Forest said via Twitter. The charges being leveled could carry a life sentence, said Susan Schroeder of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Clark, who is being held on $1 million bail, was expected in court on Thursday. The fire at Holy Jim Canyon started Monday, and has burned 6,200 acres and is 5% contained, officials said.

Trump weighs in on wildfires

This week, President Donald Trump appeared to blame California's environmental protection laws for the cataclysmic fires. Administration officials declined to offer any clarity on Trump's series of tweets.

Trump claimed the fires were being "made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren't allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized." He also added that water in the state was "being diverted into the Pacific Ocean" in a tweet that named California Gov. Jerry Brown.

"This does not merit a response," said Evan Westrup, a spokesman for the Democratic governor.

What's fueling fires?

Environmental scientists, California water experts and local officials have disputed Trump's claims.

"It is climate change that is causing this," said Michael Mohler, spokesman for Cal Fire. "There is no other way to explain explosive fuel conditions that come with increased winds and higher temperatures."

California's multiyear drought ended last year, but it left a lot of dried and weakened plants and trees.

"You don't recover from six years of drought overnight," Mohler said.

California has more than 100 million dead trees due to drought and infestation from bark beetles. Dead trees pose a major hazard as they allow wildfires to spread rapidly in hot, dry conditions. Cal Fire's vegetation management crews are out year-round to thin and remove such trees while also doing prescribed burns.

About $70 million of ongoing resources have been added to the state budget in the past four years to provide additional fire suppression resources, according to Ali Bay, spokesman for the governor. Approximately $800 million has been added for projects focused on the prevention of forest fires, including more fire prevention inspections and projects, removal of dead trees and other fuel reduction activities and projects.

Experts also cite hotter temperatures causing lengthier fire seasons that burn up dry, dead vegetation as factors for more wildfires.

This past July was California's hottest month on record, topping the previous record that had been set in July 1931, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The three biggest fires currently burning in California all started in July.

Climate change has increased the length of fire season, said Malcolm North, research scientist for the US Forest Service Pacific SW Research Station.

"Now they are pretty much combustible year-round," said North, who is also an affiliate professor at UC Davis.

"With climate change, we pretty much know there will be an increase in extreme fire weather. After winds get to 35 mph, you are at the mercy of the fire."

Other fires in the state continue

Cal Fire reported that warm temperatures, with highs in the 90s and triple digits, are expected in most areas of the state -- which isn't good news for firefighters. But a slight cooling is forecast for the weekend.

More than 14,000 firefighters are battling the wildfires across the state.

The second biggest fire is the Carr Fire in Shasta County in the northern part of the state.

The deadly blaze has been burning for more than two weeks and consumed 176,069 acres as of Wednesday. It has killed seven people and destroyed more than 1,100 homes.

The next largest one is the Ferguson Fire, near Yosemite National Park, with 94,992 acres. That fire has lasted more than three weeks and killed two people.
A New Mexico couple told authorities months ago they thought a missing Georgia boy and his fugitive father were living in a filthy compound on their property.

But police did not carry out a search of the property until last week, Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said, because they did not believe they had probable cause in the case.

That delay is facing scrutiny in the wake of Monday's discovery of a young boy's remains at the compound.

"They were dragging their feet. They were taking too long," said Tanya Badger, who with her husband, Jason, told authorities about the boy's suspected presence at the compound. "Even if they were trying to build a case or whatnot, a child's life is at stake."

It's not clear whether the remains are those of Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, a child with severe medical problems who disappeared from Georgia about nine months ago. The remains were discovered in a wretched compound along with 11 starving children, authorities said.

More details about the horrid compound could be revealed Wednesday when the five adults arrested from the site make their first court appearances.

Authorities raided the compound in Amalia, New Mexico, on Friday as part of their search for Abdul-Ghani, whose father, Siraj Wahhaj, allegedly abducted him from Georgia in November.

Neighbors raised alarm about a suspect

The Badgers, whose land the compound was on, said they saw a boy they thought was Abdul-Ghani in January and February.

In April, they discovered the boy was listed as missing and his father a fugitive. They reported the sightings to state and local law enforcement, but it was months before police moved in, the couple said.

"We are just beyond frustrated that they took so long," Tanya Badger said.

New Mexico authorities had suspected the father and son might be at the compound after learning about the abduction in May, the sheriff said. But there was not enough evidence for a search warrant, and surveillance of the property didn't identify the pair there.

"I had no probable cause to go onto this property," Hogrefe said. "In hindsight I wish there was, but we would not have been there lawfully."

The sheriff said that "they did surveillance, both ground and aerial, and photographs were shared with the family and mother of the missing boy. The boy Abdul was never identified from those photos. Moving forward we knew that there was this compound, but we had very little details about it or who was occupying it. These people just kind of (sprang) up very quickly."

The authorities' view changed Thursday when they said they received a message about possible starving children living on the compound, and had enough probable cause to put in an affidavit for a search warrant.

"We are starving and need food and water," the message said, according to authorities. Authorities said it was forwarded to them but did not provide details on its origin.

Compound wasn't searched thoroughly, couple say

When officers executed a search warrant on the compound, they found a horrifying scene. Stacks of tires, piles of trash and plastic sheets surrounded the compound. Obscured by the junk was a trailer where the 11 children and five adults were living.

The children wore dirty rags for clothing with no shoes, and were surrounded by weapons and rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

"It was the saddest living conditions and poverty I have seen," Hogrefe said.

The father of the missing boy, Siraj Wahhaj, was arrested at the compound Friday along with his sisters Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhannah Wahhaj and two other adults -- Lucas Morten and Jany Leveille. All have been charged with abuse of the 11 children. Morten was charged with harboring a fugitive.

However, the Badgers said that police did not do a thorough job searching the property. The couple said they went back over the weekend after they found out Abdul-Ghani wasn't among the 11 children discovered during the raid.

They said they were surprised to see the scene was not taped off and was still largely untouched. They found two guns, ammo, tactical vests and video cameras that police initially missed, Jason Badger said.

"When we first went up there, nothing was overturned," he said. "You could tell nobody had looked underneath that, nobody had looked underneath this."

Father allegedly took boy in November

Abdul-Ghani's mother, Hakima Ramzi, could not be reached after authorities announced the discovery of the remains.

But hours earlier, Ramzi told CNN she had no idea he'd disappear with their son for nine months, only to be found across the country with 11 other children.

"My husband said he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park, and didn't come back. That was in November 2017. When I would ask him where he was, he said he was on his way, he was coming soon, he was just keeping him for the night. But I haven't seen him since then," Ramzi said Tuesday.

She said her son cannot walk and suffers seizures, and requires constant medical attention.

An arrest warrant states that Wahhaj "wanted to perform an exorcism" on the child because he believed he was possessed by the devil. But Ramzi said her husband was planning to perform a ruqya -- an Islamic practice involving prayer that is believed to help rid a body of illness.

"It's not an exorcism. That was a translation issue in the court," Ramzi said. He "just wanted to pray for Abdul-Ghani to get better."

Police stopped the father in Alabama

In December, days after Ramzi reported her son missing, the child's father was involved in an accident in Alabama, according to a police report. The SUV had seven children -- but none of them was listed with Abdul-Ghani's date of birth.

But at the time, the group told Alabama police they were headed to New Mexico for camping, and continued on their way.

Even though the boy was reported missing, there was no child abduction warrant against Wahhaj because he was married to his son's mother, and they both had equal custody, Clayton County police said.

The SUV was registered to Leveille, who was also in the vehicle. She would later become one of the five adults arrested at the compound in New Mexico.

The children were taken into protective custody and later turned over to the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Fayetteville Police confirmed on Wednesday they are expecting to extradite Briana Andrea Fletcher after she is facing charges for making a bomb threat to the Goodman Manufacturing plant in Fayetteville.

Fayetteville Police tell WAAY31 that Fletcher, 22, is from Huntsville and made the false threat on July 24. She was arrested and booked at the Madison County Jail on Tuesday. Fletcher is facing a felony charge for making the threat.

The Goodman Manufacturing plant is located off of Wilson Parkway in Fayetteville and was immediately evacuated after a call came into the corporate office in Texas at 10:30 in the morning.
Police are searching for a suspect by the name of Henry Edward Hudson Jr, he is wanted for passing stolen checks at multiple banks.

According to police, Hudson cashed a stolen check at Bank Independent in Huntsville for $2,800.

He also reportedly cashed a stolen check in Athens for $3,200. Hudson has warrants in both Athens and Huntsville.

If you have information on this case or know where Hudson is you are asked to contact police.
This restaurant in the Shoals is shut down while police investigate a possible sexual assault.



Police found a 19 year old woman unresponsive in the 72 roadhouse restaurant on Highway 72 in Rogersville.



Police did arrest David Calvert, the manager of the restaurant, for contributing to the delequency of a minor. Two other employees were also arrested for outstanding warrants.



The 72 Roadhouse Restaurant is still a crime scene. You can see tape up around the building and the police tell us they have padlocked the place while they continue to investigate what happened to the 19 year old victim.



Rogersville police told WAAY 31 they got a 911 call from the victim's friend saying she was being forced to do sexual things or was about to be sexually assaulted. Police showed up to do a welfare check on the victim, who also works at the restaurant, and found her unresponsive and barely breathing. The victiem was rushed to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital where a rape kit was performed. Police have not arrested anyone for assault while they wait to get the rape kit results back. They are also investigating to see if she was drugged.

Rogersville police did tell us when they showed up, the restaurant's manager, who is in the process of buying the restaurant, was drunk. Police also arrested Ashlynn Fulghum, the bartender at the restaurant for outstanding warrants. The cook, Jerry Griffin, was arrested for drug warrants and Rogersville police also found pot and pills on him.



Police tell us Rogersville city council plans to hold an emergency meeting to possibly take away this restaurant's liquor license. The victime was released from the hospital.
Robert Kocharyan, Armenias second president charged with usurping state power in March 2008, will not be released from pre-trial detention even though 46 Armenian MPs have personally guaranteed that Kocharyan would not flee the country.

On July 28, Kocharyan was charged with usurping state power during the March1-2, 2008 public protests in Yerevan that claimed the lives of ten individuals.

The court then decreed that he be detained for two months, arguing that the former president could influence the upcoming trial if issued bail.

Fifteen Artsakh MPs have also signed a petition to release Kocharyan from pre-trial detention.

Arevik Khachatryan, who heads the public affairs division at the Prosecutor Generals Office, says the underlying reason to detain Kocharyan remains valid.
A transitional living program for at-risk youth is currently renovating their Huntsville home.

It'll take $45,000 to complete the upgrades. Safe Harbor Youth Incorporation takes in runaways, homeless youth or victims of human trafficking. The expansion of the house will allow them to house a total of 10 people. Executive Director Lynn Caffery told WAAY 31 this program hits home for her.

"I ended up going to prison because there wasn't a program for me. These kids have an opportunity to come into the program instead of going to prison because they stole food or because they're hungry," said Executive Director Lynn Caffery.

The Alabama Wheelmen Bike race this weekend will help raise money for the renovations.
Following Auburn's first fully padded practice of fall camp, coordinators Kevin Steele and Chip Linsey met with the media for the first time since the team wrapped up spring ball.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele addressed the absense of cornerback Noah Igbinoghene and mentioned the former wide receiver turned defensive back possesses all the traits necessary to excel at the position.

On the flip side, offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said North Alabama's own Austin Troxell is firmly in the mix for a starting spot at right tackle.
Alabama State Troopers have identified the woman killed in a Limestone County wreck Wednesday afternoon.

Troopers say Pamela Price Pierce, 38, of Rogersville died when her Buick Park Avenue crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a Nissan Senatra.

Responders say Pierce was dead at the scene. The driver of the Nissan and one occupant were airlifted to Huntsville Hospital while two others were transported by an ambulance. The driver and two occupants inside a Ford F-150 were uninjured.

The wreck happened at the intersection of the highway and Seven Mile Post Road.

The wreck remains under investigation.
Balloon Pirate Radio

One of my earliest childhood memories is the peppy Solidarity stickers that were ubiquitous in Poland in 1981. A third of the population had joined the first indepenent trade union in the Eastern Bloc, and the country was still flying high from John Paul II's 1979 visit, when crowds in the millions had greeted the new Pope. There was the sense that something finally had to give, partly because things couldn't get much worse. In the 1970's the Polish government had performed the macroeconomic equivalent of maxing out its credit cards on shoes, and the country was about to slide into default.

When you're a People's Democratic Republic, having your workforce join an independent trade union is socially awkward, a bit like when guests order pizzas at your dinner party. The Communist Party was in an untenable position. Moreover, with Brezhnev's reanimated body still running the Soviet Union, there was always the risk that further social turmoil would lead to fraternal assistance of the kind that had left such an impression on Czechoslovakia. With the strategic ham reserve running dry and fresh strikes imminent, the government decided to begin with the crushing.

On the morning of Sunday, December 13, small children racing to the TV to get their morning dose of Teleranek were instead treated to three hours of static followed by General Wojciech "Shades" Jaruzelski reading from a proclamation:

A wave of bold crimes, attacks and break-ins is spilling over the country. The sharks of the underground economy have amassed millions. Chaos and demoralization have taken on the dimensions of tragedy. The nation has reached the limits of its psychological endurance. Many are being overcome with despair. Not days now, but hours separate us from nationwide catastrophe...

Operation "Piss All Over Christmas" had begun.

It was a pretty scary time. For a few days, communication with the outside world was cut off. There was no television, no radio, no telephone service, no way of knowing what was happening or whether the Soviet tanks had rolled in. I was in New Jersey at the time and recall learning "martial law" (filed as mar sza lo by my kid brain) before I even had a chance to pick up "he" and "she". My mother and I also discovered the delightful American innovation called the infographic. A blonde newscaster would read something in moon language, while next to her head hovered a giant tank wrapped in barbed wire, riding over an all-caps POLAND.

The coup turned out to be pretty gentle as these things go. There were lots of arrests but not a lot of bloodshed, and for all his faults Jaruzelski had a light dictatorial touch. Nevertheless, martial law traumatized the country. Poles were used to having their quixotic uprisings crushed by foreign superpowers; having the Polish Army do it was devastating.

Many people debated what to do that glum winter. Strikes and attempts at demonstrations were quickly suppressed by detachments of police thugs. There were spontaneous displays of civil disobedience - everyone would go out for a walk during the evening news, to demonstrate their contempt for Party propaganda - but organized dissent was difficult.

It was in this discouraging context that the radio astronomers of Torun (a Hanseatic city in north central Poland) decided to stick it to the man, Maxwell-style.

Jan Hanasz, leader of the Torun chapter of Solidarity, describes the operation in an interview:

As physicists, radioastronomers, and electronics engineers, we were all struck by the possibility of doing independent broadcasts, if nothing else because that was our profession. My colleagues took part in broadcasts in Warsaw and other cities. Rooftop transmitters had low range. And they were easy for the security services to locate. We had to think of something else. Our colleague Andrzej Jesmanowicz, son of the noted Torun mathematician Leon Jesmanowicz, was an electronics engineer and an ardent glider pilot. He determined that even a weak radio transmitter in an airplane flying at great height could be heard perfectly well over a significant area. That was an idea. Jerzy Wieczorek, a physicist (later president of Torun) pointed out that we could attach the transmitter to a balloon. It would make the transmitter harder to find while enabling us to reach a wide audience. We couldn't use a weather balloon, however, since it would be easy to check where it had come from. The plastic beach balls that were popular back then had rubber inner tubes inside them. You could buy them in sporting goods stores. A group of six inner tubes looped together with string could lift a transmitter weighing around three hundred grams. We would get hydrogen from a chemist colleague, Jerzy Tomaszewski, and transfer it from a large cylinder into a fire extinguisher, the kind you find in public spaces. Dr. Zygmunt Turo, a fantastic physicist and radioastronomer, for whom the intricacies of radio wave propagation as well as transmitter and receiver design held no mystery, built the transmission apparatus. The American embargo on advanced electronics limited our technical possibilities. Later we made contact with a colleague, the French astrophycisist Jean Pierre Lasota, who would send us the necessary components through trusted couriers. Jurek Wieczorek would rip most of the innards out of an automobile tape deck, leaving just the motors and casing. We used the acoustic signal from an audio tape to modulate a transmitter in the UHF band. Wieczorek created a superlight antenna out of thin copper foil that required extraordinary care in assembly. On launch day we would drive the hydrogen-filled fire extinguisher, the balloons and transmitter to some out-of-the-way place far upwind from the city. [...] We would fill the balloons with hydrogen and attach a transmitter, which had a built-in timing device that would turn it on 15 minutes after takeoff. That way we could easily disappear without worrying about anyone pinpointing the signal. Despite its low power, the range of a balloon transmitter was enormous, several dozen kilometers. Broadcasting time was effectively limited by the kind of batteries we could get back then.

Of the many things that fill me with joy in this story, the idea of a fire extinguisher filled with hydrogen has to be at the top of the list.

Other scientists got into the mix. A chemist (Eugeniusz Myslinski) created a special heater to keep the device working as it rose into cold air. Someone else engineered an ejection mechanism to spit the audiotape out of the player after the broadcast ended, so that the tape and the balloon would not be found together. The first episode of balloon radio aired on November 9, 1982.

One reason you don't want to cross Eastern Bloc scientists is that they are by necessity handy people. Operating in a barter economy, even the most unworldly theoretician learns certain marketable skills. Besides the inevitable need to jury-rig spare parts for their own experiments, scientists have to horse trade for basic conveniences like anyone else. And so it was not uncommon to see ultraprecision machine tools and other laboratory wonders take on a second, clandestine life under advanced socialism. The local plumber who needed a new piston rod for his Fiat 126p certainly didn't mind if it happened to be machined out of elemental titanium to a tolerance of 0.05 microns, and the next time a pipe froze you could count on him to show up bright and early. In this context of creative craftsmanship and mutual aid the government had only itself to blame when illegal transmitters started floating by overhead.

The underground press would announce broadcasts in advance. Sometimes they pasted flyers on walls. People knew to scan the UHF band at a certain hour. We didn't announce a specific frequency range so that there wouldn't be interference. The broadcasts would start with a long call signal: "This is Radio Solidarity Torun". People needed time to tune their radios. Then there would be fifteen minutes or so of programming. We had a lot of trouble with recording. Sometimes it was just hard to find a good microphone. We would record in various places to avoid making noise, to not get caught. Torun is a small city and everyone knows about everything. It's hard to remain discreet. The broadcasts were audible in Grudziadz, Inowrocaw, Bydgoszcz, Golub-Dobrzyn [roughly a 40km radius]. The wind carried the balloons a long way. We found out from the Security Bureau that one had landed in Belorussia. Another made it to Silesia. Press reports of that event gave us great publicity. It was a really safe undertaking - no one got caught. The SB guys knew about the broadcasts in advance because of our flyers. Radio direction finding vans would rove around the city but they couldn't pinpoint the transmitter. We were able to watch them search. Once they even landed on the banks of the Vistula, completely lost. The helplessness of the security bureau brought laughter and satisfaction to people who were tired of the repression of martial law. During the January 1983 broadcast, they used a helicopter to patrol the rooftops. The next day the SB guys even climbed the chimney of the heating plant in Grebocin. They didn't find anything.

To put this in context, in 1982 the Ministry of the Interior announced that it had destroyed 360 production facilities for illegal literature, confiscated 1196 copying devices and 468 typewriters of various kinds, and saved the population from the malign influence of 4,000 posters and 730,000 flyers. Eleven clandestine Radio Solidarity radio stations had been shut down across Poland. Of the 10,131 people interned at the outset of martial law, 317 were still in camps as of December 1982, while a further 3,616 had been arrested for violations of martial law in the interim. The scientists who cooperated in the balloon project were risking serious jail time in addition to the loss of their career and livelihood.

As the figures show, the Torun balloon launches weren't the only Radio Solidarity broadcasts in Poland (you can hear others here [1,2], including a snippet of the zesty disco music the Security Bureau favored for jamming [3]), but they were certainly the most ingenious. Once the balloons went up, there was basically nothing the Security Bureau could do. It wasn't until the radio astronomers tried their hand at television that the police finally caught up with them.

But that's a whole other story.
WATERFORD is to get a world-class centre for training in Bicycle Engineering. It will be based in Ferrybank and will serve the South East. The Bicycle...
The team at Waterford Walls has hardly been able to contain its excitement this week as it brings another exciting artwork to the city....
Leftists have introduced and promoted much of what our forefathers would consider immoral laws that are detrimental to our personal and/or national future. The most obvious examples have been banning God from our public schools, supporting abortion rights, and equating homosexual to heterosexual marriage. They have changed our country and put us on a track toward a serious decline.

It makes no sense to only complain about the negative problems and immoral laws that have been enacted by our government. We must have viable solutions to restore Americas former moral strength. Many of us knew something had been going astray within our society for a while, but opinions vary as to why it was allowed, how it was done, and who presently is able to correct the mistakes that have been made. America has become politically polarized and morally challenged, making progress at any level of government difficult. Nevertheless, concerned patriots understand that correcting mistakes of past governments has never been more important. Perhaps the distrust of Americans regarding their leaders immoral decisions is the reason Donald Trump was elected President.

It was in these two landmark decisions, Engel v. Vitale ( 1962 ) and Abington School District v. Schempp ( 1963 ), that the Supreme Court established what is now the current prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in US schools.

) and Abington School District v. Schempp ( ), that the Supreme Court established what is now the current prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in US schools. The current judicial interpretation of the U.S. Constitution regarding abortion in the United States, following the United States's 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, and subsequent companion decisions, is that abortion is legal but may be restricted by the states to varying degrees. Is there any evidence of restrictions? Most Americans think that highly unlikely considering over 60 million babies have been aborted from their mothers wombs in our country. The actual figure may be much higher, because most agree there is no way to know how many abortions have been performed.

in the United States, following the United States's 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, and subsequent companion decisions, is that is but may be restricted by the states to varying degrees. Is there any evidence of restrictions? Most Americans think that highly unlikely considering over 60 million babies have been aborted from their mothers wombs in our country. The actual figure may be much higher, because most agree there is no way to know how many abortions have been performed. In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in the landmark civil rights case of Obergefell v. Hodges gave the right of same-sex couples to marry on the same terms and conditions as opposite-sex couples, and with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities. This was guaranteed by the Due Process Clause.

When these laws were enacted, a majority of Americans who identified as Christian were shocked and dismayed, but their church leaders remained largely silent as the anti-Christian bills were passed into law. Since Roe v. Wade in 1973 through 2017, there have been at least 60 million legal abortions performed in the United States. This averages out to about 1.4 million abortions per year in which a human life has been legally aborted from their mother's womb, a place identified in past generations as the "safest place in America." About one in four US women will have an abortion before age 45.

Where was the resistance?

Particularly tragic for this nation was the lack of a strong, organized resistance by the church to the above anti-biblical laws. There was little public outcry from the pews or church leaders. This is sad because America boasts having the most churches and active Christians than any other nation. The silence of church leaders was as appalling as was the silence from people of faith. Worse yet, instead of understanding their lack of efforts in allowing immoral laws to be enacted, the church and church leaders have remained silent ever since.

Church leaders, knowing the negative direction of our laws have taken, continue to avoid all that is of political in nature, to the extent of not encouraging their congregations to register to vote or to recognize the differences in our two major party platforms. This silence by the church has enabled anti-biblical laws to be enacted throughout our nation.

Do most voters even know the differences between the Republican and Democrat Party Platforms? Do they know how our Senators and Representatives vote on moral issues? Do they understand that before immediately before the 2012 election Democrat leaders removed God from their Democrat Platform? Realizing they may lose too many votes, Democrat party leaders during their next Democrat Convention decided to restore God to its Platform. Three voice calls" later, it was difficult to determine if the yeas" or the nays won, but they called it on the side of reinserting God. The fact that Democrat Party leaders had removed God does speaks volumes. Apparent is that the American church isnt paying attention, based on their lack of interest in educating their congregations about the differences in the Party Platforms and how each Party thinks and votes on moral issues.

Party platforms do matter

Christians need to know the Democrat Party is not necessarily in alliance with their biblical beliefs. In keeping with today's standards, President John F. Kennedy's policies, although a Democrat, were more in-line with the Republican Party of today. Since Kennedy's presidency, Democrat leaders have pulled their party to the far Left, with Democrat candidates promoting free stuff" to all, which is Socialism, a form of government that has never worked whenever or wherever it has been tried in the world. Democrats of all stripes, with few exception, support abortion, abortion clinics, and homosexual marriage, which is in direct opposition to what churches should sanction. If using the Bible as the purveyor of God's Word, it is reasonable that Christian churches should accept the responsibility of explaining the biblical differences between the two major American political parties to their congregations, lest Christians vote for candidates who oppose their deepest moral values.

Could it be that even our church leaders are unaware of which candidates are Christian. It is possible they likewise do not know what the two political party platforms actually state or how Democrats vote very differently than do Republicans on specific issues of concern to churches and Christians. Then too, it is possible that some church leaders will allow their partisan political views to prevail instead of using the Bible and God's Word as their guide. If so, this needs to change. Any church leader who supports Democrat candidates must explain how they can do so knowing the Democrat Party supports abortion on demand and homosexual marriage. The Democrat Party expects all their elected officials to support their Leftist Party Platform. Not doing so brings forth retaliation to the offending member.

Are church leaders even aware of the moral differences between the two parties? It would be wise for Christians to have a meeting with their church leaders to ask that question. It is the responsibility of those of us who know these differences to be sure our church leaders are aware of those issues that deal with Christian morality. The responsibility resides among those of us who do know these truths. We must make an appointment to meet with our church leader(s) to discuss the importance of informing their congregations of these essential facts before they vote? This is especially true when the ballot has issues that have the potential to impact the church and Christians.

Importance of Voter Guides

Christian voters must help make Christian voter guides available to church leaders to distribute to their congregations. This is a gift to their congregations, by helping them to be informed voters. Without question reliable, informed facts are appreciated, as candidate advertisements are often not at all trustworthy. Reliable Christian voter guides are extremely helpful, as is information about what each political party supports through an examination of their current party platforms. It is the responsibility of every Christian to investigate and vote for the candidates who best represent their values? Perhaps church leaders would be appreciative of knowing information such as this from a very reliable Christian source, Billy Graham.

It only takes limited effort to help churches organize a voter registration table." Most church leaders will be far more apt to allow this if you agree to be in charge of it. It is amazingly easy to do by following these easy steps:

Local Voter Registration Offices provide voter registration forms free of charge  as many as you need. Just drop by your local Voter Registration Office for information and voter registration forms. Set up a table in the courtyard, or another place outside the actual worship sanctuary of your church, with a homemade sign explaining it is a voter registration table. Ask a friend to help, so the process does not cause people to wait an unreasonable length of time to fill out the form. Some churches give a voter registration form to all who attend services a month or two before the election. Follow the easy instructions on the voter registration forms; the form provides everything you need to know and do. For any questions, the Voter Registrar is happy to provide whatever you need to know or do. The process is exceedingly easy, and their job is to be helpful. Return the new, signed registration forms to the Registrar's Office asap after they have been filled out and signed according to the instructions.

If a majority of pastors, priests, and faithful Christians continue to remain silent about the immoral political changes that have caused Christians to be ensnared into passively accepting an increasing measure of immorality, how can God keep His hand of protection upon America? Christianity in Europe is on life support. If atheists and Democrats continue to have success promoting and defending anti-Christian values, might we see within our lifetimes what is happening in Europe? Church leaders cannot continue to shrug and behave as if anything and everything political should be avoided. This sends a dangerous message to every Christian, which many not be their intent, but is a reality.

While it is not uncommon for church leaders to believe they are avoiding political problems because they may divide their congregations, they neglect to understand the positives of doing so. If they can back up their comments with Scripture and facts about the candidates and propositions, it should not be a negative issue. Their comments need not be made in support of a specific political party or person, but for the general education of providing facts every Christian should know. Churches certainly do not want immoral propositions or laws to pass that are on their congregation's ballots; nevertheless, some are cleverly written to portray the opposite of the proposition's real intent. Voter Guides are therefore exceedingly helpful, as they provide Christians information as to which candidates and propositions align with Biblical values and those that do not.

It is imperative that every Christian understand what and who they are voting for on their ballot. Their churches assistance is exceedingly valuable and appreciated. However, it often takes a member of the congregation to discuss and volunteer to help make that happen. That person could well be you!
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The flag poles are up in Kimball's Gotte Park. Flags will go up for the first time at the upcoming dedication ceremony.

Flag poles now stand tall awaiting their flags in Kimball's Gotte Park. This project has been two years in the making, and is funded by approximately $8,000 in ACE returns.

The poles, which stand 25 and 30 feet tall, required the bulk of the money at a total of $6,500 with about $2,000 for shipping the poles. The United States flag will fly at 30 feet and the other flags, one for each branch of the military and one Nebraska State flag, will fly at 25 feet.

Kimball Mayor Keith Prunty hopes to plan a dedication ceremony before Labor Day this year, at which time, the flags will be raised for the first time. That ceremony, Prunty hopes, will be a big deal, with service members from each branch raising the flags as each service song is played.

He hopes to include civic organizations, including local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, civics class students and student leaders as well as community leaders and volunteers. Prunty envisions a grand event that brings the entire community together to honor those who committed their time, and in some cases their life, to protecting the nation.

"About a year ago we noticed that we had nothing in our community that honors our veterans throughout the year," Prunty said. "We have our Memorial Day service and the kids do a phenomenal job with our Veteran's Day service, but we don't have a permanent fixture to honor our veterans."

After talking with city leaders and council, the idea was formed. The current addition is phase one, of three.

City workers banded together to make the dream become a reality.

"We had the idea, but John Heidemann was the driving force," Prunty said, "He orchestrated it, but water department, line crew, road department  everybody helped out. I was so proud, seeing everyone work together to make this happen for our veterans and our community. We have a great group of guys and gals."

Phase two will include memorial bricks that can be purchased to lay in the v-shape semi-circle made by the poles.

Courtesy Photo

"People can by bricks with a veterans name engraved on them," Prunty said. "Phase three would be a kiosk, similar to the one at the cemetery, with the information of any veteran, past or present, in the County of Kimball. You can have a picture, commendations, and other information for a nominal fee."

Prunty added that there would be a gazebo covering the kiosk at the park as well.

"I don't know how much the City can afford right now, we don't have anything budgeted for it now," Prunty added.

More changes are in store for public areas around Kimball, Prunty said, to increase the quality of life locally.
Kimball County Rodeo royalty stopped for a selfie during their busy schedule. Nicole Delaplane, left, and Mckynna Deeds, right, have represented Kimball and Banner Counties throughout the year at events in the panhandle of Nebraska and in nearby Wyoming. They are joined this year by 2018 Old West Trail Rodeo Junior Princess, Karsyn Chesley, 8, of Banner County.

Your 2018 Kimball PRCA Rodeo has been represented well this past year, from Kimball's 2017 Farmers' Day parade to Cheyenne Frontier Days and many stops in-between.

Nicole Delaplane of Kimball and Mckynna Deeds of Dix are your 2018 Kimball PRCA Rodeo Royalty. Kicking off this year's long road ahead, the young ladies started with a bang in the 2017 Farmers' Day parade, giving horse back rides at Gotte Park and followed up the rainy evening with the Demo Derby.

Once snow fell and the air turned crisp, the ladies represented the Kimball PRCA in hometown favorite, the Parade of Lights.

Delaplane and Deeds were invited to attend Old West Trails PRCA Rodeo where they represented Kimball County in the parade, followed by the chance to run sponsor flags during the rodeo performance on the 4th of July.

Next up was heading down the road to Gering for Oregon Trail Days where your Kimball Royalty took first place in the parade. Delaplane and Deeds headed west to take part in the Queens Luncheon for Cheyenne Frontier Days, having the opportunity to meet rodeo queens from many different states and even countries, including Miss Rodeo Australia, according to Deeds. After taking part in the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade the ladies headed home to prepare for the upcoming Kimball/Banner County Fair and Rodeo.

Delaplane and Deeds want to invite the community of Kimball and Banner County and other surrounding areas to come out and attend the 2018 Kimball PRCA Rodeo this weekend, August 11 and 12, as well as the Kimball/Banner County Fair this week the 6-13.

Other Royalty joining Delaplane and Deeds will be Karsyn Chesley, the 2018 Old West Trail Rodeo Junior Princess. Chesley is the eight-year-old daughter of Dan and Heidi Chesley of Harrisburg. She will be a third grader at Mary Lynch Elementary in Kimball this fall. Chesley loves riding her horse, reading books, playing guitar and piano.

Courtesy Photo Deeds signs a photo for Kimball Centarian Martha Mossberg at the Kimball County Manor. Deeds and Delaplane spent time with the residents there last week.

Also joining is your 2018 Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Kristin Kohmetscher, (Ko-met-sure) of Lawrence, Nebraska. Kometscher is the daughter of Duane and the late Laurie Kohmetscher. She graduated in May with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and is practicing as a rural mixed animal veterinarian in Nebraska and Kansas. Kohmetscher is honored to be the representative of professional rodeo and the western way of life for the state of Nebraska!

A special experience for these ladies, as they follow their dreams and continue their journey to encourage more young cowgirls to become involved in the sport of rodeo. Cowgirls between the ages of 11-21 interested in becoming a part of the Kimball PRCA Rodeo Royalty are encouraged to stop in at the Kimball/Banner County Extension Office and pick up an application or contact SanDee Underhill at [email protected] or 308-230-0620.
IL House passes amendment to allow those who refuse vaccine to be fired
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By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Aug. 07, 2018 | 05:25 PM | HOPKINSVILLE

Authorities say a man has died and a woman was critically injured in a Hopkinsville apartment fire.

Kentucky State Police said fire crews responded Tuesday morning to a blaze at the Woodland Heights apartment complex.

Police said 25-year-old David Keys of New Albany, Indiana, died at the scene from smoke inhalation and 22-year-old Andra Pool of Hopkinsville was flown to a hospital, where she is in critical condition.

The Kentucky New Era reported the fire was contained to a kitchen but caused smoke damage throughout the apartment.

State fire officials are investigating, but say foul play isn't suspected.
By The Associated Press Aug. 08, 2018 | 11:38 AM | FRANKFORT

The Kentucky Supreme Court is considering whether the state legislature can set rules for how to file medical malpractice lawsuits.

The Republican-controlled legislature passed a law last year that requires all medical malpractice lawsuits first be screened by a panel of doctors. The panel's decision would then be admissible in court. The goal is to deter frivolous lawsuits that some lawmakers say drive up costs for doctors and discourage them from practicing in Kentucky.

But critics say the law violates the constitutional rights of patients by delaying their access to the courts. The panel has nine months to reach a decision before a lawsuit can be filed.

Lawyers argued the case on Wednesday before the Kentucky Supreme Court. The court has no deadline to issue a decision.
FRESH MARKET CLARIFICATION: THE HENDERSONVILLE STORE IS NOT CLOSING

THE FRESH MARKET IN HENDERSONVILLE TENNESSEE IS CLOSING

Rumors have recently been circulating in the community that the local Fresh Market on the Greenville Highway might be closing. NOT SO, says Amy Grossman with the Fresh Market corporate office in Sarasota, Florida. It's the store in Hendersonville Tennesee that's closing. Local rumors here also attributed the confusion and talk of the local Fresh Market closing to the anticipated opening on the new Publix store just a block away from the Fresh Market in September. But it's the store in Hendersonville Tennessee that's closing...and not our local Fresh Market. And the corporate office issued the following statement:

The Fresh Market, Inc. recently announced that it plans to close 15 stores in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina New ampshire, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. This decision was made following the completion of an organizational analysis and careful consideration of the overall growth strategy and long-term financial STATEMENT FROM THE FRESH MARKET REGARDING STORE CLOSURES

performance of the company. The company does not expect any further store closures in the foreseeable future.

Over the last eight months, our company has been executing a turnaround plan and weve seen great progress. However, for a variety of reasons unique to each retail location, that progress is not evenly distributed and, as a result, we have decided to close these long-term, underperforming stores. We will work to relocate as many impacted employees as possible to other stores within our footprint.

Looking ahead, I am confident this move will better position The Fresh Market and enable us to continue delivering our great tasting meals, signature products and an incredible shopping experience.

 Larry Appel, CEO, The Fresh Market, Inc.

IMPACTED STORES:

Snellville GA

North Druid Hills GA

Peoria IL

Normal IL

Glen Ellyn IL

Lincolnshire IL

Fishers IN

Louisville KY

North Charlotte NC

Bedford NH

Hendersonville TN

Winchester VA

Charlottesville VA

Brookfield WI

Fox Point WI
Williamson, WV (25661)

Today

Rain. Low around 55F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain. Low around 55F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
By: Paige Cline Sometimes I am asked to reprint a column from the past. Here[Read More]
UTICA -- Gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro is denouncing Gov. Andrew Cuomo's failure to take down "I Love New York" signs along the New York State Thruway.

The State Dept. of Transportation is responding to the candidate's claims too.

Molinaro, a Republican, says failure to remove the signs are putting $14 million of federal funds in jeopardy.

The federal highway administration says the signs have to be removed because they contain too much information and could be distracting.

The Cuomo administration said earlier this year that the signs would come down but so far that hasn't happened.

The DOT responded, Tuesday, saying that the agency is in ongoing discussions with the federal highway administration, and expect to have a mutually beneficial agreement in place well before the September deadline.

Molinaro says there are better ways taxpayer dollars could be used.

"We could have used those dollars, the 8 million, to install the signs and now the threatened loss of $14 million to make modest investments in infrastructure, Molinaro said. There are countless highways, bridges, and roadways across the state of New York that could use real benefit from a governor who's focused on real priorities."

Molinaro says that $8 million dollars was spent to put the signs up. Cuomo says that the signs have helped boost the states tourism industry.

Along with Molinaro, other candidates in the race for governor include Cynthia Nixon, Stephanie Miner, Larry Sharpe, Howie Hawkins, and Gov. Cuomo.
On Saturday, President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela was giving a speech in Caracas when two armed drones exploded nearby -- one detonating in the air and another inside an apartment building, authorities said.

President Maduro blamed far-right political opponents for what he called an attempted assassination. Six people have been arrested.

Aircraft Aviation and aerospace industry Business and industry sectors Business, economy and trade Continents and regions International relations and national security Military Military aircraft Military operations National security North America Terrorism Terrorism and counter-terrorism Terrorist attacks The Americas United States Unmanned aircraft Unmanned military aircraft Unrest, conflicts and war

The apparent attack raises the question: Could a drone assassination work? This would certainly change the way governments handle security for heads of state in public events. It also has implications for the security of overseas military bases and embassies.

The global proliferation of drones

New America tracks the proliferation of armed drones in a "World of Drones" database. Ten countries are known to have used drones in combat.

The United States was the first to use armed drones after the 9/11 attacks. Since then, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom have all used armed drones in combat.

It was President Barack Obama who dramatically increased the use of armed drones against suspected terrorists in countries that the United States is not at war with, such as Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.

A number of countries have used drones to assassinate their own citizens. Both the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted strikes against their own citizens overseas, while Israel has done so in the Palestinian territories. Countries such as Nigeria, Turkey, Pakistan, and Iraq have conducted drone strikes within their own borders.

Another 19 countries have armed drones but have not used them in combat.

Several terrorist and rebel groups have also used drones both for surveillance and to carry out attacks, including ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Lebanese group Hezbollah was the first nonstate actor to use military-grade drones for surveillance, and has also used armed drones in Syria.

The Palestinian group Hamas has also acquired military-grade unmanned aircrafts, while ISIS has created improvised weapons by attaching explosives to over-the-counter drone models. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have used unmanned vessels to attack Saudi Arabian ships.

Which countries produce armed drones?

Because of human rights concerns, until this year the United States sold its armed drones only to close allies, such as Britain, France and Italy.

This has helped enable China to become a top armed drone supplier. Israel is another leading exporter of armed drones.

China is not a party of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which was created to limit the proliferation of missiles, missile technology, and other weapons of mass destruction. Because China has not ratified this agreement, it does not have as many restrictions for its exports, thus Chinese drone sales have boomed.

In April, the Trump administration announced a new policy to allow the sale of armed drones to more countries.

President Donald Trump said that this new policy was meant to boost sales for the American defense industry. But it will also likely mean that regulators give less scrutiny to the risk of buyers committing human rights abuses with these weapons.

The tipping point

The rapid proliferation of armed drones poses novel questions for national security.

The Chinese are testing "swarms" of drones working together powered by artificial intelligence. This kind of technology will help to reshape conventional warfare between states.

At the same time, as truck and car bombs reshaped terrorism in the 20th century, armed, crude drones in the hands of terrorist groups and even lone actors are likely to reshape terrorism in the 21st century.
"A generation of sanctimonious, sensitive, supercilious snowflakes." That's how Attorney General Jeff Sessions described college students in late July.

The Trump administration's Justice Department is diving into the roiling waters of campus free speech controversies, mounting legal challenges to alleged infringements on speech by public universities, including the University of Michigan and the University of California at Berkeley. But one of the core premises of the administration's intervention -- that the attacks on speech are primarily directed at conservatives -- is called into question by a data analysis from Georgetown University's Free Speech Project that finds that infringements on free speech are just as likely to come from the right as the left.

Conservatism Discrimination Donald Trump Education Education systems and institutions Freedom of speech Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Government departments and authorities Government organizations - US Higher education Human rights International relations and national security Jeff Sessions Justice departments Political Figures - US Racism and racial discrimination Societal issues Society Students and student life US Department of Justice US federal departments and agencies US federal government White House

Of the more than 5,000 college campuses in the United States, the Georgetown study logged only about 60 incidents of suppressed speech since 2016. In analyzing each one, they found limited evidence that conservatives are being targeted unfairly. Most incidents where conservative speech got interrupted or silenced involved the same high-profile voices, in contrast with the incidents from the left covered by the study, who were speakers and scholars with lower profiles. The researchers note that their work is preliminary and not comprehensive, but their findings do suggest that the state of free speech on campus is far more complicated than Sessions and others of similar mind might have us believe.

Georgetown, with funding from the Knight Foundation, built an online tool to analyze these incidents. The Knight Foundation also recently released a report showing that students strongly support the First Amendment.

Campuses have sometimes lapsed in protecting free speech, and the administration is right to stand up for open expression. But Jeff Sessions' approach to the campus speech debate -- which has thus far been one-sided and even insulting -- risks fueling the very intolerance that he aims to counter.

Sessions' latest salvo in the speech wars came in his July address to conservative high school students attending a conference convened by conservative right-wing nonprofit Turning Point USA. He pinpointed what he called a series of campus free speech threats, including policies confining protests to narrow "free speech zones," speech codes delineating what can and can't be said and unruly demonstrations that drown out speakers. He also expressed alarm over mandated warnings about sensitive material in course curricula, catalogues of microagressions and enforced "safe spaces." Sessions opined that, in an effort to make students feel comfortable, some campuses veer too far toward infantilization. Spotlighting the most extreme examples -- campus "cry closets" and lounges with play-doh and coloring books -- Sessions ridiculed what he characterized as the spectacle of universities aiming to "equip"students to handle tough rhetoric and uncomfortable ideas.

He cataloged a series of prominent instances of wrongful interference with speech, including a Black Lives Matter disruption of an ACLU event at William and Mary in October 2017, violent demonstrations against theorist Charles Murray at Middlebury that March, and a protest against a Jewish group at Brown the previous year. Sessions rightly asserted that "the First Amendment is not a partisan issue. Constitutional rights are for all Americans -- not just those in one party or faction."

But, despite the bipartisan bromides, Sessions has made it clear that the administration's prime concern is safeguarding space for conservative ideas and viewpoints on campus from an assault by what he has dubbed the "hard left." During the July speech Sessions goaded the right-leaning students, citing "elements in our society today who want to stop you and silence you. ... They want you to feel outnumbered ... to get discouraged ... to quit."

The truth is, in the wider society, conservatives are hardly silenced; they enjoy a great deal of political power, with control over all three branches of government. But Sessions has a fair point that many college campuses skew liberal, and some don't pay enough attention to ensuring that conservative perspectives can be aired without fear of reprisal.

What Sessions left out is that liberal and left-wing speakers are often targeted as well. As the new Georgetown study, based on analysis of more than 90 recent incidents, points out, there is "strong reason to believe that this widespread perception (that most campus speech attacks originate from the left and target conservative speech) is not entirely accurate." Sessions might have mentioned Fresno State University Professor Randa Jarrar, who was put under investigation this spring after comments critical of First Lady Barbara Bush, or Princeton Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, who canceled speaking engagements when she was threatened over her criticisms of President Donald Trump.

Perhaps the most egregious omission was any mention of free-speech-chilling actions by the event's hosts, Turning Point USA. Turning Point publishes a "Professor Watchlist" naming hundreds of academics for alleged offenses, including op-eds and course material judged too liberal. The American Association of University Professors has criticized the watchlist as a tool of intimidation.

Sessions is off base when he mocks students as "snowflakes." Most of the examples of campus speech controversies Sessions touched on -- for example, Black Lives Matter and Murray's use of race to explain IQ differentials -- center on issues of race. Student activists drawing attention to policing abuses, discrimination in higher education and other forms of racial injustice have sometimes overstepped, veering into misguided calls to suppress speech activists deemed offensive. But their core purpose -- to demand a more equal and inclusive learning environment -- is one that the Justice Department should ratify rather than ridicule.

Over the last two years, the Anti-Defamation League has documented a threefold spike in white supremacist incidents on campuses, including an allegedly racially-motivated murder at the University of Maryland that is being prosecuted as a hate crime.

The most notorious incident was the white supremacist march at the University of Virginia the night before the deadly rally in Charlottesville. Sessions' boss, President Donald Trump, later tried to defend the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who took part, saying there was "blame on both sides."

While talk of campuses as "safe spaces" might once have been dismissed as a misguided quest for psychological comfort, the rise of hateful gestures on campus raises genuine concerns of physical safety.

Amid these rising instances of the use of racial epithets, display of swastikas and nooses hung in trees, students are rightly demanding that their universities do more to provide a safe, equal learning environment for all. Rather than belittling such efforts, Sessions' Justice Department should promote constructive measures -- such as facilitated dialogues across ideological lines, peaceful counterspeech, and stronger reporting mechanisms for hate crimes -- that address hatred without impairing free speech.

While the Justice Department has set forth some legitimate concerns, an ideologically lopsided approach risks compounding an already precarious appreciation of free speech among college students. Some student advocates of racial justice evince a sense of alienation when it comes to First Amendment rights, having witnessed them being invoked mainly in relation to speech that they consider offensive. In his dismissiveness, Sessions surrenders the chance to persuade skeptical students that the First Amendment is a critical tool in their quest for social justice, one they should embrace and defend.

As a rising generation comes to grips with tensions over free speech, it is essential that they not come to view the defense of the First Amendment as a right-wing weapon being used to strip protections that foster an open and equal learning environment. If the administration's leading national voice on campus free speech treats the debate as yet another ideological sparring ground, it should not come as a surprise if students come to view the defense of free speech with suspicion. As Sessions pointed out, the First Amendment is not a partisan cause. No one, including Jeff Sessions, should try to make it one.
Politics is about wins and losses. By that measure, Republicans appear to have had a good night on Tuesday, with state Sen. Troy Balderson (R) leading Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor (D) by just under 2,000 votes with 99% of precincts reporting in the special election in Ohio's 12th District.

But keeping score in politics -- especially in special elections by simply tallying up wins and losses -- can miss the point. And this is one of those moments.

Yes, Balderson appears to have won. Which means he will likely hold the seat for the handful of months that remain in this Congress. But the underlying dynamics of the district and the race should concern every smart Republican looking at the November playing field and assessing the GOP's chances of holding onto its 23-seat House majority.

Consider that the 12th district is not, by any traditional measure, a toss-up district. Taking in the northern and eastern suburbs of Columbus -- and stretching to more rural areas further east -- it has been held by a Republican member of Congress continuously for the past three decades. In 2012, even while losing the state to President Barack Obama, Mitt Romney won the 12th by 10 points. Four years later, Donald Trump carried it by 11 points.

Based on those numbers, this is not a seat that should be at all competitive -- even in a special election -- if the national playing field was flat-ish. Of course, we know it's not -- based on lots and lots of other results this year. The playing field -- as it so often is in a midterm election with one party in control of all the levers of power in Washington -- is clearly tilted toward Democrats, and will be this November. The question that needs to come into better focus is how tilted.

And that's where the result in Ohio can be instructive -- in judging the size of the coming Democratic wave. According to the Cook Political Report's House editor David Wasserman, there are 68 Republican-held seats that perform less well for the GOP at the presidential level than the 12th. That tells you a lot about where things stand -- and why Balderson's apparent eking out of a victory isn't any reason to celebrate for Republicans.

There's another reason, too: Outside conservative groups dumped millions of dollars into this seat to save Balderson, a spending plan they simply won't be able to repeat around the country.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, which spent upwards of $3 million on ads to get Balderson across the line, was blunt about this financial math in a statement on Tuesday night. "While we won tonight, this remains a very tough political environment and moving forward, we cannot expect to win tough races when our candidate is being outraised," the statement read. "Any Republican running for Congress getting vastly outraised by an opponent needs to start raising more money."

And here's a very scary reality for House Republicans: In the second fundraising quarter of 2018, 55(!) Democratic challengers outraised their Republican incumbent opponents, according to CNN calculations. There's no way the Congressional Leadership Fund -- or any other outside group -- can spend $3+ million on all 55 of those incumbents to save them in November.

The worst thing for Republican chances in the midterms is to breathe any sort of sigh of relief following Balderson's apparent victory. To do so would be to mistake winning a battle for winning the war. And if anything, the chances of Republicans holding onto their majority went down slightly on Tuesday night, as Balderson's extremely narrow margin suggests that the Democratic wave is coming -- and it's not a small one.

Consider this: If even half of the 68 Republicans who represent a district less friendly than Ohio's 12th lose this November, Democrats retake the House -- with 11 seats to spare. If only 1 in 3 lose, Democrats stand at a net gain of 22 seats -- needing just one more to retake the majority they lost in the 2010 election.

To be clear: Winning is the goal in politics. Winning is always better than losing. And Danny O'Connor and Democrats didn't spend all that money to come close. They spent it to win.

But Balderson's victory needs to be understood in the context of the broader race for House control. If Republicans believe the lesson of Tuesday night is that the Democratic wave is dying out before it ever gets close to shore, it could make the party's reckoning in November that much worse.

The reality is that history, base enthusiasm and Trump's unpopularity are all working for Democrats and against Republicans. If past is prologue, the question isn't whether 2018 will be a good election for House Democrats but rather how good an election it will be. What Tuesday night showed us is that even in places where Trump (and Romney) won comfortably, Democrats can be very, very competitive.

That fact has to concern any smart Republican looking toward the fall campaign.
A federal judge in Texas heard arguments Wednesday on whether he should end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a case that could tee up a fast track for the issue to hit the Supreme Court this fall.

District Judge Andrew Hanen, a George W. Bush appointee, heard arguments from 10 states that say DACA, a program that protects from deportation young undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children, is unconstitutional. Their arguments rely heavily on a previous court ruling from Hanen that blocked an expansion of the program and the creation of a similar program for immigrant parents in 2014 from going into effect.

Continents and regions DACA and Dream Act Immigration Immigration, citizenship and displacement International relations and national security North America Southwestern United States Texas The Americas Undocumented immigrants United States Government and public administration Government bodies and offices US federal government White House Deportation Constitutional law Decisions and rulings Law and legal system Trial and procedure

Hanen did not rule Wednesday and said he would hold off ruling on the constitutionality of DACA for now and consider only the request to immediately stop it.

DACA was created by executive action during the Obama administration, but opponents of President Donald Trump's decision to end it have convinced multiple federal judges this year that doing so violates the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that dictates how the government can create or change regulations. Hanen asked for responses from both sides by Monday on whether DACA itself also runs afoul of the act.

The Trump administration decided to end DACA last September, in part due to a threat from Texas and other states to sue if it didn't. But in the months since, three federal judges around the country have ruled that decision was not adequately justified, and have ordered the program to remain.

Texas sued, in the end, to argue that the original program was unconstitutional so it could be wiped off the books.

The administration has decided to not defend DACA in Hanen's court, so pro-immigrant groups and New Jersey stepped in to defend the program instead.

The Trump administration has argued to Hanen that if he decides to issue an immediate stoppage of the program, he should limit any ruling to recipients in the states that have sued and should delay his order's effectiveness to give the administration time to appeal. A Justice Department attorney reiterated that position Wednesday in court.

Attorneys for the immigration advocacy group MALDEF argued that a key issue facing Hanen is whether Texas and other states can legally bring the case to begin with and are suffering irreparable harm from DACA, which has existed for five years.

"In addition to the legality of DACA, one of the more important topics of today's hearing was whether Texas was suffering any kind of injury whatsoever from having DACA recipients living and working in the state," said MALDEF attorney Nina Perales. "Texas was not able to point to evidence that DACA recipients are costing the state anything."

Multiple cases

The Trump administration is already preparing to appeal a different order from a Washington, DC, district judge, which would require it to reopen the program to new applications and restore it in full. Previous courts had merely ordered the government to continue renewing permits. That judge postponed the implementation of his decision 20 days to allow for the appeal. Other cases are pending before appellate courts in California and New York.

Hanen is widely seen as unfriendly to DACA, given his previous ruling on its sister program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents.

"Issues in front of the court are issues that have already been decided," the lead attorney for the states challenging DACA, Todd Disher, said in court Wednesday. "This is not a close case."

Obama's move was a "direct defiance" of the law, Disher added.

If Hanen were to rule DACA should be ended, that would conflict with the court rulings that the program should be reopened -- likely setting the stage for a fast track to the Supreme Court by this fall.

Former Solicitor General Don Verrilli, who defended DACA's expansion in the previous Hanen case under the Obama administration, told reporters on a call Monday that the administration is trying to use the courts to achieve a policy outcome that it is too scared to stand behind itself. The administration justified ending the program because a court would likely find it unconstitutional, rather than because the administration saw a harm in it continuing.

"I think what you see here is the government hiding behind a legal rationale because it's unwilling to embrace the reality that it is abandoning DACA for reasons of policy, not reasons of law," Verrilli said.

In a statement Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions decried the creation of DACA in the first place, citing the original Hanen ruling as evidence of its lack of validity.

"The last administration violated its duty to enforce our immigration laws by directing and implementing a categorical, multipronged non-enforcement immigration policy for a massive group of illegal aliens," Sessions said. "This wrongful action left DACA open to the same legal challenges that effectively invalidated another program they established."
A rookie police officer who, according to authorities, said he had "f----d up" and "didn't know what to do" when he fatally shot an unarmed man in Pennsylvania has been charged with voluntary manslaughter, prosecutors said Tuesday.

South Whitehall Township Police Officer Jonathan Roselle, 33, whose US Army service included a tour in Afghanistan, had been on the job about six months when he encountered 44-year-old Joseph Santos on the afternoon of July 28, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said in a statement.

Crimes against persons Criminal law Criminal offenses Law and legal system Law enforcement Policing and police forces Shootings Crime, law enforcement and corrections Continents and regions North America Northeastern United States Pennsylvania The Americas United States

Moments earlier, a motorist pulled up alongside the officer and said a man had tried to get into her car, according to the statement. When Roselle pulled his car up to Santos, Santos was bleeding. He banged on the officer's side window, mounted the hood and banged on the windshield.

The officer drew his gun, repeatedly ordered Santos to get away from the car and radioed for help, Martin said. Santos walked away a short distance before turning around and walking back toward the officer.

"Get down on the ground," Roselle, now standing outside his car, told the man.

"Don't do it," Santos, who lived in New Jersey, told the officer.

As Santos got closer, Roselle fired five times, according to the prosecutor's statement. Santos was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The cause of death was found to be multiple gunshot wounds. After the shooting, protesters and counterprotesters gathered near the scene in support of Santos and the officer.

Roselle is the second Pennsylvania officer charged in connection with a fatal shooting this summer. On June 27, East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld was charged with criminal homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II, according to court records.

Antwon was shot in the face, right arm and the middle of his back, the criminal complaint said. The young man was in a car suspected in an earlier shooting but did not appear to be the shooter. The complaint also said Rosfeld made inconsistent statements about whether he believed Antwon had a gun when the officer opened fire.

'Tragic incident'

After the Santos shooting, Roselle told an officer at the scene that he thought he "f----d up" and "didn't know what to do" when Santos came at him, according to Martin. He repeated the assertion that he had made a mistake to others later. The prosecutor said the officer could have engaged Santos with his baton, pepper spray or Taser.

"This tragic incident is a reminder that split-second decisions can have grave consequences," South Whitehall Township Police Chief Glen Dorney told reporters Tuesday.

Martin said Santos may have been asking people on the boulevard for help.

"In this case, there is no evidence that Mr. Santos was armed with any weapon and no evidence that he had committed or attempted to commit a forcible felony," the prosecutor said in his statement. Roselle's "belief that he needed to defend himself with deadly force" was unreasonable and unjustified, the statement said.

Martin said that when Santos turned back toward the officer, he was walking.

"He was not running or rushing," the statement said. "He did not have anything visible in his hands; he was not clenching his fists; he did not present a threatening posture."

Additionally, the statement said Santos is heard on video, as the officer points a gun at him, saying "Don't do it."

"While it is true that Mr. Santos failed to comply with the officer's legitimate commands to get down on the ground, there is no objective (evidence) that Officer Roselle was in danger of imminent serious bodily injury or death."

'A man of honor'

Roselle has been placed on administrative leave. His attorney, Gavin Holihan, said in a statement that the officer believes "his actions were justified and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances evident at the time."

"He believes that when all of the evidence is presented publicly, any fair citizen will reach the same conclusion he reached: that the deadly force used on July 28 was justified and appropriate."

Martin said the shooting was "the act of a relatively inexperienced officer who held a subjective fear for his own safety; but, made a decision which objectively was unreasonable in light of the facts."

At a news conference Tuesday, Dorney offered thoughts and prayers to the Santos family as well as Roselle and his family. "I know this decision does not bring closure to Mr. Joseph Santos' family, but it may help gain some," he said.

He said of Roselle, "Knowing Jonathan as I do, he is a man of honor and integrity and a good person to the core. This incident does not change that."

Roselle graduated from the Allentown Police Academy in December 2017 and later underwent 13 weeks of field training, the statement said. He is a major in the National Guard.
ROME  Animal cruelty investigators are asking the public for information about a dog which was found tied to a log near the Erie Canal last week.

The Central New York SPCA says on July 30 a dog (pictured in this article) was discovered by Rome Animal Control tied to a log in the canal water. The dog was found on the canal trail at the end of Luquer Street in Rome.

The SPCA says they are looking for information regarding this abandoned dog. They believe the dog was intentionally tied up and left behind. Investigators say the dog is "doing well."

Anyone who has any info can call the CNY SPCA cruelty investigations department in Syracuse at 315-454-3469 or email crueltyinvestigations@cnyspca.org. The SPCA says tips will be kept confidential.
UTICA - The White House confirmed to NewsChannel 2 that President Trump is scheduled to be in Utica on Monday to headline a fundraiser for Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

If you get an invitation, you might want to crack open the piggy bank, or maybe sell the house. It's pricey, but not in comparison for other similar events around the nation.



A copy of the invitation to President Trump's Utica fundraiser for Rep. Claudia Tenney A copy of the invitation to President Trump's Utica fundraiser for Rep. Claudia Tenney

Some are calling the race for the 22nd Congressional District seat one of the most competitive in the nation, an idea confirmed by the prospect of a visit. While these prices might leave our jaws on the floor, Tenney says it's her understanding that this is the least expensive fundraiser Trump has ever attended.

For $15,000 per individual donors are able to attend the reception, and will receive a roundtable and photo with the President. For $5,000 per person you get can attend the reception and get a photo. For $1,000 you get to attend the reception. It does not sound like a quick visit.

Tenney says she is planning on getting the most of this rare Presidential visit to Utica.

What we know is that he is coming to Utica, Tenney said Wednesday morning. As far as we know, it's a fundraiser. We're hoping he's going to make some stops. We hope that he's going to be able to meet with some key people in our community. Hopefully we'll get him to meet with a farmer, hopefully we'll get him to meet with some businesspeople

Tenney says she is getting calls from people willing to spend $50,000, which she says is standard fare, for a roundtable. She said she's getting interest locally and from outside the area.

"President Donald Trump's historic visit to the Mohawk Valley is symbolic of the importance he and I place on serving the forgotten people of upstate New York. I have worked alongside our President to deliver tax cuts to middle-income families, secure our border, revitalize our manufacturing industry, and bring back jobs to our region. We are honored to have President Trump's commitment to continuing to deliver real results for our region's hardworking families, small businesses, family farms and veterans," said Tenney in an email release.

The location of the fundraiser is not being made public at this time. It will be provided to attendees upon RSVP.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: White House source: President Trump to visit Utica on Monday
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  Lafayette School Corporation is looking into new and creative ways to feed students. Administrators think they have found the answer in a food truck.

It's a fun way for students to get food during the school day and it also guarantees what they are eating meets nutrition requirements.

The school corporation hopes the truck will encourage more kids to eat at school. Administrators said students will have five menu options to choose from.

The Food Truck is provided through a partnership with Chartwells, the company that provides food services to LSC.

Chief Financial officer of LSC, Eric Rody said the truck still needs some work before it's ready to use.

"The simple things of a vehicle, a license plate on it, get it registered, get it insured it's a kitchen and it cooks so it has to be inspected by the health department," said Eric Rody.

The plan is to start the truck out at Lafayette Jefferson High School and Tecumseh Junior High School.

The district hopes to roll it out officially in a few weeks.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  A new national poll lists the West Lafayette Community School Corporation as the third best public school district in the country. It also lists the corporation as the best school district in Indiana, for the third straight year.

Niche.com just released its 2019 rankings. The site takes into account academics, teaching, activities, diversity and college prep among others.

The district received an "A+" overall ranking. Superintendent Rocky Killion cites the school district's educators for its success.

"Exceeding expectations equals quality. We are working every day to exceed expectations so our children have a world class education system," said Killion.

Carmel Clay, Zionsville, Hamilton Southeastern and Southwest Allen County Schools round out the top-5 in the state. The Tippecanoe School Corporation came in at number 21 and the Lafayette School Corporation came in at number 53 out of 291 public Indiana school districts.

West Lafayette students head back to class Thursday.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  Tippecanoe School Corporation counselors gathered up counselors in the surrounding area together with one mission in mind. The goal was to make sure they are all properly stacked with local tools they can use for this upcoming school year.

TSC hosted the first Mental Health Roundtable discussion. Counselors were able to hear and talk to mental health service providers about how they can help the students they serve. The hope is that this partnership will help students have a successful school year.

McCutcheon High School Counselor Megan Ulrich said it's a lot harder to learn when you have a crisis or other problems on your mind.

"Maybe it wasn't all the same stuff as when we were in school, but we have to make sure we stay up to date on that and know where to direct the families and what kind of advice to give them also," said Ulrich.

This gives the conselors a chance to see what resources are available outside of school.

"It's hard to go ahead and attend to things like math, two plus two equals four if you're worried about things at home if you're worried about where you're going to sleep at night," said Pamela Mccombs, Director of Wabash Valley Alliance Child and Adolescent Branch

The goal is to have the roundtable discussion each year with more resources from the community.




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Witness appeal to trace male seen driving stolen quad bike

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Aug 8th, 2018

An appeal for witnesses has been launched to help trace a male seen riding a stolen quad bike in the Wrexham area yesterday.

Police say the red Honda quad bike was stolen from Ruabon on Tuesday. It was later sighted at 2:18pm heading towards the Coedpoeth area.

A man with blonde hair, with a dark blue t-shirt with a white stripe on was seen driving the vehicle.

Did you see anything yesterday or have seen the quad bike since? Any information can be reported to North Wales Police on 101 quoting reference W111166.
On Sunday, the Berkeley Police Department (BPD) posted to its Twitter account the names, ages, photos and cities of residence of fifteen anti-fascist protesters who were arrested earlier that day during a counter-protest to a far-right rally.

The decision of police to publicize the personal information of those arrested is a transparent call for right-wingers to harass and assault those named. None of the people arrested had been charged with a crime or had their cases referred to the district attorney for prosecution when their information was posted.

The protests on Sunday were in response to the No to Marxism in America 2 / Exposing Communism event that was called as a provocation by the alt-right. The rally organizer stated the event would expose the violent communist movement taking place in this city. She specifically described Antifa and other Bay Area political groups as traitors and treasonous trash.

Divisions within the alt-right led to some groups disavowing the rally beforehand. As usual over the past two years, the alt-right rally of a few dozen was dwarfed by the hundreds of counter-protesters which the BPD estimated at 500. Under guidelines from the city, the BPD set up an exclusion zone around the protest where carrying anything that is generally considered an implement of riot is illegal, a law so vague as to give police complete discretion in detaining protesters.

Although the BPD press release described an extremist element that caused significant damage to city property, only one person arrested was accused of vandalism. A search of the county court records lists no charges so far in that case.

Most of the protesters whose information the police publicized were arrested for having undisclosed banned weapons. Photographs of confiscated items posted by the BPD include helmets, a bicycle lock, rocks, pepper spray and short sticks.

The BPD defended its actions publicizing the personal information of those arrested, with police spokesman Byron White telling reporters People are coming from out of town and bringing weapons and are committed to violence... We dont want people to be able to do that with anonymity. The claim is on its face a lie. All but one of the people exposed was from Berkeley or its immediately neighboring cities. Moreover, the police only accused one person in their list of a violent act, battery.

Most damning is the presumption of guilt. None of the people the BPD declared were committed to violence had been charged, let alone convicted, of a crime. By publicizing their information and slandering them, the BPD was appealing for extrajudicial repercussions.

The Democratic mayor of Berkeley, Jesse Arreguin, has refused to criticize the police, telling the Guardian newspaper only that We need to look into this and discuss whether this is an appropriate practice going forward.

Following a public outcry and negative international press, the BPD removed the tweets in question Tuesday afternoon. As of writing, the BPD has not explained their decision or responded to the WSWSs request for comment.

Berkeley has historically been used as a testing ground for right-wing provocations and police repression. Ever since the free speech movement of the 1960s the city has had a reputation for radical politics. The same police department that fired buckshot at protesters then, killing one student, is now testing how far they can roll back the right to political protest.

Last year, UC Berkeley spent $800,000 on security for a Free Speech Week by far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos which failed to materialize, and then used that expense to increase the number of undercover police on campus and give the police department veto power over student club meetings and protests.

Far from being impartial defenders of free speech rights, the police have repeatedly collaborated with and supported white supremacist and far-right elements. In Portland on Saturday, police attacked anti-fascist demonstrators, hospitalizing two while leaving the neo-Nazi Patriot Prayer rally untouched.

An ongoing court case against anti-fascist protesters stemming from a 2016 street fight in Sacramento has exposed direct collaboration between the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and neo-Nazis. Police records revealed in court show that the CHP sought to protect the identity of armed neo-Nazis.

CHP investigator Donovan Ayres filed an internal report including the names and photographs of five members of the Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP), a neo-Nazi organization, who had knives at the 2016 rally. None of the five were charged, and far from publicizing their identities the CHP assured them that they considered the TWP to be victims needing protection.

When someone filed a public information request on the TWPs permit to hold a rally, Ayres told the neo-Nazi on the form Im gonna suggest that we hold that or redact your name or something.

Officers interviewed a TWP member specifically accused of stabbing anti-fascist protesters, hoping he could identify Antifa members involved in the fight. Were pretty much going after them, they said, Were looking at you as a victim.

Ayers wrote in his report on one counter-demonstrator who had been repeatedly stabbed that social media posts showing him holding up his fist in a black power salute as well as his anti-racist activism showed his intent and motivation to violate the civil rights of the TWP. Ayres recommended charging the man on 11 offenses.
A scandal involving faulty vaccines in China has caused widespread public anger against both the government and major corporations. The revelations last month demonstrate the systematic neglect of proper standards for production and safety testing, along with cover-ups by the pharmaceutical company, Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology.

The scandal initially broke on July 15 when Chinas Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) announced that Changsheng had forged data while improperly producing and storing approximately 113,000 rabies vaccines. This was done to cut costs, according to a government investigation team.

Five days later, the CFDA also revealed that it had been investigating the company since last November for selling 250,000 ineffective doses of the DPT vaccine, a combined vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus. Despite evidence of criminal negligence, the CFDA allowed Changsheng to continue its operations, only revoking its good manufacturing practices (GMP) licence in response to the rabies vaccine scandal.

While vaccine quickly became the most censored word in China, this did not prevent an enormous number of critical comments and postings on social media sites like Weibo and WeChat. The social media hashtag, #Changsheng vaccine case, received over 470 million views within a week, with many stating that the exposure had undermined their trust in the authorities.

In comments typical of the responses, one Weibo user asked, If the state does not protect its citizens, how can we love our country? Another said, All my friends are freaking out with this vaccine case, everyone is scared. It really reflects big loopholes and issues with Chinas food and drug safety regulation.

Yanzhong Huang, an adjunct senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, stated in the Washington Post, The incident, if not properly handled could evolve into a legitimacy crisis. The environment, corruption, food safety, and now vaccines. These things add up and they can really pose challenges to government legitimacy.

As with previous incidents involving public safety, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has addressed the public outrage with a combination of palliative measures, empty rhetoric and censorship. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have weighed in on the issue, denouncing it as crossing a moral line and promising severe punishment. Gao Jungfang, the billionaire chairwoman of Changsheng, and 17 other senior officials have been arrested.

Any punishment, however, will likely be a slap on the wrist. The provincial branch of the CFDA in Jilin, where Changsheng is based, has already fined the company a paltry 3.4 million yuan ($502,200). The companys 2017 profits were 566 million yuan ($83 million), an increase of nearly 32 percent over 2016, while it was also receiving a 48.3 million yuan ($7.1 million) government subsidy.

The impact on the estimated 200,000 people administered the faulty DPT vaccines, mostly children, is not yet known. Effects could range from being completely ineffective, putting the children at risk of contracting dangerous diseases, to causing side-effects and reactions, particularly if the vaccines themselves became contaminated with bacteria or other substances.

Changsheng was the second-largest producer of the rabies vaccine in China, manufacturing a quarter of the countrys doses. Rabies is a significant public health concern in China, which has the second highest reported rate of the disease in the world and over 2,000 deaths annually. Although its prevalence in developed nations has been almost eliminated, rural and impoverished regions of the world continue to be affected. Almost 60,000 die from the disease every year worldwide.

The potential risks have understandably caused immense hardship and fear among much of the Chinese public. Many families have travelled to Hong Kong, which has a separate healthcare system, to receive medical care for themselves or their children, a difficult and expensive process that is not feasible for many millions of Chinas working-class and rural families.

On Monday and Tuesday last week, dozens of parents and activists gathered outside buildings in Beijing in a public demonstration against the government. Protests were also held in Chongqing, in south-western China, and a group of parents confronted local health authorities in Weihai, an eastern port city in Shandong province.

I thought about all the people involved, from the vaccine company to the regulators. They cannot be called human. They are devils in hell, a Weihai mother, whose infant son had received the vaccine, told the Guardian newspaper.

While Chinese government officials have sought to portray these crimes as a result of malfeasance by just one company, the scandal is just the latest in a series of similar episodes in the industry.

In November 2017, when Changsheng was being investigated for its dubious DPT vaccines, another pharmaceutical company, the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, was caught having sold over 400,000 faulty DPT vaccines. Both the company and regulatory authorities have since claimed that this negligence was an accident and that problems with its manufacturing process had been resolved, a finding unlikely to reassure anyone.

Last month Chinas pharmaceutical corporations confronted an international crisis when the widely-used blood pressure medication Valsartan was recalled in 23 countries due to the presence of a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) in one of its active ingredients. That ingredient was supplied by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals.

Many in China have also pointed to the contamination of milk formula with melamine (an industrial chemical used to make plastics) in 2008 that led to the deaths of six infants and caused over 300,000 children to fall ill. Eight years later in 2016, the same milk manufacturers were caught attempting to sell expired or counterfeit milk powder, which increased the risk of exposure to contaminated products or bacteria.

Ultimately, the problem is not limited to China or Chinese companies, but stems from the subordination of all aspects of healthcare to the capitalist system. Major corporations around the world are engaged in similar criminality, with the complicity of their respective national regulatory agencies. The opioid crisis in the United States, exacerbated by pharmaceutical companies illegally distributing large amounts of addictive painkillers to impoverished parts of the country, is but one example.

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Chinas milk crisis: another disaster unleashed by the capitalist market

[24 September 2008]
Haringeys Labour council has voted to terminate the hugely unpopular Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV), claiming this marks a new direction in its housing policy. The project has already cost the north London boroughs council 2.45 million, as well as around 250,000 in fighting a judicial review brought by opponents of the scheme.

Its decision to pull out will incur a further 520,275 in costs paid by the council to its partnerglobal private developer Lendlease. Lendlease said it may take legal action due to potential loss of profits.

HDV was instigated by the former dominant Blairite group around then-leader Claire Kober for the redevelopment of Northumberland Park council estate. It involved the transfer of an unprecedented 2 billion worth of social assets to HDV, which was a 50-50 council partnership with Lendlease.

The proposed redevelopment scheme would have seen the demolition of 1,400 council houses on seven estates and their replacement by luxury developments and supposedly affordable properties. These would be well beyond the reach of most working class residents, while the scheme would have made vast profits for the corporations involved.

There was a furious response by local residents, and many HDV-supporting councillors were deselected by their party branches. Although they were ineligible to run for Labour in Mays elections, these council members pushed through HDV at their last full meeting.

A particularly pernicious role in this was played by their left opponents in Momentum. Having been selected as candidates for their stated opposition to HDV, they absented themselves from this meeting so as not to conflict with the Blairites. HDV was carried by two votes.

Kober soon announced that she was quitting because of threats, bullying, sexism and intimidation that she claimed to have received from Momentum group supporters. Shortly afterwards, Kober announced her lucrative appointment as director of housing at the housing management group Pinnacle.

Labour went into Mays local elections on a manifesto stating, We do not believe that the HDV provides the answer and we do not intend to progress with it.

This was hardly a ringing opposition, with new council leader Joseph Ejiofor telling local press after the election that Whilst we might be predisposed to making a decision, that decision has not been predetermined. Local opponents of HDV noted Ejiofors previous lack of consistency on this question, saying his election as leader doesnt bode well for the end of social cleansing in Haringey.

Ejiofor was elected leader by Labour councillors, although the membership of the Constituency Labour Party supported councillor Zena Brabazon, in part because of her more consistent opposition to HDV. Brabazon and the cabinet member responsible for housing, Emina Ibrahim, who was also a vocal opponent of HDV, are both associated with Momentum.

But so is Ejiofor, and he spelled out Momentums real position ahead of the election: The reality is that Momentum is now part of the Labour partythere is no such thing as a [sic] Momentum councillors or candidates on Haringey Council, only Labour councillors. Since Kobers departure, the press may have called it a Momentum council, but Momentum themselves are Labour loyalists.

Despite routing the Blairites with a mandate to stop HDV, it took months for the council to agree to scrap it. Momentums loyalism echoes Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns determination to maintain unity with the Labour right.

Despite rejecting HDV, Haringeys Momentum-led council has not come up with any proposals to end the threat of social cleansing. The council had 17 estates at risk of demolition, and Ejiofor has refused to remove any of them from the list. A delegation from the local Broadwater Farm estate attended the council meeting that terminated HDV. They angrily demanded information on the proposed evacuation of the Tangmere and Northolt block on Broadwater Farm, asking for details of the funding being proposed in Haringeys plans.

In the aftermath of last years Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people, the council conducted safety checks on the 12 tower blocks of the Broadwater Farm estate. Eleven of the buildings failed safety tests. Strengthening work is being conducted at nine of the blocks, but residents of Tangmere and Northolt blocks have been told their buildings must be demolished.

Jacob Secker, of the Broadwater Farm Residents Association, said the council havent even identified the funding for two blocks, never mind the whole estate. You cannot consult unless you have two properly costed options. Then let the residents decide.

This would be consistent with the policy announced by Labours London Mayor Sadiq Khan that city hall money will only be available for social housing redevelopment plans if it has been approved by residents in a ballot. Khans plans will not apply retrospectively, meaning controversial social cleansing projects already underway can proceed unhindered. Khan has left considerable leeway with the balloting, as responsibility for deciding whether it applies is left up to the developers, who then also have various exemption clauses available to them.

Haringey council has announced its intention to establish a wholly-owned company for the purpose of delivering new council-owned homes. At present, 14 London boroughs have direct delivery programmes, where public land is developed by in-house teams, but Haringey looks likely to join the 17 London boroughs with active wholly-owned development companiesi.e., separate commercial companies owned by councils, as the Centre for London think tank explains. Centre for London notes that joint ventures have, as in Haringey, sometimes been controversial, but insists that does not mean they should be written off.

Indeed, Ejiofors council has been concerned to rehabilitate the notion of commercial responsibility for construction, without the stigma of joint venture. In a telling comment, the council expressed its opposition to the transfer of public assets at the scale envisaged.

This has not gone unnoticed by protesters. Haringey Defend Council Housing (DCH) has reported on the proposals for the wholly owned company to develop or redevelop housing sites beginning with Cranwood, a development at Brunel Walk, and the Civic Centre. The proposals would see the company building council housing alongside affordable and market [i.e., unaffordable] homes, and this for-profit company should be the landlord of the council homes.

DCH noted that the establishment of wholly owned companies for ownership and management of council properties was introduced by the Cameron/Osborne Conservative government to repurpose local government, so that councils could be owning a range of businesses.

That the transfer of public assets to a private corporation for profit can even be presented as legitimate form of social investment, is entirely down to the so-called left around Corbyn, which uses the same language. The same council briefing document that described HDV as a social investment programme also contained a section on Reputational and Political Risks and Implications setting out the balance Labour is trying to strike:

Views on the HDV will vary and while many people will be happy that work on the project has been discontinued, there will be some who will either be disappointed with the decision to stop the HDV, confused about the direction of the Council or sceptical about the Councils commitment to delivery.

Most importantly, this applies to the residents and businesses who are affected but might also apply to potential investors, government agencies or the media.

As important as not alienating residents, therefore, is not alienating future investors. Everything about Haringeys move away from HDV under Momentum points to anxieties among the group about the scale of what was being proposed rather than any opposition in principle. The Evening Standard editorialised that Haringey had made an undeliverable promise to build new houses with public money on public landwhich is meaningless since the council has no idea how to fund this.

The Standard is edited by George Osborne, who as chancellor of the exchequer was architect of wholly owned council management companies Haringey is now contemplating as an alternative.

All of this strengthens Lendleases hand. Dan Labbad, chief executive of Lendlease Europe, who led a deputation to the council meeting, said the company was extremely disappointed. Repeatedly heckled at the meeting with cries of We dont want you, Labbad urged the council to defer its decision and deploy the flexible framework of HDV.

Having already legitimised the notion that private partnership is a socially beneficial move, the council gave Labbad the opportunity to sound concerned for the 10,000 [Haringey] familiesin desperate need of a home who will suffer most.

Labbads rhetoric is entirely premised on commercial considerations. In his words, There is a great fit between our capacity and your needs. Ahead of the meeting, Labbad wrote to the council that the company would have no choice but to seek to protect Lendleases interests should Haringey reverse its appointment. Writing that the council should avoid any step that infringes or damages Lendleases rights, Labbad said menacingly, You will presumably have taken legal advice about the full range of remedies that would be open to Lendlease if we were prevented from proceeding.

The council was at pains to tell Lendlease that ending the HDV had nothing to do with the quality of their work nor of their desirability as a partner.

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Claire Kober: From Labour leader of Londons Haringey Council to property developer

[12 May 2018]
The Trump administrations war on immigrants and the working class as a whole continues unabated with an NBC report Tuesday revealing the administration plans to change existing immigration rules to deny citizenship to legal immigrants who might have accessed any kind of public benefits prior to submitting their application.

The plan to limit citizenship access to legal immigrants is part of fascistic White House senior advisor Stephen Millers broader anti-immigrant agenda. In its current version, the rule will affect over 20 million legal immigrants who have ever usedeither for themselves or any household memberessential public benefits such as health insurance subsidies or food stamps. The rule vastly expands the power of the Department of Homeland Security to deny applications for permanent residency and citizenship.

The rule does not need congressional approval because of the public charge clause in US Immigration law that was evoked by the Clinton administration in 1999 to target immigrants who were dependent on cash benefits from programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Now, the Trump administration is expanding the term public charge to include immigrants who use non-cash benefits such as Medicaid, the Child Health Insurance Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and many others.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told NBC: The administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law, which is clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the US are self-sufficient. Any proposed changes would ensure that the government takes the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer funds seriously and adjudicates immigration benefit requests in accordance with the law.

The move shows the anti-working class character of the attack on immigrants. Last August, Trump endorsed a bill that aimed at drastically slashing legal immigration to the US. Proposed by Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA), the bill proposed to institute a merit-based system to determine who is admitted to the country and granted legal residency green cards. This system, if put in place, would slash legal immigration by 41 percent in the first year and eventually by 50 percent.

In expressing support for the legislation, Trump proclaimed, This legislation will not only restore our competitive edge in the 21st century, but it will restore the sacred bonds of trust between America and its citizensThis legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and puts America first.

The merit-based system is an attempt to implement a class quota on immigration. It is meant to favor high-skilled, highly educated and linguistically diverse immigrants and denies access to poor and working class immigrants and those seeking to join family members living in the United States. Under earlier rules, the latter category constituted more than half of the legal immigrants admitted into the country every year.

The attack on immigrants who have relied on social programs is an escalation of this agenda. It is not difficult to imagine that the most vulnerable sections of society have occasionally had to depend on some kind of welfare program for health reasons or to survive. To claim that legal immigrants who have had to use these programs are a drain on society and are not self-sufficient is disingenuous and presages an intensified attack on the social programs upon which workers rely regardless of immigration status. In the new rule change, even immigrant households earning as much as 250 percent of poverty-level income could still be rejected.

In addition, the clause that makes an immigrant potentially ineligible for citizenship if someone in their household accesses public benefits means the children of legal immigrants that are US citizens will be effectively barred from accessing social programs.

NBC highlighted the case of Louis Charles, a Haitian green card holder seeking citizenship. Charles, who came to the US in 1989, works nearly 80 hours a week as a nursing assistant. He had initially come into the country with a false passport given by smugglers, which he immediately surrendered to Border Patrol. He received a waiver from USCIS absolving him of wrong doing, and went on to get a green card in 2011.

Charles works nearly 80 hours a week as a nursing assistant. However, Charles has had to rely on disability services over the years to help take care of his daughter, a US citizen now in her 20s who is incapable of living by herself. Under the new rules, Charles will most likely be denied citizenship. Charles, who has already faced some unexpected hurdles in his citizenship application with USCIS informing him that it is revisiting his fake passport charge, now faces the possibility of having to leave his severely disabled daughter to fend for herself.

Workers of all nationalities must recognize the attack on working class immigrants as an attack on the working class as a whole. Only on this basis can both the targeted immigrants and the social services upon which millions rely be protected.
Dozens of protestors gathered at New Orleanss Democratic Mayor LaToya Cantrells office on Tuesday July 31 to speak out against the proposed plan by the citys Sewage and Water Board (SWB) to cut off the water to some 17,000 homes.

The utility shut-offs are being implemented after the SWB has for months faced criticisms and complaints from residents stemming from incorrect billing and other irregularities. Thousands of complaints and disputes were filed against the Board in the recent period protesting its failure to send bills regularly, unusual spikes in charges, or sometimes never sending a bill at all.

A moratorium on shut-offs went into place in November of last year, but the time has elapsed and Mayor Cantrell, who is also the president of the SWB, is calling for the cancellation of water service for those who have delinquent payments.

Cantrell, an African American, has been hailed as a hero of the Democratic Party for being the first woman elected as Mayor in the history of New Orleans. Yet since she came into office earlier this year conditions in the city have only worsened. Cantrell, who was a prominent member of the City Council before becoming Mayor, defied their request for a delay in the cut-offs.

For her part, Cantrell places the blame for water shut-offs solely at the feet of the poor and working class of New Orleans who have for years been struggling with billing irregularities and overcharging. Speaking to Nola.com, a spokesperson for Cantrell expressed her thoughts on the matter: Mayor Cantrell supports bringing accountability to delinquent bad actors who have taken advantage of the billing problems to avoid paying their fair share.

In other words, there will be no more leniency for any delinquent payments, with the Mayor barely able to disguise her disdain for the citys working poor who cannot pay their bills.

According to a report from 2014, 52 percent of households in New Orleans are below the poverty line. Health and education programs are routinely cut as roads and bridges crumble and heavy seasonal rainfall threatens flooding for half of the city.

Officials of the Sewage and Water Board remained evasive in their explanation of the plan and could not give a clear telling of just how many households will be cut off or when. The Board has issued threats of cut-offs for months while there are still over 30,000 unresolved billing disputes. Despite this, the Board claims that the billing issues have been resolved and that collection will begin.

On Wednesday, the offices of the SWB were flooded with residents hoping to settle these disputes before having their water cut off. Many of them have received incorrect bills for months and are now facing the prospect of a loss of water service.

Several residents spoke to World Socialist Web Site reporters about their issues with the impending water cut-offs.

Enid, a resident of the devastated Lower Ninth Ward, told reporters of her wildly inconsistent water bills. Its just me living by myself and I have an outstanding balance of $1,400. Im on disability and can barely afford the minimum payments. A brief glimpse at Enids bill shows wildly varying charges totaling hundreds of dollars each month.

The billing issue that has supposedly been fixed has clearly left many residents demanding answers. I havent received a bill in over a year and just today theyre charging me $700, one resident told reporters. We havent seen a meter reader in a year, but we still pay our water every month. Where are these charges coming from? Its not our problem [the SWB has] billing issues, yet were being gouged.

Cantrells designation of delinquent residents as bad actors was met with outrage by protesters lining up outside the Board offices. One woman there told an official that she felt the Mayors comments were a deliberate attack on the thousands of people in New Orleans who could face cut-offs: If you shut off peoples water that is a form of violence.

As a former member of the Criminal Justice Committee, Cantrell has a history of criminalizing poor and working class neighborhoods around the city. Over the past two years, hundreds of surveillance cameras have been put up all over the city in an effort to spy on and arbitrarily detain residents, fleecing them with arbitrary traffic fines in the hundreds of dollars. Cantrell also backed a program to expand the citys police force. The implementation of police-state measures is in direct preparation for the further backlash that is sure to come from the citys poor and working class population as the city government threatens further cuts to services.
Ryanair pilots in Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany are expected to strike Friday in opposition to attacks on their pay and working conditions.

The strikes are over a range of issues. A large number of the pilots who fly for Ryanair are not employed by the airline. They are forced to form a one-person company and even set up a bank account in Ireland.

In that country, some 100 full-time pilots are striking over issues of seniority. In Germany, 400 pilots are opposing the increasing use of agency workers and demanding a higher base salary so that variable payments based on hours flown make up a smaller part of overall remuneration. They are also demanding higher sick pay and equal pay across German operations.

In Sweden, pilots are in dispute because the trade union involved has been unable to reach a collective agreement and claims that Ryanair is refusing to negotiate. In the Netherlands, workers are demanding a collective contract in which Dutch labour law is applied, including full-time jobs, improved sick pay and pension provisions. In Belgium, pilots are walking out in defence of cabin crew who struck in June and have faced intimidation by management.

Pilots in all five countries have voted in favour of strike action, with unions in the Netherlands and Germany yet to formally decide on when to strike. Pilots in the Netherlands expressed the common determination of pilots in all of the countries involved to fight back by voting by 99.5 percent for industrial action. German pilots voted for strike action by a similar margin.

Ryanair pilots in Ireland, where the company is headquartered, have already staged four one-day strikes this year.

The strikes must be seen in the context of a developing resurgence of the class struggle internationally. In a January 3 Perspective article, World Socialist Web Site Chairperson David North wrote that 2018 would be characterized, above all, by an immense intensification of social tensions and an escalation of class conflict around the world.

North continued: The essential contradictions of the capitalist system  are now rapidly approaching the point where the further suppression of mass working class opposition to capitalism is impossible.

This assessment is being borne out, with struggles erupting all over the world against attacks on workers pay, conditions and livelihoods, including the mass strikes by teachers in the United States, the strike by industrial workers in Germany, the fight by 50,000 university lecturers in the UK in defence of pension rights, and the strikes and protests by rail workers in France against pro-business legislation imposed by the Macron government.

Last month, an article in Politico referred to the initial Ryanair strikes as the harbinger of a continent-wide rebellion by cabin crew and pilots. This rebellion is gathering paceas a global struggle against a transnational corporation employing 13,000 workers and operating from 86 bases in 37 countries across Europe and North Africa.

This has implications for the global airline industry. Carrying 130 million passengers last year, Ryanair is Europes largest airline by passenger numbers. It plays a critical role in setting new benchmarks of super-exploitation based on its business model of imposing low pay and long working hours.

Ryanair recruits staff at rock bottom rates of pay, using agencies to scour low-wage countriesparticularly in eastern Europeto hire cabin crew who can reportedly be paid as little as 10 a flight. According to information obtained by the ryanairdontcare blog, over 4,000 Ryanair staff are on zero-hour contracts, earning as little as 600 a month.

Ryanair cabin crew report that they work unpaid for up to five hours a day. The firm has maintained a policy whereby staff must be available for airport standby and are paid just 3.75 per hour. Pilots previously had to pay Ryanair a training course fee of 29,500, which was reduced only this year. However, cadets are still forced to hand over an upfront fee of 5,000.

The pressure placed on workers is intolerable. Last Friday, a Dutch Ryanair pilot with 10 years at the company, Jouke Schrale, was found dead in a staff car park at Malaga airportreportedly having committed suicide shortly before he was scheduled to fly a plane to Brussels. This is the second suicide of a Ryanair pilot since 2011, when Paul Ridgard, based at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool, took his own life.

The Ryanair strike shows that the struggles of the working class are reaching a higher stage of development and intensity, posing strategic issues before every section of the international working class.

In 1988, the International Committee of the Fourth International made a far-sighted appraisal of the impact on the future course of the class struggle of globalised production and the domination of economic life by huge transnational corporations. The ICFI wrote:

It has long been an elementary proposition of Marxism that the class struggle is national only as to form, but that it is, in essence, an international struggle. However, given the new features of capitalist development, even the form of the class struggle must assume an international character. Even the most elemental struggles of the working class pose the necessity of coordinating its actions on an international scale.

The main obstacle to such an offensive is the nationalist, pro-capitalist trade unions, which function as an industrial police force on behalf of the corporations, banks and national governments.

Fridays joint action will take place due only to an incipient rebellion against trade unions that have worked for months to prevent such an outcome. Germanys Cockpit union did not announce a date for a strike because it was desperately seeking a last-minute, face-saving agreement with Ryanair.

Ahead of this weeks strikes, the Sepla union, representing 500 of the 800 Ryanair pilots in Spain, announced that it would not be calling strikes despite failing to reach a collective bargaining contract with Ryanair. It would initiate legal action instead.

Some 25 percent of Ryanairs pilots are located in the UK. Throughout the latest wave of international strikes, the BALPA trade union, recognised by the company in January, has continued fruitless negotiations with Ryanair, seeking an end to a fragmented pay structure, to reduce the number of contract pilots and the acceptance of seniority.

For its part, the Irish pilots union (Ialpa-Forsa) has agreed to third-party negotiations beginning next week.

Not only are the unions keeping pilots strikes in the various countries separated from one another wherever possible, they are also isolating pilots from Ryanairs super-exploited cabin crews. At the end of July, cabin crew workers held strikes for two days in Spain, Portugal and Belgium, with no involvement by the pilots.

In stark contrast, corporations such as Ryanair utilise the global economy to impose ever greater levels of exploitation. The company relies on the divisions between workers deliberately fostered by the trade unions on the basis of their reactionary perspective of economic nationalism. Ryanair has threatened to sack more than 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew workers based at Dublin Airport, with CEO Michael OLeary warning that the company will move jobs to Poland from Ireland if they continue to strike.

The only way to combat this global offensive by the employers is for workers to mount a global offensive of their own!

Ryanair pilots, cabin crew and ground staff must break free of the grip of the trade unions and take the struggle into their own hands.

Rank-and-file committees must be formed, wholly independent of the trade unions. They must link up the fight of all Ryanair workers across all national divisions, while making an appeal for support from airline, transport and delivery workers across the globe.

This requires the adoption of a socialist, internationalist programme, as fought for by the ICFI, including placing the airline industry under public ownership, to be run democratically as part of a planned global economy based on human need, not the accumulation of private profit.

Ryanair workers in agreement with this perspective should write to the WSWS and share your experiences with your co-workers internationally.
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed in its entirety a case filed by the parents of slain Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich against Fox News, one of the network's reporters, and a Texas businessman.

Judge George B. Daniels of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York wrote in his opinion that he had granted Fox News' motion to dismiss the lawsuit over the plaintiffs' "failure to state a claim."

More specifically, Daniels said that "each of the Plaintiffs' claims fail to adequately allege essential elements of the causes of action asserted."

A spokesperson for Fox News did not immediately return a request for comment. Neither did the lawyers for the Rich family or Butowsky.

Joel and Mary Rich, who filed their lawsuit in March, had sought compensation for "mental anguish and emotional distress" caused by the publication of a baseless conspiracy theory regarding the 2016 unsolved murder of their son.

Exclusive: The chaos behind the scenes of Fox News' now-retracted Seth Rich story

The lawsuit said that Malia Zimmerman, the Fox News reporter named in the lawsuit, worked with Ed Butowsky, the Texas businessman, to develop a "sham" story about Rich's death that Fox News published online in May 2017 and referenced on-air multiple times.

Zimmerman's story said Rod Wheeler, a private investigator and Fox News contributor hired by Butowsky on behalf of the Rich family to look into Rich's death, had learned that Wikileaks had been in contact with Rich prior to his death. The story suggested without real evidence that Rich had leaked a trove of DNC emails to Wikileaks and further suggested that his death, which police suspect was a botched robbery, was retribution for the supposed leak.

Within hours, however, the Fox News story fell apart when Wheeler -- who sued Fox News over the story, but also had his case dismissed by Daniels on Thursday -- told CNN he had no evidence to suggest Rich had contacted Wikileaks before his death.

But Fox News left the story up on its website for days and guests continued to mention the conspiracy theory on its air. The network ultimately retracted the story seven days after it was published.

The Rich family lawsuit said the actions taken by the defendants "were so outrageous in character and so extreme in degree as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency and are atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community."

Attorneys for Fox News filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and requested an oral hearing in May. Daniels granted the hearing and heard the case in late June.

During the oral arguments, Daniels grilled Fox News' legal defense team. But Daniels really tore into the attorneys representing the Rich family.

At several points during the hearing, Daniels told one of the Rich attorneys that his understanding of the law was incorrect.

"What you are saying is legally wrong!" Daniels explained during on contentious debate. "It is wrong!"

Updated: This story has been updated to clarify the circumstances of Rod Wheeler's hiring, and to note that Wheeler's lawsuit against Fox News was also dismissed on Thursday.
An amendment from Italy's anti-establishment government that removes mandatory vaccination for schoolchildren is sending shock waves through the country's scientific and medical community.

It suspends for a year a law that requires parents to provide proof of 10 routine vaccinations when enrolling their children in nurseries or preschools. The amendment was approved by Italy's upper house of parliament on Friday by 148 to 110 votes and still has to pass the lower house.

Communicable disease control Continents and regions Europe Health and medical Italy Public health Southern Europe Vaccination and immunization Children Children's health Demographic groups Diseases and disorders Families and children Family members and relatives Health and health care (by demographic group) Maternal and child health Pediatric vaccinations Population and demographics Society Infectious diseases Measles Science

The law had originally been introduced by the Democratic Party in July 2017 amid an ongoing outbreak of measles that saw 5,004 cases reported in 2017 -- the second-highest figure in Europe after Romania -- according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Italy accounted for 34% of all measles cases reported by countries in the European Economic Area, the center said.

Italy's Five Star movement and its coalition partner, the far-right League, both voiced their opposition to compulsory vaccinations, claiming they discourage school inclusion.

League leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said in June that the 10 obligatory vaccinations, which include measles, tetanus and polio, "are useless and in many cases dangerous, if not harmful," according to ANSA news agency.

"I confirm the commitment to allow all children to go to school," he added. "The priority is that they don't get expelled from the classes."

Health Minister Giulia Grillo, a Five Star member, said the government wants to "spur school inclusion and simplify rules for parents."

Why it's dangerous

Doctors and experts have warned that the amendment might invert a positive trend that saw Italy's inoculation coverage rising after spending years lagging behind the World Health Organization's recommended 95% coverage level to ensure "herd immunity."

"Italy's measles vaccine coverage was par with Namibia, lower than Ghana," said Roberto Burioni, a professor of microbiology and virology at San Raffaele University in Milan. "But the law was working, the coverage was improving. We should strengthen it, not weaken it. Now, children who are not vaccinated will endanger other children at school who are too small for vaccines or cannot be vaccinated because they suffer from immunosuppressive diseases."

In 2015, child immunization rates in Italy for the first dose of the measles vaccine was 85%, according to World Health Organization figures. The second dose was 83%.

Italians' trust in the efficacy and safety of vaccinations was affected by an infamous ruling in 2012 from a Rimini court that established a link between autism and the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccination, experts say. While the ruling was overturned three years later, it helped anti-vaccination theories to spread in Italy -- and globally.

"Italy is part of a global trend of distrust in mediators -- doctors and scientists -- who can interpret and explain data," said Andrea Grignolio, who teaches the history of medicine and bioethics at La Sapienza University of Rome. "With the advent of the Internet, people have the illusion they can access and read data by themselves, removing the need for technical and scientific knowledge."

While European countries behave differently as far as mandatory vaccinations are concerned, and the actual efficiency of forcing parents to inoculate their children is disputed, Grignolio and Burioni agree that, in the case of Italy, the law was having the desired effect.

By 2017, child immunization rates for the first dose of the measles vaccine had increased to 92%, though the second dose remained low at 86%.

The majority -- 89% -- of measles cases in Italy in 2017 were among unvaccinated people, and 6% of infections affected people who received only one dose of vaccine, according to a report from the ECDC.

Distrust in institutions

Others maintain that the skepticism about vaccines is in line with a more general lack of trust in Italy's institutions, a sentiment that the populist Five Star Movement was able to channel in its political agenda, winning support at the latest general elections.

"Distrust in vaccines is one of the symptoms of a more general distrust in institutions," says Riccardo Saporiti, a data journalist and contributor to Wired Italy who has written about vaccine coverage in Italy.

Saporiti argues that distrust in Italian institutions started in Italy with what was called Tangentopoli (Bribesville), a corruption scandal that shattered the postwar political establishment in the 1990s.

"It destroyed Italians' trust in politics, and then it spread to anyone with a specific expertise," he said. "Five Star's slogan at the 2013 elections was 'One is worth one,' which is the denial to any concept of competence and merit."

In a data analysis for Wired, Saporiti uncovered that in some areas in Italy, one in two children born in 2013 did not get the MMR vaccination.

However, the future is not all dark, according to Grignolio, who says 10% of Italians who are somewhat hesitant about vaccinations that can be convinced to inoculate their children.

"When there's an obligation, they will comply. But the newly approved self-certification is a joke," he said.
TISHOMINGO COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - Tishomingo County officers charge a Golden woman with illegal drug possession.

Christy Payne, 44, was arrested Tuesday for felony possession of a controlled substance (meth).

Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Payne went to the MDOC office at the county courthouse to report in. Officers found alleged meth in her purse.

The Tishomingo County Sheriffs Department says Payne is on probation with the state for prior felony drug charges.
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has revoked the certificates of 17 telecommunications companies to do business in Mississippi.

This is due to their failure to provide the PSC with an annual report detailing their business activities in the state according to Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, who made the announcement Tuesday.

Brandon Presley | Photo: Facebook Brandon Presley | Photo: Facebook

Presley said the businesses were also out of compliance with the Secretary of State's office.

"We will not allow these companies to just flaunt the law," Presley said. "If you fail to respond to us, we cannot believe you are responsive to your consumers."

Consumers who are receiving telecommunications services from any of the 17 companies should immediately notify Presley's office toll-free at 1(800)-356-6428 or 1(800)-637-7722.

The telecommunications companies whose certificate to sell services within Mississippi were revoked by the PSC are as follows:

- American Phone Services Corporation

- Association Administrators, Inc.

- Correctional Communications, Inc.

- Business Discount Plan, Inc.

- C. M. Inc.

- Davco, Inc.

- Ernest Communications, Inc.

- Gold Line Telemanagement, Inc.

- IBFA Acquisition Company, LLC

- Independent Telecommunications Systems, Inc.

- Inmate Communications Corporation

- iNetworks Group, Inc.

- NECC Telecom, Inc.

- Primus Telecommunications, In.

- Pulse Telecom, LLC

- QX Telecom, LLC

- STi Prepaid, LLC
WAKULLA COUNTY (FL) -- The same dangerous algae making headlines across Florida right now is also impacting our local waters.

While the state has a plan to clean up the water, the community can help make a difference too.

"We have to be smart and wise. And if we want to have this springs behind me for our kids and our grandchildren, and look at all the people who are coming to enjoy it," said Sean McGlynn. "And if we want this to go on, we have to make an effort to be spring friendly in our lifestyles."

McGlynn and his team have been researching what's changing the water quality of Wakulla Springs for more than three years.

They discovered high nitrate levels flow into the springs, affecting the water's color and health.

These nitrates come from pollutants from septic tank wastewater and fertilizers used in nearby cities. Over time, this pollution creates algae. In turn, changing the once clear water to a murky, green.

McGlynn and his team have found traces of the same algae causing serious environmental concerns in South Florida in Wakulla Springs.

It's not just spring water, but also nearby lakes and streams.

"Algae comes out of the vent from all these other lakes in the springshed and rivers. We have to clean up the whole springshed to save Wakulla Springs. The septic tanks are ruining it right now," said McGlynn.

McGlynn says, an immediate threat are the approximately 1.5 million pounds of nitrogen flowing into the spring from 12,000 septic tanks.

However, there's another problem.

"Everything in the springshed winds up in Wakulla Springs. From Lake Jackson, it takes about 30 days to get here. But it comes very quickly and it gets no treatment," said McGlynn. "So if you see an algae bloom in Lake Bunson, that's what's flowing in here."

McGlynn is just one person among several environmental groups who wants local counties to put in and manage an advanced sewer and septic tank system.

Activists also want the state to address pollution from yard fertilizers and waters upstream.

McGlynn says there's too much algae in many local bodies of water to be saved. However, there's hope for Wakulla Springs.

"They're way ahead of us. Our spring, we can save it. I mean, it is not too far gone," said McGlynn.

McGlynn says there are things you can do to help reverse the harmful algae bloom in Wakulla Springs.

Installing your own updated septic tank and using smart agricultural practices on your yard can make a big difference.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Crawfordville man was arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl he was babysitting.

Preston Reed, 29, was arrested by the Leon County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday.

On June 24, deputies responded to Capital Regional Medical Center in response to a sexual assault.

When deputies arrived on scene, they talked with the victim's nurse.

While talking with deputies, she said the victim was a 10-year-old girl who came in with her mother.

The victim told the nurse that four years ago, Reed, her babysitter, made her do things that made her feel uncomfortable.

The victim also told the nurse that Reed took her into a bedroom and made her put on a shirt he liked and took off her pants.

A couple days later, deputies viewed an interview the victim did at the Children's Advocacy Center.

During the interview, the victim said she texted her mother and told her that she needed to tell her something, but was scared to say anything.

According to the police report, when her mother called, the victim told her that while Reed was babysitting her four years ago, he took her into a bedroom, made her put on a shirt he liked, and took off her pants.

Reed told the victim that if she said anything he would hit her.

The victim stated, Reed then took off his pants, laid the victim on the bed, and began touching her.

When the victim would try to get up, Reed would push her back down on the bed, which gave her sharp pains in her shoulders.

The victim said on another occasion, she remembers Reed picking her up from her bed, placing her in the living room, and did the same thing to her he did before.

When the victim woke up, she saw Reed on top of her and turned to the side.

The victim said Reed took the house phone and hid it somewhere in the house, so the other children could not use it to call someone.

Based on the evidence, he is being charged with two counts of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12, and one count of false imprisonment of a child.

He was taken to the Leon County Detention Center and is being held without bond.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Local judicial candidates took part in a candidate forum to say why you should vote for them.

The forum, hosted by the Tallahassee Bar Association, featured candidates vying for Leon County Judge Seat 3 and 2nd Circuit Group 12.

Some of the topics discussed Tuesday night included the candidate's prior experience and judicial philosophy.

Head chairman of the TBA says while judicial forums dont get as much hype around them, they are very important for the future of the community.

"It's very important that the public be aware of the qualifications of their judges," said Eric Milles, president of the Tallahassee Bar Association, "and judges both have the trust and priviledge to be sitting on that bench and it's very important the public be aware their qualifications and experience."

The Florida primaries are on Aug. 28, and if a judge gets 50 percent of the vote in their race, they will win the seat.

If not, the top two candidates will face off in the general election on November 6.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A push continues Wednesday in Tallahassee by some to repeal Floridas controversial Stand Your Ground law.

WTXL ABC's Jada Williams was live Wednesday morning with details on the rally.

Local pastors and faith leaders organized the protest because they say the Stand Your Ground law has a negative impact on the poor and minorities.

This is video from one of the many protests around Florida this weekend.

The debate over the law returned after Markeis McGlocton was fatally shot in a convenience store parking lot and the law was citied as the reason the gunman was not arrested.

The McGlocton family, along with attorney Ben Crump, The Tallahassee Chapter of the National Action Network and some local politicians will take to the streets today to call for lawmakers to review the law, hoping to see changes make it to the November ballot.

It starts at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
(WTXL) - One of the candidates for Florida's state attorney is facing felony charges.

Christopher Crowley has been charged with violating election laws and operating an illegal lottery.

Crowley said he's still running for state attorney just moments after turning himself in for holding an illegal raffle at a fundraiser event in June.

He is facing two felonies, including operating a lottery and violating election laws, but he claims his opponent Amira Fox is trying to derail his candidacy.

"This case was completely initiated by Steve Russel and Amira Fox," he said. "They were the ones who put a criminal complaint on a raffle. I'm filing a criminal complaint on them because they do tons of raffles at the state attorney's office."

Court documents say Crowley received $670 from a gift basket raffle and read off the names of each winner.

Election officials say it's illegal for candidates to accept any funds raised in a game of chance.

Arrest reports say Crowley accepted the money, then waited six days before handing it back over to be donated.

Jonathan Martin, chairman of the Lee County Republican Party, says this could've been avoided

"Its important to make sure you understand and follow the rules so that everybody knows where the money is coming from," he said.

But Crowley claims it's political corruption.

"They threatened me," he said. "They said get out of the race now or we'll indict you with a grand jury we said we wouldn't do that. I said fine. I'll pay a fine as long as you don't charge anyone else who was involved and the case will be dismissed."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 00:59:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday announced the start of emergency humanitarian assistance to people displaced due to inter-communal violence in southwestern Ethiopia.

The inter-communal violence induced displacement along the borders of Gedeo zone in the Southern region and West Guji zone in Ethiopia's largest Oromia regional state since April this year has displaced close to 1 million people from both sides, according to recent figures from the United Nations.

The ICRC, in partnership with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), said on Tuesday that its latest support mainly aims to reach 10,000 displaced families and benefit an estimated 60,000 individuals.

The emergency aid from ICRC -- consisting of plastic shelters, sleeping mats, blankets, jerry cans, cooking utensils and soap -- has already been distributed to 3,300 displaced families sheltered in Kochere district of Gedeo Zone, which hosts more than 82,000 affected people, according to the ICRC.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), violent clashes between communities on the two neighboring regional states have forced at least 970,000 people to flee their homes since April.

The UN migration agency, in its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) assessments, said last month that 822,187 people in Gedeo zone of Southern region and at least 147,040 people in West Guji zone of Oromia region are displaced due to the violent inter-communal clashes.

"Most of the displaced people fled with nothing but their lives. Many, including children, sleep on cold grounds in public facilities, with only ragged cloths on them to keep them warm," an ICRC statement quoted Abraham Gole, administrator of Kochere district, as saying on Tuesday.

"The assistance (from ICRC) not only helps mitigate the suffering of the displaced people but also eases the burden of hosting communities whose resources have been stretched to the limit due to the influx of people to the area," Gole added.

ICRC Economic Security Delegate Jean Pierre Soumah said the distribution would continue until the targeted community is reached.

The UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has recently released 15 million U.S. dollars to urgently scale up humanitarian assistance to people affected by escalating inter-communal violence in Ethiopia.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 01:09:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Libyan anti-illegal immigration department announced Tuesday the voluntary deportation of 145 illegal Sudanese immigrants from Libya.

As part of the voluntary repatriation program of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the 145 illegal immigrants, including women and children, took the flight from M'etiga International Airport in Tripoli towards Khartoum International Airport, the department said in a statement, giving no further detail.

The IOM has deported more than 19,000 illegal immigrants from Libya to their home countries in 2017.

The voluntary repatriation program is carried out by the IOM with an aim to arrange the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin.

Migrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of migrants who have been rescued at sea or arrested by the Libyan security services.

Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal immigrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe due to insecurity and chaos in the North African country following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. top aircraft manufacturer Boeing Company said Tuesday that it has joined some renowned venture firms to invest in a metal additive manufacturer company devoted to 3D-printing technology that boasts a promising prospect of 3D-printed parts for aerospace and other production applications.

Boeing said the new investment, which amounts to 12.9 million U.S. dollars via a Series B funding round led by G20 Ventures in partnership with its investment unit HorizonX Ventures, Lincoln Electric and Khosla Ventures, will help 3D-printing firm Digital Alloys, Inc. develop high-speed, multi-metal additive manufacturing systems that produce 3D-printed parts for aerospace production.

Digital Alloys'Joule Printing technology can rapidly combine multiple metals into each part, which enhances thermal, electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties.

The process allows metals like titanium and high-temperature alloys to be 3D-printed for parts that could be used on Boeing products.

Founded in 2017, Digital Alloys that has recently been granted two U.S. patents for its Joule Printing process, developed a patented 3D-printing approach that avoids the cost and complexity of powder-based systems, and delivers higher resolution than other wire-based 3D-printing techniques.

"Our investment in Digital Alloys will help Boeing produce metal structural aerospace parts faster and at higher volume than ever before," said Brian Schettler, managing director of Boeing HorizonX Ventures.

"By investing in companies with emerging additive manufacturing technologies, we aim to strengthen Boeing's expertise and help accelerate the design and manufacture of 3D-printed parts to transform production systems and products," he added.

Duncan McCallum, CEO of Digital Alloys, said Boeing's investment will make his firm a smarter, stronger business that will help Boeing and other investors create valuable new products quickly and at less cost by incorporating metal 3D printing into their production.

Today, Boeing has more than 60,000 3D-printed parts flying on space, commercial and defense products that reflected Boeing's commitment to additive manufacturing innovation.

Digital Alloys, based in Burlington, Massachusetts, raised 5 million dollars in the Series A round of funding from the same venture firms last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 03:10:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LISBON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Scores of extra firefighters were sent to the Monchique region on Tuesday to battle a major wildfire that has been raging in Portugal since Friday.

There have been 1,218 firefighters battling the blaze, with extra personnel drafted in from all over the country. Spanish firefighters are expected on the ground soon.

Spain has also sent three Canadair firefighting amphibious aircraft. A total of 363 land-based vehicles and 14 aircraft have been deployed against the fire so far.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa praised the firefighting effort. "The capacity of response has been brutal," he told the RTP3 television station, adding that he was following events closely and "in constant contact with the Minister of Internal Administration."

The fire broke out at 13:30 local time on Friday in the village of Perna da Negra, near the town of Monchique, 250 km south of Lisbon. Strong and changeable winds caused the fire to spread in several directions.

To the north it reached the town of Odemira, across the state line in Alentejo. There the blaze was soon distinguished, but to the south, 250 people had to be evacuated from their homes in the districts of Silves and Portimao.

So far 30 people have been injured, one of them seriously, and over 17,000 hectares have burned. Many villages are totally deserted and there are reports of houses destroyed.

Electricity company EDP cut off power lines to certain areas as a precautionary measure. It is believed that trees coming into contact with EDP cables may have caused the wildfire that ravaged the Pedrogao Grande area in June 2017, claiming 66 lives.

Nevertheless, the fire has ravaged cables in the Monchique area and in some places firefighters have no phone reception or internet coverage.

The cause of the fire is as yet unknown. Portugal experienced a major heatwave from Thursday to Sunday with average maximum temperatures of over 40 degrees celsius, an 18-year high.

No fewer than 17 places registered temperature of over 45 degrees, with the village of Alvega, 160 km northeast of Lisbon, topping the table with 46.8 degrees.

Temperatures dropped on Monday, though to a still-hot 35 degrees celsius. But wind speeds increased, which not only fanned the flames, but made fighting the fire from the air much more difficult.

With wind speeds forecast to remain strong overnight, the outlook is not promising.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 03:35:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BRATISLAVA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Slovak Labor Ministry has suggested increasing the minimum wage to 520 euros per month (600 U.S. dollars) next year, the head of the ministry's press department Michal Stuska confirmed on Tuesday.

Currently, the minimum wage in Slovakia is 480 euros.

"Higher minimum wage growth in 2019 is well-grounded because of the positive development of macroeconomic indicators that is also expected in the upcoming period," said Stuska.

According to Stuska, an increase in the minimum wage contributes to the country's macroeconomic growth.

"The National Bank of Slovakia in its predictions also states that an increase in disposable income enhances growth in consumption with households visibly increasing their consumption, thus significantly contributing to GDP growth," stressed Stuska.

He added that if people earn more, it will enhance the demand for local services and goods, which will significantly stabilize employment, said the ministry.

"Moreover, tradesmen or small firms in Slovakia might also have a problem surviving without the higher purchasing power of households, as demand for basic products, services and crafts depends on it," said Stuska.

Slovak social partners, trade unions and employers, will address the proposal with the labor ministry's at their meeting due on Aug. 20.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 04:55:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KINSHASA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Felix Tshisekedi, a prominent opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), submitted on Tuesday his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for December.

Tshisekedi, president of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), filed for his candidacy accompanied by thousands of his supporters from his residence in Kinshasa.

On the same day, other opposition candidates also submitted their candidacy, while the negotiations for a common candidate are still stalled within the opposition.

Police used tear gas to disperse supporters in Limete, a stronghold of the UDPS, and also near the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the center of the city.

Tshisekedi is among the three main opposition candidates who have already submitted their presidential candidacy. Before him, Jean-Pierre Bemba, former vice-president recently acquitted and released by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Vital Kamerhe, former president of the National Assembly, also appeared at the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The suspense remains on the camp of President Joseph Kabila who could no longer seek a new mandate after assuming two terms, according to the Constitution. On Tuesday afternoon, Kabila gathered all the leaders of his coalition to discuss on a likely candidate to replace him.

After this meeting closed late in the evening, no name has been announced. The official announcement is scheduled for early Wednesday morning, according to government spokesman Lambert Mende.

Political tension is high across the country, especially in Kinshasa following the silence of President Kabila on the suspicions of him trying to seek a third term. After his second and last term officially expired at the end of 2016, Kabila has repeatedly promised that he will respect the constitution.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 05:10:50|Editor: Li Xia

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LONDON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May urged Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh Tuesday to get behind her blueprint for a soft-Brexit deal as Britain prepares to leave the European Union (EU).

In what the media in Britain described as a showdown between the two leaders, Sturgeon issued a challenge to May to set out a "plan B" for Brexit.

The Scottish broadcaster STV said Tuesday night that Sturgeon expects to revisit the question of Scottish independence from the United Kingdom this fall as the British government continues to flounder on Brexit.

Sturgeon, who has opposed Britain leaving the EU, said the Brexit blueprint devised by May seemed to be dead, saying she should set out an alternative to avoid Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

But at the meeting, May urged the Scottish government not to sow division over Brexit, calling on Scottish ministers to get behind her negotiating position with the message: "a good deal for the UK is a good deal for Scotland."

Referring to the recent cabinet meeting at her country retreat Chequers, where the blueprint was agreed, May said: "What the government has put forward in the Chequers agreement and the (government) White Paper is a proposal that delivers on Brexit, that ensures we bring an end to free movement and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which protects jobs and livelihoods, and is good for every part of the UK."

May continued: "What I want to see is as we sit and and negotiate that deal with the EU, I think it's incumbent on the Scottish government to support the proposals, to be speaking up for those proposals in Europe, rather than sowing the politics of division."

"It's important that as we work on this deal, we are working with those in Scotland to deliver for Scotland. A good deal for the UK is a good deal for Scotland," she added.

With the British parliament in its summer recess, May's day trip to Scotland was her first domestic appearance since her meeting last week with the French president Emmanuel Macron.

Media reports in Scotland said during her visit to Edinburgh, May came under pressure from Sturgeon to set out more details of what Britain's future relationship with the EU might look like after it leaves the bloc next March.

According to Scotland's independent television broadcaster STV, Sturgeon, who is also leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, said the half-hour bilateral talks with May failed to allay her fears that Britain is increasingly risking a no-deal Brexit. Sturgeon said her focus is on avoiding a cliff edge Brexit in March.

The STV report said Sturgeon expects to revisit the question of Scottish independence from the United Kingdom as the British government continues to flounder on Brexit.

She said she is likely to make a statement on her plans for Scottish independence in October, but added that she could not yet say what its content would be.

Meanwhile, one of Britain's leading election experts said Tuesday that Sturgeon is unlikely to call a second referendum on Scottish independence in the next five years.

Political scientist Professor John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland said the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and how to manage it would remain the Scottish Government's priority, with another constitutional vote being "kicked into the long grass".

A majority of people in Scotland voted in the 2016 national referendum to remain a member of the EU, but as the all-Britain vote was 52-48 in favour of leaving, May has insisted she will carry out the will of the majority and end Britain's EU membership.

Sturgeon said ahead of her meeting with May that the prime minister must secure a withdrawal agreement that provides for an orderly transition, or face the catastrophic prospect of Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal.

"A no-deal Brexit would be utterly unacceptable and deeply damaging but, by talking it up as a negotiating tactic, there is a very real danger it becomes a reality," said Sturgeon.

In an editorial comment Tuesday, one of Scotland's leading newspapers, the Scotsman, said: "It would be much more sensible to accept that time has run out to achieve a bespoke deal that satisfies the UK and EU. Brexit could then either be delayed until a breakthrough can be achieved or it could take place as planned with the UK staying inside the Single Market and Customs Union. As The Scotsman has said before, this would still allow Britain to move further away from the EU at a later date -- if it wanted to do so."

During the visit, May and Sturgeon formerly signed a deal that will pave the way for hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to create jobs and economic growth in Edinburgh and southeast Scotland.

The British and Scottish governments have each committed nearly 400 million U.S. dollars to a City Deal which will see over 1.3 billion dollars of investment to unlock economic growth.

Funding will go directly to scientific research on space, health sciences, agri-tech and food and drink at Heriot-Watt, Queen Margaret and Edinburgh Universities in Scotland.

The signing of the deal will see the creation of five new innovation hubs, including in robotics and space technologies.

Reaffirming the Scottish capital's position as the world's Festival City, the investment will also create a new 1000-seat Edinburgh concert hall.

May also announced a further 17 million dollars for investment in six science centers in Britain, including Dundee and Glasgow, to drive innovation in science and technology.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said here on Tuesday that the current Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the "best possible" and "achievable" deal to address the West's concerns on Iran, in sharp contrast with Trump's abhorrence of the deal.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Williamson said "the JCPOA was a deal that we felt was the best possible deal that was achievable."

"None of us has ever pretended it was a perfect deal, but actually it did deliver a number of important measures that I think everyone benefits from," he said.

"On the Iran deal, we really encourage the United States along with all nations to get around the table and start discussing about actually ... how we have something that can work," he noted. "We really just encourage the United States to start talking to its partners and Iran in order to be able to find a route forward."

Williamson's remarks forged a sharp contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Monday signed an executive order to re-impose sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the JCPOA, and blasted the deal he had left in May as a "horrible, one-sided" one that had failed to protect U.S. national security.

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.

Trans-Atlantic division has escalated over the Trump administration's threat to impose the so-called secondary sanctions on companies that have business connections with Iran, many of which are from Europe.

Hours before Trump's announcement to re-sanction Iran, the European Union (EU), Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement they would maintain economic ties with Tehran, and "are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran."

They also noted that "the European Union's updated Blocking Statute enters into force on Aug. 7 to protect EU companies doing legitimate business with Iran from the impact of U.S. extra-territorial sanctions."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 05:45:59|Editor: Li Xia

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Argentina's former Vice President Amado Boudou (Front, R) attends a sentence hearing in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on Aug. 7, 2018. Argentina's former Vice President Amado Boudou was sentenced on Tuesday to five years and 10 months in prison for "bribery and business dealings incompatible with public service." (Xinhua/Martin Zabala)

BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's former Vice President Amado Boudou was sentenced on Tuesday to five years and 10 months in prison for "bribery and business dealings incompatible with public service."

Boudou, who served from 2011 to 2015 alongside then President Cristina Fernandez, was also barred for life from holding public office and fined 90,000 pesos (3,214 U.S. dollars).

Boudou was convicted by a federal criminal court in relation to the so-called Ciccone Case, which alleged he profited from awarding government contracts to a company called Ciccone Printing, the only private company enabled to print money apart from the state mint.

The case has been moving through the judicial system since at least 2012.

Others were also convicted of wrongdoing, including Nicolas Ciccone, the former owner of the printer.

In his defense before sentencing, Boudou denied the allegations.

"Politicians who follow the path of the powerful, walk without problems. Politicians who decide to transform reality are persecuted, at first by the media and then by the legal system," said Boudou.

The head of the national anti-corruption agency, Laura Alonso, hailed the "historic trial," saying "for the first time in Argentina a vice president has been convicted."

"The judicial branch is free to punish corruption," she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 06:16:08|Editor: ZX

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LONDON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) will tour China from Dec. 15 to 21, offering five concerts in four cities aimed at fostering creative collaborations between China and Wales, the orchestra announced Tuesday.

With Chinese Principal Guest Conductor Zhang Xian, the orchestra begins its tour with two concerts in Beijing. They will then travel to Changsha, Wuhan and Shenzhen.

According to BBC NOW, the visit marks the first time Zhang has toured her home country with a European symphony orchestra.

"I conduct a number of the Chinese orchestras on a regular basis, but this is the first time I have toured China with a European Orchestra. I am very much looking forward to introducing the musicians of BBC NOW to my own country, and I think that the cultural cooperation with my musicians and the musicians in Shenzhen will be extremely interesting for us all," Zhang said.

The tour is a result from the first Welsh cultural delegation visit to China in early 2017. It is being supported by British Council in China, Wales Arts International and the Arts Council of Wales.

It is also the final part of Inspiring Women in the Arts, a year-long campaign showcasing the work of female artists to inspire young Chinese generations. During the visit, Zhang and members of the orchestra will share their experiences with aspiring female leaders and musicians in a series of activities in the host cities.

Michael Garvey, Director of BBC NOW, said: "This tour offers a wonderful opportunity to build creative links with our partners in China, enhancing the close relationships that already exist between our two countries. I'm delighted that we will be able to work with key partners in the four cities to maximize the impact of our visit, and to provide opportunities for BBC NOW to directly engage with audiences and musicians in China."

Nick Marchand, Director Arts China and North-East Asia at British Council said: "The British Council is delighted to support the orchestra's tour with Zhang Xian, Chinese principal guest conductor and the first female to hold that role in a BBC Orchestra. With BBC NOW having first been part of a Welsh cultural delegation visit to China in early 2017, it is fantastic to see this UK-China cultural exchange come to fruition this year. We know it is going to be an inspiring visit, for both musicians and audience alike."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 06:56:12|Editor: ZX

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By Zenzile Khoisan

CAPE TOWN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The 2018 Ranger Awards ceremony was held in Cape Town on Tuesday, highlighting the Chinese conservation efforts on the African continent.

The awards were presented by the Alibaba Foundation, together with the Paradise Foundation, two Chinese conservation groups dedicated to wildlife protection in Africa.

Addressing the ceremony, Jack Ma, Executive Chair of Alibaba Group and Co-chair of the Paradise Foundation, pledged to creat a global consciousness about the need to view the task of protecting Africa's vast wildlife resources as a duty of all people and building a broad vision of "humankind and nature in balance" where "every organization becomes an organization that is related to the ecosystem."

The African Ranger Awards were launched by the Alibaba Foundation together with the Paradise Foundation in July this year. Under the initiative that will last 10 years, 50 wildlife rangers will be awarded each year, with a prize of 3,000 U.S. dollars each.

Ma told the audience that he and his group would "come back to Africa every year to visit at least three countries" to bear witness to what he and others had experienced on the ground which reveals that "animals and human beings can live harmoniously together."

Among the pertinent issues highlighted during the ceremony were China's decisive leadership by building synergies with conservation, innovation and technology.

Ma stated that although the Paradise Foundation originated in China, "but we care about the well-being of our entire planet."

"Africa is the natural habitat for a range of wildlife that is threatened by illegal poaching and trading. We hope that we contribute to Africa's nature conservation," he said.

Africa is the world's richest continent in terms of wildlife, yet this treasure trove of biological diversity has been suffering from rampant poaching. At present, the African elephant population is declining at a rate of 38,000 per year. Animals such as black rhinos and gorillas are also on the verge of extinction. Every year, many rangers sacrificed their lives in battles against armed poachers and illegal loggers. Between 2006 and 2016, at least 1,000 rangers sacrificed their lives in the service of protecting wildlife.

Ma heralded the role of rangers in the conservation and wildlife protection battle, noting that "today rangers are the real heroes of the human beings."

"Rangers have terrible equipment and terrible working conditions and we should protect them and their families," he said.

Ma also addressed the vast potential of technology in revolutionizing the work these unsung heroes are doing. "We should give them technology to make their job easier," he said.

His view was echoed by Edna Molewa, South Africa's Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, who noted in her remarks that South Africa is the third largest mega-diverse country in the world, after Indonesia and Brazil.

"We are losing rangers to poachers and we are making the call to work together to protect rangers and to make wildlife a future," Molewa said.

"Rangers on a daily basis are facing the most intense challenges in the world," she said.

The strong support that the Rangers Awards initiative had brought to those facing the greatest dangers in wildlife protection resonated strongly with one of the rangers who was honored with an award.

Rodrigues Magaruka Katembo, Deputy Chief Warden in Democratic Republic of Congo's Kundelungu Complex, noted in his remarks that the dangers facing conservation rangers were not only poaching, but also natural resource exploitation.

He said he was one of thousands of rangers who were at risk in working to protect Africa's wildlife.

"Today I feel more hope than before and see many people willing to stand with us," Katembo said.

The work that Katembo and his fellow rangers are doing was hailed by Erik Sonheim, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program.

He said Africa has been very successful in taking care of wildlife and "there is increasing partnership between Africa and China."

He praised China as a leading nation in global transformation in terms of the position put forward by the Chinese leadership who strongly advocate green economy which has greatly benefited the Chinese people.

He heralded the work of African rangers, stating that "rangers are doing fantastic work for Africa and the planet."

China's Ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian said in his remarks that China had adopted tough measures which were critical in closing the loop in illegal trade in Africa's endangered species which are driven by relentless poaching of its wildlife.

"The Chinese government has adopted a zero tolerance policy of wildlife poaching," Lin said.

He said China had adopted tougher laws on wildlife poaching and "a comprehensive ban of trading on ivory products."
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two girls' schools were set ablaze in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday night, local media said Wednesday.

The schools were located in Pishin district of the province and no casualty was reported in the incident as the attacked institutions were day schools and closed at night when the attack was launched.

Police said that some unknown militants set the schools' building and the furniture inside on fire and fled the scene.

No group or person has claimed responsibility for the incident.

This is the second major incident of attack on educational institutions in Pakistan over the last few days. Earlier on Friday, some unknown militants set 12 schools in the country's north Gilgit Baltistan area on fire.
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the private airline company Shaheen Air International (SAI) to pay monetary compensation to the passengers who were left stranded in China for over a week.

According to the local media reports, a three-member bench of the country's top court resumed the hearing of its suo-motu notice on the matter on Tuesday.

Over 214 Pakistanis were left stranded at Guangzhou airport in China due to a payment dispute between the Shaheen Air International and Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is the country's aviation regulator.

These passengers were brought back to Lahore through a Shaheen Air flight on Monday. They got stuck in the Chinese port city of Guangzhou on July 29 after the SAI abruptly canceled its flight in the wake of a payment dispute with the aviation regulator. These passengers reportedly faced severe difficulties and some of them even fell sick.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered the SAI to not only bring back the stranded Pakistani passengers but also compensate them fairly.

The SAI's top executive blamed the CAA for the disaster and said that he would be able to respond after taking up the matter with the company's finance department. He further informed the apex court that the SAI will bear the passengers' expenses.

The Supreme Court ordered the SAI top official to inform the court till August 20 about how much money the airline company would pay to the affected passengers in compensation.
YANGON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Win Myint on Wednesday called on Myanmar people to re-double efforts in promoting socio-economic development and actively participating in the ASEAN Community building process that will contribute to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and beyond.

U Win Myint made the call in his message on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The theme of this year is selected as "Resilience and Innovative ASEAN" which strengthens efforts to meet future challenges.

U Win Myint said Myanmar, as a responsible member of ASEAN, has been in full cooperation with other member states in the implementation of ASEAN Community Blueprints, regional integration and community building.

With a view to realizing an inclusive, united, resilient and innovative ASEAN Community, he said ASEAN is working together in improving the quality of lives of the people including through various cooperative activities in education, health, human resources development, environmental protection, disaster management and sustainability of natural resources.

He added that ASEAN is also placing high priority in the promotion of cultural cooperation and people-to-people engagements in order to forge a stronger sense of identity towards ASEAN.

Despite attaining many tangible achievements in community building efforts, the president warned that ASEAN today is facing with emerging challenges of traditional and non-traditional issues.

In addressing the issues of common concern such as transnational crimes, terrorism, cyber security, climate change and environmental degradation, food and energy security, he underlined that ASEAN has been able to demonstrate the collective strength and resilience that lies at the core and become more united in the face of these challenges.

Myanmar, along with Laos, joined the regional grouping in July 1997 at its 30th anniversary.
CANBERRA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Demand for wheat and grain to feed livestock is approaching unprecedented levels in Australia as the nation suffers through its worst drought in decades.

Frank McRae, chairman of the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA), on Wednesday warned that farmers across New South Wales (NSW) and in parts of Queensland, South Australia (SA) and Victoria were in "survival mode."

The NSW government announced on Wednesday that 100 percent of the state was in drought with a quarter considered to be in "intense drought."

McRae said that demand for fodder in the state hadn't been so high in decades.

"There's pretty much virtually nothing in NSW and supplies are rapidly drying up in southern Victoria," McRae told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday.

"You have to go back to 1981-1982 to see a drought this widespread and so severe.

"We're in survival mode at the moment."

The drought has resulted in fodder being shipped from Western Australia to NSW and Queensland on the east coast for the first time.

Garry Hansen, director of Grain Producers SA, said that fodder farmers who exported their product were instead selling domestically because Australian farmers were willing to pay top dollar to save their livelihood.

"The domestic market will be prepared to, and is proving now, it is prepared to pay enough to stop it going on the export markets," he told the ABC.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced an urgent 190 million Australian dollar (141 million U.S. dollar) drought relief package for farmers on Sunday.

Under the package, each farming household will receive a lump-sum payment of up to 12,000 Australian dollars (8,912 USD) on Sept. 1.

It will also fund extra mental health support for struggling farmers.

"It is a shocking drought," Turnbull said at the time.

"It appears that we are going into a dry spring and a tough summer.

"We hope the forecasts are proved wrong, but the prospects are not great at the moment."
VIENTIANE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government has announced it will examine the safety standards applied to the construction of hydropower dams across the country following the deadly disaster caused by the collapse of a dam in Attapeu province in the south, local media reported Wednesday.

The cabinet made the announcement shortly after its two-day extraordinary meeting which ended on Tuesday.

Chaired by Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, the meeting heard of the progress made in dealing with the aftermath of the disaster in Sanamxay district of Attapeu province.

The meeting agreed to carry out inspections into all dams, both those that are completed and whose construction is underway.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines will work with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology and international experts in carrying out the inspections.

Any irregularities found in the design or construction standard of a dam must be reported to the government on a case-by-case basis, so that improvements can be made, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday.

The Lao government has also decided to suspend the consideration of new investments in hydropower projects in order to review its hydropower development strategy and plans.

The reviewed strategy and plans will be used as a reference for future direction, the report said.

The meeting, attended by cabinet members, agreed to establish a taskforce committee to lead the investigation into the reason of the collapse of saddle dam D, one of five auxiliary dams at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in Attapeu, some 560 km southeast of capital Vientiane.

The failure of the dam on July 23 flooded 13 villages in Sanamxay district, leaving 34 people dead as of Tuesday while 97 villagers still missing, and over 6,000 homeless.

The investigation committee is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Government Inspection Authority Bounthong Chitmany.

The committee welcomes the help of international experts in carrying out the investigation and verifying the cause of the dam fracture.

The committee will also invite representatives of the governments of South Korea and Thailand, whose companies were stakeholders in the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project, to provide consultation and observe the investigation process.

This will ensure the thoroughness and transparency of the investigation so that the findings are recognized and accepted internationally, the report said.

Once the findings are made known, the government will proceed with the next steps.

The meeting also agreed to establish a high-level committee, supervised by Bounthong, to investigate the responsibility of state authorities for the dam failure, as well as those in charge of issuing warnings ahead of the disaster.

The National Ad Hoc Committee in charge of dealing with the aftermath of the Sanamxay flood was told to collect comprehensive information on the losses and damage caused by the disaster.

The Ad Hoc Committee was also entrusted to draw up short-term and longer term plans to recover the damage and losses and report to the government so that investment in the recovery could be prioritized.
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Wednesday announced a change in the schedule of forming a new government after his ruling party won a recent general election.

Speaking to thousands of garment factory workers in southwestern Kampong Speu province, Hun Sen said the new government will be formed on Sept. 6, earlier than the original schedule of Sept. 20.

He said the opening session of a new National Assembly will be held on Sept. 5 under the auspices of the country's King Norodom Sihamoni and the new National Assembly will vote for the establishment of a new government on the next day.

In the morning of Sept. 6, the new government will be formed and a swearing-in ceremony will be held in the afternoon, Hun Sen said.

"On Sept. 7 in the morning, the first new cabinet meeting will be held."

The 67-year-old prime minister said Monday the earlier formation of the new government will give him enough time to attend and deliver a speech at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York to be officially held on Sept. 18.

The prime minister's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won the sixth general election on July 29, receiving 4.87 million votes, or 76.78 percent, of the total valid votes, according to the National Election Committee (NEC)'s preliminary results.

Based on the preliminary results, the CPP calculated that it had won all 125 seats in the parliament.

With the victory, Hun Sen will continue to lead the government for another five years.
VIENTIANE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government will immediately focus on four main areas of assistance for people affected by the flood caused by the dam failure in Attapeu province's Sanamxay district, ministers told the media.

The four areas of concern were announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith at a briefing conference held in Vientiane Tuesday, jointly attended by minister and deputy ministers for energy and mines, public health, and labor and social welfare.

The meeting updated representatives of international organizations, the diplomatic corps and media personnel as well as other government officials on the latest developments in the flood-hit region, and how the government was responding to the tragedy.

Saleumxay said first and foremost the government would continue the search and rescue operation for those who are still missing.

"We still have about 100 people missing which is a big concern," he said, adding that the government needed more sophisticated equipment to help locate them.

The second target, he said, was to rebuild infrastructure, especially road access to the disaster-hit areas, after roads and bridges were damaged or washed away by the floodwaters.

Trucks carrying emergency relief supplies had been hampered by the difficult conditions, he added. Some bridges could only carry loads of three tonnes which hindered the delivery of donated goods to the over 6,000 people affected by the flash flood, which was triggered by the collapse of an auxiliary dam at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower plant.

Saleumxay said it was taking too long for the authorities to distribute all the emergency aid that Laos had been given by the international community so it was essential to speed up the repair of roads and bridges so those people who needed help did not have to wait longer than necessary.

The third most important task was to distribute food supplies, while the fourth essential area of need was the provision of medical equipment and supplies, including ambulances and vaccines.

The Lao government is now calculating the total cost of the damage inflicted by the flood and will formulate a master plan for the resettlement and rehabilitation of the area so that people's livelihoods can be restored.

During the briefing Lao Minister of Energy and Mines Khammany Inthirath said the government had formed a team, which included representatives of various sectors, to determine the exact cause of the accident. He expressed heartfelt sympathy with the victims of the disaster.

A representative of the Ministry of Health said the ministry's most urgent need was to provide toilets, vaccines and ambulances to keep people as healthy as possible.

The flood is one of the worst in Lao history and to date has claimed the lives of at least 34 people including three who died in hospital. Some 100 people are still missing, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday.

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 flood water from the mountain to 13 villages of Sanamxay district downstream the Xe Pian River, some 560 km southeast of Vientiane.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 11:52:12|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese travel services and social networking platform Mafengwo has teamed up with Australia's tourism authority to help attract more Chinese tourists.

Tourism Australia will improve its tourism information and products on Mafengwo's mobile app and leverage the online travel community's abundant data to offer customized tourist services for users, especially individual travelers, according to an MOU on the strategic partnership signed Tuesday.

Chinese travelers value unique experiences more than ever and like to travel to faraway and off-the-beaten-track destinations. They will also revisit a place if they like it, observed Lyu Gang, co-founder and chief operating officer of Mafengwo.

The partnership is expected to help Tourism Australia gain deeper insight into Chinese consumers' travel preferences and habits so that richer and more reliable tourist information and products can be provided efficiently, according to John O'Sullivan, managing director of Tourism Australia.

China is Australia's largest source of inbound tourists, with over 1.4 million Chinese travelers visiting the country from May 2017 to May 2018, according to Andrew Hogg, general manager of the North Asia region with Tourism Australia.

Tourism Australia also signed a three-year strategic partnership with Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific to tap into China's growing business travel market.

Last year, about 106,000 Chinese business travelers visited Australia, spending 591 million Australian dollars (438.8 million U.S. dollars).

Australia aims for its tourism sector to generate 115 billion Australian dollars by 2020, and China is considered the most important market to help achieve this target. Chinese tourists' contribution to Australian tourism revenue is expected to rise from 5.4 billion Australian dollars now to 13 billion by 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 12:02:16|Editor: ZX

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ACCRA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The massive investment China has committed to Africa is key to solving the continent's infrastructure deficiency in the short-to-medium term, a Ghanaian economist on natural resources said on Tuesday.

"Chinese investment is here to stay. It is supporting development," said Benjamin Boakye, executive director of Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP).

"There are massive infrastructure projects, roads, dams, rail lines that are being constructed across the region with Chinese money," Boakye said.

"In my view, these developments are bridging critical gaps largely in infrastructure," he said.

Boakye advised African countries to take steps to ensure the Chinese investment would be effectively utilized to meet Africa's aspirations for development.

He also underscored the need to ensure that the investment creates a win-win situation for both Chinese and African investors.
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's supply in the manufacturing industry, including goods produced locally and imported from overseas, grew for two straight quarters through the second quarter, a government report showed Wednesday.

The domestic manufacturing supply rose 0.4 percent in the April-June quarter from a year ago, according to Statistics Korea. It continued to increase after posting a 0.8 percent growth in the first quarter.

Products manufactured in the local factories increased 0.5 percent, turning around in three quarters on growth in oil tanker production and the rising number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea that led to a rise in consumer goods supply.

Goods brought into South Korea from overseas inched up 0.2 percent in the June quarter. It was down from a 6.1 percent increase in the first quarter on soft demand for machinery equipment.

Supplies for capital and consumer goods rose 2.8 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively, but supply for intermediate goods shed 0.6 percent in the quarter.
HANOI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Business conditions related to the establishment and operation of joint stock commercial banks and non-bank credit institutions in Vietnam will be eased, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to a draft circular from the State Bank of Vietnam, the country's central bank, founding shareholders of a joint stock commercial bank will still have to own at least 50 percent of the bank's charter capital.

The central bank will no longer need to hold the capital for five years from the date of receiving the license as currently required, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported.

The draft circular removes regulations that founding shareholders, including both individuals and institutions, must have the financial ability to contribute capital to establish a joint stock commercial bank.

The draft circular also eliminates the old requirements that founding shareholders take full responsibility for the legality of the contributed capital source; commit to giving financial support to their joint stock commercial banks to resolve problems in case their banks face difficulties of financing or liquidity; and have at least two institutional founding shareholders.

As for regulations on the issuance of licenses, organization and operation of non-bank credit institutions, the draft circular removes three conditions, which are having at least two institutional founding shareholders, securing sufficient financial resources, and founding shareholders being required to support their non-bank credit institutions through difficulties in capital, solvency and liquidity.

Standards for general directors of cooperative banks are also eased under the draft circular. There will be no requirement that people in this position have worked more than five years in the banking industry.

In a recent directive, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc noted that the removal of business conditions is one of the key measures for economic growth and efficiency. He instructed relevant ministries and agencies to submit proposals on simplifying business conditions and reforming the specialized inspection process before Aug. 15.
CANBERRA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australia's national welfare agency will hire an additional 1,500 staff to cope with the 1 million phone calls it receives every day, the government announced Wednesday.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan made the announcement on Wednesday that the Centrelink would hire 1,500 extra contractors to deal with demand for social services.

It comes after the agency hired 1,000 contracting staff in April and 250 staff in December 2017.

According to information provided by Centrelink to a Senates Estimates committee earlier this year, 33.2 million calls to assistance lines were not answered in the nine months to the end of March.

Overall, Centrelink receives more than 1 million incoming phone calls every day. The average wait time for callers at the end of March was almost 16 minutes.

"We've been looking at the way we manage calls to make sure it is as efficient as possible and make sure you get to talk to someone in the first instance who can answer your query," Keenan told Channel Seven news on Wednesday.

Contracts for the new staff have been awarded to private-sector service providers including global contracting giant Serco.

Keenan said that his preference was for all government services to eventually be available via the MyGov online portal.

"Over time, I would like people to interact on the digital channels so you can sit on your couch and do everything you need to do with the government," he said.

"Whilst we undergo that transformation, I would like to ensure people still get the service experience that they need."

Centrelink is in charge of delivering government payments and services for the unemployed, elderly, students, indigenous Australians, people with disabilities and families requiring assistance.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- India has said two of its citizens who were abducted while on a business trip to Malaysia, have been rescued.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said both the businessmen, R.P. Vaidya and K.P. Vaidya, were abducted in Malaysia last Friday but rescued on Monday. She also thanked the Indian High Commissioner and the Malaysian Police for their efforts in the rescue.

"R.P.Vaidya and K.P.Vaidya who had gone to Malaysia for business purposes were abducted on Aug. 3. I am happy to inform that with the efforts of our High Commissioner Mridul Kumar and his team, Malaysian Police has secured release of both Indian nationals," she tweeted Tuesday night.

Local media reports said the two businessman brothers who run a fish export company named Rock Frozen Food, had gone to Malaysia last week after getting an order from a company there. Their family sought Swaraj's help and lodged a police complaint in India after receiving a ransom call.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 13:12:32|Editor: Li Xia

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LIMA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people, including a minor, have died in south-central Peru from food poisoning, the National Civil Defense Institute (Indeci) said Tuesday.

Another 52 who also consumed the food tainted with insecticide were hospitalized, 21 of them in critical condition.

The victims attended a wake Monday night in San Jose de Ushua in southern Ayacucho.

The death of a resident there "brought a large number of people to his funeral. Hours later, dozens of those who attended began to feel the symptoms of food poisoning that has so far left nine dead," according to the daily Radio Programas del Peru (RPP).

Ivan Villagomez, the town mayor, told the RPP that he was among the guests at the wake, where the family of the deceased served dinner, as is the custom.

Soup and a meat stew were served to everyone present at the wake, nearly 80 of them, including those from neighboring communities, he said.

Besides Villagomez himself, his son, 16, also fell ill, but was later in stable condition after being sent to hospital.

Two daughters of the deceased were among the dead, as were the father of the mayor and his 12-year-old nephew, RPP said.

Many were taken to nearby hospitals due to the limited capacity and resources of the town's small medical center.

Health Minister Silvia Pessah told RPP the suspected insecticide was organophosphate.

The insecticide, though not confirmed yet, is believed to have been stored and used next to the food. Investigations are still underway.

The incident came less than a month after hundreds of Peruvian schoolchildren fell ill after having breakfasts provided at several schools in Canete province, southern Lima Region.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 13:17:33|Editor: Liu

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's goods trade went up 8.6 percent year on year to 16.72 trillion yuan (about 2.45 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of this year, customs data showed Wednesday.

Exports rose 5 percent year on year in the January-July period while imports grew 12.9 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.06 trillion yuan, which narrowed by 30.6 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs.

In July, exports rose by 6 percent to 1.39 trillion yuan, while imports jumped 20.9 percent to 1.21 trillion yuan.

In the first seven months, exports and imports of products under the general trade category, which are differentiated from processing trade, gained 12.7 percent from a year ago to 9.85 trillion yuan, accounting for 58.9 percent of the total foreign trade, 2.1 percentage points higher than the same period in 2017.

The country's trade with major trading partners saw an increase during the January-July period. Trade with the European Union, its largest trading partner, climbed 5.9 percent, and trade volume with the United States and ASEAN countries increased by 5.2 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.

Trade with countries along the Belt and Road totaled 4.57 trillion yuan, up 11.3 percent year on year, 2.7 percentage points faster than the average growth rate, data showed.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 13:22:36|Editor: Xiang Bo

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WASHINGTON, Aug.7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Tuesday that he looks forward to continuing talks with his Chinese counterpart in Washington this year.

"We look forward to hosting him. I personally look forward to hosting my counterpart from Beijing," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.

"I just got back from a visit there, as you know. And we had very good discussions and I look forward to continuing those," Mattis said, referring to his June visit to Beijing, where he met with top Chinese officials.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said Mattis and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe "have reached important understandings about how to improve military exchanges at all levels, enhance mutual trust, advance concrete cooperation and manage risks."

Wei accepted the formal invitation Mattis had extended to visit Washington later this year, the spokesperson confirmed.

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said in July that Shen Jinlong, commander of the Chinese Navy, will accompany Wei on his visit.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 13:32:38|Editor: Li Xia

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Colombian President Ivan Duque (Front L) attends his swearing-in ceremony at Bolivar Square, in Bogota, capital of Colombia, on Aug. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Diego Pineda/COLPRENSA)

BOGOTA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's president-elect Ivan Duque was sworn in on Tuesday, succeeding Juan Manuel Santos as the country's 60th president.

In his first speech as president, the 42-year-old Duque, of the conservative Democratic Center Party, said his government will assess the unfinished peace process that the Santos administration began with the country's second-largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN).

"In the first 30 days ... we are going to carry out a responsible, prudent and thorough evaluation of the negotiation process that has taken place with the ELN over the past 17 months," said Duque.

He also pledged to bolster the country's security forces.

As for the economy, Duque said he plans to launch "an economic reactivation program" to spur investment and competition.

"Colombia must be a country where micro, small, medium and large companies can make sustainable progress to generate quality jobs," he said.

"I will implement all the structural reforms needed to ensure the nation's fiscal sustainability" with an eye to achieving economic growth of "more than four percent," said Duque.

His vice president, Marta Lucia Ramirez, became the first woman in the country to fill that role.

According to the Caracol News Agency, delegations from some 17 countries attended the ceremony in the capital's historic Bolivar Square.
SYDNEY, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Stakeholders of Australian financial giant the Commonwealth Bank of Australia are licking their economic wounds on Wednesday after the company's full-year cash profit fell 4.8 percent.

Plagued by regulatory scandals, huge fines and ongoing investigations, the bank still managed to post a 9.2 billion Australian dollars (6.8 billion U.S.) profit for the 2017-18 financial year.

However, for Australia's largest company, this figure represented its lowest profit growth for almost a decade.

Trouble for the financial institution culminated back in June, when it was hit with the largest ever civil penalty for a private Australian company.

After a lengthy investigation, Australia's financial intelligence agency found the bank had breached federal money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws on more than 53,500 occasions due to lapse monitoring of their Intelligent Deposit Machines from November 2012 to September 2015.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) also accused the bank of not properly monitoring 778,370 accounts.

As a result, the Commonwealth Bank was slapped with an enormous 700 million Australian dollars (520 million U.S.) fine.

On top of this, the Australian government also established a Royal Commission into banking which got underway this year to investigate illegal and unethical practices within the financial sector.

In reply, the Commonwealth Bank shelled an extra 389 million Australian dollars (289 million U.S.) in order to boost its compliance provisions.

"It has been a difficult 12 months," Commonwealth Bank chief executive officer Matt Comyn said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday.

"There has been a number of one-off items that have impacted the result, including a couple of large penalties that we have resolved."

"If you strip some of those out, actually the result looks more from an underlying perspective up 3.7 percent."

"I think given the context of what we have had to operate in, it really does show the resilience of our core franchise and it is a combination of both that, as well as our outlook on our capital position, which has enabled us to declare a full final year dividend of 4.31 Australian dollars (3.20 U.S.), up two cents."

Even with Wednesday's lackluster news, the Commonwealth Bank's share price was up 2.59 percent at 14:15 (AEST), to sit at 74.93 Australian dollars (55.67 U.S.) per share.
HAVANA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cuba issued regulations on Tuesday to offer farmers who lease state-owned idle land better terms and more land to boost agricultural output.

According to Law 358/18, farmers can lease up to 26.8 hectares, twice the previous quota, and for cattle ranchers, the number is 67 hectares, under the condition that they also produce animal feed.

It is easier to apply techniques designed to increase yields over larger parcels of land, said Orlando Diaz, legal director of the Agriculture Ministry.

Lengths of leases double to 20 years. Farmers can apply for similarly long extensions, which allow farming operations to be passed on from one generation to the next.

"These measures aim to encourage the stability of the work staff in the field and the settlement of families," said Diaz.

Farmers will be able to build houses and other facilities on up to 3 percent of the leased land, compared with the previous limit of 1 percent.

"Certain activities, such as tobacco and livestock, require a larger number of facilities," said Diaz.

"The new modifications are based on prior experience, the application of previous regulations, and the demands of farmers across the country," said Eddy Soca, director of land control of the Agriculture Ministry.

By law, the leased land continues to be "non-transferable government property" that must be managed "in person" by the holder of the lease to prevent the existence of "frontmen" and concentration of wealth.

Finance must come from transparent sources. "The contract is cancelled if it is proven that the funds come from money laundering, corruption and other illegal sources," according to the regulations.

The new rules will take effect in 60 days.

The Cuban government has leased over 2.1 million hectares of idle land to some 244,000 farmers over the last decade and, according to the Agriculture Ministry, another 472,000 hectares are still available.

One big problem that has plagued Cuban agriculture for decades is the migration from the countryside to the city for better jobs. To counter this trend and spur coffee production, Cuba launched a development program for mountainous regions, known as Plan Turquino, in 1987.

The Caribbean island country faces other problems with its agriculture, including long droughts as well as a lack of fertilizers and modern technology.

Cuba imports about 2 billion U.S. dollars of food each year to meet domestic demand.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 13:42:45|Editor: Li Xia

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said more work is needed to boost the reconciliation and peace process in Georgia.

"The secretary-general recalls that it is a reminder of the need to resolve this and other protracted conflicts in Europe," said a statement issued by his spokesperson.

"This requires increased commitment by the relevant actors, backed by strong political will and a reinvigoration of mediation processes," it said.

In the early 1990s, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, declared their independence from Georgia, which Russia recognized in 2008 despite Georgia's objection.

Conflict erupted in August 2008, between Russian and Georgian forces over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which led later in the year to the launch of international talks to resolve the crisis, known as the Geneva International Discussions, or GID.

Georgia cut diplomatic ties with Russia following the brief armed conflict over the control of the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

In 2009, the Incident Response and Prevention Mechanism grew out of the GID, providing a forum for further discussion.

The GID is co-chaired by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, and the United Nations, bringing together relevant countries and regions, including the United States.

"The secretary-general urges all the participants in the Geneva International Discussions to adopt a constructive, forward-looking approach that would allow this indispensable mechanism to fulfill its mandate," said the statement.

"All concerned should prioritize progress through appropriate dialogue and refrain from divisive policies and unilateral actions that may adversely impact regional peace and security," said the UN chief.

Guterres recalled that while the GID and the mechanism have "substantially contributed to strengthening stability in recent years, more should be done on key security and humanitarian issues, including those related to the plight of the many internally displaced persons and refugees."

He said the UN would continue to fully support this important mechanism and work with the EU and the OSCE to achieve progress on all fronts.
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Samsung Group, South Korea's biggest family-controlled conglomerate, said Wednesday that it will invest 180 trillion won (about 160 billion U.S. dollars) and hire 40,000 more employees for the next three years.

Samsung made the announcement to help revitalize the South Korean economy and foster new growth engines.

The government under South Korean President Moon Jae-in placed its top priority on job creation, especially among youths, unveiling supplementary budget to create decent jobs.

However, it has yet to take effect as the labor market was in the doldrums on soft corporate investment and weak private consumption.

Samsung said in a statement that it will invest 25 trillion won (22 billion U.S. dollars) in promising business areas of artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, automotive electronics components and biopharmaceuticals over the next three years.

Additional investment will be made in semiconductors and display to maintain global leadership, while opening up its venture incubation program to both external and internal start-up projects and providing software training.

Samsung said the announcement followed months of deliberations and review by the management and the board of directors of different Samsung companies, including Samsung Electronics.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 15:23:02|Editor: xuxin

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The international community has widely criticized Washington following U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from a major nuclear pact and resumption of sanctions on Iran.

Trump said Tuesday that anyone doing business with Iran will not be allowed to maintain business ties with the United States.

Trump tweeted that "the Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level."

Despite the global outcry, Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and on Tuesday the first batch of the re-imposed U.S. sanctions on Iran, which had been lifted under the deal, came into full effect.

These U.S. actions target Tehran's purchase of U.S. banknotes, trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the use of graphite, aluminum, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes.

Another round of sanctions, to be reinstalled on Nov. 5, will be on Iran's port, energy, shipping and ship-building sectors, its petroleum-related transactions, and business deals by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran.

In response to Trump's order to reinstate the sanctions, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the Iranians would make the United States regret its actions.

"Through unity and solidarity, the Iranians will weather away the return of sanctions," Rouhani said. "Trump will learn that these kinds of pressures did not surrender Iranians in the past and will never do so in the future."

UN spokesman Farhan Haq said that the United Nations continues to encourage support from all governments for the JCPOA.

"The secretary-general has, himself, repeatedly discussed the importance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as one of the key diplomatic achievements of recent years. He believes that it deserves continued support and that all of the parties to that agreement need to abide by its terms," spokesman Farhan Haq said.

In response to concerns of possible humanitarian impact of the sanctions, Haq said "we will have to see what the effects of these measures are," while stressing "regardless of the steps that are being taken," it is important that "Iran and the other parties comply with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action."

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said Tuesday that the current JCPOA was the "best possible" and "achievable" deal to address the West's concerns on Iran, in sharp contrast with Trump's abhorrence of the deal.

"On the Iran deal, we really encourage the United States along with all nations to get around the table and start discussing about actually ... how we have something that can work," Williamson said. "We really just encourage the United States to start talking to its partners and Iran in order to be able to find a route forward."

Hours before Trump's announcement to re-sanction Iran, the European Union (EU), Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement that they would maintain economic ties with Tehran, and "are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran."

They also said that "the European Union's updated Blocking Statute enters into force on Aug. 7 to protect EU companies doing legitimate business with Iran from the impact of U.S. extra-territorial sanctions."

Guenther Oettinger, German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician and EU commissioner, said that Germany's savings banks and credit unions could become a potential solution for companies to continue to do business with the Middle Eastern country and bypass U.S. sanctions.

Oettinger said that the regionally based and decentralized financial sector traditionally has few ties to U.S. financial markets and was hence less likely to be hit by the new sanctions regime.

Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned Washington, saying that Russia would do everything to preserve and fully implement the Iran nuclear deal, which is under threat by U.S. unilateral sanctions.

"We condemn any unilateral sanctions in circumvention of the decisions of the UN Security Council, especially when they have extraterritorial application and affect the interests of third countries," the Russian ministry said.

As the U.S. move also puts Turkey in a tight situation, the Turkish foreign ministry said authorities are working to avoid the U.S. sanctions from harming Turkey.

"We do not have to adhere to the sanctions imposed on a country by another country. We don't find the sanctions right either," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned Washington as well, saying that Syria supports Iran in the face of the "aggressive" U.S. policies.

The ministry said the sanctions were "unilateral and illegitimate measures that come to confirm the tendency of hegemony and arrogance of the policies of the U.S. administration after losing credibility upon withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal."

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Singapore on Friday that China is willing to work with all parties to continue safeguarding the Iran nuclear deal.

"China always holds the view that JCPOA is a multilateral deal which is verified and approved by the Untied Nations Security Council and accords the common interests of all parties and the international community, which must be respected and safeguarded so as to maintain the authority of the United Nations, the effectiveness of multilateral deals and the credibility of the international rules," Wang said while meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting and related meetings.

In 2015, Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany, signed the nuclear deal in Vienna. Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspections in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

(Xinhua reporters Zhu Dongyang and Guo Yina in Washington, William M. Reilly and Xu Xiaolei in New York, Qin Yanyang in Ankara, Moritz Rommerskirchen and Ren Ke in Berlin, Nathan Morley in Brussels, and Liao Bingqing in Moscow contributed to this story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 15:28:03|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Taiwanese people who work on the Chinese mainland no longer need a work permit, a mainland spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

According to Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the decision was made based on a study by the office and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), and the suggestions and advice of Taiwan compatriots.

It aims to provide Taiwanese people with treatment equal to that of their mainland compatriots in studying, starting businesses, employment and livelihood, he said.

The decision is part of a State Council decision made public on Aug. 3, which also eliminated the requirement for Hong Kong and Macao citizens to acquire a work permit to work in the mainland.

Business licenses, contracts, payrolls and social insurance payment records can all serve as work permits for Taiwan compatriots working in the mainland, Ma continued.

MOHRSS will publish a series of supporting measures as soon as possible for Taiwanese citizens to work in the mainland, in accordance with the instructions of the State Council, he said.
MANILA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is offering cash and livelihood to lure leftist rebels to abandon the armed struggle and start a new life, according government information posted online on Wednesday.

The government has created a coordinating body, Task Force Balik-Loob, tasked to implement its fresh efforts to reintegrate former rebels into the society.

The program pursues a comprehensive, integrated, community-based national program that is locally-implemented to address the legal status and security of former rebels as well as their economic, social, psychological rehabilitation need.

Duterte has decided to pursue localized peace talks with the New People's Army (NPA) rebels after formal talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) crumbled in June. The NDF is representing the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the NPAs.

The Task Force Balik-Loob has published the benefits that surrendering rebels can avail of under the so-called Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

The benefits include a monetary reward amounting to 191,000 pesos (roughly 3,603 U.S. dollars) broken down into reintegration assistance amounting to 21,000 pesos (roughly 396.19 U.S. dollars), employment assistance amounting to 100,000 pesos (roughly 1,887 U.S. dollars), immediate assistance worth 15,000 pesos (roughly 283 U.S. dollars), livelihood assistance 50,000 pesos (roughly 943 U.S. dollars) and conditional transitional grant of 5,000 pesos (roughly 94 U.S. dollars).

Aside from the monetary incentives, returning rebels will also be paid for every firearms, explosives and ammunitions that they return to the government. "The amount will depend on the condition of the firearms," the body said in its posters.

The government accepts any kind of firearms, according to the poster, including revolver, pistol, shotgun, sub-machine gun, light machine gun, heavy machine gun, grenade launcher, rifle, vintage firearms and even "home-made" guns called "paltik."

Returnees can also get modified conditional cash transfer, housing access to government services, college tuition and stipend, medical assistance, legal assistance and psychosocial assistance.

The Duterte administration has shifted to talk to local NPA commanders after talks with the CPP collapsed.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has earlier said that localized talks are "nationally orchestrated, centrally directed, and locally supervised and implemented," adding that "the constitutional integrity and sovereignty will not be compromised."

"(The aim is) complete and genuine resolution of the local armed conflict. It shall cover the NPA (cadres)," Roque added.

The CPP began its armed struggle in 1969. It has launched ambuscades since in an effort to overthrow the government through guerrilla warfare.

The rebellion reached its peak in 1987 when it boasted 26,000 armed guerrillas. However, the movement has since dwindled due to differences in strategy and tactics and the arrests of many of its top leaders in the late 1980s.

At present the military estimates these armed rebels at around 4,000.

Peace negotiations with the rebels were suspended in 2011. Duterte revived the talks when he assumed office in June 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 15:38:05|Editor: xuxin

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- After a court order closed Brazil's northern border with Venezuela on Monday, an appeal resulted in the border being reopened Tuesday.

The appeal was filed by the Attorney General Office and accepted by a federal court. The Office released a statement saying that the court acknowledged that closing the border represented a 'grave violation of the public and judicial order."

According to the statement, the previous order to close the border not only offended the constitutional principle of separation of powers but also represented a violation of international protocols to protect refugees.

Judge Helder Girao Barreto, who ordered the border closure had argued that the federal government's actions were not sufficient to distribute the burden of immigration to the entire country, and that Roraima, the state bordering Venezuela, is shouldering the burden itself.

However, the Office also observed that given the extension of the existing border, a specific border station in Roraima closed would not serve to half the influx of Venezuelan immigrants to Brazil.

The number of Venezuelan immigrants in Brazil skyrocketed in recent months. The number of refugee requests doubled in the first half of 2018, surpassing 35,000. Another 11,000 requested permits for temporary residence and 10,000 sought to legalize themselves in the country.

Most of the immigrants remain in Roraima state or in neighboring Amazonas. The high influx of people caused extra demands for education, housing and healthcare in Roraima, more than it could handle alone.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 15:38:06|Editor: xuxin

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The business of luxury chicken diapers has been booming in the United States. as raising chicken has become popular over the decade, media reported.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2013, nearly 1 percent of households in the country's biggest urban areas keep chickens, and the number continues to rise. People do not simply treat chickens as poultry, but also as pets.

In some cities, raising chickens have even become a way of showing off wealth. "We spend an insane amount of money. We thought we'd feed them leftovers, but our chickens end up eating grilled salmon, steak, fresh lettuce and organic watermelon," one chicken owner, Amina Azhar-Graham, told the Washington Post in March.

Chicken owners are also willing to pay for diapers which could catch chicken poop and prevent the birds from leaving excrements everywhere in the house. There are various brands of diapers with different prices, from around 17 U.S. dollars to nearly 40 dollars.

"The market is enormous and there's lots of competition," said Traci Torres, the owner of My Pet Chicken, who has sold more than 5,000 self-designed diapers since 2007.

Dressed with well-designed accessories, chickens are popular on Instagram as some accounts with thousands of followers have been posting a variety of well-dressed chickens.

For centuries, chickens were seen as dirty, replaceable livestock, but now the growth of the luxury chicken industry shows shifting attitudes toward the bird, Julie Baker, owner of a chicken diaper brand Pampered Poultry, told The Outline.

"Over the last couple of years, it has changed to people actually calling their chickens pets," Baker said.

As for the function of her chicken diapers, Baker laughed. "They are not diapers. They serve absolutely no purpose. Literally, no purpose, other than to look cute. They're ridiculous," she said.
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Samsung Group, South Korea's biggest family-controlled conglomerate, said Wednesday that it will invest 180 trillion won (160 billion U.S. dollars) and hire 40,000 more employees for the next three years.

Samsung made the announcement to help revitalize the South Korean economy and foster new growth engines.

The government under South Korean President Moon Jae-in placed its top priority on job creation, especially among youths, unveiling supplementary budget to create decent jobs.

However, it had yet to take effect as the labor market was in the doldrums on soft corporate investment and weak private consumption.

Samsung expected to create 40,000 new jobs, including generating up to 20,000 additional new jobs on top of the previous hiring plans, over the next three years. It reflected Samsung's commitment to support youth employment, Samsung said in a statement.

Along with the direct employment of Samsung, its investment in South Korea was forecast to help induce around 700,000 jobs in related industries and businesses, the statement noted.

Among the total of 180 trillion won (160 billion U.S. dollars) in investment, 130 trillion won (116 billion U.S. dollars) will be spent in South Korea

Samsung said that it will invest 25 trillion won (22 billion U.S. dollars) in innovative business areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, automotive electronics components and biopharmaceuticals over the next three years.

Innovations, powered by AI technology, was forecast to drive the industry's transformation. The next-generation 5G telecommunications technology was expected to create opportunities in autonomous driving, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics, Samsung said.

Samsung planned to significantly expand its research capability for AI technology, raising the number of advanced AI researchers to 1,000 across its global AI centers. It will also aggressively invest in 5G chipsets and related devices and equipment.

Samsung aimed to become a leader in electronics components for future cars such as system-on-chips for driverless driving, making use of its leadership in semiconductors, telecommunications and display technologies.

Separately, Samsung said it will increase support for basic sciences to identify new growth opportunities, widening its program to include areas of future technologies such as AI, 5G, IoT and biopharmaceuticals.

Additional investment will be made in semiconductors and display panels, Samsung said.

For semiconductors, Samsung planned to expand investment in its manufacturing factories to maintain technology leadership and meet new demand from applications in AI, 5G, data centers and automotive electronics.

The spending will include investments in non-memory chips and new advanced manufacturing equipment as well as memory products.

For display panels, investment will be increased to develop high-value, differentiated products amid stiff competition in the industry.

In conjunction with the South Korean government, Samsung will set up and operate software education centers to nurture software talent and help create new job opportunities.

The centers will train 10,000 students and job candidates across the nation, offering employment consulting services for the next five years.

It will also increase the scale of its so-called "Smart Factory" program, an initiative that provides automation solutions and intelligent upgrades for manufacturing facilities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 16:48:22|Editor: xuxin

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tourism experts warn that the booming U.S. tourism industry may take a hit by the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China.

"There will be impacts on the tourism. The question is how long. We hope it's temporary," Barry Lin, vice general manager of destination marketing services at Chinese online travel agency Tuniu, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

The industry is watching closely the situation as the National Day Golden Week, a national seven-day holiday starting on Oct. 1 in China, is drawing closer, said Lin.

China is one of the fastest-growing inbound travel markets to the United States. The U.S. travel exports to China were valued at 33 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, and Chinese residents took 3 million trips to the United States in that year, according to the U.S. Travel Association's report in March this year.

China is also the country with the highest average spending in the United States, according to the organization. Per Chinese visitor spent, on average, 6,900 dollars in 2016, more than those of any other major inbound market.

But industry experts are concerned that the rising tensions may dampen momentum as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration imposed extra tariffs on 34 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods early last month and threatened to go further.

"The difficult time that the two countries are undergoing would probably deter those group tourists who are undecided," said Lin.

Last month, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco issued a travel warning to Chinese tourists, alerting them to use caution while traveling in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle and other popular tourist destinations across the United States.

The trade tensions pose a threat to the U.S. pursuit of a growing global travel market, Jonathan Grella, executive vice president at the U.S. Travel Association, told Las Vegas Review Journal recently.

"Increasing Chinese visitation is a golden opportunity to reverse the trade balance, bolster competitiveness and create American jobs," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 16:53:24|Editor: xuxin

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TORONTO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian metropolis of Toronto has Chinese travelers to thank for driving growth in the city's tourism sector.

In an interview with Xinhua, Andrew Weir, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Tourism Toronto, said he expects Chinese tourists to bring about "more meaningful growth not just for Toronto but for all of Canada."

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), an 18-percent growth of Chinese visitors in Canada in 2017 has generated an additional revenue of nearly 1.25 billion Canadian dollars (1 billion U.S. dollars).

"We're seeing travelers from around the world including Mexico, Brazil and Germany, but the strongest growth has come out of China," Weir said, adding that the tourism community in Toronto "has done a better job of making services and information available in Mandarin."

Weir said Toronto has been focusing a lot on making Chinese customers' experience in the city more satisfactory. One example of that effort is the adoption of Alipay and UnionPay -- two popular Chinese payment methods -- in stores and hotels throughout the city.

"I think the travelers are generally having a very positive experience here. I can't speak for every individual traveler, but on the whole we're seeing growth year after year."

Not only has UnionPay, the most widely-used payment option in China, been present in Canadian cities since late June, it can also be used by Chinese travelers to pay for online visa applications.

According to the IRCC, which allows the use of UnionPay to settle visa application fees, 23 percent of all temporary resident visa applications it received in 2017 were from Chinese citizens.

With the launching of the Canada-China Year of Tourism on March 21 in Toronto, the two countries have shown a resolve to further promote tourism cooperation. In 2017, more than 1.5 million visits were made between the two countries.

Canada has set the goal of doubling the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country by 2021. To reach the target, it has recently opened seven new visa application centers in China.

"We're really working hard as a community to be ready for the Chinese traveler ... The feedback from travelers all around the world, including Chinese travelers, has been very very positive," Weir said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 16:53:24|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Wang Sanyun, former vice chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, was charged with taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) announced Wednesday.

The Municipal People's Procuratorate of the city of Zhengzhou in central China's Henan Province has recently filed Wang's case to Zhengzhou Intermediate People's Court, the SPP said.

Wang, who also served as deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) provincial committee of southwest China's Guizhou Province, governor of east China's Anhui Province, and secretary of the CPC provincial committee of northwest China's Gansu Province, was charged with taking advantages of his positions to benefit others and accepting a huge amount of money and property.

The SPP also announced that prosecutors had indicted two other former officials, Zhou Chunyu, former vice governor of Anhui Province, and Cai Xiyou, former general manager of state-owned chemical firm Sinochem Group.

Zhou will stand trial for taking bribes, concealing offshore deposits, abuse of power, and insider trading, based on investigations by the Provincial People's Procuratorate of east China's Shandong Province and public security bureau of the eastern city of Qingdao.

The Municipal People's Procuratorate of Jinan City in Shandong has filed Zhou's case with the Jinan Intermediate People's Court.

Cai will stand trial at Tai'an Intermediate People's Court in Shandong on charges of bribery by the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Tai'an City, following a completed investigation by Shandong Provincial People's Procuratorate.

He was charged with using his posts, including senior vice president of Chinese oil giant Sinopec Corp., to seek profits for others as well as illegally asking for and accepting a huge amount in bribes.

Prosecutors have informed the defendants of their rights, interviewed them, and listened to their lawyers' remarks, the SPP said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 17:18:30|Editor: mmm

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HARARE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Opposition MDC Alliance co-principal Tendai Biti was arrested Wednesday at the Chirundu Border Post while trying to flee to neighboring Zambia where he intended to seek political asylum.

His lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo confirmed the arrest and said Biti was currently detained at the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Biti's arrest comes after police indicated Monday they were looking for him and eight other senior MDC Alliance officials in connection with the post-election violence that erupted in central Harare last week that resulted in the death of six people and injury of several others.

Police last week arrested 27 suspects in connection with the violence and the suspects were granted bail on Tuesday.

The MDC Alliance has rejected the results of the July 30 poll that was won by incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ruling ZANU-PF party and has said it will challenge the results in court.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government has set August 12 as the tentative date for the inauguration of Mnangagwa if no political party challenges the election results by Friday this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 17:43:36|Editor: mmm

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Wednesday 132 Ethiopians who were stranded in war-torn Yemen have returned home during the last one week.

In a press statement, IOM said 96 men, 19 women and 17 unaccompanied children were evacuated on boats from the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah that is being fiercely contested by rival Yemeni warring sides.

The IOM said the migrants were transferred across the Red Sea to Djibouti where they received humanitarian and medical support before being transported to Ethiopia.

Every year, thousands of Ethiopians looking for better economic opportunities abroad are estimated to have trafficked through Somalia, Djibouti and the Red Sea to reach the Arabian Peninsula.

Ethiopian migrants in Yemen reportedly face constant abuses, including arbitrary detention, rape and forced labor.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 17:48:38|Editor: mmm

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) will be held in Beijing from Aug. 13 to 20, the organizer said Wednesday.

It will be the first time that the event, organized every five years, is held in China. This year's event is organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, and Peking University.

The Chinese Organizing Committee of WCP 2018 said philosophers and academics from 121 countries and regions have been invited to attend and are expected to share diverse philosophical achievements based on different cultures and traditions.

They will also take part in dialogues focusing on major issues confronting the development of the global civilization, and challenges that mankind will face in the future.

Themed "Learning To Be Human," the event will include plenary sessions, symposia, lectures, roundtables and sessions.

"China has an impressively long history of philosophy and the cultivation of wisdom and has made an enduring contribution to world heritage," said Dermot Moran, president of the federation in his welcome message.

"It is my fervent hope that after this congress, there will be renewed international interest in Chinese philosophy, and philosophers of East and West will look at world problems enriched by new perspectives and approaches," he added.

The federation, established in 1948, is a non-governmental world organization for philosophy. The first WCP was held in 1900 in Paris and has become one of the largest philosophical events across the world.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:08:44|Editor: mmm

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MANILA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Philippines forces gunned down on Wednesday two terrorists allegedly carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) in North Cotabato, a province in the southern Philippines.

Local army spokesman Arvin Encinas said the two bomb couriers aboard a motorcycle attempted to transport the IED but were flagged down at a military checkpoint for inspection.

"When the troops approached to check them, they attempted to flee and one suspect drew a firearm and shot the troops," Encinas said in a statement.

Encinas said this prompted the troops to shoot back, killing the two people on the spot.

He added that troops found a pistol and an IED inside a paper bag from these two people, who were believed to be members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

"The bomb couriers are trying to plot a bomb terror attack in the province of North Cotabato," the military spokesman added.

"It would have resulted in casualties had we not prevented (these people)," said Encinas.

BIFF members are mostly disgruntled former members of the larger insurgent group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace accord with the government.

The BIFF was established in 2010 by former MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato who died of a heart attack in 2015.

According to the Philippine government and military, there are up to 400 BIFF terrorists operating in the southern Philippines.

The BIFF is among the armed groups in Mindanao that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:08:45|Editor: mmm

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PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday broke ground for the construction of the first international tourism port in the coastal province of Kampot.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the four-hectare port is being developed in Chhum Kreal commune of Tek Chhou district under a loan of 8 million U.S. dollars from the Asian Development Bank.

"The port will improve tourism in the province by connecting seaborne tourists from Thailand and Vietnam," he said in a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Svay Sovath, director of administration bureau of the Kampot Provincial Tourism Department, said it will be the first seaport specifically designed for tourist vessels in the kingdom.

"The port will play an important role in attracting more tourists and investors to this coastal province," he told Xinhua, adding that the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019.

The Southeast Asian nation has a pristine coastline stretching in the length of 450 km in four southwestern provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep.

Besides, it has three world heritage sites, namely the Angkor archeological park in northwestern Siem Reap province, the Preah Vihear Temple in northwestern Preah Vihear province, and the Sambor Prei Kuk archeological site in central Kampong Thom province.

Tourism is one of the four sectors supporting Cambodia's economy. Last year, the country received 5.6 million foreign tourists including 1.21 million Chinese, earning gross revenue of 3.6 billion U.S. dollars.

The country is projected to welcome up to 7 million international tourists with anticipated revenue of 5 billion U.S. dollars by 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:18:47|Editor: xuxin

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An injured man receives medical treatment at a local hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh province, Afghanistan, Aug. 8, 2018. Six civilians were killed and seven others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh on Wednesday, a local official said. (Xinhua/Yaqoub Azorda)

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Six civilians were killed and seven others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh on Wednesday, a local official said.

"The incident occurred in Quch Qazal village of Sholgara district roughly at 05:30 a.m. local time when a running vehicle touched off an improvised explosive device (IED) along a dusty road," provincial government spokesman Munir Ahmad Farhad told Xinhua.

A total of 13 people were affected by the explosion and those among the victims were four children and two women, he said.

Local officials blame Taliban militants for planting the IEDs to target security forces in the district that has been the scene of heavy armed clashes earlier this year.

More than 1,690 civilians were killed and over 3,430 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year in the war-torn country, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:23:49|Editor: mmm

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ULAN BATOR, Aug.8 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will establish trade missions abroad between 2018 and 2023 in order to boost exports, according to its Foreign Minister on Wednesday.

"Mongolia's economy is on track to stabilize. Now, it is extremely important to boost exports to increase foreign exchange reserves, raise salaries and create more jobs." Damdin Tsogtbaatar told a press conference, stressing the need to establish overseas trade missions.

According to the official, from 2018 to 2019, the country will establish three trade missions in the Chinese capital Beijing, the city of Vladivostok in the Russian far east, as well as the Japanese capital Tokyo.

Similar offices will be opened in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, the Russian capital Moscow, and the Belgian capital Brussels between 2020 and 2023.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:28:51|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As a batch of stringent sanctions against Iran returned on Tuesday, years of diplomatic efforts for a denuclearized and stable Middle East have been thwarted due to a one-sided move from Washington.

Three months after the withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal, the Trump administration announced Monday that it would reimpose mass financial and industrial sanctions on Tehran to exert "maximum economic pressure."

What's more, the second tranche of sanctions, mainly targeting Iran's vital oil sector, will come into play in early November, which means trouble ahead for countries that trade in energy with Iran.

By ignoring strong appeals from the international community and reneging on the 2015 deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States is attempting to force Iran and the other co-sponsors to create another treaty to undercut what the White House alleges is Iran's rising influence in the Middle East.

However, given the fact that the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has repeatedly confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA terms, applying economic pressure on Iran could be a challenge for Washington.

With its violation of global consensus and the absence of any international legal basis, the United States will have difficulty persuading other countries to cut commercial ties with Tehran, Peter Harrell, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said in an article published online on Foreign Affairs.

The current nuclear treaty has been widely accepted and recognized for its role in promoting denuclearization and maintaining stability in the war-torn region.

Washington's wayward sanctions cast a shadow on the hard-earned historic deal reached between Iran and the Untied States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany.

Although there are no exact retaliation measures from Tehran so far, fears over the growing possibility of a nuclear arms race in the region have heightened, as the Iranian authorities threatened to drop out of the deal and restart its nuclear program.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called for honesty and sincerity following Washington's proposal for dialogue.

As he said in a televised speech, "If you stab somebody with a knife and then you say you want talks, then the first thing you have to do is remove the knife."

For the "deeply regretful" European Union (EU), a counter-measure came into effect at the same time in order to protect European economic interests and maintain its business relations with Iran.

The EU's defiance represents an escalation in tensions between the United States and its European allies. Trans-Atlantic trust has been undermined following Washington's unilateralism and disrespect for the national interests of countries in Europe.

This fresh assault against multilateralism won't benefit Washington or its allies; instead, the new round of sanctions will serve as a further blow to the superpower's already damaged credibility.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:33:52|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The central government has allocated 250 million yuan (about 36.6 million U.S. dollars) to help with flood relief work in Sichuan Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Of the total, 200 million yuan was allocated for southwest China's Sichuan, which already received 100 million yuan in aid last month, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM).

The other 50 million yuan went to Inner Mongolia in north China, the ministry said.

The money, allocated by the MEM and the Ministry of Finance, will be used to relocate people affected by the floods, reconstruct collapsed houses and provide financial aid for flood victims.

Authorities launched an emergency response in July following severe rainstorms and floods in the two regions, and several work teams were dispatched to help with local disaster relief.

As of July 27, about 761,000 people in Inner Mongolia were affected by floods, which left 12 people dead and two missing and caused direct economic losses amounting to 5.3 billion yuan in the region, according to local authorities.

By July 12, 932,000 people in Sichuan were affected by floods, with direct economic losses estimated at 2.4 billion yuan.
DHAKA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Wednesday seized over 200,000 yaba tablets in capital Dhaka.

Four persons were arrested with suspected links to the seizure of the yaba pills from two vehicles which reached Dhaka from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh's southernmost district bordering Myanmar, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan told journalists at a press conference.

Acting on a tip-off, he said a patrol team of RAB personnel seized the yaba tablets, often used for sexual stimulation.

The pills worth about 72 million taka (about 858,333 U.S. dollars) were hidden in a covered van's ceiling and in spare tyres of a truck, he said.

Yaba tablets have been increasingly popular among drug users, despite efforts of law enforcement agencies to contain the dangers of the narcotics trade.

On Jan. 17, 2016, RAB seized 2.8 million yaba tablets, the biggest ever seizure of contraband yaba tablets in the country so far in a day.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 18:43:54|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A high-level animal and biological safety laboratory was put into use Tuesday, according to Science and Technology Daily Wednesday.

Independently designed, constructed, and managed by China, the lab will conduct experiments on animals carrying infectious diseases.

Supported by Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the lab will conduct animal infection experiments on horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, mice, and monkeys, said the newspaper.

The construction of the lab started in 2012 and was completed in 2015.

The lab is expected to improve the country's abilities in prevention and research of severe infectious diseases. It will also provide support for the animal breeding industry and public health safety.
COLOMBO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka is on course to reach the 2018 export target of 17.5 billion U.S. dollars set up by the government as the island country had already achieved 60 percent of that target by the end of July, chairperson of Sri Lanka's Export Development Board, Indira Malwatte said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Messe Frankfurt Exhibition event held in Colombo, Indira said the government had set up an export target of 20 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for 2019 and 28 billion dollars for 2020 and these targets were now falling in line as achievable.

"Just like everybody united to defeat terrorism, today people must rally round the exporters and give them maximum assistance as exports and FDIs are the key to economic growth," she said.

She further said the proposed Free Trade Agreement between China and Sri Lanka would be advantageous to both countries as it would help attract more Chinese investors to Sri Lanka.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 19:13:58|Editor: xuxin

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LONDON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The London Assembly's transport committee has called for transformation of the iconic Thames into a river tube, although the British capital is famed for its underground system, better known as the London tube.

Describing the River Thames as an under-utilized transport goldmine that cuts through the heart of London, the committee has written to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to champion the waterway and urge him to expand river transport services.

Transport Committee chair Caroline Pidgeon said: "What could be more charming than taking the Thames to work."

Though passenger journeys have been increasing on the river, the committee says it believes a number of issues need to be addressed urgently to achieve the mayor's and Port of London Authority's (PLA) ambitious target of doubling passenger journeys on the Thames.

Regular and commuter journeys on the River Bus account for only 20 to 30 percent of total passenger journeys on the Thames.

"Given the importance of the river and the pressure on other modes, the committee thinks it is essential for River Bus services to be given more support," said a spokesperson for the London Assembly.

The assembly has called on the mayor to appoint a river ambassador to provide the leadership required to promote river passenger transport. It also wants Transport for London (TfL) to resolve congestion around river piers in central London.

Pidgeon said: "London's river has fantastic potential to enhance our transport network, but it is being under-utilized. What it needs is a champion to establish the River Bus as a key part of London's transport network and to invite investment for new infrastructure or upgrades.

"We would like to see more emphasis on increasing regular and commuter journeys on the River Bus. Accessibility also needs to improve, as there are a number of smaller piers that are not accessible. And TfL needs to actively manage congestion around the central piers.

"We want to see a boom in river travel but don't want to undermine efforts to reduce dangerous emissions. So, river-specific emissions standards need to be developed to reduce all river vessel pollution."

Since 2010 the total number of journeys on the Thames has increased from 6 million to 10 million. TfL says it is on track to meet its target for 12 million journeys by 2023.

Currently river bus services run on five routes from 22 piers between Putney and Woolwich. Last year, 4.2 million journeys were made on River Buses.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out at a state-owned oil refinery in India's financial capital Mumbai Wednesday, injuring two persons, officials said.

The blaze was reported from Bharat Petroleum's refinery in Chembur area.

"The fire broke out around 3:30 p.m. (local time), following several explosions. Two injured have been hospitalised," a fire official said.

Some 10 fire tenders have been pressed into service, he added.

"The fire is on, but under control," the oil company has said in a statement.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, a police official said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 19:59:13|Editor: xuxin

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NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's leading property developers are staring at an uncertain future as the government intensifies implementation of a regeneration plan for the capital of Nairobi that has resorted to demolition of structures on riparian land and other sensitive biodiversity hotspots.

President Uhuru Kenyatta in December last year launched a Nairobi city regeneration master plan and a team of technocrats to oversee its implementation in order to restore green credentials of East Africa's largest metropolis.

The Kenyan leader tasked Nairobi city's regeneration team to come up with innovative ways to tackle pollution, traffic snarl ups, inadequate housing and crime.

Kenyatta ordered the team of technocrats, industry leaders and elected representatives to give priority to sustainable waste management, clean up of Nairobi's main water bodies and affordable housing as a means to enhance the city's renewal.

The implementation of Nairobi regeneration plan that has gone overdrive has been accompanied by demolition of residential and business premises sitting on riparian land.

Kenya's environmental watchdog on Aug. 6 oversaw demolition of a petrol station and a building housing--Java coffee house in Nairobi's up market Kileleshwa suburb because of encroaching on a riparian land.

Senior officials at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) disclosed that about 4,000 buildings located near river banks have been earmarked for demolition that will be carried out in the next two months.

Geoffrey Wahungu, the director general of NEMA, said an inter-agency team will carry out demolition of structures that had encroached on riparian land.

"There are so many buildings that have been constructed next to a river bank and we have given notice to unscrupulous developers who continue to flout basic environmental rules," said Wahungu.

He regretted that governance lapses and weak policing were to blame for mushrooming settlements along riparian zones in Nairobi and its adjacent satellite towns.

Julius Wanjau, the head of Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA), said unscrupulous developers have to brace for astronomical losses or jail terms for encroaching on protected areas.

"We are not relenting on our efforts to restore Nairobi's green status by clearing structures built over wetlands and riparian land. Developers who break the law will not only incur losses but risks protracted battle with the courts," Wanjau told reporters.

He said demolition of residential and business premises located near river banks and other water sources will extend to the densely populated suburbs located on the eastern fringes of Nairobi.

Wanjau revealed that 600 pollution points have been identified along Nairobi River hence triggering an urgency to clear structures along its path.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nairobi county leaders have endorsed the operation to clean up the city through demolition of structures built on road reserves and near water bodies.

So far, dozens of police officers have been deployed to provide security during the demolition exercise that is expected to hurt the revenue base of private developers.

Reports from local media indicated that 8 million U.S. dollars has been set aside to support activities that will enhance Nairobi's environmental renewal.

The revelation that up market shopping malls that sit on wetlands are slated for demolition has sent shock waves to private developers who have promised to halt the process through court injunction.

However, the identification and mapping of illegal structures to pave way for their demolition and reclaim Nairobi's green stewardship will continue despite attempts by developers to rush to the courts and put brakes on the exercise.

Kenyan lawmakers during their recent tour of major water sources in Nairobi sounded alarm over massive encroachment of these vital ecosystems.

Kareke Mbiuki, the chairman of Parliamentary Committee on environment and natural resources said that punitive action will be taken against private developers who put up apartment blocks in water catchment zones.

Experts said enforcement of regulations to restore Nairobi's biodiversity hotpots should not be sacrificed at the altar of short-term commercial gain.

John Musingi, a Nairobi-based environmentalist supported the ongoing demolition of structures along river banks and wetlands terming them a wake-up call for private developers to adhere to laid down regulations.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 20:09:16|Editor: xuxin

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by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Greece raised on Wednesday 812.5 million euros (942 million U.S. dollars) in a 13-week treasury bills auction, the Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) said.

The three-month treasury bills were sold at 0.65 percent yield, unchanged from the previous similar auction conducted in July, according to the e-mailed PDMA press statement.

Shut out of international markets since 2010, debt-laden Greece runs a monthly treasury bill auction program to cover maturing debts and meet its financing needs, in parallel to the bailout program.

Greece is expected to fully return to the markets after the current third bailout program ends on Aug. 20 this summer. (1 euro=1.16 U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 20:19:18|Editor: xuxin

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RAMALLAH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian government warned on Wednesday that any deal to reach a truce between Islamic Hamas movement and Israel in Gaza Strip would anchor the 12-year-long internal division.

Spokesperson of the government Yousef Al-Mahmoud said in a press statement that "any unilateral action or moves to be taken under the current division will surely lead to more rifts and help realize the schemes of the occupation aiming to further divide the Palestinian geography and the looting of Jerusalem city and the Islamic and Christian holy places."

He urged Hamas to work towards reaching national reconciliation and to "enable the government fully in accordance with the agreement reached with Fatah party and other factions brokered by Egypt."

He warned that the continuation of the division would continue to "bring more disasters to the Palestinian people everywhere, particularly in Gaza Strip, as would open the doors for the occupation and supporters to attempt to implement the anti-Palestinian schemes that would destroy the national Palestinian dream."

Israeli Minister of Transport Israel Katz said that Gaza will be isolated from the West Bank and "the truce deal will lead to isolate Gaza completely."

Al-Mahmoud said such statements resemble what the Israeli government dreams of, in terms of destroying any change for a geographically continuous entity to be the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and replace the Palestinian dream of independence with a state of separated cantons.

He concluded the statement saying that "the only way to get out of this dark tunnel and avoid the consequences of the looming evils is the immediate declaration of working towards reconciliation, ending the division and inviting the government to undertake all its responsibilities in Gaza."

Hamas officials have recently declared that the movement is currently looking into suggestions for a truce deal with Israel mediated by the UN and Egypt.

More than one agreement on national reconciliation was reached under Saudi, Qatari and Egyptian sponsorship, but none of them reached a tangible breakthrough to end the division that has begun since the violent Hamas seized power in the coastal enclave in 2007.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 20:54:25|Editor: Liangyu

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Businessmen select fork lifts during the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2018. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

By Xinhua Writer Lu Yun

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade maintained steady growth in the first seven months of this year despite escalating trade tensions with the United States, with data pointing to a more balanced trade picture.

China's goods trade went up 8.6 percent year on year to 16.72 trillion yuan (about 2.45 trillion U.S. dollars) in the January-July period of this year, customs data showed Wednesday.

Exports rose 5 percent year on year while imports grew 12.9 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.06 trillion yuan, which narrowed by 30.6 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs.

"The steady growth in the first seven months is a hard-won result amid external uncertainties," said Bai Ming with the Ministry of Commerce research department.

TRADE WAR IMPACT LIMITED

July's trade data was under the spotlight as it was the first reading since fresh U.S. tariffs on a wide range of Chinese goods went into effect.

The United States slapped an extra 25 percent tariff on 34 billion U.S. dollars worth of Chinese imports beginning July 6, to which China responded with an equivalent retaliatory measure.

In July, China's exports rose by 6 percent to 1.39 trillion yuan, a reading that beat market expectations, Huatai Securities said in a research note.

The better-than-expected growth might be partly because China tends to strengthen economic and trade ties with other major economies amid trade tensions with the United States, it said.

Wednesday's data showed that China's trade with the United States totaled 2.29 trillion yuan in the first seven months, up 5.2 percent year on year.

During the same period, trade with the European Union, its largest trading partner, climbed 5.9 percent, and trade volume with ASEAN countries increased by 11.6 percent.

Trade with countries along the Belt and Road totaled 4.57 trillion yuan, up 11.3 percent year on year, 2.7 percentage points faster than the average growth rate, data showed.

"The tariffs have so far had a limited impact on overall trade," China Merchants Securities said in a research note.

While short-term effects might be mild, the impact of U.S. tariffs on China's trade may be gradually revealed as time passes and more tariffs on Chinese goods threatened by the United States take effect, it noted.

MORE BALANCED TRADE

Wednesday's data also revealed a more balanced trade picture, with China's imports jumping 20.9 percent to reach 1.21 trillion yuan in July.

Thanks to the surge, the trade surplus narrowed by 42.6 percent to 176.96 billion yuan last month. In the first seven months, the trade surplus narrowed by 30.6 percent compared with a year ago.

China has been seeking a more balanced trade pattern, with a series of pro-import policies introduced.

Earlier in July, China's State Council released guidelines on expanding imports, promising tariff cuts, clean-ups of unreasonable price mark-ups, and better intellectual property rights protection.

The policy incentives have had positive impacts on imports, Huatai Securities noted.

It added that a decision of intensifying efforts to improve infrastructure, made at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in late July, will further drive imports of industrial raw materials such as iron ore.

Looking forward, China tends to maintain strong imports, while exports are also likely to hold steady despite uncertainties rising from trade tensions with the United States, Bai said.

(Xinhua reporter Yu Qiongyuan contributed to the story.)

(Video editor: Cao Ying)
RABAT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and the United States have agreed to allow commercial imports of U.S. poultry meat and products into the country for the first time, local media reported on Wednesday.

The deal came after Morocco banned the imports of U.S. poultry products over food safety concerns since a long time ago.

Citing a statement from the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Le360.ma news site said the deal stipulates that the U.S. imports must have health and Islamic Halal certificates.

The deal covers frozen poultry products and will permit shipments of a maximum of 8,958 tonnes in 2018, the same source said, adding that the imports are expected to account for 1.3 percent of Morocco's poultry product consumption.

The new accord is in line with a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries that went into force in 2006, it noted.

The United States is the world's second largest poultry exporter of poultry meat and products after Brazil, with global sales of 4.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:09:30|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Civil Affairs has unveiled a regulation requiring charities to disclose information in accordance with the law.

According to the regulation, which will go into effect September 1, charities should provide factual information to the public on the provided website in a complete and timely manner.

Information required to be disclosed includes charity groups' yearly work and financial accounting reports, major asset changes, transactions and investments, public funding, and other charity projects, said the rule.

"Any false records, misleading statements, or major omissions in the information disclosure are not allowed," it said, adding that charitable organizations are responsible to disclose the information.

Charities eligible for public fund-raising should also release the budget of their expenditures for overseas trips, vehicles, and accommodations, among other items.

Charities that fail to disclose information in a timely manner or disclose false information can be reported to civil affairs authorities by any organization or individual, the regulation said.

The Charity Law, on which the new regulation is based, took effect on Sept. 1, 2016, and stipulates that charity groups in China must disclose information to the public.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:14:30|Editor: Liangyu

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FUZHOU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The 20th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) will be held from Sept. 8 to 11 in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, Fujian Province.

Over 800 industry and commerce groups and 4,000 companies from more than 110 countries and regions are expected to participate in the fair, with a total of more than 100,000 merchants, according to the organizing committee.

The Czech Republic, as the guest country of honor, will have an exhibition area of 500 square meters.

Han Jingyi, deputy mayor of Xiamen and head of the organizing committee, said the fair will focus on the Belt and Road Initiative, especially the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

A 2,000-square-meter exhibition hall for potential investment in the maritime silk road countries has been established, with over 20 countries from the region setting up booths in it.

Over 80 forums and investment and exchange activities among multinational corporations will be held during the fair. The United Nations and China's Ministry of Commerce will also release reports concerning China's foreign investment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:19:32|Editor: xuxin

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RAMALLAH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Authority slammed on Wednesday the Israeli decision to close down access into Ibrahimi Mosque in the south West Bank city of Hebron for 24 hours on the occasion of Jewish holidays.

Palestinian Minister of Wakfs and Islamic Affairs Yousef Ide'is said in a press statement that the Israeli decision "set the conflict to a religious one and pushes the entire region to a religious war that could unfold misery and disasters."

Ide'is called on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to uphold its responsibilities towards the protection of the Palestinian people's heritage and diverse culture.

He added that the Israeli violations against the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem have increased in frequency and danger.

The administrator of Ibrahimi Mosque said that the Israeli authorities have informed them that it will ban Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque from 10 p.m. local time for the Jewish holidays.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party said the move is "a crime against the holy sites and the Palestinian people and violates all international treaties."

Fatah party's spokesperson Osama Qawasmi called on Palestinians to head to the mosque and hold their prayers at its doors in rejection to the decision, and to declare that it is a purely Islamic site and the Jews have no right in it.

The 1,000-years-old Ibrahimi Mosque, considered by Muslims as the fourth holiest site, enshrines the tombs of Prophet Abraham, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob and their wives. It is also believed that Prophet Mohammad of Islam visited it on his night flight from Mecca to Jerusalem.

The Israelis believe the site is a shared faith site, but has for a long time imposed restrictions on the access of Palestinians into the mosque, deploying soldiers, gates and a checkpoint system surrounding the site.

Following the signing of the Oslo Accords between Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1993, a subsequent agreement about Hebron was signed in 1997 splitting it into two sections, H1 under Palestinian control and H2 under Israeli control.

This has led to a sharp decline in the Palestinian population of the old city, due to constraints and harassment by Jewish settlers and military measures against Palestinians, gradually killing the economy and tourism in a once vibrant commercial city.

In July 2018, the UNESCO declared the old city of Hebron as an endangered site with an overwhelming vote, stating it as a Palestinian site that requires protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:24:33|Editor: xuxin

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RIYADH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia will host a conference next week to discuss political solutions to the Yemeni crisis, Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.

Organized by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the event will be held under the sponsorship of Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani.

The conference will discuss several issues, including the 2011 GCC Initiative, its executive mechanisms, the peaceful transition of power, the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference and Security Council resolution 2216, said Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Awaisheq, GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiations.

The conference will also discuss the UN efforts to end the Yemeni crisis through reaching a peaceful solution based on the agreed terms of references and steps to complete the initiative.

Last week, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths announced that after two years of stalled talks on resolving the crisis in the country, he plans to invite the warring parties to Geneva on Sept. 6 for peace consultations.
File photo: Israeli soldiers stand outside the Tomb of the Patriarchs, also known as the Ibrahimi Mosque, in the divided Palestinian city of Hebron in the Israeli occupied West Bank. (AFP photo)

RAMALLAH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Authority slammed on Wednesday the Israeli decision to close down access into Ibrahimi Mosque in the south West Bank city of Hebron for 24 hours on the occasion of Jewish holidays.

Palestinian Minister of Wakfs and Islamic Affairs Yousef Ide'is said in a press statement that the Israeli decision "set the conflict to a religious one and pushes the entire region to a religious war that could unfold misery and disasters."

Ide'is called on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to uphold its responsibilities towards the protection of the Palestinian people's heritage and diverse culture.

He added that the Israeli violations against the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem have increased in frequency and danger.

The administrator of Ibrahimi Mosque said that the Israeli authorities have informed them that it will ban Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque from 10 p.m. local time for the Jewish holidays.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party said the move is "a crime against the holy sites and the Palestinian people and violates all international treaties."

Fatah party's spokesperson Osama Qawasmi called on Palestinians to head to the mosque and hold their prayers at its doors in rejection to the decision, and to declare that it is a purely Islamic site and the Jews have no right in it.

The 1,000-years-old Ibrahimi Mosque, considered by Muslims as the fourth holiest site, enshrines the tombs of Prophet Abraham, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob and their wives. It is also believed that Prophet Mohammad of Islam visited it on his night flight from Mecca to Jerusalem.

The Israelis believe the site is a shared faith site, but has for a long time imposed restrictions on the access of Palestinians into the mosque, deploying soldiers, gates and a checkpoint system surrounding the site.

Following the signing of the Oslo Accords between Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1993, a subsequent agreement about Hebron was signed in 1997 splitting it into two sections, H1 under Palestinian control and H2 under Israeli control.

This has led to a sharp decline in the Palestinian population of the old city, due to constraints and harassment by Jewish settlers and military measures against Palestinians, gradually killing the economy and tourism in a once vibrant commercial city.

In July 2018, the UNESCO declared the old city of Hebron as an endangered site with an overwhelming vote, stating it as a Palestinian site that requires protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:29:35|Editor: xuxin

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KAMPALA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan police on Wednesday said it is not aware of the 4,000 alleged missing new guns as reported by state media New Vision daily.

Emilian Kayima, police spokesperson, said in a statement that although the Inspector General of Police Okoth Ochola sanctioned a gun audit, its results are yet to be submitted and shared.

Kayima said the report that security agencies were investigating the alleged missing guns from the police's classified stores were not true.

Ugandan police in May announced that it had suspended issuance of firearms to private individuals pending an audit of such weapons in the hands of the public.

Authorities said the move is part of efforts to fight organized crime in the East African country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:39:38|Editor: Liangyu

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday provided 29 scholarships to Ethiopian university students to pursue further studies in China.

The 29 recipients will pursue graduate studies in Chinese universities both in social and natural science disciplines, majority of them set to take on their doctoral studies, it was noted.

Samuel Kifle, Ethiopia's Deputy Minister of Education, told Xinhua that the scholarship grant from the Chinese government to Ethiopians depicts "one of the best partnerships in the world in all the diplomatic, cultural and economic arenas."

"We will continue to have this strong relationship, because we are sending another 29 bright students who will make the difference in this country's future," Kifle said.

Noting the Ethiopian government's commitment in strengthening access to higher education, Kifle has also commended the support from the Chinese government in filling the gap in terms of access to higher education.

"As we are investing in our human capital, the contribution from China, mainly in terms of scholarship provision, is immense," he said.

"I would like to thank the people and government of China for supporting all our endeavors of development, mainly in the education sector," he said.

Tan Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, who reiterated his country's commitment to support African countries' efforts in the education sector, also said that partnership in education is "very meaningful and important work."

Tan further called on scholarship recipients to serve as the connecting bridges in the people-to-people relations among the two countries, which he said is the basis for the comprehensive, strategic and cooperative partnership that the two countries are successfully celebrating presently.

Birhan Teka from Ethiopia's Aksum University, who is one of the recipients, also commended the opportunity.

"I have been looking for opportunities to further my doctoral education, which I had not been able to do since we don't have any academic institution in Ethiopia with PhD in archaeology," she told Xinhua.

"I am very happy, because this is a great opportunity for me given how many years I have waited for this to happen," she said.

"I hope I will be able to further improve my contribution to my country and people with the academic knowledge and potential I will have after finalizing my education in China," she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:44:39|Editor: xuxin

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OSLO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Norwegian Farmers Union had asked for an additional crisis package after an extreme drought this summer, but the government said no to any allocations beyond the approved crop damage compensation, public broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.

Norway's Minister of Agriculture Jon Georg Dale previously estimated that the compensation for crops destroyed by the drought might be worth several hundred million kroner, the report said.

"However, we have to wait until we see how the actual state of crops is. We have a very good compensation scheme and additional grants will be added, but a special crisis package is not applicable at this time," Dale said, adding that the government approved import of animal food to improve the situation.

Lars Petter Bartnes, leader of the farmers' union, said this crisis is much larger than the agricultural agreement and they need the money to save Norway's food production.

"We can not wait to make decisions about purchasing expensive animal feed from abroad or to slaughter animals until agreements have been renegotiated and the money is on the table," Bartnes said.

Also, representatives from the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union (NBS) reacted strongly to the decision of the agriculture minister.

"I am angry, simple as that. It is not possible to be a professional minister and have so little insight into the current crisis. The compensation scheme fits in normal crisis years. Now it is a state of emergency. It does not help to relocate too little money, we need additional amount," Merethe Furuberg from the NBS told NRK.

The minister's decision also caused Geir Pollestad, leader of the nutrition committee, to react.

"The government's No is very provocative. This is contrary to the signals Centre, Labour, Social Left and Christian Parties have given throughout the summer. These parties constitute a majority in the parliament," Pollestad said. (1 U.S. dollar = 8.19 Norwegian kroner)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 21:49:42|Editor: Liangyu

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RABAT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Morocco will participate in an international book fair slated for Aug. 21-26 in China's capital Beijing, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and Communication announced Wednesday.

Morocco, as a guest of honor, will take this opportunity at the 2018 Beijing International Book Fair to showcase its graceful, distinctive culture, to introduce its talented writers and outstanding publications, the ministry said in a statement.

This participation will also allow the Moroccan ministry to establish and deepen communication and cooperation with publishers from all over the world, it added.

The North African kingdom will take part in the book fair with some 500 titles.

According to the Moroccan ministry, the fair will include two events on the relations between China and Morocco under the Belt and Road Initiative, and on the Moroccan culture.

The initiative, proposed by China in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes to seek common development and prosperity.

The year 2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Morocco.
BANGKOK, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-six transnational drug suspects, some of whom being Thai females, have been arrested since last year at Thailand's airports where they were departing for Japan and South Korea.

Office of the Narcotics Control Board secretary general Sirinya Sitthichai said on Wednesday that the suspected traffickers of cocaine and crystal meth have been rounded up at Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports since April 2017.

Among those unidentified drug suspects were a number of Thai females who were arrested at the international airports with a combined 27.6 kg of crystal meth hidden in their luggage last January, Sirinya said.

They had been allegedly used by drug dealers and disguised themselves as tourists to Japan and South Korea where they would have delivered the drugs, the ONCB chief said.

The suspected drug dealers who had allegedly employed those women as drug traffickers included two unidentified Nigerian nationals who were recently arrested on Koh Samui island in southern Thailand, he said.

The authorities have launched the Airport Interdiction Task Force to crack down on drug trafficking suspects at the international airports.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 22:19:51|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said on Wednesday that Lebanon is committed to the full implementation of UN resolution 1701.

"We will coordinate on a continuous basis with the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to secure a serious implementation of UN resolution 1701," he was quoted by the independent online newspaper Elnashra as saying.

Lebanon has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to UN resolution 1701, which ended Israel's 34-day war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

The resolution called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah forces, the deployment of the Lebanese army along the Israeli border, and the establishment of a weapons-free zone south of the Litani River.

Hariri said Lebanon will continuously support UNIFIL by securing a proper environment that enables it to fulfill its duties.

His remarks came during his meeting with Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col of Italy, who took over the command of the UNIFIL on Tuesday.

Del Col assured Hariri that UNIFIL will keep on working according to UN resolution 1701, and that he will meet other Lebanese officials in the next few days.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 22:39:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LUSAKA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday appointed a new gender minister and urged her to ensure that child marriages are reduced to zero.

Lungu appointed Elizabeth Phiri as the new gender minister following the death of the previous minister Victoria Kalima in June.

In remarks delivered when he swore in the new minister, who is also a governing party lawmaker, the Zambian leader urged her to help the government seriously address the numerous gender issues affecting the country such as early marriages and gender-based violence.

"It is my sincere hope that you will take keen interest in the issues of women empowerment programs through clubs and cooperatives to bring to fruition our party's vision of empowering the less privileged," he said.

Zambia has over the years been experiencing the problem of child marriages involving girls below the age of 18, especially in rural areas.

The country has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world, with 42 percent of women aged 20 and 24 years married before 18.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 22:44:57|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 11 others injured in eastern Lebanon after a truck rear-ended several cars ahead, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The truck driver lost control of his vehicle after a sudden engine failure in the road accident that happened near the village of Bchamoun, about 12 km southeast of the capital Beirut, according to NNA.

Around 115 have been killed and 729 others injured in car accidents since the beginning of 2018, the Lebanese traffic authorities reported on Wednesday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 22:54:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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VILNIUS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A large distribution network of counterfeit vodka was busted in Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas, Lithuanian police announced on Wednesday.

"One of the largest networks of counterfeit vodka has been destroyed. Famous vodka brands were fabricated, the product was distributed through illegal trading places in Lithuania as well as smuggled to Scandinavia," Edvardas Sileris, deputy commissioner general of Lithuanian police, told at a press conference.

According to the police, the organized criminal group could gain from 1.5 to 3 million euros every month from its illegal activities. Police suggested that around 60 tons of illegal alcohol was produced each month.

Around 40 metric tons of illegal alcohol was discovered during searches in Kaunas region and 15 suspects were detained, the police said. Six vehicles of luxury marks, one truck and 200,000 euros of cash have been seized by the police.

"We implemented a wide scale investigation in order to identify and detain the whole group of organizers and executors," Rolandas Kiskis, chief of Lithuania's Criminal Police Bureau, told reporters at the press conference.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:00:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LJUBLJANA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Marjan Sarec, a 40-year-old former comedian and mayor whose party came second in the June 3 election, was formally nominated as prime minister designate by his and four other centrist parties on Wednesday.

Sarec's bid was endorsed by 43 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Marjan Sarec List (LMS), Social Democrats (SD), Modern Centre Party (SMC), Party of Alenka Bratusek (SAB) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), according to the Slovenian Press Agency STA.

The five parties, which have been in talks to form a minority government, expect that Sarec will also be backed by the nine MPs of the Left, which will mean Sarec will have a sufficient majority to be elected PM-designate in parliament next week.

The deadline for the submission of bids for PM-designate in the second round of the nomination process expires Friday. However, it seems no other bid is expected.

According to the current law, the candidate needs to garner at least 46 votes in the 90-strong National Assembly to be appointed. A vote is expected to be held on Aug. 17.

If endorsed, Sarec will become Slovenia's youngest prime minister. A newcomer to national politics, Sarec served two terms as mayor of Kamnik near the capital city of Ljubljana before being elected MP on June 3.

His party won 13 seats in parliament during the election, after Sarec nearly defeated the incumbent Borut Pahor in the run-off of the 2017 presidential election, with 46.9 of the vote.

If the formation of a minority government fails, Slovenia is likely to head for a snap election, an option advocated by the June election winner Janez Jansa, whose Democrats (SDS) have been unable to form a government after being outright rejected by the majority of other parties due to their radical stance, in particular on migration and human rights, according to STA report.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:20:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RABAT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Royal Air Maroc (RAM), Morocco's flag carrier, has cancelled more than 160 flights in three weeks because of an ongoing partial strike by the airline's pilots.

On Wednesday, the airline was forced to cancel one more flight between Morocco's largest airport in Casablanca and the tourist hub of Agadir. It is the first time that only one flight is cancelled for a day since the beginning of the strike.

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| 2018-08-08 23:25:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAPE TOWN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two South African navy vessels have completed patrol of the Northern Mozambican Channel as part of the anti-piracy Operation Copper, South African authorities said Wednesday.

The two vessels, SAS Protea and SAS Galeshewe, will return to their naval base in Durban on Friday, the South African Navy said.

"Despite the fact that no arrests were made, this operation does send a warning to any criminal element that the SA Navy is ready to protect its territorial waters, as well as those of its neighbors," said the navy.

During the mission, the two vessels sailed more than 3,000 km to Pemba in Northern Mozambique, according to the navy.

This was the first time in many years that the South African Navy deployed two ships to the Operation Copper.

Deploying the vessels was in fulfillment of South Africa's international obligations towards the Southern African Development Community (SADC) maritime security.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has provided a permanent presence in the Mozambique Channel since January 2011 on Operation Copper, which is primarily an anti-piracy operation.

The mandate of the South African Navy during Operation Copper was to combat drug, arms and human trafficking, as well as illegal fishing.

Both ships had members of the Mozambican Defence Force onboard during the patrols in order to conduct these measures, said the navy.

A unique feature of the deployment was that the two ships operated completely independent from foreign support and did not enter any harbor during the three-week deployment. The ships used Pemba bay as a base from which to conduct their patrols, according to the navy.

The likelihood of a piracy incident taking place in the Mozambique Channel is probably at its highest level since 2010, the SANDF said earlier.

South Africa got involved in anti-piracy operations following a call for assistance from Mozambique.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:35:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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STOCKHOLM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Train traffic was affected on Wednesday, as 39 train connections in southern and western Sweden have been cancelled due to too warm weather, the Swedish Television SVT reported.

According to the Transport Administration, there is a risk that the train tracks will bend in the heat.

"The temperature is high all the time, and we believe that some routes must be suspended temporarily," Joanna Ljunggren, the Press Communications Officer at the Swedish Transport Administration, told the Swedish News Agency TT.

Train traffic from and to Stockholm, Malmo (610 km South of Stockholm), Gothenburg, Norway's capital Oslo and other smaller cities is also affected due to collapsed power lines and a signal failure.

Train disturbance is expected to last till Thursday morning. Stops in the train traffic are expected to affect 1,000 to 1,500 passengers, and travellers are advised to contact their train companies for more information.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:35:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAGHDAD, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iraq Wednesday called on the international community to urge the U.S. to end its sanctions on Iran to avoid negative impacts on stability in the Middle East region.

Iraq "calls on the international community to exert pressure to discourage the U.S. administration from continuing sanctions (on Iran), as its negative economic and social reflection will be great on Iraq and the whole region," the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement.

A day earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also said his country is against such "unjust" sanctions, despite that his country will abide by the U.S. sanctions for the sake of Iraq's interests.

The United States reimposed on Tuesday the first round of economic sanctions on Iran, which had been eased under the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of it in May.

The sanctions target Iran's trade in precious metals, transactions of U.S. dollars, as well as Iran's auto sector.

The second round of U.S. sanctions will take effect in November to include a ban on Iranian oil exports and dealing with Iran's central bank.

Under the 2015 deal, the United States agreed to lift the crippling economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for a halt to Iran's controversial nuclear activities and the access of international inspectors to relevant facilities.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:35:16|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Steps are underway to get Ghana phase out items and chemicals containing mercury in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury, an official disclosed here on Tuesday.

Sam Adu-Kumi, Director for Chemicals Control and Management Centre/Registrar of Pesticides of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stressed the need for some level of urgency in public education and sensitization of decision makers to achieve this goal.

This, he said, was important considering the harmful effects of mercury on the environment and human life.

"Mercury discharged into the atmosphere and in the environment contaminates the food chain for plants, animals and finally affects humans who consume them," he told the media at a workshop.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, was adopted by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Minamata and Kumamoto, Japan, in 2013.

"We were given up to 2020 to complete the phasing out or phasing down process, but looking at the magnitude of work involved, we have requested for extension so we are now expected to complete the process by 2025," the official said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:40:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- German authorities continued their search for the cause of a major fire which broke out along the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed railway line, a spokesperson of Deutsche Bahn, Germany's biggest train operator, told reporters on Wednesday.

"The source of the fire remains unknown, speculations at this point are premature," the spokesperson said.

Earlier, local authorities had released a statement attributing the incident to flying sparks from a passing train. At least 32 people were injured when flames spread from some bushes along the side of the railway tracks to nearby houses in the town of Siegburg.

"It happened very quickly as a consequence of the dry and windy weather," Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said.

More than 500 fire fighters spent the greater part of the night trying to get the fire under control until a morning shower of rain alleviated the situation.

In spite of the use of water guns and a fire department helicopter, the damage to several of the affected dwellings was so extensive by then that they will most likely have to be torn down.

The ICE high-speed train connection between Cologne and Frankfurt reopened on Wednesday with "only slight delays" according to the Deutsche Bahn spokesperson. Regional railway traffic is still heavily-disrupted as a consequence of the fire.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:40:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul said on Wednesday that he has delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to the Russian Government.

"I was honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putin's administration," Paul tweeted.

"The letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges," he added.

Paul started his Russia visit Monday as part of a U.S. political delegation. Just weeks before, a delegation of eight Republican lawmakers visited Moscow.

In Moscow, Paul reportedly invited Russian lawmakers to Washington. He also said he would oppose new U.S. sanctions against Russia.

The White House said on July 27 that Trump is open to visiting Moscow and looks forward to having Putin in Washington, in response to Putin's statement that he's ready to invite Trump to Moscow and to visit Washington himself if the conditions are right.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 people have been injured in a major fire that broke out at a state-owned oil refinery in India's financial capital Mumbai Wednesday, officials said.

The blaze was reported from Bharat Petroleum's refinery in Chembur area.

"After a preliminary treatment at Bharat Petroleum's first aid centre, 22 were allowed to go home and 21 were shifted to Inlaks Hospital in Chembur. They have fractures and lacerated wounds," deputy commissioner of police Shahji Umap told the media.

The condition of one injured is said to be serious, he added.

According to fire officials, the blaze broke out at around 3:30 p.m. local time following several explosions. "Some 10 fire tenders have been pressed into service," a fire official said.

"Due to the tremendous heat and build up pressure, firefighting is being carried out from a safe distance using fixed monitors," chief fire officer P.S. Rahangdale told the media.

"The fire is on, but under control," the oil company has said in a statement.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, another police official said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:40:20|Editor: huaxia

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OTTAWA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and two wounded in a multi-vehicle collision in Alberta, Canada, Tuesday night, according to CTV Wednesday.

The accident happened on Highway 93 in Jasper National Park, about 60 km south of Jasper City in Alberta Province.

The highway was reopened Wednesday morning. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:45:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Madrid has agreed to take back asylum seekers from Germany who have previously entered the European Union (EU) via Spain, a spokesperson for the German interior ministry announced on Wednesday.

According to the spokesperson, the measures specifically concerned asylum seekers for whom Spain was responsible under the rules of the so-called Dublin III regime.

The bilateral agreement will take effect as of Aug. 11 on the same day that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to hold informal talks on European migration policy in Andalusia with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

German authorities are generally only able to refuse entry to foreign citizens without documents at the border if they did not plan to file an application for humanitarian residence in the country.

As of Saturday, this regulation will no longer apply to non-EU nationals who attempt to enter Germany illicitly after first setting foot in Spain.

Even individuals who indicate that they want to obtain asylum upon arrival will be detained and returned to Spanish territory within 48 hours.

German interior minister Horst Seehofer has announced that he plans to sign similar agreements with Italy and Greece which are the two other major entry points for migrants and refugees into the EU alongside Spain.

Unlike Madrid, the Italian and Greek governments have so far been unwilling to make unconditional offers to take back asylum seekers from Germany for whom they are technically responsible.

A formal diplomatic agreement is also still pending with Germany's southern neighbor Austria, although the interior ministry highlighted on Wednesday that Berlin and Vienna had already reached a consensus on the issue.

The number of asylum seekers who arrive in Germany despite having filed applications elsewhere has fallen dramatically since the height of the 2015 refugee crisis.

Nevertheless, Seehofer recently threatened to resign unless Merkel endorsed his controversial proposal to automatically turn back all asylum seekers at the German border who have previously been registered elsewhere in the bloc.

The ultimatum imposed by the interior minister marked an unprecedented show of cabinet disobedience and threatened to trigger the collapse of the ruling government.

A last-minute compromise was ultimately reached between Merkel and Seehofer to establish so-called transit centers where affected asylum seekers will be held before organizing their return to the responsible member state on the basis of prior bilateral agreements such as the one signed with Spain.

Seehofer has argued that a normalization of German asylum policy is needed again after the massive influx of new arrivals from 2015 onwards led to a temporary suspension of the Dublin regime.

However, critics of the system, including Italy and Greece, have repeatedly drawn attention to what they view as its unfair institutional division of labor and called for reforms. States located geographically at the external borders of the Schengen area are currently legally responsible for the vast majority of arrivals.

So far, EU interior ministers have been unable to agree on the shape of a "Dublin IV" regime to replace Dublin III. In the meantime, Spain has overtaken Greece and Italy as the biggest destination for asylum seekers and migrants coming to Europe from Africa as of the first half of 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:45:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A detachment of warships and support vessels of the Russian Northern Fleet left their main base Wednesday and headed for the eastern Arctic on a safety mission, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The detachment consists of a large anti-submarine ship, two large amphibious assault ships, a mine sweeper, an icebreaker, a tanker, a rescue tug and a crane ship, the ministry said in a press release.

The group will travel along the Northern Sea Route, most of which is currently ice-free. The main goal of the long-distance mission is to check the safety of maritime navigation and other marine economic activities in the Arctic.

During the mission, sailors will be trained to perform search and rescue operations and provide assistance to civil ships suffering disasters.

This is the seventh large-scale mission of the Northern Fleet in the Arctic since 2012, when its marines for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy landed on a distant Arctic island.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:55:26|Editor: Chengcheng

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LONDON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- In the next decade, breast cancer cases could double in Africa if action is not taken, according to a study released on Wednesday by the University of Edinburgh.

Researchers at the university examined a total of 41 previous studies across 22 African countries.

They found that rates of this disease are likely to increase in the region amid population growth, unhealthy lifestyles, poor health infrastructure and lack of education for women.

The team suggest that the trend could be halted if data collection and patient registration were improved.

For the time being, poor funding, a shortage of skilled practitioners and lack of urgency on the part of governments are challenging the creation and function of cancer registries and databases of affected patients across Africa.

"The prevention and management of breast cancer in Africa requires immediate efforts to improve standardized cancer registration in order to calculate cancer incidence rates," said Kit Chan, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh.

"Only then will we be able to determine if advanced stages of breast cancer in Africa could be linked to unique biological characteristics in populations and only then will we be able to halt breast cancer rates," added Kit Chan.

Cancer is a leading cause of illness and death among women around the world, and young African women are twice as likely to die from breast cancer than those in high-income countries, according to the study.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:05:31|Editor: Chengcheng

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RABAT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Morocco said on Wednesday that it is determined to further strengthen partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The remarks were made by Mounia Boucetta, Moroccan Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, at a ceremony marking the 51st anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN at the Indonesian embassy in the capital Rabat.

Boucetta said Morocco is seeking to diversify and cement its partnerships with ASEAN countries.

She also likened the strategic role of ASEAN in the Southeast region to Morocco's in Africa, saying the bilateral partnership is likely to serve as another level of South-South Cooperation.

Morocco formally joined the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation of ASEAN in 2016, the first African and Arab country to join the treaty.

Morocco also applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 2016, the foreign minister noted.

In recent years, Morocco has adopted various initiatives to expand its opening up to the outside world, as part of its new strategic vision to diversify its partnerships beyond Europe, the U.S. and the Arab world.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:05:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president-elect Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces in Beidaihe, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIDAIHE, Hebei, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with the president-elect of the 73rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, Wednesday afternoon at Beidaihe, a seaside resort in north China's Hebei Province.

As a founding member of the United Nations, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the largest developing country, China consistently supports the UN's work, said Li, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully visited the UN headquarters in 2015 and attended a series of summits for the 70th anniversary of the UN.

China firmly upholds the authority of the UN and supports the UN in playing a central role in international affairs, said Li, adding that China comprehensively and deeply participates in UN's work in such fields as politics, economy, society, development, and peacekeeping operations.

China will continue to fulfill its international obligations and be a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, and defender of international order, said the Chinese premier.

Over the past more than 70 years since the founding of the UN, world peace has been generally safeguarded, more than 1 billion people have been lifted out of poverty, and more and more countries have embarked on the path of development and prosperity, said Li, adding that these achievements are closely related to the globalization and multi-polarization process, and are also inseparable from efforts by various countries to uphold multilateralism and jointly tackle challenges.

"In the current international situation, we need a world of multilateralism more than ever. All countries should protect the rules-based international order, abide by the purpose and principles of the UN Charter, and persist in resolving differences through dialogue and consultation," said Li.

The Chinese premier also called on all countries to maintain the basic rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), support and improve the free trade system, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. Moreover, he urged countries to promote the democratization and rule of law in international relations and to oppose protectionism.

Li stressed that international organizations such as the UN and the WTO do need to be improved and reformed. However, to reform them is not to abandon them altogether, the reform should be carried out on the basis of safeguarding the post-WWII international order and under the premise of safeguarding the UN Charter and major principles such as free trade.

Espinosa Garces said that the UN attaches great importance to its relationship with China, and the reason why the first visit after being elected as the incoming UNGA president took her to China is that she has seen China's important role in strengthening multilateralism and its great contribution in supporting the work of the UN.

The UN is willing to work with China and the rest of the world to maintain a rules-based international order, promote free trade under the framework of international law and the WTO, promote economic globalization that is inclusive and beneficial to all, and work with all parties to meet challenges and promote world peace, stability, development and prosperity, said Espinosa Garces.

Espinosa Garces was elected president of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in June and will start her one-year tenure in September.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi was present during the meeting.
VIENTIANE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government has expressed gratitude to the international community for the care, courage and help extended promptly to the government and Lao people, more specifically to flood victims in southern Attapeu province.

"All the Lao people are extremely grateful for such kindness," Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said in an address to the closing ceremony of the cabinet monthly meeting on Tuesday.

According to Lao News Agency (KPL) report on Wednesday, the meeting also expressed thanks to all the Lao people across the country to be so concerned about the dam tragedy and have devoted in kind and physically to sincerely help the victims.

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 flood 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 Wednesday, 35 people have been confirmed dead, 96 remained missing in the accident.
VIENTIANE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government appointed Bounthong Chitmany, president of State Inspection Authority, to head an investigation into the collapse of a dam in the south, Lao News Agency (KPL) reported on Wednesday.

"The investigation committee led by Bounthong Chitmany can accept financial and technical assistance as well as internationally recognized experts from international bodies to facilitate its investigation and technical verification to find out the cause of the dam collapse," said Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith at a meeting on Tuesday.

"It can also invite representatives of the governments of the contractors and shareholders of the dam project to give advice or observe the undertakings of the investigation to ensure it is effective, transparent, and acceptable to domestic and foreign communities."

Tuesday's meeting also appointed a high-level committee to inspect the responsibility of government officials involved in approving the construction and announcing prior warnings with respect to the dam tragedy.

The committee will also be supervised by Bounthong Chitmany who is also a deputy prime minister of the Lao government.

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 flood 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 Wednesday, 35 people have been confirmed dead, 96 remained missing in the accident.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:20:39|Editor: xuxin

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Photo taken on Aug. 9, 2018 shows a wreckage of a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) vehicle in Lamu county, Kenya. At least six KDF soldiers were injured on Wednesday in a suspected al-Shabab attack in the coastal Lamu County. (Xinhua/Charles Onyango)

LAMU, Kenya, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least six Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers were injured on Wednesday in a suspected al-Shabab attack in the coastal Lamu County.

KDF spokesman Paul Njuguna said the soldiers were on a routine security patrol when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED).

"There was IED which injured six of our soldiers. Three of them are in critical condition but have they have been airlifted for specialized treatment. The injured are stabilizing," Njuguna told Xinhua by telephone.

The latest incident happened in the vast Boni forest that has been experiencing a lull of attacks in the past months due to various measures taken by authorities.

The attack also came hours after a military helicopter passed through the area while heading to Garissa County to deliver medical services.

Security team has since been deployed in the area to pursue the militants behind the attack at Bodhei area, Boni Forest.

Independent sources however said five soldiers were killed and six others wounded when their landcruiser ran over an IED in Kwa Omolo area. Witnesses said the vehicle was moving from Baragoni toward Bodhei and was extensively damaged in the incident.

However, Njuguna dismissed such reports, saying only six soldiers were injured in the attack.

The Boni forest is currently under a security operation dubbed the Linda Boni Operation which is meant to flush out al-Shabab militants believed to be hiding within from where they continue to launch attacks on various parts of the county and beyond.

The operation was launched by the national government in 2015 and is being conducted by the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) and other security agencies.
BISHKEK, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Deputies of the Bishkek city council on Wednesday elected a new mayor of the capital city of Kyrgyzstan during the 18th session.

Forty-three deputies voted to support the only candidature of Aziz Surakmatov and one was against.

Surakmatov was nominated by a coalition of the majority of the Bishkek city council.

Surakmatov, 46, earlier has worked in the Mayor's Office. In 2008 he was elected a deputy and then became the chairman of the Bishkek city council.

Former Mayor of Bishkek Albek Ibraimov resigned after deputies expressed vote of no confidence last month. After that, the State Committee for National Security charged him with corruption.

Mayor of Bishkek is elected by deputies of the city council by secret ballot. There are 45 deputies in the Bishkek city council.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:20:41|Editor: Chengcheng

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan, on Aug. 8, 2018. Jordan on Wednesday stressed the need to work with the United States and the international community to promote the peace process. The remarks were made by King Abdullah II at his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman. (Xinhua/The Royal Court of Jordan)

AMMAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Wednesday stressed the need to work with the U.S. and the international community to promote the peace process.

The remarks were made by King Abdullah II of Jordan at his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the capital Amman, where he said the focus should be on a solution that serves the Palestinians and the Palestinian issue.

The Palestinian issue is one of Jordan's top priorities, the king noted.

Jordan will continue its efforts for the relaunch of serious peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis based on the two-state solution and the Arab peace initiative, he said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian president voiced appreciation for Jordan's role in defending the Palestinian issue.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:25:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday refused to give a vote of confidence to Minister of Cooperative, Labor and Welfare Ali Rabiee.

The labor minister was impeached for the second time in less than five months over inefficiencies of his team.

Out of 243 lawmakers, 129 favored his dismissal, 111 opposed the move and three abstained.

Among the criticisms leading to Rabiee's dismissal were those against his mismanagement of "corporate insurance and workers' problems."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:25:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIGA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Political parties and electoral alliances are fielding a total of 1,470 candidates in Latvia's forthcoming parliamentary election this year, the Baltic country's election authority informed on Wednesday.

The registration of candidates for the 2018 parliamentary election ended on Aug. 7.

According to the Central Election Commission, the number of candidates registered for this year's election is the highest since the restoration of Latvia's independence in 1991. There are approximately 15 candidates contesting each of the 100 seats in the Latvian parliament, with experts predicting a fierce battle for each mandate.

Commenting on the record-high number of candidates, Central Election Commission head Arnis Cimdars said that this means "not only more people participating in the race but also more people explaining their position to the public. We will probably have a more active political environment."

Two years ago, Latvia adopted tougher rules regulating political parties' participation in elections. Under the new rules, only those parties that have been founded at least a year prior to the election and that have at least 500 members are eligible to take part in elections.

These rules, however, have not deterred politicians from engaging in the competition for legislative mandates as the number of parties and electoral alliances registered by the Commission has grown from 13 in the last parliamentary elections to 16 this year.

To verify the candidates' eligibility, the Commission on Wednesday sent the registered list of candidates to Latvia's law enforcement authorities for vetting.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's local travel agencies and hoteliers were urged to bring in more tourists to the country to witness a annual national boat race.

According to local daily the Borneo Bulletin on Wednesday, the traditional boat race - Brunei Darussalam Regatta 2018 will be held on Aug. 12 at the Brunei River.

The event is a great opportunity and platform for travel agencies and hoteliers to help promote the country and boost the number of tourists to not only witness the boat race but to have a closer look at landmarks, especially within the capital where the regatta is held, said acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali.

He added that this year the event has attracted participants from Malaysia, China and Indonesia who will compete with local boat race teams.

Brunei Darussalam Regatta is an annual event organized in conjunction with the birthday celebration of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Some 30,000 people are expected to attend the event this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:35:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Data for global air freight markets showed that demand rose 2.7 percent year on year in June, continuing a slowdown for air cargo, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Wednesday.

The growth slowdown began earlier in 2018 and for the first half of the year stands at 4.7 percent, less than half the growth rate in 2017, with IATA saying current uncertainty around trade wars is likely to impact freight movement.

"We still expect about 4 percent growth over the course of the year. But the deterioration in world trade is a real concern," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

"While air cargo is somewhat insulated from the current round of rising tariff barriers, an escalation of trade tension resulting in a 'reshoring' of production and consolidation of global supply chains would change the outlook significantly for the worse."

De Juniac said trade wars never produce winners and he reminded governments that prosperity comes from boosting their trade, "not barricading economies".

IATA said that the restocking cycle, during which businesses rapidly built up inventories to meet demand, ended in early 2018.

There was a marked fall in air cargo volumes from March.

There is now a structural slowdown in global trading conditions as indicated by the fall in the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) to its lowest level since 2016.

Factory export order books have turned negative in China, Japan and the United States, said IATA.

All regions except Africa reported a year-on-year increase in freight volumes in June 2018, but the slow growth in Asia Pacific, which accounts for nearly 37 percent of the entire air cargo market, dragged the global growth rate down.
Two elephants walk at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, Aug. 28, 2017. (Xinhua/Lyu Shuai)

JUBA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Wildlife officials in South Sudan have expressed concerns over the rising cases of elephant poaching in the country's game parks.

Thomas Sebit, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, told Xinhua on Wednesday that over 20 elephants are estimated to have been killed in the East African nation this year alone.

Sebit said airport authorities last Sunday seized 24 pieces of illegal elephant tusks destined for the capital of Juba from the eastern town of Pibor.

He added that conservationists have made seizures of at least 46 pieces of illegal ivory across South Sudan in the past four months alone, showing a drastic increase in ivory trafficking in the war-torn country

"This is real destruction. We must stop this killing of our animals," Sebit said.

The minister blamed the rise in poaching on armed groups operating in the country's national parks.

"We need collective efforts to protect our animals because we are lucky that we still have wildlife after the long civil war. We protected them during the war and now again we are resorting to killing them," he said.

South Sudan has the world's second largest animal migration and is considered a good place for ecotourism, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The East African country is also known for its vast swamp region of the Sudd, sometimes referred to as one of the largest wetlands in the world hosting about 400 species of birds.

However, the tourism industry made up only 1.8 percent of South Sudan's GDP, WTTC said in 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 00:55:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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By Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Greece does not grant citizenship for investments, the Greek Interior Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement, responding to EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova's claims that "we do not want Trojan horses in the (European) Union".

In an interview with a German newspaper, Jourova is said to have expressed concern that security risks may arise from the golden visa programs run by EU member states, since holders of "so-called golden passports" have instant access to the Schengen Area.

She said that a common regulatory framework will be on the agenda of the EU this autumn.

"Greece does not belong to the EU member states which grant citizenship for investments, purchase of real estate or other business activities," the Greek ministry clarified on Wednesday in an e-mailed statement.

"The only change made in 2017 concerns the ability of people who have residency permits to apply for citizenship after seven years of stay in the country. This applies to all categories of holders of residency permits," the statement read.

"The prerequisites are the same for all applicants (good knowledge of the Greek language etc). Residency permits do not translate to granting of travel documents (passports)," the statement concluded.

Currently various golden visa schemes are in force across Europe in member states of the EU's visa-free travel zone, such as Greece, but also countries not included in the Schengen.

Under the Greek program launched in 2013, Greece grants residence permits to third country citizens who buy property assets worth more than 250,000 euros (290,000 U.S. dollars) in Greece, as well their family members.

According to the latest official data from the ministry, a total of 2,639 visas have been offered to third country citizens so far.
By Zhang Yongxing, Jiang Shan

SUVA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A medical team from the visiting Chinese naval hospital ship Ark Peace was transported on Tuesday by a naval helicopter to Vatulele, an island more than 100 km away from Fiji's capital Suva, to offer free medical services to the islanders, who spoke highly of the Chinese military doctors' services.

"It's really unexpected that the Chinese military doctors landed from the sky," said Ratu, a tribal chief on Vatulele island. "When it was learnt that our government was coordinating for the Chinese medical ship's doctors to deliver medical services to the island, the villagers expected quite much just as they normally do in a festival."

"The sorties were conducted in an unfamiliar airspace overseas. We didn't have the information regarding take-off and landing on the island and the flight must cross two air control zones. Therefore, it is a new challenge for us to organize and command the flight and its support," said Ma Dongsheng, the pilot of the medical helicopter. He and his team made deliberate preparations for the sorties.

After 40 minutes, the medical helicopter from Ark Peace slowly landed on a school playground on Vatulele island. Shortly after disembarkation from the helicopter, the doctors were surrounded by the excited islanders, school teachers and pupils.

"It took about 5 minutes to walk from the landing site to the local health center. There are four simple rooms where almost no medical facilities are available," said Liu Di, the deputy commander of Mission Harmony - 2018, who led the 10-member medical team.

According to the medical facility conditions and local diseases on the island, the medical team specially carried portable facilities for ultrasound and electrocardiogram (ECG) and deployed specialist doctors of ophthalmology, dental clinic, orthopaedics, ultrasound, internal medicine and surgery as well to offer the most needed services.

As introduced by the tribal chief, there are four villages on the island with a population of above 800, and there is only one health center with only one doctor and one nurse.

Due to the arrival of the Chinese military doctors, this small health center immediately became very busy. Local doctor Filomena worked very hard and joined the medical team members in preparing the consultation and treatment site.

Shortly, the Chinese military doctors with red-cross armband began their medical services.

Salote, a 57-year-old islander who suffered from diabetes for years, recently had a tooth in trouble. His tooth was very painful and needed to be extracted. The local doctor had no way to deal with it due to the patient's excessively high blood glucose.

As he learnt that the Chinese doctors would come to the island for free treatment, he came to the health center early in the morning. Chen Tielou, a dentist from Ark Peace, carefully examined his tooth. By regulating blood sugar level with injection, the Chinese dentist successfully extracted the tooth and told the patient things to be cared about.

"Thank God! This is the most precious gift from the Chinese doctor!" said Salote humorously. He didn't forget to take away his extracted tooth when he left the health center.

Vasenai, a 63-year-old islander who makes living on farming, walks with difficulty due to arthralgia produced by articulation genus lesion, so his daily life is severely affected.

Zhang Guoyou, a doctor from the department of orthopaedics of Ark Peace, repeatedly examined and came to a diagnosis that the patient suffered from severe osteoarthritis.

"The Chinese military doctors are really good," Vasenai said pleasantly after collecting the free medicine.

Due to geographical conditions and life habits, there are more cases of cataract taking place to the islanders at early age. Although 34-year-old Torsi is not old, yet he has suffered from severe diminution of vision. He was consulted by Shi Sheng, an ophthalmology doctor from Ark Peace and the Chinese doctor made a diagnosis. As Torsi's cataract is still premature, operation is unnecessary but correction is a must.

Doctor Shi examined eyes for Torsi and presented a special pair of glasses. After putting on the glasses, Torsi jumped with joy and tightly embraced the Chinese doctor. As the islanders are concerned, embrace is the best way to express gratitude.

By noon, the room at the health center became hot and humid. Members of the medical team continued to work hard. They only took simple food for lunch and made the best use of time for medical services.

To express their appreciations, some islanders gave fruits, some presented notes of thanks and some others embraced the doctors and took photos with the doctors. Many patients, who were reluctant to leave the health center after satisfactory treatment, just wanted to see off the Chinese military doctors who completed medical consultation and treatment for 178 islanders.

The helicopter hovered again above the village and the large Red Cross on the helicopter was extremely striking. "We are blessed the professional consultation and treatment from the Chinese military doctors even on the island. Ark Peace is really appreciated and China is really appreciated," said the tribal chief. "You are welcome to Vatulele forever."

After the helicopter took off from the island, members of the medical team saw the islanders still waving their hands, shouting "Good bye, Chinese military doctors."

As of Wednesday, Ark Peace, which arrived here last Thursday for an eight-day goodwill visit, has completed medical consultation and treatment for 6,577 persons, auxiliary examinations for 3,074 persons, and received 26 inpatients as well as 32 cases of surgical operations.

Fiji is the third stop of Ark Peace's current mission and this is also the second time for the ship to visit the South Pacific Island nation after its first visit four years ago.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:10:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Minister of Defense (MoD) Motuma Mekasa on Wednesday dismissed fears of "civil war" in Ethiopia's Somali regional state located in eastern part of the country.

Several cities in Ethiopia Somali regional state were scenes of deadly violence at the weekend after soldiers were dispatched on Saturday morning to Jijiga city, capital of Ethiopia Somali regional state reportedly to arrest regional high-level officials including Abdi Omar Mohammed, President of Ethiopia Somali regional state.

The army intervention comes amid reports of tension between the Ethiopian federal government and Ethiopia Somali regional state president over allegations of grave human rights abuses in Mohammed's administration.

Speaking to media outlets, Mekasa said the Ethiopian army is currently pacifying the unrest in Jijiga city and other towns in the Ethiopia Somali regional state and that fears among the general population of a possible outbreak of civil war are unfounded.

He further said the Ministry of Defense is working with local elders and community members to prevent a recurrence of violence in the weekend that killed as yet unknown number of people and left scores of people injured.

Mekasa didn't reveal details of alleged negotiation between Ethiopia Somali regional officials and the Ethiopian government to resolve the crisis that has threatened to destabilize Ethiopia's second largest regional state.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:21:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- An asylum seeker from Afghanistan who was erroneously deported to his country of origin will soon be brought back to Germany, a spokesperson for the interior ministry announced on Wednesday.

Nasibullah S. was forcibly flown to Kabul along with 68 other deportees in early July, despite the fact that a final decision on his asylum application by a regional administrative court was still pending. Having initially failed to obtain asylum in Germany during a regular application procedure, the 20-year-old launched a legal appeal against the negative verdict which is scheduled to be heard in court in September.

A statement released by interior minister Horst Seehofer afterwards read: "There has obviously been an administrative error at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees," which reports to the interior ministry.

The case of Nasibullah S. is only one of several recent incidents in which German authorities were found to have acted in breach of the law by deporting individuals pre-maturely.

The episode is a source of embarrassment for Seehofer who had publicly boasted about the completion of the single largest deportation flight in German history on his own birthday. The minister said at time that he was delighted to be able to announce the removal from the country of 69 failed asylum seekers on the same day as he turned 69 himself.

Speaking to press on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the interior ministry noted that Nasibullah S.'s return had already been ordered on July 18. Having experienced delays along his journey via Pakistan, the Afghan national is now expected to arrive back in Germany on Sunday. There is currently no evidence of the asylum seeker having committed any wrongdoing or criminal misdemeanours after he first entered the country in the course of the 2015 European refugee crisis.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:26:01|Editor: Chengcheng

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BERLIN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A 33-year-old German citizen was arrested on suspicion of engaging in secret service in connection with a mosque in the country, the Federal Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice announced on Wednesday.

According to previous investigation, the accused, Alexander B., was in connection with a Jordanian intelligent service.

He was said to have collected information about the DIK mosque in Hildesheim and passed it on to his clients in Jordan.

The accused also allegedly delivered findings on several people who, in his estimation, wanted to move to Syria for "jihad" or had already emigrated there.

The Hildesheim DIK Mosque had been run by the association "German-Speaking Islamic Circle Hildesheim eV" (DIK). The association was banned in March of 2017 by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Interior.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:46:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit the Kazakh city of Aktau on Saturday to attend a summit of the five Caspian Sea coastal countries, Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday.

During his two-day visit to Kazakhstan, Rouhani will sign "important and strategic documents" on cooperation among the five Caspian states, said Parviz Esmaili, Rouhani's deputy chief of staff for communications and information.

Rouhani will also hold meetings with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev and a number of other dignitaries.

The first meeting of the Caspian states' leaders was held in 2002 in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed water body on Earth by area, either classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:46:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Celebrated Chinese director Zhang Yimou will receive the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award at this year's Venice Film Festival, organizers announced Wednesday.

The prize is dedicated to "a figure who has left a particularly original mark on contemporary cinema", the statement said.

The award will be conferred to Zhang on Sept. 6, before the world premiere screening Out of Competition of his new film Ying (Shadow), a martial arts film about the conflict between two feudal groups in China during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 circa AD).

Born in Xi'an in Shaanxi province in 1950, the celebrated director has won the Venice Golden Lion twice: in 1992 with The Story of Qiu Ju -- which also garnered Gong Li a Coppa Volpi prize for Best Actress -- and in 1999 with Not One Less. He also won a Silver Lion in 1991 for Raise the Red Lantern.

"Zhang Yimou is not only one of the most important directors in contemporary cinema, but with his eclectic production, he has represented the evolution of the global language of film, and at the same time, the exceptional growth of Chinese cinema," Venice Film Festival Director Alberto Barbera said in a statement.

"Zhang Yimou has been a pioneer thanks to his capacity to translate authors, stories and the richness of Chinese culture in general into a unique and unmistakable visual style."

Barbera cited the Chinese master's "talent in combining the elegance of form with a universal type of narrative structure" and his "unforgettable debut", Red Sorghum, which was adapted from the writing of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Mo Yan, and which "brought him international recognition as one of the most important directors of the Fifth Generation."

Zhang Yimou is the only director to have won all the most important prizes of the Venice Film Festival in less than 10 years, organizers said.

The festival now is its 75th edition, which runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:56:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian criminal court sentenced on Wednesday 45 people to death over killing three people in an armed fight in the coastal province of Alexandria.

Four of them have been in custody while the other 41 were sentenced in absentia, according to official MENA news agency.

The case dates back to 2012 when a massive fight erupted between two big families in which knives, guns and Molotov cocktails were used, leaving three dead.

The verdict is not final and still appealable.

Armed fights have been on the rise in Egypt over the past decades because of prevailing unlicensed guns and melee weapons mostly in slums and impoverished and remote areas.

Earlier this week, three people were killed in a gunfight between two families over a piece of land in the New Valley Province in southwestern Egypt.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:56:08|Editor: ZX

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by Xinhua writer Gu Zhenqiu

LONDON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May is fighting an uphill battle on two fronts to win support for her latest compromised version of the Brexit plan, which was hammered out during a cabinet meeting at Chequers in early July.

The fighting on the two fronts is going on at the same time both at home and abroad.

Her Tuesday trip to Scotland was designed to seek unity on the Brexit stance after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made it clear that a no-deal or "blind Brexit" was unacceptable and challenged May to set out a "plan B".

May urged Sturgeon not to "sow division" over Brexit and called for Scottish support to her negotiating position, insisting that "a good deal for the UK is a good deal for Scotland". The just-concluded meeting was described by British media as a showdown between the two leaders.

The Scottish leader, who has been opposed to Britain leaving the European Union (EU), said that May's Brexit blueprint seemed to be dead, arguing the prime minister should set out an alternative to avoid Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

The Scottish and UK governments have long been at odds over Brexit, having failed to come to an agreement over the future of devolved powers which saw members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) refuse to give their backing to the EU Withdrawal Bill.

May kicked off the visit to Scotland at a time when voices calling for a second Brexit referendum have been getting louder. More and more people are upset by the fact that two years after the Brexit vote, the British cabinet is still negotiating with itself while the real talks in Brussels have barely started.

The Edinburgh visit was May's first domestic appearance since she cut short her summer holiday for talks last week with French President Emmanuel Macron on Brexit.

The France tour came just days after the new British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, raced straight to Paris from his trip to China. At the same time, British Brexit and business secretaries also went to France with dire warnings of "no deal" if the EU rejects the Chequers proposal.

"Their movements reveal the conclusion they have reached: France is the biggest national obstacle to a Brexit deal and the key country to unlock a change of attitude in the European Commission," William Hague, the former British foreign secretary, said in his article carried by the major Daily Telegraph newspaper on Tuesday.

"President Macron may not be inclined to facilitate Brexit, but it would be in all our interests if he did," Hague said.

The British foreign and trade secretaries, among other senior government officials, said that they saw the no-deal possibility increasing day by day.

The no-deal rhetoric was seen as a strategic tactic by London to threaten Brussels, but the EU does not buy it.

Britain-based businesses, both British and foreign, said the no-deal scenario is harmful to London and Brussels, and preparations must be made for this unwelcome possibility.

Neither eurocrats nor EU countries have accepted May's request to add Brexit to the agenda for the summit in Salzburg on Sept. 20.

Downing Street insists Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz, who will host the summit, has agreed to put Brexit at the top of the agenda.

However, no such message has been heard from Austria, and the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, remains undecided, according to reports on Wednesday.

Despite the ongoing domestic lobby and diplomatic push, May needs to make more painstaking efforts to sell her new Brexit proposals both at home and abroad.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 02:01:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PRAGUE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The remains of three Czech soldiers killed on Sunday in a suicide attack in Afghanistan returned home on board of a special military aircraft at the Prague-Ruzyne airport on Wednesday afternoon.

The aircraft was escorted by the Czech Gripen fighters from the Czech border.

A special ceremony was held on the runway of the airport. Czech President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Andrej Babis, other state and military officials and the soldiers' families and friends attended the ceremony.

The three soldiers are 36-year-old sergeant major Martin Marcin, 28-year-old corporal Kamil Benes and 25-year-old corporal Patrik Stepanek -- they were all members of the fourth rapid reaction brigade of the 42nd mechanised battalion from Tabor, south Bohemia.

They died in an attack by a suicide bomber when patrolling near the Bagram military base in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Czech Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar promoted all three to the rank of staff warrant officer in memoriam.

The three soldiers will be buried with military honors and Zeman will award them with the For Bravery medal on Oct. 28, the country's national holiday.

So far, over 9,000 Czech soldiers have served in Afghanistan since 2002. Thirteen of them were killed.

Czech General Jiri Verner said on Wednesday that Czech soldiers will resume the patrolling around the Bagram base soon.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 02:26:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Wednesday urged Myanmar to take steps for the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their homes in northern Rakhine State.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Development Programme are seeking an improvement of the conditions in Rakhine State for their return.

He said the agencies are seeking effective access; ensuring freedom of movement for all communities and addressing root causes of the crisis that saw some 1 million Rohingya flee in the last year, nearly all to Bangladesh.

Two months since the signing of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNHCR and the UNDP and the Government of Myanmar, UNHCR and UNDP issued the plea.

"The Myanmar Government's willingness to take the lead in the implementation of this agreement is critical to creating conditions conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees," the spokesman said. "The government has taken some encouraging steps since the MoU was signed June 6, but substantial progress is urgently needed."

"Confidence building measures need to take root, starting with facilitating access for UNHCR and UNDP to commence needs assessment visits to identify quick-impact projects in priority village tracts that have been agreed with the government," he said. "UNHCR and UNDP remain prepared to support Myanmar in improving conditions in Rakhine State and operationalizing the MoU."

The refugee agency has said nearly 1 million Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh -- nearly 700,000 of them into the Cox's Bazar District in the southern-most part of Bangladesh -- while hundreds of thousands fled to other nations in Southeast Asia.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 02:41:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Italian parliament on Wednesday approved the provision of 12 patrol boats for Libya and training for Libyan coast guards, the Italian Embassy to Libya said.

"The Italian parliament approved today a decree to provide Libya with 12 patrol boats as well as training for the units of the Libyan Coast Guard," the Italian Embassy tweeted.

The Embassy described the decision as "yet another step to strengthen Libyan sovereignty and stability."

The embassy, however, gave no further details on the date of delivery of the boats.

The Italian navy has been providing extensive support to the Libyan navy by sending vessels to Tripoli to maintain Libyan coast guards patrol boats and assist them in rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

In August 2017, the Italian authorities sent their first ship Tremetti to Libya, an integrated technical maintenance workshop, which offered extensive repairs to Libyan naval vessels.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the 16th Nelson Mandela annual lecture, marking the centenary of the anti-apartheid leader's birth, in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 17, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in honor of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela during the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73), will be held on Sept. 24, a UN spokesman said Wednesday.

"This will be a new event, and it hasn't been held before," Brenden Varma, spokesman for the UNGA President, said at a daily news briefing.

"The plenary will adopt a political declaration negotiated by member states," according to a note on the UN website.

In May this year, the permanent representatives of South Africa and Ireland, serving as co-facilitators, began consulting with governments on the content of the declaration.

The UNGA 73 will open on Sept. 18. The first day of the high-level general debate will be Sept. 25, and is scheduled to last for nine working days.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President-elect of the 73rd session of the UNGA, announced in July that the theme of the general debate will be "Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies."

On Sept. 26, the UNGA will also hold a high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, as agreed by member states in February.

On Sept. 27, the UN will hold a one-day comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which will be the third high-level meeting of the UNGA on the issue.

A number of events will take place in parallel to the opening of the 73rd session of the UNGA under the banners of Global Goals Week 2018 and Climate Week NYC 2018, according to the note.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 03:21:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KAMPALA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday offered scholarships to 30 needy students at Uganda's largest university, Makerere University.

Zheng Zhuqiang, Chinese ambassador to Uganda said there is need to invest in human resource.

"There is urgent need for strategic investment in the Ugandan human resource to turn it into the much needed human capital to drive the planned growth and transformation," Zheng said.

He said the "Chinese Ambassador Scholarship of Excellence and Friendship" will be awarded to Makerere University students annually.

Chrysestom Muyingo, minister of state for higher education, while officiating at the event held at the university, thanked China for the continued support to Uganda.

The students were selected from over 370 applicants from different colleges at the institution.

Euzobia Baine, acting director of Gender Mainstreaming Directorate at the University, said the scholarships will help students who are economically underprivileged but are outstanding academically and of good character.

Zheng said besides these inaugural scholarships, the Chinese government offers scholarships to over 500 Ugandan students to go and study in China.

He noted that 600 other government officials attend short courses in China.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 03:26:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NICOSIA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Wednesday urged all parties involved in the Cyprus problem to renew their political will and commitment to a settlement ending the division of the eastern Mediterranean island.

Elizabeth Spehar, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus, said that the onus for restarting peace negotiations, which stalled a year ago, is on the two Cypriot communities.

"Any sustainable solution has to come, first and foremost, from both leaders and more broadly from Cypriots themselves," the UN official said at an event to honor troops from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay, who served in the UN peace force in Cyprus.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres sent a special envoy in Cyprus last month to query President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci whether they would commit themselves to continuing negotiations based on a six-point framework proposal he submitted just before the latest round of talks ended in disagreement in Switzerland in July 2017.

The envoy also traveled to Turkey, which keeps about 40,000 troops on Cyprus after it occupied its northern part in a 1974 military operation, prompted by a coup against the Cypriot government organized by the military rulers of Greece.

The Guterres framework covers the core issues of the Cyprus problem, including security arrangements, troop withdrawals and territorial adjustments, reallocation of properties, equality and settlement rights.

Spehar noted that the Security Council, in a recent resolution extending the peace keeping force's mandate, urged the sides to renew their political will and commitment to a settlement.

"For our part, we will continue to work for the goal of peace on this island," Spehar said in referring to a good services mission entrusted to the Secretary General by the Security Council.

Cypriot President Anastasiades said as recently as last week that he would be ready to restart negotiations at any time based on the Guterres framework, provided that there would be adequate preparation to avoid another failure.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 04:31:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MAPUTO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The interim leader of Renamo, the main opposition party in Mozambique, Ossufo Momade told the press on Wednesday that a commission will be created to proceed with the handing-over of the weapons held by his party's guerrillas.

Ossufo Momade spoke via telephone to the country from the base of the party in Gorongosa district, in Sofala province, which was a reaction to President Filipe Nyusi's announcement on Monday on the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of Renamo's armed men.

"We came to the understanding that the other part of the residual force will proceed to deliver the weapons to an institution previously set up for this purpose," said Momade.

The weapons will be handed over to the Mozambican authorities and in the presence of mediators of the dialogue in progress since 2014.

The timetable for the realization of the agreements reached between the Mozambican government and the Renamo party were not disclosed. But according to the President, the memorandum will be known in the coming days.
Secretion of exosomes by tumor cells (lower right) to fight the T cells (upper left). (Xinhua/Credit: The labs of Wei Guo, PhD, and Xiaowei Xu, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- American and Chinese researchers found cancer cells could send out biological "drones" to fight the immune system for their own control.

A study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature showed that cancer cells could release small vesicles called exosomes circulating in the blood and armed with proteins called PD-L1, causing T cells to tire before they have a chance to reach the tumor.

The research signals a paradigm-shifting in which cancers can take a systemic approach to suppressing the immune system and points to a new way to predict which cancer patients will respond to anti-PD1 therapy that disrupts immune suppression to fight tumors.

Anti-PD1 therapy blocks interaction between PD-1, a protein on the surface of T cells, and PD-L1, the PD-1's counterpart molecule on tumor cells, thus reinvigorating T cells and allowing them to unleash killing power on the tumor.

"Immunotherapies are life-saving for many patients with metastatic melanoma, but about 70 percent of these patients don't respond," said Guo Wei, a professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this new work, the team found that exosomes from human melanoma cells carried PD-L1 on their surface, including those of breast and lung cancers. Those exosomes can directly bind to and inhibit T cell functions.

"Identification of a biomarker in the bloodstream could potentially help make early predictions about which patients will respond," said Guo.

According to the paper's co-author Xu Xiaowei, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the university, exosomes are tiny lipid-encapsulated vesicles with a diameter less than 1/100 of a red blood cell.

Since a single tumor cell is able to secrete many copies of exosomes, the interaction between the PD-L1 exosomes and T cells provides a systemic and highly effective means to suppress anti-tumor immunity in the whole body, according to the study.

But the exosomes in the bloodstream presented a way of monitoring the cancer-versus-T cell battle via a blood test, helping measure the effectiveness of a treatment.

"In the future, I think we will begin to think about cancers as a chronic disease, like diabetes," said Guo.

"Just as diabetes patients use glucometers to measure their sugar levels, it's possible that monitoring PD-L1 and other biomarkers on the circulating exosomes could be a way for clinicians and cancer patients to keep tabs on the treatments," said Guo.

Researchers from Wuhan University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Wistar Institute, University of Texas and Mayo Clinic collaborated in the study.
1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted.

2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks.

3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown".

4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam).

I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 05:21:56|Editor: Liangyu

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Juergen Friedrich, chief executive of Germany Trade and Investment speaks during the China (Ningxia)-Germany industrial match-making meeting in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 8, 2018. China (Ningxia)-Germany industrial match-making meeting was held here on Wednesday, aiming to deepen understanding and strength cooperation between the two countries. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BERLIN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China (Ningxia)-Germany industrial match-making meeting was held here on Wednesday, aiming to deepen understanding and strength cooperation between the two countries.

Chinese ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde said in his speech that the cooperation between China and Germany has been continuously broadened and maintained at a high level.

German companies are witnesses and participants in China's reform and opening-up. They should be able to deeply understand that China's opening-up and development bring opportunities, instead of threats, to German companies, the senior diplomat added.

"As two important global economies, China and Germany should deal with global challenges hand in hand, jointly maintain the multilateral trading system and support open markets and free trade," Shi said, adding that two-way opening-up and investment should be enhanced.

Shi Taifeng, secretary of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China, said, with the deepening of Sino-German economic and trade relations, Ningxia, located in the inland of northwest China, will make full use of the China-proposed One Belt and One Road Initiative to actively develop cooperation with Germany in various fields.

For his part, Juergen Friedrich, chief executive of Germany Trade and Investment, welcomed in his speech Chinese investments of various kinds in Germany.

The meeting allowed companies of the two countries to have deeper understanding and exchanges and made Ningxia better known by the German side, he noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 05:32:01|Editor: Chengcheng

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Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2018 shows U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C., the United States. As the diplomatic brawl over Russia's alleged poison attack of an ex-spy and his daughter remains unsolved, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that the country will impose new sanctions on Russia over the case. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As the diplomatic brawl over Russia's alleged poison attack of an ex-spy and his daughter remains unsolved, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that the country will impose new sanctions on Russia over the case.

The sanctions will target exports of U.S. national security equipment and products to Russia.

According to a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Washington on Monday determined that the Russian government had "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," referring to British citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal.

Nauert also accused Moscow of using a "Novichok" nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate them.

The U.S. action was made under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act), she said.

"Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018," she added.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, aged 66, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in Britain's southwestern city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain claimed the pair was exposed to a nerve agent and holds Russia responsible, while the Russian government has denied any involvement in it.

The United States, together with other Western nations, later decided to expel 60 Russian diplomats and intelligence officials in the United States and the United Nations, and to close the nation's consulate in Seattle, which aimed to protest and counter Russia's accused involvement of the poisoning attack.

Russia announced the expulsion of diplomats of 23 countries in retaliation.

The mutual tension was further escalated as Dawn Sturgess, 44, who was said to be poisoned on June 30 in the British town of Amesbury, died in the hospital. Sturgess' partner Charlie Rowley, 45, also fell victim to the poisoning incident.

However, the Kremlin said later that it saw no reason to link Russia to the poisoning incident.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 05:32:03|Editor: Chengcheng

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MADRID, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two patients, one from Spain and the other from Italy accomplished the first international crossed kidney transplant on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Welfare of Spain.

"A patient in Spain and another in Italy received two kidney transplant surgeries from two living donors, thanks to the exchange of organs between their respective donors. Donors and recipients are in perfect condition and have already been discharged", the National Organization of Transplants (ONT) said.

Both kidney extractions and transplants were performed on July 19th at the Fundacion Puigvert in Barcelona, Spain, an important center in crossed kidney transplant, and another at the Ospedale Cisanello in Pisa, Italy.

The crossed renal transplant program is based on the exchange of living kidney donors between two or more couples.

The objective is to offer patients with chronic renal failure the possibility of receiving a live donor graft, even when their partner or family member are incompatible.

This type of transplants involves a complicated logistics process, which is even more complicated under such an international context.

It has required "total collaboration between the central offices of national transplant organizations in Spain and Italy", according to the ONT.

The first crossed kidney transplant was carried out in Spain in July 2009.

"Since then, 194 transplants of this type have been performed in our country within the national program", ONT said.

The crossed renal transplant is a highly developed therapeutic modality completed in certain countries.

Spain is the world leader in donation and transplant: 5,250 transplants were performed last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 05:37:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Three armed groups in Sudan's Darfur region on Wednesday declared extension of unilateral cessation of hostilities for three months.

"The announcement of immediate cessation of operations was necessitated by humanitarian purposes," said a joint statement by rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)/Minni Minnawi faction, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), led by Jibril Ibrahim, and SLM/Transitional Council.

The move tends to protect civilians, ensure unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people affected by war and create a conducive environment for the peace talks, it said.

According to the statement, the cessation of hostilities would continue until Nov. 6, 2018.

Last July, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree to extend the cease-fire in all conflict zones till the end of 2018.

For the past few years, the Sudanese government and the armed opposition have been repeatedly renewing the cease-fire in the conflict zones.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector in Blue Nile and Kordofan since 2011. It has also been fighting armed groups in Sudan's Darfur region since 2003.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 06:17:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel said at least 70 rockets from Gaza hit its territory on Wednesday night, slightly injuring six people, as its air forces struck dozens of Hamas sites across Gaza.

"As of now, approximately 70 rockets launches were identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory," a military spokesperson said in a statement released at midnight.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket system intercepted 11 launches and the majority of the rockets fell in open fields in southern Israel, the spokesperson added.

"Code Red" sirens continued to wail through the night across Israel's south, as the Israeli air force carried out multiple airstrikes in Gaza, reportedly killing a Palestinian man.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, Gaza militants fired an eight-rocket barrage at the southern city of Sderot; one of them fell near a family home and caused damage to cars, wrecking panic in the city.

At least six people were slightly wounded by shrapnel and needed hospital care, the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon said in a statement.

Israel said it holds Hamas, the Palestinian group that runs the besieged enclave, responsible for any hostility from Gaza.

The rockets came after two snipers with the Hamas were killed by an Israeli artillery attack on Tuesday.

Hamas vowed that Israel will pay a price for the killing.

The recent escalation came amid Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire. On Friday, Hamas leadership held a rare meeting in Gaza to discuss the terms of a possible cease-fire, raising hopes for an agreement.

Clashes along the fence separating between Israel Gaza erupted on March 30 with rallies to protest the 11-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.

About 158 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, while one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Gazan sniper.
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Lehtikuva/Heikki Saukkomaa)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As the diplomatic brawl over Russia's alleged poison attack of an ex-spy and his daughter remains unsolved, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that the country will impose new sanctions on Russia over the case.

The sanctions will target exports of U.S. national security equipment and products to Russia.

According to a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Washington on Monday determined that the Russian government had "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," referring to British citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal.

Nauert also accused Moscow of using a "Novichok" nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate them.

The U.S. action was made under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act), she said.

"Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018," she added.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, aged 66, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in Britain's southwestern city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain claimed the pair was exposed to a nerve agent and holds Russia responsible, while the Russian government has denied any involvement in it.

The United States, together with other Western nations, later decided to expel 60 Russian diplomats and intelligence officials in the United States and the United Nations, and to close the nation's consulate in Seattle, which aimed to protest and counter Russia's accused involvement of the poisoning attack.

Russia announced the expulsion of diplomats of 23 countries in retaliation.

The mutual tension was further escalated as Dawn Sturgess, 44, who was said to be poisoned on June 30 in the British town of Amesbury, died in the hospital. Sturgess' partner Charlie Rowley, 45, also fell victim to the poisoning incident.

However, the Kremlin said later that it saw no reason to link Russia to the poisoning incident.
Telenor Hungary has announced its new CEO, Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. The mandate of the new leadership team started after Telenor Group recently completed the sale of its Central and Eastern European Assets to PPF Group.

From 1 August 2018 Jan Hanus took over the Telenor Hungary CEO position. Hanus graduated at the University of Hradec Kralove with marketing, economy and IT degrees. He had worked in the FMCG-sector for more than ten years, and from 2017 he led the commercial area and HR at the telco division of PPF Group.

He also has Hungarian experience, as the CEO and vice chairman of Ceres Suto Ltd., Gyor in 2011-2012.

Martin Oravec joins Telenor Hungary as its new CFO. Oravec started his career in Ernst & Young and Deloitte in transaction and M&A advisory. In 2009, he joined O2 Czech Republic (formerly Telefonica Czech Republic), a publicly listed company, as head of corporate finance.

Since then he has gained a broad range of experience in finance, telecommunications and leadership through various positions in O2.

Mohamed ElSayad - pictured above - becomes the Chief Marketing Officer at Telenor Hungary. He comes from Egypt and he has more than 20 years of international experience in digital marketing, brand and product implementation and product development in the field of multinational companies and start-ups.

Mohamed ElSayad comes from Magyar Telekom, where he had been working as marketing director between 2015-2018.

Gyozo Drozdy is now Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Telenor Hungary. He was the first Hungarian employee to join Telenor (then Pannon GSM) in 1993. Since then, he has filled several positions at the company, greatly contributing to its achievements over the past 20 years.

Since 2011, he has been supporting Telenor as strategic advisor to the CEO.
Acting in Imperfect Conditions...

By Tim Schmidt - USCCA Founder. August 2018 , Issue No. 31

Last week I brought you a tragic story out of California in which an errant bullet from a police officer's gun struck and killed an innocent Trader Joe's worker.

Melyda Corado was fatally struck when a round fired by an officer missed a suspect, identified as Gene Evin Atkins, and entered Corado's body after passing through her arm.

Since I touched a bit on the notion of police officers' differing level of responsibility when it comes to pursuing dangerous suspects, I thought it might be helpful to expand on something called the "Greater Danger Theory."

Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, explained that the Greater Danger Theory is something all police officers learn in training. The gist of it is this:

Will an officer's failure to act pose a greater danger to others than his actions at the time?

If we return to the situation in Los Angeles, the Greater Danger Theory might give us more insight into the officer's course of action. That officer had to weigh his decision to shoot (and all the potential risks shooting posed) against the potential danger of the alternative (not shooting). He determined (in seconds or less) that the risk of potentially hitting an innocent bystander outweighed the risk of the armed attacker entering a grocery store full of innocent bystanders. The death of Corado was an unfortunate and tragic byproduct of the police officer's attempt to keep a dangerous situation from becoming even more dangerous. (Consider how many people could have been hurt or killed inside the store if the officer had failed to act outside the store.)

Remember that the risk to law enforcement officers is also part of that equation. The police actively put themselves in danger every time they put on their uniforms. Concealed Carry Magazine Senior Editor Ed Combs, a former sheriff's deputy, is fond of saying that "there is no routine call in law enforcement."

A recent, sad example of this took place in Milwaukee just last week when Officer Michael Michalski was ambushed while searching for a suspect in a house.

According to the Journal Sentinel, "Jonathan Copeland Jr. is accused of shooting Michalski once in the head as the officer climbed a rear staircase."

Clearly, Michalski had a duty to pursue the suspect. But no doubt he also considered the potential consequences of what might happen if he didn't stop the threat. (According to the Journal Sentinel, Copeland had, just days earlier, "texted his wife ... warning that he would shoot police if they came after him. She had called police ... to report Copeland's threats to shoot up her house for not paying him for an unspecified expense.")

It's always tragic when there is a loss of innocent life. In Los Angeles and Milwaukee, respectively, Corado and Michalski paid the ultimate, unfair price because of the actions of dangerous and violent perpetrators. Luckily, both of these perpetrators were stopped, and now we must trust that they will be brought to justice.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, the Greater Danger Theory applies to police officers, but it also applies to everyday citizens who carry firearms for self-protection and the protection of those they love.

According to Kevin, "You may employ deadly force without effective target isolation when the danger presented by your failure to act would be greater than the danger of your actions."

He continues: "Notice that we say 'may' employ deadly force. As a private citizen, you are never required to use such force, and you will not be judged for not using it. The other side of the discussion is that the Greater Danger Theory is not a 'get out jail free card.' Your actions MUST be objectively reasonable under the circumstances. That means the Greater Danger Theory is only one element that will be considered when police and prosecutors evaluate your actions."

Clearly, there are no easy answers here.

I pray that you and I will never be forced into such a situation. As with all things self-defense-related, it pays to think about it before you decide to act (or not act) on it.

Take care and stay safe.

Tim Schmidt

Publisher - Concealed Carry Report

USCCA Founder

The factors involved with defensive shooting are many and need to be fully understood. Decision making when in a high stress situation is something with usually little or no luxury of time, and yet the need for making the right decision is absolutely paramount.

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IRON COUNTY, Wis., murder trial defendants Richard Allen, left, and Joseph Lussier, right, stand with defense attorney Craig Haukaas at the end of Tuesday's proceedings. Haukaas is representing Lussier in a joint trial, with Allen represented by James Lex.

By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]

HURLEY - The murder trial of two Lac du Flambeau tribal members recessed Tuesday after defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in an alleged jailhouse confession.

Emanuel Reyes testified that Joseph D. Lussier, 26, had confessed to shooting Wayne M. Valliere Jr. on Dec. 22. Also charged in the execution-type shooting and hiding the corpse near Mercer is Richard F.A. Allen, 27.

"He said he shot him in the face and blood came out like a faucet," Reyes said twice of Lussier's alleged confession in a cell at the Vilas County Jail in Eagle River.

Reye...
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...
Fred Hand, Chief Customer officer Burlington Stores, cutting the ribbon, and David Coder, Executive Vice President of Stores, right of man cutting ribbon, at the grand opening of the new Burlington Store at 833 Market Street, in Philadelphia, Sept. 22, 2017. Burlington ranks 459 on the Fortune 500 list. Read more

Comcast is changing Philadelphia's skyline and remains the corporate colossus of the city and region, but who are the other major companies that call Philadelphia home? That was the gist of a question sent in from a reader via Curious Philly  a place where readers tell us what makes them curious about their community and our journalists seek out the answers. This one was pretty straightforward: Philadelphia is a place of big business.

This list ranks the largest public companies by revenue, not employment. We decided to take a look at the companies in the greater Philadelphia area that made the list  that includes Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks counties in Pa., Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington counties in New Jersey, and Wilmington, Del.

Three are in Philly proper: Crown Holdings, Aramark, and Comcast. Here's what we know about all of them.

480: Toll Brothers

Headquartered in Horsham, Pa., this luxury house builder chalked up a 2017 revenue of $5.8 billion.

459: Burlington Stores

Burlington is from  you guessed it  Burlington, New Jersey, and while you may only know them as a coat factory, it's a full-on apparel brand that employs 40,000 people. Burlington Stores debuted on the Fortune 500 in 2016.

457: UGI

The oil and gas company, headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa. held steady at 457 both this year and last.

451: Chemours

Chemours, a chemical company headquartered in Wilmington, Del., formed in July 2015 after splitting off from DuPont. It manufactures titanium and flouroproducts and pulled in $6.1 billion in 2017 revenues  not bad for being two years old.

358: Campbell Soup

You may remember the iconic soup can from Andy Warhol's 1960s pop art, but the Camden, N.J. company is also notable for employing 18,000 people and being on the Fortune 500 for 24 years and counting.

338: Crown Holdings

Ever wondered where the cans for Coke and Pepsi come from? Some of them trace back to Crown Holdings, right here in Philadelphia, which makes packaging for consumer products and employs 24,342 people.

268: Universal Health Services

From their headquarters in King of Prussia, Pa., the for-profit Universal Health Services operates healthcare facilities in the U.S. and the UK  350 of them, to be exact.

205: Lincoln National

The insurance provider, located in Radnor, Pa., jumped from 207 in the 2017 ranking to 205 in 2018, due to a revenue increase of 7 percent compared to last year. And, this company is the namesake for Lincoln Financial Field itself, home of our very own Philadelphia Eagles.

200: Aramark

From its corporate office on Market Street in Philadelphia, this food service company handles uniforms, staffing, and food and food service for universities, prisons, companies, and schools around the county, employing 215,000 people in the process.

47: DowDuPont

The consolidated headquarters of DowDuPont are in Michigan, but we in the Philadelphia area still claim the DuPont-Wilmington side as our own. Dow Chemical and DuPont merged on August 31, 2017, racking up 2017 revenues of $62 billion.

33: Comcast

You've probably seen downtown Philadelphia-based telecommunications giant Comcast in the news recently over its competing bid with Disney for Fox's assets. Comcast is one of the biggest employers in Philadelphia, and its impact on the skyline is undeniable. It's been on the Fortune 500 for the past 23 years.

12: AmerisourceBergen

The drug distributing giant in Chesterbrook, Pa. brought in 2017 revenues of $153.1 billion. But it's been plagued with lawsuits over the opioid epidemic, for which many experts blame drug makers and wholesalers. And it's taken a profit hit  down 74.5 percent.

But thats not all

But the Fortune 500 only looks at publicly traded companies. But private companies are here too: notable private companies in the area include the Vanguard Group, an investment adviser based in Malvern, Pa. that is credited with low-cost index funds and other consumer-friendly products. They manage over $5.1 trillion in assets and are the top employer in Chester County.

And from an employment standpoint, though they're not typically corporations, "Eds and Meds"  hospitals and universities  are important too. The PA Department of Industry and Labor puts out a quarterly report on the biggest employers in each county, and Philadelphia's top employer isPenn.

Now, that's not just Penn the university; it also includes the affiliated hospital system. Coming in second is the city government, followed by federal. Even though they're not your traditional for-profit corporations, they drive a lot of the city's economy and employment.
Temple University's interim business school dean apologized for this year's rankings scandal and said the school is aiming for a "thorough scrubbing" of its human resource and data oversight in hopes of rejoining outside rankings in the next six to eight months.

Following the shocking rankings scandal, dean Ronald C. Anderson said Temple's business school is juggling a twofold mission: to de-emphasize the importance of rankings in its own culture, and at the same time, to clean up the internal process by which the school compiles data for the highly competitive outside rankings, which are collected by outlets such as U.S. News and World Report, the Financial Times, and the Economist.

"Are rankings important? Yes. Oftentimes students make decisions based on rankings. In some point in the next six to eight months, I hope we have our processes in place to get back into the rankings," Anderson said.

But he stressed that the "rankings will be an outcome of our education, rather than an input. One thing we see in the business-school environment, it's incredibly competitive. Everyone's trying to get the edge. But what's more important to students is outcomes. Are they getting good jobs? Are they getting into good grad schools? At Temple, they are. The rankings, as a consequence, should be a reflection of that," he said.

Internally, Temple is restructuring various departments to ensure the rankings scandal "can't happen again. Anyplace there may have been incentive conflicts, we've separated those. The restructuring is also getting better delineation of duties. We're bringing in new human resource managers, new finance people, and better oversight. Just as important, we're setting up internal control systems to ensure multiple levels of oversight and review for any issues like this," he added.

The interim dean, who is expected to stay in the position for one to two years, met with Temple faculty last week to reiterate that "we went off track administratively. Our programs are still incredible values, we have very high-quality faculty."

The reaccreditation process is still expected to be completed by January 2019, he said.

Anderson replaces Moshe Porat, who was forced out after a university investigation found the school knowingly submitted false rankings data about its online MBA program to U.S. News. Porat had led the school since 1996.

Temple's Fox School of Business is celebrating its centennial this year, enrolls more than 9,000 students and employs more than 225 full-time faculty across nine departments.

Temple self-reported its data errors, and U.S. News earlier this year stripped the school of the No. 1 ranking for its online MBA program. Jones Day law firm, subsequently hired by the university, found that over multiple years, Fox reported inaccurate data concerning the number of entrants who provided GMAT scores, the mean undergraduate GPA of entrants, the offers of admission, and student debt.

"During the period Jones Day was doing the review we  had a long, quiet period. The faculty were a bit anxious. We spent a lot of time talking about the changes we need to make culturally and in governance," Anderson said. Apart from Jones Day, Temple is negotiating to bring in other outside consultants as part of its overall business-school review.

"We're continuing to conduct reviews. We will be bringing in some more outside firms to review data and data processes. We'll also be relying on Temple internal audit. We're going to do a thorough scrubbing of the data," Anderson said.

He declined to say which outside consultants would be retained, saying "we're still in negotiations."

As for students' reaction, he said, "I've learned a lot. The students in our existing masters programs, the ones where we misreported data, are a bit angry at us. We knowingly misreported, so we own this problem now. We tell them, we'll fix it. They feel they were misled somewhat."

Are students sticking by Temple? Yes, he said, but many remain angry. Anderson declined to comment on pending litigation, in particular a lawsuit filed by some current and former MBA students.

"I've been really emphasizing this is not an academic-program problem, but an administrative problem. We went off track administratively. Our programs are still incredible values, we have very high-quality faculty."

His message: "The biggest thing we want to get out there is we're being incredibly proactive in ensuring this doesn't happen again."

Under the prior dean, business-school faculty complained that they were forced to do fund-raising for the school in addition to teaching.

Asked whether that would change under his leadership, Anderson said, "I see fund-raising as more of a dean's-office position. As a department chair of finance, I engaged in fund-raising, but it's not a faculty responsibility. First and foremost, they should be creating and disseminating knowledge."

Anderson said the one message he wanted to get out to the public was the following: "To our students and our stakeholders, I want to sincerely apologize. It shouldn't have happened at Fox, and we own this problem. I want them to know my colleagues and I apologize for what happened."
In 2010, McGillin's Olde Ale House released a limited-edition beer to commemorate 150 years of drinking and carousing at the city's oldest operating tavern. This week, McGillin's 1860 IPA is returning to honor 25 years of ownership by Mary Ellen and Chris Mullins, who bought the business from family.

The American-style ale is made by Stoudts Brewing Co., which created it to mark 150 years of continuous operation since the Drury Street pub opened in 1860. The beer is unfiltered, as it would have been in the 1800s, and is made with multiple varieties of hops. The beer has a refreshing malty flavor and a hint of mild ginger on the finish.

It's one of three house beers on tap at McGillin's, which also pours McGillin's Real Ale and McGillin's Genuine Lager. All are brewed by Stoudts in Adamstown, Pa.

The IPA will be unveiled at a re-release party from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McGillin's, where bottles will be sold at a discount price of $3.50. The ale is also available at Bell's Beverage at 2809 S. Front St. in South Philadelphia and at Narbeth Beverage at 844 Montgomery Ave. McGillin's representatives expect it will carried by other bars, restaurants, and stores in the future.

McGillin's 1860 IPA, $4.75 at McGillin's Old Ale House, 1310 Drury St.; mcgillins.com.
Down to the wire: Republican Troy Balderson (right) holds a narrow lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor (left) in a special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District. Read more

Voters in four states  Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington  went to the polls Tuesday to determine party nominees ahead of November's midterms. There was also a closely watched special election in Ohio to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Republican incumbent Rep. Pat Tiberi.

Here are four takeaways from Tuesday's elections:

 Democrats fought Republicans to an effective tie in Ohio's 12th Congressional District, an ordinarily safe Republican seat that has only been represented by a Democrat once since 1939. Republican Troy Balderson has a narrow lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor, but as of Wednesday morning the major news networks and the Associated Press say the race remains too close to call.

 If Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach wins the Republican primary in Kansas over incumbent Jeff Colyer, it could help Democrats steal control of the statehouse in November. As of Wednesday morning, Kobach held a narrow lead with most of highly populated Johnson County left to be counted.

 In a big victory for labor unions, Missouri voters soundly rejected a new law that would have allowed non-union members to opt out of paying union dues even if they benefit from collective bargaining.

 In Michigan, former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib is likely to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after winning the primary to fill the seat vacated by Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr., who was forced to resign over sexual harassment allegations.

Ohio (special election)

The most important race of the evening was a special election that took place in Ohio's 12th Congressional District, where Democrats still hold out hope they can steal a congressional seat Republicans have safely held for more than 20 years (since 1939, the district has only been represented by a Democrat for one term). In fact, outgoing Republican incumbent Rep. Pat Tiberi won the district by about 37 percentage points in 2016.

As of Wednesday morning, Republican Troy Balderson held a narrow lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor. The Associated Press, CNN and NBC News all said the race remained too close to call, mostly due to 5,048 absentee ballots and 3,435 provisional ballots that have yet to be counted.

In the wake of stunning defeats in both Pennsylvania and Alabama, an effective tie in a safe Republican district is yet another sign that a Democratic blue wave could crash down on Washington in November. "This district is ruby red Republican. The fact that it is so close is a big deal," CNN chief national correspondent John King said during the network's live coverage Tuesday night.

>> READ MORE: Poll: Conor Lamb leads Keith Rothfus big, Dem enthusiasm high in key Pa. congressional race

Despite the outstanding ballots, Trump took credit for Balderson's apparent victory late Tuesday night, claiming his last-minute rally in the district on Saturday pushed Balderson over the finish line. Pre-election polling, however, does not support Trump's claim, indicating the race was headed to a neck and neck finish.

Kansas

Trump shook up what should have been an easy primary win for incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer with his endorsement of far-right challenger Kris Kobach. As of Wednesday morning, the race remained too close to call.

Kobach holds a narrow lead over Colyer, but Johnson County in the suburbs of Kansas City has yet to full report its results. If Kobach wins the nomination, it could offer Democrats the rare chance to win a statewide race in deeply conservative Kansas. The ultimate Republican winner will face State Sen. Laura Kelly, who won the Democratic nomination against former state Rep. Josh Svaty and former Wichita mayor Carl Brewer.

A Kobach victory in Tuesday's Republican primary could also seriously impact the races for two congressional seats Democrats hope to flip in November.

In the Second Congressional District, Democrat Paul Davis will face Republican Steve Watkins, who won a seven-man Republican primary that insiders fear won't yield a candidate popular enough to win in November. Davis, the former minority leader in the Kansas House, nearly defeated former Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014.

In the Third Congressional District, which Democrats held as recently as 2011, attorney and former MMA fighter Sharice Davids narrowly defeated Bernie Sanders-backed Bret Welder for the Democratic nomination. If she defeats Republican opponent Kevin Yoder in November, Davids would become the first Native American woman elected to Congress.

Michigan

In the Wolverine State, Democrats are eying an opportunity to flip another statehouse, thanks to the retirement of unpopular incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

For the Democrats, former minority leader Gretchen Whitmer won the Democratic primary over progressive opponent Abdul El-Sayed. She will now face off against Attorney General Bill Schuette, who was endorsed by Trump and defeated Lt. Gov. Brian Calley in Tuesday's Republican primary.

"The reality is, this is President Trump's Republican party. His chosen candidates win Republican primaries," Calley said in a concession video Tuesday night.

Democrats also see an opportunity to flip two Congressional districts that are considered toss-ups.

In the Eighth Congressional District, Democrats are pinning their general election hopes on former CIA officer Elissa Slotkin, who served on the National Security Council under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Slotkin, who coasted to an easy Democratic primary win Tuesday night, will face off against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Bishop in a district Trump won by less than 7 points in 2016.

Another toss-up is the 11th Congressional District, which was a free-for-fall with a total of 10 candidates thanks to the retirement of Republican Rep. David Trott. Both party's races remained too close to call Wednesday morning. On the Republican side, the frontrunners were former Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, state Sen. Mike Kowall and state Rep. Klint Kesto. For the Democrats, there's Sunell Gupta, the brother of CNN host Sanjay Gupta; former Obama official Haley Stevens and Fayrouz Saad, who has the endorsement of progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an upset Democratic primary winner for Congress in New York.

In the 13th Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. John Conyers Jr. was forced to resign over sexual harassment allegations, former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib is likely to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after edging out Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in the Democratic primary. Tlaib will not face a Republican opponent in November in the heavily Democratic district, but could end up seeing token opposition from a write-in candidate.

Missouri

Among the most interesting races in November will be Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill's attempt to defend her seat in a state Trump won by more than 18 percentage points. McCaskill easily won the Democratic primary, and will face state Attorney General Josh Hawley in the fall.

The Second Congressional District is also expected to be somewhat competitive in the fall. Attorney Cort Vanostran won the Democratic primary Tuesday night, and will face off off against three-term Republican incumbent Rep. Ann Wagner in November.

In a big victory for labor unions, Missouri voters soundly rejected a new law that would have allowed non-union members to opt out of paying union dues even if they benefit from collective bargaining. Proposition A, as the referendum was known, was the first opportunity for voters to weigh in following an important Supreme Court ruling from June impacting public sector labor unions.

>> READ MORE: How the Supreme Court ruling on labor unions in Janus vs. AFSCME could upend politics in Pennsylvania

Washington

Washington's primary is similar to California's, where the top two primary finishers regardless of political party move on to November's election. Former state Republican chair Susan Hutchinson emerged from a scrum of 28 candidates to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is seeking her fourth term in the U.S. Senate and is the overwhelming favorite.

As far as congressional seats are concerned, Democrats have a good chance to flip at least two Republican-controlled districts come November.

In the Fifth Congressional District, Republican incumbent Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers will face Democratic nominee Lisa Brown, the former chancellor of Washington State University Spokane.

Democrats have a shot to flip the Eighth Congressional District, which is being vacated by retiring incumbent Republican Rep. Dave Reichert. Democrats were locked in a competitive primary fight for the right to face Republican Dino Rossi. The Democratic frontrunners are all first-time candidates: pediatrician Kim Schrier, doctor Shannon Hader and attorney Jason Rittereiser. The race remained too close to call Wednesday morning.
2 killed in separate accidents in Rautahat

Two persons died in separate accidents in Rautahat district on Wednesday.
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons is a city agency that confines 5,200 inmates, staffed by 2,300 workers on an annual $259 million budget. But the software employed to manage it all is a system called Lock and Track that's been in use since the 1990s  and whose lone source for tech support is a one-man software contractor living on a ranch in Colorado.

Rick Evans, whose company LockWorks is based at his 35-acre property where he trains horses and gives riding lessons, has been the city's go-to guy since 1995, soon after he and a former business partner developed the Lock and Track system.

Despite various upgrades, Lock and Track is past its prime.

"If this guy, Rick, gets butted by a goat, they're done," said a person familiar with the use of the system in Philadelphia. "For a prison system the size and complexity of Lock and Track in Philly, relying on the expertise of a single person is a recipe for disaster."

A few years ago, officials attempted to remedy that: They signed a $7.2 million contract with Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), a large information-technology specialist based in northern Virginia, to build a new Integrated Jail Management System (IJMS) that would bring all prisons data into one modern, cloud-based software system.

Now, officials admit, the project was a failure. After spending $5.6 million, the city scrapped the entire IJMS initiative.

"It is a sunk cost," said Mark Wheeler, the city's interim chief information officer.

>>READ MORE: 'Fight the culture of shame': Why Philly's tech upgrades fail and how we can fix them

Wheeler, however, said that about $754,000 worth of hardware purchased for the project can be reused. He said he made the call to cancel the contract after prison officials raised concerns that the software in development would not serve necessary functions, and after discovering that annual licensing costs for that software would exceed $1 million.

Wheeler, who has been in charge of the Office of Innovation and Technology since January, now believes the initiative was flawed from the outset because it was designed using Salesforce, a customer-relationship management platform that had not been used for inmate management.

"The approach we were taking  to customize a jail-management system from a platform that never had a jail-management system on it before  really wasn't the best approach." Wheeler said.

The market has since evolved, too, he said. There are now off-the-shelf software programs that would be both cheaper and better suited to the purpose.

Observers, however, point to another reason the contract was problematic: SAIC essentially wrote the request for proposals before submitting the winning bid to create the new prison management software. That is: SAIC was first contracted for a $333,793 planning initiative meant to ensure a "lower acquisition risk and smoother overall modernization effort," according to a service order executed in March 2014. That work resulted in the second request for proposals  for the $7.2 million implementation contract.

City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart, who was a staffer in Mayor Michael Nutter's and Mayor Kenney's administrations before being elected to her watchdog role, said the arrangement that appeared to give SAIC the inside track is cause for concern.

"It definitely wouldn't be a best practice to pick the same firm to do the planning work and actually help with vendor selection  and for that firm then to be selected to do the actual project," she said.

The problem with such a scheme is that all bidding contractors are supposed to start on an even playing field, said Ellen Kaplan, the city's chief integrity officer.

"If that were brought to my office, I would flag that," she said. But it's up to each city agency to decide whether to run contracts by her office, she said.

First Deputy Managing Director Brian Abernathy said red flags were raised almost from the start of the Kenney administration  but the city and SAIC continued to try to work through the problems. The city finally suspended the contract in January, before deciding to terminate it in March. City spokesperson Mike Dunn said the city is not seeking to recoup any of the $5.6 million it paid SAIC.

For its part, SAIC simply issued a statement: "The City of Philadelphia and SAIC mutually agreed not to renew the contract because the city decided to go in a different technical direction. We understand that circumstances change and we hope to support the city in any future endeavors."

The IJMS upgrade was just one small part of a $120 million capital investment in technology upgrades launched under the Nutter administration. It's also one of at least five major projects, all part of that modernization push, to be affected by major delays, cost overruns, or even cancellation, the Inquirer and Daily News reported last year. The city spent $1.6 million on a new budgeting system before deciding to scrap it; poured $10 million, more than double the original budget, into licensing and inspection software that is not yet complete; and poured at least $8 million in cost overruns on what was supposed to be a $15 million payroll system.

>>READ MORE: City Hall computer upgrades plagued by years of delays, millions in extra costs

Adel Ebeid, who served as chief innovation officer under Nutter and was involved in negotiating the SAIC contract, said he was puzzled as to why it didn't work out.

"Issues are bound to come up in a complex implementation like a Prison Management System, but I'm surprised the city waited so long and bleeding $5.6 million before recognizing that the system doesn't meet their needs," Ebeid said in an email. "I'm sure there were several review milestones throughout the project and red flags that would have prompted the city to make a 'go/no-go' decision."

According to sources knowledgeable of the situation, there was significant turnover during those two years, and none of the managers had any experience using Salesforce. Also, although benchmarks were regularly getting approved, managers were pushing off the most complicated parts until the end. It was when they had to face those issues that they realized the project was doomed.

Dunn said that "red flags" were raised by the third out of 19 deliverables set for the IJMS project. "The city began frank conversations with the vendor. The vendor in turn, presented mitigation plans that seemed reasonable and credible," Dunn said. He declined to say by which deliverable the city ended the contract.

Dunn also said there was a steering committee that had "final decision-making authority" on the IJMS project. He declined to name the committee members.

Ebeid, who's now a sustainable-tech consultant, said he stands by the idea of using Salesforce  but added that "revolving-door leadership" in the city's information-technology office and the prison's inability to adjust its policies to meet the capabilities of the off-the-shelf software likely doomed the project.

Evans, the Lock and Track creator and city contractor, said that "it's not surprising" that someone who was not "intimately familiar" with prisons and correction systems would not meet the city's expectation.

Since the scrapping of IJMS, city officials have paid $425,312 to enhance Lock and Track. Still, it's not anywhere what they had hoped they would have by now with a new system.

"It doesn't work well enough for them to meet current and future expectations," said Evans, who has a $1.2 million contract to continue to provide support services for Lock and Track and teach city employees how to maintain it themselves.

Still, Evans said he couldn't provide a timeline for when the city's IT team would become self-sufficient. His current contract lasts through June 30, 2019.

Many jail administrators around the country have been looking to existing inmate-management systems like one called Offender360. It's already in use in San Diego and Chicago. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, recently signed an $11.1 million, 10-year contract with Tribridge, which makes the software.

Wheeler said a system like that may be in Philly's future, too.

"Ultimately we will go out for another RFP. Because we've upgraded Lock and Track, we feel we have a another few years of that," Wheeler said.

In the meantime, "Rick is still available to us," Wheeler said.
Fatmata Massaquoi is a cabin cleaner at the Philadelphia International Airport and an active leader of her union, 32BJ SEIU. Read more

As a young girl growing up in Liberia, I would sneak on the bus every day from my village so that I could attend school near my aunt's house. In Liberia, girls do not always have the option of education. I dreamed of a better life with opportunity and dignity. It was not until I came to Philadelphia that I was able to again pursue my education in the land of opportunity.

In 2005, I left Liberia and came to America as a refugee filled with hope for the future. As a mother of four, I wanted my children's life to be better than my own.

Like so many immigrants from Africa, I ended up working at Philadelphia International Airport, first for Delta and then for a subcontractor that cleans airplanes. Cleaning the cabin of airplanes is hard work with extreme temperatures inside the cabin, little time in between flights and tight spaces to reach that make every part of my body ache.

My co-workers and I, most of whom made the minimum wage of $7.25 or pennies more, started speaking out for better pay and treatment. Reminding me of my bus trips as a young girl, as I crouched down to clean under the seats and floors of the airplane cabin, I dreamed of a better life with opportunity and dignity. So I joined my co-workers and demanded what was ours: decent pay, better working conditions, and respect.

Together, we fought to raise the airport's minimum wage to $12 an hour and went on strike many times to protest our poor treatment on the job. We joined union 32BJ and demanded that our employers bargain a contract with us. At every turn, we had to fight for what we deserve.

It took six years, but we recently won our first union contract and doubled our wages from the time we began organizing. There are few things that make me prouder than knowing that airport workers who come after us will benefit from our sacrifice. They won't have to work for poverty wages or worry about being fired for no reason. And I know that through our union, and the support we received from elected officials and clergy, there are 1,500 more jobs for people in Philadelphia.

At a time when both immigrants and unions are under unprecedented attack, I am hopeful that most Americans understand that we simply want to take care of our families and have a shot at the American Dream. We have fought to make airport jobs good, union jobs for everyone.

America needs unions because union jobs build thriving communities. It did not take me long to realize that in the United States, unions are the pathway to middle class whether you're black, white, immigrant, native born, blue-collar, or white-collar. Unions level the playing field and allow you to have dignity on the job.

The rich and powerful forces behind recent anti-union Supreme Court cases, and countless laws at the state and federal level, seek to take away our dignity and eliminate unions. They are fighting on every front to destroy the good union jobs that provide financial security for our families.

READ MORE:  After Janus decision, heres one group thats teaching Pa. government workers how

Workers like us know better. We know that when we join a union and speak up, we are more powerful. That's why we're going to stick together, keep up the fight to help more workers create unions, and call on elected leaders to support legislation to make it easier, not harder, to join a union.

The recently introduced PA Workplace Freedom Act deserves the support of our elected leaders in Harrisburg. As the election season gears up, voters should be loud and clear in finding out whether the men and women who seek to represent them support unions and worker's rights.

Even as corporate special interests seek to divide us, together we can make sure that everyone who works hard and plays by the rules has a chance to make the American Dream a reality.

Fatmata Massaquoi is a cabin cleaner at Philadelphia International Airport and a leader of her union, 32BJ SEIU.
Peter Biar Ajak in Juba, South Sudan, in February, attending a community event dubbed "Take Tea Together," a local forum aimed at promoting peace among young people in South Sudan. Read more

When good people fight for freedom and peace, the rest of us should fight for them.

On July 28, such a man was thrown into a South Sudanese hellhole innocuously called the Blue House because of the blue tinting on its windows.

People who know Peter Biar Ajak will tell you he is brilliant. His degrees from La Salle University, the Harvard Kennedy School, and his now-interrupted doctoral program at the University of Cambridge in England, reveal his scholarly abilities.

His work as chairman of the South Sudan Young Leaders Forum and other groups that promote freedom and democracy reveal his nature. And they have made Ajak the target of South Sudan's corruptocracy.

>> READ MORE: Activist La Salle grad worked for peace in South Sudan, now jailed in its notorious prison

Recognizing the power of freedom to release the potential of both individuals and democracies, Ajak knows the first step is for peace. These endeavors make him an enemy of the South Sudanese government and a friend to us.

Ajak came to the U.S. as a "Lost Boy," one of more than 40,000 child refugees from the Sudanese civil war that ravaged the country from 1987 to 2005. Benefiting from the generosity of a Philadelphia family, Ajak graduated from Philly's Central High School, then went onto La Salle and earned his master's degree at the Harvard Kennedy School.

"He is a true patriot and humanitarian," said Del. state Sen. Anthony Delcollo, a Republican and Ajak's classmate at La Salle. He said the two men spent a great deal of time discussing philosophy and politics.

Sen. Chris Coons, (D., Del.), is calling for Ajak's immediate release: "The arrest of Peter Ajak at a time when the United States and its Troika partners, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union, are encouraging a truly inclusive process undermines the credibility of the government's claim that it wants peace."

This bipartisan call to action is not and should not fall prey to the typical Democrat versus Republican "gotcha" gamesmanship you see played out on cable and broadcast TV news.

When men and women legally come to our country and work hard to better themselves, their home countries and the relationships between our countries, the debate should be how this will be achieved, not whether they should be jailed for fear that others might follow.

Tyrants like South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit show fear, not strength, when they imprison good people, like Ajak, who promote peace and freedom.

As Americans, we celebrate these expressions every day without fear of government retribution.

No one goes to jail. Ajak envisions a South Sudan where leaders are chosen by honest elections, not bullets. He envisions a world where disagreements lead to understanding and solutions, not torture and arbitrary incarceration.

These beliefs always cause great fear among dictators.

This is why Kiir's government passed the National Security Act in 2014, allowing the arrest  without cause  of anyone suspected of committing "crimes" against the state.

Ajak is now imprisoned in the notorious Blue House where people whose only crime was to express their opinion have died of starvation.

Imagine if the women on "The View" were to broadcast from Sudan or South Sudan. They would never be heard from again.

South Sudan's "President" Kiir, needs a new fear: the fear of total worldwide rejection for his cowardly and autocratic conduct.

You can help to achieve this and, hopefully, secure the release of Ajak along with many others. Call, write, and email your representatives in the U.S. Senate and House and tell them to call upon South Sudan to release Peter Biar Ajak immediately.

Should you be successful, I believe we will all watch Ajak achieve peace and prosperity in a country that should be our partner, not our dependent.

Rick Jensen is an award-winning Delaware talk show host and national columnist.
Harm Reduction Coordinator Allison Herens administers a Narcan nasal spray to a test dummy during an opioid public awareness campaign at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in Center City. Read more

During the last academic year, over the course of just one week, two students at Temple University died of opioid overdoses. James Orlando was found dead in his apartment one block off campus, and Michael Paytas overdosed among students, staff, and security in the library. As a Temple alum who spent her undergraduate years in addiction, and a current faculty member in recovery, I was deeply affected by these deaths.

However, while Temple is, in fact, the closest school to the epicenter of our city's addiction crisis, this problem is not specific to Temple. In January, a Penn Law student died of an overdose on campus. In recent years, students from Drexel and Cabrini have died of overdoses (though off campus).

No school, like no sector of society, is immune.

Student overdose deaths should come as a shock to no one. Orlando and Paytas were just two of more than 1,200 people who died of overdoses last year in this city. In Philadelphia, parents and students tell me, a death sentence is just one text message away: Students get heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs delivered directly to their doors.

Though American college students report using illicit substances (other than marijuana) less than their non-college peers, one in five still do. Also, recently, there have been local overdose surges due to fentanyl-contaminated drugs, such as cocaine, meaning that not only are students who use opiates at risk for an overdose but so are students who report using illicit substances of any kind. That's approximately 18,000 students at Philadelphia's largest four-year schools.

With these findings on student drug use, it is abhorrent that local colleges have not done more to protect their students.

As the 2018-19 academic year approaches, local colleges must take action by providing students with easy access to naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, among others. Wherever campuses distribute harm-reduction supplies such as condoms, they should distribute naloxone. All residence assistants in all dorms, as well as security officers in every campus building, should carry it. First responders and the occasional faculty, staff, and students taking it upon themselves to carry it are just not enough.

Especially because colleges can get naloxone for free or at low cost. They just need to apply for specific grants, such as this one from ADAPT Pharma, or submit a request with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. There are also already local Narcan training opportunities, so schools don't necessarily need to arrange their own training sessions.

Not only could increasing access to naloxone save student lives, but it would give universities the opportunity to teach students safer ways to use drugs, like carrying naloxone at all times, testing substances prior to ingesting them, taking advantage of local syringe-exchange programs, and never using alone.

And if saving student lives isn't motivation enough, imagine the headlines with a simple solution like this in place: Student life saved thanks to new campus Narcan policy.

Now that's a school I'd send my kid to.

Jillian Bauer-Reese is an assistant professor of journalism in the Klein College of Communication at Temple University, where she teaches courses called Solutions Journalism: Covering Addiction and the Kensington News Project. jbr@temple.edu @thesmallpicture
Anup Kaphle takes charge of the Post as Editor-in-Chief

Anup Kaphle, an international journalist who has worked at leading publications in the United States, including The Washington Post, has taken charge of The Kathmandu Post as its Editor-in-Chief.
Army chopper rescues couple trapped in Dolakha landslide

An injured couple trapped by landslide that occurred at Bigu Rural Municipality in Dolakha district on Tuesday has been rescued by helicopter on Wednesday.
Bus-truck collision in Chitwan leaves 4 dead

Four persons died when a passenger bus collided with a truck at Bhanuchowk in Ratnanagar Municipality of Chitwan district on Tuesday night.
Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
Desertion at earthquake camp

The village of Laprak in Gorkha district was destroyed beyond repair by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake of 2015.
Deubas absence delays CC meeting for a week

The meeting of Constitutional Council (CC) scheduled for Wednesday has been delayed for at least a week on the request of the leader of opposition party Nepali Congress.
Fed up with politics

In order to make democracy work, it is necessary to establish a democratic culture
Graft case against local level staff

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed two separate corruption cases at the Special Court against suspended account officer of Katari Municipality Rabi Chandra Dhakal for misappropriating state funds amounting to Rs71.69 million.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is expected to blow the bugle for the Rajasthan Assembly elections with a visit to Jaipur on August 11. The Gandhi scions visit to Jaipur is aimed at two major issues  ensuring organisational unity within Congress party and paving a way into the BJP stronghold in Rajasthan.

Notably, it was in Jaipur six years back that Rahul Gandhi was appointed the vice president of the Congress party. At that times, he had grabbed headlines for his remark saying power was like poison. And now as the Congress president, the Gandhi scion wants to get to the power corridors of Rajasthan, and then eventually the Centre, through the same place.

After Rahul Gandhi was made Congress vice president at an event in Jaipur in January 2013, the party registered its worst performance in the state by bagging just 21 seats in the Rajasthan Assembly elections held in December 2013.

Jaipur region in Rajasthan is believed to be a stronghold of the BJP. In the previous Assembly elections, the Congress was not able to win even one of the eight constituencies in the region. Even when the Congress came to power in 2008 Assembly elections, the party managed to win just 3 out of the 8 Assembly seats in Jaipur.

Rahul Gandhi wants the Congress to regain its strength in the region, and is focussing on strengthening the organisational structure within the party.

The Congress chief has visited Rajasthan on several occasions in the last five years. In 2014 he addressed a rally in Tonk Devli while in 2015 he visited Hanumangarh and Jaipur. He also addressed a Dalit meet in Jaipur in April 2016, and later in the same year, he went to Baran. In 2017 as well, Rahul Gandhi visited Rajasthan.

However, his repeated visits to the state have failed to yield any fruitful result for the Congress party. Reacting to his scheduled August 11 visit, the BJP has said that his visit would not matter as the people of the state are fed up with the grand old party.
New Delhi: Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav has several blockbuster ventures to his credit. The popular actor's recent release 'Raja Jani' hit the screens on July 13 in Bihar, Jharkhand, Nepal, Mumbai and Gujarat and has been going houseful since the first show.

And now, the 'Dabang Sarkar' actor is all set to transform himself into a Coolie for his next project. Yes, Khesari has been roped in for a film titled 'Coolie No 1'. The film will be directed by Lal Babu Pandit and will hit screens in 2019.

Though not much has been revealed about the project yet, it has been reported that the film will have elements of romance and action in it.

Khesari rose to fame in 2012 with Bhojpuri hit film 'Saajan Chale Sasural'. The star was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award on January 4, 2017, for his contribution to Bhojpuri cinema.

Khesari also released a song titled 'Bhatar Aiehe Holi Ke Baad' a few months back and it became viral in no time. The track will give you major feels about Dhak-Dhak girl's hit 90s number.


New Delhi: Desi Girl Priyanka Chopra has been making a lot of headlines these days. The actress's personal as well as professional life is under the scanner. Pee Cee surprised us all when she walked out of Salman Khan's 'Bharat' in the 'Nick' of time. The actress's sudden exit was confirmed by director Ali Abbas Zafar in a cryptic tweet. Zafar's tweet led to speculations of Pee Cee's marriage with rumoured boyfriend Nick Jonas. Reports suggested the Priyanka and Nick are engaged already and might get married in September or October this year.

Soon after backing out of 'Bharat', Priyanka had signed a Hollywood film titled ' Cowboy Ninja Viking' along with Chris Pratt. However, looks like the film won't be released anytime soon. As per a report in the Collider, the producers of Cowboy Ninja Viking have removed the film from the release calendar.

The movie was initially slated for a 2019 release but looks like we will have to wait much longer than that.

Priyanka will next be seen in Shonali Bose's 'The Sky is Pink'. The movie will also star Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim.

The film has been written by Shonali Bose and the dialogues have been penned by writer Juhi Chaturvedi. Bose has also directed films like 'Margarita with a Straw' and 'Amu'.

Apart from this, Priyanka will also be seen playing a small role in the Hollywood film 'Isn't it Romantic'.
New Delhi: The Rafale deal is a case of "monumental criminal misconduct" by the NDA government and the scam involving it is much bigger than the Bofors scandal, former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie alleged on Wednesday, demanding a time-bound probe into the contract by national auditor CAG.

Sinha and Shourie, addressing a press conference along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, raised a number of questions over the Rs 58,000 crore deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The trio, known as strong critics of the NDA government, also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of single-handedly changing the parameters of the deal and that there was a gross violation of mandatory procedures in finalising the contract. The entire deal was a "textbook case of criminal misconduct, of misuse of public office and of enriching parties at the expense of the national interest and national security", they alleged, adding there was an "effort" by the government to "conceal" facts.

The Congress has been accusing massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government for the procurement of 126 Rafale jets. The deal negotiated by the UPA could not be inked.

The trio also rejected government's contention that the prices of the aircraft have gone up due to India-specific add-ons and weapons systems, citing a joint statement by India and France during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Paris in 2015.

They said the joint statement mentioned that the aircraft and the associated systems and weapons would be delivered to India on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by Indian Air Force for the deal negotiated for procurement of 126 jets under the UPA government.

Shourie alleged that there had been "gross misuse of office" by which the original project for the acquisition of 126 fighter aircraft had been "sabotaged".

"I can tell you, as a person who handled the matter with regards to Bofors, that Bofors was absolutely nothing compared to this (Rafale scam). There was never a sudden change (in the deal) like this in which you suddenly give up the entire project," the former minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government said.

The Congress has also been pressing for price details of the deal but the NDA government has refused to divulge them citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. The government has asserted that there were no irregularities in the deal. "I would suggest, on our behalf, that the audit which Comptroller and Auditor General was supposed to take up, that should be a forensic audit and it should be completed within three months," said Sinha, adding "It is a huge scam. Bofors pales into insignificance before this scam."

The Bofors scandal involving procurement of howitzer guns in late 1980s had rocked the then Rajiv Gandhi government.

Terming the Rafale deal as the "biggest defence scam" that this country has seen so far, Bhushan alleged that it involved a loss of at least 35,000 crore to the public exchequer.

The trio said the ever-shifting statements of the ministers of defence, invoking of secrecy clauses in the contract and the inexplicable dropping of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), from the project were among the factors which convinced them of the deal being "a major scandal".

"We are convinced that this is an enormous scandal that jeopardises national security and hence we feel the government must reveal the facts, especially the facts in relation to what the whole deal is going to cost the public exchequer," Shourie said. "We hope that the opposition parties will relentlessly pursue this matter, the way the BJP had pursued Bofors at that time. With the same tenacity, the opposition parties must pursue the matter," he said.

The three leaders also accused the government of benefitting Reliance Defence, saying that the company which was under Rs 8,000 crore in debt and had no experience in making aircraft was involved under mandatory offset obligations of the French firm.

Strongly rejecting the charges, CEO of Reliance Defence and Aerospace Rajesh K Dhingra said no contract has been given to any Reliance Group company by the Ministry of Defence related to the purchase of the 36 Rafale aircraft.

"As all 36 aircraft are to be delivered 'fly-away', to be manufactured in France by Dassault and exported to India, how is the question of experience in manufacturing aircraft relevant here?" he asked.

Under India's offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.
KC hopes government honours agreement

Upon being discharged from hospital 12 days after ending his hunger strike, campaigner Dr Govinda KC on Tuesday drew the governments attention to timely implementation of his demands.
DMK patriarch and Dravidian icon Muthuvel Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his fans and followers, was on Wednesday evening buried at Anna Memorial on Marina Beach in Chennai. Sea of tearful supporters and top political leaders from across the country were present at the burial site as the last rites of the five-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was being performed.

It was an emotional site as family members of the DMK patriarch  sons Stalin and Alagiri, and daughters Kanimozhi and Selvi  broke down while paying their last respect to the Tamil stalwart.

Among the political leaders who paid their last tributes to Karunanidhi at Marina beach included Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Trinamool Congress leader Derek OBrien and senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and M Veerappa Moily.

The final journey of Karunanidhi began at 8 am from Rajaji Hall in Chennai, and moved to the Anna Memorial amid thousands of tearful supporters of the Dravidian icon. His mortal remains were carried in a gun carriage on a military vehicle.

Ahead of the final journey, as thousands thronged Rajaji Hall, at least two people lost their lives while 33 others got injured in a stampede. The police had to earlier resort to a lathicharge as well to control the crowd.

Karunanidhi was laid to rest at Marina beach after the DMK fought a legal battle for the site. With the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu rejecting the demand for burial at Anna Memorial, the DMK moved the Madras High Court, which ruled that Karunanidhis mortal remains can be buried near his mentor Annadurais memorial.

The DMK patriarch breathed his last at 6.10 pm on Tuesday at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. He was admitted to the hospital on July 18 and battled for life for days. But his health condition deteriorated since Monday. A day later, the hospital released a statement confirming his demise.
CHENNAI: The family of the late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi could not control their tears as the Madras High Court ruled in favour of the DMK allowing the Kalaignar to be buried at the Marina beach. The late DMK leader's son and party's working president MK Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi were seen in tears after the verdict. Among the others who were seen breaking down were several top leaders of the DMK including A Raja, Durai Murugan and RS Bharathi.

A sea of people gathered outside the court and Rajaji hall, where Karunanidhi's body has been kept to pay last respects, burst into cheers and celebrations over the Madras HC decision.

Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin breaks down after Madras High Court's verdict to allow the burial of former CM M #Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach. pic.twitter.com/rzgJ4h4fG4  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

"The DMK's plea for the burial of Kalaignar's body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras High Court. The court further directed Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for Kalaignar's," DMK lawyer V Kannadasan said.

Tamil Nadu: DMK supporters celebrate following Madras High Court's verdict to allow the burial of former CM M #Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach. Visuals from Rajaji Hall (pic 1 & 3) and outside Madras High Court (pic 2) pic.twitter.com/nlB8KS5Iaf  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

The HC on Wednesday ruled that Karunanidhi will be buried at the Marina beach. The battle over the final resting place of the DMK patriarch reached court after the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday refused to alott land at Marina Beach to bury Karunanidhi.

The DMK had approached the court on Tuesday night against the order as the party wanting him interred near the seafront memorial of DMK founder and Karunanidhi's mentor C.N. Annadurai.

The AIADMK government had asked the DMK to bury Karunanidhi on Sardar Patel Road which is home to memorials dedicated to Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) and K Kamaraj. Earlier all the petitioners who had filed a case against the memorial for AIADMK's late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said they are withdrawing their petitions and the court dismissed their pleas.

On Wednesday, the government counsel argued the DMK party is politicising the burial of Karunanidhi. The court asked the government counsel to explain the legal issues in allotting space at Marina Beach as mentioned in the statement issued by the government on Tuesday.

The DMK counsel argued that the government is citing minor issues for rejecting the party's request for space at Marina Beach for burying Karunanidhi.

The DMK said Karunanidhi is an ardent follower of party founder and Annadurai. Since AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran was also a follower of Annadurai he was buried near the latter's memorial.

According to DMK, the ideologies of late Congress leaders like Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj are different from that of what was followed by Dravidian leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi. Hence it will not be appropriate to bury Karunanidhi at the site offered by the state government.

The DMK also argued that the Chennai Corporation has announced the Annadurai memorial Beach as a burial site.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday said India and Pakistan would have remained united if the prime ministership was given to Muhammad Ali Jinnah and not to Jawaharlal Nehru, as per the wish of Mahatma Gandhi. However, Nehru refused as he wanted the position for himself, added the Dalai Lama.

Addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management, the 14th Dalai Lama said that Gandhi was 'very much willing' to give the leadership to Jinnah but Nehru's self-centred attitude resulted in the mistake. Nehru wanted that he should be the Prime Minister, he added. The Dalai Lama said that had the thinking of Mahatma Gandhi been materialised then India-Pakistan would have remained united today.

#WATCH Dalai Lama says, "Mahatma Gandhi ji was very much willing to give Prime Ministership to Jinnah but Pandit Nehru refused." pic.twitter.com/WBzqgdCJaJ  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

At the event, he also appealed to Muslims in India to make efforts to reduce Shia-Sunni conflicts that are prevalent in some other countries and asserted that Islam is a religion of peace. He lamented the bloodshed over denominational differences, which he said should be avoided as Islam teaches compassion and harmony.

The Dalai Lama stressed the need for international brotherhood and harmony. "We are part of the world of seven billion human beings. Sometimes, I suggested that the Indian community in America, England and different European countries should invite some Europeans during Diwali and New Year, and talk about 'ahimsa' (non-violence) which is the basis of religious tolerance," he said.

Sunni and Shia are two major denominations of Islam. They chose sides after the death of Islamic prophet Muhammad in AD 632. "Muslims across the globe follow the same Quran and also pray five times a day. However, there are killing each other owing to differences between the sects like Shia and Sunni," he said.

The Dalai Lama said, "I was in Ladakh. I suggested to Ladakhi Muslims that Indian Muslims should make some efforts to reduce the conflict between Shias and Sunnis". He told the audience that a national conference of Muslims would be organised in the coming months, which will be followed by a similar convention at the international level. He said modern India has remained by and large peaceful due to the over 1000-year-old history of religious harmony.
CHENNAI: The late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi will be buried at the iconic Marina beach, the Madras High Court ruled ending the court battle on Kalaignar's last resting place. The matter reached court after the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday refused to alott allot land at Marina Beach to bury the late DMK President.

The DMK had approached the court on Tuesday night against the order as the party wanting him interred near the seafront memorial of DMK founder and Karunanidhi's mentor C.N. Annadurai.

The AIADMK government had asked the DMK to bury Karunanidhi on Sardar Patel Road which is home to memorials dedicated to Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) and K Kamaraj. Earlier all the petitioners who had filed a case against the memorial for AIADMK's late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said they are withdrawing their petitions and the court dismissed their pleas.

On Wednesday, the government counsel argued the DMK party is politicising the burial of Karunanidhi. The court asked the government counsel to explain the legal issues in allotting space at Marina Beach as mentioned in the statement issued by the government on Tuesday.

The DMK counsel argued that the government is citing minor issues for rejecting the party's request for space at Marina Beach for burying Karunanidhi.

The DMK said Karunanidhi is an ardent follower of party founder and Annadurai. Since AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran was also a follower of Annadurai he was buried near the latter's memorial.

According to DMK, the ideologies of late Congress leaders like Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj are different from that of what was followed by Dravidian leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi. Hence it will not be appropriate to bury Karunanidhi at the site offered by the state government.

The DMK also argued that the Chennai Corporation has announced the Annadurai memorial Beach as a burial site.
Maratha groups have called for a state-wide bandh in Maharashtra on Thursday, August 9. The bandh will, however, not be observed in parts of Navi Mumbai, as the area witnessed violence during the previous bandh by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups.

The protest is expected to be peaceful and all essential services like schools and colleges have been excluded. The Maratha body has also asked protesters to desist from committing suicide. The Bombay High Court had also on Tuesday urged the Maratha people to refrain from violence or committing suicide.

The agitation is to demand reservation for Maratha youth in education and government jobs. Heres a look at what all the Maratha groups are demanding:

# The primary demand is reservation in education and government jobs.

# Marathas, who constitute 30% of the states population, want 16 per cent reservation.

# The want the government to formulate a time-bound programme for reservation.

# They want the assurance from the government in writing.

# The written assurance must be given on the letter of Maharashtra government or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

# Petitions have also sought Bombay High Courts directions to backward classes commission to submit its recommendations to Maharashtra government on entitlement of such quota expeditiously.

Police in Maharashtra are gearing up to prevent violence during the bandh called by Maratha organisations There would be a heavy deployment of security personnel, especially in sensitive pockets where violence had taken place during the agitation earlier, a senior police official said.

There would be videographing of protests. These videos and CCTV footage will help police identify criminals and mischief-mongers who may try to take advantage and indulge in violence.

According to police, between July 18 and 27, 276 cases of violence were registered across the state during the quota agitation. There were incidents of stone pelting at over 250 places and 198 incidents of arson. More than Rs 4.5 crore-worth public and private property was damaged within 10 days, a police official said.

(With PTI inputs)
The Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) in a meeting held in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, on Wednesday called for Maharashtra bandh on Thursday demanding reservation to the community. However, they have decided to keep the emergency services outside the sphere of the bandh.

The traffic will be halted during the hours when the bandh is observed. The decision to hold protests has been left with the District coordination committee. The protest is scheduled to be held from sunrise to sunset.

The MKM is the umbrella body of Maratha groups demanding 16 percent reservation under the OBC category.

According to the MKM, they will start hunger strikes after August 10. The demands of the group include withdrawing of cases against the protesters.

The youths have been asked not to resort to violence during the protests but to observe the bandh in a peaceful manner.

Earlier on August 3, MKM leader Abasaheb Patil, "All we want is the quota in education and government jobs." He had said there is nothing left now that need to be discussed with the government on the issue.

"If the state government fails to grant us reservation by August 7, then a massive agitation will be held across the state," said Patil. He had said the Maratha youth has lost trust in the government, as it is dragging its feet on implementing the reservation.

The police had detained at least 3000 youths from the Maratha community for holding violent protests last week, of whom around 500 youths are facing serious criminal charges such as attempt murder.

CM Devendra Fadnavis had reiterated that the government is committed to granting quota to the Maratha community that can stand legal scrutiny. The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission is currently conducting a survey to assess socio-economic backwardness of the Maratha community. The state government had announced that it will convene a special session of the legislature to discuss the quota demand after the panel submits its report.
Patna: Shortly after submitting a resignation from the post of Bihar Social Welfare Minister, Manju Verma on Wednesday accused the media and the Opposition of creating a furore. "I resigned because media and opposition had created a furore," she said.

Expressing confidence on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Judiciary, she said, "I am sure truth will be out and my husband will come out clean."

The Bihar Minister defended her husband and said that the call records of prime accused Brajesh Thakur, in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case, should be made public. "Call records of accused Brajesh Thakur should be made public, we will then see who all he used to talk to," Manju Verma added.

Manju Verma submitted her resignation following a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were demanding the minister's resignation for two weeks now, alleging her involvement in the sex scandal case.

The minister's husband has been accused of having links with alleged mastermind Brajesh Thakur in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case. Her husband, Chandrasekhar Verma, is said to be a frequent visitor to the Muzaffarpur shelter home.

The alleged sex scandal in Muzaffarpur surfaced in a social audit conducted by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences. 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 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday froze the bank accounts of Muzaffarpur shelter home case main accused Brajesh Thakur and will also investigate his property.

The move comes on a day when Thakur alleged foul play over accusations of his role in the case. Thakur claimed that the allegations against him have been levelled as people felt threatened by him and because he was thinking of joining Congress.

"I was thinking of joining Congress and it was almost final that I will contest elections from Muzaffarpur. This is happening due to that," he alleged. He added: "This has been propagated by some newspapers who want my newspaper office to shut down. Their business is getting affected due to my newspaper that's why it's happening."

Reacting to Thakur's statement that he was about to join Congress, Bihar Congress Chief Kaukab Qadri called it a joke. He said that the call details are with Bihar Minister Manju Verma's husband. He added that his relations with the BJP and the JDU are coming out as he made the statement under pressure.

Earlier in the day, Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma submitted her resignation after meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were demanding the minister's resignation, alleging her involvement in the sex scandal case.

Manju Verma's husband has been accused of having links with alleged mastermind Brajesh Thakur in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case. Her husband, Chandrasekhar Verma, has been accused of visiting the Muzaffarpur shelter home frequently.

The alleged sex scandal in Muzaffarpur surfaced in a social audit conducted by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences. 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.
Kolkata: Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan on Wednesday said conducting an NRC exercise would not be allowed in West Bengal and asked the propagators of this idea not to "play with fire". Parties should desist from trying to reap political dividends by polarising people in the name of NRC, Mannan said while addressing a convention on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

The complete draft of the NRC which was released on July 30 has left out over 40 lakh applicants. "Where will those having been born 50 years back will go? What is happening to Bengalis and other linguistic minorities in Assam will happen to others also in future, if we can't resist this dangerous trend to divide people along communal and linguistic lines," said Mannan, the leader of the Opposition of the West Bengal assembly.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha on Tuesday urged upon the Indian Muslims, especially those living in West Bengal to support an NRC exercise in the state claiming that it is becoming a hub for infiltrators under the Trinamool Congress rule. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had also said the NRC will be published in the state on the lines of the one in Assam if his party is voted to power in the state.

Without naming the BJP, Mannan said, "Some people are also talking about conducting the NRC exercise in West Bengal if they came to power in future. They should not play with fire. We assert this will never be allowed to happen in our state." Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty described omission of over 40 lakh applicants in the complete NRC draft as "against humanity".

Besides Bengali-speaking, names of many non-Bengalis were dropped from the final draft list, Chakraborty claimed. "This is not a fight between Assam and Bengal. This is not a fight between Assamese and Bengalis. This is an attack on human beings having lived in the country as bonafide citizens for ages," he said.

The CPI(M) MLA said he was also against the policy of targeting a particular religious community in the name of deportation. Chakraborty also termed Dilip Ghosh's statement on conducting an NRC exercise in West Bengal as "audacious". Bengali poet Subodh Sarkar also spoke in the convention. The 'Assam Sanhati Manch' that organised the convention later took out a protest rally in the city.
A keen contest between NDA nominee Harivansh and joint opposition candidate BK Hariprasad is on the cards for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, with both sides claiming majority support. The numbers, however, appear stacked in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led ruling coalition which claims the support of 126 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs.

While Harivansh is a first-time MP of the JD-U, Hariprasad is a three-time parliamentarian of the Congress. Both the ruling NDA and the opposition camp gave notices on behalf of their respective candidates and their papers have been found to be in order, according to sources in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

The election will be held at 11 am on Thursday, soon after the laying of papers. The post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

The opposition camp is claiming support of various parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, Left parties, SP, BSP, NCP, TDP. "We have decided to support Congress leader BK Hariprasad," TDP leader YS Choudhary said. The TDP has six members in the Upper House.

On the other hand, the ruling NDA is intact, with the Shiv Sena and Akali Dal extending their full support to the official nominee, besides also by independent parties like the AIADMK and the TRS.

Sources said the top BJP leadership as well as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are learnt to have talked to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his party's support to Harivansh. The BJD has 9 MPs in the Upper House, while AIADMK and TRS have 13 and 6 MPs respectively.

"We have numbers on our side and Harivanshji will comfortably win the election tomorrow. It would have been better if the deputy chairman was elected unanimously," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said.

Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma claimed the opposition has the numbers as well as a formidable candidate in Hariprasad, even as he accused the government and the BJP of using every tactic and influence of their authority and power to swing the election.

He claimed that the NDA did not have the majority in the Rajya Sabha, else the BJP would have fielded its own candidate, and said the ruling party is going well beyond its fold to get votes.

Asked if the election was a fitness test for the opposition, Sharma said, "Do not pre-judge an election. Wait - otherwise the same thing can be extended even to the general elections. If anybody says why the opposition is contesting, is actually assaulting the very essence and spirit of democracy."

The opposition, he said, is unitedly contesting the election of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman as it is not happy with the present state of affairs and the prevailing environment in the country.

"We have a formidable candidate not the NDA. The BJP, if it had the majority, should have fielded its own candidate. Even after fielding a candidate of a party, which has made few changes in its position in the recent past JD(U).

"Still, they lack the majority and that is why they are desperate to reach out to others outside the fold of the NDA. I am making it very clear. The NDA as such did not have majority, does not have majority. They have gone well beyond the fold of the NDA to get votes," he said.

Hariprasad said when there is contest, "it is good contest".

"It is a great honour for me to be the joint candidate of the opposition for the post of deputy chairman," he said.

"We know that the Government of the India and the ruling party has been using every tactic, using the influence of their authority, power just to swing the election," he said.

Sharma said it is not only the numbers that make the candidate formidable and claimed theirs is a "better candidate". "We have the numbers".

According to BJP's calculations, Harivansh is likely to get the backing of 91 NDA members, three nominated and erstwhile SP MP Amar Singh. He also has the votes of some non-NDA parties -- AIADMK (13 members), TRS (six), YSRCP (two) and INLD (one) -- adding up to 117.

Besides, the ruling alliance is counting on the support of nine BJD MPs, totalling 126 votes, BJP leaders claimed.

Hariprasad has the support of 61 MPs of the Congress-led UPA, 13 members each of the TMC and the SP, six MPs of the TDP, five of the CPI(M), four each from the BSP and the DMK, two of the CPI and one MP of the JD(S), adding up to 109 members.

One nominated and one independent member will also support the candidature of Hariprasad, sources in the opposition said. This would take the expected opposition total to about 111, they said.

The arithmetic could change with the death of DMK chief Karunanidhi and uncertainty whether the party's MPs would travel to Delhi for the election.

The PDP, which has two MPs, has declared it is abstaining. The AAP with three members has not clarified its stand so for. However, both parties are unlikely to support the BJP-backed candidate. There are other imponderables with several smaller parties not declaring their intention.
Malaysia's Najib pleads not guilty to money laundering as charges pile up

Malaysias former Prime Minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges slapped on him on Wednesday, as the countrys new government looked for answers to how billions of dollars went missing from a state fund 1MDB during his term, Reuters reported.
New Delhi: Is Russia unhappy with India's decision to pull out of the project to jointly develop a Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and planning to sell one of its top jets - Sukhoi Su-35 - to Pakistan in retaliation? According to Russian news outlet Pravda, a defence thinktank has called for Moscow not to prioritise India's interest too much even though it still buys most of its defence equipment from Russia.

"We do not want to offend the Indians, but I believe that against the backdrop of India's hesitation about the project of the fifth generation fighter, Russia should promote the Su-35 fighter jet in Pakistan. Otherwise, Chinese, South Korean or even Turkish companies will take this market in about five years," Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Deputy Director Konstantin Makienko was quoted as saying by Pravda.

India and Russia had signed an inter-governmental agreement in 2007 to jointly develop and produce a fifth-generation stealth fighter for their air forces but in July 2018 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam announced that New Delhi has conveyed to Moscow that they can go ahead with the project and India may join it at a later stage following disputes over the cost and performance of the proposed fighter.

"India has removed all moral obligations from Russia with its behaviour, so Russia should get rid of self-restraint in its relations with Pakistan. In the past, we would often decline profitable contracts with Pakistan for the sake of India, but now we should follow our own interests of commercial profit," said Makienko. The Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E air-superiority fighter is the most advanced fourth generation jet in service with the Russian military.

Pakistan has had a close strategic and defence relationship with USA and China although in recent years it has tried to get closer to Russia too. While the relationship with USA has been rocky in the last few years, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks and the killing of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad, its ties with China have grown exponentially as both the countries have been laying claims over Indian territory.

However, Makienko views are yet to gain currency in Russia with Moscow-based Center for Strategic Trends Studies Director Ivan Konovalov pointing out that India has been a friend for several decades and any move to sell state-of-art weapons to Pakistan carry very high risk.

"Russia's cooperation with India began back during the times of the Soviet Union. Orders from India and China had saved our military-industrial complex, and India always pays attention to how cooperation between Russia and Pakistan develops, considering this cooperation hazardous to its interests at times," he told Pravda.

Konovalov added that Russia had sold multipurpose helicopters like Mi-8 and Mi-17 to Pakistan and there was nothing wrong if India, too, was trying to get defence equipment from other countries including the USA, France and Israel.

While admitting that India pulling out of the FGFA programme was a setback, it must be kept in mind that the two countries have collaborated successfully in developing several weapons in the past and continue to enjoy a healthy defence and strategic relationship. Konovalov also said that Russia will cooperate Pakistan only in the fields that do not affect India's interests.
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At least 45 people have been injured in a massive fire that broke out at a fuel refinery in Mumbai on Wednesday. After preliminary treatment at BPCL first aid centre, 22 workers were allowed to go home while 21 were shifted to Inlax hospital in Chembur. One of the injured workers has been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) ward of the hospital.

Some of the workers have fracture and lacerated wounds.

The Level-III fire broke out at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited-RMP plant in Chembur area of Mumbai. At least 9 fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot.

#Maharashtra: Level- III fire breaks out at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited-RMP plant in Chembur; 9 fire tenders, 2 foam tenders and 2 jumbo tankers present at the spot. pic.twitter.com/g7hY7xqeE1  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

The BPCL earlier released an official statement saying that fire broke out at 2.45 pm on Wednesday in the compressor shed of hydrocracker plan, and two people had suffered minor injuries in the same. The attempts to douse the fire are underway.

The statement read, "A fire occurred at BPCL Mumbai Refinery at Mahul plant today at around 1445hrs. The fire was in the Compressor shed of Hydrocracker plant. The fire is being fought by The Refinery fire fighting team. The fire is still on but is under control. There has been minor injury sustained by 2 people. They were attended at our Refinery Medical Centre and are being taken to hospital for further treatment. Further update will be given at 5.00 pm."

According to news agency ANI, two foam tenders and two jumbo tankers were also rushed to the plant.
Mumbai: What happens when two unrelated individuals share a common surname? The two are often believed to be relatives, no? Well, TV actor Kushal Tandon made the most of the fact that she shared the same surname as Bollywood diva Raveena.

But how did Kushal end up using his surname to his advantage? Kushal revealed that he claimed to be Raveena's nephew when he was in a boarding school. And he made his confession while he had appeared in Bad Company, a chat show hosted by Bigg Boss 11 runner-up Vikas Gupta.

At that time, Kushal, who was in the fourth class used to boast about being Raveena's nephew and this, in turn, made his seniors pamper him. He continued to speak about his 'aunt' Raveena for the next three year until truth surfaced.

The Beyhadd actor even thanked Raveena for making him experience amazing moments in school.

The actress watched the video on the internet and reacted to it in a hilarious manner.

She wrote: "Hello bhanje ! @KushalT2803 http://youtu.be/-KWqgHWxPHQ isko bolte hain jugaad (sic)."

Kushal, who was delighted to see Raveena's reaction responded to her tweet by writing: "Thank you bua........u were my saviour.... then I thought I should have told sister , not bua .... I owe you my boarding luxury life hope to meet you some day ! (sic)."

Thank you bua........u were my saviour.... then I thought I should have told sister , not bua .... I owe you my boarding luxury life hope to meet you some day ! https://t.co/X5vEMHxC9X  KUSHAL TANDON (@KushalT2803) 8 August 2018

For the unversed, Kushal made his TV debut with Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai. He has been a part of shows such as Nach Baliye 5, Bigg Boss 7, Khatron Ke Khiladi 5 and ALT Balaji's web-series Hum.
Pune: Schools, colleges as well as plants of several companies will remain shut in Maharashtra's Pune district in view of the bandh called by the Maratha organisations over their reservation demand. Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram in an order issued which said there will be road blockades and processions on Thursday and the possibility of stone-pelting on vehicles and arson cannot be ruled out.

Therefore, schools and colleges have been asked to remain closed on Thursday and an advisory has been issued in this connection, the order said. "Even if there is no untoward incident during the protest, roads might be blocked and we don't want students to be inconvenienced and parents to be anxious unnecessarily," the collector said.

A release issued by the collectorate said during the violence on July 30 in Chakan area, 70 to 80 vehicles were torched and damaged. "Two school buses were also torched in the violence and lives of students were endangered," it said.

In view of the bandh, a majority of the commercial units in the Chakan industrial area have also decided to remain closed on Thursday. "There are over 1,000 companies in the Chakan MIDC area and a majority of them have decided keep their plants and firms shut on Thursday," Chakan police station's senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi said.

He said a meeting was held with members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has been spearheading protests across the state over quota demand, and they have assured that roads will not be blocked. The morcha members have said that a sit-in agitation will be held at one place in Chakan, he said.

The district police have decided to deploy three companies of the State Reserve Police Force and a team of the Rapid Action Force in sensitive areas during the protest.

The politically-influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 per cent 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 as protesters have resorted to violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra.
New Delhi: Hindi cinema's first female superstar Sridevi has left behind a golden history of her rich filmography. The late actress not only proved her acting mettle in Bollywood but tasted huge success in regional cinema as well. Her death not only shocked the nation but also created a void which can never be filled. She breathed her last on February 24, 2018, in Dubai where she had gone to attend a family wedding.

A film based on the life of Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao aka NTR will reportedly have a part featuring Sridevi and actress Rakul Preet Singh will be playing the legendary actress in it.

According to Mid-Day.com, Rakul is most likely to play the part as she is keen on it. Quoting a source, the report states that Rakul has agreed to do the film in principle, she first needs to inform the producers of her other movies about this development. The actress will have to rejig her work schedule to accommodate the biopic before she can make a formal announcement about it.

The producer Vishnu Induri has been quoted as saying, We haven't approached Sonakshi, Kangana or Shraddha. Rakul Preet Singh is our only choice as she's popular in the South, especially in Telugu films. We have shot almost 30 per cent of the movie; Vidya has already shot for six days. We are working on Rakul's dates for now.

He added that even though it's essentially a cameo, the significance of Sridevi's part is much. Also, he stated the fact that NTR was instrumental in shaping Sridevi's career in the industry, making it even more important. They featured together in as many as 14 films.

Besides Rakul, other actors in the film include Nandamuri Balakrishna, who will be playing the role of NTR, Vidya Balan will play Basavatarakam, wife of legendary actor-politician. Actor Rana Daggubati will be seen playing Chief Minister Chanda Babu Naidu, who is also the son-in-law of NTR.
In less than two years, Tamil Nadu has lost its two biggest political leaders - J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. The vacuum their deaths have created will have political ramifications that will be acutely felt especially in the context of the battle between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over the rights of the state government. Both leaders were strong proponents of federalism and had often fought pitched battles against New Delhi to ensure as many decisions as possible are made in Chennai.

Jayalalithaa died in December 2016 after a protracted stay in hospital. And, Karunanidhi has largely been politically inactive since then. The period has already seen a number of instances of a clash between the state and the writ of the Centre.

The most visible example was the pro-jallikattu protests just months after Jayalalithaa's death. The peaceful protests, which happened on Chennai's iconic Marina Beach, had rejected association with any political party. Commentators had seen this as an expression of the continued theme of autonomy and federalism by the people of Tamil Nadu, and theorised the protests may not have happened if the people felt they had strong leaders who had the spine to battle New Delhi.

Whether there is credence to that theory or not, both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi were staunch exponents of the autonomy of state governments. Bitter rivals who at times allowed descents into vicious enmity, federalism seems to be a platform on which they would stand together, even if not physically.

Jayalalithaa has railed against the Centre over a long list of issues. She opposed the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Food Security Act, National Counter Terrorism Centre and the restructuring of the power sector.

Karunanidhi too has had a long history of fighting legal battles where he saw the writ of the Centre as a permanent step on the toes of the state governments. He has fought numerous battles on the issue of reservations. He won the right for Chief Ministers across the country to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, the victory steeped in the nuance of irony considering Karunanidhi once supported secession from India.

But his footprint is perhaps most prominent in opposing the imposition of Hindi on states that had their own languages.

In effect, Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi and the people of Tamil Nadu who kept voting them in and out of power seem to have all been on the same page. The decisions that affect their life should be made in Chennai, not in distant New Delhi. The exit of both these giants from Tamil Nadu has created hope of expansion for political parties based in New Delhi.

How the fortress of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi will be defended from breach is going to be the story of Tamil Nadu's politics in coming years, and will have a distinct bearing on which leaders rise organically to be seen as the next era.
The message written on the golden casket of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi today are the words that he had spoken of thirty-three years ago. Engraved in Tamil, the casket reads: "Oivu edukamal uzhaithavan, idho oivu eduthu kondu irukiran, meaning "one who worked hard without taking rest, is resting in peace here."

On Wednesday morning as emotional crowds swelled up from all corners of the state to pay homage to the leader, Karunanidhi's son and working president MK Stalin also had penned down an emotional tribute for his late father. In a poem on his Twitter account, he had mentioned that the late DMK leader had wished to have this message on his grave. "Thirty three years back, you had said your grave should have the words... the person who had worked without rest is resting here. Have you departed with the satisfaction of having worked hard for the Tamil community," Stalin had written.

Karunanidhi will be buried adjacent to mausoleum of former Chief Minister and his mentor CN Annadurai on the sands of Marina. His final journey from Rajaji Hall will proceed through Sivananda Road and Thanthai Periyar Road to reach Anna Square.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu government had turned down the DMK request for Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach. However, the Madras High Court ruled in favour of the party and allowed the DMK leader a place next to his mentor CN Annadurai's grave. The DMK had claimed that the AIADMK's refusal to give ''six-feet land'' to bury the five-time chief minister "reeks of pettiness and political vendetta".

Known for his trademark baritone, Karunanidhi lost his voice owing to a tracheosteomy procedure, and he subsequently faded away from active politics with his public appearances becoming rare till his death aged 94 last evening. The illness forced the ever accessible nonagenarian leader to confine himself to his Gopalapuram residence as his son M K Stalin took charge of the day-to-day affairs of the party, assuming a new post of Working President.
NEW YORK: In a heart-warming moment witnessed by many, a 10-year-old wheelchair-bound boy managed to stand for the national anthem at a Tennessee fair on Sunday night.

The sight of the 10-year-old boy trying to put himself on feet without using braces was captured during the demolition derby at the Putnam County Fair on Sunday night.

Avery Price suffers from hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) syndrome and often uses a wheelchair and requires braces on his legs to stand.

According to the doctors, the condition of Price is similar to cerebral palsy, which makes it difficult for him to use his legs.

However, despite his disability, Avery gathered enough courage to show his love for the nation at the Putnam County Fair in Cookeville.

I usually sit and put my hand on my heart, but last night I decided to stand  because I like to stand for my country, Avery was quoted as saying by the Fox News.

Averys act has made his parents extremely proud of their son.

That makes me feel really good, especially (considering) the stuff hes been through, and the fact that he still wanted to do that, thats amazing to me," said Avery's dad Stephen Price, who helped steady his son during the anthem.

"Hes a very, very patriotic kid  Hes always been that way," he added.

Jenny Leigh, the country artist who performed the national anthem at the fair, was also moved by Avery's patriotism and called him awesome.

Avery had recently started attempting to walk after a surgery at a Nashville Medical Center.
Man nabbed for raping daughter in Taplejung

A man has been arrested on the charge of raping his 17-year-old daughter at Aathrai Tribeni Rural Municipality in Taplejung.
Read original article at 112.ua

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against the Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. These Turkish citizens are the heads of government agencies responsible for the imprisonment of American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson. In accordance with the decree of the US President No. 13818, the assets of Gul and Soylu will be frozen on American territory. American citizens are prohibited from participating in deals with these Turkish officials. Brunson was arrested in October 2016 on suspicion of cooperating with the terrorist organization Kurdistan Workers' Party, espionage in favor of the FETO community ("Parallel State") of the Turkish Islamist and oppositionist Fethullah Gulen. Turkish President Recep Erdogan considers Gulen involved in organizing an unsuccessful military coup in the summer of 2016 and carries out repressions against Turkish citizens suspected of having links with the said figure. American-Turkish relations are in such a bad state as one can imagine. The United States imposed sanctions against the country-member of NATO, which indicates the readiness to take more stringent measures to correct the behavior of Turkey.

The American hostage of Erdogan



Brunson is an unusual prisoner. He is rather a hostage in the hands of the Turkish authorities. After all, before his arrest, he lived 23 years in Izmir, held worship services in a small church and for some reason did not attract the attention of local law enforcement. In September 2017, Erdogan offered the US authorities to release Brunson in exchange for the extradition of Gulen, who is in the United States. According to White House spokesman Sarah Sanders, there is no evidence of Brunson's guilt in any crimes. The Turkish president uses the Brunson case as an instrument of blackmailing the Trump administration on the eve of the upcoming midterm elections to the US Congress.



The release of Brunson would be a serious political dividend for the Republican Party during the election campaign. Brunson is an evangelist in the faith, as the vice-president of the United States Michael Pence, and supporters of this Protestant current represent the basis of Trump's electorate. It is not without reason that in June US senators Lindsey Graham and Jenna Shahin visited Turkey and held talks with Erdogan on the release of Brunson. However, the Turkish court postponed consideration of this issue for October. Erdogan is not going to let Brunson go until Gulen is returned to him. Erdogan borrows Russian methods of psychological influence on the leadership of other countries. The case of Brunson is very much like the arrest of a Ukrainian citizen, director Oleg Sentsov in 2014 in the annexed Crimea on suspicion of terrorism.



The US authorities are not in a hurry to extradite Gulen, as he is the object of their interest. The FBI conducts an investigation into the network of schools under FETO for criminal activities, including fraud, forgery of documents, illegal income and violation of law. According to Erdogan, Gulen schools earn 700-750 million dollars a year at the expense of the US budget. Also, at the level of conjectures and statements of some Turkish officials, Gulen could be connected with the American special services. According to the former head of Turkish intelligence, Nuri Gundesh, the Gulen movement covered the activities of 130 CIA agents in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan since the mid-90s. Although the US denies this kind of version. Sanctions against two Turkish officials is a primer for US voters before the elections so they can see what actions the Trump administration is ready to take to protect them.



Refusing to release Brunson from custody, Erdogan creates an argument for the Americans to impose sanctions against Turkey. One of the vital national interests of any state, including the United States, is the protection and security of its citizens. The Brunson case is an illustrative example of how an ordinary American citizen can become a hostage to a political game in a foreign land. Turkey violated the national interests of the United States, illegally depriving him of his freedom.

An attempt to return Turkey to US foreign policy direction

The states used the Brunson case as an excuse to impose sanctions against Turkish ministers when the problem moments in the US-Turkish relations reached the boiling point. The Americans let Erdogan understand that they will continue to exert pressure on Turkey if its state policy does not return to the US foreign policy channel. Under Erdogan, Turkey began to distance itself from the US. Turkey extrudes American interests from the Middle East and tries to position itself as an independent center of power, to restore the sphere of influence of the Ottoman Empire in the Muslim countries of the region. Since January 2018, Erdogan is conducting the military operation "Olive Branch" in the Syrian border region of Afrin against the armed formations of Syrian Kurds who are allies of the United States in the armed conflict in the territory of this country. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu has made statements about the possibility of closing the US airbase Incirlik.



Ankara conducts rapprochement with Moscow in various spheres in order to reduce Washington's influence on its foreign policy. Turkey participates in the implementation of Russian project of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. Erdogan recently expressed a desire to join the BRICS organization (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) - a Russian geopolitical project that includes some of the most dynamically developing countries in the world that support the idea of a multipolar world, reducing US influence on international processes. Turkey has deployed military-technical cooperation with Russia. In December 2017, a loan agreement was signed for the supply of Russian anti-missile systems S-400 to Turkey, which go beyond the standards of NATO. In 2020, it is planned to conclude another agreement for the supply of this type of weapons. The US froze the delivery of fighter-bombers of the fifth generation F-35 to Turkey in protest. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell believes that Ankara's plans for the purchase of S-400 are a reason for sanctions.

Erdogan's Strength Test

Sanctions against two Turkish ministers are sweet cakes compared to what Turkey can expect in the near future. The US has made it clear to Erdogan that his country can be affected by Russia's fate, if it does not change the foreign policy line. Anti-Russian sanctions that apply to a significant number of high-ranking officials, state-owned and industrial enterprises of strategic importance, large businessmen and their assets, began with restrictive measures against individuals involved in the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Americans are testing Erdogan for strength and want to solve the Brunson case and other problematic issues. If Erdogan is not agreeable, the US will continue to undermine the foundations of his regime with new restrictive measures to provoke opposition sentiments in Turkish society.



Trump promised to impose large-scale sanctions against Turkey in the event of prolonged imprisonment of Brunson. In April 2018, Senators Jenna Shaheen and James Lankford proposed imposing sanctions against Turkish officials. A group of 66 senators sent Erdogan a letter stating that other measures should be taken to compel the Turkish government to respect the right of American citizens to travel, reside and work in the country without threat of persecution. Under the "other measures" we understand the sanctions. Recently, US senators proposed a bill restricting Turkey's access to loans from international financial institutions as a response to the illegal prosecution of US citizens. The US share in the IMF is 17.08%, and in the World Bank - 20%, which allows it to block decisions. If desired, the US can cut off international financial assistance from other countries.



The USA occupies the fourth place among the trade and economic partners of Turkey. For 11 months of 2017, the trade between the US and Turkey grew by 17%. Last year, Turkey's exports to the United States increased by 32.4%. As a restrictive measure, the US can impose sanctions on export-oriented Turkish enterprises. After increasing US import duties on steel to 25% and aluminum to 10% from January to May, Turkish steel exports to the US declined by 56%. Similar duties may be applied to other types of Turkish products. In addition to metal, Turkey supplies the US with machinery, marble and agricultural products. Turkey is dependent on the purchase of arms abroad. In 2013, the country was among the five largest importers of weapons. The Turkish Air Forces mainly use American aircraft. The basis of the tank forces is German and American technology. All this equipment requires spare parts in the course of modernization and planned repairs.

Still, the options for US pressure on Turkey are not unlimited. Ankara has already threatened with retaliatory measures if the Americans do not cancel the sanctions against the Turkish ministers. Over the years in power, Erdogan has achieved diversification of export-import directions and has headed for the development of the national defense-industrial complex. The EU, China and Russia remain the largest trade and economic partners of Turkey. The Turkish government is pursuing a policy of reducing dependence on arms imports and turning the country into a key supplier of defense products in the region. Turkey plans to increase its exports of defense products to $ 25 billion by 2023. Although these plans may seem excessively ambitious. In 2016, Turkey's arms exports amounted to 1.7 billion dollars. Turkish manufacturers will need a lot of time and money to press the United States and the EU in the arms market of the Middle East. US sanctions against Turkey will be effective if they are joined by European partners in NATO.
A collection of 40 images by well-known Ukrainian photographer Anatoliy Stepanov shows off the dramatic scenes of Russias war in Donbas that rages on endlessly for over four years.

Stepanov, who works as a freelance photojournalist mainly for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) agency, has spent numerous deployments in the war zone in Donbas with Ukrainian troops.

For his new exhibition, he selected his best works made between 2014 and 2018 to show how heavy is the burden of blood, misery, and horror that soldiers bear at war.

Such episodes of fierce night-time fighting, destruction of abandoned towns and cities, and painful awaiting in trenches in cold wind and rain are what Ukrainian warriors still have to face almost each and every day, the author says as he comments his exhibition.

But against the backdrop of this never-ending nightmare, this war seems to have almost completely slipped out of the worlds mind, Stepanov told the Kyiv Post.

Especially when it comes about the regular people from European countries. Many of them dont even realize that the war in Ukraine still goes on.

One of the things that I strive to is to let the world know that young soldiers still die there in the trenches of Donbas.

But nonetheless, even in the very heat of war, there has always been a place for lightful moments of fraternity and joy among fighters. Some of Stepanovs works also show those rare reliefs in the tense fighting.

The photographer also opted to show the things that often stay behind the media reports of brutal warfare: the personalities of fighters and their young faces underneath kevlar helmets.

For this, the Warriors exhibition hosts a collection of 14 portraits of young soldiers that Stepanov happened to meet at the war front.

All of those boys are younger than our independence (proclaimed in 1991, Stepanov says.

They have their own incredible life stories, and each of them was pictured right at their combat posts where they could be killed any minute. They are nineteen, maybe twenty years old, or a little older. At such an age, you want to drink the life with big gulps. You want to sing, have a good time, love, give birth to children, study, and so on.

Many of their age mates do so. But those soldiers boys are now there, fighting at war at their own will.

They are there, drawing combat duties and paying for our freedom  with their health and sometimes even with their lives.

The photo exhibition at the Kyiv Fortress will be available until Aug. 10.

Read the original text here.
Read the original text at 112.ua.

Olesia Batsman: "The country needs Lytvyn" was your political motto of the previous years. Is it still actual?

Lytvyn: I think so. If I had an opportunity to influence the situation in 2013-2014 (I mean to organize the work of the Verkhovna Rada), there would have been no victims and bloody events in Ukraine. I felt it in 2004, I saw how peoples moods were changing then, how people were radicalized, and I realized that we had to take the responsibility. Although I realized that for me personally, it could be a one-way road, that later they would remember and use it.

Do you still have the presidential ambitions or not?

I think we need to understand the obvious things. Three conditions are needed to participate in the presidential election: 1) money, 2) big money, 3) very big money. And access to the media. To my great regret, I owe none of these components.

Whats the name of Ukraines president, who would bring the war to an end?

The problem is not in his or her name. The problem, most likely, is that this person needs to realize that ensuring domination by intimidating people and keeping them in a state of war is absolutely against the nature of our society, it is wicked, politically irresponsible, and criminal step.

Elections are just around the corner. Currently, Yulia Tymoshenko is leading, according to the polls. Will she be able to end the war?

I would like (perhaps I demonstrate my wishful thinking) Tymoshenko to change, re-evaluate many issues. I wish Tymoshenko was different, not like she used to be until 2010. Obviously, if she gets support, people intuitively feel that, perhaps, she would decide to direct everything to the establishment of peace in Ukraine. Although this is very difficult to do since the war party is very strong. Sometimes I feel regret, I feel disappointed that Yulia Tymoshenko wants to keep this range of political sentiments in the orbit of her influence, demonstrating a certain omnivorousness, so that everyone will like this plan. And today an aggressive group of radical people sets the political tone. And Ukrainian politicians try to be even more radical in order to lead all these processes. Pay attention that the activists began Donbas blockade. The authorities pathetically and angrily were declaring that the Ukrainian budget was suffering from losses: even the figures were voiced  one or two percent of GDP. And then they declared the blockade of Crimea. It was not so much an economic blockade but rather a blockade of those people who live in Crimea and whom they consider citizens of Ukraine. To my great regret, there are some business interests in it, this is the old Stalinist Bolshevik habit of fighting for territory, not for people.

Anatoliy Hrytsenko is number two, according to the opinion polls. Would he be able to end the war?

I think he could actively start it. He demonstrates with all his actions and his statements that he would ensure the integrity of Ukraine by the military actions.

And what should Petro Poroshenko do to become president again?

First, he should form a team of allies, not the subordinates. People who have their own position and would stand up for it. There should be a voice of reason, not the voice of one person. I think that this is the main thing. But, at the same time, it will be difficult to do it because when the ratings roll down, it is almost impossible to stop them.

Would Poroshenko be able to end the war?

Taking into consideration that the US has transferred new weapons (although they ordered it to be kept in warehouses under the protection or under the control of US servicemen), this is a signal that they will try to tame Russia (more precisely, Russian President Putin) with the help of Ukraine.

Is it true that you do not get along with Poroshenko? You have had a close relationship until recently.

I must say that there is no relationship between the president and the people's deputy.

And between Poroshenko and Lytvyn?

The same. I am not trying to impose my advice to the president. When the Minsk process began, I have outlined my vision on ending the war. Today I am convinced that neither intermediaries nor formats of the four presidents are not able to solve the problem until direct discussions begin, a dialogue between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. Public dialogue.

I want to ask you about the provocations during the Maidan, about executions. What do you think, who stands behind these provocations?

I cannot be guided by simple guesses. But I think that only in some time, we will learn the whole truth. Especially today they are trying to establish "truth" unilaterally, in order to close this topic as soon as possible. I think that everything was not so simple there. If we carefully read and analyze information that is publicly available, I do not exclude, like many others, that there might be a cynical process of stimulating people on the Maidan in order to achieve the desired result. I mean getting to power via the bloody way. Remember, there were protests in Armenia? The whole country said that it does not share the positions of the ruling party and the authorities. But everything happened peacefully. And in our situation, they did not want to wait, because they felt that the power was very close, so they just could not miss the chance. Obviously, it was necessary to increase public outrage and increase pressure from the international community. Because I cannot understand the joy demonstrated today, including by Ukrainian politicians, about the death of law enforcement officers. How can you expect that these law enforcers will ensure order in the country tomorrow if they remember well what happened to their colleagues?

What kind of significant conversations or meetings do you remember during the Maidan?

For me, the most important moment was when after the dispersal of the youth on the Independence Square the Verkhovna Rada met a few days later and I managed to speak at this meeting:" If you, both the government and the opposition, expect that these events would dissolve by themselves, you are deeply mistaken. You need to take a comprehensive decision, evaluate the government forces. You should prepare this decision and ask the government why it happened." I applied to the leaders of all factions. Some laughed and mocked, others expressed their discontent, but I was right. Then, from the very beginning, it would be possible to stop the likely (and it became a real) negative scenario for Ukraine. And the second crucial point was when Verkhovna Rada dispersed. The impression was so terrible when I walked to Arsenalna metro station, the servicemen were along the street, and the wind was carrying garbage. It reminded me of the picture when the Soviet troops retreated, and the Germans had not entered yet, and it was a short period of inter-power, and people were robbing. I remember when servicemen, including internal troops, approached their buses, and young guys ran behind them, beat them, took their shields  it was a terrible picture. I came home then and thought about what to do. Leonid Kuchma called me on the phone I asked: "Why did you run away? Why did you leave the country to the mercy of fate? You took responsibility in 2004, right? Why is everyone hiding now? Take a decision, otherwise, the country will die." I have realized that he had no one to appeal to  there was no power in Ukraine. Then I wrote a statement urging that the Verkhovna Rada returns to the session hall and that the deputies take responsibility in their own hands. This statement was broadcast every 15 minutes. I started calling up deputies. First of all, they were non-factional deputies, including Igor Yeremeiev. Some were even afraid to go to the Verkhovna Rada, there was an idea to gather in the Mykhailivsky Cathedral and to begin the work of the Verkhovna Rada there. I replied that decisions, adopted in the Mykhailivsky Cathedral would not have legitimacy, they would be questioned. So there was an agreement to get together near Arsenalna metro station and start the work of the Verkhovna Rada there. I did not support this idea, I came to the Verkhovna Rada, and there no one was there. Then Maria Matios came into the office, we talked with her, deputies began to gather too. We began to count the deputies, to draw up a list of 226 deputies (majority), but there was not even half of them. There was no one to write at least some draft resolution, and I was forced to do it myself. All these moments are memorable for me.

Did you talk to Olexandr Turchynov then?

I did not talk to him, because when he became the Verkhovna Rada chairman of the and acting president, he had his own team there, his own headquarters. The Committee on Security and National Defense adopted the decisions that were to be taken, and I presented the first decisions.

So you advised Yanukovych to fire Azarov and Zakharchenko?

I did not advise Yanukovych anything. I spoke to Mykola Azarov, I said to him that it would be good if he resigned. After that, he did not talk to me. I said this to Andriy Klyuev.

So they did not agree, right?

They have made that decision when it was too late.

Why did you vote for the so-called dictator laws of January 16, 2014?

I did not vote for them. You could easily check it.

Under your chairmanship, the Verkhovna Rada has voted for the ratification of the so-called Kharkiv Pact. It seems to me that for the first time eggs were thrown in the Verkhovna Rada. Which of the deputies threw these eggs then?

All these people who run the Verkhovna Rada today. All these people who then destroyed the fence around the Verkhovna Rada, and today they build these fences. Then they were implementing the other scenarios. For example, they pour paint before the Verkhovna Rada entrance. The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Oleh Bilorus reported the regulations were fully adopted. But, in my deep conviction, we have postponed any territorial claims to Ukraine. And I think that at that time the only right decision was made. I am not talking about the economic aspect of the problem, because it was completely impossible to elaborate a budget plan in terms of that gas price policy. It was April 2010, and the country did not have a state budget. If there was a calm and balanced discussion in the Verkhovna Rada, the deputies would have voted in the other way.

Being a historian, do you like the Ukrainian Institute National Memory director, Volodymyr Viatrovych?

Why should I like him? This is a person who works for strife in Ukraine, who simply stupidly imposes his worldview on Ukraine and makes the authorities blindly follow him. Pay attention to how actively he split on Ukraine and Poland. And Ukrainian officials follow him, like a stool pigeon.
Those who assume that Ukrainians who remained in Donbas in 2014 supported the Russian-backed militants should consider the fate of 46-year-old Marina Chuykova. She has been held prisoner in the self-proclaimed Donetsk peoples republic[DPR] since March this year. She sent her two sons away from Horlivka in the Donetsk oblast as soon as the fighting began, but could not leave herself. Her elderly mother was adamant that she would not leave the city she had lived in all her life, and in which her husband had died. Chuykova had no choice but to remain with her mother, although she visited her sons who have, by now, completed their studies and are active volunteers in Kharkiv. It may have been those visits or her enforced trips to government-controlled Ukraine for supplies and to withdraw money and her mothers pension, that attracted the attention of the DPR militants. Her sons, Savva and Artur, are adamant that any accusation of spying is nonsense.

In fact, if the DPR ministry had any grounds for seizing the woman, there would be no reason for maintaining such secrecy. She disappeared in Horlivka on 19 March, just two or three days after returning from Kharkiv. It was over a day later that her sons were told by her neighbours that she had been taken away by some men who had, seemingly, identified themselves as from the security ministry. The two young men approached everybody in the hope of enlisting help in freeing their mother, though neither Ukrainian nor international bodies, NGOs, etc. have been able to help. In fact, Chuyovas sons have been able to tell the SBU where their mother is being held, rather than the Security Service informing them. Although officially there is no information, the so-called DPR investigators have confirmed that she is imprisoned. There has also now been a document about her state of health from the SIZO, or remand prison.

Chuykova has been able to write to her sons, and reveals shocking conditions in the SIZO. There are 15 women in the cell, which has no shower. It is unbearably hot and stuffy, and theyre not allowed even the requisite walk each time. If they are taken out of the cell, its for half an hour or an hour, only. Not all items of food, personal hygiene, etc. are allowed to be passed to her, though here it appears that everything depends on the militants mood.

There are frequently reports that the militants have arrested somebody or convicted a person of spying, and sentenced them to long terms of imprisonment. On 2 August, a Donetsk woman was sentenced to 11 years for supposed spying. It was claimed that she had sent the SBU photos and videos of military objects and personnel. Judging by previous cases, especially those where the person was later released as part of an exchange, it is unlikely that the woman had an independent lawyer and any semblance of a fair trial.

There probably are isolated cases where this is such substance to the claims. For example, Halyna Hayeva was held prisoner in DPR for 15 months before being released as part of the December 27, 2017 exchange of prisoners. Unlike other civilian hostages sentenced to 14 or 17 years for a pro-Ukrainian flashmob or critical blog entries, Haleva really had passed information to the SBU. She told the people in the Volnovakha SBU about Russian officers and ordinary soldiers receiving treatment in her hospital. Since Russia continues to deny its active military involvement in the war in Donbas, this was enough for the Kremlin-backed republic to sentence her to 10 years imprisonment.

In the vast majority of cases, including that of journalist and blogger Stanislav Aseyev, there are no grounds at all for any charges. A person may be seized for critical comments, to do with corruption (somebody wanting to take over their business, etc.) or other equally inadequate reasons.

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Railway communication with Moscow is stopped. Ukrainian social networks, first of all Facebook, write about it so confidently like at the border crossing points people already dismantle the rails and prepare checkpoints so that the partisans will not restore them from the side of aggressor state. In reality, it is only an idea to cancel passenger trains announced by the Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan on the air of one of the Ukrainian TV channels. An unconfirmed protocol of intent is perceived as a decided deal, the beginning of which falls on the nearest Monday or the first day of the next month. In Ukraine things are always like this, when the intention is voiced by an official.



No one talks about the real prospects of realizing intentions. But there should be more questions to the implementation of plans to stop the trains from Russia, either at one stroke - tomorrow, or consistently - as early as January 1, 2019. For example, Mr. Omelyan says: the option of closing the railway communication with Moscow is being considered. Very good, but why not with St. Petersburg, too? It is a question of one direction - or of all of them? Should we, in particular, liquidate the Lviv-Moscow railway route and the equally popular Ivano-Frankivsk-Moscow one in the fifth year of the actual war? Galicians, who show themselves as the standard of Ukrainian patriotism and are proud of the glorious history of resistance to the Russian occupation regime, go "to Moscow" not to fight in the enemy's rear but to work in the local construction sites.



This is the second cornerstone question. Social networks are arguing on it for the second day. For example, the political scientist Kyryll Sazonov has the answer: he does not care about the Ukrainian workers in Russia and their difficult fate. He does not care what will happen to fellow citizens who do not pay attention to the war and go to work in the aggressor state. They will get problems - that's not our fault. Dozens of FB activists do not agree with his opinion: they say that guest workers still do not have work at home, they will become even angrier with the current Ukrainian government and start running away to Poland. Creating problems for them, the government makes cheap PR on the eve of elections.



So the third question is born. All right, the railway communication with the Russian Federation will be stopped. What to do with buses and cars? The Russian aggression began on March 1, 2014 with the invasion to Crimea - but despite the roadblocks, private carriers are still carrying tourists to the occupied territory from Ukraine. There are people who offer trips, so they are profitable. After the invasion of the Russian troops in Donbas, the borders were not closed like hatches in submarines. Authorities did not do this even after Russia was officially recognized as an aggressor state. Every time social activists call for such a step, they receive various reasoned answers, why it is impossible to close the borders and break diplomatic relations with the enemy. So there is no guarantee that the intentions voiced by Mr. Omelyan will ever be realized.



Because there is another fourth, most important question: what about cargo transportation? Trade with Russia at the highest levels is not prohibited until now. Moreover - it is conducted not only by private business, driving across the border a train with cargo. The state of Ukraine is still buying something from Russia and supplying something to it, filling the budget.



What kind of products we are talking about, what volume and turnover - it does not matter now. It is worth repeating and emphasizing: flights from Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkov to Moscow and St. Petersburg for sure can be canceled for the joy of patriots and the evil of enemies. But freight transportation will not be banned by any, even the most patriotic power in the history of our Independence. Also there are buses that carry Ukrainians to Russia every day and without interference. After all, in each such case it is a question of business interests, and not about the needs of employees. So start believing only that official who will speak first about the abolition of freight trains to Moscow. And those colleagues in power, who will support him with a majority vote.
In early May, Russian border guards subordinate to the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly arrested a Ukrainian fishing vessel and its crew in the Black Sea, ostensibly for illegally fishing in what it said was Russia's exclusive economic zone

MARIUPOL, Ukraine -- One recent summer morning, four Ukrainian Sea Guards peered out from a speeding patrol boat nicknamed Little Boy. Bubbly pop hits from the 1990s blared over the hum of the engine propelling them through the choppy swells of the Sea of Azov.

The airy tunes contrast sharply with the rising tension in this sea, stoked, Ukraine says, by its powerful and ever-encroaching foe lurking in the waters: Russia.

Around six nautical miles from the port of Mariupol, a symbol of that new tension came into view: the Ukrainian armed cutter-class ship Lyubomir, bobbing on the waves. From its top deck, one guard trained his eyes on the horizon as another stood rigid behind a heavy machine gun on the lower deck.

No Russian naval or border guard vessels were visible that morning. But both have been increased in recent months, so they were out there somewhere.

"We have to always be ready," said Artem Poliakov, a Sea Guard and the squadron's spokesman.

A New Flash Point

Back ashore, in and around Mariupol, a crucial industrial port city with a population of around 500,000 that sits roughly 800 kilometers southeast of Kyiv, it has been tense since late in the spring of 2014. Russia-backed separatists briefly controlled it then before the Ukrainian military and its volunteer battalions dislodged them. Today, fighting continues to rage just 24 kilometers to the east, in the once-quiet seaside town of Shyrokyne.

But now tensions are spilling into the sea that washes the 300-kilometer shoreline Ukraine still controls after the annexation of Crimea.

The Sea of Azov, a rich fishing ground in Soviet times that has been of great strategic importance to independent Ukraine, has emerged after months of growing friction as the latest flash point in the four-year conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.

Bridge Construction, Arrests, Navy Deployment

Russia launched the opening salvo here in 2016, with its $3.7 billion Crimean Bridge project to link that occupied Ukrainian peninsula with southern Russia across the Kerch Strait -- the gate to the Azov. The move led to stern condemnation and sanctions from Kyiv and Western governments. The European Union in late July added six more Russian companies involved in the bridge project to its sanctions list.

In March, with the bridge nearing completion, Ukrainian authorities detained a Ukrainian-registered Crimean fishing vessel for illegally sailing under the Russian flag and arrested its captain and crew in the Sea of Azov -- a move one Russian official likened to that of "Somali pirates."

Since then, Russia has stepped up confrontation in and around the Azov in a big way.

In early May, Russian border guards subordinate to the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly arrested a Ukrainian fishing vessel and its crew in the Black Sea, ostensibly for illegally fishing in what it said was Russia's exclusive economic zone.

In mid-May, following the Crimean Bridge's completion, Russia reportedly moved naval vessels including warships from its Caspian Flotilla to the Sea of Azov, citing a need for stepped-up security around the new structure.

Since then, Russia's FSB has detained more than 148 Ukrainian and foreign merchant ships -- many more than once -- and interrogated their crew members, Ukrainian officials, port authorities, local shipping companies, and experts told RFE/RL.

Such activities have not led to any shots being fired. But the appearance of armed Russian ships and the increased activity of its FSB alone mark a dangerous escalation and highlight an imbalance of power at sea that has put Mariupol on edge again.

"We have Russian vessels floating nearby, ready to attack from the sea. And each provocation may turn this situation into a war," Galina Odnorog, a co-founder of the Mariupol Social Movement, a local non-governmental organization focused on issues related to the Sea of Azov, told RFE/RL. "We are in a tinderbox."

And there might be little, if anything, Ukraine can do about it.

Who Controls The Sea?

Poliakov said that, while Russia's actions are "provocative," because of a controversial 2003 agreement on cooperation and shared use of the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait, "everything Russia is doing here is technically legal."

Signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's then-President Leonid Kuchma in 2003, the agreement makes the Sea of Azov jointly controlled territory, allowing both countries to use it freely.

"Ukraine and the Russian Federation, two historically brotherly nations, define the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait as economically important for both countries," the agreement reads.

And despite the current conflict between Kyiv and Moscow, the agreement is still in place.

There have been calls in Ukraine to rip it up. But Oleh Slobodyan, chief spokesman for the Border Guard Service of Ukraine, ruled out making any change to the agreement, saying such a move would only work if Russia also intended to implement the changes.

"We can make such a decision unilaterally, but, in my opinion, this will not have any effect" on Russia's behavior, he said.

'Sea Blockade'

That deal, said observers and officials, has allowed Russia to impose an effective "sea blockade" in the Azov, a measure meant to achieve several goals.

"The sea blockade that Russia is conducting is aimed, first, at delivering economic losses to Ukraine, and, secondly, at creating greater tensions in cities like Mariupol and other small cities and villages where people are making their living in sea trade and fishing," said Oleksiy Melnyk, a Ukrainian political and security analyst at the Kyiv-based Ruzumkov Center, a nongovernmental public-policy think tank.

Mariupol and nearby Berdyansk are home to Ukraine's two major steel- and grain-exporting ports on the Sea of Azov and hundreds of private fishing companies that employ more than 20,000 people.

The ports in both cities have experienced steep cuts in cargo handling since construction began on the Crimean Bridge, while the waters where fishermen can freely move has been reduced due to fears of being arrested by Russia's FSB.

Because of the low height of the Crimean Bridge, 144 ships that rise taller than its 33-meter clearance can't reach the Port of Mariupol, resulting in a 30 percent loss in revenues for the port, according to official statistics provided to RFE/RL.

To avoid layoffs, the port has shortened the work week to four days for most of its 3,000 employees. When RFE/RL visited the port in late July, only one merchant ship was present, and the dozen or so workers on duty were making repairs to a large crane and a pipe running from the dock.

Ukraine's minister of infrastructure, Volodymyr Omelyan, reportedly said during a program on the 112 Channel this month that there has been a 10 percent decrease in calls to the ports of Mariupol and nearby Berdyansk. But he also tried to downplay the troubles, calling the situation in and around the Sea of Azov "stable."

His comments came after Ukraine's deputy minister for European integration, Olena Zerkal, downplayed the situation in early July, saying it had been "artificially created by the media."

'Lack Of Reaction From Kyiv'

Odnorog said that is not the case, arguing that Kyiv has not paid enough attention to the escalating "crisis" in the sea.

"There is also a problem with the reaction of our authorities -- namely, a lack of reaction," Odnorog said.

Others in Mariupol also shake their heads at official remarks from Kyiv.

In explaining the losses his company has suffered in recent weeks, Anton Shapran, director at the Mariupol-based Maritime Logistics, a management company and service provider for 70 ships in the Sea of Azov, insisted the "crisis" was real.

He said that owners of "several" vessels had complained to him about having been detained for longer than 24 hours -- a delay that can cost between $3,000 and $13,000.

Some of the ships have been stopped for more than three days, according to Andriy Klymenko, editor in chief of Black Sea News, an online information site devoted to covering developments in the Black and Azov seas.

And the delays are growing.

As they do, several shipping companies are thinking twice about trips to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, according to Odnorog and officials at the Port of Mariupol, who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to provide official comments to media.

"Many vessels already refuse to enter the Sea of Azov," Odnorog said, adding that the average delay time for vessels detained and searched over the past week of July had climbed to 54 hours.

Beginning Of Sea Annexation?

And there are other likely reasons for Russia's sea blockade.

Balazs Jarabik, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, speculated that Moscow might be trying to pile pressure on Ukraine to force it to "ease" a ban on supplying water to occupied Crimea, which appears to be drying up at an alarming rate.

Ukrainian state water agencies stopped flows through a major canal in 2014, citing millions in outstanding debts from the peninsula's Russian-imposed government.

Still others say Moscow's ultimate goal may be nothing short of taking complete control of the waters surrounding annexed Crimea and all along the Ukrainian coastline.

"If on [the Ukrainian] side there will not be increased patrolling, demonstrating the intentions of ousting Russian boats, [and] a sharp appeal to the Russian Federation and the international community, then this may become the beginning of the annexation of the Sea of Azov," wrote the Black Sea News's Klymenko.

Protecting The Shore, But Not The Sea?

Ukraine is trying a raft of tactics to respond to Russia's maneuvering.

It is negotiating with European and U.S. partners to punish Russia's Black Sea portsover Moscow's moves in the Sea of Azov, according to Omelyan, the infrastructure minister.

But it is unclear how persuasive Kyiv has been when so much of the West is grappling with its own problems.

Activists are also trying their hand at attracting international help.

Podybailo and Odnorog said they had sent a letter to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) -- a group of international observers tracking the fighting on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine -- asking them to expand their mandate to the sea "to monitor and record violations."

It is unclear whether the OSCE SMM is considering the proposal. The OSCE SMM did not respond to RFE/RL requests for comment.

Ukraine is taking measured military actions along the Sea of Azov shore after President Petro Poroshenko warned on July 16 that Russia was building up forces and weapons in the Black and Azov seas. He said he did not exclude the possibility that the Kremlin might prepare for an all-out attack on Mariupol.

The next day, Poroshenko ordered top military officers to take measures in connection with the ship detentions and inspections, including possibly providing escorts through the sea.

"We will not tolerate the illegal seizure of Ukrainian and foreign ships that are moving toward Ukrainian ports, including Mariupol," the president said.

In a show of force, the Ukrainian military conducted two-day helicopter shooting drills over the Sea of Azov in late July.

"The Joint Forces are paying considerable attention to the defense of the Azov coast to prevent the landing of enemy amphibious assault troops," said Commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Nayev. "All units that are involved in the defense of the sea coast shall conduct regular training to boost the readiness to repel an attack."

But there seems to have been little done to boost defenses on the sea itself.

Ukraine has no naval presence in the Azov, said Poliakov, the Ukrainian Sea Guard spokesman, who was tight-lipped about the number of boats available to protect the waters. The country lost as much as 80 percent of its naval fleet when Russia annexed Crimea and took Ukraine's ships with it.

RFE/RL counted 14, including the Lyubomir, two patrol ships -- the Donbas and the Onyx, which were smuggled out of Crimean ports during Russia's annexation -- and 12 small patrol boats, four of which were getting fresh camouflage paint jobs to cover rusting hulls when RFE/RL visited.

Slobodyan, the border guards' spokesman, said in July that Ukraine had as many as 70 boats patrolling in both the Black and Azov seas.

"Our boats, of course, are inferior in their combat power to those boats of the Russian Federation," he added.

Between The Sea And A Hard Place

Melnyk, the political and security analyst, said Ukraine is in an impossible position.

"International law doesn't work there," he said. "Ukraine should apply to international courts. But it takes a long time, and, as we've seen already, it doesn't help much against Russia."

Kyiv has filed cases against Moscow with various international bodies in the past, with little success. In January 2017, Ukraine brought a case against Russia with the Court of Justice, the highest United Nations court. This month, Poroshenko said he had ordered the creation of a body to prepare a lawsuit against Russia for damagescaused by separatists whom Moscow supports in the Donbas region and for its illegal annexation of Crimea.

Moscow has rejected international rulings over its Ukraine-related aggressions, calling them "biased and politically motivated."

And militarily, Melnyk said, Ukraine does not "have the capacities" to defeat Russia.

"If we should decide to build up our navy against Russia, it would probably lead to a greater confrontation," he added.

'I Don't Know What Ukraine Can Do'

Meanwhile in the Sea of Azov, as the swells rock the Little Boy, Ukraine's powerful neighbor, with its mighty flotilla and FSB boats lurking nearby, feels closer than ever.

The Ukrainians and Russians cross paths at sea on an almost daily basis, and sometimes even communicate over the radio. The Ukrainians' message: Don't come any closer. It's a warning that more often than not goes unanswered, said Poliakov.

Unless something is done, he predicted, the situation will grow more tense as a Ukrainian presidential election nears in March 2019 and Russia looks to turn up the heat.

"Honestly," Poliakov added with a hint of resignation in his words, "I don't know what we can do."

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During the weekend, all TV channels and social networks shared a video from Odesa, where schoolgirls brutally beat a girl.



It's morally difficult to look at such things, but if you do not share it, the investigation on this case may not start also.



The problem exists, however, such videos distort the real situation and give the impression that all the young people are like that.



Myths and reality of juvenile delinquency in Ukraine (briefly).



- The criminal activity of adolescents is really 10 times higher than that of adults;



- the growth of juvenile delinquency in Ukraine exceeds the birth rate. This means that more people who have not reached the age of 18 resort to the crimes;



- the age of the highest criminal activity is 16-17 years.



But this is a myth that "there was not such youth in the USSR." Thus, from 1972 to 1991 in the USSR juvenile delinquency tripled. And the pioneer organization did not solve the problem of leisure of teenagers. And the cruelty existed also, it just wasnt filmed on smartphones and shared on the Internet.



The crime of minors also grew in independent Ukraine until 2006. Then it gradually began to decline, acquiring more or less stable and predictable indicators.



But - and this is another myth - it began to decline not due to improvements in the country and the work of law enforcement agencies, but because in the early 1990s the birth rate had fallen dramatically. That is, until 2006, there were significantly fewer adolescents than 10 years before.



In addition, the formal decrease in juvenile delinquency was affected by changes in the criminal code. So, the amount of theft, after which criminal responsibility comes, increased. And minors most often commit theft. That is, most of them after the changes in the legislation began to bear administrative, and not criminal liability.



Who is to blame for the fact that minors commit crimes? All. Parents, school, state and society. The crime of minors is a mirror of society and its immediate future.



Just compare general and music schools. In music schools, children do not fight, because their leisure is planned by parents, because their worldview and the circle of interests are constantly expanding.



Secondly, the child reproduces those algorithms of behavior that he most often saw in his life.



Thirdly, the school education system does not allow a person to respect himself and earn respect in the team if he receives bad marks. Our schools still judge children with the marks, as well as parents. And this encourages children to find other ways of attracting attention.



Our schools provoke these "showdowns" themselves, because from the first grade pupils are taught not to tell their problems to the teacher. The teacher does not interfere in children's disputes. But it must be the other way around. The teacher must be a mediator. He is like the court for the adults. Going to the court is better than lynching. And our children are constantly taught lynching  solving their problems among themselves.
The US Congress has prepared numerous bills proposing new sanctions on Russia. Congress reacted sharply against President Donald Trumps desire to ease existing sanctions. On July 28, 2017, the Senate voted 98-2 for the Combating Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which Trump quietly signed into law. CAATSA legislated already adopted sanctions on Russia, so that Trump could not cancel them by executive order. It tightened some sanctions and offered the administration various options to further tighten sanctions. Many members of Congress complain that the administration has done too little, calling for a tougher sanctions law. Trumps press conference with Putin in Helsinki on July 16 convinced most that a new Russia sanctions law is needed.



Congress is focused on primarily four bills. All of them deal with Russia alone. The latest and most extensive bill, Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018, or DESKAA, is sponsored by six senators, three democrats, Robert Menendez, Benjamin Cardin, and Jean Shaheen, and three republicans, Lindsey Graham, Cory Gardner, and John McCain. It is likely to replace the DETER Act, the Act to Defend Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines, submitted by Senators Chris van Hollen and Marco Rubio last January. Republican Senators John Barrasso, Cory Gardner, and Steve Daines have presented an Energy Security Cooperation Act, which simply aims to sanction Nord Stream 2. In the House of Representatives, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer has submitted the Act to Protect America from Russian Interference, which includes eighteen different bills, of which eight have bipartisan support. The three last were put forward after the Helsinki summit.



In terms of new economic sanctions, the bills focus on four sectors: sovereign debt, energy, Russian state financial institutions, and Nord Stream 2. At present, DESKAA appears the natural starting point for negotiations because of its important cosponsors, its promotion, wording, and timing. While no full text is yet available, it appears more cautious than the DETER Act. The bills contain many other demands involving cyber and the protection of the US voting system.



The most likely new sanctions are related to sovereign debt. DESKAA aims to prohibit and sanction transactions relating to new sovereign debt of the Russian Federation. This would prohibit US persons from buying Russian sovereign bonds, while the formulation indicates that secondary trade would be allowed. Given that Russias public debt is only 13 percent of GDP, this is not a draconian though quite important sanction.



The most controversial area is energy sanctions. DESKAA advocates sanctions on transactions related to investment in energy projects supported by Russian state-owned or parastatal entities, which worries US energy companies. The DETER Act proposed prohibition against joint ventures with Russian state-owned energy companies, which would have forced US companies to walk away from such existing projects without compensation. It could have made the Caspian Pipeline Consortium impermissible for US oil flowing out of Kazakhstan, which would make little sense. US companies could be forced to leave joint ventures in unfriendly countries if shares were sold to sanctioned Russian companies. These problems can be resolved through grandfathering some projects and accepting joint ventures up to a certain level, but if the big Russian energy companies are designated, that would not suffice.



The DETER Act propagates the designation of a number of state financial institutions, but DESKAA has not brought that up as yet, focusing more on personal sanctions. Yet, state financial institutions that serve the Kremlin rather than the Russian people are likely to be subject to new sanctions, though that could be done under CAATSA.



The sanctioning of Nord Stream 2 and its subcontractors does not appear to enjoy the necessary political support. Many congressmen are uneasy about trying to dictate European energy policy with sanctions. This point appears neither in DESKAA nor in the DETER Act, while CAATSA left that possibility open to the administration.



DESKAA contains the important demand that the State Department Office of Sanctions Coordination is reinforced. A minor economic demand is an extension of the cap on Russian uranium imports. DESKAA also calls for more transparency, notably a report on the net worth and assets of Vladimir Putin, because of the administrations failure to comply with CAATSAs demand to reveal the wealth of oligarchs close to the Kremlin. It demands that domestic title insurance companies report the beneficial owners of entities purchasing expensive real estate.



These new Russia sanction bills amount to a vote of no confidence in Trump, but DESKAA seems to be a sensible moderate tightening of the Russia sanctions that is likely to gain Congressional approval.

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When I was an eight-year-old boy growing up in London in the late 1970s, my schoolteacher asked our class to show on the map where in Britain our parents were born. When it was my turn, I walked to the other side of the blackboard where the world map hung and proudly exclaimed that my parents came from Ukraine.



But when everyone looked at the map, I was horrified to discover that the country I had so excitedly announced wasnt there; instead, there was just a colossal landmass identified as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. I tried to convince the class that such a country really did exist, but I didnt have much luck: it simply wasnt on the map.



That was my first attempt at promoting Ukraine in public, and it wasnt a great success.



These days, I make a living advocating for businesses in Ukraine, and Im still running into barriers. As in my London classroom, many American and international investors havent yet detected Ukraine on their radar screens.
According to the Minister, these are the cases of vandalism and stoke conflicts

At least 450 attempts to destabilize the situation in Ukraine by the Russian Federation were recorded for June 2018. Minister of Ukraine on the temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons Vadym Chernysh claimed this, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

The ministry recorded at least 450 such of actions or vandalism, conflicts, which in any way used by the Russian Federation for escalation of confrontation within our society, he said.

Moreover, the Minister added that Russia is working on the study of Ukrainian problems.

I am absolutely sure that Russia has more research and expert facilities on studying Ukraine than Ukraine does. Their Institute for Strategic Studies does a lot, he added.

Earlier, Security Service of Ukraine claimed that Russian intelligence used 181 internet resources to destabilize the social-political situation in Ukraine.
Nepal-China power line panel plans first meet

Officials of the Nepal-China joint technical team formed to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a cross-border transmission line plan to hold their first meeting this month.
Ombudsman is also asking to provide a plane to get Sentsov to a hospital

Open source

Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament Lyudmyla Denisova claimed that she is ready to discuss any conditions of exchanging the Ukrainian political prisoner with the Russian Federation. Denisova claimed this on Facebook.

I am addressing Tetiana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Mykhaylo Fedotov, President of the Council on Civil Society Development and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation to discuss any conditions of the exchange just for sake of saving Sentsovs life. He urgently needs a medical aid. I am ready to immediately fly out, Denisova said.

She also asked the mandated persons in Russia to provide a plane as soon as possible to get Oleg Sentsov to any hospital where he can get a necessary medical aid.

Earlier, Natalia Kaplan, sister of Oleg Sentsov stated that she received a letter from the Ukrainian. Sentsov said he is not getting up from a bed and the end is near.

Reportedly, Oleg Sentsov was detained by Russian intelligence agencies in Crimea on May 2018. Later he was sentenced to 20 years of the colony under the accusation of terrorist activity on the territory of Crimea. Oleg does not admit his guilt.

Sentsov declared a hunger strike with a requirement to release all Ukrainian political prisoners in the Russian Federation.

At the end of June, Lyudmyla Denisova claimed that a priest wasnt allowed to visit Sentsov.

Reportedly, Kolchenko declared a hunger strike on May 31, requiring the release of Oleg Sentsov. He had to suspend the strike, as he got very weak.

Kolchenko and Sentsov were detained by Russian intelligence services in Crimea in May 2014. They were accused of the organization of a terrorist act on the peninsula. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years of the colony, Sentsov to 20 years. Both are denying their guilt.

Recently, Sentsovs lawyer stated on the deterioration of his condition. He has a very low hemoglobin, which led to anemia, as well as a very low pulse. Oleg has a bad heart, he was asked twice to be taken to a hospital.

However, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Yamalo-Nenets County claimed that the medical staff examines Sentsov on daily basis, and his condition is satisfactory. Furthermore, according to the lawyer of the political prisoner, the Chief Doctor of the Hospital in Labytnangi city was threatening Oleg Sentsov by tying up and drugging him with medicine and artificial nutrition.
These and many more topics were agreed on during the phone conversation

Open source

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a phone conversation; the Ukrainian leader's press service reported that on early Wednesday.

'The parties commended approaches to further counteraction to Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, taking into account recent contacts between the two Heads of States. Petro Poroshenko thanked Mike Pompeo for the historic declaration of non-recognition of the attempt by the Russian aggressor to annex the Ukrainian Crimea. In this regard, the parties stressed the priority of switching from the policy of non-recognition of the annexation to the policy of de-occupation of Crimea', says the message.

The administration quoted Pompeo saying that 'U.S. approaches towards policy regarding Russia remained clear and unambiguous - as long as the Kremlin refuses to change its confrontational policy, the price of aggression for Russia will continue to grow'.

'The parties emphasized that the policy of sanctions against Russia would be maintained until the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea. Attempts by the Russian side to aggravate the situation will further receive an adequate response and increase the price of the ongoing aggression', Poroshenko's press service said.

The sides also discussed UN peacekeepers presence in Donbas, the release of Ukrainian political prisoners, security issues related to Nord Stream II project, as well as the successful beginning of the process of launching the Anticorruption Court in Ukraine.
Earlier, Sentsov wrote a letter, which reads that he is almost not getting up and the end is near

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called the partners to increase pressure on Russia due to the information on Oleg Sentsovs health deterioration. Mariana Betsa, Spokesperson of the MFA claimed this on Twitter.

Alarming information on Sentsovs health deterioration. We are calling the partners to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to release him, Betsa claimed.

Earlier, Natalia Kaplan, sister of Oleg Sentsov stated that she received a letter from the Ukrainian. Sentsov said he is not getting up from a bed and the end is near.

Reportedly, Oleg Sentsov was detained by Russian intelligence agencies in Crimea on May 2018. Later he was sentenced to 20 years of the colony under the accusation of terrorist activity on the territory of Crimea. Oleg does not admit his guilt.

Sentsov declared a hunger strike with a requirement to release all Ukrainian political prisoners in the Russian Federation.

At the end of June, Ludmyla Denisova claimed that a priest wasnt allowed to visit Sentsov.

Reportedly, Kolchenko declared a hunger strike on May 31, requiring the release of Oleg Sentsov. He had to suspend the strike, as he got very weak.

Kolchenko and Sentsov were detained by Russian intelligence services in Crimea in May 2014. They were accused of the organization of a terrorist act on the peninsula. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years of the colony, Sentsov to 20 years. Both are denying their guilt.

Recently, Sentsovs lawyer stated on the deterioration of his condition. He has a very low hemoglobin, which led to anemia, as well as a very low pulse. Oleg has a bad heart, he was asked twice to be taken to a hospital.

However, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Yamalo-Nenets County claimed that the medical staff examines Sentsov on daily basis, and his condition is satisfactory. Furthermore, according to the lawyer of the political prisoner, the Chief Doctor of the Hospital in Labytnangi city was threatening Oleg Sentsov by tying up and drugging him with medicine and artificial nutrition.
The relatives of the Ukrainian military servicemen kept hostage by the militants carried out a rally near the President's Administration

On August 21-22 the Trilateral Contact Group will meet in Minsk. The group will mainly discuss the hostages and political prisoners, as Iryna Gerashchenko, First Vice-Speaker of Ukraines Parliament, wrote on Facebook, commenting on the rally near the Presidents Administration conducted today by the relatives of the Ukrainian military servicemen kept by the militants.

I understand the concern of the soldiers relatives. Minsk humanitarian group has to operate more effectively and everyone who works there should make all efforts for the release. We are ready to make a compromise, within a month we have made a few proposals, unfortunately, Russia and ORDLO (Separated Districts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, - ed.) rejected all of them. They have a destructive position of all the defined for all the defined, confirming less than 30 of ours, demanding almost 300, Russians, Berkut officers, etc. are among them, Gerashchenko stated.

Earlier, on December 27, 2017 a hostage exchange took place in Donbas. Ukraine exchanges 233 detainees for 73 Ukrainian hostages.
The culprit was detained when he tried to cross the demarcation line to receive pension benefits on Ukraine controlled territory

A peoples deputy of the so-called LNR peoples council was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment in Luhansk region, as SBU press office reports.

The law enforcers determined that Khrustalne resident joined the illegal armed formations in 2014. He was supporting the Russian aggression against Ukraine, was facilitating the establishment of an occupation administration in ORLO (Separated Districts of Luhansk region, - ed.), voted for adoption of separatist laws of the pseudo-republic.

The culprit was detained when he tried to cross the demarcation line to receive pension benefits on Ukraine controlled territory.

Lysychansk City Court found the culprit guilty in commission of the crimes provided by the articles of Ukraines Criminal Code.
Phillips crashed into the Embassy during an exhibition dedicated to the Russian-Georgian war in 2008 and started shouting anti-Georgian and anti-NATO slogans

Graham Phillips, a pro-Russian agitator, was detained in the Georgian Embassy in London, as Tamara Beruchashvili, Georgias Ambassador in the UK, stated, 1tv reports.

According to the Georgian diplomat, Phillips crashed into the Embassy during an exhibition dedicated to the Russian-Georgian war in 2008 and started shouting anti-Georgian and anti-NATO slogans. In particular, as he said, Georgia was falsifying data about those events.

The Embassy was a victim of the Russian aggression, as a man with a camera has suddenly crashed into there and was shouting aggressively that this was a propaganda, Beruchashvili believes.

Graham Phillips is well-known as a scandalous journalist of Russia Today and Zvezda TV channels. In June of 2014, Ukraines SBU detained him and expelled from the country without a right to come for three years. Later, the journalist returned to the Russian Federation and then he went to Donbas and continued working. He was accused of trying to disrupt hostages exchange in autumn in 2016.
The servicemen of Signal Troops of Ukraine's Armed Forces mark their professional holiday. The respective date, August 8, was established by the presidential decree signed in 2000.

Leaders of the state congratulated soldiers and officers. Specifically, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman thanked the fighters for valiant and selfless service. 'The reform of the Ukrainian army foresees fast and essential modernization of the army, implementation of NATO standards, switching to the Armed Forces that are capable of responding to the dangerous modern challenges, effectively opposing the aggressor. The signal troops are one of the vital units in the modern military, which is why the Armed Forces reform is conducted, taking into account the requirement of the information-driven era. The signal troops should meet the top requirements in terms of speed and safety of passing information, and the requirements of speed of setting communications among the units in conditions of an open military conflict', he said.

Serhiy Nayev, the commander of the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas, also congratulated the servicemen on their holiday.

'Dear comrades in arms, warriors of the signal troops! On my own behalf, and on that of the staff of the Joint Forces, I congratulate you on the professional holiday, the Day of Signal Troops. The army's existence is impossible without reliable and clear communications. Thank you for courage, heroic commitment, for valor and bravery in combat. I'm sure you will keep serving as the example of top professionalism and patriotism', reads the message.
Moreover, the law enforcers came to search the house of a DW freelancer Pavel Bykovsky

Investigation Committee continues conducting searches of journalists in Belarus  the search in Tut.by office is over, yet the officers of the Investigation Committee started searches in other subdivision of the company, as Tut.by reports.

As at 8 am on Wednesday, the search of the editors office was over, but it is underway in other subdivisions of the company, Tut.by informs.

Radio Liberty reported that the search takes place on the 8th floor, where the office of hoster.by, a huge Internet service provider, is located. It serves more than 60% of the Belarusian websites. Since 2012, hoster.by is a technical administrator of the national domain extensions .by and .BEL. It should be noted that hoster.by is an enterprise of Tut.by founder  Yury Ziser.

Additionally, today at 8:30 am Pavel Bykovsky, DW freelancer, wrote on Facebook that the Investigation Committee visited him. The police officers explained Bykovsky that they came to carry out a search under the address, but not him personally. They said they had a prosecutors warrant. Bykovsky is not a suspect, as Tut.by reports.

Moreover, at around 10 am a journalist Alexey Zhukov was detained. The officers of the Investigation Committee took him and his wife from their house. RFRM reported witnessed it.

Besides, four journalists from Realt.by and its Chief Editor were detained. They were taken to the Committee for questioning. Their equipment was seized.

As we reported, searches and detentions in Tut.by and BelTA took place on August 7.

The detainees are Maryna Zolotova, Chief Editor in online news agency Tut.by, Anna Kaltyhyna, news editor in Tut.by and Tatyana Korovenkova, the journalist in BelaPAN agency. Searches also started in BelaPAN agency.

It should be noted that Tut.by is a big independent Belarusian online-portal covering 42% of all Internet-users in Belarus.
In his turn, Babchenko supposed that the organization of the attempted murder could cost $250,000

Open source

The Russian Federal Security Service paid Vyacheslav Pyvovarnyk, the co-owner of Kyiv Consulting Group company, $100,000 for the murder of Arkadiy Babchenko, the Russian journalist, which did not take place. Olexiy Tsymbalyuk, the murderer, reported it on his Facebook page.

Pyvovarnyk received $100,000 for Babchekos murder from the Federal Security Service, he wrote.

In his turn, Babchenko supposed that the organization of the attempted murder could cost $250,000.

My killer Olexiy Tsymbalyuk informs: according to the insider data, Federal Security Service paid Vyacheslav Pyvovarnyk $100,000. Awesome. Hundred for Pyvovarnyk, thirty for Tsymbalyuk, ten for Herman, probably FSB officers got ten each  I think my murder cost this wonderful state quarter of a million, he wrote.

On May 31, the suspected in the organization of Babchenko's murder was detained for two months without a right for the bail.

On June 1, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yury Lutsenko claimed that thanks to the staging of the murder of Russian journalist Arkadiy Babchenko, the prosecution got the list of the famous Ukrainian and ex-Russian journalist who should have been killed too. Totally, there are 47 people on the list.

As we reported the list of the 47 Ukrainian and former Russian journalists and bloggers was published by the mass media on June 5.
Open source

Chief doctor of Labytnangi hospital (Russia) threatened the Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov to tie him, give him medicine and feed with artificial nutrition forcefully, as Dmytro Dindze, Sentsovs lawyer, informed on Facebook.

Sentsov does not believe in provisional measures from the Russian side. Earlier, he was taken to a civil hospital for examination and a possibility to put him in a civil-type medical facility. The Chief doctor, as he had found out who was brought, said that he would tie Oleg to a hospital bed, feed him with medicines and artificial nutrition. If Oleg refuses, he will put a pipe with artificial nutrition into his nose or mouth, in his but in the last resort. There are such doctors in Russia! he wrote.

Dinze also published a statement of Natalya Dobryeva, the lawyer who represents Sentsov in the European Court of Human Rights, addressed to Mikhail Halperin, Russian Deputy Justice Minister, where she asks to transfer the movie director to a medical centre in Simferopol.

However, Sentsov wrote by hand in the statement that he did not ask to apply for transfer. According to the movie director he was not sure he would be transferred there alive. Besides, Sentsov thinks that no other doctors can treat him as he is not sick, he is on a hunger strike and he is not going to stop.

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.
Oli invites PM Hasina to BIMSTEC summit

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is reaching out to the heads of government of BIMSTEC member states to ensure their participation in the fourth summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation to be held in Kathmandu on August 30 and 31.
According to Sentsov's sister, the European Court of Human Rights insists on his transfer to a civil hospital closer to the place of residence registration.

The Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov, illegally kept in Russia, wrote that the end was near. His sister Natalya Kaplan conveyed his words on Facebook.

Its not just bad, its critically bad. Oleg passed me a letter through the lawyer, he rarely stands up. He wrote that the end was near, and it is not about the release. He is asking if someone was still interested in his hunger strike, he is not receiving letters, not a one! They say he is in an informational vacuum now and he has no clue what is going on, Kaplan wrote.

According to her, the European Court of Human Rights insists on his transfer to a civil hospital closer to the place of residence registration.

Oleg refused. He said he would not survive it. He was tortured in Labytnangi hospital even more than in prison. I dont even imagine what else to do and how to get him out of there, Sentsovs sister added.

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.
One of the books - Spies: 12 women who risked it all  has propaganda of the aggressor state, in particular, its security agencies

Open source

Ukraine rejected two Russian publishing offices to give permission for import of two books, which comprise propaganda of the aggressor state, as State Committee for television and radio broadcasting of Ukraine reports.

In particular, a textbook on the English language by Gazkevych, which was to be imported in Ukraine from Russia, has texts for translation from English which say that Kyiv was the capital of Russia. Moreover, other historical facts are falsified in the book.

According to the experts, it is a manifestation of propagandist and manipulative techniques of the aggressor state.

The other book  Spies: 12 women who risked it all  has propaganda of the aggressor state, in particular, its security agencies.

Reportedly, on May 22, 2017 the order of Ukraines Government which says the distributors of publishing products from Russia and temporary occupied territories of Ukraine should get a permission from the State Committee for television and radio broadcasting for import, came into force.

As of August 7, 2018 since May 22, 2017 Ukraines Committee for television and radio broadcasting issued permission for import to 18,826 items of publishing products from Russia and temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.

At the same time, Ukraines Committee for television and radio broadcasting has denied importing 235,500 copies with anti-Ukrainian content 63 times. Besides, it canceled one permit issued earlier.
One held with musket in Lamjung

A man has been arrested for illegal possession of firearms at ThuloDhimire in Besisahar Municipality-1.
Oppo A3s launched with dual rear cameras

Oppo has launched the A3s, its first smartphone with dual rear cameras. The new mid-range device from Oppothe self proclaimed selfie expert and leader, has a price tag of Rs19,490. Two colour options are available, Red and Dark Purple.
Prep meeting for trade treaty tomorrow

Nepali and Indian government officials are scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Thursday to prepare for a long-planned review of the Nepal-India Trade and Transit Treaty. Trade between the two countries is governed by the Trade and Transit Treaty 2009.
RJP-N threatens to pullout of government over minister row

Leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal have warned of withdrawing support to PM KP Sharma Oli-led government and launching a protest if Abhiram Sharma, Province 2 state minister for social development, is arrested.
Talks to select chair of mini parliaments begin

Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is buzzing with activity as the selection of chairpersons for thematic panels gathers momentum.
Three nonresident ambassadors appointed

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has appointed non-resident ambassadors to three countries on the recommendation of Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Tourists returning to Langtang in hordes

Tourist arrivals to the popular trekking destination of Langtang in Rasuwa have been rising steadily after plunging sharply following the 2015 earthquake.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Mainly clear. Low around 50F. NW winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low around 50F. NW winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.
By Damali Mukhaye.

The opposition forum for democratic change has failed to agree with the inter-religious council on whether they will join the national dialogue or not

The inter-religious council met with the FDC leadership to consult them and brief them about the upcoming national dialogue they are planning to hold towards the end of this year.

Speaking to kfm after the closed door meeting, the FDC party president Patrick Amuriat says that they are going to read their frame work paper and return to them with their response in one month.

He says that if they have not included their four conditions of knowing the agenda, having an independent person to preside over and a guarantee in the frame work, they will not attend it.




According to FocusEconomics, recently released data shows that credit to both businesses and households kept growing robustly in June, suggesting a continued solid economic performance.





Moreover, in the same month, public investment spending jumped by a fifth in annual terms, although the fiscal deficit narrowed for the fourth consecutive month, benefiting from surging tax revenues













Although the government has promised a comprehensive reform of the judiciary in response, a protracted judicial crisis could undermine political stability and hit foreign investment, it warned.
As is known, Fujimori was granted a humanitarian pardon by ex-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on December 24, 2017. He had served 12 years of the 25-year sentence for the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta cases, which involved human rights abuses.
Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Este ano hemos transferido 10 mil millones de soles a los gobiernos locales y regionales para que puedan realizar obras de saneamiento, agua potable, educacion y salud. pic.twitter.com/4qdjb8DhVi
"We'll keep on working for the most disadvantaged, to develop projects that improve the quality of life of our citizens," he said.

Moreover, through Peru's State-owned water utility (Sedapal), 10 additional sanitation projects are being implemented to meet the needs of more than 740,000 citizens.

"For reasons of justice, we are going to work for those who have less. That's why we are here working since early in the morning," he added.

Election of authorities

Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: A traves de @Sedapal estamos desarrollando 10 proyectos adicionales de saneamiento para atender a mas de 740 mil ciudadanos. Los vecinos de Lima no pueden esperar mas tiempo por agua potable. pic.twitter.com/GpmoCUVVwU
14:54 | Tarapoto (San Martin region), Aug. 8.









The mentioned families will plant 178 hectares and receive support from both a private company and San Martin's Sustainable Private Investment Promotion Department ( OPIPS ).





The private firm's support in the area will contribute to the production of different aji varieties in Moyobamba province.





It must be noted different types of Peruvian chili peppers (Tabasco, Cayena , and Habanero) are already being harvested in Rioja province.

Technicians from said company and San Martin Region Government currently provide technical support to the organized producers who are capable of joining this public-private partnership as well as technology transfer, genetic material, and export trade complying with quality standards.









San Martin Region Vice-Governor Rotland Reategui affirmed this is a great opportunity for producers to achieve economic independence without having to wait for the National Government's investment.





The official highlighted the hard work of the Alto Mayo Public Technological Institute, which installed a grinding plant for the primary processing of Peruvian chili peppers grown in the region.





Likewise, producers and other farmers will be able to plant organic aji varieties associated with cacao and coffee crops.





Potential zones will be identified according to land use, taking into account ecological, productive, investment, and social aspects.





The plan is innovative and will boost new initiatives to expand aji planting in the Alto Mayo area. Thus, both quality and performance will be improved within the following months.





(END) MAO/DTK/RMB/MVB

A total of 140 families from Alto Mayo area have joined a pilot project led by San Martin Region Government aimed at improving aji (Peruvian chili pepper) crops and promoting private investments linked to this natural product.Published: 8/8/2018
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Former President of El Salvadaor Antonio Saca and two ex-ministers pleaded guilty in court to embezzlement and money laundering involving more than $300 million during his government, Reuters reported.

Saca pleaded guilty in July in a document sent to the attorney general in exchange for reducing his sentence from 30 to 10 years in prison, said his lawyer Lisandro Quintanilla.

Prosecutors said they accepted the confession and asked the judge to provide a quick ruling.

Antonio Saca served as President of El Salvador from 2004 to 2009.

He was detained in October 2016.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh issue remains priority for the Armenian Revolution Federation (ARF), ARF Bureau representative Hrant Margaryan said during the visit to Alik dailys editorial office, Armenpres reports.

I know that what I am going to say now, that some forces should try to mock that every time when the domestic situation destabilizes, domestic problems emerge, we are trying to distract the attention to Artsakh. But the problem is that Artsakh still remains our priority issue. If we lose Artsakh or have losses on the Artsakh issue, it means that all our efforts of the past 28 years will be almost in vain, he said.

Hrant Margaryan said the victory in the Artsakh liberation war was the greatest achievement of the Armenian people.

Commenting on the recent developments, Hrant Margaryan considered normal the fact that when there is a problem in Armenia, there is also a problem in the foreign policy, Azerbaijan is becoming more active, uses this chance to implement its plans. We shouldnt allow this. We need to understand that our main task of today is Artsakh, to ensure its security, which means that we must be able to mobilize our whole domestic capacities in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora in order to record progress on the Artsakh issue. We need to unite our efforts, to understand that domestic unity, reforms and change in Armenia should move on a path so that we will have progress in the Artsakh front. This must be our task. Changes, of course, are necessary, but we should make them so that we will not harm the Artsakh issue, Hrant Margaryan said.

Talking about Armenias foreign policy on the Artsakh conflict settlement, the ARF Bureau representative said all political forces, regardless of being opposition or not, should conduct their activities so that there will be no shortcomings in the foreign policy and it would be possible to have stability which will have its influence on the Artsakh issue.

Summing up his remarks, Hrant Margaryan said strong and decisive voice should be heard from Artsakh, a call for national unity should be made from Artsakh since this is their main resource they can rely on and record achievements. He added that today Artsakh is the main concern, stating that even those, who today mock, are convinced that this concern is real.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Healthcare minister Arsen Torosyan met with UK Ambassador to Armenia Judith Margaret Farnworth, the ministry told Armenpress.

During the meeting the sides expressed hope that the relations will be boosted in the future in the healthcare sector.

The UK Ambassador was interested in the ministrys priority programs and conveyed the approaches being used in the UKs healthcare system during the discussion of various issues. The Ambassador expressed readiness to assist in terms of some programs, in particular, the exchange of experience with her country in fight against tobacco.

Minister Arsen Torosyan introduced the main strategic directions of the field, as well as the ongoing steps aimed providing affordable medical care to the people in social needs.

The sides agreed to hold more substantive discussions to clarify the future joint steps.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, RPA faction MP Eduard Sharmazanov doesnt think that the release of 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, who is currently remanded into custody, can undermine the investigation process.

Sharmazanov told Armenpress that he is gradually becoming more concerned over the fact that Kocharyans detention has political motives.

Commenting on the rejection of the motion of MPs to change Kocharyans precautionary measure by the Prosecutor Generals Office, the Vice Speaker said the explanation for rejection was not convincing.

I think that the concern, according to which Robert Kocharyans detention has political motives and why not, also personal vendetta tendencies, is gradually being strengthened. And today the explanation of the Prosecutor Generals Office was not convincing. I dont think that releasing Robert Kocharyan from custody can hinder the investigation since Kocharyan has not been in Armenia and returned to Armenia, therefore, I cannot understand the rejection of the motion of MPs. The explanations presented by the Prosecutor Generals Office are not sufficient enough and well-grounded for me, Sharmazanov said.

Asked what actions the Republican Party is going to take on this matter, Sharmazanov said: Lets wait for the decision of the Court of Appeals, then we will discuss our future steps.

The Court of Appeals will examine the appeal on changing the precautionary measure selected against Robert Kocharyan on August 9.

Robert Kocharyan has been charged on July 26 over the 2008 March 1 case, under the Article 300.1 part 1 of the Criminal Code for breaching the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia. He is remanded into custody. Kocharyans attorneys have appealed the court ruling.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili commented on the current situation in Armenia and the policy of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenpress reports.

In an interview to the Echo of Moscow radio station, Saakashvili said the Armenian PM does everything right. He said Pashinyan must completely change the system.

The ex-Georgian president said Pashinyan should have dissolved the parliament, but added that its still not late for that.

Its better for him to learn on our mistakes. He would rather not to make his own mistakes, because the success of all of us depends also on his success, Mikheil Saakashvili said.

He added that the Armenian PM should accelerate the ongoing reforms and, as long as there is the energy of the people, use it correctly.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Some Armenian media outlets, citing their own sources, report that the National Security Service agents on August 7 visited former prime minister Hovik Abrahamyans mansion, as well as the Artashat Vinkon wine and brandy factory owned by his family.

According to some reports, Jonik Abrahamyan, brother of Hovik Abrahamyan, has been arrested.

The NSS press service neither confirmed nor denied these reports during an interview to ARMENPRESS.

The press service promised to provide information later.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Defense minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan on August 8 received chairman of the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund Razmig Arzoumanian, the ministry told Armenpress.

The Funds chairman introduced the defense minister on the activities carried out in the past two years, in particular, the details of the assistance provided to the Armenian Army.

The Fund formed by a group of American-Armenians donates first medical aid items to the military units, as well as necessary equipment to the defense ministrys military-medical training center.

Razmig Arzoumanian informed that the Fund is also ready to provide support at other directions aimed at making the military service and conditions of soldiers more convenient and secure.

Minister Tonoyan thanked the Fund for the activity directed for the Army development and highlighted the need to deepen the already effective cooperation.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. On August 8, at 13:40, major explosion occurred in one of the Azerbaijani military positions located in the south-eastern direction (Kuropatkino) of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, Artsakhs defense ministry told Armenpress.

The explosion was followed by human shouts and then by around 10 shots.

Five minutes after the incident, the ambulance and five other military vehicles arrived in the military post.

The Azerbaijani side has not provided yet any information about the incident.

The Artsakh Defense Army units and respective services carefully control the situation and follow the movements in the frontline of the adversary.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, 8 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 8 August, USD exchange rate is up by 0.19 drams to 481.69 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 1.42 drams to 558.23 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.01 drams to 7.59 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 0.20 drams to 624.51 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is down by 95.55 drams to 18733.48 drams. Silver price is down by 0.14 drams to 237.64 drams. Platinum price is down by 103.32 drams to 12776.52 drams.
Its not the size of Australias population that matters, it is how our 25 million people are located throughout the 7.7 million square kilometres that is relevant to judgments about the ideal level and growth rate of population.

Also read: 5 reasons the housing market could crash

Many will consider Australias population growth to be too high while ever there are pockets of densely settled population with dreadful transport congestion, where housing is considered to be unaffordable by some because too many people want the few houses to either rent or buy and while Australias industry base is concentrated in both what we produce and where it is located.

Right now, the bulk of Australias 25 million people are concentrated in a relatively small area, where transport facilities are clogged by cars and trucks and where the public sector transport infrastructure is old, inefficient and doesnt go to places where people may otherwise chose to live.

Also read: Heres how much further property prices need to drop for you to get on the ladder

Many people bemoan the cost of housing in areas where they want to live, with rents and prices being driven higher by excess demand. And when new land for housing is released, it often has poor transport and social infrastructure near it which is why few people want to live in these new suburbs.

Now think of an alternative.

What about an area where sufficient houses are built that are well serviced by infrastructure, social services and employment opportunities? People would undoubtedly flock there and away from the over-crowded cities to take advantage of the lifestyle opportunities.

Germany has a population of over 82 million people and a land mass of just 357,000 square kilometres. This means that Germany has more than three times Australias population on less than one-twentieth of the land mass.

And yet it has a pubic transport system of rare efficiency. Housing affordability is widely considered to be reasonable and there are jobs in the dozens of medium sized cities, ensuring geographically diverse opportunities for the population.

Story continues

What is Germany doing so well, that we in Australia arent, at least in terms of a high population/high standard of living dynamic?

Also read: House price falls are accelerating in Melbourne and Sydney

The answers are remarkably simple.

It has undertaken infrastructure investment in transport, cities and services which means there are 39 cities with a population of 200,000 or more, with only one city, Berlin, with a population over 2 million. The population is widely dispersed across the country.

This limits congestion and all the issues we frequently hear Sydney-siders and Melbourne-ites complain about in their mega cities.

Australia, with its smaller population and massive land mass, has four cities with more than 2 million people, with Sydney and Melbourne having 10 million between them. The eight largest German cities have a total population less than Sydney and Melbourne combined.

It appears it is all about decentralisation.

The issue for many Australians is, quite clearly, the smaller cities that have affordable housing are dogged by an absence of job opportunities, substandard services such as schools, health care and public transport and as a result, they languish while the big cities groan under the stress of huge population levels.

Also read: The REAL reason were seeing a property slowdown

If Australia is to happily sustain the next lift up in population, to 30 million around about 2030 on current estimates, there needs to be a concerted effort by the government, in concert with the private sector, to build and develop high quality infrastructure and services well away from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Jobs and other opportunities could follow.

Perhaps then the current big cities will have time to catch-up with infrastructure, services and housing whilst other regional centres, which are willing and able to accommodate more people, can start to flourish.

Lets hope so for the sake of the future new Australians and the 25 million who live here today.
Students and former activists in Myanmar marked the 30th anniversary of the famed 1988 pro-democracy uprising with a rousing but low-key ceremony, the culmination of three days of events to commemorate the revolt and its brutal suppression. Some 2,000 people packed the Yangon University recreation centre, which was festooned with red flags sporting the "fighting peacock" logo of the movement that helped catapult Aung San Suu Kyi to prominence. They crammed past exhibitions of photos and paintings, wrote messages of support on a mock prison cell wall, and took turns waiting for a photo next to a sculpture of a symbolic clenched fist. Former protest leaders mounted the stage to reflect on the struggle against the military that first seized power in a 1962 coup. "After 30 years, we students have come back here again," Min Ko Naing, one of the more prominent protest leaders, told the crowd to applause. "But some aren't able to come back." After years of economic decline and a tightening clampdown on rights, student-led protests swelled into nationwide strikes and marches on August 8, 1988. But troops rushed in to stamp out the movement, shooting protesters and locking them up en masse. The number of political prisoners in Myanmar's fetid jails swelled while many fled the country into prolonged exile. During the uprising, Suu Kyi -- the daughter of independence hero General Aung San who had returned from England to care for her sick mother -- was seen as a beacon of hope, giving rousing speeches to adoring crowds and maddening the paranoid junta. She was placed under house arrest for a combined total of 15 years before being released in 2010 and leading her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to victory in historic 2015 elections. But her reputation as a global icon for rights has been shattered due to her handling of the country's Rohingya crisis. Reconciliation with the army has been one of Suu Kyi's priorities since she came to power, angering many frustrated with the ongoing presence of the military in political life. "I don't like the NLD government as they don't have the capacity to run a country," said 71-year-old Cho Aye, who said he took part in the uprising. "They broke their promises." Few expect a change of government in the next election in 2020, but some prominent members of the 88 uprising have decided to start their own party in a sign of disillusionment with the NLD. "It is wonderful to be here to celebrate together but we need to work a lot to move forward," Ko Ko Gyi, a former 88 student leader who is helping start the new party, told AFP after speaking on stage. The 1988 protests catapulted Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero General Aung San, to prominence Ex-political prisoner Min Ko Naing was among the former protest leaders to reflect on the long struggle against the military Exhibitions of photos and paintings at Yangon University commemorate the 1988 uprising The 8888 uprising was brutally suppressed by the military
Argentina's senators on Thursday voted against legalizing abortion in the homeland of Pope Francis, dashing the hopes of women's rights groups after the bill was approved by the legislature's lower house months earlier. The vote, with 38 against, 31 in favor and two abstentions, capped a marathon session that began the day before and stretched into the early hours of Thursday. Fireworks and shouts of joy erupted among anti-abortion activists camped outside Congress, while pro-choice campaigners, many decked in the green scarves that had come to symbolize their movement, were downcast. Some burnt garbage and wooden pallets and threw stones at riot police, who attempted to disperse them with tear gas and water cannon. Cabinet chief Marcos Pena ruled out putting the issue to referendum, though, saying the process chosen to decide the issue was "a parliamentatry debate." The vote in Argentina followed a referendum in May in Ireland, another traditionally Catholic country, that paved the way to legislate for the termination of fetuses. It also came after months of heated campaigns on the polarizing issue. The Argentine bill was passed by Congress's lower house in June by just 129 votes to 125, but was widely expected to fall short of the votes needed to pass in the Senate. Lawmakers must now wait a year to resubmit the legislation. "The debate will continue," said President Mauricio Macri, who praised "a mature parliamentary debate." Although pronouncing himself "in favor of life," Macri had been largely responsible for pushing the bill to a vote in parliament. He promised to increase sex education in schools and the distribution of contraceptives. "The problem is there and we have to keep working hard so that all these girls will have the possibility to choose and plan their lives," he said. - Not giving up - Miguel Angel Pichetto, an opposition leader in the Senate, said pro-abortion campaigners would not be giving up. "The future does not belong to the 'No' campaigners. Sooner rather than later, women will have the decision they need, sooner rather than later we will win this debate," he said in his closing speech. His sentiments were shared by 21-year-old Camila Sforza, who said she remained hopeful despite the setback. "This is just the beginning -- our movement will continue till we get the right to abortion," she said. The no vote was also condemned by Amnesty International, which said Argentina had squandered a historic opportunity. "The Argentine lawmakers chose today to turn their backs on hundreds of thousands of women and girls who have been fighting for their sexual and reproductive rights," said Mariela Belski, the group's executive director for Argentina. She added that the Senate had "therefore decided to agree on a system which forces women, girls and others who can become pregnant to undergo clandestine and unsafe abortions." But among anti-abortion activists, the mood was one of jubilation. "We are happy because it is a celebration of democracy, the triumph of both lives," said Ayelen Caffarena, echoing the campaign's slogan, "let's save both lives", a reference to the mother as well as the unborn child. Earlier in the day, scores of buses had brought people from around the country into Buenos Aires for dueling rallies outside Congress. A partition was set up to keep the green-decked pro-abortion contingent separated from the anti-abortion activists who donned baby blue. Currently, abortion is allowed in Argentina in only three cases, similar to most of Latin America: rape, a threat to the mother's life or if the fetus is disabled. The bill had sought to legalize abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and would have seen Argentina join Uruguay and Cuba as the only countries in Latin America to fully decriminalize abortion. It is also legal in Mexico City. Only in the Central American trio of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua does it remain totally banned. - Worldwide support - The prospect of legalization had energized women's groups and still retains a huge support from citizens. Rallies took place around the world in front of Argentine diplomatic missions, mainly in support of the bill. Various charities estimate that 500,000 illegal, secret abortions are carried out every year in Argentina, resulting in around 100 deaths. Opponents of abortion meanwhile held their own demonstrations. Priests and nuns were joined by rabbis, imams and members of other Christian churches to oppose the bill. Before Pena dismissed such a notion, Daniel Lipovetzky, a lawmaker from the ruling party, suggested that the matter might end up being put to a referendum. "It's possible that we propose that," he said. Ireland ended up overturning its own constitutional ban on abortion through a referendum held in May. Fireworks and shouts of joy erupted among anti-abortion activists camped outside Congress, while pro-choice campaigners, many decked in the green scarves that had come to symbolize their movement, were downcast Some protesters garbage and wooden pallets and threw stones with riot police, who attempted to disperse them with tear gas and water cannon Activists in favour of the legalization of abortion comfort each other outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires after senators rejected the bill to legalize abortion Abortion in Latin America
The bodies of three Czech soldiers killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the Taliban in Afghanistan were on Wednesday returned home. Staff sergeant Martin Marcin, 36, and corporals Kamil Benes, 28, and Patrik Stepanek, 25, died while on patrol in the east of the country while a US member of the patrol and two Afghan soldiers were also wounded. The attack was the deadliest assault on NATO soldiers in many months. Sirens were blown, flags on government buildings flew at half mast and church bells rang as the three coffins wrapped in Czech flags were repatriated. "We have witnessed a tragedy that can hardly be prevented when you serve in the army," Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar told reporters after a ceremony at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport. The attack against the Resolute Support soldiers by a lone bomber on foot happened in the city of Charikar in Parwan province 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Kabul early on Sunday morning. The Taliban claimed responsibility in a statement, saying they killed or wounded eight American soldiers in a "tactical explosion". "Nothing has changed about the army's activity, we continue to fulfil our tasks, our commanders in Afghanistan continue to fulfil theirs," said deputy chief-of-staff Jiri Baloun. Thirteen Czech soldiers have been killed in NATO missions in Afghanistan. Czech honor guards carry a flag-draped coffins of one of the three Czech soldier killed in Afghanistan as they arrive at the Ruzyne airport in Prague on August 8, 2018
Police in Bolivia on Wednesday recovered a jewel-encrusted presidential medal which had been stolen the night before when its custodian was reportedly visiting a brothel. The guard, identified by police as Lieutenant Roberto Juan de Dios Ortiz Blanco, had been meant to deliver the historic medal and a tricolor sash to the President Evo Morales to wear during his speech Wednesday in the central city of Cochabamba, according to a police report quoted by local media. But his flight late Tuesday was delayed and the officer instead decided to visit various brothels, the report said. "I entered a number of these different establishments (brothels) but then returned to where I left my motor car," the report quoted Ortiz as having told police. "When I got there my backpack, which held the emblems of the nation, had been taken." Police Colonel Jhonny Aguilera said the thieves had dumped the priceless symbols of state in the portico of a church in the center of the capital La Paz. "Thanks to the cooperation of Unitel," a television station that received an anonymous tip-off, "we have recovered the symbols in some black bags," he told reporters. Morales -- who last wore the emblems on August 6, during celebrations marking Bolivia's 193rd anniversary -- appeared at the Cochabamba military parade Wednesday with neither medal nor sash. He made no reference to their absence or to the theft, which had first been reported by the ministry of defense, which confirmed only that the custodian of the medal had been detained as part of an investigation. Aguilera, the police spokesman, said Peruvian thieves were believed to have been behind the robbery of his backpack and that authorities on the border with Peru were on the look out for the suspects. Former president Carlos Mesa had earlier described the theft as "a hard blow for the republic," comparing the loss of the medal to "the theft of the crown of Queen Elizabeth II of England." The medal was a gift from the Congress of the recently formed Bolivian republic to its founder in 1825 and was first used in 1826 as the presidential medal by Antonio Jose de Sucre. The gold medal, encrusted with precious stones, is normally kept in a secure vault at the Central Bank in La Paz but is delivered to the president for ceremonial occasions. The defense ministry said earlier that the "intelligence service and all state institutions have been placed at the disposal of investigators to find those responsible for this theft as quickly as possible." Bolivian President Evo Morales delivering a speech celebrating the 193rd anniversary of his country's independence in Potosi on August 6 2018
Soaring over the Niger river before entering the savannah in northern Mali, a Canadian twin-engined military helicopter is making one of its first forays into the country. Two artillerymen are scanning the ground below when the pilot announces that "one of the gauges has stopped. We only have one engine left". As Canada sends its first full-blown peacekeeping force to Africa in 24 years, they are discovering a conflict -- and weather conditions -- unlike anything they have dealt with in a long time. They have joined one of the United Nations' most difficult and dangerous missions -- the 14,000 strong MINUSMA operation in Mali, a linchpin West African country in the vast, arid Sahel region. Flying in northern Mali, which is mostly covered by the Sahara desert, "is like working in the Arctic, you just swap ice for sand and -40 degrees for +40," jokes Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Morrison, commander of the Canadian air troops in the northeast city of Gao. Aircraft have to operate in extreme conditions in the Sahara and "there are few runways to land on" for repairs or refills, says Morrison, whose previous missions include Bosnia and Afghanistan. - Canadians back in blue helmets - While it was Canada that helped mastermind the idea of large-scale UN peacekeeping missions back in the 1950s, it hasn't deployed significant numbers of "Blue Helmet" troops -- as the peacekeepers are known -- for more than a decade. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is keen for Canada to return to peacekeeping operations, not least in a bid to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2021. The Mali operation marks the first full-throated Canadian peacekeeping mission to Africa since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when Ottawa led the UN mission there. Since last month, a contingent of 250 Canadian soldiers and six helicopters -- two Chinook flying ambulances and four Griffon attack aircraft -- have taken over from German troops in conducting medical evacuations. They are stationed at Camp Castor in Gao with around 900 German and 100 Dutch soldiers. Not far away, another 4,000 soldiers from non-NATO countries are stationed in the UN "Supercamp". - UN's most dangerous mission - MINUSMA is currently the UN's most dangerous peacekeeping mission. Since it was deployed in 2013, over 170 members have been killed -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world. 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 the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks. "We want to help the UN, but it is a difficult mission," says Chris McKenna, commander of the Canadian troops in Mali. "It is complicated, but it is what we expected. The environment is harsh, with dust and heat. Working in a multi-lateral, multi-national environment comes with challenges, but we are doing very well," McKenna insists. The soldiers themselves are happy about Canada's return to the Blue Helmets. "It is a good thing to be back," says Major Dominique Simard, a helicopter pilot. "We are here to saves lives, it is rewarding." The Canadian troops only take part in flying missions and are not deployed on foot. And when they are not out in their helicopters, the soldiers are not allowed to set foot outside Camp Castor. To pass the time, they have internet access, postal services, a cafeteria staffed with Indian cooks, a gym and a bar that does not serve alcohol. But it's not easy being cooped up for so long. "600 metres (2,000 feet) by 600 metres for seven months," one officer complains. "Every day, we are in the sky, 35 feet above the theatre of operations, but we are not going to have terrestrial convoys, we are not equipped for it. That is not our mandate," says McKenna. Canada has sent peacekeepers to Africa for the first time in 24 years, joining one of the UN's most difficult and dangerous missions, MINUSMA in Mali Canadian lieutenant colonel Chris McKenna, commander of the Canadian air troops in the northeast Malian city of Gao Peacekeepers raise the Canadian flag alongside the UN flag at the camp in Gao
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to appoint Michelle Bachelet, Chile's twice-serving president who endured torture under the Pinochet regime, as the world body's new human rights chief, diplomats said Wednesday. Bachelet, 66, would replace Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein of Jordan, a sharp critic of US President Donald Trump's policies, who held the post of UN high commissioner for human rights since September 2014. A two-time president who ranks among the world's most powerful women in politics, Bachelet also served in 2010 as the first director of UN Women, the UN agency promoting gender equality worldwide. Diplomats said UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed told a meeting of ambassadors this week that Bachelet had agreed to take on the role of UN human rights boss. The diplomats cautioned, however, that her appointment must be endorsed by the General Assembly. UN spokesman Farhan Haq declined to confirm the decision but said a name was being sent to the 193-nation assembly. "The process is nearing its conclusion," he said. Bachelet would step into a position that has drawn much controversy under Zeid, who decided not to seek a second term after losing support from powerful countries. After clashing with the United States, Russia and China, Zeid decided to bow out, telling staff in a message that "in the current geopolitical context," to stay "might involve bending a knee in supplication." During a farewell news conference last week, Zeid defended his no-holds-barred approach. "Silence does not earn you any respect," he said as he prepares to step down on August 31. Zeid said his advice to his successor would be to "be fair and don't discriminate against any country" and "just come out swinging." - One of the world's most difficult jobs - With Zeid under fire during his tenure, rights groups had expressed concern that Guterres would seek to appoint a less vocal human rights chief. "If selected, Bachelet will be taking on one of the world's most difficult jobs at a moment when human rights are under widespread attack," said Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth. "As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful." The daughter of a general who opposed Augusto Pinochet's overthrow of president Salvador Allende, Bachelet was detained in 1975 and held for several weeks at the infamous Villa Grimaldi interrogation and torture centre in Santiago. "I was mainly tortured psychologically, and some beating, but they didn't 'grill' me," Bachelet said in an interview, using prisoners' slang for electric shocks administered to detainees. "I was lucky compared to so many others. Many of them died," said Bachelet in the 2014 interview, one of the few times that she has discussed the ordeal. The pediatrician and socialist who was Chile's first woman to hold the presidency was in office from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. Last year, Guterres appointed her to be on a high-level UN panel on mediation that provides him with advice on UN peace efforts. The UN chief described her as a "long-time champion of women's rights" with a "history of dynamic global leadership, highly-honed political skills and a recognized ability to create consensus." Born in Santiago, Bachelet was studying medicine when she was detained for several weeks. After her release, she went into exile with her mother to Australia and then moved to East Germany. Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979, but was prevented from working as a doctor for political reasons. She continued studying, specializing in pediatrics and public health. After democracy was restored to Chile in 1990, she worked for the health ministry and in 2000 was appointed health minister followed by defense minister four years later. As president, Bachelet offered a dramatic break from Chile's highly conservative political class. She reformed the pension system and improved health and social services, focusing on Chile's working poor. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is expected to be appointed UN human rights chief
China on Wednesday posted a forecast-busting surge in exports for July, but while its surplus with the US dipped slightly analysts warned that the full impact of US sanctions was yet to be felt. The figures come as the world's two largest economies exchange threats of stiff duties on billions of dollars worth of goods, fuelling fears of a full-blown trade conflict that could hit global growth. Beijing reported a $28.1 billion surplus with the US in July, down from the record $28.9 billion seen in June. But it was 11 percent higher than in the same month last year. China's global trade surplus also fell, from $41.5 billion in June to $28 billion in July. Exports surged a better-than-expected 12.2 percent in July, while imports soared 27.3 percent, also beating estimates. But the latest readings are unlikely to ease tensions with Donald Trump's administration. China's gaping trade surplus with the United States has long been a bone of contention, with the US president accusing the country of unfair practices and of stealing American jobs and technological know-how. While July's numbers narrow the gap, the relatively small change will do "little to cool down the escalating trade tensions between the two countries", said Betty Wang, senior China economist at ANZ Research. The recent decline of the yuan likely helped Chinese exporters as it makes their products cheaper, but it could fuel tensions with Trump, who has accused Beijing of manipulating its currency. But Wang said the currency devaluation "has been largely market-driven" and "is not a preferred policy tool by Chinese policy makers as part of the retaliation measures." The White House on July 6 imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese products entering the US, triggering a tit-for-tat response from Beijing. Analysts were split on how much effect the tariffs had on July's reading. "The impact of tariffs on exports is yet to be reflected. We will see a full-month tariff effect in August," Iris Pang, greater China economist at ING Wholesale Banking in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News. But Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said: "Shipments to the US did weaken slightly, which hints at some impact from the tariffs. "Equally though, this may reflect a broader softening in economic momentum among developed economies given that exports to the EU edged down too." - 'Cool headed' - Trump has boasted that trade wars are "easy to win" and warned he would hit virtually all Chinese imports if Beijing does not back down and take steps to reduce its $335 billion surplus with the US. On Tuesday, US officials said they would slap 25 percent levies on another $16 billion worth of Chinese imports from August 23. In a statement, the office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said its "exhaustive" investigation showed "China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation are unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce." US officials said there were 279 new goods to be targeted in the latest round of tariffs, including motorcycles, tractors, railroad parts, electronic circuits, motors and farm equipment. The move had been widely expected but with China lining up retaliatory measures it reinforced worries that the two sides are heading for an all-out trade war that could hammer the global economy. Washington has also lined up an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports and last week Trump said he could raise tariffs on those products to 25 percent instead of the previously touted 10 percent. Beijing has called on US officials to be "cool headed", but has warned it will retaliate against any tariffs with its own measures. However, the US imports far more from China than it exports to it, meaning Beijing may at some point need to look for other means of retaliation. The US-China trade war will cut the global gross domestic product by 0.7 percent by 2020, Oxford Economics said in a note Tuesday. The White House imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese products from July 6, triggering an instant tit-for-tat response from Beijing
There are growing fears drought-stricken farmers, forced to buy expensive fodder and grain to feed their stock, are being ripped off.

Struggling farmers told 7 News that its now just about impossible to get feed for their livestock as the prices continue to soar.

In some cases, people have been buying hay bales for $100 each and reselling them for $400, adding extra pressure to those who are already struggling to grow their crops.

Other reports claim suppliers are pinning farmers against each other, promising those who pay a little extra will guarantee their delivery arrives.

There are now growing calls for the ACCC to step in and investigate the alleged price gouging.

Angus Attkinson works on his farm, feeding hungry cattle a mix of cottion seeds and hay. Source: Getty

Cattle roam through a dry paddock in the drought-hit area of Quirindi in New South Wales. Source: Getty

Meanwhile Labor has called on the federal government to deliver its cash support payments to the drought-stricken farmers faster.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced on Sunday up to $12,000 for eligible households spread across two payments on September 1 and March 1.

We support this package but it needs to be rolled out faster  farmers need immediate financial support, Mr Shorten said.

No end in sight for NSWs big dry

One day after it was confirmed that 100 per cent of NSW is officially in drought, upcoming forecasts suggests theres no relief in sight.

The latest Department of Primary Industries data shows almost 22 per cent of NSW is suffering intense drought, 40 per cent is in drought and nearly 38 per cent is drought-affected.

The combined drought indicator  which takes in rainfall, soil water, plant growth and long-term climate data  suggests no part of NSW is recovering despite some recent rains.

This aerial photo taken on August 7, 2018 shows cattle on a dry paddock in the drought-hit area of Quirindi in New South Wales. Source: Getty

Less than 10 millimetres was recorded in the western, northwest and central areas of NSW over the past month and drier-than-normal conditions are forecast for the next three months across the majority of the state.

NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair accepts drier than normal conditions are expected for the rest of 2018.

This is tough, Mr Blair said in a statement on Wednesday.

There isnt a person in the state that isnt hoping to see some rain for our farmers and regional communities.
Caught in the crossfire between its key allies Tehran and Washington, Iraq's economy could suffer the heaviest collateral damage from the US reimposing sanctions against Iran. Washington slapped unilateral sanctions back on Tehran on Tuesday, after pulling out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in May. For Iraq, recently emerged from an expensive war on jihadists, the embargo on its neighbour could hit jobs and cut off a crucial source of cheap imports. In 2017, Iraq imported around $6.6 billion (5.7 billion euros) worth of products from Iran, ranging from cars and washing machines to agricultural goods. Iraq has already witnessed a month of protests over a stagnant economy, widespread corruption, unemployment, chronic power cuts and an agriculture sector devastated by drought. "Eighty percent of products on the market are Iranian-made, so if the border closes, it will be a crisis for us," said Ali Ajlan, whose Baghdad store sells household electrical items. Another importer, Abbas Mukhaylef, said he can't even imagine an alternative to Iran as a supplier. "Each year we import between 200,000 and 300,000 containers of air coolers" from Iran, he said. "We depend on Iran for most goods." For the Iraqi consumer, Iranian goods have a big advantage: they are the cheapest on the market. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday he would reluctantly comply with the new American embargo. "We don't support the sanctions because they are a strategic error, but we will comply with them," Abadi said. "In general, sanctions are unjust." - Car imports stopped - Baghdad is allied with Washington, a strategic partner in the war that saw Iraq declare "victory" over Islamic State group jihadists in December 2017. But Baghdad also has strong ties to Tehran, a Shiite powerhouse that is heavily involved in the politics of Shiite-majority Iraq. Imports paid in US dollars have already ground to a halt. "To comply with the American sanctions, we've stopped imports of Iranian cars," said a senior official in the auto import industry. The official, who asked not to be named, said Baghdad had asked for an exemption from Washington to allow imports of Iranian spare parts for car assembly facilities in Iraq. Production has ground to a halt with 5,000 jobs on the line, he said. While Iraq's exporters won't feel too much of a pinch -- Iran only imported $77 million worth of Iraqi goods last year -- economic tourism looks set to take a hit. "The two or three million Iranian pilgrims who come each year (to Shiite holy sites) represent a major economic activity that Iraq could now be deprived of," warned Muzhar Mohammed Salah, an economic advisor to Iraq's prime minister. - Winners and losers - The big winner will be the black market, which will feed demand for Iranian goods, predicted trader Ajlan, pointing out the border between the two countries runs more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles). "Imports will continue, even if, officially, they are prohibited," he said. Yassin Faraj of the chamber of commerce in Sulaymaniyah, an Iraqi Kurdish province bordering Iran, told AFP smugglers could use several unofficial crossing points. He also forecast that tougher US sanctions on Tehran would spark "an influx of Iranian workers", especially to the autonomous Kurdistan region, in a fresh blow to Iraq's own workforce. Iraq can ill afford further economic and social troubles. At least 14 people have been killed since protests erupted in early July in the southern province of Basra before spreading north, including to Baghdad. Iraq itself endured more than 12 years of international sanctions after late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. A customer looks at an Iranian-made washing machine at a shop in Baghdad on August 8, 2018 Labourers stack boxes of Iran-built appliance at a store in the Iraqi capital Baghdad A labourer helps a customer stack an appliance box in his car at a store in the Iraqi capital Baghdad
A journalist has detailed her horrific ordeal of being kidnapped, raped and held captive in Somalia for 15 months.

Canadian reporter Amanda Lindhout, 37, told Andrew Denton on Sevens Interview of how as a 26-year-old freelance journalist she and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan in 2008 visited Somalia as part of her fascination with east Africa.

It was meant to only be for a week and at the time, Somalia was known for being a kidnapping red zone and on the pairs third day they travelled outside the city with three armed security guards.

Lindhout, who had previously worked in Baghdad and Afghanistan, said the crew noticed one other car pulled over, and within minutes what unfolded was like something out of a nightmare.

Canadian reporter Amanda Lindhout, 37, told Andrew Denton on Sevens Interview how as a 26-year-old freelance journalist she and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan in 2008 visited Somalia and were taken hostage. Source: Seven

About 12 armed men, who were hiding behind the car, stepped out with AK-47s pointed at Lindhouts vehicle and forced the crew to stop before taking Lindhout and Brennan hostage.

I remember initially thinking, maybe this is a robbery or even thinking, very naively, I could talk my way out of this, she said.

The then-26-year-old said it became very real when a man, who called himself Adam, told Lindhout and Brennan he was going to demand a ransom. He asked for their familys contact details and wanted US$1.5 million for their lives.

Neither family could afford it, and both Canadian and Australian governments wouldnt pay ransoms either.

Lindhout (middle) and (right) Brennan being held by their captors in Somalia. Source: Seven

Beginnings of abuse

The pair were kept together to begin with, and initially there was no physical abuse.

Lindhout added her captors were uneducated and fascinated by Brennan and Lindhouts lives and where they were from.

But once the pair were separated, everything changed.

Lindhout said being held captive was costing her kidnappers money  for food and hygiene supplies. The hostages began being fed less, and her captors grew frustrated.

Almost the day we were separated sexual abuse started, she said.

Nigel Brennan following his release in 2009. Source: Getty Images

How does it feel knowing youre going to die?

Lindhout recalled four months into her captivity she was woken in the middle of the night and driven out to an acacia tree in the middle of the desert. It followed sexual abuse shed suffered at the hands of a man known as Abdulla, and a number of rapes.

Story continues

Its hard to even talk about it now, she said.

They had moved us to a few different houses. I thought maybe thats what was happening, only they didnt bring Nigel out.

Lindhout feared the worst  Abdulla was among the men, with their faces wrapped, in the car with her. He began taunting her.

Lindhout said her captors began to lose patience and separated her from Brennan. Thats when she began to get sexually abused and raped. Shes pictured here in 2011. Source: Getty Images

How does it feel to know youre going to die? he asked her in the car.

The group had the Canadian kneel down under the tree, pulled her hair back and placed a knife at her throat. Lindhout said the pair had been threatened with beheading in the past if the money wasnt paid.

When the blade of that knife was at my throat I absolutely believed that was how I was going to die, she said.

The group then had a discussion. Lindhout had 30 seconds, her last chance, to convince her mother to pay the ransom within seven days or she was going to be beheaded.

She was handed a phone and called her mother in tears. Lindhout told her if the money wasnt with her captors in one week she would die.

Forty-year-old Somali national Ali Omar Ader, also known as Adam, was sentenced to 15 years jail in June. Source: AAP

The money never came and the kidnappers threatened to turn over Lindhout and Brennan to another gang.

The pair were driven for hours and presented to 40 Somali men brandishing weapons. One of them handed the journalist a phone  her family and Brennans had organised a group to rescue them.

Lasting scars and justice served

But the emotional trauma took its toll on Lindhout who has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following her 15-month ordeal.

The 37-year-old said she had to sleep with the light on for a year due to her fear of the dark.

Loud noises and small spaces were also triggers.

She also had to confront Adam, the man who asked Lindhouts family for ransom, on the witness stand. Canadian police found him and she gave a victim impact statement in court.

Lindhout told the court in May the still wakes up screaming, CBC reported.

For years I couldnt believe I was free, often sure I was dreaming, and that I would wake up back in captivity with chains on my ankles in a dark room, she told the court.

But the entire experience taught her a lot about survival and resiliency, and the incredible strength and determination of the human spirit.

Adam, revealed to be 40-year-old Somali national Ali Omar Ader, was sentenced to 15 years jail in June.

If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by callingLifeline 13 11 14, Mensline 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
Lithuania's capital is pressing ahead with controversial plans for a raunchy international advertising campaign that refers to the city as the "G-spot of Europe", despite opposition from the church and central government. Posters advertising the Baltic country's capital, due to appear from Thursday in Berlin and London, show a young woman lying on bed sheets printed with the map of Europe and clutching a handful of cloth where Vilnius is located. "Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it's amazing. Vilnius, the G-spot of Europe," says the advertisement, which is aimed at portraying the city as the continent's undiscovered treasure. The reference to the elusive erogenous zone has raised hackles in the devoutly Catholic Baltic EU country of 2.9 million people. Images of the campaign banner have already gone viral on social media, provoking both support and criticism. Former Vilnius mayor Arturas Zuokas criticised the campaign, telling AFP on Wednesday that "no one in the West is using sexist references in marketing any more, especially when we speak about public authorities". Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grusas has said the campaign "potentially strengthens the image of Vilnius as a sex tourism city and exploits the sexuality of women". Lithuania's government had asked the city to postpone the campaign until after Pope Francis visits in late September, but the organisers refused, arguing that the advertising will end before the pontiff's visit and is in no way associated with him. "Those who are outraged are only showing that the campaign actually works, because it is making a fuss and provoking discussion," advertisement co-creator Jurgis Ramanauskas told AFP. The city's official tourism service Go Vilnius said the poster, created by Lithuanian advertising students, is aimed at people aged 18 to 35 and will only be displayed for a week. It will run alongside an online campaign, which will last a month. The Lithuanian capital attracted 210,000 visitors in the first three months of this year, a 7.5 percent increase on the same period in 2017, according to Go Vilnius. The city's official tourism service Go Vilnius said the poster, created by Lithuanian advertising students, is aimed at people aged 18 to 35 and will be displayed for a week in London and Berlin The campaign is designed to boost tourism to Vilnius, the capital of the Baltic EU country of 2.9 million people
Wildfires scorched across Portugal's southern Algarve region on Wednesday, threatening more villages as the country's prime minister warned the blaze could burn for days before being brought under control. Over 1,400 firefighters and soldiers were battling the blaze around the mountain spa town of Monchique in one of Europe's top tourist destinations. They were backed up by 13 water-dropping aircraft that scooped water from the sea at nearby beach resorts to battle the flames which were scorching a path towards more villages. Sweltering temperatures and strong winds kindled blazes that have whipped across the region as the Europe-wide heatwave sent the mercury above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some areas of Portugal at the weekend. But while winds eased in the morning, they picked up in the afternoon as temperatures rose and air humidity levels dropped, leading Prime Minister Antonio Costa to predict it would rage "during the coming days". "We should have no illusions that this fire will be put out in the coming hours. The next windows of opportunity that we have (to control the fire) will be at night, and dawn and early morning," he told journalists in Lisbon during a visit to the firefighter command centre. The fires have left 32 people injured, one seriously, and forced hundreds from their homes as the flames encircled urban areas in the popular holiday region, while British and other tourists were evacuated over the weekend from a luxury hotel in Monchique. - 'Ash and soot' - One front of the blaze was moving steadily towards the town of Silves, which is just 10 kilometres (six miles) inland and there were fears that it could spread towards the coastal city of Portimao, which is popular with British and German tourists. "The sky has been filled with this sort of black haze and it is ash and soot," Tony Sanders, a 73-year-old Briton who owns a small bed and breakfast in the seaside resort of Carvoeiro some 30 kilometres south of Monchique, told AFP. "You smell this acrid wood in the atmosphere all the time and it sort of gets you in the back of the throat. The problem with ash is that some of it can still be alight and it can start a fire anywhere." The difficulty in bringing the fires under control has raised doubt on the effectiveness of measures taken by the Portuguese authorities to avoid a repetition of fires that killed at least 114 people last year. Firefighters have criticised the lack of coordination, while Costa has drawn flak on social media for remaining on holiday as the flames raged. On Tuesday Costa released pictures of himself on the phone and sitting at a computer in Twitter posts saying he was monitoring events closely, but some critics turned these into memes depicting him playing video games instead. - Combustible crop - The wildfire has charred over 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) of forest and destroyed several homes. Around 250 people were evacuated on Monday evening from villages around Monchique, which is located in the mountain range of the same name, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Lisbon, but 70 people have since been allowed to return home. The mountain range has since the 1970s been used to plant eucalyptus trees, a cash crop whose roots dry up underground water. The sap of eucalyptus trees is also highly flammable, which makes the area vulnerable to wildfires. In 2003 a fire in the same mountain range scorched 41,000 hectares. Another fire in 2016 that raged for tens days burned 3,745 hectares. Meanwhile in the Valencia region of neighbouring Spain some 3,000 people were driven from their homes to escape flames from a blaze that broke out on Monday and has so far swept across around 2,900 hectares. Nearly 700 firefighters backed by 27 aircraft were battling the blaze which was nearing the coastal resort of Gandia, local officials said. The fires have left 32 people injured, one seriously, and forced hundreds from their homes as the flames encircled urban areas in the popular holiday region Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire near Monchique, in Portugal's Algarve region, one of Europe's top tourist destinations Images released by the European Space Agency appear to show that the fire -- which began on Friday in the eucalyptus and pine forests in the hills on Monchique -- is visible from the International Space Station Map locating fires around Monchique in Portugal.
British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson insisted Tuesday that Britain's military will not be diminished after it leaves the European Union next year. "Britain leaving the European Union has no impact in terms of the security and defense of Europe," Williamson said in a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington. "Britain is a major global actor. We have always been a tier one military power and we always will be a tier one military power," he added. Williamson's comments come after Prime Minister Theresa May in June reportedly declined to commit to saying Britain would remain a "tier one" military power in the future, amid ongoing uncertainty about Britain's post-Brexit economy and international relationships. In a speech largely aimed at convincing American counterparts that Britain remains a dependable partner despite the chaos surrounding Brexit negotiations, Williamson said that leaving the EU provided Britain with an opportunity to "redefine" its place in the world. "In some ways, the European Union has limited our vision, discouraged us from looking to the horizon," he said. "Now we are being freed to reach further and aim higher. The UK Is determined to seize these new opportunities." Williamson then met with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at the Pentagon. Mattis wrote to Williamson this summer urging Britain, which already meets the two percent of GDP spending pledge for NATO members, to kick in more cash or risk being supplanted by France as America's closest military ally in Europe. Mattis said the letter was "meant as an additive effort in support of our allies." Some observers in Britain suggested Williamson had solicited the letter to add ammunition to his calls for more defense spending. Mattis declined to say if Williamson had asked him to write the letter. "This is the normal collaboration, the normal consultation between allies is what this is," he said. Secretary of Defense James Mattis hosts an Honor Cordon for Gavin Williamson Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, at the Pentagon
Senior Zimbabwean opposition figure Tendai Biti was arrested as he tried to flee to neighbouring Zambia to seek asylum, his lawyer said Wednesday, allegedly on charges of inciting violence over the disputed election result. In last week's vote, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe's former ally, narrowly retained power, but the opposition MDC party has accused the electoral authority of rigging the result. Supporters of the MDC took to the streets on August 1 to protest the alleged fraud, triggering a brutal response from the military which opened fire on the demonstrators leaving six people dead. The day before the protests -- and before the final presidential results were announced -- Biti held a press conference at the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) headquarters in Harare claiming victory for the party. Biti, who also alleged electoral fraud, is a senior figure in the MDC alliance and was the respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-13 power-sharing government. "He was arrested at the Zambian border," Biti's lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo told AFP, adding by text message that he was trying to seek asylum. The police were not immediately available to comment. The state-run Chronicle newspaper said Tuesday that Biti was among nine suspects being sought for inciting the protests when the army opening fire. Police detective Portia Chinho told the paper they were wanted for "participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence". Biti is a senior figure in the MDC alliance and was the respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-13 power-sharing government
Britain's Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May took part in commemorations Wednesday marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens, which heralded the beginning of the end of World War I. The descendants of soldiers who took part in the Allied push, which smashed German defences and morale, travelled from across the world to Amiens for the ceremony in the city's magnificent medieval gothic cathedral. Senior officials from Britain and France were joined by representatives from the Australian, Canadian and US governments in honour of the tens of thousands of troops killed in the four days of fighting. Former German president Joachim Gauck and Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon also attended. The Battle of Amiens sounded the start of the Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front, which led to the Armistice in November 1918. The Allies deployed hundreds of tanks to push deep into German lines on what German General Erich Ludendorff called a "black day" for the German army. May's visit was her second to France in under a week, coming days after she held talks with President Emmanuel Macron at his Mediterranean holiday retreat over her Brexit plan. Macron, a native of Amiens, did not make the trip to his hometown for the event, where France was represented by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly. Addressing the service Prince William said Amiens was "symbolic of the entente cordiale" between Britain and France. May read from the war memoirs of British wartime leader Lloyd George, who said that the gains made in the northern French city led the Germans to "realise that all hope of victory had passed". William, May and Gauck also spent time talking to soldiers' families. Denis Holden, a 65-year-old retired policeman, travelled from Melbourne in Australia in memory of his grandfather, Private Michael Willis of the 14th Australian Infantry Battalion, who was injured in shelling on the first day of battle. "He never told us anything about the war but he showed me the wounds down his back," Holden told AFP. He was also scarred psychologically. "In the years after the war, whenever his Model T Ford backfired, he would yell out 'Get under the bed, we'll all be killed!'. I guess that today you'd call it post-traumatic stress syndrome," said Holden, who wore two of his grandfather's service medals pinned to his blazer. Sarah Clarke from south-west Britain recalled her grandfather George Clarke, who ferried munitions to the frontlines in Amiens on the back of a horse of which he kept a picture on his wall. "It's very important to keep everyone's memory alive," said Clarke, who wore two remembrance poppies pinned to her lapel. - Shock tactics - By the summer of 1918 the US was pouring troops into France and the Allies had drastically boosted their firepower after four years of war that had already killed nine million soldiers on three continents. A victory at the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918 emboldened the Allies to strike at German forces which had exhausted themselves in a massive offensive meant to finish the war earlier in the year. When guns began pounding German positions in Amiens -- a key rail hub -- at 4:20 a.m. on August 8, the Germans were caught off guard. Marooned in dense fog, many dazed soldiers surrendered to the Allies, who punched a gaping, 12-kilometre hole into German lines, backed by some 600 tanks and 2,000 warplanes. The stunned Germans, who had 27,000 troops killed, injured or captured on the first day, never recovered. By early September they were in retreat and two months later the conflict was over. But two decades later many of the officers who made a name for themselves in the so-called "war to end all wars" were back in action. Attending Wednesday's ceremony was Helen Patton, granddaughter of World War II hero General George Patton. World War 1 was a "training ground" for Patton, who was badly injured in fighting near Verdun in September 1918. "He learned to pray, to cuss and to handle troops", his granddaughter said. Despite Amiens marking a turning point in the war the battle never gained the same place in the popular imagination as longer, bloodier World War 1 clashes such as the Somme or Verdun. "War is often glamourised but not World War 1" Helen Patton lamented. "It's as if we almost wanted to forget it." Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and Prince William took part in a ceremony marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens, which marked the beginning of the end of World War I Theresa May and Prince William at The Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Zonnebeke, Belgium last year, where they attended the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele Historic photographs of the World War I Battle of Amiens are displayed as guests arrive for a 100th anniversary memorial service in Amiens Cathedral
The death toll from a powerful earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok rose above 130 on Wednesday, as authorities appealed for food, clean water and medical help for some 156,000 people forced from their homes. Many frightened, displaced villagers are staying under tents or tarpaulins dotted along roads or in parched rice fields, and makeshift medical facilities have been set up to treat the injured. Evacuees in some encampments say they are running out of food, while others are suffering psychological trauma after the 6.9-magnitude quake, which struck just one week after another tremor surged through the island and killed 17. "We still need long-term aid, even though we have already received help from various (regional) governments," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Around 1,477 people were severely injured in the disaster, with tens of thousands of homes damaged, and authorities say the toll of 131 is likely to rise. Workers with heavy machinery are searching the rubble of homes, schools and mosques, with hope of finding any survivors fading. "The corpses are starting to smell and we believe some people buried are still alive -- that's why it's a critical time," Nugroho said. Local authorities, international relief groups and the central government have begun organising aid, but shattered roads have slowed efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north and east of Lombok, which bore the brunt of the quake. Muhammad Zainul Majdi, governor of the West Nusa Tenggara region which covers Lombok, said there was a dire need for medical staff, food and medicine in the worst-hit places. Hundreds of bloodied and bandaged victims have been treated outside damaged hospitals in the island's main city of Mataram and other badly affected areas. "We have limited human resources. Some paramedics have to be at the shelters, some need to be mobile," Majdi told AFP. "The scale of this quake is massive for us here in West Nusa Tenggara, this is our first experience." Some evacuees are grappling with the traumatic scenes of death and destruction that accompanied the quake. "I saw my neighbour get stuck in the rubble and die. He asked me for help, but I couldn't help him, we just ran to help ourselves," Johriah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP tearfully. - 'Destruction almost 100 percent' - The Indonesian Red Cross said it had set up 10 mobile clinics in the north of the island. A field hospital has also been established near an evacuation centre catering to more than 500 people in the village of Tanjung. Kurniawan Eko Wibowo, a doctor at the field hospital, said most patients had broken bones and head injuries. "We lack the infrastructure to perform operations because (they) need to be performed in a sterile place," Wibowo told AFP. Across much of the island, a popular tourist destination, once-bustling villages have been turned into virtual ghost towns. "In some villages we visited the destruction was almost 100 percent, all houses collapsed, roads are cracked and bridges were broken," said Arifin Muhammad Hadi, a spokesman for the Indonesian Red Cross. Many farmers were reluctant to move far from their damaged homes and leave precious livestock behind, he added. The Indonesian military said that three Hercules transporter planes packed with food, medication, blankets, tents and water tanks had arrived in Lombok. The West Sumatra government has donated one tonne of its most famous culinary export, beef rendang -- a slow-cooked coconut curry. - 'We have no clean water' - But some evacuees have complained of being ignored or experiencing long delays for supplies to arrive at shelters. "There has been no help at all here," said 36-year-old Multazam, staying with hundreds of others under tarpaulins on a dry paddy field outside West Pemenang village. "We have no clean water, so if we want to go to the toilet we use a small river nearby," he said, adding they needed food, bedding and medicine. At an orphanage in West Lombok, some 80 children -- including a one-year-old -- were huddling under two large tents after their dorms were destroyed. "We still have supplies for the next few days, but I'm not sure about after that," Billa Rabbani, a spokeswoman from the Peduli Anak orphanage, told AFP. The quake struck as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island and there are fears that one collapsed mosque in north Lombok had been filled with worshippers. Rescuers have found three bodies and also managed to pull one man alive from the twisted wreckage of the mosque, reduced to a pile of concrete and metal bars, with its towering green dome folded in on itself. Meanwhile, the evacuation of tourists from the Gili Islands -- three tiny, coral-fringed tropical islands off the northwest coast of Lombok -- has finished, officials said. The Indonesian Red Cross has set up mobile clinics and a field hospital Some 1,477 people have been severely injured in the latest quake The governor of West Nusa Tenggara province said there was a dire need for medical staff, food and medicine in the worst-hit areas Some evacuees are still grappling with the traumatic scenes of death and destruction that accompanied the quake Some evacuees are still grappling with the traumatic scenes of death and destruction that accompanied the quake Quake survivors shelter under a a tent in the compound of a mosque in Lombok's capital Mataram Most patients at the field hospital have broken bones and head injuries
The weaknesses of the US Republican Party heading into November's midterm elections were laid bare Wednesday as a special House election featuring a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump remained unresolved -- a contest that also underscored Democratic momentum. Trump proclaimed victory for Republican state senator Troy Balderson in Tuesday's race in Ohio for a seat in the House of Representatives, despite it remaining too close to call. Even if Balderson is eventually declared the winner in Ohio's 12th district, the fact that Democrats were competitive in the solidly red region was the latest example of amped up grassroots energy in the opposition camp. And it further exposed Republican peril -- already on broad display -- just three months before the elections that will determine whether the GOP can maintain control of Congress. The Ohio race carries powerful implications, as it is the final direct face-off between Republicans and Democrats before the midterms. Trump, who made an 11th-hour campaign stop for Balderson, looked to past victories to boost his argument that Republicans were not in trouble. "The Republicans have now won 8 out of 9 House Seats" in special elections since his inauguration in January 2017, the president tweeted. "Yet if you listen to the Fake News Media you would think we are being clobbered." The signs are nevertheless ominous for the GOP. In many of the races mentioned by Trump, the Republicans underperformed, only narrowly winning elections that should not have been remotely close. In Tuesday's contest, Balderson was ahead of Democrat Danny O'Connor by just 1,754 votes, with thousands of provisional and absentee ballots outstanding. The margin, less than one percent, comes in an affluent district that is 88 percent white, and which Republicans have held for 35 years. Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by some 11 points in 2016. But with the midterm races being seen as a referendum on the president, opposition momentum in Trump country is becoming undeniable. "Democrats' morale was the big winner last night," tweeted congressman Keith Ellison, the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Several key Republicans have agreed with that sentiment, including Ohio Governor John Kasich, who said it was "shocking" that the special election was so close. "It's clear the energy and intensity is on the Democratic side" nationally, said moderate former Republican congressman Charlie Dent. - Democratic 'intensity' - The Ohio race also laid bare a critical dimension that could have dramatic implications in November: turnout in the district's fast-growing suburbs was an impressive 42 percent, while in the more rural, lightly populated counties -- the base of Trump support -- turnout ranged from 27 to 32 percent. Another danger sign for Trump's party: there are more than 60 Republican-held congressional districts that are rated as more competitive than the 12th in Ohio. Democrats need to flip 23 seats nationally to reclaim the 435-seat House, and they are looking for a "blue wave" to get them over the top. Trump is worried that losing the House, and potentially the Senate, could hurt his ability to advance his agenda -- and expose him to Democratic efforts to oust him from power. But he remained insistent that candidates benefit from his endorsement. "As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win!" Trump tweeted. In recent weeks, he has made several campaign appearances seeking to boost his picks ahead of state primaries. But in Kansas, a controversial Trump-endorsed candidate, Kris Kobach, was locked in a race for governor. After Tuesday's primary, which pitted Kobach against the Republican incumbent, the race remained undecided, with Kobach ahead by just 191 votes. Back in Ohio, O'Connor, who has not conceded and stressed he will run again in November regardless of the outcome, scoffed at Trump's claim to have had an outsize impact on his race. "I don't think he knows what he's talking about," O'Connor told CNN. The party in the White House traditionally loses seats in midterm elections. And Democrats believe mounting voter frustration with Trump is tilting the political playing field further in their favor. But there were mixed messages Wednesday, when RealClearPolitics put the generic ballot -- a poll of whether Americans will vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress -- in favor of Democrats by 5.7 percentage points, down from the 6.1 recorded on Friday. Tuesday's round of primaries in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington also put Republicans on notice that women could play a determining factor in the midterms. A record number of women, 183, will now be running for US House seats in November, a surge that follows a year marked by the #MeToo movement and defiance of Trump. US Democrats, like Ohio congressional candidate Danny O'Connor, are seeking to upend Republicans in November's midterm elections, even in districts that voted solidly for President Donald Trump in 2016 US President Donald Trump has made several trips in recent weeks to campaign for Republican congressional candidates -- on August 4, 2018 he stumped with Troy Balderson at a rally in Lewis Center, Ohio -- ahead of November's midterm elections
Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov has lost 30 kilograms (66 pounds) and is suffering heart problems after hunger striking in a Russian prison for almost three months, his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday. Lawyer Dmitry Dinze who visited Sentsov in prison earlier Tuesday said that his client now has very low levels of haemoglobin (red blood cells) while his heart has slowed to 40 beats a minute. "He looks bad but he is trying to bear up," Dinze said of the director, who has vowed to continue his hunger strike until Russia frees its Ukrainian political prisoners. The 42-year-old Sentsov is now on his 86th day of refusing food although he receives some nutritional supplements from medics. In early July a cousin said Sentsov, a tall man at 1.90 metres (six foot three) had lost 15 kilograms from his original weight of 100 kilograms since launching the strike on May 14. Dinze said he did not agree with a statement by the prison service on Tuesday that Sentsov's state of health remained "satisfactory." "No, I don't agree. his state is bad," he said. Amnesty International complained last week that Russia refused its request to visit him with an independent medical expert amid "grave concerns" over his health. The prisoner is aware that he could die, Dinze added. "He is ready to fight for his position to the end, yes." Dinze posted on Facebook a handwritten note from Sentsov with Tuesday's date where he rejects a proposal by lawyers to transfer him to a hospital in his home region of Crimea and acknowledges his poor state of health. "It's not necessarily the case that they'd get me there alive," Sentsov writes. "My condition is not transportable now so I will stay where I am." Western governments led by French President Emmanuel Macron and celebrities including Pedro Almodovar, Johnny Depp and Stephen King have repeatedly urged the Kremlin to release Sentsov. Sentsov's mother has urged President Vladimir Putin to issue the vocal Kremlin critic with a pardon. Lawyer Dinze wrote on Facebook that he had heard suggestions from diplomats involved in Sentsov's case that Russia does not plan to release him. "Information from diplomats who are in contact with Russia to resolve the problem of Oleg Sentsov indicates that they don't plan to release Sentsov," Dinze wrote. He summarised Russia's apparent attitude as: "let him die to teach the other prisoners a lesson." - 'I don't plan to stop' - The European Court of Human Rights last month called on Russia to provide "appropriate treatment" to Sentsov and urged him to end his hunger strike and accept "vital care." However, Sentsov continues to refuse hospitalisation, Dinze said, stressing that his client is making a conscious choice. Sentsov wrote in his note that "I'm not ill, I'm on hunger strike, and I don't plan to stop." Sentsov is serving a 20-year sentence on terrorism charges after he was convicted of arson attacks on pro-Moscow party offices in Crimea after its 2014 annexation from Ukraine. He is imprisoned in a penal colony in the far north of Russia. As a filmmaker Sentsov is best known for his film "Gamer", which screened to critical acclaim at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2012. Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov in the defendant's cage of a military court in 2015
The UN envoy for Western Sahara is planning to convene talks before the end of the year between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front on ending their decades-old conflict, the Security Council president said Wednesday. Horst Koehler, a former German president and ex-director of the International Monetary Fund, briefed the council behind closed doors on his efforts to restart talks after a 10-year break. "There is a lot of support from the council for his approach and for his proposal to see if he can try to bring the parties together by the end of the year," said British Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Allen, whose country holds the council presidency this month. Koehler will be holding consultations with "all the parties involved" on "modalities, format and everything else," Allen told reporters after the meeting. Morocco and the Polisario Front fought for control of Western Sahara from 1975 to 1991. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been deadlocked since the last round of UN-sponsored talks in 2008. Morocco maintains that negotiations on a settlement should focus on its proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara and rejects the Polisario's insistence on an independence referendum. The Security Council in April approved a US-drafted resolution that urged Morocco and the Polisario to prepare for talks, setting a six-month deadline for action. A council diplomat, who spoke on background, said the envoy was hoping to send invitations in September to the parties to attend talks -- before the deadline expires in October. A settlement in Western Sahara would allow the UN peacekeeping mission there, known as MINURSO, to end its mission at a time when the United States is seeking to reduce the cost of peace operations. The Security Council in April 2018 approved a US-drafted resolution that urged Morocco and the Polisario to prepare for talks, setting a six-month deadline for action
WikiLeaks said Wednesday that its founder Julian Assange was "considering" a request by a US Senate committee to testify about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. The whistleblowing website posted on Twitter a letter purportedly from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence asking Assange to "make yourself available for a closed interview with bipartisan committee staff at a mutually agreeable time and location". It added: "WikiLeaks' legal team say they are 'considering the offer but the conditions must conform to a high ethical standard'." In the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, WikiLeaks published documents hacked from Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign. US intelligence officials have blamed Russia for the theft of the documents, which they say was part of a deliberate attempt to hurt Clinton's chances. They claim WikiLeaks knowingly acted in concert with Russian intelligence. WikiLeaks has denied that the source of the material was the Russian government, while stressing it will never reveal where it gets its information. On Wednesday, WikiLeaks said the Senate letter -- dated August 1 -- was delivered to Assange via the US embassy in London, but the mission declined to comment when contacted by AFP. There was also no immediate confirmation from the Senate committee. Assange is currently living in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he sought political asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault and rape. He said the claims were a political smear linked to WikiLeaks' work and said he feared being transferred from Sweden to the United States to face trial for the release of leaked US military documents. The Swedish investigation has since been dropped but Assange stayed in the embassy, as he still faces arrest by British police for skipping bail six years ago. Ecuador and Britain are currently in talks over his fate. Julian Assange is currently living in the Ecuador embassy in London, where he sought asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over assault and rape allegations, the investigation of which has been dropped, though he still faces arrest by Britain
Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Julio Borges has denounced a purported assassination bid on President Nicolas Maduro involving an explosives-laden drone as a staged "farce." "Neither the country nor the world believe you when it comes to this farce of an attack, we all know that it was staged to persecute and repress those of us who oppose your dictatorship," Borges wrote on Twitter. Maduro and his government said the president had been targeted on Saturday by two flying drones each carrying a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of powerful C-4 explosives. They have blamed a plot involving Borges, Colombia and other opposition lawmakers, financed by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida. Borges is one of the most prominent figures of the Venezuelan opposition and a member of the Primero Justicia (Justice First) party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles. "Neither the country nor the world believe you when it comes to this farce of an attack, we all know that it was staged to persecute and repress those of us who oppose your dictatorship," Julio Borges wrote on Twitter
Woolworths will donate all profits from Saturdays fresh food sales to drought-affected farmers.

All of NSW is in drought according to the Department of Primary Industries.

All profits from sales of fruit and veg, meat, the chilled section, bakery and deli at Woolworths supermarkets nationwide and online this Saturday will help support farmers doing it tough because of the drought, Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director Claire Peters said.

All profits from sales in the fresh departments on Saturday August 11 will be donated to Rural Aids Buy a Bale appeal to support Australian farmers impacted by drought.

The Buy a Bale appeal started in September 2013, to encourage Australians to donate money for farmers to purchase hay and other essential items. A $20 donation will buy a small bale of hay and helps transport it to the affected areas, according to the Buy a Bale website.

The Buy a Bale Rural Aid appeal started in September 2013, to encourage Australians to donate money for farmers to purchase hay and other essential items to get through the drought. Source: Getty

The Saturday drive follows Woolworths initial $1.5 million donation to the Buy a Bale campaign in July.

The Australian farming community is a resilient one, but there is an urgent need for ongoing support for farmers who continue to do it tough during this drought, Rural Aid CEO Charles Alder said.

Weve been overwhelmed by the response of the Woolworths store teams and customers over the past week. Weve been able to provide more certainty to hundreds of farmers who have reached out to us in urgent need of feed for their livestock.

Woolworths will donate all profits from Saturdays fresh food sales to drought-affected farmers. Source: Woolworths

Additionally weve been able to increase vital counselling services available for farming families in regional communities, Mr Alder said.

In addition to Saturdays fundraising drive, Woolworths is collecting in-store donations from customers who have donated over $600,000 to Buy a Bale in less than a week.
 President Donald Trump will visit central New York next week, his first visit to the region since he was sworn in 19 months ago. He will campaign with U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who is locked in a tough re-election battle in the 22nd Congressional District. He will also visit Fort Drum after being invited by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik. While at Fort Drum, he will sign the $716 billion National Defense Authorization Act.
President Donald Trump will appear at a fundraiser in Utica for U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, according to an invitation obtained by The Citizen.

The event will be held Monday, Aug. 13 at an undisclosed location in Utica. The time of the fundraiser wasn't included on the invitation. To receive the information, attendees must RSVP.

Trump to visit central NY for first time as president President Donald Trump will visit central New York Monday for events with two Republican mem

Tickets for the fundraiser range from $1,000 to $15,000. The highest pricing level includes access to the reception, a roundtable discussion and a photo with the president.

The fundraiser will benefit the Tenney Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that supports Tenney's re-election campaign, her Tenacious Political Action Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The event will be closed to the press and the public.

Tenney's campaign didn't share any other details about the congresswoman's schedule or the president's stop in central New York.

"President Donald Trump's historic visit to the Mohawk Valley is symbolic of the importance he and I place on serving the forgotten people of upstate New York," Tenney said in a statement Wednesday.

She added that she has partnered with Trump on several issues, including passage of a tax overhaul last year. It stands as the president's signature legislative achievement. The measure cut income tax rates for millions of Americans and slashed the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent. It also doubled the standard deduction and repealed the penalty for not purchasing health insurance coverage.

Rep. Elise Stefanik invites President Trump to visit Fort Drum Will President Donald Trump visit Fort Drum, a large Army base in northern New York? U.S. Re

Tenney, R-New Hartford, is facing a tough re-election bid. Her opponent is Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat who has out-raised the GOP incumbent.

Political forecasters rate the 22nd Congressional District race a toss up.

Trump's appearance at the Utica fundraiser will be one of two stops in central New York. He also plans to visit Fort Drum, where he will sign the National Defense Authorization Act.

Congress passed the $716 billion defense policy bill last week and it's awaiting Trump's signature.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents Fort Drum in Congress, sent a letter to Trump in March inviting him to visit the base. The northern New York installation is home to the Army's 10th Mountain Division, which has been deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Comedian Moody McCarthy will return to Auburn with friends Johnny Lampert and Dan Geurin for a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at Auburn Public Theater.

McCarthy, who has performed on "Conan," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "The Late Show with David Letterman," previously performed in Auburn in 2013. He is a native of Syracuse.

Funny friends: Moody McCarthy comes to Auburn Public Theater with comedy quartet Comedian Moody McCarthy is no stranger to Auburn. Nor are the four funnymen he's coming to t

"I feel a little funnier in central New York," he told The Citizen in 2013. "People who endure a hard winter tend to be great comedy crowds."

Lampert is a regular at New York City and Los Angeles comedy clubs like Carolines on Broadway and The Improv, while Geurin performs regularly throughout the Northeast.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $17 at the door and $10 for student rush. The theater is located at 8 Exchange St., Auburn.

For more information, visit auburnpublictheater.org or call (315) 253-6669.

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The Skaneateles Central School District is bringing in a new director of learning in its latest administrative change.

Jennifer Whipple was appointed at a special board of education meeting Aug. 1. The role involves the director's special education program and other related jobs. Whipple will start at the beginning of the school year. The district did not disclose her salary.

Whipple is currently the director of elementary special education in the Auburn Enlarged City School District. Her career also includes stints as a school psychologist, assistant director of special education and K-12 director of special education. She has a bachelors degree in school psychology from SUNY Geneseo and a masters degree in school psychology from SUNY Oswego.

Current Skaneateles superintendent Ken Slentz and incoming superintendent Lynda Quick conducted the search.

Mrs. Whipple made a strong impression on all of us who interviewed her. She comes to Skaneateles with extensive special education experience at every level, Slentz said in a press release. "We believe that Jennifer will be an excellent addition to our team and that she will serve our students  particularly our students with special needs  parents, and district well.

The role is one of a series of positions Skaneateles has filled in recent months. Director of Auxiliary Services Dan Silky left Aug. 3 for a business official spot at the Otselic Valley Central School District. Silky, who joined Skaneateles last year as the assistant business administrator, started in the auxiliary services job July 1 with a $75,000 salary. The district said last month it would determine how to replace Silky after filling in the director of learning spot.

Quick, the district superintendent and chief operating officer of the Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming BOCES in Cattaraugus County, will be the Skaneateles superintendent starting Sept. 10. She will have a $185,000 base salary for the 2018-2019 school year. Slentz, who has been the Skaneateles leader since 2014, announced in June he is leaving to become the Ballston Spa Central School District superintendent. His last official day with Skaneateles is Aug. 20.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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The Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on Grant Avenue in Auburn will undergo a renovation to its kitchen and dining area in late August.

During the renovation, the restaurant's dining area will be closed, but the drive-thru will remain open for customers. The fast food joint will reopen at the beginning of September, according to a press release from KBP Foods, the company that owns KFC.

The redesigned restaurant will feature a "bold, Colonel-inspired look," according to the company. Colonel Sanders' "iconic image" will be front and center. The exterior will feature "sharp graphics in red and white to evoke the Colonels memorable white suit while alluding to striped tents, suggesting his remarkable instinct for showmanship" and the interior will include family-style seating with a Colonel Sanders photo wall.

The Colonel is central to everything Kentucky Fried Chicken stands for  doing things the hard way and serving the Worlds Greatest Fried Chicken. I think the Colonel would be really happy with the look of these new KFCs, President and CEO of KBP Foods Mike Kulp said, adding, "I cant wait for the people of Auburn to see their new KFC."

The renovation is part of the company's plan to invest over $40 million into about 200 KFCs across the county, KBP Foods Chief Development Officer Barry Dubin said in a press release.

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AUBURN  In 1984, a town watch association introduced the "National Night Out Program" in Philadelphia with the goal of building a better relationship with law enforcement. Now, more than 16,000 communities participate in the event nationwide and Auburn is one of them.

On Tuesday night, the Auburn Police Department hosted its first National Night Out Block Party at Hoopes Park. However, rather than focusing on the city police, the department partnered with several other law enforcement agencies and community organizations in an effort to showcase other services in the area.

School Resource Officer Vince Carnicelli said it was important that the event highlight more than local law enforcement as many people may not know what the city and county has to offer.

"It's supposed to be a police community event, but I always think it takes everybody to police a city," he said. "We can't be everywhere. So I thought if we could get everybody together meeting people on a good note instead of in crisis, maybe they'll be more likely to search for help if they need it or at least know what's out there."

Auburn Police Sgt. Greg Dann estimated between 15 and 20 organizations accepted the department's invitation to participate, including Cayuga Counseling Services, the Rescue Mission, Auburn Housing and the Cayuga County Probation Department. New York State Police, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, TLC Ambulance and the Auburn Fire Department also had trucks and staff on scene.

"The community policing philosophy basically says in order for you to understand and react to your residents, you have to interact with them, and National Night Out is just another opportunity to do that," Dann said. "It's about law enforcement and the community coming together to develop a relationship and make the community a safer place."

Both Auburn Police Chief Shawn Butler and Deputy Police Chief Roger Anthony said the block party continued the department's efforts for community policing. Butler said he had his officers "dress down" in a grey shirt and tan pants in order to seem more approachable to younger members of the community who may be intimidated by the traditional uniform.

"This just gives police officers a different venue to engage with the public and the community that they serve," Butler said. "Even though we want to teach our parents and our kids ... to go to a police officer in any type of danger or trouble, unfortunately that's not always the case. So this is a good avenue for us to get young people interacting and talking to us in a fun atmosphere."

Anthony added, "It's part of our overall community outreach initiative to have the police department more involved in the community so they know us personally and not just professionally."

Kelly Cook said she attended the event with her husband, Matt, and their 11-year-old daughter, Caitlyn, in an effort to support the community. She acknowledged some of the negative perceptions surrounding police and felt the block party was a great opportunity to build rapport with law enforcement.

"I know that police have been getting a bad rap all around, so I thought it was a great effort on their part to be more known in the community," Cook said. "I know they've done Coffee with a Cop, but I think this is more family oriented. ... I think it's a great idea and a way to support the community."

Sarah Portipilo, who brought her husband, Joe, and 6-year-old children, Seth and Sophie, agreed.

"I think all of our first responders, especially police officers, are looked at in a different light this day and age, so I think this is wonderful," she said. "It just goes to show they have so much to offer."

Staff writer Megan Blarr can be reached at (315) 282-2282 or megan.blarr@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @CitizenBlarr.

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New York State Police have released the identity of the man whose body was found late last month in the Hibiscus Harbor Marina in Union Springs.

Trooper Mark O'Donnell said 64-year-old Thomas Baker, of Binghamton, had recently rented a boat slip at the marina when he was reported missing late July 26.

At around 10:30 p.m., O'Donnell said, state police received notice that Baker had not been seen for more than 24 hours. Witnesses said he was last seen leaving a gathering around 4 a.m. July 25 and some said they heard a splash in the direction of Baker's boat at the time.

Upon further investigation, O'Donnell said witnesses told police that Baker had been drinking the night he disappeared. Cayuga Fire Department Water Rescue was called to assist in the search.

Roughly an hour later, O'Donnell said, troopers located Baker face down in approximately 7 feet of water roughly 30 yards from his boat. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Wednesday, O'Donnell said the scene was consistent with an accidental drowning; however, the investigation is ongoing.

Staff writer Megan Blarr can be reached at (315) 282-2282 or megan.blarr@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @CitizenBlarr.

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InterFaith Works of Central New York has watched and waited since last October as the Supreme Court deliberated on the Trump travel ban barring people from six primarily Muslim nations. As an agency dedicated to refugee resettlement, religious freedom and racial equity, we hoped for a decision that would speak to our nations deeply held values of inclusion. The Courts decision to affirm the travel ban is a colossal mistake, a disappointment, and a stain on our country and the Court.

We agree with New York states Gov. Andrew Cuomo who describes the travel ban policy and this court ruling as encouraging and contributing to a culture of profiling and religious discrimination.

We call upon Americans to live on higher ground. This is a time to remember our heritage as a nation of immigrants. Immigrants and refugees do not leave their homelands without pressing needs, and many are very frightened for themselves and for the families they have left behind.

Remember the Facts

Refugees and immigrants are carefully vetted. For refugees, the vetting requirements can take two to four years. Medical, social, political and family ties in the US are scrutinized by multiple US security agencies. The result has been that NO acts of terrorism have been committed by any refugee allowed into the US since the program began with the Refugee Act of 1980.

Immigrants also must receive US government permission to enter our country. Those who arrive at a border checkpoint without documents must seek asylum. They are immediately interred, often with adults being separated from their children while their case is examined, their backgrounds checked, and a decision made about whether they will be allowed into our country.

The notion that people from other countries are pouring over our borders unchecked is simply not true, and another way that this administration is whipping up fear.

Impact

The impact of the travel ban has deleteriously reduced the number of refugees and immigrants coming to the US. In normal times, our declining population is rejuvenated by the arrival of new immigrants. Our economy benefits greatly from their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. By closing our doors, we not only lose our moral humanity, we also lose the economic benefits that refugees and immigrants contribute.

There has been a slow strangulation of U.S. refugee resettlement programs across our nation. The carefully built capacity of these programs goes unused and unfunded. Many cities that enjoyed revitalization  through sales of houses and cars, rental of apartments, purchase of food and clothing, use of city schools and medical facilities  have experienced a downturn of their economies.

As to this administrations claim that the travel ban will make America safer, national security and foreign relations experts have warned that it has increased the possibility of a terrorist attack because it has inflamed anti-American sentiment globally and undermined key counterterrorism partnerships with other countries.

Call to Action

A ray of light is that the Supreme Court referred aspects of its decision for further inquiry to lower courts. By upholding the responsibility of the US Congress to challenge unjust policies from the executive branch, the Court washed its hands and asked Congress to step in.

We call on the courts and Congress to clearly and definitively say no to the travel ban. We call on the Congress to set the entry numbers for refugees at 75,000  back to a more normal and humane level.

We call on the Congress to press the executive office to fully staff the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), which funds and manages nine refugee resettlement support centers around the world.

Immigration is a key issue in the November mid-term elections. Lets work to have a Congress that will not be afraid to stand up to its executive, and that will put the needs of people, communities and this nation first.

Affirming Our Commitment

InterFaith Works reaffirms its commitment to refugees and to local Muslim and immigrant communities. We call upon our elected officials to help us create dialogues to find common ground across the false dichotomy that has been inflamed between security for our nation and safe passage for people who desire to become a part of our nation.

This ruling provides us an opportunity to think about who we are as Americans. We cannot surrender our individual or international moral leadership. Our power as a nation comes from our founding values and from the diversity of our people. We can do better than this.

Beth A. Broadway, Shiu-Kai Chin and Madalyn Smith

Broadway is President/CEO of InterFaith Works of CNY; Chin, PhD, is Chair, Board of Directors of InterFaith Works of CNY; Smith is Convener, Round Table of Faith Leaders of InterFaith Works of CNY

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NYE COUNTY, Nev.The Nye County Licensing and Liquor Board on Tuesday pulled brothel magnate and current Nevada State Assembly candidate Dennis Hof's license to operate his Love Ranch, which is located in the county, due to a failure to apply for its license renewal and to pay the attendant fees by the required deadline.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that this is the first time in the 10-year tenure of Nye County commissioner Lorinda Wichman, who chairs the authoritative board, that the county has completely revoked a brothel license. The news outlet also noted that Hof failed to renew the license on time last year as well, but was allowed to keep it for unspecified reasons. However, the county proceeded to suspend the license in February following disputes over illegal signs posted at the Love Ranch and purported renovations to trailers on the property.

The board approved license renewals for three other Nye County brothels on Tuesday. Hof owns five other brothels elsewhere in the state. In June, he won the primary election to become the Republican candidate for Nevada Assembly District 36, beating out three-time incumbent James Oscarson. Hof has previously blamed his tussles with the local government on Oscarson's ire over being challenged. He has no intention of giving in to political miring, though; according to the Review-Journal, when Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly showed up to the Love Ranch Tuesday with an order to close, the manager there refused to comply.

Hof faces off in November with Democratic candidate Lesia Romanov for the Assembly seat. With District 36's heavily Republican constituency, he is expected to win.

In order to continue operating the Love Ranch, Hof must file a new brothel license application with Nye County.
LOS ANGELESGetting the most out of a big business event means making sure you meet the right peoplethe ones who will help grow your business and create new opportunities. The organizers at Webmaster Access can help you make that happen with the WMA Participant Page, which lists the attendees who will be traveling to Amsterdam for the show.

Taking place September 7-10, Webmaster Access is the online adult industrys original webmaster gathering. Professionals from major companies around the globe are firming up their plans to travel to the show, and their names will appear on this page as soon as they register. And as a registered attendee, youll be able to contact them in advance and schedule meetings at the show.

Registration, sponsored by Pussycash, has been brisk for the 2018 show, so attendees can look forward to another great turnout this year.

The largest webmaster show in Europe, WMA draws more than 1,500 attendees from 30-plus countries. This year, the presenting sponsor is AgeID. Participants get access to networking events packed with decision makers from the top companies, and social events that seamlessly mix business and pleasure. And the event also offers [email protected], a programming track devoted to the LGBTQ community.

The educational program, sponsored by AVSecure, will feature a series of seminars designed to give attendees insights into evolving trends such as the emergence of cryptocurrency; the lucrative market for do-it-yourself clips; and the growth potential of artificial intelligence technology in adult.

To find out more about Webmaster Access Amsterdam, click here.

To secure a badge in advance rather than paying higher on-site registration rates, visit WebmasterAccess.com/register now.
West Sussex-based Cake Brands has expanded its frozen desserts capacity at its premises in Chichester.

The business, which manufactures under several brands including More Foods, has invested 100,000 in a new high-care (microbiologically safe) area, which is sealed off from the main bakery.

As a result, it will now produce premium-tier and indulgent dessert products, including cheesecake and tiramisu under its Sussex Bakes label, managing director Jayson Scheib told British Baker.

The move is part of a wider growth strategy for the business. Recently, Cake Brands merged More Food with its other business, Izzys Patisserie, to supply foodservice customers with bespoke frozen cheesecakes, potted desserts and sauces.

Due to the increased interest in these products, brought on by the ability of the in-house NPD team to create new and innovative products, the business saw the need to introduce a larger high-care dessert facility within the Chichester factory, Scheib said.

He added that Cake Brands has a dedicated oven that allows throughput from the main bakery into the high-care area.

We can push in a rack of sponge bases or even cheesecake and that bakes the product, which exits the oven straight into what we call our high-care dessert facility, he said.

The business, which is currently trialling new desserts, expects to be supplying the foodservice sector, including restaurants and coffee shops, over the coming weeks.
The controlling principle is that a faculty member's expression of opinion as a citizen cannot constitute grounds for dismissal unless it clearly demonstrates the faculty member's unfitness for her or her position.

Would the sacred "right of faculty members to speak as citizens-that is, 'to address the larger community with regard to any matter of social, political, economic or other interest without institutional discipline without institutional discipline or restraint'"-succumb to the dominant academic culture of microaggressions, trigger warnings and safe spaces that seeks to silence unpopular speech by deceptively recasting it as violence? In this battle, only one could prevail, for academic freedom cannot coexist with Orwellian speech police.

At last, McAdams v. Marquette University is over, and the outcome is heartening for Americans who cherish free speech and adherence to contracts. Conversely, it has those who believe that speech that ofends any politically correct sensibilities must be punished gnashing their teeth.The Martin Center has been covering this case since it broke nearly four years ago, first with this piece by one of McAdams' colleagues, Howard Kainz. To briefly recount the facts of the case, Marquette banished from campus and sought to revoke the tenure of a political science professor and terminate his employment merely because of a blog post he wrote.In that post, McAdams criticized a young faculty member, Cheryl Abbate, for the way she dismissed a student's inquiry about whether the ethics course she was teaching would cover same-sex marriage. She didn't just say no, but told him that the matter was settled, that any discussion of it in class would be regarded as homophobic harassment, and that he should drop the class if he wasn't happy.In his post , McAdams said that Abbate's response exemplified the leftist tendency to declare that positions contrary to theirs are immoral and not worth considering. Debate is therefore stifled just because an argument might hurt someone's feelings. Universities, McAdams opined, should never become so close-minded.In all probability, nothing would have come of this little dispute if McAdams' post hadn't gotten national attention. But it did, and afterward, Abbate received some nasty emails, whereupon she decided that she had grounds for a harassment complaint against him. Her complaint lit a fire under the Marquette administration, which immediately convened a Faculty Hearing Committee (FHC) to investigate the matter and recommend action against McAdams.The FHC, which contained one member who had previously expressed her hostility to McAdams, concluded that his post had violated university norms and that he should be suspended from teaching for up to two semesters. Thereupon, dean Richard Holz suspended McAdams and told him that the university intended to revoke his tenure because hisMarquette president Michael Lovell then enforced those recommended punishments and added another one of his own: Before McAdams could ever be reinstated, he would have to write a letter of apology to Abbate and the Marquette community.For its treatment of Professor McAdams, Marquette had the dubious distinction of earning a place on the list of the 10 worst schools for free speech published by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).But rather than groveling to get his job back, McAdams filed suit, arguing that Marquette's actions put it in breach of their contract. Because Marquette is a private institution, the First Amendment doesn't apply, but still, the university must live up to its agreements with faculty members. The faculty handbook provides that professors have academic freedom and, when speaking as a citizen, "should be free from institutional censorship or discipline." Thus, the Wisconsin Supreme Court's job was to decide whether McAdams' post was an exercise of academic freedom protected from censorship or discipline.What could be more central to academic freedom than writing about how courses are taught?Before getting to that question, though, the Court had to deal with the lower court's decision that Marquette's administration was entitled to deference, meaning that the judiciary should simply step aside. The majority (the Court split 4-2 with one justice not participating) brushed aside that idea by observing that nothing in the contract between the university and its faculty members said that controversies over discipline were outside the scope of judicial review. Since the parties had never agreed that in such controversies the university's decision was final, McAdams was entitled to bring his suit, the report noted Turning to the big issue-whether the blog post was a protected exercise of academic freedom-the Court wrote, citing the Association of American University Professors Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom,Marquette argued that academic freedom must be balanced againstbut the Court rejected that position:Under the university's version of academic freedom,What about the fact that McAdams' post led to some vicious criticism of Abbate? The Court replied,It refused to find McAdams responsible for what other people later did. Wisely, the Court foresaw a great erosion of academic freedom if writers always had to think,Much of the outrage over the decision is rooted in the fact that Abbate received some threatening emails following McAdams' post. But long-standing First Amendment precedents such as Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) establish that, as lawyer Hans Bader writes here Since McAdams did not intend that any violence befall Abbate (much less that any was imminent and likely), his speech should be protected. The majority was right to disregard the arguments that McAdams had to be punished because of third-party conduct.The Court concluded that Marquette had no cause to suspend McAdams and had thereby breached its contract with him. It instructed the lower court to order the university to reinstate McAdams to his faculty position, with tenure, and to determine back pay and other damages.Discussing the decision, attorney and former FIRE president David French nailed the truth: "Elite private universities-often using flowery aspirational language-promise a marketplace of ideas and then deliver less academic freedom than the community college across town." But this time, that didn't fly.The two concurring opinions are well worth reading also.Justice Daniel Kelly pointed out that Marquette's discipline system was biased because "everyone in the disciplinary process was a University employee." That sets up the age-old problems withCiting the 1987 federal case McConnell v. Howard University, Kelly wrote,Justice Rebecca Bradley's opinion elaborated on the majority's pro-speech reasoning. Showing that she is fully aware of developments on many college campuses in recent years, she wrote:Indeed so.This case serves as precedent only in the state of Wisconsin, but the Court's decision to uphold academic freedom and contractual rights of faculty in the face of administrators who want to punish professors who take the "wrong side" in heated social and political controversies may reach far beyond the borders of the Badger State. Thanks to the Court's stance, private college officials will have to think twice if they want to rid themselves of faculty members just because they've said things that annoy or offend them.
Tom Campbell

What we are currently witnessing in state government feels like watching the movie "Groundhog Day." Our legislature passes a bill, the governor vetoes it, lawmakers override the veto, then the issue goes to court. These political games of "gotcha" are a lousy way to run a government. It is time consuming, costs money (taxpayer dollars) and distracts us from issues we need to address.Why do we repeatedly go through these charades? In years past we boasted of being a "good government" state but the current rancor, hyper partisanship and political maneuvering don't come close to such a claim. What we've got resembles the childhood game we played called "King of the Mountain," where the biggest and most powerful lorded over those below.Here's what I believe most of us want. We want competitive elections where either candidate could win and the one with the best ideas prevails. Instead we get nasty elections that ignore issues and feature character assassinations. We want elected representatives who work for the common good, not for lobbyists, special interest groups or even just their own caucus. We want representatives who insist that the best legislation comes from open public hearings and compromise, where public input and amendments are allowed, not from behind closed doors by an elite few. And we're tired of tired claims that the other side did it first. We want citizen legislators for whom this isn't a career, who serve for a time, then return home to be an average citizen.Without taking sides with either political tribe or with one government branch over another there are two obvious changes that will help improve state government. The first is to return to a time when legislative leadership changed regularly. Prior to 1977, the House Speaker served only one two-year term and leadership in the Senate came from the elected Lieutenant Governor, limited to one four-year term. This practice upheld the guiding principles of our founders, who were fearful of placing too much power in too few hands. Now senior legislative leaders serve almost as long as they like.Former House Speaker Joe Mavretic makes the case.Mavretic says,Remember these powerful leaders were not elected by the majority of the 6 million voters in our state. They were chosen by a few thousand voters in a particular district, then, by whatever means they could employ, were able to convince the majority of members of the majority party in their respective chambers to give them the power.Our founders were fearful of giving the governor too much power but at least our executive is elected by all the voters. Not so with House or Senate leadership. This needs changing.The second change is to end gerrymandering, where politicians choose their voters instead of the other way around. North Carolina is not a ballot initiative state, meaning a large number of citizens are unable to force an issue to a vote. Change must be made by legislators, who obviously don't want to give up power.Here's how we get it done. When a legislative candidate asks for your vote, ask him or her to sign a pledge to set up an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission. If enough do so we can end gerrymandering, then work on terms for legislative leaders. Both will help in restore good government to our state.
In the late 2000s, keyword advertising was one of Internet Laws hottest topics. Now, not so much. Relatively few lawsuits are filed; they rarely last long in court; and most trademark owners have moved on. But in the Florida Bar, the keyword advertising debate rages on like its 2009.

If all this sounds familiar, you have a good memory. In 2013, the Florida Bar considered a proposal to ban competitive keyword advertising by lawyers. In a surprising upset, the Board of Governors narrowly rejected its standing committees recommended ban. Instead, the BOG said it is of the opinion that the purchase of ad words is permissible as long as the resulting sponsored links clearly are advertising. As I wrote at the time:

A sensible assessment of a meritless proposal. Lets hear it for small victories that preserve the status quo!

You might think this would have definitively resolved the issue. Certainly, intervening developments have reinforced the decisions correctness. The issues became so clear that in 2015 I co-authored a paper declaring the demise of battles over competitive keyword advertising by lawyers. Any residual doubt should have been extinguished when the Texas Bar decisively reached a similar conclusion in 2016, opining that:

A lawyer does not violate the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct by simply using the name of a competing lawyer or law firm as a keyword in the implementation of an advertising service offered by a major search-engine company.

Yet, here we are in 2018, and the issue has risen from the dead. In Spring 2018, for the second time, the Florida Bar considered banning competitive keyword advertising. A summary (see page 54 of the PDF):

A Florida Bar member requests an amendment to Rule 4-7.13, adding new subdivision (c) and new commentary that would state it is inherently misleading or deceptive for a lawyer to intentionally use, or arrange for the use of, the name of a lawyer not in the same firm or the name of another law firm as words or phrases that trigger the display of the lawyers advertising on the Internet or other media, including directly or through a group advertising program. For example, the proposal would ban the purchase of another lawyers name in Google adwords.

Ive been told that the Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics voted down this request by a 4-5 vote. As I said in 2013, Lets hear it for small victories that preserve the status quo!

But dont start celebrating the small victory just yet. THERE IS A ROUND 3. The committee has a new proposal based on the ethics rule against marketing the name of lawyers who arent affiliated with the firm (an anti-bait-and-switch rule normally applicable to departing attorneys). The proposal includes a ban on:

a statement or implication that another lawyer or law firm is part of, is associated with, or affiliated with the advertising law firm when that is not the case, including contact or other information presented in a way that misleads a person searching for a particular lawyer or law firm, or for information regarding a particular lawyer or law firm, to unknowingly contact a different lawyer or law firm.

plus the following commentary:

Another example of impermissible conduct is use of another lawyer or law firm name as an Internet search term that triggers the display of an advertisement that does not clearly indicate that the advertisement is for a lawyer or law firm that is not the lawyer or law firm used as the search term.

The committee will consider the third proposal at its next meeting on October 11.

Regardless of its packaging in a different part of the ethics code, this is the exact same issue the BOG addressed and rejected in 2013. And the concerns are even less meritorious now than it was in 2013. There is still no evidence that competitive keyword advertising misleads anyone; and theres growing evidence that the absence of competitive keyword advertising is far more likely to mislead consumers.

In response to the second proposal, Lyrissa Lidsky, Rebecca Tushnet, and I submitted a short letter to the Florida Bar explaining why this topic remains stupid. Our letter:

* * *

July 26, 2018

Elizabeth Clark Tarbert

Ethics Counsel

The Florida Bar

651 E. Jefferson Street

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2300

Dear Ms. Tarbert,

We write about proposed amendments to Rule 4-7.13 of the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, relating to online keyword advertising by attorneys. In 2013, two of us submitted comments on this topic. This letter supplements those comments to highlight three subsequent developments:

Competitive Keyword Advertising Cases Routinely Fail in Court.

Since 2013, the caselaw has become even clearer that competitive keyword advertising is legal. Courts now routinely reject lawsuits over competitive keyword advertising. As one court recently summarized:

Virtually no court has held that, on its own, a defendants purchase of a plaintiffs mark as a keyword term is sufficient for liability.

Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc. v. Alzheimers Foundation of America, Inc., 307 F. Supp. 3d 260, 284 (S.D.N.Y. 2018).

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agrees. It recently said that [o]ver the past decade, courts have consistently held that bidding for trademarked keywords alone is insufficient to establish a likelihood of confusion. Complaint Counsels Corrected Pre-Trial Brief and Exhibits at 53, In the Matter of 1-800 Contacts, Inc., Docket No. 9372 (filed April 3, 2017) (the FTC Brief).

The FTC Thinks Competitive Keyword Advertising Benefits Consumers.

In 2016, the FTC brought an enforcement action against 1-800 Contacts for a systematic effort to suppress competitive keyword advertising. The FTC explained that consumers not only understand that searches will bring ads from multiple companies, but have come to expect this variety. FTC Brief at 58. Indeed, the absence of competitive keyword advertising hurts consumers and competition. An FTC-commissioned study concluded that when a consumer of contact lenses is presented with only the 1-800 Contacts advertisement, that consumer is more apt to curtail her search and to settle for whatever price is offered by 1-800 Contacts. FTC Brief at 33.

Empirical Evidence Continues to Prove That Consumers Benefit from Competitive Keyword Advertising.

Since 2013, several published empirical studies have examined consumers and competitive keyword advertising. In particular, Jeffrey P. Dotson et al, Brand Attitudes and Search Engine Queries, 37 J. Interactive Mktg. 105 (2016), demonstrated that consumers conducting keyword searches using a particular brand often are not seeking only that brand. They explained that there are many reasons a user might submit a brand search query. Users who are shopping in a category are more likely to search for any brand in the category. Thus, in the context of attorney advertising, some prospective clients who know a particular lawyers brand will use that brand as a search keyword expectingand wantingto find search results for other lawyers providing similar services.

These additional developments show that competitive keyword advertising by lawyers does not mislead or harm consumers. In contrast, suppressing competitive keyword advertising will likely hurt consumers and competition. This confirms that the Florida Bar made the correct decision in 2013, and we encourage the Florida Bar to affirm its current position.

Regards,

Eric Goldman

Professor of Law and Co-Director, High Tech Law Institute

Santa Clara University School of Law

Lyrissa B. Lidsky (Florida Bar # 22373)

Dean and Judge C.A. Leedy Professor of Law

University of Missouri School of Law

Rebecca Tushnet

Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment

Harvard Law School

* * *

Google also submitted a short letter.

Lets root for the best case scenario: that the third regulatory attempt fails and the status quo prevails again. Even if that happens, what are the odds that this is the last time the Florida Bar will consider this issue?

___

More Posts About Keyword Advertising

* Another Court Says Competitive Keyword Advertising Doesnt Cause Confusion

* Competitive Keyword Advertising Doesnt Show Bad IntentONEpul v. BagSpot

* Brief Roundup of Three Keyword Advertising Lawsuit Developments

* Interesting Tidbits From FTCs Antitrust Win Against 1-800 Contacts Keyword Ad Restrictions

* 1-800 Contacts Charges Higher Prices Than Its Online Competitors, But They Are OK With ThatFTC v. 1-800 Contacts

* FTC Explains Why It Thinks 1-800 Contacts Keyword Ad Settlements Were Anti-CompetitiveFTC v. 1-800 Contacts

* Amazon Defeats Lawsuit Over Its Keyword Ad PurchasesLasoff v. Amazon

* More Evidence Why Keyword Advertising Litigation Is Waning

* Court Dumps Crappy Trademark & Keyword Ad CaseONEPul v. BagSpot

* AdWords Buys Using Geographic Terms Support Personal JurisdictionRilley v. MoneyMutual

* FTC Sues 1-800 Contacts For Restricting Competitive Keyword Advertising

* Competitive Keyword Advertising Lawsuit Will Go To A JuryEdible Arrangements v. Provide Commerce

* Texas Ethics Opinion Approves Competitive Keyword Ads By Lawyers

* Court Beats Down Another Competitive Keyword Advertising LawsuitBeast Sports v. BPI

* Another Murky Opinion on Lawyers Buying Keyword Ads on Other Lawyers NamesIn re Naert

* Keyword Ad Lawsuit Isnt Covered By Californias Anti-SLAPP Law

* Confusion From Competitive Keyword Advertising? Fuhgeddaboudit

* Competitive Keyword Advertising Permitted As Nominative UseElitePay Global v. CardPaymentOptions

* Google And Yahoo Defeat Last Remaining Lawsuit Over Competitive Keyword Advertising

* Mixed Ruling in Competitive Keyword Advertising CaseGoldline v. Regal

* Another Competitive Keyword Advertising Lawsuit FailsInfogroup v. DatabaseLLC

* Damages from Competitive Keyword Advertising Are Vanishingly Small

* More Defendants Win Keyword Advertising Lawsuits

* Another Keyword Advertising Lawsuit Fails Badly

* Duplicitous Competitive Keyword Advertising LawsuitsFareportal v. LBF (& Vice-Versa)

* Trademark Owners Just Cant Win Keyword Advertising CasesEarthCam v. OxBlue

* Want To Know Amazons Confidential Settlement Terms For A Keyword Advertising Lawsuit? Merry Christmas!

* Florida Allows Competitive Keyword Advertising By Lawyers

* Another Keyword Advertising Lawsuit Unceremoniously DismissedInfostream v. Avid

* Another Keyword Advertising Lawsuit FailsAllied Interstate v. Kimmel & Silverman

* More Evidence That Competitive Keyword Advertising Benefits Trademark Owners

* Suing Over Keyword Advertising Is A Bad Business Decision For Trademark Owners

* Florida Proposes to Ban Competitive Keyword Advertising by Lawyers

* More Confirmation That Google Has Won the AdWords Trademark Battles Worldwide

* Googles Search Suggestions Dont Violate Wisconsin Publicity Rights Law

* Amazons Merchandising of Its Search Results Doesnt Violate Trademark Law

* Buying Keyword Ads on Peoples Names Doesnt Violate Their Publicity Rights

* With Its Australian Court Victory, Google Moves Closer to Legitimizing Keyword Advertising Globally

* Yet Another Ruling That Competitive Keyword Ad Lawsuits Are StupidLouisiana Pacific v. James Hardie

* Another Google AdWords Advertiser Defeats Trademark Infringement Lawsuit

* With Rosetta Stone Settlement, Google Gets Closer to Legitimizing Billions of AdWords Revenue

* Google Defeats Trademark Challenge to Its AdWords Service

* Newly Released Consumer Survey Indicates that Legal Concerns About Competitive Keyword Advertising Are Overblown
The story of Tahlequah is tragic and heartbreaking but serves to remind us we must keep up the fight to save whales whenever, and wherever, we can. Photo by iStockphoto

622 shares







The images of the orca Tahlequah keeping her dead calf afloat in Puget Sound while trying to keep pace with the other members of her pod have moved millions worldwide. The calf died on July 24 just half an hour after being born, raising not just global sympathy for Tahlequahs grief but deeper concern about her particular killer whale population, which has not produced a successful pregnancy in three years. These well-studied animals, just 75 in number now, are in serious trouble. Their main source of foodChinook salmonis also struggling to recover. A recent study of Tahlequahs orca population found that two-thirds of the orcas pregnancies failed between 2007 and 2014, likely due to multiple stressors on the females.

Earlier this year, Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced his decision to convene a task force to assess the factors that have depleted this populationcalled the southern resident populationand to recommend action. Tahlequahs story raises the pressure for action, and that task force has some pretty big issues to consider, including prey availability, toxic pollution, and noise and vessel traffic disturbanceand perhaps even destruction of dams on the Snake River to promote a healthy and robust salmon population.

But a few weeks ago, it was another whale that captured our attention, a whale harpooned by commercial whalers in Iceland who, in the moments following the kill, proudly posed for photographs in the manner of hunters standing next to their trophy animals. Experts viewed the animal and saw what appeared to be a blue whalea very rare and highly protected speciesand not a fin whale, the species that Iceland has issued itself a quota for in defiance of the global moratorium on whaling (the whalers have since claimed that it was a hybrid).

Icelands current law on whaling is set to expire later this year and this latest incident has once again focused the worlds attention on this international outlier. A rapidly shrinking minority of Icelanders supports commercial whaling. The industrys economic significance is minuscule, it mostly benefits one company with one owner, and more and more Icelanders believe that it damages the international reputation of their country. They are right.

These two incidents have drawn international attention and we must seize these painfulbut powerfulmoments to make the case for whales whenever and wherever we can. In just a few weeks, the International Whaling Commission will meet in Florianopolis, Brazil. We are sending a global team to defend our pro-whale agenda, and well join with other international partners to fight any proposals to scuttle the global ban on commercial whaling.

Commercial whaling is a fight for animals weve been waging for decades, and were not going to give the whaling nations of Iceland, Japan, and Norway any quarterin Brazil or anywhere else on earthwhen it comes to the defense of these majestic marine mammals. As Tahlequahs story reminds us, the life of every whale counts.
Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH mischievous little Donald and his spunky imaginary publicist John find themselves in trouble after they conspire with a foreign hostile nation against the United States.

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 fail to join Tom the Dancing Bug's INNER HIVE!

More Tom the Dancing Bug comics on Boing Boing!
The AP:

Man who jumped out of freezer and died was cold-case suspect.

A man who jumped out of a freezer and threatened employees with a knife at a New York City brunch spot and then died was a suspected cold-case killer who had just been released from jail in Boston, authorities revealed on Monday.

Carlton Henderson screamed "Away from me, Satan!" as he rushed out of the walk-in freezer at Sarabeth's on Manhattan's Upper West Side Sunday morning, police said. Kitchen employees stripped away the knife and took him to the floor, police said, and he went into cardiac arrest. Henderson was facing murder charges in the 1988 shooting deaths of 26-year-old William Medina and 22-year-old Antonio Dos Reis.
Marine biologist Greg Skomal got quite a scare while doing shark research off the coast of Cape Cod. While standing out at the end of a research vessel's pulpit, a shark breached out of the ocean directly under him. He yelled, "Did you see that?! Did you see that?! It came right up and opened its mouth right at my feet!" Skomal works for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and was out filming sharks, using a GoPro camera attached to a long pole, for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

While out on research trips, we've seen white sharks breach and we've received multiple reports of breaching white sharks this year from fishermen and boaters. While encounters like this one are rare, this video shows that they're certainly possible. White sharks are wild and unpredictable animals. This is a good reminder of the importance of not becoming complacent and always staying vigilant when in or on the water.

Thanks, Swainer!
In a small village in Michigan, you can catch a ride in the "Amish Uber."

This new-fangled horse-and-buggy ride service was started by Timothy Hochstedler, a resident of Colon, Michigan.

Local21new.com:

"Uber is a cool thing, every single year something new comes in and Uber is hot right now, so we have the Amish Uber. We can deliver people to their front door steps," Hochstedler said.

A ride in the "Amish Uber" costs just five bucks. But, you'll have to flag Hochstedler down to get one because he doesn't actually work for Uber.
Remember last week when we told you that there was some jibba-jabba about the possibility of Brazil sliding back into being a military dictatorship? According to Reuters, far-right leaning presidential candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, has named a retired general as his running mate in the nation's upcoming elections. Here's the shit-and-giggle part: the general in question is Antonio Hamilton Mourao. He's the same fella that told the media that there was a possibility of there being a military coup if the Brazilian government didn't get its shit together.

From Reuters:

Bolsonaro, running as a candidate for the small Social Liberty Party (PSL), has pegged much of his candidacy on controversial remarks, whether defending of the past military dictatorship or suggesting acts of violence against homosexuals. In an interview last year with Reuters, the candidate for the Social Liberty Party (PSL) played down Mourao's remarks. "It was just a warning. Nobody wants to seize power that way," Bolsonaro said. "Maybe we could have a military man winning in 2018, but through elections." Bolsonaro had struggled to find a running mate as other parties tried to distance themselves from his controversial comments. Other proposed vice presidential candidates  including another general, an astronaut and a sitting senator  ultimately fell through.

Encouraging acts of violence against homosexuals and propping up the deeds of a past dictatorship. I can't imagine why Bolsonaro was having problems finding a running mate.

Unfortunately, as we've learned over the past few years, having no moral compass or compassion for minorities won't stop a dangerous bully or a dictator from coming to power during an election year.

Image via Wikipedia
A kindly sheriff's deputy in Clare County, Michigan kept her community safe by locking up an 80-year-old woman who had a small amount of marijuana and an expired medical cannabis note. The senior uses weed to relieve her arthritis, diverticulitis, muscle, and bone pain.

From Marijuana Moment:

Saltzman had been a medical cannabis patient for about four years when Clare County Sheriff's Deputy Ashley Gruno visited Saltzman's home at around 9 p.m. on June 13.

According to court records, Deputy Gruno was there to locate Saltzman's great-granddaughter, who had lost her phone and ID, when she smelled marijuana while on Saltzman's porch.

Saltzman told the deputy the marijuana was hers. She also revealed that while she was a licensed medical marijuana patient, she had let her recommendation expire.

The officer seized "several pipes, four joints and one purple jar" with less than an eighth of an ounce of cannabis, Saltzman said.

The deputy then searched the octogenarian's bedroom, handcuffed her and took her off to jail for the night, where cold conditions severely aggravated her arthritis, she said.
When we worry about free speech, we mostly worry about governments suppressing speech, not private actors. It's one thing to say that the US government shouldn't have the ability to arbitrarily censor some speech, but it's another altogether to say, that, for example, Boing Boing shouldn't be able to kick jerks off its message boards  that has as much to do with "compelled publication" as it does with "free speech."

But that's not the end of the story, because the world isn't composed of the giant governments of the world, controlling massive public spheres in which civic discourse is transacted, and millions of small private spaces of relatively equal standing, where conversations also take place.

Instead, our online world has almost no public spaces  that is, spaces for discourse that are controlled by the US government and subject to First Amendment protection  and a tiny handful of incredibly large, powerful companies control the vast majority of our civic discourse online. These companies operate "at scale" which means that they have a very low ratio of customer-service reps to users, and that means that nearly all of their decisions about who can speak, and what can be said, are made in secret, often by algorithms, with no appeal and no way to even get a human to explain what's happened to you.

That's why it's worrying that Facebook and Twitter have (for example) purged millions of "bots" (who sometimes weren't bots) and "extremists" (who were sometimes just people who were discussing or opposing extremism) and "inauthentic content" (which was sometimes very authentic indeed).

Not because this violates the First Amendment, and not because the strict First Amendment rules should necessarily apply to private actors, even very, very large ones  but because when the majority of our civic discourse is regulated by unaccountable algorithms and unaccountable moderators working for giant monopolistic companies, that has real, inarguable free speech implications.





The reality is that Alex Jones' exile from the big platforms is significant because, without their backing, his ability to reach his audience will be very severely curtailed. That's OK with me as a kind of utilitarian matter, because Jones is a terrible person who victimized some of the most traumatized people in America, families of murdered children, in order to sell quack vitamin supplements. So, yeah, fuck that guy.

But the very significance of this should be a wake-up call to all of us. Because, of course, rich and powerful people are better at navigating the rules of the big platforms than random users  or, more to the point, marginalized, at risk people.

Just look at Cambodia, where the local brutal dictator has mastered the rules of Facebook that are supposed to prevent harassment by forcing users to go by their real names. In Cambodia, dissidents have two choices: go by their real names on the platforms and risk being arrested and tortured, or stay silent. There just isn't any way to reach the Cambodian population if you aren't on Facebook, and the local autocrat will get you booted from Facebook if you don't use your real name.





Which means that even if Facebook's censorship isn't a legal problem, it's surely a moral one.

So yeah, it's hilarious that Alex Jones's own Infowars website has terms of service that say "If you violate these rules, your posts and/or user name will be deleted. It is not censorship if you violate the rules and your post is deleted. All civilizations have rules and if you violate them you can expect to be ostracized from the tribe" and yet they're crying censorship.





And no, it's not the case that "first they came for the awful conspiracy-theorist vitamin huxters and I said nothing and then they came for me." But not because the excision of Alex Jones from public discourse isn't cause for concern, but rather, because Jones is just the latest person to disappear from public view because the platforms get to decide who is and isn't visible to the world. As Jillian York wrote, "If there is a slippery slope of platform censorship, it didn't start with Infowars. It started with the Moroccan atheists, the trans models, the drag performers, the indigenous women" York continues "On a personal level, so am I [OK with Jones's removal]. But I'm not okay with all of the decisions that came before it (the ones cited in that tweet) and I don't see tech corporations as liberal when they police women's bodies as they do."

(Image: Michael R Zimmermann , CC-BY-SA
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor necessarily reflects their views. From shopping online to starting our cars from our phones, we do lots of things differently these days. Even something as simple as taking a puff looks completely different than it used to. READ THE REST
Unless I'm in a cafe, hotel or staying at someone's home I connect to the internet over a tethered connection to my smartphone. I've got an unlimited data planbut only the first five gigabytes of information that I send or receive is at LTE speeds. After that, things turn slow as molasses flowing uphill in January. To try and keep my data useage under control and, thus, my speeds higher for as long as possible, I use an application called TripMode 2. It's available for MacOS and Windows ten and, priced at eight bucks, it's ridiculously inexpensive to purchase a copy.

Once installed, TripMode is stupid easy to use. Activate the app, locate it in your Menu Bar (MacOS) and click it to get at its drop-down menu. There you'll see every piece of software on your computer that's begging for access to the interwebz. If you're not using the apps you see on the list, de-select the check mark next to it. Boom, they're cut off from using your tethered device's data. You'll note that at the bottom of the list, you can see how much data you've used since you started your session, during the course of a day, month or year. If you're on a plan with limited data, having that information is pure gold.

Best of all, when you're not using it, TripMode 2 can easy be shut off. It's easily up there with Scrivener, ProtonMail Bridge and Adobe Lightroom as one of the most important bits of software that I use on a regular basis.
Lifestyle / Travel and Tourism

by Agencies

Politicians must accept last week's controversial election results, which saw Emmerson Mnangagwa elected leader of Zimbabwe after serving as interim president since November last year - and shift focus to the future of the country. One such area, which boasts multiple opportunities, is the tourism sector. According to an analysis by African Sun Limited, Zimbabwe is currently ranked 117th in most likely travel destinations in the world as compared to South Africa which ranks 60th.According to Rishabh Thapar, Associate Director at global hospitality consultancy, HVS Africa, the new government/president has the responsibility of building up the economy, which is not going to be an instant fix. "The country, which is under severe external debt, needs to be able to gain access to credit. The government would need to create favourable policies, stamp out corruption and create/revive its own currency  this requires their undivided focus," says Thapar. He adds that tourism could play a massive role in this effort.He believes that one of the major plans for the new government should be to restore financial and political stability by involving its skilled workforce in national building programmes and schemes. "More than three million Zimbabweans are estimated to be living outside their country, having left the country for better economic prospects during the last two decades. This accomplished workforce with their experience of living abroad would certainly play a crucial role in the rise of Zimbabwe if they were to return to their country," says Thapar. He explains that a phase of restoring confidence among its citizens and the international community could usher an era of increased domestic and foreign investment and growth which perhaps has remained stunted for a better part of two decades."Tourism policies and infrastructure can create massive opportunities for an economy. Not only through job creation and direct/indirect income from tourism activities but also creating opportunity for interaction and business avenues," says Thapar. "According to World Travel and Tourism Council, while the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Zimbabwe's GDP was 3.5%, the total contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP - including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income impacts  was over 8% in 2016 and 2017."According to Thapar, most travel itineraries in Southern Africa do not explore Zimbabwe's tourist attractions beyond the famed Victoria Falls. "This presents an opportunity. Zimbabwe has abundant natural attractions such as Nyanga National Park, Matopos National Park, Hwange National Park, Lake Kariba, The Great Zimbabwean Ruins and Chinhoyi Caves, which all need to be promoted and established into itineraries and tourism circuits," says Thapar. He recommends that a masterplan for all these destinations is developed to enhance the tourist's experience and ultimately increase the length of stay in the country.While the plan should focus on airlines, connectivity, hotels and tourism infrastructure/activities, Thapar concludes that the government would also need to invest into building a long-term tourism policy for preservation and conservation while providing incentives for private investments.
News / National

by AP

Zimbabwean security forces and unidentified gunmen have beaten and harassed dozens of people in a crackdown on the political opposition following a disputed election, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.The allegation contradicts assertions by the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa that it has abandoned the state-sponsored violence and intimidation associated with the rule of former leader Robert Mugabe. It comes after soldiers last week opened fire on rioters, protesters and bystanders in Harare, an opposition stronghold. Six people were killed.Human Rights Watch said it had documented "numerous cases" of soldiers beating up people in some Harare bars and restaurants since the August 1 shootings. The military accused the people of undermining Mnangagwa because most votes in the Zimbabwean capital went to the opposition, according to the international rights group.The group also reported a case in which six masked men broke into the house of a youth leader of the opposition, beat up some people and abducted two men."The masked men put the abducted men in a white double-cab truck and drove them to a secluded place along Masvingo road, then beat and kicked them for an hour before releasing them," said Human Rights Watch, which documented similar cases elsewhere.Sibusiso Moyo, Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister and a retired army general, denied allegations that soldiers are beating people, reported The Herald, a state-run newspaper."All what we are realizing is that there is a lot of misinformation that is coming out from social media," Moyo told ambassadors and others in Harare on Monday, according to The Herald.He said the military is "a well-trained and very disciplined force" that at one point "took over the responsibility of policing," a reference to the military takeover in November that led to the resignation of 94-year-old Mugabe after 37 years in power.Also on Tuesday, 27 opposition activists who were arrested for allegedly inciting violence in Harare last week were released on bail.The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said Mnangagwa, who was a longtime enforcer for Mugabe, and the ruling party won the country's July 30 election. Mnangagwa has urged the opposition to join him in rebuilding the country's shattered economy, but the main opposition party alleges that the election results were rigged.
News / National

by Staff reporter

MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa is facing increasing isolation after being dumped by a team of scholars he had roped in as advisors and also by close lieutenants who are not happy with his failure to furnish them with the evidence he claimed to have to support his rigging claims.A source close to developments said Mr Chamisa, who has been cutting a lone figure at his daily Press conferences, was now reconsidering his militant position and had sent emissaries to the Presidency in a bid to establish contact."What has happened is that all the scholars who were working with Chamisa have either left the country in a huff or have gone underground," said a source at Harvest House."In the case of Komichi and Sibanda, the spokesperson, there is a very strong case against them related to contempt charges because when ZEC sits it sits like a court so the fact of storming ZEC was contemptuous," MDC Chamisa faction national chairman Mr Morgan Komichi with Chamisa spokesman Dr Nkululeko Sibanda in tow stormed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) national command centre as the Presidential elections were being announced and took the microphone to announce that they were not accepting the results."In respect of lawyers who were backing Chamisa in the hope of election-plenty, they are now facing a grim professional future."Hard statements were made against the entire bench, which is not amused."Politically partisan positions were taken as if there were no practicing duties the morning after. In desperation the lawyers so affected have signalled distress by communicating their desire to dissociate themselves from the losing candidate in order to go back to quiet practice," the source said added.What has made the lawyers position more untenable, the source said, was that not only is the MDC-Alliance case frivolous and vexatious in the absence of the V11 forms, but very senior lawyers within the Alliance had not been favoured with evidence that goes towards making a good case for the planned court challenge."When they challenged the MDC-Alliance leader to provide them with evidence, they were branded Zanu-PF agents," the source said. According to the source Alliance Principal Tendai Biti, who was on the run, has been asking for some kind of reprieve so that he gets back to normal life as a lawyer and parliamentarian.Biti is reported to be worried that should he be convicted for wilfully violating the Electoral Act, he would lose his parliamentary seat and the tantalising prospect of being the leader of the opposition in Parliament. Some senior members of the MDC-Alliance with a legal grounding are reported to be so agitated that they are accusing Chamisa of wanting to 'die with the party' which they built over the years."Chamisa at this stage is ripe for shaking," said the source."However, the young man is not waiting to be eaten instead he is reconsidering his militant position as well as his legal options, and this is prompted by lukewarm statements from the West which he hoped would give him a new lease of life politically," Yesterday, the EU released a statement which called for investigations into the violence, hooliganism and shootings that occurred last week when MDC youths youth ran riot in Harare."Such an inquiry," the source said, "is highly unlikely to leave Chamisa unscathed given his pre-election bellicosity."At the heart of the Western ambivalence is the Alliance's unexpected embrace of former president Mr Robert Mugabe, a figure who stinks in western nostrils.Mr Chamisa's association with Mugabe has alienated both the West as well as leading personages in the MDC-Alliance among them party secretary-general Mr Douglas Mwonzora. In light of the net desertions, the crackdown on suspected hooligans, The Herald claims it has it on good authority that Mr Chamisa has been trying various avenues of re-opening communication lines with President-elect Mnangagwa and Government."He has sought to send some diplomats to reach out, he has approached church leaders, again to reach out, but more significantly he has sent distress calls to the Presidency looking for some contact," the source said.Mr Chamisa is reported to be running against time given that the window on electoral challenges closes on Thursday and SADC is set to meet for its 38th Summit in Windhoek in a little over a week."His isolation is now complete and if Komichi, Sibanda and Biti are arrested, it means he is virtually by himself. In the case of Coltart, nothing much is coming from him except Twitter support and even then Coltart has lost status within the white community which now regards him as senselessly headstrong. The little leadership position he wielded has been lost to Eddie Cross who commands the ear of the white community," said the source.A SADC diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mr Chamisa had dug himself into a hole."There is very little sympathy for Chamisa not so much as an individual, but as a tendency within the opposition. A few SADC countries, including South Africa, are set to hold their elections next year."Even Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is also holding its elections next year. African governments are keen to send a very clear message against losers who are not graceful and Zimbabwe's experience comes at an opportune moment for them. Looking into the crystal ball, one sees SADC passing a resolution which will embrace the electoral process in Zimbabwe, but also decry opposition-induced electoral violence. Once that happens, it means Chamisa will be left with an ambivalent Western voice, in which case, the Alliance will go back to its old image as a western political construct," the envoy said.President-elect Mnangagwa yesterday met a representative delegation of African diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe who were accompanied by their counterparts from Asia and the Americas. They all congratulated the President-elect on his victory saying they had lessons to learn from Zimbabwe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T has joined hands with Zanu-PF to castigate MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa for rejecting the presidential results, accusing him of being selfish, violent and backward.Party spokesperson Linda Masarira, who had a poor run in Harare Central constituency and lost to an MDC Alliance candidate has condemned Chamisa, saying his move to dispute the results was without merit and devoid of evidence."I have it on good authority that the alliance has no proof whatsoever of the alleged vote-rigging. Zim needs development, sustainable human development and economic freedom, not cheap political bantering for political expediency," she said.In a separate statement, Khupe also accused Chamisa of engaging in brinkmanship politics."Initial reports suggest that this unwarranted loss of lives was a result of a combination of fatal force on civilians by the security services and reckless political brinkmanship by a formation which believes in using violence as a means of political gains," Khupe said.Khupe, who felt she was the heir apparent following the death of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February, said she was still unhappy with Chamisa, who pulled the rug from under her feet to claim leadership of the party.The acrimony between the two saw Khupe being fired from both the party and Parliament by Chamisa, drawing battlelines which appear to have been settled through the general elections, where Chamisa got more than two million votes and Khupe got less than spoilt paper ballots in her final tally.Khupe called on Zimbabweans to move on after the elections."We are saying let us reunite as nation and move our country forward and this is our message to every Zimbabwean. For the sake of moving this country forward, it is important for us political parties to come together and put our hands together, our minds together and make sure that we move this country forward for the sake of every Zimbabwean," Khupe said.She said President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa should call all the presidential candidates together and map the way forward.
News / National

by Staff reporter

UNCERTAINTY has gripped a number of Zanu-PF party supporters employed as casual workers at the MDC Alliance-dominated Marondera Municipality after they received text messages advising them not to report for work on Monday.The move came after the ruling party lost massively to the MDC Alliance, which claimed 11 out of the 12 contested wards.The casual workers were engaged in 2013 when Zanu-PF took control of the municipality.Outgoing workers' committee chairperson Kennedy Muraicho confirmed the development."I heard that some workers received messages that they should not report for work. However, I heard that a dialogue was held and that a consensus has been reached to the effect that they should continue working," he said.A worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed receiving a text message and said they had since been advised to report for work by their party superiors."I got a text message on Monday morning to the effect that we should not report to work. However, today (yesterday), our ward councillor said there is nothing like that and that we should resume working," the worker said.Re-elected ward 7 councillor, Dominic Matangira, said the previous council resolved to trim the number of voluntary workers who were gobbling thousands of dollars in wages monthly."At first, we wanted to have 93 voluntary workers who are paid $4 per day. We did this under the food for work mantra, but the numbers ballooned to hundreds such that they gobbled around $80 000 per month. The voluntary workers outnumbered those on contracts, hence we resolved to trim the number," Matangira said."These voluntary workers report to their ward councilors, not to council."Efforts to get a comment from Marondera town clerk Josiah Musuwo and chamber secretary Munashe Nyamuzihwa were fruitless yesterday.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

There was drama at Chirundu Border Post as former finance minister and MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti evaded arrest and sought asylum in neighbouring Zambia on Wednesday.Biti is wanted by authorities on charges of organising last week's opposition protests that turned deadly after the military was called in and used live ammunition, killing at least six civilians.The embattled top opposition leader was saved from arrest by Zimbabweans who were queuing for immigration formalities when some detectives tried to arrest him.This is according to a memorandum from the Central Investigations Department (CID) Chirundu addressed to the District Central Intelligence Officer for the area and copied to Harare CID, dated 8 August 2018.Biti is said to have taken advantage of that Zimbabwe has a One Stop Border Post with Zambia situated on the northern neighbour's soil.He reportedly arrived at the border in a vehicle driven by one Tawanda Blessing Chitekwe and two other unidentified men before the drama that sucked in Zimbabwean travellers."Upon arrival at the border, which is geographically located across the Zambezi River on the Zambian soil, the wanted person then gave a Zambian agent their passports who avoided Zimbabwe immigration formalities and presented the passports to Zambian Immigration officials."The Zambian Immigration official grabbed the passports and informed Zimbabwe Immigration officials by the name Shingirai Chimedza about the issue since Zambia Immigration was aware that accused Tendai Luxton Biti was wanted in Zimbabwe," the memo reads in part.CID officers manning the vehicle clearance desk on the Zambian side were also notified about the issue and they sought for reinforcement from the station and security details from the intelligence to effect Biti's arrest."The accused person and his associates were approached and he strongly resisted arrest arguing that he was protected by International law since he had already crossed the Zambezi river and was in the process of applying for asylum."He went further to state that police officers had no right to interview him on foreign soil hence all the accused persons refused to furnish their full particulars," the police document further reveals."At the same time, Tendai Luxton Biti shouted on top of his voice saying he was being abducted and called for assistance from Zimbabwean travellers going to Zambia numbering approximately 300 people."According to the memo, a fracas ensued in which travellers "joined in and refrained (sic) security agents as they were effecting arrest on the accused person and his associates"."Since there was commotion, Zambia authorities joined in and assisted Zimbabwe authorities and took the accused person and his associates to immigration offices, Zambia."The Zambian state agents then had an interview with the wanted person and his associates. They ordered the Zimbabwe security agents not to enter their office," added the memorandum.After consultation the notice reveals that Zambian authorities stopped their Zimbabwean counterparts from arresting Biti."The Zambian authorities being led by number 10961 Detective Inspector Mwaba who is the Officer-In-Charge CID Chirundu Zambia without considering the Chirundu One Stop Border Post concept then threatened Zimbabwe authorities with arrest for executing their mandate on Zambian soil."The Zambian authorities then refused to hand over the accused persons citing that they wanted to consult with the superiors in Lusaka, Zambia since the accused person had indicated that they were running away from political persecution," said the Zimbabwean official.The Zambians also refused to attend a joint security meeting by officials from both countries to discuss the matter proposed by the Zimbabwean officials."A team of Zambia Para Military Troop armed with AK 47 Rifles came to the border and escorted the accused person, his associates and the Toyota Hilux vehicle which had not been tendered for clearance by Zambia Police Service, Chirundu," the memo reveals.
News / Religion

by Stephen Jakes

Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has thanked the Beitbridge electorate especially these who voted for MRP."We value your votes and your faith in entrusting us with your political destiny. We would like to assure you that it was not a wasted vote but a mandate that gives us power to do more to ensure that your expectations are meet at all cost, whether we are in the Zimbabwean Parliament or not," said the party."On the 25th of July the Union of Mthwakazi Parliament was launched to ensure that our concerns as the people of Beitbridge West and Mthwakazi at large are addressed. We encourage all our members and supporters to be unshakable as we stand together against the evil system that seeks to benefit and thrive at our cost. We encourage our people to stand up and register for their membership of the party by securing membership cards. Let's all assume the responsibility to liberate ourselves, and never feel comfortable of being slaves to Harare political parties.""We would want to make it known and clear to the winning thieves that the days of sleeping on duty are over. We encourage the people of Beitbridge West to work with team MRP to make our oppression a thing of the past."The party said those of you who will be sidelined by these election thieves on issues of development, social and economic benefits, because of your political affiliation, feel free to contact us on 0777394186 so that they deal with it accordingly, as it is tantamount to human rights abuse."Remain fearless, focused, determined and commited to liberate ourselves," said MRP.
Opinion / Columnist

On the eve of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)'s announcement of the outcome of the contested presidential results, Harare's central business district was barely recognisable, yet familiar, as it bore a semblance to the kind of violence incited during the Robert Mugabe era.A soldier fires live rounds at protesters in Harare on Wednesday last weekOn the afternoon of August 1, six people were killed and several others seriously injured by the Zimbabwean National Army (ZNA)  a prime branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces  who fired live bullets on unarmed civilians.This was done in plain sight of the international media  some of whom were targeted  and a stone's throw from international observers, who had just cautiously approved the harmonised election. On that fatal afternoon  which can be viewed as Zimbabwe's Marikana moment  familiar feelings of hopelessness, fear and intimidation, which had been compartmentalised by most Zimbabweans in the run-up to the election, resurfaced.In response to this, the Public of Order and Security Act (Posa) of 2002, which limited citizens' freedom, was immediately invoked. Adding to this, the harassment of international media by riot police on August 3 while trying to cover the MDC Alliance's Press conference at a Harare hotel highlighted tensions in the aftermath of the announcement of the presidential result.Moreover, on the evening of August 3, reports emerged of continued army intimidation in high-density suburbs such as Chitungwiza and Kuwadzana. These events, coupled by the police surrounding the home of the mother of Tendai Biti, a senior member of the MDC Alliance, revealed the state of dysfunction that the country had fallen into.The events of August 1, and those that followed, unearthed the painful reminder to citizens that though the face of the tyrannical system had been removed in November 2017, the disposal of the systemic carcass was going to be a larger task than had been originally conceived by the ordinary person.Merely staging elections and awaiting a credible outcome had proven inadequate in reversing the omnipresent structural violence and subsequent trauma experienced by the people of Zimbabwe.Suppressed memories of physical and systemic violence, though compartmentalised by most citizens as remnants of the Mugabe era, while imagining the prospects of a new Zimbabwe envisioned for the post-electoral period, reared their ugly head once more to haunt citizens in the present.It was a painful reminder that the country's euphoria in the immediate period after the end of the Mugabe era was premature. This state of hope only compartmentalised the trauma and pain that needed to be revisited and unreservedly addressed if the country was to break the cyclical patterns of trauma. The task of rebuilding the emotional health of the nation is paramount.Understanding traumaThe state of affairs in Zimbabwe cannot be addressed without examining the legacy of citizens' trauma and state denialism, as these factors continue to affect ordinary life on the ground.Unaddressed issues  ranging from a lack of access to basic human rights such as housing, education, fresh running water and healthcare, to the systemic violence and pillaging of resources that has left the country's economy in tatters, forcing many to seek opportunities elsewhere and often tearing families apart  continue to shape the realities of Zimbabweans. For almost four decades, these triggers, encased in fear and despondence, have rendered Zimbabwe a traumatised nation.Trauma as a term is often subject to loose interpretation and application. It is, however, centred around violent or shocking events in life which stay as subconscious reminders for victims and possibly their offspring, as well as the broader society. The cyclical engagement of trauma through conscious and unconscious triggers is one which is necessary to understand the relationship between historical and structural trauma  the direct and socialised forms of trauma respectively, that haunt experiences at individual, collective and inter-subjective levels of human engagement.Socialised traumas manifest through silent narratives, which continue to be preserved by the transferral of repeated historical traumas or triggers of physical violence or systemic provocation. It is then mirrored in the lives of subsequent generations and can, thus, be found in varying forms throughout all sectors of society. The anxiety faced in structural trauma reverts to the fear of reliving historical trauma.For Zimbabwe, the fear of historical trauma renders itself not a distant event, but a part of everyday lived experiences. Historical trauma has, thus, become naturalised into society and remains omnipresent. The election was a time to mend this. Riding on the re-energising of ousting Mugabe, Zimbabweans took to the polls on July 30 in order to vote for change and begin the process of undoing the historical trauma they continue to face.Dangers and consequencesThe post-electoral violence experienced in Zimbabwe revealed the dangers of plastering over the mythical narrative of peace during the elections. There is no true peace in the presence of a volatile and traumatised State. Even if the election results were not contested, the silencing of the lived realities would have produced an unsustainable negative peace.Memory does not forget subconsciously placed trauma  particularly when the oppressor bears a familiar face. Zimbabweans cannot afford to keep letting "bygones be bygones" and heed calls to accept the election if the anxiety of possible further trauma exists.Worse still, acts of violence committed since Zimbabweans went to the polls further confirm their suspicions that the same violence is being carried over from the Mugabe era.Events served as an unmasking of a military outside the barracks thwarting prospects of change and exposed the realities of the November 2017 intervention. If Mnangagwa and the acting government keep bringing armed forces to the fore, the people of Zimbabwe will not accept his incoming government.Moreover, the international broadcasting of events on the ground coupled with the use of social media to swiftly disseminate unbiased information taints Mnangagwa's peace and unity rhetoric that has been heard over the past few days. Triggers of violence experienced in other countries become relatable to those within the Zimbabwean situation, causing apathy and mistrust even within the international community that the president so desperately needs to prove himself to.Looking aheadRegardless of the outcome of the MDC Alliance's contestation of the presidential result, there needs to be a follow-up on the violations of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission's peace pledge signed by all political parties and candidates on June 26, 2018. It is time for Zimbabweans to hold accountable those that pledged to refrain from and disassociate themselves from "violence, coercion, intimidation and any other electoral malpractices", yet violated that pledge.This remains as an immediate bone of contention in the post-electoral period, which need to be thoroughly investigated by relevant bodies and revealed to the public. If left unaddressed, the consequences shall be an apathetic citizenry that defaults to managing their socialised trauma possibly causing, among other ripple effects, further brain drain from the southern African nation. The result will be a lack of trust in leadership should the situation continue, thus causing an even bigger problem for legitimacy.Those in charge have, from August 1, and the days which ensued, shown that efforts to sanitise themselves and legitimise their ascension to power through the denied military coup of November 2017 are yet to be given credence. Should the elected government seek legitimacy, the post-electoral violence that ensued from the fateful afternoon of 1 August will have to be dealt with delicately.Here, discrepancies between section 37 of the Constitution, which the police used to justify military intervention contrary to section 213, which dictates circumstances ("only the president, as commander-in-chief of the defence forces"), under which the ZNA can be deployed must be clarified and answers must be given to the people.In addition, the role of civil society organisations remains critical to upholding accountability and in lobbying for unbiased inquiry where the rule of law should be respected regarding Zimbabweans' constitutional rights to life, to congregate, and other such freedoms.Parallel with this, the army should be sent back to the barracks to legitimise a civilian government rather than a military one. Should these immediate points of contention remain unaddressed, they will continue to overshadow Mnangagwa's presidency, both at home and abroad.-----Mandipa Ndlovu writes in her personal capacity
Opinion / Columnist

Recent developments in the Zimbabwean electoral cycles have once again demonstrated the important role that peasants play in determining the country's future.Zimbabwe has a total of 63 districts, of which 58 are rural, thereby giving a percentage figure of 92%.Given the above statistics, it is evident that the rural vote has the final say on who constitutes the country's leadership and national government.The bulk of rural Zimbabwe is divided into mainly communal and resettlement areas that are under the jurisdiction of chieftainships established under the Chiefs and Headmen Act [Chapter 29:01].An in-depth analysis of the rural vote is, therefore, necessary to help ascertain driving factors in critical decision-making processes such as elections.The rural vote is fundamentally influenced by food security and access to and benefit from the land.Economic demise, coupled with the erosion of social safety nets, continue to play a central role in the vote-exchange market.Faced with imminent hunger and food insecurity, the rural folks exchange their vote for buckets of maize and fertiliser distributed by the State on a partisan scale.Voting for any institution other than the ruling party is equated to "biting the hand that feeds you".The nexus between land and the vote can only be undermined at one's peril, as the former carries the propensity to determine who leads.The land ownership matrix entails a complex background of interactions between social, cultural and political factors that are pivotal in determining the outcome of an election.When traditional leaders (chiefs), who are the custodians of the land, turn partisan, the rural populace has no option, but to follow suit so as to guarantee tenure and access to land.Most of the government's food and agricultural aid reach their intended beneficiaries through lists compiled by village heads and this system of selection disenfranchises opposition sympathisers.State-party conflation has cascaded down to village development structures that have been turned into quasi-party configurations.Lack of clear separation between these structures creates room for intolerance and intimidation, resulting in strong inclination of voters towards the ruling party.Over the past few years, land reform has radically reconfigured the rural landscape.New resettlement areas make up nearly a quarter of the land area of the country.Without official entitlements to the land, resettled farmers are indirectly coerced to vote in exchange for tenure.A total of three resettlement wards in Matobo district, namely wards 23, 24 and 25, had councillors who were duly elected unopposed in the recently-held elections, a clear indication of a Zanu-PF hegemony.Historically, rural Zimbabwe has been a target of election violence, where innocent villagers were tortured, kidnapped and gruesomely murdered, as the ruling party sought to cling onto power during Robert Mugabe's era.Matabeleland region, particularly Matabeleland South province, faced the worst forms of atrocities between 1982 and 1987 when the Mugabe-led Zanu party unleashed violence on a genocidal scale, exterminating over 20 000 lives in the process.An elite unit of the army, notoriously known as the Fifth Brigade, was trained and deployed in the region to carry out the atrocities.The return of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was one of the chief architects of Gukurahundi, as a presidential candidate could have possibly led to a vote cast in fear.Fear among the rural electorate has been compounded by the militarisation of the State since the forceful takeover that ushered Mnangagwa into power in November last year.The army was also instrumental in the violence that characterised the 2008 elections, where thousands of opposition sympathisers in rural Mashonaland were beaten and mutilated.As the adage goes "once beaten twice shy", elections are not a matter of choice, but design for rural folk.This appears to be the case with Matabeleland South, which appears to have voted for its long-time adversary.----Dumisani Ncube is a development practitioner and a pastor. He writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted on lctdumie@gmail.com
Opinion / Columnist

He was buried in Chinamhora, writes German Journalist Christian Selz and there was not even one MDC-Alliance at his funeral. Ishmael was a street vendor eking out a living for his family when he was caught in the cross-fire. "He was not a political activist, he was the right place but wrong time, they shot him and he died like all other six victims of uncalled-for violence whose lives have been sacrificed by the most unscrupulous politicians of our time.Ten days before the elections, the World Council of Elders visited Harare and warned our politicians about reckless rhetoric that could be very dangerous. "Do not incite people in your rallies, warned Ambassador Kofi Annan." Chamisa knew it all, he did not take heed. He boasted instead: "I can make this country ungovernable; I can put Harare and Bulawayo to a stand-still." The words of Comrade Julius Malema of South Africa today came rather too late for Chamisa and his henchmen to understand what mature politics is about. Malema said you cannot judge your winning elections just by the number of people who came to your rallies: that's not maturity. Well experience has taught him so, rather too late, we have six deaths.There is nothing that exited Chamisa as the crowds that attended his bumper rallies. Again Chamisa is an excitable person, and he was excited to the point of madness. His rallies made him think he had already won the elections. A woman on audio also an MDC-Alliance member informed us all about what transpired at the Harvest House on that day. Beers after beers and strong stuff of alcohol were given to the youth outside to drink in the early hours of August Wednesday morning. They waited for the presidency to address them but none of them came. Charged with anger about the late-announced elections by ZEC, they took it upon themselves to go to ZEC to demonstrate there. The path of destruction was already on course.High in booze and of course smoke, they started their mission to make Harare ungovernable the way their Fuhrer incited them to do, burnt anything that had Zanu name on it, burnt cars and buses, stoned shops and looted valuables: talk about a carnage of destruction all the way to the ZEC offices . Worse still there are vendors who normally have their goods all displayed on the ground, their sales were looted and cell phones violently stolen from them. "We are ready to die today to defend our vote," they said. They attacked people who were not part of the demonstration and asked them why they are not part of them in the demonstration. (Why are you behaving as if life is normal? We shall burn the wheels of your car," they threatened.Shakespeare literature would have caught this Harare mob mood better when Cicero the cobbler was assassinated but he was not Cicero the politician. Ishmael was not even an activist but a vendor, street vendor who had nothing to do with the demonstration but was trying to build his life from an economy that collapsed long back. If Ishmael Kumire was 41 years when he tragically died on Wednesday the 1st of August, then he was only 3 years old when Zimbabwe got its independence in 1980. Here is a young man who has never tasted a normal life and he tragically dies at a time when the country was at that deciding moent of economic recovery.If anything, people should learn from the deaths of these six people who died on Wednesday following the demonstrations that should never have taken place in the first place. People do get carried away and let themselves get abused by politicians. It is sad to notice that, at such times of death, the very politicians who incited violence for their sake will be nowhere to be seen or heard. Journalist Christian Selz was at the funeral but Chamisa was not there, Komichi was not there, Mudzuri was not there, Modzorwa was not there, Teresa Makoni was not there: none of them in the MDC-Alliance leadership was there. Now ask yourself about the African Philosophy of Ubuntu/Huhnu that was thrown through the window. The MDC-Alliance politicians were busy with the political business that they think was better than to attend the funeral of dead Ishmael Kamire, a person who died for their cause.The army ZNA should never be exonerated from this barbaric act. Life is precious to all of us and not our own immediate children only. The army reaction was violent disproportionate, to say the least. Is it not the very ordinary people who were invited to come in numbers to demonstrate the coup of November 2017, the people rejoiced at the dethronement of Robert Mugabe? Hardly seven months, the people have turned enemies of the state and are razed down like flies by water cannons and live ammunitions claiming deaths. Who is taking the responsibility for the loss of life?Elder Kofi Anna was right when he warned Chamisa of inciting people to commit acts of violence to prove a political point. It is for this reason that several Front-Line- States have no sympathy for Chamisa's losing the plebiscite. SADC and the AU have recognized the Zanu PF win. Chamisa cannot even envisage going to SADC for assistance because of disputed election results. They will show him the door. Chamisa made his situation difficult by not yielding to advice that was in abundance. At best he should not have participated in the elections in the first place if he was sure that Zanu PF would rig elections. How many times did SADC tell MDC-T MDC-N, MDC-M never to go for elections without electoral reforms?The MDC-Alliance woman who was part of the demonstration and later produced the audio decried the irresponsibility of politicians who use and abuse people as they want to. In serious times, when the very ordinary people are in serious situations even deaths, there is no politician on sight to mourn with the bereaved. This is a sad awakening, as Africans, we have values of Ubuntu/Huhnu that should always guide us especially when we have such deaths resulting from political conflicts. For Kamire family to mourn their dead alone is wholly painful at worst disgusting to call yourself leaders of a nation. Chamisa as an advocate and a pastor should have known better what to do under such circumstances, to disperse some officials to say one or two words of condolences. The Lord 's Prayer alone escaped Pastor Chamisa and it never said goodbye! Some journalist called Christian Selz from Germany: seven thousands miles away from Chinamhora attended the funeral of Ishmael Kuneri!!!!! Sleep well dear Ishmael mwana was Kuneri. May your soul rest in peace!
Opinion / Columnist

Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and speaker. He is the Programmes Director with the Zimbabwe Network for Social Justice (ZimJustice). Please feel free to contact him (calls ONLY) on: +263782283975, or email: zimjustice@gmail.com. Please also 'Like' the 'ZimJustice' page on Facebook.

Once upon a time, African liberation movements were the only hope for the oppressed majority - who were denied a voice and universal suffrage in their own countries, were persecuted for standing up against repression and subjugation, and excluded from partaking in the fruits of the God-given wealth of their motherlands.Liberation movements, such as ZANU and ZAPU in Zimbabwe, ANC and PAC in South Africa, SWAPO in Namibia, FRELIMO in Mozambique, MPLN and UNITA in Angola, and others, were the cornerstone of the emancipation of the majority of their nations - giving hope to the hopeless, and a promise of a bright future for all.They fought for such wonderful principles as 'one man, one vote', 'majority rule', and 'freedom, development and emancipation for all'.As no one particular liberation movement could achieve these goals in isolation, they adopted a united approach, thereby, establishing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), and the Frontline States.This united front paid off dividends, as nearly all countries in Africa gained their independence from colonial rule - except the Saharawi Arab People's Republic, which is still under Morocco's occupation.However, decades after the attainment of this independence from colonial domination, most of these liberation movements have metamorphosised into images of the erstwhile colonial masters - becoming the new oppressors, thereby, betraying the very struggle they fought for.After the deaths, maiming, arrests and torture of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, across the continent - due to repression at the hands of colonial settlers, and during the liberation struggles themselves - one would have expected these liberation movements to continue and maintain the spirit of emancipation.However, that has never been the case, as they so easily and readily embraced the very nature and tenets of the colonisers.Today, who are the greatest oppressors and abusers on the continent - subjecting their nationals to untold suffering, killings, torture, disappearances, and persecution?Who are the leaders in subverting the will of the people by rigging and stealing elections?Which political parties are at the forefront of refusing to relinquish power, considering themselves entitled to perpetual rule - due to their role in the fight for liberation.Which political parties are the most corrupt - brazenly plundering their nations' resources for their own self-aggrandizement - regarding all wealth as their own personal property, whilst the majority of the populace is left in abject poverty?What has the ANC in South Africa done for the majority of its people - most of whom, since 1994, still have no land, live in shacks, are exploited by multi-national companies, or unemployed - yet, their liberation movement leaders live lavishly, mostly through corruption?Political killings are nearly the order of the day in South Africa, such that this has been normalized!In Zimbabwe, ZANU PF has all but singlehandedly turned the once breadbasket of the region into a basket case - with record-breaking unemployment, those employed not being paid, lack of cash in banks - but, above all this, widespread oppression, persecution and killing of political rivals, subversion of the people's voices, and unfair elections.What difference is there between apartheid South Africa, and the 'liberated' South Africa under the ANC?What is the difference between colonial Rhodesia, and 'independent' Zimbabwe under ZANU PF?Is there any marked differences between the National Party and the ANC, or the Rhodesia Front and ZANU PF?In fact, some might even argue that life for the majority could probably have been economically better under colonial rule than in those 'liberated' countries!At least, they had jobs, there was cash in the economy, they were paid all their salaries and benefits, and they had a place to stay - especially, when it comes to Rhodesia.Therefore, indeed, these former liberation movements have become nothing more than replicas of our erstwhile oppressors - even adopting similar laws that were used during colonialism to subjugate the majority.Even state media, such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), and Zimbabwe Newspapers Group - which were used by the Rhodesian minority regime to oppress the majority, and referred to liberation fighters as terrorists - have continued this role under 'independent' Zimbabwe, whereby, any opposition voices are regarded as enemies, and are either ignored or vilified, whilst the ruling ZANU PF is blindly and unfairly glorified.Yet, all those who criticise, oppose, or insult the ruling elite are arrested, tortured, persecuted, or even disappear, or are killed.After all has been said and done, these former liberation movements still band together - this time, not to fight oppression, but to oppress their own people.That is why it so unfortunate that these political parties hardly hold each other to account for the misrule, corruption, and oppression in each other's countries.When was the last time anyone heard such organisations as the African Union (AU) - formerly OAU - or, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) - formerly Frontline States - critisizing fellow liberation counterparts who have clearly betrayed the spirit and purpose of the struggle, by oppressing the people, destroying the economy, especially through corruption, and even unfair elections - Zimbabwe being a case in point?These former liberation movements would rather look aside, and pretend that all is well, whilst their brethren and sisters continue with colonial policies - that they purportedly fought against.It is time that Africa had genuine liberation movements that truly have the plight of the people in their hearts and souls.I am not calling for the waging of any armed struggle, but the coming together of genuine liberation movements that will use legal and constitutional means to bring about REAL freedom and independence to their countries.A quick look at the ANC's freedom charter from decades ago is enough to shed light on what true freedom means - but, has been, unfortunately, thrown into the dustbin by the former liberation movement.The nationals of Africa, especially Zimbabwe and South Africa, have suffered enough, and desperately need genuine liberation movements that will put the interests of the people above their own selfish self-aggrandizement.The still oppressed and disadvantaged people should now stand together and reject these former liberation movements, and choose a better life for themselves.There are no excuses for the destruction of our nations and the oppression of the people by these political parties - as corruption, repression and stealing of elections has absolutely nothing to do with the legacy of colonialism, or apartheid, or even so-called sanctions on such countries as Zimbabwe.We, the people, are suffering solely at the hands of these former liberation movements' own selfishness and evil nature.We need genuine liberation movements that appreciate that they are owed nothing for their fight against colonialism and apartheid - and that true sacrifice has no sense of entitlement.If one does something for someone because they honestly want the best for that person, then they should not expect - let alone, demand - any form of gratitude.That is what sincere selfless sacrifice means!We, the people, are our own liberators and it is time that we banded together across the continent to break the shackles of colonialism, apartheid and repression - and finally enjoy the true meaning of independence and freedom for the first time since Europeans landed on this continent.
Exploring The Roots Of Jamaica: My Time in Montego Bay

As a person who loves to travel, it is important for me to spend time with the actual communities of the country I am visiting. Although it can be fun to visit popular tourist attractions, I dont think you can really consider yourself a well-versed traveler if you don't take the time to try to understand and learn about the beliefs and ways of the people. I was recently lucky enough to head out to Montego Bay, Jamaica and be immersed in the culture, nature, and the roots of reggae and dancehall music during Reggae Sumfest.

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During my stay, we went to one of the biggest reggae festivals in the world: Reggae Sumfest. The festival was attended by some of the biggest legends in reggae history including, but not limited to, Damien Marley, Maxi Priest, and Popcaan. It felt most appropriate to be diving into reggae music in Jamaica itself. One of the most prominent things that I noted from the trip was how proud Jamaicans are of their roots. I think it is very easy for Western cultures to take things from other areas of the world and adapt them as their own, oftentimes forgetting where they truly came from. Being in Jamaica, speaking with the natives, hearing about the origin of the dance and rhythms of reggae and dancehall music was an invaluable part of my experience. There is extreme importance in not culturally appropriating from other areas of the world, but rather recognizing, studying, and truly understanding concepts as they were meant to be.

One of my favorite parts of my time in Jamaica was getting to go to the Rastafarian Indigenous Village. It was probably one of the most peaceful experiences I have ever had. It was extremely compelling to learn about the peaceful and mindful ways of the Rastafarian people. As one man from the Village told me, We see words as sounds and sounds as vibrations. A Rastafarian would never use a word like appreciate because Rastafarians dont feel hate in gratitude. Instead, we say 'apprecialove.'" It was so powerful for me to expose myself to something that I otherwise would not have access to in my daily life.

The time I spent in Jamaica was spiritual, uplifting and educational. I urge everyone to explore the roots and cultures of whatever countries they have access to. Most importantly remember whose cultural traditions you are adapting, and give credit and 'apprecialove' where it is due. Until next time, Jamaica!

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Janeth Ann Gonda is currently the events and promotions manager at BUST Magazine, a singer, dancer, writer, and event planner living in Brooklyn, NY. She is currently the lead singer in the Gypsy Witch Rock Band Espejismo. After working in the Brooklyn music industry for several years she created her own event space Barranquilla Studios. Janeth has hosted hundreds of bands and fans alike and is an active member in the NYC music community.

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By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices slid about 3 percent on Wednesday as a trade dispute between the United States and China escalated further and after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in energy demand. Brent crude futures fell $2.37 to settle at $72.28 a barrel, a 3.17 percent loss. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $2.23 to settle at $66.94 a barrel, a 3.22 percent loss. The session low of $66.32 was the lowest since June 22. China is slapping additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports, from fuel and steel products to autos and medical equipment. The escalating trade war has rattled global markets. Investors fear a potential slowdown of the world's two largest economies would slash demand for commodities. "The U.S.-China trade war is set to worsen, and its impact on oil prices will be gradual as the situation develops," said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energy in London. "Crude oil and refined products affected by additional duties will reduce their competitiveness in the Chinese market." China's crude imports recovered slightly in July after two straight monthly declines, but remained low due to a drop-off in demand from smaller independent refineries. Shipments into the world's biggest importer of crude last month rose to 8.48 million barrels per day from 8.18 million bpd a year earlier and June's 8.36 million bpd, customs data showed. However, July imports were still the third lowest so far this year. Also weighing on prices, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that crude inventories fell just 1.4 million barrels in the latest week, less than half the 3.3 million-barrel draw analysts had expected. Gasoline stocks notched a surprise rise of 2.9 million barrels, not the 1.7 million-barrel drop analysts had predicted in a Reuters poll. "Overbearing product builds are weighing on the entire energy complex," said Anthony Headrick, energy market analyst at brokerage firm CHS Hedging LLC. Prices drew some support from U.S. sanctions against Iran, introduced Tuesday in a range of sectors. From November, Washington will target the petroleum sector in Iran, the No. 3 producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. An Iranian newspaper reported that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said a U.S. plan to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero will not succeed. (GRAPHIC: Shipped Iran crude oil exports: https://reut.rs/2vjGcyb) (Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York, Henning Gloystein in Singapore, and Dmitry Zhdannikov and Amanda Cooper in London; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Lisa Shumaker)
BEIJING (Reuters) - Baidu Inc is prepared to win against Alphabet Inc's Google in China, its chief executive officer said on social media, amid rumblings the U.S. search engine giant was planning to re-enter a market it left eight years ago. Google's search engine has been largely blocked in China since 2010, when the company exited the market over ethical concerns related to China's strict censorship laws. Baidu dominates the domestic search engine space currently. Last week, Reuters reported Google was developing a censored version of its search engine to enter China, citing information from the firm's employees and Chinese officials. The plans were earlier reported by the news website Intercept. In a posting on a private social media account on Tuesday, Baidu CEO Robin Li said if the two companies come head to head, "Baidu will win again". "Chinese companies today have plenty of ability and confidence" to compete globally, he added. A Baidu spokeswoman confirmed the posting, which was shared by local media, was authentic. Li was reacting to an article posted by state media outlet People's Daily which said Google was welcome in China but must abide by local laws. The report has since been removed from People Daily's Twitter and Facebook accounts. The article was originally circulated in another state media newspaper on Monday. Google declined to comment on the report and Li's comments. News of Google's plan to return with a censored search app, criticized by human rights advocates as a blow to global free speech, comes at a time when China has stepped up scrutiny of business dealings involving U.S. tech firms including Facebook Inc , Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc amid intensifying trade tensions between the countries. Apple has removed hundreds of apps from its Chinese app store in the past year under increasingly strict censorship laws championed by Chinese president Xi Jinping. Facebook, whose social media products are banned in China, is also making efforts to enter the restrictive market. Last month, it said it was opening an innovation hub in the eastern city of Zhejiang, but only hours later the announcement of the project's registration was pulled by regulators from a national database. (Reporting by Cate Cadell; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
A new report into confusing and conflicting polls ahead of last year's civic election in Calgary says there's plenty of blame to go around but singles out one polling firm and one news organization, in particular.

The report says polling done by Mainstreet Research for Postmedia  the company that owns the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun  was especially off the mark and detrimental to public trust in the polling industry.

"Their polls were seriously, methodologically flawed," said Paul Adams, a co-author of the report along with Christopher Adams and David Zussman.

But the failures weren't limited to just these companies, according to report, which found broader problems with other polls and other news reporting, as well.

It all added up to a "comprehensive failure from the perspective of Calgary voters," Adams said.

The municipal election campaign was initially expected to be a relatively low-key affair but was then turned on its head last fall, the report says, when the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun first published the results of a Mainstreet poll that surprised virtually everyone who follows municipal politics in the city.

The poll suggested incumbent Mayor Naheed Nenshi was trailing upstart challenger Bill Smith, who had little public profile at the time, by nine percentage points. Two subsequent Mainstreet polls put Smith even further ahead: by 17 and 13 points, respectively.

The report's authors  two of whom have a background in polling themselves, and the third in government and public policy  found the polls "significantly affected the course of the campaign."

"They threw Nenshi's campaign on the defensive, gave impetus to Smith's campaign, and possibly doomed the prospects of another candidate, Andre Chabot, who Mainstreet's poll suggested was not a close contender," the report reads.

Nenshi went on to win the election by eight percentage points.

Mainstreet president Quito Maggi later admitted to "big, big polling failures," despite frequently and aggressively defending his polls from a variety of criticisms during the campaign.

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The report contrasted the humility expressed after the election with public comments from Mainstreet officials during the campaign.

"In the media and on social media, they expressed a kind of bloated self-confidence that was not justified by what they knew to be problems in their methodology," the report reads.

Where the polls went wrong

Maggi, who voluntarily participated in the external investigation, said Postmedia requested a conference call with him after the release of the first poll during the campaign to discuss the public criticism it was receiving.

He said he then decided to change the methodology for the second poll by increasing the sample size and ensuring there was a minimum number of people surveyed from each of the city's 14 electoral districts.

But the report found that only made things worse.

That's because instead of using random-digit dialling to reach people by phone, Mainstreet used a "directory" that it had procured from a variety of sources. The firm then relied on postal code data from that directory in order to determine which electoral district a survey respondent lived in.

Any respondents who had no postal code associated with their phone numbers in the directory were excluded, and that often meant people who only had cellphones were cut out of the results.

"They ended up with an over-representation of landlines with this new methodology," said Christopher Adams.

"And so, with very low cellphones in that sample, they had a distorted youth/adult sample at the end."

The report also found methodological flaws with other polls released during the campaign, including a survey commissioned by a pro-transit group called LRT On The Green. That poll suggested Nenshi was up by 15 points up over Smith but the report found it asked leading questions.

Another survey commissioned by a group of academics and conducted by Forum Research was the most methodologically sound, according to the report. That poll put Nenshi up by 17 points over Smith but it was not intended as a strict horse-race poll and was conducted over a period of weeks, rather than days, making it less useful as a "snapshot in time" of voter intentions.

Overall, the report acknowledges that polling has become significantly more difficult compared to the recent past, when landlines were ubiquitous and random-digit-dialling was standard. It recommends a higher degree of transparency from pollsters when it comes to their increasingly "novel" methods of reaching respondents and calculating results.

The report also recommends news organizations develop a greater commitment to high-quality reporting on polls, while detailing how many failed to adequately inform voters during last year's election campaign.

Where the media went wrong

The city's newsrooms had shrunk significantly since the previous municipal election, the report found, leaving fewer and less experienced reporters to cover the 2017 campaign, resulting in coverage that was less sophisticated.

Some journalists tried to be balanced in their coverage but "were constrained by an uncertain grasp of the methodological issues," the report says, a problem that was further exacerbated by a lack of transparency from pollsters.

"It should be said that Postmedia was in a better position than other news organizations to evaluate Mainstreet Research's public claims of absolute confidence in its work," the report says.

"As reported to us by Maggi, Postmedia executives requested a conference call to address the criticisms of the first poll. In the course of that conversation, Mainstreet indicated it would be tweaking its methodology ... Despite Postmedia's awareness that Mainstreet Research was concerned enough to make changes to its polling, the Calgary Herald and the Calgary Sun continued to print quotations from Mainstreet executives that proclaimed a pugnacious self-confidence about their methodology."

The newspaper company did not participate in the external investigation, telling the report's authors that "legal action citing Postmedia in a separate matter will prevent us from being able to take part in this review."

Lorne Motley, editor-in-chief of both the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald, declined to comment on the release of the report, citing the same, unspecified legal matter.

Maggi said Mainstreet's contract with Postmedia expired in February and has not been renewed.

Mainstreet welcomes release of report

For his part, Maggi welcomed the release of the external report, saying it came to many of the same conclusions as Mainstreet, itself.

"We really wanted this report to published," he said. "The report is extremely detailed and looks at the errors in all the polls."

In line with the report's recommendations, he said Mainstreet has already made changes to the way it reports its polls, in order to be more transparent about its methods and results.

The company had previously concluded a pair of its own investigations, one looking into its polling methodology and the other into the way it communicated with the public during the election campaign.

Those internal investigations were separate from the results of the external investigation that were released today, which was initially commissioned by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA).

The MRIA is a voluntary, self-regulatory body that represents the market and survey research industry in Canada, but it has run into financial difficulties recently. Last week, it announced plans to disband.

The MRIA had previously received the report but had yet to release it. As a result of the news of the MRIA's demise, the authors opted to release the report, themselves.

Maggi also said he was pleased the report found no evidence Mainstreet was "in cahoots" with any politician or news organization to deliberately skew poll results, as had been suggested by some members of Nenshi's campaign team.

"You couldn't pay me to tank a poll," he said. "There's not enough money in the world."

You can read the full report below.

- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Swerve magazine shuts its doors after 14 years of featuring ordinary Calgarians and their extraordinary lives

- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Students allege inhumane treatment of lab animals at U of C's psychology department

Read more articles by CBC Calgary, like us on Facebook for updates and subscribe to our CBC Calgary newsletter for the day's news at a glance
Canada to ask allies to help cool Saudi dispute; U.S. offers no aid

By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada plans to seek help from the United Arab Emirates and Britain to defuse an escalating dispute with Saudi Arabia, sources said on Tuesday, but close ally the United States made clear it would not get involved.

The Saudi government on Sunday recalled its ambassador to Ottawa, barred Canada's envoy from returning and placed a ban on new trade, denouncing Canada for urging the release of jailed rights activists. Riyadh accused Ottawa on Tuesday of interfering in its internal affairs.

One well placed source said the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - which stresses the importance of human rights - planned to reach out to the United Arab Emirates.

"The key is to work with allies and friends in the region to cool things down, which can happen quickly," said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Another source said Canada would also seek help from Britain. The British government on Tuesday urged the two nations to show restraint.

The United States, traditionally one of Canada's most important friends, stayed on the sidelines. U.S. President Donald Trump - who criticized Trudeau after a Group of Seven summit in June - has forged tighter ties with Riyadh.

"Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them; they need to resolve it together," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

The first Canadian source said Ottawa shared the view of foreign policy experts who believe the Saudi reaction reflected internal strains inside the kingdom, where 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to push through domestic reforms.

The office of Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not respond to requests for comment.

The dispute looks set to damage what is a modest bilateral trade relationship worth nearly $4 billion (3.09 billion) a year. Canadian exports to Saudi Arabia totalled about $1.12 billion in 2017, or 0.2 percent of the total value of Canadian exports.

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Canada says it does not know what will happen to a $13 billion defence contract to sell Canadian-made General Dynamics Corp armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

European traders said the main Saudi wheat-buying agency had told grains exporters it will no longer accept Canadian-origin wheat and barley.

Saudi Arabia has also ordered roughly 15,000 Saudis studying in Canada to leave.

Canada's previous Conservative government, which lost power to the Liberals in 2015, also had challenges with Riyadh over human rights.

Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor and Middle East expert at the University of Ottawa, said Saudi irritation at the way the General Dynamics contract was handled also helped explain Riyadh's response.

The deal was agreed in 2014 by the Conservatives, who shared the Saudi desire for deeper relations, he said. But the task of approving the export permits fell to the Liberals, who were lobbied by human rights activists to say no.

The Liberals granted the permits but showed little interest in deepening ties with Riyadh amid growing civil society and media attacks on the agreement, Juneau added.

"That for Saudi Arabia was the source of growing frustration," he said in a phone interview. "(The ambassador) was very clear in saying he was irritated by what he saw as passivity by the Canadian government, which in his view was not resisting that criticism."

The first Canadian source said Ottawa had no regrets about speaking out on human rights in Saudi Arabia. Canada's ambassador, Dennis Horak, is not in Riyadh. The source said Saudi authorities were aware Horak was due to start a new posting next month.

(This version of the story corrects quote in seventh paragraph from State Department spokeswoman to "resolve" from "solve".)

(Additional reporting by William James in London, Daphne Psaledakis in Washington, Michael Hogan, Gus Trompiz and Maha El Dahan in Hamburg and Maher Chmaytelli in Dubai; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
BERLIN (Reuters) - A Munich-based start-up has taken advantage of the strong Bavarian sun this summer to test the final development of the charging system of its Sion car, an all-electric solar vehicle that lets you charge as you drive. Germany will likely miss its target of putting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2020 but the government said in April it was ready to offer support to companies that make batteries for electric vehicles. Sono Motors, founded in 2016, is developing the Sion, a fully-electric vehicle that has solar cells integrated into its bodywork. It can be charged via solar power, from conventional power outlets or other electric cars. Production will start in the second half of 2019 at one of its German plants and the company has around 5,000 orders which it aims to start selling at 16,000 euros ($18,540) next year. Sion will have 330 solar cells attached to the vehicle's roof, bonnet and sides and its battery system will offer a range of around 250 km (155 miles) before it needs recharging. "We have a seat heater, there is air conditioning, there is a large infotainment system where I can also connect my phone interactively, which means I really have a full vehicle which is very simple, has no frills," Laurin Hahn, co-founder and chief executive of the startup told Reuters. ($1 = 0.8630 euros) (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has asked its telecom operators to find ways of blocking applications such as Facebook and messaging app WhatsApp in the case of misuse, according to a document seen by Reuters. India has in recent months intensified efforts to crack down on mass message forwards after it found that people were using social media and messaging apps to spread rumors and stoke public anger. WhatsApp in particular has faced the wrath of Indian regulators after false messages circulated on the messaging platform led to a series of lynchings and mob beatings across the country. The department of telecommunications in July asked Indian telecom service providers, as well as mobile and internet industry bodies, to "explore various possible options" to block such apps. "You are ... requested to explore various possible options and confirm how the Instagram/Facebook/Whatsapp/Telegram and such other mobile apps can be blocked on internet," according to the government letter dated July 18 and seen by Reuters. Facebook Inc, which owns both WhatsApp and photo-sharing platform Instagram, declined to comment. Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A source at India's department of telecommunication said the letter was aimed at finding ways to block such apps during "emergency situations". "There is a need for a reasonable good solution to protect national security," said the official, who declined to be named. For WhatsApp, India is its biggest market with more than 200 million users and one where it says people forward more messages, photographs and videos than any other country. Following calls from the government to stem the platform's misuse, WhatsApp has moved to deter mass message forwards and launched an advertising campaign to educate consumers. In July, WhatsApp said message forwards will be limited to five chats at a time, whether among individuals or groups, and said it will remove the quick forward button placed next to media messages. Separately, India's federal police has begun probing Cambridge Analytica's misuse of Facebook user data, which New Delhi suspects included information on Indian users. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Michael Perry)
A Canadian real estate company already under investigation for using facial recognition technology in malls may also be tracking the movement of shoppers using mobile phones.

A former employee of Cadillac Fairview told CBC News he was aware of at least one of the company's Canadian shopping centres that had a system installed to track cellphone movement throughout the mall to collect market research data.

CBC News has agreed to keep the former employee's identity confidential. He worked directly for Cadillac Fairview in security for more than three years, and was responsible for providing access for the system's installation in 2016.

He said he was told the system would monitor and note where each device, such as a cellphone, went within the centre, and how long it remained in any particular location, "whether you were just walking through the mall or whether you're spending hours there dropping thousands upon thousands of dollars."

Real estate company refused to confirm

Cadillac Fairview did not respond to repeated questions from CBC News about whether this system is still installed in its shopping centres and where it is used in Canada.

The company's online privacy policy says some properties are equipped with sensors and cameras used to monitor foot traffic patterns that could predict "demographic information" about visitors during a shopping centre visit.

It also mentions tracking foot traffic using information such as a MAC address  a unique number that identifies any device capable of connecting to Wi-Fi.

Cadillac Fairview had already acknowledged it uses facial recognition software and cameras in mall directories to track shoppers' ages and genders without telling them.

The admission came after a patron noticed software running on one of the directories at Calgary's Chinook Centre and posted an image to social media site Reddit.

In an earlier email to CBC News on that issue, Cadillac Fairview's director of corporate communications, Janine Ramparas, said the company was suspending use of those mall directory cameras in response to recently announced privacy commissioner investigations.

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'They can combine the information and identify you'

Privacy experts told CBC News this type of tracking technology has existed and been in use for years.

"When a person enters any property, they can be tracked by the signal and the unique identifications of their cellphone," said Sharon Polsky, president of the Privacy and Access Council of Canada.

Her organization had previously asked Alberta's privacy commissioner to investigate whether Cadillac Fairview's use of facial recognition was violating laws.

"They can track exactly where you go, how long you stand in front of a shop window, how long you're in front of a particular display," said Polsky.

The privacy advocate said it would be possible for facial recognition data to be cross-referenced with location tracking data in the future, if a company chooses to do so.

"Don't forget that Person X is holding Phone Y," said Polsky. "Because the information is available elsewhere, they can combine the information and identify you."

Other experts say there could be unintended consequences from these technologies. They include Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's former privacy commissioner who now leads the Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence at Ryerson University in Toronto.

"You might think no big deal, just counting footsteps, counting how many people are here and what stores, etc.," said Cavoukian.

"But when you link that with people's individual mobile phones, which are linked to their identity, and you're watching their movements  you're tracking their movements throughout the mall and add facial recognition to that. I mean it's nobody's business where you go and what stores you shop at."

Mall signage does not provide details

Experts like Cavoukian say being able to opt in and out of whether you are tracked on a property is key.

"I may not have a problem with people accessing that information about me, but others might. That's why you have to be the one to decide who has access to your information. It's gotta be on a consent basis."

Signage outside Cadillac Fairview shopping centres in Calgary did not mention location tracking or facial recognition specifically, but there is notice that the premises is video recorded for "safety and security."

If location tracking is taking place, there's no discernible information about it.

Entrances to both Calgary's Market Mall and Chinook Centre did not provide information on how to consent or opt out of possible location tracking within the premises, and on multiple visits to both Calgary properties, CBC News was unable to locate public information on location tracking posted inside or outside the mall.

Cadillac Fairview's privacy policy says it does not consider tracking your location throughout the mall to be "personal information, unless you have specifically identified yourself to us and provided consent."

According to Cavoukian, that may have been true in the past, but new technologies change things, especially given Cadillac Fairview's recent admission of using facial recognition in its facilities.

"The difference with the old-fashioned guy at the front of the store clicking is  he gets a count of the people who walked in, walked out," said Cavoukian.

"With these new technologies, you can make inferences about individuals on a personally identifiable basis, and when you add facial recognition to that, that's the most sensitive form of personal information."

- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Students allege inhumane treatment of lab animals at U of C's psychology department

- MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Homeless shelter plans to ID clients with facial recognition, but it's a fix that comes with privacy risks

- Read more articles by CBC Calgary, like us on Facebook for updates and subscribe to our CBC Calgary newsletter for the day's news at a glance
Reports of spotty cellphone service and not enough early warnings about a killer tornado will be examined by the province, Premier Brian Pallister promises.

Forcing telecommunications companies to provide broader coverage based on population, however, is "a tricky issue," Pallister told reporters Monday.

Pallister responded Tuesday to questions about the lack of warning to residents around Alonsa when a EF-4 rated tornado ripped through the area, killing one man and leaving widespread damage in its wake.

Many Alonsa-area residents received little warning of the massive incoming tornado Friday night despite a cellphone alert system for extreme weather and Environment Canada bulletins before it touched down.

Alert Ready is a national warning system that sends out emergency notifications from government agencies via broadcast and cellphone alerts.

Pallister says he'll get a briefing Monday and follow up on reports from area residents about a decline in cellphone service in the region, which they say left many with no warning about the tornado.

"There was mobile service available there two or three months ago, I understand from some of the folks I talked to yesterday. There was better service, improved service, and then it wasn't there, so I'm interested to know the background as to how that happened," Pallister said.

During a test of the Alert Ready system this spring, many mobile users didn't get the message on their devices.

When pressed on whether his government would introduce regulations to force telecommunications companies to increase service, Pallister was noncommittal and used the region hit by the tornado as an example.

"To set up year-round services requires tower construction  it's a massive investment, right? And apart from the local people, you are doing it for a seasonal influx  so it's a tough analysis. And I don't want to make commitments that we can't fulfil, of course. All of us are concerned about safety," Pallister said.

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'Make sure all Manitobans are safe'

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities has been lobbying for improvements for more than a decade, president Chris Goertzen said.

"We've been advocating for some time to have government sit down with the telecommunications companies and work with them to improve service for all Manitobans," Goertzen told CBC News.

The association recognizes the market does dictate somewhat where companies set up their towers and provide service, but disasters such as the one last Friday put more focus on the need, he said.

"We want to see the government sit down and make sure all Manitobans are safe when these tragic situations occur," Goertzen said.

Pallister said he has raised concerns about spotty coverage with Bell president George Copeland and that effort will continue.

A Bell MTS spokesperson who responded to a Monday request for comment referred to a statement made by the company earlier on the weekend and declined further comment.

"We recently upgraded the wireless sites in some parts of the region with the latest LTE wireless technology (known as LTE Advanced). While service has been greatly enhanced overall, some pockets where coverage was already limited may have seen reduced coverage. We continue to look at possible solutions to enhance service in these areas," Bell-MTS spokesperson Michelle Gazze said in an email on Sunday.

The alerts only work with LTE technology, so cellphones using older technology in the Alonsa area wouldn't have received them anyway, she also said.

Pallister said cleanup efforts have started in the Alonsa region, but it was too early to say what resources would be needed to complete the work, including whether a call for help would be made to the military.
The federal government will continue to offer support for hundreds of asylum claimants currently staying in hotels in the Greater Toronto Area, after initially agreeing to cover the cost of their shelter until Sept. 30, a cabinet minister told CBC News.

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos told CBC's Power and Politics today that the federal government will be a full partner in the work of finding asylum claimants more permanent housing.

"The federal government recognizes that greeting and hosting asylum seekers poses a burden, an important burden on social services and housing services across Ontario," Duclos said.

"So after Oct.1, as well as at any other time in the future, the federal government will be there to do its share and its part in providing the resources needed by the communities to address the hosting the housing of asylum seekers. We've done that in the past with Quebec, and we look forward to doing this with Ontario in the future."

The asylum claimants had been staying in college residences since May, but needed to be out by Aug. 9 to make way for students returning to school.

The federal government agreed to cover the cost of the hotel rooms until Sept. 30, leaving it up to the City of Toronto to find a more permanent housing solution as of Oct. 1.

But Duclos said the government will work to find a more permanent solution after the Sept. 30 deadline.

"So after Oct.1, as well as at any other time in the future, the federal government will be there to do its share and its part in providing the resources needed by the communities to address the ... housing of asylum seekers," Duclos said when asked if the federal government is willing to foot the bill for a more permanent solution.

When pressed to state whether that means more federal funding, Duclos did not commit.

Triage system

The federal government has been working on a "triage" system meant to funnel asylum seekers away from Toronto and into other municipalities with available beds.

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In May, the government said the introduction of the system had been delayed due to the Ontario provincial election. More recently, Ottawa has accused Ontario's new government under Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford of not playing ball, forcing the federal government to go to municipalities to find shelter options.

The Ontario government has demanded the feds cover the province's entire cost for processing and housing asylum seekers, which they claim is around $200 million.

But on Friday, Minister of Border Security Bill Blair told Power and Politics that the federal government would need to see a clearer breakdown of the expenses before it would consider doling out that amount.

"Frankly, we need a far more specific breakdown on what those costs are and why they are extraordinary," he said.

'Lacking clear plan'

The federal Conservatives, meanwhile, have accused the Liberals of taking an ad-hoc approach to the situation instead of developing a long-term, fully-costed strategy.

The party's immigration critic, Michelle Rempel, said Duclos' statement is another example of the government lacking a clear plan.

"This is further evidence the Liberals have made a total mess of this situation and have absolutely no plan to deal with this crisis," Rempel said in an email to CBC News.

"Instead of taking action, Justin Trudeau has instead chosen to set up a permanent hotel program to deal with the influx of border crossers, and will continue to throw money at the problem in a vain attempt to make it go away."

A new poll released Friday suggests that the Liberals are losing the political battle on asylum seekers to the Conservatives.

A majority of Canadians polled by the Angus Reid Institute said that the number of asylum seekers crossing into the country is too high, while a plurality pointed to Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer as the best major party leader to handle the issue.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy is shown in Ottawa, Canada, on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. Saudi Arabia has ordered Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horak to leave the ultraconservative kingdom within 24 hours after his nation criticized the recent arrests of women's rights activists. The Saudi Foreign Ministry also said it would freeze "all new business" between the kingdom and Canada. (David Kawai/The Canadian Press via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador Monday and froze "all new business" with Ottawa over its criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom's arrest of women's rights activists  yet another warning to the West reflecting Riyadh's newly assertive foreign policy.

The sudden and unexpected dispute bore the hallmarks of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's 32-year-old future leader, whose recent foreign policy exploits include the war in Yemen, the boycott of Qatar and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's surprise resignation broadcast during a visit to the kingdom. Hariri later rescinded the resignation, widely believed to be orchestrated by Riyadh, and returned to Beirut.

Analysts say the dispute between Riyadh and Ottawa shows Saudi Arabia won't accept any outside criticism and will continue flexing its muscles abroad, especially as the kingdom enjoys a closer relationship with President Donald Trump.

"This message is obviously not just being sent to Ottawa," said Giorgio Cafiero, the CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based risk consultancy. "It's a message to countries across Europe and across the rest of the world that criticism of Saudi Arabia . has consequences."

The Saudi Foreign Ministry made the announcement early Monday, giving Ambassador Dennis Horak 24 hours to leave the kingdom. It wasn't immediately clear if he was in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia said it would recall its ambassador to Canada as well.

"Any further step from the Canadian side in that direction will be considered as acknowledgment of our right to interfere in Canadian domestic affairs," the Foreign Ministry said. "Canada and all other nations need to know that they can't claim to be more concerned than the kingdom over its own citizens."

Saudi state television later reported that the Education Ministry was coming up with an "urgent plan" to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. The Saudi state airline, Saudia, said in a statement on its official Twitter account that it would suspend all flights to Toronto starting next Monday, Aug. 13.

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Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have publicly backed Saudi Arabia in the dispute.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement that Canada was "deeply concerned that Saudi Arabia has expelled Canada's ambassador in response to Canadian statements in defence of human rights activists detained in the kingdom."

Freeland also addressed the dispute in Vancouver.

"We stand by what we have said. We're always going to speak up for woman's rights and that's not going to change," she said, adding that it wasn't the first time Canada has spoken out about human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Freeland said it would be a shame if Saudi students are deprived of their right to study in Canada and said they continue to be welcome.

She said the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh was continuing regular operations. She declined to say where the ambassador was, but said he was safe.

"Our diplomats have asked procedural questions today and we're waiting for answers for how Saudi Arabia intends to go forward with the relationship," she said.

The dispute appeared centered around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to "immediately release" detained women's rights activists.

Among the arrested activists is Samar Badawi, whose writer brother Raif Badawi was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam while blogging.

His case long has been raised by international human rights groups and Western diplomats, including Canadians, who have called on Saudi Arabia to free him. His wife, Ensaf Haidar, lives in Canada and received Canadian citizenship in July at a Canada Day ceremony with their three children.

Freeland tweeted about the arrests on Thursday.

"Very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, Raif Badawi's sister, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia," she wrote. "Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi."

Saudi Arabia in June lifted its ban on women from driving cars  a ban Samar Badawi and other women's rights activists have long campaigned against.

However, supporters of women's rights were arrested just weeks before the ban was lifted, signaling that only King Salman and his powerful son, Crown Prince Mohammed, will decide the pace of change.

Saudi women still need permission from male guardians to travel abroad or marry.

It isn't clear what new business would be affected by Saudi Arabia's expulsion of Ottawa's envoy. Canada receives 10 percent of its imported crude oil from Saudi Arabia, while bilateral trade between the two nations is $3 billion a year.

Armored tanks and personnel carriers have been Canada's biggest recent export to the kingdom. A London, Ontario-based firm called General Dynamics Land Systems signed a $15 billion deal with Saudi Arabia in 2014 to export its light-armored vehicles to the kingdom, the largest-ever arms deal for Canada.

Freeland said they are awaiting a response for what it means for that deal.

The dispute with Canada is part of a larger pushback against external criticism, analysts say. Germany similarly has found itself targeted by the kingdom in recent months over comments by its officials on the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

It's also not the first time Saudi Arabia has lashed out diplomatically over the Badawi case. In 2015, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Sweden and stopped issuing work visas for Swedes after the Scandinavian country's foreign minister described the Badawi court decision as "medieval" and the kingdom's ruling Al Saud family as presiding over a "dictatorship."

Saudi Arabia also expelled Iran's ambassador over attacks on its diplomatic posts following its 2016 execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Ayham Kamel, the head of the Eurasia Group's Mideast practice, said Canada should have expected repercussions for championing the Badawis, given Crown Prince Mohammed's assertiveness.

"The win (for the Saudis) is that everyone will get the message," Kamel said. "This is not just to Canada's mailbox. It is about sending a message to the entire West that you don't get to lecture us."

___

Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

___

Jon Gambrell on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jongambrellAP . His work can be found at: http://apne.ws/2galNpz .
More than 150 students at the University of Regina are being told they have a month to leave the country after officials in Saudi Arabia announced a plan to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools.

The move comes as tensions rise between the Middle Eastern country and Canada. Saudi officials have said they plan to withdraw all scholarships to relocate students to other countries.

It's estimated that 20,000 Saudi students are studying in Canada.

There are about 153 Saudi students currently attending the U of R and 94 per cent of them are on scholarship from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"Students are being encouraged to leave our university and Canada within a month," Livia Castellanos, the Associate Vice-President and Chief International Officer at UR International, said in an interview with CBC Radio's The Morning Edition.

"I have been doing this job for almost 20 years, I have worked in several schools in Canada, this is the first time I've seen something of this nature."

Castellanos said it's not just scholarship students who are being told to pack their bags; the students who are paying themselves are also being told to leave.

The University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon has only nine Saudi students registered for the 2018-2019 school year, according to Patti McDougall, the vice provost of teaching and learning. She said she isn't sure yet how many of the students are funded by the Saudi government

McDoughall said the university will do everything it can to help those affected.

"We have scholarships and bursaries, we can help facilitate employment, and with regard to those students that are graduate students its not uncommon for funding to be available through a supervisor's grant," she said.

'Unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable'

The dispute between the two nations appears to be over a tweet on Friday from Global Affairs Canada.

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"Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists," the tweet said.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry called the use of "immediately release" in Canada's tweet "unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states."

It dismissed Canada's characterization of the activists as "an incorrect claim" and said Canada's attitude was "surprising."

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that it is ordering Canada's ambassador to leave the country and freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada in a spat over human rights.

Saudi state television later reported that the Education Ministry was coming up with an "urgent plan" to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries.

'Never thought students would be suddenly removed'

Castellanos said she knew the Saudi Arabia scholarships were going to be "dying down," but she didn't expect all of them to be withdrawn.

"We were preparing ourselves for this, but we never thought the students would be suddenly removed from our university," she said.

"Usually the governments let us know with time in advance about their closure of their scholarships and they let students graduate."

Castellanos said the university is concerned because none of the students being forced to leave will have completed their education. She said the majority of students were in undergraduate programs and around 15 were studying for their masters degree.

She said she hopes the Saudi government understands the academic and professional implications of its actions in pulling students from their education. And in the meantime, the University of Regina will do everything they can to help.

The decision to pull thousands of students also has broader implications for the university, as Castellanos said Saudi students brought a lot of culture to the school.

"This will not only be detrimental to our university but also to all the Saskatchewan students who experienced having the Saudi students as a part of our community.

"So I think for us that is the saddest part of our story."
By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Peter Graff BEIRUT/LONDON (Reuters) - Companies doing business with Iran will be barred from the United States, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, as new U.S. sanctions took effect despite pleas from Washington's allies. Iran dismissed a last-minute offer from the Trump administration for talks, saying it could not negotiate while Washington had reneged on a 2015 deal to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. Trump decided this year to pull out of the agreement, ignoring pleas from the other world powers that had co-sponsored the deal, including Washington's main European allies Britain, France and Germany, as well as Russia and China. European countries, hoping to persuade Tehran to continue to respect the deal, have promised to try to lessen the blow of sanctions and to urge their firms not to pull out. But that has proven difficult: European companies have quit Iran, arguing that they cannot risk their U.S. business. "These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!" Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized Trump's tweet as a tired cliche and denounced "US unilateralism." "And it is not the first time that a warmonger claims he is waging war for 'world peace'," Zarif tweeted. White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Monday Iran's only chance of escaping sanctions would be to take up an offer to negotiate with Trump for a tougher deal. "If the ayatollahs want to get out from under the squeeze, they should come and sit down. The pressure will not relent while the negotiations go on," Bolton, one of the administration's main hawks on Iran, told Fox News. On Tuesday, Bolton said the sanctions were already working, deterring European companies: The European governments are still holding to the nuclear deal, but honestly their businesses are running from it as fast as they can so that the effect of the American sanctions really is proceeding regardless. Few American companies do much business in Iran so the impact of sanctions mainly stems from Washington's ability to block European and Asian firms from trading there. Among large European companies that have suspended plans to invest in Iran are France's oil major Total and its big carmakers PSA and Renault. "We have ceased our already restricted activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions", said German car and truck manufacturer Daimler. REMOVE THE KNIFE Washington accepts that Iran has complied with the terms of the 2015 deal reached under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, but says the agreement is flawed because it is not strict enough. Iran says it will continue to abide by the deal for now, if other countries can help protect it from the economic impact of Washington's decision to pull out. Tuesday's sanctions target Iran's purchases of U.S. dollars, metals trading, coal, industrial software and its auto sector. Global oil prices rose on Tuesday on concern sanctions could cut world supply, although the toughest measures targeting Iran's oil exports do not take effect for four more months. Global benchmark Brent crude oil futures were up $1 or 1.36 percent to $74.75 per barrel at 1823 GMT. "It is a reality check that this is happening and that Iran's oil exports will be hurt when the oil sanctions hit it in November," chief commodities analyst at Commerzbank Bjarne Schieldrop said. In a speech hours before the sanctions were due to take effect, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected negotiations as long as Washington was no longer complying with the deal. "If you stab someone with a knife and then you say you want talks, then the first thing you have to do is remove the knife," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. "We are always in favor of diplomacy and talks ... But talks need honesty," Rouhani said. Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said Trump's withdrawal from the deal meant there was no point negotiating, since Washington had shown it did not abide by its commitments. "And Iran, based on past experience, has no trust in negotiating with the American government." The nuclear deal is closely associated in Iran with Rouhani, a relative moderate who won two landslide elections on promises to open up the economy to the outside world. European countries fear that by abandoning it, Washington could undermine Rouhani and strengthen the hand of his hardline opponents. Britain, France, Germany and the EU as a bloc said in a joint statement on Monday: "We deeply regret the reimposition of sanctions by the U.S." Since the sanctions were initially lifted two years ago, Iranian oil exports have risen. But many Iranians have yet to see major economic improvement, and the prospect that Washington would reimpose sanctions has helped drive a collapse in the value of Iran's currency this year, raising the cost of imports. Iran's security forces have responded firmly to protests against rising prices. Iran this week made it easier to access foreign currency and said it was prosecuting an ex-central bank official for economic crimes. "(Sanctions) will definitely make daily life harder for Iranians," said Saeed Leylaz, a Tehran-based economist and political analyst. "But if the government has a serious plan they can control the situation." Iraq said it did not agree with the U.S. sanctions on its neighbor, but will abide by them to protect its own interests. "As a matter of principle we are against sanctions in the region. Blockade and sanctions destroy societies and do not weaken regimes," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday. (Writing by Peter Graff and Mary Milliken; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Angus MacSwan and James Dalgleish)
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(6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (6) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (7) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (8) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (4) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (7) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (5) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 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The attempt to determine historical truth by means of laws is ridiculous. But what makes it impertinent as well is that this claim is blatantly incorrect  even according to the Bible. As the scholars of Jewish history Jonathan and Daniel Boyarin note in their article Israel Has No Motherland: The biblical story is not one of birth from the land, but of those who always came to the land from elsewhere.





According to the Bible, the Promised Land was not the homeland of Abraham (who came from Ur of the Chaldees) or of the Israelites (who came from Egypt). It is impossible both to rely on the divine promise to inherit the land, and to talk about it as a homeland. The contradiction here is clear. The history we are familiar with shows, in addition, that the actual Jewish people, in the form we know it today, was born in the Diaspora and not in the Land of Israel.
Photo - Grand parents duties  the swings

In this column since 2008 I have highlighted numerous times both concern for the elderly in our nation and the remarkable contribution many elderly folks make in their local communities in pastoral care.

Many elderly people involved in Christian churches are part of a pastoral care group or have developed pastoral care roles by their own initiative such as visiting other elderly people in their homes, aged care facilities, hospitals and wherever else.

I'm able to site story after story of such elderly people, running about in their little cars, making cakes and stews and whatever else, packing them into the back seat, and off they go, visiting this one and that one, all at their own expense from their meagre where-with-all.

There is no substitute for such love and care by some many elderly people across the nation for this genuine compassion but not everyone can be a recipient as there are simply not enough of such givers to cover everyone in need.

A recent article in The News Daily has picked this up and highlighted depression and loneliness of elderly people as the two main components as to why there has been such an increase in elderly suicide.

Michelle Hamer says in her article that we don't usually associate suicide with the elderly, but research has shown it is frighteningly high. Hamer notes that according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 190 men aged 70 years and over died by suicide in 2011, the latest year for which figures are available.

And more - 2010 government inquiry, The Hidden Toll: Suicide in Australia found that [d]espite a reduction in overall suicide rates, RANZCP (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists) expected the number of suicides among older men to rise given they constitute a fast-growing segment of the population.

Michelle Hamer make the point that suicide is already a leading cause of death in Australia with around 2000 people taking their own lives each year, and a further 60,000 people attempting suicide. Men are four times more likely to end their own life than women.

Quoted is Sue Murray, the chief executive officer of Suicide Prevention Australia, who says there are clear differences between suicide and euthanasia - disconnectedness and social isolation are common denominators in elderly suicide.

Photo - Older people enjoy watching work being done such as beach clean-ups

Poor health and loss or grief

Poor health on the one hand or loss and grief on the other are major contributors to this situation. Genuine caring companionship seems to be a major issue. The 75 age and old group are particularly vulnerable and undiagnosed depression, or depression that has not responded to treatment, is overwhelmingly the cause of these deaths - according to researchers - older people mistakenly believe that depression is a normal part of ageing.

Hamer cites one elderly gentleman said of this: I cant equate depression, and the pain of it, with any other illness Ive ever suffered. Theres nothing as bad.

Yet for most elderly people it is not like this, Michelle Hamer states. It is a time on contentment and satisfaction for most. There is joy in seeing the grand children and great grandchildren grow through their own stages of life, and for many, it involves social occasions including helping others as described above.

But for those not in such fortunate situations, there is a sense that elderly people are not respected and feel as though they are not.

So, what are the options available to us? These are some quite positive suggestions -

If possible, get involved in activities that assist those less fortunate; our family wide grandchildren all made an effort to visit their grandparents (sometimes, and only sometimes, they were given a few dollars for being so caring), so be a bit generous from time to time; be a talker and a listener; participate in community things whether it be church things or other situations (our local Bowling Club has a bus that collects elderly people for a day out).

Michelle Hamer cites one elderly person who said that regularly seeing a psychologist, the company of his dog, his faith in Christianity, volunteering several days of the week and giving up alcohol have led to him effectively managing his depression.

I recall in the '80s the British sitcom 'To The Manor Born' where one naughty solution to loneliness was having trades people come and quote for (unintended work) which inevitably led to a lengthy conversation over a cuppa, took up a couple of hours, and quite made the day!

It's the practical ideas that appears to the keys to such elderly situations.

Photo - Walks are sometimes too much but can be therapeutic

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
When Steve Saka and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust did their first IPCPR in 2015, the company showed up with no samples of their inaugural cigar, Sobremesa. That didnt prove to be a problem as the company sold out of the cigar, and it became the hottest cigar that nobody had tried. Since then, its been easier for Saka and his team as each subsequent year, the company has shown up with samples  and has continued to show up with the same level (or better) of success. 2018 was no exception.

For 2018, the formula is one that Saka has employed the past few years. One new line, a line extension, and featuring a limited edition.

The featured new for 2018 was the long-awaited Sin Compromiso. The blend features a San Andres Negro Cultivo Tonto wrapper, a hybridized Thin Ligero Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and ndependent plantation grown Nicaraguan filler. The cigar is produced at the Joya de Nicaragua S.A. facility in Nicaragua. Saka has stated the blend is a culmination of three years of experimental black tobacco harvests.

Its also Sakas first box-pressed line, using a softer style press in five sizes including: Seleccion No. 2 Torpedo (6 x 52), Seleccion No. 5 Parejo (6 x 54), Seleccion No. 7 Parejo (7 x 56), Seleccion Intrepido (5 5/8 x 46) and the Seleccion Espada Estoque (7 x 44). This is a line the will be more limited in production, its also a more premium offering, with an MSRP in the range of $15.95 to $18.45 USD. Each vitola is sleeved in Spanish Cedar.

Theres a new line extension to Todos Las Dias called the Thick Lonsdale Mas Fuerte. Its a 6 x 46 vitola that actually uses a modified blend which is stronger than the original. At the time he blended Todos Las Dias, there were two blend variations, one stronger than the other. For Todos Las Dias Saka ultimately selected the one that was more dialed back, but when he was aiming to add the Thick Lonsdale, he communicated the wrong blend to the Joya de Nicaragua factory. Ultimately, Saka opted to use this mistake to his advantage and he dubbed the Todos Las Dias Thick Lonsdale a Mas Fuerte blend.

While it wasnt be prominently showcased, there are plans for the fourth Muestra de Saka, the planned Muestra de Saka #NLMTHA lancero. Saka is on the record saying he is not a fan of the lancero, but it fits into the mantra of Muestra de Saka because the cigars in the line are considered personal challenges to Saka.

Bear Duplisea sat down for a 20-minute interview with Steve Saka (who was in his favorite chair) at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show for #ElOsoFumarTakes. We included it below.

2018 Product Reports

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted

Video Credit: Cigar Coop/#ElOsoFumarTakes
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Kiev, August 8, 2018Belarusian authorities should immediately release detained journalists and stop harassing independent media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police raided the Minsk offices of at least three independent Belarusian news outlets and detained at least 17 journalists yesterday and today, accusing them of unlawfully obtaining information from a state news agency, according to media reports and authorities. At least seven journalists remained in detention today, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Raiding newsrooms, detaining reporters, searching their apartments, and seizing their equipment is a clear sign of governments crackdown on independent reporting, whatever the pretense, said CPJs Europe and Central Asia research associate, Gulnoza Said. Belarusian authorities should immediately release all the journalists detained and stop harassing independent media.

The Belarusian Investigative Committee said in a statement published on its website yesterday that journalists at the Minsk offices of independent news website Tut.by, independent news agency BelaPan and academic newspaper Nauka (published by the Belarusskaya Nauka publishing house) had used accounts and passwords that did not belong to them to access the paid subscriber section of BelTAs website. The state-owned BelTA often reports favorably and uncritically of President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Authorities accuse the journalists of illegally obtaining information from BelTA, a criminal offense punishable by a fine, a ban from certain professions, arrest, or up to two years of house arrest or prison time, The New York Times reported.

Tut.by, one of Belaruss largest online news outlets, reported today that six of its journalists, Halina Ulasik, Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina, Ulyana Babayed, Dzmitry Bobryk, Hanna Yermachonak, along with two BelaPAN editors, Tatsyana Karavyankova and Andrey Serada, had been detained over the past 24 hours. Yesterday, Tut.by said police officers had presented a warrant to search its offices and those of BelaPan; blocked journalists access to the offices; and seized several documents.

Bobryk, Serada and Babayed were released, but the rest of the journalists will have to spend 72 hours behind bars as the investigation continues, according to Tut.by and a second statement by the Investigative Committee issued today.

The Investigative Committee also said in todays statement that it had detained former editor of Selska Haspadarka magazine Alexey Zhukov and Deutsche Welle correspondent Pavlyuk Bykovsky on suspicion of committing similar unlawful acts.

Also today, Belarusian police raided the office of Realt.by, a real-estate news website, Tut.by reported citing the Belarusian Association of Journalists. Tut.by said the Investigative Committee directed the search and seized computers and laptops.

The Times said that at least five apartments belonging to journalists, including Deutsche Welles Bykovsky, were also searched as part of the authorities operation. Deutsche Welle cited Bykovskys wife, Olga Bykovskaya, as saying investigators took equipment including computers, tablets, phones, flash drives, external portable disks, and bank cards.

In yesterdays statement, the committee said it had opened a criminal inquiry after an Interior Ministry investigation, which uncovered 15,000 cases of unauthorized access to BelTAs exclusive section. That section of BelTAs website does not host sensitive information but publishes breaking news five to 10 minutes before it hits the agencys public wire, according to CPJs investigation of the site.

The committee claimed that the crime inflicted considerable damage, leading to the illegal procurement and use of information protected from unauthorized access, as well as to the erosion of the enterprises business reputation.

The Investigative Committee did not respond to CPJs emailed inquiries on the raids and arrests.

The spokesperson for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, Anatoliy Glaz, denied political reasons were behind the raids and arrests. The situation does not lie in political dimension and has nothing to do with freedom of speech or journalists activities in Belarus, he was quoted as saying by Russian state agency RIA Novosti.

The raids and detentions come amid a crackdown by Belarusian authorities against independent news outlets that report critically on authorities. In June, Belaruss parliament passed amendments to the countrys media laws that they said were necessary to combat fake news. CPJ said the amendments are likely to lead to further censorship of the press in Belarus.
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Nairobi, August 8, 2018Authorities in Uganda should rigorously investigate two attacks on journalist Damba Wiziri that occurred while he was covering a recent national parliamentary election in Sheema Municipality, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Wiziri, who works for the majority state-owned Vision Groups print, television, and online platforms, was attacked on July 27 and 30, according to Sheikh Abdulatif, a journalist who witnessed both incidents and works for a Vison Group subsidiary, and a report by the media rights organization, the Human Rights Network for Journalists- Uganda (HRNJ-U).

The police should expedite investigations into the attacks on journalist Damba Wiziri and hold those responsible to account, said Muthoki Mumo, CPJ Sub Saharan Africa Representative. The media plays a crucial role in ensuring the transparency of elections, and any obstruction of coverage makes one wonder what officials are trying to hide.

The July 30 assault occurred while Wiziri was covering a demonstration by members of an opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), who were protesting the parliamentary election results, the journalist told CPJ. Wiziri told CPJ that he was photographing the demonstrators while riding a boda boda, a motorcycle taxi, when an attacker pulled him from the back of the boda boda and dragged him into the nearby offices of the Integrated Community Based Initiatives (ICOBI), a health-focused non-governmental organization associated with the winner of the Sheema parliamentary election and Ugandas science minister, Elioda Tumwesigye.

Inside the office building, four men, at least one of whom Wiziri recognized as an ICOBI employee, punched him, kicked him, and attempted to strangle him, the journalist said. The attackers also confiscated Wiziris camera, bag, and phone, and later gave them to the police, he said.

The journalist yesterday told CPJ that he had throat pain and suffered minor injuries to his arms and chest.

Abdulatif and Wiziri said that police officers, including Sheema District Police Commander Hillary Mukiza, watched the assault but did not intervene.

Tumwesigye today told CPJ that none of the NGOs employees had been involved in the assault on Wiziri. Rather, he said, a contracted security guard had taken the journalists camera amidst a scuffle after protesters tried to storm the ICOBI offices. Tumwesigye said that the journalists assault claims were exaggerated to hurt his reputation and that of ICOBI.

Wiziri and Abdulatif told CPJ that the July 27 attack occurred at Kikonko Primary School, which was serving as a polling station, when a local government official, Amanya Jordan, obstructed and manhandled Wiziri, preventing him from filming.

When called for comment by CPJ on August 7, Jordan, who is also a director of local, privately owned radio station BFM, said that he was suspicious of the journalists motives and that he was reacting to repeated attempts to photograph the car. Some journalists, he said, had even tried to open the car doors.

One of BFMs managing editors, Jonas Tumwiine, was a candidate in the election.

WIziri told CPJ he reported both assaults to the police.

Mercy Oyeki, a Vision Group lawyer, today told CPJ that the journalists phone and bag had been returned though police continue to hold his camera as evidence.

Mukiza on August 7 referred CPJ to the polices public relations personnel for comment about the assaults.

When initially reached for comment on August 6, Uganda police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said that the DPC Mukiza had denied being present during the attack on the journalist. Kayima yesterday told CPJ that police were investigating reports on the assault and a claim that the DPC had failed to investigate the case once the attackers were initially identified.




Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected.





No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions.

Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with.
Union Government has constituted four-member Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu to decide on 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations. It was constituted to advise Prime Minister on whether to continue with or withdraw from RCEP negotiations.

Group of Ministers (GoM)

The GoM also includes Interim Finance and Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri. It has been mandated to find way forward from current deadlock over issues of joining RCEP or not. It will also help fine tune Indias strategy for the upcoming RCEP ministerial meet in August 2018 in Singapore. Besides, it will also help to finalize Indias position before RCEP Summit scheduled to be held in November 2018.

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

RCEP is proposed free trade agreement (FTA) or comprehensive regional economic integration agreement between the 10-ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan and Korea).

Its negotiations were formally launched at 2012 ASEAN Summit in Cambodia. Till 2017, 16 RCEP member states accounted for population of 3.4 billion people with total GDP (in terms of PPP) of $49.5 trillion, approximately 38% of the worlds GDP (combined GDPs of China and India makes up more than half that amount) and 29% of world trade.

So far, objective of RCEP negotiations is to achieve modern, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among ASEAN Member States and its FTA partners. The coverage areas of RCEP negotiations included trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property, economic and technical cooperation, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, Small And Medium Enterprises (SMEs) etc.

Indias concern

There has been rising pressure on India to allow more market access to RCEP member countries including China and conclude negotiations by end of 2018. Several RCEP countries want India to open up its market for 92% of traded goods, while they are still reluctant to allow Indian skilled professionals greater access to their markets. India has maintained its position that it is ready to offer access for up to 85% of items, with deviations for countries such as Australia, New Zealand and China, with whom it does not have FTA. Besides, India also has trade deficit with 10 RCEP countries including China, South Korea and Australia, among others.
Iran Human Rights (Aug 5, 2018): Iranian political prisoner, Mohammad Mozaffari, received 74 lashes at Evin prison.





Iran Human Rights (IHR) condemns the use of physical punishments, such as flogging and considers it as a violation of human rights and dignity. IHR calls on the international community and human rights organizations to do their best in order to make the Islamic Republic stop the implementation of such inhumane punishments.









RELATED: Iran: 20 people lashed for eating or drinking during Ramadan fasting hours According to the political prisoner's brother, on the morning of Sunday, August 5, Mohammad Mozaffari received 74 lashes. He was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment, 74 lashes, and a fine of 2 million Tomans on the charge of propaganda against the system and insulting the leadership and the clergy because of his peaceful activities and disclosing information about the condition of political prisoners. He is currently serving the jail term at Tehrans Evin Prison.





Mohammad Mozaffari was first arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on February 15, 2015, and spent six months at Evin Prison after which he was released on bail. He was sent to Evin Prison again on June 18, after his verdict was issued.









RELATED: Who Gets Flogged In Iran? Article 16 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has signed, clearly bans the use of cruel, inhumane, or demeaning punishments or treatments. According to the Iranian penal code, Flogging is measured out as a punishment for many charges including but not limited to fornication, drinking alcohol, drug abuse, disturbing public order and breaking the hijab code in the form of Hadd and Tazir.





Hadd refers to a punishment the type, quantity, and quality of which is determined by the Islamic Sharia law. On may 2018, the Deputy Chief of the Iranian Judiciary, Hadi Sadeghi, said that at a press conference that flogging is more effective than imprisonment.





Flogging is a very common punishment in Iran but there are no exact statistics about the extent of this punishment. Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Khorshidi, the Chief Justice of Estahban, said, recently under a Friday prayer We carry out the flogging sentences every day we are not indifferent, but we cant announce every action we take every day. The United Nations had earlier condemned the use of flogging in Iran.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
The Central Criminal Court of Iraq on Tuesday sentenced to death by hanging 5 persons for membership to the Islamic State (IS).





The court "reviewed the cases of 5 individuals convicted of membership [to IS] who worked in several divisions of the organization," the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council's (IHJC) spokesperson, Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, said in a statement.





Over the past 2 years, Iraqi forces have arrested tens of thousands of people which include foreign nationals they claim are members or affiliates of the militant group. Most still await sentencing.





Despite concerns from the United Nations (UN), Iraqi courts repeatedly issue the death penalty for many IS members who have been arrested and detained under questionable conditions.





"The convicts partook in fighting against security and military forces in the provinces of Nineveh and Anbar and had carried out terrorist attacks," Birqdar added.





The IHJC regularly issues statements after they hand sentences to individuals who have been convicted and are awaiting the court's final verdict.





"The court issued its decision to hang to death the accused under the provisions of Article 4/1 of [Iraq's] anti-terrorism law," the spokesperson concluded.





In the past year, Iraq has executed dozens of foreign and local IS members.





A few months ago, Iraqi courts sentenced 212 people to death in Mosul and surrounding areas, most of them for membership to the extremist group.





International humanitarian organizations, including the UN, say efforts by Iraqi authorities to speed up the implementation of death sentences could lead to the execution of innocent people.





The death penalty in Iraq was suspended on June 10, 2003, but reinstated the following year.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

kurdistan24.net, August 8, 2018
SAGA  The Saga District Court on Monday sentenced a 69-year-old man to life in prison for murdering a man and a woman by burying them alive in the city of Saga in 2014.





In the trial, prosecutors demanded that Teruyoshi Oho be given the death penalty for killing South Korean national Ra Si-chan, then 76, and his associate Chie Matsushiro, 48.





The defense counsel argued Oho was innocent.





According to the indictment, Oho suffocated the pair on Aug. 15, 2014, by burying them alive in their car in a 5-meter hole dug at a soil treatment company he ran in the city.





The prosecutors said Oho called Ra to the site after the latter urged him to pay back about 40 million he had borrowed.





Oho made his employees dig the hole beforehand and dumped the car into it using heavy machinery, they said.





Noting the crime was premeditated based on a strong intention to kill, the prosecutors said there were no special circumstances in Ohos case meriting a reprieve from capital punishment.





But Ohos defense team argued that the pairs cause of death was not known and that his debts were not a valid reason for the killings. It also claimed the hole was for dumping industrial waste.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Shura members argue no male requirement for appointment





Manama: Saudi Arabia could soon appoint women as judges if a recommendation by Shura Council members successfully goes through the process.





The 150-member council is currently in summer recess, but will in four weeks look into the recommendation to empower competent Saudi women who are legally and religiously qualified to hold judging positions, Saudi daily Okaz reported on Monday.





The recommendation, presented by Members Faysal Al Fadhel, Lateefa Al Shaalan and Atta Al Subaiti within the Islamic Affairs and Judicial Committee, calls upon the justice ministry to help with the appointment of women as judges.





The rationale for their recommendation included the availability of legally competent Saudi women with full merit for judicial functions, a shortage of judges and vacant judicial positions, the members said.





Not appointing women in the judiciary is incompatible with the Kingdoms Vision 2030 which calls for empowering women and investing in their potential and aptitudes, they added.





Women have been recently allowed to work as investigators at the Public Prosecution Office, they added.





The recommendation included scholarly references arguing that there were no religious texts that barred women from becoming judges as well as references to other Arab and Islamic countries that had appointed women as judges.





Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Sudan had women judges since the 1960s while Jordan appointed its first woman judge in 1996, Egypt in 2003 and Bahrain in 2006, they said.





The Saudi judiciary system does not specify gender in the requirements to be appointed judge.





The Shura Council comprises 30 women.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Though Karunanidhi was himself a strong and charismatic leader, he never spoke down to his cadres and moved with them as an equal. (Photo: File)

By D. Ravikumar

During M. K. Stalins recent Cauvery walk we visited his father Kalaignars ancestral home in Thirukkuvalai, near Tiruvarur. One look at his house and its surroundings, I was left wondering how such a big leader like Karunanidhi could have emerged from such a remote and backward village.

Tiruvarur has been a very backward district with high poverty ratio and little development. Only now a central university has come up here. Geography determines a persons life more than history and that is why there is hardly any opportunity for students from rural areas, even if there is talent to make a mark. The rural-urban divide is sharp even now.

Fidel Castro used to say history will absolve me. In a country like ours, we are not sure whether geography will absolve us even if history does. Imagine how Thirukkuvalai must have been 100 years ago if it is so backward even today. That a person from such a village could determine the destiny of Tamil Nadu for nearly 50 years is itself a major achievement. Karunanidhis success is that something emerged out of this milieu, despite its desolate geography.

Secondly, he has been the president of the DMK for 50 years. In Indian democracy, any elected government can be democratic only to the extent the parties in the electoral system are democratic. If power goes to a political party that is undemocratic, we cannot expect to have democratic governance.

Also Read: DMK chief Karunanidhi, 5-time CM and towering Dravidian leader, dies at 94

The AIADMK has been an authoritarian party almost from the beginning, whether it was headed by MGR or Jayalalithaa. There were no norms for changing functionaries in the party and in the ministry; the boss decided it all.

So, this authoritarian streak was reflected in their governance also. In the garb of populism, they (AIADMK) gave only an authoritarian rule in Tamil Nadu. The roots of it were in the authoritarian structure of the party itself. They would try to run the government as they ran the party. Even bureaucrats were treated like party district secretaries who could be changed at will.

From that standpoint, if you make a comparative study, Kalaignars second biggest achievement in these last 50 years is to run the DMK in a democratic manner. There is still inner party democracy in the DMK where elections are held for party posts.

On several occasions, people whom Karunanidhi did not like have become district secretaries. They can contest in the internal party elections and occupy such positions. This is the case with influential ministers at the district level where candidates opposed to the choice of the local minister could win party positions through election.

Also Read: Karunanidhi, DMKs captain of 50 years returns to pavilion

Such a democratic practice has been there only in the DMK in Tamil Nadu. I wonder, whether even the Left parties have this level of inner party democracy.

The relationship between the leader and the cadres is another aspect. Personality cult has been the bane of all major parties in India. They strictly maintain the hierarchy. The personality cult made the relationship between the leader and the cadre as one of deity-devotee. But as far as Karunanidhi was concerned, whether it was a district secretary or any other office bearer, they could even joke with him while in conversation. You cant find this in any other leader today in India.

Karunanidhi would also share a joke with his party men. He would listen to the opinion of party member, even if he was a first time MLA. Though Karunanidhi was himself a strong and charismatic leader, he never spoke down to his cadres and moved with them as an equal. This is his third most important achievement.

Karunanidhi was also a multi-faceted, talented personality among the political leaders of the country. He was a school dropout and yet he was well-versed with Tamil classical literature which even todays Tamil professors may not be knowing.

He has written commentaries for classical texts like Tirukkural. He had good knowledge and scholarship in all forms of Tamil literature from classical to modern times. This is a very important facet of the man for any political leader in Tamil Nadu today.

Kalaignar had a connect with the long tradition of Tamil culture. His government took steps to propagate ideals of Thiruvalluvar, as much as hold Indra Vizha at Poompuhar to commemorate the Tamil epic Silapathikaram.

All this was possible because of his deep understanding of Tamil culture which was also reflected in governance. His government celebrated Tamil scholars like Mu. Varadarasanar and Avvai Natarajan as Vice-Chancellors of universities, while Karunanidhis contribution to Tamil culture has even exceeded that of the Tamil scholars.

He connected the power of the chief ministers office creatively to enhance Tamil literature and culture. His contribution to Tamil is even greater than what a scholar like E. M. S. Namboodiripaad had done to Keralas culture when the latter was chief minister.

Karunanidhis perspective was so intertwined with political modernity that he could even use cinema creatively. His outlook as a rationalist also ensured he did not compromise with religious fundamental forces. He used to ask bold questions even when DMK was in alliance with the BJP.

Next was his approach to the self-respect movement whose core idea was equality and social justice. He never cared for caste names. He tried to institutionalise the notion of equality through the establishment of Samathuvapurams because of his deep commitment to that ideal as a rationalist. Even Mayawati, follower of Dr. Ambedkar, had become chief minister thrice but did little in bringing equality into governance.

Karunanidhis another very big achievement was in creating awareness about states rights and federalism at the national level which in turn should help strengthen the notions democratic framework.

(Writer is author, poet and general secretary of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi)
Indias Deep State led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assiduously cultivated Pakistans principal Sunni political Islam persuasion allies and economic benefactors Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to try and drain Toxicistans fountainhead of blood money being funnelled by hawala conduits into the Kashmir Valley.

The Hurriyat Conference website actively seeks donations from the citizenry, its renegade and anti-national chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelanis appeal reads like this: Help the families of martyrs and prisoners. It is the duty of the people to enquire about the well-being of these families. To overlook it may invite Allahs wrath on us. The Tehreek-e-Hurriyat is doing whatever possible to make legal aid available to these prisoners, including those sentenced to life imprisonment. People should come forward and help TeH monetarily in this endeavour. Tehreek-e-Hurriyat is one of the best organisations to give Ushr, Zakat and other sadaqaat. People should come forward for donations in the month of Ramzan as the number of people affected by this movement is large.

Incredibly, he gives his personal J&K Bank account, complete with IFSC code, on the website for the same donations. It is not that he is blagging for help, he is doing it brazenly under the eyes of the torpor-induced

Government of India for the freedom of Kashmir. Ostensibly, his appeal for donations is to help the families of martyrs and prisoners, but one doesnt really know if a part of the proceeds fuel the purported azadi struggle in the Valley. While the Ajit Doval doctrine, using a mix of discrediting the Hurriyat and the use of jackboots on the ground, has failed in Kashmir, the Prime Ministers strategy of cutting off the snakes head so that the body dies has partially been successful in terms of long-term diplomacy. The key is to drain the flow of blood, in this case cash to fund the insurgency that has taken root in the Sunni-dominated Valley.

Displaying his diplomatic heft by systematically engaging with three principals of Salafi Wahabism Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE equally financial sponsors and Sunni religious doctrine benefactors of Pakistan, Mr Modi has managed to deplete the flow of blood money to the terror factory and Jihad Central. Sadly, this facet of his diplomacy has got lost in the tower of babble over his numerous foreign visits.

In order to neutralise Pakistans clout in the Sunni-dominated nations and to circumvent the cash lines for the alleged Kashmir freedom struggle, not enough credit has gone to the PM. The fact that this engagement is bilateral, with Mr Modi visiting these countries and their heads of state/government coming here, means that the volume has been ratcheted up and India is weaning away the fountainhead from Toxicistan, the practitioner of a dreaded ideology and theology.

The wedge driven in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both long-time votaries, major allies and economic benefactors of Pakistan, has only helped India. The terror taint has now now stuck to Pakistan indelibly. The Pakistan government backed the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ) comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain against Qatar. But this was primarily driven by the Pakistan Muslim League (Newaz) and the Sharif brothers business interests in Qatar, where larger issues were ignored over personal business interests. In 2015, the Pakistanis refused to join the Saudi alliance against Yemen, prompting a swift and angry retaliation from the UAE authorities. Saudi Arabia, one of Pakistans biggest benefactors in the past, virtually asked Pakistan to choose between Riyadh and Doha earlier this year, when the Gulf states hit out at Qatar for its alleged support to terrorists.

Pakistan, for a while, considered pulling out Gen. Raheel Sharif, its former Army chief, as commander of the Saudi-led anti-terror alliance after then PM Nawaz Sharif felt ignored and shunned in Riyadh during a visit by US President Donald Trump. Mr Sharif was not allowed to deliver his prepared speech, nor was he able to meet Mr Trump. Making thin-gs worse, Mr Trump named only India as a victim of terror, even as Pakistan has wailed and railed that it has paid the largest cost in human terms.

The religiously-driven proxy war funded by Salafi Wahabi backers has seen an all-pervasive cult of death practised for close to 30 years in Kashmir. To cut the feedstock to this bloody war for the misplaced notion of azadi was imperative, and Mr Modi and his security mavens have realised this. Mr Modi has gone beyond the pale and engaged with Jordan, Oman and Iran as well in this push for the Middle East and the Levant. At its very kernel remains the isolation of Pakistan, and wins like the joint statement with the UAE are worth their weight in gold. A statement issued by Mr Modi and UAEs Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan managed to redefine the contours of a relationship that had long been bereft of political reality. Both sides denounced terrorism in all forms and manifestations, wherever committed and by whomever, calling on all states to reject and abandon the use of terrorism against other countries, dismantle terrorism infrastructures where they exist, and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice. The PM is keen to see that Pakistans close allies apply pressure on Pakistan as a rogue state spo

nsor of terrorism.

To understand the dynamics at play, Adam Weinstein, a policy associate at National Iranian American Council and an Afghan war veteran, wrote in Huffpost that Wahhabism is an ideology of compromise between the ambitions of the zealot and the needs of the ruler. Wahhabism can be thought of as a religio-political sub-category of the Salafi approach to Islam. Salafis get their name from the al-salaf al-salih or pious companions of Mohammed, whose practises they claim to imitate. What distinguishes Wahhabism from Salafism is that the former is dependent on the House of Saud for its power, whereas the latter is a phenomenon that exists globally. The 18th century partnership of tribal leader Ibn Saud and cleric Abd al-Wahhab wedded two parallel sources of legitimacy in Arabia religion and tribal kinship. The clerics known as ulema received their authority from God and then conferred it upon the Saud clan themselves. In exchange, theulema are protected from the risks that come with governance. Wahhabis must be distinguished from jihadi Salafis because Wahhabism is inextricably linked to the Saudi state and therefore not revolutionary in nature. The royal family walks a tightrope between the liberalisation necessary for economic development and strong political ties with the West, and the more conservative demands of the Wahhabi movement. One such demand is to turn a blind eye to the sponsorship and export of terrorism and jihad in South Asia, the Middle East and even the West.

The close relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan began as early as the administration of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. According to a recently-released CIA report, in 1975 Bhutto had obtained assurances of generous aid from Saudi Arabia during a state visit. In exchange for such support, Pakistan furnished military technicians and advisers to the armed forces of Saudi Arabia. Other CIA documents reveal that during Gen. Zia-ul Haqs military dictatorship, Pakistan viewed the Soviet presence in Afghanistan starting 1979 as an existential threat. So Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency was more than enthusiastic about training Pashtun mujahideen to fight against the Soviets with Saudi and US assistance. Saudi officials naturally garnered greater respect from the Pakistani officers than their American counterparts due to the revered status of the Kingdom as caretaker of the two holiest sites in Islam. The US also underestimated the extent to which Pakistani officers would develop

sympathies for the militants they spent years training.

Draining the blood to the fount remains at the core of the Indian offensive and defensive strategy on Kashmir. Unfortunately, the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as Kashmir interlocutor has hindered and slowed down the NIA probe and taking the same to its logical culmination. The February NIA chargesheet hasnt seen much action thereafter, but with Governors Rule now in place, renewed aggression may manifest itself. As many as 12 people were chargesheeted, including linchpins of the terror factory and aides of several prominent separatists including the troika Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik. It also included Syed Geelanis son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah, alias Fantoosh, and Farooq Ahmad Dar, alias Bitta Karate.
Remittances to Ho Chi Minh City in the first seven months reached nearly $2.9 billion, a State Bank official says.

Nguyen Hoang Minh, deputy director of the HCMC branch of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), said this was a 20 percent year-on-year increase.

Earlier in May, Minh had said that a total of $2 billion had been transferred from overseas to the largest city in Vietnam.

He said the remittances were being used mainly in the manufacturing sector, not for real estate, securities and savings, which have been the typical draws for long.

In recent years, remittances to Ho Chi Minh City have been increasing by an average of eight to ten percent per year, Minh said.

He also said macroeconomic stability, improving situation of foreign workers and an increase in services attracting investments have attracted more remittances since the beginning of this year.

The macroeconomic stability and higher exchanging rate were also reasons why remittance recipients were gradually moving from holding the funds in foreign currencies to the dong, he added.

Vietnamese citizens living and working abroad sent home $13.8 billion last year, placing Vietnam among the worlds 10 biggest remittance beneficiaries, a World Bank report said.

It also said the figure accounted for 6.7 percent of Vietnams gross domestic product, showing that remittances continue to be an important income source for the country.
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Japanese police have arrested three Vietnamese nationals after discovering 1,700 stolen items in a house in Saitama Prefecture.

The three arrested persons are all unemployed. One of them has been identified as Pham Trong Ha, 26, Japan's Sankei newspaper reported on Monday.

Police from Ishikawa Prefecture busted the trio following the discovery of the 1,700 shoplifted items, about 300 of which were medicines and cosmetics, in Ha's house in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture.

The goods are suspected to have been shoplifted by several Vietnamese groups before being stored in Ha's house, from where they would be shipped to Vietnam for sale.

Ha's criminal activities were uncovered following statements by another unnamed Vietnamese shoplifter that Ishikawa Prefecture Police had arrested in May, the Sankei report said.

Ha has confessed to knowing that the items stored in his house were most likely stolen goods.

Vietnamese expats in Japan have committed more crimes than any other foreign non-permanent residents living in the country last year, according to Kyodo News.

Police recorded 5,140 crimes committed by Vietnamese people in 2017, up from 3,177 the year before, accounting for 30.2 percent of the total number of crimes committed by foreign nationals.

Shoplifting was the dominant crime, with 2,037 cases, while burglary jumped to 325 in 2017 from just 12 the previous year.

Vietnamese have surpassed Brazilians to become the fourth biggest minority group in Japan after the number of non-permanent residents in the country grew more than six-fold between 2008 and 2017, when it reached about 260,000.
Czech police are investigating a resort where negligence and racism were alleged factors in the death of two Vietnamese boys.

Negligence and racism caused the death of the two seven-year-old Vietnamese boys at the Lhota Lake resort in the Central Bohemian region last week, the local news website Britske Listy reported, citing witness.

The boys mothers had sought assistance from employees of the resort after their children were lost. However, the employees were impolite and refused to search for two missing boys, the report said.

They spoke with the mothers in a highly derogatory manner and regarded them as "scum", the report said, citing the unnamed witness.

Initial cause leading to the negligence on the part of the resorts employees was due to the fact that the victims were foreigners, it reported.

"One of the Vietnamese mothers - she could not swim - jumped into the water and looked for the boys there. No one of the employees helped her until the other visitors started shouting that the attendants should start helping her. The mothers were anxiously asking for help but since they were Vietnamese, everyone ignored them," the witness was quoted as saying.

The lifeguard was said to have left his post at that time to take shelter from the scorching heat, the report said.

A search was launched for the missing boys several hours later. They were found drowned in the lake.

The resort staff defended their actions saying they were afraid of causing unnecessary panic among visitors when searching for the Vietnamese boys.

The Czech-Vietnamese Society has asked local police to thoroughly investigate the tragedy.

More than 65,000 Vietnamese now live in the Czech Republic, making it the third biggest minority group in the country.
A Vietnamese man who fatally stabbed a compatriot in Taiwan was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday.

Bui Tien Dung was convicted of killing another Vietnamese man, whose surname is Pham, in a knife attack in June 2017 after quarreling with the deceased and several others at a restaurant in New Taipei, Focus Taiwan reported.

Although the two sides seemed to have patched up their quarrel, Bui's cousin went out and bought five knives soon after, and gave one of them to Dung.

Dung then stabbed Pham and injured two other men, the court heard.

Pham died before he was brought to the hospital, while the other two victims suffered stab wounds to the back and arm, the court said.

After Dung has served his 15-year prison sentence, he will be deported, local authorities said.

Ever since Taiwan lifted a 10-year ban on certain categories of Vietnamese workers in 2015, the territory has been the leading destination for Vietnamese guest workers.

According to the Vietnam Migration Profile 2016, Taiwan tops the list of destinations for Vietnamese migrant laborers, with over 274,000 moving to the territory between 2012 and 2016.
Arguments for and against decentralization have broken out after the recent national high school exam fraud exposed systemic problems.

Some have blamed provincial administration of the national exam for the national high school exam fraud where marks were manipulated to give higher scores to students whod not performed well.

Last week, two more education officials in the northern province of Hoa Binh were arrested and placed under criminal investigation for involvement in one of Vietnams biggest national exam frauds, where it was found that the results of over 372 tests taken by 114 candidates in the three provinces of Ha Giang, Son La and Hoa Binh were heavily altered.

Scores in individual subjects were inflated by as much as 90 percent and cumulative scores went up by more than 17 percent.

Hoa Binh was the latest province exposed in the national exam fraud case after Ha Giang and Son La provinces.

Students livid

Ever since the case came to light last month, students, parents and teachers nationwide have expressed their anger.

There are 35 people in my class. Whos good or whos bad, we know it. And some of them dont deserve such high scores, said an unnamed student from Son La Province.

I couldnt believe my eyes upon reading about the Ha Giang case. Our scores were the results of all our efforts, and they determine our future and our careers. And yet, some students did nothing and still received top scores in the entire country, said another unnamed student in Ha Giang Province.

Nearly 925,800 Vietnamese students attended the national high school exam, which plays as one of the biggest milestones of their life.

The exam is considered to be a make-or-break event for the students, determining if they can enter a good university or not. Most families in Vietnam view it as a crucial step that helps decide their children's future career life, and thus the high school years and the exam season in particular are usually a stressful family affair.

An unnamed parent in Ha Giang Province claimed: My child was very angry upon hearing the students national examination results. Some of them were not that good, but got scores as high as 27 (out of 30), while the best students only got 24-25.

Systemic flaws

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and 26 education experts held a discussion last week on Vietnams problematic national high school graduation examination.

Some said that this years national graduation examination had too many flaws in its conception, organization and operation that facilitated the falsification of results.

Education minister Phung Xuan Nha said the software used to grade multiple-choice test sheets contained security flaws that could allow outsiders to falsify test results.

Experts also consider the 7-day time limit for physical CDs of students test answers to be sent to the education ministry too long, also allowing for manipulation of test answers.

Other issues raised during the discussion included how the test answers were processed in text form instead of images; and how the official answers were released before the actual grading took place, allowing outsiders to overwrite the students answers.

But most of the blame was placed on the fact that it was the provincial authority that administered the exam and not the education ministry.

While organizing the examination in local provinces might cost less and make it more accessible for students, it is also more difficult to monitor and manage, thus making it less secure, experts said.

In 2012, a graduation exam fraud case in the northern province of Bac Giang had exam invigilators actively helping students to cheat by giving them study materials right during the examination.

Some people suggested that the high school graduation exam is scrapped and students planning to study higher take their university entrance exam. But opponents said the high school final exam is still necessary to determine the quality of the three-year education.

Others advocated that the education ministry and universities themselves administer the national exam, not provincial authorities. This would make the process more secure and fraud less likely, they said.

Our universities should be in charge of administering the national examination themselves, said an unnamed head of a major university in Hanoi.

However, education minister Nha rejected this contention, saying previous governmental meetings had already considered allowing universities to organize their own entrance exams, but many are unable to do it, due to a lack of funds and human resources.

Moreover, doing so would incentivize a new surge in cramming classes, something the Vietnamese government has been trying to curb for many years.

So what should be done?

One solution is to record students test sheets right after they have been collected by invigilators after an exam, and save them digitally afterwards, suggested education deputy minister Bui Van Ga.

Once a saved file has been created on the spot, it would be impossible to interfere with the test answers, he said.

The national exam requires candidates to undertake mandatory exams in Math, Literature and Foreign Language, while making a choice between natural sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and social sciences (History, Geography and Ethics).

This year, the examination lasted for three days, from June 25 to June 27.
Bui Van Thanh has been dismissed from his position as Deputy Minister of Public Security. Photo by Ngoc Thanh

The Prime Minister has dismissed two police generals of their positions as current and former deputy ministers of public security.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed the decisions to punish the two officials on Wednesday, 11 days after the Communist Party dismissed them from their Party positions and recommended further disciplinary actions.

Bui Van Thanh has accordingly been dismissed from his position as Deputy Minister of Public Security, while Tran Viet Tan has retroactively lost his title as Deputy Minister of Public Security for the term 2011-2016 for violations previously uncovered by the Party's inspectors.

The prime minister has also submitted a report to the president asking that Thanh and Tan be demoted from lieutenant general to colonel and colonel general to lieutenant general, respectively.

The decisions to punish Thanh and Tan came after the Party's Central Inspection Committee reported on their violations and recommended disciplinary actions at a three-day meeting last month.

According to the inspectors, Thanh, as the deputy public security minister responsible for the ministry's General Department of Logistics-Engineering and as the department's former general director, had to be held responsible for violations committed by the Standing Committee of the department's Party unit.

He was found to have violated the principle of democratic centralism principle and shown irresponsibility in leading, managing, inspecting and supervising the department, enabling violations by the unit.

Thanh also violated regulations on protecting state secrets and the ministry's working regulations, and broke laws in signing documents proposing the sale of several properties and land lots that belonged to the ministry.

He was also found to have signed a decision allowing real estate tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu to travel abroad and requesting a diplomatic passport for him, although the latter was not qualified to get one.

Vu fled Vietnam, dodging an arrest warrant issued against him last December for revealing state secrets. But he was deported by Singapore and arrested upon landing in Vietnam in January. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison for "deliberatly disclosing state secrets" at a closed trial last week.

Inspectors also found that Tan, during his time as member of the Executive Committee of the Public Security Force's Party unit, had shown irresponsibility in leading, managing, inspecting and supervising the force. He had also signed a number of documents that violated regulations on protecting state secrets.

The Politburo, the Party's highest decision-making body, subsequently dismissed Thanh from all Party positions and dismissed Tan with retroactive effect from his position as member of the Executive Committee of the Public Security Force's Party unit for the 2011-2016 term at a meeting on July 28.

This is the latest in a series of dismissals, prosecution and warnings issued against high-ranking officials under a corruption crackdown spearheaded by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Trong, 74, has repeatedly said that the momentum of the corruption fight would be maintained, sparing no one.
AirAsia to launch direct flight to its fifth Vietnam destination

AirAsia is set to fly to Kualar Lumpur to Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island in November 2018. Photo by Reuters/Charles Platiau

Malaysian budget airline AirAsia has announced the launch of a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Phu Quoc Island.

The four flights a week schedule, starting November 2 this year, marks the airlines fifth route to Vietnam.

Phu Quoc marks AirAsia Malaysias 59th unique route and the fifth route into Vietnam, the airline said Tuesday.

Besides Phu Quoc, AirAsia flies to four other destinations in Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi and Nha Trang from Malaysia.

Speaking after the launching ceremony, AirAsia head of commercial operations, Spencer Lee, said that the launch of the direct flight services to Phu Quoc reflects AirAsias continued efforts to strengthen the airlines connectivity within the Southeast Asian region.

He also said that AirAsia will be offering special introductory all-in-fares for the new route starting from RM90. The special fare will be available for booking from August 8 to 19 for the travel period from November 2 this year to March 29, 2019.

The biggest island in Vietnam, also called the Pearl Island, Phu Quoc offers a slice of paradise for sun worshippers with 150-km (93-mile) long, beautiful coastline.

The island is part of the Kien Giang Province and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2006.
Samsung to invest billions in new tech to drive fresh growth

The investment will be primarily led by Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest maker of memory chips. Photo by AFP

Samsung Group said it would invest $22 billion over the next three years in cutting-edge technologies.

It includes artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and biopharmaceuticals, as it searches for ways to drive future growth.

The investment will be primarily led by Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest maker of memory chips, which has faced a string of setbacks in recent years, including a fall in smartphone sales and a corruption scandal that saw its vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong jailed last year.

Although demand for its memory chips remains robust, the market for its smartphones appears to have hit a wall, prompting the company to search for fresh growth opportunities.

"Samsung expects innovations powered by AI technology will drive the industry's transformation, while the next-generation 5G telecommunications technology will create new opportunities in autonomous driving, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics," the company said in a statement.

The $22 billion is part of a total of 180 trillion won ($161 billion) that the group plans to invest over the next three years across its businesses, with more than 70 percent of the money to be spent in South Korea.

Samsung will also expand investments in manufacturing hubs, seeking to increase production of semiconductors and display screens as well as dominate new markets by developing technology to power self-driving cars.

"Today's announcement shows Samsung is serious in its efforts to develop new growth engines" at a time when its semiconductor business and mobile sector are both facing mounting competition from Chinese rivals, Greg Roh of HMC Securities & Investment told AFP.

The company said it expected to add 40,000 new jobs over the next three years, in news that will likely bring relief to South Korea's government which is currently struggling with high youth unemployment.

'Begging for investment'

The announcement came two days after South Korean Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon met the group's de-facto head Lee, calling for Samsung to create new jobs and boost the economy.

The scion of the founding family, Lee was jailed last year for his part in the graft scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye.

He has since been released after some of his convictions were quashed on appeal, and is now awaiting a Supreme Court decision.

Critics say Kim's meeting with Lee may send a wrong signal to the court that the government backs leniency for the beleaguered businessman.

"Kim's visit... gave a wrong impression that a top government minister is begging for investment by Samsung", Chung Sun-sup, head of the corporate analysis website Chaebol.com, told AFP.

Chung said reformist President Moon Jae-in's campaign to clip the wings of the country's powerful family-run conglomerates, known as chaebols, appeared to be losing steam in the face of stonewalling business groups which are "wielding prospects for investment as their weapons".

"Kim's visit to Samsung... showed the momentum for chaebol reform has been all but lost", he said.

Samsung's second quarter profit dipped slightly to 11.04 trillion won, down from 11.05 trillion won a year earlier.

Total sales for April-June fell 4.1 percent year-on-year to 58.48 trillion won, with revenues for the company's mobile division plunging 22 percent in the same period.

The company has been fighting off competition from Chinese rivals including Huawei, which last week said it could replace Samsung as the world's top smartphone maker by late next year, after data showed it surpassed Apple for the number-two spot in a tightening global smartphone market.

Investors greeted Wednesday's news with cautious optimism, with Samsung Electronics' shares rising 0.21 percent to close at 46,800 won.
America Not Ready for Democratic Socialisms Bill

Brian Riedl, Vox



Democratic socialism is having a moment. Sen. Bernie Sanders mobilized millions of voters during the 2016 campaign, nominally as a Democrat but with many self-professed socialists in his bandwagon. And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will likely bring her own brand of socialism to Congress next year, having knocked off New York Rep. Joe Crowley in a primary. However, the democratic socialist agenda will face resistance not only from other lawmakers but from basic math. Read more here....


Ahmad Ibrahim al-Mughassil is a fugitive wanted in connection with the June 1996 bombing attack of housing complex in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, that killed 20 people and wounded 372 others.



A Saudi citizen, al-Mughassil is 41 years old, stands 5 feet 4 inches tall, and has black hair and brown eyes. He speaks Arabic and Farsi, and is also known as Abu Omran.





Al-Mughassil is a member of the military wing of the Saudi Hizballah terrorist group, and may be its leader. On June 25, 1996, members of the group attacked the Khobar Towers housing complex with a large truck bomb. At the time, the complex was used to house U.S. military personnel. The attack killed 19 American servicemen and one Saudi citizen. Wounded were 372 others of many different nationalities.



For these and other acts, al-Mughassil is charged with conspiracy to kill American citizens, use weapons of mass destruction, destroy US government property and other crimes.





The Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to al-Mughassil's arrest or prosecution.



The U.S. guarantees that all reports will be investigated and the identity of all informants will be kept confidential. If appropriate, the U.S. is prepared to protect informants by relocating them.
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August 2018 marks the tenth anniversary of Russias invasion of Georgia, a country of less than 4 million people.
What President Donald Trump called a breakthrough on trade occurred when European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker sat down with Mr. Trump at the White House for a discussion that has eased tensions between the worlds two largest trading partners.

On July 25 the two leaders agreed to work together toward eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers on all industrial goods other than cars. They also promised to work to reduce barriers and increase trade in services, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and medical products, as well as soybeans.

In addition, the two leaders pledged greater strategic cooperation on energy, with the European Union seeking to expand its imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States in order to help diversify its energy supply.

At a news conference after their meeting, President Trump outlined these areas of accord and noted too that that the two men agreed to launch a dialogue on standards, in order to increase trade across all product sectors, and to reduce bureaucratic obstacles to trade. And they agreed to work with like-minded partners, including by reforming the World Trade Organization, to address unfair trading practices, including intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, industrial subsidies, distortions created by state-owned enterprises, and overcapacity.

President Trump noted that the general outline of what was agreed to by the United States and the EU is a commitment to move toward three zeros: zero tariffs, zero non-tariff trade barriers, and zero subsidies. The idea is to level the playing field.

President Trump characterized the meeting as the start of a new phase in the relationship between the United States and the European Union - a phase of close friendship; of strong trade relations in which both of us will win; of working better toward global security and prosperity.

With a 1 trillion dollar bilateral trade relationship, the U.S. and the EU have the largest economic relationship anywhere in the world, President Trump noted. We want to further this trade relationship to the benefit of all American and European citizens.
The school walkout that erupted over nine days in late winter, when striking educators and support personnel flooded the Capitol and the Republican governor and Legislature capitulated, has scrambled assumptions about politics in West Virginia. A longtime state senator who had accused strikers of holding children hostage was defeated in a Republican primary in May by a rival who pulled in union donations.

Jane Baumgardner, a retiree in Huntington, said she was uncertain about either candidate in the Third District race until she remembered that her daughter, a school counselor, had told her she loved Mr. Ojeda. Ms. Baumgardner said she would vote for him as well.

Huntington, the states second-largest city, is Ms. Millers home. On a recent Friday, Marjorie and Clarence Bailey, both 73, were strolling in Ritter Park, an affluent neighborhood of the city. Both support Ms. Miller.

Ms. Bailey said she opposed the 5 percent pay raise the teachers won by striking. I think they get enough time off as it is, and they shouldnt complain if they get lower money, she said.

Her husband, retired from a mine supply company, called an effort by Ms. Miller to make the Bible the state book a tremendous thing.

At Pullman Square, an upscale retail development on the Ohio River, Joe George, a financial adviser, said he was undecided.

I like both of them, he said. One has a local flavor and is well established in the community. The other I also like, because of his frankness and his ability to communicate with the teachers.

Mr. George is a Republican, but in his view, Mr. Ojeda has a good chance to win. He took the fight to the legislators, and the teachers got a well-deserved raise, he said. He seems to be the champion of the people right now.
UNIGHT TO UNITE. UCOM CELEBRATED ITS REBIRTH

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

Google Ad

The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount

Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York

Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency

UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers

Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland

Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden.

"The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer

Generation A 13  your chance to be the change

President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev

"uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only

For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road
Seyran Minasyan : The water taking process in Lake Sevan must be stopped (video)

Today, senior researcher at the Institute of Chemical Physics Seyran Minasyan stated at a news conference that the water taking process in Lake Sevan must be stopped this year, otherwise it will have irreversible consequences, as the lake is in critical condition. According to him, even 170 million cubic meters stipulated by law should not be taken. To recall, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also said that Sevan should not be treated as a container filled with water. Seyran Minasyan welcomes this statement: "It's just a matter of how effective this assignment will be done," he said. He also added that by 2012, the water level of Lake Sevan has increased, but since 2012, it has only declined, which has affected poorly to the quality of water. Recently, the watering greens of some of the coasts has also been conditioned by lower water levels. According to Seyran Minasyan, Armenia produces approximately 7 billion cubic meters of renewable water annually, which is enough to meet all the needs of irrigation, without damaging Sevan.
The Supreme Court has formulated a new rule aimed at preventing the flight of criminal suspects after it earlier nullified a circular of the Department of Justice intended to stop respondents from leaving the country to avoid prosecution. In its en banc session on Tuesday, the SC voted 11-1, approving what it called the Rule on Precautionary Hold Departure Order [PHDO] in place of the watchlist order of DoJ under the 2010 DoJ Circular No. 41 that was voided by the tribunal earlier this year. The PHDO is a written order issued by a court directing the Bureau of Immigration to prevent any attempt by a person suspected of a crime to depart the country. The SC guidelines provide that such order shall be issued ex-party in cases involving crimes where the minimum of the penalty prescribed by law is at least six years and one day. According to the SC, the PHDO may be applied in the same manner as a search warrant may be issued, which means there is no need for preliminary determination of probable cause in the charges against the subject. It only requires a determination that there is a high probability that the subject will depart from the Philippines to evade arrest and prosecution of crime against him or her. The preliminary finding of probable cause is solely based on the complaint and is for the sole purpose of issuing the PHDO and shall be without prejudice to the resolution by the prosecutor of any criminal complaint during the preliminary investigation, the SC said. Under the new rules, a prosecutor may apply for the issuance of PHDO before any regional trial court with territorial jurisdiction over the alleged crime.The high court also tapped the RTCs in Manila, Quezon City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Davao City and Cagayan De Oro City to act on PHDO applications from prosecutors based on complaints instituted by the National Bureau of Investigation regardless of where the alleged crimes were committed. Any PHDO shall be valid until recalled by the court. Once issued, the PHDO may be lifted by a verified motion filed by the respondent questioning the existence of probable cause of a showing that she or he is not a flight risk. The PHDO may also be lifted to allow him or her to leave the country upon posting of bond in an amount to be determined by the court, the SC explained. The new rule on PHDO, which was issued under the rule-making power of the SC under Section 5 (5) of the 1987 Constitution, takes effect within 15 days after publication in two major national newspapers. Last April, the high tribunal nullified the DoJ Circular No. 41 issued by former DoJ secretary and now detained Senator Leila De Lima for violation of the constitutional right to travel. The Court ruled that the DoJ cannot prevent anybody from leaving the country because it violates the right to travel under Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Constitution and there is also no law granting such authority to the Secretary of Justice; only courts can do that, said an SC lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authority to speak for the Court. The said provision in the Constitution states: The liberty of abode and of changing the same within the limits prescribed by law shall not be impaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neither shall the right to travel be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.
American students doing internships in Armenia

Bridges between the two countries: By the efforts of the US Embassy, American students are doing internships in Armenia The global market is constantly compressing, and nowadays, after graduating from the university, it is necessary for graduates to deal with foreign and various cultures in order to be employed in any professional domain. For this purpose, the US Department of State Foreign Language Training program allows American students to communicate with other cultures. This year, the US Embassy in Armenia sponsored 7 American students to have summer internships in Armenia. "Today, we deal with the global economy, so it is important for young people to have the ability to perceive and understand intercultural realities. The future will 'require' supranational cooperation and such practices are an excellent way to develop such skills," said US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills. During the six-week internship, American students were helping in doing market research, external affairs planning, volunteer work management, and development of reporting mechanisms. During the last week of the internship, the students presented to their host institution and US embassy officials what they have been doing there in July. This year's summer internship program will also make interest among the students of American colleges to study in Armenia, which will help to expand cultural bridges through personal contacts and exchanges. "These students have established strong and long-lasting relationships with companies and families they have accepted and are ready to share their experiences and impressions of Armenia with their student-friends in the United States. In 2019, we will be glad to welcome a new group of students in Armenia," said Kerry Smith, Director of the American Councils for International Education in Armenia.
Public joint-stock company United Mining-Chemical Company, managing Vilnohirsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (Dnipropetrovsk region) and Irshansk Mining and Processing Combine (Zhytomyr region), in four years after its creation has sent over UAH 1 billion in technical re-equipment and upgrade of assets, and its charter capital grew to UAH 3 billion in 2018 from UAH 1.9 billion in 2017.

Acting Board Chairman Oleksandr Hladushko said in an interview posted on the company's corporate website on Tuesday that on August 12, the company will celebrate the fourth anniversary.

"Our branches were returned from the lease to the management of United Mining-Chemical Company in September 2014. And the main task that the government put at that time was to increase the payments to the national budget, which is impossible without seeing profit We successfully coped with this task: if in 2014 the state received taxes and mandatory payments from the company at the level of UAH 16.9 million, then in 2017 it was UAH 875.7 million," Hladushko said.

At the same time, he recalled that in 2017, the company paid dividends to the state in the amount of UAH 321.8 million, this year - almost UAH 333 million.

The head of the company pointed to the technical readiness of the branches to independently perform production tasks: "If immediately after the lease, the availability of special equipment did not exceed 50%, then in 2018 it grew almost twice thanks to investments and reached 90%, especially at Vilnohirsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine.

The top manager added that the company has substantially updated the fixed assets of the branches: from the end of last year 47 transport units were purchased for the combines, of which 24 - special equipment. Almost UAH 200 million is invested only in the renovation of the transport fleet of the branches.

"The total amount of investment in the technical re-equipment and renewal of assets at this stage exceeded UAH 1 billion. The fact that the charter capital increased from UAH 1.9 billion in 2017 to UAH 3 billion in 2018 is evidence of this," he said.

Commenting on the current situation, Hladushko expressed the opinion that the company is confidently working on a highly competitive global titanium market.

"But the future of such an enterprise as ours is impossible without the prospect of developing new areas. So we are looking forward to the government's decision to start developing 154 hectares by Irshansk combine in Korosten and Khoroshiv districts at the Mizhrichenske field. The combine will reconstruct concentrator No. 8 and build new factory No. 9 for processing new products," the top manager said.

He also said that it is planned to build a factory for the processing of the so-called "tails" at Vilnohirsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine: "While the plant has no prospects for developing new areas, it is necessary to switch it to re-processing and additional withdrawal of useful products from the tailing farm."

"These plans for the branches envisage significant investments - more than UAH 200 million. A painstaking routine work is carried out to produce the necessary documentation, an economic calculation of the feasibility of introducing a particular technology is being conducted," Hladushko said.
A conscript has reportedly committed suicide in Ukrainian army training center No. 169 in the village of Desna in Chernihiv region's Kozelets district, the center's press service said on Wednesday morning.

"A conscript soldier from a unit at our training center has committed suicide during the guard duty. There were no suspicious signs, the serviceman delivered a regular report and ... shot himself," the Desna center's press service wrote on Facebook.

Law enforcement officers and responsible persons are on the scene. The causes of the suicide are to be determined by investigators.

The center called on conscripts, contracted soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to remember that life is the most important value. "Therefore, do not trade it cheaply, do not shorten its duration under emotions, give a chance to your future," it said.
The people's deputy from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction, the son of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Oleksiy Poroshenko, has received as a gift from his father part of the property rights to a house with household buildings with an area of 1,300 square meters in the village of Kozyn (Obukhiv district, Kyiv region).

According to the electronic declaration on significant changes in the property, filed by Oleksiy Poroshenko, the cost of part of the ownership of the house is UAH 9.53 million. The acquisition of the rights is August 7, 2018.

In addition, the declaration also included a gift received by Oleksiy Poroshenko in cash. According to the record in the document, the parliamentarian received UAH 1.1 million from the father.

As reported, according to the declaration on property and income over the past years, Petro Poroshenko solely owned a house with an area of 1,300 square meters in Kozyn. Its value in December 2012 was estimated at UAH 30 million. The head of state also owned two land plots in this settlement with an aggregate area of about 34,000 square meters.

The president lives with his family in Kozyn.
Russian-led forces mounted 36 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past day; no casualties have been reported, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters has said.

"The enemy opened fire 36 times to attack our troops' positions. Heavy weapons were used in five instances. There are no casualties among JFO personnel," the JFO HQ said in an update on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

Russia's hybrid military forces used grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns and small arms. They attacked the defenders of the villages of Stanytsia Luhanska, Krymske, Malynove, Novozvanivka, Troyitske, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Opytne, Hnutove, Lebedynske, Pavlopil, Vodiane, and Shyrokyne. The towns of Svitlodarsk, Maryinka, and Krasnohorivka also came under fire.

In addition, enemy troops used 82mm mortars to shell Ukrainian positions near the Krymske, Novoluhanske, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne.

"Since Wednesday midnight, the Russian occupation forces attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders near Krymske and Shyrokyne twice. Heavy weapons were not used," the update said.

According to Ukrainian reconnaissance reports, three enemy troops were killed, another nine were injured.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has had a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss further measures to counteract Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the Ukrainian presidential press service said in the early hours on Wednesday.

"The parties commended approaches to further counteraction to Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, taking into account recent contacts between the two Heads of State," the press service issued a statement posted on Poroshenko's official website.

Poroshenko thanked Pompeo for the "historic declaration of non-recognition of the attempt by the Russian aggressor to annex the Ukrainian Crimea." In this regard, the parties stressed the priority of switching from the policy of non-recognition of the annexation to the policy of ending the occupation of Crimea.

"It was noted that U.S. approaches towards policy regarding Russia remained clear and unambiguous  as long as the Kremlin refuses to change its confrontational policy, the price of aggression for Russia will continue to grow," the statement said.

The two officials emphasized that the policy of sanctions against Russia would be maintained until the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea.

"Attempts by the Russian side to aggravate the situation will further receive an adequate response and increase the price of the ongoing aggression," the statement said.

Poroshenko and Pompeo discussed the importance of coordinated actions in the promotion of the deployment of UN peacekeepers throughout Russian-occupied Donbas, including the return of control over the uncontrolled section of the Ukrainian-Russian border.

Poroshenko's press service said that significant attention had been paid to the issue of the release of the Ukrainian hostages and political prisoners kept in Russia and in the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea.

"We must increase pressure on Russia to release all Ukrainian hostages as soon as possible, in particular Oleh Sentsov, who has been on a hunger strike for 86 days already," Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko and Pompeo confirmed the resolute position of Kyiv and Washington on the existing security challenges resulting from the Nord Stream 2 project.

The two officials also discussed important issues of strengthening strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States, in particular in the field of security and defense. They also covered support for the progress of Kyiv on the path of reforms, including the development of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund.

Also, Pompeo hailed the "successful beginning of the process of launching the Anti-Corruption Court."
More journalists being detained in BelTA case in Belarus

The Belarusian Investigative Committee might have detained some other journalists in the BelTA case, according to Belarusian media.

"This morning, detectives came to the residence of [...] Alexei Zhukov and his wife Arina Semychkina. The couple was taken away from their home in Borovlyany by Investigative Committee officers," the resource RFRM reported.

According to the resource, its journalist witnessed the detention. Details have not been reported.

Zhukov used to be the head editor of the magazine Belorusskoye Selskoye Khozyaistvo (Belarusian Agriculture) and worked for the outlet Belorusy i Rynok (Belarusians and the Market).

According to the Belarusian bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), "The head editor of the website and three journalists were detained at the Realt.by office as part of the BelTA case" this morning and will be questioned by the Investigative Committee.

Acclaimed Belarusian journalist Pavel Bykovsky said his home was searched this morning.

The offices of Belarus' biggest online news site, tut.by, and the news agency BelaPAN were searched on Tuesday as part of an investigation into unauthorized accessing of computer information.

According to the Investigative Committee, a criminal case on charges of "unauthorized access to computer information for purposes of personal gain, causing substantial damage," was opened after a check conducted by the Interior Ministry.

It uncovered more than 15,000 cases of unauthorized access to BelTA's computers over two years (2017 and 2018), the Investigative Committee said.

The Investigative Committee accused officials of the publisher Belarusskaya Nauka, BelaPAN, and Tut.by Media of being involved in the illegal activity.

The Investigative Committee accused officials of the publisher Belarusskaya Nauka, BelaPAN, and Tut.by Media of being involved in the illegal activity.

Tut.by Editor-in-Chief Marina Zolotova and editors Anna Kaltygina and Ulyana Boboyed, tut.by newswire manager Galina Ulasik, and BelaPAN observer Tatyana Korovenkova were detained for three days, the Belarussian Association of Journalists said.

Tut.by employees Dmitry Bobrik and Anna Yermachonok and BelaPAN editor Andrei Sereda were also detained. They were set free later in the day.

Tut.by founder Yury Zisser said on Tuesday evening that the case is politically motivated.

The Council of Europe urged the Belarusian authorities to release everyone who has been detained in the BelTA case. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry, for its part, said that the detention of BelaPAN and tut.by employees "was not political and had nothing to do with freedom of the press or journalistic activity in Belarus."
American political consultant Paul Manafort offered his services to presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko's team in 2014, but was rejected, member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliamentary faction Ihor Hryniv, who served as deputy head of Poroshenko's 2014 election campaign, has said.

"Did I meet with Manafort in 2014? Yes, I did. Did he say he would like to work in the [election] campaign? Yes, he did How long did the meeting last? Let's say, three hours. And everything ended there," Hryniv told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday.

Asked whether Manafort's offer was rejected, Hryniv said, "Yes, his offer was rejected."

Speaking about the reasons for turning down Manafort's services, Hryniv responded: "I do not want to offend anyone, but the proposal was not accepted ... And secondly, let's still clearly understand that this was unacceptable. I really believe not only Yanukovych should answer for everything that happened in the country [when ex-President Viktor Yanukovych was president]," Hryniv said.

Western media earlier reported that Tad Devine, the first witness in the case against Manafort, told the court on July 31 that Manafort's partner, Richard Gates, proposed he work for Poroshenko. In turn, Gates said in court that Manafort assisted Poroshenko during the pre-election campaign in 2014.

As earlier reported, two cases have been initiated against Manafort, one in the Federal District Court of Alexandria (Virginia, U.S.) and the second in the District Court of the Capital District of Columbia.

Manafort is accused of tax evasion exceeding $30 million during the period when the lobbyist worked for Ukraine's Party of Regions and disgraced ex-President Viktor Yanukovych.

U.S. prosecutors allege Manafort did not pay U.S. taxes on millions of dollars, which he received from the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian oligarchs. These funds were paid to Manafort for his work for Yanukovych. After Yanukovych fled the country in 2014, Manafort's income dried up, according to the daily British newspaper The Guardian.

According to western media, Manafort can be sentenced to 305 years of imprisonment in the event that he is found guilty of all the charges brought against him.

Charges against Manafort were put forward in the framework of the investigation headed by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has been tasked with investigating Russia's possible meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential election and other crimes.
Sentsov almost does not get up

Ukrainian political prisoner, film director Oleh Sentsov, continues his hunger strike in a Russian colony, and he almost does not get up, his sister Natalia Kaplan has said.

"Everything is not just bad, everything is disastrously bad. Oleg sent me a letter through his lawyer, he almost does not get up. He wrote that the end is close, and he does not mean his release," Kaplan wrote on her page on Facebook on Wednesday.

She also noted that Sentsov does not receive any letters.

"He says that he is now in an information vacuum and does not know what is going on at all," the sister said.

She added that the European Court of Human Rights insists on Sentsov's transfer to a civilian hospital, closer to the place of his residence.

"Oleh refused. He says that he simply would not survive transportation, and in a civilian hospital in Labytnangi, where he had already been taken to intensive care, he is mocked even more than in a prison hospital," Kaplan said.

Sentsov was arrested in Crimea in 2014 on terror charges. In August 2015, the North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found him guilty of forming a terror group in Crimea and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment at a high-security facility.

On May 14, 2018 he announced a hunger strike and demanded the release of all Ukrainian prisoners in Russia.
Ukraine's Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vadym Chernysh has said Russia is no longer trying to influence Ukrainian society through direct propaganda, but has moved on to covert information activities.

"What Ukrainian society has learned to identify is direct propaganda, straightforward, with pro-Russian messages, but Russians have already changed tactics. Long ago Russia started using indirect ways to influence Ukrainians. The messages are more subtle, targeting specific groups," Chernysh told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency in a blitz interview.

The minister also divided Russia's propaganda efforts in Ukraine into two categories: supporting those who, according to Moscow, should come to power in Ukraine, as well as discrediting those whom they oppose.

Chernysh said along with military methods of influence and pressure on Ukraine, Russia uses non-military methods, including economic sanctions, diplomacy, pro-Russian organizations and religious organizations, as well as the activities of intelligence agencies.

"Russia is also very serious in studying the problems of Ukraine. I am convinced that the number of scientific and expert institutions of Russia that are engaged in Ukraine is greater than in Ukraine itself, and much is done by Russia's National Institute for Strategic Studies," he said.
Binay urges govt to jail smugglers

posted August 08, 2018 at 11:05 pm by Macon Ramos-Araneta August 08, 2018 at 11:05 pm

Senator Nancy Binay yesteday expressed dismay that for years not one smuggler has been charged, arrested or jailed. Despite the repeated warnings to those behind large-scale smuggling activities, no crackdown on warehouses of alleged rice hoarders and smugglers has been made. Its one giant step that the President will use the entire power of the State to go after rice smugglers and hoarders, she said. Binay said that despite the numerous congressional probes and warnings, rice cartels continue to freely operate.I hope the government is serious in going after those behind large-scale rice smuggling activities. Ang usual na ginagawa kasi ay wawarningan ang mga smugglers at hoarders. The funny thing is, were giving smugglers and hoarders a lead time to clean up their tracks, she said. Law enforcement agencies have not made any major crackdown or arrest in spite of the intelligence reports.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, together with a group of Ukrainian children, has met with Pope Francis during a General Audience in the Vatican.

"Together with a group of Ukrainian children, [Klimkin] met with Pope Francis during a General Audience in the Vatican to receive his blessing, as well as to thank the pontiff for a humanitarian initiative 'The Pope for Ukraine,' prayers for peace in our state," the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine said on Wednesday.

Klimkin handed over to the pontiff a "Book of Goodness" created by more than 300,000 children and adults from all over Ukraine.

"This unique handmade book, which was made on cotton paper and herbs collected in those regions from where the stories about goodness came, includes 50 real stories about goodness and 50 drawings, which is a reflection of the children's vision of humanity, sincerity and compassion in everyday life," the ministry said.
One Ukrainian serviceman was wounded in shelling by illegal armed groups in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, while another one was injured in an explosion outside a checkpoint, the headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has said on its Facebook page.

"During the current day, from 07.00 to 18.00, Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire 12 times [...] One Joint Forces serviceman was injured as a result of combat actions by the enemy," reads the statement.

On August 8, militants did not use weapons banned by the Minsk agreements.

"The invaders opened fire from grenade launchers, heavy machineguns and small arms at the positions of the Joint Forces near the settlements of Zaitseve, Kamianka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, Vodiane and Shyrokyne," the headquarters said.

In addition, at around 15.00, a serviceman from the Kramatorsk border detachment of the Joint Forces was wounded after an explosive device blew up near the Maryinka checkpoint.
Ukraine's Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine Vadym Chernysh supports extending the validity of the law on a special order of local self-government in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO).

"The law actually did not work in practice, because Russia does not meet obligations under the Minsk agreements. The world community, including Ukraine, says that the Minsk agreements are now a model for solving this conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and it demonstrates to the whole world that Ukraine is really fulfilling these agreements. It demonstrates that it has already done all it could for their implementation. Obviously, Russia has done nothing," Chernysh said in a blitz interview with the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Chernysh said if the law is not extended Ukraine would be giving Russia an opportunity to declare Kyiv's non-compliance with the Minsk agreements.

Chernysh also stated that he does not see any contradictions in the law "On local self-government in ORDLO" and the law "On the peculiarities of state policy to ensure the state sovereignty of Ukraine over ORDLO."

The minister said this law was presented to all involved international partners who studied it and concluded that it does not impede implementation of the Minsk agreements.

As earlier reported, the law on local self-government in ORLDO was adopted in September 2014 and entered into force on October 18, 2014 for a period of three years.

On October 6, 2017, parliament extended the validity period of the law on a special order of local self-government in ORDLO for one year, or until October 18, 2017.

U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker said that Ukraine would be at a disadvantage if it does not extend the law on the special status of the Donbas.

On August 4, Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy said that the decision on whether to extend this law will probably be taken by parliament in October after consultations with Ukraine's international partners.

On August 6, Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, First Deputy Rada Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko, said that she in September would discuss with her colleagues the extension of the law on a special order of local self-government in ORDLO.
In a shocking statement, a representative of Sistan and Baluchistan Province in the Supreme Council of Provinces (SCP) says, The drought has impoverished the people of the province to the extent that children go to school without breakfast and some of the people have not seen a piece of meat for months and feed themselves with pieces of dried stale bread.

The water flowing from Afghanistan into Sistan and Baluchestan has been stopped, Aziz Sarani told state-run Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA), adding, Deprived of the water flowing into the province, people have completely lost their only hope of cultivating the land.

Earlier, another representative of Sistan and Baluchestan to SCP, Shahbakhsh Gorgij had divulged that the amount of water available in some rural areas of the province is only enough for keeping people alive, while in some cases, people are forced to drink water from large ditches used by animals.

"The people in these areas use the water of hootaks (an open pond commonly used by animals). The water in these hootaks is badly contaminated, Sarani has echoed Gorgijs comments.

Sarani reiterated that drought and the water crisis are most serious in the southern part of the province, neighboring Pakistan.

We recently learned that one of the villagers who had consumed the water of these hootaks had a leech stuck in his throat. Doctors had to operate on him to pull out the leech", Sarani said.

Sistan and Baluchestan, mainly populated by Sunnis, is one of the most deprived provinces of Iran, where recent sand storms and drought have significantly aggravated its problems.

Here in Sistan and Baluchestan, we are not facing the problem of people migrating from rural areas to suburban slums; we are witnessing people leaving the province in hundreds, Sarani lamented.

Referring to the fact that many villages in the province, specifically those near city of Zabol, are in critical situation because of drought and dust storms, Sarani has insisted that the situation for the residents of these villages has reached a dangerous and life threatening point.

Furthermore, the notorious 120-day annual winds in the province have extended to 180-days, making life horrifying and unbearable, Sarani has noted.

Meanwhile, Sarani has presented a long list of shortages in the province, including healthy potable water, medicine and jobs, adding, The people of the province are so impoverished that their only income is 450,000 rial monthly government handout (roughly monthly $10 at official rate and $5 at free market rate).

Calling upon the government to immediately address these problems, Sarani has also maintained, Nearly two decades of consecutive periods of drought have led to the crisis of dust and sand storms, bringing in respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis and shortness of breath."

Earlier on July 4, in an interview with state-run ROKNA news agency, Sarani had disclosed, Lack of resources and religious prejudices in the province have forced many parents in villages near Zabol to let their daughters marry at early age of nine.

According to Sarani, decades of drought have wiped out agricultural activities across the province, People used to farm, but this is no longer possible with the unending dry seasons. Since 2017, people have lost all their sources of income and they have no source of income other than the government's aid.

The peoples tribulation is so evident that one can hardly miss it, Sarani has stressed, noting, "If you walk through the streets at night and in the areas next to the cemeteries, you easily see people, including women, young boys and girls, sleeping in cardboard boxes, side by side a swarm of addicts.

Sistan and Baluchestan, after Kerman, is the second largest among 31 provinces of Iran. With an area of 180,726 square km (roughly 70,000 square mile) and a population of 2.5 million, Sistan and Baluchestan borders Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The population of the province is mainly composed of the Sunni Baluch (Baloch), followed by the relatively large minority Shiites.
Islamic Republics parliament gave a no-confidence vote to Labor Minister Ali Rabiei in its August 8 meeting, after giving him a chance to defend his record.

This was the second time in six months that parliament was voting on a no-confidence measure against the minister. The first time five months ago, he escaped impeachment by only one vote.

As Irans economic situation has deteriorated in recent months, the establishment and particularly conservatives have tried to portray President Hassan Rouhanis economic team as being mainly responsible for the increasing hardships citizens face.

According to state-run ISNA, Rabiei was impeached by 129 to 111 votes. This gives president Rouhani three months to find a replacement.

In his defense Rabiei asked members of parliament if impeaching a minister will solve the countrys economic problems. Five months from nowpeople will ask if there have been any fundamental improvements, he said.

In an interview before his impeachment, Rabiei had said that U.S. sanctions will increase economic pressures and until March 2019 one million jobs will be lost.

ISNA, quoting a member of parliaments presidium, had reported on August 4 that in addition to Rabiei three more ministers will be impeached; the ministers of economy, education and interior.
KYIV -- Before he became the victor in Ukraines 2014 snap presidential election, businessman Petro Poroshenko was scrambling to put together a winning campaign.

That's when his top strategist met with Paul Manafort, RFE/RL has confirmed.

"We had a meeting, yes, but no relationship" with Manaforts team, Poroshenko spokeswoman Darya Khudyakova confirmed to RFE/RL by phone on August 8.

The confirmation stands in contrast to an official statement sent to RFE/RL from Poroshenkos administration on August 2, which read: "Petro Poroshenkos team has never cooperated with Manafort, nor with his people. Proposals came from among others, but they were not even considered."

RFE/RL inquired about the meeting between the teams of Manafort and Poroshenko after an email surfaced this month ahead of Manaforts trial, which is playing out in a U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia.

The email in question discussed pitching work to someone named "P. P.," a common nickname used to describe Poroshenko.

Manafort faces a litany of charges related to financial crimes and money laundering that stem from his work in Ukraine for former President Viktor Yanukovych.

The possibility of Manafort-Poroshenko cooperation surfaced again when Manaforts former business partner and right-hand man in Ukraine, Rick Gates, testified in court on August 7 that their company had done consulting work for Poroshenko in 2014.

Gates also complained that a $1 million payment for the work was "significantly past due" and "Manafort was quite upset the money had not been sent."

'I Met Him And Listened To His Strategy'

Khudyakova declined to give further details about the meeting and directed RFE/RL to then-Poroshenko strategist Ihor Hrinyv, who she confirmed had met with Manafort.

Hrinyv could not immediately be reached for comment. But he did speak about his meeting with Manafort to Ukraiynska Pravda, telling the Ukrainian news outlet that the two had discussed cooperating on Poroshenkos presidential campaign. He claimed the plan never came to fruition.

"Manafort was trying to offer his services and his strategy for Poroshenkos campaign, and I met him then [in 2014] and listened to his strategy," Hrinyv said. "But after these three hours, the conversation with him ended."

According to Hrinyv, Manafort very much wanted to work on Poroshenkos campaign and had come prepared with an elaborate strategy, polling numbers, and projections. But Manafort "did not understand that the country changed after the Maidan," Hrinyv added.

Hrinyv said Manaforts ideas were suitable for the strategy he masterminded as Yanukovychs political consultant in 2009-2010, but not for the post-revolutionary period of 2014.

'Ready To Take On This Project'

It is a March 31, 2014 email to Gates from Tad Devine that shows how serious Manaforts team was about joining up with Poroshenko.

The email was one of more than 400 released ahead of Manaforts trial by his lawyers, who accused Special Council Robert Muellers team of trying to introduce evidence that is irrelevant to the case.

Devine, a former Bernie Sanders campaign strategist who also worked with Manafort in Ukraine, writing Yanukovychs 2010 victory speech, attached to his email to Gates a draft agreement for Manaforts firm to work on Poroshenko's campaign.

"This proposal anticipates that we will spend a lot of time between now and the election on the ground in Kyiv," Devine wrote.

Devine said a strategy similar to one they had used in Serbia would likely work well for Poroshenko in Ukraine.

"A powerful introduction of PP could resonate in Ukraine the way our campaign in Serbia resonated with voters," Devine wrote. "Our slogan in Serbia was 'A Future to Believe In,' which is probably something that people in Ukraine are looking for and desperate to likewise achieve."

Gates replied that same day, telling Devine, "we are ready to take on this project."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

A dairy plant worth 12 million manats is planned to be set up on the territory of Azerbaijans Yalama agricultural park, director of the agricultural park Zaur Aliyev told Trend.

"The capacity of the dairy plant will be 100 tons per day," he said. "Butter, milk powder and cheese will be produced at the plant. Dairy products will be mainly exported."

"The milk is planned to be received from farmers from adjacent villages," Aliyev said. "After processing, finished products are also planned to be supplied to the domestic market."

The first stage of work on creation of an agricultural park on a 523-hectare-area has been already completed.

"The construction work is planned to be carried out within the second stage," Aliyev said.

"The establishment of agricultural parks is required to ensure food security and increase export potential," he said. "At the same time, this actively encourages the development of entrepreneurship in the agrarian sphere. This is also of particular importance for the acceleration of social and economic development and production of competitive agricultural products."

At the first stage, investments worth 23 million manats were made in the creation of the Yalama agricultural park on a 523-hectare-area.

The establishment of agricultural parks was launched in accordance with the presidents order to accelerate the development of the non-oil sector, the use of intensive technologies in the manufacturing sector.

Agricultural parks play an important role in the expansion of exports to foreign markets, creation of national brands, formation of a coordinated unified system in the field of agriculture, as well as producer-processor-consumer relations, training of qualified personnel in the agricultural sector and creation of new jobs.

(1.7 manats = $1 on Aug. 7)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 87 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said August 8.

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, Aug. 8

Trend:

There were no explosions on the combat positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend.

The information disseminated by the Armenian side is false, the ministry said. This is Armenias another provocation.

"There were no explosions on the combat positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the ministry said. The disseminated information is Armenias futile attempt to respond to the information disseminated by Azerbaijan about the explosion in one of the positions of the Armenian armed forces on Aug. 6. Azerbaijans armed forces fully control the situation.

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. 8

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has accepted credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah.

Ambassador Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah reviewed a guard of honor.

Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah presented his credentials to President Aliyev.

President Aliyev then spoke with the ambassador.

The president said that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Bahrain are developing successfully. President Aliyev expressed his confidence that Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah will meet with heads of various bodies of Azerbaijan during his tenure and that these meetings will yield good results.

Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah extended King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa`s greetings and best regards to the president and noted that recent achievements of the people of Azerbaijan under the wise leadership of President Aliyev are being followed with great interest in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Ambassador Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah underlined the necessity of expanding economic and trade relations between the two countries, adding that the development of cultural ties is also important.

Noting that there are many similarities between Azerbaijan and Bahrain, the ambassador pointed out that the two countries are making efforts to strengthen their independence, territorial integrity, and to encourage inter-civilizational dialogue and peaceful coexistence all over the world.

Ebrahim Yusuf Al-Abdullah said that the political will of the president of Azerbaijan and the king of Bahrain to develop the bilateral relations paves the way for the development of the bilateral ties. He underlined that the international community has great confidence in the two countries.

The ambassador also noted that Azerbaijan is one of the leading financial centers in the post-Soviet area and Bahrain in the Middle East, adding that this creates a good basis for expanding economic cooperation.

Saying that there are wide opportunities for developing political ties, the president noted that Azerbaijan and Bahrain support each other on various issues in international organizations, including sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the two countries and show solidarity in the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other organizations.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan makes great contribution to the Islamic solidarity, adding that this is highly praised by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The president noted that 2017 was declared a Year of the Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan and the country successfully hosted the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games.

The president stressed that Azerbaijan will spare no efforts to strengthen unity and mutual support among Muslim countries. Touching upon the importance of expanding trade and economic relations and mutual export, President Aliyev said that there is great potential in the field of tourism and that the number of Bahraini tourists coming to Azerbaijan is increasingly growing.

The president thanked for Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa`s greetings and best regards and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings and best regards to the king of Bahrain.

President Aliyev has also received credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Mohammad Sharif Anis.

Ambassador Mohammad Sharif Anis reviewed a guard of honor.

Mohammad Sharif Anis presented his credentials to President Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev then spoke with the ambassador.

Saying that Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka enjoy very good political relations, the president hailed the fact that the two countries support each other within international organizations.

Noting the importance of developing economic cooperation, the president said that there is good potential for this. President Aliyev expressed his confidence that during his tenure ambassador Mohammad Sharif Anis will hold fruitful meetings with the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan and organize reciprocal visits for defining the tasks concerning the strengthening of the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka.

Ambassador Mohammad Sharif Anis greeted President Aliyev on behalf of President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena and the country`s prime minister.

Touching upon the significance of developing bilateral relations in a variety of fields, the ambassador mentioned that he will spare no efforts to contribute to the expansion of the relations in the fields of trade and industry.

Describing Azerbaijan as one of the most beautiful tourism destinations in the region, the ambassador said there are great opportunities for cooperation between Sri Lanka and Azerbaijan in this area. The ambassador also stressed the necessity of exploring opportunities for mutual investment.

President Aliyev expressed his hope that Mohammad Sharif Anis will contribute to the development of the friendly relations between the two countries.

The president thanked for the greetings of Maithripala Sirisena and the Sri Lankan prime minister, and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the president and prime minister of Sri Lanka.

President Aliyev has also received credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Hyun Joon.

Ambassador Kim Hyun Joon reviewed a guard of honor.

Kim Hyun Joon presented his credentials to President Aliyev.

The Azerbaijani president then spoke with the ambassador.

The president noted the necessity of strengthening mutual activity and cooperation between the two countries in different areas in the years ahead.

President Aliyev expressed his hope that active cooperation will be maintained in international organizations, most importantly in the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

The president added that Azerbaijan hosted a foreign ministerial conference of the Non-Aligned Movement this year, recalling his meeting with the foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the sidelines of the event.

The president said that Azerbaijan will host a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement next year. President Aliyev expressed his confidence that bilateral relations between the two countries will be continued in different formats.

Ambassador Kim Hyun Joon greeted the president of Azerbaijan on behalf of the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un and the president of the Presidium of the country`s Supreme People's Assembly.

Saying that the friendly relations between the two countries are built on historical traditions, he added that the foundations of the bilateral ties were laid by supreme leader Kim Il-sung and national leader Heydar Aliyev.

The ambassador said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan after the country restored its independence, adding that the bilateral relations have been developing over these years.

President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un and the president of the Presidium of the country`s Supreme People's Assembly, and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un and the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who also chairs the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, has pledged full support for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience. In a statement, Lorenzana also expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the House of Representatives for promptly acting on President Rodrigo Dutertes call during his July 23 State of the Nation Address for the creation of the agency. Immediately after assuming the House leadership, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the chambers committees on Government Reorganization, and Defense and Security to work on the pending measure. The two committees unanimously approved the draft DDR proposal which the Appropriations committee subsequently took over for its budgetary requirement. The bill now awaits House plenary deliberations. In the DND statement, Lorenzana also thanked the DDR bill principal author, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda and his co-authors, and the chairmen of the House committees on Government Reorganization, Defense and Security, and AppropriationsReps. Xavier Jesus D. Romualdo, Amado Espino, and Carlo Cua, respectivelyfor prioritizing the measure. Taking cognizance of the Philippines regular experiences with both natural and human-induced disaster, and the initiatives the country has taken to protect and preserve life and property, Lorenzana said he believed the DDR creation would be another monumental step in the governments efforts to build safer and more adaptive and resilient Filipino communities.Salceda said President Rodrigo Dutertes urgent and repeated calls in his 2017 and 2018 Sonas for an effective disaster management agency to address the impacts of calamities had helped push the DDR bill in Congress. He authored the original DDR bill (HB 6075), to which 34 other proposals were integrated. The DDR bills journey, Salceda said, actually began with the sunset review of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 mandated by the RA 10121, from 2015 until 2016, which became the basis for the initial draft. Salceda said the DDR as conceptualized, fulfills President Dutertes directive for a truly empowered department characterized by unity of command, science-based approach and full-time focus on natural hazards and disasters . . . with a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Nation approach to disaster risk reduction; preparedness and response; with better recovery and faster rehabilitation. The DDR will oversee and coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of disaster and climate resilience programs, projects and activities; and provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches to disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation, he said in the statement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The fact that anti-Iranian sanctions have not covered the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project is very important from the point of view of correct assessment of the existing geostrategic reality and the interests of Europe in energy security, Azerbaijani MP Hikmat Babaoglu told Trend Aug. 8.

Azerbaijan, which is the author of this project, was able to accurately calculate all possible risks and prospects for its implementation, he said.

Babaoglu also said that Azerbaijan, which is one of the important actors of modern international energy relations, has created such geostrategic reality together with its strategic partners that the interests of all participating countries coincide.

"This is not easy but Azerbaijan has been able to achieve that, he said. Even when sanctions are imposed, Azerbaijan's interests are viewed as a special exception. The Southern Gas Corridor project will unite seven countries with 12 different investors and 12 different buyers.

"This will also be the first pipeline connecting the Caspian region, which has big energy reserves, to the EU producers, he said. This pipeline will act as a new alternative to the energy security of Europe. Europe greatly needs such an alternative source at the current stage of tense international relations.

Therefore, US President Donald Trumps support for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Washington, was of great importance.

Such mega-projects being implemented by Azerbaijan also strengthen the country's position in the system of international relations and increase its role, he said. "This creates a solid foundation for ensuring our national interests and territorial integrity."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

Trend:

During the "Performing Artillery Shooting" stage of the international "Sea Cup 2018" competition, the seamen of the participating countries performed the tasks of "Shooting a Floating Mine" at a training ground in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message Aug. 8.

At this stage, the ships were supposed to hit a floating mine with artillery fire while on the move. The shooting was carried out from artillery installations at a distance of 200 meters.

An international referees board assessed the timely arrival of ships and the destruction of targets.

According to the results of the competition, Russia's team took first place, Azerbaijani team - the second place, Kazakh team - the third place, and Iran's team took the fourth place, with 40, 38, 36 and 20 points respectively.

The next stage of the competition is to be held in the second half of the day on Aug. 8.
Baku, Azerbaijan, August 8

Trend:

The head of Iran's Central Chamber of Cooperatives (ICC) said the country is currently exporting construction equipment and materials to European and Asian markets.

"Iranian building construction materials are being exported to European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets and this indicates a growth in the production of such products," Bahman Abdollahi told IRNA news agency on.

He added that the untapped potential of the construction industry could help create jobs and bring down unemployment in the country.

"High quality of Iranian construction materials has encouraged (foreign) markets to be among importers of the products," he said.

The Iranian cement industry boasts an output capacity of about 90 million tons, only 56 percent of which are used in the local market.

Exports, the only way out of a domestic demand deadlock, stand at a maximum of 8-9 million tons and in the best-case scenario can reach over 10 million tons by the end of the current Iranian year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

Trend:

Tajikistan and Azerbaijan plan to discuss increase in the volume of transit of Tajik aluminum through Azerbaijan and the supply of aluminium oxide from Azerbaijan to Tajikistan, Asia-Plus reports referring to a government source.

This issue will become one of discussion topics during the visit of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon to Baku on August 10-11.

"Next year, growth in aluminum prices in global markets will be significant and in this regard, Tajikistan plans to bring the production of this metal to 245,500 tons in 2019 [Tajikistan produced only 46,700 tons of aluminum 1H18 which equals to $99.5 million). In connection with this, one of the main topics of the forthcoming talks in Baku will undoubtedly be increase in the volume of transit of Tajik aluminium through Azerbaijan and the supply of aluminium oxide from Azerbaijan to Tajikistan," the report reads.

TALCO SUE products account for the major part of goods turnover between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. Tajikistan buys aluminium oxide, coke and other raw materials from Azerbaijan.

Diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan were established on May 29, 1992. The contractual and legal framework for cooperation is secured by more than 40 agreements in trade, economic, banking, tax, cultural and investment spheres. Priority areas of economic cooperation between the countries are non-ferrous metallurgy, agro-industrial sphere, energy, light industry, transport and communications.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.8

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan and the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the country have signed a memorandum on mutual cooperation on Aug. 8.

The document was signed by Chairman of State Customs Committee Safar Mehdiyev and the Chairman of the Board of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov.

The Memorandum implies the development of cooperation between customs authorities and SMEs to strengthen the development of the latter, the Head of the SCC Safar Mehdiyev said.

"The State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan is ready to assist SMEs in their export-import operations together with the Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Further areas of cooperation between the two institutions, improvement of our activities within the framework of small and medium business houses and other steps will be determined in the memorandum. Our goal is to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the country," Mehdiyev said.

In turn, the Chairman of the Board of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov noted that the signed document is aimed at the development of both small and medium-sized enterprises and the activities of customs institutions.

"Within the framework of foreign trade operations of SMEs, it is necessary to further increase the efficiency and transparency of the services provided to them. It is also necessary to increase the literacy of SMEs in the customs sphere. I believe that the implementation of the provisions of this memorandum will allow them to get better services in a shorter period of time, which in turn will increase the share of SMEs in exports," Mammadov said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

The Fund for Supporting Export of Small Businesses and Private Entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan will open its representative office in Kazakhstan, Uzbek media reported on Aug 8.

According to the information, registration of the new office was carried out on Aug. 8.

Executive Director of the Fund Miraziz Isakov noted that the representative office will conduct market research in Kazakhstan, seek partners, advertise brands of Uzbekistan and organize participation of entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan in exhibitions, fairs, tenders and other events.

The representative office of the Fund will also assist entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan in establishing cooperation with businesses in Uzbekistan and attract investments into Uzbekistan.

In 1H2018, Kazakhstan took the third place in the list of the main foreign trade partners of Uzbekistan. Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan amounted to $1.43 billion, which is 8.1 percent of the total foreign trade of Uzbekistan ($17.7 billion).

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Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

Trend:

Azerbaijans Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises officially supports the 7th International Caspian Energy Forum Baku 2018, to be attended by over 1,500 delegates from 50 countries, First Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Caspian European Club Telman Aliyev said.

During a meeting with the Caspian European Club, Chairman of the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Orkhan Mammadov praised the Forum, noting that he would attend it.

The 7th International Caspian Energy Forum Baku 2018 will be held on September 20 with the support of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Caspian European Club.

Members of the Government of Azerbaijan, heads of public and transnational companies, international financial institutions, leading analytical centers, investment companies and rating agencies of the European, Asian and American countries, as well as representatives of companies from the Arab world are among the delegates of the Caspian Energy Forum.

Telman Aliyev noted that the Caspian Energy Forum is held several times a year in the Caspian, Black Sea and Baltic countries and is a traditional ground creating favorable conditions to enhance government-to-business dialogue, establish a close contact between the oil and non-oil companies, enable meeting of transnational companies, small and medium businesses, as well as investors, experts and analysts interested in global business cooperation.

The Caspian European Club, as well as Caspian American Club and Caspian Asian Club, which bring together more than 5,000 member companies and organizations, operate in 70 countries around the world and make proactive efforts to support dialogue between the government agencies and the private sector.

The Caspian European Club was established in June 2002 with the support of the largest oil and gas companies working in the Caspian and Black Sea regions. All companies that join the Caspian European Club as members get an automatic membership in the Caspian American Club, Caspian Asian Club and vice-versa.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

With the cooperation agreement signed between ICGB AD, the operator of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) and TAP AG, the consortium for construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), both parties agreed generally on the provisions of the physical connection between the both pipeline systems, Teodora Georgieva, executive officer at ICGB AD joint venture company, the projects operator, told Trend.

The cooperation agreement for connectivity of the two gas pipelines was signed in late June in Bulgaria.

"The cooperation agreement defines the interconnection facilities - interconnection point, connecting pipeline, fiscal metering and regulating station, isolating joint and fiber optic cable connection," said Georgieva.

She noted that the agreement determines the position of the interconnection point and the distribution of responsibilities between the parties on each side of the interconnection point regarding the construction and operation of the interconnection facilities.

The cooperation agreement sets also the next steps forward in the interconnection process - elaboration and signing of tie-in agreement and final interconnection agreement, added Georgieva.

IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.



The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas.

TAP project, worth 4.5 billion euros, is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union (EU), and has already attracted 1.5 billion euros from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which approved the loan in early February 2018.

Connecting with the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) at the Greek-Turkish border, TAP will cross Northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before coming ashore in Southern Italy to connect to the Italian natural gas network.

The project is currently in its construction phase, which started in 2016.

Once built, TAP will offer a direct and cost-effective transportation route opening up the vital Southern Gas Corridor, a 3,500-kilometer long gas value chain stretching from the Caspian Sea to Europe.

TAP shareholders include BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Kazakhstans KazAzot JSC and Chinas Inner Mongolia Berun Holding Group Co. Ltd will build a gas chemical complex worth over one trillion tenge in Kazakhstans Aktau city, the Kazakh media cited deputy head of the local government of Mangystau region Sholpan Ilmukhanbetova.

Ilmukhanbetova stressed that this project is planned to be implemented in the second half of this year.

"The complex will produce methanol, nitrogen fertilizers and olefins," she said.

"The gas chemical complex will be built in three stages," she said. "First of all, methanol and nitrogen fertilizer production plants with a capacity of 400,000 and 600,000 tons of products per year, as well as a gas power plant with a capacity of up to 300 MW of electricity will be built."

Ilmukhanbetova said that KazAzot has already reached an agreement with the Chinese partner on the establishment of a joint venture, which will become the parent company for a number of legal entities.

The Kazakh side will have a 39 percent share in the project, while the Chinese side - 61 percent.

In general, the total capacity of the whole project will be as follows: methanol - about one million tons per year, nitrogen fertilizers - 1.2 million tons, olefin - up to 600,000 tons per year.

Inner Mongolia Berun Group Co., Ltd. operates in the fields of the chemical industry, energy, financial services, food processing and logistics.

KazAzot JSC is Kazakhstans producer and exporter of ammonia and ammonium nitrate.

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Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 8

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Caspian Environmental Service CaspEcoControl in Turkmenistan is inspecting activities of foreign and domestic companies engaged in sea and land transportation, production and transportation of energy resources, geophysical and geological surveys, the State Committee for Environmental Protection and Land Resources of Turkmenistan said in a statement.

CaspEcoControl is monitoring the environment, surface seawater and bottom sediments, groundwater of coastline, atmospheric air, the message says. It is analyzing the hydro-chemical regime in the sea at the stations located in Turkmenbashi Bay, Kiyanly Bay, Garabogaz and Avaza.

"The content of various impurities in the sea water is within acceptable limits, taking into account seasonal fluctuations and other parameters, the hydro-chemical balance of the water is stable and safe, which testifies to the environmental well-being of the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea," the message says.

Turkmenistan, together with the Caspian countries, has participated in the implementation of the Caspian environmental program since 1998. The UN Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea has also been ratified by Turkmenistan. Also, environmental insurance has been introduced, the Oil Spill Prevention and National Response Plan is being implemented in the country.

Petronas, Dragon Oil, Buried Hill, RWE Dea AG, ITERA and Eni have been involved in the development of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea. Negotiations with companies in Europe, the US and the Persian Gulf are continuing. In November 2017, French company Total announced that it was ready to make investments in Turkmenistan.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday welcomed the passage into law of the Act mandating the implementation of one identification system which it claimed would eventually restrict criminals and terrorists from pulling off evil-minded acts. Col. Edgardo Arevalo, spokesman of the AFP, said terrorists and criminals would have difficulty pursuing their wicked-minded plans and evil designs with the execution of the one identification system. We believe it will promote a peaceful and secure environment where terrorists, criminals, and other unscrupulous individuals will have a difficulty coping to pursue their evil designs and nefarious activities, Arevalo stressed. The national ID bill that was proposed in 2001, finally gained headway following its ratification by both Congress and signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte last Monday. The national ID will containe the full name, sex, blood type, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, address and front facing photo. In related developments:  With a price tag of P25 billion, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the National ID project should be able to solve the problem of 7.5-million Filipinos without birth certificates. That should be one of the outcomes of the project, Recto said. If there will be a mass list-up and registration, then perhaps we can use this activity to end the plight of those without birth certificates. He said this could be looked into as one of the bonuses of the project. What Im saying is that we should use the national ID platform as an opportunity to solve the quandary of those who do not have birth documents, he also said. He said an individual without or who could not present a birth certificate could still register for a national ID by presenting alternative or additional documents to prove his or her identity. While the law states that the birth certificate is the basic documentary requirement for registration, he said this clause was inserted in cognizance of the reality that millions of Filipinos have no birth certificates.  Lawmakers from the House of Representatives hailed President Dutertes signing of the bill creating the national identification system. Representative Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela, Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental. Raneo Abu of Batangas and Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte said putting up of Philippine System Identification Act (PhilSys) would enable more Filipinos to access vital services. It is a landmark legislation. Our countrymen have been waiting for it for the longest time, said Albano, majority leader for the House of Representatives contingent to Commission on Appointments. Benitez, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, shared a similar view. It is about time the country shall be a national identification system. It will surely make government programs easier to implement. Abu said PhilSys would help interconnect the countless and redundant government IDs.This is very important in our fight against terrorism and other lawless elements. We expect the PSA to immediately implement this after the measure becomes a law, said Abu. Barbers, one of the principal sponsors of the PhilSys Act, also said that the new law was a proof that the Duterte administration was determined to pluck Filipinos out of poverty. The universal ID system is a progressive economic tool that will ensure every Filipino will have access to financial services and development opportunities. Majority of Filipinos are denied of financial services because they do not have identification cards, said Barbers. Militant organizations strongly opposed the ratification of one ID, fearing it would intrude into the privacy of the card holder. The Commission on Human Rights, on the other hand, had a different take on the national ID system, citing the public would have an access to government services. Col. Arevalo said criminal syndicates sporting different identities would have a hard time and would be obstructed from committing crimes. They can no longer assume multiple and or false identities to commit crimes that victimize our people. With the new identification system, we will be able to check and validate their [criminal, etc.] identities, Arevalo said. Under the one ID, Arevalo explained the law would further isolate criminals from law-abiding citizens, citing the former will remain in hiding and cannot avail of the mandated identification card lest they be exposed to arrest and prosecution. They will lose their freedom of movement; their ability to transact business wil be divested with no ID cards to present when demanded, Arevalo said. He believed the ID system shall facilitate government transactions and programs like census, promote transparency, and likewise spare our people from the burden of bringing with them several identification cards to establish their identities. In short, the law is a bane to criminals, terrorists and unscrupulous persons and groups; while it is a boon to law-abiding citizens and well-meaning individuals, Arevalo said. The Defense department also supported the national ID system which will help government address the gaps in the identification of citizens entitled to received government services, thereby making things more convenient for law-abiding Filipinos. Based on our experienced, armed conflicts and insurgencies are often rooted in poor governance and delivery of basis services, said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. While we welcome the beneficial effects of this law on law enforcement operations, we assure the public that individual privacy will be respected.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

The trading arm of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR promoted Dario Striano to head its global physical crude trading, Reuters reported citing the sources familiar with the matter.

Striano joined SOCAR Trading in 2014 from London-based Arcadia Trading and was previously a sour crude trader for the Mediterranean region.

Gary Middleditch and David Fildes, who were engaged in operations in the North Sea region, as well as traders Tom Arnold and David Clare have recently left SOCAR Trading.

SOCAR Trading SA, headquartered in Geneva, was established in late 2007 by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.

The company sells the SOCAR crude from the port of Ceyhan (Mediterranean Sea, Turkey), trades in oil and petroleum products of other countries, as well as assists the parent company in connection with international investments.

The activity of SOCAR Trading covers the countries of Europe, Asia and Americas.

Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Kazakhstan intends to supply five billion cubic meters of gas to China by October 2018, chairman of the board of KazMunayGas national company Sauat Mynbayev said in an interview with Kazakhstan Truth newspaper.

"Since October 2017, the company has begun to supply gas to China, he said. This project has already begun to generate revenues and ensure the repayment of debt obligations. According to the plan, five billion cubic meters of gas are to be supplied to China by October 2018."

Mynbayev added that gas exports to China not only provide KMG Group of Companies with great revenues, but also cover losses for gas supplies to the domestic market.

"At the current pace of development of big gas pipelines, we hope for the payback of the gas transportation system in 2023, rather than in 2030," he said.

KazMunayGas is Kazakhstans operator for exploration, production, processing and transportation of hydrocarbons, representing the countrys interests in the oil and gas industry.

KMG Group of Companies, founded in 2002, includes more than 190 organizations.

Kazakhstan with proven oil and gas condensate reserves ranks 12th in the world, 22nd  with natural gas reserves and 17th  in oil and gas production.

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The aviation authorities of Kazakhstan and Thailand held bilateral talks on the air communication issues in Astana with the participation of the airlines of the two countries, namely, Air Astana, SCAT, Thai Airways, the Civil Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development said in a message.

The talks were held by Director General of the Thai Air Force Chula Sukmanop and Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan Talgat Lustayev.

During the meeting, the parties discussed destination points in the territories of both sides, flight safety and other issues.

Following the negotiations, Kazakhstans Air Astana was entitled to enter into codeshare agreements with third-country airlines. The new rights will provide Kazakhstans passengers with more opportunities and will contribute to the further development of the country's transit potential.

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 8

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Population in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, has exceeded one million people, Mayor of Ashgabat Shamukhammet Durdylyev said as he was reporting to the head of state, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper wrote.

Durdylyev also proposed to expand Ashgabat. Stressing the importance of this issue, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov submitted the proposal on expansion of the capital to the parliaments consideration.

Speaking about the expediency of creating a new district in the capital, the president gave the mayor specific instructions for carrying out relevant work.

Territories of the Abadan city and the Ruhabat district of the Akhal region were attached to Ashgabat recently.

The population of the city was 604,700 people according to a 1995 census.

Ashgabat is the largest administrative, political, transport, trade, scientific and cultural center of the country. Industry is one of the leading sectors in the capitals economy  it includes the manufacture of products of light and food industries, engineering and metal finishing industries, woodworking, pharmaceutical industries and construction materials industry.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 8

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov will be on a visit to New York from September 29 to October 2, 2018 to participate in the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, the Turkmen government said in a message Aug. 8.

Turkmenistan will propose to declare 2019 the "Year of peace and trust" and to hold a conference on disarmament in Ashgabat according to the priority standpoints of Turkmenistan at the regular session of the UN General Assembly, published in the local media.

Turkmenistan also proposes to create a global partnership to protect the interests of young people. Ashgabat is ready to host the international youth forum in this regard. One of its main topics will be the preparation of proposals on the structure, composition, working methods and other issues of the new initiative.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took part in the session of the UN General Assembly last time in September 2015.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.8

Trend:

The Iranian labor minister failed to win a vote of confidence in an impeachment session in the parliament on Wednesday.

The Iranian parliament impeached Ali Rabiei for his alleged mismanagement of unemployment and government enterprises, Tasnim news agency reported on august 8.

In the 290-seat parliament, 243 MPs were present in the voting session for the labor minister.

129 lawmakers voted in favor of Rabiees dismissal, while 111 voted against the plan to dismiss the minister. Three lawmakers abstained.

Several cabinet members, including First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri accompanied Rabiei during the hearing at the legislature.

The labor minister was impeached for the second time in less than five months. He had survived a vote of no confidence on March 13.
Baku, Azerbaijan, August 8

Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is scheduled to hold a number of meetings with leaders of the five Caspian Sea littoral countries during his upcoming visit to the Kazakh city of Aktau where the Caspian Sea summit will be held.

Rouhani's deputy chief of staff for communications and information Parviz Esmaili said on Wednesday that the Iranian president will leave Tehran for Aktau on August 11, Tasnim news agency reported on August 8.

He added that the president will attend the Caspian summit, sign the meetings joint statement and also several other important and strategic documents on cooperation among the five Caspian states during his two-day visit.

President Rouhani will sit down with his Kazakh counterpart and other members of the Caspian Sea on the sidelines of the summit, Esmaili said.

The first meeting of the Caspian states leaders was held in Ashgabat in 2002, and the other summits were convened in Tehran, Baku and Astrakhan.

The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world and accounts for 40 to 44 percent of the total lacustrine waters of the world. The coastlines of the Caspian are shared by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.
Spanish police arrested on Wednesday one of the country's oldest and most infamous drug trafficker Manuel Charlin, Xinhua reported.

Spanish police confirmed to Xinhua that the arrest was made in a major raid related to a stash of drugs, in the northwestern region of Galicia.

Charlin's son and 16 others were also arrested in the operation.

Charlin is widely believed to have established a major drug trafficking network between Latin America in Europe.

Investigation resulted in the arrests of other well-known Spanish drug traffickers based in Galicia.

Decades ago, this region was the gateway of South American drugs to Europe.

The 86-year old baron and his son Melchor led the so-called "Clan de los Charlines", a group that became known for being the pioneers to contact Colombian cartels in the 1980s to establish a cocaine trafficking network from Latin America to Galicia.

The Charlin clan earned millions of dollars with drug trafficking, followed by many others at that time in Galicia.

Charlin had spent 20 years behind bars after being found guilty of bringing large amounts of cocaine from Colombia to Spain. He was freed in 2010.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a telephone call urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fulfil Kievs outstanding International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirements, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release, Sputnik reports.

"The Secretary welcomed Ukraines recent passage of anticorruption court legislation and the Law on National Security and urged Ukraine to fulfill the outstanding IMF requirements," Nauert said on Tuesday.

Pompeo also reaffirmed US support for Ukraine's sovereignty. Establishing an anti-corruption court has been one of the IMFs main requirements to grant Ukraine another credit tranche.

The IMF four-year aid program under the Extended Fund Facility has allocated $17.5 billion for Ukraine. Ukraine has already received four tranches of credit and expects to receive the fifth one in December, but the fifth tranche was delivered because Kiev has failed to meet all IMF requirements.
Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly plans to consider on Wednesday the question of lifting of parliamentary immunity for opposition lawmakers who could be linked to assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro, assembly's head Diosdado Cabello said, according to Sputnik.

"Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. local time [15:00 GMT] [on Wednesday] the sovereign session of the National Constituent Assembly will take place, the only agenda item is lifting of parliamentary immunity for lawmakers involved in the failed assassination attempt of President Maduro," Cabello said on Twitter.

On Saturday, a military parade in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas attended by Maduro was interrupted by what the authorities said was an assassination attempt on the life of the president. Venezuelas Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said several drones detonated close to the presidential box during Maduro's address. The president was unharmed, but seven soldiers sustained injuries.

The Venezuelan National Movement of Soldiers in T-shirts claimed the responsibility for the attack. Maduro blamed the alleged attack on Venezuelan opposition, Colombia and financiers living in the United States.
The Philippines is willing to put aside its sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea as it eyes a possible 60-40 joint development with China along the disputed waters, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday night. He told a news conference the Philippines needed to come to an understanding just like the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. We have to put aside our territorial and sovereign rights claims but not abandon them, Cayetano said, adding the preliminary agreement is based on, lets cooperate first, and lets talk about who owns what, who has jurisdiction, later on. The foreign secretary said the islands in the WPS still remained disputed due to the ruling by the arbitral tribunal in The Hague. But Cayetano described the countrys rights in the WPS as just claims even when the arbitral tribunal upheld the Philippines rights over the WPS. Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio earlier said that Filipinos should no longer tag the WPS as disputed following the arbitral tribunals decision. But Cayetano maintained these waters remained under dispute by some members of the Association of Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines. Cayetano made the remarks in reply to questions regarding the proposed joint development in the WPS, where the Philippines and China would get 60 percent and 40 percent of the profit respectively. China is open to this 60-40 arrangement, Cayetano had said.Cayetano said China was still holding its position that it exercised indisputable sovereignty over the WPS. We also have indisputable sovereignty over our territory which is defined by the Philippine Constitution, and we also have indisputable claims under Unclos. But again, where do we take it from there? said Cayetano when asked about the countrys position on the matter. Lets say a very generic pen was found, and you can show me a picture of you using it, I can show you a picture of me using it, so what do we do? Do we leave it in court and say no one uses it until we decide? he added. Its a matter of principled pragmatism, Cayetano said. Whats better, 60-40 or 0-0? Meanwhile, former President Benigno Aquino III had advised that the proposed 60-40 arrangement might be disadvantageous to the Philippines. The bargaining position is 60-40. In the end, it might be the opposite. They might get 60, maybe 70, Aquino warned. Were talking about our exclusive economic zone. We have no obligation to share it with them. During my time, there was a joke. It is said: What is ours is ours. What is yours, we share. Right now, it seems its true, said Aquino. Carpio, an expert on the WPS, earlier said the current Philippine Constitution prohibited any joint development within the Philippines EEZ.
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his US counterpart Donald Trump at the July 16 summit in Helsinki with a number of particular initiatives on arms control, including prohibiting weapons in space, TASS with reference to the Politico reports.

According to the report, the Russian document with the header "Dialogue on the Issue of Arms Control" proposes "a five-year extension for the so-called New START Treaty limiting nuclear arms."

"The Russian document outlines a host of areas where the two countries could work together to reduce nuclear dangers and rebuild some of their lost trust."

"The new details provide evidence that Putin remains interested in maintaining the two nations traditional cooperation on nuclear weapons despite all their other friction, said one participant in recent unofficial arms control talks in Moscow," according to the paper.

The memo also addresses mounting tensions in Eastern Europe, suggesting that Washington and Moscow should "take measures in order to prevent incidents while conducting military activities in Europe, as well as to increase trust and transparency in the military sphere."

The document calls on the two sides to "initiate expert consultations to identify destabilizing kinds of arms, to take them into account in the arms control mechanism."

The "strategic stability" consultations should be led by deputy secretary of state and deputy minister of foreign affairs, who could discuss some "thorny" issues, including Syria, the document says. It also recommends launching the 2+2 dialogue between the US Secretaries of State and Defense and their Russian counterparts.

John Rood, the undersecretary of defense for policy, confirmed in July that the process was underway to arrange "a period of time, a date and a place, to meet to have strategic stability talks," the paper says.

The first full-fledged talks between Putin and Trump took place in Finlands capital of Helsinki on July 16. The one-on-one meeting between the two leaders lasted for more than two hours. Later, both delegation members joined the presidents for a larger working lunch. The expanded session also lasted for roughly two hours, with the talks covering crucial bilateral and global issues. Both presidents said after the summit that a big step forward had been taken.
The Russian Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology and the Cuban National Bureau of Standards have signed a memorandum of understanding in Havana. The agreement is aimed at developing cooperation in the sphere of standardization and metrology, Reuters reports.

The document was endorsed by head of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology Alexei Abramov and Director General of the National Bureau of Standards Hortensia Nancy Fernandez Rodriguez.

"This memorandum covers all issues related to standardization, metrology and quality maintenance. We agreed with our Cuban colleagues to form a portfolio of projects to deliver Russian metrological equipment and build metrological infrastructure in Cuba with participation of Russian experts," Abramov noted in a conversation with TASS. In particular, Russia is ready to help the Caribbean state modernize its master base.

Abramov highlighted that the signed memorandum is aimed at bolstering Russian-Cuban trade-economic relations and the removal of technical barriers between the two countries.

"We also agreed to develop cooperation in the sphere of education and specialist training in the spheres of standardization and metrology. Weve got rather vast experience which we want to share with the Cuban colleagues," Abramov noted. He said that Cubans may upgrade their skills, in particular in the Academy of Standardization, Metrology and Certification which is accountable to the Russian Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

Trend:

Turkey will continue to buy Iranian gas despite US sanctions against Tehran, RIA Novosti cited Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez as saying.

The US has recently restored the first package of sanctions against Iran, the final stage of which would be a ban on oil exports, to be introduced in November.

"For us, energy security is very important, Donmez said in an interview with Turkeys A Haber TV channel. "We have a gas contract with Iran, its validity is until 2026. According to the contract, we buy 9.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. As we do not intend to leave our citizens to freeze in the cold, the implementation of the contract will be continued."

He added that the US decision on sanctions against Iran is one-sided, while Turkey is engaged in legitimate trade.

President Donald Trump announced on May 8 about the US withdrawal from the Iran deal and the forthcoming resumption of sanctions until the Iranian authorities change their domestic and foreign policies. The remaining members of the agreement still adhere to it.

The agreement between Iran and the six international mediators, namely, Russia, the US, UK, China, France, Germany, was concluded in July 2015. It imposes restrictions on the development of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic and financial sanctions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

Trend:

Construction of the third nuclear power plant in Turkey, which is planned to be built in the Thrace region in the European part of the country, will be implemented jointly with China, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said, RIA Novosti reported.

"We want to build the third nuclear power plant in Thrace, this work will be conducted with the Chinese specialists. The exact location has not yet been determined ... we have the highest electricity consumption in Istanbul and the Marmara region, so we consider Thrace as the best place for a nuclear power plant. After engineering studies, we will determine the right place for sure," said Donmez in an interview with A Haber television channel.

He noted that China is one of the countries actively implementing the construction of nuclear power plants.

"In addition, they are quite open in the technology transfer. Therefore, we will build the third nuclear power plant with China," the minister added.

Akkuyu, Turkey's first nuclear power plant, is also the world's first nuclear power plant project implemented under the BOO (build-own-operate) model. Russia will build it, own and operate.

Turkey intends to build another nuclear power plant in Sinop in the north of the country with Japan's participation, in addition to Akkuyu.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2018 - 21:58 | All, Japan

A scandal at a medical university in Tokyo, which for years deducted points from the entrance exams of female applicants, has led many aspiring female doctors to utter "I knew it."

"I have heard that many medical universities (in Japan) manipulate the scores in entrance exams to give higher scores to men," said an 18-year-old girl who goes to a prep school in the capital for medical universities. She was speaking after Tokyo Medical University admitted Tuesday it had blatantly discriminated against female applicants for years.

Related coverage:

Tokyo med univ. admits curbing women's enrollment, vows to stop

A report into the university's enrollment policy released that day by a group of lawyers said the medical school did so because female physicians, "as they get older, engage in decreased activities as doctors."

Knowledgeable sources have said that the university set a female student intake ceiling of about 30 percent, and did so as it believed producing a higher percentage of female doctors would lead to a doctor shortage at affiliated hospitals because female doctors tend to resign or take long periods of leave after giving birth.

(A protester holds up a sign saying "Just because we are women")

A man in his 50s, who has taught at a prestigious prep school for medical universities in Tokyo for 25 years, said he advised female students to be aware of the cold shoulder women face from medical schools.

"I tell them that in the first place, they have to study on the basis that women are at a disadvantage in applying for medical school," he said.

Government statistics show that the proportion of female students in medical schools increased sharply from 18.8 percent in fiscal 1987 to 30.0 percent in fiscal 1997.

Yet since then, the percentage has risen little -- to 32.6 percent in fiscal 2007, and to 33.3 percent in fiscal 2018.

This year women accounted for 34 percent of the 9,024 people who passed the national certification exam to become a doctor.

The biggest obstacle to increasing the percentage of women admitted to medical school seems to be the strong belief that remains in Japan that women should primarily raise children and do household chores.

That gender role, combined with Japan's long working hours, particularly for doctors, make it extremely difficult for female doctors to continue working after becoming mothers.

The 35-year-old husband of a doctor said his wife is mainly in charge of childcare despite her long work hours because society believes "men don't need to help around the house."

In a reflection of the severe working environment for female physicians, an online survey earlier this month to which 103 doctors responded showed that 65 percent said they "can understand" or "can understand to a certain degree" Tokyo Medical University deducting points from the entrance exams of female applicants.

Many said such treatment "can't be helped" because male doctors have to bear extra burdens when female physicians cannot work due to pregnancy, childbirth and childcare, according to the survey conducted by M. Stage Co., which publishes an online magazine for female doctors.

A female doctor in her 40s talked with Kyodo News about her mixed feelings toward that issue.

The woman, who worked full-time as an internal medicine specialist at a public hospital in Tokyo until this spring, said she cannot tolerate the discrimination against women in enrollment because "women are absolutely better than men in exams."

"But at the same time, I doubt if it's really a good thing to increase female doctors, say, to a degree of 80 percent of the total."

As of the end of 2016, women accounted for 21.1 percent of all doctors in Japan. About 85 percent work as either dermatologists or ophthalmologists because those specialties lend themselves better to set, fixed office hours, while only 5.8 percent of female physicians worked as surgeons.

"We need more surgeons and doctors who can respond to emergencies," but having more woman doctors would exacerbate that problem, said one doctor speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The scandal at Tokyo Medical University surfaced as the Japanese government is striving -- to use the words of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- to create "a society where every woman can shine."

In 2017, the World Economic Forum ranked Japan 114th out of 144 countries in terms of gender equality.

Some doctors, both women and men, said the scandal should serve as a catalyst for changing the working environment of physicians.

"Women can work properly if hospitals implement proper work systems such as doctors working shifts and several doctors being assigned for one patient," said a 39-year-old obstetrician and mother of two.

And ultimately the sorts of changes needed may affect Japanese society as a whole.

"The university's scandal is not just about entrance exams but poses a question of how a man should work," said the female doctor's husband who doesn't help around the house. But he said he intends to change the habit of staying at the office until his boss goes home.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2018 - 13:58 | Feature, All

The South Korean government will hold a ceremony next Tuesday to unveil a monument for "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels, the country's gender equality minister said Wednesday.

Gender Equality and Family Minister Chung Hyun Back also said at an event in Seoul that the government will open a research institute later this week tasked with collecting scattered data and materials about the women.

(People walk past a statue symbolizing so-called comfort women near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on June 19)

The comfort women issue has been a source of diplomatic tension between South Korea and Japan, with Tokyo particularly sensitive to the erection of statues commemorating the women near Japanese diplomatic missions in South Korea.

Related coverage:

S. Korea gov't approves fund to supplant Japan "comfort women" fund

South Korean local gov't removes forced laborer statue from Busan street

The South Korean government designated Aug. 14 as a day to honor Korean comfort women, as on the same day in 1991 Kim Hak Soon became the first victim to give testimony about the hardships the women faced.

The monument will be unveiled at the National Mang-Hyang Cemetery in Cheonan, central South Korea. The ceremony will be broadcast live.

The government of President Moon Jae In has taken a proactive stance on comfort women issues since it came to power in May 2017, proposing, among other things, to install the monument and open the research institute.

The Japanese government expressed concern over the envisioned monument when the South Korean government announced the plan in September last year, saying that would run counter to the spirit of a 2015 agreement under which the nations said they had "finally and irreversibly" settled the dispute.

The Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.
'There is no need to panic,' Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine said ahead of opening of shutters in Mullaperiyar Dam on Friday.
TAIPEIInvestigators in Taiwan have searched the home and party offices of a pro-China former gang leader known as White Wolf in a probe over donations ahead of key elections. It comes as concerns grow about the involvement of organized crime in politics and the escalating tensions between Taipei and Beijing. China has long tried to influence politics on the self-governing island, which it claims as part of its territory. Last month, the website of the ruling party was breached allegedly by Chinese hackers and there were also security breaches leading up to the 2016 presidential elections. White Wolf, whose real name is Chang An-lo, previously headed one of Taiwans biggest gangs before re-branding himself as a pro-China political activist. Chang is known for his pro-unification stance and his Chinese Unity Promotion Party (CUPP) regularly organizes rallies in support of Beijing. We indeed conducted a search of the CUPP headquarters and residence of the main suspects for possible violation of the political donations act, Chou Shih-yu, a spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, told AFP on Wednesday. Chou declined to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.Local media reported that authorities had been investigating since last September whether CUPPs finances originate from the Chinese government, which is against the law. Chang claims his partys funds are all from his own company. My money doesnt come from any government... The money is from our own factory, our own company. How I use it is my business, not yours, he told reporters Tuesday after the police search. The police rounded up more than 300 suspected gang members in May, confiscating illegal weapons and drugs, in a sweep it said was aimed at preventing manipulation of island-wide local elections in November. Chang was imprisoned for 10 years in the US for drug trafficking and then lived in exile for 17 years in China before returning to Taiwan in 2013. Members of his party were accused of attacking Taiwanese independence supporters and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong when he visited Taipei in January 2017. The elections in November are seen as an important barometer of popular support for the ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) or the China-friendly Kuomintang.
The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will turn to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Britain to help cool the escalating diplomatic showdown that has erupted between the North American country and the Saudi Arabia, according to Canadian sources as reported by Reuters.

Diplomatic tension between Canada and Saudi Arabia have spiraled since Sunday with the Saudi government decided to uproot over 7,000 Saudis including 2,000 students studying across Canada. On Monday, Saudia Airline, the national Saudi carrier announced suspension of all flights to and from Toronto city. The kingdom earlier froze all trade and investment projects with Canada.

Tensions flared up Sunday after Riyadh banned the Canadian envoy to the kingdom to return and recalled its own ambassador after the North American country urged authorities to free all civil right activists. Riyadh blasted the call and deemed it a blatant interference in its domestic affairs.

Tuesday, a Canadian source who asked not to be name because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters news agency that Canada will ask the UAE to step in helping to deescalate tension.

The key is to work with allies and friends in the region to cool things down, which can happen quickly, the source said.

The UAE is a key ally of the Saudi kingdom. The Emirati authorities have taken the Saudi said since the beginning the crisis.

Another source also told the agency that Britain has been ticked out as broker by the Canadian government. London on Tuesday called on the disputing sides to show restraint.

Canada is turning to the UAE and Britain after the U.S.; Ottawas neighbor and historical ally refused to help mend the diplomatic downtime. The Trump administration has established strong ties with Riyadh and has in private given endorsement to Saudi actions around the world.

Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cant do it for them; they need to resolve it together, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

President Trump is uneasy with Trudeau. Both leaders publically clashed after the G7 summit in June, in Canada.
ARLINGTON, Va.--The unique topic of artificial intelligence (AI) for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) was in the spotlight last week, as leading minds from academia, industry and the federal government met to discuss how modern technology can help victims of disasters around the globe.

The Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Workshop--co-hosted by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)--took place at the university's Pittsburgh campus Aug. 2-3.

"The problem of catastrophes affecting humanity will unfortunately always be among us," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. David J. Hahn. "The great minds in this room are here to figure out how we can best leverage artificial intelligence and autonomy to better deliver resources and people to those in urgent need."

As Hahn addressed the group, pictures of naval relief efforts over many years scrolled behind him, including Sailors and Marines assisting victims in Haiti after an earthquake, Japan after an earthquake and tsunami, New Orleans and New York after hurricanes, and more.

Hahn noted the Navy and Marine Corps are uniquely suited to support rescue and relief work done by different federal agencies, when called upon. Naval assets include ships, planes and helicopters; being positioned globally; and being highly mobile.

Dr. Andrew Moore, dean of CMU's School of Computer Science, thanked Hahn for helping to inspire the meeting, which included renowned AI-focused academics; senior representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); leaders from the new Joint AI Center; relief directors at the U.S. State Department; representatives from NASA, the U.S. Army and Air Force; and many more.

Some in attendance had been on the ground providing assistance on multiple occasions, from natural disasters to war zones.

"We've brought in some of the best roboticists and technologists in the world, with the single goal of keeping people safe during disasters" said Moore. "Technology to save lives is inspiring for everyone in the AI field."

AI and autonomy are wide-ranging terms that include multiple fields of study and are increasingly relevant to disaster relief work. Some of those focus areas include machine learning, human-computer interaction, big data analytics, computational modeling and robotics.

Several speakers at the event discussed real-world examples of how AI could help victims of disasters, including better using unmanned aerial vehicles to find survivors; using robots to communicate with trapped victims--for example, under the rubble of a building; generating the most accurate data on emerging damaged areas, using crowd-sourced social media reports; and computer models and simulations to predict the best ways and tools to help in different disaster situations.

Both Hahn and Moore encouraged workshop attendees to not let the meeting's value fade. A series of working groups addressed multiple topics and were requested to come up with short-, mid- and long-term ideas on how to utilize AI in real-world HA/DR situations.

Follow-up meetings are currently being slated to track progress.

###
Weather Alert

COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT NOW IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING * WHAT...Up to one half foot of inundation above ground level expected in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline. * WHERE...Northwest Suffolk and Northeast Suffolk Counties. * WHEN...From 4 PM EDT this afternoon through this evening. * IMPACTS...Brief minor flooding of the more vulnerable locations near the waterfront and shoreline.
Wednesdays knee-jerk reaction to the announcement of the tariffs was a typical move by traders. Anytime, a major players hears potentially bad news about demand, they sell first and ask questions later. The news is not a trend changing event and should help keep a lid on prices. However, lingering concerns over the sanctions on Iran and falling U.S. inventories should be supportive over the near-term.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are under pressure early Wednesday after China said it will retaliate against the latest round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.

Chinas announcement came just a day after the U.S. Trade Representatives office released a finalized list of $16 billion worth in Chinese goods that will be hit with tariffs, effective August 23.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced a 25 percent charge on $16 billion worth of U.S. goods including coal, grease, Vaseline, asphalt and plastic products, and recyclables. Larger items are also on the list of 333 goods being targeted including large passenger cars and motorcycles as well as various fuels, and fiber optical cables.

No Surprise

Crude oil prices are under pressure because a tariff on imported U.S. crude oil means a drop in demand. As demand drops, U.S. stockpiles should build, pressuring prices. The selling pressure could be limited, however, because the move by China did not come as a surprise.

As early as July 5, the story of tariffs on U.S. crude by China had been floated. At that time, Beijing threatened a 25 percent tariff on U.S. crude imports, although it did not issue a specific date for the move.

American crude shipments to China are around 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), worth $1 billion a month at current prices. Tariffs would make U.S. oil uncompetitive in China.

Additionally, an executive from Chinas Dongming Petrochemical Group said at the time that he expected Beijing to soon impose the tariff on U.S. oil imports. He further added that his refinery had cancelled U.S. crude imports and would switch to Middle East or West African supplies instead.

Just last week, Chinas Unipec, the trading arm of state oil major Sinopec, suspended crude oil imports from the United States due to the growing trade spat between Washington and Beijing. Unipec and Sinopec are Asias largest refiner and biggest buyer of U.S. oil.

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Minimal Impact

The absence of China, the largest buyer of U.S. crude after Canada, is likely to partly weigh on U.S. spot crude prices, making them more affordable for other buyers in Asia. Chinas prohibitive import tariff, which amounts to close to $18 a barrel when crude is at $70, should also deter other Chinese buyers such as state-owned companies Petro China, as well as state-controlled Zhenhua Oil and independent refiners, from importing U.S. crude.

Conclusion

Wednesdays knee-jerk reaction to the announcement of the tariffs was a typical move by traders. Anytime, a major players hears potentially bad news about demand, they sell first and ask questions later. The news is not a trend changing event and should help keep a lid on prices. However, lingering concerns over the sanctions on Iran and falling U.S. inventories should be supportive over the near-term.

All of this adds up to range bound trade over the near-term. The markets will turn weaker if the tariff damage starts to show up in U.S. inventories numbers, but since Chinese refiners had been limited buyers since early July, it may not show up in the numbers for weeks.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:
Aug 8 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Wednesday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com.

** SANNE GROUP PLC

Britain's Sanne Group Plc named Peter Nagle managing director of its client services business in Mauritius.

** DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Deutsche Bank has named David Lynne chief country officer for Singapore and Chandra Mallika deputy chief country officer, according to an internal memo.

** NATIXIS SA

Natixis has appointed Jean-Philippe Adam as senior country manager for Spain and Portugal for its corporate and investment banking business. (Compiled by Saumya Sibi Joseph in Bengaluru)
This year, oil prices have been spiking and hitting prices which have not been seen since 2014. Throughout the year, although there has been price volatility as OPEC occasionally hinted it might increase output, oil prices have generally been trending higher.

This year, oil prices have been spiking and hitting prices which have not been seen since 2014. Throughout the year, although there has been price volatility as OPEC occasionally hinted it might increase output, oil prices have generally been trending higher.

Though this spike happened due to a multitude of reasons, it wouldnt be wrong to pinpoint the biggest contributor as President Donald Trumps sanctions on oil imports from Iran. This May, Trump declared that as a part of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, it will impose sanctions on the OPEC member and worlds fifth biggest producer.

Then, in June, the U.S. State Department went as far as reinforcing the sanction and telling other nations that unless they stop importing oil from Iran, they will also face sanctions from the U.S. Many analysts said this will inevitably drive up oil prices as it would have a major effect on supply.

To intensify the matter, earlier today, Trump tweeted that anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States, claiming he is just asking for WORLD PEACE. In response, the Iranian government said the US government had turned their back on diplomacy.

This new tweet from Trump is another escalation from the statement made by the State Department in June. Then, the U.S. requested other nations to not import oil from Iran. Now, things are much broader than oil import; Trump doesnt want countries to do any business with Iran.

Though it is hard to determine how exactly this sanction will affect the Iranian economy, considering they have been suffering, this change surely will not play in favor of economic recovery there.

But how will this affect oil prices? Considering how in the past months oil prices have responded very sensitively to any types of news regarding inventories, there is a high possibility that prices will spike once again.

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For example, on June 22, when OPEC and Russia met and promised to increase oil production by up to 1 million barrels a day, oil prices rallied because the increase was not as much as people had anticipated.

In addition, there has been a report of a decline in Saudi Arabias oil production which, combined with Trumps tweet, made oil prices tick higher today.

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The new sanctions imposed on Iran are not meant to incite regime change, US President Donald Trumps Security Adviser said Tuesday amid rising tensions between the two countries.

The policy is not regime change but we definitely want to put maximum pressure on the government,John Bolton said in an interview with Fox news.

New US sanctions on Iran came into force on Tuesday after President Trump signed the day before an executive order for a first wave of sanctions that prevent the Islamic Republic from purchasing of dollar banknotes, trading gold and other precious metals, and selling or acquiring various industrial metals.

Iran under new sanctions will no longer import its Persian carpets and pistachios to the U.S., Bloomberg reports.

The move much awaited came following May withdrawal of the U.S. from 2015 nuclear accord signed between Iran and world powers. President Trump has rejected the deal and requested a new deal that suit US terms. He stresses that the deal was one-sided and failed to curb Irans influence in the region and nuclear program plans.

Before the sanctions were even reinforced, Iranians began demonstrating over high cost of commodities, shortage of water and the steady collapse of the national currency Rial which has lost half of its value since May.

Bolton in the interview added that implications of sanction will be more profound in November. The State department will on November 5 unveil new sanctions which according diplomatic sources will target Irans oil export.

The Trump administration wants allies to stop buying oil from Iran by November 4.

Earlier on Monday before the sanctions were announced, Bolton called on Iran to sit at the negating table with the U.S. to avoid the sanctions.

They could take up the presidents offer to negotiate with them, to give up their ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs fully and really verifiably not under the onerous terms of the Iran nuclear deal, which really are not satisfactory.

If Iran were really serious theyd come to the table. Well find out whether they are or not.

Trump last week offered to meet with Iran authorities at any time in order to discuss a new deal. Teheran has outright dismissed the offer.
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. sanctions that kicked in early Tuesday against Iran are meant to pressure Tehran's government into retreating from its support for international terrorism, its military activity in the Middle East and its ballistic missile and nuclear-related programs, President Donald Trump's national security adviser said.

The first set of U.S. sanctions that had been eased under a landmark Iran nuclear accord target financial transactions involving U.S. dollars, Iran's automotive sector, the purchase of commercial airplanes and metals, including gold.

Additional sanctions on Iran's oil sector and central bank are to be reinstated in early November.

The sanctions went back into effect under an executive order Trump signed three months after he pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 international accord limiting Iran's nuclear activities. Trump called the deal, signed by the Obama administration, "horrible."

John Bolton, the U.S. national security adviser, said Tuesday that the intent of sanctions is not to bring about Iranian "regime change."

"But we definitely want to put maximum pressure on the government, and it's not just to come back to discuss fixing a deal that's basically not fixable, dealing with the nuclear weapons aspect," Bolton said Tuesday on Fox News. "We want to see a much broader retreat by Iran from their support for international terrorism, their belligerent activity in the Middle East and their ballistic missile, nuclear-related program."

"There's a lot going on here that Iran needs to be held accountable for," he said.

In a morning tweet, Trump said the re-imposition of sanctions means, "Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States."

"I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!"

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The stiff economic sanctions ratchet up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite statements of deep dismay from European allies. Trump said the landmark deal left the Iranian government flush with cash to fuel conflict in the Middle East.

Iran accused the U.S. of reneging on the agreement and of causing recent Iranian economic unrest. European allies said they "deeply regret" the U.S. action.

As the sanctions loomed, Trump said in a statement Monday: "We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice: either change its threatening, destabilizing behavior and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation."

Trump warned that those who don't wind down their economic ties to Iran "risk severe consequences."

The Europeans didn't like any of it.

Despite Trump's claims, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom said in a statement that the accord "is working and delivering on its goal" of limiting Iran's nuclear program.

The ministers said the Iran deal is "crucial for the security of Europe, the region and the entire world" and the European Union issued a "blocking statute" Monday to protect European businesses from the impact of the sanctions.

A senior administration official, briefing reporters under ground rules requiring anonymity, said the United States is "not particularly concerned" by EU efforts to protect European firms from the sanctions.

Bolton denied any worsening of U.S. relations with Europe, saying the administration has been in "constant communication with them" over the issue.

"We all still share the same objective of making sure that Iran doesn't get deliverable nuclear weapons," he said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran still can rely on China and Russia to keep its oil and banking sectors afloat. Speaking in a television interview, he also demanded compensation for decades of American "intervention" in the Islamic Republic.

Months of uncertainty surrounding the sanctions have already further hurt Iran's economy. The country's rial currency has tanked, and the downturn has sparked protests across the nation.

The "Trump Administration wants the world to believe it's concerned about the Iranian people," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. But, he said, the re-imposed sanctions would endanger "ordinary Iranians."

"US hypocrisy knows no bounds," he said.

U.S. officials insisted the American government stands with the people of Iran and supports many of their complaints against their government.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said sanctions are an important pillar in U.S. policy toward Iran and will remain in place until the Iranian government radically changes course.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a firm foe of the Iranian government, said the sanctions symbolize "the determination to block Iran's regional aggression as well as its continuous plans to arm itself with nuclear weapons."

He called on the countries of Europe to join the U.S., saying, "The time has come to stop talking; the time has come to do."

The U.S has long designated Iran as the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism.

___

Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed.
White House policy advisor Stephen Miller listens as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a round table meeting with members of law enforcement about sanctuary cities in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

The Trump administration is finalizing a proposal that would make it more difficult for legal immigrants to get citizenship or green cards if they have ever used public assistance programs including Obamacare, food stamps and childrens health insurance, NBC News Julia Ainsley reports. The plan would reportedly also limit citizenship for immigrants who received public assistance for their children, even if those children are already citizens.

The rationale: "The administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law, which is clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the U.S are self-sufficient, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security told NBC. Any proposed changes would ensure that the government takes the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer funds seriously and adjudicates immigration benefit requests in accordance with the law."

The proposal, which Ainsley calls part of White House senior adviser Stephen Millers plan to limit the number of migrants who get legal status, likely would not have to be approved by Congress.

The background: Immigration law has long held that an immigrant is to be denied permanent residence if he or she is likely to become a public charge. Guidelines in place since 1999 have defined the term narrowly as someone who is primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, either through cash assistance programs or by receiving long-term care at government expense. The existing guidelines specify that non-cash benefits such as Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program and food programs are not part of the public charge determination. The Trump plan would change that, defining the term more stringently.

What it means: Using some public benefits like Social Security Insurance has already hindered immigrants from obtaining legal status in the past, NBCs Ainsley writes, but the programs included in the recent draft plan could mean that immigrant households earning as much as 250 percent of the poverty level could be rejected. Experts tell Ainsley that as many as 20 million immigrants could be affected by the Trump plan.

Story continues

The research: Overall, immigrants are less likely to consume welfare benefits and, when they do, they generally consume a lower dollar value of benefits than native-born Americans, a CATO Institute study this year said.

The criticism: The reported Trump administration proposal drew sharp reproach from immigration advocates and others. "Any policy forcing millions of families to choose between the denial of status and food or health care would exacerbate serious problems such as hunger, unmet health needs, child poverty and homelessness, with lasting consequences for families' wellbeing and long-term success and community prosperity," the National Immigration Law Center said in a statement to NBC.

New York magazines Jonathan Chait argued that members of the middle class who get health insurance through their employer or Medicare are getting similar taxpayer-financed benefits  demonstrating that the Trump proposal is just an empty pretense: Programs like Obamacare and CHIP simply extend the same regimen of subsidies and risk pooling to the low-income population that have already been granted to the middle class. To define people getting insurance this way as public charges does violence to the concept.

The Washington Posts Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent write that the proposal is a clear sign of the administrations white nationalist agenda  and one that can work by playing into prejudices Americans have about welfare: Theres little doubt that these initiatives are born of the sincere contempt that President Trump, Stephen Miller, and others in the administration have for immigrants, particularly non-white ones, they write. The strategy is clear: portray legal immigrants as a drain on the system, taking advantage of hard-working people like you.

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Women's rights activist Shafiqa Khpalwak is hoping to change public attitudes in Afghanistan with her newly released Pashto-language translation of Women Who Work, the 2017 book by U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser, Ivanka.

"I did translate this book to encourage the Afghan women to take the leadership role in the society," Khpalwak said in a telephone interview with VOA's Afghan Service. Ivanka Trump has said she wrote the book to motivate women to come forward and play leadership roles in economic life of their communities.

By translating the book, Khpalwak hopes to make that message accessible to the Pashto-speaking majority of people in Afghanistan as well as millions more in neighboring Pakistan.

That impact may be limited because Afghanistan is rated by the United Nations as having the lowest literacy rate in the world. An estimated 31 percent of Afghans over age 15 are able to read, a figure that drops to just 17 percent for women, according to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

However, the book's publishers in Kabul say the reading market has increased recently and that people are showing greater interest in books by Western writers translated into Pashto and Dari. Other American leaders whose books are now available in Pashto include President Trump and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Khpalwak said Women Who Work provides great guidance and recommendations for working women on how to find a balance between their domestic and work lives.

Afghanistan is a patriarchal society where women are seldom seen in positions of authority. However, Khpalwak said, "I have found this book highly motivational. The women of Afghanistan will surely be inspired and motivated to take charge of their own lives, put things in perspective and bring the change they are seeking."

She described the experience of translating books into her native language empowering and an excellent way to learn about other cultures. "It also has a scope to change one's perspective about their cultures and traditions and offers you flexibility to adopt and embrace foreign ideas."

For instance, she said, she learned from translating the book about Ivanka Trump's roles as a mother, a politician and a businesswoman.

"Women don't only work for themselves, but for coming generations, a woman could be a mother, a leader, a wife, and an ideal, nothing can stop them."

Khpalwak said young Afghan women especially are showing an interest in reading books from other cultures and that these books "could help them find their way in a conservative society like Afghanistan."

Safia Wardak, a young women's rights activist who has read the Pashto version of Women Who Work, spoke to VOA about what foreign books mean to her.

"I enjoy reading international books in my mother language. Pashto versions of such books for people who can't read English is a gift by the translators. After reading Ivanka's book, I am feeling motivated to work and to lead," she said.

There are hundreds book publishers and stores in Afghanistan, and the business seems to be flourishing.

Ikram, the owner of Khatez Book Publishing Association in the eastern city of Jalalabad, says more readers are looking for new books translated from English and other languages into Pashto and Dari. However, there are no centrally compiled statistics to show how many such books exist.

 Reported by the Voice Of America
As we neared the second anniversary of one of the most brutal suicide attack on civilians in Pakistan, I kept on thinking about how best to commemorate the slain generation of lawyers in the southwestern province of Balochistan who were killed en masse on August 8, 2016 in the provincial capital Quetta.

Memories of the activist lawyers we lost in that atrocity came flooding back. I recalled Baz Mohammad Kakar, a youthful leader of Balochistans lawyers. He was dedicated to upholding the rule of law and strived for ensuring that all Pakistanis can enjoy their fundamental human rights. One episode of his kindness stood out. I recalled receiving sweets from Kakar in Quettas Bacha Khan square as lawyers celebrated their role in bringing down Pakistans last military dictator Pervez Musharraf in August 2008.

A decade later the portrait of Kakar and more than 50 more colleagues who celebrated the return of democracy now adorn the walls of Balochistan Bar Council. Yet another generation of lawyers, students and activists are out on the streets to demand that the state ensure their security and must be held accountable for the suffering of citizens in Pakistan.

As part of this activism, I addressed a mass gathering of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a civil rights movement demanding protection for the country Pashtun minority, which is hard done by more than 15 years of violence after the onset of the war on terrorism. The highlight of my April speech in Qila Saifullah, a town near Quetta, was some straight talking about the attack on Quetta lawyers. Later that day I received a Facebook message from Kakars nephew Nosherwan Khan. The family of Baz Mohammad Kakar salutes you. Your speech refreshed our memories of the martyr who continued fighting for peoples rights till the end, he wrote.

These few words from one of Kakars relatives left me with teary eyes. Feelings of loss and helplessness reminded me of the days when Quettas lawyers valiantly struggled for peoples fundamental rights. Through tireless public interest litigation, advocacy and campaigning they reminded the state of its fundamental responsivity of protecting its citizens and ensuring their rights. They were not only utilizing the available spaces, they were leading efforts to create new spaces for activism and resistance.

Kakar played a significant role. He was a fearless democrat who kept sharing the sweets of progressive activism among his people and refusing to buy the states narratives on security, justice and development throughout his professional career. As president of the Balochistan Bar Council he lead the regions legal fraternity into a meaningful contact with a larger legal environment of the country. One the other hand, he played an important part in bringing the lawyers of the remote areas and legal issues of the marginalized sections of the society into the legal mainstream.

But the activism Kakar nurtured suffered a debilitating blow when the 45-year-old and dozens of his colleagues were killed in a suicide bombing in Quettas civil hospital on August 8, 2016. They had gathered to receive the dead body of a colleague Bilal Anwar Kasi who had been shot dead earlier that day.

Today, Quetta without it bright and brilliant lawyers feels like an orphaned city. A deep silence rules the streets of the city, which shows that the August 8 attack has successfully achieved its target. Violence began speaking with a horribly louder voice in the city. It got more organized in acting against specific ideological, professional and political groups of Baloch, Pashtun and Hazara communities, which make the bulk of Quetta residents.

Forms of structural violence and injustice such as Islamabads control over the resources of the province, uneven distribution of power, poverty and illiteracy have placed Balochistan at the extreme margin of Pakistan during the past 70 years. The emergence of the new techniques of dominance such as religious terrorism and sectarian violence has horribly shrunken space for the secular and progressive politics of the natives.

The presence of an enlightened, progressive and politically active legal fraternity was a strong evidence of a vibrant secular environment in Balochistan. The absence of such a professional group can inform us of an environment occupied by the forces, which have historically been communal, security-specific and warmongering in our region. This is why Quetta now looks like a complex of security distributing fear and alienation rather than a city  a network of dynamic productive and cultural relations and aesthetics.

This complex web-like mechanism of security has terribly failed Quetta. It has extended its control over the productive and infrastructural development, jobs and business opportunities, restricting the growth and mobility of the middle class in Balochistan. The successes are only reserved for those who can contribute to the established order. This is the question of politics and ideology. In this regard, the biggest misfortune of the martyred lawyers was their unwillingness towards such a subscription of successes. They never compromised over their sense of belonging, aspirations of locality and their struggle for the constitutional rights of their people. This was the crime they were punished for.

An entire generation of a citys lawyers was massacred in broad daylight. But two years later, Pakistani judiciary remained completely occupied by deciding the future of corrupt politicians by sending them to jails or placing their names in publicly displayed lists of thieves. What can justify, morally and legally, that the corruption cases of politicians are more important than the case of Quettas slain lawyers. Perhaps its only rationale can be found in the centre-periphery relationship in Pakistan, where interests of the minority provinces such as Balochistan are sacrificed for the power politics in Islamabad.

Be clear, there is no short-term healing for the wounds of Balochistan. The 70-year long suffering of the province can only be addressed through a comprehensive political resolution. This will require fundamental changes in the states framework regarding the policy towards different ethnic groups and their politics of recognition and redistribution.

Without such a policy shift, no rhetoric, be that claim to be creating a New Pakistan or counting the promised benefits or Chinese investments collectively called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would be able to represent the aspirations of the people.

After two years of the Quetta carnage people whose minds refuse to be guided by the state nationalism believe that setting such a heavy price for a development project is not only unaffordable and extremely irrational. It also shows that how development goes as an essential part of the security politics and a technique of control and repression in Balochistan.

In the final analysis, it would be a blunder on part of the rulers if they continue undermining the power of people. The people will definitely come out one day for telling their version of the story. Let them tell it democratically and peacefully. Please carefully listen to the families of the martyred lawyers. Their narrative is completely different from yours.

Khan Zaman Kakar (@khanzamankakar), an anthropologist, is an activist, columnist and poet in his native Pashto language. These views are the author's alone and do not represent those of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
US politician and Senator Cory Booker has denied he endorsed the demolition of Israeli wall described by international community as apartheid wall, after holding a sign that read From Palestine to Mexico, All the Walls Have Got to Go at a pro-Palestinian conference over the weekend, The Intercept reports.

Sen. Booker last weekend snapped a picture with members of pro-Palestinian US political group U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) at a conference put together by the group in New Orleans.

Booker in the photograph appeared with three members of the group and held a sign that read From Palestine to Mexico, All the Walls Have Got to Go.

The conference was attended by leftist and progressive activists who advocated for the end of the occupation of Palestine to secure a just future for both Israelis and Palestinians, The Intercept reports.

The picture caused turmoil in pro-Israeli lobby groups in the U.S. The former mayor of Newark, New Jersey is a renowned African American figure aligned with the Israeli groups and government in Tel Aviv.

Bookers office issued a statement claiming the American politician was not aware of the message on the sign.

Just before delivering a speech in New Orleans, Senator Booker was approached by dozens of people for photos, his spokesperson, Jeff Giertz, told the Jewish Telagraphic Agency, according to The Intercept.

Booker despite his strident endorsement of Israels policies, earlier this year stunned Israeli groups after refusing to speak publicly at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, knowns as AIPAC; the most powerful pro-Israeli government lobbying group in the U.S.

The refusal and the weekend event generated hopes that Booker is leaning towards a progressive politicians.

USCPR in statement to The Intercept fought out Bookers claims noting that the presumed 2020 candidate was informed in advance of the event and its agenda.

Our elected officials are also increasingly embracing Palestinian rights, as demonstrated by the first-ever bill for Palestinian childrens rights, sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) and 29 other Democrats. It was in this overwhelmingly supportive environment at Netroots Nation that our contingent had the opportunity to meet Sen. Cory Booker briefly and discuss our work for freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people before posing for a photo with him.

Booker in 2014 sided with Israel in its war with Hamas; the ruler movement of Gaza Strip. He blamed Hamas for the war in which thousands of Palestinians died in Israel bombardment using U.S. supplied arms and ammunitions.

Let us stand resolute and clear about the true cause of this crisis, and that lies squarely with Hamas, a terrorist organization whose ends do not start and finish with the well-being of the Palestinian people, he said.

In rare move, in 2015, following pressure then US leader Barack Obama, he endorsed the multinational nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers  Israel chided the deal.

The miles-long wall built by Israel and that separates the Jewish state and the occupied West Bank, has been condemned around the world and has been dubbed the Apartheid wall.
When Wayne Williams took office in 2015, secretaries of state didnt talk much about hackers or, if at all, Russians. Now those topics dominate discussions among the sharpest minds and deepest worriers about the security of our elections.

Colorado became a tough nut to crack for election meddlers even before the current concerns about the 2016 presidential result and this Novembers midterm elections. The state invested in security when the only reward was public trust, not national interests.

The Washington Post ratified that in May, under a headline that proclaimed, How Colorado became the safest state to cast a vote.

In February, Williams was one of the election officials who met in a classified briefing at a federal fusion center  an intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination facility led by the Department of Homeland Security  to talk about threats. He also is one of the authors of a proposal for the National Association of Secretaries of State to create a permanent cybersecurity committee, which formalizes whats really become reality, because its one of the major topics we discuss, he told me.

MORE STATE UPDATES AND ANALYSIS: ColoradoPolitics.com

Colorados expertise came into focus recently when Homeland Security convened a cybersecurity coordinating council with local officials in a hotel in Philadelphia. Of 27 people in the room, including federal officials, four were from Colorado: Williams; his elections director, Judd Choate; Denver Director of Elections Amber McReynolds; and Colorado Springs City Clerk Sarah Johnson.

Williams press aide, Lynn Bartels, accompanied him to the associations summer convention and wrote about it on her blog.

As I see it, election security is national security, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told the gathering of secretaries of state and election officials, my friend Lynn reported.

A Trumper, Nielsen pivoted to the politics while swerving around any hint of delegitimizing her boss win.

There was a lot of confusion about what happened, with many unfortunately trying to politicize the issue, she said, according to Bartels.

Mischaracterized, misunderstood and blatantly false information was floating around, but the fact is  and this bears repeating  no votes were altered.

What we did see, though, is without a question concerning: Russian government cyber actors seeking vulnerabilities and access to U.S. election infrastructure.

Colorado was probed in 2016 and could be again.

Nielsen and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats have said there is no doubt this years midterm election will be targeted by the Kremlin. Coats called the attempts by Russia to undermine democracy pervasive and ongoing.

The wonky business of vote counting has been an exercise in legitimacy and integrity since Eve lobbied Adam in favor of an apple. But now its politically trendy.

On June 19, U.S. House Republicans voted down a Democratic bill to increase election security spending. Sure, Democrats wanted to secure elections, but they also wanted to turn a spotlight on Republicans and Russians. The proposal failed along party lines, as Democrats chanted USA! USA! on the House floor.

The last major infusion of federal dollars into state election systems was the $3.6 billion authorized by the Help America Vote Act in 2002. It was signed by the last Republican president, George W. Bush, after he won the White House under a cloud of controversy in 2000.

The vitality of Americas democracy depends on the fairness and accuracy of Americas elections, Bush said before signing the act. Over two centuries our country has broadened the right to vote and sealed that right in law, making our government more accountable to the people, and more representative of the people.

When problems arise in the administration of elections we have a responsibility to fix them.

Trump might not have a burning passion for election security, but Nielsen (who was born in Colorado Springs) has offered significant cybersecurity assistance and resources not budgeted specifically for local elections, Williams said.

Eight people from the Department of Homeland Security worked in his office for two weeks probing our cybersecurity preparedness, Williams said

And Trump? I cant speak for what hes doing, but I can tell you his Homeland Security Department is doing a great job, Williams said.

The Republican secretary of state credited the governors office (led by Democrat John Hickenlooper) and the split-partisan Legislature for investing and otherwise supporting what it takes to have trustworthy elections. The close partisan divide in this state made it more about watching the other party than warding off foreign threats.

This has all been part of what Colorado planned for and has done from the very beginning, Williams said of overall security. And were looking at (hacking) not just as an isolated thing, but as a part of what we do.

Elections arent the only front where Coloradans are taking on Putin. U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican from Yuma, continues to push to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terror.

As the U.S. intelligence services have reported, it is an incontrovertible fact that Russia sought to influence the 2016 elections in the United States  a fact that President Putin openly confirmed during the recent U.S.-Russia summit in Helsinki, Gardner said.

We know Russia will try again, so we must also be forward thinking to prevent this assault on our democracy from ever happening again.

As we get closer to our next elections, we should be making it clear to the KGB thug Vladimir Putin, and anyone else who dares meddle in our elections, that this type of behavior will never be tolerated and will be met with severe and immediate consequences.
I have tasted and reviewed many wines over the first eight months of this year. But looking over my notes recently, I realized that a number o
Two wildfires in southwest Colorado have each grown to more than 7,000 acres, pumping smoke into towns across the Western Slope.
Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Ranch fire, part of the Mendocino Complex fire, on Tuesday near Ladoga, Calif. On Wednesday, crews said they made good progress battling the states largest-ever wildfire but dont expect to have it fully under control until September. The blaze is one of 18 burning in California. Story, A7

More coverage: Blazes are affecting the Western Slope, and local airmen are helping in California. Stories, A6

Californias largest-ever wildfire rages
El Paso County Republicans have a new candidate in the race for Colorados House District 18  and shes got a long way to go to catch up to her opponents before the November election.

Mary Elizabeth Fabian was selected late last month by an El Paso County Republican vacancy committee, said GOP District Chairman Andy Colon. She will succeed Jillian Likness, who dropped out of the race barely a week after earning her partys nomination in June, citing health complications.

While two others were possibly interested in the spot, Fabian was the obvious choice, said Cassandra Sebastian, executive director of El Paso Countys Republican Party. Shell face Democrat Marc Snyder and Maile Foster, an unaffiliated candidate backed by Unite Colorado and Unite America, nonprofits formally known as the Centrist Project.

Fabian said she is a small-business woman and mother of three who is passionate about serving the community. Her top three issues for the race are public safety, education and business.

One of Fabians sons has from autism, though hes high-functioning, she said. And finding schools that meet his special needs has been difficult. So if, elected, Fabian said she wants to give parents options that might make private schooling more affordable and give teachers the ability to work outside the box.

Im tired of cookie-cutter educational methods, Fabian said.

Since she was named the GOPs new candidate, Fabian has been knocking on doors and attending local events to meet the electorate and familiarize herself with the issues, Sebastian said.

Already there is a wide gap between Fabian and her opponents. Campaign finance data filed with the Secretary of States Office shows that as of Aug. 1, Fabian has collected $610 from nine contributions.

So far Snyder has raised $34,354 and Foster has raised $29,751, the filings show.

But Fabian said those numbers are already outdated.

Im a PTA mom, Ive been fundraising since my kids were in pre-K, she said. I was elected on the 21st and I believe the campaign finance report went through on the 27th, $600 is definitely not where I am.

Sebastian called Fabian feisty and said the candidate is up for a challenge. Similarly, Colon said the GOP newcomer will be the next state representative in House District 18.

She really believes her community deserves better representation and she sees how she can give them that, Sebastian said. And she knows shes going to have to prove herself and do some hard work to earn that.

The House District 18 seat is being vacated by Rep. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, who is running for a Colorado Senate seat.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Monday announced amnesties for about 800 people, including former first lady Simone Gbagbo to boost to the post-crisis reconstruction in the West African nation following the post-electoral crisis of 2011.

Among the others granted amnesties by Ouattara on Monday were former defense minister Lida Kouassi and former construction minister Assoa Adou, jailed in 2017 for four years.

Ivory Coast descended into civil war in 2011 after Gbagbos refusal to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara in a presidential runoff election. About 3,000 people were killed in the conflict.

Simone Gbagbo had already been tried and convicted in March 2015 of offenses against the state and sentenced to 20 years in prison, a jail term that was upheld on appeal later. Last week Ivory Coasts Supreme Court overturned the acquittal granted to Gbagbo for crimes against humanity.

Around 500 of those named have already been released provisionally from detention, the president said in his address. They will have their criminal records erased, he said. The other 300 will be released soon, he added, without giving any dates.

As a reminder, the trial of the West African countrys first for crimes against humanity, was held in an Ivorian court after the government rejected her extradition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Her husband Laurent Gbagbo, now 72, and his former militia leader Charles Ble Goude, 45, have pleaded not guilty to four charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC.
The man suspected of shooting Colorado Springs police officer Cem Duzel is an Iraqi refugee whos been in the U.S. for six years, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday. Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi was granted refugee status in May 2012 and entered the country six months later.
Motswari was about 8 months old when she smashed into a power line in South Africa, sending her into a violent spiral toward the ground.

She survived, but the injury robbed her from the key trait for vultures to eat and to live. Motswaris cream, black-tipped wing was shattered. She could no longer fly.

But as a member of a long-dwindling population of Cape vultures, an important link in the ecosystem now endangered by human activity, Motswari was still vital. Perhaps even existentially important to whats left of her species.

Motswari was a member of an eight-vulture cadre spirited off to the United States to breed chicks in a race against encroaching doom, said Kerri Wolter, chief executive and founder of VulPro, a South Africa-based conservation group that helped get Motswari and others to the country.

She settled at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, becoming an icon for awareness and fundraising for the often maligned and vastly misunderstood birds, Wolter told The Washington Post.

Monday, the skies over the zoo were choked with large hail.

At least 14 people and a number of animals were injured, and hundreds of cars were damaged. The guests and staff were evacuated. A 4-year-old Muscovy duck named Daisy was killed.

Motswari, too, lay dead. She was 13.

Every dead Cape vulture affects the species, which has declined as much as 94 percent in three generations, Wolters group said last year.

But fewer than 20 are in the U.S., where conservationists focus on breeding in an effort to release more in the wild, Wolter said. Their work demands genetically pure birds  hatched at the glacial pace of one egg per year  to avoid specimens weakened by inbreeding.

Their offspring heading back to Africa need to be tough. Mostwari was as tough as they came, a mother in her breeding prime. Its a massive loss, Wolter said of her death.

Cape vultures crisscross southern Africa in a vast network, stretching from Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and others. One tagged vulture visited eight countries in eight days, soaring high to scan the ground for dead animals to scavenge.

The vultures can eye potential meals from up to nearly 4 miles away, Wolter said.

And they signal each other using movement; one vulture finds a carcass and begins circling, and responding birds in the area form a direct flight path, like the churning arms of a galaxy.

Their colonies, perched on ledges judged from high mountains, can include hundreds of birds. They are communal and friendly. The more the merrier in the colonies, Wolter said.

Yet the popular conception of vultures as filthy, aggressive birds choking down rotten meat have stained the birds image, which can blunt conservation or awareness efforts, Wolter said.

About 4,200 breeding pairs remain, she said, and Africa would benefit from a reversal in their fortunes. If they can get to carcasses first, their iron stomachs help protect them from diseases that ravage people and animals, blunting diseases such as Anthrax, tuberculosis and rabies, Wolter said.

That also helps reduce places where vectors such as blowflies can pick up and transmit bacteria. Losing vultures, then, could prove disastrous for people and livestock, she said.

Wolter arrived at vulture conservancy by accident, she said, but found them captivating. Theyre survivors, overcoming gangrene, broken wings and harsh conditions. They eat poison in carcasses that farmers leave to kill predators, and some are electrocuted on power lines veined across southern Africa.

Once you spend a bit of time with them, and get to understand their intricacies and personalities, a person is never the same, Wolter said.

It is unclear what circumstances led to Motswaris death.
Monday's storms left fresh snow on Pikes Peak and standing water all around town. Jim McCall is reflected in a puddle at the Mesa Road overlook after stopping to take a photo of the fresh snow Tuesday, August 30, 2016. McCall is in the process of moving from Manitou Springs to Oklahoma and wanted to take a photo before leaving town. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette
Traffic still crawls at 9am Monday morning November 18, 203 past a five car crash in the northbound lanes of I-25 just north of South Academy Boulevard. Photo by Mark Reis
TORONTO, Aug. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unigold Inc. (Unigold or the Company) (TSX-V:UGD) is pleased to provide the following update regarding its plans to resume exploration on the Companys 100% owned Neita Fase II Exploration Concession located in the Dominican Republic.



The Ministry of Energy and Mines approved the Companys application to explore the 21,031 hectare concession in May 2018. The Company is currently awaiting approval of the Environmental License for the granted Exploration Concession. This application is currently awaiting final approval by the Minister of the Environment. Approval is expected in the third quarter of 2018. On approval, the Company will resume active exploration of the Candelones Project, and plans to focus on increasing the current mineral resource estimate.

The Company plans to:

evaluate the near surface oxide mineralization at the Candelones Main and Connector Zones; and

complete a follow up Induced Polarization (IP) survey targeting the high grade, gold-copper massive sulphide mineralization discovered at the Candelones Extension deposit in 2016.

Joseph Del Campo, Interim President and CEO of Unigold commented, We are eager to resume exploration on the Neita Concession, especially at the Candelones Project where we believe there is an excellent opportunity to increase both the near surface oxide resource as well as the deep, high grade sulphide resource. Petrographic work on samples collected in 2016 concluded that the massive sulphide mineralization intersected by our 2016 drilling has an epigenetic origin. Recent analysis by our Senior Geophysical Consultant of the IP survey completed in 2011, combined with physical properties testing on drill core, suggest that additional ground IP surveys could assist in identifying the continuation of the massive sulphide mineralization and assist in drill targeting. The oxide mineralization at the Candelones Main and Connector deposits is a compelling exploration target given that metallurgical work in 2007 indicated robust gold recoveries. Review of the historical drilling suggests that the oxide mineralization extends from surface to a depth of 10-15 metres. We believe the oxide resource represents an opportunity for a small, efficient and profitable starter pit that would establish early initial cash flow allowing for the development of the higher grade, sub-surface sulphide resource at the Candelones Extension.

The current mineral resource estimates for the Candelones Project, comprised of the Candelones Main, Candelones Connector and Candelones Extension deposits (Ref. Figure 1.0). are summarized in Table 1.0.

Figure 1.0  Candelones Project Drill Plan over Gradient Induced Polarization Chargeability.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9338381d-153c-4028-ab9d-5a2586e98398





Table 1.0  Summary of Historical Mineral Resource Estimates  Candelones Project

Date Classification Source / Deposit Tonnes Au Au ozs Strip Press Release # Mineralization (x1,000) (g/t) (x1,000) Ratio Type 11/12/2013 (1,3,4,5) INFERRED Open Pit Main 2,448 0.92 72 1.3 UGD-2013-22 OXIDE Connector 1,108 1.12 40 1.3 Extension - 0.00 - 0.0 Subtotal 3,556 0.98 112 1.3 INFERRED Open Pit Main 5,003 1.16 186 1.3 SULPHIDE Connector 980 1.08 34 1.3 Extension 24,223 1.59 1,241 7.6 Subtotal 30,206 1.50 1,461 6.4 INFERRED Underground Main 704 2.21 50 0.0 SULPHIDE Connector 50 2.49 4 0.0 Extension 4,977 2.42 387 0.0 Subtotal 5,731 2.39 441 0.0 INFERRED TOTAL 39,493 1.59 2,014 NA 2/24/2015 (2,3,4,6,7) UGD 2015-2 INFERRED Underground SULPHIDE Extension 5,274 5.27 894 NA

Mineral resources were estimated by Mr. W. Lewis, P.Geo. and Mr. A. San Martin, MAusIMM(CP) of Micon International Ltd. (Micon), a Toronto based consulting company, independent of Unigold. Both Mr. Lewis and Mr. San Martin meet the requirements of a qualified person as established by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014) (the CIM Standards). The 2014 estimate is based on a long term gold price of US$ 1,500 per ounce and economic cut-off grades 0.32 g/t Au (OXIDE), 0.56 g/t (SULPHIDE) and 1.25 g/t (UNDERGROUND SULPHIDE). Open pit resources are reported within an optimized pit shell; underground resources are reported beneath the defined optimized pit shell. Mineral resources were estimated by Mr. W. Lewis, P.Geo. and Mr. A. San Martin, MAusIMM(CP) of Micon International Ltd. (Micon), a Toronto based consulting company, independent of Unigold. Both Mr. Lewis and Mr. San Martin meet the requirements of a qualified person as established by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014) (the CIM Standards). The 2014 estimate is based on a long term gold price of US$ 1,200 per ounce, a long term copper price of US$ 3.00 per pound and an economic cut-off grade of 3.50 g/t Au and assumed exploitation of the Candelones Extension deposit by means of underground mining. The mineral resource estimates are classified as INFERRED. CIM Standards define a Mineral Resource as a concentration of material in or on the Earth's crust in such form and quantity and of such grade or quality that it has reasonable prospects for economic extraction." The CIM Standards further define an INFERRED Mineral Resource as "that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity and grade or quality can be estimated on the basis of geological evidence and limited sampling and reasonable assumed but not verified, geological and grade continuity." The CIM Standards state: "Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to Inferred Mineral Resources, it cannot be assumed that all or part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will be upgraded to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource as a result of continued exploration. Micon has not identified any legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the mineral resource presented. The procedures, methodology and key assumptions supporting this mineral resource estimate are included in the Technical Report titled: "NI-43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for the Candelones Project, Neita Concession, Dominican Republic" with an Effective Date of November 4, 2013. The Technical Report is available on SEDAR as well as the Company's website. The procedures, methodology and key assumptions supporting this mineral resource estimate are included in the Technical Report titled: "NI-43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for the Candelones Extension Deposit, Candelones Project, Neita Concession, Dominican Republic" with an Effective Date of February 24, 2015. The Technical Report is available on SEDAR as well as the Company's website. Contains 41,175,000 lbs copper grading 0.35%.

Oxide Resource Opportunity

Historical drilling and trenching at the Candelones Main deposit intersected oxide mineralization where the Candelones Main deposit outcrops on the Candelones Main hill. Extensive surface trench sampling, largely at the Candelones Main deposit (~4000 samples), averages 3.5 g/t Au.

The exploration data defines a WNW trending corridor for over 500 metres in length and measures approximately 100 metres in width. The interpreted oxide trend is coincident with the topographic high defining the Candelones Main hill (Reference Figure 2.0).

At the Candelones Connector deposit, 200 metres to the southeast, a second oxide trend, measuring 250 metres in length and 100 metres in width, trends NE. The Connector oxide trend is defined largely by diamond drilling and is open along strike in both directions.

Figure 2.0  Candelones Main and Connector Oxide Resource Area

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/930bc2ad-2e21-47f4-8c2b-e2e6283e5620

The 2013 mineral resource estimate (Reference Table 1.0), estimated a total inferred oxide resource of 72,000 ozs of gold at the Candelones Main deposit with an additional 40,000 ozs of gold at the Candelones Connector. The average grade of the inferred oxide resource was estimated to be 1.0 g/t Au. Of particular interest is the fact that the average grade of the trench sample data from the defined oxide resource area is 3.5 g/t Au. As core recovery in the oxide mineralization was typically less than 50%, the Company believes that the grade of the oxide resource, based solely on the diamond drill results, may be understated.

The Company is planning to excavate targeted, vertical test pits centered on historical drill holes that intersected high grade oxide mineralization (Reference Figures 3.0 and 4.0). All four walls of the pits will be continuously channel sampled vertically on 1.0 metre intervals. The samples would be assayed for gold using the Companys established assaying protocol. In addition, bottle roll and cyanide leach analyses will be completed to provide an initial estimate of metallurgical recovery.

Figure 3.0  Candelones Main Oxide Resource Section A-A Looking North

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/be084dda-f368-475b-a91e-050f32aaab57

The assay results will be compared directly to the results returned by the drill hole on which the test pit is centered. The Company believes this will provide an indication as to whether or not the observed core loss in diamond drilling has understated the grade of the oxide resource.

The Company is currently identifying suitable excavators in the Dominican Republic that would be able to complete the planned test pit program.

Assuming that the results of the test pit program confirm there is an opportunity to increase the grade of the oxide resource, then the Company would initiate efforts to mobilize a reverse circulation drill to site and complete a close spaced drill program along the two oxide trends. The objective of that drill program would be to establish the limits of the oxide resource and complete a measured and indicated mineral resource estimate that would support a Pre-feasibility level study.

Figure 4.0  Candelones Connector Oxide Resource Section B-B Looking East

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46954a15-4ab2-4c8f-b16f-a43e8db17016

High Grade Sulphide Opportunity

Exploration drilling during 2016 focused on high grade areas within the defined mineral resource footprint with the dual objectives of defining a mineral resource amenable to underground mining and to increase the confidence level of the inferred resource to measured and indicated classification. This targeted approach identified three areas of higher grade mineralization within the existing mineral resource footprint, all of which remain open and represent an opportunity to increase both the size and quality of the mineral resource estimate.

Table 2.0 presents the significant intercepts of the most recent exploration at the Candelones Extension deposit.





Table 2.0  Significant Drill Intercepts - 2016

Target Hole ID From To Interval (1) Au Cu (#) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (%) "Target A" - Au-Cu rich massive

to semi-massive sulphides-flat lying,

plunging 30 degrees NE, historical

drilling overshot this massive sulphide

system which remains open down

plunge to the east. LP15-93 298.6 314.3 15.7 7.45 1.1 LP15-94 No massive or semi massive sulphides LP15-95 252.6 287.5 34.9 6.19 0.6 309.9 314.0 4.1 7.31 1.1 LP15-96 279.0 313.0 34.0 4.15 0.4 324.0 333.0 9.0 4.81 0.7 LP16-101 409.6 419.4 9.8 3.10 0.6 LP16-102 No massive or semi massive sulphides LP16-114 256.8 278.0 21.2 6.00 0.9 LP16-115 288.3 294.0 5.7 3.80 1.2 LP16-116 214.0 239.0 25.0 1.50 0.0 LP16-117 290.0 295.0 5.0 1.80 0.6 LP16-118 180.0 185.0 5.0 7.80 0.3 and 252.0 257.0 5.0 3.06 0.9 LP16-124 333.3 339.2 5.9 11.80 0.2 LP16-126 No massive or semi massive sulphides LP16-127 No massive or semi massive sulphides "Target B" -Stacked

vertical feeder, upper Zn-Ag-Au-Cu

mineralization; lower Au-Cu massive

to semi-massive sulphides similar to

Target A. LP16-97 249.0 264.0 15.0 1.15 0.0 LP16-98 245.8 250.6 4.8 7.32 0.2 LP16-99 276.6 283.0 6.4 4.23 0.2 LP16-100 291.1 300.6 9.5 2.43 0.2 and 307.5 319.5 12.0 7.46 1.4 LP16-119 224.7 264.5 39.8 1.40 0.1 LP16-120 255.2 274.0 18.8 2.00 0.1 and 363.0 369.7 6.7 3.30 1.9 LP16-121 269.5 302.0 32.5 0.90 0.1 LP16-122 No significant values LP16-123 265.4 280.1 14.7 6.50 0.9 and 371.5 379.5 8.0 9.40 0.9 LP16-128 249.6 274.0 24.4 3.20 0.2 and 333.8 336.5 2.7 5.20 0.7 and 461.0 462.1 1.1 0.60 0.4 "Target C" - Au-Ag-Zn rich

semi-massive sulphides - open to

the west - historical drilling

interpreted to have overshot this

higher grade mineralization. LP16-103 117.0 123.0 6.0 8.86 0.2 LP16-104 134.9 138.2 3.3 5.06 0.2 LP16-105 176.0 184.0 8.0 6.30 0.1 LP16-106 141.0 154.3 13.3 1.08 0.1 LP16-107 168.0 311.0 143.0 1.44 0.1 LP16-108 190.0 197.0 7.0 1.30 0.3 LP16-109 165.0 169.0 4.0 10.10 0.2 LP16-110 155.4 160.0 4.6 3.40 0.1 233.0 245.0 12.0 9.70 0.1 LP16-111 250.0 252.0 2.0 5.00 0.2 LP16-112 No significant values LP16-113 223.1 228.6 5.5 4.10 0.1

(1) - Interval is measured down hole and should not be interpreted as true width.

Jeremy S. Brett, M.Sc., P.Geo. of MPH Consulting Limited (MPH), the Companys Senior Geophysical Consultant, has reviewed the IP data acquired by Insight Geophysics Inc. in 2011. They have advised the Company of the following:

Inversion of the data by MPH indicates that IP accurately depicts the mineral resource envelop at Candelones (Reference Figures 5.0 and 6.0);

The 2011 IP data is not optimally oriented to isolate the massive sulphide mineralization intersected in 2016. The NE orientation of the massive sulphide mineralization places it in the null of the N-S oriented IP gradient lines (Reference Figure 1.0);

The 2011 IP survey included N-S Insight Sections on roughly 400 metre spacings. This line spacing was not adequate to resolve the high grade, sub vertical feeders identified by recent drilling; and

The 2011 survey was designed to evaluate the IP responses to a depth of 300 metres from surface. Deeper looking Insight Section data is required to resolve the Massive Sulfide body.

Figure 5.0 - Candelones Extension IP Survey Inversions with Resource Shell looking NNW

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6cce8aef-dfeb-4381-a758-b95b09270e63

MPH has recommended a follow up IP survey with the following design considerations:

Close spaced IP gradient lines on 100 metre centres;

Lines would be oriented parallel and perpendicular to the massive sulphide mineralization; and

The survey would be designed to evaluate to a maximum depth of 500 metres from surface.

Figure 6.0  Candelones Extension IP Survey Inversions with Resource Shell looking NW

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f664643a-dbd7-4b59-bc22-cdc1c896d453

The Company believes that the new IP survey will highlight the massive sulphide mineralization and provide a signature response that can be used to evaluate targets elsewhere within the Concession boundary in the future. It will also assist in drill targeting to expand the massive sulphide mineralization and, by extension, increase the mineral resources of the Candelones Extension deposit.

MPH has provided a grid layout. On approval of the Environmental License, the Company plans to mobilize local labour to establish the grid in the field. The Company currently estimates that the grid can be established within a month of approval of the Environmental License. The IP survey can commence once the grid has been established.

The Company believes that the IP survey can be completed and drill targets generated within six months of approval of the Environmental License.

QA/QC

Diamond drilling utilizes both HQ and NQ diameter tooling. Holes are established using HQ diameter tooling before reducing to NQ tooling to complete the hole. The core is received at the on-site logging facility where it is photographed, logged for geotechnical and geological data and subjected to other physical tests including magnetic susceptibility and specific gravity analysis. Samples are identified, recorded, split by wet diamond saw, and half the core is sent for assay with the remaining half stored on site. A minimum sample length of 0.3 metres and a maximum sample length of 1.5 metres are employed with most samples averaging 1.0 metres in length except where geological contacts dictate. Certified standards and blanks are randomly inserted into the sample stream and constitute approximately 5-10% of the sample stream. Samples are shipped to a sample preparation facility in the Dominican Republic operated by Bureau Veritas. Assaying is performed at Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd.s laboratory in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. All samples are analyzed for gold using a 50 gram lead collection fire assay fusion with an atomic adsorption finish. In addition, most samples are also assayed using a 36 element multi-acid ICP-ES analysis method.

Wes Hanson P.Geo., Chief Operating Officer and Technical Director of Unigold, who is a qualified person under the definitions established by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release.

About Unigold Inc.  Discovering Gold in the Caribbean

Unigold is a Canadian based mineral exploration company traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol UGD, focused primarily on exploring and developing its gold assets in the Dominican Republic.

For further information please visit www.unigoldinc.com or contact:

Mr. Joseph Del Campo, Interim President & CEO jdelcampo@unigoldinc.com

416.866.8157

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this document, including statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect our future operating results, financial position and cash flows, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are based on our assumptions and estimates and are subject to risk and uncertainties. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words like strategy, expects, plans, believes, will, estimates, intends, projects, goals, targets, and other words of similar meaning. You can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. We wish to caution you that such statements contained are just predictions or opinions and that actual events or results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Where applicable, we claim the protection of the safe harbour for forward-looking statements provided by the (United States) Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Finning International Inc. (TSX:FTT) today announced that Juan Carlos Villegas, President of Finning Canada and Chief Operating Officer of Finning International, will retire on December 31, 2018 following a distinguished career with the company. Kevin Parkes, currently Managing Director of Finning UK and Ireland, will assume the role of President of Finning Canada. Assuming the role of Managing Director of Finning UK and Ireland will be David Primrose, currently Finning Canadas Executive Vice President of Core Industries. Kevin and David will assume their positions on January 1, 2019 and will report to Finning Internationals President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott Thomson.



Juan Carlos Villegas was appointed President of Finning Canada in 2013. Prior to that appointment, over the course of his 20-year career at Finning, Mr. Villegas served as Chief Operating Officer of Finning International, President of Finning South America, Vice President of Power Systems for Canada, Vice President of Mining for South America and Vice President of Operations for Chile.

Juan Carlos has been an integral part of Finnings executive team and has created an extraordinary legacy for us in the work he did to rejuvenate the Canadian operations and grow our South American business, said Mr. Thomson. His passion and commitment to our customers, employees and partner Caterpillar was evident in his ability to execute his compelling vision. We are very grateful to Juan Carlos and wish him the very best.

Kevin Parkes joined Finning in the UK in 1996 and has held a variety of progressively senior positions in the equipment solutions division. From 2010 to 2015, Mr. Parkes was CEO of Hewden, a leading UK equipment rental company, following Finnings divestiture of that business. Mr. Parkes returned to Finning in 2015 to take on the role of director, equipment solutions and was appointed Managing Director of UK and Ireland in February 2016.

We are excited to welcome Kevin to his new role as President of Canadian operations, as his blend of Finning and external experience, strong customer focus, and successful track record in restructuring our UK and Ireland operations have made him well suited to build on the momentum we have in our Canadian business, said Mr. Thomson.

David Primrose has 30 years of experience with the company. He started in Finning Canada and held several management roles of increasing responsibility before he took on the role of divisional director, power systems for Finning UK. Mr. Primrose then returned to Finning Canada as vice-president, human resources. In 2008 he moved to Finning International as senior vice-president, human resources. In 2009 he was appointed executive vice-president, mining for Finning Canada and in 2014 he moved into the role of executive vice-president, core industries.

David will seamlessly take the helm in the UK and Ireland given his prior experience in region, solid leadership skills, great relationship with Caterpillar and deep understanding of our digital vision for our European business, said Mr. Thomson.

Mr. Thomson concluded, With these senior leaders assuming their new roles, we are assured our executive will continue to lead the company to deliver exceptional service and results for our customers and partners.

About Finning

Finning International Inc. (TSX:FTT) is the worlds largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers for 85 years. Finning sells, rents and provides parts and service for equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the Company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Forward Looking Information

This release includes forward-looking information (as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation) that is based on expectations, estimates and projections that management believes are reasonable as of the date of this release, but may ultimately turn out to be incorrect.

Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, project, plan, forecast, opportunity, target, potential and similar words have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. Information in this release is only considered accurate at the time of issuance but may later be superseded by more current information. Except as required by law, Finning does not undertake any obligation to update the information, whether as a result of new facts becoming known, future events occurring or otherwise.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Finning to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information in this presentation. Important information identifying and describing such risks, uncertainties and other factors is contained in Finnings most recently filed annual information form (under the headings Forward-Looking Information and Key Business Risks) and in the managements discussion and analysis of financial results (MD&A) portions of Finnings most recent annual and quarterly financial reports (under the headings Risk Factors and Management and Forward-Looking Disclaimer). These documents may be accessed on the Finning website at www.finning.com (in the financial reports section on the Investors page) or the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Contact Information

Investor Relations Inquiries:

Mauk Breukels

VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Affairs

(604) 331-4934

mauk.breukels@finning.com

www.finning.com

Media & Government Relations Inquiries:

Elisha McCallum

Director, Global Communications

(604) 331-4992

elisha.mccallum@finning.com

www.finning.com



Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0e438722-3986-4ee0-85a2-91d27670b530



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/15c57697-bfec-49a1-9638-8f28a61fdd18

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a1630a6-793a-4c3e-a961-7a242775c4d5
JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wanting to raise awareness about the unhealthy and unsanitary conditions in her home country, now 26-year-old Aminetou Bilal launched the Selfie Mbalite campaign in February 2017. She was inspired by the Selfie Dechets campaign run by blogger Fatoumata Cherif in Conakry, Guinea.



Bilal is the president of Selfie Mbalite, an NGO that focuses on awareness campaigns against unsanitary conditions and promotes ecological development in Mauritania. She is also part of the first class of 200 Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme.

Born and raised in Mauritania, Bilal completed her Bachelor's degree in Geosciences and is currently busy with her Master's degree in Territorial management of the effects of climate change and environmental risks at Sup Management University in Nouakchott.

Bilal decided she wanted to make herself useful after completing her studies and integrated into the NOG Rim Youth Climate Movement fighting climate change. Even though she is no longer a member, she is grateful for her learnings.

When I launched Selfie Mbalite, I did not expect such quick reactions. Everyone was taking selfies near waste on the national territory and posted them on Facebook with the Hashtag #SelfieMbalite, says Bilal. Thanks to this initiative, authorities in Mauritania have reduced the contracts of companies that manage waste and have started to review their strategies.

Bilal also went to be an AU-EU Youth Ambassador. Being part of the AU-EU Youth Plug-In initiative is one of the most beautiful things that happened to me and is the result of my civic commitment, says Bilal. This lead to her being chosen by the African Union Commission to represent and deliver the speech on behalf of the African Youth at the Women in Power Conference on the sidelines of the 31st African Union Summit.

On being chosen to be part of the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme, Bilal said that it was more than a pride and honour. She added that President Obama is an inspiration to the whole world.

Bilal sees herself as a business leader in the environmental sector in the future. Shes made a promise after her pare in the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme to pass on her knowledge and skills to the young people of her country through a mentorship program that she will launch shortly.
In each webinar, we teach game-changing techniques and strategies for solving some of the most high-value GMAT quant questions. In addition, we will provide you with the opportunity to ask questions regarding how to best prepare for the GMAT.
daagh wrote:

I wouldnt think B is wrong.

Lets go case by case

(A) the surface temperature in Alaska, Siberia, and northwestern Canada has increased in the previous thirty years by about five degrees ---  in the previous means that the thirty years do not include the present. Then we cannot justify the use of present perfect has increased  wrong



(B) the surface temperature in Alaska, Siberia, and northwestern Canada has increased over the last thirty years by about five degrees --- over the last thirty years means last thirty years including the present. So the use of present perfect has increased  is justified.--- Correct



(C) there was an increase in the last thirty years by about five degrees in Alaska, Siberia, and northwestern Canada --- we cant use past tense, when we say last thirty years. Wrong



(D) it had increased in Alaska, Siberia, and northwestern Canada by about five degrees over the previous thirty years ---- had increased denotes it happened before some other past event; There is no such simple past event to justify past perfect  wrong



(E) it has increased in Alaska, Siberia, and northwestern Canada over the previous thirty years by about five degrees --- cant use present perfect has increased when we say previous



Take away: use past tense when previous is used, because previous is a closed chapter of a past event. Use present perfect when last is use, because last is a roll-over that includes the present.

I would like to point out some ambiguity in the explanation of A.It is totally fine, if you simply say "X has increased ... in the previous 30 years.". And no one would take it as excluding present.The actual problem exists because of "over the last century" in the first clause. When you use "previous" in the second clause, it becomes unclear which period you are referring to.(1) the last thirty years. (same to the meaning of this sentence)(2) the thirty years prior to the last century, which is 130 years ago to 100 years ago. (most likely people will take this meaning)"While..., ..." expresses a comparison. It will not make whole much of sense if you take the (2).
Oh? You want to know how I feel? LOOK AT MY PROFILE PICTURE!!

Content and presentation matter more than pleasantness in an interview. |

Iradein hain fauladi - Himmat e har kadam*

*Yes, I know it's Dhoom 3. Yes, I know it's cheesy to use the line here.

- With an iron resolve, take each step with courage.
rajathpanta wrote:

Historical data for all the elections held in Gangnam City shows that all winning candidates have canvassed for at least 100 hours. In fact candidates who have canvassed for fewer than 100 hours have never ever won. Out of all the candidates contesting in the upcoming elections in Gangnam City, Candidate A has canvassed for 120 hours, Candidate B has canvassed for 150 hours, and Candidate C has canvassed for 90 hours.



If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by them?

(A) Candidate B will most likely win the election

(B) Candidate C will most likely lose the election

(C) The winner of the election will either be Candidate A or Candidate B

(D) The results of an election cannot be solely dependent on how many hours a candidate canvasses for.

(E) If no other Candidate has canvassed for more than 150 hours, then Candidate B will win the election.

I took C and my reasoning for it was that the stem seems to suggest very strongly that someone who does not canvass for 100 hours will win (notice how it speaks in absolutes, such as "ALL winning candidates have canvassed for at least 100 hours"; "...canvassed for fewer than 100 hours have NEVER EVER won". Therefore, in my opinion, the author is very strongly implying that unless you canvass for 100 hours, you won't win and out of all of the candidates, only A and B have canvassed for 100+ hours, therefore ONLY they have a shot at winning. The fact that there are other candidates involved is irrelevant because they are the only ones who have canvassed for 100 hours, so they are the only ones that will win. B doesn't take a strong enough stand based on the author's language, so IMO, it loses to C. The fact that the stem makes us assume the statements as true (i.e. that unless you have 100 hours, you WILL lose), there is simply no chance in hell that candidate C will lose, so "most likely" doesn't cut it. If B said, "Candidate C will lose" then it would be correct.
rohan2345 wrote:

My Sally Excelsior, the largest stakeholder in the Excelsior Clothing Company has recently criticized firms' management that the company is mismanaged . He quoted firm's failure to cut down costs and look for setting up a manufacturing plant in China. However, the investor community feels that the criticism is not justified . Excelsior always stood for strict supervision of garment production and management believes that quality would suffer with offshore production.



In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?



A. The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second provides evidence to undermine the support for the position being opposed.



B. The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second is evidence that has been used to support the position being opposed.



C. The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second states the conclusion of the argument as a whole.



D. The first is evidence that has been used to support a position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second provides information to undermine the force of that evidence.



E. The first is evidence that has been used to support a position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second states the conclusion of the argument as a whole.

"Are you gangsters?" - "No we are Russians!" Signature Read More

The first bolded part is a position, not the evidence. Second is a conclusion of the argument. Hence, D and E are out. A and B are out because second part is not the evidence, it is conclusion. Hence C is correct._________________
iamravi wrote:

Hi,



Thanks for the effort you guys have put in here to help people out with the ever complicated MBA admissions parameters.

My profile is thus:

27 yr male Indian

Have a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering with CGPA of 6.9/10

5 yrs WE  split across 3 companies



Built and ran a Startup focused on Event Management while doing Undergraduate studies in college. Had to shut it down shortly after graduation due to lack of interest from the partners and failure to see a long term scalability without offsetting the risks.



The last 2 companies where I have worked/working are:

Snapdeal -E-Commerce startup in India, direct competitor of Amazon in the country.

I was a Key Account Manager(seller management and growth),handling two South Indian States. Won many accolades for performance along the way.



OYO -largest hotel chain in India, operates in upto 5 countries, not so dissimilar to how UBER operates; direct competitor of AirBnB in the country.

Joined in an IC role to launch one of the Southern states of India from scratch. Moved up to City head within a year and is currently handling a team size > 10, overseeing business growth and also PnL. The company is on its way to being a Unicorn from India (within this year).



Extra currilcuars:

Coordinator for 3 separate TEDx Events in the State  One of them was the first ever to happen in the State

Core member of an NGO (while in college  2.5 yrs) contributing to girl child education

Was in various coordination committees (academic and otherwise) right from school through college.

GMAT score of 650 (Q47,V33,IR6,AWA5.5).

The idea behind doing an MBA is to rotate my verticals to Operations Management (maybe even SCM) and to get placed internationally to gain enough experience of the markets to maybe start something of my own in the future.



The desire is to get into one of the top MBA colleges in Canada, seeing that US is out of the equation with the low GMAT (or is it?). Im a bit deflated with the GMAT being this low, but it is too late to write again to see a significant change in the result and still make it for R1s for 19.

Colleges on the wishlist:

Rotman

HEC Montreal

CEIBS

HKUST

NUS, Nanyang



Kindly evaluate my profile for the same. TIA.

Nisha Trivedi

mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant

35 positive reviews on GMATClub, 2020 Top 20 of admissions consultants across the industry per P&Q: https://poetsandquants.com/2020/08/26/best-mba-admission-consultants-of-2020/



Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/

Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Signature Read More

Hi there - thanks for writing! Looks like you have some great work experience and good extracurriculars.Regarding GMAT - I do think it would significantly improve your chances if you got to 700+. Given how very competitive things are for Indian applicants at all well-known programs, it's worth another try, even if that means applying in R2 instead. Hope that helps!_________________
The Ancient Egyptian and Cretan Brotherhood

The connections and relations between the Ancient Egyptians and Cretans have been well documented by the historians of yesteryear. I would like to add that I believe the Egyptians were also racially and politically connected to the Cretans through the Thebans.

As I have written before, Crete was called Keftiu and Peoples of the Sea in the Ancient Egyptian texts who were often represented by the Egyptians of the XVIIIth Dynasty. The Greeks in the Old Testament called Crete by the name  Kaftor, or Caphtor. The Latins called it Cappadocia and the Arabs called the island Kerith. This same island has also been known by various names over the course of history like Arcadia, Candia, Minoa, Phoenicia, and Phrygia etc.

Today, in the tomb of Rekhmire at Thebes, we can find proof of these Cretan (Keftiu) connections that are preserved even to this day and most great researchers concur that Keftiu to be synonymous with Crete.

Evidence of their relations can be found in the famous tomb of the Egyptian Vizier Rekhmire at Thebes where we find the Cretans wearing different color kilts bringing tribute to their Egyptian masters. Here is Detail of Keftiu (Cretans) from TT100, Tomb of Rekhmire. (Original photo via Osirisnet)

And here is another image of the Keftiu from TT100, Tomb of Rekhmire. (Original photo via Osirisnet)

Throughout the tomb of Rekhmire, there are various paintings of fine dark red-skinned Cretan men with both dark brown and blonde hair wearing their symbolic kilts of different colors signifying their various ranks. Some of the men also all wear the upturned sandals with straps, indicative of the Israelites along with colorful leggings.

You will also find some of their heads shaven and others with a full head of hair with a carefully designed curl flowing down to their waists which also help signify their rank. The High Priests wore their hair long and the lower ranks of scribes, musicians, masons, and artificers wore their hair short.

Today we see a similar tradition in Christianity with the Orthodox Priests of the East wearing their hair long and the Roman Catholic of the West wear their hair short.

In these images, we see the Cretans bringing the various products of their fine crafts mainly vessels of gold and silver, jugs, drinking cups, amphorae, and rhytons. They also provide the products they have obtained by trade such as ingots and rings of silver, daggers, chains and pieces of lapis lazuli.

The Tribute is piled up at the feet of the scribes who would make records for the Pharaoh and royal court.

In the text titles the Instructions to the Vizier, we discover that the Egyptian royal court at Thebes had relations with the Island of Crete (Keiftu) whom they also governed and taxed.

The text notes that the Prince of Punt is coming with his tribute bringing it to the Pharaoh. Coming after the Tribute of Punt we find the Princes of Crete and the islands of the Mediterranean.

The chiefs from Crete are bent and bowing before the might of his majesty.

The accompanying text reads, Coming in peace by the Great of Crete, islands that are in the middle of the sea, bending, bowing of the head, because of the power of His Majesty, the King of Lower Egypt, Menkheperre, given life forever, on learning of his strength in all foreign countries, their tribute being on their backs, in order that they may be given the breath of life, desiring to be faithful (literally: to be upon the water) to His Majesty, to ensure that his power protects them. It is the confidant of the King, Mayor of the City, Vizier Rekhmire, who receives all the tribute of all foreign countries, which are brought due to the power of His Majesty.

His image is completely erased. Facing left, he witnessed the tribute ceremony. The accompanying text states;

Receiving the attendants of the Southern regions along those of Punt, the Retenu (Syria-Palestine) attendants, the Cretan attendants, along with the loot from all foreign countries foreign, which has been sent through power of His Majesty, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt (Menkheperre) | living forever, by the Prince, Governor, Great among Greats, Dignitary among Friends, Director of the chief Works, efficient confidant of the sovereign, the one causing he who is in the Palace to praise him and to place him at the head of (his) friends, and as top chief of the entire country, (because) he recognized (him) as one who achieved useful things. The example is for him; his venerable status is before him, the Mayor of the City, the Vizier Rekhmire.

Rekhmire is followed by six officials (called friends or companions) each carrying in his left hand a plant branch. Above them is the text:

Friends of the Palace  life, health, strength  coming before the Vizier, reciting prayers. They recite a joyous chant:

The sovereign, the one whose monuments are perfect.

Menkheperre Every office is upheld, regions and cities are established, laws and regulations are enduring for their effects.

The children of Dignitaries are in the office of their fathers May he continue (literally again) to do the same for millions of years. He is durable and stable on the throne of Horus. May he come to repeat the Sed-festival.

May he guide the living for eternity.

This text shows that they clear the way for the Vizier who leaves the throne room after the Kings speech. Behind them appears to be a person holding a stick who must have been a guard which has almost completely disappeared.
Clergyman Arrested for Attempted Murder Addresses President

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

Clergyman Giorgi Mamaladze, who was sent to prison for nine years for attempted murder of the patriarchs female secretary, says that he will write a letter to President Giorgi Margvelashvili, where he will speak about the circumstances that victimized him.Mamaladze, who believes that the patriarchs secretary Shorena Tetruashvili and archbishop Jacob plotted his arrest, told the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster that the president has all levers to study his case in details.The president can unveil the secrets of the case if he decides to do so and if he manages to cope with the huge pressure, Mamaladze said.The arrested clergyman said that the recent resignation of the Supreme Court chairperson Nino Gvenetadze was related to his case, which is also known as the cyanide case.Gvenetadze failed to resist the stress on the case, Mamaladze said.Mamaladze also said that if he kept silence on certain issues, he would be released from prison.Archbishop Jacob responded, saying that Mamaladze is a liar and many in the church believe that he tried to murder Tetruashvili for revenge, as the latter created obstacles for the clergyman to get promoted in his career.Those who support him [Mamaladze] may also get in trouble, Jacob said.In early February this year, Georgias Chief Prosecutors Office announced that they had detained archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze, the deputy head of the Patriarchates Property Management Service and director general of the Patriarchates medical center, at Tbilisi International Airport, from where he intended to depart for Germany on February 10.At that time the Patriarch was in Germany, where he was operated on for bladder-related complications.Then Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze said that Mamaladze had attempted to acquire cyanide, and the man from whom he tried to receive the substance (journalist Irakli Mamaladze, the detained archpriests close friend and relative) informed the police that the archpriest intended to kill a high ranking spiritual figure.The Office did not say that the person whose murder was allegedly planned was necessarily the Patriarch. However, the Offices silence for several days and unconfirmed information generated speculation that the target was Patriarch Ilia.Suspicion grew when then Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated that the country had avoided a huge tragedy.Only after several days did the Office stated that the alleged target was the Patriarchs female secretary Shorena Tetruashvili, and also released video footage in which Mamaladze spoke about Tetruashvili in a negative context.He is also heard to say that Tetruashvili is an influential figure in the patriarchate who represents an obstacle for his career.Mamaladzes lawyers and family claim the man is innocent and the footage was fabricated.Some members of the church claim that Mamaladze knew about various financial and property-related violations within the church, which is why he was trapped by some people involved in illegalities.They named Patriarchs secretary Tetruashvili as a key wrongdoer and Archbishop Jacob.
Tips for Building Stubborn Calves

Written by Team MD

27 March 2019

Tips for Building Stubborn Calves

Want Big Calves? Train for Muscle Growth

The calves are a troublesome body part for most bodybuilders, some of whom look like light bulbs with huge upper bodies, and notably smaller calves. This calf-building primer is a collection of science-based principles for muscle growth that can be applied to build those stubborn calves. Here are five training tips, backed by research, to grow great calves.

Train Calves First

When you see a bodybuilder who is lacking calves, they always seem to train them after a major muscle group such as chest or back. Researchers in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported that exercise order has a definite impact on muscle growth.

Participants were randomly assigned into two groups. One group began performing large muscle group exercises and progressed to small muscle group exercises (LG-SM), whereas another group started with small muscle group exercises and advanced to large muscle group exercises (SM-LG). The exercise order for LG-SM was bench press, machine lat pull-down, triceps extension and biceps curl. The order for the SM-LG was biceps curl, triceps extension, lat pull-down and bench press. At the end of 12 weeks, both training groups demonstrated greater strength improvements than the control group, but only bench press strength increased in the LG-SM group, compared to the SM-LG. Triceps muscle volume increased in the SM-LG group.

Based on this study, the muscle group you train first is going to get the most gain in strength and muscle mass, compared to the muscle group you train last. So if you want bigger calves, train them first.

Spineti J, de Salles BF, et al. Influence of exercise order on maximum strength and muscle volume in nonlinear periodized resistance training. J Strength Cond Res, Nov;24(11):2962-9.

Use A Full Range of Motion

Guys in the gym love to load up the calf machine and do quarter-reps and half-reps. Arnold used to train barefoot so he could get a full range of motion for better calves. So how important is range of motion for maximum muscle growth?

Researchers from Italy examined the effect of range of motion at different loads on electromyographic (EMG) activity during the military press. Six experienced lifters performed three sets of 10 reps, each one with a different range of motion (ROM): the first set had a final elbow angle of 90 degrees (R1); the second set had an angle of 135 degrees (R2); and the last set had a final elbow angle of 180 degrees (R3). The 90-degree angle was a partial rep, the 135-degree angle was an incomplete or almost locked-out position, and the 180-degree angle was a full range of motion from the bottom all the way until the arms were locked out.

Not surprisingly, the execution of a complete ROM elicited the greatest deltoid EMG activity, together with the trapezius, showing their synergic activation. During the partial-elbow ROM, there was a decrease of deltoid EMG activity, together with a parallel decrease of the trapezius activity which suggests you not perform the military press with partial-elbow ROM. The intermediate ROM (R2), where the elbow did not completely lock out, did not reduce EMG activity of the deltoid, but significantly reduced electrical activity of the upper traps.

Based on this study, using partial or intermediate reps is not going to fully activate the deltoids and trapezius muscle like doing a full range of motion. The same can be said about calf raises if you are not using a full range of motion, you are not fully activating the muscle.

The days of having a guy sit on the calf machine and doing stinky reps are over. Lighten the weight and use a full range of motion. You may want to consider taking off your shoes to get a better range of motion.

Paoli A, Marcolin G and Petrone N. Influence of different ranges of motion on selective recruitment of shoulder muscles in the sitting military press: an electromyographic study. J Strength Cond Res Jun;24(6):1578-83.

High Reps Increase Protein Signaling in Muscle

Tom Platz used to recommend regular sets of 100 reps to stimulate muscle growth. If you are going to perform 100 rep sets, you are going to have to reduce the amount of weight you are using severely. No more throwing a bunch of 45s on the top of the calf raise machine with the pin at the bottom of the rack. Based on research, you are going to get better increases in muscle growth with lighter weight.

Researchers reported that when subjects trained at 30 percent of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and 90 percent of 1RM, both training protocols stimulated muscle protein synthesis but shockingly, training with the lighter weight and more reps and volume led to greater increases in protein synthesis than training heavier. Specifically, the 30 percent of 1RM to failure protocol induced similar increases in muscle protein synthesis as the 90 percent of 1RM to failure protocol at four hours post-exercise but this response was only sustained at 24 hours in the 30 percent of 1RM group. This means that high volume produced sustained increases in protein synthesis above and beyond the high-intensity protocol.In the past, most researchers speculated that muscle protein synthesis was entirely weight or load dependent.

Another interesting finding was that genes for muscle hypertrophy (i.e., the expression of MyoD mRNA, which is associated with satellite cell activation) tended to be greater than the value at rest at 24 hours post-exercise in the 30 percent of 1RM protocol.

In conclusion, the researchers demonstrated that low-load, high-volume resistance exercise has a potent stimulatory effect on anabolic-signaling molecules, MyoD and myogenin mRNA expression, and muscle protein synthesis.

Burd NA, West DW, et al. Low-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young men. PLoS One, 9;5(8):e12033.

High Volume for Muscle Growth

Many bodybuilders will perform 30-plus sets for chest, yet perform about five sets of calves and call it a day. You need to crank of the volume of exercise in order to get those diamond calves to stick out.

In an article published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers suggested that a greater volume of resistance exercise turns on signaling proteins for increased protein synthesis. Resistance exercise causes the acute increase in several mediators of protein synthesis, in particular mTOR, p70S6 kinase (p70S6k) and the ribosomal protein S6, which are thought to regulate muscle protein synthesis. Moreover, previous research reported that increased p70S6k following an initial bout of resistance training is closely correlated with the increase in human skeletal muscle mass after a few months of continuous training.

Researchers from Greece performed muscle biopsies on subjects before exercise, on an empty stomach. After the biopsies, subjects were broken into three groups to perform one set of 6RM, three sets of 6RM, or five sets of 6RM. Immediately after exercise, the subjects had another muscle biopsy taken to examine the changes from pre- to post-exercise. At the end of the study, two key regulators of protein synthesis, p70S6 kinase (p70S6k) and the ribosomal protein S6, were increased acutely after exercise to an extent that depended on exercise volume. The group that performed five sets of exercise had greater increases in molecular responses of protein related to muscle hypertrophy.

This was a rare study that acutely looked at the molecular events associated with performing more sets. Furthermore, it seems that molecular proteins enhancing muscle hypertrophy are responsive to the number of contractions performed, which may lead to enhanced muscle mass following high-volume exercise. Based on this study, to get those calves growing, you need to perform just as many sets as any other muscle group such as chest or back.

Terzis G, Spengos K, et al. The degree of p70S6k and S6 phosphorylation in human skeletal muscle in response to resistance exercise depends on the training volume. Eur J Appl Physiol, published online.

Donkey Calf Raises Are King

Arnold was a big advocate of donkey calf raises for increasing muscle growth of the calves. Perhaps youve seen the classic black-and-white photo of Dave Draper on Arnolds back, while Arnold is doing donkey calf raises. The donkey calf raise machine, which you can rarely find in gyms these days, is one of the best machines for blasting calves. In a study of electrical activation of the calf muscle in response to different exercise, the donkey calf raise turned out to be the king of exercises for working the calves.

EMG Activity of Different Calf Machines

Donkey Calf Raises  80%

Standing One-leg Calf Raises  79%

Standing Two-leg Calf Raises  68%

Seated Calf Raises  61%

Bompa T. Periodization - 4th Edition: Theory and Methodology of Training. Copyright 1999.

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" " Regan Walsh , Used Under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 License MK-Ultra was a top-secret CIA project in which the agency conducted hundreds of experiments  sometimes on unwitting U.S. citizens  to assess the potential of LSD for mind control.

Most of the conspiracy theories covered on the podcast Stuff They Don't Want You To Know are just speculation  they're not necessarily proven. And that means there are likely still conspiracies out there waiting to be proven as partially  or even completely accurate. Guess that makes them no longer conspiracy theory, but conspiracy "fact."

In a recent episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, hosts Ben Bowlin, Noel Brown and Matt Frederick talk about some of those conspiracy "facts." This particular episode kicks off the first in what will become an ongoing series that highlights conspiracy theories that were real. Hold on to your tinfoil hats as the guys shed light on some of the shocking details behind several real government schemes in this episode, Conspiracies That Turned Out To Be True.

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Even casual listeners may already know about the U.S. government using LSD on unsuspecting citizens to discover effective brainwashing techniques in the infamous Project MK-Ultra program. And during the 1940s and '50s, global conflict and tensions led the U.S. to start spying on high-profile leftists like Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lennon, thanks to techniques developed for the wartime Echelon or Five Eyes project. But it's become increasingly clear in the last couple decades that the buying habits, internet usage and daily routines of average citizens also hold a powerful interest for the powers-that-be, so if you always feel like somebody's watching you, it's because they probably are.

MK-Ultra wasn't the only time the U.S. government used citizens to experiment on them without their informed consent: Turns out the government had injected patients (some terminally ill, some perfectly healthy) with plutonium for 30 years to see how human bodies reacted to radiation poisoning, all in an effort to plan for a potential nuclear fallout.

One such case, Albert Stevens (designated patient CAL-1) had an ulcer that was misdiagnosed as stomach cancer. A doctor, who was part of the experiments, injected Stevens with the largest dose of plutonium ever given to a human being. Stevens later underwent operations where parts of his organs were removed for study. Neither he nor his family knew anything about the plutonium, believing the "experimental treatment" provided by his doctors was working.

Even the dead couldn't find peace from these experiments: For a grisly trial called Project Sunshine, U.S. scientists raided morgues to steal arms and legs of dead babies to test the effects of the isotope strontium-90 on young human flesh. Project Sunshine was a joint project commissioned by the United States Atomic Energy Commission and Rand Corporation.

You'd think dead babies would be where we draw the line, but young people aren't safe from government coverups either. When the popular British DJ, Jimmy Savile, died in 2016, he was remembered as a beloved children's entertainer who had served on several children's hospital boards and done various philanthropic work. He was greatly mourned  until news broke that he was a sexual predator. He has as many as 300 underage victims during his career, one as young as 8 years old. Savile's employer, the BBC, had covered up his crimes to protect its own reputation.

Of course, many conspiracy theories are just that  conspiracy theories. But as Ben, Matt and Noel have shown us, some actually do turn out to be true. How many other tinfoil-hat conspiracies could be there waiting to be proven? And can the government really use weather as a weapon, and if so, who will harness that power first? You'll have to tune in to this episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know to find out.
It is no secret that the politics in California are a joke. For decades, Californias politics have haunted the agricultural community, but over the past few years we have been able to watch its policies go up in a literal cloud of smoke.

Most recently, California has made headlines for its spectacular forest fires. These fires have devastated hundreds of thousands of acres per year, destroying land, animals, homes, and human lives. These fires burn so hot and so furious that a state of emergency is normally implemented once a year in order to somewhat contain the hellacious devastation caused by the fire.

Normally people saw these fires as bad luck and poor fortune, but recently the population has become wise to the facts. These fires could have been prevented. The agricultural community has begged the state to prevent such devastation, but the California leaders have turned a deaf ear.

Today, we sit in an ashtray. The smell of smoke is unescapable, the headaches from smoke inhalation unavoidable. We are currently living in one of the most unhealthy air conditions in our history due to mismanaged, misguided, and misinformed leaders.

For decades we have watched the forests and cropland shrivel up due to lack of water, yet we have witnessed the rapid current of water leading out to the ocean and the big cities. We have had the opportunity to watch as the dead trees lay rotting when eager loggers could have removed those. We have had the misfortune of watching California create this bed of fire while actively ignoring the agricultural community who was begging to help change this inevitable outcome.

This past week an article was released by Fresnos ABC 30 News Station which stated that, Breathing the air in Fresno . . . was like smoking 8.4 cigarettes. And in Oakhurst, a community closer to the fire, it was predicted to have an air quality equivalent to smoking 24 cigarettes. In my hometown of Tulare, 100 miles south of Oakhurst, we held a 7.2 cigarette air quality equivalent. The article goes on to mention that if anyone plans to work outside, it should be done with a smoke-rated respirator.

I have two young boys and a newborn girl breathing this air. I have elderly family members who already have a hard time breathing on a good day. I personally am not a fan of the eye irritation and chest pains. We do not know if there are any long-term health effects due to the long-term smoke inhalation. Only time will tell.

My prayer is that these fires will open the eyes of our policymakers. California is literally burning around them. Lord, help them see that.

Tyler Ribeiro is a fourth-generation dairy farmer born and raised in California. He is currently partners with his father at Rib-Arrow Dairy in Tulare where they proudly ship their milk to Land OLakes. Tyler is actively involved in the dairy industry, holding leadership roles in various organizations locally and across the United States.

Join us on August 13, 2018, for our webinar "What's different about Jerseys . . . and what's not" presented by Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois

Sponsored by Custom Dairy Performance / KTG North America

Hutjens will discuss guidelines and opportunities for Jersey herds based on the results of a thorough study of the top cheese yielding Jersey herds in the country. The impact of herd size, milk yield, use of BST, and mixed breed versus Jersey-only farms will be evaluated.

Register here for all webinars.
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In a piece about the massacre, Shafiee wrote: The 1988 massacre in Iran deserves an independent international investigation. It has been kept in the dark for too long. Bottom of Form

What was the 1988 Massacre?

It was the mass murder of 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), on the orders of then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini. He wanted to see the MEK, which was the main opposition, exterminated, so he issued a fatwa ordering that every MEK member or supporter in prison be put on trial again for the support of the MEK, but this time they were facing the death penalty.

Some people, including teenagers and the elderly, had been placed in the overcrowded prisons for crimes like reading the MEKs newspaper or attending a rally and now they were going to be executed for it.

The trial lacked any kind of fairness, even by Irans standards, and inmates were blindfolded and brought before a Death Commission to answer one simple question: do you still support the MEK? If they answered yes, then they went straight to the gallows.

If they answered no, then they were asked if they would publically denounce the MEK, help to kill MEK members, and work to remove landmines on Irans border with Iraq. If they answered no to any of these, then they were also sent to the gallows.

We know all of this from those who miraculously survived the massacre, mostly by being sent to the infirmary before their trial, who still suffer from survivors guilt.

Who was on the Death Commissions?

Many of the people that currently hold high-ranking positions in Iranian society served on the Death Commissions in various cities across Iran, including:

 Ebrahim Raisi  a close friend of current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, custodian of the wealthiest foundation in Iran, 2017 Presidential Candidate

 Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi  Justice Minister in Hassan Rouhanis first cabinet

 Seyyed Alireza Avayi  Current Justice Minister

During the height of the massacre, Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri called on the Tehran Death Commission to stop the killings and warned them that they were responsible for the single greatest crime in the history of Iran. He was sacked and put under house arrest for the rest of his life for his objections.

He said: The greatest crime committed during the reign of the Islamic Republic, for which history will condemn us, has been committed by you. Your names will in the future be etched in the annals of history as criminals.

These criticisms can be heard via an audio tape that was released by his son in August 2016, but still no one in the government has been held to account. Instead, those who tried to reveal the crimes had been punished and Montazeris son was sent to jail.

What happened after the massacre?

The Regime covered up their crimes, to avoid international outrage and domestic revolt, by burying the dead in mass graves, destroying records, and denying the families of the dead visitation for months afterwards. Recently, theyve even been caught destroying the grave sites in an attempt to hide evidence amid mounting calls for an investigation into the massacre and for those responsible to be put on trial at the International Criminal Court.
On Saturday 4th August, it was announced that shipments through the strait would resume. In a statement, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said: The decision to resume oil shipment through the strait of Bab al-Mandeb was made after the leadership of the coalition has taken necessary measures to protect the coalition states ships.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iranian regime have been mounting for years. Saudi Arabia is particularly concerned about Irans involvement in the Yemeni civil war.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition that is intervening in the war to restore the internationally recognized government of exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It is very critical of Irans role of supplying the Houthi rebels with missiles.

Earlier this week, statements from Iran show that the country is worried about the ramifications of the attacks on the Saudi oil ships.

General Naser Shabani, a high-up member of Iranian Regimes Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), had confirmed that the Iranian regime had ordered the Houthis to attack the Saudi oil tankers. He said that the Iran-backed Ansar Allah militia has carried out the orders.

Almost immediately there were reactions about the news circulating social media and the news agency that published Shabanis comments deleted the publication. Earlier this week the IRGC denied that the comments made by Shabani were true. It said that his comments were taken out of context and distorted.

Another spokesman for the IRGC said that the West was responsible for making it look like Iran was behind the attacks. The Iranian regime has a habit of blaming the West on anything and everything. According to regime officials, Western conspiracies are to blame for the economic and currency crisis in Iran.

The Iranian regime fails to take responsibility for its actions time and time again and it always looks to blame others for problems it has caused.

The people of Iran are fed up with the Iranian regimes interference in conflicts abroad. There are more than enough problems that require urgent attention at home, yet the Iranian regime decides to plunder the nations wealth on terrorism, funding proxies and militias and spreading chaos abroad.

Since the end of last year, the people of Iran have been calling for regime change. They know that their situation is never going to improve for as long at the clerical regime has power. Foreign leaders, for years, have been speaking about moderation in the Iranian regime but it is very clear now that it simply does not exist. Moderation goes against the very pillars propping the regime up.
According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the Sufi Muslims are viewed as a threat to mainstream Shia Islam in the country, and its religious establishment frowns upon conversions. For centuries, however, Iran has allowed other major religions, such as Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism to exist in the country.

Maryam Farsiabi, a Sufi woman, and her husband, Mohammad Karimaii, were arrested during the protest gathering of Gonabadi dervishes in Tehran, along with hundreds of other dervishes. At the time of arrest, she suffered broken arms, and a displaced jaw and spine.

Farsiabi was tried by branch 15 of Tehrans Revolutionary Court and sentenced to six months in prison and a two-year ban from traveling abroad. Karimaii, her husband, has been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment by Tehrans Revolutionary Court.

In June, a raid was carried out on Sufi women imprisoned in Varamins Qarchak Prison by the prisons Special Guards. The women were brutally beaten and attacked with batons and electric shockers. The prison officers then detained each of the women in solitary confinement. It has been reported that some of them are in severe condition.

Farsiabi and five other women dervishes went on a hunger strike for 16 days into protest the brutal treatment.

Two other Sufi women, Elham Ahmadi and Sedigheh Safabakht, were each sentenced to five years in prison in late July. Ahmadi has been banned from leaving the country or having any social activities for two years. Another Sufi woman, Safa Bakhsh, is banned from membership in any social or political party or group, as well as any social media activity.

Sepideh Moradi and Shokoufeh Yadollahi, have refused to appear in court. They are protesting the denial of lawyers to all dervishes during legal proceedings, and several other rights.

Sima Entesari, also confined in Varamins Qarchak Prison, sent out an open letter on Wednesday, July 25th, 2018, passing over her revision court in protest to the unfair decrees handed out for her fellow Sufi women and men. Entesari was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Tehrans Revolutionary Court on July 3rd, 2018.

The committee following up on cases of the imprisoned Sufis published a list of 324 detained dervishes, but claim that the actual number may be much higher.
2 children die as they fall into irrigation canal (Update)

The two children, who had gone missing after falling into an irrigation canal at Jhumka in Ramdhuni Municipality of Sunsari district, have been found dead on Tuesday.
BlacKkKlansman: Black Cop Infiltrates Klan in Fact-Based Dramedy from Spike Lee

Back in the Seventies, Ron Stallworth became the first African American to join the Colorado Springs Police Department. The ambitious, young, college grad was soon promoted to detective, and his initial undercover case involved covering a Stokely Carmichael (Corey Hawkins) rally when the incendiary Black Power advocate was invited to speak at Colorado College.

But his most unlikely mission involved infiltrating the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Heres how that came to pass. Using his real name, he impulsively answered a classified ad recruiting new members, not knowing what to expect.

When the organization subsequently contacted him by phone, Ron adopted a white accent and complained bitterly about his sisters dating a Black man. That was all that it took for him to get invited to the next Klan meeting and to secure a membership card signed by Grand Wizard David Duke (Topher Grace).

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Instead of blowing his cover by showing up himself, Ron asked a Jewish colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), to attend and impersonate him. Despite several close calls, the two managed to closely monitor the Klans movements over the next nine months.

That alternately comical and life-threatening assignment is the focus of BlacKkKlansman, a thought-provokingdramedy adapted by Spike Lee from Stallworths memoir of the same name. The movie made quite a splash at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the Jurys Grand Prize.

What makes the picture work is the way in which it mocks the small-minded Klan members racist attitudes and behaviors. However, it simultaneously serves as a timely cautionary tale by juxtaposing that shameful chapter of American history with a closing credits newsreel of the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville last summer which culminated with the murder of Heather Heyer when a White supremacist plowed his car into a parade of peaceful counter-demonstrators.

A sobering Spike Lee Joint suggesting that the Klan might very well rise again, especially given equivocating President Trumps frustrating refusal to take sides. Easily, Spikes best offering in ages!

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated R for pervasive profanity, racial epithets, disturbing violence, sexual references and mature themes

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Running time: 135 minutes

Production Studio: 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks / Monkeypaw Productions / Blumhouse Productions / QC Entertainment / Legendary Entertainment / Perfect World Pictures

Distributor: Focus Features

To see a trailer for BlacKkKlansman, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFc6I0rgmgY


Rashida Tlaib is one step closer to becoming the first Muslim female member of the United States Congress.

With almost all ballots counted, Tlaib led all candidates for the Democratic Partys nomination in Michigans 13th Congressional District. Tuesdays primary election decides who will be on the ballot in Novembers general election.

However, since there is no Republican or other candidates, Tlaib will be unopposed in November.

Ahlam Jbara lives in Chicago, six hours away by car from the Michigan congressional district in the city of Detroit. But she thought the Tlaib campaign was so important that she traveled all that way to be part of it. She said she identified closely with the candidate.

As a Muslim American, as an Arab American, as a Palestinian AmericanIm her, shes me.

Across the country, about 90 Muslim Americans are on ballots for elected office during this years elections. Many are running as Democrats hoping to become part of a so called blue wave for the party seeking to gain control of Congress.

Tlaib is among 13 Muslim candidates running for office in Michigan. The Detroit Free Press newspaper notes that, of the candidates seeking election in Michigans primary elections, 24 are immigrants or children of immigrants. Tlaib is among them.

She has gained attention around the country, especially from Muslim American women who see her candidacy as a door opening.

Shes turning out first time voters, not just youth, but others who are the first time voters whove been American citizens for a long time, even those who are born here but have never voted before because they didnt have faith in their government.

Jbara said Tlaib made a big effort to meet voters going door to door.

Tlaib said she was not well recognized by voters when she started. But, she said her campaign knocked on more than 50,000 doors.

The race was close until the end. Early Wednesday morning, Tlaib heard the news that she had received more votes than Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. She then thanked everyone who had helped her and also her family.

I want to thank my Mom, who is from a small village in the West Bank she said.

A former Michigan state lawmaker, Tlaib is expected to take the seat in the House of Representatives once held by John Conyers. The long-time lawmaker stepped down in December for health reasons as he faced accusations of sexual wrongdoing.

Tlaib is not the only Muslim American woman running who could serve in Congress. Somali American lawmaker Ilhan Omar is running in a primary election in Minnesota on August 14. She could join Tlaib in the next Congress.

Im Mario Ritter.

Kane Farabaugh reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional material from AP. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

knock on v. to hit (a door) in a forceful way, to gain attention

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A South Korean research group says Russia exported more oil to North Korea than previously reported.

A new report by the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies suggests Russia set up a secret trading system to get around United Nations economic sanctions on North Korea.

The report centers on the activities of Russias Independent Petroleum Company (IPC). IPC was targeted by the U.S. Treasury Department in June 2017 for violating restrictions on oil exports to North Korea.

IPC was found to have sold large amounts of oil to Russian-linked companies, the report says. Some of the companies were used to cover up the oil exports to North Korea by falsifying information about which countries the supplies were shipped to.

The report says one North Korean state company was found to have bought nearly 623,000 tons of Russian oil worth $238 million between 2015 and 2017. The Asan group said it discovered the information in Russian customs documents.

But the Korea International Trade Association in Seoul had reported only about $25 million in Russian oil sales between 2015 and 2017.

The report says the U.S. State Department estimates North Korea has been importing around 4 million barrels of crude oil and 4.5 million barrels of processed oil each year. And China is North Koreas main oil supplier.

Go Myong-Hyun is a North Korea expert with Asan. He says smuggling has always been an important part of cross-border trading between North Korea and its close allies. He said, What the Chinese government - and the Russian government to a lesser extent - have been doing, is to turn a blind eye to these activities."

More violations of international sanctions

The information from Asan came after a report in the Wall Street Journal accused Russia of possibly violating international sanctions another way. That report said Russia issued work permits to more than 10,000 North Korean laborers since September to work in Russia.

U.N. sanctions put in place in September of 2017 ban member countries from providing work authorization permits to North Korean workers.

Russian officials denied the newspaper report. Last week, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said she found the story credible. She said reports of Russia violating U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korean laborers working abroad are deeply troubling.

In December of 2017, the U.N. Security Council strengthened the sanctions. They cut North Korean oil imports by about one third, while placing a total export ban on coal and other mineral industries. The sanctions also affected $800 million in North Korean clothing manufacturing, as well as the countrys seafood industry.

There are signs the international sanctions have severely harmed North Koreas economy over the past year. The Bank of Korea has estimated the sanctions banned about 90 percent of the countrys trade.

The restrictions aim to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and missile programs. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to work toward denuclearization during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Asan, Reuters and VOA News. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sanction  n. an order given to limit or stop trade under international law

barrel  n. large container used as a form of measurement

crude  adj. unprocessed; untreated

smuggling  n. to take something into or out of a place in an illegal or secret way

authorization  n. official permission for something

credible  adj. able to be trusted or believed
India plans to roll out state-of-the-art 5G telecom services in the next four years, a senior official said, as the nation rushes to catch up with its Asian peers.

We are not there yet, Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said in an interview in New Delhi, adding that complete roll-out of 5G will be done by 2022. 5G wont be driven by supply, itll be driven by demand and the rest of industry needs to wake up to this.

The South Asian nation, traditionally a laggard while embracing latest technology in telecommunications, will follow South Korea, Japan and China where 5G service will be offered within the next two years. The high-speed and low latency service will help Prime Minister Narendra Modis Digital India plan, which seeks to broaden Internet access, and the Smart Cities initiative.

If we want smart cities, clearly we need smart infrastructure for it, Sundararajan said, adding some early stage projects may start rolling out as early as 2020.

The new technology has advantages of massive connectivity, low power consumption and boasts of download speeds and capacity that can enable autonomous vehicles, drones, remotely assisted surgeries and traffic control.

A slight delay, however, might actually be beneficial for India, according to Sanford C. Bernsteins Hong Kong-based analyst Christopher Lane, who expects South Korea to launch these services by March 2019, Japan in late 2019 and China, along with most western major cities, in 2020.

India needs China to launch to drive economies of scale and lower cost 5G handsets. I think 2022 or later is appropriate for India, Lane said in an email.

South Korea, which recently tested its 5G technology during the Winter Olympics in February with self-driving cars, virtual reality games and a motion-detection system to ward off menacing wild boars, is planning an airwaves auction to commercially deploy 5G wireless services.

Japanese firms are gearing up, as are the U.S. carriers. Italy is targeting a September auction of spectrum that could be used for 5G while the U.K. sold bandwidth in April that included some earmarked for these services. The Hong Kong government is even considering giving airwaves away for free.

Indias telecom regulator too last week proposed floor prices for auctioning spectrum dedicated for 5G roll out although the auction dates are yet to be announced.

As part of the roll-out, India is aiming to increase its fiber backbone to 2.5 million kilometers (1.6 million miles) by 2022 from 1.5 million kilometers right now.

A denser fiber network will aid operators gear up for speedier content-heavy 5G services and move away from discount-led battle for market share underway after upstart Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. debuted with 4G services and offered free voice calls in 2016.

A robust optic fiber network is also very important, both for front haul and the back haul, said Anthea Lai, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst in Hong Kong. The more fiber the better it is for 5G services.

So far, telecom infrastructure has got second place to physical infrastructure as Asian nation struggled to beef up its roads, ports and airports.

Digital infrastructure is invisible infrastructure. Just because its invisible, people are not willing to spend on it and promote it, said Sundararajan. And that needs to change. Bhuma Shrivastava, Bloomberg
In a Legislative Assembly (AL) session yesterday, nine lawmakers rounded on lawmaker Sulu Sou to criticize him for his position on last weeks debate on the creation of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (ICM).

The session was arranged to discuss and approve in detail the bill regarding the Legal Regime of the rights and interests of elderly citizens as well as to vote on the proposal of debate in the plenary of the Viva Macau airliner banckrupcy brought by the initiative of lawmakers Jose Pereira Coutinho and Sulu Sou. Instead of the lawmakers using the period to question the government or propose suggestions to address problems affecting the population, they criticized the deliberately provocative position taken by Sou during the July 30 session.

Ma Chi Seng, Kou Hoi In, Ip Sio Kai, Wu Chou Kit, Chan Wa Keong, Iau Teng Pio, Fong Ka Chio, Lao Chi Ngai and Pang Chuan were the nine lawmakers that subscribed to spoken enquiries that turned out to be just expressions of criticism of the behavior of Sou. They argued that the purpose of the interventions was to restore the historical truth.

Lawmaker Ma was the first to address the topic saying, we were accused of killing the municipal democracy and this is a twist of the reality, adding, it is impossible to put the democracy in practice just with slogans that ignore juridical facts.

In a very critical tone, Ma said that the words used by Sou had threatening content, adding also to shout, be grumpy and throw things are also behaviors that do not respect the regime of the Assembly.

He said that such behavior created a bad example for society and introduced at the AL a street brawl model.

Lawmaker Kou Hoi In complemented the comments with harsh words classifying the intervention of Sou as a mockery and an abuse of the rules accusing Sou of being too playful, abusing his powers [as a legislator] just to show off and of using this chamber as a theater, forcing the whole hemicycle to collaborate in his ridiculous show.

Kou, addressing the plenary as usual in his name and in the name of Ip Sio Kai concluded by saying, he uses democracy to cover up his absolutist ideas.

The core of democracy is respecting others. Those who are arrogant, uncompromising, presumptuous, abuse their power, do not respect the rules and do not have the qualities to be a democrat cannot talk about democracy, he said. Calling himself a member of a democratic party is the biggest insult to democracy.

Meanwhile, lawmakers Lao and Pang, using the same insulting tone, accused Sou of attempting to introduce the bad parliamentary culture of the neighboring regions or the culture of demonstration into our chamber, [which] pulls into question its solemnity.

This not only provokes disrespect, but also does not fit the parliamentary essence. This is not about the parliamentary culture of Macau, and in the end, the public will hate it, he said. This distorted behavior must be censored and can not be allowed to continue to happen in our hemicycle.

Debate proposal by Coutinho and Sou voted down

A proposal to debate the Viva Macau case in the AL plenary was yesterday voted down by the majority of the lawmakers.

Raised on the initiative of lawmakers Jose Pereira Coutinho and Sulu Sou, who intended to clarify why the government not was able to recover the invested money and who is responsible for the failure, the motion received only six votes in favor and 24 against.

Besides the two bidders Coutinho and Sou, Ng Kuok Cheong, Au Kam San, Agnes Lam and Ella Lei, also voted in favor.

In the short debate prior to the vote, several of the lawmakers that voted against remarked that the proposal made no sense since the issue is already being addressed by a follow-up committee of the AL and is under investigation by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC).

Several lawmakers also noted that this is not the right time to address the problem as it was almost certain that they could not obtain any more information on the topic, preferring to give time to the CCAC to investigate.

Others, like Mak Soi Kun, even showed irritation with the topic, accusing the proposal of being a way to turn a behind-closed-doors discussion into one in the public eye.

After the voting, lawmaker Song Pek Kei, one of the many that voted against, addressed the plenary as a vote declaration, accusing Coutinho and Sou of wanting to use the AL as a court and trying to interfere with the judiciary authorities.

Instead the plenary approved by full consensus the bill that established the Legal Regime of the rights and interests of elderly citizens with a debate in which the lawmakers called on the government to offer more extensive support to senior citizens, namely by raising the subsidies and elderly pensions. On the topic, Secretary Alexis Tam promised to study the case and to raise the pension soon and according to the governments economic capabilities.

On the lawmakersagenda

BUS SERVICE Ho Ion Sang, addressing the renewal of the public bus companies concessions, described the governments solution as a mockery. The lawmaker criticized the inaction from the government to address the problem that has been raised by the Commission Against Corruption since 2011; that it is an illegal model of public transportation. Ho urged the government to review the current status of the contract with Macau Pass electronic payments that, in his words, suffers from the illness of the monopolies. On the topic, Ho called on the government to seriously consider other models in order to promote diversification and consequent competition.

ROAD SAFETY Sulu Sou delivered a spoken inquiry in which he addressed the concerns of motorcyclists regarding both road safety and parking solutions. Sou recalled that in 2007 thousands of motorcyclists took part in a slow-drive protest against law enforcement methods by the authorities. It has been more than 10 years, but the chaotic situation of many vehicles and a few parking spaces has not yet been solved. Sou gave as an example the neighboring region of Hong Kong where the government has realized in recent years that this fines deterrent illusion is nothing more than a hiding the head in the sand policy that does not focus on real problems.

LAND PLOTS Ella Lei and Au Kam San said that the governments reclamation of undeveloped land plots is beneficial for Macau society. In two separate interventions, lawmakers Ella Lei and Au Kam San addressed the problem of the land concessions, recalling that contrary to what many people claim the mechanism of not allowing the extension of expired land concessions was already in the previous land law and is not exclusive from the latest amendment. In this sense, the lawmakers consider that the current system of reclaiming undeveloped land plots is superior to a system that concedes unregulated concessions without a public tender. Both agree also that is not urgent to amend the current land law.
An Australian state yesterday reported its first case of a superbug in a hospital patient who likely picked up the drug-resistant fungus in Britain.

Victoria Deputy Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said health officials were taking a search and destroy approach to ensure the Candida auris fungus did not spread.

The man was isolated as soon as the diagnosis was made and intense cleaning and disinfection has occurred, Sutton said in a statement.

First identified in Japan in 2009, the fungus has spread to more than a dozen countries including the United States where it is becoming a menace in hospitals, mostly in New York and New Jersey.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a single case of the fungus had previously been reported from Australia. The CDC website does not say where or when. Victoria health officials did not immediately respond to a question for information about the previous Australian case.

The patient, aged in his 70s, was being treated in a hospital in Melbourne, the second most populous Australian city, for a pre-existing medical condition when the diagnosis was made, Sutton said.

The patient has not been infected by the condition, but has been colonized, Sutton said, explaining that the patient was a carrier without symptoms.

The patient had likely acquired the organism in a British hospital, Sutton said. No details were given on when the man was in Britain.

Most vulnerable are fragile hospital patients, particularly newborns and the elderly. The fungus tends to be diagnosed in patients after theyve been in hospitals for several weeks. The fungus can infect wounds, ears and the bloodstream. AP
NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France announced yesterday [Macau time] he was taking an indefinite leave of absence following his arrest in the Hamptons on charges of driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone.

France was seen blowing through a stop sign in Sag Harbor over the weekend and later had a blood-alcohol content that was more than twice the legal limit for driving, smelled of booze and slurred his words, police said.

He said in a statement that effective immediately he would be taking a leave of absence from his position to focus on my personal affairs.

I apologize to our fans, our industry and my family for the impact of my actions last night, he said.

France has been NASCARs chairman and CEO since 2003. His uncle Jim France, a vice chairman and executive vice president, will take over those roles on an interim basis.

France, 56, spent the night in jail and was arraigned at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Sept. 14.

His lawyer referred reporters to a NASCAR statement on the matter. The organization said it takes his arrest as a serious matter and will issue a statement after we have all of the facts.

France was pulled over and arrested at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said they saw his 2017 Lexus roll through a stop sign near the Sag Harbor waterfront.

His eyes were red and glassy, and he struggled to keep his balance during field sobriety tests, police said. Tests showed his blood-alcohol content was 0.18, police said. The legal limit for driving in New York is 0.08.

Officers found five oxycodone pills during a subsequent search, police said.

France is a third-generation leader of NASCAR. His late grandfather Bill France Sr. founded the company in 1948.

Hes introduced a playoff system, overhauled the design of its cars and pushed for diversity within the circuits predominantly white, male ranks.

In recent years, hes been dealing with plunging attendance and TV ratings and departing sponsors, attributing the downturn to the challenge of connecting with a new, younger generation of fans.

France last month characterized as rumors reports that his family was looking into selling its racing properties.

The France family is locked and loaded in its dedication to NASCAR, France told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Were focused on ruling and managing NASCAR. Theres nothing to report on that. Rumors are always interesting, but theyre seldom right.

France was charged with reckless driving in Seminole County, Florida, in 2005 and was ordered to pay a USD760 fine and complete an aggressive-driver program, court records show.

The following year, according to a police report, he crashed his Lexus into a tree after entering a restaurant parking lot in Daytona Beach, Florida. AP
The advance works of the construction of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Seac Pai Van section project will be carried out from today for a period of 293 days. Transportation at Estrada do Istmo, close to the kart race track side, will be limited, with some lanes temporarily closed for approximately 160 days. The advance works project has been outsourced to China Road and Bridge Corporation. The works include interchanging foundation works, and the building of main structures, temporary roads, and the site office itself.

9th food and cultural festival to kick off on Sept 28

The 9th International Cultural and Food Festival will kick off on September 28th at the Macau Fishermans Wharf. The ten-day food event, which will be organized by seven local organizations, will end on October 7. The organizers expect to host between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors daily, with an estimated budget of over six million patacas. More than 100 stalls will be available at the festival, featuring food, retail and exhibition items, and tourist attractions. The organizers are calling for the participation of local food retailers.

Consulate offers free medical check ups

The Indonesian Consulate in Macau co-held free medical check-ups for Indonesians living in the SAR over the weekend, partnering with different organizations in Indonesia. According to Tri Tharyat, Consul General of Indonesia in Hong Kong and Macau, they now have doctors who are willing to stay longer and extend their services in the city. He said the consulate was expecting over 150 migrant workers to avail from the free consultations offered by at least five doctors from Indonesia. Furthermore, Tharyat also said that the consulate had recently partnered with Healthcare Indonesian Hong Kong, a community organization that assists them with medical missions.

Newly registered firms mainly in wholesale, retail

A total of 1,720 new companies were incorporated in Macau in the second quarter of the year, mainly in wholesale business and retail, in what represents an increase of 491 year-on-year, the Statistics and Census Service announced this week. Analyzed by industry, there were 556 new companies operating in wholesale and retail and 505 in business services. The total registered capital of new companies in the second quarter reached MOP221 million. Analyzed by size of registered capital, there were 1,331 new companies (77.4 percent of total) with registered capital under MOP50,000, and the total value of capital was MOP34 million. Meanwhile, there were 29 new companies registered with capital of MOP1 million or over, and the total value of capital amounted to MOP138 million. The majority of the capital originated from Macau (47.51 percent) and the Chinese mainland (28.96 percent). Capital from Hong Kong accounted for 14.03 percent of the total.

Govt accused of ignoring public opinion

Loi I Weng, a member of the Transport Advisory Council (CCT), has expressed doubts about whether public opinion is taken into account regarding Macaus bus services. Lei criticized the SAR government for what she sees as a lack of transparency in regards to its own bus evaluation mechanism; for a lack of credibility, and for seeming to be evaluating [bus services] behind closed doors. Lei hopes that the authority can establish a public ranking for public services. She also called on the government not to ignore the CCTs existence and to communicate more with the CCT.
Soldiers have pulled a man alive from the rubble of a large mosque flattened by an earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok, while thousands of homeless locals waited for aid yesterday and stranded tourists camped at beaches and in the lobbies of damaged hotels.

The north of Lombok has been devastated by the magnitude 7.0 quake that struck Sunday night, killing at least 105 people, seriously injuring more than 230 and destroying thousands of buildings. Two days after the quake, rescuers were still struggling to reach all the affected areas and authorities expected the death toll to rise.

Disaster officials have not said how many people they believe are buried beneath the ruins of the Jabal Nur mosque in Lading-Lading but the village head, Budhiawan, said about 30 based on unclaimed belongings left outside the mosque.

Muhamad Juanda, who narrowly escaped, said 100 people were inside praying when the earth began to roll. Many got out but dozens were trapped, he said.

When the earthquake happened, I stopped praying with dozens of other people. I stayed during the first shock, but the shock grew stronger and we rolled around trying to run out, he said.

Video shot sometime Monday by a soldier showed rescuers shouting Thank God as a man was pulled from a space under the mosques flattened roof and staggered away from the ruins supported by soldiers.

Youre safe, mister, said one of the soldiers as emotion overcame the man, clad in Islamic robes, and villagers crowded around him.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said he hopes a lot of people can be saved from the mosque. Two people were rescued from the debris Monday including a woman with a broken leg, said villager Supri Yono, and three were found dead. An AP reporter saw one body recovered Tuesday.

Were forced to deal with broken bones in the traditional way at home because the hospital had to deal with hundreds of other injuries, said Budhiawan, the village head.

Rescuers were using heavy duty cutting equipment on Tuesday to prize apart the tangled mound of debris.

Aid organizations, already on Lombok after it was hit a week earlier by a 6.4 quake that killed 16 people, said they were stepping up their humanitarian efforts.

Oxfam said more than 20,000 people were in temporary shelters and thousands more were camping out in the open. It said clean drinking water was scarce because of a recent spell of extremely dry weather in Lombok. Food, medical supplies, tarpaulins and clothes are also urgently needed, it said.

The lush countryside of northern Lombok is pockmarked with collapsed homes and shops and damaged mosques. Thousands of people sat on roadsides outside their houses under blue makeshift tents and tarps, too afraid to stay inside because of aftershocks or their homes now uninhabitable.

In the northern town of Tanjung, rescue workers in orange uniforms spent a second day trying to recover a body from the rubble of a destroyed home as a foul stench rose above it.

The brother-in-law of the dead man complained that authorities have not brought in heavy equipment that it is desperately needed.

I want him to be pulled out of there immediately. But theyre working too slow, said Masin, the brother-in-law, as ambulances passed by, sirens wailing.

Behind him, the rescuers, a dozen of them, were drilling into a flattened concrete wall. They had already used saws to cut a square out of the slab but could not find the body.

The body is pinned underneath. We brought in sniffer dog and used saws and a drill but we cant figure out where he is, said Aprintinus Titus, a rescue worker from the National Search and Rescue Agency.

We will not give up until we pull him out of this rubble. We know how hard his family is suffering, said Titus.

Hundreds of tourists and workers were still struggling to get off three outlying resort islands where power was cut off and hotels and hostels were damaged. Nugroho said more than 4,600 foreign and Indonesian tourists had been evacuated from the islands, with ships taking people to ports in Lombok and Benoa, Bali.

British tourist Saffron Amis, who was stranded on Gili Trawangan island, said she spent a second night outdoors as aftershocks rattled the region before finally securing space on a boat.

We slept in a bungalow until another quake hit us at midnight and then we moved to the beach, she said.

At Lomboks airport, dozens of tourists slept on the floor as they waited for flights off the island. Many hotels closed because of damage but some allowed travelers to camp in their lobbies.

That was my first experience with the earthquake and it was really terrible, said Lize Reert, a Belgian woman among the several thousand who fled Gili Trawangan. It was a nightmare in my life.

Like its better known neighbor Bali, Lombok is home to beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. Andi Jatmiko & Niniek Karmini, Lading-Lading, AP
Italys premier visited victims of the fiery crash of a tanker truck carrying highly flammable gas near Bologna, saying yesterday that it was important to understand what happened to prevent future tragedies. The trucks driver was the only person killed.

I am here today to demonstrate the closeness of the government to the people who are suffering, but also to understand why so that these things are not repeated, said Giuseppe Conte, who plans to travel later to the scene of another deadly crash in southern Italy.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the Bologna accident, triggered when the tanker truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, rammed into a truck stuck in a line of traffic. The tanker immediately caught fire, and then exploded a short time later across eight lanes, collapsing part of the raised highway.

Police video shows that by the time of the explosion, most vehicles had been evacuated from the highway.

Highway police said only the tanker driver died in the crash, revising earlier reports by the carabinieri that there were two dead. Dozens of people were injured, many with burns or cuts from flying glass when windows of buildings nearby were shattered in the blast.

The victim was identified as 41-year-old Andrea Anziolin of the northern city of Vicenza.

Maybe it was a moment of distraction, or a wave of sleepiness, Bologna prosecutor Giuseppe Amato told RAI radio. But it is too early to say with certainty.

Conte will later travel to the southern region of Puglia, where a van packed with immigrant farmworkers overturned after colliding with a truck carrying tomatoes in the southern Puglia region, killing 12. It was the second such fatal accident in the area in the space of three days. Colleen Barry, Milan, AP
Malaysia has issued a warrant to formally seize a USD250-million super yacht at the center of a tug-of-war between Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and financier Jho Low.

The Attorney-Generals Chambers issued the arrest warrant on Aug. 6, thereby the vessel is properly seized under the laws of Malaysia, the nations top prosecutor Tommy Thomas said in a statement. The yacht arrived at a port in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur yesterday, after it traveled from Indonesia where it was seized in February as part of the U.S. Justice Departments probe into 1MDB.

As Mahathir called for the yachts owner to prove that it wasnt bought using money from the Malaysian state fund, lawyers representing Low Taek Jho filed a notice to a California district court on Monday to direct the U.S. government to reveal its knowledge of the transfer of the yacht to Malaysia. Thomas said the seizure was the result of mutual legal assistance treaties between Indonesia, Malaysia and the U.S., which were activated recently, as well as high-level talks at agencies in the three countries.

In the Monday filing, Lows legal team opposed the U.S. governments request to suspend proceedings while it finds out Malaysias intentions for the ship. His lawyers also asked the U.S. to state any efforts it has made to secure the vessel and get clarification from Malaysia in a status report by Aug. 17.

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles, said the U.S. was not party to the agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia.

The yacht, which was seized by Indonesian police in February, is among the $1.7 billion of assets that U.S. investigators said were illegally bought using money diverted from state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd. Mahathir thanked Indonesian President Joko Widodo for his cooperation in transferring the vessel and resolving the problem faced by Malaysia, he said in a Monday statement.

Mahathir is seeking to reclaim $4.5 billion of funds potentially lost through the troubled state fund, including by trying to recover fees from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and taking legal action to recoup compensation paid to the funds ex-president. Malaysia is considering selling the yacht and returning the funds to the public, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said on Monday, adding that the attorney-general will first ensure proper proceedings.

Malaysia has issued an arrest warrant for Low, who remains at large. The police received information from their Macau counterparts that he had left the territory for an unknown location as of early July, with no further insight on his whereabouts. Bloomberg
The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, said on Monday that the government had almost completed drafting the set of legislative bills associated with the establishment of the new Municipal Affairs Bureau.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of one of the Legislative Assemblys (AL) standing committees, Chan said she expected all procedures to be completed before the scheduled establishment of the entity which will replace the Institute for Civic and Municipal Affairs, on January 1, 2019.

The draft bills cover topics such as updating the functions of other public departments following the establishment of the new bureau. For instance, several matters related to firearms, ammunition, fireworks and firecrackers, which are currently overseen by the IACM, will be transferred to the police.

Chan stated that the government will announce the selection criteria for members of the bureaus 25-strong consultative body in due course. The selection process will include a self-recommendation scheme for people interested in joining.

Chan said the government welcomed members of the public to sit on the consultative body, provided they were dedicated to serving the community and able to fulfill the relevant legal requirements.

Chan also pledged to explain to the public the reasoning behind the selection of each of the consultative bodys 25 members.
Steinway Musical Instruments Inc., the legendary piano maker controlled by U.S. hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, has attracted takeover interest from China Poly Group Corp., people familiar with the matter said.

The state-owned conglomerate is in the early stages of considering an offer for Steinway, the people said. Other suitors may also emerge for the business, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.

Steinway should be able to fetch a high valuation given that the company may reach 30 percent to 40 percent annual sales growth in China, according to Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group. A Chinese company like Poly Group could help improve Steinways distribution network in the country, which has been weak so far, he said.

Steinway has massive potential in China as consumers love the brand, Rein said by phone yesterday. As Chinese middle-class families get wealthier, theyll be willing to spend on a luxury piano for their kids as they see music as a key part of their education. And nobody beats Steinway on that.

Poly Group started in 1992 as a supplier of defense equipment for the Chinese military. The conglomerate now has operations spanning explosives manufacturing, real estate, mining, cinemas and the arts. Hong Kong-listed unit Poly Culture Group Corp. owns Chinas biggest home-grown auction house, in addition to running a chain of theaters that have hosted musicals like Cats and performances by the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Paulsons New York-based investment firm Paulson & Co. agreed to acquire Steinway in 2013 for about USD512 million, beating rival bidders including South Koreas Samick Musical Instruments Co. The piano maker that gave the company its name was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in a Manhattan loft on Varick Street, and over the following decades became a brand recognized worldwide. In March, it opened a new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai.

Paulson has a net worth of $5.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. An official at Poly Group and a representative for Paulson & Co. declined to comment. A representative for Steinway didnt immediately reply to queries outside regular U.S. business hours. Bloomberg
The Housing Bureau (IH) is calling the citys property management companies that have not applied for a license to submit their applications to the bureau before Macaus new property management law comes into effect.

Yesterday, IH issued a statement noting that if owners of property management companies which are engaged in tiered building management business do not hold a valid license, then, as of August 22 (when the law comes into effect), owners will be subject to a fine of between MOP50,000 and MOP500,000.

According to the bureau statement, since February 6, IH has been accepting applications for commercial business licenses and temporary licenses with respect to tiered building management. As of August 3, the bureau has received 205 applications.

The applications include 152 temporary license applications.

Some 153 applications have been approved, with the relevant licenses already issued, including 113 temporary licenses and 40 licenses. Two applications for temporary licenses were not approved.

Property management companies are required to convene the first meeting of the tiered building owners in accordance with the law.

On August 12, IH will organize a workshop at its office in the islands and will invite local legal experts and other representatives to explain the laws to property management companies.
The European Union foreign policy chief says the EU is encouraging enterprises to increase their business with Iran, as that country has been compliant with their nuclear-related commitments.

Federica Mogherini told reporters yesterday during her trip to Wellington, New Zealand, that its up to Europeans to decide who they want to trade with.

We are doing our best to keep Iran in the deal, to keep Iran benefiting from the economic benefits that the agreement brings to the people of Iran because we believe this is in the security interests of not only our region, but also of the world, she said. If there is one piece of international agreements on nuclear non-

proliferation that is delivering, it has to be maintained.

The United States reimpsed stiff economic sanctions on Iran, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite statements of deep dismay from European allies, three months after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international accord limiting Irans nuclear activities.

Trump declared that the landmark 2015 agreement was horrible, leaving the Iranian government flush with cash to fuel conflict in the Middle East.

Iran accused the U.S. of reneging on the nuclear agreement, signed by the Obama administration, and of causing recent Iranian economic unrest.

European allies said they deeply regret the U.S. action.

Trump said in a statement, We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice: either change its threatening, destabilizing behavior and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.

A first set of reimposed U.S. sanctions affect financial transactions that involve U.S. dollars, Irans automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals including gold.

A second batch of U.S sanctions targeting Irans oil sector and central bank are to be reimposed in early November.

Trump warned that those who dont wind down their economic ties to Iran risk severe consequences.

European ministers said the Iran deal was crucial for Europes and the worlds security, and the European Union issued a blocking statute Monday to protect European businesses from the impact of the sanctions.

Mogherini, speaking at a news conference alongside New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, said the EU and New Zealand saw the need to maintain the nuclear deal with Iran, notwithstanding the U.S. withdrawal, and that she and Peters had discussed in detail how to keep open trade and financial channels with Iran.

We are encouraging small and medium enterprises in particular to increase business with and in Iran as part of something [that] for us is a security priority, Mogherini said, explaining that trade is an integral part of the nuclear deal.

Trade between Iran and the EU is a fundamental aspect of the Iranian right to have an economic advantage in exchange for what they have done so far, which is being compliant with all their nuclear-

related commitments, Mogherini said . AP
The 62-year-old Chinese shopkeeper had waited nearly his entire adult life to see his dream of building a church come true  a brick house with a sunny courtyard and spacious hall with room for 200 believers.

But in March, about a dozen police officers and local officials suddenly showed up at the church on his property and made the frightened congregants disperse. They ordered that the cross, a painting of the Last Supper and Bible verse calligraphy be taken down. And they demanded that all services stop until each person, along with the church itself, was registered with the government, said the shopkeeper, Guo.

Without warning, Guo and his neighbors in Chinas Christian heartland province of Henan had found themselves on the front lines of an ambitious new effort by the officially atheist ruling Communist Party to dictate  and in some cases displace  the practice of faith in the country.

Ive always prayed for our countrys leaders, for our country to get stronger, said Guo, who gave only his last name out of fear of government retribution. They were never this severe before, not since I started going to church in the 80s. Why are they telling us to stop now?

Under President Xi Jinping, Chinas most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982.

The crackdown on Christianity is part of a broader push by Xi to Sinicize all the nations religions by infusing them with Chinese characteristics such as loyalty to the Communist Party. Islamic crescents and domes have been stripped from mosques, and a campaign launched to re-educate tens of thousands of Uighur Muslims. Tibetan children have been moved from Buddhist temples to schools and banned from religious activities during their summer holidays, state-run media report.

This spring, a five-year plan to Sinicize Christianity in particular was introduced, along with new rules on religious affairs. Over the last several months, local governments across the country have shut down hundreds of private Christian house churches. A statement last week from 47 in Beijing alone said they had faced unprecedented harassment since February.

Authorities have also seized Bibles, while major e-commerce retailers JD.com and Taobao pulled them off their sites. Children and party members are banned from churches in some areas, and at least one township has encouraged Christians to replace posters of Jesus with portraits of Xi. Some Christians have resorted to holding services in secret.

A dozen Chinese Protestants interviewed by the Associated Press described gatherings that were raided, interrogations and surveillance, and one pastor said hundreds of his congregants were questioned individually about their faith. Like Guo, the majority requested that their names be partly or fully withheld because they feared punishment from authorities. After reporters visited Henan in June, some interviewees said they were contacted by police or local officials who urged them not to discuss any new measures around Christianity.

The party has long been wary of Christianity because of its affiliation with Western political values. Several Chinese human rights lawyers jailed for their work, including Jiang Tianyong and Li Heping, are outspoken Christians. So too are many Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, not least among them 2014 protest leader Joshua Wong.

Chinese leaders have always been suspicious of the political challenge or threat that Christianity poses to the Communist regime, said Xi Lian, a scholar of Christianity in China at Duke University. Under Xi, this fear of Western infiltration has intensified and gained a prominence that we havent seen for a long time.

A spiritual awakening

Guo, who keeps a small storefront selling ornate doors in a riverside district, once had eyesight so poor that he could not distinguish the sky from the earth. But after finding God at 27 years old, he made a seemingly miraculous recovery that he attributes to his faith.

For decades, he, like many Christians in China, shuttled from one unregistered house church to another, where folding chairs served as pews and coffee tables as lecterns. Two years ago, he and 10 other Christians pooled their money to erect a permanent church on his property.

They are part of what experts describe as a spiritual awakening in China.

The number of Chinese believers of all faiths has doubled in two decades to an estimated 200 million, by official count, as the hold of the Communist party has weakened. Among them are an estimated 67 million Christians, including Catholics  a number that is expected to swell to become the worlds largest Christian population in a matter of decades. This rapid growth has reinvigorated the partys longtime mission to domesticate a religion traditionally aligned with the West.

Historians believe that Christianity was known to China as early as the seventh century, and was later propagated by Jesuit missionaries starting in the 1500s. In recent decades the religion has faced by turns heavy persecution and tacit acceptance.

During the Cultural Revolution, when Mao sought to eradicate all religions, Christians were jailed, tortured and publicly humiliated. But they survived by operating covertly and grew steadily in number after Maos death in 1976, when a populace disillusioned with the Communist Party began to seek moral guidance elsewhere.

Chinese Christians say the Bible gives them a sense of right versus wrong and the strength to endure in a country where power often trumps justice. While Chinas rapid growth has brought prosperity to many, others despair at what they see as a deterioration of public morals. The deaths of children in scandals involving tainted infant formula and shoddily-built schools in recent years have led to the sense that modern China was in the midst of an ethical crisis.

After the collapse of communist ideology, no value system has been in place to fill the spiritual vacuum, said writer Zhang Lijia. China has witnessed a religious revival in recent decades precisely because of this vacuum and relaxed control.

Officials once largely tolerated the unregistered Protestant house churches that sprang up independent of the official Christian Council, clamping down on some while allowing others to grow. But this year they have taken a tougher approach that relies partly on thought reform  a phrase for political indoctrination. Last November, Christian residents of a rural township in southeast Jiangxi province were persuaded to replace posters of the cross and Jesus Christ inside their homes with portraits of Xi, a local official said.

Through our thought reform, theyve voluntarily done it, Qi Yan, a member of the township party committee, told the AP by phone. The move is aimed at Christian families in poverty, and we educated them to believe in science and not in superstition, making them believe in the party.

The poster campaign appears to symbolize what analysts see as the underlying force driving the change in the partys approach to religion: the ascendance of Xi.

Xi is a closet Maoist  he is very anxious about thought control, said Willy Lam, a Chinese politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He definitely does not want people to be faithful members of the church, because then people would profess their allegiance to the church rather than to the party, or more exactly, to Xi himself.

Various state and local officials declined repeated requests to comment. But in 2016, Xi explicitly warned against the perceived foreign threats tied to faith, telling a religion conference: We must resolutely guard against overseas infiltrations via religious means. And in April, the religious affairs department published an article saying that churches must endorse the partys leadership as part of Sinicization.

Only Sinicized churches can obtain Gods love, the article stated.

The government is even cracking down on Christians more aggressively through legal means. In March, a prominent Chinese house church leader with US permanent residency was sentenced to seven years in prison after he built Christian schools in Myanmar. And half a dozen Christians were sentenced last month to up to 13 years in jail for involvement in a cult, according to U.S.-based Christian non-

profit ChinaAid.

The pressure has pushed several dozen pastors and their families to flee to the United States in recent years, ChinaAid says. The wife of one pastor under house arrest left for Midland, Texas about a year ago, after authorities warned that their children might have trouble getting an education in China. She said members of their church in China were barred from being baptized, and even a simple Christmas service was interrupted.

The government says that we have religious freedom, but really there is no freedom at all, said the pastors wife, who asked to remain anonymous for her husbands safety. Many of our Christian brothers and sisters are upset and fearful.

Those who resist pay the price.

After Jin Mingri, a prominent pastor who leads Zion Church in Beijing, refused local authorities request to install surveillance cameras inside his house church, police individually questioned hundreds of members of the 1,500-person congregation, he said. The congregants faced veiled threats, Jin said, and many were asked to sign a pledge promising to leave Zion, which the government agents called illegal, politically incorrect and a cult. Some people lost their jobs or were evicted from rented apartments because police intimidated their bosses and landlords.

For 11 years, the church has been housed on one floor of an office building, but the property management informed Jin in May that they would have to move out at the end of the summer. Jin said the management admitted to being influenced by external pressures.

A lot of our flock are terrified by the pressure that the government is putting on them, he said. Its painful to think that in our own countrys capital, we must pay so dearly just to practice our faith.

Crackdown in Henan

At the epicenter of the drive to control the Christian community in China is Henan, the cradle of Chinese civilization and the entry point for many of the earliest foreign missionaries. Today, the province is one of the most populous in the country and a key part of Xis fight against poverty, as proclaimed by red banners across acres of peanut farms and oil fields.

Around the time authorities ordered Guos church to stop congregating in March, his district announced a crackdown on private Christian meeting spots. On a single Sunday morning, the announcement said, 700 religious banners were removed, 200 religious texts seized and 31 illegal Christian gathering places shut down. Officials went door-to-door stripping decorative scrolls bearing the cross from home entrances.

In Zhengzhou, Henans capital, all that is left of one house church is shattered glass, tangled wires and torn hymnbooks, strewn among the rubble of a knocked-down wall. Pegged to another wall is a single wooden cross, still intact.

The church inside a commercial building had served about 100 believers for years. But in late January, nearly 60 officials from the local religion department and police station appeared without warning. Armed with electric saws, they demolished the church, confiscated Bibles and computers and held a handful of young worshippers  including a 14-year-old girl  at a police station for more than 10 hours, according to a church leader.

The authorities called the church illegal. The church leader said they had brought documentation to the religion department three or four times in an attempt to formally register it, but never received a response. Now, they have ceased to congregate.

The church leader prays that the government will change its mind.

We support President Xi, he said. All we ask for is a space for our faith.

That space for Xu Shijuan, a 63-year-old Seventh-Day Adventist, was her living room, where she held house church gatherings for four years. She stopped in March, after a group of men led by a local official ordered her to disband the meeting of about two dozen elderly Christians.

If you dont heed our orders, the next group to come will be law enforcement, he said, according to Xu. They will use force to disband you.

Xu readily complied. The people have dispersed, but our faith has not, she told the AP at her home in Zhengzhou. Gods path cannot be blocked. The more you try to control it, the more it will grow.

Even Protestant churches already registered with the state have not been spared greater restrictions. When reporters visited five such churches in Henan this June, all bore notices at their entrances stating that minors and party members were not allowed inside. A banner above one church door exhorted members to implement the basic direction of the partys religious work. Another church erected a Chinese flag at the foot of its steps.

Some congregations now sing the national anthem during services, according to a house church pastor named Liu. Another pastor said his government-approved church shut down its Sunday school and cancelled all activities for children after receiving orders in February.

Across Henan, house churches that once hosted gatherings of hundreds have now sealed their doors and split into groups of no more than a handful. Services are announced last-minute and held in different locations each week, often under the cloak of darkness.

For a time, Guos church did the same. They avoided congregating on Sundays to escape authorities notice.

But the church members were scared, and the group dwindled to 30. Authorities appealed to Guo to help gather information on his fellow Christians. He was given a form, reviewed by the AP, which asked for churchgoers names, educational background and addresses, as well as the length of time they had been faithful and whether they were baptized.

The brick house was largely deserted this summer. Around the door frame, tattered red outlines remained of a scroll that once read Gods love is as deep as the sea.

Inside, Guo has refused to remove the cross and other decorations, telling authorities they are within his private property.

Among them, pinned to a wall in the nave, is a bright blue poster that quotes Chinas constitutional promise of religious freedom. Yanan Wang,Nanyang, AP
Casino operator Wynn Resorts says an internal committee has finished its investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations leveled against company founder Steve Wynn.

In a securities filing Monday, the company said the board of directors received the final presentation from the committee Friday but will not release any results publicly until gambling regulators finish their investigations.

The company says the internal committee will share its findings with gambling regulators.

Gambling regulators in Nevada and Massachusetts began investigating the allegations after the Wall Street Journal first reported them in January.

Committee chairwoman Pat Mulroy in May told investors the committee had interviewed more than 100 people and reviewed 3 million documents.

Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of the company in February. He has denied the allegations. AP
Kenyan songstress Karen Kaz Lucas has moved to address and quash the societal expectation that women should have children.

Kaz, who is popular for hosting the sex-positive podcast The Spread, appeared to have been pushed to the wall as she tried to explain why she does not want children of her own on social media.

Taking to Instagram, Kaz lamented how people struggle to understand her firm stand against childbearing.

People really struggle to understand me when I say I dont want children, said Kaz.

She, however, noted that she loves all the children around her.

I love all the children around me that all my people have already blessed me with. But its also ok for people not to want children or the things you think women need to have based on your narrow social construct mind, blasted Kaz.

She further stressed that everyone is different and that childbearing is sometimes beyond someones control.

Not everyone wants the same things which is why we can be different. And not everyone is capable of having children, she wrote.

The 35-year-old feminist concluded by telling off people who pressure women.

So next time you feel the need to pressure ask someone about the decisions they make with their bodies, just remember the world doesnt revolve around your ideals.
Son of Bahrains top opposition figure, who has been in jail in since 2011, has called on authorities to provide medical care to his sick and frail 70-year old father.

Ali Mushaima, also an activist is staging protest outside the Bahraini embassy in London as he seeks international pressure on his country authorities to provide medical attention to his father Hassan Mushaima who is jailed in prison following his condemnation to life imprisonment in 2012 after he was arrested for fueling anti-government protest at the heart of the 2011 regional uprising known as Arab Spring.

Ali has been on hunger strike and has been camping since August 1 outside the Bahraini diplomatic mission in London. The activist who has been in the UK since 2006 after fleeing his country where has been sentenced to 45 years in prison, said the protest was his last resort following failed several attempts to attract national and international attention on the situation of his dying father, The New Arab reports.

I wrote to MPs and I contacted different human rights organizations but nothing has changed, he said.

I decided to raise my fathers case and show the world how the Bahraini government treats its people. Im tired but I am strong, my heart is strong and my mind is strong. I will continue until my father gets his basic rights.

He told Reuters that his father is being denied medical care. Ali told the news agency that his father had been treated for cancer several years ago, and needed regular check-ups to ensure the disease had not returned. The jailed opposition figure also suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes and a urinary tract infection.

Ali also accused prison authorities of refusing to replenish medicine supply to his father. They also denied health checkups to his father. The 70-year old sick man needs a scan every six months because of his diagnosed called lymphoma, his son pointed out.

The Bahraini embassy in London last week told Reuters that arrangement have been made so that Hassan attend the medical scans but refused last year to show up in front doctors .

Ali rejected the embassys claims, saying that is father has refused to see doctors or meet family and relatives with handcuffs around his hands shackles on his feet.

Several other political activists are being held in inhuman condition along Alis father. Human rights groups including Amnesty International condemned the imprisonment of opposition figures whom they refer to as peaceful activists and prisoners of conscience.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of Azedra, a new compound developed by Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc., for patients with rare tumours of the adrenal glands. Chemistry professor emeritus Duncan Hunter developed the compound with his Western lab team and applied for the patent 30 years ago. Credit: FDA // Special to Western News

Duncan Hunter chokes up a little when it is suggested that work he began at Western three decades ago will now, finally, be applied to saving hundreds of lives. "It's a good thing," said the Chemistry professor emeritus after a long pause. "It took 30 years and had its ups and downs. So, yes, it's emotional."

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Azedra, a new compound developed by Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc., for patients with rare tumours of the adrenal glands.

Hunter developed the compound with his Western lab team and applied for the patent 30 years ago.

Azedra is "a bit like a magic bullet" for rare adrenal tumours that can't be surgically removed and require systemic anti-cancer therapy. The compound is highly radioactive and, once injected intravenously is specifically absorbed by, and then attacks the tumour, while the kidneys flush out the material it doesn't use to kill the tumour cells.

Key to its success is the use of a radioactive pharmaceutical called metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), a compound designed to target only the tumour.

"Essentially, every molecule of MIBG has a radioactive iodine (iodine-131) on it. It gets absorbed where you want it to, it irradiates where you want it to and then it decays," Hunter explained.

While a form of MIBG has been used for years, one of the main stumbling blocks has been to find a method to produce MIBG in which every molecule carries the radioactive isotope. The Hunter lab developed a specific resin that would hold the precursor to the radioactive material until ready to be converted into the radiophapharmaceutical for use by the body.

"We were in group meeting talking about this and said, 'Wouldn't it be great if we found a resin for this?' And a few days later one of my grad students, Paul Culbert, BSc'86 (Chemistry), Ph.D.'92 (Chemistry), said, 'I've found the resin.'"

In the lab, it worked exactly as intended. In subsequent years, several compounds were tethered to the resin. Four of these were patented; and one of those four was selected for upscaling, clinical trials and eventual commercialization.

Hunter and grad student researcher Richard Xizhen Zhu, MSc (Chemistry), Ph.D.'99 (Chemistry), who worked on the compound, filed a patent through what was then Western's technology transfer office, which has since become WORLDiscoveries.

At that time, the technology transfer office would get involved in patents only if a company were found to invest in the licensing. But scaling up research involving something highly radioactive  with all the inherent and required procurement, security and safety protocols  would not be an easy 'get.'

"There were very few companies in the world that specialize in radiopharmaceuticals. It's highly specialized work," Hunter said.

At the 11th hour, Biostream, a Boston-based company (later re-named Molecular Insight), picked up the licence on the patent and began development, and then clinical trials.

It's a process that requires a lot of resources, and when Molecular Insight couldn't stay financially afloat, it appeared as if the project might be over before its time.

In stepped Progenics Pharmaceuticals, which bought the licence and rescued the research, resuming clinical trials at several specialized centres in the United States. Progenics' results confirmed the effects and benefits of the pharmaceutical, now named Azedra (iobenguane 131).

Last week, the FDA approved the drug's use in U.S. patients, under the agency's fast-track program  intended to speed approval of breakthrough drugs  and under its orphan drug program, intended to help commercialize therapy for people with rare diseases.

Adrenal cancers affect about 1,000 people in the United States each year.

That's not a large number of patients but it's significant in lives improved, said Hunter, who holds a total of eight patents (six of them in radiopharmaceutical chemistry and four of those using the resin technology that's now called an Ultratrace platform).

In a statement, FDA official Richard Pazdur, head of the FDA's Oncology Centre of Excellence, said Azedra provides patients with the first FDA-approved therapy for this specific use. It is shown to decrease the need for blood pressure medication and reduce tumour size in about one-quarter of patients  people who had exhausted all other medical options.

In short, Azedra offers hope to patients who have had little medical reason for optimism.

Hunter  whose CV also includes Associate Dean of Science (Academic), Associate Dean of Science (Academic), working with two Nobel Laureates in Chemistry and being awarded numerous excellence-in-teaching awards at Western  isn't satisfied the benefits of MIBG have been fully tapped.

He envisions three possible directions: seeking drug approval in other countries, including Canada; treatment of another type of cancer, called neuroblastoma, which strikes patients' nerve tissues and, when it appears, most frequently finds toddlers as its victims; or development of one of the other patented materials.

"Each of these would be a major, major project," he said, and would again require a lot of work.

But Hunter has a lifetime of experience in both patience and persistence. He noted it took 70 years before he found some answers to the wartime death and disappearance of his father, lost in a plane crash in Burma (now Myanmar) as the Second World War was drawing to a close.

Hunter is used to waiting.

"If patience is a virtue, then I'm incredibly virtuous," he joked.

Patrick Therrien, Senior Business Development Manager at WORLDiscoveries, said Hunter's work is an example of how long a product can take to go through the testing, development and approvals process.

WORLDiscoveries has, among other tasks, helped manage and update the patent and licencing agreements during the past several years, although this file pre-dates Therrien's arrival by about two decades.

"This is a major milestone," he said. "It shows, not only do we have the great research going on at Western, we have a mature technology transfer office and can see this thing through."

Explore further Azedra approved for rare adrenal tumors
Credit: Maria Fernanda Cabrera Umpierrez

Aging can be accompanied by cognitive deterioration that may affect life quality and possibly safety. EU research has developed a range of ICT solutions to support seniors with cognitive impairment who prefer to live as independently as possible.

The EU-funded H2020 IN LIFE project has developed and connected tools and systems for the elderly with various early cognitive impairments such as early and moderate dementia. Supporting home activities  communication, health maintenance, travel, mobility and socialisation tasks  the services are personalised to user needs.

The ultimate in personalisation

IN LIFE has developed a range of tools and systems for the dynamic adaptation and personalisation of services. Project coordinator, Dr. Maria Fernanda Cabrera explains, "This enables services to evolve together with the users' health and condition. Tools to support dynamically changing conditions cover all aspects of independent living support."

To help sort out appropriate regimes initially, the language behavioural prediction test is the screening tool used for sensing mild cognitive impairment conditions. This tool is self-administered and it was designed for people who have objective memory issues.

Programmes for all participants

An exercise programme to improve your fitness can be used at home or at the community care centre, TriviumMeulenbeltZorg, Almelo, the Netherlands. The exercises focus on strength, flexibility and balance, and are specifically designed to improve fitness. Each training session consists of a warming up, workout, and cooling down.

"As care workers are an integral part of the life of the elderly who live independently, tools for carers' support have been developed," Fernanda Cabrera says. For exercising, the online module aims to prevent falls and improve balance, strength, and flexibility.

Pilots guide IN LIFE evolution

To highlight best practices for relevant business and financial models for their application, six pilots were successfully conducted to ensure viability. More than 2 900 users participated in the baseline or treatment phases in Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

Different sites enabled testing in varying environments by taking advantage of the know-how of each site. Prior to the tests, training was given to the participants with the project tools.

For the users of most sites, there was an increase in the minimental state examination score, a widely used test for cognitive function. Accompanied by a significant decrease in the negative range of the positive and negative affect scale for measuring emotional functioning, these results were statistically significant. "Together with the informal caregivers' burden that decreased, the pilots showed very positive and encouraging outcomes," stresses Dr. Cabrera.

All types of users favoured the functionalities offered by the applications. The possibility of continuous monitoring and communication between elderly user-caregiver through IN LIFE was also very appealing to all users.

Impact on society and the financial implications

Differences between two successive conditions were used to calculate the quality of life (QALY) in years at pilot and project level. As an example, the highest QALY, living one year in full health, can be compared with 0.5, the score for being bed-ridden. Overall, QALY increased with the IN LIFE regime. The use of the project platform and the services for the entire population was beneficial and improved their quality of life and the overall QALY index was significantly high.

From an economic viewpoint, the IN LIFE system offers mature services tested in real-life applications in the six sites Europe-wide. Moreover, results from the trial sites show the business scenarios for care centres and indicate that the exploitation opportunities are sustainable. Use of the open cloud platform and seamless interconnection of all the services carries with it the advantage of being low-cost to run and maintain. Furthermore, the system can be accessible anywhere and doesn't need high computing capacity.

IN LIFE has developed novel, scalable and adaptive business models for the silver market, that are widely tested and of proven viability. Summing up the key impact of IN LIFE, Dr. Cabrera concludes, "The project has traveled to the cloud and bridged the gap to the electronic world and social media for users with cognitive impairments."

Explore further Moderate to high intensity exercise does not slow cognitive decline in people with dementia
Generally, you can't eat chemotherapy. That's because your digestive system breaks down the molecules you eat into smaller pieces that can be absorbed through the gut into the bloodstream.

"For example, when you eat a steak or any kind of protein, you digest it and it gets chewed up into tiny amino acids that are absorbed. This is why you can't swallow vaccines or many other types of drugs; the environment in the stomach is simply too harsh. You have to get them injected or else they get chewed up," says Tom Anchordoquy, Ph.D., an investigator at University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

However, there is an exception to this rule.

A mother's milk helps the baby resist infection by giving the baby antibodies, which help the immune system to recognize and respond aggressively to certain types of infections. And, importantly, these antibodies contained in milk are not degraded by the digestive system. Instead, after they are ingested, they make their way intact into the bloodstream.

The idea that components in mother's milk avoid being completely broken down and instead deliver intact, functional molecules into a baby's bloodstream isn't entirely new. Anchordoquy points to a 2014 study in which RNA contained in special particles known as exosomes found in cow's milk were shown to alter the expression of genes in humans who drank the milk.

"But nobody believed it," Anchordoquy says. "Of course, it's common knowledge that the things you ingest are degraded, so even after this study, nobody really thought these particles in milk could survive the digestive system."

A major reason that no one believed this study is that no could understand how it could possibly work. Anchordoquy's work provides an answer.

"Your body's endothelium, including the cells that line your intestine, has these receptors that recognize antibodies on milk exosomes. These receptors in the gut bind antibodies on milk exosomes, and transport the particles across the gut into blood," Anchordoquy says. It's as if the handshake between antibody and receptor opens a tiny portal, allowing only the antibody and its attached exosome to pass. Importantly, the receptor involved in this process is present in the human gut all throughout life, not just when we are babies.

There's another very important point: "Instead of just these little particles, you can put a drug in them," Anchordoquy says. (Other studies, which Anchordoquy says were also not widely believed, showed that drugs incorporated into milk exosomes fed to mice could later be found in the mouse bloodstream.) These exosomes in milk encase and transport the things a mother's body wants to give to her baby. Instead, Anchordoquy hopes to encapsulate molecules of chemotherapy.

"Cows and humans are similar enough that cow proteins bind to the human receptors and are transported by the same mechanism. When you drink milk, cow exosomes bind to these receptors and it moves cow molecules into your blood," says Anchordoquy.

In terms of clearing the hurdles toward becoming an actual drug delivery strategy, the idea of using milk exosomes to deliver chemotherapy has two important things going for it: First, many chemotherapy drugs have already earned FDA approval for use in humans; and second, humans have consumed cow's milk for thousands of years and it is known to be safe.

Of course, a nod from the FDA to test milk-based chemotherapy isn't the only hurdle. Another challenge is the processes needed to load chemotherapeutics into these particles.

"That's the trickthe process by which you load the drug," Anchordoquy says. "That's what we've got to figure out. The real barrier here is how efficiently you can load the drug into the exosome and what drugs can you load in."

Some drugs may work, while others may not. And different variations of drug design techniques may work better with some chemotherapies than others.

Anchordoquy, along with collaborator Michael Graner, Ph.D., associate professor in the CU School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery, were recently awarded a research grant from the National Institutes of Health to discover and design the best possible combinations. In fact, the team is already sourcing milk from Mucca Bella Dairy (Carr, CO) and running experiments to test strategies for loading drugs into milk exosomes.

"Chemotherapy requires going to the hospital. It's inconvenient, it forces cancer patients to be around other sick people, and it costs the healthcare industry billions of dollars every year. But now we have the prospect of stuffing cow's milk with chemotherapeutics," Anchordoquy says. "And who wouldn't love to just drink a glass of milk or eat an ice cream cone instead of being infused?"

Explore further Cholesterol rafts deliver drugs inside cancer cells
Earl Miller lectures about working memory at a recent symposium at MIT. Credit: Adrianne Mathiowetz/Picower Institute at MIT

In a debate where the stakes are nothing short of understanding how the brain maintains its "sketchpad of conscious thought," researchers argue over exactly what makes working memory work in dueling papers in the Aug. 8 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Working memory is how you hold things in mind like the directions to a new restaurant and the list of specials the waiter rattles off after you sit down. Given that working memory capacity is a strong correlate of intelligence and that its dysfunction is a major symptom in common psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism, it's important that the field achieve a true understanding of how it works, said Mikael Lundqvist, a postdoc at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and lead author of one of the papers.

"Working memory deficits are associated with virtually every major psychiatric disorder, but if we can figure out how working memory works, we can figure out how to fix it," added corresponding author and Picower Professor Earl Miller. "Working memory is the sketchpad of consciousness. Doesn't everyone want to know how our conscious mind works?"

The opposing "Dual Perspectives" paper in the journal is led by Christos Constantinidis of the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Sharp divisions on spiking

The central issue of the debate is what happens after you hear or see what you need to remember and must then hold or control it in mind to apply it later. During that interim, or "delay period," do neurons in your brain's prefrontal cortex maintain it by persistently firing away, like an idling car engine, or do they spike in brief but coordinated bursts to store and retrieve information via the patterns of their connections, akin to how longer-term memory works?

In their essay, Lundqvist, Miller and Pawel Herman off the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm take the latter position. They argue that brief, coordinated bursts are clearly evident in the observations of the most recent experiments and that such activity can more satisfactorily produce key attributes of working memory, including efficient, independent control of multiple items with precise timing.

Importantly, Miller said, the idea that spiking during the delay period drives changes in neural connections, or synapses, reinforces the classic idea that spiking has a crucial role in working memory. The disagreement, he says, is merely that the spiking activity is not as persistent as it looks in older experiments.

"We're showing additional mechanisms by which spiking maintains working memory and gives volitional control," Miller said. "Our work doesn't argue against the idea that delay activity spiking plays a role in working memory, it adds further support. We are just saying that at a more granular level, there are some additional things going on."

For example, much of the disagreement arises from how different researchers have collected and analyzed their data. The data supporting the persistence interpretation arise mostly from analyses in which researchers averaged the firing patterns of small numbers of neurons over many working memory trials, the MIT authors said.

Averages, however, tend to smooth data out over the long term. Instead, in newer experiments, scientists have analyzed the spiking of many neurons in each individual trial. There, it's clear that as animals perform working memory tasks, populations of neurons fire in brief, coordinated bursts, Miller and Lundqvist said.

In their research, members of the Miller lab have also shown how groups of neurons are coordinated, demonstrating how a large-scale, precisely timed interplay of brain rhythms correlate with goal-directed control of working memory functions such as storing or releasing, information from being in mind.

Some of the disagreement arises from models of working memory function. That neurons fire in short, cohesive bursts in accord with circuit-wide oscillations, makes functional sense, Miller and Lundqvist argue. It uses less energy than keeping neurons firing all the time, for example, and readily explains how multiple items can be held in mind simultaneously (distinct bursts representing different pieces of information can occur at different times). Moreover, storing information in patterns of synaptic connections makes the information more resilient to distraction than if neurons are constantly trying to maintain it through activity.

"Storing information with a mixture of spiking and synapses gives the brain more flexibility," Lundqvist said. "It can juggle the activation of different memories, allowing the brain to hold multiple memories without them interfering with each other. Plus, synapses can store temporarily store memories while the spiking processes other thoughts.

"This could explain how our working memory is not erased by things that temporarily distract us," he said.

Got to get it settled

With a lot of new research activity and data coming in, Lundqvist added, it's a debate whose time has come.

"This is a good time to see what the evidence is and to determine what are the experiments that will settle this," he said. "We need more experiments to settle this. They will give us not only more insight into this question of persistence but also about working memory function."

To help research continue to move forward, the MIT paper recommends four major principles: Measuring the activity of whole populations of individual neurons; analyzing every trial separately; making the tasks animals do complex enough to require controlling multiple pieces of information; and measuring neural rhythms, not just spiking.

Explore further A new glimpse into working memory
(HealthDay)Teens, especially girls, whose parents are religious may be less likely to die by suicide, no matter how they feel about religion themselves, new research suggests.

The lower suicide risk among those raised in a religious home is independent of other common risk factors, including whether parents suffered from depression, showed suicidal behavior or divorced, the Columbia University researchers said.

The study, however, does not prove that a religious upbringing prevents suicide, only that there is an association between the two.

"We know that spiritual beliefs and practices tend to help people feel a greater sense of connection, of hope and meaning in their lives," said Melinda Moore, chairwoman of the clinical division of the American Association of Suicidology. She is also an assistant professor of psychology at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky.

In addition, spiritual communities can help people who are in crisis by giving them hope and meaning, she said. And while clergy aren't trained mental health professionals, they can refer people to appropriate care.

Moore, who had no role in the study, said some religions stigmatize suicide, but helping people who are at risk should be part of the caring these communities offer. Any community that is compassionate and caring is going to be protective, she said.

It's not that religious people don't have suicidal thoughts or take their own livesafter all, even ministers sometimes die by suicide, she said. Rather, a spiritual group may provide a valuable sense of belonging and support to those who are suffering from thoughts of self-harm.

"We know what places people at risk for suicideit's a sense of not feeling connected to a community and feeling like you're a burden and your life doesn't matter," Moore said, noting faith communities counter that. "They provide connection, making them feel they belong, that they're not a burden and that their life is importantthat's very protective."

But, she added, "they may need more than prayer and fellowship. They may need mental health care."

About 12 percent of American teens say they have had suicidal thoughts. And suicide is the leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-old girls.

For the study, Priya Wickramaratne and colleagues examined data from a three-generation study at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University. The data, spanning 30 years, included 214 children from 112 families.

Most belonged to Christian denominations and some families lived in areas with limited church choices. All were white.

Among teens who thought religion was important, researchers found a lower risk for suicide among girls but not boys. Researchers saw the same association with church attendance.

When parent and child views were weighed together, however, researchers found a lower risk for suicide among young people whose parents considered religion important.

Wickramaratne, an associate professor of biostatistics and psychiatry at Columbia University, said, "Our findings suggest that there may be alternative and additional ways to help children and adolescents at highest risk for suicidal behaviors."

She said those strategies include asking parents about their spiritual history when a child is brought in for psychiatric evaluation, and assessing the child's own religious beliefs and practicesespecially with girls.

The report was published online Aug. 8 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

More information: Priya Wickramaratne, Ph.D., associate professor, clinical biostatistics in psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City; Melinda Moore, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky., and clinical division chairwoman, American Association of Suicidology; Aug. 8, 2018, JAMA Psychiatry, online. Priya Wickramaratne, Ph.D., associate professor, clinical biostatistics in psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City; Melinda Moore, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky., and clinical division chairwoman, American Association of Suicidology; Aug. 8, 2018,, online. The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about suicide. Journal information: JAMA Psychiatry

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Radiotherapy is associated with 40% of all cancer cures. Credit: University of Technology, Sydney

Radiotherapy is an important form of treatment for cancer patients but, currently, treatment is largely "one size fits all." However, a new study points to the potential for treatment to become more tailored to the tumour.

More than half of all cancer patients receive some form of radiotherapy, and radiation treatment accounts for approximately 40 percent of all cancer cures.

Despite this high success rate, and the fact that some cancers simply melt away after radiation, while others are stubbornly resistant, there is still no regulatory approval for any test to determine how a particular tumour in a specific cancer patient is likely to respond to radiation treatment.

Now a new study of seven cancer types, using sophisticated laser-based metallomics, reveals that the manganese content of tumours may provide a rapid way to determine which tumours are more likely to respond to radiotherapy.

This completely new approach to cancer diagnostics breaks the mould of the essentially one-size-fits-all radiation treatment, allowing a personalised determination of the key properties of a tumour.

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) based research stems from observations that certain bacteria survive massive doses of radiation by using manganese to chemically scavenge the very damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Professor Philip Doble, Director of the UTS Elemental Bio-imaging Facility, said this resulted in considering the importance of manganese in human tumours.

"Together with Dr. George Miklos, who co-authored the study, we both pursued this area, reasoning that the fundamental chemical properties of manganese should apply to human cancers, and that high levels of manganese should act as a 'protective shield' in certain types of tumours making them more resistant to ionising radiation."

Using an elemental imaging technology called LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry), Professor Doble analysed patient samples from different human tumour types where radiation resistance had been documented. For example, advanced brain cancers are notoriously radiation resistant, while some testicular cancers are exquisitely sensitive to radiotherapy.

"Of the seven cancers we tested, brain and testicular represent bookends, if you like, for radio-responsiveness. We measured the manganese content in tumour samples to see if the amount of manganese present was associated with patient survival. It turns out that it was."

The authors say that the major outcome of the study is that measurements of manganese levels, and their distribution, in the seven tumour types tested could provide a clinically useful measure of the probability of a particular tumour's response to radiotherapy, as well as the probability of cancer reoccurrence in that patient.

The implications of this novel research for cancer are so far reaching that Professor Doble says "manganesebased diagnostics could become the preeminent tool in clinical radiotherapy."

To take the research to the next stage, and to better understand how manganese-based radiation shields vary in their efficacy in different patients , samples from more patients with detailed histories of radiation treatment will be examined.

The tumour types tested in the study were from: testis, lung, brain, skin, mesothelium, prostrate and breast. The results of the study were published in Metallomics.

Explore further Correcting tiny differences in patient's position for radiotherapy could increase survival chances

More information: Philip A. Doble et al. Distributions of manganese in diverse human cancers provide insights into tumour radioresistance, Metallomics (2018). Journal information: Metallomics Philip A. Doble et al. Distributions of manganese in diverse human cancers provide insights into tumour radioresistance,(2018). DOI: 10.1039/C8MT00110C
A table from the report that shows strongly disapproving attitudes toward marijuana have dropped between 2013 and 2017. Credit: Drexel University

With Pennsylvania now among the majority of states in legalizing medical marijuana, a new report shows that young people's attitudes toward pot have become more positive in recent years.

But that shift in attitudes doesn't seem to have affected use.

"While what we found shows that attitudes toward marijuana are becoming more accepting, or normalized, use has not increased," said Philip Massey, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, who head up the report. "This is important because many people fear that legalizing marijuana will lead to greater use and potential abuse."

The report, a datasheet put together by the Pennsylvania State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (which Massey chairs) explored access, use and how Pennsylvanians thought about marijuana in the years before and after it was legalized for medical use in 2016.

In Pennsylvanians between 12 and 17 years old, the rate of those who strongly disagreed with marijuana use dropped from 60.7 percent in 2013 to 53.3 percent in 2017. Over the same period, the rate of Pennsylvania youths who thought their parents would feel that it was "very wrong" to smoke marijuana dropped from 81.2 to 75.4 percent.

Additionally, the rate of young people who said they would never try marijuana dropped from 71 percent in 2013 to 62.2 in 2017, with those unsure about whether or not they would want to try it growing from 6.7 to 10.3 percent.

At the same time, the rate of youths who had at least one best friend smoke marijuana over the last year grew by only about one percentage point, from 30.7 to just 31.9. And young people didn't seem to think the difficulty of getting marijuana changed very much even after it was approved for medical use, with 53.9 percent saying it was "very hard" to acquire in 2013 and 55 percent saying so in 2017.

"Of course, we need to continue to monitor this trend, but these preliminary data tell me that the people who need marijuana for medical purposes are the ones benefitting from this law," Massey said. "It doesn't appear to be affecting youth use."

Overall, this report showing greater potential acceptance for marijuana could ultimately benefit patients.

"This may result in less stigma towards individuals who benefit from the medicinal properties of marijuana," Massey concluded. "This is important in the health sector, but could also extend to other sectors, such as the criminal justice system where certain populations have historically suffered disproportionately higher arrest rates."

A chart featured in the report that shows adult marijuana-related arrests have remained relatively unchanged, but youth arrests have declined dramatically. Credit: Drexel University

Some Arrest Rates Falling, But Disparities Remain

While the workgroup's datasheet showed that arrest rates related to marijuana in Pennsylvania remained relatively unchanged from 2010 through 2016, juvenile arrest rates fell sharply. In 2010, there were 112.3 marijuana-related arrests per 100,000, but that fell all the way down to 79.6 in 2016.

Massey pointed to the recent downgrade in possible charges for marijuana possession in Pennsylvania's two biggest cities as potential factors in this decline.

"It may be related to the decriminalization of marijuana in Philadelphia2013and Pittsburgh2016," Massey said. "This policy change may have impacted juveniles more than adults."

And as for racial disparities in arrests, the numbers showed a narrowing in recent years.

Black adults were 5.88 times as likely to be arrested than whites when it came to marijuana in 2010, but that fell to 3.72 in 2016. In juveniles, the disparity fell from 2.49 to 1.45 over the same time period.

"What is promising is that the disparity is decreasing," Massey said. "However, we cannot be satisfied with just a decrease but rather should aim for an elimination. That should be the goal."

Although arrest rates don't, at the surface, appear to be related to health, Massey, who studies community health and prevention, pointed out that public health is fundamentally about reducing disparities that might play a role in people's well-being.

Arrests would fall into such a category.

"The arrest data are an important piece of the puzzle, as there is clear inequality," Massey said. "The medical marijuana law that was created for medical and health purposes may have unintended benefits in other sectors like criminal justice."

Explore further Decriminalizing pot doesn't lead to increased use by young people
Even when sexual assault evidence kits, known as a 'rape kit' are available in hospitals, less than a third of those assaulted go through with the full procedure and release the forensic evidence to the police, reveals research published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.

Hospitals need to step up their efforts to help survivors of sexual assault secure justice in an often complex and stigmatising legal system, which contributes to a high attrition rate along the way and relatively few convictions, say the researchers.

In Canada alone, only 33 out of every 1000 cases of sexual assault are reported to the police. Only six lead to prosecution, of which three end up with a conviction.

Hospital emergency departments are often the first point of contact after a sexual assault. And the forensic evidence collected there from bodily fluids, fingernail scrapings, and DNA clothing samples (the rape kit) is essential for pursuing a prosecution in rape cases.

Yet many obstacles prevent survivors from accessing care and completing the rape kit process, say the researchers.

To find out more about the volume of cases and patterns of forensic evidence collection in hospital, the researchers drew on case registry data from the Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Programme throughout 2015.

This programme is run by the emergency care department at Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, which is the only regional facility to offer rape kits.

In 2015, 406 patients from the Ottawa area were seen by the programme, nearly two thirds of whom (64.5%, 262) had been sexually assaulted.

Most (91.5%) of these cases were among women with an average age of 24, but ranging from 16 up to 80.

Drugs or alcohol had been involved in over half of the cases (53.5%). This can affect accurate recall of events, and is often used to undermine the survivor's credibility in court, the researchers point out.

A similar proportion (54.5%, 110) involved a known assailant or intimate partner. In 16 cases, several assailants had been involved. Most assaults had taken place in the victim's or assailant's home, although 1 in 20 incidents happened in student dorms.

Most sexual assault survivors (77%, 202) were eligible for a rape kit. Eligibility hinges on sampling being done within 24 hours to 12 days of the incident, depending on the type of assault.

But only 129 (64%) of those eligible completed the process and less than a third (30%, 60) subsequently handed over the forensic evidence to the police.

Young people aged between 16 and 24 were more than twice as likely to go through with the process, while those seeking care within 24 hours were also more likely to do so.

Those who didn't know their assailant, or who were unsure of their identity were more than three times as likely to release the rape kit evidence to the police, as were those who had been assaulted outdoors.

Going through with a rape kit can be invasive and potentially traumatic, and many survivors don't complete it because they are afraid of the process itself and/or going to court, say the researchers.

Sexual assault survivors need to be properly supported in emergency care departments, preferably by a dedicated sexual assault and domestic violence team, to help quell any fears they have and improve uptake of forensic evidence collection, they suggest.

"[Our] findings highlight a high case volume of sexual assault patients and describe hospital-based attrition points before entering the justice system," write the researchers. Ensuring that [emergency departments] are adequately equipped to provide comprehensive care to sexual assault survivors is a clinical imperative."

They add: "Achieving just outcomes is of critical importance."

Explore further 4 in 5 adolescent girls have a mental health disorder following sexual assault

More information: Achieving just outcomes: forensic evidence collection in emergency department sexual assault cases, Emergency Medicine Journal (2018). Journal information: Emergency Medicine Journal Achieving just outcomes: forensic evidence collection in emergency department sexual assault cases,(2018). DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2018-207485
(HealthDay)Allergies and asthma can make the start of the new school year a challenge for kids who aren't prepared to deal with flare-ups, an allergist warns.

"Every age group is different in how much they can handle when it comes to protecting themselves from flare-ups due to allergies and asthma while at school, as well as severe allergic reactions from food allergies," said Dr. Bradley Chipps. He is president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

"But every student wants to feel good and be free from their triggers when they're away from home," he added in an ACAAI news release.

Here are tips from the organization that can help:

Children from pre-kindergarten to 4th grade. These young students need their parents to speak on their behalf. Talk with your child's teachers before school starts to inform them of your child's allergies and the kind of reaction they might have to allergens in the classroom.

Meet with the school nurse and administrators to create a health plan for your child. Also, tour the classroom to identify possible allergy triggers, such as wall-to-wall carpeting or a class pet.

Children in grades 5 to 8. At this age, children can likely speak up for themselves about possible allergens in the classroom, cafeteria or other areas of the school. But when you fill out your child's school registration, be sure to note if they have allergies or asthma, need to carry medications or need to avoid certain foods.

All states allow students to carry and use medications for asthma and severe allergic reactions. Your child should know how to use these medications in an emergency.

High school students. Teens probably know how to handle their allergy and asthma medications, but they may be too self-conscious to carry or use them. Parents of high school students should encourage them to regard self-care as a "next step" in their journey toward independence.

Going off to college? Young adults will have to assume much more responsibility for managing their allergy or asthma. For example, he or she might need to contact school administrators to discuss necessary arrangements for dorm living and meals. Students who will be living far from home may have to find a new allergist and pharmacy.

Explore further Sending children with food allergies to school can be stressful

More information: SOURCE: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, news release, July 30, 2018 SOURCE: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, news release, July 30, 2018 The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on allergies and asthma.

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
For several years, Wilmot Cancer Institute scientist Catherine Ovitt, Ph.D., has been investigating ways to protect and regenerate the salivary gland, which can be damaged during radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. Her lab's latest study focuses on the cells that secrete salivadiscovering the ways in which several different cell populations have the potential to restore salivary gland function.

The research suggests the exciting possibility that scientists could stimulate the surviving cells in the salivary gland as a strategy to repair the damage from radiation, says Ovitt, an associate professor of Biomedical Genetics and in the Center for Oral Biology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

This is good news for the nearly 65,000 people who develop head and neck cancer in the U.S. each year. Most of them suffer from debilitating dry mouth (known as xerostomia) due to permanent loss of the cells that produce saliva, resulting in tooth decay, oral infections, and impaired taste and speech. Read Ovitt's full scientific study published in the journal Cell Reports.

Credit: University of Rochester Medical Center

Explore further Rebuilding the salivary gland after radiation

More information: Pei-Lun Weng et al. Limited Regeneration of Adult Salivary Glands after Severe Injury Involves Cellular Plasticity, Cell Reports (2018). Journal information: Cell Reports Pei-Lun Weng et al. Limited Regeneration of Adult Salivary Glands after Severe Injury Involves Cellular Plasticity,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.016
The sale of semi-automatic magazine-fed rifles, their booster accessories, and high volume ammunition, should be strictly regulated, to halt the "senseless" firearms violence that plagues the United States, say trauma surgeons in their manifesto for curbing gun injury, published online in the journal Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open.

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Board of Managers recognises that firearm ownership is a constitutionally protected right in the US, but insists that steps must be taken by the federal government and professional bodies to protect the nation from the physical and psychological harms associated with firearm violence.

Trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans up to the age of 45. Gun injuries account for more than 38,000 deaths and at least 85,000 non-fatal injuries every year in the US, affecting "countless families and communities," says the AAST executive.

"As trauma surgeons, we see and abhor this pain and suffering on a daily basis," it says.

"The root of the problem is a complex interaction of firearm access, behavioral health, and a culture tolerant of aggression," all of which adds up to "an unacceptable public health problem."

Research, innovation, technology and cooperation are needed to systematically tackle this crisis in much the same way that these approaches have successfully driven down car crash deaths by 27 percent over the past 20 years, it says.

To that end, the AAST has produced a manifesto containing 14 recommendations for all branches of government and professional organizations to adopt "in an attempt to stem the tide of deaths from firearm violence and support safe firearm ownership."

These include:

Strengthening the criminal record checks system

Applying these checks to all firearm sales

Standardising the waiting period between gun purchase and delivery

Promoting responsible firearm ownership with safety training

Strict regulation of the sale of semi automatics, booster accessories, such as trigger activators, and high volume ammunition

Reporting all firearm sales to the appropriate agency

Obliging gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons to the police

Removing firearms from those accused of domestic violence and those threatening violence until such time as their cases have been heard/issues resolved

"We think it is imperative that we work together to make our population safe from injury due to firearm violence. These actions, while not definitive, are a start towards a safer, stronger, and more united America," says the AAST.

More information: Editorial: AAST statement on firearm injury, Editorial: AAST statement on firearm injury, DOI: 10.1136/tsaco-2018-000204
Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito is set to make an official visit to France on Sept. 7-15.

The schedule of the trip, his fourth to the European country, was reported to Tuesday's cabinet meeting. This will be his first official visit to France. Crown Prince Naruhito last toured the nation in September 1991.

The French government offered an invitation for the visit, with this year marking the 160th anniversary of the conclusion of the Japan-France amity and commerce treaty.

Crown Princess Masako, who is receiving treatment for stress-related illness, will not accompany her husband, due to possible negative impacts on her health from the long-haul trip, informed sources said.

According to the Imperial Household Agency, Crown Prince Naruhito will arrive in Lyon, southeastern France, on a government jet on Sept. 7, and make a day trip to a winery in the nearby Bourgogne region and a research facility in Grenoble, also southeastern France.
ARCHIVED - Spain begins to tighten up on open arms migration policy



Signs of EU pressure being brought to bear as the latest refugees are denied special privileges

The issue of migration, immigration and refugees has been very much in the spotlight in recent months since the abrupt change in the Spanish government in early May, with the open arms policy of Pedro Sanchezs administration drawing applause from some quarters and scathing criticism from others.

While on the one hand thousands of migrants have been picked up in the Strait of Gibraltar and off the coast of Andalucia over the last three months before being interned in detention centres prior to probable deportation, on the other hand the government has opened up Spanish ports to rescue vessels picking up refugees off the coast of Libya in the central and eastern Mediterranean. The most widely publicized instance of this policy was in June, when 630 migrants on board the Aquarius were allowed to sail to Valencia and were then granted temporary residence permits lasting 45 days, during which time they could file their requests for asylum.

Similarly, when the Open Arms vessel arrived in Barcelona in early July with 60 more rescued migrants on board, they were offered 30-day permits, in sharp contrast with attitude of the governments of Italy and Malta, where rescue vessels of this kind are refused permission to dock.

But now there are signs that the Spanish policy of welcoming those rescued on humanitarian grounds is beginning to change and tighten up, perhaps in response to guarded criticism from the EU. In an interview published in national newspaper recently Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commissioner for Migration, applauded Spains positive humanitarian gestures, but also warned that things cannot continue this way.

Thus, following the news that the Open Arms vessel is again to be allowed to reach port in Spain, this time in Algeciras, it has also been announced that the 87 migrants on board will not be afforded special privileges like those given to their predecessors. They will be taken to a refugee camp in the area and will then be treated in the same way as those who are picked up in the Strait of Gibraltar, the aim being to repatriate them where possible.

That is to say, they will remain in police custody for a maximum of 72 hours, during which time they can request asylum if they wish to.

It is worth pointing out that 84 of the 87 are from Sudan or South Sudan, an area in which armed conflict has escalated recently.

In some ways it was not hard to see this announcement coming, from the moment that the decision was made to direct the Open Arms to Algeciras, which is on the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. For the rescue vessel that means a voyage of some three days, whereas it could have reached port in Barcelona or Valencia in under 24 hours, and as a result the migrants will have been on board the ship for a week when they finally reach land.

However, the government is not admitting a change of policy: Consuelo Rumi, the Secretary of State for Migration, explains that the Aquarius was a humanitarian emergency but that times are changing and new protocols for dealing with such cases are being established.

It is worth pointing out that this weekend Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is meeting his German counterpart Angela Merkel in Donana, not far from Algeciras, and that although the meeting is officially an informal one the topic of the EUs immigration policy is likely to be discussed. In late June the German Chancellor was under pressure from her parliamentary allies to tighten up on immigration, and was offered a lifeline by Sr Sanchez when he agreed to offer homes to refugees who had made their way to Germany via the Iberian Peninsula.

Image: some of those on board the Open Arms as it heads towards Algeciras

Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/

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The South African Post Office (SAPO) has a reputation of slow delivery times and lost packages, which means South Africans avoid using the service unless they have no other choice.

To see whether the Post Offices poor reputation is deserved, MyBroadband tested its letter delivery service.

For the test, MyBroadband members sent letters from across South Africa to the Lyttelton Post Office  and we tracked how long these letters took to arrive.

The members who sent the letters also provided feedback on their experience at their Post Office branches.

Posting a letter

There were mixed experiences from users when sending a letter via the Post Office, which were dependent on which branch was used.

While many reported that they had horrible experiences, others remarked that the service at their local Post Office was fast and friendly.

The negative feedback from the MyBroadband members is below.

My experience was poor. Only one teller was open, there were no working credit card facilities, and there were no envelopes. I had to go the PNA to purchase envelopes. The Post Office was a horrid place, with very slow and incompetent people, which means it took 20 minutes to send a letter. Using the Post Office was a horrible experience, and the branch which I used had no envelopes or stamps.

There was also positive feedback, although these experiences were the exception.

The Ballito Post Office offered great service  a quick and painless experience which took about five minutes. I had initially gone to the Kraaifontein branch, but the queue was long  there were over 10 people and there was only one counter open. I then decided to go to the Stellenbosch branch instead and there were no queues.

The test results

MyBroadband logged all the sent letters and tracked them to see how long it takes for a letter to arrive in our postbox.

The findings to date show that only one letter has arrived  which was sent via Fastmail in the neighbourhood next to our local Post Office.

After over a week of waiting, none of the other letters have arrived, independent of whether they were sent via Fastmail or normal mail.

The graphic below provides an overview of the results of MyBroadbands Post Office Test.

It must be noted that this experiment continues, and updates will be provided going forward.

The Post Office silent on delivery times

MyBroadband contacted the South African Post Office regarding the letter delivery test, but the company did not provide feedback.

The Post Office also did not answer questions about its Fastmail service.
Quality and firmness are important factors when choosing a mattress, considering the probability that it will be slept on for a good number of years and that a mattress can affect our health and posture.

However, with the massive amount of beds out there and their different, but very similar, features, customers are overwhelmed and left uncertain about whether the comfort level will be right for them.

Some try to test the bed for a few minutes in-store, but this doesnt give a good sense of how comfortable the customer will really sleep on it at home.

For Sloom CEO Rudo Kemp, while in the retail industry and before starting his new company, selling beds was a big frustration for these very reasons.

After witnessing the industry pains, and watching the booming markets overseas, Kemp decided to make it his mission to understand every detail and composition of a bed, and find a way to simplify the mattress buying experience for customers.

Sloom mattress  the mattress-in-a-box

In 2015, Kemp started with the idea of incorporating different comfort layers within a single mattress, and in 2016 the South African mattress brand Sloom was established.

What started as a turn mattress with two different comfort levels  one on each side  later became a customisable mattress called Sloom Original with four different levels, each layer contributing to the firmness of the mattress.

The agship mattress, which is packed in an easy-to-handle box, takes the hassle out of choosing a bed, as it allows customers to change the rmness level of their mattress in the comfort of their home.

According to Kemp, Sloom Original is far superior to any other mattress in the same price range, because of its versatility.

The four different customisable layers  firm, medium firm, medium, and soft  inside the mattress can be rearranged according to firmness preference. For example, those who prefer a soft comfort surface can place the foam layer marked as soft facing upwards. The sequence of the foam underneath is insignificant.

Another advantage for Sloom customers is that the two sides of the Queen and King-sized Sloom mattresses can be split and flipped independently, so each person can choose their own level of comfort  eliminating arguments about which bed to choose.

The bed-in-a-box concept, however, isnt new, as the industry booms overseas with brands like Casper and Leesa revolutionising the bed industry. In South Africa, however, the bed industry has stagnated with little to no innovation.

Sloom is not only one of the first mattress-in-a-box brands, but we are also a locally-manufactured, proudly South African brand, with a unique design that allows clients to perfect their comfort preference at home, said Kemp.

Other Sloom mattress features

The Sloom mattress is 100% made in South Africa and comes with a 20-year service warranty.

Made from premium-quality foam, the Sloom mattress is durable and can effectively hold individuals weighing up to 150kg on most modern bases.

Acceptable foundations include solid wood platforms, slated bases with slats no less than 5cm in width, and gaps no more than 8cm apart, as well as other adjustable bases.

Occurrences where a base would be unacceptable is if the foundation cant keep the mattress level while laying on it.

Test the mattress with Slooms 100-night trial

With Sloom, customers can try out the mattress for 100 nights at home, risk free  far better than the 15-minute test you will get in a mattress store.

Slooms 100-night trial allows customers to test and determine whether the mattress is what theyre looking for. We guarantee comfort and if a client is not satisfied within their 100-night trial, a free return and pick up will be arranged, said Kemp.

Sloom also offers a compatible Sloom base, and Sloom pillows made from premium memory foam chips for soft support in a luxurious knitted cover.

For more information, or to order, visit the Sloom website. Delivery is free of charge, and orders ship in 3-5 days.
Dear Readers:

In our last column, Guilt by Association from July 26, we answered a question about the re-appearance of association health plans.

These are commonly called Multiple Employer Trusts and they allow employers in a like industry to pool their employees and act as a private insurance carrier.

The one we had experience with was primarily for Chamber of Commerce members in different areas of the state and it worked wellfor a while.

The point of the column was that these types of plans seemed to be making a comeback after being expressly forbidden by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Through an executive order last October, the plans were expressly allowed.

But, not so fast! Our Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, joined other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit in federal court.

The 12 attorneys general are suing the Trump administration in an effort to again restrict association health plans.

The other states in the suit are New York, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. (I know, not a state), Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

The central argument against the plans is that employees would get fewer health benefits than required by law.

The law, ACA/Obamacare, is still in effect and has a mandate that all health plans must include what is called the Ten Essential Health Benefits.

The ACA says that these benefits be covered without annual dollar caps, i.e., unlimited.

Here are the categories: outpatient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services; prescription drugs; rehabilitative services; laboratory services; preventive services and chronic disease management; pediatric dental and vision.

Since association plans can tailor their health coverage plans how they want to, and since proponents of the ACA describe the 10 essential benefits as part of a consumer protection package, Becerra said association plans would lead to employers offering junk plans.

Speaking of junk, heres a statement from California State Senate Health Committee Chairman Ed Hernandez regarding the short-term health plans that are available online, but do not comply with ACA guidelines:

These policies are junk insurance. They are confusing, misleading, barely cover any services, and give people a false sense of coverage. The Trump Administration continues to compromise our health care and destabilize Californias insurance market, but I wont stand for it. SB 910 is desperately needed. Prohibiting junk insurance in California will ensure that we dont go back to the days before the ACA when patients could go into debt from their care or be denied coverage completely.

Anthony Wright, of Health Access California, said his coalition of labor, consumers and other advocacy groups support banning short-term plans, expanding state coverage to include more undocumented immigrants and having a state-only individual mandate.

There is still a lot of interest in a California single-payer plan.

Meanwhile, the federal Health and Human Services department has recently approved allowing short-term health insurance to go from 90 days to 364 days.

Submit questions to schrette@gmail.com or alancash@gmail.com.
If you are one of the many people who feel our current political scene is in chaos and would like to see a change, but dont know where to begin, speakers at the recent Womens Summit Napa Valley have some practical advice.

Number one is speak up, even if it means risking getting out of your comfort zone.

Rather than be a bystander, do something. Make your voice heard, said Beth Lincoln, founder of Women Stand  Up St. Helena.

Lincoln was host of the Womens Summit Napa Valley which took place Saturday at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. Also speaking were Janice Jackson, education policy maker in the Clinton Administration and public school leader in the Boston area school districts, and Delaine Eastin, former Superintendent of Public Schools in California and former candidate for governor.

If you are not participating, they (elected officials) will only hear the other voices. Individual voices are effective. Calls saying vote yes or no matter. They keep track  every voice counts no matter how it is conveyed, said Napa County Supervisor Diane Dillon, also speaking at the event.

About 150 women and a handful of men attended the interactive event designed for participants to take away some kind of plan for political action. Although the event was directed at women, the message was universal: How do you advocate for legislation, put your message into action, instead of just ranting and raving.

We can have all the voices and talks we want, and then someone else goes and makes all the decisions, Jackson said. Be clear about where you stand and know who you are and where your sources of power are.

Speaking of the president Jackson said, We live in chaotic times. Some blame Trump, but he just opened the gates to something that was already there. This is the time to wake up and say who are we and what does it mean to be a democracy. Fear is not a stopping point but a stepping stone along the way. If we want change, we need to be fearless and risk discomfort to do action.

There are many ways to make your voice heard, Dillon said, whether with a phone call or email, group form letters, canvasing neighborhoods for support, or attending town meetings. The most effective way to get your voice heard, however, is through direct meetings with officials.

More than likely you will, at least at first, meet with a legislators staffer.

Its equally as efficient to meet with a staffer. Legislators dont read (constituents presentations), Dillon said. And staffers are likely to be more sympathetic than their bosses.

Dillon elaborated on six key points to make your case and lobby elected officials:

Attention-getting graphic

Create or find something that illustrates your point and catches peoples attention.

A catch phrase or sound bite

Create a specific summary phrase the legislator will remember. Something like Save the Lost Coast. And no one has heard your message until you hear it back three times, Dillon said.

Know your audience

Do the research. Know who the recipient of your message is. Are they a lawyer? Are they religious? Do you have anything in common? Go on Facebook, LinkedIn, and learn about the staffer and the official to tailor the presentation. If you know about them, it creates a bonding opportunity.

Be succinct

Do not at first present any written material. You want them to listen to what you have to say. Dont tell a story, peoples attention spans are short. Respect their time, as you might only have five minutes to present your idea. Then leave behind one to two pages with the details including your contact information near the top.

Speak their lingo, not yours

Listen to speeches the legislator has given and adjust your pitch to fit into the bill you are concerned about. Communicate in a way they can understand.

Be specific

Dont ramble. Keep your message topic-specific. Also, never be negative. Lobbying is like sales; youre selling a message. Be specific. If there is time you can tell a story.

As a follow-up strategy, send a thank you email or one written on letterhead. Follow the bill and as it progresses and changes get back to the staffer.

Lincoln and Jackson stepped in for guest speaker Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who cancelled at the last moment. Lee, who represents Californias 13th congressional district, Oakland, is known for being the sole dissenting voice in Congress for not going to war after the 9/11 attacks.

Also at the event was Kathryn Zdan, who performed Lauren Gundersons one-person play Natural Shocks. Gunderson stated, We are the undeniable force of nature that will light up this darkness and change it forever.

Booths representing the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, Napa Valley College, Soroptimist, Girls on the Run, and Moms Demand Action also were present at the event.

You can reach Cynthia Sweeney at csweeney@weeklycalistogan.com or 942-4035.

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Guests at Napas Angele Restaurant may have believed theyd been transported to the South of France on the evening of July 29.

Accompanying the travelers on their journey was the expert in-house staff led by owner Bettina Rouas and executive chef, Patrick Kelly, along with guest appearances by Michelin-star-rated French chef, Stephane Tournie of Les Jardins de lOpera in Toulouse, France, and five Napa Valley French winemakers.

The experience tonight was both extraordinary and transportive, said Bob Bath, a guest at the dinner and professor of wine and beverage studies at the Culinary Institute of Americas Greystone campus in St. Helena.

The Napa Valley is the epicenter of Americas wine industry, and its wonderful how Bettina and her crew have created a night that has seamlessly integrated our global connectedness with the French culture of food and wine.

To pull off the event that provided a prix fixe dinner for nearly 100, the two chefs had spent days working in the kitchen, refining the menu and even traveling to Marins expansive farmers market on the Thursday before to gather fresh produce.

I sat down at the market with Tournie to discuss his background and his approach to the menu.

Our family was coming to America on holiday and our friend (Melanie Thomas) had suggested that we cook one night at Angele, he said. Early in my career I cooked in Chicago and Asia, but Id never been to Napa. Id always heard about the quality of the food and produce, and its been impressive to see just how true that is. We ate at the French Laundry last night, and I can tell you that I have a lot of things to do when I get back to France  I am inspired.

For the evenings meal, Tournie cooked two dishes  one a signature dish from his menu at Les Jardins de lOpera and the other a traditional Toulousian lamb dish with beans.

I wanted to show what people might find when they visit our region of the South of France, he said. I brought the beans over (haricots Tarbais), which are traditionally served with roasted lamb. But I also will be serving foie gras and oysters that have been poached in a lemongrass-ginger broth, which speaks to my travels.

The other dishes served were crafted by Kelly, a veteran Angele chef who has served three tours of duty, recently returning after a few years spent opening restaurants in California and Colorado.

Its nice to be back at Angele  it feels like home, he said. And here you have a perfect example of what makes this place so fun to be a part of  Bettina has created an environment where the team is putting out some fantastic, consistently great French-bistro-inspired food on a daily basis but then taking things to another level by having these types of collaborative dinners, both with chefs and also these winemakers.

Each of the six courses was paired with a wine made by a local French-born winemaker, including Julien Fayard and Stephane Vivier.

The French community has always been tight in the Napa Valley, said Vivier, owner of Vivier Wines. As French winemakers we all grew up with a common sense of having wine at the table. This dinner shows how well these wines pair with a wide array of dishes. We (the local French winemakers) are a well-integrated bunch, and we love showcasing Napa while also keeping our roots in our heart.

Deep French roots

Rouas grew up in the Bay Area and the Napa Valley. She comes from a long line of restaurateurs. Her father, Claude, owned one of San Franciscos most exclusive French Restaurants, LEtoile, and also Napas Auberge du Soleil restaurant and resort in the hills above Rutherford.

Before opening up her own, Rouas had always worked at restaurants. Locally at Auberge, French Laundry, Bistro Don Giovanni and Bistro Jeanty. She had also spent four years in Paris, where she lived in a tiny, one-room apartment above Chez Angele, spending her free time talking with her aunt.

She learned about her familys roots and about how her father had grown up penniless as one of six children in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. How hed gone to hotel school when he was 14 and then moved to Paris after his parents died. There he lived with that very aunt while he worked in restaurants before eventually immigrating to America.

Sometimes we forget just how connected the Napa and French cultures really are, said Thomas, owner of Sommel, a sommelier advising company. My company seeks to bring wine education and unique gastronomic experiences to help explore and celebrate our shared histories and interests.

It is not unheard of to bring in guest chefs and winemakers to participate in special dinners. However, what felt unique about this experience was that two chefs worked together to craft a menu that was seamless in both execution and profile. Never did it feel like a dish was out of place.

The wines also had a consistent thread, and the majority paired perfectly with each dish. Two of the standout wines were a wonderful 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Empreinte from Fayard. With only 150 cases made, the wine showed a richness and expressiveness that when matched with the guest chefs signature dish brought out a briny, savory note that was otherwise hidden.

The 2016 Vivier Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was silky and supple with red cherry and aromatics of earthy mushrooms mixing with Chinese five spice, all highlighting a delightful nuttiness within the Tarbais beans of the lamb course.

After the meal had concluded, servers brought a traditional glass of liqueur de violets to the table, its vivid purple color diluted only slightly by a splash of water. This liqueur is made with Armagnac and flavored with an aromatic infusion of violets and vanilla and was created by the Benoit Serres family in the southeast of Toulouse.

Beyond the good food and wine, what made the Angele evening of gastronomy so special was that it provided one of the rare opportunities to gather around the table and celebrate not what makes us different but instead what makes us alike.

From such experiences I continue to gain a deeper appreciation for the French and California lifestyles, the deep connection between our cultures, Rouas said. The idea for this dinner came from Melanie, but I hope to continue the dinners as a way to explore and celebrate our connections.
Joseph Brooks Conkright, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for killing his mother in their Berryessa Highlands home almost four years ago, is seeking resentencing in Napa County Superior Court this month.

Conkright, 23, has been in jail or prison since being arrested on Dec. 8, 2014, the day a shot fired from his rifle killed his mother, Danae Dee Conkright, 54.

During a four-week jury trial in 2016, Conkrights attorney, Matthew C. Bishop, argued that Conkright was cleaning his AR-15 when dropped it on the table in front of his mother, misfired and killed her.

The jury came back with their verdict after deliberating for less than a day. Conkright was acquitted of murder and convicted of involuntary manslaughter and illegal possession of an assault weapon.

The jury also concluded that Conkright personally used an assault weapon during the commission of the crime. That special allegation, which can carry an additional prison sentence of up to 10 years, was taken into consideration during Conkrights sentencing. He was sentenced to three years for involuntary manslaughter, five years for personal use of an assault weapon, and a concurrent term of two years for illegal possession of an assault weapon.

In his appeal, Conkright challenged the imposition of the personal use enhancement, argued that the prosecutor engaged in prejudicial misconduct during closing arguments, and asserted that, because of a recent amendment to California law, he must be remanded for resentencing.

Previously, the court could not strike or dismiss the enhancement  even in the interest of justice  during sentencing. Since Conkrights sentencing, that section has been amended. Now, Bishop says, the court has the power to dismiss Conkrights special allegations and sentence him as if he were convicted of only involuntary manslaughter and illegal possession of an assault weapon.

The First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco agreed that Conkright was entitled to be remanded for resentencing based on the amendment, but disagreed with his other claims.

Just because the jury didnt find Conkright guilty of murder, the Appeals Court noted, doesnt meant that they didnt think he intentionally fired the gun. And, it noted, just because he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter doesnt mean the jury agreed with Bishops theory that the weapon misfired after being dropped.

Conkright has been transferred back to Napa County, with his next hearing scheduled for Aug. 23.

Since hes been in prison, Conkright has completed college courses and is doing extremely well, Bishop told the Register.

Ive always maintained this was an accident, Bishop said. If the special allegation is dismissed, it would take a sizable term off his sentence.

If the enhancement is dismissed, Conkright could be released based on time already served.

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More than 70,000 people have been taken to hospitals across Japan since late April with symptoms of heatstroke.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says the number is the largest on record for a single year.

The Agency says 71,266 people were rushed to hospital between the end of April and last Sunday. The number is nearly double that of a similar period last year.

The figure has already surpassed the previous record of more than 58,000 between June and September 2013.

The Agency also says, in the week through Sunday, more than 13,000 people were taken to hospital due to heatstroke.

Thirteen of them died, and more than 4,300 people were admitted.

Nearly half of those taken to hospital were aged 65 or older.

The internal affairs ministry advises people to use air conditioners properly and to keep well hydrated. Officials warn that elderly people need to take special care, as they can become dehydrated without realizing.

They are also asking people to call an ambulance quickly if they see someone having a seizure or losing consciousness.
In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, many American leftistsincluding quite a few members of the Democratic Partyregarded the Soviet Union through a pink-tinted filter of earnestly held ideals. The USSR was a socialist paradise, a place run by gruff but honest workers who were doing away with the economic and political injustices that plagued the United States.

The appeal of this vision was so powerful that many who clung to it had trouble confronting the brutal realities of the Soviet system. True believers dismissed the reports of famines, purges and concentration camps as capitalist propaganda, and scorned those who did the reporting as Whites or reactionaries or even fascistsin outright denial that many who first began to speak out about their experiences of Stalinism were ex-communists or socialists themselves.

I was reminded of those reality-averse leftists this weekend, when I saw a photo that was making the rounds on the internet. The photo showed two older American men wearing identical T-shirts with the slogan Id rather be a Russian than Democrat. Both were clearly pleased with themselvesthey were clearly enjoying the feeling of trolling their presumed liberal opponents.

Yet, their prank still tells you a lot. Its a reflection of the extent to which the Republican Party has now swung behind President Donald Trumps extraordinary Russophilia.

The trend isnt new, of course. For years, weve seen American conservatives cultivating ties with Russian counterparts who seem to embody all the cool things they cant get at home: contempt for political correctness, the unapologetic defense of Christian values and rule by a macho strongman who sneers at journalists, gays and liberal snowflakes of all varieties.

The American right is mistaken, however, when it idealizes Russian President Vladimir Putin as a defender of conservative values. Whatever values Putin has are entirely situationalhell do whatever it takes to boost Russias power and his own (because the two are intertwined). And clueless Republicans have given him a wonderful opening to exploit.

Take the case of Maria Butina, the alleged Russian agent who cultivated contacts with the National Rifle Association as a supposed gun rights activist from Siberia. Had anyone at the NRA troubled to ask, that person could have easily learned that her country has strict gun-control policies. Kremlin officials would never tolerate a genuine grass-roots challenge to that principle. But they do know what Republicans want to hear.

American evangelicals who come to Russia seeking allies in the fight against unbelief have proven equally gullible. Their official interlocutor, the Russian Orthodox Church, had a long history of collaboration with the Soviet regime, one that extends into the present. The church is less a religious community than an arm of the state, which repays that loyalty by making life hard for potential rivals. Putin would never allow evangelical Protestants or Catholics to compete in a free marketplace of religious ideas. The fact that Russian authorities have explicitly banned Jehovahs Witnesses effectively puts the lie to any claims that Russia cares about Christian values. (And dont look nowbut Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seems to agree.)

Russian religious leaders love telling their American counterpartssuch as star Trump supporter Franklin Grahamhow much they hate the idolatry and decadence of the modern age. Yet, the stirring sermons never seem to have much of an effect on Russias sky-high levels of corruption, the ubiquity of drugs and prostitution (allegedly ably abetted by the police, who run lucrative protection rackets), or the prevalence of abortion, which remains the Kremlins favored method of birth control. Thats a view shared by Putin, by the waythough I doubt that many Republicans are aware. At 480 abortions per 1,000 live births, Russias rate is more than twice as high as that of the godless United States.

Ive even heard some especially ill-informed conservatives try to argue that Russia is a paragon of the free marketeven though anyone who knows about the countrys economy can tell you that its leading business tycoons enjoy their positions at the mercy of Putin. Those who tout Russias low income-tax rates should keep in mind that the tax service is one of the Kremlins most effective tools for keeping its political rivals in line.

And what about those white nationalists such as Richard Spencer, who like to praise Russia for its alleged success at remaining the sole white power in the world? Actually, a visit to just about any provincial town would show idiots like him a far more complicated reality, shaped by large-scale immigration from the majority-Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union. In that respect, indeed, even authoritarian Russia is wrestling with exactly the same globalizing forces that confront western Europe or the United States.

In short, the modern-day Republican romance with Russia has little to do with reality and everything to do self-delusionmaking them oddly similar to those 20th-century leftists who succumbed to the fairy tales of Stalinism. You would think that Trump and his supporters would at least have the advantage of being able to learn from history. No such luck, apparently.

Christian Caryl is an editor with The Washington Posts Opinions section.
On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump shared his concerns about a meeting he said didn't concern him:

"Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics -- and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!"

That meeting in Trump Tower two years ago presumably also didn't concern him when he tweeted about it just 10 days ago:

" ... ..I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr. Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam (Taxi cabs maybe?). He even retained Bill and Crooked Hillary's lawyer. Gee, I wonder if they helped him make the choice!"

It probably didn't concern him that much when he tweeted about it last year, either:

"Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That's politics!"

Although the president confirmed in his Sunday tweet that the reason his son, his campaign manager and his son-in-law all met with a group of Russians in 2016 was to collect compromising information about Hillary Clinton, it was such an insignificant admission that one of his attorneys, Jay Sekulow, appeared on ABC shortly after the president tweeted to assure viewers that there didn't appear to be anything "illegal" about the meeting.

"The question is what law, statute or rule or regulation's been violated?" Sekulow asked. "Nobody's pointed to one."

(Some legal analysts have repeatedly noted the meeting could have broken a number of laws, included conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and aiding and abetting a conspiracy. But let's move along.)

Sekulow also said on Sunday that he needed to clear up some confusion he created last year when he said that the president hadn't helped concoct a misleading cover story about the Trump Tower meeting in response to reporters' questions about it. In fact, Trump, on his way home from a G-20 summit in Europe last year, dictated a statement aboard Air Force One that said noted child advocate Donald Trump Jr. took the meeting to discuss Russian adoption policies (rather than trying to scoop up kompromat, for example).

"I had bad information at that time and made a mistake in my statement," Sekulow confessed on Sunday. "That happens when you have cases like this."

Mistakes, they've made a few. In June, another Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, copped to the same error about exactly the same thing. "I don't think anyone was lying," he assured CNN viewers while discussing why he had said  incorrectly  that Trump hadn't been the author of Donald Jr.'s cover story.

"It was a mistake," Giuliani allowed. "I swear to God, it was a mistake."

Everybody makes mistakes, and that's probably why Hope Hicks, Trump's former White House communications director, traveled with the president to Ohio over the weekend to participate in one of Trump's bespoke campaign rallies. After all, Hicks was on board Air Force One when Trump dictated the cover story about Donald Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting with the Russians. And she was working in the White House when President Trump decided to fire his former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey. That would make her a potential witness to possible mistakes like, say, aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice.

The Justice Department's special counsel, Robert Mueller, already interviewed Hicks last December as part of his probe into Russia's efforts to infiltrate and undermine the 2016 presidential election. Perhaps Mueller has already asked Hicks all that he intends to, in which case it might be a mistake for me to wonder about the propriety of a potential witness traveling with someone who is a subject of a major federal fraud and national security investigation.

It might also be a mistake for me to think that when the president is flying aboard Air Force One or tweeting away on social media he thinks he's above the law and beyond accountability. Still, his tweets of late do suggest that he's gearing up for a confrontation of some sort with Mueller.

There was this from June:

"The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, 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!"

And this one from last week:

"..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!"

Neither of these tweets should be construed as the thoughts of someone growing increasingly worried about the legal implications of further disclosures about meetings in Trump Tower. That would be a mistake. They also shouldn't be seen as efforts to obstruct justice, as Sekulow will be quick to point out.

"Obstruction of justice by tweet is absurd," Sekulow said in his ABC appearance on Sunday. "The president has a First Amendment right to put his opinions out there."

Timothy L. O'Brien is the executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. He has been an editor and writer for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, HuffPost and Talk magazine. His books include "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald."
Many great things are beginning to happen here in the Napa area regarding Operation Christmas Child. This is a project that Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, started 25 years ago. It features a shoebox that is filled with hygiene items, school supplies and other items and sent to children in need around the world.

Our church, Napa Valley Community Church, 4149 Linda Vista Ave. in Napa, will be hosting a young man named Yves Dushime, who was born to a family of eight in a refugee camp in Congo. His family fled from the ripple effects of the Rwanda genocide and move from Rwanda to Congo, Kenya and Togo.

Yves was 11 years old and living in Togo when he received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. Yves now lives in upstate New York and still uses his scarf that he received in his shoe box. Yves will be sharing his experience of receiving his shoe box and how it transformed his entire community and family.

We will have supplies, including the little red and green Go boxes with information on packing the shoe boxes, as well as a couple sample boxes and what goes in to some of them.

Please join us for this special time with Yves. Light refreshments will be served.

If you are unable to attend this event, it will be on our church website the Wednesday after the event. Please go to NapaValleyChurch.Org, then go to the event section.

Date of event is Sunday, Aug. 19 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the church.

Please call me if you have questions or need more information: 259-1373 or email me at sjburroughs1@yahoo.com.

Shirley Fore

Napa

Editor's Note: This letter has been modified to correct the date. The event is Sunday, Aug. 19.
Napa Valley Republican Women Federated are happy to have our same location outside the entrance to the Chardonnay Building at the Napa Town & Country Fair again this year.

A charter club since 1947, serving the Napa County Republican women for more than 70 years, we are the first Republican Women Club in Napa County. We are part of the California Federation of Republican Women and affiliated with the National Federation of Republican Women, tens of thousands members strong, making it the largest womens volunteer political organization in the world.

Among our many accomplishments, we provide funding for scholarships, send care packages to the U.S. troops, provide special meals for the veterans in Yountville and volunteer for Cycle 4 Sight. We also donate toys for the troops' children, donate childrens books to Travis Air Force Base to benefit their three Child Development Centers, Youth Center and Teen Zone, and also provide One Touch pillows to foster children in Napa.

Our primary focus is to promote an inform the public through political education and activity.

Please stop by our booth Aug. 8-12 and enter the free drawing for a Trump Train. Join the Trump Train as we move forward to 2020.

If you have moved or would like to change your voter preference, we can assist you with re-registration. This is your opportunity to become involved in the November election, one of the most important elections for California.

I hope to see you there.

Gaylon Kastner

Napa Valley Republican Women Federated
It was one of the hottest days of the year, yet 150 people came to be inspired. And inspired they were.

The goal of the day was to empower women to find confidence in their voices and take action. Themes of collaboration, courage and hope were threaded throughout the day.

Dr. Janice Jackson called us to name the sources of power in our life, and then recognize that those sources empowers us to "be fierce." Supervisor Diane Dillons six steps to effectively advocate for legislation. Former Californian Superintendent of Schools Delaine Eastins message of empowerment through education cited statistics to back up the need for free preschool, all-day kindergarten and free college tuition. Kathryn Zdans performance of Natural Shocks created a deep awareness in all of us of issues surrounding domestic violence and gun violence.

It moved us to a deeper level of understanding as panelists Tracy Lamb (NEWS), Eastin, Helen Rosen (Moms Demand Action) and Zdan shared their insights concerning those issues. The concluding remarks came from St. Helena High School student, and member of Students For Change group, Harper McClain as she proclaimed We will no longer be silent.

Booths representing League of Women Voters, Napa Valley College, Girls on the Run, Puertas Abiertos. Napa Emergency Womens Services (NEWS) and Soroptimist were ready to provide information on how to direct that passion within. Documenting this historic moment in time was filmmaker Rudolf McClain of FamedWolf Pictures and cameraman Attila Rostas, director of photography. They provided a unique opportunity for those attending to express on camera their concerns, passions, and hopes for the future.

This event would not have been possible without the umbrella provided by Soroptimist International Calistoga and the many donations received. I mention them because it speaks volumes about a community that comes together and supports women: Wines from Casa Nuestra, Robin Lail, Loraine and Jack Stuart, Robert Mondavi Winery, Department 66 and Honig Winery. Monetary donations from Soroptimist International Calistoga and St. Helena Noon group, Windy Bay Foundation, Edie Kausch, Jan Darter, Spottswoode, Sharon Macklin, Lois Battuello, Roger Trinchero, Judith Atchley and the Craig and Kathryn Hall Foundation.

Thank you all.

Beth Lincoln

Women Stand Up - St Helena
Walking down eastern McCorkle Avenue is difficult these days. Two eight-unit apartment buildings are under construction at the same time: Our Town St. Helenas Brenkle Court and Joe McGraths 632 McCorkle project.

Brenkle Court is a sweat equity affordable housing project  the future residents contribute their labor, possibly stretching out the construction timeline. The St. Helena City Council approved the Brenkle Court Apartments in December 2017 with no neighborhood opposition.

Resident Elizabeth Goelz said its not easy living on the street.

On any given morning there is at least one very large hole in the street either in front of the Brenkle project or 632 McCorkle project due to utility work, Goelz said. We often have to make an appointment with the contractors to be able to get out of our driveway and drive down the street. There are multiple cars from the already existing apartments sprinkled up and down the street and on Monday and Tuesday there are at least 25 garbage cans on the street. Everything on the street is covered with a thick layer of dirt and weve had to call the city and insist that the dirt be sprayed with water to keep the dust down.

Upon entering the McGrath project, Joe McGrath, in work clothes and a tool belt, introduces himself. A St. Helena High Class of 1983 graduate, McGrath has a bachelors degree in architecture but has worked in the tech industry. He left tech in 2011 and invested in multi-family projects in Calistoga, St. Helena and Fairfield. His new project consists of two-bedroom apartments (projected rent $2,400) and three-bedroom units (projected rent $2,800). If all goes well they will be ready to rent next April.

But not much has gone well for McGrath since he held the first neighborhood meeting in April 2016 for what was then a 10-unit apartment building. Neighbors were concerned about parking, density, traffic, overcrowded units, and drainage (McCorkle Avenue has no storm drains). McGrath reduced the number of units to eight and promised a property manager would have strict oversight over other concerns. In December 2016 the Planning Commission approved a demolition permit and design review. Because the project didnt require a use permit, the city attorney did not allow discussion of issues related to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

In 2015 the state Office of Housing and Community Development required the city to make the changes as a condition of approving St. Helenas 2015-2023 Housing Plan, which was adopted in May 2015. According to the Star, multi-family projects in high-density zoned areas (such as the north side of McCorkle Avenue) on affected parcels will no longer require a use permit, but they will still be subject to the citys design review process and to environmental review under CEQA.

This is where the McCorkle Eastside Neighborhood Group (MENG) and the St. Helena Residents for an Equitable General Plan (SHREGP) enter the stage. Charging that the city did not follow the General Plan, CEQA and its own ordinances, the two groups appealed the December 2016 Planning Commission decision to the City Council.

On Jan. 24, 2017, the council denied the appeal. The lawsuit is about the citys failure to follow CEQA requirements and its own city ordinance, said a representative of the groups.

According to SHREGP, there is no state or local agency that enforces the CEQA law. The only way to appeal a citys CEQA decision is through the courts, so SHREGP lawyers went to Napa Superior Court. The court denied the appeal. The groups are now pursuing the case in the First District Court of Appeals.

Vickie Bradshaw, SHREGP member, said even though the McGrath project is located in a high density residential area and multi-family projects are a permitted use in those areas, the city zoning ordinance still requires the developer to go through the design review process.

We are not arguing that the project is not a permitted use and that it is required to go through design review. We are saying the Planning Department erred in the CEQA analysis and the City Attorney would not let the City Council discuss all of the issues related to the analysis the Planning Department did and the CEQA conclusion they reached, said Bradshaw.

Joe McGrath soldiers on. Construction continues, foundations are in, and framing has begun.

As a condition of approval, McGrath must pay the citys legal costs, with $350,000 spent so far.

Im sorry that the extraordinary legal costs must get passed on to the tenants in higher rents, said McGrath. I wanted to build housing in my hometown. After this experience, I would not recommend anyone to invest in housing in St. Helena. Had I foreseen the events that occurred, I would not have done it.

This is a common example of what is stopping housing from being built in California, he added.

According to the Star, the St. Helena City Council is investigating an ordinance that would take some of the financial burden off would-be housing developers who face expensive lawsuits over the approval of their projects. The proposed ordinance would call for the city to pay legal fees only after a project has been upheld in a lower court and then appealed to a higher court. The proposal is under review.
The St. Helena City Council will hold two meetings on Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Vintage Hall.

The first meeting at 3 p.m. will be a joint meeting with the Planning Commission to review the General Plan update.

The council will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. to discuss the following items:

Our Town St. Helenas request for an additional $80,667 (beyond the $100,000 previously committed) to facilitate three Very Low Income families being able to own and occupy units at Brenkle Court on McCorkle Avenue, and a separate request for an $80,000 bridge loan to relieve a cash flow shortage for the Brenkle Court project.

Approval of a City Council ballot argument in favor of Measure E proposing a 1 percent increase in transient occupancy tax (TOT) to fund housing.

Oath of Office to Fire Captain Nicholas Solakian, Fire Engineer Martin Macias and Police Officer Stephanie Lupien.

Report on the fire marshal succession plan.

Discussion of a fence between 1815 Hillview Place and 1859 Hillview Place.

Report on a CalPERS actuarial review conducted by Bartel Associates.
I recently viewed a brief video depicting the experience of Jesus Christ and some of His disciples in a small ship on the Sea of Galilee (available with other excellent videos on lds.org) After sharing a number of parables with a large group of followers from this ship near the shore, the multitude was sent away, and His disciples set sail while Jesus was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. A significant storm arose which caused a great deal of fear for those on the ship, while Jesus continued to sleep. One finally awoke him and asked, Master, carest thou not that we perish? He then rose, rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still, which was followed by great calm. He then questioned his followers about their own personal faith.

I believe this event teaches us again that storms, health issues, challenges within our communities and individual families will always be part of our earthly experience. Those who have faith and rely on the Lords ultimate plan for us survive, sometimes with immediate worldly relief as was the case on the Sea of Galilee, but often with the requirement that we exercise faith in Him for long-term solutions.

A leader in the LDS Church, Evan Schmutz, reminded us recently with a quote from Revelations 21:4 that God shall wipe away all tears. When we can endure our trials well with faith in ultimately positive outcomes, we become refined and as Peter said when we become capable of accepting lifes realities, and when we learn to suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye.  1 Peter 3:14.

Every one of us experiences in this life some degree of despair, loneliness, grief, pain or sorrow. In Elder Schmutzs talk, he shared the heartbreaking experience of Daniel Apilado during a visit to the Philippines. Daniel and his wife and five children suffered great losses when a fire erupted in their home. Daniel was pulled to rescue by an older son, who returned to save his mother and siblings. Unfortunately, all of them except Daniel perished in the fire.

The purpose for telling the story was a recounting of the intense faith of Brother Apilado, who maintains trust in the Lord, and who believes that families can be together forever if we have faith, positive attitudes, and truly trust in the Lord.

Too often, many of us after pleading with our Heavenly Father to relieve our suffering, assume when that suffering is not relieved, that the Lord either doesnt listen to our prayers or doesnt care. It is my personal testimony that there are usually reasons for allowing our afflictions to continue, but He helps us bear them. In a highly reflective statement from the Apostle Paul, he speaks of an unnamed thorn in his flesh that caused him great pain and brought him several times to his knees, begging the Lord to take it from him. The Lords answer to Pauls plaintive calls was not the removal of the thorn, but rather He spoke peace and gave understanding to Pauls heart, saying, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. This experience caused Paul to then say, Most gladly therefore will I ... glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

Both Daniel Apilado and Paul suffered significantly during their lives. As to Paul, he knew persecution, trials, sorrows, and pain through the many challenging experiences he had during his earthly life. He was beaten with stripes, stoned, suffered shipwreck; often he was put in peril of death by drowning, by robbers, and even by false brethren; he suffered weariness and pain, hunger and thirst, and was imprisoned in the cold and in nakedness. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), and despite all of this, he endured in faith to the end.

A former apostle with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Neal A. Maxwell made a profound observation about suffering. He said, Part of enduring well consists of being meek enough, amid our suffering, to learn from our relevant experiences. Rather than simply passing through these things, they must pass through us ... in ways which sanctify us.

I leave my personal words of encouragement to suffer our challenges with nobility by quoting a present apostle of the LDS Church. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught us about the brightness ahead, when he suggested that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the light that is endless, that can never be darkened. It is the very Son of God Himself.

Dr. David E. Brown is regional Director of Public Affairs but was formerly the President of the Napa Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which includes 10 congregations  four in Napa, one in St. Helena, one in Sonoma, two in Vallejo, and two in Benicia.
PM: Opening of Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Yerevan will give strong impetus to Armenia-Vatican relations

Facebook to change name to Meta

Biden expects to meet with Erdogan on sidelines of UN Climate Summit in Glasgow

Study says tens of thousands of U.S. children became orphans during COVID-19 pandemic

Armenia PM chairs session of Anti-Corruption Policy Council

Body of 14-year-old girl found in bathroom of an apartment in Armenia's Vanadzor

4 Armenian servicemen injured at military unit's stronghold have slight injuries

Turkey preparing for two military operations in northern Syria

3 horses of Armenia Syunik Province villager cross over to Azerbaijani side, only 2 return

Iran, Turkmenistan agree to develop rail cooperation

Deputy minister: Armenia is fully reimbursing the tuitions of students under certain category

Opposition MP: Armenia National Security Service has seized all maps, including materials related to them

Armenia parliament passes a number of sensational bills in first reading

Armenia MOD receives Czech Ambassador

Zakharova: Trilateral working group is optimal format of negotiations over unblocking of links in South Caucasus

Armenia PM receives Deputy Chief of General Staff of Russian Armed Forces

Armenia ex-health minister Arsen Torosyan: My 12-year-old daughter also received COVID-19 vaccine

Armenia President congratulates Czech counterpart on National Day

Armenia government to allocate AMD 91,410,000 for placing monument to victims of March 1, 2008 events

Armenia President: Whether we want it or not, Turkey has become more influential in the South Caucasus

Armenia President believes amending Constitution is in the country's interests

ECHR announces 4 decisions against Azerbaijan government

Armenia parliament vice-speaker elected Deputy Chair of IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Defense and Security Issues

Armen Sarkissian: Return of prisoners of war is most important issue for Armenia

Dollar on the rise in Armenia

Armenia MOD: 4 soldiers wounded

President Sarkissian: Armenia-Azerbaijan border cant be determined without Russia's participation

Cavusoglu: Turkey working jointly with Azerbaijan on normalization of relations with Armenia

Armenia deputy defense minister: Azerbaijan attempts to carry out engineering work are prevented by us

Boris Johnson is called on to demand that Azerbaijans Aliyev release all Armenian captives

Fan Yong: We plan to implement program that will increase flow of Chinese tourists to Armenia

Armenia MOD: Air defense troops will be used in accordance with government regulations

Russian-Armenian University in Armenia opens Confucius classroom

Armenia Security Council head: We are ready to start relations with Turkey

Armenia Security Council secretary: Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan

Armenia planning to exclude double taxation in economic relations with Malta and Singapore

Aliyev thanks Erdogan for moral support in aggression against Karabakh

Armenia ruling faction leader meets with Russia Ambassador, discusses return of Armenian POWs

Ambassador: China, Armenia working to resume bilateral flights

Turkish defense minister on Armenia's transfer of mine maps

Armenia Security Council: Approach in our perception is that Russia peacekeepers will stay in Artsakh longer

Security Council chief: Armenia ready for border delimitation, demarcation with Azerbaijan

Ambassador Fan: China may donate new batch of COVID-19 vaccines to Armenia

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh

Irakanum.am: 4 Armenian soldiers injured after grenade explosion in Vardenis

Ambassador on China participation in Armenias North-South project: There are issues that will be resolved

Armenia government to allocate about $28m to Karabakh

PM: Today there is historical minimum number of arrestees, convicts in Armenia

Doctor, head nurse detained in Gyumri

Armenias Aragatsotn has new provincial governor

Armenia health minister on Covid situation: 1,088 in severe, 307 in critical conditions, 152 hooked up to ventilators

PM on worsening coronavirus situation in Armenia: We should not resort to lockdowns

2,307 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia President in UAE, meets with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Russia peacekeepers help to provide drinking water to more than 300 families in remote village of Artsakh

Armenia government holding Cabinet meeting

US, Turkey discuss South Caucasus

Armenia ombudsman releases video on Azerbaijan army units unlawful deployment in Gegharkunik Province (VIDEO)

Armenia legislature continues regular sittings

Newspaper: Every day Azerbaijanis set new order on section of Armenias Goris-Kapan motorway

Newspaper: Coronavirus vaccinations to be paid for in Armenia?

Deputy PM: Unblocking of communications does not mean expansion of Turkish capital to Armenia

Armenia's Pashinyan admits that he personally gave the order to pull out troops from Syunik Province

Satanovsky: Moscow was setting forth much more favorable ideas for Armenia than what had to be accepted

Armenia PM: Talks with logic of 'corridor' are escalating tension in the region

Armenia PM: 72% of Karabakh's territories occupied by Baku were subject for bargain during former administration

Ararat Mirzoyan: Team representing Armenia's interests submitted a serious claim to International Court of Justice

Satanovsky on 'Zangezur corridor', new war in region and use of Bayraktar in Donbas

Pashinyan not ruling out determination of Armenia-Azerbaijan borders based on maps that Putin indicated

US Ambassador: American companies in Armenia see that students lack knowledge and skills

Armenia Parliament Speaker on demonstration held against him in Cyprus

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia's borders remain unchanged

Armenia Deputy PM reports results of negotiations over unblocking of roads in the region

Armenia PM invites two opposition parliamentary factions to hold a meeting

Armenian FM: No meeting of leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan scheduled yet

Azerbaijani army general sentenced to ten years in jail

Armenia opposition MP to MOD: Why aren't names of soldiers killed in 44-day war and buried made public?

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Armenia PM: No positional changes on Mount Pela

Premier pays tribute to victims of October 27, 1999 tragedy in Armenia legislature

St. Giragos Armenian church in Turkeys Diyarbakir expected to reopen next Easter

Two US Senators urge Biden to waive sanctions against India for purchase of S-400s

Armenia National Assembly elects Central Bank board new member

We hope Iran will act smart in relations with Azerbaijan, says Erdogan

US, Indonesia call for new forum to combat future pandemics

Erdogan announces what Aliyev said about Israel

Lavrov: Russia is checking news about Ukraine using Turkish Bayraktar in Donbas

Armenia society knows answers left open to questions on 27 October 1999 parliament tragedy, says speaker

Armenia justice minister receives invitation from his Lithuanian counterpart to visit Lithuania for cooperation

Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra: Vatican Apostolic Nunciature office opening in Armenia will be symbol of regional peace

FM: Vatican has always stood with Armenia

Aliyev, Erdogan want to unite Turkic world via Armenia

Provincial governor of Armenias Aragatsotn submits resignation

Situation at Armenia legislature gets tense

Azerbaijanis steal 32 cows, 13 calves of Artsakh town resident, investigation underway

Armenia FM meets with visiting Holy See official

Vatican Apostolic Nunciature office to open in Armenia

Art of Armenian writing is put on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list (PHOTOS)

Azerbaijan to allocate $4.5 billion for defense spending in 2022

Armenia legislature forms committee to investigate how Hayastan All Armenian Fund donations were used
The minority leaders were pressured by the Turkish regime to claim that they are not pressured, Armenian-American writer, public activist and publisher of The California Courier, Harut Sassounian notedd.

In a recent article, Harut Sassounian wrote about the U.S. State Departments annual report on International Religious Freedom which stated that all religious groups that are not Sunni Muslim suffer discrimination and persecution in Turkey. Religious minorities said they continued to experience difficulties obtaining exemptions from mandatory [Islamic] religion classes in public schools, operating or opening houses of worship, and in addressing land and property disputes. The government restricted minority religious groups efforts to train their clergy.



Immediately after this report was issued, the Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected it calling the documented violations of religious rights a repetition of certain baseless claims.



Turkish President Rejep Tayyip Erdogan sought a stronger rebuttal of the State Departments accusations against Turkey, even though he usually ignores all complaints about his countrys flagrant violations of the human rights of its own Turkish citizens as well as those of its minorities and even Americans such as Pastor Andrew Brunson. Erdogan immediately ordered his aides to orchestrate a joint statement signed by all non-Muslim leaders in Turkey, claiming that their religious rights are not violated. Since these non-Muslim leaders are hostages in Turkey, they had no choice but to sign the petition that was prepared for them by the Turkish government.



While it would be easy for us to criticize these minority leaders for misrepresenting the violations they are subjected to, this argument should be balanced by the fact that they live under a brutal regime that has no qualms about jailing and torturing not only the religious leaders but also their community members. We should also be somewhat gratified that Pres. Erdogan, despite his despotic nature, has exhibited a rare sensitivity on the accusations against his country, and has valued the statement issued by the non-Muslim leaders, thinking that it would help Turkey look good in the eyes of the international community.



As directed by Pres. Erdogan, the representatives of 18 non-Muslim minority groups in Turkey submissively signed the joint statement on July 31, 2018, claiming that their rights are not violated by the Turkish government.



The statement falsely declared: As religious representatives and foundation directors of the ancient communities of different religions and belief groups that have been living in our country for centuries, we live our beliefs freely and we freely worship according to our traditions. Statements claiming or implying that there is repression are completely false. The various problems and times of victimization in the past have reached solutions over time. We are in continual communication with our state institutions, who meet the issues we wish to advance with good intentions and a desire for solutions. We are making this joint statement consciously out of the responsibility to correctly inform public opinion.

The signatories were the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos I, Turkeys Armenian Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, Turkeys Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva, Syriac Ancient Community Deputy Patriarch Mor Filuksinos Yusuf Chetin, Turkeys Armenian Catholics Spiritual Leader Archbishop Levon Zekiyan, Chaldean Community Deputy Patriarch Francois Yakan, Turkish Syriac Catholic General Deputy Patriarch Chorbishop Orhan Chanl, Gedikpasha Armenian Protestant Church and Denomination Foundation Spiritual President Pastor Kirkor Agabaloglu, RUMVADER President Andon Parizyanos, VADIP and Yedikule Sourp Pergich Armenian Hospital Foundation President Bedros Shirinoglu, Turkish Jewish Society and Turkish Chief Rabbinate Foundation President Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, Beyoglu Syriac Lady Mary Church Foundation President Sait Susin, Sourp Agop Armenian Catholic Hospital Foundation President Bernard Sarbay, Istanbul Syriac Catholic Foundation President Zeki Basatemir, Chaldean Catholic Church Foundation President Teoman Onder, Bulgarian Exarchate Orthodox Church Foundation President Vasil Liaze, Georgian Catholic Church Foundation President Paul Zazadza, and Haskoy Turkish Karaite Jewish Foundation President Misha Orme. The joint statement of these 18 non-Muslim leaders was widely disseminated to all minority newspapers in Turkey, all Turkish media, and many overseas publications.



Interestingly, on August 1, 2018, a day after signing their joint statement, all 18 non-Muslim leaders were invited to the Dolmabahche Official Reception Hall in Istanbul and had a four-hour luncheon meeting with Ibrahim Kalin, Pres. Erdogans Spokesman. Erdogan himself was initially supposed to attend this meeting, but was unable to do so at the last minute.



While the joint statement was intended to conceal the many difficulties experienced by non-Muslim institutions in Turkey, this bluff was quickly exposed when the participants at the meeting complained to Ibrahim Kalin about the multiple violations of their religious rights.



For example, Archbishop Ateshyan reported to the local Armenian media that he and Shirinoglu told Kalin about the properties that in recent years were returned to Armenian community foundations, only to have the decision reversed by a mayor or a government minister. They also complained about the Patriarchates legal status and inability to receive contributions as a result of which the Patriarchate suffers from a serious financial hardship. Abp. Ateshyan suggested that either the Turkish government allow the Patriarchate to receive contributions or allocate a budget to pay its expenses. Abp. Ateshyan also brought up the suspended elections of local church executive committees, and the postponement of the Patriarchal election. The other participants in the luncheon also complained to Kalin about their various difficulties, contradicting their own signed statement that they have no religious problems in Turkey. That is why the luncheon took four hours!



Kalin, in turn, thanked the signatories on behalf of Pres. Erdogan for their joint statement, making it obvious that it was a major public relations coup for Turkey.



The only voice opposed to the joint declaration of non-Muslim leaders was Garo Paylan, an Armenian Member of the Turkish Parliament, who boldly stated: They dont allow us to elect our Patriarch, they dont permit us to open a seminary, they dont give us the right to elect the board members of our church foundations, and the community is scared like a pigeon!



The joint statement was clearly signed under duress. Ironically, the minority leaders were pressured by the Turkish regime to claim that they are not pressured! Only in Turkey!
Saudi Health Attache in the United States and Canada, Dr. Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, said Riyadh has stopped all treatment programs in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of all Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals to other hospitals outside Canada, reported the official Saudi Press Agency.

Al Tamimi said Riyadh seeks to ensure the safety of Saudi patients who receive treatment in Canada, and to complete their treatment elsewhere.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland had tweeted that she was very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed civil rights activists and blogger Raif Badawi, also had been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, and she had called for the release of the both of them.

As a result, Riyadh recalled its ambassador to Canada, gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave Saudi Arabia, froze new trade and investment, and suspended joint educational programs with Canada.

But, subsequently, Freeland announced that Ottawa will continue to defend human rights.

Raif Badawi was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail for criticizing the kingdoms clerics and religious police.

Also, he is charged with insulting Islam, committing cybercrimes, and disobeying his fatherwhich is considered a crime in Saudi Arabia.

His wife and three children are in Canada.
The Armenian National Committee of New Zealand (ANC-NZ) has called on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to correct her government's denialist appeasing position on the Armenian Genocide, after she was asked to articulate it during her weekly press conference on Monday 6th August 2018.

Ardern was answering journalists' questions at New Zealand Parliament House, when a journalist asked her government's position on the Armenian Genocide.

Ardern responded to the journalist: We have always acknowledged the significant, tragic and large-scale loss of life of the Armenian people at the time of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. We have and we continue to do so, but when it comes to those issues around terminology and so on, those are issues we have left for a reconciliation process between those parties who are involved. But we have always acknowledged the significant loss of life.

The journalist followed up with a question, asking whether the government held that position, because of a deterioration in their relationship with Turkey.

Ardern said: This is more to the fact that we leave it to those directly involved to work through those issues through that reconciliation process. But of course New Zealand has always acknowledged that large scale loss of life.

The questions were prompted because the newly launched ANC-NZ was in Parliament on the day of the press conference, where Armenian Genocide documentary Intent to Destroy would be screened later that evening, featuring a pre-screening keynote address by Turkish historian, Professor Taner Akcam.

ANC-NZ Chairperson, Hoory Yeldizian called the Prime Minister's position unacceptable to the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian communities of New Zealand, many of whom are descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

Frankly, Armenians in New Zealand are disappointed by our government's denialist appeasing position on the Armenian Genocide, as outlined by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during her press conference," said Armenian National Committee of New Zealand Chairperson, Hoory Yeldizian.

We call on Prime Minister Ardern to change her government's stance, the Auckland resident said. We look forward to working with the her on this issue, and correcting New Zealand's position on the Armenian Genocide. We also look forward to sharing with her how our ANZACs helped save Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians during the genocide, and how Kiwis across the country helped them by providing critical humanitarian aid 100 years ago.

ANC-NZ launched with a day of advocacy that involved the above, media coverage in the mainstream New Zealand press, the Intent to Destroy film screening, as well as advocacy meetings with individual MPs from Labour, Nat and green parties.
The Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO) announced it will no longer purchase Canadian grain amid a diplomatic crisis between Riyadh and Ottawa, Reuters reported.

As of Tuesday August 7, 2018, Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO) can no longer accept milling wheat or feed barley cargoes of Canadian origin to be supplied, the statement of the organization said.

According to Arabian media, in 2017, Saudi Arabia imported 66 tons of Canadian wheat and 132 tons of barley.

As reported earlier, on Thursday, Saudi Arabia, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland expressed concern over the detention of human rights defender Samar Badawi, the sister of blogger Raif Badawi, in Saudi Arabia, and called for the release of both. Free Saudi Liberals website founder Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012 for criticizing representatives of the clergy and religious police of the kingdom.

Following Canadian diplomats statements, the Saudi Foreign Ministry recalled his ambassador to Ottawa, and declared the Canadian ambassador in Riyadh persona non grata, giving him 24 hours to leave the country.

In addition, Saudi Arabia announced the freezing of all new trade and investment contacts, suspended joint educational programs with Canada and sending Saudi students to this country.

Kingdoms actions were supported by the UAE, Bahrain, Palestine and Gulf Cooperation Council. The Saudi Arabian Airlines announced suspension of flights to and from Canadas Toronto.

Canadas Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the recall and stated that Ottawa's stance would remain unchanged, and Canada would continue to defend human rights.
The Prosecutor Generals Office of Armenia has rejected the 45 MPs petition for commuting the court decision on remanding second President Robert Kocharyan in custody.

At this phase of the investigation, the grounds for the precautionary measure of arrestselected for Robert Kocharyanare maintained, representative of the attorney generals office said.

And the selection of another precautionary measure not linked to confinement is not yet able to guarantee the investigations undisrupted course depending on the proper conduct of the accused.

Spokesperson for the Republican Party of Armenia called the decision astonishing and bewildering.

The Armenian National Committee of New Zealand has called on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to correct her government's denialist appeasing position on the Armenian Genocide.

Asked about position on the Armenian Genocide, Ardern said they have always acknowledged the tragic and large-scale loss of life of the Armenian people, but when it comes to those issues around terminology, those are issues we have left for a reconciliation process between those parties who are involved.

It is crucial for the Armenian government to ensure equal and independent application of the rule of law and due process as the current government moves forward with cases against former officials, US Ambassador to Armenia said in response to NEWS.am inquiry.

We have long supported judicial reforms aimed at the independence of the judiciary in order to strengthen the rule of law and ensure a level playing field for all. U.S. investors are closely following how the Armenian government is treating foreign firms, including Lydian, as they assess Armenias attractiveness as a destination for foreign investment, he said.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun will visit Armenia in October to meet with his Armenian counterpart and to attend the Francophonie Summit to be held in Yerevan.

This will be Aouns second visit to Armenia since being elected to the presidency in 2016.

Pyunik vs. Maccabi match of the third qualifying round in Europa League ended in a draw (0-0).

Pyunik's striker Mohamed Konate had good chances to score during the match, but failed to do so.

The away game will take place a week later.
But Canada sold 66,000 tonnes of barley to Saudi Arabia in 2016, and twice that a year ago.

The United Kingdom was similarly muted in its response, with a foreign office spokeswoman saying: "Canada and Saudi Arabia are both close partners of the UK, and we urge restraint during the current situation", a foreign office spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's main state wheat-buying agency, Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO), issued a notice to exporters that it will no longer buy Canadian wheat and barley.

The report comes a day after the Toronto Stock Market saw a major selloff from an unknown worldwide dealer, in contrast to gains in other global markets.

The Saudi government was also putting together an "urgent plan" to transfer students and interns already in Canada to US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, it said.

"From about 10:30 this morning a big sell program came in internationally at one of the dealers, " said Dominique Barker, Portfolio Manager, CIBC Asset Management.

The move could explain Tuesday's poor performance by Canadian markets, which fell due to selling activity by an unknown investor. "At this stage, this is a question for the government of Saudi Arabia". The loonie dropped slightly against the USA dollar, trading at 76.5 cents U.S. A few days later, Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of state airline flights to Canada and the withdrawal from Canadian universities of all Saudi students.

Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic ties and halted new trade dealings late Sunday following comments by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland criticizing the kingdom for arrests of women's rights activists.

Since then, the Saudi kingdom has pursued a scorched-earth policy towards anything related to Canada.

The federal Liberal government has stood its ground amid the Saudi moves.

"We have always said that the politicisation of human rights matters is unacceptable", Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, told reporters on Wednesday.
Disney's new Winnie the Pooh movie has been banned from release in China amid an ongoing clampdown on the much-loved children's book character.

Cathleen Taff, head of distribution for Disney, confirmed the film has been denied a release the Associated Press reported The move locks the release out from the world's second largest film market.

Comparisons began in 2013 when a photo of the President of the People's Republic of China walking with then-U.S. leader President Barack Obama, was posted alongside a picture of Pooh walking next to another beloved Milne's character from Hundred Acre Wood, Tigger. Some Disney releases, such as Maleficent and Cinderella, have done well for the company in China in recent years.

While an official reason has not been given for the film's apparent ban, Winnie-the-Pooh has become a symbol of resistance to the ruling Communist Party in China after bloggers started to compare Chinese President Xi Jinping to the friendly but clumsy, slow-witted and tubby toy bear.

In Christopher Robin, the eponymous hero, now an adult, reunites with boyhood friend Winnie the Pooh and others including Eeyore the donkey and Piglet.

Ever since, the memes have taken a life of their own so much that the Chinese authorities have been banning the images of the Disney character on social media since a year ago.

Jinping was compared to the fictional character again in 2014 while pictured meeting Japan's Shinzo Abe with the latter taking the form of Eryore.

A picture showing Mr Xi in a motorcade alongside Pooh in a toy auto was named "China's most censored photo of 2015" by political analysis firm Global Risk Insights.
After a few weeks away from their home of Club Obbligato due to a heavy schedule, Afrigo band returns to perform this Saturday alongside Jose Chamelone in a show dubbed Legendary party.

Time: 8pm till late

Entrance: Shs 20,000 VIP, Shs 10,000 ordinary

Mary Bata Live in Madowadowa Concert this Friday at Calendar Guesthouse

Time: 6pm

Entrance: Ordinary Shs 10,000; VIP Shs 20,000

Disco Inferno Kla this Friday at The Square

Time: 8pm

Entrance: Early Bird Shs 25,000; Gate Shs 30,000

African Jazz Night this Thursday at Kampala Casino

Time: 8pm

Entrance: Free

Jamrock Thursday at Valhalla Bar & Restaurant

Time: 8pm

Entrance: Free

Comedy Files Live this evening is Theatre La Bonita.

Time: 7pm

Entrance: Downstairs Shs 15,000; Upstairs Shs 20,000

True Story Night this evening at Goethe-Zentrum, Bukoto Street

Time: 6pm

Entrance: Free
Some of roofings products

With the increasing demand for steel products across the region, companies are looking at Ugandas deposits of largely unexploited iron ore as a source of cheap raw material.

Among them, Roofings Ltd announced recently that it is ready to venture into iron ore mining. Speaking to visiting engineers at Roofings Rolling Mills in Namanve last week, Martin Kyeyune, the finance and economic advisor, said if iron ore is mined locally, more income will be earned.

Mining is known to be capital- intensive, but when there is demand, capital will always be available and we are ready to mobilise it; but government should first show interest, he said.

Mining iron ore requires reducing agents that include coal and natural gas. Luckily, Uganda is endowed with natural gas and many countries in Africa have coal, he said.

Kyeyune said miners would need infrastructure to evacuate the large volumes of natural gas existing in the Albertine region. A pipeline for this would have to be built to Kigezi sub-region which is endowed with iron ore.

Luckily government is constructing a pipeline to Tanzania; they can create a duo carriage where natural gas is brought to Tororo and Kigezi sub-region, Kyeyune added.

According to Kyeyune, to set up an iron processing plant requires a capital base of between $300 million and $1 billion.

Trade, Industry and Cooperatives minister Amelia Kyambadde said Uganda has a lot of iron ore but local engineers are not coming up with plans on how it can be exploited.

She said the per capita consumption of finished steel goods in China is 500kg; South Africa, 90kg; and Kenya, 30kg, but Ugandas 5kgs means Uganda is lowest consumer of steel.

We are in trouble and we must develop it, but consumption per capita need to improve to at least the African average which 30kg, she said.

The only challenge is that Uganda has taken the updown approach as opposed to down-up approach which starts with mining up to the finished products.

Iron and steel processing started in 1964 with Uganda Baati and Tororo Steel Works but the revival was private sector-led in the 1980s. Currently, Uganda has over 22 private steel companies. Roofings Rolling Mills is a $145 million investment and has built one of the largest modern steel complexes operating in East Africa at its Namanve establishment.

Statistics

Last year, Uganda imported $283 million worth of steel goods with exports recorded at $66 million, generating a trade deficit of $217 million.

justuslyatuu08@gmail.com
China's Commerce Ministry called the USA decision to place the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods "unreasonable", and said it chose to take counter measures, matching the tariffs in percentage and value.

China is imposing additional tariffs of 25 per cent on $16 billion USA worth of U.S. imports from fuel and steel products to autos and medical equipment, the Chinese commerce ministry said, as the world's largest economies escalated their trade dispute.

Washington already imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese products on July 6. Larger items are also on the list of 333 goods being targeted including large passenger cars and motorcycles as well as various fuels, and fiber optical cables.

The Asian economic powerhouse will add the tariffs on US imports to measure the same tax placed on their exports, CNBC said. As demand drops, USA stockpiles should build, pressuring prices.

While trade tensions are being ratcheting up, China's trade surplus with the USA stood at US$28.1 billion in July, close to the record-high in June, data released Wednesday showed.

The US will impose a 25% tariff on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods starting August 23.

President Trump had repeatedly expressed discontent over the USA trade deficit with China, accusing the country of unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, currency manipulation, and of providing state aid to Chinese firms.

But there seems no solution at sight as the Trump administration prepares for tariffs of up to 25 per cent on an additional Dollars 200 billion in Chinese products.

China's exports grew faster than expected in July, while imports surged, showing both domestic and worldwide demand continue for now to shrug off the uncertainty of the trade conflict with the US.

Sales to the USA rose by 13.3%, while China's surplus with the States shrank marginally to $28.1bn (21.7bn) last month from a record $29bn (22.4bn) in June. Unipec and Sinopec are Asia's largest refiner and biggest buyer of USA oil.

China's final list announced on Wednesday differs from an earlier draft it published in June, which included crude oil.

In March 2018, the USTR had released the findings of its "exhaustive" Section 301 investigation that found China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are "unreasonable and discriminatory and burden USA commerce".

Wednesday's knee-jerk reaction to the announcement of the tariffs was a typical move by traders. However, lingering concerns over the sanctions on Iran and falling USA inventories should be supportive over the near-term. The markets will turn weaker if the tariff damage starts to show up in US inventories numbers, but since Chinese refiners had been limited buyers since early July, it may not show up in the numbers for weeks.
A Constitutional court defeat last month has given rise to a new determination within government and parliament to find a new path to their troubled seven-year term project for president, parliament and local governments.

According to deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana, government has not given up on the term extension for the principals, despite the unanimous court ruling in Mbale on July 26, which rejected an amendment to extend the term of office of the president, parliament and local governments from five to seven years.

Working feverishly, cabinet and parliament are said to be weighing all available options. In an interview last week, Rukutana said cabinet consultations are ongoing and that there are many options on the table.

In parliament, some MPs are considering tabling a new motion, which will carefully follow the proper procedure. The machinations aside, the reasons advanced for the renewed effort are quite intriguing.

Rukutana has said that in pushing the term extension, cabinet is just harmonizing our presidential and parliamentary term with the region because it has been found that five years is not sufficient for any meaningful development. You spend all the time in electioneering.

Interestingly, he said the seven-year term is the trend in the region, because you cannot achieve anything in five years.

But the ministers statements seem to contradict many tested truths about our politics. There are many MPs who have served three or four consecutive terms (15 to 20 years) yet their longevity in office, viewed in terms of consequence, has carried no meaningful development. Their constituencies still have bad roads, hospitals and their people slip further into poverty every year.

Yet its also true that some-one-termers have left an indelible mark on some constituencies. Longevity in office cannot and should not be confused for a guaranteed route to achievement. MPs cannot be the vehicles of development in their constituencies because they have neither the means nor resources to make a meaningful impact.

Legally, theirs is more or less an advocacy mission now reduced to being fulltime solvers of their constituents small problems (school fees, burial expenses, etc).

The institution with the resources and legal mandate is the executive arm of government. It has the money and resources to spur development. But even with the 32 years of the ruling NRM government, Uganda is still latched in the bottom tier of least developed, very poor countries.

Also, to claim that seven-year terms are a trend in the region is a naked lie. Rwanda has since scaled back its seven-year presidential term to five. That leaves no other East African community member with a seven-year term.

This term extension push also breeds suspicion that our leaders are increasingly getting wary of elections and may one day seek permanent representation of their constituencies.
The honourable justices of the Constitutional court, while reading their judgment regarding the consolidated constitutional petition, which challenged the constitutionality of the Constitutional(Amendment) No. 2 Act of 2017, spent considerable time laying down the history of Uganda before delving deeper in the judgment.

Many people, especially non-lawyers, almost lost patience listening /watching and wondered why their lordships spent much time on the history of Uganda before stating the resolution of the issues.

This article explains why history in such constitutional interpretation is not only necessary but a requirement.

CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION

The interpretation of the constitution is different from the interpretation of ordinary laws or statutes.

There are special principles of constitutional interpretation which include, among others, sui generis which emphasizes the uniqueness of the constitution; the living instrument rule which ensures that the constitution is viewed not only in the perspective of the present but also the future; where words are clear and unambiguous they should be given their primary meaning; interpretation as a whole which requires that each provision of the constitution be construed in light of the others; the generous and purposive rule, which requires that the constitution be construed broadly, especially regarding fundamental human rights; the preamble and history; and the national objective and directive principles of state policy, which requires that these are also put in contemplation while interpreting the constitution.

I will dwell mainly on the preamble to answer the question in issue. But before delving deeper on that, it is imperative to show where the constitution derives its uniqueness, special interpretation rules and considerations.

SUI GENERIS

This principle asserts that the constitution is in a class of its own. It is couched in a different language from that of ordinary statutes.

The constitution uses words of generality, different from those of ordinary statutes. Its uniqueness is also shown in article 2 of the 1995 Constitution as amended, which states that the constitution is the supreme law of the land and shall have a binding force on all authorities and persons throughout Uganda.

This principle has been reiterated in many cases, one of which is Charles Onyango-Obbo & Andrew Mwenda V Attorney General (Constitutional Petition No 2 of 2002) in which it was stated: We have made emphatic pronouncements that the Ugandan Constitution is the supreme law of the land. We have also made a clear distinction between constitutional provisions and those of ordinary law. No law, rule or regulation, let alone decision of any authority which are in conflict with the provision of our constitution can stand in opposition of constitutional provisions.

The need for a peculiar approach in constitutional interpretation was also well-stated in the case of Minister of Home Affairs V Fisher (1980) AC 219 where their lordships state that a constitution should be treated as sui generis calling for principles of interpretation of its own.

It is because of such uniqueness that principles such as requiring reliance on the preamble are used in constitutional interpretation.

PREAMBLE AND HISTORY

The preamble of the 1995 Constitution as amended, reminds us of the turbulent times that Uganda as a nation has experienced over the years.

It states: We the people of Uganda recalling our history which has been characterized by political and constitutional instability. Recognizing our struggle against the forces of tyranny, oppression and exploitation, committed to building a better futurethrough a constitution based on principles of unity, peace, equality, democracy

Reading from the excerpt above, one realizes that while interpreting the constitution, one should remember the history behind the constitutions enactment as well as the nations core principles and values.

This is intended to ensure that whatever interpretation the justices come up with does not take us back to the perilous times that this country faced.

The requirement to rely on history was fortified in the case of Okello John Livingstone & 6 others V Attorney General & another (Constitutional Petition No 4 of 2005).

It is for these reasons that Justice Kenneth Kakuru first of all took us through our countrys history, making reference to the colonial, Obote and Amin eras while highlighting the turbulence and bad governance in each of those regimes and relating their causes to the question of interpretation he dealt with.

For example, he stated on page 411 of the judgement, while refereeing to the basic structure: Suffice to state that our constitutional history serves as a guide as to whether or not the current constitution incorporates in it the Basic Structure doctrine.

On page 418, his lordship states that parliament extending its term is similar to what Amin did when he declared himself life president.

Justice Remmy Kasule on page 240 compares the extension of term for members of parliament and says it is similar to what parliament did in 1966-1971, which he names as a prominent factor in the unconstitutionalism the country has faced in the past.

Such reference to history is key to constitutional interpretation especially when the issues called into question have political connotations such as those dealt with in the consolidated petition. It was, therefore, necessary to takes us through such history as their lordships did for our own appreciation.

awabwezi@gmail.com

The author is a lawyer
This is an old debate, but it merits revisiting for at least two reasons.

First, the neoconservative and globalist African intelligentsia, whose leading figures today include the Zambian-born economist Dambisa Moyo, is at it again: Africa needs benevolent dictatorship that can focus on economic growth and growth, nothing but growth! The ad nauseam in this assertion is as nauseating as it is simplistic.

Second, there is the reality of disappointing experience with practice of democracy on the African continent, especially over the past three decades starting in the early 1990s and the third wave of democratisation. The problems of democracy, its failings and flaws, are seldom new and unique to Africa.

The argument for so-called benevolent dictatorship rests on invariably shaky ground. First, it is woefully ahistorical. Africa has been down this road for long and to devastating effects.

In the 1970s and 1980s much of Africa was under dictatorships of different stripes, some venal and vicious as Jean-Bedel Bokassa in the Central African Republic and Idi Amin in Uganda, others less brutal and more modernising as Felix Houphouet-Boigny in the Ivory Coast and the Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia.

Easily the most successful and pronounced case of what has been referred to as developmental patrimonialism was Houphouet-Boignys Ivory Coast. But the country went up in flames not too long after Houphouet-Boigny left the political stage. It is yet to recover from years of civil war.

There is the presumptuous claim that dictators know what the people want and can best deliver on the peoples needs when unencumbered by the motions of democracy and the rigidities of rule-based conduct.

But if rulers needed to be shielded against the democratic checks and constraints to be able to do good and bring about transformation, Africa would be paradise because this is precisely the story of post-independent Africa  rulers and small coteries of the ruling class have often conducted business in a personalised manner with little regard for rules and laws. A large part of the ills of Africa turn on personalist rule and unaccountable leadership.

Also, the idea that rulers or the ruling classes more generally should be shielded from public pressures and influence harkens to old-fashioned paternalism.

This was in fact at the heart of colonial rule: the colonists claimed to know what the backward and savage colonised subjects needed; so, there was no need for representation or any kind of democratic voice.

Contrary to what revisionist (and racist) commentators have attempted in recent years, colonialism in its absolute authoritarian strand delivered plunder and despoliation, and not growth and development of the African continent.

The very modus operandi and systems of rule, justified on account of bringing about civilisation, that were set in motion by colonialism remained in place or were reproduced by post-independence rulers. There was but only a slight modification of the justification, from civilisation to development.

Today, there is an intriguing sleight of hand that sees the scapegoat in democracy. And this is where Dambisa Moyo and others have rallied to engage in an extreme form of intellectual dishonesty. Scapegoating democracy might at face value appear easier to do. But laying out exactly how democracy is a problem turns out rather difficult to persuasively argue.

We may well call it another name, but the idea and value of democratic government is to have public accountability and the mechanisms of ensuring that individuals and organisations entrusted with public office answer to those on whose behalf they manage.

To realise accountability, transparency and adherence to the set rules, there has to be citizen participation, free expression and the right to decide who should hold what office. How on earth then does being held accountable and securing from citizens the right to govern run counter to the quest for economic growth?

What is often used to scapegoat democracy is nothing more than parodies of genuine democratic practice, like populist policies and actions that play to the gallery, opportunistically used by political entrepreneurs to hoodwink the public to retain power and privilege. The instrumental use of such democratic principles as popular participation and the peoples will is a travesty, and not the essence of democracy.

There is no doubt that any democratic system has deeply ingrained flaws. It is prone to slow decision-making and can lead to undesirable outcomes. It has inherent instabilities and occasional uncertainties. But there is little historical evidence to suggest that Africa can do better under nondemocratic systems.

The tendency to jump to citing Asian countries, the so-called Tigers and now China, fails to appreciate the distinct histories and societal circumstances of those countries. Then the reference to Europe and North America which ostensibly attained socioeconomic transformation before becoming liberal, democratic societies. The claim here is either ignorantly wrong or simply disingenuous.

The early path to European (and by extension North American) transformation was built on the principles of rule of law and public accountability. England was the frontrunner in this. The form and degree of democracy was not what it eventually became, but that rulers and governments were subjected to public accountability is undeniable.

moses.khisa@gmail.com

The author is an assistant professor of political science at North Carolina State University.
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A day after the APIs estimated oil inventory draw of 6 million barrels failed to impress the market, the Energy Information Administration may have succeeded after reporting a draw of 1.4 million barrels of crude for the week to August 3.

After last week the EIA reported an inventory build of 3.8 million barrels, analysts had forecast a draw of 1.2 million barrels this week.

A day after the first round of U.S. sanctions against Iran went back into effect, oil prices remained largely indifferent, with Brent crude trading at US$73.52 a barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at US$67.83, both down slightly from a day earlier at the time of writing.

The EIA said refineries last week processed 17.6 million barrels of crude daily, compared with 17.5 million bpd a week earlier, with gasoline production at 9.9 million bpd and distillate production at 5.2 million bpd. This compares with 10.5 million bpd of gasoline and 5.2 million bpd of distillate a week earlier.

Gasoline inventories added 2.9 million barrels last week and distillate inventories were up by 1.2 million barrels.

Production was likely stable at a little below 11 million bpd last week, with imports up by 182,000 million barrels to 7.9 million bpd. In the previous week, imports averaged 7.7 million barrels daily.

The response of oil prices to APIs report on inventories suggests market players have already factored in the immediate effects of U.S. sanctions against Iran on prices, hence volatility has been reigned in to an extent. Related: Crackdown Looms As Maduro Survives Assassination Attempt

The sanctions that went into effect yesterday target Irans trade in U.S. dollars, which includes oil, metals, coal, and cars. The second round, to come into effect on November 4, will directly target Irans petroleum industry.

Despite a general unwillingness among Iranian crude oil buyers to start cutting their imports, many have done jut that worried about repercussions from the U.S. if they dont. China is the only one that has flatly refused to reduce its intake of Iranian crude although it did say it will not expand its Iranian imports.

Any development in the U.S.-Chinese trade war, however, could change its mind: Beijing this week threatened it could impose tariffs on U.S. LNG imports.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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August 12th, 2018 could well become a historic day for the Caspian Sea region, with states aiming to end a long-running legal disagreement involving the areas natural resources. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the region, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have all been battling with Russia and Iran for their share of the resource pie in the area. In the coming days, we may well see the resolution of this issue.

For nearly three decades, negotiations have been ongoing on the territorial status of the Caspian Sea and the distribution of its wealth. During the discussions, Russia and Iran formed a bloc as the states with the least energy resources in their territorial waters, while Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan formed another. The latter three insisted that only the countries through whose territory a future pipeline would be traversing should decide on its fate. Moscow and Tehran, however, insisted that all littoral states of the Caspian should receive an equal say in the final decision.

After years of negotiations, Russia and Iran appeared to have finally given in and made a serious concession: article 14 of the agreement forfeits control over the construction of any possible future pipeline. This triumph looks like it will be short-lived however, as an agreement on the environment provides them with a Trojan horse.

On July 20th, the littoral states signed the Environmental Impact Assessment Protocol, an annex to the convention, which makes all five states equal partners when it comes to safeguarding the environment. According to the terms of this agreement, all states are allowed to request explanatory argumentation on how environmental concerns are going to be met. In case the plaintiff is not satisfied, an appeal at an international court remains open, which could delay a project for years if not a decade.

Despite seeming to be a bad deal for Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan in the short term, it makes more sense when taking into account other considerations. Azerbaijan shares the Araz-Alov-Sharg oilfield with Iran and the Serdar-Kapaz and Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil and gas fields with Turkmenistan. Until the territorial delimitation of the sea has been agreed upon, exploitation of these resources is not possible. Kazakhstan, despite it being in its interest to have alternative routes to Europe for its energy products, eventually sided with Russia due to obvious economic and political reasons. Related: Chinas Oil Futures Jump To Record High

Moscow, on the other hand, had several more reasons to make a concession on article 14 than the environmental protocol. In order for the Trans-Caspian pipeline from Turkmenistan to Europe to be realized, production capacity has to be available. Currently, Turkmenistan exports a significant part of its production to Russia and until 2020 should transport 35 bcm yearly to China via the Central Asia-China line. Due to existing commitments and low production capacity, it will be difficult to fulfill all the existing responsibilities while exporting additional volumes to Europe.

Furthermore, Moscow is confident that pipeline politics is on its side. The construction of infrastructure over hundreds and thousands of miles is an expensive endeavor which requires commercial viability in order to receive financing. Profitability is strongly influenced by the presence or absence of competition. The construction of Turk Stream, exploitation of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, and LNG will all have a negative impact on prices and will hurt producers in the Caspian Sea region.

While Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran are now able to exploit shared oil and gas fields, Russia can block alternative suppliers to Europe for the foreseeable future. All the involved parties, with the exception of Turkey, seem to have gained some advantage. Ankara was poised to become a major transit hub for energy to Europe from the Caspian. Turkey appears to have miscalculated the level of support it would receive from the EU in its aim to become an energy hub. Financial uncertainty and political stalemate will prove difficult hurdles to realize an alternative source of energy to Europe in the foreseeable future.

By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com

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The ongoing political row between Canada and Saudi Arabia over Ottawas demand that the kingdom release detained womens rights activists in the country is picking up momentum. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia ordered the Canadian ambassador to leave Saudi Arabia within 24 hours after his country criticized the recent arrest of Saudi womens rights activists.

However, Saudi Arabia, showing heightened sensitivity into what it perceives as foreign intrusion into its own affairs, upped the ante even more, by saying it would freeze "all new business" between the kingdom and Canada and also in an admittedly knee-jerk response, recalled thousands of Saudi students attending Canadian universities, a move to hurt Canada financially.

Omar Allam, a former Canadian diplomat and head of Allam Advisory Group, said the recall of 12,000 to 15,000 Saudi students from Canada, and accompanying relatives, is going to remove as much as CAD$2 billion in annual investment in the Canadian economy.

Ratcheting up rhetoric

"Any further step from the Canadian side in that direction will be considered as acknowledgment of our right to interfere in the Canadian domestic affairs," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. "Canada and all other nations need to know that they can't claim to be more concerned than the kingdom over its own citizens."

Canada, however, sees the situation differently. "Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women's rights, and freedom of expression around the world," Marie-Pier Baril, a spokeswoman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement. "Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy."

A CBS News report said that the spate began over a serious of tweets by Canadian diplomats calling for the immediate release of womens rights activists detained by Saudi Arabia. Chrystia Freeland also said in a tweet that she was "very alarmed" by news of the arrest of Samar Badawi, the sister of Raif Badawi, a prominent Saudi activist. Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012 for running a blog that promoted free speech and women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

This geopolitical row could have more implications that it initially appears. Some analysts are claiming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could be taking advantage of President Trumps increased focus on the Iranian situation and his history of foregoing human rights concerns in other countries, a claim that could be true. A similar dynamic has played out in several other countries since Trump became president one-and-a-half years ago. Related: Oil Prices Inch Higher As Sanctions On Iran Kick In

How the political dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia plays out is anybodys guess at this point, however its impact on the oil sector might not be so difficult to predict.

Impact on oil imports

Judith Dwarkin, chief economist with RS Energy Group in Calgary, said Wednesday that Canada could easily replace the oil it imports from Saudi Arabia should relations with the kingdom deteriorate to the point that trade in crude is halted. She said that eastern Canadian refineries import about 75,000 to 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Saudi crude, adding that since its only 10 percent of total Canadian oil imports, it represents a drop in the bucket compared to that of the U.S. which covers two-thirds of Canadian oil imports and could increase that level if needed.

"The Saudis, if they choose to supply less to Canada, will divert those barrels, possibly to China, and U.S. barrels that would have gone to China, but are uncompetitive under Chinese tariffs, come to Canada," Dwarkin said.

"Basically, the cupboard gets rearranged."

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Canada is the largest energy trading partner of the U.S. Based on the latest annual data from the U.S. Census Bureau, energy accounted for about 5% percent of the value of all U.S. exports to Canada and more than 19 percent of the value of all U.S. imports from Canada in 2016.

No love-loss

Flashing back 45 years ago, Canada was one of the western powers that was targeted by the 1973 Saudi-orchestrated Arab oil embargo. At that time the country was caught flatfooted by the embargo and the subsequent four-fold increase in global oil prices that quickly ensued.

Since that cataclysmic period, however, Ottawa took action. In December 1973, the government created Petro Canada to boost oil production to boost oil and gas exploration in the North and offshore, to assist in the development of the tar sands and to secure reliable oil imports. By the 1980s, Petro Canada had become of the countrys largest oil companies.

Related: Chinas Oil Futures Jump To Record High

Also, in 1980 the Canadian government introduced the National Energy Program (NEP). Its objectives, though controversial at the time, were to increase Canadian ownership of the oil industry, to achieve oil self-sufficiency and gain a greater share of energy revenues.

In the long-term, Canadian oil production is projected to increase to 5.6 million bpd by 2036, a 33 percent increase over 2-17 levels, according to a new industry forecast. Western Canada production is forecast to account for the bulk of the country's total production, about 95 percent.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

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Indian Oil Corp, the biggest refiner in India, has purchased a total of 6 million barrels of U.S. crude oil for delivery between November and January, as it has started to look for a replacement of Iranian oil cargoes ahead of the U.S. sanctions on Irans oil exports returning in early November.

The 6-million-barrel purchase was the first time that Indian Oil Corp (IOC)which was the first Indian refiner to buy U.S. oil last summerhas bought U.S. crude oil through a mini-term tender, the Indian companys Director of Finance A.K. Sharma told Reuters on Wednesday.

IOC is buying 2 million barrels of U.S. Mars for November delivery, one million barrels of Mars and Eagle Ford each in a combination cargo for December delivery, and 2 million barrels of Louisiana Light Sweet (LLS) to be delivered in January next year, Sharma said.

Ahead of the return of the U.S. sanctions on Iran, Indias state refiners boosted their Iranian oil purchases, pushing up Indian oil imports from Iran by 30 percent from June, to a record 768,000 bpd in July, according to preliminary tanker arrival data that Reuters has obtained from trade sources.

Iran is said to have started to offer India cargo insurance and tankers operated by Iranian companies as some Indian insurers have refused to cover oil cargoes from Iran in the face of the returning U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

Hindustan Petroleum was said to have cancelled a crude oil shipment from Iran after its insurer refused to provide coverage for the cargo on concern about U.S. sanctions.

Indias imports from Iran could start to slow from August as some big Indian refiners worry that their access to the U.S. financial system could be cut off if they continue to import Iranian oil, prompting them to reduce oil purchases from Tehran.

HPCL, for example, will not be buying oil from Iran in August, chairman M. K. Surana told Reuters last week, but did not elaborate on whether the refiner would resume importing Iranian oil after that.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, attending the memorial ceremony, pledged that Japan will try to bridge nuclear powers and non-nuclear states and lead worldwide efforts.

At Monday's ceremony, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned that "certain countries are blatantly proclaiming self-centred nationalism and modernizing their nuclear arsenals, rekindling tensions that had eased with the end of the Cold War".

Foreign Minister Zarif in a tweet on Monday remembered the 73rd anniversary of the United States' nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, describing the U.S. as the "first and only" country to ever use nukes, "on an urban center of all targets".

Tens of thousands of people gathered to honour the victims at an annual memorial ceremony held in the city.

Matsui said in his speech that Japan's government should do more to achieve a nuclear-free world by helping the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons take effect. For the vote of the treaty text, 122 nations voted in favor while 69 nations chose not to vote - all of which were nuclear weapon states.

The attack on Hiroshima, 700 kilometres west of Tokyo, in the closing days of World War II ushered in the nuclear age.

In Friday, Aug. 8, 2018, photo, Namio Matsura, 17-year-old member of the computation skill research club at Fukuyama Technical High School, watches Hiroshima city before atomic bomb fell in virtual reality experience at the high school in Hiroshima, western Japan.

Currently, more than 14,000 nuclear weapons are estimated to still exist in the world.

"Our nation, while maintaining our (non-nuclear weapons) principles, will patiently work to serve as a bridge between the two sides and lead efforts by the global community" to reduce nuclear weapons, Abe said.

Abe said Japan is determined to act as a bridge between the 2 sides, and to be an worldwide leader. "That is precisely why we must continue talking about Hiroshima", Matsui said.

Atomic bomb survivors and many visitors prayed for peace at the Peace Memorial Park near Ground Zero under the scorching summer heat.

The bombings claimed the lives of 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki.

Another Hiroshima resident Yoshinobu Ota, 71, was born after the bombing. "We were only told what we needed to know, and keep your mouth shut".

Although it's impossible to relive a moment in history, a group of the students have recreated the moment an atomic bomb dropped over the city through VR to portray the livelihood of people that was taken away as a result of the bombing. "As long as there are countries possessing nuclear weapons, they can be used any time".

His call however highlighted Japan's contradictory relationship with nuclear weapons.
Japan will continue to negotiate with the United States to seek exemption from the U.S. sanctions on Irans oil, as Tokyo wants to avoid negative impacts on its energy supply and business activity, Japans public broadcaster HNK quoted Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko as saying on Tuesday.

Japan and the United States held talks earlier this month on Irans sanctions, Seko told reporters today, adding that he conveyed Japans position that the sanctions shouldnt disrupt the Japanese corporate activity.

The Japanese side insisted on the basic principle that [the US sanctions] should not affect energy supply or have a negative impact on Japanese corporate activities, Platts quoted Seko as saying at a news conference.

According to data by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japans oil imports from Iran stood at 162,222 bpd on average between January and June 2018, down by 2.7 percent year on year. The imports from Iran accounted for 5.3 percent of Japans total crude oil imports in the first half this year.

As early as in May, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced that sanctions on Iran would return, Japan signaled that it would seek some kind of exemption from Irans oil sanctions. Talks have been held throughout the summer, and reports have had it that the U.S. had asked Japan to completely stop importing Iranian crude oil.

In the middle of July, the head of the Japanese oil refiners association said that Japan was likely to stop purchasing Iranian crude oil, with last loadings expected by the middle of September and arriving in Japan by mid-October.

On Monday, when asked about the talks with Japan over a U.S. waiver, a senior U.S. Administration official told reporters via teleconference that We dont disclose private deliberations with other governments over these things. As weve said, we  our goal is to get the import of Iranian oil to zero. We are not looking to grant exemptions or waivers, but we do and are glad to discuss requests and look at requests on a case-by-case basis. But beyond that, we dont comment on it.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The U.S. is granting an Iran sanctions waiver to the Southern Gas Corridor natural gas pipeline projects designed to carry Azeri gas from the Caspian Sea to Turkey and onto Europe by-passing Russia.

Irans NICO holds a 10-percent stake in the Shah Deniz consortium that is developing the Shah Deniz 2 gas deposit in Azerbaijan, which will be the starting point for the Southern Gas Corridor.

The executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday contains a Natural Gas Project Exception which describes the Southern Gas Corridor without naming it.

The natural gas project exemption is referencing the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, which stipulates that the act has exceptions for certain natural gas projects for the development of natural gas and the construction and operation of a pipeline to transport natural gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey and Europe, and that provides to Turkey and countries in Europe energy security and energy independence from the Government of the Russian Federation.

Last month, BP and its partners started up the US$28-billion Shah Deniz 2 gas development in Azerbaijanthe starting point of the Southern Gas Corridor for gas supplies into Europe expected to reduce European dependence on Russian gas.

The Southern Gas Corridor consists of several separate energy projects with a total investment of around US$40 billion. Apart from the Shah Deniz 2 development, the Corridor will include three pipelinesthe South Caucasus Pipeline (SCPX) to Azerbaijan and Georgia; the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) to Turkey; and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) planned to cross Greece, Albania, and end up in Italy.

While yesterdays executive order exempted those pipeline projects from sanctions, it didnt shed light on the Rhum gas field in the UK North Sea, in which BP is selling its 50 percent stake to Serica Energy. The other 50 percent is held by Iranian Oil Company (U.K.) Limited, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company. Serica and BP are seeking U.S. clarification on the Rhum field.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Ali Mushaima, the son of a prominent opposition figure jailed in Bahrain, has been on hunger strike outside the Bahraini embassy in London since August 1.

Activists supporting the protest projected images on the wall of the embassy on August 4, prompting a police response.

Mushaima has demanded medical care for his 70-year-old father, Hassan Mushaima, and accused the Bahraini authorities of refusing treatment. He has also asked for family visits and the delivery of books to his father to be allowed.

This footage shows British police talking to a group of people after they projected photos of Hassan Mushaima and other activists at the wall.

Amnesty International said in a statement released on August 6 that Bahraini authorities deliberately denied proper medical care for four elderly jailed activists, Hassan Mshaima, Abdel-Jalil al-Singace, Abdel-Wahab Hussain and Abdel-Jalil al-Miqdad, subjecting them to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and putting their lives at risk.

The four were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011, Amnesty said. Credit: Sayed Ahmed al-Wadaei via Storyful
Phuket  August 8, 2018  From Thursday August 9th through Monday August 13th 2018, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa is welcoming Thai Michelin Star Chef Phatchara Pom Pirapak who will host an exclusive dinner at Takieng Restaurant featuring a 6-course Thai fine dining menu. An exclusive evening dinner will be held on Friday August 10th from 6.30pm  10.00pm including pre-dinner wine of Perlno Spumante and live guitar. Special for Thai Mother Day, Sunday August 12th mom can enjoy 50% off.

Date: 9-13 August 2018

Time: 6.30pm  10pm

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(Prices are subject to 10% service charge and 7% government tax)

Takieng is a signature restaurant of Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa. The award-wining authentic Thai restaurant serves all the hot, sour, salty and sweet tastes of classic Thai cuisine in a contemporary lounge environment, with outdoor seating. Open daily from 6pm to 10.30pm

For more information and reservation, please contact +66 76 363 999 or email Phakamas.K@renaissancehotels.com
College students who receive dean's list recognition and those put on academic probation both improve their academic performance in subsequent semesters, according to a working paper by Georgia State University economist Nicholas Wright.

Using the confidential administrative records of a large, publicly funded university, Wright examined the extent to which college students are incentivized to change their behavior when they receive administrative feedback that either reprimands or rewards their academic performance.

"Many colleges use these programs to encourage students," said Wright, a Ph.D. candidate in Georgia State's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. "But this is the first paper to examine the impact of the dean's list policy in the economics literature."

The observed increase in grade point average, however, may not be indicative of improvements in student learning. Students rewarded with inclusion on a dean's list were 15 percent more likely to select instructors that awarded the highest number of A's and B's in the past and were 21 percent more likely to choose instructors that have the highest pass rate.

"Students were able to successfully pick up on signals about the level of difficulty of courses and instructors based on past grading history," Wright said. "They used these signals to engage in strategic course-taking behaviors that could partially account for improved performance in future semesters."

Similarly, students who were exposed to the academic probation policy were 9 percent more likely to switch their major, making a strategic change to their program of study to raise their academic performance.

"The results suggest both policies have a positive effect on academic performance," he said.

Wright believes the conclusions outlined in the research may apply in most contexts where a person's performance is used as a basis for reprimand or recognition.

"In the service industry, for example, those performing exceptionally well are often publicly recognized," he said, "an approach that may influence an employee's decision-making. In an academic setting, these results offer many insights policymakers should consider when designing interventions that reward or reprimand students."

Explore further Checking phones in lectures can cost students half a grade in exams

More information: Nicholas Wright. Perform Better, or Else: Academic Probation, Public Praise and Students Decision-Making, SSRN Electronic Journal (2018). Nicholas Wright. Perform Better, or Else: Academic Probation, Public Praise and Students Decision-Making,(2018). DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3142416
Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, near Ladoga, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

The largest wildfire ever recorded in California needed just 11 days to blacken an area nearly the size of Los Angelesand it's only one of many enormous blazes that could make this the worst fire season in state history.

Some 14,000 firefighters from as far away as Florida and even New Zealand are struggling to curb 18 fires in the midst of a sweltering summer that has seen wind-whipped flames carve their way through national forest land and rural areas, threaten urban areas and incinerate neighborhoods.

"For whatever reason, fires are burning much more intensely, much more quickly than they were before," said Mark A. Hartwig, president of the California Fire Chiefs Association.

California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change and home construction deeper into the forests.

Some of the largest fires have erupted just within the past few weeks as the state has seen record-setting temperaturesand the historically worst months of wildfire season are still to come.

In Southern California, a smoky forest fire raged Wednesday in mostly unoccupied landbut firefighting crews were concerned the flames could race down hillsides toward foothill communities.

Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, near Ladoga, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

The blaze churning through the Cleveland National Forest south of Los Angeles was just 5 percent contained.

Flames that erupted Monday have blackened nearly 6-and-a-half square miles (17 square kilometers) of dry brush and timber. Several cabins have burned and two rural canyons and some campgrounds have been evacuated.

In Northern California, the record-setting Mendocino Complextwin fires being fought as a single conflagrationgained ground Wednesday but more slowly because its own smoke covered the area and lowered the temperature, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

A firefighter lights a backfire while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, near Ladoga, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

The flames, which had burned 470 square miles (1,217 square kilometers), were raging in mostly remote areas but 116 homes were destroyed. Two firefighters have been injured.

Fire crews expect to gain control of the massive blaze in September, the state forestry and fire protection agency said.

The blaze that broke out July 27 initially spread quickly because of what officials said was a perfect combination of weather, rugged topography and abundant brush and timber turned to tinder by years of drought.

A plane drops fire retardant as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the Cleveland National Forest near Corona, Calif. on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Firefighters are working in rugged terrain amid scorching temperatures that have prompted warnings about excessive heat and extreme fire danger for much of the region. (Watchara Phomicinda/The Orange County Register via AP)

Resources also were thin at first because thousands of firefighters already were battling a fire hundreds of miles north. That fire, which spread into the city of Redding, killed six people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. The so-called Carr Fire was less than half contained.

In becoming the biggest fire in California history, the Mendocino Complex fire broke a record set just eight months ago. A blaze in Southern California in December killed two people, burned 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

California's firefighting costs have more than tripled from $242 million in the 2013 fiscal year to $773 million in the 2018 fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Cal Fire.

"We're in uncharted territory," Gov. Jerry Brown warned last week. "Since civilization emerged 10,000 years ago, we haven't had this kind of heat condition, and it's going to continue getting worse. That's the way it is."

This Aug. 6, 2018 satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows plumes of smoke from the "River Fire" burning vegetation west of Clear Lake, Calif. The dark brown areas at center, encircled by lighter-colored bulldozed trails, shows burned vegetation around the South Cow Mountain recreation area. (Satellite Image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company, via AP)

This Aug. 1, 2018, satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows plumes of smoke from the Carr Fire, which is burning vegetation around the area west of Shasta Lake, right, Trinity Lake, upper left, and Whiskeytown Lake, hidden at center by the plumes, near Redding, Calif., bottom right. (Satellite Image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company via AP)

This Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows plumes of smoke from the "Ranch Fire" north of Clear Lake, Calif. The dark brown areas show burned vegetation. (Satellite Image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company, via AP)

This image provided by NASA shows the California wildfires captured from the International Space Station on Aug. 3, 2018 by European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst. Northern California is grappling with the largest wildfire in California history, breaking a record set only months earlier. Experts say this may become the new normal as climate change coupled with the expansion of homes into undeveloped areas creates more intense and devastating blazes. (Alexander Gerst/NASA via AP)

Evacuees from Lucerne, from left, Ken Bennett with Ember Reynolds, 8, and Lisa Reynolds watch the sunset as smoke from the Ranch Fire rises into the sky at Austin Park Beach in California's Clearlake with Mount Konocti in the background. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)

Explore further Twin California fires are second-largest in state history

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Suitable climatic habitat of Northern black widow spider predicted from 1990-2016 observation records. Credit: Wang et al., 2018

Online "citizen science" data initiatives may be able to help map the distribution of rare species in the wild, according to a study published August 8 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Yifu Wang of McGill University and colleagues.

Species distribution maps are essential tools for understanding an organism's ecology, forecasting how it will be affected by climate change and other activities, and planning management strategies. But detailed knowledge of most species' ranges is lacking, since the number of professional field biologists contributing information and specimens to museum collectionsthe principle source of range informationhas been small. Further, as the climate changes, ranges shift, and professional observations to track those shifts is rarer still.

To test the potential of online citizen scientist observations to contribute to detailed species mapping, the authors combined information from online databases containing observations by citizen scientists and museum collections for two spider species, the Northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus) and the Black purse-web spider (Sphodros niger). They modeled distribution for each, using a variety of statistical tests and modeling tools to remove questionable observations and increase the validity of the final range prediction model. They also compared current predicted range to historical range to test for the occurrence of range shift over time.

Northern black widow spider. Credit: Sean McCann

They predict that the purse-web spider's range may have shifted since 1960, contracting in the southwest corner (including Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee), and expanding along the northern edge in Canada. The northern edge of the black widow's range may also have increased over time. The most important environmental factor determining predicted current range for the purse-web spider was the mean temperature of the coldest three months of the year, while for the black widow it was the mean temperature of the warmest three months.

"Our models show the first reliable distribution maps of these two species," say Wang et al., though noting that both species have potential distribution ranges beyond currently documented regions. "The logical next step is to conduct sampling efforts in typical habitats associated with these species in our predicted range to further validate the models. We propose to call on citizen scientists by launching a monitoring project through a platform such as Bugguide and iNaturalist to produce a large-scale sampling effort. This would represent a rapid, low-cost, highly efficient, and innovative way to test these large scale predictive models."

Wang summarizes: "Distributions of spiders are relatively poorly known, and range maps are often based just on where scientists have found the species. Using Northern black widow spider and Black purse-web spider as examples, this paper illustrates that we can (and should!) incorporate citizen science data and distribution modeling techniques to help bridge the knowledge gaps of less-studied species."

Explore further Insect DNA extracted, sequenced from black widow spider web

More information: Wang Y, Casajus N, Buddle C, Berteaux D, Larrivee M (2018) Predicting the distribution of poorly-documented species, Northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus) and Black purse-web spider (Sphodros niger), using museum specimens and citizen science data. PLoS ONE 13(8): e0201094. Journal information: PLoS ONE Wang Y, Casajus N, Buddle C, Berteaux D, Larrivee M (2018) Predicting the distribution of poorly-documented species, Northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus) and Black purse-web spider (Sphodros niger), using museum specimens and citizen science data.13(8): e0201094. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201094
Modification of defective nanoporous materials has unique effects on their properties. Swansea University scientists are seeking to master this method to make new materials to capture CO2. Credit: Swansea University

The word "defect" universally evokes some negative, undesirable feature, but researchers at the Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Swansea University have a different opinion: in the realm of nanoporous materials, defects can be put to a good use, if one knows how to tame them.

Metal Organic Frameworks

A team led by Dr. Marco Taddei, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Fellow at Swansea University, is investigating how the properties of metal-organic frameworks, a class of materials resembling microscopic sponges, can be adjusted by taking advantage of their defects to make them better at capturing CO2.

Dr. Taddei said: "Metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, are extremely interesting materials because they are full of empty space that can be used to trap and contain gases. In addition, their structure can be manipulated at the atomic level to make them selective to certain gases, in our case CO2."

"MOFs containing the element zirconium are special, in the sense that they can withstand the loss of many linkages without collapsing. We see these defects as an attractive opportunity to play with the properties of the material."

The researchers went on to investigate how defects take part in a process known as "post-synthetic exchange", a two-step procedure whereby a MOF is initially synthesized and then modified through exchange of some components of its structure. They studied the phenomenon in real time using nuclear magnetic resonance, a common characterization technique in chemistry. This allowed them to understand the role of defects during the process.

The new study appears in the high impact international journal Angewandte Chemie.

"We found that defects are very reactive sites within the structure of the MOF, and that their modification affects the property of the material in a unique way." said Dr. Taddei "The fact that we did this by making extensive use of a technique that is easily accessible to any chemist around the globe is in my opinion one of the highlights of this work."

ESRI Research

ESRI Director, Professor Andrew Barron is co-author of the work, said: "In ESRI, our research efforts are focused on making an impact on the way we produce energy, making it clean, safe and affordable. However, we are well aware that progress in applied research is only possible through a deep understanding of fundamentals. This work goes exactly in that direction."

The study is a proof of concept, but these findings lay the foundation for future work, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The researchers want to learn how to chemically manipulate defective structures to develop new materials with enhanced performance for CO2 capture from steelworks waste gases, in collaboration with Tata Steel and University College Cork.

"Reducing the CO2 emissions derived from energy production and industrial processes is imperative to prevent serious consequences on climate," states co-author Dr. Enrico Andreoli, Senior Lecturer at Swansea University and leader of the CO2 capture and utilization group within ESRI, "Efforts in our group target the development of both new materials to efficiently capture CO2 and convenient processes to convert this CO2 into valuable products."

Dr Taddei, Professor Barron and Dr Andreoli are the organizers of the 1st European Workshop on Metal Phosphonates Chemistry, which will be held in ESRI on the 19th of September 2018.

Explore further Scientists discover greener way of making plastics
Conservationists have designated August 12 as World Elephant Day to raise awareness about conserving these majestic animals. Elephants have many engaging features, from their incredibly dexterous trunks to their memory abilities and complex social lives.

But there is much less discussion of their brains, even though it stands to reason that such a large animal has a pretty big brain (about 12 pounds). Indeed, until recently very little was actually known about the elephant brain, in part because obtaining well-preserved tissue suitable for microscopic study is extremely difficult.

That door was opened by the pioneering efforts of neurobiologist Paul Manger at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, who obtained permission in 2009 to extract and preserve the brains of three African elephants that were scheduled to be culled as part of a larger population management strategy. We have thus learned more about the elephant brain in the last 10 years than ever before.

The research shared here was conducted at Colorado College in 2009-2011 in cooperation with Paul Manger, Columbia University anthropologist Chet Sherwood and neuroscientist Patrick Hof of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Our goal was to explore the shapes and size of neurons in the elephant cortex.

These images illustrate the process of removing a small section of cerebral cortex from the right cerebral hemisphere of the elephant. This tissue is stained and placed on a glass slide so that, under the microscope, one can see individual neurons and trace them in three dimensions. Credit: Robert Jacobs, CC BY-ND

My lab group has long been interested in the morphology, or shape, of neurons in the cerebral cortex of mammals. The cortex constitutes the thin, outer layer of neurons (nerve cells) that cover the two cerebral hemispheres. It is closely associated with higher cognitive functions such as coordinated voluntary movement, integration of sensory information, sociocultural learning and the storing of memories that define an individual.

The arrangement and morphology of neurons in the cortex is relatively uniform across mammals  or so we thought after decades of investigations on human and nonhuman primate brains, and the brains of rodents and cats. As we found when we were able to analyze elephant brains, the morphology of elephant cortical neurons is radically different from anything we had ever observed before.

How neurons are visualized and quantified

The process of exploring neuronal morphology begins with staining brain tissue after it has been fixed (chemically preserved) for a period of time. In our laboratory we use a technique over 125 years old called the Golgi stain, named after Italian biologist and Nobel Laureate Camillo Golgi (1843-1926).

Tracings of the most common neuron (the pyramidal neuron) in the cerebral cortex of several species. Note that the elephant has widely branching apical dendrites, whereas all other species have a more singular, ascending apical dendrite. The scale bar = 100 micrometers (or 0.004 of an inch). Credit: Bob Jacobs, CC BY-ND

This methodology set the foundation of modern neuroscience. For example, Spanish neuroanatomist and Nobel Laureate Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852-1934) used this technique to provide a road map of what neurons look like and how they are connected with each other.

The Golgi stain impregnates only a small percentage of neurons, allowing individual cells to appear relatively isolated with a clear background. This reveals the dendrites, or branches, that constitute the receptive surface area of these neurons. Just as branches on a tree bring in light for photosynthesis, the dendrites of neurons allow the cell to receive and synthesize incoming information from other cells. The greater the complexity of the dendritic systems, the more information a particular neuron can process.

Once we stain neurons, we can trace them in three dimensions under the microscope, with the help of a computer and specialized software, revealing the complex geometry of neuronal networks. In this study, we traced 75 elephant neurons. Each tracing took one to five hours, depending on the complexity of the cell.

A variety of cortical neurons in the elephant that are seldom if ever observed in the cortex of other mammals. Note that all of them are characterized by dendrites that spread out from the cell body laterally, sometimes over considerable distances. The scale bar = 100 micrometers (or 0.004 of an inch). Credit: Bob Jacobs, CC BY-ND

What elephant neurons look like

Even after doing this kind of research for years, it remains exciting to look at tissue under the microscope for the first time. Each stain is a walk through a different neural forest. When we examined sections of elephant tissue, it was clear that the basic architecture of the elephant cortex was different from that of any other mammals that have been examined to date  including its closest living relatives, the manatee and the rock hyrax.

Here are three major differences that we found between cortical neurons in the elephant and those found in other mammals.

First, the dominant cortical neuron in mammals is the pyramidal neuron. These are also prominent in the elephant cortex, but they have a very different structure. Instead of having a singular dendrite that comes off the apex of the cell (known as an apical dendrite), apical dendrites in the elephant typically branch widely as they ascend to the surface of the brain. Instead of a single, long branch like a fir tree, the elephant apical dendrite resembles two human arms reaching upward.

A tuskless matriarch elephant shows kindness toward young orphan elephants trying to find their way in the Kenyan bush.

Second, the elephant exhibits a much wider variety of cortical neurons than do other species. Some of these, such as the flattened pyramidal neuron, are not found in other mammals. One characteristic of these neurons is that their dendrites extend laterally from the cell body over long distances. In other words, like the apical dendrites of pyramidal cells, these dendrites also extend out like human arms uplifted to the sky.

Third, the overall length of pyramidal neuron dendrites in elephants is about the same as in humans. However, they are arranged differently. Human pyramidal neurons tend to have a large number of shorter branches, whereas the elephant has a smaller number of much longer branches. Whereas primate pyramidal neurons seem to be designed for sampling very precise input, the dendritic configuration in elephants suggests that their dendrites sample a very broad array of input from multiple sources.

Taken together, these morphological characteristics suggest that neurons in the elephant cortex may synthesize a wider variety of input than the cortical neurons in other mammals.

In terms of cognition, my colleagues and I believe that the integrative cortical circuitry in the elephant supports the idea that they are essentially contemplative animals. Primate brains, by comparison, seem specialized for rapid decision-making and quick reactions to environmental stimuli.

Observations of elephants in their natural habitat by researchers such as Dr. Joyce Poole suggest that elephants are indeed thoughtful, curious and ponderous creatures. Their large brains, with such a diverse collection of interconnected, complex neurons, appear to provide the neural foundation of the elephant's sophisticated cognitive abilities, including social communication, tool construction and use, creative problem-solving, empathy and self-recognition, including theory of mind.

The brains of all species are unique. Indeed, even the brains of individuals within a given species are unique. However, the special morphology of elephant cortical neurons reminds us that there is certainly more than one way to wire an intelligent brain.

Explore further Smarter brains run on sparsely connected neurons

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Water color is getting darker in lakes across the planet. This phenomenon, known as "browning," was anticipated to cause widespread declines in fish populations. A new study by researchers from Umea University finds that the number of fish populations impacted by browning is smaller than previously believed.

If you fill a clear glass with lake water, chances are that the water has a slight yellow or brown color. The color is caused by dissolved organic carbon  a group of carbon compounds that wash into a lake from the soils around it when it rains or when snow melts. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations are increasing in lakes around the planet, in part because of climate change, but also due to other factors like reductions in acid rain. This causes the lake water to transition from relatively clear to a darker brown color.

"There are a several of good reasons why environmental scientists have expected browning to reduce the size of fish populations," says David Seekell, Assistant Professor of Ecology in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umea University in Sweden, and leader of the new study. "Darker colored water reduces light penetration which limits photosynthesis. This reduces the amount of food available for fish. Additionally, the volume of water in a lake with enough oxygen for fish to live actually decreases as the water gets darker, so there is less habitat for them too."

Credit: Umea University

However, there has been no change in fish populations in studies when researchers have experimentally clarified or darkened entire lakes. The new study explains why. The authors sampled fish populations and measured the depth and water color of 16 lakes in northern Sweden. They found that fish populations were lower in darker waters, but only for lakes with average depths in narrow range: 2-3.5 meters (6.5  11.5 feet). Whole-lake experiments have only occurred in lakes outside this range and this explains why these studies have not seen changes in fish populations. Relatively few lakes have average depths that fall in the 2-3.5 meter range. This suggests that browning will impact fish populations in fewer lakes than previously expected.

"There are about 52,500 lakes in the northern forest of Sweden," says Seekell. "About 10,100 have average depth in the range where their fish populations may be impacted by browning. This is a significant number, but much less than previously anticipated."

He noted that most of these lakes are very small, and collectively they make up less than 10 percent of the area of all of the lakes in the region combined.

Seekell conducted the study collaboratively with Par Bystrom and Jan Karlsson. Both are researchers at Umea University. The study has been published in the journal Limnology & Oceanography.

Explore further Calcium deficient fauna and brown water awaiting

More information: David A. Seekell et al. Lake morphometry moderates the relationship between water color and fish biomass in small boreal lakes, Limnology and Oceanography (2018). David A. Seekell et al. Lake morphometry moderates the relationship between water color and fish biomass in small boreal lakes,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/lno.10931
Despite Trump's threats of retribution against companies operating in the Iranian market, the European Union on Monday issued a "blocking statute" to protect European businesses from the impact of the sanctions.

Iran's foreign minister vowed on Wednesday to fight back against USA sanctions, remarks that come just days after the Trump administration introduced new measures it says are aimed at forcing policy changes in the country.

The sanctions are part of a steadily increasing pressure campaign implemented after Trump in May chose to withdraw the United States from the Obama-era Iran nuclear accord that sought to limit Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The high-level meeting follows the reimposition of sanctions on Iran by the USA on Tuesday, which a White House statement said targeted the country's energy sector and foreign financial institutions doing business with the Central Bank of Iran.

Citing a sharp reduction of Iranian missile tests and drop-off in the harassment of US naval vessels in the Persian Gulf by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Dubowitz said Tehran has been "more cautious and more reticent" than it was under the Obama administration. "But now, all the countries in the world are supporting Iran".

"China's commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable, fair and lawful, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions", it said, adding "China's lawful rights should be protected".

The next round of punitive measures will come into effect in November and will target Iran's oil industry. "These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level". Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. "I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!" tweeted the President.

"They can't think that Iran won't export oil and others will export".

European countries, hoping to persuade Tehran to continue to respect the nuclear deal, have promised to try to lessen the blow of sanctions and to urge their firms not to pull out. It is Iran's biggest oil customer, taking in more than 650,000 barrels per day from the country. "They can not think that Iran won't export oil and others will export.".

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho on Tuesday (Aug 7), on the same day the U.S. reimposed nuclear-related sanctions on the Islamic republic. "We can't get drawn into a confrontation with America by falling into this war room trap and playing on a battlefield".

In a speech hours before the sanctions were due to take effect on Tuesday, Rouhani rejected negotiations as long as Washington was no longer complying with the deal. Zarif told reporters on state broadcaster IRINN.

Zarif also dismissed any direct or indirect talks now being held with the United States after Trump said he wanted negotiations with Tehran on a new deal.
(A) A Carollia perspicillata bat with two Speiseria ambigua bat flies (arrowheads), captured at La Virgen de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. (B) A bat of the Hipposideros caffer/ruber complex with a single Penicillidia sp. on its head, from Forikrom, Ghana. Image provided by Julian Schmid. (C) Trichobius joblingi (from Carollia perpicillata), with thalli of an undescribed species of Gloeandromyces on its abdomen (arrowheads). Image provided by Andre De Kesel. (D-E) Trichobius costalimai (from Phyllostomus discolor), with thalli of Nycteromyces streblidinus on its thorax, from Pena Blanca Peninsula, Panama. Scanning electron microscopy images provided by Alena Maidel. Nycteromyces is dioecious, which means that (male) antheridia and (female) perithecia are housed on separate individuals. (D) Three female thalli are indicated by arrowheads. (E) Close-up of a single male thallus, forming antheridia that produce spermatia. (F) Gloeandromyces sp. nov., recognized by its finger-like projection at the perithecium (the spore-producing organ) and supported by sequence data (referred to as Gloeandromyces sp. nov. 3 in [8]). Scale bars: (C-D) = 250 m, (E-F) = 50 m. Credit: Danny Haelewaters, Harvard University, The Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Despite researchers having little fondness for them, a large fraction of the world's biodiversity consists of parasites. Natural populations of organisms are often strongly affected by factors of their environment, most notably the effect of predators. Yet, the most outstanding arms race, produced by millions of years of coevolution, is seen between parasites and their hosts. Bats, the second-most diverse mammal order worldwide, are parasitized by numerous lineages of arthropods; bat flies are the most conspicuous. In turn, bat flies themselves can be parasitized by Laboulbeniales, fungal biotrophs of arthropods. This example of hyperparasitisma condition where a secondary parasite develops within or on another parasiteof bats, bat flies and fungi, is a severely understudied phenomenon.

In a new paper in Trends in Parasitology, researchers Danny Haelewaters, Harvard University, Carl Dick, Western Kentucky University and Thomas Hiller, the University of Ulm, review what is known about the tripartite study system with bats, bat flies and fungi. Known are a few reports from the early 20th century, two more in 1980, and then relatively nothing until 2017, when some studies revealed many new hosts, host associations and undescribed taxa, hinting at a much larger diversity of these unique fungi than currently known. "Only about 10% of Laboulbeniales species parasitize flies," says Haelewaters. "The genus is by far the largest with hundreds of species, of which only 24 species are on flies."

The lack of study of hyperparasitism raises several underexplored questions: How did such associations evolve? What population limitations are necessary to maintain these relationships? How strict are the species-level relationships? In their review, the team pointed out that we know virtually nothing about the biology, host associations or phylogenetic relationships of the different organisms involved. This tripartite system involving bats, bat flies and Laboulbeniales fungi is intriguing and ripe for future study. Hiller says studies on biodiversity rarely include the associated parasites, missing out on important information on host population and ecosystem health. "Host-parasite-systems, like this tripartite association, are often complex and studies on host as well as parasite ecology are crucial for correct interpretations of mere species lists'

The production of robust phylogenetic reconstructions for both bat flies and Laboulbeniales on a global scale is critical to future studies of the ecology, evolution and co-evolution of this tripartite system. "Studies in hyperparasitism lay bare the fact that the natural world remains underexplored," explains Dick. "Our understanding of hyperparasites pales in comparison to our knowledge of parasites, which in turn pales in comparison to our knowledge of hosts." In addition to patterns and processes in ecology and evolution, studies in this and other multi-tiered systems will advance the continued discovery of true global biodiversity. "No one has looked at these organisms in the field in about 100 years," says Haelewaters. "We have gone to the Darien Gap in Panama to study this tripartite system in a small reserve and yet we found three undescribed forms and new findings for the bats and bat flies. Even after the Golden Age of discovering, naming and organizing a tremendous amount of biodiversity back in the 18th and 19th centuries, we are still exploring."

Large field surveys and well-curated museum collections will help produce a database of tens of thousands of bat flies, which can be searched to find associations between parasitism by Laboulbeniales on the one hand and ecological and life history traits of bats and bat flies on the other. Such comprehensive datasets can provide insight into broader-ranging questions, such as how habitat disturbances can shape symbiotic relationships.

More information: Trends in Parasitology, Danny Haelewaters, Thomas Hiller, Carl W. Dick: "Bats, bat flies, and fungi: A case of hyperparasitism" Journal information: Trends in Parasitology , Danny Haelewaters, Thomas Hiller, Carl W. Dick: "Bats, bat flies, and fungi: A case of hyperparasitism" DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.06.006
A walrus rostrum (upper jaw bone) with tusks used in the study. It can be dated to c.1200-1400 CE based on the characteristics of a runic inscription in Old Norse. It is from the collections of Musee Vert, museum d'histoire naturelle du Mans, and may once have been part of an ecclesiastical treasury in France (catalogue number MHNLM 2004.3.53). Credit: Photograph courtesy of Musees du Mans.

The Icelandic Sagas tell of Erik the Red: exiled for murder in the late 10th century he fled to southwest Greenland, establishing its first Norse settlement.

The colony took root, and by the mid-12th century there were two major settlements with a population of thousands. Greenland even gained its own bishop.

By the end of the 15th century, however, the Norse of Greenland had vanishedleaving only abandoned ruins and an enduring mystery.

Past theories as to why these communities collapsed include a change in climate and a hubristic adherence to failing farming techniques.

Some have suggested that trading commoditiesmost notably walrus tuskswith Europe may have been vital to sustaining the Greenlanders. Ornate items including crucifixes and chess pieces were fashioned from walrus ivory by craftsmen of the age. However, the source of this ivory has never been empirically established.

Now, researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Oslo have studied ancient DNA from offcuts of tusks and skulls, most found on the sites of former ivory workshops across Europe, in order to trace the origin of the animals used in the medieval trade.

In doing so they have discovered an evolutionary split in the walrus, and revealed that the Greenland colonies may have had a "near monopoly" on the supply of ivory to Western Europe for over two hundred years.

For the latest study, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the research team analysed walrus samples found in several medieval trading centresTrondheim, Bergen, Oslo, Dublin, London, Schleswig and Sigtunamostly dating between 900 and 1400 CE.

One of 16 walrus rostrums (upper jaw bones) found during excavations in Bergen, Norway (catalogue number BRM708/1125, University Museum, University of Bergen). This is an example of the remains of a "package" of walrus ivory once the tusks have been removed. Credit: Dr James H. Barrett

The DNA showed that, during the last Ice Age, the Atlantic walrus divided into two ancestral lines, which researchers term "eastern" and "western". Walruses of the eastern lineage are widespread across much of the Arctic, including Scandinavia. Those of the western, however, are unique to the waters between western Greenland and Canada.

Finds from the early years of the ivory trade were mostly from the eastern lineage. Yet as demand grew from the 12th century onwards, the research team discovered that Europe's ivory supply shifted almost exclusively to tusks from the western lineage.

They say that ivory from western linage walruses must have been supplied by the Norse Greenlandersby hunting and perhaps also by trade with the indigenous peoples of Arctic North America.

"The results suggest that by the 1100s Greenland had become the main supplier of walrus ivory to Western Europea near monopoly even," said Dr. James H. Barrett, study co-author from the University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology.

"The change in the ivory trade coincides with the flourishing of the Norse settlements on Greenland. The populations grew and elaborate churches were constructed.

"Later Icelandic accounts suggest that in the 1120s, Greenlanders used walrus ivory to secure the right to their own bishopric from the king of Norway. Tusks were also used to pay tithes to the church," said Barrett.

He points out that the 11th to 13th centuries were a time of demographic and economic boom in Europe, with growing demand from urban centres and the elite served by transporting commodities from increasingly distant sources.

"The demands for luxury goods produced from ivory may have helped the far-flung Norse communities in Greenland survive for centuries," said Barrett.

Example of an elaborately-carved ecclesiastical walrus ivory plaque from the beginning of the medieval walrus ivory trade, featuring the figure of Christ, together with St Mary and St Peter, and believed to date from the 10th or 11th century. Found in North Elmham, Norfolk, UK, in the 19th century, and currently exhibited in the University of Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Credit: Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge

Co-author Dr. Sanne Boessenkool of the University of Oslo said: "We knew from the start that analysing ancient DNA would have the potential for new historical insights, but the findings proved to be particularly spectacular."

The new study tells us less about the end of the Greenland colonies, say Barrett and colleagues. However, they note that it is hard to find evidence of walrus ivory imports to Europe that date after 1400.

Elephant ivory eventually became the material of choice for Europe's artisans. "Changing tastes could have led to a decline in the walrus ivory market of the Middle Ages," said Barrett.

Ivory exports from Greenland could have stalled for other reasons: over-hunting can cause walrus populations to abandon their coastal "haulouts"; the "Little Ice Agea sustained period of lower temperaturesbegan in the 14th century; the Black Death ravaged Europe.

Whatever caused the cessation of Europe's trade in walrus ivory, it must have been significant for the end of the Norse Greenlanders," said Barrett. "An overreliance on a single commodity, the very thing which gave the society its initial resilience, may have also contained the seeds of its vulnerability."

The heyday of the walrus ivory trade saw the material used for exquisitely carved items during Europe's Romanesque art period. The church produced much of this, with major ivory workshops in ecclesiastical centres such as Canterbury, UK.

Ivory games were also popular. The Viking board game hnefatafl was often played with walrus ivory pieces, as was chess, with the famous Lewis chessmen among the most stunning examples of Norse carved ivory.

Tusks were exported still attached to the walrus skull and snout, which formed a neat protective package that was broken up at workshops for ivory removal. These remains allowed the study to take place, as DNA extraction from carved artefacts would be far too damaging.

Explore further Illegal ivory openly sold across Europe: study

More information: Ancient DNA reveals the chronology of walrus ivory trade from Norse Greenland, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, rspb.royalsocietypublishing.or  .1098/rspb.2018.0978 Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Ancient DNA reveals the chronology of walrus ivory trade from Norse Greenland,
Scientists from the University of Arizona collect plant samples from the mine tailings at the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site in central Arizona. X-ray studies at Brookhaven Lab helped reveal how these plants' roots lock up toxic forms of arsenic in the soil. Credit: Jon Chorover

Working in collaboration with scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, researchers at the University of Arizona have identified details of how certain plants scavenge and accumulate pollutants in contaminated soil. Their work revealed that plant roots effectively "lock up" toxic arsenic found loose in mine tailingspiles of crushed rock, fluid, and soil left behind after the extraction of minerals and metals. The research shows that this strategy of using plants to stabilize pollutants, called phytostabilization, could even be used in arid areas where plants require more watering, because the plant root activity alters the pollutants to forms that are unlikely to leach into groundwater.

The Arizona based researchers were particularly concerned with exploring phytostabilization strategies for mining regions in the southwestern U.S., where tailings can contain high levels of arsenic, a contaminant that has toxic effects on humans and animals. In the arid environment with low levels of vegetation, wind and water erosion can carry arsenic and other metal pollutants to neighboring communities.

Planting contaminated soil or mine tailings with specific vegetation that can tolerate toxic conditions and also physically immobilize pollutants could prevent these contaminants from being carried off. However, the scientists were concerned that the additional water needed for plants to grow in such arid environments might cause the pollutants to leach into groundwater, as has happened in Southeast Asia.

"Phytostabilization is a very attractive 'green' technology, but we wanted to know whether using phytostabilization had any effect on arsenic in the mine tailings on the molecular scale, and if so, whether there were any implications for public health," said University of Arizona researcher Jon Chorover, senior author of the study published in Environmental Science & Technology. "We wanted to determine the contribution of plant root chemical activity to the long-term phytostabilization of arsenic in the mine tailings in this particular arid climate."

Investigating plant roots on the molecular scale

Chorover and his research team selected a plant known as Prosopis juliflora, a small tree that naturally grows in arsenic-enriched environments in Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. The team planted P. juliflora in the mine tailings at the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site in central Arizona.

The same section of a P. juliflora plant root revealed by a light-microscope (a) with dotted lines delineating the parts of the root, and XRF imaging (b-f). The color intensity corresponds to the fluorescence signal produced by each chemical component in the sample: potassium (b), sulfur (c), iron (d) and two different arsenic species (e and f). Credit: SLAC

They then brought their plant root samples to the Submicron Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy (SRX) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)a DOE Office of Science User Facility at Brookhaven Lab that produces some of the brightest X-ray beams in the world. They worked with lead beamline scientist Juergen Thieme to examine the distribution of different elements within their samples using a technique called X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy.

X-ray fluorescence microscopy works by shining high energy x-rays onto a samplein this case, the plant roots. As the x-rays interact with the atoms, they displace electrons, resulting in the emission of fluorescent light, Thieme explained. Each specific element in the sample (arsenic, iron, sulfur, etc.) emits light of a different wavelength. By scanning their sample surface with X-ray beams and tracking the fluorescent light emitted, the scientists created a 2-D map of the elements within each root.

The researchers then used a technique called X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) to learn more about the chemical states of the individual elements. These chemical states are specific forms of an element defined by their oxidation state, which describes the loss of electrons of an atom in a chemical compound.

The team also studied mine tailings that had not been treated with plants. Chorover explained that it was critical for the team to investigate the effect of the plant roots on the arsenic species in the mine tailings, because a change in environmentfor example, the introduction of plant roots to previously barren mine tailingscan alter a chemical's mobility and toxicity.

A change in speciation

The scientists found that, prior to the introduction of P. juliflora, the mine tailings contained only one dominant species of arsenicthe same species that leaches into groundwater in Southeast Asia. In similar arid environments, wind and water erosion can easily carry the pollutant to surrounding communities.

Produced at Brookhaven National Laboratory using XRF imaging, these high resolution images show two different species of arsenic bound to two distinct molecular environments in the root zonethe species in (i) is typically fixed to the surface of the root and the species in (j) is contained within the root. Credit: US Department of Energy

However, after trees had been planted in the mine tailings, the biological action of the roots changed the arsenic speciation in the area of soil known as the root zone, or the soil region directly influenced by root activity. In treated tailings, the scientists found two different species of arsenic coexisting in close proximity, bound into two distinct molecular environments in the root zone.

"The SRX beamline provided us with a very high spatial resolution, which we needed to probe the plant root surface as well as the plants' interior," Chorover said.

The researchers found one arsenic species fixed to the surface of the root and the other arsenic species contained within the root.

"These two closely associated species of arsenic show that the biological and chemical processes in the root zone can alter arsenic speciation to new forms," said Chorover. "After phytostabilization, the two arsenic species will bind to either the surface or the interior of the root, and therefore, arsenic is no longer free in the soil and cannot leach into groundwater.

"This work suggests that that this phytostabilization method does not introduce any increased risks to human health."

Now the team is interested in understanding what happens to these arsenic species when the plant roots die and decay. Chorover said they plan to return to the SRX beamline to study the soil samples of decaying roots.

Thieme will be eager to help them. "Chorover and his team were some of the first scientists to use the SRX beamline," he said. "At the time, we were learning about the beamline as well, so I'm very happy to see that the researchers got the results they wanted."

Explore further Moss capable of removing arsenic from drinking water discovered
Credit: American Chemical Society

When jewelers create a necklace, they control the order and number of each bead or jewel they use to form a desired pattern. It's been challenging for scientists to do the same thing when designing polymersuntil now. In ACS Central Science, researchers report a new method using light and chemical reactions to control how subunits come together to form polymers with precise properties.

Laboratory-made polymers as influential to modern life as Teflon, nylon and polyvinyl chloride (known as PVC) are made up of repeating units of just one kind of molecule that collectively give the polymer its unique physical properties. But nature is full of designer polymers like DNA and proteins, which are made up of differing subunits strung together that can encode information or structural features. In previous research, Brett Fors and colleagues had taken steps toward mimicking nature's variety in the lab to create designer polymers using two photocatalysts that worked when either blue or green light was shone on them. The method wasn't very selective, so the researchers set out to optimize the strategy.

The team used blue light to make one type of monomer bind, and a chemical stimulus (an oxidant) to make another type of monomer bind. By toggling between the light or the chemical additive, the researchers could selectively choose which subunit was added to the growing polymer molecule. They showed that they could create different patterns of polymer blocks along the chain, the length of which was dependent on how long the stimulus was applied.

The researchers suggest that this approach will improve on-demand control over sequence, structure and architecture for many different polymers.

Explore further Custom sequences for polymers using visible light

More information: "On Demand Switching of Polymerization Mechanism and Monomer Selectivity with Orthogonal Stimuli" ACS Central Science (2018). "On Demand Switching of Polymerization Mechanism and Monomer Selectivity with Orthogonal Stimuli"(2018). pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acscentsci.8b00401 Abstract

The development of next-generation materials is coupled with the ability to predictably and precisely synthesize polymers with well-defined structures and architectures. In this regard, the discovery of synthetic strategies that allow on demand control over monomer connectivity during polymerization would provide access to complex structures in a modular fashion and remains a grand challenge in polymer chemistry. In this Article, we report a method where monomer selectivity is controlled during the polymerization by the application of two orthogonal stimuli. Specifically, we developed a cationic polymerization where polymer chain growth is controlled by a chemical stimulus and paired it with a compatible photocontrolled radical polymerization. By alternating the application of the chemical and photochemical stimuli the incorporation of vinyl ethers and acrylates could be dictated by switching between cationic and radical polymerization mechanisms, respectively. This enables the synthesis of multiblock copolymers where each block length is governed by the amount of time a stimulus is applied, and the quantity of blocks is determined by the number of times the two stimuli are toggled. This new method allows on demand control over polymer structure with external influences and highlights the potential for using stimuli-controlled polymerizations to access novel materials. Journal information: ACS Central Science
In this April 6, 2018, file photo, an employee walks past logos of the Samsung Electronics Co. at its office in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung Electronics says it will spend $22 billion over the next three years on artificial intelligence, auto components, and other future businesses. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

Samsung Electronics plans to spend $22 billion over the next three years on artificial intelligence, auto components and other future businesses as the company maps out its strategy under the restored leadership of Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong after he was freed from prison.

The announcement Wednesday by South Korea's biggest business group was welcome news, coming at a time of deepening unease over slowing growth in Asia's fourth largest economy. It also highlights that South Korea's decades-old reliance on big businesses for jobs and investments is unlikely to end anytime soon since the country lacks a strong pool of small and medium-sized companies found in Japan or Germany.

Samsung said it will spend the sum, amounting to 25 trillion won, on hiring artificial intelligence researchers, ensuring it will be a global player in next generation telecoms technology called 5G and deepening its involvement in electronic components for future cars.

Some of the funding will go to Samsung's biopharmaceutical businesses. Samsung has been beefing up its contract drug making operations to help counter a potential decline in its mainstay electronics businesses.

South Korea relies heavily on Samsung and its affiliated companies for investment and jobs, even after a corruption scandal that resulted in Lee's conviction for bribery. Lee was freed after nearly a year in jail but former President Park Geun-hye and a close associate remain imprisoned for bribery and other charges.

Lee kept a low profile after his release in February but has been emerging in his public role in recent weeks. The most notable appearance was in India, where Lee met with President Moon Jae-in and Samsung announced plans to expand its smartphone production there.

Including the latest plan, spending by Samsung Electronics and its affiliates on research and development and capital expenditures over the next three years will amount to 180 trillion won ($161 billion), Samsung said. Of that total, 130 trillion won will stay in South Korea, the company said.

Samsung also said Wednesday that it plans to create 20,000 more jobs over the next three years, on top of a previously announced 20,000 new jobs.

South Korean voters weary of scandals and critical of big businesses like Samsung elected President Moon to replace Park after she was ousted.

Moon pledged to reform outdated practices and abuses in politics and in business and appointed a critic of big conglomerates, known as "chaebols," to lead South Korea's fair-trade commission.

Such moves raised hopes for change, but more than a year after taking office Moon's administration is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the economy. Youth unemployment rates are at historic highs and exports, apart from the booming memory chip sector, have been slow to recover. Moon's approval rates have fallen to around 60 percent for the first time, the lowest level since he took office.

Samsung's investment announcement came two days after the finance minister visited a Samsung computer chip factory, where he touted Samsung's importance in South Korea's economy.

Explore further Samsung opens world's biggest smartphone factory in India

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This figure demonstrates the organization process of a chromosome. Chromosome Droplets are formed during this process and act as a basic packaging unit of the chromosome. Their structures are maintained by the glassiness of the chromosome. In this image, the red and blue are repressive and active loci, respectively. Credit: The University of Texas at Austin.

For years, scientists have looked at human chromosomes, and the DNA they carried, poring over the genetic code that makes up every cell for clues about everything from our eye color to congenital diseases. In a new study, however, scientists have demonstrated the movement of chromosomes within cells also may play a role in human traits and health.

In a paper just published in Nature Communications, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have mapped the movement of a chromosome, using computer modeling to show how billions of base pairs of DNA get packed into an impossibly small space without getting tangled. For the first time, they showed that the movement is sluggish and glass-like, differing from one cell type to the next and even among cells of the same type. Understanding this movement better could have big implications for the study of genetic diseases, human health and gene editing.

"Rather than the structure, we chose to look at the dynamics to figure out not only how this huge amount of genetic information is packaged, but also how the various loci move," said Dave Thirumalai, chair of UT Austin's chemistry department. "We learned it is not just the genetic code you have to worry about. If the timing of the movement is off, you could end up with functional aberrations."

Thirumalai, along with Guang Shi, lead author and graduate student at the University of Maryland, looked at how two distinct chromosomes move. In a computer model, one chromosome starts out looking like an unrolled ball of yarn following replication. Slowly, the chromosome starts to fold in on itself. It forms chromosome droplets, like glassy beads strung on a necklace, before winding itself into a ball. The movement continues, even after the chromosome has reached this compact stage.

The video shows a time-lapse of chromosome 5 packaging itself. The different colors represent the genomic location of the loci. Credit: The University of Texas at Austin.

"We found that the movement of the chromosomes was sluggish, reminiscent of glass-like behavior. We believe this might have profound consequences for how the cells behave both individually and collectively," said Shi. "In addition, different regions of the chromosome move at different speeds."

The team chose to look at chromosomes 5 and 10, mapping how each moved. Genes found on chromosome 5 are associated with some forms of leukemia, Parkinson's disease and aspects of male infertility. Genes on chromosome 10 are associated with types of porphyria, a blood disease; glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer; and a type of congenital deafness. In the model, it was clear that the movement of each chromosome changed, depending on the cell. For example, chromosome 5 in one cell could move very differently, more slowly perhaps, than in another cell.

Thirumalai suggests thinking of DNA like a book with a recipe for a human, where the piece of information you need is on page 264. Reading the code is easy. But we now understand that the book is moving through time and space. That can make it harder to find page 264.

"Gene expression, one of the most important biological functions of cells, is a dynamic process rather than a static state," said Shi. "For every gene to be expressed in human cells, the distant regions of the chromosome must come into contact. When these dynamical processes are disrupted, cells may die due to the failure of expression of a few crucial genes or sometimes becomes a cancerous cell."

This image shows both the 1) coherent motion and 2) heterogenous dynamics of loci. The main figure shows the displacement field of chromosome loci. The length and color of each arrow indicates the magnitude and direction of locis movements. It shows the coherent motion of different regions inside the chromosome. Two small figures show the typical trajectories taken by fast and slow loci whose mobility can be very different. These two small figures show the heterogeneity of individual locis dynamics. Credit: The University of Texas at Austin.

How long it takes for chromosomes to meet, when they meet and how long they remain in contactthings that studies like this one revealmay improve scientists' understanding of certain diseases, Shi said. The researchers hope to continue studying the dynamics of different types of chromosomes and exploring whether abnormal cells, like cancer cells, have different dynamics.

"It would be very interesting to see if the chromosomes in a cancer cell, where there is some mutation, if the movement is different," Thirumalai said.

Researchers with the Korea Institute for Advanced study also contributed to the research. Funding came from the National Science Foundation and the Collie-Welch Regents Chair at the University of Texas at Austin.

Explore further Explaining genome pairs

More information: Guang Shi et al. Interphase human chromosome exhibits out of equilibrium glassy dynamics, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Guang Shi et al. Interphase human chromosome exhibits out of equilibrium glassy dynamics,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05606-6
Credit: Macquarie University

Australian scientists have recorded more than 175,000 tiny microbes dwelling in our ocean waters for the first time, providing an unprecedented baseline against which to measure the effects of climate change and human activities.

Microbe fact file

Microbes were the first life on earth and formed almost 3 billion years ago

They account for up to 98 per cent of the ocean's biomass

They produce 50 per cent of the world's oxygen

Microbes create clouds by generating gases that interact with the atmosphere

They sequester carbon by sinking to the ocean floor, trapping carbon in the sediment

Invisible to the naked eye, microbes constitute almost 98 per cent of the ocean's biomass and are responsible for keeping the marine ecosystem healthy.

A paper recently published in Scientific Data, led by University of Newcastle's Dr. Mark Brown and Macquarie University's Dr. Martin Ostrowski, reveals the vast diversity of microbes and provides new knowledge about their environmental behaviour.

The unparalleled dataset is the result of an ongoing collaborative initiative involving 18 Australian universities, Commonwealth agencies and research institutes, which recorded more than 175,000 unique species of microbes at seven sites around Australia's coastline and into the Southern Ocean.

What are microbes?

Measuring less than five microns, which is smaller than dustmite excreta, millions of these tiny organisms are found in every litre of seawater and include cellular life forms such as phytoplankton (algae) and bacteria.

Dr. Brown said microbes in the ocean are possibly the most important organisms for maintaining our world as a healthy, inhabitable planet. "Similar to the links between human health and the human microbiome, ocean health is largely controlled by its microbial inhabitants. Forming the foundation of the entire ecosystem, microbes provide food for all other marine life and produce half the oxygen we breathe.

"In this regard, they function in a similar way to organs in a human body. Some microbes act as the lungs of the ocean responsible for gathering and distributing oxygen to the planet, while others act as the gut or liver to detoxify impurities within the water and control the flow of nutrients."

Diving beneath the surface

Scientists developed the project in 2012 to address a lack of data surrounding marine microbial communities and their changes over time.

"We were extremely concerned that no baseline existed to compare microbial activity against. Prior to this project, there was no information detailing what the microbes were like around Australia, which made it difficult to know how they might have changed over seasons or years," Dr. Brown said.

Employing filtration methods similar to those used to purify drinking water, scientists collected microbe samples each month at multiple depths, ranging from surface water down to 100 metres.

"Different microbes live in different parts of the ocean and they have evolved to occupy every conceivable niche. Different species can be found living on deep-sea hydrothermal vents, in sediments, at varying depths and in warm or cold water," Dr. Brown said.

The material extracted from the filters was then genetically sequenced using technology only available in the last few years, which provided a snapshot of the DNA blueprint of the microbial inhabitants within each sample. Forming an enormous genetic database, this first data release tracks over 200 million records of more than 175,000 unique species of microbes.

Nature's indicators

Acting as the ocean's sentinels of change, microbes respond rapidly to their environment and a slight change in conditions can dramatically reshape the community structure.

"The organisms we identified are widespread and their presence and abundance is closely linked to their environment. We found that the microbial assemblages display seasonal cycles, changing with the progression of summer, autumn, winter and spring, returning to the original assemblage again in summer," Dr. Brown explained.

"We have now set baselines for seasonal cycles against which we can identify the impact of climate change," he added.

Co-author, Dr. Martin Ostrowski from Macquarie University, said the project team is now building models to predict where organisms will live in the future and what functions they will carry out.

"We can now use the baseline data we have collected to make models that tell us how microbes respond to different environmental conditions and how we expect them to change given future climate projections.

"The primary production and carbon use by marine microbes determines how much food is provided to the rest of the food chain, so our forecasts will be incredibly relevant to scientists but also to industries such as fisheries and tourism."

Going with the flow

The project was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) via Bioplatforms Australia (Bioplatforms) and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS).

Monthly samples were taken from seven marine National Reference Stations operated by IMOS, including Darwin Harbour, the Yongala wreck inside the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon, North Stradbroke Island off Brisbane, Port Hacking off Sydney, Maria Island off Tasmania, Kangaroo Island off Adelaide and Rottnest Island off Perth.

The project will continue in collaboration with IMOS and Bioplatforms Australia for another three years.

Senior author, Dr. Lev Bodrossy of CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, said the project will continue to provide new knowledge that will contribute to the field of marine science in Australia and beyond.

"The value of an observing network increases exponentially with time, so it is now crucial we maintain our sampling and expand our observations into the future." The DNA sequence data is available to the public and can be accessed via the Bioplatforms Australia website.

More information: Mark V. Brown et al. Systematic, continental scale temporal monitoring of marine pelagic microbiota by the Australian Marine Microbial Biodiversity Initiative, Scientific Data (2018). Mark V. Brown et al. Systematic, continental scale temporal monitoring of marine pelagic microbiota by the Australian Marine Microbial Biodiversity Initiative,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.130
Wildfires have caused devastation in parts of Portugal

As out-of-control wildfires ravage large swathes of Portugal, Spain and northern California, AFP talked to scientists about the ways in which global warming can amplify the problem.

Other factors have fuelled a sharp increase in the frequency and intensity of major fires, including human encroachment on wooded areas, and dodgy forest management.

"The patient was already sick," in the words of David Bowman, a professor of environmental change biology at the University of Tasmania and a wildfire expert.

"But climate change is the accelerant."

Fine weather for a fire

Any firefighter can tell you the recipe for "conducive fire weather": hot, dry and windy.

No surprise, then, that many of the tropical and temperate regions devastated by a surge in forest fires are those predicted in climate models to see higher temperatures and more droughts.

"Besides bringing more dry and hot air, climate changeby elevating evaporation rates and drought prevalencealso creates more flammable ecosystems," noted Christopher Williams, director of environmental sciences at Clark University in Massachusetts.

In the last 20 years, southern France and Portugal have seen three or four droughts of a magnitude that used to occur only once a century.

More fuel

Dry weather means more dead trees, shrubs and grassand more fuel for the fire.

"All those extremely dry years create an enormous amount of desiccated biomass," said Michel Vennetier, an engineer at France's National Research of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA).

"That's an ideal combustible."

Change of scenery

To make matters worse, new species better adapted to semi-arid conditions grow in their place.

"Plants that like humidity have disappeared, replaced by more flammable plants that can withstand dry conditions, like rosemary, wild lavender and thyme," said Vennetier.

"The change happens quite quickly."

Thirsty plants

With rising mercury and less rain, water-stressed trees and shrubs send roots deeper into the soil, sucking up every drop of water they can to nourish leaves and needles.

That means the moisture in the earth that might have helped to slow a fire sweeping through a forest or garrigue is no longer there.

Longer season

In the northern hemisphere's temperate zone, the fire season was historically shortJuly and August, in most places.

"Today, the period susceptible to wildfires has extended from June to October," said IRSTEA scientist Thomas Curt, referring to the Mediterranean basin.

In California, which only recently emerged from a five-year drought, some experts say there's no longer a season at allfires can happen year-round.

More lightning

"The warmer it gets, the more lightning you have," said Mike Flannigan, a professor at the University of Alberta, Canada and director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science.

"Especially in the northern areas, that translates into more fires."

Worldwide, he notes, 95 percent of wildfires are started by humans.

Weakened jet stream

Normal weather patterns over North America and Eurasia depend heavily on the powerful, high-altitude air currentsproduced by the contrast between polar and equatorial temperaturesknown as the jet stream.

But global warming has raised temperatures in the Arctic twice as fast as the global average, weakening those currents.

"We are seeing more extreme weather because of what we call blocked ridges, which is a high-pressure system in which air is sinking, getting warmer and drier along the way," said Flannigan.

"Firefighters have known for decades that these are conducive to fire activity."

One of these blocked ridges, he added, will be parked over the Pacific Northwest for the next ten days, according to forecasts.

Unmanageable intensity

Climate change not only boosts the likelihood of wildfires, but their intensity as well.

"If the fire gets too intenseand we are seeing this in California right now, and saw it in Greece a few weeks agothere is no direct measure you can take to stop it," said Flannigan.

"It's like spitting on a campfire."

Beetle infestations

With rising temperatures, beetles have moved northward into Canada's boreal forests, wreaking havocand killing treesalong the way.

"Bark beetle outbreaks temporarily increase forest flammability by increasing the amount of dead material, such as needles," said Williams.

Positive feedback

Globally, forests hold about 45 percent of Earth's land-locked carbon and soak up a quarter of human greenhouse gas emissions.

But as forest die and burn, some of the carbon is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change in a vicious loop that scientists call "positive feedback."

 2018 AFP
Australian honey is a unique brand worth protecting. Credit: Michelle Robinson/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

Australian honey, produced from domesticated European honey bees mostly foraging in native vegetation, is unique. Under the microscope, most Australian honey samples can be distinguished from honey produced in other countries.

That's the conclusion of our study, the first systematic examination of pollen contained within Australian honey.

We collaborated with two major honey retailers to survey the pollen content of a large number of unprocessed honey samples. We found that a unique mix of native flora gives Australian honey a distinctive pollen signature.

As fears grow about "counterfeit" or adulterated food, especially high-value foods like olive oil, coffee, saffron and honey, there's enormous benefit in preserving Australia's international reputation for high-quality products.

What makes honey?

Honey is made by bees from the sugary nectar of flowers, but nectar contains large amounts of pollen. Although honey bees make separate trips to collect nectar and pollen, the pollen we find in honey was mostly introduced by being "spilled" into the nectar, either within the flower or while a bee was collecting nectar.

Typically, the honey produced from a single beehive will contain between 5 and 30 distinct types of pollen, each produced by a different plant species or group of closely related species.

The study of pollen in honey, known as melissopalynology, uses differences in the pollen composition of honeys to determine the geographic or botanical origins of honey samples.

Melissopalynology is widely used in Europe, but no systematic survey of the pollen content of Australian honey has ever been attempted before. Melissopalynologists put honey samples under the microscope to identify individual pollen grains, usually between 10-50 micrometres in size. We examine their shape, size, surface decoration and other morphological characteristics to determine their botanical origins.

Counterfeit honey

Counterfeit food is a growing threat to both consumers and producers. Australian agricultural products have a good reputation which makes them increasingly valued in countries that have experienced a range of food safety scandals for everything from eggs to infant formula.

Myrtaceae pollen grains under the microscope. Author provided

In the light of trans-national uncertainty about food quality, Australian farmers and other food producers need better ways to authenticate the origin of our food products, including honey.

This is where melissopalynology comes in. Not only can we tell what plants (and therefore what region) the honey is from, melissopalynology can also be used to see whether honey has been diluted with grain syrups  a common counterfeiting tactic.

Distinguishing Australian honey

Most Australian honey is produced by beehives placed within or near native vegetation. In the southern and eastern parts of the continent, this is mostly forests and woodlands dominated by various species of Eucalyptus, or gum trees. So, it is not surprising that the great majority of Australian honeys contain lots of Eucalyptus pollen, and some honeys contain few other pollen types.

The 800 or so species of Eucalyptus are mostly native only to Australia (a handful of species naturally occur on islands to the north). Thus if Eucalyptus trees still grew only where they are native, it would be relatively easy to identify Australian honey based simply on the presence of Eucalyptus pollen.

However, a number of Eucalyptus species have been spread widely in other tropical and subtropical countries, where they are valuable sources of nectar. They are sometimes the dominant nectar resource for local honey bees.

Therefore, if we want to use pollen analysis to authenticate the origin of Australian honeys, the mere presence of Eucalyptus pollen won't cut it. A honey chock full of Eucalyptus pollen could equally be produced in Spain, Brazil or China.

But it turns out that their pollen content makes Australian honeys distinctive in other ways. We found that Australian honeys  even some produced on agricultural land, rather than in bushland  typically contain several pollen types representing the genus Eucalyptus, in addition to pollen types produced by the "cousins" of Eucalyptus within the plant family Myrtaceae (to which Eucalyptus belongs).

This makes sense, as many Australian Myrtaceae species are adapted to being pollinated by mammals and birds. To satisfy the energy needs of their pollinators, many of these species produce large volumes of sugar-rich nectar, which is equally attractive to honey bees.

Thus, most Australian honeys contain several distinct Myrtaceae pollen types, which does not seem to happen elsewhere  even in regions such as South America and the Mediterranean countries where honeys are routinely produced from Eucalyptus.

In southwestern Australia, one of Australia's plant biodiversity hotspots, honeys produced from native vegetation are even more distinctive, not only containing a great diversity of Myrtaceae pollen but also typically containing many distinct pollen types within Proteaceae, the plant family that includes Banksia, Grevillea, and Macadamia.

We now know that Australian honeys reflect the rich biodiversity of our native plants. This biodiversity may provide a basis for developing a way to authenticate this characteristically Australian product.

Explore further Study examines insecticide's effects on honey bees

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Elon Musk frequents galas at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, but has a controversial public persona

"Boring bonehead questions are not cool. Next?" Tesla chief Elon Musk complained in May, shortly before shutting down questions from Wall Street.

The now-infamous conference call in a nutshell represents the unorthodox approach of Musk, whose brazen aspirations to remake the transportation universe and confrontational approach to opponents has aroused both passionate support and furious criticism.

Recognized as one of the most influential innovators in the United States, the South African-born Musk, 47, appears to approach his quarterly question-and-answer sessions with Wall Street analysts the way a boxer might prepare to enter the ring against a challenger.

"We're going to go to YouTube. Sorry," Musk said in the May 2 exchange. "These questions are so dry. They're killing me."

Though he apologized in last week's call for being impolite in May, he cited the benefits of exiting the quarterly earnings treadmill when he made the shock proposal Tuesday to take Tesla private.

Tensions with Wall Street have not prevented the company from astronomical growth, despite burning through huge amounts of cash and never reporting an annual profit.

With Tuesday's surge after the announcement, Tesla is now worth $10 billion more than General Motors, the biggest US carmaker.

Punching back at critics

A self-proclaimed visionary for a future transportation system of electric and autonomous vehicles, Musk, who has a Twitter following of more than 22 million, has not shied from trying to squash critics whom he views as enemies of his vision.

At the end of July, a contributor to the financial website seekingalpha.com writing under the pseudonym "Montana Skeptic" exited the website after Musk personally called the author's employer threatening legal action following negative Tesla posts.

Another bizarre moment came in July when Musk labeled a British caver a "pedo"implying he as a pedophileafter the rescuer dismissed the Tesla chief's idea for bringing 12 Thai boys from to safety in a miniature submarine he designed.

Musk's conduct has drawn comparisons to US President Donald Trump, another prominent figure who has embraced filter-free social media and whose mental stability has been questioned.

Elon Musk at the 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition where students test their pods on a 1.25 kilometer-long (0.75-mile) tubular track, part of his plans for a new transportation system

And like Trump, Musk has lambasted the media and been picky about appearances, granting a few rare interviews to publications like the Wall Street Journal, while favoring Rolling Stone magazine.

Musk has suggested the skeptical coverage of the company stemmed from the media's dependence on advertising from the oil and conventional car industry. He has discussed creating a website to "rate the core truth of any article" that would be called Pravda.

Growing wealth

"Maybe what he says is crazy. Maybe it's pure genius," the website Business Insider wrote last year.

Regardless of his reputation, Musk, who has frequented the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual gala among other glitzy appearances, has seen his wealth soar with Tesla after earlier ventures.

After leaving South Africa, Musk, who holds US and Canadian nationalities, completed academic work in Ontario and a prestigious business school in Pennsylvania.

By 25, he had created Zip2, an online advertising platform, and was a millionaire by age 30 after selling the company to Compaq Computer in 1999.

He followed that with the creation of the online bank, X.com, which was later merged into PayPal and in 2002 bought by eBay for $1.5 billion.

Forbes estimates Musk's wealth at $22.1 billion.

He also manages a foundation focused on education, renewable energy and pediatric health.

Musk also has had a stormy personal life, who has been divorced three timestwice from the same womanhas five living sons.

Besides Tesla, his current ventures include SpaceX which aims to "revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets," according to the website.

Explore further Tesla shares tumble after Musk tweet controversy

 2018 AFP
I think this is incredibly important.

That meeting could take place as soon as this fall, said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign relations committee in the upper house.

Visiting Moscow on Monday, Sen.

Paul was expected to meet Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov during his visit.

Sen. Paul defended Trump's meeting with Putin amid backlash from Democrats, establishment Republicans, and the mainstream media.

The relationship between the two countries has sunk to lows not seen since the Cold War days, as they spar over a range of issues from election interference to the crises in Syria and Ukraine.

Top from left: a member of the Senate of the legislative Assembly of the state of Texas Peter Hettler, Texas Sen. The US delegation also plans to visit Saint Petersburg. Paul also told reporters that there are hopes to have meetings in a neutral third country.

America and Russian initiated diplomatic talks their diplomatic talks since President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, in July.

The announcement comes just days after Mr. Paul's spokesman confirmed the senator planned to lead a us delegation to Moscow.

The senator announced his planned trip just hours after President Trump concluded a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Trump cast doubt on the USA intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. "Certainly it will not happen during the ongoing election campaign either", he said.

Paul said he and Kosachev agreed "engagement is vital to our national security and peace around the world, adding that "We agreed on the importance of continued dialogue".

Kosachev dismissed new accusations that Russian Federation had meddled in United States elections.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, after the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Putin ordered efforts to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and aid Trump.
L'entree du New York Times, le 21 avril 2011

The New York Times, the most prestigious newspaper in the United States, announced Wednesday that it expects to "soon" cross the threshold of four million subscribers, even if growth is slowing.

The company added 109,000 new digital-only subscriptions in the second quarter.

As a result, the newspaper ended the quarter with a 2.89 million digital-only subscriptions and 3.8 million subscriptions as a whole, including readers who receive only the print edition.

Since late 2016, when Donald Trump shocked the US establishment by winning the US presidency, the Times has enjoyed a period of rapid growth, acquiring around one million new subscribers.

"We'll soon pass three million digital-only subscribers and four million total subscribers," Mark Thompson, president and chief executive officer, told a conference call with investors, on Wednesday.

But the market has seen digital subscription growth slow, with a net gain of 139,000 readers in the first quarter of 2018, compared to 157,000 new digital-only subscriptions in the last quarter of 2017.

Thompson countered that the net additions were "still much higher" than typically achieved in the second quarter since the launch of the pay model.

Another reason, he said, for the slowdown was the Times' decision to reduce marketing spent on Facebook due to a dispute with the social network which is currently in the process of being resolved.

Subscription income accounted for 62.8 percent of revenue in the second quarter, compared to 50.5 percent five years ago, an increase that has partially offset a decline in advertising income, the company said.

Subscription revenue was up 4.2 percent year-on-year, while advertising revenue was down 9.9 percent.

Second-quarter digital advertising revenue decreased 7.5 percent, while total revenue increased to $414.6 million, a growth of 4.2 percent year-on-year.

Net profit was $23.6 million, up 51 percent mainly due to a lower outlay on severance costs compared to the same quarter in 2017.

Explore further NY Times reports more subscribers, posts Q4 loss

 2018 AFP
Israel's Mossad spy agency was behind a auto bomb blast that killed a Syrian scientist over the weekend, several media reports have suggested. The attack took place on Saturday night in Masyaf, west of Hama, home to one of Syria's main weapons-development facilities, run by the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center.

However, citing a senior official from a Middle Eastern intelligence agency, the Times reports that the bomb was actually planted by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. "Gen. Qassim Suleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force, and other Iranians to begin production of precision-guided missiles in Syria by retrofitting heavy Syrian SM600 Tishreen rockets", adding that he "was hard at work building an underground weapons factory to replace one destroyed by Israel a year ago".

'I can say that assuming the details of this man's activities are correct and he was engaged in developing chemical weapons and longer-range missiles capable of hitting Israel, I certainly welcome his demise'. He was also collaborating with Iranian Maj.

The report said the assassination was part of Israel's campaign of aggression aimed at preventing Syria from rehabilitating its defense capabilities when the crisis in the Arab country comes to an end - with an emphasis on preventing the development of precision weapons.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz on Tuesday welcomed Asbar's killing but declined to comment on reports that Assad was responsible for the attack.

An Israeli air strike also targeted Asbar's research centre on July 22, Syrian state media reported.

Israel has carried out numerous strikes inside Syria since 2017, targeting government forces and their allies from Iran and Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah. The two countries have been in a state of war since 1967, when Israel occupied the Golan Heights, and although no shots have been fired since the 1974 cease-fire, Syrian President Bashar Assad continues to press for the return of the territory.
1 hour ago

Apple's strong quarter suffers $6B blow from supply shortage

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP)  Apples iPhone sales soared yet again in the past quarter, but didnt grow as rapidly as analysts anticipated because of supply shortages that have made it more difficult to meet the demand for a wide range of products. Until recently, the supply shortages that have curtailed production of everything from automobiles to video game consoles havent been a major problem for Apple.

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A group of two Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 jets and two French Mirage 2000 jets were taking part in a training exercise over southwestern Estonia on Tuesday when one of the Spanish planes accidentally launched an air-to-air missile, the Spanish Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that the projectile "did not hit any aircraft".

The missile carried up to 10 kilogrammes of explosives and is created to self-destruct in the event of such accidents, but it may have landed on the ground, according to Spanish media reports.

The missile carried explosives of up to 10kg and was last located about 40 kilometres north of Estonia's second city of Tartu.

"What does this button do?"

The Spanish jet fired the missile - an advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, or AMRAAM, made by USA defense firm Raytheon - a little before 4 p.m. local time over the village of Pangodi, as it returned from an exercise with another Spanish jet as well as two French Mirage 2000 jets.

One incident involving multiple Russian airplanes flying over the Baltic states took place in 2014 and saw Royal Air Force Typhoons racing to intercept them and later lead their way out.

The Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas called the incident "horrible" and "regrettable".

The AMRAAM missile has a built-in self-destruct function for such accidents, but may have landed on the ground.

Estonia's defense minister also ordered the suspension of all aerial military exercises in the country's air space until the incident was resolved.

All the jets then safely returned to their Saiuliai air base in Lithuania, the ministry said, adding that it has opened an investigation into the incident.

A third detachment fill for the standing peacetime mission of Baltic Air Policing is a result of additional aircraft offers made by Allies. It began on May 1 and will conclude on August 31.

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have no fighter jets of their own, making them reliant on other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation partners for air security.
The pound on Monday fell to its lowest in almost three weeks, succumbing to a stronger dollar and comments by officials suggesting Britain could crash out of the European Union next year without securing a trade deal.

Britain's worldwide trade minister says it's likely the United Kingdom will fail to agree upon a divorce deal with the European Union before it leaves the bloc in March  the latest in a growing chorus of warnings that the negotiations are in crisis.

Mr Fox blamed the "ideological purity" of Brussels for wrecking Britain's chances after it dismissed Theresa May's Chequers plan for a single market in goods but not services. After reporting a 5 percent rise in first-half profit before tax, the lender said it remains cautiously optimistic for global growth in the remainder of the year.

Dr Fox's comments come after the governor of the Bank of England warned the risk of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a deal was "uncomfortably high".

"I think the intransigence of the Commission is pushing us towards no deal", he said in an interview with the Sunday Times.

British voters approval of Prime Minister Theresa May's handling of Brexit negotiations has fallen to 22 percent, according to the ORB International pollster on Monday, the lowest figure it has recorded.

The prime minister has said she plans to publish some 70 technical notes in August and September outlining contingency plans for different sectors in the event Britain tumbles out of the bloc without a deal. They say a no-deal Brexit could cause economic turmoil, bringing higher food prices, logjams around United Kingdom ports and disruption to everything from aviation to medicine supplies.

Mr. Fox told the paper that he had not thought the likelihood of no-deal was higher than 50-50, but the risk had increased.

Last week, Mrs May cut short her summer holiday to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron.

Meanwhile, another prominent Brexiteer, former minister Priti Patel, has called on Mrs.

Writing for the Telegraph website she said it did not meet the result of the referendum and "will leave us half-in and half-out, still bound to European Union regulations and constraints".

Prior to this, the pound stumbled after foreign secretary Boris Johnson resigned on July 9th, increasing the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.
US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference. In mid-June he instructed U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer "to identify $200 billion worth of Chinese goods for additional tariffs at a rate of ten percent".

The latest list brings the total Chinese imports that face a 25 percent tariff to about $50 billion in a rapidly escalating trade war that could eventually slap duties on all goods traded between the world's two largest economies. But it held off on a final US$16 billion as a result of concerns raised by U.S. companies.

Americans import far more from China than the other way around, however, meaning Beijing may at some point need to look for other means of retaliation.

The duties are part of a broader round of tariffs on $50bn worth of goods the United States announced in March.

This is a second installment of tariffs as "part of the US response to China's unfair trade practices related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property", the trade representative's office wrote in the Tuesday release.

The trade representative said the tariffs were a response to an investigation, released this year, which found China's policies on technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation were unreasonable and discriminatory, and placed an unfair burden U.S. commerce.

USTR said there were 279 new goods to be targeted in the dispute over China's policies promoting theft of American technology.

USA industries and farmers have been caught in the crossfire, and the Trump administration announced $12 billion in aid to help farmers hurt by duties on crops such as soybeans.

The new tariffs, the latest in the ongoing trade spat between US and China, target industrial supplies, chemicals, motorcycles, tractors and tractor parts, rail cars, auto parts, some iron and steel, motor and machine components and more.
He commented on Twitter her appointment as special representative of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on issues of Russian-American cultural ties. "As for worldwide practice, you can draw a parallel with the functions of United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors".

While the 66-year-old star of '90s karate flicks such as Above The Law and Out For Justice might come across as a odd choice, Seagal has been wooed by Russian President Vladimir Putin the past few years. Seagal has vocally defended the Russian leader's policies, including Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and has criticized the US government.

Cultural ties between Russian Federation and the United States have been hampered by the current diplomatic impasse.

The Russian Foreign Ministry statement said that Seagal's task will be to "foster the further development of Russian-American relations in the humanitarian sphere, including interactions in.culture, the arts, public and youth exchanges and so forth". "I take this honour very seriously". He often visits Russian Federation and repeatedly expressed his affection for this country. "I have worked tirelessly in this direction for many years unofficially and I am now very grateful for the opportunity to do the same thing officially".

A statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday says that Seagal's unpaid role aims to strengthen "contacts, mutual understanding and trust between the peoples of Russia and the United States".

Seagal feels "deeply humbled and honoured" to have been given his new position. Then-president Barack Obama was "flabbergasted" at the suggestion. Two years ago, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka welcomed Seagal at his private residence at Ozerny, north of Minsk, showering him with gifts that included a book and a dagger.

Apart from having been granted Russian citizenship, Seagal has been granted Serbian citizenship.

Since February, Seagal has also become the brand ambassador for a cryptocurrency called Bitcoiin 2nd Generation, or Bitcoiin2Gen. "These are precisely the objectives of the Bitcoiin2Gen to empower the community by providing a decentralized P2P payment system with its own wallet, mining ecosystem, and robust blockchain platform without the need of any third party", read the press release announcing his appointment.
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Our country seems to be divided over nearly every issue and the COVID vaccine is certainly no exception. Individuals on both sides cling to their convictions with quasi-religious zeal. However, most of us are content to let our beliefs fall somewhere between, everyone in the country must ge
Australia's AMP has appointed an ex-Treasury head to the board in efforts to rebuild its damaged reputation following a misconduct scandal that saw the financial services firm report a sharp plunge in half-year profit Wednesday. AMP's chairman Catherine Brenner quit in April, just weeks after its chief executive stood down in the wake of a national inquiry into the banking sector heard the firm charged clients for advice they never received. The company's net profit for the six months to June 30 slumped by 74 percent to Aus$115 million (US$85 million), hurt by an after-tax provision of Aus$290 million to compensate affected clients. Its preferred measure which strips out one-off earnings, underlying profit, fell seven percent to Aus$495 million. AMP's interim chief executive Mike Wilkins said Canberra's royal commission into financial services had "challenged" the firm's reputation. "While we continue to monitor the impacts, we have taken action to stabilise the business and move forward," he said in a statement. "Headwinds remain for the second half of the year, but our focus is clear. We'll continue to prioritise our customers, putting their interests first." AMP declared an interim dividend of 10 Australian cents, down from 14.5 cents year-on-year. Despite the profit plunge, shares in AMP rose 3.43 percent to Aus$3.46 in trading in Sydney Wednesday. The company's stock has tumbled more than 30 percent since the start of the royal commission in February. Former Treasury secretary John Fraser will join AMP's board as a non-executive director from next month as part of its renewal and rebuilding process, the firm said. The royal commission heard that AMP's senior executives intervened in the drafting of a supposedly independent report drawn up for the inquiry. The firm also admitted misleading the national stock market watchdog about the client fee scandal, which affected some 15,700 clients between 2009 and 2016. The inquiry was set up by the government after public anger over a string of scandals in the massively profitable banking sector.
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The winter Olympic Games in Beijing are just three months away, and Team USA will be ready for the cold.Ralph Lauren designed Team USA's winter look. The American designer has clothed Team USA since 2008.For the 2022 Olympic Closing Ceremony, Team USA will wear a buffalo plaid hooded puffer jacket, which is made from recycled materials.Aja Evans, Olympic bronze medalist bobsledder said the clothes are eco-friendly."For sure, Ralph Lauren is just the brand to be in. I feel so good wearing the clothing and it's all sustainable as well. That makes me feel good that they're... you know, it's kind of benefiting the environment. And they work with Team USA athletes and help give back with proceeds. So I feel like all around, they're a support system for us."The navy blue turtleneck sweater has a rendition of the American flag and the Olympic rings. The men will wear white fleece pants and women will wear blue fleece leggings. And the 2022 Olympic hat is made from environmentally-responsible wool.
In this article:

SINGAPORE, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Singapore's weekly onshore fuel oil inventories fell for a

third straight week to a more than nine-year low of 14.348 million barrels, about 2.141 million

tonnes, in the week ended Aug. 7, data from International Enterprise (IE) Singapore showed on

Wednesday.

- Residual fuel stocks are now at their lowest since July 2009 after falling 3 percent, or

451,000 barrels, or 67,000 tonnes, in the week to Aug. 7, the data showed. (STKRS-SIN)

- This came despite higher weekly fuel oil net imports into Singapore in the week to Aug. 7

which rose 91 percent from the week before to 467,000 tonnes, the data showed.

- On average, however, Singapore fuel oil net imports stood at 751,000 tonnes per week in

2018.

- Demand for marine fuel oil in Singapore may have contributed to the latest decline in

weekly stocks, two trade sources said.

- Singapore fuel oil inventories have been hammered by months of below-average arbitrage

flows into Singapore as cargoes were diverted to the Middle East to meet strong seasonal demand

there for power generation.

- But as Middle East demand starts winding down around the start of next month, and fresh

supplies began to emerge this week from regional suppliers there, the downward pressure on

Singapore supplies may soon end.

- This week's onshore fuel oil inventories were 39 percent lower than a year ago.

- Singapore's net exports of fuel oil to China topped the week ended Aug. 7 at 61,000

tonnes, followed by Bangladesh at 46,000 tonnes and New Caledonia at 40,000 tonnes.

- The largest net imports into Singapore originated from Italy at 154,000 tonnes, followed

by the UAE at 129,000 tonnes, Iraq at 102,000 tonnes and Russia at 83,000 tonnes.

- Fuel oil imports into Singapore from the UAE were at a nine-week high in the week to Aug.

7.

- Fuel oil inventories in Singapore have averaged 19.887 million barrels, or 2.968 million

tonnes, a week since the start of 2018, compared with 23.552 million barrels, or 3.515 million

Story continues

tonnes, in 2017.

Week to Aug 7 Total Imports Total Exports Net Imports

Fuel oil (in tonnes) BANGLADESH 0 45,725 -45,725

CHINA 0 61,040 -61,040

INDIA 54,160 492 53,668

INDONESIA 59,229 0 59,229

IRAQ 101,824 0 101,824

ITALY 154,182 0 154,182

JAPAN 34,786 38,233 -3,447

MALAYSIA 190,773 112,696 78,076

NEW CALEDONIA 0 40,050 -40,050

PHILIPPINES 0 33,963 -33,963

RUSSIA 83,112 0 83,112

THAILAND 30,951 20,495 10,455

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 128,765 0 128,765

VIETNAM 0 17,970 -17,970

TOTAL 837,782 370,664 467,118

(Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
YEREVAN (Reuters) - The brother of Armenia's former prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan was arrested on suspicion of illegal arms procurement and possession, the security service said on Wednesday.

Jonik Abrahamyan was a member of parliament several times in the past and belongs to a wealthy and influential family, which owns several businesses in the former Soviet country of 3.2 million people.

The arrest is one in a series under Armenia's new prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, a former opposition leader, who was elected in May after weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism.

The National Security Service said in a statement it had found weapons on the property of a former mechanical plant believed to have belonged to Hovik Abrahamyan, who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2016.

An Armenian court ordered former President Robert Kocharyan, who served from 1998 to 2008, detained last month on charges of usurping power and an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order during events after the 2008 elections when his ally Serzh Sarksyan became the next president.

Kocharyan has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.

A month earlier the Armenian parliament stripped general Manvel Grigoryan from the former ruling party of immunity. The parliament supported a prosecutor's motion to open criminal proceedings against him after the National Security Service confiscated weapons and ammunition from his home.

(Reporting by Hasmik Mkrtchyan, Margarita Antidze; editing by Grant McCool)
An award-winning photographer who accused Bangladesh officers of assaulting him after his arrest during major protests in Dhaka was back in police custody after a medical checkup, an official said Wednesday. Shahidul Alam, 63, was detained by plainclothes police at his home Sunday after giving an interview to Al Jazeera about the student demonstrations, an arrest which drew condemnation from international rights groups. The high court on Tuesday ordered authorities to transfer Alam to hospital. "We have completed the checkup and he didn't need hospital admission. He was taken back after the procedure," Bangabandhu hospital director Brigadier General Abdullah al Harun told AFP. Doctors would report on Alam's condition to a higher court, he added. Alam had been remanded in custody by a lower court for violating controversial laws on internet speech, but the remand order was suspended by a higher court. He was accused of making "false" and "provocative" statements as tens of thousands of students protested in Dhaka to demand improvements to road safety and an end to corruption. The renowned photographer told reporters outside a magistrate's court on Monday that he had been beaten so badly in police custody that his tunic needed washing to get the blood out. On Tuesday morning he was shifted to hospital, his wife Rahnuma Ahmed told AFP, adding he looked better than during his appearance in court when he seemed shaken and was limping. "He was walking by himself," she said. Alam's arrest capped a turbulent week in Bangladesh as students poured onto the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus. The rallies lasted nine days, with demonstrations at the weekend and Monday turning violent with more than 150 people injured. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and mobs allegedly aligned with the government attacked demonstrators, journalists and even the US ambassador's car. Alam founded the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, a photography school in Dhaka that spawned hundreds of photographers. He shot images of the demonstrations and discussed the protests on Facebook Live. New York-based Human Rights Watch demanded his release, denouncing authorities for targeting activists and journalists instead of prosecuting those responsible for unlawfully attacking student protesters. The protests seemed to have fizzled out on Tuesday, with students telling AFP they feared further government repression if the demonstrations continued.
Police in Bolivia on Wednesday recovered a jewel-encrusted presidential medal which had been stolen the night before when its custodian was reportedly visiting a brothel. The guard, identified by police as Lieutenant Roberto Juan de Dios Ortiz Blanco, had been meant to deliver the historic medal and a tricolor sash to the President Evo Morales to wear during his speech Wednesday in the central city of Cochabamba, according to a police report quoted by local media. But his flight late Tuesday was delayed and the officer instead decided to visit various brothels, the report said. "I entered a number of these different establishments (brothels) but then returned to where I left my motor car," the report quoted Ortiz as having told police. "When I got there my backpack, which held the emblems of the nation, had been taken." Police Colonel Jhonny Aguilera said the thieves had dumped the priceless symbols of state in the portico of a church in the center of the capital La Paz. "Thanks to the cooperation of Unitel," a television station that received an anonymous tip-off, "we have recovered the symbols in some black bags," he told reporters. Morales -- who last wore the emblems on August 6, during celebrations marking Bolivia's 193rd anniversary -- appeared at the Cochabamba military parade Wednesday with neither medal nor sash. He made no reference to their absence or to the theft, which had first been reported by the ministry of defense, which confirmed only that the custodian of the medal had been detained as part of an investigation. Aguilera, the police spokesman, said Peruvian thieves were believed to have been behind the robbery of his backpack and that authorities on the border with Peru were on the look out for the suspects. Former president Carlos Mesa had earlier described the theft as "a hard blow for the republic," comparing the loss of the medal to "the theft of the crown of Queen Elizabeth II of England." The medal was a gift from the Congress of the recently formed Bolivian republic to its founder in 1825 and was first used in 1826 as the presidential medal by Antonio Jose de Sucre. The gold medal, encrusted with precious stones, is normally kept in a secure vault at the Central Bank in La Paz but is delivered to the president for ceremonial occasions. The defense ministry said earlier that the "intelligence service and all state institutions have been placed at the disposal of investigators to find those responsible for this theft as quickly as possible."
Crews battling the biggest wildfire on record in California have made some progress but the weather forecast for the rest of the week is not promising, authorities said Wednesday. It will remain very hot and windy -- conditions that help fire spread -- until at least Saturday evening, the National Weather Service office in the state capital Sacramento said late Tuesday. "Smoke and haze will continue to impact #norcal. Warmer temperatures and increasing fire weather concerns late this week," the agency said. The raging Mendocino Complex fire, comprising twin blazes in the state's north, has now ravaged just over 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) -- approximately the size of Los Angeles -- in less than two weeks. On Monday it became California's largest wildfire since record-keeping began a century ago. Some 14,000 firefighters, including reinforcements from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, are combating the firestorm which remains 47 percent contained, the state agency Calfire said in an update at 1400 GMT. That's up from 34 percent 12 hours earlier. The River Fire of the Mendocino Complex is 81 percent contained, having burned 48,920 acres. But its partner blaze, the Ranch Fire, has grown to 251,000 acres and is just 46 percent contained. A shift in the weather can make a big difference for firefighting crews. "Weather was a big factor today and due to the winds aloft covering the fire area in smoke, it caused lower than predicted temperatures," Calfire said Tuesday evening. "The temperature decrease allowed crews to continue valuable work to contain the fire perimeter edge, slowing fire growth," it added. Crews used the lower temperatures to increase containment lines. Overall, the Mendocino Complex fire has destroyed at least 221 structures, 116 of them residences. More than 10,000 other structures are threatened, according to CalFire. The Ranch fire, which poses the biggest challenge, has swept across natural barriers like rivers, and a ditch dug with earth-moving machinery. Helicopters and airplanes, including two massive DC-10s and a 747 jumbo jet, have supported firefighters by dousing the flames with water. Two people have died in that inferno alone, taking to 11 the number of people killed by major fires that are becoming something of a constant in the state. - Fires in 11 states - The Carr Fire to the north, near the town of Redding, has meanwhile engulfed more than 173,000 acres since igniting July 23, killing seven people so far. As of early Wednesday firefighters had managed to get it 47 percent contained. Another major fire, Ferguson, has left two people dead and forced the closure of part of the Yosemite National Park. It is currently 43 percent contained. On Monday alone, 127 wildfires were burning on 1.6 million acres of land in 11 states, the National Interagency Fire Center said. In California tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes over the past month although some have now been allowed to go back. The Mendocino Complex is the second fire to break records in California in as many years, following the Thomas Fire in December 2017 that destroyed 281,893 acres. In the state's south near San Diego, hundreds of personnel have deployed to tackle the fast-moving Holy Fire in the Cleveland National Forest. On Monday, the Pentagon said it would send 200 soldiers to assist firefighters in fending off the flames across western states. About 1,000 National Guard personnel are supporting wildfire operations in California, with another 450 in Oregon and 170 in Washington state, it added.
Yeap, we called it. The highly controversial online ivory shop Ivory Lane has been outed as a marketing stunt by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)  and what a stunt it was.

With all the marketing sheen and high-quality branding (not to mention some really tone-deaf copy), Ivory Lanes social media presence seemed designed to elicit as much backlash as humanly possible, and it did. WWF revealed that the stunt reached about 250,000 people and garnered 64,000 reactions within six days, while sparking off (very) heated public debates on wildlife trade and national legislation here.

By doing so, it highlighted the fact that the sale of ivory remains very much legal in Singapore  ivory specimens are not illegal if they are proven to date back before 1990 international trade ban. These regulations, however, could keep up the global trade of illicit ivory alive as newly poached ivory could be disguised as the vintage variety.

Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon announced in Parliament last year that the government will ban the sale of ivory here, but no timeframe has been introduced since.

Loopholes in the law

Photo: Ivory Lane / Facebook

According to research commissioned by WWF, 50 percent of folks in Singapore believe that the trade of elephant ivory is already banned here. Sadly, that isnt the case, and it took a well-marketed (but fake) online ivory store for people to get woke to the fact.

Nonetheless, misconceptions about where the legal boundaries lie is something illegal traders capitalize on, WWF-Singapore CEO Elaine Tan said.

The general uncertainty leads to illicit wildlife trade hiding in plain sight. We set up the online shop, Ivory Lane, on the same legal premise that the real ivory traders use to operate in Singapore, Tan explained in a statement.

Surprisingly (or is it really?), the WWF managed to find more than 40 shops in Singapore selling ivory products and a number of online listings on e-commerce markets. Investigations in physical shops had traders explaining how ivory can be smuggled across the borders undetected and be sold here.

Story continues

Calls for strengthened wildlife laws

Photo: ICA newsroom

With the commissioned survey showing that nearly three-quarters of respondents support a ban on domestic trade, WWF-Singapore is calling on the government for stronger enforcement and deterrent penalties in regards to wildlife crime.

The organization has since launched a website where members of the public can provide anonymous tip-offs on suspicious activities concerning wildlife trade.

The overwhelming and strong response by people in Singapore towards Ivory Lane has made it very clear that people in Singapore have a zero tolerance toward illegal wildlife trade, Tan concluded.

We are due for clear and strong legislation to address ivory and illegal wildlife trade in Singapore.

The anger continues

Weirdly enough, some folks are missing the point of the whole stunt, calling WWF-Singapore sick for concocting such a concept. Honestly though, they just sound really bitter that they fell for it in the first place.

Photo: Facebook screengrab

Photo: Facebook screengrab

Photo: Facebook screengrab

Photo: Facebook screengrab

Photo: Facebook screengrab

Then, of course, theres always that one person

Photo: Facebook screengrab

The post Called it: Controversial Ivory Lane store revealed to be marketing stunt by WWF-Singapore appeared first on Coconuts.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday announced the appointment of Michelle Bachelet, Chile's twice-serving president who endured torture under the Pinochet regime, as the world body's next human rights chief. Bachelet, 66, is set to replace Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein of Jordan, a sharp critic of US President Donald Trump's policies, who held the post of UN high commissioner for human rights since September 2014. A two-time president who ranks among the world's most powerful women in politics, Bachelet also served in 2010 as the first director of UN Women, the UN agency promoting gender equality worldwide. Guterres informed the General Assembly of his decision in a letter on Wednesday following consultations with the heads of regional groups at the United Nations, a UN statement said. The 193-nation assembly will meet on Friday to vote on the appointment, which is expected to win approval, diplomats said. Zeid is due to step down on August 31. Bachelet will step into a position that has drawn much controversy under Zeid, who decided not to seek a second term after losing support from powerful countries including the United States, Russia and China. Zeid last year compared Trump to a bus driver "careening down a mountain path", engaged in "reckless driving" for his attacks on the media. In an implicit swipe at Zeid, US Ambassador Nikki Haley urged Bachelet "to avoid the failures of the past." "The UN has failed to adequately address major human rights crises in Iran, North Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, or stop its chronic, disproportionate obsession with Israel. "It is up to Ms. Bachelet to speak out against these failures rather than accept the status quo. We hope that she does," Haley said in a statement. Zeid steps down on August 31. - One of the world's most difficult jobs - With Zeid under fire for his blunt criticism of leaders, rights groups were concerned that Guterres would seek to appoint a less vocal human rights boss. "If selected, Bachelet will be taking on one of the world's most difficult jobs at a moment when human rights are under widespread attack," said Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth. "As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful." The daughter of a general who opposed Augusto Pinochet's overthrow of president Salvador Allende, Bachelet was detained in 1975 and held for several weeks at the infamous Villa Grimaldi interrogation and torture center in Santiago. "I was mainly tortured psychologically, and some beating, but they didn't 'grill' me," Bachelet said in an interview, using prisoners' slang for electric shocks administered to detainees. "I was lucky compared to so many others. Many of them died," said Bachelet in the 2014 interview, one of the few times that she has discussed the ordeal. The pediatrician and socialist who was Chile's first woman to hold the presidency was in office from 2006 to 2010, and then again from 2014 to March this year. Last year, Guterres named her as a member of a high-level panel on mediation that provides him with advice on peace efforts, describing her as a "long-time champion of women's rights" with a "history of dynamic global leadership, highly-honed political skills and a recognized ability to create consensus." Born in Santiago, Bachelet was studying medicine when she was detained for several weeks. After her release, she went into exile with her mother to Australia before moving to East Germany. Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979, but was prevented from working as a doctor for political reasons. She continued studying, specializing in pediatrics and public health. After democracy was restored to Chile in 1990, she worked for the health ministry and in 2000 was appointed health minister, followed by defense minister four years later. As president, Bachelet offered a dramatic break from Chile's highly conservative political class. She reformed the pension system and improved health and social services, focusing on Chile's working poor.
Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Philippines as relations between two sides warm

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the Philippines before the end of the year in the latest sign of improved relations between the two sides, the foreign minister of the Southeast Asian nation said.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said also that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had approved a proposal to form a group to study plans for the two countries to conduct a joint exploration in the disputed South China Sea.

Were now fixing the date [of Xis visit]. Were looking at the latter part of the year, Cayetano was quoted as saying by local broadcaster GMA Network.

Both sides wanted it to happen, he said.

The trip would be Xis first visit to the Philippines since Duterte took office. The Philippine president invited his Chinese counterpart to Manila during his state visit to Beijing in October 2016.

Cayetano did not say if Xis trip would be a state or official visit.

This has been an invitation from their first meeting. They accepted it right away. But we are finding the right time. When presidents at this level meet there are a lot of preparations and a lot of things that they want to announce, he said.

Relations between China and the Philippines soured when Dutertes predecessor Benigno Aquino took their dispute over the South China Sea to an international tribunal in The Hague, which ruled against Beijing.

But Duterte has since tried to mend ties, while China has pledged to boost investment in the Philippines and donated military equipment such as guns and patrol boats.

However, a long-running dispute over the Spratly Islands, where Chinas military build up has prompted frequent protests from Manila, remains unresolved.

As well as the Philippines and mainland China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have claims to the South China Sea.

On the joint exploration proposal, Cayetano said: Our job is to provide a framework acceptable to both the Philippines and China.

Story continues

The government officials, academics and private sector representatives in the group studying the idea would have a draft ready within the next two months, he said.

Xu Liping, a professor at the Institute of Asian-Pacific Studies, which comes under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the political trust developed between China and the Philippines would help them to reach agreement on the joint exploration plan.

Joint exploration requires political trust, he said. Now is the best time to do it, with the smooth progress over the negotiations for a code of conduct for the South China Sea.

But Zhang Mingliang, a specialist on Southeast Asian affairs at Jinan University, said the wariness of Manilas elite towards Dutertes close ties with China meant that the project could yet face opposition, as did a similar plan, which was eventually aborted, when Gloria Arroyo was president.

It is likely that the project will be realised during Dutertes term in office, but many challenges lie ahead, he said.

The proposed areas for joint exploration were likely to fall within Chinas nine dash line and therefore create controversy, he said.

The project under Arroyo faced huge opposition and accusations over the lack of transparency and conflicts of interests  similar concerns may arise under Duterte.

This article Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Philippines as relations between two sides warm first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - Spraying a veil of sun-dimming chemicals high above the Earth to slow global warming could harm crop yields in an unintended side-effect of turning down the heat, U.S. scientists said on Wednesday.

Some researchers say a man-made sunshade, perhaps sulphur dioxide released high in the atmosphere, could limit rising temperatures and the after-effects like the wildfires that have ravaged California and Greece this summer.

But a U.S. scientific team found that big volcanic eruptions, such as Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 and El Chichon in Mexico in 1982, cut yields of wheat, soy and rice after spewing sun-blocking ash that blew around the world.

Pinatubo's eruption, for instance, reduced sunlight by 2.5 percent, cooled the planet by about 0.5 degree Celsius (0.9 Fahrenheit), and disrupted rainfall patterns, they wrote in the journal Nature.

And the study said any future "geoengineering" modelled on volcanoes would have scant benefits for crops, which need light to grow. Less sunlight would reduce yields even though the plants would do better in less sweltering temperatures.

"If we think of geoengineering as an experimental surgery, our findings suggest that the side effects of the treatment are just as bad as the original disease," author Jonathan Proctor of the University of California, Berkeley, told a telephone news conference.

Co-author Solomon Hsiang, also of the University of California, Berkeley, said the findings were a surprise after some previous research suggested plants might grow better with hazier sunshine, especially crops in the shade.

The new study "doesn't necessarily mean we should simply rule out these (geoengineering) technologies," he said. Governments could encourage farmers to grow more shade-tolerant crops if geoengineering were ever deployed.

And interest in geoengineering as a possible climate short-cut may rise because governments are not on track to limit global warming to goals set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement to avert floods, heat waves and rising seas.

Story continues

A study on Monday said the world is at risk of entering an irreversible "hothouse" state with far higher temperatures than now, even if governments meet goals set in Paris.

But many are sceptical of geoengineering.

Janos Pasztor, head of the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative, welcomed Wednesday's study as a step to understand the risks and benefits of geoengineering, which could affect everything from human health to life in the oceans.

"We need to move away from the stigma about not even being able to talk about any geoengineering options," he told Reuters.

So far, most geoengineering experiments have been in laboratories. In the United States, Harvard University's Solar Geoengineering Research Programme plans a tiny outdoor experiment next year in the upper atmosphere.

(Reporting By Alister Doyle, editing by Larry King)
EU countries should continue extraditions to Britain until it leaves the bloc next year, despite claims that Brexit could cause uncertainty for suspects, the legal advisor to the union's top court said Tuesday. An Irish murder suspect appealed against a European Arrest Warrant on the grounds that Britain's decision to quit the EU left unanswered questions over the arrangements for his transfer. But the advocate general to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said that Britain's June 2016 vote to leave had no bearing on such warrants so long as it remained part of the EU. "The UKs decision to leave the EU should not affect the execution of a European arrest warrant issued by it. EU law applies as long as the UK is a Member State," Advocate General Maciej Szpunar said. Judges at the ECJ usually, but not always, follow the legal opinions of the court's advocate general. The European Arrest Warrant system allows EU countries to request the extradition of suspects from other member states, with very few reasons allowed for refusal. It has been used in high-profile cases including Spain's bid to extradite former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont from Belgium and Germany, and for Sweden's attempt to transfer Wikileaks chief Julian Assange from Britain over sexual assault allegations. The suspect in the current case, identified only as RO, was arrested in Ireland in 2016 on a warrant issued by Britain on charges of murder, arson and rape, and appealed to the Irish High Court on grounds including issues related to Brexit. The Irish court then asked the ECJ to rule whether it should refuse to surrender the suspect due to "the uncertainty as to the arrangements which will be put in place after the UKs withdrawal." But the ECJ lawyer said there were no grounds to refuse the warrant. Britain was still subject to EU laws until it leaves in March 2019, and moreover "there is no basis to question the UKs continued commitment to fundamental rights," the advocate general ruled. The advocate general also said that Irish authorities could expect that Britain could abide by the European Arrest Warrant system's rules "including for post-surrender situations after the issuing member state has left the EU."
ESM Goh Chok Tong (left) speaking to a resident of Serangoon Ave 3 in 2015. (Yahoo Singapore file photo)

Cut ministerial pay and the government will end up recruiting very, very mediocre people as office-holders, said Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong in a dialogue with South East District residents last Thursday (2 August).

I am telling you the ministers are not paid enough, and down the road, we are going to get a problem with getting people to join the government, because civil servants now earn more than ministers, said Goh. Now we dare not pay ministers a good wage.

To any one of us here, $1 million is a lot of money. So where do you want to get your ministers from? From people who earn only $500,000 a year, whose capacity is $500,000 a year? So (when) I look for ministers, anybody who wants to be paid more than half a million, I wont take him. You are going to end up with very very mediocre people, who cant even earn a million dollars outside to be our minister. Think about that. Is it good for you, or is it worse for us in the end?

The 77-year-old added that he had asked two potential candidates who were earning $5-10 million to stand in the 2015 General Election but they declined.

According to The Online Citizen (TOC) and The Straits Times, Goh was responding to a suggestion by Braddell Heights resident Abdul Aziz, 70, that ministerial salaries be cut to fund pensions for elderly people. A recording of the conversation was posted by social news site MustShareNews.com, and Gohs staffers later provided TOC with a transcript of the exchange.

The former Prime Minister went on to cite the example of Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong, 48, who was a senior partner at law firm Allen and Gledhill when approached to take up his current position. Tong was earning more than $2 million annually as a senior counsel and now earns $500,000 per year, said Goh.

According to the ESM, (Tong) said, at this stage of his life, he has got a house, he has got a mother-in-law to support, a father-in-law to support, his own parents and so on, what should he do?

Story continues

So I asked him, Edwin, what are you in politics for? He said, Here to serve. So I said, Well, you know between $2 million and perhaps half a million, later on you hopefully become a full minister, $1 million, you have to decide which is more important.

He said, Yes, I will take it on. And he felt very strongly that he could do the job.

A controversial issue

The annual pay of political appointment-holders consists of five components: Monthly salary, 13th month bonus, Annual Variable Component (AVC) based on Singapores economic performance, performance bonus and a national bonus based on four socio-economic indicators.

The latter bonus can range from zero to six months, with good performers typically given three months.

Currently, the annual salary of an MR4 grade (entry level) minister stands at $1.1 million, while the Prime Minister earns $2.2 million. This is based on the assumption of an AVC of one month, good individual performance and the national bonus indicators being met.

In March, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament that the government would maintain ministerial salaries at their current level.

The economy is going through a period of transition and the government has decided to watch the changing economic conditions and outlook further, rather than making any refinements now, said the 63-year-old, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service.

In 2017, a committee formed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong found that the existing salary framework remains relevant and sound. It did, however, recommended a pay rise of 9 per cent along with fine-tuning of the national bonus conditions to take into consideration changing economic conditions and national outlook, said Teo.

The recommended increase was to match the respective rise in the salary benchmark for an MR4-grade minister, which is currently set as the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore citizens.

The current total annual salary of an entry level Minister (i.e. MR4) is benchmarked to 60% of the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore Citizens.

In 2007, ministerial salaries were increased by some 60 per cent.

Related stories

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No change to ministerial salaries, says DPM Teo Chee Hean

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Customs and PDEA officials examine the extracted packs of shabu hidden inside magnetic scrap lifters that were intercepted at the port of Manila.

MANILA, Philippines  The operatives of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are investigating the identity of the consignee as well as the origin of more than P4B worth of suspected shabu intercepted at the Manila International Container Port in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday (August 7).

PDEA is now coordinating with their counterparts in Malaysia and China to probe where the shipment originally came from and who sent it.

They suspect that Malaysia was only used as a transshipment point.

Iba-back track naming lahat ng investigation namin to determine na kung ano pa iyong modus (operandi) ng mga grupo, said PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino.

Authorities said the shabu shipment weighs nearly 500 kilograms and is said to be concealed inside magnetic lifters stocked in an abandoned container van.

The shipment arrived last June 28 from Malaysia and is consigned to Vecaba Trading.

At the very start it is not meant to go through the process, clearing process ng Customs because the consignee is not accredited, said BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapena.

This is the biggest shabu haul ever confiscated by PDEA under Aquinos leadership.- JL Asayo | UNTV News & Rescue

The post PDEA coordinates with Malaysian, Chinese counterparts over shabu seizure appeared first on UNTV News.
A manhunt was under way on Wednesday for a Hong Kong man accused of stealing HK$9 million (US$1.15 million) after his boss, a Macau junket operator, told the suspect to withdraw the money and bring it back to the casino hub.

The employer made a police report at 4.45pm on Tuesday after the 53-year-old man, surnamed Ng, went missing with the cash.

Initial information showed Ng had been instructed by his employer on Sunday to go to a money exchange store on Cheung Sha Wan Road, Cheung Sha Wan to withdraw HK$9 million and bring it back to Macau, according to police.

After losing contact with Ng, the employer came to Hong Kong on Tuesday and went to the store to confirm the cash withdrawal before seeking police help.

The Post understands the victim is a Macau casino junket operator  a VIP gaming promoter.

Police were told the employer last contacted Ng over the phone on Monday and was told the money had been withdrawn, according to a law enforcement source.

He said officers would check with the Immigration Department to find out whether the suspect had left the city.

So far, no one has been arrested.

Under a new law that came into force on July 16, anyone including local residents carrying more than HK$120,000 in cash or bearer negotiable instruments arriving via one of the citys 13 control points must make a written declaration to customs through the red channel. Departing travellers are not required to make declarations unless intercepted by a customs official.

Failure to declare large sums of money could lead to criminal prosecution with a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of HK$500,000.

A three-month transition period was granted after the new declaration system was launched. During this period, first-time offenders are given a written warning instead.

This article Police searching for Hong Kong man who stole HK$9 million from Macau junket operator first appeared on South China Morning Post

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MOMBASA (Reuters) - Five Kenyan soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by the Somali group al Shaabab in Lamu County on Kenya's north coast on Wednesday, a senior official said.

The local government official in the county, who asked not to be named, said the attack occurred between the areas of Majengo and Bodhei. He said five soldiers were killed after their truck ran over an improvised explosive device.

"We heard a blast. Shortly after, KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) choppers were patrolling in the air," the official told Reuters.

Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna told Reuters that six soldiers were injured, two critically, in the explosion but none were killed.

It was not immediately clear why the accounts of the KDF and the county official differed.

Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, said the group was behind the attack on the KDF convoy, and put the number of those killed at nine.

Kenyan officials say the group often exaggerates casualty figures.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab aims to topple Somalia's U.N.-backed government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam. They have intensified attacks in Kenya since it sent troops into Somalia in 2011.

The group has launched several attacks, including ones in which they have beheaded people, in the past year in the coastal county. Kenyan security officials say the militants have used the Boni forest straddling the Kenya-Somalia border as a hideout and base for attacks.

(Reporting by Joseph Akwiri; Additional reporting by Feisal Omar in Mogadishu and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick)
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Tanzania's telecommunications regulator intends to suspend the license of Multichoice, owned by South Africa's Naspers, for continuing to carry free-to-air channels. A notice issued by Tanzania's Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said Multichoice had been instructed in June not to carry the channels on its platform, but the de facto Africa pay-TV monopoly had persisted in doing so. It did not say when it would suspend Multichoice's license. The authority also issued an intention to suspend notice to Simbanet Tanzania Limited, another pay-TV channel, Philip Filikunjombe, TCRA's acting Head of Enforcement and Compliance Affairs, told Reuters on Wednesday. Multichoice said it was concerned that the regulator planned to suspend its services over a matter that was pending at the Fair Competition Tribunal. "While we remain open to constructive engagement, we are concerned that the notice has been issued even though the carriage of FTA services by pay TV operators is currently pending before the Fair Competition Tribunal," it said. The announcement follows the suspension of Chinese multinational media company StarTimes' subsidiary in Tanzania which the regulator said had not met its license obligation to provide access to free to air content services. [L5N1UQ4JV] Under President John Magufuli, who took office in late 2015 and is nicknamed "the Bulldozer", the Tanzanian government has introduced anti-corruption measures and tightened regulations on foreign companies, particularly in the mining sector. (Reporting by Omar Mohammed; Additional reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Nqobile Dludla; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by James Macharia and Alexandra Hudson)
Vietnam fired a deputy minister of public security on Wednesday for allegedly aiding a fugitive spy, as communist officials extend their unprecedented anti-corruption drive to the powerful security sector. The one-party state has jailed former officials -- mostly linked to the state oil sector -- along with dozens of bankers and businessmen as part of a widespread campaign to weed out graft in one of Asia's most corrupt countries. The vast and opaque Ministry of Public Security (MPS), one of the country's most powerful and protected institutions, has largely been unscathed in the campaign which critics say also aims to sideline political foes. But on Wednesday the government said an MPS deputy minister Bui Van Thanh was dismissed and had his rank demoted for "serious violations in his work" after he aided a fugitive spy, Phan Van Anh Vu, to travel abroad. Vu, a former property magnate who also worked for MPS, was arrested in Singapore in January carrying two passports -- one fake, one real -- and sent back to Vietnam to face trial. He was jailed for nine years last month for leaking state secrets, though officials have not detailed his crimes, citing national security. The government said Thanh broke the rules in allowing Vu to travel overseas and was stripped of his title. "The Prime Minister implements the disciplinary action by dismissing... Bui Van Thanh," a statement on the government's website said. His rank was lowered from lieutenant general to colonel, the statement added. Thanh was also accused of illegally signing documents approving the sale of state properties, according to an earlier official statement. The dismissal comes as the government launches a major restructuring of MPS, with hundreds of departments to be scrapped in a bid to turn the sprawling ministry into a "lean and effective machine", state media reported this week. Vietnam's vast police force -- both uniformed and plainclothes -- and parts of the cybersecurity and intelligence units fall under the MPS umbrella, though staffing numbers are not made public. Earlier this year, several high-ranking MPS officers were arrested for running a massive online gambling ring, including the official in charge of policing internet betting. Vietnam's anti-corruption campaign, waged by a conservative leadership in charge since 2016, has stunned a public unused to seeing powerful figures publicly punished. Observers say the drive is aimed at cleaning up graft -- but is also driven by political infighting. Though Vietnam has one of the region's best performing economies, it is plagued by corruption, ranking 107 out of 180 on Transparency International's corruption Index, behind Thailand, Indonesia and China.
(Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

Every year around 9 August, many Singaporeans feel a swell of pride as they reflect on the nations achievements.

As Singapore celebrates its 53rd National Day, we ask: Are you proud to be Singaporean?

Leave a comment telling why you are  or arent  proud to call Singapore home.

Related stories:

Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng to direct National Day Parade 2018

NDP 2018 creative director Boo Junfeng: Unity is not just about propaganda

NDP 2018 releases cover version of 1987s We Are Singapore
Heres what can happen in the space of a single hour in the middle of the trading day: News can emerge that Saudi Arabia has quietly amassed a huge stake in Tesla. Elon Musk can tweet about taking Tesla private, possibly violating securities laws by doing so. Trading in Tesla stock can then be halted, with the stock up $25 per share to $367, pending clarification with respect to what on earth is going on. Oh, and the seriousness of the whole saga can be called into question thanks to Musks decision to announce that he was considering taking his company private at exactly $420 per share, which caused a lot of people to think that he was making some kind of pot joke.

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The clarification did finally arrive in the form of a press release written by Musk. The press release cleared up some things (no, this wasnt a pot joke; yes, Musk is serious) and did nothing to clear up others (like, crucially, where the money would come from). Taking Tesla private at $420 per share would cost north of $80 billion, which is a lot of money even by Saudi standards. Still, the investment does make some kind of sense for Saudi Arabia, in terms of helping to diversify its asset base away from oil. If electric cars end up making gasoline obsolete, then at least Saudi Arabia would have a very large stake in the worlds buzziest electric car company. Add in a few other large institutional investors and a dollop of extra debt, and its at least within the realm of possibility that Musk could have the requisite financing.

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But why does it make sense for Musk? Mainly, because he would be able to concentrate on running Tesla, the company, without worrying about the Tesla share price. Public companies in general, and Tesla in particular, tend to get conflated with their stocks: If the stock is doing well, then the company is doing well, and vice versa. Whats more, attacks on the stock from short sellers, of which there have been many, are tantamount to attacks on the company. Its highly distracting for a CEO, who ends up spending a lot of time worrying about the public perception of the company, at the expense of time spent actually running the shop.

If Tesla goes private, it would behave much like other large private companiespre-IPO Facebook, for instance, or todays Uber. Shares would exist and would trade; they just wouldnt trade on a public exchange, and they would be impossible to short. Musk says he wants existing shareholders to be able to hold on to their shareholdings instead of being forced to convert them into cash, but details on that front are still extremely murky. Musks idea seems to be that public shareholders could convert their existing shares in public Tesla into shares in private Tesla via some kind of semipublic special-purpose feeder fund that would exist only to own a stake in Tesla. (Musk seems to think that such a fund already exists for SpaceX; it doesnt.)

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Why does this make sense for Musk? Because he would be able to concentrate on running Tesla, the company, without worrying about the Tesla share price.

Once the press release was out and the companys shares started trading again, the market greeted the announcement with a big thumbs-up: The stock is now back near its all-time high, closing just below $380 per share. Investors like Musks plan because if they buy at these levels and sell at $420, they will make a hefty profit. Whats more, whats bad for the legion of Tesla short sellers is by definition good for anybody who holds the stock. And the shorts are in a very tough position, since theres a very real chance that as the details of Musks plan emerge, the stock will only go higher. Much of Musks erratic behavior in recent months can be traced back to his war against short sellers, and one obvious advantage of this plan, for Musk, is that he would be able to strike a decisive victory against them and send them packing once and for all.

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As for the price: In a world where Morgan Stanley claims that Waymo, the self-driving car subsidiary of Alphabet, is worth $175 billion before its made a single dollar in revenue, putting an $80 billion valuation on Tesla is not entirely ludicrous. Its hard to get to that sort of number using the kind of valuation methodologies that other car companies trade on, but Tesla has never been a normal car company, and betting against Musk has never been very profitable. In fact, assuming that Musk is telling the truth when he says that he has all the necessary financing lined up, the main risk to his plan is that shareholders will consider the $420 price too low and will vote against Tesla going private, even if they too might prefer to own a stake in a private company.

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If big shareholders do really have the option to remain invested, though, its easy to see how they might prefer a life that doesnt involve having to battle short sellers or worry about stock market volatility. Its far from being a done deal yet, but by the end of this year, its entirely possible that Tesla will be one of the most valuable private companies in America, overtaking Uber and up there with the likes of Cargill and Koch Industries. In order to get there, however, Musk is going to have to reveal his financing consortium. Who is willing to put up tens of billions of dollars to buy Tesla at an $80 billion valuation? Were probably about to find out.
In June, the Environmental Protection Agency quietly announced it would review applications for new uses of asbestos, the mineral that was widespread in buildings, clothing, and industrial products until the 1970s, when its links to cancer were firmly established.

The news caught fire on Tuesday as yet another examplealongside gas-guzzling cars and coal power plantsof the Trump administration dragging the countrys environmental and public health back in time. Nearly 15,000 Americans die of asbestos-related diseases each year, according to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, often from exposure sustained decades earlier.

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Trumps EPA is bringing back asbestos, making cars less fuel efficient, and Trump himself just said a very weird and unscientific thing about CA wildfires. This the worst administration in modern history for our environment. We need a Dem Congress for the sake of the planet.  Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) August 7, 2018

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Asbestos was one of the first carcinogens regulated under the Clean Air Act in 1973 (Nixon was president) and then was largely banned in 1989 (George HW Bush was president). No amount of asbestos is safe. Yet, the Trump administration is #MAGA or making asbestos great again: https://t.co/J2JF5zjb1n  Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) August 7, 2018

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In fact, contra Chelsea Clinton, asbestos was never largely banned in the United Statesand even an EPA run by chemical industry lawyers will have trouble engineering its comeback.

As a developer of a certain age, Trump lived through the fall of asbestos from miracle mineral to the poster child for carcinogenic chemicals. Asbestos use in the U.S. has fallen by 99.9 percent since 1973, according to the United States Geological Survey. But he had his own theory. I believe that the movement against asbestos was led by the mob, he wrote in his 1997 tome The Art of the Comeback, because it was often mob-related companies that would do the asbestos removal. Great pressure was put on politicians, and as usual, the politicians relented.

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Despite Trumps supposition, the links between asbestos exposure and cancer, in particular lung cancer and mesothelioma, have been well-established for decades. Still, almost all uses of asbestos are legal in the United States. Technically, the EPAs significant new use rule, or SNUR, represents an additional layer of scrutiny for asbestos use.

A little background: In 1989, the EPA tried to ban asbestos outright, under a 1976 law called the Toxic Substances Control Act. The phased prohibition was overturned by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991, and the agency succeeded in halting only six then-obsolete uses of asbestos, including corrugated paper and flooring felt.

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So the June rule ensures that any U.S. companies who want to use asbestos in all its nonbanned usesproducts like reinforced plastics, millboard, floor tiles, and roofing feltare subject to EPA review. As the EPA points out, without the June rule, any company could start importing or processing asbestos for floor tiles whenever it wanted. (Note: You can still comment on this rule through the Federal eRulemaking Portal until Friday.)

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But Democrats should still be mad. The decision represents an about-face from 2016, when the TSCAthe law too weak to justify the asbestos ban and phase outwas strengthened in Congress. At that point, the expectation was that the 1989 ban and phaseout could be attempted again, bringing the U.S. in sync with the rest of the developed world. When he signed the new law, President Barack Obama cited asbestos as an example of the old laws inadequacy. The system was so complex, it was so burdensome that our country hasnt even been able to uphold a ban on asbestos, he said.

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The Trump administration has done the opposite of what advocates expected. On the last day of the Obama administration, in a now-vanished press release, the EPA announced 10 toxic chemicals that would be the first to be re-evaluated under the revised TSCA. Asbestos was one of them. In May, Trumps EPA announced it would not investigate indirect exposure to those chemicals, including in air or water. Asbestos that winds up in landfills would no longer be included in the agencys risk assessments, nor would so-called legacy usesmeaning older buildings with degrading, asbestos materials no longer intended for manufacture. Those considerations would guide the way the EPA reviews new asbestos uses that come before it.

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All that said, its extremely unlikely that companies will be chomping at the bit to put asbestos back into your house. They have been free to use the stuff for decades. But the last U.S. asbestos producer shut down in 2002. In 2016, only two companies, Axiall Corp. and Olin Corp., imported asbestos in significant quantitiesboth to synthesize industrial chlorine for use in PVC piping and other plastics. (This process was exempted from both the failed EPA ban and the European Unions comprehensive ban in 2005, on the grounds that asbestos use was confined to the production process.) According to the USGS, the chloralkali industry likely accounted for 100 percent of domestic asbestos consumption in 2016. While some finished products containing asbestosincluding brake liners, roof coatings, and gasketsare imported into the country, their total value is estimated at less than $5 million.

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What explains the cratering in asbestos use, even as the EPA had its hands tied by the 1991 court ruling? Health and liability issues. Because asbestos is so indisputably linked to cancer, asbestos lawsuits are a multibillion-dollar industry. Approximately 100 companies have been forced into bankruptcy by asbestos litigation, to the extent that Congress had to amend the Bankruptcy Code to allow special asbestos trusts. Plenty of noncarcinogenic substitutes are readily available, and even the chloralkali industry is slowly changing its ways.

Meanwhile, the lawsuits continue. As recently as 2012, some of the most expensive Google searches for click-through ads used the word mesothelioma, as trial lawyers competed for victims of asbestos exposure. Just last month, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay a $4.69 billion fine to 22 women who claimed the companys baby powder and other talc-based products were contaminated with asbestos and caused ovarian cancer. (Talc and asbestos are mined in proximity.) The company is appealing.

In 2010, Garlock Sealing Technologies filed for bankruptcy over costs from asbestos lawsuits. EnPro, of which Garlock was a part, wound up setting up a $480 million trust to resolve current and future complaints. What did Garlock make? Asbestos-lined gasketsone of the products the Trump administration is reviewing new asbestos uses for. Getting back into the asbestos-lined gasket racket does not seem like a good business decision.
When Barack Obama, in January 2017, presented Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he joked that the ceremony would give the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance. He was wrong about that being the last chance. At the end of July, the pair was spotted getting lunch together in Georgetown, their first joint appearance since leaving office. The internet talked about everything youd expect it to, and a local news outlet provided some helpful context: Obama and Biden have become known for their strong bromance, often speaking highly of the other.

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This strong bromance is also the focus of Hope Never Dies, a mystery novel by Andrew Shaffer that stars the former president and vice president as a pair of sleuths. It sounds, on its face, like a deadly dose of #resistance wish fulfillment. It isnt. Shaffer has sublimated liberal grief, nostalgia, and fantasy into a sort of allegorical potboiler. Though the sleuthing concerns a suspicious death, the books deepest mystery is Barack Obama. We see him through the eyes of a jilted Joe Biden, simultaneously ticked off and drawn in by his coolness, stewing in the sense that he was dumped the day after graduation.

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That kind of longing is familiar. Obama attracted fantasy from the moment he stepped onto the national stage (remember Obama Girl?), and as he left it, he became a locus of powerful nostalgia: in memes envisioning the strong bromance, in Pete Souzas Instagram and book, in a Saturday Night Live torch song called Come Back, Barack.

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Hope Never Dies opens on Biden, at home in Delaware, bitterly contemplating Obamas carefree post-presidency:

Unencumbered by his dead-weight loser vice president, 44 was on the vacation to end all vacations. Windsurfing on Richard Bransons private island. Kayaking with Justin Trudeau. BASE jumping in Hong Kong with Bradley Cooper.

Within a few pages, Obama has materialized in Bidens backyard with news of the suspicious death: Finn Donnelly, a rail conductor dear to Biden since his Amtrak Joe days, has been run over by a train, and for some reason he left behind a map to Bidens home. Biden is mystified by both the visit and the death, which he sets out to investigate, keeping Obama at arms length.

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Though the sleuthing concerns a suspicious death, the books deepest mystery is Barack Obama.

Those ambiguities work themselves out over the course of a story that manages to engage meaningfully with some uber-topical issues (the opioid epidemic, health care reform) and the psychology of its narrator while maintaining the shape of a competent thriller. That psychology isnt the real Joe Bidens. This fictional Biden is neither a plausible Washington power player nor the wild man of the Onions long series of Biden fan fiction. Instead he functions, for the most part, as a mouthpiece for the audience. When he looks into Obamas impenetrable face, he feels and resents the intensity of his own attachment: The president seemingly wanted to pick up right where wed left off, like no time had passed since wed left Washington. To be fair, it was exactly what Id wanted.

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Apart from some occasional moodiness, Bidens narration is light and convincingly folksy (the weather outside was as nasty as the devils armpit). But it can turn suddenly apocalyptic. The thought that Finn may have been involved with drugs immediately leads Biden to wonder whether, by the time the universe got to righting the wrongs in Wilmington, it would be too latenot just for Finn or the city, but for all of us. These kinds of non sequiturs might just be bad writing, bungled stabs at a hard-boiled melancholy. Butat least right now, in summer 2018they work. Many of us are living with ambient grief, with a sense that our country is lost, and it surges into our private griefs. (Trump is referenced only a few times in Hope Never Dies, in passing, by means of stale jokes.)

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Even Shaffers determination to yoke as much political trivia as possible to his zero-plausibility plot turns out to be charming. Bits of Obamas memoirs and speeches are repurposed as dialogue. Barack and Michelles Secret Service code names, the geography of Wilmington, the history of Amtrak, and Bidens presidential medal show up as plot devices and scenery. The rigging is visible, just as it is in the farkakte theories Biden and Obama cook up to make sense of their clues, which mightas the two are repeatedly told by miffed copsadd up to nothing. Make no mistake: there was a conspiracy, all right, Biden insists in an anguished aside.

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That longing for sense is familiar, too: from the right-wing online fever swamps, from the left-wing online fever swamps. When Biden and Obama ditch the former presidents security detail, Biden starts worrying about their safety. It was a dangerous world, he says, especially for politicians in the public eye. There were whackjobs who probably thought [Obama] was still the president, running some sort of deep state behind the scenes, he continues. It was a comforting thought, that someone was in control of this chaotic world.

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The scene lines up neatly with that recent lunch in Georgetown. The fictional politicians have just come out of a diner where, as in real life, Obama put in an annoyingly healthy order. (Grilled chicken in the book, fennel salad in real life.) And as the fictional Biden worries, the whack jobs were indeed watching their strong bromance. Theres a corner of Reddit where conspiracists piece together clues in the QAnon theory, a Pizzagate-adjacent hysteria about the activities of the deep state. I cant explain exactly what they were trying to prove when they surveyed the remains of that fennel salad, but they seemed to find plenty of evidence for it. Obama and Biden were spotted together today, one commenter noted, to acclaim. Coincidence?
Seth Meyers spent a segment of Tuesdays Late Night checking in on the state of the Environmental Protection Agency. While we have been focused on the daily chaos and controversy surrounding the Trump administration, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency continues to carry out Trumps dangerous agenda, Meyers said, referencing Andrew Wheeler, who has been the acting director of the EPA for the past month.

Meyers was quick to point out that Wheeler, who replaced Scott Pruitt, is a former coal lobbyist for some of the biggest coal and uranium companies in the country. Before that, he worked for Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, whoMeyers reminded the audienceinfamously brought a snowball onto the Senate floor in 2015 to dispute the fact that 2014 had been the warmest year on record.

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With just over a month in office, Wheeler has already rolled back coal industry regulations, giving companies more freedom in disposing of their toxic coal ash waste. You cant have clean water and clean air and roll back regulations that are in place to ensure that the air and water are clean, Meyers argued.

Just last week, Trump also announced plans to weaken fuel efficiency standards, which are beneficial to both consumers, as they lower costs, and the environment, as they regulate the amount of carbon emissions released into the air. Meyers wasnt surprised by this plan, considering that one of the members of the EPA board of science advisers, Robert Phalen, believes that our air is too clean.

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Meyers ended the segment by sharing another one of Trumps notorious tweets.

California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which arent allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire from spreading!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 6, 2018

Also, his solution to forest fires is not to tackle climate change, but instead to get rid of the trees? Meyers asked incredulously. I cant believe he found a way to victim-blame forest fires.
Better Life Lab is a partnership of Slate and New America.

A woman in marketing says she finds herself toning down her assertive personality around white male colleagues. Another, a photographer, says shes never assumed to be the one behind the camera. A university professor says shes regularly mistaken for a student on campus. Others, such as Ellen Pao and Charlyne Yi, have found themselves in the headlines for workplace sexism stories familiar to many women. But these women, all Asian American, may find the usual glass ceiling explanations of what they face miss the mark. But neither does the idea of a bamboo ceiling quite capture the ever-present obstacle hanging just overhead. In the year following the multi-industry #MeToo reckoning, Asian American women are still struggling to bust the model minority myth and to have their professional setbacks recognized and addressed.

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The model minority myth overshadows the real hurdles Asian Americans face, from career advancement to poverty. Although some see the mythwhich stereotypes the entire demographic as hard-working, educated, and successful due to their quiet disciplineas something that protects Asian Americans from the hatred and targeting experienced by other racial minorities, others argue that it assumes Asian Americans dont face barriersand even have an edge thanks to their Asian-ness.

A recent report on Silicon Valley from the Ascend Foundation revealed that Asians, though the largest racial cohort in the industry, are the racial group least likely to be promoted to manager and executive positions. In the legal field, Asian Americans have the highest attrition rate and rank at the bottom in the ratio of partners to associates, according to a report from Yale Law School. If you look at the junior levels of any type of industry, you can see quite a few Asian Americans, but as you get more and more senior, theyre not [there], says Yung-Yi Diana Pan, an assistant professor of sociology at Brooklyn CollegeCity University of New York.

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Statistics citing higher earnings for Asians compared with their white counterparts often lead to broad generalizations about Asian American prosperity and feed directly into the model minority myth. They ignore that nearly 1 in 4 Asians in New York City live in poverty, according to the Mayors Office of Operations, and erase differences between Asian Americansfor example, Indian and Taiwanese women drastically out-earn Hmong and Burmese women.

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But for Asian American women, the model minority myth manifests itself in especially ugly forms that derive in part from our cultural fixation on Asian women as sexual objects. In a 2015 study for RacismReview, author and activist Sharon Chang researched public perceptions of women of color, including Asians, through Googles search algorithm. Chang found that Asian women were the least likely to be viewed as leaders and most likely to be fetishized.

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The infantilization of Asian women, who report being treated as younger than they are, is another cultural barrier. Were seen as younger, more naive, less experienced, on top of less American, says Lata Murti, an associate professor of sociology at Brandman University who researches the experiences of female Indian doctors.

The very public reckoning against sexual harassment of this past year has revealed very little about what Asian American women endure in the workplace. Earlier this year, BuzzFeed News noted that Asian American women in Hollywood are less likely to report harassment for fear of retribution or further marginalization in the industry. Not to mention reporting can be met with derision and dismissiveness, as in the case of comedian Charlyne Yi, who alleged that David Cross was racist toward her a decade ago. Just as the #MeToo movement expanded past Hollywood, Asian women face the same hurdles across all professional industries.

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Harassment in the workplace looks different for women of color, including Asian women. Racial prejudice can present itself in the form of stereotypes and microaggressions, some of which are directly contradictory with one another. On the one hand, stereotypes can stem from notions of Asian women as too intense or aggressive, such as the tiger mom or the dragon lady, says Murti. On the other hand, the stereotype might be just the opposite, the submissivea good follower, but not a good leader, she says.

Neither of those images bode well for upward mobility, Pan says. If youre perceived as passive, youre not going to be groomed to be a leader.  But if youre perceived as too assertive, you can then alienate your colleagues. Silicon Valley, for instance, provides evidence of this clash: Asian women are the least likely to become executives of all groups divided by race and gender. And Murti says that the female Indian doctors she interviewed were often mistaken for nurses. In nearly any context, the assumption is that they couldnt be the doctor  and they had to keep asserting their medical authority in that realm, she says.

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Im a very assertive person, says Maria Cruz Lee, a 31-year-old Filipino American digital marketing director for the City University of New York. The idea that Asian women are more quiet [and] wont push back as much, I think, is what throws off a lot of my colleagues when Im no holds barred.

And even as Asian American women advance in their careers, they continue to feel like outsiders. There have been times where I have been mistaken for either a student or an intern and not as a faculty member due to assumptions about who is typically a faculty member, says 34-year-old Kimberly McKee, an assistant professor at Grand Valley State University and Korean American adoptee.

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The very public reckoning against sexual harassment of this past year has revealed very little about what Asian American women endure in the workplace.

Regarding work as a constant battleground is an emotional tax on workers and can take a toll on ones mental and physical health. A Yale Law School study found that Asian American attorneys tend to experience mental health issues at higher rates. I think its often the stress of never really feeling professionally fulfilled or satisfied, Murti says. Income doesnt tell the whole story.

The Yale study also reported that Asian Americans lack access to mentors, an important resource in almost every field. Great mentors can set you up for success, while the abuse of mentorship can have lasting damage on womens careers.

State Rep. Stephanie Chang, the first Asian American woman elected to the Michigan Legislature, was asked to run by her predecessor and friend, Rashida Tlaib, the first Muslim American woman in the Michigan Legislature. Thirty years old during her first campaign, Chang says she experienced skepticism from voters and wonders if her gender, age, and race made her vulnerable to attacks. If not for her [Tlaibs] mentorship and willingness to be persistent, I probably would never have even thought about doing it, Chang says.

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Advocacy groups are actively working to improve both racial and gender parity across multiple sectors, while others are starting conversations on the impact of sexual harassment on Asian American female professionals. But theres more to be done. Numbers can only tell us so much, Pan says. What we havent really talked about is how institutional cultures need to also change. If theyre bringing in scores of Asian American women or just folks of color in general, but the cultures still straight, white, male culture, its not going to be hospitable to people who dont align with those identities.
Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court triggered immediate fear among most liberals and progressives. Theres the likelihood that Kavanaugh would supply the fifth vote to overturn or dismantle Roe v. Wade. There are his very strong pro-business and anti-labor rulings. And of course, theres Kavanaughs extensive writings critical of independent criminal investigations of the president and the fact that hes been appointed to office by a president under criminal investigation. Theres a reason, though, for conservatives to also have anxiety about the Kavanaugh nomination: The rare times in our history that the court has gone as far outside the ideological mainstream as Kavanaugh may well take it have resulted in major public backlash and even constitutional crisis.

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In The Will of the People: How Public Opinion Has Influenced the Supreme Court and Shaped the Meaning of the Constitution, professor Barry Friedman persuasively detailed how the court generally stays within right-of-center and left-of-center politics. The justices know, in the words of Alexander Hamilton, that they have neither the purse nor the sword, only the confidence of the American people in its decisions and of the executive branch to enforce those decisions.

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Ultimately, our country is much better off with a Supreme Court that follows the election returns, not one that distorts those returns.

There have been times, however, when the justices have tried to do too much too soon or moved away from the center of American politics.

In the infamous Dred Scott decision, the court ruled that black people were never and could never be American citizens and that Congress could not abolish slavery in the territories. The majority actually thought its decision would bring North and South closer together. Most historians now agree, though, that the decision moved us much closer to the Civil War.

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From 1900 to 1936, a Supreme Court composed of men who came of age in a preindustrial, rural economy struck down many progressive laws, including statutes regulating minimum wages, overtime, and workplace safety conditions. After the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, angry at the justices for impeding his New Deal program, threatened to pack the court. Eventually the court backed off, and the justices have not used the logic of this Lochner era courtwhose dominant conservative block eventually became known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypsesince then.

Today, many conservatives and libertarians argue that the court went too far in accepting the validity of economic legislation and argue for a new judicial engagement. But there can be no debate that the courts almost complete deference in this area of constitutional law for decades was a backlash to the courts hyperaggression for the first 30-plus years of the 20th century.

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The third example is the most recent. Regardless of how one feels about Roe v. Wade, the courts entry into abortion politics has substantially affected not just constitutional law and interpretation but also local, state, and federal politics; judicial nominations; and quite possibly presidential elections. In the words of perhaps the most important proponent of equal rights for women over the past half-century, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe was too much too fast. She has criticized the decision for trying to resolve the abortion issue in one fell swoop.

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This history brings us to President Donald Trumps nomination of Kavanaugh. This nomination is quite different from the previous one, when Neil Gorsuch was nominated by Trump to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia; Gorsuchs ascension did not change the balance of politics on the court because both were solidly conservative justices. Kavanaugh, however, appears to be much more conservative than his former boss Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose seat he would fill if confirmed. With Kavanaugh, the court would be solidly conservative probably for generations. This would likely lead to a liberal backlash both in our politics and in our courts that may well make the Warren Court look moderate.

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Ultimately, our country is much better off with a Supreme Court that follows the election returns, not one that distorts those returns. When the court strays too far from majority opinion, there is almost always a strong backlash or, worse, a constitutional crisis. Whatever you think of the abortion and gay rights rulings themselves, Mitch McConnells decision to deny President Barack Obamas nominee Merrick Garland even a hearing could be viewed as a direct response to those decisions. It is not likely McConnell could have pulled off the stealing of a Supreme Court seat without the controversies around those cases.

Now, a Supreme Court with five conservative Republicans (Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh) will likely enter a period of conservative judicial aggression. This past term, when Justice Kennedy turned far right for the first time in decades, the justices struck down four important state laws. These cases demonstrated the courts political nature, with the losers being unions, gay and lesbian people, and women seeking abortions.

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A new moderate justice might temper the courts aggression, but Kavanaugh is no moderate, as many have observed. Although the GOP and political conservatives might think a far-right court will serve their ends, the reality is that there will inevitably be either a strong backlash or a new constitutional crisis, which will damage both Republican politics and conservative causes.

Although politics is almost always a short-term business, GOP senators would be wise to look at the bigger picture, learn from history, and try to staff a court that will be right of center but not too far right of center.
This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

Nearly three months after the Trump administrations family separation policy began and over one month after a public outcry led to its end, Congress finally held its first hearing on the subject on July 31. It was a necessary step, but not nearly enough.

None of the key officials responsible for the zero tolerance policy and the resulting family separations testified, nor did their deputies. All of the witnesses were career officials who implemented the orders rather than gave them. Except for some moments of candor from Cmdr. Jonathan White, the federal Public Health Service official overseeing the court-ordered reunification of separated parents and children, the witnesses testimony proved less revealing than their awkward silences.

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Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked the entire panel, What went wrong?

Senator, what went wrong was [that] children were separated from their parents and referred as unaccompanied alien children, when in fact they were accompanied, White said. The four other witnesses gave nonresponsive answers.

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Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked any of the witnesses who thought zero tolerance or family separation were a success to raise their hands. None did.

He then asked, Who here can tell me who is responsible, which public official, which member of this administration is responsible for zero tolerance and family separation? The witnesses were silent. Finally, after Blumenthal repeated the question, James McHenry, head of the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review, said, The zero-tolerance prosecution policy  was issued by the attorney general.

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Blumenthal asked whether any of the witnesses had objected. Again, the only response came from White, who was deputy director at the Office of Refugee Resettlement until March. He said that over the past 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.

He also told the committee, Theres no question that separation of children from parents entails significant potential for traumatic psychological injury to the child.

Yet White said that, in response to these concerns, he was advised that there was no policy which would result in separation of children from family units.

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White was the nonpolitical head of the Office of Refugee Resettlements unaccompanied minor program until mid-March of this year, when he took a different position at the Department of Health and Human Services. He testified that, As of my last day in that role, when I would ask questions about family separation, I was advised that that was not the policy of the United States.

By March, the Justice Department and Border Patrol had run a months-long pilot of the zero tolerance/family separation program in the Border Patrols El Paso sector, which covers New Mexico and western Texas. As a result, hundreds of childrensome as young as 18 months oldwere rendered unaccompanied and transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Based on Whites testimony, the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security may have done this without even informing the government agency responsible for caring for the children torn from their parents, for months after separations began, and in disregard of Office of Refugee Resettlement experts explicit warnings that family separation would traumatize children in their care.

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It is unknown if political appointees who outranked White, like HHS Secretary Alex Azar and ORR Director Scott Lloyd, were informed and whether they raised any objection or notified White and his colleagues. Members of Congress have described Azar as refusing to answer substantive questions in briefings. Lloyd, whose policies obstructing minors in federal custody from being released or obtaining access to abortion have been enjoined by three separate courts, has not given briefings on family separation at all. A government spokeswoman told the Washington Post in June in response to questions about Lloyds involvement in family separation, As director of ORR, Mr. Lloyd is responsible for ensuring the office is effectively carrying out that mission.

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Despite the lack of clarity about Azars and Lloyds roles and the awkward silence at the hearing, we know the names of many of the officials most responsible for the family separation experiment. The most obvious are President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, White House aide Stephen Miller, and White House chief of staff John Kelly.

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Even more important than getting official answers to these questions is access to documentary evidence of how the family separation policy was developed and implemented.

Within the Department of Homeland Security, thenActing Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan, Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services L. Francis Cissna, and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan reportedly wrote a memo to Nielsen in April urging her to refer for prosecution 100 percent of individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol. These should include those initially arriving or apprehended with minors, according to reporting on the memo. Referring parents for prosecution in the El Paso sector had a strong deterrent effect on families trying to cross illegally, the memo also claimed.

Homan, who retired last month, first suggested separating families as a deterrent in 2014 during the Obama administration, in response to a large increase in children and families from Central America turning themselves in to the Border Patrol. The Homeland Security secretary at the time, Jeh Johnson, rejected the idea.

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Kelly was more receptive to Homans proposal during his tenure at the Department of Homeland Security. In a March 2017 interview with CNN, Kelly said that he was considering family separation as a deterrent. A month later, he backed away from that statement in congressional testimony, assuring North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp that he would only consider separating families in situations where a child was in danger. But the El Paso pilot program began before Kelly officially left DHS to become White House chief of staff on July 31, 2017.

Within the Justice Department, on April 11, 2017, Sessions instructed U.S. attorneys offices in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California to work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and any other appropriate agency to revise their guidelines for prosecuting first-time, misdemeanor unlawful entry. It appears that this instruction may have been a precursor to the 100 percent prosecution initiative in the Western District of Texas and District of New Mexico that began a few months later, but we do not know the details.

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As noted above, we do not know who, if anyone, at the Department of Health and Human Services was informed of the separations. We dont know if anyone in the Justice Department or the Department of Homeland Security attempted to establish a system to reunify parents and children, or take any steps to mitigate the trauma of separation, before announcing the expansion of zero tolerance this spring.

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We dont know whether the Justice Department or Department of Homeland Security ever conducted a legal analysis of whether family separation violated parents or childrens constitutional rights, or childrens rights under the legally binding Flores settlement. We do not know whether any federal prosecutors raised concerns about the policy harms of prioritizing petty misdemeanors over serious crimes, or the violations of defendants constitutional rights to counsel and due process.

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None of the relevant agencies responded to the Project On Government Oversights requests for comment.

But even more important than getting official answers to these questions is access to documentary evidence of how the family separation policy was developed and implemented. There must be a paper trail, but no one in Congress has seen it despite many written requests from representatives and senators. Few of those requests have come from Republican committee chairs, and none have been accompanied by subpoenas. As a result, the administration has largely ignored them. The July 31 hearing, and its lack of meaningful information, demonstrated how urgently that needs to change.

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The Democratic establishment had a strong night on Tuesday, making Republicans sweat out a closely watched special election in Ohio and denying progressive challengers any momentum-building upsets in a string of disparateand slightly muddledresults across four other states.

Of course, Democrats would much rather be celebrating an actual victory in Ohios special election than a moral one, but their ability to keep it close in Trump countryafter an in-person visit from the president on Saturdaywill only expand the November battleground, forcing Republicans to play defense in territory that was once considered safe.

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The congressional special election in Ohio was Tuesdays marquee matchup, but it remained too close to call Wednesday morning. Republican Troy Balderson led Democrat Danny OConnor by a little less than 1 point with a few thousand provisional and absentee ballots still to be tallied, and a recount isnt yet out of the question. Regardless of who wins, the results in the conservative district bode poorly for Republicans, though not necessarily so poorly that they cant hold on to the House.

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Balderson isnt the only Trump endorsee still waiting to learn his fate. So too is Kris Kobach, a staunch Trump ally who is running for governor in Kansas. On Monday, Trump threw his support behind Kobach in the Republican primary despite the objections of the GOP Powers That Be, who worry that the white nationalistadjacent secretary of state would be unelectable in November. With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Kobach led interim GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer by just two-tenths of a point. A Kobach loss would be the first for a Trump endorsee in a primary since Sen. Luther Strange fell to Roy Moore in Alabama last year. Still, a Kobach defeat might have less to do with Trump than with Kobach, who was already a known quantity in Kansas conservative circles. Meanwhile, Trumps other endorsees competing Tuesday all secured GOP nominations, including businessman John James, who is hoping to unseat Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in Michigan, and attorney general Bill Schuette, whos hoping to replace Michigans term-limited (and Flint-tainted) Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

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It was a lackluster night at the top of the ballot for the grassroots left, who were aiming for another primary stunner in their first chance to do so since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emerged as a progressive folk hero in Queens. Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders teamed up to try to rally their fans behind Abdul El-Sayeds dark horse bid for Michigan governor. In the end, though, El-Sayed and his proudly progressive platform finished more than 20 points back of former state lawmaker Gretchen Whitmer, a liberal with the backing of the Democratic establishment.

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A few other progressive darlings either lost their primaries or were trailing as of Wednesday morning, but the night wasnt a total wash for the left. James Thompson, who had the backing of both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, coasted to victory in Kansas 4th District and will now face off against the Republican he lost to in a competitive special election last year, Rep. Ron Estes (who defeated a challenger named Ron M. Estes in the GOP primary). And Rashida Tlaib also won her primary in Michigans deep blue 13th District, making her a lock to head to Congress next year. (In the meantime, though, the woman Tlaib beat in her primary, Brenda Jones, will keep the seat warm in the House, if she can hold on to her lead in Tuesdays concurrent special election, which will determine who serves out the final days of former Rep. John Conyers Jr.s term.)

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The biggest progressive victory came further down the ballot, in Missouri, with the ouster of Bob McCulloch, the St. Louis County prosecutor who led the investigation of the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown. The left also helped secure the defeat of a union-weakening ballot initiative in the state.

Progressives dont necessarily need to win primaries to pull the party leftward on policy, of course, just like Trump doesnt need to win with Kobach to demonstrate his power over the GOP base. Tuesdays result suggested maybe, in some key states, both sides are inching back toward the center, setting up what could be a lot of too-close-to-call contests in November.
Rick Gates wrapped up his testimony in Paul Manaforts bank and tax fraud trial on Wednesday, after walking prosecutors through his efforts to help out former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manaforts lenders, to inflate his and Manaforts firms income so Manafort could get a loan, and to embezzle money from Manafort, as well as an extramarital affair in a London apartment. Gates is Manaforts longtime associate, who flipped, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators, and is assisting the special counsel in his prosecution of Manafort for tax and bank fraud.

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One of Manaforts attorneys, Kevin Downing, suggested to Gates that you actually engaged in four extramarital affairs, in addition to the one disclosed Tuesday, the Washington Post reported. The point of this questioning is to show that Gates hid things from Manafortthat he had, in the words of Manaforts lawyer, a separate secret lifeand thus could have committed tax and bank fraud on his own without his boss being aware of it. This could suggest that he might have lied to the special counsels office in the process of obtaining his plea agreement.

After diccussing the slightly odd question with the judge, Downing asked a different question, identifying money that may have been embezzled from Manafort from 2010 to 2014 and asking whether this included his secret life, which implied he was asking about the affairs. Gates eventually said it did.
New York Rep. Chris Collins, one of Donald Trumps earliest supporters in Congress, has been arrested on charges of insider trading, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

The charges stem from Collins place on the board of a small Australian biotech firm called Innate Immunotherapeutics. The indictment obtained from a federal grand jury alleges that Collins passed information not available to the public about the companys drug trial results to his son, Cameron, to tip him and others off to timely trades in the companys stock.

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The son then allegedly passed the information on to his fiancees father, a man named Stephen Zarsky, who then also traded on the information. Cameron Collins and Zarsky are both also charged in the indictment, according to NBC. Chris Collins is expected to appear in court later Wednesday.

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Collins attorneys said Wednesday morning that they would challenge the charges. We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name, they said in the statement. It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated.

This was not the first time these allegations of insider trading by Collins had become public. Early in 2017, Tom Price, then the nominee to become the secretary of the Department Health and Human Services, was grilled by Sen. Patty Murray at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. During the cross-examination, she questioned him about an investment Price made in 2015 and 2016as part of a private offering to sophisticated investorsinto Innate Immunotherapeutics:

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Well, Congressman Chris Collins who sits on President-elect Trumps transition team, is both an investor and a board member of the company. He was reportedly overheard just last week off the House floor bragging about how he made people millionaires from a stock tip. In our meeting, you informed me you made the purchases based on conversations with Rep. Collins. Is that correct?

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Price denied that he had made the investment on Collins recommendation, but he did say he learned of the company from the congressmana sitting board member of the companyand felt it had some significant merit and promise. Murray, at least, was suggesting that Collins had given Price a stock tip and that Collins had openly bragged about doing so multiple times in the past.

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In April, the Daily Beast reported that Collins had drafted or sponsored at least four bills during his time in Congress that would have directly affected Innate Immunotherapeutics. Notably, he campaigned to have drugs categorized as infusion drugs removed from a federal program that would require those drugs to be sold to some hospitals at deep discounts. Around the time, Innate Immunotherapeutics, which was developing an infusion drug to treat multiple sclerosis, was seeking FDA approval for its drug. If approval was granted, the company stood to save millions from that program exemption. The Office of Congressional Ethics accused him of violating House ethics rules and U.S. securities law and recommended a further investigation.

Collins, a three-term incumbent, represents New Yorks 27th Congressional District, which includes suburbs of Buffalo and Rochester. He is up for re-election in November. Analysts had said his Democratic challenger stood little chance against him.
Rick Gates, Paul Manaforts former colleague and a staffer on the Trump campaign, continued his testimony against his old boss and was once again forced to recount the shady things he had done.

After Gates admitted that he and Manafort had committed crimes such as tax evasion and bank fraud, he also ran through a laundry list of misdeeds he committed solo. Gates detailed how he helped Manafort massage his income so that he could get larger loans from banks, the Washington Post reported, including adding $6 million to a profit and loss statement. Gates also testified that Manafort told him to use their influence in Trumps campaign and then his inauguration to help out Manaforts bankers, including putting forward the bankers name to be the new secretary of the Army and getting him tickets to the inauguration.

But when it came time for Gates to be questioned by Manaforts attorneys, the focus narrowed on Gates himself. He admitted to lying to the special counsels office before his plea agreement (which included a guilty plea for  lying to the special counsel) and to embezzling money from Manafort to, among other things, pay for a London apartment that he used to conduct an extramarital affair. Manaforts lawyer then asked him if he billed Trumps inaugural committee for personal expenses, and Gates responded: Its possible.
In a surprise upset Tuesday night, a Ferguson, Missouri, councilman promising criminal justice reform ousted a 28-year incumbent St. Louis County prosecutor known nationally for his decision not to file charges against the police officer who shot Michael Brown in 2014.

Wesley Bell, a 43-year-old black man, campaigned on a variety of criminal justice reform promises, including one to rid the county of cash bail for nonviolent offenders, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When he won the Democratic nomination, he essentially guaranteed he will fill the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney position, as he is running unopposed in November.

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But as much as Bells victory was a vote for reform, it was also a rejection of the system that allowed Darren Wilson, the officer who fired 12 bullets at teenager Michael Brown four years ago, to walk free. Incumbent prosecutor Robert McCulloch, a 67-year-old white man, was criticized by many after Browns killing when he chose to present the incident to a grand jury without a recommendation, rather than file charges against Wilson. The grand jury declined to indict Wilson.

McCulloch was widely expected to win re-election. But Bells supporters portrayed McCulloch as someone too harsh on offendersespecially nonviolent onesand too easy on police.

According to the Post-Dispatch, after acknowledging defeat, McCulloch said that he would retire. He also said he had no regrets about how he handled the Michael Brown case.
Police say they have found the remains of a young boy at the remote New Mexico compound where 11 malnourished children were rescued late last week. The discovery is the latest development in the disturbing story of the 10-acre desert compound near the New MexicoColorado border where children ranging from 1 to 15 years old were found living in squalid conditions with five adults. New Mexico police arrested two armed men in the aftermath of the raid, Lucas Morten and Siraj Wahhaj, who is suspected in the December disappearance of his then-3-year-old son from a Georgia home where the boy lived with his mother. The son was not among the 11 children removed from the compound, according to police. The remains of the young boy found at the site have yet to be identified.

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When Siraj Wahhaj was arrested on Friday, police said he was armed with an AR-15 rifle, four loaded pistols, and five 30-round magazines. According to court documents, Wahhaj said he was planning to perform a religious ritual on his son, who suffered severe medical issues and couldnt walk but whom Wahhaj believed was possessed by the devil. In the days since the first raid, police have released more information about the disturbing state of the compound, which was built on a neighbors property.

From CNN:

The compound  including a partially buried camper trailer  was littered with hazards and lacked electricity, sewage disposal and plumbing. The place was teeming with trash and odor, and the children were wearing rags, had no shoes and likely hadnt eaten in days The property also has open trenches and pits, with numerous trip hazards and wood with nails sticking up and broken glass and bottles litter around the grounds, [the sheriff] wrote. The cluttered compound had loaded firearms easily within the childrens reach, and the group had been there for at least two months, the sheriff said.

Three women at the compound were also arrested, although their relationship is still not totally clear. Some reports have said they were the childrens mothers, while the grandfather of the missing Georgia boy said they are sisters of Siraj Wahhaj. The adults are facing 11 counts of child abuse.
Early Tuesday morning, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared some speculations on the future of the American left on Twitter by channelling the wisdom of British World War II hero and notorious fascism-hater.

The fascists of the future will call themselves anti-fascists, Sir Winston Churchill declares, with a forlorn, thoughtful look.

Some insights are timeless, Abbott commented approvingly.

And @GregAbbott_TXs Churchill tweet is gone. Screenshot from earlier: pic.twitter.com/Mho4t3UF7c  Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) August 7, 2018

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It was, unsurprisingly, easy for the internets amateur fact-checkers to confirm Winston Churchill never said this. Many tweeted at Abbott to let him know it took them less than a minute to find that the quote was misattributed (it has been more commonly credited to the populist Louisiana governor Huey Long, though that attribution is questionable as well). Within hours, it had been thoroughly fact-checked and comprehensively debunked. Abbott deleted his tweet around 10:30 a.m., after it had been retweeted more than 1,400 times, according to the Dallas Morning News.

While the content of the tweet was devoid of any real facts, it at least revealed that Abbott, much like the president of the United States, at least partially equates neo-Nazis and those who rally to oppose them. What I tweeted was a sentiment that I had, Abbott told reporters later in the morning at a press conference to do with bail laws. It was irrelevant to me who may or may not have said that in the past. I didnt want to be accused of plagiarism for saying it. If no one else said it, attribute the quote to me because its what I believe in.

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People on the Twitter didnt end up bestowing that attribution on him, but they did choose to take some other liberties.

Since youre up in the middle of the night cooking up fake Churchill quotes my favorite is never run for a bus theyll always be another.  Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) August 7, 2018

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"If you make up fake quotes by me or my friends and post them on Twitter, I'm going to invent a time machine and come to the future and kick your ass," Dwight Eisenhower, 1945.  Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) August 7, 2018

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Wow, unbelievable how smart Winston Churchill (RIP) was. Please retweet @GregAbbott_TX pic.twitter.com/HR5UBSi3Tc  hussein kesvani (@HKesvani) August 7, 2018

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If Abbott had bothered to dig up a real quote of Churchills, for instance one that asserted political confidence, he might have deployed this delightful brag by the future prime minister in a letter to a friend: We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glow worm.

Now that the damage is done, perhaps Abbott can reclaim some respectabilityand show a little self-awarenessby tweeting a follow-up with this fitting quote from Churchills The Second World War, Volume IV:
The next time President Donald Trump or one of his allies talks about the importance of standing up for the values of Western civilization, recall the time that his administration declined to take a side in a dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia over the latters practicing of flogging journalists and locking up women for demanding the right to vote and drive.

The State Department had previously issued only a short, vague statement on Saudi Arabias furious reactionincluding cutting off trade and diplomatic relationsto criticism from the Canadian foreign ministry over the arrest of two female activists, including the sister of an imprisoned blogger whose wife is a Canadian citizen. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert didnt add much when she was repeatedly questioned about the issue at Tuesdays press briefing. Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together, she said. We cant do it for them. They need to resolve it together.

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While its true that the U.S. cant be the one to solve this issue, its depressing that the State Department cant at least support the right of its Canadian counterpart to issue the sort of concerned statement about human rights that Foggy Bottom puts out all the time.

Nauert refused to comment when asked whether the Saudis had overreacted, saying, Im not going to characterize it. She also said, unconvincingly, that she was not sure which activists Canada is asking about in particulardespite the fact that these activists names were mentioned in Canadas initial public statement and the subsequent media coverage of the dispute. She did call on Saudi Arabia to address and respect due process and also publicize information on some of its legal cases, though this makes it sound as if the issue is one of transparency rather than blatant human rights abuses.

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Meanwhile, the dispute appears no closer to resolution. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland is refusing to back down on her initial statement, saying, Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and womens rights are human rights. Her Saudi Arabian counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir, rejected the notion of mediation between the two sides, saying at a news conference Wednesday, There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected.

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Saudi Arabia also rolled out a new measure meant to punish Canada, by barring its citizens from receiving medical treatment in the country. It has already ordered 15,000 Saudi students to leave the country and suspended state-run airline flights to Toronto.

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The over-the-top Saudi reaction to Canadas criticism has been compared to its efforts last year to isolate and blockade its regional rival Qatar, which have since extended to a proposal to build a literal moat to turn the peninsular nation into an island. It should be noted that the results of that campaign havent been great for the Saudis: Qatar hasnt acceded to Saudi Arabias demands, has deepened trade with Saudi archrival Iran, and has even improved its standing with the Trump administration.

In the case of the fight with Canada, the main result so far is that many more people around the world now know about the imprisoned activistsSamar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadahthan would have if the Saudis had just ignored the criticism, even if Nauert claims not to be aware of them.
On Tuesday, the Federal Communication Commissions inspector general released the results of an investigation concluding that its electronic commenting system most likely did not shut down due to a cyberattack, contrary to the agencys previous claims. For the past year, the FCC has been asserting that multiple distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks were responsible for the systems two-day outage in the run-up to the commissions repeal of net neutrality, an explanation that many open internet activists found unconvincing. The inspector generals report substantiates those suspicions:

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While we identified a small amount of anomalous activity and could not entirely rule out the possibility of individual DoS attempts during the period from May 7 through May 9, 2017, we do not believe this activity resulted in any measurable degradation of system availability given the miniscule scale of the anomalous activity relative to the contemporaneous voluminous viral traffic.

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Instead, investigators concluded that the comment system was probably unable to withstand the influx of comments that stemmed from John Olivers Last Week Tonight segment on net neutrality, in which the comedian urged viewers to take to the FCCs website to express their opposition to the repeal. The inspector generals analysis found that the spikes in web traffic coinciding exactly with the timing of: (1) the release of information during the Olivers episode; (2) the release of the episode on The Last Week Tonight with John Oliver YouTube channel; and (3) tweets about that release.

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The report also suggests that lack of communication may have contributed to the outage. One of its findings reads, FCC Management was aware The Last Week Tonight with John Oliver program was considering an episode on the Net Neutrality proceeding but did not share that information with the CIO or IT group. Investigators uncovered emails from a Last Week Tonight producer notifying the FCC management of the segment, along with emails containing a Politico article about the upcoming segment. Yet they found no conclusive evidence that management had alerted IT to prepare. This would be Olivers second segment on net neutrality; he had previously done one in 2014, which also resulted in an overload of the FCCs comment system. A witness told investigators that the FCCs former chief information officer, David Bray, was furious that he had not been notified about the segment.

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FCC chairman Ajit Pai had preempted the release of Wednesdays report by issuing statement on Tuesday in which he blamed Bray. Pai said, I am deeply disappointed that the FCCs former Chief Information Officer (CIO), who was hired by the prior Administration and is no longer with the Commission, provided inaccurate information about this incident to me, my office, Congress, and the American people. Pai continued to deflect blame in the comments he submitted for the report, blaming not only Bray, but also FCC strategic advisor Tony Summerlin and deputy CIO Christine Calvosa for not mentioning that they disagreed with the DDoS theory during a meeting in 2017.

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As TechCrunch points out, it is true that Bray was the first to suggest that a cyberattack felled the system, yet Pais FCC has continued to assert this erroneous claim even after Bray left and in the face of skepticism from former FCC officials and Congress. Pais FCC additionally refused to provide evidence that an attack occurred when Gizmodo filed a Freedom of Information Act request. The inspector generals report further suggests that Pai incorrectly informed Sens. Ron Wyden and Brian Schatz in a letter that the FBI had concluded that the outage was not a significant cyber incident. The investigators write that FBI agents did not corroborate Pais claim.

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FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, currently its sole Democrat, also tweeted out her reaction to the investigation:
Meddling. It sounds about as serious as stuffing a banana up the tailpipe of Chets jalopy. Its a word youd use to describe pledge-week drama or a suegra with boundary issues.

But Vladimir Putin is nobodys mother-in-law, and hes done more than just ruin Thanksgiving dinner. According to a March 16 FBI alert, manipulation of the U.S. electoral process is part of a multi-stage intrusion campaign by Russian government cyber actors to target critical infrastructure in the United States, such as energy plants, water treatment facilities, and transportation systems.

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Pentagon security analysts consider such cyberterrorism a profound threat. The fallout could be literal: The New York Times reported in January that Pentagon officials have asked the White House to authorize retaliation with nuclear weapons, if necessary. Meanwhile, many news outlets (including Slate) continue to describe Russias disinformation campaign and sustained phishing and malware attacks as meddling. Jeepers, thats right up there with throwing rotten eggs and cutting across Mr. Finleys lawn.

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Why have so many journalists glommed on to a word that puts the Russian hacking conspiracy on a par with The Sinister Signpost? Its hard to say for sure. But Google Trends data, which measures relative interest in search terms over time, offers some intriguing clues.

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A Trends snapshot of news searches in the United States during the past three years shows that interest in the word meddling spiked from zero to 23 (of a possible 100) during the week of Oct. 9, 2016. Since that initial surge, interest has more than quadrupled.

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So what happened in the Russia investigation that week? On Oct. 7, a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned of thefts and disclosures  intended to interfere with the US election process and confirmed for the first time that Russia had authorized the breach.

Although the document itself didnt use the word meddling, the New York Times didtwicein its reporting on the statement. The paper quoted Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee: I hope this [statement] will establish a deterrent to further meddling, he said, [and encourage] the administration to work with our European partners, who have been the subject of even worse meddling, to coordinate a response to this.

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The words subtext is more banana-peel hijinks than geopolitical hostility.

This alarming New York Times story may have been a tipping point, but meddling had already gained some traction before Schiffs remark was published. On July 27, 2016, for example, two days after the FBI announced it was investigating the case, the Washington Post ran the headline Trump Invites Russia to Meddle in the U.S. Presidential Race With Clintons Emails. And on Sept. 9, 2016, the word meddling appeared in the Congressional Record for the first time in this context when Rep. Maxine Waters noted that she was stunned by then-candidate Donald Trumps assertion that the Russians are not meddling in American presidential politics.

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Meddling may sound a bit milquetoast, but thats precisely why its favored in diplomatic circles. According to Websters Third New International Dictionary (an 11-pound, 2,600-page beauty I rescued from the scrap heap at my publishing job 20 years ago), the word comes from the Latin verb miscere, meaning to mix. It has a long history as a bland, gentlemanly way of accusing a foreign government of unwelcome or inappropriate involvement in the affairs of a sovereign nation.

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According to Paul Behrens, author of Diplomatic Interference and the Law, meddling can range from insensitivity to lobbying, bribery, propaganda, criticism, insults, threats, opposition funding, incitement of violence, or even coup attempts. To those of us who arent ambassadors or foreign ministers, however, the words subtext is more banana-peel hijinks than geopolitical hostility.

And each use of this pantywaist euphemism diminishes the gravity of Putins smug conquest. In his brilliant 1947 linguistic study of Third Reich propaganda, World War II diarist Viktor Klemperer notes the insidious power of repetition to shape our perspective: [S]ingle words, idioms and sentence structures  [are] imposed on [the German people] in a million repetitions and taken on board mechanically and unconsciously, he says. Language does not simply write and think for me, it also increasingly dictates my feelings and governs my entire spiritual being the more unquestioningly and unconsciously I abandon myself to it.

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If the administrations new collusion is not a crime angle catches on, it may be thanks in part to Americans dismissal of the Russian cyberoffensive as a mischievous scrape of the sort that Frank and Joe Hardy often find themselves in: Well never get what we want if we dont stop those meddling snoopers! Dime detective-novel dialogue or WikiLeaks transcript? Who can tell truth from fiction anymore?

Reporting on the Russian infiltration of U.S. democratic institutions is a vital, honorable, complicated, no doubt thankless job. But our technologic adversariesespecially Russia, China, Iran, and North Koreaare poised for aggression. The words we use to characterize their cynical statecraft, then, must pack some heat. Call it hacking, subversion, infiltration, or cyberassaultheck, even the meh words interference and influence carry a bit more weight than meddling.

Or how about sabotage? Say, theres a word Frank and Joe wouldve liked. Itd be swell if we could just get those cats in the newsroom to use it.
When Mi Ja and Jai Ho Lee encounter a technological problem, they usually try to troubleshoot it themselves first. But they often end up turning to their favorite support person: John Lee, their son and my husband. Can he help them book their next flight? Why is this smartphone app doing that? Also, did we update the password for the family Netflix account?

Theyre in good company. In a 2017 Pew study, 48% of seniors say that this statement describes them very well: When I get a new electronic device, I usually need someone else to set it up or show me how to use it. 

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Unfortunately, my husband and I are among the 20 percent of American adult children who live more than a couple of hours drive from our parents. So tech help over the phone is a needs must. Its a situation described by comedian Ronny Chieng as the most excruciating form of torture.



Whats surprised me most about the generational divide with technology, though, is the language barrier it often entails and the lack of resources to bridge that barrier. Some 60 million other Americans, according to the 200913 American Community Survey, speak a language other than English in their home. Further, technology has its own ever-evolving lexicon. Even if parents and children speak the same language, technology often requires a cross-generational translator.

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My husband speaks limited Korean, his parents native tongue. When his parents call, the conversation usually takes place in some mix of Konglish as they struggle to identify which icon on a phone needs to be clicked on or which cord goes from printer to laptop. In person, if they reached a language impasse, John could just point to the right thing. Not so on the phone.

What theyre asking me to do is simple-ish, but without being there to actually show them, its not simple, said John.

What is an adult child to do for parents whose technological acumen and most comfortable language are different from their own? I went searching for apps or companies, assuming someone must see a market opportunity in bridging the digital divide across languages. Yet I found limited resources. There are apps that translate school bulletins for non-English-speaking parents, but these are limited to school-related information. And there are portable translator devices, like the Ili, but these are often engineered to answer tourist questions like where the restroom and bus stop are located, not how to download a podcast.

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Even if parents and children speak the same language, technology often requires a cross-generational translator.

Johns cousin, Jasmine Lee, who lives a three-hour drive from her parents, said her tech tutorials follow an emotional arc from patient to frustrated to uber-annoyed. Jasmine said this is largely due to the Korean apps on her mothers Android phone; Jasmine uses an iPhone and is barely conversationally adept in Korean. Google Translate and referring to her sister-in-law who speaks better Korean function as an ad hoc Geek Squad.

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Emmy Beltre, a graphic designer in Indianapolis, has found a similar method works with his parents who live an hour away, even though it leaves him depleted. He said he struggles to translate technical language from English to the Spanish his parents speak. Beltre said, I use a lot of different words to describe one thing. If that fails, I use Google Translate. And then the cycle starts again. With my dad, said Beltre, although I show him how to do things and he even takes meticulous notes, he always ends up asking me how to perform the same task weeks or months afterward. Perhaps he just needs a better teacher.

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Eunis Choi Segnere, a dentist in Atlanta, said providing tech support to her Seattle-based mother, who speaks mainly Korean, can be so frustrating that she has to ask her husband for helpto calm herself down. Weve discovered we have such a short fuse with our own parents and much more patience for each others parents, said Segnere. I havent figured out any good way to help them with technology, though, because I am also technologically impaired. We usually save all our tech help when we are there in person to help them.

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For call support, the translating tech toolkit seems to be a mix of Google Translate and much patience, as well as promises to deal with the more complicated matters in person when the opportunity presents itself. Every Christmas, I spend hours with my dads computer, updating virus protection and removing malware because he clicks on banner ads that promise to make his computer run faster, said my husband, John.



I asked him if there was anything that might make it easier, whether in person or from afar. The easiest thing would be if I took control of their computer remotely, especially if it were a software issue, he said.

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I wondered how successful this might be. I asked my friend, Jon Jarc, an arts and technology teacher in Cleveland, how tenable such a solution has been with his own parents. Jarc and his parents all speak and read English as a first language. But he still says tech literacy is its own language barrier. He says his mother approaches technology with just enough fear of breaking something that shes not quite willing to rip the hood off and change things around to solve her own problems.

Jarc has devised a sort of triage situation. If troubleshooting requires something too sophisticated for a phone callsuch as when he recently had to help his mother reset the Wi-Fi security for her Airbnb 50 miles awayhe goes nuclear: He uses TeamViewer, free software that allows remote takeover of the computer. Like so many peers with whom I spoke, Jarc said hed rather do a remote takeover and reserve any conversation time with his parents to talk about the good stuffand not our Wi-Fi passwords!

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Jarcs story was an eye-opener for me. I had blamed the challenges with my in-laws on the Korean-English barrier, but perhaps that was wrong. His parents all speak English, all have advanced degrees, but he kept mentioning literacy and translation. So even though theres a real problem in not being able to help elders who speak or read a different language, theres a translation problem for everyone. This is only heightened by distance. I still wish that there were some resources I could turn to that address the language barrier, but until then, Google Translate, a remote takeover, and a lot of patience will have to suffice.
Security guard employee retention is an industry issue the world over. Quality of work life directly impacts employee retention. Researchers and security industry practitioners have long been aware of this issue.

In Quality of work life of bank security guards in Brazil: a research note, published in Security Journal in January 2019, researchers Andre Luis Policani Freitas and Felipe Ramos Maciel explain their study of 43 bank branches in the Brazilian city of Campos dos Goytacazes and how their findings helped to determine the most important aspects of what security guards considered in evaluating their quality of work life (QWL).
Why does it make sense to learn German?

The language is currently suffering from the preference of English and the lack of teachers.

German is a language that is at home here, Jozef Tancer, from the Department of German Studies at Comenius Universitys Faculty of Arts, tells his students when explaining why it is not a completely strange language for Slovaks.

It has a tradition in the country and has had an impact on several words. Moreover, there is still a German minority living in certain parts of Slovakia.

Despite the tradition, the quality and interest in German education is gradually declining, as the representatives of German community, businesses and teachers agree.

Quality is dropping

Slovak schools introduced the compulsory education of two foreign languages in 2008, approaching the multilingualism goals defined by the European Commission. Moreover, the open and broad offer of foreign languages was praised by the members of the Council of Europes expert group, reads the manifesto authored by the Association of German Teachers in Slovakia (SUNG).

8. Aug 2018 at 6:30 | Radka Minarechova
Technopol and other buildings controlled by Kocner & Co. have been blocked

The group around Marian Kocner prosecuted for embezzling the Technopol company.

A prosecutors office has seized property worth 20 million from the Technopol company, including a high-rise building in the Bratislava borough of Petrzalka. The company is said to be controlled by figures close to the arrested businessman Marian Kocner, the Sme daily wrote on August 7.

The latest entry in the Property Cadastre reveals that prosecutor Maros Zilinka ordered the seizure of the property effective as of July 13  a few days after the information appeared in the cadastral office that the properties are available to the Midas Investments shell company. This firm, registered in the St. Christopher and Nevis archipelago, has appeared in many of Kocners business deals although he denies owning it.

Read also:

Read also: Threats, scandals, and dubious political ties. Who is Marian Kocner? Read more

Kocner has been charged in a case involving multi-million euro promissory notes that he allegedly holds against private TV broadcaster Markiza. The latter claims, however, that the documents were forged.

Technopol now and then

In 2016, the group around Kocner took control of Technopol based on shares that had been earlier stolen by the wife of the long-time CEO of the company, according to police.

Read also:

Read also: Kocner taken into custody, Rusko released Read more

The recent Technopol case has nothing to do with an earlier case dating to 1992, in which Kocner also featured and which fell under the pardon of then-president Michal Kovac. In the 1990s, Technopol paid 2.3 million dollars for the fictitious delivery of textiles to Germany. By that time, Kocner was the legal representative of the Pro-Trend company, which allegedly caused damage worth 126 million Slovak crowns, also connected to textile deals.

What Kocner & Co. managed to do

The unlawful appropriation of Technopol is involved in the current case, as well as the effort to embezzle property from the company (especially real estate and money) worth more than 20 million.

The stolen shares appeared in the hands of the Aarow firm, owned by Jozef Ducak Junior, son of Jozef Ducak Sr. who represented the shell company in the case of an illegal waste dump in Pezinok. Ducak Jr. seized control of Technopol, recalled the then-management and appointed his father as Board Chairman. Ducak Sr. is an acquaintance of Kocner.

Read also:

Read also: Kocners villa, family house and plots were seized Read more

The seizure of Technopol based on stolen shares was confirmed by the notary Miloslav Kovac, who received a fine of 3,300 from the Notary Chamber  which means he did it unlawfully but its decision is not effective. This notary also features in the TV Markiza promissory notes and in the effort of Kocner & Co. to embezzle money from the Majak Nadeje centre.

How does the story end?

Ducak Sr. of Technopol transferred all the real estate assessed to the VertiCom company of lawyer Andrej Sabik (who also represents Kocner in the Markiza case), police informed Sme. Sabik then sold the Technopol real estate to the newly-established company Reality Fond, owned by an old business partner of Kocner, Peter Horvath.

Read also:

Read also: Half of the money from stolen Technopol went to Kocners account Read more

Ducak Sr., Sabik, his ex-wife Pavekova, and Horvath have already been prosecuted by police.

Currently, Technopol is controlled by Kocner, partners and cronies based on an unlawful court decision, while the true owners of shares are in legal dispute with them, Sme wrote.

8. Aug 2018 at 13:29 | Compiled by Spectator staff
MP Marceks trip to Crimea has no results

Independent MP's alleged private trip to Crimea, which in fact resembled official delegation and included meeting the top representatives of the peninsula now controlled by the Kremlin, has not resulted in any consequences or sanctions.

Peter Marcek defended his Crimea trip before Foreign Affiars Parliamentary Committee, and explained it to media. (Source: TASR)

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Although the non-affiliated MP Peter Marcek claimed before his recent visit to Crimea that it was a private initiative, it resembled an official delegation, the Hospodarske Noviny daily wrote on August 8.

It resulted in the establishment of the European-Crimean Chamber of Commerce, a meeting with head of the Night Wolves motorcycle club Alexander Zaldostanov, and negotiations with Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksionov.

MP boost Slovak-Crimean relations

Despite the fact that the European Union imposed economic sanctions against the peninsula in 2014 after it was annexed by Russia from Ukraine, Marcek signed an agreement concerning the establishment of the chamber, which will symbolically be registered in the Bratislava-based hotel Krym (meaning Crimea in Slovak).

Read also:

Read also: Foreign Ministry: Crimea is still Ukrainian territory Read more

Marcek complained that the sanctions are also ignored by some other countries or their companies  naming Italy, France and Germany  and pointed out that it is small countries like Slovakia that suffer most.

As he explained for the daily, the chamber is expected to strengthen the relations between entrepreneurs from Crimea and Slovakia.

Analysts slam the visit

Observers addressed by Hospodarske Noviny were rather critical of the visit, but it seems that there will be no serious consequences for Marcek. Extremism expert Daniel Milo sees the trip as not very proper, saying that the Night Wolves are on the blacklist exactly for their involvement in the occupation of Crimea and the questionable referendum.

Political analyst Radoslav Stefancik points out that just like Slovakia has right-wing extremists, Marcek is a left-wing extremist, also apparent from his liking Vladimir Putin's Russia, which by no means can be considered democratic.

Read also:

Read also: Planned visit of MPs to Crimea sparks controversy Read more

Despite the trip being called a Slovak delegation by Russian media, it will have no further consequences for Marcek or for ex-head of SIS intelligence service, Igor Cibula, who accompanied him. In one photo, Cibula is seen labelled advisor of Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini. The Government Office denied this notion but did nothing more in this matter.

It seems that apart from a possible ban on entering Ukrainian territory, the trip will have no serious impacts on them, analyst of the Association for International Issues, Michal Lebduska, told Hospodarske Noviny.

8. Aug 2018 at 13:38 | Compiled by Spectator staff
SNS has started another dispute in coalition

The junior coalition party, SNS, showed resentment over the committee's decision to condemn legitimisation of the Crimean annexation through visits by Slovak officials.

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The parliamentary foreign affairs committee wrote a report on August 8, in which it rejects attempts to legitimise the annexation and occupation of the Crimean peninsula through visits carried out by Slovak constitutional officials. MPs in the committee did so after non-affiliated MP Peter Marcek visited Crimea recently, together with former head of intelligence service (SIS) Igor Cibula and Slovak businessmen. MPs for the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Smer said they did not attend the meeting.

The bone of contention

The parliamentary foreign affairs committee, in accordance with the joint position of EU and NATO member states, does not recognise the results of the illegal referendum in Crimea in March 2014, the committees statement reads, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The annexation of the peninsula by the Russian Federation violated the basic principles of international law and undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, it adds.

Marcek also attended the committee session in person, stating Crimea historically belonged, belongs and will belong to Russia, and that other MPs who wanted to take part in the private visit to Crimea were scared off by the media bubble that was created around the visit. He noted that committee chairperson Katarina Csefalvayova (junior coalition member, Most-Hid) and the author of the proposal Martin Klus (opposition Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) are agents of Soros and left the meeting after Klus started disproving the claim Crimea always belonged to Russia, with the words I wont listen to this, as quoted by the Sme daily.

Read also:

Read also: MP Marceks trip to Crimea has no results Read more

Almost all lawmakers present signed the statement, with only one MP abstaining. SNS and Smer members excused themselves from participating, however.

SNS is outraged

After the meeting, SNS said it demanded an instant personnel change at the helm of the foreign affairs committee, as the committees Wednesday, August 8 session was convened without prior consultation with the coalition partners.

The proposal to take the parliamentary foreign committee's stance, which refuses the legitimisation of the occupation and annexation of Crimea by the visit of Slovak constitutional officials was allegedly not made after an agreement with coalition partners, and the due meeting was summoned without this agreement, while also exceeding the framework of factual authority of the committee, SNS opined, as quoted by Sme.

Breach of coalition agreement?

This constitutes a breach of the coalition agreement, according to SNS.

By convening the committee and pushing the resolution on the annexation of Crimea, Csefalvayova egregiously violated the rules of cooperation at which the coalition partners arrived in writing, maintains SNS. Therefore, the party finds the activities of the committee chair incompatible with her further tenure in the post.

SNS added that it supports joint stances of the Slovak government against the violators of the international system. Official responses by state institutions to various events must always be coordinated under the terms of the coalition agreement, said a party official, as quoted by TASR.

Reactions of coalition partners

Representatives of the ruling coalition should refrain from moves that cause tension among the partners, the senior coalition party Smer wrote in response to the accusations.

At a time when the governing coalition is facing another harsh attack by the opposition, the president and the media, its leaders should avoid any action that creates tension among the coalition partners, Smer spokesman Jan Mazgut told TASR.

Most-Hid chairman Bela Bugar rejects criticism leveled by SNS. There couldnt have been any breach of the coalition agreement, as the agreement stipulates that a violation takes place when a coalition partner, via its lawmakers, doesnt agree with a motion and the other coalition partner green-lights the motion with the aid of the opposition regardless," he said, as quoted by the newswire. He added that since not a single coalition lawmaker (beside those of Most Hid) attended the meeting, there was no breach since no one objected to the resolution.

Bugar also stated that he would not attempt to address the situation, as the wording of the coalition agreement is unequivocal on this matter  SNS should have spoken its mind earlier. Most-Hid spokesperson Klara Debnar added that the resolution passed by the foreign affairs committee is rooted in official Slovak foreign affairs policy as well as the Government Manifesto, which was supported by the votes of all coalition lawmakers.

Debnar also said, in the name of Most-Hid, that the due meeting was announced in advance, and the coalition members had the text of the statement at their disposal for a whole week. None of them expressed  be it in advance or at the committee meeting  a problem with its contents, and thus, it cannot breach the coalition agreement, she argued, as cited by Sme.

Possible split of coalition

If Most-Hid doesnt like this governing coalition, it shouldnt send us messages via the media, but should act as politically as it feels, responded SNS chairman and Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko, as cited by TASR.

Csefalvayova, on her part, said she sees no reason to tender her resignation, while conceding that SNS demanding she do so caught her off guard, TASR learnt. With my stances, Ive always supported and translated into practice the official pro-European and pro-Euro-Atlantic orientation of Slovak foreign policy anchored in the Government Manifesto. The committee session on Wednesday was also convened with an eye towards affirming and supporting the foreign policy of this Cabinet, she stated, according to the newswire.

She also added that she does not intend to give space to politicians who cast doubt on efforts to observe official Slovak foreign policy priorities and values.

8. Aug 2018 at 23:17 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Construction on Triblavina highway junction resumed

Construction resumed on August 7, 2018, leading to some limitations for drivers on their way to Bratislava.

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Construction on the Triblavina junction on the D1 highway near Bratislava has resumed, Transport Minister Arpad Ersek (Most-Hid) announced August 7 at a press conference with representatives of the National Highway Company (NDS), Bratislava regional council (BSK) and adjacent local authorities in attendance.

The deadline for completing the construction work is projected for 2020, the TASR newswire wrote.

Work on the Triblavina junction began in 2015, but the main construction work was interrupted due to changes in the technical requirements of the D1 highway and its planned coordination with the D4 highway. This change was followed by various objections and appeals from activists and inhabitants of neighbouring villages, all of which delayed the whole process.

Work recommenced

Today is the day on which all the appeals have expired, we can start working, Ersek said, as quoted by TASR, adding that everything is ready.

The construction work will affect drivers on the D1 highway, as various road restrictions will be introduced as early as August.

NDS, Ersek and Bratislava regional governor Juraj Droba called on drivers to be patient and to consider using public transport when travelling to and from Bratislava.

The construction of the intersection, set to cost 19.8 million, will be funded from the state budget.

The Triblavina junction lies on the D1 stretch Bratislava-Senec-Trnava. The building was resumed after the change in construction before completion became valid, as did the reassessment of the technical solution of D1 to Blatna, from the original six lanes with collectors to eight lanes without them. The reason for the change is also the growing intensity of traffic and coordination with works on the junction D1/D4 Ivanka Sever (North) within the D4-highway and R7-dual carriageway projects, the SITA newswire wrote.

What will this mean for drivers?

Drivers in and around Bratislava must prepare for traffic constraints and, based on recommendations, should prefer public transportation to cars. If activists had not blocked the construction of the intersection, it could have been in operation by now, says the highway company.

The traffic will be limited by continuous reduction of the number of lanes, and by limiting the maximum speed in both directions  to 80 kilometres an hour, Police Presidium spokesperson Denisa Baloghova informed SITA. She added that after the construction works are finished, the highway will be passable in three lanes in both directions  but in the narrowed lanes  until November 1.

NDS explains delay

Head of the NDS highway company, Jan Durisin, complained for SITA about some citizens and activists who protested against the changes which will simplify the life of locals and also commuters to Bratislava, he argued. He also explained Triblavina will be able to connect to collectors running parallel to the highway in case of emergency.

Durisin also suggested that the appeals and protests were well-timed, as they were filed in the last moment before the construction began, thus prolonging the whole process.

8. Aug 2018 at 22:53 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Internationally speaking, the Iranian coffee community has fallen on some hard luck. When the Specialty Coffee Associations of America and Europe joined forces under the singular SCA banner, the global group became an IRC 501(c )(6) organized under the laws of California as a mutual benefit corporation. That means the now unified international association is subject to all applicable United States sanctionsincluding those currently in place against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This has had the unintended result of isolating the burgeoning Iranian specialty coffee community from the rest of the coffee world. We have heard stories about trainers in Iran as well as barista certification attendees losing access (and registration fees) mid-session. And with new sanctions being passed down just with week by the Trump administration, relations between the two countries grows icier.

But locally, the Iranian coffee scene remains as vibrant as ever. For proof, look no further than the second annual Iran International Coffee Festival, taking place in Tehran August 19th through 22nd. After a wildly successful inaugural event last year, the second Iran Coffee Festival is shaping up to be bigger and better in year two.

Taking place at Goftogo Park, this years event is certainly keeping with the international moniker. Asli Yaman (Turkey), Davide Cobelli (Italy), Stavros Lamprinidis (Greece), and Ecaterina Szasz and 2016 World Roasting Champion Alexandra Niculae (Romania) will all be in attendance to help judge the many coffee competitions, including cold brew and barista battles.

Also in attendance will be coffee brands from around the world. Expect to see companies like Giesen, Kees van der Westen, Toper, Wega, and many many more to have a presence on the showroom floor.

For more information about the Iran International Coffee Festival, visit their official website. But be forewarned, unless your Farsi is very good, you may have to lean on Google Translate to do most of the heavy lifting, and it isnot great. Get it together, Google Translate. Wed also recommend you follow iCoffee, Irans premiere Farsi-language coffee publication, for more dispatches from Irans remarkable coffee scene.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via the Iran Coffee Festival Instagram.
After the recent arrival of both the Huawei nova 3 and nova 3i, Huawei Malaysia will also start off their nationwide tour with the Huawei Nova Superstar Truck starting from 10 August 2018 till 30 September 2018. Going to points of interest across Peninsular Malaysia, the roadshow will invite the public to Capture the Beauty of Malaysia with the nova 3 and nova 3i via fun-filled activities. These include experiential zones including a Selfie Corner, Karaoke Challenge and Arcade Claw Machine with Era FM radio announcers hosting the roadshows from 4pm to 6pm every Saturday.

On top of getting some hands-on experience with the nova 3 and nova 3i, roadshow goers will be able to bring home exclusive Huawei merchandise like the Huawei Body Fat Scale, The Voice Pendrive, Huawei foldable bags, Justice League themed keychains and more. Those in East Malaysia will get to experience the nova 3 and nova 3i with roving mini roadshows and in-store promotions.

While wed recommend checking out the Huawei Mobile Facebook page for all the latest details, you can see the schedule for the Huawei Nova Superstar Truck Roadshow below.
As the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is due in just a day, were asking the biggest question on the minds of most Malaysians, How much could the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 cost in Malaysia? Serial leakster @rquandt has revealed the UK price of the 512GB storage version at 1099 GBP (~RM5764) while the 128GB version could cost 899 GBP (~RM4715), so our estimate would be around RM3699 to RM3799 for the 128GB version and RM4599 to RM4699 for the 512GB version. Check out our math below.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus 128GB storage version currently goes for RM3769 while the official UK price for this version is 869 GBP (~RM4557.88). This results in a difference of RM788.88, so if we apply this to the leaked UK price for the 128GB Note 9, the Malaysia price would be RM3926. Now do remember that the current Galaxy S9 Plus 128GB has received some recent price cuts (originally it was priced at RM3999) so we would put our estimates for the 128GB Note 9 at a range of RM3699 to RM3799, partly because the 128GB version is now the base model instead of 64GB worth of storage. The other main reason is that the previous Galaxy S9 Plus pricing was affected by GST, so there should be a slight decrease to the Malaysia price.

It would be great if the price goes lower than our guesses so you should take these guesses with a hint of salt. Incidentally, Samsung Malaysia have also let us know that the Galaxy Note 9 could well be coming to Malaysia next week with an estimated date of 15 August 2018. Regardless, we should know more about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 very soon though, so stay tuned to TechNave.com and well let you know as soon as we do.
A scandal is unfolding in Algeria after more than 700 people were intoxicated after drinking tap water in the city of Blida.

Most of the victims were registered among children and the elderly showing intoxication symptoms including vomiting, vertigo and acute diarrhea.

The local press is citing the low quality of the water distribution system as a potential cause for this intoxication.

A source from a hospital in Blida said that the tap water might have been contaminated by harmful coliformes bacteria.

Water has always been a pressing issue in Algerias big cities where supply is usually unsteady and millions are left for long hours without running water on their taps.

A study by the World Bank found that Most water resources in Algeria are polluted by uncontrolled and untreated municipal wastewater.

The study added that eighty-seven percent of the urban population is connected to a sewage network, but most wastewater treatment plants are out of service, so untreated sewage is being discharged into natural water bodies.
Chief Rabbi of Morocco Rabbi Aharon Monsonego passed away at the age of 90 at the Shaarei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem early Tuesday August 6, Jewish media reported.

Monsonego already in an advanced age and frail health was taken to hospital where he passed away.

Born in 1929, Monsonego was the son of Yedidya, the Rabbi of Fez. Between 1945 and 1952, he studied at the Talmudic and Science High School in Aix-les-Bains, eastern France, where he also taught between 1950 and 1952. He obtained his diploma of Rabbi and Rabbi Judge at the Council of the Three Great Orthodox Rabbis of Paris in 1951.

In 1952, Monsonego returned to Morocco following the call of Itshak Chalom, president of the Jewish community of Casablanca. Monsonego ran the Talmud Torah school in Casablanca, which, at that time, had more than 1,500 students. Rabbi Aharon Monsonego has been head of Moroccos chief rabbinate since 1998, when he was appointed to replace Shimon Suissa, his predecessor.

Due to his worsening health, Monsonego decided to leave Morocco for Israel four years ago, in order to be able to live his last years with his children.

The role of chief rabbi in Morocco is particularly important, considering that, along with Sunni Muslims, the Jews are the only other religious community recognized as native by the 2011 constitution. According to the data provided by Jewish community leaders to the U.S. Department of State, there are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Jews living in Morocco, approximately 2,500 of whom reside in Casablanca.

Monsonegos funeral is scheduled for this Wednesday August 8.
Former Michigan state representative Rashida Tlaib has become the first Muslim woman elected to US Congress after she won a Democratic primary election to represent Michigans 13th district.

Running in a crowded field of candidates vying to replace John Conyers Jr, who served from 1965, until retirement last year, Ms Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian parents, gained 33.6 per cent of the vote following a strong grassroots campaign in which she raised over $1m.

Her nearest rival was Detroit Council President Brenda Jones, who despite wider name recognition and several prominent endorsements, got 28.5 per cent of the vote.

Ms Tlaib was born in Detroit in 1976, where her father had a job at the Ford motor company. She studied politics at Wayne State University, and then law, graduating in 2004.

Rashida Tlaib is the mother of two boys and the oldest of 14 children, born and raised in Detroit. She is a graduate of Detroit Public Schools. Rashida made history in 2008 by winning her race for State Representative and becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature.

Rashida served three terms, rising to the Democratic Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, where she restored and secured millions of dollars for free health clinics, lead abatement, Meals on Wheels programs for seniors, before and after-school programs, and education funding.

She authored laws to protect homeowners from fraudulent mortgage bankers and tax preparers and to stop scrap metal thieves from looting Detroits abandoned homes and even destroying occupied properties.

Rashida pledged to defend her local constituents rights and to stand up to the billionaires and corporations. She also vowed to fight back against the Trump agenda.

She says that economic opportunity  the ability to get a good education, to purchase affordable insurance, to get a mortgage or loan, or even to have safe drinking water  should not be determined by race, religion, ethnicity, or zip code.

A cornerstone of Rashidas historic campaign for U.S. Congress in Michigans 13th District has been the effort to give residents and communities across this diverse working-class district equal access to opportunity.
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.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- BAIC Group and Great Wall Motor inked a strategic cooperation agreement on August 7.

The two automakers are going to forge an in-depth partnership in various areas like sharing auto parts resources, while how the cooperation processes has still been under discussion, according to a source familiar with the event. Both auto companies have not made any comment yet.

In May, a source revealed that Xu Heyi, chairman of BAIC Group, visited Great Wall Motor's headquarters in Baoding, Heibei province and its assembly plant in Xushui District in the company of Wei Jianjun, who chairs Great Wall Motor. It is said that the aim of Xu's visit is to facilitate BAIC Group's purchase of engines and gearboxes from Great Wall Motor.

It is noteworthy that both Xu Heyi and Wei Jianjun who take the helm of two automakers have the same attitude on resource sharing. Xu Heyi said at the company's development strategy conference earlier this year that BAIC BJEV, the group's NEV subsidiary, will remain open to tie-ups and share R&D achievements with its partners, so as to promote industrial cooperation vertically and horizontally.

Last month, Great Wall Motor incorporated its auto part businesses into two wholly-owned subsidiaries in Jiangsu province. According to We Jianjun, the automaker aims to develop the newly-built subsidiaries into world-leading brands after integrating the auto parts businesses and have them public eventually.
The ACLU is looking to block another part of Trumps immigration agenda. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Following a lawsuit that led to the U.S. government being ordered to reunite migrant families separated at the border, the American Civil Liberties Union is tackling another aspect of the Trump administrations immigration policy. On Tuesday the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against Jeff Sessions and other Trump administration officials over the attorney generals decision to restrict the reasons that migrants can be granted asylum in the U.S.

Were suing Jeff Sessions for illegally denying asylum protections to immigrants fleeing domestic violence and gang brutality, the ACLU tweeted. These policies undermine the fundamental human rights of women and violate decades of settled asylum law.

Migrants seeking asylum must show they have credible fear of returning to their home country, based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The last category used to include people threatened by domestic or gang violence, but in June Sessions overruled that policy, telling immigration judges, Generally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors will not qualify for asylum.

Immigration lawyers say the policy change has already had a noticeable impact, with more judges denying asylum seekers appeals and an increase in migrants failing initial screenings. That was backed up by government statistics released Tuesday, which said asylum officers denied about 13 percent of cases in June, compared with 8 percent in May and an average of 10 percent during the last fiscal year.

After entering the country, asylum seekers are interviewed by a Department of Homeland Security asylum officer who determines whether they have a credible fear of returning home, in which case they will get a hearing in immigration court. If they fail, they are fast-tracked for removal.

The suit asks the court to declare the new policy unlawful, and stay the removal of people who have been placed in fast-track deportation proceedings in recent months, arguing they were denied a fair hearing on whether they should be able to stay in the U.S.

Without an injunction, Plaintiffs and thousands of other immigrants like them desperately seeking safety will be unlawfully deported to places where they fear they will be raped, kidnapped, beaten, and killed, the ACLU said in the suit.

The suit was filed on behalf of 12 migrants from Central America who failed their credible fear interviews. Two children and their mothers have already been deported, and the others are being detained in Texas and New York.

One of the plaintiffs, identified by the pseudonym Grace, said she fled Guatemala after her partner beat her and children, and sexually assaulted her and her daughter. The lawsuit says she contacted local police, but they did nothing. Grace is now being detained in Texas, and is facing deportation.

By applying these broad and unjustified changes to the credible fear process, the government is attempting to subvert decades of settled asylum law and setting up asylum seekers like Grace to fail their interviews, the ACLU said in a statement.

For example, gender-based persecution has been recognized as a basis for asylum for decades. However, Sessions has declared that the plight of domestic and gang violence survivors is merely personal.
Barney Frank. Photo: Eric Thayer/REUTERS

A decade now after the 2008 financial crisis, the cultural and psychological imprint that it left looks almost as deep as the one that followed the Great Depression. Its legacy includes a new radical politics on both left and right; epidemics of opioid-abuse, suicides, and low birthrates; and widespread resentment, racial and gendered and otherwise, by those who felt especially left behind. This week, New York continues our retrospective on the crash and its aftermath by publishing interviews with some of those who were closest to the events. Here, Barney Frank, the chair of the House Financial Services Committee during the Great Recession and one of the namesakes for the Dodd-Frank Act, discusses the governments biggest failure during the recovery, the political legacy of 2008, and the current state of bank regulation.

What was the worst part of the aftermath?

Our one big failure was to help people with foreclosures. We did not do enough to help some of the innocent victims of all this. Heres what happened: Some of the people who faced foreclosure, it was their fault. They overreached. But other people were misled, other people had reasonable expectations and then the market for their property dropped, and then there were other victims. Imagine youre somebody whos got a home, and youre paying for it, and youre in a neighborhood where there are some sketchy people  and all of a sudden theyre foreclosed on, and the bottom falls out of your property, and your neighborhood goes to shit.

So one of the big crises is that, when we did the TARP, we, the Democrats, said to Hank Paulson  with whom I get along on every other issue and admire greatly  We need to use some of this money to help people who are the innocent victims of this to avoid foreclosure. Paulson said, I cant. I need the first $350 billion for the banks. I have none left over. We raised hell. We had a major fight about it. He then said, Okay, Ill ask for the second $350 billion, and if I get it, Ill use some of the money for foreclosure.

The problem was, this was now after the November election. Hes in a lame-duck administration. He says, But Im not gonna do that without Obamas okay. So I and others went to Obama and said, Will you tell Paulson its okay to ask for the next amount, so he can do foreclosures? Obama said what most presidents-elect would have said in that situation: No, he has the legal authority to do it, and Im not gonna take responsibility over something I have no control over. If he wants to do it, he can do it. We only have one president at a time.

It made me crazy. Obama overstated the number of presidents we had  because we didnt have any! And people were getting fucked. That was the biggest single problem. And by the way, that wasnt just a social problem. It tainted the thing politically. Its one reason why TARP is  I think unfairly  demonized. They paid all the money back, and it stopped worse consequences, but in fact, it was the case that in the first instance, almost all the TARP money went to banks; none went to homeowners.

One exception to that which is generally popular: The TARP money did save the auto industry. He did ask for a second chunk, finally, under Obama, but only for Chrysler and General Motors.

Could you talk about the effect on the public consciousness?

Well, it was bad, for two reasons: One, the fact that we were bailing out the banks. But it was exacerbated by the failure to do any serious foreclosure relief.

They got bailed out, we got sold out.

Yeah. So you really did have both the tea party and Occupy grow up at the time. The problem for us was that the tea-party people, as people on the right so often are, were very smart politically, and they organized and they registered and they voted. My, ah, sometime ideological allies at Occupy decided that the way to change things was to smoke dope and have drum circles. Neither one of those did a hell of a lot to influence my colleagues.

The other thing is, it came out in February or March of 2009 that AIG  which had received $170 billion in federal funds to pay its debtors  had paid bonuses to the very people who had caused the problem. At that point, the country went berserk. It was almost like the peasants were in the street with the pitchforks and torches. The inability, the failure to provide foreclosure money, and then the revelation that the AIG perpetrators had gotten bonuses.

The coda to all that, by the way, is that Maurice Greenberg  the former chief of AIG, who still had a lot of stock  later sued the federal government, because in giving them $170 billion to keep them in business, we exceeded our authority. I later characterized that as the arsonist suing the fire department for water damage.

So we dont use the terms tea party and Occupy any longer, but 

Well, the tea party has changed part of its name: Its now called the Republican Party.

What I see on the left makes me happy  which is, Okay, were gonna vote too. I was on Bill Mahers show with a woman from Occupy, and I said, I have to tell you, one thing that troubles me is I never saw a voter-registration site at an Occupy site. She said, Oh, thats not what were into. Now they are. One of the most positive developments for me is that  it took Trump to do it  but many people on the left now understand the importance of voting.

What do you think of the overall response on the regulatory side?

The pattern weve seen in American economic history is that the private sector innovates, and ultimately comes up with things that outstrip existing rules, and the government waits too long to come up with new rules. Thats essentially what happened here.

Financial regulation started in the 1890s, when for the first time, theres a national economy in America. There werent any national businesses in 1850. So, by the 1890s, they were thinking, Well, wed better have some national rules. So you have the Antitrust Acts, you have the Federal Trade Commission. They come up with a set of rules. But the one thing they didnt do back then was regulate the stock market, because they never heard of it. It wasnt a big deal. What happened is, the stock market gets into problems because its just not regulated. So what the New Deal does is to regulate finance capitalism.

That system works very well from 1941, when the last act was adopted in that package, until about 1980. In the interim, what happens is money starts coming in outside the banking system. And the other important thing that changed was information technology. You could not have securitized thousands of loans by hand. So, you had all this new money coming in from oil-producing countries and Asian countries with a lot of surplus from trade, and then the ability to securitize, until, essentially, the market crash. Its true, Glass-Steagall was repealed. By the way, Glass-Steagall wasnt repealed until 1999. The problem started well before that. Glass-Steagall was sort of irrelevant to the problems. It didnt stop bad loans from being made, and it didnt stop people from doing credit-default swaps with nothing to back them up. And, that was the problem.

What we did in 2009 and 10 was analogous to what they did in the 30s. We adopted a new set of rules for new financial practices that had previously not been regulated.

So is it even possible to just keep our regulations updated as the financial industry evolves? Or are periodic crashes inevitable?

We tried to do that in two ways. First of all, we created in the Financial Stability Oversight Council; that was an important thing, because it had the power to go beyond the specific jurisdiction of any of the agencies. Its a council of all the regulators, with all their powers pooled, and the specific mandate to take action if they see a new problem.

And then, the other new thing we did, although Trumps tried to weaken it, was to create the Office of Financial Research, precisely to look for new problems as they arise and bring them to the attention of the regulators. The regulators and the rules have sufficient flexibility, we believe, to reach out to new problems, to new practices.

If you had asked me in 1953 whether we were prepared to deal with credit-default swaps, Id say  I was busy with my bar mitzvah, so I probably wouldnt have had the attention to pay. Back then, I would have said, What, what, what is that? Who? What? So I dont know. I cant foresee what the innovations will be 20 years from now. But to the extent that there are incremental changes, that they find loopholes, we think that the regulators have the power now to handle those.

I was struck, recently, reading the economic report of the Federal Reserve. This is Donald Trumps Federal Reserve, his appointees. What they say in the report is, from the standpoint of financial stability, were in very good shape. I think we put in a set of rules that make it very unlikely that were going to have another crisis, certainly not for the reasons we had the last one. We have built honest stability into the financial system without any loss of function. I mean, the odd thing is Donald Trump tries simultaneously to complain that we ruined the financial system, and to say the economy is better than its ever been. It would be hard to make that happen if you had ruined the financial system.

There was a lot of fear when he came in that Dodd-Frank would be gutted, whether legislatively or because of regulators refusing to enforce the rules.

It has, tragically, happened in one area: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with Mick Mulvaney being a thug. But in every other area, no. The single biggest grant of authority in the new law was to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, to regulate financial derivatives. And Christopher Giancarlo, who is head of the CFTC, appointed by Trump, said, I like this law. He has some differences on how to deal with it, but its remained in place.

The only politically powerful group still fighting against the bill were the small banks, the community banks. And what that law did was, frankly, to buy them off. Theres no longer any significant political opposition to the law as it stands, and that bill left 95 percent of the law in place. It did not weaken the regulation of how derivatives are conducted in any way. It still does not allow anybody to make really bad mortgages and securitize them.

So we have a law now that is not going to be changed legislatively. It has worked very well.

*A version of this article appears in the August 6, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!
Kansas Democratic congressional nominee Sharice Davids, who pulled off a mild upset in beating nationally hyped progressive Brent Welder. Photo: David Weigel/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Going into yesterdays primaries in Kansas, the big national narrative at play in the Democratic contest to choose a challenger to vulnerable Representative Kevin Yoder was the familiar Move to the Left story. Labor lawyer Brent Welder took the blueprint used successfully by Nebraskas Kara Eastman, who won a May primary in a similarly competitive Republican-held district, and made it a bit louder and prouder. Like Eastman, Welder stands for the proposition that Democrats have been losing to conservative Republicans in the heartland not because they are too liberal, but because they are too timid, moderate, and corporate-subservient. Indeed, this quote from Welder is a good two-sentence distillation of the lefty take on Democratic ideology in the Midwest dating back to Tom Franks seminal 2004 book Whats the Matter With Kansas?

You have to convince them and you have to be honest about a progressive, populist economic platform, so that they dont get lured away by right-wing social wedge issues like they did by Donald Trump, Welder said in an interview. And I think the Democratic Party for far too long has been straying from a bold, populist economic message. Thats the reason we keep losing.

Welder certainly wasnt going to make that mistake; aside from his standard-brand endorsement of single-payer health care and a high minimum wage, he directly enlisted his factions national celebrity leaders. Bernie Sanders campaigned for him, as did the current It candidate for Democratic Socialists, New Yorks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The collaboration produced some light moments despite its deadly serious purpose:

At least one poll showed Welder with a solid pre-primary lead, and going into the balloting, his story all but wrote itself. But unfortunately for Welder and his national fan base, another story overrode it: Sharice Davids. And its quite the story, as CNN summarizes it:

[T]heres the clear trend in Democratic primaries this year: Women are winning the vast majority of competitive races. If that trend extends to Kansas, the likely beneficiary would be Sharice Davids  a former White House fellow and former professional mixed martial arts fighter who will become the first openly lesbian Native American in Congress if she wins in November.

Shes also the daughter of a Army veteran who raised her as a single mom, an Ivy Leagueeducated attorney, and the founder of a coffee company. But theres only so much biography one can absorb.

For purposes of the Third Congressional District of Kansas, Davids was perceived as a moderate alternative to the Sandernista Welder, though another candidate, schoolteacher Tom Niermann, was more conspicuously centrist. But the publicity gained by the Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez appearances probably helped frame Davidss less ideological message favorably. It also didnt hurt that EMILYs List endorsed her and spent enough money on her behalf to offset Welders successful small-dollar fundraising. Welder also had a bit of a carpetbagger problem, having just moved to the state and district last year from St. Louis; Davids is a native Kansan.

If only because of her unusual background and identity, Davids is going to be an attention-magnet between now and November. And the handicappers appears to think she is very viable against Yoder, whose own primary performance against two unknowns was not impressive.

Projection: Sharice Davids (D) wins Dem primary in #KS03, defeating Brent Welder (D). Faces off against Rep. Kevin Yoder (R) in the fall, who took just 68% in his primary. @CookPolitical rating will be moving from Lean R to Toss Up.  Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 8, 2018

This is a district narrowly carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016, so its on everybodys watch lists. With Davids joining a ticket led by state legislator Laura Kelly, the Year of the Democratic Women narrative has gained a bit more heft. But its not like Sharice Davids is going to get lost in the crowd.
UK legal drama The Split will air on ABC next week.

The 6 part series stars Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) as a leading divorce lawyer who finds business is personal when she leaves the family firm for a rival and finally faces her estranged father (Anthony Head), who walked out 30 years ago.

The cast includes Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Deborah Findlay & Stephen Mangan. Written by Abi Morgan (The Hour), it is also directed by Aussie Jessica Hobbs.

It aired in the UK in April.

Hannah Defoe is a brilliant divorce lawyer. With her formidable mother Ruth and headstrong sister

Nina she takes on cases for Londons wealthy and well-known. Following a bitter argument, Hannah

leaves the family business to begin a new job at a rival firm, where she unexpectedly reconnects

with the only other man she could have imagined her life with. And when Hannahs estranged father

returns after 30 years, the toxic feud between her parents is re-ignited. As the Defoe family is forced

to confront their fractured past, Hannah begins to question her own marriage. As a lawyer, Hannah

always gets what she wants for her clients but can she get what she wants for herself? A powerful

series that explores family, love, loyalty and the messy business of divorce.

7:30pm Saturday August 18 on ABC.
EXCLUSIVE: Love Island Australia is set to have a full broadcast in the UK.

The Sophie Monk-hosted reality series will screen from Monday August 13 on digital channel ITVbe and online platform ITV HUB.

The Aussie series, produced by ITV Studios Australia, has been heavily-sought by frenzied Love Island UK fans who lobbied the broadcaster to screen the full series.

They also under-pinned the shows YouTube audience which drew a mammoth 179 million views (no thats, not a typo).

With so much success for the brand, a US version is also under discussion with American networks (Update: CBS to proceed with US adaptation).

Nine is yet to announce a second season for 9GO!
After media articles today were swirling around breakfast TV ratings, Peter FitzSimons -husband of Lisa Wilkinson- took to social media to comment on the Today show before quickly deleting the post.

News Corp earlier reported Today show suffers worst ratings in four years.

Something will have to break. It cannot go on, in the current form past Chrissie, surely, FitzSimons said of Nines ratings.

I have followed the numbers closely. Today would not have been this low for at least ten years.

He soon deleted the post explaining it was meant to be a private message. Ouch.

Oh . . . bugger.

My answer to Ubergate.

A friend, DMed story in Tele on low Today Show figures. I responded. Not nasty, just light speculation. Mistakenly put it up on live twitter for a minute, before, DELETE! DELETE! Too late. If you need me, I will be in my trailer, sobbing!   Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) August 8, 2018

As with primetime, both commercial breakfast shows are down compared to 2017*.

Sunrise was averaging 296,000 at this point last year and this year is at 263,000, a drop of 11.1%.

Todays drop is larger at 14.6%, from 285,000 in 2017 to 244,000 in 2018.

Last week Sunrise averaged 269,000 viewers to Todays 240,000.

Sunrise has also won 21 weeks of the the 40 year ratings survey, a measure that was enough for Nine News to claim the year in Sydney. But it aint a metric Seven recognises.

ABCs News Breakfast meanwhile is averaging 148,000 viewers so far this year, however that is derived from a simulcast on both ABC and ABC News.

Both commercial shows have had their share of headlines this year, from Uber calls to community protests.

Meanwhile each is currently focussed on doing their bit for farmers battling the drought in at least 2 states.

Just to keep things in perspective.

*Based on weeks 7-32 2017 & 2018 excluding Easter, 5 city metro.
Just how good is this trailer? The shots look exquisite in HD.

NITVs Going Places with Ernie Dingo returns in September with 14 brand new episodes from Tassie to the Top End.

Thats a bumper increase from the 3 episodes which screened in 2016.

Producer Rima Tamou said We wanted to make another season of Going Places with Ernie Dingo because we received such positive feedback from the first short three-part series. Our audience had connected with the programs unique travel and documentary approach and enjoyed Ernies relaxed, and at times, cheeky presenting style.

The programs structure is uniform but the ever changing places and people means that each episode is unique, and the essence for me is always the often candid insight from the wonderful people Ernie meets who share with our audiences a window into their world.

The series follows television personality Ernie Dingo as he travels the length and breadth of Australia, visiting stunning destinations and meeting the traditional owners and locals who live in each region. Over each episode, Ernie uncovers their connections to the land and why they love living where they do.

Over the 14-part series, Ernie visits a host of different destinations, including Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, the Wet Tropics in Far North Queensland, Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) in North Territory, and meets a range of interesting characters, including a wildlife conservationist, a foodologist, a cave guide, a visionary and a landscape photographer.

His extensive travels around Australia wrap on a solemn, heartfelt note as Ernie makes a special journey back to his hometown of Mullewa on the Murchison River in Western Australia for the final time with his late brother Buck.

Sunday 2 September at 7.30pm on NITV.
Actor Shane Jacobson is locked in a legal battle with his former manager and publicist Deb Fryers.

Fairfax reports Fryers filed a writ filed last month in the Victorian County Court claiming she had not been paid commission for work on jobs she helped set up but that began after they parted ways.

But Jacobson says she has been paid what she was owed.

The pair parted company in February after working together for more than a decade on a handshake agreement rather than a contract, with their financial arrangement partly oral and partly to be implied.

The article details amounts paid for Jacobsons work including:

Little Big Shots $215,000

The Full Monty $54,000

Jack Irish $24,000

IGA ads $200,000

The Rocky Horror Show $180,000

She has absolutely been paid every commission to do with every job that she was involved in. Shes after all my current projects, Jacobson said.

Fryers lawyer, Darren Sanicki, said the case was not personal and wishes him the best for his career.
Courting a Constitutional crisis. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today, Trumps persistent self-incrimination, the ongoing trial of Paul Manafort, and the lessons of Ohios special election.

This weekend, Donald Trump changed his story once again about the infamous June 2016 meeting with Russians at Trump Tower, tweeting that its purpose was in fact to get information on Hillary Clinton. What does he get out of his continued potentially self-incriminating tweets?

A very good question. Part of me wonders if our president gets some kind of psychosexual thrill out of his repeated use of Twitter as a vehicle for reckless self-incrimination now that Playboy is no longer minting new Playmates for him to prey upon. Hes like the killer who keeps returning to the scene of the crime, ignoring the bloodhounds on his trail. Theres no method to his madness. Its just madness.

To those of us in the reality-based community, after all, its self-evident that Trump has been building Robert Muellers obstruction case for him from the moment he gave self-contradictory explanations for his firing of James Comey. Hes only upped the ante since. Just a week ago, the president called for his own attorney general to shut down Muellers inquiry right now. Obstruction hardly gets balder than that.

Trump would argue that what we call self-incrimination he calls fighting back, just as what we call a criminal investigation he calls a witch hunt. Its in this same Orwellian vein that he and his brilliant counsel, Rudy Giuliani, have also taken to declaring that collusion is not a crime (even as the president incessantly pleads innocent to this non-crime), and that both men keep maintaining a semantical charade about the ground rules under which Trump will sit voluntarily for an interview with the special counsel.

Spoiler alert: Trump will never submit to that interview. Mueller will be left with little choice but to subpoena him. Thats when all hell will break loose in a constitutional crisis such as we have not seen since the summer of 1974 in the Nixon endgame. To make this sequel even more hellish than the original, Trumps new nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, if confirmed, could be the deciding vote in the showdown. If Paul Manafort thought he could get away with witness tampering, hes a mere amateur next to Trump, who will think nothing of tampering with the nine jurors in the highest court in the land.

But in a way these legal issues are beside the point in understanding Trumps modus operandi. He doesnt mind making himself vulnerable to punishment under the law because he doesnt believe the law is legitimate or as powerful as he is. To him, jurisprudence is just another adversary to be bullied and mowed down like Little Marco or Crooked Hillary. Thats why the possibility of implicating himself in an obstruction case doesnt really concern him. His plan is to destroy the rule of law before any case gets far enough to put him in legal jeopardy. His goal is not to prove his innocence in a court of law but to discredit the Justice Department, the FBI, the intelligence agencies, and, of course, the special counsel before he ever gets to court. On a parallel track hes out to destroy the news media that report on his flagrant lawlessness. Hes even persuaded 43 percent of Republicans, according to an Ipsos poll provided to the Daily Beast, that he should have the power to close down news outlets if he chooses.

After Nixons demise  brought about by his own vehicle for self-incrimination, the White House tapes  the consensus had it that the system worked. This time the system is being burned down before our eyes by its own chief executive. Given the complete and utter moral collapse of the Vichy Republicans in Washington, the only hope for rescuing it is for the Democrats to gain control of either or both chambers of Congress.

During testimony at the Manafort trial this week, Manafort deputy Rick Gates has testified that at his bosss discretion he filed false tax returns and falsified applications for bank loans. Have his admissions changed anything about how we should think about the inner machinations of the Trump campaign, on which both Gates and Manafort served?

Not really. Whats being reinforced is what we already knew: Those in Trumps orbit, including his son and son-in-law, were eager to collude with Vladimir Putins puppets, spies, and gangsters  or any other thug, regardless of national origin  who would help gain them entry into the White House. Their motive was not ideological but venal. Like Trump, his made men were eager both to cover up past financial transgressions and to plot new ones in a kleptocracy of their own design. Perhaps the most central revelation of the trial thus far is the sheer depth of the devotion of Trumps former campaign manager, Manafort, and deputy campaign manager, Gates, to grand larceny. Not only did they steal from the federal government and their own clients but Gates stole from Manafort himself. Honor among thieves is yet another norm that has bitten the dust in the Trump era.

You have to wonder who in this administration is not a proven crook or an aspiring one. For Jared Kushner, himself the son of a convicted felon, the White House has been an opportunity to make deals to shore up a floundering real-estate empire in flagrant violation of government conflict-of-interest rules. Cabinet members like Tom Price and Scott Pruitt were in the market for royal trappings and first-class travel at taxpayers expense. Poor, humble Ben Carson settled merely for fancy dining room furniture for his office suite; the multimillionaire Steve Mnuchin wanted to use government jets as a personal taxi service.

This week Forbes reports that the secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, may be hiding out in the Trump White House, as Manafort and Gates aspired to do, as a means of deflecting attention from a sordid financial history that includes some alleged $120 million in ill-gotten gains before he landed in the Cabinet. Forbes says Ross may rank among the biggest grifters in American history. Didnt Trump say he was going to staff his administration with the biggest winners? That makes it all the more baffling that he has yet to pardon Bernie Madoff and give him an administration perch appropriate to his talents.

What is to be learned from yesterdays too-close-to-call Congressional election in Ohio?

With the proviso that its ridiculous to use any of these preliminary contests as a predictor for the hundreds of races on the ballot this November, the special election in Ohios 12th District is another encouraging sign for the Democrats even if the current margin holds and the Republican wins. The district has been held by the GOP since 1983. It is overwhelmingly white and went to Trump by a margin of 11 points in 2016; the then-incumbent Republican congressman, whose premature departure necessitated this election, won by 37 percent. It took millions of dollars in outside campaign cash, visits by both Trump and Pence, and a late endorsement by the NeverTrump Ohio governor, John Kasich, for his erstwhile GOP successor to eke out a less-than-one-percent victory, if it holds.

As James Hohmann of the Washington Post put it starkly this morning, the GOP must defend seventy-two districts in November that are rated as less Republican than Ohios 12th Congressional District. What endangered candidates do in the coming weeks, particularly those who try to distance themselves from Trump without somehow alienating his base, may be highly entertaining to devotees of political farce.

Still, the midterms fundamentals remain the same. Trumps base, an overwhelming majority of the GOP but a minority in the country, is rabidly loyal. While their turnout was down in rural precincts in Ohio yesterday, they could yet rally in November. The burden is on Democrats to turn out too, in numbers exceeding their recent feckless record in off-year elections. If they arent motivated to go to the polls in full force this year, we can no longer say Trumps America is not us. The debacle will belong to us all.
FILE PHOTO: A man walks by a stack of North Stream 2 pipes in Kotka FILE PHOTO: A man walks by a stack of North Stream 2 pipes in Kotka, Finland, June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt/File Photo

By Thomas Escritt

BERLIN (Reuters) - For decades, the Friendship pipeline has delivered oil from Russia to Europe, heating German homes even in the darkest days of the Cold War.

But a new pipeline that will carry gas direct from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany is doing rather less for friendship, driving a wedge between Germany and its allies and giving Chancellor Angela Merkel a headache.

For U.S. President Donald Trump, Nord Stream 2 is a "horrific" pipeline that will increase Germany's dependence on Russian energy. Ukraine, fighting Russian-backed separatists, fears the new pipeline will allow Moscow to cut it out of the lucrative and strategically crucial gas transit business.

It comes at an awkward time for Merkel. With the fraying of the transatlantic alliance and an assertive Russia and China, she has acknowledged that Germany must take more of a political leadership role in Europe.

"The global order is under pressure," Merkel said last month. "That's a challenge for us ... Germany's responsibility is growing; Germany has more work to do."

In April she accepted for the first time that there were "political considerations" to Nord Stream 2, a project she had until then described as a commercial venture.

Most European countries want Germany to do more to project European influence and protect eastern neighbours that are nervous of Russian encroachment.

But letting Russia sell gas to Germany while avoiding Ukraine does the opposite, depriving Kiev of transit revenues and making it, Poland and the Baltic states more vulnerable to cuts in gas supplies.

"The price would be an even greater loss of trust from the Baltics, Poland and Ukraine," said Roderich Kiesewetter, a Merkel ally on the parliamentary foreign affairs committee.

"We Germans always say that holding the West together is our 'centre of gravity', but the Russian approach has succeeded in dragging Germany, at least in terms of energy policy, out of this western solidarity."

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Many analysts say the business case for Nord Stream 2 is thin. Another pipeline already links Russia and Germany under the Baltic. Nord Stream 2 will double capacity but future demand is uncertain.

On the flip side, German industry likes anything that will provide energy more cheaply.

Merkel's Social Democrat coalition partners, the leading voices in Germany calling for a conciliatory approach towards Russia, are also in favour.

The issue has divided Berlin's political class. The parties agreed in their coalition talks earlier this year to make a commitment to the pipeline, but did not put it in writing.

According to Margarita Assenova, an analyst at the Centre for European Policy Analysis who is critical of Nord Stream 2, Russia can double gas exports to Europe via existing Ukrainian pipelines without building the new conduit.

But despite opposition from European partners, from Washington and from within Merkel's party, Nord Stream 2 continues. Germany's diplomatic ambitions are being thwarted by the project's brutal business logic.

OSTPOLITIK

On the other hand, it has the strong backing of Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy giant which owns Nord Stream 2 AG, the project company. Its boss Matthias Warnig, once an East German spy tasked with reporting on West German business, is seen as one of Berlin's most formidable lobbyists.

The pipeline is one of a network of Kremlin-sponsored projects seemingly designed to circumvent Ukraine, the largest and most troublesome of the countries once ruled from Moscow. They include Turk Stream, which crosses the Black Sea to bypass Ukraine to the south.

Lawmakers say Warnig has responded to their sceptical queries about the project by promising to take their concerns direct to Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding to the sense that the pipeline serves the Kremlin's strategic interests.

But, for Gazprom, it makes sense: transit across a country with which Russia is in an undeclared war is risky and increasingly unreliable as Ukraine's Soviet-era pipelines grow older.

Germany and the European Union are attempting to broker an agreement between Moscow and Kiev to keep the gas flowing across Ukraine when the current transit contract ends in 2019. Critics say this means European consumers will pay a subsidy to help keep Ukraine afloat.

In the SPD, sympathy for Nord Stream 2 runs deep. Gerhard Schroeder, the party's last chancellor, was appointed to senior positions at Russian energy companies after leaving office and regards Putin as a close friend.

For many of Schroeder's generation, cooperation with Russia is in the tradition of the "Ostpolitik" of their hero, 1970s Chancellor Willy Brandt, who defied a sceptical Washington to reach out to the Soviet Bloc, now seen as a prelude towards ending the Cold War.

But a younger generation in the party, often critical of Schroeder's links to the Kremlin, is more cautious.

Germany is bound to Russia by decades of cooperation on energy supply, but it has to offer something to its western allies too, officials say.

That cooperation goes a long way: last week, Merkel hosted Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Berlin. He was accompanied by Russian general staff chief Valery Gerasimov, who has been banned from the EU since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Keeping lines open to the Kremlin is popular in Germany, where polls show people are better-disposed towards Russia than in almost any country. Increasingly, though, officials wonder if Germany is not paying too high a price in lost face.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Donald Trump has said businesses that continue trading with Iran cannot trade with the US (Getty Images)

The EUs response to Donald Trumps sanctions on Iran is unravelling after European businesses defied their calls to maintain investment in the country.

The European commission on Tuesday had used unprecedented legislation to maintain trade with Tehran and convince it to abide by the 2015 nuclear deal despite US withdrawal.

On paper its blocking statute shields EU businesses from the effects of US sanctions and gives any firm hit by them to claim compensation.

Crucially, the commission also said it forbids EU persons from complying with those sanctions, unless exceptionally authorised to do so.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said firms should comply with European legislation rather than with American ones.

But the effectiveness of the EUs response was undermined on Wednesday when major European companies defied the warnings not to comply with US sanctions.

Their decision comes after Trump said no businesses trading with Iran could continue to access the US market.

The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2018

German car and truck manufacturer Daimler, which makes Mercedes vehicles, said it was complying with US sanctions as it announced it was pulling out of plans to expand its operation in the country.

We have ceased our already restricted activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions, a company statement said.

French car manufacturer Renault also said it would be complying with US sanctions, having previously announced plans to increase production capacity in the country.

French oil and gas giant Total said it would comply with US sanctions unless it receives a waiver.

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And Danish engineering firm Haldor Topsoe said it was cutting 200 jobs in the country as a result of the sanctions.

The company that makes Mercedes cars has stopped trading with Iran because of US sanctions (Getty)

EU companies complying with US sanctions were supposed to apply for permission from the European commission.

The commission said today it hadnt received any such requests despite the growing number of companies who say they are pulling out of Iran.

In a climbdown from the strong language in its new legislation, the commission said it wouldnt take any action against firms flouting their warnings not to comply with US sanctions.

Commission deputy chief spokesperson Mina Andreeva said: They are free to choose whether to start working, continue working or cease business operations in Iran  on the basis of their assessment of the economic situation.

She added: The EU blocking statue is there to help. The effects of the US sanctions are minimised if you want to continue to do businesses in Iran. But whether you do so or not is a decision that will depend on several factors  companies are of course free to take that decision and communicate it accordingly.

MORE: EU tells businesses to boost trade with Iran despite US sanctions




NAIROBI (Reuters) - Authorities have shut down the Internet in eastern Ethiopia amid an outbreak of violence in the region, a local resident said on Wednesday.

The resident, speaking from the city of Harar, some 100 km (60 miles) from Jijiga, the capital of the region of Somali, said the connection had been off for three days. Rights group Access Now confirmed the shutdown in a statement on Tuesday.

Violence broke out in Jijiga on Saturday, with mobs looting properties owned by ethnic minorities, in unrest that the government said had been stoked by regional officials at odds with central authorities.

(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Editing by George Obulutsa and John Stonestreet)

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FILE PHOTO: Guatemala's former President Otto Perez speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Matamoros Army Base, in Guatemala City, Guatemala October 24, 2015. REUTERS/Jorge Dan Lopez/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

By Sofia Menchu

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Jailed former Guatemalan president Otto Perez was receiving medical attention, the spokesman for the Central American nation's prison system said on Tuesday, after he suffered what his lawyer described was a "cardiac problem."

"The family called me to tell me that General Perez Molina had a cardiac problem. I do not know the severity," the ex-president's defense lawyer Cesar Calderon told Reuters.

"I do not know what happened to him or how he is ... Since it is an emergency, his transfer to a hospital was requested," said Calderon, of the politician who previously served in the army.

Local media said Perez, who is currently behind bars awaiting trial on graft charges uncovered by the U.N.-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), had suffered a heart attack.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)

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Spain Eurofighter fighter jet refueling

US Marine Corps/SSgt. Kenneth K. Trotter Jr.

A Spanish jet on a Baltic air-policing mission accidentally fired an air-to-air missile over Estonia on Tuesday.

The missile has a self-destruct mode, but it's not known if it was activated.

Estonian authorities are currently searching for the missile, and Spanish and Estonian officials are investigating the incident.

A Spanish air force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet accidentally fired an air-to-air missile during an a routine training exercise over southeast Estonia on Tuesday afternoon, and authorities have not been able to locate the missile or what is left of it.

The Spanish jet fired the missile  an advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, or AMRAAM, made by US defense firm Raytheon  a little before 4 p.m. local time over the village of Pangodi, as it returned from an exercise with another Spanish jet as well as two French Mirage 2000 jets.

The exercise was carried out in an area reserved for such activity about 60 miles from the Russian border. All of the planes are based in Siauliai in northern Lithuania, and the jet that launched the missile was able to return to the base.

AIM-120 AMRAAM missile

US Air Force

The missile's last location was about 25 miles north of the Estonian city of Tartu. It was reportedly fired northward, but the trajectory and its final location are not known. The 12-foot-long missile has a range of about 60 miles and carries a roughly 50-pound high-explosive warhead.

The missile has a built-in self-destruct mode for such occasions, but it's not certain that it was activated, and the weapon may have landed on the ground.

The Estonian Defense Ministry has launched a search for the missile using helicopters, and emergency services in the area have asked residents who happen upon the missile or parts of it not to approach it.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said on Facebook that there were "thank God no human casualties," and called the incident "extremely regrettable."

Story continues

"I am sure that the Estonian defence forces will, in cooperation with our allies, identify all the circumstances of the case and make every effort to make sure that nothing like this happens again," he added.

Estonia's defense minister also ordered the suspension of all aerial military exercises in the country's air space until the incident was resolved.

The Spanish Defense Ministry also opened an investigation.

NATO jets Baltics Norway Italy fighter plane

Ints Kalnins/REUTERS

"A Spanish Eurofighter based in Lithuania accidentally fired a missile without causing any harm," the ministry said in a statement. "The air-to-air missile has not hit any aircraft. The defence ministry has opened an investigation to clarify the exact cause of the incident."

NATO's Baltic air-policing missions were set up in 2004, after Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania the alliance, to assist the new members with air defense and deter Russian aerial incursions in the area. Spanish jets have done five of the three-month air-policing tours, leading them in 2006 and 2016 and taking part in 2015 and 2017.

The current Spanish deployment is composed of 135 personnel and Eurofighters jets. It began on May 1 and will conclude on August 31.

Jets from NATO countries deployed on air-policing missions have had regular encounters with Russian jets over the Baltics, though there were no reports of Russian aircraft in the area when the missile was fired on Tuesday.

NOW WATCH: Watch the F-22 in action  the most dangerous jet fighter in the US Air Force for the last 20 years

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Collins was the first congressman to endorse Donald Trump. Photo: Al Drago/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

New York congressman Chris Collins was arrested Wednesday and charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Cameron Collins, son of the 68-year-old legislator, was also arrested, along with Stephen Zarsky, whose daughter is engaged to the younger Collins.

The insider trading crimes concern Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech firm in which both Collins men were major shareholders. According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, the elder Collins learned that a drug from the company failed an FDA trial while he was at a White House picnic in June of 2017. He quickly got on the phone and passed that information to his son, who dumped the stock before the two men even hung up. The indictment says the trades allowed Cameron Collins and others to avoid more than $768,000 in losses.

Collinss lawyers say they will clear Collins good name and cite the indictments lack of any allegation that Collins himself traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. Indeed, Collins lost $17 million when the companys stock pice dipped down to five cents, according to reports from last June. This came after he was reportedly encouraging other members of Congress to buy stock in the company. If you get in early, youll make a big profit, he told colleagues, according to The Hill. Collins has also pushed several bills that would have benefitted Innate, which has gotten the attention of the the House Ethics Committee.

An early supporter of Donald Trump, Collins, who represents suburbs of Buffalo and Rochester, was the first congressman to endorse him, in February of 2016.
FILE PHOTO: Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) attends an inauguration of a new boat terminal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia August 1, 2018. REUTERS/Samrang Pring

Thomson Reuters

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's parliament will convene on September 5, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday, after his ruling party claimed victory in what critics say was a sham general election last month due to the lack of a viable opposition.

Parliament's opening session will be presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni, Hun Sen said.

"The King will invite all members elect of the National Assembly for the first session," Hun Sen told thousands of factory workers in Kampong Speu province, 50 km (30 miles) southwest of the capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

Although official results won't be announced until mid-August, Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said it had won all 125 parliamentary seats following the July 29 vote.

Critics say a campaign of intimidation by Hun Sen and his allies preceded the vote.

The election, the country's sixth since democracy was restored in 1993, followed the dissolution of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and a crackdown on activists, independent media and opposition politicians.

CNRP leader Kem Sokha was jailed on treason charges in September. He remains in pre-trial detention.

The government will hold its first cabinet meeting on Sept 7, Hun Sen said on Wednesday.

On Monday, Hun Sen said that he wanted to give a speech to the United Nations' General Assembly in September to show the world that Cambodia does not need outside approval.

Hun Sen last gave a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September 2015 where he called on developed nations to fulfill their foreign aid pledges.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre)

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Three women posing for picture while visiting Rome

Kolleen, my daughter with Down syndrome, experienced her first international travel soon after her 30th birthday when we took a family trip to Paris. She was further out of her comfort zone than ever before, yet early on, she adopted the motto, I got this. Those three words, repeated frequently, helped to raise her self-esteem while lowering her frustrations. With help, she wound up conquering many challenges, like climbing the many stairs in Metro stations Oh, no, not this again, shed deadpan comically, discovering the vast amount of unusual sights in museums, making it to the very top of the Eiffel Tower, hearing an unfamiliar language spoken constantly, and generally speaking, experiencing the overall newness in each day.

When we returned home, she remained super proud of herself for her accomplishments, but like many people with disabilities, Kolleens a big fan of routine and she welcomed its reappearance. I assumed the trip to Paris would remain the pinnacle of her vacations. I assumed shed never want to repeat an exhausting journey like that.

Related: As the Mom of a Child With a Disability, Please Stop Saying This Phrase

Never assume.

One day she told me she wanted to go to Italy. At first, I laughed and teased that Paris had spoiled her. Another international trip was more involved than she realized. But for two years, she persisted in her request to go to Italy, so when a deal for cheap fares to Rome came to my attention, I jumped on it impulsively and bought two tickets. We would have a great Mother-Daughter adventure, just the two of us!

Now, lets back up to when Kolleen was born. I became a mother in 1986, long before the internet and standardized prenatal testing. I was in my early 20s and very healthy; my pregnancy hummed along as if it had read the textbook. There was no reason for testing because there was no reason to suspect my child wouldnt be healthy and typical. While I didnt have trouble accepting the diagnosis of Down syndrome, I was ill-prepared for the task of raising a child with disabilities, and little information was available at the local library.

Story continues

Related: Why I Don't Always Think About My Son Having Down Syndrome

I scrambled to learn what I needed to know and finally connected with the local Down syndrome support group. We attended our first group-sponsored event when Kolleen was just a few months old. The guest speaker that evening was someone Id never heard of, a nationally-known television writer named Emily Perl Kingsley. I listened carefully as she read to us a new essay she was working on. She called it, Welcome to Holland. It was many years before I realized what terrific luck I had. Emily Perl Kingsley herself taught me how to approach my unexpected new life as mother to a child with Down syndrome.

It took me months to process the detailed information about my newborns immediate medical needs, and it took a while before I truly understood that she is perfect, exactly as she is. But I got there. I learned to let go of Italy. I learned to appreciate the tulips, windmills, and Rembrandts of Holland instead.

Related: Mom Asks Parents to Teach Kids About Inclusion After Sharing Video of Daughter With Down Syndrome Being Teased

And now, all these years later, I had to laugh: Little Miss Holland and I were taking that trip to Italy.

Together.

I understood the success of this venture was solely my responsibility, so I began to read and plan. And plan. And plan. The language, the maps, the money, the accommodations, the transportation, the many details In addition to her happiness, ensuring Kolleens safety and comfort during a week in a foreign country was paramount. So much to learn, so many decisions to make, and I had to learn and decide everything before we left.

I was soon overwhelmed. I was stressed. What had I taken on? I was way out of my comfort zone.

So this is what it may be like, I realized suddenly. This is what I imagine it is like to live in Kolleens world, navigating the unknown, the often unfamiliar, sensing the importance and feeling anxious about the outcome. I wondered if I was experiencing the kind of challenges she experiences daily. My fresh understanding was humbling.

The truth is, even in her 30s, Kolleens still teaching me life lessons. In this case, the lesson was to ask for help. I took a few deep breaths, poured a glass of red wine, looked again through the travel guide, and called Rosemary, another of my young adult daughters. Would she like to join her sister and me on this trip?

We never did make a completely solid plan. Once in Italy, the three of us adopted a Roman attitude and allowed the days to unfold at their own delightful pace. We often chose to wander serendipitously, conquering challenges, stopping for a gelato or wine or whatever.

We got this.

Read more stories like this on The Mighty:

The Ali-Up Side of Down Syndrome

My Son With Down Syndrome Is 'Perfect, Fine, Normal and Healthy'

To John Quinones, From the Mom of a Child With Down Syndrome
European companies will be protected from the impact of new sanctions imposed by the US on Iran, Britain has said.

Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt has moved to reassure businesses they will not face legal action in connection with deals with Iranian firms.

A "blocking statute" comes into force on Tuesday that will nullify potential court action taken by the US over breach of the sanctions.

Hailing the law, Mr Burt said it would protect European businesses.

He told BBC radio: "If a company fears legal action taken against it and enforcement action taken against it by an entity in response to American sanctions then that company can be protected as far as EU legislation is concerned.

"It is a commercial decision for companies whether they continue to work in Iran."

Brussels says protecting businesses based there is necessary because the sanctions have an "unlawful" reach beyond US borders.

"We deeply regret the re-imposition of sanctions by the U.S," the EU said in a statement.

Other countries have also asked EU officials for details on the blocking regulations, as they explore ways to bypass sanctions.

"There is a clear interest around the world," one staffer said.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he would fully enforce sanctions imposed on Iran following his decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal.

The measures will hit key metals, such as gold, and the automotive industry.

Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, hit back by calling the move "psychological warfare".
Burka ban: These are the European countries that have banned face-coverings (Getty Images)

A number of countries in Europe have introduced bans on garments that partially or completely cover the face.

Often dubbed burka bans, the measures outlaw the wearing of Muslim face coverings, including niqabs, which veil the face but leaves the areas around the eyes clear, and burkas, which cover the entire body and face, often with a mesh screen to look through.

These are the countries that have the bans.

Denmark

Denmark announced a full ban on niqabs and burkas in May this year, with the law coming into force on 1 August. One woman wearing a face covering in a shopping centre was fined 120 in August, after another woman tried to tear it off.

Hundreds of Danes protested the introduction of the ban, accusing the government of taking away womens right to dress as they pleased.

Demonstrators in Copenhagen protest against the countrys burqa ban (Getty Images)

France

France banned the wearing of face-covering veils in all public places in 2010, the first European country to do so. The President at the time Nicolas Sarkozy said that the clothing was not welcome in the country.

Breaking the ban can result in a 135 fine, while anyone who forces another person to wear a face covering can be fined 27,000 and sentenced to a year in prison.

The country has also banned most religious symbols including hijabs, which do not cover the face, in public schools.

Germany

In Germany it is illegal for soldiers and state workers to wear garments that cover the face. After this ban was imposed a similar law preventing car and truck drivers was approved in 2017.

The introduction of the law was criticised by Germanys left-wing Die Linke and Die Grunen parties, who called the move a purely symbolic policy designed to win over right-wing and anti-immigration voters.

In Germanys Lower Saxony region, niqabs and burkas are banned in private schools.

Austria

An information pamphlet shows the new Austrian restrictions banning the wearing of burqas and other items covering the face in public places and buildings (Getty Images)

Clothing that covers the face has been banned in public spaces in Austria since 2017, and fines of 150 can be imposed as punishment.

Police in the country have criticised the law, admitting it has mainly resulted in warnings being issued against people wearing smog masks and animal costumes.

Story continues

Belgium

Belgium has outlawed the wearing of any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in public places.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the law does not breach human rights, after it was challenged by two Muslim women.

Bulgaria

Clothing that partially or completely covers the face is banned in public places including government offices, educational institutions, and places of public recreation is banned in Bulgaria, with fines of up to 688 for those breaking the ban.

Women who breach the ban can also have their state benefits cut.

Amnesty International UK condemned the ban, saying it was part of a disturbing trend of intolerance, xenophobia and racism in Bulgaria.

The Netherlands

This year The Netherlands banned face-coverings in public places, including schools, hospitals and on public transport.

The ban does not apply in public streets, but police have the power to ask people to remove face coverings in order to identify them.
France has reportedly reopened its investigation into missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The move, reported by French newspaper Le Parisien, comes after a long-awaited final report into the disappearance of the plane in 2014, published on July 30, failed to provide an explanation.

The aircraft was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board.

The long-awaited 449-page Malaysian report into the disappearance angered families of the victims, who said the lack of answers was either down to a cover-up or incompetence.

They issued a statement calling for the Malaysian government to release all data so it can be analysed by independent experts.

Report  the long-awaited report into the disappearance of flight MH370 sparked anger with victims families (Picture: AP)

According to Le Parisien, the Gendarmerie of Air Transport (GTA) in France has launched its own probe into the mysterious disappearance of the flight, which was carrying four French victims.

The newspaper said French investigators want to re-examine all the technical data provided by Inmarsat in order to verify its authenticity and confirm if the planes path was correctly plotted.

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However, the French Government has made no formal announcement about any investigation.

Official Statement by MH370 Families Association regarding the Annex 13 Safety Investigation Report. August 7, 2018. pic.twitter.com/5KuSIQDbhm  voice370 (@cryfortruth) August 7, 2018

Voice 370, a group comprising of and acting for relatives of those lost on MH370, issued a statement on Tuesday that included criticism of Boeing as well as calls on the Malaysian government to share data.

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It said: Voice 370 calls upon the Government of Malaysia to share all available data with independent experts for a thorough peer review and analysis.

We believe that after 4.5 years since MH370 disappeared, there is no reason to continue to withhold data when its probative value far outweighs any prejudicial effect.

The report, written by a team of local and international experts, said there was no evidence that Captain Zaharie Shah or his co-pilot were involved in the planes disappearance.

It said the plane was diverted from the planned route while under manual control but could not exclude the intervention of a third party.

The report prompted the resignation of Malaysias civil aviation chief after investigators found that Malaysian air traffic control and their Vietnamese counterparts failed to act properly when the Boeing jet  which was missing for 20 minutes before the alarm was raised  passed from Malaysian to Vietnamese airspace and disappeared from radars.
Trump gave the infamous nativist and vote-suppressor his pointed support, and it may have been just enough to save Kobachs bacon. Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Donald Trumps string of successful interventions in Republican primaries looked to be in good shape well into the evening on August 7, with his endorsed candidates in Michigan for governor (Bill Schuette) and senator (John James) both winning their primaries handily. Sure, both these gents are underdogs heading toward November. For the moment, though, Trumps domination of his party looked safe.

But as the wee hours approached, Trumps most prominent protege, Kansas secretary of State Kris Kobach, was locked in a tight race with incumbent Governor Jeff Colyer that looked likely to go south. For hours, a virtually dead-even contest awaited returns from the states largest jurisdiction, suburban Johnson County, where Colyer had handily beaten Kobach in early voting. Many observers went to bed figuring Kobachs goose was cooked.

But when the votes finally did roll in (a major glitch in a new computer system was blamed for the delays) on Wednesday morning, Kobach held onto a tiny but real 191 vote lead. It is clear in retrospect that Trumps late formal endorsement of Kobach boosted his election-day vote in Johnson County (and elsewhere) just enough to nudge him over the line  for now, at least.

Kobachs significance in Trumpland goes far beyond representing another notch on POTUSs gun. For nativists and vote-suppressors, Kobach was truly Trump before Trump, a celebrity and a role model, dating back to his co-authorship in 2010 of Arizonas infamous SB 1070, the show your papers bill, enshrining Latino profiling in that states law-enforcement policies. Kobach has since been a warrior against the phantom menace of voter fraud, helping his own and other states enact constitutionally dubious voter-ID laws and serving as vice-chair of (and all but running) Trumps hapless and ultimately abandoned Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity.

So Kobach isnt one of those Republicans who opportunistically became a Trump acolyte post-2016; his career stands at the dark, beating heart of Trumpism in its scarier dimensions.

And now it hangs by a thread in a late vote-counting process supervised by his own department.

While all 3,539 Kansas precincts have reported, provisional ballots remain to be counted. And perhaps more significantly, Kansas allows absentee ballots postmarked by election day to count if they are received by Friday. Theres no telling how either category of votes will fall. The state does not have an automatic recount law, but either candidate could request a recount if his campaign is willing to pay for it.

If, as appears almost certain, the primary goes into multiple overtime periods, its worth keeping in mind that Kobach and his followers probably wont be slow to allege voter fraud against his opponents, particularly after a federal judge earlier this year struck down his signature voter-ID law requiring proof of citizenship. Kobach recently told New Yorks Gabriel Debenedetti that he anticipated exactly such a development:

If Kansass gubernatorial race ends up being decided by fewer than 10,000 votes, he warned me, hes concerned the result may be affected by noncitizens voting illegally.

He was probably talking about a general election, but since some liberal groups (notably the ACLU, or as Kobachs campaign calls it, the George Sorosfunded ACLU) spent time and resources in Kansas urging Republican primary voters to reject Kobach, its not at all hard to imagine him alleging a conspiracy to sneak some dusky interlopers into the lily-white precincts of a Sunflower State GOP primary.

Much as Kobach would like to make this contest a Republican referendum on Trump in a party whose heart now belongs to Daddy, there were other reasons he didnt win in a walk and might still lose. Colyer, who as lieutenant governor ascended to the big chair in January when then-Governor Sam Brownback left Kansas to take a diplomatic post in the Trump administration, was endorsed by the NRA and Kansas legend Bob Dole, and in the past has been close to the Koch donor network, which is based in Kansas.

While a solid conservative, Colyer is very much the candidate of Republicans who have worked with Democrats to repeal (overriding Brownback vetoes) some of the tax cuts that made Kansas a conservative policy experiment gone badly wrong, making Brownback locally unpopular and nationally notorious. Kobach, meanwhile, has made no secret of the fact that he would return to Brownbacks fiscal policies, as the Kansas City Stars Steve Rose noted:

Because Kobachs priority has been fear-mongering, it was not entirely clear until his announcement for governor that he also stands for the same fiscal agenda as Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback. Kobach has now pledged to follow Brownbacks lead, seeking a reversal of recent tax increases, cutting taxes and slashing services.

So theres more at stake locally in this primary than whether Kansas goes all-in on making life difficult for unauthorized immigrants.

No one is going to say it out loud, but Kansas Democrats are probably praying that Kobach pulls out the nomination and fatally taints the states GOP with his unsavory odor. State legislator Laura Kelly easily defeated two credible opponents (including a former mayor of Wichita) to win the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. She is very much in the mold of former governor Kathleen Sebelius (an early supporter): a sober centrist with some natural appeal to moderate Republicans, a breed not entirely extinct in Kansas. She would definitely have a chance against Kobach in a race where even a small pro-Democratic and anti-Trump national wave would augment the resistance to this highly controversial man.

But first the GOP nomination has to be resolved, and between Trump and Kobach himself, its hard to imagine the final tally and potential recount going quietly.
By Ange Aboa

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo was released from detention on Wednesday after being granted an amnesty for her part in a short civil war in 2011, according to a Reuters witness.

The wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to accept electoral defeat triggered the war, walked out of Abidjan's Ecole de Gendarmerie in which she had been detained since 2013. President Alassane Ouattara granted her amnesty on Monday, along with 800 others.

The move appeared calculated at soothing political tensions ahead of 2020 elections that many fear could turn violent, as some past polls have.

Ivory Coast is Francophone West Africa's largest and most successful economy, and the world's leading cocoa producer, but the tendency of its politicians to exploit disputes over land and ethnicity makes it volatile around election time.

Some 3,000 people were killed in the war following the disputed 2010 election.

Ouattara's ruling RDR coalition has fallen out with the coalition's junior partner, the PDCI, whose leader Henri Konan Bedie expelled party members named to a new cabinet last month.

The alliance was seen as a key factor keeping the peace between Ivory Coast's central Baoule ethnic group and the rival Dioula people of northern Ivory Coast, many of whom are migrants from Mali and Burkina Faso.

Besides Simone Gbagbo, another beneficiary was Kamagate Souleymane, a former rebel when Laurent Gbagbo was in power, and who is close to national assembly leader Guillaume Soro.

(Writing by Tim Cocks, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean)
A shocking thing happened on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night: Jimmy Kimmel came to the defense of Donald Trump  kind of. More specifically, Kimmel came to the defense of Trumps star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which has repeatedly been vandalized  most recently when a man took a pickaxe to it. The star has yet to be replaced, and the West Hollywood City Council would like to keep it that way. The council recently voted unanimously to permanently remove the star, but Kimmel pointed out one major problem with that.

Trumps star isnt in West Hollywood where they voted, its in Hollywood, and one has absolutely nothing to do with the other, Kimmel said. West Hollywood and Hollywood are like Virginia and West Virginia, theyre unrelated, which means theres no reason for the West Hollywood city council to be voting on this.

Kimmel compared this to a neighbor voting that another had to paint their house. It just doesnt make sense. In fact, Kimmel had several reasons why the West Hollywood vote was a complete waste of time.

They didnt install his star. They didnt pay for his star, and when the star gets damaged, it doesnt cost them anything. This is none of their business, Kimmel said.

The councils reason for wanting the star removed is Trumps disturbing treatment of women and other actions that do not meet the shared values of the City of West Hollywood, the region, state, and country.

But its not up to them. Its up to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, who in 2015 refused to remove the star of Bill Cosby, who has since been convicted of sexual assault.

Kimmel even had a couple of reasons why Trumps star belongs right where it is. According to Kimmel, the sidewalk is filthy, disease-ridden, and urine soaked. Another reason the star belongs where it is: Kevin Spacey, who has been accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct, has a star right next to Trumps.

Jimmy Kimmel Live airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live for free on Yahoo View.

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Police in London have hit a violent drug-dealing network hard after 14 suspects were arrested in dawn raids.

The early-morning peace was shattered by shouts of police as groups of officers in helmets used specialist entry kits to smash down doors in the Lewisham and Southwark areas of south-east London, and Wembley in north-west London, at sunrise.

A dawn raid of a violent drug-dealing network has seen 14 arrests in one morning (PA)

Some 185 officers raided 15 properties on Wednesday morning, and senior police figures believe violent crime could drop in parts of London following the intelligence-led operation.

Thirteen men and one woman  aged between 18 and 48  were arrested for drug-related offences and have been taken into custody at various south London police stations.

At one of the properties officers found a suspected handgun hidden inside a sock.

Officers in helmets used specialist entry kits to smash down doors in the Lewisham and Southwark areas of south-east London, and Wembley in north-west London (PA)

A knife recovered at an address in New Cross (Met Police)

The bulk of the drugs were being supplied in the New Cross area, police said.

At one address in New Cross a panicked occupant threw suspected class A drugs out of the window, only for the package to be caught by an approaching officer.

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In excess of 200 rocks of cocaine and heroin is believed to have been recovered.

Temporary Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: The operation has gone very successfully, we found drugs at all 15 addresses we searched.

The men involved are men of violence, and drugs are intrinsically linked to violence. They are causing real harm and are the people we were after.

I think this will significantly impact violent crime in this part of London.

A handgun and large amounts of Class A drugs were seized (PA)

The bulk of the drugs were being supplied in the New Cross area, according to police (PA)

Some 15 addresses were raided in total  12 in Lewisham, two in Southwark and one in Wembley.

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Some suspects were linked to gangs, were known to carry knives and had been involved in violent crime in the past, police said.

A handgun was found hidden inside a sock at an address in New Cross (Met Police)

Detectives are probing the network to find out if drugs were being taken outside the capital and supplied to neighbouring counties (PA)

Detectives are probing the network for any county lines activity, to find out if drugs were being taken outside the capital and supplied to neighbouring counties.

Geeta Subramaniam, director of public protection and safety at Lewisham Council, said she hoped the operation would reduce crime in the area and deter others from falling into drug dealing.

She said she had been working to educate teenagers about the dangers, saying: Its so hard for kids once theyre in these criminal networks to get out.
FILE PHOTO: The company logo of Prudential is seen at its headquarters in Hong Kong March 9, 2010. REUTERS/Bobby Yip /File Photo

By Carolyn Cohn

LONDON (Reuters) - Insurer Prudential <PRU.L> is unlikely to split into two before late 2019, it said on Wednesday as growth in Asia helped it beat first-half profit forecasts.

Britain's largest listed insurer said in March it planned to demerge M&G Prudential, its UK and Europe life insurance and asset management business, into a separate business with a London listing. The remaining Prudential business will focus on Asia and the United States.

Other insurers and asset managers such as Old Mutual and Standard Life Aberdeen have also restructured their businesses as they grapple with increased regulatory requirements and competitive pressures.

Bankers and analysts have speculated about further carve-ups of the group.

Chinese insurer Ping An <601318.SS> is looking to buy Prudential's Asia business, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, helping send Prudential's shares up more than 3 percent to the top of London's FTSE 100 index <.FTSE>. The insurer has not been approached by Ping An, a source told Reuters.

Work on the M&G Prudential listing was likely to finish by late next year, Prudential's Chief Executive Mike Wells told a media call though he added that the precise date would likely be affected by "variables we can't control".

The need for court-sanctioned transfers of insurance contracts following Prudential's sale of 12 billion pounds in annuity policies to Rothesay Life in March mean the listing date is unlikely to be sooner, Wells said.

M&G Prudential had made good progress towards the demerger on areas such as debt restructuring and management changes, Wells said.

After the spin-off, Prudential's international business will be subject to Hong Kong regulation but will remain headquartered in Britain, Prudential said in a statement.

M&G Prudential and the international business are both likely to be in the FTSE 100 index after the demerger.

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Prudential reported a 9 percent rise in first-half operating profit to 2.4 billion pounds ($3.1 billion), boosted by its Asian business, its largest business in terms of operating profit.

Profit from new business in Asia rose 11 percent and Asia operating profit increased by 14 percent on a constant currency basis, Prudential said.

Group operating profit was forecast at 2.25 billion pounds, according to a company-compiled consensus.

"Pru remains the blue riband company within the sector," Panmure Gordon analyst Barrie Cornes said in a note, reiterating his buy rating on the stock.

Rival Aviva <AV.L> last week announced a 2 percent dip in first-half operating profit.

Legal & General <LGEN.L> is due to report first-half results on Thursday.

Prudential said it would pay an interim dividend of 15.67 pence per share, up 8 percent and in line with forecasts.

Prudential shares were up 3.3 percent at 18.15 pounds per share at 1557 GMT, the best performer in the FTSE 100.

(Additional reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru and Emma Rumney in London, editing by Huw Jones/Jane Merriman/Susan Fenton)
By Allison Lampert and Aziz El Yaakoubi

MONTREAL/RIYADH (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday said he would keep pressing Saudi Arabia on civil liberties amid a major diplomatic dispute but also offered an apparent olive branch, saying the kingdom had made some progress on human rights.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir - infuriated by Canada's demand last week that jailed rights activists be released immediately - said earlier on Wednesday that there was no room for mediation, adding that Ottawa knew what it needed to do to "fix its big mistake."

Riyadh on Sunday froze new trade with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador. It also ended state-backed educational and medical programmes in Canada.

Trudeau - who referred to the matter as "a diplomatic difference of opinion" - told reporters in Montreal that Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland had held a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, but gave no details.

"Diplomatic talks continue ... we don't want to have poor relations with Saudi Arabia. It is a country that has great significance in the world, that is making progress in the area of human rights," he said.

"But we will continue underscoring challenges where and when they exist, in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere," he continued.

On Friday, Canada expressed concern over the arrests of activists in Saudi Arabia, including prominent women's rights campaigner Samar Badawi.

Her brother Raif Badawi, a prominent blogger, is serving a 10-year sentence and has been publicly flogged for expressing dissenting opinions online. His wife and children live in Canada and are Canadian citizens.

A number of women's rights activists, who campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the kingdom's male guardianship system, have been targeted in a government crackdown in recent months, human rights' groups say.

Jubeir said the kingdom was still "considering additional measures" against Canada, but did not elaborate. Canadian investments in Saudi Arabia were still ongoing and would not be affected by the dispute, he said.

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The Financial Times, citing unidentified sources, reported that the Saudi central bank and state pension funds had instructed their overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost".

The central bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters query for comment. Canada's foreign ministry said it was seeking clarity from the Saudi Arabian government.

A source at a Saudi bank told Reuters it was contacted by the central bank on Wednesday asking for information about all its Canadian exposure  investments in Canada and foreign exchange positions.

THREAT TO INVESTMENT?

Since rising to power in 2015, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has courted Western allies to support his reform plans, offering billions of dollars of arms sales and promising to fight radicalism in the kingdom.

But the row threatens to slow Riyadh's foreign investment drive, a campaign already unsettled by a series of assertive foreign policy initiatives by the top oil exporter.

"Saudi Arabia simply cannot afford to alienate any other sections of the global community in the midst of its unpopular military engagement in Yemen, its indirect confrontation with Iran," commentator Jamal Khashoggi wrote in the Washington Post.

In addition to the trade freeze, Riyadh has stopped sending patients to Canadian hospitals and told hundreds of trainee doctors to leave Canada with only weeks' notice.

That could disrupt Canadian hospitals and end a 40-year-old program to train specialists for the kingdom.

Saudi authorities also suspended educational exchanges, and moved Saudi scholars to other countries. Saudi's state airline said it was suspending flights to and from Toronto.

Saudi Arabia's main state wheat-buying agency told grains exporters it will no longer accept Canadian-origin grains in international tenders, European traders said.

Bilateral trade between Canada and Saudi Arabia is worth nearly $4 billion a year. Canadian exports to Saudi Arabia were about $1.12 billion in 2017, or 0.2 percent of the total value of Canadian exports.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Canada planned to seek help from United Arab Emirates and Britain to defuse the row.

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh; additional reporting by Davide Barscubia and Katie Paul in Dubai, Hesham Hajali in Cairo, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Fergal Smith, Allison Smith and Danya Hajjaji in Toronto, and John Benny in Bengaluru, Editing by William Maclean and Rosalba O'Brien)
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A $250 million (193.27 million pounds)superyacht, impounded as part of a hunt for assets linked to the multi-billion dollar investigation into 1Malaysia Development Bhd, arrived at a port in Malaysia on Tuesday about six months after it was seized.

The Cayman Islands-flagged Equanimity was first seized in the Indonesian holiday venue of Bali in February at the request of U.S. authorities investigating 1MDB.

The Malaysian state fund is at the centre of money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. A total of $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund and their associates, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The yacht is among assets that included real estate, jewellery and a Picasso painting that the DOJ says were bought with funds stolen from 1MDB.

The yacht cruised into Port Klang, near Kuala Lumpur, amid tight security, flanked by marine police boats, as media and onlookers gathered to catch a glimpse of the ship.

Once docked, dozens of Malaysian enforcement officers boarded to serve an arrest warrant on the vessel, inspect it and question the crew. Indonesia, which had impounded the yacht, handed it over to Malaysia on Monday.

Malaysian Attorney General Tommy Thomas said in a statement that the yacht was brought to Malaysia after legal treaties between Indonesia, the United States and Malaysia were activated.

"1MDB claims ownership to this vessel... as they believe that their money was misappropriated and used to purchase the vessel," said Sitpah Selvaratnam, a lawyer representing 1MDB.

Sitpah, part of the group inspecting the yacht, said the vessel carried 17 crew members and appeared to be in good condition.

GOLD LEAF INTERIOR, SWIMMING POOL, MOVIE THEATRE

The DOJ has alleged in lawsuits filed in the United States that the 300-ft (91-m) yacht was bought by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, with funds diverted from 1MDB.

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Malaysian authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Low, whose whereabouts are unknown. Low, whose Malaysia passport has been revoked, has previously denied any wrongdoing.

According to yachtcharterfleet.com, a website for luxury charters, the Equanimity has an interior clad in marble and gold leaf, a spa and sauna, a 20-metre (66-ft) swimming pool, a movie theatre, a lift and a helipad.

Owners of the yacht, Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd., said in a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday that the Malaysian government took the vessel in direct violation of an existing Indonesian court decision and an order of the U.S. court.

"Although the Indonesian and U.S. court proceedings had led to conflicting decisions regarding the status of the yacht, both proceedings at least had been open and transparent, with Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd. being given a fair opportunity to present its positions and arguments," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for whatever actions were undertaken by the Government of Malaysia to seize the yacht," it added.

The owners filed a petition in a U.S. court earlier contesting the handover of the vessel to Malaysia calling it an "unlawful and extrajudicial" seizure.

The petition also questioned the lawfulness of a warrant issued by the Indonesian police to turnover the vessel to Malaysia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ousted his predecessor Najib Razak in an election in May. He immediately launched an investigation into 1MDB, which had been founded by Najib. Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Praveen Menon and Neil Fullick & Simon Cameron-Moore)
MOMBASA (Reuters) - Five Kenyan soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by the Somali group al Shaabab in Lamu County on Kenya's north coast on Wednesday, a senior official said.

The local government official in the county, who asked not to be named, said the attack occurred between the areas of Majengo and Bodhei. He said five soldiers were killed after their truck ran over an improvised explosive device.

"We heard a blast. Shortly after, KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) choppers were patrolling in the air," the official told Reuters.

Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna told Reuters that six soldiers were injured, two critically, in the explosion but none were killed.

It was not immediately clear why the accounts of the KDF and the county official differed.

Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, said the group was behind the attack on the KDF convoy, and put the number of those killed at nine.

Kenyan officials say the group often exaggerates casualty figures.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab aims to topple Somalia's U.N.-backed government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam. They have intensified attacks in Kenya since it sent troops into Somalia in 2011.

The group has launched several attacks, including ones in which they have beheaded people, in the past year in the coastal county. Kenyan security officials say the militants have used the Boni forest straddling the Kenya-Somalia border as a hideout and base for attacks. [L5N1UZ6G8]

(Reporting by Joseph Akwiri; Additional reporting by Feisal Omar in Mogadishu and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick)
The Syrian first lady, Asma al Assad, is being treated for breast cancer in Damascus.

The country's presidency confirmed her news in a post on Facebook, where she was pictured in hospital with what appeared to be an IV drip in her arm.

Sitting next to her was her husband President Bashar al Assad, who wished her a speedy recovery.

The malignant tumour is understood to have been caught early.

In a statement, the presidency said she had shown "strength, confidence and faith" as she embarked upon the initial stages of treatment.

The announcement is unusual, as cancer is considered a taboo in the Arab world.

Asma AL Assad, 42, has been married to the president for 18 years, and they have three children, Hafez, Zein, and Karim.

She was raised in Britain and her father is a Harley Street doctor.
By Humeyra Pamuk and Ali Kucukgocmen

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will continue to buy natural gas from Iran in line with its long-term supply contract, Turkey's energy minister said on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that anyone trading with Iran will not do business with America.

NATO member Turkey is dependent on imports for almost all of its energy needs and Iran is a key supplier of Ankara's natural gas and oil purchases. While the Turkish refiner Tupras has already cut back on oil shipments from Tehran, a complete halt of energy imports would be near impossible.

Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told A Haber broadcaster that he expected Ankara's talks with Washington on the issue to yield a positive outcome.

"A delegation of ours is in the United States right now and negotiations are being held on a series of matters including the sanctions issue," Donmez told broadcaster A Haber. "I think a good outcome will emerge from this dialogue."

A Turkish delegation is visiting Washington this week to discuss growing friction between the NATO allies, according to reports on Tuesday, while Washington said the two countries remained at odds on its core demand that Ankara free American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson.

Donmez said Turkey's long-term supply contract with the Islamic Republic was valid until 2026 and Ankara was set to buy the 9.5 billion cubic meter of the contract amount. "We will be continuing this trade as we can't possibly leave our citizens in dark," he said.

Nearly 40 percent of Turkey's electricity production is sourced with natural gas.

'UNILATERAL'

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme and said firms doing business with Tehran would be barred from the United States, as new U.S. sanctions against Iran took effect on Tuesday.

The sanctions target Iran's purchases of U.S. dollars, metals trading, coal, industrial software and the auto sector and did not include Iran's oil exports, but global oil prices rose on Tuesday in anticipation.

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U.S. sanctions on Iran's energy sector are set to be re-imposed after a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on Nov. 4.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States," Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

Turkey's biggest oil importer Tupras has cut back purchases of Iranian crude since May, and analysts say Tupras is likely to stick to lower volumes in coming months.

Donmez described the sanctions as "unilateral".

"Even European Union (EU) is extremely annoyed by this. We are conducting legitimate trade here," he said. "And this is important for us in terms of supply security as well."

Pulling out of the 2015 Iran agreement, Trump has ignored pleas from the other world powers that had co-sponsored the deal, including Washington's main European allies Britain, France and Germany, as well as Russia and China.

European countries, hoping to persuade Tehran to continue to respect the deal, have promised to try to lessen the blow of sanctions and to urge their firms not to pull out. But that has proven difficult: European companies have quit Iran, arguing that they cannot risk their U.S. business.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by David Dolan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
People protest Trump administration policies that threaten the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid, near the Wilshire Federal Building on January 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. Photo: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images

Since the Obamacare wars began in 2009, Republicans have recognized the ideological stakes with perfect clarity. Obamacare constituted a substantial redistribution of resources from rich to poor (and from healthy to sick), and the party has accordingly set out to destroy it. A faction of the far left has never understood what all the fuss was about. When you look closely at the views of many of them, the reason becomes clear: They are so poorly informed on the policy that they literally fail to grasp the issues being contested.

Not long ago, I observed that the Republicans stand out among major right-of-center parties in their refusal to subsidize medical care for those who cant afford it themselves. Jacobin executive editor Seth Ackerman rises to defend the honor of the Republican Party. Ackerman argues, to the contrary, that (1) Republicans dont care much about denying insurance to the poor and sick; (2) they instead care primarily about protecting profits of the insurance industry; and (3) Democrats have more or less the same priorities. All these claims would astonish anybody who has followed Obamacare since 2009.

Ackerman begins by denying my characterization of the GOP as dedicated to denying expansions of health insurance subsidies:

Sure, thats what the Republicans rhetoric says. But look, for example, at the eighteen, mostly deep-red states that refused to participate in the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. Since Obamacare began, the total number of Medicaid enrollees in those states has actually increased by 11 percent, from 18.6 million to 20.9 million, with fifteen of the eighteen states seeing increases and only two seeing decreases.

Notice that Ackerman glides right over the fact that Republican-led states have, actually, mostly refused to take part in the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Of course, this point that he glides past is an extremely important decision that supports my conclusion and undermines his. These states are turning down free money from the federal government, burdening not only their state budgets but also their state hospitals, which will have to eat the cost of treating the uninsured patients who show up in emergency rooms and who would have been covered courtesy of Uncle Sam. This choice shows how most Republicans are not merely indifferent to covering the poor but so actively hostile they are willing to impose pain on constituencies they do care about, just to keep the poor uninsured. Ackerman has nothing to say about this, because it would be difficult to acknowledge this fact without fatally undermining his entire case.

Instead, Ackerman perversely credits Republican-led state governments with expanding the Medicaid population while boycotting Obamacare. It is true that the non-expansion states had an increase in the Medicaid population anyway. But this had nothing to do with Republican policy or decisions. What happened is called the woodwork effect. Learning about Obamacare, uninsured people decided to sign up, and then discovered they were already eligible for Medicaid even without the Obamacare expansion.

Ackerman says Republicans chose to allow those sign-ups. The Republicans who control those state governments could have slashed those numbers if theyd wanted to, he writes. But they dont. This is also false. Judy Solomon, a health-care policy expert at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told me, Most of these states cover the groups they have to cover under federal law and so legislatures or policymakers had little ability to scale back.

Ackerman proceeds to argue that Republicans only care about insurance industry profits:

What theyre most keenly opposed to  besides any policy with the name Obama on it  are precisely efforts to provide public health insurance to people who otherwise might be able to afford to buy private insurance of some kind. Because that would be bad for business.

This claim is even more divorced from reality than his previous one. In the eight years since Obamacare was signed into law, Republicans have continuously taken steps that threaten insurance industry profits. Obamacare contains a series of measures to ensure the stability of the risk pool, compensating insurers who wind up with unusually sick customers. Republicans have repeatedly undermined those provisions, either legislatively, by filing lawsuits to block the payments to insurers, or (once Trump took office) simply refusing to make them. They passed a tax cut that included a repeal of the individual mandate, the provision in Obamacare that insurers most support.

The state-level Republican crusade to deny the Medicaid expansion also hurt insurers. Medicaid wound up soaking up costly patients, freeing insurers to cover a healthier population. (Two studies found this result.) Thats why, Solomon confirmed to me, in most states [insurers] do support expansion in my experience. The clear and consistent pattern is one of Republicans repeatedly threatening insurers, to the point of withholding payments they were legally owed, in order to prevent poor and sick people from getting insurance. It is bizarre that Ackerman concludes that the GOP doesnt actually care about denying insurance to the poor and sick (a goal it has in fact pursued fervently) and instead cares about profits for insurers (a goal it has in fact undermined relentlessly).

Ackermans backwards understanding of the issue proceeds from a fixation with corporate profit  in this case, the insurance industry  as the source of all evil. It makes sense, from a left-wing ideological standpoint, that the two neoliberal parties would be united in their primary objective of protecting industry profit. Its just not what actually happened. The a priori application of Marxist materialist principles is not an adequate substitute for reading the news. In this case, Ackermans obsession with corporate profit has left him indifferent to real-world human suffering that fails to comport to his neat abstract model. It is not the first time Marxists have made this error.
Oil and gas company Savannah Petroleum announced the signature of a legally-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) between its Niger subsidiary, Savannah Niger, and the Republic of Niger on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said the MoU affirmed both parties commitment to the realisation of a proposed early production scheme (EPS) utilising crude oil resources associated with Savannah's recent discoveries in the R3 portion of the R3/R4 production sharing contract area in the Agadem Rift Basin of South East Niger.

It said the MoU further bound both parties to work together towards the realisation of the EPS, and contains specific provisions relating to the actions each party had undertaken to conduct, as well as setting out the key timelines associated with the project.

The EPS was intended to be domestically-focussed, with oil produced from Savannah Niger's R3 area discoveries expected to be sold at the Societe de Raffinage de Zinder (SORAZ) refinery, which was connected to the Agadem Rift Basin via the third-party owned 463 km Agadem-Zinder crude oil transportation pipeline.

As part of the memorandum, the Republic of Niger had confirmed its intention to facilitate the conclusion of a crude oil marketing agreement between Savannah Niger and SORAZ.

It would also facilitate the conclusion of an infrastructure access agreement between Savannah Niger and the owner of third-party crude oil processing and transportation infrastructure, subject to confirmation of the compatibility of the proposed crude oil Savannah Niger intends to include in the EPS, and those crude oils currently being processed and transported through that infrastructure.

For its part, Savannah had undertaken to submit a pre-feasibility study to the Republic of Niger within 90 days of the signature of the MoU in relation to the discovered crude oil resources in the R3 area anticipated to be included in the EPS.

It also agreed to submit an application to the Republic of Niger for the issuance of an exclusive exploitation authorisation within 90 days of the finalisation of commercial documentation between Savannah Niger, SORAZ and the third-party infrastructure owner.

Our Niger project team is highly focused around the delivery of near-term production and cash flows from existing and future discoveries in the R3 area; and further material reserve adds through our ongoing exploration and appraisal drilling program, said Savannah chief executive officer Andrew Knott.

The signature of the MoU provides a clear pathway in relation to our first objective and is a major milestone.

In relation to the second objective, Savannah benefits from the large bank of drill-ready exploration prospects that our technical team has mapped within our PSC areas.

Knott said the board believed the vast majority of the prospects had similar risk profiles to the ones the firm had already successfully drilled, and therefore it looked forward with confidence to the results of the wells still to come in the campaign.

It is an exciting period for Savannah and our stakeholders and I look forward to providing further updates as our Niger project progresses over the course of the coming months.
As Tesla confirmed that its board had met "several times" over the last week to discuss taking the company private, analysts weighed in on the news, questioning where the funding would come from.

Chief executive officer and founder Elon Musk - who owns 20% of the electric car maker - tweeted on Tuesday that he was considering the move at $420 and that funding had been secured.

The price put forward by Musk equates to a total market valuation of $71bn, given the 170m shares in issue at the end of the second quarter. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said that would leave Musk needing to find $57bn from somewhere, if he had to buy out every other shareholder, which is something he says he does not want to do.

"Were Tesla itself to take on that debt, that would be a huge burden for a company which is in loss, consuming cash and has net borrowings of $8.7 billion," he said. He argued that Musk would be better off tapping public markets for equity and debt rather than trying to raise funding privately, "especially as Teslas 2025 bonds are rated Caa1 by Moodys, B- by S&P - in other words, heavily into junk territory so new borrowings would be expensive".

"Why not simply tap eager and supportive shareholders for freely available capital?" he said.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley sympathised with Musk's argument that Tesla would be better off private, without the distraction and short-termism of the public market.

"What's harder to get is if the capital markets can support a leveraged buyout and if Tesla can support far greater financial leverage. Isn't this the moment investors waited for to exit?" it said.

MS also argued that the benefits of going private are outweighed by the risks of added financial leverage, which can be even more strategically limiting.

"There remains a significant amount of near-term execution risk around the Model 3 ramp as well as medium-to-long-term ability to generate sustainable levels of cash flow. Adding as much as $50bn of net debt to the capital structure (70% debt assumption in our model) would clearly intensify the outcomes of such an action."

Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, said the company's statement does little to address the key question of where the funding will come from.

"The statement was very tentative and indicated there is not a firm plan in place in terms of structure or funding. It was noticeable that it did not come directly from the board but from some of the directors, which may indicate some division over the course of action being mooted."

Wilson suggested the likeliest backers would be an external investor, such as Saudi Arabia or maybe China. He also noted that Japan's Softbank has been discussed, although it has a stake in rival Cruise.

"A leveraged buyout seems off the table given a) the company has no cash flow and therefore debt markets wont be that friendly and b) Musk has scrubbed half the premium off any such deal by his tweets," Wilson said.

"The SEC will be watching closely and hedgies caught on the wrong side will be paying even closer attention to determine if it constitutes market manipulation. If it goes private, probably all is well and Musk can take it as a strong show of support - but if not, and it can be shown he did not have any concrete offers of funding before tweeting, he could be accused of wrongdoing."

RBC Capital Markets said the fact Tesla is mulling going private suggests there is significant outside funding that is interested, as traditional buyout funding is challenging.

"Learning who this is will be important (and relevant for shareholders deciding whether they should stay involved should the deal consummate)," RBC said.

It mostly agrees with Musk's sentiment that being public puts more focus on short-term quarterly metrics and distracts from the long-term mission. "However, being private could hamper raising new equity if ever needed," RBC added.

At 1620 BST, the shares were down 1.2% to $374.86.
Ryanair 's staffing problems continue to rumble on as pilots in Germany joined those of Ireland, Belgium and Sweden in calling a 24-hour strike on Friday, which could ground around 400 flights and affect thousands of passengers.

The walkout is part of an ongoing dispute over working conditions that have already resulted in four separate one-day strikes from Irish pilots, with total strikes around Europe resulting in more than 2,500 flight cancellations for the budget carrier in the first quarter of the year.

With Germany added to Friday's strike, around 45,000 passengers will be given 48 hours notice or less that their flights have been cancelled.

The Dublin-headquartered airline recognised pilot unions last year but has failed to agree on collective labour deals with staff across Europe.

Ryanair has been forced to cancel 20 of its scheduled 300 Irish flights on Friday, affecting around 3,500 customers. In Germany, all 250 flights will be affected, accounting for around 10% of all European flights scheduled that day.

The walkout in Belgium will affect 104 flights, whereas in Sweden it will affect 22 services.

Stranded customers will be rescheduled on other flights or will be refunded. The airline said the strike constitutes as extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the company and will not pay compensation to affected travellers.

However, Martin Locher, president of the German union, Vereinigung Cockpit, said: "Improvements are inconceivable without staff cost increases in the cockpit. Ryanair categorically ruled out any increase in staff costs in the negotiations.

"Ryanair alone is responsible for the escalation that has now occurred."

The airline is now battling Dutch pilots to prevent them going on strike during the summer. The Dutch Airline Pilots Association said it was outraged the pilots labour rights are not being respected.

Ryanair's chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said the airline sent VC a new proposal on a collective labour agreement on 3 August "and stated our intention to work towards achieving a CLA together" and an invitation to meet the company had not been taken.

"Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions," Jacobs said, arguing that Ryanair pilots earn more than Eurowings and Norwegian Air pilots.

Ryanair is now forced to cancel 250 flights of over 2,400 flights scheduled to operate on Friday 10 August. We apologise to our customers for this unnecessary strike and regrettable disruption.

Under rules for European air passengers rights, if Ryanair is unable to fly customers to where they need to be on the day of their original flight or the following day, customers can demand to be booked on a rival airline, if seats are available.

However, under these rules, industrial action is usually classed as extraordinary circumstances and so no compensation is paid.
China hit back at looming US tariffs on Wednesday, with the country's commerce ministry in Beijing announcing its intention to impose 25% import duties targeting $16bn-worth of US goods.

The ministry said the measures will hit goods such as coal, oil, chemicals and medical equipment once they come into effect on 23 August, immediately after the US launches its tariffs on the same amount of Chinese goods.

Those would follow duties of 25% on Chinese imports worth $34bn last month which had been imposed by the US, which had also been immediately echoed by Beijing.

Wang Tao, head of China economic research at UBS in Hong Kong, said: "We're not yet past the point of no return but we're edging closer to it. The risk is that the US administrations gamble to strong-arm China into giving into all US demands without some compromise only leads to successive rounds of higher and higher tariffs."

President Trump has indicated that he may tax effectively all imports of Chinese goods, which reached over $500bn last year, and is understood to be currently considering placing a 10% tariff on another $200bn-worth of Chinese goods, which could come into effect in September.

In fact, the tariff on those $200bn of goods might yet rise to 25%.

Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley FBR, described the back and forth as "tit-for-tat exactly", and said that China would quite happily match the US until it has "no more levers to pull".

Indeed, China has threatened its own $60bn-worth of tariffs on American imports last week if the Trump administration moved ahead with $200bn-worth of levies.

The continued escalation dates back to January, when the President announced import tariffs in order to negotiate what he called "fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores".

Figures so far suggest that the measures have not yet delivered Trumps desired effect as Beijing reported a $28.1bn trade surplus with the US in July, 11% higher than in the same month last year.
Stocks are trading slightly lower following news that a new set of US sanctions will kick-in in just over a fortnight.

According to the US Trade Representative's Office, a 25% levy on a further $16.0bn of Chinese imports will be collected starting from 23 August.

Yet data released overnight had shown the rate of growth in Chinese exports picking-up from a year-on-year clip of 11.2% in May to a 12.2% pace for June.

In the background, analysts at Jefferies were telling clients: "The bottom line is that to date trade tariffs have not noticeably impacted overall growth. However, there are no signs that the US and China are any closer in finding agreement on trade. The likelihood is that the dispute will run beyond the November US mid-term elections."

Against that backdrop, as of 1210 BST the benchmark Stoxx 600 was dipping 0.08% or 0.36 points to 390.13, alongside a fall of 0.11% or 14.24 points to 12,633.21, although the FTSE Mibtel was adding 0.42% or 91.58 points to 21,944.93.

To take note of too, in the background the USTR was already assessing the possibility of levying a 10% tariff on another $200bn-worth of Chinese goods exports towards mid-September, which might be increased to 25%.

Overall, economic data was on the weak side on Wednesday.

Spanish industrial production fell by 0.6% month-on-month in June, according to INE, following a rise of 0.8% in the month before, led by declines in the output of energy (-3.8%) and durable consumer goods (-1.4%).

Meanwhile, in France, the central bank's industrial business sentiment index was unchanged in July from the month before, at a reading of 101.0.

In parallel, Banque de France projected that the country's GDP would grow at a quarter-on-quarter clip of 0.4% over the three months ending in September.

Shares of Casino Guichard-Perrachon were sliding sharply lower after analysts at Sanford C.Bernstein slashed their target price on the French retailer from 35.0 to 26.0.

The broker cited the greater-than-expected impact of related-party transactions on the company's valuation, saying that it left it "concerned about leverage triggers at other levels of the Casino holding structure."

ABN Amro stock on the other hand was higher even after it posted a 28% decline in second quarter profits to 688.0m.

Yet critically, the Dutch lender left the door open to a possible extra dividend payout after it reached the upper end of its targeted range for its capital buffers.
The BBC issued contracts worth 2.5m to recruit six PR agencies to promote the benefits of paying a monthly TV licence fee and detail the consequences of not paying over a three to five-year period.

From April 2019, the agencies chosen will be the "face of TV licensing in their geographical area", The Times reported. They will have to deliver a "strategic programme of TV licensing communications across the UK."

The work will be split across six regions: London and the South East, Midlands and East Anglia, Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The agencies will answer enquiries from journalists and place stories in local papers to promote the purchase of a 150.50 colour licence by law or face a 1,000 penalty.

A TV licensing spokesman commented: "The work of the agencies and the BBCs TV Licensing communications team has been proven to bring in more money from TV licence sales than it costs.

"Those working on TV Licensing communications perform a completely different job to the BBC press office, including spending half their time on working with stakeholders such as money advice organisations to help people pay their licence.

"We will, as always, be looking for the best value for money in the procurement and we have kept the cost of these contracts down at the same level for the last decade," he concluded.

The Times reported that the costly investment was equivalent to 16,000 TV licences and didnt include the broadcasters current in-house enforcement team and press office. The BBC defended the move and said it would generate more revenues than costs.

The move comes a month after BBC director-general Lord Hall of Birkenhead warned the corporation faced "tough choices", with funding for UK services down 20% in real terms since 2010.

In April, the cost colour television licence was increased by 3.50 to 150.50, in the second rise in two years, following a freeze since 2010. Over 3.8m in revenue was raised this way in the year 2016/17.
Firm warns senior UK managers staying put as worries increase

Recruitment firm PageGroup swatted aside Brexit worries and lavished the cash on shareholders on Wednesday, lifting its interim dividend by 5% and coughing up its fourth consecutive special payout.

However, the company warned that "Brexit-related uncertainty continued to impact decision-making from clients and candidates at more senior levels of the market.

Pre-tax profits increased 18.1% to 67.2m on the back of an 11.7% rise in revenue to 751.6m. The interim dividend was increased to 4.1p a share along with a special payout of 12.73p a share.

Currency headwinds hit gross profit by 6m and operating profit by 1m, PageGroup said.

Chief executive Steve Ingham said there remained challenges for the group, including Brexit in the UK, trading in Catalonia and forthcoming elections in Latin America.

Revenue in the UK, which represents 18% of the group gross profits, declined 3.5% to 155m and gross profit slipped 4.6% to 69.7m, with

Page Personnel, which has a higher proportion of temporary recruitment, grew 3%, while Michael Page, which is focused on more senior candidates, declined 7%, the company said.

In Asia Pacific, representing 19% of group first half gross profit, revenue increased 7.5% in reported rates to 125.6m and gross profit increased 11.1% to 74.1m. In constant currency, revenue increased 13% in the first half and gross profit increased by 16.1%.

"In Asia, we have two of our Large, High Potential markets, Greater China and South East Asia, as well as two other large recruitment markets, India and Japan, in which we continue to invest heavily. As a result, we grew fee earner headcount by 36% year-on-year, which in part helped us to achieve gross profit growth of 20%," Page said.

"In addition, in the Asia Pacific region we have opened 3 new offices, Chengdu, in the west of China, Canberra in Australia and our first office in Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City."

In the Americas, representing 14% of group first half gross profit, revenue increased 12.1% in reported rates to 81.3m , while gross profit increased 14.2% to 57.3m. In constant currency, revenue increased by 22.6% and gross profit increased by 24.9%.

"North America saw growth of 22% in both the US and Canada. In the US, we continued to invest, with fee earner headcount up 32 or 9% in H1, following the increase of 64 or 21% in 2017," the company said.

"We saw particularly strong performances from our offices outside of New York, which now represent 54% of the US, a proportion that has grown by around 50% since 2015, and which grew 31% collectively."
Looking at Troy Baldersons results, the GOP must be sweating. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Republicans seemed extremely worried heading into the special election in Ohios 12th Congressional District, and while their candidate is in the lead, Tuesdays election will probably do little to change the mood within the GOP. Though the district has been represented by a Republican for decades and Cook Political Report ranks it as R+7, Republican Troy Balderson is beating Democrat Danny OConnor by less than a percentage point, with 100 percent reporting.

Balderson declared victory on Tuesday night, but OConnor hasnt conceded and the AP has yet to call the race. Balderson is currently ahead by just 1,754 votes, and Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted said late on Tuesday night that 3,435 provisional ballots and 5,048 absentee ballots were cast in the race. According to state law, they can not be counted until August 18. If the provisional and absentee ballots drop Baldersons lead from 0.9 percent to below 0.5 percent, that would trigger an automatic recount.

Not-crazy scenario:

-- Provisional ballots lower Balderson's margin to a tick below 0.5%

-- Which (if I'm reading the law right) will trigger an automatic recount in Ohio

-- But Balderson wins the recount because recounts rarely reverse results unless it's really *really* close.  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 8, 2018

While Republicans were spared from headlines proclaiming a stunning Democratic win on Tuesday night, its a bad sign for the GOP that provisional ballots are even entering the discussion in a district Donald Trump won by 11 points in 2016. The race was the last special election before the midterms, and was widely seen as a final test of the GOPs effort to hold back a blue wave in November.

Republicans narrow lead didnt come cheap. As the polls tightened in recent weeks, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence appeared in the district, and outside Republican groups poured more than $4 million into the race. President Trump, who held a rally in the district last weekend, promptly took credit for Baldersons victory in an incorrect tweet (the state doesnt release early voting results, and the breakdown of early voters by party often isnt indicative of what happens on election day).

When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

It seems Republican Governor John Kasichs decision to endorse Balderson, whos running for his old seat, in a TV ad during the campaigns final week had a bigger impact than Trumps visit.

If Troy Balderson (R) pulls this out, he'll have Gov. Kasich (R) to thank, not POTUS. Delaware Co. coming through for him, rural Trump base not. #OH12  Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 8, 2018

In the end, Franklin Co. cast impressive 35% of the #OH12 vote & came thru big for O'Connor (D). Turnout was weak in heavily R rurals. But Balderson (R) held onto enough trad R suburbs in Delaware Co., likely thanks to Gov. Kasich (R).  Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 8, 2018

Despite their common enemy, Kasich was unable to completely put aside his feud with Trump in the final days of the race.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he asked Troy Balderson, a Republican House candidate in Ohio, if he invited Pres. Trump to his campaign rally in Ohio and Balderson said, "no, I didn't" https://t.co/P6iz1j1VA4 #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/fAVzX1HsSu  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 5, 2018

Kasich has been mulling his future for months. Does he use this race, with all GOP eyes on Ohio, to trigger an early conversation in the party about a 2020 challenge? https://t.co/kOMXi1UrPq  Robert Costa (@costareports) August 8, 2018

Balderson refused to address Kasichs claim, and only discussed his awe at receiving an in-person endorsement from President Trump during his final campaign rally. (Its unclear whether Baldersons odd decision to insult a third of the districts voters during that event hurt him in the race.) If there was any doubt about where Balderson stands in the Kasich-Trump dispute, he removed it during his victory celebration.

Balderson just thanked Trump, Pence, Tiberi and Stiversbut not Kasich. https://t.co/T3GQVbmZqG  Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) August 8, 2018

Over the next three months Im going to do everything I can to keep America great again, Balderson said.

For now it remains unclear whether Trumps presence does more harm than good in districts like Ohios 12th, which is more suburban and has more educated and affluent voters than the typical Trump district. But Tuesdays close call is definitely encouraging for Democrats, as there are 79 House races this fall that are considered more competitive than the Balderson-OConnor match up.

And theyll also have a chance to close the gap in Ohios 12th district very soon. The special election only decides who serves out the remainder of former GOP Representative Pat Tiberis term, so OConnor and Balderson will face off again in November.

We made our case for change, OConnor told supporters on Tuesday night. Were going to make that case tomorrow. Tomorrow we rest and we keep fighting through to November.
Findings recently published in the Stem Cell Research and Therapy journal show that diseased cells in the airways affected by cystic fibrosis could be replaced with healthy ones using cell transplantation therapy.

This therapy is a technique that uses stem cells. In this case, the researchers harvested adult stem cells from the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, corrected them with gene therapy, and then reintroduced them to the airways.

This method, according to Dr. Nigel Farrow, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute and one of the researchers involved in the study, would give space for the corrected cells to pass on their genetic material to their daughter cells -- the cells resulting from cell division  allowing the healthy cells to replicate in those airways.

In initial studies, the researchers tested this method on mouse airways by clearing out the existing surface cells and introducing adult stem cells with a marker gene as opposed to the corrective CF gene used in later studies.

Why does this matter?

Cystic fibrosis is a life-limiting, genetic disease that is caused by a defective CF gene. This gene causes the epithelial cells in patients' lungs and other parts of their bodies to produce a faulty version of the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) protein, affecting the cell's ability to regulate the transportation of chloride ions across cell membranes.

This skews the balance of salt (sodium chloride) and water necessary for keeping the mucus coating in those parts of the body thin and able to carry out their functions and instead, causes the build-up of thick mucus that is hard to move.

In the lungs, this causes germs to remain trapped in the thick mucus and increases the likelihood of lung infections. People living with the disease must undergo regular physical therapy sessions to move the trapped mucus in their lungs.

Dr. Farrow says that if the technique in the study proves to be successful, it could help significantly improve the lives of people living with the chronic condition.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Other organs, such as the pancreas, can also be affected. In the pancreas of patients, thick mucus build-up stops nutrients from food being absorbed into the body, this can lead to poor growth and malnutrition.

CF in numbers
President Donald Trump promised to build a border wall to prevent entry of unwanted people from across the Mexico border. Work has already been taken up but Government Accountability Office (GAO) feels that the Department of Homeland Security has gone ahead with the work without conducting a detailed study of various elements of the cost.

A CNN report talks about the watchdog. It has pointed out that DHS has carried out insufficient homework due to which the loss could be in billions of dollars. The GAO has also noted shortfalls. One of these is that officials have not properly documented their plans to build a portion of the wall in the San Diego area.

The net result will mean an increase in cost and probable delay in completion of the work.

.@POTUS on building the U.S.-Mexico border wall: "Anything I want, [Democrats] want to oppose...I'll just say, 'I don't want to build a wall' and they'll insist on building it.'" pic.twitter.com/UMhkmUbIHN  Fox News (@FoxNews) August 2, 2018

Finance for the Mexico border wall

The watchdog has noted that the Department of Homeland Security does not appear to have considered every possible aspect while drawing up the cost estimates. The GAO interprets this as a result of lack of information. In its opinion, DHS "does not have complete information to determine whether it is using its limited resources in the most cost-effective manner." However, DHS has disagreed with this.

One of its officials has said that progress of work is being documented and monitored.

Katie Waldman, a DHS spokeswoman, added that walls have proved useful to check not only illegal entry of people into the country but also the smuggling of illicit drugs. The general perception is that a permanent US-Mexico border wall will deter entry of unauthorized people from Mexico.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Many of them are illegal immigrants in search of a better life or people involved in smuggling drugs. Walls or fencing do exist in some areas but there are also gaps like bodies of water or hilly terrain and these are used as entry points.

Controversy over the border wall

According to AZ Central, the 49-page report of the GAO has now been published.

It observed that initially, 17 priority areas were identified by the authorities for constructing the border wall. An estimate of $18 billion was submitted for the cost for building 722 miles of barriers in those locations. At present, there are 654 miles of fencing on the border. The breakdown is 354 miles of pedestrian fencing and 300 miles of vehicle fencing.

The watchdog said that the cost will vary depending on a number of factors like the topography and the price of land. This is because the wall will pass through Texas where much of the land is in private hands. The GAO is believed to have reviewed documents and consulted with federal officials from October 2017 to June 2018 to prepare the report.
University Relations will launch a new design for vt.edu, the main web presence for Virginia Tech, on Aug. 23.

The launch culminates an effort that took more than a year to plan, develop, and implement. The process to gather feedback and share ideas for the redesign involved more than 58 meetings with campus leadership and groups, user tests with prospective students, and focus groups and surveys involving the campus community, stakeholders, and alumni.

Throughout this process, we have sought to inform and engage the campus community, said Tracy Vosburgh, senior associate vice president for University Relations. As Virginia Techs front door, vt.edu needs to reflect the priorities and values that make this institution distinct. Through this redesign, we believe weve accomplished that.

The new design features consistent global navigation that every page within the vt.edu web presence can adopt. For sites that use the universitys enterprise content management system (CMS), the change to the new format will involve selecting a different template. For sites outside of the CMS, a code library will be shared with the assets and scripts needed to make the change.

In addition to a global navigation, the new template and design are built to make all vt.edu content accessible to site visitors, particularly users who require assistive technology to navigate web pages.

From day one, a top objective for us to accomplish was greater site accessibility, said Brad Soucy, director of design and digital strategy for University Relations. From the beginning, weve worked closely with Assistive Technologies within the Division of Information Technology. Through that collaboration, weve greatly improved the web experience for all of our site visitors.

Many of the accessibility requirements are embedded within the code of the new template. By adopting the template and following the best practices established through the redesign process, more sites within the vt.edu web presence will be accessible, Soucy added.

Another site objective was better search engine optimization. Through a refined content strategy and site structure, pages will be built and monitored to gauge their effectiveness in search result placement.

Virginia Tech has a great story to tell, said Melanie Schramm, director of marketing in University Relations. Through measurement and analysis, we can do a better job of making sure that story gets seen more prominently as people search the web.

While the new design will debut on Aug. 23, Soucy, Schramm, and John Jackson, director of web communications, all point out that the launch does not signify an end to the project.

Its very much the start as we begin to test the decisions weve made and refine our strategy, Jackson said. Good websites constantly develop and evolve. The flexibility of this site design and underlying strategy give us a better ability to do that.

Video from the Aug. 14 town hall is accessible from the link below. Additional town halls and meetings will be held throughout the fall semester.

Previous town hall videos
Kobach addresses supporters on Tuesday night. Photo: Steve Pope/Getty Images

President Trump likes to act as if his endorsements are as good as gold, but two key races featuring candidates he backed ended with a question mark on Tuesday night. While Ohio congressional candidate Troy Balderson and Kansas GOP gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach currently have narrow leads in their respective races, both were too close to call (though that didnt prevent Balderson from calling it, or Trump from claiming credit).

The results were far more decisive on the left. There was no stunning progressive upset like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs win in the Bronx, as establishment candidates beat out more liberal challengers in several races. Heres a look at the key results in each state.

Ohio

Republicans had to throw everything they had into the special election in Ohios 12th Congressional District just to give Balderson a lead of less than a single percentage point over his Democratic challenger, Danny OConnor. Balderson declared victory on Tuesday night, though OConnor has yet to concede, and the race could ultimately be decided by absentee and provisional ballots. If Baldersons lead drops from 0.9 percent to below 0.5 percent, state law requires a recount  but absentee and provisional votes wont be counted for another ten days.

Regardless, Trump was quick to spin an inaccurate yarn about how he turned the race around:

When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

Kansas

Backing Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the states Republican gubernatorial primary was a bit riskier than Trumps previous endorsements, as Kobach is challenging the states current governor, Jeff Colyer. But Kobach, an antiillegal immigration and voter-fraud crusader, has been a loyal Trump supporter, essentially running the presidents now-defunct voter integrity commission.

Kobach currently has the narrowest of leads over Colyer, with 40.6 percent of the vote to the governors 40.5 percent  a margin of only 191 votes  with 100 percent of districts reporting.

100% now reporting in #KSGov GOP primary and you have to think it's headed for a recount because goodness gracious -- 191 votes!



Kris Kobach 126,257 -- 40.6%

Jeff Colyer* 126,066 -- 40.5% (-0.1)  Geoffrey Skelley (@geoffreyvs) August 8, 2018

With votes from Johnson County delayed, Kobach sent his supporters home just before 1 a.m.

Try to get a good nights sleep, he said. I dont know if Ill be sleeping much.

In November  after the inevitable recount  Kobach or Colyer will face Laura Kelly, a state legislator who easily won the Democratic primary.

Michigan

Former State Senator Gretchen Whitmer easily won Michigans three-way Democratic gubernatorial primary. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, she had more than 51 percent of the vote, followed by Abdul El-Sayed with just over 30 percent. El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Senator Bernie Sanders, hoped to become the nations first Muslim governor. Finishing third was millionaire Shri Thanedar, with around 17 percent of the vote.

Whitmer will face Bill Schuette, the states Republican attorney general when Democrats attempt to reclaim power in the state Trump won in 2016.

Missouri

As expected, Missouris Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill and Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley easily won their respective primaries. Their contest is expected to be one of the most closely contested Senate races in the country.

In another loss for progressives, U.S. Representative William Lacy Clay fended off a challenge from his left, defeating nurse and activist Cori Bush, who was backed by Ocasio-Cortez, by 57 percent to 37 percent.
Results overview for the four state primaries and the Ohio special election held Tuesday August 7th.

Ohio 12th District Special Election

Republican Troy Balderson has a narrow lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor, with several thousand provisional and absentee ballots still to be counted. Balderson - and President Trump - have claimed victory, but the Associated Press says the race remains too close to call as of Wednesday morning. Oddly, the provisional ballots won't be counted for 10 days. If the final margin is less than 0.5%, there will be an automatic recount. The table below will show the latest results.

Regardless of who wins, the closeness of the race in this Republican-leaning district continues the trend of Democratic over performance in elections since Trump took office. Balderson and O'Connor will meet again in the November general election.

Kansas

Trump-endorsed Secretary of State Kris Kobach and the current Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer were separated by just 0.1% - less than 200 votes - as of Wednesday morning. This race is also too close to call as of the time of this article. See the table below for the latest:

While either candidate will start out the favorite against Democratic nominee Laura Kelly, a Kobach victory would increase the odds for a Democratic takeover of this seat.

The Democratic nomination in the 3rd congressional district also remains undecided, with Sharice Davids and Brent Welder separated by 1%. Davids is attempting to become the first Native American woman elected to Congress. The winner will face incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder in what is expected to be a highly competitive general election race in this Omaha-area district.

All Kansas Primary Election Results

Michigan

Primary voter turnout was the heaviest in at least 40 years. Republican Bill Schuette and Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won their respective nominations. The general election is seen as a toss-up.

In the Senate race, incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow will meet Republican John James, who won his primary with the help of a presidential endorsement. Stabenow is favored to win a 4th term in November.

Rashida Tlaib is expected to win the general election primary in Michigan's deep-blue 13th congressional district. She will run unopposed in November, and will become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

All Michigan Primary Election Results

Missouri

As expected, incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Missouri Atty. General Josh Hawley easily won their primaries. This sets up a highly competitive general election in a state Donald Trump won by nearly 20 points

Missouri voters said "No" on Proposition A, a referendum on the right-to-work law passed by the Legislature. As a result, right-to-work has been rejected.

All Missouri Primary Election Results

Washington

Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell and Republican Susan Hutchison won the state's top-two Senate primary. Cantwell is expected to win a 4th term in November. The closeness of the aggregate party vote in the GOP-held 3rd and 5th districts indicates these races may be more competitive than expected in November. In top-two primaries, aggregate party vote has proved to be a good indicator of general election outcomes.

In the 3rd district, aggregate Democratic vote actually exceeded the Republican vote by a 50.3% to 49.7% margin. Contrast this to 2016, where incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler won a 4th term by nearly 24%. Donald Trump prevailed by 7% over Hillary Clinton here.

In the 5th district, seven-term incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is the 4th most powerful Republican in the House, won by 19% in 2016, while Donald Trump won by 13%. In Tuesday's primary, aggregate Republican vote was 50.5% while the one Democrat on the ballot received 47.1%.

All Washington Primary Election Results
Carrie Arnold in Tonic:

In July 3, 2014, Misty Mayo boarded a Greyhound bus bound for Los Angeles. Desperate to escape her hometown of Modesto in Stanislaus County, 300 miles north in Californias Central Valley, the 41-year-old thought the 4th of July fireworks in LA would be the perfect antidote. Even a mugging at the Modesto bus station didnt deter her. When she arrived in LA the next morning with just a few dollars in her pocket, Misty immediately asked a police officer for directions to the fireworks display. She also knew she would need to find a Target pharmacy to refill her medication, but decided it could wait until later.

Later came and went. With no money in a strange city, Misty found the bus system too confusing to navigate. The longer she went without her cocktail of antipsychotics to keep the worst symptoms of her schizoaffective disorder at bay, the more difficult it became to remember that she even needed medication. In the sweltering July heat, Misty roamed the streets of Santa Monica, trying to grab a few minutes of shut-eye where she could. Mostly, she was too afraid to sleep. Mistys worsening mental state left her combative and paranoid. Her memories of this time are vague at best, but hospital records show a series of psychiatric hospitalizations during July and August. She was arrested at least once. By now, Misty no longer recognized that she had a health problem. Not surprisingly, she didnt take her medications once out of hospital, and the cycle repeated itself over and over. Back in Modesto, Mistys mother, Linda, felt her worry turn to panic as the days passed without word from her daughter. She filed a missing persons report, and the next time police picked up Misty for her latest infraction, Linda got a phone call.

More here.
Heather Mac Donald in Quillette:

In 2015, President Obama described the Nation as more than a magazineits a crucible of ideas. If it was ever entitled to this descriptor, it isnt anymore. Academic identity politics may be importing an obsession with phantom victimhood into the business world and the media, but The Nations editors are now taking aim at language itself, reducing the complexity of human communication to a primitive understanding of words.

In late July, the magazines poetry editors issued a groveling apology for a poem they had published earlier that month. How-To, by Anders Carlson-Wee, was an ironic critique of social hierarchies, couched as a manual for successful panhandling: If you got hiv, say aids. If you a girl,/say youre pregnant, the poem opened. It went on to suggest begging gambits for other presumed outsider groups, including the handicapped: If youre crippled dont/flaunt it. Let em think theyre good enough/Christians to notice. The poem, in its entirety, reads as follows:

If you got hiv, say aids. If you a girl,

say youre pregnantnobody gonna lower

themselves to listen for the kick. People

passing fast. Splay your legs, cock a knee

funny. Its the littlest shames theyre likely

to comprehend. Dont say homeless, they know

you is. What they dont know is what opens

a wallet, what stops em from counting

what they drop. If youre young say younger.

Old say older. If youre crippled dont

flaunt it. Let em think theyre good enough

Christians to notice. Dont say you pray,

say you sin. Its about who they believe

they is. You hardly even there.

The word crippled and Carlson-Wees use of black street dialect set off reader hysteria. Editors Stephanie Burt and Carmen Gimenez Smith penitently announced that the poem contained disparaging and ableist language that has given offense and caused harm to members of several communities. (This maudlin invocation of harm in response to speech is the fastest growing academic export into the non-academic world.) We made a serious mistake [and] are sorry for the pain we have caused to the many communities affected by this poem, Burt and Gimenez Smith continued. They had originally read the poem, they said, as a profane, over-the-top attack on the ways in which members of many groups are asked, or required, to perform the work of marginalization. No more, however: We can no longer read the poem that way.

More here.
Halloween events include trick-or-treating, music, haunted warehouse

A list of entertainment options in the Aberdeen area for the week starting Oct. 28, 2021
Tesla chief Elon Musk stunned investors Tuesday when he tweeted that he was considering taking the company private, sending its stock soaring more than 6 percent.

Musk said he had funding secured to take the all-electric automaker private at $420 a share, far above its current $360 stock price. That would value the company  already the United States most valuable automaker  at more than $70 billion.

Tesla shares were halted around 2 p.m. in advance of pending news.

Musks tweet was an exceedingly rare way to break potentially monumental news. Public companies often halt trading in their stock and file official releases before making similar statements so as to minimize market jolts and abide by guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The sudden announcement gained immediate criticism from former regulators who suggested it may conflict with SEC rules for potentially market-moving statements.

Harvey Pitt, a former SEC chairman, told CNBC on Tuesday that Musks tweets might consittute fraud if any of the facts he disclosed are not true or if there was any indication that he had floated the proposal purely to boost the stock price.

The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

But Musk continued to tweet, adding, I dont have a controlling vote now & wouldnt expect any shareholder to have one if we go private. I wont be selling in either scenario. Musk also responded yes when a Twitter user suggested taking the company private would save a lot of headaches.

He also tweeted that his hope is all current investors remain with Tesla even if were private. Shareholders could either to sell at 420 or hold shares & go private, he added.

Musk has long voiced annoyance with the public markets, where the company is beholden to investors and must report quarterly on its losses. The automaker is also the most shorted on Wall Street, with many investors betting the company will fail.

Musks tweet came shortly after the Financial Times reported the state investment fund of Saudi Arabia had accumulated a stake of up to 5 percent in the company, making it one of Teslas biggest shareholders.

The sudden announcement gained immediate criticism from former regulators who suggested it may conflict with Securities and Exchange Commission rules for potentially market-moving statements.

Harvey Pitt, a former SEC chairman, told CNBC on Tuesday that Musks tweets might constitute fraud if any of the facts he disclosed are not true or if there was any indication that he had floated the proposal purely to boost the stock price.

Gene Munster, the managing partner of Loup Ventures, said Tuesday that that he estimated there is a 1 in 3 chance he can actually pull this off and bring Tesla private because the higher share price may not be high enough to incentivize existing shareholders to support the sale.

Munster also said he did not see legal risk from Musks tweets due to the Reed Hastings Rule, an SEC guideline announced in 2013 that said it was OK for companies to reveal key information on social media as long as investors have been alerted.

The company said last week that it had burned more than $700 million in cash during the second quarter but made roughly $4 billion in revenue amid increased production of its new Model 3 sedan. Musk said the automaker, which has never made an annual profit, would be profitable by the second half of the year.

Tesla has roughly $10 billion in outstanding debts and about $2 billion in cash reserves, but Musk has asserted in recent months that the company would have no need to raise new funds. Are we running low on money? The answer is no, Musk told investment analysts last week.

It is far from the first time Musk has dropped a financial bomb to his 22 million Twitter followers. On April Fools Day, amid growing concerns about the companys cash stockpile, Musk joked via tweets that Tesla had gone so bankrupt you cant believe it.

Musk  the companys top investor, with more than 20 percent of its shares  has long waged war against the short sellers betting the companys value will plummet. Over the weekend, he tweeted a video parody that cast Adolf Hitler as a short seller flying into a rage at Teslas recent financial reports. Dang, turns out even Hitler was shorting Tesla stock  Musk tweeted.

Musk originally brought Tesla public in 2010 to help raise funds for the companys growth.

Musks other companies specializing in private spaceflight and underground supertrains  SpaceX and The Boring Company  remain private, and Musk has shown reluctance about opening them to the public markets. In 2013, he emailed SpaceX employees that he was hesitant to foist being public on the company given the long term nature of our mission.

The oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia, now led by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, has shown a key interest in flashy technological investments. The Saudi wealth fund said last year it would invest $1 billion in the private space companies run by Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Democratic lawmakers say they will pursue a number of new restrictions on firearms in the next legislative session  including a red flag law that would allow family members or police officers to seek a court order to take guns from someone they believe is an immediate threat.

Also on tap are proposals that would require background checks for all firearm sales, order domestic abusers to give up their guns and impose new regulations aimed at keeping guns from children.

The ideas surfaced in an all-day legislative hearing at the University of New Mexico  where a panel of lawmakers heard from police officers, gun owners and high school students.

Supporters and opponents alike turned out.

The Roundhouse is often a skeptical environment for gun legislation. Just this year, the legislative session ended with a filibuster that killed a nonbinding proposal on background checks.

But New Mexico will have a new governor and some new House members by the time it meets next, in January, for a full 60-day session.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, a Santa Fe Democrat who has supported expanded background checks, said lawmakers are hearing more often now from young people after many school shootings across the country, including in New Mexico.

Its going to be a different legislative landscape, Wirth said in an interview.

But Republican lawmakers  and some Democrats  expressed reservations about the potential for unintended consequences in the proposals, among other objections. They questioned whether the laws would be practical to enforce.

This puts a lot of burden on law enforcement, said Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences.

Heres a look at the proposals mentioned Tuesday:

 Sen. Richard Martinez, an Espanola Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will introduce a slimmed-down background check proposal, a successor of sorts to more complex legislation that died in 2017.

The proposal would require background checks on every sale of a firearm.

Background checks are already required in many cases. But Martinez described his bill as a way to fix a loophole in which someone can arrange a sale through an online ad and then meet in person to complete the transaction without a background check.

 Rep. Deborah Armstrong, D-Albuquerque, said she will propose legislation directing judges to order domestic abusers to surrender their firearms while a restraining order is in effect.

 Rep. Daymon Ely, D-Corrales, said he is working on a red-flag law that would allow household members or law enforcement to seek a court order to temporarily take the guns of someone they believe is an immediate threat to themselves or others.

Someone who files a false petition would be subject to penalties, Ely said.

 Two New Mexico teenagers, Sophia Lussiez and Julia Mazal, also made a presentation, asking legislators to pass a law that would make gun owners liable if they fail to secure their weapons, allowing access to children. They are working with Rep. Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, on a proposal for the next session.

A few people testified in opposition to all or some of the proposals.

Dale Perkins, a firearms instructor, said he already teaches his students to ensure their guns are locked up and even gives away locks.

But he also warned legislators that under some of the proposed bills, innocent people could lose their firearms because of false accusations.

Weve got be careful, Perkins said. I do not want this to turn into a police state.
Two additional families filed civil lawsuits earlier this month against Presbyterian Healthcare Services and a former doctor over a series of alleged sexual assaults and child pornography crimes that were committed against patients under his care.

Guy Rosenschein, who had been a pediatric urologist at Presbyterian from 2012 until his arrest in November 2016, is in federal custody awaiting a criminal trial. His former specialty, urology, includes reproductive organs.

A superseding indictment handed up in June charges Rosenschein with 15 counts of possession and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual conduct. Some of the materials were found inside safes in a secret room in the doctors Albuquerque home, according to federal court documents.

After his arrest, numerous families of children whom he cared for have brought lawsuits against Rosenschein and his former employer.

Adam Funk, an attorney with the Potts Law Firm, has filed 12 lawsuits on behalf of 12 families who had children in Rosenscheins care. He said there is also a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of other families and a handful of other lawsuits that have been filed in connection with Rosenschein.

By our estimation, he probably saw dozens if not hundreds of patients each week, Funk said.

On Aug. 3, Funk filed two additional lawsuits in state District Court. One was on behalf of a girl Rosenschein treated for an inguinal hernia in April 2014 when she was 7. The complaint says that the doctor photographed the childs genitals and had tried to examine the child without her mother present.

The other lawsuit was on behalf of a boy whom Rosenschein treated for dysuria in August 2016 when the boy was 7. The complaint alleges Rosenschein touched and photographed the boys genitals.

Both lawsuits are seeking damages from the defendants.

Funk said parents believe their children were assaulted because Rosenschein would ask to photograph them, routinely asked parents to leave the examination rooms, or treated or performed surgeries on patients that went on for much longer than anticipated.

Marc Lowery, Rosenscheins attorney in the criminal case, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Rosenschein has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Another one of his attorneys previously told the Journal that the charges against him were baseless hysteria and that the only images the doctor had were for clinical purposes.

As a nonprofit organization with deep roots in our community, Presbyterian is committed to safe, quality care for our patients, said Melanie Mozes, a spokeswoman for Presbyterian. We continue to work closely with law enforcement regarding their ongoing investigation of this physician and reserve comment on legal proceedings for the appropriate venue.

Presbyterian started a hotline after Rosenscheins arrest for former patients or their families to raise concerns.

Funk said that Rosenschein no longer has a license to practice medicine.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Deputies were chasing a suspected stolen vehicle Monday morning when the fleeing suspects wrecked at an intersection, damaging at least three vehicles and injuring 10 people, including five who were sent to a hospital.

Spokesmen for the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and Albuquerque Fire and Rescue on Monday refused to say whether the crash involved a police pursuit. But a criminal complaint against a passenger in the stolen car said deputies were chasing the car with their emergency lights and sirens on as the suspects swerved through lanes of traffic before crashing into a passenger vehicle at Broadway and Avenida Cesar Chavez SE.

After Mondays wreck, the criminal complaint said that a passenger in the stolen vehicle, Oscar Contreras Zamarripa, 32, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to receive or transfer a stolen vehicle and tampering with evidence.

Tom Ruiz, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue, said in an email that at least three vehicles were involved in the wreck and that 10 people were injured in the mass casualty incident.

The five people taken to a hospital are all expected to survive, he said.

Ruiz didnt return calls for comment on Tuesday about the status of the people injured in the crash.

A spokesman for the Sheriffs Office didnt return calls for comment on Monday or Tuesday.

The chase started around 9:30 a.m. when a deputy in an unmarked police car on a proactive patrol checked a license plate on a Hyundai Sonata near Coors and Iliff NW found that the vehicle had been reported stolen, according to the complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

The deputy followed the vehicle until marked units arrived and tried to make a traffic stop.

The driver of the Hyundai fled, and deputies shot the car with a StarChase tracking device, which allows deputies to monitor its whereabouts.

Sheriff Manuel Gonzales has said publicly that the devices are intended to mitigate the publics risk because they allow deputies to slow down and track a suspect instead of getting into a chase.

Deputies chased the stolen vehicle Monday after it was shot with the GPS monitoring device, according to the criminal complaint.

The driver of the stolen vehicle continued on recklessly, running red lights before the crash. Passengers in the car were throwing items out the windows during the pursuit, according to the criminal complaint.

Bernalillo County deputies have been getting into an increasing number of pursuits since the sheriff changed policy last summer to allow more chases of suspects in certain misdemeanor crimes or those who are flagrantly reckless. Under the offices old policy, deputies could chase only suspects in violent felonies.

The number of pursuits by deputies increased from 11 in 2016 to 74 in 2017.

The Albuquerque Police Department, which has a stricter pursuit policy, reported 10 pursuits in 2016 and 12 in 2017, according to Journal reporting.
Bob McColluch and Wesley Bell. Photo: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images; Jeff Roberson/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Bob McCulloch has been St. Louis Countys prosecuting attorney for 27 years. Through his seven terms in office, McCulloch has earned a reputation for upholding law and order by aggressively prosecuting alleged criminals  unless said criminals happen to be cops; in his entire tenure, McCulloch has never indicted a single police officer for killing an unarmed civilian in the line of duty.

That piece of McCullochs record garnered national attention in 2014, after Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown  and triggered a national Black Lives Matter movement. In that case, McCulloch made the unusual decision to empanel a grand jury to investigate the shooting, without recommending that said jury bring charges in the case. Instead, McCulloch presented the grand jury with a variety of evidence, and encouraged it to reach its own conclusion about whether the shooting qualified as a criminal act.

Few prosecutors have ever lost reelection for being perceived as excessively sympathetic to police officers, and insufficiently merciful to alleged offenders or disruptive protesters. But the ranks of such losers have been growing in recent years  and last night, McCulloch joined them.

Former public defender, and current Ferguson City Council member, Wesley Bell defeated McCulloch in a Democratic primary Tuesday night, after campaigning on pledges to appoint special prosecutors in police-shooting cases, end cash bail for low-level offenses, expand the countys drug courts, provide more low-level drug offenders with alternatives to incarceration, and never pursue the death penalty in any case. McCulloch rejected these proposals, insisting that ending cash bail is unnecessary because [t]heres nobody in St. Louis County in jail being held on a misdemeanor because they cant make bond. The ACLU begs to differ.

Since no Republican will be on the ballot in November, Bell is now the countys presumptive prosecutor-elect. And his victory is the latest triumph for a burgeoning movement that aims to reform Americas draconian criminal justice system, one prosecutor at a time. While much of the debate over mass incarceration has focused on Executive branch policies and congressional legislation, local prosecutors enjoy immense, unilateral authority to transform how criminal justice is defined and upheld within their jurisdictions. More than 90 percent of criminal convictions in the United States are secured through plea deals  which means, in almost all cases, prosecutors have the discretion to decide what sentence to seek for a given offense, and/or, what charge to assign to given criminal act. In practice, this has not redounded to defendants benefit. As Voxs German Lopez notes:

Analyzing data from state judiciaries, John Pfaff, a criminal justice expert at Fordham University, compared the number of crimes, arrests, and prosecutions from 1994 to 2008. He found that reported violent and property crime fell, and arrests for almost all crimes also fell. But one thing went up: the number of felony cases filed in court.

Prosecutors were filing more charges even as crime and arrests dropped, throwing more people into the prison system. Prosecutors were driving mass incarceration.

Crime has fallen precipitously in recent decades  but the percentage of Americans believe that crime is rising has not. And since prosecutors are accountable to voters, public perceptions have carried more weight than reality: Conventional wisdom  and empirical evidence  has long suggested that throwing the book at offenders is politically wise, while showing leniency to the wrong offender (i.e., one who goes on to commit more serious crimes) is one of the few ways for incumbent prosecutors to lose their jobs.

But activists are beginning to change this calculus, particularly in big cities, where the combination of a large constituency for reform  and low-turnout municipal elections in which well-organized movements can prove decisive  has helped them elect a number of reformist prosecutors. Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner has already affected something like a law-enforcement revolution the City of Brotherly Love. As Maura Ewing has written for Slate:

Krasners lawyers are also now to decline charges for marijuana possession, no matter the weight, effectively decriminalizing possession of the drug in the city for all nonfederal cases. Sex workers will not be charged with prostitution unless they have more than two priors, in which case theyll be diverted to a specialized court. Retail theft under $500 is no longer a misdemeanor in the eyes of Philly prosecutors, but a summary offensethe lowest possible criminal charge. And when ADAs give probation charges they are to opt for the lower end of the possible spectrum. Criminological studies show that most violations of probation occur within the first 12 months, the memo reads, Assuming that a defendant is violation free for 12 months, any remaining probation is simply excess baggage requiring unnecessary expenditure of funds for supervision.

Bells platform is less ambitious than Krasners. But his victory is nonetheless likely to reduce the number of St. Louis residents who sleep in cages because they are too poor to post bail  and persuade other local prosecutors that protecting violent cops, and imprisoning nonviolent offenders, isnt the best way to improve their job security.
Albuquerque police arrested a man they say stole 15 antique firearms, precious stones, jewelry, and gold and silver bars worth a combined $42,000 from a jewelry store and home over a three-week period.

Brandon Giron, 30, is charged with residential burglary, larceny over $20,000 and other crimes. He was booked into the county jail.

When police searched his home, they found 41 firearms (22 of which had been reported stolen), rare coins, stolen art and other items, said Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department.

The APD Bomb Unit assisted with rendering safe two grenades and another device which was suspected of being an IED (improvised explosive device), Gallegos wrote in an email.

He said the investigation is ongoing as detectives work to tie the recovered items to several other burglaries around the city.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, on July 2, police were called to a jewelry store attached to a home in the 1700 block of Mountain NW near Tiguex Park in response to a tripped alarm. They found the home had been rifled through.

Over the next couple of weeks, police were called to the same home twice more for burglaries.

The break in the case came in late July when an employee at Ron Peterson Firearms and Antiques reported they discovered Giron had been tied to the sale of several stolen guns, at least one of which appeared to match an antique gun stolen from the jewelry store, according to the complaint.

A judge ordered him released on his own recognizance, according to court documents.
For the past 20 years, I have worked in public education teaching students with disabilities. My current role is serving as the teacher for the Project SEARCH Program. I am writing to let you know that I feel very passionate about maintaining the public transit system that affords my students the ability to navigate their communities and support their opportunity to live independently.

Project SEARCH is a unique international program that teaches students with disabilities work skills, life skills and independent living skills. At present, Gadsden School District is the only school district in all of southern New Mexico that is offering a Project SEARCH program to students. My job is not only to teach my students valuable skills to work in different fields, but also to advocate for them and the communities that support them.

My students are extremely capable and possess the ability to learn new skills, hold jobs and ultimately become independent, taxpaying members of the community. However, they cannot do so without the availability of public transit. Project SEARCH students cannot drive due to the limitations of their disabilities. The distance of their communities to Las Cruces makes it nearly impossible to get to the jobs that are available. Students live in rural areas like Chaparral, Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and Anthony. The availability of public transit in their areas makes it possible for them to attend our program in Las Cruces and partake in training that will prepare their path toward independence.

Public transit is an essential part of the students becoming independent, because it gives them the freedom to travel to the host business where they will work  Good Samaritan Village in Las Cruces  without relying on a parent or caretaker to get them there and back. My students have become avid public transit riders and use all lines with South Central Transit. They utilize the blue, red and turquoise lines from their hometowns to Las Cruces to get to and from their internship at Good Samaritan. South Central Transit also provides instruction for our students on how to transfer to the bus systems in El Paso and Las Cruces so they can learn to use public transit for needs other than work. This assistance has enhanced their level of freedom.

For some people, the use of public transit is a choice. For my students, it is an imperative necessity, as it is for many in the rural areas surrounding Las Cruces. In our area, poverty is also an issue and many people dont own cars. Whether due to disability or financial need, public transit gives people the possibility of going to Las Cruces, El Paso and neighboring towns independently. For my students and their families, public transit has made it possible for them to have a better future.

I am grateful for public transit and am thankful for the steps South Central Transit has taken to help my students live their lives to the fullest. However, I know that funding from the state is essential to ensuring the future of public transit. With dedicated state funding, public transit will continue to better the lives of my students and could potentially expand services to run later and on weekends. The growth of public transit will most definitely continue to increase the quality of life for my students and for all in the Las Cruces area.

As we look forward to the 2019 legislative session, I ask our representatives and senators to consider the incredible students I work with, and to actively work to increase funding to support their freedom, independence and right to work. In addition to improving the lives of my students, state funding for public transit would allow all who live in the rural communities with limited resources the opportunity for affordable and safe transit to get to and from work, visit with friends and family, and to run errands.
FOR THE RECORD: This oped-ed published in Wednesdays Journal contained incorrect identifying information for the author. Schmedes, a state representative, no longer works at the University of New Mexico, and hes New Mexicos director of the American Academy of Medical Ethics.

As the only physician in the state Legislature, I have a unique responsibility to protect the truth about New Mexicos health care situation from those who would twist it to serve their own political ambitions. My patients regularly tell me they can spot a physician that cares more about making money than caring for them a mile away. Gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., used poor judgment by accepting public money for personal profit. We need a governor that is willing to fight corruption and give a voice to the people.

Grisham set up a controversial consulting company to manage the states high-risk insurance pool. Part of the deal was for her to get paid lots of money, no less than $138,000 in 2013 alone. Grisham continued to profit from the arrangement after Obamacare took effect and pool participants drastically decreased. In fact, her personal fees greatly increased during this period. When asked about it, she has struggled to explain why, only citing management challenges.

My fellow New Mexicans: Are you OK with our government officials starting their own companies and channeling tax dollars through them for their own profit? I, for one, think this should be illegal. Its like Donald Trump starting another business and signing a federal law that guarantees his profit.

In addition, Grisham misled our state when she took credit for falling drug overdose rates in New Mexico during her tenure as Health secretary. The victim in this case was the truth as drug overdose deaths actually increased from 304 in 2004 to 439 in 2007. Opioid-related overdose deaths climbed during her tenure.

New Mexicos health care workers and patients deserve leaders that focus on helping people. I was brought up to believe that if a person is capable of lying about one thing, they are probably capable of lying about something else. I dont have all the answers, but one thing is certain: New Mexicos problems wont be solved by leaders taking credit for outcomes they had nothing to do with.

The New Mexico medical community is comprised of thousands of hard-working, compassionate people from both the left and right of the political spectrum, but all their politics fade into the background when their patients health is at stake. We work as a team that is dedicated to fixing our health care system and our communities.

The only way we will succeed is by being honest with each other and by not sugar-coating reality. Im optimistic about New Mexicos future. Our states prognosis depends on sound, fact-based leadership. No place for egotists that would mislead us by touting false accomplishments. In the case of the Grisham example, she has shown us what the alternative would look like: decisions that would be taken on false premises or by cold political calculus. This shows not only a lack of true empathy for the people of New Mexico, but also a lack of respect for them.

Nobody can blame climbing overdose deaths on one person, and Im not suggesting that. What concerns me is that we have a candidate who has abused our trust and has received public money for her own personal gain at the expense of the poor who have trouble gaining access to health care.

For 80 years, New Mexicans have been subjected to the same empty promises for prosperity. Its time to change that. Its time for something new. Its time to vote for honesty, innovation and compassion in our government. This will not be easy. Nothing worthwhile usually is.

Regardless of your political affiliation, we all want leaders  and physicians  who care enough about us to tell us the truth and not attempt to profit from our weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Show me a leader with compassion and the courage to tell you the truth, and Ill show you a leader worth supporting. Its been my experience that the best predictor of a persons future behavior is their past behavior.

Dr. Gregg Schmedes is New Mexicos director of the American Academy of Medical Ethics.
WASHINGTON  Its an axiom among many Americans that each future generation will live better than its predecessor. New technologies, greater efficiencies and a can-do spirit will reward us with higher living standards. There might be periodic stumbles, but the long-term trajectory is up. And the people most guaranteed to enjoy this bountiful future are the children of todays upper-middle class. They have all the advantages: attentive parents, good schools, a college education and job-market connections.

Thats the conventional wisdom. Ditch it.

If you are an upper-middle class parent, as I am, you must have noticed that the real world isnt playing according to script. Among many young Americans, there is downward mobility. The children arent achieving what they  and their parents  expected. Even when they have (and many have), the gains could be eroded in the future. The trajectory is not inevitably up. Parents worry about their childrens fate.

Partly, this reflects the memory of the 2007-09 Great Recession and its huge job losses. But its more than that. Compared to their elders, many younger Americans are doing worse. Despite todays strong economy, theyre falling behind.

We know this from an important study by Raj Chetty and fellow economists from Stanford, Harvard and the University of California-Berkeley. By merging various databases  which had been stripped of names and identities  they could measure the pre-tax family earnings of children and parents when they were both about 30 years old.

What they reported is fascinating. About 90 percent of children born in 1940 ultimately exceeded their parents incomes. That is, almost everybody. This makes sense; the babies born in 1940 were affected by both the 1930s Great Depression, which reduced incomes, and the post-World War II economic boom, which raised incomes. However, for children born in 1970, only 61 percent earned more than their parents, and for those born in 1980, only 50 percent did.

Thats a sea change. It suggests that were already at the point where many in the present and next generations of younger Americans wont live as well as their predecessors. If current trends continue, that certainly will be true.

You can see the consequences among millennials, those born from 1981 to 1996. Their squeezed incomes have forced them to rearrange their lives. Theyre marrying later, buying homes later, having children later and  to save money  living longer with their parents. Whats also surprising is that the biggest losers seem to be the children of the middle and upper-middle classes, precisely those who are supposedly most protected against adverse changes, according to a new study by Brookings Institution scholars Richard Reeves and Katherine Guyot.

For many people, (economic success) does consist of doing better than your parents did, they write. This seems to have become steadily harder to achieve for those born into middle-class families in particular from 1950 onward.

Their explanation is simple. Those in middle and upper-middle classes have more to lose than, say, the poor. The incomes of the poor cant drop much lower; with small gains, they can pass their parents.

The result: the higher the parents incomes, the less likely that their children will match it. This is even true for the richest 1 percent of families, says economist Aparna Mathur of the American Enterprise Institute. The children born in 1980 in the richest 1 percent have only a 1 percent chance of themselves being in the top 1 percent, she says. Of course, this hardly means theyre impoverished. It just means they have less income than their parents. The same lesson applies to the middle and upper-middle classes.

Just what has caused the slowdown in incomes is a tangled tale with the usual suspects: poor schools that produce poor workers; income inequality that stifles consumption spending; weak housing construction; inadequate innovation; over-regulation. With so many confusing sources, its hard to design a program that will automatically reverse existing trends, though President Donald Trump says hes trying.

Its also true, as Mathur notes, that the data need to be qualified. Some incomes are underreported because they exclude fringe benefits (employer-paid health insurance) or in-kind government benefits (food stamps, Medicaid). Taxes are ignored. Age 30 may be too young for generational comparisons. Income figures havent been adjusted for shrinking family size. There may be other causes of delayed marriage.

Still, the broad trends seem reliable. The paradox is apparent. Todays strong economy notwithstanding, theres an underlying worry about the future.

Economic anxiety is increasingly an equal-opportunity affliction. No one can escape it. The poor worry about staying poor. The lower-middle class worries about paying bills or losing jobs. Now upper-middle class parents have joined the crowd, because their own well-being is often judged by how well their children are doing.

That is the stubborn source of their angst.
Frequently reckless. Sometimes lawless. Chronically unaccountable. Sadly, all of the above terms apply to the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office under leadership of Manuel Gonzales, whose regime continues to unravel with expensive and sometimes deadly consequences.

In the reckless category, Gonzales has taken significant restraints off his deputies, allowing them to engage in many more chases, putting the lives of deputies and innocent civilians at risk. Under a new Gonzales policy the number of pursuits soared from 11 in 2016 to 74 last year. Just this week, a car being chased by sheriffs deputies caused a wreck involving three other vehicles that injured 10 people. The reason for the chase  the car was reported stolen.

What makes this recklessness so unnecessary is other means by which offenders can be tracked and apprehended, including tracking a suspect vehicle by helicopter.

A chase late last year ended with deputy Joshua Mora  son of Undersheriff Rudy Mora  jumping out of his vehicle and firing into the truck driven by Isaac Padilla. Padilla and a passenger in the back seat, Martin Jim, were both killed.

Jims attorney, Sam Bregman, has been critical not only of the chase  saying the stolen vehicle had been tracked by an APD helicopter until it crossed into the county and the cowboys took over  but of the fact that it doesnt appear Padilla and Jim were even given a chance to surrender.

Expensive? The countys lawyer has already deposited $750,000 in state court to divide up between the plaintiffs in the shooting. The $750,000 is the cap in a state claim but will have no relevance in the federal civil rights lawsuit.

The county can say its offer to settle isnt an admission of negligence. But, in fact, it is. What it will do is end discovery in the state case, and the federal case isnt likely to gear up until after Gonzales re-election bid in November. Hmmm.

In the lawless category, the former instructor at the academy when Joshua Mora was a cadet said he had pulled Mora and other cadets from a driving course, but that the sheriff and undersheriff showed up at the track to intimidate him.

Gonzales sat in on the deposition of former instructor Deputy Leonard Armijo and incredibly has now ordered an Internal Affairs investigation of Armijo. Bregman has compared Gonzales to a mob boss and asked the attorney general to investigate possible intimidation of a witness.

For icing on the cake, the Sheriffs Office last week cleared deputies who had a run-in with a bunch of motorcycle punks who were harassing the officers by doing wheelies and racing round their car. Video taken by one of the bikers and circulated on social media shows one deputy pulling a gun and pointing it out the window. No question the motorcycle riders were obnoxious, but its hard to believe the potential of a motorcycle running into your car is deadly force.

Meanwhile, Gonzales has stonewalled lapel cams for his deputies at every turn. Not only does that promote reckless behavior but emphasizes that no accountability to the public will be tolerated by this sheriff.

Gonzales says there is more video of the motorcycle incident that shows his deputies version of events. But he wont allow it to be released, claiming it would violate an officers right to privacy. Cleared in secret by secret video.

Leave it to this sheriff to make up exceptions that dont exist to the states Inspection of Public Records Act. If the video exists, and the department had it, its a public record unless it fits into another specific exemption. None comes to mind.

The sheriff is an elected official. The County Commission doesnt have direct control over him. But its not without influence over his operation and his budget. Gonzales needs to be reigned in before he costs taxpayers any more money, or somebody else dies or is injured needlessly.

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.
Mark Kelly, retired astronaut and commander of the final flight of the space shuttle Endeavour, asked a simple question: How many of you know somebody who has been shot?

All nine New Mexico students in the room raised their hands.

Kelly asked a second question: How many of you know more than one person who has been shot?

Three raised their hands.

A third question: How many of you have been shot at?

Three raised their hands.

That interaction was part of a roundtable on gun violence prevention Tuesday at the University of New Mexicos Domenici Center for Health Science with Kelly and his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.

Giffords was one of 13 people wounded at a Congress on Your Corner event at a Tucson grocery store on Jan. 8, 2011. Six people were killed in the rampage. Law enforcement authorities said Giffords was the main target.

Student leaders from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and Santo Domingo Pueblo representing New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, March for Our Lives and Mayor Tim Kellers Youth Advisory Council attended the roundtable after testifying earlier in the day at a hearing of the New Mexico Legislatures Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee.

Kelly spoke to the teens about their experiences with gun violence.

If you ask that question (about how many know a person who has been shot) in any other developed country, its almost zero percent. Its very rare that anybody will raise their hand, Kelly said.

Ive done this a number of times  in Australia and the UK. Here in the United States, its about half, and if you live in a state like New Mexico, which has high gun violence compared to other states, thats why all of you want to put your hands up, which is remarkable and really unfortunate.

The teens relayed their thoughts, feelings and fears of going to school. One of those was Albuquerque High School student Sophie LaBorwit, 17.

Going to school and feeling safe is something that, as students, we should be entitled to, LaBorwit said. I think thats not the case. After Parkland (Fla.) happened, my friends starting making plans like, If theres a shooter, go outside and run to my car or run to this classroom because youll be safe there.

To me, those conversations, its something that you hear all the time, and its something that shouldnt be happening. We shouldnt need to feel like we need to find shelter, where its going to be safest at our school.

Kelly and Giffords assured the students they have a voice and a role to play in producing change by engaging in the community and voting throughout their adult lives.

These are scary times, Giffords told the teens. Racism, sexism, lies, violence. Its time to stand up for whats right. Its time for courage. We must stop gun violence  protect our children, our future  let them lead the way. Make our country a safer place, a better place. Do you have the courage to fight? Stand with me. Vote, vote, vote. On Election Day, your voice matters.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexicans who depend on DACA are anxiously waiting as a series of court rulings decides their fate.

A federal judge in Texas is hearing arguments today on whether to issue an injunction ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in a case filed by that states attorney general.

Meanwhile, four federal judges have issued rulings that would protect the program President Donald Trump announced last year that he was ending.

Theyve reinstated the renewals of DACA, and that happened in San Francisco, New York, Maryland and now the latest one is D.C., said Isaac J. De Luna, communications director of the New Mexico Dream Team, a nonprofit organization advocating for DACA recipients and other immigrants in New Mexico.

The dueling court cases affect more than 700,000 people enrolled in the Obama administration program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the country illegally as children from deportation and allows them to work legally.

New Mexico is home to at least 6,800 DACA recipients. Under the program, renewals are required every two years.

If DACA gets taken away, it closes many doors for me, said Viridiana Lopez, a senior in Rio Rancho Public Schools who plans to attend college and later law school.

Lopez was brought to the United States from Chihuahua, Mexico, when she was 3 years old.

I communicate more in English, and I feel safer here than I would in Mexico, she said.

Lopez follows news about DACA closely and worries when she hears the program could end soon.

Ill cry, she said. I really do, because its scary.

Victor Nevarez, 19, shares her concerns. He arrived from Sonora, Mexico, when he was 7 years old.

Mexico is where I was born, but my home is here, said Nevarez, who is enrolled at Central New Mexico Community College and works.

Federal District Judge Andrew Hanen, who is hearing the case filed by Texas and six other states, previously ruled against a separate Obama administration attempt to create Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, or DAPA, to shield some undocumented parents of U.S. citizen children from deportation. He is not expected to make a decision on the DACA hearing right away.

In yet another case on the issue, on Friday, U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington, D.C., ordered the Trump administration to fully reinstate the DACA program and gave the government until Aug. 23 to appeal.

If there are competing injunctions to end and restart the program, the cases may go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

We know this is litigation that will escalate all the way to the Supreme Court, De Luna said.

Some DACA advocates have expressed concern that if the current makeup of the Supreme Court changes before the case is heard it could have a negative effect on the outcome, from their perspective.

De Luna, who has permanent U.S. resident status, has a personal stake in the court cases. His 22-year-old brother is a biochemical engineer, a University of New Mexico graduate and DACA recipient.

DACA is the one piece of paper that is keeping him with his loved ones and allowing him to continue growing as a professional and as an individual in New Mexico, he said.
The Santa Fe school board on Tuesday voted 4-1 to accept the recommendation of the Superintendents Equity and Diversity Council, revising the school districts policy regarding members of the Santa Fe Fiesta Court visiting public schools in advance of the annual community celebration, which this year will be held from Sept. 1-7.

The action comes a week after it was announced the performance of the Entrada  a reenactment of the resettlement of Santa Fe by the Spanish under Don Diego de Vargas 12 years after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680  would be discontinued this year amid protests that the pageant whitewashed history and is a celebration of the Spanish culture at the expense of Native Americans.

The decision came after more than two hours of public comment. The vast majority of speakers were opposed to the proposal, which Superintendent Veronica Garcia described as a compromise.

The only board member voting against the proposal was Rudy Garcia, who once served on the Fiesta Court.

The recommendations by the council, and supported by the superintendent, limits the courts visits to the fourth, seventh and ninth grades, when students are taught New Mexico history. In past years, the visit by the court included all grades.

Parents may still choose to have the children opt-out of the Fiesta Courts visit, an opportunity that was first provided to parents last year. Another change is to eliminate allowing members of the Fiesta Court to select students for the roles of little La Reina and Little Don Diego de Vargas, which the superintendent said some principals felt singled out certain students who were friends or relatives of those involved in the Fiesta.

Many of those opposed to the proposal said the school board was breaking a long-standing tradition that has become a part of the Fiesta, which was first celebrated 306 years ago. Some blamed people who were not native to Santa Fe for changing Santa Fes traditions.

This change will change our history, our tradition, said Jason Lucero, who portrayed de Vargas during the Entrada at the 2013 Fiesta. Before leaving the podium, he pulled out his cellphone and played a recording of the Fiesta song, prompting members of the audience to sign and clap along with the tune.

On the other side of the argument was Elena Ortiz, who helped organize Entrada protests in recent years. While she said she didnt object to the Fiesta, she said allowing the Fiesta Court in schools normalized de Vargas as a symbol of conquest. She called the Spanishs return to Santa Fe in 1692 an effort at genocide, which offended many in the audience.

Board members struggled with the decision, two of them citing concerns that Fiesta at its root was a religious event that shouldnt have a presence in the public schools.
BANGSAL, Indonesia  Aid began reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after a powerful earthquake that killed more than 130 people as rescuers intensified efforts Wednesday to find those buried in the rubble.

The national disaster agency stood by its latest death toll of 131 from Sundays quake despite other government agencies including the military reporting much higher figures.

The governor of the province that includes Lombok where the quake was centered, the military, the national search and rescue agency and regent of North Lombok issued different death tolls that ranged from 226 to 381.

But disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement the information from those sources was incomplete and hadnt been cross-checked for duplication. He has said several times that the number of deaths will increase. An interagency meeting will be held Thursday to compare information, Nugroho said.

As the aid effort stepped up, volunteers and rescue personnel erected more temporary shelters for the tens of thousands left homeless on Lombok by the magnitude 7.0 quake.

Water, which has been in short supply due to a prolonged dry spell on the island, as well as food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks. The military said it sent five planes carrying food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers.

Still, government assistance was barely a trickle in the west Lombok village of Kekait where Zulas Triani, an elementary school teacher who was sharing a tent with 30 others, said they had received only a basket with three noodle packets, five eggs and a small ration of water.

My house was flattened. We are all frustrated to live like this  in a tent without certainty. Where should we go if we have no house anymore, nowhere to live? said the mother of 15- and 9-year-old girls.

I dont know how to rebuild on my own. Were all relying on the government to help. I do hope the government can help, she said.

Nearly 1,500 people have been hospitalized with serious injuries and more than 156,000 have been displaced due to the extensive damage to thousands of homes. Thousands of people have been sleeping in makeshift shelters or out in the open.

At a collapsed mosque in Bangsal district, emergency workers in orange uniforms removed a womans body from the ruins on Wednesday morning. A green and yellow dome rested on the pile of rubble, the only part of the structure still intact.

Authorities said all the tourists who wanted to be evacuated from three outlying vacation islands due to power blackouts and damage to hotels had left by boat, some 5,000 people in all.

The quake was the second in a week to hit Lombok. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake on July 29 killed 16 people and cracked and weakened many structures, amplifying the damage that occurred in Sundays quake.

Like its famous neighbor Bali, Lombok is known for beaches, mountains and a lush interior. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

___

Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Todd Pitman in Kekait, Indonesia, and Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
SHIPROCK  The latest forum for the Navajo Nation presidential candidates continued to provide insight for voters here on Monday.

There are 18 candidates vying for the presidency, and 17 of them occupied two rows on the stage at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center.

Incumbent Russell Begaye was the first candidate to speak, and he opened with a nod to Shiprock High School, from which he graduated.

Within the allotted two minutes for introductions, Begaye touted a list of accomplishments by his administration since he stepped into office in May 2015. That list included his approval of $6.3 million in supplemental funding for Navajo Head Start and his approval of a $1.2 million contract for the Southwest Indian Foundation to build houses for Navajo veterans.

In his opening remarks, Vice President Jonathan Nez expressed concern about the ongoing stigma over produce grown using San Juan River water, despite soil and water tests that show the water is safe three years after the Gold King Mine spill dumped toxic waste into the water.

Fruits and vegetables that are being grown here in Shiprock are OK to eat, Nez said.

He said Navajo students are among those at New Mexico State University who are conducting the tests, and they called his attention to the negative economic impact the spill continues to have on farming communities along the river.

Agriculture was also mentioned by Dineh Benally in his introduction.

Im the (San Juan River) farm board president, and I feel the pain of our farmers in northern Navajo. We have an irrigation canal over 56 years old, Benally said adding as president, he will ensure that a strong, beautiful, irrigation system is built.

His comment was met by audience applause.

Hope MacDonald Lonetree tapped into what she thinks tribal members want, including jobs, quality education and protection for families.

We all have one goal in mind, and thats a better Navajo Nation, she said.

Rounding out the group were candidates Norman Patrick Brown, Tom Chee, Kevin Cody, Emily Ellison, Trudie Jackson, Rex Lee Jim, Calvin Lee Jr., Shawn Redd, Alton Joe Shepherd, Joe Shirley Jr., Nick X. Taylor, Tom Tso and Vincent H. Yazzie. Benny Bahe was absent from the forum.

Candidates asked about various topics

Tom Chee received the first question, which sought his opinion about which issue most prevents the tribe from improving economically and how he would improve that situation.

He said a big problem for the tribe is land status.

Theres no equity. Whatever you put on it, theres no value, while the rest of the country has their wealth by the property they own, the house they own, he said.

Chee added it is time to re-examine and restructure the tribes relationship with the federal government, including resetting regulations that negatively impact the economy.

In terms of public safety, Trudie Jackson was asked which policies would be implemented under her administration to protect the Navajo people from violence.

I believe that creating policies and hate crime laws would be a step and looking at hate crime laws that are more inclusive. What I mean by inclusive is it should include everyone, not just the cisgender people, Jackson said.

She added there are groups who experience sexual violence at a higher rate than others, and the creation of policies to protect their rights is needed and overdue.

In my administration, what I will do is bring in very strong advocates who care for the community. That will include men, women as well as the LGBT population, Jackson said.

Nick X. Taylor was asked to name the biggest problem facing Navajo young people today.

The biggest problem is communication, the 31-year-old said, adding that respect and proper communication needs to take place between generations and in all levels.

The youth, I want them to be involved at the chapter level, but everyone has to be (respectful), Taylor said before telling the audience the last time he visited Shiprock, an older man told him he was too skinny to be a politician.

Throughout the forum, candidates were asked about diversifying Navajo Nation investments, sustaining the Navajo language, government reform, veterans services and improving infrastructure.

Before candidates fielded questions, Central Consolidated School District Board of Education President Adam Begaye spoke to the audience.

It is an important evening for all Navajos to listen, to evaluate and to discuss the men and women who placed their names on the ballot for the 2018 Navajo Nation presidential ballots, Begaye said.

The next forum will be held from 5:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 20 at Dine College in Tsaile, Arizona. The primary election is Aug. 28.

Noel Lyn Smith covers the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 or nsmith@daily-times.com.



2018 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)

Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com

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Ajit Pai. Photo: Alex Edelman/Getty Images

For over a year, FCC chairman and Nemesis of Net Neutrality Ajit Pai has claimed that hackers brought down the FCCs public comment website last year with a targeted distributed denial of service attack. It turns out the attack didnt come from hackers at all  but instead, from a flood of commenters advocating for a free internet.

Thats according to a report released by the FCCs Office of Inspector General yesterday. Our investigation did not substantiate the allegations of multiple DDoS attacks alleged, the report reads. Instead, the report attributes the influx of traffic to the FCCs site on May 8 to an outpouring of comments after a segment about net neutrality aired on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. In addition to encouraging viewers to send comments to the FCC voicing their displeasure themselves, Oliver tweeted out the link, gofyourself.com, which redirected to the FCC comment page, so users could easily reach the site. The site could not handle the traffic.

One minute after the gofyourself.com link was tweeted by the Last Week Tonight With John Oliver program, the FCCs Electronic Comment Filing System experienced a significant increase in the level of traffic attempting to access the system, the report continued. Over 2.1 million comments were filed in the five days following Olivers show, which, according to a report by the Pew Research Center, made up nearly 10 percent of all comments for the five-month period.

Pai, whos become a stock internet villain thanks to his cringe-worthy attempts to relate to the very internet culture hes poised to pillage, responded to the news the way one would expect. Rather than admit the FCCs blunder and false DDoS claims, Pai blamed the past administration.

I am deeply disappointed that the FCCs former Chief Information Officer (CIO), who was hired by the prior Administration and is no longer with the Commission, provided inaccurate information about this incident to me, my office, Congress, and the American people, Pai wrote in a statement. This is completely unacceptable.

FCCs Net-Neutrality Stance Could Come Back to Bite Conservatives

Earlier this year, the senate voted on and passed legislation to reinstate net neutrality, only to have the bill fail in the House of Representatives with the votes falling largely on party lines. While net neutrality remains dead in the water for now, that may change depending on the results of this years midterm elections.

Until recently, the narrative of preventing a handful of internet-service providers from establishing near monopolies, limiting online content availability, and throttling internet speeds seemed a no-brainer and remained one of few major issues able to escape the clutches of political polarization. Just last year, a poll showed that 77 percent of Americans said that they supported net-neutrality regulation. In that same poll, 73 percent of Republicans also said they supported net neutrality.

While conservative politicians principally opposed to internet regulation in any form have reaped massive benefits from Pais brief stint as chair, their continued opposition to internet protections may come at a price.

A new survey conducted by conservative pollster group IMGE Insights found that a broad cross section of voters in battleground states not only said that they support net-neutrality protections, but that these protections were important factors in how they will cast their vote. The poll, which was first reported by the Intercept, analyzed voters in four battleground districts in California, Colorado, New York, and Florida. Sixty-three percent of the polled Republicans support net neutrality, including 58 percent of Trump voters.

Voters across key battleground congressional districts overwhelmingly support net neutrality and want their member of Congress to force a vote to overturn the FCC and restore net neutrality protections, the survey reads. Support for net neutrality is broad and bipartisan, and moves independents and undecided voters toward a member of Congress willing to take immediate action.

More interestingly still, 60 percent of all people surveyed said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who ran on overturning the FCCs net-neutrality reversal. Similarly, 46 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate if they refused to help overturn the FCCs ruling.
PHOENIX  Grand Canyon Education Inc. (LOPE) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $46 million.

On a per-share basis, the Phoenix-based company said it had profit of 95 cents.

The for-profit education company posted revenue of $236.8 million in the period.

For the current quarter ending in October, Grand Canyon Education said it expects revenue in the range of $153 million.

The company expects full-year earnings to be $4.86 per share, with revenue expected to be $840.5 million.

Grand Canyon Education shares have risen 32 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit $118.31, a climb of 47 percent in the last 12 months.

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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LOPE at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LOPE
State police say a traffic stop for a seat belt violation in Taos County escalated to an officer breaking out the drivers window and arresting him after he refused to roll it down or listen to officers.

A short video released on Facebook last week, which hints at excessive force, shows a New Mexico State Police officer breaking the drivers window with his baton during a February traffic stop.

However, State Police say the officers were in the right because the driver, 41-year-old Phillip Page, refused to comply for over 15 minutes before the window was broken.

NMSP Lt. Elizabeth Armijo said the 45 second video released on social media was the tail end of a traffic stop that lasted almost a half hour. During that time, Page refused to give up his identification 14 times, refused to unlock the door or roll down the window 20 times and was warned at least eight times that if he did not comply the officers would break the window and arrest him.

Both Page and his passenger at the time, 29-year-old Angela Fisher-Herrera, were arrested for resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, concealing identity, dialing 911 to report a false alarm or complaint, and a seat belt violation.

According to a criminal complaint filed in magistrate court, Page was pulled over for not wearing a seat belt and, when the officer approached the car, he wouldnt roll down the window completely because he said he did not have a legal reason to do so.

Police say Page and Fisher-Herrera refused to identify themselves several times and Fisher-Herrera soon called 911 because she felt threatened by the officer.

According to the complaint, three more officers  including a State Police sergeant  arrived to help and Page was told he could exit the vehicle willingly or he would be extracted for resisting.

Police say the sergeant broke the window while another officer grabbed Pages arm and he was pulled from the car.

NMSP Chief Pete Kassetas said the agency has investigated the incident and believes Page could have avoided the entire scenario by following the rules.

Im standing by my officers, he said. At some point after a certain amount of time of noncompliance, something has to happen.

Kassetas said New Mexico isnt a do whatever you want state when it comes to the commands of a police officer and the time for Page to argue whether or not its a righteous violation wouldve been in court.

We didnt break the window and drag him out of the car because he didnt have a seat belt on, he said. He got removed from the vehicle forcefully because he didnt comply.

Page told the Journal he and Fisher-Herrera were nothing but polite to the officer, telling him No, thank you when he asked for them to roll down the window and identify themselves.

I was just doing everything that was within my rights, Page said.

He said the officer tried to open the doors after the pairs refusals.

At that point we were very concerned  hes not acting like a cop, Page said. He couldve been calmer.

He said thats when Fisher-Herrera called 911 and Taos police dispatch told them not to speak with the officer anymore and wait for responding police.

There is now an arrest warrant out for Page and Fisher-Herrera after they missed court appearances in the incident.

Page, who relocated to Oregon after the incident, said they are driving back to New Mexico and hope the case will be dismissed.
Crossing the landmark of completing 100 years in the market, Britannia Industries Limited has undergone a brand revamp to thrive in the age of the new Indian consumer. To further fortify its market presence, the company is set to launch over 50 innovative products in adjacent categories and Dairy over the next 12 months.

Going forward, Britannia aims to become the future of food  a global total foods company.

As a part of its centenary celebrations, Britannia unveiled its new logo that reflects its ability to thrive in the age of digital consumers as well as showcase the brands commitment to excitement and goodness quotient.

The mega centenary year celebrations will roll out in August with a multi- media campaign. The TV campaign celebrates Britannias 100-year anniversary with the uniquely Indian idiom Sau saal jiyega and is a tribute to the love and trust India has bestowed on the brand.

Ali Harris Shere, VP  Marketing, Britannia Industries Limited, commented, As we step into the next big phase, its time for our brand to be future ready and represent the company we aim to be  one that is exciting, offers goodness and meets consumers where they are. With this new brand identity, we look to elevate the brand through a design that is simple and elegant, yet uniquely Britannia.

Brand revamp

Britannia last underwent a revamp around 20 years back in 1997 and as Ali Harris Shere, VP  Marketing, Britannia Industries Limited, remarked, Nothing was broke at that time, but we fixed it. About the latest revamp, he said, History is repeating itself as even though nothing is broken now, we are fixing it, because we need to change with this changing world.

Elaborating on the reasons for the latest revamp, Shere said, We want to take a big leap and be now known as a global, total foods company. We want to open up new consumption occasions and reach out to new consumer sets. Also, it is easier when the going is good and you are doing really well; we are setting ourselves up for the next growth phase. With a refreshed brand, we intend to connect with our consumers really well and speak the same language as our consumers.

He further said, There has been a huge shift in the consumer world and we have tried those shifts and are moving in the same direction. However, it still helps to take a fresh guard. At 100, we felt that we should refresh ourselves to move forward. I think it is going to be easy for us as things are not broken.

Shere informed that Britannia had earmarked Rs 50-60 crore for the rebranding campaigns over the next two months.

Focused advertising

Advertising has been a cornerstone of Britannias growth. The company spends about 3.5-4 per cent of its annual turnover on advertising.

Commenting on the advertising strategy, Shere said, Earlier, we did advertising that was rational, even emotional to an extent, and has been very food oriented. But now, we have identified who our valued consumers are, the insight linked to our brand and products related to that consumer, and then we refined all our brands  not just rationally but also from the point of view (POV) of what is happening in the society that is meaningful to these consumers. All our brands have a very sharp POV and we converse with our consumers through this. This is the focus and purpose that we have brought to each of our brands to connect better with our consumers.

New logo and rebranding

On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, Britannia has also launched a new logo, which has been developed in close consultation with global branding agency, Interbrand. Substantial research was conducted to develop the unifying logo that reflects accessibility, well-being and excitement. Shere elaborated, We went through the whole process of connecting with our consumers in order to understand them better and this brand revamp is a result of the insights gained from this entire exercise. The one brilliant insight that we zeroed in was that for our consumers, Britannia is a company which is right in the middle of excitement and goodness, there is no other brand in India which has such a fine and precise balance between excitement and goodness.

However, the brand didnt veer too far away from the existing logo, as it is deeply entrenched in peoples minds. After much consultation, the brand came up with a logo that looks smart, contemporary and also brings the whole exciting goodness proposition known so well to the consumers, remarked Shere.

Marketing campaign

The primary platform for the latest campaign will be television as Britannia is looking for maximum reach, frequency and impact and aims to reach the maximum number of households. Along with television, digital is also a key medium for the brand, given that the younger TG is always connected online. We have started investing more monies into digital since the last two years and it is bringing us returns, said Shere.

He further said that while the brand was not dwelling upon nostalgia in its TV commercials, for digital the brand will touch upon nostalgia, but in a very fresh way, which will be rewinding back while at the same time also going fast forward to the next 100 years.

The new logo reveal will be done in an innovative way on digital, showcasing the transition from old to the new. Due to larger spends on digital, the spends on traditional medium has shrunk, but with this campaign we will go all out on outdoor, radio, and print as these are good mediums to bring the change alive and create an impact on the consumers, Shere explained.

Strategy for Tier 2 & 3 markets

In order to tap into the rapidly growing Tier 2, Tier 3 as well as rural markets, Britannia is firming up its distribution network. Currently, the company has 16,000 rural stock points, which its plans to grow further.

The company has been seeing strong growth in the South markets  Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The company has performed well in Maharashtra as well.

Shere further said that the entire marketing strategy would now be to ensure that Britannia gets the right price points, and the marketing and sales teams are working together to achieve this. He added that while the company has done very well in the premium categories, in order to increase its value proposition, the company will be introducing its brands at affordable price points of Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20. This, said Shere, was critical to ensure that consumers adopt our brands. All these combined together will help us tackle the Tier 2 and 3 markets.

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DB Corp Limited has announced that its flagship Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar has emerged as the No. 2 newspaper in Bihar. Hansa Research Group undertook a commissioned readership research in Bihar to gauge the readership of various Hindi newspapers, their readership profile, key product consumptions, readers engagement and brand satisfaction.

As per this report, Dainik Bhaskar is at No. 2 position with an average issue readership (AIR) of 9.11 lakh. Hindustan, the Hindi newspaper from HT Media Ltd, claims the numero uno position with an AIR of 9.98 lakh. In Patna city, Dainik Bhaskar is at No. 1 position with an AIR of 5.07 lakh readers.

According to DB Corp, Dainik Bhaskar growth is driven by an aggressive circulation drive and supported by a sharp editorial plan and impactful on-ground activation efforts.

The study was conducted across 13 towns, involving a sample size of 2,085 respondents, varying across age group of 12+ years, gender, all NCCS categories and urban 1 lakh+ towns.

Speaking at the revealing of the studys findings, Girish Agarwaal, Director-Promoter, Dainik Bhaskar, threw light on some key factors that have driven Dainik Bhaskars growth in Bihar, the importance of print in todays market scenario that is fast moving towards digital and more. Excerpts:

Advertisers and publishers go for IRS data. How will this research benefit them?

Any kind of research is an indicative research. This one, too, is an indicative research. If I were to approach advertisers with this report, or for that matter any report, the first thing that they would do is cross-check it with the current market scenario and then take appropriate action.

Why Bihar was chosen for this research?

Last year, we launched in Bihar with an investment of Rs 150 crore - Rs 200 crore. So, when I have done such kind of investment in this state, then it automatically becomes an important market for us. From a population perspective, Bihar has a population of 11 crore, which makes it bigger than Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Thus, from a reach and penetration point of view, Bihar is a huge market.

From the AdEx perspective, compared to states like Gujarat or Rajasthan, the AdEx in Bihar is not as high right now, but the potential is there and the market will change. You cant suppress it for a long time; in fact, the change has already started. Sooner or later we will see a drastic change in Bihars markets as well.

What kind of growth in ad spends do you envisage?

Currently, Bihar and Jharkhand are Rs 500 crore markets. Bihar has a population of 11 crore and is a Rs 500-crore advertising market. In comparison, if you look at Rajasthan, it has a population of 6-7 crore but is almost a Rs 800-crore market. However, the way the Bihar Government is working, I think in 3-4 years time Bihar can become the fastest growing market, with the potential to reach Rs 1,000 crore.

What kind of footprint and reach do you have in Bihar?

We have got a pan-Bihar reach, where we cover the entire state and are present in all the 38 districts of the state. Almost 7 lakh homes are with us in Bihar. Moreover, we have got 9 printing facilities located at 4 locations in the state.

Was it a conscious decision to target only 13 towns?

We thought of quickly taking 13 towns because these towns more or less cover not only Bhaskars reach, but all the other competitors also have extensive penetration into these markets. Moreover, advertisers, too, look at these areas largely.

With this report, we have got a clear indication on where we stand, which is No. 2 position in Bihar. We still have 10 per cent less margin than Hindustan, who has been topping the charts for the last 2-3 years. Therefore, we have to focus more on our strategies to bridge that existing gap. Overall, talking about the report, I think we are in a good zone and now we have to see how we improve from here.

Has the low literacy rate been a dampener?

I think its a perception issue. If I compare with Gujarat or Rajasthan, Bihar doesnt lag too far behind in terms of literacy rate.

After Bihar, which are the other markets that you are looking at to carry out similar research?

At the moment, we are not looking at any other markets. The reason why we commissioned the research in Bihar is that it will take another 6-9 months for the next round of IRS data to be released. We wanted somebody to come and validate the numbers that are happening on the ground. For us, it is something through which we can know whether our efforts are working out or not, who are reading us, what kind of profiles form our readership base. For instance, it is very fascinating to know that 47 per cent of women pick Dainik Bhaskar, thus disproving the general perception that women are not interested in news and that they are relegated to kitchens. All the efforts of the editorial team, which says that we are a family paper, have worked very well.

What is the ratio of local and national advertisement?

We have 65 per cent local advertising and 35 per cent national advertising. We have a skew towards local advertisers as compared to national because they look to us to cover the regional markets. The advantage that we have with local is that the advertiser doesnt look at any other medium except print. With this, the cost remains the same.

What kind of (national) advertisers you find on the paper?

Anybody and everybody. For every company, irrespective of their category Bihar would be 4-5 per cent market currently. From a population perceptive, I think it should be 10 per cent. I refuse to believe that people in Bihar dont consume like the other markets. This is happening because earlier there was no medium to reach out to these audiences. Bihar has been a media dark area, where TV reach is the lowest. So, advertisers have not been able to reach out to these consumers. Now, with the growth in print, these guys have to relook at these markets and focus on these markets because there are lots of opportunities out there.

Print circulation is growing in India. I would like to stress here that the advent of digital has not degraded the value of print. Print is a mature industry, growing at a CAGR of 5 per cent, which is a big number. Digital still forms a small portion; if you look at print, it is still commanding a 30-35 per cent share of the overall advertising pie in the country. Every publication is witnessing a growth in numbers.

To give you an idea of this growth, according to ABC data, three years back we had a circulation of 14.5 lakh in Rajasthan, this went up to 15.5 lakh copies last year and this year we are expecting it to reach 16.5 lakh copies.

We are reverting to the old school methodology, where the only way is the door-to-door option. In Gujarat, earlier we use to do serials, but our team told us that nobody would read it. However, with this door-do-door survey we have realised that people still want it and we will get it back in Gujarat. With this, we are going back to the old ethos to bring the stickiness of print again.

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Aiken's Center for African American History, Arts, and Culture got a boost in fundraising on Saturday when descendants of the Immanuel Institute's founder visited Aiken for their family reunion.

Over 100 years after the institute's creation, the Dugas-Coles family celebrated their history and promoted its legacy by pledging money and organizing future fundraising for the center.

It was the first family reunion the Dugas-Coles had in eight years; some of them were seeing the center for the first time.

"We are all about re-establishing the foundation of our history, and introducing it to generations that are unaware," said Samantha Elliott Briggs, a member of the family who travelled from Birmingham, Alabama, for the event. "We see a bridge between Aiken and Augusta, since our family history is in both places."

The Dugas-Coles family has roots on both sides of the Savannah River. Their ancestor, the Rev. William R. Coles, moved to Aiken with his wife in 1880 and established the Immanuel Institute on York Street, which functioned as a church and school for freed slave children.

African American cultural center to open The Center for African American History, Arts, and Culture has been in the works since 2004. Located at the historic Immanuel Institute, it is

One of the Coles' daughters, Mamie Aiken Coles, would go on to marry Henry Clayton Dugas, from which the Dugas-Coles family earned their name.

Another family member, Cynthia Dugas Elliot, became a lifelong donor of the center during the reunion and is helping set up fundraisers to continue contributions. The center has special significance for Elliot, who attended first grade there while it was owned by St. Gerard's Parish.

"It gives me hope," Elliot said. "I feel a sense of commitment, and responsibility."

Elliot had special praise for her cousins Thelma Forehand and Bernice Sanders, who were pioneers in the center's founding.

The reunion involved a tour of the center, and the family listened to guest speakers, including Councilwoman Lessie Price, speak about their hopes for the future establishment.

Elliot said the Dugas-Coles family plans to have another reunion at the Immanuel Institute next year, in continuing celebration of their legacy.

The cultural center will house local and rotating exhibits on African-American history, from the Middle Passage to local Aiken County events. The history of the Immanuel Institute building made it an ideal location to house the center.

The Dugas-Coles are starting up a website at Dugas-Coles.com. For more information about the Immanuel Institute, including fundraising efforts, visit aikenculturalcenter.org or call 803-226-0269.
Fair trade regulator CCI has approved Tata Steel's proposed acquisition of debt-ridden Bhushan Power and Steel. "@CCI_India finds no appreciable adverse effect on competition in respect of Tata Steel's proposed acquisition of 100 per cent of the total issued and paid up capital of Bhushan Power and Steel Limited," the regulator said in a tweet today.

According to the notice submitted to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the proposed combination involves the acquisition by Tata Steel, either directly or through a wholly owned subsidiary, of up to 100 per cent of the total issued and paid up share capital of Bhushan Power and Steel, which is presently undergoing insolvency resolution proceedings initiated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Bhushan Power and Steel owes about Rs 45,000 crore to its lenders and it was among the 12 non-performing accounts referred by the Reserve Bank of India for insolvency proceedings in June last year.
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CAIRO  One of two Egyptian initiatives to provide free medical treatment for citizens is receiving mixed reviews among those who find it admirable, those who say it's just a public relations stunt and those who think the state deserves neither praise nor criticism for simply "doing its job."

Police force members and officers, along with their families, already receive free treatment at Egypts police and Interior Ministry hospitals. On July 2, some of those hospitals opened their doors to civilians. In an official statement July 29, the Interior Ministry indicated its hospitals in Agouza, Alexandria and the Nasr City district of Cairo had provided free medical exams for 163 people on July 27. The Interior Ministry is responsible for law enforcement and security.

In parallel, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) on July 5 chose 29 government hospitals, including police hospitals in those same three cities, to be part of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis "no waiting list" initiative, launched the same day. MoHP seeks to cut the time civilian patients with critical health conditions must wait for treatment. Sisi's initiative also covers surgeries for these patients.

The participation of police hospitals in treating citizens for free raises questions about the police and Interior Ministry's motives: Are they providing medical care for humanitarian purposes or are they seeking to enhance their images? Al-Monitor spoke with people from a variety of sectors who all had opinions on the matter.

Lawyer Ahmed Abdel Hamid, citing Egypt's infamous reputation regarding human rights, told Al-Monitor, The Interior Ministry assumes an inhumane role in its divisions and prisons, causing the health situation of dozens of detainees to worsen. He indicated that maintaining citizens health in prisons is a priority, and based on that, providing medical services to Egyptians is mere propaganda to embellish the image of the police, Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Tawfik and the ministry itself.

However, retired police Maj. Gen. Khaled Khalafalla, a current member of parliament's Defense, National Security and Mobilization Committee, told Al-Monitor most citizens support the police, and their sacrifices in the war on terrorism have made the police and the Interior Ministrys agencies popular. He said that, in addition to preserving the country's security, the ministry should, as with any other state institution, serve a humanitarian role as well, and Tawfik has moved in that direction since acceding to his post in June.

Though some observers believe this is a temporary public relations measure, Khalafalla said he expects it to last. The ministry "doesn't need to engage in such a role to have its image enhanced as some think," he added.

Mohamad Maher, a member of parliament's Human Rights Committee, is of the same opinion. He told Al-Monitor the police hospitals initiative is purely humanitarian  though, as an added benefit, it also plays a security role. Many crimes are committed by people who need money for treatment, in light of poor living conditions. Hence, providing free and excellent treatment would keep society safe from crimes emanating from [the need for cash]."

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Mohamed El-Banna, the executive director of the charity Mn Agl Masr (For the Sake of Egypt), sees the initiative as a humanitarian decision showing that Tawfik feels citizens' suffering and wants to relieve it. Like Khalafalla, Banna pointed out that such initiatives are part of Egypt's social responsibility, similar to efforts by civil societies in Europe and the United States that help counter the spread of disease.

Safwat al-Alem, a public relations professor at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor, It is only normal that activities designed to provide the community with health and education services serve to improve the image of the entity or institution behind them. The Interior Ministry has the right to provide distinguished community services.

A salesman whose mother was being treated for free at the Agouza hospital said, "Providing free hospitalization for citizens is a nice initiative on the part of the Interior Ministry and its hospitals. Many benefit from it. But according to the salesman, who asked to be identified only as A.H., "The Interior Ministry shouldn't be given credit for doing its job. These hospitals allocations come from the state budget, which in turn is funded by citizens taxes. This being said, it's just part of citizens right to be treated there, and thanking them would further promote their image.

As for Sisi's initiative, a source at MoHP told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that it's simply part of the president's long-term goal of providing better medical services in Egypt by improving standards at public hospitals. In the meantime, police and military hospitals serve as a temporary alternative for public hospitals until the work to improve these hospitals is done.
Iran is not your private property. Put talks with the US to a referendum!

Thats what a hand-held sign says in a photograph that went viral after President Hassan Rouhani touched on Article 59 of the constitution, which allows referendums on deeply divisive issues, in an Aug. 6 televised interview.

The photo was taken outside the French Confectionary, a popular downtown Tehran cafe whose name recognition probably derives less from the cookies it offers than from individual women having chosen it as the site for their symbolic protests against hijab, the mandatory Islamic dress code. Several women have been arrested in the last few years after pictures of them taken outside the cafe without head scarves went viral.

One Twitter user who posted an image of the sign tweeted, This is how a [Tehran] resident responded to the idea of holding referendums over issues that spark divide among the ruling elite. PS: It seems that outside this cafe is becoming the venue to express opinions over red lines.

Of course, reactions to the sign have not all been positive. Well, now that you bothered taking that photo and writing that text, you should have requested a referendum on the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic itself, one person tweeted.

A more cynical tweeter wrote, Talks between Iran and the United States are already going on behind the scenes. So, its likely that the guy in the photo is a Reformist trying to keep the middle class busy for some time with an issue that is of no significance or concrete effect.

Although newspapers have largely ignored the photo, probably because of its overtly critical content, some outlets have focused on the general issue of referendums. The Reformist daily Ghanoon published an interview with the moderate cleric Ayatollah Mohsen Gheravian.

The main purpose behind Mr. Rouhani raising the referendum idea is whether negotiations should be held with Trump, Gheravian said. The senior clerical community has yet to react to this.  I believe what the president meant is that restrictions on peoples opinions should be lifted  because there is a small group  who disregard peoples rights in the name of Islam.

Gheravian expressed confidence, however, that no referendum will be held on such controversial issues as the very essence of the system of government or the principle of the guardianship of the jurist, or velayat-e faqih, the basis for the supreme leader's position of ultimate authority. Asked why no referendums have yet been held, Gheravian said that in major disputes, the supreme leader has always been the final arbiter.

Hamdeli, another Reformist daily, covered a state TV interview with Ahamd Mazeni, a member of parliaments pro-Reform Hope faction. Mazeni praised Rouhani for bringing up referendums as a way to settle internal disputes.

I support the idea, Mazeni said. When it comes to differences that arent easily resolved, putting the matter to a public vote is a necessity. He did not, however, mention holding a referendum over talks with the Trump administration.

The economic hardships being felt by average Iranians and the reimposition of US sanctions against Iran after Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal have led to debates over whether Iran should respond positively to a comment by Trump, made during a press conference, that he would hold talks with Rouhani without preconditions.

Rouhani, during his interview, sounded hopeful that budding partnerships with Europe, Russia and China could compensate for the US sanctions. Foreign sanctions pressure is only one item with which Rouhani has to contend at the moment.

On the domestic front is the headache stemming from the impeachment of Labor Minister Ali Rabiee on a no-confidence vote of 129-114 by parliament Aug. 8. Labor Minister Jobless, the semi-official Fars News Agency trumpeted. The agency is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Thus, Rouhani's battle on multiple fronts continues.
Iraqs Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) finished the manual recounting of votes on Aug. 6 amid an outcry over potential fraud that involved ballots in Anbar province and Baghdad and Kirkuk cities, as well as districts in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and all ballots allotted for Iraqis who live abroad. The IHEC decided to cancel the recount process for the al-Rusafa district in Baghdad, as the ballots and machines used to submit and count votes were damaged in a fire following the election.

Laith Jabr Hamza, the official spokesman for the IHEC, addressed the decision to cancel the recount in this area, saying that the commission, which consists of select judges, came to the decision after reading the record for the count proceedings by the judge who was instituted to oversee the IHEC in al-Rusafa. This took place after the fire that razed the depositories [on June 10]. The decision was made due to the fact that all recording and biometric verification devices, as well as the ballots, were completely devastated in the fire, which rendered a manual recount impossible.

The Iraqi parliament asked for a manual recount back in June in light of a report by the Iraqi government that revealed a number of violations during the elections. This was followed by the dismissal of the former commissioners who were replaced by nine judges to chair the IHEC according to a decision by Iraqs Judicial Council. The nine judges were tasked with overseeing the manual recount.

Of note, Reuters published a report Aug. 5 that contained documents revealing that the Federal Board of Supreme Audit expressed concerns over the machines used in the elections to the IHEC on May 9, three days before the scheduled elections. However, the commission disregarded those concerns where accusations revolve now around alleged tampering with the machines, which were imported by IHEC from the South Korea-based Miru Systems.

While the IHEC has yet to announce the result of the manual recount in full detail or say if it will have an impact on the candidates who won, speculations signal that this process wont have a tangible impact on the winners or the distribution of seats, as some areas have announced that results and the recount were found to be consistent in Anbar, Dahuk and Iraqi Kurdistans Sulaimaniyah.

As such, the winning parties havent suspended their talks on forming the new government, nor have they withdrew their candidates from consideration for major positions, as they dont expect an impactful change in the aftermath of the manual recount with respect to the formation of the new government.

Right now, there are three major names that are being primarily considered for major positions in the new government.

The Victory Alliance asserted in an Aug. 6 meeting that they will stick with the alliances candidate Haider al-Abadi to head the new government. The Victory Alliance is above sectarianism, the party stressed. The benefit of Iraq and all of its components is always considered during our talks. On the other hand, the Shiite parties have yet to officially select someone for the post of prime minister, which is allotted to them.

As for the presidency, Mohammad Saber Ismail was officially nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)  a position that has been traditionally in the Kurds hands. Ismail, whose wife is former President Jalal Talabanis sister-in-law, served as Iraqs ambassador to the UN from 2013 to 2016. Ismail will take the presidency provided he gets two-thirds of the parliaments votes. This, ultimately, hinges on the internal talks between the Kurdistan parties, as well as their talks with the other parties from the Shiite and Sunni spectrums.

Nonetheless, there have been disputes among Kurdistans parties  particularly the PUK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party  over Ismails candidacy. The Sunni entities, on the other hand, are eyeing this position for Sunni leader Khamis al-Khanjar, who is a supporter of the so-called Iraqi Decision Alliance  a feat that seems, however, unlikely due to the extreme Shiite reservations over Khanjar.

Yet speaker of the Iraqi parliament remains one of the more problematic positions, as Sunni groups, which have this position, are still deeply divided in light of disjointed visions and power struggles. Both Khaled al-Obeidi, the former minister of defense, and Osama al-Nujaifi, the former vice president of Iraq and a former president of the parliament, are hoping to seize the position, in addition to Salim al-Jabouri, who was the last speaker.

While it likely won't have a serious impact on the existing results, the official announcement of the outcome of the manual recount will accelerate the ongoing negotiations over forming the new government, especially now that the winning entities are submitting their candidates for the major positions in the new government.
The Pentagon has more Islamic State fighters left to defeat in Syria than it has previously acknowledged, according to a US government watchdog.

As US-backed forces begin targeting IS remnants near the Iraqi border, as many as 4,000 to 6,000 IS fighters remain in their former stronghold in northeastern Syria, a joint inspector general report to Congress on Monday revealed.

The figure, attributed to a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment, would accord IS significantly more troop strength than the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged.

Pentagon officials estimated in December last year that as many as 2,000 IS fighters remained in Syria. The coalition has since stopped providing public estimates for IS remnants, but has not given a reason for halting estimates, even as it enters the final stage of so-called Operation Roundup that is aimed at clearing the city of Hajin near the border, where three divisions of Iraqi troops are holding a blocking position.

Defense Department spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson said DIAs figure speaks for itself and in response to a question from Al-Monitor the Pentagon did not provide a reason for halting public estimates of IS fighters. US-led coalition spokesman Col. Thomas Veale told reporters in June that he had nothing to add to previous estimates that had ranged between 1,000 to 3,000 militants in Syria.

But the DIA assessment also suggests there are more IS fighters in Syria outside the northeast, suggesting the group may have migrated to other parts of the country as it faced bombardment from US troops, who are mostly stationed in the northeast. The DIA told the inspector general that as many as 13,100 to 14,500 IS fighters were left in all of Syria.

Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad began advancing into the IS-controlled desert region of Suwayda this week, where the militant group has recently targeted the Druze minority in a series of suicide bomb attacks. The Kurdish-led Peoples Protection Units  known as the YPG  which receive US weapons and air support, said in a statement this week that it would be ready to assist the surrounded Druze cities in the area.

Experts say US officials have closely watched large movements of IS fighters out of Raqqa and Yarmouk refugee camp that could have helped intelligence agencies assess the remaining number of militants.

I cannot imagine for a moment that there hasnt been some very tight surveillance when [IS] fighters moved as groups, said Donatella Rovera, a senior crisis response adviser for Amnesty International, who recently returned from US-liberated areas in Syria. But, she cautioned, I dont really think we know how many people there are.

DIA also told the inspector general that counts of IS strength could fluctuate as military operations against the group continue. But the higher number of fighters could provide insight into the Pentagons reluctance to declare victory in Syria, even as US President Donald Trump promised in March to bring home 2,200 US troops from Syria very soon.

I don't declare victory until it is in the rearview mirror, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday. As we close in, what happens with [IS] is that they become more concentrated so there is hard fighting ahead. That's all there is to it.
Israels Knesset adopted July 19 the controversial Nationality Law, anchoring the Jewish character of the State of Israel. Now, Arab Israelis are divided over the nature of the protest they should mount against the law. Opinions range from exerting pressure on the legislature to amend the law by holding demonstrations and strikes and petitioning the Supreme Court to taking advantage of the bill to show up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government in front of the world.

Activists in the Arab-Jewish Hadash party told Al-Monitor that the Arab Knesset members and senior community figures such as mayors and members of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel have fallen asleep on the job. Although the Arabs are not obliged to serve in the military  unlike the Jews  they pay taxes like other Israelis but get fewer services and budgets from the state, the activists argue. Some think the Arab communities should launch an indefinite general strike, demonstrate and block roads to display their civic power. This way, they would expose Israels shame to the world.

Indeed, Israels 21% Arab minority have largely been silent. Their low-key reaction  immediately after the law was approved  was drowned out by the protest of Israels Druze community, which was given extensive media coverage and supported by former and serving senior security officials. Mobilization for the public Druze protest stemmed from the fact that young Druze men serve in the army, whereas the Arabs supposedly do not do their share.

Now, after delaying for three weeks, the Arab sectors leadership has joined the active public protest against the law. The Arab Joint List  an umbrella faction of four Arab-Israeli parties  the High Follow-Up Committee that represents Arab Israelis on a national level and the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel petitioned the Supreme Court on Aug. 7 against the Nationality Law. The petition follows similar appeals by Druze Knesset members, the left-wing Meretz party and Israeli Bedouins from northern and southern Israel. The head of the Joint List, Knesset member Ayman Odeh, has repeatedly dubbed the bill the Jewish supremacy law and has now declared on Twitter that Arab lawmakers were working to overturn it.

Up until now, the parties constituting the Joint List, especially Hadash and Balad, believed the best protest would be to censure the government. They thought passage of the law would help them explain Israels deep-seated discrimination against the Arab population, which they view as having been enshrined in the basic, constitutional-type law. However, the latest comments by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, combined with the Druze protest, tilted the scales in favor of shifting from condemnation to action.

In an interview this week on Israel Army Radio, Shaked said the nations top court had no authority to overturn basic laws, and threatened a war between the branches of government if the justices disqualify the Nationality Law. Shaked has sought in recent years to change the makeup of the Supreme Court and to appoint justices with views similar to hers, such as her nominee Alex Stein, a law professor. She said that while she does not believe a majority on the bench would rule against the law, she warned that if the High Court did take such a decision, an earthquake would ensue. There is no mistaking her biting remarks as anything but a real threat against the Supreme Court justices lest they dare override the Knesset.

Contrary to what Shaked and her friends think, the Supreme Court is not some goodwill gesture granted to Arabs and leftists, it is part of what is known as a democracy, Knesset member Odeh bit back.

Many among the Arab community disagree with the Supreme Court petition. They believe that any ruling it makes would in any case serve Netanyahu and other proponents of the law. If the justices decide they are not authorized to disqualify the law, the Arab petitioners will provide Netanyahu with the ratification he needs to disprove the critics contention that the Nationality Law sanctions apartheid. If the judges ban the law, the Arab struggle for equality could be sidelined by the war and earthquake that Shaked has threatened.

Whats more, the petitions critics argue that the situation of Arab Israelis will not change even if the court overrides the law, because the Knesset has already proven beyond a doubt its attitude toward more than 20% of Israelis who are not Jewish.

At an Aug. 7 news conference convened in Tel Aviv by the High Follow-Up Committee, Knesset member Jamal Zahalka of the Balad party described the Arabs dilemma over whether to fight the law or use it as proof of Israels racial discrimination against them. This law is evil, colonialist and racist, he said, but it has another side to it. Netanyahu has given us a tool to show the world how deep racism in Israel runs, and that's why we are circulating this document  appealing to the world and showing this founding document [of] apartheid, [of] racism.

Members of the Joint List will meet early next month in Brussels with the European Unions foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. They intend to use these high-profile meetings to launch an international campaign against the law and to mobilize worldwide support with the backing of leading writers, poets and intellectuals.

The first test of their intentions will take place Aug. 11 at a demonstration organized by leaders of the High Follow-Up Committee and Joint Arab List lawmakers. Ahead of the event, organizers are handing out stickers among Arab communities that say I am a participant. However, members of the younger Arab-Israeli generation do not believe demonstrations will change the attitude of the establishment toward their group. Most do not hold out any hope that the last bastion of Israeli democracy  the Supreme Court  will defend them and shift the attitude toward them of Jewish society that is so deeply impacted by the Lords of the Land mentality.
DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, the man who ruled Tamil Nadu for nearly two decades, had no land, house or car in his own name when he breathed his last on Tuesday. However, the real value of his assets may be in the Annai Anjugam Trust to which he transferred his house in 2010. Very little is known about what else this trust owns.

In an affidavit filed ahead of 2016 assembly elections, Karunanidhi had declared that he did not have any immovable property or agricultural land. In total, he had declared assets of Rs 13.42 crore in his affidavit. He showed a total income of Rs 1.21 crore for 2014-15 and had Rs 50,000 as cash in hand. He had bank deposits to the tune of Rs 12.73 crore and shares at Anjugam Printers valued at Rs 10.22 lakh.

Karunanidhi's second wife Dayalu Ammal had bank deposits of Rs 99.67 crore and held 60 lakh shares in Kalaignar Television Ltd valued (in 2016) at Rs 6 crore. She also had jewellery valued at Rs 15.65 lakh. Karunanidhi's third wife Rajathi Ammal had bank deposits of Rs 22.88 lakh and held 25 lakh shares in Westgate Logistics valued (in 2016) at Rs 2.50 crore. She held jewellery worth Rs 13.98 lakh.

While Karunanidhi did not own any house or a car, Dayalu Ammal had 2,520 square feet of residential property at Tiruvarur and Rajathi Ammal a 9,494 sq ft house at CIT Colony, Chennai. During 2011 assembly polls, the DMK patriarch and his wives had declared movable assets of Rs 41.13 crore.

In 1968, Karunanidhi had registered the house in the name of his sons Alagiri, Stalin and Tamilarasu and after getting their consent in 2009, the DMK veteran donated it to the Annai Anjugam Trust. Former Union Minister A Raja and noted Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu are among the trustees of the Trust. Karunanidhi had purchased the house in 1955.

Karunanidhi occupied the Chief Ministerial chair five times - the tenure of which stretched 19 years. Almost five decades ago in 1969, he became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time. Karunanidhi subsequently helmed the state as Chief Minister in 1971, 1989, 1996 and 2006. Kalaignar, as he was reverentially called, was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly 13 times.

(Edited by Saurabh Sharma with inputs from PTI)
An anonymous high-level Israel intel source was quoted in the Israeli media Aug. 7 as saying that the renewed US sanctions imposed this week on Iran will bring Iran to its knees. The source also argued that chances are good that the country will be forced to return to the negotiating table with the six world powers that cut the nuclear agreement and agree to a modification and to limitations on its continued expansion in the Middle East.

These words are overly optimistic and exaggerate the accepted opinion that prevails in the Israeli security system. But the quote does reflect the high-to-euphoric spirits in Israel following the US administration's policy changes toward Iran, a country Israel views as a true existential threat. Words that were once uttered behind closed doors or spoken hesitantly have become accepted facts in todays Israel. In a radio interview Aug. 7, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan verified this assessment and the Israeli hope that the ayatollah regime will indeed fall in the near future.

According to close associates of the prime minister, everything that is happening now on the American-Iranian-Israeli front was planned in Israel, marketed to President Donald Trump by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is now being implemented to fix it or nix it, the slogan coined by Netanyahu regarding the nuclear agreement. According to Israeli diplomatic sources, Trump is following Netanyahu's plan meticulously.

First of all, he abandoned the agreement, a high-level political source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Afterward he imposed the sanctions in two stages, so that the pressures on Tehran would continue to increase. Then he announced that theres a possibility for negotiations and agreed to maintaining contacts with Iran in order to change the agreement. And that is exactly what Netanyahu wanted to happen.

When he emerged from his last meeting with Trump, Netanyahu said, We have made important achievements for Israeli security. This referred to Trump's intention to walk away from the nuclear agreement with Iran and impose sanctions that would continue to worsen until Iran falls to its knees, as senior Israeli intelligence figures said this week. Trumps performance in this area could surpass Netanyahus wildest dreams.

The first signal to Tel Aviv that Washington was going to align itself fully with Israeli policy was Trumps decision to change senior Cabinet members and other top officials. He exchanged those with the more pragmatic, restrained opinions for a new, tougher faction. When John Bolton became national security adviser and Mike Pompeo received the State Department, Israel knew that Trump was going to carry out his promise to Netanyahu. Communications between the two capitals became tighter than ever. The transfer of the Iranian nuclear archives from Tehran to Tel Aviv in a brilliant Mossad operation was the diamond in the crown and helped encourage Trump to make his final decision to abandon the nuclear agreement.

There were those in Israel who compared the nuclear archive theft to the intelligence that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon conveyed in 2002 to President George Bush proving that PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat was behind the second intifada and rearmament efforts of Palestinian terror groups. That document, which was delivered to the Americans by the Israel Defense Forces intel attache in Washington, caused Bush to overhaul his policy entirely. Arafat was discredited in Washington and became a bad guy until his death.

A high-level intelligence source spoke to Al-Monitor several days ago and confirmed on condition of anonymity that there is a basis for cautious Israeli optimism: Truly crazy things are going on now in Iran; the effects of the American sanctions are far more sweeping and rapid than we first predicted. This is causing real hardship to the Iranians, and they have started to cut back on their funding for terror. The source confirmed reports that Iran significantly cut back on its assistance to Hezbollah in recent weeks in light of the worsening situation of the Iranian economy. The sanctions are being imposed gradually, all according to plan. There are currently sanctions in specific spheres of commerce, but in November the sanctions will hit the exportation of petroleum products and natural gas. By November, another senior intelligence source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, the Iranians will understand the depth of the pit into which they have fallen. There is a chance that they will change their policy but if not, the regime is likely to start to wobble.

The only thing that sours Israels premature celebrations is Trumps startling but not atypical announcement that he will speak with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting next month in New York. If Trump meets with him, that could slow down or ruin the implementation of the plan, a senior security source told Al-Monitor, also on condition of anonymity.

Tel Aviv has also convinced the Americans of the theory, backed up by intelligence, that a battle is going on in Iran between the pragmatic bloc led by Rouhani and the extremist one in which Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani influences Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The pragmatic bloc wants to stop investing in terror and exporting the revolution and concentrate on saving the Iranian economy. The extremists want to continue spreading terror throughout the Middle East and keep up its struggle against Israel.

It could be that Trump is aware of this internal struggle and is trying to enlarge the abyss that separates Rouhani from Khamenei, a senior Israeli political source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. It could be that at the meeting, hell make all kinds of far-reaching promises to Rouhani in order to encourage and strengthen him in his difficult battle with the Revolutionary Guard.

One way or the other, Tel Aviv believes salvation is coming in November.
Before the Italian election in March of this year, the focus for Italian politicians was firmly on immigration. And since the new government formed, new Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, a populist and nativist who leads the party formerly known as the Northern League and now called the League, is still milking the issue to gain support outside his party.

The highest profile incident happened in early June, when Salvini refused to allow a boat of migrants to land in southern Italy. The boat would later dock in Spain. While Salvinis policies may have had little impact on migration overall  migration was down under the last government, too  theres no doubt that his extremist anti-immigrant rhetoric is having an impact on Italian society and many of the migrants coming from the Middle East.

Some migrants and refugees are now setting sail from Morocco with the intent of landing in Spain, a slight shift from the Libya-to-Italy path that became popular after the European Union cut a deal with Turkey to stop predominately Syrian refugees from entering Europe. Only around 23,000 migrants have traveled that route, according to the International Organization for Migration, and Libya is still the primary set-off point. But Middle Eastern migrants have been forced to adjust their paths to Europe before and may have to do so again.

From North Africa's perspective, the ball is now in Morocco's court.  The question is whether Morocco can contain the growing migration flow to Europe, Riccardo Fabiani, a geopolitical analyst at the research consultancy Energy Aspects, told Al-Monitor. Its relationship with Spain could be tested over the next months, although I don't expect a crisis comparable to the Italian-Libyan issue.

But even if Middle Easterners make it across the sea, evade the Libyan coast guard and find their way to Italian shores, there are a host of other problems to face. Many there are still stuck waiting in asylum centers. Exact figures are hard to come by, but the EU just rejected a deal to relocate 160,000 migrants and refugees from overcrowded camps in Greece and Italy. Others are evading such centers for fear of deportation. On July 30, 350 people were sent from Italy to Libya. The deportations are leading to rifts between Salvini and his coalition partners in the Five Star Movement party.

Last week, Roberto Fico, the speaker of the lower house of the Italian parliament and a parliamentarian for the Five Star Movement, denounced Salvinis pact with Libya that forcibly removes migrants and sends them back to Libya, a country that has repeatedly been deemed unsafe for migrants.

Libya is not a safe landing point. Human rights are not guaranteed, so migrants cannot be left there, Fico said, according to The Guardian. I dont want to close the ports. We need to talk about immigration with intelligence and heart.

And then theres the issue of rising racism in Italy. Earlier this year, a man who once ran in a local election with Salvinis League drove around the central Italian town of Macerata shooting at black people. He injured six people before draping an Italian flag over his shoulders and being apprehended by police. Many analysts credit the rise in racism in the country to one man: Salvini.

At the moment, to be honest, I'm afraid that people who are trying to cross the sea illegally never heard anything about Salvini or his policies, said Laura Silvia Battaglia, an Italian journalist and professor who splits her time between Milan and Sanaa. I barely think that Salvini's policies are changing the behavior of people who are in the migration centers, still waiting for asylum, and of the regular migrants in Italy that, for the first time, have fear of being targeted by neofascists, especially migrants with black or brown skin.

Immigrants, particularly those from the Arab world or Africa, are often blamed for bringing crime and violence to Italy. Sitting in the plaza of Vigevano, a town in the Lombardy region where Salvini derives much of his support, a local man in his 40s told Al-Monitor that Muslims and Arabs werent capable of integrating into Italian society. He asked for his identity to be withheld.

While statistics dont back up these perceptions, the large increase in immigration in the last couple decades paired with selective reporting on crimes committed by immigrants has led public perception to support the sort of actions figures like Salvini are attempting. And while the success of Salvinis immigration strategy is debatable, his political success is not.

Fabiani said, Politically, this strategy has been so far successful, but the price to pay is still unclear. If anything, there are growing signs of racism coming into the open in Italy, for example, as people feel emboldened by Salvini's rhetoric and take it out on migrants. Overall, Salvini's strategy is working, from his point of view, although one could argue the downward trend was already in place before he took over the Interior Ministry.

He went on, Salvini has just reinforced Italy's commitment to boosting Libya's migration-containment capacity and has used a few high-profile episodes to signal his new policy. The truth is that so far the only new policy in place is a much more aggressive rhetoric toward immigrants and the decision to close Italy's ports.

Salvini has so far turned away two boats carrying a total of 854 people. But these figures are minimal, considering that more than 472,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy since Jan. 1, 2015. Numbers are down this year to 18,392 by sea and none by land, though experts say that this trend started under the prior government after it bolstered the strength of the Libyan coast guard.

But that hasnt stopped Salvini from taking credit for the drop in migration. To his growing support base, his tactics are working. In the meantime, it seems Salvini will continue sending migrants back to Libya. Relations between Libya and Italy are strengthening as they work to curb migration, and the results seem to be beneficial for Salvini, but just the opposite for Middle Easterners fleeing hardship.
RAMALLAH, West Bank  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has tightened his grip on the PLO after he officially approved the distribution of tasks and departments among the Executive Committees members on Aug. 1.

Under the new distribution, Abbas, who heads the PLOs Executive Committee, assumed the position of chairman and head of the National Fund, which serves as the PLOs Ministry of Finance. Abbas also appointed his adviser for foreign and international affairs, Nabil Shaath, as the temporary head of the Department of Expatriate Affairs, although Shaath is not a member of the Executive Committee.

These appointments sparked a wave of criticism from Palestinian factions and forces, particularly since the position of chairman of the National Fund is normally elected by the Palestinian National Council (PNC) rather than the Executive Committee. Shaath replaced Tayseer Khaled, who had been the head of the Department of Expatriate Affairs for the past decade.

The current Executive Committee was formed May 4, with Abbas urging members of the PNC to approve the new structure without resorting to elections. However, Article 13 of the PLOs Basic Law states that all members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the [Palestinian] National Council.

The PNC is the supreme authority of the Palestinian people locally and abroad. It is responsible for making decisions regarding PLO policies and political programs. It is also the legislative authority that represents the Palestinian people.

The PNC unanimously elected Abbas as president of the Palestinian state on May 4, and on the same day, the Executive Committee elected him as its chairman.

Qais Abdul Karim, the head of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Al-Monitor, Abbas decisions are hasty and not well studied. They do not reflect the opinion of the majority in the leadership circles of the PLO. These decisions are an extension of the mindset of monopolizing decisions and prevailing over other parties and messing with the foundations of political partnership between the parties within the organization. He hoped Abbas would take back these decisions.

The PLOs Central Council is set to convene in Ramallah on Aug. 15 and 16 to discuss the decisions and how they were made.

Abdul Karim stated that Abbas' decisions are disorderly. There were no real reasons to change the head of the Department of Expatriate Affairs, which Khaled headed for 10 years," he said. "It should have been given to a member of the Executive Committee.

As for the chairmanship of the Palestinian National Fund, Abdul Karim said that the PLOs Basic Law states that the fund chairman should be independent and elected by the PNC, thus becoming, in his capacity as chairman, a member of the Executive Committee. But this did not happen during the PNC meeting. He noted that the Executive Committee and its head are not responsible for appointing the head of the National Fund.

Fatah condemned the stance of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine regarding Abbas decisions, saying in a press statement on Aug. 1, The statements of several Palestinian leaders who accused Abbas of practicing a policy of monopolization and domination, among others claims, have nothing to do with advancing national work.

A leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Omar Chehade, told Al-Monitor, The decisions taken recently to tighten the noose and monopolization in the PLO bodies are dangerous for the Palestinian cause. He added, Abbas monopolization of the chairmanship of the National Fund opposes the PLOs Basic Law.

He said, This step reflects Abbas insistence on handling the executive, judicial and legislative authorities. He has also illegally added the National Fund to his responsibilities, knowing that it is the organizations financial balance. The Palestinian political system now resembles a one-party rule.

Chehade said that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine will boycott the session of the Central Council mid-August. He explained, We do not see a point behind this meeting. It will further weaken the PLO and deal a blow to its organizational, legal and constitutional foundations. Instead of holding this meeting, a call for the united leadership framework resulting from the reconciliation agreement should be issued, and a comprehensive national dialogue for all Palestinian factions should be held.

Chehade added, There is no value in holding a meeting for the Central Council, the PNC or the Executive Committee if the decisions are thrown away and not implemented. He was referring to the August 2015 decision of the Central Council to halt security coordination with Israel. On Jan. 15, 2018, the council underlined this decision, which remains unimplemented.

Ahmad Jamil Azem, an assistant professor in international studies and political sciences at Birzeit University, told Al-Monitor, The Central Council that will convene mid-August should discuss the appointments in the Executive Committee, in light of the PLOs Basic Law. Any existing violations should be addressed. Most importantly, the method and system of taking decisions in the organizations circles should be discussed. Changing the head of a department in the Executive Committee is not a problem, but it is important to know who is taking the decision and following which framework. Is it the head of the Executive Committee or its members?

He added, The members of the Executive Committee openly expressed that there is a problem with the decision-making process. I think several factors are in play, mainly the powers of the Palestinian Authoritys presidency and the Executive Committee chairmanship.

With the imminent Central Councils meeting, many issues will be discussed, some related to decisions taken and not implemented and others related to the nature of relations with Israel. The internal Palestinian situation, the PLO and the decision-making process within the Palestinian political system will also be tackled. Yet the Central Council might not be able to make practical changes, even if decisions are made.
In the cash-strapped Gaza Strip, many budding female artists have abandoned their paints and brushes in pursuit of studies they hope will someday land them solid jobs. Art has thus become one of the many casualties of economic uncertainty in Gaza, with painters fearful that their art will not provide them a livelihood, much less social respect.

Nour al-Hoda Hourani, an amateur artist from Gaza City's Zahra neighborhood, told Al-Monitor that she has been drawing since childhood. She did so with the support of her family, but when it came time to select a university, instead of studying fine arts, she opted for something more likely to land her a job after graduation. That decision led her to enroll three years ago at the Faculty of Architecture at the Islamic University of Gaza.

Explaining her choice, Hourani said that it is difficult to make a living from art, in her case by selling paintings in Gaza, because for a majority of the people, art is a luxury given that they are living hand-to-mouth.

I had participated in many joint art exhibitions in Gaza but never had the opportunity to further my skills by interacting with artists abroad, Hourani said. Due to the restrictions on movement [for people] in Gaza, I was unable to attend international exhibitions and get to know other cultures, art forms and artists around the world.

Hourani also remarked that having a career in art is more difficult for women than for men. The female painters in the Gaza Strip number no more than two dozen, she said. This is a small number, as there are many talented women. The number of male painters is twice as many.

Samar Saleh, an artist from the Nasr neighborhood, in western Gaza City, also opted for a non-art-related career. She is currently studying at Al-Azhar Universitys Faculty of Science. Saleh told Al-Monitor that she had started painting around age 12 even though painting supplies had either been difficult to come by or too expensive and art lessons and incubators mostly non-existent.

Saleh continues to paint as a hobby and has participated in several joint exhibitions, including Flowers of Martyrs, a display of works to protest US President Donald Trumps decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem last year.

In Gaza, people believe that girls who are interested in art are wasting their time, Saleh told Al-Monitor. There are quite a few girls who are being oppressed by their own families and society because of the traditional view of women, whereby women should not mix with men during art exhibitions or engage with the media to promote their art. Social constraints  doubled by the lack of support in the family  and economic woes eventually cause prospective artists to give up or cause their talents to dry up.

Hanaa Hamash, an artist from Gaza who currently lives in Turkey, told Al-Monitor that her path had been paved with difficulties, including a lack of support and incentives. Hamash, who holds a bachelor of fine arts from Al-Aqsa University, explained that she began her art career in 2007, when she was admitted to the university and gradually began organizing local exhibitions, showing her work in galleries and painting public murals. She eventually took part in international exhibitions in the United States, Ukraine, Egypt and Turkey.

Young girls who show an interest in the arts and continue to work on their talent are usually children in families that had lived outside the Gaza Strip before the first 1987 intifada, Mahmoud Jouda, a writer, activist and researcher of Gazas social fabric, told Al-Monitor. He explained that this group was influenced by the culture of the countries where they had lived for a time and somehow felt less bound by the usual social constraints in Gaza.

Others usually let go of their artistic activities once they reach the age of 14, which is when they start being pressured by society and become stigmatized because some forms of art are considered bad for girls in the community, Jouda said.
MOSCOW  As Russia has been gradually moving from a military to a comprehensive political campaign on Syria, one of the primary issues on the agenda for Moscow is the return of refugees. The agenda pierces through current Russian engagements with regional states, overtures to foreign governments and outreach to international agencies. The three dimensions reflect Russias threefold intent at this point: stabilize Syria; reinforce its own regional profile of a capable actor and a reliable counter-partner; chart out areas of cooperation with the United States and the European Union. Yet the degree of success Moscow has had working along the three paths varies significantly.

Last week, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised progress Moscow made in discussions on the return of refugees with Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon  the regions three biggest recipients of Syrian refugees.

I think well see their results in the short term," Lavrov noted.

The Russian Foreign Ministry names a figure of 1.7 million people who are allegedly willing to return to their homes in Syria.

At different levels Moscow stresses cooperability of regional governments with Russias efforts toward the refugee return.

About 890,000 Syrian citizens can return to their home country in the coming months, said the head of Russias National Defense Control Center, Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, referencing data by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"Lebanons government has established a working group to set up a joint committee on cooperation with Syria in matters concerning the return of refugees. Lebanese regional refugee centers have reported receiving about 10,000 applications from Syrian citizens [seeking] to return to their home country," he added.

Jordan too has been actively facilitating the return of refugees.

"The government of the Hashemite Kingdom has taken a number of steps that have encouraged more than 200,000 Syrian citizens to express a wish to return to their places of permanent residence. All this is happening amid the Syrian armys successes in regaining control of the countrys border with Jordan," Mizintsev said.

While working with regional states has so far been rather successful, getting international agencies on board with Russian initiatives has proved much more challenging for Moscow.

"We have an interested response [from the Humanitarian Affairs Office] and at the level of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which was outlined by the deputy high commissioner in Sochi at the Astana format meeting on July 30-31. As for other UN agencies, we have a feeling  which we would like to double-check  that they are guided by the Wests stance and wait until this position changes," Lavrov stated.

"So far, we have seen no UN employees in the areas controlled by the government where assistance is needed to restore the destroyed life-support systems. I hope this is a false impression, this could be a mere coincidence," Russias top diplomat argued.

Lavrovs remarks reflect an underlying problem Moscow encounters: getting interested EU and US parties to cooperate on issues they  at least the Europeans  have long claimed they care about.

On Aug. 4, Russias Defense Ministry confirmed it had proposed cooperation to the US military on Syrian refugees and joint demining efforts in Raqqa. On July 19, shortly after the Helsinki summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, head of Russian militarys General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov used a closely guarded bilateral communications channel to send a letter to US Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The letter from the top Russian general reportedly included Moscows proposals to discuss with Damascus safety guarantees for refugees stranded at Rukban, as well as creating conditions for their return home.

The Rukban refugee camp lies within 55 kilometers (34 miles) from the so-called deconfliction zone set up by the United States to provide safety for its troops deployed near the Iraqi-Syrian border. The camp has long been a serious concern for the pro-Assad coalition, with Russia accusing the United States of setting up a terrorist reserve in the facility.

A second set of proposals in the letter, according to the Russian military, concerned coordination of humanitarian demining, including in Raqqa, and other priority humanitarian issues. The proposal itself is not really new since Moscow has long been advocating cooperation in Raqqa as a starting point for practical cooperation between the two countries and a trust-building measure.

Another point on the proposed agenda in the letter had to do with Syrias reconstruction in light of lack of fuel, equipment, construction materials and funding. Russia would want the United States to either contribute whats needed directly or use its power and leverage in getting it from international agencies. The United States, in turn, has long argued the reconstruction should be linked to a process of political transition in Syria and UN-supervised elections.

A source in the Russian Foreign Ministry who was speaking with Al-Monitor not for attribution said the United States and Europeans should recognize their own responsibility for the conflict in Syria.

When they say, 'You [Russia, Iran and Assad] destroyed the country, now you fix it,' our response is, 'How many Western nations are to blame for the destruction of Syria?' We are prepared to contribute our share, but its clear they must contribute theirs, he argued.

He noted that Americas reluctance to cooperate with Russia on efforts of refugee return plays to the detriment of its own policies in the Middle East.

We have succeeded in getting many nations on board to work on things that are important to them. When it comes to refugees, security and economy are important drivers for their willingness to cooperate. America is standing there alone discouraging even those Europeans who are genuinely interested in some cooperation with Russia from doing so. It shows how deep the frustration and distrust of us are within their decision-making circles. he said.

The source added, "Does it create a problem for our initiatives? To some extent, but only in that if the United States agreed to cooperate, it would send a positive impetus to others. But we are set on a path that they [the United States] cannot reverse. We will continue doing what we are doing on our refugee policies and other things. There will be other nations and bodies interested in reconstruction and at the end of the day America will find itself isolated by its own 'reluctance-and-aloofness policy.'"
ALEPPO, Syria  Regime opponents have been cracking down on people it accuses of spreading rumors about or urging reconciliation with the government and its allies in northern Syria.

Since mid-July, such rumors have been circulating in opposition-controlled parts of Idlib and neighboring areas in rural Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces, along with al-Ghab Plain in Idlib and Hama provinces. There have been reports that an increasing number of people in these areas are calling for reconciliation. The regimes Ministry of Reconciliation also reports that dignitaries of these areas have contacted the ministry and officials at Khmeimim air base, which is operated by Russia in Latakia, to discuss their surrender.

The rumors, according to regime opponents, broke out a few days before the regime took full control over the southern province of Daraa in a bloody mid-July campaign. President Bashar al-Assad said Idlib would be next, sparking concerns in opposition-held areas in the north.

Capt. Abdel Salam Abdel Razzaq is a leader of the Syrian Liberation Front, which is affiliated with the opposition's Free Syrian Army (FSA). He told Al-Monitor, After the regime took over Daraa, we were expecting those collaborating with the regime [in the north] to come out and make their voices heard about the need to reconcile with the regime.  We also warned residents about people promoting reconciliation and stressed the need to track them down.

He added, Having that many people in opposition-controlled areas promoting reconciliation with the regime is alarming. These people collaborate with the regime and are in constant contact with it. This propaganda is part of the media and psychological warfare the regime has waged against us. It has started to influence public opinion and [stifle] economic movement in Idlib and its surroundings.

Between July 28 and Aug. 3, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a militant coalition of rebel groups, arrested dozens of people it accused of promoting reconciliation in northern Syria or collaborating with the regime and Russia.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said some of those arrested had formed a cell that was working to locate fighters in Idlib to hand them over to Russian forces. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-affiliated news site Ebaa published a picture showing three individuals said to be part of the cell and reported that one of those arrested had a mobile phone containing marked locations in Idlib and Sarmada.

Local councils in al-Ghab Plain, west of Hama, denied any meetings between the area's opposition representatives and regime officials for reconciliation purposes. Local councils in Qalaat al-Madiq, al-Shariat and al-Tuwaina issued statements denying such meetings as well. On July 31, residents of Maarat al-Numan in rural Idlib and the council of elders of Jisr al-Shughour confirmed that they will firmly deal with anyone spreading rumors or promoting reconciliation with the regime.

Capt. Naji Mustapha, the spokesman for the National Front for the Liberation of Syria, told Al-Monitor, The FSA factions have also cracked down on those promoting and spreading rumors about reconciliation with the aim of bringing the opposition down. The front is part of the FSA.

He added, The National Front for the Liberation of Syria has arrested several groups in Idlib, Aleppo, Hamas northern countryside and al-Ghab Plain, after finding out that they were promoting reconciliation. These groups were in contact with military and security officers in the regime, as well as with Russian forces at Khmeimim base. We will continue to crack down on such groups and put an end to these rumors.

A member of the Azaz media center, Abdelkader Haj Othman, told Al-Monitor that the FSA security crackdown has been successful in countering some rumors and preventing their spread. But he added, Naturally, residents are concerned about the regime attacking the opposition-controlled areas in the north and carrying out massacres. They spread and discuss such rumors on a daily basis out of fear.

According to the closing statement at the Astana 10 peace negotiations held July 30 in the Russian city of Sochi, there are talks about extending the de-escalation agreement in Idlib and the northern areas under opposition control. However, concerns about a possible regime offensive hang in the air as reconciliation promoters intensify their activity in those areas, regardless of the FSA factions' tightened security measures.
The Alexander City Outlook is reporting that Russell Medical will lay off some of its employees to cope with financial issues.

The number of employees affected was not disclosed, but it spans all departments and pay grades, officials said. Russell Medical employs about 500.

However, Susan Foy, director of marketing, told the paper that the hospital wants "to be here a long time." Administrators say they hope many of those let go this week can be rehired in coming months.

Foy said the hospital was forced to lay off employees because of Alabama's decision not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, as well as patients' inability to pay amid the rising cost of insurance.

"In Alabama, the failure to expand Medicaid a few years ago has caused reimbursements that do not cover the cost of treatment," she said. "Bad debt due to rising copays and deductibles has increased as well. The financial situation and more regulations have presented us with considerable challenges."

At the same time, area residents go looking for health care in larger cities.
Attorney Bob Loftin has joined Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt LLC.

Loftin is a practicing lawyer, CPA and certified financial planner. He is one of only four lawyers in Alabama registered with the state bar as an estate planning laws specialist, certified by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils.

"We are extremely proud to welcome Bob Loftin to our firm," Jay Clark, managing member at Wallace Jordan, said. "Bob enjoys taking the complex problems of business and finance, and reducing them to more understandable tasks."

Loftin began his career in 1979 at Arthur Andersen in audit and then later in tax. Over his career, Loftin has worked with Crowne Partners, Balch & Bingham, and formed Elyton Partners, which combined with Sirote & Permutt, PC.

Loftin is an Eagle Scout and the founder of the Alabama Episcopal Foundation. He recently renovated a warehouse in downtown Birmingham, where he and his wife, Virginia Gilbert Loftin, of more than 25 years now live.
Two Jefferson County men have been charged with multiple crimes following the shooting death of a Birmingham-area teen killed just days before the birth of his first child.

Lawrence McDaniel, 19, died earlier this week at UAB Hospital following a Friday-morning shooting in rural Winston County. The Minor High School graduate was a furniture deliveryman who is believed to have been on the job when the shooting happened.

One of his co-workers - 18-year-old Dakari Aenia Maddox - is charged with reckless manslaughter in McDaniel's death. According to court records, Dakari Maddox was under the influence of marijuana "while carelessly handling a gun." The gun discharged, according to the warrant, and struck McDaniel in the head, ultimately killing him.

Both he and a man believed to be his father, 42-year-old Eamon Maddox, are also charged with altering the crime scene and various other charges.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded about 9 a.m. Friday to County Road 3812 at County Road 41 between Arley and Addison. Arley Police Chief Jerry Cummings said he was first to arrive on the scene and found McDaniel lying in the roadway. McDaniel was airlifted to UAB.

The chief said he helped secure the scene because he was closest to it and then turned the investigation over to the Winston County Sheriff's Office.

Repeated calls to Winston County Sheriff Tommy Moore and investigators since Saturday seeking comment have not been returned. Calls to the District Attorney's office also were unsuccessful, as were several calls to the Winston County Jail seeking mugshots of the suspects.

According to the Northwest Alabamian, the trio was in an Enterprise rental truck when the shooting happened. A handgun was recovered from inside the moving truck, which was rented out of Birmingham.

In addition to manslaughter, Dakari Maddox is charged with second-degree assault, tampering with evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and obstructing government operations.

Eamon Maddox is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with evidence, possession of marijuana, carrying a pistol without a license and obstructions of justice. Court records indicate both "altered the crime scene" and made false statements to law enforcement officials about what happened.

McDaniel's sister, Eboni Thomas, said the family is devastated by McDaniel's death. He was looking forward to the birth of his daughter, who is expected to be delivered within the week. "He had a smile that could literally brighten the day,'' Thomas said. "He was my baby brother. That was my heart."
A proposed road project to expand Cahaba Beach Road across the Little Cahaba River in Shelby County drew a dose of skepticism and significant opposition Tuesday night at a public information session held by the Alabama Department of Transportation at Liberty Park Middle School in Vestavia Hills.

More than 250 people attended, many upset about the plan to extend Cahaba Beach Road through currently undeveloped land just east of U.S. 280.

Much of the land that would be used for the proposed project was purchased by the Birmingham Water Works -- with ratepayer funds -- to protect a major drinking water intake on the river.

"There are many places where development is appropriate in the watershed," said Beth Stewart, executive director of the Cahaba River Society, one of the groups organizing opposition to the project.

"Land that's been bought with public dollars to protect our drinking water source is not an appropriate place."

Several attendees at Tuesday's meeting wore blue t-shirts with "Save Greater Birmingham's Drinking Water" printed across the back, or large stickers advocating the "no build" option to leave the road as it is.

ALDOT's East Central Region Engineer DeJarvis Leonard said the road is meant to restore connectivity between Cahaba Beach Road and Sicard Hollow Road, which previously were connected by a dirt road and an old iron and wood bridge across the river. The existing bridge has been closed to automobile traffic for decades.

Though the project area is just east of 280, Leonard said the project will not and is not intended to address congestion that on that road. When asked what the project would do to address 280 traffic, he responded "nothing."

"The purpose of this is not to mitigate traffic on 280," he said. "It is to provide a connectivity between these two roads."

This map shows proposed routes to connect Cahaba Beach Road with Sicard Hollow Road off of U.S. 280. ALDOT is proceeding to do impact studies on the southern-most routes, options 5 and 5B.

The department had proposed multiple similar routes to connect the two roads, and Leonard said two of those, Options 5 and 5B on the map above are advancing to the next stage, which includes environmental impact studies and additional planning work.

Environmental issues

Leonard said ALDOT intends to make the roads controlled-access, to limit development in the sensitive areas around the river in response to concerns about the water intake. There would be no exits or entrances along that corridor.

"We listened to the comments that we received in our previous meetings which talked about how the development could hurt this pristine area," Leonard said. "We do not want that to happen and in order to mitigate that, we've made the decision to advance these two alternatives using controlled access."

Still, environmental groups like Cahaba River Society, Cahaba Riverkeeper, Alabama Rivers Alliance and others have said the road -- even a limited-access road -- would result in dirtier water being pumped through the intake to hundreds of thousands of customers in the Birmingham metro area.

Stewart said in 15 years, this is the first time Cahaba River Society has completely opposed any version of a road project or development. Typically, the group tries to work with governments or developers to reduce the impact of the project on the watershed rather than stop it altogether. That changed with Cahaba Beach Road.

"We don't usually say a project just shouldn't move forward," she said. "And the reasons we're so deeply concerned about this project is that it poses such a risk to the drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in the Birmingham metro area."

The Cahaba River Society created the web site savethecahaba.org to lay out its opposition to the project, which also features a 10-minute documentary film on the subject created through the Alabama Rivers Alliance's Southern Exposure film program.

Cahaba Riverkeeper David Butler said the road, which could see an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 cars daily, would introduce oil, gasoline and other pollutants into the water and would introduce the possibility of a more serious accident in which gasoline, chemicals or other dangerous substances might be spilled from a truck just upstream of the drinking water intake.

"All types of pollutants, if those things that make it into our drinking water, those will have to be filtered out," Butler said. "Eventually it will cost not just the people who use this road, but everybody who gets water from Birmingham Water Works."

Non-environmental concerns

Not all of the opposition was from environmental groups. Several nearby residents also said they opposed the project, which in their minds was mostly about connecting undeveloped land on the other side of the river to U.S. 280 than about alleviating traffic concerns or restoring a connectivity that was lost several decades ago.

"The only thing I can see is it provides developers an opportunity over here [off Sicard Hollow Road]," said Mark Eckman, who lives in the Edenton development off Cahaba Beach Road. "It doesn't do anything for the residents here already."

Several Edenton residents attended the meeting, all opposed to the project. They said they believe the road would hurt their property values, cause significant traffic back-ups where Cahaba Beach Road reaches U.S. 280 (at Home Depot), and were not convinced of any benefits from the project.

"I'd like to know who's asking for this," said Rod Stanfa, another Edenton resident. "Who's asking for this connectivity?"

Ashley Chang, who lives on Brook Highland Ridge overlooking what is now undisturbed woodland area, said that the selection of Options 5 and 5B as the ones to advance also bothered her.

"Everybody in our neighborhood doesn't want this option and anybody with common sense really wouldn't want this because it's the longest, most expensive choice," Chang said. "It doesn't make any sense. It's the longest, most destructive footprint within the watershed, and where is it going? Who's using this? The large population here in the middle of nowhere?

"If [people on Sicard Hollow Road] go five more minutes they can get to 119. Why ruin our water source for that?"

ALDOT representatives at the meeting said a number of options are being considered for the project, including a "no-build" option. The Department will take public comments on the proposal through August 22.
The government on Tuesday appointed Swaminathan Gurumurthy and Satish Kashinath Marathe as as part-time non-official directors on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) board. The Cabinet's Appointments Committee approved their appointment following a proposal from the Department of Financial Services.

Gurumurthy, an economist and chartered accountant by profession, is also the co-convenor of RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch. He is also the editor of Tamil political weekly Thuglak. A vocal supporter of PM Narendra Modi's policies, Gurumurthy had defended the demonetisation of high value currency notes.

Story of my appointment as director RBI. This is the first directorship ever. Never accepted any private or PSU directorship. Not even audit of PSUs or Pvt cos. Wanted to be free to speak. But when pressure built up I am needed to do something in public interest I had to accept. - S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) August 8, 2018

Marathe, on the other hand, began his banking career with Bank of India, he then went on to become chairman of The United Western Bank Ltd. He is also the founder of Sahakar Bharati, an NGO that supports co-operatives in India. In September 1991, he was appointed chief executive officer of Janakalyan Sahakari Bank Ltd. He currently serves on the boards of Thane Bharat Sahakari Bank Ltd. and Rajkot Nagarik Sahkari Bank Ltd. Marathe has also served as honorary secretary of Indian Banks' Association and vice president of Private Sector Bank's Association. Marathe has been associated with BJP's youth wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

With these two appointments, RBI's board now has 10 government-appointed members. The board members of the central bank include Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, former Mahindra & Mahindra CFO Bharat Narotam Doshi, economist Ashok Gulati. Serving bureaucrats - Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Rajiv Kumar, Secretary, Department of Financial Services are also on the board.

"The Appointments Committee Of The Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for the appointment of Shri Swaminathan Gurumurthy, as part-time non-official director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India under Section 8(1)(c) of the RBI Act 1934, for a period of four years from the date of notification of the appointment...," the government notification stated. Both appointments are for a four-year term.

The RBI central board is split into official and non-official directors. The official directors include the governor and not more than four deputy governors. The RBI Act allows ten directors nominated by the government.
Derrill Richard "Rick" Ennis

A 38-year-old man has been charged the previously-unsolved 2006 slaying of a young Auburn University graduate whose body has never been found.

Auburn Police announced the arrest of Derrill Richard "Rick" Ennis. He was arrested Monday in Montgomery County, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, Virginia State SWAT and Montgomery County Virginia SWAT teams on outstanding grand jury indictments for capital murder during a burglary and capital murder during a kidnapping.

Ennis is charged in the disappearance and death of 25-year-old Lori Ann Slesinski, who graduated from AU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and criminology.

On June 13, 2006, a missing person's report was filed with Auburn Police. Slesinkski hadn't been heard from in several days, couldn't be reached by family members and hadn't reported to work. Her mother filed the report after going to her daughter's home in the Ridgewood Village mobile home park and realized Slesinki had been gone for some time and the dog had not been fed.

A day later, at 4:41 a.m. on June 14, her vehicle, Slesinkski's 2005 Mazda Tribute was discovered engulfed in flames at the dead end of DeKalb Street. According to the Charley Project, Slesinksi had only recently bought the car. The car was sent to a forensics lab and investigators said there was no evidence that anyone was inside the vehicle when the fire started.

Ennis, who was an acquaintance of Slesinkski at the time, became a person of interest in the case. After being questioned by police, he abruptly moved from Auburn, police said Tuesday.

The Charley Project, which tracks missing persons cases throughout the U.S., said Slesinksi planned to return to school for a master's degree. At the time of her disappearance, she was employed at the East Alabama Mental Health Center.

Slesinski maintained close contact with her family and friends prior to her disappearance, but none of them have heard from her since she went missing. She left behind her puppy, which is uncharacteristic of her. Her hobbies included walking, bicycle riding and other sports, movies and video games.

The Auburn Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Cold Case Unit and the Lee County District Attorney's Office initiated a joint effort in to the case in April 2017 resulting in a determination that Lori was murdered by Ennis. He was indicted on Aug. 2, 2018, by a Lee County Grand Jury on the two capital murder counts.

Information released by Auburn police on Tuesday did not provide a motive in the slaying, nor say what evidence led them to suspect Ennis in the case.

Ennis was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, assisted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Virginia State Police, the Montgomery and Pittsylvania County Virginia sheriff's offices as well as the city police departments of Blacksburg, Christianburg and Radford, Virginia.

Ennis remains in custody without bond in the Montgomery County Virginia Jail, pending extradition to Auburn. Court records show he was arrested in 2003 on charges of rape, kidnapping and sodomy of a different woman but a grand jury declined to indict him on those charges.
About 15 Jefferson County Schools teachers and employees attended the Irondale city council meeting Tuesday night to argue the city's occupational tax disproportionately affects teachers at Irondale schools.

The teachers asked the council to repeal the tax and consider other funding options.

The 1 percent tax will be paid by everyone who works in the city of Irondale. The tax was passed despite public opposition on May 29.

"Teachers are mothers and fathers. One percent is not a lot, but it helps pay health insurance for my children for the certain disabilities my children have. That is very important, and that is money we desperately need," said Shades Valley High School teacher MaryAnn Pledger, referring to the tax.

The 1 percent occupational tax means Jefferson County school employees will end up paying about $130,000 or about 20 percent, of the budget shortfall in a year, said Dana Jacobson, also a teacher at Shades Valley High.

"People don't know the burden this will put on teachers," Jacobson said. "We want our city to be our partner in education and we feel like they have let us down in terms of communicating with us on this tax."

The Jefferson County school system is one of the largest employers in Irondale.

The occupational tax was passed to make up a $1.7 million budget shortfall. Irondale's budget took a hit when Sam's Club closed earlier this year. The warehouse generated revenues of around $1.4 million annually for the city in the form of sales taxes, property taxes and business licenses.

The city hoped to increase revenues by about $900,000 by raising the property tax by 6 mils. The measure failed in a special election April 10.

About 15 Jefferson County school employees attended the meeting with four of them making a public statement to the council.

Nicole Milam, a teacher at Grantswood Elementary said the occupational tax could force teachers out of schools in Irondale and also deter teachers from coming to Irondale.

"You should consider that we could go to other schools in Jefferson County and make more money," Milam said.

In March, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill which provided teachers with a 2.5 percent raise for public school teachers. The raise will take effect on teachers' September paychecks, said school system spokesperson Whitlee Lusk.

Jefferson County also gave teachers a 1 percent raise to all Jefferson County school employees this year. The increase will also go into effect in September.

"This occupational tax will essentially negate the 1 percent raise for Jefferson County school employees," Jacobson said. "This is unfair taxation compared to other Jefferson County school employees."

Jacobson said her salary has increased by about 7 percent since she was hired as a teacher in 1999, but said her cost of living and other expenses have increase by far more than her salary has increase.

"We want teachers to be able to enjoy their first pay increase that we've had in years," she said.

The teachers suggested the council revisit the possibility of increasing the city's property tax, an effort that failed in April.

"I think there are innovative ways for the city council to come up with to address the budgetary shortfall," she said.

During the meeting, Council President Steve Marino reminded those present about a water works fund set up to support the schools. He said anyone can donate to the fund and asked people to encourage people to donate to the fund.

He said the fund has helped fund school needs in the past.

Marino also asked council members to visit with school principals to discuss how things are going at the schools.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin (file)

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke out on Tuesday against the actions of a former state legislator, a coal executive and attorney who conspired to keep the 35th Avenue Superfund site off the federal priority list for cleanup.

He said their actions were "morally wrong," and he is "going to go to bat" for the people of north Birmingham.

Woodfin is sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency this week to ask the site be immediately included on the National Priorities List and receive additional funding for cleanup.

"The site may be included on the NPL if its scores sufficiently high on the Hazard Ranking System (HRS), which is a mathematical formula that serves as a screening device to evaluate a site's threat to human health or the environment," the letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler states, in part. "As a matter of EPA policy, those sites that score a 28.50 or greater on the HRS are eligible for inclusion on the NPL. The North Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund Site scored a 50 -meaning it is almost twice as dangerous as the minimum requirements."

The mayor made the announcement Tuesday evening at a District 4 town hall meeting at The Shields Center at W.C. Patton Park with Councilor William Parker. They were joined by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham.

Balch & Bingham attorney Joel Gilbert and Drummond Company Vice President David Roberson were convicted of bribery, three counts of honest services wire fraud, and money laundering in July.

Prosecutors said the two men bribed former state Rep. Oliver Robinson to oppose the EPA's expansion of a Superfund site, and also to oppose prioritizing the site's expensive cleanup. Robinson has pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Woodfin said as a result of these illegal actions, thousands of people remain at risk, including the 1,070 people living in 394 public housing units and 751 children attending Hudson K-8 school.

The letter to the EPA states that the necessary remedies include screening and health care to address pollution-related health issues, relocation and reconstruction of Hudson K-8 school, non-resident redevelopment of the Superfund site and reclamation of Village Creek.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin's letter to EPA on Scribd
President Trump's Space Force looked in jeopardy last month when Congress passed the 2019 budget bills with no money for the new military branch, but U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) said then supporters shouldn't worry.

As more details leak out this week about the Washington battle over the new force, Pentagon media specialists are now suggesting the force may yet be with us, after all.

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to talk to about the Trump plan in a speech Thursday morning at the Pentagon. The Pentagon is also expected to release details of a study mandated by Congress of issues surrounding the new force.

The Defense Department will actually take the first steps this month to create the force, one press report says. The department will "stand up" - or establish - a new fighting command called the U.S. Space Command, a new agency to "oversee new satellite-development and space-launch contracts," and a new joint space operations force that would draw military and civilians together to support American forces in Europe and the Pacific.

"All of these steps lay the groundwork for implementing President Trump's direction to establish a Space Force, Rogers said in July.

It's the fourth step of the process that remains uncertain. That step is creating and funding a new branch of the military to focus on space and stand alongside the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. Congress has to approve it, and that vote won't come until the 2020 defense budget.

The Air Force, which has much of the nation's space defense mission now, is decidedly cool to the idea of the new force. Former Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said in July, "My very short response is no. I do not believe we should have a separate Space Force." James said the 30,000 airmen and civilians who work in space missions now "will get totally lost in the bureaucracy" of the new force.

Alabama's stake in the decision is the future of the U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command and other commands and offices at Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal. The new force won't be located at Redstone, Rogers said, although other members of Alabama's congressional delegation say it should be.

Rogers is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of its Strategic Forces Subcommittee.

(Updated Aug. 8, 2018 to include information about Vice President Mike Pence's upcoming speech.)
This is an opinion column.

Ben W. Woodson's mother was a slave.

This year's 26th reunion of the descendants of the Alabama sharecropper and his wife, Alice, didn't quite attract the turnout of previous family gatherings in the Auburn-Opelika area.

Ben Woodson, 80, a grandson of the patriarch who now lives in Southaven, Mississippi, attended the reunion on the last weekend in July. "Everybody was not there I thought shoulda been there," he says.

Charlie Core, 73, one of Ben W. Woodson's many, many, many great-grandchildren, wasn't there. Not this time. "I just didn't have the desire to go," he says. "I'm not angry at anybody. It's just lost some of the importance."

Blame it all on the doozy of a family feud that has pulled at these blood relatives for 15 years. Longer really.

It's the kind of dispute that's likely occurring in hundreds of families across Alabama, and throughout the South, as heirs wrestle of land passed down by ancestors, particularly once rural properties that now may be worth a millions because of urban growth.

In this case, a sharecropper's 40.7 acres of heavily-wooded land, just off Hamilton Road in Auburn, that was purchased more than a century ago is potentially worth more than a million dollars today. But allegations that one heir may have fraudulently obtained the land from his siblings has put the property in the middle of decades-old family dispute now being played out, painstakingly, in a Lee County court.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when the tensions began. It was certainly before that day in 2002 when Dorothy Burgess, another of Ben W. Woodson's great-grandchildren, glimpsed a notification in the local paper regarding the estate of Doctor Sylvester Woodson, the youngest of Ben and Alice's 11 children.

It read: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the said estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Things tend to get really messy in family spats, and this one is certainly no exception.

So, settle in:

In January 2003, Dorothy filed a claim on behalf of herself and 23 other of Ben and Alice's great grandchildren on portions of the land Ben W. Woodson bought on January 2, 1911 from the G.N., Lula V. and A.P Hodges, according to a warranty deed recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate in Lee County, Alabama.

Ben, the grandson who attended the recent reunion, says he isn't sure if the Hodges were--or were related to--his great-grandmother's slave masters. He does know, though, that the land he and other family members once lived on is now premium property.

Somewhere between 2002 and 2004, an appraiser valued the parcel--which sits not far from high-priced subdivisions and Moore's Mill Country Club--at $1.2 million.

"[Ben W.] bought in an ideal spot," Ben says. "Mansions are going up all around it. When I was living there it was just woods. Now, you wouldn't believe it.

"Go down Hamilton until you get to Bent Creek Road, then turn left and go to a dead end, then make a right. You'll see an old raggedy house. Some family [Willie, one of Doctor Woodson's sons] are still living in that house. Three members of the family still live on the property."

Ben W. Woodson died in 1937 without a will, ostensibly leaving the land to Alice, their eight living children, as well as heirs of Harry, Timothy, Cussie, and Ida, children of Ben, a son who predeceased the patriarch. Alice died in 1945, also without a will.

Doctor's plan

No one knows why Ben and Alice named their youngest Doctor, but he grew to be the heir who tended to the land while siblings lived their lives in places like New Jersey, Indiana, Mississippi and other parts of Alabama.

Ben W. Woodson grew cotton on the land, along with "peanuts, corn, you name it, they raised everything, sugar cane, too," says Ben, the grandson. "He even had his own sugar mill," and produced his own brand of syrup.

Doctor, though, wasn't much of a farmer. "He was a supervisor on a yard crew for years," Charlie says.

Now here's where the family mess starts.

"There had been some attempts to divide the property, but something always held it back," Charlie recalls. So, Uncle Doc came up with the idea of getting everybody to sign [their land] over to him and he would, in turn, get it done."

In 1962, Doctor began persuading his siblings to sign a document--ostensibly, as some heirs share it--to more easily handle subdividing the property. In reality, the siblings signed over ownership of their 4.1 acres to their baby brother.

"Our position is that [the siblings] were under a 'mistake of fact' when they signed the deed," says attorney Yashiba Glenn Blanchard, lead council for Dorothy Burgess and her 23 family members. "He was like, 'Sign over to me and I'll hand you a deed to your potion after. That was the vessel used to get their trust. But he was tricking them and hoping to get a profit. He was hoping they would forget about [the deed] or die off and at that time he could dispose of the land how he wanted to."

A eyewitness to the transition

Charlie Core says he was in the room when Uncle Doc asked his grandmother, Eliza Woodson Benford to sign the document. She was quite ill at the time, he says, and would, in fact, die a few months later.

In a deposition taken on April 30 of this year, Charlie said: "I heard Doc Woodson tell my grandmother to sign the land into his name, so he could handle legal work...I observed [her] signing the deed...to handle the dividing of the land."

Charlie, who was 18 years old at the time, says his step-grandfather, Freeman Benford, was also in the room. "I heard no conversation or agreement of selling the land," Charlie says.

Doctor Woodson ultimately garnered all of his siblings' signatures--the final holdout being sister Minnie Dumas Morgan, who signed in 1992 or '93, according to Timothy Woodson, now 65 and one of Doctor's 10 children.

"She didn't sign it in 1962," Timothy said in a deposition taken on June 26 of this year. "Because she stated she wanted other conversation."

It was probably 1992 when she finally signed because that's when the document was officially recorded. Until then, according to Timothy Woodson, it sat in a safe in Doctor's home.

Throughout the intervening years, according to some heirs, Doctor talked about the property with the siblings as if they all still collectively owned the land, many of the heirs claim. A survey of the property, divided and labeled with each heir's name, was, in fact, drawn up at one juncture.

Dorothy Burgess, then a little girl, remembers her grandfather, Miller Woodson, one of Doctor's siblings, saying he and his brothers and sisters each owned just over four acres of land. (4.1 acres actually). Miller Woodson died in January 1967.

"My mother and aunt--his children--talked about the land over the years, too," says Burgess, now 73. "Over the years, after [Miller Woodson] passed, they tried to retrieve the land from Doc Woodson. They tried best they could to get their fair share of land--to no avail. He wouldn't turn over their share."

Ben, whose father was--keep up now--Timothy Woodson, a sibling of Doctor and a cement worker, says "aunt Minnie" [Morgan] wrote a letter to her children in 1981. "It said, 'Y'all better get the land straightened out before something happens.'" She died in February 2000.

The 1983 letter

During Timothy Woodson's deposition, attorney Blanchard read a 1983 letter written to his father by Auburn attorney Hoyt Hill. It was said Doctor Woodson had asked Hill to divide the land among the siblings. The letter read, in part: "There are a multitude of heirs, and we have been unable to get consents from all of them for a division in kind."

"I really don't know anything about that," Timothy testified, but later said, "Oh yeah, there's a lot of heirs."

On December 10, 1992, Timothy drove his father to the Lee County probate office where Doctor finally recorded the deed. Doing so--and put a pin in this--triggered a 10-year statute of limitations on any challenges on ownership of the property.

Doctor Woodson died on April 30, 2002. He did have a will, dated May 10, 1995. In it, he gave "all my real property"--the 40.7 acres--to his 10 children. Neither his lone still-living sibling, Alice Woodson Sims, nor any of his deceased siblings' heirs were mentioned in the will.

Timothy, though, did not probate his father's will until January 2003. The significance of the more-than-eight-month gap? The 10-year statute of limitation on any claims to the land expired in December 2002.

Soon thereafter, Dorothy Burgess saw the notification regarding Doctor's estate.

Then it got really messy.

A deed emerges

By then Dorothy and some of the other heirs had heard claims Doctor "was entitled to all forty-four acres," she recalls, but there was nary a peep about a deed.

It wasn't until she responded to the notification on January 27, 2003, filing a claim on the property on behalf of herself and 23 other great-grandchildren of Ben and Alice Woodson, that she learned of the document--the deed, allegedly signed by Doctor's siblings and claiming he paid them $150 each for their share.

"We didn't know anything about a deed, a so-called deed, until after he passed," Dorothy says. "After everybody died, he came up with deed no one knew anything about. It was never mentioned by any of the relatives, descendants of the land.

"Nobody ever mentioned anything about it."

In a 2003 letter to Timothy Woodson outlining their claim, the great grandchildren wrote that Alice Sims, Doctor's siblings told them she was paid $200 for her 4.1 acre share in 1993, but that "no money was ever paid to (our grandfather) Miller Woodson."

"[Alice] said that her brothers and sisters worked very hard on the land (picking cotton, planting crops) with their father Ben Woodson. And that your father, Doc Woodson, never worked a day on the land when they were young because he was too young.

"Many times our parents went to your father...requesting that he sign over their rightful share...But he wouldn't do it."

Valuable, attractive property

In 2005, Cleveland Brothers Construction Company, LLC a multi-faceted enterprise in the Auburn-Opelika area, bought the 4.1 acres owned by each of two of Timothy Woodson's siblings--Mary and Catherine--purportedly for an average of $150,000 for the two properties. The purchases gave them about 15% ownership of the 40.7 acres, which sits near high-end housing subdivisions and the private Moore's Mill Club owned by the Cleveland Brothers.

Somewhere between 2002 and 2004--Timothy couldn't specifically recall during his deposition--the land was appraised at a value of $1.2 million, he said.

Even more messy--and not atypical what often happens to rural landowners in the South, particularly descendants of African-American sharecroppers, whose too often died without wills, leaving family bickering over lands they later become ripe for developers frothing at the mouth for the valuable property.

"They're letting the white man take control over all this land our great grandfather left here for us," Dorothy says. "I used to always hear my mom say. 'Uncle Doc, you won't give it to us, but one day the white man gone come along and take it from you, they'll be the one to profit from it.'"

"[White] people taking black folks' land," Ben says.

The years passed, marked by lawsuits and countersuits, rulings and more rulings, claims, depositions, discovery, and all manner of legal whatnot. In February 2016, the original lawyers representing Dorothy Burgess and the 23 grandchildren was replaced with Blanchard and co-counsel Celeste Grenier of Birmingham.

All the while, Ben and Alice Wilson's heirs acted, mostly, as if there was no feud. Many of them even regularly attended Green Chapel Baptist Church in Auburn, a "family" church.

Ben W. Woodson was a significant contributor to the founding of Green Chapel. "A white man donated the land to him, which he donated to the church," says Ben, the grandson.

A large photo of the patriarch hangs in the main hall.

Almost all of his heirs were baptized there, and each Sunday they sat side by side in the pews, or maybe across the aisle, even as lawyers wrestled over ownership of Ben and Alice's land.

"My understanding is that Timothy doesn't plan to share anything with family," Charlie recently said. "I'm willing to let the courts take its course to put it back like should be."

The Cleveland Brothers' attorney, Roger W. Pierce, refused to allow his clients to be interviewed for this story. "[O]ur firm policy [is] not to comment on pending cases," he wrote in an email. "Sorry that I can't be of help."

Timothy Woodson is represented by Sara Bragdon of Akridge & Balch, P.C.

Charlie thinks the ordeal has worn on Timothy and others on Doctor's side of the feud, "He's caught between a rock and a hard place," Charlie says.

Ben, the grandson, says his grandfather "probably held me in his arms" before he died. At the recent family reunion, he says he tried to speak with Timothy about the long-standing family dispute. "He didn't have much to say," Ben says, "He probably has a guilty conscience."

Ben was originally included among Doctor's heirs fighting to retain ownership of all of 40.7 acres. But he's not fighting that fight.

"I want to see every one of grandpa's children get their fair share, their four-point-one acres," he says. "I wasn't there. My daddy died in 1946 and he never signed nothing; he built houses. When he died my mom moved in with her family in Opelika.

"Uncle Doc? He don't deserve it all. He collected taxes from my momma until she had a nervous breakdown in 1955. He never did nothing for us. We survived best we could."

In late July, Judge Jacob Walker III of the 37th Circuit Court dealt Dorothy Burgess and fellow claimants a bit of a blow by ruling against their request for a jury trial--meaning only he will ultimately decide the merits of the dispute.

Not long after, a settlement offer was submitted to the claimants: $50,000.

"That's terrible," Dorothy says. "We've been working on this for twelve years. [The Cleveland brothers] stand to make a pretty good profit off land once it's clear."

Some claimants want a lot more. Like a million more. But after the years, after all the strain, Charlie Core is a bit more realistic.

"Oh, I hope it's a lot more; I just hope they're open for negotiation," he says with a laugh. "You've got a lot of different feelings. 'We shouldn't take less than a million.' 'Not less than two-point-two million!' Well, yeah [the land is] worth a lot but we need to start thinking about not what it's worth but what we can we get. Twenty-plus people have been fronting the bills. Those people will decide whether to accept the offer or not.

"It's time to get it done," he says. "Way past time to get it done."t done," he says.

"Way past time to get it done."
An Alabama lawmaker, a lobbyist and a California business executive pleaded not guilty in federal court in Montgomery this morning on charges in an alleged bribery scheme.

Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, lobbyist and former state Republican Party chairman Marty Connors and Trina Health founder and CEO G. Ford Gilbert of California appeared together for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Terry Moorer.

Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, who was charged in an earlier indictment in the same case, has applied for pretrial diversion.

Williams was not at today's arraignment but his lawyer, Jake Watson, participated by telephone.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson has scheduled a trial for Davis, Connors and Gilbert for January.

Connors and Gilbert pleaded not guilty after an April indictment in the same case and have denied wrongdoing. A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment in July and added Davis as a defendant.

The indictment alleges that Gilbert sought to force or persuade Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama to cover outpatient insulin infusion treatments at Trina Health-affiliated clinics in the state. It alleges that Gilbert gave or offered Davis and former Rep. Micky Hammon selling rights and other gratuities so they would help his company with their political influence and legislation.

Prosecutors say Connors lobbied for Gilbert's legislation while knowing that Gilbert was paying Hammon.

The legislation did not pass and the clinics closed.

Hammon, a Republican from Decatur and the former House majority leader, is not charged. He recently finished a three-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to mail fraud in a case involving the use of campaign funds for personal expenses.

Williams was charged in the April indictment but not in the one issued in July. Williams was accused of helping promote the legislation to help Gilbert's clinics while knowing that Hammon had a financial interest in the clincs. Williams has denied wrongdoing.

The U.S. attorney's office had said earlier it was working with Williams and his lawyer on a resolution to the April indictment before it was revealed in court today that Williams has applied for pretrial diversion. Williams' trial is still scheduled for September, but that date appears unlikely. Moorer asked Watson, the attorney for Williams, to request a later trial date if there is not a decision soon on whether Williams will be accepted into pretrial diversion. Moorer said he did not want jurors called unnecessarily for a September trial date.

Moorer asked lawyers for the other three defendants to file motions by Sept. 10 and scheduled a hearing on motions for Oct. 22.

Richard Jaffe, attorney for Gilbert, spoke to reporters after this morning's arraignment and reiterated what he had said in a statement last week, that Gilbert's actions in Alabama were intended to improve health outcomes in a state with a high diabetes rate, not to enrich himself.

The defendants could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges.

This story was updated to say that the defendants pleaded not guilty and add other information.
The Alabama Supreme Court has put a temporary hold on the trial of a white Montgomery police officer charged with the murder of an unarmed black man more than two years ago.

The court granted the stay requested by attorneys for Aaron Cody Smith, who is charged in the death of Gregory Gunn, 58, in February 2016.

A grand jury indicted Smith in November 2016. Smith, 25, contends that he acted in self-defense. His trial was scheduled to start Monday.

Last month, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin denied a claim of immunity for Smith by his lawyers.

Smith's lawyers then asked the judge recuse himself from the case, to disqualify the Montgomery County district attorney's office from prosecuting the case and for a change of venue. Griffin denied those requests.

Smith's lawyers appealed Griffin's denial of their motions on immunity, recusal, disqualification and change of venue and asked for a stay.

The Supreme Court granted their motion for a stay today on a 4-2 ruling, with three justices abstaining.

Justices Michael Bolin, Tommy Bryan, Jim Main and Will Sellers concurred on the motion to stay. Chief Justice Lyn Stuart and Justice Brad Mendheim dissented. Justices Tom Parker, Greg Shaw and Kelli Wise recused.

The court directed Griffin and the attorney general's office to file responses within 14 days. Smith's lawyers will then have seven days to reply.

Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey said the case is on hold until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling on the issues.

Smith's lawyers claimed that Griffin had tainted the jury pool and compromised Smith's right to a fair trial by making a comment during a July 26 hearing on the immunity issue.

The judge said during the hearing, "I have to admit, I don't find the officer's testimony to be credible," according to the motion by Smith's lawyers.

Smith's lawyers sought disqualification of the district attorney's office because Griffin's son works there.

Smith was on patrol in Montgomery's Mobile Heights neighborhood shortly after 3 a.m. on Feb. 25, 2016, when he stopped Gunn, who was walking and lived in the neighborhood.

A state investigator would later testify at a preliminary hearing that Gunn was hit with a stun gun three times, beaten with a baton and shot five times by Smith.

A judge found probable cause and forwarded the case to a grand jury, which indicted Smith in November 2016.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Gunn's family said Gunn was walking home from a neighbor's house after playing cards when the encounter occurred. It says Gunn was unarmed and that Smith had no reason to stop him.

In a request to be dismissed from the lawsuit, the city and Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley described the incident as follows:

"On February 25, 2016, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Officer Aaron Cody Smith came into contact with Gregory Gunn in an area of the City which had been the subject of a rash of burglaries and is generally known as a high crime area. Officer Smith initiated a field interview of Mr. Gunn. Following a series of confrontational events which escalated to a situation of the gravest nature, Officer Smith drew and fired his service weapon causing the death of Mr. Gunn."

One of Smith's attorneys, Mickey McDermott, told AL.com in 2016 that Smith did not intend to kill Gunn. He said that Smith was on patrol in a high-crime area and was in pursuit of a fleeing suspect when the shooting occurred. Smith used multiple levels of non-lethal force before having to resort to gunfire.

A state investigator testified at the 2016 preliminary hearing that Smith told them two versions of what happened. In one version, Smith told investigators that during the confrontation Gunn picked up a long pole used for a paint roller and swung it at him. In the other version Smith wasn't sure if Gunn had swung a pole at him, the investigator stated. The pole did not have Gunn's fingerprints on it, the investigator testified.

Updated at 6:10 p.m. to say how justices voted.
This is an opinion column.

Y'all.

I was gonna tell you about the re-emergence of Former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, the social media rehabilitation of Alabama's most, um, embarrassing head of state.

It was gonna be fun, too, with the nibbling ears and Wanda's Desk and all the uneasy pageantry of the Bentley regime. You can't take that stuff for granted, you know.

Because it's not every decade a grandfather-figure governor is caught on tape discussing the joys of copping a feel from his chief political advisor. Those memories should be savored.

But y'all. Y'all.

It's all just so sad. This isn't rehabilitation, it's relapse. It sounds a lot like the delusion that cost him his job in the first place.

Bentley has never been active on social media. He's never been the man behind the screen, and his tweets and posts, when they came, were generally thought to have been created by someone close to him. We can't say for sure who, but you can guess who she is.

But in recent days Bentley accounts stirred to life.

The Bentley for Alabama Facebook page was revived to examine "the specific time during which Governor Robert Bentley served the people of the state as Alabama's 53rd Governor" and to provide updates on Bentley's "post-public life, his charitable work and his continued enthusiasm for the causes he championed during his two terms in Office."

All I can think is ... why does his "Office" gets a capital letter?

Oh my. Bentley, on the verified Twitter account he had not used since walking away from the governor's office with two guilty pleas and his dirty laundry on the public lawn, on July 22 tweeted thanks to Bentley for Alabama, and urged people to follow the account on Twitter.

"Give BFA a follow," he tweeted.

That was a week after his sworn deposition, when he acknowledged that Rebekah Mason still works for him, went public.

Oh man. The BFA twitter account - after the Bentley endorsement -- now has a grand total of 10 followers.

But Bentley - or whoever manages his account -- keeps retweeting them.

Bentley for Alabama tweets quotes from Bentley like this one on July 31:

No, I never received a paycheck. But what really mattered most was that someone had a job. Our state was truly hurting in 2010, but I feel like I helped make things better for them. Thats all I ever really hoped to do, to serve and to help our people. https://t.co/rIIiAyYX8h  BentleyForAlabama (@BentleyAlabama) July 31, 2018

Bentley retweeted it. He tweets almost nothing else.

On Aug. 2 he retweeted the Bentley for Alabama reminder that seven years ago he did something good.

On this day August 2011: When @GovRBentley saved crucial jobs for the small town of Hackleburg, We didnt just save a town, we saved a way of life.. #THEjobsGovernor pic.twitter.com/S3WdQNgA4U  BentleyForAlabama (@BentleyAlabama) August 2, 2018

Aw man. Y'all.

I told you it was sad.

Because Bentley and those who advise him, much like the one who told Him He was Governor and could not be questioned, who told him the people loved Him and He could do as he pleased, still does not understand.

It doesn't matter to history if he took a salary. It doesn't matter if he benefitted from an improving economy.

All that matters is how he embarrassed himself and his family and his state, how he squandered a chance to do all the things he now says matter most. Because he - like too many politicians we've seen -- put his desires over his responsibilities and the law.

It's sad, for Bentley. But it's a clear warning to any public official who believes the rules do not apply, who thinks the power of office will cover the sins of the soul.

You are remembered not just for any good you do, but the harm you cause.

Thanks Bentley for Alabama. It's a helluva reminder.

John Archibald is a columnist for Reckon by AL.com. His column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com.
Sen. Doug Jones said Wednesday he won't let the pressure from both sides of the political spectrum factor into his decision on whether to approve Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Alabama's junior senator has been the target of statewide ads from the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association, which started running earlier this week. Meanwhile, Democrats who propelled Jones to victory in the December special election against Roy Moore would feel betrayed if he votes against their interests.

"The issue for me is simply that I am going to do what I think. I'm doing my homework. I'm going to do everything I can. I'm working on the Brett Kavanuagh thing, I know there's a lot of interest in that. I haven't made up my mind yet. It could go either way, I don't know," Jones told the Birmingham Rotary Club at the Harbert Center. "Because I believe that the Senate of the United States has a shared responsibility for Supreme Court nominations. It's an independent, shared responsibility with the president. Frankly, advice and consent has been ceded. The president didn't need advice from the Senate before he did this, but he needs our consent. Well, that not my job to just rubber stamp, me or anybody else."

After his speech, Jones said he was looking at Kavanaugh's speeches, opinions and writings, and said at a town hall in Hoover late last month that he was also looking through Kavanaugh's record to get a sense of his judicial philosophy.

"He's got a large body of work," Jones told the Rotary Club of Kavanaugh, who aside from being a D.C. Circuit Court Judge also served as President George W. Bush's staff secretary. "At the end of the day, I'm going to make a decision one way or the other that I'm going to live with and justify to you, whether you agree with it or not."

Jones suggested the NRA is effective burning its money by buying ad time in Alabama to try and sway him.

"If they want to spend their money on TV ads, fine. It's just a nuisance to me to watch it, if I get a chance to watch TV and see myself on television again, I don't really care to do that," the senator told reporters. "My friends in the NRA know I'm going to do that deep dive, and I'm going to do what's best, and it's not going to be based on a TV ad or somebody that may call in [to my office] based on a TV ad."

With Kavanaugh up for a lifetime appointment, Jones said the Senate does not have to be hasty with the nomination.

"This is not something that needs to be rushed. If it is something that could have and should be rushed, then we could have had Merrick Garland on the bench two years ago," he said.

It was immediately unclear how many calls and letters Jones' office has received from Alabamians on the Supreme Court nomination.
Former Governor Robert Bentley, who resigned in 2017 as part of plea deal related to ethics and campaign finance violations, isn't ruling out a return to public life.

In an interview with political site Yellowhammer, Bentley was asked if would consider returning to public office, possibly in the U.S. Senate race against Democrat Doug Jones in 2020.

Bentley responded:

"I love serving the people of this state. Serving as governor was the greatest honor of my life. I have a heart for our people and I believe we are all called to serve one another in some capacity. I found public service was a way to do that. I believe what is missing in public service today is loving the people that you serve and wanting to help those who need help, especially those who are less fortunate and really have nothing. If God shows me a new avenue where I can do that, I'll do it."

The deal that led to Bentley's exit might make that impossible, however.

In his plea with the Alabama Attorney General's Office, Bentley agreed to "not seek or serve in any public office."

Bentley was also ordered to pay $7,000 in fines and reimburse his campaign for more than $8,900 it paid in legal fees for former advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who had a romantic relationship with the former governor.

The agreement included a provision for 100 hours of community service in Bentley's role as a physician.

After leaving office, Bentley, a divorced dermatologist, opened a medical practice in Tuscaloosa. Mason works as his office manager. He recently launched a redesigned "Bentley For Alabama" website and Facebook page recounting his accomplishments as governor.
Opp parties holding protest demonstration against rigging in Islamabad

The opposition parties are holding their first protest demonstration against alleged rigging in the July 25 general elections outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Islamabad.



The decision to hold the protest was made by the newly formed 11-party grand opposition alliance, named Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections, at a multi-party conference held in Islamabad on Friday.



Besides the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the opposition alliance comprises Awami National Party (ANP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party (NP) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

Khursheed Shah and Farhatullah Babar arrive at the protest outside ECP.  Photo courtesy author



PPP's Sherry Rehman, Khursheed Shah and Farhatullah Babar, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and PML-N's Ahsan Iqbal are among the leaders who have arrived at the protest. However, PML-N Chief Shahbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazl  chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and president of the MMA  have yet to arrive.



Workers numbering in hundreds have gathered in the capital. According to reports, the participants are chanting slogans about their respective political parties.



Earlier, sources in the opposition had said that the parties have asked all their elected members and ticket-holders to reach Islamabad to participate in the demonstration. They said that the workers had not been asked to attend Wednesdays event and they would soon be given a call for such protests across the country.



The opposition alliance has also given a call for holding protests outside the offices of the provincial election commissions on Thursday.



The opposition leaders have also decided to register a strong protest inside and outside parliament during the first sitting of the National Assembly. They have a plan to hold a public meeting in Islamabad soon after Eidul Azha.
With election day three months away, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox on Tuesday again called out Gov. Kay Ivey for not committing to debates and said voters deserve to hear solutions to problems such as access to healthcare, failing sewage systems in poor, rural areas, logjams on key highways and the cost of college education.

"Gov. Ivey doesn't owe me a debate," Maddox said. "She does owe the people of Alabama."

Maddox spoke to reporters on Tuesday before speaking at a candidates' forum at a tourism conference in Montgomery. Ivey did not appear at the forum. She had spoken at the conference on Monday night.

Maddox, seeking to become the first Democrat elected governor since Don Siegelman in 1998, said the governor's race should be about Alabama issues, not the hot button issues that routinely divide the parties in Washington, like gun control and U.S. Supreme Court confirmations.

"I don't give a damn about Republicans or Democrats," Maddox said. "I wake up every morning trying to solve problems. That's what the people of Alabama want. And I think that's why a debate, that's why you hear people talking about it everywhere you go. Because people do want to know, 'How are you going to solve the problems that I face every single day?'"

Ivey has said the Maddox campaign and the news media are the only ones asking about a debate. Ivey declined to debate her three opponents in the Republican primary and won easily.

"I think it's the height of arrogance when you refuse to come before the people that pay your salary," Maddox said. He said he took part in every debate and forum when he was running for a fourth term as mayor last year. "Because I realize I work for the people of Tuscaloosa and they pay my salary," he said.

Maddox debated his Democratic opponents in the primary and, like Ivey, won without a runoff.

The Ivey campaign has criticized Maddox for supporting a 2006 Tuscaloosa city ordinance banning city employees from bringing guns into city buildings and for a 2010 executive order prohibiting guns in city facilities. The Ivey campaign said Maddox has tried to "dodge questions about his liberal beliefs on guns."

Maddox said he supports the Second Amendment and said Ivey was being hypocritical because there are restrictions on firearms in state buildings.

"I know that if I go to the governor's office today I doubt they're going to let me bring in a sidearm and I'm pretty certain that at some point I'm going to go through metal detectors as well," Maddox said. "So for the governor to criticize the city of Tuscaloosa's effort to make City Hall safe is just being hypocritical because she herself requires the very same policy."

The Ivey campaign noted that Tuscaloosa city facilities removed signs banning firearms after former Attorney General Luther Strange inquired about whether they complied with state law.

Debbee Hancock, spokesperson for the Ivey campaign, issued a statement in response to the comments by Maddox today. It read, in part: "Walt Maddox should stop making excuses for his failed liberal record. The facts are clear: Governor Ivey is an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, Walt Maddox isn't."

At the forum today, Maddox focused his remarks on three priorities, education, healthcare and infrastructure.

Maddox proposes a lottery to support education, including scholarships, prekindergarten and funding for poorer school systems. He proposes expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a move he said has said is necessary, in part, to reverse the decline of rural hospitals. Support from the Legislature would be required to expand Medicaid.

Ivey's spokesperson Hancock said the state's expanding work force and the governor's education policies are building a strong case for her in November.

"With record jobs being created, Alabamians support Kay Ivey because she shares their values and is focused on preparing our students today for the jobs of tomorrow," Hancock said.

The candidates for lieutenant governor, Republican Will Ainsworth and Democrat Will Boyd, also spoke at today's candidate forum.

The election is Nov. 6.
A man was killed in a two-vehicle crash after he drove his truck to the mailbox and was struck by another truck Tuesday night, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

The crash happened around 7 p.m. on Highway 20, about 17 miles west of Florence, troopers told AL.com news partner WHNT News 19.

The victim, 68-year-old Billy Rayburn Smith, was pronounced dead at ECM Hospital in Florence, troopers said.

Further details about the crash were not immediately available. The crash is still under investigation.
We've all seen plenty of photos showing sad-looking kids headed back to class for the first day of school.

Not sure, however, we've ever seen a school-is-back-in-session pic quite like this.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office shared a photo Tuesday of Sgt. Nathan Kendrick, a School Resource Officer. The photo shows the uniformed Kendrick standing on his front porch holding a sign that says "2018 1st Day of School" in one hand and a Spiderman lunchbox in the other.

The look on his face says it all...

Sergeant Nathan Kendrick, a School Resource Officer, reluctantly poses for his first day of school photo. Posted by Shelby County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Kendrick's photo has been shared more than 6,200 times and garnered almost 1,200 comments on Facebook.

"Sgt Kendrick, thank you for what you do. ...and for making my day. You won the Internet today," one said.
Update: The Attorney General's Office has recalled its earlier news release announcing the updated indictment.

Joy Patterson, a spokeswoman for AG Steve Marshall's office, said she couldn't provide information about what, if anything, was incorrect in the news release.

"It may have been released in error," Patterson said.

Original story: A former state law enforcement agent, who is accused of illegally using a state database to gather confidential information, is now facing an additional felony charge.

Steven Wrea Ziaja, a 40-year-old from Morgan County, faces one felony ethics charge for using his public position for personal gain and 12 felony computer tampering charges, court records show. Ziaja initially was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury in November 2017 on 12 charges.

Ziaja is a former narcotics agent for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He turned himself in at the Montgomery County jail on Monday and was released on bail.

"Specifically, the indictment charges that Ziaja knowingly obtained information from a State computer system or network that is required by law to be kept confidential," AG Steve Marshall said in a news release.

Ziaja knowingly disclosed the data and used his position for personal gain, Marshall said. The attorney general's office hasn't released further details about the charges.

Ziaja, who is from Falkville, made local news in 2016 when he was named as a creditor in a car lot that filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Ziaja claimed the co-owner of Priceville Partners LLC owed him $464,299 plus interest for loans to the car lot, court documents show. Also a creditor listed in the $3.2 million bankruptcy suit was Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin. In 2015, Franklin loaned the car lot $150,000. It was later made public that Franklin used the jail's food account to make the loan to the car lot's co-owner Greg Steenson. Steenson, who was convicted in a federal check-kiting scheme in the 1990s, has been charged with multiple counts of theft related to moving stolen cars through the lot, court records show. The car lot's creditors, including the sheriff and Ziaja, haven't been charged with theft.

Each of the computer tampering charges is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The use of office for personal gain charge carries a sentence up to 20 years in prison.

Indictments are issued when a grand jury determines prosecutors have enough evidence to formally charge a defendant and send the case to trial. The AG's office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by ALEA special agents.

The indictments against Ziaja were issued in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Indictments are issued when a grand jury determines prosecutors have enough evidence to formally charge a defendant and send the case to trial. The AG's office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by ALEA special agents.

Each of the computer tampering charges is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The use of office for personal gain charge carries a sentence up to 20 years in prison.

Ziaja is free on bail.
An appeals court has upheld the 2016 capital murder conviction of Saraya Atkins, who was sentenced to life in prison for a notorious 2014 murder in Coden.

Robert Perry, 66, died while defending his stepdaughter from two robbers who'd identified Perry and Stephanie Finney as targets as she cashed an income tax refund check in Tillman's Corner. According to trial testimony, they then trailed them 15 miles before causing a wreck to stop them for the robbery.

Prosecutors laid out a scenario in which Atkins and accomplice Kymberli Lindsay made deliberate preparations for a robbery: Stealing a license plate to switch onto Atkins' vehicle, borrowing a pistol and staking out a Walmart check-cashing counter to look for a victim. But afterward they fled down a dead-end road, got stuck and abandoned their vehicle and were soon caught.

Lindsay plead guilty to murder and first-degree robbery, drawing a sentence of 25 years on each charge. A jury found Atkins guilty of capital murder and voted 10-2 in favor of the death penalty. However, Mobile County Circuit Judge Michael Youngpeter rejected the jury recommendation and sentenced Atkins to life without parole, a decision criticized by District Attorney Ashley Rich.

Atkins' appeal was heard by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, which upheld the conviction. According to information released by the office of Attorney General Steve Marshall, the court announced its decision Friday.
As government tries to amend act which allows citizens to seek official data, RTI hailed as one of the best laws.

The lifeless body of 38-year-old Poipynhun Majaw was found on March 28 near a bridge in Khliehriat, in the small Indian hilly state of Meghalaya.

State police said unknown assailants killed him with a heavy iron object, possibly a wrench, which was found at the scene.

Majaw was a Right to Information (RTI) activist.

Using the RTI Act, which is similar to the US Freedom of Information Act, he had exposed local corruption involving the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and cement companies, which were mining without council permission.

Activists say Majaw was killed because he was attempting to shine a light on the murky relationship between government and business.

Fellow campaigner Agnes Kharshiing, in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, says he had wanted to do something good for his people.

Local media reported police as saying the leads they have received into Majaws death received were inconclusive.

He really tried hard, his death shook us all, says Kharshiing. We all know he was killed.

This is a way to control the information commissioners who control the information flow. We need to fight this. This is one of the best laws we have, any amendments will weaken it. Shailesh Gandhi, former Information Commissioner

RTI is aimed at helping Indias citizen watchdogs.

Almost 2,000km away in New Delhi, the Indian capital, a draft bill seeks to amend the landmark act, which was signed into law in 2005.

Activists say the government is aiming to throttle the act, which enables all citizens to access information held by public authorities, improving accountability and transparency.

Circulated in July, the bill seeks to weaken the autonomy of the bodies, known as the Information Commissions, that oversee implementation of the law.

The government has told MPs it wants to amend the current law so it can decide the tenure, salaries and other allowances of Information Commissions officials  the final adjudicators on information requests.

This is a way to control the information commissioners who control the information flow. We need to fight this. This is one of the best laws we have, any amendments will weaken it, Shailesh Gandhi, a former Information Commissioner tells Al Jazeera.

With these proposed changes, they could keep extending tenures of those officials who are amenable to the government of the day. The truth is that a great number of these officials anyway toe the government line. Some break away and dispense information dispassionately. These new amendments can be a way to control such officials. This is likely going to lead to other amendments, he added.

Radha Krishna Mathur, Chief Information Commissioner in New Delhi, did not respond to Al Jazeeras multiple requests for comment by the time of publishing.

Dozens killed seeking information

An estimated five to eight million RTI applications are filed every year.

At least 21.4 million RTI applications were filed across the country between 2005 and 2017, according to data filed by some Information Commissions. The total number is expected to be higher.

Some sought information about welfare and social schemes for the poor and examine land records. Others were aimed at exposing the exploitation of natural resources by local criminal gangs and political figures.

More than 70 RTI users have been killed since the act was signed into law 18 years ago, according to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

In the same period, there have been at least 300 assaults and 179 cases of harassment relating to the act, the organisation said.

Activists trying to expose sour government deals  from illegal sand mining and alleged tampering of electronic voting machines, to corruption in local government  are among those who have been targeted.

Most of these people [who have been killed were] based in small towns and villages. They were trying to expose wrongdoing by authorities and local goons and they suffered for it, Venkatesh Nayak at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an international NGO that tracks RTI implementation, tells Al Jazeera.

I find hope in the fact that village people here in the remote hills use RTI to find out about their rights. We will carry on, undeterred by threats. Agnes Kharshiing, RTI activist

It is not clear when the government will table the bill, but those planning to use the transparency tool already face a difficult time ahead, say activists.

More than 25 percent of 146 posts in the Information Commissions are vacant. On July 27, the governments Department of Personnel and Training announced in an advert that the salaries and tenure of RTI Information Commissioners will be specified at time of appointment.

This move was interpreted as the government pre-empting the amendment, by interfering in details the that current law does not allow it to manage.

They are trying to widen the ambit of what information should not be given out. In the last two or three years, there has been a dip in the number of RTI applications filed because the government, courts and commissioners have in tandem said they do not wish to give out information in many cases, says former commissioner Gandhi.

In recent weeks, activists across India have protested against the proposals.

Opposition parties have demanded that the bill should not be tabled in parliament in its current form.

But the government has enough power in the lower house of parliament to push through the bill.

RTI users are branded as blackmailers

Filing an RTI is easy: citizens put in their information requests to a state office. The federal law mandates the office to respond in 30 days.

But activists say that currently, some responses are not being sent within 30 days, if at all.

Everybody in power dislikes transparency. In many parts, RTI users are branded as blackmailers and extortionists  this needs to stop, says former commissioner Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept into power in May 2014, vowing to tackle corruption.

His battle against corruption has included limiting cash donations to political funding, new election bonds, and a shock move to ban high-value currency in 2016.

But critics have questioned the impact of these measures.

In 2017, Transparency International ranked India 81 of 180 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index. New Zealand was ranked first and Somalia last.

Back in remote Meghalaya, fellow campaigners remember Majaw as a warrior for the RTI Act.

They have urged authorities to find and punish his killers and demanded protection for themselves, but claim they feel abandoned and at risk.

I find hope in the fact that village people here in the remote hills use RTI to find out about their rights, says activist Kharshiing. We will carry on, undeterred by threats.
MBS unlikely to back down, experts say, as Saudi students, medical patients ordered to leave Canada amid diplomatic row.

Montreal, Canada  Saudi Arabias decision to expel Canadas ambassador, recall thousands of students studying in the North American country, and suspend future trade with Ottawa took many off guard this week.

Saudi authorities pointed to a series of tweets, in which Canadas foreign affairs ministry called for the release of jailed Saudi human rights activists, as the reason for the ongoing diplomatic flare-up.

But experts say the spat is not about the statements, but rather, its the latest attempt by Riyadh to warn other countries of the consequences of speaking out against the kingdoms human rights record.

Its pretty clear that [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] is using Canada to send a message to the rest of the world that if you want to trade with Saudi Arabia, then you need to shut up on human rights, said Nader Hashemi, director of the University of Denvers Center for Middle East Studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

Hashemi said the root cause of the diplomatic crisis with Canada is bin Salman himself.

The crown prince, commonly referred to as MBS, is drunk on power and arrogant and suffers from a deep dose of youthful naivete and believes that he has [US President] Donald Trump in his back pocket and can do whatever he wants, Hashemi told Al Jazeera.

Since coming to power in 2015, MBS has sought to be portrayed as a reformist at home, while at the same time instituting more aggressive policies abroad.

He has been accused of being the architect of the devastating war in Yemen that has led to a humanitarian crisis, enforced a blockade on Qatar, arrested dozens of members of the Saudi royal family, and confined and reportedly forced Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign.

The conflict with Canada is bin Salmans way of establishing new rules for how countries deal with Saudi Arabia, Hashemi said.

MBS has drawn a line in the sand.

Spark that lit the fire

On Monday, Saudi Arabia accused Canada of blatant interference in the countrys affairs, after Chrystia Freeland, Canadas minister of foreign affairs, called for the immediate release of jailed Saudi human rights activist Samar Badawi and others.

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Badawis brother, blogger Raif Badawi, is also jailed in Saudi Arabia. His wife and children live in the Canadian province of Quebec, and they were recently granted Canadian citizenship.

It is a major, unacceptable affront to the Kingdoms laws and judicial process, as well as a violation of the Kingdoms sovereignty, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The Kingdom views the Canadian position as an affront to the Kingdom that requires a sharp response to prevent any party from attempting to meddle with Saudi sovereignty.

However, Canadas comments were not particularly out of the ordinary, said Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa who specialises in Middle East politics.

Instead, the tweets should be seen as the spark that lit the fire on already simmering Saudi frustration with Canada, Juneau told Al Jazeera.

Thats due in large part to the debate around an $11bn ($15bn Canadian) weapons deal with the Saudis, which, though conceived and approved by his predecessor, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government quietly signed off on in 2016.

Trudeau has been forced to defend the agreement ever since, amid unrelenting questions from Canadian human rights groups and media about how the Saudi authorities plan to use the light-armoured vehicles (LAVs) Canada will supply.

For the Saudis, that negative coverage  and the Canadian government not forcefully coming to their defence  caused building frustration and irritation over the last two years, Juneau said.

They were hoping for the Canadian government to take a much more proactive approach to defend and promote relations with Saudi Arabia, which absolutely did not happen, he said.

Saudi-Canadian relations were not rosy and shiny as of last week.

Saudis reject mediation

Saudi Arabia has also given Saudi students studying in Canada one month to leave the country, promising to place them in other schools abroad or in Saudi Arabia.

I would like to reassure our students in Canada that your government is keen on your study future, said Ahmed Al-Eissa, the Saudi minister of education, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

A total of 11,650 Saudi students were enrolled in long-term study programmes in Canada in 2015, according to a report prepared for Canadas foreign affairs ministry. Another 5,622 short-term Saudi students were in Canada that same year.

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Saudi Arabia recalled its own representative in Ottawa, suspended future trade with Canada, and Saudi health officials also announced they plan to transfer all Saudi medical patients in Canadian hospitals to other medical facilities outside the country.

The Saudi government has also set up operations rooms in Ottawa and Riyadh to support its citizens in Canada, it said.

Reuters news agency reported that Canada was seeking mediation through the United Arab Emirates and the UK, but Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir publicly rejected any such effort.

There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected, al-Jubeir told reporters in Riyadh, the news agency reported.

On Wednesday afternoon, Trudeau said Canadas foreign minister had long discussions with her Saudi counterpart this week, and diplomatic talks continue.

Canada has always sought to build relations with countries, while keeping the ability to raise human rights concerns when they arise  and thats been Ottawas approach with Saudi Arabia, as well, Trudeau said.

We will do so in a constructive and polite way, but we will also remain firm on standing up for human rights everywhere around the world, he told reporters during a press conference in Montreal.

Crisis not likely to end soon

Also on Wednesday, the Saudi embassy in Canada tweeted that the government is looking at implementing additional measures against Canada, but it did not elaborate further.

#Riyadh | FM @AdelAljubeir: The issue between #SaudiArabia and #Canada has been imposed on us by a blatant and unacceptable interference by Canada in the internal affairs of the Kingdom  KSA Embassy in Canada     (@KSAembassyCA) August 8, 2018

In a statement earlier in the week, Freeland said Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, including womens rights and freedom of expression around the world.

We will never hesitate to promote these values and we believe that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy, she said.

How Canada will handle the dispute going forward remains unclear, said Juneau at the University of Ottawa, though he said he would be surprised to see bin Salman deescalate the situation any time soon.

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Im not optimistic that things will change soon, simply because MBS has been so not willing to walk back from his assertive gestures, whether its Yemen, or Qatar, or others, Juneau said.

That was echoed by Hashemi, who said it will only be resolved if Canada or Saudi Arabia backs down, which appears unlikely.

If Canada backs down, then its no longer the liberal democracy that it claims to be, he said.

Federal elections are also taking place in Canada next year, which may push Trudeau to adopt whatever stance vis-a-vis the Saudis that appeals to the most Canadian voters.

For his part, MBS has a lot invested in the situation already, Hashemi said, and he hopes he can prevail here so that other countries will think twice before they criticise his policies.

Future of the weapons deal unclear

The future of the $11bn weapons deal also remains uncertain, said Cesar Jaramillo, executive director of Project Ploughshares, a Canadian anti-war group that has been one of the most vocal critics of the weapons deal.

Global Affairs Canada did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment on whether the agreement would go ahead despite the diplomatic dispute.

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While Jaramillo said he welcomed the government raising concerns about the jailing of Saudi human rights activists, the more relevant concerns around the deal relate to the likelihood the weapons will be misused.

To date, he said Ottawa has largely given Saudi Arabia a pass on human rights violations in order to go ahead with the transfer, and it would be ironic if Saudi Arabia were to cancel the deal now.

Canada has bent over backwards over years and assumed what we consider to be a no-matter-what attitude, Jaramillo told Al Jazeera.

Whatever happens, Jaramillo said it would be an indefensible reflection of policy incoherence for Canada to stick with the agreement in the face of the Saudi governments recent statements and actions.

It would detract from and undermine Canadas purported firm stance around human rights in Saudi Arabia, he said.

You cant take a firm stand on human rights, and on the side [say], but can we please keep the deal, pretty please? It cant work that way.
Pakistans military, which helped Khan win the election, could one day pose the most serious threat to his premiership.

Two weeks after claiming victory in Pakistans July 25 election, Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) on Monday announced that it secured the necessary majority in parliament to form a coalition government. However, the controversy surrounding the election has not yet subsided, and the legitimacy of any future PTI-led coalition government is still questionable.

Before the election, Pakistans powerful security establishment was accused of meddling in politics to pave the way for its favourite candidate, Imran Khan, to win. And events before the poll  arrests of several prominent members of the PML-N on corruption charges; the sentencing of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to prison less than three weeks before the poll and the sentencing of another top PML-N leader, Hanif Abbasi, to life in prison on drug smuggling charges just four days before the election  were seen by many as definitive proof that the establishment was targeting Khans opponents.

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On Election Day, these accusations escalated from possible attempts to influence the electoral process to straightforward allegations of rigging, with at least six political parties alleging their representatives were not allowed to witness the counting process led by military personnel and other election officials, as mandated by law, and that the final counts were not properly documented. Also, there were questions surrounding the Results Transfer System (RTS), which had allegedly collapsed on election night, delaying the announcement of official results. Later, it has been revealed that the system had never collapsed, but the Election Commission simply  and suspiciously  ordered its employees to stop using the system.

Recount battles are still ongoing in several constituencies across Pakistan. The PML-N and other opposition parties already regained several seats as result of these efforts, and they vow to continue fighting until they reclaim all the votes they believe were stolen from them.

An opposition alliance

Moreover, on August 2, prominent opposition parties in Pakistan announced their decision to form a Grand Alliance and to protest inside and outside the parliament against the rigged and manipulated elections.

The alliance includes Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhuttos PPP, jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs PML-N, the alliance of religious parties known as the MMA, Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, National Party Balochistan and Qaumi Watan Party. The alliance also announced that it will attempt to form its own coalition.

But despite the oppositions efforts, Khans PTI was first to reach the finish line. It announced that it secured a majority in the parliament and is expected to form a coalition in the coming days. The way it secured a parliamentary majority, however, is also being questioned by many. It has been claimed that members of the security establishment pressured and/or offered serious money to some independent candidates to support the PTI.

Despite serious questions surrounding his electoral victory, it appears Khan is now fully ready to take the wheel of his country. The road ahead, however, remains bumpy and uncertain.

A fragile coalition

First of all Khans PTI will rely on the support of several former foes to form a coalition.

The Karachi based MQM, for example, will be in the ruling coalition, but cracks already started to appear between the two parties.

PTI Karachi head Firdous Shamim Naqvi said: The alliance with MQM is not our choice, but we have made the alliance because of the compulsion to acquire simple majority in National Assembly to form the government.

We have not backtracked from our earlier position, he added. MQM has ruined Karachi and it has faced defeat in the general elections because of the poor performance of its mayor in Karachi.

Khan tried to save the situation by condemning Naqvis statement, yet he failed to convince many as he had personally accused MQM leaders of threatening PTI workers and even killing activists only five short years ago.

The PML-Q, another group Khan and his party have a problematic history with, will also be part of the PTI-led coalition. Khan previously called the PML-Q members murderers and the biggest dacoits in Punjab.

Khan built a political career on viciously attacking his political rivals. Moreover, he has been encouraging his followers to pile vile abuse on anyone who criticized his politics for the last five years. Now he found himself in a grave situation where he needs the support of those he had abused and insulted in the past to rule Pakistan. With a powerful and seasoned coalition on opposition benches, it remains to be seen how long Khans unlikely coalition will stand before deep-rooted disagreements between its members start to resurface.

What next for Khan and the military?

The military, which is widely seen as having helped him win the election, will likely pose the biggest threat to Khans premiership.

Many expect Khan to assert his authority and start acting independently from the military after officially becoming Pakistans prime minister. Of course, such an attempt will land him in trouble with the security establishment, and most certainly bring an early end to his stint as Pakistans prime minister. If Khan refuses to toe the line, removing him from office will be no trouble for the military. With a simple nod to the MQM or the PMLQ, the military can easily instigate the collapse of his coalition government. Or he could be disqualified from office on the grounds of dishonesty, corruption or some other real or made up accusation.

Khan may not even need to take a major stand against military strongmen to upset them. The military can decide to topple his government at any minute, even if he follows their instructions to the letter. None of the 17 prime ministers of Pakistan managed to serve a full term  the security establishment found a reason to overthrow even the most pliant, docile prime ministers such as Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Muhammad Khan Junejo in the past. So it is unlikely that Khans honeymoon period with the military will last long.

Continuation of pro-military, isolationist stances

In the last five years, Khan ran a divisive and aggressive campaign, adopting pro-military and isolationist stances and pandering to the religious far-right.

He attacked former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for attempting to improve Pakistans relations with India, and countered his efforts to reign in on Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of 2008 Mumbai attacks. He also supported the military throughout the Dawn Leaks scandal, which disclosed that the former PM Sharif had ordered the military to cease its support for hardline groups.

Khan also appears to support the Afghan Taliban. His provincial government, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, granted $300,000 to the madrassa (Islamic religious school) of Sami-ul Haq, who is widely known as the father of the Taliban (in return Haq has formed an alliance with the PTI).

Only time will tell whether Khan will abandon these dangerous, isolationist and pro-military stances  as he indicated in his victory speech  and dare take constructive action to help elevate Pakistans international standing, improve its relations with its neighbours and save it from financial ruin. Unfortunately what is fairly certain is that if he does, his fate will be the same as all the other prime ministers of Pakistan. And after making bitter enemies of almost all prominent political forces in the parliament, there is scant hope that anyone will come to his help if and when he finds himself in trouble.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
I dont think Richard Dawkins can help himself. He is afflicted with two incurable diseases: He is a racist Islamophobe and he is an exhibitionist. He cannot keep his racism to himself  he must exhibit, stage, and flaunt it. He probably takes some perverted pleasure out of the act. I am only guessing.

In the most recent flare up of his symptoms, Dawkins felt obligated to interrupt a lovely outing he had in a beautiful sunny day at the glorious Winchester Cathedral to tweet: Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great medieval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive-sounding Allahu Akhbar. Or is that just my cultural upbringing?

What sick person would do anything like that  and manage to misspell the thing he wants to insult? Forget about the original Arabic: at least have the decency of spelling the Latinised Allahu Akbar properly.

You are on an outing, its a beautiful day, indeed the lovely bells of a monument to human dignity are in your ears, and you interrupt all of that to stab Muslims on the side and insult their equally glorious acts of worship and call it violent?

Just a while ago we also learned the equally racist Zionists (but I am being redundant) in Israel did not like the sound of the Adhan either and had ordered Muslim Palestinians to be quiet when they pray to their own God in their own country now under military occupation. Imagine that: In a land Muslims believe their prophet came to ascend to heavens to meet their creator, these barefaced European settlers have the audacity to tell Palestinians not to pray the way they think best!

But why these European racists do such things  and why do they dislike the Adhan? Is that a European thing or is that just a plain old racist disease?

Cultural upbringing

One should never get angry at the arrested growth (moral and imaginative) and the juvenile racism of Dawkins and his ilk. What they have is akin to cancer or homophobia. Its a disease  either a physical or a mental ailment. You dont denounce it. You analyse it  and you use it as a learning and teaching occasion.

The question at the end of Dawkins tweet requires closer examination  where he tries to soften the stab by asking: Or is that just my cultural upbringing? On the surface this is an innocent aside, qualifying his violent racism that after all maybe Allahu Akhbar (sic) is not that aggressive sounding and it is just his cultural upbringing that makes him think so. But there is more to that phrase than meets the eye. Let us examine it, and with it let us put Dr Dawkins on a couch and analyse his psychosis.

Maybe the poor man is right, maybe it is indeed his cultural upbringing  but what precisely is that cultural upbringing? What he means by it is clear: He is white, he is British, he is from a Christian background and he is European.

But if we happily exit the infested mind of Dawkins and his kindred goblins and rush to breathe in the fresh air of humanity at large, neither the British, nor Christianity, nor the real Europe has any exclusive claim to racism that would categorically consider the Muslim call to prayer violent. The culture to which Dawkins belong is a culture of fear, dread, and loathing  identical in its texture to the murderous gangs like ISIL  and their pernicious rampage against Christians in the Arab world.

If that culture to which Dawkins belong is neither British, nor Christian, nor necessarily European, then what is it? To millions of British or European Muslims, the sound of Adhan is as beautiful as the sound of church bells in rural Mississippi, or Gospel Music in a church in Harlem, or the prayerful singing of a Hazzan in a synagogue, or a Zoroastrian or a Buddhist chant in a temple or monastery.

So what specific affliction is it that has befallen Dawkins, and why he calls it cultural?

Songs of divine unity

Allow me to give you a more specific reference text to enable us look closer at this business of culture. The towering Persian poet Hatef Isfahani (died 1783) has a now legendary poem, in the form of a Tarji-band (a poem in which a certain refrain keeps being repeated but each time in a renewed significance) in which his poetic persona moves from one religious gathering to another, learning about their rituals and seeing through them all the identical truth of what they worship.

The poem consists of five strophes. In the first strophe, the poet bashfully enters a Zoroastrian service, and compares the sacred fire he sees there with that of the burning bush as witnessed by Moses  and comes to the conclusion: Keh Yeki hast-o hich nist joz Ou/Vahdahu la Ilaha illa Hu! /That there is only One and there is naught but It! (In Persian we do not have gender specific pronouns, and Ou here referring to Divinity could be he, she, or it).

In the second strophe, the poet visits a Christian church and politely wonders about the meaning of Trinity and he is told  in an utterly stunning play on four words in Persian for Silk: Barisham does not become three things if thou callest it Parniyan, Harir, and Parand, while at the very same time he hears the refrain of Divine Unity from the peal of the church bell: That there is only One and there is naught but It! (Notice the difference between a human being hearing church bells and Richard Dawkins hearing church bells  but more of that later  let me not ruin the sublimity of the poem here).

In the third strophe, the poet attends a gathering of freethinkers, drinkers, and merrymakers, having abandoned all institutional religions altogether (remember the poet is a Muslim). He sits down politely (because he is not a sick racist) and drinks a cup of their wine and realises the superior wisdom of their being free from the pain of understanding and the trouble of senses- and here he hears the angel Sorush whisper the familiar refrain in his ear: That there is only One and there is naught but It!

Thus strophe after strophe, the poet moves from one gnostic or agnostic gathering to the next and in none he hears anything but the exquisite Persian/Arabic refrain: That there is only One and there is naught but It!

If today we Iranians, Arabs, Afghans, Turks, other Asians, Africans, Latin Americans, centuries after the ravages of European colonialism (still apace in Palestine) can stand up on our feet and say I it is because of poets like Hatef.

Dancing like a whirling dervish

Well, you might say, what would one Eighteenth century Persian poet, or another in another century, has to do with 1.8 billion barbarians who call themselves Muslims and want to chop off Dawkins head? So let me move around a bit.

My generation of Iranians grew up on the paradisiacal Adhan as recited by the glorious Rahim Moazzen Zadeh Ardabili (1925-2005). It makes no difference if you are a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, or even an atheist (racist New Atheists such as Sam Harris, Bill Maher, and Dawkins need not apply). You need to listen to this recitation in silence and humility and see if something sublime does not begin to awaken in you.

Moazzen Zadeh Ardabili famously recited that heavenly Adhan in Avaz-e Bayat Turk (Gusheh Ruh al-Arwah) melody type in Persian classical music. Now that bit of information opens your mind, soul, and eardrums to a whole new treasure trove of Persian musical and poetic prosody so you know Hatef, or before him Hafez and Sadi, or after him many more, were busy mapping out the melodious tapestry of an aspect of Islamic culture the hateful Islamophobia industry in the US and Europe has spent billions of dollars concealing.

Moazzen Zadeh Ardabilis Adhan and Mohammad Reza Shajarians Rabbana (performed in Seh Gah melody with gentle modulations into other modes), one from my childhood, and the other from my youth, are definitive to the manner in which an Iranian Muslim hears the Quranic recitations, both of them deeply rooted not just in our faith but also in Persian classical music and prosody.

Now: you might say here goes a crazy Iranian Shia with his idiosyncrasies. Allow me to correct your misperception and refer to another splendid genius of Quranic recitation of my generation, this one an Egyptian Sunni brother, Abdul Basit Abd us-Samad and his legendary Quranic recitations that we listened to in awe and love, respect, and admiration. Please sit down politely and listen to his recitation of Surah Al-Rahman.

It is imperative for the world to know (forget about Dawkins  he is a lost cause) the complete picture of the musical universe in which we hear the Adhan. Although a Muslim never compromises the supreme sanctity of the Words of God with any man-made music  but still the tapes of Abdul Basit Quranic recitations were sold in the same shops that sold Umm Kalthum and Abd al-Halim Hafezs cassettes.

Oh, an Iranian here an Egyptian there, I hear Islamophobes say: there are still millions of cutthroat Muslims who are after Dawkins head. Fine come with me to Pakistan and allow me to invite you to sit down (always politely) and listen to the Qawwali Sufi musical performances of such unsurpassed masters as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997) holding your hand and soaring you to the paradise. So next time you hear John Coltranes A Love Supreme (1965) and you think you heard someone whisper, Allah Supreme you wont think you are hearing things. If you are still in doubt just read Hisham Aidis beautiful essay in Al Jazeera on the giant Jazz legend to see how Dawkinss misspelled Allahu Akbar appears as Allah Supreme in angelic souls who have graced this earth.

Lets go to Turkey and politely enter a samahane and watch a Sama by the dervishes of the Mevlevi Order where you can see the poetic cadences of Master Rumi transformed to poetic motions. No, we will not take Dawkins with us. He is condemned to ignorance and darkness. Maybe Rumi can forgive him. We mortals cannot.

Its a small world

Thus singing and dancing, praying and meditating, we can go from one end of the Arab and Muslim world to another, one after the other hearing, watching and learning in humility the sound and sight of a faith that has been the grace of this universe.

Fine, these are all Muslims, Dawkins impolitely interjects  what do they have to do with us civilised white Europeans? They dont add up to teach my ears anything.

Here I would humbly invite you (my dearly beloved readers  not Dawkins of course) to listen to Moazzen Zadehs Adhan, Shajarians Rabbana, Abd al-Basits Quranic recitations, Nusrat Fath Ali Khans Qawwali, and then go listen to any one of more than 200 of Bachs cantatas and try to find out in what way they are different from Quranic recitations or soulful musical prayers. In fact, there are astonishing similarities between these cantatas and their passion for Christ and the passion for Imam Hossein in Shia Taziya performances. You can do the same when listening to or join in singing the sublimity of the Jewish prayer Avinu Malkeinu. Do so and tell me if you dont think the wise and perceptive Hatef-e Isfahani was not onto something. If you dont hear Bach in the Adhan, or the Adhan in Bach, and both in Avinu Malkeinu, and all of them in Buddhist chants and church bells, then there is something seriously wrong not just with your ears but with your moral imagination.

If we were to consider the campanology of bellringing  their casting, tuning and soundings  there is in fact an astonishing similarity between the sounds of church bells ringing and the staccato resonances of the Adhan, for the rules governing elocution during the recitation of the Quran (Tajweed) is sustained by what is called Tarteel (hymnody), or recitation with no haste. A virtuoso full-circle bell ringer in England or France or Italy or Russia does precisely what a magnificent muezzin does in Istanbul, Cairo, or Tehran  not just in spirit but in fact in their staccato musical articulation of a call to prayer  Muslim or Christian. This melodious resemblance, to be sure, is far more evident in the case of the similarity between the Muslim Quranic recitation and the Jewish prayer Avinu Malkeinu.

The inroad into such resonances is neither accidental nor strange. Cultures are frivolous and playful, humans have more than one way to their divinities. The Prophets Miraj most probably found its way into Dantes Divine Comedy. Mathew Arnold found inspiration from Ferdowsis Shahnameh, Goethe thought he was Hafez incarnate, as did Emerson believe he was the reincarnation of Sadi, while Fitzgerald found new life for Omar Khayyam, and Nietzsche called his heroic prophet Zarathustra. The discovery of new poetic intuitions of transcendence enriched not frightened these superior souls.

That kind of jovial cultural playfulness is not limited to poetry, film, and fiction. There are scholars who think the origins of the European Solfege musical notation could have been from Arabic origins. The Solfege syllables (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti) could have been derived from the similar syllables of the Arabic solmization system, or Durr-i-Mufassal (Separated Pearls) (dal, ra, mim, fa, sad, lam). You may or may not agree with such scholarly speculations. But the possibility of entertaining it is what makes cultures dance (not in unison but) in harmony.

The souls of the lions of the Lord

The lives of dogs and wolves are disparate, Rumi says in a poem, United are the souls of the lions of the lord.

What you hear in Adhan, if your racist hatred has not plugged your ears and made you tone-deaf, is not just Bachs cantata or John Dowlands Lachrimae. If you listen carefully you can also see the glorious architecture of a Safavid or Ottoman or Mughal or Mamluk Mosque architecture in what you hear. The melodious meandering of lines and shapes and colours reflect in these lyrical chanting of a Muslim or Jewish or Christian prayer. You cannot hate them in this register and then go to Tate Gallery and pretend you like Chagall, or Matisse, or Kandinsky who were all drawn to Jewish and Islamic thematics and turned the same acts of melodious piety into their art  which places them next to Titian or El Greco in Christian art.

The trouble with racist xenophobes like Richard Dawkins, Steve Bannon, or Donald Trump is that they have a rancid, stale, and monolithic conception of what they call culture  as if cultures have fallen from the sky or grown like mushrooms out of nowhere. For professed atheists, Dawkins and his ilk are astonishingly arcane and stone-aged in their cultural dogmatism.

Cultures are living organisms, historical products, mobile tapestries of knowing and feelings, and as such entirely amorphous, polygamous in their attentions to thing around and about them. Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity too has evolved and changed from its inception to this day. Today Dawkins hateful and racist Christianity is radically different from the glorious liberation theology of Gustavo Gutierrez and other Latin America theologians like him. Richard Dawkins and Reverend Dr. William Barber II are both of Christian descent but of two radically opposing kinds.

To my Iranian Muslim ears the Adhan, the church bells, and Avinu Malkeinu are all equally beautiful because I grew up hearing them all at one and the same time  because our homeland was blessed with multiple, varied, ancient, communities in equal measures  in Istanbul, in Cairo, in Tunis, in New Delhi, or in Isfahan. We were richer  poorer is the lost soul who thinks one is beautiful at the expense of the other being ugly and violent. The same ugly xenophobia gave birth to anti-Semitism in its darkest histories and it has now traded it for Islamophobia from one end of US to another end of Europe.

The moral of Hatefs poem and my point here is not to suggest all religions and cultures are the same and it makes no difference if you are a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, or a Hindu, etc. Of course, it does. Peoples historical experiences, accidents of birth, and collective memories have come together and invested in them a particular seed of formal abstraction towards truth that has eventually blossomed and sublated into a rooted intuition of transcendence specific to them and their faith. Even within religions the perceptions of truth by a mystic, a philosopher, or a jurist are at odds with each other. The point, rather, is the beauty and elegance of one being able to exit ones own self and muster the courage and the imagination to enter into the space of the other in order to facilitate the recognition of a total picture of our plurality otherwise hidden to our prejudiced, domesticated, and provincial eyes, ears, minds, and hearts.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Zimbabwes highly anticipated first post-Mugabe and post-Tsvangirai election just ended. The election was very close and tightly fought between the ruling party and the opposition. The pre-election environment was largely peaceful, however, at least six died after the military opened fire on opposition supporters after the election.

The incumbent, Emmerson Mnangagwa of ZANU-PF narrowly fended off a runoff by securing 50.8 percent of the vote. The ruling party ZANU-PF regained a super majority in parliament by winning 145 of the 210 elected seats to the oppositions 65.

The results show that Zimbabwe is deeply divided between the rural and urban constituencies. In Harare and Bulawayo, the ruling party only managed to win a combined two seats. Although opposition candidates for parliament failed to win seats in the rural areas, Nelson Chamisa did surprisingly well in strong ZANU-PF bases like Masvingo and Mashonaland West.

The day after the election was silent. Opposition supporters in major cities are dejected. A few are holding out hope that Nelson Chamisa will successfully challenge the ZANU-PF win in court. Although local and international observers alike have acknowledged that the election environment was biased in favour of a well-endowed incumbent, most have accepted the results and are reportedly urging the opposition to do the same. The pre-election process was flawed, but these forms of riggingand election manipulation are a lot harder to prove in court.

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Thus, the opposition must now decide on how to engage in a system that was not designed to see an incumbent lose and to address their internal challenges that also cost them this election. While the election was deeply flawed the opposition also missed a few opportunities to broaden their support beyond urban areas.

A divided opposition cannot unseat a dominant incumbent party in Africa or elsewhere. The leading opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had successfully created a coalition in 2017 to unite the different party factions. However, immediately following Morgan Tsvangirais death, Nelson Chamisas controversial ascension to the party presidency caused another split with Vice President Thokozani Khupe. Sexist attacks against the female led Khupe faction and Khupes unwillingness to re-engage with the coalition killed any possibility for a united opposition.

In the crucial Matabeleland region, the Khupe and Chamisa factions split opposition votes among themselves providing ZANU-PF with an easy win in an otherwise anti-establishment region. A united MDC would have won 12 additional parliamentary seats. For example in Gwanda North, ZANU-PF gained 4,419 votes to MDC-As 3,300, but a united opposition would have won with 5,219. In Mutasa North, ZANU-PF won with 11,913 votes, but a combined opposition would have received 12,347. In Mutare North, ZANU-PF won with 6,511 votes while a united opposition would have gained 7,482. A united opposition alliance would have won even more votes at the presidential level.

The MDC coalition failed to build bridges with the other 22 presidential candidates and independent candidates running for legislative and local seats. Beginning in 2016, citizen movements such as #thisflag and #tajamuka which successfully organised a series of shutdowns and protests against the government primed Zimbabweans for political participation. In November 2017, the anti-Mugabe factions in ZANU-PF capitalised on citizen engagement calling for a march that eventually forced Mugabe to sign the resignation papers. The leaders of these movements including Fadzayi Mahere and Pastor Evan who both ran as independent candidates in the election would have been powerful allies for the MDC.

Where the MDC struggled to raise money, the young independents used innovative ways to raise sizeable funds for their campaigns. Where the MDC struggled with creating a single viable narrative, the independent candidates ran exciting campaigns. In opposition strongholds like Harare, voter turnout was much lower than anticipated and the opposition lost almost 20 percent of the vote to ZANU-PF. An additional 200,000 votes could have given MDCs Chamisa a comfortable win in the presidential race. However, the opposition prioritised party procedure and some outdated rules that made it difficult for the independents to run under the MDC Alliance (MDC-A). Going forward, the opposition will need to woo all anti-establishment parties to unite under one roof for the 2023 election.

The opposition did well by holding rallies in rural areas where support for ZANU-PF is high, but their messaging was not tailored for the rural voter. While it is true that every Zimbabwean, particularly those in rural areas, are hurting under the financial crisis, their needs are not homogeneous. While urban voters are frustrated by poor service delivery of water and electricity, rural voters are suffering from the effects of climate change and are still to receive basic services like running water and electricity. It is not that rural voters do not want advanced technology and a functioning rail system, it is simply that they want to be able to provide the basics for their families and improve on agriculture, get electricity and modern toilet and waste treatment systems first. The majority of Zimbabwes rural areas do not have hospitals and the children have limited access to education. ZANU-PF has failed rural voters perhaps more than urban voters, but the opposition must show rural voters that they understand their needs and have policies targeted at addressing their unique concerns.

Without Morgan Tsvangirayis name recognition in rural areas, the opposition will need to spend more time engaging voters strategically. ZANU-PF did not offer rural voters a better policy alternative per se, but, the ruling party capitalised on patronage, fear and oppositions absence in rural areas. Dominant parties like ZANU-PF, South Africas African National Congress (ANC), Tanzanias Cha Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) have deep-rooted ties in rural areas that give them an edge at election time. To win in rural areas, the opposition will need to build a similar support base. Fortunately for opposition parties, the changing demographics in Zimbabwe are such that in five years the majority of rural voters will be youthful. Young voters do not have the same loyalties to the ruling party and they have more access to technology and information. Unlike their parents and grandparents, they are well aware of the changes in the world and they will likely expect more than a bag of rice from politicians.

The opposition must not forget that they won in urban areas as they continue their fight against the election outcome. The MDC-Alliance has a new opportunity to correct their past mistakes that saw them lose support among some urbanites who were frustrated with poor service delivery by the councils. In absence of a free and fair state media, the opposition must embrace new technologies. Emmerson Mnangagwa has done a better job with engaging voters on social media than the oppositions Nelson Chamisa.

Zimbabwes opposition has a lot of work ahead of them. Chamisa managed in a short space of time to rebuild a fragmented opposition, but also missed some critical opportunities to guard against a deeply flawed electoral system. Going forward, the opposition must unite and create a brand that resonates with both urban and rural voters.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
SC overturned LHC decision to recount in NA-131

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has overturned the decision given by Lahore High Courts (LHC) to allow a recount in NA-131.



This development comes after Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insafs (PTI) leader Babar Awan submitted an appeal to the SC on Monday, claiming that the result in NA-131 had remained the same after recounting rejected votes.



On August 4, the LHC ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to recount votes in NA-131. The consituency was contested by Pakistan Muslim League Nawazs (PML-N) Saad Rafique and PTIs Imran Khan. Saad Rafique had lost to Khan by 680 votes.
Legislators to decide whether to legalise abortion amid fiercely polarised campaigns for and against the proposed bill.

Argentinas legislators are due to vote on whether to legalise abortion amid fiercely polarised campaigns for and against the proposed bill.

Tuesdays vote comes a week after the Senate approved the text for the bill that was originally passed by Congress lower house in June by the narrowest of margins.

The proposed legislation would allow abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and beyond that in cases where the foetus suffers from conditions not compatible with life outside the womb.

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The bill is expected to fall short of the necessary votes to pass into law, with 37 of 72 senators believed to be ready to say no despite a massive social campaign to have it adopted.

But despite projections and strong opposition from the Catholic Church, campaigners are not giving up hope.

Were doing everything so that the initiative passes. We have faith in the street movement, Julia Martino, leading campaigner, told AFP news agency.

We believe many senators will show their support when the vote happens.

Amnesty International has also launched a campaign prior to the vote.

The millions of Argentinian women and girls who have campaigned so passionately for their rights should know that people all over the world are standing in solidarity with them today. It is now time for the Senators to show that they stand by women too, said Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.

Meet Nelly, who has fought for abortion in #Argentina for many years and won't take no for an answer. On August 8th Argentina's Senate will hold the deciding vote on decriminalizing abortion. Stand with the women of Argentina. #AbortoLegalYa  pic.twitter.com/5LUT9zrV1l  Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 5, 2018

Argentina, like most countries in Latin America, currently permits abortion in specific cases only, including rape and risk to the mothers life.

Rights groups have criticised a requirement for a judges permission, which often results in lengthy delays or rejection of the procedure.

If passed, Argentina would join Uruguay and Cuba as the only countries in the region to fully decriminalise abortion.

An estimated 500,000 unsafe abortions are performed annually in the South American country.

Argentina recorded 245 cases of maternal mortality in 2016, according to official figures quoted by the website Infobae. Of these, 43 were due to abortions or miscarriages.





Abortion bill

In mid-June, the lower house voted in favour of the bill by just 129 to 125.

Pro-abortion rights activists say the law is a question of social justice, public health and womens rights.

Were talking about the right to live in dignity, with autonomy, to be able to choose freely, Elsa Schvartzman told AFP.

Senator Norma Durango from the Justice Party said she would work until the last minute so that this becomes law, warning that those who vote against the bill would be responsible for continuing deaths.

But the anti-abortion rights activists have been joined by religious leaders of various faiths to oppose the bill.

The Catholic Church even appointed Bishop Alberto Bochatey to handle dialogue with Congress on the issue.

More than 60 percent of Argentinians  especially young people  are in favour of legalising abortion, according to a poll by the social sciences faculty of the University of Buenos Aires.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila will not stand for re-election in December, a government spokesman has announced.

Kabilas ruling coalition nominated former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as its presidential candidate, Lambert Mende, the government spokesman, said on Wednesday.

The move put an end to years of speculation on whether Kabila would defy terms limits.





The government waited until the last moment to announce Kabilas decision not to run. The electoral commissions deadline for candidates to register was Wednesday afternoon.

Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi, reporting from the capital Kinshasa, said Ramazanis nomination came as a surprise.

Over the days, several names [of Kabilas replacements] have been floating around, but his name never really featured, she said.

The nomination came after a long consultation between the president and his coalition.

The uncertainty about Kabilas intentions raised concern over the past few days, she said.

But now that has been cleared and analysts are telling us that these tensions that have been in the country could de-escalate, she said.

The Catholic Church immediately called the decision by Kabila a big step, while the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, welcomed the news but said Congos electoral commission must take all steps necessary to guarantee a free and fair vote.

Congos regional and international partners must continue to exert strong pressure for the country to have a truly democratic transition and to prevent further repression, said Ida Sawyer, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

We are still very far from a credible electoral process, and many things can happen by December, including additional delays.

Kabila, whose second term officially ended in 2016, is constitutionally ineligible to run in Decembers poll, although his rivals accused him of wanting to stay in power.

Shadary, a close ally of Kabila, used to serve as deputy prime minister. He was sanctioned by the European Union for alleged human rights violations in 2017.

Shadary counts as one of Kabilas most loyal followers but, as a politician, is not very popular among DR Congos roughly 80 million people.

Kabila talks with religious leaders after a meeting with coalition members [Kenny Katombe/Reuters]

Its a rare bird, said Mende after the announcement, refusing to answer journalists questions about the candidacy.

Several opposition candidates have registered for the poll, including former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who had convictions for war crimes and crimes against humanity overturned in June.

Another candidate is Vital Kamerhe, leader of opposition party Union for the Congolese Nation and former national assembly president, who came third in the 2011 election.





Felix Tshisekedi, leader of the largest opposition party Union for Democracy and Social Progress, who is the son of late opposition activist Etienne Tshisekedi, also filed his candidacy.

Opposition candidate Moise Katumbi was, however, refused entry to the country last week, after spending two years in exile in Belgium.

The former governor of the wealthy Katanga province and former Kabila ally was convicted in absentia for real-estate fraud in 2016. He has denied the charges, saying they were used to obstruct his political career.

A surprise for many Congolese was the decision by Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, who had supported the idea of a third term for Kabila, to submit his candidacy.

DR Congos constitutional court still has to rule on potential candidates eligibility.

Whoever wins the December 23 vote takes over a vast country with trillions of dollars worth of mineral wealth, but with dozens of armed groups battling for a part of it. Millions of Congolese have been displaced by various internal conflicts.

The country has seen violence and widespread anger over what some see as Kabilas refusal to relinquish power after the end of his second full term in December 2016.

Kabila came to power in 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, the countrys third president.

He was elected in 2006 in the DRCs first democratic election since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila secured a second term in 2011, though that election was plagued by allegations of widespread voter fraud.
Punitive measures will take effect on or around August 22, the US State Department announced on Wednesday.

The United States has said it would impose new sanctions on Russia after it determined that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian agent and his daughter in the United Kingdom.

Heather Nauert, US State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement on Wednesday that it had been determined that Russia has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law.

She said sanctions would take effect on or around August 22, but did not specify the nature of the new punitive measures.

NBC, a US news network, cited a senior state department official as saying that the sanctions would be structured in two tranches.

The biggest effect from the initial sanctions are expected to come from a ban on granting licenses to export sensitive national security goods to Russia, the report said.

Washington had already expelled dozens of Russian diplomats from the US over the poisoning.

Novichok

Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, are believed to have been exposed to the nerve agent Novichok in the British town of Salisbury in March.

They were found slumped unconscious on a park bench and spent weeks in hospital before they were finally released.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were attacked with a nerve agent in Salisbury [Rex Features]

At least two other people were hospitalised after suffering from exposure to the chemical agent, Novichok, in a town near Salisbury.

Charlie Rowley, 45, was released from a hospital last month, but his partner, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after exposure.

Rowley and Sturgess were hospitalised after being exposed to the deadly nerve agent June 30.

Police found a bottle containing the substance at the scene. Sturgess died in hospital.

Russia denies being behind the poisonings.
Iran sanctions: Trump warns trade partners

Banking on the power of its dollar, US president warns trading partners against doing business with Tehran, as Washington re-imposes most biting sanctions ever on the country.
Tehran says it will stand firm against Washington as US president issues warning against countries trading with Tehran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has vowed that Iran will stand firm against threats by the United States over oil shipments after Washington reimposed economic sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Speaking to state broadcaster IRINN on Wednesday, Rouhani said: If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds, they should also know its consequences.

They cant think that Iran wont export oil and others will export.

Rouhani did not specify what consequences the US could face, but in the past, Iranian officials have threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route in the Middle East, in retaliation for any US actions.

The US has dismissed the threat as a bluff.

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During his meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Tehran on Wednesday, Rouhani warned him that the US was an unreliable and untrustworthy negotiating partner that did not honour any of its commitments.

Ri was also quoted as describing the sanctions against Iran as inappropriate and contrary to international standards.

North Korea is under US and UN sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme.

The first round of reimposed US sanctions targeting Irans aviation and auto industries as well as its banking system snapped back on Tuesday. A second round of sanctions against its energy sector will be reimposed on November 5.

Countries like Russia, China and Turkey, however, have said that they would not abide by the US sanctions, and would continue to trade with Iran.

On Wednesday, Chinas foreign ministry said it opposed the US unilateral sanctions and long-armed jurisdiction, adding that its business ties with Iran were open, transparent and lawful.

Infographic by Alia Chughtai [Al Jazeera]

Chinas commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable, fair and lawful, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions, it said.

Chinas lawful rights should be protected.

China, Irans top oil customer, buys roughly 650,000 barrels a day of crude oil from Tehran, or seven percent of Chinas total crude oil imports.

At current market rates, the imports are worth about $15bn.

State energy firms CNPC and Sinopec have invested billions of dollars in key Iranian oil fields such as Yadavaran and North Azadegan, from which they send oil to China.

Turkeys Energy Minister Fatih Donmez also said that his country would continue to buy natural gas from Iran. Turkey buys an estimated 9.5bn cubic metres of gas from Iran.

European countries have also vowed to protect the nuclear deal by continuing to trade with Iran.

Trump threat





Signed in 2015, the landmark deal was meant to lift sanctions against Iran in return for curbs in its nuclear programme.

Despite opposing claims from the US and Israel, researchers from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) maintain that Iran continues to abide by its commitment in the deal.

Since it unilaterally pulled out of the deal in May, Washington has told other countries that they must halt all imports of Iranian oil from November 4, or face US financial measures.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States.

Trumps National Security Advisor John Bolton told Fox News that the US policy is not regime change, but we definitely want to put maximum pressure on the government.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, however, warned that the unilateral US sanctions could further destabilise the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.

Isolating Iran could boost radical and fundamentalist forces, he said, adding that chaos in Iran, as we have experienced in Iraq or Libya, would further destabilise an already troubled region.

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Moavero Milanesi said that agreements have to be respected.

We are in solidarity with the European Union position, obviously we are closely monitoring this and we are doing everything possible on the diplomatic level to stimulate a direct dialogue between the United States and Iran, and we think that dialogue should always prevail, he said.

Also on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said it was hard to imagine new talks with the US with its erratic decision-making.

America has zigzagged constantly, so now no one trusts them, he said.

In late July, Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Irans leaders, said he was willing to meet with them with no preconditions  even though US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later walked back some of the presidents comments.
Iraq: Families of ISIL members fear attacks if they go home

The wives and children of ISIL fighters who have been killed or imprisoned are afraid their communities will attack them if they go home.
Mexico: town hall talks to find solutions to drug violence

The country is experiencing its most violent year on record.
Myanmars democracy movement 30 years on since the uprising

Thirty years on from the events that brought Aung Sang Suu Kyi to prominence, Myanmars leader faces new questions about her commitment to democracy.
Nigerias head of the intelligence service has been fired after security services staged a brief takeover of parliament in the capital Abuja, at a time when President Muhammadu Buhari is out of the country.

Hooded armed men from the police and Department of State Service (DSS) blocked access to the two chambers  the Senate and House of Representatives  on Tuesday morning, preventing lawmakers, workers, journalists and other visitors from entering.

Images of the incident were shared widely on social media, reviving memories of the decades, when the military and security forces held sway over politics in a country that has one of Africas largest economies.

The presidency denied authorising the security services move [Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters]

Later in the day, Buharis office denied authorising the move, which comes amid a surge of tension between the president and his political rivals.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo  who is acting as head of the country while Buhari is on holiday in London, ordered the dismissal of DSS chief Lawal Musa Daura with immediate effect.

He described the unauthorised takeover of the National Assembly as a gross violation of constitutional order and rule of law.

Show of strength

Independent sources speculated that Tuesdays action was a show of strength connected to a political crisis ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next February.

Lawmakers loyal to Buharis All Progressives Congress (APC) are believed to be planning to overthrow the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

Saraki, the countrys third-highest ranking politician, last week left the APC for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC has called on him to resign, suspecting him to be the force behind defections that have damaged the partys standing and Buharis chances of re-election.

On the last day before recess that began on July 24, 14 members of the 109-seat Senate and 37 members of the 360-seat House of Representatives left the APC.

Party primaries are due between this month and October, coinciding with mounting discontent at Buharis style of government and handling of widespread violence across the country.
Opposition claims there were irregularities with the vote count and demands an investigation.

Islamabad, Pakistan  Hundreds of opposition protesters held a demonstration rejecting the results of Pakistans general election in the capital Islamabad, demanding an investigation into allegations of widespread irregularities during vote counting.

Protesters from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), and other parties gathered outside the countrys Election Commission on Wednesday.

Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party swept a general election held on July 25, emerging as the largest single party in the countrys parliament and in two of the four provincial assemblies.

PTI will replace PML-N as Pakistans ruling party when members of parliament take an oath later this month.

Since election day, however, the PML-N and others have alleged widespread rigging during the vote-counting process.

For the time begin we are demanding that a parliamentary commission be formed to investigate the allegations of rigging, Khwaja Muhammad Asif, a PML-N leader, told Al Jazeera at the protest in Islamabad.

In his victory speech following the polls, Imran Khan said he welcomed any investigation into vote-rigging allegations and that his party would support the process.

Rigged vote?

On Tuesday, the election commission further mired the election process in controversy when it withheld a final decision on results in 26 constituencies, including nine parliamentary seats and 17 provincial seats.

The withheld results include, among others, all five constituencies where Khan himself won.

Outside the commissions offices in Islamabad, anger was palpable among protesters.

The election process is not complete, even now, said Ata Ullah, 52, a PML-N supporter. The army chief, the Supreme Court, the election commission and the National Accountability Bureau [anti-corruption watchdog] all combined to use the army to rig the elections.





Pakistans military denies any role in politics but has ruled the country for roughly half of its 70-year history since independence.

Critics say it continues to exercise control over aspects of security and foreign policy, as well as censoring press coverage deemed critical or unacceptable on a wide range of topics, which increasingly include political issues.

It is rare for politicians and their supporters to directly name the military as an institution when criticising its alleged political role, for fear of reprisals.

PML-N, however, has grown increasingly strident in its criticism of the military since party chief Nawaz Sharif was first dismissed from office on corruption allegations last year and then jailed last month, two weeks before the polls.

At the protest, demonstrators chanted a common PML-N slogan during the election campaign: Give respect to the vote!

It was a rare show of political unity between a range of opposition parties, with rival workers side-by-side, shouting in support of PPP and PML-N  which have ruled Pakistan for decades between them.

The issue here is that this was not an election, it was a preplanned selection, said Khizr Khan, 53, an Awami National Party worker from the northwestern district of Swabi.

Staying alive

ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak told Al Jazeera his party, which won only one parliamentary seat, wholly rejected the results of the poll.

Other political leaders present at the protest included the PPPs Sherry Rehman and Farhatullah Babar, and PML-Ns Saad Rafique, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and Amir Muqam.

PTI says the opposition has so far failed to share any concrete evidence of vote rigging.

This protest is just their attempt to stay alive in politics, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry told Al Jazeera by telephone.

They have failed to give us any details of rigging. They should tell us the specific constituencies and show us proper evidence of this alleged rigging, which they have failed to do even 10 days after the polls took place, Chaudhry said.

On Wednesday, PTI chief Khan addressed newly elected legislators from Punjab province, the countrys most populous region.

Members of parliament are expected to take their oath early next week, with Khan likely to be elected as prime minister by the parliament shortly thereafter.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday pledged Ghanas commitment to stand with West African States in crisis every step of the way.



Ghana, he said, had always made it a duty to offer assistance where it was needed, and would continue to do so under his watch.



He said this when the outgoing Sierra Leonean High Commissioner, Justice Umu Hawa Tejan Hallow, called at the Jubilee House to bid him farewell after her duty tour of the country.



Justice Hallow was accredited to Ghana in April 2016.



President Akufo-Addo recalled Ghanas role in managing the deadly Ebola pandemic that hit Sierra Leone and the assistance during last year's devastating landslide in Freetown and said, the two nations and other countries in West Africa stood to gain when they deepened their cooperation.



Ghana, he added, was determined to strengthen ties with Sierra Leone for the mutual benefit of the two countries.



We will continue the friendship with Sierra Leone; it is in our mutual interest, it is important that the relationship between us are strengthened and deepened at all times 



We are members of ECOWAS, we are members of the Commonwealth, a brother African nation, a brother West African nation. There is a lot that we can do together," he said



The President also commended the government and people of Sierra Leone for embarking on a democratic path and peaceful transition.



He urged them to maintain the peace and strive to build the capacity of the institutions of governance in the country.



Justice Hallow expressed appreciation to the President and the people of Ghana for the strong support she enjoyed during her duty tour.



I wish to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all the support I received from all sectors of the Ghanaian society in the discharge of my duties.



The High Commissioner acknowledged the socio-economic assistance, health, educational, disaster and security support that Ghana had given Seirra Leone over the years.



She spoke of how, during that countrys Ebola crisis, Ghanas swift response helped to manage the situation, saying, Ghana was one of the countries that never imposed travel restrictions on our citizens during the outbreak.



I wish on behalf of the government and people of sierra Leone to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to your Excellency and the people of the republic of Ghana for the continued support to Sierra Leone, she said.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
The Palestinian-American from Michigan will run unopposed in a special election scheduled for November.

A previous version of this article stated that Rashida Tlaib had been elected to Congress. This was incorrect and the article has been corrected to clarify that she has won the Michigan Democratic primary and is expected to win November's election.

Rashida Tlaib is set to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after comfortably winning her Democratic primary election in the US state of Michigan.

The 42-year-old, who is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, won Tuesdays primary in the states 13th congressional district, securing 33.6 percent of the vote, compared with the 28.5 percent her nearest rival Brenda Jones received. Bill Wild received 14.5 percent, according the Detroit Free Press.

No Republicans or third-party candidates entered the primary, meaning Tlaib is set to win the seat in Novembers election for a two-year term that will begin in January.

She is simultaneously running to serve out the last two months of John Conyers term, who stepped down in December citing health reasons amid allegations of sexual harassment. That special election is still too close to call, according to the Associated Press, who said on Wednesday that Tlaib and her opponent, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, were in a dead heat. The winner of the race will also run unopposed in Novembers election and will serve out the last two months of Conyers term.

Thank you so much for making this unbelievable moment possible. I am at a loss for words. I cannot wait to serve you in Congress, she wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

Thank you so much for making this unbelievable moment possible. I am at a loss for words. I cannot wait to serve you in Congress.  Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 8, 2018

In 2006, Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, became the first Muslim elected to Congress. He is currently running for attorney general in his home state. Andre Carson, a Democratic representative from Indiana, was the second Muslim to serve in Congress. He was elected in 2008.

Al Jazeeras Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, described Tlaibs win in the primary as inspirational for women and minorities.

There were records broken in terms of the number of women that were successful in these primaries, at least 11 women will now be running for governor in November and at least 182 women will be running for the House of Representatives, she said.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric

Tlaib told ABC news earlier this week that her decision to run was prompted by increasing attacks against American-Muslims and immigrants since the election of US President Donald Trump.

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A study from the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a 15-percent increase in Islamophobic-related crimes in the United States last year.

I didnt run because my election would be historic. I ran because of injustices and because of my boys, who are questioning their [Muslim] identity and whether they belong, Tlaib told ABC.

When you see a Palestinian person with your name and faith succeed, it shows [the government] can ban us from coming into the country, but not from getting elected.

Showing people it can be done would be a victory to my family.

The 2018 midterm elections have seen a record number of Muslims  at least 90  running for political office since the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to Jetpac, an organisation helping Muslim-Americans run for political office.

Other Muslims running include Ilhan Omar in Minnesota and Sameena Mustafa in Illinois.

Meanwhile, Abdul el-Sayed, who was seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in Michigan, lost his primary race on Tuesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the world bodys new human rights chief, five diplomats told Reuters news agency.

UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed told a group of ambassadors about the decision on Tuesday, diplomats said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, as no official announcement has been made.

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Guterres spokesman Farhan Haq did not confirm the selection of Bachelet as the UNs High Commissioner for Human Rights, the jobs official title.

If confirmed, Bachelets appointment needs to be approved by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

If she is chosen, she would replace Jordans Zeid Raad al-Hussein, who is stepping down at the end of the month after one four-year term in the Geneva-based job.

Zeid is well-known as an outspoken critic of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines.

If selected, Bachelet will be taking on one of the worlds most difficult jobs at a moment when human rights are under widespread attack, said Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth.

Bachelet, a victim of torture under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, was conservative Chiles first female leader.

As a victim herself, Bachelet would bring a unique perspective to the UN role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful. https://t.co/uIltIGhkjj pic.twitter.com/YlJMI8spTw  Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 8, 2018

Pediatrician and socialist

The pediatrician and socialist was in office from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018.

Last year, Guterres appointed her to be on a high-level UN panel on mediation that provides him with advice on UN peace efforts.

The UN chief described her as a long-time champion of womens rights with a history of dynamic global leadership, highly-honed political skills and a recognised ability to create consensus.

Born in Santiago, Bachelet was studying medicine when she was held by Pinochets political police for several weeks.

After her release, she went into exile with her mother to Australia and then moved to East Germany.

Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979, but was prevented from working as a doctor for political reasons. She continued studying, specialising in paediatrics and public health.

After democracy was restored to Chile in 1990, Bachelet worked for the health ministry and in 2000 was appointed health minister followed by defence minister four years later.

After her mandate she was named by the Forbes Magazine the worlds most influential woman.
Riyadhs move comes after Ottawa denounced a crackdown on human rights activists in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia barred all citizens from receiving medical treatment in Canada as a diplomatic dispute over criticism of its human rights record intensifies.

Riyadh also announced it is coordinating the transfer of all Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals to other medical facilities outside Canada, the Saudi press agency SPA reported on Wednesday.

The Gulf state stopped sending patients to Canadian hospitals according to directives by the leadership, it said. It was unclear how many Saudi patients would be affected by the decision.

Saudi Arabia expelled Canadas ambassador, recalled its own envoy, and cut trade ties with Canada after it publicly denounced a crackdown on rights activists in the Gulf kingdom on Twitter.





On Wednesday, Saudi Arabias foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said his country would not seek any mediation in its dispute with Canada.

There is nothing to mediate  Canada made a big mistake, and a mistake should be corrected, al-Jubeir said, adding that Riyadh was considering additional measures against Ottowa without further elaborating.

The sharp diplomatic dispute between the two countries has left the United States  partner and ally of both  in a bind.

Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cant do it for them, Heather Nauert, State Department spokeswoman, said.

Washington raised the case with Riyadh, she said, adding: The United States has respect for internationally recognised freedoms and also individual liberties. That certainly has not changed.

Saudi Arabia is pulling all of its patients from Canadian hospitals. This is #NotTheOnion. If you're a Saudi patient in a Canadian hospital, you must leave, b/c @KSAmofaEN is throwing a tantrum about wanting to keep its human rights activists in prison: https://t.co/DxeI9rfDWe  Ali A. Rizvi (@aliamjadrizvi) August 8, 2018

Saudi Arabia was angered after Canada demanded it immediately release some of the arrested activists, including Samar Badawi.

She is 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. His wife and children are naturalised Canadian citizens.

Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and womens rights are human rights, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday.

Saudi Arabia also ordered some 15,000 of its students in Canada to leave the country. It also announced it suspended state-run airline flights to Toronto.

Nauert suggested the Canadian government could have handled the issue better.

Some of these issues we choose to discuss privately with our friends, with our partners, with our allies, Nauert said. I can tell you, however, we have raised these issues and Ill leave it at that.

Escalating conflict

Al Jazeeras Kirsten Saloomey, reporting from Toronto, said that while Trudeau is expected to speak later in the day to address the situation, the Saudis latest declarations showed no intention of resolving the dispute.

The comments coming from the [Saudi] foreign minister showed the Saudis have no intent in backing out on this, Saloomey said.

Theyre escalating the conflict and, if anything, saying Canada made a mistake and needs to fix it. They seem to be addressing reports that the Canadians are reaching out to the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom to help mediate in this dispute.

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When asked about the jailed activists, Jubeir reiterated the governments earlier stance that they had been in contact with foreign entities, but did not specify the charges against them.

The matter is not about human rights, it is a matter of national security, Jubeir said, referring to the row with Canada.

Saudi Arabia does not interfere in the affairs of Canada in any way. Therefore, Canada must correct its actions towards the kingdom.

Canada has indicated it will not back down, despite the risk of imperilling business deals including a $15bn agreement to sell Riyadh light armoured vehicles. If the deal is scrapped, thousands of jobs could be lost in Canada, experts say.

Saloomey noted that the Canadians are proving to be defiant, standing up for their comments in defense of human rights.
Former foes Kiir and Machar have three months to form a transitional government once a final peace deal is signed.

Thousands of residents of South Sudans capital Juba have been celebrating a peace deal struck between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar, which rekindles hope that the guns will stop firing.

The second power-sharing agreement deal was signed on Sunday in Khartoum, capital of neighbouring Sudan, after protracted negotiations between the warring factions.

Many turned out at the airport to welcome Kiir back from Khartoum after the deal.

The agreement aims to put an end to nearly four years of conflict that has killed tens of thousands, uprooted millions from their homes, and ruined South Sudans economy.

The deal was signed in the presence of Presidents Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and Ismail Oma Ghuelleh of Djibouti.

We have to concentrate on the implementation of the agreement and we have to work on uniting our people, Kiir said on Sunday after signing the deal.

The peace agreement has been applauded by some rights activists.

Rights campaigner Beny Gideon Mabor told Al Jazeera the latest deal is a genuine attempt by Khartoum to end the armed conflict in South Sudan.

Little do people know the roles played by Khartoum in supporting allied militia forces that continue to destabilise South Sudan during the days of liberation struggle and after independence, Mabor said.

This made Khartoum to be both a referee and a player at the same time, which is impracticable.

But Juba resident Flora Yawa told Al Jazeera that she is cautiously optimistic of the new peace deal.

When the 2016 fighting happened, we were trapped. So much has changed since the war. My sister lost her husband and we also lost another relative. We couldnt do anything. We just headed home. Now we just want peace, she said.

The rival parties have three months to form a transitional government [AFP]

Power-sharing

A new power-sharing agreement stipulates there will be 35 ministers in the bloated transitional government, including 20 Kiir allies and nine supporters of Machar, along with representatives of other rebel factions.

The rival groups have three months to form the transitional government once a final peace deal is signed.

The agreement will see Machar return to his post as the first of five vice presidents under a transitional government of national unity.

Not everyone who is fighting has been involved in the process of Khartoum, and not everyone who signed appears to be fully representative of their own parties as well, Aly Verjee, a visiting researcher at the United States Institute of Peace, told Al Jazeera.

The rival groups have also already agreed on a permanent ceasefire and withdrawing of their forces from civilian areas.

Deo Gumba, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Kenya, told Al Jazeera addressing the interests of ethnic groups is vital in implementing the deal.

Each one of those ethnic groups is going to want a very good share of the cake, and I think if that is not carefully planned and carefully done, it is likely to cause a lot of problems, Gumba said.





Collapsed deals

A similar power-sharing deal fell apart in July 2016 when fighting erupted in the capital and Machar fled the country.

Residents of Juba are, however, hoping for the latest deal to succeed.

Kiir said last week the new peace agreement mediated by Sudan and East African nations would not collapse because it was not imposed by outsiders.

He blamed external pressure for the collapse of previous deals.

Some smaller opposition groups say they have doubts about the new deal because it does not allocate power fairly.

Two groups, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and National Salvation Front (NAS), have distanced themselves from the agreement.

But analysts say it is more accommodating than previous deals.

This agreement was negotiated in almost all the four main cities of this region  that makes it a little bit different from the rest, although it is the same in letter, Gumba said.

SudanOs President Omar Hassan al-Bashir listen during a press conference after the oath of the prime minister and first vice president Bakri Hassan Saleh at the palace in Khartoum, Sudan March 2,2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Economic recovery

The South Sudanese people are hoping economic stability will return.

Years of conflict have ruined an already impoverished economy that relies heavily on crude oil production.

Neighbouring Sudan is also feeling the economic pinch since Juba seceded in 2011, taking with it three-quarters of oil output.

Khartoum also relies on Juba to pump crude through an export pipeline to increase its oil output.

Khartoum has no choice but to willfully give up its support for armed groups and choose the path of peace so that both countries can secure economic viability, Mabor said.

Khartoum has confirmed oil will be pumped from South Sudans Wahda region to Sudan beginning on September 1.
In a community that considers victims of sexual violence a disgrace, women are left alone to suffer.

Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh  Last years Eid al-Adha holiday is a nightmarish memory Fatima wishes she could block forever.

Instead, she is forced to live with the horror and shame every time she recalls what happened.

Fatima, whose real name was changed to protect her privacy, is a widow and mother of five girls. She fled her village of Merula, in Myanmars Rakhine state, as a government-backed attack on the minority Rohingya population escalated, in what the United Nations described as textbook ethnic cleansing.

Fatimas daughters crossed into Bangladesh before her, as it is the custom for Rohingya women to send their children ahead with the village men making their way to the border. As the violence spiralled into chaos, she decided to leave.





In August last year, she reached Daungkhali Char, an island in Myanmar across the Naf River from Bangladesh, before her luck ran out.

She said two Myanmar soldiers dragged her away to a field and for the next two days raped her repeatedly, sometimes to the point where she lost consciousness.

I dont know how many times they violated my body, Fatima said in a voice barely above a murmur.

When the soldiers decided to move on, she crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, numb to the bone and dazed out of her mind.

I was unaware of my senses for a while, she said. I found out five months later I was pregnant. I tried to have an abortion by swallowing pills, but that didnt work.

She looked down at the baby nestled in the crook of her arm. I didnt tell anyone he was conceived through rape.

Four-month-old Bilal fussed and started wailing. Distractedly, Fatima rubbed his back in circular motions until he fell quiet again.

Fatima spends her days under her dim tarp-and-bamboo shelter, afraid of being judged [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Shunned and brokenhearted

Fatima now lives with four of her daughters in Balukhali camp, part of the severely overcrowded Kutapalong camp that now houses more than 600,000 refugees. She spends her days under her dim tarp-and-bamboo shelter, afraid of being judged if she ventures outside, even if it is to get provisions handed out by humanitarian organisations.

She relies instead on the kindness of her neighbour Shamim who, along with his wife, know her secret and deliver aid provisions to her shelter.

Refugees living in the same section of the camp are mostly from other villages and dont know her backstory, such as the fact her husband died five years ago from illness.

{articleGUID}

Many assume that my husband was killed by the Myanmar army while I was pregnant with Bilal, Fatima said. But those who know me shun me, which causes me so much grief.

Her voice breaks and rises to choke back a sob.

My eldest daughter is married and lives in another camp, and her husband forbade her from visiting me, she said, her eyes bright with tears. I havent seen her for almost a year.

She delivered Bilal at a hospital clinic run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). No questions were asked about how the baby was conceived, and Fatima remained silent, too ashamed to offer the truth.

After I gave birth, MSF gave me a pair of sandals, a headscarf, and baby food, she said. I have to visit the clinic once a week to get tablets that help me develop breast milk.

She hasnt received any kind of psychological help and, fearing social stigmatisation, admits she wont be able to tell the truth about Bilal at counselling centres and women-friendly spaces set up in the camp, much less to her new neighbours.

The idea frightens her to the point where she starts crying again.

Abdulmunam, a Rohingya community leader [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Smear of stigma

A Rohingya community leader in Fatimas camp, Abdulmunam, is familiar with her story and said it is his job to know the needs of the 84 families in the block. Yet he acknowledged the reaction to breaking down socially ingrained concepts, and said openly speaking about sexual violence would result in a backlash and be counterintuitive.

Everyone here should assist and support each other as much as possible, given our helpless situation, he said.

But our community regards rape survivors as a disgrace so its easier for me to tell some NGOs and aid agencies, instead of fellow refugees, about Fatimas case in order to help her out and send her provisions.

Johara Khatun, 50, is known in the neighbouring Kutapalong camp as one of the best midwives, but in the 10 months since she fled Rakhine she has not come across any women who told her they were raped.

Rape is the worst kind of torture for women, especially if it results in conception, she said.

But they should keep quiet and not talk about what happened to them, otherwise people would regard them as tarnished, and cut off their ties with them. In the case of unmarried girls, no one would look at them or consider them for marriage.

Rape is the worst kind of torture for women, says Johara Khatun [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Johara said she doesnt think abortion is the solution but concedes that it could be maybe only in the early stages of pregnancy.

It is better to have the baby and if the women still dont want to take care of it they can give the baby to families who want children, she said.

Tayabur Rahman Chowdhury, head of UNHCRs health units in Kutapalong camp, said the refugee agency has recruited community health volunteers from the refugees themselves in a bid to break down these social attitudes.

We try to take big initiatives whenever we hear that social stigma has begun to take root against an unmarried girl or mother, he said, sitting in his office near the entrance of the camp.

We confront the community and ask, how is this their fault? What would you do in her position? She was forced, she was raped, and its not her fault.

Attitudes towards sexual violence victims have not dramatically changed to absolve the victims of any blame, but Chowdhury said these things take time and more awareness-building.

Tayabur Rahman Chowdhury [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Calculated use of rape

Aid agencies, which have treated hundreds of Rohingya women subjected to gender-based violence in Rakhine state since August 2017, say estimates of the number of raped women are greatly understated because reluctance and shame prevent them from coming forward.

In a report published in March, MSF said it had treated 113 survivors of sexual violence since August 25 last year, ranging in age from nine to 50 years old.

Based on testimonies, the organisation said Myanmar soldiers deliberately used rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls as part of a widespread attack against the Rohingya population.

In April, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres placed Myanmars army on a watchlist report of security forces and armed groups credibly suspected of using rape and sexual violence in conflict.

The widespread threat and use of sexual violence was integral to this strategy, serving to humiliate, terrorise and collectively punish the Rohingya community as a calculated tool to force them to flee their homelands and prevent their return, Guterres said.

Women in Kutapalong refugee camp [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Physical evidence impossible

Chowdhury said since last October, a handful of women have come to his health centre in Kutapalong camp saying they had been raped.

Some of them arrived at the centre after they missed their periods and told me what Myanmar soldiers and Rakhine vigilantes did to them, he said. Two other women came to me to get abortions, which the centre provides.

He explained that for official records, it was difficult to document physical evidence of rape after the first 72 hours as abrasions, cuts, and bruises usually go away after that time.





For unmarried girls, hymens are no marker of whether rape occurred or not because not all women have hymens, he said.

This leaves us with the option of asking rape survivors to keep the clothes they were wearing during the incident unwashed, and to not clean their bodies until they reach the health centre so we can run tests.

But that is also not realistic, he said, as the women inevitably wash after days of travelling on foot crossing the border.

For those shouldering the secret of birthing a child conceived by rape, dealing with the trauma and the aftermath is dependent on support from family members.

For Fatima, she has come to love her baby  as have her daughters living with her  and said she would not give him away.

I dont even know which one of the soldiers that raped me is the father of Bilal, she said. But he is my child, and my only son.

Follow Linah Alsaafin on Twitter: @LinahAlsaafin
Online Harassment, Political Activists, and What to Do about It

In recent years, the internet has provided free rein to busybodies bent on opportunistic criminal behavior. Never before have people known so much about others, nor have we cultivated so many meaningless "friends" who have coalesced into a militia of activists and tormentors. In past generations, we went to church, school, or social functions to mingle and truly understand one another. Nowadays, we park ourselves somewhere quiet and fly solo into an alternate world via our favorite electronic devices. The internet has become as addictive as drugs and often makes people domineering, obsessive, and mean. Too much personal information bleeds across social media platforms, resulting in cyber-harassment. While social media's "user agreements" supposedly govern their platforms, they may as well be written in beach sand. Privacy is also a myth. In this political climate, harassment has become epidemic. Up until now, no one has had a clear idea how to deal with it.

Two years ago, my life came under attack from a cyber-bully turned stalker, who didn't like the fact that I supported our president. Undoubtedly, millions of people in our country are experiencing similar challenges. Folks who don't toe the political left's line are labeled fascist, racist, white supremacists, Nazis, white nationalists, etc. Attacks come in many forms via email, texts, or public postings designed to smear the victim's name, reputation, or accomplishments. Attackers impersonate others to cover their tracks and their malicious deeds. My motto is, if someone doesn't like me, I walk away and ignore him. Ironically, my silence triggered demands from my stalker for a public apology and iron-fisted compliance with the left's political ideology. From the start, I confided in an astute friend who had prior experience with this person. I was advised to log everything this narcissist threw at me and was cautioned never to respond. Her advice was prophetic. Knowing my attacker, I didn't think this foolishness would persist. I was wrong. As difficult as it is not to defend oneself, it is important to refrain from responding. Simply stated, the perpetrator will have nothing to throw at you if the case ends up in court. Fighting the battle intelligently from the start is crucial. Ultimately, the stalker will provide the rope, but you get to hang him. Here are some additional recommendations gleaned from my experience. Block harassers from your online accounts. If they find a way around it, take a break and temporarily un-publish your profile. I finally closed my Facebook account for good when two other people turned ugly. Things were quiet for a time until this jerk began searching other venues where I could be hunted down and summarily trashed. Contact web administrators and report inappropriate conduct. Generally, they won't do anything to begin with. Stay persistent. Seek top-level management. For example, I contacted Jeff Bezos's office, which was the only way to effectively ban this individual from writing vile, unrelated taunts regarding my work. Once he was blocked, an escalated search for additional avenues of attack commenced. One was a blog post I had written many years before. The administrator informed me of the specious comments. We had a good laugh. This attack taught me another method of protection. Blog controls will generally log I.P. addresses of commenters. If you administer a blog or website, I highly recommend paying attention to I.P.s. Tools exist to block selected I.P. addresses from accessing websites. However, if your abuser is savvy and determined, he will simply change I.P. addresses or devices to continue his salvos. Another "workaround" tactic stalkers favor is to use the email client or internet access of an employer. Universities are particularly vulnerable to this abuse with public computers available in libraries. If you notice that an official email address or URL is being used inappropriately, report it to the organization's I.T. department. Eventually, my stalker began threatening physical harm. This is where things got serious, and I got angry. Up until that time, it was simply an irritating daily provocation. I finally contacted the FBI and an attorney. State and federal laws stipulate that if you are harassed more than twice by a person, you have a case. The federal statute (18 USC 875) is detailed in "Cyber Misbehavior." Although frustrating and time-consuming, damage control and investigation of these creeps is necessary. In this era of divisive behavior by politicians, celebrities, and their armies of mindless minions, I recommend the following. 1. If you are a child or a young person, tell your parent(s), your teacher, or a police officer of your concerns. Parents: Take these incidents seriously, and deal with them promptly. Children shouldn't have to deal with a stalker. Remember: the culprit who is trying to embarrass you, or target your child, is mentally disturbed. If someone you love has become pensive, is unable to track a conversation, is constantly deep in thought, or is over-using his device  ask questions, then act. 2. Log all activity, including unpleasant emails, texts, posts, phone calls, etc. Block the culprit if possible. Keeping a log is important. Detail complete names, dates, and times, and obtain real-time screen shots displaying the exact email, text, photo, and social media comments. Record only the facts  no personal commentary. 3. Know his identity and I.P. address. Gather as much information as possible. Using an online I.P. locator, you can determine an approximate location and sometimes a physical address. If you don't know the stalker's identity, an I.P. address will identify him. I.P. locators will list his internet provider. Supplying the I.P. address of your stalker in a complaint to his internet provider may impede further attacks. If you know his name and age, fastpeoplesearch.com and advancedbackgroundchecks.com are useful for mining and corroborating details. 4. Do not respond to attacks. Instinctively, we want to defend ourselves. It can be unnerving to refrain, but remain silent and calm, and above all, stay alert. Best case, some bullies will move on if they can't get a rise out of you. However, the worst of them may double down on you  and in this case, find an attorney. 5. If threatened with physical harm and the subject lives nearby, call your local police immediately. If the threat comes from another state, call the FBI hotline for your area, in addition to your local police. Threats of physical harm should be taken seriously. If you are an adult, call your representative in Washington, D.C. and ask him to help you write a complaint to the FBI. Be prepared with factual, detailed notes. The FBI investigates all civil rights violations. 6. Hire an attorney to write a Cease and Desist letter on your behalf. Sometimes threats of law enforcement and litigation will stop a stalker. Cease and Desist letters are less expensive than putting up with the psychological abuse a stalker hopes to inflict upon you. Your peace of mind is worth a few hundred dollars. An attorney's letterhead is more effective than writing it yourself, plus you will benefit from the attorney's expertise and have potential backup assistance if a restraining order or litigation becomes necessary. Stay strong and confident. Protect your constitutional rights.
There is no evidence or even a suggestion that Feinstein was colluding with the Chinese, just as there is no evidence that President Trump or Paul Manafort, during his short stint as Trump's campaign manager, colluded with Russia. Yet Manafort is being persecuted...er, prosecuted for a minor crime while the Chinese spy, Russell Lowe, was allowed to pack his box and leave. No criminal prosecution and no special counsel to see where this thread might unravel. Again, the difference is that Manafort worked for Trump, and Lowe worked for Feinstein  ironically, one of the leaders in the Russian collusion witch hunt.

Paul Manafort stands trial in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's dock for a tax evasion case that the Department of Justice in 2005 decided there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute for no other reason than he later worked for Donald Trump. Perhaps now he wishes he had been the office manager for California senator Dianne Feinstein (D), who hired a Chinese spy to be her driver and office manager, for there seems to be a double standard here when it comes to working with agents for a foreign power.

Imagine if this were Donald Trump's personal driver being groomed by Beijing's security service to spy on his boss and pass information to the local Chinese consulate and handlers when traveling abroad. Faster than you can say "Carter Page," a special counsel would be appointed to nail the president for treasonous collusion.

In these cases, the FBI normally gives the organization or office in question what is called a "defensive briefing"  an alert that an individual is up to no good or suspected of doing something sneaky. The office or organization can then take action. This was done in Feinstein's case, but not for Trump.

In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal noted the mind-boggling double standard employed by the FBI in dealing with spies and suspected spies in the employ of Feinstein and Trump:

Foreign countries are always trying to steal U.S. secrets, and they sometimes succeed. In this case Mrs. Feinstein tweeted over the weekend that the FBI approached her five years ago with concerns about an "administrative" staffer in her San Francisco office with "no access to sensitive information." She said she "learned the facts and made sure the employee left my office immediately." This is what the FBI should do, and the question Mr. Trump should ask is why the bureau didn't treat him as a potential President with the same customary courtesy. The FBI claims it had concerns beginning in spring 2016 that low-level Trump campaign staffers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos were colluding with Russians. Yet rather than give the Trump campaign the usual defensive briefing, the FBI launched an unprecedented counterintelligence investigation into a presidential campaign, running informants against it and obtaining surveillance warrants. The country is still enduring the polarizing fallout from that decision through special counsel Robert Mueller's probe[.] ... Mrs. Feinstein is also doing nobody a favor by downplaying this breach. She claims the driver never had access to "sensitive" information, but the infiltration of the staff of a Senator who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee is no small matter. Who knows what the spying staffer was able to hear and report to China over the years?

The FBI of Andrew McCabe, James Comey, and Peter Strzok did not extend the Trump campaign the same courtesy because its leaders wanted to unseat a president they despised and had no such animus against a liberal Democratic senator.

Manafort's financial dealings with Ukraine are the centerpiece of a criminal trial, but no one seems curious about the remarkable financial success Feinstein and her third husband, Richard Blum, had in dealings with China with a Chinese spy on her payroll who arrived on the scene in 1993, one year after Feinstein was elected to the Senate. As the Los Angeles Times has reported:

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has emerged as one of the staunchest proponents of closer U.S. relations with China, fighting for permanent most-favored-nation trading status for Beijing. At the same time, far from the spotlight, Feinstein's husband, Richard C. Blum, has expanded his private business interests in China  to the point that his firm is now a prominent investor inside the communist nation[.] ... In 1992, when Feinstein entered the Senate, Blum's interests in China amounted to one project worth less than $500,000, according to her financial disclosure reports. But since then, his financial activities in the country have increased. In the last year, a Blum investment firm paid $23 million for a stake in a Chinese government-owned steel enterprise and acquired sizable interests in the leading producers of soybean milk and candy in China. Blum's firm, Newbridge Capital Ltd., received an important boost from a $10-million investment by the International Finance Corp., an arm of the World Bank. Experts said that IFC backing typically confers legitimacy and can help attract other investors.

No conflict of interest here. "Here's a more recent connection between Sen Feinstein and China the press has ignored. ZTE, the heavily sanctioned Chinese telecom company that paid a $1bn fine to the U.S., hired its first in-house lobbyist in '11  none other than a former Feinstein aide," noted Benjamin Weingarten, a contributor for the Federalist, in a tweet. As the Washington Post reported in 2012, Feinstein has a connection to the notorious Chinese communications firm ZTE:

ZTE, which is also based in Shenzhen, spent $80,000 on U.S. lobbying in the first six months of this year, down from $100,000 for the same period a year earlier, Senate records show. In October 2011, the company registered its first in-house lobbyist, Peter Ruffo, a former aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Clearly, there is more here than meets the eye. Perhaps we might need a special counsel to follow the evidence wherever it may lead. Right, Mr. Mueller?

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investor's Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
During his June 2017 interview with NBC's Megyn Kelly, President Putin chose to conclude their discussion with a particularly reflective comment: "I will never forget the state in which Russia was in 1991." Having been an intelligence officer at the time, it is reasonable to assume that the events surrounding the Soviet Union's failure replay in Putin's mind quite often. Surely, he has learned from them.

Russian president Vladimir Putin could be turning the tables on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Policies once enacted by the United States to contain Soviet expansion into Western Europe are now being used to restrict NATO's eastward expansion into regions deemed critical to Russia's national interest.

Perhaps most useful among these lessons are those extracted from the U.S. policies that brought this demise to fruition, such as the Marshall Plan and its ensuing containment policy. Devised in part by renowned diplomat George Kennan and enacted by secretary of state George Marshall in 1947, the Marshall Plan is regarded as one of the most effective policies of the 20th century.

Secretary Marshall tasked members of his Policy Planning Staff to concoct the Marshall Plan when the further erosion of Europe's social and economic circumstances became untenable. At its most basic level, the plan was designed to curtail Soviet expansionism, reduce Soviet political and economic influence in Europe, and stimulate the economies of European capitalist states, most notably by propping up West Germany after its partition from the East. (Benn Steil's recent work on the subject is a refreshing new take on the advent of the Cold War  The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War [New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018].)

Decades later, shortly after his election in 1999, Putin found himself in a similar situation. Russia faced an expanding NATO, a struggling domestic economy, and dwindling influence of its regional partners.

In response, Putin has strengthened his relationships with Syria, China, Belarus, and Iran; split Ukraine and gained access to its warm-water port; invested heavily in European giants such as Germany (which relies on Russia to support its energy infrastructure); and prevented NATO from expanding into contiguous states of particular strategic interest, such as Georgia, Ukraine, and Finland.

Far from a means of achieving peace quickly, the authors of the Marshall Plan understood that if they wanted to contain the Soviet Union, it was necessary to ramp up political and military tensions in Europe temporarily. Moscow's shockingly strong 2016 response to U.S. Marines training in Norway and the increase of joint exercises in Sweden mirrors this idea.

Not surprisingly, saber-rattling remains a valuable political tool in Russia's internal affairs, but it is also in Russia's interest to avoid a military conflict with NATO. These dynamics are echoes of Cold War policies, which, at their core, aimed to exert influence over an adversarial state while still avoiding a direct conflict between great powers. Putin has taken precautionary measures accordingly.

There exists a school of thought among certain strategists that suggests that Putin's seemingly imperialistic actions in Crimea and Georgia were examples of pre-emption. These purportedly belligerent acts of Russian expansionism may have been attempts to destabilize those states and preclude their being absorbed into the alliance at a later date. Tolerating such expansion would lead to heightened military tensions on Russia's border and increase the likelihood of conflict with a NATO member.

While the idea of Georgia as a member of the alliance may have seemed far-fetched to some in 2006, more recent statements from U.S. vice president Michael Pence have reignited this discussion. In addition to pre-emptive annexation and military incursion, there are other, more subtle ways through which Russia aims to contain NATO's expansion.

After the swift takeover of Crimea in 2014, any discussion involving Russian geopolitics tends to drift toward neo-imperialism  particularly regarding the Baltic and Balkan regions. Although the threat of a Russian military incursion into these zones certainly exists, Russia doesn't need to invade countries to destabilize them and make them a liability to NATO.

The Marshall Plan proved that active measures, such as information operations, disinformation campaigns, economic warfare, political pressure, and espionage are capable of achieving these objectives without risking open war. In turn, the use of such "hybrid" measures by Russia has become commonplace within NATO's sphere of influence  an observation that transforms ostensibly unconnected or random acts of political warfare into a comprehensive national policy of containment.

Keeping NATO busy with operations below the threshold of armed conflict is in Russia's interest. Leaders in the Kremlin understand that it would require a catastrophic act of Russian aggression against a NATO member to trigger the alliance's Article 5 mutual defense pact, considering that Article 5 has been invoked only once (in response to the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States).

Pursuing policies that favor the employment of hybrid measures below the threshold of war limits NATO's decision space for countering Russian aggression, destabilizes Europe's security infrastructure, paints the West as provocateur when it responds strongly, and stirs apprehension within the alliance regarding the incorporation of additional states that may be vying for NATO membership.

Within this environment, Putin feels emboldened enough to draw red lines.

The brilliance of Secretary Marshall's plan was in its ability to align clear policy goals with strategic actions by highlighting what was off limits to the Soviets within the context of U.S. interests in the European theater. Russia's head of state has certainly adopted a similar approach to NATO.

During his July 2018 interview with Fox News's Chris Wallace, when asked how he would respond to Ukraine or Georgia becoming NATO members, Putin didn't mince words: "It is a direct and immediate threat to our national security[.] ... The reaction would be extremely negative."

If NATO continues to expand, the question its political leaders in Brussels must ask is, to what end?

Too much expansion will grant Putin leverage with the argument that he is being unfairly enveloped  a position in which Russia understandably feels quite uncomfortable (Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler contributed to this uneasiness). Too little inclusivity in NATO will embolden Russia and snub potential allies.

The challenge before NATO is an enduring one. It must develop a focused, coherent policy on expansion that aligns with the political objectives of 29 economically disparate and geographically dislocated nations. This is no small task, but the alternative of strategic stagnation is worse. Moreover, this inaction is likely the desired outcome of Russia's containment policy.

Seventy years after the Marshall Plan hatched NATO, containment may be one of the alliance's greatest challenges. Clearly, Putin refuses to entertain the idea of further NATO expansion. Should Europe?

Michael Ferguson is a U.S. Army officer with operational experience throughout NATO's European footprint. He has combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, and holds a B.S. and M.S. in security studies. The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Department of Defense or the United States government.
The DNC and Hillary constructed a conspiracy theory in which Putin ordered the hacking of the DNC network and subsequent mass distribution of the exfiltrated documents to help Trump beat Hillary. Such actions were against Russian interests and very unusual for Russian intelligence .

The media's and the Democratic Party's obsession with the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory originates from events of April-June 2016. Media operations by the Democratic Party and its media echo chamber have distorted not only the information about the relevant events, but even the background political picture of April 2016.

Driven by their conspiracy theory, Hillary indulged in anti-Russian rhetoric, and the Obama administration drove relations with Russia to the worst point in the last 40 years. Since the elections, the Democrats, the hard left, and the institutions owned by them have been pushing Trump to aggravate the conflict, started by Obama and Hillary. But let's proceed in chronological order.

 Summer 2015  The FBI warns the DNC about alleged Russian hacking.

The DNC ignores the warning.

 April 28, 2016  The DNC discovers suspicious activity on its network.

...and calls its lawyer, Marc Elias. On May 6, after more than a week of waffling, the DNC brings in cyber-security contractor CrowdStrike, selected based on affinity rather than on merits. CrowdStrike "determines" there were two breaches and names the culprits behind them  Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear  claimed by CrowdStrike to be Russian elite hacker units of FSB and GRU, respectively.

The DNC refused to allow the FBI to access its computers, which it thought had been accessed by FSB and GRU. Apparently, the FBI consented to be subordinate of FSB and GRU on this issue.

 June 12, 2016  Assange of WikiLeaks declares that he's got internal documents from the DNC.

...and is going to publish them. Surprised, the DNC and Hillary's campaign decide to pre-empt and even exploit this publication.

 June 14, 2016  The DNC announces the network breach through a WaPo article.

CrowdStrike publishes alleged technical details on its website. Both blame the Russian government. The DNC says that only a few documents had been compromised, including opposition research on Trump. This is an open invitation for WikiLeaks to publish that research.

 June 15, 2016  Guccifer 2.0 claims the hack and posts several DNC documents on guccifer2.wordpress.com .

Guccifer 2.0 wasn't known before that. The opposition research is among the published files. Independent analysts discover Russian fingerprints  the opposition research file shows an error message in Russian and had been last saved on a computer with Windows in Russian by  .   refers to Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (1877-1926), the founder of the Cheka, the predecessor to the KGB. Gotcha! The ecstatic media form the narrative: all leaked DNC-Hillary documents come from the Russian government; Guccifer 2.0 is a front for a Russian intelligence operation.

Just a few weeks or days earlier, the DNC hired Fusion GPS, which hired Christopher Steele to produce dirt on Trump. The outcome was a series of absurd pieces, which became known as the "Steele dossier." It was called "a garbage document" by Bob Woodward. The only known version of it was published by BuzzFeed . The first "Steele report," dated June 20, makes bizarre claims and leaves the impression that Steele was unclear about what the client wanted him to write.

 July 16, 2016  Guccifer 2.0 offers WikiLeaks about 1GB of leaked DNC documents.

Hillary, convinced that Guccifer 2.0 was a front for the Russian government, concludes that Putin had betrayed her. I think that at that time she decided to invent a narrative that she is tough on Russia while Trump is Putin's puppet. It was the summer of 2016, and people didn't know that the MSM had shifted from being biased to being shameless fake news. Hillary's plan worked.

 July 18, 2016  Hillary/DNC launch Trump-Putin conspiracy theory through WaPo and N.Y. Mag.

WaPo publishes an article titled "Trump campaign guts GOP's anti-Russia stance on Ukraine" (Josh Rogin), and N.Y. Mag "Is Donald Trump Working for Russia?" (Jonathan Chait). The N.Y. Mag piece is a purported analysis. It mentions the WaPo article, but it couldn't have been written in a half-hour. Thus, these articles were part of a media operation by Hillary and/or the DNC. The WaPo article falsely claimed that Trump's campaign had weakened the GOP platform regarding support for Ukraine against a Russian invasion and briefly mentioned Paul Manafort.

This DNC-Hillary media operation has achieved its apparent goal  establishing a crazy conspiracy theory of Trump-Putin collusion as a dominant media narrative.

 July 20-25, 2016  Third Steele report mentions DNC files on WikiLeaks.

It's possible that Steele learned the new party line from the July 18 WaPo article, from copycats in other outlets, or directly from Hillary's boys. None of the previous "reports" had mentioned a DNC hacking, WikiLeaks, Guccifer 2.0, or Paul Manafort. But this one talked extensively about Manafort and the DNC documents on WikiLeaks. Manafort and the DNC leaks had been placed together only in the WaPo article, which was largely retold in this Steele piece. Examples:

"Suggestion from source close to TRUMP and MANAFORT that Republican campaign team happy to have Russia as media bogeyman[.]"

"TRUMP associate admits Kremlin behind recent appearance of DNC e-mails on WikiLeaks, as means of maintaining plausible deniability[.]"

Don't ask me which "Trump associate admits" something on behalf of the Kremlin  the whole Steele dossier consists of such rubbish.

 July 22, 2016  A WikiLeaks dump reveals:

The DNC had cheated Bernie out of the votes in the primaries to make Hillary the presidential candidate.

 July 25, 2016  The Democratic National Convention starts with a huge scandal.

The revelation of the dirty collusion between the Hillary campaign and the Democratic National Committee against Bernie rocks the Democratic National Convention. Hillary blames Russia and Putin; the MSM echoes. Hillary, the DNC, and the media become deluded into the consensus that Putin is behind Trump. Now it's official: Hillary runs against Vladimir.

 July 26, 2016  Fourth Steele report is almost entirely devoted to alleged Russian cyber-operations.

Note that the "Steele reports" were received by the DNC, and any piece might have been leaked to the media at any time after receiving.

 July 31, 2016  FBI launches operation Crossfire Hurricane.

After watching the Democratic convention for days, reading media reports and Steele fantasies conveying the Democratic narrative, Peter Strzok decided to act. Within two days, he and a few other Obama loyalists in the FBI started the operation Crossfire Hurricane, initially spying on Trump but then attempting a full-spectrum suppression of Candidate Trump and the Republican party.

Aftermath

Within a couple of weeks, CIA director John Brennan and other members of the Obama administration joined Crossfire Hurricane. Obama-Hillary loyalists in DOJ, FBI, CIA, DNI, and DHS incited Republican senators against Trump, spread anti-Trump propaganda through media leaks, and even broadcasted support to the DNC-Hillary conspiracy theory of in a joint DNI-DHS statement merely a month before the elections. These efforts continued after the elections and morphed into a coup d'etat.
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
His ideological style of Democrats  the moderates  are winning primaries and special elections these days in Congress. And unlike President Obama, Clinton and his presidency are remembered for prosperity, including all the jobs that were created. Theoretically, that's something Democrats should be able to point to with pride, given all the embarrassment the Obama record presents in stark contrast to President Trump.

Somehow, that's not happening.

Democrats are moving away from Bill Clinton like a bad smell. In New Hampshire, which up until now has been one of Clinton's strongest states, a name inextricably linked to some of Clinton's strongest political successes, as the Boston Globe notes, grassroots Democrats have yanked Clinton's name from the masthead of a big Democratic Party fundraiser, changing the whole thing to the hoary name of Eleanor Roosevelt.

According to the Globe:

New Hampshire was the state that made Bill Clinton the comeback kid in 1992, propelling him to the presidency. Sixteen years later, Hillary Clinton won the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary in an upset. And two years ago, in honor of the former president's legacy, the New Hampshire Democratic Party became the only state party the country to name a major fund-raising dinner after Bill Clinton. But on Tuesday, New Hampshire Democrats reversed course and announced they had voted to walk away from the Clinton name for the annual fall fete. The event once known as the Kennedy-Clinton dinner, which Bill Clinton headlined as recently as 2014, will now be called the Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner.

For all these decades, the name had been fine with them. But now...

It's a fall that coincides with Democratic Party operatives' efforts to separate themselves from Hillary Clinton, who's been a millstone around their neck lately, and who they've repeatedly said they wish would just go away.

Turns out they don't want "the big he" around, either. That's a loss of clout.

Maybe that's a cumulative thing, given that from the Democrats' point of view, as I noted here, the Clintons have selfishly drained Democratic funds away from the central mission of electing candidates toward themselves, rigged the Democratic primaries in Hillary Clinton's favor, and made themselves a public relations liability for Democrats through Hillary's continuous expressed disdain for the electorate. They aren't exactly a good thing for Democrats as they seek to rebuild from the rubble of Obamadom.

Bill makes things even worse by being synonymous with straight-up corruption, managing that even out of office  and all you have to do is yell "Haiti" to remember it. Bill Clinton was on the money end of Hillary Clinton's sale of access to the State Department through the Clinton Foundation, and that's just a coda to all the Clinton presidential-era scandals with Chinese campaign money, which we are still feeling the effects of today as China builds up its military. Clinton also was the one who sold stays in the Lincoln bedroom.

And maybe even more important for Democrats, the #MeToo movement has brought new attention to Clinton's Dionysian side, not just in the form of Monica Lewinsky, or the innocent women such as Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick, whom he harassed and raped, with Hillary at his side as his enabler. There's the Bill of today who seems to be continuing the same old party in his pants, what with his "Lolita Express" trips to the Dominican Republic with a guy convicted of pedophilia and his Arkansas cathouse lifestyle away from Hillary. Ew.

That makes his good-economy legacy a distant memory, and the Democrats who are following his pattern of getting a foot in by playing moderate just as eager to distance themselves from him as the radicals.

Now they're taking his name off a big fundraising dinner in New Hampshire in favor of Eleanor Roosevelt, the ghost Hillary Clinton used to "commune" with, just as Joe Stalin would remove the faces of those he purged from photographs. That has got to sting.

It's tough being Bill Clinton, wanting to be corrupt yet also wanting to be popular. At a time when he should be making his comeback, like an oily Hollywood talk show host, he's actually on the outs with Democrats and watching his name being erased from the monuments.

Knowing how the Clintons operate, and knowing how they never intend to go away, one can safely conclude that they aren't going to let this stand. There will be payback to the Democrats for this, and the Clintons will make it miserable. For Republicans, all we have to do is have some popcorn ready.

Image Credit: Jayu via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0.
Seems the leftists in bright jelly-bean-colored glasses with laptops in front of them and Starbucks in their hands were fairly confident that the Democratic Party candidate, Danny O'Connor, had the election in the bag. Not because he was of the moderate type of Democrat that has been winning many of these special elections, but because of this :

Watching the live Ohio special election results like any political junkie, and looking for news of results from any source I could find, I found myself reading even Vox, the Obama-hipster news operation run by former JournoList echo-chamberist Ezra Klein. Yech.

This district, covering parts of suburban Columbus as well as more rural areas in Appalachia, always sends a Republican to Congress. Trump won the district by 9 points in 2016. Cook ranks it as R+7. But this district is a little better educated than Ohio as a whole, which might favor Democrats, and O'Connor has positioned himself to have a fighting chance.

A little better educated? And better educated means Democrats win?

Let's get into what this really means: Republicans are toothless and stupid, right, Vox? As the hairspray boys at Politico say? Or "poor," and "uneducated, lazy, POS," as an anti-Trump FBI official texted? Or because Republicans are "deplorables," in the famous words of Hillary Clinton?

You don't want to take political forecasts from this bunch, not just because, sure enough, the Ohio special election was narrowly won by Republican Troy Balderson. It's because just on a data level, that analysis is bad. That's ironic, because Vox prides itself on being data-oriented.

President Trump, as a matter of fact, far from drawing toothless voters, did take more votes from college-educated voters than Hillary Clinton did, in that group's largest demographic: the white population. Here's an early post-2016 election analysis from Chronicle of Higher Education:

All along, Mr. Trump's support was believed to be concentrated among white voters with lower levels of education, and the exit polls bear this out: 67 percent of such voters went to Mr. Trump, 28 percent to Mrs. Clinton. But Mr. Trump also won the white college-educated vote, with 49 percent to Mrs. Clinton's 45 percent.

The Columbus, Ohio area, which is where this special election took place, has a white demographic of 61.5%, which is sizable.

A later, more detailed analysis from Pew Research reports that yes, indeed, Trump won the votes of college-educated whites by four percentage points.

Here's another surprise for the whiz-kids at Vox: the very poorest voters overwhelmingly went to Hillary Clinton, by about 12 points. This just goes to show that leftists continue to consider President Trump's voters stupid and uneducated, and by extension, that makes blue waves likely in "educated" districts.

Surprise, surprise. I don't think the Vox hipsters know the voters quite as well as they think they do.
The pair barely had time to peruse the menu before people  apparently demonstrators  started jeering at them from other tables, Malik Joe, the Green Eggs Cafe's manager, told The Washington Post.

A few days ago, we were told that "protesters" interrupted Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens. This is what happened :

Outside their window, they could see a large group of protesters approaching the restaurant, flanked by police. "At first, I thought it was a vegan protest," Mr Joe said. At that point, he was unaware of the controversy that surrounded the people who'd walked into his restaurant on 13th Street. The protesters "were screaming at one guy sitting in the window and I looked and he was laughing...the protesters were screaming 'white supremacist' and something about immigrants." Mr Joe said the protesters also flung food and objects.

And there you have it: the modern protest. We target those we disagree with, call them names, and then interrupt their dinner.

According to a quick dictionary check, a mob is a large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence.

In other words, a mob is not a group of people having a serious disagreement over policy. A mob is not into seriousness, but rather causing trouble. A mob wants to punch your face rather than hear your opinion.

We call on the media to call this a mob, not a protest.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
One possible lesson of the many brazen, conspicuous scandals related to President Trump and others in his orbit: The U.S. government has been massively underinvesting in enforcement and prosecution of white-collar crime.

The left is watching the Paul Manafort trial with excitement, because leftists hope there's something in it they can pin on President Trump. That's not happening, so left-leaning pundits, such as the Washington Post's Catherine Rampell, are focusing on the general sleaziness of such people, saying there is a massive number of these crimes that are not prosecuted, and who knows why? (In default mode, she blames Trump.) She writes :

Trumpkins argue that the pileup of charges against onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is a sign that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has gone rogue. After all, many of the allegations against Manafort  laundering $30 million in income, submitting false tax returns, lying to banks, failing to register as a foreign agent, obstructing justice  stem from his work in and for Ukraine before 2016. They're not directly related to his time on the Trump campaign. Some of Manafort's alleged crimes, as Trump loves to point out, are more than a decade old! But the right question isn't why Mueller is going after Manafort now. It is: Why didn't someone go after Manafort before? After all, there were just So. Many. Red. Flags.

Manafort and his sidekick, Rick Gates, do look like common criminals. Rampell deplores this and, fairly enough, asks why they weren't prosecuted before Trump hired them.

But the real question is why Special Counsel Robert Mueller is handling this case instead of the mission he was charged with, which was to prove that Trump conspired with the Russians to steal the election from Hillary Clinton. There is nothing about Trump or his campaign or Russian collusion in this plain-vanilla white-collar crime case that has Manafort in the dock.

Obviously, the only reason why Manafort and Gates are being prosecuted at all is that they knew Trump.

I do have a question. Why does every story about the Manafort-Gates trial bring up Trump's name? It's pretty obvious from this show trial with all its sensational revelations coming that their crimes nevertheless had nothing to do with Trump.

Yet the press brings it up, and brings it up, and can't stop bringing it up. Trump, Trump, Trump.

Maybe every story about disgraced film director Harvey Weinstein, who's facing court as well, should bring up Hillary Clinton's name or Oprah Winfrey's name, since those two were fond of him.

I have to say the takeaway from this Manafort trial is that Trump must be extremely clean himself. Mueller himself couldn't get better than this. As this Manafort trial proceeds, it's going off into the weeds of white-collar crime that doesn't even remotely touch President Trump. At the same time, the DNC, Hillary, and other Democrats had to be out searching long and hard for damnable opposition research on him to sink his campaign and had to have come up empty because they had to pay Fusion GPS and Steele more than $10 million to create a false document on Trump instead of coming up with actual dirt.

On a side note: Will the media come out and apologize to Trump for saying he changed his story this month on the Trump Tower meeting when every journalist knows or should know that Trump actually said over a year ago that the meeting was meant to get dirt on Hillary and that the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, lied about the purpose of the meeting?

If the media were actually interested in exposing campaign dirt and opposition research received from a foreign source, they would go after Hillary, the DNC, and the Justice Department, who really did collude with the Russians in their bid to win the 2016 vote. But they have no interest in those actual true stories.

Image credit: Mike Licht via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
This alone should be enough to strike terror in the heart of anyone implicated in this scheme. But when you consider that Donald Trump is the most successful reality television producer in the history of that medium, and therefore is a master of dramatic pacing, and that the midterm election in November is the prize at stake, then there is reason to believe that the American public is about to learn a lot of disturbing news about the Deep State before people go to the polls.

The weaponization of the FBI's counterintelligence operations on behalf of Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy is the greatest political scandal in American history. The dramatic story is unfolding before our eyes, and the key point to remember is that declassification of key documents is controlling the pace of the story  and President Trump has the ability to declassify anything he sees fit to share with the American public.

The public already has learned a lot of about James Comey, Robert Mueller, Rod Rosenstein, and the disturbing Peter Strzok.

But so far, Bruce Ohr, formerly the associate deputy attorney general (number four in the DOJ, reporting to Sally Yates before she was fired for insubordination), has remained in the shadows. That is about to change. Does Ohr look like a stand-up guy to you? Or someone who will squeal under pressure?

Rep. Devin Nunes (see video #1 embedded below) and John Solomon of The Hill (see video #2 embedded below) are previewing the world of hurt that awaits Ohr and his wife, Nellie, for they operated as middlemen, allowing the cabal to violate the FBI's rejection of Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS as a counterintelligence source after the FBI specifically rejected use of his information because he lied to the bureau. This continuing reliance on the Steele dossier commissioned by Simpson's firm, in the pay of the Hillary campaign and the DNC, enabled the FISA warrants to be renewed in order to spy on an elected president after he took office.

John Solomon's article in The Hill today is essential reading for those wanting to get a preview of how the scandal will unfold. Read the whole thing, but if you are in a hurry, here is some of the most critical information:

Ohr's own notes, emails and text messages show he communicated extensively with Steele and with Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson. Those documents have been turned over in recent weeks to investigative bodies in Congress and the DOJ, but not reviewed outside the investigative ranks until now. They show Ohr had contact with Steele in the days just before the FBI opened its Trump-Russia probe in summer 2016, and then engaged Steele as a "confidential human source" (CHS) assisting in that probe. They also confirm that Ohr later became a critical conduit of continuing information from Steele after the FBI ended the Brit's role as an informant. "B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you re- SY," Steele texted Ohr on Jan. 31, 2017, referencing President Trump's firing of Sally Yates for insubordination. Steele's FBI relationship had been terminated about three months earlier. The bureau concluded on Nov. 1, 2016, that he leaked information to the news media and was "not suitable for use" as a confidential source, memos show. The FBI specifically instructed Steele that he could no longer "operate to obtain any intelligence whatsoever on behalf of the FBI," those memos show. Yet, Steele asked Ohr in the Jan. 31 text exchange if he could continue to help feed information to the FBI: "Just want to check you are OK, still in the situ and able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues." "I'm still here and able to help as discussed," Ohr texted back. "I'll let you know if that changes." Steele replied, "If you end up out though, I really need another (bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed. We can't allow our guy to be forced to go back home. It would be disastrous." Investigators are trying to determine who [sic] Steele was referring to. FBI officials now admit they continued to receive information from Steele through Ohr, identifying more than a half-dozen times its agents interviewed Ohr in late 2016 and 2017, to learn what Steele was saying. That continued reliance on Steele after his termination is certain to raise interest in Congress about whether the FBI broke its own rules.

Speaking to Sean Hannity Tuesday night, Rep. Nunes, who has seen all the classified materials so far denied to the public, laid it out. The video is below, but themarketswork.com provides extensive commentary and background information.

Last night, also on Sean Hannity's show, John Solomon was joined by Rep. Mark Meadows to discuss Ohr. Solomon sums it up at the end:
Three swastikas were scrawled on the note found in the girls' restroom, along with a homophobic comment and a declaration: "I Love Trump." Found inside the backpack of a Latina student, a note that said: Go back to Mexico. Two other hate-filled incidents  invoking Donald Trump's name and using swastikas  were also reported that same day. The school: Council Rock High in this mostly white, affluent Philadelphia suburb. The day: Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the election of President Trump.

Notice that the hate-incidents described in the opening mention Trump's name  not once, but three times. Why? Because Trump is a hateful racist who inspires hate.

Several paragraphs later, the article states:

The hate-fueled incidents at Council Rock in the wake of the divisive 2016 presidential election, and the school's rocky path to addressing them, are not unusual. Concerns about a rise in hate crimes and bias incidents have surged since the campaign and election of President Trump, who has frequently used coarse language and racist rhetoric when describing immigrants, people of color, and women. In schools, similar worries are echoed by some students, parents, and educators who suggest that Trump's influence has emboldened some children, teenagers, and even school employees to openly espouse hateful views.

Never mind the fact that Trump hasn't used racist rhetoric when describing immigrants and people of color; rather, his statements have been purposefully repackaged and misrepresented by the media. For example, CNN wrote this headline in April of this year: "Trump Basically Called Mexicans Rapists Again." When you read the article, Trump simply speaks about a merit-based immigration system over a lottery-based system.

In the article Trump is quoted as saying:

With us, it's a lottery system  pick them out  a lottery system. You can imagine what those countries put into the system. They're not putting their good ones. And remember my opening remarks at Trump Tower, when I opened. Everybody said, 'Oh, he was so tough,' and I used the word 'rape.' And yesterday, it came out where, this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They don't want to mention that. So we have to change our laws. And the Democrats, what they're doing is just  it's insanity. I don't  nobody understands what's going on.

Trump's not calling Mexicans rapists. He's explaining that there are some rapists among Mexicans, just like any population, and that if we were to use a lottery system for immigration, there's a chance the Mexican government would dump its undesirables into that system, and as a result, America would end up notwith hardworking, law-abiding immigrants, but with some criminals.

The article continues, giving examples of hate speech:

The most common words were: "the n-word," various versions of "build the wall" and "go back to [insert foreign country name here, usually Mexico]." The most common hate symbol: swastikas.

Build the wall is hate speech? Really? A policy that the majority of Americans agree with? A policy aimed at securing America's border in order to make the country safer and the issue of immigration less complicated? I wonder if Education Week realizes that Addison Barnes, a senior at Liberty High School in Portland, Oregon, recently settled a lawsuit for $25,000 when he was sent home from school for wearing a T-shirt promoting a border wall. It's called freedom of speech, not hate speech.

"But is it fair to lay all the blame on the words and actions of President Trump for the vitriol spewed in schools?" the Education Week article asks, in a laughable attempt to remain objective. At this point in the article, the damage has already been done, and giving the reader a generic "opposing view" is pathetic. By the end of the piece, the crosshairs are back on Trump.

Marialis Vasquez, who graduated from her New Jersey high school in 2017, said a white male teacher told her and her classmates that he agreed with Donald Trump that Mexicans are bad for the country, calling them "pigs" and "lazy" the day after the election in 2016.

Education Week's "Hate in Schools" is interested only in "hate" that fits its politics, and the magazine's research leaves much to be desired. Partnering with a media collaborative group called ProPublica, its documentation of hate is limited. According to ProPublica's website:

Hate crimes and bias incidents are a national problem, but there's no reliable data on their nature or prevalence. We're collecting and verifying reports, building a database of tips for use by journalists, researchers and civil-rights organizations.

This special report doesn't include any hate speech in schools aimed at police officers or the children of police officers, or the hate speech espoused by the Black Lives Matter organization, which teaches that Western white society is at war with black people. Such rhetoric has sparked a number of racial incidents in schools and resulted in the killing of a half-dozen police officers right before the 2016 election.

What about the hateful concept of "white privilege" and "implicit bias," the ideas that all white people get special, unearned treatment, and that all whites are inherently racist and harbor racial prejudices, even if they are not aware of them? The Education Week article doesn't consider this "hate."

The piece states:

"We really start off with the understanding that everyone has bias, and it doesn't make you a racist," said Allen Smith, the Denver district's chief of culture, equity, and leadership, who is black. "This conversation does not need to be about blame, shame, or judgment, which does ease the tension a little bit, and gives permission for people to talk." He brought in Jennifer Harvey, a professor of ethics and religion at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, to speak to students and district employees about institutional racism and white privilege. Harvey said the term "white privilege" is often off-putting, but she believes the concept behind it is true  that people who are white have had major advantages, over people of color in how American society functions.

There you have it. Trump is a hateful racist who inspires hate, and all white people have privilege and are institutionally racist. Bravo, Education Week.

Christopher Paslay is a Philadelphia public schoolteacher. Like his Facebook page "Philly Teachers for Trump" (@phillyteachersfortrump).
Every single candidate endorsed by celebrity Democratic Socialist politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was beaten by establishment Democrats in yesterday's primaries. And not just beaten  they were, in most cases, slaughtered.

If Democratic Socialists are " the future " of the Democratic party, they had better get used to losing  a lot.

The blood on the floor in Democratic precincts across the Midwest is Democratic Socialist blood.

American Mirror:

Cortez held a whirl-wind tour of the U.S., stumping for Abdul El-Sayed for governor of Michigan, Fayrouz Saad in Michigan's 11th Congressional District, Cori Bush in Missouri's 1st District, and is backing Congressional candidate Kaniela Ing in Hawaii. El-Sayed lost his bid for the Democrat nomination for governor to 51.8 percent to 30.5 percent, according to numbers published by the New York Times. Saad came in fourth in the five-way race, capturing only 18 percent of the vote. Cori Bush lost her primary to William Lacy Clay, 56.7 percent to 36.9 percent, the Times results show. Hawaii's primary election will be August 11. Stay tuned to see if Ing fairs [sic] any better.

WaPo's David Weigel describes the Democratic primary winners as "centrists." In truth, they may be in the center of the Democratic Party, but when it comes to the rest of the country, they are still far-left.

The party's centrists, who had bemoaned Crowley's defeat, saw Tuesday night as a turning point. Whitmer, who ran on her record of expanding Medicaid in Michigan  and a memorable promise to "fix the damn roads"  will now lead an all-female ticket in a swing state that Hillary Clinton narrowly lost. Candidates backed by Emily's List, which endorses women and sometimes clashes with the left, bested left-wing challengers in three southeast Michigan districts; at least two are seen as toss-ups in November. Early Tuesday evening, just one Sanders-backed candidate in a competitive primary was in the lead; Brent Welder, a labor lawyer running in Kansas's 3rd Congressional District, benefited from a crowd of five less-liberal candidates who split the vote. "This is a fantastic night for centrist Democrats," said Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at the center-left Third Way think tank. "We nominated the right candidates who can win House seats and governor's mansions for the Democratic Party. There's a quiet enthusiasm in the middle. There's a quiet voice that people are not hearing in the media, but it's loud at the ballot box." The party's left flank, meanwhile, has bristled at suggestions that it's spoiling anything for 2018. Since winning her primary, Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for Democrats in California, Kansas, Michigan and Missouri; she also addressed liberal activists at Netroots Nation, the movement's largest annual conference, held this year in New Orleans.

Despite the stinging defeats of the radicals, it is largely their agenda that "establishment" Democrats are running on. "Medicare for all" will be a litmus test for less radical Dems, which, considering its price tag of $32.6 trillion over ten years, is a GOP dream come true. If these Democrats want the activists to turn out on election day, they must at least pay lip service to the socialist agenda.

This will almost certainly cut into whatever gains Democrats will make in the fall. They may still take over the House, given the number of open Republican-controlled seats that will be up for grabs (40). But any chance of a "blue wave" is fading as fast as the Democratic Socialists' electoral prospects.
Since the past few years, the Chinese government has been planting thousands of trees in cities across the country hoping to create an urban forest that would fight pollution as well as bring shade to public spaces. The effort is laudable, but if you are to investigate the origin of some of these trees, youll discover a disturbing process. A large number of these trees were not grown in their current urban location, but were relocated as mature trees from rural areas.

The whole concept of trying to be green is being abused, says Chinese photographer Yan Wang Preston, who uncovered the disconcerting trend more than five years ago while working on a project to photograph the entire length of the Yangtze river at 100 km intervals.

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

In March 2013, Preston had stopped at a tiny village called Xialiu in Yunnan Province, where she noticed a beautiful 300-years-old ficus tree. The village was scheduled to be demolished because a dam was being built nearby. So Preston began photographing the village to document as much as possible before they are gone. Three months later when Preston returned to Xialiu she found the entire village flattened. Not only the houses were gone but even the trees were missing. Preston learned from the villagers who had relocated to higher ground that all the old trees in the village had been sold for the equivalent of about 10,000. The biggest of these treesthe 300-years-old ficus she named Frankwas sold to a five-star hotel being constructed at Binchuan City, about two hours drive away.

When Preston followed the trail, she found the tree standing in an empty construction site. The hotel hadnt even begun construction. It was a heartbreaking scene, Preston recalled. Id seen the tree in its home, covered with leaves as villagers lived their lives around it. Now it was like a person with their arms, fingers and hair all chopped off.

The tree was crippled and to keep it alive it was covered in needles and nutritious bags, like drips in the hospital. When asked whether the tree would survive, one of the guards replied confidently that it would. Yet, when Preston returned to the site in 2017, she found Frank gone. The tree had died two years earlier.

The transplantation of trees in China is a serious industry, Preston told the Guardian. Enormous numbers are uprooted and sent great distances to new cities and redevelopments. Some developers dont even care if the new climate is suitable. Ive seen trees that were taken from Vietnam planted in places far too cold for them. They have to wrap them in giant plastic bags.

These images are from her recently published book Forest, where he chronicles the life of sixty trees uprooted from their original place of growth and transplanted into new, often dystopic-seeming habitats.

The tree Frank at its new home, in 2013. Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston

Photo credit: Yan Wang Preston
Google announced Android 9 Pie on Monday, but it also announced a new head for its Android Open Source Project or AOSP, in Jeff Bailey. He has been at Google for over ten years already, as an engineer. And now hes taking the reigns of its open source project. Since joining Google in 2007, Bailey has worked on the Open Source Programs team, as well as the Google Toolbar, Chrome, Language Platforms and then joined the Android team earlier this year.

In the Google Groups post on Monday, stating that the source code for Android 9 Pie had been uploaded to AOSP, Bailey also announced that he was the new Tech Lead/Manager for AOSP, and introduced himself a bit. The Tech Lead/Manager role had typically included maintaining the repository, managing source code, as well as releasing Googles contributions to open source. Hes basically in charge of everything having to do with AOSP, which is something Google has to do in regards to Android, since it is an open source platform, and thats what allows users to be able to tinker with the code and install custom ROMs on their smartphones and other Android devices.

The Tech Lead position in AOSP can be a pretty demanding job, getting requests from developers for different things, and then Google wanting something else done. This was evident when Jean-Baptiste Queru was the Tech Lead at AOSP, and abruptly left in 2013. But Bailey will be the go-to person for all issues with AOSP now. This change wont have much to do with users, seeing as AOSP is really only there for developers to download the code and mess around with the code there to do different things. For most users, they wont even know who Jeff Bailey is, and that is likely a good thing for Bailey, as it means he is doing his job.
China is now outspending the United States in the global 5G race and is deploying next-generation wireless technologies at an unprecedented pace, a Tuesday report from market insight firm Deloitte found. Together with a number of other countries in the region, China is on its way to create a 5G tsunami, making it nearly impossible for the U.S. to catch up, as per the same study. The telecom giants in the Far Eastern country were right to start early investments in the field as large-scale 5G deployment is estimated to require a sustained investment cycle spanning around a decade, meaning the markets that are yet to play catch-up with China wont be able to cut corners once they move forward with buildouts, Deloittes experts argue.

China already has ten times more cellular sites rated as 5G-ready than the U.S., according to the same study, with its findings indicating that Chinese mobile service providers deployed more 5G-enabled sites in three months of 2017 than the U.S. did over the last three years. Coupled with the fact that the Federal Communications Commission wont be holding its first millimeter-wave spectrum auction until November, its extremely unlikely that the U.S. will beat China in the global 5G race. South Korea, Japan, and Australia all presently seem to be ahead of the stateside wireless industry in 5G buildout preparations even though American network operators and tech giants such as Qualcomm greatly contributed to recent research and development efforts in the field.

Since 2015, China invested $24 billion more than the U.S. did in 5G, Deloitte found. Besides a more aggressive approach to 5G investments in general, one of the main reasons for the discrepancy may lie in the fact that the deployment of next-generation cellular solutions is up to 35-percent cheaper in China compared to the U.S. All major stateside wireless carriers are presently targeting nationwide 5G coverage by 2020.
Lior Ron  the co-founder of self-driving truck startup Otto Trucking that Uber acquired in 2016 and consequently faced a high-profile trade secret theft lawsuit from Alphabets Waymo  is returning to the San Francisco, California-based startup. The move comes following lengthy negotiations that are understood to have spanned months and were mostly aimed at reworking the terms of Ubers purchase of Otto. Mr. Ron is returning to one of the worlds most valuable startups to head its trucking division called Uber Freight which effectively allows truck drivers to do freelance work, connecting them with cargo companies in need of goods transportation services.

Combined with the Waymo settlement, the Otto acquisition cost Uber over $900 million in equity payments, with the companys ambitions in the self-driving truck space being entirely halted last month. The ride-hailing startup described the decision to shut down its autonomous truck unit so as to focus its resources on consumer-oriented applications of driverless vehicle technologies, suggesting it may eventually resume its efforts in the field but without providing a specific timeline for doing so. Uber Freight was unaffected by the decision as the truck-hailing service continues being viewed as one of the companys most profitable side business, almost on par with Uber Eats.

Mr. Ron left Uber in March of this year, shortly after the firm settled the trade secret theft case with Waymo for $245 million. His former Alphabet colleague and Otto co-founder Anthony Levandowski was accused of downloading thousands of sensitive documents from a Google unit that was later spun off into Waymo and used them to start Otto. The revised acquisition agreement will see Otto Trucking investors receive an equity stake in Uber Freight as if the platform is an independent business, the startup confirmed. While Mr. Ron testified as part of the Uber-Waymo trial, he was never employed by Googles subsidiary and hence wasnt implicated in any kind of wrongdoing.
Google is reportedly using a website that it owns  that surprisingly, is not blocked in China  to build its new search engine for the company. While the majority of Googles services are blocked in China, one website that it owns  265.com  is not blocked. It actually redirects to Baidu, which is the biggest search engine in China. But apparently, Google is able to still see what search queries are being executed on the site.

The big question here is why does this matter, and how is it going to help its search engine? Well, Googles engineers are able to sample those search queries and find out which sites are blocked in the country, and determine those that need to be hidden in its search results, when it does launch its search engine in the country. Some of the blacklisted topics include Tiananmen Square Massacre which would result in a blank page. With Baidus search engine, if you search for something more broad like Taiwan youll get a partially blank page. Itll only show search results for tourist destinations, but leave out politics and news.

Google bought the site 265.com back in 2008, when the search giant was still operating in the country. 265.com was initially founded in 2003. Google has kept 265.com around since buying it a decade ago, to find out what Chinese users are searching for. Now that the company is looking to create its own Android search app for the Chinese market, that data is going to come in handy. Google exited China in 2010, after it decided it no longer wanted to play the governments game with its censorship laws. That was in the early days of Android, and while Android is still fairly large in China, Googles services are not. While Google can bring its search app back to the country, bringing other services  particularly the Play Store  will be a much tougher task. The Play Store has plenty of competition in China, due to the fact that it was blocked from China. So virtually every smartphone maker has their own app store in the country. So launching the Play Store in China would be pretty difficult and many wouldnt even use it.
Samsung developed a lightweight version of its Internet browser meant to be pre-loaded onto its upcoming Android Go smartphone, with the existence of the mobile tool being revealed by a recent firmware leak. While its still unclear whether the device in question will be called the Galaxy J2 Core or feature a different moniker, the fact that Samsung opted to commit resources to revamping its Chromium-based browser and have it optimized for low-end hardware suggests the company doesnt see its first Android Go handset as an experiment but has already resolved to release multiple such products in the near future.

The device itself is said to be the worlds first Android Go smartphone that ships with a custom implementation of the operating system instead of Googles vanilla software specifically designed for handsets with no more than 1GB of RAM. The app is believed to be called Internet Go and will lack the vast majority of features offered by Samsungs flagship tool, including Samsung Cloud Sync support, extensions, and night mode. Its performance is also likely to be inferior to that of the regular Internet app, though the tool will weigh only 17MB, a significant decrease compared to the 80MB package available on other smartphones, both Galaxy-branded and third-party ones.

As Android Go devices are meant to serve as an alternative to high-end feature phones in emerging markets, Samsung isnt expected to ever officially launch the Galaxy J2 Core in the West. Due to that state of affairs, its still unclear when exactly might the device be unveiled. The companys next product event is taking place tomorrow and should see the announcement of the Galaxy Note 9, whereas the tech giant is also attending this years IFA with the intention of debuting the Galaxy Watch series of wearables. The Galaxy J2 Core will likely only be officially available in India and a number of other developing countries.
Samsung has now added support for Cornercard UK cards to its Samsung Pay digital wallet application, according to a new announcement from the Korean tech giant. That means that users in the UK who currently use one of Cornercards credit or debit cards can now access and pay with those via Samsungs tap-to-pay feature anywhere mobile wallet payments are accepted. Moreover, it paves the way for users to take advantage of the companys unique approach to those types of payments thanks to its use of Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). In short, that allows a wider array of businesses since it works with standard NFC terminals and with terminals have magnetic strip readers. Users simply need to add their card within the application itself and then access the app either directly or by swiping up from the bottom edge of their Samsung phone. From there, its just a matter of tapping a compatible terminal at the register.

Samsung Pay is currently supported on Samsungs Galaxy S9, Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S6 devices, including the Galaxy Note 7. The smartphone manufacturer hasnt explicitly said whether Cornercard UK accounts will be compatible with the app on its upcoming Galaxy Note 9 phablet but its safe to assume that it most likely will. The app is also compatible with the companys Samsung Galaxy A8, 2017 editions of the Galaxy A5 and A3, and Samsung Gear S3 or Gear Sport smartwatches. Aside from bringing more options for mobile payments, security is also arguably a bit better with Samsung Pay. Authentication is required for every purchase via fingerprint, PIN, or iris scanner on devices that ship with one. Once the device is tapped to finalize the payment, an encrypted digital token is used in place of card information to complete the transaction.

With that said, one caveat the company notes is that corporate cards are not supported at this time. Support for those may be added in the future but theres no timeframe given for that. Of course, users will need a data connection to complete transactions and tap-to-pay doesnt work at all unless used at retailers with compatible NFC or MST payment options and its worth noting that some retailers require a minimum purchase.
Samsung is planning to invest the equivalent of an extra $22 billion in a number of emerging technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence over the next three years, the company announced earlier today. The Seoul-based electronics juggernaut described the new commitment as yet another step in its efforts to continue driving sustainable growth, both through increasing its foothold in existing markets and entering new ones. Creating additional revenue generators is presently one of the companys priorities after its latest consolidated financial report revealed a decline in smartphone sales, prompted largely by the worse-than-expected performance of the Galaxy S9 lineup.

The new bets on 5G and AI are part of a $160 billion investment package that Samsung dedicated to diversified business growth meant to both ensure the continued sustainability of its operations and create new jobs, primarily in the companys home country of South Korea. While a detailed investment plan has yet to be shared by the worlds largest smartphone manufacturer, the technology juggernaut confirmed it will be securing most of the investment funds itself and wont look toward external sources. While the firm has been behind in the global artificial intelligence race since the thereof started, its now seeking to strengthen its foothold with Bixby 2.0, a significantly improved version of its digital assistant that promises to be much more versatile and quicker at responding to user queries than the original service.

In the context of 5G, Samsung has already been making major inroads in the field, particularly in the United States where it managed to secure an equipment procurement contract from Verizon. The newly outlined investment plan amounts to a six-percent capex increase compared to the last three years. Samsung is expected to embrace major innovations in the smartphone segment next year, with the Galaxy S10 lineup being rumored to feature an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader and a 3D camera. The companys next major mobile release is scheduled for tomorrow and should be unveiled in the form of the Galaxy Note 9.
A new study investigating the causal link between high-speed internet access and sleep deprivation now suggests that the technology does indeed lead to less downtime for users. In fact, the research indicates that around 25 minutes are lost per user for those with access to DSL internet. Thats according to a European Research Council-funded study titled Broadband internet, digital temptations, and sleep and published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. While that isnt necessarily a lot of sleep lost due to technology, sleep satisfaction appears to be affected as well and the demographic split in the results isnt even across the board. Moreover, DSL doesnt seem to be the sole root cause despite being at the core of what the researchers from Italys Bocconi University and the U.S. University of Pittsburgh and IZA set to discover. High-speed internet access and associated activities appear to be the more general underlying cause of sleep deprivation.

As shown in the study, high-speed connections increase the use of digital devices such as smartphones, gaming devices, or other media. Individuals with access to that flow of data tend to use the technologies near bedtime and delay falling asleep in order to continue using those devices. The effects of artificial light exposure also seem to be a key factor affecting the quality of sleep in general. In terms of demographics, the study found that the 30 to 59-year-old demographic showed a higher correlation between smartphone use and lack of sleep, with shorter sleep duration in that group than in others. The researchers posit that users under the age of 30 simply cant compensate for the consequences of a later bedtime with regard to work and family constraints.

Although not conclusive without further research, the study appears to have a strong grounding. Namely, the researchers took advantage of a geographical split in the development of Germanys high-speed broadband internet access caused by historical differences in pre-existing infrastructure. Effectively, the study used the portions of the country that doesnt have high-speed broadband access readily available as a control group. Meanwhile, the results themselves are hardly surprising since prior research has drawn connections between increasing availability of access and technology-based addictions. On the other hand, companies such as Google have already begun to seek solutions aimed directly at addressing the problem. So theres is a chance that it wont become too big of an issue even as the technologies surrounding a connected lifestyle continue to advance.
International banking giant UniCredit Group is dropping Facebook advertising over ethical concerns, Chief Executive Officer Jean Pierre Mustier said during a Tuesday call with analysts. We will not use it until it has proper ethical behavior, the industry veteran said in reference to the decision, alluding to a wide variety of scandals the social media company went through over the course of this year. Mr. Mustier specifically pointed to the Cambridge Analytica scandal as being related to the move and raised concerns about the companys past promises over not leveraging certain user data which it ended up breaking, albeit without elaborating on the matter.

The Cambridge Analytica debacle was primarily aimed at profiling American voters and hence had a limited impact on the rest of the world, though several million Europeans still had their digital privacy violated as part of the political consulting firms activities. Cambridge Analytica hired an outside academic consultant whose online personality quiz featuring a Facebook login gathered data on everyone who took it and tens of millions of other people who were only Facebook friends with individuals who technically gave their consent to have their data harvested. Facebook estimated up to 87 million users were compromised as part of the operation, with its CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself being among that group. The consulting firm that ended up dissolving after the 2014 incident was discovered earlier this year denied using the data in any manner after being accused of seeking to leverage it for influencing voters at the 2016 presidential election. The company insisted what it did was a standard industry practice at the time and can still largely be considered as such, having been reiterating that stance until the very end.

Facebook still isnt facing a major advertiser boycott but its efforts to fight misinformation impacted its user engagement rates, leaving it with fewer opportunities to display advertising, its primary source of revenue. Following the publication of the companys second-quarter financials, investors erased over $120 billion in its market valuation, discouraged by slow revenue and profit margin growth projections
Alphabets self-driving division Waymo has now reportedly been valued at $175 billion by analyst Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley. Thats around $100 billion more than Jonass valuation from last year and mostly appears to hinge on the companys prospects in the freight and delivery industries. In fact, the analyst predicts that the trucking-related portion of the Waymos autonomous vehicle business could be worth as much as $90 billion on its own. The value is based on the potential the company has to completely change the market for both last-mile and long-haul deliveries. More directly, Jonas estimates that its technology could address as much as 80-percent of the freight transportation market. Its ride-sharing business could generate an additional $80 billion, on the other hand, while licensing deals with the company may be worth up to $7 billion.

The latter of those would mostly center around agreements signed with automakers that want to use Waymos technology. According to Jonas, Waymo is currently estimated to be in talks with as many as half of the participants in the global personal vehicle industry. Bearing that in mind, it shouldnt necessarily come as a surprise if a substantial number of those ultimately decide to enter into agreements with the autonomous vehicle company. As of April, Googles sister company had already racked up well over six million real-world miles on public roads and has been requesting further vehicles for its various testing projects. Moreover, it is steadily pushing toward a goal of taking backup drivers out of the equation completely, with at last one filing in California recently requesting permission to move forward on that front. Thats in addition to its plans to begin earning revenue in Arizona, following a successful test which allowed approximately 400 participants to use its service in a limited capacity for free.

Beyond providing efficient and cost-effective services to both the general public and the larger shipping and retail industry, Jonas suggests that Waymo could ultimately help small businesses compete with companies such as Amazon. A key driver for those kinds of online retailers is in their ability to offer goods and services without customers needing to leave their homes. Shipping is typically fast enough for that convenience to make sense from a consumer perspective but Waymo may upset the current balance by offering services to local businesses. By using self-driven delivery vehicles from store to customer, people who purchase goods may only need to wait an hour or two rather than days. That would give brick-and-mortar retail a leg up, while also providing an additional revenue stream for Waymo.
The trainee will benefit from knowledge-sharing exercises covering areas related to safety and security, forming part of the close cooperation between the aviation sectors and industries of both countries.

Sultan Al Mansoori, Acting General Manager GCAS said: This training session, held at our Regional Centre of Excellence, is an important step in bolstering our aviation ties with our peers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The selection of GCAS as the training provider for the Royal Saudi Air Force demonstrates its position as a leading regional aviation training institution, and Abu Dhabis status as a prime hub for Aviation, confirming its key roles in the regions sustainable economic development.

Over the course of four weeks, GCAS has worked with the Royal Saudi Air Force to deliver four key training modules to its trainee Aviation Management, IATA Dangerous Goods CAT 6 Initial course, ICAO on the Job Training Instructors Course, and Examination Techniques Course. These modules will equip the trainee with the knowledge of key aviation concepts as well as Train the Trainer skills and techniques.

Our officers have received valuable training from GCAS in Abu Dhabi, which will serve to further reinforce their knowledge and skills, said Brigadier General Ahmed Al Jahani from Royal Saudi Air Force. Knowledge sharing exercises such as these not only improve performance but also stimulate innovation and growth, from which both sides can benefit equally, he added.
The military of Cote d`Ivoire demonstrated its new Belarusian-made Kaiman (Caiman) 4x4 armored cars during a military parade dedicated to the 58th anniversary of the country`s independence, according to local media outlets.



A total of eight Kaiman vehicles were shown, including four painted black and four camouflaged. (Picture source:Twitter)

A total of eight Kaiman vehicles were shown, including four painted black and four camouflaged. The first four cars are believed to have been operated by the Gendarmerie of Cote d`Ivoire, while the remaining four are reported to have been driven by the country`s military. It should be mentioned that Gendarmerie`s Kaimans carried no pieces of armament or weapon stations. The militarized vehicles were armed with NSVT Utyos 12.7 mm heavy machineguns (HMGs) in open-top mounts.

Therefore, Cote d`Ivoire has become the launch customer for the Kaiman armored car. The country seems to have acquired at least eight Belarusian-made vehicles. Earlier this year, Belarusian officials said the export deliveries of the Kaiman had already been started. In January, Head of Belarus` State Military-Industrial Committee Oleg Dvigalyov told Belarusian media "the Kaiman light armored vehicles are being shipped to an African country". However, the official did not specify the buyer of the armored car.

The Kaiman armored reconnaissance vehicle (ARV) has a combat weight of no more than 7,000 kg (+-3%), a ground clearance of 490 mm, and a wheel base of 3,100 mm. The vehicle`s passenger capacity reaches six servicemen (including its crew). The car features a steel monocoque hull, which provides STANAG 4569 Level 3 protection against bullets and small fragments. The vehicle is powered by a D-245.30E2 diesel engine, which produces a maximum road speed of 110 km/h, a maximum swimming speed of 8 km/h, and a road cruise range of up to 1,000 km. The ARV can carry a Kalashnikov 7.62 mm medium machinegun, NSVT Utyos 12.7 mm heavy machinegun (HMG), AGS-17 30 mm automatic grenade launcher, Adunok remote-controlled weapon station with an Utyos HMG, or a communications suite. The Kaiman seems to be based on the chassis of the Soviet-age BRDM-2 ARV. However, Belarusian sources say the vehicle has been made from scratch.
The integration on the Vilkas platforms sees Frontline equipping yet another advanced armoured vehicle.

Lithuanian Land Forces Vilkas infantry fighting vehicle. (Photo: Leva Budzeikaite/Lithuanian Land Forces)

Systematics SitaWare Frontline command-and-control l (C2) solution will be rolled out across the Lithuanian Land Forces fleet of future armoured vehicles. Lithuania is the first customer to order an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) variant of the Boxer and SitaWare Frontline will feature on all of the Land Forces platforms - designated Vilkas (Wolf) in Lithuanian service. Its fleet will operate in four different configurations: squad, platoon, company commander, and command post.

The SitaWare suite is already in service with the Lithuanian Land Forces, and the addition of Frontline to its latest IFVs will provide advanced C2 capabilities at the tip of the spear, notes Merja Annala, President of Systematic Oy Finland, Frontline addresses real-world challenges and has been designed by and for commanders operating in challenging environments, where a clear operational picture with rapid updates of friendly force tracking is absolutely essential. It has also been built with deployment and in-theatre management in mind.

A total of 88 Vilkas platforms are being procured from the German-Dutch ARTEC industrial group, as well as trainers. The vehicles will be delivered through to 2021.

Testing of the SitaWare Frontline solution on the Boxer platform has taken place with vehicle manufacturer KraussMaffei Wegmann (KMW). The ARTEC group consists of KMW and Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles on the German side, and Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Nederland.

Vilkas represents a step-change in the modernisation of the Lithuanian Armed forces. The introduction of new, advanced IFVs into service for the Iron Wolf brigade will bring new capabilities to the Lithuanian Land Forces, explained Land Forces spokesman, Captain Donatas Suchockis, The integration of SitaWare Frontline on Vilkas will give commanders a comprehensive overview of the battlefield, from headquarters to tactical levels. Importantly, it also brings interoperability, which as a NATO country is key for us, Capt. Suchockis added.

SitaWare Frontline is capable of providing friendly force tracking information and an automatically updated situational awareness picture that features the disposition of forces, danger areas, point of interest, and intelligence on an enemy. Further functionality includes tactical chat, support for high performance mapping, and the ability to make and display plans directly on a touchscreen interface. SitaWare Frontline is an operationally proven system and equips a number of armed forces, integrated on both vehicles and at forward-deployed infrastructure.

The Danish Army is fitting all of its tactical land vehicles with SitaWare Frontline; among other users are the armed forces of the UAE, for whom the solution forms part of its Emirates Land Tactical System, and the Slovenian Army, who have recently selected the Boxer as the basis for two new mechanised infantry battlegroups.
Ad description

A poster ad for KFCs Mars Krushems drink, seen on 1 July 2018, featured an image of the product next to a Mars Bar under the text FINGERLICKIN COOL. The poster was displayed on a telephone box a short distance from the entrance to a primary school.

Issue

The Obesity Health Alliance challenged whether the ad was for a product that was high in fat, salt or sugar (an HFSS product ad) that was directed at children.

Response

Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Ltd (KFC) confirmed the advertised product was an HFSS product and said that the ad was mistakenly placed within 100 metres of the school. They apologised for the error and explained that their media agency mistakenly, due to human error, selected the phone kiosk as a site for the ad.

Their media agency was aware of KFCs policy which required that they must not knowingly target any advertising to an audience under 16 (whether it was an HFSS product ad or not), either through the content or the placement of the ad. That included not placing posters within 100 m of any school. Their media agency selected locations for posters to be displayed using their expertise, and in accordance with that policy.

KFC said they were unaware of the error until the ASA brought it to their attention, at which point they immediately contacted their media agency who arranged for the ad to be removed the same day. The media agency had conducted an audit of all telephone kiosks rented on KFCs behalf to ensure that no other KFC ads were being displayed within 100 m of a school. They would also take every possible step to prevent further similar mistakes.

Primesight Ltd, the media owner, apologised for the ad appearing in the location. They had data which enabled them to recognise school boundaries, and a standard that poster sites within 200 m of a school were prohibited from displaying HFSS product ads.

They had investigated why the ad had appeared at the location and found that due to an ongoing process of upgrading and removing some phone kiosks across the UK the KFC ad booking had been swapped from a different kiosk onto the kiosk in question. The necessary checks as to whether that kiosk was suitable to display the ad were not made due to human error. Primesight said they had now blacklisted the kiosk from all future bookings for HFSS product ads. They confirmed that the ad had been removed immediately on receipt of the complaint.

Assessment

Upheld

The CAP Code required that HFSS product ads must not be directed at children through the selection of media or the context in which they appeared, and that no medium should be used to advertise HFSS products if more than 25% of its audience was under the age of 16. The ad promoted the Mars Krushems drink, which was an HFSS product, and the ad was therefore an HFSS product ad for the purposes of the Code.

The ASA considered that because children under 16 comprised less than 25% of the UK population, in general, ads for HFSS products which appeared in outdoor public spaces were unlikely to breach the Code. However, the ad seen by the complainant was displayed only a short distance from the entrance to a primary school. As a result, children under 16 made up a much higher proportion of the ads audience. We considered it was highly likely that children under 16 comprised significantly more than 25% of the audience of the ad.

We acknowledged the ad had been displayed in close proximity to a school due to an error, and we welcomed KFCs swift action to remove it. We concluded, however, that the ads placement breached the Code.

The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 15.18 15.18 HFSS product advertisements must not be directed at people under 16 through the selection of media or the context in which they appear. No medium should be used to advertise HFSS products, if more than 25% of its audience is under 16 years of age. (HFSS product ad placement).

Action

The ad must not be displayed again in close proximity to a school. We told Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Ltd to ensure that they took measures in future to ensure that HFSS product ads were not displayed in close proximity to a school.

CAP Code (Edition 12)

15.18

More on
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Best Hair Dye for Men

Say Goodbye to Grays With These Potent DIY Hair Dyes

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

With additions by Barret Wertz. Product photos from retailer site.

Maybe you're fighting the good fight against gray hair, or maybe you're just looking to spice things up and add a little excitement to your look. After all, sporting the same shade of hair year after year does become tiresome. Not to mention women have their own preference, just as do they with particular hair styles. So you've decided to bite the bullet and experiment with hair coloring for men.

But there's a problem: at the risk of being shamed by the bros, many men still wouldnt be caught dead getting their locks done in a professional hair salon. So where does this leave them? On the DIY path.

RELATED: How to Cut Your Own Hair

The answer lies in at-home hair dye products. Guys can spend a fraction of the cost on these coloring solutions and get the job done instantly right in the luxury of their bachelor pad. You might stumble upon some nice finds in the drugstore aisle or on Amazon, yet those with the extra coin to spend can gain more natural results from luxury brands. See what your wallet says first before coming to a decision.

Youll want to choose a subtle color that compliments your hair type. A dye with ash tones primarily works for most men, though experts recommend using a dye with warm tones if your hair features natural reddish tones, whereas the rest of the crowd can use dyes with cool tones. Once passed the checkout line, make entrance into your personal bathroom and follow the right steps.

How to Apply Hair Dye for Men

Hair-coloring is a straightforward process that requires nothing more than patience, and some courage of course. Start by stripping down to your briefs (or boxers). Reason for that is obvious  no drips on your wardrobe. Though if you insist on hiding your chest and back for lack of body hair trimming, sport a worn-down T-shirt. If it's an option, keep your hair dye product of choice in a bowl to prevent any spillage onto the sink or countertop. Proceed as follows:

Step 1 : Read instructions and mix the included products together to create dye composition

: Read instructions and mix the included products together to create dye composition Step 2 : Rub a thick layer of lotion across the outer line of your hairline to prevent dye bleeding

: Rub a thick layer of lotion across the outer line of your hairline to prevent dye bleeding Step 3 : Apply onto hair using brush application or shampoo in by rubbing into targeted areas

: Apply onto hair using brush application or shampoo in by rubbing into targeted areas Step 4 : Let formula sit in hair for suggested time frame (est. 5-15 minutes)

: Let formula sit in hair for suggested time frame (est. 5-15 minutes) Step 5: Hop in the shower and rinse out

Your hair length will determine how much of solution should be applied, granted most people tend to use the entire allocation since the solution cant be saved. Surface stains should be expected on the skin as well. Nothing you cant remove solo with a cotton ball and some isopropyl alcohol.

Men of all ethnicities and hair types are afforded numerous coloring options. And we combed through the gunk to narrow down some of the markets best hair dyes.

If you want to experiment a little, and opt for a dye that's a different shade than your natural hair color, then you're going to want to match that dye color to your skin. This might seem simple, but selecting the right hair dye color for your particular skin tone is surprisingly complicated, if only because so few men really know what their skin tone is to begin with. Are you pale or tanned? Dark or light skinned? You may think you have an idea, but if you only ever look at yourself in your bathroom mirror in the morning, say, then you've only seen yourself under one lighting condition.

So the first step is broadening your sample size. Use a mirror, or the selfie feature on your phone, or a trusted friend, and experiment with different lighting conditions: indoors, outdoors, direct light, indirect light.

You're going to want to play around with different formulas, to find the one that suits you best, but know that the dye will look different in your hair compared to how it looks on the model, which means a little trial and error should be expected.

Men with short hair have historically had some problems with hair dyes, as the majority seem to look best on longer locks. If you keep your hair close to your scalp, but still want to add some color to your graying hair, opt for a hair dye that is one or two shades lighter than your natural hair color.

Why, you may ask? It turns out that shorter hair provides less scalp coverage, and so the contrast between your dyed hair and the skin on your scalp can look odd. To combat that, we recommend selecting a lighter shade of hair dye.

Best Hair Dye for Men

Convenient and cost-friendly, hair dye kits spare you the cost of a professional hair-coloring treatment. They can earn you similar, if not the same results as that of what you would get from an overly-priced salon. Nonetheless, using them requires a bit of trial and error depending on ones hair style and the actual product. These are the heavy hitters to keep in mind.

Colorsmith Custom Hair Color for Men

As AskMens Editors Choice Grooming Award winner for Best Hair Dye of the year, Colorsmith stepped up to satisfy the uptick in at-home hair dye that was a result of 2020s lockdowns. Colorsmiths made-to-order, salon-grade hair color is individually crafted and each order comes with custom color, comb and application brush, easy-to-follow instructions, professional developer, two pairs of non-latex gloves, shampoo and conditioner, stain guard and stain remover, and maybe most importantly, access to a licensed colorist for help every step of the way.

From $23.95 at Colorsmith.co

Madison Reed Mr. Hair Dye for Men

If you have ever listened to a podcast, chances are you have heard about Madison Reed and its multi-dimensional color with 100% gray coverage. A woman-founded company originally structured to appeal to the needs of ladies, the brand broadened its approach by expanding to men with Madison Reed Mr. Could you use the OG Madison Reed to find your desired color? Absolutely, but with Mr., the colors, and the process in which you find them, cater to men, by making covering grays easy and facial hair friendly. However, if you are looking to go blonde or red, the womens site is still your best bet.

From $25 at Madison-Reed.com

Cleverman Custom Hair Color

Boasting that it has over 10,000 options to satisfy just about any hair color needs from gradual gray coverage to a quick fix of lackluster locks, Cleverman is the newest name in the game  but it is anything but a baby brand just finding its way. Founded by industry heavyweight Carlos Barreto, Cleverman puts all the business and beauty knowledge he learned from his more than 20 years of experience at Procter and Gamble, Coca-Cola, and Revlon into the brand built just for guys. With impressively simple steps and directions, even attempts by the most novice users will end up in success.

From $9.95 at BeCleverman.com

Color&Co. Personalized At-Home Haircolor

You might think of LOreal as your girlfriend's shampoo, skin care, or make-up, but outside of America, men trust the French brand for their grooming needs too. So it should come as no surprise that the beauty juggernaut has made quite a move on the mens hair color market recently with its new mens home hair coloring service, Color&Co. The brand offers solutions for gray coverage exclusively for men, including demi-permanent, ammonia-free formulas that ensure that color will gradually fade over time out without any harsh line of demarcation. Never colored your hair before? No worries. Color&Co offers personalized color, video consultations, and everything is online to avoid standing and staring at all the different boxes in the store.

From $19.90 at ColorandCo.com

True Sons Hair Dye Foam

This mens grooming service is disrupting the DIY haircare space with an innovative and more convenient solution to hair coloring. True Sons hair color system allows subscribers to select from a variety of shades (blonde to black) and at the frequency range they desire to keep natural color restored. Each offering features a sophisticated oxygen activated formula that targets grays to ensure fuller coverage. Its foamy texture also makes application far less messy. Those feeling insecure about doing the job themselves can find comfort using the sites stylist resource to gain instructions and tips on properly executing the task.

Starting at $24 per month at TrueSons.com

Cremo No Mess 2-In-1 Hair and Beard Color

Cremo has been a favorite of men in the shaving space for years, so its no surprise that such a trusted name would venture into a category requiring as much trust as at-home hair dye. Using premium barber grade dye that works for both beard hair and the hair on your head, this easy foam helps restore natural color for over a month. The box includes a pre-mixed color canister from one of six colors, foaming brush applicator, and a detailing tool. To apply, connect the applicator brush, shake, press the red button, and comb it in. Its actually that easy. Pro tip: This is permanent hair color, so if youre in doubt about your hair color or nervous about dying your hair at all, start a shade lighter.

$14.99 at Amazon.com

Just For Men Easy Comb-In Color

Just For Men sells a no mix, no mess kit that can be gently combed in and rinsed out at will. The companys patented AirActiv technology favors oxygen over harsh ingredients such as ammonia or peroxide to preserve natural variations in your hair. This allows for the complex to automatically shut off at the target color without over-coloring. Oh yea, it accomplishes all of this in just 10 minutes.

$6.49 at Amazon.com

Clairol Natural Instincts For Men Haircolor M19

Infused with Aloe and Vitamin E to restore natural color, Clairols M19 formula promises healthy-looking locks, promoting a dark black shade that adds serious shimmer to the top of your mop. A non-permanent complex means itll gradually fade after 28 shampoos. Leave it on for 10 minutes and watch as the toughest of grays blend away.

$17.64 at Amazon.com

Just For Men Touch of Gray

Very few men not named George Clooney can pull off the salt-n-pepper look. If youre up for the challenge, make this version of Just For Men your hairstyling wingman. The no-mix formula provides partial gray coverage with a comb-in system that screws onto the pre-mixed tube for seamless application. Some reviewers saw results last up to six weeks, whereas some found reapplication best after the eight-week mark.

$6.69 at Amazon.com

Good Dye Young Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Gone are the days of men maintaining that their hair must remain a natural color. With Gen-Z working their way up in an all new working world, and millennials making themselves comfortable in creative seats within the C-suites, things like suits, offices, and regular working hours are a thing of the past. So it is no surprise that hair dye brands like Good Dye Young have skyrocketed in popularity. Vegan, sustainable, and harsh chemical- and cruelty-free, GDY tops our list if you want to take a walk on the wild side. From permanent hair dye and hair bleach to hair makeup  cleverly called Im Bored  that washes out in just a few shampoos, this brand founded by Paramores Hayley Williams is sure to be a go-to hair color for the next generation. Pro tip: Using dyes to achieve bright colored hair works best on blonde hair or bleached hair. Keep in mind, if not done per the instructions, sever hair damage might be the result.

$18 at GoodDyeYoung.com

Best Hair Dye for Black Hair

African American, Asian, Hispanic or even Middle Eastern  most men of ethnicity own different hair texture that range from thick hair to coarse hair to curly hair. This applies to all forms of body hair. Since hair texture is naturally known to be dry hair and more brittle amongst non-white males, its important to look at hair dyes specifically formulated to their hair DNA. Selections are rare and few, but still exist.

Just For Men Original Formula Mens Hair Color in Jet Black

No different than the other color variants of the brands original formula, Jet Black remains a popular option amongst African American men looking to fend off gray hair for its the closest looking to natural African hair color. Simply shampoo it into your scalp and rinse once color has been applied, repeating the process every month to keep dark shading consistent. Europeaners might want to consider the Real Black option to maintain dark brown or black hair.

$9.99 at Amazon.com

Discovery Naturals Black Hair, Beard, and Mustache Henna Dye

Free of pesticides, metal salts, peroxide, and preservatives, this organic powder is derived from Henna, a flowering plant with all-natural herbs that condition and color strands without damaging them. No itching. No swelling. Just a more natural way of covering gray. The kit comes complete with gloves, hair cap, application instructions, and enough solution for multiple dyeing sessions. Manly Guy also makes a variety of color options available that best suit your natural skin tone.

$16.95 at Amazon.com

Shea Moisture Argan Oil & Almond Milk Smooth & Tame Blow Out Creme

Be it soaking in the sun or taking a blow dryer at max temperature to your dome, heat does cause hair color to fade. This all-natural creme boasts a high-performance formula rich in conditioning agents that hydrate and protect several hair types  fine, frizzy, straight, and wavy. Its potent composition uses a quality amount of carrier oils and almond milk to protect and relieve the scalp of dryness, while stimulating hair growth.

$23.53 at Amazon.com

SoftSheen-Carson Dark & Natural 5 Minute Shampoo-In Haircolor

The home for Black & African-American Haircare offers up its own collection that delivers a soft finish to hair for an all-natural look: no matter the color option. Each formula contains essential nutrients like aloe vera and honey to keep your mane fully hydrated and nourished for long stretches. While promoted as a 5-minute solution, color tends to settle the longer you leave the product in. Just dont go past the 15-minute mark. Choose from dark brown, jet black or natural black.

$9.52 at Amazon.com

Best Mustache and Beard Dye

As aging takes its course, grays inevitably migrate down from your mane to your face. It can strike as early as your 30s or sprout out at later stages in your life cycle. But for the man not yet sold on sporting the full-on Gandalf beard, facial hair dye is the key.

While not as organic or potent as some of the markets top anti-aging products, beard and mustache darkeners serve more as an aging camouflage composed to keep facial strands looking as naturally healthy and young. Here we have a handful of alternatives to help achieve a youthful-looking moneymaker.

RefectoCil Cream Hair Dye

Beard dye. Head. Eye brows. Pubic Hair. Here we have an all-purpose cream that keeps the body gray-free. Coloring looks completely natural and maintains a vibrant tint for up to six weeks till the next treatment is required. Its easy to apply and takes about 10 minutes to set in to gain the look you desire.

$7.20 at Amazon.com

Just For Men Mustache and Beard Dye Brush-In Color Gel

At this point, youve realized JFM creates an anti-gray solution for any and every situation. The companys color gel awakens your beard by feeding it protein, vitamin E, and aloe  nourishing it for a fuller, thicker appearance. Much of the products drawing appeal comes from its effective rate, which makes grays an afterthought in 5 minutes with the applicator brush. Reviews are generally positive, though many with sensitive skin claimed to have experienced some swelling or redness, so think about performing a patch test first before using it.

$7.99 at Amazon.com

Spray-On Hair Dyes

Yep, it's a thing. If youre newly graying, in a pinch or just a color commitment-phobe an anti-gray spray can give your roots a temporary boost. Todays products are formulated so that they dont rub off on your pillowcase or clothes. And they rinse out of your hair in just one wash so you really cant screw it up. But sorry guys, while these products have come a long way from going on like shoe polish when it comes to hair color, spraying it on your scalp wont believably cover a bald spot.

Cover Your Gray for Men

This anti-gray, easy to use aerosol spray allows you to hit those stray hairs and fresh regrowth without having to spray your whole head. Its a quick-dry spot treatment that blends easily with the rest of your locks for a natural look. As with any gray-hair solve, you never want to look like youre wearing a shiny helmet. To apply, give the can a shake and drape a towel over your shoulders just to be on the safe side.

$9.99 at Amazon.com

LOreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up

When it comes to super quick, DIY fixes for stray grays dont be afraid to borrow from the ladies. LOreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up wont sit on your scalp in a sticky, clumpy, gunky mess. And because it comes in a TSA-approved travel size, its perfect to leave in your dopp kit for last-minute fixes while on the road or at the gym.

$8.19 on Amazon.com

Toppik Hair Building Fibers

So not technically a hair dye, but certainly a hair dyers best friend, this little bottle has just what you need to make thinning hair of any color look more full, thick, and healthy. With nine colors ranging from black to white, these little fibers made of colored keratin protein instantly fill in thinning areas, conceal noticeable hair loss, and work well as a root touch-up between colorings.

$24.95 at Amazon.com

Hair Care Products

The hair and shower care products wont just warrant you fuller, healthier hair. They can also save your freshly dyed strands from graying out as long as they are sulfate-free. So when leaving dye jobs in the hands of a hairstylist, its on you keep that do in shape and consistently dyed. Most of the industrys top hair care brands are formulating shampoos, conditioners, and other hair care to enhance and protect color-treated hair. Dont be surprised to stumble upon some of these finds in your metropolitan salons, or Amazon more so.

RELATED: A Guide to Owning and Embracing Gray Hair

Macadamia Hair Blow Dry Lotion

Hair lotions are a very niche product in the hair care space, but they work wonders for preserving hair color and moisture. Many hair stylists including Felix Fischer consider this option one a must-own since it keeps hair feeling silky and smooth," while protecting color from fading. Texture is light, so your locks wont feel weighed down throughout the day, plus the complex hosts thermal and UV-protected agents to prevent any sun damage to strands. Add humidity control to its list of awesome attributes as well.

$52 at Amazon.com

Just For Men Control GX Gray Reducing Shampoo

Expanding its line of hair coloring products, JFMs gone on to release the first-ever permanent gray reducing shampoo that cleans and revitalizes hair to permanently reduce grays. Make it part of your shower rotation by using it till settling on the right shade and swapping it out on occasion with personal favorites to provide the scalp some breathing room. A 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner is also sold on Amazon, which currently holds a #1 New Release badge in the shampoo category.

$6.49 at Amazon.com

If you take our advice, and do your homework before buying, you can find the right hair product for your needs, taking years off of your look and restoring your confidence. Ultimately, going gray is a choice.

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Iron Man Suits Are Now A Thing You Can Buy

Trending News: Want To Own An Iron Man Suit? Now You Can

Why Is This Important?

People have been wanting to fly forever. Some of historys smartest minds spent their lives trying to conquer gravity to give humanity the sensation of weightless, controlled flight.

Long Story Short

While were not all the way to being able to pick up a jet suit at Best Buy and wear it out, were closer than ever to making this sci-fi fantasy a reality thanks to modern-day inventors like Richard Browning.

Richard Browning / Gravity

Long Story

Brownings story could easily be ripped from the weathered pages of an old Marvel comic book. A charismatic inventor, fuelled in part by family tragedy (his father was an aeronautical engineer who took his own life when Browning was 15), creates a flying suit that changes the world. Sounds exactly like you-know-who from the MCU doesnt it?



The similarities are almost too uncanny. Watching Brownings early test footage, its impossible not to be reminded of Robert Downey Jr.s Stark, testing his own suit and failing over and over again. Brownings earliest attempts at a jet suit came by attaching micro gas turbines to his forearms to give him the vertical thrust necessary to take and maintain flight.

Marvel Studios





Browning and his team went through multiple iterations of the suit as they practiced flying in isolated farmlands in the UK. First they tried attaching three turbines per arm, but it was way too heavy. Then they tried mounting a few to his lower legs, but Browning couldnt control himself very well by maneuvering his legs. Eventually, they landed on the magical combination of two turbines per arm and another on the back. This allowed the wearer to control their movements intuitively with their arms while offering enough upward thrust.

Richard Browning / Gravity



Perhaps the craziest part of this story is that were now at a place where these suits are actually on sale. Browning and his company Gravity will make a bespoke flight suit for you for nearly half a million dollars (if you want to live like Tony Stark, its going to cost Tony Stark money).



Fortunately, for us everyday civilians who arent selling arms to bankroll a life of avenging, you can head to Gravitys Flight Training Center outside of London and fly around in a controlled environment without having to sell a kidney. Gravity is expected to open new flight centers in Dubai and California shortly and theres even rumblings of a new racing league that will be centered around competitors wearing these jet suits.



The future is looking particularly bright for anyone who wants to soar like a superhero.
The Watch Snob Discusses The Golden Rule

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Enamel Paint Just Aint Enamel

My question is about enameled dial watches, which I find to be very interesting. I recently purchased a Seiko Presage Multi Hand Automatic with a beautiful white enameled dial. The price was a very good value and I honestly wondered if Seiko could really produce such a watch at this price point with their usual quality fit and finish. But the watch is beautiful, functional, keeps precise time, and has become one of my favorite watches. Everything I have read about the enameling process says that it is very difficult to do well, which begs the question how does Seiko do it?

I also stumbled recently onto a website for the German brand Tourby, which I have never heard of before. Looking through their offering of watches with enameled dials (and even several with Guilloche dials) I found that are very handsome and again, very reasonably priced given the type of workmanship involved. These watches use ETA movements, which I remember you have commented positively on in the past. Have you any experience with this brand and is it a case of if it seems to good to be true, it probably is too good to be true?

In the latter case, yes, if it seems too good to be true, it is. The dials on the Tourby enamel models is not, as far as I can tell, true fired enamel; rather, they seem to be using what is sometimes called cold enamel in the watch industry. The tip-off is that they use the term enamel paint  enamel is not a paint, but a kind of glass surface created by applying a glass powder to a copper or gold base, and then firing the dial. The temperatures reached are high enough to liquify the powder which then forms a smooth surface. Decorative variations on fired enamel are vast  there are many techniques using colored enamels which can create very beautiful effects.

Enamel paint, probably means the same thing as cold enamel  its a thermosetting epoxy resin. The effect can be very pleasing, but its not real fired enamel.

For the Presage, in order to make the watch affordable Seiko was obliged to develop a process that would allow the dials to be coated with enamel powder in groups  the process basically involves a spraying tool, which is manually guided over a dial-holder; the coated dials are then fired as a group. They seem to have worked out how to control the coating thickness and kiln temperature so as to produce reliable results. It really is a remarkable achievement  fired enamel dials generally are done one at a time and at a considerably higher cost and I think they represent an amazing value for the money.

That Sure Is A Niche Complication

Recently you wrote about the charm of Monopushers. Other than Minerva & Vacheron, are there any other interesting Monopushers worth looking at?

There are a few, yes, but its rather a niche complication  the greater convenience and utility of the traditional two button design, means that the monopusher is rather more interesting to a relatively few collectors with very specific, somewhat reactionary tastes (I happen to like monopusher chronographs very much but there is no doubt that they are a very distant second in popularity to the two button chronograph).

One interesting monopusher is from F. P. Journe  it is a rattrapante monopusher chronograph, and while I havent had the chance to examine one myself, but the movement looks rather appealing although I think the overtly sportive styling is not Journe playing to his strengths. It also doesnt particularly look like a monopusher chronograph, unfortunately  there is a single start, stop, and reset button and a separate split button for the rattrapante function, but they are designed and situated so as to make the watch look very much like a standard two pusher chronograph.

Another interesting monopusher, by the way, and a quite wonderful value at the asking price, is from Habring  the Habring Doppel-Felix Split Seconds Chronograph is a very cleverly designed split seconds monopusher chrono, at an astonishingly affordable price.

The Golden Rule

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your articles for a great many year now, however I believe that perhaps there is one type of watch query you may not have already tackled, a halal ('permissible') one.

Let me explain, I am as you may have already guessed of the Islamic ilk. Unfortunately, part of my creed is that men should not wear gold at all, whether yellow, white or rose or any other variant.

I have just recently learned, to my surprise that my Rolex GMT Master II 116710 BLNR has 18K white gold indices and therefore I am having to offload this for a suitably halal watch. I am not one to question God's decree. The trouble that I have found in my search for a replacement is that when it comes to high horology, all of the manufacturers use an element of this precious metal. Whether it be in the faceplate of a silvered guilloche dial in a Stainless Steel Breguet Marine Big Date, the rotor and dial hands in a Urban Jurgensen Big 8, or even in the internal components within the movement of the Cartier Tortue CPCP in Platinum (yes, Platinum is absolutely fine). I visited JLC and the master watchmaker (I believe his name was Richard) in their Bond Street boutique confirmed that even the Polaris with its titanium rotor, has gold text embossed - rendering it impermissible. JLC further confirmed that even in their watches with closed backs, the gold text will remain. The trouble with most, if not all Platinum watches is that they will decorate some of the components with gold.

I am now struggling to find any high end dress watch within the 10 - 15K realm with the movement exposed.

Unfortunately I am not keen on brands like Longines, Nomos, Glashutte and although I respect Grand Seiko - it is not my cup of tea. I even looked at a vintage JLC Triple Calendar, however the 35mm face looked highly effeminate on my wrist (this is before I realized the dial hands were rose gold). Even the likes of the Vacheron Constantin Fifty Six in steel has this audacious of metals. I looked at a Blancpain Villeret in Platinum and unfortunately found the finish to the face to be unworthy of the price tag. If I had the funds to buy a Richard Mille, I simply would not, as it is not to my taste. I am also fearful of damaging most vintage watches due to their non sapphire glass.

I am starting to wonder if the iWatch or a digital Casio is what I'm left with, or perhaps to commission a jeweler to scrub out the gold text. With your vast knowledge I am hoping that you can guide me to something suitably special and halal.

Well, you are absolutely correct, I have never before encountered this question, although I was aware that among followers of the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the wearing of gold is considered haram. No ones ever asked me to see if I can find a watch with no trace of the substance whatsoever, though  in luxury watchmaking, its not ubiquitous, but its darned close. I thought I might see if by chance Lange & Sohne might have something but they use yellow gold chatons for the jewels in their movements; Patek and Vacheron use gold on the engraved text on their movements  this is a poser and no mistake.

The real problem is that if you eliminate not just watches with gold cases, dials, and hands, but also want a movement with no gold on it at all, your choices are somewhat diminished. The only thing I can suggest to you is to look carefully through the collections of the major makers and see if you can find models that have either steel or platinum cases, and which also have display backs so that you can see if there is gold decoration on the movement or not. I think there are some out there  Im looking just now at a picture of a Blancpain tourbillon in a platinum case which appears to have no gold on the movement (there are yellow metal parts, but I dont think they are gold or gold-plated). Only individual inspection and time will reveal if there is anything out there that both fits the law, and which appeals to your tastes. Given the number of gentlemen who are of the Faithful who are also interested in watches, however, it seems to me that there must be something out there that would suit. I will continue to hunt but I confess, as I rarely do, that I am for the moment stymied. Good luck!

Send the Watch Snob your questions at [email protected] or ask a question on Instagram with the #watchsnob hashtag.

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Academics in Singapore have identified three crucial factors that influence the chances of success for cases sent to mediation.

The Singapore Management University study found that the courts should consider the timing of referral, the stage of litigation and the level of contentiousness between disputants when deciding whether or not to refer civil disputes to mediation.

Led by Assistant Professors Dorcas Quek Anderson and Eunice Chua of the SMU School of Law and funded by the Singapore Judicial College, the study notes that there is a lack of consensus globally as to the right time or stage that a case should be considered for mediation.


(By okili77/Shutterstock.com) (By okili77/Shutterstock.com)

A new population policy aimed at attracting more people from overseas to live in regional Australia is being developed by the Australian Government, it has been confirmed.The aim is to take account of growth trends when devising immigration policies so that regional areas become as attractive as Sydney and Melbourne where most overseas workers want to live.However, there is controversy surrounding the idea of setting immigration targets on a regional basis, although some regions are in favour of the idea.It comes at a time when annual immigration is falling despite many analysts saying that skilled international workers are essential as the Australian population ages. Indeed, the most recent figures show that the annual permanent immigration intake fell by more than 10% to its lowest level in more than a decade.There were 162,000 permanent immigrants in the 2017/2018 financial year, down from 183,000 in 2016/2017 and well under the 190,000 a year current ceiling, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).South Australia is one State that wants increased levels of immigration. The State's Premier Steven Marshall has called for a preferential migrant status to encourage foreign students and skilled overseas workers to come to the region.He pointed out that while some parts of the country are struggling to cope with their high population numbers, others like South Australia are having the opposite problem. He revealed figures which show that in the last financial year there was an increase of just 10,000 over 12 months whereas Victoria had a 10,000 person increase every 26 days.He added that regional Queensland grew at treble the entire South Australian population growth. 'We would ultimately like to negotiate a preferential migration status for South Australia, especially around increasing regional population and international students,' he said.He also believes that the State's massive skills shortages were impacting South Australia's economy. 'There's a mismatch between the skills and desires to work in certain industries,' he added.Australia's population is set to hit 25 million soon and projected to reach 36 million by 2050.Sydney and Melbourne are expected to make up a collective 16 million of that, almost half.The plea for more workers comes at a time when others are pointing out that major cities, in particular Sydney and Melbourne, are heading towards overpopulation. There is strains on infrastructure and in particular housing.Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge has said that the Government is considering new visa rules that would encourage people to move to regional areas. 'There are many regions in Australia that are now facing skilled labour shortages and we are working with regional leaders and businesses to find solutions,' he said in May.
Hi everyone just a quick question, I lodged my application for 309 partner visa in April from China. I did some traveling to Malaysia in June and spent 4 weeks at home in Mexico, heading back to China tomorrow. Should i have notified the department that I was doing some traveling? I have plans for future travels in October (5 days) and December (2 weeks). During my travels I can't be reached by phone, just by email. I figured if they needed further documentation they would reach me by email? but I've also read about people getting calls which worries me a little.



I've read on this forum of people notifying of travels to Australia after they lodged an offshore application but I've just traveled to other countries and wasn't sure if I should be letting them know or not.



Thanks!
Speaking to Jalopnik , an official with the Ford Motor Company argues that the listings werent entirely correct. There will not be a regular cab Ranger and pricing shown is inaccurate. Build and price will officially go live next week," the spokesman said, so bear in mind that were just scratching the surface here.Even if the regular cab is a placeholder for the web developers as they work on the configurator, the website shows the super cab at $24,300 in XL flavor. Key features include the 2.3-liter EcoBoost with auto start/stop technology, cloth-wrapped bucket seats, 16-inch steel wheels painted in silver, and an AM/FM audio system with four speakers. Of course, rear-wheel drive comes standard along with the 10-speed automatic transmission co-developed with General Motors.The super crew is also featured, starting at $26,520 and jumping to $30,115 for the XLT. The Lariat, meanwhile, is $34,385 in this body style. As a rule of thumb, the super cab is $2,175 cheaper across all three trim levels. Adding four-wheel drive to the Ranger adds $4,000 to the price, translating to $38,385 for the super crew Lariat before looking at other optional equipment.STX Appearance Package ($995) brings 17-inch alloy wheels and fog lamps to the XL, whereas option package 101A ($2,130) adds cruise control, power-folding mirrors, and SYNC 3 infotainment . For the off-road enthusiasts among us, the $1,295 FX4 Package is just what the doctor ordered. An e-locking rear axle, skid plates, terrain management system, trail control, bodyside decals, front air dam delete, tow hooks, and off-road suspension are included.Checking every box available in the options list takes the price up to $46,000 or thereabouts, which isnt bad at all for a mid-size pickup truck with all the bells and whistles imaginable. The Colorado ZR2, by example, starts at $40,360. In regard to starting price, the Colorado is cheaper than the Ranger yet the best-selling Tacoma starts at $25,400 plus destination.
Published by Boerse Express of Germany, the work of Dudenhoffer reveals that Ferrari averaged 69,000 per vehicle sold in the first half of the year. Amazing when you think about it, but then again, dont forget how expensive the Prancing Horse is in the first place. The Portofino that replaces the California T, which serves as the entry-level model in the range, starts at 189,704.Jaguar Land Rover, the study reveals, made something in the ballpark of 800 per vehicle sold in the same period. Tesla loses 11,000 on average, whereas the Big Three premium brands in Germany take well over 3,000 before interest and tax, with Volvo fetching just below that amount. Porsche, on the other hand, is twice as profitable compared to Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.Maserati, which is twinned at the hip with Ferrari through Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, does not even bring 5,000 operating profit per vehicle according to the study. The worst offender by a long margin, meanwhile, is Bentley . Dudenhoffer calculated that the British luxury brand owned by the Volkswagen Group generates an eye-watering 17,000 loss per vehicle, representing the price of an averagely-equipped Polo in Germany.The study doesnt feature Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce because these automakers keep their financial results behind closed doors. Considering the synergies with Audi and BMW, respectively, wed argue that both companies return a tidy profit for each vehicle sold.Another automaker missing from the study is McLaren, which will soon take the veils off the heir-apparent of the F1. Baptized Speedtail and capable of more than 391 kph (243 mph) on full song, the newcomer is priced at 1.6 million plus taxes. Considering that 106 will be made, it would be interesting to find out how much operating profit the Woking-based automaker generates off the hybrid hypercar.
In anticipation of the opening of the Presidential Cars Museum in the coming weeks, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) will issue a series of commemorative stamps featuring the vehicles that have carried our Presidents. The stamps serve as a preview to the presidential vehicles that will be exhibited in their own dedicated museum, which opens on Aug. 19 at the Quezon City Circle. The collection was maintained and put together by the National Historical Commission.

There are 10 stamp designs. The first set of five begins with Emilio Aguinaldos 1924 Packard Single-6 Touring (used after his term), Manuel L Quezons 1937 Chrysler Airflow Custom Imperial, Jose p. Laurels Packard Custom Super Eight: One Eighty Limousine, Elpidio Quirinos 1953 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine, Ramon Magsaysays 1955 Cadillac Series 75-23.

The second set of five begins with Ferdinand Marcoss 1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series, Corazon Aquinos Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL, Fidel V. Ramos Mercedes-Benz 5000SEL Guard, Joseph Estradas Mercedes-Benz S600, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos Mercedes-Benz S600 Limousine (V140). These are just a few of the cars that will be featured in the Presidential Car Museum.

PHLPost has printed 8,000 copies of the presidential cars commemorative stamps in sheetlet form with a denomination of P12 each. The entire set is priced at P120. The commemorative stamps and its official first day cover will be available starting August 10 at the History Con 2018 PHLPost Pilipinas Philately booth located at World Trade Center Exhibit Hall, CCP Complex, Buendia, Pasay City. The stamps are also available at the souvenir shop of the newly opened Presidential Car Museum.

In coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), we want all Filipinos to appreciate the historical significance of these presidential cars and in the lives of our former head of state through these wonderful pieces of postage stamps, Postmaster General Joel Otarra said.

Get a peek of the Presidential Cars to grace the Museum from our past story here. You can visit the museum itself starting August 19, 2018 at the Quezon City Circle.
Akka Technologies, a French engineering firm, pitched a futurist concept for a train-plane vehicle to Boeing and others last month at the Paris Air Show, according to Bloomberg News. Passengers would board a pod at a local train station, according to Akka CEO Maurice Ricci, then at the airport, a cockpit and wings would be added to the pod and it would take off as usual. Passenger screening and security procedures could be completed during the ride to the airport, and the system would bypass or simplify many of the usual travel chores, such as dealing with luggage and parking. Ricci said potential customers in Asia have expressed interest in the design, but declined to name any specific companies.

The Akka link-and-fly concept is about the size of an Airbus A320, and would carry up to 162 passengers on short-range flights. The seats also could be removed for conversion to freight hauling. Planes need to become more efficient, less polluting and less noisy, said Ricci. Our role is to point our customers to technologies of the future. The company has created a video mock-up to promote the idea.
Elon Musk yesterday sent the tweet heard round the Street:

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Bottom line: Only Elon Musk knows the full story here, and he isn't being very transparent with his shareholders, employees or us in the media. That's why shares today will open below $400, let alone below $420. The skepticism is on him, and will persist until he answers some pretty basic questions.

Lots to break down here:

"Am considering taking Tesla private at $420."

It's not really surprising that Musk would want to take Tesla private, given how prickly he can get when bank analysts question the company's performance. And there's always the standby argument about how long-term, strategic planning is easier at a private company than at a public one.

As for the $420 per share  that tracks fairly close to the market-standard 20% premium, even though it also tracks exactly to cannabis market slang.

"Funding secured."

This is where it gets really interesting. For starters, Musk doesn't identify the funders  neither in his tweet, nor in a follow-up blog post.

And multiple sources tell me it's none of the usual suspects on the debt side (i.e., big Wall Street banks). Nor many on the equity side, such as big strategics (not Apple or Uber), private equity (not KKR, Mithril, Silver Lake, TPG, etc.) nor deeper financial pockets (not SoftBank or Mubadala).

One big wildcard remains the Saudis, particularly since Musk's tweet came shortly after an FT report that a Saudi fund had acquired a $2 billion position in Tesla, and because the Saudis have major interest in solar energy.

No other reporter so far has managed to find any of Musk's financing partners either. Or perhaps I should say his supposed financing partners. Because...

Regulatory ruin

If Musk didn't actually have enough funding secured when he tweeted, then the SEC should come down on him like a bag of batteries. And the shorts will create a full employment act for plaintiffs' lawyers.

Companies are allowed to disclose material information via social media, but disclosing false or misleading information remains off-limits. The first part of Musk's tweet was aspirational, but the second part was factual.

Security concerns

If Musk is getting financing from a non-U.S. actor like the Saudis, expect any deal to undergo a CFIUS review. Not so much because Tesla makes connected cars or residential solar panels, but more because it's involved in utility-scale energy efforts. I'd also think the current trade tensions would eliminate any Chinese tech company from contention.

Precedent

There is none for buyout-by-tweet, but lots of folks have been comparing Musk's efforts to those of Michael Dell in 2013. But there are a lot of big differences:

Dell didn't publicly ponder an acquisition. He made a formal, detailed offer that named private equity and lending partners. And this led to the company forming a special committee, which hasn't happened yet at Tesla (although members of the board just said that Musk first broached the topic with them last week).

Dell didn't push himself to meet his quarterly number right before the takeover attempt, thus driving up the price.

Dell didn't offer to let existing shareholders roll over their equity (more on that in a minute), nor was there widespread belief that his company would need a subsequent cash infusion.

Structure

At $420 per share, Tesla's equity would be valued at $71.6 billion and its overall enterprise value would be around $85 billion (including debt). Musk currently holds a 19.87% equity stake, which means he'd theoretically need around $57 billion in financing. But Musk also wants to let existing shareholders roll over maybe into a Fidelity-run special purpose vehicle, like exits has for the never-public SpaceX  so his ultimate needs could be much less.

It's worth noting that Musk reportedly didn't gauge major shareholder interest prior to his tweet, so the SEC should hold him to the full $57 billion when judging "funding secured."

Go deeper with today's Axios Pro Rata podcast.
Gretchen Whitmer has won the Democratic primary for governor of Michigan.

Why it matters: This primary was a perfect example of the progressive lefts fight to shake up the Democratic Party. But Whitmer's victory shows Michiganders arent yet ready for a hard-left turn.

Expand chart

The progressive momentum behind Abdul El-Sayed was undeniable and we witnessed that when we visited Michigan 10 days before the primary. But it didn't capture a critical mass of voters in the state to move the needle in his direction.

Be smart: Women have been crushing in Democratic primaries this year and Whitmer is no exception. She was backed by EMILY's List, a group that has proven to rival Trump's power in the primaries.
Six months before the U.S. and Israel are due to withdraw from the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare phone call with the director general of the agency, Audrey Azoulay. Netanyahu might meet Azoulay next month to discuss the possibility of Israel remaining in the organization.

Why it matters: Last October, the Trump administration announced the U.S. would withdraw from UNESCO by the end of 2018, due in part to perceived anti-Israeli bias. Two months later, a day after the UN general assembly condemned President Trump's Jerusalem announcement, Israel decided to join the U.S. in withdrawing. A senior Israeli official tells me Israel's calculations might now be changing.

The senior official said Netanyahu initiated the call to Azoulay three weeks ago to thank her for her efforts in fighting anti-Israeli bias in the agency and to commend her for the fact UNESCO did not condemn Israel in its two latest sessions, in April and July.

The Israeli official said Azoulay invited him to participate in a special UNESCO meeting on fighting anti-Semitism.

UNESCO's director general also told Netanyahu she is making efforts to change the way Israel has been treated in UNESCO, and added that she would like to meet him in New York in September to discuss the possibility of postponing Israel's withdrawal from the organization.

Where things stand: The Israeli official said it is likely the two will meet but a Netanayhu aide told me there is no decision on the issue yet.

Israeli officials told me one of the ideas being considered in Israel is to postpone Israel's withdrawal from UNESCO by 6-12 months in order to see if the positive trends in the organization continue. Israel's ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-Hacohen told the Israeli press in June that he thinks it is worth reconsidering the withdrawal.

But the Israeli officials also say any Israeli decision to change course will have to be discussed with the Trump administration. Israeli officials are not sure how the U.S. would react to such a move.

"We can't ignore the Americans and we have to take their position into account before deciding if we stay or leave."

 Senior Israeli official
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who holds a razor-thin lead over incumbent Jeff Colyer in Kansas' Republican gubernatorial primary dubbed too close to call, said Wednesday that he will not recuse himself from a recount process.

Why it matters: Kobach's position as the states top election official and a staunch ally of President Trump conflicts with concerns that have been raised about the integrity of his involvement in past U.S. elections. However, local reports explain there's no law mandating him to recuse himself from a recount.

"The recount thing is done on a county level, so the secretary of state does not actually participate directly in the recount," Kobach said at a campaign event, per The Kansas City Star. "The secretary of states office merely serves as a coordinating entity overseeing it all but not actually counting the votes."

Kansas does not have a policy for an automatic recount, and Kobach and Colyer did not rule out the possibility of one they would have to request. However, candidates may request a recount if the margin is less than 0.5%.

The details: As of Wednesday, Kobach was leading by less than 200 votes as remaining ballots continue to be counted. He said Republicans cannot wait until the race is resolved next week to start campaigning, so he will begin immediately as the presumptive winner. "I'm carrying the baton for the first week with the full knowledge I may hand the baton to Jeff," Kobach said.

At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Colyer expressed optimism that the outstanding provisional and mail-in ballots will go in his favor. He said he won't make a decision on a recount until those ballots are counted.

It can "clearly change the course of this outcome.  They will go our way," he told reporters. Colyer explained the need for unity among Republicans despite the outcome, saying: "Its important that a Republican governor is elected in November."

The other side: The Democratic nominee for governor is veteran state Senator Laura Kelly. The Associated Press notes that she has been appealing to moderate Republican voters. Some Republicans are reportedly worried that Kobach, who led Trump's now-disbanded voter fraud commission, would be too polarizing  a benefit for Democrats.
Underdog Wesley Bell upset incumbent Robert McCulloch in the democratic primary for top prosecutor of St. Louis County, bucking the prosecutor of nearly 30 years on the promise of criminal justice reform.

The big picture: The criminal justice system in St. Louis has been under fire since unarmed teenager Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in 2014 and charges against the officer were dropped. There's no Republican challenger for the general election in November.

Why it matters: Bell is more liberal than McCulloch and has run a campaign focused on upending the criminal justice system in the city. His victory shows that residents are still deeply dissatisfied with the way prosecutors handled Brown's case, and they're eager to see change.

Bell, 43 and previously a municipal court judge, focused on specific, popular pledges in his campaign:
Republicans are claiming a victory by less than 2,000 votes in the Ohio special election.

Expand chart Data: Associated Press; Chart: Axios Visuals

Why it matters: Troy Balderson may have claimed victory over Democrat Danny OConnor (who's not conceding yet), but after out-spending Democrats five-to-one and winning by less than one percentage point, it's not much for Republicans to celebrate.

Be smart: This race was more about Trump vs. Nancy Pelosi than Balderson, and his victory gives Republicans evidence that their tried-and-true playbook still works.

The president campaigned with Balderson just days before the primary and Republicans tied OConnor to a number of ads tying him to Pelosi.

President Trump immediately claimed victory, tweeting: "When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better."

The bottom line: Republicans will sleep a little easier tonight, but this victory won't reassure them that the House isn't lost come November. There's no reason a district that is overwhelmingly white and that voted for Trump by 11 points in 2016 should've been this close.

This is a telling statement from Congressional Leadership Fund Executive Director Cory Bliss: "While we won tonight, this remains a very tough political environment and moving forward, we cannot expect to win tough races when our candidate is being outraised. Any Republican running for Congress getting vastly outraised by an opponent needs to start raising more money."

One more thing: There are 79 GOP districts more competitive than Ohio's 12th, where Trump got less than the 53% he earned in this district in 2016.
Southern California Gas Company reached a $120 million settlement with both the county and state government after a gas leak at a storage facility in October 2015 that allowed natural gas to flow into the air for months, Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced on Wednesday.

The big picture: The settlement still needs approval from the Los Angeles Superior Court, but if given the green light it would create a new internal safety committee, retain an ombudsman, and shift costs on paying the settlement away from the company's local ratepayers.
Despite the "optimistic or airbrushed predictions" about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, thousands of Americans have died and the battles seem far from over, Marine Corps infantry veteran and writer-at-large C.J. Chivers writes for The New York Times Magazine.

Why it matters: "In early October, the Afghan war will be 17 years old. ... With this anniversary, prospective recruits born after the terrorist attacks of 2001 will be old enough to enlist."

The big picture

Since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq started, more than three million Americans have served in uniform, Chivers writes; "[n]early 7,000 of them have died."

The policies that sent these Americans overseas "have not succeeded," while the wars have continued to prove "astonishingly expensive" and "strategically incoherent."

"have not succeeded," while the wars have continued to prove "astonishingly expensive" and "strategically incoherent." While the U.S. worked to rebuild the governments of these two countries, they're "fragile, brutal and uncertain." As Chivers writes: "Much of the infrastructure the United States built with its citizens' treasure and its troops' labor lies abandoned. ... Billions of dollars spent creating security partners also deputized pedophiles, torturers and thieves."

They continue today without an end in sight, reauthorized in Pentagon budgets almost as if distant war is a presumed government action.

 Chivers

One recruit's story

Chivers follows Specialist Robert Soto, a New Yorker who was 10 years old at the time of the 9/11 attacks, and decided at that young age that he "would protect the United States" and eventually enlist.

Soto got to the Korengal Outpost ("nicknamed the Valley of Death") in Afghanistan seven years after the war had started.

("nicknamed the Valley of Death") in Afghanistan seven years after the war had started. While he was on patrol one day , Soto learned a staff sergeant on a separate patrol had collapsed and died: "Block, he thought. Shut down emotions. You cant dwell. You can think about this now, or we can get back safe and you can think about it later. Soto chose later. He was 18 years old, switching part of himself off."

, Soto learned a staff sergeant on a separate patrol had collapsed and died: "Block, he thought. Shut down emotions. You cant dwell. You can think about this now, or we can get back safe and you can think about it later. Soto chose later. He was 18 years old, switching part of himself off." After losing the man he'd looked up to since the start of his enlistment, Staff Sgt. Nathan Cox, Soto "was no longer the teenager who enlisted to protect his city. Grief and rage and powerlessness brought with them the enlisted infantry soldier's timeless realization: The best guys always seem to lose."

Sgt. Soto received an honorable discharge in 2012, enrolling in college and keeping "his status as a veteran to himself." He graduated with a political science degree from Columbia University two years later.

Six years later, he's still "trying to come to terms with his Korengal tour," Chivers writes, wondering if there would be "accountability" for those that sent them there.

he's still "trying to come to terms with his Korengal tour," Chivers writes, wondering if there would be "accountability" for those that sent them there. "[T]he services and the Pentagon seemed to have been given passes on all the failures and the drift."

They just failed as leaders. They should know: They failed, as leaders. They let us down.

 Robert Soto

Go deeper: Read Chivers' full NYT piece.
Iraq's agricultural and farming sectors have suffered by a prolonged reduction of water levels in rivers Photo: Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera

Radwaniya, Iraq  The Tigris today is far shallower than it was a year ago, and for farmers in Iraq, that's a catastrophe.

Why it matters: Increasingly erratic rainfall across the region, along with the construction of dams in upstream Turkey and Iran, have all reduced the amount of water flowing in the key rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates by at least 50% in recent decades, according to Iraqi government officials. Abdel Rahman al-Mashhadani, an economic expert, says a large number of people have migrated from rural areas to the cities as a result of the water shortages. "Our urban areas are imploding and unemployment is on the rise," he says.

The prolonged reduction of water levels in rivers slashes electricity generation from hydroelectric dams, which, in turn, affects the water supply for agriculture and eventually forces the country to import more food than it already does. The increasingly dry seasons have not only resulted in reduced rainfall, but also made the water that is available salty and unsuitable for farming.

According to Zafer Abdullah, an adviser to Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources, Iraq has "only enough water to irrigate half of its farmland this summer." Consequently, the government has now banned the plantation of summer crops, including corn and paddy rice cultivation.

Abdelrahman Mansour, 23, says he was left with no choice but to abandon farming and become a construction worker. "We tried to keep our farms alive and well, but the salt water has killed everything," he says.

Omar Di'ibil, 35, has been a farmer in Radwaniya, on the outskirts of Baghdad, all his life  just like his father and grandfather before him. Like many others across the country, this year's crippling water shortage has left him able to grow just a few hectares of wheat and barley. Soon, he says, there won't be enough water to grow anything on his once-fertile lands.

What to watch: Turkey and Iran are already holding back water from the Tigris and Euphrates to feed their growing population in a warming climate. Unless new deals are reached, this situation will only get worse, especially after Turkey began holding back water behind its Ilisu Dam on July 1, say officials.
In recent days, Saudi Arabia has thrown a fit over Canada's call for the release of recently-jailed activist Samar Badawi, an outspoken champion of womens rights.

Between the lines: By the standards of the old pantomime act in which Western governments criticize Saudi Arabias appalling human rights record but more or less leave the energy-rich and strategically aligned kingdom alone, Canadas statement hardly stands out. So why the furious response?

The latest...

Riyadh has kicked out the Canadian ambassador, recalled its own envoy, cancelled flights between the two countries, and put a freeze on new bilateral trade and investment.

A pro-government youth club went so far as to post (but then remove) an image that seemed to threaten Canada with a 9/11 style terrorist attack.

The bigger picture...

First, theres a domestic angle. Saudi Arabias young Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman is liberalizing parts of Saudi society as part of a broader bid to attract foreign investment and reduce his countrys dependence on oil revenues.

But as part of that plan, hes staged a power grab and crushed dissent to minimize challenges from rival princes or from conservative circles who hate what hes up to. This, for example, explains why Prince Mohamed sees no contradiction in allowing women to drive while also arresting the women who have campaigned for allowing women to drive.

hes staged a power grab and crushed dissent to minimize challenges from rival princes or from conservative circles who hate what hes up to. This, for example, explains why Prince Mohamed sees no contradiction in allowing women to drive while also arresting the women who have campaigned for allowing women to drive. By lashing out at Canada  a country big enough to matter, but small enough not to risk any serious fallout  he is sending a signal: external criticism is now just as off-limits as internal criticism.

Second, theres an external angle: the Trump effect. Just to be clear, the US has never  under any administration -- really put the screws to Saudi Arabia (or any other Sunni Arab allies) over human rights. But no modern US President has been as unapologetically uninterested in human rights issues as Donald Trump.

At the same time, Trump has signaled he is firmly in Saudi Arabias corner when it comes to the Kingdoms key foreign policy objective, which is to crush Iran. Where Obamas embrace of the Arab Spring and the Islamic Republic raised fears in Riyadh, Trump has set the House of Saud at ease.

What to watch: Will Trump intervene on behalf of very weak and dishonest Justin Trudeau? Doubtful. And while Ottawa and Riyadh will probably eventually work this all out, other authoritarians will surely take notice that on Trumps watch theres room to be tougher at home and pricklier abroad.

Sign up for Signal, a twice-weekly newsletter from GZERO Media, a Eurasia Group company, and follow @saosasha on Twitter.
After winning the presidential election in Zimbabwe last week, Emmerson Mnangagwa is pursuing a campaign of violence and intimidation in opposition strongholds. His opponent, Nelson Chamisa, claims to have won the election and is challenging the results in the courts, with hints that his supporters will take to the streets if necessary.

The big picture: Zimbabwe is in for a bout of violence and intimidation that will likely result in Mnangagwa and Chamisa striking a balance of power and wealth. Civil war will be avoided, and the settlement, whatever it is, will probably be welcomed and endorsed by foreign governments and businesses. But in all likelihood, there will be little progress in Zimbabwe toward democracy and the rule of law.

This vote has eerie echoes of Kenya's 2017 elections, when incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta used his control of state media and security forces to secure the presidency, but was challenged by Raila Odinga, who, in effect, threatened civil war. The crisis ended with a personal deal between the rival leaders.

In Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa had even more media and security control and exploited a longstanding atmosphere of opposition intimidation.

There's a long list of similarities between the two countries. Both are:

Potentially rich, with abundant natural resources and fertile soil.

Former colonies of white (mostly British) settlement, whose economies were dominated by a wealthy white-minority that ruled through racism and segregation.

Deeply divided along ethnic lines, following independence struggles marked by violence (though it lasted far longer in Zimbabwe).

Ruled by new, dynastic political elites who appropriated much of their countrys post-independence wealth, with little trickling down to the mass of the population.

Countries where elections are occasion for violence.

What's next: In Zimbabwe, as in Kenya, politics are highly transactional. Personalities and power outweigh principle. Hence, it is easy to imagine that Mnangagwa and Chamisa could make a personal deal, as Kenyatta and Odinga did, though the likely elements of such an agreement aren't yet clear.

John Campbell is the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
By Rashid Shirinov

The employment portal, which is under development, will be integrated into the electronic information system, Azerbaijani Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev said on August 7.

He noted that this will allow a citizen, in case of his release from work, that is, the termination of the employment contract with him, to immediately register on the employment portal as a job seeker and find a vacant position.

The minister made the remarks at the meeting of the working group on preparation of proposals to improve the efficiency and transparency of activities in the field of effective employment of the population, and strengthen the social protection of the unemployed and job seekers.

Babayev noted that one of the main goals of the ongoing reforms is to improve the quality of public employment services, ensure the flexibility of services in this area, their accessibility to the unemployed and job seekers.

Work continues in this direction on the electronic construction of employment services, creation of the employment portal. At the same time, a new service model will be created in the State Employment Service under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population within the relevant twinning project together with European experts and based on the best European practice, the minister said.

Babayev added that proposals are being developed to improve the self-employment program.

It is necessary to increase attention to wide application of the programs possibilities, as well as to allocation of workplaces based on quotas at enterprises in order to provide these people with work, he noted.

The minister also spoke about the expansion of the network of regional training centers for the unemployed and job seekers.

The meeting also discussed the work carried out by the working group, proposals to improve the efficiency of active employment activities, projects being implemented in the field of international cooperation, etc.

The data by Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee says that 36,600 people were officially registered as unemployed in the country as of July 1, 2018, and 36.9 percent of them were women. The average monthly unemployment benefit was 287.2 manats ($168.69) in June.

As of early July 2018, the economically active population of Azerbaijan was nearly 5.109 million people. As many as 1.545 million people accounted for hired workers, including 886,800 people - in the public sector and 658,600 people - in private sector.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan and the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the country have signed a memorandum on mutual cooperation on Aug. 8.

The document was signed by Chairman of State Customs Committee Safar Mehdiyev and the Chairman of the Board of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

Tajikistan and Azerbaijan plan to discuss increase in the volume of transit of Tajik aluminum through Azerbaijan and the supply of alumina from Azerbaijan to Tajikistan, ASIA-Plus reported.

This issue will be one of the discussion topics during the visit of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon to Baku on August 10-11.

Next year, the growth of aluminum prices in the world markets will be significant, and in this regard, Tajikistan plans to increase the production of this metal to 245,500 tons in 2019. In this regard, one of the main topics of the upcoming talks in Baku will undoubtedly be increase in the volume of transit of Tajik aluminum through Azerbaijan and the supply of alumina from Azerbaijan to Tajikistan, the source said.

He noted that the main part of the goods turnover between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan is made up of products of TALCO SUE, which are transported to Europe through Azerbaijani sea and railway routes. Tajikistan buys alumina, coke and other raw materials from Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Tajikistan established diplomatic relations on May 29, 1992. The cooperation between the two countries reached a new level in 2008, when the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation was launched. It coordinates the realization of economic ties and develops new proposals for future cooperation.

The contractual and legal framework of cooperation is secured by more than 40 agreements in trade, economic, banking, tax, cultural and investment spheres. The priority areas of economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan are non-ferrous metallurgy, agro-industrial sector, energy, light industry, transport and communications.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

Kazakhstan has offered Azerbaijan, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan to join the introduction of the Silk Road visa intended for tourists, Kazinform reported.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have already come to such an agreement. This regime will make it easier for foreign tourists following the Silk Road tourism products to cross the Kazakh-Uzbek border.

Multivisa between Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan is proposed to be introduced within the Modern Silk Road project. Currently, the countries of the Turkic Council are developing proposals for this tourism product.

We need to move from words to action and prepare quality solutions for tourism for the summit of the heads of state of the Turkic Council, which will be held in Kyrgyzstan on September 3. One of them may be the decision to approve the joint tourism product Modern Silk Road and jointly promote it at all international exhibitions with a single stand, Kazakh Culture and Sport Minister Arystanbek Mukhamediuly said at the recent meeting of tourism ministers of the Turkic Council in Astana.

He added that consideration should be given to the mutual recognition of visa regimes for foreign tourists following the tourist routes approved by the Turkic Council  the Silk Road visa.

The introduction of such a mechanism will be an analogue of the Schengen visa, but only for tourism purposes, Mukhamediuly said.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Naila Huseynli

The first stage of the work on the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor has been completed, and the part of the corridor in the territory of Azerbaijan is ready for full operation, Javid Gurbanov said at a meeting with Alan Lushnikov Deputy of Transport Minister of the Russian Federation.

The head of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC gave detailed information on Azerbaijan's transport and logistics capabilities, International Trans-Caspian Transportation Route, North-South, South-West transport corridors and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway connection.

He also added that the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor will play an important role not only in Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran, but also in other regional countries that want to increase their trade turnover.

The International NorthSouth Transport Corridor connects Northern Europe with South-East Asia.

The forecasts show that this corridor will create conditions for the expansion of trade relations of European countries, Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus in the Persian Gulf and India, and the Caspian littoral states with the Black Sea ports.

The issues of further expansion of bilateral cooperation were discussed at the meeting.

Lushnikov, for his part, highly appreciated the work done by the Azerbaijani side within the Corridor and noted the importance of mobilizing all the opportunities for involving the cargo transportation on the route.

The International NorthSouth Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe.

An intergovernmental agreement on the International North-South Transport Corridor between Russia, Iran and India was signed in St. Petersburg during the second Euro-Asian Conference on Transport in 2000. Two year later, the transport ministers of the participating countries signed a protocol on the corridor's official opening in St. Petersburg. At the moment, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Oman and Syria have acceded to the Agreement.
By Laman Ismayilova

YARAT Contemporary Art Space invites children to join Camping and Gramping Camp with their grandparents.

The event will take place at the Museum of Azerbaijani Painting of the 10th-11th Centuries on August 13-19.

The programme is dedicated to the exhibition "Labour, leisure and dreams:1960s-1980s through the eyes of Azerbaijani masters".

This exhibition brought together works by leading Azerbaijani painters painters Mikayil Abdullayev, Rasim Babayev, Sattar Bahlulzade, Gennady Brijatyuk, Nadir Abdurahmanov, Kamal Ahmed, Ujal Hagverdiyev, Igor Zhuk, Javad Mirjavadov, Boyukagha Mirzazade, Ashraf Murad, Toghrul Narimanbekov, Nadir Gasimov, Eldar Gurban, Maral Rahmanzade, Altay Sadigzade, Ogtay Sadigzade, Tahir Salahov, Khalida Safarova, Mahmud Taghiyev, Taghi Taghiyev, Farhad Khalilov, Gayyur Yunus who together defined a key period in Azeri Soviet art.

The theme of following master classes is "Dreams". Master classes will be conducted by talented puppet-artist Leyla Gabulova.

The works of event participants will be showcased at exhibition.

YARAT is an artist-founded, not-for-profit art organisation based in Baku, Azerbaijan, established by Aida Mahmudova in 2011. YARAT (which means 'create' in Azerbaijani) is dedicated to contemporary art with a long-term commitment to creating a hub for artistic practice, research, thinking and education in the Caucasus, Central Asia and surrounding region.

It comprises YARAT Art Centre, ARTIM Project Space, YARAT Studios, YAY Gallery and an extended educational and public programme. YARAT Art Centre, a 2000m converted Soviet-era naval building, opened in March 2015 and is the organisation's main exhibition space.

The exhibition programme features new commissions by artists responding to the region. It supports and provides access to artists from the region, while engaging and introducing established, international artists.

In October 2015, YARAT opened ARTIM, a central, accessible and dynamic space in Baku's Old City. ARTIM (meaning 'progress' in Azerbaijani) shows experimental practices and new work by emerging Azeri art professionals (selected through open call) and the international artists from the residency programme. It features multiple small-scale projects each year and hosts ARTIM LAB, a programme enabling young artists to engage in workshops and daily studio practice to generate new ideas and works.

In 2016 YARAT launched a renewed residency programme. Aimed at developing young Azerbaijani voices and emerging international artists, the focus is on new, innovative practices and artists with an interest in the region. The residency programme hosts 6 international and 4 local artists a year at YARAT Studios spaces.

Education has been at the heart of YARAT's activities since its creation. With a dedicated public

programme that includes courses, workshops, lectures, screenings, festivals, literature and theatre clubs and family weekends, YARAT aims to give access to broad audiences of all ages. The public programme invests proactively in building communities and nurturing a wider understanding of, and participation in, contemporary art.

Located on the National Flag Square the Museum of the 10th-11th Century Azerbaijani Painting was

founded by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The Museum was inaugurated in June 2015 by the

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and the First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

It presents works by both prominent and lesser-known Azerbaijani painters from State Collections, such as the National Picture Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art. From 2018 onwards YARAT was commissioned to present a series of exhibitions with the works from the collection and to organize a public programme of events running throughout the year.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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By Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order providing additional funds for the construction of a hydroelectric power station in the city of Ordubad, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Under the presidential order, 13.5 million manats will be allocated to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for continuing the construction of the 36 MW hydroelectric power station.

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By Trend

The individuals arrested in the US are citizens of Azerbaijan, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said.

A criminal gang, which includes citizens of Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Azerbaijan, was detained in the US. Members of the gang are accused of fraud and money laundering in the amount of $4.5 million.

Hajiyev said the US law enforcement agencies informed the embassy of Azerbaijan. He added that the consular service of the embassy is in contact with US law enforcement agencies to meet with the mentioned individuals.

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By Laman Ismayilova

Baku awaits changeable cloudy weather on August 9.

Short rain is predicted in some places in the morning and evening.

Strong north-west wind will blow.

The temperature on the peninsula will be +23-25C at night, +28-33C in afternoon in Absheron peninsula, +23-25C at night, + 30-32C in the afternoon in Baku, the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry reported.

Atmospheric pressure will be 755mm; relative humidity will be 70-80% at night, 50-55% in the afternoon.

sea water temperature will be 25-26 degrees on Absheron beaches (Sumgayit, Novkhani, Pirshaghi, Nardaran, Bilgah, Zagulba), the sea water temperature will be 26-27 degrees in southern beaches (Turkan, Hovsan, Sahil, Shikh).

North-west wind will blow.

Rainy weather is expected in some mountainous areas. West wind will blow.

The temperature will be +20-25C at night, +31-36C in daytime, +12-17C in mountains at night, +18-23C.

As for the medical-meteorological forecast, temperature regime near the climate normals and the advantage of occasionally intensifying north wind on Absheron peninsula will be favorable for meteo-sensitive people.

The ecologists warn that north-western wind expected to intensify in Baku and Absheron peninsula from August 9 to 12.

The weather will be unstable in some regions of Azerbaijan, from August 8 to August 12 in the northern and western regions, lightning and short term rain expected in some places. Showers and hail predicted in some places. The western wind will blow and occasionally intensify in some places. Air temperature will gradually drop by 3-5 degrees compared to previous days. It is expected that water level will increase in rivers and short-term floods expected in some mountain rivers of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus.

Unstable weather conditions will continue until August 11.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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By Trend

During the "Performing Artillery Shooting" stage of the international "Sea Cup 2018" competition, the seamen of the participating countries performed the tasks of "Shooting a Floating Mine" at a training ground in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message Aug. 8.

At this stage, the ships were supposed to hit a floating mine with artillery fire while on the move. The shooting was carried out from artillery installations at a distance of 200 meters.

An international referees board assessed the timely arrival of ships and the destruction of targets.

According to the results of the competition, Russia's team took first place, Azerbaijani team - the second place, Kazakh team - the third place, and Iran's team took the fourth place, with 40, 38, 36 and 20 points respectively.

The next stage of the competition is to be held in the second half of the day on Aug. 8.

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By Kamila Aliyeva

The U.S. withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and rising tensions between the two countries will be bullish for global oil prices, Abhishek Kumar, Senior Energy Analyst at Interfax Energy in London, told Azernews.

On the one hand, it will make it difficult for Iran to market its oil, thereby constraining supplies globally. On the other hand, there is a real risk that this could ratchet up the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East. Heightened tensions recently at straits of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb are testimonies to this, he noted.

Elsewhere, the U.S. sanctions on Iran also has the potential to hinder the ability of the OPEC to make unanimous decisions, which in turn could delay the cartel exiting from the output-cut agreement, according to the analyst.

This will also be supportive of oil prices, he said, adding that Interfax Global Gas Analytics forecasts the Brent crude front-month futures price will average $71/bbl in 2018 as a whole.

Speaking of the consequences of growing oil prices, the energy analyst said that high oil prices have contributed towards demand destruction in past, and a similar scenario cannot be negated if prices continue to climb.

This, in turn, will adversely impact global economic growth prospects. Countries such as the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Russia are already boosting their oil output; however, it is not a foregone conclusion whether this will be enough to balance potential production declines from Iran and Venezuela as well as Libyas uncertain output profile, Kumar added.

On May 8, President Donald Trump announced that the United States walks away from the accord reached in 2015 between Tehran and the six world powers. Trump also announced that the U.S. will re-impose the nuclear-related sanctions on Irans economy and oil exports, which were waived under the JCPOA.

As Iran is the third largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), renewed sanctions against the country will reduce the global supply of oil.

Meanwhile, the prices for black gold are catching some lift on Monday after a decline on Friday  this is how investors react to data on decrease in oil production facilities in the U.S. and rumors of a reduction in production in Saudi Arabia.

Brent crude oil futures were up 31 cents on the day at $73.52 a barrel by 0903 GMT, while U.S. futures rose 35 cents to $68.84 barrel.

According to sources in OPEC, Saudi Arabia pumped around 10.29 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in July, down about 200,000 bpd from a month earlier.

Markets also anticipated an announcement from Washington due later on Monday detailing renewed U.S. sanctions against major oil exporter Iran.

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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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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Guwahati, August 7 : Assam Rifles troops had apprehended a hardcore militant of NSCN-KN in Nagaland on Monday evening, officials said.





According to the reports, based on specific information Kohima battalion of Assam Rifles launched a search operation in general area Jail Colony, Kohima alongwith a police team.





During the search operation troops of Assam Rifles apprehended a militant belonging to NSCN-KN alongwith extortion slips.





The militant was identified as Ruokuosao Kengeruse an security personnel had recovered 29 extortion slips in possession from him.





The apprehendee alongwith recovered items were handed over to South Police Station for further investigation.




By Trend

After serious attacks by Armenian leadership against the CSTO, a statement by the Russian side is not enough, well-known Russian expert, publicist and public figure Dmitry Verkhoturov told Trend commenting on the recent events in Armenia directed against Russian policy, as well as the recent statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"I think it is time to raise the question whether Armenia is a reliable ally or not," Verkhoturov said.

The Russian minister made a harsh statement against Yerevan, noting that the events in Armenia (the arrest of former President Robert Kocharian and the criminal prosecution of CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov) are contrary to the statements of the new leadership about refusing to pursue its political predecessors.

In the Russian expert's opinion, the immediate cause of Kocharyan's and others' arrest is the struggle for power or more precisely, struggle to strengthen power in Yerevan.

"Pashinyan is eliminating all political competitors who could challenge him in the near future. This coincided with the fact that the arrested politicians have a pro-Russian orientation, and undoubtedly the Armenian prime minister's actions are directed against Russia. Criminal prosecution of the current head of the CSTO is meant to undermine the organization and paralyze its leadership. This step is clearly unfriendly, to say the least. If such incidents occur in peacetime, then what can be expected from 'our ally' in a more difficult situation?", Verkhoturov said.

"Pashinyan thinks he has put the CSTO in a difficult situation, and this incident should become a serious signal for Moscow," he added.

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By Trend

Uzbekistan will participate in the development of the agreement on free trade zone for services between the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Uzbek media reports.

In this regard a working group has been established. The working group, headed by Minister of Foreign Trade Jamshid Khodjaev, includes representatives of the ministries of finance, economy, justice, foreign affairs, national education, higher and secondary specialized education, the State Committee for Investments, the Central Bank, UzAvtoTrans, Uzbekistan Railways and Uzbekistan Airlines.

The draft agreement provides for access of organizations, companies and institutions to the CIS member states service markets.

The document covers all service sectors, including financial, banking, transportation, education, insurance and other services, except for services provided in public procurement.

The agreement on free trade zone for services within the CIS will not only facilitate free exchange of labor resources, realization of educational advantages, but will also create favorable conditions for investments by citizens of one CIS country in the territory of another CIS country, and will ensure the protection of these investments, Khodjayev said.

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By Trend

Iran, Iraq and Syria are planning to prepare a comprehensive plan for countering dust storms under the supervision of UN Development Program, the director of Iranian national committee in charge of fighting dust storm said on Tuesday, Irna reported.

In an exclusive interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Ali Mohammad Tahmasbi Birgani said that the aim of the quadrilateral agreement was to control the foreign sources of the dust storms.

Agreements between neighboring countries can persuade them to begin operations for countering dust storms and take steps to control sources of pollution that have affected our country, Tahmasbi Birgani said.

'Since 1997, several agreements have been signed with Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Qatar and Bahrain. But as these agreements were not binding, we decided to pursue the case of dust storm in international organizations so as to guarantee the implementation of agreements by the international conventions,' the official said.

He said that the costs needed for the implementation of the agreement will be provided by all the three contracting countries.

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By Trend

Kazakhstans KazAzot JSC and Chinas Inner Mongolia Berun Holding Group Co. Ltd will build a gas chemical complex worth over one trillion tenge in Kazakhstans Aktau city, the Kazakh media cited deputy head of the local government of Mangystau region Sholpan Ilmukhanbetova.

Ilmukhanbetova stressed that this project is planned to be implemented in the second half of this year.

"The complex will produce methanol, nitrogen fertilizers and olefins," she said.

"The gas chemical complex will be built in three stages," she said. "First of all, methanol and nitrogen fertilizer production plants with a capacity of 400,000 and 600,000 tons of products per year, as well as a gas power plant with a capacity of up to 300 MW of electricity will be built."

Ilmukhanbetova said that KazAzot has already reached an agreement with the Chinese partner on the establishment of a joint venture, which will become the parent company for a number of legal entities.

The Kazakh side will have a 39 percent share in the project, while the Chinese side - 61 percent.

In general, the total capacity of the whole project will be as follows: methanol - about one million tons per year, nitrogen fertilizers - 1.2 million tons, olefin - up to 600,000 tons per year.

Inner Mongolia Berun Group Co., Ltd. operates in the fields of the chemical industry, energy, financial services, food processing and logistics.

KazAzot JSC is Kazakhstans producer and exporter of ammonia and ammonium nitrate.

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By Trend

Kazakhstan's Kaz-Ir AGRO LLP made the first shipment of safflower oil to Japan in the volume of 37.3 tons, Kaz-Ir AGRO said.

Kaz-Ir AGRO is the first company in the history of Kazakhstan supplying food products to Japan, specializing in growing safflower, as well as producing unrefined safflower oil of cold pressing.

In June Kazakhstans exporter concluded the contract for safflower oil export to Japan.

The cooperation with Japan for Kaz-Ir AGRO is an opportunity to enter a big consumer market. Presently, the company is holding negotiations on the conclusion of an annual contract for the supply of safflower oil to the Netherlands.

The company exported 400 tons of products in January-June 2018. Safflower oil is exported to China, Czech Republic, Japan, Russia and Uzbekistan.

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By Trend

Iraq has lifted a ban on exports of five agricultural products from the Islamic Republic of Iran, a report said.

Iraqs Agricultural Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday, lifting restrictions on the import of garlic, potato, tomato, watermelon and lemon, IRNA news agency reported.

The ministry had banned the import of the agricultural products since 2015. It removed the ban after consultations and meeting with Iraqi and Iranian officials.

The average value of Irans exports to Iraq is the highest among those dispatched to other destinations.

According to Nasser Behzad, Irans commercial attache to Iraq, the average value of Irans exported commodities to Iraq during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22) stood at $527 per ton, which is 1.2 times higher compared to the average value of Irans exports elsewhere.

The average value of Irans exports to China and the UAE, the Islamic Republics first and second export destinations during the period under review stood at $336 and $456 respectively.

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By Trend

The temporary ban on import of gasoline by railway from Russia to Kazakhstan will come into force by August 10, 2018, the Kazakh media cited Deputy Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov as saying Aug. 7.

Akchulakov added that the introduction of a ban on the import of Russian gasoline is connected with overabundance of AI-92 gasoline in Kazakhstan after the completion of modernization of oil refineries.

Presently, the country has huge reserves of gasoline - more than 300,000 tons, which is almost a 30-day reserve of gasoline, he said.

Akchulakov added that the mechanism for introducing a ban on the import of gasoline is stipulated by a bilateral agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia within the Eurasian Economic Union.

The ban is introduced temporarily for three months after which, depending on the situation on the market, it can be canceled or prolonged.

At the same time, Astana does not intend to completely abandon the possibility of supply from Russia. There is a possibility of duty-free import of high-octane oil products.

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By Trend

The Iranian labor minister failed to win a vote of confidence in an impeachment session in the parliament on Wednesday.

The Iranian parliament impeached Ali Rabiei for his alleged mismanagement of unemployment and government enterprises, Tasnim news agency reported on august 8.

In the 290-seat parliament, 243 MPs were present in the voting session for the labor minister.

129 lawmakers voted in favor of Rabiees dismissal, while 111 voted against the plan to dismiss the minister. Three lawmakers abstained.

Several cabinet members, including First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri accompanied Rabiei during the hearing at the legislature.

The labor minister was impeached for the second time in less than five months. He had survived a vote of no confidence on March 13.

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Guwahati, August 8 : The troops of Assam Rifles had recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition and a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Manipur on Wednesday.





According to the reports, based on intelligence input, Assam Rifles troops and Manipur police had jointly launched operation at Seitapur maning to saiton road under Kumbi police station in Manipurs Bishnupur district on Wednesday morning and recovered huge cache of arms, ammunition, grenades kept buried by suspected militants.





Security personnel had recovered one 303 Rifle with a magazine, five pistols with five magazines, one revolver, four Chinese hand grenades, 12 numbers gelatin sticks, two PEK, two detonate, wires, 14 rounds 9mm ammunition from the area.





Later, the recovered arms, ammunition, grenades were handed over to Kumbi police station for further necessary legal action.





On the other hand, the Assam Rifles troops had recovered a powerful IED weighing about 3 kg from Utlong area.





The Assam Rifles troops led by major Rohit Sharma had launched an operation with the help of Manipur police and recovered the IED.





Later, bomb squad team had defused the IED.




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We've seen Whataburger fans incorporate the brand into their weddings, prom dinners and other special occasions and one Texas girl has added to that list.

Evelyn Lopez Terrazas of Natalia turned 15 on Nov. 12 and weeks before, she took photos ahead of her quinceanera festivities in her quince ball gown surrounded by Texas accents, including cowgirl boots and, of course, Whataburger.

TRUE LOVE: Guy dances with a bag of Whataburger at his own wedding

When Evelyn told her mom, Evelyn, that she wanted to incorporate the Texas burger chain into her quinceanera photo shoot, she admittedly didn't know what to do.

"I had one of my friends make a big Whataburger sign for me with the 15 on the front," Evelyn told Chron.com over a phone interview. "We didn't think anything big would ever happen. She is in love with the brand and she wanted to do the photo shoot as a fun one."

Following the shoot, the 15-year-old shared her photos on Twitter and it quickly took off with more than 1,500 retweets and 11,500 likes.

"She told me that before this she had never gotten more than five likes on Twitter," Evelyn said. "Her friends were like, 'This is so awesome.' A lot of them are fans of Whataburger, too."

WHATAPROM: Teens have the most Texans prom ever at Whataburger

According to Evelyn, her friends at the high school call her the "Whata-model" now because of the photos.

Furthermore, because of the popularity of the post, Whataburger has reached out to the family to send them some Whataburger swag.

To see the photos of the Whataburger-themed photo shoot, go through the gallery above.

Heather Leighton is a digital reporter at Chron.com. She considers herself as a Jack(ie) of all trades and covers various topics from entertainment to politics. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on Twitter at @loveheathernoel.
A man was arrested early Wednesday after he allegedly started a fire near Congressman Lloyd Doggett's office in downtown San Antonio, police said.

Around 4:15 a.m., the suspect, 33-year-old Richard Casares, ignited a fence adjacent to the congressman's office in the 200 block of West Travis, according to Woody Woodward, a spokesman for the San Antonio Fire Department.

RELATED: Man charged in death of 10-year-old San Antonio girl had been previously found insane

The fire almost reached the office's roof, but firefighters intervened and quickly extinguished it, police said. The fire caused minimal damage to the structure.

"It was just a small fire," he said. "We put it out in no time."

Casares allegedly admitted to starting the fire and was arrested. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on charges of arson and criminal mischief. At this time, authorities do not believe he was targeting the congressman or the office.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) serves Texas' 35th district, which stretches along the Interstate 35 corridor from southeast Austin to southeast San Antonio. He was elected to his current role in 2012.

"My great thanks to our police and firefighters, who responded quickly and professionally to contain the damage and assure no loss of life, and to my District Director MaryEllen Veliz, who was promptly on the scene," the congressman said. "Their efforts assure that we will be fully accessible today to anyone with a federal concern."

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




Imphal, August 8 : In a major boost to the India-Myanmar bilateral relations, two international entry and exit points between the two countries were officially opened on Wednesday.





The entry and exit points were opened on the Moreh-Tamu border in Manipur and Sagiang division and Zokhawthar-Rihkhawdar in Mizoram and Chin state.





After opening the two major international entry and exit points, it will develop business ties between India and Myanmar and also promote tourism sector.





The Myanmar government has started facility for Visa on arrival with effect from Wednesday.





Even though, the citizens of the both neighbouring countries are allowed to free movement up to 16 kms of their territory.





The landmark Land Border Crossing Agreement between India and Myanmar was signed on May 11 this year.





A special function was held at the India-Myanmar Friendship Bridge near Moreh to open Moreh-Tamu entry-exit points in presence of U Aye Lwin, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour, Myanmar government, Dr Suhel Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary of Manipur government.





Following the opening ceremony at the India-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, the Myanmar government delegation team was given a tour of the Integrated Check Point (ICP) facilities at Moreh in Manipur.





On the other hand, U Salai Lian Luai, Chief Minister of Chin state, Pu H Rohluna, Mizoram Commerce and Industries minister were present in the opening ceremonial function of Zokhawthar-Rihkhawdar border points.




U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield sentenced Mustak Y. Vaid, MD, to 18 months in prison for participating in a $30 million scheme to defraud Medicare and the New York State Medicaid program.

Here are the key facts in the case:

1. Dr. Vaid falsely posed as the owner of a medical clinic and falsely claimed he had treated and examined hundreds of patients he hadn't seen.

2, He pled guilty to healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud November 13, 2017.

3. Dr. Vaid is the seventh defendant and the first physician sentenced after pleading guilty in this case and a related case. Aleksandr Burman, the leader of the scheme, was sentenced in a related case May 8, 2017 to 10 years in prison.

4. Between 2007 and 2013, Mr. Burman owned and operated six medical clinics in Brooklyn, N.Y., that fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid approximately $30 million for unnecessary medical services, services that weren't completed or were otherwise fraudulently billed.

5. Under New York state law, medical clinics must be owned and operated by a medical professional. Mr. Burman, who was not a medical professional, hired Dr. Vaid and other medical professionals to pose as nominal owners of the clinics.

6. Dr. Vaid signed fraudulent documents falsely representing him as the owner of Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Ocean Side Medical to CMS, banks and other institutions.
Zimmer Biomet supplied artificial knee implants to two hospitals in Guatemala for physicians to perform total knee replacements, Inside Indiana Business reported.

Here are five facts to know:

1. The donation is part of a two-year commitment to supply the hospital with $500,000 of surgical equipment.

2. Twenty to 30 total knee replacements will be performed on each trip.

3. Zimmer Biomet donated 100 implants, enough inventory for one year, to the hospitals.

4. The company partnered with the organization Faith in Practice to make the donation.

5. Zimmer Biomet will send a surgical team along with the implants to perform the surgeries.
Northwestern Medicine is laying off 60 IT staffers after it launched a new health records system in March, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago-based health system began its transition to Epic nearly three years ago and added hundreds of IT staff to assist with implementation, a Northwestern Medicine spokesperson told the publication.

Now that the EHR is live, Northwestern Medicine conducted a "thorough and thoughtful" review of its future information services needs, and 60 of the workers brought on for the project were told Aug. 6 that their positions would be eliminated Sept. 1. Other staffers were moved "laterally" to new roles, the Tribune reports.

"Every effort was made to minimize the effect of these changes on staff, but unfortunately a small percentage of staff were impacted," the spokesperson told the publication. "We are now assisting the impacted individuals to find new roles in the health system."

Becker's Hospital Review attempted to reach Northwestern Medicine the morning of Aug. 8 to determine how many staffers will remain in the department. The health system hadn't yet returned requests for comment at the time of publication.

Northwestern Medicine encompasses seven hospitals and about 100 medical offices and immediate care centers. It employs nearly 4,000 physicians.




Guwahati, August 8 : A youth, who was arrested on the charge of blackmailing few girls had allegedly committed suicide after escaping from police custody at Panikhaiti area, outskirts of Assams capital city Guwahati on Wednesday.





According to the reports, the youth identified as 23-year-old Chandan Bharali was arrested by the Guwahati city police from Panikhaiti area in a blackmailing case and lodged in lock-up at Panikhaiti police outpost.





On Wednesday morning, the youth was found hanging by the neck from a tree near the police outpost.





The dead body was recovered within just 150 meter from the police outpost from where he allegedly escaped.





Some local media reported that, the youth hailing from Chhaygaon area in Kamrup (Rural) district had allegedly posted some obscene photographs of a girl in the social media and the guardian of the girl had lodged a complaint at Panikhaiti police outpost.





Meanwhile, the District Magistrate of Kamrup (Metro) district had ordered for an enquiry into the incident.





The Chandrapur circle officer has been entrusted to cause an enquiry to find out the circumstances leading to the death of the youth and asked him to submit the reports within 15 days.




Norfolk, Neb.-based Faith Regional Health Services President and CEO Mark Klosterman resigned, according to a Norfolk Daily News report.

Here are five things to know:

1. Mr. Klosterman is "leaving to pursue other opportunities" hospital officials told the Norfolk Daily News.

2. He assumed the top post at the organization in 2014.

3. During his tenure, the organization implemented the Epic EHR system, opened 20 clinics and recruited 44 physicians.

4. Faith Regional Senior Vice President and COO Kelly Driscoll will serve as interim president and CEO.

5. Faith Regional Health Services includes a 131-bed acute care facility as well as physician clinics and outpatient centers.
As hospitals address physician burnout by appointing chief wellness officers for their employees and medical schools revise curriculums, healthcare is neglecting one clear solution  physicians seeing more healthy patients, a physician argues in The Washington Post.

Five insights from the op-ed, written by Ravi Parikh, MD, a fellow in hematology and oncology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia:

1. Dr. Parikh describes a day at the clinic where he had several challenging appointments for patients with deteriorating conditions, saying how he dreaded telling them bad news. But between these appointments, Dr. Parikh saw a patient who had surgery about a year ago to remove a lung tumor and was looking healthy.

Dr. Parikh gave the patient a clean bill of health, asking him to come in for a checkup in three months. The patient questioned why he needed to return if his condition looked good, especially since the visits reminded him that he once had cancer.

2. "I told [the patient] that, while I sympathized, most patients in remission should see their oncologist periodically after finishing therapy to monitor their cancer and address possible side effects. He agreed and scheduled an appointment," Dr. Parikh writes.

"What I did not say  or even consciously realize at the time  was that I needed to see him as much as he needed to see me."

3. But healthy patients are often pushed out of medical appointments, Dr. Parikh says, fueled by the 20 million newly insured patients with more access to healthcare after the ACA passed.

Additionally, recent articles in major consumer and academic venues argue against patients having an annual physical, saying healthy patients may not benefit from these visits.

4. "But as one who treats people on the verge of life and death every day, I am starting to recognize the emotional toll," Dr. Parikh writes. "Between the gut-wrenching conversations about mortality and managing life-threatening complications of a treatment that my team prescribed, a full day of clinic can leave me drained, guilty or, even worse, depressed."

Dr. Parikh says even on his toughest days at work, he does not think seeing a healthy patient wastes clinic time. "On the contrary, when I saw that my patient who had survived lung cancer was on the schedule, I felt relieved," he says. "These are the patients who prevent me from burning out."

5. Even for patients with conditions less critical than cancer, having well visits can be important to their health, Dr. Parikh says. Physicians can discuss topics such as smoking cessation, exercise counseling and mental health, which are often ignored during sick visits.

"As more physicians become burned out and apprehensive about practicing medicine, we must realize that there are limits to what chief wellness officers, counseling and pep talks can accomplish," Dr. Parikh writes. "Only systems-level changes in how doctors treat and see patients will curb the rise in physician burnout. Perhaps healthy patient visits can be therapeutic for everyone."
Unionized workers at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence picketed two days before the latest planned negotiations with the hospitals' parent system, Providence-based Lifespan, according to the Providence Journal.

The picketing occurred after nurses and other workers  who are represented by the United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5098  voted "no confidence" in leadership, and agreed to leave the option open for a strike if they can't reach a contract agreement.

Workers also went on strike for three days on July 23. After a one-day lockout, they returned to their jobs July 27.

Both sides are slated to continue negotiations Aug. 8.

More articles on human capital and risk:

McLaren Macomb nurses picket over contract

Amid contract talks, Vermont medical center halts union dues collection

Rhode Island hospital workers encouraged to seek jobless benefits during lockout
The National Labor Relations Board ruled Aug. 6 that Pittsburgh-based UPMC unlawfully prohibited off-duty workers from unionization efforts, according to a Bloomberg BNA report.

The board said the medical center and related hospitals violated federal labor law when they banned the workers from discussing unionization with colleagues and labor representatives in areas not devoted to patient care, the report states. Board members said UPMC facilities also prohibited off-duty workers from distributing materials related to unionization in the hospital cafeteria.

Hospitals may allow union solicitation in patient care areas, and UPMC failed to provide information showing the ban in nonpatient care areas was needed to prevent disruptions to patients or caregivers, the board said.

When reached by Becker's Hospital Review, UPMC declined to comment on the ruling.

The board's ruling marks the most recent dispute between UPMC and the Service Employees International Union. In February, nurses represented by the union at UPMC McKeesport (Pa.) voted down an effort to decertify the SEIU.

More articles on human capital and risk:

McLaren Macomb nurses picket over contract

Amid contract talks, Vermont medical center halts union dues collection

Rhode Island hospital workers encouraged to seek jobless benefits during lockout
A physician was sentenced to 18 months in prison Aug. 1 for his role in a $30 million scheme to defraud Medicare and New York's Medicaid program, according to the Department of Justice.

The sentencing came after Mustak Vaid, MD, previously pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud. He posed as the owner of a medical clinic in Brooklyn and falsely claimed that he examined and treated hundreds of patients, according to court documents and statements made during his plea proceeding and sentencing.

Between 2007 and 2013, Aleksandr Burman owned and operated six medical clinics in Brooklyn. New York law requires medical clinics to be owned and operated by a medical professional, but Mr. Burman circumvented this requirement by hiring physicians, including Dr. Vaid, to pose as the owners. Dr. Vaid signed documents falsely representing to banks, Medicare, Medicaid and others that he was the sole owner of Ocean Side Medical of Brooklyn, according to the DOJ.

Mr. Burman and his co-conspirators used the six medical clinics to submit $30 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Vaid participated in the scheme by signing medical charts falsely stating he examined patients and by writing prescriptions and referrals for medically unnecessary tests and supplies, according to the DOJ.

Dr. Vaid is the seventh defendant to be sentenced after pleading guilty in the case and a related case. In May 2017, Mr. Burman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the scheme.

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A third employee was arrested on a charge of elderly neglect Aug. 3 in relation to the case of an elderly dementia patient who was allegedly duct-taped to a chair at an assisted living facility in Florida, according to the Sun Sentinel.

Last month, police Lashron Williams and Phygelle Brudent, former staff members at Regal Park Assisted Living Facility in Boynton Beach, Fla., with elderly abuse and false imprisonment for allegedly restraining a 67-year-old patient with duct tape July 3.

A confidential caller told detectives Ms. Tesyeux was also in the room when the patient was bound. Ms. Tesyeux did not help the dementia patient and failed to report the situation to other staff, according to an arrest report. Police arrested Ms. Tesyeux at a Florida airport upon her return from Haiti. She has since been freed on bond.

The Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration are conducting ongoing investigations into the assisted living center.

Ricki Kaneti, co-owner of Regal Park Assisted Living, said in an email statement, "The important fact here is that everyone at the facility is flourishing and that all the residents are safely enjoying their quality of life. The family and loved ones have all recuperated from the incident and are pleased with the steps and operations here ate the Boynton Beach Community.

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Becker's Hospital Review is pleased to honor the following 36 individuals as up-and-comers in the health IT and revenue cycle space.

This list includes leadership from hospitals and health systems across the country, entrepreneurs and executives with large companies who are making their mark. Many of the individuals featured here manage large teams and innovate to improve a healthcare organization's quality, workflow and patient experience.

Becker's Hospital Review accepted nominations for this list and developed the list through editorial review. Individuals and organizations do not pay and cannot pay to be included on this list.

Contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments on this list.

Jordan Bazinsky. Executive Vice President of Product and Strategy at Verscend Technologies (Waltham, Mass.). Mr. Bazinsky serves as the executive vice president of product and strategy for Verscend, where he manages the IT company's product portfolio and oversees analytics and marketing with a focus on innovation. Mr. Bazinsky joined Verscend in 2009 and has more than 15 years of healthcare experience, previously holding positions in strategy and new product development at The Advisory Board. He earned an MBA from Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard University.



Aaron Clifford. Senior Vice President of Marketing for Binary Fountain (McLean, Va.). Mr. Clifford oversees marketing functions including brand strategy and demand generation, for Binary Fountain, a patient feedback management provider. As senior vice president of marketing, Mr. Clifford is also responsible for product marketing and customer advocacy services. Prior to joining Binary Fountain, Mr. Clifford held leadership roles with Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, including senior director of digital marketing solutions.

Kenneth Colon. Co-Founder and CEO of Izzy Care (New York City). Mr. Colon is the co-founder and CEO of Izzy Care, an artificial intelligence-driven digital health and wellness platform that offers patients access to comprehensive primary care services via an incentivizing token system. The 22-year-old CEO attended the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where he founded the undergraduate neuroscience organization, won more than $20,000 in awards through the annual McCloskey Business Plan Competition, and assisted in virtual reality and neurophysiology research before leaving his senior year to pursue his business ventures full time.



Alex Coren. Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Wambi (Los Angeles). Ms. Coren not only serves as the co-founder and chief innovation officer of Wambi, a gamified-digital employee performance system powered by real-time patient feedback, but also acts as the co-founder and CEO of the company's affiliate organization, Carepostcard. She is a member of American Organization of Nurse Executives' Corporate Advisory Council and was named the top female student entrepreneur in the country in 2017 by the Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards, a program of the Entrepreneurs' Organization.



Paul Coyne, DNP, RN. Co-Founder and President of Inspiren (New York City). In addition to his role as president and co-founder of the healthcare technology startup Inspiren, Mr. Coyne serves as senior director of clinical informatics and advanced practice nursing at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He pivoted his career path from investing to healthcare after a stroke forced him to leave a derivative operations role at Goldman Sachs at age 26. By age 30, Mr. Coyne obtained doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees in nursing from New York City-based Columbia University while simultaneously earning an MBA in healthcare management and a master's of science in finance from Boston-based Northeastern University.



Christopher Frenz. Director of IT Infrastructure at Interfaith Medical Center (New York City). Mr. Frenz has served as director of IT infrastructure at Interfaith Medical Center since 2012 and is responsible for all IT and telecommunication systems at the 287-bed hospital. He is highly experienced in organizational IT and information security, previously acting as chief technology officer for the natural language search startup See-Thru-Search from 2010-12. Mr. Frenz has also authored two computer books and more than 75 technical articles.



Kyle Fetter. Executive Vice President and General Manager of Diagnostic Services at Xifin (San Diego). Mr. Fetter joined Xifin as director of molecular diagnostic services in 2010 and now serves as the healthcare technology company's executive vice president and general manager of diagnostic services. At Xifin, he has overseen and implemented the commercialization, billing and reimbursement processes for more than 70 molecular diagnostic companies releasing high-complexity lab testing services into the healthcare market. In his current role, Mr. Fetter provides strategic direction for molecular diagnostic companies at various stages of commercialization and third-party payer contracting, while also managing the development and commercialization of new web-based software products.



Mudit Garg. Co-Founder and CEO of Qventus (Mountain View, Calif.). Mr. Garg is responsible for overseeing Qventus' strategic direction as co-founder and CEO. The operations management company, which leverages artificial intelligence to help improve workflows, has secured more than $43 million in funding since launching its first customer in 2014. Mr. Garg has co-founded multiple technology companies, including the mobile video advertising platform Vdopia and the group-messaging platform Hive. He holds master's degrees in business administration and electrical engineering from Stanford (Calif.) University.



Caroline Gay. Associate Vice President of Analytics at Lakeland (Fla.) Regional Health. Ms. Gay serves as associate vice president of analytics at Lakeland Regional Health, where she established the health system's analytics division and helped the organization save more than $25 million in financial performance improvements over the last five years. Ms. Gay also implemented a dedicated analytics consultant support system at Lakeland Regional that contributed to a 28.5 percent decrease in central-line infection rates and a 15.2 percent drop in fall rates, along with reduced readmission rates for patients with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia.



Grant Geiger. Founder and CEO of EIR Healthcare (New York City). Mr. Geiger serves as founder and CEO of EIR Healthcare, a company that uses evidence-based modular design solutions to improve outcomes for healthcare facilities, providers and payers. Before founding EIR Healthcare in 2015, Mr. Geiger worked at Siemens Healthcare, where he became the company's youngest manager at age 25. He oversaw a $23 million annual capital budget and was invited to join the Siemens Top Talent program, which recognizes the top 1 percent of all employees at Siemens globally.



Katelyn Gleason. Founder and CEO of Eligible (New York City). Ms. Gleason is the founder and CEO of Eligible, a billing infrastructure startup that offers a publicly accessible healthcare application program interface. Since launching Eligible in 2012, Ms. Gleason has raised more than $25 million in funding from major investors including Reddit CEO Steve Huffman and Dropbox founder Drew Houston. She was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Healthcare list in 2015 and featured on Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business list in 2013.



Matthew Gonzales, MD. Chief Medical Information Officer of Providence St. Joseph Health's Institute for Human Caring (Renton, Wash.). Dr. Gonzales began his career as a software engineer before transitioning to the healthcare industry and becoming a palliative care physician. He now serves as chief medical information officer at Providence St. Joseph Health's Institute for Human Caring, where he combines medicine and informatics to enhance care quality and delivery. Before joining the hospital, Dr. Gonzales helped develop a public database that allows clinicians to tailor treatment for HIV patients. He was a recipient of the 2017 Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program grant, which honors emerging palliative care leaders.



Prabhjot Grewal. Associate Vice President of Revenue Cycle Operations at Montefiore Health System (New York City). At Montefiore Health System, Ms. Grewal oversees strategic pricing, chargemaster and revenue integrity. She is responsible for implementing and maintaining the health system's audit and process improvement divisions, as well as optimizing net revenues. Prior to taking on her current role, Ms. Grewal served as director of revenue management at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Before that, she was a revenue cycle consultant with Huron Consulting Group and Navigant Consulting, and served as an officer in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps.



Nicholas Haas. Advisory Senior Manager for Grant Thornton (Chicago). At Grant Thornton, Mr. Haas is responsible for helping clients combine existing and new technologies to enhance revenue cycle performance and efficiency from patient access through denial and follow-up management. Before joining Grant Thornton, Mr. Haas served as a consultant and was executive director of orthopedic services and director of physician integration and practice development at a large nationwide nonprofit integrated delivery system. He is currently working with a large academic medical center to redesign and implement a revenue cycle management solution.



Kari Hall. Vice President of Global Software Services at ResMed (San Diego). As vice president of global software services at ResMed, Ms. Hall is responsible for helping providers that treat patients with chronic diseases adopt connected health technologies. Ms. Hall also helps ensure these providers have the support and education they need to get the most out of these connected health tools. ResMed develops connected medical devices and cloud-based software apps to better diagnose, treat and manage sleep apnea, COPD and other chronic conditions.



David Harvey. Chief Product and Technology Officer for Formativ Health (New York City). Mr. Harvey first co-founded a telecommunications startup in the 1990s that was rolled into Premiere Communications in 1996. He then co-founded MedicalMessaging.net in 2001, which was sold to athenahealth in 2008. He left athenahealth in 2015 and now serves as the chief product and technology officer for Formativ Health, a technology-enabled health services company focused on the patient-provider experience. He also serves on the Georgia Tech College of Computing Advisory Board.

Jennifer Howe. Vice President of Clinical Operations for NSN Revenue Resources (Tampa, Fla.). Ms. Howe helped bring NSN Revenue Resources to fruition by assisting in laying the company's foundation. She previously owned and operated Stat Receivables. Leveraging her experience running a company aimed at management accounts receivables, Ms. Howe helped establish policies and procedures to guide NSN's revenue cycle management solution for ambulatory surgery centers across the U.S.



Bryan Hudson. Director of IT at NSN Revenue Resources (Tampa, Fla.). As the director of IT at NSN Revenue Resources, Mr. Hudson helped build the IT department from the ground up. He assists more than 140 users and 80 clients. Before joining NSN, Mr. Hudson worked as a field support technician for the Detroit Institute for Children and later as a client support analyst and incident manager for Caretech Solutions. Mr. Hudson maintains a side business as a freelance graphic designer and security analyst. In addition to his IT duties at NSN, he handles the companys graphic designs and manages other high-level projects.



Jennifer Hummel. Senior Vice President of Electronic Data Interchange at Zotec Partners (Carmel, Ind.). Ms. Hummel leads revenue cycle and practice management company Zotec Partners' client implementation, interface development, file management and credentialing efforts as the vice president of electronic data interchange. With experience in electronic data interchange and implementation project management across Zotec's specialties, Ms. Hummel is responsible for EDI enrollment and transactions.

Robert Lord. President and Co-founder of Protenus (Baltimore). Before co-founding Protenus, an analytics platform that uses artificial intelligence to detect data breaches in healthcare, Robert Lord was an MD candidate at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 2016, Protenus was named the International Association of Privacy Professionals privacy innovator of the year. A fellow at New America, which markets itself as a think and action tank, Mr. Lord also teaches courses on entrepreneurship at Johns Hopkins.



Annie McBride. Vice President of SaaS Strategy at ResMed (San Diego). As the vice president of software-as-a-service strategy at ResMed, Ms. McBride seeks opportunities for partnerships, acquisitions, investments and integrations. She has been managing global portfolios and products for more than a decade related to healthcare software and medical devices. She previously served as ResMed's director of strategic partners and director of global data integration. Before joining ResMed, Ms. McBride was brand manager for Zimmer Biomet's surgical portfolio.



Joe McMurray. Vice President of Patient Experience of Zotec Partners (Carmel, Ind.). As vice president of patient experience for revenue cycle and practice management company Zotec Partners, Mr. McMurray is an expert in all the company's specialties. He is specifically responsible for executing the company's strategic goals related to call center performance and overall patient experience. He also oversees all facets of patient payment posting. Prior to joining Zotec, Mr. McMurray gained experience as executive team director of services and support for WebLink International.

Juan Molina. Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at CareCloud (Miami). Mr. Molina served as the director of sales at CareCloud before transitioning to his current post as the vice president of strategy and business development, where he drives key initiatives and business partnerships that support the company's effort to bring cloud technology to ambulatory care. During his tenure, ambulatory care practices have increasingly used enterprise cloud technology to ease data exchange with hospitals, health systems and payers, as well as integrate that data into clinical, administrative and financial workflows.



Jacob Myers. CEO and Co-Founder of MedPilot (New York City). Mr. Myers is responsible for guiding the growth, client relations and fundraising strategies at MedPilot, a company he co-founded. The patient engagement platform developer assists several healthcare providers, revenue cycle management companies and practice management systems with patient financial care. Before founding MedPilot, Mr. Myers was a revenue cycle management consultant at Healthcare MCR.



Brent Newhouse. Co-Founder and Head of Customer Success at Qventus (Mountain View, Calif.). Mr. Newhouse is the co-founder and head of customer success at Qventus, an artificial intelligence company focused on simplifying healthcare operations. He oversees implementation projects at public, academic and community hospitals across the U.S. Before co-founding Qventus, he served as a business analyst at McKinsey & Co.'s healthcare practice and as a business operations and strategy associate at Google.



Randy Notes. Principal at KPMG (New York City). Mr. Notes is a principal at professional services firm KPMG, where he oversees revenue cycle management projects at major academic medical centers across southeastern Florida and the Carolinas. Mr. Notes provides hospital clients forward-thinking insights, such as incorporating analytics to manage receivables and deploying robotic process automation to manage small balances.



Justin Ohleen. Senior Client Success Manager at DocuTAP (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Mr. Ohleen spent 10 years working on Capitol Hill, including time in the office of the vice president and in Homeland Security, before moving to South Dakota to become a provider relations specialist with Avera Health Plans. In 2016, Mr. Ohleen joined DocuTAP and climbed to the position of client success manager, where he works with the company's larger clients to resolve issues and report on their status. With expertise in growth and efficiency, Mr. Ohleen provides trusted advice to clients and team members on process improvement.

Erin Petrie. Director of Revenue Cycle Management at Regent RCM (Westchester, Ill.). Ms. Petrie is the director of revenue cycle management for Regent RCM, a revenue cycle management company focused on ASC billing services and collections solutions. Before joining Regent RCM, Ms. Petrie served as the surgical services business manager at Oak Lawn, Ill.-based Advocate Christ Medical Center, where she managed revenue cycle and streamlined operations and staffing. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt practitioner.



Andrew Rainey. Executive Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Binary Fountain (McLean, Va.). Mr. Rainey is the executive vice president of strategy and corporate development at Binary Fountain. He brings years of sales, marketing and business development experience to the online reputation management company, including co-authoring the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's book Applying Social Media Technologies in Healthcare Environments. Before joining Binary Fountain, he worked in several industries, including healthcare, government, aerospace and defense.



Raj Ratwani, PhD. National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare at the MedStar Institute for Innovation (Washington, D.C.). Dr. Ratwani is the center director and scientific director at the National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare. His research focuses on promoting usable and safe health IT products, a commitment he also supports as a member of the federal Health IT Advisory Committee and the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality's health IT research committee. Throughout his career he has worked closely with health IT vendors to inform his policy work, including participation on expert panels for research firms and think tanks.



Parag Shah. President of Practice Solutions at Integra Connect (West Palm Beach, Fla.). Mr. Shah is president of practice solutions at Integra Connect, a health IT company that helps specialty practices thrive under value-based care. One of his key accomplishments at the company is developing, launching and scaling its value-based revenue cycle management solution for large specialty physician practices. Before joining Integra Connect, Mr. Shah served as president at Health Prime International, where he developed products related to revenue cycle management, EHRs and practice management.



Abhinav Shashank. Co-Founder and CEO of Innovaccer (San Francisco). Mr. Shashank is the co-founder and CEO of healthcare data platform company Innovaccer. The company, which he launched in 2014, counts more than 25 healthcare organizations among its customers and works with 10,000-plus providers to ease the transition to value-based reimbursements. In 2017, Forbes named Mr. Shashank to its 30 Under 30 Asia list for enterprise technology startups.



Rachel Soper Sanders. Patch Health (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Sanders is the co-founder and CEO of Patch Health, a practice management tool for concierge physical therapy services. Ms. Sanders is a serial entrepreneur who, prior to her startup career, worked as an investment banker with Raymond James, leading multiple $100 million mergers and acquisitions deals in the healthcare service sector. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston.



Ted Stokes. Vice President of Billing Service for WebPT (Phoenix). Mr. Stokes is the vice president of billing service for WebPT, an EHR, revenue cycle management and practice management software vendor for rehab therapy clinics. Mr. Stokes, who boasts 20-plus years in healthcare and more than a decade in revenue cycle management, held various leadership roles at home care equipment provider Apria Healthcare prior to joining WebPT, including vice president of billing center operations and region revenue manager. At WebPT, he supported the company's acquisition of billing and collections firm BMS Practice Solutions, integrated the companies' billing services teams and implemented standardized billing processes.



Emily Vaughn. Blockchain Product Director for Change Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.). As the blockchain product director for Change Healthcare, Ms. Vaughn oversees the company's blockchain development and integration strategy. She has prior experience assisting startups, small businesses and enterprise companies with cryptocurrency and blockchain adoption. Prior to joining Change, Ms. Vaughn was the head of business development at Los Angeles-based blockchain development company Gem, where she was responsible for the design of a consultative sales strategy for enterprise blockchain development. She also is a founding contributor to Distributed.com and Distributed: Health and the Hyperledger Healthcare Working Group.

Julie Yoo. Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Kyruus (Boston). Ms. Yoo is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of provider search and scheduling solutions company Kyruus. She also served as the company's founding chief product officer for about seven years. Before launching Kyruus, Ms. Yoo held various product leadership roles at Generation Health, a healthcare company focused on managing genetic testing benefits, and Knome, a whole genome sequencing service. She holds an MBA from Cambridge, Mass.-based MIT Sloan School of Management, is a member of the board of trustees for the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council and is a young global leader with the World Economic Forum.
Stephen Trzeciak, MD, a critical care physician at Camden, N.J.-based Cooper University Health Care, gave a TedxPenn talk about what he believes is the most pressing problem we face today as a society: a compassion crisis in healthcare.

Dr. Trzeciak further discussed this concept during an August 6 podcast from Knowledge@Wharton, an online business journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Here are five things to know:

1. After his 12-year-old son asked for help preparing a speech on the most pressing problem of our time, Dr. Trzeciak realized he was not following the same advice he was about to give as a physician and researcher. This lead to the question: Does compassion really matter?

2. Trzeciak conducted a systematic review of biomedical literature and determined compassion is important to patients and patient care.

3. However, he identified physicians' increased time looking at computer screens or the EHR and less time spent with patients as a contributing factor to this compassion crisis. Fifty-six percent of physicians feel they don't have time to be compassionate in their daily routine, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and cited by Dr. Trzeciak.

4. Trzeciak coined the term "compassionomics" to highlight the connection between more compassionate, patient-centered care and lower healthcare costs.

"The bottom line is that if healthcare providers actually spend more time connecting with patients and talking with them, maybe we dont need all these tests and referrals," he said on the podcast.

5. Dr. Trzeciak cited a second study from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University of Medicine measuring compassion intervention among cancer patients. When oncologists met with patients and shared messages of compassion, it only took 40 seconds to lower patients' anxiety."When you're a healthcare provider and you tell me you dont have enough time to be compassionate, you probably have 40 seconds," Dr. Trzeciak said on the podcast.

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Police confirmed two people were found dead from an apparent murder-suicide at Valhalla, N.Y.-based Westchester Medical Center Aug. 8, CBS 2 New York reports.

Police reportedly received a call around 9:40 a.m. indicating shots had been fired in a room on the fourth floor of the 383-bed hospital.

Hospital security immediately arrived at the scene, while police arrived shortly after. Upon arrival, officials discovered two gunshot victims  a man and a woman, both in their 70s  along with a .38-caliber revolver on the floor.

Police said both were later pronounced dead, and that the incident "at this time  appears to be a murder-suicide situation," the report states. The female victim, a patient at the hospital, was found in the bed, while the male visitor was found on the floor. No one else was in the room at the time.

Visitors and staff were told to seek shelter within the facility as police investigated the incident.

ABC 7 News reports the hospital does not have metal detectors, which is how the man was able to transport the licensed firearm into the patient's room. Hospital operations reportedly resumed later the same day.

Investigators identified the victims as Richard DeLucia, 71, and Ann DeLucia, 70, northjersey.com reports. Mr. DeLucia was disraught over his wife's undisclosed medical issues and wanted to end her suffering, according to a note police found at the couple's home Aug. 8.

Editor's note: This article was updated at 9 a.m. Aug. 9 to include additional information.
Sebastopol, Calif.-based Sonoma West Medical Center is facing a financial crisis and plans to eliminate some services to avoid closure, according to the Sonoma West Times & News.

The hospital, which is owned by the Palm Drive Health Care District, was facing closure earlier this year, but officials have taken steps in recent months to keep the facility open, including launching a fundraising campaign.

In addition, Palm Drive Health Care District board members voted unanimously this week to move forward with a plan to end short-term inpatient care at the hospital and close the facility's emergency room. Under the plan, which was proposed by Modesto, Calif.-based American Advanced Management Group, Sonoma West Medical Center would transition to a long-term acute care hospital with an urgent care facility.

The healthcare district will quickly work through negotiations with American Advanced Management Group and come back with a contract for approval by Aug. 10, according to the report.

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Kathmandu, Nepal: Protesting the arrest of three party cadres including spokesperson Khadga Bahadur BK, the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN (Maoist) has announced protest program against of the government.





Issuing a press statement on Wednesday the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist has condemned the arrest.





We strongly condemn the arrests because the arrest is against the political norms; the party states the press release.





The arrested cadres including BK have to be released immediately without conditions, the party has stated in the press release.





According to the press release the party will launch protest programs including demonstrations and strike on August 10 and 14 respectively across the country.





Likewise, police have filed a case against the arrested three Maoist leaders on the charge of extortion at Kathmandu District Court on Wednesday.





Man Bahadur Shrestha, 50, of Banganga municipality-4, Kapilvastu and Hari Chandra Acharya, 33, of Kalika rural municipalit-6, Kalikot were also arrested with BK.





Metropolitan Police Range Office (MPRO), Kathmandu has filed the case against three arrestees in line with the Extortion Act, 2030 BS. The arrested three persons have been accused of extorting Rs 70 million from various individuals.




A Powell, Ohio-based Chipotle Mexican Grill is thought to be responsible for about 700 cases of unidentified foodborne illness, and now the food chain faces its second lawsuit over the potential outbreak, according to Dayton Daily News.

The Delaware County General Health District conducted more than 500 interviews of individuals reporting symptoms of nauseous, diarrhea and fever after consuming Chipotle food. Health officials also analyzed several stool samples since the foodborne illness outbreak reported Aug. 2.

However the cause of the outbreak is still under investigation. Tests for Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli and norovirus came back negative. Leftover food from the restaurant is still subject to testing, Traci Whittaker, spokesperson for the health district, told Dayton Daily News.

Two lawsuits have been filed against Chipotle Mexican Grill on behalf of individuals sickened in the potential outbreak. One of the plaintiffs, Clayton Jones, still receives medical treatment after eating Chipotle's food July 27.

"This is the first of many lawsuits we will be filing on behalf of local residents who were sickened by contaminated Chipotle food," Mr. Jones' attorney Ron Simon told Dayton Daily News. "We have handled hundreds of claims against Chipotle as this is Chipotles seventh food poisoning outbreak in the last three years. These lawsuits will force Chipotle to change its ways and make its food safer for everyone not just in Powell, Ohio, but across the United States."

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The Charlotte Hall (Md.) Veterans Home is currently containing a scabies outbreak among its residents and staff, according to the Maryland Independent.

The St. Mary's County Health Department learned about the outbreak July 11, Kim Robertson, public information officer, wrote in an email for the Maryland Independent.

Russell Keogler, the veterans' home administrator, would not disclose the number of people who developed the condition, citing HIPAA. Residents and staff with scabies are being treated with topical creams.

Sharon Murphy, director of the veterans' home, said signs have been posted around the building to inform visitors of the infestation. Charlotte Hall also notified family members of affected residents.

The Charlotte Hall Veterans Home has "been completely transparent" about the outbreak, Ms. Murphy told Maryland Independent. "It happens in long-term care and close knit populations," she said.

The health department is still trying to locate the cause of the outbreak.

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Two years after Ricardo Quarrie, MD, a cardiothoracic fellow at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital, was accused of lying to a patient to hide a surgical mistake, the lawyer who accused the physician recanted, leaving Dr. Quarrie to recover his name, CNN reports.

Seven things to know:

1. Dr. Quarrie assisted in a 2015 surgery at Yale in which Deborah Craven had surgery to remove part of her eighth rib. Dr. Quarrie was on a two-year training fellowship at Yale at the time.

The hospital admitted a mistake was made during Ms. Craven's surgery. In a lawsuit, Ms. Craven's claims the wrong rib was removed, and she had to have a second same-day surgery to remove the correct rib.

2. Ms. Craven's lawsuit also accused Dr. Quarrie of lying to her about the reason for the second surgery to conceal the mistake  a claim later found to be false.

3. In a statement obtained by CNN, Ms. Craven's attorney Joel Faxon said Dr. Quarrie did not lie to his client.

"The statements attributed to Dr. Quarrie were made by another healthcare practitioner at the hospital, or his designee," Mr. Faxon wrote. "I hope this letter clarifies any misunderstandings."

When Dr. Quarrie was accused of covering up the mistake, Mr. Faxon told a television station that Dr. Quarrie had told his client "lies" and was "just plain deceitful."

Mr. Faxon said he believed those statements to be true when he said them in March 2016. "However, information uncovered in the course of the litigation's discovery phase demonstrates inaccuracies in those statements," he said.

4. Ms. Craven accused a physician's assistant and a different physician at Yale of lying to her and said she did not talk to Dr. Quarrie about her surgery.

Mr. Faxon said he couldn't comment on why he thought Dr. Quarrie was responsible for the alleged cover-up despite his client saying she did not talk to the physician.

5. Several media outlets covered Mr. Faxon's original remarks accusing Dr. Quarrie of lying to his patient. Although two years have passed, those stories come up on the first page of a Google search of Dr. Quarrie's name.

"Employers told me I was very qualified for positions, but patients Google their doctors, and they didn't feel like they could refer patients to me," the cardiothoracic surgeon told CNN.

6. But 36-year-old Dr. Quarrie says Mr. Faxon's statement is a first step toward reclaiming his name. Dr. Quarrie is not filing a lawsuit against Mr. Faxon since it would take too long. He said he promised not to file a lawsuit as a condition of getting the statement from Faxon.

Dr. Quarrie said he's paying an online reputation company nearly $900 a month to help him reclaim his name.

7. CNN was unable to reach Ms. Craven, who settled her case with Yale. A hospital spokesperson declined CNN's request for comment.
A Mexican takeaway in south Belfast has been fined 3,000 for food hygiene offences after rodents infested the kitchen. (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

A takeaway in south Belfast has been fined 3,000 for food hygiene offences after rodents infested the kitchen.

Chalcos (NI) Ltd, which previously operated Chalcos Mexican Grill at 112 Lisburn Road, was fined after the owners pleaded guilty to six hygiene offences before Belfast Magistrates Court yesterday.

It has since closed.

In January 2017, Environmental Health officers found evidence of rodent activity in the food preparation areas, and the firm agreed to close premises.

Offences were: failure to protect food from contamination likely to render it unfit for human consumption, failure to put in place procedures to control pests and failure to keep the food premises clean.

Chalcos also failed to effectively clean equipment with which food came into contact, failed to provide an adequate supply of hot water to wash-hand basins, and failure to provide adequate facilities for cleaning, disinfecting and storing equipment.
A new 300,000 healthy eating restaurant is to open in Belfast city centre, creating 25 jobs

A new 300,000 healthy eating restaurant is to open in Belfast city centre, creating 25 jobs.

Stacks Healthy Kitchen will be the latest addition to the 17m Soloist Building near Lanyon Place. The 60-seater restaurant will open next month, joining Caffe Nero and new Italian Gustoe in the building.

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Owner James Deery said the venture could mark a new Ireland-wide expansion, which could see another four restaurants being added in Northern Ireland.

Mr Deery also runs Stacks Bistro in Newtownabbey.

It's understood that the company could open new outlets in Banbridge and The Junction retail centre in Antrim.

Auditors KPMG and its 200 staff are currently based in the Soloist Building.

Managing agents Colliers International were involved in the latest letting to Mr Deery for the 1,600 sq ft ground floor unit.
A Belfast-based agri-technology firm has secured 118m (105m) in long-term funding to allow it to press ahead with its research, development and growth plans.

The major refinancing deal for Devenish Nutrition is being made possible by a pioneering investment of 40m from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which is being combined with commitments from the company's new commercial finance partners, Ulster Bank and Danske Bank.

The EIB investment is the largest ever support for agri-business in Ireland by the EIB and is also the first support for the agri-business sector in the country under the Investment Plan for Europe, in which the European Commission and EIB are strategic partners.

The investment has been described as a "major financial boost" by Devenish Nutrition CEO Richard Kennedy.

The EIB loan will enable Devenish to develop a purpose-built Global Innovation Centre in Dowth, Co Meath, from where it will develop and showcase its 'One Health - from Soil to Society' research, development and innovation programme.

It will also fund innovation related capital projects and research into optimised animal nutrition, food innovation, health and sustainability.

Mr Kennedy said: "The EIB funds will form part of a major investment to develop Devenish's research, development and innovation capability across Ireland and the UK.

"A significant amount of this investment will go towards developing performance houses and sustainable production systems in the Irish and UK markets - including Northern Ireland."

Devenish - by 2021 - aims to increase turnover by over 100m to circa 315m and add over 100 new jobs to its current 450-strong international employee base.

Mr Kennedy added: "This major financial boost marks a most significant milestone for Devenish as we seek to realise our vision of becoming the world's leading provider of integrated animal, human and environmental health solutions.

"This funding will be invested in the business to build and grow our research, development and manufacturing capabilities as well as facilitate our mergers and acquisitions activity."
Jean wears a silver counter around her wrist. If she says more than 100 words in one day it issues an electric shock. She's stopped meeting friends for drinks, no longer talks to her husband and can't read her daughter bedtime stories. The average person uses about 16,000 words a day, often without really thinking about what they are saying. So what would happen if that right was taken away from half of the population?

That is the premise of Christina Dalcher's debut novel, Vox, about a dystopian world where women's daily speech is restricted to 100 words - the length of this paragraph.

"I wrote Vox as a cautionary tale about gender politics, backlash and cultural shift," says Dalcher, a 50-year-old American who has a doctorate in theoretical linguistics and only started writing novels four years ago.

It's gone well. Sarah Jessica Parker called Vox "a great summer read by a special female voice" and there are talks about adapting it for film.

Dalcher would like Ashley Judd or Charlize Theron to play Jean, a woman who has been forced by the state to give up her fulfilling and prestigious job as a scientist working, ironically, on curing language loss, in order to look after her children.

It has been read as a reaction to Donald Trump's America, but it's broader than that.

"I am against any kind of authoritarianism," says Dalcher. "That goes for every side of the political spectrum. It has very little to do with the current president; it's more to do with government control in a general sense. We see this hushing up of people coming from both sides - look at university campuses."

Her novel has been compared to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Both are set in a society where motherhood and purity are fetishised.

Why does Dalcher think dystopia is so popular at the moment? "I'm a Stephen King-a-holic. I've been reading him since I was 13. In his introduction to Danse Macabre he talks about that sense that we have enough horrors in this world so it's sometimes pleasant to escape them. They remind us that the world as we know it is not as scary as we think - it could be a lot worse.

"If ever I'm stressed, I tell my husband I'm going to watch a soothing horror movie and it relaxes me because the stories can be so 'out there' that they take us to a darker, alternate world that can be a warning. With Jean and the wrist bracelet there's an element of 'Hey, don't let that happen to you'."

Time magazine called Vox a novel for the #MeToo era. Dalcher wasn't thinking of that when she started it in May 2017 - indeed, the #MeToo movement hadn't started yet.

"But Vox is related to women banding together so it's timely," she says. "I had a backlash in mind when I was writing - women began to be so vocal in 2017; we had a lot of marches, a million women showing up in Washington DC, so it was on my mind that there would be some faction that would react by saying 'Enough, we don't want to hear you any more'.

"These bracelets get snapped on women partly because of a diabolical fundamentalist movement that wants to return to a culture of domesticity, which was a real thing in the UK in the Victorian times and the US."

Does she, like Jean, feel silenced and as though she needs to rebel? "Absolutely. Every single day - about politics, religion. Sometimes it's not like people are actually silencing me but there is pressure to censor yourself to not cause any hurt. I wonder if there's anyone in the world who speaks with absolute frankness."

She would like to address another taboo. "I noticed something a while back," she says, tentatively at first. "Without getting too personal, a lot of women who suffer miscarriages or infertility never talk about it. On Mother's Day everyone is very effusive on social media.

"I always tweet a gentle reminder that not everyone has children and it's not a choice for some people.

"When people ask if you have children, they are expecting you to say, yes, they're so lovely, la la la or," she switches into an emotionless voice. "'No'. Women as a rule don't say, 'I don't have children; I had miscarriages'. Or 'I wanted to and I couldn't'. Or even, 'I don't like children'.

"It's important that we look at a different type of silence. If you are having a casual conversation with someone you don't know there's that fear that if you say you've had an abortion they will come back and say 'I'm pro-life'. Or not know what to say if you've told them you've had a miscarriage." She is unfazed, though, about the moves in the US by far-right republicans and the Vice President to repeal the 1973 Roe vs Wade ruling that legalised abortion.

"People have been concerned for some 40 years about this - there is precedent. I can't say there's more fear now than 20 years ago," she says.

Is Trump popular where she lives? "You can't get elected if you aren't popular. We have these different factions and the more distant people get from one another the harder it is to communicate."

The safe space culture at universities concerns her. "They are driven by fear and intolerance, which feed off each other. One reason I wrote Vox is I have a terrible fear of control. If we look at our past and present, it seems like there's always some effort by one group to control another.

"With respect to intolerance, maybe some people have such strong feelings that they can't tolerate anyone different or are making us speak in a different way to control us."

There is "a whole other novel" in her "about the frightening ease with which we can misunderstand each other or fail to get our own points across in a civil way, particularly with social media platforms that constrain the number of words we use".

She adds: "We have to take responsibility for what we speak up about: read the whole newspaper story, not just the headline. There's a responsibility that comes with free speech."

Dalcher grew up in New Jersey. Her father was in the furniture business, and her mother looked after Dalcher and her younger sister and brother, "shuffling us off to ballet lessons".

She lived in Clerkenwell from 2006 to 2009, researching speech patterns around the letter 'R' at City University. She still calls cigarettes 'fags' (she's desperate for one).

After that she and her husband Bruce, a maritime attorney - "I call him a boat lawyer, which isn't accurate but it's cute" - spent three years in Abu Dhabi, then several months in Sri Lanka "just hanging out".

The book is dedicated to Bruce, "who never, ever, tells me not to talk so much". He's the first person she shows her work to.

She started writing six months after returning to the US after being abroad for seven years.

"I had reverse culture shock. My academic career was a bit" - she gestures downwards - "on the way out because I hadn't done very much with it. One night I woke up, nudged my husband and said people write books all the time. Stephenie Meyer was 29 when she wrote that Twilight book - what's stopping me? I'm going to write a book. This was three in the morning so my husband was like 'Yeah, honey, we are going to talk about this tomorrow'." She got up and started drafting an idea.

Vox was written in two months. "You can't write a book that quickly if you're not good at focusing. I can shut out pretty much the entire world. I try to write a few thousand words a day, finish up early afternoon and do something fun."

She has never limited her speech as in the book but has known days of silence. "My husband took a part-time job in the Middle East when we were in the UK, so every two weeks I was alone. We'd just moved to Hertfordshire, where I didn't know anyone and there were a few days where I didn't talk to anyone. It's debilitating, demoralising," she says.

"In military training they teach that it's important to keep up communication even if it's just in tapping code because when you lose that bridge with other humans something disastrous happens to us inside."

She's already written a second book that draws on similar themes to Vox. "It has the same near-future dystopian elements, resembling our own society but with a twist. I'm looking at the mania for exaggerated intelligence."

But the ideas of Vox endure. "Freedom of speech is more than simply getting your point across. It's making sure you are saying the right thing."

Vox is published by HQ on August 23 EVENING STANDARD 

How hard is it to say just 100 words a day? Susannah Butter gives it a go

Statistically, it's easier to be consistently funny and intelligent if you say less. Occasionally, I'm jealous of those friends who don't say much but when they do decide to pipe up they have something worthwhile to say. I'm the opposite, articulating my thoughts without thinking, idly hoping that at least some of them weren't fatuous.

So, at first, not being able to speak is as debilitating as I feared. I've warned my loved ones that this was coming and I'm not being rude. My friends tease me the day before by silencing me every time I open my mouth.

"This is coming out of your allowance so it had better be good," they mock. I glower, practising at communicating with a dark look instead of words. They ask if I'm feeling okay because I look so odd.

Non-verbal cues become important. I try to give my boyfriend a meaningful good-morning smile but he just laughs at me (no, not with me). On an outing to buy milk I'm torn: not thanking the man at the checkout feels rude but it's also a waste of a word - obvs I'd say "thanks" instead of "thank you" (I'm no amateur). I pretend I have laryngitis, gesturing to show I've lost my voice.

Reading and writing are verboten too (that's why I'm doing this at the weekend - it wouldn't be feasible at work). It's refreshing to have an excuse not to check e-mails and break from the noise of Twitter. I delude myself that looking at a constant feed of news (Instagram) keeps me informed but when I come to catch up the next day I haven't missed anything and find I concentrate properly reading whole articles, thereby being more on the pulse than had I spent a day exhausting the zeitgeist.

At a lunch with friends that I couldn't cancel I worried that people would tire of the mute in the corner but actually they enjoyed having a captive audience. If you can't talk back, you hear more. And you notice other things. I slowed down to eat, really tasting my food rather than shovelling it in between trying to keep up with the conversation. However delicious my pizza was, though, it was annoying not being able to join in, especially when I had a great anecdote to contribute to the conversation. I told myself it would hold but knew it wouldn't. I can't imagine having to be silent in my open-plan office either.

At the end of the day I assumed I would be a better person, one for whom every word mattered. Instead, I blurted out a jumble of observations that I didn't realise had been building up all day. And then I had a glass of wine and said thank you.

I am a social animal and I have no desire to do it again.
A Sinn Fein mayor has refused to condemn republican murals in Co Londonderry as tensions rise over painted kerbs and sectarian flags.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell accused Sinn Fein of being one-sided in its handling of a row over loyalist paramilitary flags in Limavady.

"Sinn Fein's attitude to graffiti, flags etc, has been biased in the extreme," Mr Campbell said.

He made the remarks after Causeway Coast and Glens mayor Brenda Chivers called a meeting for local councillors to discuss ways of dealing with flags, emblems and political displays.

The request came after kerbstones were painted red, white and blue in the Benevenagh Drive area of Limavady and sectarian graffiti was daubed on St Mary's Catholic church.

But DUP councillors refused to participate after learning that no MPs or MLAs had been invited, and that republican murals in Dungiven were not on the agenda.

"Virtually every year Sinn Fein, and the SDLP to some extent, raise these issues as they apply to Limavady, but never in Dungiven," Mr Campbell said.

"Why is there a memorial to murder outside the Church of Ireland on Dungiven's Main Street?

"Why a huge tribute to terror on a gable wall in the town centre close to the library?"

Mr Campbell, who has requested that the "unsightly" kerb paintings be cleaned up and condemned the attack on St Mary's, insisted that "terror tributes" on Dungiven roadsides must also be removed.

"Is it too much to expect the same level of unified condemnation across the political divide?" he asked.

Tricolours have since been erected in the nationalist Glens estate in Limavady and kerbstones painted green, white and orange in response.

The mayor strongly denied Mr Campbell's accusations of bias, which she branded absurd, although she refused to condemn the republican murals.

"I'm not getting into Dungiven. I'm a Limavady councillor and it's a separate issue which is unrelated to the current crisis," she said.

Ms Chivers said the MP's comments had left her "aghast" and "angry".

"I am not biased in any way and I think Gregory is being very unhelpful," she said.

"I represent everybody in the borough and that is why I want to see all flags removed and all kerbs restored."

She said no MLAs or MPs from any party were invited to the "emergency meeting", which sought to establish a united response and avoid an escalation.

"We were the first to condemn the appearance of nationalist graffiti and flags, our MLA Caoimhe Archibald promptly did that," she said.

Ms Chivers slammed the DUP's refusal to participate in the meeting as "irresponsible" and said Mr Campbell's comments were unbelievable, given that "people are terrified" in their homes.

But he said although the mayor claimed she would represent "all the community", nothing could "disguise the facts which face people every day of the year" in Dungiven.
Lynda Donaldson beside a statue in Lisburn of Professor Frank Pantridge, the Northern Ireland-born inventor of the portable defibrillator

A Co Down woman who suffered a cardiac arrest seven years ago has backed a joint initiative to map the locations of all out-of-hospital defibrillators across Northern Ireland.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF NI), Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and Microsoft want to ensure the life-saving equipment is readily available to the public.

It is part of a wider UK project that will help create a National Defibrillator Network, accessible by 14 ambulance services.

Thousands of defibrillators are located in towns and villages all over the UK.

In Northern Ireland, fewer than 10 out of some 1,400 people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive.

BHF NI added that public defibrillators are used in less than 3% of cardiac arrests outside hospitals, as people just aren't aware of where they are located.

Lynda Donaldson from Lisburn was saved by passers-by after collapsing outside her restaurant in Saintfield in 2011.

She still vividly remembers her traumatic experience.

"It was January and it was very cold," she said.

"My partner Graham was with me and he had just stepped in front. All of a sudden I felt dizzy.

"I'd no pain or nothing before hand. We'd been out and had lunch and everything was fine and then just as we got to the door, I'd say I had about two seconds of dizziness.

"I went to say to Graham that I didn't feel well but I didn't even get those words out."

Thanks to a school nurse who performed CPR on Ms Donaldson and another man who had a portable defibrillator in his car, she was revived before the emergency services arrived.

Lynda has now become a qualified first aider.

"I really do think that these maps will be beneficial," she said. "As long as people know to look at the map to find out where their local defibrillators are.

"We were just talking with a friend the other day and they were asking where all of the defibrillators are in Lisburn.

"We started to name a few but didn't really know where most were. We knew some of them but it would be really great to have them mapped and for people to know where to find them."

Craig Moore from BHF NI said that when someone suffers from a cardiac arrest, the situation is time-critical.

"Hundreds more lives could be saved if the public were equipped with vital CPR skills, and had access to a defibrillator in the majority of cases," he said.

"Over the last five years we've made great progress in introducing CPR training in more schools. We now need to improve access to the hundreds of public defibrillators across Northern Ireland. This innovative project will give every ambulance service immediate access to the location of defibrillators in their areas, so they can direct bystanders to their nearest life-saving device."

Chief Executive of NIAS Michael Bloomfield described the move as a "positive step".

"As we continue to encourage people to register their AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillator) across Northern Ireland, being part of a wider National Defibrillator Network is a further positive step in helping save lives in our community," he said.

"Directing a bystander to their closest AED while CPR is ongoing in the case of an out of hospital cardiac arrest will help strengthen the chain of survival and ultimately save lives."

The project is set to be worked on by the organisations over the next 12 months.
The crossing on Lake Street where the attacks happened / Credit: Google Maps

Police believe "violent dissidents" may have orchestrated a petrol bomb attack on a railway line in Lurgan carried out by children.

The incident happened at the railway line in Lake Street, Lurgan at around midnight on Tuesday, August 7, resulting in services on the line being stopped for a period of time.

Three petrol bombs were thrown during the incident.

Writing on Twitter, Chief Inspector Jon Burrows said the attack had caused "disruption and distress".

Attacking community infrastructure that provides jobs and allows people to travel, socialise with friends and go to work is disgraceful," he said.

Invariably it is violent dissidents who put local children up to such petrol bombings, however they are never about when the young people face court or miss out on employment, education and travel opportunities.

A young person's future and well-being is of no interest to such people.

No damage is believed to have been caused to the railway line.

Two youths were seen running from the area in the direction of Kilwilkie estate.

During the attack two petrol bombs were thrown at the railway track, with another one being thrown into the pump house near to the railway line barrier.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting the reference 2 of 8/8/2018.

Alternatively information can be given anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A London-based financial adviser has been sentenced to four months in jail after he sexually assaulted a hotel maid in Co Antrim.

While 54-year-old Andrew Marris was jailed and ordered to sign the police sex offenders register at Antrim Magistrates Court, District Judge Nigel Broderick freed him on 500 bail pending an appeal of both his conviction and sexual assault.

At an earlier hearing Marris, from Lauderdale Mansions on the Lauderdale Road in London, was convicted of sexually assaulting the 20-year-old maid on September 21, 2016.

The court heard how Marris approached a maid at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick wearing a robe and asked for assistance to iron a shirt.

She did so but he then took off his robe to reveal that he was naked, touched her neck and tried to kiss her but she repeatedly said no. After she reported the incident to her manager, police were called.

But when Marris was questioned, he denied the incident, maintaining from the witness box at his contest there had been no physical contact.

Defence barrister Neil Moore said the conviction had resulted in "huge personal ramifications" for Marris, but that his wife and adult children were standing by the successful financial adviser. He revealed that Marris has lodged appeal papers in an effort to clear his name.

Sentencing Marris, Judge Broderick said there had been a "significant impact on the wellbeing" of his victim so, given the nature of the offence, the custody threshold had been passed.
Former Irish president Mary McAleese has called the Catholic Church's teachings on homosexuality "evil" during an event in Dublin

Former Irish president Mary McAleese has called the Catholic Church's teachings on homosexuality "evil".

The Belfast native, originally from the Ardoyne area of north Belfast, was speaking ahead of the arrival of Pope Francis in Ireland later this month for the World Meeting of Families.

Mrs McAleese was in Dublin on Tuesday to receive the inaugural Vanguard award for her support of the LGBT+ community at the Gaze LGBT Film Festival, speaking at the closing night of the festival in Dublin's Light House Cinema.

She made her comments in the context of a shift in the position of the Catholic church on capital punishment, with Pope Francis last week changing the teaching to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances.

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Speaking after the event to Irish broadcaster RTE, Mrs McAleese said: "I'm hoping that having done that last week, that maybe this week or in the weeks to come he will then challenge other doctrines which really in the light of science and in the light of the gospel of love have to be changed.

"I mean the church has to take responsibility for the damage inflicted on generations of men, women and children by the evil teaching that it holds around homosexuality."

Dr McAleese's Catholic faith has been part of her public profile since her time in the presidency, and she has been a long-time critic of its stance on homosexuality and has called for the introduction of female priests.

Earlier this week, she expressed disappointment at the "bad manners" of Pope Francis in not responding to a letter she sent him about being barred from the Vatican.

In an interview with The Irish Times on Wednesday she spoke about an attempt by the Vatican in 2003 to secure an agreement with Ireland for it not to access church documents.

She said she was approached by then Vatican secretary of state Angelo Sodano, who she said wanted to "protect Vatican and diocesan archives" and said she told him it was "extraordinarily inappropriate and very, very dangerous to the church, if it was pursued".
A bid to force a by-election which could unseat North Antrim MP Ian Paisley is about restoring trust in politicians, one of his leading critics said.

The first ever recall petition opened on Wednesday after the senior Democratic Unionist was suspended from the Commons for 30 sitting days over his failure to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan Government.

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Mr Paisley could become the first MP to lose his seat under legislation introduced by the former coalition government following the Westminster expenses scandal, although the DUP has a massive majority in North Antrim.

Should 10% of the electorate, or 7,543 people, sign the petition, then a by-election will be held and Mr Paisley is currently suspended from the DUP pending a party investigation.

Sinn Fein Stormont Assembly member Philip McGuigan said the Ian Paisley recall petition was an issue of public integrity. pic.twitter.com/1JEuarGyIC  michael mchugh (@mmchugh02) August 8, 2018

If he loses the backing of Northern Irelands largest unionist party, his prospects for re-election would be damaged.

Sinn Feins Stormont Assembly member Philip McGuigan said: This is an issue of integrity in Government, it is not an orange and green issue.

This is not even about nationalism versus unionism.

This is an issue about trust in your politicians that they will do their jobs with integrity.

Its 9.01am and theres a queue out to the door at Ballymena 7 Towers to sign the petition to unseat Paisley!  Patrice Hardy (@MisssPatrice) August 8, 2018

In March 2014, senior Democratic Unionist Mr Paisley lobbied the then Prime Minister David Cameron against a proposed United Nations resolution to investigate alleged human rights abuses during a civil war on the Indian Ocean island without disclosing his financial benefit.

Mr Paisley has already apologised for what he said was his unintentional failure to register the hospitality.

He has vowed to fight any by-election campaign.

The DUPs 10 pro-Brexit MPs are crucial allies of Prime Minister Theresa Mays minority Government.

The recall petition will be open for signing for six weeks.

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Mr Paisley has been MP for the constituency since 2010, following in the footsteps of his father and DUP founder Ian Paisley.

The petition can be signed at centres in Ballymena, Ballymoney and Ballycastle.

The Electoral Office is running the petition process and those signing have to produce a driving licence, UK or Irish passport, electoral identity card or bus or rail pass.
A 42-year-old man has been accused of being part of a crime gang targeting rural businesses.

He has been charged with burglary with intent to steal and three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal.

He is due to appear at Banbridge Magistrates Court on Thursday August 9.

The charges are in connection with a burglary at a filling station in Cullyhanna on Monday July 9 2018 and conspiracy to burgle three other rural business locations.

Five men have already appeared in court on Saturday August 4 charged with a number of offences following a burglary in the Irvinestown area on Thursday August 2.

Police continue to investigate a series of burglaries at rural business locations, primarily filling stations, throughout Northern Ireland, at which ATMs have been forced open," Detective Sergeant James Johnston said.

"We suspect that a gang was involved in scouting these locations in the days before the burglary occurs. Whilst there have been recent successes against suspected members of this gang and persons remanded we would ask shop owners remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons or vehicles seen around their premises during the day.

"We would appeal for any member of the public with information on such incidents to contact the Detectives based in the CID at Ardmore, Newry PSNI Station, telephone 101 extension 35378 or 60025.

As is normal procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the PPS.
Police found around 50 cannabis plants in the property.

A 26-year-old man has been charged with various drugs offences following the discovery of 50 cannabis plants in Co Antrim.

The drugs were found following a drug seizure at a house in Townhead Street, Ballymoney on Tuesday.

Police searched the property after receiving intelligence provided by the local community.

Around 50 cannabis plants, and a further quantity of cannabis were seized along with various other drug-related paraphernalia.

On Wednesday police charged the man with being concerned in supply of class B controlled drug, cultivating cannabis, possession of a class B controlled drug and criminal damage.

He is expected to appear before Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday September 3.
A man was hit on the head with a glass bottle during an attack in west Belfast.

A man was hit on the head with a glass bottle during an attack on a car in west Belfast on Tuesday evening.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a passenger in a vehicle travelling along the Suffolk road was hit by the glass bottle that also broke the car window, around 8pm.

The driver reported this incident to police but was able to drive himself to hospital. His injuries are not believed to be serious.

We received other reports that a large group of young people who gathered in the area threw stones at passing cars and lit a fire on nearby waste ground. However, when police attended, they dispersed," Sergeant Danielle Worth said.

Our enquiries are ongoing and I would appeal to anyone who witnessed this assault or has dashcam footage of it, to get in touch with police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1312 of 7/8/18.

Alternatively, information can also be provide to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
Councillor James Brown MBE has passed away. Credit: Mid and East Antrim Council.

A Mid and East Antrim councillor who served for nearly four decades has passed away following an illness.

James 'Jim' Brown MBE was a well known political stalwart in the Carrick area. It is understood he was in his late 60's at the time of his death.

Prior to his death he was serving as an Independent councillor for the Carrick Castle ward and had been involved in local politics for nearly 40 years.

Mr Brown had previously served as a member of the UUP on the old Carrickfergus Borough Council before leaving the party in the mid 1990's.

He twice served as Mayor of Carrickfergus Borough Council during 34 years on the council.

Mr Brown was elected to the new Mid and East Antrim Council in 2014.

Alliance Party East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson attended Carrickfergus Technical School with Mr Brown and served on the council with him for many years.

"I joined the council four years before him in 1977, we both went to school together for a while at Carrickfergus Technical School," Mr Dickson said.

"We did not always see eye to eye politically but I can honestly say he had the interests of the Town of Carrickfergus at heart.

"He had been ill for some time my sympathy goes to his wife Esther and his family."

Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Council DUP councillor Cheryl Johnston said her thoughts were with Mr Brown's family.

"I've known Jimmy for a number of years and it's extremely sad. My thoughts are with his entire family circle at this time.

"He'll be missed by us all."

TUV councillor Timothy Gaston said that Mr Brown was a "faithful servant".

"My thoughts and prayers are with the entire family circle at this sad time," he said.

DUP councillor Billy Ashe served on both councils with Mr Brown for many years and said that Mr Brown had initially encouraged him to get involved in politics, though he ended up eventually choosing the DUP over the UUP.

"My thoughts are with his wife, daughters and grandchildren," Councillor Ashe said.
The letter sent to SDLP councillor Mairia Cahill from the prison in Colorado.

New SDLP Councillor Mairia Cahill has revealed that she has received a good luck letter and card from a convicted murderer serving life without parole in an American prison.

The man, who denies the murder, sent the letter from the Colorado State Penitentiary to the SDLP Headquarters on Belfast's Ormeau Road.

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He became aware of Ms Cahill's story after reading about her joining the SDLP in an edition of 'The Irish Echo' and decided to get in touch.

It was announced that Ms Cahill was joining the SDLP last month after previously serving in the Seanad as an Irish Labour senator.

She was then co-opted onto Lisburn and Castlereagh Council.

Ms Cahill has publicly accused the IRA of covering up her rape and then organising a "kangaroo court" in which she was forced to meet her attacker, a former member of the terror group.

The Irish-American man sent a two-page letter detailing his background with photographs of his life inside and outside of prison. He also sent a good-luck card wishing Ms Cahill the best in her new role.

Ms Cahill said that she did not want to name the man but that she had written back to acknowledge his letter.

She said that she would not be engaging in further correspondence with him.

"He said that my story caught his eye and that he was very sorry that someone had been put through that," the recently installed Lisburn and Castlereagh councillor said.

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"He wished me all the best with the SDLP and all the success the world has to offer."

The letter offered words of encouragement to Ms Cahill in her new role.

"Keep strong because everyone goes through hard times in life and we have to keep moving forward," the letter read.

"This letter was just to congratulate you on your hard working and to let you know that even across the ocean there is a person keeping you in his prayers so that nothing but good things come to you in life."

Ms Cahill admitted her shock at receiving the letter but said she felt obligated to acknowledge it.

"They have a prison scheme in America where you can email the prisoners and pay a small fee and they print out the email and take it to the prisoners," she said.

Expand Close The card sent to SDLP councillor Mairia Cahill. / Facebook

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"I was very surprised to receive the letter, it's abit strange when you think someone across the world has picked up a paper, read about you and then decided to write.

"Equally, I imagine there's not alot you can do in prison all day no matter where you are so my take on it was they took the time to write - no matter what they've done in life - and the only response would be to write back and thank them for taking the time."
Sinn Fein has said it is confident of securing the 7,547 signatures needed to unseat Ian Paisley as North Antrim MP.

The party said there was considerable anger across the political divide at Mr Paisley's failure to declare two luxury holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government.

A petition of recall, which could result in the MP being forced to fight a by-election, opens today.

Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan said his party would register as a formal campaign group in an attempt to oust the MP.

It is the first time in British parliamentary history that a recall petition has been used.

Mr McGuigan said he was confident of securing signatures from the required 10% of the electorate in order to compel a resignation.

"There is a huge deal of anger right across the political spectrum in this constituency at the behaviour of their MP," he said.

"They are appalled at sleaze in politics, a lack of integrity in public office and a series of scandals linked to the DUP going back many years.

"This recall petition is an opportunity for people to have their say on all of that.

"I believe there is a responsibility on us to ensure that process is as accessible as possible which is why Sinn Fein is registering as an official campaign group."

The Electoral Office has faced substantial criticism for providing just three centres across the constituency where people can sign the petition.

Legislation allowed for up to 10 centres to be used.

The petition, which will run until September 19, will be available for signing only on weekdays from 9am to 5pm in centres in Ballymoney, Ballymena and Ballycastle.

There will be two evening signings until 9pm during the six-week period. Voters are also able to cast their vote by post or proxy.

Mr McGuigan said: "I believe the Electoral Office could and should have done more to assist people to engage with the petition, for instance by opening more locations for longer hours.

"However, in the absence of that, Sinn Fein will certainly do as much as we possibly can to assist and encourage people to exercise their right to have their say in this process."

UUP leader Robin Swann also described the opening of just three locations as "totally inadequate for a constituency the size of North Antrim".

Mr Swann, a North Antrim MLA, expressed concern about the "restricted opening times of 9am-5pm" on weekdays. The UUP won't register to campaign for Mr Paisley's removal but its leader has said he will sign the petition and will encourage anyone who believes what the DUP MP did was wrong to do likewise.

The Electoral Office has defended the arrangements it has made.

Mr Paisley has been suspended by Westminster for 30 days for failing to declare the two luxury holidays valued at up to 100,000.

He has also been suspended from the DUP pending investigation by party officers.

Causeway Coast and Glens DUP councillor John Finlay is organising a rally in support of Mr Paisley to be staged next Monday.
The debate was carried out between Stephen Farry, Lisa Chambers, Robin Swann, Mary Lou McDonald, host Mark Carruthers, Simon Hamilton, Simon Harris and Colum Eastwood

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald with host Mark Carruthers and Simon Hamilton of the DUP during the debate

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald last night rejected a DUP claim that she is controlled by the IRA's Northern Command.

During lively exchanges at the West Belfast Festival leaders' debate, unionist politicians challenged Ms McDonald over her U-turn on the timing of a border poll and the sincerity of Sinn Fein's efforts to reach out to their community.

And members of the audience confronted DUP MLA Simon Hamilton over his party's record on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and its opposition to same-sex marriage and an Irish Language Act.

The former Stormont minister acknowledged that some DUP comments about the Irish language in the past weren't always respectful.

Ms McDonald last week said she would prefer not to have a border poll in the context of a crash or very hard Brexit. Less than 24 hours later, she said she wanted a referendum as soon as possible.

Mr Hamilton said he had agreed with her initial position "before Northern Command got the hold of you" and changed it. There were shouts of "wise up" from the audience.

Ms McDonald rejected the suggestion that she was "controlled by persons unnamed... apparently in west Belfast" and joked that she wanted to meet the people Mr Hamilton was alluding to: "Where are you, hardmen?"

She said that she faced claims of being an "ultra", as well as criticism of her use of the word 'Londonderry' and commented: "I can't be all of these things."

UUP leader Robin Swann, Fine Gael Health Minister Simon Harris, Fianna Fail TD and Brexit spokeswoman Lisa Chambers, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry took part in the debate in St Mary's College.

Mr Hamilton joked that he was delighted to be there representing the DUP, "the second biggest party in west Belfast".

To combined laughter and boos from the floor, he said that Arlene Foster sent her best to everyone and was sorry she couldn't make it as she was guaranteed such a good reception.

On a border poll, Ms McDonald said "constitutional change is in the air" and "the clock is counting down to the referendum on unity". She welcomed comments from former DUP leader Peter Robinson on the need for unionists to prepare for a border poll, adding "political unionism can no longer bury its head in the sand".

The Sinn Fein president rejected claims from Mr Swann and Mr Hamilton that there was no need for a border poll and it would lead to more instability and divisions. She challenged the "fairytale" that "the North was a perfect place and then comes along talk of a border poll that creates entrenchment".

Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein would oppose any attempt to change the rules on a referendum to mean 50% plus one wasn't enough for Irish unity. "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Partition is maintained on 50% plus one," she said.

Mr Hamilton said unionists had believed Ms McDonald would represent a new era in Sinn Fein, and while he acknowledged there had been glimpses of that, she still had "some work to do".

He stated that Sinn Fein didn't show respect for the British identity in Northern Ireland particularly in the "west of the province (on) Union flags and Orange parades".

Mr Swann challenged Ms McDonald over using the slogan 'Tiocfaidh ar la' in her first speech after becoming Sinn Fein leader. "As a unionist, that is not a welcome in any shape or form," he said.

The Sinn Fein president said as a republican those words were "our vernacular" and didn't "carry menace". She challenged the DUP on its opposition to an Irish Language Act and same-sex marriage. To loud applause, she said "50,000 walked in Pride - that's the big parading season now". The DUP must recognise "this is 2018, not the 1600s".

Mr Hamilton accused Sinn Fein of blocking the return of power-sharing. He said he believed it would be restored but didn't know when.

To demands for "equality" from the floor, he said his party wouldn't return to Stormont on the basis of a "rollover to Sinn Fein". Any deal had to be "fair and balanced".

"Was RHI fair and balanced?" an audience member shouted. "You had an agreement and you ran away," somebody else said.

Mr Eastwood said nationalists were "once again a restless people", but said Sinn Fein was too contaminated by the past to lead a border poll campaign.

Ms Chambers called on local politicians to push "the pause button" on their arguments and get Stormont up and running to deal with the Brexit crisis. She declined to say when her party would stand in elections here.

Mr Harris expressed support for same-sex marriage and said love wasn't a unionist-nationalist issue.

Mr Farry said unionists needed to wake up to the reality that young people were increasingly looking to Irish unity as a route to addressing equality issues.
The widow of a firefighter killed while on duty has described a letter of apology from the Fire Service as "meaningless".

Joe McCloskey died as he tackled a blaze at the Gorteen House Hotel in Limavady in 2003.

He had been ordered onto the roof of a store room that then collapsed and he plunged into the flames. He was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry but died a short time later from his injuries.

His widow Marie and his family have campaigned for the past 15 years for the Fire Service to tell them who gave the order for Mr McCloskey to go onto the roof.

Mrs McCloskey received a letter of apology from the NI Fire and Rescue Service under instruction from Michelle O'Neill in her role as former Health Minister.

The Sinn Fein MLA made the request as part of a review carried out by the Department of Health in March 2017 into how Mr McCloskey's death was investigated by the Fire Service and the way it treated his bereaved family.

The Fire Service offered Mrs McCloskey its "unreserved apology, for failings following the death of leading firefighter Joe McCloskey who tragically lost his life in the line of duty at an incident at the Gorteen House Hotel in Limavady in 2003".

The letter, reported yesterday by the Irish News, did not reveal the name of the person who gave the order for Mr McCloskey to go up on the roof of the burning building.

Mrs McCloskey told the Belfast Telegraph that a forced apology lacking the information she has been seeking for 15 years meant nothing to her. However, she said it would at least serve as a reminder to her grandchildren of how hard she tried.

She said: "When I opened this letter and saw how the Fire Service were still refusing to tell me the name of the person who ordered Joe up on the roof of that store, I was completely floored.

"We have fought for 15 years to get justice for Joe and to have our questions answered but the Fire Service has blocked us at every turn. We found out through a Freedom of Information request that while Joe was lying in Altnagelvin dying from his wounds, the Fire Service officials had already met and agreed a 'no blame policy'.

"For the past 15 years while I have lived a life of purgatory without the man who was the absolute rock of our family, the Fire Service watched me ask questions they knew they would never answer.

"This is another reason why this letter is so meaningless to me, but it will serve as a reminder to our children and grandchildren of how much we loved Joe and how hard we fought for him.

"We have been robbed of what Joe described as our 'golden years' because he died so needlessly and our grandchildren have been robbed of knowing their granda."

The NIFRS said the Chief Fire and Rescue Officer wrote to the McCloskey family on May 11, 2018 "offering an unreserved apology for failings following the death of leading firefighter Joe McCloskey".

"The failings were identified through a recent review by the Department of Health. NIFRS accepted the findings of the review and has revised and amended policies in line with review recommendations.

"NIFRS admitted liability for Joe McCloskey's death in May 2007 and sincerely regrets the irreplaceable loss which the McCloskey family have experienced following the tragic death of leading firefighter Joe McCloskey."
A general view of an affordable housing scheme in Ballymun North Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

Politicians from a number of parties have backed the occupation of a vacant property in Dublin by housing activists on Tuesday night.

A number of Dublin housing action groups joined together and occupied a property in the city centre to protest against rent hikes and poor housing conditions.

Hundreds of people marched from OConnell Street to Ballybough where they took over a vacant house.

Gardai are outside. Please come support the occupation of 35 Summerhill Parade pic.twitter.com/TcO5Sn3Mcm  Dublin Central Housing Action (@D_C_H_A) August 7, 2018

Groups are involved in the protest include the Dublin Renters Union and Dublin Central Housing Action.

A statement released by the DCHA said that they took over the property at 35 Summerhill Parade to highlight the horrendous housing conditions they deal with each day.

They said: Enough is enough.

Rent hikes, evictions, poor housing conditions; people stuck in overcrowded homes living in bunkbeds, or packed into their relatives homes; people couch-surfing, sleeping rough, living in hostels and hotels, we hear about these horrendous situations every day now.

The group demands the empty houses on Summerhill Parade be purchased by Dublin City Council and given to the local community, and that private, vacant properties can, and should be put into public ownership.

Solidarity Protest with tenants who face eviction in Summer Hill Parade in Dublin 7 - join @D_C_H_A if you can for the evening. #Together4Homes #NeednotGreed https://t.co/g9q5VHHhf5 pic.twitter.com/lGM7CaPq3x  Mick Caul  (@caulmick) August 7, 2018

A spokesperson for Summerhill Occupation said on Wednesday that a number of people are still occupying the house.

Weve had no word from Dublin City Council, the landlord or the Department of Housing yet in relation to our demands.

Weve had a number of local councillors at the house showing support.

Ideally Dublin City Council put these proprieties to use, let families have access to them, rather than them lying empty for gentrification purposes.

Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin TD backed the occupation on Wednesday, saying the Government was not ambitious enough in their efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

For years, activists, housing experts, and opposition parties have been pushing the Government to take decisive action on turning around vacant homes.

The schemes the Government has introduced including, repair and lease, buy and renew and the Housing Agency fund are underfunded and the targets are far too low.

The Governments vacant homes strategy is not ambitious enough and contains mostly measures that have already been announced.

Bringing more vacant homes back into use seems like an obvious solution.

The Government must do more.

Councillor Eilis Ryan, a Workers Party councillor in the local area, welcomed the occupation.

The buildings in question were the site of a series of illegal evictions which took place earlier this year.

As far as I am concerned the tenants continue to have a legal right to live there, and activists have every right to protect this.

It is criminal that buildings can be left empty for months and years, in the middle of a housing crisis.

The group will take part in a door-knocking exercise on Wednesday to canvas the community in Summerhill Parade to gauge support for the occupation.
Ryanair is cancelling hundreds of flights to and from Germany on Friday because of a strike by pilots.

The airline said it had notified passengers affected by the cancellation of 250 flights, offering them a refund or another route.

Ryanair pilots in Sweden, Belgium and Ireland had already voted to stage a 24-hour strike on Friday, leading to the cancellation of 22 flights to/from Sweden, 104 to/from Belgium, and 20 to/from Ireland. All affected customers have already been contacted.

Pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) announced that Ryanair pilots in Germany will also be striking on Friday over pay and conditions.

Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditionsRyanair

The airline said the strike in Germany was unjustified.

Ryanairs Kenny Jacobs said: We regret the decision of the VC to go ahead with this unnecessary strike action given that we sent through a revised proposal on a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) and stated our intention to work towards achieving a CLA together. We also invited VC to meet us on Tuesday but they did not respond to this invitation.

Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions. They are paid up to 190,000 a year and, as well as additional benefits, they received a 20% pay increase at the start of this year. Ryanair pilots earn at least 30% more than Eurowings and 20% more than Norwegian pilots.

We asked VC to provide us with at least seven days notice of any planned strike action so that we could notify our customers of cancelled flights in advance and offer them alternative flights or refunds, but they have refused to do this and instead call an unnecessary strike in Germany in just two days time.

Ryanair is ready to continue these negotiations. We again call on the VC to remove the threat of an unjustified and unnecessary strike, to commit to providing reasonable (seven days) notice of strike action and to accept our invitations to meet for meaningful negotiations on a CLA for our German pilots and minimise disruption to German customers.

Ryanair is now forced to cancel 250 flights of over 2,400 flights scheduled to operate on Friday. We apologise to our customers for this unnecessary strike and regrettable disruption.
Yulia Skripal was left seriously ill after coming into contact with the nerve agent Novichok (Dylan Martinez/PA)

Britain has welcomed new US sanctions on Russia in response to the nerve agent attack on a former spy in Salisbury.

The US State Department issued a formal determination that Russia violated international law by poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Novichok in the Wiltshire town in March.

The decision triggers new sanctions expected to come into effect on or around August 22 following a 15-day Congressional notification period.

The US has already expelled dozens of Russian diplomats after agreeing with the UKs assessment that Moscow was highly likely to have been responsible for the attack. The Kremlin vehemently denies involvement.

According to US media reports, the new measures include a ban on granting licenses to export sensitive national security goods to Russia.

A second round  kicking in three months later unless Russia provides reliable assurances it will not use chemical weapons again and agrees to UN inspections  could include downgrading diplomatic relations, suspending flights to the US by state airline Aeroflot and cutting off many exports and imports.

Expand Close The Salisbury home of Sergei Skripal, where he is believed to have come into contact with the deadly nerve agent Novichok (Ben Mitchell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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A Downing Street spokesman said: The UK welcomes this further action by our US allies.

The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged.

In a statement setting out the new US action, the State Department said: Following the use of a Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on August 6, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018.

Expand Close Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with Novichok believed to have been discarded by the Skripals attackers. (Metropolitan Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Russia has also been blamed for the death of 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess and the poisoning of her partner Charlie Rowley, who are believed to have come into contact with Novichok discarded by the Skripals attackers.
The centenary of a key turning point in the First World War has been marked with a solemn service at Amiens Cathedral.

Theresa May and the Duke of Cambridge paid tribute to the bravery of troops who fought in the Battle of Amiens at the event staged exactly 100 years since the start of the offensive.

Expand Close The Duke of Cambridge and Prime Minister Theresa May attended a service to mark the centenary of the Battle of Amiens (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Duke of Cambridge and Prime Minister Theresa May attended a service to mark the centenary of the Battle of Amiens (Yui Mok/PA)

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Expand Close The PM had a more straightforward handshake for French armed forces minister Florence Parly (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close The service also remembered the so-called Hundred Days Offensive, which was a decisive point in the First World War, and came after the Battle of Amiens PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The service also remembered the so-called Hundred Days Offensive, which was a decisive point in the First World War, and came after the Battle of Amiens

Expand Close William spoke at the service about the bravery of soldiers during the First World War (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was also among those who attended the moving service (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close Mrs May sat alongside former German president Joachim Gauck (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close The Duke of Cambridge and Florence Parly, Frances minister to the armed forces, lay wreaths in the Chapel of the Allies at Amiens Cathedral (DCMS/Crown copyright) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close Theresa May laid a wreath with former German president Joachim Gauck (DCMS/Crown copyright) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close Crowds outside Amiens Cathedral (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close Across the Channel in Dorset, living history actors staged a re-enactment to mark the centenary of the battle (Andrew Matthews/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Expand Close The event at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, featured a mock battle (Andrew Matthews/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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A man is due to appear in court charged with the murder of midwife Samantha Eastwood.

Michael Stirling was charged after the 28-year-olds body was found in a rural area near Caverswall, Staffordshire, on Saturday  eight days after her disappearance.

Ms Eastwood had last been seen in uniform leaving work at Royal Stoke Hospital at 7.45am on July 27.

Expand Close Michael Stirling leaves court in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where he appeared charged with the murder of midwife Samantha Eastwood (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michael Stirling leaves court in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where he appeared charged with the murder of midwife Samantha Eastwood (PA)

The 32-year-old defendant, who is the brother-in-law of Ms Eastwoods ex fiance John Peake, allegedly murdered Ms Eastwood between July 26 and August 5 at Baddeley Green.

Staffordshire Police said two other men, aged 28 and 60, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender have been released on conditional bail while inquiries continue.

Ms Eastwoods sister Gemma took away some of the cards and keepsakes left by well wishers at the midwifes home on Monday and her ex-fiance paid tribute with a bouquet of flowers.

Expand Close Floral tributes outside the home of Samantha Eastwood(PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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In a statement issued through the Staffordshire force, the midwifes family said: We would like to say thank you to all the people who followed Samanthas story and tried their best to help.

Stirling, of Gratton Road, Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, will appear at Stafford Crown Court via live videolink later.
Japanese banking giant Nomura has started contacting clients to transfer business from London to Germany as it ramps up preparation for a hard Brexit.

EU clients of its trading unit are being asked to put together paperwork that will enable them to do business with Nomuras new Frankfurt entity, which was granted a securities trading licence by the German regulator in June.

Its new entity  which will operate as Nomura Financial Products Europe or NFPE  will have its headquarters in the German financial hub, with branches in Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

A copy of the letter sent to clients, seen by the Press Association, said: We are ready to begin onboarding clients to this entity so that we are fully prepared in the event of a Hard Brexit  i.e. that the UK leaves the EU on the 29 March 2019 and UK financial services organisations lose their passporting rights at that time.

Expand Close A general view of Frankfurt Central Station. A number of banks have chosen the German city as their post-Brexit EU hub (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp A general view of Frankfurt Central Station. A number of banks have chosen the German city as their post-Brexit EU hub (PA)

We recognise that transitional arrangements may extend this deadline but since it is not yet known how comprehensive those arrangements may be, or what services they will cover, we are making plans to ensure that our service to you can continue without disruption in any eventuality.

Clients who use its trading services will have to put together paperwork that will allow them to continue executing trades and transactions with Nomura.

It is expected that the paperwork will then have to go through checks by the bank itself before the account can formally be transferred to Frankfurt.

Nomura said it expects that its EU operations will be ready for trades and transactions with clients in the first quarter of 2019, but said a formal notice would be sent closer to the time once a precise start date has been agreed.

The bank has hired Allen & Overy as legal counsel during the process.

A spokesman for Nomura confirmed the contents of the letter but declined to comment further.

It makes Nomura one of the first London-based banks to reach out to clients in preparation for a post-Brexit trading relationship.

But a City source said most banks with trading operations in the UK are gearing up for similar moves, with clients expected to receive communication in the coming weeks.

Expand Close HSBC has said it could move up to 1,000 staff to France in light of Brexit (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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EU clients are likely to have to complete the process multiple times, as they often conduct trades with a number of banks who are also preparing for post-Brexit regulations.

It is the latest blow to Londons reputation as a global financial centre, as a portion of lucrative trading revenues are set to be booked on the continent rather than in Britain.

Nomura itself is understood to have prepared to move around 100 staff from London to service its new EU entities.

TP ICAP  which is the worlds biggest interdealer broker  earlier this week confirmed plans to base its EU headquarters in Paris in hopes of safeguarding its continental business after Britain leaves the bloc.

It will join HSBC, which is on course to move up to 1,000 jobs to France, while JP Morgan is looking at relocating around 1,000 front and back office roles across a number of its EU sites.

Among UK lenders, Barclays is on track to bulk up its Dublin operations, while RBS confirmed last week that around 150 staff will help serve EU clients out of operation in Amsterdam, though customers have yet to be transferred
Police officers were given a spectacular surprise thanks to a humpback whale who took an interest in them.

On Sunday Queensland Police officers Sergeant Mick Jones and Constable Jemma Crowley were patrolling the waters to make sure fishermen were sticking to the rules when they came across the creature.

Whale I never, two officers in Mackay had a close encounter on the weekend. A hump day tail they wont forget. https://t.co/vOb67p8Abk pic.twitter.com/kwt3X2lSGq  Queensland Police (@QldPolice) August 8, 2018

The whale circled the boat near Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay, showing off to the officers. As it passed once more, Sergeant Jones can be heard remarking Wowee. Thats pretty special Gemma.

Whales are a common sight in the region during the migratory months of June to September, but rarely come so close.
Najib Razak, right, arrives at High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur (Yam G-Jun/AP)

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has pleaded not guilty to three new money-laundering charges related to the alleged multibillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund.

Mr Najib, who suffered a stunning electoral defeat three months ago, spoke softly as he entered his plea in the High Court. He has previously accused Malaysias new government of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name in his trial.

The 65-year-old had pleaded not guilty to abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust last month.

All of the charges against him involve the transfer of 42 million ringgit (8 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund that international investigators say was looted of billions by Mr Najibs associates.

Abuse of power and breach of trust carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each charge. Each money-laundering count carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the sum laundered.

Expand Close The former prime minister walks out of the courtroom at the High Court of Malaya (Yam G-Jun/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 for the stated purpose of promoting economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

After leaked documents exposed the scandal, Mr Najib sacked critics in his government, muzzled the media and quashed investigations.

Public anger led to the defeat of Mr Najibs long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened the investigations stifled under Mr Najibs rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country.

Police also seized jewellery and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit (208 million) from properties linked to Mr Najib.
Yulia Skripal was contaminated with the nerve agent Novichok along with her father Sergei Skripal (Dylan Martinez/PA)

The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for its use of a nerve agent in an attempt to kill a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK.

The State Department said the sanctions will be imposed on Russia because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law.

The State Department just announced that the U.S. has determined Russia violated the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act by poisoning former Russian spy & his daughter. Sanctions will go into effect later this month. pic.twitter.com/ektEkEi8mZ  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 8, 2018

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, in Salisbury in March.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poisoned by the substance.

Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions will take effect on or around August 22, according to a statement from the State Department.
Much attention has been given to the fallout within the unionist political establishment following the Peter Robinson article and his arguments that now is the time for unionists to put forward a strong case for the Union with Britain. It's both an admirable and laudable argument. Unfortunately, it's an argument that is lamentably undermined by the dogged insistence by the DUP and others to deny citizens living in Northern Ireland full and equal rights with citizens in the rest of the UK.

This has always been the case since the establishment of Northern Ireland, which has always been and remains a place apart from the rest of the UK. Unionists under the old Stormont regime were always allowed to plough their own furrow, even when it meant excluding fellow Catholic citizens from some basic civil rights.

And for its part, Westminster has always been happy to maintain a political border down the Irish Sea when it comes to this place.

To this day nothing has changed.

Though, 50 years ago, the tide against the hegemony of unionism and its sectarian polices was challenged by the emerging civil rights campaign.

Young Catholics, some of whom were fresh out of university, and liberal Protestants saw that Northern Ireland couldn't be allowed to remain a political and cultural backwater within the UK.

The indefatigable team of Dr Conn McCluskey and his wife Patricia deserve much credit, recognition and thanks for their roles in the civil rights campaign.

I was too young to remember much about the 1960s, however I do recall the world's media descending into Newry like a plague of locusts for the January 9, 1969 civil rights march.

The scenes at Derry and Burntollet in the previous weeks meant that emotions ran high, and unfortunately the Newry civil rights march, much to the dismay of its organisers, became a riot after a section of the crowd broke away from the stewards.

That said, the civil rights campaign was successful - it had in the words of the then Bernadette Devlin (now McAliskey) brought "a government to its knees". The civil rights campaign also had most of its demands met within a very short period of time. Non-violent protest worked.

For some within unionism, and more pointedly within the republican movement back then, it was too successful.

The late James Young, a comedian of that time, had a series of comedic songs about Northern Ireland, though betraying his own roots he spoke of it as Ulster.

The civil rights protagonists, as he saw it in his lyrics, were Austin Currie, Eamonn McCann, Bernadette Devlin, John Hume, Ivan Cooper, Michael Farrell, Paddy Devlin, Paddy O'Hanlon and Gerry Fitt.

Of course, there were many, many more, and in each area across the North there were local leaders such as those in Newry - Tommy Keane, Rory McShane, Sean Hollywood and Joe McNulty.

Many organisations were also involved in the initial civil rights committee and they were from trade unions, republican and NI labour parties, young unionists, the Ulster Liberal Party, the Communist Party, Wolfe Tone Societies, and a single member of the IRA.

Six of the nine most prominent names and recognisable faces in the civil rights movement across Northern Ireland went on to become leading members of the newly formed SDLP.

While the civil rights campaign was not in the ownership of any single political party or individual, there is no mistaking the fact that the political spawn of the civil rights movement was undoubtedly the SDLP. Others like McCann and Farrell became prominent campaigners for civil liberties.

So, it was with more than a wry smile I noticed that Sinn Fein is organising a civil rights commemorative march along the original route from Coalisland to Dungannon later this month.

Sinn Fein's links to the civil rights movement are fairly tenuous. As a matter of fact, the most prominent civil rights leader of that time, Bernadette Devlin, recently branded Sinn Fein's claims that it and the IRA helped set up the civil rights movement as "delusional" and nothing more than "silly ramblings".

Even the poor old Imperial War Museum got its links wrong when in an exhibition it claimed that the figure in a photo at the head of the civil rights march in Newry was Gerry Adams, when in fact it was Tommy Keane of the PDs (People's Democracy).

But in fairness to Sinn Fein, it has never let truth stand in the way of a good political hijacking - something that the SDLP can testify to.

In fact, the Sinn Fein leadership appears to have the amazing skill of having perfect recall on matters in which they played little to no role but complete amnesia on those matters for which they were completely culpable.

Yet when it comes to this march, it will be executed with the type of ceremonial pageantry that can be only matched on royal occasions. If anyone can do commemorative marches well, it's Sinn Fein.

The truth about the civil rights campaign was, while IRA violence did extinguish it and certainly cost it the support of liberal unionists and trade unionists, it was also of its time.

The civil rights movement was just that, a movement, and being such a broad church its members would want to find a political home more suited to their individuals leanings.

The SDLP bore the greatest fruit from the civil rights movement but it was also hampered at birth by the weaknesses of that same movement - strong personalities with little discipline and even less organisational cohesion.

Northern Ireland was lucky to have the talented generation of leaders it had on the creation of the civil rights movement, because these days they could give lessons to both unionists and nationalists on the meaning of equality.

Civil rights are universal, not party political.

Dr Tom Kelly is a political commentator
Relatives react as rescuers recover the bodies of victims killed in an earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Aug. 7, 2018.

Juanda continued praying, at first, when the mosque started shaking.

But as soon as the walls rattled, Juanda sprinted toward the door while other worshippers behind him screamed. He leapt toward his motorcycle just as the walls of the building began to buckle.



He never reached it.

The two-story Jabal Nur Mosque collapsed almost like a pancake, burying his motorcycle. Its green dome fell flat on the ground.

Just a little closer and I might have died, said Juanda, who uses only one name, like many Indonesians.

Juanda recalled the speed with which Sundays 6.9 magnitude earthquake toppled buildings and left thousands homeless in North Lombok, near the epicenter of the devastating temblor.

He said about 100 people were performing nighttime prayers inside the mosque when the temblor struck, but wasnt sure how many were trapped.

Hours after Juanda's interview with BenarNews on Tuesday, soldiers posted on social media a video of a man wearing a prayer cap being pulled alive from the rubble. He appeared disoriented as he staggered away from the ruins and repeatedly raised his arms, palms open, as if thanking his rescuers. "Thank God," some rescuers said, "thank God."

Scores of volunteers, soldiers and police officers swarmed around the flattened building on Tuesday afternoon, combing through the rubble with two excavators. In another mosque, about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) away, volunteers sifted through the debris using only hand tools.

The death toll stood at 105 on Tuesday afternoon and more than 200 were injured, according to Indonesias disaster mitigation agency, BNPB. That figure was expected to increase, officials said.

Anak Agung Alit Supartana, chief of the region's Search and Rescue Agency office, told reporters two people had been found alive at the Jabal Nur Mosque as of Tuesday evening. Three bodies had been recovered, he said.

The quake, which struck at a shallow depth of 10.5 kilometers (6.5 miles), was initially recorded at magnitude 7.0, but the Colorado-based U.S. Geological Survey had revised it down to 6.9.

It hit the northern parts of Lombok, where at least 78 bodies have been recovered, a week after a magnitude 6.4 quake surged through the island and killed 20 people, authorities said.

Sundays quake triggered a brief tsunami warning and was felt on neighboring Bali and Gili islands, as well as other parts of East Java. There have been as many as 230 aftershocks, according to seismologists.

We are concerned aid trucks can't get through because of the debris, and there are also landslides happening, Husni Husni, a Jakarta-based spokesman for the Red Cross, told CNN. The army has been trying to clear up to make a corridor for trucks to pass through.

Authorities said more than 20,000 people lost their homes in northern Lombok, a mountainous region with a population of about 200,000.

Local residents told reporters they urgently need food, medicine and clean water as a humanitarian crisis loomed for thousands left homeless by the disaster. Drinking water is scarce as the quake broke pipes in the villages.

At Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Karang Pangsor village, worshippers were also praying inside when the quake caused its roof, upper floors and walls to collapse.

I got stepped on because all the worshippers were panicking as they tried to leave, Ama Yusron told BenarNews. He was not hurt.

He said about 30 women were among inside the mosque that night  in the womens section at the back. Due to their location, they would have had the most difficulty leaving, he said.

At midday Tuesday, rescuers clawed through slabs of concrete and twisted rebar at the mosque, but workers did not have any heavy machinery. The slow rescue effort underscored the challenges the nation faced as it struggled to cope with another natural disaster.

Up until about 9 oclock this morning, we still heard calls for help, but we dont hear them anymore, Sonihadi, the village chief, told BenarNews.

Rescuers search for survivors under concrete and twisted rebar of the Jabal Nur Mosque in Lading-Lading town of North Lombok, Indonesia, Aug. 7, 2018. [Anton Muhajir/BenarNews]



Cracked roads

Almost every building along the main road of Lomboks capital, Mataram, to the town of Tanjung in the north, about 43 kilometers (27 miles) away, was damaged: homes, mosques, hotels, restaurants. The road itself was cracked in several places.

Many structures with thin cement walls have been flattened.

Fahriyah, who lives and works near where a ferry departs for the three small islands off the north coast, saw her shop-house destroyed. The islands are popular among divers and snorkelers because of their crystal-clear waters.

Theres nothing left. Its all destroyed. But  all my kids and workers are safe, she said, as she surveyed the rubble of her home in Bangsal village.

Tourists talk about horrifying experience

Thousands of foreign tourists were also impacted by the quake.

Australian tourists Gillian and Michael Harvey, who were traveling with their two small children, described how they had spent more than 10 hours getting to the island of Gili Trawangan.on Sunday, and had only been there for a couple of hours when the quake hit.

We were only out [of our accommodation for] 15 minutes before it happened, we were so lucky we were not inside as some of the restaurant's roofs had fallen down and crushed people, Gillian told Australias ABC News.

She said there was widespread panic on the beach as they feared a tsunami was on its way.

"Then someone said the tsunami warning had been triggered and everyone was running for high ground, she said. The only problem with getting to the hill was we had to walk through buildings and pass all of the dead and injured bodies and that was horrible.

Beth Melluish and Isabelle Farrow of London were also vacationing on Gili Trawangan when the quake struck. The two suffered cuts to their knees from fragments of a hotel wall.

I climbed a tree, Beth told BenarNews. I was so afraid of a tsunami.

Indonesia straddles the so-called Ring of Fire, a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where about 90 percent of earthquakes occur, according to seismologists.

On Dec. 26, 2004, about 130,000 people died in Indonesias westernmost province of Aceh when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake occurred off the west coast of Sumatra, spawning a series of devastating tsunamis.

Like many villagers traumatized by roars of aftershocks, Melluish and Farrow said they slept on the beach with three friends when they were certain the danger of a tsunami had passed  none materialized after the Aug. 5 quake. A boat evacuated them the next day.

About 75 percent of North Lombok has been without electricity since Sunday, officials said. Along the islands scenic northwest coastal road, thousands of people were sleeping outside their homes.

Boats were still ferrying tourists out of the three Gili islands at midday Tuesday, with two central government ministers  Coordinating Political, Security and Legal Affairs Minister Wiranto and Minister of Social Affairs Idrus Marham  watching the proceedings at Bangsal Port on Tuesday.

About 7,000 foreign and domestic tourists have been evacuated from the three islands, Wiranto said.

We have to make sure they are all handled properly  [taken] wherever they want to go and given every assistance, he said.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the disaster mitigation agency, told reporters that damaged bridges were frustrating efforts to send aid in some villages in North Lombok and in other heavily affected areas west of the island.



"They have not been touched by any assistance," he said. "All shops and stalls there are closed, making the economy totally crippled."
A protester peers behind a huge cutout of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in camouflage uniform during a rally northeast of Manila to denounce alleged escalating human rights violations in the country, May 21, 2018.

An 84-year-old Australian activist has been detained and is to be deported by Philippine immigration authorities, a local rights group said Wednesday, a month after the government deported an American and two Africans for the same offense.

Gil Boehringer, a law professor from Australia, was prevented entry into Manila early Wednesday shortly after arriving from Sydney, according to Karapatan, a local rights group.

He was told by immigration officers that he will be deported and that he is on their blacklist due to his alleged participation in a rally in the Philippines, Karapatan said in a statement.

It said Boehringer, who is married to a Filipina and has American dual-citizenship status, has been campaigning for human rights in the Philippines for about eight years.

He recently has been campaigning for members of a local indigenous community on the southern island of Mindanao, which has been under martial law since last year as the government moved to defeat Muslim militants.

Three foreign activists  an American, and two African missionaries  were deported recently for visiting the south to investigate alleged abuses blamed on the army, particularly the killing in December of at least eight members of an indigenous community in the southern province of Lake Sebu.

A fourth missionary, Catholic nun Patricia Fox of Australia, was ordered deported by President Rodrigo Duterte himself. Duterte had bristled at protests led by the Catholic Church questioning his governments anti-drug war that has left thousands of people dead.

Fox, 71, won a reprieve from the justice department, but the immigration bureau, recently upheld its decision to deport her. She has filed an appeal, but has said that if she loses, she was prepared

to leave the country she has served for nearly 28 years.

Whatever happens, I will be forever grateful to all those Filipinos that I call my friends and for all those from both church and sectors who have supported me through this time, she has said.

I may lose my right to be in the Philippines but I can never lose the learnings and beautiful memories, she said.

The government charged her with violating the terms of her religious visa, and the presidential palace released pictures showing her joining a workers rally.

Duterte has said that he has personally taken issue with this, because foreigners do not have the right to criticize us.

Richel V. Umel in Iligan City contributed to this report.
Members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters walk with their commander, Ameril Umbra Kato, (right) for a news interview in the in southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, Feb. 10, 2011.

Two suspected Filipino Islamic militants trying to sneak a bomb into a populated area were killed in a predawn gunbattle with the military in the southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday, days after a deadly suicide bomb attack left 10 dead elsewhere in the south.

Soldiers were manning a security checkpoint going into Mlang town in North Cotabato province when they intercepted two members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) riding on a motorcycle, regional army chief Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said.

A brief gunbattle ensued that led to the killing of Allen Nords Salbo and Saligan Patrick Ali. Officials said they were BIFF fighters.

Our troops recovered a black sling bag containing a homemade bomb. We detonated the bomb, Sobejana said.

The device was made from a 60 mm mortar projectile attached to a mobile phone, a common bomb that the militants in the area use in attacks.

We have information that BIFF will carry out bomb attacks, so we tightened our security, Sobejana said.

Composed of dozens of fighters, BIFF is a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), once the countrys largest separatist force that gave up the fight for independence in exchange for autonomy.

BIFF later pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, but did not send fighters to Marawi last year, when local IS commander Isnilon Hapilon led a five-month siege that left at least 1,200 people dead. Hapilon was among those killed in October along with several fighters from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Bomb components are seen on the ground after Philippine security forces killed two suspected members of the IS-affiliated Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the southern Philippine town of M'lang, Aug. 8. 2018. [HO/Philippine Army 6ID]

President Rodrigo Duterte last month signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law, four years after the government reached a peace deal with MILF to address extremism in the region and address long-standing grievances of the minority Muslims.

Under the pact, areas dominated by Muslims are to elect a parliament in hopes of ending almost a half-century of insurgency that left thousands dead and deep poverty in many parts of the mineral-rich region.

But just days after the law was passed, a bomb went off at a police checkpoint on Basilan island, killing 10.

The military initially suspected the extremist Abu Sayyaf group as behind the attack, but IS later took responsibility, saying it was carried out by a Moroccan national.

Authorities in Manila have said initial results of the investigation have been inconclusive, but the military arrested a local Muslim cleric in Basilan who allegedly helped foreign fighters gain entry into Basilan, a jungle-clad territory and the birthplace of the Abu Sayyaf.

Founded in the early 1990s, Abu Sayyaf is notorious for kidnappings, bombings and beheadings in southern Philippines during the past two decades.

The group was blacklisted by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. It continues to hold several foreigners and Filipinos hostage after beheading a German captive and two Canadian hostages in the past two years.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
For Immediate Release, August 8, 2018 Contacts: Clare Lakewood, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 316-8615, clakewood@biologicaldiversity.org

Greg Loarie, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2000, gloarie@earthjustice.org Trump Administration Moves to Reopen California Public Lands to Oil Leasing Process Could End 5-year Moratorium on Leasing Federal Land to Oil Companies BAKERSFIELD, Calif. The Trump administration today took the first step in a process that could open more than a million acres of public land and mineral estate in central California to oil drilling and fracking. The move could end a five-year-old moratorium on leasing federal public land in the state to oil companies. Todays notice from the Bureau of Land Management seeks comments on the potential harms of fracking in 400,000 acres of public land and an additional 1.2 million acres of federal mineral estate in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties. This step toward opening our beautiful public lands to fracking and drilling is part of the Trump administrations war on California, said Clare Lakewood, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. We desperately need to keep these dirty fossil fuels in the ground. But Trump is hell-bent on sacrificing our health, wildlife and climate to profit big polluters. In 2015 the Center for Biological Diversity and Los Padres ForestWatch, represented by Earthjustice, successfully sued the BLM for approving a resource management plan allowing oil and gas drilling and fracking on vast stretches of Californias public lands without adequately analyzing and disclosing the impacts of fracking on air quality, water and wildlife. As a result of the groups legal victory, the BLM agreed to complete a new analysis of the pollution risks of fracking before deciding whether to allow drilling and fracking on public land across Californias Central Valley, the southern Sierra Nevada and in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties. The BLM has not held a single lease sale in California since 2013 when a federal judge first ruled that the agency had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by issuing oil leases in Monterey County without considering the environmental dangers of fracking. Fracking is an extreme oil-extraction process that blasts toxic chemicals mixed with water underground to crack rocks. The public lands at stake encompass numerous groundwater systems that contribute to the annual water supply used by neighboring areas for agricultural and urban purposes, a federal judge noted in 2016. A 2015 report from the California Council on Science and Technology concluded that fracking in California happens at unusually shallow depths, dangerously close to underground drinking water supplies, with unusually high concentrations of chemicals, including substances dangerous to human health and the environment. Todays announcement comes after San Luis Obispo residents, concerned about the harms fracking poses to their county, placed a voter initiative on the November election ballot. If passed, Measure G will ban fracking and new oil and gas wells in San Luis Obispo County. Its great that BLM is finally going to look at this problem, said Greg Loarie, an attorney at Earthjustice. But analyzing the impacts of fracking is like analyzing the impacts of smoking cigarettes: theres really no question that more fracking would be terrible for California. The BLMs 30-day comment period for the proposal begins today.
In addition, Cipla also announced Dr. R. Ananthanarayanan as Global Chief Operating Officer.

Cipla has announced the appointment of Dr. R. Ananthanarayanan (Ananth) as its Global Chief Operating Officer (GCOO), effective 8 August 2018.

In his role at Cipla, Ananth will oversee R&D, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, the API business and the key geographies of North America, Europe and Emerging Markets to help leverage and grow Ciplas generics portfolio and competencies in these markets. He will report to Umang Vohra, Managing Director & Global Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, Cipla also announced Q1 FY19 results demonstrating strong growth momentum across home markets and key differentiated approvals for US.

Major highlights are:

The company showed strong YoY sales growth of 12% with EBITDA growing by 12%.

R&D investments stood at ~INR 278cr i.e. ~7% of sales

Strong growth across India (+22% YoY), South Africa

(+14% YoY adjusted for animal health) and API business (+48% YoY) were seen

The key differentiated launches in the US were Isoproterenol HCI Injection and Testosterone Cypionate Injection

It received EIR for Goa & Indore Plants

I am pleased with our performance in the quarter which demonstrates our strong foothold and continued growth momentum in our home markets. The limited competition launches in the US were in-line with our expectations and we are looking forward to more interesting

launches in the coming weeks. Business development efforts saw a significant boost - India partnership with Roche and Eli Lilly, in-licensed biosimilars in emerging markets and the proposed acquisition of Mirren (Pty) Ltd in the South African OTC space. These efforts will help

drive portfolio build-up and sustainable growth in these markets. We continued to retain our focus on quality with EIR received for our Goa & Indore plants. We will continue to play to our strengths in pursuit of our purpose of Caring for Life
The Alabama Voting Rights Project will be at the Baldwin County Library Cooperative in Robertsdale on Tuesday, Aug. 14 from 1:00-4:30 p.m. The Project seeks to reinstate voting privileges to people convicted of certain crimes in the state of Alabama.

Under Alabama law, you have the right to vote if you are a United States citizen who resides in Alabama, are at least 18 years old, have not been declared "mentally incompetent" by a court and have not been convicted of a disqualifying felony. On Aug. 14, a representative will be in the library to help people who have been convicted of a crime determine if they can still vote in the state of Alabama.

Before August 2017, the definition of disqualifying felonies was left up to individual registrars which resulted in some people being wrongly told they were ineligible to vote. If you have not been convicted of a disqualifying felony, you are able to register.

A representative will be at the library to answer questions privately and confidentially. The representative can also help if a person has been convicted of a disqualifying conviction. In certain cases, a person can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote (CERV).

"The law that defines restoring voter rights to people with convictions was clarified in 2017," said Liz Reed, director of the Baldwin County Library Cooperative. "We hope that these people will come to the library to see if and how this important civil right can be restored."

The Baldwin County Library Cooperative consists of the county's fourteen local libraries, the Bookmobile and several book deposit stations. BCLC is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Baldwin County Library Cooperative is located in the Baldwin County Commission Central Annex at 22251 Palmer Street in Robertsdale.

For more information please visit the Alabama Voter Rights Project at: https://www.alabamavotingrights.com
PR Newswire

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 8, 2018

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HoverCam, a San Diego-based designer and manufacturer of innovative solutions that bring engagement and interactivity to learning environments, has selected InGear as its integrated marketing communications and public relations agency. Effective immediately, InGear will work with HoverCam to increase its exposure in the education market and establish the company as a leader in learning technology.

HoverCam offers an extensive portfolio of intuitive and collaborative solutions to help educators make the transition to a fully digital classroom. These solutions include award-winning wireless digital podiums, interactive flat-panel displays, and a variety of innovative document cameras, all powered by the company's KnoteSter social learning interface. To date, HoverCam's solutions have been integrated in more than 300,000 classrooms worldwide.

"In the last year we've introduced a number of new solutions designed to set the standard for the 21st-century classroom," said Ji Shen, president of HoverCam. "To achieve our goal, we needed a media relations and marketing partner with the expertise to increase our profile in the education market. We've seen the results InGear has produced for other technology manufacturers in this space, so it was an easy decision to team up with the agency."

"The team at HoverCam understands the needs of educators and is dedicated to providing them with the tools they need to teach effectively in the modern digital classroom," said Veronica Esbona, president of InGear. "We're looking forward to working closely with the company, making its name synonymous with education technology and bringing the benefits of its solutions to students around the world."

About InGear InGear is a full-service content marketing agency focused on the professional AV, custom installation, and consumer electronics markets. With offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Portland, and Salt Lake City, the agency serves an international range of clients with global media relations activities, social media strategies, and high-impact customer outreach and influencer programs. Visit InGear on the web at www.InGearPR.com.

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Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AV_BuzzLike us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InGearPR

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SOURCE InGear
PR Newswire

GREENSBORO, N.C., Aug. 8, 2018

GREENSBORO, N.C., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- "Converting Spending Into Earning" (a/k/a The Shopping Annuity) is the predominant message that Market America | SHOP.COM will deliver to approximately 25,000 eager entrepreneurs at its 2018 International Convention. This year's event, to be held August 9th through 12th at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, will showcase the latest developments in Market America | SHOP.COM's high-tech, high-touch approach to retailing and ecommerce. The event will also highlight the company's meteoric rise over the past 26 years from its austere beginnings in its home town of Greensboro, North Carolina.

"I am very excited for our International Convention this week in Greensboro," said Market America | SHOP.COM Chairman and CEO JR Ridinger. "People around the world are rapidly succeeding through the Market America UnFranchise business. The pace continues to quicken as entrepreneurs enthusiastically adopt our 'Shopping Annuity' program, which empowers smart shoppers to convert their everyday spending on everyday items into earnings by building a residual income through SHOP.COM," he said. Ridinger continued, "in fact, just last month, Entrepreneur.com (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/315056) cited The Shopping Annuity as one of 'four effective business models that built billion-dollar companies.'"

The subject Entrepreneur.com article provides, "[t]he idea behind this model is simply to enable customers to earn from their own current spending. Consumers actually earn money when purchasing everyday items, such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, razors and so on. It can be a very compelling model that fits well into the ecommerce space.. Founder and CEO of Market America and SHOP.COM, JR Ridinger, is seeing significant success with this business model in nine countries, including the U.S. In a recent interview, Ridinger said, 'The Shopping Annuity -- converting everyday spending into earning -- is the foundation of our business model and is like rocket fuel for our UnFranchise business, overall. Let's face it, Uber is essentially the largest taxi service in the world, and they don't own a single taxi/car. We look at the retail landscape in a similar way, and realize there's an equally powerful opportunity for us as a global ecommerce powerhouse. People don't just shop for luxury items, they shop for the things they use every day. By making those purchases the cornerstone of a Shopping Annuity, we feel this concept will revolutionize the retail industry as well as our economy. It took 25 years for the technology to catch up to our original vision of interconnected shoppers who wield their collective buying power and convert spending into earning.'"

During Ridinger's multiple presentations at the event, he will convey the latest enhancements to the Shopping Annuity program and how its rapid adoption in the marketplace is improving thousands of lives. Ridinger will also unveil several new "Shopping Annuity" branded products  all daily essential products that virtually everyone not only uses but needs as part of their daily routine. These products are all designed to simplify the ability to reap the benefits of the company's Shopping Annuity program.

The event will also feature the Market America | SHOP.COM executive team, successful entrepreneurs from at least 9 countries and celebrity guests, including Fat Joe and La La Anthony. Previous events have been attended by superstars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Eva Longoria, Serena Williams, Alejandro Sanz, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Tony Romo, Swizz Beatz, Paulina Rubio, Marc Anthony, Scottie Pippen and Amar'e and Alexis Stoudemire, among many others. Additional surprise celebrity appearances are expected this week.

Loren Ridinger, Senior Executive Vice President of Market America | SHOP.COM, will open the four-day event with a powerful address followed by additional presentations wherein she will use her vast experience as one of today's most influential entrepreneurs and trendsetters to help attendees define their "why" and develop the passion necessary to reach their goals, succeed and live the life of their dreams. Loren is well known for wooing crowds with her powerful messages about self-empowerment and taking control of your life. Loren's blog can be found at https://www.lorensworld.com/ and her Instagram account can be found at https://www.instagram.com/lorenridinger/ (@lorenridinger).

"For this International Convention, I am very excited to deliver a compelling message of empowerment" said Loren. "We've started a revolution to help people create their own economy. 26 years of evolution and growth has allowed the systems, tools and technology to catch up to our original vision and our original mission. Where else can you find such a realistic business model that results in a significant ongoing income? Our mission is to empower people from all walks of life with the ability to control their time, their income and their future" said Loren passionately.

The award-winning Motives by Loren Ridinger cosmetics line -- created by Loren Ridinger -- is anxiously awaiting the launch of its new Fall/Winter 2018 campaign. This new collection features a lip scrub, a lip mask, a new eyeshadow, a lipstick duo and Motives "In The Mix" Palette (which includes three neutral, matte shades of gray and chocolate brown pressed eye shadow).

The company will also be announcing several new products from its super popular fixx, Royal Spa, TLS, Isotonix & Shopping Annuity brands.

These newest products will be available for purchase exclusively at SHOP.COM and motivescosmetics.com. Loren's ongoing collaboration with actress and entrepreneur La La Anthony in the creation of Motives for La La will also be featured with La La on hand to discuss the best ways to engage with your Motives customers. "Especially via social media, the Motives team has been able to combine our passion for and expertise in beauty to best serve our customers' needs. The growth and success of Motives has been truly gratifying," said Ridinger. Exciting new announcements will headline this year's event, including enhancements to SHOP.COM's shopping website that will be introduced and discussed in detail by Market America | SHOP.COM President & COO Marc Ashley. Marc will be presenting a powerful presentation that details why Market America | SHOP.COM is "The Total Package" for entrepreneurs and savvy shoppers because the Shopping Annuity has never been easier to benefit from.

"Even after 26 years of continuous growth, I'm still amazed at how the company continues to shine brighter," said Ashley. "We are stronger than we have ever been and continue to fill voids in the marketplace," he said. "It's always exciting to be here in Greensboro, which has been home for the company over the past 26 years. I look forward to seeing the Greensboro Coliseum full of talented and dedicated entrepreneurs as we continue to change the way people shop by converting their spending into earning via the Shopping Annuity."

The company will also announce several enhancements to SHOP.COM including additional participating merchants in its SHOP Local program and some great new user-friendly enhancements to make the user experience even better. "We've always been focused on creating the best user experience possible through an easy-to-use interface, fast checkouts and blazing speed, among other things," said Steve Ashley, President & COO of SHOP.COM. "Through innovation, our suite of products -- which include web, mobile and apps -- and emerging technologies we are positioned for explosive growth in the marketplace." Steve will be detailing how the company is taking the friction out of shopping via enhanced user experiences but also is taking the shopping out of shopping via the company's new SHOP.COM Concierge Program.

DNA Miracles and DNA Miracles Natural, created by Amber Ridinger-McLaughlin and Duane McLaughlin, provide the highest quality body and wellness products designed for babies, children and expectant mothers. Duane and Amber will detail the extensive work and product development that they put into the DNA product lines. Recently launched products include: DNA Miracles Natural Kids Shampoo + Body Wash, DNA Miracles Natural Kids Conditioner, DNA Miracles Natural Kids Bubble Bath, DNA Miracles Natural Kids Detangler and DNA Miracles Natural Kids Lotion. The company has partnered with leading health professionals and scientists who follow the highest standards in ingredient selection to create the most effective skin, hair and health solutions.

Amber Ridinger-McLaughlin is also the founder of the popular Lumiere de Vie skincare brand. Amber will be revealing two new Lumiere de Vie products  a rose refresher and a renewal elixir  as well as introducing the brand new Lumiere de Vie Hommes skincare line for men (initially featuring a cleansing gel, a conditioning beard elixir and a hydrating aloe cream).

Grammy-nominated artist and entrepreneur Joseph "Fat Joe" Cartagena, the company's President of Urban and Latino Development, will be on hand to convey the excitement and explosive growth within that market sector. He will discuss Market America | SHOP.COM's core value of living a life that is "All the Way Up" while he's not "Stressin."

For up-to-the minute International Convention updates, visit the Market America blog (http://blog.marketamerica.com) or follow the conversation on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/marketamerica; http://www.facebook.com/shop.com) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/marketamerica; http://www.twitter.com/shopcom; or search #MAIC2018).

ABOUT MARKET AMERICA, INC. & SHOP.COM Currently in its 26th year, Market America, Inc. is a global Product Brokerage and Internet Marketing company that specializes in One-to-One Marketing and is the creator of The Shopping Annuity. Its mission is to provide a robust business system for entrepreneurs, while providing consumers a better way to shop. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the company was founded in 1992 by Chairman and CEO JR Ridinger and has generated over $8.5 billion in accumulated sales. Market America employs nearly 1,000 people globally with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom and Malaysia. Through the company's shopping website, SHOP.COM, consumers have access to over 60 million products, including Market America exclusive brands and thousands of top retail brands. Market America's revolutionary Shopping Annuity program, which helps smart shoppers convert spending into earning, is an extraordinary and financially meaningful benefit of the business. Internet Retailer has ranked SHOP.COM #65 in the 2018 Internet Retailer Top 1000, the #43 largest global online marketplace, #96 in the Internet Retailer Asia 500 and the 18th fastest growing Internet Mobile Retailer. The company is also a two time winner of the Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. By combining Market America's entrepreneurial business model with SHOP.COM's powerful comparative shopping engine, Cashback program, Hot Deals, SHOPBuddy, Express Pay check out, social shopping integration and countless other features, the company has become the ultimate online shopping destination.

For more information, please visit http://www.marketamerica.com or http://www.SHOP.COM.

SOURCE Market America
Canada NewsWire

VANCOUVER, Aug. 8, 2018

VANCOUVER, Aug. 8, 2018 /CNW/ -

TSX VENTURE COMPANIES

BULLETIN TYPE: Cease Trade OrderBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Company

A Cease Trade Order has been issued by the British Columbia Securities Commission on August 7, 2018 against the following company for failing to file the documents indicated within the required time period:

Symbol

Tier

Company

Failure to File

Period

Ending

(Y/M/D)

IOM

1

Assure Holdings Corp.

Interim financial report, management's

2018/03/31

discussion and analysis and

certificate of interim financial report

Upon revocation of the Cease Trade Order, the Company's shares will remain suspended until the Company meets TSX Venture Exchange requirements. Members are prohibited from trading in the securities of the companies during the period of the suspension or until further notice.

________________________________________

KALYTERA THERAPEUTICS INC. ("KALY")("KALY.WT")BULLETIN TYPE: Prospectus- Unit Offering, New Listing-WarrantsBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018May 11, 2001TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

Prospectus- Unit OfferingEffective August 1, 2018, the Company's Prospectus dated August 1, 2018 was filed with and accepted by TSX Venture Exchange, and filed with and receipted by the British Columbia and Ontario Securities Commissions, pursuant to the provisions of the British Columbia and Ontario Securities Act. The prospectus has been filed under Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System in Alberta. A receipt for the prospectus is deemed to be issued by the regulator in this jurisdiction, if the conditions of the Instrument have been satisfied.

TSX Venture Exchange has been advised that closing is expected to occur on August 8, 2017, for gross proceeds of $4,297,260.

Agent(s):

Echelon Wealth Partners, Inc.

Offering:

39,066,000 common share units ("Units")

Each Unit consists of one common share and one half of one warrant

Unit Price:

$0.11 per Unit

Agent's Commission:

7.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the offering in cash and 5% of the aggregate number of Units issued pursuant to the offering.

Agent's Warrants:

1,953,300 non-transferable purchase warrants exercisable to purchase one common share at $0.11 per share.

Greenshoe Option:

The Agent may over-allot the Units in connection with this offering and the Company has granted to the Agent, an option to purchase additional Units, up to 15% of the offering, at $0.11 per Unit, up to the close of business September 7, 2018.

For further information, please refer to the Company's prospectus dated August 1, 2018.

New Listing-WarrantsEffective at the opening Friday, August 10, 2018, the warrants of the Company will commence trading on TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is classified as a 'Research And Development In The Life Sciences' company.

Corporate Jurisdiction:

British Columbia

Capitalization:

19,533,000 warrants are issued and outstanding

Transfer Agent:

TSX Trust Company

Trading Symbol:

KALY.WT

CUSIP Number:

48349P 12 9

The warrants were issued pursuant to the Company's prospectus offering. 1 whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase 1 share at a price of $0.155 per share and will expire on August 8, 2021.

________________________________________

18/08/08 - TSX Venture Exchange Bulletins

TSX VENTURE COMPANIES

AURAMEX RESOURCES CORP. ("AUX")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation in connection with an Agreement dated May 6, 2018 between the Company and Michael Marchand (the "Vendor") whereby the Company has acquired the Exdale tenure that is located in British Columbia. Consideration is 50,000 common shares. The Vendor will receive a 2% net smelter return royalty.

________________________________________

BLUEBIRD BATTERY METALS INC. ("BATT")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing an Agreement for Sale of Mining Assets dated August 2, 2018 between the Company, Bluebird Battery Metals Australia Pty Ltd., its wholly-owned subsidiary) and Peter Romeo Gianni (the "Vendor") whereby the Company has acquired the Ashburton Cobalt Project located southwest of Paraburdoo, Western Australia. Consideration is CAD$25,000, CAD$750,000 of common shares in the first year and CAD$750,000 of common shares in the second year. The deemed price per share will be the greater of $0.30 and the VWAP as calculated over the 30 day period on the day prior to Exchange acceptance. On the first anniversary, the greater of $0.30 and the VWAP as calculated over the 30 day period immediately prior to the date of the issuance. The consideration shares will be issued as follows:

Peter Romeo Gianni  CAD$500,000 of common sharesGeonomics Australia Pty Ltd.  CAD$500,000 of common sharesSisu International Pty Ltd.  CAD$500,000,000 of common shares

________________________________________

CGX ENERGY INC. ("OYL")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 10.15 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

COBALT BLOCKCHAIN INC. ("COBC")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 5.00 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

EMERALD HEALTH THERAPEUTICS INC. ("EMH")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: August 08, 2018TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing a Share Purchase Agreement dated July 17, 2018 between Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. and Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. ("Abattis") whereby the Company will acquire the remaining 40% interest in Northern Vine Canada Inc. held by Abbatis. Consideration is $2,000,000 cash, 1,093,938 shares and pursuant to certain milestones additional shares of the Company with an aggregate deemed value of $4,000,000. The shares are subject to a floor price that is not less than the discounted market price as of the date of the announcement (or $2.28). Any waiver of the floor price will be subject further Exchange review and acceptance.

For more information, please see the news release dated July 19, 2018.

________________________________________

GOLDEN DAWN MINERALS INC. ("GOM")BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-BrokeredBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced Jul 27, 2018:

Number of Shares:

2,181,111 shares

Purchase Price:

$0.27 per share

Warrants:

2,181,111 share purchase warrants to purchase 2,181,111 shares

Warrant Initial Exercise Price:

$0.35

Warrant Term to Expiry:

3 Years

Number of Placees:

3 Placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:

Name

Insider=Y / Pro-Group=P

# of Shares

Quorum Capital Corp.

(Wolf Wiese)

Y

1,050,000

Finder's Fee:

National Securities Corporation $24,000.00 cash; 88,888 warrants

Finder Warrant Initial Exercise Price:

$0.35

Finder Warrant Term to Expiry:

Valid for 3 years @ $0.35

Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.

The above information is a summary only. Neither TMX Group Limited nor any of its affiliated companies guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document. Readers should consult the issuer's continuous disclosure record for complete details of the transaction.

________________________________________

GRID METALS CORP. ("GRDM")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation pertaining to an Option and Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") dated July 11, 2018, between Grid Metals Corp. (the "Company") and an arm's length party (the "Vendor"), whereby the Company can acquire up to 100% interest in nine (9) patented mineral claims and leases (the "Property"), located in the Thunder Bay Mining District, Ontario.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company can earn a 100% interest in the Property by making aggregate cash payments of CDN$880,000 over a seven year period, issuing 200,000 common shares on closing and incurring a minimum of CDN$350,000 of exploration expenditures over a five year period.

For further details, please refer to the Company's news release dated August 2, 2018.

________________________________________

INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES CORP. ("GENE")BULLETIN TYPE: HaltBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 5.49 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, trading in the shares of the Company was halted at the request of the Company, pending news; this regulatory halt is imposed by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Market Regulator of the Exchange pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.9(1) of the Universal Market Integrity Rules.

________________________________________

INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES CORP. ("GENE")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 7.15 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

JADESTONE ENERGY INC. ("JSE")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 6.30 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

KHIRON LIFE SCIENCES CORP. ("KHRN")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 12.15 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

NEXUS GOLD CORP ("NXS")BULLETIN TYPE: Warrant Term ExtensionBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has consented to the extension in the expiry date of the following warrants:

Private Placement:

# of Warrants:

653,500

Original Expiry Date of Warrants:

August 24, 2018

New Expiry Date of Warrants:

August 24, 2019

Exercise Price of Warrants:

$0.75

These warrants were issued pursuant to a private placement of 25,100,000* shares with 12,550,000* share purchase warrants attached, which was accepted for filing by the Exchange effective August 30, 2016.

*Company consolidated shares on a 10 old for 1 new basis effective April 13, 2018

________________________________________

NUBIAN RESOURCES LTD ("NBR")BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-BrokeredBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced May 29, 2018:

Number of Shares:

2,000,000 shares

Purchase Price:

$0.25 per share

Warrants:

1,000,000 share purchase warrants to purchase 1,000,000 shares

Warrant Exercise Price:

$0.40 for a two year period

$0.40 in the second year

Number of Placees:

13 Placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:

Name

Insider=Y / ProGroup=P

# of Shares

PI Financial Corp

Y

50,000

Haywood Securities Inc

Y

100,000

Finder's Fee:

Leede Jones Gable Inc. - $6,000 cash and 24,000 broker warrants;

Politt & Co. Inc. - $6,000 cash and 24,000 broker warrants.

Each broker warrant entitles the broker to one unit at $0.25 per unit; each unit comprising one common share and one-half common share purchase warrants exercisable at $0.40 for 24 months from closing date.

Pursuant to Corporate Finance Policy 4.1, Section 1.11(d), the Company issued a news release announcing the closing of the private placement and setting out the expiry dates of the hold period on August 2, 2018. Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.

________________________________________

NUBIAN RESOURCES LTD ("NBR")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing a binding letter of intent dated August 25, 2017 (the "LOI") and an amending letter dated November 17, 2017 (the "Amending Letter" and collectively, the "Agreement") between Nubian Resources Ltd (the "Company") and Zinc One Resources Inc. ("Zinc One") to acquire a 100% interest in the Esquilache Project located in Southern Peru (the "Project").

In order to acquire the Project, the Company will pay Zinc One $800,000 cash over four years and has issued 1,638,151 shares. The Project is subject to a 2% net smelter royalty ("NSR"). The Company has the right to purchase 1% of the NSR for $500,000 until the third anniversary of the first sale of gold or silver concentrate.

CASH

SHARES

WORK EXPENDITURES

Year 1

$150,000(paid)

1,638,15

Nil

Year 2

$162,500

Nil

Nil

Year 3

$162,500

Nil

Nil

Year 4

$162,500

Nil

Nil

For further information, please see the Company's news releases dated September 19, 2017, November 28, 2017, July 30, 2018 and August 2, 2018.

________________________________________

OSISKO METALS INCORPORATED ("OM")BULLETIN TYPE: HaltBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

Effective at 5.03 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, trading in the shares of the Company was halted at the request of the Company, pending news; this regulatory halt is imposed by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Market Regulator of the Exchange pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.9(1) of the Universal Market Integrity Rules.

________________________________________

OSISKO METALS INCORPORATED ("OM")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

Effective at 8.00 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

QUANTUM NUMBERS CORP. ("QNC")BULLETIN TYPE: HaltBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 5.00 a.m. PST, August 8, 2018, trading in the shares of the Company was halted at the request of the Company, pending news; this regulatory halt is imposed by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Market Regulator of the Exchange pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.9(1) of the Universal Market Integrity Rules.

________________________________________

REDISHRED CAPITAL CORP. ("KUT")BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement- BrokeredBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Brokered Private Placement announced July 5, 2018:

Number of Shares:

18,333,334 shares

Purchase Price:

$0.60 per share

Number of Placees:

16 Placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:

Name

Insider=Y / ProGroup=P

# of Shares

Tracadie Investment Ltd. (James C. Lawley)

Y

41,600

Aggregate Pro Group Involvement

P

1,666,665

[1 Placee]

Broker's Fee:

An aggregate of $659,000 in cash payable to Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited.

Pursuant to Corporate Finance Policy 4.1, Section 1.11(d), the Company has issued a new release announcing the closing of the private placement and setting out the expiry dates of the hold period(s) dated July 26, 2018.

____________________________________

SINTANA ENERGY INC. ("SEI")BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered, Convertible Debenture/sBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced July 3, 2018:

Number of Shares:

416,666 shares

Purchase Price:

$0.06 per share

Number of Placees:

1 Placee

Convertible Debenture

Convertible Debenture

$650,000

Conversion Price:

Convertible into shares at $0.07 per share of principal outstanding in year one, and at $0.10 per share thereafter

Maturity date:

Five years from the date of issuance

Warrants

5,720,000 detachable warrants, each exercisable into one common share at a price of $0.10 for a period of three years

Interest rate:

8% per annum

Pursuant to Corporate Finance Policy 4.1, Section 1.11(d), the Company has issued a news release announcing the closing of the private placement and setting out the expiry dates of the hold period(s). Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.

________________________________________

NEX COMPANIES

WESTCOT VENTURES CORP. ("WET.H")BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-BrokeredBULLETIN DATE: August 8, 2018NEX Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced July 27, 2018:

Number of Shares:

857,142 common share units ("Units")

Each unit consists of one common share and one-half of a common share purchase warrant.

Purchase Price:

$0.35 per Unit

Warrants:

428,571 share purchase warrants to purchase 428,571 shares

Warrant Exercise Price:

$0.50 for a one year period

Number of Placees:

4 Placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:

None

Finder's Fee:

None

Further to the to the TSX Venture Exchange ('TSXV') Bulletin dated June 7, 2018, trading in the shares of the Company will remain halted pending receipt and review of acceptable documentation regarding the change of business and/or Reverse Take-Over pursuant to Listings Policy 5.2

________________________________________

SOURCE TSX Venture Exchange
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Clear. Windy this evening. Low 48F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear. Windy this evening. Low 48F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
 The War on Kids Post #3 | Main | White House emails "startling facts about Americas prison system" 

August 8, 2018

The War on Kids Post #4

In my last post, I discussed the Miller trilogy and states attempts to implement those Supreme Court decisions. Today I want to focus on one especially challenging implementation issue: parole.

When the Supreme Court held Miller retroactive in Montgomery v. Louisiana, it suggested that states could comply with the Miller mandate by employing parole procedures, evidently in an attempt to head off potential state concerns of finality and efficiency. As the Court explained: Giving Miller retroactive effect. . . does not require States to relitigate sentences, let alone convictions, in every case where a juvenile offender received mandatory life without parole. A State may remedy a Miller violation by permitting juvenile homicide offenders to be considered for parole, rather than by resentencing them. However, parole post-Miller has proven to be problematic in several respects.

First, typically parole applicants enjoy very few procedural rights because the Supreme Court has treated parole as a privilege  a proceeding in which the prisoner has no liberty interest. Even when the Supreme Court has construed a states parole statute to create some liberty interest for prisoners, it has not gone so far as to hold that prisoners are entitled to the aid of counsel. As a result, in 35 states a prisoner has no right to counsel at a parole hearing. In contrast, when a state employs parole as a method for remedying a now-unconstitutional sentence, the prisoner does have a liberty interest at stake, as some lower courts have recognized. At the same time, because juvenile lifers are entitled to a meaningful opportunity to obtain release, parole boards across the country are now tasked with examining factors deemed relevant in Miller, including childhood environment and efforts at rehabilitation. Thus, youth offenders seeking parole may be entitled to procedural safeguards, including the right to counsel, never before seen in the parole context.

Second, while parole largely disappeared from the criminal justice landscape in the late 20th century, it has been making a comeback as part of the smart on crime movement  only modern parole is new and different. While discretion and instinct are still relevant, modern parole is largely dependent upon actuarial assessments of prisoners risks if released. These risk assessment tools rely upon statistical relationships between both static (e.g. age at date of conviction) and dynamic (e.g. level of education obtained during incarceration) factors. Almost all states employ these risk assessment tools in the parole process.

Heres the concern post-Miller: the risk assessment tools may rely on factors that defy the Supreme Courts holding that children are categorically less culpable and more amenable to rehabilitation. For example, in many jurisdictions, the tools consider the inmates age at first commitment; the younger the age at first commitment, the higher the risk factor and the less likely the inmate is to be released. Similarly, many tools consider factors such as employment history and marital status before incarceration; being single and unemployed increases ones risk assessment score. Juvenile offenders as a group, precisely because of their youth at the time of conviction, were unlikely to have been married or to have had an employment history. In other words, the risk assessment tools treat youth as an aggravating variable, while the entire logic of the Miller trilogy hangs on youth as a mitigating variable.

Finally, there are several other thorny questions implicated in jurisdictions that employ parole as a Miller remedy. Should states be expected to release a certain percentage of youth offenders seeking parole in order to satisfy the meaningful opportunity standard? When a parole board denies release, must it issue a decision and rationale in writing beyond the generic statement that an applicant is not a suitable candidate? What is an appropriate wait period for a board to impose before reconsidering a case? Henry Montgomery himself was denied parole earlier this year and given a two-year setoff period; hes already 71 and surely at some age a two-year setoff violates the meaningful opportunity standard.

By my count, 11 states today are employing some kind of new, youth-informed parole procedure in order to address prisoners with claims under Miller. Other jurisdictions are employing their previously existing parole mechanisms to do so. Litigation challenging the adequacy of these procedures is already underway, and time will tell how helpful it was for the Court to suggest that states rely upon parole as a Miller remedy.

August 8, 2018 at 10:31 AM | Permalink

Comments

In your last two posts you have focused on issues surrounding juvenile life sentences. I have to wonder, however, how long Miller will remain good law. It was a 5-4 decision and the person who made the difference in these cases--Kennedy--is now off the court. My concern-and it a general concern not directly solely at you--is that this focus on life sentences takes away needed energy from more mundane yet nevertheless critical juvenile justice issues. I have long been critical of why so many draw a line in the sand on this this narrow issue that affects so few juveniles.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 8, 2018 11:02:29 AM

With due respect, a meaningful opportunity for release is not the same thing as a guarantee for release. Miller allows a life sentence with eligibility for parole. If the parole board gives an opportunity for the offender to demonstrate rehabilitation and that the offender is ready for release, that should satisfy Miller and Montgomery.

Both my own experience with the Miller-parole hearing and common sense dictates that this first round of parole hearings will have disappointing results. The possibility of parole creates an incentive for inmates to modify their behavior in ways that increase their chances of parole -- showing an ability to comply with rules and engaging in programs that demonstrate the skills necessary to function on parole status (e.g., GED, drug treatment, job skills). If -- for the past twenty years -- an inmate has been told that he is never getting out and that he will never have a parole hearing, he has probably not been seeking out those type of programs and has only been concerned about disciplinary issues to the extent that it impacts his conditions of confinement. Giving that inmate an immediate parole hearing does not help the inmate do what is needed to make a favorable impression on the parole board. Three or four years from now, things might look better.

Which gets to the set-off issue. Certain things will never change about an inmate. The details of the offense and other pre-incarceration behaviors are prime examples of unchanging factors. What will change is what the inmate has done while in custody to demonstrate that he is "amenable" to supervision. Clearly some set-off to give the inmate a chance to do those things to improve their readiness for parole is appropriate (regardless of the inmate's current age). Whether the adequate period is two years or five years depends upon what the inmate needs to do.

Posted by: tmm | Aug 8, 2018 11:05:16 AM

Daniel: My last two posts have focused on the JLWOP issue because that's where the Court has focused its attention and those cases are presenting implementation challenges. I agree that JLWOP is a relatively small slice of the "juvenile justice problem" pie but the logic of the cases provides important moral leadership on broader juvenile justice issues, and I hope/think that they are sparking conversations that weren't happening pre-2010 (e.g. about mandatory minimums for kids, transfer laws, etc). I also hope that a Court without Kennedy will protect this line of cases, if for no reason other than the fact that states have already begun to rely upon them and the science is as sound as ever.

Posted by: Cara Drinan | Aug 8, 2018 11:59:29 AM

tmm: I agree with you that a meaningful opportunity for release is not the same thing as a guarantee for release, and I also agree that these early parole hearings are going to be a bit rocky as states transition to a new mode of hearing and a new pool of applicants.

Two thoughts:

1. In many states parole applicants have been barred from educational and rehabilitative programs because of the nature of their sentence. There are, of course, other ways to demonstrate maturity and growth, but it's much harder to do without a track record of programs. If the applicant can demonstrate such growth, it doesn't seem fair for the parole board to hold the prisoner responsible for not doing programs from which he was barred.

2. It's not clear to me what more/else Henry Montgomery can do in the next two years to demonstrate rehabilitation and fitness to re-enter society. Given that, his age does seem especially relevant.

Posted by: Cara Drinan | Aug 8, 2018 12:14:36 PM

Prof. Drinan:

Thanks for a thought-provoking series of posts. While I think Miller and Montgomery were correctly decided, I think you're right that their implementation has been perplexing. Although the reaction of many states to Miller and Montgomery suggests it wont happen, it would perhaps be appropriate for parole considerationsat least for the JLWOP defendantsto be revised.



Posted by: DRF | Aug 8, 2018 1:29:41 PM

I am a lawyer who has represented clients in Miller resentencing cases. My longest serving client has already done 35 years and was recently resentenced. We are very concerned about the parole process. He meets every Miller factor, managed to earn an Associates Degree, got married, and has exactly one disciplinary in all of his 35 years. If he is found not yet ready for parole at his first hearing, just what could he do to improve his chances. We are moving forward toward parole, but given the make up of our board we are not optimistic. While Miller does give many JULWOP inmates hope, in my state the chances with the parole board are pretty grim.

Posted by: TPB | Aug 8, 2018 1:57:56 PM

@Cara

"but the logic of the cases provides important moral leadership on broader juvenile justice issues..."

I have heard variations on this theme before from Doug Berman and I remain dubious about such moral "spill over" effects. One major reason why I remain dubious is because many people who oppose the DP do not care about criminal justice issues generally. The DP gets caught up in debates about abortion and euthanasia and in many people's minds opposition to the DP is an extension of the "sacredness of life" and thus not primarily a criminal justice issue. I believe that there are some people who want to believe that they are providing "moral leadership" by nibbling around the extreme edges of the juvenile justice system but if so my critique is that such leadership hasn't produced much. Where are all these salubrious downstream effects to be found? I don't see it.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 8, 2018 3:41:23 PM

Daniel, the JLWOP jurisprudence is itself an example of spill over from Eighth A jurisprudence on the death penalty and there are many more examples that could be given. Spill over is rarely swift or certain, and there may be practical and strategic reasons to focus energy and advocacy elsewhere. But the issue is not whether there is spill over; there is. The issue is whether the spill over is enough to justify the investment on one area vs another. (There are also backlash concerns.)

Posted by: Doug B. | Aug 8, 2018 7:34:52 PM

The state court resistance to Miller/Graham has been telling. Courts have found meaning in the difference between labeling a sentence LWOP as opposed to a term of years that plainly exceeds life expectancy, sometimes explicitly stating that unless and until SCOTUS says otherwise, they will resist. Doesn't say much for federalism.

Posted by: John | Aug 9, 2018 12:29:45 AM

Are there enough people released under Miller to get any recidivism stats? If so, what are those stats?

Posted by: William Jockusch | Aug 9, 2018 6:21:26 AM

William: great question and Im eager for that info too. I havent seen any and I think as you said its just too early. Im working on a paper now that tries to get an early feel for release rates in jurisdictions using parole post-Miller. Even that data is limited because in some cases the numbers are very small. But stay tuned!

Posted by: Cara Drinan | Aug 9, 2018 10:31:09 AM

Here's an example of a real war on kids:

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/stu_bykofsky/juan-ramon-vasquez-philadelphia-mayor-jim-kenney-sanctuary-child-rape-stu-bykofsky-20180809.html

With respecto juveniles released, the recidivism is going to be ugly. But hey, let's virtue-signal.

Posted by: federalist | Aug 10, 2018 7:47:04 AM

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Speaking at the event, Standing deputy chairman of HCMC People's Committee Le Thanh Liem said that Malaysia has 562 projects worth more than US$12 billion in Vietnam, ranking the 7th among countries and territories worldwide that have investments in the country.



The bilateral trade between Malaysia and Vietnam reached US$6.67 billion in the first half of 2018, up 19.2 percent compared with the same period last year. The two countries expected to achieve US$15 billion by 2020.



Mr. Sofian Akmal Bin Abd. Karim, Consul General of Malaysia in HCMC stressed that the relationship of the two sides has gained outstanding achievements, especially after the official establishment of the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership. In 2017, there was 248,000 Vietnamese tourists who traveled to Malaysia, and 488,000 Malaysian visiting Vietnam. Cooperation activities in education and youth exchange program between the two sides have been carried out regularly.







By THUY VU - Translated by Kim Khanh
[August 07, 2018] STARTEK Reports Second Quarter 2018 Results Startek, Inc. (NYSE:SRT), a global provider of business process outsourcing services, is reporting financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, and providing an update on its recently completed strategic combination with Aegis. Startek Second Quarter 2018 Summary (vs. year-ago quarter) Total revenue was $59.7 million compared to $74.0 million.

Gross profit was $5.2 million compared to $9.0 million, with gross margin of 8.8% compared to 12.1%.

Net loss was $3.7 million or $(0.23) per share, compared to net income of $0.6 million or $0.03 per share.

Adjusted EBITDA* was $0.7 million compared to $4.4 million. Subsequent Event: Key Highlights of Combination with Aegis On July 20, 2018, Startek completed its strategic combination with Capital Square Partners (CSP) portfolio company, Aegis, to create a global BPO platform with differentiation, scale and a diverse customer base

Combined 2017 revenue of approximately $700 million and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $50 million

Top three customers now represent less than 30% of total revenue compared to 53% for Startek in 2017.

Synergies expected to drive incremental $30 million in EBITDA by 2020 through enhanced revenue growth and cost savings.

Startek shareholders own approximately 45% of the combined company, while CSP owns approximately 55%. Management Commentary "The combination of STARTEK and Aegis has created a truly global platform with more than 50,000 employees operating in 13 countries and servicing six continents," said Lance Rosenzweig, president & global CEO of Startek. "This provides unprecedented benefits to all stakeholders, including clients, shareholders and employees. "Our clients will reap the benefit of our global reach and access to new markets, multi-lingual offerings and technology-led innovations. Our shareholders can expect the diversification of our client base, added scale and operational synergies to enhance margins and profitability, while providing considerable cross-sell opportunities to accelerate growth. And our employees will now become part of an even larger organization with vast opportunities for professional development. "The timing of this combination was also important given the challenges to Startek's business over the last year. In the second quarter, the company continued to work through lower volumes and lost programs from its top wireless clients, which impacted both revenue and profitability. The wireless industry continues to face disruption, which has resulted in a rapidly evolving environment for service providers. These soft volumes were partially offset by strong growth from cable/media and retail clients, as well as the early benefit of ramping one of the large, strategic client wins announced earlier in the year. Going forward, we expect our combined business to be much less volatile, as no one client will represent more than 10% of revenue. "We still have plenty of work ahead to replace the lost wireless programs and to integrate talent, experience, products and services across the combined organization. It will take several quarters to realize the benefits of our new global scale and footprint. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that our combined resources will enable world-class customer support for clients and produce operational synergies throughout the organization, which will drive growth and enhance profitability down the road. The opportunities ahead for Startek are just beginning, and I look forward to leading the team and all stakeholders into this next chapter of growth." Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results Total revenue in the second quarter was $59.7 million compared to $74.0 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease was primarily due to lower call volumes and lost programs from the company's wireless clients, partially offset by new business and growth from existing clients. Gross margin in the second quarter was 8.8% compared to 12.1% in the year-ago quarter, with the decline primarily due to the aforementioned lower wireless volumes and lost programs, as well as discounted training related to on-boarding a new client. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $7.0 million compared to $8.2 million in the year-ago quarter. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A was 11.7% compared to 11.0%. Net loss for the second quarter was $3.7 million or $(0.23) per share, compared to net income of $0.6 million or $0.03 per share in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted net loss* in the second quarter was $2.2 million compared to adjusted net income of $1.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA* in the second quarter was $0.7 million compared to $4.4 million in the year-ago quarter. The decline was primarily due to the aforementioned factors impacting revenue and gross margin. At June 30, 2018, the company's cash position was $1.3 million compared to $1.5 million at December 31, 2017. Startek closed the quarter with a $27.7 million balance on its $50 million credit facility compared to $19.1 million outstanding at December 31, 2017. *A non-GAAP measure defined below Conference Call and Webcast Details Startek management will hold a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time to discuss its second quarter 2018 results and recently completed strategic combination with Aegis. The conference call will be followed by a question and answer period. Date: Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (2:30 p.m. Mountain time)

Toll-free dial-in number: (844) 239-5283

International dial-in number: (574) 990-1022

Conference ID: 1739269 During the call, Startek management will refer to a supplementary slide presentation, which will be available for download in the Investors section of the company's website. Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Liolios Group at (949) 574-3860. The conference call will also be broadcast live and available for replay here. A replay of the conference call will be available after 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on the same day through August 14, 2018. Toll-free replay number: (855) 859-2056

International replay number: (404) 537-3406

Replay ID: 1739269 About Startek Startek is a leading global provider of Customer Experience Management through business process outsourcing (BPO) services and technology services to corporations across a range of industries. Operating under the Startek and Aegis brands, the company has more than 50,000 support experts across 66 contact center locations worldwide that are committed to enhancing the customer experience for clients. This is accomplished through a variety of multi-channel customer interactions, including voice, chat, email and IVR. The company also provides sales support, order processing, receivables management and social media analytics to power superior business results for its clients. To learn more about Startek's global solutions, please visit www.startek.com. Forward-Looking Statements The matters regarding the future discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are intended to be identified in this document by the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "project," "possible," "potential," "should" and similar expressions. As described below, such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause Startek's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, risks relating to our reliance on a limited number of significant customers, lack of minimum purchase requirements in our contracts, the concentration of our business in the communications industry, lack of wide geographic diversity, maximization of capacity utilization, foreign currency exchange risk, risks inherent in the operation of business outside of the United States, ability to hire and retain qualified employees, increases in labor costs, management turnover and retention of key personnel, trends affecting companies' decisions to outsource non-core services, reliance on technology and computer systems, including investment in and development of new and enhanced technology, increases in the cost of telephone and data services, unauthorized disclosure of confidential client or client customer information or personally identifiable information, compliance with regulations governing protected health information, our ability to acquire and integrate complementary businesses, compliance with our debt covenants, ability of our largest stockholder to affect decisions and stock price volatility, difficulties with the successful integration and realization of the anticipated benefits or synergies from the Aegis transaction, and the risk that the consummation of the transaction could have an adverse effect on Startek's ability to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel. Readers are encouraged to review Item 1A. - Risk Factors and all other disclosures appearing in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC and in other filings with the SEC, for further information on risks and uncertainties that could affect Startek's business, financial condition and results of operation. Startek assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date herein.





STARTEK, INC. 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 Revenue $ 59,717 $ 73,979 $ 128,831 $ 151,631 Warrant contra revenue - - (2,500 ) - Net revenue 59,717 73,979 126,331 151,631 Cost of services 54,491 64,992 115,646 132,630 Gross profit 5,226 8,987 10,685 19,001 Selling, general and administrative expenses 6,990 8,171 15,549 16,053 Transaction related fees 1,020 - 2,907 - Impairment losses and restructuring charges, net 512 412 4,965 412 Operating income (loss) (3,296 ) 404 (12,736 ) 2,536 Interest and other expense, net (392 ) 84 (830 ) (283 ) Income (loss) before income taxes (3,688 ) 488 (13,566 ) 2,253 Income tax expense (benefit) 17 (66 ) 165 (94 ) Net income (loss) $ (3,705 ) $ 554 $ (13,731 ) $ 2,347 Net income (loss) per common share - basic $ (0.23 ) $ 0.03 $ (0.85 ) $ 0.15 Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic 16,214 15,916 16,204 15,866 Net income (loss) per common share - diluted $ (0.23 ) $ 0.03 $ (0.85 ) $ 0.14 Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted 16,214 17,247 16,204 17,127 STARTEK, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) (Unaudited) June 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,336 $ 1,456 Trade accounts receivable, net 51,812 53,052 Other current assets 3,394 3,641 Total current assets 56,542 58,149 Property, plant and equipment, net 16,265 19,943 Other long-term assets 15,273 17,906 Total assets $ 88,080 $ 95,998 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities $ 22,622 $ 25,948 Other liabilities 30,209 23,111 Total liabilities 52,831 49,059 Total stockholders' equity 35,249 46,939 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 88,080 $ 95,998 STARTEK, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Operating Activities Net income (loss) $ (3,705 ) $ 554 $ (13,731 ) $ 2,347 Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 2,293 2,771 4,936 5,733 Share-based compensation expense 224 301 487 530 Warrant contra revenue $ - - $ 2,500 - Changes in operating assets & liabilities and other, net (18 ) 375 984 2,574 Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ (1,206 ) $ 4,001 $ (4,824 ) $ 11,184 Investing Activities Purchases of property, plant and equipment (1,030 ) (941 ) (2,972 ) (2,054 ) Proceeds from sale of assets - - - 342 Net cash used in investing activities $ (1,030 ) $ (941 ) $ (2,972 ) $ (1,712 ) Financing Activities Other financing, net 2,350 (2,549 ) 7,449 (8,624 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities $ 2,350 $ (2,549 ) $ 7,449 $ (8,624 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 26 14 227 2 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 140 525 (120 ) 850 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period $ 1,196 $ 1,364 $ 1,456 $ 1,039 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 1,336 $ 1,889 $ 1,336 $ 1,889 STARTEK, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES

(In thousands)

(Unaudited) This press release contains references to the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross profit, and Adjusted net income (loss). Reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to their comparable GAAP measures are included below. This non-GAAP information should not be construed as an alternative to the reported results determined in accordance with GAAP. It is provided solely to assist in an investor's understanding of these items on the comparability of the Company's operations. Adjusted EBITDA: The Company defines non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) plus Income tax expense (benefit), Impairment losses and restructuring charges, net, Interest expense, Depreciation and amortization expense, Share-based compensation expense, Fees and expenses related to the transactions, Warrant contra revenue, less gain on sale of assets. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a performance measure to analyze the performance of our business. Management believes that excluding these non-cash and other non-recurring items permits a more meaningful comparison and understanding of our strength and performance of our ongoing operations for our investors and analysts. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net income (loss) $ (3,705 ) $ 554 $ (13,731 ) $ 2,347 Income tax expense (benefit) 17 (66 ) 165 (94 ) Impairment losses and restructuring charges, net 512 412 4,965 412 Interest expense 391 414 782 832 Depreciation and amortization expense 2,293 2,771 4,936 5,733 Gain on sale of assets (29 ) - (29 ) - Share-based compensation expense 224 301 487 530 Transaction related fees 1,020 - 2,907 - Warrant contra revenue - - 2,500 - Adjusted EBITDA $ 723 $ 4,386 $ 2,982 $ 9,760 Adjusted gross profit: The Company defines non-GAAP Adjusted gross profit as Gross profit plus Warrant contra revenue. Below is a reconciliation of Gross profit to Adjusted gross profit: Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Gross profit 5,226 8,987 10,685 19,001 Warrant contra revenue - - (2,500 ) - Adjusted gross profit $ 5,226 $ 8,987 $ 8,185 $ 19,001 Adjusted net income (loss): The Company defines non-GAAP Adjusted net income (loss) as Net income (loss) plus Warrant contra revenue, Impairment losses and restructuring charges, net, and fees and expenses related to the Aegis and Amazon transactions. Below is a reconciliation of Net income (loss) to Adjusted net income (loss): Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net income (loss) $ (3,705 ) $ 554 $ (13,731 ) $ 2,347 Warrant contra revenue - - (2,500 ) - Impairment losses and restructuring charges, net 512 412 4,965 412 Transaction related fees 1,020 - 2,907 - Adjusted net income (loss) $ (2,173 ) $ 966 $ (8,359 ) $ 2,759 Operating Results Scorecard As of June 30, 2018 Q1-17 Q2-17 Q3-17 Q4-17 2017 Q1-18 Q2-18 2018 Revenue (millions) Domestic $ 44.4 $ 42.6 $ 41.1 $ 43.2 $ 171.2 $ 41.6 $ 34.0 $ 75.6 Offshore $ 21.1 $ 19.4 $ 17.8 $ 18.8 $ 77.1 $ 18.2 $ 17.0 $ 35.1 Nearshore $ 12.2 $ 12.1 $ 10.5 $ 9.7 $ 44.3 $ 9.4 $ 8.7 $ 18.1 Other $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ (2.5 ) $ - $ (2.5 ) Company Total $ 77.7 $ 74.0 $ 69.4 $ 71.6 $ 292.6 $ 66.6 $ 59.7 $ 126.3 Revenue % Domestic 57.1 % 57.5 % 59.2 % 60.3 % 58.5 % 62.4 % 56.9 % 59.8 % Offshore 27.2 % 26.2 % 25.7 % 26.2 % 26.3 % 27.3 % 28.4 % 27.8 % Nearshore 15.7 % 16.3 % 15.1 % 13.5 % 15.2 % 14.1 % 14.6 % 14.3 % Other - % - % - % - % - % (3.8 )% - % (2.0 )% Company Total 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Gross Profit (millions) Domestic $ 1.5 $ 2.6 $ 1.6 $ 1.6 $ 7.3 $ 2.5 $ 0.7 $ 3.2 Offshore $ 6.2 $ 4.3 $ 4.1 $ 4.2 $ 18.8 $ 5.3 $ 4.5 $ 9.8 Nearshore $ 2.3 $ 2.1 $ 1.5 $ 0.2 $ 6.2 $ 0.1 $ - $ 0.2 Other $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ (2.5 ) $ - $ (2.5 ) Company Total $ 10.0 $ 9.0 $ 7.3 $ 6.0 $ 32.4 $ 5.5 $ 5.2 $ 10.7 Gross Profit % Domestic 3.4 % 6.0 % 4.0 % 3.7 % 4.3 % 6.1 % 2.1 % 4.2 % Offshore 29.2 % 22.2 % 23.2 % 22.4 % 24.4 % 29.2 % 26.5 % 27.9 % Nearshore 19.2 % 17.7 % 14.8 % 2.3 % 14.1 % 1.4 % 0.4 % 0.9 % Other - % - % - % - % - % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Company Total 12.9 % 12.1 % 10.6 % 8.4 % 11.1 % 8.2 % 8.8 % 8.5 % View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180807005913/en/

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The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
By Eamon Quinn

Ornua, which helps sell 2bn worth of Irish dairy products around the world, including its Kerrygold brand, said it will escape any fallout from the US trade sanctions on Iran because it does not currently distribute dairy products to the Middle East state.

Ornuas representative last November was part of a high-level trade mission to Iran organised over three days by EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, which included 56 food firms and farming organisations from Europe. The EU was seeking to build trade with Iran following the 2015 deal over its nuclear programme.

Over 12 years ago, Ornua which was then called the Irish Dairy Board had cited Iran as a major export market. It also markets the Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Forto, and BEO milk powder brands.

However, any hopes by EU firms to rebuild trade with Iran appear to have hit a serious setback after US president Donald Trumps desire to isolate the Iranian economy.

Within hours of Washington unveiling its first round of sanctions, German carmaker Daimler froze a plan to make Mercedes Benz trucks in Iran.

That was even after the EU tried to salvage the Iran nuclear deal by pledging to protect firms from Trumps assault. I wouldnt be surprised if more companies were to follow Daimler out of Iran, said Frank Biller, an automobile analyst based Stuttgart for Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.

With the political situation right now, Im sure a lot of companies are at least thinking about suspending their activities, he said.

Companies in Europe including French energy producer Total and German carmaker Volkswagen had initially announced plans to re-establish ties with Tehran following the 2015 deal that provided Iran with relief from economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Trade between the Islamic republic and Europe surged to more than 8.5bn.

Yet while Trumps European allies condemned his move because they regard the nuclear deal as crucial for international security, the challenge for businesses is that they now have to weigh the potential loss of American clients against economic ties with Tehran that are minuscule by comparison.

Even in May when Trump was just threatening to reinstate sanctions, Total said it couldnt risk investing in Iran following the return of US sanctions because of its large US operations.

A host of other companies, including French carmakers Renault and PSA, have also said they would backtrack on Iran plans.

Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!, President Trump said in a Twitter post yesterday.

The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level, he tweeted.

The EU condemned the move and announced it was introducing an updated version of its so-called Blocking Statute which bans any EU company from complying with US sanctions and does not recognise any court rulings that enforce US penalties.

We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran, the EU said.

Irish Examiner and Bloomberg
By Geoff Percival

Irish oil-and-gas exploration company, PetroNeft Resources, remains open to selling part or all of its interest in one of its chief Russian licences, where a fresh drilling round is taking place.

In a brief operating update, the Dublin-based company  which is solely focused, via two licensing blocks, on the Tomsk region of Siberia  said it has commenced drilling at the C-4 well at its Cheremshanskoye field, in its Licence 67 asset. PetroNeft holds a 50% stake in Licence 67 and Licence 61 in the region.

In June, the company said it had agreed terms over the provision of additional funding  mainly needed to pay off a 1.7m loan from Swedish oil producer, Petrogrand  but was also pursuing other funding options, including the sale or farm-out of its share in the Licence 67 asset.

It is understood that the company is still open to selling part, or all, of its 50% stake in the licence.

Last month, PetroNeft repeated that it was examining a number of options in relation to maximising value for its shareholders, but that was after noting media speculation surrounding the potential disposal of its stake in the more-developed Licence 61 asset.

The company recently said Cheremshanskoye could significantly influence the future of the company.

PetroNeft chief executive, Dennis Francis, said, in the latest update, that the C-4 well has great potential, as it will test multiple targets up-dip from nearby wells that have already tested oil in the same intervals.

The drilling is based on fresh seismic data and should take two months.
Update 7.45pm: Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands are to strike for 24-hours this Friday.

They will join their colleagues in Germany who earlier announced they would take part in the day of action, as well as pilots in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium.

The Dutch union says it has tried to negotiate a collective labour agreement without any result and says the strike should be a wake-up call for management.

The airline has cancelled nearly 400 flights due to Friday's joint industrial action - with more likely to be dropped.

Employment law expert Professor Michael Doherty from Maynooth University says Ryanair management are under increasing pressure: "What they'll say is something along the lines of it's going to be less than 25% of flights that will be cancelled on Friday but that is starting to ramp up now.

"It was 20 flights in Dublin now there will be 200 flights cancelled from Germany.

"So it is causing serious disruption."

Earlier: 25,000 customers to be affected by Ryanair cancellations on Friday

25,000 Ryanair customers are to be affected by cancellations on Friday as strikes take place in up to five countries across Europe.

Ryanair announced that it is cancelling 20 flights from Ireland on Friday ahead of strikes by Irish-based pilots.

This equates to just under 7% of the 300 scheduled flights, and the airline said that all 3,500 customers affected have been contacted.

Ryanair pilots in Germany also announced today that they will join strike action, with 96% of pilots voting for industrial action over improvements to pay and working conditions.

The strike by German-based pilots will affect all flights from Germany, Vereinigung Cockpit, the union representing pilots there, announced at a press conference this morning.

Friday's strike marks the fifth day of action by Ryanair Irish-based pilots, while pilots in Belgium and Sweden have already confirmed they are holding a 24-hour stoppage on the same day.

104 flights have been cancelled in and out of Belgium on Friday due to the strike.

The Dutch pilots union is also set to make a decision on whether they will take part, but they only have to give 12 hours notice to the airline for industrial action.

Meanwhile, there were delays to flights this morning due to Air Traffic Control staff shortages in France, Germany and Austria.

Ryanair said 73 of 440 first wave flights were effected, and apologised to customers for the delays.

Digital Desk
Latest: Activists are facing a second night occupying a vacant property in Dublin's north inner city.

They say there is no political will to make real and meaningful change to the homeless crisis - and claim those in power are just sitting on their hands.

They have taken over the house on Summerhill Parade and are calling for action on rent hikes, evictions and poor housing conditions.

This woman from Dublin Central Housing Action explains what they hope to achieve: "We're trying to raise awareness that private houses that are under landlords and under developers that are sitting empty can actually be Compulsory Purchase Ordered by the Council," she said.

"So our demands would be that the Council do this and that the houses go back to community use and be opened up for families in the local area that are in overcrowded accommodations."

Local Green Party Councillor Ciaran Cuffe has said that the occupation underpins the need to provide greater protection for residents who rent their homes.

In a statement released today, Cllr Cuffe outlined the reforms he says are necessary:

an end to evictions for refurbishment that are actually an excuse to raise rents;

a clear definition of over-crowding in law that is meaningful and enforceable;

a requirement for planning permission for short-term rental apartments;

greater use of CPO powers by Local Authorities for housing purposes;

extension of the Vacant Sites Levy to include smaller buildings and sites;

a ban on cash-in-hand payment of rents;

a right to occupy residential properties vacant for more than a year.

The activists occupying the Dublin property have said that they are overwhelmed by the support they are getting.

WATCH:

"What we need is a movement on housing" - @PaulMurphy_TD speaks as activists occupy a vacant Dublin house. @newschambers reports. pic.twitter.com/i7FMb11fOc  Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) August 8, 2018

Earlier: Demonstrators march and occupy vacant house in Dublin to protest housing conditions

Around 150 demonstrators marched from O'Connell Street to Summerhill Parade yesterday evening to highlight rent hikes, evictions and poor housing conditions.

A group of activists have taken over a vacant house in Dublin's north inner city to protest against government inaction on the homeless crisis.

The direct action event called "Take Back The City" was hosted by North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis Community, Blanchardstown Housing Action Committee, Dublin central housing action, Dublin Renters Union, Take Back Trinity, Brazilian Left Front, and Migrants and Ethnic-minorities for Reproductive Justice.

It is believed up to ten people peacefully occupied the empty property overnight.

Michelle Connolly from Dublin Central Housing Action explained: "We are calling for vacant houses such as this to be put under public ownership so that it can be returned to use as a home for people who need it, because there are so many people at the moment who need a home."

Protesters outside the General Post Office on Dublins OConnell Street yesterday evening. Photo: RollingNews.ie

Digital Desk
Crime detection rates have fallen for the second year in a row, according to two new reports issued by the Policing Authority today.

According to the body, there has been "considerable policing success in disrupting organised crime" yet detection rates are continuing to fall.

The Policing Authority published its Mid-Year Assessment on Policing Performance in An Garda Siochana and its fifth report to the Minister on progress by the force in implementing the recommendations of the Garda Inspectorate Report 'Changing Policing in Ireland'.

The documents report "considerable activity in policing and modernising the organisation" yet find that performance by An Garda Siochana is missing targets set out in the Garda Commissioners Policing Plan "to a considerable extent".

800 gardai and 300 civilian staff joined An Garda Siochana since 2016, suggesting there is strong evidence of investment and activity in the organisation.

However, there is concern this has not been matched by a clear strategic focus to benefit from the investment in terms of deployment and training.

Crime rates are up in all areas except homicide, which the reports indicate may be due to increased confidence in reporting crime to the gardai.

"In particular, the reported increase in assaults over the past two years has been significant," the Authority says.

The reports, which relate to garda performance, highlight that there is "evidence of failure to conduct testing at serious and fatal road collisions in a significant proportion of cases with 42% of drivers not being tested in serious injury collisions and 22% of drivers not being tested in fatal collisions in the period from 2014 to 2016".

They note that there has been no formal garda response to the Crowe Horwath Report in relation to breath testing thus far.

The Authority says that strategies in relation to diversity and inclusion and the Garda Reserve are overdue in terms of the timelines set by the Commissioner but "progress is hampered by a lack of integrated and costed planning".

Josephine Feehily

Speaking on publication of these reports, Policing Authority Chairperson Josephine Feehily said: The primary purpose of the Policing Authority since 2016 has been to oversee the performance of the Garda Siochana and these reports bring further transparency to that oversight work.

"It is important to emphasise that these reports assess policing performance and progress on modernisation against plans and targets set by the Garda Commissioner.

"These are not box-ticking exercises, but speak directly to the delivery of an effective, visible and responsive policing service, with real-world consequences for victims and for the communities the Garda Siochana serve."

"While there is significant activity and positive progress across the organisation in both modernisation and policing initiatives, advancement is hampered by a lack of integrated and costed planning.

"The Garda Siochana planning process should, but doesnt, adequately plan for such enablers as accommodation, people, technology, training and very importantly communicating and embedding changes throughout the organisation," she said.

Digital Desk
Update 9.15pm, August 8: Patrick Holland has been located safe and well in Dublin.

Earlier, August 7: Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in locating Patrick Holland, 57, who is missing from his home in Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

Patrick is missing since early morning on Bank Holiday Monday, 6th August.

Patrick is described as being 5'9" in height, of large build with white/grey hair and brown eyes and wears his glasses at all times.

It is not known what Patrick was wearing when he left home.

Gardai and Patrick's family are concerned for him and anyone with information is asked to contact Pearse Street Garda Station on 01 - 6669000, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Digital Desk
The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has been accused of having a casual attitude to the sale of thousands of Permanent TSB mortgages to a vulture fund.

The bank says the loans were 'non-performing', but the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation says more than 1,000 mortgage holders are engaging with the bank.
Grab your double denim, B*Witched are back and theyre playing this years Electric Picnic.

The 90s pop sensations have been announced as the headline act for Electric Ireland's Throwback Stage.

Over the years the stage has attracted legendary acts such as Mark McCabe, 5ive and the Vengaboys and fans have loved every minute of it.

Speaking on the announcement, Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou, and Sinead O'Carroll said that they were so excited for the gig as its always brilliant to come back to Ireland and play to a home crowd."

Cest La Vie is like our baby so wed loved see it being brought back

B*Witched split up in 2002 but came back together as part of The Big Reunion in 2012.

Electric Picnic takes place in Stradbally, Co. Laois for the weekend beginning Friday, August 31.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice has detailed the contents of a letter one Kerry player received this summer which "crossed the line".

The player received an anonymous letter in which he was told "to jump off a cliff, and take three or four other players with him".

Fitzmaurice, who stepped down as Kerry manager on Saturday, said he's used to abusive letters since the start of his tenure in 2013, but this was too far.

"Something that changed this summer was players, and one player in particular, got a letter," he told Off The Ball's OTB AM.

"It was more that what was in the letter that annoyed me. I felt it was gone too far.

"The player was told in the letter to jump off a cliff, and take three or four other players with him, that were named in the letter. I felt that was going way too far.

"When its coming at a manager, and the selectors got a few this summer as well, which was no harm for them to get a touch of it! But when it goes to a player, it's gone too far.

"The player was told in the letter to jump off a cliff and take three or four other players with him"



Eamonn Fitzmaurice reveals the sheer extent of the vitriol aimed at Kerry's players



The full interview w/@EoinSheahan is live on #OTBAM from 7.45AM on all our social channels pic.twitter.com/IDafrJu4XR  Off The Ball (@offtheball) August 7, 2018

"The lads are amateurs. There a good as bunch as you can meet. They're so dedicated and they're so committed to the Kerry jersey, it's unbelievable. I'd always defend them to a hilt."

He added: "I didn't tell that player that I was going to discuss this. I wouldn't like to name him. For the same player, it would be water of a duck's back. It didn't know a stir out of him, it didn't bother him.

"I thought it was poor form to be honest about it.

"That one to the player would cross the line.

"I think it's definitely time to shout stop when players are getting very strongly worded letters like that."

A number of fellow inter-county managers have spoken about the abuse sent to them since Fitzmaurice first mentioned the "box full of anonymous letters" he has at home on Saturday.

Limerick manager John Kiely, who is preparing for an All-Ireland final,

Read More:

"I have a box at home too. I keep it in the box, it stays in the box. My wife picks it up and vets it and doesnt let anything too serious come my way," he said.

Former Clare and Dublin manager Anthony Daly told the Irish Examiner PaperTalk GAA podcast he managed to ring a Clare fan sending abusive letters from Mayo.

"I looked up his name in the phone book, and found this uniquely Clare name and I rang him. I told him, 'If you ever send a letter to my house again, I'll personally drive to Mayo and meet you at your front door.'"

Former Mayo manager James Horan said he got the gardai involved in some of the hate mail he received.

"Some of them would be very concerning without going into what they were. You needed to go to the appropriate authorities with it," he told Off The Ball.
James McGrath, disappointed at being overlooked to referee this years All-Ireland senior hurling final, has quit the national referees panel.

The Westmeath official was widely tipped to get the nod for this months hurling decider between Galway and Limerick, but it was yesterday announced that James Owens of Wexford, who took charge of the drawn semi-final between Galway and Clare, had been appointed to referee the final.

McGrath refereed this years Munster final and the All-Ireland quarter-final between Kilkenny and Limerick, the latter is now likely to have been his last inter-county fixture given his resignation from the national referees panel.

I'm not your second choice nor your backup plan. Either choose me or lose me if Im not your first choice, McGrath wrote in a Facebook post.

It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision but I feel my decision has ultimately been made by CRAC for me to resign from the national referees panel with immediate effect.

It is final and irreversible given the lack of trust, confidence and integrity by CRAC and I feel betrayed by the association as a consequence given my 18 years of unbroken volunteerism to the association on the national refereees panel.

After 19 years officiating with James travelling the length & breadth of the country, I'd like to wish him all the best. While I am disappointed, I won't be involved anymore, I wholeheartedly agree with his decision to leave the National Referees Panel.



James McGrath Statement: pic.twitter.com/DGH0FDcJtb  David Hennessy (@MrDavidHennessy) August 8, 2018

I wish to place on record my thanks to all my umpires, David Hennessy, David Clune, Tom McNicholas, Johnny Fitzpatrick, Alan Coyne, Paul Reville, Jimmy Weldon, among others, and thank all the loyal GAA diehards that I became friends with since I commenced refereeing back in 1996 (Maynooth University), Leinster panel 98 & the National panel in 2000.

Wishing James Owens & Johnny Murphy, referees and all officials the very best of luck in the minor and senior finals on Sunday, August 19th next.

God Bless a chairde, thanks again for all your loyal support and good wishes.

McGrath refereed for the 2012 and 2013 All-Ireland SHC final replays.
Limerick are providing an alternative venue for fans who are unable to attend the All-Ireland Hurling final.

The Treaty County's showdown with Galway will be shown on a big screen at the Gaelic Grounds.

Gates open on August 19 at 12 noon and tickets can be secured free of charge on tickets.ie.

Mayor of Limerick Cllr James Collins said: This is fantastic news for Limerick hurling supporters, who wont be able to make it to Croke Park for the final. What better place to watch the final than in the home of Limerick GAA, the Gaelic Grounds.

Sunday the 19th of August will be a very special occasion, one that doesnt come around too often, and I thank Limerick City and County Council and Limerick GAA for providing the big screen for the match.

The anticipation of the final is building and we want to hold a free family-friendly event in the Gaelic Grounds on match day. The GAA is all about community and county and what better way to celebrate your locality and the Limerick team than in the Gaelic Grounds watching the match with friends and family. Ive no doubt the atmosphere in the stadium will be amazing.

Digital Desk
By Dottie K. White (SMDC/ARSTRAT)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command's leader focused on the command's workforce during the 21st annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville Aug. 7.

Lt. Gen. James H. Dickinson, USASMDC/ARSTRAT commanding general, spoke to 12 of the command's team members who are located from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean to Germany during his presentation.

He said the command's strength lies in the agile, adaptive and ready space and missile defense workforce - consisting of about 3,000 Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilians who pull watch 24/7/365 around the globe - executing the mission daily with passion and dedication.

"They are a team of highly skilled individuals," said Dickinson. "They are a multi-component team meaning that they belong to the active Army, United States Army Reserve and Army National Guard. We are a globally dispersed command. We span across 11 different time zones in 23 different locations around the world.

"This morning, I will introduce the service members and civilians who contribute to the Army and joint force space and missile defense enterprise in a series of short videos and live question and answer," Dickinson continued. "They'll describe their mission areas and how they contribute to the joint force. We will look at how the command develops concepts and technologies, trains forces, innovates and experiments, and accomplishes the wide-ranging space and global missile defense missions for the nation today."

Dickinson spoke to members in Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Mexico, Virginia, Kuwait, Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Germany.

"A critical factor in keeping our overseas forces safe, is the ability to provide early warning from ballistic missile attack," said Dickinson. "The Joint Tactical Ground Stations, or JTAGS, provide this timely and potentially lifesaving capability."

Staff Sgt. Corey Cooper, engagement control team leader for 1st Space Company in Stuttgart, Germany, explained the JTAGS mission in a video message.

"(At JTAGS), we receive and process data in order to disseminate warning, alerting and cueing information on ballistic missiles and other events of interest throughout the theater," Cooper said. "We run operations out of independent forward locations in Germany, Qatar, South Korea and Japan providing 24-hour theater missile warning for combatant commanders worldwide.

"Every JTAGS operator, regardless of rank, must progress through a rigorous, multi-level certification process and spend a specific amount of time on live mission in each position," said Cooper.

JTAGS operators receive their training through the Space and Missile Defense School located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, just one of many courses they offer.

Daryl Brietbach, school director, explained their responsibilities, which are developing and executing training and education for the operational forces within SMDC - the 1st Space Brigade and the 100th Missile Defense Brigade; integrating space and missile defense education in training venues across the entire Army training enterprise; and developing Army space and missile defense doctrine.

"Here at the Space and Missile Defense School, we train over 10,000 Soldiers annually," Brietbach said. "Well before a Soldier first steps into training on a new capability, the school and the community work closely with the capability developer and the technology communities in preparing to bring new and enhanced capabilities into the operational force.

"The new capability and methods of employment must be defined and written into doctrine. Doctrine is what defines and guides the Army's use of capabilities in support of operations and delineates the techniques, tactics and procedures for operating current capabilities in the current force," Brietbach said. "Our Soldier and leader education, training and doctrine are essential aspects of the Army's reliance on and employment of space and missile defense capabilities."

Dickinson said the school plays a critical role in educating and training U.S. forces, who, in turn, educate the Army on how space and missile defense can make them more lethal in combat and more effective in any operational environment.

"Today you heard directly from the trained and ready space and missile defense forces who are conducting operations around the world, and from the developers of innovative doctrine and concepts, and from the scientists and engineers conducting our leap-ahead research and development," Dickinson said. "I hope that this quick look ... provided you a greater understanding of how we provide space, missile defense and high altitude capabilities so combatant commanders have the competitive military edge ... the lethality they need to fight and win today."
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn says falling house prices in Sydney and Melbourne are clearly good for financial stability, and so is the slowdown in the mortgage market that dominates its loan portfolio.

With house prices in the two biggest cities going into reverse following a multi-year boom, and "pockets of stress" among some borrowers, Mr Comyn said the recent drop in prices needed to be put into perspective.

Its circa 5 per cent [down in Sydney] and maybe 1 per cent down in Victoria, off a very very strong performance over the last five years," Mr Comyn said.

"And thats not dissimilar to what weve seen during other cycles, so I think a slowdown in house prices and a slight reduction overall is a good thing long-term from a financial stability perspective, he said in an interview with Fairfax Media on Wednesday, as CBA delivered a 5 per cent drop in profit, to $9.2 billion.
Two undercover police stings in Hollywood  in February and July  have resulted in the arrests of 19 men. The nature of the incidents continue to face criticism from the public and from the attorneys representing the men.

The Hollywood Police Department conducted the latest operation July 25 at the Pleasure Emporium, located at 1321 South 30th Avenue, in an area dotted largely with warehouses and commercial properties  I-95 is on one side and railroad tracks are on the other.

The men were arrested for exposure of sexual organs and/or unnatural lascivious acts, for allegedly masturbating in the open or performing oral sex or other sex acts inside a private area. The charges are misdemeanors, although at least one man is facing a felony charge for allegedly trying to flee the scene and resisting arrest, according to police reports.

The July arrests and resulting media coverage have brought outcries of police overreaching and a curious prioritization of time and resources in a city that faces serious crime. None of the Pleasure Emporium charges include drugs, prostitution or the presence of minors.

Local media has also been under fire for quickly publishing the names and photographs of the men arrested last month before police were asked any questions or any vetting of the situation took place. The publicity has cost at least one of the men his job and others have reported being outed for being gay and/or tormented by neighbors and others who saw the news coverage.

Motives questioned

Several of the men from both stings have hired South Florida attorneys. Some cases have pled out and most are pending. Attorneys have described the operation as a ridiculous charade, gay witch hunt, and a criminalizing of gay behavior.

Police say both operations were set in motion after allegedly receiving several anonymous complaints about the business. SFGN obtained one anonymous complaint dated January 23, 2018, sent by an apparent patron of the Pleasure Emporium to Hollywood Police.

On my visits I observed different very disturbing scenarios in both theaters ... I saw orgies, male on male sex in the middle of the central hall of each theater. There was no privacy at the same time I saw male on male sex inside the booths and in the hallways, part of the complaint states. It also alleges prostitution involving males and females, without offering any specifics.

Private area

The Pleasure Emporium has two small theaters in the back of the business for the viewing of pornographic videos. One of the theaters is marked straight and one gay. There are also private viewing rooms that can be locked from the inside. The entire video viewing area is only accessible by those who pay a $25 fee at the front area, which includes a retail shop section with various items for sale.

The men who were arrested were in the back area of the business, either in the theater area, private room area or the hallway, according to police reports.

Getting worse

Miami attorney Abbie B. Cuellar, a partner at Miamis Amador & Cuellar law firm, represents a man who lost his job in the medical field after his arrest late last month. She said he was also effectively outed as a gay man, something he was persecuted for before he came to South Florida from Cuba.

Its getting worse for my client. Hes obviously having a difficult time finding a job and has requested unemployment. Im confident if I go to trial Im going to win, but its a process. In the meantime, hes languishing, Cuellar said August 7.

He was very driven and happy in his career and was working to be a nurse practitioner. If he pleads out, to a future employer they will think: he must be some kind of pedophile or deviant, she said.

Cuellar said she hopes the other men dont plead out their cases, but go to trial or work to get the charges dropped.

This is serving the public good by doing this? Using limited resources on men who are involved in consensual acts? she said.

Further, Cuellar said the behavior of the undercover police is questionable.

They encouraged the individuals to come into one of the private rooms [and] encouraged them to touch themselves and engage in consensual touching with each other, she said. They proceeded to then watch them until the men completed whatever they were doing, and then allowed them to leave the room and arrested them outside in the hall. They arrested everyone they found in the back area.

Cuellar said that as a former prosecutor, she has never heard of police officers engaged in watching alleged criminal behavior to that extent.

If, in fact, what these men were doing was illegal, then the mere exposure would have been sufficient to arrest them under the police departments theory that this behavior was a crime, Cuellar said. This is also a classic case of entrapment.

Public reaction

After SFGN published its original story online last week, many took to social media to express their dismay on SFGNs Facebook page.

How the fuck is it illegal for consenting adults to fool around in a back room video area of an adult store? Fuck you Hollywood Police, this is disgusting. You humiliated yourselves more than you purposely humiliated the men in my eyes, said one comment.

What about all the straight strip clubs or gentlemen clubs are you telling me NOTHING goes on in those establishments? Please! said another comment.

Class action?

North Miami Beach Attorney Rhonda F. Gelfman is representing one of the men arrested during the February operation. She told SFGN shes filing a motion to dismiss the charges against her client, but also says her firm is considering a class action lawsuit.

This is bigger than what I expected, Gelfman said. Now our firm will be representing more men. This is not right.

Gelfmans office said the actions of the Hollywood Police Department are criminalizing gay behavior. She said the sting should never have happened.

Meanwhile, Miranda Grossman, the Hollywood Police Department's public information manager told SFGN last week that the police investigate any sort of complaints or tips that they get, from narcotics to traffic.

They received a tip and its a retail establishment, a business open to the public, a public venue, Grossman previously said. These types of investigations occur, not just at the Pleasure Emporium, but at places like massage parlors. There were men in there who were self-pleasuring and thats a misdemeanor in public, she said.

SFGN attempted to contact Grossman this week for any updates and also Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy a second time for his take on the arrests. Attempts to reach both were not successful.

Its clearly a witch hunt targeting gay men, Cuellar said. They went in to smear, humiliate and out them.
Glencore chief executive officer Ivan Glasenberg says underlying demand for the diversified natural resources company's products remains healthy, despite the heightened risk of more aggressive United States trade policies, recent signs of increased volatility and concerns about Chinese growth.

Mr Glasenberg made the comments as Glencore, one of the world's largest diversified natural resources companies, unveiled a 23 per cent increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to a record $US8.3 billion ($11.18 billion) for the first half of 2018.

The result, released on Wednesday, also included a 13 per cent rise in net income attributable to equity holders of $US2.8 billion.

Despite "a volatile backdrop" Mr Glasenberg expressed optimism about Glencore's outlook.

"While the financial market outlook is likely to remain volatile, we remain highly confident in the strength of our underlying business. At current spot prices our business remains highly cash generative," he said.
Facebook's global head of news partnerships has defended the social media behemoth's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, and its approach to handling conspiracy theories and fake news, ahead of a key meeting with the Australian competition regulator.

"Mark [Zuckerberg] is an incredibly curious person, and really curious about the news business," Campbell Brown, in Australia this week for talks with publishers and regulators, said.

Facebook's head of news partnerships Campbell Brown. Credit:Simon Schluter

"He is super engaged on this issue, because it has such importance...how critical journalism is to democracy. It's something he is passionate about."

Ms Brown's visit comes as Facebook is caught up in another fake news controversy. The company this week suspended pages controlled by far right American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his website Infowars.
Restaurants in Australia's biggest cities have started speaking out against food delivery services such as Uber Eats and Menulog, claiming the third-party operators are exploiting small businesses and delivery drivers.

On Tuesday, iconic Melbourne eatery Marios Cafe called the food delivery platforms "parasites", imploring customers to never use ordering systems like Uber Eats. In Sydney, Upper North Shore restaurant Taste of Texas BBQ stopped accepting delivery requests via Menulog.

The moves come days after delivery service Foodora signalled it was exiting the Australian market.

'A certain ugliness': Delivery platforms like UberEats are getting pushback from local restaurants. Credit:Akio Kon

Marios Cafe, a stalwart of Melbourne's Brunswick Street Fitzroy since the 1980s, took to Facebook to plead with customers to "get up off your ass" and go pick up takeaway orders instead of relying on third-party sites, which hurt small hospitality venues.
The national building regulator needed to be "publicly exposed" for wasting taxpayer money after it made an "outrageous" decision to take legal action against two construction union officials for having a cup of tea, the Federal Court has found.

Federal Court Justice Tony North said the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) had wasted money taking legal action against the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union officials.

"I hold the clear view that this is a case where the ABCC should be publicly exposed as having wasted public money without a proper basis for doing so, in my view," he said.

CFMEU Victorian official John Setka. Credit:Joe Castro AAP

Justice North dismissed the ABCC's case against two CFMEU officials, Mark Travers and Adam Hall for an alleged breach of right of entry laws earlier this year and has now awarded costs to the union.
Schools and parents will get NAPLAN results this month but the agency responsible did not say whether it would still provide an accurate national picture of student performance amid fears that the online and written tests are too different to compare.

Senior state education officials raised questions on Wednesday about whether results from the new online NAPLAN test, sat by students at a fifth of Australian schools in May, was statistically comparable with results from the pen-and-paper version sat by everyone else.

There are concerns that the 2018 NAPLAN results could be invalid.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino was the most outspoken, slamming the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) over its handling of the first of a three-year move to online testing.

"We are now in a position where the data may not be comparable. It is simply not good enough," he said. "ACARA has management of this, this is their responsibility and they have not performed well. From the very moment NAPLAN online started, we have had issues."
Mila Kunis plays Audrey, a Los Angeles grocery clerk who learns that her missing boyfriend (Justin Theroux), rather than hosting a jazz podcast, is in fact involved with the CIA.

Like many recent Hollywood comedies, this is a character study in a blockbuster package, meaning the espionage plot is no more complex than it has to be.

Kate McKinnon (left) and Mila Kunis have a rough ride in The Spy Who Dumped Me.

Female buddy comedies are not a new development in Hollywood, but the genre has come a long way. Witness Susanna Fogel's The Spy Who Dumped Me, which suggests what Gentlemen Prefer Blondes might look like if, instead of going to Europe to find husbands, Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe went around shooting people.

While she's recovering from this shock, he shows up for just long enough to entrust her with a mysterious statuette to be delivered to a contact in Vienna, thus averting international catastrophe.

Tagging along for the ride is her best friend Morgan, played by Kate McKinnon, a would-be star of TV commercials whose can-do attitude makes her a natural fit for the spy game.

Audrey is a version of what has become Kunis' stock character, the cutie-pie toughened up by years of grim experience: she serves essentially as a foil to Morgan, the film's real main attraction.

This is no more than you'd expect, given that over the past couple of years McKinnon has been among the reasons to keep bothering with Hollywood at all  though the studios haven't seemed sure what to do with a talent far too versatile to get stuck playing a relatable everywoman.

Morgan at first looks like a version of another familiar movie character, the knowing party-girl sidekick: we don't entirely know what the joke about her is going to be.
Chas Licciardello, can you please pop your head around the door of Matter of Fact and give Stan Grant some tips on basic interviewing technique? On Planet America last week you asked American author Thomas Frank a set of concise questions and allowed him to answer them. On Matter of Fact, Stan asked Frank rambling questions and then frequently interrupted the answers. Only one interview yielded real insights into Trump's America.

Philip Wheatland, Chadstone

O'Keefe's energy delights

I have to disagree with Maureen Goldie (Letters, 2/8). I love Andrew O'Keefe, so much energy and just a delight compared to his English counterpart who tells everyone they're "wrong" so abruptly. Love Grant Denyer too and he would be an apt replacement when Andrew retires. But I look forward to watching Andrew every weeknight.

Kay Southwell, Balwyn North

Casualties of progress

Could a long-time listener of ABC Classic FM suggest that it has deteriorated over the past decade? New, younger presenters have replaced veteran announcers but they seem to struggle with basic pronunciation and have adopted the odd practice of asking listeners: "How are you?" The other casualty of progress at Aunty is the increasingly intrusive chat and truly banal listener tweets which eat into every program. Most listeners couldn't care less that 5-year-old Jack is beating time on the fridge while listening to Tchaikovsky. What they do want to hear is an eclectic mix of music. Alas this too has become a casualty of programmers who seem to be recruited from piano teachers.

Michael Tyquin, Swansea
Anh's Brush With Fame

ABC, 8pm

Anh Do. Credit:Janie Barrett

The subject's name is not immediately as recognisable as some of those appearing in the third season of this reliably engaging interview program. Dr Munjed Al Muderis, a pioneering surgeon working in the area of prosthetic limbs, takes his place in the yellow armchair and soon finds common ground with his host, impish comedian, author and artist Anh Do, over their shared boyhood enthusiasm for The Terminator. In the doctor's case, though, it became the key to a calling: rebuilding damaged human bodies with artificial parts.

But before he arrived at a world-leading position, Dr Al Muderis was a refugee, fleeing Iraq and landing in Australia via a perilous journey on a leaky, dangerously over-crowded boat. Then he was sent to WA's Curtin detention centre, which he simply describes as "hell on earth". As he details his life and eventual return to his profession, Dr Al Muderis, who exudes civility and kindness, believably maintains that he's a "glass half-full person".
The federal government is being urged to make the health star rating system mandatory, with new figures showing only 28 per cent of food and drinks display stars.

A George Institute for Global Health study found only about 4350 of 15,770 eligible products on supermarket shelves in 2017 featured a health star rating.

Mondelez' Oreo cookies do not carry a health star rating. Credit:AP

Food multinationals General Mills, PepsiCo and Mondelez, which sell household brands such as Latina, Oreo and Doritos, have opted out of the system altogether.

"It's been four years since it started and there should be a higher impact," lead author Alexandra Jones said. "It's possible for companies to change labels quickly, and we've seen that with the country of origin labelling."
Its the reason activists across Australia are campaigning for laws to recognise strangulation as an offence. Its worked in the US, say two key US advocates; and in Queensland, say two women working at the coalface of family violence.

A woman whose partner tries to strangle her is eight times more likely to end up dead, says Heather Douglas, Australias leading researcher in this area and a professor of law at the University of Queensland.

February 2011. Her former partner, James Mulhall, choked her after she asked him to leave her house.

CEO of Womens Legal Service Queensland Angela Lynch is exasperated by those who think we should only "work to change the system".

Why wouldnt you want an offence for something that increases womens chance of homicide by 800 per cent? she says. You can actually have a strangulation offence and work for systems-wide change. Its not one or the other.

To repeat: a woman whose partner attempts to strangle her  causes her to pass out, urinate or defecate because of the attempt  is eight times more likely to end up dead.

Joy Rowley was strangled to death by Mulhall in October 2011. After the inquest, Victorian coroner Sara Hinchey called for a review of all deaths related to family violence. The coroner made one point which could save the lives of women across Australia.

Hincheys language is legal but read this paragraph right to end: The introduction of a stand-alone offence for strangulation, suffocation or choking in Victoria may significantly help to ensure strangulation is treated commensurate with the risk it poses to victims, and remove the need to prove particular bodily harm or intent to cause injury. Such an offence will more effectively hold perpetrators to account for serious offending.
It was her own Sydney love story that drove Marilyn Endlein to sponsor an 1848 painting of yachts on the harbour that reminded her of sailing with her late partner Lawrence Hinchliffe.

Ms Endlein said the painting, part of a historical collection held by the State Library of NSW, expressed "so much about Lawrence" and "her love of the harbour and how they met" at Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

The painting by G E Peacock is one of 300 that will go on display at the State Library of NSW when the Mitchell Library's new permanent picture gallery opens in October.

Wendy Michaels sponsored a portrait of Millicent Preston Stanley, NSW 's first female MP. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

More than 50 portraits or landscapes of NSW, including scenes of the early colony and its Indigenous peoples dating back to 1790, have been sponsored by members of the public in memories of places, people and passions.
A man will face court on Thursday charged with murder over the shooting death of George Nassif at Warwick Farm last month.

Marko Krivosic, 27, was arrested on an outstanding warrant by West Australian Police in Perth on Monday. Detectives from NSW travelled to Perth on Tuesday and successfully applied to extradite Mr Krivosic back to Sydney.

A man has been escorted back to NSW after being extradited from WA, where he was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Credit:NSW Police

He was escorted by police back to Liverpool police station where he was charged with a number of offences including murder, special aggravated break and enter, possessing an unauthorised pistol and outstanding warrants.

Refused bail, he will appear in Liverpool Local Court on Thursday.
More than 13,000 Brisbane residents successfully overturned at least $850,000 in Brisbane City Council-issued parking fines in 2017-18.

Officer error and faulty meters were in the top five reasons for a parking fines being cancelled, along with meters paid but with incorrect registration or meter, resident parking permits not being displayed and compassionate or reasonable doubt grounds.

Brisbane City Council cancelled 13,106 parking fines in 2017-18 after residents appealed.

Opposition councillor Jared Cassidy said it was concerning 13,106 fines had been issued that shouldnt have been.

Where were seeing faulty metres out in the streets council is in the wrong, but were still collecting money off people, he said.
Eunji Ban was dragged feet first up a flight of concrete stairs in Brisbane's CBD before being dumped under a tree in a city park, a court has heard.

Alex Reuben McEwan has pleaded not guilty to murdering the Korean woman in Brisbane's CBD on November 24, 2013, but admitted to her manslaughter.

Eunji Ban. Photo: Facebook. Credit:Facebook

Forensic officer Carl Streeting told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday blood marks and hair found on the steps leading from Albert Street to the park, as well as injuries on Ms Ban's body, indicated she had been dragged up the stairs.

"I formed an opinion that after she had sustained an injury which had caused her to bleed and cause those bloodstains ... she has been dragged from the top of the stairs to under the pine tree," Sergeant Streeting told the court.
They had a meeting about six months ago to discuss it, but then they cancelled it, so that was the last we heard of it, he said. Loading Its no hotter up there [in north Queensland] than it is down here in summer. You still have the same humidity and temperatures. In Coomera and Nerang it can get really oppressive. The thing that annoys me is if you were to ask the office staff to turn their airconditioning off, I guarantee they wouldnt do it. If you have a classroom of 30 kids, all giving off body heat, dilapidated fans that barely work, you need airconditioning.

Travis Pearson of West End said his child became so unwell at school last summer that she had to be picked up and taken home. My child started at prep last year and there were some really really hot days; there were days where she had nosebleeds and I had to pick her up because she was unwell due to the heat, Mr Pearson said. The teacher would take them to other parts of the school to keep cool but then, youre taking kids out of their classroom. As a parent, [my] concern is: do I send my kid to school the next hot day? You wouldnt put your child in a situation where theyre going to be sick. Its compulsory to send our kids to school which is, I think, a good thing - but [not when] youre sending them somewhere that is potentially going to cause them to be unwell. Its putting people in a difficult situation as to what to do.

They dont have a sausage sizzle outside the hospital to raise money to get airconditioning, so why do our schools? Loading Mr Pearson said it was difficult for politicians to justify the decision not to aircondition the south-easts state schools when they were working in airconditioned offices in the same location. Were in 2018 now, and there wouldnt have been an office being built in Brisbane that wouldnt have been built with airconditioning as standard, he said. No politician or bureaucrat would contemplate an office without airconditioning in 2018, but, thats OK for kids?

University of the Sunshine Coast School of Education Associate Professor Michael Nagel said there is a body of research going back to the 1930s that shows a link between high temperatures, and the impacts on learning, behaviour and academic outcomes. We know that the human brain is extremely heat sensitive, Professor Nagel said. Its a factor that significantly impacts on cognition. The cooler the brain is, the more relaxed, receptive, cognitively sharp and calm it becomes. Professor Fan Zhang from Griffith Universitys School of Engineering and the Built Environment agreed, but said more research was needed in this area. How thermal environments affect [childrens] cognitive performance and productivity is a very significant issue, Professor Zhang said.

The summertime comfort zone for Australian students ranges from 19.5 degrees Celsius to 26.6 degrees Celsius. Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace was asked what the maximum temperature was before state schools could be closed, whether it was fair parents' had to purchase fans for the classroom and whether or not the legislation around compulsory attendance during extreme temperatures would be looked at. She confirmed the Cooler Schools Zone policy would not be reviewed, and declined to respond to the specific questions. Instead, in a statement, she said: "In 2018-19, the Palaszczuk government has allocated $21 million for air-conditioning in Queensland state schools. This includes $16 million for upgrades and replacement of air-conditioning units and a further $5 million for maintenance. "We provide airconditioning in schools located in parts of the state that experience the highest percentage of heat discomfort days.

"Through our Cooler Schools program, more than 380 state schools in the hottest and most humid parts of the state have had air-conditioning installed in more than 3500 classrooms. "Outside the Cooler Schools Zone, schools make decisions in consultation with their community about air-conditioning and many schools have installed airconditioning in classrooms using minor works allocations and Parents and Citizens Association funding. "We know that Queensland state schools are among the states largest energy users. "Our government is taking steps  through our $97 million Advancing Clean Energy Schools program  to work with schools and P&Cs to make the energy costs for additional airconditioning affordable by supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency. "The LNP claims to have a plan to install airconditioning in every state school classroom, but they need to come clean with Queenslanders about how they intend to fund their airconditioning promise."
A "self-proclaimed healer" who convinced a Victorian woman that he could treat her cancer using a special paste has been banned indefinitely from providing health services.

North Warrandyte man Dennis Wayne Jensen has been slapped with a prohibition order by the state's Health Complaints Commissioner over his use of a widely-discredited treatment for cancer patients.

Self-proclaimed healer Dennis Wayne Jensen.

In May The Age revealed the story of nurse Helen Lawson who died from ovarian cancer after shunning mainstream cancer treatment

Mr Jensen allegedly prescribed her an aggressive and painful treatment called black salve, which ate away at her flesh, leaving her swollen and in pain.
From Craig Butt: The answer to yesterday's word was CRITERION, but Elizabeth J emailed me shortly after I wrapped the blog to tell me there was a second answer, TRICERION.

She explains that a tricerion is "a 3 armed candlestick, much like Lumiere from 'Beauty and the Beast'.

Tricerions are also the only type of candles that are able to pull off up-tempo musical numbers in Disney films:
A 36-year-old man has been taken to hospital after he was found seriously injured inside a South Guildford home on Tuesday evening.

Officers were called to the home on Wundu Entrance where they found the man inside with serious head injuries.

Wundu Entrance. Credit:Google Maps

St John Ambulance officers took the man to hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.

Police would like to speak to anyone who was in the street around this time, or that has information that can assist with their investigation.
A "trusted lieutenant" in a WA commercial drug syndicate has been jailed for nine years after a police raid uncovered drugs, more than half a million dollars in cash and a handgun in a floor safe.

Jerome Ka-Kwun Leung, 28, was found guilty by a jury this week of three charges relating to more than 400 grams of high-purity methylamphetamine, over $589,000 in cash and a .22 Smith and Wesson handgun, all of which was found when organised crime squad officers raided a home on Hollett Road, Morley in 2015.

The gun found at the property. Credit:WA District Court

The items were found in a floor safe in the home's master bedroom.

The WA District Court was told on Monday that Leung's DNA was found on the elastic bands of the cash and the controls for the floor safe.
The father of an Ellenbrook man charged with the triple homicide of his mother and young siblings has appeared in a Perth court charged with threatening a woman with his "psychotic sons".

Awatea Crofts, father of Ellenbrook murder accused Teancum Petersen-Crofts, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on July 18 to face four charges including breach of bail and threatening to injure.

Forensic Services attend the scene where three people were found dead in Ellenbrook last month.

The court heard at about 7.15am on March 3 2017, Crofts called a woman and demanded she go on a river cruise with him so he could bring back her memories from her previous incarnation.

According to the prosecution lawyer, the woman hadnt spoken to Crofts for a number of years due to his aggression and threatening manner towards her and her family.
Chinese infrastructure in the Pacific island region built through soft loans appears to have peaked and a hangover is setting in as countries have to start repaying debts, a major study has found.

The Lowy Institute has painstakingly gathered figures on all development projects in the neighbourhood from 2011 to 2016 and concluded that while Chinese aid has grabbed attention by focussing on headline-generating projects, Australia remains the most important donor to the region.

An exception is Papua New Guinea, which has signed up to Beijings Belt and Road Initiative and would see a steep climb in Chinese infrastructure spending if a proposed $4.7 billion national road project goes ahead.

A JiangSu Provincial Construction Group building site in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But overall, the study underscored that Australia still provided the most substantial aid to the region even as the overall development assistance budget has been cut under the Coalition, said the director of Lowys Pacific islands program, Jonathan Pryke.
Labor will abolish a staffing cap for federal government agencies and cut their ballooning spend on private contractors if it wins the next election, the opposition's finance spokesman will announce on Thursday.

Jim Chalmers will vow to reduce "wasteful" federal spending on contracts for consultants and other private companies paid for work once done by public servants before the Coalition slashed thousands of jobs from the bureaucracy.

Funding caps would remain for agencies under the changes but they would take back power to set their own employee numbers as Labor ended the staffing cap, imposed by the Abbott government and blamed for a spend on contractors that has more than doubled at most departments since 2013.

In a speech responding to the early stages of a large-scale review of the federal bureaucracy, Dr Chalmers will argue the Coalition-enforced average staffing level cap is forcing agencies to rely on contractors and labour hire.

"Blind adherence to an arbitrary cap hasnt just compromised services and advice. The ASL cap is now a perverse incentive for more spending on external providers," he will tell the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
A national deal to boost energy efficiency is at risk of failure just three years after it was unveiled, according to a new analysis that raises questions about the ability of federal and state governments to act on their pledges.

An alliance of industry and consumer groups is calling on federal and state ministers to scale up their work on the energy efficiency scheme to ensure it is a priority alongside the National Energy Guarantee to be decided at a meeting in Sydney this Friday.

The alliance, which includes energy giant AGL, is warning that Australia is doing too little to deliver meaningful reductions to energy bills despite the plan to save $1.2 billion a year by extracting greater value from every unit of energy.

The National Energy Guarantee is no reason to overlook potential gains from energy efficiency, industry figures insist.

The Turnbull government reached a deal with the states in December 2015 to launch the National Energy Productivity Plan, a commitment extending to 2030 that aimed to better integrate energy and climate policy.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is tightening drought assistance pressure on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull by calling for the governments $12,000 cash grants to farmers to be accelerated to September 1 while announcing a $20 million scheme to fund outback councils to create jobs.

Mr Turnbull on Sunday announced the $12,000 grant scheme to be paid to drought-ravaged farmers on top of their $16,000 annual Farm Household Allowance.

However, some farmers criticised the plan as too little too late.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten announces a $20 million regional development fund to help farmers. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Mr Shorten has called on the government to accelerate the cash grants so farming families in need receive the full $12,000 by September 1.
Embattled western Sydney MP Emma Husar will not contest her federal seat of Lindsay at the next election.

Ms Husar made the announcement on Channel Nine at 4pm, ending weeks of speculation about her future and just days before an internal Labor Party report is due to be handed down.

Labor MP Emma Husar will not recontest her seat at the next election Credit:Wolter Peeters

Ms Husar told Fairfax Media that she was not resigning the seat but "I have decided not to recontest the next election".

"These are not the glossy pages. This is not in the best interests of our nation," she told Fairfax Media.
The Chinese government has responded positively to a conciliatory speech by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in which he sought to ease tensions with Australia's biggest trading partner.

In the speech delivered at the University of New South Wales on Tuesday, Mr Turnbull said he wanted to propose "clearer thinking" on China and identify misperceptions.

Malcolm Turnbull speaks at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) on Tuesday. Credit:AAP

"Prime Minister Turnbull made a positive statement on China's reform and opening up China-Australia relations and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. We appreciate this," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in a statement released in Beijing on Wednesday.

Ms Hua said China and Australia were important countries in the Asia Pacific region, and the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations was in the fundamental interests of both countries.
Richmond: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville on Wednesday declared a state of emergency ahead of the one-year anniversary of a violent white nationalist rally that left one person dead and dozens of others injured.

Officials said the declaration would streamline state and local operations this weekend while also allocating $US2 million in state funds. The declaration authorises the Virginia National Guard to assist in security efforts.

Law enforcement officials said there will be a heavy police presence meant to deter any violence.

Virginia State Police Superintendent Gary Settle said more than 700 state police will be activated during the weekend and "state police is fully prepared to act" to prevent any incidents like last year.
Appeals court judge Kassio Marques acknowledged "grave violations of the public and judicial order," but overturned the lower court's ruling, saying the closure would not improve humanitarian conditions for Venezuelans fleeing their country.

On Sunday, a federal judge in the northern state of Roraima ordered the border closed until the state could create "humanitarian" conditions to receive a massive wave of Venezuelans.

A Foreign Ministry official said the Brazilian government would not contemplate at all closing the border because that would violate its international commitments on human rights and a new immigration law that keeps the door open to all refugees.

The Roraima state government, which has been trying to shut the border to stop the influx of Venezuelans, said it would appeal the latest court decision and seek 184 million reais ($66 million) in federal compensation to cover its additional costs in health, education and public security.

Venezuelan migrants are housed in temporary UNHCR accommodation in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. Credit:Agencia Brasil

Over the last three years, tens of thousands of Venezuelans have overwhelmed Roraima, causing a humanitarian crisis with families sleeping in the streets amid rising crime and prostitution.

The federal police said that it never actually closed the frontier and had only begun preparations for shutting it on Monday, but the normal flow of Venezuelan immigrants was re-established on Tuesday morning local time.
Latest News Inside the 'tech arms race' to bring down turnaround times How lenders are competing against each other to balance risk, compliance and speed for brokers

Reaction as inflation spike causes RBA interest rate rethink The RBA is again under pressure as inflation jumps 0.8% in a quarter, putting ultra-low rate era in firing line

Sales of new homes jumped 2% in June marking the first increase this year, according to HIA principal economist Tim Reardon. However, additional data showed that sales for the entire 2017/18 fiscal year were 5.3% lower than in the previous year.

The June increase is small compared to the drop in sales that happened throughout 2018. New home sales for the first six months of 2018 were down by 2.9% compared in the last six months of 2017.

Reardon said that the fiscal years sales decline reflects the shifts in housing market conditions. Credit availability has tightened over the past 12 months as banks respond to the house prices decline and royal commission.

But even after the slowdown, overall building activity stays high compared to the past decade. New homes sales increased in all states other than Victoria, which remains in decline since February 2018. The decline is well overdue because the states market activity has remained well in excess of growth over recent years.

New home sales in other states, particularly NSW, are a welcome reprieve, according to Reardon. New home sales in NSW were lower by 13.3% in 2017/18 than last year. The sales picked up in June 2018 by 8.3% compared with the previous month. Home sales in Queensland rose by 2.7%, WA by 1.5%, and SA by 0.2%.

ABS data shows approvals for private sector detached houses fell dramatically in May 2018. Approvals data typically trails the new home sales data by three to six months and the dramatic fall in approvals in May is likely to be reflected in the June data, Reardon said.

Related stories:

Developer confidence in housing market

Developer confidence in housing market
Cubas legislative National Assembly is making changes to their 1976 Soviet-era constitution, and have approved a draft of the constitution that defines marriage as the consensual union between two people, regardless of gender.

The draft will be submitted to the Cuban people from Aug. 13 to Nov. 15 for approval before the National Assembly finalizes the decision. The action has not come without resistance, however  five Cuban evangelical churches are fighting for the change to be abolished. Their conjoined social network statement argued that marriage is a divine institution, created by God  exclusively the union of a man and a woman, said the Miami Herald.

Cubas past has not been friendly to the LGBT community, most notably Castros correctional gay labor camps in the 60s, but current Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel hopes for change.

Every Cuban will be able to freely express his opinions and contribute to reach a constitutional text that reflects the today and the future of the country. There is not much left to say, but to do, to solve, correct, strengthen and create, he said.
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They wont take the hate.

The Police Department must track down the bigots who scrawled racist, anti-Chinese graffiti at various sites throughout Bensonhurst, demanded local leaders and Borough President Adams, who said the vulgar vandalism  which was mass-produced across the neighborhood using spray paint and a stencil  bore all the hallmarks of a hate crime, and must be prosecuted as such.

This was a pre-meditated action to identify a group and treat them in a disparaging, negative fashion  that to me says hate crime all over it, and that crime needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Adams said on Monday, when he revealed hes offering a $1,000 reward for tips that lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.

The stenciled black paint left a profane message  Chinese C- Stink Like Fish  displayed at various locations in the neighborhood.

A Police Department rep told this newspaper that its Hate Crime Task Force is investigating three of the graffiti incidents  at a Chinese market on 86th Street at Bay 25th Street, on a column on 86th Street across from Bay 26th Street, and outside a New Utrecht Avenue funeral home between 85th and 86th streets  as possible bias incidents.

A rep for Councilman Mark Treyger (DConey Island) said he saw the same grotesque graffiti scrawled at no less than seven locations.

Police later released a video believed to show the perpetrator stenciling the vulgar message on the wall of a 20th Avenue supermarket between 85th and 86th streets around 2:30 am on Aug. 4, and are asking the publics help in identifying him.

Hateful soul: Police say this man is responsible for at least one  but possibly several  vulgarly racist messages stenciled on walls around Bensonhurst. NYPD

Treyger and Assemblyman William Colton (DBensonhurst) joined Adams to denounce the graffiti at the rally, along with reps from the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn. Treyger condemned the disgusting, hateful behavior on social media, writing that the neighborhoods strength is found in its diversity.

We celebrate our diversity in this community, and your disgusting behavior will not be tolerated, Treyger tweeted to the unknown perpetrators.

Colton called on the community to unite against such racism, and pledged to make sure this incident becomes an opportunity to bring locals together, rather than let it tear them apart.

All must unite together to protect our neighborhood and all its families from such conduct, the assemblyman said. I will work to bring us together to ensure this attack on our neighborhood will not divide us but will make us all the more determined to work together for a better and safer neighborhood for all our families.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPDs 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.

Reach reporter Julianne McShane at (718) 2602523 or by e-mail at jmcsh ane@c ngloc al.com . Follow her on Twitter @juliannemcshane.
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78th Precinct

Park Slope

Still sharp

Cops arrested a 60-year-old man for allegedly stabbing a guy on Prospect Place on July 23.

The victim, 30, told police he got tied up in a shouting match with the suspect between Colton and Vanderbilt avenues at 8:50 pm, when the older guy drew a knife and plunged into his right arm, before slashing his torso.

Police cuffed the suspect that day, charging him with felony assault, cops said.

Bike bandit

A thief rode off with a mans motorcycle he parked on Warren Street on July 24.

The victim told police he left his Yamaha Zuma between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 7:30 pm, and returned early the next morning to find an empty spot where his pricey import had been.

No arrests have been made, and the case has been closed, cops said.

Rough commute

Police busted a man for allegedly stealing a womans iPhone aboard an R train at the Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street station on July 23.

The victim told police she was gazing at her phone on the Manhattan-bound train at 4:40 pm when the suspect snatched the device and fled into the station.

But a patrolman soon grabbed the guy upstairs on the F-train platform, and the victim pointed him out as her thief, earning him a felony grand larceny charge, cops said.

Bright guy

Some kook started a trash fire inside a Fourth Avenue apartment building on July 19.

The fire marshal told police that somebody lit off an incendiary inside the residential building between President and Carroll streets at 1:08 am, putting tenants in serious risk of injury.

No arrests have been made, however, and the case is closed, cops said.

Cracked up

Cops arrested a man for possession of crack cocaine inside a Second Avenue parking garage on July 24.

The arresting officer reportedly found the suspect in possession of hypodermic needles filled with the illegal narcotic inside the garage between Ninth and 12th streets at 9:17 pm, before cuffing him on a misdemeanor possession charge.

 Colin Mixson
Forty-four planets in solar systems beyond our own have been unveiled in one go, dwarfing the usual number of confirmations from extrasolar surveys, which is typically a dozen or less.

The findings will improve our models of solar systems and may help researchers investigate exoplanet atmospheres. Novel techniques developed to validate the find could hugely accelerate the confirmation of more extrasolar planet candidates.

An international team of astronomers pooled data from U.S. space agency NASA's Kepler and the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Gaia space telescopes, as well as ground-based telescopes in the U.S. Alongside John Livingston, lead author of the study and a graduate student at the University of Tokyo, the team's combined resources led to the confirmed existence of these 44 exoplanets and described various details about them.

A portion of the findings yield some surprising characteristics: "For example, four of the planets orbit their host stars in less than 24 hours," says Livingston. "In other words, a year on each of those planets is shorter than a day here on Earth." These contribute to a small but growing list of "ultrashort-period" planets, so it could turn out they're not as unusual as they might seem.

"It was also gratifying to verify so many small planets," continues Livingston. "Sixteen were in the same size class as Earth, one in particular turning out to be extremely small -- about the size of Venus -- which was a nice affirmation as it's close to the limit of what is possible to detect."

The source observations for this study were made by Kepler, and they would not have happened were it not for a fault in 2013, which prevented accurate control of the space telescope. "Two out of the four control-reaction wheels failed, which meant Kepler couldn't perform its original mission to stare at one specific patch of the sky," explains Professor Motohide Tamura of the University of Tokyo. "This led to its contingent mission, 'K2' -- our observations came from campaign 10 of this mission. We're lucky Kepler continues to function as well as it does."

The planets observed by K2 are known as transiting planets because their orbits bring them in front of their host stars, slightly reducing their brightness. However, other astrophysical phenomena can cause similar signals, so follow-up observations and detailed statistical analyses were performed to confirm the planetary nature of these signals. As part of his doctoral work, Livingston traveled to Kitt Peak observatory in the U.S. state of Arizona to obtain data from a special type of camera, known as a speckle interferometer installed on a large telescope there. These observations, along with follow-up observations from a telescope in the state of Texas, were necessary to characterize the host stars and rule out false positives. The combination of detailed analyses of data from these ground-based telescopes, K2 and Gaia enabled the precise determination of the planets' sizes and temperatures. The team's findings include 27 additional candidates that are likely to be real planets, which will be the subject of future research.

Scientists hope to understand what kinds of planets might be out there, but can only draw valid conclusions if there are enough planets for robust statistical analysis. The addition of a large number of new planets, therefore, leads directly to a better theoretical understanding of solar-system formation. The planets also provide good targets for detailed individual studies to yield measurements of planetary composition, interior structure and atmospheres -- in particular, the 18 planets in several multiplanet systems. "The investigation of other solar systems can help us understand how planets and even our own solar system formed," says Livingston. "The study of other worlds has much to teach us about our own."

###

Journal article

John H. Livingston, Michael Endl, Fei Dai, William D. Cochran, Oscar Barragan, Davide Gandolfi, Teruyuki Hirano, Sascha Grziwa, Alexis M. S. Smith, Simon Albrecht, Juan Cabrera, Szilard Csizmadia, Jerome P. de Leon, Hans Deeg, Philipp Eigmueller, Anders Erikson, Mark Everett, Malcolm Fridlund, Akihiko Fukui, Eike W. Guenther, Artie P. Hatzes, Steve Howell, Judith Korth, Norio Narita, David Nespral, Grzegorz Nowak, Enric Palle, Martin Patzold, Carina M. Persson, Jorge Prieto-Arranz, Heike Rauer, Motohide Tamura, Vincent Van Eylen, and Joshua N. Winn

"44 validated planets from K2 campaign 10," The Astronomical Journal



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The gallium-nitride disk and the photomultiplier array offer a potential solution for building a detector and imaging short-lived neutrons, which stream off the Sun and are produced from the bombardment of cosmic rays in Earth's protective magnetosphere.

Two NASA teams are examining the use of gallium nitride, a crystal-type semiconductor compound first discovered in the 1980s, and currently used in consumer electronics such as laser diodes in DVD readers.

mong its many attributes, gallium nitride -- GaN, for short -- demonstrates less electrical resistance and thus loses only a small proportion of power as heat. The material can handle 10 times the electrical current of silicon, enabling smaller, faster, and more efficient devices. In addition, it's tolerant to a wide range of temperatures, resistant to radiation, and as it turns out, adept at detecting energetic particles.

It's no wonder then that scientists and engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are interested in seeing how they could tap into this versatile material to enhance space exploration.

With their funding, engineer Jean-Marie Lauenstein and scientist Elizabeth MacDonald are investigating Gallium-Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors, or GaN HEMTs, for use in studying how Earth's magnetosphere couples to its ionosphere -- a key question in the field of heliophysics, which among other things studies the forces that drive change in our space environment. Stanley Hunter and Georgia de Nolfo, meanwhile, are investigating the material's use on a solid-state neutron detector that is relevant to both science and homeland security.

Gallium-Nitride Transistors

Gallium-nitride transistors or semiconductors became available commercially in 2010, but they have not yet found their way into space scientists' instruments, despite their potential to reduce an instrument's size, weight, and power consumption. There's a reason for that, said Lauenstein. Even though gallium-nitride is predicted to be resistant to many types of radiation damage encountered in space, neither NASA nor the U.S. military has established standards characterizing the performance of these transistor-enabled devices when exposed to the extreme radiation in space.

When struck by galactic cosmic rays or other energetic particles, electronic equipment can experience catastrophic or transient single-event upsets. "We have standards for silicon," Lauenstein said. "We don't know if the methods for silicon transistors would apply to gallium-nitride transistors. With silicon, we can assess the threshold for failure."

With the funding, Lauenstein and MacDonald are teaming with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, a parts manufacturer, and the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging to establish criteria assuring a GaNs-type device could withstand the effects of potentially harmful particles produced by galactic cosmic rays and other sources.

The material could be useful in electron-beam accelerators -- comprised of gallium-nitride transistors -- built to map specific magnetic lines in Earth's protective magnetosphere to their footprints in Earth's ionosphere where aurora occur -- helping to show how the two regions of near-Earth space connect.

"The team's research on radiation tolerance helps us understand how to fly these accelerators in the harsh space environment over the mission's lifetime," MacDonald said.

According to Lauenstein, these standards will also benefit other scientific disciplines. "We need a path forward for this technology," she said "This opens the door for others to incorporate this technology into their own missions."

Potentially "Game Changing"

For de Nolfo and Hunter, gallium-nitride offers a potential solution for building a detector and imaging neutrons, which are short-lived and typically expire after about 15 minutes. Neutrons can be generated by energetic events in the Sun as well as cosmic ray interactions with Earth's upper atmosphere. The neutrons generated by cosmic rays in the atmosphere can add to Earth's radiation belt -- a swatch of radiation surrounding Earth that among other things can interfere with onboard satellite electronics -- when they decay. Researchers have discovered GaN can form the basis of a highly sensitive neutron detector.

"The gallium-nitride crystal could be game-changing for us," de Nolfo said.

Under their concept, Hunter and de Nolfo would position a gallium-nitride crystal inside an instrument. As neutrons entered the crystal, they scatter off gallium and nitrogen atoms and, in the process, excite other atoms, which then produce a flash of light revealing the position of the neutron that initiated the reaction. Silicon photomultipliers attached to the crystal convert the flash of light into an electrical pulse to be analyzed by the sensor electronics.

"Gallium-nitride is reasonably well understood in the photo-electronics industry, but I think we're pushing the envelope a little on this application," Hunter said, adding that the beauty of the concept is that it would contain no moving parts, use little power, and operate in a vacuum. If it works, the instrument would benefit different space science disciplines and the military in detecting nuclear material, he added.

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Trailing previously unbeaten Sonnet Grace by a length turning for home, Antonia found another gear and upset the 2-5 favourite in Tuesdays (Aug. 7) $185,836 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows.

The event for freshman trotting fillies, known as the Delmonica Hanover, was contested over four divisions, with Ma Was Right, Magical Beliefs and Nomo Volo taking the other splits. It was a big day for David Miller, who won three PASS divisions and finished second in the fourth, beaten by Nomo Volo.

Sonnet Grace captured the first four starts of her career, and the granddaughter of Hall of Famer CR Kay Suzie appeared well on the way to number five. But the determined Antonia gobbled up ground and finally prevailed at the wire by a head in a career-best 1:56.4. Sky Is Mine was a ground-saving third.

I wasnt sure we would get by, Miller said. My filly was running in and lost a little ground in the last turn. You have to be careful with her at the start, but she usually gets home pretty good. She held the gait real good today, and she put her head in front late. Gotta give her credit for that.

Nifty Norman conditions the daughter of Donato Hanover-Tactical Caviar for Melvin Hartman, Little E LLC and Pinske Stables.

Ma Was Right followed cover beautifully before roaring through the stretch and scoring in a stakes-fastest 1:56.3, downing the first-over Matter Of Fact by a length. Early leader Personal Paradise completed the ticket.

Thats the third time Ive raced her, and her trips have been pretty much the same, Miller said. Shes usually trotting pretty good at the wire. She didnt get away well from the rail today, but shes pretty strong on the end of it.

Noel Daley conditions the daughter of Muscle Hill-Its Alright Ma, who has finished first or second in all five career starts, for All Laid Out Stable.

Magical Beliefs and Miller were stalking Ladylilli when they pulled the pocket before the three-quarters and rolled to a comfortable two-length victory in 1:57.1 for trainer Linda Toscano and owners Highland Green Farms, South Mountain Stables and R-And-I Farms. Windy Corner was elevated to second and Lady Builder to third while runner-up Ladylilli was disqualified and placed last for leaving the course.

With that half in :57.3, I didnt know how far that horse in front of me would take me, Miller said. So I thought I would take a shot rather than sit in and get shuffled. She was tired at the end, but she held up.

Tuesdays card also featured a pair of Preferred Handicap races. In the $20,000 event for pacing fillies and mares, the pocket-sitting Medusa kicked by Lakeisha Hall late and triumphed in 1:51.3 for Tony Hall and trainer Randy Bendis, who owns the seven-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight and Mythical with Tom Pollack. Medusa now boasts $773,553 in career earnings.

Call For Justice and Dave Palone took the $18,000 trot by slipping past Wind Of The North in the Lightning Lane, snapping that rivals three-race winning streak. The six-year-old son of Justice Hall and Mikas Mazurka, who prevailed in 1:53.4, extended his lifetime bankroll to $516,067 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

Stake racing at The Meadows continues Wednesday, when the card features a $100,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series event for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. First post is 1:05 p.m.

(The Meadows)
Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, on Wednesday said a 'bandh' would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, on Thursday to press for the community's demand for reservation.

A leader of the organisation said the protest would be held in a peaceful manner from 8 am to 6 pm.

"It will be a state-wide bandh, excluding Navi Mumbai. All the essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh," Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj told reporters.

"Due to some sensitive issues, we have decided not to observe bandh in Navi Mumbai," he said.

Parts of Maharashtra, especially Koparkhairane and Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, had witnessed violence during the stir late last month.

Around 20 policemen, including eight officers, were injured in stone-pelting by protesters at Kopar Khairane and Kalamboli. A protester, injured in the violence in Navi Mumbai, had succumbed to his injuries.

Jadhavrao said, "It will be a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm. I appeal to my fellow Maratha youths to desist from committing suicides. It is not going to help the community and its cause."



A number of people from the community had earlier committed suicide in support of the quota demand.

"We are also making an appeal to Maratha youths to stay away from violence. We will not indulge in any aggressive protest and there will be no damage to public properties," he assured.

Jadhavrao alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was talking to only a handful of Marathas and trying to create confusion within the community.

"Fadnavis is trying to dilute the intensity of the agitation," he said.

Commenting on different views expressed by separate Maratha groups in the last few days, he said, "The confusion was created after the agitators in Parli (in Beed district) suddenly decided to withdraw their agitation."



"But meetings were held in Aurangabad and Mumbai, where rest of the Maratha groups expressed their willingness to go ahead with the bandh. Hence, tomorrow we are going to observe bandh," Jadhavrao said.

Another Maratha faction has given a call to only hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office.

"We have given a call for a peaceful agitation. We have no intention to cause a contempt of court. The coordinators of Maratha morcha from Navi Mumbai can participate in the agitation in Mumbai," he said.

"Fadnavis should give a time-bound programme for giving quota to the community on his letterhead and we will withdraw our agitation," Jadhavrao said.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday had urged the Maratha community members to refrain from resorting to violence or committing suicide over their demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

The HC was hearing a PIL filed by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, seeking quota and directions to the backward classes commission to submit its recommendations to the state on entitlement of such quota expeditiously.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation.

The agitation, however, turned violent after a 27-year-old protester jumped to his death in Godavari river near Aurangabad on July 23.

Violence had also erupted at Chakan near Pune during the agitation in the last week of July. Four policemen had been injured in stone-pelting during the protest at Chakan, where the mob also damaged nearly sixty vehicles, including state and civic-run buses and police jeeps.

Meanwhile, police in Maharashtra are gearing up to prevent violence during the bandh called by Maratha organisations demanding reservations on August 9, an official said here.

There would be a heavy deployment of security personnel, especially in sensitive pockets where violence had taken place during the agitation earlier, a senior police official said.

There would be videographing of protests. These videos and CCTV footage will help police identify criminals and mischief-mongers who may try to take advantage and indulge in violence, the official said.

According to police, between July 18 and 27, 276 cases of violence were registered across the state during the quota agitation. There were incidents of stone pelting at over 250 places and 198 incidents of arson, he said.

More than Rs 45 million-worth public and private property was damaged within 10 days, a police official said.
Non-Resident Indians cannot file applications to seek governance-related information from the central government departments, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

"Only citizens of have the right to seek information under the provisions of Right to Information Act, 2005. Non-Resident Indians are not eligible to file applications," Minister of State for Personnel said in a written reply.

He said subject to the provisions of the Act, the citizens of can file an online application under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

"Currently, systems of 2,200 public authorities have been aligned to receive, process and reply to online RTIs from the applicants," the minister said.



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Singh said any applicant can visit the portal --www.rtionline.gov.in -- and select the desired ministry or department under the central government and file an online application.

A detailed user manual and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are available on the website to help in filing the application, he said.

"Applicant can pay the requisite fee through in this portal and submit the RTI application," the minister said.
The final two events in the Italy vs. NAADA Friendship Competition went to post Tuesday (Aug. 7) at Monticello Raceway, and when the results were finalized, both competitors each walked away with a victory.

Alan Schwartz won the first leg for the hometown North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) foursome after he reined Starstruck Lola home first in 2:03.2, while team Italy came back in the second split when Roberto Michelotto scored a 2:00 triumph with Mrs Krabappel.

The temperature was in the lower 90s Fahrenheit (low 30s Celsius) and the humidity in the upper 70s, but it didn't seem to hinder North America's premier amateur driver, Alan Schwartz, from "delivering the mail" and scoring to his 604th career driving victory.

Sent off as the second choice from the pole position in the eight-horse field, Schwartz gunned his pacer to the lead and was safely in front in a soft :30 first quarter. With no challengers, Schwartz got his charge by the halfway point in 1:02.1 and still with no one coming at him, Schwartz and his pacer, Starstruck Lola, got by the third stanza in 1:33.2 before unleashing a :30 final panel to score to an easy three-length victory.

"I couldn't believe that I was all alone in the :30 first quarter," Schwartz said after the race was completed. "When no one challenged I had complete control (of the race), and after the soft early fractions, my mare was strong all the way to the finish."

Second place went to Whata Hustler, driven by Italy's Raffaello Ruffato, and Italian Roberto Michelotto garnered the show dough.

The winner, owned by William McCracken and trained by Chris McCracken, paid $7.00.

The second division had the visiting Italians jockeying for positions to make it tough for the odds-on favourite Argyle Aleberwhosur and driver Matt Zuccarello to see any daylight until late in the mile.

Bestwind Heather and Italy's Piergiovanni Michelloto gained early command and led the competitors until the three-quarters, at which point Mrs Krabappel and Roberto Michelotto squirted through along the inside to gain command and hold the lead all the way to the wire. Zuccarello and the favored Argyle Alberwhosur had to go four-deep going into the final turn to get a shot at the leaders.

Needless to say, although Zuccarello's pacer rallied, she came up short and had to settle for second place. NAADA's Gerry Fielding finished third with Check My Pulse.

The winner, Mrs Krabappel, is owned by William McCracken and trained by Chris McCraken, which gave the owner-trainer duo both victories in the NAADA vs. Italy Friendship Competition.

(NAADA)
At a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with gross misuse of office in personally orchestrating the purchase of 36 fighters from France, while scuttling near-complete negotiations with Dassault for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), even as most of them were to be built in India.

They presented the case against the 7.85-billion deal for 36 Rafales, which Modi announced in Paris on April 10, 2015, and was inked in Delhi in September 2016, in a detailed, nine-page document, along with numerous annexures.

The press release, for the first time, systematically rebuts the governments argument that each cost only 91.7 million (Rs7.3 billion), because the price of the fighter should exclude an additional 47.2 million (Rs3.75 billion) spent on India specific enhancements. Critics of the deal have argued that the India-specific enhancements are an integral part of the Rafale, and were a part of the aborted tender for 126 MMRCAs. Adding the cost of enhancements to the price of the aircraft would take the cost of each to 138.9 million (Rs11.05 billion).

Sinha, Shourie and Bhushan rebutted the enhancements argument by citing the India-France Joint Statement issued after Modi met French President Francois Hollande in Paris in April 2015. In that formal document, the two leaders agreed that the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved (in the MMRCA testing) by Indian Air Force (IAF), and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France.

Wednesdays press release points out: That clear and emphatic affirmation in the (Modi-Hollande) Joint Statement nails the falsehood that has been spread since then  namely, that the price per aircraft is so much higher because of some novel India specific enhancements in the 36 Rafales now contracted.

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Top defence ministry officials who briefed the media on the day the Rafale contract was signed said that the India specific enhancements included: Helmet mounted display sights, radar warning receiver, radio altimeters, Doppler radar and cold-climate engine start facilities. These are standard fitments in start-of-the-art fighters. The press conference also argued that it was incorrect to directly compare the current cost of the Rafale, with the price Dassault had offered in the 126-MMRCA tender.

Instead, we should compare: the cost at which the first 18 aircraft of the aborted MMRCA deal would have been obtained in the fly-away condition and the cost at which the 36 are going to be obtained in the fly-away condition under the new Agreement.

That is because, in manufacturing the Rafale in India, which the 126-MMRCA deal provided for, would have been substantially more expensive than buying Rafale fighters in fly-away condition, like in the current 36-fighter procurement. That is because building in India would have incurred additional costs on manufacturing infrastructure, developing vendors and technology transfer.

The press release stated: The sorts of statements that the then Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, made in the wake of the announcement (to buy 36 Rafales) left no doubt that he had not been consulted in regard to this drastic change in the project. He moved swiftly to distance himself from the decision after the Modi-Hollande announcement. Modi-ji took the decision; I back it up, he told Doordarshan on April 13, 2015..

Presenting further evidence that the decision to buy 36 Rafales was Modis alone, the press release quoted Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar who, on April 8, 2015, just two days before Modis announcement in Paris, briefed the media that a high-level visit like the prime ministers does not get involved in ongoing defence contracts [but instead] usually looks at big picture issues even in the security field.

The opposition veterans levelled three basic charges against the government. First,  security was jeopardised by buying just 36 Rafales instead of 126, without IAF concurrence. Second, the inflated price paid placed an enormous additional burden on the Exchequer. Third, it was folly to remove Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), with its decades-long experience in manufacturing aircraft. from manufacturing the Rafale.
The of India is preparing a blueprint to stop the "misuse" of the during elections, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Kumar said the EC has been holding discussions with all the stake-holders on this issue.

"A blue print is being prepared to prevent misuse of the during elections. The EC will issue appropriate directions in this regard in the coming days," he said.

Kumar said a committee already exists within the on this issue. "The discussions with the stake-holders on this topic (about misuse of during elections) are going on. The EC will issue appropriate instructions on the basis of the outcome of this process," the deputy election commissioner said.

He said social media "misuse" is a global issue and various countries are trying their best to tackle it. "We will share it (the blueprint) with you (media) when our plan in this regard is ready," he said.

On the demand raised by some Opposition parties for usage of ballot papers instead of EVMs in future polls, Kumar said the EC is always ready to address doubts, if any, of political parties about EVMs.

The deputy commissioner said voters can see which candidate they have voted for through the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

On the question of allegations by opposition parties in Madhya Pradesh about bungling in the voters list, Kumar said necessary corrections were made in the electoral rolls from time to time.

Madhya Pradesh is going to polls later this year.

The deputy commissioner assured that the elections will be held with an error-free voter list.

The Congress had alleged irregularities in electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh. The party had claimed that around 60 lakh voters registered in the voting list of the state are fake.

However, the in June this year rejected Congress' allegations of large-scale discrepancies in the voters' list, saying field verifications showed that such charges were not borne out.
In over 70 years of his political life, Karunanidhi contributed immensely to establishing social justice platform and encouraging Tamil language in the state. For the last 40 years, from 1975 onwards, there have been only three major players in the Tamil Nadu politics - Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalithaa.

With Karunanidhi's death, there is a huge vacuum in the politics of the state and who is going to fill that vacuum is a big question. Though Mr Stalin is certainly pre-eminent among those who are there now, he himself admits that he has not reached the same height as his father. ...

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
State-owned on Thursday reported a fall in its net profit by 44 per cent to Rs 2.09 billion in first quarter ended June.

Bank's net profit in the corresponding April-June quarter of 2017-18 was at Rs 3.72 billion.

Total income during the first quarter of 2018-19 increased to Rs 51.31 billion from Rs 47.88 billion in same period of 2017-18 on good interest and investment earnings.

Even as bank's ratio of bad loans fell from a year ago, in absolute terms the NPAs were high, showed the financial results of the lender in exchange filing.

The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) as a percentage of gross loans by end-June 2018 fell to 7.20 per cent from 7.21 per cent as on June 30, 2017. In absolute value, the gross NPAs were at Rs 118.27 billion by end of first quarter, up from Rs 96.53 billion a year ago.

Net NPAs too fell to 3.79 per cent (Rs 59.98 billion) from 4.05 per cent (Rs 52.38 billion).

Thus, the overall provisioning for bad loans and contingencies in April-June 2018-19 was raised by to Rs 10.29 billion from Rs 7.15 billion a year ago. Provisions for bad loans were Rs 4.56 billion as against Rs 6.81 billion.

"Non-performing loan provision coverage ratio is 64.38 per cent as on June 30, 2018," said.

During the quarter, the bank had appropriated the recovery of Rs 946.1 million in a fully provided NPA account and the amount recovered has been considered as part of NPA recovery, it said.

Stock of the bank closed at Rs 354.80 on BSE, down 5.2 per cent from the previous close.
The New York Sire Stakes welcomed all sorts of ladies downstate Tuesday night (Aug. 7), with Yonkers Raceways hosting the $166,499 Mike Cipriani Trot for three-year-old fillies.

The race again honoured the memory of the Raceways long-time, award-winning photographer.

A five-horse, $54,833 pre-card non-wagering Sire Stakes was won by a stubborn, down-the-road Natalie Hanover (Jim Marohn Jr.) in 1:56.3.

Soon thereafter, a lightning storm delayed the card between the first and second races.

Tuesdays first (second programmed) event ($55,833) saw pole-sitting Supergirl Riley (Marcus Miller, $10.60) retake from Ciao Dolce (Dan Dube), then dismiss 3-10 favourite Lima Novelty (Scott Zeron) en route to a handy 1:55.2 effort.

After early intervals of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:27, Supergirl Riley opened a pair of lengths into the lane. She widened to 4-1/2 lengths at the wire, with Ciao Dolce second, Lima Novelty a tiring third and Pune Bush Rose (Jordan Stratton) fourth.

For second choice Supergirl Riley, a daughter of Muscle Mass co-owned by Paymaq Racing, George Golemes and Harvey Eisman and trained by Erv Miller, it was her first win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $32.20, the triple returned $84.50 and the superfecta paid $288.50.

She's just starting to find her stride, Marcus Miller said.

The $55,833 second "carded" division  third and final  of the Cipriani saw defending state-bred champ Lucky Ava (Dube, $3.00) have five outclassed rivals chasing in vain.

From the pole, she retook from Mooshka Stride (Brennnan), then finished it off with no discomfort through splits of :28.2, :59, 1:28.1 and 1:56.3.

The final margin over Mooshka Stride was 2-1/4 lengths, with Tribute to Seven (Zeron) a first-up third. Special Miss (Steve Smith) was fourth.

For Lucky Ava, a Lucky Chucky miss co-owned by trainer Ake Svanstedt with Little E LLC and Van Camp Trotting, she has five wins and three seconds in nine 2018 tries. The exacta paid $19, the triple retuned $48 and the superfecta paid $167.50.

The New York Sire Stakes circuit returns to Yonkers Monday night (Aug. 13), with the $157,000 Pat Quaglietta Trot for two-year-old fillies.

(Yonkers Raceway)
and have signed an agreement to allow Pakistani troops to receive training at Russian military training institutes, a move aimed at boosting their bilateral defence ties.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia- Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC), according to Pakistan's defence ministry.

"Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of in RF's (Russian Federation) Training Institutes," the ministry said.

The Russian side was led by Deputy Col Gen. Alexander V Fomin who visited Pakistan from August 6-7 to attend the first session of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC).

Lt. Gen (retd) Zamir ul Hassan Shah, Secretary Defence, led the Pakistani delegation during the JMCC meeting.

Prior to the inaugural meeting, held on Tuesday in the ministry of defence Rawalpindi, the visiting dignitary called on secretary defence and the

During the meetings, the two sides discussed the present status of their bilateral defence relations with the aim to further strengthen, expand and diversify mutual cooperation.

JMCC is the highest forum of defence collaboration between Pakistan and

During the inaugural session of the JMCC, both sides exchanged views on bilateral and major issues including the situation in the and

A comprehensive issue based review was also carried out during which the two countries expressed satisfaction on the milestones achieved since the signing of groundbreaking Agreement on Defence Cooperation in 2014. The two sides also held in-depth discussions on avenues of future cooperation, the defence ministry said.

Col Gen Fomin also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs.

An Army spokesman said that Col Gen Fomin met Gen and discussed the regional security situation and matters of mutual interest including enhancement of bilateral defence and security cooperation.

Fomin expressed his appreciation for Pakistan Army's achievements against terrorism and expressed requirement of greater cooperative and collaborative approach among the global community to defeat extremism.

Pakistan's defence ties with have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and

Pakistan has shown eagerness to build military-to-military level ties with Russia.

Earlier this year, the then foreign minister visited during which the two sides agreed to set up a commission to boost military cooperation.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed 'Friendship'.
US President Donald Trump has nominated a prominent Indian-American law professor and legal expert to an agency on privacy and civil liberties.

Aditya Bamzai, a professor at University of Virginia's School of Law, has been nominated by Trump to be a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for the remainder of a six-year term expiring January, 29, 2020.

The agency works to ensure that efforts by the executive branch of the government to protect the nation from terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.

According to Bamzai's profile on the university website, he teaches and writes about civil procedure, administrative law, federal courts, national security law and computer crime.



ALSO READ: Donald Trump warns world against business with Iran as sanctions return

He joined the University of Virginia School of Law's faculty as an associate professor in June 2016.

Bamzai has argued cases relating to the separation of powers and national security in the U.S. Supreme Court, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, D.C. Circuit and other federal courts of appeals.

He is a graduate of Yale University and of the University of Chicago Law School, where he was the editor-in-chief of the law review



Before entering the academy, Bamzai served as an attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice and as an appellate attorney in both private practice and for the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.

Earlier in his career, he was a law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the US. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The announced on Wednesday that it would impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports of 279 items from China amounting to USD 16 billion.

This is the second tranche of such tariffs and comes into effect on August 23.

Washington had already imposed tariffs on USD 34 billion on July 6 but held off on a final USD 16 billion in goods as a result of concerns from US companies.

This is part of the US' response to China's "unfair trade practices" related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said.

After coming to power, the has initiated steps to address the issue of massive balance of trade with China and to the alleged Chinese theft of intellectual property.

In March 2018, the USTR had released the findings of its "exhaustive" Section 301 investigation that found China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are "unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce".

The investigation had revealed that China uses joint venture requirements, foreign investment restrictions, and administrative review and licensing processes to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies and it deprives US companies of the ability to set market-based terms in licensing and other technology-related negotiations.

It also found that China directs and unfairly facilitates the systematic investment in, and acquisition of, US companies and assets to generate large-scale technology transfer.

ALSO READ: Here's how the trade war between US and China can actually benefit India

The USTR claimed that China conducts and supports cyber intrusions into US commercial computer networks to gain unauthorized access to commercially valuable business information.

The world's two biggest economies are locked in a trade dispute.

But there seems no solution at sight as the prepares for tariffs of up to 25 per cent on an additional USD 200 billion in Chinese products.
Nobody pretends the People's Republic of China is an entirely benign power, least of all its leaders in Beijing.

Yet, even by the standards of what continues to be a remarkably repressive state, the stories that are emerging from behind the Great Firewall about the crackdown on Xinjiangs Uighur Muslim population are deeply disturbing and deserve more of the worlds attention. The one country on earth which should best understand the danger and futility of such efforts has reportedly set up re-education centres across the length and breadth of its ...
The benchmark indices settled at new record closing highs on Wednesday led by a rise in the shares of financial stocks and Reliance Industries (RIL). The S&P BSE Sensex settled at a record high of 37,888, up 222 points, while the broader Nifty 50 index settled at a new high of 11,450, up 61 points. In intra-day deals, the S&P BSE Sensex hit a fresh all-time high of 37,931.42 while the Nifty50 index touched its record high level of 11,459.95. Market heavyweight RIL ended the day at Rs 1,217.25 on the BSE, rising 2.85 per cent from the previous close. The stock had hit a ...

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Digital Editor
The I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club would like to congratulate Kayla Chappell of Leduc, Alta., for winning the July Zoom Photography Challenge.

Groom With A View was the theme to celebrate National Caretaker Appreciation Day events which took place the weekend of July 20-22 and July 29.

Kaylas winning photo is of caretaker Jessica Henriquez, who works for the Kelly Hoerdt stable, with one of her barn stars, Custardslaststand. The photo was taken at Century Downs Racetrack & Casino, just after the three-year-old colt finished second In a race on July 1.

I had to capture the moment as it shows no matter where your horse finishes, as long as they try their hardest, grooms are happy with their horses, Kayla explained. Her smile and how his eye catches the camera really shows the mutual feeling and bond between horse and groom.

Chappell has been involved with harness racing for her entire life. She and her husband, Doug Chappell currently own Wazzup Buttercup and Jedi Tricks who are stabled at Century Downs Racetrack. Her husband takes care of the training duties, while Kayla keeps herself busy working for the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association Social Media Team, along with grooming for Kelly Hoerdt at Bedrock Training Centre in Beaumont, Alta.

I also really enjoy working for Kelly as Im able to jog and train the horses that I take care of during the week. I really missed the feeling of training one, so being able to come to work and do that cant be beat. I recently designed new racing colours and put my order in, hoping I can drive Butters before the winter gets here. It would be great to get behind the gate with one again, Im anxious just thinking about it!

For winning, Kayla will receive a $50 Fan Club prize package and an official NCAD t-shirt and cap. Congrats! And thank you to our other finalists:

 Photo 1: Amy Henry of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., for the photo of herself jogging two-year-old filly Itawtitawapuddytat

 Photo 2: Annie Cox of Odessa, Ont., for the photo of herself and her two-year-old trotter Stormont Onetime out for a jog!

 Photo 3: Cassie George of Windsor, Ont., for her photo of groom Hollie Hiser bathing open trotter Gloire Dream.

 Photo 4: Joey Poirier of Inverness, Nova Scotia, for his photo of Vital Art and groom Madison Poirier.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded a judicial probe into the killing of 15 Naxals who were gunned down by security forces on August 6 in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

At a press conference in the state on Wednesday, AAP's State Secretary Uttam Jaiswal accused the police of killing innocent farmers in the name of terrorists. The party has constituted a team to probe the matter.

In the incident, 15 Naxals were killed and four apprehended.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had congratulated the security forces on their success in the operation. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh had also praised the security forces for successfully conducting the search operations near Sukma's Gonta and Golapalli police limits.

"It was a big, successful and clean operation. The forces were in the jungle for the past two days, it is definitely a big success for the police forces," the chief minister said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has reiterated the government's life cycle approach, whereby welfare programs created for the people of the state would serve them from birth to death.

While addressing Mandal and Municipal Nodal Officers from all districts of Andhra Pradesh at the "Grama Darsini" workshop, Naidu said that the main aim of the government was to achieve citizen empowerment and rural development.

"I want almost all the issues resolved by January 2019. Then we will go for next level of development," he added.

Highlighting some of the reforms taken up under his leadership, Naidu, who addressed the gathering after the completion of 1500 days of rule, said the government is working towards increasing the state's GDP from the current 10.5 per cent to 12 per cent.

"Our government is balancing development and welfare schemes. We are developing road, sea, and airway infrastructure with long-term planning. We are going for massive industrialisation," he noted.

Highlighting the recent strides made in the employment and industry sectors, Naidu noted that although technology can be used for efficiency and perfection, employment generation remains the key.

"30 per cent of mobile phones are being manufactured in Andhra Pradesh only. Two days back, Holytech company came to India. It will create 6000 jobs. We brought Kia motors to Anantapuram. That company will roll out their first car by January 2019. However, we have to focus more on the services sector, including tourism, education, health," he added.

Talking about the irrigation sector, Naidu said that the government aims to carry out micro-irrigation in an area of one crore acres.

"This year, rainfall is very less. Drought situation is prevailing in Rayalaseema. We are sending a report to the Centre. However, we could manage water resources well. Most of our major schemes and government functions are getting public satisfaction above 75 per cent," he said.

Naidu further appealed to the audience at the event to motivate their junior employees and serve the public with courtesy and etiquette.

"Increasing happiness index among the people of our state is our priority. One should enjoy his work. To increase that, you have to take care of people with utmost concern. Through Mukhyamantri Yuvanestam, we will give unemployment allowance from next month. We have increased salaries for many low-level jobs. That will encourage them to work more efficiently," he noted.

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Bank's Gross Loan AUM reached INR 17,322 crore; clocking a growth of 61 per cent y-o-y. This was led by a strong all-round growth in disbursements which jumped nearly twofold at INR 2,885 Crores in Q1FY19 over the same quarter last year, despite Q1 generally being a seasonally leaner quarter.

Retail Assets continue to dominate with approximately 82 per cent of the overall Gross Loan AUM. Vehicle Loan disbursements were up more than 100 per cent, likewise, MSME Loans grew approximately 71 per cent over Q1FY18. Moreover, Bank continued to gain strong traction in a new segment of Agri SME Loans, Gold Loans, 2 Wheeler Loans and Housing Loans. Collectively, this caused the Retail Assets of AUM to clock a growth of approximately 54 per cent y-o-y.

Alike Retail Disbursements, Bank's SME & Mid Corporate Disbursements also grew approximately 90 per cent led by a strong 119 per cent disbursement growth in Banking Segment. Disbursements to NBFC segments grew by 91 per cent over Q1FY18.

Total Deposits stood at INR 9,999 crore as on Jun 30, 2018, including Certificate of Deposits of INR 1,928 crore. Branch Deposits expanded more than 10 times over the same period last year and over 26 per cent from Q4FY18. CASA ratio (excluding Certificates of Deposits) came in at 28 per cent as on Jun 30, 2018. Deposit to Advances Ratio further climbed up to approximately 66 per cent.

Last quarter we tied up with CMS as their banking partner for 1000 ATMs proposed to set up at 992 Atal Seva Kendra and 8 Mobile ATMs across gram panchayats in Rajasthan. AU Bank also got empanelled with India's largest insurer LIC for offering its branch banking products at LIC's offices PAN India. Another important milestone was going live on Public Fund Management System (PFMS) application to manage public fund distribution.

Digital Bank

AU Bank launched two key applications in the quarter gone by. The Bank launched AU ABHI (for Android users) - The New Age Instant Digital Savings Bank Account. The Bank also Launched AU App - a simple but powerful app for employee lead referrals and fulfilment. Besides that, Corporate Internet Banking was made live for all the segment customers. AU Bank implemented an API Gateway to allow digital integration and collaboration with external vendors and stakeholders.

Income, Expense and Profitability

Bank's Total Income in Q1FY19 grew over 2/3rd and stood at INR 703 crore. Net Interest Income for the quarter was INR 286 Crore, up 56 per cent over Q1FY18. NII (%) came in at 5.8 per cent and other income was 2.1 per cent. Other income for the quarter was up approximately 87 per cent in Q1FY19. Both collectively helped record a surged in Total Income to INR 703 Crore in Q1FY19.

Bank's Total Operating Expenses grew in line with strong growth in disbursement and came in at INR 237 Crores. Other Operating Expenses came in at INR 97 Crores and cost-to-income Ratio for the quarter came in at 60.9 per cent for Q1FY19.

Profitability & Return Ratios

The Bank's Pre-Provisioning Operating Profit (PPOP) and PAT was INR 152 crore and INR 77 crore respectively clocking in a growth of 22 per cent and 24 per cent Y-o-Y respectively.

ROA and ROE for the Q1FY19 came in at 1.55 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively. Current quarter ROA was marginally lower primarily on account of increased employee costs.

Asset Quality

Bank reported a stable asset quality in Q1FY19 amidst the high disbursement growth and GNPAs, historically been a tad higher both in Q1 and 1H of past few financial years. Bank reported Gross NPA of 2.17 per cent as against 2.98 per cent in Q1FY18. Similarly, the Net NPA of the Bank stood at INR 211 crore i.e. 1.38 per cent as against 2.15 per cent as on Jun 30, 2018. Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) was 36.8 per cent for the June quarter.

Investment By Temasek Holdings

Towards the end of Q1FY19, Temasek Holdings Private Limited, via their indirect wholly-owned subsidiary Camas Investments Pte. Ltd., committed an equity investment of INR 1000 Crore in the Bank in a combination of Equity (30 per cent) and Convertible Warrants (approximately 70 per cent). This investment happens to be the largest primary equity capital raise done by the bank. Out of this, in Q1FY19, Temasek has invested INR 475 crores in a combination of a straight equity of INR 300 crores and Warrant Application Money of INR 175 crores. The remaining 75 per cent Warrants Money i.e. INR 525 crores will be paid on conversion of Warrants into equity on or before 18 months.

The Equity Shares & Warrants are subject to a lock-in of 12 months from the date of issuance of Equity Shares and from the conversion of Warrants into Equity. Upon conversion of Warrants, Temasek Holdings will have hold approximately 4.81 per cent Equity stake in the Bank. The aforesaid investment has capitalized the bank for its growth requirements for next 18-24 months.

Capital Adequacy

Post the aforesaid fresh capital infusion, Bank's Total Capital Adequacy Ratio came in at 20.7 per cent and Tier - I CRAR of 20.1 per cent for Q1FY19.

Commenting on the strong set of Q1FY19 results, Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, "We continue to differentiate and deliver a strong all-round growth on the Banking Platform as seen through a robust growth of more than 60 per cent in AUM, approximately 100 per cent growth in disbursements and deposits touching 10000 Crore mark, with GNPA and NNPA tracking well and a 24 per cent growth in PAT over the previous quarter. With the launch of AU ABHI A/c, AU Business App, PFMS Integration and roll out of Corporate Net Banking, we have further strengthened our digital capabilities and would continue to do so. In the medium term, we want to become a bank with total assets of USD 10 billion by FY22 and further reorient ourselves as a customer-centric Bank. The recent infusion of INR 1000 Crores from Temasek has got us well capitalized for the next two years and we remain motivated and excited to keep growing our banking franchise."

AU Small Finance Bank was awarded as Rajasthan's Best Brand Award in the quarter gone by.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday initiated a preliminary inquiry into data theft of Indians from social networking service Facebook by British firms Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research.

Last month, Union Law and Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Rajya Sabha that the probe would be handed over to the CBI.

The now defunct data mining and analysis firm, Cambridge Analytica, earlier faced allegations that it supported the US President Donald Trump during the 2016 Presidential election in the USA by obtaining information from more than 87 million Facebook accounts.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk on a usual Twitter day tweeted his desire to make his billion-dollar company private at USD 420 per share . The reason

After his tweet caused a stir, Musk wrote an email to Tesla employees explaining the rationale behind the thought. While the decision is not final, one of the reasons to take the company private to make it operationally efficient without any distractions.

Musk goes on to write how he envisions Tesla following the model of SpaceX where the employees are also the shareholders. The deal will be finalised through a vote of shareholders.

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Formula One chief executive Chase Carrey, who was appointed to the position after the Liberty Group took over the F1 in 2017, said that the reviews he received so far have suggested that the sport is much "more fun" than it used to be earlier.

He further stated that they are continuously looking to improve the sport both on and off the track, La Gazzetta Dello Sport reported.

"It's too early to celebrate. But it's interesting that in Germany some people came to me and said that it was more fun than it was two years ago," Sports24 quoted Carrey, as saying.

"We are well on the way to improving the show on and off the track. We've seen some great races and the fight at the top is very exciting," he added.

Emphasizing on driver's role in F1, Carrey said that despite having strong brands and great teams, it is the drivers who play the main role in pushing the sport forward.

Chase Carrey took over as the chief executive of F1 after British business magnate Bernie Ecclestone stepped down from the position in January, last year.

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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday stirred a controversy by stating that India and Pakistan would have remained united had Jinnah become the Prime Minister instead of Jawaharlal Nehru. He even called Nehru "self-centered".

In an interaction at the Goa Institute of Management, the spiritual leader said, "Look at India, Mahatma Gandhi wanted Prime Ministership to go to Jinnah but Nehru refused to agree. I think Pandit Nehru was a little self-centered."

He further said, "If Mahatma Gandhi's wish had materialised then India and Pakistan would have been united." Holding Nehru responsible for the partition, the Dalai Lama said, "I know Pandit Nehru very well, he was a very experienced person, very wise but sometimes mistake also happens."

Reacting to the Dalai Lama's comments, BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy said that the Dalai Lama should have spoken about this before and it did not hold much value now.

Swamy said, "These are historical issues and hold value for historical debates. Yes, it is true that Mahatma Gandhi wanted Jinnah to be the Prime Minister as he would have been a minority Prime Minister and he could be removed once the British were gone. But it is also true that Jawaharlal Nehru only thought about himself. Gandhi was only thinking of how the British could be removed. But these are now academic questions and hardly make sense to discuss now.

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In a major boost to the India-Myanmar bilateral relations, the international entry-exit checkpoints on the Tamu- Moreh Border between Manipur and Sagaing Division and the Rihkhawdar-Zokhawthar border between Mizoram and Chin State were officially opened simultaneously on Wednesday.

"August 8 is an important date in the history of Myanmar. Today, it will also become an important date in the history of India-Myanmar bilateral relations. This morning, international entry-exit checkpoints have been opened simultaneously on the Tamu- Moreh Border between Manipur and Sagaing Division and the Rihkhawdar-Zokhawthar border between Mizoram and Chin State," said Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Vikram Misri.

"People will now be able to cross the land border between India and Myanmar holding passports and visas and will be able to travel for tourism, business and education purposes. This will bring our two peoples and two countries closer together and connect our North-East much more strongly with Myanmar as well as the broader ASEAN region. This indeed is Act East (Policy) in action," he added.

The move comes after India and Myanmar jointly carried out a routine survey following several media reports claiming that unrest erupted in some areas in Moreh sub-division of Manipur over the rumours of alleged shifting of an India-Myanmar border pillar into the Indian Territory.

During the survey, work on the construction of subsidiary pillars between already settled main boundary pillars 81 and 82 along the zero line was agreed and settled international boundary was also undertaken.

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Long before New Zealand-bred Lazarus arrived in the U.S. and was pointed toward Hoosier Park Racing & Casino for his North American debut, another Down Under import found his way to the central Indiana harness racing oval to start his stateside career: Peter Tritton.

Tritton, a native of Australia, began his U.S. training career at Hoosier Park in May 2002. He remained there through the summer before heading to Delaware, where he became a regular on the Mid-Atlantic circuit.

On Friday, Tritton, who now resides in upstate New York, will return to Hoosier Park for the first time since those early days in the States. He will bring with him New Zealand-bred Bit Of A Legend for the $325,000 Dan Patch Stakes and in the process get a firsthand look at Lazarus in his anticipated debut for trainer Jimmy Takter.

Lazarus, known as the Wonder from Down Under, has won 35 of 45 career races, missed the board only once, and earned the equivalent of $2.66 million.

Im sort of looking forward to seeing him, Tritton said, adding with a laugh, I just didnt want to be racing him.

The Dan Patch Stakes features a nine-horse field of older male pacers. The race, the 11th on the 14-race card, is scheduled for approximately 9:30 p.m. (EDT). First post is 6:30 p.m.

In addition to Lazarus and Bit Of A Legend, the field will include former Dan Patch Award winner and division leader McWicked, two Breeders Crown champions in Beckhams Z Tam and Split The House, a $3-million-earner in All Bets Off, two multiple-stakes-winners in Rockin Ron and Dealt A Winner, and Hoosier Park-based New Talent from the stable of the tracks leading trainer, Jeff Cullipher.

Bit Of A Legend has enjoyed a successful career in the U.S., with 25 wins in 69 races and $1.67 million since arriving in 2016. Overall, the nine-year-old horse has 45 victories in 132 starts and $2.33 million.

This season, Bit Of A Legends wins include the Battle of Lake Erie, in a career-best 1:49.4 around Northfield Parks half-mile oval, and two preliminary divisions of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway. He finished second in the Levy final and also was second in the Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial at Saratoga.

Bit Of A Legend enters the Dan Patch with regular driver Jordan Stratton off a 1:51.4 win in the open handicap at Yonkers on July 28.

Hes as good as hes ever been, said Tritton, who trains Bit Of A Legend for the Vonknoblauch Stable. As long as you keep him happy hell just go out and try for you. Youve got to let him be the boss a little bit. Hes likes to think hes getting away with stuff. We treat him like that and it makes him feel good.

Ive had horses with more ability than him, but he just keeps turning it up. Hes got a good heart to win. Hes just the complete little horse. He wears an open bridle, no steering gear; he goes straight wherever you put him. He doesnt wear any boots. Hes just easy on himself. He enjoys being out there and he always shows up. Jordan really suits him because he knows him like a book and looks after him. Hes just a lovely horse.

Bit Of A Legend has raced only once on a track larger than five-eighths of a mile, as he finished second in an open at the Meadowlands in 2016. He lost by a head in 1:48.3 after having set the fractions in :27.1, :54.4 and 1:21.4.

He did all the work in that race and he just got beat, Tritton said. The big tracks dont bother him. Hes definitely strong enough and hes brave. Im not worried.

Tritton is looking forward to returning to Hoosier Park.

The main reason I dropped in, because I dont like to go far from home, but the last few years (Bit Of A Legend) seemed to have success against the horses that were going in, Tritton said. Ive always been looking to go back to Hoosier Park because thats the first place I went when I came to America in 2002. It will be good to go back.

McWicked, who won this years William R. Haughton Memorial and Ben Franklin Pace, finished second in last weeks Sam McKee Memorial, which was contested at a distance of one and one-eighth miles at the Meadowlands Racetrack. All Bets Off, Dealt A Winner, and Rockin Ron also were in the McKee.

Thats why I gave my horse last week off; Im sure my horse will be fresher, Tritton said. I dont know if theyll beat them, but hell be fresher.

Bit Of A Legend will start the Dan Patch Stakes from Post 5. Lazarus will start from Post 9 with driver Yannick Gingras in his U.S. debut. Lazarus arrived at Takters farm in late May following his purchase by Taylor Made Stallions. During his career Down Under, Lazarus won two editions of the prestigious New Zealand Cup and 15 Group One events overall. He earned NZ$3.8 million.

Hes probably the best horse to come out of New Zealand, said Tritton, who has trained a number of Down Under horses in the U.S. during his career. Hes very strong, very gutsy, so that big track will suit him. Its his first run and hes probably not completely acclimated, so hes got a few things against him. It will be interesting to see the transition, but I know hes a great horse.

The field for the Dan Patch Stakes appears below.

(PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line)

1-Dealt A Winner-Brett Miller-Mark Silva-8/1

2-Beckhams Z Tam-Ricky Macomber Jr.-Jamie Macomber-20/1

3-Split The House-Trace Tetrick-Chris Oakes-20/1

4-Rockin Ron-Trace Tetrick-Ron Burke-10/1

5-Bit Of A Legend N-Jordan Stratton-Peter Tritton-12/1

6-McWicked-Brian Sears-Casie Coleman-2/1

7-All Bets Off-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-10/1

8-New Talent-Sam Widger-Jeff Cullipher-20/1

9-Lazarus N-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-6/5

(USTA)
The Tamil Nadu Government has declared a public holiday on August 8 as a mark of respect for late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi.

The five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister breathed his last on Tuesday at Chennai's Kauvery Hospital.

The entire state is mourning the demise of Karunanidhi and many political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and chief ministers of various states also expressed their deep grief and extended their condolences to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik prayed peace and tranquillity for the departed soul and expressed deep sympathies with the family members of Karunanidhi.

Earlier, the Bihar Government announced two-day state mourning in view of Karunanidhi's demise. The Karnataka Government also announced a day-long state mourning.

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The Madras High Court has adjourned the hearing regarding the burial space for Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach till Wednesday morning.

The court adjourned the hearing till 8 am after Tamil Nadu Government sought more time to file a reply on the matter.

"Government side said they need some more time to file a response. Court granted time for hearing at 8 am tomorrow," said Balu, lawyer for Pattali Makkal Katchi.

On Tuesday, the DMK filed a plea in the court after state government denied burial space for Karunanidhi near Anna Memorial at Marina beach owing to pending petitions against burial on Marina beach.

However, the advocate who filed a petition against burial on Marina beach on Tuesday night withdrew all the cases saying that "Kalainger Karunanidhi was very important".

Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday at Chennai's Kauvery Hospital. His funeral will be held with full state honours on Wednesday.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions filed by activist Traffic Ramaswamy, seeking a stay on the last rites of late Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M. Karunanidhi at the Marina Beach.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who was heading the bench of the apex court, instructed Ramaswamy's advocate to first file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) and then mention the matter before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Deepak Misra.

Earlier, Ramaswamy had moved to the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court order, which granted permission to bury former Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi on the Marina beach in Chennai.

A massive controversy had erupted over the final resting place of Karunanidhi after the Tamil Nadu government, citing legal hurdles, dismissed DMK's request and offered a two-acre site at the Gandhi Mandapam.

Karunanidhi, fondly referred as 'Kalaignar' and also a five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, breathed his last in Chennai's Kauvery hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 94.

The Government of India also decided to accord a full-state honour while the flag would fly half-mast during this period and all government-related functions would also remain suspended.

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In the latest development in the alleged Kathua rape and murder case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir government on the habeas corpus petition filed by the family member of the witness, Talib Hussain.

The next hearing on the case will be held on August 21. The state of Jammu and Kashmir will file its response on the mentioned date.

The petition was filed before the apex court seeking an urgent hearing against the alleged torture meted out to social activist Hussain by the Jammu and Kashmir police.

The petitioner claimed that when Hussain was helping the family members of the Kathua victim, the police allegedly picked him up and there was no information as to where he is at present.

Hussain is a social activist, who led an agitation seeking justice for the family of the eight-year-old victim.

The eight-year-old girl, belonging to a nomadic Muslim tribe, was abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed in January.

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Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, has said that he is hoping to get selected for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 29-year-old further assured that he would be ready for the series if selection went his way.

"As far as UAE and Dubai are concerned, you can't really count on selection. You've just got to basically get yourself ready for what is in the foreseeable future. If selection goes my way, I really hope it does, I'll be ready for that," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Maxwell, as saying.

Reflecting on his injury, Maxwell said that his shoulder still pinches a little bit but he has got enough time to give it a proper rest to recuperate soon.

"There was a lot of fluid built up around the bursa, and that was pinching. My range of movement was restricted quite a bit. It still is a little bit in the ways. It still is a little bit. I can't reach fully above my head consistently. Every now and then it just pinches," Maxwell said.

"It's been good to have a bit of time where I don't have to throw, bowl, and dive on it. Just give it the rest it probably needed," he added.

Maxwell, who made his Test debut in 2013, has played just seven matches for his side. His last Test appearance came against Bangladesh, eleven months ago.

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Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput was recently attacked by an army of trolls for her first TV commercial. The star wife, on Tuesday, unveiled the video of her commercial for an anti-ageing cream on Instagram.

In the video, Mira, who is all set to have her second child, talks about her daughter Misha and how her skin has been affected after pregnancy. Expressing her love for Shahid, she also said, "Misha brought Shahid and me even closer."

"Being a mother doesn't mean you stop being yourself right? Here's my #Reborn story... what's yours?" she captioned the video.

The star might have made a confident debut, but many social media users were not happy with her performance. After a while, the comments section of her post was filled with negative comments. Users questioned Mira for endorsing an anti-aging cream in her 20s.

A user wrote, "A 23-year-old doing an anti-ageing cream... Disgusting."

"Your acting like a hypocrite. In your previous interviews you had always mentioned you use natural products and forest essentials.. you're bringing yourself down by doing so. Stop endorsing such products." wrote another user.

"You are just 23 and you need olay reborn cream ...shame on your skin," said another.

Many others called out Mira for being 'fake', a user wrote, "This is so FAKE !!"

Inspite of the negativity, husband Shahid couldn't take his eyes off his beautiful wife as he went on to compliment his wife for the commercial with a comment, "Who's that stunner?".

Mira is currently in her third trimester and will soon be a mother of two.

The couple's first child, one-year-old daughter Misha, is already an internet sensation as her parents keep giving fans a peek into her life with cute photos and videos. In fact, Shahid made the announcement of his wife's second pregnancy using a photo of their daughter.

'Shamira' tied the knot on July 7, 2015, in an intimate ceremony in the outskirts of Delhi.

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In a major development, Bihar's Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma whose husband, Chandrakant Verma, was accused of having alleged links with the key mastermind of the Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes, tendered her resignation on Wednesday.

Her resignation comes a couple of days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured that the culprits behind the alleged incident would not be spared, and would be put behind the bars.

Manju, lately, has been in the eye of the storm, after the opposition parties demanded her resignation after her husband's alleged involvement surfaced.

Verma allegedly used to visit the shelter home quite frequently, spending hours in the girls' room in the shelter home. Both, the minister as well as her husband had denied the allegations.

Although her party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stood beside her, one of her party colleagues, Gopal Narayan Singh, had demanded her resignation.

The issue of alleged sexual exploitation of more than 40 girls at a Muzaffarpur shelter home was uncovered more than a month ago by the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Later, 11 employees of the child shelter home were arrested.

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Brajesh Thakur, the key accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home alleged rapes, on Wednesday claimed that he has been falsely implicated as he was planning to join the Congress party. Thakur was produced before the court among other accused.

A woman meanwhile threw ink at Thakur outside the court.

"I was thinking of joining the Congress and it was almost final that I will contest elections from Muzaffarpur. That is the reason why I have been unnecessarily framed in the case. None of the girls (inmates of the shelter home) has taken my name. You can check that yourself," Thakur told media outside the court.

Speaking about Madhu Kumari, who is one of the accused and currently absconding, Thakur further said, "I have never had any relation with Madhu. This has been propagated by some newspapers who want my newspaper office to shut down. Their business is getting affected due to my newspaper; that is the reason why it is happening."

He further admitted having spoken to Bihar's Social Welfare Department Minister Manju Verma's husband, but denied to have known him well.

Reacting to Thakur's comments, Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri said, "It is a laughable comment made by him. Investigation suggests that he was connected to Manju Verma's husband. His connections with BJP and JD(U) have also come out. How can it be possible that he was supposed to contest elections representing the Congress? He should reveal the names he was in touch with from the Congress party. I feel that the law and order has completely failed in the state."

Last month, 11 employees of the shelter home were arrested and 44 girls were rescued. The shelter home case was uncovered around three months ago after a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in April revealed that the inmates were allegedly sexually abused.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the case and raised question over the funding of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that were running the shelter home.

Earlier, the opposition parties led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) held a sit-in protest and candle march in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on August 4 to protest against the shelter home rape case.

Many political leaders including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar's former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, former MP Sharad Yadav had joined the protest and demanded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation.

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday did not grant any relief to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with the Herald case.

Rahul had challenged Income Tax authority's order to reopen his tax assessment related to the Herald and Young India transactions.

The Income Tax department informed the High Court that the AICC gave Rs 99 crores to Associate Journal Ltd and added that Rahul willfully chose not to disclose that he held the director's post at the Young India.

To which the court said that it'll determine whether he was under an obligation to disclose these details or not.

However, on the other hand, the Congress President's lawyer asserted that Rahul did not receive any income from the source, hence he is not liable for any tax.

Rahul's counsel also asked the Court to restrain media from publishing the matter, however, the High Court refused to stay media reporting.

For those unversed, the Herald scam is an ongoing case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, their companies and associated persons.

On January 20, the court of metropolitan magistrate Ambika Singh had ordered the documents submitted by the petitioner in the case, Swamy, to be kept in a sealed cover till next hearing.

Swamy, in his plea, alleged that the Congress party granted an interest-free loan of Rs. 90.25 crore to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of the National Herald newspaper.

In November last year, the two Congress leaders filed their response to the application filed by Swamy.

In the response, they stated that the application filed by Swamy was not bonafide and filled with the sole object of "delaying the proceedings in a lifeless case".

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The Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has asked Tata Sons to file a reply to former chairperson Cyrus Mistry's plea by August 10 challenging the conversion of Tata Sons into a private company.

The NCLAT has listed the case for hearing next on August 14.

Last month, the Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) Mumbai bench had rejected former Mistry's petition against Tata Sons, which challenged his dismissal as chairman of the business conglomerate and also highlighted alleged operational mismanagement.

Mistry, through his investment firms-Cyrus Investments Pvt. Ltd and Sterling Investment Corp. Pvt. Ltd had filed a petition before the NCLT under Sections 241 and 242 of the Companies Act, which deal with oppression and mismanagement.

For those unversed, Mistry was removed as executive chairman of Tata Sons, on October 24, 2016, by its board, following shareholder upheaval.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Post Time with Mike and Mike presented by BetAmerica has announced its line-up for Thursday morning (August 9) at 10:30 a.m.

The duo will be joined by Emily Gaskin, the race marketing manager from Hoosier Park Racing and Casino; Ernie Hendry, the second trainer of Atlanta; Mike Wilder, who will drive in Ireland this week; Dave Bianconi, the executive VP of racing at Northfield Park; and Darin Gagne, the track announcer at Running Aces.

Gaskin will join the program to discuss the 2018 Dan Patch Stakes, which will feature the North American pari-mutuel debut of Lazarus N. Gaskin will discuss the big race and also talk about the promotions that they have going on at Hoosier Park. Post Time will be live from Hoosier on Friday night with a first post of 8:30 p.m.

Hendry will join to discuss the great filly he has gotten to watch grow throughout the year. Atlanta became the 14th filly to win the Hambletonian this past Saturday. Hendry will discuss his thoughts after winning the big race and where she may be headed next.

Wilder will discuss his upcoming drive in Ireland and what he is looking forward to.

Bianconi will discuss his tracks upcoming edition of the Carl Milstein Memorial. The $400,000 event will feature Adios victor Dorsoduro Hanover, Hempt winner Springsteen, and Pepsi North America Cup victor Lather up. The dash looks like it could be one of the best races of the year for three-year-olds.

The weekly Running Aces segment will continue this week, and Gagne will join the program to discuss the happenings at the Minnesota facility.

Post Time can be heard live every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. via posttimewithmikeandmike.com or on the archive at betamerica.com/BARN.

(With files from Post Time)
The NITI Aayog and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Wednesday announced a partnership to work towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the country.

Speaking at the Government and Partnership Conclave at the national capital, organised by the NITI Aayog, CII and the United Nations, the Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh said, " and government partnership needs to be harnessed to achieve the greater good."

The minister said that three things were key for sustainable development - energy, water and circular economy or a green industry. He further stated that he aimed to make quality power available to each household in the country and that his ministry is committed to bringing down the prices from Rs 8 per unit to around the Rs 3.50 per unit mark.

"We want to pass a law, if any DISCOM (Distribution Companies of India) is involved in any load-shedding without any actual breakdowns happening, the law will make it an offence and those DISCOMs will be penalised. We are trying to bring this law come into effect by April 1, 2019," he added.

He also mentioned that a campaign to keep AC temperatures between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius, to ensure conservation of energy, was impending.

"Every degree by which you raise the temperature, 6 per cent power is saved. Subsidies should be given with direct bank benefit transfer to enable the consumer to become more responsible" Singh said in his address.

The minister further stated that a solar power plant with storage facilities and a 35,000 MW potential will be built in Ladakh, adding that more bids are expected to be made for manufacturing solar panels.

"We have a capacity of 345,000 MW today and a peak requirement of 170000MW. 100,000MW has been added by way of renewables in the past 4 years. '1 country 1 grid' has also become a reality which allows us to get power from anywhere and we don't need generators anymore," said Singh.

He also expressed confidence that India will achieve its clean energy goals earlier than 2022 and urged everyone to be conscious and responsible towards the

On a related note, the CII launched its report - Indian Solutions for the World to Achieve SDGs, which dives deep into individual SDG, targets and implications thereof. The report cites examples that illustrate how companies have incorporated the SDGs framework into their business strategy and gone about achieving them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Scores of pilgrims stranded in Simikot of Northern Nepal has been flown out to lower regions with the improvement in the weather, the Indian mission to Nepal informed.

"The condition is all well now. Most of the pilgrims stranded there were evacuated yesterday (Tuesday)," Pranav Ganesh, First Secretary of Indian Mission to Nepal, informed ANI without giving further details.

This is the second time when the Indians on Kailash- Mansarovar pilgrimage got stuck in Nepal's high altitude because of the adverse conditions.

As many as 200 pilgrims returning from Kailash Mansarovar Yatra were stopped in Simikot as the flights linking Simikot-Surkhet-Nepalgunj halted due to harsh

A similar incident took place last month in the Himalayan district of Nepal. Around 1500 Indian pilgrims got trapped due to the bad and later were rescued after a span of seven long days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Slamming the Opposition for raising question over Rafale deal, Union Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that proper Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was followed while signing the deal for the "benefit of the nation".

Taking to her Twitter handle, the Defense Minister said that the Opposition is trying to malign the ruling government by repeating fabricated facts about the deal, signed between India and France in 2016.

"All allegations being levelled in various press conferences are already answered on the floor of the Parliament. A recent attempt, in the House, to malign the government through baseless charges collapsed. Today's was yet another attempt at repeating fabricated facts," Sitharaman said.

"The 2016 IGA has followed the due process and has been done to benefit the nation. Repeating these allegations ad nauseum is only an attempt to malign the government," she added.

The Democratic Alliance (NDA) government signed the deal with France-based Dassault Aviation to purchase 36 Rafale jets in 2016. The Congress has time and again cornered the Central Government over the defence pact alleging irregularities in it. It has multiple times demanded the government to disclose the price of the jets.

On Tuesday, the Congress also demanded the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is likely to embark on a two-day visit to Germany on August 22 and 23.

Following his visit to Germany, Gandhi is likely to visit England on August 24 and 25.

The Congress President, who is undertaking his second foreign trip after becoming the party chief, is likely to address the Indian diaspora and the business communities in that country, according to sources.

Gandhi undertook his first foreign visit in September last year, wherein he addressed the Indian diaspora in the United States on a plethora of issues including the economy and employment opportunities.

He had also travelled to Bahrain in January this year, and later to Singapore and Malaysia in March.

Gandhi was also supposed to visit Japan in June, but the trip was later called off.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday announced the transfer of surplus funds amounting to Rs 50000 crore for the year ended June 30, to the Government of India.

The decision was taken by the RBI's Central Board of Directors in its meeting held earlier in the day.

Last year, the RBI had transferred surplus funds worth over Rs.40,000 crore to the Centre in two installments-one in August last year and another in March this year. However, the August tranche of the funds transferred was lower on account of repercussions after the November 2016 demonetisation drive.

The central government in consultation with the Reserve Bank deliberated over its borrowing programme for 2018-19 in March this year and finalised its borrowing calendar for the first half of 2018-19 (April-September).

After making a careful assessment of its financial needs for the first half, the government's gross G-Sec borrowing will be only Rs. 2,88,000 crore in H1 of 2018-19, the Ministry of Finance said.

This makes up only 47.5 percent as against 60-65 percent share in this period in previous years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress party's nominee for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson's post, BK Hariprasad on Wednesday claimed that his candidature has the support of the opposition parties.

Hariprasad told ANI that the Congress will talk with the opposition parties and will then decide their further course of action.

"When the party arrived at a conclusion, it must have done so after evaluating all the aspects. We will initiate talks with all opposition leaders in this regard, to decide further course of action," he said.

"We could not reach on a consensus with the central government in this regard but we do have the support of the opposition parties," he added.

The Rajya Sabha for the post its Deputy Chairman elections will be held on August 9.

So far, the name of Nationalist Congress Party's Vandana Chavan was tipped to be the opposition's consensus candidate for the post.

According to media reports, Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Satish Mishra and Trinamool Congress' Derek o Brien proposed Chavan's name.

The post of the Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since June after the retirement of Congress leader PJ Kurien.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) leader Harivansh Narayan Singh is likely to be the Democratic Alliance's candidate for the post.

Earlier on Monday, Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu suggested that the Deputy Chairman should be elected by consensus.

The nomination papers will have to be filed before noon on August 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seems like Congress candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (RS) is garnering the support of maximum political parties.

Elections for the same will be held on Thursday.

Addressing the media, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, YS Chowdary, confirmed that his party will support for Hariprasad.

"As Telugu Desam Party and on behalf of our party president Chandrababu Naidu ji and our parliamentary party we have decided to support Mr. BK Hariprasad," he said.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut also said that his party will back Congress' candidate, while adding that the Akali Dal leaders are also likely to support Hariprasad.

"Shiv Sena has decided that it will support BK Hariprasad. Moreover, the party believes that leaders from Akali Dal will also support the Congress' candidate in the near future," Raut told media.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh informed his party will only vote for Hariprasad if Congress president Rahul Gandhi will make efforts to talk to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the matter.

"Congress party takes AAP for granted. If Rahul Gandhi asks AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for party's vote then we will support them, else we are not interested in voting in their support," Singh said.

The post of the Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since June after the retirement of Congress leader PJ Kurien.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major diplomatic victory for India over Pakistan, a criminal court in Thailand has ruled that a henchman of Dawood Ibrahim's criminal syndicate is not a Pakistani, but an Indian citizen.

Sayyed Muzakkir Muddassar Hussain, who is also known by aliases Mohammad Saleem and Munna Jhingra, is a senior D-Company operative and is a close associate of India's most wanted underworld criminals, Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel.

He entered Bangkok on a fake Pakistani passport and has been in a prison there since September 2000 for plotting to kill Chhota Rajan, rival of Dawood Ibrahim.

Jhingra, whose father Muddassar Nussain had deep links in 1993 Mumbai blast, had the patronage of the ISI, which had been pushing for a reduction in the sentence given to Jhingra through sustained efforts by the Pakistan Embassy, not just through the Thai Foreign Ministry but also through informal channels.

As a result, the Pakistan Embassy succeeded in obtaining two Royal pardons for Munna Jhingra and his jail sentence was reduced to 34 years.

Subsequently, the Pakistani Mission in Thailand gained two more Royal pardons, thereby, reducing Munna Jhingra's sentence to 18 years in 2016.

Pakistan authorities simultaneously also worked for extradition of Munna Jhingra to Pakistan under the Prisoner's Exchange Treaty between Pakistan and Thailand, a move that India contested and filed a strong extradition claim. The matter went to the Thai court.

Meanwhile, Jhingra received an amnesty under Thai laws and was to be released in December 2016. But, as the matter was subjudice, he was not extradited.

However, on Wednesday, the court ruled that based on finger print evidence submitted by India, it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that Munna Jhingra is an Indian national.

The court also pulled up Pakistan for submitting concocted evidence through Pakistani embassy in Thailand.

The proceedings witnessed a high voltage drama with Jhingra reacting violently and abusing the judge after the announcement of the verdict. The Pakistani embassy official also reacted angrily.

Islamabad now has 30 days to file an appeal, failing which India has to repatriate the prisoner within 90 days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A shooting incident was reported on Wednesday at the Westchester Medical Center in New York district's Westchester County.

Citing reports from The Journal News, Fox News reported that the shooting likely took place on the fourth floor of the hospital.

Also, there were some unconfirmed reports that the shooting was a murder-suicide incident, with the hospital evacuated shortly after the firing of the shots.

"Sometimes family members get a little outraged. They don't understand the care and stuff we have to go through to help their loved ones survive. Maybe this is one of those situations," a hospital worker said.

Located in Valhalla, the Westchester Medical Center is an 895-bed Regional Trauma Center, catering to the medical needs of New York's Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister for Food Processing, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, on Wednesday thanked External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj for taking quick cognisance of the alleged racial attacks on Sikhs in the United States of America (USA).

In a tweet Harsimrat informed that the Swaraj has asked the Indian Embassy in the USA to take up the issue with the American authorities.

"I just received a call from @SushmaSwaraj Ji. She has taken a note of the racial attack and has asked @USAmbIndia to take action. We are very thankful for her consideration and prompt response," Harsimrat tweeted.

Harsimrat, who is the Member of Parliament from Punjab, had earlier in the day raised concern over rising incidents of alleged racism against Sikhs in the USA and sought Swaraj's help.

"Second incident of racial attack on Sikhs in the US in last 7 days!

This is a serious matter @SushmaSwaraj Ji and we need to raise it on global level to ensure safety for Sikhs who are always at the forefront of community service," Harsimrat had tweeted.

Reaching out to the EAM, Harsimrat shared a CCTV footage on the micro-blogging site in which two masked men can be seen assaulting an elderly Sikh man, at what looked like a deserted road near a park.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With a rare Thursday night (Aug. 9) racing card this week, Hippodrome 3R will be offering a spiced-up program, as it will feature seven stakes races, including four $30,000 finals of the Quebec-Bred Series.

Post time for the 10-race program will be at 6:30 p.m.

Race 1 will feature the $30,000 Quebec-Bred Series Final for four and five-year-old pacing mares. Two Quebec-Bred champions, Queen Elsa and HP Sissy, will be featured in the dash.

Queen Elsa will start from Post 6 for driver Stephane Gendron, while rival HP Sissy will start alongside in Post 5 for driver Stephane Brosseau. Both horses have yet to win a race during the series, but have the back class to be the favourites. It looks like their main competition could be return winner Art De Gagnee (Post 1) and Wild River Swan (Post 8).

The sixth race final for trotting mares is headed by EAU Naturelle, who is on a three-race winning streak for trainer/driver Simon Delisle. The duo will most likely face a challenge from arch rival Y S Suzanne, who will start from Post 3 for driver Guy Gagnon.

It looks like a real battle will take place in the Race 7 final for pacing horses, where last years three-year-old champion, Wildriverbumblebee, will square off against Dance With Joe (Post 5) and C L Sportaction (Post 3). Wildriverbumblebee is coming into the race off of a 1:54 score at Rideau Carleton Raceway for driver Guy Gagnon.

Race 8 will feature the last $30,000 final, which is for trotting horses. Kinnder Dangerous (Post 2) is the slight morning line favourite for driver Justin Filion, but will face a stellar field, including past champion Holiday Party (Post 1), who won the Invitational Trot at H3R in his last start for driver Pascal Berube. Last years three-year-old champion, Capteur De Reve, will start from Post 5. The race will also feature return winners Orlys Dream (Post 6) and KFB Amigo Cool (Post 4).

Also on the program will be the third preliminary round of the Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old trotters. Race 2 will feature the first of the two divisions for the colts. Yankee Photo (Post 6) is the early favorite, and he is set to face off against Orlys Fury (Post 3) and Sir Chopin (Post 5), among others.

The second division (Race 5) will feature return winner SG Goliath King from Post 5 for trainer/driver Sylvain Grenier. The duo is set to take on Nobodynojustice (Post 1), who was a winner in the last leg of the series.

The fillies will do battle in Race 3, where series-leg winner Kinnder Prediction (Post 2) and driver Justin Filion will take on Stand For Justice (Post 1) and Montanaalaska (Post 5), among others.

For a free race program, head to quebecjockeyclub.com.

To view the harness racing entries for Thursday at H3R, click the following link: Thursday Entries  Hippodrome 3R.

(Quebec Jockey Club)
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin has penned down an emotional letter for his father M Karunanidhi, who passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.

In his moving letter, Stalin asked the DMK chief, "I have always called you as Thalaivare (Leader). Shall I address you as Appa once at least now?" "Every time you used to tell me the place where ever you go. Now, where did you go without telling me? Where did you go leaving us in lurch?" the letter read.

Stalin also quoted Karunanidhi's statement that the latter wanted to be written on his memorial, which read, "Here lies the person who worked relentlessly throughout his life."

The emotional son then asked the Tamil Nadu former chief minister that whether he has gained complete satisfaction for what he did for the Tamil society or he is just hiding to see if anyone can beat his achievements.

Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday at Chennai's Kauvery Hospital. His funeral will be held with full state honours on Wednesday.

Soon after his demise, many political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and chief ministers of various states expressed their deep grief and extended their condolences to the bereaved family.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To organise employees and manage the work across borders is a crucial task done by multinational As we see, technology is updating every day which leading the to adopt such technologies and organise the work culture as much as possible.

is already forcing leadership teams of the around the world to reconsider some of their core structure. Advances in technology are causing firms to restructure their organizational makeup, transform their HR departments, develop new training models, and re-evaluate their hiring practices.

So here are some startups that helping brands to organise their work structure:

Routematic

One of the most innovative technology enabled transportation brand in India, Routematic is aimed at providing a simplified, robust and cost-effective transportation system for corporate employees. The company offers a combination of 2 services - Routematic Fleet Service and Transport Automation Software. As a SaaS product, it offers automation software complimentary to its fleet, which helps clients plan, optimize and monitor their employee transport operations.

Aurelius

We have been instrumental in developing consultative in-sourcing solutions which can enable organizations to streamline their operational procedures and business models. The company develops and customizes training programs focusing on the application side of technology. These programs are delivered Real-Time and Virtual with cloud-hosted labs based on the diverse requirements of companies.

Roadcast

A GPS-based real-time asset tracking, management and monitoring platform that allows businesses, which deal in logistics, transport and home delivery services, to track shipments/vehicles in real-time and tabulates data such as distance, time and routes. The platform helps in Live Location Tracking, Task Management, Attendance Management, Extensive Reporting, Customizable platform, and is suitable for any type of business.

Intuition

This Bengaluru-based startup which develops point-of-sale (POS) and billing systems using AI and ML, has collaborated with Lantern Pharma, a company which uses precision oncology to treat cancer and its related diseases. With cancer being harder to detect and treat at initial stages, Lantern aims to alleviate this problem using its advanced genomics and AI for improved drug development. Intuition Systems will work with Lantern's team to help with AI, big data, and infrastructure to support drug development and biomarker identification.

Customer Success Box

A B2B SaaS customer success platform backed with $1 million in venture funding, Customer Success Box is aimed at delivering proactive customer success. As the startup believes, customer churn is the biggest blocker of growth and it's like trying to fill up a leaky bucket. Such businesses cannot continue to operate with the old reactive support model, this is where CSB comes into the picture.

(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.)
Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 2 points at the opening bell.

Overseas, Asian equities are trading higher after US stocks approached a fresh all-time high. US stocks edged higher yesterday, 7 August 2018 amid a relative cooling of protectionist rhetoric between the world's two largest economies and optimism growth can continue.

Back home,key equity indices ended the volatile session almost flat on Tuesday, retreating from record highs hit earlier in the day. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 26.09 points or 0.07% to settle at 37,665.80. The Nifty 50 index rose 2.35 points or 0.02% to settle at 11,389.45.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 314.83 crore yesterday, 7 August 2018, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 319.90 crore yesterday, 7 August 2018, as per provisional data.

Among corporate news,Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Cipla, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Lupin and Siemens will unveil their April-June 2018 result today, 8 August 2018.

GAIL (India) will be watched. The company announced that Sales Tax Department raised a demand of Rs 3449.18 crore and interest thereon Rs 1513.04 crore in respect of Hazira unit in Gujarat, treating the transfer of natural gas from the State of Gujarat to other states, as inter-state sales, during the period from April 1994 to March 2001. Based on the direction of Supreme Court of India in the special writ petition filed by GAIL, the Gujarat Sales Tax Tribunal passed the order in GAIL's favour and gave instructions for reassessment, considering inter-state transfer as branch transfer.

The Sales Tax Department had filed rectification application under section 72 of the Gujarat Sales Tax Act, 1969 with the Gujarat Sales Tax Tribunal which was dismissed by the Tribunal. Thereafter, the Sales Tax Department had filed petitions before the High Court of Gujarat against the order of the Tribunal and the same was pending as on 31 March 2018. The High Court of Gujarat vide Order dated 31 July 2018 has dismissed the petitions filed by the Gujarat Sales Tax Department. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018.

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By Ovum

HCL Technologies announced that research firm Ovum has recognized the company as a market leader in its 2018-2019 Ovum Decision Matrix: Market leaders in North American Applications Services.

Ovum cites several key differentiators illustrated by HCL, including its commitment to client outcomes, its agile approach to application services, and its willingness to innovate with a large variety of output and business value-based models. In the report, HCL receives the highest rating in the strategy execution category.

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FICCI welcomes the increase in basic custom duty on several textile items. The move is very much in the direction to encourage domestic manufacturing. Increase in import duty on over 300 textile items to 20% will give a further relief to domestic textile and carpet manufacturers, said Mr. Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman, FICCI Textile Committee. Mr.

Jaipuria added, "The measures taken by the Government in last few months for the textiles sector have been very encouraging and given confidence to the domestic textile industry that has been reeling under the pressure of growing competition and rising cost." "This has also given us the hope that the Government will address the issue of rising garment imports from Bangladesh, which remains an area of concern for the industry, due to full exemption of basic custom duty from Bangladesh," noted Mr. Jaipuria. Mr. Jaipuria stated that the garment & carpet industry was under immense pressure after implementation of GST. After GST, substantial drop in import duty was observed which has encouraged cheaper imports.

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MphasiS announced that its board approved a proposal for buyback of equity shares from all the existing shareholders of the company on a proportionate basis through the tender offer method at a maximum price of Rs 1350 per equity share, aggregating to an amount not exceeding Rs 988.27 crore. The resultant shares to be bought back with the maximum price is 73,20,555 equity shares of Rs 10 each (representing 3.79% of the total paid up equity share capital of the company). The buyback offer size of Rs 988.27 crore, is 25% of the total paid-up equity capital and free reserves of the company as per the audited financials as at 30 June 2018. The board also recorded the intentions of the promoter to participate in the proposed buyback. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018.

Separately, MphasiS announced after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018, that its consolidated net profit rose 8.68% to Rs 258.31 crore on 4.34% increase in net sales to Rs 1820.22 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q4 March 2018.

GAIL (India) will be watched. The company announced that Sales Tax Department raised a demand of Rs 3449.18 crore and interest thereon Rs 1513.04 crore in respect of Hazira unit in Gujarat, treating the transfer of natural gas from the State of Gujarat to other states, as inter-state sales, during the period from April 1994 to March 2001. Based on the direction of Supreme Court of India in the special writ petition filed by GAIL, the Gujarat Sales Tax Tribunal passed the order in GAIL's favour and gave instructions for reassessment, considering inter-state transfer as branch transfer. The Sales Tax Department had filed rectification application under section 72 of the Gujarat Sales Tax Act, 1969 with the Gujarat Sales Tax Tribunal which was dismissed by the Tribunal. Thereafter, the Sales Tax Department had filed petitions before the High Court of Gujarat against the order of the Tribunal and the same was pending as on 31 March 2018. The High Court of Gujarat vide Order dated 31 July 2018 has dismissed the petitions filed by the Gujarat Sales Tax Department. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said its partner Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a US specialty pharmaceutical company, has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for the abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for methadone hydrochloride 5 mg and 10 mg tablets. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018.

Methadone is indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate. Methadone can also be used for maintenance treatment of opioid addiction (heroin or other morphine-like drugs) in conjunction with appropriate social and medical services.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Elite's marketing alliance partner, will sell and distribute methadone for Elite for which Elite will receive manufacturing and license fees. Based on QuintilesIMS Health data, the annual retail sales for the brand and generic products were approximately $30 million.

Patel Engineering announced that it bagged two hydro projects worth Rs 1793.50 crore and a tunnel project worth Rs 618.21 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018.

GOCL Corporation said it received an order from Singareni Collieries Company, a PSU of Telangana State, worth Rs 203.09 crore for supply of explosives and accessories over a period of 2 years. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 August 2018.

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According to a latest update from the Solvent Extractor's Association (SEA) of India, the total export of oilmeals was reported at 148983 tonnes in July 2018, recording a spurt of 18.33% compared to July 2017. The overall export during April-July 2018 was reported at 898871 tonnes, up nearly 24% over the comparable period last year.

The SEA noted that export of rapeseed meal jumped sharply, recording a spurt of 90% in last three months due to strong demand from South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. The ongoing trade dispute between US and China has created a lot of uncertainty and is forcing China to look out to other origins for their requirements of Soybean and oilmeals. This has compelled China to relook its ban imposed for importing oilmeals from India since 2012, according to the SEA.

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At least 43 persons were injured in a massive fire that erupted in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) refinery here on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The incident took place in the BPCL refinery located at Mahul in Chembur, in the eastern Mumbai suburbs.

According to locals and eyewitnesses, the fire, which was followed by a loud explosion, with thick black smoke emanating, was visible from several kms away, while the blast was heard in places as far as Powai and Sion.

A BPCL spokesperson later said that the fire erupted in the compressor shed of a hydrocracker plant within the plant complex after a leakage of an oil-water mixture in an adjoining plant.

"The incident, which occurred around 2.45 p.m and the resultant raging fire, was initially handled by the BPCL's inhouse firefighters. The affected plant has been shut down, though other operations in the complex are functioning normally," the spokesperson told IANS.

Later, nearly two dozen fire tenders and five jumbo tankers were also rushed to the site by the Mumbai Fire Brigade to help battle the blaze.

Fire tenders were also sent by the BMC, HPCL, BARC, RCF and MDL to help combat the conflagration which was brought under control by late evening.

The BPLC said that 20 of the injured persons were attended by the BPCL Medical Centre and allowed to go while the remaining 23 were shifted to the private Inlaks Hospital for further treatment.

At least four were under observation by the medical teams and the condition of one was described as serious by the police. A majority have suffered fractures or lacerations following the blast.

There are several residential colonies and slums around the BPCL plant besides sensitive installations like a HPCL plant, Tata Power unit and Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers plant.

This is second major incident involving a BPCL establishment in the past 10 months in the Mumbai region.

Last year, on October 7, a lightning strike had caused a major fire in a a massive oil storage tank on Butcher Island, off Mumbai shore, which was extinguished after four days.

--IANS

qn/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Popular Pastor: 'Facebook Censors Christianity' and 'Blocks 98% of People from God's Love'

Censored Silicon Valley Pastor Building the 'Pro-America Internet' to End Conservative Censorship

Contact: Steven Andrew, 877-585-7729

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- A popular pastor who reached 5 to 8 million people per month on Facebook is experiencing one of the biggest cases of censorship. Pastor Steven Andrew said, "Facebook has eliminated 98% of people from God's love by blocking my Christian and patriotic American posts. Facebook censors Christianity!" Pictures here

Andrew spent thousands of dollars with Facebook to build nearly a half a million people following. He said, "I am targeted, because I am a Christian.

"This is much larger than having one post blocked or being temporarily suspended, while that is bad. Facebook blocked over 5 million people from me this month. My posts are shown to hundreds of people instead of the 30,000 to 60,000 people before the censorship started. They have restricted every message by a shadowban since they said they were going after fake news in 2016. However, Christianity is not fake news!" he said.

Andrew happens to be a Silicon Valley technology leader, with Fortune 500 Internet leadership experience. In response, he is building the "Pro-America Internet," so "all who love our God-given rights won't be silenced and can connect with the people most important to them."

The "Pro-America Internet" consists of www.USA.Life social network and www.1776Free.com search engine; it uses a Pro-America Algorithm (TM) based on the founders' principles.

"USA.Life and 1776Free.com are needed right away, because "the tech giants block conservatives," he said.

Andrew set up a crowdfunding page to fund the new project, which is expected to launch after they get the required funding.

Facebook refused to unblock him when he contacted them and has not removed 70-plus fake accounts impersonating him "that scam his followers for money."

"Facebook caused the loss of millions of dollars in donations," he said.

"Freedom and privacy could be lost forever without USA.Life and 1776Free.com. However, we can save the Internet if 62,000 people give $10, or if 6,200 people give $100," Andrew said.

He answers frequently asked questions on the crowdfunding page at www.USA.Life.

About Steven Andrew
After the ruling AAP lodged an FIR against BJP's protest outside Chief Minister's office, the opposition on Wednesday slammed the state government for taking "repressive, undemocratic" steps to swoop down on it.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government lodged an FIR on Wednesday to probe the "dharna" by BJP members outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office at Delhi Secretariat in June.

The protest led by Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra involved putting up banners at the rooftop and an indefinite hunger strike against the "non-performance" of the Kejriwal government and its failure in providing water to the people.

When asked about the FIR, Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA O.P. Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan, along with Kapil Mishra told the media that the Delhi government is taking "repressive steps out of nervousness due to all-around attack by the opposition".

Gupta said that the "opposition too will lodge an FIR" to probe the dharna by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and two cabinet Ministers at Raj Niwas in June this year.

Gupta said that the opposition is being suppressed as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to stifle its voice both in and outside the Delhi Assembly.

"The Delhi Government is frightened by the opposition and is trying to silence us because we are raising the issue of Bangladeshis, the case against Transport commissioner Varsha Joshi and we are exposing corruption," Gupta said.

Rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra also questioned the intentions of the Kejriwal government by saying, "When the Chief Minister sits on dharna at the LG office, it is right but when the opposition sits at a protest at CM's office it is illegal?"

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Gopal Rai alleged that the opposition members "forcibly entered" the Delhi Secretariat and even "threatened the guards" when they were stopped from going further.

"On inquiry, the General Administration Department said that they had reported the protest to Delhi police but the police shrugged off the matter by saying that it was not responsible for any internal matter. The security guards also admitted that they were threatened by the protestors," Rai said.

He said that this is the main reason why his government has decided to file an FIR with the police to launch a probe into what exactly happened at the Delhi Secretariat.

--IANS

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US-based home rental website Airbnb has called off a contest offering its users a chance to spend a night on the iconic Great Wall of China, official Chinese media reported on Wednesday.

The accommodation site asked people to write a 500-word essay on overcoming cultural boundaries in a bid to win a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. But the plan sparked mixed response and concerns that it could contribute to the historic structure being damaged, the BBC reported.

According to state-owned China Daily, the company decided not to go ahead with the plan out of respect for public opinion.

Airbnb claimed that the event, called "Night at the Great Wall", had permission from authorities. But the cultural commission in Beijing's Yanqing district -- in charge of the famous Badaling stretch of the wall where the stay was to take place -- said it was not aware of the event and no approval had been given.

The company launched the contest on its website on August 2, offering eight selected travellers the opportunity to stay on the Great Wall, a Unesco World Heritage site considered one of the biggest feats of ancient architecture.

The organizers had planned to convert a watchtower of the 2600-year-old monument situated close to Beijing in the Badaling section into a double room with a bed, decor, candles and a bathroom, although without electricity and other related amenities.

There are no laws banning people from spending the night on the wall and some tourist companies also offer packages for camping on it, but this was the first offer of its kind, according to Airbnb.

Laws for protection and conservation of the monument, which stretches for thousands of kilometres, date back to 2006 and strictly ban installations not meant for conservation.

Although the US-based company said it would not put so much as a new nail into the monument during the event, the campaign generated strong public backlash, leading to the cancellation of the contest.

--IANS

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In the face of strong opposition by the local BJP, the predominantly Muslim Mev community in Alwar on Wednesday decided to hold its Mahapanchayat in the district on September 19 against mob lynching and cow vigilantes.

At a panchayat meeting on Wednesday, community leader Sher Mohammad accused local BJP MLA Banwari Lal Singhal of inciting communal tension by calling a parallel meeting of the 'right-wing' activists on Aug 6, the day Mev panchayat was to meet.

"We had to postpone our meeting to Wednesday. The meeting was called to condemn the July 20 lynching of Rakbar alias Akbar. Even today, we were terrorised by police," said Sher Mohammad.

"The police have asked us to avoid organising the mahapanchayat, else we will be sent behind bars," he said.

Sources said the local BJP unit fears the mahapanchayat would almost coincide with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's Gaurav Yatra schedule. The yatra is a 58-day state-wide BJP pre-poll campaign kicked off on Aug 4, covering most Assembly constituencies of the state.

"Come what may, we have decided to organise the mahapanchayat on Sept 19 and face the consequences", said Sher Mohammad.

On the other hand, MLA Singhal has warned that the Mahapanchayat "will not be allowed" in Alwar.

Singhal said the mahapanchayat can ignite communal violence at a time when there have been cases of cow carcasses and beef being found from a few houses in Alwar.

"Calling a mahapanchayat in Alwar to support cow smugglers of Haryana will surely disturb communal harmony of the town," said Singhal.

"We shall have to stand united to fight the challenge of cow smuggling," he added.

--IANS

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Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP, Muttahida Majlis-e-Alam -- an alliance of religious parties -- and several others aligned against Prime Minister in-waiting Imran Khan's PTI, staged a protest outside the Election Commission office here on Wednesday.

The protest was held against the alleged electoral fraud during the July 25 general elections. It will be headed by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shehbaz Sharif who is set to join it later, Geo News reported.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sherry Rehman told the media that it was necessary to remain peaceful and demanded the resignation of the poll body officials.

"We will go to the Parliament and unite political parties," she said.

PML-N's Raja Zafarul Haq claimed that the election results did not reflect the voters' choice. "We want to tell the world that the public rejects (these) elections. We are united on this matter," he said, adding that the Election Commission was not allowed to fulfil its duty.

Commenting on the developments in the federal capital, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the opposition parties had the right to stage a peaceful protest. "We are not afraid at all. (The opposition) can request to open any constituency and examine the record, which is safe with poll body," he said.

Qureshi claimed that re-tabulation in more than thirty constituencies had already taken place but the opposition did not gain anything from the exercise. "It is but the opposition's right to request recount."

Meanwhile, the Islamabad police devised a security plan in view of the protest, under which only members of Parliament were to be allowed to walk up to the Election Commission office.

--IANS

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A para commando of the Indian Army was injured on Wednesday during an ongoing gunfight in the forests of Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said, adding that five militants are trapped in the area.

Defence Ministry officials said the para commando was injured in the gunfight in Dooniwari forest and was evacuated to hospital for treatment.

"Encounter going on in Dooniwari forest area of Police Station Dangiwacha Sopore, report of presence of 5 terrorists. Wish success to our boys," state police chief S.P. Vaid said on his Twitter page.

Following specific information about the militants, the army started a cordon and search operation. The hiding militants fired at the forces, triggering the encounter, a police source said.

The encounter is going on, the source said, adding that these militants could have infiltrated into the hinterland from across the Line of Control (LoC).

--IANS

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ruled that begging is not a criminal offence and struck down laws penalizing it, saying "criminalising begging violates the most fundamental rights of some of the most vulnerable people in the society."

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar said that to eradicate begging, artificial means to make beggars invisible will not suffice and a move to criminalise them will make them invisible without addressing the root cause of the problem.

"The root cause is poverty, which has many structural reasons: no access to education, social protection, discrimination based on caste and ethnicity, landlessness, physical and mental challenges, and isolation," the court said.

"People in this stratum do not have access to basic necessities such as food, shelter and health, and in addition criminalizing them denies them the basic fundamental right to communicate and seek to deal with their plight."

The court struck down the provisions prosecuting begging under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, but the bench maintained a few sections of the Act including Section 11 and Section 30.

Section 11 deals with penalty for employing or causing persons to solicit or receive alms, causing persons or children to solicit or receive alms, or using such persons as exhibits.

Section 30 deals with seizure and disposal of animals exposed or exhibited, for obtaining or extorting alms.

The bench decriminalised begging and said prosecution under the provisions of the Act was "unconstitutional".

"The inevitable sequitur to our decision would be that all prosecutions, under the Act against persons alleged to have committed the offence of begging, would be liable to be struck down," the court said.

"The power to do so would, however, appropriately vest in the courts seized of such prosecutions, and we, therefore, limit ourselves to observing that the fate of such prosecutions, if any, would have to abide by the present judgment, and our observations and findings contained herein."

However, the court granted liberty to the Delhi government to bring in alternative legislation to curb the racket of forced begging after undertaking an empirical examination on the sociological and economic aspect of the matter.

"If the State wishes to criminalize specific types of forced beggary, it has to first think out a clear factual basis and impact thereof to pass a well thought legislation after due application of mind and being mindful of the constitutional rights provided under the Constitution of India," the bench said.

The court was hearing two public interest litigations by Harsh Mandar and Karnika Sawhney to seek basic human and fundamental rights for beggars in the national capital and for decriminalising begging.

The pleas also sought basic amenities such as proper food and medical facilities at all beggar homes in Delhi.

The court also mentioned reports of starvation deaths and challenge of ensuring education to the 6 to 14 year old as hard reality in the national capital and said: "People beg on the streets not because they wish to, but because they need to.

"Begging is their last resort to subsistence, they have no other means to survive. Begging is a symptom of a disease, of the fact that the person has fallen through the socially created net," read the order.

--IANS

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Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma on Wednesday resigned over the rape of young girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur but strongly defended her husband despite his alleged friendship with a key accused.

"My husband was innocent yesterday, he is innocent today and will be proved innocent tomorrow," an unfazed Verma told the media.

"But I resigned on moral grounds after media reports of call details revealed that my husband had spoken to Brajesh Thakur 17 times," she said.

She quit after being asked to by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, according to an official in the Chief Minister's Office.

"Manju Verma visited the Chief Minister's residence and met Nitish Kumar for over 30 minutes. After that she resigned," said the official.

Manju Verma expressed her anger over repeated demands for her resignation by the opposition and the media and insisted that her husband Chandrasekhar alias Chandeshwar Verma was innocent.

The Patna High Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the shocking rape of 34 minor girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home, a horror that has caused nationwide outrage.

Although Chief Minister Nitish Kumar earlier defended Manju Verma, he promised at the same time that no one would be spared if found guilty.

"I demand through you (media) to the High Court to bring out CDR (call details record) of Brajesh Thakur and make it clear whether my husband was the only one who was talking to him or there were other people too."

She said action should be taken against all those whose names figure in the CDR.

According to reports, the Minister's husband and Brajesh Thakur, a journalist, spoke over the phone 17 times between January and May this year.

The CBI is reportedly looking into the CDR of Brajesh Thakur's three mobile numbers he was using before being arrested in the case.

Brajesh Thakur has admitted that he used to talk to Chandeshwar Verma on telephone regularly.

Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress leaders have alleged that Manju Verma's husband used to visit regularly the shelter home of Brajesh Thakur where the rapes took place.

The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

--IANS

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Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said that his party will support the NDA canidate Harivansh Narayan Singh in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson's election on Thursday.

"We will support Janata Dal-United candidate for the Rajya Sabha post," the Chief Minister told reporters after arriving here from Mumbai.

He confirmed that he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah a few days erlier regarding the election.

The BJD support is important as both the UPA and NDA don't have a majority in the upper house. the BJD has nine MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

The opposition parties have fielded Congress MP B.K. Hariprasad.

--IANS

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Brazil has reopened its northern border with Venezuela after a federal judge annulled a ruling that barred immigrants from entering the country.

Border entry points were opened again on Tuesday following a ruling by an appellate court revoking the measure adopted Sunday by federal judge Helder Girao Barreto, Efe news reported.

According to the media, at least 100 Venezuelans were held up at the border following the ruling.

Judge Kassio Marques, as per a request by Brazil's attorney general - stated that "closing the border means not regarding immigrants and Brazilians as equals."

The entry point was closed at 5 pm on Sunday as per Barreto's orders, who said the measure would remain in place until a "balance" is reached between the number of incoming Venezuelans and migrants leaving to other cities.

Barreto conditioned the influx of Venezuelans to the process implemented by the federal government that relocates immigrants entering Roraima to other cities, in an effort to ease the pressure inflicted on Brazil's poorest state.

The state - which has received some 50,000 Venezuelans in the past 7 months - requested the federal government to temporarily close the border due to the "federal government's inability to live up to its constitutional role of controlling the border."

--IANS

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British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said here the current Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the "best possible" and "achievable" deal to address the West's concerns on Iran.

Williamson's comments on Tuesday were in sharp contrast with US President Donald Trump's abhorrence of the deal.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Williamson said "the JCPOA was a deal that we felt was the best possible deal that was achievable", Xinhua news agency reported.

"None of us has ever pretended it was a perfect deal, but actually it did deliver a number of important measures that I think everyone benefits from," he said.

"On the Iran deal, we really encourage the US along with all nations to get around the table and start discussing about actually ... how we have something that can work," he noted.

"We really just encourage the US to start talking to its partners and Iran in order to be able to find a route forward."

Williamson's remarks forged a sharp contrast with Trump, who on Monday signed an executive order to re-impose sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the JCPOA, and blasted the deal he had left in May as a "horrible, one-sided" one that had failed to protect US national security.

In 2015, Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - 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.

Trans-Atlantic division has escalated over the Trump administration's threat to impose the so-called secondary sanctions on companies that have business connections with Iran, many of which are from Europe.

Hours before Trump's announcement to re-sanction Iran, the European Union (EU), Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement they would maintain economic ties with Tehran, and "are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Popular Pastor: 'Facebook Censors Christianity' and 'Blocks 98% of People from God's Love'

Censored Silicon Valley Pastor Building the 'Christian Internet' to Help the Church Freely Share the Gospel

Contact: Steven Andrew, 877-585-7729

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- A popular pastor who reached 5 to 8 million people per month on Facebook is experiencing one of the biggest cases of censorship. Pastor Steven Andrew said, "Facebook has eliminated 98% of people from God's love by blocking my Christian posts. Facebook censors Christianity!" Pictures here

Andrew spent thousands of dollars with Facebook to build nearly a half a million people following. He said, "I am targeted, because I am a Christian.

"This is much larger than having one post blocked or being temporarily suspended, while that is bad. Facebook blocked over 5 million people from me this month. My posts are shown to hundreds of people instead of the 30,000 to 60,000 people before the censorship started. They have restricted every message by a shadowban since they said they were going after fake news in 2016. However, Christianity is not fake news!" he said.

Andrew happens to be a Silicon Valley technology leader, with Fortune 500 Internet leadership experience. In response, he is building the "Christian Internet," so "all who love our God-given rights won't be silenced and can connect with the people most important to them."

The "Christian Internet" consists of www.USA.Life social network and www.1776Free.com search engine; it uses a Pro-America Algorithm (TM) based on the founders' principles.

"USA.Life and 1776Free.com are needed right away, because "the tech giants block God's love and conservative news," he said.

Andrew set up a crowdfunding page to fund the new project, which is expected to launch after they get the required funding.

Facebook refused to unblock him when he contacted them and has not removed 70-plus fake accounts impersonating him "that scam his followers for money."

"Facebook caused the loss of millions of dollars in donations," he said.

"Freedom and privacy could be lost forever without USA.Life and 1776Free.com. However, we can save the Internet if 62,000 people give $10, or if 6,200 people give $100," Andrew said.

He answers frequently asked questions on the crowdfunding page at www.USA.Life.

About Steven Andrew
"Can I call you Appa for one last time my leader," DMK leader M.K. Stalin penned an emotional letter to his departed father and party leader M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday.

Chief Minister for five times and leader of DMK party for 50 years, the 94-year-old Karunanidhi breathed his last here owing to age related ailments in a private hospital here.

Stalin in his letter said: "Rather than calling you as Appa, Appa, I have called you as Thalaivaray, Thalaivaray (my leader) more number of times. Can I call you as Appa once Thalaivaray."

Stalin asked his departed father Karunanidhi as to why he did not tell where he was going this time when his habit was always to inform his destination before starting out.

"Thirty three years back, you had said your grave should have the words... the person who had worked without rest is resting here. Have you departed with the satisfaction of having worked hard for the Tamil community," Stalin added.

--IANS

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The CBI has initiated a "Preliminary Enquiry (PE)" against British political consulting firms (New York) and Global Science Research (GSR) Ltd, which allegedly illegally obtained data of Indians.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official, requesting anonymity, said a "PE against two firms -- NY and GSR -- has been registered to probe the data breach case".

"An FIR would be registered after the CBI finds clues during the PE. During investigation, the CBI will probe whether had picked data from Global Science Research Ltd, which relates to the personal data of Indians on Facebook," said the official.

The probe will expand to verify "harvesting and misuse" of data, he added.

The CBI's move comes within fortnight of it receiving a reference from the Centre to start a probe into the matter.

The CBI got the reference from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July to investigate the role of Cambride Analytica.

Union Information Technology Minister on July 26 had also told Parliament that the government has ordered the CBI to probe and find out if the British company had violated Indian laws.

The Minister told the Rajya Sabha that the firm had denied that data of Indians were breached, but this was in contradiction of the information received from

According to the Minister, the Facebook had stated about the role of Cambridge Analytica in the data breach and promised to take various steps to ensure that such breach does not recur.

About Cambridge Analytica, the Minister had said: "Cambridge Analytica, on the other hand, gave an initial response that the data of the Indians were not breached, but this was not in conformity with what was reported by Facebook. It also did not respond to the subsequent communication, therefore it is suspected that Cambridge Analyitca may have been involved in illegally obtaining of data of Indians which could be misused."

Cambridge Analytica -- a company owned by the hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer -- declared bankruptcy this year following allegations that it used personal information harvested from 87 million Facebook accounts to help Donald Trump win the 2016 US presidential election.

The firm is accused of mining personal information without authorisation in early 2014 to build a system that could profile individual US voters, in order to target them with personalised political advertisements.
Fair trade watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of e-commerce major Flipkart by Wal-Mart International Holdings.

However, a traders' body said that it will move the court against the approval.

"@CCI_India approves proposed acquisition of Flipkart Private Limited by Wal-Mart International Holdings, Inc," CCI said in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday.

On May 9, global retail giant Walmart Inc announced it was buying 77 per cent equity stake in the country's largest e-tailer Flipkart for $16 billion, subject to regulatory approval in India.

The acquisition of the majority stake makes the $500-billion Walmart the largest shareholder of the Flipkart group and will help accelerate its mission to transform e-commerce through digital technology.

Reacting to the development, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said that it will move the court against the CCI decision.

"It is most unfortunate that leaving aside the objections raised by CAIT in CCI, the Commission has approved the deal," CAIT Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal said.

"Without giving any opportunity of hearing to CAIT, the CCI has flayed principle of natural justice. We deeply condemn such an attitude and will certainly move to Higher Court against the decision of CCI."

According to Khandelwal, CAIT has called for an emergency meeting of its governing council on August 19 at Nagpur.

The traders, protesting under CAIT, have denounced the deal arguing that it would create "unfair competition" and demanded that the government scrap it.

On its part, Walmart welcomed the decision and said that it remains committed to contribute to the Indian economy by supporting smallholder farmers, manufacturers, and "our Kirana" customers.

"Our partnership with Flipkart is testament to our continued confidence in our ability to contribute to this market. Flipkart is a prominent player in India with a strong, entrepreneurial leadership team that is a good cultural fit with Walmart," the company said in a statement.

"We believe that the combination of Walmart's global expertise and Flipkart will position us for long-term success and enable us to contribute to the economic growth."

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The new "redevelopment" projects for Delhi sanctioned by the central government threaten to test the ecological limits of the city.

The projects propose to increase the houses, cars and commercial offices in the greenest parts of the city. In this context, urban designers rightly point out that the centre of the city, serviced by the Metro, roads, water and other amenities, cannot remain as lightly populated as it presently is, given the extreme shortage of affordable housing and commercial space in Delhi.

Secondly, urban activists state that the ecological impact of creating a denser city centre should be compared with the social and environmental costs of an expanding metropolis that involves land acquisition and infrastructure provision.

These are very well-placed arguments and as rational urban residents, we must aim to strike a balance between housing needs and public services as well as the fast disappearing urban biodiversity.

Can we have both? The answer may be a yes, no or maybe -- depending on whom you ask. But with the Delhi Development Authority, or DDA, at the helm of land use planning in Delhi, "redevelopment" projects are a lose-lose proposition because they will severely affect the capital's environment without meeting the genuine demands of a growing city.

The DDA, set up by a bill passed by Parliament in 1957, is the agency in charge of planning the city's land use. It is headed by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and the vice chairman is appointed by the Centre. It also is legally required to have an Advisory Council to assist it in urban planning and development questions. It is legally permitted to "constitute as many committees" for purposes it feels is necessary. The composition of the Authority, Council and Committees have several positions for central government bureaucrats or technical members nominated by them.

The DDA has a prestigious past of having developed residential colonies, commercial centres and official complexes. Its main function is to "provide for the development of Delhi according to plan". For this, it prepares Delhi's Master Plan, the primary document that governs land use in the city, and the zonal development plan that contain site plans and use plans for specific zones based on population and building density. The zonal plans ought to show roads, open spaces, public buildings, markets and private use areas.

Since any land use change is permitted only if it adheres to the Master Plan and Zonal Plans, the DDA is the master of all land use in Delhi. This is a huge responsibility on a singular organisation but it has also put the DDA in a position of great privilege and power over the years. Today, the state of Delhi's environment and the challenges facing all residents are tied to DDA's Plans.

It is crucial to understand that Delhi's crisis is a manufactured one and the DDA's role in this deserves in-depth investigation. Delhi's land use regulations foster extreme differentiation between public land, private areas and free zones or "unauthorised colonies". The public land is under the central government's control. Its contractors like the NBCC or comprehensive construction management departments like CPWD carry out their development under near-monopolistic conditions.

The private areas contain housing, commercial spaces, open areas and green cover and relatively suitable public amenities. The free zones are characterised by unregulated building, inadequate amenities and poor environment.

DDA was primarily in charge of providing affordable housing for Delhi's residents but its failure to supply against the growing demand has pushed residents into the congested unregulated zones or "lal dora" areas. As the noted architect, Prof Ranjit Sabikhi, notes, this has been the source of inequity and segregation in the city. Two-thirds of the city's residents live in 15 per cent of the city's total built up area.

To make matters worse, DDA norms are also used as a weapon against the middle and lower income groups. The lack of adequate residential and commercial units has forced traders to maximise the flexibility in land use in certain areas. But every now and then legal strictures are passed or laws amended to make these arrangements illegal. Social activist Dunu Roy calls attention to this double whammy. He says the DDA won't provide for us and won't let us provide for ourselves.

Even as residents and traders battle out the tight control of the DDA over Delhi's land, the Authority itself seems unaccountable for any legal violations. The DDA has been implicated in several transgressions of the Master Plan. For example, the redevelopment of New Moti Bagh and East Kidwai Nagar have been permitted despite deviations from the stipulated FAR and ground cover and compromised EWS housing and social amenities.

Secondly, it has introduced innumerable legal ambiguities and confusion in the plans over years. For example, since 2007, Delhi's Master Plan 2021 has been notified over 125 times and introduced nearly 180 amendments. In the context of the "redevelopment" of government housing colonies in Sarojini Nagar and other areas sanctioned by the central government, it is hard to tell how these have been permitted.

The Zone D Zonal Plan of these areas approved in 1999 and another updated draft put up for public comments in February 2017 carries a large "X" on the areas of Netaji Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Kidwai Nagar, Kotla Mubarakpur, Lajpat Nagar, Pant Nagar, Lodhi Colony and Aliganj, indicating that they are for "redevelopment". With such zonal plans it is impossible to tell which constructions are legally permitted and which are illegal. Allowing this kind of ambiguity to endure in the plans is in the interests of those in power to do as they please.

Thirdly, the Urban Development Ministry and the DDA have deliberately stifled public consultations on the amendments to the Master Plan. On January 31 this year, the ministry amended the Delhi Development Rules to reduce the period of public consultation from 45 days to three! Within three days, the DDA published its notice seeking public comments on its proposal to amend the Master Plan to modify the FAR for community centres and local shopping areas, the registration and payment for mixed use premises and the layout of commercial streets and areas.

It is no surprise then that the members of Citizens Alliance, who resisted the conversion of the Alaknanda community land into a mall, say that the DDA has turned into a "hoarder and manipulator" of land in Delhi. They have written about these issues to the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister and look forward to a response.

With land use plans and regulations firmly under the DDA's unilateral control, Delhi's housing, transport and environmental crises are not likely to reduce. If we are to truly improve governance, Delhi's environment and life for all residents, it must begin with democratising urban land regulation. The DDA should not act as the landlord of Delhi. It must be reformed to prevent such harmful actions, which now go by the term "redevelopment".

(The authors are urban and environmental researchers and activists based in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. They can be contacted at manjumenon1975@gmail.com, d@ashutoshdikshit.com, rajeevsuri.cbms@gmail.com, kanchikohli@gmail.com)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Assembly was adjourned for the day on Wednesday after mourning the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

All the MLAs paid their tributes to the DMK leader who passed away on Tuesday evening at the age of 94 years.

In his speech, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said the absence of the veteran politican will be felt.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia paid tributes on behalf of the Delhi Government.

"Karunanidhi considered his conscience as his God. This is a very strong message at a time when the society is being divided in the name of religion," Sisodia said.

The House also paid tributes to four Army personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez in a gunfight with terrorists.

--IANS

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking a CBI case against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son for allegedly getting a compensation of Rs 1.97 crore by selling a piece of government land in 2010.

Justice R.K. Gauba dismissed the petition by a Rajasthan lawyer, Srijana Shrestha, challenging a trial court order on April 18, 2015. The trial court had refused to order a CBI probe against Raje and her son on the ground that no sanction was obtained to prosecute them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Shrestha pleaded that no sanction was needed as Raje was not a public servant in 2010. Claiming ownership of a 567 square metre piece of land in Dholpur, she sold it to National Highways Authority of India for Rs 1.97 crore.

--IANS

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Former Miss India contestant Dipannita Sharma, now an actress, says she has been "very lucky" to have played characters in films that mean something and are not in the movie just as decorative pieces.

Dipannita has featured in Bollywood films like "16 December", "My Brother... Nikhil", "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl" and "Pizza", but has not always played the lead role.

"I played a lead actress in '16 December'. 'Ladies vs Ricky Bahl'...actually we were all lead actors from what we were told on contract because we were all cast opposite the lead actor -- Ranveer Singh. I think the audience saw it differently. That's alright," Dipannita told IANS in an email interview.

For her, it is important to play good and interesting parts that showcase her as an actor as opposed to a "meaningless lead who only has two songs in a few scenes with a really big actor".

"As an actor, I do not believe in just lead or supporting cast. I believe that a character should be interesting. There should be a reason why the character is there in the film and I must say that, so far, I've been very lucky to have played parts in films that mean something and are not in the film just as a decorative piece," she said.

She also bagged the best actress award at the Love International Film Festival in the US this year for playing a mother in the Assamese film "Xhoixobote Dhelamite" (Rainbow fields).

"It is extremely encouraging for a regional film industry like... the Assamese film industry, which has been struggling for a while although it has immense talent. You can tell a story in the Assamese language and it can be accepted worldwide; that itself is a great feeling. It gives a lot of hope for the industry," she said.

"At the festival, they had over 150-160 entries from... Iran, Germany and other countries. Ours was probably the only film from India. I feel this particular film festival looks at healing the world through cinema, bringing the world together through cinema.

"Our film talks a lot about healing, our film's content is what has created a lot of interest in it."

The semi-autobiographical film takes inspiration from events from director Bidyut Kotoky's life and is based on the psychological trauma that children in Assam went through during a period of agitation in the 1980s.

Dipannita, who hails from Assam, is also working on her own company called North East Film Studio.

"North East Film Studio is a very big and wide dream of mine and my business partners. It is something which is beyond the dream, it's our passion. It is something that we are working towards... to shift focus to northeast India in a mainstream manner and something like this takes time.

"There's a lot of work going into it and we are working on the first project. It should take shape within the next few months," she said.

What type of movies is she planning to promote?

"I have loved or love being part of cinema. Now that I've done my first Assamese film, I've realised that I enjoy working in my native language as well, and that's great; but as an actor or as a producer, I don't think I'd like to limit myself to just doing one kind of cinema and just doing Hindi or Assamese or English.

"I just want to be a part of -- and create and do -- good cinema and, yes, I have a huge connect with Assamese. It's a different approach when I'm doing my native language film."

More than work, it is an emotional experience for her.

Would she like to make a film on what's happening in Assam like on lynch mobs or the National Register of Citizens?

"This question is little tricky. It's very difficult to say at this stage whether I want to make a film on these issues. I would like to make films that I believe in. If tomorrow I feel strongly about any of these issues, and I feel a script can be woven around it, then sure, I would be very happy to make it.

"There are lot of other issues pertaining to Assam that I wish to make a feature film on, or I feel deeply about. Whether or not I will be able to translate that into a feature film, is a matter of time and a matter of several factors including economics and a solid script that needs to be woven around a real life incident."

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)

--IANS

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Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to kill around 100 police officers accused of corruption and abuse of power, the media reported on Wednesday.

The footage of Duterte's speech, which was delivered at the Malacanang palace on Tuesday night, was aired repeatedly on Philippines television channels on Wednesday.

"You are useless to me. You are a menace to society," Duterte said.

The officers who were called to the presidential palace included three policemen who were already serving a prison sentence and were released temporarily in order to listen to Duterte, Efe news reported.

The allegations against the officers included robbery, extortion, serious unlawful detention, kidnapping, rape, abuse of power and abandoning duty without permission.

"If you stay like this, I will really kill you," Duterte said in the speech laden with expletives.

The President said that agents involved in drug-trafficking and organized crime would be monitored by a special unit "for life".

"It's a good thing there are a lot of people here, there are officials present or else, I would be hitting you," he said.

This is the second time that Duterte publicly admonished police personnel accused of corruption and malpractice.

In February 2017, he called around 200 policemen accused of misconduct to the Malacanang presidential palace to scold them, at a time when his war on drugs was at its peak and had led to a spotlight on police abuses of power.

The President has launched a clean-up drive of the national police and even temporarily withdrew the force from participating in his campaign against drugs due to alleged abuses by officers.

According to official figures, more than 4,500 people were killed by the police in anti-drug campaigns, although human rights groups claimed that 12,000-15,000 people were killed during the crackdown.

--IANS

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The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday demanded action against those "throttling freedom" and condemned the "blocking or interference" in the transmission of television content that is seen to be "critical" of the government.

The statement comes days after two journalists at ABP News Network quit the organisation.

A joint statement by journalist organisations also expressed deep concern over the developments in the

"The past few days have seen senior journalists of at least two electronic channels come out in the open to assert that their employers attempted to either tailor or tone down their content to make it less critical of the government, leaving them no choice other than resigning," said the Guild in the statement.

The Guild said it decries all attempts on the part of the government to "interfere" in the free and independent functioning of journalists, either by putting them under pressure directly, or through the proprietors.

"Even more worrying are the recent instances where signals of television programmes critical of the government have seemingly been blocked or disrupted in a manner almost Orwellian," it read.

The Guild demanded that the government must take note of these instances of "disruptions" in television programme signals, investigate and explain how and under what circumstances these "egregious violations" are taking place.

"Suitable action must be taken against those who were responsible for such nefarious activities aimed at throttling media freedom. It (government) must also assure the nation that either directly or through any proxies or agencies it isn't involved in this activity.

"And if it isn't, these saboteurs must be brought to book. Freedom of airwaves cannot be tampered with," the statement said.

The body further said that one TV channel had also shared with the Guild screen-shots and details indicating such interferences.

"Such attempts strike at the roots of media freedom and indeed the foundations of our democracy" and it seems there is "a brazen attempt to punish unfriendly news channels and silence inconvenient voices," the Guild said.

The Editors Guild of India said it is also "pained and agitated" to learn of the detention of Shahidul Alam, eminent photographer and educator, in Dhaka under the provisions of the Information and Communication Technology Act of Bangladesh.

The Guild called Alam's detention "arbitrary and unreasonable" and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.

A joint statement by Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club Of India and Press Association said: "We express our deep concern over the most recent developments in the media, especially the electronic media which has serious implications for media independence and freedom and are indicative of a systemic erosion of such freedoms."

"The first person account of a senior television journalist employed until last week with a leading news channel alleging interference - covert and overt - by sections within the union government has reinforced growing concerns about press freedom within the journalist fraternity.

"Journalist organisations have repeatedly flagged these concerns over the past few years," it added.

The statement further said: "While the onus on standing by the editors and reporters lies on the owners of media companies and not succumb to any pressure, any external interference - overt or covert - by persons in government that directs the working of the media and results in altering of media content can only be inimical to the functioning of an independent media and India's standing as a democracy."

"Separately, the working conditions of journalists, in both print and electronic media need to be addressed from time to time," it added.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
could be the key driver for India's road to prosperity and for that the need is to "reorient" the system, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has said.

Higher educational institutions need to "revamp their methods of teaching, give up a business-as-usual approach and create rigorous academic standards", Naidu said.

"We need to build the right ecosystem for academic excellence to thrive by revamping our system.

"Innovative, futuristic universities will be the drivers of this huge transformation" and "education will be the key driver of India's transformation to prosperity", he added.

The Vice President was addressing the 7th Convocation and Founder's Day Ceremony of the O.P. Jindal Global University here, on Tuesday.

Referring to India's demographic dividend -- 65 per cent Indians below 35 years of age -- Naidu emphasised the need to convert this vast human capital into national wealth creators by imparting the right education, knowledge and skills to the youth.

He urged for a change in the dismal position of Indian universities in the global rankings by learning from best practices of other universities around the world, which have leapfrogged in a short duration.

The Vice President also stressed the need to create a conducive intellectual environment for highly qualified Indians working overseas to come back and work in our universities.

At the convocation ceremony, 551 students from different fields such as Law, Business, International Affairs, Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Government and Public Policy, were conferred degrees.

The University, which began in 2009 with one school, a few programmes, a small number of students and around 10 faculty members, has now expanded to 11 undergraduate, six postgraduate and Ph.D. programmes offered by its eight Schools. There are now over 4,200 students and more than 330 faculty members.

--IANS

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Amid the ongoing ATM fraud fiasco in Kolkata, a film on the impending dangers of social media and the nuances of ethical hacking is set to hit the city screens next month.

The film, 'The Hacker', narrates how an undercover RAW agent tries to catch a mysterious serial killer with the help of a young hacker from Bengal.

The thriller produced by Lace Sytles Production, also featuring Bengali actress Ena Saha, is expected to release in the last week of September.

"Cyber security is one of the most alarming topics around the globe right now. My character in the film is about how a hacker, who was once arrested for defrauding a bank, turns himself into an ethical hacker to help the police. The objective of our film is to invoke interest among the youngsters about ethical hacking," Bengali actor Aryann Bhowmick, who previously featured in Dibakar Banerjee's film 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy', told IANS.

The debutant director duo, Siddharth Sen and Subrato Mondal, said apart from being a thriller, the film provides a lot of important details about patterns and trends of online hacking and hoped it would equip the viewers with important knowledge about security on the Internet.

"Very few movies have been made about such technical nuances concerning hacking. The viewers will get an elaborate overview of the trends of hacking and the impending dangers on the Internet which would in turn help them to be more careful while going online," Sen added.

--IANS

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Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was on Wednesday charged with three counts of money laundering in connection with a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The fresh charges were connected to the transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) from SRC International, a 1MDB subsidiary, to Najib's personal bank accounts, state news agency Bernama said.

The charges came a month after Najib was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one charge of abuse of power.

The 65-year-old former leader appeared at the Kuala Lumpur Courts complex at around 9 a.m. for a pre-trial case-management hearing. After the prosecution team read the new charges in court, he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Najib, whose government was plagued by the graft scandal, was defeated in May by his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad in a shock election result.

At the court, the prosecution stated that the 42 million ringgit, transferred in three tranches into Najib's bank account, were obtained from illegal activities.

Each of the three money-laundering charges carried a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to five times of the ill-gotten wealth.

The multiple charges filed against him in July were also connected to SRC International.

The judge postponed his decision on the trial date to Friday and said he will also settle the gag order, issued earlier to prevent the public from commenting on the case, according to a Xinhua news agency report.

1MDB was set up by Najib in 2009 to spur Malaysia's economic development. But reports emerged later that billions of US dollars were misappropriated. Najib has been under investigation related to 1MDB since losing the elections, but has denied any wrongdoing.

After taking office, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, reopened an investigation into 1MDB and prevented Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country.

In July, the police said they had seized $225 million in luxury handbags, jewellery, cash and goods from six properties linked to the former leader.

On Tuesday, a luxury yacht that was allegedly procured using stolen money from 1MDB was returned to the Malaysian government. The yacht which was seized by Indonesian authorities last year, was purchased by Malaysian financier Jho Low in 2014, a close family friend of Najib.

Last month, Najib was arrested and charged with abuse of power and criminal breach of trust. That time he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail.

In addition to Malaysia, the US, Switzerland and Singapore were among half a dozen countries investigating the alleged embezzlement.

The US Department of Justice estimates the money diverted from 1MDB to be $4.5 billion, of which about $1 billion may have been laundered in the US through the purchase of real estate, yachts, jewellery and works of art, among others.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four militants were killed and a para commando of the Indian Army was injured on Wednesday in an ongoing gunfight in the forests of Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said.

Defence Ministry officials said four militants have been killed in the Dooniwari forests. The operation is still going on.

A para commando was injured in the gunfight and was evacuated to hospital for treatment.

"Encounter going on in Dooniwari forest area of Police Station Dangiwacha Sopore, report of presence of 5 terrorists. Wish success to our boys," state police chief S.P. Vaid said on his Twitter page.

Following specific information about the presence of militants in the area, the army started a cordon and search operation. The hiding militants fired at the forces, triggering the encounter, a police source said.

The encounter is going on, the source said, adding that these militants could have infiltrated into the hinterland from across the Line of Control (LoC).

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to support the next generation of innovative female entrepreneurs in India, Google on Wednesday joined hands with co-working community hub 91springboard.

Delhi-based 91springboard connects over 8,000 entrepreneurs across the country.

"With Google for Entrepreneurs building its presence in India, we now have an end-to-end mentoring and support programme helping entrepreneurs across all stages of their startups," said Rajan Anandan, Vice President, southeast Asia and India, Google.

As part of the partnership, a Google Lounge was opened at 91springboard's flagship hub in the Capital.

The Lounge is sponsored by "Google for Entrepreneurs" initiative which provides financial support and the best of Google's resources to co-working spaces and community programmes across 135 countries.

There will be one training programme a month, led by 91springboard in tier 2 cities.

The trainings will focus on honing leadership skills, running design sprints, fostering tech-focused discussions, and will include one-on-one mentorship for female entrepreneurs.

91springboard will join Google for Entrepreneurs' partner network, which has a global footprint of 50 partners and includes six campuses (Google owned and operated space for entrepreneurs).

"Together, we are committed to enabling women's entrepreneurship and strengthening entrepreneurship throughout India, not just the big cities," said Pranay Gupta, co-founder of 91springboard.

"The training programmes will focus on educating and upskilling female entrepreneurs over a period of two years, with 24 engagements planned across the country," he added.

"We're thrilled for Google for Entrepreneurs to partner with 91springboard to empower the next generation of female founders in India," said Michael Kim, APAC Partnerships Manager for Google for Entrepreneurs.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday suspended the jail term awarded by a trial court to Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel in a 2015 rioting case. The stay order, passed by Justice S. H. Vora, would be valid till the next hearing.

"The High Court has given its order in a case filed by me. Now whatever process is required in the High Court, we will do that," Hardik Patel told reporters soon after the order. "I have been maintaining that we have not carried out any illegal activity that we should be punished."

A mob of up to 500 people had turned violent and vandalized the then BJP legislator Rushikesh Patel's office during a rally organised in 2015 to demand job and educational quota for the Patel community.

Other than Hardik, two others who got jail term include Sardar Patel Group leader Laljibhai Patel and A. K. Patel. Fourteen others who were also booked for rioting, arson, damage to property and unlawful assembly, were, acquitted by the trial court.

"We have been working for truth and if I raise the issues of people and you want to dub Hardik as a rebel, then I am a rebel," Hardik said adding that he would undertake an indefinite fast on August 25, the third anniversary of the first mega rally of Patels in 2015.

"The government may have converted the venue of my fast into a parking lot but there are 11 other venues nearby. I would meet Police Commissioner and Collector on Friday and this would be the last warning for them to agree or disagree. We are seeking permission as per our democratic rights and hope that they would agree," Hardik said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A gunfight started on Wednesday between the army and the militants in the forest area of Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said.

Following specific information about militants, the army started a cordon and search operation. The hiding militants fired at the condoling forces triggering the encounter, a police source said.

The encounter is going on, the source said, adding that these militants could have infiltrated into the hinterland from across the Line of Control (LoC).

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Station House Officer (SHO) and three subordinate police officers in Gurugram were suspended on the charge of demanding money for the release of an oil tanker impounded illegally, police said on Wednesday.

Kherki Daula police station SHO Praveen Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Dharmender Singh, and Head Constables Sukhbir Singh and Rajesh were suspended after they allegedly demanded Rs 1.5 lakh from the tanker owner to release the vehicle.

The Delhi-based owner had complained against the accused cops.

The tanker was seized near Narsinghpur on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway after its driver is said to have sold diesel illegally at a village shop while on way to Dharuhera in Rewari district of Haryana.

"The four were sent to the district Police Lines and suspended. A departmental inquiry was also ordered," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Manesar) Rajesh Kumar told IANS.

--IANS

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State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman T. Suvarna Raju on Wednesday flew in Tejas, a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) from the HAL Airport in the city.

"The twin-seat aircraft, piloted by HAL's chief test pilot Group Captain K.K. Venugopal, climbed to 30,000 feet during its flight," the city-based HAL said in a statement here.

The defence behemoth, however, did not mention the duration of the flight.

"The flight accelerated to a supersonic speed of 1.1 Mach, followed by a simulated launch of beyond-visual-range missile," Raju said.

"The chairman's flight was to demonstrate the HAL's confidence in LCA," the organisation's spokesperson said.

The HAL has stepped up its production rate of LCAs to meet the requirement of Indian Air Force (IAF), the statement added.

"HAL is in talks with IAF for production of 83 more LCAs with upgraded capabilities known as Tejas Mk 1A."

The HAL, however, did not comment on reports in a section of the media that the IAF is set to take over the LCA programme from its complex in this space hub to speed up delivery of the aircraft in initial operating capability (IOC) and full operating capability (FOC) mode to the Air Force.

--IANS

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The stage is set for an electoral battle on Thursday between NDA's Harivansh Narayan Singh and joint opposition candidate B.K. Hariprasad for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman.

The candidates filed their nomination papers on Wednesday before Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma. The post fell vacant after P.J. Kurien retired in July.

Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, Piyush Goyal, Vijay Goel along with leaders of the Akali Dal, the Shiv Sena and other NDA constituents were present when Narayan Singh of the Janata Dal-United filed his papers.

"I am 100 per cent confident of winning. The NDA is a team and we will win," he told reporters.

Harivansh, a first-timer in the Upper House and a former editor of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar, is considered close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Shiv Sena, a sulking BJP ally, and Akali Dal on Tuesday said they would support the NDA nominee.

BJP president Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar have also spoken with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik separately and sought his Biju Janata Dal's support for the NDA nominee.

Nitish Kumar also spoke to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao seeking support.

However, the BJD and the TRS have not yet made their stand clear while the YSR Congress has said it would vote against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate.

Hariprasad, a Congress MP from Karnataka, who was on Wednesday declared as the opposition candidate, is into his third term in the Rajya Sabha.

Talking to reporters, Congress leader Anand Sharma said five sets of nomination papers -- five proposers and five seconders -- were filed by the combined opposition.

Sharma, accompanied by Hariprasad and NCP MP Vandana Chavan, accused the government and the BJP of "using every tactic, using the influence of their authority and power just to swing the election".

Sharma said the opposition has the numbers and there will be a contest.

He said Hariprasad is a "formidable" and "better" candidate than of the ruling National Democratic Alliance.

"The BJP, if it had the majority, should have fielded its own candidate...They lacked majority and that's why they are desperate to reach out to others outside the fold of the NDA," Sharma said.

The election is likely to be a close affair as the opposition bloc has an edge over the BJP-led NDA in terms of numbers in the Upper House.

The outcome will depend on the stance of parties such as the BJD, the AIADMK and the TRS -- which could ally with the government in certain situations.

The election will be held a day before the conclusion of the monsoon session of Parliament.

--IANS

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The Madras High Court is hearing the arguments of the DMK and the Tamil Nadu government in the case filed by the opposition party against the government's decision not to allot land at Marina Beach to bury late DMK President M. Karunanidhi.

The DMK wants him interred near the seafront memorial of DMK founder and Karunanidhi's mentor C.N. Annadurai.

The DMK approached the Madras High Court on Tuesday night. The hearing went on till midnight when the court adjourned the case directing the state government and Chennai Corporation to file their affidavits on Wednesday.

The AIADMK government late on Tuesday rejected the request and asked the DMK to bury Karunanidhi on Sardar Patel Road which is home to memorials dedicated to Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) and K. Kamaraj.

Earlier all the petitioners who had filed a case against the memorial for AIADMK's late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said they are withdrawing their petitions and the court dismissed their pleas.

On Wednesday the government counsel argued the DMK party is politicising the burial of Karunanidhi.

The court asked the government counsel to explain the legal issues in allotting space at Marina Beach as mentioned in the statement issued by the government on Tuesday.

The DMK counsel argued that the government is citing minor issues for rejecting the party's request for space at Marina Beach for burying Karunanidhi.

The DMK said Karunanidhi is an ardent follower of party founder and Annadurai. Since AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran was also a follower of Annadurai he was buried near the latter's memorial.

According to DMK, the ideologies of late Congress leaders like Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj are different from that of what was followed by Dravidian leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi.

Hence it will not be appropriate to bury Karunanidhi at the site offered by the state government.

The DMK also argued that the Chennai Corporation has announced the Annadurai memorial Beach as a burial site.

--IANS

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India's border with Myanmar was formally opened on Wednesday to facilitate trade between the two countries, officials said.

A function was held in the morning on the Myanmar side near the international gate. Myanmar was represented by U Aye Win, the permanent secretary in the Labour ministry.

Manipur's Additional Chief Secretary S. Akhtar represented the state in the brief function, sources said.

An integrated check post was also made functional from Wednesday.

The traditional barter system among tribals on either side of the border was legalised in 1995, but it did not generate much revenue for the government.

Myanmar's Permanent Secretary U Aye Win said that after opening the border, Indian traders and tourists can visit up to 16 km inside Myanmar and stay there for 14 days.

--IANS

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The death toll from Sunday's devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok climbed to 347 on Wednesday as rescuers continued searching through the rubble, still hoping to find survivors, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

The agency's spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho confirmed the toll. The majority of people died in Kayangan, on the north side of the island, according to the state-run Antara news agency.

Another 1,447 people were injured and 165,003 were displaced by the 6.9 magnitude quake, Nugroho told the news agency earlier.

Around 200,000 people live in northern Lombok, a mountainous region, according to the 2010 census. On Tuesday, the government estimated that 20,000 people were in need of assistance, with around 80 per cent of buildings destroyed, as aid workers struggled to reach those affected by the disaster.

"We are concerned aid trucks can't get through because of the debris and there are also landslides happening," Husni Husni, a Jarkarta-based representative for the Red Cross, told CNN.

"A lot of people are displaced and many have migrated to the hilly and mountainous areas because of fear of a tsunami."

Meanwhile, the disaster management agency said on Tuesday that all of the 2,000 tourists on the Gili Islands had been evacuated.

Dramatic video tweeted by authorities showed hundreds of people, many believed to be foreign vacationers, crammed onto a beach on the island of Gili Trawangan as evacuation measures got underway.

Dozens of injured people were being treated in tents temporarily set up in the northwest of the island, as the centre was damaged by the quake.

Aid reached many of the survivors, but there was still a lack of food, water and tents in areas difficult to access.

Lombok is known for Mount Rinjani volcano and comprises about 4,500 sq km of land area. It is located east of the popular tourist destination island of Bali.

A week earlier, on July 29, another magnitude-6.4 earthquake hit Lombok and left 16 people dead, 355 injured and 1,500 buildings destroyed.

Indonesia is situated within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for heavy seismic and volcanic activity, which cause about 7,000 tremors a year, mostly of moderate intensity.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran has again ruled out any negotiation with the US, accusing it of pursuing "erratic policies" in dealing with the Islamic republic.

"The Americans have never acted with sincerity, and President Donald Trump's move and remarks to invite Iran for talks were merely a propaganda stunt," the state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting, Xinhua reported.

"The main reason behind this is that Trump does not care about either the Iranian people or international obligations," he added.

The US president has taken a hostile approach toward the Iranian nation by reimposing sanctions, Zarif noted.

"We had two years of intensive negotiations with the Americans and the Iran nuclear agreement was the result of these talks, but the Trump administration withdrew from it," he said

"How can the United States be trusted?" the Iranian minister warned.

Last month, Trump announced his readiness for an "unconditional" meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the existing issues between the two countries.

However, Trump on Monday signed an executive order re-imposing sanctions on Iran to exert "maximum economic pressure" on the Islamic republic.

--IANS

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday told North Korea's Foreign Minister not to trust the US, following the US decision to impose economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The sanctions on Iran came into force on Tuesday, three months after US President Donald Trump announced that his country had pulled out from the 2015 nuclear accord signed by Iran and the G5+1, made up of Russia, China, the UK, France, the US and Germany plus the European Union.

"The US administration's performance in these years has led the country to be considered untrustworthy and unreliable around the world that does not meet any of its obligations," Rouhani said in his warning to Ri Yong Ho.

"In the current situation, friend countries should develop their relations and cooperation in international communities alongside each other," he added.

Rouhani explained that his country and North Korea had "supported each other in many critical international points and the global community," referring to the pressures both countries have gone through to dismantle their nuclear weapons.

Ri started his visit to Tehran on Tuesday and met his Iranian counterpart Mohamed Javad Zarif.

--IANS

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Actress Mallika Sherawat wished former US President Barack Obama a belated birthday and said it was meeting him was an honour and a privilege.

The 41-year-old actress tweeted a selfie of herself with Obama, who turned 57 on August 4. The two are all smiles for the camera.

"Belated happy birthday Barack Obama, meeting you was an honour and a privilege," she captioned the photograph.

Mallika had earlier met Obama in 2011 tea party in Los Angeles.

The actress is known for her bold performances in films such as "Khwahish" and "Murder", and was last seen on screen in the 2015 film "Dirty Politics".

--IANS

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"Transparent" actress Trace Lysette says she has no regrets about accusing former co-star Jeffrey Tambor of sexual harassment.

"It was hell, in a word," variety.com quoted Lysette as saying.

"It was really hard, but I've never shied away from making decisions out of fear. What I mean by that is that I knew I had to do the right thing, and the right thing revealed itself to me, and I spoke the truth."

Tambor was eventually fired from "Transparent" following harassment allegations made by his former assistant on the show, Van Barnes, who accused Tambor of subjecting her to unwanted physical contact and lewd remarks.

But Tambor's career is still alive; he has a starring role on Netflix's "Arrested Development" reboot.

Lysette wasn't surprised Tambor seemed to take a softer hit compared to other industry heavyweights singled out in the #MeToo movement, since most of his accusers are transgender women.

"I'm used to people not wanting to believe us and being at the bottom of the totem pole, as you said -- being considered overly sexual beings, objectified," Lysette said.

"Our word doesn't carry weight the same way, which is why it took him shouting down Jessica Walter to be cancelled. That was what it took."

--IANS

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Ivan Duque has been swon in as the Colombian President in a ceremony held on the Plaza de Bolivar here.

The Conservative political newcomer, who at 42 is the youngest Colombian President ever, was elected in June after a divisive election campaign where he saw off left-wing rival Gustavo Petro, BBC reported.

After taking his oath, Duque, who succeeds two-term President Juan Manuel Santos, administered the oath of office to his Vice President, Marta Lucia Ramirez, the first woman in Colombia's history to take that office.

In his inaugural address on Tuesday, the former lawyer pledged to tackle corruption and invigorate the economy and said that he wants to overcome the ideological divisions and the social fragmentation existing in the country.

"I want to govern Colombia with unbreakable values and principles, overcoming with popular dialogue, the divisions of the left and the right and the prickly feelings that invite social fracture. I want to govern Colombia with a spirit to build, never to destroy," President Duque said.

He also vowed to change the peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) rebel group.

His political platform is considered business-friendly after he pledged to cut taxes and boost investment in Colombia's economy.

The new President assumes power at a time of heightened tension with neighbour Venezuela. Earlier this week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the outgoing Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos of an assassination attempt at a military event in Caracas.

The allegation was described as "baseless" by Bogota.

--IANS

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Around 20 lakh people across the country will protest against "anti-farmer", "pro-corporate" policies of the Narendra Modi government on August 9 on the occasion of 'Quit India Day' and, subsequently, court arrest, left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference here, AIKS General Secretary Hannan Mollah said the anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-national policies of Modi-led government had proved to be a "disaster" for the country.

"The government has failed in all sectors. Farmers, workers, employees are unhappy. Even ex-servicemen are agitated as Modi government has failed to keep its promises. But corporates, corrupt, lynchers are happy," Mollah said.

"The protesters would be from various sections of the society with majority comprising farmers, labourers, dalits, and ex-servicemen, who will participate in 'Jail Bharo'."

He said the protest will be held in around 400 districts and on the Parliament Street in the national capital.

Crop loan waiver, remunerative crop prices through Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on the recommendation of Swaminathan commission, land reforms and halting forced land acquisition are among the major demands, he said.

Renowned agricultural economist M.S. Swaminathan has backed the protest, Mollah said.

In a letter to AIKS, Swaminathan reiterated the demand of MSP 1.5 times the input cost, a favourable procurement policy along with effective implementation of the Food Security Act, school noon meal programme, Mollah said.

"I support the demands of the farmers and request the government to listen to them," Swaminathan has said in the letter.

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) is among the major organisations that have extended their support to the move.

CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen said Modi should quit as Prime Minister if he could not take care of poor farmers, labourers and workers.

Mollah also asked the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to clear their stand on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as entry of multinational retail stores would have negative impact on farmers and small traders.

He asked if the RSS had given up its Swadeshi slogans forever.

--IANS

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Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday dubbed as "falsehood" and "fabricated facts" former BJP Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie's claims on the Rafale deal and said that "reprocessed lies were being made by forces desperate to prove their relevance".

In a Facebook post, Jaitley said that it was reprehensible that a fresh attempt to tarnish the Modi government's image had been made less than two weeks after the miserable failure of a similar effort in Parliament.

"I have seen another attempt today at maligning the government by spreading falsehood and peddling fabricated facts regarding the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement (with France) for Rafale fighter aircraft," the Minister said.

"There is not a grain of truth in the wild allegations repeated today nor anything substantiating in the purported facts and voluminous documents marshalled to corroborate the baseless accusations. The unsubstantiated allegations against the government constitute nothing but reprocessed lies by forces increasingly desperate to prove their relevance," he added.

Jaitley, a senior BJP leader, said that the government had already responded effectively to each and "every distortion and misinformation" on the issue.

He said that those raising alarm on alleged danger to national security ought to realise their responsibility and "refrain from politicising for narrow individual ends those very matters pertaining to national defence that were consistently ignored by them and by those with whom they sympathise".

Sinha and Shourie earlier in the day alleged that the jet deal was "unilaterally" finalised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by violating mandatory procedures, and this "defence scandal was larger than any thus far".

Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who addressed the media along with the former NDA Ministers, said that the manner in which the order for Rafale jets was changed made for a "clear case of criminal misconduct".

They sought a time-bound probe by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and asked the government to come clean on the issue.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police on Wednesday arrested a member of the terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Jharkhand for his involvement in the Bodh Gaya explosion.

"Dilwar Hasan alias Ali Hasan (26) was arrested on Wednesday from Sidhu Kanu More in Jharkhand's Pakuria police station area. He is a member of JMB and was involved in Bodh Gaya IED explosion in January 2018," Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police (STF) Murlidhar Sharma said.

According to the officer, Hasan, a resident of Malda district's Kaliachawk in West Bengal has been charged under various sections.

"A mobile phone, one Aadhar card, one voter ID card and a phone purchase bill was seized from the accused," the IPS officer said adding that the voter card appeared to be fake.

A low intensity bomb blast took place near Kalchakra ground in Bodh Gaya on January 19 when the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama was present in the town. A couple of crude bombs and a large quantity of explosives were also recovered from the place.

The arrest of Hasan took place a day after National Investigation Agency (NIA) nabbed JMB leader Mohammed Jahidul Islam from Karnataka in the case and seized electronic devices and traces of explosives from his house in Ramanagara area.

The NIA had arrested two more West Bengal residents, also suspected members of the JMB, from Kerala earlier this week on the charge of placing the IEDs in Bodh Gaya.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara paid their last respects to DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi here on Wednesday.

Kumaraswamy and Parameshwara also met Karunanidhi's bereaved family members and expressed their condolences.

A day-long mourning is being observed in Karnataka as a mark of respect to the DMK leader who died in Chennai on Tuesday evening.

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular chief H.D. Deve Gowda is also expected to reach Chennai where Karunanidhi will be laid to rest at the Marina Beach.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday began his final journey on a flower-decked military vehicle from Rajaji Hall where his body was lying in state since early in the morning.

The tri-colour covered body of the 94-year-old veteran politician was put on a military vehicle by military personnel shortly before 4 p.m.

Karunanidhi's body will be interred in a sandalwood casket and lowered into the earth at Marina Beach.

As per Karunanidhi's wish, the wordings -- "The person who had worked without rest is resting here" -- was sculpted on the casket.

DMK leader and Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin, accompanied by party leaders, walked ahead of the military vehicle as the funeral procession made slow progress, with thousands crowding the streets.

Many waved DMK's red-and-black flags and flashed pictures of Karunanidhi.

The DMK leader's final resting place will be near his mentor and DMK founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday gave its nod to bury Karunanidhi at Marina Beach after a legal battle. The government had initially refused permission.

Karunanidhi, who led the DMK for the past five decades, was the Chief Minister for 19 years spread over five tenures.

The DMK had earlier said the vehicle carrying Karunanidhi's body will reach Anna Square on the Marina Beach, covering a distance of less than three kilometres.

Stalin has appealed to people to keep calm during the final journey. Shortly afterwards, two persons were killed in a stampede outside Rajaji Hall.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A large number of people have gathered outside the Rajaji Hall here to pay their last respects to DMK President M.Karunanidhi, who died on Tuesday evening due to age related ailments.

The mortal remains of Karunanidhi was brought to Rajaji Hall on early Wednesday after it was taken to his homes at Gopalapuram here and at CIT Colony for relatives and leaders to pay their last respects to the departed leader.

A Chief Minister for five times, the 94-year old veteran politician Karunanidhi's body is covered with National Flag.

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth paid his respects to Karunanidhi and consoled the family members of the DMK leader.

Leaders of DMK party have assembled at Rajaji Hall.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday began his final journey on a flower-decked military vehicle from Rajaji Hall where his body was lying in state since early in the morning.

The tri-colour covered body of the 94-year old veteran politician was put on a military vehicle by military personnel shortly before 4 p.m.

Karunanidhi, who led the DMK for the past five decades, was the Chief Minister for 19 years spread over five tenures.

The DMK had earlier said the vehicle carrying Karunanidhi's body will reach Anna Square on the Marina Beach, covering a distance of less than three kilometers.

DMK leader and Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin, accompanied by party leaders, walked ahead of the military vehicle as the funeral procession made slow progress, with thousands crowding the streets.

Stalin has appealed to people to keep calm during the final journey.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court on Wednesday granted permission to bury late DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on the Marina Beach here after rejecting state government's denial of DMK's plea.

Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice S.S. Sundar passed the order after hearing counsel for DMK and the government which said granting permission would violate environmental laws and rules on protection of Marina Beach.

DMK leader and lawyer Kannadasan told reporters that the court also asked the government to make arrangements for the burial.

As the news of the court's decision broke out in Rajaji Hall where Karunanidhi's body was lying in state, an emotional DMK Working President M.K. Stalin broke down only to be comforted by top party leaders Duraimurugan, A. Raja and others.

Former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, grand nephew of Karunanidhi and Kanimozhi, the former Chief Minister's daughter, also gave Stalin an emotional hug on hearing the news.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State-owned technical consultancy KITCO Ltd, has bagged a major consultancy contract of two major expressways in Uttar Pradesh, a company official said on Wednesday.

The total cost of the two projects, the Gorakhpur Link Expressway and the Prayag Link Expressway including land acquisition would be Rs 25,000 cr and KITCO would earn a consultancy fee of Rs 10 cr.

These highways are being set up by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) and the Kerala based KITCO after a tough competitive bidding secured the project.

The scope of KITCO's consultancy involves conducting topographic survey, alignment preparation and approval, detailed design, traffic survey, pavement design, land plan, structural design, forest, wild life clearance, environment impact assessment, preparation of detailed project report, bidding documents and model agreement.

The Gorakhpur Link Expressway is to be developed as a green field four lane expressway (expandable to 6 lane) with a width of 110 metres and with a length of 88.48 km, while the Prayag Link Expressway is a four lane (expandable to 6 lane) covering a distance of 150 km and has a width of 110 metres.

"With KITCO bagging two prestigious expressway projects through competitive bidding, the organisation has demonstrated its capability for undertaking consultancy for road, bridges, seaports and airports to bigger infrastructure projects at the national level," said KITCO MD Cyriac Davies.

It had earlier this year bagged a prestigious projects of Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) for setting up a Defence Systems Complex in Andhra Pradesh at a cost of Rs 195 cr. It had also bagged a contract for setting up Aero Engine Research and Development Center at HAL in Bangalore with a project cost of Rs 140 cr.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court on Wednesday morning would decide on the DMK's plea against Tamil Nadu's government's decision to deny burial of the party President M. Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach.

Hearing the plea late Tuesday night, the court directed the state government and the Chennai Corporation to file their replies and adjourned the case to Wednesday morning 8 a.m.

At the hearing the state government had opposed the allotment of space at Marina Beach for burial of Karunanidhi's body.

On Tuesday, the DMK party and family members of Karunanidhi had requested the state government for allotment of space near DMK founder C.N. Annadurai's memorial at the Marina Beach.

Citing pending cases against the burial of bodies at the Marina Beach, the AIADMK government had said it was ready to allot two acres near Gandhi Mandapam on Sardar Patel Road where Raj Bhavan is located.

On Tuesday, the government decision drew flak from leaders cutting across party lines including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, MDMK's Vaiko, DMDK's Vijayakanth and PMK's S. Ramadoss, who favoured a memorial on the Marina Beach. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and the CPI(M) also joined the chorus.

Ramadoss urged the ruling party not to indulge in in this matter, saying the reason stated by the government is not acceptable.

Ramadoss said even when AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa was buried at the Marina Beach there were court cases pending. Her body was buried at the Marina Beach within the memorial of AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran.

He said Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for 19 years and his last rites should be done in a decent manner.

The mortal remains of AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran and his successor Jayalalithaa are buried near Annadurai's memorial on the Marina Beach.

A five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi died after battling age-related ailments at Kauvery Hospital on Tuesday evening.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The mortal remains of Major Kaustubh P. Rane -- who was among the four Army personnel killed in a gun battle with terrorists near the Line of Control at Bandipura in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday -- reached Mumbai late on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The coffin, draped in the national tricolor, was solemnly received by Rane's grieving family members, Army and civilian officials.

The body will be taken to his hometown Mira Road in adjacent Thane district. The last rites will be performed on Thursday with full military honours.

At the airport, family members, various Army units, Maharashtra and Mumbai police and state government officials offered wreaths and paid homage to the departed soldier.

Since Tuesday, Mira Road township has been in mourning over the death of their hero, who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely 5 km north of Mumbai.

Rane, 29, is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, a sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.

Hailing from Sadure village in Vaibhavwadi talika of the coastal Sindhudurg district, the family was settled in Mira Road since several decades. His father had retired from a private company, while his mother is a former Assistant Headmistress of Utkarsh Mandir High School in Malad here.

Major Rane was educated at the Holy Cross Convent High School here and then the Royal College nearby, before graduating from Shailendra College at Dahisar in western suburbs of Mumbai.

The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joing the armed forces by completing his military training from Pune, and was later commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Academy, Chennai in 2011.

Joining the Indian Army as a Lieutenant, he was later promoted to Captain rank and elevated as Major earlier this year with the 36 Rashtriya Rifles.

Since his posting in the sensitive Gurez sector last year, Major Rane would call up his family occasionally and inform them about his wellbeing, his uncle Pratap Rane told mediapersons.

Incidentally, Major had visited Mira Road in April this year for a brief period before returning to the front.

It was a proud moment for the family when earlier this year Major Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations.

Relatives, friends and neighbours remember Major Rane as a soft-spoken, warm and well-behaved person with a helpful nature and taking part in local social-cultural activities.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A minor girl has alleged that she was raped by her neighbour and as a result she has now delivered a baby in a hospital here, police said on Wednesday.

The 16-year-old victim, who hails from Bihar's Chhapra, was living here with her family in the Rajiv Nagar area.

The victim said in her complaint that her neighbour Rajan Tiwari raped her for the first time in November and later on a few occasions in December last year threatening to kill her parents and younger brother.

The victim was doing her class 10 from an open school while her father works in a private company in Delhi.

Accused Tiwari, who worked in a private firm, left his accommodation four months ago.

"The girl was admitted in a private hospital after she complained of stomach pain a few days ago. She gave birth to a baby girl on Tuesday night," a senior police officer said.

Tiwari hails from Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh.

"The victim's statement was recorded in rhe presence of her legal advisor and a case was registered against Tiwari," the officer said.

--IANS

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Do you notice anything unusual about our sky today? If you look closely, youll see a slight orange haze above Southwest Florida over the next few days. Because Saharan dust arrives in Florida.

The source of this orange haze is a layer of dry dusty air originating from the Sahara Desert thats traveled over 6 thousand miles from Africa to South Florida!

Its actually a fairly common occurrence in the middle of summer as these tiny dust particles get swept up into the air by dust storms in the Sahara and then picked up by the easterly winds in the upper atmosphere all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.

This Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, actually has some positive side effects as it crosses the Atlantic, helping to suppress the potential for tropical development by keeping the air dry and stable. This is one big reason why the tropics has stayed so quiet lately.

Saharan dust can also have some visually stunning effects in the atmosphere, sometimes producing spectacularly colorful sunsets, so be sure to have your cameras ready in the evening!

When the Saharan dust arrives in Southwest Florida, it tends to reduce the number of storms that develop in the afternoon, however, the dust can also make the atmosphere more unstable aloft, which can give our afternoon storms that do develop more of a punch.

And if youre worried about the dust causing problems with coughing or sneezing, these dust particles are typically suspended so high up in the air that it generally wont cause any issues in low to moderate amounts.

Expect the dust to stick around for the next few days as a huge plume of it sweeps across the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico through the weekend. For almost a year, the same Saharan phenomenon occurred in Florida.

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NBC2  Weather Blog: Saharan dust arrives in Southwest Florida
Myanmar on Wednesday commemorated the 30th anniversary of the pro-democracy student protests that swept the nation in 1988, resulting in the death/imprisonment of thousands of people.

Several ceremonies across the country marked the People Power Movement or 8888 Uprising that peaked on 8.8.(19)88.

Yangon University displayed a makeshift prison cell as well as photos and films of the protests and political prisoners in remembrance of the movement, Efe news reported.

Some of the student leaders from the uprising delivered speeches at a function attended by over 1,000 people.

Another event in the city offered floral tributes to those who lost their lives.

The 8888 Uprising began in March 1988 as a student movement in Yangon against the socialist one-party state under dictator General Ne Win who drove his country into poverty.

The protesters also denounced government corruption, economic mismanagement and police brutality.

More than a million people from all walks of life, including monks and school children, protested against the government to demand a multi-party democracy.

The often-violent uprising -- which included soldiers opening fire on protesters -- ended in September 1988 after a bloody military coup by the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

The uprising led to the resignation of Ne Win and the emergence of independent leader Aung San's daughter and now de-facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who addressed the public at the time, to appeal for peace.

While many were in jail for decades, political prisoners were released in a 2012 amnesty and many now work as politicians and human rights activists.

It has only been in recent years that people have been allowed to openly commemorate the 8888 Uprising.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday urged Myanmar to take back the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

On June 6, the UNHCR and UNDP signed a memorandum of understanding to create favourable conditions for Rohingya refugees to return to their places of origin or of their choice.

"Two months since the signing of the tripartite MoU between UNHCR, UNDP and the government of Myanmar, both UN bodies are urging Myanmar authorities to make tangible progress to improve conditions in Rakhine State," the agencies said in a joint statement.

"The Myanmar government's willingness to take the lead in the implementation of this agreement is critical to creating conditions conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees," said the statement cited by Efe news.

The UN agencies earlier said that the MoU was the first step in helping the government create safe conditions by supporting development projects in Rakhine, home of majority of the 800,000 people who fled their homes to escape sectarian violence in Myanmar.

"The government has taken some encouraging steps since the MoU was signed (...) However, substantial progress is urgently needed in three key areas (...) granting effective access in Rakhine State, ensuring freedom of movement for all communities; and addressing the root causes of the crisis," the statement said.

The agencies said their officials should be granted unrestricted access to all parts of the state and be able to interview local communities.

They also requested for basic services to be provided to all state communities, regardless of religion, ethnicity or nationality.

The UN reported that members of the Rohingya community still do not have freedom of movement, cannot work, neither go to school nor have access to health services, largely due to Myanmar authorities' refusal to grant them citizenship rights.

The Rohingya exodus began on August 25, 2017, following an attack by a Rohingya rebel group to which the Myanmar Army retaliated with a violent military campaign in Rakhine against this mostly Muslim ethnic minority.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had described the crackdown as "ethnic cleansing" with elements of genocide.

--IANS

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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed the need for North Korea to commit to dismantling its nuclear weapons through a "verifiable and irreversible" process.

Guterres arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday night to participate in a ceremony to remember the victims of the nuclear attack on Nagasaki, Efe news reported.

"We all share the objective of seeing a total denuclearization -- verifiable and irreversible -- to ensure that North Korea can be a normal member of the international community in this region," Guterres told reporters after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He also insisted on implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions against North Korea.

The resolutions have put a number of political and economic sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear and ballistic programme and the alleged threat it poses to the international community.

Guterres referred to agreements reached between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump during a bilateral summit in Singapore on June 12, saying they should be followed in order to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.

--IANS

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NASA's latest planet hunter Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has captured a stunning sequence of images showing the motion of a comet that is 48 million km from Earth.

Launched in April, TESS took a series of images of the comet C/2018 N1, over the course of 17 hours on July 25 -- the day the planet hunter officially commenced its science operations, the US space agency said in a statement.

C/2018 N1 is located about 29 million miles (48 million km) from Earth in the southern constellation Piscis Austrinus and is seen to move across the frame from right to left as it orbits the Sun.

The planet hunter snapped a series of images capturing the motion of the comet which demonstrate the satellite's ability to collect a prolonged set of stable periodic images covering a broad region of the sky, all critical factors in finding transiting planets orbiting nearby stars, the statement said.

The comet's tail, which consists of gases carried away from the comet by an outflow from the Sun called the solar wind, extends to the top of the frame and gradually pivots as the comet glides across the field of view.

Additionally, TESS' images reveal a treasure trove of other astronomical activity. The stars appear to shift between white and black as a result of image processing, NASA said.

Towards the end of the video, a faint broad arc of light moving across the middle section of the frame from left to right can be seen.

This is stray light from Mars, which is located outside the frame. The images were taken when Mars was at its brightest near opposition, or its closest distance, to Earth, NASA said.

TESS is NASA's latest satellite to search for planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets.

The planet hunter is expected to transmit its first series of science data back to Earth in August and thereafter periodically every 13.5 days, once per orbit, as the spacecraft makes it closest approach to Earth, NASA said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Investigation (NIA) on Wednesday said it had seized fake notes in Rs 2,000 denomination with a total face value of nearly Rs 7 lakh in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and arrested four persons, including a woman.

The NIA Mumbai branch raided Aluru on Tuesday following a tip-off and recovered Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with a face value of Rs 4.34 lakh from M.G. Raju, Gangadhar Kolkar and Sajjad Ali.

"We along with police raided BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) Layout in Aluru following information that a deal in FICN is likely to take place. The three accused were found in possession of 217 FICN of Rs 2,000 denomination."

NIA Spokesperson Alok Mittal told IANS that the seized notes were similar to genuine Rs 2,000 currency and it was difficult for a lay person to differentiate.

"It is suspected that the counterfeit notes have been printed and smuggled from across the border," said the official, adding that another NIA raid on Wednesday led to seizure of FICN with a face value of Rs 2.5 lakh from a woman, resident of Srirampur in Bengaluru.

The officials said an FIR was lodged with Bengaluru Police and the smugglers are being interrogated about their handlers and suppliers.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The NITI Aayog on Wednesday entered into a three-year partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to develop vision and action agenda for the industry to contribute towards sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh said that business and government must partner for sustainable development of India.

He said that energy, water and a green industry mattered the most to achieve SDGs and expressed confidence that India will achieve its clean energy goals even earlier than 2022.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that given India's population, the only way to grow and develop sustainably was to use technology to leapfrog.

He said it was crucial to use renewable energy, push for innovation and research and development to find local solutions for seven million-strong population around the world.

During the event, CII launched a report "Indian Solutions for the World to Achieve SDGs", which deep-dives into each of the sustainable development goals, targets and business implications, a statement said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New York Republican Representative Chris Collins was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and false statements on Wednesday, according to the Justice Department.

Collins, who was the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump's presidential bid, surrendered in the morning at his attorney's office in Manhattan, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Attorneys for Collins said in a statement that they "will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defence to clear his good name", CNN reported.

The indictment was related to Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech company, on whose board the congressman served.

Collins illegally shared non-public information about the company with his son Cameron, who traded on the information, according to federal prosecutors.

Cameron Collins then passed that information along to Stephen Zarsky, his fiancee's father. The trades allowed Collins, his son, and Zarsky to avoid $768,000 in losses, according to the indictment.

"It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate (Immunotherapeutics) stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated," the statement continued.

The House Ethics Committee last October revealed that it was investigating Collins, for potentially violating federal law and House rules regarding insider trading.

The outside, non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics began a review of Collins' activity in March 2017 and voted to send its findings to the House ethics panel that July, which can formally launch investigations and recommend any sanctions against any lawmaker it determines has broken any rules.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday assured the investors that his government would provide an 'unmatched facilitation support' and invited them to experience the opportunities.

Addressing an investment roadshow in Mumbai, the Chief Minister invited businessmen to participate in the second Make in Odisha Conclave, which will be held at Bhubaneswar from November 11-15.

The roadshow was organised by the Odisha government in association with its industry partner Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

"The strength of Odisha lies in its vast resource base, long coastline, assured power and water supply, port-driven development, excellent road network and connectivity, a young and skilled workforce and an industry-friendly and result-oriented responsive government," said Patnaik.

"I am happy to share that Odisha is emerging as the manufacturing hub of eastern India and my government is working tirelessly towards developing the state into a manufacturing hub of South Asia," he added.

He said that the government has put in place progressive policies and has created state-of-the-art infrastructure and a conducive environment for industrial development.

"We have seen a significant rise in attracting manufacturing projects with more than 118 large projects approved with an employment potential of 1,28,572 in the past four years alone," said the Chief Minister.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered slashing of the taxes on the locally-assembled cars and this will bring the down the prices, the media reported on Wednesday.

A three-member bench of the country's top court ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to reduce the taxes imposed on the production of cars in Pakistan from the current rate of 33 per cent to 25 per cent.

According to an official of a local car manufacturing company, Pakistani government's sales tax, customs duty, and income tax add up to an estimated 33 per cent of a vehicle's retail value.

The Supreme Court's bench heard the petition filed by Awais Ahmed, who is a social media campaigner against car manufacturers. The petitioner pleaded that the local car makers were charging unreasonably high prices, largely due to the high tax regime in the country. He further stated that the car makers were delivering low-quality vehicles to Pakistan consumers despite charging massive price.

Farhan Azhar, the petitioner's lawyer, told the local media, "We have requested for a reduction of taxes to 15 per cent. We have cited examples of taxation in the US, Canada, European countries and even India. We have brought into notice the UN International Charter. We are expecting that it would be reduced further."

--IANS

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam paid their last respects to DMK President M. Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall here on Wednesday morning.

They were accompanied by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, Minister for Fisheries D. Jayakumar, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai and other party leaders.

Chief Minister for five times and leader of DMK party for 50 years, the 94-year-old Karunanidhi breathed his last here owing to age related ailments in a private hospital here.

--IANS

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Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Wall Street Journal, U.S. Judge Rules for NYU in $358 Million Retirement-Fees Case:

A judge on Tuesday ruled in favor of New York University, dismissing allegations that the university caused participants in its retirement-savings plans to pay excessive fees.

The opinion, issued by Judge Katherine Forrest of the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, is the first to result from a trial of one of a wave of lawsuits filed two years ago against more than a dozen big-name universities alleging the retirement plans for their employees are too confusing and costly [including Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Northwestern, Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt, USC, and Yale].

The court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that while there were deficiencies in the [NYU Retirement Plan] Committees processesincluding that several members displayed a concerning lack of knowledge relevant to the Committees mandateplaintiffs have not proven that the Committee acted imprudently or that the Plans suffered losses as a result, the judge said in her opinion, which followed a bench trial this spring. The plaintiffs had alleged losses of more than $358 million.

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2018/08/federal-judge-rules-for-nyu-in-first-of-many-lawsuits-alleging-major-universities-mismanage-403b-ret.html
As Google is trying to make a comeback in China with censored apps, its biggest rival in the country, Baidu, said it was prepared to take on the US tech giant and defeat it, the media reported.

According to a report in The Verge on Tuesday, Baidu CEO Robin Li wrote on his verified WeChat account that if "Google decides to return to China, we are very confident we can just PK and win again."

PK, short for "player-kill," is a Chinese slang that originated as a gaming context to refer to one player killing another.

Both Baidu and Google are search engine giants which also offer Cloud services while making huge investments in Artificial Intelligence for their growth.

In the second quarter of this year, total revenue for Baidu stood at $3.93 billion, a 32-per-cent increase from the same quarter last year, with mobile revenue remaining the main contributor, Xinhua reported on August 1, citing the company's unaudited financial statement.

Baidu CFO Herman Yu attributed the acceleration of revenue growth to the company's increased investments in AI-powered businesses.

Since Google left China in 2010, Baidu quickly took control of the search engine space, raising its share in the Chinese market to over 70 per cent.

But when news that Google was considering a comeback with censored apps, Baidu's stock price fell 7.7 per cent.

However, the Baidu CEO is far from intimidated.

"Chinese tech companies have already taken the lead... The whole world is copying from China," he was quoted as saying in social media.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A record number of women have won major party nominations for governorships and seats in the House of Representatives this year -- a month before the US primary season gets officially over.

After Tuesday's primaries across four states -- Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington -- there were 11 female nominees for Governor and 182 for the House of Representatives, the US media reported.

There was also a key election for a House seat in Ohio, in which President Donald Trump claimed victory. But according to reports, the race was still too close to call, in a safe Republican seat held by them since 1983.

The outcome could indicate whether Democrats have a chance to overturn the Republican majority in the House in November.

After polling closed in the four states, women broke records for gubernatorial and House nominations, according to the BBC.

Victories for Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) and Laura Kelly (Kansas) in Democratic primaries mean 11 women will contest governorships in the November mid-term election -- one more than the 1994 record.

At least 182 female major party nominees will run for the House, beating the record of 167 from 2016. Another three women were leading in close primary contests.

"This has been an election season of records for women candidates, and tonight continues that story," said Debbie Walsh, Director of the Centre for American Women and

Whitmer will lead a four-strong, all-women ticket for the Democrats at the state level in Michigan.

One of the candidates for the House in the state was likely to become the first Muslim woman in Congress. Rashida Tlaib won a Democratic nomination and will not be opposed by the Republicans in November. She will also be the first Palestinian-American congresswoman.

There will be two all-female races in Washington state. Democrat Lisa Brown faces Cathy McMorris Rodgers for a House seat, while Republican Susan Hutchison will take on incumbent Senator Maria Cantwell, the Hill magazine reported.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Troy Balderson was taking on Democrat Danny O'Connor in Ohio for a seat in the House of Representatives. Ohio is one of the key battleground states in the mid-terms.

Trump tweeted "Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!"

Despite this, US news outlets have not called the contest yet. The New York Times gave Balderson 50.2 per cent, a lead of 1,754 votes in the 12th Congressional District race, with all precincts reporting.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six civilians were killed and seven wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan's Balkh province on Wednesday, an official said.

"The incident occurred in Quch Qazal village of Sholgara district in the morning when a vehicle touched off an improvised explosive device (IED) along a road," a provincial government spokesman told Xinhua news agency.

Officials blame Taliban militants for planting the IEDs in the district that has been the scene of heavy armed clashes earlier this year.

More than 1,690 civilians were killed and over 3,430 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year in the war-torn country, according to figures released by the UN mission in the country.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Wednesday after mourning the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

"Karunanidhi was a multifaceted personality and was actively engaged in social and public life, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said in an obituary reference as the house assembled.

"He has served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five terms. In his passing away, the country has lost an able administrator and an outstanding statesman. The House deeply mourns his death," Naidu said.

The House observed two minutes of silence before adjournmed for the day.

Karunanidhi, 94, who led the DMK for 50 years, breathed his last owing to age-related ailments in a private hospital in Chennai on Tuesday evening.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar had called up Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal to seek support in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman's election but the latter expressed inability to do so, an AAP leader tweeted on Wednesday.

The AAP also hinted that it could abstain from voting scheduled for Thursday since the Congress had not so far sought its support.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh tweeted that it cannot support Janata Dal-United candidate Harivansh as he has the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party whereas Congress President Rahul Gandhi had not spoken so far to AAP Convenor Kejriwal for support to the opposition candidate B.K. Hariprasad.

"Nitish Kumarji called up Arvind Kejriwalji and sought AAP support for his party's candidate. As it is not possible to vote for BJP-backed JD-U candidate. If Rahul Gandhiji does not need our support for his party's candidate, the Aam Aadmi Party has no option but to skip voting," Singh said.

Singh also retweeted the tweets by a party worker in which he had taken digs at the Congress.

The tweets said that the Congress does with a"narrow mind" and that the AAP had supported Congress candidates in the presidential and vice-presidential elections but the main opposition party did not express gratitude.

The tweets also said that if the Congress wants AAP support this time, Rahul Gandhi should talk to Kejriwal.

If the AAP abstains from voting for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Thursday, it will bring down opposition numbers in the Upper House.

The combined opposition has fielded Congress MP B.K. Hariprasad.

--IANS

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Saudi Arabia has stopped all medical treatment programmes in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of Saudi patients to medical facilities outside the country, Saudi press agency reported on Wednesday.

The agency cited Dr Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, Saudi Health Attache in the US and Canada, as saying that "the mission seeks to ensure the safety of Saudi patients who receive treatment in Canada with their companions, and to complete their treatment elsewhere".

The move came amid an intensifying spat over human rights between the two countries, after Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's Ambassador in Riyadh, recalled its own Ambassador from Ottawa and froze "all new business" with Canada.

The Middle East country also decided to suspend all training and scholarship programmes in Canada by the end of the Islamic calendar year in September, the Cultural Bureau of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education announced on Monday.

The abrupt diplomatic row broke out as Ottawa urged Riyadh to release civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by Canada's Foreign Office.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up an advocate representing Himachal Pradesh government, who drew its attention that the wife of an apex court judge, hearing a matter relating to unauthorised constructions in Kasauli, has filed a plea in the high court.

Pointing out that Justice Deepak Gupta's wife has filed a PIL in the Himachal Pradesh High Court on encroachment on forest land, the advocate indirectly asked the judge to recuse from hearing in apex court.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur strong exception that the state has placed before it the detail of a pending case in the high court, and asked the lawyer not to be a "chamcha" (sycophant) of the state.

"Does the state have nothing else to do? What about governing the state? Tell your state that this will not be tolerated. Don't be a mouthpiece of somebody who has some vested interest. You are an advocate and officer of the court and not a 'chamcha' of the state. Do not do it ever again," Justice Lokur said.

The court attributed the "chamcha" remark following advocate's conduct like a "yes-man".

The court was hearing a plea relating to the death of a woman government official, Shaila Bala Sharma, who was shot dead allegedly by a hotel owner in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, during a demolition drive.

She was carrying out the Supreme Court-ordered demolition drive.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government for defending the adultery law that punishes only a married man for extramarital affair with a married woman. The court reserved its judgment on the validity of the law.

As the government defended the retention of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for preserving the "sanctity of marriage", a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked as to how it preserved the "sanctity" as the extramarital affair was non-punishable if the woman's husband stood by her.

On the conclusion of arguments, the bench also comprising Justice Rohinton Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, reserved its verdict.

"Where is the sanctity of marriage when the husband can consent?" asked Justice Nariman.

The Chief Justice said: "We are not questioning the legislature's competence to make laws but where is the 'collective good' in Section 497?"

Telling the Centre's counsel and Additional Solicitor General Pinki Anand that "dichotomy is manifest (in Section 497)", Chief Justice Misra said: "The husband can only have control over his emotion and cannot ask his wife to do this or that."

The court was hearing a PIL that challenged the constitutional validity of Section 497 and Section 198(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Additional Solicitor General said: "Marriage includes just not the spouses but the families, children, communities and society" and that its sanctity could not be violated."

Insisting that the penal provision should remain to punish adultery as it was a threat to the sanctity of marriage, Anand said that there was no claim to privacy in an adulterous life.

The Chief Justice, in a lighter vein, said that the offence of adultery is like a man calling his wife's paramour home and getting him arrested for trespass. Justice Nariman then quipped: "Spouse trespass."

"The sanctity of marriage is dependent on mutual reciprocity, willingness for adjustments and accommodations and when we marry there is no permanent consent for sex by the wife," the Chief Justice said pointing to changing times.

In fact, there was no permanent consent for anything in marriage, said CJI Misra.

In 1860, the concept was that woman was a chattel, and thus this provision for consent by the husband to take away the criminality in extramarital sexual relationship between a married man and married woman, said Justice Nariman while dwelling on the times when the penal code was enacted.

The heart of the provision, Justice Nariman said, was that the husband of a wife in an adulterous relationship could sue her paramour and if he thought that the affair was fine then sweep it under the carpet.

Justice Chandrachud said the court by constitutional interpretation could not widen the canvas of an offence but narrow it down. He made the remark in response to Additional Solicitor General's plea that the court, instead of reading down the provision, could make it gender-neutral, thereby extending the offence to women in adulterous relationships.

Even if we made Section 497 of the IPC gender-neutral it would address the issue of punishing the man and sparing the woman, but "we still have to decide whether it should be a crime at all", said Justice Chandrachud.

In a rejoinder argument, petitioner Joseph Shine's counsel Kaleeswaram Raj said that the family as an institution could not be preserved by the State's police power.

It should rest on the foundation of love, honesty, trust, and faithfulness between the spouses, Raj said, adding that the State had no business to penalise in the guise of preserving the institution of family.

Senior counsel Meenakshi Arora, appearing for an intervenor, said that criminal law should not be used to regulate conducts like adultery as this could be done by other means, including divorce.

She said that the State could not sustain the institution of marriage by coercion or using criminal law to enforce a code of conduct.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the government's stand defending the adultery law that punishes a married man for having sexual relationship with a married woman.

As the government defended the retention of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for preserving the "sanctity of marriage", a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked how it preserved the "sanctity" when with the extra-marital affair becomes non-punishable if the woman's husband stands by her.

Other judges on the bench are Justice Rohinton Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra.

"Where is the sanctity of marriage when the husband can consent," asked Justice Nariman. The Chief Justice said: "We are not questioning the legislature's competence to make laws but where is the 'collective good' in Section 497 of IPC."

Telling Additional Solicitor General Pinki Anand that "dichotomy is manifest (in Section 497)", Chief Justice Misra said: "Husband can only have control over his emotion and cannot ask wife to do this or that."

The court was hearing a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of Section 497 of the IPC and Section 198(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has sportingly made a special appearance in the forthcoming film "Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se" with actor Dharmendra whom he calls one of his dearest friends.

"Not just Dharmendra, Hema (Malini) is also a dear friend. Both Hema and Dharmendra have been my friends for years. It is rare for a friendship to survive so long in this industry where loyalties change every Friday," said Shatrughan.

"All three of us have worked together in Dulal Guha's excellent film 'Dost' which I think was released in 1974. This is one of my favourite films. Also, Vijay Anand's 'Blackmail' which Dharmendra and I were cast together. That was a special film. I think my wife Poonam has also worked in a film with Dharmendra."

But Shatrughan says his relations with Dharmendra and Hema go far beyond the professional.

"We are there for one another any time we need each other. Doing that small role in 'Yamla Pagla Deewana' was not something I had to think about. It was a yes even before Dharmendra asked."

He calls Dharmendra "God's personal favourite".

"He is golden-hearted. Do you know we would have done 'Sholay' together. But God and Ramesh Sippy had other plans," laughs Shatrughan.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
American Martyrs Catholic Church officials arrived at the place of worship for Sunday morning Mass earlier this month and discovered an exterior wall and a sidewalk on the building's north side had been defaced with the hateful messages written in spray paint, police say.
Actor Sooraj Pancholi will be visiting an army base camp in Amritsar to prepare for his role of an Indian soldier in his next yet-untitled project, which will be directed by Irfan Kamal.

He will start shooting for the film from October in Kashmir. Before that, he will be visiting Amritsar as a prep in September.

"I am looking forward to meet the real army officers. More than being excited, I am really nervous because they are respected personalities.It's a proud moment for me that I will be meeting them for a movie role prep," Sooraj said in a statement to IANS.

"I just hope I manage to bring that aura of an officer on the screen. It's way too commendable with the kind of work they do to protect us and live away from their family," added the actor, who made his debut in "Hero" along with Athiya Shetty in 2015.

On work front, Sooraj wrapped up shooting of "Time to Dance", helmed by Stanley D'Costa, on Sunday in London. Remo D'Souza has written the script of the project. The film also stars Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle Kaif.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
For the first time in India, security personnel of each state in the country will attend the main Independence Day function in the neighbouring state to strengthen the cooperation among the armed forces, a top police officer said here on Wednesday.

"Following the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, security personnel of each state in the country would participate in the Independence Day parade of the neighbouring state," Inspector General of Police G.S. Rao told IANS.

He said: "The Prime Minister has suggested this to make the inter-state cooperation among the armed forces stronger."

His advice came during the annual conference of Director General of Police (DGPs) and Inspector General of Police (IGPs) of states held in Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh in January.

Rao said that in line with that arrangement, a contingent of 45 troopers of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) would attend the main function of the Independence Day of Mizoram and similar number of Mizoram Armed Police would participate in Tripura.

"Now the troopers of Tripura and Mizoram security wings are jointly conducting rehearsal of the parade at the Assam Rifles ground here where the Independence Day function would be held."

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb for the first time would be hoisting the tri-colour at the event.

Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia told IANS over phone from Guwahati that a platoon of Assam police would participate in Meghalaya's Independence Day parade and security personnel of Meghalaya will join Assam's function next week.

Saikia said that such joint participation of the security forces among neighbouring states' celebrations was good for improving the security situation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Assam Police caught three government servants for taking bribes, it was announced on Wednesday.

While a police Sub-Inspector was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a bar in Guwahati on Tuesday night, two other government employees were held in Sonitpur district on Wednesday for taking Rs 3,000 each from a retired teacher.

"Paltan Bazar (police officer) Biren Kumar Bora had demanded Rs 40,000 from a person for releasing him on bail... We laid a trap and caught Bora red-handed while accepting Rs 20,000," said an ACB officer.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Wednesday announced that it will slap additional 25 per cent tariff on $16 billion worth of US products in retaliation to Washington's latest round of duties, escalating the trade battle between the two countries.

The 25 per cent tariffs will come into effect on August 23 and target 333 US products including coal, bicycles, trucks, vehicle engines and chemicals, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said.

The move came after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced similar tariffs on China, affecting imports such as electronic parts, plastics, chemicals, batteries and railway cars.

In a statement, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said that the US once again put domestic law above international law by imposing "very unreasonable" new tariffs on Chinese goods. Beijing will implement the tariff measure with the US simultaneously, the ministry said.

The tariffs mark the latest round in a protracted trade battle between Trump and China, with tens of billions of dollars in tariffs against Beijing already in effect.

China has hit back with retaliatory tariffs, many of which targeted agricultural industries in states in the midwest that overwhelming went for Trump in 2016.

The Department of Agriculture earlier announced a $12 billion aid plan to help farmers affected by Chinese tariffs, despite criticism from lawmakers in both parties.

Trump also imposed steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the EU. Businesses in the US complained that the tariffs were forcing them to raise prices and eliminate jobs.

Earlier, Trump asserted that the measures were "working big time", and again vowed to imposed tariffs against countries that doesn't want to "make or build" products in the US.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump's son has said his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer was about "essentially nothing" relevant to claims of collusion.

Donald Trump Jr called the media uproar over the meeting "the ultimate distraction" from his father's success, BBC reported on Tuesday.

Trump Jr's meeting with a Kremlin-linked attorney at Trump Tower in New York could constitute a breach of US campaign rules, experts say.

The president argued the Trump Tower meeting was legal in a tweet on Sunday.

Trump said his son took the meeting to "get information on an opponent", contradicting a previous statement from the Trump camp.

Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show on Monday night, the president's son said the meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya lasted 20 minutes and primarily focused on Russian adoptions.

Trump Jr has previously admitted he agreed to the introduction after he was promised damaging information about his father's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

He told Ingraham that adoptions were "the primary thing that we had spoken about in the meeting".

"You know that's not the premise that got them in the room... it was essentially a bait and switch to talk about that, and everyone has basically said that in testimony already," he said.

"It ended up being about essentially nothing that was relevant to any of these things. That's all it is and that's all they've got."

The president's eldest son also blamed Democrats for wanting to detract from his father's achievements.

"That is, I guess, the ultimate distraction from what's really going on in this country which is, you have a Republican president, a very conservative president, who is getting stuff done."

The meeting is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into Russia's alleged role to help Trump win the presidency.

Moscow has repeatedly denied claims it interfered in the November 2016 presidential elections.

President Trump and his son deny any collusion, and the president has tweeted that "collusion is not a crime".

--IANS

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Two girls schools have been set ablaze in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said on Wednesday. No casualty was reported.

The schools located in Pishin district were set on fire late on Tuesday when the institutes were closed as they were both day schools.

A police officer said that some unknown persons set the buildings ablaze and fled the scene. They have not ruled out militants, Xinhua news agency reported.

No group or person has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

This is the second major incident of fire at an educational institution in Pakistan over the last few days.

Earlier on Friday, some unknown militants set 12 schools in north Gilgit Baltistan area on fire.

--IANS

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Netflix, Unicef India and Ficci Arise on Wednesday came together to join a dialogue on ensuring a safer online environment for children.

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), a global NGO specialising in the area of online safety, hosted a session on ensuring a safer online environment for children, and the organisations extended their support, read a statement.

The focus of the event was on how to enable children and youth to benefit from the advantages that the Internet has to offer.

At the event, the discussions included how to equip youth and their guardians to use online tools and other techniques which ensure that they have a safe and age-appropriate experience online.

Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI, said: "Online safety is everyone's responsibility and everybody has to work together to maintain it. This can best be done through open dialogue with various stakeholders.... Now more than ever, it is essential to empower young people to be good digital citizens and to be the change for a safer and more civil Internet."

--IANS

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The Women and Child Development Ministry has directed child care institutes (CCIs) and shelter homes across the country to register themselves with the government within two months and get a social audit done, ministry sources said.

"The institutes not registered within two months will be shut down and the girls living there will be shifted to a better and registered centre. The ministry has already started closing unregistered centres," an official of the Ministry told IANS.

The government move comes in the wake of alleged rape of inmates of a girls' home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and another in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh.

The Ministy also said it has issued notice for a social audit of over 9,000 CCIs across the country within 60 days. The social audit will be conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

"The new pro forma of the audit will have total assessment of the condition in which the children are living. It will not be a mere counting of basic facilities," the official added.

Last week, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi had asked for setting up Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) at the state and district levels for regular monitoring of the Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAA) and CCIs.

The minister had also said the district magistrates and district collectors should take responsibility of monitoring the adoption programmes which are implemented at the district level. She also directed the officials to streamline the adoption process and ensure its completion within the stipulated time.

--IANS

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Actor-producer John Abraham, who introduced actor Ayushmann Khurrana in Bollywood, says he would like to encourage new talent and create equal opportunities for outsiders in the film business.

In most cases, the actor who turns producer features in his or her first production venture. But John did not appear as the lead actor in his first production - "Vicky Donor".

"Initially, I was offered the role. I told Shoojit that I would be the wrong choice for it and Ayushmann was meant for the role. We are really happy that his talent impressed the audience and he has become the star that he is today . He is my brother, I love him," John told IANS.

"Of course, when we cast him, he was a face from TV but we can see talent from anywhere. Honestly, I want to encourage more and more new talent. Coming from a non-film background, I know exactly how tough it is to get the opportunity," added the former model.

He is also very fond of actors Varun Dhawan and Tiger Shroff.

"We are really close. There is brotherhood. I would love to work with them as well. However, I believe that our film industry is a place where every talented person should get opportunity irrespective of their background," he said.

John will soon be seen in the film "Satyameva Jayate" alongside National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee.

What made him sign the action-packed film?

"I heard the narration and I loved it. It is a hardcore commercial film with a lot of dialogues and a face-off moment. It is an action-packed film that also addresses social issues. Violence against women is one of the issues in today's society," said the "Parmanu" actor.

"When a woman is walking on the street and men are giving her dirty looks and making her feel uncomfortable, my character punches them off because that is what those sick minded men deserve.

"This is how my character becomes aspirational for the audience. There are many such instances in the film that hopefully would connect with the audience," the actor explained.

"Satyameva Jayate" will release on August 15.

--IANS

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Former Assam Chief Minister and AGP leader Prafulla Mahanta on Wednesday said that West Bengal should also maintain a National Register of Citizens (NRC) which should include the names of only Indian nationals and exclude those of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.

"We have also appealed to West Bengal that it will be good if they maintain a register of Indian nationals," Mahanta, who is now the Chief Advisor of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Manch (AASM), a platform of the constituents of the historic Assam Movement, said at a press conference here.

"In Bangladesh, everybody speaks Bengali as it is their national language, so those who infiltrate also speak Bengali," he said.

"It is easy for them to mix in West Bengal and Tripura but in Assam, apart from the Barak valley, they get caught."

Expressing the hope that West Bengal will start the preparation for an NRC with the help of the central government, Mahanta said: "A good government official at least at the secretary-level should be appointed at the Register General's Office. If an additional secretary is there, he cannot always draw the attention of ministers of the central government. But a secretary can."

His comments come in the face of fierce opposition of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the final draft of the Assam NRC that was released last month and in which as many as four million people did not find their names.

Mahanta was in the national capital leading a delegation of the AASM for a series of programmes opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, that will virtually render the 1985 Assam Accord meaningless.

Since the Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2016, Mahanta's AGP, which was formed after the Assam Movement and which is now the junior partner in Assam's current ruling BJP alliance, has been vociferously opposing it.

The Bill seeks to grant citizenship rights to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan on the basis of religious persecution.

But, according to the Assam Accord, all foreigners who entered that northeastern state after March 24, 1971, should be detected and deported irrespective of religion.

"The Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha has been from the very beginning opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 because if this bill becomes a law, the indigenous people of Assam will become a minority and will lose their rights," Mahanta said.

He also said that the Indian government assuring the Bangladesh government that the NRC is an internal matter of India and the eastern neighbour should not be worried about it cannot be accepted.

According to Al-hajj Sayed Nazi, a leader of a religious party allied to Bangladesh's ruling alliance, the Narendra Modi government has assured his country that the NRC is an internal matter of India and there will be no deportations to Bangladesh.

"All earlier governments as well as all parties have agreed that, according to the Assam Accord, all those Bangladeshis who have infiltrated into India after March 24, 1971, should be deported," Mahanta said.

"The main reason for the Assam Accord going for 1971 was the Indira-Mujib pact and also because all national parties did not want to go beyond that."

Mahanta said that in 1980, when he was the President of the All Assam Students Union that was spearheading the Assam Movement and Bhrigu Phukan was its General Secretary, they had submitted a memorandum to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi clearly stating that the 1951 NRC of Assam should be updated.

"The NRC is the first step that will make the process of detecting foreigners easy," Mahanta said.

He said that promises were made by the current government at the Centre at the time of the 2014 general elections that after 2016, all Bangladeshis will have to leave Assam for Bangladesh along with their belongings and that not an inch of Assam would be ceded to Bangladesh and the interests of Assam will be safeguarded.

"But none of these turned into reality on the ground. Instead, land of Assam was given to Bangladesh and steps have been taken through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to give permanent status to them (Bangladeshi infiltrators)," Mahanta said.

"So, we at the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha, are appealing to the central government not to turn this Bill into law and publish a correct NRC."

--IANS

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Former BJP ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie on Wednesday alleged that the Rafale jet deal was "unilaterally" finalized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by violating mandatory procedures, and this defence scandal was "larger than any thus far."

Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who addressed the media with the former NDA ministers, said the manner in which the order for Rafale jets was changed made for a "clear case of criminal misconduct". Besides the "gross violation of mandatory procedures," a public sector undertaking was "inexplicably dropped" from the project, he said.

Demanding a time-bound probe by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, they asked the government to come clean on the issue.

"If the Modi government had stuck to the old deal (negotiated by the UPA government), we could have already got 18 aircraft in flyaway condition and production would have started on the rest of 108 in India. But a new deal of 36 aircraft was finalized without due procedure. Ye raat ko ilhaam kahan se aaya (When did this divine revelation come)?" Shourie asked.

"A new deal was finalized without floating any fresh tenders and the public was given to believe that we would get these aircraft in ready-to-fly condition within two years. But the fact is that we will get all the 36 in batches that would complete by mid 2022."

Bhushan said the government was trying to hide behind a secret clause in order to avoid revealing the cost of each jet, but this clause did not actually pertain to prices.

He said as per the prices revealed by Dassault Aviation, the final cost of each aircraft along with weapons, equipment and technology transfer is more than double the rate finalised in the old deal.

Sinha pointed out that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which should have vetted and cleared the deal first, was "nowhere in the picture" when Modi signed the deal in April 2016, and the CCS was seized of the matter around one year after the deal had been signed.

"The CAG should complete the forensic audit of the deal within three months and place its report in the public domain. We cannot hinge our hopes on Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) as the present Lok Sabha is on its last legs and JPC cannot take it up now," Sinha said.

Asked if they would move the court in the matter, Bhushan replied in the negative, citing various reasons, including the judicial climate.

--IANS

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A youth was killed while two passersby suffered injuries when a fight broke out on a Delhi street, police said on Wednesday, adding that three persons have been arrested.

The incident occurred in the south Delhi area late on Tuesday when a group of youngsters clashed apparently over personal enmity, a police officer said.

A call was received by the Police Control Room about a man lying in a pool of blood. The caller said he had bullet and stab injuries.

"A police team reached the spot in Tigri and found the man, who was identified as Saghir. They also found the two others with gun shot injuries.

"All were taken to a nearby hospital where Saghir was declared brought dead," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said.

Three accused including two juveniles have been arrested from a hideout in Ambedkar Nagar, Baaniya said. "It was found that the victim and those nabbed are distant relatives," he said, adding that further investigations are on.

"Saghir who was sentenced in a murder case in 2017, was released from Tihar Central Jail in January on bail. The accused who belonged to a rival gang were waiting for a chance to kill the victim since then. They saw Saghir walking near a mosque on Tigri main road and opened fire on him," the officer said.

"Saghir to save his life ran at least half a kilometre but was overpowered by the accused persons near a park at the DDA flats. The accused stabbed him at least three to four times and also shot him," he said.

"A manhunt is on to nab the accused persons, as there is a possibility of the involvement of some more people in the case," he added.

--IANS

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Senior Zimbabwe opposition leader Tendai Biti has been arrested on allegations of inciting violence after the country's presidential elections, officials said on Wednesday.

Biti, a former Finance Minister and a member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was detained at Zimbabwe's border with Zambia, where he was trying to flee to in order to seek asylum, sources from the main opposition party of Zimbabwe told Efe news.

"I have reliable information that he has been arrested in Chirundu (a border post). He told our people that this is not going to discourage him from continuing the fight," MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda said.

Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa won 50.8 per cent of the vote against opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa's 44.3 per cent, in Zimbabwe's first poll in almost four decades without former leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot.

Chamisa claimed the result was false and promised to challenge it. Meanwhile, Mnangagwa is expected to take his oath of office on Sunday.

As votes were counted, Chamisa posted several messages to his Twitter account saying that, according to a parallel vote count by the MDC, he won the election and accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of voluntarily delaying the announcement of results.

Afterward, clashes broke out in Harare between opposition supporters and security forces that used live ammunition, water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, killing at least six people.

--IANS

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On August 15, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi.

This will be his fifth such address after becoming Prime Minister in 2014, and his last before he goes to seek another term in the general elections next year -- if they are held on schedule. The Independence Day address made by the Prime Minister every year is important not only because of the occasion, but also because it presents the PM a chance to inform the citizens of the state of the nation and provides a glimpse into the governments ...
The office of the 15th Finance Commission in central Delhi will now be secured by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), an official said today.

The paramilitary force that secures government ministries, departments and 60 civil airports of the country today took over security duties at the Commission's office at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan located at Tolstoy Marg, a CISF spokesperson said.

"A small contingent has been deployed for the security of the office," force spokesperson Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Hemendra Singh said.

The force would control the access to the office and will also provide it round-the-clock armed security cover against any type of threats.

The 15th Finance Commission, chaired by N K Singh, will submit its report by October 2019. It was set up in November last year.

The five-member Commission, among other things, would suggest norms for devolution of tax revenues between Centre and the states.

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As many as 2.74 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir himalayas till date, as a small batch of 237 pilgrims left Jammu today for the pilgrimage, an official said.

"On the 41st day of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, 348 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave. Till last evening, 2,74,466 pilgrims had paid their obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave, where the natural ice-shivalingam is formed," the official said.

Amid tight security, a small batch of 237 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in an escorted convoy of 14 vehicles today, according to officials.

The 60-day annual yatra commenced from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on June 28. It is scheduled to conclude on August 26, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

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Two foreigners and an Indian have been apprehended at the Delhi airport for allegedly using a fake ticket to enter the terminal area, a senior official said today.

In the first incident, Canadian national V Garg and his associate K Garg (Indian) were intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel yesterday as they were about to leave the Terminal-3 building of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the official said.

They were stopped and questioned as the exiting the terminal area is not usually permitted for passengers, he said.

The duo told the security personnel that they used a cancelled ticket to enter the terminal area to see off their relatives who were travelling to Thailand, the official said.

They were subsequently handed over to the police as their ticket was fake and charged with alleged trespass, he said.

In a similar incident yesterday, an Afghanistan national K Waziri was apprehended in a similar fashion.

Waziri, who illegally entered the terminal to see off his father, was handed over to the police, they said.

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Three Nepalese nationals including a woman were today arrested here for allegedly smuggling drugs and over eight kilogram of charas was recovered from them, police said.

The special investigative unit of Shimla Police caught the accused, Mankumari, Jai Kumar and Kharag Bahadur near a market in Theog in the capital of the hill-state, they said.

Upon searching them, 16 packets of charas weighing just over 8 kg was found in Bahadur's bag, they added.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against them and further investigation is on, they added.

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Three Pakistani-origin members of a notorious grooming gang, jailed for offences including the rape and trafficking of girls as young as 13, will be stripped of their British citizenship following a court ruling, a media report said today.

Prime Minister Theresa May, then Home Secretary, began the process in 2015 by ruling that Abdul Aziz, Adil Khan and Qari Abdul Rauf should not remain British.

The trio were among nine men jailed for offences including the rape and trafficking of young girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2012.

Court of Appeal judges rejected a legal challenge from the men, the BBC reported.

The men, who are all of Pakistani nationality, claimed the decision violated their human right to family life.

But senior judges ruled that stripping the men of their citizenship was "conducive to the public good".

Lord Justice Sales said the men were motivated by "lust and greed" which amounted to "serious organised crime".

The decision paves the way for the government's plan to deport them to Pakistan after they were released from jail.

If deportation orders are signed against the men they could have a further legal right to appeal, which could take months.

The judge who jailed the men in 2012 said victims were "raped callously, viciously and violently".

"In some cases, they were driven round Rochdale and Oldham to be made to have sex with paying customers," he said.

"All the men treated the girls as though they were worthless and beyond all respect."



Aziz, Kahn and Rauf were given jail sentences between six and nine years but have since been released on licence.

The men lost a previous legal battle to maintain British citizenship in 2017.

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Fifty-five students of a school in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district today fled from the educational institution during a physical activity, to protest the transfer of four teachers, police said.

Out of the 55 students, 45 returned to the school in Majhgaon in the evening, Superintendent of Police, Kranthi Kumar Gadidesi said.

"It was nothing serious but the girls decided to leave the school in protest against the transfer of four teachers," he said.

A police team is on the lookout for the remaining students, the officer said.

Altogether 68 students of Class 10 were out for a running activity in the morning, when 55 of them escaped from the school premises.

Police said the students were of the view that the teachers' transfer would hamper studies, as the school has a shortage of faculty.

District officials concerned had recently initiated action against the teachers, following below-average performance of the school in the 2018 matriculation examination, they said.

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Seven youths were allegedly tortured at Sanour police station near here, prompting authorities to suspend an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), police officials said today.

ASI Narinder Singh, along with a constable, intercepted seven youths, who were on their way to attend a religious function at a shrine in Patiala on Sunday, they said.

Amardeep Singh, one of the victims, alleged that the ASI was in an inebriated state and started misbehaving with them.

"When we started making videos of his unruly behaviour, the ASI took us to Sanour police station," the victim said.

In his complaint, Amardeep Singh claimed that the ASI physically tortured them and then took him to a secluded place and poured liquor into his mouth.

Describing the allegations as "serious in nature", SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu suspended ASI Narinder Singh and ordered a probe into the matter.

A Medico Legal Report (MLR) of Amardeep Singh mentioned injuries throughout his body, the officials said.

The medical report mentioned injuries on his head, neck, chest, legs and also on private parts of Amardeep Singh, they said.

According to the report, he was also given an injection, forcibly, of an unknown drug, the officials said.

Along with this, the report of another victim Nitin Mehra's MLR has also been provided. He had similar injuries on his head, neck, chest, legs and other parts, they said.

According to the victims, they were issued challans because there were three people on one bike and the pillion rider was not wearing a helmet.

Amardeep Singh claimed that they were let-off on Monday morning after "they made us sign a paper".

Meanwhile, the ASI has denied all the allegations and said the youths misbehaved with him.

AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded dismissal of the police official from the service and registration of case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and 295 A (hurting religious sentiments) of the IPC against officials involved in the incident.

"We give 48 hours of ultimatum to the government to act on our demand otherwise we will gherao Sanour police station," he said.

A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, the officials said.

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Eight officials from Goa were detained by the Karnataka Police today when they visited a site there in connection with the Mahadayi river water dispute between the two states, Goa's Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar said.

He said the eight officials of his department were released after being questioned by the Karnataka Police who, he claimed, also told them not to visit the site without proper permission from the district authorities concerned.

"Eight officials from our team, which visited the site where Karnataka has blocked the Mahadayi river water, were detained by the Karnataka Police," Palyekar told PTI.

"The action of detaining the government officers who were on duty is condemnable," the minister said.

Palyekar said he has asked the Goa Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister P Krishnamurthy to speak to his counterpart in Karnataka in connection with the matter.

Karnataka and Goa, the riparian states of the Mahadayi (known as Mandovi in Goa), have been locked in a bitter battle over sharing of the water of the river, which originates at Belagavi in Karnataka.

The matter is pending before the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal.

The Goa government had alleged last month that Karnataka was diverting the river water to its Malaprabha basin.

Last year, the Supreme Court had ordered Karnataka to stop the work on construction of a canal, which was aimed at diverting water from the Mahadayi tributary.

Goa claimed that it had photographic evidence to support its claim that the work had begun.

However, Karnataka had rejected the claim saying there was no such activity.

In January this year, the Goa government had told the tribunal that Karnataka was demanding Mahadayi river water for irrigating its sugarcane crop areas.

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Tripura Police have arrested nine people, including the owner of a factory engaged in producing adulterated cough syrup at Arundhatinagar area here.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided a house at Mission Road yesterday and arrested the nine people, AIG (Law and Order), Smriti Ranajan Das said.

Police recovered a large quantity of raw materials used for manufacturing the adulterated cough syrup, Das said.

The syrup is mostly smuggled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where it is used as an intoxicant.

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Two days after 15 Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, the state Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today alleged that it was a fake encounter, a claim which the police denied.

Fifteen rebels were killed in a gun battle after security forces raided a naxal camp near Nulkatong village on August 6.

Chhattisgarh AAP secretary Uttam Jaiswal claimed that the deceased were "innocent villagers" who were working in the fields.

"It was a fake encounter," he said at a press conference here.

AAP's Adivasi Morcha (tribal wing) head Soni Sori met relatives of the slain persons yesterday, he said.

Jaiswal also claimed that as per the villagers, six of those killed were between 13 to 15 years old.

The AAP has formed a four-member fact-finding committee which will visit the village tomorrow, he said, demanding that the government institute a judicial inquiry.

Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena dubbed the AAP leader's allegations as "false and fabricated".

The slain persons had played a key role in Maoist attacks in Sukma district in the past, Meena said.

"Members of three militias of Maoists had gathered there. They had summoned some Sangham (lower-level Naxal cadre) members from village Nulkatong to get food and to deliver some letters to other naxals. None of the Sangham members were killed in the encounter. They were not armed, so the security forces did not fire on them," he said.

Meena also said that there were no fields within 2 km radius of the encounter spot, so there was no question of villagers engaged in farm work being killed.

Village Gompad, from where most of the killed ultras hailed, is about 10 km away from the encounter site, he said.

"We have asked media persons and others to go to the encounter spot to see the reality," he added.

Madkam Deva, who was arrested after the encounter, was a notorious naxal and was wanted for many years, Meena said.

As to the age of the slain persons, Meena said thirteen of them were above 19 years old. Two others were smaller in height, and medical report was awaited to ascertain their age, he said.

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The Centre today favoured in the Supreme Court the retention of penal law on adultery, saying that it is a public wrong which causes mental and physical injury to the spouse, children and the family.

The submissions were made before a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra by the Centre in its 17-page written note given to it by Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand.

"It is an action willingly and knowingly done with the knowledge that it would hurt the spouse, the children and the family. Such intentional action which impinges on the sanctity of marriage and sexual fidelity encompassed in marriage, which forms the backbone of the Indian society, has been classified and defined by the Indian State as a criminal offence in exercise of its Constitution powers," the Centre said.

It said that adultery is not an action that affected just two people and it was a "tripartite interplay" in which the ones who gets the most aggrieved often have no idea about the actions of the adulterous couple.

The Centre said the previous judicial decisions challenging the vires of Section 497 have been dismissed on the ground that adultery is an offence against marriage.

Referring to the findings of the Malimath Committee, it said that the panel in its report has held that the object of this section is to preserve the sanctity of the marriage.

"The decriminalisation of adultery will result in weakening the sanctity of a marital bond and will result in laxity in the marital bond in a state where many women are still dependent on their spouses for their own as well as the survival of their children," the Centre said.

Adultery is a criminal offence in 17 countries including 20 States in United States of America including New York, Massachussets etc, it added.

"The Constitution empowers the Centre and states to legislate on criminal law and the Centre has exercised its powers in defining adultery and bigamy as criminal offences under the Penal Code. Judicial review will therefore be available only on the grounds of established violation of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the constitution.

"It is important to remember that the context of Section 497 IPC is that only the outsider to the marriage can be punished," it said.

Adultery is a crime "against marriage and society" and thus the "act of adultery is a criminal offence as it affects the matrimonial right of a spouse. The act of adultery causes mental injury," it said.

Women are exempted from punishment for the offence, it said.

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A 14-month-old lion, who recently suffered a paralysis attack, died during treatment at the city-based Kamala Nehru Park today, an official said.

The lion, named Sultan, had suffered a hind limb paralysis three days ago and was undergoing treatment, zoo in-charge Uttam Yadav said.

"Over the last couple of days, the lion had stopped eating. Despite the best efforts by veterinary doctors, he could not be saved," the official added.

The post-mortem was conducted by government veterinary doctors and the cause of Sultan's death will be known once the report is submitted, Yadav said.

Sultan was an Asiatic lion and born in the municipal corporation-run zoo, he said adding that after his death, there are four lionesses and six lions left in the zoo.

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Airbnb, a home rental website that provides holiday rooms on rent or lease to tourists worldwide, has scrapped a contest offering winners a chance to spend a night on the iconic Great Wall of China after the government declined to approve the plan following opposition from netizens.

The website launched the contest last week, inviting users to write about breaking down cultural barriers and building new connections. Four winners were to get a chance to spend the night in a customised bedroom built in an ancient watchtower of the Wall.

"We understand and respect the opinions put forth by the Cultural Commission," the room-booking app provider said in a statement on China's Twitter-like service Weibo yesterday.

The statement, in Chinese, came in response to comments from the Beijing Yanqing Cultural Commission, which said on Monday that it did not support the project as it "is not in line with the Great Wall's heritage conservation values," Hong Kong-based the South China Morning Post reported today.

The government bureau, which is responsible for the popular Badaling section of the wall, said it had never approved any plans for the project from any organisation.

The Airbnb statement said it had been in talks with "relevant parties" over several months before launching the promotion.

"We have made the decision to not move forward with this event," it said in a separate statement in English yesterday, adding that it had apologised to those who had already entered the competition.

The Cultural Commission declined to comment on the issue.

China introduced a law in 2006 to protect the 2,600-year-old Great Wall, part of which prohibits the building of any structures on it that are not part of an official conservation effort.

Airbnb's plan to convert a watchtower into a bedroom had upset many Chinese netizens.

"The Great Wall is a historic relic How can they let it be turned into a common guest house?" a person wrote on Weibo.

The company said last week that "protecting historical and cultural relics was the original intention of our activity".

The 21000-km-long Great Wall of China is one of the modern seven wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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John Abraham has been working in films for nearly 15 years and has several commercially and critically acclaimed films to his credit but the actor says he had to "prove himself" at every point in his career.

Even though he garnered success in films like "Dhoom", "Dostana", "New York", "Dishoom", "Parmanu", "Madras Cafe" among others, he was often criticised for his acting skills, primarily due to his modeling background.

"When you are a newcomer you always have to prove yourself. I always had to prove myself at every point, even after 'Parmanu'. I don't hold any grudges. I have a beautiful relationship with the industry.

"I was the captain in my school at the forefront of doing things. I always had an identity of myself. This very strong sense of self has put me in a situation today where I never wanted to be a part of any entourage or any camp. I have survived that way," John told PTI.

It is being said that for outsiders it is important to network in the industry to get good work. But John says going to parties or manufacturing a relationship was never his style.

"In Bollywood, if you try too hard to make a relationship work, it won't happen. I don't try. My relationships with people are organic. I don't try too hard to be someone's friend."



His choice of films as a producer from "Vicky Donor" to "Madras Cafe" to "Parmanu" has been lauded by audiences and John, 45, feels happy about this positive change in viewers who can "sniff out" a good movie.

"Honest content-driven films are surviving. Audience can sniff out a good and a bad film. You can manipulate the audience to get a massive opening. I am one of those few people who does not believe in the opening of the film," he says.

"I believe in the Monday of the film. Your film is only good if it will last two or three weeks. That's what we as actors, producers, directors shy away from because we are scared to accept failures."



His next, "Satyameva Jayate" helmed by Milap Zaveri, is also a content-driven story, told in a massy, entertaining way, he says.

"'Satyameva Jayate' is today's representation of the angry young man thing that happened when Amitabh Bachchan sir came out. It resonates with what happens in society today.

"There is a lot of anger which exists in the society. The world is being polarised. There are fringe elements, extremism but the father of it all is corruption. We are talking about that," he says.

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The Madras High Court has directed the DGP to appoint an officer in the rank of IGP to conduct an inquiry against Selaiyur police for registering a false case to protect the 'correspondent' of a private school from criminal proceedings against him.

The matter relates to the death of a seven-year-old girl on July 25, 2012, who slipped through a hole on the floor of the school bus while returning home and the rear wheels ran over her.

Justice P N Prakash directed the sessions court at Chengalpattu to expedite the trial relating to the student's death.

A case was registered against the bus driver and against the Management of Zion School, including Vijayan.

The trial was set to commence at the I Additional District and Sessions Judge, Chengalpattu when Vijayan approached the court for quashing the proceedings against him.

Vijayan earlier filed a complaint before the Selaiyur Police Station against another accused Yogesh Sylvera for allegedly manipulating the documents relating to the bus.

The police inspector filed a charge sheet before the judicial magistrate at Tambaram against Sylvera alleging that he was running the bus after manipulating the documents.

Following this, Vijayan sought quashing of proceedings before the sessions court.

The judge said Vijayan, in collusion with S-15 Selayur Police Station, has created false evidence to subvert the process of justice.

"Hence, this Court quashes the entire prosecution at the Selayur police station and proceedings in Judicial Magistrate Court, Tambaram."



The court directed the DGP to appoint an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police to conduct an inquiry into the entire circumstances under which the investigation was conducted by S-15 Selayur Police and take appropriate action in accordance with law.

The judge directed the sessions court at Chengalpatu to expedite the trial relating to the student's death.

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The Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) has busted one arms racket, unearthed an illegal arms manufacturing unit near the city and arrested two persons, a senior officer of the Force said today.

Two STF arrested the two persons from Rabindra Sarani in the northern part of the city late Monday night following intelligence inputs.

After they two who hailed from Bihar and Jharkhand were questioned, the personnel of the force found an illegal arms factory in North 24 Parganas district's Agarpara area, the officer said.

A sari shop was being used as a front for arms manufacturing unit.

"A raid is being conducted and possibly there will be a good number of half-made arms to be found from that factory," the officer said.

Arms manufacturing equipment including a lathe machine were found in that unit.

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Army chief General Bipin Rawat today visited the Brahmastra Corps at Panagarh in West Bengal to take stock of operational preparedness of the formation.

The Army chief was briefed by Lieutenant General P N Rao, General Officer Commanding, Brahmastra Corps on operational and administrative preparedness of the formation.

Accompanied by Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, the Chief of Army staff interacted with senior military commanders and took a first-hand assessment on ground.

Appreciating the high standards of operational readiness of the formation, the General expressed his utmost confidence over the capability of the Brahmastra Corps to meet any emerging challenges.

The Army Chief, during his visit also interacted with officers and soldiers and praised them for their professionalism and exhorted the troops to continue to work with zeal and dedication and overcome all challenges in future.

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The Army has flagged off a mountaineering expedition from Nagrota Military Station here to Mount Mentok Kangri in eastern Ladakh.

General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps, Lieutenant General Saranjit Singh flagged off the team comprising two officers, two Junior Commissioned Officers and 14 other ranks led by Major Vikas Rathore yesterday, a defence spokesman said today.

He said the team would undertake the daunting task of summiting Mount Mentok Kangri, located at an altitude of 21,000 feet.

The summit is considered to be a challenging mountaineering expedition in trekkers ' circle and the team is well prepared and motivated for the expedition, the spokesman said.

He said the team has undergone a training of two weeks to hone up their mountaineering skills and is confident of scaling Mentok Kangri.

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The Army today paid floral tributes to four of its personnel, including a Major, who lost their lives in a gunbattle with militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

Late Major Kaustubh Prakash Kumar Rane, Rifleman Hameer Singh, Rifleman Mandeep Singh Rawat and Gunner Vikram Jeet Singh sustained bullet injuries during the operation in Kanzalwan, Gurez of Bandipora district.

They were provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital here but succumbed to injuries.

Army paid a befitting tribute to four of its comrades who made the supreme sacrifice during counter infiltration operations on 7 August in Gurez sector in which two terrorists were eliminated, Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said here.

He said in a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment here, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen A K Bhatt, and all ranks paid homage to the martyrs on behalf of a proud nation.

In a show of solidarity, the spokesman said, Director General of Jammu and Pashmir Police, S P Vaid, and representatives from other security agencies also joined in to pay their last respects.

Major Rane (29) had joined the Army in 2011 and hailed from Thane, Maharashtra. He is survived by wife and a son, the spokesman said, adding Rifleman Singh (28) had joined the Army in 2011 and hailed from Pohkhriyal Gaon, Dunda Tehsil, Uttar Kashi, Uttarakhand. Singh is survived by wife and a daughter.

Rifleman Rawat (26) had joined the Army in 2012. He belonged to village Shivpur of Kotdwar in Uttarakhand and is survived by his mother, while Gunner Singh (25) had joined the Army in 2014 and belonged to village Tepla of Brara Tehsil in Ambala, Haryana and is survived by wife, the spokesman said.

"The mortal remains of the martyrs were flown for last rites to their native places, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their dignity and well being, he said.

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Australia remains committed to concluding a high-quality free trade agreement with India, its envoy Harinder Sidhu said today.

Sidhu was speaking at the release of a policy document on ways to enhance economic ties -- "An India Economic Strategy to 2035: Navigating from Potential to Delivery".

The report was authored by Peter Varghese, former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and former high commissioner to India.

"I want to stress that Australia remains committed to concluding a high-quality FTA with India. However, the bandwidth for contemplating a three-dimensional economic relationship between Australia and India has often been overtaken by the intense focus on FTA negotiations," the envoy said.

"This strategy (stated in the report) takes a deliberately long-term approach out to 2035," she added.

Sidhu said ties between the two countries are doing well, but it will need a significant step change to get closer to its full potential.

India still represents only 3.6 per cent (AUD 27.4 billion two-way) of Australia's global trade, while China, by comparison, is at 24 per cent (AUD 183 bn), she said.

"It is worth asking why we went to the trouble of commissioning a study such as this. The short answer is simple, it's because India matters to Australia. A key conclusion of the strategy is that there is no market over the next 20 years that offers more opportunity to Australia," Sidhu said.

India's economy is already the world's third largest in PPP terms and if the strategy's assumption is used, that India will grow at between 6-8 per cent annually over the next 20 years, then the potential is enormous, she said.

In June, India and Australia agreed on a high quality and balanced FTA between the two nations.

The negotiation for the pact, officially dubbed as Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Australia was started in 2011 to provide fillip to trade and investment between the two countries.

Several rounds of negotiations have been completed for liberalising trade and services regime, besides removing non-tariff barriers and encouraging investments.

But both the sides are yet to resolve issues pertaining to goods and services.

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Congress MP B K Hariprasad will be the opposition's candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson, sources said today.

Several opposition parties, who have joined hands against the BJP, decided to field a joint candidate to take on the NDA nominee, Harivansh Narayan Singh of the JD(U), for the August 9 election.

Today is the last date for filing of nominations.

Sixty-four-year-old Hariprasad is a Congress member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

The Congress decided to field its nominee as the joint opposition candidate after the other parties in the opposition bloc chose not to nominate their members.

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Prof Baidyanath Labh has been appointed the vice-chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (NNM) University Bihar, according to an order issued today by the Personnel Ministry.

Labh, at present, is a professor at the Department of Buddhist Studies in Jammu University.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years, it said.

The government of Bihar had established a research institute called "Magadh Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Pali and Allied Languages and Buddhist Learning" at Nalanda in 1951. It later came to be known as Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (NNM).

In November 2006, the University Grant Commission accorded it the status of a deemed to be University. It's present campus, about 100 km from Patna, is close to the ruins of the ancient University of Nalanda.

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The Delhi High Court today decriminalised begging in the national capital, saying the penal provisions in the law were unconstitutional and deserved to be struck down.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the provisions of the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act which treats begging as an offence, cannot sustain constitutional scrutiny.

The bench also said that the inevitable consequence of this verdict would be that



the prosecutions under the Act against those who are alleged to have committed the offence of begging, would be liable to be struck down.

"The power to do so would, however, appropriately vest in the courts seized of such prosecutions, and we, therefore, limit ourselves to observing that the fate of such prosecutions, if any, would have to abide by the present judgement, and our observations and findings contained herein," the court said in a 23-page judgement.

It said the state is at liberty to bring in alternative legislation to curb any racket of forced begging after undertaking an empirical examination on the sociological and economic aspect of the matter.

The high court's verdict came on two PILs by Harsh Mander and Karnika Sawhney seeking to decriminalise begging and for basic human and fundamental rights of beggars in the national capital.

The central government had said it cannot decriminalise begging and there were sufficient checks and balances in the Act which criminalises begging.

While striking down a total of 25 sections of the Act, the high court said "these provisions either treat begging as an offence, committed by the beggar, or deals with ancillary issues such as powers of officers to deal with the said offence, the nature of enquiry to be conducted therein, punishments and penalties to be awarded for the offence. the institutions to which such 'offenders' could be committed and procedures following the awarding of sentence for committing the said offence.

"These provisions, in our view, cannot sustain constitutional scrutiny and, therefore, deserve to be struck down."



It said the remaining provisions of the Act, which do not directly or indirectly criminalise begging, or relate to the 'offence' of begging, such as section 11 ( penalty for employing or causing persons to beg or using them for purposes of begging) and other provisions which deal with the nature of offences under the Act, appeals, the power to frame rules and removal of difficulties, would not be required to be struck down and are therefore, maintained.

During the hearings earlier, the court had asked how begging could be an offence in a country where the government is unable to provide food or jobs.

The petitioners had also sought basic amenities, such as proper food and medical facilities, at all homes for beggars in the city.

They had challenged the constitutional validity of the provisions of the Act which made begging an offence, in relation to Delhi.

The Centre and the AAP government had in October 2016 told the court that the Ministry of Social Justice had drafted a bill to decriminalise begging and rehabilitate beggars and homeless people. But the proposal to amend the legislation was later dropped.

Currently, there is no central law on begging and destitution and most states have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which criminalised begging, or have modelled their laws on it.

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China has increased the maximum speed of the bullet trains on the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway to 350 kilometres per hour, reducing the inter-city travel time by five minutes.

The increase in speed will shorten travel time between Beijing South Railway Station and Tianjin Railway Station from 35 minutes to 30 minutes with no price difference in fares.

China's railway operator said yesterday the speed of Fuxing (Rejuvenation) bullet trains running on the Beijing-Tianjin intercity will increase to 350 kph starting today.

Designed and manufactured in China, the Fuxing trains debuted on the Beijing-Shanghai line on June 26, 2017. The newest trains are more spacious, reliable and energy-efficient and have a longer service life than previous models.

China currently has the world's longest high-speed rail network, with 22,000 kilometres within the country linking various top cities.

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Italian motorcycle maker Benelli, owned by China's QianJiang group, is planning to roll out as many as 12 bikes in the country by next year as it seeks to tap the fast growing 300-cc and above segment.

The first bike will be launched in October this year.

"We plan to come out with a total of 12 models from now till next year. This year we have two new models - Benelli TRK 50O and the Benelli Leoncino 500 - which have a total of four versions on road," said Dante Bustos, senior director marketing and communication for Americas, Asia and Africa regions, Benelli.

For the next year, the company plans to bring another two more versions with different engines, he said, adding, "We are also planning to bring in the new model of Imperiale 400 and 530 to India."



The firm has recently signed an initial pact with Telangana government and Adishwar Auto Ride International (AARI), a subsidiary of Mahavir Group, for setting a local manufacturing facility.

The facility, with an initial capacity of 7,000 bikes per year, will be located near Hyderabad where the complete knock-down (CKD) units would be assembled. However, the capacity can be increased depending on the demand.

The partnership entitles Adishwar to assemble, manufacture bikes and import exclusive range of the bikes from Italy and Southeast Asian regions.

Benelli had earlier also partnered with Pune-based DSK Motowheels of DSK group for marketing its bikes in the country with engine capacities in 250cc to 1,200cc range which was discontinued after an alleged fraud by the group.

When asked about the investment on product and network development, Bustos did not disclose the investment, saying, "It is too early to talk about."



Meanwhile, Bustos also said that the company will set up a research and development facility in the country, which will initially cater to the local market needs, but may be used for global product development as well going forward.

"We consider India as a hub for innovation and software development in the world and we want to use this resource as part of our new team to integrate new digital solutions to connect motorcycles, users and factories with the dealers, in a totally different way," he said.

Benelli Adiswar Auto Ride India's managing director, Vikas Jhabakh, said that the firm was aiming to nearly double the volumes and grab a 30 per cent market share in the first year of its operations.

"We sold a total of 5,300 bikes between 2015 and 2017 or on an average 1,700 units per year, with an accumulated market share of 21 per cent. Now we are expecting to sell around 3,000 units in the first year of operations and take the market share to 30 per cent," he said.

This would be achieved through a combination of increased footprints across the country, the new product portfolio, expanded network and renewed focus on marketing, he added.

"We currently have 18 dealerships and plan to have 20 more touch points by 2019, and will be adding another 20 by the end of 2020. So by the end of 2020, we hope to have 55-60 touch points across the country," said Jhabakh.

Established in 1911, Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturer and has a presence in over 60 countries.

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Former prime minister on Wednesday said the best is yet to come for the National Stock Exchange (NSE), a bourse which he inaugurated as a finance minister 25 years ago.

Referring to the commencement of NSE's operations in 1994, he said that was the time for thinking aloud about the future of the country and there were many sceptics including those in the financial sector.

"It is a good fortune of our country that the sceptics have been proved wrong," Singh, who is widely regarded as the architect of India's economic reforms, said.

Speaking at the exchange's silver jubilee celebrations here, he recalled that NSE was inaugurated by him as finance minister in 1994.

The reforms of 1991 and the subsequent reforms have laid the foundation for India emerging as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, he said.

Singh further said NSE has been an institution of great national importance and played a critical role in the transformation of India's capital and also in building trust in



"I am sure NSE will continue to contribute towards the objective of both market development for financing India's economic growth and integration of Indian economy with the global economy," he added.

A message by President Ram Nath Kovind was also read out at the event. He was scheduled to attend the event but opted out citing his busy schedule.

"NSE is one of the largest and most important financial institutions in India. NSE has been playing a pivotal role in providing a stable, transparent and globally trusted market platform that has encouraged Indian and global investors to trust the Indian capital markets," the message noted.

"I hope NSE will continue to highlight the Indian growth story, improve investor awareness and, in the process, give a further fillip to the culture of household savings in India," Kovind said in the message.



Niti Aayog Vice Chairman said the best period for the Indian economy is yet to unfold as India has only two per cent of households which invest into the capital markets, compared to 40 per cent in developed like the US.

He exuded confidence that NSE will be a power driver in retail penetration going forward.

Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also graced the exchange's silver jubilee celebrations.
Nine policemen including an inspector attached to the Ankleshwar Rural police station in Bharuch district were suspended today for dereliction of duty following a raid on a gambling den.

Superintendent of Police Rajendrasinh Chudasama ordered their suspension, a police release said.

The state monitoring cell had yesterday raided a gambling den at Bhadi village in the district.

The cell works directly under the Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) Shivanand Jha.

During the raid, officials arrested 19 persons and seized cash, vehicles and mobiles worth Rs 25.52 lakh.

The SP today suspended nine policemen, holding that it was the local police's failure to curb the illegal activities in the area.

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Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said Bhutan's Druk Airlines will commence a new flight connecting Guwahati and Paro via Singapore from September 1.

"Consequent upon the recent bilateral talks with Bhutan, the Druk Airlines will start its flight operations between Guwahati and Paro via Singapore from September 1," Sonowal said at an event here.

He, however, did not share further detail.

"The Act East Policy announced by the Centre has also peeped to make Assam the gateway to ASEAN countries. Under such scenario, students of the state can reap rich dividends by empowering themselves through available opportunities given by the system of education in the state," Sonowal said.

On August 2, Bhutan Consul General Phub Tshering met Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi discussed about the flight operations issue, apart from other things related to bilateral interests like trade, commerce and tourism.

Mukhi had requested increasing the frequency of flight from Guwahati to Paro connecting Singapore.

On August 5, Mukhi had informed that he had discussions with the Bangladesh President during his visit here and informed about plans to start a flight from Dhaka to Guwahati.

Under the Udaan scheme, 92 new flights have been sanctioned for North East, out of which around 10 have already started operations and all North East capitals will be directly connected with Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.

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Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal accused Brajesh Thakur today denied having any close links with Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma.

He was produced in a special POCSO court here, along with nine other accused arrested in the case.

Talking to channels outside the court, Thakur claimed that he was being "framed" in the case.

Thakur, whose NGO ran the shelter home, has been in jail for the past two months.

Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma is in the eye of the storm ever since the name of her husband cropped up in the sex scandal case at the Muzaffarpur shelter home.

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The BJP alleged that the car of state party leader Samik Bhattacharya was today attacked by miscreants in Nadia district while he was on way to attend a meeting.

Bhattacharya, a former BJP MLA was on his way to attend a party meeting at Chakdaha when his car was attacked by miscreants near Chakdaha. The rear windscreen of the car was damaged in the attack, Jagannath Sarkar, president of BJP Nadia south unit said.

A police officer said "we have received information about that black flags shown to a BJP leader but no information about BJP leader's car attacked near Chakdaha."



Sarkar said the party has not lodged any police complaint about Bhattacharya's car being attacked by miscreants.

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No "lapse" has been found on the part of the Delhi Police in connection with a 'dharna' led by Opposition leader Vijender Gupta outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office in June, the Delhi Assembly was informed today.

The general administration department of the Delhi government said this in response to a question on the dharna.

The department shared a report of the assistant commissioner of police (GNCT Security) which read, "Delhi Police has been assigned the external security of Delhi Secretariat i.e. entry access control whereas the internal security of the building is looked after by the private security."



The report also said that all the locks and keys of the entire building (Delhi Secretariat) are "under the jurisdiction of private security".

"There is no lapse on the part of Delhi Police staff," it read.

Gupta, BJP leaders Parvesh Verma, Jagdish Pradhan, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra had in June sat on dharna outside the office of Chief Minister Kejriwal, who along with four cabinet colleagues was protesting at the L-G office. The BJP leaders and Mishra were demanding that Kejriwal join work.

Earlier in the day, Gupta alleged at a press conference that the AAP government had asked the Delhi Police to file an FIR to probe the dharna.

"The Delhi government and the AAP are taking repressive steps out of nervousness due to all-round attack by the Opposition. The government has created an almost emergency situation.

"It has swooped down upon Opposition in the most undemocratic ways," Gupta told reporters here.

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The state unit of the BJP has appealed to the Kolkata Police to grant permission to fly a drone for mass surveillance during party president Amit Shah's rally in the city on August 11.

The saffron party, which has become wary after a tent collapsed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Midnapore rally in June, also appealed to the police to allow the use of walkie-talkies during Saturday's rally.

Over 90 people were injured on June 16 after a section of a tent caved in during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at a public rally in West Bengal's Midnapore.

"We have applied for permission from the Kolkata Police for using one drone during Amit Shahji's rally on Saturday. Drones will help us in keeping an eye on the proceedings in and around the rally area. This is merely for security reasons," West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh told PTI today.

The party is trying to take precautionary measures to avoid another untoward event, he said.

"We have also sought permission for walkie-talkies for the Saturday rally as it would help in keeping a tab on the ground situation," Ghosh added.

A senior officer of Kolkata Police, however, said nothing has been decided on the issue.

"We are yet to make a decision on the request made by the BJP. A detailed report, stating the reasons, is required before granting permission for drone use," the officer said.

The Kolkata Police will provide foolproof security arrangements during Saturday's rally, keeping in mind Shah's stature as a political leader, he stated.

There will be two daises at the rally venue on Mayo road, in the heart of the city, the officer said, taking a cue from the rally arrangement plans submitted by the BJP to the Kolkata Police.

"One will be for Shah and senior leaders of the party while the second one will be for other functionaries. We are taking all forms of security measures for it," he stressed.

The BJP had earlier alleged that the administration denied them permission to hold a rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in central Kolkata.

Amid speculations, Shah, too, had said he does not need the Bengal government's permission to come to Kolkata and dared the state administration to arrest him.

Refuting the allegation, Kolkata Police clarified that it did not receive any application for any rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue.

"Some unwarranted speculation on 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," it had said in a tweet.

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BJP's Telangana unit has demanded the government publish the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Hyderabad and Telangana to identify foreigners who are illegally staying in the city and state.

"In this state, in Hyderabad also, our government should constitute Assam-like NRC and Indian citizens in Telangana state and Hyderabad should be identified and those who are not Indian citizens should be made public.

"As part of that, I feel the process of detection, deletion, deportation should be continued," state BJP president K Laxman has said.

He demanded state Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to release a white paper about foreigners who came in illegally.

The government has all the necessary information as it had conducted an intensive household survey (four years ago), Laxman said here yesterday.

Talking about instances of alleged terror-related elements that surfaced in Hyderabad, he said the city was a centre for spread of terror ideology.

The city became a "safe zone" for Rohingyas because of AIMIM, he alleged.

"The Rohingyas are not refugees. They came in illegally...Even Islamic countries are alert about them and controlling them, but the Rohingyas are not only continuing as citizens, they are obtaining ration cards and Aadhaar cards at many places in Hyderabad," he said.

He demanded that the government make public the details of all foreigners who are illegally staying in Hyderabad and Telangana.

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The present government needs a "Vajpayee touch" to come up with a winning pre-election coalition in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Naresh Gujral said on Thursday.

Gujral, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, was speaking at the launch of book "Newsman: Tracking India in the Modi Era" written by veteran journalist

"The success of the NDA will depend on the kind of a pre-election coalition that they are able to stich up. If they are able to carry their existing partners and some more. It is important that the treat their allies with kid gloves. This is where a Vajpayee touch is required."

"I am sure the Shiv Sena will stay with them, provided they do not demand more seats from them. I am sure Nitish Kumar would want his number of seats, and I am sure we will refuse if they ask us (SAD) even one more seat," he said.

Though the topic of discussion was 'Who will win 2019 elections?' Gujral, while recounting the NDA's 2014 comprehensive win in the general elections, said it was the last-moment coalition with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that made the touch the 282 mark.

"Last time, at the last moment, we were able to bring in N Chandrababu Naidu and he was a force multiplier. Personally, I think the BJP would not have been able to touch the 282 mark had Naidu not joined the coalition," the SAD leader said.

Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had on March 16 ended its four-year-long alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA over the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The debate, which had panellists from different parties including Rajasthan President Sachin Pilot, AIMIM chief Asaduddin and BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, among others, saw many expressing their opinions on the question of Prime Minister Narendra Modi versus who in the

While argued that "regional parties" will counter the Modi juggernaut in 2019 and not Congress's Rahul Gandhi, according to Pilot, the upcoming elections would be about issues and not individuals.

"BJP will try its utmost best to have a contest between Modi and Rahul , and if that happens then Modi is on a very stronger wicket. Once the regional parties come forward... and they are coming forward, Modi will definitely lose," said.

However, arguing that this time issues will surmount the personality-centric elections -- the one that the country saw in 2014 -- Pilot said today more important question is not who is going to win the election but who is losing this election, and that is the "NDA and the BJP".

"You can try make it presidential personality centric, but ultimately the issues will surmount and it will not be about individuals. Today, it is safe to say that the people of India are going to judge the issues, the delivery, the rehtoric, the jhumlas vs what has actually happen on the ground and in my mind Modi's effort as prime minister will be squarely accounted," Pilot said.

When the same question was put to Gujral, whose party SAD is part of the NDA, he replied the question is not that relevant because 2004 was about "Vajpayee vs who and yet Mr Vajpayee lost".
The Kolkata Police Special Task Force (STF) today arrested a member of the terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) from Jharkhand for his alleged involvement in the Bodh Gaya blast case, an officer said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of the STF arrested 26-year-old Dilwar Hasan alias Ali Hasan alias Umar, a resident of Malda district in West Bengal, from Pakur district of Jharkhand, he said.

"Dilwar is an active member of the JMB. We have arrested him this afternoon from Sidhu Kanu More in Pakuria police station limits in Jharkhand for his involvement in the Bodh Gaya blast case that took place earlier this year," he said.

He was booked under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences), 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) and Explosive Substances Act, the IPS officer said.

A low-intensity bomb had exploded on January 19 this year, hours after Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama had finished a sermon at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya.

A mobile phone, a voter card and an Aadhaar card were seized from Dilwar, though both the cards appeared to be fake, he said adding that a bill for purchasing a phone was also seized from him.

The NIA had arrested yesterday two residents of West Bengal from Kerala's Malappuram district for their alleged involvement in the blast.

Earlier, in April it had arrested three others in connection with the same case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The body of a 23-year-old man was found today near the Safiabad border in Delhi's Narela area with severe injury marks on his face and head, police said.

The deceased, identified as Karan, was a resident of Safiyabad, Haryana. Yesterday, he left home at 10 pm, a senior officer said.

The police said they were informed about the body lying near the Safiabad border at 6:50 am.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, police said. PTI AMP.

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The Rafale deal is a case of "monumental criminal misconduct" by the NDA government and the scam involving it is much bigger than the Bofors scandal, former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie alleged today, demanding a time-bound probe into the contract by national auditor CAG.

Sinha and Shourie, addressing a press conference along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, raised a number of questions over the Rs 58,000 crore deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The trio, known as strong critics of the NDA government, also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of single-handedly changing the parameters of the deal and that there was gross violation of mandatory procedures in finalising the contract.

The entire deal was a "textbook case of criminal misconduct, of misuse of public office and of enriching parties at the expense of the national interest and national security", they alleged, adding there was an "effort" by the government to "conceal" facts.

The Congress has been accusing massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government for the procurement of 126 Rafale jets. The deal negotiated by the UPA could not be inked.

The trio also rejected government's contention that the prices of the aircraft have gone up due to India-specific add-ons and weapons systems, citing a joint statement by India and France during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Paris in 2015.

They said the joint statement mentioned that the aircraft and the associated systems and weapons would be delivered to India on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by Indian Air Force for the deal negotiated for procurement of 126 jets under the UPA government.

Shourie alleged that there had been "gross misuse of office" by which the original project for the acquisition of 126 fighter aircraft had been "sabotaged".

"I can tell you, as a person who handled the matter with regards to Bofors, that Bofors was absolutely nothing compared to this (Rafale scam). There was never a sudden change (in the deal) like this in which you suddenly give up the entire project," the former minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government said.

The Congress has also been pressing for price details of the deal but the NDA government has refused to divulge them citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. The government has asserted that there were no irregularities in the deal.

"I would suggest, on our behalf, that the audit which Comptroller and Auditor General was supposed to take up, that should be a forensic audit and it should be completed within three months," said Sinha, adding "It is a huge scam. Bofors pales into insignificance before this scam."



The Bofors scandal involving procurement of howitzer guns in late 1980s had rocked the then Rajiv Gandhi government.

Terming the Rafale deal as the "biggest defence scam" that this country has seen so far, Bhushan alleged that it involved a loss of at least 35,000 crore to the public exchequer.

The trio said the ever-shifting statements of the ministers of defence, invoking of secrecy clauses in the contract and the inexplicable dropping of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), from the project were among the factors which convinced them of the deal being "a major scandal".

"We are convinced that this is an enormous scandal that jeopardises national security and hence we feel the government must reveal the facts, especially the facts in relation to what the whole deal is going to cost the public exchequer," Shourie said.

"We hope that the opposition parties will relentlessly pursue this matter, the way the BJP had pursued Bofors at that time. With the same tenacity, the opposition parties must pursue the matter," he said.

The three leaders also accused the government of benefitting Reliance Defence, saying that the company which was under Rs 8,000 crore in debt and had no experience in making aircraft was involved under mandatory offset obligations of the French firm.

Strongly rejecting the charges, CEO of Reliance Defence and Aerospace Rajesh K Dhingra said no contract has been given to any Reliance Group company by the Ministry of Defence related to the purchase of the 36 Rafale aircraft.

"As all 36 aircraft are to be delivered 'fly-away', to be manufactured in France by Dassault and exported to India, how is the question of experience in manufacturing aircraft relevant here?," he asked.

Under India's offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.

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Actor Angelina Jolie has claimed that former husband Brad Pitt is not paying enough child support for their six children.

In the court documents filed by Jolie, the actor claimed that Pitt has not paid any "meaningful" child support for their six children -- Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne -- in a year and a half and has asked the court to make him pay.

"(Pitt) has a statutory duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation," Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, writes in the legal documents.

"Given that the informal arrangements around the payment of the children's expenses have not been regularly sustained by (Pitt) for over a year and a half, (Jolie) intends to file an RFO (request for a court order) for the establishment of a retroactive child support order," the documents state.

A source close to Pitt, however, said that he "has fulfilled his commitments", according to The Los Angeles Times.

Jolie, 43, filed for divorce from Pitt, 54, in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

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Cholera and diarrhoea cases have gone up in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, with the local government hospital having received 650 patients in the last four months only, a senior official said today.

Yavatmal Government Medical College and Hospital dean Dr Manish Shrigiriwar said the number of patients shot up during April to August 8.

He said 13 patients were admitted in the hospital today, taking the number of in-house patients of diarrhoea and cholera to 51.

"We have opened special wards for the patients suffering from cholera and diarrhoea," the dean said.

When asked about the inflow of patients suffering from passive inhalation of farm pesticides, the dean said 34 patients have been treated since July.

"There is no casualty this year as compared to the previous year," said Dr Shrigiriwar.

Smarter by the previous year's incidents, the district administration distributed special safety kits to farmers this year.

Last year, incidents of deaths of farmers due to pesticide poisoning in the east Maharashtra district had come to light, prompting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an enquiry.

Although the government had not specified the number of deaths, farm activist Kishor Tiwari and the Shiv Sena had said that 18 farmers had died due to pesticide exposure.

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October 16, 2021, Saturday

It is too early to conclude on the lessons that India learnt from the Covid-19 crisis, Sitharaman said as she stressed that the ...
A special court in Chandigarh convicted today a 2008-batch IPS officer Desh Raj in a case of bribery, CBI spokesperson said here.

"The Special Judge, CBI Cases, UT, Chandigarh has today convicted Desh Raj, IPS, then SP (City), UT, Chandigarh in a bribery case. The quantum of sentence will be announced on August 10, 2018," the official said.

The case was registered against Desh Raj on a complaint of an inspector posted at Sector 26, Chandigarh.

"It was alleged that the accused had demanded Rs 5 lakh as illegal gratification from the complainant for showing favour in an enquiry against him. CBI laid a trap and caught the accused while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh as first installment," the spokesperson said.

He said the agency had filed a charge sheet on July 11, 2013 in the court of Special Judge, CBI Cases, UT, Chandigarh.

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The CBI today filed a charge sheet in a special court against seven personnel of the Manipur Police in connection with an alleged fake encounter six years ago, officials said today.

This is the third charge sheet in 41 alleged fake encounter cases handed over by the Supreme Court to the CBI last year.

The agency has charged six policemen with criminal conspiracy and murder, while another personnel has been charged with destruction of evidence, they said.

The findings of the agency are based on forensic opinion, field investigation, expert opinion of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, post-mortem report, they said.

The agency also elicited opinion of doctors from AIIIMS and collected a huge volume of records during the investigation into the encounter of Zamir Khan on January 20, 2012, the officials said.

The alleged extrajudicial killing took place in the Kiyamgei Santipur area of Manipur.

"The NHRC collected reports from various authorities and examined the same. The commission did not accept police's account and held that Zamir Khan was not killed in a genuine encounter," the CBI FIR had alleged.

The CBI also filed a closure report in the case of Longjam Dhamen, who was killed by a team of CDO Imphal West in an alleged encounter on February 21, 2012.

The agency said its investigation shows that Dhamen, an alleged kidnapper, was killed in police action.

The abducted person was rescued. An investigation by the National Human Rights Commission is also underway.

Recently, the CBI had filed charge sheet in two encounter cases involving 14 police personnel.

During a hearing before the Supreme Court, CBI Director Alok Verma had to face tough questions about the 14 accused "loafing free" in the streets of Manipur.

The court had reportedly told Verma, "According to you, there are 14 murderers in these cases and they are loafing around Manipur freely?"



Asked about the SC's observation, the agency said it had informed the court that the CBI had filed two charge sheets against 14 personnel of the Manipur Police for "criminal conspiracy, murder and destruction of evidence" after thorough investigation.

"We have not made any further observations regarding the charge sheeted persons other than submitting these facts before the Supreme Court. The matter is pending trial before the learned court," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

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Fair trade regulator has approved Tata Steel's proposed acquisition of debt-ridden

"@CCI_India finds no appreciable adverse effect on competition in respect of Tata Steel's proposed acquisition of 100 per cent of the total issued and paid up capital of Limited," the regulator said in a tweet on Wednesday.





@CCI_India finds no Appreciable Adverse Effect on Competition in respect of Tata Steel' s proposed aqusition of 100% of the total issued and paid up capital of Limited.  (@CCI_India) August 8, 2018

According to the notice submitted to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the proposed combination involves the acquisition by Tata Steel, either directly or through a wholly owned subsidiary, of up to 100 per cent of the total issued and paid up share capital of Bhushan Power and Steel, which is presently undergoing insolvency resolution proceedings initiated under the (IBC).

ALSO READ: NCLAT extends deadline to submit revised bid for Bhushan Steel on Tata plea

Bhushan Power and Steel owes about Rs 450 billion to its lenders and it was among the 12 non-performing accounts referred by the Reserve Bank of India for insolvency proceedings in June last year.
A labourer died and three others took ill apparently after inhaling a poisonous gas while cleaning a processing chamber at a paper mill in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, the police said today.

The condition of two of the four labourers is critical, a police official said.

"The incident occurred last evening in Dhanlaxmi Paper Mill at Jhika village when the maintenance work was underway," said Station House Officer, Dongargaon police station, Ashirwad Rahatgaonkar.

As per preliminary information, four labourers passed out after entering the processing chamber, he said.

The workers nearby the chamber brought the four labourers out, he said, adding that they were rushed to a local hospital by the mill management.

One of them, identified as Kamlesh Sen (25) was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the hospital, he said.

The deceased hailed from Uttar Pradesh.

Bhootnath Mahto and Vinod Gautam were shifted to Raipur in view of their critical condition, the SHO said, adding that another labourer Chandresh Nishad is undergoing treatment at Rajnandgaon district hospital.

Preliminary investigation suggested that the labourers had inhaled some poisonous gas inside the chamber containing waste paper material, the officer said.

However, the exact of the death is not known yet, he said.

A case has been registered and further investigation is on.

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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.

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam accompanied Vijayan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.

"He was a tall political leader of our country and a very good administrator. When he was a chief minister, he was very considerate towards Kerala and Keralites. I remember our good relationship," Chandy said.

Also, those from the Tamil film fraternity paid tribute to the departed DMK patriarch.

Writer and lyricist Vairamuthu broke down while speaking to reporters as he quoted a poem written by Karunanidhi after Periyar E V Ramasamy's demise.

"Can we accept destruction of Taj Mahal just because it is an old structure? Just like what Karunanidhi wrote for Periyar's demise, we cannot accept the fact that that Kalaignar is no more," he said.

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China's National Health Commission says investigators have begun recalling defective vaccines produced by a Chinese drugmaker from domestic and overseas markets.

Investigators say they found Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Ltd. had blended expired fluids in its vaccines and falsified records from as early as April 2014.

The names of the overseas countries involved were not given, but the recall indicated the scandal gripping China may have spread to foreign markets, dealing a potentially heavy blow to the reputation of China's massive pharmaceutical industry.

China's National Health Commission announced the recall in a statement Tuesday but did not immediately respond to a fax Wednesday seeking comment.

Regulators ordered a production halt last month, but public anger soared after leaked documents showed regulators had found inconsistencies in 2017 but failed to act.

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China's central Xi'an city, popular among tourists for the world-famous Terracotta Warriors museum, has banned smoking in all indoor public venues.

The regulation by the city government will take effect from November 1.

Smokers who do not adhere to the regulation, released yesterday, will be fined 10 yuan (USD 1.5), and venue owners may be fined up to 1,000 yuan (USD 146).

The regulation also prohibits smoking in some outdoor public places such as schools, stadiums and health institutions for pregnant women and children.

Xi'an, home to the Terra-Cotta Warriors museum, is the latest major Chinese city to ban smoking in all indoor public venues, following Beijing and Shanghai.

China has over 300 million smokers and with 740 million people exposed to second-hand smoke.

The Chinese government has set a target to reduce the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above to 20 per cent by 2030 from the current 27.7 per cent, according to the 'Healthy China 2030' blueprint issued in 2016.

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Drug major Cipla today posted 10 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 451 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, driven by robust sales across various markets.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 409 crore in the same period previous fiscal.

Total Income from operations stood at Rs 3,939 crore in the quarter, as compared to Rs 3,525 crore in the corresponding period last year, Cipla said in a statement.

"The limited competition launches in the US were in-line with our expectations and we are looking forward to more interesting launches in the coming weeks," Cipla MD and Global CEO Umang Vohra said.

The company continued to retain its focus on quality with EIR (establishment inspection report) received for Goa and Indore plants, he added.

The Mumbai-based company also announced appointment of R Ananthanarayanan as its Global Chief Operating Officer (GCOO), effective today.

In his role at Cipla, he will oversee R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, API business and the key geographies of North America, Europe and emerging markets to help leverage and grow company's generics portfolio and competencies in these markets.

He will report to Vohra.

Shares of the company today ended 0.75 per cent up at Rs 633.40 per unit on the BSE.

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Leading stock exchange NSE today said it has initiated fresh talks with markets regulator Sebi to settle a probe into the co-location issue through consent mechanism.

"Now, Sebi has completed its work so we have again started the conversation with the regulator on consent," NSE MD and CEO Vikram Limaye told reporters here.

A consent settlement allows entities to settle charges by paying a penalty without admission or denial of guilt.

The regulator is seeking a settlement with the regulator in connection with a probe relating to allegations of unfair access to its high frequency trading systems to some brokers.

The exchange's Rs 10,000 crore initial public offer has been delayed because of the probe in the co-location matter.

"The timeline for the IPO is dependent on the resolution of the regulatory matters with Sebi," Limaye added.

Last month, Sebi issued fresh show-cause notices to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and several of its former and current executives.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has been probing the alleged lapses in high-frequency trading offered through NSE's co-location facility. It was also investigating whether some brokers had unfair access to the exchange's co-location facility.

NSE's co-location facility allows low latency and fast execution to trading members. This setup of server gives a 10:1 speed advantage in comparison to other brokers.

Earlier in March, Sebi had returned its consent application into the co-location issue due to ongoing investigations in the case.

The regulator had returned NSE's settlement plea as the probe is at critical position with regard to brokers and former senior executives of the exchange, as per regulatory sources.

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The opposition BJP today dubbed the High Court's order decriminalising begging in the national capital a "double-edged sword" and asked the Delhi government to come up with a plan to rehabilitate beggars.

The Delhi High Court today decriminalised begging in the national capital, saying provisions penalising the act were unconstitutional and deserved to be struck down.

"Decriminalisation of begging is a double-edged sword. Now, the beggars will not be looked at as criminals, but there are organised begging rackets also," he said.

"The Delhi government needs to come up with a plan to impart skill training and rehabilitate the beggars," he said.

The court also said the state is at liberty to bring in alternative legislation to curb any racket of forced begging after undertaking an empirical examination on the sociological and economic aspect of the matter.

The Centre and the AAP government had in October 2016 told the court that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had drafted a bill to decriminalise begging and rehabilitate beggars and homeless people. But the proposal to amend the legislation was later dropped.

Currently, there is no central law on begging and destitution and most states have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which criminalises begging, or have modelled their laws on it.

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Congress today announced that it will settle all dues of a debt-ridden farmer in who had committed suicide in Rajasthan's Nagaur district.

Manglaram Meghwal, 36, had taken a loan of Rs 2.98 lakh from a bank and had repaid a part of it. Upon receiving a seizure notice from the bank, informing him that his land will be auctioned to recover the dues, he hung himself from the ceiling of his house on Sunday.

After visiting the family of the Dalit farmer, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot lashed out at Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and accused her of ignoring the plight of small and marginal farmers.

A marginal Dalit farmer who was differently-abled committed suicide due to debt burden. The government is ignoring the plight of the farmers and is not helping them," he said in Nagaur.

"After visiting the family, I decided that Congress will pay all the dues that the family owes to the bank, he added.

Pilot also slammed Raje's 'Gaurav Yatra' saying that the CM was busy in taking out a rally promoting herself not bothered by the plight of the state's poor farmers.

Here the shav yatra (funeral procession) of a Dalit farmer is being taken out and the chief minister is busy with her Gaurav Yatra. This is unfair and the chief minister should see what is happening on the ground, the PCC chief said.

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After an elaborate 'bhumi poojan' ceremony, the construction of a 'grand Ram temple' was begun today by the Ram Janmabhumi Nirman Nyas Trust in Ayutthaya in Thailand, a senior functionary of the organisation said.

The temple would help spread the message of Lord Ram outside India, he said.

"After performing rituals of bhumi poojan, the construction of a grand Ram temple has been started in Ayutthaya. As there is delay in the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya with the matter pending in the Supreme Court, we, the devotees of Ram, have started construction of a temple here," Ram Janmabhumi Nirman Nyas Trust president Mahant Janmejay Sharan told PTI over the phone from Bangkok.

We expect the the decision of the apex court will come soon in our favour and we will start the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, Sharan said.

This temple (in Ayutthaya) will pave way for the temple in our own Ayodhya, he added.

I expect the construction in Ayodhya will start before Kumbh-2019, Sharan said.

He said the construction of the temple in Thailand will establish India as 'vishwa guru' (world leader) at the intellectual level and help spread the message of Lord Ram globally.

The Ram temple is being constructed on the bank of Chao Phraya river which flows through the heart of Bangkok.

It is said that in the 15th century, the capital of Thailand was a city called Ayutthaya, which is Ayodhya in the local language.

When Burmese soldiers overran this city in the 18th century, a new king rose. He called himself Rama I, established the city now known as Bangkok, wrote the epic Ramakien, which is Ramayana in the local language, made it the national epic, and got it painted as murals on the walls of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, patronised by the royal family, it is believed.

Though he was a Buddhist, the king established his royal credentials by identifying himself with Lord Ram, who was as much a hero for Buddhists of south-east Asia as he was for the Hindus of south Asia.

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The election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman will see a direct contest between NDA's Harivansh Narayan Singh and opposition nominee B K Hariprasad tomorrow.

Both the ruling NDA and the opposition camp have given notices on behalf of their respective candidates and their papers have been found to be in order, according to sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

The election will be held as scheduled at 11 AM tomorrow.

The post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman has been lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

JD(U) member Harivansh gave notices for his nomination as the NDA nominee yesterday, the sources said, adding that Congress member Hariprasad gave five sets of notices as the opposition candidate today.

After giving the notices, Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma claimed that the numbers were in their favour.

He said the opposition had to contest the post as things were "not right" in the Rajya Sabha.

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A constable fired in the air today at district police lines (DPL) in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, following which police suspended him.

Special grade constable (SGC) Uttam Singh, posted at DPL, fired three shots in the air at 12:00 pm, police said.

Taking serious view of the incident, deputy superintendent of police placed him under suspension with immediate effect, they said.

A case has been registered in this regard, police said.

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Universal Pictures has removed the upcoming film "Cowboys Ninja Vikings", starring Chris Pratt and Priyanka Chopra, from its release calender.

The move has led to reports that the film, whose shooting was expected to begin in London in a month, has been delayed indefinitely. It was earlier sheduced to release on June 28, 2019.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio said the project remains in active development and will be dated down the line "to accommodate production scheduling".

The film is a feature adaptation of the Image Comics graphic novel of the same name from AJ Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo, reported Deadline.

The story revolves around a counter-intelligence unit formed by psychotherapist Dr Sebastian Ghislain, who transforms agents known as Triplets, a reference to multiple personalities.

Pratt will portray a formidable agent with the fighting skills and personalities of a cowboy, a ninja and a viking.

The film will be directed by Michelle MacLaren, who is best known for helming episodes of major TV series such as "Game of Thrones", "Westworld", "The Leftovers" and "The Breaking Bad".

The script has been penned by Dan Mazeau, Ryan Engle, Craig Mazin, Paul Wernick and David Reese.

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The Customs Department at Surat in Gujarat moved a local court today, requesting that fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi be declared an absconder in a duty evasion case.

The department filed an application before Chief Judicial Magistrate B H Kapadia, seeking to proclaim Nirav Modi as absconder under the Code of Criminal Procedure after he failed to respond to an arrest warrant issued by the court in July.

Public prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala said that a case for alleged customs duty evasion has been registered against Nirav Modi by the central excise commissioner's office here.

Nirav Modi's firm here had imported rough and unpolished diamonds under a government scheme, whereby import duties were waived if the material was meant for export after processing.

The firm was expected to export these high-value imported diamonds after value addition such as cutting and polishing.

Nirav Modi allegedly sold the diamonds in domestic market in Surat, thus evading the import duties.

He exported low-quality diamonds to the US, Dubai and other countries, passing them off as the processed high-quality diamonds which he had imported, according to the case filed against him under the Customs Act.

In March, the Mumbai branch of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had also registered a case against Nirav Modi and his firm located in the Surat Special Economic Zone in the same matter, accusing them of evading customs duty of Rs 52 crore.

Nirav Modi, accused of cheating Punjab National Bank of USD 2 billion in a scam involving Letters Of Undertaking, fled the country in January this year.

The magistrate's court is expected to hear the customs department's application next week.

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Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama today said the "institution of Dalai Lama" is no longer politically relevant and it was up to the people of Tibet to decide whether the age-old tradition should continue or not.

He said the Chinese government was more concerned about this institution than him for political reasons.

Dalai Lama is a title given to spiritual leaders of Tibetan people. This title is given to those who are considered among the most important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management, the 14th Dalai Lama said, "As early as in 1969, I had formally made a statement whether this very institution of Dalai Lama should continue or not, it is up to the Tibetan people to decide."



Replying to students' queries after an hour-long address, he said, "I have no concerns. Nowadays, Chinese government is more concerned about the Dalai Lama institution than me. The Chinese government is concerned because of political reasons,"



During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama had fled to India.

He said in 2001, the elected political leadership was appointed (by the people in exile) and for the next 10 years he remained in semi-retired position.

"Then in 2011, I totally retired from the political responsibility. Now, the elected political leadership carries the full responsibility, I don't get involved in their decision," he said.

"Now, no longer Dalai Lama institution is politically relevant," the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner said.

About the future Dalai Lama, he said all leaders of different Buddhist traditions hold a meeting in Tibet every year in November.

"This November, we are meeting again. In the previous meetings, they had decided that when my age reaches around 90 years, then the group of leaders will decide about the future Dalai Lama," the 83-year-old spiritual leader said.

When asked about his own selection to the chair, Lama recalled, "According to my mother, the very day when the search party set by the Tibetan government reached my place... That very day our family was completely ignorant."



"But that very day, I was a 2-3 year old boy... I was so much excited. I myself don't know why... The search party got some indications that day. When they reached our house, I ran towards them and recognised each persons' name," he said.

"At that time I had some sort of some memory about past life," the Dalai Lama said.

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A few students of a school, mired in controversy over appointment of a Dalit woman for cooking noon meal, took ill after eating the food in a suspected case of food poisoning even as she claimed it to be a conspiracy to throw her out.

As many as 12 students of Thirumalaigoundanmpalayam government school in neighbouring Tirupur district were hospitalised yesterday as they complained of vomiting after taking the noon meal, police said.

Parents of the children alleged that a dead lizard was found in the food, following which the school headmistress Sasikala lodged a complaint of negligence of duty against P Pappal, the cook.

However, Pappal said she and her daughter had also taken the food and claimed that the allegation of food poisoning was part of a conspiracy to remove her from the school, police said.

The incident comes a day after Pappal's husband had petitioned the district administration in Tirupur seeking police protection over concerns of his family's safety.

Pappal was transferred to another school last month after the parents of children of Gounder community had opposed to her posting as the cook at the school and exerted pressure on the authorities concerned to shift her.

However, after the matter reached higher officials, she was reinstated at the school and cases were registered against 87 people in connection with the incident.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has also taken cognisance of the matter and sought explanation on the 'humiliation' meted out to the Dalit woman.

Chief Educational Officer S Shanthi besides senior district, health and police officials carried out an inquiry into the suspected food poisoning, police said adding further investigation was on.

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A Class 8 Dalit student attempted suicide in Punjab's Jalandhar after he was allegedly tricked into drinking urine by his classmates and his teacher slapped him for complaining about it, police said today.

The teacher, Shriki Sharma, has been booked yesterday for allegedly assaulting and using casteist slurs against the 12-year-old boy. The student is hospitalised with multiple fractures after he jumped from the roof of his house following the incident in a private school last Friday, a police officer said.

According to his mother's complaint, some of the boy's classmates allegedly urinated in his water bottle and ridiculed him after he drank it. When he complained to his class teacher, Sharma allegedly slapped and rebuked him, and took him to the principal.

The boy's mother was called to the school where she was insulted and casteist remarks were made against her son, the complaint added.

A case has been registered against Sharma under Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the officer said.

The state scheduled castes commission has taken cognisance of the matter. Its member, Raj Kumar Hans, visited the school and the boy's family, and sought a report by August 29.

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The House proceedings of the Delhi Assembly were delayed by around 20 minutes as Speaker Ram Niwas Goel was stuck in traffic jams in the city.

Goel was commuting to the Delhi Assembly from his Shahdara constituency to attend the House proceedings that were scheduled to begin at 2 pm, but it started at 2.20 pm.

In the House, he said, "I got late due to traffic jam."



Sources said that Goel's vehicle was stuck in traffic jams in Shastri Park, Seelam Pur and other places.

According to police, there were traffic jams due to movement of Kanwarias.

"Traffic will remain heavy until tomorrow. Over 350 traffic personnel have been deployed to avoid congestion caused due to Kanwariyas.

"We have segregated the road for them as a precautionary measure to avoid congestion," a senior police official said.

Few minutes after reaching the Delhi Assembly, Goel adjourned House proceedings for the day as a mark of respect to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who passed away yesterday.

In March this year, legislators had raised the issue of "worsening" traffic situation after several MLAs and the speaker had reached the Assembly late due to traffic jams.

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The Delhi High Court today decriminalised begging in the national capital, saying provisions penalising the act were unconstitutional and deserved to be struck down.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the inevitable consequence of this decision would be that prosecution under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act against persons alleged to have committed the offence of begging would be liable to be struck down.

The court said the Delhi government is at liberty to bring in alternative legislation to curb any racket of forced begging after undertaking an empirical examination on the sociological and economic aspect of the matter.

The bench said the provision which treats begging as an offence or deals with ancillary issues like power of officers to deal with this offence, as extended to Delhi, "are unconstitutional and are struck down".

The court made it clear that the provision of the Act which do not directly or indirectly criminalise begging or relate to the offence of begging are not required to be struck down and are maintained.

On May 16, the court had asked how begging could be an offence in a country where the government was unable to provide food or jobs.

The High Court was considering two PILs seeking to decriminalise begging.

The Central government had said there were sufficient checks and balances in the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act which criminalises begging.

The government had earlier told the court that begging should not be a crime if it was done due to poverty. It had also said begging will not be decriminalised.

The PILs, by Harsh Mandar and Karnika Sawhney, have sought basic human and fundamental rights for beggars in the national capital, apart from decriminalising begging.

They have also sought basic amenities such as proper food and medical facilities at all homes for beggars in the city.

The petitioners have also challenged the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act.

The Centre and the AAP government had in October 2016 told the court that the Ministry of Social Justice had drafted a bill to decriminalise begging and rehabilitate beggars and homeless people. But the proposal to amend the legislation was later dropped.

The law prescribes a penalty of more than three years of jail in case of first conviction for begging and the person can be ordered to be detained for 10 years in subsequent conviction.

Currently, there is no central law on begging and destitution and most states have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which criminalises begging, or have modelled their laws on it.

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Former prime minister and JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda will be in Chennai to pay his last respects to DMK president M Karunanidhi, who died yesterday after prolonged illness, a party leader here said today.

The JD(S) party chief is on his way to Chennai to pay homage to Karunanidhi, fondly addressed as "Kalaignar" (artiste), the party's national general secretary Danish Ali told PTI.

Recalling that his interactions with Karunanidhi, Gowda said in his condolence message, "His (DMK chief's) understanding and emphasis on social welfare stood out. Firmly committed to democratic ideals, his strong opposition to the Emergency will always be remembered.

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A Bangladeshi special tribunal today accepted murder charges against eight suspected Islamic State militants in the 2016 Dhaka cafe terror attack in which 20 hostages, including an Indian girl and 17 others from Japan and Italy, were killed.

Six of the accused are behind bars, while two are fugitives.

On the night of July 1, 2016, five militants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery and took several dozen foreigners and locals hostages.

The militants were killed by police commandoes inside the cafe during a 12-hour standoff. Two security officials later succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

The Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal took into cognisance the police charge for trial after the hearing on the charge sheet, prosecution lawyer Golam Sarwar Khan told reporters here.

Judge Mojibur Rahman ordered the police to arrest the two fugitives and set the next hearing for August 16.

The tribunal also ordered the release of a Bangladeshi-Briton, Hasnat Karim, who was arrested from the attack scene for his suspected militant links, after police investigation found no evidence of his terror link.

The police probe has found involvement of 21 people in the attack. Of the 21 militants, five were killed by commandoes at the crime scene, while 13 others died in subsequent anti-terror clampdowns.

The six accused named in the charge sheet have already confessed to their involvement in the attack.

The charge sheet came two years after the case was filed with police attributing the delay to complexities in obtaining information as all the militants who staged the clandestine attack were killed.

According to investigators, a domestic militant group, Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB), inclined to Islamic State or IS philosophy, is suspected to have staged the attack to draw international attention and make their presence felt in the Muslim majority nation.

In 2015, Bangladeshi-origin Canadian Tamim Chowdhury, who was the supremo of the Neo-JMB, was killed in security clampdown.

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The flower-based compounds behind the perfumes and colognes you enjoy have been eliciting olfactory excitement since dinosaurs walked the Earth, a study has found.

Researchers at Oregon State University in the US found evidence that floral scents originated in primitive flowers as far back as 100 million years ago as pollinator attractants.

They still play the role even though today's flowers also have colourful petals for luring pollinators, according to the study published in the journal Historical Biology.

"I bet some of the dinosaurs could have detected the scents of these early flowers," said George Poinar, an entomologist at Oregon State University.

"In fact, floral essences from these early flowers could even have attracted these giant reptiles," said Poinar.

The researchers examined amber flowers from Myanmar, including the now extinct glandular laurel flower (Cascolaurus burmensis) and veined star flower (Tropidogyne pentaptera).

The research revealed that the flower-based chemical compounds that are the basis for the perfumes and colognes we use today have been providing olfactory excitement to pollinating insects and other animals since the mid-Cretaceous Period.

Without colourful petals, flowers from that period had to rely solely on scents to attract pollinators.

"You can't detect scents or analyse the chemical components of fossil flowers, but you can find the tissues responsible for the scents," said Poinar.

The study also found that secretory tissues of these Cretaceous flowers are similar in structure to those of their modern descendants.

That suggests modern and ancient flowers of the same lineages produced similar essences.

Some of flowers studied were even in the process of emitting compounds at the time they were engulfed by the tree resin that later became amber.

The study also included a milkweed flower (Discoflorus neotropicus) and an acacia flower (Senegalia eocaribbeansis) in 20- to 30-million-year-old Dominican Republic amber.

The anther glands on the fossil acacia flower were especially attractive to bees, one of which was fossilized while visiting the stamens.

Today, honeybees are still visiting acacia flowers that have the same type of flora glands that existed in the ancient past.

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The famed sands of the Marina Beach will be the final resting place for DMK doyen M Karunanidhi, with the Madras High Court today ordering the state's AIADMK government to allow his burial there.

A division bench of the court, which resumed the special hearing of the DMK's plea for a burial space for Karunanidhi at the Marina after adjourning it in the wee hours today, rejected the state government's contention that there were legal hurdles in way.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place... Provide a place for a decent burial forthwith in terms of the rough sketch given by the petitioner," the division bench of the court comprising Acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and S S Sundar ruled.

The court said the government had failed to explain before it the legal hurdles that were coming in the way of permitting the leader's burial at the Marina, after five petitions against allowing such a practice there over ecological and other concerns were withdrawn.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place. Already alloted place in the marina for all Dravidian leaders. There is no need to take different stand in the present case," the bench said.

The court's order was greeted with loud chants of "Kalaignar Pugazh Onguga (long live Kalaignar's fame)" by thousands of DMK cadre at the Rajaji Hall, some 8 km away from the high court, where Karunanidhi's mortal remains were kept in state in a golden casket.

A glum-faced M K Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president, who stood pensively beside casket, sobbed uncontrollably, before regaining composure and wiping off tears of joy amid the pervasive gloom.

Shouts of "vendum vendum, Marina vendum (we want Marina)" had greeted Chief Minister K Palaniswamy earlier in the day when he arrived at the stately Rajaji Hall to pay his tributes to one of the tallest Dravidian leaders of modern times.

The court's order dealt a big blow to the AIADMK, which spared no effort to deny Karunanidhi, who headed its rival outfit DMK for half-a-century, a feat unparalleled in the coutry's history, the final resting place at the Marina.

AIADMK founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran and his protegee J Jayalalithaa, who were buried on the beach and have memorials to them there, died in office, and the government cited this as a ground for not bestowing the same privilege to Karunanidhi as he was not a serving chief minister.

DMK founder and Karunanidhi's mentor C N Annadurai was also the chief minister at the time of his death in 1969.

The court, however, rejected the government's contention.

The DMK had petitioned the government soon after Karunanidhi's death seeking space for his burial alongside the 'Anna Samadhi', Annadurai's mausoleum on the beachfront.

The high and mighty of the land joined the grieving multitude to pay homage to Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister and political warhorse who won 13 assembly elections on the trot, at the Rajaji Hall.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowed in solemn reverence and placed a wreath at the leader's feet.

Clad in white kurta-churidar he spoke briefly to Karunanidhi's wife Rajathi Ammal with folded hands. He clasped Stalin's hand and the two talked quietly.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accompanied the prime minister.

From Karunidhi's political foes to his tinsel town admirers, all mixed with the common people as they filed past the casket, paying their last respects to the departed soul.

Apart from chief minister Palaniswamy, his deputy O Panneerselvam, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, senior state ministers, AMMK leader and RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran, superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were present.

Barring a few pedestrians and some private vehicles, the streets of Chennai were deserted. All shops and business establishments were closed, with the occasional noise of police vehicles whizzing past breaking the ubiquitous silence.

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Don't play smart or we will render you homeless.

This was Supreme Court's categorical warning to real estate major Amrapali Group which is accused of delaying its projects to the detriment of homebuyers' interest.

The top court said it would not allow the company to collect money from the hassled homebuyers and warned that "each and every property" of the managing directors and directors of the firm would be sold to recover the cost of construction of its pending real estate projects.

"The real problem is that you have delayed giving possession of homes. Don't try to play smart or we will sell each and every property of yours and render you homeless. You (directors) will have to look for your houses like you are making others wait for their homes. We will sell each and every thing of yours," a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said.

The bench got annoyed after the Amrapali Group submitted a proposal to sell commercial properties worth Rs 4 billion, as against the expected cost of Rs 4,000 crore to be incurred in completing its pending projects.

"You are giving us a proposal of just Rs 4 billiion against the expected cost of Rs 40 billion for completion of pending project. You are actually acting smart. When you are before the court, you have to be sincere and upright. The day is not far when you will compel us to sell your properties," the bench said.

It observed that people who had invested Rs 5 million in 2008 for a property was now valued at Rs 2.5 crore and those who invested Rs one crore, that property was now worth Rs 40 million.

It sought details of immovable and movable properties of managing directors and directors of the company along with their valuation report within 15 days.

The top court asked the real estate firm to file a concrete proposal by August 14, for raising Rs 40 billion by selling its properties for completion of pending projects by National Buildings Construction Corporation India Ltd (NBCC).

It asked the Amrapali Group to furnish on affidavit the details of all bank accounts of each director and the group operational since 2008, the names of directors who are serving or have left the company, names of two whose accounts do not reflect any business transaction, within 15 days.

During the hearing, Advocate Gaurav Bhatia, appearing for Amrapali, said it can raise Rs 61.19 billion, including Rs 51.12 billion dues from home buyers and remaining from its unsold inventories.

To this, the bench said it would not allow the Group to collect money from the homebuyers and it was actually the firm which should pay them for delayed possession of flats.

"We have already given the pending projects to NBCC and we will not go back on that decision. It will start work by next month. You to have submit a concrete proposal for selling of the properties for raising funds. NBCC can't construct from air," the bench said.



Bhatia said the commercial properties in its Silicon City project and others and can generate around Rs 406 crore.

Advocate M L Lahoti, appearing for home buyers, submitted a note giving details of projects of Amrapali and said the group has shopping malls at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Purnia in Bihar, hotels and resorts at Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Deoghar in Jharkhand and Udaipur in Rajasthan which could be sold and funds raised for construction of the pending projects.

The bench asked the Group to furnish the details of unencumbered properties which could fetch good price on sale within a fortnight.

It sought comprehensive details of which have been engaged in maintenance work in Amrapali projects and how much money they have collected towards electricity and maintenance charges from residents and the amount spent so far.

The bench's direction came after it was informed that electricity supply of two projects--Zodiac and Silicon City--at Noida have been cut off on account of arrears of Rs 22.3 million.

It directed the power companies to restore the supply of electricity to the two projects immediately and said that their arrears will be paid.



The court also dispensed with the arrangements of two Interim Resolution Professionals, who were incharge of Silicon City and Zodiac projects after Amrapali Group got involved in insolvency proceedings.

The bench listed the matter for further hearing on August 14.

The NBCC had on August 2 told the apex court it was ready to undertake the projects of the Amrapali group, which has failed to hand over possession of flats to around 42,000 home buyers.

The top court had earlier cracked the whip on the group for playing "fraud" and "dirty games" with the court and ordered attachment of all the bank accounts and movable properties of 40 firms of the real estate major.
Facing flak over circulation of fake on its platform, WhatsApp today said it is rolling out educational videos in India asking users to "double check" facts before sharing messages received as forwards.

The videos, in Hindi and English, will be available on Facebook - the parent company of WhatsApp as the messaging platform looks to combat spread of rumours that have incited mob fury cases in India.

"WhatsApp is expanding its user education campaign on how to spot fake and hoaxes. This week, WhatsApp is publishing a new video that explains the importance of the "forward" label and calls users to double check the facts when they are not sure who created the original message," WhatsApp said elaborating on the 27-second video clip.

Following multiple incidents of mob lynching across the country, the government had slapped WhatsApp with two notices, with the second one warning that it will treat the messaging platform as abettor' of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place.

In response to these notices, WhatsApp had outlined initiatives it is taking to curb fake circulation, including education and advocacy efforts. Recently, it has introduced the forward label and also limited the forwarding of messages to 5 people at one go.

WhatsApp has also stated that it is building an India-based team and that it believes the challenge of mob violence requires government, civil society, and technology companies to work together.

Government officials however have categorically said they are not satisfied with WhatsApp's response, particularly as its key demands of 'traceability' and attribution of messages remain unaddressed.

Also, the Department of Telecom has written to all telecom operators, Cellular Operators Association of India, Internet Service Providers Association of India and others seeking views on technical measures that can be taken for blocking apps like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp in situations where national security and public order are under threat.

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DR Congo President Joseph Kabila, ending months of speculation, has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary to be his successor in upcoming elections, the government said today.

The announcement came just hours before the deadline for lodging applications for the December 23 election -- a vote that analysts say is crucial for the country's future.

Shadary is permanent secretary of Kabila's party, the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD).

He "will represent our political family in the presidential election," spokesman Lambert Mende told a press conference. "We will all rally behind him."



A country of some 80 million people, the Democratic Republic of Congo has never known a peaceful government transition since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila, 47, has been in power for 17 years, taking over from his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, who was killed by a bodyguard.

He has been accused by critics of corruption, incompetence and rights abuses. Kabila is barred from running in the polls, according to the two-term limit set in the country's constitution.

But speculation has mounted in recent months that he would try to stand again, perhaps by arguing that he was entitled to do because of a constitutional revision in 2006.

Opponents staged protests that were bloodily repressed, triggering angry condemnations from the United States and the European Union.

Late yesterday, Kabila held talks with his political allies, who are joined in an electoral platform called the Common Front for Congo (FCC), on picking a candidate who would succeed him.

Their choice was "the conclusion of consultations that the president..., the moral authority of the the Common Front for Congo, undertook to find the rare bird," Mende told journalists.

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Asserting that no real development took place in Kargil due to the dynastic politics of the Congress, NC and PDP, the BJP today said had the district been under its rule, it would have developed on par with any other region of the country.

Addressing the media here ahead of the elections to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, BJP spokesperson Priya Sethi said the residents of the crucial district in Jammu and Kashmir must throw the "promoters of dynastic politics" out of power.

"Kargil would have developed on par with any other region of the country had political outfits like Congress, NC and PDP not encouraged and promoted dynastic rule in the state," the former minister said.

Since the Congress, National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) regimes continued to patronage their wards and kin, people were never empowered and were left to fend for themselves, she added.

Sethi said development including better connectivity, harnessing solar hydro power, women empowerment and better employment opportunities were all initiated during the BJP regime at the Centre and efforts were on to make Kargil a hub of solar and hydro electricity.

Kargil is sure to regain its glory once Srinagar-Leh highway and tunnels are built to give the region all weather connectivity, she said, adding that the district was on the developmental map of the Union government.

To save about 7,800 metric tons of Apricot produce, the main cash crop of the region, a cold storage that will be powered by solar energy was on the anvil, she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently inaugurated a 44 megawatt Chatuk hydro electric power project which is a run-of-the-river project built on the Suru river in Kargil, she added.

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Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha today took a stock of preparedness for upcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.

Sinha held meetings with state election officers and senior officials of the state government, police, CRPF and also with representatives of political parties here.

Elections are due in the state by year-end.

Preliminary preparations made by the District Electoral Officers and Superintendents of Police for the polls were by and large satisfactory, Sinha said, speaking at a press conference later in the evening.

Officials were asked to ensure that maximum number of eligible voters are registered, he said.

The Election Commission of India is putting emphasis on ensuring that all eligible citizens get their names included in the voter list, he said.

A special program will be carried out for those who were 18 years old as of January 1, 2018 and who are yet to register as voters. The drive will also cover women and persons with disabilities who are not in the voter list, he said.

Officials were asked to undertake confidence-building measures and awareness programmes in the Naxal-affected areas where very low voter turn-out was recorded in past elections, he said.

During the meetings, detailed discussions were held as to security arrangements in these areas during the polls, he said.

To a question how the distribution of liquor as an inducement to voters will be stopped when the Chhattisgarh government itself is selling liquor (through licensed outlets), Sinha said regulation of liquor sale during polls is implemented strictly, whether it's a sale through legal shops or illegal outlets.

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The engine of an empty rake of the Visakhapatnam-Kirandul passenger train derailed after Naxals uprooted railway tracks near Kamaloor railway station in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said.

No casualties have been reported in the incident, they said.

The incident took place at around 10:50 pm yesterday when the Kirandul-bound passenger train, which was stopped mid-way in Kamaloor, was on way back to Dantewada, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.

The train was evacuated at Kamaloor station in view of Naxalite arson in one of the areas falling in the route.

Earlier yesterday, Naxals set ablaze two passenger buses and a truck after asking occupants of the vehicles to get down in Bhansi area of the district, he said.

Subsequently, it was decided not to run the Visakhapatnam-Kirandul passenger train beyond Kamaloor as the rail route passes through Bhansi area, he said.

As the train reached Kamaloor, located around 450 km away from the state capital Raipur, the passengers were asked to deboard, following which the empty train was being taken back to Dantewada, he said.

Barely 2 km away from Kamaloor, the train engine derailed as the tracks were damaged. The loco pilot and the guard escaped unharmed as the speed of the train was considerably low, he said, adding that both of them have safely reached to Dantewada.

It will take time to restore train services as it was raining heavily in the area and the spot is located deep inside forest area, he said.

The police were anticipating this kind of reaction from the Naxals in response to the death of their 15 cadres in the August 6 encounter in neighbouring Sukma district, he added.

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Amid the ongoing row over the National Register of Citizens (NRC), former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today urged the government to prepare a similar list for the residents of West Bengal to identify genuine Indians, saying the state was also "affected by illegal immigration" from Bangladesh.

He also said the ongoing update of the NRC in Assam should be foolproof and no Indians should be left out and no illegal immigrants included in the final list of Assam's residents.

"We want the NRC in all states. First, we want an NRC in West Bengal which is also affected by illegal immigration from Bangladesh as language and culture of West Bengal and Bangladesh are same," he told a press conference here.

Mahanta, a signatory of the 1985 Assam Accord which provides for identification and deportation of illegal immigrants from the state, said even the local residents of West Bengal are in favour of an NRC in the state.

"An NRC is an urgent necessity for West Bengal. The central government should appoint a good nodal officer of the NRC in West Bengal and start the exercise," he said.

Mahanta's comments came days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and it would lead to "bloodbath" and a "civil war" in the country.

The NRC, a massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indians living in Assam excluded over 40 lakh people from the draft list published on July 30, creating a huge political controversy.

Mahanta, whose party AGP is part of the ruling alliance in Assam, also opposed the move to amend the six-decade-old Citizenship Act, seeking to grant citizenship to people from minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

"We appeal to the central government not to bring the citizenship amendment bill as it would negate the Assam Accord and allow citizenship to illegal immigrants," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act.

Among others, the amendment bill seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they do not possess any proper document.

A large section of people and organisations in the northeast have opposed the bill, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of their religion.

The Bill is now under consideration of a joint committee of Parliament.

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President Donald Trump has made it clear that he thinks that arming trained school staff a solution pushed by the National Rifle Associationcould help prevent the next school shooting.

But educators, students, and community members who showed up to a federal school safety commission meeting Tuesday in ruby-red Wyoming, a state that allows its districts to arm certain school staff members, were deeply divided on the idea, according to a live-stream of the event.



Brian Cox, the principal of Johnson Junior High School in Cheyenne, where the event was held, said hed much rather see resources directed to mental health than to arming educators.

Asking school personnel to do the job of law enforcement and military personnel is nothing short of asking your plumber to cut your hair. Its just not the job youd want them to do, Cox told the commission, which has been charged with making policy recommendations in the wake of the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead.

I never signed up to teach in a bunker, said Sidney Ludwig, a teacher with nearby Laramie County schools. If we make our schools a bunker, they become a target.

Several students also expressed deep concern about the idea of arming school staff.

I urge the commission to consider guns a threat to school safety ... including guns in the hands of teachers, said Vera Berger, a high school student from New Mexico and a youth core member of the Southwest Organizing Project, a student advocacy organization.

But Bill Tallen, the executive vice president of Distributed Security, Inc., which helps train school staff to carry weapons, had a different take.

When shooting starts, the only way to mitigate the consequences, to protect innocent lives, is to have armed adults at the school able to swiftly engage and stop the shooter before police arrive and to provide life-saving, immediate medical care to the injured, Tallen said.

The commission, which is led by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, includes three other cabinet members: Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. None of them were on hand for the Wyoming session, but each sent representatives.

This was the commissions third of four listening sessions in which members of the public can address the panel directly with their ideas for school safety. Its also the second listening session held in a state that voted for Trump in the 2016 election. Another session was in Lexington, Ky . The first listening session , in deep-blue Washington, D.C., featured a lot of pushback on the commissions refusal to consider gun restrictions as part of its work.

Last year, Wyoming passed a new law allowing school districts to arm certain staff members. Jillian Balow, the state schools chief, who spoke on a panel that preceded the listening session, believes that decision should be up to local superintendents and school boards, not the state. But so far, only a couple of Wyoming districts have decided to take advantage of the law.

South Dakota also allows its districts to arm some school staffalthough the idea hasnt proven particularly popular, said Michael Milstead, the sheriff of Minnehaha County, S.D. The local school district, he said, has just one so-called sentinel"an armed staff member whose identity is a secret to the public, but known to law enforcement.

I was kinda weak on having sentinels, but its worked well for us, said Milstead, who was also part of a panel discussion.

Another panel speaker, Affie Ellis, suggested less-lethal means of controlling potential school shooters, such as training teachers to use pepper spray or Tasers.

In general, speakers on the panel said, rural districts in states like Wyoming have different needs than their urban counterparts. And it isnt as easy to attract personnel who can help rural districts improve safety and mental health.

It is incredibly difficult to find school psychologists who are willing to come to Wyoming to work, said Stacey Kern, the director of special services for the Carbon County District 1. And she said that schools in the Equality State also cant fill positions for school resource officers.

Speakers also made it clear that they dont want a lot of federal directionalthough several said they would appreciate additional federal grant money to beef up school safety.

It is local elected officials who should be in charge, and I put that should in very capital letters, said Elsie Arntzen, Montanas superintendent of public instruction, who also spoke on one of the panels.

Crime scene tape runs outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18. Authorities opened the streets around the school, which had been closed since a mass shooting on Feb. 14.

- Gerald Herbert/AP

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The has initiated a preliminary enquiry against and Global Science Research for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook, officials said on Wednesday.

It is alleged that received data from Global Science Research which employed "illegal means" of personal data harvesting of Indians using Facebook, they said.

After receiving a reference in this regard from the Centre, the has initiated the preliminary enquiry which is normally a first step to decide whether the allegations deserve a full-blown investigation through an FIR or not, they said.

Data mining and analysis firm earlier faced allegations that it used personal information harvested from 87 million Facebook accounts to help Donald Trump win the 2016 US presidential election.

Union Law and IT Minister had told Rajya Sabha last month that the probe will be handed over to the

He had said there were also reports that user data was "illegally accessed by hardware manufacturers who had tie-ups with Facebook. In regard to this issue, Facebook has reported that they are not aware of any misuse of information, including Indian users' information".

Facebook has over 200 million users in India. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company had said that the data of about 87 million people -- mostly in the US -- might have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

After the data breach came to light, the had in March and April shot off communications to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica seeking clarification on the issue from them.

"Facebook responded that they will streamline their internal processes regarding handling of personal data. They stated that the case of Cambridge Analytica was a case of breach of trust. They promised to take various other steps to ensure that such breaches do not recur," Prasad had said.

However, he had said, Cambridge Analytica gave an initial response that data of Indians was not breached but this was not in conformity with what was reported by Facebook. Cambridge Analytica also did not respond to a subsequent notice.

The ministry's move had come after Christopher Wylie, who blew the lid off the scam involving mining of Facebook user data to manipulate elections, tweeted details that claim to expose the British consultancy's work in India dating back to 2003.

Wylie claimed that SCL India (formerly Strategic Communication Laboratories, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica) was asked to provide electoral research and strategy for the 2010 Bihar elections for the Janata Dal (United). The JD(U) has rejected this claim.
Extending his support to AIKS agitation on August 9, M S Swaminathan said farmers movement across the country was justly seeking implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF).

In a note written to All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Swaminathan has said that the farmers' agitation is "justified" in demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the NCF.

"The Kisans'/farmers movement across the country is justly demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the NCF. It is time to ensure a genuine implementation of the recommendations of NCF, with priority to three components.

"First, a minimum support price or MSP based on the formula of C2+50 percent. Second, a favourable procurement policy to ensure that farmers actually receive the MSP and third, increase mass consumption through the effective implementation of the Food Security Act, "Swaminathan, the NCF Chairman, said in the note given to AIKS.

The AIKS, the farmers' organisation of the CPI(M), has given a call for jail bharo' across the country on August 9, demanding action on the "agrarian crisis".

The call given by the farmers' organisation on the 'Quit India day' is receiving widespread support from various sections of the society, claimed AIKS leaders.

"Kisan movement all over the country is growing against the anti-people policies pf the Central government. We are expecting more than 20 lakh farmers all over the country to participate in our movement and take part in the jail-bharo agitation. And Swaminathan supported our movement today," Hannan Mollah, general secretary AIKS told reporters.

CITU, the trade union wing of CPI(M) has also extended its support to the movement and said thousands of its members would join the farmers' struggle at all districts across the country to show solidarity.

"Working people who are creating wealth for the country while working in fields and factories would fix this government which is only working for the corporates and the rich in the country," Tapan Sen CITU general secretary said.

AIKS has also given a call to observe August 23 as demands day of dairy farmers across the country against "dumping of milk products".

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Farmers from a village in Marathwada region have filed a police complaint against the India Meteorological Department, accusing it of colluding with seed and pesticide manufacturers and inflating the monsoon forecast figures.

The complaint, filed at the Parbhani rural police station yesterday, said department officials in Pune and Mumbai "colluded" with the manufacturers and caused loss of lakhs of rupees to farmers, who undertook sowing operations based on the forecast.

The complaint was filed by Manik Kadam, Marathwada region president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Lok Sabha member Raju Shetti. Kadam said cases of cheating under section 420 of IPC should be filed against the IMD director.

In June last year, a farmer from Beed district had also filed a similar police case against IMD officials.

IMD officials misled farmers saying that there would be ample rain during the kharif season, they had said.

"Farmers undertook sowing operations, based on the IMD forecast. But after a brief initial spell, there was no rain and farmers faced a bleak future, with the sowing operations having gone waste," the complainant G Thaware had said.

"IMD officials and those in concerned seed and fertiliser companies, who colluded with each other and gave an inflated monsoon forecast are responsible for the plight of farmers and should be taken to task," the farmer had said.

No IMD official was available for comment.

In September last year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had written a letter to Union minister for environment, complaining against the IMD over the "false" prediction of rainfall.

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A fire broke out at a refinery of Bharat Petroleum here after explosions this afternoon, a Fire Brigade official said.

The plant at Mahul road in Chembur area of Mumbai caught fire at around 3 pm, the official said.

There were no reports of any injury so far, he added.

Seven fire engines and two foam tenders have been pressed into service to douse the blaze, the official said.

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A 42-year-old Muslim woman has won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed for a House seat in Michigan, bringing her closer to becoming the first female from the minority community to be elected to the US Congress, according to a media report.

Rashida Tlaib, a former state Representative, has won a crowded battle to replace former US Representative John Conyers Jr. in the Michigan's 13th Congressional District Democratic primary, The Detroit reported.

No Republican is running for the seat in the Democratic-leaning district, meaning Palestinian-origin Tlaib is virtually guaranteed to win the seat in election scheduled for November.

Tlaib had pulled in 33.2 per cent of the vote over Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, who has 29.2 per cent, with 96 per cent of precincts reporting, it said.

She has boasted a grassroots campaign and came out on top in fundraising, topping USD 1 million. She said her day had been filled with emotion and described it as "happy chaos," the report said.

"Especially meeting voters and talking to them, they are inspired," she was quoted as saying by the report.

"One resident said she's happy for me and it's already written. It's been amazing to interact with families at polling locations. I feel very much supported."



Tlaib had served in the Michigan House from 2009 until 2014.

The 89-year-old Conyers was first elected to the House in 1964. He stepped down in December citing health reasons, though several former female staffers had accused him of sexual harassment.

The daughter of Palestinian immigrants and the eldest of 14 children, Tlaib became the first Muslim woman in the state legislature in 2008. She was a lawyer and community activist prior to her political career.

The 13th Congressional District she will represent includes a large southern area of suburban Detroit in Wayne County. After boundary lines were redrawn in 2012, the 13th is the only congressional district entirely within one county.

Her victory comes amid increase in Islamophobia across the US, in the wake of US President Donald Trump's election in 2016 and Trump's hostile immigration policies towards immigrants.

In 2016, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the 13th District by 60.6 points while Trump, a Republican, won by 0.2 points.

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The Mumbai branch of the National Investigation Agency has arrested four persons and seized Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with face value of over Rs 6 lakh from their possession in Bengaluru, an official today said.

The currency, in the denomination of Rs 2,000, was suspected to have been smuggled from Bangladesh, an NIA spokesperson said here.

Acting on a tip-off, officials from the Mumbai branch of NIA and the Karnataka police carried out a raid in Aluru area of Bengaluru yesterday and seized Rs 4.34 lakh-worth FICN from the possession of three persons, he said.

The officials had information that a deal to swap fake currency for genuine money was going to be struck at BDA Layout in Aluru area, he said.

The sleuths arrested M G Raju and Gangadhar Kolkar who hail from Karnataka and Sajjad Ali, resident of Khejuriaghat area in Malda district of West Bengal.

It would have been difficult for an ordinary person to detect that these notes were fake, the NIA spokesperson said.

Following their interrogation, NIA sleuths and local police seized fake Indian currency with face value of Rs 2.5 lakh from the possession of a woman in Bengaluru today, he said.

A case was registered at Madanayakanahally Police Station in Bengaluru under IPC section 489 (use or distribution of fake Indian currency). Further probe is underway.

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Four militants were killed by security forces in an encounter in the forests of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir today, officials said.

A soldier was also injured, they said.

Security forces had launched a search operation in the Ladoora forests in Rafiabad area on Monday following information about the presence of militants, a police official said.

The search operation turned into a gunbattle this morning with both sides exchanging fire, he said. One soldier was injured in the initial firefight, he said.

An Army official said four militants were killed in the operation which was still on.

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Four puppies have been found beheaded near here prompting animal activists to lodge a complaint with police.

An FIR has been registered in connection with the recovery of the beheaded carcasses, police said today.

Following a complaint by representatives of Humane Society International/India and local animal activists, a case was registered yesterday, Inspector G Shyamsundar told PTI.

The incident seems to havebeen committed around two to three days ago at Parthiwada, the Inspector said.

According to the complainants, the incident came to light when a local citizen visited the spot to find the mother dog and the carcasses of the puppies next to her and uploaded the video on social media.

Apoorva Katpatal, Cruelty Response Manager, HSI/India in a release said "We are appalled at the gruesomeness of the incident. We hope that the police will make the necessary arrests along with psychiatric evaluation of the accused.

If the perpetrator/s are not caught, he or she will move on hurting other people too."



In July 2016, three puppies were allegedly burnt alive by a group of youngsters, one of whom recorded the gruesome act, at a graveyard in Musheerabad here.

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Future Consumer, a part of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group today said it has entered into an equal joint venture with New Zealand's dairy firm Fonterra.

The joint venture Fonterra Future Dairy Partners expects to launch its first product by mid-next year and will also look at having a direct-to-home subscription model, besides institutional opportunities.

"Consumers are evolving and they want to consume dairy in a new form. This partnership is about creating new categories, new products...We are very excited that we are entering a space where consumers are indulging three or four times a day," Future Group chief executive officer Kishore Biyani said, while adding that 10-12 per cent of the group's small store business comes from dairy.

The companies would be focusing more on value added dairy segment that is expected to grow 50 per cent faster than the dairy sector in the next seven years.

Milk consumption in the country is also expected to increase by 42 per cent from 196 billion litres at present to 278 billion litres in the next seven years.

Fonterra had entered India through a joint venture with Britannia in 2001 but exited it in 2007.

"It was a different market then but the market has evolved now," Fonterra chief operating officer Lukas Paravicini said.

"It (Fonterra-Future JV) will allow us to prepare the groundwork and make the most of our expertise as we enter the world's largest and fastest growing market. Consumer demand for dairy in India over the next seven years is set to increase to 82 billion litres, seven times the forecast growth for China," he added.

Future Group that also operates a dairy business through Nilgiris would be merging the business into the joint venture.

"We will have a single dairy company. We will be building a new brand where everything will get folded in. Fonterra Future is going to build a brand in India, which will be a dairy brand and that brand will encompass whatever we do currently also," Biyani said.

"If we are able to open 10,000 stores, it will be around Rs 15,000-20,000 crore and that is an opportunity for them to take ahead. Our current business of Rs 140-150 crore of Nilgiris, definitely will fold into that," he added.

Paravicini said the initial stages of partnership will focus on product development, prioritising the geographies and channels.

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Techincal textiles company Garware-Wall Ropes, which today changed its name to Garware Technical Fibres, is looking to double its profit to over Rs 200 crore in the next five to seven years.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 105.12 crore during FY18 and posted a revenue of Rs 885.5 crore.

"The next five to seven years will be very important for the company as we are looking to double our profit," said Vayu Garware, chairman and managing director, Garware Technical Fibres.

The rebranding is a part of a focused vision to double profit and be amongst the top two players globally in each of the firm's major operating verticals, a release said.

The company also plans to continue expanding its international presence and business.

Garware Technical Fibres chief executive officer Shujaul Rehman said the company's presence significantly impacts the sustainability of food production with a positive impact on the environment.

"We will continue to grow our value added offering in more than 75 countries and are committed to growing both India and global businesses," he added.

Garware Technical Fibres specialises in providing customised solutions to its customers worldwide in the field of sports, fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, agriculture, coated fabrics and geosynthetics.

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JASHORE: Keshabpur Thana Police brought out a rally on the occasion of the Traffic Week on Monday.
The star witness in Paul Manafort's financial fraud trial says the former Trump campaign chairman told him to be truthful about offshore shell companies and bank accounts during a 2014 interview with the FBI.

Rick Gates said under questioning from Manafort's lawyer today that he told FBI agents and Justice Department lawyers about some of the offshore companies that contained millions of dollars in proceeds from their Ukrainian political work.

The lawyer, Kevin Downing, was trying to counter earlier testimony that Manafort had encouraged Gates to deceive authorities by directing him to help conceal his foreign income and to submit phony mortgage and tax documents on his behalf.

The interview was part of an FBI investigation that sought to recover assets looted from the Ukrainian government under the rule of former President Viktor Yanukovych.

Prosecutors have noted that Gates and Manafort were not the targets of the investigation at the time of the interview.

Defense lawyers wrapped up their questioning of Gates Wednesday following a bruising cross-examination that focused on Gates's own crimes, an extramarital affair and a guilty plea with special counsel Robert Mueller's office that may spare him severe punishment.

Manafort's lawyers are determined to impugn the credibility of Gates, who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and agreed to cooperate with investigators by testifying in the financial fraud trial.

"After all the lies you've told and the fraud you've committed, you expect this jury to believe you?" Downing asked incredulously.

Gates said he did, but the defense lawyer wasn't satisfied. He scoffed at the idea that Gates had repented for his actions, noting that prosecutors have said they won't oppose his bid for probation and getting him to acknowledge he had not repaid the money he had taken from Manafort.

After Gates described his theft as "unauthorised transactions" instead of embezzlement, Downing prodded him to use the latter term and Gates ultimately relented, saying, "It was embezzlement from Mr. Manafort."



Prosecutors had braced for the tough questioning by getting Gates to come clean about his own crimes. He told jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manafort's tax bill.

Gates recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

But the grilling got more intense, and personal, yesterday afternoon when Downing pressed Gates about a "secret life" he said was funded by embezzlement, including an extramarital affair that Gates himself acknowledged. Gates also said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trump's inaugural committee, which he helped operate.

After Gates struggled to recall precisely what he had told Mueller's team, Downing asked if he had been confronted with "so many lies" that he can't keep his story straight.

Gates implicated himself in broad criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors to take some of the steam out of defense questioning.

He told jurors he embezzled from Manafort by filing false expense reports. He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manafort's direction.

Prosecutors summoned Gates to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme. Gates testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years, saying they had stashed money in foreign bank accounts and falsified bank loan documents.

"In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts," Gates said.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Mueller's investigation of Manafort, the only



American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

The case has little to do with either man's work for the Trump campaign and there's been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump election effort coordinated with Russia the central question Mueller's team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort.

Yesterday, Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

He said Manafort asked for tickets to Trump's inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the center of his financial fraud trial. Gates also said Manafort floated banker Stephen Calk's name for consideration as secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get. The email exchange occurred after Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee.

Gates described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Manafort's behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and later, that his funds were drying up.

"WTF," Manafort wrote to Gates in one email shown to the jury. "How could I be blindsided like this. You told me you were on top of this. We need to discuss options. This is a disaster.

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The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration decided today to rope in educational institutes to spread awareness against gutkha and other tobacco products besides stepping up action on smokers in public places.

At a meeting of various committees of the District Tobacco Programme, District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh issued instructions to all officials concerned to ensure effective implementation of the state government's policies on tobacco control, according to an official statement.

"There should be a campaign to raise awareness among those consuming tobacco about its ill effects on health. They should be informed in detail about diseases that can contract because of tobacco," Singh said.

Posters should be placed and pamphlets distributed at public places such as court premises, offices, police stations so that more people could be made aware of it, he said.

"Also penalty should be imposed and due action taken against people found smoking in public spaces," the district magistrate told the officials.

He asked officials of the committees to contact all educational institutes in the district, including schools, colleges and universities, for awareness among students.

"Mostly the labour class, factory workers, slum dwellers, students and the youth are vulnerable to consuming tobacco and gutkha. Hence there is a need to make them aware of its ill consequences," Singh said.

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Ryanair pilots in Germany and the Netherlands will join a wave of strikes against the no-frills carrier across Europe on Friday, escalating a row over pay and conditions at the height of the summer season.

The powerful Cockpit union said it had asked some 480 Germany-based Ryanair pilots to walk off the job for 24 hours from 03:01 am (local time) on Friday.

"We are extremely sorry for the affected passengers. The responsibility lies with Ryanair management," Cockpit president Martin Locher told a press conference at Frankfurt airport today.

But Ryanair hit back, slamming the "unnecessary" strike action and urging the union to "continue meaningful negotiations".

In the Netherlands, the Dutch Airline Pilots Association said Ryanair pilots based there would go also on strike Friday.

"This European pilot strike should be a wake up call for the Ryanair management," it said.

The strike call followed a move by Ryanair to block a walkout by Dutch pilots with a court near Amsterdam's Schiphol due to consider an injunction on Thursday.

The walkout by German and Dutch pilots piles pressure on the Irish budget airline after pilots in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium also vowed to strike on August 10, promising major disruptions for thousands of holidaymakers.

Ryanair said before the announcement of the Dutch strike it would have to axe around 400 out of 2,400 European flights scheduled for Friday, affecting some 55,000 passengers.

Germany will be worst hit with 250 flight cancellations.

Europe's second biggest airline has been grappling with staff unrest since it recognised trade unions for the first time in December 2017, in a bid to ward off widespread strikes over the Christmas period.

But unions say little progress has been made on their demands for better wages and fairer contracts despite months of talks.

Germany's Cockpit union said Ryanair management had failed to respond to this week's deadline for an improved offer, leaving them with no choice but to strike. "There can be no improvements without increasing staff costs," Locher said, but added that this has been "categorically" rejected by Ryanair.

"At the same time, Ryanair has at no stage signalled where there might be leeway to find solutions." But Ryanair's chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs accused the German union of calling "an unjustified and unnecessary strike", and urged Cockpit to return to the negotiating table to discuss a revised offer the airline proposed last week. Speaking at a Frankfurt press conference, Jacobs said German pilots enjoyed "excellent working conditions" with an average salary of around 150,000 euros ($173,000) a year, more than their peers at low-cost rival Eurowings.

He added that Ryanair had already committed to a 20-percent pay increase, and that 80 percent of its pilots in Germany were now on permanent contracts. Passengers caught up in Friday's stoppages will be contacted by email or text message later for information about refunds and alternative routes, Jacobs said.

The German strike announcement had been widely expected and investors appeared sanguine about the upcoming disruptions, sending Ryanair shares climbing 1.2 percent in London.

Founded 33 years ago in Dublin, Ryanair boasts lower costs per passenger than its competitors.

But Ryanair pilots have long claimed that they earn less than their counterparts at budget airlines like EasyJet.

Another key complaint of workers based in countries other than Ireland is the fact that Ryanair employs them under Irish legislation. Staff say this creates huge insecurity for them, blocking their access to state benefits in their country.

Unions also want the airline to give contractors the same work conditions as staff employees.

Ryanair, which flies in 37 countries and carried 130 million passengers last year, has repeatedly said it remains open to further talks with pilot representatives. But its combative chief executive Michael O'Leary has also warned the airline may shift jobs and planes to more profitable areas if the turmoil continues.

The carrier was already hit by a round of strikes last month disrupting 600 flights in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, affecting 100,000 travellers. After those stoppages Ryanair threatened to move part of its Dublin fleet to Poland, which could cost 300 jobs, including 100 pilot positions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germany's Ryanair pilots will join a wave of strikes against the no-frills carrier across Europe on Friday, escalating a row over pay and conditions at the height of the summer season.

Germany's powerful Cockpit union said it had asked its 400 Ryanair pilots to walk off the job for 24 hours from 03:01 am (0101 GMT) on Friday, affecting all of the airline's outbound flights.

"We are extremely sorry for the affected passengers. The responsibility lies with Ryanair management," Cockpit president Martin Locher told a press conference today.

The move piles pressure on the Irish budget airline after pilots in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium also vowed to strike on August 10, promising major disruptions for thousands of holiday makers.

Europe's second biggest airline has been grappling with staff unrest since it recognised trade unions for the first time in December 2017, in a bid to ward off widespread strikes over the Christmas period.

But unions say their calls for better wages and fairer contracts have gone unheard, and no progress has been made despite months of negotiations.

Germany's Cockpit union said Ryanair management had failed to respond to a yesterday deadline for an improved offer, leaving them with no choice to go on strike.

"There can be no improvements without increasing staff costs," Locher said, but this has been "categorically" rejected by Ryanair.

"At the same time, Ryanair has at no stage signalled where there might be leeway to find solutions. Ryanair alone is responsible for the escalation we are now seeing."



Ryanair pilots have long claimed that they earn less than their counterparts at rival budget airlines.

Another big complaint of workers based in countries other than Ireland is the fact that Ryanair employs them under Irish legislation, arguing most of its employees work on board Irish planes and are therefore covered by Irish law.

But staff counter that this creates huge insecurity for them, blocking their access to state benefits in their country.

Ryanair is due to hold its own press conference in Frankfurt at 1:30 pm (1130 GMT).

The airline was already hit by a round of strikes last month 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.

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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned today that US President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran could further destabilise the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.

Trump brought back the punishing sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and Western powers to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We still think that it is a mistake to give up on the nuclear accord with Iran," Maas said in an interview with the daily Passauer Neue Presse.

"We are fighting for the deal because it also serves our purpose by bringing about security and transparency in the region."



Noting Iran's geographic proximity to Europe, Maas warned that "anyone who's hoping for regime change must not forget that whatever follows could bring us much bigger problems."



"Isolating Iran could boost radical and fundamentalist forces," he said, adding that "chaos in Iran, as we have experienced in Iraq or Libya, would further destabilise an already troubled region." In a desperate bid to save the nuclear accord, European governments have pledged to do what they can to keep business links with Tehran.

Despite the political will to hold firm, many large European firms such as German automaker Daimler are leaving Iran for fear of US penalties. The US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, welcomed the

"We are pleased to see German businesses stopping their trade with Iran, complying with U S sanctions, and helping pressure the Iranian regime back to the table," he tweeted.

"We stand together to stop Iran's malign activities.

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Owners of liquor vends along the route of the Kanwar Yatra here have been ordered to keep their shops closed tomorrow, officials said today.

District Magistrate Ritu Maheshwari issued the orders to all liquor vend owners to keep their stores, along the Kanwar Yatra route, shut till the yatra ends, Assistant District Information Officer (ADIO) Ranjana Sharma said.

The route on which this order will be enforced is from Kadrabad (Modinagar) Chungi to Sihani Chungi, up till the Delhi-UP border, the ADIO added.

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Tech giant Google today partnered with 91springboard to mentor and empower entrepreneurs, especially women, with various skills.

The partnership is aimed at nurturing India's next generation of innovative female entrepreneurs, and empower them to build for the future, Google said in a statement.

"The partnership will drive one training program a month, led by 91springboard in tier II cities. These events are directly focused on educating and upskilling female entrepreneurs over a period of two years, with 24 engagements planned across the country," it added.

The training will focus on honing leadership skills, running design sprints, fostering tech-focused discussions, and will include one-on-one mentorship for female entrepreneurs, the statement said.

Besides, the US-based tech titan is also setting up a Google for Entrepreneurs Lounge at 91springboard's hub in the city.

The Google Lounge is a collaborate space for community members, developers, and creatives, the statement said.

91springboard, which has a community of over 8,000 entrepreneurs, will also join Google for Entrepreneurs' partner network.

Google for Entrepreneurs, a global programme, has a footprint of 50 partners and includes six campuses (Google's owned and operated space for entrepreneurs).

"With Google for Entrepreneurs building its presence in India, we now have an end-to-end mentoring and support program helping entrepreneurs across all stages of their startups," Google VP (Southeast Asia and India) Rajan Anandan said.

He expressed hope that the programme will "help thousands of women to get a jumpstart in their entrepreneurial journeys".

Pranay Gupta, co-founder of 91springboard, said the company is planning to roll out its programmes in tier II cities soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government needs to look into the problems being faced by exporters shipping consignments to Iran in view of the increasing threat of US economic sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation, FIEO said today.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Gupta said that the rupee account currently used for payment settlement has limited funds to meet export requirement only for 3-4 months.

"Other than UCO Bank, no other bank is willing to deal with exporters who are trading with Iran in view of the US sanctions. The government needs to immediately look at the situation and take steps," Gupta said on the sidelines of a function here.

The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions.

Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iran supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil between April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of fiscal 2017-18).

US President Donald Trump has warned other countries from doing business with Iran.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less," he has said in a tweet.

FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said that the government has to take a call on the issue as the existing rupee account for export purposes have funds for another 3-4 months only.

"There is an uncertainty with Iran on trade front," he said.

Bilateral trade between India and Iran increased to USD 13.8 billion in 2017-18 from USD 12.9 billion in the previous fiscal. However, India's exports goods worth only USD 2.5 billion to that country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Women and Child Development Ministry has ordered social audit of over 9,000 child care institutions across the country in the next 60 days, a senior official said today, after reports of alleged sexual abuse of minors at shelter homes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh surfaced.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has been tasked with carrying out the audit and it has been asked to submit its report to the ministry in two months, he said.

The audit would also take into account the condition of children living in these institutions as well as background checks of the NGOs running these child care institutions.

There are a total of 9,462 child care institutions in the country, out of which 7,109 are registered with the government. Though most of the funds to run these child care institutions are provided by the government, the states generally find NGOs to run these institutions.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has urged states to have a single, large facility for children to prevent their "abuse and misuse" by NGOs.

She suggested that a single, large facility in states will make it easier for authorities to check "abuse and misuse" of children by NGOs, who run the shelter homes funded by state governments. She said adoption and skill development programmes at a single facility would be much easier.

The Union minister said these homes run by NGOs should only provide temporary shelter to women, girls and children in distress only after clearance by the Child Welfare Committee.

She said her ministry "would be happy" to fund the construction of a single, central facility in each state under the Nirbhaya Fund and then hand it over to the respective state government.

"For the past two years, I have been writing to MPs, asking them to inspect shelter homes in their localities. We have even got audits done by NGOs at shelter homes and they didn't report anything unusual which means they have not done it thoroughly," she said.

In a letter written by her in August, 2017, Gandhi had noted that there were reports of poor living conditions as well as malpractices in these homes.

She had written to the MPs that the ministry has given "a detailed standard operating procedure and specified day-to-day monitoring mechanisms" which should be followed and urged MPs to inspect child care institutions in their respective states.

The comments from the women and child development minister on the dubious state of affairs at shelter homes came after 24 girls were rescued from one of these homes in Deoria in Uttar Pradesh amid allegations of their sexual exploitation.

The issue of sexual abuse of minor girls first made headlines in April after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted its audit report of shelter homes in Bihar to the state social welfare department. It raised the possibility of sexual abuse of girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur, which was later confirmed by their medical examination.

Following the two back-to-back expose, Gandhi had expressed shock over the incidents and rued there might be many more such cases which have not been uncovered yet.

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A 14-year-old government school student was allegedly slapped by his teacher following which he sustained injuries on his ear at south Delhi's Khanpur area, police said today.

The alleged incident took place on July 26, they said.

The student did not tell his parents about the incident after he returned home. Next day, he told about pain in his ear to his mother and narrated the incident.

He was taken to a hospital by his mother, the officer said.

Police were informed about the alleged incident on August 3.

However, the victim refused to give a statement to police then, but agreed to it on August 7.

The student alleged in his statement to the police that on July 26, during 5th period at the school, he asked the class monitor to provide a duster to clean his desk.

He claimed that the teacher allegedly ordered the monitor not to give him the duster and instead slapped him 2-3 times, following which his ear started bleeding, he said.

A case has been registered and the accused teacher has been arrested, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
JALDHAKA (Nilphamari): Women Affairs Directorate arranged a health camp and distributing benefits among the poor women and children at Jaldhaka recently.
The government will come out with a single bid for setting up 25 GW of solar capacity in Ladakh, Power Minister RK Singh said today, and asserted that renewable energy is a must for sustainable development.

He also said that India will achieve the target of having 175 GW of renewable energy before 2022.

"I am going to come out with the huge bid in Ladakh which is highest solar potential area. I have got a survey done," he said.

"We have potential of 35 GW in Ladakh. So we will come out with single bid of 25 GW with storage and deliverable at Una," Singh said at CII's Government and Business Partnership Conclave here.

He further said that the government will come out with renewable bids with storage component. "We have come out with 10GW solar bid with manufacturing component. We will come out with more such bids to make sure that manufacturing comes to India."



About 16 GW of renenwables are at various stages of development and about 28 GW has been bid out. "It comes to 116 GW. We will achieve our target of having 175 GW before 2022. Renewable Energy is the future. It is our responsibility to the planet."



Singh also said that the government will bring tariff policy under which unscheduled load shedding will be penalised.

On load shedding, he said that it is because discoms are unable to recover cost of power and they don't have the money to sustain the system.

"I am asking the states to give subsidy by direct benefit transfer... The discoms will get money in time. The passing of more than 15 per cent of losses to tariff will be stopped in the law," he added.

The government has already given one crore and few lakh electricity connections under Saubhagya scheme since beginning of this journey on October 11, 2017 out 3.6 crore unelectrified households, he said.

"As we reach the villages, the number of unelectrified households are coming down from estimates of 3.6 crore families made by states. We find that we have actually fewer houses to cover because some families live together and state went by families. I think we will have to cover 3 crore families out which one crore already covered," Singh said.

On the Sustainable Development Goals he said, "Three things were at core of SDGs -- water, energy and green energy. By adding sustainable (word) tool (to SDG) was itself a sort of quantum jump or leap from what the thinking had been before. Unless development is sustainable, it will not do good to us. That was paradigm shift."



The minister was of the view that water is an issue which was not there at the time of the country's independence and has now become a business.

He said, "In rural areas large swathes of population are without access to potable drinking water today. Thousands of villages have high level of arsenic. You have problem of receding ground water. Large zones have become dark zone. You are not allowed to bring bore well water without permission. Our rivers are dying. We need to fix it. That is a challenge."



As far as energy is concerned, he said: "We cannot grow without energy. Our per capita consumption is one third of the world average. While industrialise, you need to fix the way we would industrialise..."



On the occasion NITI Aayog and industry body CII entered into a partnership on SDGs with a broad objective to improve the use of SDGs among business. This broad objective will be realised through specific activities during the period of the MoU. The activities to be carried out by CII in this partnership will be serviced by CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CII-ITC CESD).

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A war of words broke out today between NAFED chairman Vaghji Boda and the Gujarat government over the alleged adulteration of groundnuts, with the former accusing the BJP dispensation of appointing a "bankrupt" entity for procurement of groundnuts in the state.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel hit back at Boda saying the latter was shying away from taking the responsibility of the alleged scam and instead blaming the government.

Boda, who is not a member of Gujarat Congress, during his address at the 'extended executive committee meet' of Tankara taluka Congress Committee in Morbi district today said that although Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation Ltd (GUJCOT) is a bankrupt entity, it was chosen by the state to procure groundnuts from farmers on behalf of (NAFED) National Agriculture Co-operative Marketing Federation of India).

"GUJCOT is a bankrupt entity. It went bankrupt because of corruption. Despite this, the state government had chosen GUJCOT to procure groundnuts. Almost 80 per cent of the entire procurement was done by this agency alone," Boda said.

"It was equally surprising that many bankrupt milk cooperative societies (mandali) of Banaskantha and Sabarkantha were given the responsibility of procurement," he added.

According to Lalit Kagathara, Congress MLA from Tankara seat, Boda was invited by the party for being an 'influential person' of Morbi district.

"Boda is a native of Tankara. He is also the vice chairman of Kribhco (Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd). He is a leading personality in cooperative sector. Though he is not with the Congress in any capacity, we had invited him today" the MLA told PTI.

However, Boda's remarks did not go down well with the government as Nitin Patel said that he was "shocked" to learn about NAFED chief's remarks about state government's role.

He alleged that Boda's presence at the Congress meet has proved that he is with the opposition party.

"It was NAFED which was solely responsible for the procurement, storage and re-sale of the stock. The Gujarat government was only helping NAFED in that process. It is shocking that Boda made these remarks at a Congress meet," Patel told reporters at Gandhinagar.

"While Boda or any of the NAFED officials did not approach the Rajkot police to lodge a complaint despite repeated requests by the police, it was the state government which took immediate steps, following which, as many as 27 people have been arrested so far," said Patel.

The deputy CM even put Boda in the dock over the arrest of his nephew Rohit Boda, saying the NAFED chief first needs to clarify the involvement of his relative in the alleged scam of mixing soil and pebbles in the procured groundnuts.

So far, Rajkot police have arrested 27 persons, including officials of NAFED and GUJCOT in connection with groundnut adulteration with soil and pebbles found in sacks of government procured groundnut stored at a godown at Pedhla village in Jetpur taluka of Rajkot district a week back.

The matter came to light after the traders who bought the groundnut found them to be sub-standard with high level of adulteration.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An absconding accused in the 2002 Ghatkopar blast incident in Mumbai was today arrested by the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), an official said here.

ATS officials nabbed Yahya Abdul Rehman Shaikh (45) from Aurangabad in Maharashtra and handed him over to the Maharashtra police, said a senior ATS official.

Shaikh had fled to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia immediately after the blast, and returned to Aurangabad only two days ago, he said.

"Gujarat ATS team was in Aurangabad in connection with some other case. We detained Shaikh on suspicion, and during the questioning he admitted to involvement in the Ghatkopar blast. Since he is not facing any case in Gujarat, we handed him over to Maharashtra police," the official said.

Shaikh was named in the FIR lodged by Mumbai police after the blast and charged under relevant IPC sections as well as under the Prevention Of Terrorism Act ('POTA', which is now repealed), he said.

Two persons were killed and 50 others were injured in a blast on a civic-run BEST bus in suburban Ghatkopar in Mumbai on December 2, 2002.

"Shaikh owned a factory in Aurangabad. During a raid at the factory after the blast, police had found videos and literature of terror outfits such as Indian Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad. Videos of Gujarat riots were also found," said the officer.

"As per the Mumbai police, other accused in the case were influenced by this propaganda material and took part in the blast conspiracy," the ATS officer said.

An official of the Maharashtra police confirmed Shaikh's arrest, but refused to reveal more details.

During the trial of the Ghatkopar blast case so far, all the arrested accused have been discharged for lack of evidence. Yesterday, the Mumbai court discharged Ifran Qureshi, arrested in the case from Aurangabad in May this year, after the police submitted that there was no sufficient evidence against him.

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Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu Singh Sindhu today launched an online portal for releasing grant-in-aid to government departments.

Abhimanyu launched the portal and then made the first transaction using the electronic system. He released Rs 84.58 crore to the health department under the National Health Mission.

He handed over the receipt of the transaction to Additional Chief Secretary, Health, R R Jowel and Mission Director Amneet P Kumar, said an official press release.

Abhimanyu recalled that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had earlier praised the Haryana government for its finance management and that today the department had begun a fresh chapter.

The online system will make the entire budgetary process more transparent and increase the working efficiency of finance department officials, the press release read.

The minister said in the future all government departments would maintain a single bank account for all their transactions.

He reiterated words from his 2018-19 budget speech, where he said it would be mandatory for all departments to keep government funds in a single account.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Haryana government has decided to distribute fortified mustard oil through public distribution system (PDS) at the rate of two litres per month per family from September 1, 2018.

To begin with, Ambala and Karnal district will be covered under this scheme, an official spokesperson said here today.

Besides, it will be ensured that the only fortified edible oil is available in the open market through HAFED from November 2018 onward, he said.

The state government has started a pilot project for distribution of fortified wheat flour under PDS in two blocks of Ambala district in March 2017 and also under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in June 2017, the spokesperson added.

Encouraged by its success, we have decided to scale it up to two districts namely Ambala and Karnal from September 2018, both under PDS and ICDS, he said.

The scheme will be expanded to the entire state by December this year.

Milk fortification with Vitamin A and D2 was started in all six milk plants in the state in 2016, the official noted.

The fortification is being done as per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) standards and the state has recently been accredited with the F+ logo for it, the spokesperson said.

The ICDS of the state government started fortification of Panjeeri (Iron, Vitamin B12 and folic acid) in Karnal district in 2016, he added.

Fortified edible oil (Cotton-seed and Soybean) is being used in five districts under ICDS namely Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Karnal and Gurugram, he said.

This will be extended to all remaining districts by September, 2018, the spokesperson added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Calcutta High Court today restrained Alchemist Group from transferring money to any foreign entity without its permission and asked the business house and its Chairman K D Singh to respond to market regulator Sebi's plea for a probe into their alleged attempts to siphon off funds to a tax haven.

Passing an interim injunction, the court also restrained Alchemist Group and Singh from entering into a business contract with any foreign entity without its permission.

A division bench comprising justices Joymalyo Bagchi and R Bharadwaj directed the Group and Singh to file an affidavit with regard to the plea by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) within four weeks and asked the capital market regulator to file its affidavit in opposition in another two weeks after that.

The matter will come up for hearing after six weeks, the court said.

Seeking directions for a thorough probe, Sebi had told the bench that 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.

Sebi's counsel Hirak Mitra submitted before the division bench that the regulator was not legally competent to conduct such a probe and sought the court's direction to competent agencies to investigate the matter.

Alchemist's counsel Shyamal Sarkar rejected the allegations and said the company was selling land assets to pay back the investors.

In its application, Sebi said, "K D Singh is in the process of siphoning off around USD 100 million, earned by way of duping innocent public in the guise of fake deposit scheme, in buying companies abroad via tax havens."



The regulator said 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 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.

The regulator 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.

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The Allahabad High Court today decided to monitor the investigation into the alleged sex racket at the Deoria shelter home and said it appeared that its owners enjoyed the patronage of some politician.

The bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma passed the order while taking suo motu cognizance of media reports on the suspected sexual abuse of the inmates at the Ma Vindhyavasini shelter by an NGO.

The Uttar Pradesh government had announced yesterday that it will recommend a CBI inquiry in the case.

It seems the owners had got patronage of some politician or a VIP, the court said while referring to the operation of the shelter even though it was blacklisted.

The court said girls continued to be shifted to the shelter home and no action was being taken against its managers even though the district administration had received complaints.

UP's Additional Advocate General Neeraj Tripathi told the court that the Uttar Pradesh government will transfer the case to the CBI as soon as it receives approval from the Centre.

The state government has written to Union Home Ministry to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the court was told.

The court fixed August 13 as the next date of hearing.

It directed CBI counsel Gyan Prakash and the state's additional advocate general to ensure that copies of the statements of all the girls at the shelter home are placed before it on that date.

It said a responsible officer investigating the case shall remain present in court on the next date.

The court asked the counsels to inform whether any CCTVs are installed in or around the shelter home.

It also wanted to know about the owners of the cars in which the minor girls used to leave the shelter home, according to reports in the media.

Neeraj Tripathi told the court that the Deoria district magistrate had been immediately transferred to ensure a fair investigation.

The shelter was raided on Sunday night after a girl fled from there and reached a police station.

The police then rescued 24 girls from there and said 18 others appeared to be missing.

One girl from the Deoria home was later found at an old age shelter run by the same organisation in Gorakhpur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 465,000 units, worth over $47 billion, are facing significant execution delays across major Indian cities due to sales slowdown, cash crunch facing developers and issues related to project approvals, says a PropEquity report.

As many as 1,687 projects, comprising 4,65,555 units with a saleable area of nearly 600 million sq ft, are significantly behind delivery schedule, it said.

The current value of these units is Rs 3.32 trillion (over $47 billion), said the report by real estate data and analytics firm.

"The delays in these projects range from 2-8 years and there is no certainty when these would be completed," PropEquity Founder and MD Samir Jasuja told PTI.

The real estate sector, especially housing segment, is facing a multi-year slowdown that has led to significant delays in execution of projects. Home buyers have been forced to protest on roads and approach courts seeking relief.

"Real estate in India may be witnessing green shoots of recovery in select micro markets however over 465,000 units of across India are significantly behind their delivery deadlines with daunting construction delays...Total value of projects facing construction delays is Rs 3.3 trillion or over $47 billion," the report said.

It attributed the delays in delivery of projects, to many reasons including financial constraints, execution challenges, surplus supply due to over ambitious launches by developers, environmental clearances and slowing sales among others.

"Although the markets are facing significant execution delays we do expect the reputed developers to perform well. We also anticipate that the resolution to this difficult scenario will occur in the form of consolidation that will be led by the larger and more capable developers who have the construction and execution capability to meet their promises," Jasuja said.

According to the report, nearly 180,000 units valued at Rs 1.22 trillion are facing an uncertain future in the NCR region (Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad).

Similarly, in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), 105,000 units worth Rs 1.12 trillion are pending completion. MMR includes Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane.

As Bangalore is an end-user driven market, 38,242 units are still to be handed over to buyers. The total value of these units is Rs 264 billion. In Pune, 22,517 units worth Rs 141 billion are pending while Chennai has 20,847 stuck units worth Rs 95.11 billion.

In Kolkata and Hyderabad, only 15,552 units (worth Rs 61.75 billion) and 13,710 units (Rs 77.78 billion), respectively, are pending execution.

As per the report, in Tier 2 Cities, as many as 303 projects having 68,094 units, worth Rs 301.20 billion, are yet to be delivered.

"Our latest research further reiterates that projects that are completed or nearing completion are attracting maximum buyers as these projects seem to be most risk averse in the eyes of the buyer. However, we also believe that projects by renowned developers, with strong fundamentals would continue to do well irrespective of stage of construction," Jasuja said.

PropEquity said that it covers over 98,370 projects of 26,881 developers across over 42 cities in India with 300 projects being added to the database every month.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur urged the farm community to shun their old perceptions and adopt the model of Zero Budget Natural Farming wholeheartedly.

They spoke at a conference on Zero Budget Natural Farming organised by the Agriculture Department here today.

Thakur said overdose of fertilisers resulted in soil degradation and rendered fields barren. He said these chemicals also adversely affected the health of people.

The state government is now leaving no stone unturned to ensure effective promotion of natural farming, the chief minister said, adding that Rs 25 crore has been allotted for promotion of Zero Budget Natural Farming.

More than 430 officers of the Agriculture Department and farmers of all the districts of the state attended the conference.

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Hurricane Hector whirled toward Hawaii with 130 mph winds, bringing the threat of dangerous sea swells on two islands in the US archipelago state.

The Category Four storm was expected to pass about 100-150 miles (60-100 km) south of the Big Island today, government forecasters said.

Swells kicked up by Hector are expected to reach shores of the Big Island and Maui late yesterday, "likely becoming large and dangerous starting early Wednesday morning, and continuing through Wednesday afternoon," the Central Pacific Hurricane Centre in Honolulu said.

Off the coast of Mexico, meanwhile, Hurricane John lumbered toward the Baja California peninsula as a Category Two storm.

It is expected to generate swells with potential for life-threatening surf on the coasts of southwestern Mexico and Baja California, the National Hurricane Centre said.

On the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, a Category Five storm is the most dangerous, with winds exceeding 156 miles per hour (251 kph).

John, which absorbed a tropical storm called Ileana, is already dumping heavy rain on states in western Mexico, the National Water Commission said.

It urged the general public and ship crews to be on the lookout for strong rains, wind and high waves.

Authorities in the Baja California resort of Los Cabos placed red flags on beaches in expectation of waves up to five metres high, said Carlos Alfredo Godinez Leon, a civil protection official.

All ports in Los Cabos were closed.

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Nabila returns with 'The Original Artist'

Entertainment Report :

The 'Aynabaji' actress Masuma Rahman Nabila returning back to acting with a drama titled 'The Original Artist'. The drama was directed by popular TVC director Mahmudul Islam which will be broadcasted on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Poet, producer and actor Kamruzzaman Kamu played opposite her in the drama.

Recently, shooting of the drama 'The Original Artist' was done in a 250-year old house in Sutrapur. In the context of the drama, director Mahmudul Islam said, "We have finished shooting the drama recently. The drama is made based on an honest makeup man." He also said, "even though I mainly directed media advertising, I started my career with drama. Then, I took a long break from directing drama. But I am willing to be regular in the drama."

Director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is organizing special events with production house Chabial on Eid. The slogan of this event is 'Bhai Brother Express'. There will be eight directors with eight dramas. And 'The Original Artist' is one of those eight dramas.
Brajesh Thakur, the key accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case, today denied having any "links" with Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma and claimed that he was being framed due to political considerations.

Talking to mediapersons outside a special POCSO court here, where he was produced along with nine other accused arrested in the case, Thakur alleged that he was being made a "political scapegoat" as he was likely to get a ticket from the Congress in a forthcoming election.

Thakur claimed that he was in touch with central leaders of the Congress.

He, however, did not specify if he meant nomination for next year's parliamentary election or the state assembly poll in 2020.

Thakur's claim was immediately dismissed by the Congress as "ridiculous".

Congress MLC Prem Chand Mishra said Thakur was "not even a primary member of the party".

High drama was witnessed outside the court premises as dozens of supporters of the Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) blackened the face of Thakur while he was being taken inside.

The JAP is headed by Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who has been vociferously raising the Muzaffarpur issue in Parliament.

Asked about reports that he had made 17 telephone calls to Chandeshwar Verma, the husband of Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma, between January and June this year, Thakur said, "I used to speak to him occasionally on political issues."



"I have only formal relations with them (Manju Verma and her husband) just like I have with you people," Thakur, who also ran three newspapers in Hindi, English and Urdu, said.

Minister Manju Verma is in the eye of the storm ever since the name of her husband cropped up in the case related to alleged rape of 34 girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home run by Thakur's NGO.

Thakur had earlier contested an assembly election as a nominee of Bihar People's Party led by jailed don and former MP Anand Mohan.

Thakur, whose NGO ran the shelter home, has been in jail for the past two months.

Thakur also denied that he had anything to do with Madhu Kumari, who was said to be a close accomplice and also associated with work of his NGO and an Urdu paper.

He claimed that none of the girls had given any statement against him.

Meanwhile, RJD vice president Shivanand Tiwary today made a fresh demand for resignation of Manju Verma following reported disclosure of call details of Thakur linking him to her husband.

Tiwari said, "Verma has started playing the caste card, which appears to have the approval of Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar who is wary of losing his grip over Kushwaha caste in the event of RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha walks out of the NDA.

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Senior bureaucrat V Sheshadri has been given two years extension as joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Personnel Ministry said in an order today.

He is a 1999 batch IAS officer of Telangana cadre.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of central deputation tenure of Sheshadri, Joint Secretary, Prime Minister's Office for a period of two years beyond August 21 this year, the order said.

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With its first store in India set to open tomorrow, Swedish home furnishings major IKEA today said it is looking to expand here at a faster pace as compared to elsewhere.

The company which is looking to set up 25 stores in India by 2025 will also enter e-commerce segment by next year, besides exploring small format stores as part of expansion plans in the country.

"We want to be accessible and from tomorrow we will be accessible in Hyderabad. Now we will try our best to speed up our expansion to move quicker than normally we do in IKEA," IKEA Group CEO Jesper Brodin said here.

After Hyderabad, IKEA's second store would be in Mumbai next year followed by Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR.

The company's first store in India comes more than five years after it received the government's nod for its Rs 10,500 crore investment in the country in single brand retail.

IKEA had originally planned to open the first store in 2017. However, it was delayed and was scheduled for July 19 this year. The company again pushed it back to August 9 citing quality commitments.

Out of the total outlay of Rs 10,500 crore, the company has so far invested Rs 4,500 crore on different projects.

It has invested Rs 1,000 crore on the Hyderabad store alone, which would have a range of around 7,500 products.

The store is spread over 13 acres and has a built up area of 4 lakh sq ft.

Bullish on the Indian market, IKEA India CEO Peter Betzel said the country's population, demographic dividend and fast growing economy offered a big potential.

He said the company would also have online channel for its customers and set up small format stores within cities in order to provide IKEA experience.

Betzel said India will be one of the most important future markets for IKEA in terms of supply, customers and making a positive impact on society.

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Imran Khan today said Pakistan and the United States should strengthen their relations based on trust, a media report said today, amidst tensions in bilateral ties over Islamabad's support for terror groups.

The relations between Pakistan and the United States nosedived this January after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

The US Congress also passed a bill to slash Pakistan's defence aid to USD 150 million, significantly below the historic level of more than USD one billion per year.

Khan, set to be sworn-in as Pakistan's new prime minister next week, made the remarks when US Ambassador John Hoover called on him at his residence, the Express Tribune reported.

Hoover congratulated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief on his party's victory in the July 25 general elections and discussed the relations between the two countries, it said.

Khan stressed that strengthening the bilateral relations based on trust was the need of the hour, the report said.

In his victory speech last month, Khan had said that Pakistan wants to have a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States.

But he noted that up now, that has been "one-way, the US thinks it gives us aid to fight their war ... we want both countries to benefit, we want a balanced relationship," he had said.

Khan has been a vocal critic of US drone attacks inside Pakistan against terrorists.

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India must look at incentivising local production rather than penalising imports, IKEA Group CEO Jesper Brodin said today.

The head of Swedish home furnishing major, which is set to open its first store in India tomorrow, said high import duties on items would only make customers pay the price as it does not necessarily translate into local manufacturing excellence.

"Our point of view is that it would be better to incentivise local production than to penalise imports," Brodin said here in an interaction with media.

He was responding to a query on key challenges faced by the company in India.

Listing import duties on the top of the list, Brodin said: "Because it will be the customers who pays for it, and not necessarily (it) drives excellence in production."



He, however, said the company could understand the import tariffs, stating "a nation of the size and the development (stage) of India, you have to defend yourself in your development curve".

Although the company has been sourcing items from India for nearly four decades, it has been mostly textiles related items.

With its first store set to open here, it is importing a host of items, including wooden products, to be sold in India.

IKEA has however said that one of its highlights in India would be offering affordable products, with over 1,000 items on offer at the store here priced at less than Rs 200.

Brodin also highlighted complexity of land rights and purchasing in India as one of the factors for a slow start here in the country.

"The complexity regarding land rights and purchasing land, obviously for a company like IKEA, that requires a certain size, can lead to slow start of the process," he said.

When asked if frequent changes in policies, specially in the retail sector was a concern, Brodin said, I think you have to be open. Our business is long term. Of course, politics follow its own cycle.

"For me and for us, there is a logic to what India is doing. There's a logic to the development of India and we would like to trust and believe that it would continue. We are not sleepless over it."



He also said organised retail sector was almost non-existent in India when IKEA entered India and hence legislations related to the sector was abstract.

"I am confident that it will be sooner or later addressed," he added.

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Payments Bank will partner with and other financial companies to offer loans, and policies to its customers.

" Payments Bank will offer loans, and through third party tie-ups. It will sell some of Punjab National Bank products, including It has partnered Bajaj Allianz for and will be looking for more partners," official sources told reporters today.

Prime Minister on August 21 will launch Payments Bank (IPPB) with 650 branches across the country, which will pave way for the largest banking network.

"All 1.55 lakh post office branches will be linked to by end of this year. There are 1.3 lakh post offices in rural area that have reach to neighbouring villages. With these rural post office branches, services will be made available across all villages in the country," the sources said.

Two branches of are already operational on pilot basis in Raipur and Ranchi.

Payments can accept deposits up to Rs 1 lakh per account from individuals and small businesses, and facilitate money transfer to other bank accounts, among other services. However, they cannot offer loans, or issue credit cards.

With the third party tie-ups, account holders in IPPB will be able to avail financial services as in case of a regular banking customer.

To overcome limitation of Rs 1 lakh deposit limit, IPPB has receive permission to link around 17 crore post office saving (POSB) account.

"With this whenever deposit in IPPB account exceeds Rs 1 lakh, it can be transferred to POSB. There are total of 37 crore different types of accounts at post offices which will be linked to IPPB gradually," the sources said.

Initially there will be 11,000 postman who will provide doorstep banking services and later 3 lakh postal department employees will be roped in for doorstep services.

"Doorstep banking services will be chargeable," an official said.

IPPB will also run banking and financial services campaign to create awareness about financial products among people, especially in rural area.
Indian-American entrepreneur Suneel Gupta, seeking to enter the House of Representatives from Michigan, lost the primary elections in the state, coming at third place with over 5000 votes behind the winner Haley Stevens.

Gupta, 38, received 18,873 votes or 21.3 per cent in the Democratic primary with 100 per cent of precincts reporting.

Stevens, who had been endorsed by former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, won the election with 27 per cent or 23,997 votes.

Stevens is a former Obama Administration official. Current Michigan Representative Tim Greimel was in second place with 19,317 votes.

In the race for Michigan governor, Indian-American Shri Thanedar lost the primary election. Gretchen Whitmer, a former Democratic leader in the Michigan state Senate, won her party's nomination for governor in Tuesday's primary.

Whitmer defeated former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and Thanedar. Whitmer, 46, will face Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, 64, winner of the Republican primary, in the general election for the open governor's seat.

Running on a platform of expanding health-care access and lowering costs, Gupta was among five candidates contesting in the Democratic primary from the 11th Congressional District of Michigan.

The winner will face the Republican nominee in the November general election to determine who succeeds retiring GOP Rep. Dave Trott of Birmingham.

Suneel, the younger brother of Emmy award winning journalist and doctor Sanjay Gupta, had said that, if elected, his priority would be to make quality and affordable health-care available to all.

"At a time when Donald Trump wants to cut Medicare by over USD 500 billon, I am the candidate in this race with hands-on healthcare experience who has stood up to the pharmaceutical companies who are ripping off families and seniors and I will fight him every step of the way," he said on his campaign website.

Suneel comes from an illustrious Indian-American family from Michigan. His parents, Subhash and Damyanti Gupta, moved from India to the US in 1960s.

His mother was recently featured by the Time magazine for being the first female engineer at the Ford Motor Company.

Suneel, in a recent statement, had said that he has broken the fund raising record by raising more than USD 1.3 million; which is highest among all the candidates running for the Congress from the seat.

In 2012, Gupta's brother helped him start Rise, a company that uses technology to reduce the cost of quality health-care. After the startup served over 1,000 patients, former first lady Michelle Obama asked Rise to be her team's official technology partner.

Suneel holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a law degree from Northwestern Law School.

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In a relief to an Indian man in the UAE, the authorities have scrapped the USD 55,812 fine imposed on him after he ran away from his employer seven years ago, according to a media report.

Emirati sponsors are handing over passports of absconding employees as part of the government's initiative 'Protect yourself by rectifying your status'.

The amnesty scheme was launched to help absconding workers get their passports back and legalise their status, Khaleej Times reported.

Eighty per cent of the 400 amnesty-seekers approached the Al Fujairah center yesterday to receive their passports, which were submitted to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) by their sponsors, the report said.

The amnesty center carried out a large number of fine-waiving procedures and issued many of them outpass to be able to leave the country, the report said.

In one case, the GDRFA waived Dh 205,000 (USD 55,812) for an Indian worker who ran away from his sponsor seven years ago, it said.

"This was the maximum waived amount on the day," said Brigadier Dr Ahmed Ali Al-Saghairy, acting executive director of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs in Fujairah.

The identity of the Indian was not revealed.

After getting their passports, the the amnesty-seekers began procedures related to modification of their status or departure from country, the report added.

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Ever wondered why water splays when it hits the sink before heading down the plughole?



This everyday household occurrence, which has baffled engineers for centuries, has finally been explained by an Indian-origin researcher at the University of Cambridge.

The phenomenon, known as a hydraulic jump, was documented first by famous inventor and painter Leonardo da Vinci in 1500's.

Hydraulic jumps are harmless in our household sinks but they can cause violent waves, turbulence and whirlpools in deeper water, said Rajesh Bhagat, a PhD student at St John's College, University of Cambridge in the UK.

Since the 1820s scientists have believed that hydraulic jumps occur partly as a result of the gravitational pull.

However, the latest study published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics has disproved this longstanding theory.

Bhagat fired jets of water upwards and sideways onto flat surfaces, and witnessed exactly the same hydraulic jumps as those when the water flowed downwards.

He suspected they could all be affected by the same factors - surface tension and viscosity.

By altering these attributes of the water he was able to accurately predict the size of the hydraulic jumps.

This was regardless of which direction the water was moving - debunking the 200-year-old gravitational theory as the cause of a kitchen sink type hydraulic jump.

This kind of hydraulic jump is known as a circular hydraulic jump.

Paul Linden, a professor at the University of Cambridge described Bhagat's findings as "ground breaking".

"His experiments and theory show that the surface tension of the liquid is the key to the process and this has never before been recognised even though the problem was discussed by da Vinci and many others since.

"This work represents a remarkable achievement in our understanding of the dynamics of thin layers of fluid," Linden said.

Bhagat predicts that his findings could have wide reaching consequences for industries that have high levels of water consumption.

"Knowing how to manipulate the boundary of a hydraulic jump is very important and now with this theory we can easily extend or reduce the boundary," he said.

"Understanding this process has big implications and could reduce industrial water use dramatically. People can use this theory to find new ways to clean everything from cars to factory equipment," said Bhagat.

He hopes that the research will also be used to find new ways to help us use less water in the average household.

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An Indian captain stuck aboard an Indian ship stranded at a UK port for 18 months due to a long-standing legal dispute over unpaid crew wages and port dues is set to return home, a media report said today.

Nikesh Rastogi, 43, is the captain of the offshore supply vessel Malaviya Twenty which has been held at a port in Great Yarmouth, in the East Anglia region of England, since July 2016 after its Indian owners declared bankruptcy.

Most of the original crew has since been repatriated back to India but Rastogi and three other crew members have been stuck aboard for 18 months due to a stalemate with the harbours owners.

Lawyers acting for the crew made representations to the Admiralty Marshal at the High Court in July and the ship has now been arrested, meaning the court can arrange to sell it and use the money for the sailors' wages.

"It is like a weight being lifted because there was a point of no hope. There was a period where things were really bad mentally," Rastogi was quoted as saying by the Independent newspaper.

He said he hopes to fly home with his colleagues within weeks.

Rastogi, from Mumbai, said he and his three crew members had received no wages since last year and had feared they would not get paid if they left the ship as it would be "considered a derelict which means anybody can take it over".

Paul Haworth, a director at the law firm Birketts which represented the crew, said a surveyor instructed by the court will value the ship and the sale process should conclude in September.

Paul Keenan, inspector with the International Transport Workers' Federation, said the ship could sell for 700,000 to 800,000 pounds.

Haworth said this should be enough to pay those involved in the wrangle, including the Admiralty Marshal's costs, port dues, the crew's unpaid wages and lawyers.

Rastogi said they looked out for "markers for depression" and he read books to keep busy.

"Your mind needs to be like a shark in that sense because if you stop then you sink and you start thinking about the situation and then there's no hope," he said.

Rastogi said he would continue to work at sea after the ordeal, adding "lightning doesn't strike twice".

Asked about his plans when he returned home, he said: "I think I'm going to have lots of Indian food".

"I'm going to start with curries from breakfast to dinner," he said.

Malaviya Twenty, owned by Mumbai's GOL Offshore Ltd, was arrested in July 2016 and issued with a distrainment order under the UK's Harbour Act, which means it cannot leave the port at Great Yarmouth.

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Shahidul taken back to DB office from BSMMU

Staff Reporter :

Photographer Shahidul Alam was taken back to the office of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police as doctors of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) found no major health problems for admission into the hospital.

He was brought to BSMMU around 9:15am. Doctors headed by Professor Dr ABM Abdullah, Dean of the Medicine Department, conducted tests on him and found there was no major health issue with him, said BSMMU Director Brigadier General Md Abdullah Al Harun. After the tests, the doctors said, he is alright and there is no reason for admitting him to the hospital, he said.

Consequently, he was taken back to DB office around 2:00pm, said Abdullah Al Harun.

A four-member medical board was formed with Dr ABM Abdullah as head for Shahidul's diagnosis and treatment.

Meanwhile, the government on Wednesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking stay on the High Court order that directed the authorities concerned to send detained photographer Shahidul Alam to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for his treatment.

After a brief hearing, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Hasan Foez Siddique sent the petition to the full bench of the apex court for its hearing today (Thursday).

In response to a writ petition filed by his wife Rahnuma Ahmed, the HC also ordered the BSMMU authorities to examine Shahidul's physical condition and submit a report in the court.

On Tuesday, the High Court (HC) directed the authorities concerned of the government and police to immediately send the detained photographer to BSMMU for his treatment.

In response to a writ petition filed by his wife Rahnuma Ahmed, the HC also ordered the BSMMU authorities to examine Shahidul's physical condition and submit a report in the court by 10:30am today (Thursday).

Shahidul Alam was picked up by plainclothes men on Sunday night and was placed on a seven-day remand by a Dhaka court on Monday in a case filed against him under the Section 57 of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act. He was also "tortured in police custody."

The bench passed the order following the writ petition filed challenging a lower court order that placed Shahidul on remand in the case.

Hours before he was detained from his Dhanmondi residence, Shahidul came under attack of a group of armed men while videoing an attack of a gang of armed men.

Shahidul's wife Rehnuma said her husband gave an interview to an international media about on-going students' movement. Besides, he worked live on Facebook about the issue several times.


The District Magistrate of Kamrup Metropolitan District today ordered an inquiry into the death of a person, who had allegedly espaced from the police custody and was found hanging from a tree in Chandrapur area.

District Magistrate Virender Mittal directed Circle Officer, Chandrapur Revenue Circle, Pallab Jyoti Nath to conduct an inquiry to find out the circumstances leading to the death of the 23-year old man, official sources said here.

Nath has been directed to submit his findings within 15 days for onward submission to NHRC/AHRC (Assam Human Rights C Commission).

The person, identified as Chandan Bharali, was arrested yesterday for allegedly harrassing a girl on social media and was taken to Panikhaiti outpost after being remanded to police custody for three days by the Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The accused was found missing last night and the police claimed that he had escaped with his handcuffs.

A search was launched to find him and the police found him early this morning hanging from a tree in the jungle area, about 150 meters behind Panikhaity outpost.

The person had allegedly committed suicide, according to the police. PTI DG Click here to Reply, Reply to all or Forward 6.

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Less than a year after first oil from the US was imported into India, state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has signed up to buy crude oil from the US through a term-tender deal, a senior company official said.

IOC has signed a contract to buy about 6 million barrels of US crude oil under single tender for delivery in November 2018 to January 2019, he said.

Currently, the company, as well as other state-owned oil firms, buy crude oil from the US on a spot or current tender basis which comprises one shipload of oil. They cannot enter into a term or fixed quantity deals as the government policy does not allow them to enter into such contracts with non-state foreign firms.

IOC and other state firms like Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) enter into annual term import deals with national oil companies of mostly Middle East countries.

To overcome this, IOC floated a tender to buy three shiploads of US crude instead of the usual practice of one cargo, the official said.

The company will receive one very large crude carrier (VLCC) of US oil every month in November, December and January.

It is expecting the first VLCC to be delivered to Vadinar in Gujarat in November and a second cargo at Mundra in the same state in December. A third shipment is to come at Paradip in Odisha in January, he said.

Including these cargoes, the company's US crude purchase amount to 16 million barrels in total since April.

Prior to this deal, IOC had struck deals for importing 10 million barrels from six cargoes in the spot market. "We had been regularly taking spot cargoes but are now also looking at tender-term deals where monthly cargoes can be booked through a tender purchase," he said.

India first imported US crude oil in October last year and has since then oil firms have been buying oil from that country on a tender basis.

The increased purchase of US oil companies has come ahead of re-imposition of economic sanctions against Iran - India's second-biggest supplier of oil. The sanctions, which would come into force from November 4, are likely to block current payment routes used to pay for Iranian imports.

Iran is India's second-largest oil supplier, after Iraq. India is the second-largest buyer of Iranian oil after China.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had last month told Parliament that Iran had in April-June overtaken Saudi Arabia to become the second largest supplier of crude oil to Indian public sector firms.

Indian PSUs, which last fiscal cut oil imports from Iran by a quarter, bought 5.67 million tonnes of crude oil from the Persian Gulf nation during April-June.

The US, which in May pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal and said sanctions will be re-imposed on Iran within 180 days, has threatened to cut off access to the American banking system for foreign financial institutions that trade with Tehran.

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Iran's Labour Minister Ali Rabiei was impeached today after months of mounting anger over the government's handling of an economic crisis which has deepened with the return of US sanctions.

Rabiei lost a confidence motion in parliament by 129 votes to 111, giving President Hassan Rouhani three months to replace him.

Rouhani has been under mounting pressure in recent weeks to reshuffle his economic team.

The withdrawal of the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal led to the first tranche of related sanctions being reimposed yesterday.

But Iran was already struggling with longstanding problems of unemployment and low investment, which his team has appeared powerless to tackle.

Rabiei, 62, is a longstanding ally of Rouhani, who also served as an adviser to reformist former president Mohammad Khatami between 1997 and 2005.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif today said it was hard to imagine new talks with the US after it lost the trust of the world with its erratic decision-making.

"Imagine negotiating now -- how can we trust them?" Zarif told reporters on state broadcaster IRINN. "America has zig-zagged constantly, so now no one trusts them.

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An Israeli couple was rescued by a team of Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Response Force after they got stuck on a steep rock hill in the Leh district, police said today.

A five-member team of the SDRF Leh was deputed for the rescue operation in Liker-Saspochay village yesterday, they said.

"After conducting a search, the SDRF team spotted the foreign couple on a steep rock hill. They were rescued safely by the team," a police spokesman said.

The couple - Dubiniwski Barak and Fragin Chasys Mushka - told the rescuers they climbed the rock hill but were unable to come down.

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The issue of embattled businessman Vijay Mallya speaking about deplorable conditions in Indian jails before a London court today found mention in the Supreme Court which was hearing a matter related to prison reforms.

"You must be aware of certain things happening in a foreign country about prisons in India," a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur told Attorney General K K Venugopal.

The observation by the apex court assumes significance as liquor baron Mallya, against whom extradition proceedings are going on in Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, has been raising the issue of alleged deplorable conditions in the Indian prisons.

An advocate, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, said that Mallya has raised this issue before the court abroad.

The London court had recently asked the Indian authorities to submit within three weeks a video of a cell at Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail where they plan to keep Mallya if he is extradited.

During the hearing, Venugopal said he has also read articles published in foreign countries about jails in India.

The issue cropped up when the apex court was dealing with a matter relating to inhuman conditions prevailing in 1,382 prisons across the country.

The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year, is fighting extradition to India on charges of alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore.

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Actor Lindsay Lohan has slammed #MeToo movement saying the campaign makes women look weak.

The movement came to the fore last year after the alleged sex crimes of Harvey Weinstein prompted women across the globe to bravely share their own harrowing experiences.

Lohan spoke about the movement in an interview with The Times, explaining that she never had negative experiences in Hollywood.

So, I don't really have anything to say. I can't speak on something I didn't live, right? Look, I am very supportive of women. Everyone goes through their own experiences in their own ways, she said.

If it happens at that moment, you discuss it at that moment. You make it a real thing by making it a police report. I'm going to really hate myself for saying this, but I think by women speaking against all these things, it makes them look weak when they are very strong women. You have these girls who come out, who don't even know who they are, who do it for the attention. That is taking away from the fact that it happened, Lohan added.

Last year, the actor had defended disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein after he initially faced a slew of sexual assault allegations.

I feel very bad for Harvey Weinstein right now. I don't think it's right what's going on. I think Georgina needs to take a stand and be there for her husband. He's never harmed me or did anything to me. We've done several movies together. I think everyone needs to stop. I think it's wrong. So, stand up, she had said in a Instagram video, which she later deleted.

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The girl who blew the lid off the goings-on at Ma Vindhyavasini shelter home had called the place a jail when the police talked to her.

On Sunday, a fleeting opportunity presented itself to her to break free. She was mopping the room and shelter home manager Girija Tripathi was busy on the phone, the girl told the police.

She ran out to the police station. In the raid that followed, police rescued 24 girls and women inmates from there.

Eighteen others were missing, the police said amid suspicion that the inmates were being subjected to sexual abuse.

The premises also housed a home for young children. The names of seven, most of them below 10 years old, were registered there. But the police did not come across anyone of them.

The girl who escaped told police that some girls used to be taken away in cars that were parked outside, and would be brought back to the home the next day.

During a visit to the shelter home, now sealed, a PTI correspondent was told today by local residents that no one in the neighbourhood ever saw any girl on the terrace or outside the home run by the 'Ma Vindhyavasini Mahila Prasikshan Evam Samaj Seva Sansthan'.

But they confirmed that cars used to come there in the evening.

Although the licence of the shelter home was suspended in July 2017, the local police had continued sending rescued girls there as no other protection home for girls exists in the area.

As recently as July 26 and 27, Chauri Bazaar police and Barhaj police had sent two girls to the shelter home.

The shelter home is in front of the Deoria railway station and many shops, including a diagnostic centre, function from the same building.

Next to the building, there is a lane into which two back doors of the shelter home open.

There is a liquor shop in the same lane and some local residents allege flesh trade goes on in the neighbourhood.

Cars used to come in the evening but I was not aware of the purpose, a local resident, who didn't want to be named, said.

He said there was never any problem or quarrel with the people in the cars. So it never crossed our minds why the cars came and where they went," he said.

Another shopkeeper said, "Once I noticed girls in a car and I thought they were going for some event."



A man standing near the shelter home said, "I noticed cars in the evening and also sometimes saw people who looked like officials, but I never came to know their purpose.

The home is on the upper floor. The stairs reach right into a room, people who are aware of the layout said. Inside there are six other rooms, a kitchen, a toilet and a balcony, they said.

The Uttar Pradesh government recommended a CBI inquiry into the Deoria shelter home case yesterday, hours after a girl missing from there was found at an old age home run by the same NGO in Gorakhpur.

Police said the girl from the Deoria shelter should not have been at the Gorakhpur home, as it is meant for the elderly.

A rescued inmate had told police that some girls from there used to be taken to Gorakhpur.

UP Women and Child Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi has admitted that there had been laxity at the district level in not shutting down the Deoria shelter even after a closure order last year.

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An adviser to her father President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump has said that Indra Nooyi has been her mentor and inspiration as she expressed her gratitude for the outgoing PepsiCo chief's passionate engagement on various social issues.

"The great @IndraNooyi is stepping down as PepsiCo CEO, after 12 yrs. Indra, you are a mentor + inspiration to so many, myself included," Ivanka tweeted.

Ivanka said she is "deeply grateful" for Nooyi's friendship and thanked the Chennai-born executive for her "passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond."



In 2016, Nooyi had joined a 19-person Strategic and Policy Forum created by then President-elect Trump as he prepared his economic agenda for the US. However, the forum disbanded in August 2017 in the wake of Trump's confrontational response to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

PepsiCo's Board of Directors unanimously elected Ramon Laguarta, 54, to succeed Nooyi, 62, as Chief Executive Officer.

Nooyi will step down on October 3 after 24 years with the company, the last 12 as CEO. She will remain Chairman until early 2019 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

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Former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo, who had been serving a 20-year jail term, was released today, two days after being amnestied by President Alassane Ouattara, her lawyer said.

Gbagbo left the gendarmerie academy in Abidjan where she had been held for seven years, said attorney Blede Dohore.

She arrived home in the upmarket district of Cocody, where hundreds of supporters greeted her.

Gbagbo, 69, the wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo, has spent seven years behind bars for her role in political violence that claimed several thousand lives in 2010-11.

She had been implicated in the 2011 shelling of a market in an Abidjan district that supported Ouattara and for belonging to a "crisis cell" that allegedly coordinated attacks by the armed forces and militias in support of her husband.

She was first detained without trial after her arrest in 2011 and later convicted and sentenced in 2015 on a charge of endangering state security.

Laurent Gbagbo has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at



The Hague for seven years.

He has been on trial since 2016 for alleged crimes against humanity.

On Monday -- the eve of the Ivory Coast's independence day -- Ouattara announced an amnesty for Gbagbo and around 800 others in the name of national reconciliation.

About 3,000 people died in post-election violence in the country's commercial capital, Abidjan, when Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to Ouattara, his bitter rival, in a presidential ballot in November 2010.

Ouattara has been under pressure to foster reconciliation. The legacy of the 2010-11 conflict is still felt deeply today, especially in politics.

The Gbagbos retain a groundswell of support within the Ivorian Popular Front, the party they co-founded in the 1980s but which has since split into two factions.

Yesterday, 11 rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, lashed the mass release.

"There should be no amnesty for those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations," they said.

"To decide, after seven years of judicial proceedings involving hundreds of victims and alleged perpetrators, that only 60 people will face justice is not only an arbitrary decision but will be an act of disrespect to victims."



Among others granted amnesties were former defence minister Lida Kouassi -- a key Gbagbo ally -- who was sentenced this year to 15 years for conspiracy, and former construction minister Assoa Adou, jailed in 2017 for four years.

Around 500 of those named have already been released provisionally from detention, the president said. They will have their criminal records erased.

In February 2012, the ICC also issued a warrant for Simone Gbagbo's arrest.

But in 2016, Ouattara said he would "no longer send" Ivorian nationals to the court, as the country now had a "functioning justice system." Ouattara on Monday also announced a reform of the Independent Electoral Commission, a panel which has been accused of bias and inequality.

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BD asks ASEAN to help end Rohingya crisis

bdnews24.com :

Bangladesh has urged the Southeast Asian regional grouping ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, to sit together and find a solution to the Rohingya crisis. Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal made the request at the ASEAN Dhaka Committee (ADC)-organised 'ASEAN Flag Raising' ceremony at the embassy of Indonesia on Wednesday in Dhaka. This was followed by the ASEAN Food Festival in commemoration of the ASEAN Day 2018. Head of the missions of the ASEAN member states including High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam Masurai Masri, Ambassador of Indonesia Rina P Soemarno, Ambassador of Myanmar Lwin Oo, Ambassador of Philippines Vicente Vivencio T Bandillo, Ambassador of Thailand Panpimon Suwannapongse, the Consul of Singapore William Chik, the Charge d'Affaires of the High Commission of Malaysia Idham Zuhri Mohamed Yunus, and Charge d'Affaires of Vietnam Tran Bao Son were also present. The planning minister said Bangladesh is facing a serious challenge due to the Rohingya crisis as the country has given shelter to over 1 million Myanmar nationals who have fled atrocities in the Rakhine State. "If the problem is prolonged," Kamal said, "It will have lot of impacts. And if we are under threat, even a little bit can go to you."

"All of you sit together and find a solution to it," he said. He also requested ASEAN to make Bangladesh a member as it serves as a bridge between the South Asia and Southeast Asian countries. Kamal said the current government is now focusing its relations with the East rather than the West.



"Our export with the ASEAN countries were only $500 million in 2015. But we imported over $6 billion worth goods and services," he said.

In his speech, the ADC Chairperson, the ambassador of Myanmar, highlighted the importance of the ASEAN Committees in third countries in supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Ambassador Oo said ASEAN can and will continue to constructively engage in many dimensions with "close friend" Bangladesh.

Delicious cuisines from eight ASEAN countries at the ASEAN Food Festival namely Chicken Rendang, Nasi Bakar, NasiLemak, Vermicelli Soup, Polvoron, Fried Mee Siam, Papaya Salad, and Fresh spring rolls were served at the food festival.






A sedition case has been filed against unidentified persons in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district for raising pro-freedom slogans during a demonstration in support of Article 35A of the Constitution, the police said today.

"An FIR was registered yesterday under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) including 124-A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) at Gursai police station," a police officer said.

The case was filed in connection with 'pro-freedom' slogans raised by a group of people during a rally which was a part of the general strike on Monday, he said.

The strike was observed in Poonch along with Rajouri and Chenab valley districts of Ramban, Kishtawar and Doda in Jammu region in response to a call given by various social and religious organizations against a Supreme Court hearing of petitions challenging the validity of the Article 35A.

Rallies were taken out at different places in the districts demanding dismissal of the petitions.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued an advisory about impending threats from militants in view of the forthcoming Independence Day and asked people to remain alert.

Police also issued an advisory to managements of schools in Jammu, asking them to not allow strangers inside their schools.

"Keeping in view the forthcoming Independence Day 2018, present security scenario in the state and impending threat of militants, nakas (check points) and frisking points have been established in Jammu city and rural areas for security and safety of general public," the advisory issued by the police said here today.

"You are requested to cooperate with police while at nakas and frisking points, do not take it as harassment. The barricades and checking will be intensified within the city and the borders. The citizens are requested to plan their movements accordingly," it said.

The advisory requested the public to take preventive actions and not touch any abandoned object.

"On seeing any suspected person or object, inform the police immediately. If you have any information about any anti-national or anti-social elements, please inform police immediately," it said, adding that the identity of the informer would be kept confidential.

Police has also asked citizens to remain alert while travelling in passenger vehicles, in crowded areas, including bus stands, railway station, shopping complexes etc.

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The JNU students' union (JNUSU) today alleged that the administration withdrew the permission for a convention organised to highlight the varsity's contributions to India.

Today, while the JNU VC led administration, after destroying the university, organised a photo-op convocation in the name of distribution of degrees of research scholars the JNUSU gave a call for a convention celebrating the contributions of JNU towards India, the students' body said in a statement.

The JNU administration denied permission for holding the 'Save JNU Convention' at School of Social Science (SSS)-I auditorium citing "frivolous" reasons, it said.

Dubbing the move a "shameful and disgraceful act", the JNUSU claimed this happened after all the required processes were completed and the forms submitted to the administration.

The 'Save JNU Convention' was held at SSS-3 lobby "with massive participation from students rejecting machinations of the JNU administration," the statement said.

The speakers at the convention addressed the students and highlighted the university's glorious contribution to the Indian society for more than last four decades, it said.

The JNU convocation was held at the AICTE auditorium, almost after 46 years. The JNUSU had called for a boycott of the convocation accusing the Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar of muzzling students' democratic rights.

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Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar today asserted that the varsity is committed to encouraging critical thinking and freedom of thought among its students and faculty.

He was speaking at the second convocation of the varsity, which was held almost 46 years after the first. VK Saraswat, the Chancellor of JNU and Niti Aayog member, was the chief guest.

The convocation was held at the AICTE auditorium here, even as some students and teachers questioned the move to organise the event outside the campus.

Saraswat delivered the convocation address and conferred the doctoral degrees on the graduands. He congratulated all the graduands and called them the "future of the country" and advised them to use their capabilities to serve the society and take the nation forward.

"JNU is generally perceived as a training ground for intellectual politicians and for meaningful life in the Indian bureaucracy as much as beginning of life in research and academics. It has produced some of the finest mindsets, politicians and bureaucrats and researchers like Muzaffar Alam, Alok Bhattacharya, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sitaram Yechury and so on," Saraswat said.

He told the students that "service to society is more important as compared to your personal achievements" and he urged them to "be humble" in learning from their colleagues.

He also encouraged the students to inculcate an "Olympian spirit" of competitiveness and said, "Let us all live for the growth of our nation and the welfare of our countrymen."



The VC's comments came against the backdrop of the JNU Students' Union's appeal to the JNU community to boycott the convocation, accusing Kumar of "muzzling their democratic rights".

"The best ideas are born when minds are allowed to roam free and think critically. JNU is committed to this freedom of thought and critical thinking with an emphasis on our fundamental responsibilities," Kumar said.

JNU should strive towards advocating the voice and aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians who would like to "see our country become stronger, remain inclusive and united on the foundations laid down by our ancient civilisation", he added.

More than 400 students from 13 Schools and Special Centres of JNU were conferred with the Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), the varsity said.

The event was not without controversy as a PhD scholar today did not shake hands with Kumar at the ceremony in protest against, what he termed as, his "role in negating the idea of the varsity being an inclusive campus".

Anoop Patel, who did a comparative study on India's Reservation Policy and South Africa's Affirmative Action for his doctorate, attended the convocation ceremony but when Kumar acknowledged him and wanted to shake hands, he did not reciprocate.

There were heartwarming stories as well, like that of Vishnu Swaroop Saksena, who became a PhD scholar at 78 and got the loudest applause from the audience.

The first convocation was held in 1972 but due to a controversial speech of the then students' union president VC Koshy, the ceremony was discontinued.

"In 1972, at the time of the first convocation, our VC was G Parthasarthi, who was a famous diplomat and was close to Nehru. He thought given JNU's radicalism, he would ask Balraj Sahni to speak because Sahni was pro-Left," recalled JNU professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy, who was a student at that time.

Koshy was the students' union president and Prakash Karat, who became the student's union president the next year, asked the then VC why should the students' union president not get to speak when Balraj Sahni did, he said.

"Sahni made a Left liberal speech and talked of Lenin and everything but Koshy basically read out the CPI(M) programme, which had references to "bourgeoisie-landlord regime," Chenoy recalled.

"Then the convocation was discontinued," the professor added.

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A JNU student today did not shake hands with Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar at the convocation ceremony in protest against, what he termed as, his "role in negating the idea of the varsity being an inclusive campus".

Anoop Patel, who did a comparative study on India's Reservation Policy and South Africa's Affirmative Action for his doctorate, attended the convocation ceremony but when Kumar acknowledged him and wanted to shake hands, he did not reciprocate.

"The way the image of JNU has gone down, the VC has a huge role to play in it. The decisions, policies which are enacted by the Vice-Chancellor are against the inclusive, democratic, progressive and secular credentials of our JNU," he later claimed.

Patel also claimed that when he refused to shake hands with the VC, JNU Chancellor VK Saraswat, who was the chief guest at the convocation, asked him, "I hope you will shake hands with me."



"I told Saraswat sir, 'I will definitely shake hands with you," he said.

JNU had hosted its second convocation today, 46 years after the first.

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The Delhi Police has registered a case against unidentified persons after a group of Kanwariyas vandalised a car in west Delhi, vexed by the driver allegedly hitting one of them.

The incident took place yesterday on a stretch of busy road near Moti Nagar metro station causing a traffic snarl and forcing some of the terrified commuters to take a detour.

According to police, the grey i10 car was being driven by a woman, who was with a male friend, when the car allegedly hit a Kanwariya.

A heated argument ensued between the two sides and it was alleged that one of Kanwariyas was slapped by the male occupant of the car. Following this, the Kanwariyas damaged the vehicle with sticks, Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vijay Kumar said.

Police said they received a call at 5.30 pm that a group of around 20 Kanwariyas were damaging a car.

An inspector who was present in the area, rushed to the spot and in the meantime, four Police Control Room (PCR) vans also reached there. The investigative officer located the damaged vehicle but neither the Kanwariyas nor the occupants of the car were present at the scene, Kumar said.

A video of the incident, captured by a CCTV camera installed at a nearby shop, showed the Kanwariyas breaking the car's windshields, windows and headlights with sticks and rods even as a policeman tried hard to stop them.

The rampage came to a halt only after the crowd had overturned the car in the middle of the road.

The couple fled the scene fearing for their lives and refused to give any complaint in writing, police said, adding that the CCTV footage of the incident was recovered.

On the basis of enquiries conducted by the police and available CCTV footage, a case has been registered, they added.

Meanwhile, several commuters who witnessed the rampage from close quarters expressed their fear and rued the lack of policing in the national capital.

"I was scared after seeing the Kanwariyas vandalising the car. I had to attend an important meeting but decided to postpone it," said Sonia Jha, a commuter.

Mithilesh Singh, who saw the entire drama unfold from a few feet away had to cancel his visit to the hospital to see his ailing uncle.

"It was a terrifying experience... I had to cancel my plan and return home," he said.

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The Kerala government today decided to implement the second phase of the Kuttanad wetland ecosystem development package in the wake of largescale damage to crops and property in recent floods in the area.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting here, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it has decided to approach the Centre for implementing schemes under the package.

The Chief secretary has been asked to work out the details of the package, Vijayan said adding Kuttanad in Alappuzha district was the worst affected in the recent floods.

Alappuzha and Kottayam districts have already been declared flood-hit, he pointed out.

Necessary directives have also been given to health officials to take necessary precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of any disease, Vijayan said.

Vijayan also called for voluntary organisations and workers to participate in the flood relief works in Alappuzha district.

Besides causing loss to property and agriculture, the recent floods following the monsoon fury have claimed more than 130 lives.

A central team is scheduled to arrive in Kerala on August 7 to assess the extent of damage and losses incurred in the state.

Noting that there was a need to design a 'Comprehensive Flood Forecasting System,' the Chief Minister said State Disaster Management Authority has been asked to conduct a study in this regard and submit a report.

Meanwhile, rain lashed some parts of the state especially Wayanad and Kannur districts today.

Land slips were also reported from Chadanapara area in Kannur district.

Some of the low-lying areas in Wayanad have submerged.

The water inflow to Idukki reservoir also increased and water level stood at 2396.86 ft.Full level of the reservoir is 2403 ft.

Kerala State Electricity Board issued a red-alert and informed that the shutter gates of Idamalayar dam in Ernakulam district would be opened tomorrowmorning and 164 Cumecs(a cubic meter per second) water would be released.

This is expected to raise the present water level of River Periyar by 1-1.5 meter.

The water released may reach Aluvaregion in Ernakulam in 5-6 hours, it was said.

Authorities asked people living on river banks to be vigilant.

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The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, one of the highest ecosystems in the world, has been added to UNESCO's list of World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR).

The Khangchendzonga reserve will be the 11th internationally designated WNBR.

The reserve includes a range of ecoclines varying from subtropical to arctic, as well as vast natural forests in different biomes that support an immensely rich diversity of forest types and habitats resulting in high species diversity and endemism.

"International coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, UNESCO, in its 30th session (23-27 July, 2018) at Palembang, Indonesia, designated Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve for inclusion in the World Network of Biosphere Reserve," a document uploaded on the Ministry's website said.

Khangchendzonga joins the list of other biospheres such as Nandadevi, Simlipal Biosphere reserve, Nilgiri and others.

The document said India has 18 biosphere reserves and now, with the inclusion of Khangchendzonga, the number of internationally designated WNBR has become 11 with seven BRs as domestic designated biosphere reserves.

A K Mehta, Additional Secretary, Ministry, said that out of 18 biosphere reserves, 11 have been internationally designated WNBR. "Seven are left and we will try for their inclusion as well," he told PTI.

The ministry document said that the core area is a major transboundary Wildlife Protected Area.

The southern and central landscape which makes up 86 per cent of the core area is situated in the Greater Himalayas, while the northern part of the area which accounts for 14 per cent is characterized by trans-Himalayan features.

Buffer zones are being developed to promote e-Plantation and soil conservation works are also being carried out.

Over 118 species of medicinal plants found in the Dzongu Valley are of ethno-medicinal utility.

The core zone - Khangchendzonga National Park - was designated a World Heritage in 2016 under the 'mixed" category, the document said.

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Mizoram's Commerce and Industries Minister H Rohluna and an elected leader of Chin state of Myanmar today jointly inaugurated the land border crossing between the state and the neighbouring country at Zokhawthar border trade centre, an official statement said here.

Mizoram is represented by the Chief Minister of Myanmar's Chin state Salai Lian Luai.

The statement said that the two leaders crossed the bridge over the border river Tiau at the Rih sector border trade point on foot.

The two leaders expressed hope that the agreement on construction of land border crossing made by the two neighbouring countries would go a long way in cementing friendship between Myanmar and India.

It was the first time Luai, a Mizo of Chin state visited Mizoram after being elected as chief minister of the Mizo inhabited state of Myanmar.

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Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other political leaders in the country have expressed sorrow at the demise of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi by recalling his contributions to cinema and

The 94-year-old leader, a five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, breathed his last at Kauvery Hospital in downtown Chennai at 6.10 pm yesterday after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days.

Sri Lanka's incumbent President Sirisena and his predecessor Rajapaksa in tweets said they were saddened by the death of the veteran Tamil Nadu leader.

"The death of M Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and senior politician, deeply disturbed me. I express my deepest sympathy for everyone, including his family and supporters who have been saddened by the loss of Anna," Sirisena tweeted.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he had spoken with M K Stalin over his father's health.

"His contributions to Tamil literature, cinema and are unparalleled. I join the millions of people who are mourning. My deepest condolences to the family and people of Tamil Nadu," Rajapaksa tweeted.

C V Wigneswaran, the chief minister of Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated Northern Province, while paying tributes Karunanidhi said he led several protests for the Sri Lankan Tamil cause.

"But he could have further pressured Delhi to prevent the massacre in Mullaivaikkal (the scene of the final battle between the government troops and the LTTE)," Wigneswaran said.

During the Rajapaksa presidency, Karunanidhi was not seen in favourable light by Colombo for his pro-LTTE stand. In the 1980s during the LTTE's formative years, Karunanidhi was accused of supporting them by Sri Lankan leaders.

The main Muslim party leader Rauff Hakeem tweeted, "His contribution as an artiste and a political ideologue would remain unmatched. This brings an epochal phase in Tamil Nadu political history to a close".

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A court in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh has sentenced two brothers to life imprisonment for the murder of their mother and another man.

According to the prosecution, the accused killed their own mo her so that another person could be framed up for her death.

Additional Sessions Judge at Ambah in the district, Mukesh Kumar Batham, convicted Umray (33) and Murari (38) yesterday. Another accused, their eldest brother, is absconding.

Prosecutor Ramniwas Singh Tomar said the two and their eldest brother Dojiram had a quarrel with Ramkhiladi Singh, who lived near their house in Ambah town, on March 7 this year.

When Ramkhiladi Singh's son Mansaram intervened, they shot Mansaram dead, he said.

After returning home, the trio shot their mother Beaunthi Bai (65) and hit her with an axe, killing her on the spot, with the intention of framing up Ramkhiladi for her murder.

They then placed her body near Ramkhiladi's house.

After the investigation, police unravelled the diabolical sequence of events and arrested Umray and Murari.

Dojiram (42) did not stand the trial as he is still absconding, the prosecutor said.

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Japan's Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu today inaugurated LIXIL's ceramicware manufacturing facility at Bhimadole in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district.

This is the Japanese company's first manufacturing facility in the country, set up at a cost of Rs 400 crore under the "Make In India" initiative, and will provide employment to 400 people, according to LIXIL Asia-Pacific CEO Bijoy Mohan.

The state-of-the-art plant has a production capacity of one million units that could be scaled up to two million units a year.

"This facility will be a zero water discharge plant, which is a first in the industry in India. We are also building capacities for zero discharge of solid waste inside the plant," Mohan said.

LIXIL aimed to capture 15-20 per cent market share and lead the local ceramics market in the next three years, he added.

"The government of Japan is fully supportive of 'Swachh Bharat' for improving sanitation and hygiene through its ODF projects. Enterprises and private companies synchronise well with government efforts and LIXIL leads such a movement," the Ambassador said on the occasion.

The investment by LIXIL will contribute to the local economy and "Make in India" initiatives, he added.

LIXIL will also support the Skill India initiative by inducting 150 ITI student trainees under the National Employability Enhancement Mission (NEEM).

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa, Industries Minister N Amarnath Reddy, LIXIL President and CEO Kinya Seto and other Japanese officials attended the event.

Earlier in the day, the Ambassador led a Japanese delegation to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati and evinced interest in investing in different sectors in the state.

A CMO release said the Chief Minister asked the Japanese to establish knowledge-based companies that provide employment.

He said Japanese language would be introduced in universities in the state.

Industries Secretary Solomon Arokia Raj accompanied the visiting delegation.

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A court today adjourned to August 16 the hearing in the alleged Rs 1,144-crore Ludhiana City Centre scam in which Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is among the accused.

The case, alleging that a private builder was favoured during Singh's previous term as chief minister, was filed in 2007 when the SAD-BJP government was in power.

District and Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh adjourned the hearing here after the complainant's counsel sought more time.

In August last year, the state's Vigilance Bureau had filed a closure report in the case, saying a reinvestigation had found nothing to substantiate the charge that there had been a scam.

But former Vigilance Bureau SSP K S Sandhu then pleaded with the court to hear him before accepting the bureau's closure report.

Sandhu's counsel had argued that the preliminary inquiry in the case was conducted by the former SSP and an FIR registered after a thorough probe.

During the previous hearing on August 3, the court heard arguments on the maintainability of Sandhu's application.

The bureau said no proof has been found against the accused including Amarinder Singh, his son Raninder Singh, son-in-law Raminder Singh and 33 others following the reinvestigation.

The original FIR had alleged that Delhi-based company Today Homes was favoured for executing the Ludhiana City Centre project in 2003, during Amarinder Singh's earlier term as CM.

The City Centre plan included shopping malls, multiplexes, apartments and a helipad, but they were never built.

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:An MA first-year student of city-based University of Hyderabad allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room at the campus tonight, police said.

Rajnish (25),a native ofUttarakhand, was found hanging from the ceiling fan by one of his classmates at around 8.30 PM, they said, adding no suicide note was found.

Based on preliminary investigation, police said Rajnish had reportedly cancelled his admission from the course and had planned to return to Uttarakhand.

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The Maharashtra government has forwarded only five proposals for setting up hostels for OBC students under a Central scheme which was announced in 2014-15, an OBC department official said today.

Interestingly, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had yesterday announced that the state government would construct hostels for OBC students in 19 districts, and funds will be made available for the purpose.

"The Central government had announced a scheme to set up hostels for OBC students (boys and girls) in 2014-15. The scheme was meant to benefit the students from economically weaker background. The objective was that these students could stay in these hostels at a district place and pursue better education," the official said.

The OBC department is currently headed by the chief minister.

As per the scheme, each hostel would accommodate 100 students. The hostel would get a grant of Rs three crore.

"Of the total cost of the construction, the Centre would bear 60 per cent cost for boys hostels and 90 per cent cost for girls' hostels. In both cases, the state government is supposed to bear the rest of the expenditure," he explained.

The official blamed unavailability of land for the less number of proposals.

"Many districts in Maharashtra do not have suitable land on which the hostels would be constructed. In some cases, the available land is not suitable for setting up a hostel. Despite some reviews taken in the last four years, there was hardly any progress in finalising the land, as a result of which most of the projects got stuck," he said.

Explaining the procedure, the official said the OBC department is supposed to send proposals after receiving reports from district collectors concerned on the availability of land.

"We could sent only five proposals to the Centre. We are sure that the proposals will be cleared in near future," he said, adding that the proposals have been sent for Nagpur, Washim, Ahmednagar, Yavatmal and Buldhana districts.

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Maharashtra is bracing for a day- long shutdown tomorrow called by an umbrella organisation of pro-quota Maratha groups, with the authorities ordering closure of schools and colleges in some areas fearing violence.

The 'bandh' is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' assurances that his government was working on providing reservation to the Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions, one that is legally sustainable.

Fadnavis had sought time till November to take steps with regard to the quota.

On the eve of the bandh, senior minister Chandrakant Patil said today that "nothing can be done" on their demand till November 15.

The state police has said it will make maximum deployment of its personnel as also the central forces requisitioned so as to maintain the law and order.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation.

The community members had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation.

The agitation, however, turned violent after a 27-year- old protester jumped to his death in Godavari river near Aurangabad on July 23.

A number of places, especially Koparkhairane and Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, had witnessed violence during the Maratha quota stir late last month.

Around 20 policemen, including eight officers, were injured in stone-pelting by protesters at Kopar Khairane and Kalamboli. A protester, injured in the violence in Navi Mumbai, had succumbed to his injuries.

According to the police, between July 18 and 27, 276 cases of violence were registered across the state during the quota agitation. There were incidents of stone pelting at over 250 places and 198 incidents of arson, he said.

Property, including both public and private, worth more than Rs 4.5 crore was damaged within those 10 days, a police official said.

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, today said the 'bandh' would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, tomorrow.

"It will be a state-wide bandh, excluding Navi Mumbai. All the essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh," Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj told reporters.

"Due to some sensitive issues, we have decided not to observe bandh in Navi Mumbai," he said.

Jadhavrao said, "It will be a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm. I appeal to my fellow Maratha youths to desist from committing suicides. It is not going to help the community and its cause."



Another Maratha faction has, however, given a call to only hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office.

Fearing violence during the bandh, Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram issued an order today that schools and colleges will remain shut domorrow.

A release issued by the collectorate said during the violence on July 30 in Chakan area, 70 to 80 vehicles were torched and damaged.

"Two school buses were also torched in the violence and lives of students were endangered," it said.

"Even if there is no untoward incident during the protest, roads might be blocked and we don't want students to be inconvenienced and parents to be anxious unnecessarily," the collector told PTI.

In view of the bandh, a majority of the commercial units in the Chakan industrial area have also decided to remain closed tomorrow.

"There are over 1,000 companies in the Chakan MIDC area and majority of them have decided keep their plants and firms shut," Chakan police station's senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi said.

The Bombay High Court had yesterday urged the Maratha community members to refrain from resorting to violence or committing suicide over their demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

The HC was hearing a PIL filed by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, seeking quota and directions to the backward classes commission to submit its recommendations to the state on entitlement of such quota expeditiously.

A senior police official said the peaceful protests would be allowed but there would be a heavy deployment of security personnel, especially in sensitive pockets where violence had taken place during the agitation earlier.

The Union Home Ministry has provided additional security forces to the state.

"We are appealing people not to take law into their hands and not to believe any kinds of rumours," he said.

"We had demanded 15 companies. But the Centre has sent seven companies -- six of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and one company of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)," the official said.

There would be videographing of protests. These videos and CCTV footage will help police identify criminals and mischief-mongers who may try to take advantage and indulge in violence, the official said.

Sakal Maratha Samaj leader Jadhavrao said, "We are also making an appeal to the Maratha youths to stay away from violence. We will not indulge in any aggressive protest and there will be no damage to public properties."



A number of people from the community had earlier committed suicide in support of the quota demand.

"We have given a call for a peaceful agitation. We have no intention to cause a contempt of court. The coordinators of Maratha morcha from Navi Mumbai can participate in the agitation in Mumbai," Jadhavrao said.

He alleged that Fadnavis was talking to only a handful of Marathas and trying to create confusion within the community.

"Fadnavis should give a time-bound programme for giving quota to the community on his letterhead and we will withdraw our agitation," Jadhavrao said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sugar mills in Maharashtra, which has seen a glut in production, owe Rs 593 crore to farmers, an official said today.

The state government is making efforts to persuade the sugar mills to clear the dues of farmers, he said.

The mills paid around Rs 20,682 crore as sugarcane purchase price to farmers till July this year, but there are still arrears worth Rs 593 crore, the official in the state sugar commissioner's office said.

Last year, there were arrears of only Rs two crore, he noted.

State sugar commissioner Sambhaji Kadu Patil said he has been personally talking to sugar mill owners to clear the dues of farmers.

Action has been taken against some mills which did not comply with the government norms for making payments, he said.

"This has helped in reducing the conflict between farmers and mills and also in bringing down the arrears of Rs 850 crore as on July 18 to Rs 593 crore by July end," he said.

The government had earlier notified its decision to fix the ex-factory sugar price at Rs 29 per kg as well as the monthly stock holding limit on mills as part of measures to help the cash-starved industry to clear cane arrears.

No producer shall sell sugar in the domestic market at a rate below Rs 29 per kg, the notification said.

If a sugar mill violates the order, it will have to face action, Kadu Patil said.

He said earlier there was no fixed selling price for sugar producers and many mills used to incur losses due to volatility in the market.

There was a fair and remunerative price (FRP) formula which mandates the sugar mills to make certain payment to farmers, but there was no regulation that would ensure fixed earnings to mills.

With Rs 29 per kg minimum price bar, every trader will have to buy sugar at this rate from mills, Kadu Patil said.

He said the Centre has also decided to increase ethanol production in sugar mills.

In June this year, the Union government raised the price of ethanol produced from C-grade or final molasses. It also fixed a price for ethanol produced from intermediary or B-grade molasses, a move to help mills divert cane juice for ethanol manufacturing during surplus years.

Kadu Patil said the decision will increase the production of ethanol which is blended with petrol.

"Mills will also get an additional source of income because the Centre has allowed ethanol blending up to 10 per cent with petrol," he said.

These steps would increase the earnings of sugar mills and help them in making full and timely payments to farmers, he added.

Cane-based ethanol can be produced in three different ways directly from cane juice, from B-grade and C-grade molasses. Molasses is a viscous product obtained from raw sugar during the refining process.

Maharashtra is one of the leading sugarcane producing states.

Sugar mills in the country are incurring losses as prices have fallen below the production cost on account of record output of 31.5 million tonnes in the 2017-18 season ending September, as against the annual domestic demand of 25 million tonnes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The mortal remains of Major Kaustubh Rane, who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir during an operation to foil an infiltration bid, will be flown to Mumbai this evening, a Defence official said.

Major Rane's body will reach Mumbai around 6.30 pm, the official said.

His funeral with full state honours will be held tomorrow morning in Bhayander town in neighbouring Thane district, the official added.

Major Rane, a resident of Bhayander, and three soldiers were killed while foiling an infiltration bid in north Kashmir's Gurez sector. At least two militants were gunned down in the operation.

According to an official, Major Rane is survived by his parents, wife and a two-and-a-half-year old child.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior PDP leader today claimed that the majority of people in Jammu were against the scrapping of Article 35A of the Constitution which gives special rights and privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

A misconception is being deliberately created that the people of Jammu are in favour of the revocation of the Article 35A," additional spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Abhijeet Jasrotia told reporters here.

"Like the people of Kashmir and Ladakh region, almost all Dogras are in favour of continuation of the constitutional provision," he added.

Jasrotia said the residents of Jammu region especially the Dogras were mature enough to understand the threat to their next generation if the act was revoked.

I am myself a Dogra and we are fully aware of the challenges the revocation of the constitutional provision poses. We will not allow this provision to go on the demand of a small group, the PDP leader said.

He said the act was enacted by Maharaja Hari Singh on the recommendation of Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras.

We honour (the) Maharaja and hold him in high esteem. He had come out with this act which is beneficial for us, he said.

Highlighting that the provision acts as a"bridge" between the state and the rest of India, Jasrotia said the PDP, whether in power or opposition, had always worked to safeguard Articles 370 and 35A.

Our president (former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti) single handedly made efforts to safeguard these provisions over the past couple of years, others have awakened now," he said.

"We will do whatever it needs to protect the special provision which acts as a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country, he added.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman Harsh Dev Singh asked all national and regional political parties to desist from issuing provocative statements on the issue which is sub-judice.

Such moves are deplorable attempts to influence the judiciary and amount to contempt of court, Singh said in a statement here.

He said everybody must respect the wisdom and judgement of the Supreme Court.

The Congress and the Kashmir centric National Conference and PDP were on the same page issuing threats if Article 35A was tinkered with, while the BJP was making statements to hoodwink the people over the sub-judice issue, he said.

All the parties are whipping up emotions of the people to serve their petty political interests, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak was hit with new charges today linked to a multi-billion-dollar financial scandal that contributed to his shock election defeat in May.

Looking tired as he appeared in court, Najib was charged with three counts of money-laundering over claims he pocketed 42 million ringgit (USD 10.3 million).

He faces up to 15 years in jail for each charge.

These are in addition to the charges he faced last month after he was first arrested -- three for criminal breach of trust and a separate count that he abused his position to take the money.

He faces up to 20 years in jail for each of those charges.

Malaysia's new government is probing allegations that billions of dollars were looted from state fund 1MDB, which was set up by Najib, in a sophisticated fraud.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the electoral earthquake in May that toppled Najib's long-ruling coalition and ushered in a reformist alliance headed by his 93-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

In a packed Kuala Lumpur courtroom, the three new charges were read out to Najib.

Asked if he understood the charges, Najib responded: "I understand".

His case was being transferred to another court for a plea to be taken.

He previously denied the other four charges against him.

All the charges relate to SRC International, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB.

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, about USD 10 million originating from SRC was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts, a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Najib and his allies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.

The US Justice Department, which is seeking to recover items allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB cash in America, estimates that USD 4.5 billion in total was looted from 1MDB.

Investigations into 1MDB have been moving swiftly.

Yesterday, a luxury yacht allegedly paid for with money stolen from 1MDB arrived outside Kuala Lumpur after being handed over by Indonesian authorities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Clear. Windy this evening. Low 53F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Clear. Windy this evening. Low 53F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
A 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping his minor neighbour at Nadia district of West Bengal, a police officer said.

The accused, a worker at a local factory, was taken into custody yesterday after the 14-year-old girl, who lives with her blind parents at Baigachhi village of the district, filed a complaint, he said.

The girl's parents begs at railway platforms and train compartments to make ends meet, the officer said.

"In the FIR, the teenager alleged that her neighbour had taken her to a nearby brick field on August 1 and raped her. The accused then threatened the girl with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anyone. Out of fear, the girl chose to keep the matter to herself," he said.

Yesterday, however, when the accused attempted to rape her again at her home, her parents came to her rescue, the officer said quoting the FIR.

"The girl, along with her parents and neighbours, approached the police yesterday and filed a complaint. Accordingly, we arrested the man and slapped charges on him under relevant sections of the POCSO Act," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In blistering and aggressive questioning aimed at undermining the credibility of the government's star witness, a defense lawyer accused the protege of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of being immersed in "so many lies" he can't remember them all and demanded to know how a jury could possibly trust him.

Defence lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates by confronting him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Downing also ventured into territory the two sides in Manafort's fraud trial have mostly avoided: discussion of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

The charges are not related to Manafort's work with the Trump campaign.

The questioning was aimed at shifting blame from Manafort onto Gates, a fellow Trump campaign aide who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and agreed to cooperate with investigators by testifying in the financial fraud trial.

"After all the lies you've told and the fraud you've committed, you expect this jury to believe you?" Downing asked incredulously.

Gates said he did, but the defence lawyer wasn't satisfied.

He scoffed at the idea that Gates had repented for his actions, noting that prosecutors have said they won't oppose his bid for probation and getting him to acknowledge he had not repaid the money he had taken from Manafort.

After Gates described his theft as "unauthorised transactions" instead of embezzlement, Downing prodded him to use the latter term and Gates ultimately relented, saying, "It was embezzlement from Mr. Manafort."



Prosecutors had braced for the tough questioning by getting Gates to come clean about his own crimes.

He told jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manafort's tax bill.

Gates recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

But the grilling got more intense, and personal, yesterday afternoon when Downing pressed Gates about a "secret life" he said was funded by embezzlement, including an extramarital affair that Gates himself acknowledged.

Gates also said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trump's inaugural committee, which he helped operate.

After Gates struggled to recall precisely what he had told Mueller's team, Downing asked if he had been confronted with "so many lies" that he can't keep his story straight.

Downing at one point asked whether Mueller's investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. The defense moved on.

Both sides have agreed to limit discussion of the campaign to avoid prejudicing the jury, though they did permit testimony about the overlap of a bank loan with Manafort's role in the Trump election effort.

Gates implicated himself in broad criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors to take some of the steam out of defence questioning.

He told jurors he embezzled from Manafort by filing false expense reports.

He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manafort's direction.

Prosecutors summoned Gates to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme.

Gates testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years, saying they had stashed money in foreign bank accounts and falsified bank loan documents.

"In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts," Gates said.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Mueller's investigation of Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

The case has little to do with either man's work for the Trump campaign and there's been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump election effort coordinated with Russia the central question Mueller's team has tried to answer.

But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort.

Yesterday, Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

He said Manafort asked for tickets to Trump's inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the center of his financial fraud trial.

Gates also said Manafort floated banker Stephen Calk's name for consideration as Secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get.

The email exchange occurred after Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee.

Gates described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Manafort's behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and, later, that his funds were drying up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi held a meeting with various stakeholders today and proposed establishment of a global alliance for identifying and eliminating child sexual abuse material from the "dark internet", an official said.

She discussed the various ways for making cyber space safe for children with the representatives of the UNICEF, online streaming service Netflix and Family Online Safety Institute NGO, the ministry official said.

Through the UN, the ministry wants to collaborate on an international platform to curb child pornography which occupies 38 per cent of the internet space, he said.

The women and child development minister said there are 18 countries which have the servers that distribute child pornography materials and there is a need to launch a crackdown on it.

"Based on the idea that what one can't see, one won't want, Gandhi said the aim of the ministry is to launch a crackdown on the dark internet," the official said.

She shared her view on the urgent need to establish a global alliance which can identify and eliminate Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from the Internet.

She also proposed that the ministry is prepared to work with all stakeholders for establishing this alliance.

The ministry has expressed interest in coming up with a series in collaboration with Netflix that aims to educate children on 'good touch bad touch'.

The ministry has also advised Netflix to generate more gender-sensitive and child-friendly content.

Gandhi in June held a round-table conference on cyber crimes against women and children where representatives from Twitter, Facebook, UNICEF, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and NASSCOM were present, among others.

She had urged Twitter and Facebook to remove child sexual abuse material from the internet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today said the government was in the process of forming a policy to take legal action against those who call and observe general strikes and bandhs in the state.

The government was consulting legal experts to formulate such a provision as general strkes and bandhs affect normal life and business, Singh said at the first Manipur Start Up Conclave here.

"Eeryone has the right to protest, but doing so by affecting the lives of general people is undemocratic and unacceptable," Singh said hitting out at those who frequently call general strikes and bandhs.

Various organisations have called a two-day bandh in Manipur last month demanding removal of Manipur University Vice Chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey. Another bandh against the Naga deal also affected life on August 1.

Stating that the Supreme Court has declared bandhs as unconstitutional, he said at least one lakh daily wage earners were affected by bandhs.

Various national and international firms that sought to invest in the state emphasises on safety, he said.

Singh said uploading pictures and videos of tyres being burnt on road and vehicles being stopped during bandhs on social media create an image where business transaction cannot be processed smoothly.

The state government would provide financial assistance amounting to Rs 150 crore in the next five years to nurture entrepreneurs in the state, the chief minister said at the Start Up conclave.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Schools and colleges as well as plants of several companies will remain shut in Maharashtra's Pune district in view of the bandh called by the Maratha organisations over their reservation demand.

Collector Naval Kishore Ram in an order issued here said there will be road blockades and processions tomorrow and the possibility of stone-pelting on vehicles and arson cannot be ruled out.

Therefore, schools and colleges have been asked to remain closed tomorrow and an advisory has been issued in this connection, the order said.

"Even if there is no untoward incident during the protest, roads might be blocked and we don't want students to be inconvenienced and parents to be anxious unnecessarily," the collector told PTI.

A release issued by the collectorate said during the violence on July 30 in Chakan area, 70 to 80 vehicles were torched and damaged.

"Two school buses were also torched in the violence and lives of students were endangered," it said.

In view of the bandh, majority of the commercial units in the Chakan industrial area have also decided to remain closed tomorrow.

"There are over 1,000 companies in the Chakan MIDC area and majority of them have decided keep their plants and firms shut tomorrow," Chakan police station's senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi said.

He said a meeting was held with members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has been spearheading protests across the state over quota demand, and they have assured that roads will not be blocked.

The morcha members have said that a sit-in agitation will be held at one place in Chakan, he said.

The district police have decided to deploy three companies of the State Reserve Police Force and a team of the Rapid Action Force in sensitive areas during the protest.

The politically-influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 per cent 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 as protesters have resorted to violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of tomorrow's Maharashtra bandh called by the pro-quota Maratha organisations, a senior police official said.

The protests held by Maratha groups last month had witnessed large-scale violence and arson in various parts of the state.

The government has deployed six companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), one company each of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) at sensitive locations, the official said today.

Home Guard personnel are also being deployed to assist the police at various places, he said.

Maximum number of local police personnel will be deployed across the metro cities and at sensitive locations in Aurangabad rural, Pune rural and western Maharashtra, he said.

Marathwada, western Maharashtra, Thane and Navi Mumbai had witnessed maximum violence during a bandh called by Maratha organisations last month to press the community's demand for reservation.

He said the police have appealed to activists to hold protests in a peaceful manner and not take law into their hands.

There is a possibility that anti-social elements could infiltrate the protests for causing disturbance, he added.

He said the police will videograph the protests and maintain a strict vigil in various areas in Mumbai and other parts through CCTV cameras.

Police personnel in plainclothes will also be deployed among the protesters, he said.

The police will also keep an eye on social media posts during the shutdown, the official said, adding that a call to suspend internet service in an area will be taken depending upon the situation.

Maharashtra Chief Secretary D K Jain reviewed the security measures ahead of the bandh.

In a meeting held in Mantralaya, Jain interacted with senior police officials, railway security forces and senior administrative officials regarding the preparations made to avoid any untoward incident.

Jain asked the officials to ensure that suburban railway services run smoothly and that schools and other essential services are not affected during the bandh, an official said.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and education.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Benchmarks rallied to fresh lifetime highs today on persistent investor appetite for market heavyweight RIL, while the broader buying momentum got a fillip after IMF underlined India's role as a source of global growth.

The BSE Sensex vaulted 221.76 points to close at a new peak of 37,887.56. The broader NSE Nifty extended its record-setting run for the fourth session and finished above the 11,400-mark for the first time.

Sentiment was buoyed after the IMF said India will be a source of growth for the global economy for the next few decades and it could be what China was for the world economy, even as it suggested more structural reforms.

Sustained FII inflows and fresh spell of buying by domestic institutional investors fuelled the rally, brokers said.

Encouraging first quarter earnings and mixed trend in global markets, with US stocks approaching fresh all-time highs, too bolstered sentiment, they added.

Reliance Industries witnessed heavy buying and spurted 2.85 per cent to close at a fresh high of Rs 1,217.25.

The 30-share Sensex, after a cautious start, gathered momentum and rallied to 37,931.42, before finally ending at 37,887.56, a rise of 221.76 points, or 0.59 per cent.

It broke its previous closing record of 37,691.89 hit on August 6.

The broader NSE Nifty advanced 60.55 points or 0.53 per cent to 11,450, surpassing its previous closing high of 11,389.45 hit yesterday.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 314.83 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold equities worth Rs 319.90 crore yesterday, provisional data showed.

"After a muted start, market scaled a new high on account of increase in FII inflow and in-line quarter earnings. Strong domestic triggers will continue to add room to outlook, whereas factors like volatility in oil price and rupee may delay the pace of rally.

"Global markets were mixed as investors continue to stay cautious due to lingering concerns on US trade tensions." said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

ONGC was the top performer among the Sensex constituents, rising 2.87 per cent, followed by RIL.

Other gainers were ICCI Bank 1.63 per cent, SBI 1.53 per cent, HUL 1.33 per cent, Tata Motors 1.25 per cent and Bharti Airtel 0.85 per cent, among others.

On the other hand, Maruti Suzuki declined 1.99 per cent, Bajaj Auto 0.96 per cent, Vedanta 0.90 per cent, NTPC 0.57 per cent, Infosys 0.47 per cent, ITC 0.22 per cent and Hero MotoCorp 0.12 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, the BSE energy index rose 1.86 per cent, followed by telecom 1.71 per cent, consumer durables 1.25 per cent, bankex 0.78 per cent, oil and gas 0.72 per cent, capital goods 0.38 per cent, FMCG 0.33 per cent, metal 0.30 per cent, PSU 0.21 per cent and teck 0.06 per cent.

Healthcare, power, auto, IT, infrastructure and realty indices ended in the red, falling up to 0.33 per cent.

In the broader markets, the BSE mid-cap and small-cap indices gained 0.16 per cent and 0.03 per cent, respectively.

Mahindra & Mahindra rose 0.19 per cent after the company yesterday posted a 67 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 1,257 crore for the June quarter.

Coming to the global markets, Asian equities ended mixed as investors looked past protectionism tussles and focused on US stocks approaching fresh all-time highs.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng moved up 0.39 per cent, Taiwan rose 0.84 per cent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.27 per cent and Japan's Nikkei shed 0.08 per cent.

In the Eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX fell 0.10 per cent and Paris CAC declined 0.09 per cent in their late morning deals. London's FTSE, however, gained 0.69 per cent.

US stocks closed higher yesterday as investors focused on positive corporate earnings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The mortal remains of Major Kaustubh Rane, who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir during an operation to foil an infiltration bid, was flown here late tonight, Defence sources said.

His last rites will be performed tomorrow will full military honours in Bhayander town in neighbouring Thane district where his family lives.

Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde paid floral tributes to the martyred Army officer as the body was received at the Mumbai airport.

Major Rane and three soldiers were killed while foiling an infiltration bid in north Kashmir's Gurez sector. At least two militants were gunned down in the operation.

He is survived by parents, wife and a two-and-a-half-year old child.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Authorities have suspended a medical officer and terminated the services of two employees for alleged dereliction of duty at a health centre in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district.

Deputy Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana gave the order yesterday against the three persons posted at a primary health centre (PHC) in Chatroo, an official said today.

The action was taken on the basis of an inquiry that found most of the staff absent at the centre during working hours and one woman brought in injured condition was denied treatment without any proper reason, the official said.

Based on the preliminary enquiry, the district commissioner terminated the services of Sanjeev Sharma and Mohammad Ishaq, engaged under National Health Mission (NHM); and recommended termination of a permanent junior X-Ray technician, Sunil Kumar, he said.

The medical officer of the health centre, Shafqat Javeed Zargar, was suspended for allowing nine employees to go on leave, which affected the healthcare delivery system in the PHC, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A militant and an over-ground worker (OGW) have been arrested from Pulwama and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today.

A joint party of security forces yesterday apprehended the militant, identified as Abdul Majid Shah, from Awantipora area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir, a police official said.

He is a resident of the Iqbal Colony Pattan area of Baramulla, the official said.

The militant was travelling in a car bearing Delhi registration number and was on his way to meet his other accomplices active in the area, he said.

Some arms and ammunition and other incriminating material was seized from him, the official said.

During questioning, Shah said that he was in touch with other militants of the area "who are planning future terror strikes", he said.

The official said a case under Section 7/25 of the Arms Act has been registered and further investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, an OGW of al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) was apprehended today in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, the official said.

He said based on a specific information that the OGW of AGH was on his way to Uri "to undertake some terrorist action, multiple naka points/motor vehicle checking points (MVCPs) were established by police and security forces in the area.

The OGW, identified sa Irfan Ahmad Ganaie, a resident Hajam Mohalalh, Rathsuna of Tral area - was apprehended in Sheeri area on the Baramulla-Uri road, the official said.

He said Ganaie was carrying a live hand grenade and his mobile phone was also seized.

"Preliminary investigation into the matter has revealed his affiliation with terrorist outfit Gazwat-ul-Hind, and in conspiracy with other terrorists of the outfit, he was planning to carry out terrorist actions in the Uri area," the official said.

He said a case under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been registered and further investigation into the matter is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mizoram government today said it would go ahead with the plan as agreed during talks held in Delhi last month for final repatriation of the Bru families lodged in six relief camps in North Tripura district.

At a meeting here, Home Minister R Lalzirliana informed political parties and civil societies of the state that the repatriation would begin as per schedule on August 14 and was expected to be completed by September 10.

Lalzirliana said the state government recently received instructions from the Election Commission to conduct revision of voters' lists in the relief camps, while its earlier order had asked conducting the revision in Mizoram after completion of the physical repatriation process.

"We have to implement the instructions of the Election Commission of India by conducting the electoral roll revisions in the relief camps," he said.

The civil societies and the political parties, however, were not happy with the latest instruction of the EC.

"We decided that the Election Commission would be approached again so that the entire electoral process should be conducted within the state," said TA Vanlalruata, president of central committee of the Young Mizo Association, a civil society organisation.

The Centre, state governments of Mizoram and Tripura and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the Bru community in the relief camps, have on July 3 signed an agreement for repatriation of all the Bru refugees from Tripura before September 30.

According to the agreement, Rs 4 lakh would be deposited in the account of the head of each repatriated Bru family, which would mature after three years, and a payment of Rs 1.5 lakh as housing assistance.

Each repatriated Bru family would also be given Rs 5,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer every month and free ration for two years.

Altogether 32,876 Brus belonging to 5,407 families are lodged in six relief camps in Tripura.

While 4,199 Bru families would be resettled in 48 villages in Mamit district, 824 and 384 families would be resettled in 10 villages Kolasib and four villages in Lunglei districts respectively, Mizoram Additional Secretary for Home Lalbiakzama had said on Monday.

However, a section of the Bru refugees were not happy with the repatriation process.

The Brus are in Tripura since late 1997 in the wake of a communal tension triggered by the murder of a forest guard inside the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru National Liberation Front militants.

The first attempt to repatriate them in 2009 failed and triggered another wave of exodus after the killing of a youth three days before the commencement of the repatriation process.

Though some Bru families had returned to Mizoram during a number of repatriation processes and on their own, many of them refused to leave Tripura.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leaders of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh have welcomed the passage of a bill to overturn a Supreme Court order on the SC/ST law in the Lok Sabha on August 6.

The state is going to assembly polls later this year, along with Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The leaders claimed that the bill would strengthen deprived communities in the country.

State BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said today the development will instill a feeling among members of the SC and ST communities that the government is committed towards their well being.

"My party is strongly against injustice to anyone," Agrawal said.

The Lok Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the bill to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the SC/ST law.

Welcoming the passage of the bill, state unit Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta said there should not be any compromise on the rights of the "oppressed classes".

"The amendment will strengthen the legislative provisions to protect the people from SC/ST communities," he said.

The Congress is trying to forge an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati for the assembly elections.

The BSP holds sway over Dalit pockets in some parts of the central state which has been under the BJP rule since 2003.

RSS Madhya Kshetra Prachar Pramukh Narendra Jain refused to comment on the issue.

Hiralal Trivedi, the convener of the Madhya Pradesh Samanya Pichhada Evam Alpsankhyak Varg Samaj (SAPAKS), said the amendment will create a "social unrest".

Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association president Adarsh Muni Trivedi said, "the Central government chose to bring in the amendment to cater to the vote bank politics".

He said the government's move should be challenged in the supreme court.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018 rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order.

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.

The move to amend the Bill is being seen by the Opposition as a reach-out by the BJP-led NDA government to Dalits, ahead of their proposed nationwide protest later this month to demand restoration of the provisions of the law which, the Dalit groups allege, were diluted by a Supreme Court ruling of March 20.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the first major political casualty of the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal, Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma resigned today after days of resistance as opposition stepped up its attack citing purported telephonic conversations her husband had with the key accused Brajesh Thakur.

After handing over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Verma tried to put a brave face saying she was confident her husband would come out clean after investigation and demanded that call records of Thakur with other influential people should also be made public.

Speaking to reporters, Verma denied any pressure from the chief minister to quit and said she has quit following a hue and cry made by the opposition in the matter.

Battling a major political crisis amid repeated attacks from the opposition over the case involving alleged rape of 34 inmates at a government-funded girl shelter home in Muzaffarpur run by Thakur's NGO, the chief minister had said earlier this week Verma would quit only if investigations prove that she had facilitated any wrongdoing and not on the basis of "noises" being made by the opposition leaders.

She said her husband was a social and political person and was duty-bound to receive phone calls from people.

Verma said she had full faith in the CBI and the Patna High Court, which is monitoring the probe into the case, and was confident that innocence of her husband would be proved.

She also threatened to file a defamation case against wife of a department official arrested in the case, who had alleged that her husband had been a frequent visitor to the state-funded shelter home.

Earlier, on a day of dramatic developments, Thakur briefly spoke to media from a prison van at the POCSO court premises in Muzaffarpur and admitted that he had been speaking to Verma's husband but it was on political issues.

He also claimed he was being made a scapegoat as he was intending to contest the next election from Muzaffarpur as a Congress candidate and was in touch with leaders of that party.

His claim was dismissed by the Congress as ridiculous and the party's state unit working president Kaukab Qadri said Thakur was seen sharing stage with the top leaders of JD(U) in the last election. Congress MLC Prem Chand Mishra said Thakur was not even a member of the party.

Thakur is known to have had political ambitions and had earlier contested an assembly election as a nominee of the Bihar Peoples Party floated by former MP Anand Mohan.

Mishra also said that the state government which had been defending Verma till yesterday, appears to have been rattled by the remarks of the Supreme Court against delayed action in the case and the media disclosure that call details of Thakur showed that Thakur had spoken to Verma's husband 17 times from January to June this year.

The opposition parties have been demanding Verma's resignation since the day the shelter home case came to light. The demand grew stronger when wife of a Child Protection Officer Ravi Raushan, an arrested accused in the case, alleged that Verma's husband had been a frequent visitor to the shelter home.

Verma had denied this allegation, saying he had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence.

As Thakur and other nine accused were brought to the POCSO court, some supporters of Jan Adhikar Party, headed by Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, threw ink at him. A woman member of the party was detained by police for questioning.

Muzaffarpur's Deputy SP (Town) Mukul Ranjan said a will be registered in the incident.

Meanwhile, the POCSO court fixed the next date of hearing on August 18.

The Patna High Court has already accepted the state governments plea for monitoring the CBI probe and appointing a special judge for speedy trial in the case.

An MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district since 2010, Verma was minister in the NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar from JD(U) quota.

The Muzaffarpur shelter home horror saga has dominated nation's attention for days and has also provided an opportunity to opposition to attack the NDA rule in Bihar.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and Misa Bharti, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja and Atul Kumar Anjan, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav and TMC's Dinesh Trivedi among others had staged sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on last Saturday over the Muzaffarpur scandal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma today handed over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid uproar over sex scandal case in the Muzaffarpur shelter home.

Verma met the chief minister and handed over her resignation to him, sources in the Chief Minister's Office said here.

The minister has been in the eye of the storm after name of her husband surfaced in the case of sexual abuse of girls at state-funded Muzaffarpur shelter home.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Under fire over the sex-scandal at the state-funded Muzaffarpur shelter home, Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma handed over her resignation to Chief Minister on Wednesday.

Sources in the Chief Minister's office said Verma met Kumar and submitted her resignation letter to him.

The opposition had been continously gunning for her head following allegations by the wife of an arrested accused from the department that Verma's husband was a frequent visitor to the Muzaffarpur shelter home, where 34 girls were allegedly raped over a period of time.

What appears to have precipitated her quitting is the media reports that examination of mobile phone details of key accused Brajesh Thakur showed that he had spoken to her husband 17 times from January to June this year.

Speaking to media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur, Thakur admitted that he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was "on political issues".

Kumar had earlier said that action would be taken against anybody howsoever mighty once involvement of the person concerned came to light.

Verma had, however, been defending herself by maintaining that her husband had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence.

She had also said that she was being targeted because she belonged to the Kushwaha caste, an OBC group.

An MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district since 2010, Verma was minister in the NDA government headed by from JD(U) quota.

No action against the minister in the wake of the shelter home horror episode had been bringing a bad name for the CM as well his government across the country.
Naxalstodaytorchedtwo passengerbuses and a truckafter asking the occupants of the vehicles to get downin Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district, police said.

The incident took place two days after 15 ultras were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the neighbouring Sukma district.

The incidents took place between Dhurli and Gamawada villages on Kirandul-Dantewada road this evening, a senior police official said.

A big group of Naxals stopped two buses which were heading towards Raipur from Kirandul and asked the passengers to get down. The ultras then set the buses on fire.

Later they stopped a truck and torched it too after asking the driver and his helper to get down, the official said.

No occupant from the three vehicles was hurt, he said.

A police team has been sent to the spot, the official said, adding that police were expecting this kind of reaction from the naxals in response to the death of their 15 cadres in the August 6 encounter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Conference today pitched for maintaining a State Subject Register to identify and oust fake subjects from Jammu and Kashmir.

"Identify and oust fake state subjects," National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said while addressing workers at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this afternoon.

Rana slammed the BJP for allegedly launching a misinformation campaign over the Article 35A by making it Hindu versus Muslims and Jammu versus Kashmir, reiterating it is region and religion neutral.

He said opposing Article 35A amounts to challenging the democratic polity of the country, wisdom of the founding fathers of the Constitution and undermining first President of Indian Republic Rajendra Prasad.

"How can Constitution of India, to which Article 35A is integral, be anti-national," Rana said.

Article 35A finds its genesis and germination in the Constitution of India, which is the solemn book of greatest democracy of the world, he said.

He said the BJP was working against the very idea of India under the garb of hyper nationalism.

"The BJP is pushing Indian nation to the era of 1947 by promoting hate and by bringing different segments of society eyeball to eyeball situation," he said, adding this is the worst type of disservice to 'Bharat Mata'.

He accused the BJP of exploiting passions and sentiments of the people by misusing the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and added those having slight regard for the ethos of this nation would work towards strengthening bonding between various segments of society instead of dividing them on the basis of religion, caste and region.

Rana said as long as the National Conference flag is fluttering high across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, Article 35A will remain part of the Constitution of India.

"It reflects our identity, it allows us to shape our destiny and we cannot therefore let it go," he said.

He asked the BJP to have in-depth study of the Constitution and update themselves how other parts of the country like Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, etc enjoyed special and unique status as per various sub sections (A to G) of Article 371.

He said Article 35A is more an identity of the Dogras of Jammu, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, than others which shall be preserved at all costs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Wednesday sought a reply from Tata Sons by Friday to a petition filed by its ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry challenging the move to convert the holding company of salt-to-software conglomerate to a private firm from deemed public company.

The NCLAT listed the matter for hearing on August 14.

The two-judge NCLAT Bench, headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhyay, was hearing a petition filed by Cyrus Investments Pvt Ltd seeking a stay on conversion of Tata Sons into a private company as well as challenging a July 9 order of the Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) that had upheld Mistry's sacking.

Last year in September, shareholders of Tata Sons had voted in favour of turning it into a private limited company despite opposition by Mistry's family, which is the single largest shareholder of the holding company.

In his interim argument, the counsel appearing for Mistry asked for a stay on the conversion.

"I seek to stay on the conversion," he appealed before the two-member bench of the NCLAT.

Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Tata Sons, stated that "the company has always been a private company for 101 years".

It was later "deemed to be a public company in 1976" as per regulatory requirement, he told the bench.

After listening to the arguments of both the parties, the bench asked Tata Sons to file an affidavit and all related documents on conversion by coming Friday.

On July 9, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai had dismissed Mistry's pleas challenging his removal as Tata Sons chairman as also the allegations of rampant misconduct on part of Ratan Tata and the company's board.

NCLT held that the board of directors at Tata Sons was "competent" to remove the executive chairperson of the company.

NCLT bench members B S V Prakash Kumar and V Nallasenapathy said that Mistry was ousted as chairman because the Tata Sons' board and its majority shareholders had "lost confidence in him".

Under the Act 2013, an order of NCLT can be challenged before the NCLAT.

Mistry, who was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons, was ousted from the position in October 2016. He had taken over as the chairman in 2012 after Ratan Tata announced his retirement.

Two months after his removal, Mistry's family-run firms Cyrus Investments Pvt Ltd and Sterling Investments Corp approached the NCLT as minority shareholders, against Tata Sons, Ratan Tata, and some other board members.

Mistry in his pleas primarily argued that his removal was not in accordance with the Act and that there was rampant mismanagement of affairs across Tata Sons.

He also alleged that Tata Trust chairperson Ratan Tata and trustee N Soonawala interfered with the day-to-day operations of the group companies, they acted as shadow directors, and all of the above caused massive revenue loss for the group.

The Tata Group had denied all charges and said Mistry was removed because the board had lost confidence in him.
With the expected support of more than half the members of the Upper House, the ruling NDA's Harivansh seems to have a numerical edge over the opposition's B K Hariprasad in the election for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman to be held tomorrow.

Harivansh, a JD(U) MP, is likely to get the support of 126 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs, sources in the BJP said.

His rival in the elections, Congress MP Hariprasad, is likely to end up with about 111 votes, sources in the party said.

According to the calculations of BJP floor managers, Harivansh will get the backing of 91 members of the NDA, three nominated and erstwhile SP MP Amar Singh. He also has the votes of some non-NDA parties -- AIADMK (13 members), TRS (six), YSRCP (two) and INLD (one) -- adding up to 117.

Besides, the ruling alliance is counting on the support of nine BJP MPs, totalling 126 votes, BJP leaders claimed.

Sources in the BJD said Harivansh today met the party's Rajya Sabha members in parliament and sought their support for the election, while Hariprasad has still not approached them.

"We have numbers on our side and Harivanshji will comfortably win the election tomorrow. It would have been better if the deputy chairman was elected unanimously," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel told PTI.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar had earlier reached out to the opposition and met Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad for a consensus.

Hariprasad has the support of 61 MPs of the Congress-led UPA, 13 members each of the TMC and the SP, six MPs of the TDP, five of the CPI(M), four each from the BSP and the DMK, two of the CPI and one MP of the JD(S), adding up to 109 members.

One nominated and one independent member will also support the candidature of Hariprasad, sources in the opposition said. This would take the expected opposition total to about 111, they said.

The arithmetic could change with the death of DMK chief Karunanidhi and uncertainty whether the party's MPs, including his daughter Kanimozhi, would travel to Delhi for the election.

The PDP, which has two MPs, has declared it is abstaining. The AAP with three members has not clarified its stand so for. However, both parties are unlikely to support the BJP-backed candidate.

There are other imponderables with several smaller parties not declaring their intention.

The candidates filed their nominations today for the election scheduled to take place around 11 am tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A keen contest is on the cards tomorrow between NDA nominee Harivansh and joint opposition candidate B K Hariprasad for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, with both sides claiming majority support.

The numbers, however, appear stacked in favour of the ruling coalition which claims the support of 126 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs.

While Harivansh is a first-time MP of the JD-U, Hariprasad is a three-time parliamentarian of the Congress.

Both the ruling NDA and the opposition camp gave notices on behalf of their respective candidates and their papers have been found to be in order, according to sources in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

The election will be held at 11 am tomorrow, soon after the laying of papers. The post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

The opposition camp is claiming support of various parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, Left parties, SP, BSP, NCP, TDP.

"We have decided to support Congress leader B K Hariprasad," TDP leader Y S Choudhary said. The TDP has six members in the Upper House.

On the other hand, the ruling NDA is intact, with the Shiv Sena and Akali Dal extending their full support to the official nominee, besides also by independent parties like the AIADMK and the TRS.

Sources said the top BJP leadership as well as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are learnt to have talked to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his party's support to Harivansh. The BJD has 9 MPs in the Upper House, while AIADMK and TRS have 13 and 6 MPs respectively.

"We have numbers on our side and Harivanshji will comfortably win the election tomorrow. It would have been better if the deputy chairman was elected unanimously," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said.

Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma claimed the opposition has the numbers as well as a formidable candidate in Hariprasad, even as he accused the government and the BJP of using every tactic and influence of their authority and power to swing the election.

He claimed that the NDA did not have the majority in the Rajya Sabha, else the BJP would have fielded its own candidate, and said the ruling party is going well beyond its fold to get votes.

Asked if the election was a fitness test for the opposition, Sharma said, "Do not pre-judge an election. Wait - otherwise the same thing can be extended even to the general elections. If anybody says why the opposition is contesting, is actually assaulting the very essence and spirit of democracy."



The opposition, he said, is unitedly contesting the election of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman as it is not happy with the present state of affairs and the prevailing environment in the country.

"We have a formidable candidate not the NDA. The BJP, if it had the majority, should have fielded its own candidate. Even after fielding a candidate of a party, which has made few changes in its position in the recent past JD(U).

"Still, they lack the majority and that is why they are desperate to reach out to others outside the fold of the NDA. I am making it very clear. The NDA as such did not have majority, does not have majority. They have gone well beyond the fold of the NDA to get votes," he said.

Hariprasad said when there is contest, "it is good contest".

"It is a great honor to me to be the joint candidate of the opposition for the post of deputy chairman," he said.

"We know that the Government of the India and the ruling party has been using every tactic, using the influence of their authority, power just to swing the election," he said.

Sharma said it is not only the numbers that make the candidate formidable and claimed theirs is a "better candidate". "We have the numbers".

According to BJP's calculations, Harivansh is likely to get the backing of 91 NDA members, three nominated and erstwhile SP MP Amar Singh. He also has the votes of some non-NDA parties -- AIADMK (13 members), TRS (six), YSRCP (two) and INLD (one) -- adding up to 117.

Besides, the ruling alliance is counting on the support of nine BJD MPs, totalling 126 votes, BJP leaders claimed.

Hariprasad has the support of 61 MPs of the Congress-led UPA, 13 members each of the TMC and the SP, six MPs of the TDP, five of the CPI(M), four each from the BSP and the DMK, two of the CPI and one MP of the JD(S), adding up to 109 members.

One nominated and one independent member will also support the candidature of Hariprasad, sources in the opposition said. This would take the expected opposition total to about 111, they said.

The arithmetic could change with the death of DMK chief Karunanidhi and uncertainty whether the party's MPs would travel to Delhi for the election.

The PDP, which has two MPs, has declared it is abstaining. The AAP with three members has not clarified its stand so for. However, both parties are unlikely to support the BJP-backed candidate.

There are other imponderables with several smaller parties not declaring their intention.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal's national parks and conservation areas witnessed a whopping 700,000 tourists in the last 12 months, authorities said today.

Nepal, which has 12 national parks, is home to dozens of rare and endangered species including one-horned rhino, royal bengal tiger, snow leopard and red panda.

The Himalayan nation is known for its rich bio-diversity and genetic resources.

Sagarmatha National Park and Chitawan National Park are the most popular protected areas of the country.

Of the 700,000 tourists, 325,856 were foreigners, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation said in a statement.

These conservation areas collected Rs 646 million in revenue in the year 2017/18, officials said.

"At least 60 per cent of all foreign tourists in Nepal explore parks and conservation areas," said the Ministry of Forests and

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In a day the Mizoram government said it would go ahead with the agreed plan to repatriate the Bru refugees from Tripura, a new association of the refugees today demanded an Area Development Council (ADC) for Brus after the repatriation.

The Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples' Coordination Committee (MBDPCC) submitted a memorandum demanding an ADC to the Dasda BDO for Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The refugees living in six relief camps of North Tripura district have demanded the ADC for their security and development once they would be back home, MBDPCC president L Laldingliana told PTI.

"Our long standing demands like creation of Area Development Council, allotment of 5 hectare land to each family and formation of cluster village were rejected in the four-corner agreement signed in New Delhi. This agreement has caused panic for the inmates of the camps," Laldingliana said.

The new body criticized Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the refugees which signed the quadripartite with the Centre, and state governments of Mizoram and Tripura on July 3.

The refugees organized a rally today and submitted the memorandum to the BDO there.

MBDPF secretary Bruno Msha said his organization has no connection with the new committee.

Meanwhile at a meeting in Aizawl, state Home Minister R Lalzirliana informed political parties and civil societies of the state that the repatriation would begin as per schedule on August 14 and was expected to be completed by September 10.

Lalzirliana said the state government recently received instructions from the Election Commission to conduct revision of voters' lists in the relief camps, while its earlier order had asked conducting the revision in Mizoram after completion of the physical repatriation process.

"We have to implement the instructions of the Election Commission of India by conducting the electoral roll revisions in the relief camps," he said.

The civil societies and the political parties, however, were not happy with the latest instruction of the EC.

"We decided that the Election Commission would be approached again so that the entire electoral process should be conducted within the state," said TA Vanlalruata, president of central committee of the Young Mizo Association, a civil society organisation.

The Centre, state governments of Mizoram and Tripura and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the Bru community in the relief camps, have on July 3 signed an agreement for repatriation of all the Bru refugees from Tripura before September 30.

According to the agreement, Rs 4 lakh would be deposited in the account of the head of each repatriated Bru family, which would mature after three years, and a payment of Rs 1.5 lakh as housing assistance.

Each repatriated Bru family would also be given Rs 5,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer every month and free ration for two years.

Altogether 32,876 Brus belonging to 5,407 families are lodged in six relief camps in Tripura.

While 4,199 Bru families would be resettled in 48 villages in Mamit district, 824 and 384 families would be resettled in 10 villages Kolasib and four villages in Lunglei districts respectively, Mizoram Additional Secretary for Home Lalbiakzama had said on Monday.

The Brus are in Tripura since late 1997 in the wake of a communal tension triggered by the murder of a forest guard inside the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru National Liberation Front militants.

The first attempt to repatriate them in 2009 failed and triggered another wave of exodus after the killing of a youth three days before the commencement of the repatriation process.

Though some Bru families had returned to Mizoram during a number of repatriation processes and on their own, many of them refused to leave Tripura.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(NHAI) suffered losses of about Rs 4 billion on various counts including undue favour to developers by not recovering damages for project delays, government auditor CAG has said.

Indicting NHAI for an undue favour to a developer on a stretch, CAG in its latest report said it cost NHAI a loss of nearly Rs 1 billion.

"NHAI extended an undue benefit to the concessionaire to the tune of Rs 992.7 million by not taking prompt action to recover the damages and maintenance cost from the concessionaire on account of its failure in achieving the project milestones and in meeting the maintenance obligations," CAG said in its report tabled in Parliament yesterday.

It said NHAI in March 2012 had entered into a concession pact with Vijayawada Gundugolanu Road Project Pvt Ltd for six laning of Vijayawada-Gundugolanu section of NH 5 but served termination notice as work was not commenced till August 2016.

"By that time, an amount of Rs 992.7 million had become recoverable" but "NHAI failed to safeguard its financial interests as it neither encashed the bank guarantees submitted by the concessionaire nor recovered the dues from the Escrow account," the report said, adding that it failed to recover the damages.

Likewise, it said that the Authority failed to recover damages of Rs 851.9 million from four concessionaires on account of delayed/non-completion of work in four road widening projects in Andhra Pradesh.

ALSO READ: NHAI set to change road monetisation offer due to low traffic fears

It further said: "NHAI failed to collect the toll at two toll plazas even after completion of the project relating to strengthening and upgradation of Karur-Coimbatore section of NH-67 which resulted in a revenue loss of Rs 1.42 billion."



It added that the Authority also extended the undue favour to a developer amounting to Rs 256.7 million by not levying penalty for delay attributable to the concessionaire in the construction of Railway Over Bridge (ROB) at Sitamarhi by-pass in a project for two laning of Muzaffarpur- Sonbarsa Section of NH-77 in Bihar.

Many other cases were also cited by the CAG.
Nigerian Senate President Bukola Saraki today called for a probe into a parliament takeover by security services the day before, assuring people that the constitution will be respected.

"We call for an investigation, and we demand that all perpetrators are brought to book," said Saraki at a packed press conference in the nation's capital of Abuja.

"We owe it to ourselves to ensure that such a situation never occurs again." Saraki described the "ugly incident" as a "brazen assault on the legislature", urging the government to respect the rule of law.

He said the security siege was part of a plot to remove him from office.

On Tuesday, hooded armed men from the police and Department of State Service (DSS), blocked access to the two chambers -- the Senate and House of Representatives -- preventing lawmakers from entering.

The Nigerian presidency denied authorising the move, which comes amid a surge of tension between President Muhammadu Buhari and political rivals. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, acting as head of the country while Buhari is on holiday, ordered the dismissal of DSS chief Lawal Musa Daura "with immediate effect".

Saraki, the country's third-highest ranking politician, last week dumped the APC for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC has called on him to resign, suspecting him to be the force behind defections that have damaged the party's standing and Buhari's chances of re-election.

The presidential race is heating up in Nigeria six months ahead of February polls, with Buhari coming under criticism for his handling of security issues and the economy in Africa's most populous country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NMDC today posted almost flat net profit of Rs 975.27 crore on standalone basis for the quarter ended on June 30, 2018, compared to the year ago period.

The standalone net profit of the company was Rs 969.20 crore in the quarter ended on June 30, 2017, a BSE filing said.

Total income of the company came down to Rs 2,547.13 crore in the quarter from Rs 2,970.13 crore a year ago.

It said that the company has been legally advised that there is no impact of Supreme Court judgement with reference to the Writ Petition (Civil) No 114/2014 dated August 2, 2017 on the NMDC.

However, it said that in case it is found applicable to the NMDC at a later date, it may impact the profits of the Company.

Meanwhile, it said that the Bailadila Projects of the NMDC have received the Show Cause Notices on July 31, 2018 from District Collector Dantewada as to why NMDC should not be asked to deposit an amount of Rs 7,241 .35 crore as compensation as calculated by Collector based on the judgement.

The NMDC has been asked to submit its response by August 31, 2018. As per the legal opinion received, the said compensation is not applicable to the NMDC and hence it will seek legal recourse and contest before The Collector, Dantewada and other appropriate authorities, it added.

It also said that a total amount of Rs 29.12 crore is included under the head "Other Expenses" towards expenditure on enabling facilities towards doubling of railway line between Kirandul and Jagdalpur and railway line between Jagdalpur and Ambagaon, required for augmentation of evacuation capacity of Bailadila sector.

An amount of Rs. 25.82 crore is provided towards expected credit loss (ECL) and included under the head "Other Expenses". An amount of Rs 11 .12 crore is provided towards mines closure obligation and included under "Other Expenditure", it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lanka today clarified that it has not defied the UN sanctions on North Korea by importing textiles from Pyongyang.

The foreign ministry said its attention had been drawn to a report that several countries including Sri Lanka had imported textiles during the period October 2017 and March 2018.

"In keeping with Sri Lanka's international obligations as a member of the United Nations, the government of Sri Lanka abides by the provisions of the UN Security Council resolutions in relation to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," a statement said.

It added that Sri Lanka was working closely with the UN Security Council panel of experts for the implementation of the resolutions.

The ministry said the media report about Sri Lanka's purported North Korean imports had been triggered by inadvertent customs entries which had erroneously selected North Korea as the imports source when the imports had been from the South.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2375 passed on September 11, 2017 imposed sanctions on North Korea.

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TRAI chief R S Sharma, who had engaged in a verbal duel with the Twitterati over potential misuse of Aadhaar, today said that no information was "discovered" about him on account of sharing of number but conceded that social media was not a suitable forum to discuss complex policy matters.

"...I can say with full responsibility that no information has been discovered about me due to All this information was discoverable without ..whatever was attempted to be discovered, could have been known even without Aadhaar," Sharma told PTI in an interview on Wednesday.

Sharma, former (Unique Identification Authority of India) director general, has been an ardent supporter of the Aadhaar programme, vouching for the safety of the system, and dispelling privacy concerns surrounding the ID scheme even during his current stint as TRAI chief.

Sharma -- who is set to complete his tenure as chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) tomorrow -- had a stand-off with critics of Aadhaar late last month, after he disclosed his unique ID number on the microblogging site and asked people to show how mere knowledge of the number could be used to harm him.

The move had caused a social media flutter and a tsunami of tweets had ensued in the aftermath of the Aadhaar dare.

Clearing the air over the Aadhaar debate, Sharma said: "Unfortunately, it appears that the Aadhaar challenge was by me...no...It was a challenge thrown upon me, and I just responded to that challenge."



"Somebody said why don't you walk the talk, and why not give so I said...here it is, and now I give you this challenge," Sharma recalled.

He, however, said that social media was not a suitable platform to discuss complex policy issues.

"Social media is not an appropriate platform to discuss complex policy issues, that is something I have learnt," said the outgoing TRAI chief.

Following the Aadhaar challenge last month, some users claimed to have got access to Sharma's bank account number and email, although the TRAI chief had refuted such claims saying they were untrue.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had thereafter asked people not to share publicly their 12-digit identifier on Internet and social media, or pose such challenges to others.
A Sri Lankan court today sentenced a firebrand Buddhist monk to six-years' rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court and ordered his immediate arrest.

Galagodatte Gnanasara had already been sentenced to six months in June for threatening the wife of a journalist in court premises. He later got bail for the offence.

Gnanasara who headed the extremist Buddhist nationalist group Bodu Bala Sena (Forces of Buddhist Power) was charged of carrying out threats against the Muslim minority and for contempt of court.

The Court of Appeal today handed Gnanasara additional sentence after finding him guilty for 4 counts. All sentences will run concurrently for a maximum jail sentence of six years.

The Appellate Court also ordered the immediate arrest of Gnanasara Thero who was out on bail pending the appeal after he was convicted by a lower court in May.

A 3-member bench charged him for misbehavior in court in 2015 when military suspects for abduction and disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda, a cartoonist was brought to court.

The magistrate in the Colombo suburban Homagama court had lodged the complaint for contempt of court against the monk.

Ganasara was widely believed to have incited Sinhalese Buddhist mobs to attack Muslim properties south of Colombo predominantly Muslim areas in 2014.

His lawyers said he had already appealed against today's verdict and the case will be taken up on August 29.

Yesterday, the monk had got himself admitted to the hospital claiming a kidney ailment.

Gnanasara led anti-Muslim minority hatred during the former regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Muslims accused the then government of protecting him.

With the change of the regime Gnanasara's high handed action came in for accountability.

Rigorous imprisonment in Sri Lanka typically sees convicts performing menial tasks around the prison.

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Alleging that the Nagaland government has failed to curb the influx of illegal immigrants into the state, the Naga Students Federation (NSF), today claimed that it has "launched its first phase of checking" of Inner Line Permit (ILP) of non-Naga inhabitants.

The Inner Line Permit is required by non-Nagas to visit Nagaland. Dimapur district is the only district in the state which is not under the purview of ILP.

Addressing a press conference here NSF president Kesosul Christopher Ltu claimed that the "checking" of ILP by its sub-ordinate units was "launched as it feared" that people not having their names in the complete draft of National Register of Citizens published by Assam government would enter into Nagaland.

The Naga Students' Federation is the apex students body in Nagaland.

"We have submitted several representations and letters to the state government, and even on March 21 this year after the new government took over. We have recommended for separate ILP monitoring Cell with break up of non-Nagas in different fields in the state," he said.

He said the state government has replied saying that it would consider the issues put forth by NSF.

"Government mechanism has failed to monitor the influx of illegal immigrants and defaulters of ILP ...," he said.

The NSF president said that the volunteers deployed by the sub-ordinate units in Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Peren and Phek are "checking the ILP and relevant documents of non-Nagas coming into the state".

He also demanded that Dimapur be brought under the purview of the ILP.

The NSF president said it would soon conduct a mass public rally and submit a memorandum to the state government on influx of illegal immigrants and defaulters of ILP



Meanwhile, the Nagaland Commissioner, M Patton said the state government has no specific information on the student organisation checking the ILP on non-Nagas.

"We will not encourage them to take up such activity as it is the duty of the law enforcing agency and if need be we will issue public information," Patton said.

The Commissioner said after the publication of NRC in Assam, the state government alerted all the district administration and also village councils while all entry and exit points have been strengthened to curb the influx of illegal immigrants into the state.

The apex tribal body Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) today urged the Nagaland government to extend Inner line Permit (ILP) coverage in Dimapur district also.

The decision was taken during a consultative meeting here in Dimapur after a thorough deliberations on the possible influx of illegal immigrants after the complete draft of the NRC was published in Assam, an official statement issued by NTC said.

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More than a month after the Trump administration withdrew guidance designed to encourage racial diversity in the nations public schools , Senate Democrats have rebuked the decision, saying it will lead to confusion in schools as well as at institutes of higher education and restrict opportunities for historically disadvantaged students.

In an Aug. 6 letter to the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, which formally revoked the Obama-era guidance in early July, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate education committee, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the top Democrat on Senate Judiciary Committee, also demanded to know how the decision to revoke the guidance was reached. The two senators also asked for a list of complaints of discrimination based on race and ethnicity filed against K-12 and postsecondary institutions with the Education Departments office for civil rights since the start of 2016.

In their joint letter withdrawing the guidance , the Trump Education and Justice Departments told schools that the Obama administrations guidance advocated for policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

And Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement that the Supreme Courts decisions regarding affirmative action were the best guide for making decisions about diversity in education.

However, former Obama Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., now the president of the Education Trust, decried the decision at the time. He argued that innovative work to promote diversity in education can help protect the future prosperity of our nation and the long-term health of our economy.

In their letter, Feinstein and Murray picked up on that theme, saying the nations policies should promote diversity and inclusion, not suppress them.

With almost daily attacks from your administration on the protections for immigrants, women, children, people of color, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault, and LGBTQ students, it is clear there is a coordinated and systematic effort to undermine the law, divide communities, and destabilize American values at every level and in every community, wrote Feinstein and Murray, who were joined by 19 other Democrats who signed the letter.

Read the full letter below:

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Andrew Ujifusa half of Politics K-12 @AndrewUjifusa .
An influential New York congressman, who was the first House Republican to endorse Donald Trump for president, has been charged by federal prosecutors along with his son of insider trading.

Christopher Collins, 68 the US Representative for New York's 27th Congressional District, his son, Cameron Collins, 25 and a third individual, Stephen Zarsky, 66 have been charged by federal prosecutors as well as by the Securities and Exchange Commission for participating in a scheme to commit insider trading relating to securities of Innate Immunotherapeutics (Innate), an Australian biotechnology company on whose Board of Directors the senior Collins served.

As alleged in the indictment, in June 2017, Christopher Collins, who possessed material, non-public information through his service on Innate's board of directors, betrayed his duties of trust and confidence to Innate by providing inside information to his son about confidential drug trial results so that his son and others, including his fiancee's father Zarsky, could trade before the drug trial results were publicly announced.

As a result the illegal tips, Cameron Collins, Zarsky and others who received the inside information avoided a total of approximately USD 768,000 in losses.

When later interviewed by the FBI, the three made false statements to cover up their participation in the insider trading scheme. They are each charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements to the FBI.

All three defendants surrendered this morning and will be later arraigned before United States District Judge Vernon Broderick in federal court in the Southern District of New York. They all face a minimum of 20 years in prison on the various charges.

Collins was an early backer of Trump and has been one of the president's most outspoken supporters in the House.

In a separate action, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil action against the three.

US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Collins, who, by virtue of his office, helps write the laws of this country, acted as if the law did not apply to him.

Christopher Collins, who served as an independent director of the Australian biotech company tipped his son after receiving confidential information about negative clinical trial results for Innate's multiple sclerosis drug.

The complaint alleges that Christopher Collins learned of the negative clinical trial results on the evening of June 22, 2017 in an email from Innate's CEO to the board of directors, which stated that the CEO had extremely bad indicating that drug trial results pretty clearly indicate clinical failure'.

The SEC alleges that Christopher Collins replied to the CEO's email within minutes, expressing his surprise at the results, and then called and spoke to his son minutes later.

According to the SEC's complaint, later that same evening, Cameron Collins drove to Stephen Zarsky's home and tipped him. The next morning, almost two hours prior to the market opening, Cameron Collins and Zarsky allegedly entered orders to sell Innate shares, which were executed just after the market opened. Over the next two trading days, Cameron Collins allegedly sold a total of nearly 1.4 million Innate shares.

According to the complaint, a few hours after the last of these sales, Innate publicly announced the negative results of the clinical trial. The company's stock price then plummeted by more than 92 percent.

Through their sales, Cameron Collins and Zarsky avoided losses of more than USD 700,000. The complaint also alleges that they contacted other friends and family members who also sold Innate shares in advance of the negative announcement.

'We allege that Christopher Collins breached his duty of confidentiality to Innate's shareholders, exploiting his access to non-public information about the company's clinical trial results so that his son could avoid significant financial losses, said Stephanie Avakian, Co-Director of the SEC Enforcement Division. Our laws are designed to prevent and punish such misconduct, which undermines investors' trust in the fairness and integrity of our markets.

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Odisha government in association with industry body Ficci today conducted a roadshow in the city to woo investors ahead of its second edition of 'Make in Odisha' conclave scheduled to be held in November.

"Odisha is fast emerging as a manufacturing hub of east India. We will be organising the second edition of Make in Odisha conclave in Bhubaneswar from November 11-15 this year to showcase manufacturing prowess of the state and various investment opportunities," Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said after inaugurating the roadshow.

During the inaugural edition of the conclave, organised in 2016, investment plans to the tune of Rs 2.03 lakh crore were announced by the industry.

Business leaders from over 300 leading companies participated in the roadshow to explore growth opportunities across Odisha's focus sectors - food processing and seafood, ancillary and downstream industries in the metals sector, textiles, ESDM (electronic system design and manufacturing), chemicals, plastics and petrochemicals and tourism, a release claimed.

Earlier, Patnaik met a host of industry leaders including richest Indian and RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra, Godrej group chairman Adi Godrej, among others, and invited them to invest in the state.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group, Gautam Singhania, chairman and managing director, Raymond group and Kishore Biyani, founder and chief executive officer, Future Group, are also scheduled to meet Patnaik, as per the release.

Patnaik said the state has seen a significant rise in attracting manufacturing projects with more than 118 large projects approved with an employment potential of 128,572 in the past four years alone.

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A team of the special task force (STF) of Odisha Police will soon visit New Delhi to interrogate Habibur Rahman, one of the handlers of Lashkar-e -Taiba (LeT) terrorist Shaikh Abdul Naeem alias Nomi, arrested recently.

Habibur, alias Habib, is a native of Kendrapara district in Odisha.

"A STF team led by DIG Himanshu Lal will leave for New Delhi very soon to interrogate Habibur Rahman with the permission of the National Investigation Team (NIA)," Odisha police's Crime Branch ADGP S K Upadhya told reporters here.

The ADGP said the team will interrogate Rahman on his Odisha link and his modus operandi on terror activities in the state.

"It will also seek details on how many times he had accompanied the Pakistan-based (LeT) terrorist Shaikh Abdul Naeem to Odisha," Upadhya said.

Rahman was arrested by the NIA in New Delhi on August 6 after being deported from Saudi Arabia.

Naeem has been charge-sheeted along with 10 other co-accused including Rahman.

It is alleged that Habibur had arranged hideouts and funds for Naeem on different occasions.

Acting Director General of Police (DGP) and Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty had yesterday said that the Odisha Police was ready to provide all assistance to the NIA in its investigation.

Mir Aainuddin, the father of Habibur Rahaman, had yesterday said his son should be punished if he is found to be involved in any terror activities.

Aainuddin, a native of Mirmahala hamlet in Tendakuda gram panchayat of Kendrapara district, said the family had not been in touch with Rahaman for 12 years as he was disowned for marrying outside his religion.

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The BJP claimed today that over one lakh displaced Kashmiri people are being denied their fundamental right to vote in the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir, thereby forcing them to take the legal route.

Speaking at a press conference here, BJP state vice president G L Raina said displaced Kashmiri people had voted in 2005 Municipal polls in Jammu but this time they are being denied this basic fundamental right to vote.

"Over one lakh displaced Kashmiri people are being denied their fundamental right to vote in civic polls in J&K by the Election Commission of India (ECI) by either deleting their names from voter lists or not listing them in voter lists for the coming polls in the state," Raina said.

This concern was also raised by various organisations such as All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), All Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC), All India Kashmiri Pandit Conference (AIKPC), Panun Kashmir, Youth All India Kashmir Samaj (YAIKS), Vishwa Kashmiri Pandit Samiti (VKPS).

They have urged Governor N N Vohra to intervene in the matter.

The BJP claimed that they also took up the matter with Chief Electoral Officer of J&K Shaleen Kabra but he not only ignored their request but sat over the issue.

"If the issue is not resolved at the earliest by ECI, state governor and CEO, we may take the legal route," Raina said.

The municipal elections were last conducted in January-February 2005 and the elected bodies had completed their five-year term in March 2010.

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At least 43 workers were injured after a fire broke out following a boiler blast in the refinery of Bharat Petroleum here this afternoon, officials said.

The incident took place at the public sector oil firm's plant on the Mahul Road in Chembur area of East Mumbai around 2.45 PM, they said.

Forty-three workers were injured in the incident, said Shahaji Umap, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-VI).

After preliminary treatment at BPCL's first aid centre, 22 of them were allowed to go home, whereas 21 were shifted to nearby hospital in Chembur, he said.

One of them was in the intensive care unit, he said.

Nine fire tenders, two foam tenders and two jumbo tankers were pressed into service to douse the blaze.

Along with the Fire Brigade, the refinery's own fire-fighting team, HPCL, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, RCF and Mazgaon Dock fire brigades were also engaged in dousing the flames which were now under control, said an official of the Disaster Control Room of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The incident took place in the "Compressor shed of Hydrocracker plant", as per the company's statement.

Fire Brigade chief P S Rahangdale said the fire fighting was made difficult by heat and pressure inside the plant.

According to Santosh Aadhar, a local resident, a "massive" explosion was heard in the surrounding area.

"Its tremors shook windows of our building which is 500 m away from the refinery," Aadhar told reporters.

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More than 63,500 schools in Maharashtra became digital up to June this year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here today.

He called for laying more emphasis on e-learning and e-school projects in the era of Information Technology.

Fadnavis today chaired a review meeting of school department at his official residence 'Varsha'.

School Minister Vinod Tawde, Additional Principal Secretary of the School Department Vandana Krishna, among others, attended the meeting.

"In January 2016, more than 10,000 schools became digital. Now at the end of June this year, more than 63500 schools have gone digital. In the coming days the students should get facilities like e-learning and e-school. The school education department should work in this direction," he said.

The CM said that advance educational initiatives are being implemented to enhance academic quality and that the efforts are to be taken to raise the study standard of students.

Initiatives like Basic Reading Ability Development, will help teachers to know the capacity of the students, he said.

Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts are at the forefront according to the National Performance Survey, he said.

"This percentage should increase in other districts also," he said.

Tawde said the "Avirat" project is being implemented by school education department and in the first phase, over 40,000 teachers have been imparted training.

The second phase of "Avirat" project is commencing soon, he said.

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A Pakistani judge has recused himself from hearing a petition filed against the conviction and sentencing of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in the Avenfield properties corruption case, a media report said today.

Lahore High Court's Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, who headed a three-member bench constituted by LHC Chief Justice on August 4 to hear the petition, recused himself citing personal reasons, Geo TV reported.

Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem made up the rest of the bench.

Following the breakup of the bench formed to hear the petition, Justice Mirza has referred the matter to LHC chief justice.

On July 6, Sharif, Maryam and Capt (retd) Safdar were convicted for not disclosing details of the purchase of four posh apartments in London.

The petition - moved by Lawyers' Foundation for Justice through Advocate AK Dogar - challenged the convictions, delivered under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, on grounds that the National Accountability Bureau's law was no more valid after the implementation of 18th amendment.

Sharif was sentenced under this "dead law" which is illegal, Dogar argued in the petition, and requested to nullify the sentences of Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law.

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.

Maryam, widely seen as Sharif's anointed political heir, was also found guilty and handed down seven years in prison with a USD 2.6 million fine. Her husband Muhammad Safdar also received a one-year jail sentence. They are also serving their terms at Adiala Jail.

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Three Pakistani men convicted as members of a sex-grooming gang that targeted young girls are to be stripped of their British citizenship after a UK Court of Appeal ruling today.

Abdul Aziz, Adil Khan and Qari Abdul Rauf, dual nationals of Pakistan and Britain, were among nine men jailed for offences including the rape and trafficking of girls as young as 13 in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2012.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, then UK Home Secretary, began the process of removing them from the British citizenship rolls in 2015. The men had challenged the decision on human rights grounds saying they had family in the UK, including children who were British by birth.

But today, three Court of Appeal judges rejected the legal challenge from the men and ruled that stripping the men of their British citizenship was "conducive to the public good".

Lord Justice Sales, sitting with Sir Terence Etherton and Sir Stephen Richards, said the men were motivated by "lust and greed".

"The crimes were plainly very serious and there was a sufficient element of organisation in the way they were committed to justify characterising the offending as participation in serious organised crime," he said.

The court decision paves the way for the UK government's plan to deport the men to Pakistan after they are released from jail. All three were handed jail sentences between six and nine years after a trial in 2012 and have since been released on parole.

If deportation orders are signed against them, the men could have a further legal right to appeal.

During their sentencing over six years ago, the judge had noted that their victims were "raped callously, viciously and violently".

"In some cases, they were driven round Rochdale and Oldham to be made to have sex with paying customers. All the men treated the girls as though they were worthless and beyond all respect," the judge had said in his ruling at Liverpool Crown Court at the time.

The three men lost a previous legal battle to hold on to their British citizenship last year.

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Rashida Tlaib, a mother of two and daughter of Palestinian immigrants once detained for disrupting a Donald Trump speech, made history today, poised to become the first Muslim woman in US Congress.

The 42-year-old former social worker won a Democratic primary in Detroit safe seat. With no Republican or third-party candidates, she is positioned to enter the House of Representatives after November midterm elections.

"Thank you so much for making this unbelievable moment possible. I am at a loss for words," she tweeted. "I cannot wait to serve you in Congress." Her defeat of five other candidates tees her up to become the first Muslim woman in Congress, 12 years after Minnesota's Keith Ellison became the first Muslim in the US House of Representatives.

She would also be the first Palestinian-American woman elected to the House. Representative Andre Carson, elected in 2008 and from Indiana, is the only other Muslim currently in Congress.

Tlaib is one of scores of Muslims and hundreds of women running in record numbers in elections up and down the country this year, most of them part of a groundswell of Democratic opposition to the Republican president.

Video footage shared on social media showed an emotional Tlaib surrounded by ecstatic supporters and hugged by her mother, who comes from a village in the West Bank, where extended family were cheering her on.

"They're glued to the TV. My grandmother, my aunts, my uncles in Palestine are sitting by and watching their granddaughter," she said tearfully.

She has called Trump's election a "bat signal" for all women and described her run as very personal, motivated by her sons' anxiety about being Muslims amid increased Islamophobia in America.

The Pew Research Center estimates that around 3.45 million Muslims live in the United States, making up about 1.1 percent of the total US population.

"Me being elected is a big message to the whole country that we are part of the government. We are part of society and that we want to give back just like anyone else," Tlaib told CBS last May.

"'Clear out the room boys, let's put some women there... Let's deal with all these crises that we have in our country. It's about time that maybe we get an opportunity to take a stab at it'," she added.

She now stands to replace 89-year-old John Conyers, who resigned after 52 years in the House following sexual harassment accusations. Her two-year congressional term is scheduled to start in January.

Twenty-eight-year-old political novice Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose own insurgent win in a New York primary jolted the Democratic establishment in June, was among those who congratulated her today.

Born and raised in southwest Detroit, Tlaib was also the first Muslim woman elected to the Michigan state assembly, serving from 2009-14. She has a law degree and has worked as an attorney for social justice.

Sally Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn who has known her for 25 years, described Tlaib is "tough, capable and hard-working" and "very charismatic." - 'Our win' -



"She cares about people, about the community she grew up in," Howell told AFP. "She was not running as a Muslim per se, but as someone from southwest Detroit... who happens to be a Muslim. But her campaign was definitely picked up and championed by the Muslim community which feels greatly maligned." In August 2016, Tlaib interrupted a Trump address in Detroit, telling him "our children deserve better" and imploring him to read the US Constitution, before being grabbed by security guards and ejected from the hall.

"My mother, so upset, 'you got arrested on national TV'," Tlaib told CNN. "I got detained. It's fine. It was the most American thing I could ever do." She backs equal pay for women, tuition-free college, public healthcare, LGBTQ rights, overturning Trump's travel ban, environmental protections and immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for those undocumented.

But if Tlaib's seat is progressive, Trump was the first Republican president to carry rust-belt Michigan since 1988.

Three other Muslim women, in Arizona, Massachusetts and Minnesota, still in congressional races of their own, will now be hoping that a Tlaib bounce will also help blaze a way for them.

"I feel that her win is our win," candidate Tahirah Amatul-Wadud told AFP from Massachusetts. "It is wonderful to be a part of the changing face of democracy and our country.

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A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli shelling in Gaza today, the health ministry in the enclave said, after dozens of rockets were fired from the strip.

Ali Ghandour, 30, died after being hit in northern Gaza, the ministry said, as Israel struck a series of sites in Gaza in response to dozens of rockets fired from the Palestinian coastal enclave.

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A pall of gloom descended on Thirukkuvalai, the native village of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in the district, as soon as the of his death trickled in, with people turning up in large numbers at his ancestral house.

Villagers paid floral tributes at a portrait of the DMK patriarch at his house.

Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924 in the village and spent his childhood here.

Situated in the heart of the village, his ancestral house -- a modest blue and white structure -- now houses a statue of his mother and two libraries named after his parents -- 'Muthuvelar Noolagam' and 'Anjugam Padippagam'.

A huge collection of rare photographs of a young and vibrant Karunanidhi in various poses adorn the house now.

Karunanidhi received his primary education in the Panchayat Union Middle School at the village.

He ordered setting up of a primary health care centre and an industrial training institute at the hamlet, besides upgrading the facilities at his alma mater.

When he served as the chief minister during 2006-11, Karunanidhi visited the village twice.

His last visit to the village as chief minister was in 2009.

The name 'Karunanidhi' is the pride of this tiny village and in his passing away, its residents feel that they have lost their identity.

The 94-year-old leader, a five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, breathed his last at Kauvery Hospital in downtown Chennai at 6.10 pm yesterday after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days.

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In a break from tradition, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today as a mark of respect to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who died last evening.

The 94-year-old DMK patriarch served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five times but was never a member of Parliament.

Glowing tributes were paid to the departed leader in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, before the Houses were adjourned for the day.

It is rare that the House is adjourned in case a departed leader is not a sitting or former member. It is a Parliament convention to adjourn for the day in the event of death of a sitting member, Parliament officials said.

Before the proceedings commenced today, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu consulted senior leaders of various political parties for their views on adjourning the proceedings of the House for the day.

He sought to know their views as it is rarely that the House proceedings are adjourned in case the departed leader is not a sitting or former member of the House, the officials said.

All those who participated in the meeting said Karunanidhi was one of the tallest leaders of the country and favoured adjournment of the proceedings.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar also said the government was also in favour of adjournment, the officials said.

The views were also conveyed to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, they said.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Mahajan informed the members about the demise of Karunanidhi.

Describing him as a "visionary" and a "leader of the masses", she said he had spread his political philosophy through screen writing and produced some of the best hits in Tamil cinema.

During his "illustrious political career", Karunanidhi "ably showcased his admirable leadership qualities and worked relentlessly for the cause of the people, particularly the marginalised and the downtrodden sections of society," Mahajan said.

After observing a moment of silence in his memory, the Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Chairman read out an obituary reference, describing Karunanidhi as a multi-faceted personality and a gritty figure who overcame difficulties.

Beginning his career as a screen play writer, Karunanidhi used Tamil cinema to propagate Dravidian ideology and contributed to Tamil culture, Naidu said.

Karunanidhi entered at a very young age and was a member of the Tamil Nadu Assembly for a record 13 times, being elected from seven different constituencies, he said.

In 1969, he became the third Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and went on to serve the state as the head of its government for five terms.

He played a key role in scripting the development of Tamil Nadu, Naidu said, adding that in his death, the country has lost an eminent litterateur, an able administrator, a dedicated social worker and an outstanding statesman.

The members stood in silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul, following which Naidu adjourned the Rajya Sabha proceedings for the day.

Earlier at the meeting, the parliamentary affairs minister sought the cooperation of all parties in both Houses in passing important pending bills like the one relating to Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs in the Rajya Sabha, if required, by dispensing with the Zero Hour and private members' business, the officials said.

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A teacher at a government primary school has been suspended in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district for allegedly watching girls changing clothes, police said today.

The incident happened in a village in Hasayan area -- around 350 km from Lucknow -- yesterday, when some students, who were given free uniforms, complained that Omendra was peeking from a window while they were changing clothes, an official said.

Parents of the girls gathered at the school and beat up teacher. Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Harischandra suspended the accused after a prima-facie probe him guilty, the official said.

A complaint has been filed and police are probing the matter, he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar that the mining issue will be resolved in the next 2-3 months, a BJP leader said here today.

Parrikar had called on the prime minister and the Group of Ministers (GoM) on mining in Delhi yesterday.

He had requested an amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, which will allow mining leases in the coastal state to remain operational till 2037.

The Goa Legislative Assembly had last week passed a resolution urging the Centre to suitably amend the Act.

BJP Goa spokesman Nilesh Cabral told reporters today that the PM showed a "keen interest" in resumption of iron ore mining in the coastal state.

"He (Modi) assured to find a solution to the issue within the next 2-3 months," said Cabral.

The state's mining sector has been shut since March 16 this year after the Supreme Court, through an order in February, cancelled 88 leases and banned the extraction of fresh ore.

Cabral said the Goa government had made a presentation before the Group of Ministers (GoM) which was constituted with an objective to resolve the mining-related issues in the country.

"The GoM is convinced that the Goa mining issue is different from rest of the country and has agreed to help out the state," he said.

Cabral said Goa will constitute a team comprising the chief minister and the MLAs from the mining belt for taking follow-up of the issue with the Centre.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to late DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the Rajaji Hall here today and briefly met members of his family.

Clad in white, Modi laid a wreath at Karunanidhi's feet and bowed before his mortal remains, paying his respect to the late leader.

He later consoled the DMK chief's family members, including his wife Rajathi and son M K Stalin.

Modi, who arrived here from New Delhi by a special flight earlier in the morning, was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and state unit leaders of the BJP, besides those of the DMK and the AIADMK.

He later had a brief conversation with Rajathi.

He exchanged a few words with Stalin, the DMK's working president, gently patting him on the back in an apparent gesture of consoling him.

While leaving, Modi spoke to Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi, an MP, as Stalin joined him.

Karunanidhi, 94, died at a private hospital yesterday following prolonged illness.

The prime minister in his message had described the DMK chief as a prolific thinker and a deep-rooted mass leader who stood for regional aspiration and national progress.

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A gunman opened fire on two New Jersey police officers while they were sitting in their vehicle at a red light yesterday night, wounding them in what authorities are calling an ambush attack.

At least one suspect opened fire on the plainclothes detectives in Camden, which is located just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, said Camden County Police Chief J Scott Thomson.

"The information we have thus far is that they were essentially ambushed," Thomson told reporters at a late night conference.

"A male walked up and began opening fire. We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers."



One of the detectives was able to return fire, Thomson said, but it was not immediately clear if anyone else was shot.

Thomson said his department was in communication with hospitals in the region.

The detectives were taken to an area hospital and are expected to survive.

"At this point in time our officers have non-life-threatening injuries but not for the grace of God quite frankly," Thomson said.

"The amount of rounds that were fired at close range and particularly through the windshield." Police continue to search for the suspect or suspects involved in the "unprovoked" attack.

"Maybe they did know they were police officers and that's the reason why they did it. Maybe they thought they were somebody else. We'll find that out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

The shooting occurred on National Night Out, an event designed to bring local police and the communities they serve together.

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A 27-year-old pregnant woman has died due to alleged medical negligence at a government hospital in Rajasthan's Bundi district, Congress Seva Dal district president Mahmood Ali said today.

A resident of Bundi city's Gurunanak Colony, Koshaliya Bai, was admitted to the mother-child wing of the Bundi district hospital on Tuesday afternoon in full-term pregnancy, he said.

According to examination of Koshaliya Bai by two gynaecologists, she was expected to deliver the baby late at night or next morning and her condition was normal, he said.

The woman was not allotted a bed and was instead first treated on a table and then she moved to the gallery, where she lay unattended when she went into labour, Ali claimed, adding that the medical staff on duty declared the patient 'absconding' and said the staff of the last shift had not briefed them of her condition.

"Had the doctors on duty attended to my wife in time, she could have been saved. The staff on duty repeatedly said that we had left the hospital, while in fact we were outside in the gallery and were waiting for the treatment," the deceased's husband Nand Kishore said.

However, the hospital refuted the charges.

Principal medical officer (PMO) of the Bundi district hospital Dr O P Verma said the woman was admitted at 12:50 pm on Tuesday and was examined by the doctors but later she went absconding with her family and reappeared at 9 pm in a critical condition.

"The medical staff and hospital are not responsible for a patient who leaves the hospital ward without informing," he said.

He said the woman was attended by Dr B S Meena after she arrived at the hospital again.

When asked why a gynaecologist was not called in time to attend to Koshaliya Devi, Dr Verma said the hospital faced a staff crunch and there were only three gynaecologists and medical officers at the mother and child wing, against a requirement of five to eight doctors.

The hospital also does not have enough beds and space due to which doctors are forced to treat patients on tables outside the ward, the PMO said.

"When I examined the woman last night, there was no pulse or blood pressure in the body," Dr Meena said, adding that the woman most likely died due to fits during labour pain.

The medical officer on duty, Dr Meena, declared the woman dead at 9:25 am and handed over the body to family members at 10:35 am, Ali said.

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The government is considering a proposal of the parliamentary panel on information technology to call 'postman' as 'postperson' for the sake of gender neutrality.

"The proposal to rename postman as postperson is under consideration. It is also submitted that word 'dakia', which is generally used is gender neutral," the Department of Posts said in its submission to the panel.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, has recommended to the postal department to use gender neutral term and call 'postman' as 'postperson'.

"The committee in its Report of Demands for Grants felt a need to make the nomenclature for delivery personnel in the Department of Posts and suggested that to further call 'postman' as 'post person'," the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

The panel noted that both postman and post woman are serving the department and therefore feels that there is a need to change the nomenclature.

The committee agreed that word 'dakia' is gender neutral but said it is a Hindi vocabulary.

"They (panel members) desire that likewise, in English also, a gender neutral word 'post person' should be used for delivery personnel of the postal articles," the report said.

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Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today exempted ex-servicemen and senior citizens from mandatory dope test for issuance and renewal of their arms licences.

The decision was taken in response to a request from ex-servicemen and senior citizens groups, according to an official spokesperson.

Many of them had been in possession of arms licences for decades.

The chief minister agreed that they were fit cases for exemption, considering their track record and their age, the spokesperson said.

The decision comes about six weeks after the state government decided to make it mandatory for all applications to undergo a compulsory dope test to qualify for a weapon licence, he said.

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State-owned Punjab & Sind Bank today reported a net loss of Rs 398 crore in first quarter ended June as provisioning for bad loans increased significantly.

It had reported a net profit of Rs 25.37 crore in the same period a year ago. In the preceding quarter ended March 2018, it had a net loss of Rs 524.62 crore, a dip in losses when compared sequentially.

For the entire 2017-18, the bank had posted a net loss of Rs 743.80 crore due to high proportion of bad loans.

The bank in a regulatory filing said that the total income in April-June period of 2018-19 stood at Rs 2,336 crore, higher than Rs 2,062.57 crore in the same period of 2017-18.

For the June quarter, bank's provisioning for bad loans (or non-performing assets) shot up to Rs 795.38 crore as against Rs 259.20 crore set aside for the same period of the fiscal ended March 2018.

However, the bank brought down the proportion of soar assets with the gross NPAs falling to 10.55 per cent of gross advances as on June 30, 2018 from 11.33 per cent in year ago corresponding quarter.

In value terms, gross NPAs stood at Rs 7,363.41 crore by end June this year as against Rs 6,693.36 crore.

Net NPAs were 5.92 per cent (Rs 3,928.81 crore) as against 7.94 per cent (Rs 4,511.40 crore).

Stock of the bank closed 1.34 per cent up at Rs 30.15 on the BSE.

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The meeting convened by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to discuss current political scenario and Maratha quota stir stood cancelled as he had to attend DMK stalwart M Karunanidhi's burial in Chennai today.

Karunanidhi, 94, died yesterday following prolonged illness.

Senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra, including state unit president Ashok Chavan, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and others, were to attend the scheduled meeting.

"The meeting could not happen as Rahul ji had to fly to Chennai to attend Karunanidhi's burial. There is no clarity when the meeting will take place now," a party source said.

The Maratha community has been staging protests for reservation in government jobs and education.

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The Rajasthan High Court today issued notice to the central government on a plea alleging that Section 17A of the amended Prevention of Corruption Act is ultra vires.

According to a petition filed by advocate Bhagwat Gour, the provision is made to protect guilty officers and it will increase institutionalised corruption as it would be necessary to seek prior permission before prosecuting any public servant in the cases of corruption under this amended provision.

"The previous approval from the government necessarily required under Section 17A would result in indirectly putting to notice the officers to be investigated before commencement of investigation. Moreover, if the police is not even allowed to verify complaints by preliminary enquiry, how can the case move forward? A preliminary enquiry is intended to ascertain whether a prima facie case for investigation is made out or not," reads the petition.

The bench has asked for a response from the law secretary.

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An Afghan official says eight civilians, including women and children, were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb.

Sher Jan Durani, the spokesman for the provincial police chief in the northern Balkh province, says six other civilians were wounded in today's blast.

He blamed the attack on the Taliban, whose roadside bombs, intended for security forces, often kill and wound civilians.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in the western Herat province, killing eight police.

Gelani Farhad, the spokesman for the provincial governor, says six insurgents were killed in the ensuing gunbattle.

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Six armed robbers looted Rs 7.81 lakh from the branch of a public sector bank in Doad village here, police said today.

The robbers also took the rifle of the security guard posted at the branch and the digital video recorder (DVR) of the CCTVs before escaping, they said.

Six robbers entered the bank yesterday, overpowered the security guard and held three bank employees and three customers hostage before committing the robbery, police said.

A case was registered under relevant sections and an investigation was launched, officials added.

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The AAP has decided to "boycott" the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman tomorrow, according to party MP Sanjay Singh.

Singh said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal rejected his Bihar counterpart and JD(U) President Nitish Kumar's request to support the NDA nominee, Harivansh Narayan Singh, in the election as he has the backing of the BJP.

He said that since Congress President Rahul Gandhi has not sought AAP's support for the opposition's candidate, the Kejriwal-led party "has no option but to boycott the poll tomorrow".

Hariprasad, a Congress MP from Karnataka, is the opposition's candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson.

"If they (the Congress) ask for our vote, we will oblige. It is meaningless to vote compulsively (for the Congress), if they do not need it," Singh told reporters.

Later, he tweeted: "Nitish Kumar ji spoke to Arvind Kejriwal ji, seeking support for JD(U) candidate. Since he is a BJP-backed nominee, it is not possible to support him. Rahul Gandhi ji does not want support for his candidate... then AAP has no option, but to boycott the poll."



Kumar and Kejriwal had canvassed for each other in assembly polls in their states in 2015. However, the ties soured after Kumar dumped the UPA to rejoin the NDA.

"If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cannot he ask Arvind Kejriwal to support his party's candidate?" Singh asked.

Terming the Congress a "mean-spirited" party, Singh said the AAP voted in favour of its candidates in the elections for President and Vice President, even without being asked for it.

"We voted in favour of their candidates in the elections for President and Vice President but they did not even had the courtesy to say thank you."



"The AAP supported the Congress on many occasions including the political crisis in Goa, Uttarkhand and Mizoram but has only received opposition in return," Singh alleged.

"They distributed sweets when our 20 MLAs in Delhi were disqualified. All opposition parties supported us during Kejriwal's dharna at the LG office barring the Congress," he said.

The AAP has three MPs from Delhi in the Rajya Sabha.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up BJD president Naveen Patnaik today seeking his party's support for the NDA candidate in the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman tomorrow, but the Odisha chief minister preferred to keep the cards close to his chest.

Modi telephoned Patnaik when the latter was attending an investment meet in Mumbai and asked for support of the nine BJD MPs to the NDA candidate - Harivansh Narayan Singh of the JD(U), BJD sources said here.

Patnaik, however, has not given him any assurance regarding the BJD's stand.

"Patnaik is likely to announce the BJD's stand on the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman an hour before the voting tomorrow," the sources said.

The party would keep in mind its policy of maintaining equal distance from both the Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA while making a decision, the sources said.

After JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sought his party's support yesterday, BJD spokesman Sasmit Patra had said Patnaik would decide on the the party's stand today.

NDA candidate Harivansh met the BJD's Rajya Sabha members in Parliament today and sought their support, the party leader in Rajya Sabha Prasanna Acharya told PTI over the phone.

Asked if the UPA candidate, B K Hariprasad, also met the BJD MPs, Acharya said, "No."



When contacted, Hariprasad said senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel have spoken to Patnaik to seek the support of BJD MPs.

"We are optimistic to win the poll, but a lot depends on the decision of the BJD," he said.

The vote of the BJD's nine MPs is considered crucial as neither the NDA nor the UPA candidate has the required numbers to win the election.

The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members is required for a candidate to win.

BJP president Amit Shah, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Union minister Rajnath Singh had also called Patnaik yesterday to seek the BJD's support for the election tomorrow.

Recently, Shah had praised the BJD for its support on the National Register of Citizens issue. The BJD was the only political party other than the BJP which had supported the NRC. Earlier, the BJD had also supported the NDA on several issues such as the presidential elections, demonetisation and GST.

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A suspected gangster was arrested today from Valsad in Gujarat, around 22 years after he jumped bail in a murder case, a Mumbai Police official said.

The accused Anil Gavande was a member of the K T Thapa gang which used to operate mainly in eastern suburbs of Mumbai during 1990s.

The arrest was made by unit VII of the crime branch of the Mumbai Police on a specific tip off, the official said.

Gavande is also wanted in three more cases of murder, including for allegedly killing members of a rival gang, and other offences, he said.

"Gavande had been arrested by the same crime branch unit VII for murder occurred under Mulund police station in 1987," said senior police inspector Anil Mane.

Gavande has been absconding since 1996, after he was granted bail by a Mumbai court in the murder case.

"He had shifted his base to Gujarat from Maharashtra since then," he said.

A court in Mumbai had recently issued a non-bailable warrant against Gavande.

He was produced before a local court which remanded him in judicial custody.

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Samsung Electronics and its affiliated companies plan to spend USD 22 billion over the next three years on artificial intelligence, auto components and other future businesses.

Samsung said today it will spend the sum, amounting to 25 trillion won, to hire artificial intelligence researchers, to be a global player in next generation telecoms technology and to boost its presence in electronics components for future cars.

South Korea relies heavily on Samsung and its affiliated companies for investment and jobs, even after a corruption scandal that resulted in the bribery prosecution of the conglomerate's leader, Lee Jae-yong.

Lee was freed after nearly a year in jail.

The company's investment announcement came two days after the finance minister visited a Samsung computer chip factory, where he touted Samsung's importance in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

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Canadian health authorities said today that hundreds of Saudi doctors and residents who make up the largest segment of foreign medical trainees in the country will remain in Canada until the end of the month, giving hospitals a few weeks to cope with the sudden staffing loss caused by a diplomatic spat.

The 800 medical trainees are among more than 15,000 Saudis whose government has ordered them to suddenly leave the country due to Canada's criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom's arrest of women's right activists.

The Saudi Embassy bureau that places the country's students in Canada convinced the kingdom's government to let the medical trainees stay until Sept. 1, said Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, the vice dean of post-MD education at the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine.

Spadafora oversees 216 of those Saudis in the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network.

He said the loss of the trainees will cause disruptions at Canadian hospitals, particularly in some specialized fields, but said it's too early to fully know the impact. "At the end of the day it's still 216 people that might not be showing up for work," he said.

"We have until Sept 1. That's not saying it's going to easy or straightforward. It is like people not being there one day, but we have the luxury of people having more time." While the Saudi government says the students, whose education it is paying for, can now study in other nations, the change will dramatically alter the future for many.

Some of the residents and doctors are entering their final and fifth year of their programs and the change will derail some careers, Spadafora said.

"These are very dedicated and bright and hard-working people who are studying very hard," he said. "To have that disrupted is very stressful for them." Salvatore Spadafora said it's very difficult for those with families and leases.

"All we've done is gotten a little bit of time to the end of the month. It's not necessarily going to solve everything but it helps the individuals which has really been our focus," he said.

"Hopefully at the highest levels there is resolution that we can avoid all of this." Canadian Foreign Minister Chyrstia Freeland has said Saudi students continue to be welcome.

Saudi state television has reported that Education Ministry was coming up with an "urgent plan" to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. The Saudi state airline also said in a statement on its official Twitter account that it would suspend all flights to Toronto starting Monday, August 13.

The dispute appeared centered around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to "immediately release" detained women's rights activists.

Among the arrested activists is Samar Badawi, whose writer brother Raif Badawi was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam while blogging.

His case long has been raised by international human rights groups and Western diplomats, including Canadians, who have called on Saudi Arabia to free him.

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Saudi Arabia today ruled out any mediation in an escalating diplomatic row with Canada, adding that the kingdom was considering further punitive measures against Ottawa.

"There is nothing to mediate," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters.

"Canada made a big mistake... and a mistake should be corrected." Jubeir added that Saudi Arabia was "considering additional measures" against Canada, without elaborating.

Saudi Arabia on Monday expelled Canada's ambassador and recalled its own envoy, freezing all new trade and investments, after Ottawa denounced a new crackdown on rights activists in the kingdom.

Riyadh also said it will relocate thousands of Saudi students studying in Canada to other countries, while state airline Saudia (also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines) announced it was suspending flights to Toronto.

Saudi Arabia has also stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and is working on transferring all Saudi patients there to other countries, state media said today.

Further straining ties, the Saudi central bank has instructed its overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost", the Financial Times reported today.

Canada sparked fury in Riyadh last week when it called for the "immediate release" of rights campaigners, including award-winning women's rights activist Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.

Samar Badawi was arrested along with fellow campaigner Nassima al-Sadah last week, the latest targets of what Human Rights Watch called an "unprecedented government crackdown" on women activists.

It came after more than a dozen women's rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state. When asked about the jailed activists, Jubeir reiterated the government's earlier stance that they had been in contact with foreign entities, but did not specify the charges against them.

"The matter is not about human rights, it is a matter of national security," Jubeir said, referring to the row with Canada.

"Saudi Arabia does not interfere in the affairs of Canada in any way. Therefore, Canada must correct its actions towards the kingdom."



Canada has indicated it will not back down, despite the risk of imperilling business deals including a USD 15 billion agreement to sell Riyadh light armoured vehicles.

If the deal is scrapped, thousands of jobs could be lost in Canada, experts say.

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An advocate was today told by the Supreme Court not to be a 'chamach' (spoon) of the state when he drew its attention to the fact that the wife of an apex court judge, hearing a matter regarding unauthorised constructions in Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, has filed a plea in the high court.

The apex court took umbrage when the Himachal Pradesh government's lawyer placed before it the details of the case.

"Does the state has nothing else to do? What about governance? What about governing the state? Tell your state that this will not be tolerated," a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur told the counsel.

"Do not be the mouthpiece of somebody who has some vested interest. You are an advocate and officer of the court and not a 'chamach' of the state. Do not do it ever again," Justice Lokur observed.

In colloquial Hindi, a chamach or spoon denotes a stooge.

The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta, took strong exception that the state has placed before it the detail of a pending case in the high court in which the issue of encroachment on forest land in Himachal Pradesh has been raised.

Senior advocate P S Patwalia, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the matter which was being referred by the state was "totally separate" from what the apex court was hearing.

At the outset, the counsel told the court that the state, while going through the details of cases pending in the Himachal Pradesh High Court on the issue of encroachment and illegal constructions, came across one petition filed by the wife of one of the judges sitting in the bench.

The bench asked the counsel whether he had read the contents of the petition which he was referring to.

The counsel said he has not gone through the plea filed in January 2002, which has been pending in the high court.

During the brief hearing, the bench asked the state about the status of case in which on May 1, Assistant Town and Country Planner Shail Bala Sharma had gone to supervise the demolition of unauthorised construction at Kasauli's Narayani Guest House where its owner Vijay Singh had allegedly shot her dead.

The counsel said that Singh was currently in judicial custody and the process of filing the charge sheet in the case was going on.

The bench posted the matter for hearing in October.

On May 9, the apex court had suggested that the Himachal Pradesh government should take action against those officials who were posted in Kasauli when illegal constructions had come up there and sought their names and designations.

The court had earlier taken cognisance of the Kasauli incident in which Sharma was killed, terming the incident as very unfortunate and observed that it had happened due to "non-implementation" of the law.

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The Supreme Court today said it might hear next week various issues, including the contentious one relating to the appointments and transfers of bureaucrats in Delhi, that have arisen in the wake of its recent judgment defining the powers of the Lieutenant Governor (LG).

The counsel appearing for the Delhi government mentioned the matter before a bench comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan.

Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, told the bench that it was a "serious matter" and the court should fix a date for hearing the case.

The bench said the matter might be taken up for hearing on August 16.

"We will see it on next Thursday," the bench said.

The plea, which was listed today for hearing in the regular list, was not taken up by the bench as it heard arguments in some other cases throughout the day.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had recently laid down broad parameters for the governance of the national capital, which has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014.

The constitution bench had clarified that issues regarding various notifications issued by the Delhi government in exercise of its administrative and legislative powers would be dealt with separately by an appropriate smaller bench.

The Delhi government had submitted before the court that even after the verdict, the stalemate over the issue of public services was continuing and that needed to be dealt with by an appropriate bench.

In its July-4 ruling, the apex court had said that barring three issues -- public order, police and land -- the Delhi government has the power to legislate and govern on other issues.

There were two LGs --incumbent Anil Baijal and his predecessor Najeeb Jung-- with whom Kejriwal was at loggerheads, accusing them of preventing the functioning of his government at the behest of the Centre.

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The Supreme Court today sought a response from the Jammu and Kashmir government on a plea by Talib Hussain, a key witness in the sensational Kathua gang rape-and-murder case, alleging custodial torture by the state police in an alleged rape case lodged against him by his sister-in-law.

A bench headed Chief Justice Dipak Misra initially asked senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Hussain's cousin Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, to satisfy it as to how a writ of habeas corpus (produce the body) was maintainable in the present case where the accused was in lawful police custody following registration of an FIR against him.

"How will the writ of habeas corpus lie in the present case where the person is in valid custody of police," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked and adding that the concerned judicial magistrate may be approached with the grievances.

Jaising referred to a Supreme Court judgement and said that irrespective of the nature of detention, whether legal or illegal, such a petition can always be filed in cases of custodial torture.

The bench considered the submission of Jaising that Hussain had been brutally tortured in custody and judicial intervention was needed and asked the state government to file its response within a week.

The bench, however, refused to grant any interim relief with regard to alleged custodial torture of Hussain and said that the factum of alleged harassment has to be ascertained.

"It is submitted by Indira Jaising...for the petitioner that though the writ petition has been couched in a different manner, the fundamental purpose is to highlight the factum of custodial torture. Issue notice, fixing a returnable date within a week," it said in the order.

It also asked the counsel for Khan to serve a copy of the petition on Advocate General of Jammu and Kashmir.

The petition was opposed by lawyer Chandan Sharma, appearing for Hussain's sister-in-law who has filed the FIR alleging rape, that there were as many as 10 FIRs against the accused and no relief should be granted without hearing the victim.

The court allowed the alleged rape victim to file an application seeking to implead herself as a party in the case and fixed the matter for further hearing on August 21.

At the outset, Jaising said the police travelled 270 kms to arrest Hussain in a case related to an FIR lodged by his wife.

As Hussain was granted anticipatory bail in that case, police arrested him in another fake rape case lodged by his relative, she said.

In the plea, protection of Hussain has been sought in the police custody alleging that he had been brutally beaten up in the alleged fake rape case.

Hussain is a key witness in the Kathua case, in which an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community was abducted and gang-raped in January.

The state police's crime branch, which probed the case, filed the main charge sheet against seven people and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile.

The charge sheet has revealed chilling details about how the girl was allegedly kidnapped, drugged and raped inside a place of worship before being killed.

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The Supreme Court today sought response from the Jammu and Kashmir government on a plea by Talib Hussain, a key witness in the sensational Kathua gang rape-and-murder case, alleging custodial torture by the state police in an alleged fake rape case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submission of senior advocate Indira Jaising that Hussain had been brutally tortured in police custody and judicial intervention was needed.

The bench also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the senior lawyer to explain as to how a writ of habeas corpus (produce the body) can be filed in the present case as the accused, Hussain, is in lawful custody of the police.

Jaising referred to a Supreme Court judgement and said that such a petition can be filed even in case of custodial torture.

The bench asked the state government to file the response in a week and asked the lawyers to serve a copy of the petition on the advocate general of the state.

It also permitted the woman, who had lodged an FIR against Hussain alleging rape, to file an application seeking to intervene in the matter.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 21.

The court was hearing the submission of a close relative of Hussain, seeking urgent hearing on the plea.

The relative of Hussain sought his protection in police custody and alleged that he had been brutally beaten up in the alleged fake rape case.

The habeas corpus writ petition, filed by a cousin of the witness, alleged that Hussain had been kept in illegal detention and was being subjected to custodial torture.

Hussain is a key witness in the Kathua case, in which an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community was abducted and gang-raped in January.

The state police's crime branch, which probed the case, filed the main charge sheet against seven people and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile.

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The Supreme Court would tomorrow commence hearing on the pleas raising the question as to at what stage of a criminal trial a lawmaker would stand disqualified.

A three-judge bench, on March 8, 2016, had referred the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra would commence the hearing on the issue, which has far-reaching political consequences.

While referring the issue to the CJI, the court had said the larger bench would deal with the question, "Can a legislator facing criminal trial be disqualified at conviction or at the framing of charges in the case?"



The court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Public Interest Foundation.

BJP leader and advocate Ashwani Kumar Updhaya has also filed a plea seeking a direction to the the Centre and others "to bring in electoral reform and to make rules... and Code of Conduct for de-criminalization and de-communalization of politics and for eradication of corruption, casteism and nepotism from electoral system."



Earlier, the apex court had set a deadline of one year for lower courts to complete trial in criminal cases involving sitting MPs and MLAs.

It had also said that all such proceedings involving lawmakers must be conducted on a day-to-day basis.

In order to expedite proceedings against lawmakers who continue to enjoy membership of a legislative body during the pendency of case, the court had also said that lower courts will have to give explanation to the Chief Justice of the respective high courts if the trial is not completed within a year.

The Law Commission had recommended that such trials be concluded in one year.

"We direct in cases of sitting MPs and MLAs who have been charged for offences under Sections 8(1), 8(2), 8(3)of Representation of People Act, the trial is to be conducted as expeditiously as possible but not later than one year from the date of framing of charges," it had said.

The apex court had said that the period of one year can be extended by the chief justice of the high court if he is satisfied with the reason given by the trial judge for not completing the proceedings within the deadline.

As the trial is kept pending for years, lawmakers continue to enjoy membership of the legislative body despite being charged in a heinous offence, the court had noted.

The court had passed the order on a PIL filed by the Public Interest Foundation, seeking its direction for expeditious trial in cases involving lawmakers.

The NGO contended that MPs and MLAs continue to be Members of Parliament and Assembly for a long time due to delay in proceedings.

The court had taken note of the Law Commission's report which said that a candidate should be disqualified on framing of charges in cases punishable with a jail term of five years or more as the current criteria of disqualification upon conviction is "incapable" of barring criminals from electoral politics.

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The Supreme Court today said it would set up a committee headed by one of its retired judges to look into various problems in prisons across the country and suggest measures to deal with them.

While hearing a matter relating to inhuman conditions in 1,382 prisons across India, a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said a committee should be constituted to look into the issue on a day-to-day basis and suggest measures to tackle the problems since it includes the issue of human rights of prisoners in jails.

It referred to the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, headed by former apex court judge Justice K S Radhakrishnan, and said this panel had done outstanding work on the matter.

"They (Justice Radhakrishnan committee) have done a lot of good work with respect to issue of road safety and what measures should be taken. In the case of prisons, there are 2-3 major problems. Women prisoners are a huge problem," the bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta, said.

The apex court said the committee for prison reforms would also have two or three officials from the Centre to look into the issues.

During the hearing, the bench referred to the recent incidents of sexual abuse and rape of girls in shelter homes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, while agreeing with the court's suggestion on setting up a committee for jail reforms, said the instances of sexual abuse in shelter homes was "unimaginable".

He referred to a recent statement by Union Minister for Women and Child Development and said that several steps were being taken in this regard.

The bench said the apex court was concerned with overcrowding in jails, women prisoners languishing there, children who have to live in jail with their jailed mothers up to the age of six and the undertrial prisoners who have got bail but are unable to furnish surety.

Venugopal said the minister has asked the states to have a single large facility for such children and women so that they could be housed at one place, which would help in curbing the incidents of sexual abuse at shelter homes run by NGOs.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs was also taking steps in this regard and a policy would be framed within four weeks.

"We are on a slightly different issue. What you are saying deals with the cases like in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. We are looking at prisons and children and women there. This can go on independently. Look at this issue from a different perspective. There are issues of undertrial prisoners not being released from jails," the bench told Venugopal.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni told the bench that the Ministry of Women and Child Development has suggested that undertrial prisoners should be released faster from the jail.

He said the ministry has suggested that in case of women under trial prisoners, they should be released if she has served one-third of the jail term prescribed for the offences.

Nadkarni said that there should be better accomodation facilities in jails for women, who give birth inside the prison, for at least a year from the date of the birth.

The apex court told the Centre as well as the advocate assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, to suggest names of such officials for the committee who have worked for prison reforms.

The bench fixed the matter for hearing on August 17.

The apex court had on August 5 expressed displeasure that several states had not yet appointed the board of visitors who regularly inspect prisons to ensure that they are being run in accordance with rules.

It had taken strong exception to overcrowded jails across the country and said prisoners also have human rights and cannot be kept in jail like "animals". It had earlier passed a slew of directions over unnatural deaths in jails and on prison reforms across India.

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Don't play smart or we will render you homeless, the Supreme Court today plainly warned the real estate major Amrapali Group, accused of delaying its projects to the detriment of homebuyers' interest.

The court would sell "each and every property" of the firm to recover the cost of construction of the pending real estate projects, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit also threatened.

"The real problem is that you have delayed giving possession of homes. Don't try to play smart or we will sell each and every property of yours and render you homeless," the bench said.

The bench asked the group to submit within 15 days a valuation report of movable and immovable properties of its Managing Director and Directors.

It also sought the details of companies that were looking after the maintenance of Amrapali projects and the funds they have collected and disbursed so far.

The apex court enquired about the details of its serving directors and those who have left the Amrapali group since 2008.

The top court, however, asked the power companies to restore the electricity at two projects of the group which was disconnected owing to arrears.

The National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Ltd had on August 2 told the Supreme Court it was ready to undertake the projects of the Amrapali group of companies, which has failed to hand over possession of flats to around 42,000 home buyers.

The bench had asked the NBCC to place before it a "concrete proposal" in this regard in 30 days on how they proposed to complete the projects, along with a time line of work.

The top court had earlier cracked the whip on the group for playing "fraud" and "dirty games" with the court and ordered attachment of all the bank accounts and movable properties of 40 firms of the real estate major.

It had directed the group to place before it the details of all of its bank accounts from 2008 till date and ordered freezing of bank accounts of the directors of its 40 firms, besides attaching their personal properties.

The group had earlier told the court in an affidavit that it was not in a position to complete the projects and hand over the possession of flats to over 42,000 home buyers in a time-bound manner.

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The nine fishermen who went missing yesterday off the coast of Munambam, here, have not yet been traced, a defence spokesperson said today.

"Indian Naval ship Jamuna and three Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships -- Vikram, Savitribai Phule and Abhinav -- are engaged in search operations. A Naval Dornier, an ICG Dornier and an ICG helicopter are on task as well," the spokesperson added.

Bodies of three dead fishermen have been brought to the coast and two injured fishermen were admitted to a hospital, the police said.

The mishap occurred yesterday at around 3.30 am, when a suspected merchant ship hit the fishing boat, which was 24 nautical miles off the coast. At the time, 14 fishermen were aboard.

The boat had 11 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, two from West Bengal and one from Kerala.

Yesterday, the Naval Dornier spotted debris of the fishing vessel, which was later collected by a Coast Guard boat, the defence personnel added.

The Joint Operation Centre in Kochi, under the Southern Naval Command, is monitoring the entire operation.

In a similar incident, two fishermen were injured when a foreign vessel allegedly hit their fishing boat off the coast here on June 7.

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Sebi has imposed Rs 3 lakh fine on Salputri Commerce for delayed disclosure regarding change in its shareholdings in Falcon Tyres.

According to a Sebi order dated August 7, Falcon had allotted over 1.30 crore shares, amounting to 16.80 per cent of its share capital, to Salputri Commerce in 2012.

Under PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, Salputri was required to disclose the acquisition of shares within two working days to the firm.

In its order, Sebi said Salputri disclosed the said acquisition of shares to Falcon in June 2015 with a delay of more than three year and thereby violated PIT norms.

For the violation, the regulator imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on Salputri.

In a separate order, the regulator fined one Sunil Purohit Rs 2 lakh for indulging in fraudulent trading in the shares of Parsoli Corporation.

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A Shivlinga was found desecrated in a temple in village Hasanpur in Shamli district today following which devotees held protests over the incident, police said.

The incident occurred at the Durga temple in the village that falls under Jhinjhana police station area, they said.

According to Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar Tiwari, the incident came to light when devotees found the damaged Shivlinga n the temple.

Police rushed to the spot while arrangements were made to install a new Shivlinga, officials said. The security was tightened as a precautionary measure, they said.

It is suspected that some anti social elements had indulged in vandalism to stoke tension, an official said. A case is being registered and appropriate action will be taken, the official said.

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The Shiv Sena and the Congress today attacked the BJP-led Maharashtra government over the ongoing strike of state employees for various demands.

They said the strike is indicative of the "failure" of the ruling dispensation on various fronts.

Around 17 lakh class 3 and class 4 employees of the state government went on three-day strike, which began yesterday for various demands, including implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and filling up of vacant posts.

Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that instead of mulling action against the striking employees, the government should fulfill their demands.

"Everybody, right from farmers to government employees have gone on strike. Instead of taking action against them, the government should solve their problems. The environment of the state is deteriorating," Thackeray said in a statement issued here.

He said these protests were a result of pre-election "jumlas" (false promises).

"Had 'jumlas' from 'Garibi hatao' to 'Acche din' been translated into action, there would not have been dissatisfaction among the people. People were fooled by leaders who wanted to get elected. And the result is before us," he said.

Despite being a constituent in the BJP-led NDA government, the Sena's relations with the BJP are soured over a period of time.

Thackeray said the farmers as well as the government employees coming out on the streets should not be construed as "protests", but their fight for rights.

"If people are having to fight for employment and justice, one cannot say where this country is heading towards. Issues being faced by the people have to be solved with compassion," he said.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said that not only the employees but the farmers and the state transport workers are also tired of the BJP government.

"The employees have time and again demanded implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, however, instead of promises, they have received nothing. I had myself written to the Chief Minister on January 9 and asked him to implement the Seventh Pay Commission," Chavan stated.

He said the entire government machinery had shut down due to the strike.

Chavan said teaching staff and doctors have remained absent from work on the second day of the strike today, which has started affecting the people.

"Instead of initiating a dialogue with striking employees, the government is threatening them with action," he said.

According to an official from the General Administration department, 79.54 per cent Class 3 employees reported to work while 65.28 per cent Class 4 employees remained present today.

"Since Zilla Parishad Karmachari Mahasangh had already decided to not take part in the strike, there has not been much effect on health services. Even employees of water distribution department have remained present. Hence almost all essential services have been covered," he said.

The government had said that the employees' decision to go on strike will be construed as "misbehaviour" and disciplinary action will be taken against them.

The government had issued a resolution (GR) stating that the 7th pay commission will be implemented from January 2019.

The demand of employees for a five-day week and raising the retirement age from 58 years to 60 years will be taken up during Diwali, an official had said.

The arrears will be paid in the salaries of employees for August month, as per the GR.

If the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission is delayed, the employees will get the benefit as per the wage structure of the central government employees from January 2019, the government had stated.

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The Shiv Sena, an estranged ally of the BJP that abstained from the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the government, will back the NDA candidate for the election to the post of the Rajya Sabha's deputy chairman, a party leader said today.

The NDA has fielded Harivansh Narayan Singh of the JD(U) for the election scheduled tomorrow.

"We will back the NDA candidate," said Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai.

The party has three members in the Upper House.

The support comes amid increasing bad blood between the Shiv Sena and the BJP. It heightened after the Sena's loss at the hands of the BJP in Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll in May.

The Shiv Sena has already announced to go solo in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP President Amit Shah had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree, but that did not help change the latter's stand.

The Shiv Sena had abstained from voting on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha moved by the Opposition last month against the Modi government.

Despite the tensions between the two parties, the Shiv Sena backed the candidatures of Ram Nath Kovind and Venkaiah Naidu in presidential and vice-presidential polls last year.

The BJD, the AIADMK and the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) have also indicated their support to Singh.

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Senior Zimbabwean opposition figure Tendai Biti was arrested as he tried to flee to neighbouring Zambia to seek asylum, his lawyer said today.

Biti allegedly faces charges for inciting violence over the disputed result of last week's elections.

"He was arrested at the Zambian border," Biti's lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo told AFP, adding by text message that he was trying to seek asylum.

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The Karnataka government today urged the Centre to set up a central agriculture university in Raichur, one of the most backwards districts in the state.

The demand was made in a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh by Animal Husbandry Minister Venkatrao Nadagowda here.

"There is Government of India's land to the tune of 7,000 acres in Jawalagere village in Sindhanur taluk, Raichur district. We have requested the Union government to set up a central agriculture university on this land," Nadagouda told reporters after the meeting.

Raichur district is one of the aspirational districts identified by the central government for development. Setting up of a agri varsity will enable to harness the potential of the human resource of the region to the maximum level, he said.

This would also improve livelihood and employment opportunities in the most backward and arid region of the state, he added.

If a varsity is not possible to establish, Nadagowda said the state government has requested the central government to at least set up an agricultural research institute.

He also sought release of central share amount sanctioned for several schemes related to fishery and animal husbandry for the current fiscal.

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Several Chief Ministers and political leaders cutting across party lines today paid their last respects to late DMK chief M Karunanidhi here.

Chief Ministers H D Kumaraswamy (Karnataka), Pinaryi Vijayan (Kerala), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) and K Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana) paid floral tributes to the mortal remains of the late leader at the Rajaji Hall here.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his senior party colleague Prakash Karat, CPI national secretary D Raja, former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh Oommen Chandy and Akhilesh Yadav respectively also paid homage to the departed leader.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, former Union minister Praful Patel, ex-Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah also offered their last respects.

Kejriwal, in his condolence message, said, "Feel very sad to hear about the demise of this great leader. May his soul rest in peace. It's a great loss to the nation."



Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala were among those who turned up to have last glimpse Karunanidhi.

"He was a tall political leader of our country and a very good administrator. When he was a chief minister, he was very considerate towards Kerala and Keralites. I remember our good relationship," Chandy said.

Tamil film fraternity led by film producers council president and actor Vishal Krishna, South Indian Artiste's Association president Nasser paid tributes to the departed DMK patriarch.

Writer and lyricist Vairamuthu broke down while speaking to reporters as he quoted a poem written by Karunanidhi after Periyar E V Ramasamy's demise.

"Can we accept destruction of Taj Mahal just because it is an old structure? Just like what Karunanidhi wrote for Periyar's demise, it is difficult to accept the fact that Kalaignar is no more," he said.

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Sewa International, an Indian non-for-profit organisation, has been awarded with a USD 500,000 grant to rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Harvey last year in the US state of Texas.

The American Red Cross awarded the grant to Sewa for reconstruction in Rosharon Village, Brazoria County, Texas.

In the next 18 months, Sewa will help reconstruct 11 completely destroyed homes and 24 partially-damaged homes, benefitting 154 people.

"This grant from the American Red Cross is an affirmation of the good work done by Sewa. The total cost for rebuilding and repairing homes at Rosharon for this project is estimated to be about USD 675,000, and Sewa International's donors are contributing USD 175,000 towards this cause," said a Sewa spokesperson.

Sewa also received a USD 397,000 grant awarded by the Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) in December 2017, providing case management help for 600 individuals. Completing the work in record time, Sewa International ended up helping 1,600 individuals from minority and underprivileged communities, the spokesperson said.

The Sewa International team members in Houston were instrumental in raising funds from its supporters across the US.

In less than a year since Hurricane Harvey hit, Sewa raised over USD 2 million, including the latest American Red Cross grant of USD 500,000, for disaster recovery.

"Despite generous support of funding agencies, the task at hand is enormous," Achalesh Amar, Coordinator of Sewa Houston told PTI.

"The experience of rebuilding Rosharon has been demanding, sometimes frustrating, but more often rewarding and always an optimistic one. The American Red Cross grant allows us to lay the foundation, literally one home at a time -- to rebuild and revitalize Little Cambodia," Amar said.

Gitesh Desai, President of the Houston Chapter of Sewa International said the American Red Cross grant further strengthens Sewa's resolve to fulfill "our mission of giving back to the society through selfless service".

One of the most affected communities was Rosharon in Brazoria County which suffered major damage. Known as Little Cambodia, Rosharon with a population of approximately 1,400, is 30 miles south of Houston.

Home to predominantly Cambodians refugees, and some Laotian and Mexican refugees, the majority eke out a livelihood in this insular setting through subsistence farming.

Families here had fled Cambodia in the late 1970s escaping the genocidal regime of the Khmer Rouge. Nearly fifty per cent of the families are involved in growing water spinach, a staple of Asian cuisine. When Hurricane Harvey roared through South Texas, it devastated "Little Cambodia", bringing down houses, rendering people homeless, and leveling greenhouses thus destroying livelihoods.

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Police have booked the managers at a shelter home for inflating the number of inmates there to get a bigger grant from the government.

The case of cheating surfaced yesterday when district magistrate Pulkit Khare inspected the shelter home in the Beniganj area here and found only two inmates there though the register had the names of 21 women.

Initially, there were fears that the case could be similar to that of the Deoria shelter home from where 18 women are reported missing.

The district magistrate said Aarti, who ran the shelter, claimed that it housed more inmates so that she could get the government grant.

But a probe showed that only two women actually stayed there. The names and addresses of 19 women were fake, police said.

An FIR has been lodged under the Indian penal Code sections related to cheating, falsifying accounts and breach of contract against the shelter home manager.

Its superintendent has also been named in the FIR.

Officials had carried out the inspection amid reports of suspected sexual abuse of women inmates at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur in Bihar and another in Deoria in Uttar Pradesh.

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An engineering graduate-turned-militant has been short-listed for recruitment as sub-inspector in Jammu and Kashmir Police, four days after he was killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district.

Jammu and Kashmir Police yesterday released the short-list of 2,060 candidates and at the serial number 1913 is Khurshid Ahmad Malik, a resident of Arabal villager of Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

They have been called for interview for recruitment to the post of sub-inspector (executive wing).

Malik, a B.Tech, had appeared for the written examination in June this year.

He was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Drusoo area of Sopore in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on August 3, barely 48 hours after he joined the militant ranks.

He completed his B.Tech recently from Sri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) in Katra district of Jammu region and had also cleared GATE.

Malik, who had been preparing for the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) examination, had left his home to apply for the Combined Competitive Examinations and had gone missing, according to family sources.

He was killed 48 hours after he went missing even as his family had made passionate appeals first asking him to return and then pleading him to surrender after they came to know he was trapped by the forces in Sopore.

Malik and Riyaz Ahmed Dar, a resident of Naseer Abad Chinkipora Sopore -- affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit -- were killed in the encounter.

An Army jawan, Sawar Vijay Kumar, was also killed in the gunbattle.

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Distribution of food grains at all fair-price shops in urban areas in Gautam Buddh Nagar is being done through the electronic point-of-sale (e-POS) system and work is underway to implement the technology in rural areas by September so as to eliminate any irregularities, district officials said today.

They also said the district administration is conducting a survey to identify those from the financially weaker section of the society who were left without ration cards during the socio-economic survey in 2011.

District Magistrate Brijesh Narain Singh told a press conference here that the administration is running a scheme 'Gareeb ko Ann' from August 1 to August 15 to provide food to the poor.

At present, there are 2,02,573 beneficiaries (1,94,756 with Person House Hold [PHH] ration cards and 7,897 with Antyodaya ration cards) under the National Food Security Act in the district, he said.

"These beneficiaries are eligible for monthly 35 kg foodgrains (20 kg wheat at Rs 2 per kg, 15 kg rice at Rs 3 per kg) for those with Antyodaya cards and 5 kg per unit family members for PHH card (3 kg wheat at Rs 2 per kg, 2 kg rice at Rs 3 per kg)," he said.

The DM said that presently, 391 fair price shops are being operated in the district, out of which 144 area in urban areas and 247 in rural areas.

He said in the last three months 95 per cent distribution of ration to beneficiaries in urban areas was being done through the e-POS biometric system after Aadhaar-based authentication.

POS machines are being used for public distribution system (PDS) in urban areas, he said, adding that Gautam Buddh Nagar is among the 11 districts in the state where this e-POS based system will begin in rural areas as well.

"This means, expectedly, by September everyone will get ration through the e-POS system," he said.

He also warned of tough action under the law against those causing irregularities in the PDS or are diverting ration.

"The e-POS machines will use biometric system in the PDS so there is no chance of fraud in this system. Unless the beneficiary goes to a shop for ration, there cannot be any record of supply made under her/his name," he said.

Singh said the state government's 'Gareeb ko Ann' has been initiated from August 1 to August 15.

"We are being very strict and watchful to ensure effective implementation of the scheme. Two months ago, in Dadri area two people were held and five shops suspended over irregularities. Similarly, in Jewar area, two people were held, two shops suspended and five terminated," he said.

"If these shops are being run in gang-like manner, action will be taken against them under the Gangsters Act," he warned.

The parliament had in 2013 passed the National Food Security Act with an aim to provide a certain quantity of foodgrains at subsidised rates to the economically weaker section of the society.

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Spain-based food processing company Congelados De Navarra will invest Rs 300 crore to set up a food processing unit at Ludhiana in Punjab, an official spokesperson said today.

The final modalities for the setting up of unit at Ludhiana were worked out at a meeting of company officials with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here, he said.

The company later signed an MoU with Punjab Bureau of Industrial Promotion (PBIP) for the project, which has been facilitated by IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative) under the Invest Punjab scheme, he said.

A delegation comprising the company's Director General Berito Jimmez and Consultant Inigo Soto, along with IFFCO Chairman BS Nakai and MD US Awasthi, met the chief minister to finalise land for the project, which will generate direct employment for 400 and indirect employment for 5,000 people in the state, he said.

The company, along with IFFCO, had earlier shortlisted two land parcels for the project, he said.

The foundation stone for the project is expected to be laid by the end of this year and production will commence 18 months from the start of the project, which will focus on frozen potatoes, peas and cauliflowers, he said.

The spokesperson said the pre-feasibility study for the project by Congelados De Navarra, a 220 million dollar company that has pioneered the individually quick frozen (IQF) technology, has already been completed.

The company is into processing of vegetables, fruits, herbs and ready-made dishes, he said.

The chief minister directed PBIP to facilitate in processing the Change of Land Use expeditiously to enable the project to start at the earliest, the spokesperson said.

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Sri Lanka beat South Africa by three runs in a tense rain-hit clash to end their losing streak in the one day series in the fourth game in Pallekele today.

Dasun Shanaka hit a quickfire 65 as Sri Lanka blasted 306-7 off 39 overs. With a prolonged rain stoppage, South Africa were set a target of 191 from 21 overs.

After Hashim Amla made 40 and Jean-Paul Duminy 38, the tourists lost key wickets and went into the final over needing eight runs. But David Miller was bowled with Suranga Lakmal's first ball and tail enders Junior Dala and Lungi Ngidi were then unable to hit the ball. South Africa finished on 187-9.

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Sri Lanka will host a two-day defence seminar which will focus on a wide spectrum of global and regional issues including the political changes in Pakistan, according to the Lankan Army chief.

Addressing the media on the 8th defence seminar which was launched as an annual event after the government troops defeated the LTTE in 2009, Sri Lankan Army chief Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake said the event will be attended by top military brass from India, China, Pakistan, the US and other countries.

The 'Colombo Defence Seminar - 2018' is scheduled to be held on August 30-31 and deliberate on the theme, 'Security in an Era of Global Disruptions'.

"We segmented the sessions in such a way that different groups at the end of the second day would have the chance of producing their own findings through syndicate presentations," Lt Gen Senanayake said yesterday.

He said that Asia Pacific region, being very much prone to natural disasters, would pave way for a collective understanding on issues confronting all nations in the region and the world at large.

"Threats are always changing and different capacities are needed to face them. That is why the Sri Lanka Army, moving away from the conventional, is trying to make it a capacity-based one," he added.

"We can also discuss how Pakistan's military - a very powerful military - will work with the new government (of Imran Khan)," he told reporters when asked about the political changes in Pakistan.

President Maithripala Sirisena will be the Chief Guest of the inaugural ceremnoy while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would deliver the keynote address.

The army in a statement said this year's topic "underlines the importance of contemporaneous security issues that appear to be increasingly interconnected."



In 2017, over 800 delegates including 77 foreign experts from 35 countries participated in the discussions that stimulated critical thinking on Countering Violent Extremism: Global Trends'.

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"Just once shall I address you as appa (father)?" asked DMK Working President M K Stalin in a moving poem in memory of his late father and party chief M Karunanidhi, as he noted that he used to call him as 'leader' more often.

"I have addressed you as Thalaivare Thalaivare (Leader) more than Appa Appa (Father). Therefore, just once, shall I address you as Appa, leader," Stalin said in the emotional poem written hours after the death of the DMK stalwart.

Grieving the loss of his father, Stalin said he used to inform him wherever he goes. "why did you leave without informing this time."



"Dear leader, who is intertwined with our thoughts and aspirations, where did you go leaving us behind," Stalin, the political heir apparent of Karunanidhi, said.

Stalin asked if Karunanidhi had departed with the contentment that he had done enough for the Tamil community.

Seeking the "energy" of Karunanidhi, Stalin vowed to fulfil all his unfulfilled dreams.

Further, crores of party supporters yearned once to hear Karunanidhi's famous, trademark statement, "En anbu udanpirappukkale" (my dear brothers), Stalin said.

Karunanidhi used to open his public speeches with the trademark line, evoking rapturous applause and cheering by the audience.

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State-owned China Tower -- the world's largest operator of telecommunications towers -- kicked off its trading debut in Hong Kong today in the latest high-profile listing in the city.

Shares were at HK$1.27 (USD 0.16) in the first few minutes, slightly up on their IPO price of HK$1.26.

China Tower is the world's largest IPO since Postal Savings Bank of China's USD 7.6 billion offering in 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

But although Hong Kong's recent listings have grabbed headlines, investor confidence has been overshadowed by US-China trade tensions and falling global markets.

China Tower raised USD 6.9 billion after pricing its initial public offering at the low end of the expected range.

The Beijing-based telecoms giant is the second prominent company to price at the low end recently, following Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's disappointing valuation in July.

Some observers say investors may see China Tower as a safe bet on the country's mobile market because of its government backing.

But others argue the fact it is a state-backed monopoly could limit growth due to lack of competition.

China Tower was established by China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom in 2014. They agreed to combine their tower assets by selling them to China Tower in 2015.

Hillhouse Capital, affiliates of China National Petroleum Corp and Taobao -- a subsidiary of Alibaba -- are reported to be among the 10 cornerstone investors.

The company said at its IPO launch event in Hong Kong in July that "international companies and giant domestic companies" were among the cornerstone investors.

Hong Kong is seeking to become a destination for major IPOs after being snubbed by Alibaba's overseas listing in 2014.

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Surrogate advertising is a matter of concern and the Health Ministry has suggested to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to come up with some measures to address the issue, a top official said.

Joint Secretary in the health ministry Vikas Sheel said this in response to a question at the five-day India Tobacco Control Program hosted by the Johns Hopkins University that got underway at South Goa's Majorda, about 30 km from here, on Monday.

Surrogate advertising is used to promote products like alcohol and cigarettes, for which advertisements are prohibited, in the guise of other products.

There are several ostensibly innocuous products which are advertised in print or screen, where the targeted audience are tobacco-users. These are 'proxy' or 'surrogate ads. It is a matter of concern for us (health ministry) and we are working on it, Sheel said.

During a panel discussion on Monday on 'Incorporating Tobacco Control in Non-Communicable Diseases Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), he also cited examples of a pan masala advertisement, in which a celebrity actor promotes the product, and a CD brand commercial that is a proxy 'promotion' for a liquor brand.

Asked if the health ministry has approached the ministry of information and broadcasting on the issue, he said, yes.

We have been looking for opportunities to raise the issue with them (ministry of I&B). And, we have been suggesting them to come up with some measures to address it, he said.

Chief Medical Officer in the Health Ministry, L Swasticharan, during another session - Challenges and Opportunities for Advancing Tobacco Control in India - flagged the concerns over 'surrogate advertising' wherein companies are getting away with it, just because the product does not have tobacco as an ingredient, but subliminally, it is affecting the audience towards tobacco products.

And celebrities, by lending their face, have made the issue even more difficult to address. So, a famous actress endorses a pan masala ad with a catch jingle and then another product having a similar name, with tobacco inside, is parallely marketed. Since, tobacco products cannot be advertised in India, these ads become surrogate ads, he said.

As per the second Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2) of India released last year, 28.6 per cent use tobacco in one form or the other.

GATS is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indicators. India is the second largest consumer and third largest producer, of tobacco.

GATS 2 results found a 6 per cent decline in tobacco use prevalence, from (34.6 per cent in) GATS 1 to 28.6 per cent in GATS 2. The decline in prevalence was equivalent to a 17 per cent relative decrease, said Praveen Sinha, National Consultant, WHO Country Office for India at a session today on 'Implementation of the National Tobacco Control Program.

Seema Gupta, Director, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), an NGO, said, We approach celebrities to convince them to not advertise products which amount to surrogate ads.

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A man allegedly involved in a low-intensity blast inside a school in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda today escaped from police lock up, an officer said.

The accused was among the two detained by the special investigation team (SIT) of the state police after the blast inside the government school at Shiva village on Monday left principal Hoshyar Singh and another staff member Sharifa Begum injured.

After confirming that a crude explosive device was used to trigger the explosion, the SIT quizzed dozens of people before detaining Tanveer Ahmad, a class four school employee, and Mir Din last evening. They were lodged at Police Post Bhalla, the officer said.

Ahmad, however, escaped on the pretext of attending nature's call early morning, the officer added.

He came out of the lock up to relieve himself and fled from the washroom located outside the police post taking advantage of darkness, the officer said.

A hunt has been launched to nab him while an inquiry has been initiated against three police officials for dereliction of their duties, he added.

According to the SIT, the two accused wanted to kill the principal with the explosive device and had planted it under Singh's chair.

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The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has begun treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said today.

"Asma al-Assad is beginning the first stage of treatment for a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage," the presidency announced on its social media accounts.

The announcement came with a photo of the first lady in loose clothing and trainers, sitting on a chair in a hospital room with an intravenous drip inserted in her left hand.

She was smiling at her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, who sat to her right. The presidency did not specify where the first lady was being treated, but the word "military" was printed on a blanket visible in the picture, indicating she was likely in a government-run military hospital.

Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side of the Assad dynasty. She rarely appeared in public during the first few years of the uprising, but over the past two years has been much more active at charity events.

Asma, whose father is a cardiologist and whose mother is a diplomat, has two sons and a daughter with Assad.

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Investigators in Taiwan have searched the home and party offices of a pro-China former gang leader known as "White Wolf" in a probe over donations ahead of key elections.

It comes as concerns grow about the involvement of organised crime in and escalating tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

China has long tried to influence on the self-governing island, which it claims as part of its territory.

Last month, the website of the ruling party was breached allegedly by Chinese hackers and there were also security breaches leading up to the 2016 presidential elections.

"White Wolf", whose real name is Chang An-lo, previously headed one of Taiwan's biggest gangs before rebranding himself as a pro-China political activist.

Chang is known for his pro-unification stance and his Chinese Unity Promotion Party (CUPP) regularly organises rallies in support of Beijing.

"We indeed conducted a search of the CUPP headquarters and residence of the main suspects for possible violation of the political donations act," Chou Shih-yu, a spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, told AFP today.

Chou declined to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.

Local media reported that authorities had been investigating since last September whether CUPP's finances originate from the Chinese government, which is against the law.

Chang claims his party's funds are all from his own company.

"My money doesn't come from any government... The money is from our own factory, our own company. How I use it is my business, not yours," he told reporters yesterday after the police search.

The police rounded up more than 300 suspected gang members in May, confiscating illegal weapons and drugs, in a sweep it said was aimed at preventing manipulation of island-wide local elections in November.

Chang was imprisoned for 10 years in the US for drug trafficking and then lived in exile for 17 years in China before returning to Taiwan in 2013.

Members of his party were accused of attacking Taiwanese independence supporters and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong when he visited Taipei in January 2017.

The elections in November are seen as an important barometer of popular support for the ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) or the China-friendly Kuomintang.

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Talks to end the impasse over painting the walls of the Massanjore Dam were heading towards the "best solution", Dumka Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said today.

Kumar held a meeting here with officials from Birbhum district of neighbouring West Bengal in a bid to resolve the deadlock.

"The talks went through a positive .. We are heading towards the best solution and the officials who came (from Birbhum) have also made commitment for that," Kumar told reporters here.

Stating that the talks were centred around three issues - law and order, painting and the writing on the welcome gate, Kumar said, "I have kept all the issues in front of the officials (from Birbhum) and they understood them. If necessary, I will talk to DM and other senior officials of Birbhum district."



The controversy erupted on August 3 when Jharkhand's ruling dispensation objected to the West Bengal government's move to paint the interstate dam's walls in shades of white and blue.

Media reports had said that BJP workers had erased the word 'Bengal' from the dam's welcome gate and inserted the phrase 'Jharkhand' over it, and also covered the 'Biswa Bangla' logo with that of Jharkhand's.

The saffron party activists had also claimed that Jharkhand's name and logo were removed by the West Bengal police on August 4, a charge denied by it.

Birbhum ADM (Development) Ranjan Kumar Jha said the discussion that took place in today's meeting would be conveyed to the DM and other officials concerned.

The Massanjore dam also called Canada Dam, across the Mayurakshi river, was commissioned in 1955. The reservoir has an area of 67.4 square km when full and a storage capacity of 620,000,000 cubic metres.

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Tata Trusts today signed an agreement with Nagaland government to roll out a cancer care programme in collaboration with the public healthcare system of the state.

"The government of Nagaland and the Tata Trusts today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement a programme for providing comprehensive cancer care in the state," an official release from the Tata Trusts said.

The Tata Trusts and the Nagaland government will establish a joint venture -- Nagaland Cancer Care Foundation -- and the collaboration will build on the public healthcare system to make cancer care accessible and affordable, it said.

The MoU was signed between Taraporevala and Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Commissioner and Secretary Himato Zhimomi, the statement said.

Speaking on the development, Tata Trusts senior advisor Burzis Taraporevala said, "Nagaland is among the states that have the highest per capita burden of cancer in India. Through the partnership, we aim to provide the much-needed impetus by making cancer care accessible and affordable, and help in awareness and early diagnosis."



The programme will integrate with the existing plans of the state on cancer screening, palliative care and tobacco control with a three-tiered model of treatment delivery.

"The model is centred on the use of technology and building capabilities of the existing workforce to facilitate operations in remote areas and patient-centric design principles to provide a good in-hospital experience to patients and care-givers," the statement said.

Besides developing the Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima, the model envisages building capabilities in select district hospitals at Mon, Mokokchung, Phek and Tuensang so that patients do not have to travel more than a few hours for accessing the entire range of cancer care services.

Recently, the Tata Trusts partnered with the Assam government to operationalise the Assam Cancer Care Foundation by laying the foundation stones of 19 upcoming modern cancer care facilities.

The Tata Trusts is currently in talks with state governments such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana for establishing similar cancer care network.

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An eight-member team of aviation experts has arrived in Nagaland to conduct a feasibility study for a greenfield airport at Ciethu, around 20 km from here, official sources said.

The team, comprising members of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will be submitting their report to the Centre in the next 10 days, they said.

In 2006, too, a central government team had carried out a field assessment for the ambitious project.

Talking to mediapersons before heading for the survey, S D Tiwari, the joint general manager of AAI, said the team that arrived in the state yesterday will be carrying out a fresh survey at the airport site as the earlier report has been "nullified".

Tiwari, who left for Ciethu this morning along with Nagaland Civil Aviation Minister Paiwang Konyak, also said that the state has submitted its own assessment to the team.

"The state government's survey by its own team has relevant information. We will submit both the reports to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for consideration," he added.

Paiwang said the Nagaland government had "purchased 6.25 acres of land at Ciethu long ago", but the project got delayed as the 2006 survey report was "incomprehensive".

He expressed hope that the Union Ministry will approve the latest survey report by AAI and DGCA.

Nagaland, which presently has one airport in Dimapur, will be able have a second aerodrome close to the state capital, once the project gets a nod from the Union government, he added.

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A teenager, who was allegedly raped multiple times by a man, gave birth to a baby at a hospital here today, a police official said.

Based on a complaint filed by the victim's family, the police arrested the accused, Gurgaon Police PRO Subhash Bokan told PTI.

The girl told the police that she was raped multiple times by a man, identified as Rajan Tiwari, over the past few months, Bokan said.

The victim hails from Bihar and has been living in Gurgaon with her parents for the last five years.

"During investigation, it was found that Tiwari first time raped the victim in November after he found her alone at her residence and also later on many occasions in December," Bokan said.

The accused had also threatened the victim and her parents with dire consequences if they told anyone about the incident, he added.

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Indigenously built Light CombatAircraft-Tejas is capable of being the "backbone" of IAF's combat power in the years to come, Ltd Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju said on Wednesday after flying in it.

Raju flew in the aircraft from Airport here with the twin seat variant of LCA (PV5) piloted by Group Captain K K Venugopal, HAL's Chief Test Pilot.

"It is a wonderful flying machine, capable of being the backbone of IAF combat power in the years to come," Raju wasquoted as saying in a release after the sortie.

In various set of manoeuvres, the aircraft climbed to 30,000 feet and accelerated to supersonic speed of 1.1 Mach. This was followed by a simulated launch of BeyondVisual Range missile on a target of opportunity, he said.

The pilot demonstrated the prowess of the aircraft toattack targets on ground and an attack on the ground target was carried out by a simulated laser guided bomb, the state-run said.

The demonstration of manoeuvring capability of the aircraft in close combat situations is an unique experience toeven veteran pilots, it said.

The landing was carried out simulating low visibility conditions using the 'automatic approach' mode of the aircraft.

HAL said to ensure the speedy deliveries of LCAs, the company has ramped up the production rate to meet the requirement of IAF in association with other industrial partners.

HAL is in talks with IAF for production of 83 more LCAs with upgraded capabilities known as Tejas Mk 1A.

The naval version of the indigenously built Tejas LCA had recently undergone a series of successful tests to check its capability to land on an aircraft carrier.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today took on Prime Minister Narednra Modi over his "silence" on cow vigilantism and "rising intolerance" in the country and said the "Hindu rashtra project" being promoted in the name of nationalism would be a fundamental betrayal of India's past and its constitutional values.

People, he alleged, are being made to go through an "acid test", and those who do not agree to utter "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" at the insistence of the government are being victimised.

"They (the ruling dispensation) are betraying the central Hindu value of tolerance which has given us six and half decades of communal harmony in the country and they have done so in the name of nationalism which is in itself unpatriotic.

"This Hindu rashtra project will be a fundamental betrayal of the past of India, it will be a fundamental betrayal of the constitutional values of our country," he said.

Tharoor, who was delivering the Shihab Thangal memorial lecture, spoke at length interspersed with stories which described the secular values which Thangal uphold. He was a rallying force behind the Hindu and Muslim unity in Kerala, Tharoor said.

"I have great hope that Thangal's ideas will not succumb to the narrow- minded approach of those who are not just betraying the nation but the very religion they claim have the right to speak," he said, targetting the BJP and its ideology.

He drew parallel between the writings of English novelist George Orwell on nationalism and the ideas being propagated currently in the country -- that of "obsession, instability and indifference to reality".

Talking of instability in the country, he cited the recent Home Ministry statistics presented in Parliament, according to which "there have been 70 cases of cow vigilantism in the country, most of which were recorded during the last four years. Besides, there have been a record number of communal incidents".

"But have we had a word from the prime minister. The prime minister should be the moral conscience of the nation. He should speak to the nation. He should reassure, but the prime minister prefers silence.

"He used to criticise the previous prime minister for his silence... It is time we asked the prime minister to break his silence on issues which we want to hear about, issues which have caused so much pain," he said.

Invoking the teachings of Swami Vevekananda, who is often cited by the prime minister, Tharoor said that in Hinduism, Vivekananda has taught us a religion of acceptance and tolerance.

He also recalled Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B R Ambedkar, saying they wanted freedom for India which would be inclusive freedom.

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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has re-elected John Bailey as president for a second term.

The re-election comes just a few months after the organisation investigated and dismissed a sexual harassment allegation against him.

Bailey is the first cinematographer to hold the position of Academy president, which boasts of more than 9,000 members, the organisation said in a release.

His credits include "Ordinary People", "American Gigolo", "The Big Chill", "Groundhog Day" and "As Good as It Gets".

Academy board members may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms, while officers serve one-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive years in any one office.

The Academy recently invited more than 900 new members, including Indian actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Tabu, Madhuri Dixit and Naseeruddin Shah, to increase the representation of women and minorities by 2020.

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Britain's Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May took part in commemorations today marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens, which heralded the beginning of the end of World War I.

The descendants of soldiers who took part in the Allied push, which smashed German defences and morale, travelled from across the world to Amiens for the ceremony in the city's magnificent medieval gothic cathedral.

Senior officials from Britain and France were joined by representatives from the Australian, Canadian and US governments in honour of the tens of thousands of troops killed in the four days of fighting.

Former German president Joachim Gauck and Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon also attended.

The Battle of Amiens sounded the start of the Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front, which led to the Armistice in November 1918.

The Allies deployed hundreds of tanks to push deep into German lines on what German General Erich Ludendorff called a "black day" for the German army.

May's visit was her second to France in under a week, coming days after she held talks with President Emmanuel Macron at his Mediterranean holiday retreat over her Brexit plan.

Macron, a native of Amiens, did not make the trip to his hometown for the event, where France was represented by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly.

Addressing the service Prince William said Amiens was "symbolic of the entente cordiale" between Britain and France.

May read from the war memoirs of British wartime leader Lloyd George, who said that the gains made in the northern French city led the Germans to "realise that all hope of victory had passed".

William, May and Gauck also spent time talking to soldiers' families.

Denis Holden, a 65-year-old retired policeman, travelled from Melbourne in Australia in memory of his grandfather, Private Michael Willis of the 14th Australian Infantry Battalion, who was injured in shelling on the first day of battle.

"He never told us anything about the war but he showed me the wounds down his back," Holden told AFP.

He was also scarred psychologically.

"In the years after the war, whenever his Model T Ford backfired, he would yell out 'Get under the bed, we'll all be killed!'. I guess that today you'd call it post-traumatic stress syndrome," said Holden, who wore two of his grandfather's service medals pinned to his blazer.

Sarah Clarke from south-west Britain recalled her grandfather George Clarke, who ferried munitions to the frontlines in Amiens on the back of a horse of which he kept a picture on his wall.

"It's very important to keep everyone's memory alive," said Clarke, who wore two remembrance poppies pinned to her lapel.

By the summer of 1918 the US was pouring troops into France and the Allies had drastically boosted their firepower after four years of war that had already killed nine million soldiers on three continents.

A victory at the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918 emboldened the Allies to strike at German forces which had exhausted themselves in a massive offensive meant to finish the war earlier in the year.

When guns began pounding German positions in Amiens -- a key rail hub -- at 4:20 a.m. on August 8, the Germans were caught off guard.

Marooned in dense fog, many dazed soldiers surrendered to the Allies, who punched a gaping, 12-kilometre hole into German lines, backed by some 600 tanks and 2,000 warplanes.

The stunned Germans, who had 27,000 troops killed, injured or captured on the first day, never recovered. By early September they were in retreat and two months later the conflict was over.

But two decades later many of the officers who made a name for themselves in the so-called "war to end all wars" were back in action.

Attending today's ceremony was Helen Patton, granddaughter of World War II hero General George Patton.

World War 1 was a "training ground" for Patton, who was badly injured in fighting near Verdun in September 1918.

"He learned to pray, to cuss and to handle troops", his granddaughter said.

Despite Amiens marking a turning point in the war the battle never gained the same place in the popular imagination as longer, bloodier World War 1 clashes such as the Somme or Verdun.

"War is often glamourised but not World War 1" Helen Patton lamented. "It's as if we almost wanted to forget it.

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The Chinese consulate in Kolkata, in cooperation with Nandan - the culture hub of Bengal - is set to organize a three-day film festival here.

Seven Chinese films, including action-adventure comedy 'Kung Fu Yoga', martial arts flick 'Tai Chi Hero' and fantasy-drama 'Rest On Your Shoulder' will be screened at the festival from August 11 to 13, a statement issued by the consulate said yesterday.

"The film fest is part of the on-going effort of the Chinese consulate to increase understanding of China in Kolkata and Eastern India and promote cultural exchanges between the countries," it said.

The tickets for the fest will be available for free at Nandan Complex from today.

"After the screening of each film, there will be a short quiz contest and souvenirs will be given to the one who gives the right answer. The consulate will also host a film review session for the audience," the statement added.

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Traders' body CAIT today described as 'most unfortunate' the Competition Commission of India's move to clear the Walmart-Flipkart deal and said it will approach the court against the decision.

The Competition Commission today said it has approved US retail giant Walmart's proposed acquisition of Flipkart.

"It is most unfortunate that leaving aside the objections raised by CAIT in CCI , the Commission has approved the deal. Without giving any opportunity of hearing to CAIT, the CCI has flayed principle of natural justice.

"We deeply condemn such an attitude and will certainly move the court against the decision of CCI. CAIT has called an emergency meeting of its governing council on August 19 at Nagpur to take stock of the situation and finalise strategy for a nationwide movement," CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal told PTI.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has been demanding the government to scrap the deal and constitute a regulatory authority to regulate and monitor the country's e-commerce market.

The trader's body had said it apprehends that the deal is bound to circumvent established laws and FDI policy of the government.

In May, Walmart Inc announced acquisition of 77 per cent stake of Flipkart in its biggest takeover till date.

The deal values the 11-year old Indian e-commerce firm at USD 20.8 billion.

"@CCI_India approves proposed acquisition of Flipkart Private Limited by Wal-Mart International Holdings, Inc," the regulator said in a tweet.

Deals beyond a certain threshold are required to get clearance from the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

The regulator keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the market place.

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A special congressional election in an Ohio district that solidly backed Donald Trump in 2016 remained too close to call early Wednesday hours after polls closed, an ominous sign for the president and Republicans ahead of November's midterms.

Even as Republican Troy Balderson -- who was leading by 0.9 percentage points, or some 1,700 votes -- declared victory over Democrat Danny O'Connor, all signs point to the vulnerability for Republicans in the coming three months.

Tuesday's political battleground, an affluent suburban district which is about 88 percent white, has been in Republican control for more than three decades. By all accounts, it should be reliable Trump country, and the president won it by 11 percentage points in 2016.

But that margin collapsed in the race to replace Republican congressman Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January. Democrats took it as a sign of mounting voter frustration with Trump and the direction in which he and his administration were taking the country.

The race carries immense implications. It is the final direct face-off between Republicans and Democrats before the November midterms, and Trump's party was holding its breath about a race that was turning out to be a referendum on the president.

Despite no projections of victory by US networks or Ohio's secretary of state, which reportedly acknowledged thousands of absentee and provisional ballots were outstanding, both Trump and Balderson took to Twitter to declare victory.

"Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!" Trump said.

"I am honoured for the opportunity to represent Ohio's 12th Congressional District. I will work relentlessly for everyone in this district," said Balderson in a statement posted on the social network.

"Congratulations to Danny O'Connor on running a hard race," he added. But O'Connor, 31, did not directly concede when he addressed his supporters, saying the race was essentially a tie.

"We're not stopping now," he said.

"Tomorrow we rest, and then we keep fighting through to November." Both candidates are expected to face off again in three months' time for the right to represent Ohio's 12th district for the next two years in Congress. The battle has emerged as a potential harbinger of the outcome of national elections in November that will determine which party controls Congress.

Democrats have been counting on a "blue wave" propelled by grassroots activism, while Republicans are struggling to tread water.

"This race should not have even been a contest," former moderate GOP congressman Charlie Dent told CNN about Ohio.

"It's clear the energy and intensity is on the Democratic side" nationally, Dent said, adding he was concerned that the midterms will be a referendum on the president and his performance.

Republicans control both the Senate and House of Representatives, but Trump is worried that any slippage could hurt his ability to push through his agenda -- and expose him to Democratic efforts to oust him from power.

In recent weeks, he has made several campaign appearances ahead of state primaries, endorsing congressional and gubernatorial candidates while imploring his supporters to vote.

An O'Connor victory would have been a massive shot in the arm for Democrats seeking to take back the House.

"That Dems are even competitive in Ohio's 12th district is an indication that the blue wave may in fact be coming," said University of Akron political science professor David Cohen.

The Republicans' challenge is to hold their House majority, but experts say that appears increasingly difficult. Democrats need to flip 23 seats nationally to reclaim the 435-seat House.

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US Democrats enjoyed a major morale boost today following elections that highlighted their momentum ahead of November's midterms, as President Donald Trump's Republicans sweated the outcome of a congressional contest that was supposed to be easy pickings.

Trump declared victory for a fellow Republican in yesterday's Ohio race even though it remained too close to call.

But the fact Democrats had even competed in the solidly red district was the latest example of amped up grassroots energy in the opposition camp, and exposed the vulnerabilities of Republicans just three months before the elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress.

The race carries immense implications, as it is the final direct face-off between Republicans and Democrats before the November midterms, and Trump's party was holding its breath about a race that was turning out to be a referendum on the president.

Trump, who made an 11th-hour campaign stop in Ohio's 12th district for state senator Troy Balderson, looked to past victories to boost his argument that Republicans were not in trouble.

"The Republicans have now won 8 out of 9 House Seats" in special elections since Trump's inauguration, the president tweeted.

"Yet if you listen to the Fake Media you would think we are being clobbered." The signs are ominous for the GOP. In many of the races mentioned by Trump, the Republicans underperformed, only narrowly winning elections that should not have been competitive.

In yesterday's Ohio contest, Balderson was ahead of Democrat Danny O'Connor by just 1,754 votes, with thousands of provisional and absentee ballots outstanding. The margin, less than one percent, comes in an affluent district that is 88 percent white, and which Republicans have held for 35 years. Trump won there by some 11 points in 2016.

Opposition momentum in Trump country is becoming undeniable.

"Democrats' morale was the big winner last night," tweeted congressman Keith Ellison, the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Several key Republicans have agreed with that sentiment, including Ohio Governor John Kasich, who said it was "shocking" for Republicans that the special election was so close.

"It's clear the energy and intensity is on the Democratic side" nationally, said moderate former Republican congressman Charlie Dent.

The Ohio race also laid bare a critical dimension that could have dramatic implications for 2018: turnout in the district's fast-growing suburbs was an impressive 42 percent, while in the more rural, lightly populated counties -- where Trump support has been strong -- turnout ranged from 27 to 32 percent, the New York Times reported. Another danger sign for Trump's party: there are more than 60 Republican-held congressional districts that are rated as more competitive than the Ohio 12th.

Democrats need to flip 23 seats nationally to reclaim the 435-seat House, and they are looking to a "blue wave" to get them over the top.

Trump is worried that losing the House, and potentially the Senate, could hurt his ability to advance his agenda -- and expose him to Democratic efforts to oust him from power.

But he remained insistent that candidates benefit from his endorsement. "As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win!" Trump tweeted.

In recent weeks, he has made several campaign appearances ahead of state primaries, endorsing congressional and gubernatorial candidates while imploring his supporters to vote.

O'Connor, who has not conceded and stressed he will run again in November regardless of the outcome, scoffed at Trump's claim to have had an outsize impact on his race.

"I don't think he knows what he's talking about," O'Connor told CNN. The party in the White House traditionally loses seats in midterm US elections. Democrats believe mounting voter frustration with Trump and the direction he is taking the country are tilting the political playing field further in their favour.

But there were mixed messages Wednesday, when RealClearPolitics put the generic ballot -- a poll of whether Americans will vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress -- in favor of Democrats by 5.7 percentage points, lower than the 6.1 recorded the previous week.

Yesterday's round of primaries in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington also put Republicans on notice that women could play a determining factor in the midterms. A record number of women, 183, will now be running for US House seats in November, a surge that follows a year marked by the #MeToo movement and defiance of Trump. They include Rashida Tlaib, who won a Democratic primary in Michigan and is now poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

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Lawyers for President Donald Trump said today they have responded to the latest interview proposal from special counsel Robert Mueller, part of a months-long negotiation process over whether and how investigators can question the president on possible obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation.

The two sides have gone back and forth over the scope and conditions of an interview as Mueller looks to understand whether the president acted with a criminal intent to stymie the investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Russia.

Mueller's team has put forward dozens of potential questions for the president, including about his firing of FBI Director James Comey last year and his public antagonism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia investigation against the president's wishes.

Though he's publicly railed against the Russia investigation, including earlier this week, Trump has said he's willing to be questioned. His lawyers have been far more hesitant and have challenged the right of investigators to interview Trump about actions they say he is authorized under the Constitution to take, such as firing an FBI director.

Speaking on his radio show today, Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow again expressed reservations about an interview with Mueller, saying it would set a "bad precedent to allow just unfettered questioning on that process." "The decisions that are made here are all about the Constitution of the United States," Sekulow said.

Trump's lawyers did not detail the terms of any counteroffer they may have made and they also did not suggest that they were close to agreeing to an interview, suggesting the possibility of additional negotiations.

Sekulow said he expected Mueller's team to take time to evaluate the written response.

"These are not two paragraphs," Sekulow said. "These are well-thought-out legal positions that, as I've said multiple times, have implications not just for this president but for any presidency." Rudy Giuliani, another lawyer for the president, said millions of pages of documents have been provided to Mueller along with testimony from dozens of witnesses.

"We're re-stating what we have been saying for months: It is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay." It is not clear what would happen if Trump's lawyers definitively reject Mueller's interview request. Mueller's team raised the prospect in March that it could subpoena the president, though this would unquestionably prompt a court fight.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1974 that President Richard Nixon could be forced to turn over recordings that had been subpoenaed.

"Ultimately this decision is the president's to make," Sekulow said on his radio show during a conversation with Guiliani.

"We're going to give advice, but the president is going to make this decision." The negotiations unfold as Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, stands trial in federal court in Virginia on financial crime charges. Manafort is one of four former Trump aides to be charged in the Mueller investigation.

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US President Donald Trump warned the world against doing business with Iran as Washington reimposed "the most biting sanctions ever" on the Islamic republic, triggering a mix of anger, fear and defiance in Tehran.

Trump's May withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran had spooked investors and triggered a run on the Iranian rial long before the punishing sanctions went back into force.

The newly reimposed sanctions, which target access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets, were unlikely to cause immediate economic turmoil.

Iran's markets were actually relatively buoyant, with the rial strengthening by 20 percent since Sunday after the government relaxed foreign exchange rules and allowed unlimited, tax-free gold and currency imports.

But the second tranche of sanctions, which kicks in on November 5 and targets Iran's vital oil sector, could be far more damaging -- even if several key customers such as China, India and Turkey have refused to significantly cut their purchases.

"The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less."



European governments -- who signed the Iran nuclear deal along with Washington -- are infuriated by Trump's strategy that has prompted many of their large firms to leave Iran for fear of US penalties.

Within hours of the sanctions taking effect, German carmaker Daimler said it had "suspended our already limited activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions".

Trump said Monday that he was open to new talks to reach a "more comprehensive deal" with Iran.

"We want to see a much broader retreat by Iran from their support for international terrorism, their belligerent military activity in the Middle East and their ballistic missile, nuclear-related programs," National Security Advisor John Bolton told Fox

"There's a lot going on here that Iran needs to be held accountable for."



But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the idea of talks while sanctions are in effect, and accused America of waging "psychological warfare."In Tehran, residents were on edge.

"I feel like my life is being destroyed," said one construction worker on the streets of the capital. "I can't afford to buy food, pay the rent."



The return of US sanctions left some of Washington's partners unimpressed.

British Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said that the "Americans have really not got this right."



The nuclear deal was important "not only to the region's security but the world's security," he told the BBC.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by the return of sanctions, adding that it would do "everything necessary" to save the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters that the global reaction to Trump's move showed that the US was diplomatically isolated.

Most Iranians see US hostility as a basic fact of life, so their frustration is largely directed at their own leaders for not handling the situation better.

"Prices are rising again, but the reason is government corruption, not US sanctions," said Ali, a 35-year-old decorator in Tehran.

Long-running discontent over high prices, unemployment, water shortages and the lack of political reform has sparked numerous protests over the past week, though verifiable information is scarce due to heavy reporting restrictions.

Many hope and believe that Iran's leaders will "drink the poison cup" and negotiate with the US eventually.

There have been rumours that Trump and Rouhani could meet in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly -- though Rouhani reportedly rejected US overtures for a meeting at last year's event.

Iran's regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the tough new US policy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the renewed sanctions as "an important moment for Israel, for the US, for the region, for the whole world."



Iran's currency has lost around half its value since Trump announced the US would withdraw from the nuclear pact, but has surged since Sunday, following the arrest of the central bank's currency chief and new plans being announced.

The new rules mean foreign exchange bureaus will reopen after an attempt to fix the value of the rial in April backfired spectacularly, with corrupt traders making a fortune out of a mushrooming black market.

Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, told AFP that the sanctions would inflict "significant harm" on the Iranian economy.

"But this is not the first time that the Iranian leadership is dealing with sanctions," Vaez said.

"I doubt that in the next two years we would see the collapse of the government or the regime in Tehran.

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Two men have been arrested for allegedly robbing people of their mobile phones in separate incidents in Amar Colony, police said today.

Police claimed to have solved eight cases of robbery and snatching with their arrest.

The accused have been identified as Deepak Kumar (22) and Sarvesh Saxena (23), residents of Tughlakabad Extension in Govind Puri, they said.

On June 5, two policemen were patrolling in the area falling under the Amar Colony police station and found a woman asking for help near the ISCKON temple.

The woman, a resident of Sant Nagar, was going towards Raju Dhaba near the ISKON temple when the two accused robbed off her mobile phone and fled, police said.

She said that the duo fled towards Captain Gaur Marg, following which the policemen chased them and managed to apprehend one of the accused, they said.

Accordingly, a case was registered in Amar Colony police station.

In another incident, a PCR call was received at the same police station regarding snatching of a mobile phone of a man who lives in Amritpuri and works in a private company.

The victim said that he was returning after having dinner when two men snatched his mobile phone and ran away towards the park opposite to the ISCKON temple, police said.

A case was registered in this regard, they said.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he, along with his associate Saxena, used to rob mobile phones and other belongings of the victims.

The accused further disclosed that they would sell those mobile phones to passersby at throwaway prices to meet their needs of liquor and ganja.

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Two more girls' schools have been burnt down by unidentified persons in Pakistan amid a spate of such incidents that have raised concerns over the safety of educational institutions which are often attacked by the militants opposing women's education, a media report said today.

This is the second major incident of attack on educational institutions in Pakistan in a week. On Friday, unknown militants had set 12 schools, half of them all-girls', on fire in the country's north Gilgit Baltistan.

Yesterday's attack took place in Pishin district of the restive Balochistan province. No casualty was reported in the incidents as nobody was in the school in the night time, Duniya reported.

Girls' schools are often attacked in the northern areas of Pakistan.

In December 2011, at least two girls' schools were partially damaged in low-intensity explosions in Chilas.

In 2004, girls' schools in Chilas came under a string of attacks. Nine schools of which eight were girls' schools were attacked and destroyed in five days in the area in February.

Terrorists have also blown up educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

According to a report, about 1,500 schools have been destroyed in the tribal belt during the last 10 years.

Nobel Prize winner and activist Malala Yousafzai was also shot by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls' in Swat.

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Two tourists were feared drowned in a pond at the bottom of a waterfall in Dhari area of the Nainital district today, police said.

The two could not be traced even after hours of rescue operation by the police and theNDRF, SDM Rekha Kohli said, adding the search operation will be resumed tomorrow.

Eight people from Kanpur had gone to visit the waterfall when Juber (25) and Shivam (20) were swept away by its strong currents, she said.

The 40 ft waterfall with a 1,000 sq ft pond at the bottom is a newly developed tourist attraction in the area.

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Scientists from a leading British university are collaborating with their Indian counterparts to launch pioneering a research aimed at helping thousands of people across the globe at the risk of losing their sight to a "silent epidemic" of eye infections.

The multi-disciplinary team of scientists and clinicians from the University of Sheffield are working with a team of doctors of the Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye Institute to develop a new treatment for eye infections that does not rely on conventional antibiotics to which many microbes are becoming rapidly resistant, the university announced today.

"This 'silent epidemic' affects 840,000 people a year in India," said Professor Pete Monk from the university's Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease.

Monk is leading the revolutionary research that has been awarded grants of almost 1.4 million pounds from the UK's Medical Research Council (MRC).

"Infections are often treated incorrectly, if at all. This increases sight loss, frequently in men and women in their working years," he said.

The team, which includes Dr Prashant Garg, Dr Sanhita Roy and Dr Varsha Rathi from the LV Prasad Institute, began work on serious eye infections that could lead to the loss of sight in the developing world.

In the UK and throughout the developed world, such infections are readily diagnosed and treated effectively by well-established healthcare systems, he said.

However, in less developed countries such as India, there is both a higher incidence of infections caused by different types of microbes and a critical lack of access to organised care, he added.

"We have identified a way of preventing infections from establishing a foothold on the surface of the eye. The treatment can be applied safely without needing time-consuming and expensive identification of the bacterial or fungal pathogen, allowing it to be used as early as possible in remote rural locations," said Monk.

Among the others from the University of Sheffield team include Dr Praveen Thokala from the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), Dr Esther Karunakaran from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Professor Sheila MacNeil from the Department of Materials Science, and Dr Lynda Partridge from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

The new research has been funded through the MRC's Global Challenge Research Fund Target Discovery and Validation programme.

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The top US commander in the Middle East said he doesn't expect any major change in the Afghanistan war strategy this fall, as a new general takes over the campaign a year after the Trump administration unveiled a broad new plan to resolve the 17-year conflict.

Army Gen. Joseph Votel told reporters that the campaign to use military, social and political pressure to force the Taliban to the peace table is still valid.

Incoming Afghanistan commander Army Gen. Scott Miller will make his own assessment of the war's progress, Votel said, but while he may make tactical changes on the ground fight, "I don't think that that will result in a relook at the strategy of the overall approach here."



Votel also said the reconciliation plan doesn't extend to Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan.

"While we apply military pressure against the Taliban to bring them to the table of reconciliation, we harbour no illusion about reconciliation with ISIS-K," said Votel, using the acronym for the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan.

"Our mission there is to destroy that organisation." Last week several hundred fighters of the Islamic State affiliate surrendered to Afghan forces in the northern province of Jawzjan.

Votel said the fighters were taken to government detention facilities and will be held accountable for any war crimes they committed. He said the U.S. military will be able to interrogate them.

According to local Afghan government officials, the IS militants 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 number of Islamic State insurgents in Afghanistan has fluctuated, and they have been largely confined to Jawzjan and the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar.

The estimates range from several hundred to a few thousand.

Votel said the surrender of such a large group suggests that the fight against the group is progressing. He said he believes the group has not been able to expand and has lost strength in Afghanistan.

The group, however, has been able to conduct a number of high-profile, deadly attacks across Afghanistan, often targeting Afghan security forces and the country's Shiite minority.

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World gymnastics chiefs today announced a sweeping set of measures, including the creation of an independent investigative body, following the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal in the United States.

The international gymnastics federation (FIG) said it had undertaken a review "of its policies and rules, and strengthened its legal tools to better prevent any new cases and to assist the victims".

The creation of a Gymnastics Ethics Foundation will be put to a vote of the body's national member federations at the next congress, to be held in Baku in December.

This body will be made up of a safeguarding section, including a helpdesk for reporting any case of harassment or abuse, a disciplinary section and a compliance section.

"The FIG has a long and rich history of which the gymnastics family is rightly proud. There can be no pride, though, without the highest respect for the principles of good governance and ethical compliance," said FIG president Morinari Watanabe.

"Our aim is to become a role model for good governance and compliance in the world of sport. Such a structure will allow us to better protect the athletes as well as the federations of each country."



Former US national gymnastics team doctor Nassar was accused of sexual assault under the guise of treatment by more than 265 women, many of them former US Olympians.

He is serving a 60-year prison sentence for child pornography and has pleaded guilty to 10 charges of sexual assault.

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The United States said today it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, as it accused the government in Moscow of using a "lethal" nerve agent in an attempted assassination in Britain.

The State Department said the sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal" -- a former Russian double agent -- and his daughter Yulia in March.

"The government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The new sanctions, details of which were not released, were to take effect following a 15-day Congressional notification period, she said.

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An eighth-century stone sculpture of Goddess Durga and a limestone sculpture from the third century will be returned to India by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest museum in the US.

The Met, one of New York's most popular destinations, said the stone sculpture of Durga Mahishasuramardini was donated to the museum in 2015.

In the course of research, the museum's staff recognised it from the 1969 publication 'The Archaeology of Kumann' by K P Nautiyal, in which the Durga was described as being housed in the Chakravarteswara Temple at Baijnath, a medieval capital in Uttarakhand, in northern India.

The museum contacted the Archaeological Survey of India, and The Met and India signed an agreement for its return in April 2018.

The limestone sculpture 'Head of a Male Deity' was donated to the museum in 1986. The staff recently determined that it was part of the excavated inventory of the Nagarjunakonda Site Museum and offered to return it earlier this year. The two sculptures will be sent to India later this week.

"The museum is committed to the responsible acquisition of archaeological art, and applies rigorous provenance standards to its collections. The return of these objects to India is warranted, and the museum is grateful for our long-standing, collaborative relationships with colleagues and scholarly institutions in India," the museum said in a statement here.

The Consulate General of India said it will continue to work closely with the Museum and other US authorities and institutions to identify Indian archaeological art that belongs in India.

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A US Navy veteran has been sentenced to three consecutive life sentences on hate crime charges for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounding two others after he thought they were Iranians at a suburban Kansas City bar last year.

Adam Purinton of Olathe shot and killed Kuchibhotla, and wounded two others Indian national Alok Madasani and Kansas resident Ian Grillot at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas, in February 2017.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty in federal court to hate crime and firearm offenses arising out of the shooting.

At his federal guilty-plea hearing, Purinton admitted in open court that he targeted and shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani because of their race, colour, and national origin, and that he shot Grillot during an attempt to flee the scene of the crime.

Purinton had also pleaded guilty in state court to charges of murder and attempted murder, and has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in state prison.

The sentences handed down in federal court yesterday will run consecutively to another life sentence 53-year-old Purinton previously received for first-degree murder in Johnson County District Court.

"The crimes at issue in this case are detestable," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

"The defendant acted with clear premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man, simply because of their race, religion, and national origin. As a result, a promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been filled with suffering."



Sessions said that while the "irreparable harm" that Purinton has done cannot be undone, "some measure of justice for the victims' families has been achieved."



The widow of Kuchibhotla told the US Navy veteran that her husband was always "respectful to others" and would have helped him understand that not every brown-skinned person is evil but is contributing to America's growth.

"My husband was more than what you chose to address him as. Always kind, caring, and respectful to others. Srinu and I came to the US of America full of dreams and aspirations...Now, my American Dream - and that of Srinu's - is broken," Sunayana Dumala said in the statement read out in court today as Purinton was sentenced, calling her husband by his informal name.

Addressing Purinton in her victim-impact statement, Dumala said if Purinton could have kept his anger inside and spoken to her husband softly, "Srinu would have been more than happy to share his background and help you understand that not every brown skinned person is suspicious or evil, but kind, smart and contributing to America."



She said Purinton instead chose to rage and bully in anger and when he was stopped, he decided to take their lives.

"...(U)se the time that is being given to you to educate yourself and inform others who are still out in the open and stop them from killing innocent people as you did - choosing violence over kindness," she added.

US Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of Kansas said a person should be able to live without fear of becoming a victim of hate crimes irrespective of "who you are, what you believe, or how you worship."



The killing of Kuchibhotla had shaken the Indian community and led to heightened fear and anxiety among the South Asian population in general and the Indian community in particular, about their safety. Concerns grew in the community about misplaced perceptions among individuals over immigration status and ethnicity of Indians and South Asians in America.

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

Kuchibhotla and Madasani worked as engineers at Garmin, a tech company that makes GPS devices.

Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.

Purinton admitted that he shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani, attempting to kill both men, because of their race, colour, religion, and national origin.

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US Sen Rand Paul has delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader's spokesman said today.

Paul, who defended Trump in the wake of his summit with Putin last month in Helsinki, has been visiting Russia with a delegation for several days.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin has not yet examined the letter Paul presented.

"We expect that in the nearest time it will come to the presidential administration," Peskov said, according to Russian agencies.

The White House did not comment immediately on the letter or its contents.

Paul said on Twitter that "the letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas, including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."



The Kentucky Republican met with members of the Russian parliament's upper house who serve on the foreign affairs committee Monday. Paul said he had invited them to Washington.

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The Trump administration said today it was moving ahead with a stiff 25 per cent tariff on additional USD 16 billion worth of imports from China, intensifying a trade war between the two economic giants.

After coming to power, the Trump administration has initiated steps to address the issue of massive balance of trade with China and to the alleged Chinese theft of intellectual property.

This is the second tranche of such tariffs and comes into effect on August 23.

Washington had already imposed tariffs on USD 34 billion on July 6 but held off on a final USD 16 billion in goods as a result of concerns from US companies.

This is part of the US' response to China's "unfair trade practices" related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said.

The Trump administration has accused China of unfair trade practices.

Talks between Washington and Beijing are at an impasse in the ongoing trade spat, with both sides continuing to threaten new tariffs.

Trump directed the Office of Trade Representative earlier this month to consider imposing a 25 pr cent tariff on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, including fruit and vegetables, handbags, and refrigerators.

China has threatened to retaliate on any additional US tariffs tit-for-tat.

In March 2018, the USTR had released the findings of its "exhaustive" Section 301 investigation that found China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are "unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce".

The investigation had revealed that China uses joint venture requirements, foreign investment restrictions, and administrative review and licensing processes to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies and it deprives US companies of the ability to set market-based terms in licensing and other technology-related negotiations.

It also found that China directs and unfairly facilitates the systematic investment in, and acquisition of, US companies and assets to generate large-scale technology transfer.

The USTR claimed that China conducts and supports cyber intrusions into US commercial computer networks to gain unauthorized access to commercially valuable business information.

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A special CBI court here has said that prima facie former police officer D G Vanzara's role was "clear and greater" than that of former DGP P P Pandey in the Ishrat Jahan case.

Pandey has been discharged in the case by the same court.

Special CBI judge J K Pandya also said that another accused, N K Amin, who had also filed a discharge application, was present at the spot during the encounter.

The court yesterday rejected discharge pleas of both Vanzara and Amin. The detailed order copy became available today.

"From the statements of police constable, police sub-inspector and police inspector (who were made witnesses by the CBI), it prima facie appears that the role of accused No 3 (Vanzara) is clear and greater than accused No 2 (Pandey)," the court said.

Vanzara had sought discharge on the ground of parity with Pandey.

On Amin, the court said, "It is clear that accused No 5 N K Amin had intercepted and apprehended Ishrat and Javed from Vasad Toll Booth on June 12, 2004, and during encounter he was present at the scene of incident."



The court also said that it is important to seek clarity regarding sanction for prosecution against these two retired officers as they were "on official duty" when the alleged staged encounter took place.

"The CBI is directed to either obtain sanction for prosecution from the concerned authority or declare in writing the legal position with regard to sanction... so that further trial can be held," it said.

Vanzara, a former deputy inspector general of police in Gujarat, had sought discharge on the ground of parity with the state's former in-charge Director General of Police P P Pandey, who was discharged in the case in February for want of evidence.

Amin, who retired as the superintendent of police, sought discharge stating that the encounter was genuine and testimonies of witnesses produced by the CBI were not reliable.

CBI and Ishrat's mother Shamima Kauser had opposed their discharge pleas.

Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra area of Thane district near Mumbai and three others -- Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar -- were killed by the police in an "encounter" on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

Police had claimed that the four had terror links and had plotted to kill then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

A CBI probe held that the encounter was fake.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused one of the country's most prominent opposition leaders of being linked to the alleged assassination attempt using drones.

Maduro said in a nationally televised broadcast today that statements by suspects already arrested point to Julio Borges, an opposition leaders living in exile in Colombia.

It follows a thwarted assassination attempt Saturday when two drones armed with explosives detonated near the president speaking outdoors during a military celebration.

Images captured on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky at one explosion and then hundreds of soldiers scrambling.

Prosecutors say they have arrested six people who face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism.

Maduro has called on US and Colombian leaders to turn over any suspects.

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Venezuela's all-powerful constituent assembly is launching proceedings today to try opposition lawmakers over a failed "attack" on President Nicolas Maduro, who also accused exiled opposition leader Julio Borges.

Constituent Assembly chief Diosdado Cabello called the session to strip the lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity so they could face trial for the alleged and failed bid to kill the president.

"When justice comes, it hits hard," Cabello said.

Maduro and his government said the president had been targeted by two flying drones each carrying a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of powerful C-4 explosives.

But details of Saturday's incident remain unclear, with conflicting information coming from various sources.

The Maduro administration said Colombia -- including ex-president Juan Manuel Santos, who ended his term yesterday -- had collaborated on the attack with the "ultra far-right" Venezuelan opposition, and it was financed by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida.

No evidence was given to support the allegations, which have worsened already fraught ties between Caracas and Bogota.

In a television and radio address, Maduro simultaneously accused opposition legislator Juan Requesens and Borges of having plotted a drone "assassination" attempt on the Socialist leader over the weekend.

The president said several raids were underway as part of investigations.

Borges is one of the most prominent figures of the Venezuelan opposition and like Requesens a member of the Primero Justicia (Justice First) party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

Primero Justicia said Requesens and his sister Rafaela were "arrested and hit" in a sweep by the SEBIN national intelligence service unit. Rafaela was later released.

"All the statements (of detained suspects) point to Julio Borges, who lives in a mansion in Bogota protected by the outgoing government of Colombia, we know he has the cowardice to participate in this type of events," Maduro said.

He also railed against Requesens, describing him as one of his "craziest and most psychopathic" adversaries.

Earlier, Requesens delivered a fiery speech in which he promised to keep pushing to get Maduro out of power.

"We are going to get Nicolas Maduro to leave in order to get out of this tragedy," the 29-year-old politician said at the opposition-held legislature.

"We will be able to receive all Venezuelans who are crazy enough to return to the country, and for those of us who are here, we have no choice but to continue stretching this rope until it breaks and we can get Nicolas Maduro out."



Shortly before the opposition crackdown, the legislature had demanded an impartial investigation into the drone explosions, and denounced the government's efforts to use the event to "increase political persecution" of the opposition.

"We reaffirm that Venezuelans' political struggle must focus... on obtaining free and fair elections with full democratic conditions under international observation," added the declaration read in the semi-circular chamber.

The Constituent Assembly loyal to Maduro moved to May the presidential election usually held in December, leading to Maduro's election until 2025.

But the opposition and much of the international community rejected the results as illegitimate.

On Monday, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said several suspects were in custody and authorities would track down "all those who conspire against public peace."



He called the drone attack, in which seven soldiers were said to be wounded, "an attempted massacre."Interior Minister Nicolas Reverol said Sunday that six suspects had been arrested.

No drones could be seen in the broadcast of the event, which was cut moments after the soldiers were seen scattering away from where Maduro was standing flanked by military chiefs and his wife.

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Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Julio Borges has denounced a purported assassination bid on President Nicolas Maduro involving an explosives-laden drone as a staged "farce."



"Neither the country nor the world believe you when it comes to this farce of an attack, we all know that it was staged to persecute and repress those of us who oppose your dictatorship," Borges wrote on Twitter.

Maduro and his government said the president had been targeted on Saturday by two flying drones each carrying a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of powerful C-4 explosives.

They have blamed a plot involving Borges, Colombia and other opposition lawmakers, financed by unnamed figures in the US state of Florida.

Borges is one of the most prominent figures of the Venezuelan opposition and a member of the Primero Justicia (Justice First) party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

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Veteran Bengali actor Chinmoy Roy was today discharged from a private hospital in the city where he had been admitted with multiple injuries on June 30.

He was discharged following a surgery after he was admitted and remained there for several days, a hospital spokesman said.

Roy is currently doing well but he needs bed rest for a few weeks, he said.

The 77-year-old actor, who is mainly known as a comedian, had fallen off the fourth floor of his apartment on June 30 evening, sustaining serious injuries, his son Sankha had said.

He was found lying on the ground floor of the building in South Kolkata by neighbours and admitted to the hospital.

Roy had acted in classics like "Charmurti", "Basanta Bilap" and "Nanigopaler Biye".

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Hitting out at Bhagwant Mann, leader of AAP's dissident MLAs Sukhpal Singh Khaira said today claimed the Sangrur MP's "outbursts against him and party leader Kanwar Sandhu were out of "sheer frustration and personal hatred".

Khaira also claimed that Mann's resignation, after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's apology to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, was tendered as part of "strategy" with the consent of the party leadership in Delhi. Khaira also said that he and the MLAs supporting him would hold a massive march in October which would start from Talwandi Sabo.

The Bholath MLA's attack on the Sangrur MP comes a day after Mann had called Khaira and Sandhu as "opportunists".

Khaira asked Mann if the issue of AAP convenor Kejriwal's apology to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia had "ended" for him after "agreeing" to resume the post of chief of state unit.

Khaira said Mann's "outbursts" against him and Sandhu were out of "sheer frustration and personal hatred".

"During a meeting at my home four months back, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia told me you react too early on every issue. He told me that Mann's resignation (from the post of president state unit) was part of strategy and he resigned with our consent," claimed Khaira while addressing media here.

Sisodia told me that I could also resign (as LoP in Assembly) with their consent and there will not be any problem, Khaira said.

"I told Manish ji I am not a man of double standards," Khaira claimed.

Mann had resigned as AAP's Punjab chief in March this year after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologised for levelling charges of involvement in drugs trade against SAD leader former Punjab minister Majithia.

Khaira asked Mann if he had given his approval to Kejriwal's apology after accepting the post of state unit chief.

"I want to ask Mann that you gave resignation on Kejriwal's apology...You have now accepted the post of state unit chief. Does it mean that issue of Kejriwal's apology has ended for you and you have given your approval to it," asked Khaira.

Replying to the Mann's charge that Khaira was fighting only for the "chair", Khaira said the MP's statement had upset him.

"I was not expecting such a statement from Mann. He had described me as courageous in his tweet. What sin have I committed in the last seven days which prompted Mann to make such a statement," said Khaira.

On Mann demanding that Khaira and Sandhu should resign, Khaira put a counter-question. Does AAP belong to any individual? he asked.

Rebutting Mann's charge of him being an "opportunist", Khaira said he entered with Congress in 1997 and joined AAP in December 2015.

"But Mann was first with Lok Bhalai Party, then he joined Manpreet Badal's PPP and thereafter he moved into AAP. And now he calls us opportunist. People will judge him," said Khaira.

Asserting that he was against the party's decision to remove him in an "undemocratic" manner, Khaira said he would not become the LoP even if the party offers the post to him.

Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu asked Mann and other MLAs whether they opposed the call for autonomy for the Punjab unit.

Sandhu said they were compelled to raise the voice for autonomy in Punjab unit after party's graph was sliding fast in the state.

"After we went through the party's constitution, we came to know that the party has given immense power to volunteers. There has not been any state political affairs committee (PAC) and state executive committee yet in the state. The party was not functioning at all," claimed Sandhu.

There have not been in-charges in 55-60 assembly constituencies, he claimed.

Asked what if the party acts against them, Sandhu said "how" could they stop it but added it would be a wrong precedent as they were fighting to strengthen the party.

On the Mann's allegation that Khaira had refused to give his official residence for party activities, Sandhu said it was not possible neighbouring residents had raised objections many a time over holding of press conferences in that house.

Khaira said he campaigned in 38 Vidhan Sabha constituencies for the party and called the allegations of Mann in this regard as baseless.

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It's the right time to establish the concept of "hum", says director Anubhav Sinha whose latest film "Mulk" is that rare mainstream film which engages with contemporary issues and mirrors India's many divisions in the name of patriotism and religion.

The director, whose phone has not stopped ringing with congratulatory messages flooding in, said he wanted to make a sensitive but accessible film.

The Rishi Kapoor-Taapsee Pannu starrer, which centres around the plight of a Muslim family on trial in court and in society because their son becomes a terrorist, has won critical and audience acclaim.

A large chunk of the film is set in a courtroom with the judge delivering a climactic speech, defining the message of oneness and secularism that the film hopes to deliver in these fractured times.

The judge is named Harish Madhok' and his initial would be Hum'. I wanted the audience to agree with him and I am hearing that people are standing and clapping in the final scene. He has ended up representing the thought of people, which is a huge victory, Sinha told PTI in an interview.

Reacting to criticism that the film could have been subtler in delivering its message, Sinha said the loud tone was intentional.

At a time when channels are screaming louder than the worst crowd, you can't be subtle if you really want to say something important. I was more interested in getting heard than being called subtle, he said.

Also, I have a take about such films. I insist that these films need to run. It cannot be doing Rs 3 crore lifetime business, which means nobody saw it or a niche audience saw it. I wanted everybody to see it, and I wanted it to be accessible.

The 53-year-old can rest easy.

The film's Monday business was almost equal to its opening day earnings of Rs 1.68 crore. It has made Rs 9.86 crore in just four days, which is great for a small budget film like Mulk.

Sinha, whose career has been chequered at best with films such as Tum Bin, Ra.One and Dus, said Mulk is his best yet.

Something must have shifted inside me that I changed as a filmmaker. I don't know what that was. Someone pointed out to me that I have started reading a lot in the past few years. Now, I will have to be more responsible.

Comparisons with M S Sathyu's 1971 classic Garm Hawa, which dealt with the plight of Muslims in post-Partition India, are humbling, he said



Interestingly, Mulk, which also features seasoned actors such as Manoj Pahwa, Rajat Kapoor, Nina Gupta, Prateik Babbar and Ashutosh Rana, has no Muslim actor. And this was a conscious decision.

Maybe, I was getting cynical but I did not want Muslims defending themselves. I know that the audience is watching a character and not an actor but at a subliminal level you feel, ye to bolega hi'. When Shabana Azmi says something, it is easy to call her a Pakistani but when Anubhav Sinha says it, it is not that easy, though they still do.

The director has avoided stereotyping surnames. So a Brahmin investigative officer is more sympathetic to the Muslim family but a Muslim officer is shown as being prejudiced against his own community.

Sinha said he struggled while writing the character of SSP Danish Javed, beautifully depicted by Rajat Kapoor.

The day I took the decision to have Danish as a Muslim character, he became very complex. He has struggled hard and worked hard to join the mainstream and now he himself has become them. He looks at his own community with prejudice.

I did not want him to receive any sympathy in the end but at the same time, he had to be human. He is not a diabolical man. Showing his internal issues and conflicts without overstating that character was tricky.

According to the director, the intention was to show that religion and caste identity cannot be above humanity.

It does not matter who you are, at the end of the day, it matters what you are as a human being."



For example, Murad Ali's (Rishi Kapoor) friend Chaubey, who has turned against his neighbours, can see that these people are in trouble and is tempted to help them, but does not. He is torn. This is how we are divided right now. A lot of us are doing things because we think this is what we should do. Maybe at heart, we don't even believe in this," he explained.

Though Sinha has not directly commented on the spate of lynchings in the country, he has depicted the voyeuristic nature of such violence -- when SSP Danish orders that a terrorist's body is dragged through the crowd.

"It shows the insensitivity of both the police officer and the crowd... As spectators, as audiences, we have become so insensitive that we can at times, if not celebrate it, kind of cheer it."



Sinha had initially thought of setting the film in Lucknow but his friends, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra and actor Manoj Bajpayee, suggested Varanasi, the director's childhood home.

His familiarity with the city is evident as he beautifully captures its 'Ganga-Jamuni tahzeeb' and how it is threatened by the radicalisation of its unemployed youth.

I have gone back to my roots and inside myself and the recent stuff that is going on," he said.

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The Supreme Court today asked the Centre "what public good" the penal law on adultery served as it provides that no offence would be made if the husband of a woman approves the adulterous relationship.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which is hearing petitions challenging Section 497 of the IPC, was told by the Centre that adultery is a crime because it damages marriage as an institution and family.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, commenced her arguments by saying that adultery has been made an offence by keeping in mind the sanctity of marriage as an institution.

"What is the sanctity of marriage here. If consent of husband is taken then there is no adultery," the bench said.

"What is this consent. There will be no offence if the husband consents to this relationship. What is this? What is the collective public good in section 497 to hold that this (adultery) is an offence," the bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said.

The observation came when the Centre said that adultery should continue as penal offence as it poses a threat to sanctity of marriage.

Anand also said that judgement of foreign jurisdictions which had set aside adultery as a criminal offence should not be taken into account and the instant matter has to be decided on social conditions prevalent in India.

Referring to the inconsistencies in the penal provision, the bench said that the burden of maintaining the sanctity of marriage rests only with the woman and not the husband.

The advancing of arguments by the ASG will continue in the afternoon.

Section 497 of the 158-year-old IPC says: "Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery."



On January 5, the apex court referred to a five-judge constitution bench the plea challenging the validity of the penal law on adultery.

The court had taken a prima facie view that though the criminal law proceeds on "gender neutrality", the concept was absent in Section 497.

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Late DMK chief had helped fund a school and library in 35 years ago.

DMK unit incharge R Palaniswamy said the unit invited Karunanidhi. "Not only did he accept our invitation, but also evinced keen interest in our activities and needs," he said.

"We told him about non-availability of a community school in the Tamil-dominated Dharavi area. We also told him that lack of funds was a major factor in construction of the school," he said.

"He asked senior party members to do the needful and ensure that the school is opened. Due to his proactive support, our branch got enough funds which not only helped us build the school, but also purchase office space and books for the school library," Palaniswamy said.

"During the visit, Karunanidhi met thousands of Tamil people in public meetings at Dadar-Parsi Gymkhana and Adarsh Nagar Maidan in Worli. Anyone who met him once became his fan and follower," he said.

The DMK doyen did not visit Mumbai after 1983, he said.

Meanwhile, rich tributes were paid to Karunanidhi by his supporters here today. They gathered in Sion-Koliwada and offered floral tributes to their leader. Some supporters flew to Chennai to attend his last rites, Palaniswamy said.

BJP MLA from Sion-Koliwada Assembly constituency in Mumbai Capt. R Tamil Selvan, who organised the condolence meeting, said Karunanidhi was among the "rare leaders who practiced what he preached".

"He was a social reformer and opposed superstition. He was the flag-bearer of Tamil nationalism who opposed Hindi," Selvan said.

Karunanidhi, 94, died at a private hospital in Chennai yesterday following prolonged illnes.
A tribal woman gave birth to twins at her home as her family allegedly failed to get any ambulance to take her to hospital in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, officials said.

The incident took place at Balibhole village under Karanjia sub-division of the district, officials said.

The woman's family members claimed that they called for ambulance under the 108 Janani Surakhya Ambulance but they failed to get any ambulance to take the woman to hospital for delivery.

The sub-collector of Karanjia, S K Purohit said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

The villagers rushed the woman and her newborn twins to the Karanjia sub-divisional Hospital, where doctors declared the twins as brought dead.

The villagers staged demonstration in the hospital campus demanding action against ambulance staff and compensation to the tribal woman.

The sub-collector handed over a compensation of Rs 5000 to the tribal woman's family.

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A 19-year-old woman was allegedly molested by a male co-passenger in a shared rickshaw in the city, police said today.

The incident took place late last night and the 29-year-old accused, Sagar Dumbre, was arrested in the wee hours today, police added.

The complainant said that she had boarded the shared rickshaw at Gamdevi Maidan around 9.30 pm and was on her way to Chirag Nagar when Dumbre allegedly molested her, Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said.

The woman lodged a complaint with Naupada police station, following which the accused was arrested around 1 am from his residence in Laxmi Nagar, she added.

Dumbre was booked under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) by Naupada police.

Further investigation is on.

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Locked in arbitration proceedings with SGX, the National Stock Exchange today said it is working on a "structure" to address the issues and more clarity is likely to emerge in the next two-three weeks.

The matter relates to a tussle between the NSE and Singapore Exchange (SGX) over launch of some products.

The two exchanges last month resumed discussions on a potential collaboration in Gujarat's international financial services centre, while the arbitration proceedings were deferred pending outcome of the talks.

The move will help in transition of liquidity from the offshore market to the GIFT City.

"We are in the process of figuring out a structure, which may require regulatory inputs too. We need 2-3 weeks before we get a clarity on the issue. If we are able to come out with a structure then arbitration proceedings will not be required," NSE MD and CEO Vikram Limaye told reporters at the exchange's silver jubilee celebrations function here.

According to Limaye, the two exchanges are engaging and consulting relevant stakeholders including investors and regulators on the proposed collaboration.

Markets watchdog Sebi and Singapore's integrated financial regulator MAS had also discussed amicable resolution of the NSE and SGX matter, among various issues of cooperation.

Since February, the NSE and SGX have been locked in a tussle after the domestic bourse and others decided to stop licensing their indices to foreign exchanges from August. Later in April, SGX announced listing of new Indian equity derivative products from June.

Amid concerns over liquidity migrating overseas, NSE's index company IISL had moved the Bombay High Court, which restrained SGX from launching the new products and referred the matter for arbitration.

"The injunction against the new products..., first imposed by the Bombay High Court, has been extended and continues until completion of the arbitration proceedings," the NSE had said on June 16.

The injunction from the Bombay High Court was against three products that SGX proposed to launch in June -- SGX India Futures, SGX Options on SGX India Futures and SGX India Bank Futures.

The existing licence for the SGX Nifty contracts stands extended for two successive contract months beyond the arbitration award date, the NSE had said.

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A man was killed in landslide during incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, police said today.

The deceased has been identified as Sanjeev Kumar (26) of Chauviya village in Bharmour tehsil, they added.

He was on his way to Manimahesh lake when incessant rains triggered landslides near Dunali Nazad Chhanchau area and he died on the spot, Chamba Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

His body has been handed over to his family members after post-mortem at Civil Hospital Bharmour, the police said, adding investigation is on.

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Zimbabwean senior opposition official Tendai Biti has been arrested while trying to cross into Zambia, a lawyer said today, as concerns rose over a government crackdown after last week's disputed presidential election.

Lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo said more details would be released later. There was no immediate comment from police.

Biti, who was finance minister in an uneasy coalition government from 2009 to 2013, is a leading member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, which has denounced the election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as fraudulent and vowed to challenge it in court this week.

Last week Biti declared, before official election results were announced early Friday, that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won the vote, a claim also made by Chamisa himself. "In a normal country Chamisa would be sworn in right now," Biti told reporters a day after the election.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has said it is illegal to announce results before its own official pronouncement.

Mnangagwa was more restrained than the opposition during the vote count, saying only that the situation looked positive. However, some reporting in state-run media emphatically declared him the winner before the official results were out.

The opposition has seven days from the announcement of the official election results to file a court challenge. Chamisa lawyer Thabani Mpofu told reporters on Wednesday they will file the challenge within the prescribed timeframe. That would push back an inauguration that Mnangagwa's administration already had planned for Sunday.

Biti was named along with Chamisa in a search warrant issued last week that said they and several others were suspected of the crimes of "possession of dangerous weapons" and "subversive material" as well as "public violence," according to a copy of the warrant seen by The Associated Press.

Police raided the opposition party headquarters a day after the military rolled into the capital, Harare, and dispersed protesting opposition supporters with gunfire. The supporters were angry over the announcement that the ruling party had won a majority of seats in parliament and some were rioting.

Six people were killed, including a woman vendor who was shot in the back.

International election observers and Human Rights Watch have condemned the violence and intimidation against opposition supporters that have continued into this week and have urged security forces to use restraint.

Biti, one of the most vocal critics of the government, had said months before the election that the Zimbabwean military was casting a shadow over hopes for genuine reform in the southern African nation.

He said that while the ouster of former leader Robert Mugabe after 37 years in power was welcome, the military takeover that led to his resignation in November set a dangerous precedent for further involvement of generals in civilian affairs.

"The genie is out of the bottle," Biti said at a forum on Zimbabwe held in Johannesburg in late June.

"We had a coup in November," Biti said at the time. "We didn't seek to understand what it meant and we didn't carry out political reform to make sure that another coup does not happen.

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It doesnt look like new flexibility offered by the Every Student Succeeds Act is turning out to be the bonanza for school choice that some supporters were hoping.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and other school choice fans were excited about the potential of a new pilot program in ESSA that allows districts to combine federal, state, and local dollars into a single funding stream tied to individual students. English-language learners, children in poverty, and students in special educationwho cost more to educatewould carry with them more money than other students.

The program could be used to help districts set up public school choice programs, although thats not a must. Still, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute published an analysis last year by Matthew Joseph, of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, exploring how the pilot could be used as a vehicle for choice . And Jason Botel, who is the acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, gave the pilot a high-profile shout-out early in his tenure.

So far, though, there havent been many takers. The law allows up to 50 districts to participate in the first few years of the pilot, with the possibility of more joining in down the road if things are running smoothly.

But only one districtArizonas Roosevelt School District #66has applied to use the flexibility in the 2019-20 school year by a July 15 deadilne. Roosevelt is hoping the pilot will help it provide more equitable funding to different student groups, said Sareena Cheriakakramcherry, the districts director of federal programs, in an email.



And Roosevelt joins just five other districts that raised their hands to join the pilot in the 2018-19 school year. They are: Californias Wilsona School District, Oregons Salem-Keizer School District 24J, Pennsylvanias Upper Adams School District, Indianapolis, and Puerto Ricos island-wide school district. Puerto Rico is the only district who has been approved to participate in the pilot so far.



So far, none of the school districts that applied for the flexibility in the 2018-19 school year are planning to use the pilot to create a school choice program, with the possible exception of Puerto Rico.

Image: Getty Images

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By Huw JonesLONDON (Reuters) - Britain must avoid tying Brussels up in red tape or antagonising its soon to be former European Union partners and the United States if it is to maintain access to the bloc's financial services market after Brexit.At risk is Britain's biggest financial services export market, which was worth a record 26 billion pounds ($33.45 billion) last year out of total sector exports of 60 billion pounds.Brexit will mean banks, insurers and asset managers in Britain losing the unfettered access to the bloc's customers they currently have under EU "passporting" rules.However ...
By Maytaal AngelLONDON (Reuters) - Washington's tariffs on steel imports have prompted warnings of an earnings hit for European producers, but for companies such as ArcelorMittal with operations in increasingly protected markets, levies are expected to yield a profit bonanza.The United States slapped 25 percent tariffs on steel imports earlier this year, prompting such shipments to fall 7.5 percent to 18 million tonnes in the first half, with further declines expected.The tariff move coupled with strong demand has sent U.S. hot rolled coil steel futures to decade highs around $900 a tonne, up ...
MUMBAI (Reuters) - State-run Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd shut a hydrocracker unit at its Mumbai refinery on Wednesday evening following a fire that left 40 people injured, said a top company official. "We have shut the hydrocracker and assessment will be done on Thursday to know how long we need to keep it shut," R Ramachandran, head of refineries, told Reuters.The remaining units at the 120,000-barrel-per-day refinery in the western Indian state of Maharashtra are operating normally, he added.The fire started in the compressor shed of the hydrocracker plant around 0915 GMT. (Reporting by Nidhi ...
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HONG KONG (Reuters) - China is slapping additional import tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. goods ranging from oil and steel products to autos and medical equipment, the commerce ministry said, as the world's two largest economies escalate their trade dispute."This is a very unreasonable practice," the commerce ministry said on its website www.mofcom.gov.cn, responding to the United States' decision to slap 25 percent tariffs on another $16 billion of Chinese goods on Aug 23. (Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong; Editing by Clarence ...
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BEIJING (Reuters) - Certain people who want to wield the "stick of hegemony" on China with tariffs for their own personal ends will only end up hurting themselves, major Chinese state newspapers said on Wednesday in a unified message against the United States.China and the United States are locked in an increasingly bitter trade war, with Washington set to begin collecting 25 percent tariffs on another $16 billion in Chinese goods on Aug. 23, the latest move by President Donald Trump to put pressure on Beijing to negotiate trade concessions.The latest commentary from state media took a softer ...
MUMBAI (Reuters) - A fire broke out at state-controlled Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd's Mumbai refinery on Wednesday evening, leaving two people injured.The fire started around 0915 GMT in the compressor shed of the hydrocracker plant, the company said in a statement."The fire is still on but is under control," the company added.The fire is confined to the hydrocracker plant, said Mumbai fire chief P. S. Rahangdale, adding that two hose lines of fire engines and two hose lines of fixed firefighting installations were in operation."Cooling operation is in progress," he said. (Reporting by Mumbai ...
By Norihiko ShirouzuBEIJING (Reuters) - Ford Motor said on Wednesday it will launch in China early next year a new "entry-level" sport utility vehicle developed jointly with a local partner, as the U.S. automaker attempts to revive its slumping business in the world's biggest auto market. The Ford Territory, developed with Jiangling Motors Corp (JMC) and available in three powertrain choices including a plug-in hybrid version, is intended to close a gap in its China strategy.The new SUV is one of the 50 new or redesigned vehicles Ford has said it plans to launch in China starting this year ...
By Hideyuki SanoTOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares extended their recovery into a fourth day on Wednesday, buoyed by strong U.S. earnings and expectations that Beijing will ramp up fiscal stimulus to cushion the impact of its worsening trade dispute with Washington.MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.3 percent, led by Taiwan, while Japan's Nikkei ticked up 0.4 percent. Bucking the trend were Chinese shares, which slipped about 0.4 percent after the United States said it would begin collecting 25 percent tariffs on an additional $16 billion worth of Chinese goods ...
(Reuters) - India's Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd posted an 86 percent jump in first-quarter profit on Wednesday, beating analysts' expectations, driven by strong refining margins.The state-controlled company said net profit jumped to 17.19 billion rupees ($250.50 million) in the three months ended June 30, from 9.25 billion rupees a year earlier.Analysts on average had expected earnings of 14.35 billion rupees, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.Income from operations stood at 729.23 billion rupees during the quarter.Average gross refining margin, the difference between the cost of crude ...
By Bart MeijerAMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Shares in ABN Amro registered their biggest gain in eight months on Wednesday as the Dutch bank hinted at more rewards for shareholders and announced plans to shrink its international corporate banking activities.ABN Amro said its capital buffers had grown towards the top end of the range deemed necessary for extra shareholder rewards, as second-quarter net profit of 688 million euros ($800 million) comfortably beat analysts' forecasts, despite a 28 percent drop. "We feel more confident now than we did three months ago," Chief Executive Kees van Dijkhuizen ...
By Subrat PatnaikHYDERABAD (Reuters) - IKEA will set some prices even lower in India than elsewhere when it opens its first store in the country on Thursday, as it woos cost-conscious shoppers unaccustomed to DIY furniture.Over a decade since floating the idea of Indian expansion, the Swedish retailer will finally mark its entry with a 400,000 square foot (37,160 square metre) store in Hyderabad, where 1,000 of the items, including some cutlery and stuffed toys, will be priced at less than 200 rupees ($2.91).IKEA is pushing into Asia and South America as growth slows in Europe and North ...
IKEA is looking to keep prices even lower in India than it typically does elsewhere when it opens its first store in the country on Thursday, overcoming high taxes on imported goods as it woos cost-conscious shoppers unaccustomed to DIY furniture. Over a decade since floating the idea of Indian expansion, the Swedish retailer will finally mark its entry with a 400,000 square foot (37,160 square metre) store in Hyderabad, where it will sell 1,000 items including cutlery and stuffed toys for less than 200 rupees ($2.91). IKEA is pushing into Asia and South America as growth slows ...
By Nidhi Verma and Jessica JaganathanNEW DELHI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Indian Oil Corp has bought 6 million barrels of U.S. crude for delivery in November to January, a company official said, as the nation's top refiner scouts for alternatives to Iranian oil ahead of impending U.S. sanctions.This was the company's first purchase through a mini-term tender to buy U.S. oil, IOC's Director of Finance A.K. Sharma said on Wednesday.IOC will buy 2 million barrels of Mars oil in November, a combination cargo containing 1 million barrels each of Eagle Ford and Mars in December and 2 million barrels of ...
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's antitrust regulator on Wednesday approved U.S. retail giant Walmart Inc's $16 billion acquisition of Indian ecommerce firm Flipkart, beefing up the competition for rival Amazon.com Inc in the fast growing market.Betonville, Arkansas-based Walmart announced in May it was acquiring about 77 percent of Flipkart for roughly $16 billion, the biggest deal in India's ecommerce sector, which Morgan Stanley has estimated will grow close to an annual $200 billion in a decade.An Indian body of Traders Confederation of All India Traders had opposed the Walmart-Flipkart ...
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S. plan to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero will not succeed, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was cited as saying by an Iranian newspaper on Wednesday.U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to pressure countries to stop buying oil from Iran in a bid to force Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programmes and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq."If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences," Zarif told the Iran newspaper."They can't think that Iran ...
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia repealed a much-maligned consumption tax on Wednesday, as Southeast Asia's third-largest economy struggles with a burgeoning debt that its new government has blamed on the previous administration.Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's coalition campaigned for the removal of the goods and services tax (GST) ahead of a May general election, when voters angered by rising living costs and rampant corruption booted out former premier Najib Razak and his long-ruling coalition.Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the previous government had misused the funds raised through ...
(Reuters) - The New York Times Co reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit but the company added fewer paid digital subscribers, sending its shares down about 5 percent in premarket trading.The company added 109,000 paid digital subscribers in the second quarter, compared with 114,000 a year earlier, when it offered heavy discounts for annual subscriptions.Digital advertising revenue, which accounts for more than a third of the company's total advertising revenue, fell 7.5 percent to $51 million, hurt by a fall in display advertising."This was a subdued quarter for digital advertising ...
By Henning GloysteinSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Wednesday after China reported relatively weak import data, although the market remained well supported by falling U.S. crude inventories and the introduction of sanctions against Iran.Front-month Brent crude oil futures were at $74.50 per barrel at 0651 GMT, down 15 cents, or 0.2 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $69.15 per barrel, down 2 cents.China's July crude oil imports recovered slightly in July after falling for the previous two months, but were still among the lowest ...
By Stephanie KellyNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Wednesday as a trade dispute between the United States and China escalated further and after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in demand.Brent crude futures fell $1.88 to $72.77 a barrel, a 2.5 percent loss, by 10:56 a.m. EDT (1456 GMT).U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.85 to $67.32 a barrel, a 2.7 percent loss.China is slapping additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports, from fuel and steel products to autos and medical equipment, as the world's largest economies escalated their ...
By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Amanda CooperMOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Wednesday after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in demand and as a trade dispute between Washington and Beijing escalated further.U.S. crude futures fell more than $1 per barrel to $68.13 after China said it was retaliating against U.S. tariffs by slapping additional import duties of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. goods, including oil and diesel.Front-month Brent crude oil futures were down 67 cents at $73.98 a barrel by 1300 GMT.The trade dispute has rattled global markets on fears it could lead ...
By Henning Gloystein and Dmitry ZhdannikovSINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Wednesday despite relatively weak Chinese import data as the market remained supported by falling U.S. crude inventories and the introduction of sanctions against Iran.Front-month Brent crude oil futures were at $74.85 per barrel at 0951 GMT, up 20 cents, or 0.25 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $69.35 per barrel, up 18 cents.China's crude imports recovered slightly in July after falling for the previous two months, but were still among the lowest ...
By Stephanie KellyNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices slid almost 4 percent on Wednesday as a trade dispute between the United States and China escalated further and after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in energy demand.Brent crude futures fell $2.73 to $71.92 a barrel, a 3.7 percent loss, by 12:33 p.m. EDT (1633 GMT).U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $2.70 to $66.47 a barrel, a 3.9 percent loss. The session low of $66.32 was the lowest since June 22.China is slapping additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports, from fuel and steel products to ...
By Drazen Jorgic and Saad SayeedISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan will decide on whether to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund or friendly nations such as China by the end of September, according to Asad Umar, the finance minister-in-waiting of the incoming government.Umar's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party is due to be sworn in to government around the middle of August and will immediately face a brewing economic crisis, requiring Pakistan to seek outside help to reduce balance of payments pressures that could trigger a full-blown currency crisis.Pakistan's foreign ...
SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Group will invest 25 trillion won ($22 billion) over three years in artificial intelligence, 5G mobile technology, electronic components for autos, and the biopharmaceutical business, Samsung Electronics said on Wednesday.The investment is part of a broader 180 trillion won package South Korea's biggest business group is planning to spend over the period to create jobs and secure new growth areas, as its core semiconductor and smartphone businesses weaken.Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of memory chips and smartphones and the group's flagship company, did ...
(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is selling Canadian assets in an escalating row after Ottawa criticized the arrest of a female activist, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources.The Saudi central bank and state pension funds have instructed their overseas asset managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost", according to the report. (https://on.ft.com/2M6CSjD)The sell-off began on Tuesday and underlines how the Saudi government is flexing its financial and political muscle to warn foreign powers against what it regards as interference in ...
SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Group will invest 25 trillion won ($22 billion) in artificial intelligence, 5G mobile technology, electronic components for autos, and the biopharmaceutical business in pursuit of new growth areas, Samsung Electronics said on Wednesday.In flagging specific areas of investment, the plan is the first of its kind for the conglomerate and suggests more emphasis than usual on expanding into new segments as its core semiconductor and smartphone businesses show signs of weakness.The investment is also part of a bigger 180 trillion won three-year plan to create jobs and ...
(Reuters) - Tesla Inc's board said it was evaluating taking the company private, a day after Chief Executive Elon Musk surprised shareholders with the idea of launching the biggest leveraged buyout of all time.In a statement on Tesla's website https://bit.ly/2vJiaMm on Wednesday, six of Tesla's nine directors said the board had met several times over the last week to discuss such an idea and was "taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this."Musk said on Twitter on Tuesday that he was considering taking the loss-making electric carmaker private at $420 a share, which would value a deal ...
(Reuters) - Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk started talks with the company's board last week about taking the electric car maker private, some board members said on Wednesday."This included discussion as to how being private could better serve Tesla's long-term interests, and also addressed the funding for this to occur," the board members said.Musk on Tuesday tweeted that he was considering taking the loss-making company private at $420 a share.The board members said they had met several times last week with Musk and were evaluating the next steps.The statement came from six board ...
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp reported a record quarterly net profit on Wednesday, thanks to the $18 billion sale of its flash memory chip business earlier this year to a consortium led by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital.Toshiba said it posted a net profit of 1.02 trillion yen ($9.16 billion) for the April-June quarter, up from 50.33 billion yen a year before, as it booked 970 billion yen in gains from the deal to sell the world's No. 2 producer of NAND chips.That was above a consensus estimate of 570.29 billion yen from four analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.Toshiba ...
By Jan Wolfe(Reuters) - A U.S. jury on Tuesday returned a $315 million verdict against Scientific Games Corp , saying the gambling products company had initiated a frivolous patent lawsuit in hopes of controlling the market for automatic card-shufflers at casinos.The Chicago jury awarded $105 million to a group of companies led by Shuffle Tech International LLC that compete with Scientific Games in the market for gaming equipment. The damages were automatically tripled under U.S. antitrust law."The company believes the jury reached the wrong result and will seek review of both the finding of ...
(Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors are investigating whether Goldman Sachs Group Inc has any culpability in a Malaysian fraud involving a government fund that had ties to a former bank employee, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is at the centre of money-laundering investigations in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. An estimated $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund and their associates, the U.S. Justice Department has alleged.The investigation into how $4 billion ...
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States will not be able to prevent Iran from exporting oil, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was cited as saying by an Iranian newspaper on Wednesday.U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero as a means of pressuring Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programmes and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq."If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences," Zarif said. "They can't think that Iran won't export oil and ...
The number of people recruited for permanent jobs in Britain grew at its slowest pace in nine months in July, reflecting record low unemployment and a shortage of migrant workers from the European Union, a recruiters' body said on Wednesday. A monthly survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) showed there was no lack of appetite for hiring among employers, as the number of vacancies grew at the fastest pace since November 2017. Britain's unemployment rate has tumbled to its lowest level since 1975 at 4.2 per cent and many employers have reported a ...
By Subrat PatnaikHYDERABAD (Reuters) - IKEA will do things differently in India after it opens its first store in the nation on Thursday, as it deals with higher taxes on imported goods and looks to woo cost-conscious shoppers unaccustomed to the company's DIY furniture assembly style.The Swedish furniture retailer is pushing into new countries in South America and Asia as growth slows in its traditional strongholds, including Europe. It is betting on India with its growing middle class, likely aiming to avoid a repeat of the high pricing that initially hit sales in China and Australia.The ...
HMD Global, an official licensee of Nokia-branded phones, is hosting an event in India on August 21 where the Finnish company is expected to launch its first notch screen-based smartphone, the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The Nokia 6.1 Plus is an international version of the Nokia X6, which is currently available only in China.

Though the phone would have similar design and specifications, it would also come preloaded with Google apps such as Maps, Play Store, Gmail, Google search, etc. that are not there in the Chinese version. In terms of specifications, the Google Android One-based smartphone ...
For years, people seemed to have an unlimited appetite for signing up for social media services. Now some of those companies may be hitting a wall to adding new users. On Tuesday, Snap, the maker of the Snapchat app, said it lost three million daily active users in the second quarter from earlier this year. It was the first time since the company went public in early 2017 that it had reported a decline in users. Snaps report follows similar trends from Facebook and Twitter. Facebook revealed late last month that its number of users in the United States was flat from ...
Guess what famous startups like Facebook, Google and Snapchat have in common? Their founders have managed to retain control over their labours of love while raising money in the capital markets through shares with differential voting rights (DVR shares).

And Flipkart cofounder Sachin Bansal, for one, believes the instrument is much-needed in India, too. One of the country's newest billionaires courtesy his recent exit from the company post its $16 billion deal with Walmart, Bansal told The Economic Times that differential voting rights will be helpful for the Indian startup ecosystem, especially for entrepreneurs.

"If you look at China and the US, dual-class voting structure has helped create better companies," said Bansal, on the sidelines of the ET Startup Awards jury meet. "Building a company is like a very long train journey. The entrepreneur is the driver, investors and employees are passengers. They get on and get off. If you take a 20-30-year view, no investor or employee will stay. Empowering the driver is good."

He previously pointed out to the daily that the "great companies" in India, like the Tata and Birla groups, all boast "highly-empowered families" and entrepreneurs who retained control. "Today, we need more capital than before and dilution happens. How to create a Tata or Ambani situation while being able to take a lot of capital? Dual-class shares should be good. I am in support," he had added.

Bansal's decision to sell his entire stake to Walmart was reportedly the result of differences with the investors. The buzz was that Bansal had demanded stronger shareholder rights and better role in the operations of the resultant entity, which was opposed by Lee Fixel of Tiger Global Management, one of the major backers of Flipkart, and the company's board. He had previously been moved from CEO position - replaced by co-founder Binny Bansal - at the behest of investors. Disappointed by the turn of events that sidelined him, an exit was the only way out.

Incidentally, the appointment of former Tiger Global executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy as CEO of Flipkart last year had led to a certain amount of angst in social media, especially from founders of other start-ups and employees in the e-commerce space, since it was seen as a big investor flexing its muscles.

The recently-released first draft of the national e-commerce policy proposed to change this status quo and allow Indian ecommerce entrepreneurs to finally step out of the shadows of large investors. The draft suggests there should be differential voting rights, giving founders more control.

An executive with an ecommerce company who participated in meetings on the draft policy, told the daily that when the issue of differential voting rights was brought up, the government said it is already allowed but the industry felt it was not being implemented due to investor pressure. "It was because of this dichotomy that the provision was mentioned in the policy," the source added.

The Walmart-Flipkart deal had prompted a flurry of predictions about an impending colonisation of the internet economy - the oft-quoted reason being the inability of domestic internet companies to issue DVR Shares since the law did not allow it.

But that perception is incorrect. According to Ajay Joseph, Partner at Mumbai-based law firm Veyrah Law, only listed companies and unlisted public companies are subjected to conditional restrictions for issuing DVR Shares. "All private companies can easily issue DVR Shares," he clarified, adding, "It is indeed quite surprising that none of the founders of Indian internet companies - almost every major company in the space is a private one - have opted to structure investments using DVR Shares".

The trouble, according to Joseph, is that institutional investors are unlikely to accept these structures for their Indian investments, although they may readily accept it in other markets. That's because of India's poor reputation. India is ranked at 164 out of 190 for 'enforcement of contracts' as per the World Bank's ease of doing business 2018 report.

"During the years 1995-2008 many institutional investors had invested in the India growth story, until the financial crisis engulfed world markets. The resulting adverse conditions exposed the fallacies in the Indian enforcement system, when investors were left to dry by their business partners. Many [of them] conveniently reneged on their contractual obligations by exploiting the delays in the Indian legal system," said Joseph.

But the Centre is slowly waking up to this problem and taking steps to redress it. In May, the daily had reported that the government was expected to offer hybrid instruments to allow promoters to retain control of an entity even with a minority stake, a move seen as beneficial for startups when it comes to fundraising. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is considering a proposal for listing startups so companies can sell DVR shares.
Swedish retail giant IKEA has put all its might behind the company's first store in India opening in Hyderabad. The company put in around 12 years of work and took 6 years after their announcement to open their first Indian outlet. It is finally opening on August 9. IKEA's first store in the country is nothing short of a mammoth gamble. According to consulting firm, Technopark, 1.3 billion Indians end up buying $30 billion worth of furniture and household items including linen, kitchenware and lighting but 95% of that is sold by small furniture stores.

In order to take stock of the market, IKEA teams had visited around 1,000 homes in India across different income levels to understand the complex fabric of the society. From this research emerged their eclectic collection of 7,500 varieties of home furnishing items.

The store also exhibits two full homes reflecting 'Life at Home in Hyderabad'. Different room sets including bathroom, kitchen and living room are on full display.

As cautiously as they may be approaching the Indian market, it is unlike the other markets they cater to. Indians are habituated to buying fully assembled and done up furniture - something IKEA is not known for. IKEA is known for their trademark ready-to-assemble furniture. In fact, the internet has a special corner reserved for memes on IKEA's furniture and how challenging it can be to assemble at times.

IKEA has an answer to that as well. According to a report in New York Times, IKEA has signed up 150 assemblers for their Hyderabad store. They are also working with UrbanClap to offer customers options to book an experienced carpenter who would put together the furniture.

Another driving force for Indians when they pick furniture is the pricing and durability. That is a reason Indians favour small furniture stores or warehouses. To counter that IKEA is selling their lightweight furniture and household items at a cheaper rate - some even cheaper than what they are selling in some overseas markets. Out of the 7,500 products, 1,000 are priced at Rs 200 or less. Not only that, 20% of their products will be locally-sourced as well and will be in tandem with Indian choices.

Additionally, IKEA is also offering items that have been tailored to match the Indian way of life. For eg, a set of knives and forks has been replaced by a set of spoons, their cabinets and countertops display section is kept at a lower level so that Indian women, who are shorter than their European counterparts can assess them better.

IKEA who put in Rs 1,000 crore into their four lakh square feet store sprawled across 13 acres is not only stopping here. After Hyderabad, the next store is popping up in Mumbai and eventually in Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune and other cities.

The company is expecting a footfall of 60 lakh visitors in a year at their Hyderabad store. It will be open throughout the week from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. To keep the customers coming, IKEA is banking not only on their product catalogue but also on food. IKEA's Hyderabad store will also have the company's biggest restaurant in the world.

From vegetarian fare like idli and sambar, samosa and vegetable biryani to non-vegetarian dishes, the IKEA restaurant's menu is tailored to suit the Indian taste buds. Pork and beef fare will be replaced by chicken dishes for the non-vegetarian customers. The 1,000-seater restaurant will have a very affordable menu including a plate of samosas for Rs 10.

By 2025, IKEA plans to open 25 stores in India. Moreover, it is also planning to eventually open large or small format stores in at least 49 other Indian cities with population of more than a million.

Keeping up with the times, IKEA is also aiming to start their online operations from Mumbai next year. It is planning to roll out online sales in cities where it can support them with delivery and assembling services.

(Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)

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Cyrus Mistry, the ousted Tata Sons chairman, may have lost the boardroom battle against the conglomerate at NCLT last month, but he will certainly be hoping for better luck with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). The NCLAT is scheduled to hear an appeal on the NCLT order regarding his dismissal today.

The hearing was supposed to have happened yesterday but given the absence of Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the counsel for Tata Sons, the two-member NCLAT postponed it by a day.

To remind you, on July 9, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai had dismissed Mistry's pleas challenging his abrupt ouster as well as his allegations of rampant misconduct in the top echelons of Tata Sons, the holding company of the software-to-steel conglomerate.

Mistry, who was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons, was sacked in October 2016 after a nearly four-year reign. Incidentally, his was the shortest stint in the hot seat in the Tata Group's 150-year history. Two months after his removal, Mistry's family-run firms Cyrus Investments Pvt Ltd and Sterling Investments Corp approached the NCLT as minority shareholders against the company.

In his pleas, Mistry primarily argued that his removal was not in accordance with the Companies Act and that there was rampant mismanagement of affairs across Tata Sons. He had further alleged that Tata Trust chairperson Ratan Tata - who had retired as the company's chairman in 2012 and was succeeded by Mistry - and trustee N Soonawala interfered with the day-to-day operations of the group companies, acting as shadow directors, and all of the above had caused massive revenue loss for the group.

The Tata Group had denied all charges, saying that Mistry had been removed because the Board had lost confidence in him. The group patriarch felt vindicated when the NCLT's Mumbai bench eventually ruled that the Tata Sons' Board was "competent" to remove the executive chairperson of the company. The bench members, BSV Prakash Kumar and V Nallasenapathy, had added that Mistry was ousted as chairman because the Tata Sons' Board and its majority shareholders had "lost confidence in him".

Mistry then approached NCLAT last week against the NCLT's ruling. The appellate tribunal today will reportedly also decide whether a stay on Tata Sons' conversion into a private limited company will be granted. Mistry had filed the petition seeking a stay on the conversion while challenging the NCLT order.

Last September, Tata Sons had won the approval of its shareholders to convert itself into a private limited company. The switch from being a public limited company to a private entity was not only expected to usher in a quicker decision making process in the company, but also limit the Mistry family's scope to sell their stake to outsiders. A public limited company allows shareholders to legally sell their stake to anyone. But a shareholder of a private limited firm cannot sell the shares to outside investors.

The Mistry family, in turn, had launched an aggressive campaign ahead of the annual general meeting to prevent the Tata Group from getting the three-fourths majority for the approval of the proposal, terming the move as oppression of minority interests.

The NCLAT's verdict will determine whether Tata Sons' plans can come into effect. So a lot is riding on the hearing today.

With PTI inputs

Edited By Sushmita Choudhury Agarwal
Homegrown ride-hailing company Ola seems to be playing all the right cards as far as growth is concerned. After establishing itself as a frontrunner in India, Ola has been on an expansion mode, launching its cab service in Australia as well as the UK. Hot on the heels of this expansion is Singapore-based Temasek's purchasing of a single-digit stake in Ola for $225 million. This is considered a major step in Ola's larger plan to raise $1 billion in wake of its expansion strategy.

A report published in the Economic Times said the stake was bought from a group of early investors in the company though Temsek is also in discussion with Ola's management to pump in more funds into the company by way of subscription to new shares.

Temasek is a global investment company, whose portfolio spans a broad spectrum of industries, including financial services, telecommunications, media and technology, consumer and real estate, transportation and industrials, etc. Having such a strong investor on board will give Ola an edge to raise more funds in future, say experts. In this round of investment, some early employees of Ola, including Rehan Yar Khan and VC investors like Accel India, Bessemer Venture Partners, Texiforsure founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Raghunandan G, etc, will sell some of their shares in Ola.

On August 7, Ola had announced the company's expansion to the UK where it will not only offer passengers the option to book private hire vehicles (PHVs), but also black cabs. The company is also planning to add other modes of transport on the same platform in the future.

The company started its first overseas expansion in Perth, Australia, in a hope to counter ride-hailing giant, Uber. Like other top start-up companies like Zomato and Paytm, Ola is also aiming to expand overseas where it has a chance to make more money, though high customer expectations remain a challenge.

In July, Ola said it had started making profit after facing losses for the past two years. In financial year 2016-17, Ola reported losses of over Rs 4,897 crore, as per documents filed with Registrar of Companies (RoC). In 2017-18, it reported losses to the tune of Rs 2,313 crore. However, the battle is far from over. The company has projected a net operating loss of Rs 1,235 crore for FY19, according to its latest valuation report filed with MCA for the stock acquisition of public transport ticketing app, Ridlr.

According to the company's filings with the ministry of corporate affairs, although Ola curtailed variable costs such as advertising and promotion expenses by 53 per cent to Rs 285 crore in FY17, against Rs 438 crore in the previous fiscal, its fixed costs such as salary expenses increased to Rs 572 crore from Rs 461 crore.

(Edited by Manoj Sharma)
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has red flagged a USD 2.1 billion Indian Navy contract, awarded to Boeing during the previous UPA government, stating that the US company was favoured over rival bidder EADS CASA of Spain for procuring a fleet of P-8I maritime reconnaissance and antisubmarine warfare planes.

In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, CAG said the Defence Ministry enhanced the financial bid of the Spanish aerospace firm to provide for a 20-year product support cost on the assumption that Boeing's offer had a similar provision.

However, Boeing, at a later stage, offered the aircraft maintenance support under a separate negotiable contract, the auditor said, while terming as "incorrect" the conclusion that the US company was the lowest bidder (L1). It said enhancing the financial bid of the Spanish company by including its product support cost resulted in pushing it to L-2 status (second lowest bidder).

The report states that the contract was concluded with Boeing in January 2009 at USD 2.1 billion (about Rs 14,500 crore at the current exchange rate).

At a later date, Boeing, USA, offered the product support under a separate negotiable contract and consequently the deduced ranking of Boeing, USA as L-1 (the lowest bidder) turned out to be incorrect, the report said.

The report further states that the Defence Ministry had set the offset obligation by Boeing at USD 641 million (Rs 3,127.43 crore) which was to be met by August 2016. However, the US company has failed to fulfil the offset obligation. Boeing had claimed offset credits on mere placement of purchase orders defeating the very purpose of offset obligations, the report states.

Under India's offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.

The report also reveals that the navy's requirement had envisaged the procurement of torpedoes and bombs as the ammunition for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). However, the contract for procurement of the bombs had not yet been concluded.

The 2009 deal was for eight P-8I (Poseidon Eight India) aircraft. The first aircraft came to India in May 2013 and all the eight aircraft have been fully integrated into Indian Navy's operations. Besides, the report highlights the fact that the failure to procure long range sonobuoys required to detect submarines also impacted the surveillance capability of the navy.

According to the CAG report, one of the primary roles of the aircraft is anti-submarine warfare performed by the acoustic system on board in association with sonobuoys, which not only provides capability to detect and track submarines accurately but also helps in garnering volumes of acoustic data.
6,000 medicine brands worth about Rs 2,500-odd crore are likely to be banned soon. These are 343 Fixed Dose Combinations (drugs with two or more active ingredients), which the Drugs Technical Advisory Board will be asking the Health Ministry to ban.

India's Rs 1.10 lakh crore, drug market is saturated with over 25,000 brands and 349 FDCs were banned two years back as they were deemed "unsafe" and "irrational". Pharma companies and the government battled it out in various courts and eventually the Supreme Court directed the government to set up another committee to take a fresh look. The second committee has asked the government to ban all but six FDCs from the list it was given.

FDCs are a mechanism to evade price control measures and the same drug can be used to treat multiple diseases. Patient advocacy groups, however, have been arguing that the combinations are not permitted in most developed nations because they are unsafe. Patient safety is the primary concern, and the government should resist pressure from the drug-manufacturing lobby, when deciding what to ban.

P.B. Jayakumar
Pakistan's economy is in doldrums" bureaucrats making a beeline for Prime Minister designate Imran Khan's palatial Islamabad home are initiating conversations with this sentence.

They can hardly be blamed. How else would they describe the economy of a nation that is at the International Monetary Fund's doorstep for a bailout to avert an ongoing currency crisis? This is the 14th time in the last 40 years that our neighbour has asked the IMF to rescue it and in the last 60 years it has been to the IMF 21 times. This time round, however, it isn't going to be as easy and Khan knows that only too well.

Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded general elections there, and these days is piecing together support from smaller parties and independents to stitch his majority. His party won 115 seats in the lower house with 272 directly elected representatives.

It is expected that by 11 August, he will be able to form the government. In the interim, Khan has asked his confidante, Pakistani entrepreneur Asad Umar - the front-runner for the finance minister's job - to get ready to convince the IMF to give Pakistan a $12 billion package - twice as high as the $5.3 billion given in 2013.

India faced a similar situation in the late eighties and early nineties. We did, however, have an advantage - we only needed to move out of a closed economy to an open one, whereas Pakistan needs a complete overhaul.

Khan in his pre-election campaigns promised increased spending on affordable and accessible healthcare, nutrition, school upgradation and expanding the social safety net, where the spending is less than 3 per cent. To achieve this, however, he will have to make sharp cuts in his defence allocations. But given the equations in Pakistan, Khan wont find this easy.

In the last two years, after the IMFs last extended fund facility ended in 2016, Pakistan witnessed political and economical turmoil and when the last fiscal ended, its current account deficit had widened to 43 per cent, with an import bill amounting to $55.8 billion. The stability achieved during these years withered.

The Pakistani Rupee is already under pressure: the State Bank of Pakistan - its central bank - has devalued the currency four times in the last seven months to resolve balance of payment issues resulting in over 20 per cent depreciation.

On 1 August, the Pakistani Rupee was valued at Rs 128 and some change to buy a US dollar bill. Experts say it is still over-valued and likely to depreciate another 10 per cent in the next one month. The major factor in widening the current account deficit is increased imports thanks to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, (CPEC), slant in remittances and oil price recovery. The low hanging fruit for Khan's establishment could be increasing remittances banking on his popularity among the diaspora.

Foreign exchange reserves are also depleting quickly. The corpus of $16.1 billion in April last year is less than $9 billion today - only good enough to suffice about 43 days of imports-And all of this is only increasing pressure on the currency.

Meanwhile, other macro-numbers like the fiscal and revenue deficits are worrisome. And since direct tax payers are less than 0.6 per cent of population, the collection is dismal too - 4.1 per cent of GDP collected via direct tax. Since it was an election year, Islamabad reduced taxes on commodities such as petrol and diesel. Increased public spending resulted in the fiscal deficit slipping to 6.8 per cent of GDP. Even otherwise, tax collections in Pakistan remained disappointing because of large scale tax evasions. Khan in his poll promise committed to change this.

Meanwhile, the US who is the principal promoter of the IMF opposes any bail-out package for Pakistan. In an interview to an American business news channel, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said, any potential IMF bailout for Pakistans new government should not provide funds to pay off Chinese lenders. Pakistani officials are obviously denying this. That is a clear signal that Islamabad will have to share the details of the hitherto protected $62 billion debt blueprint to build infrastructure, road, railways, power plants, ports, transmission lines and enhance manufacturing capacity.

This may open up another Pandora's Box for the new government as sovereign debt is taken with the commitment of a higher rate of return. The US is not all wrong, the $2.8 trillion foreign debt for $308 billion economy is a trouble. "We will require $10-$12 billion to ignite the investment cycle in the country," a PTI leader said. Pakistan is using this to convince the Chinese to increase debt flow.

Chinese Checkers

A day after the US warning, bureaucrats in Pakistan started clarifying that funds from IMF wont be linked to the CPEC project. Both Pakistan and China are sensitive to any criticism of the CPEC. India is worried that Beijing is systematically enmeshing Pakistan in debt, with a view to grabbing control of critical projects - for instance railways, ports and highways - similar to the way it did with Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Besides, India has reservations on this project, since CPEC will cut across the Gilgit and Baltistan region -which India accuses Pakistan of occupying illegally-to reach the oasis city of Kashgar in Xinjiang province in China.

There are two big challenges for Khan here, debt is expensive, repayment begins almost immediately, and there are hardly any high-end jobs for Pakistanis. In the last fiscal, the first tranche of $5 billion debt reached Pakistan to fund CPEC projects along with addition US$1.5 billion trade facility. This year, the $5 billion disbursement is committed, plus both the talent and the machinery are coming from China.

In all, China's commitment was for debt of $62 billion and repayment will start after 2020 followed by repatriation of profits. Pakistans GDP expanded by 5.8 per cent in the last fiscal, and is expected to grow by another 5.5 per cent this fiscal. This is largely because of foreign debt. Projects are executed by Chinese companies with their own employees and there is resentment about the failure to create sufficient jobs for the local populace in parts of Baluchistan and Punjab where projects have begun. Along with this, expats also add up on the services import list. Khans challenge is complicated further by a series of allegations of corruption. His party leaders are telling the media they want to study the project and allegations of graft against Pakistans political families.

In the last fiscal, Pakistan managed to obtain roughly $10 billion dollars to service the foreign debt. The CPEC repayments will start from 2020, and by 2024 Islamabad will have to pay Beijing $4.5 billion annually. This, in addition to the $22 billion capital goods import required in next three years for completion of these projects. The CPEC deal and the history of dealing with the Chinese bank is clear, and further disbursement of the loan will depend on Pakistan's capacity for repayment.

But as the project started neared commencement, the Chinese establishment realised that it is corruption that is the biggest threat to the CPEC, and not the objections by the US and India. In December 2017, China stopped funding for three road sector projects. Pakistan's ranking in Transparency International's latest index of corruption is 117 while India is at 76. If Imran Khan can reign it in or not, only time will tell. "He won on an anti-corruption plank. We expect him to execute the project with much more vigour," says Sushant Sareen, strategic analyst and fellow at ORF.

What worries India is the possibility that the Chinese use their leverage to become more dominant in their negotiations. In December 2017, the State Bank of Pakistan, said, public and private sector enterprises (both of Pakistan and China) were free to choose the Yuan for bilateral trade and investment activities, largely to reduce dependency on the US dollar. "The Chinese establishment was pushing the regime in Pakistan to allow Yuan as legal tender at least in the region around Gwadar in Baluchistan," says Faheem Jehan Zeb, security analyst based in Lahore. "This was a trade-off." He added that this didn't work much, "most Pakistani businesses have interests in Gulf or in the western world..Trading in Yuan is a distant dream".

Ashok K.Behuria, a Fellow and Coordinator of the South Asia Centre at IDSA, said, in his post-election address, Khan spoke positively on China. "There is consensus among the political elite, on CPEC and its utility for Pakistan. There is a difference in the costs the country might have to pay for this." Meanwhile, former Indian foreign secretary, Kanwal Sibal says, he might ask for more projects for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, instead of the current plan, where Punjab dominates. As luck would have it; the Chinese have a track record of hard negotiations especially when they know you are in bad shape.

Worried Delhi

On July 31, Khan's confidante Fawad Choudhary stirred things up when he said, they were mulling the option of inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and heads of other SAARC countries - exactly what Modi did in 2014 - to mark the beginning of a new era in their country. New Delhi is cautious of developments in the neighbourhood, both from the strategic and the economic perspective. A senior official in the security establishment told Business Today, that the situation is being monitored and India is open to any movement towards peace in the general region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, was advised to avoid going to Pakistan. Choudhary subsequently clarified that his party had decided against inviting any foreign head of state. India has expectedly, adopted a wait-and-watch policy and will wait for Khan to make the first move.

In his post-election speech, Imran Khan took a cautious stand on resolving the Kashmir issue. And New Delhi wasn't waiting with bated breath for a drastic change in Pakistan's stance on Kashmir, in any case. In the last six years, the biggest casualty in the Indo-Pak relationship remained the squeezing of trade and business opportunities. Industries on both sides of the border hope Khan means business. The trade between the two countries is less than $5 billion, but think-tanks on both sides believe this can increase six times -with liberalisation of visas, removal of non-tariff barriers and direct linkages of banks. But this has been the story of relationship between the two countries, ever since they were born in 1947.

Pushing for the roadmap agreed upon in 2012, India wants most favored nation status; Pakistan of course, continued to delay it. And later the accelerated attacks-at Uri army base and Pathankot airbase-and aggravation of the Kashmir situation played spoilsport.

Will Khan be able to delink Kashmir with trade? Only time will tell. Indian security experts are sceptical. Former Additional Secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat, Rana Banerji, says that Khan might have good intentions, but India will have to react based on execution. He added, in these elections, Khan's party openly courted the cadres of the Harkat ul Mujhahideen -designated a terrorist organisation by the United Nations - along with the history of allocation of public money (from budget of his party run government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) to religious seminary Darul Uloom Haqqania -run by a cleric know as 'The Father of the Taliban'. There are also allegations that a large section of the Pakistan Army's dispensation, 'helped him'. And may seek their pound of flesh when the time comes, he added.

In January this year, Pakistan got a major shock, when US president Donald Trump suspended a substantial part of the $1.3 billion military aid. He questioned Pakistan's covert support to the Taliban and now the PTI has openly used Taliban support to win polls. Meanwhile, senior officials in Indian foreign ministry told BT, they are aware of Khan's soft corner for radicals and add "but we will, have to do business with him."
Two portfolios well worth looking at:

Photos of Abandoned Russia, mostly by Russian photographers.

and

Dramatic Photos of the California Wildfires.

More less as an aside, another thing I found at the Atlantic site that I loved is "Your Lying Mind: The Cognitive Biases Tricking Your Brain," which mentions an economist who uses constructed photographs to modify cognitive behavior:

"[Present bias] led a scholar named Hal Hershfield to play around with photographs. Hershfield is a marketing professor at UCLA whose research starts from the idea that people are 'estranged' from their future self. As a result, he explained in a 2011 paper, 'saving is like a choice between spending money today or giving it to a stranger years from now.' The paper described an attempt by Hershfield and several colleagues to modify that state of mind in their students. They had the students observe, for a minute or so, virtual-reality avatars showing what they would look like at age 70. Then they asked the students what they would do if they unexpectedly came into $1,000. The students who had looked their older self in the eye said they would put an average of $172 into a retirement account. Thats more than double the amount that would have been invested by members of the control group, who were willing to sock away an average of only $80."

Another bit that from the article that made me laugh: economists will routinely walk out of bad movies and stop eating bad meals in restaurants.

Why? Because they've internalized the sunk-cost fallacy. "Sunk-cost thinking," as you probably know, "tells us to stick with a bad investment because of the money we have already lost on it; to finish an unappetizing restaurant meal because, after all, were paying for it; to prosecute an unwinnable war because of the investment of blood and treasure." The article makes no bones about it: "In all cases, this way of thinking is rubbish."

The "Lying Mind" has little to do with photography (except that it tells you not to believe your eyes), but I couldn't help thinking of a cognitive bias called "base-rate neglect" when I was looking at the pictures of the California wildfires. Base-rate neglect is defined as people's "disinclination to believe statistical and other general evidence, basing their judgments instead on individual examples and vivid anecdotes." "Individual examples and vivid anecdotes" describes the reason why photographs so often bring distant events and dull statistics to life for usthey personalize abstractions and make news more real. Bet you can't look at the photograph of the beaming policeman and the orphaned fawn without feeling some sort of emotion.

But it occurred to me that base-rate neglect is exactly why honest journalism and objective editing is so crucial, and why it can't be replaced by random and relativistic crowd-sourcing, marketing, and propaganda: because when something is well-edited, we can more readily believe that the journalists are showing us "individual examples and vivid anecdotes" that accord accurately with their honest perception of "statistical and other general evidence." In other words, we trust that an edited set of photographs of the California wildfires give us a broader "picture" of the event that's in line with everything else the photographers and photo-editors know about the situation. They're anecdotal, all right, but they're accurate anecdotes.

Cynics will say that's just the ideal of journalism, not something journalism always actually achieves. Which is probably true. But since when it is no longer worth striving for ideals?

P.S. In the Wildfire portfolio, note especially photo #11. That's the overpass from which Ansel Adams took his famous picture "Clearing Winter Storm, 1935."

Mike

(Thanks to Jim Hayes and Scott Kirkpatrick)

Original contents copyright 2018 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Greg Mironchuk: "I know that this is a personal bias...but...I can't get past the observation that all the photos in the Abandoned Russia piece were sourced from Wikipedia and Shutterstock...either free, or 50 cents per photo. They must have invested a whole $12.00 on this, including a pro-rata on their Web Guy's time. As a person who spent most of his adult life being paid to make photos (and watching that all dry up, and go away), I can't help but feel hurt about this. Even if the genesis of the piece's fundamental idea was to use Russian photographers/photographs, they could have invested twenty minutes, and a few dollars, on Russian Pro Photographers, and Russian Professional stock photos...if, for nothing else, because we all ought to be watching each others' backs, in bad times...not exploiting anything that we can get away with not paying for. Shame on The Atlantic."

Mike replies: Reminds me of this cover. By the way, the Harlan Ellison [R.I.P.] video in that post still makes me laugh.

And if you go see that video on that post, be sure to see this followup. But be sure to watch the video first.

Chris Kern: "Photographers, of course, are notoriously subject to incremental lens bias, the persistent fallacious belief that adding just one more lens to their inventory will significantly improve their work."

Peter Wright: "Both of these excellent portfolios show pictures that are surrealist and apocalyptic. Both show subject matter that is in the process of change: one very rapid and one relatively slow, but neither set would be possible at some not-too-distant time in the future. They really show photography's strength and counteract the 'It's all been shot already' type of thinking. Thanks for drawing our attention."

Oskar Ojala: "Have to agree with Greg about the photos of the abandoned places in Russia. And the overall quality shows: the photos are not stylistically similar at all and practically no effort has been spent into tying these photos into some sort of narrative, explaining how they relate to history and geography. This would have been important due to the vast areas and multiple key events in history involved. Sadly, it's more reminiscent of one of those 'Top 21' lists on the Internet rather than a proper piece."

Bahi: "Last night, I heard two long audio interviews (part 1 and part 2) with Spencer Greenberg, touching on cognitive biases among other things. Mike, I know you're not a fan of long audio interviews but I found them interesting enough that I ended up visiting one of Greenberg's own sites, Clearer Thinking, which I think you'd like. It provides tests and articles to try to help us deal with our own misconceptions and biases. I tried some of the tests and found them useful and interesting."

Igor: "Ha! For abandoned as well as modern Russia you should go here. There are orders of magnitude more interesting photos with meaningful text on that site. The Atlantic pales in comparison."

Steve Rosenblum (partial comment): "Yes, the field documenting cognitive biases was pretty much started in the 1970s by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, and Kahneman later won the Nobel Prize in Economics for their work despite being a psychologist (Twersky had died earlier and Nobels only go to the living). Danny Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow is a fascinating account of their work if you want the technical detail, and Michael Lewis's book The Undoing Project explains the work within the context of their long friendship and working relationship. The tendency of our minds to play cognitive tricks on us should concern pretty much anyone involved in important decision making. I know that it gave me great pause during the years of my medical practice. There is no doubt that we doctors frequently make poor decisions due to these sorts of biases."
08 Aug 2018, 1:10 PM

PNB posts Rs 940 crore Q1 loss amid decline in NPAs

Scam-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) reported a loss of Rs 940 crore for the June quarter of financial year 2018-19. The public sector lender had posted a net profit of Rs 343.40 crore in the same quarter of last fiscal. This is the second consecutive quarterly loss for the second biggest state-run lender. The scam-hit bank had recorded biggest ever quarterly loss of Rs 13,417 crore for the January-March period on the back of Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi fraud. Total income of the bank rose to Rs 15,072 crore from Rs 14,468.14 crore in the year-ago period.

Govt hikes import duty on 328 textile items to boost domestic production

In yet another move to boost domestic manufacturing, the government on Tuesday doubled import duty on as many as 328 textile products to 20 per cent. The government expects that the increase in duties would give an edge to domestic manufacturers as imported products are currently cheaper. And increase in manufacturing activity will help create jobs in the sector, which employs about 10.5 crore people.Last month, the government had doubled import duty on over 50 textile products - including jackets, suits and carpets - to 20 per cent, a move that was aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing.

Civil Aviation Ministry plans Rs 11,000-crore bailout package for Air India

The Civil Aviation Ministry is in discussions with the Finance Ministry for a Rs 11,000 crore bailout package for ailing Air India, sources said. The discussions come against the backdrop of a failed effort to privatise the loss-making airline, which continues to grapple with financial woes. Sources in the know said that the Civil Aviation Ministry is working on a bailout package for the carrier, which would be utilised to reduce high cost working capital loans.

Parliamentary panel asks RBI to restore letters of undertaking at the earliest

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce asked the apex bank to restore LoUs at the earliest with "proper safeguards" so as to increase the availability of credit for traders. The report further claimed that the ban resulted in a jump in the cost of credit by 2-2.5 per cent. Previously, these instruments were largely issued by domestic branches of Indian banks for customers to avail trade credit from foreign branches of other Indian banks and, thus, ease the high cost of imports.

The panel pointed out that the increased cost of financing would only hurt the cost-competitiveness of country's trade and industry, and have a cascading effect on jobs. And the loss of jobs is something the country can ill-afford.

Indian banks lose Rs 70,000 crore due to frauds in last 3 financial years

Indian banks reported a total loss of about Rs 70,000 crore due to frauds during the last three fiscals up to March 2018, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. The extent of loss in fraud cases reported by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 was Rs 16,409 crore, Rs 16,652 crore and Rs 36,694 crore, respectively, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in a written reply quoting RBI data.

The minister said that data of frauds is as per the year of reporting and not the year of occurrence of fraud or sanction of loan, letter of undertaking, which may might be of an earlier period.

17 lakh Maharashtra govt employees start 3-day strike for salary hike

Around 17 lakh employees of the Maharashtra government began their three-day strike on Tuesday to press for various demands, including implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report. Essential services in various departments, including government hospitals, are likely to be affected as class 3 and 4 government employees have joined the strike, Maharashtra Rajya Sarkari Karmachari Madhyavarti Sanghatna general secretary Avinash Daund claimed. The government employees are yet to receive arrears accrued to them since the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission by the state government.

NCLAT extends deadline for submission of revised bids for Bhushan Power & Steel

The prolonged battle for the debt-ridden Bhushan Power and Steel has just gotten stretched out even more. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal extended the deadline for revised bid submission by yet another week, so things are unlikely to wrap up anytime soon. The Tribunal pushed back the deadline to August 13 on the plea of Tata Steel, which had been declared the highest bidder in July - for the second time.
The telecom sector is at a crossroad. For almost three years, since the entry of Reliance Jio, the fundamentals of the sector have gone for a toss. The fight between new operator Jio and incumbents has reached a stage where fresh investments in improving the quality of services, and future technologies like 5G have been affected. In a conversation with Business Today's Manu Kaushik, Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan talks about a whole bunch of issues, including the ambitious targets set out in the draft telecom policy, 5G roadmap, the expected timeline of the return of stability in the sector and the future of MTNL and BSNL. Edited excerpts:

The draft telecom policy mentions attracting investments of $100 billion in the next four-five years in the telecom sector. Many people believe that it's too ambitious target. How do you justify these targets?

The fact of the matter is that digital infrastructure is becoming far too important for us. Unlike other forms of infrastructure, the digital infrastructure can actually supplant a lot of physical infrastructure. We admit that we have a huge physical infrastructure deficit, and huge service deficit. The only you can hope to bridge that kind of deficit within a foreseeable period is if you invest heavily in digital infrastructure. There's a handicap because this infrastructure is invisible.

People are very happy and they want to have more roads, more ports, more airports, more railways, etc. In each of these cases, 90-100 per cent of the investment is coming from the government. In this sector, 100 per cent of the investment is coming from the private sector. Then, we want to also expropriate revenues from this sector like rights of way. Apart from GST which is 18 per cent, we have a levy of 31.2 per cent. If you add the spectrum charges, it's somewhere 42 per cent. For every rupee earned by the sector, forty paisa is coming back to the government, and they are going into physical infrastructure. There's a gross asymmetry, and one of the things is to draw attention to that.

How are we saying that these are not unattainable targets? Let's look at the only comparable market which is China. Even though we are the second largest sector, it's possible that over the next 10 years, we will actually become the largest sector. China is investing $70 billion in telecom every year - that's $350 billion in five years. We are saying only $100 billion. It's the kind of investment that you would require if you want 100 per cent of your towers to be fiberised, smart city infrastructure to come up, broadband penetration to reach every citizen, and enable 5G. All of us have to put our heads together, and see how we can make it happen.

When do you expect the tariff wars to draw down?

You have three very strong players. Now these three players will continue to invest if they are able to see returns. Till about 2019 or the first quarter of 2020, after that I do believe that the fundamentals of the market will take over, and you will see enough monetisation. Basically, I think that even for Jio, there's a trend towards monetisation. I think that you will probably have a situation where each of the market players will have the same size. This tariff war will shift to a service war. That's the only way they will survive. Jio has the same compulsion as others. All kinds of inputs that I am receiving are that once they (Jio) get to have respectable [subscriber] share, they will come in line with the rest of the sector. They will have to.

Do you think operators are investing enough in improving the quality of services?

The quality of service has been the biggest casualty. Quality of service is poor. So we have to do a lot of work on the quality of services. I think that will have to be the big effort going forward. Actually it's a mystery. Operators say that it's because unlike the rest of the world, the loads in peak density areas is skewed. They say the density is almost two-three times what you would find in a similar tower. Therefore, these equipment have not been made for that kind of (traffic). But I'm not sure. I think the way voice and data have grown, our infrastructure growth has not kept pace. They are not investing enough but we have to let this period stabilize.

But the operators keep saying that they are investing?

It's going in to conversion from 3G to 4G but much more investment has to come.

What's happening on the 5G front?

One of the big milestones in the last few months has been the setting up of this high-level committee. It is the first time all three secretaries - Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and telecom - have come together. The roadmap is evolving quite well. The roadmap is looking at three things. One is accelerating the early deployment, and making sure the deployment scenarios are identified in advance. The second thing that we are looking at is to try to influence the whole evolution of the 5G framework. The third is to try to develop core expertise in these technologies.

The key in the future is going to be how much IPR we can generate in these areas. The fact of the matter is that right now we don't have the kinds of IPRs we should be holding. It's a peculiar situation. It's not that Indians don't have the capabilities. We have the capabilities but most of the IPRs are residing with foreign companies. One of the longer term objectives is how to actually get into some of these core areas and develop our own manufacturing and research capabilities.

The transition from 4G to 5G will be a software transition so it can be done much faster. One thing critical for this is: What's the state of readiness of the rest of industry because at the end of the day? Telcos need to be able to make money out of it. The second will be the availability of spectrum for 5G. For that, TRAI is already is in advanced stage of finalizing their recommendations on spectrum for 5G.

The finance ministry expects some 58 per cent increase in revenue from the telecom sector in 2018/19. Given the state of the telecom sector, what are going to be key drivers of this growth in revenues?

They have taken conventional approach that over the last 15 years, the telecom has been steadily growing, and they have extrapolated that and said that the same kind of growth will continue. But I think some amount of rationalization of that will happen.

What are your long-term plans with state-run MTNL and BSNL?

MTNL is a more challenging problem than BSNL. BSNL still has good assets in rural areas, and they still have pockets where they are very strong. For example, they are number one in Kerala. In some states, they are #2, and in many states, they are #3. It's a technology investment problem. BSNL has a legacy of large number of people. Now everything is changing in terms of technology. For example, the minister has already said that we will consider BSNL for 4G spectrum. Once they get 4G spectrum, they will have to upgrade their networks, and they will be in a better position to compete. In the next five years, we expect a lot of rationalization of staff to happen. They still have over a lakh people.

For MTNL, there are three-four proposals right now. One of them is merger with BSNL. I don't know whether that decision is really going to help the two companies because BSNL is healthier, and tagging on MTNL will really help, I don't know. The other proposal is to how can we monetize the land assets, and try to reinvest into the company. For many years, they have not invested in networks. We are looking at these options.
Xiaomi has finally taken the wraps off Mi A2, its second generation Android One device. After a successful run with the Mi A1, the new device is expected to perform better considering the price to performance ratio. The Mi A2 will be sold exclusively via Amazon India's website and Xiaomi's own online platform.

Xiaomi has priced the Android One smartphone competitively at Rs 16,999 for the 4GB RAM, 64GB storage variant. The company has promised to get the 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant later this year. The device has been launched in four colours Black, Lake Blue, Rose Gold and Gold. The pre-orders for the device will begin at 12pm on Thursday and the device will go on sale from August 14, 12pm.

The company is offering Rs 2200 instant cashback and up to 4.5 TB free data from Reliance Jio. Apart from this, a premium soft case will come bundled with the Mi A2.

Here are the key points to consider before purchasing Xiaomi Mi A2:

Design

The design is identical to the Xiaomi Mi 6X that only showed up in China. Mi A2 is unmistakably Xiaomi when it comes to external looks. The back gets metal treatment with antenna lines pushed to the edges. The camera is stacked vertically with a slightly protruding protective ring.

Overall, the design looks up to date but lacks the futuristic notch design that comes with its cheaper sibling Mi A2 Lite. However, Xiaomi has still placed a display with 18:9 aspect ratio which gives a considerable screen real estate to play with.

Processor

Mi A2 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660 coupled with Adreno 512 GPU, making it the only smartphone with this chip under Rs 20,000. The closest, in terms of processing power, is Honor Play which comes with Huawei's flagship Kirin 970 but is priced higher at Rs 19,999.

The octa-core processor comes with four 2.2 GHz Kryo 260 cores and four 1.8 GHz Kryo 260 cores. The 660 chip is the flagship chipset in Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600-series. The newly launched Snapdragon 710 sits above Snapdragon 660.

Camera

One of the strongest points of the Mi A2 is its camera setup, both in the front and rear. The Mi A2 comes with a dual camera setup on the rear with one 12 megapixel sensor and another 20 megapixel sensor. Both sensors come with a relatively wide aperture of f/1.75. This can make it a great buy for option for low-light photography in this price segment. The front camera also comes with a 20 megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Both sensors use a technology called pixel binning which helps with sharper low-light images.

Xiaomi is betting big on Mi A2's camera and the sample pictures displayed by the company during the launch event seem promising. The company out rightly claims to have the best-in-class camera setup in the segment.

Features

Being an Android One device, Xiaomi Mi A2 will get all the latest and greatest updates shortly after Google launches them. As far as the Android One programme goes, Xiaomi Mi A2 will get regular updates for the next two years and will receive security patches for the next three years.

With the Android Pie being officially unveiled, the company has announced that Mi A2 will be one of the first devices to receive Google's latest update.
Ireland's allure as a post-Brexit base for global financial firms has driven wages for some roles considerably higher with some positions offering 15% more than a year ago.

Risk and compliance staff are particularly sought after, five of Dublin's leading recruitment consultants told Reuters. Expertise in data science and newer technologies such as payment platforms is also in demand.

And upwards pressure on wages could continue, with the central bank expected to approve more firms' expansion plans in the coming months.

While the higher pay is good news for workers, it can bring concerns for others. International financial firms only account for 2% of Irish jobs but have contributed to a sharp fall in the overall jobless rate. The central bank said last week the economy could overheat if capacity constraints emerge in the labor market.

"Financial services is one of the areas seeing a definite spike in recruitment," said Gerard Murnaghan, vice president at job search site Indeed. Its first-quarter postings were up 15% year-on-year.

Although Ireland is widely considered the most vulnerable among EU members to any change in trade after Brexit, the financial services firms want to keep close access to clients after Britain leaves the European Union in 2019.

Barclays, Legal & General Investment Management and Standard Life Aberdeen are among companies to pick Ireland as a post-Brexit base against stiff competition from rival centers including Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Paris.

Robert MacGiolla Phadraig, Sigmar Recruitment's chief commercial officer, said headhunted personnel were securing increases of between 10% and 15%, with front-office staff able to command the highest salary jumps.

Two thirds of employers surveyed by Sigmar and accounting firm EY earlier this year said they expected to give staff a pay rise in order to stop poaching by rivals, a practice already accounting for one in four hires.

"We have reached a tipping point.. this is a talent crisis."

Local banks Allied Irish Banks and Permanent TSB both said they had lost staff to international rivals in recent weeks, hobbled by a salary cap and ban on share-based remuneration.

Around a fifth of vacancies are being filled from abroad and more employers were also offering flexible working to help seal the deal.

Andrew Crawford, head of Experis Ireland, said applicants were coming from as far afield as Australia and the United States, after many had left following the 2008 financial crisis.

Ireland's economy has grown faster than any other in the European Union for the last four years and is forecast to expand by 5.6% in 2018 against 2.1% for the region.

The central bank last week said that fast growth could lead to "full capacity" in the economy with a risk it overheats and creates a boom-and-bust cycle.

But Brexit also brings with it some uncertainty for Ireland.

The central bank estimates that if neighboring Britain leaves the EU without a formal divorce agreement in March, it would shave 3.2% off economic growth over 10 years, and result in the creation of around 40,000 fewer jobs.

An economy is considered at its limit when unemployment is so low that rising wages push up prices. Ireland's jobless rate has dropped sharply in recent months to 5.1%, in part due to hiring at fund managers, insurers and foreign-owned banks.

Irish business lobby IBEC said it has also seen steep pay rises for specialist positions in other areas such as Ireland's large pharmaceutical and medical device sectors and for IT roles in retail. That was due to faster growth, rather than Brexit, however.

For those hiring, the wage rises can also bring problems. MacGiolla Phadraig said he was worried about the knock-on effect of defensive pay hikes on the competitiveness of the economy, which relies on foreign firms for almost one in ten jobs.

"The indicators are honestly quite worrying," he said.

Estelle Davis, managing partner at Brightwater Executive, said she had seen a near-20% rise in financial services job vacancies, with almost a quarter of senior roles placed in the second half of 2017 directly attributed to Brexit.

The buoyant economy and attractive market outlook was also encouraging ex-pat Irish workers to move back home, she said, particularly for more experienced hires, "someone who has 8 years plus senior management experience under their belt."

Returnees commanding higher wages nevertheless have to dig a little deeper to find a place to live as property prices, both commercial and residential heat up.

While average house prices are still 20% below their property bubble peak, they rose 11% in Dublin in the year to end-May. Residential rents have already passed the previous peak.

That, said Mark O'Donnell, a partner working in financial services in the Dublin office of Odgers, was the "biggest impediment" for some financial services firms.

"Rents have sky-rocketed and this has already put off potential new entrants." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Ireland is one of the top five global medtech hubs, with particularly strong growth in the past two years leading to 2,070 jobs being added. This is according to the Irish Medtech Association, the Ibec group that represents the medtech sector.

The Association today launched the Medtech Rising: The Irish Medtech CEO Conference which will be held in Cork for the first time, in Rochestown Park Hotel, 5-6 December. The event is hosted by the Irish Medtech Association, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

In Ireland as many as 68% of FDI multinational medtech companies already have some R&D activity, employing 1,229 R&D professionals and investing 181 million annually. But with global R&D spend to grow 3.7% (CAGR) reaching $33.5 billion by 2022. The Irish Medtech Association says Ireland needs to focus on more sophisticated R&D and use its world class reputation to help businesses here assume responsibility for whole product portfolios and deliver better outcomes for patients.

As many as 91% of medtech companies surveyed by Ibec have or are planning to put in place Brexit contingency plans to manage any disruptions it creates. Two thirds identified disruption of transit through the UK to the EU and customs barriers as a concern, while 40% said it would impact pricing and the level of imports from the UK.

Speaking today, Senior Development Advisor (Life Sciences Department) at Enterprise Ireland, John Shiel said, "As a small open economy in a globalised world, building relationships is more important than ever - thats why Medtech Rising 2018 is a must-attend event. It brings together global business leaders and experts and sets out the latest trends, while also giving the 500 attendees unparalleled networking opportunities with both start-ups and FDI multinationals in attendance. Irish start-ups continue to gain international attention and perform well with 102.55 million in financing raised by start-ups over the past two years. With sessions on topics like venture capital and investment strategies, Medtech Rising can help Irish medtech start-ups achieve their potential."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Ryanair was forced to cancel 250 flights scheduled to run to and from Germany on Friday after pilots there announced they would join a 24-hour walkout planned in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium.

The cancellations in Germany represent around 10% of the more than 2,400 flights it has scheduled across Europe that day. Ryanair Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Jacobs said the airline typically operates 250 flights in and out of Germany a day using crews based there.

Europe's biggest airline by passengers, which is struggling to agree labor deals with trade unions whom it agreed to recognize for the first time last year, has already canceled 146 flights in the three other countries impacted by Friday's planned action. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
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comment, editorial

Those calling for limits on renewable energy sources and the development of new coal-fired power plants were given another healthy dose of reality during the week, with news that under current emmissions levels, many parts of our planet could become uninhabitable. And while Europe cooks, America burns and Australia faces yet another crippling drought, Australia's politicians find themselves in yet another ideological tussle over energy security and our impact on the climate. But climate change is no longer a debate; it's real and we need to start planning and acting accordingly. Those who doubt its seriousness should take a moment to read the study "Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene" released earlier this week. Its' authors, including Professor Will Steffen of the ANU's Climate Change Institute, have warned the world is not doing enough to combat climate change and that we are close to a tipping point. "Sitting on our hands means we are at risk of driving the Earth - and human well-being - beyond an irreversible point of no return," he said. "[If that happened] many parts of the planet could become uninhabitable for humans." The Canberra Times report on the study, published on Tuesday morning, clocked up more than 110 strongly worded reader comments in less than 24 hours; The bulk of the feedback was strongly supportive of the need to act, and to act now. That is quite timely given a meeting in Sydney on Friday will determine the fate of the Turnbull Government's beleaguered National Energy Guarantee. At this stage it looks as if both the Victorian ALP Government and the ACT's ALP/Greens Coalition will veto the scheme which, admittedly, even its defenders accept is less than perfect. The current standoff is reminiscent of the decision by the Greens to block the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Kevin Rudd had taken to the 2007 election a decade ago. The then Prime Minister said the cap-and-trade scheme would have cut Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent of year 2000 levels by 2020. While the then leader of the Greens, Christine Milne, has said she has "no regrets" about that decision, the fact is her party's insistence on perfection stopped the momentum for environmentally sensitive energy reform, which had been validated at the ballot box, in its tracks. Although Ms Milne subsequently struck a carbon pricing deal with the Gillard Government it was too little too late. That scheme had not been implemented by the time the Coalition won the 2013 election. The decision to vote against the CPRS remains one of the worst missed opportunities in Australian political history. Critics of the scheme warn it locks in targets that are too low. This newspaper, among others, has argued it is better to introduce a flawed, but improvable, policy than to go on as we are and just do nothing. But the real tragedy is that again, after so many false starts, Australia risks losing another decade to squabbling about the shape and form our attempt to reign in emissions should take. The science is settled - the latest report shows that. Surely it isn't beyond our political leaders to unite around a workable compromise?

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news, latest-news

Molly still wants to be a fairy when she grows up. The 12-year-old has epilepsy and a chromosone condition so rare it doesn't have a name but it means she functions at the level of a six year old. Three years ago, her family thought they would lose her to a brain tumour. Now, she is about to graduate primary school. But, after carefully-orchestrated plans to place Molly in a specialist learning unit at Melba Copland Secondary School abruptly fell through last week, her parents fear she will lag even further behind her peers in a mainstream classroom. There are 48 learning support units across the territory's 107 schools, 14 of which are in high schools, where students with disabilities or autism can get more intensive support outside regular classes. Molly's mother Rebecca Davey, who also chairs disability not-for-profit SHOUT, said she was explicitly told by the ACT education directorate the decision to deny Molly a spot in a unit came down to her postcode, not her needs. The family live across the border in Murrumbateman but said they had been assured for the past three years they would not have to move to Canberra to guarantee her a place, as Molly's eligibility had already been ticked off. In an email seen by The Canberra Times, the directorate later told the family the decision was based on the unit's capacity and Molly would still have a spot at the school with extra support. A directorate spokesman said NSW students were given equal access to support units once they had been accepted into an ACT pathway school. While places were based on the needs of students and the group, with extra resources provided where there was identified need, he also confirmed they hinged on the "location of the program in relation to where students live" and the unit's vacancies and capacities. Students who could not get a place in support units were offered additional help in mainstream classrooms, the spokesman said. In Molly's case, it is understood she will also have some access to the unit though the details are yet to be finalised. Ms Davey said the family had been left in limbo, back to where they started with a model that wasn't working for Molly. A student's disability funding is given to schools to distribute based on need and Ms Davey said quieter kids like Molly were sometimes overlooked. "She's not the kid throwing chairs around the room needing attention, when she's upset she tends to fall asleep, so her funding isn't always going to her needs," Ms Davey said. The ACT government places a strong focus on supporting kids with disabilities in mainstream classes as part of its inclusion policy. But Molly's family say that, as she gets older, the arrangement is leaving her more isolated. "When she was little it was easier for her to integrate but now she's an adolescent, she doesn't have friends. There's lovely kids who give her a hug, but she doesn't get invited to parties. "She needs friends like her who still believe in Santa Claus and play with Peppa Pig figurines. She'll never catch up with the others. "In a unit, she'll still be at school with her siblings, but she'll be able to learn what she really needs, life skills." Specialist schools in the ACT such as Black Mountain School are also full at present. While the ACT is obliged to prioritise the enrolment of local students first, the spokesman did not say if this applied to enrolments of NSW students with disabilities, which are handled on a case-by-case basis. Executive officer of advocacy group People with Disabilities ACT Robert Altamore said places in learning units should be determined by a child's need alone. "There shouldn't be a cap," he said. "There's a profound lack of co-ordination between NSW and the ACT and people with disabilities are having all kinds of cross-border issues." The directorate did not say how a new limit on the number of schools in which NSW children can enrol affected students with disabilities. Know more? Get in touch: sherryn.groch@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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Centrelink will more than double its ranks of contractors answering calls as it turns again to private companies to bring phone wait times down. The Coalition government will pay contracted call centre operators for another 1500 staff to deal with surges in demand and cut its notorious phone queues. It will add to 1000 private staff Human Services Minister Michael Keenan announced in April and 250 who began under a trial last year, bringing their number to 2750. The expansion of contractors answering calls to Centrelink follows decisions to shed 2500 public servants in two years from the Department of Human Services overseeing the agency. Mr Keenan said the call centre pilot, with contractors Serco, proved efficient and that its staff had helped reduce busy signals on Centrelink phone lines by almost 20 per cent. The Department of Human Services has signed contracts with four private companies for the 1000 additional staff announced earlier this year to improve call wait times. It will pay Serco for more staff at their Victorian call centres, while Stellar Asia Pacific, Concentrix Services and DataCom Connect will have contractors answer phones in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. The main public sector union said privately employed call centre workers would not be the additional capacity that Centrelink needed. Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood said the agency needed more well-trained permanent staff rather than contracted call centre staff. "This costly process has taken months while there are empty desks in Centrelink offices around the country that could be filled almost immediately to provide the quality services that come with decent pay and comprehensive training," she said. "The community expects to deal with professionals, not get shunted around private call centres staffed by people being paid thousands of dollars less, with massive staff turnover. "Often these wasted hours on the phone only end when clients are transferred to a direct Centrelink employee who knows what theyre talking about." Labor Human Services spokeswoman Linda Burney said the government was addicted to outsourcing and was privatising Centrelink piece-by-piece. "Centrelink programs and income support are complex. Thats why its so important for Centrelink to have permanent staff who are trained and skilled to manage and assist the community," she said. "There have been consistent reports of poor practices and standards at outsourced call centres. Labor is very worried about compromised service delivery, insecure working arrangements, lower wages, reduced conditions and poorer quality training." Centrelink's phone services have been a source of massive frustration for clients left waiting for prolonged periods to reach staff or hitting busy signals, which met 55 million calls in 2016-17. Clients report abandoning calls after long waits, and Human Services last year named hold wait times, engaged signals and call disconnections among the top complaints it received. Department officials in May said average waiting time on calls had increased in the year to March 2018, from 15 minutes and 44 seconds up to 15 minutes and 56 seconds. Mr Keenan said Centrelink answered about 1 million calls a week.
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On Wednesday, August 8, Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd's resignation-sorry-early-departure will take effect. He is to be replaced by the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Peter Woolcott. If I'm not mistaken, Lloyd's resignation will herald a flurry of articles and opinion pieces on the political impacts of his tenure. We have already seen such contributions from the likes of Labor senator Jenny McAllister and The Canberra Times' Doug Dingwall, among others. I won't add further to the commentary on the political significance of Lloyd's time in office; I'm not in any way uniquely qualified to do so. However, I can comment on how his time in the role affected industrial relations in the Australian Public Service. First, some background. The Governor-General appointed Lloyd as commissioner on December 14, 2014, on the advice of then prime minister Tony Abbott. Before that, Lloyd had been Victoria's "red tape commissioner" and, between 2005 and 2010, he was the first Australian building and construction commissioner. Lloyd was a highly credentialed candidate who was undoubtedly qualified to head the Public Service Commission. However, it's also no secret that Lloyd's appointment was, at least in part, motivated by his anti-union pedigree at a time the Coalition government was firmly pursuing policies of greater workplace "flexibility" in the APS. Around the time of his appointment, University of Sydney academic Michael Rafferty reportedly said it would be hard to find someone with a "longer and stronger track record of anti-union work". This is because, as well as his previous senior roles in the public service, Lloyd was also closely connected to free-market thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs, where he was formerly director of its work reform and productivity unit. Indeed, some contend that these connections may have subsisted his appointment as Public Service Commissioner. Unsurprisingly, Lloyd's aspirations coming into the commissioner role appeared to align closely with the IPA's broad positions on industrial matters. During his time as commissioner, Lloyd has said that "on-demand" workers are the way of the future for the public service, that union involvement in the APS's workplace policies will decline, and that the public service would benefit from a greater alignment with private-sector hiring-and-firing practices. So, putting aside the controversy surrounding his departure, what will Lloyd's legacy be for industrial relations in the public service? And to what extent did he achieved his goals? Perhaps his most lasting legacy will be the federal Workplace Bargaining Policy 2018. Though substantially similar to the policy's earlier 2015 iteration, it nonetheless continues the Commonwealth's movement towards individual employment agreements in the APS. Key tenants of this policy are that "enterprise agreements and other workplace arrangements are not to contain restrictive work practices, unduly limit flexibility, or otherwise impede workplace reform" and that "remuneration increases are to be modest and to remain within agencies' existing budgets, reflecting the need for wages restraint in the current economic circumstances". Though they sound innocuous, these positions sent waves through the APS industrial relations landscape. Lloyd argued these policies are needed to "relax workplace rigidities and empower a modern and effective employer-employee relationship". Unions, however, suggest they "undermine enterprise bargaining and wages and conditions overall" for public servants. In any event, the results of this policy, and the earlier 2015 policy, seem to be more restrained wages growth and an increase in the number of contract workers, to name just two effects. I won't wade into the merits of this policy. However, if pursued further, it's clear that policies of the kind that Lloyd followed will result in a public service that more closely resembles private-sector workplaces. Another key legacy of Lloyd's will be the numerous enterprise agreements concluded with various departments and agencies during his tenure. These will govern the relationship that most public servants have with their employer, the Commonwealth, for years to come. Though these agreements undoubtedly contributed to the public service trends I mentioned above, perhaps Lloyd's most impactful (or at least most visible) influence on the agreements was their protracted, and sometimes tortured, bargaining process. Again, Lloyd argues that the blame for this lies firmly with the unions concerned, while the unions suggest Lloyd's approach prevented "workers from genuinely bargaining for decent wages and conditions". And again, I won't wade further into that debate. The lasting legacy of Lloyd's tenure on APS industrial relations remains to be seen, and depends in no small measure on the extent to which future governments continue, or unwind, his steps. But we can say that, with the appointment of career diplomat and public servant Woolcott as the next public service commissioner, it's unlikely the role will be as politicised (for better or worse) as it was under Lloyd. John Wilson is the managing legal director at BAL Lawyers and an accredited specialist in industrial relations and employment law. He thanks his colleague Robert Allen for his help in preparing this article. john.wilson@ballawyers.com.au

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Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the posts of Senior and Deputy Engineer. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government jobs here. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 160000. The last date to apply for the government jobs is Sep 1, 2018.

Engineering Jobs 2018: Apply For Assistant Posts In IOCL

BEL Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Senior Engineer and Deputy Engineer Organisation Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Educational Qualification BE or BTech from an AICTE-recognised university Experience 4 years Skills Required Engineering skills Job Location Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) Salary Scale INR 40000 to INR 160000 Industry Engineering Application Start Date August 8, 2018 Application End Date September 1, 2018

Maximum Age Limit: 32 years

Also Read: Thousands Of Vacancies Announced At Tech Mahindra

How To Apply For BEL Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for BEL Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log on to the BEL official website.

Step 2: Hover over Careers tab on the home page.

Step 3: Select Recruitment - Advertisement under that.

Step 4: Click on the application form link against Application for the post of Sr. Engineer/Dy. Engineer for Ghaziabad Unit.

Step 5: The application form will be displayed on the screen.

Step 6: Save it to your computer and take a printout of it.

Step 7: Enter your details in the fields provided.

Step 8: Send the completed application form to BEL.

BEL Recruitment 2018 Application Format And Mailing Address

Superscribe on the envelope, "Application for the post of *name of the post*" and send it by post or courier to:

Dy. General Manager (HR&A), Bharat Electronics Limited, Sahibabad Industrial Area, Ghaziabad - 201010.

Click here to read the detailed official notification.
M. Karunanidhi, the five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, passed away at the age of 94 on August 7, 2018. His sudden demise, owing to a long ailment, has shaken the state of Tamil Nadu along with the political fraternity. Amid the loss of the political head of the state, the Tamil Nadu government has announced a holiday for all educational institutes including the colleges, schools and government offices for today.

The president of the DMK political party, Karunanidhi, breathed his last at 6.10 pm. He was admitted to the Kauvery Hospital on July 28 with regards to a urinary tract infection, which later caused high fever, worsening his condition.

Karunanidhi, who was fondly called Kalaignar, was an active member in the Dravidian movement led by Periyar EV Ramasamy. He shared the top brass seat in politics along with the likes of MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

Tamil Nadu has announced a 7-day mourning period and educational institutes will be closed for today.
Photo: CTV

A man has been charged after the fatal beating of a Canada goose at Stanley Park.

The iconic bird was clubbed to death Monday in the Vancouver park.

Witness images show a shirtless man holding a large stick they say he used to beat the bird.

"He's out of control. Crazy," witness Ebi Abedfard told CTV.

The attack happened only a few steps from a daycare.

Witnesses called police, who arrested a 34-year-old man from Maple Ridge.

"The man was quite confrontational with bystanders," Sgt. Jason Robillard said. "Fortunately, the officers were able to arrest him without incident."

Timothy Richard Louis Rowley is charged with willfully causing unnecessary pain or suffering to the goose and is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Marg Leehane

Tourists staying at a lodge on a Vancouver Island were treated to a spectacular show when a group of humpback whales visited for breakfast.

Marg Leehane, co-owner of Great Bear Lodge in Port Hardy, decided it was worth waking up the guests at 6 a.m. Saturday when the whales approached the docks.

She shot a video that has been viewed more than 1.5 million times on Instagram and shows the whales leaping from the water mere metres from the tourists.

Leehane says the video shows the whales using a feeding technique called bubble netting, in which humpbacks blow a large circle of bubbles around fish to trap them.

She says she's never seen whales so close to the lodge, and until last year she'd never seen humpbacks in the area use the bubble-netting technique to catch fish.

The technique is learned, rather than instinctual, and not all groups of humpbacks know how to do it, so seeing it up close was a special experience for Leehane.

"One of them will swim in a circle around fish, and as it's doing it, it will release air from its blowhole, and basically create a net of bubbles," she says.

"Then the fish get more and more concentrated ... so (the whales) will get a lot more of them in each mouthful."

Leehane adds that the excited reaction of biologist and tour guide Marlo Shaw in the video is almost as entertaining as the animals themselves.

The video shows a beaming Shaw ushering guests onto the docks, excitedly pointing at the whales and giving high fives after the animals burst from the water.
Photo: Abby PD

A four-year-old girl is safe and well, thanks to a timely late-night rescue by Abbotsford Police.

Sgt. Judy Bird says the youngster had climbed out an upper floor window of her condo unit in Abbotsford's Clearbrook neighbourhood and was crying while sitting on the decorative railing just below the window.

Bird says officers first tried to climb up to the child then they managed to enter the condo and pull her to safety through the open window.

The rescue happened at about 11 p.m. and the sleeping parents were awakened to find their daughter already out of danger.

Bird says the happy ending is a chance to remind caregivers that windows should always have guards and stoppers to prevent children from fully opening them, and furniture should never be placed below or beside windows or balcony railings.

As for the officers, Bird says the rescue was all in a night's work.

"You never know what challenge will be offered next," she says.
Just get into the pharmacy or go to the perfume store in the supermarket to find many models of deodorant....
Argentina's cement demand falls 6% in July

ICR Newsroom By 08 August 2018

Argentinas cement market contracted by 6.3 per cent in July 2018 when compared with the previous year, according to the country cement association, AFCP. Domestic consumption fell from 1,016,589t in July 2017 to 952,220t one year later.



Nationwide dispatches by Argentine producers declined to 949,680t fro 1,007,897t, down 5.8 per cent YoY. In addition, imports slumped from 8692t in July 2017 to 2540t in July 2018.



Total domestic output decreased 5.9 per cent to 952,350t in July 2018 from 1,011,687t. This includes 2670t of exports, down from 3790t in July 2017.



However, the first seven months of 2018 saw total consumption (domestic deliveries + imports) increase five per cent YoY to 6.865Mt from 6.536Mt. Imports went up 76.8 per cent to 65,418t in 7M18 from 36,858t in the year-ago period.



Domestic cement producers delivered just under 6.8Mt of cement within Argentinas borders, up 4.6 per cent from 6.499Mt in 7M17. In addition, they exported 41,495t in 7M18, a volume that edged up 3.7 per cent from 40,017t in 7M17.

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Voting. Its a core civic value. Its the theme holding together the Road to Change tour that students from Parkland, Fla., are leading through 30 cities . It has major education implicationsas in Missouri, where voters recently rejected a right to work law just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court nixed unions abilities in right-to-work settings to collect agency fees from nonmembers.

Voting appears to be on everyones mindeveryone except Texas high schools, it seems, which continue to fail to meet state requirements to make voter registration forms available to eligible student voters, according to a new report from the Texas Civil Rights Project.

Its analysis, based on public records requests, details how fewer than a third of Texas high schools requested voter-registration forms in the 2017-18 school yearthe first step in fulfilling a law thats been on the books since 1985 requiring all public and private high schools to supply the applications at least twice a year.

In a few cases, a school district requested the forms on behalf of all its high schools. Assuming it appropriately distributed all those forms, the overall share of compliant high schools rises to just 34 percent.

There are more than 183,000 seniors in Texas high schools, and although some small portion of them are not eligible to vote, that math indicates thats still a huge number of seniors who arent being given this access.

The group says that, rather than requiring overworked school officials to request the forms, the Texas Secretary of State should simply mail them at the beginning of each semester to each high school. It should also track which schools are complying, it said.

The Texas Observer picked up the ball, reporting that in response to the report, the Texas Secretary of State pointed to several efforts the state had mad e under his watch to increase compliance.

But other lawmakers believe little will happen unless the legislation is updated to require all high schools to offer the forms year-round, the news organization reported.
The Facebook Papers project represents a unique collaboration among 17 American news organizations, including The Associated Press. The papers themselves are redacted versions of disclosures that Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager-turned-whistleblower, has made over several months to the Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging Facebook was prioritizing profits over safety and hiding its own research from investors and the public. Has the information release affected your view of Facebook?

You voted:
By Azernew





By Laman Ismayilova

With its rich cultural monuments, famous artists and thinkers, Azerbaijan is a treasure trove for cultured travelers.

The multitude of museums and galleries makes country's capital city Baku a special destination for all art and culture.

Whether you're looking for ancient artifacts or colorful paintings visit the biggest art museum in country.

National Art Museum of Azerbaijan was founded in 1937 in Baku. The museum consists of two buildings standing next to each other.

Over 3,000 items in 60 rooms are on permanent display at the museum. Moreover, about 12,000 items are kept in storage.

The collection of National Art Museum covers a vast span of time: archaeological vessels date from the 6-4 millennia B.C., which were discover on the territory of the different regions of Azerbaijan such as Khanlar, Mingechaur and others, ceramics of the Middle Ages, bronze and copper wares of the 11th-19th cc., unique ancient carpets, jewelry, executing in the different techniques are kept in the museum.

Approximately 9,000 scientific books and monographs, catalogues, albums and other professional literature in the library of the museum.

The museum collection includes fine manuscripts about the Quran and 16th century books about astrology; original 17th-18th century Tabriz miniatures in tempera, gold water and watercolor; works by the celebrated artists Mir Mohsun Navvab, Mirza Qadim Irevani, Usta Qambar Qarabaghini, artistic metal items from the 16th and 17th centuries and samples of original fabric, embroidery, national costume and carpets dating back to the 18th-20th centuries.

Moreover, art lovers can enjoy the examples of decorative-applied arts of Western Europe.

Seven of the rooms in the first building feature European art, and ten rooms feature Russian art.

Art works of Italian (Guercino, Leandro Bassano, Francesco Solimena, Lorenzo Bartolini), French (Jules Dupre, Gaspard Dughet, Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret, Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant), Dutch/Flemish (Frans Hals, Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt, Adriaen Brouwer, Adriaen van Ostade, Justus Sustermans, Pieter Claesz), German (Johann Heinrich Roos, Friedrich August von Kaulbach) and Polish (Jan Styka) painters are displayed at the museum.

The second edifice built in 1885 houses Eastern art, represented particularly by Persian, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese art.

Russian art is represented by paintings of Karl Briullov, Alexey Venetsianov, Vasily Vereshchagin, Isaac Levitan, Vladimir Makovsky, Valentin Serov, Vladimir Borovikovsky, Vasily Tropinin, Konstantin Korovin and Ivan Shishkin. There are also restored samples of Russian avant-garde.

The works of Azerbaijani artists Mir Mohsun Navvab, Bahruz Kangarli, Tair Salakhov, Azim Azimzade, Salam Salamzade, Vidadi Narimanbekov, Mikail Abdullayev, Togrul Narimanbekov and sculptor Omar Eldarov are also kept in the museum halls.

National Art Museum holds book miniatures of 17th-19th centuries, lacquered miniatures (18th-19th cc) and collection of sherbet spoons, made from mulberry tree.

The first works were obtained from Saint-Petersburg, Moscow and private collections. The museum expositions were later exhibited in Canada (1966), Cuba (1967), Syria (1968), France (1969), former Czechoslovakia, Algeria (both 1970), Iraq (1971) etc.

There is also a rare books collection of old publications.

The museum changes the exhibits periodically.

History of the museum

In 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of Azerbaijan SSR decided to separate the Art department from the Azerbaijan State Museum and organized it as an independent museum.

Initially, the Art department was located in the former mansion of the millionaire Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, where the Museum of the History is now located. The opening of the museum took place in 1937. After that, the fifth floor of the Nizami Ganjavi Literature Museum was provided to the museum.

In 1943, the museum was named after the prominent Azerbaijani theater artist Rustam Mustafayev, one of the founders of the theatrical and decorative art of Azerbaijan.

Until the early 1950's, th museum was located in several small historical mansions, where expositions and temporary exhibitions were organized. During this period, young art historians Rasim Efendiyev, Nureddin Gabibov, Mursal Najafov, Mehdi Huseynzade, and other scientists who laid the foundations of Azerbaijani art criticism worked at the museum.

For many years, the museum was headed by Azerbaijani folk artists, laureates of the State Prizes of the USSR Salam Salamzade, Kazim Kazimzade, Ibrahim Zeynalov.

In 1951, the building of the museum was replaced with the Baroque-style De Bour mansion built at the end of the 19th century.

A new exposition was created in the new building. Subsequently, the museum became the center of art history. Various events were held here: jubilee exhibitions of artists, musical evenings, meetings with intellectuals, etc. The second museum building was opened in 2013.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday is the day off of the museum.

National Art Museum of Azerbaijan is located on Niyazi str. 11-13, Baku 1001 (near Icherisheher metro station).
Its been more than four decades since the blockbuster Jaws terrified beachgoers and now there is a theory that the movie may hold a clue in solving a case that has puzzled law enforcement for decades.

The film about a man-eating great white shark was filmed off Cape Cod in the summer of 1974, which happens to be the same year a woman was murdered and her body was dumped behind the dunes near Provincetown, Massachusetts. The victim is known as the Lady of the Dunes and there is renewed interest in her case after Joe Hill, the son of famed author Stephen King, noticed something while watching the movie.

Hill believes that he spotted that very woman as an extra in the scene of a crowd boarding a ferry in the Steven Spielberg classic.

She swims at you out of the crowd, youd hardly notice her if you watched it on a TV but its different if all the actors are 10 feet high, he told USA Today.

Hill first noticed the woman when he took his children to see the classic film for a 40th-anniversary screening in 2015. At that time, he explained in an online post that not only did the extra look eerily similar to the woman who was killed but they were both around 30 years old, weighed about 145 pounds, and wore a blue bandanna which was found along with the body.

Kings son had been so convinced they could be the same woman that he brought this information to the Provincetown Police Department but a detective assigned to the case told him, Thats an interesting theory. Hill took that response as a polite way of saying, Thats pretty crazy and useless. But another guy whos worked on the case recently said, You dont know, odds are long.

Interest in the case and Hills theory was renewed in 2018 when it was referenced in a podcast about the making of the film titled Inside Jaws.

Hill understands that his theory of the extra being the same woman who was murdered that summer may turn out to not be true. However, he is stirring some more attention on the case and hoping that maybe someone who knows something will come forward.

A woman died and shes never been identified, he said via Esquire. Shes someones daughteryou have to hope sooner or later there will be a resolution. But I keep wondering how come that woman [in Jaws], if shes [not the victim] Why hasnt sheor someone that knows hercome forward to say, This is me?

With todays technology Hill would ultimately like for the victims DNA to be submitted to a genealogical database so that her family members might be able to help identify her.

Until Hills notion is proven or disproven well never know for sure if the woman in the film and the murder victim are the same person. What we do know is that a killer remains at large and authorities are continuing to work tirelessly in the hopes of one day finding justice for the Lady of the Dunes.
By Trend





During the "Performing Artillery Shooting" stage of the international "Sea Cup 2018" competition, the seamen of the participating countries performed the tasks of "Shooting a Floating Mine" at a training ground in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message Aug. 8.

At this stage, the ships were supposed to hit a floating mine with artillery fire while on the move. The shooting was carried out from artillery installations at a distance of 200 meters.

An international referees board assessed the timely arrival of ships and the destruction of targets.

According to the results of the competition, Russia's team took first place, Azerbaijani team - the second place, Kazakh team - the third place, and Iran's team took the fourth place, with 40, 38, 36 and 20 points respectively.

The next stage of the competition is to be held in the second half of the day on Aug. 8.
By Trend





The temporary ban on import of gasoline by railway from Russia to Kazakhstan will come into force by August 10, 2018, the Kazakh media cited Deputy Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov as saying Aug. 7.

Akchulakov added that the introduction of a ban on the import of Russian gasoline is connected with overabundance of AI-92 gasoline in Kazakhstan after the completion of modernization of oil refineries.

Presently, the country has huge reserves of gasoline - more than 300,000 tons, which is almost a 30-day reserve of gasoline, he said.

Akchulakov added that the mechanism for introducing a ban on the import of gasoline is stipulated by a bilateral agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia within the Eurasian Economic Union.

The ban is introduced temporarily for three months after which, depending on the situation on the market, it can be canceled or prolonged.

At the same time, Astana does not intend to completely abandon the possibility of supply from Russia. There is a possibility of duty-free import of high-octane oil products.
By Trend





Iran, Iraq and Syria are planning to prepare a comprehensive plan for countering dust storms under the supervision of UN Development Program, the director of Iranian national committee in charge of fighting dust storm said on Tuesday, Irna reported.

In an exclusive interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Ali Mohammad Tahmasbi Birgani said that the aim of the quadrilateral agreement was to control the foreign sources of the dust storms.

Agreements between neighboring countries can persuade them to begin operations for countering dust storms and take steps to control sources of pollution that have affected our country, Tahmasbi Birgani said.

'Since 1997, several agreements have been signed with Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Qatar and Bahrain. But as these agreements were not binding, we decided to pursue the case of dust storm in international organizations so as to guarantee the implementation of agreements by the international conventions,' the official said.

He said that the costs needed for the implementation of the agreement will be provided by all the three contracting countries.
By Trend





Caspian Environmental Service CaspEcoControl in Turkmenistan is inspecting activities of foreign and domestic companies engaged in sea and land transportation, production and transportation of energy resources, geophysical and geological surveys, the State Committee for Environmental Protection and Land Resources of Turkmenistan said in a statement.

CaspEcoControl is monitoring the environment, surface seawater and bottom sediments, groundwater of coastline, atmospheric air, the message says. It is analyzing the hydro-chemical regime in the sea at the stations located in Turkmenbashi Bay, Kiyanly Bay, Garabogaz and Avaza.

"The content of various impurities in the sea water is within acceptable limits, taking into account seasonal fluctuations and other parameters, the hydro-chemical balance of the water is stable and safe, which testifies to the environmental well-being of the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea," the message says.

Turkmenistan, together with the Caspian countries, has participated in the implementation of the Caspian environmental program since 1998. The UN Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea has also been ratified by Turkmenistan. Also, environmental insurance has been introduced, the Oil Spill Prevention and National Response Plan is being implemented in the country.

Petronas, Dragon Oil, Buried Hill, RWE Dea AG, ITERA and Eni have been involved in the development of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea. Negotiations with companies in Europe, the US and the Persian Gulf are continuing. In November 2017, French company Total announced that it was ready to make investments in Turkmenistan.
Christian Conservatism: Like a Diamond, Liberal Pressure will Produce a Shining Gem Christian Examiner Contributor | 08 August, 2018 by Mark Klages

In this Orwellian era when Christian Conservative viewpoints are under attack and mainstream media, social media, and true news outlets are under pressure to censor Conservative viewpoints, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy (Dem.) moved one step closer to 1984 by Tweeting his support to "Facebook and Apple and YouTube" for removing Alex Jones' Infowars from their services. Murphy even went so far as to insinuate Orwellian censorship is necessary for the "survival of our democracy."

How convenient. Too bad we don't live in a democracy.

These United States of America are a constitutional federal republic. Our form of government originated, is controlled by, and is inspired by our Constitution. As a federal form of government, the 50 states, themselves constitutional republics, are united by a single federal system that is comprised of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. As a republic, citizens elect representatives to govern them based on the law of the land and the Constitution.

In a democracy, majority rules. In a democracy, the ruling party can change the constitution at will to meet their needs. In a democracy, minorities are not protected, do not have equal rights, and are subject to discrimination by the ruling party at whim. These United States of America are not a democracy.

Sen. Chris Murphy wants more censorship, which is in direct conflict with the 1stAmendment. But then, Sen. Murphy is one of those in power.

So what is next, Sen. Murphy? Shall we ban the likes of Candace Owens when she calls out racism because it does not fit the liberal narrative? Shall we reject all Christian organizations wishing to invite the unchurched using social media such as Facebook?

Folks, believe it or not, Christians are now in the minority in the US. Fifty years ago, we referred to ourselves as a Christian nation. A century ago, a major scholastic text was the Bible. Nearly 250 years ago, a group of states declared men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, which led to the Bill of Rights, of which #1 is "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Christian Post reporter Michael Gryboski wrote an article last week titled, "7 Times Social Media Sites Censored Conservatives." In his article, Gryboski cited the Twitter "shadow ban," Facebook's blocking of nearly two dozen Roman Catholic sites in 2017, Twitter censoring Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn's (R-TN) 2017 video exposing Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of baby body parts, and YouTube's 2018 restriction of a PragerU video criticizing Planned Parenthood, among others.

Although the incidents of censorship cited so far address issues much more problematic than "Jesus saves," they are necessary for an intelligent discussion on Christianity in today's world and, as such, pose a threat to the proliferation of Christian ideals among the users of social media. Using Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube's precedent, this article could be censored for language critical to those platforms. How slippery a slope we have descended on?

While Christians cannot welcome censorship, we can grow from it. In John, Jesus reminds us that we are tried only because the world hated Him first.

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19, NIV)

So, in essence, being hated, ridiculed, and censored because our speech echoes Christ is an enviable place to be. It reinforces our status as 'in this world, but not of it.' Remember, Christians, our position is not new. Christians the world over have been persecuted by much worse than censorship for their beliefs. As recently as March of this year Christians in Iraq's Mount Sinjar faced extinction for their beliefs. We should consider ourselves the luckiest of the blessed when our argument is "that's not fair." After all, Jesus himself called us to go out as "sheep among wolves."

"'I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.'" (Matt 10:16-18, NIV)

Instead, remember that pressure creates diamonds, and great pressure creates the best diamonds.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.... Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." (Jas 1:2-4 & 12, NIV)

So in the face of Facebook censorship, stand your ground. When Twitter cages your tweets, persevere and tweet that much more effectively. Trust in God, seek His face, be wise in His ways and sound the trumpet as we circle the walls seven times (Joshua 6). For this battle, too, is the Lord's.

 Mark Klages is an influential contributor, a former US Marine and a lifelong teacher who focuses on applying a Christian worldview to everyday events. Mark blogs at https://maklagesl3.wixsite.com/website under the title "God Provides where Hate Divides," with a heart to heal social, political, relational, and intellectual wounds through God's divine love and grace. Mark can also be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-klages-04b42511/.
Martin Luther King SeniorAn Unheralded Christian, Civil Rights Leader, and Father Christian Examiner Contributor | 08 August, 2018 by Ken Lambert

Everyone in this country knows something about, and respects, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (Well, almost everyone respects him.) King Jr. is one of only 4 men (along with Lincoln, Washington, and Columbus) who have a national holiday in their honor. What many people do not know is the life of his father, and the influence that Senior had on Junior. Without the life and Christian emphasis of Martin Senior, it is unlikely that Jr's life of leading towards racial equality would have occurred, and this country could have looked very different today.

The apple not falling far from the tree

This is a "history" column that morphs into a "Christian Living" article. Such is often the case when studying history, and is one of the main reasons why we study it. It is very apparent that fathers in this country have increasingly let their children, especially sons, down over the past 45 years. Many are absent. Many that are present are not a positive influence to their kids. This column shows what a strong positive influence can have on a son, on a generation, and even on a country.

Martin Senior was born just as "Martin King," and eventually became a Baptist minister in Georgia. In a trip as an adult to Germany, he became so enthralled with the life and story of reformer Martin Luther, that he legally had his name changed to Martin Luther King. And, he also changed the legal name of his young son to Martin Luther King Jr. What an influence Luther must have had on Martin Senior! Clearly the courage and convictions of Luther helped King Senior (and Jr.) to take a strong (and dangerous) stand for the Biblical dogma of equality.

Senior was an early leader in the South towards racial equality, and his son Martin Junioralso a Baptist ministerfollowed in his footsteps. Many would say Junior took his father's lead to another level. Indeed, maybe Junior was a more profound speaker and organizer; but his father set the tone for his life.

(As an aside, it is interesting that most, if not all, of the civil rights leaders were devout Christians. I am not aware of any avid atheists who were instrumental in the racial equality movements of the 1950's and 1960's, but if someone can prove me wrongplease do so. It is peculiar that today's various atheist organizations seem to condemn Christianity, but of course they are strong public supporters of civil rights and equality.)

Unfortunately, Martin Senior saw and faced many tragedies in his life

This is so often the case with strong Christians; it seems as if God tests Christians more than others. Maybe Christians can handle more adversity. Martin Senior fought through the kind of adversity that most could never comprehend. His son Martin was shot and killed in 1968, which led to many race riots throughout the country. His other son died in a drowning accident just 1 year later. And, if that was not enough, his own wife was shot and killed (in church) in 1974. Senior pushed through all this and lived until 1984. He remained active throughout the 1970's as a minister, and also as a leader within the civil rights movement. Much can be learned from the elder Martin Luther Kingmaybe the most important of which is to be a positive role model for your children. You never know who your child may grow up to become.

 Ken Lambert has been writing for both secular and religious publications for several years. He co-authored the book "Top 10 Most Influential Christians Since the Apostles" and holds a Doctorate in Ministry. He resides in southern New Hampshire.
China is in the midst of an ambitious new effort to lesson or even eradicate the influence of Christianity and religion from the country, according to an investigation by the Associated Press.

An in-depth story by AP described churches being shut down, Bibles being seized and restrictions being placed on other religions, too. Crescents have been removed from mosques and Tibetan children removed from Buddhist temples and placed in public schools.

One Christian named Guo described an incident in which Chinese officials interrupted a church meeting and told everyone to leave. They then ordered church leaders to remove a cross, a Bible verse and a painting of the Last Supper off the wall. Guo didnt give his full name out of fear of government repercussions.

I've always prayed for our country's leaders, for our country to get stronger, he told AP. They were never this severe before, not since I started going to church in the 80's. Why are they telling us to stop now?

In recent months, Chinese authorities have:

Shut down hundreds of Christian house churches.

Seized Bibles and forced e-commerce retailers to stop selling Bibles.

Prevented children from attending church in some areas.

Urged Christians in one location to replace posters of Jesus with pictures of President Xi Jinping.

Raided church meetings and interrogated hundreds of Christians from one congregation.

The AP story further said that under Xi, Christians are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts said Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982, according to AP. The goal is to Sinicize the nations religions with Chinese characteristics. First among these is loyalty to the Communist Party.

Xi is a closet Maoist -- he is very anxious about thought control, Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong told AP. He definitely does not want people to be faithful members of the church, because then people would profess their allegiance to the church rather than to the party, or more exactly, to Xi himself.

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Photo Courtesy: bpperry/Facebook
People want to give. God wants to provide. Our churches need to be places worthy of those gifts and that provision.

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Theres a scandal going on in the church today.

It is one of the biggest scandals in church history, yet it remains invisible to most of us.

No, its not the sexual sins of some of our leaders. Its not the physical, emotional and spiritual abuse of church members, or the cover-up of those sins. Its not the self-righteous legalism on one side, or the moral compromise on the other. Its not even our tendency to quarrel and back-stab each other.

Those scandals are horrifying, for sure. Many of them have been well-documented and need to be exposed to the light of day even more.

The scandal Im talking about has flown under the radar for a long time  centuries, actually. Its so common we seldom think of it as the sin it is, or how badly it hurts people and tarnishes the reputation of the church in the eyes of those affected by it.

The most widespread sin of the modern-day church is poor stewardship.

The most widespread sin of the modern-day church is poor stewardship.

Too many churches are mishandling the money that has been entrusted to us. Many churches are enslaved by unsustainable debt. More churches close their doors every year because they are unable to pay their bills than for any other reason  maybe more than all other reasons combined.

No, this is not just a giving problem. Or a bookkeeping issue. Its sin. And it is a scandal.

But it remains a virtually unknown and invisible scandal.

Heres one small example of it.

Bad Stewardship Hurts Real People  And Our Testimony

They wont rent to you because youre a church.

With those words, the whispered voice on the other end of the phone confirmed what I had suspected. For months Id been trying to rent a property for our church to meet in on Sundays, only to be turned down each time by the company that owned the building we wanted. But I never got a valid explanation. So I kept at it.

The voice whispering the truth to me on the phone was the receptionist who I had talked to on multiple occasions. She knew I was frustrated and she wanted to help. After hearing what she said, I got angry. I was about to give her a piece of my mind about religious non-discrimination, but she kept talking. Her next words shocked and embarrassed me.

Im a Christian, too, she told me, so Im ashamed to say this. But the reason they wont rent to churches is because the last four churches we rented to never paid on time and all of them walked away owing us thousands of dollars.
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After the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, the administration has now announced a Religious Freedom Task Force. Here's why that's important.

At the end of July, the State Department hosted a long-overdue "Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom," and brought together 350 government officials and activists from 80 countries.

It was a remarkable three-day gathering, one that Christians and all people of faith should affirm. But actions, not words, will determine whether this event makes a lasting difference in the lives of the persecuted.

In his remarks at the Ministerial, Vice-President Mike Pence said "America will always stand for religious freedom, and we will always speak out boldly wherever and whenever it's threatened."

He then announced the creation of an "International Religious Freedom Fund" to support those "who fight for religious freedom and suffer from religious persecution."

The Ministerial also produced a statement of principles, "The Potomac Declaration." The statement asserts that "freedom to seek the divine and act accordingly . . . is at the heart of the human experience."

"Given the contribution," the statement continues, "of individual and communal religious belief and expression" to the "flourishing of societies throughout human history," religious freedom "is a far-reaching, universal, and profound human right that all peoples and nations of goodwill must defend around the globe."

These are powerful words, and 100-percent spot on.

But given what happened shortly after the Ministerial, I wonder if any of the progressive media was listening.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last week the formation of a new task force on religious liberty. And as proof that people of faith need their constitutional rights protected here at home, Sessions cited the previous administration's onerous HHS Mandate, which forced Catholic nuns, of all people, to insure contraceptives, and also the recent grilling of a Catholic judicial at the hands of Senatorial inquisitors.

The reaction from the left leaning media was, as David French put it, "predictably melodramatic, and the unfounded, vitriolic attacks against this task forceand on the fundamental value of religious libertyare excellent evidence of how necessary it is" to have such a task force.

The common refrain was that the Trump administration's efforts to protect religious freedom was simply a smokescreen to protect bigotryespecially against LGBT, etc. One commenter claimed the task force was proof that the Trump "regime" wants to create "a regressive white Christian ethnostate."

Good heavens. Look, the video from the ministerial is public, and the Potomac Declaration and the accompanying document, the Potomac Plan of Action, were focused on the religious rights of conscience of all people, not just Christians.

The task force is a response to these documents. The administration recognizes that if we cannot defend the fundamental right to freedom of religion here at home, there is no way to defend it abroad.

And make no mistake, defending it abroad is a daunting task, one that requires changes in the way we relate to the rest of the world. China, for instance, has been persecuting Christians since the Communist takeover in 1949. It has never paid a tangible price for doing so. The same is true of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and many other countries with whom we have strong diplomatic and trading relations. Their repression of religious minorities has been cost-free.

And, of course, I've mentioned on the air that the U.S. itself has been painfully slow in granting asylum to the victims of religious persecutionespecially Christians. This needs to change.

Now, today on the BreakPoint podcast we have for you former Congressman Frank Wolf's speech from the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. He's been a courageous defender of religious freedom for decadesand his plea to protect the victims of religious persecution is stirring and stunning. You have to hear it. Please come to BreakPoint.org and click on the BreakPoint podcast.

Originally posted at Breakpoint.


Exports from Peru to the UAE increased from $6 million in 2011 to $600 million last year thanks to increasing demand from consumers and the ongoing work of the Dubai-based Trade, Tourism and Investment Office of Peru (TTIOP), a media report said.



TTIOP also revealed that exports from Peru to the UAE have risen by almost 10,000 percent in seven years, reported Emirates news agency Wam.



Since 2016, major UAE businesses such as DP World and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority have made multi-million-dollar investments in the countrys shipping, logistics and energy sectors thanks to the increase in trade and improving bi-lateral relations.



The Emirates imports vast quantities of goods from the South American country, including avocados, quinoa, and asparagus, gold, high-quality craft products and clothing.



The TTIOP has been able to increase exports to the UAE despite a variety of challenges, such as the distance between the two countries and a lack of awareness among businesses. But the biggest obstacle remains the absence of direct flights between the two countries, with cargo as well as airline passengers required to transit through other airports.



"Our greatest challenge is connectivity. It takes around 42 days to ship goods from Peru to the UAE, so produce is often shipped to a port in Europe and from there flown to Dubai," said Alvaro Silva-Santisteban, director of the TTIOP.



"A connecting flight between Dubai and Lima would certainly help. Using a European hub means additional cost and thus a product that is more expensive, so your Peruvian avocado or mango is going to cost more. It also means tourists face issues in getting to Peru, especially UAE residents who prefer to fly direct with the countrys major airlines."



Peru, a country of 31 million people, more than 14,800 km and nine time-zones away from the UAE, counts the Emirates among its top 20 export markets. At the same time, Emirati companies are investing in Perus supply and logistics industries as they gain greater access to South America and global trade routes.



The range of goods Peru exports to the UAE ranges from commodities such as gold and glass to food and beverage items.



"We have worked hard to increase our gold exports since 2014," said Silva-Santisteban. "The UAE is now amongst the top six countries that Peru exports gold to and ranks as the number one individual product, however food has seen the greatest growth and is the most diversified basket of products we export to the UAE."



Perus ability to out-perform countries that are not only larger but also closer to the UAE, and develop a market for its goods is the result of years of work.



The TTIOP was set up in Dubai in 2011, with the aim of encouraging not only companies in the Emirates to import products from Peru, but to also help businesses in the South American country to see the UAE as a lucrative market.



"The leap in exports from Peru to the UAE has been huge," said Silva-Santisteban. "The relationship between the two countries has grown in importance over the years to an extent that at the end of last year Peru became the second largest investment destination for Emirati companies in South America, and amongst the three biggest trading partners for the UAE in Latin America.



"Once every 15 days we have a delegation of UAE businesses visiting Peru, or companies from Peru travelling to the UAE. The UAE has become an important market for Peruvian companies. Businesses in both countries are seeing the benefits of trading here and in meeting UAE consumers demand for Peruvian products and services. The aim now is to turn these steppingstones into pillars as we position Dubai as a platform for the region. In May, DP World sealed a $316 million deal for Cosmos Agencia Maritima, the Peruvian container and logistics firm. It is now managing not only the major port of Callao, next to the capital Lima, but also the port of Paita, in the north of Peru, the second biggest in terms of movement of shipping containers.



"We have a very good relationship with DP World whereby Peruvian exporters receive benefits if they use Jebel Ali Port. What also helps, and is a competitive advantage, is the brand association, as we can say a Peruvian product departs from an Emirati company arriving into an Emirati Company.



"DP World, with the investment it has made, probably handles 90-95 percent of the total container exports from Peru, Silva-Santisteban added.
'Apostasy' review: What happens when real life intrudes on a closed religious community?

'Throw your burden on Jehovah and he will sustain you.'

The faithful gather in Kingdom Halls striving to do the will of their maker. The hard-hitting drama Apostasy from former Jehovah's Witness Daniel Kokotajlo lifts the lid on what happens when real life situations fall outside those prescribed as 'acceptable' by their religion.

Does an almighty God really want to see people struggle and be 'disfellowshipped  the Jehovah's Witness' equivalent of excommunication  for not adhering to what seems to be arbitrary small print of not attending meetings or a point of disagreement with the leadership? What if a family member makes poor life decisions? Should they be cut off and treated like a stranger? How does a devout mother deal with being forbidden from supporting her wayward offspring?

This film gives an insiders' insight into life in the Jehovah's Witnesses. They don't celebrate birthdays, also off the menu are Easter and Christmas, which they view as 'pagan', and feminism is frowned upon as it is almost entirely controlled by male elders.

There are currently some 8 million Witnesses worldwide with close to 130,000 in the UK. They are convinced that the world as we know is will end in 'this generation'.

Apostasy as a film is a fascinating study in dogmatic belief and the fallout it can bring when teachings start to lose connection with the needs and lives of those who follow the faith  or those they live alongside. The huge pressure exerted by the leaders of the church on the congregation to turn up and meekly conform is, alas, something that can often be found in Christian evangelical churches also. What sets the Witnesses apart, though, is that for them attending meetings and carrying out duties is essential because 'God's love is conditional and must be earnt'. So, none of them know for sure if they've done enough to earn their place in the 'new system'.

Front and centre here is working mother Ivanna (Siobhan Downton Abbey Finneran) who is a committed Witness. She faithfully attends the meetings at her local Kingdom Hall along with her daughters Luisa (Sacha Parkinson) and Alex (Molly Wright).

The family drama plotline is framed against talk of how Armageddon is imminent. Things might be difficult now but soon all will be well when the 'new system' comes, heralding a heaven on earth for those who have secured their place through works.

Things begin to get strained when older daughter Luisa, starts questioning the strict rules about choosing meetings over her college lectures and hanging out with non-Witnesses  and not being keen to do her duty offering Watchtower magazines to strangers on the street.

Younger daughter Alex is much more on message, enthusiastically evangelising her friends, learning Urdu to help reach out to the local non-English-speaking community and willingly entertaining the notion of being paired off with an older and deeply uncool JW elder when he takes a shine to her. And this despite having had a blood transfusion at birth for her anaemia which is a 'sin' to Jehovah's Witnesses.

Things come to a head when Luisa gets serious about a boy outside the faith and ending up pregnant. This leads to a brutal disfellowshipping where she is no longer allowed to mix with the Witnesses or have anything other than minimal contact with her family.

With Ivanna in a painful position  the rules dictate she can have only minimal contact with her distraught daughter  it's a compelling buildup to a 'will she/won't she' do the right thing by her daughter climax.

The film is well made with exceptionally real and raw performances from the three female leads.

The writers might expose a lot of what appears to be negative about the Witnesses but Apostasy takes care to be somewhat balanced and doesn't mock their beliefs. Rather it leaves the viewers to make up their own minds about the faith.

The powerful underlying message however is that any form of fundamentalism which removes an individual's free will to care for those deemed 'lesser' or 'sinful' doesn't feel much like the service of a loving God.

Matt Adcock is head of communications for the Church Urban Fund. Follow him on Twitter @cleric20.
Most pastors enjoy preaching  and they believe they're pretty good at it

Most US pastors believe they're excellent preachers and teachers  and for most of them, it's the part of the job they enjoy most.

That's according to a report by the Barna Group, which conducted a study into how Protestant pastors in the US navigate life and leadership.

The study, entitled The State of Pastors, found most pastors were very satisfied with their calling, ministry and current church. Asked what they enjoyed most about their work, 66 per cent chose preaching and teaching, with the next highest answer, developing other leaders, scored only 10 per cent. Only six per cent chose evangelising and only five per cent chose pastoral care.

Asked what they thought they were good at, 57 per cent chose preaching and teaching. Connecting with the neighbourhood and leading the organisation each scored 29 per cent, while counselling and pastoral care scored 24 per cent. Only 10 per cent said they were good at evangelising.

Asked what they found frustrating about ministry, 35 per cent cited apathetic congregations, with 27 per cent citing low spiritual maturity among churchgoers. Financial and administrative duties scored 19 per cent, with 'church politics' at 18 per cent.

The study was conducted on behalf of Pepperdine University and saw 900 Protestant senior pastors interviewed by telephone and online in December 2015.
The ministry of wellbeing: How beauty therapy and chillout zones are changing lives

Years of austerity have forced many of Britain's local councils to cut spending on 'inessentials' to the bone. One of them, Northampton, is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Not far away, in Milton Keynes, a church-backed scheme has stepped in to help vulnerable people who'd otherwise have nowhere else to turn.

With a team of volunteers, Sarah Milligan runs two Wellbeing clinics that cater for hundreds of people who are struggling with mental health and emotional needs.

They're based at Netherfield Chapel and Stony Stratford Library and were founded in 2016 by the professional drama therapist and wellbeing consultant, with backing from Grand Union Vineyard Church.

The clinics offer anyone over the age of 16 a place where they can find a listening ear and advice, therapeutic services such as massage and beauty stations, games and a chillout zone.

They also provide opportunities for learning life skills clients can take away and use daily to tackle their mental health and other issues.

During the last two years, around 700 people have accessed their services  and Sarah believes she and her team are making a vital difference in their lives.

'We have such a varied range of clientele through our doors,' she tells Christian Today. 'There are adults with long-term mental health diagnoses, who are on medication but struggle to cope. There are professionals who are overworked and overstressed but don't know how to look after themselves, who don't meet the threshold for intervention  they feel a failure in their profession.

'We say, come on, we can talk about this.'

She draws her volunteers from among other professionals who are prepared to give time to the project  each clinic meets fortnightly.

'The model is a drop-in, two-hour session twice a month. People help themselves to refreshments, there's a chillout zone with cushions and guided relaxation  people come and relax and take a guided "walk" through a forest or along a beach, they learn to calm down and notice their bodies,' Sarah says.

'Then there are stations, different areas of wellbeing for pampering  nails and head massage, for instance. There's a pool table and an arts section with model making and arts and crafts.'

She believes they're meeting the needs of people with nowhere else to go in an age of government austerity  and that it's absolutely right that the church should be there.

'The church needs to be in forefront of the community,' Sarah says. 'We're the ones who set up schools and hospitals. Jesus was all about showing love to communities  we should be responding to the crisis as Jesus would, offering support and partnership.'

She stresses that they work in collaboration with official agencies who might refer people to them  but that the work is of fundamental importance. She says: 'Mental health and wellbeing are core to who we are as people. Having churches involved in promoting that is an amazing evangelical message  we're saying, we are here, we're here to stay and we want to be involved in showing hope in this situation.'

There's one story in particular Sarah wants to tell. A women she describes as having 'a lot of difficulties' and being 'very isolated' had been coming to the clinics from the other side of the city. Because of that, she'd begun to attend her local church and had found love and acceptance there.

'She shared how happy she was, how she was able to reconnect with her faith and see how the church cared. It had such an impact on her heart.

'This is why we do stuff life like this. It's about people impacted by the love of God.

'I'd love other churches to partner with us and see this is something that's not only needed, it's an opportunity for mission that we should all be involved in.'

Sarah Milligan can be contacted by email: [email protected]
Crude tumbled to a nearly seven-week low as the escalating trade dispute between the world's biggest economies overshadowed a decline in U.S. crude stockpiles.

Futures declined 3.2 percent on Wednesday in New York, the biggest drop in more than two weeks. China will levy 25 percent tariffs on billions of dollars in U.S. gasoline, diesel and other goods in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, American crude inventories fell by just a fraction of what was forecast, while the gasoline surplus expanded for the first time since June, the Energy Information Administration reported.

Investors are focused on "the geopolitical issues that the market is facing right now, especially the Chinese tariffs on gasoline and refined products in general, which can certainly impact near-term pricing," said Adam Wise, who oversees an $8 billion energy portfolio at John Hancock Financial Services Inc. in Boston. "The key to future global demand growth, and therefore, the underlying commodity price, is China and so to the extent that you're seeing noise around that, you're going to get softness in the crude market."

The U.S. benchmark crude has traded below $70 a barrel this month as the U.S.-China dispute percolated. As American sanctions isolate Iran, exports by OPEC's No. 3 producer have fallen and the Islamic Republic is relying more on its own tanker fleet to deliver oil to customers, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery dipped $2.23 to settle at $66.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent for October settlement slid $2.37 to end the session at $72.28 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude traded at a $6.03 premium to WTI for the same month.

Amid the tariff tension, China National Petroleum Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Corp. received "important instructions" from President Xi Jinping to increase domestic exploration and production in order to safeguard the country's energy security, according to separate statements on the companies' websites.

"It's something that is a definite concern and, as we start to see more tariffs in place, that's going to slow down the delivery of goods and services across the globe," said Mark Watkins, who helps oversee $151 billion at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., crude inventories fell 1.35 million barrels last week, according to the EIA, well shy of the 3-million-barrel drop expected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Gasoline stockpiles increased by 2.9 million barrels, the data showed.

"The trade talk continues to escalate," said Brian Kessens, who helps manage $16 billion in energy assets at Tortoise. The EIA report was "pretty underwhelming to say the least."

Other oil-market news:

Gasoline futures fell 4 percent to settle at $2.0195 a gallon, the lowest level in three weeks.

Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh sent a letter to the OPEC president to complain that some members of the organization were producing crude at levels exceeding set limits or redistributing the unfulfilled amounts, according to the Iranian Oil Ministry website.

The escalating trade battle between Canada and Saudi Arabia highlights the need for more pipelines to move oil and natural gas around the northern nation to improve its energy security, according to the Canadian oil industry's largest trade group.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
The Philippine action film BuyBust has a plot that seems as predictable as sunrise. Two squads of Manila drug agents, looking to snag a vicious crime lord in an especially violent shantytown, get trapped in the tumbledown neighborhood of narrow streets and vengeful residents. The only way out is to fight their way out.

If that sounds similar to the plot of the 2011 Indonesian film The Raid, in which a cop has to fight his way out of a high-rise full of thugs, thats probably not coincidental. The explosively entertaining Raid franchise has been extremely influential in the world of martial-arts movie mayhem.

But context is everything, and thats where BuyBust offers a unique twist. Director Erik Matti has made no secret of his distaste for Philippine president Rodrigo Dutertes brutal war on drugs or his supporters. BuyBust is his bloody, bullet-riddled meditation on what he sees as the moral corrosion and corruption  of the police, government and citizens  that this war and its many extrajudicial murders have engendered.

Australian-born actress Anne Curtis is Nani Manigan, an agent who recently survived the slaughter of her previous squad and is wary when her new unit is tasked with going on a late-night raid in search of the elusive kingpin Biggie Chen (Arjo Atayde). Needless to say, things dont go quite as planned, especially since not only do the cops have the criminals to deal with but also the areas residents, weary of the death and the destruction that both the law and the lawless bring into their already impoverished lives.

Manigan realizes soon enough that she can only depend on herself and one of her fellow cops, Rico (MMA fighter Brandon Vera), and its kill or be killed by one of her own or someone else. BuyBust, entirely set over the course of one long, rainy night, then turns into a grueling story of survival, where everything  including pots, pans and even the neighborhoods shaky electric grid  is turned into a weapon.

BuyBust, which sprawls over two hours, is too long and doesnt have the sense of flow and pace of the best martial-arts action movies. Also, some of the fight choreography could have used refining. But the combination of noir-ish visuals, eye-catching tracking shots and a soundtrack that runs from punk to baroque, makes up for a multitude of cinematic sins. And when BuyBust finally combusts, its often simultaneously spectacular and disturbing.

One word of advice: If you ever run into a real-life Nani Manigan and shes carrying a knife, gun or a cooking utensil, stay far, far away.

BuyBust Unrated but has strong violence Running time: 127 minutes Language: In Tagalog, Filipino and English with English subtitles 3.5 out of 5 stars See More Collapse

cary.darling@chron.com
Teens! They're so great at finding innovative ways to cause bodily harm. First they were eating Tide Pods, then they were jumping out of moving vehicles to dance to the new Drake song, or giving themselves frostbite by spraying an entire can of deodorant on their skin. And now they're eating Dragon's Breath, a snack made with liquid nitrogen that can burn your mouth or cause respiratory distress if ingested incorrectly.

It should not surprise you to learn the teens are ingesting it incorrectly.

Dragon's Breath gets its name because the snack can make a diner breathe "smoke" - condensed moisture from your own breath - out of both their nose and mouth. It makes very appealing videos on YouTube and Snapchat and Instagram! Sold at mall kiosks across America, it's made by pouring liquid nitrogen over a snack food, such as cheese puffs or sugary cereal, which freezes it instantly to a very cold temperature, typically around negative-320 degrees Fahrenheit. It's the same stuff that's used to make Dippin' Dots. Purchasers are advised to eat the snack with a stick, not their fingers, and to blow on it several times to let the liquid nitrogen evaporate.

That's because, when a person's skin or tissue comes into contact with liquid nitrogen, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, it "can cause serious burns to skin, cause deadly asphyxiation if inhaled, and it can damage sight if it splashes or gets rubbed into the eyes." Shops that sell it post warnings, but they are not always heeded.

In October, a 14-year-old girl was sent to the hospital after touching the liquid nitrogen in the snack at the Pensacola Interstate Fair in Florida.

"The ER doctor had to cut [the thumb] open, cut away the dead skin and get the infection out," the girl's grandmother told the local ABC affiliate. "They said had we not come in and got her finger treated she could have possibly lost her thumb."

In late July, a mother in St. Augustine, Florida, took her son to the ER after the Dragon's Breath triggered a massive asthma attack. Inside Edition spoke with a young man who inadvertently burned the inside of his mouth until it bled.

More for you Liquid nitrogen-infused cereal balls are the latest food trend taking over San Antonio

Other injuries may be minor, like the ones reported all across Twitter: "My tongue still hurts," wrote @xentyler. "The roof of my mouth is numb from eating these and I'm pretty sure I froze off my taste buds" wrote @beettoo__. Twitter user @sammolner1 posted a photo of her bleeding tongue.

Surprisingly, we have Jose Andres, Michelin-starred chef and humanitarian, to thank for Dragon's Breath. He served a highbrow version of it made with caramel popcorn at the Bazaar, his Los Angeles restaurant, until 2009, and he has also served a version of the dish at Minibar in Washington.

"Like everything else, we need chefs and bartenders to have training and [be] aware. And it is great that the public is aware, too," said Andres via text message, who said he uses liquid nitrogen in a few drinks and dishes. "We never have had any issues."

Maybe that's because the clientele at Bazaar and Minibar is primarily adult. If you or your thrill-seeking teen decides to try Dragon's Breath, remember: Don't touch the liquid in the cup, use a utensil to pick up the snack, let the nitrogen evaporate and eat slowly. Or maybe just avoid the whole thing altogether.
Fannie Williams, Freelance / For the Chronicle

The World Is Dancing

An international celebration of dance and music from Mexico, Ecuador, India and more. Produced by Ambassadors International Ballet Folklorico.

When: 11 a.m. Friday

Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park

Details: milleroutdoortheatre.com

Backyard Jam

Outdoor concert series features indie-pop band The Wheel Workers.

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Market Square Park, 301 Milam

Details: marketsquarepark.com

Jeff Lynnes ELO

The Toyota Center welcomes Jeff Lynnes Electric Light Orchestra with Dawes as a special guest.

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: 1510 Polk

Details: $49.50-$149.50; houstontoyotacenter.com

Jill Kimmel

Stand-up comedian is known for her appearances on LOL Pro Show at the 2018 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and was recently cast on Comedy Centrals Kevin Hart Presents: Hart of the City.

When: 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, 10:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Joke Joint Comedy Showcase, 11460 Fuqua

Details: $14-$19; jokejointcomedyshowcase.com

Rhys Bowen

Mystery writer will discuss and sign Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding.

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Murder By The Book, 2342 Bissonnet

Details: murderbooks.com

Sip N Slide Sundays on the Patio

Beat the heat while soaring down an inflatable slip n slide at Revolver Houston. Event features drink specials, live music, water balloons, corn hole and giant Jenga.

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: 6502 Washington

Details: facebook.com/events/1790485984401322

Bingo in the Biergarten

A night of bingo, brews and prizes at Karbach Brewing Co.

When: 6 p.m. Monday

Where: 2032 Karbach

Details: karbachbrewing.com

Axelrad Night Market

Market features local farmers, artists, designers, drink specials and food trucks.

When: 5 p.m. Tuesday

Where: 1517 Alabama

Details: facebook.com/events/141579243356037

Body by Broadway

An hourlong workout with DEFINE mind & body Houston and Theatre Under The Stars.

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Market Square Park, 301 Milam

Details: marketsquarepark.com

Blanket Bingo

Fun prizes are up for grabs. Bingo players are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to spread out at the park.

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Market Square Park, 301 Milam

Details: $10 (includes nine games); marketsquarepark.com
A Galveston County grand jury has begun hearing testimony in the criminal case against the 17-year old Santa Fe High School student accused of killing 10 people in a shooting spree at the school in May.

Nick Poehl, the defense attorney for the alleged shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, confirmed Wednesday that grand jury testimony had begun, and that his parents are among the witnesses that have testified.

The Galveston County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on the grand jury proceedings. Kevin Petroff, the first assistant district attorney in Galveston County, said that he did not anticipate any new charges being filed against Pagourtzis.

"I anticipate that the cases that we are going to present to the grand jury are the cases we've charged him with," Petroff said.

Pagourtzis, 17, was arrested at Santa Fe High School on May 18, the day of the shooting after allegedly killing 10 people and wounding 13, including Santa Fe Independent School District Officer John Barnes. He was charged with one count of capital murder of multiple persons and one count of aggravated assault against a public servant, according to court records.

BOOSTING SECURITY: Santa Fe ISD trustees accept donation of weapons

Petroff said the federal investigation into the shooting is still ongoing and that any federal charges would take some time because Pagourtzis was a juvenile when the shooting occurred, meaning he is eligible for a life sentence if convicted on the state charges, but theoretically eligible for parole in 40 years.

"That's more complex, as he's a juvenile federally," Petroff said. "If the U.S. attorney is going to file charges, they have to go through a few more steps than we do since 17 is (considered) an adult statewide."

The Chronicle reported in May that the Justice Department is considering filing additional charges against Pagourtzis after some of the explosive devices found on Pagourtzis when arrested at the high school -- CO2 canisters wrapped with duct tape -- were found to be functional.

Federal law enforcement could submit separate federal charges if the evidence indicates that the materials that went into making the devices were purchased using a credit or debit card or online and the transactions crossed state lines.

In Galveston County, two grand juries are seated in three-month terms. The current grand juries began their term in July. It could be weeks after the grand jury hears testimony before an indictment is handed down, though state law requires people being held in jail on felony charges be indicted within 90 days of being detained. Wednesday marked the 82nd day since Pagourtzis was arrested.

LIFE SENTENCE? The accused Santa Fe shooter will never get the death penalty. Here's why.

Poehl said he suspects the grand jury hearings could take longer in Pagourtzis' case since the prosecution can use a grand jury to compel testimony from witnesses who otherwise would not cooperate with law enforcement.

"My suspicion, since it's gone into the second week, is that (the prosecution) is at least partially using (grand jury testimony) as part of the investigation, which is ongoing," Poehl said.

Pagourtzis is being evaluated for competency and sanity by a team of experts. "Competency" in this case is defined as Pagourtzis' current state of mind and ability to stand trial while "sanity" indicates his state of mind at the time of the offense.

Pagourtzis has had only one session thus far, and Poehl said it would take at least three sessions for an initial assessment to be made. Poehl said the sessions are being done "ad hoc" as it has been difficult coordinating the schedules of the experts while also coordinating access to Pagourtzis.

Pagourtzis is being held without bail in Galveston County Jail.

Gabrielle Banks contributed reporting.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com
GREENWICH  A tree fell across the Merritt Parkway Tuesday evening, fire officials said.

No cars were involved, despite early indicated that that might have been the case.

Around 6:10 p.m., Greenwich Fire Department officials said units were en route to a tree across the Merritt Parkways southbound at exit 29. Two minutes later, officials said the call was reportedly for a tree possibly on a car without any injuries.

When fire units arrived at the scene, at 6:18 p.m., officials confirmed that no car was involved in the incident.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation said the parkway between exits 34 and 29 southbound was congested because of debris in the roadway. The right lane is closed as of 6:40 p.m.

A majority of the debris was cleared in less than two hours and traffic was flowing back to normal.
Erin Faith Allen, a Houston writer, photographer and filmmaker, has published a book titled The In Between, which is a memoir about her 19-day journey through Europe visiting World War II sites.

Allen noted that she has always had an interest in World War II history, ever since she read The Hiding Place in school, which is about Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch woman who hid Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Its just something that has been inside of me for a long time, Allen said. I have had a strong compulsion to try to understand how a group of people could be responsible for World War II.

She moved to London in 2009, and at the time her husband had been researching World War II.

During her time living in Europe, she met a German soldier at a speaking event, and she also attended a D-Day event at Normandy, France.

That was it for me, Allen said.

Allen continued, I was confronted with a world where World War II was present, and I just fell down that rabbit hole. I decided to follow something that was a life long passion.

All this time she had been researching and traveling intensely, as well has building up a huge amount of artwork and emotional experience. Yet, due, to the grimness of the topic, she kept most of it in secret.

She was going on a 19 day trip to visit World War II sites in Germany, Austria, Poland, Latvia and the Czech Republic during December 2017, and thought she could produce a sketch book from her experiences as a coming out party.

That sketchbook turned into a 408 massive tell all. It became a memoir of 19 days and of one of the hardest times of my life, Allen said.

Allen noted that one of the most powerful sites for her was Gunskirchen Concentration Camp in Austria. The camp was built late in the war and held primarily Hungarian Jewish people, as well as some political prisoners. The site is now a forest.

My friends father had been one of the liberators of this camp. I felt a personal duty to go here. It was a very powerful moment in a still, foggy forest, Allen said.

Allen said that for her, the book is an act of remembrance.

For many of these people, their memories and their stories were completely extinguished. Maybe if we are lucky we known their just their names and where they died. If we know how precious life is, and if we remember all of the people who lived and died through World War II, we can try to make sure this does not happen again, Allen said.

Allen hopes that the people who read the book will realize that people havent changed that much, and we arent as removed from the genocide as we think we are.

We are blindly moving through our lives and judging and harming each other in various ways. It is a slippery slope. I want people to think about how they move through the world and the decisions they make, Allen said.

Allens book The In Between can be bought online at www.erinfaithallen.com. She also welcomes visitors to her website to browse through her blog and her artwork for sale.

rebecca.hazen@chron.com
Al Salem Johnson Controls (York), a provider of integrated HVAC solutions and equipment, has succeeded in devising new technologies that have contributed to cutting energy consumption at Al-Shallal Theme Park in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.



These technologies enabled the theme park to achieve an annual power saving of up to SR1.5 million ($399,960), by using water steam instead of the traditional production of electricity to operate its cooling system, said a statement from the company.



Al Salem Johnson Controls is a multi-industry company and a pioneer in providing integrated solutions that include HVAC, fire safety and security systems, building management and control systems for the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.



Al Salem Johnson Controls chief executive officer Dr Mohanad AlShaikh stated that innovation is the cornerstone of the company's business and they always embrace an environment in which new ideas, technologies and processes are explored to create diverse solutions and services.



Located on Jeddah's Corniche over an area of 60,000 sq m and visited annually by one million visitors, Al-Shallal Theme Park, a subsidiary of Fakieh Hospitality and Leisure Group - Tarfeeh Fakieh, aims to become the best amusement park in Saudi Arabia, it said.



Jamil Attar, executive director of Fakieh Hospitality and Leisure Group, said: Since the beginning of the design phase of the project, there had been extensive research to select a world-class company that offers cooling, ventilation and air-conditioning solutions by taking advantage of seawater to reduce energy consumption.



Al Salem Johnson Controls (York), having repeatedly proven its experience in designing and engineering sustainable solutions and services, helped us improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon footprint, and achieve environmental goals, he said.



Dr AlShaikh said that Al Salem Johnson Controls (York) has engineered and designed solutions for the theme park, characterised by energy and operation efficiency to ensure that the park - which includes open and closed areas - is cooled in all climatic conditions and has great operational performance during the holiday seasons when the Theme Part witnesses huge numbers of visitors.



With innovation in mind, Al Salem Johnson Controls team took advantage of the strategic location of the theme park, using saltwater instead of fresh water, thus saving 50,000 gallons per day (190,000 litres/day) of fresh water, sufficient to satisfy thirst of 1,000 people a day.



The cooling plant comprises of three York absorption chillers, each with a cooling capacity of 750 tonnes, along with condensers, pumps and firefighting systems, it added.



In the same building, diesel boilers use seawater to produce steam; as the chillers are operated by steam instead of electricity, which contributes to saving the energy consumption of the AlShallal Park, equivalent to SR1.5 million ($399,960) a year.



AlShaikh said: The seawater is used in a complete cycle; it is withdrawn and filtered to ensure that it is free of small fish and other marine organisms before entering the cooling system (either in chiller or in the boilers).



It is important to stress that our cooling system does not use any chemicals in the water, thus does not affect the life and the marine environment after the water is being pumped back to the sea again after completing the cooling cycle, he added.



As for the Fakieh Aquarium project, which is part of Fakieh Hospitality and Leisure Group - Tarfeeh Fakieh, Al Salem Johnson Controls (York) supplied three chillers (each with a cooling capacity of 250 tonnes) and eight air handling units, and succeeded in cooling and controlling the temperature of the fish tanks and the dolphin lake, in proportion to the temperature of the aquatic environment, so as not to adversely affect the lives of fish and other marine creatures, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
When the iconic spring-fed pool at West Texas' Balmorhea State Park was shuttered in May, there were some fears that the nearby oil and gas operations of Apache Corp. triggered the collapse of a concrete wall.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department later determined the structural failure was caused by years of erosion from the flow of water from the springs behind the wall.

Despite the actual cause pinned to erosion, Houston-based Apache said it will match $1 million in funds raised to repair the still-closed 80-year-old pool. The goal is to raise $2 million to cover the full repair costs and Apache has agreed to cover half of the total if another $1 million is raised in donations.

The repairs are slated to begin in August, but the project is expected to take several months to complete.

"Apache is proud to partner with Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to support one of Texas's most treasured destinations. This public-private partnership will ensure this unique natural treasure remains an iconic part of our community for many years to come," said Apache Chief Executive John Christmann.

COEXISTING: Oil drilling and Apache Corp. become part of life in Balmorhea

Brent Leisure, director of Texas state parks, said the goal is to reverse decades of erosion impacts and to reopen the oasis as soon as possible.

"It's regrettable that the timing of this issue has prevented Texans from cooling off in their favorite swimming hole for most of this hot summer, but visitors will find an improved park after badly needed improvements are made to the pool, the historic motor courts and the parks' popular campground," Leisure added.

More than 15 million gallons of water flow through the pool each day, gushing from the San Solomon Springs. The 1.3-acre pool is up to 25 feet deep, holds 3.5 million gallons of water and the water temperature stays at 72 to 76 degrees year-round.

At HoustonChronicle.com: Balmorhea will sink or swim with its beautiful springs

The parks department said the fundraising will help the cash-strapped department dedicate its dollars to facilities hit hard by Hurricane Harvey last year and from other recent flood events throughout the state.
Parents and students are running down to-do lists and schools and colleges in the Friendswood area are bustling with activity as classes begin. Parents and students are running down to-do lists and schools and colleges in the Friendswood area are bustling with activity as classes begin. The first day of school is Aug. 15 in Friendswood ISD; the first class day in Clear Creek ISD is Aug. 20.

School supply lists available on TeacherLists

Parents from local schools have a new tool in their back-to-school bag of tricks this year as all of their schools supply lists are now posted on TeacherLists.com.

With one or two clicks, parents can find their childs exact supply list and then click to pre-filled shopping carts on Target, Walmart, Office Depot and Amazon to purchase their list and have it shipped to their home. Target, Walmart and Office Depot also offer in store pick-up.

The site includes lists for numerous schools in the region, such as St. Helen Catholic School in Pearland, Barbara Cockrell Elementary in Pearland, White Elementary School in El Lago, Clear Brook High School and Bales Intermediate School in Friendswood, Deer Park Elementary School in Deer Park, Jennie Reid Elementary in La Porte and Burnett Elementary School and Rick Schneider Middle School in Pasadena.

All the lists are available at www.teacherlists.com/parents.

Westwood Elementary hosts Kinder Kamp

On Aug. 3, Westwood Elementary School incoming kindergartners attended the first-ever Kinder Kamp. The students took a tour of the building, saw the classrooms and learned the basic skills they will need for Friendswood school.

Students learned how to walk in a line, rotate through stations and raise their hand to ask questions. They also played with blocks had a story time and danced to childrens songs.

While the students were in classrooms working with their teachers, parents were invited to attend a meeting where they were able to get information on forming a kinder-parent network, learn about Westwood and get questions answered.

Cline Elementary School will host Kick-Off to Kinder on Aug. 13 from 8-10 a.m.

CCISDs guidelines for free, reduced meals

Clear Creek Independent School District students who cant afford to pay the full price of school meals will be able to participate in a free and reduced-price meal program.

According to Fred Walker, the districts director of child nutrition service, the district will use guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine eligibility for participation in the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program. Reduced price meals cost 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.

Qualification standards are based on the number of family members and income. Applicants must turn in the eligibility determination group number for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

Families who do not have those must list the following:

names of all household members

the last four digits of the Social Security number of the familys primary wage earner or the household member who signs the form

last months income and how often it was received for each household member with an income, and

signature of an adult household member.

Information submitted on the application may be verified as required by law. For more information, call 281-284-0712.

Foster children, who are the legal responsibility of the state agency or court are eligible for benefits regardless of the income of the household where they live.

Applications are available at schoolcafe.com. To apply, households must fill out the online application. Applications may be submitted anytime during the school year.

Foundation to host fundraising events

The Clear Creek Education Foundation will host its fifth annual Dine Out to Donate event on Oct. 1 and its Ride to Give, in partnership with the Kemah Boardwalk on Oct. 5-7.

Residents can enjoy a meal at one of the 64 participating restaurant on Oct. 1, and restaurant proprietors will donate a portion of the proceeds to CCEF.

The top three Clear Creek ISD elementary, intermediate and high school campuses with the highest percentage of participation based on student population will win cash awards, with $1,000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third.

On the Ride to Give at the Kemah Boardwalk dates, patrons can purchase discounted amusement ride wristbands. Discounted wristbands are $20.99 for anyone 48 inches and taller and $15.99 for anyone under 48 inches. The Kemah Boardwalk will also donate $4 for every discounted wristband purchased to support the CCEF. To purchase a discounted wristband, bring the printable flier that can be found on the foundations website. The first 50 wristbands sold will receive a free ticket to Stingray Reef.

Patrons are encouraged to bring the printable flier for both Dine Out to Donate and Ride to Give that can be found on the foundations website at clearcreekeducationfoundation.org.

On the Ride to Give at the Kemah Boardwalk dates, patrons can purchase discounted amusement ride wristbands. Discounted wristbands are $20.99 for anyone 48 inches and taller and $15.99 for anyone under 48 inches. The Kemah Boardwalk will also donate $4 for every discounted wristband purchased to support the foundation. To purchase a discounted wristband, bring the printable flier that can be found on the foundations website. The first 50 wristbands sold will receive a free ticket to Stingray Reef.

Patrons are encouraged to bring the printable flier for both Dine Out to Donate and Ride to Give that can be found on the foundations website.

UHCL offers awards to qualifying transfer students

University of Houston-Clear Lake offers financial support for students transferring from other institutions. UH-Clear Lakes Automatic Transfer Scholarship does not require a separate application. Qualifying students need only to meet the Aug. 27 admissions deadline to be eligible.

New, first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students transferring from another college or university with at least 30 transferable credit hours and a transfer GPA of 2.75 or higher can receive a $750 award for each long semester (fall and spring, excluding summer semesters) if they enroll in more than nine credit hours of classes at UHCL. The funds are automatically deducted from the students tuition fee and no application is needed.

Students are eligible to renew the scholarship if they maintained consecutive enrollment in their first two long semesters at UHCL, earned a minimum of 18 hours of academic credit before the start of the third long semester, and maintained a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher. They must also be enrolled in nine or more credit hours at UHCL in their third consecutive long semester.

Nearly two-thirds of students at UHCL receive financial aid. For more information about the Automatic Transfer Scholarship and other financial aid options offered at UHCL, visit uhcl.edu/costs-aid/apply-for-aid.

Fall construction to start on San Jac facilities

Funded through voter approval of a $425 million San Jacinto College bond package in November 2015, progress on infrastructure updates and new facilities on each of the San Jac campuses has begun, with four buildings set for groundbreaking this fall.

On the Central Campus, the 145,000-square-foot Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology is taking shape on the edge of the campus along Fairmont Parkway. When it opens in 2019, it will be a petrochemical training facility for industry and will house programs in process technology, instrumentation, electrical technology, non-destructive testing and craft trades.

Set to break ground this fall on the Central Campus is a $16.6 million, 43,000-square-foot welcome center offering enrollment services, advising, financial aid, tutoring and other related services.A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 19, and the building is expected to open summer 2019.

The San Jacinto College North Campus is set to break ground on a cosmetology/culinary arts center at 8 a.m. Sept. 21. The 57,000-square-foot facility at a cost of $22.3 million will house the colleges culinary arts and North Campus cosmetology programs. The center is scheduled to open fall 2019.

At the South Campus, groundbreaking for a $27.7 million, 74,000-square-foot Center for Engineering and Technology is set for 8 a.m. Oct. 5. The center will house programs in engineering, engineering technology, biomedical equipment repair technology, engineering design graphics, electronics, and computer information technology. The San Jacinto College engineering program has seen a 108 percent enrollment increase since the 2015 semester.

Also set for construction this fall at the South Campus is a $15.8 million, 39,300-square-foot cosmetology center. The groundbreaking is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sept. 7, and the building is anticipated to be completed late summer 2019.

FISD hires a new communications specialist

The Friendswood Independent School District Communication Department has welcomed communications specialist Kelsey Purcell to the team.

Purcell is a May 2018 graduate from Midwestern State University. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in mass communication with a minor in Public Relations and advertising. Purcell has a background in website design and social media, but her passion is writing. She fell in love with journalism during her time writing for her campus newspaper, The Wichitan.

Purcell grew up in Alvin and attended Alvin High School.

Purcell will be responsible for maintaining the district website, writing articles and press releases, helping maintain social media platforms and generating content for the website and social media. She will assist director of communications Dayna Owen.

St. Thomas School gets a new look

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School in Nassau Bay is in the process or renovating and upgrading its classroom hallway, the library and establishing a unique learning space to be called the Studio.

With a view of Clear Lake and ample natural light, the Studio is a creative environment for students to explore the world. It is part art studio, part maker space, and part science lab.

For more information about the school, contact Moisina Sanxhaku, director of admissions at 281-333-1340 or msanxhaku@stesnb.org.
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
Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League was taken aback while watching his well-heeled guests sip champagne at the grand opening of the newest theater in the Austin-based chain at Katys LaCenterra shopping and dining complex.

The swanky eight-screen movie house with reclining chairs and state-of-the-art technology was a far cry from the modest single screen theater League and his wife cobbled together with their bare hands back in 1997.

Its bananas, he said. This is unlike any theater weve every built. Im really proud of it.

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The LaCenterra theater replaces the Alamo Drafthouses venerable operation at Katys Mason Park, which closed June 21 after a dozen years at the location. The new theater features Sony 4K digital projection and digital surround sound in each auditorium, a full dining menu along and a bar serving 46 beers on tap and an equal number of premium whiskeys and bourbons.

I love the presentation here, League said. This is a more expensive theater to build. I think weve matured as a company and we know what we want in terms of size (and) presentation quality.

The LaCenterra theater was built to order unlike the now former Alamo Drafthouse on Mason Park.

I really liked that theater but it was also a conversion of an older theater. I think that speaks to where we were 12 years ago, League said.

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While the movie house may be new, one well-known Alamo Drafthouse feature will be in force at LaCenterra, a strictly-enforced zero tolerance policy for talking or cell phone use during the movie.

Were dedicated to high quality presentation and great experiences for our guests, League said.

League traded in an engineering degree and a job in the oil industry in 1997 when he and his wife opened up the first Alamo Drafthouse. Now almost 40 theaters in the chain are scattered across the country.

I didnt have a master plan to be here 21 years later, League said. We come from pretty scrappy roots.

After opening the original Alamo Drafthouse, League said he had no ambition to be a movie theater mogul. He was happy catering to the needs of Austins colony of film fans.

For the first seven or eight years, I was sort of fixated on being an Austin theater. Austin was my town, my community, League said. I almost begrudgingly started to move out and expand.

It was his love for independent films that helped convince him to look beyond Houston. One of the screens at the LaCenterra Alamo Drafthouse will be dedicated to the kind of small, art house films that might not make it to Houston otherwise.

If we continue to grow and if we build the audience we built in Austin, we could be a real benefit to the independent film distributors, League said. We would be able to support movies nationwide. Thats exciting to me.

While League is an art house fan, League acknowledged that blockbusters like The Avengers rather than boutique movies like Dogville pay the bills. But, Alamo Drafthouse will feature their trailers in the coming attractions before the latest film in the Star Wars franchise.

We have one foot in the art house world and one foot in the straight-up commercial world, he said. I love them both and Ill go see them both. To me, there doesnt have to be a distinction.

Another local Alamo Drafthouse is scheduled to open next year in Sugar Land.

With every new theater we build, we figure out whats working and whats not working, League said. Alamo Drafthouse is a chain but I have a neurotic sensibility that I dont like to go to chains. I want them all to have their own identity and their own personality.

mike.glenn@chron.com
Houston-Galveston Area Council / Houston-Galveston Area Council

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) invites residents, community leaders, business owners and elected officials to attend the final round of public meetings for the Waller County Transportation Plan.

The first meeting will be held on Aug. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Royal High School Cafeteria in Brookshire. The second meeting will be held on Aug. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Waller County Community Center in Prairie View.

Led by H-GAC, Waller County leaders initiated the transportation study last year to address the county's rapid growth. Along with the Texas Department of Transportation and H-GAC, the cities of Brookshire, Hempstead, Katy, Pattison, Prairie View, and Waller worked together to develop recommendations to address the existing and future transportation issues in Waller County.

"The Waller County Transportation Plan consists of two components including the mobility plan and thoroughfare plan," Carlene Mullins, Senior Transportation Planner for H-GAC, said. "The mobility plan recommends specific short and long-term improvements that intend to improve mobility across the county," she added.

Parts of the mobility plan outline recommendations for intersection signalization, road widenings, grade-separated railroad crossings, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects. The thoroughfare plan is a long-range plan that identifies type and general location of future roadways which guides development, promotes road connectivity, and uniform road design standards. The thoroughfare plan does not identify specific projects or set a time frame for when identified corridors will be constructed.

"We encourage residents and stakeholders to attend one of the public meetings to provide feedback on the transportation recommendations developed for the Waller County Transportation," Mullins said. "The meetings are a come-and-go open house event for attendees to talk with us about the plan, share their concerns, and submit public comments."

H-GAC will provide reasonable accommodations for persons attending H-GAC functions. Requests from persons needing special accommodations should be received by H-GAC staff 24 hours prior to a function. The public meeting will be conducted in English with Spanish translators available. Requests for additional language interpreters or other special communication needs should be made at least two working days prior to a function. Call 713-993-2471 for assistance.

Visit http://hgacmpo.com/waller/ for more information about the plan. Comments from the public may also be emailed to PublicComments@h-gac.com, by calling 1-855-363-2516, or mailed to Transportation Public Information, Houston-Galveston Area Council, P.O. Box 22777, Houston, TX 77227-2777.




On Friday, Aug. 10, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate the beginning of a new school year with more than 1,850 teachers and school administrators from the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

The Mass, to be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston, will be followed by an awards ceremony.

"We are so happy and excited to be starting this new school year with a renewed spirit," said Debra Haney, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese. "We celebrated the opening of Epiphany Catholic School in Katy last weekend, and this is the first of many exciting things to happen in the 2018-2019 school year.

"Our Opening Schools Mass gives us the opportunity to share the vision and goals for the schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston while also coming together in solidarity and in faith to pray for our students, teachers, administrators, and school communities," she said.

After the Mass, Haney will present awards to 244 educators who are celebrating milestone years of service in Catholic education. The number of years of service range from 5 to 35 years.

She will close the celebration by presenting the Sally Landram Excellence in Education Award to a Catholic school educator who exemplifies excellence and professional dedication. The award is made possible by the generosity of the John W. and Alida Considine Foundation.

Teachers and staff began their back-to-school in-service the first week in August. Most students start classes the week of Aug. 13.

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston serves 1.7 million Catholics in 10 counties.It is the largest Roman Catholic diocese in Texas and the 5th largest in the United States.




At approximately 4,700 miles, the flight distance between Texas and that part of the United Kingdom known as Scotland, could be called a vast distance.

Scottish-born local artist Annette Palmer has often traveled that distance between her current home in The Woodlands, Texas and her first home in Scotland. Her newest exhibit of paintings, titled Home from Home, which opened Aug. 9 at the Glade Gallery, 2000 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands, draws on her love of travel, and attempts through abstract expressionist paintings, to convey her feelings about the vastness of land and sea in both Texas and Scotland.

Recognizing the reality of differences in physical size of Texas and Scotland, she feels there is a shared vastness in the physicality and atmosphere of some of the land and sea areas of both places, and that inspires the variety of landscapes and seascapes in her most recent exhibit. Texture or a lot of color are important painting elements to Annette and are evident in the current exhibit. Inspired by the heat and warmth of Texas, one painting titled, Here Comes the Sun has a lot of color and the artist uses that color as a powerful means of expressing her feelings. An acrylic painting titled, Oil Painting, (which does not refer to the artists medium) points to Annettes love of texture in painting with its use of layered gesso, texture paste, and highlights of silver leaf; it may also allude to the importance of oil in the economies of both Texas and Scotland.

The painting titled Home from Home for which the exhibit is named, with its vast fields of varying shades of green and a distant grove of trees could suggest the wide-open spaces of the Great Plains of Texas or the Lowlands of Scotland. Departing briefly from the abstract landscape and seascape paintings in the exhibit is an acrylic painting called Stag Night which harkens back to her earlier more representational portraits of animals, and represents an animal common to both Texas and Scotland. Home from Home will be on display at the Glade Gallery until mid-September.

The daughter of an architect, Annette was inspired by the lines, contours and orderly designs of her fathers architectural drawings and thrilled when he allowed her to add color to parts of his designs. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in art and design, with a major in fashion, from Edinburgh College of Art, Annette spent many years in the fashion industry.

That included a move to Singapore and culminated in developing her own fashion label. Moving to Texas in 2006 rekindled her love of drawing and painting and provided opportunities to continue her studies of figurative art. A visit to the Rothko Chapel in Houston, timed with a growing desire to find a better way to express emotions in her art, led Annette to experiment more with color as a sole means of artistic expression. She credits the work of 20th century abstract expressionist Mark Rothko as a source of inspiration for her heightened use of color, for helping her to experiment with the freedom of looser brush strokes and for encouraging her to paint on larger canvasses. Travel to Austria provided a closer look at the work of the late 19th century Vienna Secessionist artists, including Gustav Klimt. Annette says she loves reflective and metallic surfaces and traces her interest in using gold and silver metallics in her paintings to gold leaf evident in many of Klimts paintings. Growing up in a seacoast region south of Aberdeen, Scotland, Annette has a strong affinity for the sea. According to Annette you could predict the weather by the sounds of the sea. That might explain her many visits to Galveston and some of the inspiration for seascapes in her newest exhibition. She called Scotland home for a time and now calls Texas her home. Relationship and connections are important to Annette. Her new exhibit at the Glade Gallery, with its title, Home from Home is a way to illustrate her relationship, feelings and connections to both places. See more about Annette Palmers artwork at her website www.annettepalmer.com or www.saatchiart.com/annettepalmerart. See more about Glade Gallery and the Glade Cultural Center at www.gladeculturalcenter.com.

New visual arts venue in Conroe

Golda Rader, a celebrated area mixed media and decorative painting artist and teacher, who last year earned the title of visual arts Legend in the Greater Conroe Arts Alliances Rising Stars and Legends event, is partnering with her award-winning artist daughter Samantha Hollis, to open a new visual arts venue in Conroe. Being called Golda Sam & Company Art Studio, the new venue is located at 515 Lilly Blvd. (off Frazier). Golda Sam & Company will open their doors from 10 am to 5 pm this Saturday, August 11, with their Grand Opening celebration set for 6 to 8 pm that evening. In addition to showcasing the artwork of Golda and Samantha, the new venue will offer a variety of weekly art classes, a Saturday workshop, and an Inspiration Room, where artists can stretch out, relax and meditate or make use of the Studios collection of art books and videos. Golda Sam & Company will be open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm.

Classes scheduled thus far include mixed media and oil painting, drawing, watercolor, jewelry wire wrapping and wire sculpting, Zen-inspired art and Boho (Bohemian inspired) bracelet-making. In addition to Golda and Samantha, other teachers include such award-winning area artists as Jack DeNina (fused glass, wood sculpture and jewelry), Carrie Allbritton, (abstract and watercolor) Karen Blake (mixed media painting and jewelry), Sidne Egan (Drawing) and Victoria Quigley (oil painting). More information about Golda Sam & Company Art Studio, can be found at their new location, online via Facebook or via telephone at 713-825-6692.

Call for student artists: Encouraging a culture of kindness

The call for young artists to submit designs for the 2018 Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Art Contest, sponsored by the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. (DRC-MD) for Montgomery County students in grades K-8, will begin August 13 and continue through September 28. As in past years, representatives of the Conroe Art League, The Woodlands Art League, the Woodlands Arts Council, The Woodlands Bar Association, the Montgomery County Judiciary and the DRC-MC will be asked to judge the entries. Judge Kathleen Hamilton, 359th Judicial District Court, will help to award cash prizes to the winning students and anti-bullying books to their teachers at an Awards Ceremony on October 19 at the Montgomery County Commissioners Court in Conroe. The top winning bookmarks will then be displayed at the Montgomery County Memorial Library for 30 days following the ceremony and distributed to students throughout the county to encourage a culture of kindness in the schools. Some 16,000 copies of the winning bookmarks were distributed throughout the county in 2017.

Students will be asked to submit original artwork which reflects the themes of conflict resolution or conflict prevention. The goal of this annual contest is to foster discussion about constructive problem solving (such as peer mediation, respecting differences, listening, practicing tolerance and apologizing, etc.) as alternatives to violence and bullying. Contest rules and a template for the bookmark art will be available at www.Resolution-Center.org, throughout local school districts, and at all branches of the Montgomery County Memorial Library system beginning Aug. 13.

Maggie Gutierrez may be reached at ggutmarina@aol.com.
At least three houses in northwest Houston experienced "sewage overflowing into their homes" around noon on Tuesday, Houston Public Works said Tuesday evening.

The problem was reported on the 7300 block of Shady Grove Lane near Inwood, according to Alanna Reed, a spokeswoman for Houston Public Works.
When Texas mom Melanie Dudley was asked to cover up while breastfeeding she complied. And it's making people all over the internet laugh this week.

Carol Lockwood shared this photo of the interaction with the caption: "A friend's daughter-in-law was told to "cover up" while feeding her baby, so she did! I've never met her, but I think she's AWESOME!!!"

Yahoo news spoke with Dudley after the photo went viral with almost 190,000 shares and more than 15,000 comments. She definitely won the internet with many commenters saying the photo made them laugh.

I was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas with my entire family and a man asked me to cover myself, she told the publication. Im usually discreet, but we were seated in the back of the restaurant.

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Of course, societal norms may be different in Mexico, but its easy to see why Dudley would take offense to the request. Even in Texas, where public breastfeeding has been legal for years, some people try to shame mothers into the bathroom to feed their children.

But Texas moms have fought back on that way of thinking with breastfeeding nurse-ins, advocacy and hilarious viral videos. As a result, more moms are finding it comfortable to feed their babies no matter where they are.

If traveling to a different country should mothers be more sensitive to different cultural standards when it comes to breastfeeding? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

Two women who on Friday lost a lawsuit against the City of Houston and a variety of officials over a rape kit backlog will file an appeal, an attorney for the women announced in a news release on Tuesday.

The women filed a class-action lawsuit in 2017 against the City of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and other current and former officials for failing to test decades' worth of "rape kits" collected from rape victims as evidence. Both women were raped by serial offenders whose DNA had been in police databases. The offenders were unidentified until the city paid two private laboratories to erase its backlog in 2013 and 2014.
Black students in Fort Bend ISD were six times more likely to receive out-of-school suspensions than white students and four times as likely to be placed on in-school suspensions, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Federal investigators identified several likely culprits that led to the disproportionate punishments, including a vague code of conduct that left discipline decisions in the hands of select school administrators while giving them a slew of different punishments they could prescribe for similar misbehavior. It also determined that the districts failure to track students referred to law enforcement made it nearly impossible to determine whether minorities were referred more often than others.

Those concerns and statistics, however, were missing from a press release issued by the district on July 26, which touted an end to the education departments six-year Office of Civil Rights investigation.

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District officials wrote the department did not find any wrongdoing on their part. They did not acknowledge that investigators identified large racial disparities in its disciplinary practices or that black students continue to be overrepresented across all five types of harsher punishments tracked by the Texas Education Agency.

Nor did the release mention a resolution agreement or the five corrective steps school officials must take to satisfy the Office of Civil Rights, mentioning only that Fort Bend ISD will continue to review and provide training regarding its discipline policies and procedures and will track and monitor discipline data.

What the district failed to mention is the reason there wasnt a finding of discrimination is because they entered into voluntary resolution process, and OCR guidelines state there wont be findings of discrimination in these instances, said Deborah Fowler, executive director of the education advocacy group Texas Appleseed. Its not until you actually see the resolution letter that you realize how much they actually did find and some very large concerns they expressed.

Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre disagreed. In an interview last week, he said schools across the country struggle with racial gaps in discipline and that larger trends and patterns found in his district do not equate to wrongdoing or discrimination on the districts part.

I dont think were discriminating, but thats not to say there are not isolated cases that need to be addressed, Dupre said. The point Im trying to make is that theres nothing hidden. Everything they said or identified, we also identified and are working on to address.

Discipline rates in the 72,000-student district have fallen significantly since Dupre became superintendent in April 2013. The number of students placed on out-of-school suspensions dropped by half, from 5,876 in 2011-2012 to 2,891 in 2016-2017, according to the Texas Education Agency. Students given in-school suspensions dropped from 8,420 students to 3,595 during the same period.

The district also has implemented restorative discipline practices aimed at preventing poor behavior rather than punishing it in many of its schools and created a Department of Student Affairs to look into disciplinary disparities over the past several years.

Vanesia Johnson, a social worker who created the Citizens Advocating for Social Equity group after she said her son unfairly was given an out-of-school suspension in a Fort Bend ISD elementary school, said the districts representation of the investigations end is deceptive.

Im used to much more transparency with the district because of my outreach efforts, Johnson said. Now, Im just suspicious.

Even though the overall number of Fort Bend students disciplined has decreased, black students were much more likely to be given the severest punishments than their white, Asian and Hispanic peers. In fact, a higher proportion of black students were placed on in-school and out-of-school suspensions in 2016-2017 than before the U.S. Department of Education investigation began.

Black students represented about 64 percent of all students given out-of-school suspensions in 2016-2017, even though only about 28 percent of the Fort Bend ISD student population was African American. About 60 percent of students given out-of-school suspensions in 2011 were black.

Meanwhile, white students comprised about 7 percent of students given the same punishment in 2016-2017, even though they made up about 17 percent of all Fort Bend ISD students. That is down from the 8.7 percent share of students who received out-of-school suspensions in 2011.

That disparity exists at varying degrees for four of the five harsher punishments the TEA tracks: in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, disciplinary alternative education program placement and juvenile justice alternative education program placement. The TEA also tracks expulsions, but the district did not expel any students in 2016-2017.

The punishment gaps exist throughout the state of Texas and in the TEAs Region 4, which surrounds much of the greater Houston area. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of the Children at Risk nonprofit advocacy group, blamed institutional racism and cultural differences between white teachers and the students of color they encounter.

Its not that students of colors judgment is different from any other young kid. Its that the punishments are significantly more severe, Sanborn said. The idea of pursuing justice is very different for black and Latino students than it is for white students. The data is pretty clear on this. Theres just inequity.

Over the course of six years, federal investigators visited Fort Bend ISD schools several times, to collect data and interview those on campuses.

Among their findings: Data analysis showed black students who were slapped with dress code violations at Elkins High school were nearly twice as likely to receive in-school suspensions than their white peers. While a black student at Quail Run Middle received one day of in-school suspension and one day of out-of-school suspension for making a derogatory statement, a white student accused of the same infraction received only a parent conference and a notation that the student will think before he speaks. Of 14 white students referred to Sugar Land Middle administrators for first-offense tardiness, only one was given detention. Of 17 black students sent to the office for the same infraction, six were given detention slips.

The investigation laid out several concerns that may have contributed to the difference in punishments. Chief among them was the districts code of conduct, which investigators found to be so vague that it gave administrators wide latitude to choose punishments for different students.

The remedies for those issues proposed by Fort Bend ISD and accepted by the OCR, however, do not include mandatory fixes to the code of conduct or changes to how offenses are categorized. Instead, the OCR allowed the district to set up a framework to oversee itself. District administrators will determine whether changes to Fort Bend ISDs existing code of conduct are necessary. Administrators will review their own data at the end of the upcoming school year to see if discipline practices still over-punish black students.

The remedies amount to little in Fowler and Johnsons eyes.

To me, its hard to see what the OCR really brought to the table in terms of their enforcement authority and their ability to engage in this resolution process to bring about meaningful change, Fowler said. This is an example of the OCR totally abdicating its responsible for enforcing civil rights law.

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The U.S. DOEs Office of Civil Rights has come under criticism in recent months by some education advocates who say it is scuttling discrimination investigations, has weakened its enforcement of rules relating to equal treatment and has made it more difficult for complainants to dispute their findings. Investigative outlet ProPublica obtained a 2017 internal memo from the OCRs former head, telling investigators to stop looking at cases as systemic issues and nixed a requirement that investigators review three years of data in discipline and sexual violence investigations.

In May, the NAACP and other groups filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. DOE after it changed its case-processing manual and made it more difficult for groups to file multiple complaints and appeal department findings.

Dupre also groused over the departments handling of the case, which he said languished for years with no communication from federal officials. Such cases typically are to be resolved within 180 days, department policy states.

If they had done their job, they would have come in, done their work and issued findings in a short order. It should not have dragged on for six years, Dupre said. They did not do their job.

shelby.webb@chron.com

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10 p.m. UPDATE:

While severe thunderstorms moved out of the Houston area Wednesday afternoon, more storms are expected to roll through the area over the weekend.

A ground stop at George Bush Intercontinental Airport appears to have been lifted, according to the FAA.

Thursday has a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms while Friday and Saturday each have a 50 percent of thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.

Sunday might see storms, although the chance for precipitation then is 30 percent.

Temperatures will likely remain in the mid-90s all week and through the weekend.

Check the current forecast on Chron.com Weather

ORIGINAL STORY:

George Bush Intercontinental Airport has implemented a ground stop for all inbound air traffic because of severe weather in the Houston area, according to a tweet from the airport.

A severe storm warning for east central Harris County has ended as the storms appear to be moving further north. Thunderstorms reportedly brought strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall to areas around the city earlier this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

A severe thunderstorm warning was previously issued for east central Harris County, including Channelview, Jacinto City and Beaumont. A significant weather advisory was also issued for Montgomery County and north central Harris County until 4 p.m.

ON BISSONNET: Lawsuit aims to combat sex trade at southwest Houston hot spot

Wind gusts reached up to 40 mph in some cities.

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
The federal government could potentially double the funds that would go toward flood mitigation projects if voters approve a $2.5 billion bond later this month, say Harris County officials.

Gabe Baker, a flood control policy advisor for Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, told the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce that the funds the county raised would be matched by the federal government.

Its about a three-to-one match ratio, so $1 locally will bring in about $3 federally. By the end of the federal-local match partnership in that regard, the bond program would be about $4.5 to $5 billion, he said.

Beginning in June, the Harris County Flood Control District has hosted community meetings to obtain feedback from county residents on projects to help reduce flooding.

The proposed projects spread out among the 23 watersheds within the county include home buyouts in floodplains, repair storm damage and increasing flood water capacity in the bayous and creeks.

The bond just basically gives us the money upfront to do things that weve been wanting to do for decades. We just havent had the funding to do it, said Gary Bezemeck, HCFCD project coordinator with Precinct 4.

The flood bond vote will be on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, which brought record high waters, damaging homes and buildings.

If voters approve the bond, a portion of the funds would also go toward updating the flood plain maps.

Bezemeck said that maps could be completed in a year or 18 months after the Federal Emergency Management Agency analyzes and confirms the updated information.

When we start looking at the bond, the projects that we have proposed are really trying to address a spectrum of flooding types. The flood maps are a very important one because as we can create more capacity in the bayous, we cut down on flooding. It allows for water to drain out of neighborhoods and that sort of thing, he said.

A recent study from the University of Houston indicated high support from voters for the bond.

To help fund the bond, homeowners and businesses can expect gradual increase in property tax.

Baker said the average home within the county has a $200,000 value and property owners could expect a hike that would not exceed 1.4 percent.

Its a community effort. This is a really powerful start towards a big cultural shift within the county towards investing in flood infrastructure thats needed in order to provide a protection thats well, well overdue, he said.

Early voting for the bond will begin on Wednesday and end on August 21. The regular bond vote date will be Saturday, August 25.

mayra.cruz@chron.com
After more than seven months of operation, officials with The Woodlands Township say use of the dockless bicycle sharing program Mobike is going well and has met expectations.

Nick Wolda, president of Visit The Woodlands Texas, said township officials are happy with the Mobike service in the community and he added the township is at the moment keen to keep the arrangement between the township and the private, China-based company.

From our perspective, outside of a few bikes in crazy places, (Mobikes) have been very popular with residents and visitors to the Town Center, Wolda said in an email.

The shareable bicycles, which are equipped with GPS tracking devices and an auto-locking mechanism to prevent theft or misuse, first began appearing around the township about a week before Christmas in 2017. The bicycles were officially unveiled by officials from the township and Mobike in a ceremony in January when ridership numbers and app downloads began being tracked.

James Liao, the operations head for Mobike USA, said the company has about 100 bicycles in The Woodlands, although he declined to provide a specific number because he did not want to provide information about the operation to potential competitors. Mobike has a small warehouse type facility in the township, however Liao refused to provide the location or number of employees at the facility, again citing company privacy concerns.

The Woodlands has been great, Liao said of the first six months of the program. It has been amazing. We want to promote mobility for people. Weve seen amazing ridership.

According to ridership numbers provided by The Woodlands, the bikes have been used at a more frequent rate since January, with drops in ridership in only February and April. Overall, since Jan. 1, the Mobike app has been downloaded more than 7,200 times and bikes have been used for a total of more than 10,500 rides.

Wolda and Liao both said there have been very few problems or issues with the shareable bicycles Mobike operates, but each acknowledged there are a few challenges to deal with in light of the nature of the bikes, which can be unlocked and ridden anywhere by a user.

Mobike: By The Numbers Total number of Mobike apps downloaded since Jan. 1, 2018: 7,273 Total number of Mobike rides since Jan. 1, 2018: 10,517 Monthly Ridership & App usage (Month/app downloads/riders) January: 1,300 - 1,000 February: 572 - 1,264 March: 1,305 - 1,854 April: 1,008 - 1,462 May: 1,665 - 2,725 June: 1,423 - 2,212 - Source: The Woodlands Township. See More Collapse

The bikes have been left in some unusual spots, Wolda said, notably around the parking lot at The Woodlands Mall. But overall, he said the bikes have been enjoyed by residents and visitors.

Mobike is responsible for keeping bikes coordinated, Wolda added. They own them, they maintain them. Its a private operator, so the township has very little time in operations.

Liao said the group of employees based in the Mobike warehouse facility in the township keep close tabs on where each bicycle is via the GPS tracker attached to each bicycle. If a bike ends up somewhere unusual, employees retrieve it and return it to a high-traffic area such as Town Center or Hughes Landing. The staff is also responsible for repairs to any bikes that may be damaged or vandalized.

If it (a bike) ends up being somewhere it shouldnt, we go get it. We also look at the GPS locations to make sure it isnt in some egregious place, Liao said. Common places where Mobike officials hope to see the bikes include parks, shopping centers or stores, restaurants or event venues like the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, he added.

(Bikes) tend to generally congregate at points of interest, Liao added. That means the population is using the bikes.

While there have been few incidents of damaged bikes or vandalism, which has been an issue for bike-sharing companies in other cities like Dallas, Liao said things have gone well maintenance-wise with the fleet in The Woodlands.

Anything could happen with a bike, there is a learning curve to using the bike, Liao added. There have been no big problems. So far, the bikes have been durable.

The future of the bikes in the township appears positive, as Wolda said the township has No plans to remove the operation at this time.

Liao said despite challenges face by bike-sharing companies, Mobike is committed to The Woodlands for the remainder of this year and as long as the community is still viable for the service. However, despite the success, there are no plans for adding more bikes to the fleet.

We dont want to oversaturate the area, Liao added.
Teaching students the science of how their brains change over time can help them see intelligence as something they can develop, rather than innate and unchangeable, finds a new analysis of 10 separate studies online in the journal Trends in Neuroscience and Education .

Teaching students the concept of neuroplasticitythe ability of the brain to make new neural connections as a result of experienceis a common tactic in helping students develop a so-called growth rather than fixed mindset. But recent research has questioned how much students really understand or benefit from this approach.

Researchers from the Montreal, Canada-based Laboratory for Research in Neuroeducation at the University of Montreal analyzed 10 high-quality experimental studies of growth mindset interventions on students from age 7 into adulthood that included instruction on neuroplasticity. They looked at measures of students academic enjoyment, motivation, goals, and resilience after failure following participation in these mindset interventions.

They found that while on average, such interventions improved students motivation, they particularly benefited students and subjects which prior studies have shown are at high risk of developing a fixed mindset. For example, black students at risk of stereotype threat"the fear that one will reinforce a negative stereotype of your student groupshowed significantly higher increase in motivation and enjoyment of science after a neuroscience-based mindset program than did students who were not at risk of stereotype threat.

A subset of studies also measured brain activity in students with growth and fixed mindsets, and showed that students with a fixed mindset showed stronger reaction to negative feedback, which slowed their ability to process new questions after missing a question. Neuroimaging results suggest that this type of intervention fosters attention and error-correction mechanisms, leading to better performance, the researchers concluded.

The effect of brain-based mindset interventions was also stronger in math, a content area in which prior studies have shown students are more likely to believe skill is innate rather than malleable. A growth mindset intervention based on neuroplasticity, the authors found, seems to be mostly beneficial in terms of math achievement for at-risk students (low-achieving and economically disadvantaged students).

The Canadian study contrasts with a separate meta-analysis published in May in the journal Psychological Science, in which researchers from Michigan State and Case Western Reserve universities found lackluster effects on typical students grade point averages or SAT scores as a result of mindset interventions.

And the Canadian researchers cautioned that there has not been enough high-quality research on children from preschool and the earliest grades to determine whether brain-based mindset interventionswhich could require more advanced science understandingare effective with their age group.
Siemens, a global technology powerhouse, said it has secured a major contract from China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) for upgradation of one of the largest gas-fired power plants in Iraq.



The move, which comes as part of Siemens' measures towards supporting the rebuilding of Iraqs power infrastructure, will add another 650 megawatts (MW) to Shatt Al Basra Gas Power Plant, which currently has a power generation capacity of 1,250 MW.



As per the contract, Siemens will supply five of its highly-efficient steam turbines, ensuring the additional power supply comes at no extra fuel requirement. The plant already consists of non-Siemens turbines operating in simple-cycle mode.



With this upgrade, the facility will be converted to operating in combined cycle mode and its overall efficiency will increase to more than 50 per cent.



On completion, the plant, which is being developed by Iraq-based KAR Electrical Power Production Trading, will supply around one million citizens with reliable and clean electricity.



Earlier this year, Siemens was contracted to supply two of its robust SST-5000 steam turbines to a similar project in Rumaila in Iraq, making it the first large-scale open cycle conversion project in the country.



The upgrade works for both the Rumaila and the Shatt Al Basra power plants are scheduled for completion by 2020, said the company in a statement.



Jean-Claude Nasr, the senior executive vice-president (power generation) at Siemens in the Middle East, said: A reliable and efficient power supply is the backbone of a prosperous economy and todays announcement underscores an important step towards realizing Iraqs aspirations towards building a robust power system and a sustainable economy for its people."



"Siemens envisions 40 million Iraqis living in vibrant cities, powered by reliable and efficient energy; a strong industrial sector and sustainable economic development, led by world-class, home-grown talent," he added.



The global technology giant had recently received an order to modernise the Rumaila gas-fired power plant in Iraq, adding 700 MW to the plant. The scope of supply includes two SST-5000 steam turbines.



Siemens said from energy supply and industry to financing and training, it has outlined its roadmap and commitment to supporting the development of Iraq in February at the Iraq reconstruction conference held in Kuwait.



The roadmap identified the countrys short, mid- and long-term development needs. It focused on key areas including energy management, resource efficiency, education, anti-corruption and financing, it stated.-TradeArabia News Service
TOKYO - Japan's business community is discussing the pros and cons of daylight saving time, as the government and Liberal Democratic Party consider implementing the system in tandem with the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The introduction of daylight saving time is expected to positively affect the environment, such as by prompting a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. However, labor unions fear it would result in longer working hours.

There have already been strong calls from business circles to introduce daylight saving time, as it would boost consumer spending and benefit the environment. The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) Secretariat introduced the system on a trial basis for one month in the summer of 2007. During the trial, use of air conditioning fell as employees started work earlier in the morning when temperatures were low, resulting in a 5 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from the previous year.

"In light of the recent intense heat, our employees would appreciate being able to work in the cool of the morning," said a spokesperson for major general contractor Obayashi Corp.

Daylight hours after work would also increase, which would likely boost consumption as people spend more money on eating out and other activities.

Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc. economist Tohihiro Nagahama estimated that by moving clocks forward one hour from March through October, economic activity would increase by about 700 billion yen ($6.3 billion U.S.) per year.

Following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011, some companies implemented earlier working hours as a means of saving energy. Unicharm Corp. moved the start of its business day up by an hour to 8 a.m. that year.

"This motivated our employees to work efficiently so they could leave early, resulting in a drastic reduction in overtime," a company spokesperson said. Since in April 2012, Unicharm has started its business day at 8 a.m. year-round.

Kikkoman Corp. and Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance have also adopted similar systems.

However, labor unions strongly oppose the introduction of daylight saving time, saying it would lead to longer working hours. Employees who work with overseas clients and branch offices, for example, may be forced to work overtime if their overseas partners do not similarly adopt new business hours.

As a result, some companies gave up on their new schedules about a year after introducing them.

Moreover, a number of transport, financial and medical facilities manage their operations based on intricate timetables. An official of a major railway company in the Kansai region expressed concern, saying: "If we had to reprogram our operational controls and ticketing services due to the introduction [of daylight saving time], we'd face a workload similar to that needed for a massive scheduling change."

Japan Research Institute counselor Hisashi Yamada said: "The systems changes and other adjustments would cost a lot of money. Various factors have to be considered together, such as the effects on employees' work style and health."
Saudi Arabia executed and crucified a Myanmar man in the holy city of Mecca on Wednesday in a rare form of punishment reserved for the most egregious crimes.

Elias Abulkalaam Jamaleddeen was accused of breaking into the home of a woman from Myanmar, firing a weapon in it then repeatedly stabbing her, which led to her death, the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an Interior Ministry statement. He was also accused of stealing weapons and trying to kill another man whose home he broke into, as well as attempting to rape a woman.
Saudi Arabia said it will keep tightening the noose on Canada for criticizing the recent arrests of women's rights activists.

The kingdom's foreign minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, said the next wave of retaliatory steps could affect investment flows between the countries. Saudi Arabia's central bank and pension funds have already begun selling Canadian assets, according to a Financial Times report on Wednesday that triggered brief selling in the loonie.

"Canada knows what it needs to do," Al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh on Wednesday, saying there was no need for mediation in the dispute. "We don't accept interference in our affairs."

The Saudi government's unusually severe response is the latest evidence that while touting himself as a champion for economic and social progress -- including by letting women drive for the first time -- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman won't accept any outside criticism or perceived challenges to his authority.

Under his watch, Saudi Arabia has implemented an increasingly aggressive foreign policy. In November, the kingdom recalled its ambassador to Germany and cut back commercial ties with some German companies after the then-foreign minister suggested the kingdom had orchestrated the surprise resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, a charge it denies.

"The fact that the Saudis have made similar noises about Germany is further evidence that they are just more willing to escalate with important trade and political partners than in the past," said Gregory Gause, a professor of international affairs and Saudi specialist at Texas A&M University.

The diplomatic spat with Canada has escalated very quickly, leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrestling with how to respond to cool the tensions without backtracking on his support for women's rights.

Since Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called on Saudi Arabia to release rights activist Samar Badawi from prison on Aug. 2, Saudi Arabia has expelled the Canadian ambassador, frozen new business deals, suspended flights to Toronto and ordered the return of thousands of students who are studying at Canadian schools. The Saudi Grains Organization, a state-run grains buyer, told traders it will no longer accept milling wheat or feed barley from Canada, according to people familiar with the matter.

Badawi's brother Raif Badawi, a writer, was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam while blogging. Raif Badawi's wife is a Canadian citizen living in Quebec.

On Wednesday, the Canadian currency dropped as much as 0.5 percent to C$1.3120 per U.S. dollar after the Financial Times reported that the Saudi Arabia central bank and state pension funds have instructed their overseas asset managers to dispose of Canadian assets starting Tuesday. The loonie rebounded shortly afterward to trade 0.2 percent weaker at 12:43 p.m. in Toronto.

Canadian stocks and bonds were little changed.Saudi's asset sales may not have a big impact on the Canadian currency, although seasonally thin trading in August could exacerbate that effect. Saudi holdings of Canadian dollar reserves are between C$10 billion ($7.7 billion) and C$25 billion, with the upper end of that estimate representing 10 percent of daily Canadian dollar volumes, according to estimates from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

"That's enough to leave a mark on the loonie in August when volumes are typically lighter," said Bipan Rai, North American head of foreign exchange strategy at CIBC. Still, Rai said the impact on the currency should be "ephemeral" as bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and Canada is small.

So far this year, Canada has exported C$1.4 billion in merchandise goods to Saudi Arabia and imported C$2 billion, according to Statistics Canada data. Canada's main imports from Saudi Arabia are oil, while its exports include armored vehicles as part of a C$15 billion arms contract signed in 2014 with a unit of General Dynamics Corp.

Saudi investments in Canada include Winnipeg, Manitoba-based grain trader G3, which was formed in 2015 after Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment Co., or Salic, and Bunge Ltd. acquired a 50.1 percent stake in the former Canadian Wheat Board for C$250 million. Salic increased its share to 75 percent a year later.

On Tuesday, G3 officials said the company continues to buy and sell grain as usual amid the diplomatic clash. Officials didn't immediately return requests for comment from Bloomberg News on Wednesday.
The tight race between Democrat Danny O'Connor and Republican Troy Balderson in a deep-red Ohio House district Tuesday reinforced a trend that has been developing for more than a year: Democrats are routinely beating their 2016 performance by double digits - putting the House and perhaps even the Senate within their grasp in November.

In Ohio's 12th Congressional District, which encompasses the northern suburbs of Columbus and rural expanses to the east, voters preferred President Donald Trump by 11 points and GOP Rep. Patrick Tiberi by 37 points in 2016. But with the race too close to call late Tuesday night, those voters showed a marked shift away from Republicans.

The war for the control of Congress has been, for a year and a half, fought in a series of such skirmishes - their names ringing in the ears of Washington political operatives like famous battlefields: Georgia 6. Arizona 8. Pennsylvania 18. And Alabama - never forget Alabama.

The battle moves now to a broader tableau, away from one-offs marked by floods of outside spending and heavy national media coverage to a 435-district scramble where any one contest will have difficulty standing out.

In race after race, national Republican groups have intervened with spending to offset strong fundraising from Democratic candidates. More than $6 million was spent to benefit Balderson, according to pre-election campaign finance reports, versus the $1.2 million spent in support of O'Connor.

Trump personally endorsed the GOP special election candidates and, in some cases, held political rallies to drum up votes among supporters who might not be inclined to back a generic Republican, such as Balderson, a longtime state legislator who shied away from an enthusiastic embrace of the president.

Now, with the battlefield expanding to dozens of House districts and a handful of key Senate races, those particular advantages stand to be diluted. Instead, political strategists say, the fundamentals will become more salient.

"It makes what's happening organically more important," said Zac McCrary, a Democratic pollster who worked on special elections in Alabama and Georgia and is advising numerous midterm campaigns. "There's a Democratic intensity advantage. Organically, independent voters are tilting Democratic in most places. . . . Everything else being equal, the playing field advantages the Democrats."

Democrats need to win 23 Republican-held seats to claim the House majority. A net gain of two seats will flip the Senate, but many more Democrats are vulnerable to Republican challengers this year.

Republican campaign officials acknowledge the head winds but say they are confident that a strong economy, smart campaigns and targeted spending by national GOP groups will mitigate the Democrats' advantage. They point to an overall 7-2 record in the special elections for GOP-held congressional seats before Tuesday.

But that tally obscures the larger trend. In an April 2017 Kansas race, Republican Ron Estes beat Democrat James Thompson, but only by six points in a district Trump won by 27. Two months later, Republican Ralph Norman won a South Carolina seat - by three points in a district Trump won by 19. In an Alabama shocker, Doug Jones became the first Democrat to represent his state in the Senate in two decades. And in March, Democrat Conor Lamb broke through in western Pennsylvania, eking out a 755-vote victory in a district Trump won by 20 points.

What has been more telling has been the relative stability of the Democratic campaign message. Virtually every Democratic special-election candidate has run on health care and economic fairness - not taking direct aim at Trump and his administration as much as a Republican policy agenda that they say favors the rich and well-connected over ordinary Americans.

Republicans, meanwhile, have flitted from issue to issue seeking to promote their own candidates and disqualify Democrats. Individual candidates have been at sea trying to focus on local issues while outside groups prosecute national lines of attack on their Democratic opponents.

Early hopes of riding last year's GOP tax cuts to victory have largely faded along with the tax bill's popularity; more recently, Republicans have seized on calls by some liberal Democrats to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency as fodder for attacks.

But for candidates such as Lamb and O'Connor, the GOP has had a hard time making the charge of radicalism stick. More frequently, the play has been guilt by association - specifically, association with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has near-universal name recognition among voters.

Ads attacking Pelosi's "San Francisco values" derailed Democrat Jon Ossoff's bid for a suburban Atlanta seat, and O'Connor was tripped up last month after suggesting, under persistent questioning by MSNBC's Chris Matthews, that he could end up voting for Pelosi as speaker after saying that he wouldn't.

O'Connor also faced ads accusing him of being soft on illegal immigration and supporting cuts to Medicare. "Message whiplash," O'Connor pollster Jason McGrath called it Tuesday before polls closed.

If Balderson ultimately prevails, it is Trump, ironically, who may deserve the lion's share of the credit for pushing him over the top. At a Saturday rally in suburban Delaware County, Trump delivered effusive praise for Balderson and mocked "Danny Boy," predicting a "red wave" that would wash over the nation come November.

"But you got to get out and do it," Trump said. "You got to get out and vote. You got to get out because they want to take away what we've given. . . . A vote for Danny Boy and the Democrats is a vote to let criminals and drugs pour into our country and to let MS-13 run wild in our communities."

Republicans will be hard-pressed to replicate the one-two punch they landed on O'Connor. Not only did Trump stump for Balderson, but Gov. John Kasich, a Republican moderate who once held the seat, cut a late TV ad on Balderson's behalf.

Democrats are taking heart that O'Connor's strong showing reflected a message carrying the same ring as the party's candidates in suburban and blue-collar districts across the country - heavy on bipartisanship and "kitchen table" economic issues.

"Pennsylvania 18 looks a lot different from Ohio 12, and yet you are seeing very similar messages work," said Tyler Law, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "What we're learning is that message is going to resonate with a lot of different people."

One Republican strategist also warned that the tight Ohio race was the latest wake-up call for GOP candidates who have lagged in fundraising, hoping national groups would pick up the slack. Those groups are going to be stretched thin over the next 90 days, defending a House battlefield stretching from Bangor, Maine, to California's Orange County.

"If you are getting outraised, you are asking for trouble," said Corry Bliss, executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund, which spent more than $3 million on TV ads and door-knocking in Ohio. "You are asking to lose."

And while Trump may be a secret weapon in some of those districts, Democrats say that is not true everywhere. Many of the party's top targets are in suburban districts where Trump is seen as a drag on Republicans more than a boost for them. And in the rest, there's only so much one man can do - even the president.

"It is clear that Republicans think their best mechanism here to try to salvage these districts is sending in Trump a day or two before," McCrary said. "You know, Donald Trump can't be in 40 districts in the last 72 hours before the November election."
Amanat Holdings, a leading healthcare and education investment company in the GCC, said today that it has completed the acquisition of 100% stake in Middlesex University Dubai for a consideration of Dh369 million ($100 million) with an additional potential earn-out of up to Dh73 million.

Established in 2005, Middlesex University Dubai is the first overseas campus of the internationally renowned Middlesex University in London.

Middlesex University Dubai has a diverse student body of approximately 3,000 students from over 100 nationalities. It is licensed and regulated by the Dubai Governments Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

Middlesex University Dubai offers foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in Business, Law, Art and Design, Science and Technology, Health and Education, and Media. Using the same validation and monitoring system as the London campus, Middlesex University Dubai provides students with the opportunity to obtain a top-quality UK degree while living in the heart of Dubai, one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world.

With the completion of this investment, Amanat has constructed a diverse portfolio of leading and differentiated businesses. The portfolio today includes three education assets in the UAE, two healthcare assets in Saudi Arabia and another real estate investment.

Hamad Abdulla Al Shamsi, chairman of Amanat, said: The acquisition of Middlesex University Dubai represents another milestone for Amanat, marking our sixth portfolio company. Having successfully acquired 100% of the University and deployed 73% of our capital, Amanat demonstrates its commitment to a more active investment strategy.

Al Shamsi further added: We are proud to be associated with such an excellent and well-reputed international leader in higher education. We are confident of the value we can bring to Middlesex University Dubai, helping it build on its historic success of providing students with an enhanced learning experience and improved career prospects in an increasingly competitive world.

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, vice chairman and managing director of Amanat, said: Middlesex University Dubai is an exciting and strategic investment for Amanat, enabling us to continue supporting education and healthcare services in the region. Middlesex University Dubai is Amanats third investment in 2018, with Dh1.1 billion of capital deployed so far this year. Following Amanats investment in Abu Dhabi University Holding Company, our higher education portfolio extends across the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and covers a wide range of programs.

Dr Vayalil continued: We look forward to working with Middlesex University Dubai to drive further growth and deliver value for all stakeholders. The esteemed university has demonstrated its ability to outperform the rapidly growing higher education market and is a leading contributor in attracting transnational students to the United Arab Emirates from across the world.

Amanats investment strategy is focused on significant minority or majority stakes in high-quality, high-growth potential companies exclusively in the healthcare and education sectors across the GCC and beyond, it said. - TradeArabia News Service
President Donald Trump's legal team has rejected special counsel Robert Mueller's conditions for an interview with their client, saying they consider questioning the president about possible obstruction of justice to be legally inappropriate.

A letter from Trump's lawyers sent to Mueller around noon on Wednesday significantly lessens the possibility of a voluntary presidential interview, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The multipage response represents what Trump's lawyers expect to be their last word on Mueller's request for a sit-down interview with the president in his Russia investigation, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

On a live radio program Wednesday, Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jay Sekulow declined to elaborate on their rejection of Mueller's interview terms, but both said the special counsel should finish his probe soon.

"This should be over with by Sept. 1," Giuliani said. "We have now given him so many of the answers he has been seeking."

In a separate statement, Giuliani emphasized the information that Trump and the White House have already given to Mueller's team.

"Millions of pages of documents along with testimony from dozens of witnesses have been provided," Giuliani said. "We're restating what we have been saying for months: It is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay."

Sekulow said in a statement, "We have responded in writing to the latest proposal from the Office of Special Counsel regarding its request to interview the President. It is not appropriate, at this time, to comment publicly about the content of that response."

The Trump team's letter to Mueller was first reported by The New York Times.

The letter lays out the eight months of negotiating steps and positions the Trump and Mueller teams have taken over terms for a possible interview, starting last December, one person said. In it, Trump's team repeats its argument that it would be inappropriate to question the president about acts he is constitutionally protected in carrying out as the chief executive. Mueller is examining possible efforts by Trump to thwart a criminal probe and obstruct justice.

The letter from Trump's lawyers leaves open the possibility of having Trump answer some questions in writing, according to the two people familiar with the negotiations.

They said the response also stresses public explanations Trump has already given on his decisions as president, such as his firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, who was then heading a probe looking at a Trump adviser and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Giuliani has previously said that one of his greatest concerns about an interview was exposing Trump to accusations of perjury. Giuliani has said he fears that Mueller could decide to believe Comey rather than Trump about a conversation the two men had early in Trump's term in office and then accuse Trump of lying.

In an alleged reference to the FBI's investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Comey has testified that Trump told him he hoped Comey could "let it go." Giuliani said Trump does not recall saying anything like that.

One Trump adviser said there's one way for Mueller to prove he isn't using the interview to lure Trump into a perjury trap.

"If you don't want to accuse someone of perjury, you don't need to have them answer questions under oath," the adviser said.
After a successful summer season of camping, the Western Illinois Youth Camp is wrapping up with an All Around the World program intended to expose campers to new cultures.

Each day of the program is being made possible by community members, WIYC Director Tanell Anders said. For instance, Tuesdays program involved Blackburn College student Noelia Martinez-Voigt teaching campers traditional Bolivian dances and Bolivias national anthem.

We tried to find some local people that could help the kids learn about different countries that they might not know about, Anders said. One of our lifeguards had a friend in college from Bolivia who has been here two-and-a-half years. Noelia taught us a dance that they traditionally do at festivals. We learned their national anthem this morning because their independence day was yesterday, so we talked about how their independence day is like our Fourth of July.

Students joined hands and danced in a circular pattern, at first shuffling their feet with uncertainty but slowly picking up the steps as the lesson went on.

Alex Simpson, 12, of Jacksonville said it was difficult picking up the dance but it proved to be both fun and a good workout.

I got lost a couple times. Also, I cant dance so, Simpson said with a laugh. It was still fun, though.

The program will continue today with a lesson on Mexico, during which campers will learn how to make homemade guacamole and salsa. Other lessons will include making homemade Chinese dumplings with help from China King restaurant employees and a lesson on the German alphabet, led by Anders and camp co-director Drew Comstock.

When theyre not learning about the world, campers will enjoy classic camp activities, such as canoeing, swimming, archery, crafts and sports.

Its been a good season for the camp, with many weeks selling out, Anders said, adding that shes looking forward to next year, when the camp will bring back overnight camping.

Weve had record numbers this year, Anders said. Were really excited with the support weve had. The local support has been huge. Weve had so many businesses and volunteers come out to help with our themed weeks. We truly appreciate their help and our boards help. They help us any way they can. Weve also got a really good staff this year.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.
Rakez Academic Zone, a flourishing hub for education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has welcomed the University of Stirling of the UK to its dynamic learning ecosystem.



Launched in partnership with the global education company, Planet CORE Education, the University of Stirling is one of the top 450 universities in the world by QS Rankings. It joins a number of accredited educational institutions at Rakez Academic Zone, including the University of West London, the University of Bolton, Sarhad University of Science & Information Technology, Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Business School, and Birla Institute of Technology, among others.



Velanand, managing director of Planet Core Education, said: The University of Stirling is not the first institution that we have established in Rakez Academic Zone. Theres Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), for example, which has been operating since 2005.



This institute has quickly built a permanent presence in the country with the help of the zone and were absolute that the University of Stirling will experience the same rate of growth. Our experience with Rakez Academic Zone has been very positive with their simplified branch set-up procedures as well as the range of solutions they offer to educational providers.



Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of Rakez, said: Im very pleased to welcome the University of Stirling to the growing family of universities, schools and colleges we have at Rakez Academic Zone. Within the UK, it has earned a reputation for excellence in a number of key areas, which I believe will make a significant contribution to Ras Al Khaimahs education ecosystem and enrich the community within our Academic Zone.



The University of Stirlings RAK Campus will offer the universitys flagship undergraduate and postgraduate management school programmes, such as BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance, BSc (Hons) in Management, MSc in Investment Analysis and MSc in Finance when it opens its doors in September 2018.



Our mission at Rakez Academic Zone is to bring in qualified academic and education institutions to Ras Al Khaimah that will help raise the educational standards in the emirate, said Jallad.



We have been successfully doing this by implementing new higher education and academic rules and regulations, as well as quality assurance via internationally recognised agencies. All of these are being done to oversee the education sector in the emirate and ensure that the academic programmes offered in our community are nothing but excellent. Therefore, it is really great and rewarding to see the zone come to life. In just a short span, we have gathered high-quality institutions from various countries that offer truly world-class degree, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
DHL Global Forwarding, a leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services, has appointed Maha Abu Hijleh, Roy Scaria and Magued Ragheb as country managers for Qatar, Oman and Egypt, respectively.



The announcements come as the Gulf takes on growing strategic prominence in global trade developments, including its role as a critical hub on China's Belt and Road trade routes, said a statement from the company.



Amadou Diallo, chief executive officer, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, said: We have high hopes for growth within our region: The Middle East's economies, including the Gulf States together with Egypt, are expected to grow 2.9 per cent this year, up from 1.1 per cent in 2017.



The economic outlook is positive for this year and for 2019. Our new leaders bring with them a wealth of expertise from different parts of the region, positioning us well to build up greater synergies between different markets and lay the foundations for sustainable trade growth in each country, he added.



Maha Abu Hijleh brings with her close to 20 years of experience in the logistics industry. She joined DHL in 2009 as head of products for ocean freight in Doha and has since established a reputation for driving rapid growth to business volumes and earnings in Qatar, applying the same focus on customer experience. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology.



Maha Abu Hijleh, country manager, DHL Global Forwarding Qatar, said: Qatar presents much economic opportunity - trade between Qatar and China has been growing at up to 45 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, while the Qatari government's recent investment of $8.2 billion into logistics infrastructure positions the country for rapid future growth, particularly for its burgeoning cross-border e-commerce industry.



I'm committed to building the companys business here by focusing on the fundamentals of customer service and product excellence in air and ocean freight, building on the robust track record which we have already established here, she added.



Roy Scaria, a veteran of DHL, is an executive leader who has been with the company for over 20 years. He joined DHL in 1998 as head of billing in Dubai before moving to Bahrain in 2005 to assume the position of chief financial officer (CFO), where he played a major role in setting up the business' operations in the kingdom.



Based in Oman since 2011 and well-regarded by customers, Scaria has proven financial capabilities, leadership skills and commercial acumen, by implementing various projects in Bahrain and Oman. His capabilities have also guided DHL Global Forwarding Oman to record earnings in 2016.



Roy Scaria, country manager, DHL Global Forwarding Oman, said: While geographically small, Oman has begun to punch above its weight - with the upcoming development of the Sino-Oman Industrial City, poised as a pivot-point in the Belt and Road.



This is a role which we expect will contribute significantly to economic growth and development in Oman. The country's logistics sector is already projected to grow to $7.8 billion by 2020, and I'm looking forward to helping our core teams in Muscat, Salalah and Sohar tap into the growing opportunities for ocean, air, and road freight, he added.



Scaria holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the National Institute of Management, India, with a dual specialisation in logistics and finance, as well as a Masters in Commerce (Mcom) from Mahatma Gandhi University, India.



Magued Ragheb having assumed the role of country manager for DHL Global Forwarding Egypt in 2017, has since taken the business to new heights. He is also in charge of coordinating commercial activities in Northern African countries.



In 2017, DHL Global Forwarding Egypt's operating profit (EBIT) grew significantly. For the outstanding performance in 2017, Egypt has also received several company awards in the region such as "Best Air Freight Team", Best Ocean Freight Team", and "Service Excellence".



Having assumed several roles within DHL Global Forwarding in Egypt over the last 13 years, serving as head of air freight, head of ocean freight as well as head of customs brokerage and clearance.



Before joining DHL, Ragheb spent more than a decade in the airline industry, taking on responsibilities ranging from cargo operations, capacity optimisation as well as, marketing and commercial roles.



Magued Ragheb, country manager, DHL Global Forwarding Egypt, said: It has been an honour to lead the business here in Egypt and the past year has seen us reaping good results and recognition in the industry.



We have more to do, as Egypt continues to act as a strategic gateway between East and West, thanks to not just infrastructure like the Suez Canal, but also, bold governmental reforms aimed at fostering increasingly free trade, he said.



Trade with the US more than doubled in value last year, and the country's infrastructure continues to improve with major investments in its roads and waterways. All this bodes well for our team and I'm looking forward to continue fostering both freight and digital transformation projects in the region, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Amid a fight over whether a facility that would house migrant children has satisfied the code requirements necessary to open east of downtown, Houston inspectors have begun visiting existing centers run by the same nonprofit.

Austin-based Southwest Key Programs said last week it had all but one of the permits it needs to open a proposed facility for children who illegally cross the countrys southern border. City officials dispute that claim, saying the company must begin the permitting process again because two residential permits the nonprofit holds were granted based on incomplete information that did not adequately describe the proposed institutional use of the building.

Fire Chief Sam Pena last Thursday sent inspectors to the three existing facilities Southwest Key runs in Houston in an effort to ensure that other facilities permitted by your company have not been occupied under similarly incorrect permits, he and Houston Building Official Mark Savasta wrote in a follow-up letter to Southwest Key last Friday.

The inspectors were stopped in the lobby at each facility, however, which Pena and Savasta said is not in keeping with city ordinances that allow inspectors to access buildings at reasonable times to ensure compliance with building and fire codes.

Fire inspectors visited all three locations on Wednesday, Southwest Key spokesman Jeff Eller said, and building inspectors are expected to visit the sites on Thursday. The sites have passed annual fire inspections, he said, as well as occasional reviews.

They didnt indicate they found major violations today or they would have taken action, Eller said. Do I think its selective enforcement? Yes.

Pena disagreed.

Were doing our due diligence in ensuring that these facilities are operating appropriately and that were enforcing the proper code, and its about public safety, the chief said. This is not a political issue. Were not doing anything different than we do for any other major business of this type.

Turner echoed that.

I think youd be critical of us, in view of all the questions that have been raised, if we didnt do our due diligence to make sure everything was above board and that these kids were being properly taken care of, he told reporters at a press conference after the weekly council meeting.

Eller had said last week that the nonprofit operates two shelters for unaccompanied minors under residential permits, though those are licensed to hold children older than those the Emancipation facility would house. A third Southwest Key facility housing children in the same age range 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.

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 a building it had leased at 419 Emancipation Ave.

When news of the proposed facility became public at the height of the furor over family separations at the border, 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.

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The city of Houston nearly one year after Hurricane Harvey has applied for federal grant funding to add 10 gates to the Lake Houston dam, where nearby communities saw catastrophic flooding. More gates would allow engineers to lower water levels in the lake more rapidly ahead of storms and help let it out more quickly if there is flooding.

Officials submitted the application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program on July 27, said Steve Costello, the city's chief resilience officer. They requested $48.5 million, believing the cost-benefit ratio worked in their favor as they compete with other post-Harvey projects.
The embattled owner of a home elevation company that had halted or failed to start work on about 20 jobs it had pending on flooded houses in Houston, saying his company was in financial distress, has died, city officials confirmed Wednesday.

Bobby Fischer of Titan Foundation & Elevation had accepted tens of thousands of dollars in up-front payments from repeat flood victims trying to raise their homes out of harms way, some of whom have contacted the Harris County District Attorneys office, fearing a deliberate scam to defraud them.

Fischer said late last month that he was working to shore up his companys finances, adding that he could be accused of carrying an unwise amount of overhead but saying he had scammed no one.

Titan, with business partner Absolute Concrete, was among six home elevation firms the city vetted and approved to receive federal grant dollars after the Memorial Day 2015 flood. FEMA awarded Houston $14.8 million from its Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program to oversee the elevations of 42 homes in connection with that storm.

Those contracts received city council approval between last summer and this past January. Similar grants stemming from floods in 2016 and 2017 are pending.

Six homeowners, all of them in Meyerland, chose Titan from among a stack of city-reviewed bids. Work had begun on only two of those homes, city officials said; one of the owners convinced Fischer to release him from his contract last month as rumors began swirling about the firms finances.

NEW CONSTRUCTION: Titan Homes developing new Shady Acres community

The city on Friday served Titan with a notice of default, giving the company 30 days to finish the grant-funded jobs or have the projects transferred to another elevation contractor. Fischers death, which city officials learned about Monday afternoon, does not appear to affect that timeline, said Erin Jones, a spokeswoman for Houston Public Works.

It is unclear how many residents decided to pay Titan out of pocket to elevate their homes, typically a $250,000 to $350,000 job.

For those residents, Jones said, the city encourages owners to contact the Texas Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division.

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The suspect in the fatal shooting of a prominent Houston doctor died by suicide, according to an official ruling by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Joseph James Pappas, 62, died Friday after shooting himself in the head during a confrontation with Houston police near Brays Bayou.

The former deputy constable and real estate agent was charged in the death of Dr. Mark Hausknecht, who was shot while biking to work in the Texas Medical Center on July 20.

Police said Pappas nursed a 20-year grudge against the doctor, who was operating on Pappas' mother when she died in 1997.

After days of no successful leads, police received a tip that Pappas was the suspect.

He was believed to be on the run for several days, until a Houston Parks Board worker spotted Pappas near a graffiti hotspot along Brays Bayou Friday and contacted police.

HOME GIVEN AWAY: Suspected killer transferred deed day before death of Houston doctor

An officer found Pappas several minutes later in the 8800 block of Bob White Drive. The former lawman was wearing body armor, refused to follow the officer's commands and mentioned suicide, police said.

A second police officer arrived, which is when Pappas took out a .22-caliber snub-nosed revolver and shot himself in the head, police said. He died in a yard, according to the medical examiner's report.
Houston voters in November will choose whether to grant firefighters pay parity with police of corresponding rank and seniority.

After weeks of wrangling over the issue  including angry debates, rare legislative maneuvers and allegations of electioneering  the city council voted unanimously Wednesday to place the proposal before voters Nov. 6.

Mayor Sylvester Turner initially gave council the option of scheduling the vote in November 2019 instead, but ultimately pulled that item from the agenda. Still, Turner repeated his concerns about the idea on Wednesday, saying it will cost the city $98 million a year and force layoffs.

The mayor said he intends to host a town hall meeting in each of the 11 council districts before November to educate voters on the issue.

I dont have a money-making machine, Turner said. I agree they deserve a pay raise, but the question is, what is our ability to pay?

Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association President Marty Lancton cheered the vote.

We are grateful that the city council members were led by their conscience and their ministerial duty, and not by political arm-twisting, Lancton said. We look forward to this campaign to help keep the fire department strong.

Houston firefighters gathered tens of thousands of voter signatures and submitted the petition to put the parity question to voters a year ago, but had to sue the city to force it to count the petition. They won, and the petition was validated in May.

Since then, they have stressed that state law requires council members to place the item on the ballot and that a debate on the merits of the idea should wait until that duty is fulfilled. Council members recently scheduled a rare special meeting on that point, hoping to force the Turner administration to put the item on the council agenda, but fell short of a quorum.

The firefighters sued again last month, arguing a recent city council committee hearing scheduled to discuss the budget impact of the idea was a ploy to trash their proposal in what they said amounted to illegal electioneering. A district judge last week agreed with the firefighters and said a video of the meeting should be taken off the city website; that order has been temporarily blocked on appeal.

Council discussion of the issue on Wednesday was not as lengthy as it could have been, in part because Turner pulled from the agenda an item that would have scheduled the vote in November 2019 rather than this fall.

Still, council members grappled with their desire to support firefighters and their concerns about the impact of the proposal on city services paid for, as the fire department is, out of the tax- and fee-supported general fund.

Councilman Dwight Boykins was among those who voiced support for the measure, suggesting that the citys voter-imposed cap on property tax revenues be adjusted to help cover the cost. Boykins also floated the idea of imposing a monthly garbage fee; Houston is the only big city in Texas without one.

Turner and some other council members were, at best, reluctant to embrace those proposals.

Other council members concerns took various forms. Councilman Greg Travis suggested the Turner administration and the firefighters were engaged in a game of chicken in which all Houstonians would lose. Councilwoman Brenda Stardig bristled at Turners threats to cut services if the proposal passes, saying it was a breakdown in contract talks that led the firefighters to push for parity. Councilman Mike Laster, meanwhile, worried the items passage would have serious unintended consequences for firefighters themselves.

Voters in November also are expected to consider a "do-over" of ReBuild Houston, the 2010 charter amendment that created the city's program for repairing streets and drainage pipes and ditches. The Texas Supreme Court voided the original election because the ballot language did not make clear that the program envisioned a new drainage fee residents would pay.

Turner said he wanted to take another look at the ballot language on that item before asking council to formally schedule the item for a vote, and delayed it to the councils next meeting on Aug. 15.

State law sets an Aug. 20 deadline for placing items on the November ballot.

mike.morris@chron.com

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Students at Best Elementary in southwest Houston have seen prostitutes being roughed up by pimps during the morning drop off, the principal told a county official.

There are so many prostitutes along a nearby strip dotted with low-cost motels that they don't even scatter when the vice squad rolls up, said the Houston police chief.

Sex trafficking has become so rampant on this mile and a half stretch that county officials on Wednesday asked a court to declare it off limits, filing a civil lawsuit that prohibits by name more than 80 pimps, prostitutes and customers from doing business on the infamous "Bissonnet Track. " The sex trafficking is so open that it's listed on international websites as Houston's unofficial red light district.

"For years people in this area have complained about the large number of people buying and selling sex and committing other crimes on or around the Track," said Mayor Sylvester Turner, who jointly announced the nuisance lawsuit with the county attorney and the city police chief downtown Wednesday.

"Sellers of sex walk up and down the street all day long, 24-7, seven days a week, 365 days a year," noted Police Chief Art Acevedo. For the most part, the street hustling is bought, sold and provided by people from outside the neighborhood, Acevedo said, with pimps and traffickers dropping off sex workers on Bissonnet and buyers driving over to the area.

The civil case is likely the first of its kind in Texas, but a similar suit was filed years ago by the City of Milwaukee, according to Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan's office. The goal is to restore quality of life to residents and restore victims, officials said.

The lawsuit asks for a judge to establish a "Bissonnet Anti-Prostitution Zone," and order that any of 86 suspected pimps, prostitutes and johns engaging in sex trafficking be subject to arrest and fine of up to $10,000 for contempt of court if they do it again. Each of the individuals named in the lawsuit has previously been arrested for prostitution-related crime in the area, and the majority have prior convictions, the county attorney's office said.

Acevedo noted that among those listed in the lawsuit is a documented gang member with a long rap sheet who is free on bond on a charge of sexual assault of a child under 17. Others include a woman free on a personal bond for allegedly compelling minors into prostitution, and a man who posted bail for the brutal beating of a woman who refused to work for him on Bissonnet, the chief said.

The street prostitution injunction, if approved by a judge, would offer an opt-out provision for people named in the lawsuit who can demonstrate they have been victims rather than perpetrators of sex trafficking, or those actively taking steps to alter their conduct. The court would be able to review and sanction violators individually.

In addition, Turner said his office partnered with faith based organizations and community groups to clean up the neighborhood and offer support services.

"Today's lawsuit is seeking a new tool in this long battle," said Ryan, the county attorney. His office has already sued at least four motels in the area.

Across the county, Ryan's office has worked jointly with law enforcement to file civil suits against 20 nightclubs or bars, five hotels and 25 massage parlors in a two-year period. These actions have resulted in many injunctions or settlements that shuttered such establishments.

The anti-prostitution initiative is not the first time county officials have used civil nuisance laws to fight crime. Earlier this year Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg filed a lawsuit against a local bar, alleging that its chronic over-serving of alcohol to patrons led to traffic accidents and assaults in and outside the establishment.

And in late 2010, former District Attorney Pat Lykos filed suit that led to an anti-gang injunction targeting dozens of documented gang members suspected of selling drugs in the 700-unit Haverstock Hills complex and the surrounding community in the northwest corner of Aldine Bender and the Eastex Freeway.

Houston has long been a hub for human trafficking, as a major metropolitan area with seaport and major highway corridors allowing access to cheap labor from the Mexican border area.

RELATED: HPD prostitution sting nets Houston cop among 139 clients

Since taking over the Houston Police Department, Acevedo has taken aim at sex trafficking operations, including a sting last fall that netted charges against nearly 140 men, including a Houston police officer, at phony massage parlor operated by undercover police.

The mayor said officials targeted the Bissonnet area because the problem was so pervasive. But he said he would endorse a similar approach if the problem resurfaced elsewhere.

"I want to make sure the Bissonnet area is safe for residents and their families and for the businesses and the churches that exist in that area," Turner said.

Street prostitution along Bissonnet between the beltway and US-59 dates back to at least the 1970s, said Captain James Dale, of the Houston Police vice unit.

Pastor Terrance Johnson, who for 19 years has offered community support at the nearby Higher Dimension Church, said the sex trade festered because those with the power to help weren't paying attention.

"There's been neglect of programming for children and there's been a neglect of security and police presence," Johnson said. "When you have that, weeds just grow."

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John Bisagno, for years one of Houstons most beloved pastors, known for his passion for outreach, booming voice and willingness to tackle difficult truths, has passed away. He was 84.

He lead Houstons First Baptist Church for 30 years, ending in 2000 when he retired.

Gregg Matte, the current lead pastor of Houstons First, said listening to tapes of Bisagnos sermons inspired him in the 1980s as a teenager at Elsik High School. Matte said after a service, he knocked on the pastors door to say he had delivered the greatest message, a sermon about creation, he had ever heard.

In retrospect, the visit was rude, as Bisagno would have been resting, but still he opened the door and welcomed the teen inside, Matte recalled in an interview on Tuesday, and the two chatted for a while.

It showed his love and care and welcoming of people, Matte said of the religious leader who would become his mentor.

Bisagno passed away Sunday surrounded by family in the Nashville area where he moved after his Houston home was ruined in Hurricane Harvey and he was forced to leave.

The pilgrimage to Houston

A Kansas native, Bisagno found his way to Houston in 1970 after he had been a pastor for five years at the First Southern Baptist Church in Del City, Oklahoma. The pastor earned a Bachelor of Music from Oklahoma Baptist University, as well as multiple honorary doctorates. He authored more than 40 books in his lifetime. Bisagno was president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference in 1972.

Begun with a mere 16 members, Houstons First Baptist has grown into one of Texas' leading Southern Baptist congregations, with an annual operating budget in 2016 in excess of $31 million and a missions outreach that spans the globe.

Early in his career in Houston, Bisagno made his own mark on the congregation when he acted on his vision to relocate Houstons First from downtown to a spot on the Katy Freeway, now known as the loop campus, said the church Director of Communications Steven Murray. Bisagno wanted to have the capacity to reach and hold more people, Murray said.

The suburban campus opened in 1977, and in less than a decade, membership grew from about 500 to 20,000, Murray said.

It was a bold move at the time, and it paid off, he said.

As a condition of his move to Houston, Bisagno asked Houstons First to pledge financial resources toward the Spireno, an Evangelistic campaign which stands for spiritual revolution now, according to reporting by the Southern Baptist Conventions Baptist Press. The campaign included assembly programs at 45 Houston middle schools and high schools followed by rallies with Gospel preaching.

Another way Bisagno contributed to the church and community was through revivals, Murray said. Specifically citing youth outreach revivals, Murray said the pastor would share the gospel with children.

He was known for a passion for reaching other people, a drive for Evangelism and outreach, Murray said.

In 1981, Carole Lewis helped form the First Place 4 Health program at the church. It provides a biblical approach to weight loss and overall health management. She took to Facebook to share Bisagnos impact on the womens ministry.

I worked at Houstons First Baptist Church under Bro. Johns leadership for 18 years until his retirement, Lewis wrote. Bro. John empowered women in ministry. Beth Moore, Jaye Martin and I were allowed and encouraged to pursue the calling God had on our lives. He was our greatest encourager and friend. His influence will be felt for centuries.

Pastor was full of life and a great friend

Michael Catt, senior pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, said his friend was the most positive person he has ever met.

It was not a worked up positive view of life and others, Catt said. It came from a deep well of great faith, great joy and great love. With John, you had a friend for life. His love for God came through every pore of his body.

In a blog post, he expanded upon the deceased pastors eagerness to unite more people with Christ. He called Bisagno one of his heroes.

He was a risk taker like few Ive ever met, Catt wrote. He wasnt afraid to try anything if it would help him reach people for Christ.

Bisagno taught at Baptist Theological Seminarys Houston campus, where Pastor Matt Carter of The Austin Stone Community Church said he took Bisagnos class around 1999.

I loved his class because instead of just teaching from a textbook, he taught us from his own experiences of pastoring a church for several decades, Carter said. So many of the lessons he taught me have proven invaluable in my own ministry.

In 2004, Matte became the lead pastor at the church and said Bisagno was a great friend and encourager as he grew into that position. He recalled the late pastor advising him to simply love the Lord and love the people as he stepped into his new role.

He was full of life, a lot of fun to be around, the biggest laugh and a jovial spirit, Matte said.

The later years

In 2017, Bisagnos family lost their home and many of their possessions to Hurricane Harvey, and shortly afterward, the pastors wife of 63 years, Uldine, died of cancer, according to their daughter Ginger Dodd. He moved to Tyler with his son and then left the state to live with his other son in the Nashville area.

Bisagno himself was diagnosed nine years ago with a rare cancer, but the cause of death was complications from pneumonia, said his daughter.

In addition to his daughter, Bisagno is survived by sons Tony and Tim, as well as eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

A memorial is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Aug. 17 at Houstons First.

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Pay phones have largely gone extinct, a relic of a time when we didn't have the world glued to our hands 24 hours a day. An art project on Houston's east end is bringing pay phones back on the block for a new educational purpose.

SIT A SPELL: LEGO people are taking over downtown Houston park benches

Project Row Houses' new "The TrePhonos" installation from art engineer Matt Fries, sculptor Julian Luna, and photographer and social sculpture artist Jeanette Degollado will see the placement of three pay phones along Emancipation Avenue, each with a special artistic twist. The goal of the project is to highlight the culture of Houston's Third Ward.

One pay phone ("TreMixTape") will play music recorded by local musicians from the neighborhood. A second phone ("TreSonic") will feature ambient noise and sounds with an option for those that interact with the installation to leave messages for one another. The third phone ("TrePhonos Sankofa") will be a collaborative project with area creatives and residents telling stories about the history of the neighborhood. All the phones will be solar-powered to boot.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Through art and local business, a chance for Third Ward to 'stem gentrification'

The historic Wolf's Pawn Shop (open since 1955), community bake shop Crumbville, and the SHAPE Community Center which has been serving the area since 1969, will all have a phone installed out front starting Sept. 1 and running through New Year's Eve, Dec. 31. The locations are meant to connect historical parts of the neighborhood with new development.

"TrePhonos is a collaborative art project featuring three themed pay phones, three TrePhonos Ambassadors, and 18 Third Ward residents," the artists said in a statement. "These phones feature the voices of Third Ward through a series of audio experiences. We took the nostalgic pay phone and repositioned them as devices for a different kind of public connection. TrePhonos symbolize the heart of Third Ward."

The payphones are designed to be dynamic sculptures, even if they are seemingly obsolete technology

"Hacking the inherited infrastructure and using it to showcase the Third Ward is at the forefront of this art project," Degollado told Chron.com this week. "There is still utility found in the once ubiquitous pay phone."

Area ambassadors Kofi Taharka, Marc Furi, and Sunny Smith each worked diligently with the artists to capture the aural flavor of the neighborhood.

Each number on the keypad can be pressed to hear a song or voice, with the bottom three (pound sign to record, press "0" to play it back, the star is a thank you to sponsors from the installation's creators) interactive.

"We invite people to engage with the phones, pick up the receiver, push a number, and spend time listening to neighbors' stories, hear original music from local artist, or be transported to places like Frenchy's Chicken drive through," the artists added.

Ryan Dennis, curator and programs director of Project Row Houses, said this week that the project is a part of a movement of engagement and action.

"TrePhonos plays an essential role in engaging with the Third Ward community as they showcase the different perspectives of the residents and uplift their stories and voices," she said.

Houston seems to have an affinity for interactive art installations. Various traveling exhibitions that come through the Museum of Fine Arts, the large-scale projects seen at Discovery Green year-round, and the current LEGO people at the Allen Center's The Acre development all draw crowds.

ART YOU CAN WALK IN: 'Big Bambu' installation invites physical interaction at Houston's Museum of Fine Arts

Wolf's Pawn manager Raymond Bourgeois said this week that he is thrilled with the project. As a resident of the neighborhood for all of his 53 years he's looking forward to TrePhonos educating newcomers to the area.

"The artists came by and showed us the concept they were working on and we loved it," Bourgeois said. The phone will be the left of the shop, near Wolf's iconic marquee, which has become one of the most well-known shop signs in the city.

"We need people who aren't from around here to learn about the area," Bourgeois said. "There is a lot of history here, going all the way back to Lightnin' Hopkins and the Panthers."

Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com
Anyone who has driven by the University of Houston-Downtown campus has likely noticed the absence of cougar iconography in the area. That's not an oversight and there is a curious backstory that many students aren't even aware of.

UHD students aren't cougars. They are gators, and the reason why dates back the mid-'70s.

YOUNG AND OLD: UHD's oldest & youngest graduates show that age has no boundaries

According to the school's archives, after the former South Texas Junior College was bought by the University of Houston in the spring of 1974 there was a call to differentiate the new school from the one off Cullen by grumbling UH faculty.

The issue at hand was that the junior college's faculty were moved into faculty positions and the professors at UH proper weren't fully behind this.

The solution was that the new University of Houston Downtown College would become its own administrative entity and would change its mascot and colors, with the school soon being represented by a jaunty alligator that walked upright. Before UH came along the STJC's mascot was a sea hawk.

SAFE SCHOOLS: Top 25 safest four-year public universities in Texas

The proximity to Buffalo Bayou likely had a hand in the name change.

According to Dr. Michael Dressman, an English professor at the school, it was faculty members who decided on the gator as the mascot. He said that there was even a dance called the "Gator Snap" to go along with it at the time.

The mascot was nicknamed the Ed-U-Gator but these days he's also known as Allen when he makes his rounds at student functions. There is even a gator statue on campus which to the untrained eye at night much just make someone nearly jump into the bayou from fright.

After the 1974 transition the school colors were changed from red and white to green and white. In 1979 the school transformed from a junior college and into a four-year school, becoming a separate institution from UH. In 1983 the name was changed to simply the University of Houston-Downtown, with college being dropped from the moniker.

The colors were changed to a patriotic blue and red in the mid-'90s and the UHD logo as most know it today was designed by Houston native and UH alum Joe Wynne.

UHD continues to be a separate entity from UH although it is a part of the UH system which also includes the Clear Lake and Victoria campuses. They are represented by hawks and jaguars, respectively.

Some former UHD students weren't aware why they were gators and not cougars. While actual cougars (thankfully) aren't common near the campus, gators actually are.

IMPORTANT RANKINGS: Houston's best colleges, determined by alumni salary

"I spent many days along White Oak and Buffalo Bayous and on more than one occasion, walking along the bayou in various places, I heard large splashes in the water near me," Texas Parks and Wildlife's Kelly Norrid, a UHD alum, said this week. "I have seen evidence of them, areas of compacted vegetation where they 'slide' back into the water."

Cody Duty/Houston Chronicle

Another Houstonian, Olivia Johnson, graduated from UHD in May 2016 with a bachelor's degree in Rhetorical Public Communication. She spent time at both the downtown campus and the main UH campus during his collegiate career.

Does she consider herself a true Houston Cougar or some sort of half-gator, half-cougar mutation?

"I'd consider myself half and half. I spent an equal amount of time each school and I had very different specific experiences that defined me as a student and as a person," Johnson said.

Who would win in a true fight? A gator or cougar?

"Chuck Norris, " Johnson joked. "But probably a gator."

Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, a leading retailer of luxury watches and jewellery in the Middle East, has introduced renowned Franco-Swiss watchmaker Bell & Ross to its painstakingly curated portfolio.

Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutiques in Mall of the Emirates and The Dubai Mall will offer Bell & Rosss most desired watches, including the brands latest Baselworld novelties.



Known for their precision, functionality, legibility and water-resistance, Bell & Ross has become a benchmark in the world of professional aviation watchmaking, often drawing on the history of aviation and the military specifications accompanying it.



Bell & Ross timepieces focus on four core values; great water resistance, precise movements, visual indicators and extraordinary functions. The art and craftsmanship in the minute specifications, and technical precision expressed through pure lines and timeless elegance is what sets Bell & Ross timepieces apart from others.



Ahmed Seddiqi& Sons will showcase a range of Bell & Ross watches including those from the brands 2018 novelties, which highlight three key themes  Pilot, Racer, and Diver.



The Pilot



Exploring a new adventure, the Vintage V1-92 and V2-94 Racing Bird timepieces were inspired by the BR-BIRD, the conceptual avant-garde racing plane designed by Bell & Ross studio.



The Racer



A no to its partnership with Renault Formula One Team, Bell & Ross unveiled the BR R.S. 18 collection. These three high-performance chronographs take inspiration from one of Formula Ones key component  the chassis.



The Diver



Set to make waves, the square diving watch from Bell & Ross has become a coveted collection in its own right. The BR03-92 Diver comes in two new colours  blue and bronze  evoking the colours of the sea and underwater exploration.



The Women



Offering the wearer, a tiny slice of the Milky Way to adorn the wrist, the BR S Diamond Eagle collection is inspired by the celestial sphere. Covered with a host of sparkling diamonds, the elegant timepiece family features four colours: blue, white, grey and pink, colours that evoke the heavens.



Concept & High-End Complications



The BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire timepieces are a display of remarkable creativity and pioneering inclination, demonstrating that high-end luxury and digital can combine perfectly. The collection underscores the bold creativity of Bell & Ross (unique piece with unique colour available upon request)



In addition to the brands Baselworld novelties, Ahmed Seddiqi& Sons will also retail Bell & Ross Vintage, Instruments and Experimental collections. With modern designs, the Vintage collections are a tribute to the evolution of the watch in civil and military aviation, whilst the Instruments collections build on the simple idea of taking an edged clock from the cockpit of an airplane and adapting it to the scale of a wrist, such as the iconic BR 01.



Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, chief commercial officer, Seddiqi Holding, said: Ahmed Seddiqi& Sons is proud to announce the addition of Bell & Ross timepieces to its portfolio. Bell & Ross draws its inspiration from the history of aviation and the military specifications that accompany it. Each timepiece is a combination of expertise, know-how and design driven by Swiss-made function. We are confident that this iconic brand will appeal to our customers, allowing us to offer yet another expression of innovative and exceptional watchmaking.  TradeArabia News Service
Last week, Houston police arrested a 19-year-old man in connection to the assault of a gay man in Montrose.

Police said they did not consider the attack a hate crime.

"It looks like [Bradford] was pretty much in the wrong place at the wrong time," Houston Police Department spokesperson Jodi Silva said.

The victim disagreed.

"You're not going to convince me that it wasn't a hate crime, because it is Montrose," Christopher Bradford said of the historically gay neighborhood where he was attacked after leaving a bar.

"What else would you be doing in that community where all of a sudden you decide to beat the hell out of someone?" he asked.

RELATED: It's not just the latest Montrose assault. LGBTQ people are under attack

HPD said they may have been able to investigate the attack as a hate crime if someone had "run up to him and yelled some sort of slur," according to Outsmart Magazine.

Yet, even in cases where exactly that happens, it hasn't always resulted in a hate crime investigation.

Most notably, in 2015, three men attempted to run over John Gaspari as he was walked home from a bar in Montrose. The assailants left the vehicle, shouted "get the fag!" and beat him before shooting him twice.

Gaspari survived, but he too was left confused by the fact that the HPD did not treat the case as a hate crime.

"I think that anybody, you know, remembering the last words that your attackers come at you is, 'Get the fag,' I don't know how that could not be considered a hate crime," he told Houston Public Media a year after the attack.

Gaspari's attackers have yet to be caught or identified.

REPORT: ICE crashed van full of migrant moms, then pretended like it didn't happen

The rarity in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes came to light last year when a ProPublica analysis found that between 2010 and 2015, only five hate crime convictions resulted out of 981 cases reported to Texas police as possible hate crimes.

In Harris County, no hate crimes were prosecuted between 2007 and 2016, a figure that changed when Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg successfully prosecuted a hate crime in 2017.

See possible and convicted hate crimes that made headlines in Texas recently.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93




The viewing room that overlooks Mission Control -- where family and friends observed Apollo missions -- will be added to the list of items to be refurbished as part of the ongoing Mission Control restoration project.

On Wednesday, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation announced that Space Center Houston raised $1 million to add to the $3.1 million project to restore the historic Mission Control room to its Apollo-era glory days.

Space Center Houston is the museum side of NASA's Johnson Space Center, home of the nation's astronaut corps where mission control is located.

"There has been great enthusiasm for this restoration project, recalling a time when the world's eyes were on Johnson Space Center, enthralled by the new era of space travel," said council Chairman Milford Wayne Donaldson. "This historic site will be preserved and will serve as an educational tool for future generations who missed this incredible period of our nation's space exploration.

The room -- famously used for the Gemini, Apollo, and a handful of shuttle missions -- was decommissioned in the 1990s after the Space Shuttle Discovery spent seven days in space in 1992. The room had fallen into a state of disrepair, and in 2015 the National Park Service designated the National Historic Landmark as "threatened."

Efforts to restore the space-age hub to its 1969 glory have ramped up as of late, aiming to have the room looking as it did five decades ago, in time for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 2019.

The public will be able to see the room just as it was on July 24, 1969, down to some of the smallest details. Carpeting, tile, paperwork, coffee cups, ashtrays, and even the wallpaper are in the process of being recreated to make Mission Control look just as if the entire team all went on a restroom break at one time and left the room unattended. Even the Apollo 11 mission clocks will be reactivated.

The museum, the city of Webster, and Johnson Space Center have been spearheading funding. As a government agency, Johnson cannot accept donations, but the museum can raise money and fund projects for it.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or twitter.com/alexdstuckey
Vanessa Wyche, a nearly 30-year veteran of NASA, was tapped Wednesday as the second in command at Houston's Johnson Space Center.

Wyche, 54, is the first African-American to hold the deputy director position at Johnson which had a budget of $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2017 and employs about 10,000 civil service and contractor employees.

She will help Mark Geyer, the center's director, run one of NASA's largest facilities, home to the nation's astronaut corps where human space flight research and training take place.

"I am incredibly humbled to take on this role at JSC, and also excited to assist Mark with leading the home of human spaceflight," Wyche said in a statement Wednesday of her appointment as center deputy director.

"I look forward to working with the talented employees at JSC as we work toward our mission of taking humans farther into the solar system."

At HoustonChronicle.com: Houston's Johnson Space Center is still the undisputed leader in human spaceflight [Opinion]

Wyche, a South Carolina native, began working at Johnson Space Center in 1989 as a project engineer for space life sciences. Throughout her 29-year tenure at the center, Wyche has served as acting director of Human Exploration Development Support and assistant center director. She most recently was director of the center's Exploration Integration and Science Directorate, where she provided "guidance and direction" to allow for human and robotic exploration of deep space.

"Vanessa has a deep background at JSC with significant program experience in almost all of the human spaceflight programs that have been hosted here," Geyer said. "She is respected at NASA, has built agency-wide relationships throughout her nearly three-decade career and will serve JSC well as we continue to lead human space exploration in Houston."

Geyer took the helm of Johnson just three months ago, replacing veteran astronaut Ellen Ochoa, who held the director position for five years before retiring in May.

FRESH LEADERSHIP: Mark Geyer named new director of NASA's Johnson Space Center

Wyche graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's in engineering and, later, a master's in bioengineering. Before joining NASA in 1989, she worked for the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or twitter.com/alexdstuckey
The Houston Fire Department has received a federal grant to protect firefighters from toxic diesel exhaust, but still will lag far behind its Texas peers.

The $704,000 in federal aid, plus $70,000 chipped in by the city of Houston, will allow HFD to install diesel exhaust removal systems in the 15 busiest stations, the department announced Tuesday. Around 600 of HFD's 4,000 firefighters work out of those locations.

CANCER LINK?: State launches probe into HFD safety procedures

The devices work by connecting hoses to the exhaust pipes of firetrucks, funneling fumes outside the station bays. Diesel exhaust is considered a Category 1 carcinogen, the highest classification, and is one of many known causes of cancer in the fire service. Even short-term exposure can cause headaches, dizziness and eye irritation.

"When these vehicles are started, the exhaust infiltrates the living and sleeping areas of the fire stations that are staffed around the clock," the department said in a statement. "These systems will provide a healthier and safer work environment for Houston's busiest first responders."

HELP ON THE WAY: Houston adds to HFD's rescue fleet

The new systems will help HFD, the largest department in Texas, catch up to Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso, which have installed them in each of their fire stations. Chief Samuel Pena said his goal is to outfit 10 to 15 stations per year, which would put exhaust removal systems in all of Houston's 94 stations by the mid-2020s.

The department also announced a federal grant to purchase 526 sets of self-contained breathing apparatus and protective hoods donated by the Shell Oil Company and Firehouse Subs.

Zach Despart covers Harris County for the Chronicle. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at zach.despart@chron.com.
Drug abuse is involved 70 percent of the time when Texas Child Protective Services removes children from their families. Half of the inmates in county jails across the state have demonstrated a need for drug treatment.

Those are a few of the statistics presented to lawmakers Tuesday as they study the impact of substance abuse on criminal justice and state agencies. The numbers, presented by experts and social service agencies, also show the impact of the opioid crisis on state government.

Fifty-two percent of child fatalities caused by abuse or neglect during the 2017 fiscal year were impacted by substance abuse, said Hank Williams, commissioner for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

But he said Texas has yet to see a spike in opioid abuse in these cases. Instead, Whitman said the drug most often linked to neglect-related child fatalities is marijuana.

Theyre largely due to the incapacitation of the parent, which prevents the parent from properly supervising and ensuring the safety of the child, Williams said. A common cause of child death related to marijuana is suffocation from co-sleeping with a parent who is under the influence, he said.

Of the 231,000 offenders in a supervised probation program in Texas in 2017, 44 percent of felony offenders and 52 percent of misdemeanor offenders were directly linked to controlled substances or DWIs, said Carey Green, director of the Criminal Justice Assistance Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Experts said a substantial portion of children in the juvenile justice system demonstrate the same need.

Of more than 38,000 children referred to the juvenile justice system in 2017, about 9,600, or 25 percent, were identified as having a need for substance abuse treatment, said Camille Cain, Executive Director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Over 3,600 children were diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder, compounding the problem.

But she said only 4,000 children participated in prevention treatment, demonstrating the gap between the need and the resources available.

She said while theres a clear need to expand treatment capacity, treatment should also be expanded to focus on childhood experiences that could lead to substance abuse down the road.

(Theres almost always) multigenerational trauma, Cain said. The parent has complex trauma, and the child is watching the parent deal with their own trauma with substance abuse as the answer.

Experts also testified about the barriers to treatment, including service deserts, wait lists and the cost. These barriers can lead an individual to the criminal justice system before they are able to get help, said Doug Smith, a senior policy analyst with the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition.

People are less likely to access services if they wear handcuffs first. Thats the reality for a lot of Texans, Smith said.

He said Texas has seen drops in almost every category of serious and violent crime in the last decade, while drug related cases continue to increase.

Experts said increasing the capacity of pre-arrest diversion programs is a possible solution to Texas substance abuse problem.

Rather than community-based treatment services, weve invested in criminal justice-based services, said Elizabeth Henneke, a lawyer and executive director of Lone Star Justice. I have to put many of my clients in jail to get them services. That shouldnt be the case.

The committee will hear more public testimony on substance abuse Wednesday morning; the groups final recommendations are due on Nov. 1.
Nearly 50 years have passed since the Socorro dove last was sighted in the wild, but Texas State Aquarium visitors can now get a rare glimpse of the bird after two chicks hatched at the facility in June.

These doves, once a common sighting on the Socorro island off the coast of western Mexico, was last seen in the wild in 1972. They now survive only in captivity -- about 150 birds live in captivity across the U.S., Europe and Mexico, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' Red List of Threatened Species.

The two chicks were born from a pair of adult doves transported to the Corpus Christi-based aquarium in June from the Albuquerque Biological Park in New Mexico. The aquarium is a federally permitted animal rehabilitation facility that has been involved in conservation for decades.

SAVING THE ANIMALS: Texas State Aquarium doubles down on wildlife rescue, rehabilitation after Harvey

Soon after the adult doves' arrival, they constructed a nest and laid eggs. And on June 21 and 22, the eggs hatched. The aquarium now has eight Socorro doves living in its about 140,000 square-foot facility.

The hatching of these two chicks is "a promising sign that these critically-endangered birds could one day recover in their natural habitat with the help of zoos, aquariums and wildlife reserves," a Wednesday news release from the aquarium stated.

UNDERWATER RESCUE EFFORT: Texas, Florida researchers race against the clock to restore the world's coral reefs

Socorro doves first wound up in captivity in the 1920s, when scientists discovered that the species was disappearing fast and 17 were dispersed across zoos in the United States and Europe. The main reason for their decline included human-introduced pests like cats, mice and rats, according to Island Conservation, a California-based nonprofit working to prevent extinctions on islands.

Sheep living on the island also are a problem, the organization stated, because they are destroying the birds' habitat.

Now, researchers are removing these invasive species and plan to reintroduce the dove on the island.

"The first step in restoring Socorro was to remove the invasive sheep and replant native vegetation," according to a February 2017 post on the organization's website. "Then researchers will work to remove cats and mice from the island."

Texas State Aquarium officials hope to encourage more breeding of their doves in the future. Any new chicks will be considered for release into the wild as conservationists work to bring the dove back from extinction in the wild.

Both chicks and their parents currently are being kept off-exhibit, but guests can view them by purchasing the "Feed the Flock" encounter tour. That tour is offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and costs $49.95 per person, plus the cost of admission. More information can be found at the aquarium's Exclusive Encounters web page.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
Ras Al Khaimah Petroleum Authority (Rakpa), the regulator of the petroleum sector in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) in the UAE, is seeing a high level of interest from Indian companies to qualify for the 2018 RAK licensing round.



Growing demand in the Indian market and the unique opportunity for Indian companies to explore and develop oil and gas in previously untouched areas of RAK, which is geographically close to India, has resulted in Rakpa is seeing strong levels of interest from many leading Indian oil and gas companies.



In response to interest from Indian firms, officials from Rakpa and RAK Gas (RAK's national oil company) are holding meetings with representatives and senior management from the country's major oil and gas companies.



The licensing round covers four shallow-water offshore blocks and three onshore blocks. These seven blocks represent strong exploration opportunities, with the presence of 10 working oil and gas fields located in a 10-kilometre radius pointing to tangible evidence of the existence of oil and gas.



"We are seeing a positive response to this licensing round from Indian oil and gas companies that have a proven track record of experience in the industry and are eager to explore Ras Al Khaimah's oil and gas potential," said Nishant Dighe, chief executive of Rakpa and CEO of RAK Gas.



"Indian firms have increasingly shown a strong interest in finding and developing new hydrocarbon reserves. The licensing round will welcome bids from companies with successful operations across the sub-continent and overseas."



The third largest consumer of oil and petroleum products after the United States and China and the fourth largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importer after Japan, South Korea and China, India is also home to second biggest oil refinery in Asia.



Indian oil and gas companies generate billions of dollars in revenue and have established themselves among some of the biggest and most important supermajors in the world.



The country currently imports more than 80 per cent of the oil it needs for industrial and household use, with demand expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.6 per cent to 458 Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) by 2040.



Dighe added: "This licensing round represents a great opportunity for Indian oil and gas companies to expand their portfolios into one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. Ras Al Khaimah and the UAE more generally, have seen significant investment from Indian companies, and Indian oil and gas companies that take part in the licensing round will discover a business environment that is both modern and investor-friendly."



Launched in April, the licensing round has been attracting some of the world's most successful oil and gas companies.



Once their interest has been expressed, Indian firms will be able to access the results of RAK Gas's latest broadband 3D seismic analysis covering 2,200 sq km and as well as legacy onshore seismic data. This data is available for viewing by appointment at data rooms in RAK and London.



Another boost to Indian companies interested in oil and gas concessions in RAK is the easy access to an extensive network of existing petroleum infrastructure, a new attractive production sharing agreement governing the petroleum rights, and security of purchase of produced gas. Indian companies will also be able to export their oil production to India or other international markets.  TradeArabia News Service
As a young naval officer, one of the recurring themes that was instilled early on was that you will get what you inspect. The way to get good results was to inspect things yourself  frequently and often. This was true of uniforms and conditions on a ship. Inspections instilled a discipline and a subtle message: we know, we care and we expect things to work well.

On board ships that are at sea, there is a team of watch standers, each performing different roles and constantly monitoring the ships condition, location, seaworthiness and battle readiness. If you want to be sure that sailors and ships are ready to perform their duties, inspect their condition. Watch, observe and carefully note when things change. It is much easier and more desirable to solve issues when we identify them, rather than allowing them to grow into larger problems that threaten battle readiness.

In the technology profession, we tend to avoid issues we encounter in a project until they become major problems. The project manager will handle that or I am just going to put my head down and code are some of the reasons why. If we truly care about delivering technology solutions that meet our customers needs on time, we need to address issues when they arise. Otherwise, we are just irrationally hoping things will go our way, and that the issues will not cascade into a death march.

Transparency and variance

Modern software projects, like ships, can be extremely complex. One of the failure points in software projects is that all too often we cannot see when things change for the worse. Problems are frequently hidden and linger because we dont look for them, particularly in long projects.

How do agile software methods help us overcome this? Quite simply, we inspect frequently and often to ensure that we are on track to achieve the desired results. Inspection is one of the three pillars of scrum and is an important underpinning of why agile methods work. These ideas are not new. Many can be traced back to W. Edwards Deming, who was an American engineer, professor, statistician and management consultant. During the post WWII years, his ideas were widely credited with Japans rise from the devastation of war to becoming the second-largest economy in the world. He championed what is known today as Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) as one of the principles of modern quality control. This is an iterative process, and one of many precursors to agile processes and scrum. The Scrum Guide says it this way: Scrum employs an iterative, incremental approach to optimize predictability and control risk. Scrum users must frequently inspect Scrum artifacts and progress toward a Sprint Goal to detect undesirable variances.

Scrum or agile processes insert inspection as a key discipline into every technology project. With the team looking at variances every day and measuring their progress, issues or obstacles are identified on the spot. When we find them, we shine the bright light of day on them, and we make everyone aware of them. And, as a result, well-run agile and scrum teams experience much higher rates of on-time delivery. We dont wait on problems, issues or obstacles to snowball into larger ones that lead to costly delays. We go out and find them, address them quickly, and move forward based on the best information available at that moment.

Caring and delivering

There are many other examples of things we inspect regularly when performance is important. Fire departments inspect their equipment daily because it is safety critical. Medical devices have a regular inspection cycle. Passenger aircraft have regular inspection cycles, and if they dont pass a preflight inspection the issue is fixed  or they dont fly.

Some might object these examples are not fair to compare with technology delivery, as delivery of technology is not as important. Ask yourself the question: why is this the case? Companies today fail or succeed based on technology delivery. Sometimes, as in the case of the failed launch of Target in Canada due to supply chain and software project failures, thousands of jobs are lost. In the case of Target Canada, the debacle cost the parent company billions of dollars, sullied its reputation and put roughly 17,600 people out of work.

You may not be working on a project the size of Target Canada today, but undoubtedly it is an effort that is important to your organization. It might be good to do a quick mental project inventory and ask:

Are you getting what you expect from your team, or are your customers consistently disappointed with your delivery?

Do your instincts tell you that there are there hidden issues and problems that might end up derailing your project down the road?

Do you know enough about the issues and challenges that your project is facing at a level of detail that allows you enough time to address them before delivery is delayed?

Software projects dont fail because the technology we use is faulty. Code compiles and performs in a predictable, consistent manner. The tools we use in technology perform as advertised and deliver predictable results. We must provide the intelligence and expertise to make them work correctly, and this includes being prepared for the inevitable challenges that arise.

Looking for trouble?

Undoubtedly there is a lot of complexity and uncertainty to manage in technology projects. Business demands change, scope creep is constant, and expectations are often high. We need to step up and lean in when things begin to go wrong, rather than relying on ways of working that mask issues until they are delivery-impacting challenges.

Looking for problems may seem counterintuitive, but high-performing teams make a practice of it. They have learned that the way to avoid trouble is to aggressively seek it out, identify it and remediate it as early on as possible.

Perhaps we should all be looking for trouble. Inspection is one proven way to find it  and to improve the value we bring to the organizations we serve.
Specialty chemicals group Lanxess plans to sell its remaining 50 percent stake in Arlanxeo to its joint venture partner Saudi Aramco, a world-leading integrated energy and chemicals company.

The two companies, that founded Arlanxeo in 2016 as a 50:50 joint venture for synthetic rubber, signed an agreement regarding the stake sale today.

Saudi Aramcos proposed purchase of the share in Arlanxeo, valued at 1.5 billion ($1.74 billion) on an enterprise value basis, would result in Saudi Aramco owning 100% of Arlanxeo, diversify Saudi Aramcos downstream portfolio at an opportune time, and strengthen Saudi Aramcos capabilities across the entire petroleum value-chain, said Aramco. The proposed transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Saudi Aramco and Lanxess. Subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals and consultation with the competent employee representative bodies, Saudi Aramco and Lanxess are targeting December 31, 2018 for the completion of the transaction. Saudi Aramco's senior vice president of downstream, Abdulaziz M Al-Judaimi, noted that the proposed acquisition is key to Saudi Aramcos strategy to become the worlds foremost integrated energy and chemicals company. The proposed purchase underscores Saudi Aramcos strategy to further diversify our downstream portfolio and strengthen our capabilities across the entire petroleum and chemicals value chain. Notably, the acquisition will accelerate our growth into C4-based chemicals including butadiene and isobutylene, Al-Judaimi said. Arlanxeo is a world-class synthetic rubber and elastomer products company that supplies leading tyre and auto-parts to manufacturers around the globe. As a fully owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, Arlanxeo will accelerate the development of growth opportunities in the kingdom, leveraging the strong feedstock position of Saudi Aramco. In addition, Arlanxeo will enhance Saudi Aramcos sustainability efforts to optimise tyre performance-related fuel consumption, which could potentially result in a savings of as much as seven percent. This will complement Saudi Aramcos fuel/engine R&D strategy, which is focused on increasing mileage efficiency and reducing engine emissions in the future. This is well aligned with Saudi Aramcos overarching downstream strategy, which aims to drive value across the hydrocarbon chain by expanding and integrating its portfolio and partnerships, and creating additional revenue streams, Aramco said. Under Saudi Aramcos 100% ownership, Arlanxeo will continue to serve the development, production, marketing, sale and distribution of specialty chemicals and synthetic rubber products, principally for the high-volume global tyre and automotive industries. Arlanxeo will maintain its current base in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

With the envisaged transaction we would complete another important milestone of our strategic transformation earlier than originally planned. This should allow us to even better focus on our position as a leading player in mid-sized specialty chemicals markets, said Matthias Zachert, chairman of the board of management, Lanxess. At the same time, we increase the resilience of our business, strengthen our financial basis and gain additional strategic flexibility for further growth."

Arlanxeo generated sales of around 3.2 billion in 2017 and employs about 3,800 people at 20 production sites in nine countries.

Lanxess is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of 9.7 billion in 2017 and about 19,200 employees in 25 countries. The company is currently represented at 74 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. - TradeArabia News Service
AIM Announces Commitment to Brazil and Alfatec Published: 08 August 2018 by Chelsey Drysdale by Chelsey Drysdale

July 12, 2018  Cranston, Rhode Island USA  AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce its commitment and partnership with Alfatec and the Brazilian market. David Suraski, Executive Vice President, and Franics Lapierre, Vice President, Operations & Administration, visited Brazil last week to affirm that this is an important market to AIM Solder and the company looks forward to nuturing its existing relationships, and building new ones in the future.

Over the past several years, AIM has expanded its presence and support network in Brazil. In 2016, AIM announced the addition of Alfatec Industria e Comercio Ltda as a licensed manufacturer to meet the growing demand for AIM solder materials within the Brazilian market. Today, locally produced AIM solder paste liquid flux, bar solder, and cored and solid wire solders are available throughout Brazil. Additionally, customers rely on AIM's local sales and technical support teams in Sao Paulo and Manaus to support them in achieving their manufacturing goals.

AIM also distributes its innovative high reliability, lead-free alloys, REL61 and REL22 in Brazil. REL61 addresses the most challenging issues with todays common lead-free alloys, specifically voiding, cost, durability and tin whiskers. REL22 has been specifically engineered as an easily processed, exceptionally durable alloy for extreme service environments.

For more information about AIM Solder or its products, visit www.aimsolder.com.

About AIM

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service and training. For more information about AIM, visit www.aimsolder.com.





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.
Audio Transcript

Vanessa Mendoza: Welcome back to another edition of 10 Blocks, the official podcast of City Journal. You probably dont recognize my voice. I am Vanessa Mendoza. I am the executive vice president at the Manhattan Institute, and a proud City Journal publication committee member. I have had the pleasure of getting to know your regular host, Brian Anderson, for many years and Brian, today we are going to turn the podcast tables on you. So, welcome to your own podcast.

Brian Anderson: Thanks, Vanessa.

Vanessa Mendoza: So, one thing that our listeners may not know, but certainly if you work with Brian, you definitely know that Brian is a man of eclectic tastes. If you walk into his office you will find a well curated mini-library next to a bunch of Marvel comic books including several figures, next to 20th Century exercise equipment, next to architecture books, next to tons of brightly colored pencils and Brian, if we were not always working so hard I imagine you would also have a bottle of some very fine wine on your desk to top it off. Did I miss mentioning anything important in your office?

Brian Anderson: No, I think that covers many of my interests

Vanessa Mendoza: Good.

Brian Anderson: including the wine.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, Im glad I painted

Brian Anderson: If you look hard enough you might find a bottle in there.

Vanessa Mendoza: Im glad that Ive painted the picture correctly. Well, because you are a man of such varied tastes, every single summer I bother you for your summer book list. And its always a good one. And it is one that you actually dont really put together until the end of July. Is that right?

Brian Anderson: Usually, yes. I start thinking about August, really August into early September, which is a down period for the magazine to get a lot of reading done on the beach and its something I look forward to every year. When you are running a magazine a lot of what you are reading is manuscripts every day. And then you are reading the media and press. So, the kind of reflective reading, the sitting back and enjoying some reading, this is something, you know, I really try to pack into six weeks in the summer, and I look forward to it immensely every year. Its a way of resetting and thinking about bigger themes for the magazine and, you know, my own life.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, I bother you every year for your list because its always very good and what takes you six weeks to read probably takes me at least two months, but with that we thought today we would jump in and tell our listeners what you plan on reading this August. And so, why dont we just start off with the very first one in your pile, The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief, by V.S. Naipaul.

Brian Anderson: Right, well V.S. Naipaul is one of my favorite writers. Hes an Indo-Caribbean writer, won the Nobel Prize some years ago for his kind of unflinching literary portraits of societies in transition, former colonial societies. He was born in Trinidad with a British citizenship. He became well known initially for his comic novels. He wrote a series of early comic masterpieces that were set in Trinidad and Tobago. But then he began writing these really powerful novels about the poison of resentment and the dangers of a kind of revolutionary consciousness in books like A Bend in the River. These are just amazing novels that everybody should read who is interested in life in our world today. This book, The Masque of Africa, is probably his last great work, or his last major work. It came out a few years ago and its a look at how religion has affected Africa  not only its indigenous religions, its animisms, but also the foreign impositions of Christianity and Islam. And I imagine, like his other works, its going to be written in the spare unflinching, again to use that word, prose.

Vanessa Mendoza: You know Brian, you and I missed out on an opportunity to meet him. He came in 1990 to the Manhattan Institute and actually delivered a Wriston Lecture. For our listeners, the Manhattan Institute has two very large black-tie events every year. The Wriston Lecture is one of them, named after Walter Wriston, one of our former board members. And Naipaul gave one of the very first lectures when we started the series. And Larry Mone, our president, says it is probably one of the most influential of all the Wriston Lectures. And you can reflect on it today. If you Google it, a shortened version of it is on The New York Times website. They reprinted his speech.

Brian Anderson: Well, its actually in City Journal, so you can

Vanessa Mendoza: Oh, there you go.

Brian Anderson: find the entire speech on our website. We published it before I got to City Journal in its entirety and its on Western civilization. I believe the title was Our Universal Civilization.

Vanessa Mendoza: Thats right. Thats right.

Brian Anderson: And it is a brilliant meditation on what separates the West and democracy from, you know, other forms of government and life.

Vanessa Mendoza: And despite being written and thought about now so long ago, its worth reflecting on. I read it this morning and I thought it speaks to todays, to many of the things we are thinking about today.

Brian Anderson: I think all of these books by Naipaul are worth looking at to understand our contemporary world. He wrote, I think, hes very elderly now.

Vanessa Mendoza: Hes 85.

Brian Anderson: Yeah. He stopped writing, as many people do when they reach that age. But hes got over thirty books of, you know literature and then travel journalism, and this book would fall in to that category of travel journalism. So, Im looking forward to it. I have not read this book by him.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, the number two, or the second book on your list is Leo Strauss on Political Philosophy: Responding to the Challenge of Positivism and Historicism. Now, let me ask you is this a reread for you, because I would have thought you would have read everything by Leo Strauss at this point?

Brian Anderson: No, no. And I havent read everything by Leo Strauss. And this is a brand-new book that just arrived in my office this week. Its never actually been published before. You know, Strauss, for listeners who dont know who he was, was a German emigre philosopher, and he was best known for reviving our understanding of classical philosophy, classical political philosophy and how it was distinct from modern individualist thought. So, Strauss wrote these very dense close readings of the master works of Western thought, you know, an amazing book on Machiavelli, a book on Thomas Hobbes, but where he tried to redirect our attention was to Plato, and Aristotle, and the Greeks, and their understanding of a kind of natural law, or human nature that he believed had been lost sight of in modern individualist societies. This book is interesting because it is his lectures. And most of his courses at The University of Chicago where he taught were graduate seminars.

Vanessa Mendoza: Dense.

Brian Anderson: Very, very high level, very dense.

Vanessa Mendoza: Yes.

Brian Anderson: Like most of his books were very dense. They are not easy reads. This, though, was an introduction to political philosophy course for undergraduates. And this is basically the transcript of that series of lectures he gave. So, I think it  you know, Im really looking forward to reading a kind of dumbed down Leo Strauss. And I think it might be a very good introduction to his perspective on Western history and where, you know, where we found ourselves in the 1950s, when I think these lectures were given. Now Strauss, among his students, were giants like Allan Bloom

Vanessa Mendoza: Sure.

Brian Anderson: Harry Jaffa, Harvey Mansfield. So, Strauss had this incredible influence on the trajectory of conservative thought in America.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, thats amazing to be able to go back in time and basically take his introductory course. I mean

Brian Anderson: Yeah, this was in 65 actually. Im looking at the note on the back of the cover. So, in 65 he gave these lectures.

Vanessa Mendoza: Thats great. Well.

Brian Anderson: So, you know, I am really looking forward to that book.

Vanessa Mendoza: So, your next book is nothing like that. Its called Invested: How Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger Taught Me to Master My Mind, My Emotions, and My Money (with a Little Help from My Dad), by Danielle and Phil Town. So, first tell us why did you pick this? Its a finance book, right? It is how to be a successful investor-type book. Tell us why you picked it.

Brian Anderson: Well, Ive tried to get more serious in my own life about how I deal with money and to learn a bit about investing over the last three or four years. This is a book thats getting very positive notices. You know, the authors, Danielle Town and her father, Phil Town  Phil is a pretty well-known, best-selling financial author himself. He wrote a book I think called Rule #1.

Vanessa Mendoza: Hedge fund manager, professional.

Brian Anderson: Yeah, hes had a successful career in investing. His daughter was always sort of frightened about all of this. And they started talking and they came up with a podcast which became very successful called InvestED.

Vanessa Mendoza: Yeah, Ive listened to it. Its great.

Brian Anderson: And, this book is basically a development of the podcast. And the idea is how to think about investment. And they look at it through the prism of value investing which is, you know, the Warren Buffett idea that you put money into companies for the long term and you think very carefully about what makes those companies a good investment. Are they profitable? Are there, you know, is their debt under control? Do they have good leadership? So, you do a lot of work on the ground level looking at the performance of the company, the history of the company, where theyre situated in the market. And then you put money in and you ride it out. You assume that, you know, over the long term that that company is going to return value. That is not how Ive invested my money. You know, I have been following a different philosophy of diversification and, you know, index funds which just track the market. This is a different philosophy but I am fascinated by Warren Buffett and how he has done so well over the years. And, so I figure this book might be interesting.

Vanessa Mendoza: Great. So, you can become a donor to the Manhattan Institute and City Journal in a couple years.

Brian Anderson: That is, that is very  no, you know, we are very far from that, believe me. But this, you know, it looks engaging. Its a conversation and its also about, you know, a lot of people get very nervous when the market has downturns, pull our money out at exactly the wrong time and one of the big themes of this book, I gather, is that you really do have to stick it out

Vanessa Mendoza: Yes.

Brian Anderson: and look over the long term and the broader horizon. And if you do that, you know, the trajectory of the market over time is always growth.

Vanessa Mendoza: Patience is at the core of their advice.

Brian Anderson: Right.

Vanessa Mendoza: On the podcast, thats for sure.

Brian Anderson: That certainly seems to be the theme of the book.

Vanessa Mendoza: Yeah.

Brian Anderson: So, yes, Im looking forward to reading that as a lighter alternative to V.S. Naipaul and Leo Strauss.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, so that book is going to teach you how to invest. Your fourth book on your list is going to teach you how to be happy, Brian?

Brian Anderson: Well, I dont know about that. This is an interesting, this is a book by classicist Edith Hall, called Aristotles Way. And, you know, Aristotle is one of the great, great philosophers ever in any society. And the idea is how, you know, this book apparently is how Aristotle shows us the way to living a kind of meaningful life and that meaningful lives will over the long hall be happier lives. So, you know, the philosophy of Aristotle as Edith Hall, who is a classicist, a British classicist, reads it, is not hedonistic, its not about short-term pleasures, its really about building a life of purpose, you know, realizing our inner potential.

Vanessa Mendoza: In ten practical lessons.

Brian Anderson: Yes. Well, there has been a whole series of these kind of books and

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, one could say every self-help book thats been written over the past at least two decades, and probably more, all have roots somewhere in Aristotle.

Brian Anderson: You know, if you go back to Greek philosophy, one of its primary goals was to teach people how to live good lives.

Vanessa Mendoza: Sure.

Brian Anderson: And, so, there was always a kind of practical emphasis in antiquity in philosophical thought. And Aristotle is, of course, the greatest of philosophers  at least I think he is  of antiquity. And, you know, I imagine this book will get into his emphasis on habits and how you train yourself to be the best version of yourself.

Vanessa Mendoza: How did this book find its way to your desk, Brian? Im curious, because I looked it up on Amazon and it has one review, and it came out in May. How did it cross your

Brian Anderson: Oh, its not even out in America yet. Its being released in a few weeks. I read a review of the book. It was the lead review, I think, in the Literary Review, which is a British monthly excellent publication that reviews books. And they gave it a rave and it looks good. So, I ordered this from Amazon in England.

Vanessa Mendoza: Gotcha. Yeah. Well, moving on to number five. Now this is a fun one and Im going to be reading this book for sure too. Its called Room to Dream, an autobiography of David Lynch.

Brian Anderson: Oh, yes.

Vanessa Mendoza: So, you and I are both big fans of Twin Peaks. And this is going to talk a lot about that. And moments in his life that

Brian Anderson: Lynch

Vanessa Mendoza: hes put on the screen.

Brian Anderson: Lynch is  I think Lynch is one of the great auteurs, one of the great film directors of our time, of any time. Hes had this incredible career, not just Twin Peaks, but Mulholland Drive, which many film critics see as the greatest movie of the last 25 years. The amazing Blue Velvet. Going all the way back to his first movie, Eraserhead, very, very deeply disturbing and idiosyncratic films. You know, I have seen all of his movies. I watched all of the Twin Peaks episodes. He is absolutely brilliant and he is also an artist, a painter, a sculptor, has lived just a fascinating life and is intensely creative. And this is an interesting project. This is not just a biography or an autobiography, its both. So, his co-author, Kristine McKenna, does a sort of traditional biographical chapter and then David Lynch writes a chapter commenting on what she has just written, correcting it, saying well she got this wrong or this right.

Vanessa Mendoza: They are long time good friends.

Brian Anderson: Yes.

Vanessa Mendoza: because she has written about him

Brian Anderson: She has written about him for a long time.

Vanessa Mendoza: Yes.

Brian Anderson: And this is a big book, 500 pages. It goes through, you know, its based on a hundred interviews with people who are in Lynchs orbit, whether its his ex-wives, his family members, actors, you know, the musicians he has worked with very closely like, you know, the person who scores his films, Angelo Badalamenti, who is one of the great, great film composers of our time. So, I am really looking forward to this book. My wife read it and thought it was, you know, one of the best books shes read in recent memory, couldnt put it down. So

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, his movies, you always feel like youre getting into his brain in the movies, so being able to read as opposed to watch will be an interesting and different experience.

Brian Anderson: Right. Some of his movies are not straightforward. They are hermetic, theyre frightening. You almost enter into a David Lynch dream world. And he has always been very reserved in describing what he is doing in those movies so people project onto them, you know, a lot of their own views. Theres websites devoted to unpacking the kind of symbolism of Twin Peaks or Mulholland Drive. And I dont know how unbuttoned he is in this book. It will be interesting to see if it gives us any insight into any of that. Yes, Room to Dream, thats probably the book Im looking forward to the most.

Vanessa Mendoza: Its the first one Im going to pick up from your stack, thats for sure. Well, book number six, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown. Is that how you say his last name?

Brian Anderson: I think that is how he pronounces it. Yeah, hes a Stanford MBA.

Vanessa Mendoza: A Brit, right?

Brian Anderson: Yeah, I think he is originally British and he teaches and consults at big corporations, Google and Apple.

Vanessa Mendoza: Hes an advisor to lots of the tech guys.

Brian Anderson: Yeah. And he is  you know, I am interested in these kinds of books. Some people really hate them, but I try to read the best books in this area of management, in part because they might help me think about how to do things better at City Journal. This book, Essentialism, is really talking about how to commit yourself to key purposes in your life and strip away the nonessential. So that, you know, we are all feeling busier and busier. What is the area in which you are bringing the most value and how can you do that better and how can you cut down on you know, things that are side tracking you.

Vanessa Mendoza: The book got a lot of play when it first came out and has great blurbs by Reid Hoffman, Daniel Pink, Adam Grant, so it has certainly done well. But I understand that you got this book recommended to you by Kanye West. Do you want to tell us about that?

Brian Anderson: Well, not personally but yes, yes. I have been following, you know, Kanye has had an interesting year. Ive always thought he was a very creative figure, you know, working in music and fashion. And I started following his tweets this year when he started defending the Trump Administration, getting himself in a lot of trouble. But I thought it was a brave and interesting thing for him to do.

Vanessa Mendoza: Sure.

Brian Anderson: And he did recently recommend this book. He was clearly reading it. And so, I picked it up and it looked interesting. And so, you know, Im going to see if its helpful.

Vanessa Mendoza: Okay. Well that was book number six. We are going to do a bonus book now which is number seven. I dont know if you are going to get through all of these books on your vacation, Brian

Brian Anderson: I usually get through seven or eight. So, I try to read, you know, I usually take a little  two weeks, maybe three weeks, on vacation up in Cape Cod, and try to read a book every other day, or get through a book in two days. So, you know, most of the books, with the exception of the David Lynch, are pretty short and I try to keep it that way.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well this book, number seven, is by a great friend of the Manhattan Institute, George Gilder, and its called Life After Google: The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy. It looks really interesting. I mean, if you dont know George Gilder, although I imagine many of our listeners do. But if you dont know, then you should know that he has been very good at knowing what was coming around the corner in technology throughout his career. He actually also did a Wriston Lecture for the Manhattan Institute in the 90s. And if you look back on it you cant believe with what precision he actually was predicting the future in that speech  another speech that you can find on the Manhattan Institute website and potentially on the City Journal website as well. Do you want to tell us a little bit about the book, Brian?

Brian Anderson: Yeah. George is a  as you say, a kind of technological visionary. Hes always throughout his career tried to anticipate where the future is and whats coming. And he has often been right. Hes been right about media development. This book is looking at the emergence of blockchain technology and posits that its going to undermine the current ad-based revenue model that drives the internet today by making possible other kinds of commercial transactions that dont involve advertising and that that will disrupt Google, hence the title of the book, Life After Google. It would be problematic, obviously, for Facebook and with all of this controversy in the news these days about privacy, about

Vanessa Mendoza: Security, yeah, sure.

Brian Anderson: Security issues. I imagine what George Gilder, who has written for City Journal in the past, has to say about this is going to be very, very interesting. So, yes, Im going to try to get through that this summer too.

Vanessa Mendoza: Me too. It looks great. And, you know, we have two major websites, Manhattan Institute. We have our Manhattan Institute site and our City Journal site, and from time to time we get little probes that we dont really appreciate on the web. And Im glad to know that George sees a future that can be a little more secure for all of us.

Brian Anderson: Yes, I think, you know, I think if hes right and this blockchain technology is certainly going to have some kind of transformative impact on the way we organize our lives, its complicated stuff but I think its crucial for us to get a sense of what its going to be and Gilder writes very clearly about technological issues and, you know, even if you disagree with his takeaway youre going to learn something from this book, Im sure.

Vanessa Mendoza: Yeah. I for one would not bet against George Gilder.

Brian Anderson: Right.

Vanessa Mendoza: Well, that brings us to the end of our list for our listeners. Dont forget to check out more about this episode and find Brians summer reading list on the City Journal website. There will be two more editions that we didnt even mention in this podcast, so make sure you go over to www.City-Journal.org. You can follow Brian on Twitter, @BrianAcity. We would also love to hear your comments about todays episode on Twitter, @CityJournal. Lastly, if you like our show and want to hear more, please leave ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thanks for listening. Thanks to you, Brian, for having me on and for allowing me to turn the tables on you.

Brian Anderson: All right. Well thanks very much, Vanessa. I enjoyed it.

Vanessa Mendoza: Okay. Bye-bye.
Rikers Island is not known as a place for intellectual engagement, where rational heads prevail. But it was within the confines of the notorious New York City jail that inmate Shawn ODonnell, 38, found what he says is the key to his future as a criminal justice reformer: the Rikers Debate Project.

The two-year-old program has taught the naval veteran how to think critically and argue logically. These were skills he lacked in the past, when a heroin addiction drove him to committing crimes to feed his habit. With two months to go before his release, ODonnell said debating has given him a means to confront the difficulties of re-entering society. On this side of the wall, most arguments are won or lost by who can scream the loudest or who is bigger and tougher, who has more people behind them, ODonnell said in an interview with City & State. (Debate) gives me a chance to not just improve myself and clean myself up, but have a place to show it.

Those skills helped present a softer side of Rikers on July 30, when ODonnell and three partners debated whether pretrial detention should be eliminated. The rhetorical battle, at an event held within the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island, is part of programming that aims to reduce violence among inmates and redefine incarceration as a more rehabilitative experience.

Due to widespread reports of violence and sexual assault against prisoners by other inmates and even guards, New York City is working towards closing Rikers within a decade. Eliminating cash bail is one strategy to decrease the number of people in pretrial detention.

A coin toss determined that ODonnell and his debate partner attorney Nicole Triplett would argue for eliminating pretrial detention. In his opening statement, ODonnell urged his audience of about two dozen inmates, corrections officials and representatives of the Rikers Debate Project to consider how pretrial detention ultimately works against justice.

Coming here you think youre going to get fair process. Youre going to get a lawyer. Youre going to get your your day in court, ODonnell said in the debate. The problem is with institutions like this theyre going to use that as leverage. ODonnell argued that the unpleasantness of a jail stay incentivizes even the innocent to plead guilty and get out. Its an easy choice, he said. Youre going to admit to something you didnt do.

But debater 38-year-old Raymond Lopez, who is currently on parole, and his partner attorney Nicole Fortier countered that pretrial detention is necessary in order to maintain public safety. Those accused of violent crimes like murder and rape need to be detained to prevent any potential harm to peoples mothers, fathers, children, said Lopez.

Locking someone up pretrial does deny them their due process, nor presumption of innocence, Lopez argued. Were not going to shove someone into prison with no evidence, said Lopez. That would be absolutely egregious and highly unconstitutional.

The judges awarded the win to ODonnells team by a 10-6 vote, but the debaters will rhetorically fight again another day. The project aims to stage one debate per month in addition to regular classes that teach the debaters critical thinking skills, conflict resolution and public citizenship.

Its part of programming on Rikers that offers up to five hours per week of enrichment to 95 percent of inmates there, according to the city Department of Correction. Educational opportunities and work programs are part of ongoing reforms that are accompanying the transition from Rikers to borough-based facilities.

About $38.1 million was allocated in fiscal year 2018 for enrichment programs at Rikers. The de Blasio administration increased funding from $17.8 million in 2016 to $38.9 million last year, according to the department.

Following the summer 2016 establishment of the Rikers Debate Project, debate programs have also taken hold at facilities in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. with plans to expand to Boston, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, according to Josh Morrison, executive director of the Rikers Debate Project.

Morrison said in an interview that that the July 30 event presents a manicured version of Rikers that contrasts with the day-to-day struggles of inmates, many of whom have yet to be convicted of a crime. As much as we appreciate the Department of Correction working with us, and as much as we appreciate their desire to grow and change ... we really need to limit to the absolute largest extent possible people being incarcerated at all before trial.

The daily realities of violence and atrocity are what Shawn ODonnell aims to leave behind once he gets released this fall. He said in an interview that he plans to stick with the Rikers Debate Project once he gets released. He wants to help with lobbying efforts aimed at securing more state funding for prison enrichment programs, as well as sharing his own insights with future inmates interested in debate.

These type of activities would help him avoid the cycle of drugs, crime and incarceration that had defined his life in recent years, he said. But in order to reshape his life he will have to stick with the debate skills that have allowed him to reflect more critically about his own life and how he ended up at Rikers. A couple years ago, he was a down-and-out Iraq War veteran living on the streets. But learning how to debate while on Rikers led the the New Jersey native to realize that a career in advocating for criminal justice reform could be ahead for him.

We have to live, learn, think and act a certain way. But when we have the chance to do something like this, were going to take full advantage of it, he said. Theres a chance I could turn this into an actual occupation which is amazing coming from as low as I was to as high as I can go.

The original version of this article incorrectly stated that four inmates took place in a July 30 event at Rikers. In fact only one current inmate particpated.
Unison has lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court over a Court of Appeal judgment which could have saved the care sector 400m in back-pay to staff.

Mencap and Care England  the representative body for social care providers - went to the Court of Appeal in March to challenge an Employment Tribunal ruling, made in 2016 and upheld at appeal last year.

The original tribunal rulings were in favour of an overnight "sleep-in shift" worker, Clare Tomlinson-Blake, and ruled that Mencap should have paid her the full minimum wage for the shifts.

Tomlinson-Blake had been paid a flat rate of 29.05 for each sleep-in shift, during which she was allowed to sleep but had to remain on-site and be on-call to provide assistance if necessary.

However, the Court of Appeal verdict last month overturned the original decisions related to the Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake, heard together with another case, Rampersad v Shannon, ruling instead in favour of Mencap.

But yesterday the trade union Unison, which supported Tomlinson-Blakes case, lodged an application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court in the Mencap case.

Speaking to Civil Society News, a spokeswoman for the union said it is likely it will have to wait up to two months for the Supreme Court to decide whether to grant permission to appeal.

Unison's head of legal services, Adam Creme said: "We believe the Court of Appeal got this decision completely wrong and will do everything we can to reverse it."

UNISON has made its application to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal the decision in the #sleepin case. We'll do everything we can to fight for care workers. #awakeonasleepin pic.twitter.com/6pphrNqlR9  UNISON - the union (@unisontweets) 8 August 2018

Matthew Wort, partner at Anthony Collins solicitors who represented Care England, said he expects the Supreme Court to grant permission and for it then to list the case for a hearing in the latter part of 2019.

Rhidian Hughes, chief executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, said: "We remain committed to securing a solution that recognises the valuable contribution that social care workers make and at a level that ensures services are sustainably funded."

Effect on sector

The Mencap case could have a large knock-on effect for other social care providers, as many employ sleep-in shift workers and historically paid a flat rate instead of the full minimum wage.

The Unison appeal means the Court of Appeal decision cannot yet be taken to be the final position on whether sleep-in shift workers are entitled to back-payments from employers.

A final position against Mencap could lead to many social care charities having to pay back-pay and penalties to large numbers of staff, which could cost the sector an estimated 400m and result in some organisations going bankrupt.

However, at the moment the Court of Appeal ruling in favour of Mencap represents the current interpretation of the law.

HMRC scheme

Prior to the Court of Appeal ruling, HM Revenue and Customs had undertaken enforcement action against charities, including the creation of its Social Care Compliance Scheme, which involves social care providers assessing their own back-pay liabilities.

Since the Court of Appeal ruling, HMRC has told social care providers they can suspend the self-assessments ahead of further guidance.

Both Mencap and Unison have been lobbying the government to fund higher wages for sleep-in shift staff going forward and, before the Court of Appeal ruling, back-payments.

Petition

Meanwhile, the day after the Court of Appeal ruling, a petition was launched by sleep-in shift worker Dawn Cox in protest at the decision.

It says: "To many support staff/ carers etc, yesterday's ruling was a complete smack in the face, we already feel undervalued, underpaid considering how skilled we are and the sheer amount of specialist training we have to do as part of our job role, deserves a pay that reflects what we do."

The petition has so far received over 1,900 signatures.

Mencap response

On 9 August, Mencap issued a response to Unison's decision to apply for an appeal hearing.

Derek Lewis, Mencap chair, said: "We are disappointed that Unison has chosen to apply to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal, despite the very clear ruling from the Court of Appeal and the refusal by that court of permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

"This will unnecessarily delay having a final conclusion to this very damaging period of uncertainty and the establishment of clear and appropriate ground rules for the future."
On August 13, 2012, only a few days after celebrating his 31st birthday, freelance journalist Austin Tice emailed his father back in Houston to let him know he had wrapped up his reporting from Syria. Tices parents have not heard from him since. Austin went missing the following day, August 14, while traveling by taxi from the Damascus suburb of Daraya to the Lebanese border.

Throughout Austins captivity, the Tices have sought to engage the media and the public, believing that keeping their sons case in the spotlight would help ensure the US government stays focused on his recovery. But after nearly six years, generating media attention has become difficult and frustrating. Many journalists stay in touch with us, but without a new development, their organizations seem more and more reluctant to devote space to the fact that one of their own continues to be held against his will, Austins father Marc told me.

Austins parents are convinced their son is alive. US officials with whom Ive spoken told me the same thing. But what is happening behind the scenes is extremely sensitive. In June 2017, The New York Times published a story describing the Trump administrations efforts to set up a back channel with the Syrian government, and cited rumors that Austin was seen in a Damascus hospital being treated for dehydration. In April, the FBI offered a $1 million award for information leading to Austins safe recovery and return.

The Trump administration has made the recovery of American hostages a foreign-policy priority, and the Tices say they have met with senior officials, including briefly with President Trump himself, who was personally aware of Austins case.

Departing Obama administration officials made a special point of briefing Trumps national security team on the outstanding hostage cases during the transition in January 2017. In a rare instance of continuity, the Trump administration has kept in place structures created following the Obama administrations Hostage Policy Review, which was carried out in 2015 in response to the murder of American hostages in Syria. In May, after more than a year-long vacancy, the Trump administration named Los Angeles lawyer Robert C. OBrien as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The Tices told me they are in regular contact with OBrien.

Unlike some hostage families who have elected to black out all media coverage, fearing that publicity could lead to increased ransom demands, the Tices have sought from the outset to generate public attention. Working with the press freedom group Reporters without Borders, they have secured full-page ads in US newspapers; handed out Free Austin Tice pins at media events; convinced the Newseum in Washington, DC to hang a Free Austin Tice banner; and organized a social media campaign featuring photos of people wearing blindfolds to simulate Austins captivity. They have traveled regularly to the Middle East and held several press conferences in Beirut. In the US, they have appeared everywhere from morning shows to the evening news.

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To mark the sixth anniversary of Austins captivity next Tuesday, the National Press Club is hosting an event with Tices parents and representatives from McClatchy and The Washington Post, both of which published Austins work from Syria. Austin Tice is a talented, courageous, and committed freelance journalist, said Doug Jehl, the Posts foreign editor. His parents, Marc and Debra, have championed his cause with passion, courage and fortitude. McClatchy is distributing #FreeAustinTice flags and banners, which will be displayed in their offices and newsrooms throughout the country. (At least five other journalists are missing in Syria and more than 120 journalists have been killed covering the conflict.,)

The Tices welcome feature stories and expressions of solidarity. But they are wary of probing coverage of the behind-the-scenes machinations, which they fear could jeopardize the sensitive efforts to get Austin back safely.

In September 2012, a month after Austin disappeared, a video was released showing the journalist blindfolded and disoriented in the custody of purported Islamist militants. US officials and journalists described the video as a crude effort to deflect attention from the Syrian governments involvement in his abduction. The Tices refuse to comment or speculate, noting that they do not know who is holding their son, and have never been contacted by anyone seeking his release. Exposes, or speculations about potentially sensitive efforts to gain Austins freedom are disturbing at best and threaten our efforts and Austins safety at worst, Marc Tice tells me.

Ive also had informal conversations with a few reporters who told me they have tremendous sympathy for the the Tice family but also feel that any information about Austins whereabouts or efforts to secure his release is inherently newsworthy and should be reported.

Given the dearth of new developments in Austins case, I called Terry Anderson to ask him how he thought journalists should think about coverage. Anderson, the former AP bureau chief who was held hostage for seven and a half years in Lebanon, is semi-retired and lives in Virginia (and is the honorary chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists). He remains passionate about supporting hostage families and called the Tices at home in Houston not long after Austin went missing. The Tices were grateful for the call, but also found it somewhat unsettling. At the time, we werent thinking about the possibility that Austins case could go on for months or years, Marc Tice recalls.

Six years into his own captivity, Anderson recalls, his goal was to get through each day believingbut not daring to hopethat he would soon go free (in his eloquent new book The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast, journalist Michael Scott Moore writes that hope is like heroin to a hostage because of the terrible emotional crash that sets in each time its dashed.)

Anderson argues that media attention in long-term hostage situations accomplishes two critical things. First, it keeps pressure on the government, which, even if it is focused on the case, must also juggle competing priorities. Second, there is a chance that the hostage in captivity will hear through the media about the efforts to win their release, boosting their spirits and making them feel less isolated and alone.

As a journalist himself, Anderson recognizes the dilemma. Journalists first and foremost have a responsibility to cover the news and keep their readers informed. They need to apply their own judgement about what is news. Their interests may diverge from those of hostage families who are understandably seeking to manage and control information in ways that will further the resolution of their case.

Still, Anderson tells me, in the case of hostages, news judgement alone cannot drive the agenda, especially when a reporter is the victim. Its a fellow journalist, for Christs sake, Anderson argues. If you can find a way to cover it, you have a moral obligation to do so. On August 14, it will be six years since Austin Tice disappeared. Its up to the media to keep his case alive.

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Joel Simon is the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the author of We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom.
Since February, when Nikolas Cruz, a teenager in Parkland, Florida, opened fire on classmates and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has been covering the story. On Friday, when Elizabeth Scherer, a judge in Broward County, ordered that a reportcommissioned by the local school board, on how the district had dealt with Cruz before the shootingbe made public, Sun Sentinel reporters were eager to publish it. The report was heavily redacted, however, at the request of Cruzs attorneys and the schools leadership, who argued that omissions were necessary to protect Cruzs privacy.

Around 5pm that afternoon, the Sun Sentinel published an article featuring the report. Of the reports 1,707 lines, 1,078 of themor about 64 percentare blacked out, the story explained. The conclusion, reached by the Collaborative Educational Network of Tallahassee, seemed to be that the district had mostly handled Cruzs case appropriately. But the report did identify two instances in which the district faileddetails werent clear. Later that evening, Brittany Wallman, a senior reporter who had a byline on the article, experienced a wow moment. A reader pointed out, via a Facebook message, that if you copied the report into a Microsoft Word document, the entirety of the text was visible. It was incredible that the school district would be that sloppy, Wallman tells CJR in an email. It was unbelievable.

ICYMI: I spent 45 minutes on the phone with Megyn Kelly asking her to not run that show

Now fully legible, the report revealed that, when Cruz was a junior and faced being taken out of Stoneman Douglas High, district officials failed to accurately communicate his options and, based on wrong information, he turned down special education services. When Cruz requested to admission to a school for special education students, the district did not follow through.

Julie Anderson, the papers editor-in-chief, tells CJR that she and her colleagues discussed the report with their attorneys and decided to publish a new story. We realized it was out there, she says. Anybody could get to it. Their lawyers assured them that they had obtained it legally. On Saturday morning, a second story appeared, Heres what Broward schools knew about Parkland shooterdetails revealed by mistake.

On Monday, Barbara Myrick, a lawyer for the school board, asked that Judge Scherer hold the Sun Sentinel and two of its reportersWallman and Paula McMahonin contempt of court for publishing what should have been redacted text. In a petition, Myrick argued that the paper opted to report, publicly, information that this court had ordered to be redacted despite agreeing, on the record, that this information was protected by Florida and federal law. When reached for comment the next day, a spokesperson for the school board told CJR that they had nothing to say on the matter. Yet that afternoon, they met for a rather awkward discussionnone of them had been made aware that Myrick had filed her request, which, according to the Sun Sentinel, was made in somewhat of an emergency basis. A hearing has yet to be scheduled.

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The Sun Sentinel wasnt the only paper to cover the reports hidden elementsa local ABC affiliate published a story, too, and the glitch was publicized on Twitterbut it was the first. Worst case, according to the Associated Press, the paper could face a fine and the reporters, jail time. Anderson says that the papers attorneys are preparing a response, and that Wallman and McMahon will not report on the petition. They will, however, continue to report on Cruzs case. And they have no regrets. It was the right thing to do, Dana Banker, the managing editor, says. There was so much strong interest in this community for this story. We really need to get the most complete, relevant story out that we can.

From archives: She identified herself as a reporter. He then walked behind her and punched her in the side of the head

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Justin Ray is an audience editor at the Los Angeles Times. Follow him on Twitter @jray05.
Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been blocked, banned or removed from a host of platforms, including Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and even MailChimp. But one major social service has so far refused to join the anti-Jones bandwagon: Not only that, but Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey reiterated on Tuesday that he has no plans to ban Jones or his ilk. Why has the company chosen this path when everyone else seems convinced that banning him is the right thing to do?

In part, it could be about boosting engagement and revenuethe answer many give when asked why Twitter allows trolls (including the troll-in-chief, Donald Trump) to remain on the network. But it also likely has a lot to do with the companys history as a social platform, and its vision of itself as a bastion of free speech.

You can see this in Dorseys responses to the Infowars controversy. His first message is simple: Twitter hasnt banned or suspended Jones or Infowars because they havent violated Twitters rules of behavior. In a followup message, he suggests that having Jones on the service is the best approach, because that allows journalists to document, validate and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This approach is what serves the public conversation best, says Dorsey.

Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so its critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.  jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Many journalists responded antagonistically to this, since it implied journalists should be cleaning up the platform instead of the company itself. You know, Jack, our days are pretty full as it is without cleaning up your website for you pro bono, said the Portland Press Herald. On a deeper level, however, Dorseys message fits with his view of what Twitter isan information network populated in part by journalists, who perform a kind of crowdsourced fact-checking service, and thereby create a marketplace of ideas where controversial views are encouraged and free speech reigns.

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This is markedly different from what Facebook has been trying to do since it first appeared on the world stage. Although CEO Mark Zuckerberg likes to talk about free speech, Facebooks purpose has always been much more about community, about building connections between family members and friends. Free speech has always taken a back seat to those goals, and to the goal of building a multibillion-dollar revenue generating machinein fact, Facebook has shown time and time again that it is more than happy to take down or block content for a variety of reasons, including government pressure.

Twitter, by contrast, has always seen itself as the free-speech wing of the free-speech party, as former Twitter executive Tony Wang put it in 2012. From the beginning, the companys focus has been protecting the right of users to say whatever they wanted, even if it was problematicas it did in 2013 when it fought a French demand to censor homophobic and anti-Semitic comments. The company has also fought numerous attempts by various governments to block or censor content, although it does censor certain kinds of posts where it is required to do so by law (including pro-Nazi sentiment in Germany).

This helps explain why Twitter has tried to define what is and isnt acceptable so narrowly, saying tweets have to contain explicit statements of violence towards specific individuals before they contravene the rules (although critics say it doesnt even police that rule consistently). In a sense, the company is trapped in the utopian vision of the future it had when it started: that giving people the tools to share information in real time would create a kind of intellectual meritocracy where the best information would win.

To some, that now seems like a hopelessly naive way to look at the internet, given overwhelming evidence that networks like Twitter and Facebook have enabled hate speech and harassment and even contributed to violence on a scale never before possible. But Twitter seems committed to it regardless.

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.
A single personal electronic device that overheats and catches fire in checked luggage on an airliner can overpower the aircrafts fire suppression system, potentially creating a fire that could rage uncontrolled, according to new government research.

Regulators had thought that single lithium battery fires would be knocked down by the flame-retardant gas required in passenger airliner cargo holds. But tests conducted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration found the suppression systems cant extinguish a battery fire that combines with other highly flammable material, such as the gas in an aerosol can or cosmetics commonly carried by travelers.

That could then cause an issue that would compromise the aircraft, said Duane Pfund, international program coordinator at the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, speaking Wednesday at an aviation safety forum in Washington. PHMSA regulates hazardous materials on airliners along with FAA.

The research highlights the growing risks of lithium batteries, which are increasingly used to power everything from mobile phones to gaming devices. Bulk shipments of rechargeable lithium batteries have been banned on passenger planes.

The findings last year by the FAA prompted the government to advocate that the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization call for a ban on electronic devices larger than a mobile phone in checked bags. That effort fell short, Pfund said.

One way or another, we have to deal with these hazards, said Scott Schwartz, director of the Air Line Pilots Associations hazardous goods program. ALPA, the largest pilots union in North America, is holding its annual safety conference.

ALPA hasnt taken a formal position on whether there should be a ban on lithium batteries in checked bags and some fear that many passengers would simply ignore it. At the very least, the union is seeking greater education campaigns so travelers are less likely to place spare batteries and electronics in their checked bags.

While fires in carry-on items create their own hazards on flights, experience has shown that they can be extinguished with water. Crew cant reach bags in cargo areas during flight, so must rely on a planes fire suppression systems.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department in June 2017 funneled more such electronics into cargo holds out of fears that electronics as small as a tablet computer could be used to hide terrorist bombs. The agency stopped short of a threatened ban on taking the devices into airline cabins, but required additional screening of electronics.

The FAA hasnt imposed any new restrictions on what passengers may pack in checked bags. Last year, in a notice to airlines, it said they should conduct a safety study to determine what more they should do to limit the risks of battery fires in cargo areas.

The FAA tests found that the anti-fire halon gas installed in airline cargo areas wouldnt extinguish a lithium battery fire, but it prevents the blaze from spreading to adjacent material such as cardboard or clothing.

However, aerosol cans exploded in tests even after being bathed in the halon gas, the FAA found.

There is the potential for the resulting event to exceed the capabilities of the airplane to cope with it, the FAA said in a notice to airlines last year.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
Tokio Marine HCC Names Susan Rivera as Next Chief Executive Officer

Texas-based Tokio Marine HCC appointed Susan Rivera as its next chief executive Officer effective September 1, 2018, replacing Christopher J.B. Williams, the Companys current chief executive officer, as he transitions into a new role as managing executive officer and co-head of International Business for Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

Rivera has served as Tokio Marine HCCs executive vice president and chief operating officer since April 1, 2018. From 2014 to 2015, she served as an independent director on the Companys Board of Directors and served on the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Enterprise Risk Oversight Committee.

From 2009 until earlier this year, she served as president and chief executive officer of V3 Insurance Partners LLC. From 2007 to 2009, she was president of QBE Specialty and Chief Actuary of the Americas division of QBE Insurance Group Limited. Previously, Rivera was president and chief underwriting officer of Praetorian Insurance Company from 2006 until its acquisition by QBE in 2007. Prior to 2006, she spent 15 years at AIG, holding a variety of positions of increasing responsibility.

McElroy to Join AIG as CEO of Lexington Insurance Company

American International Group, Inc. announced that David H. McElroy will join the company as chief executive officer of Lexington Insurance Company at a date to be determined.

McElroy will lead Lexington Insurance Company and report to Peter Zaffino, chief executive officer, General Insurance. He will serve as a member of the General Insurance Executive Leadership Team and will oversee all aspects of Lexingtons business, the largest Excess and Surplus underwriter in the United States. General Insurances program business in the U.S. will also report to McElroy, which includes a range of niche markets written on both admitted and non-admitted bases supported by program administrators with market-leading infrastructure and underwriting expertise.

Over the course of his career, he has held numerous leadership roles within the insurance industry, including executive chairman of Arch Insurance Group Inc. and vice chairman of Arch Worldwide Insurance Group. Previously, he served as chairman and chief executive officer of Arch Worldwide Insurance Group, an executive position of Arch Capital Group, Ltd. (ACGL).

Earlier in his career, McElroy held roles at The Hartford Financial Services Corporation, Reliance National and Chubb.

Ontellus Appoints Klauser Chief Executive Officer

Ontellus, a nationwide data retrieval and analytics technology company appointed Darren Klauser as its news chief executive officer, effective August 1, 2018.

Former Ontellus CEO Newton Ross has served in the capacity of CEO since 2010. Moving forward, Ross will remain an integral part of the Ontellus Executive team, transitioning into the role of president.

As the former General Manager of the Americas Insurance Division of DXC Technology, a Fortune 500 end-to-end IT services company, Klauser is well equipped to take Ontellus into the next era of automation and data intelligence in the insurance industry.
Last years late season three hurricane wallop emphasized the growing use of aerial imagery to assist in assessing hard hit areas.

Jim Schweitzer, senior vice president and chief operating officer for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, spoke with Claims Journal recently to discuss the Geospatial Intelligence Center (GIC).

He described it as a consortium-funded effort to collect imagery using aircraft. Imagery is collected nationally, as well as on a top 100 metropolitan area basis. Photos are captured from a top down view for the whole country, with images of metropolitan areas captured from both top down and from a 45-degree angle. Schweitzer explained this offers the ability to assess a property from the top down, but also offers a view of all four sides of a property.

The imagery captured is the highest resolution currently available.

Its much, much higher image resolution than a satellite image would be, said Schweitzer. Its much broader than, for example, a drone image would be. Drones have a very specific use. They do an excellent job of imaging a property or two properties, but what were talking about is wide area imaging.

The goal of the center, according to Schweitzer, is to provide imagery to members of the GIC. He explained that while the GIC is part of the NICB, it is separately funded. As a result, the participants in the GIC will be NICB members, but it does require a separate subscription.

He explained that while geospatial imagery and analytics offer obvious benefits for both claims and underwriting, it can also be used from a fraud perspective.

What the user of the imagery ends up with is a capability to analyze a property with multiple goals or multiple objectives, said Schweitzer.

Cost-sharing is another benefit of collecting imagery and analytics through the consortium.

Its a great opportunity to leverage the cost of this versus the cost of each company doing this on their own, said Schweitzer.

He said the GIC plans to continuously improve analytics associated with the imagery.

Being able to take these high-resolution images and evaluate, for example, what we call the gray sky is post-catastrophe, said Schweitzer. Right now, we are in position to fly over the Carr Fire in California. And, so, as the sky clears and the ability to get up over those fires is made available we will collect that imagery and then push that imagery to the participants of the GIC, so that decisions can be made faster, more rapidly and more accurately determine what the potential losses are and also interact quicker with the customer to let them know the status of their property.

He explained that NICBs specific relationships with law enforcement allow GIC the ability to access disaster sites quickly.

Were able to get into these catastrophe sitesleveraging our relationships with law enforcement very promptly and quickly and often times before that area is opened back to the public, said Schweitzer.

Policyholders can get updates on the status of their property in advance of being able to return, he added.

Another aspect of the GIC is what is called blue sky  an ongoing effort to collect imagery when skies are clear, so it can be made available to participants for use by underwriting and claims. By collecting before and after images, insurers can evaluate a property affected by a catastrophe during underwriting or when a claim is presented.
AKRON, Ohio - More than 250 residents came out Tuesday night to participate in what is planned to be the revival of Chestnut Ridge Park in Kenmore.

With an amphitheater, a shelter and a playground, the once beloved park on 19th Street SW has fallen into relative obscurity over the years, but is now eyeing revitalization as an Akron Parks Challenge winner. The park was created in the 1930s under the federal Work Projects Administration.

Kenmore's Chestnut Ridge Park, Cadillac Triangle Park in southwest Akron and Reservoir Park in Goodyear Heights all won the parks challenge, announced by the city in April. Each park is headed by a neighborhood group.

Kenmore's group, Friends of Chestnut Ridge Park, held the event in conjunction with Ward 9 Councilman Mike Freeman's 17th annual community picnic. So many people attended, the city's trolley was enlisted to transport them from the high school to the park, said Akron Parks Collaborative Project Manager Bridget Ambrisco.

The event was the best attended of all the councilman's picnics so far, Freeman said.

"I haven't seen anything like this in my 17 years," he said. "It's like the community is waking up and saying 'this is who we are now.' It was everything that we dreamed of."

The parks challenge winners were chosen, in part, because of their ability to engage their communities. The city set out to select two winners but the applications were so strong, the Knight Foundation pitched into allow three winners, Ambrisco said.

The city has earmarked $100,000 for each park to kick off a revitalization process, led by the city but inspired by residents. The money is not a grant, but an allocation the city will spend on carefully selected improvements, working with the groups, ultimately, to catalyze neighborhood development.

Based on resident input, the Chestnut Ridge group launched prototype amenities at the park: a rock climbing wall; a bike park with ramps and a track; a water slip and slide; a natural playground.

But the most essential amenities for the park, and likely to be first implemented, are lighting and electricity, restrooms and handicap accessible features from the parking lot, said Angela Miller, who founded Friends of Chestnut Ridge Park.

Many of the prototypes, including a xylophone and a large steel drum, were built by members of the Friends of Chestnut Ridge group -- musicians, performance artists, members of faith-based organizations and a web designer.

"We have really passionate people, which makes all the difference," said Miller, who also founded KenMore Kreative, an offshoot of the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance (KNA). KNA, along with the city and the Knight Foundation, is focused on Kenmore's economic development.

With music central to Kenmore's character, organizers also staged musical and storytelling performances in the WPA-era amphitheater - Zach and the Bright Lights and the Wandering Aesthetics - to determine whether noise from nearby East Avenue would interfere.

The amphitheater will factor prominently in the park's programming, Miller said.

Kenmore is also home to the Rialto Theatre, a live music venue and studio, the Guitar Department, a new and used consignment shop, and Lays Guitar Shop, known since the '60s for repairs and restoration and frequented by Akron's Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach and Cleveland native Joe Walsh. Kenmore also hosts seven recording studios, with five on the Boulevard.

For Kenmore, the parks challenge dovetailed with other initiatives focused on revitalizing Kenmore Boulevard, the neighborhood's central business district.

Kenmore is one of Mayor Dan Horrigan's 10 Great Streets communities. The initiative melds economic development, urban planning and engineering to make improvements aimed at revising business districts.

Kenmore also is a focus for Strong Towns, an initiative funded in part through a $120,000 Knight Foundation grant. Strong Towns is working to help cities like Akron bring back economic stability through incremental investments in key neighborhoods.

The neighborhood groups will finish gathering community input for their parks by the end of the year. Improvements will be implement in spring 2019. Following the initial improvements, other grant opportunities will be available to continue improving the parks, Ambrisco said.

Residents interested in weighing in on Chestnut Ridge Park can take a survey here or attend a community meeting at 6 p.m., Tuesday, August 14 at the Rialto Theatre on Kenmore Boulevard.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - A Cleveland man suffered serious injuries, including bleeding on his brain, in an assault that happened during a drug deal at an East Side motel, police said.

A 27-year-old woman is accused of assaulting the 19-year-old man Tuesday at the Cleveland Motel in the city's Euclid-Green neighborhood, according to a police report.

The woman has not yet been charged but is being held on suspicion of felonious assault in the Cuyahoga County Jail, according to court and jail records.

The man was taken to University Hospital after the attack and admitted to the ICU. Hospital spokespersons did not immediately respond Wednesday afternoon to a request for an update on the man's condition.

The woman admitted to Cleveland police officers that she tried to buy crack-cocaine from the man before she punched him in the face Tuesday morning at the motel on Euclid Avenue at Clarkstone Road, the police report says.

Officers went to the motel just after 8:30 a.m. and found the man lying on a bed. He could not speak, but he appeared to understand the officers' questions and used his hands to point out injuries to his face, the report says.

Witnesses said the man was on the ground when the woman assaulted him. Two other women intervened to break up the assault, the report says.

Officers found the 27-year-old woman near the motel. She began yelling "I'm sorry, I did it, I get high" and claimed she acted in self-defense, the report says.

She went on to say the man owed her money, but "wouldn't give it back so I did what I had to do," the report says. She later clarified she gave the man $10 to buy crack-cocaine, the report says.

The woman also told police officers that the man hit her in the lip before she punched him, the report says.

She complained of wrist pain, so Cleveland EMS took her to Euclid Hospital for an evaluation. She was later discharged and taken to jail.

The two women who broke up the assault identified the 27-year-old woman as the attacker, the report says. One of them also identified the 19-year-old man as her sister's ex-boyfriend.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A lawsuit filed by FirstEnergy's Cleveland Electric llluminating Co. could derail a $10 million solar farm project at the closed Brooklyn landfill that is largely funded by Cuyahoga County.

The county's Board of Control approved $142,000 to hire Bricker & Eckler LLP to represent the county in the lawsuit. That hire is subject to approval by county Prosecutor Michael O'Malley.

County Sustainability Director Mike Foley told board members on Monday that the county needed to hire lawyers to defend the county's interests because $4 million in county money has already been used to construct the solar farm, and the lawsuit could "delay" the project or "potentially stop it."

Foley also said that the county likely will win in court, and believes there are no problems with the legalities of the project.

"This is a cool, innovative project we're doing and we're going to fight them to make sure this thing happens," Foley told cleveland.com. "It's a first-of-its-kind [project] in the state, and we'd like to see this replicated."

What's the project?

Columbus-based IGS Solar used about 17 acres of the closed 75-acre Brooklyn landfill to construct a four-megawatt solar farm. The last solar panels were put into place last week, Foley said.

Cleveland Public Power, which is owned by the city of Cleveland, built a transmission line that will carry the power from the array to a nearby electric substation.

CPP will buy all the power that the solar farm produces. Cuyahoga County has agreed to buy electricity from CPP for its 16 commercial buildings, and about 20 to 25 percent of that electricity will be the clean solar power.

The line also will enable Brooklyn to buy electricity for its city-owned buildings from CPP and give residents of Brooklyn who live in the corridor of the extended power line the chance to buy their electricity from CPP instead of FirstEnergy.

The cost of the project is about $10 million -- about $7.8 million of which is funded by the county.

The county will pay Cleveland Public Power about $68 million for electricity over a 10-year-contract. If that contract is extended as expected to 25 years, the total cost will be about $166 million. The amount saves the county about $3 million in energy costs over that time, Foley said.

What's the lawsuit?

Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. sued Cleveland and CPP in May, asking a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge to halt construction of power lines. CEI contended that the construction was done in an unsafe manner and could have led to power outages, and dangerous conditions for workers.

CEI and CPP reached an agreement about work conditions in late May, but CEI amended its lawsuit in July. Now it contends that CPP is in violation of the law by trying to distribute electricity outside of the city's borders.

Foley on Monday said the county believes CPP is not in violation of the law.

How does this affect the county?

Because the county is heavily invested in the project, Foley said it wants to hire legal representation to preserve its rights to intervene in the lawsuit.

In a July 19 court hearing, the county, Brooklyn, and the solar farm's developer, Enerlogics, asked the judge to allow them to weigh in on the lawsuit. The judge granted that request and asked all three to submit briefs by Aug. 10. That prompted Foley to ask the Board of Control to hire Bricker & Eckler.

The trial is set for Dec. 10.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Someone shot an Illinois couple's SUV as they drove on Interstate 90 near Dead Man's Curve, police said.

The shooting happened about 3:15 a.m. Saturday. The man and his girlfriend, both from Park Forest, Illinois, were not hurt and no arrests have been made.

The 36-year-old man told police he was in Cleveland for a friend's wedding and his 42-year-old girlfriend was driving their rented Nissan Rouge back to their hotel in Mentor, police reports say.

He said they heard gunshots as they drove through Dead Man's Curve, police reports say.

He said they heard another round of gunfire shortly after and realized their SUV had been hit, according to police.

The woman took the East 55th Street exit and the man told police he spotted the car that fired shots at them continue on I-90.

He told police a man fired shots from the passenger side of a gray Dodge Journey, police reports say.

The couple pulled into a gas station and called police. They also called a friend who told them the gas station wasn't safe, so they drove to the Third District Police Headquarters, police reports say.

Officers noted that a bullet hit the SUV's back bumper.
AVON LAKE, Ohio -- A teenage girl was hospitalized late Tuesday after falling from a moving vehicle, Avon police said.

The 17-year-old girl suffered a head injury when she fell about 10:45 p.m. on Sunset Road, Avon Lake police said. The girl was a passenger in the vehicle, Lt. Scott R. Fishburn said.

The unidentified girl was taken to University Hospital St. John's Medical Center and later flown to MetroHealth for treatment, police said.

Avon police did not release her condition as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Fishburn said the incident remains under investigation and will determine if drugs or alcohol played a role.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
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Arrest warrant issued for former Macedonia mayor for burglary, violating protection order (WKYC Channel 3)

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Troy Balderson is unofficial winner in 12th Congressional District special election in a nail-biter (cleveland.com)

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Deputy charged with rape accuses Summit County Sheriff's Office of racial discrimination (cleveland.com)

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Cleveland / Cuyahoga County

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Fernway Elementary could be saved from wrecking ball; student relocations announced (WOIO Channel 19)

Massive tree splits Cleveland Heights house nearly in half (WEWS Channel 5)

Local news West

Elyria man dies after crash with semi in Lorain County (cleveland.com)

Westwood Commons developer sues Strongsville and neighboring business over parking lot connection (cleveland.com)

Cuyahoga County Council awards $1.1 million for revamping of Rocky River's Bradstreet's Landing pier (cleveland.com)

Brecksville-Broadview Heights schools and City of Brecksville would share school cafetorium and field house, under proposed agreement (cleveland.com)

Akron / Canton area

Akron petition would let voters decide if city primaries should be moved from September to May (cleveland.com)

Akron Children's Hospital receives $1.5 million Timken Foundation grant for North Canton health center (cleveland.com)

State

Bigger paychecks in time for the holidays? Gov. John Kasich wants to use a state budget surplus to make it happen (cleveland.com)

Mike DeWine announces wellness program for state employees, Medicaid recipients as part of campaign for Ohio governor (cleveland.com)

Cordray campaign says it's OK using footage from state government channel in TV ad, despite policy (cleveland.com)

Rep. Jim Jordan's fundraising lags behind other aspiring House speakers (cleveland.com)
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (AP) -- A Chinese company's announcement two years ago that it would spend more than $1 billion and hire hundreds of workers for a paper mill on the outskirts of this rural college town was seen as a much-needed shot in the arm for the region's economy.

A web video promoting Arkadelphia -- "It's a great place to call home!" -- continues to tout the Sun Paper project and its potential to generate jobs and boost development. But optimism has been giving way to concern in recent months amid President Donald Trump's escalating trade dispute with China.

The threat of a full-blown trade war has delayed the project further and prompted the state's governor to send his top economic development official to China to make sure it stays on track. It also has caused other Chinese companies considering investing in Arkansas to put their plans on hold.

"It's like a dark cloud hanging over the future of the project," Stephen Bell, the president and chief executive officer of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce. "Right now, the clouds are off on the horizon. But I think no one knows where the trade situation is going right now."

The uncertainty in Arkansas, where voters overwhelmingly supported Trump in the 2016 president election, highlights how U.S. states are trying to ease the sting of the president's threatened trade war by appealing directly to Chinese companies.

Those companies invested $29 billion in the U.S. last year, virtually all of which was related to corporate mergers and acquisitions, according to the research firm Rhodium Group. While that was down from a record $46 billion in 2016, those investments remain crucial for local economies.

Trump's trade dispute has squeezed U.S. states and communities in at least two ways: It has slowed direct investment, as in Arkansas, and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by other countries have made it harder for local farmers and manufacturers to sell abroad.

Political leaders from both parties have objected. Governors from Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina, for example, protested tariffs on imported solar-energy components, saying it would cost tens of thousands of U.S. jobs. Trump went forward with those tariffs, anyway.

In Arkansas alone, retaliatory tariffs from China, the European Union, Mexico and Canada threaten $339 million in exports, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The tariffs Trump imposed on China were estimated to add $150 million to the original $1.8 billion price tag of the Sun Paper plant in Arkadelphia, prompting the company to delay its plans.

State and local officials have been trying to reassure Sun Paper, with Gov. Asa Hutchinson sending his top economic development adviser to China. The governor, a Republican, says the Trump administration has assured him it will work with them on tariff exemptions for the facility.

State and local officials say they remain optimistic about the paper mill, but the governor says the trade fight isn't good for luring new industry.

"It's obvious that with uncertainty, businesses hesitate to invest in new projects. That's whether you're a United States businessman or whether you're a China investor," the governor said.

Arkadelphia, about an hour's drive southwest of Little Rock, and the state have a lot riding on the plant, which -- if built -- will produce liner board for cardboard boxes.

A state university and Baptist college have been the main economic drivers in the town of less than 11,000 people, which is still recovering from a devastating tornado that wiped out much of the downtown 20 years ago.

The population has dipped over the past decade despite the presence of the two colleges, and federal labor statistics show the county's unemployment rate remains slightly above the state average. Clark County voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase in 2007 to raise money for luring new businesses, a step that appeared to pay off when Sun Paper announced its plans.

The paper mill would be one of the largest economic deals in the state's history, so the state and local governments are working hard to salvage it and the investments in it they've already made.

They are providing $10 million in incentives to buy 900 acres about five miles south of Arkadelphia and adding a rail spur to service the plant. The state also is providing $12.5 million to prepare the site and buy equipment, and up to $3 million to train the workforce.

Officials expect the mill to employ 2,000 people during its construction and create an additional 1,000 jobs in the timber industry. The facility, once up and running, is expected to receive as many as 500 truckloads of timber per day.

"Anything like a new pulp mill is seen as good news. We need more markets," said Pete Prutzman, president of Kingwood Forestry Services in Arkadelphia, which manages hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland.

Supporters of the Sun Paper project say the mill is the type of deal Trump should like, with a foreign company investing in the U.S. and hiring hundreds of American workers.

It's one of several Chinese-backed deals Arkansas has landed in recent years, but efforts to woo more to the state have been jeopardized by the trade fight. The state's top economic development official said other Chinese companies considering projects in Arkansas have remained on the sideline as the trade battle rages.

"It came up in every conversation I had," said Mike Preston, the head of the state's economic development commission. "The prospects especially who were looking to do investments in the U.S. have kind of said, 'Well, we appreciate your visit and we're interested, but we need to wait and see how this all shakes out before we move forward with doing our investment.'"

Sun Paper said it remains committed to the Arkadelphia project, but said it would have moved much faster without the trade friction.

The uncertainty has added to the skepticism some locals say they already had about the plans. Bill Abernathy, a reforestation adviser who works in neighboring Bluff City, said the promise of that many jobs and that big of an investment always seemed too good to be true.

"I'll believe it when I see steel coming up," he said.

___

Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and economics writer Paul Wiseman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
Rotunda Rumblings

Photo finish: The special election for Ohio's 12th Congressional District ended in a nailbiter Tuesday night, with Republican Troy Balderson edging Democrat Danny O'Connor by 1,754 votes in unofficial results with all precincts reporting. But as cleveland.com's Jeremy Pelzer and Seth Richardson report, O'Connor refused to concede Tuesday, and news outlets declined to call the race, citing about 8,500 provisional and absentee ballots left to count.



We are the champions: Balderson and other Republicans claimed victory Tuesday night, vowing to keep the seat when Balderson and O'Connor clash again for a full term in November. "Democrats, I'm sure, are going to try and turn this into some sort of moral victory," said U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. "But last time I checked, moral victories don't get a vote on the congressional floor."



Path to victory: While O'Connor won Franklin County, his home county, with 65 percent of the vote, Balderson won every other county. The race came down to Delaware County, which was the last to report its vote totals. Balderson ended up winning the GOP-friendly county by about 4,900 votes.

Trouble on the horizon? Republicans may have won the special election in the 12th District, but that doesn't necessarily bode well for the upcoming midterms, Richardson writes. While Balderson was able to come out ahead, the margin of victory was close in what should have been an easy district. Other congressional districts around the state could come into play.



Cash from Kasich?: Gov. John Kasich wants to top off the state's rainy day fund and update state income tax withholding rates so workers see the results of a 2015 tax cut in their paychecks instead of when they file tax returns the following year. The one-time withholding change would cost about $147 million, to come from a projected state revenue surplus. Cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt reports that lawmakers didn't buy into the plan two years ago, and administration officials were mum Tuesday about how to make it happen.



A "union guy": Kasich made his remarks after members of the International Union of Operating Engineers honored the Republican governor with a plaque, a jacket and an honorary membership. Kasich, who in 2011 signed legislation to curtail public employee union bargaining rights, tried on the jacket and declared he was a union guy now. "Let me just say this is a long way from Senate Bill 5," he said, flashing thumbs up and "V" signs ala Richard Nixon. "I wasn't gonna say that, but what the hell."



Fair use footage? Richard Cordray's campaign says it's within the law to use archived footage from the state-run Ohio Channel in a new ad. But cleveland.com's Andrew Tobias reports that state law bars using the service for "political purposes included in campaign materials," among other purposes. The campaign noted that Attorney General Mike DeWine, Cordray's Republican opponent in the November gubernatorial election, cited Ohio Channel footage in legal filings and state law also bars use of the footage to "influence a judicial decision."

Well, well: DeWine on Tuesday vowed to launch a wellness program if he is elected governor, in an effort to drive down long-term health care costs, Tobias reports. The voluntary program would be modeled after one at the Cleveland Clinic.



Fundraising foible: House Speaker hopeful Jim Jordan hasn't raised as much money as other Republicans likely to seek the job, according to a new analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics. Fundraising is a key responsibility for the leadership role, writes cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton. Jordan's two-year contribution total of $436,000 lags far behind California's Kevin McCarthy ($6.6 million) and Louisiana's Steve Scalise ($4.1 million).



Second-in-command struggle: Ohio's Mary Taylor is one of five lieutenant governors mentioned in a Washington Post piece about how the position has not translated into a gubernatorial win at the ballot box this year. Taylor lost the May primary to DeWine after trying to distance herself from her two-time running mate, Kasich. An unnamed Ohio GOP operative told reporter James Hohmann that Taylor wasted the opportunity to use the office to cultivate donors from the business community early on.



Familial favoritism? Hamilton County Democratic Party Co-chair Connie Pillich filed a federal elections complaint against Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, claiming his campaign committee and leadership PAC paid his son-in-law's firm nearly $175,000 for work that should have cost $33,000, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Sharon Coolidge and Scott Wartman report. Chabot's camp says the complaint is an attempt to distract the public from the campaign finance missteps of Democratic opponent Aftab Pureval.



Fine line: Politifact concluded that Cordray's assertion is mostly false that his opponent for governor, DeWine, didn't try to collect a fine for a campaign finance violation. Politifact's probe revealed that DeWine, as Ohio attorney general, got a court judgment against a PAC that was associated with Betsy DeVos, but that the U.S. education secretary isn't ultimately responsible to paying it, as Corday has claimed.



Shame, shame, shame: Both sides of the political aisle are turning to so-called "social pressure mailings" listing voters' voting history and that of their neighbors. But Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports that some voters are turned off by the mailings that they say are intended to shame voters to the polls. Despite that unease, such mailings seem to work - one of the groups sending them said they increase turnout by 8 percent.



Full Disclosure



Five things we learned from Supreme Court Justice Richard "Pat" DeWine's May 9 financial disclosure statement. DeWine, a Republican, is the son of Mike DeWine, the state attorney general and Republican gubernatorial candidate.



1. DeWine reported as sources of income the Ohio Supreme Court and two family entities - the Ohio Twine Co., where he is a partner, and DeWine Enterprises, where he is a shareholder. He isn't required to report income. The Supreme Court paid him $163,547 last year, according to the Ohio Treasurer.



2. He own two parcels in Fayette County and 10 parcels in Greene County.



3. His wife, Rhonda DeWine, owns Salon Rhonda, in Cincinnati.



4. He is a trustee and beneficiary of the R. Patrick DeWine Trust.



5. At some point in 2017, he owed at least $1,000 to Visa Congressional Federal Credit Union, Bank of America Visa, a Bank of America car loan, Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union and PNC Visa.



Straight From The Source



"There is no issue other than stopping the left. If he's a yes man for my guy that's enough for me."

-Drew Stefanik of Galena, who told the Dispatch's Maya Kaufman why he voted for Balderson.



"I believe he's the best choice since we've got a lunatic in the White House."

-Donald Smith of Newark, who told the Newark Advocate's Maria DeVito why he voted for O'Connor. Smith said he voted for Trump in 2016.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.
NEWARK, Ohio - The special election for Ohio's 12th Congressional District came down to the wire Tuesday night, with Republican Troy Balderson edging out Democrat Danny O'Connor in unofficial results.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Balderson had a 1,754-vote lead over O'Connor, with more than 202,000 votes cast. Green Party nominee Joe Manchik had a little more than 1,100 votes, or about 0.6 percent of the vote.

O'Connor declined to concede the race Tuesday night, telling supporters "We're not stopping now!" News outlets, including the Associated Press, also did not call the race, citing the number of uncounted absentee and provisional ballots.

There are 5,048 outstanding absentee ballots and 3,435 outstanding provisional ballots left to count, according to the Ohio secretary of state's office.

However, Balderson and other Republicans claimed victory late Tuesday night.

"Tonight, I'm going to promise to you that I'm going to work relentlessly - relentlessly for this 12th Congressional District," Balderson told a crowd of cheering supporters. "America is on the right path, and we're going to keep it going that way."

Democrats had hoped to flip the reliably Republican Central Ohio seat, which opened up when Republican Pat Tiberi stepped down in January. While President Donald Trump won the affluent, well-educated district by 11 percentage points in 2016, the president's ratings in the district have dropped in recent polls.

But Balderson, a state senator from Zanesville, scored a 22-percentage-point win in GOP-friendly Licking County and a 9-point victory margin in conservative Delaware County. O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, won his home county by a landslide, but Balderson won the other six counties in the district.

Balderson, who also won a crowded GOP primary in May by a razor-thin margin, relied on outside groups for most of his ads - most notably the House GOP-linked Congressional Leadership Fund, which poured millions into ads claiming that O'Connor would support GOP bete noire Nancy Pelosi for House speaker. (O'Connor pledged early in the campaign not to back Pelosi for speaker, though he grudgingly yielded to MSNBC's Chris Matthews that he would support her over a Republican speaker).

Balderson also drew last-minute help from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, both of whom campaigned for Balderson in the final days of the race.

O'Connor, meanwhile, raised nearly $1.5 million - most of which was spent on ads portraying him as a moderate and hitting Balderson for saying he would be open to raising the minimum age for Social Security and Medicare.

Even with a loss, O'Connor's performance in a traditionally Republican district may give hope to Democrats that he can beat Balderson when the two clash again in a contest for a full, two-year term in the November general election.

But U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told cleveland.com Tuesday night that "a win's a win" for Balderson.

"Democrats, I'm sure, are going to try and turn this into some sort of moral victory," Stivers said. "But last time I checked, moral victories don't get a vote on the congressional floor."

Cleveland.com politics reporter Seth A. Richardson contributed to this story.
SOLON, Ohio -- City Council on Monday elected to stick with the "three-reading rule" in placing a proposal for a new multi-use zoning district before voters.

Developers behind the proposed Kerem Lake mixed-use district -- including an unspecified number of dwelling units with varying density, a winery, a boutique hotel, guest houses and other commercial enterprises -- had sought to get the zoning change placed on the Nov. 6 ballot.

However, that would have required the measure making it down to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections by Wednesday (Aug. 8). With two more council readings to go, that won't happen.

"We're going to leave this on first reading," Vice Mayor Nancy Meany said as the ordinance to certify the petition initiative was introduced. This was followed by a round of applause from the packed council chambers.

The question remains whether attorney Jordan Berns, representing property owner Yisrael Harris at Monday's meeting, will appeal council's procedural decision to the Ohio Supreme Court.

At least four residents referred to the collected initiative petitions as an "end run" around the City Planning Commission, after developers gathered 870 valid signatures -- over 100 more than needed -- to place the rezoning proposal directly on the ballot.

And many more residents from the neighboring Thornbury subdivision, who spoke for roughly an hour at the meeting's outset, urged council not to proceed on an emergency basis -- only one reading for approval -- in forwarding it to the county election board.

City Law Director Tom Lobe said that Solon's city charter "mirrors" the Ohio Revised Code in stating that the three-reading rule may be waived.

But Councilman Jeremy Zelwin, whose Third Ward includes the proposed development, had asked his colleagues early on for extended readings after learning of the petition initiative.

That hasn't stopped some residents from circulating petitions of their own seeking Zelwin's recall, although some of the signatories on that are residents upset with the city's handling of a rails-to-trails proposal they say would run too close to their properties.

Meanwhile, back at Kerem Lake, also known as Lake Luczek after the doctor who built it along with his home on 100 acres off Bainbridge Road, Lobe said the new developers have their Ohio constitutional right to take the petition route.

"But tonight's legal issue is very narrow," Lobe told council Monday. "It's not whether the issue proceeds, but rather the timing of the procedure. And when it comes to timing, that is set forth in the ORC and for some reason, the city charter, as well."

This came after Berns had cited an old legal opinion from Lobe on an earlier rezoning issue in which he said council was "duty-bound to approve the ordinance and forward it to the Board of Elections."

Berns also quoted what Councilman Bill Russo said at that time -- possibly for the Fountains of Solon petition initiative -- that forwarding the proposal to the Board of Elections was not indicative of council approval.

"Let the voters have their say, as is their constitutional right," Berns told council.

Roughly a dozen residents wanted to have their say on Monday, including David Soble, who asked for three public readings rather than passage as an emergency ordinance.

"This so-called emergency is a tactic to bypass city policy," Soble said. "They are asking for zoning that does not exist yet -- they're in fact writing their own zoning."

Ross Goodman called it an "unfettered megalopolis proposal" that has only created drama. He accused the developers of going with initiative petitions because "they couldn't get their way with the city Planning Commission," the more conventional route for rezoning.

Solon's charter also contains a "home ward veto" provision on rezoning, so that proposals appearing on the ballot have to pass not only citywide, but in the ward where the rezoning would take place.

Barbara Shane said the developers' proposal amounted to "vigilante zoning," for which the city was under no obligation to hasten.

She also recommended that the city focus its efforts on redevelopment of blighted areas such as the Sears site, Liberty Ford and a section of Hawthorn.

Marv Thomas said that the residential land right next to the Thornbury subdivision was never intended to be commercial or, for that matter, "high-platform" residential.

"If any of them read or understood the city's Master Plan, we wouldn't be where we are today," said Constantine Chimples. "This is a high-density, urban development proposing 7.5 residences per acre -- and I think some of that must be counting the lake (at over 20 acres)."

Resident Brad Martin said the lake is already designated as a "high-quality ecosystem" by the Chagrin River Watershed Partnership.

In terms of due diligence, Martin said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may be critical of a winery proposed to be built on top of a dam.

"It's a pipe dream looking for financiers," Martin said.

Russo pointed out that the city has to give any property owner due process under the law, zoning or otherwise.

"Personally, I have found this whole development difficult, to say the least," Meany said to the residents who had not yet filed out later in the meeting.

Councilman Doug Magill thanked those who attended and voiced their concerns, adding, "you have been heard."
Last week, the Trump administration announced plans to roll back Obama-era auto emissions standards and challenge California's tougher tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions rules. The White House has challenged California policies on several issues, from the environment to the state's controversial sanctuary law that seeks to protect undocumented immigrants.

The California Air Resources Board plan also would apply to any weaker federal emissions standards that might get adopted down the road.

Under the proposed change by California, even if President Donald Trump 's administration changes its vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards, automakers wishing to sell cars in California after the 2020 model year would still be required to meet the state's strict standards.

Responding to the Trump administration's move to roll back tailpipe emissions standards, California regulators on Tuesday announced a proposal that would require car manufacturers to continue meeting the state's strict auto-emissions rules.

"Dirty, gas guzzling vehicles are a direct assault on public health, and foreclose our ability to rein in air pollution and greenhouse gases," said CARB Chair Mary Nichols in a release. "California will take all actions to ensure that the smart standards we developed in partnership with the auto industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles stay in place."

Under a CARB regulation adopted in 2012, cars meeting federal standards for model years 2017 to 2025 are considered as complying with California standards. A dozen states and the District of Columbia follow California's greenhouse gas emissions standards for motor vehicles, but the White House wants to have one national standard.

In its announcement last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new fuel economy standards for vehicles for the model years 2021 to 2026. The agencies also said at the time they are seeking public comment on several regulatory options, including an alternative that would lock in model year 2020 standards through 2026.

California is one of 18 states that filed a lawsuit in May in connection with the EPA's determination that existing fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks for the model years 2022 to 2025 "should be revised." In taking the step, then-EPA head Scott Pruitt said, "[T]he current standards are not appropriate" and went on to say President Barack Obama's administration had wrongly "set the standards too high."

CARB said it is seeking public input on its plan, including "comments on potential flexibilities that might allow for continued compliance with the federal standards, or reward national actions to promote cleaner vehicles." The comment period will run through Sept. 24, and the regulator's board will consider the proposal for adoption at its regular meeting on Sept. 27-28.

The acting administrator of EPA, Andrew Wheeler, recently met with the chair of CARB "and has pledged to work in earnest with the state of California to find a solution," said EPA spokesman James Hewitt. "EPA is looking forward to sitting down with California in the very near future to have a conversation about whether an agreement can reached."

The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation have not responded to CNBC's requests for comment as of publication.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's tweet about potentially making the automaker a private company affected the bond market in an interesting way, CNBC's said Tuesday. "Do you know that the bonds actually went up on this news, which indicates that there are real buyers, there are people who want to buy Tesla up here, the stock?" the "Mad Money" host said in response to a caller's question. Cramer recalled what he said when Tesla reported its latest quarterly earnings: that the ball was back in the bulls' court when it came to the stock of Tesla because the company outperformed investors' expectations. "Do you need to sell it? I don't even know," he said. "Look, if you own it to this point, just go to its logical conclusion and see what happens because, like I said, just like when I go to see David Blaine, man, magic's exciting."

Stocks in demand?

Traders pass in front of an American flag displayed outside of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

As and in their pockets, U.S. investors are becoming more frugal and choosing risk-averse index funds over individual stock-picking, Cramer said Tuesday. "The game has changed since I first started picking stocks almost 40 years ago," he said as , bringing the within 1 percent of a record high. "We didn't even have index funds back then," he said. "Now they're the preferred way to invest for the majority of people who want to own stocks." The flight to index funds stems from more savings-conscious consumers who, even though they are likelier to find jobs and , are now focusing on keeping their earnings close rather than spending freely, Cramer said. At the same time, corporate share buybacks are quickly becoming another source of fuel for stocks, he said. So, with frugal investors buying up index funds, thus sending stocks higher, and companies gearing up for more stock buybacks, the effect on the market is tangible, the "Mad Money" host said. "The impact of these two trends? Simple: they've created a stock shortage ... of epic proportions," he said. "There just aren't enough shares of big-cap companies to go around until sellers materialize." Read Cramer's explanation for the trend here.

Logitech CEO on esports and the Olympics

Bracken Darrell, CEO, Logitech International Scott Mlyn | CNBC

It's "inevitable" that competitive video gaming, also known as esports, will someday be part of the Olympics, President and CEO Bracken Darrell told CNBC on Tuesday. Darrell, whose company makes computer and mobile phone accessories and has begun to , told Cramer that Logitech met with the International Olympic Committee two weeks ago. Held in Lausanne, Switzerland, where Logitech is headquartered, the meeting revolved around "how and when" esports should come to the Olympics, Darrell said. "I think it's inevitable. I think it will be part of the Olympics," Darrell said on Tuesday. To watch and read more about his interview, click here.

Off the charts: Rally of the retailers?

A worker sets up a display in a Walmart Super Center in Compton, California. Mike Blake | Reuters

Much of the stock market seems to agree that in the e-commerce industry, there can only be one winner, and that that winner will undoubtedly be . But for Cramer, the truth "is a little more complicated," he said Tuesday. "In reality, online shopping is still a rapidly growing category with room for more than one player." Big-box chains like and have realized that, he said. Both companies have upped their and in the process, leading to the rise of "buy online, pick up in store," fondly known in the industry as BOPUS. So, to see whether these "old-school retailers" can really start taking digital market share, Cramer enlisted the help of technician Tim Collins, his colleague at RealMoney.com. Get Collins' analysis  and a bonus take from legendary technician Larry Williams  here.

Hospital stocks: Healthy again?

Headquarters of Hospital Corporation of America, one of the nation's largest hospital operators, in Nashville, Tenn. Getty Images

Not long ago, hospital stocks like HCA Healthcare Inc. fell out of favor with investors amid the Trump administration's push to dismantle Obamacare and news of the health-care venture between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan's chieftains. But lately, most of the group has been rallying, with the exception of Tenet, which slid nearly 16 percent after its Tuesday earnings report. But for Cramer, Tenet's issue was company-specific, and the rest of the group was worth inspecting. "Clearly, the hospital space is sexier than most of us thought," he said, pointing to HCA as the best stock in the group. He attributed HCA's outperformance to a few factors: "you've got an improving economy that makes patients feel more comfortable about going to the hospital when they get hurt, and at the same time, HCA's got a terrific geographic footprint in many fast-growing cities, as I mentioned, especially down South, where the economy  is just booming." And even after its run, HCA's stock still looked cheap to Cramer, trading at 13 times next year's earnings estimates despite its strong balance sheet. His conclusion on the space? "Judging by the way Tenet imploded today, you need to stay selective, which is why I want you to stick with best-of-breed HCA Healthcare," Cramer said. "If you want exposure to the health care sector, this one is a must-own."

Apple's Achilles heel

Finally, Cramer revisited the warning China's state media issued about Apple's position as a potential "bargaining chip" in the U.S.-China trade war. Earlier on Tuesday, Cramer said he wasn't convinced that China would boycott Apple. But on "Mad Money," he changed his tune. "I'd argue it's the Achilles heel for Apple, hence today's $1.96 decline on a really up day," he said. "Look, I'm glad President Trump is standing up to China to put a stop to their unfair trade practices. But as someone who believes that Apple's been a model Chinese citizen, it's a real shame that this great company's become a bargaining chip in the trade war."

Lightning round: At a loss for catalysts?
CVS' MinuteClinics are going virtual.

The drugstore chain plans to make video visits available nationwide by the end of the year through a partnership with Teladoc Health, CVS' latest pivot away from retail and toward health-care services. CVS already offers virtual appointments, branded as MinuteClinic Video Visits, in nine states and the District of Columbia.

MinuteClinics treat people with minor illness and injuries like coughs and rashes. These walk-in locations are a way to keep customers coming into CVS' stores as more shoppers buy everyday items on Amazon. Making it possible to visit a MinuteClinic without actually walking into one may hamper that, but it could help CVS reach more people.

With virtual visits, known in the industry as telehealth or telemedicine, CVS can reach people who may not be able to visit one of its roughly 1,100 locations. MinuteClinics are a key part of CVS' $69 billion acquisition of health insurer Aetna.

"At CVS Health, we're committed to delivering high-quality care when and where our patients need it and at prices they can afford," CVS Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Troyen Brennan said in a statement. "Through this new telehealth offering, patients now have an additional option for seeking care that is even more convenient for them."

People seeking virtual care can access it through the CVS Pharmacy app. They'll be connected with one of Teladoc's providers rather than a MinuteClinic. CVS says patients will receive the same level of care because providers are expected to assess and treat patients based on its guidelines.

Visits will cost $59, less expensive than most services offered in stores, according to a list of prices. They cannot initially be covered under insurance, though CVS said that will change in coming months.

The nationwide rollout comes after four years of experimentation. CVS first tested telehealth with pilots in California and Texas in 2014. It started tests with Teladoc, American Well and Doctor on Demand the following year.

Rival Walgreens unveiled a telehealth platform last month called "Find Care Now." It connects people with providers offering virtual visits, including nearby hospital systems and urgent care centers. The cost varies by provider and service, though a video chat with a doctor through NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital starts at $99, according to Walgreens' website.

The drugstore chains are searching for ways to connect with consumers as they brace for Amazon's entry into the space. After nearly a year of speculation, Amazon entered the pharmacy industry this summer with its $1 billion acquisition of PillPack.

Walgreens CEO Stefano Pessina brushed off concerns, telling Wall Street analysts immediately after the announcement that he's "not particularly worried" it. CVS CEO Larry Merlo addressed the "competitive landscape" Wednesday during a conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss the company's second-quarter financial results.

"Online and mail order pharmacy has existed for many years ,and CVS Health dispenses millions of scripts this way for patients each and every week," Merlo said. "But our delivery model goes well beyond that foundation in ways that are very hard to build or replicate."
This post was written by Bryant Best, Program Associate for the Council of Chief State School Officers. Follow him on Twitter at educator_x .

Students take different paths to their future college and career choices, and its important for their learning environments in K-12 to prepare them for the future. State leaders see their efforts to promote student-centered learning environments as a key strategy to increase student and family engagement in the learning process, ensure students receive timely and targeted support to master standards and essential competencies, and encourage students to pursue pathways that prepare them for their college and career plans.

CCSSOs Innovation Lab Network is designed to help state education agencies identify, support, and scale deeper learning efforts across the United States. Our member states, 15 in total, serve a diverse set of student demographics and operate in a variety of sociopolitical contexts. But one thing that ties them together is their commitment to leveraging policy, research, and evidence-based practices to make public education more equitable.

I had the chance to catch up recently with Vermont Agency of Education Deputy Secretary Amy Fowler and Vermonts Personalized Learning Coordinator, Sigrid Olson. The state has spent this past year participating in the ILNs Whole Child  peer learning community, which gives states the opportunity to share successes, challenges, and best practices related to whole child approaches, personalized learning, and social and emotional learning (SEL). During our conversation, we discussed the states vision for these policies and practices, how they came to define them, and what they see as the next big steps for public education in Vermont.

Q: What is it about participation in the ILN that your state leaders appreciate or find valuable?

Fowler: Honestly, it would be foolish for us not to participate in the ILN. Our engagement in the four ILN peer learning communities offers us critical opportunities to connect with experts and other states in a way that we would not have been able to do on our own, at least not as quickly as the pace of innovation demands. As a result, we can provide better service to our states students, educators, teachers--all stakeholders, really--because of the way the ILN challenges our thinking and allows us to better articulate our goals.

Q: Talk to me about your states work in the Whole Child peer learning community. That community is dedicated to integrating personalized learning, SEL, and whole child efforts into one coherent system of learning support. How would you describe that integration process in your state?

Olson: As far as whole child approaches go, we believe that they are captured really well in our states Education Quality Standards (EQS). We consider Vermonts EQS to be very student-centered because of its holistic focus. It covers just about everything--academic content, school climate, staffing, and even financial allocations. Our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) offers a framework that addresses the needs of the whole child. This includes academics, behavior, and social emotional learning. Vermonts view of personalized learning contains five key attributes . Three of those attributes, personal relationships, student agency, and learner profiles, are all heavily integrated with and dependent upon SEL.

This work didnt take place overnight and our commitment to this work has been informed by our practitioners in the field; some schools in Vermont have been engaging in student-centered learning for many years. The Flexible Pathways Initiative , also referred to as Act 77, and EQS codified our ability to support this work statewide. Weve been very successful in establishing a strong community of stakeholders across the agency to inform Vermonts PLC. As a result, we have multiple perspectives to support the development of the whole child, and their social and emotional attributes, through a personalized learning system.

Q: You mentioned that you have established a group of stakeholders within your agency. Have you been able to get any support from district or school leaders across your state as well?

Fowler: Of course! This isnt a top-down approach; Vermont is a small state and collaboration with the field is essential. One of the original goals of the whole child PLC was to create a shared understanding of terms related to SEL and the whole child. In Vermont, we revised many of our terms through brainstorming and feedback sessions with educators around the state, including curriculum directors and pre-service teachers. These revised terms, created through this collaborative process, became our new personalized and proficiency-based learning glossaries. In addition, the long-terms goals of the PLC will be to expand our stakeholder group, align resources, and highlight the important work of SEL educators around the state.

The BEST/MTSS Summer Institute focuses on the behavior, social emotional, and academic needs of all students using a multi-tiered system of supports framework.

Q: Finally, what advice do you have for states looking to engage in this work?

Olson: First things first, get involved in the ILN! We will be attending their biannual convening next month in Denver, Colorado. It will be a great opportunity for us to connect with other states, share best practices, and witness some of the great work taking place in Denver Public Schools! Second, we suggest that any SEA that wants to engage in this work really take the time to craft a clear theory of action. Use that to pitch the work to potential stakeholders in your agency and across your state. The buy-in is the most important piece. If you get that, everything else will fall into place.

Photo Credit: Vermont Agency of Education
Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.
As Mattress Firm reportedly mulls filing for bankruptcy in order to get out of leases and shutter stores, online start-up Casper is planning to open 200 locations within the next three years across the U.S.

Casper opened its first permanent store, in New York, earlier this year. CEO Philip Krim told CNBC at the time that the retailer's goal was to learn from the store before growing. "We are very much in learning mode, testing different formats and understanding what the right setup is for our customers," he explained.

Casper's growth comes as a wave of e-commerce brands such as Bonobos, Warby Parker and Untuckit are bulking up their store fleets, where it's cheaper to acquire customers, on average, than online. For a company like Casper, stores also provide shoppers the opportunity to touch and feel products  in this case mattresses and sheets  before they buy.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the news Wednesday morning.

Casper has been testing temporary shops at shopping malls and within street-level retail across the U.S. Now, the 200 permanent locations will give the retailer a space to sell directly to consumers, while it also distributes through Target, Nordstrom and Amazon.

According to Krim, New York is Casper's top market, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta and Chicago. The company has declined to disclose revenue figures but is believed to generate more than $1,500 per square foot at its existing locations.

Following a fundraising round in 2017 that brought Casper's total funding to $240 million, Krim told CNBC he wouldn't count out going public, either.

Mattress Firm's biggest fault, according to retail analysts, is opening too many stores too quickly. With more and more shopping moving online today, it's important for retailers to run just as strong businesses online, which has been less of a focus for Mattress Firm.

When speaking to CNBC earlier this year, Krim said, "For better or for worse, buying a mattress is pretty terrible across the whole country. We see the opportunities in the market and we want to continue to play across the country ... with a diversified approach."

Casper also earlier this summer opened a "Sleep Shop" in New York, where you can take a 45-minute nap for $25.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at a meeting at Saadabad Palace in Tehran, Iran on January 23, 2016.

China has become the latest country to say it will ignore the United States and continue to conduct business with Iran.

U.S. sanctions against Iran came into effect Tuesday and President Donald Trump has warned that countries who trade with Tehran will not be able to do business with the U.S. Trump also said he will expand the punitive measures in the coming weeks to include tougher ones related to oil production.

Tweet 1

China has a growing relationship with Iran's energy industry and, according to a Reuters report Wednesday, has stated it will defend those business interests.

"China's commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable and fair, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions," a government statement said, adding that "China's lawful rights should be protected."

According to Reuters data, China buys around $15 billion worth of crude oil from Iran each year and is Tehran's top energy customer. Chinese state companies CNPC and Sinopec have also invested billions of dollars to develop oil fields in Iran.

Earlier Wednesday, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said his country would continue to buy gas from Iran.
The tanker Maria sails out of the Port of Corpus Christi after discharging crude oil at the Citgo refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The U.S. in the next five years will become an energy exporting powerhouse  rivaling Saudi Arabia in oil exports and growing into one of the world's largest gas exporters, regardless of its trade spat with China, analysts said.

China slapped tariffs on a range of oil products, liquid petroleum gas and coal, as well as threatened to tax U.S. liquified natural gas, a stinging rebuke since U.S. officials had pushed burgeoning U.S. energy exports as a way for China to trim its huge trade surplus.

China this year imported 20 percent of America's still small but growing crude oil exports, which totaled 1.76 million barrels a day through June, according to Citigroup analysts. It also bought 0.4 billion cubic feet a day of the 2.77 bcf/d liquefied natural gas, exported by the U.S. this year.

Crude oil futures fell sharply Wednesday amid concerns that Chinese demand for oil imports is slowing after the latest import data, and as it slapped a new round of tariffs on U.S. products. While its crude imports recovered slightly in July, imports had fallen in the previous two months and July's numbers were still among the lowest this year after a drop-off in demand by China's smaller independent refineries.

West Texas Intermediate futures lost 3.8 percent to $66.50 per barrel.

Chinese imports of crude for July were up slightly from June at about 8.48 million bpd, up from 8.18 million bpd a year ago, and June's 8.36 million bpd, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. China did not explicitly cite crude oil in its latest list of tariffs on $16 billion in goods, released Wednesday, but it listed a whole range of refined products and fuels, heavy oils and petrochemical products.

"One knee-jerk reaction that is almost certainly wrong is that China's rejection of US imports poses a significant challenge to US exports. Whether in the long- or short-run, China's potential imposition of tariffs or quotas on US exports is a tax on Chinese consumers rather than an obstacle to US exports," Citigroup energy analysts wrote.

Goldman Sachs analysts said Chinese imports of U.S. oil are down 70 percent in April through June, but they do not expect the tariffs to change the outlook for U.S. energy exports.

"Absent a major impact on global growth and hence energy demand, however, we believe that such tariffs are unlikely to derail the outlook for US energy exports with global markets, requiring more US exports in coming years," Goldman analysts wrote.

The decline in Chinese imports was not really a surprise. "Sinopec has pulled back from buying U.S. crude oil," said John Kilduff of Again Capital. He said a decline in purchases by China's biggest oil company has also already showed up in slightly lower U.S. weekly exports of crude.

But that should not impact U.S. exports, he said. "It's like a gold rush to do it. The oil we produce in the Permian can't all be used in the U.S. It has to go abroad."

China's snub of U.S. products has been having an impact on the market temporarily and even before some tariffs went into effect.

"Crude oil and LNG markets are facing similar problems as soybeans, almonds and corn, with short-term bearish impacts," the Citi analysts said. "As China Inc. turns away its rising wave of hydrocarbons imports from the US, prices are being hit. The dislocation is an inevitable result as Chinese buyers look elsewhere given uncertainties on pending 25% tariffs on imports from the US."

They point out that China is cutting off its LNG imports from the U.S. at the weakest time of year for LNG demand, unlike winter when demand can surpass available supplies by 6 to 8 bcf/d. China was expected to be a big buyer of U.S. LNG in the winter, and it has also become a major buyer of U.S. condensates and natural gas liquids, which are petrochemical feed stocks.

By 2020, Citi expects U.S. LNG exports to rise to around 9 bcf/d as available gas resources in the U.S. are also expected to increase. "By 2025, Citi expects the US to be a 100-mt [metric ton] exporter (13-bcf/d) along with Russia and Qatar, with pure market pricing and no destination restrictions, making it increasingly attractive regardless of Chinese trade policy. For oil, US exports could grow by ~1-m b/d annually for at least the next five years," the analysts wrote.

Growth of 1 million barrels a day in crude alone each year would put U.S. exports at about 6.8 million barrels a day, near the 7 million barrels a day exported by Saudi Arabia last year.

Saudi Arabia also exported 1.4 million barrels a day of crude products. The U.S. last week exported 1.9 million barrels a day of crude oil and more than 5 million barrels a day of oil-related products, including 1.2 million barrels a day of diesel fuel, according to the latest U.S. government data. Exports had been exceeding 2 million barrels a day in the weekly day recently.

Citigroup analysts say that the concern is that the dependability of U.S. supplies would be cast in doubt because of the tariff wars. "But so long as the US places no barriers on exports of its own, placing such barriers on exports by importing countries would be potentially self-defeating. This coming winter for example, China is likely to be short on both LNG and soybeans, two US commodities on which it has placed barriers," they note. "Would Beijing continue to tax its own citizens with a 25% (or any other level) tariff?"






Republican Rep. Chris Collins' arrest and indictment on insider trading charges Wednesday suddenly makes his safe red congressional district a lot more interesting in November's midterm elections.

The New York 27th District, lodged between Buffalo and Rochester in the western part of the state, has grown more Republican since Collins first won it narrowly in 2012. The area backed President Donald Trump by nearly 25 percentage points in 2016, while Collins breezed to re-election with about 67 percent of the vote.

The stain of the insider trading accusations quickly makes the district more competitive  although it still favors Republicans. Regardless, the GOP cannot afford another contested seat in the state as it fights to stop Democrats from winning the 23 Republican-held seats the party needs to take a House majority.

Nonpartisan election analysis sites Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball moved their ratings for the district to "likely" Republican from "solid" "safe" Republican, respectively, on Wednesday. A scandal can cause a 10- to 12-percentage-point swing and Collins' arrest is "perhaps on the more severe side," tweeted Nate Silver, data guru and editor in chief of analytics site FiveThirtyEight.

Silver tweet

Collins pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday. In an email to supporters earlier in the day, the representative said his "focus is to defeat these charges in court" and that he will "not address any issues related" to the accusations outside of the courtroom, according to New York Times reporter Shane Goldmacher. Collins stressed that he does not plan to abandon his re-election bid as of now.

"As I fight to clear my name, rest assured that I will continue to work hard for the people of the 27th Congressional District of New York while remaining on the ballot for reelection this November," he wrote.

Goldmacher tweet

Collins appears likely to stay on the ballot: relevant periods to give up a party nomination have passed, according to the New York State Board of Elections. The deadline for a special election under New York law has also passed.

Liberals seized on the news of Collins' arrest almost immediately. The New York Working Families Party started to raise money for the Democratic candidate in the race, Grand Island Town Supervisor Nate McMurray. The party said, "We can defeat this corrupt Trump Republican and win this seat in November." Collins was Trump's first supporter in Congress during the 2016 campaign.

Working Families tweet

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also contended that "this seat is firmly in play for Democrats."

On the other side of the aisle, the GOP indicated that it was taking the matter seriously. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called for a "prompt and thorough" investigation into the allegations and removed Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"Insider trading is a clear violation of the public trust," Ryan said in a statement.
Crude oil tanked on Wednesday as a wave of sanctions on Iran earlier in the week failed to give commodity prices the big boost traders were looking for.

If Iran keeps getting squeezed, it could mean a major disruption to global oil markets, says one expert.

"What I think we really want to be watching over the next couple of weeks is really what happens in terms of the Iranian response to the re-imposition of sanctions," Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNBC's "Futures Now" on Tuesday.

"Do we see the Iranians, for example, restart their nuclear program? Do we see more aggressive efforts to target ships in key waterways?" Croft continued.

U.S. officials said this week that the renewed sanctions would have a significant impact on the Iranian economy. However, Croft notes that the Iranian government shows little signs of backing down. Iran President Hassan Rouhani previously threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transport artery, if the U.S. intervened in the nation's exports.

The sanctions that came back into effect this week were not on Iranian oil, Croft is quick to remind traders. They were instead on transactions of items such as precious metals and automobiles and the issuance of sovereign debt.

Commodity markets have yet to see the impact of those sanctions on oil prices, says Croft.

"We're not really seeing the effects yet of the sanctions policies on energy so I think we're really going to get that test come September, October, November when foreign refineries are either going to have to make drastic reductions on Iranian imports or go to zero in order to avoid U.S. sanctions," said Croft.

The U.S. is set to reimpose sanctions on Iranian oil on Nov. 4, according to RBC, a move that could take more than 1 million barrels of Iranian oil off global markets by the end of March.

Until then, Saudi Arabia is playing a tricky game of tightrope keeping oil prices and global supplies at an equilibrium.

"The Saudis have to balance the desire to help out President [Donald] Trump in terms of putting additional barrels on the market while really having a floor for oil prices," said Croft. "The Saudis are waiting to see how fast the Iranian barrels roll off and how many additional do they need to put on the market to fill the gap."

West Texas Intermediate crude declined more than 3 percent on Wednesday, falling below $67 a barrel. It has not traded above $70 this month.
European stocks closed mixed on Wednesday as investors kept a close eye on corporate earnings and trade tension.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended trade 0.2 percent lower on Tuesday. While the French and German bourses closed below the flat line, the U.K. FTSE was up 0.7 percent.

Autos and technology were the two top performing sectors, both finishing up by around half a percent.

Meanwhile, healthcare stocks were the worst performing in Europe, dragged down by H. Lundbeck. The Danish pharmaceutical company foundered at the bottom of the Stoxx 600, closing over 14 percent lower. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk ended trade down by almost 6 percent after posting lower-than-expected second-quarter sales.

Looking at individual stocks, Germany's Lanxess topped the European benchmark. The chemicals company traded up by approximately 5.5 percent throughout the afternoon following news that it is selling its 50 percent stake in rubber-maker Arlanxeo to Saudi Aramco in a cash deal worth 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion).

Dutch lender ABN AMRO closed 3.5 percent higher after reporting stronger-than-expected profits for the second quarter of the year. Meanwhile tire maker Nokian Renkaat ended the day 3.4 percent higher after reporting results that beat analysts' forecasts.

At the other end of the spectrum, Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize finished 1.6 percent in the red after reporting a decline in second-quarter sales.
Twenty-First Century Fox has triggered a 46 day deadline to raise its bid for Sky in a battle with Comcast for control of the British pay-TV group.

Under British takeover rules, Rupert Murdoch's Fox now has until Sept. 22 to trump Comcast's 14.75 pound per share offer for Sky, which values the broadcaster 25.9 billion pounds ($33 billion), after it formalized its own 14 pounds per share bid.

Comcast gatecrashed Fox's attempt to buy the 61 percent of Sky that it does not already own earlier this year and the U.S. cable giant's latest, higher offer, which it submitted in July, has been recommended to shareholders by the broadcaster's independent directors.

Fox posted its formal offer document, without improving its price, on Tuesday, setting in motion a timetable to end the uncertainty over Sky's future by triggering a 46-day period during which both Fox and Comcast can lift their offers.

If the situation is not resolved by then, Britain's Takeover Panel can run an auction to bring the complex and long-winded transatlantic takeover battle for Sky to an end.

However, Fox may opt to walk away from the Sky deal rather than taking on Comcast, people familiar with the matter said.

Sky shares were up 1 percent at 15.355 pounds on Wednesday, signaling that investors expect the bidding war to continue.

In the document, Fox said it was switching from a scheme of arrangement to an offer. That means it can choose to lower its acceptance threshold from 75 percent of Sky's minority shareholders to a simple majority of all the broadcaster's shares, including its own 39 percent stake.

"Flipping to an offer affords Fox more flexibility should they wish to come back with a higher number," analysts at Olivetree Financial said. "A scheme is cumbersome as you would constantly need to co-ordinate your actions and intentions with the Sky board."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and China's President Xi Jinping are pictured during a press statement at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany on July 5, 2017.



Germany is to increase its powers to block foreign investments by significantly lowering the threshold for deals that can be subject to ministerial veto, in a further sign of growing protectionist sentiment towards Chinese acquisitions.

Berlin can veto deals that involve the purchase of at least 25 percent of the equity of a German company by an entity from outside the EU, and only if they endanger public order or national security. Ministers now want to reduce that threshold to 15 per cent.

Peter Altmaier, economics minister, told the newspaper Die Welt that the threshold would be lowered "so that we can check more acquisitions in sensitive sectors of the economy". Die Welt said the new bill could come into force this year.

"We want to be able to take a much closer look at companies in the defense sector and in critical infrastructures, and certain other civilian technologies that are relevant to security, such as IT-security," Mr. Altmaier said.

Germany is increasingly intervening to stop Chinese investments, particularly in companies operating in critical infrastructure, amid fears that some of its most advanced technology is ending up in Chinese hands.

Last month, the government directed state development bank KfW to take a 20 percent stake in 50Hertz, a high-voltage power network operator, to pre-empt the stake's acquisition by a Chinese state investor.

Last week a Chinese company, Yantai Taihai, withdrew its bid for Leifeld Metal Spinning, a small German machine tool manufacturer that specializes in materials for the aerospace and nuclear industries, after the government moved to block the deal. It would have been the first use of Germany's foreign investment law to veto a mergers and acquisitions transaction.

Germany's tougher stance is part of a global backlash against Chinese takeovers. President Donald Trump is expected to sign into law measures to expand the powers of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (Cfius), an inter-agency panel that reviews foreign investments for national security threats. Meanwhile the UK recently unveiled a 120-page policy to enhance government powers to prevent foreign purchases of security-sensitive British assets.

China has also hit back. Its recent move to scupper a $44bn bid by chipmaker Qualcomm for a Dutch rival was seen by many experts as retaliation for a string of decisions by Cfius to reject Chinese acquisitions of US companies.

Protectionist sentiment has been growing in Germany since the 4.5bn acquisition of Kuka, a leading industrial robotics company, by Chinese appliance maker Midea in 2016.

Germany's wariness about Chinese investment has increased since the emergence of Made in China 2025, President Xi Jinping's 10-year plan to transform the country from a low-cost manufacturer into a high-tech power dominant in 10 advanced industries.

"They have made clear they will pursue that goal with every means available," says Mikko Huotari, deputy director of Merics, a think-tank focused on Asia.

Germany's main business lobby, the BDI, gave a cautious response to the proposed change to the law. "Germany is reliant on its open investment climate," said Joachim Lang, the group's managing director.

He said capital was increasingly coming from dynamic emerging markets and "a smart economic policy must take care to ensure that Germany remains attractive for investors". Nearly 3m workers in Germany are employed at companies that are owned by foreigners, he added.

Mr. Lang said the lower threshold must "be focused strictly on protecting national security".

This is the second time in little more than a year that Germany has tightened its foreign investment law to expand its ability to block deals deemed to endanger national security.

Last year the law was broadened to apply to all companies operating in "critical infrastructure" such as energy and water supply networks, electronic payments, hospitals and transport systems. It also gave the government longer to investigate takeovers, expanding the timeframe for such probes from two to four months.

The new version of the law will also cover companies involved in the interception of telecoms, cloud-computing services, control systems for power plants and power networks, the provision of drinking water or sewage disposal, systems for cash supply and credit cards and the settlement of securities transactions, among other sectors.

"Of course we want companies to continue to invest in Germany," Mr. Altmaier said. "But we also have a duty to protect the interests of security and public order."

More from the Financial Times:

Berlin poised to veto Chinese pursuit of German engineer

Tighter rules on foreign investment have China in their sights

China plans tighter controls on foreign acquisitions
On Tuesday night Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic nomination in Michigan's 13th Congressional District, clearing the path for her to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress, according to the Associated Press.

There are no Republican or third-party challengers in the race, and so Tlaib will run unopposed in November and begin her two-year term in January. She is expected to replace long time Rep. John Conyers, 89, who stepped down in December due to health reasons and amid sexual harassment allegations.

"I want people across the country to know that you don't need to sell out," The New York Times reports the 42-year-old saying early Wednesday morning. "You don't have to change who you are to run for office  and that is what this country is about."

Tlaib first made history in 2008 when she was elected State Representative and became the first Muslim woman to hold this position. From 2009 to 2014, she served in the Michigan House and helped to secure millions of dollars for free health clinics, Meals on Wheels programs for seniors and before and after school education funding, according to her campaign website.
Firefighting crews in California took advantage of mild temperatures early on Wednesday to make progress in their battle to contain California's largest ever wildfire which has swelled to almost the size of Los Angeles.

Some 4,000 firefighters fought to prevent the Mendocino Complex from reaching communities like Nice, Lucerne, and Clearlake Oaks at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The Mendocino Complex is one of 17 major fires burning in California which, fanned by hot, windy conditions, have killed seven people, destroyed over 1,500 structures and displaced tens of thousands of people in the past month.

Some 4,000 firefighters fought to prevent the Mendocino Complex from reaching communities like Nice, Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The Mendocino Complex is one of 17 major fires burning in California which, fanned by hot, windy conditions, have killed seven people, destroyed over 1,500 structures and displaced tens of thousands of people in the past month.

In the last couple of days, President Donald Trump said California was letting water run into the ocean instead of using it to fight blazes and blamed California's environmental policies for worsening the fires.

The comments baffled California firefighters, who said they had more than enough water to douse the flames.

Climate change is widely blamed for higher temperatures that have fueled wildfires in California, and as far afield as Portugal, Sweden and Siberia.

The fires are on track to be the most destructive in a decade, prompting Governor Jerry Brown and Republican leaders such as state Senator Ted Gaines to call for thinning and controlled burns of forests to reduce fire danger - moves opposed by environmentalists who say they kill wildlife.
Southwest Airlines could be next on Warren Buffett's shopping list, according to Morgan Stanley.

"Investors have flirted with a BRK-LUV combination for some time. Our screen for potential airline acquisitions by BRK suggests LUV would be a good strategic fit," Morgan Stanley analysts Kai Pan and Rajeev Lalwani said in a joint note entitled "Should BRK Show More LUV?" Tuesday. "We have no knowledge of any M&A discussions and the airlines have not commented. That said, our screen of potential airline acquisitions by Berkshire suggests Southwest could fit well into Berkshire's family given its acquisition criteria, ownership of capital-intensive businesses, and deployable $100b+ cash balance."

Southwest shares closed up 1.3 percent Wednesday after the report.

The analysts cited Buffett's acquisition criteria of large size, "consistent earnings power," not much debt, good current management, "simple" business model and attractive price.

"Berkshire focuses on quality of business and management in acquisition, which could make for an obvious pairing [with Southwest]," they said. "While we recognize that other factors could come under consideration, our screen suggests Southwest as a hypothetical candidate for a more permanent relationship with Berkshire."

Berkshire Hathaway already has a large stake of around $2.8 billion in Southwest Airlines, according to FactSet using the latest March 13F filing holdings data. Buffett's company also owns positions in Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Continental.

The analysts noted Southwest is similar to Berkshire's insurance company GEICO as an industry leader with "significant competitive advantage" and low cost structure.

They said Berkshire could bid $70 to $80 per share for Southwest, citing historical market premiums the company has paid for its acquisitions. The midpoint of that price range represents 29 percent upside to Tuesday's stock price close.

Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating and $67 price target for Southwest shares.

Southwest Airlines declined to comment. Berkshire Hathaway did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shares of Mylan, the maker of the EpiPen, dropped on Wednesday morning after the company reported second-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street estimates on both profit and revenue as sales in North America fell 22 percent from the previous year.

The pharmaceutical company also warned investors that it will generate less revenue for the year than previously expected.

The stock fell as much as 9 percent in early morning trading before rebounding in the afternoon. Shares ended up closing up 1.8 percent to $39.23 per share.

The company said it earned $1.07 a share during the three months ended June 30, below the average estimate of $1.22 a share, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. It generated $2.81 billion in revenue while the market expected $2.96 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

Mylan said decreased net sales in North America took a bite out of its revenue. Sales on the continent fell 22 percent to $1 billion during the quarter from $1.29 billion during the same time frame last year. CEO Heather Bresch blamed changes in the U.S. health care industry for the drop.

"Our Europe and 'rest of world' segments continue to deliver growth in line with our expectations," Bresch said. "However, our efforts to serve patients in the U.S. have been shaped by the industry's transformation there and our results and guidance for 2018 are directly correlated with the ongoing rebasing of the U.S. healthcare environment."

Mylan expects full-year revenue of between $11.25 billion and $12.25 billion, cutting its previous expectations of $11.75 billion to $13.25 billion. The company expects 2018 earnings-per-share of $4.55 to $4.90, slashing prior estimates of $5.20 to $5.60 per share.

The company said its board of directors plans to evaluate a wide range of alternatives to deal with decreased sales.

The drugmaker faced criticism after raising the price of its EpiPen, a lifesaving injection device, nearly 400 percent between 2010 and 2016. The Food and Drug Administration said last week that there's a shortage of the devices that started in May of this year.
Ohio's closely watched 12th District special election was too close to call Tuesday night as Republican Troy Balderson held a razor-thin edge over Democrat Danny O'Connor for a seat the GOP has held for more than three decades, according to NBC News.

Republicans declared victory Tuesday night with all precincts on the outskirts of Columbus and the surrounding areas in the district reporting. But, with fewer than 1,800 votes separating the candidates and more than 3,400 provisional ballots still to be counted, NBC has not yet called the race. A margin of 0.5 percent or less triggers a mandatory recount in Ohio.

Regardless of the final result, Democrats will take positives away from the race. Balderson was leading by only a percentage point after President Donald Trump carried the district by about 11 percentage points in 2016.

Balderson, a 56-year-old state senator, faced a strong challenge from 31-year-old Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor for the district. The Democrat tried to use a centrist brand and emphasized health care and social safety net programs to win over independents and Republicans wary of Trump.

The Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and Trump all declared victory for Balderson on Tuesday night. Trump quickly claimed credit  though the president's rally for the GOP candidate is only one of numerous factors that affected the race's outcome.

Trump tweet

In a statement Tuesday night, O'Connor did not concede. He said that, "while we don't know the results quite yet, I know that this campaign left it all out on the field."

The result is hardly assuring for Republicans, as dozens of GOP-held House seats that Democrats aim to win in November have less of a Republican tilt than Ohio's 12th District. Democrats need to flip 23 Republican-held House districts to take a House majority.

The Ohio race "reinforces our view that Dems are substantial favorites to retake the House in November," tweeted Dave Wasserman, the U.S. House editor for the nonpartisan election analysis site Cook Political Report.

If he wins, Balderson would serve into January to fill the remainder of former GOP Rep. Pat Tiberi's term. The representative stepped down earlier this year. Balderson and O'Connor will face off again in November to determine who goes to Washington in the next Congress.

Democrats will come away "disappointed but energized" for the rematch based on Tuesday's result, said Paul Beck, a professor emeritus of political science at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Balderson ran mostly as a traditional Republican, supporting the GOP tax plan and pushing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. He supported most of Trump's policy priorities, including the president's proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But he also tried to stop O'Connor's ascent by courting GOP voters who do not like Trump. Part of that strategy included highlighting an endorsement from Ohio Gov. John Kasich, one of the president's most vocal Republican critics.

The House GOP-linked Congressional Leadership Fund highlighted the governor's support for the Republican candidate as part of a more than $2 million ad buy in the state. Balderson said the endorsement showed his campaign had "unified the Republican Party."

O'Connor's campaign both outraised and outspent Balderson's. The Republican, meanwhile, received a boost from national GOP groups who piled millions of dollars into the race.

Outside organization spending led by the CLF and National Republican Congressional Committee spent about $3.7 million opposing O'Connor and $2.4 million backing Balderson, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Only about $300,000 was spent supporting O'Connor, while roughly $900,000 went toward opposing Balderson.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards drive a speedboat in front of an oil tanker at the port of Bandar Abbas.

President Donald Trump's administration is in no position to reduce Iran's oil sector to zero, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was cited as saying by a local newspaper on Wednesday.

U.S. officials have urged allies around the world to cut all oil purchases from the world's fifth-largest crude producer to zero by November. The State Department also warned firms that continue to do business with Tehran could risk punishment.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration re-imposed some economic sanctions against Iran earlier this week, with tougher sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports set to begin later this year.

"If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know the consequences They can't think that Iran won't export oil and others will export," Zarif was quoted as saying Wednesday, without specifying what consequences the U.S. could face.

"The Americans have assembled a war room against Iran We can't get drawn into a confrontation with America by falling into this war room trap and playing on a battlefield," he added.
It may be a while before the Securities and Exchange Commission approves a bitcoin exchange-traded fund, but cryptocurrency hedge-fund manager Dan Morehead says investors are overreacting to the news of a delay.

"I still think it will be quite a long time until an ETF is approved. The last asset class to be approved for ETF certification was copper, and copper has been on earth for 10,000 years," the Pantera Capital CEO said Wednesday on CNBC's "Fast Money."

"The main thing to remember is that bitcoin is very early-stage venture, but has real-time price feed  and that's a unique thing. People get excited about the price and overreact," he said.

Bitcoin fell sharply on Wednesday after the SEC delayed a decision on a proposed bitcoin ETF, which would have been the first of its kind. The move follows the SEC's decision last month to reject a second attempt by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of crypto exchange Gemini, to list shares of their own ETF.

The SEC has also rejected several other attempts to trade bitcoin ETFs, citing concerns about fraud and manipulation of bitcoin.

"The ETF rejection is the same story we've had for five years," Morehead said. "The SEC has been very cautious with an ETF."

Morehead said that instead of panicking over the ETF news, investors should feel optimistic about Bakkt, the Intercontinental Exchange's cryptocurrency project with partners Microsoft and Starbucks that was announced in early August.

"That's huge news," Morehead said. "That is going to be a very profound impact over the next five or 10 years for the markets, and, to my mind, that's what people should be focused on."

As for the tumbling price of bitcoin, Morehead pointed out that the cryptocurrency is still up about 82 percent year over year.

"It's all perspective," he said.

Bitcoin was last down 6.3 percent at $6,288.30, which still makes it about 82 percent higher year on year, according to Coindesk.
House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday booted Rep. Chris Collins, R-NY, from the House Energy and Commerce Committee pending the outcome of a probe of allegations of insider trading on a drug-company stock.

Ryan, R-Wisc., announced Collins' removal shortly before federal prosecutors in New York City were set to discuss an indictment against Collins, who was arrested earlier Wednesday on charges of insider trading and of lying to federal investigators in a bid to cover up his action.

"While his guilt or innocence is a question for the courts to settle, the allegations against Rep. Collins demand a prompt and thorough investigation by the House Ethics Committee," Ryan said in a prepared statement.

"Insider trading is a clear violation of the public trust. Until this matter is settled, Rep. Collins will no longer be serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee."

Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a press conference that Collins, who is responsible for writing the nation's laws, "acted as if the law didn't apply to him."

Collins "placed his family and friends above the public good," Berman said.

Collins, 68, pleaded not guilty Wednesday during an appearance at federal court in Manhattan, where a judge ordered him released on $500,000 bond, and told him to come back for a hearing in the case on Oct. 11.

An indictment unsealed Wednesday accuses Collins of disclosing in June 2017 non-public information about the stock of Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics, on which Collins served as a board member, to his son, Cameron Collins.
Primary and special election results across five states Tuesday raised concerns about the prospect of Republicans holding their House majority while setting the stage for some of the country's most important races for Senate and governor. The most closely watched contest took place in Ohio, where the 12th District special election was too close to call as Republicans declared victory for GOP state Sen. Troy Balderson. Democratic candidate Danny O'Connor mounted a strong challenge for a seat that Republicans have held for more than three decades in a district which President Donald Trump won by about 11 percentage points. The result made Democrats optimistic about their prospects in the roughly 60 GOP-held districts with a less Republican lean than Ohio's 12th District.

Elsewhere, voters in Missouri picked the nominees for one of the most competitive Senate races of the cycle, where Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill will fight for her political life in November. A divisive Trump ally was also locked into a tight GOP primary fight for the Kansas governor nomination. On Wednesday, nonpartisan elections analysis sites moved ratings for several GOP-held seats in states which held primaries Tuesday in favor of Democrats. Cook Political Report moved both Kansas' 2nd and 3rd Districts to "toss-up" from "lean" Republican, and shifted Washington's 3rd District to "lean" Republican from "likely" Republican. Cook tweet Sabato's Crystal Ball changed its ratings for Kansas' 3rd District to "toss-up" and Washington's 3rd District to "leans" Republican, as well. It also moved Michigan's 11th District to "leans" Democrat from "toss-up" and Washington's 5th District to "toss-up" from "leans" Republican. Kondik tweet Cook also moved Ohio's 12th District to "lean" Republican from "toss-up." Here are some of Tuesday's notable results:

Kansas

In the potentially competitive gubernatorial race in Kansas, Trump-backed Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer were deadlocked in the Republican primary on Wednesday morning as final votes were counted. In a dynamic familiar to this year's primary cycle, both candidates fought to be seen as the most loyal ally of the president. Kobach received Trump's endorsement just a day before the election and had a very small lead in a still undecided contest. Republican Party leaders worry that Kobach, a polarizing conservative who imitates the president's inflammatory style and takes a tough stance on immigration, would energize Democrats and undermine the GOP's prospects in the November general election. He served on the commission investigating the president's unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud, which Trump shut down at the start of the year. Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly won her party's gubernatorial primary. In Kansas's competitive 3rd House District, Sharice Davids was leading a still undecided Democratic primary. Brent Welder, a candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who cast himself as the more progressive option, was trailing. The winner will try to unseat GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder. In the state's 2nd District, which includes the capital city of Topeka and the liberal college city of Lawrence, GOP Rep. Lynn Jenkins retired, leaving Republicans without an incumbent in a district that could swing left. Paul Davis, a former lawmaker who failed to take the governor's seat in 2014, won the Democratic nomination. He will face Republican former Army officer Steve Watkins in the general election.

Michigan

Michigan Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer addresses the 37th United Auto Workers Constitutional Convention June14, 2018 at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. Bill Pugliano | Getty Images

Former Michigan state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer won the Democratic primary for governor Tuesday and will face Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette in the general election. Whitmer beat Abdul El-Sayed, a Sanders-backed newcomer who billed himself as the race's progressive option. Democrats aim to reclaim control in a state that the president only narrowly won in 2016. In the race for the Republican nomination for Senate, former combat veteran John James beat out Sandy Pensler, a financial executive, after receiving the president's endorsement late in the race. James will face Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, one of 10 Democrats running this year in a state Trump carried in 2016. An early poll of the potential general election matchup showed the incumbent with a comfortable edge over James.

Democrats pick former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib to run unopposed for the congressional seat that former Rep. John Conyers held for more than 50 years. Al Goldis | AP

Democrat Rashida Tlaib won a race to run unopposed for the deeply blue 13th Congressional District vacated by fellow Democrat John Conyers, putting her on track to become the first Muslim woman in Congress. Michigan voters also set the stage for two House races that should be competitive in November. Democratic former Defense Department official Elissa Slotkin will face off against Rep. Mike Bishop in the 8th District. In the 11th District  vacated by GOP Rep. Dave Trott's retirement  Democratic former Obama administration official Haley Stevens and Republican businesswoman Lena Epstein led their still undecided primary contests.

Missouri

In Missouri, Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley easily won his primary to face McCaskill in November. The result sets up what should be one of the most important  and nasty  Senate contests in 2018.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley John Sleezer | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

McCaskill, one of the most vulnerable members of the chamber, runs for re-election in a state Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points. The contest is among a handful that will determine whether Republicans can keep or expand their 51-49 seat majority in the Senate. Cori Bush, a first-time Democratic House candidate who tried to pull an upset reminiscent of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's triumph over high-ranking Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley, failed to overcome Rep. William Lacy Clay in Missouri's blue 1st District.

Ohio

The 12th District special election was too close to call as of Wednesday morning as Balderson led O'Connor by less than a percentage point. The Republican appeared to have an inside track to victory, pending the count of provisional ballots and a potential mandatory recount. Still, the nail-biting result in a district that the GOP last lost in 1980 is hardly assuring for the party. Read more about the Ohio race here.

Washington

In Washington state, voters picked their nominees in a couple pivotal House races. In the toss-up 8th District, Republican state Sen. Dino Rossi advanced to the general election in the state's top-two primary system. Democratic physician Kim Schrier had a slight edge over lawyer Jason Rittereiser for the second spot. Democrats also hope to mount a strong challenge to high-ranking Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in the state's 5th District. She advanced to the general election along with Democratic former state lawmaker and educator Lisa Brown, winning the primary by less than 1 percentage point. That margin led some observers to raise concerns about the Republican incumbent's ability to get re-elected. Correction: Josh Hawley is attorney general of Missouri. An earlier version misstated his title.

WATCH: Trump, CEOs and midterms
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018.

President Donald Trump sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin recently, emphasizing "the importance of further engagement in ... countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."

This was according to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who delivered the letter to Putin's administration during a visit to Russia this week. The letter comes less than a month after Trump's heavily criticized performance at a joint press conference with Putin in Helsinki.

RAND PAUL TWEET

The letter also came just days after both Russia and China stopped just short of admitting they intend to ignore the reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran that went into effect Monday, and to continue doing business with the country. Trump had threatened that "anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States."

TRUMP TWEET

The White House said the letter was Paul's idea, not Trump's. "At Senator Paul's request, President Trump provided a letter of introduction" to Putin, deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement Wednesday. "In the letter, the President mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin."

The White House did not respond to a specific question from CNBC about what the term "cultural exchanges" meant in this context.

But another one of the goals identified in the letter, increased "legislative dialogue," already appears to be underway. During the past month, eight Republican senators have traveled to Moscow and met with Russian officials and members of the Duma, Russia's parliament.

A group of seven GOP senators traveled to Moscow in early July, and upon their return, said they forcefully raised the issue of Russia's attack on the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as a host of other destabilizing activities the Kremlin has undertaken around the world.

Paul traveled alone, however. Like Trump, Paul takes a far more conciliatory stance toward Putin's government than do many U.S. intelligence agencies, legislators or cybersecurity experts.

In a statement Tuesday, Paul said he had invited a delegation of Russian legislators to Washington "to continue dialogue on vital issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and combating terrorism," and his invitation had been accepted.

Trump sent a similar invitation to Putin following the Helsinki summit, but plans for any such visit are still on hold.

In July, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians for allegedly hacking into the computers of Democratic campaigns and officials in 2016. Dozens more Russian government officials are also currently subject to U.S. sanctions stemming from Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

This story has been updated to include a statement issued by the White House.
On Tuesday night, Salesforce promoted Keith Block to be its co-CEO alongside co-founder Marc Benioff.

Block joined the company in late 2013 from Oracle, and under his tenure the company has approximately tripled its revenue and taken its stock price up about 250 percent. He's been the quieter behind-the-scenes leader, leaving Benioff to take public stands on social issues and poke at rivals. But insiders have given Block credit for whipping the company's sales initiatives into place, including a stronger focus on vertical markets.

The two men's roles will stay more or less the same as they are today: Block will lead "growth strategy, execution and operations," while Benioff will oversee "vision and innovation in areas including technology, marketing, stakeholder engagement and culture," according to the company's announcement.

So why the title change? In an interview from the company's annual management meeting in Hawaii, Block told CNBC that it was really about formalizing the relationship between the two as the company continues to grow fast and expand internationally.

"It is a company that is scaling like no other," Block said. "We're the fastest [software company] to $10 billion [in annual revenue], we're the fastest to $20 billion, and we're a global company now. This really is a natural extension of the relationship Marc and I have had over the last five years. He is a trusted advisor of mine, I am a trusted advisor of his."

International expansion is one of three growth areas, said Block. The other two are continuing to develop and improve vertical solutions for particular industries  "speaking the language of the customer has always been very very important"  and tighter work with the company's partners, which include both systems integrators (independent companies who stitch Salesforce services into broader solutions for enterprises) and software developers building products on top of Salesforce.

"All the top six systems integrators run their businesses on Salesforce, their fastest growing practices are Salesforce, they're really a natural extension of our company," Block said. Also important are independent software vendors, which are "betting their business by building products and solutions for customers on top of our platform."

Block did not say whether Salesforce will continue to do big acquisitions, like its $6.5 billion purchase of MuleSoft earlier this year, but said that the company's growth strategy is both "organic and inorganic" and that its M&A strategy is "very well thought-out, very strategic."

"At the end of the day, we do these [deals] because we listen to our customers and our customers drive our strategy," he said.

In other words, as long as customers are pointing out gaps in Salesforce's portfolio, the company will continue to fill those holes through internal development or with acquisitions.

Salesforce is expected to report earnings for its fiscal second quarter on August 29. The stock rose 0.7 percent on Wednesday.
An employee demonstrates the waterproof feature on the Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy S7 smartphone during a media event in Seoul, South Korea.

Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphones contain a microchip security flaw, uncovered earlier this year, that put tens of millions of devices at risk to hackers looking to spy on their users, researchers told Reuters.

The Galaxy 7 and other smartphones made by Samsung Electronics were previously thought to be immune to a security vulnerability known as Meltdown, which researchers said affected most of the world's PCs, smartphones and other computing devices.

Researchers from Austria's Graz Technical University told Reuters they have figured out a way to exploit the Meltdown vulnerability to attack Galaxy S7 handsets.

The team plans to release their findings on Wednesday at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. They are looking into Meltdown's impact on other makes and models of smartphones and expect to uncover more vulnerable devices in the near future, researcher Michael Schwarz told Reuters.

"There are potentially even more phones affected that we don't know about yet," he said. "There are potentially hundreds of million of phones out there that are affected by Meltdown and may not be patched because the vendors themselves do not know."

Samsung said it rolled out patches in January and July to protect Galaxy S7 handsets against Meltdown.

"Samsung takes security very seriously and our products and services are designed with security as a priority," the company said in a statement.

A Samsung spokeswoman did not comment on how many Galaxy S7 smartphones had been sold.

She said there were no reported cases where Meltdown had been exploited to attack an S7 handset and that no other Samsung phones were known to be vulnerable.

Meltdown, and a second vulnerability known as Spectre, can be exploited to reveal the contents of a computer device's central processing unit - designed to be a secure inner sanctum. Hackers can exploit those vulnerabilities by either bypassing hardware barriers or tricking applications into giving up secret information such as passwords or banking details.

There are no known cases of hackers exploiting either vulnerability in a real-world attack, but disclosure of the widespread hardware flaws has rocked the computer industry, forcing chipmakers and device manufacturers to scramble to contain the fallout.

The Galaxy S7 is currently used by some 30 million people, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Samsung has released two new versions of its flagship Galaxy line of smartphones since the S7 debuted in 2016.
Saudi Arabia's diplomatic spat with Canada looks set to escalate following a report that the Middle Eastern country has instructed its brokers to sell Canadian assets.

Anger between the two countries erupted last week when Canadian officials urged Riyadh to "immediately release" women's rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah.

Now the Financial Times has reported that the Saudi central bank and state pension funds have instructed third party asset managers to sell Canadian bonds, stocks and cash. The selling is said to have begun on Tuesday.

In a sign of its rage, Saudi Arabia has already expelled the Canadian ambassador, frozen trade and investment between Riyadh and Ottawa and halted flights to and from Canada.

Saudi rulers have also stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and are coordinating for the transfer of all Saudi patients currently receiving care in Canadian hospitals to be moved outside of the country.

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday that "Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women's rights are human rights."

But on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said there was nothing to mediate between the two countries and that Canada knew what it needed to do to "fix its big mistake."

So far, the United States has said only that it will not intervene between the two countries.

For more on the diplomatic row between Canada and Saudi Arabia, click here.
Saudi Arabia has stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of all Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals to hospitals outside the North American country, the Saudi Press Agency said early on Wednesday.

The agency cited Saudi Health Attache in the United States of America and Canada, Dr. Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi.

Saudi Arabia froze new trade and investment with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador early on Monday, in a stern gesture of retaliation after Ottawa urged it to free arrested civil society activists.

In her first public response to Saudi Arabia's actions, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said, "Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women's rights are human rights."

Riyadh, on Sunday, recalled its ambassador from Canada and gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave. The Saudi government also banned new trade with Canada, although it was unclear if it would affect existing annual Saudi-Canadian trade of nearly $4 billion and a $13 billion defense contract.
Saudi Arabia and Canada are currently locked in a diplomatic spat over human rights, with both countries refusing to back down despite a breakdown in future trade deals, suspended passenger flights and a flurry of other sanctions. The war of words between the two countries stems back to a series of tweets from Canada's Foreign Ministry last week, when Ottawa expressed concern over arrested civil society activists in Saudi Arabia.



Riyadh called the move a violation of its sovereignty and sought to impose a string of diplomatic sanctions against the North American country.

What prompted the dispute?

In a tweet posted Friday, Canadian officials urged Riyadh to "immediately release" women's rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah. Both campaigners were arrested in Saudi Arabia in late July, according to Human Rights Watch.



Tweet 1 Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry took exception to Canada's online plea, calling it a "grave and unacceptable violation of the kingdom's laws and procedures." Shortly afterwards, the Middle Eastern country announced punitive measures against Ottawa, including the expulsion of the Canadian ambassador. Tweet 2 Some analysts say Saudi Arabia's move to sever diplomatic ties with Canada could be seen as both a power play for the kingdom's relatively young leader and a sign it is no longer willing to quietly ignore Western demands for political liberalization. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently went on a global tour to promote economic reforms in the country and even championed the kingdom as the "next Europe," although global concerns about domestic human rights practices persist.

What happened next?

Saudi Arabia has placed a flurry of diplomatic sanctions against Canada. On Monday, the country recalled its ambassador to Canada for consultations and gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave the kingdom. The government also froze all new trade with Ottawa, ordered around 16,000 students in the North American country to either return home or complete their studies in another part of the world and canceled all direct flights to Toronto via its state airline. More recently, Saudi Arabia stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of all Saudi patients currently receiving care in Canadian hospitals to be moved outside of the country. And on Wednesday, the Saudi central bank and state pension funds ordered overseas asset managers to offload their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost," the Financial Times reported, citing two unnamed sources. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir threatened additional measures on Wednesday, telling reporters that mediation is not an option because the fault lies with Canada alone, Reuters reported.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland during news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31, 2018. Chris Wattie | Reuters

Despite the backlash, Canada doubled down over its push for Riyadh to immediately release arrested campaigners and activists. In her first public response to the dispute on Monday, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said: "Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world  and women's rights are human rights.

What is at stake?

Trade between Canada and Saudi Arabia came in at slightly over $4 billion last year, with a significant portion stemming from a controversial deal to sell combat vehicles with machine guns and cannons to the Saudis, The Globe and Mail reported. The arms deal, which received a critical stamp of approval from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in 2016, could now be under treat amid Saudi Arabia's imposed trade freeze. In terms of trade volume, Saudi Arabia is Canada's 17th largest trade partner  with oil, perhaps unsurprisingly, accounting for most of the Islamic kingdom's exports to Ottawa.

What has the response been around the world?

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and the Palestinian Authority have all stood by Saudi Arabia amid the country's spat with Canada, according to the kingdom's state media. Yet, the U.S.  traditionally one of Canada's most important friends  has stayed on the sidelines of the dispute thus far. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told a briefing Wednesday: "Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them; they need to resolve it together." Elsewhere, leading women's rights campaigner Manal-al-Sharif thanked Canada for "speaking up" on Monday, before questioning whether other global leaders would be prepared to follow suit. Tweet 3 Amnesty International also called on the broader international community to follow Canada's lead and speak out against human rights abuses. The campaign group specifically urged Western powers with influence over Saudi Arabia  such as the U.S., U.K. and France  to stand up for civil society activists. "The world cannot continue to look the other way as this relentless persecution of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia continues. It is now time for other governments to join Canada in increasing the pressure on Saudi Arabia to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally, and end the crackdown on freedom of expression in the country," Samah Hadid, Amnesty International's Middle East director of campaigns, said Monday.

WATCH: Meet Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince
As of Tuesday, the three biggest public social media companies have reported earnings for the latest quarter, and all three reported slowing or declining users on their respective platforms.

Snap reported a drop in daily active users on a quarter-over-quarter basis for the second quarter. Facebook reported a drop in monthly users on a quarter-over-quarter basis for European users, while North American users were flat. Twitter posted a small decline in monthly users on a quarter-over-quarter basis.

This sudden shift in user behavior may indicate that we've hit "peak social." As in, we've topped out on social media growth and there's no room to add new users. Facebook and Twitter cited the European Union's new privacy law, GDPR, as contributing to declines. Snap blamed its recent Snapchat redesign, which drew criticism from celebrities and millions of users. (Snap eventually redesigned its redesign.)

There's also emerging markets to consider. China has blocked its billions of mobile internet users from Facebook and other popular sites for years. Facebook hasn't quite given up on entering the Chinese market yet. But it's banking on "lite," or pared down, versions of its apps to saturate huge unaddressed markets like India, Nigeria and Indonesia.

The slowing growth  even if limited to North America  may also indicate that Facebook, with its suite of social apps, has tightened its grip on the space. The Silicon Valley giant said in July that 2.5 billion people use its family of apps each month.

Instagram's numbers are still strong. While Facebook doesn't break out specific numbers for the photo-sharing app, the company announced in June that it had reached 1 billion monthly active accounts. (That's accounts, not users, because a user can have multiple accounts.)

And WhatsApp, which is popular outside the U.S. as the go-to encrypted messaging service, is putting up Facebook core-level numbers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on the company's fourth-quarter earnings call in January that WhatsApp crossed 1.5 billion monthly users.

Executives haven't offered an updated count in recent quarters, but COO Sheryl Sandberg said on the most recent earnings call that WhatsApp status  just one feature of the larger app  draws 450 million users each day and surpasses daily users for Instagram Stories.

Anyway, here's a look at the charts. You can decide if we're in peak social.

Facebook is still on a nice upward trend for its monthly active users overall.
Sterling slumped to fresh lows on Wednesday with traders citing increased concerns that the U.K. might leave the EU without a formal trade agreement.

The U.K.'s currency fell to $1.286 during lunchtime trade in Europe, a level not seen since August of last year. Against the euro, sterling fell below 90 pence for the first time since November 15, 2017.

The currency has been particularly volatile on the back of the decision to leave the European Union. It is down about 13 percent since the referendum day on June 23, 2016. This volatility is unlikely to change in the near future. One strategist told CNBC Tuesday that sterling could sink or soar by as much as 10 percent at the start of next year depending on whether or not the U.K. reaches an agreement with the EU.

The U.K. is due to leave the EU on March 29, 2019; but negotiating teams are still hashing out the details of an accord that will allow them to keep frictionless trade. Doing so seems to be getting more technically and politically difficult by the day, with central bankers, politicians, and businesses claiming there is a growing chance a deal won't be found in time for the deadline.

"Sterling is selling off on the back of the impasse in on-going Brexit negotiations related the terms of future U.K.-EU trade in goods. Recent comments by U.K. Trade Minister Liam Fox that the risk of a hard Brexit is 60 percent seems to be the catalyst for the move," Kallum Pickering, U.K. economist at Berenberg told CNBC via email.

Prime Minister Theresa May was told Wednesday to come up with a "plan B" for Brexit during a meeting with the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The latter said that May's current plan "seems to be dead."

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney told the BBC last week that the there is an "uncomfortably high" chance that the U.K. and the EU will not reach an agreement.

Japanese bank Nomura announced Wednesday that it has begun telling clients that it will move some business from London to Germany to avoid any disruptions in the case of a no-deal.
Irish budget airline Ryanair will cancel 250 flights to and from Germany on Friday after German pilots announced they were joining Europe-wide strikes against the carrier's pay and conditions.

Around 400 Ryanair pilots in Germany will strike for 24 hours from Friday morning, affecting all Ryanair's outbound flights. The Vereinigung Cockpit union has apologized to affected travellers but blamed the airline's management.

Strikes planned for the day by Irish, Belgian and Swedish pilots had already taken out 146 of the airline's 2,400 scheduled flights across Europe.

Speaking at a press conference in Frankfurt on Wednesday, Ryanair's Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Jacobs said the German union should "remove the threat of an unjustified and unnecessary strike."

Jacobs said that German pilots enjoyed excellent working conditions and are paid up to 190,000 euros ($220,000) annually.

Ryanair only recognized trade unions for the first time in December 2017 and has been beset by industrial action.

Europe's largest low-cost carrier posted a record 1.45 billion euros ($1.7 billion) profit after tax in its financial year ending March 31. However, the firm has been pessimistic in its prospects for the near-term amid higher fuel costs and no fare growth.
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IN THE NEWS TODAY

STOCKS TO WATCH

Walt Disney (DIS) earned an adjusted $1.42 per share for its latest quarter, missing Street forecasts by eight cents, with revenue also falling short of estimates. Disney saw subscriber losses at its sports cable network ESPN, and also spent more on programming and technology. Papa John's Pizza (PZZA) fell five cents short of estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of 49 cents per share, with revenue also missing forecasts. Comparable store sales at the pizza chain fell 6.1 percent and the company also forecast a 7 to 10 percent drop in the current quarter amid negative publicity surrounding controversial comments made by founder John Schnatter. Wendy's (WEN) reported adjusted quarterly profit of 14 cents per share, two cents shy of estimates, though the restaurant chain's revenue did beat analyst projections. Same-store sales rose 1.9 percent, marking the 22nd consecutive quarter that Wendy's has posted a same-restaurant sales gain. Snap (SNAP) lost an adjusted 14 cents per share for its latest quarter, three cents less than Wall Street was anticipating. The Snapchat parent's revenue beat forecasts, even as its average daily user numbers fell. Separately, Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed took a $250 million stake in the company, representing about 2.3 percent of its outstanding shares. Cigna (CI) said it strongly disagrees with investor Carl Icahn's assertion that the insurance company's deal to acquire pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts (ESRX) is vastly overpriced. Cigna said Icahn's view did not reflect the interests of its shareholders and that the combination would create "tremendous" value. Avis Budget (CAR) matched Street forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of 57 cents per share, while revenue for the car rental company was essentially in line with estimates. However, Avis gave full-year revenue guidance that falls below analyst forecasts. Separately, Avis Budget added $250 million to its stock buyback plan.

WATERCOOLER
President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday called on special counsel Robert Mueller to conclude his probe "without further delay" shortly after responding to Mueller's latest proposal to have his investigators interview the president.

Giuliani rejected Mueller's terms, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. While Giuliani has not detailed his specific objections, Trump's attorneys do not want the president discussing possible obstruction, for fear that he may perjure himself, according to the newspaper's report.

Negotiations between the president and the special counsel have crept apace for eight months with little apparent progress, raising the specter that Mueller will seek a subpoena for Trump's testimony. Mueller threatened to subpoena the president in March, The Washington Post reported earlier this year.

Trump's attorneys have said they would take a subpoena fight to court, which could set the stage for a high-stakes legal battle between the special counsel and the president that would almost certainly end up at the Supreme Court.

"I think both sides have a big incentive to reach some sort of agreement in setting out the parameters of a voluntary interview," said Joseph Moreno, a former federal prosecutor and a partner at the law firm Cadwalader.

Moreno said that if it comes down to a subpoena fight, Mueller would likely win, but the process would prolong the investigation considerably. But it is a legal remedy he would likely pursue if given no other options.

"Bob Mueller is really tough, and he is not going to be boxed in whether it is by [limits on potential] questions or by time or any other ridiculous parameters," Moreno said.

If the president were forced to submit to an interview with Mueller's investigators, it would mark a precedent in American politics. Only Bill Clinton has received a subpoena while president, and he ultimately submitted to a voluntary interview.

Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow confirmed that his team had submitted a response to Mueller but declined to discuss specifics. Earlier Wednesday, Giuliani appeared on Sekulow's radio show and called for Mueller to end his probe before September, and said that his counter-proposal to Mueller was made in good faith.

"We do not want to run into the November elections," Giuliani said.

The special counsel has been tight-lipped as negotiations have dragged on. In contrast, Trump's team has provided prolific and conflicting reports to the media, leading some experts to worry that only one side of the story is being made public.

The special counsel declined a request for comment from CNBC.

 CNBC's Eamon Javers contributed to this report.
As farmers figure out how to absorb the shocks of global trade disputes, they're not taking out their frustration on President Donald Trump. Since May, Trump's approval rating among rural voters has remained intact or improved, according to Morning Consult polling data exclusive to CNBC. The plight of the American farmer has been well-documented as the White House pursues aggressive trade policies. Certain export markets in Canada, Mexico, Europe and China have dried up or become more expensive due to retaliation to Trump's aggressive moves. Prices for crops like soybeans have dropped, threatening profits as harvest approaches. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing to send $12 billion to soften the blow. But voters in states feeling the squeeze of the trade war still think highly of Trump. Brent Bible, managing partner of Indiana's Stillwater Farms, said farmers in his community have compartmentalized a fear for their business versus their overall support for the platform carried out by Trump.

"He might be failing in algebra, but he's getting an A in geography and a B in science," Bible said, analogizing various parts of the Trump agenda. "So the student overall is a B minus." "You don't forfeit your right to disagree, just because you're a supporter," Bible added. The overall support provides something of a safety net for Trump's "America First" agenda, as he studies brazen new tariff packages and plays hardball with trading partners. But, as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pointed out, harvest season, which runs August through October, may prove to be an inflection point for farmers. "Emotionally, they've been part of his base on trade, labor, regulation  those kinds of things," Perdue told CNBC. "They have those values that [Trump] espouses, but the financial reality hits when that crop's coming off."

Hard choices, stalwart support

The financial reality has caused many farmers to make tough business decisions already. Mike Beard runs Meadowlane Farms, a 2,000-acre property where he farms soybeans and corn and raises pigs in Frankfort, Indiana. He estimates he has already lost $15,000 this year due to the drop in corn prices. "The recovery for a $15,000 loss means that I won't buy one piece of equipment this year," Beard said. Despite the market impact, "I don't believe it's shaken my support [for Trump]. I supported the need for the change in how we do business with other countries." Eric Nelson, who grows grain and soybeans, raises cattle and sells seed in Moville, Iowa, said farmers may have to change their crop mix based on price outlook, but they won't be changing their political allegiances. "Sure it's worrisome for all of us; our livelihood depends on it," Nelson said of the uncertainty of the trade negotiations. "But to say that all trade has been great the last 20 years, the facts would belie that."

Approval for Trump has strengthened among rural voters in Iowa, Morning Consult survey data show, despite the slump in the price of soybeans, of which Iowa produces the most in the country. From January to May, 48 percent of self-identified rural voters approved of the job Trump was doing, which improved to 50 percent and 51 percent in June and July, respectively, as the trade war heated up. Indiana displayed a similar trend. Some 56 percent of rural voters approved of Trump between January and May; on July 22, that number stood at 60 percent. Of the 19 agriculture-heavy states surveyed by Morning Consult for CNBC, 11 showed Trump's approval rating rising during the sample period of Jan. 1 through July 22. In seven states, it remained stagnant. And in one, Idaho, it showed support eroding from 64 percent to 59 percent. The sample size included 197,923 self-identified rural voters. The margin of error for the national survey was plus or minus 1 percentage point, but it varies by state.

Rural voters, simmering over trade issues, still support Trump Stephanie Dhue | CNBC

Rough days ahead

For the time being, the trade landscape still looks somewhat cloudy. The White House will impose a new round of tariffs on $16 billion in Chinese goods Aug. 23. Meanwhile, administration officials acknowledge an agreement with Europe to create new export markets will take months, if not years, to implement. In the meantime, the Department of Agriculture will begin dispersing its $12 billion aid package around Sept. 4 to help recoup losses and stabilize markets. Most agricultural interest groups have supported the Trump administration's recognition that retaliation is hurting farm businesses but have pushed for longer-term clarity. Individual voters may speak out about trade at town halls and social media, but they are giving the White House time. "I'm a firm believer that, if you're in a bad deal with a trading partner, you owe it to yourself to step up and try to make it better for both parties," said Nelson, the Iowa farmer. "I think that is what this administration is attempting to do."

WATCH: Farmers don't want aid, they want open trading
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony following the talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 4, 2017.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.  America's top nuclear commander warned Tuesday that Russia and China are not "our friends" as Moscow and Beijing sprint to develop hypersonic weapons, a threat the United States currently cannot defend against.

"You can't call them [Russia and China] our friends if they're building weapons that can destroy the United States of America and, therefore, we have to develop the capability to respond," Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command said at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama.

Hyten added that the Pentagon has nearly a dozen programs tasked with developing and defending against the new breed of weapons.

"I always wish we started [working on hypersonics] five years ago or 10 years ago because then we wouldn't be worried ... but we didn't so we have to step up now, and we are," he said.

The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $928 million U.S. Air Force contract in April for an undefined number of hypersonic strike weapons. Per the multimillion-dollar contract, Lockheed will be responsible for designing, engineering, weapon integration and logistical support.

Read more: Russia and China are 'aggressively developing' hypersonic weapons  here's what they are and why the US can't defend against them

A hypersonic weapon is a missile that travels at Mach 5 or higher, which is at least five times faster than the speed of sound. That means a hypersonic weapon can travel about one mile per second.

Hyten's warning also comes as the U.S. is embroiled in an escalating trade conflict with China and as the national security community warns that Russia is continuing to attack America's elections.

Hyten, who has previously called Russia the "most significant threat" to the U.S., recently described a grim scenario for American forces facing off against hypersonic weapons earlier this year.
The Trump administration will punish Russia with sanctions for poisoning an ex-spy living in Britain with a chemical weapon, the State Department said Wednesday.

Russia's currency, which was already facing its worst day against the U.S. dollar since April, sank even further after the sanctions were announced. The dollar touched its highest level against the ruble since November 2016.

A senior State Department official said Russia, along with U.S. allies, was informed of the new sanctions on Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the sanctions will go into effect around Aug. 22:

"Following the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on August 6, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals. "Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly approved of the U.S.' official determination that Russia violated a decades-old international law in its use of the poisonous chemical weapon Novichok, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.

Skripal, a former Russian spy who became a double agent for the UK, fell into critical condition after being poisoned in Britain on March 4. His daughter Yulia, who was visiting him from Moscow, was also poisoned.

The U.S. would be willing to impose a second set of sanctions on Russia three months later, a senior State Department official said Wednesday, unless Russia can prove it has met certain criteria.

Those include no longer using chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law and allowing on-site inspections by the U.N., as well as providing other reliable assurances, the senior official said.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
Analysts have issues with three specific statements by Musk, but they acknowledge he is the company's chief executive officer and so they must take him seriously and begin to incorporate the possibility of going private into their models.

Wall Street analysts have serious doubts about Elon Musk's going-private proposal for Tesla, which was revealed in a shocking tweet out of left field by the electric car maker's CEO on Tuesday.

In the Tweet that started it all, Musk stated the takeout price at $420 and that funding was already secured.

Tweet Link

"Disclosing news of this nature via twitter is unprecedented and, according to a former [Securities and Exchange Commission] chairman, may constitute fraud if Tesla does not already have the financing lined up," wrote UBS analyst Colin Langan. "The deal would likely require participation from numerous banks and institutional investors, and we think it likely that news of the deal would have leaked had Tesla already held discussions to secure funding."

Langan, who has a sell rating on the stock, linked to comments by former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt.

"If his comments were issued for the purpose of moving the price of the stock, that could be manipulation, it could also be securities fraud," Pitt told CNBC on Tuesday.

A number of Wall Street banks contacted by CNBC were not aware of any deal and had not committed to funding a leveraged buyout of Tesla.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch gave Musk a little more credit but was still just guessing as to who could be funding the deal outside of the normal channels.

"Ultimately, we view today's announcement as having substance given what appears to be at least three potential sources of capital (existing shareholders, Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund, Chinese government and investment funds)," wrote Merrill's John Murphy, who nonetheless still has an underperform rating on the stock.

Tesla spokesmen said they would have no further comment about the funding beyond its blog post.

Six members of the Tesla board issued a statement on Wednesday that said, "Last week, Elon opened a discussion with the board about taking the company private. This included discussion as to how being private could better serve Tesla's long-term interests, and also addressed the funding for this to occur. The board has met several times over the last week and is taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this."
Cecilie Arcurs | Getty Images

If you thought the regulatory battle over requiring advisors to act in your best interest was over, think again. Tuesday was the final day for the public to comment on a Securities and Exchange Commission version of the rule to require investment advisors and broker-dealers to operate in the best interest of their clients. This regulatory effort is different from the Obama-era "fiduciary rule," which was promulgated by the Labor Department and killed by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in June. That regulation applied only to retirement accounts. It sought to ensure that advisors don't receive incentives for acting against your interest, and it required advisors to charge no more than reasonable compensation and avoid misleading statements. Meanwhile, the SEC's proposed rule would apply more broadly to advisors, broker-dealers and the investment recommendations they make. The SEC proposal is a long way from becoming reality: Once agency staff receives and reviews the public feedback  there are nearly 4,000 comments  it will provide a recommendation to SEC commissioners on how to proceed. "It's not going to happen overnight," said Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America. Here's what you should know about the proposal.

Regulation Best Interest

Tara Moore | Getty Images

The proposed rule, dubbed Regulation Best Interest, would require broker-dealers to act in the best interest of retail customers when recommending securities transactions. Firms would have to meet three obligations, according to the SEC. Disclosure: Broker-dealers must disclose key details of the client-broker relationship, including conflicts of interest. Diligence and care: Firms must exercise "reasonable diligence, care, skill and prudence" to understand the product they're recommending to clients. They must also have a reasonable basis to believe that this investment, as well as a series of recommended transactions, is in the investor's best interest. Conflict of interest: Broker-dealers must maintain and enforce policies and procedures to identify and disclose and mitigate  or eliminate  material conflicts of interest stemming from financial incentives. The SEC also proposed reaffirming the fiduciary duty that advisors owe to their clients.

Reactions

DragonImages | iStock | Getty Images

Further, the agency proposed releasing a new disclosure form that firms can use to detail the relationship investors have with their advisors, as well as new restrictions over who can use the term "advisor" or "adviser" with retail investors. Associations representing the financial services industry praised the proposed rule. "Reg BI recognizes that brokerage accounts are the right fit for many investors, where fee-based accounts are not," said Ira Hammerman, executive vice president and general counsel of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Consumer advocates, however, argue that the proposed rule did not go far enough to improve on existing regulations that already applies to broker-dealers and their brokers. They also say that the SEC hasn't defined "best interest" within the context of the rule's language. "Unfortunately, in its current form, the Commission's proposed Reg BI does not impose a fiduciary standard and further fails to define the contours of the 'best interest' standard," wrote David Certner, legislative counsel and legislative policy director for AARP, in an Aug. 7 letter to the SEC. "Absent a fiduciary standard, investors will continue to be vulnerable and will not receive the protections they need and deserve," he wrote. Consumer advocates also argue that the rule allows brokers and their firms to disclose their conflicts to customers, rather than eliminating them altogether. "Instead of taking this opportunity to make the standard live up to its billing, they have essentially adopted this guidance that enshrines their approach to enforcement, which is 'As long as you disclose it, you're good,'" said Roper of the Consumer Federation of America. "The regulation has to be dramatically improved to fully protect retail investors," said Andrew Stoltmann, an attorney and president of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association. His suggested updates to the regulation include the barring of additional compensation to advisors for selling investors certain investments and an explanation to investors as to why an advisor recommended a more costly product if cheaper options are available.

Prepare yourself
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RSAF celebrates turning 50 with biggest ever aerial display on NDP weekend

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is set to carry out the biggest aerial display in its history during Singapores National Day Parade to commemorate its Golden Jubilee.

The pair of AH-64D Apaches will add "different display segments" to the show. Photo courtesy: Facebook/@TheRsaf

For the first time, two attack helicopters will be participating in an aerial display over the waters off Marina South this National Day weekend, on August 11 and 12, performing a total of 10 synchronised manoeuvers.

The pair of AH-64D Apaches will add "different display segments" to the show, highlighting the capabilities of the RSAF as a collective whole, said chairman of the flying display committee Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Nick Wong.

The 30-minute air show put up by the RSAF to mark its 50th anniversary (RSAF50) is open to the public twice daily, at 10am and 2.30pm, at the Marina Barrage.

A total of 29 aircrafts will be participating in the show, including 25 RSAF assets  11 F-15SG and F-16s, five transport aircrafts like the C-130s, eight helicopters, including the two AH-64D apaches  and four Singapore Youth Flying Club D40 trainer aircrafts.

"This time we wanted to (achieve) a more impactful show. We wanted to stretch out the show. (Having) new display segments will demonstrate our RSAF's capabilities in working together as a team," said LTC Wong.

The aerial display will consist of three segments: The sequential flypast, the helicopter and fighter aerial display, and the finale bomb burst. Notably, the bombers will attempt to create a heart shape in the sky with their smoke trails during the show's finale.

The Heron 1 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will also make its debut at such low altitudes. The UAV, which was deployed during the Trump-Kim summit as part of security measures, usually flies at an altitude of around 15,000ft or higher.

Yesterday, the RSAF pilots put on a full rehearsal witnessed by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, alongside Senior Minister of State for Defence Maliki Osman and Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong.

Some 40,000 spectators are expected to turn up at the Marina Barrage over the weekend, according to Colonel Kevin Goh, chairman of the RSAF50@Marina Barrage Committee.

More than 2,600 participants, one of the largest ever turn-outs, will participate in this years NDP, organisers said.

Singaporeans are encouraged to tag their NDP 2018 social media posts with the hashtags #WeAreSingapore, #NDP2018 and #NDP18.
I revealed back in July that the Prime Minister intended to spend the summer pursuing a charm offensive in the hope of quelling widespread opposition to her Chequers plan. The opening stage, targeted at winning over Association chairmen and persuading them to act as ambassadors for the plan to their local members, was somewhat hit and miss.

Today the latest phase of Mays campaign landed on the doormats of Party members around the country: a three-page letter from the Prime Minister making the case for her change of plan. It is accompanied by a page of endorsement quotes from a mix of Cabinet ministers and other prominent Conservatives.

Ive enclosed the full text of the letter below for readers to peruse.

First, a few thoughts on its meaning and implications:

The leadership evidently realises the situation it created for itself, but is struggling to catch up with it. May is at pains to say that she appreciates there is a problem  I know that some people are concerned I am well aware of the strong feelings members of our Party have. But this is August. It is over a month since the Chequers summit, which somehow Downing Street appears not to have expected to produce any discontent, and the Prime Minister is still having to work to explain what she is doing and why to her own Party members, still less to the wider electorate. When youre reduced to having to write to them all in the hope of persuading them that your scheme is in no sense a concession to [the EUs] demands, it isnt going well.

May is at pains to say that she appreciates there is a problem  I know that some people are concerned I am well aware of the strong feelings members of our Party have. But this is August. It is over a month since the Chequers summit, which somehow Downing Street appears not to have expected to produce any discontent, and the Prime Minister is still having to work to explain what she is doing and why to her own Party members, still less to the wider electorate. When youre reduced to having to write to them all in the hope of persuading them that your scheme is in no sense a concession to [the EUs] demands, it isnt going well. Letters like this are very unusual. Weve already had two mass emails to Conservative members about Chequers, as well as those extraordinary in-person and conference call briefings of local association officers, which are not normal occurrences. Adding this letter on top is an indication of the degree of trouble in which the Prime Minister finds herself.

Weve already had two mass emails to Conservative members about Chequers, as well as those extraordinary in-person and conference call briefings of local association officers, which are not normal occurrences. Adding this letter on top is an indication of the degree of trouble in which the Prime Minister finds herself. Theres little sign that the charm offensive is working so far. The proposal was instantly unpopular with many Party members, and the twin failure to keep key Cabinet ministers on board or to foresee that any sales work would need to be done to polish the, ahem, offering made things worse, with opposition to Chequers growing as time went by. Its questionable as to whether a letter repeating the same arguments will have a very great impact, particularly if discontented Tories are not just unhappy with the plan itself but are also losing faith in the Prime Minister as a result. A lengthy report by Buzzfeed, published this week, is the latest investigation to corroborate what ConservativeHome has been saying since the outset.

The proposal was instantly unpopular with many Party members, and the twin failure to keep key Cabinet ministers on board or to foresee that any sales work would need to be done to polish the, ahem, offering made things worse, with opposition to Chequers growing as time went by. Its questionable as to whether a letter repeating the same arguments will have a very great impact, particularly if discontented Tories are not just unhappy with the plan itself but are also losing faith in the Prime Minister as a result. A lengthy report by Buzzfeed, published this week, is the latest investigation to corroborate what ConservativeHome has been saying since the outset. The letter even has the potential to cause more offence than charm. In part, thats because those whove already heard these messages and found them unpersuasive are unlikely to relish their repetition. Then theres the resource element  Conservatives who pay for their memberships, work hard to fundraise, and campaign hard, often on a shoestring, are effectively being propagandised using their own money, at a cost somewhere north of 70,000 for a mailshot to all members (NB 70,000 was my estimate based on membership numbers and the cost of postage  Im told a bulk-mailing discount means the true figure is less, but no-one will give me a number beyond somewhere between more than half and this estimate). Ordinary members and larger donors might be surprised to see their money used in this way.

In part, thats because those whove already heard these messages and found them unpersuasive are unlikely to relish their repetition. Then theres the resource element  Conservatives who pay for their memberships, work hard to fundraise, and campaign hard, often on a shoestring, are effectively being propagandised using their own money, at a cost somewhere north of 70,000 for a mailshot to all members (NB 70,000 was my estimate based on membership numbers and the cost of postage  Im told a bulk-mailing discount means the true figure is less, but no-one will give me a number beyond somewhere between more than half and this estimate). Ordinary members and larger donors might be surprised to see their money used in this way. Its good to talk, but only when youve got something persuasive to say. Its interesting to see the Prime Minister invite members to write in with any questions or comments about the Chequers plan. Ive seen some of the correspondence that has already been exchanged between members and the centre, and the responses received have been universally bland, often simply copying and pasting arguments that have already been sent out as press releases and mass emails. As you can imagine, getting such a discourteous reply from Downing Street or from ones own Party is frustrating or even insulting for committed Conservatives who are seeking to express their deep concern about what they believe to be a serious error.

Its interesting to see the Prime Minister invite members to write in with any questions or comments about the Chequers plan. Ive seen some of the correspondence that has already been exchanged between members and the centre, and the responses received have been universally bland, often simply copying and pasting arguments that have already been sent out as press releases and mass emails. As you can imagine, getting such a discourteous reply from Downing Street or from ones own Party is frustrating or even insulting for committed Conservatives who are seeking to express their deep concern about what they believe to be a serious error. The endorsements by her colleagues are not completely resounding. I wrote recently for The Times that close association with Chequers, and with the Prime Minister, poses a reputational threat to ambitious ministers  a theory that was borne out when approval ratings for the whole Cabinet fell after the plans publication. One can imagine some reluctance in putting ones name to this new letter  indeed, some are notable by their absence  and the quotes arent exactly overwhelming. Most keep a bit of distance, referring to this plan, this vision, this deal, with only the Chancellor taking ownership of it as our plan. The praise is often distinctly mild  eg Dominic Raab (this is a credible vision), Michael Gove (Under this plan, we will leave the European Union), Syed Kamall (This proposal demonstrates that we are willing to compromiseI hope the Commissionengage with it seriously), and Rob Semple (It isincumbent on the Party that we support the Prime Minister).

Heres the full text of the letter (emphasis in bold is original to the letter, not added by me):

Dear ,

In the referendum on 23 June 2016  the largest ever democratic exercise in the United Kingdom  the British people voted to leave the European Union. And that is what we will do.

We will take back control of our money, laws, and borders and begin a new exciting chapter in our nations history.

It now falls to us all to write that chapter. That is why, over the last two years, I have travelled up and down the country listening to views from all four nations of our United Kingdom and every side of the debate.

One thing has always been clear  there is more that binds this great country together than divides it. We share an ambition for our country to be fairer and more prosperous than ever before. We are an outward-facing, trading nation. We have a dynamic, innovative economy. And we live by common values of openness, the rule of law and respect for others.

Leaving the EU gives us the opportunity to deliver on that ambition  strengthening our economy, our communities, our union, our democracy and our place in the world  while maintaining a close friendship and strong partnership with our European neighbours. But to do so requires pragmatism and compromise from both sides.

I wanted to write to you, as a member of the Conservative Party, to explain how the Government is delivering on the result of the referendum, and the pledges we made at the general election, to leave the European Union and build a strong new relationship with the EU from outside.

Last month. the European Union (Withdrawal) Act received Royal Assent and became law. We will leave the EU on 29 March next year  and our negotiations with the EU on the terms of our withdrawal arc at an advanced stage.

However, our negotiations on our future relationship have reached an impasse. The two options on offer from the EU at the moment are not acceptable to me, or to the United Kingdom.

The first, a standard free trade agreement for Great Britain  with Northern Ireland staying in the customs union and parts of the single market  would break up the UK. As a proud Unionist, I am very clear that it would be unacceptable.

And the second, membership of the customs union plus an extended version of the European Economic Area (EEA), would mean free movement, vast annual payments and alignment with EU rules across the whole of our economy, which would not be consistent with the referendum result.

I remain clear that no deal is better than a bad deal  and we are stepping up our no deal preparations. But the best path to delivering Brexit  and the best outcome for the country  is to secure a deal which works for the whole United Kingdom. We therefore need to get the EU to consider a third option, but they will only do that if we put forward proposals they find credible.

This was the challenge that confronted the Cabinet when we met at Chequers recently The proposal we agreed and which we have subsequently published in a White Paper (available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-relationship-between-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union) honours the result of the referendum, maintains the constitutional and economic integrity of our United Kingdom, and sets us on course for a productive relationship with our closest trading partners:

We will take back control of our borders, with an end to free movement. EU citizens will no longer have the unfettered ability to come to the UK to seek work.

EU citizens will no longer have the unfettered ability to come to the UK to seek work. We will take back control of our money, with no more vast annual sums paid to the EU. We will be free to spend that money on our priorities instead  like our long-term plan for the NHS.

We will be free to spend that money on our priorities instead  like our long-term plan for the NHS. We will take back control of our laws ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom. UK courts will no longer be able to refer cases to the ECJ, and the UK Supreme Court will be the highest legal authority in the land.

UK courts will no longer be able to refer cases to the ECJ, and the UK Supreme Court will be the highest legal authority in the land. We will leave the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy. This will give us the freedom to design new policies that work for our rural and coastal communities.

This will give us the freedom to design new policies that work for our rural and coastal communities. We will be free to operate our own independent international trade policy. The whole of the UK will be outside the Customs Union and Single Market  free to sign trade deals with countries around the world.

The whole of the UK will be outside the Customs Union and Single Market  free to sign trade deals with countries around the world. We will have friction-free trade in goods with our nearest trading partners in the EU. British businesses will be able to import and export goods across the EU frontier without impediment, ensuring that the just-in-time supply chains that underpin high skilled manufacturing jobs across the country will be able to continue without disruption.

British businesses will be able to import and export goods across the EU frontier without impediment, ensuring that the just-in-time supply chains that underpin high skilled manufacturing jobs across the country will be able to continue without disruption. There will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. We will remain one United Kingdom with a single internal market.

We will remain one United Kingdom with a single internal market. We will continue to co-operate on security matters, while at the same time operating a fully independent foreign and defence policy, working closely with our EU and NATO allies.

This vision for our future relationship with the EU will be very challenging for the EU  it is in no sense a concession to their demands. I have been very clear that we are rejecting the two models they have put forward. Instead, we are asking them to accept a bespoke model which meets the unique requirements of the United Kingdom.

A key part of that bespoke model is the creation of a free trade area on goods between the UK and the EU. This would protect the uniquely integrated supply chains and just-in-time processes which have developed over the last 40 years, and the jobs and livelihoods dependent on them. It would ensure that businesses on both sides can continue operating through their current value and supply chains. It would avoid the need for customs and regulatory checks at the border, and mean that businesses would not need to complete costly customs declarations. And it would enable products to undergo only one set of approvals and authorisations in either market, before being sold in both.

This free trade area requires a common rulebook for goods. I know this is an element of the proposals about which Party members have raised a number of questions  so let me address them directly. The common rulebook would cover only those rules necessary to provide for frictionless trade at the border. This is necessary to maintain the trust required to move goods across the border without any checks, helping British businesses and consumers alike.

And there are other reasons why this is the right thing to do:

The rules on goods are long established  the last substantial change was in 1987.

Many of the rules are based on international standards set by bodies that we will still have a seat on and be able to influence after we have left the EU.

British businesses which export goods to the EU have been clear with us that they will continue to follow its rules in order to continue selling into the European market.

Importantly, any changes to our rules will be subject to a Parliamentary lock  meaning our Parliament, directly accountable to the British people, will decide whether to adopt new rules or to reject them and diverge from the EU on goods, accepting the implications that could have for market access.

I know that some people are concerned that this common rulebook will stop us doing trade deals. I can assure you this is not the case  and I would not be proposing it if it would. Signing up to a common rulebook on goods would mean we could not drop our regulatory standards for goods as part of the new trade deals we sign with other countries  but that is something we have been clear we do not want to do, in order to protect British consumers. And we would still be able to make a competitive offer to new trading partners  with the freedom to set our own tariffs, set our own quotas, and reduce other non-tariff barriers such as simplifying customs processes.

These close arrangements on goods should sit alongside looser new ones for services and digital, giving the UK the freedom to chart its own path in the areas that matter most for our service-based economy.

I am well aware of the strong feelings members of our Party have on this important national issue. That is why I asked my team to arrange a number of briefing sessions for Chairmen of Conservative Associations at 10 Downing Street, and why I was glad to take part in a conference call with Association Chairmen to outline the Governments plan and to answer questions about it directly. If your Chairman was able to join one of those sessions, I hope he or she has fed back to you the points which were covered. The Party Chairman, Brandon Lewis, and I are always keen to hear the views of Party members, so if you have any questions or comments about the Governments proposals  now or at any time  please do write to us at Conservative Campaign Headquarters, 4 Matthew Parker Street, London SW1H 9HQ.

As Conservatives, we should be proud of the role we are playing at this crucial time for our country. We are the Party which gave the British people their say in how they are governed. We are the Party which respects the decision they made. We are the Party which will take the UK out of the European Union next March. And we are the Party which will secure a strong, secure, and prosperous future for the United Kingdom as an independent country standing tall in the world while maintaining a deep and friendly relationship with our closest neighbours.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party

P.S. You can find more information about our proposals, along with a Q&A which you can download and use locally, on the Party website at www.conservatives.com/ourbrexitplan

And here is the page of endorsements:
Julie Lenarz is a Director at the London-based Human Security Centre.

As the battle for Hodeidah  the main port in Yemen and distribution point for more than 70 per cent of aid and medical supplies reaching the war-torn country  intensified last week, efforts by the United Nations to bring the war to an end through diplomacy have reached a critical juncture.

The Houthis, an Iranian-aligned rebel group which has occupied the city since October 2014, have used the grace period negotiated by the UNs envoy Martin Griffiths with the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states to further entrench their position in Hodeidah and mobilise the support of their state sponsors.

Sanaa, Yemens capital, is one of four Middle Eastern centres of power under Tehrans influence  along with Damascus, Baghdad, and Beirut  and Hodeidah is Irans main point of entry to the conflict, allowing them to arm the Houthi rebels with Qassam rockets and other weaponry.

According to the Arab Coalition, 83 ballistic missiles were fired by the Houthi militia at Saudi Arabia from Yemen in 2017. Dozens more were launched this year, targeting oil refineries and shipping stations, and in March debris killed an Egyptian civilian in Riyadh. The Houthis made clear they respect no red lines in the conflict when they announced in December that they had aimed at a nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi, unsuccessfully as it turned out.

We question why Iran is spending significant revenue in a country with which it has no real historical ties or interests, rather than using its influence to end the conflict for the good of the Yemeni people, Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, and Penny Mordaunt said in a joint statement in March.

Two weeks ago, the rebel movement claimed that it had attacked the Abu Dhabi airport in the United Arab Emirates with a drone. It later turned out to be a Houthi hoax, but the intent was telling. Saudi Arabia had announced a day earlier the temporary cessation of all oil shipments through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait  one of the worlds most important commercial shipping lanes, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden  after the Houthis fired on two large crude carriers operated by Saudi National Shipping Corp. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), followed up with a speech threatening an escalation of conflict in the area.

More concerningly, it appears that the Houthis fired a mortar at a popular fishmarket and hospital in Hodeida city last Thursday, blaming Coalition airstrikes in an attempt to undermine international support on the day the UN Special Envoy was due to update the Security Council. The deceit was exposed when mortar shells were discovered at the scene and satellite footage showed a blast radius inconsistent with aircraft weaponry. But dozens of civilians were killed and a critical anti-cholera hospital damaged.

Since taking control of Hodeidah, the Houthi rebels have been levying extortionate taxes on aid shipments and often have diverted desperately-needed humanitarian supplies to their frontline troops. According to a Human Rights Watch report from last year, the Shiite movement has imposed onerous restrictions on aid workers, interfered with aid delivery, and restricted the movement of ill civilians  a reckless policy that is threatening the lives of millions.

But in the past two months, since Griffiths was given time by both sides to reach a peaceful settlement, Houthi activity in the city has intensified, with disastrous consequences for its citizens. Reports of trenches and landmines in civilian areas have concerned NGOs, who believe this will disrupt ground water systems and deepen a cholera epidemic.

Civilians have been recruited to defend the city on the frontline, some of them children, even though the Houthis have no ethnic or cultural claim to represent the city; they are a small tribe from the North representing barely one in twenty Yemenis.

Its clear that the Houthis and Iran are exploiting the peace talks over Hodeidah. Without a deadline, they have no incentive to agree to anything  the status quo suits them too well. They have made it clear that there are no terms or threats which will convince them to release this city and port from their grip.

They are holding Hodeidah hostage.

The Coalition appears to face a difficult choice  take action and the risks associated with it, or face another 18 months of gridlock in Hodeida, almost certainly leading to a significant deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Few countries would envy a situation like this with a neighbour and ally, but the writing, it seems, is on the wall.

The rules of engagement are clear. UN Security Council Resolution 2216 explicitly demands that the Houthis withdraw from all areas seized during the latest conflict, including Hodeidah. The only way to end the war quickly is to cut off the Houthi supply line by ensuring control of the port returns to the internationally recognised Yemeni Government, or is placed under UN supervision.

As events of the past few weeks have tragically made clear, only this outcome would allow for the improved flow of desperately needed aid in the short term and, in the medium term, force the Houthis back to the negotiation table. Its the best chance to end the worlds most deadly conflict.
At their worst, conservatives have four impulses when it comes to British Muslims. The first, alas, is what might be called the Tommy Robinson tendency, and can be summed up by the thought: theyre all the same  offer them nothing. This seems to be very much a minority view, thank goodness, though we cannot be sure of the scale. Which is why we back a formal inquiry by the anti-extremism commissioner into Tory anti-Muslim prejudice.

The second is what might be called, praying in aid an altogether more respectable person, the Sayeeda Warsi standpoint. Curiously, its starting-point is the same as the Robinson one. In other words, it holds that public policy should not try to distinguish between different varieties of Islam. It then draws the opposite conclusion  namely, give any of them what they ask for, pretty much, especially when it comes to foreign policy.

The third is harder to summarise snappily, but one knows it when one sees it. It is exemplified by a certain sort of Conservative MP whose reaction  if the subject of British Muslims, or Islamist extremism, or both, is raised  is roughly as follows: my dear boy, this is a difficult subject. Lets talk about something less painful. The fourth is an unstable and volatile mix of the previous three.

David Cameron did a sturdy job, in office, of by-passing these contradictory urges, and shaping a policy that distinguished between Islam, one of the three great Abrahamic religions, and Islamist extremism, a toxic offshoot of a minority trend within the faith. The moral of Theresa Mays tilt at Boris Johnson is that confusion is back to haunt the Conservative Party  and at the very top.

The burka and the niqab are expressions of a certain kind of Islamic fundamentalism. Unlike the hijab, the headscarf that is a feature of mainstream Muslim practice, and worn by million of devout Muslim women worldwide, the niqab and burka cover the face. They are thus at odds with modern norms about womens freedoms  and sometimes associated with views that are at odds not only with social integration but with liberal democracy itself.

This presumably explains why other European countries such as Germany, France and Belgium  nations lauded by our Remainer friends as exemplars of progress, and examples for poor, benighted, Leave-voting Britain to follow  have introduced bans for the face-covering burka and niqab. Which brings us to Johnsons recent Daily Telegraph article about whether we should do the same.

The former Foreign Secretary once said that writing a column can be like hurling a brick over a fence, and waiting for the tinkle of broken glass. By first dangling the prospect of a ban, and then snatching it away again, the piece was designed to match the biggest possible tinkle with the smallest possible breakage. But that there were any shards at all only highlighted the difference between what columnists and politicians do  conventional ones, anyway.

For while breaking glass is all in a days work for journalists, most politicians specialise in papering over the cracks. They dont say (as Johnson wrote) that it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes. The column was bound to be flung at Downing Street and CCHQ, complete with accusations of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice.

So what should Number Ten have done? It isnt wisdom after the event to suggest roughly as follows. A) Say that it didnt agree with Johnsons illustration, and understood why some people found it offensive. B) Point out that, none the less, he was making a serious argument  much the same as that put by the author of the Governments own review into integration. C) Add that the burqa and niqab arent worn by the majority of Muslim women in Britain.

In short: we dont agree with the way he put his case, but it is arguable that he had a point. That would have quelled the controversy within a day outside specialist Islamic media outlets (and the Guardian). By instead sending out Brandon Lewis to demand an apology, before then making it herself later, the Prime Minister has achieved the following 

Ensured that the row runs on for longer than 24 hours. Brought Johnsons column to the attention of many who wouldnt otherwise have heard of it. Not satisfied the Muslim organisations that criticise him  since they will always demand more. Given anti-Muslim bigots an additional opportunity to call for a burka ban. Let down Muslim activists who courageously campaign against face veils. Risked claims of being motivated by bad blood over Brexit.

Not to mention making Johnson into a bit of a free speech martyr. All this is obvious enough. But the real significance of Mays demand for an apology lies deeper. It suggests that the Government is all at sea. One day, Ministers will say that enough is enough  adding that some difficult, and often embarrassing, conversations are required. The next, it will fly from those conversations, and demand apologies from those who begin them, however clumsily.

A campaign is running to drain the anti-semitism that now haunts Labour of its significance, by suggesting that it is paralled by Conservative anti-Muslim prejudice. The comparison is obviously wide of the mark, since in Labours case the rot starts from the head down; on the Tory side, May and other Cabinet members have no history of indulging people and organisations who support terror against Muslims.

All the bungled response to Johnsons column will achieve is to give that campaign airtime, legs and column inches. There will be more to follow if the Prime Minister doesnt carry on where her predecessor left off. And we cant help wondering what a possible successor  the tough-minded Sajid Javid  thinks of her handling of the Johnson column. One thing is certain: no good will come from seeking to wall up difficult conversations behind a veil of silence.
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Per a recently published study in Nature Communication, a team of scientists at the University of Toronto have identified a mechanism that allows the brain to recreate vivid sensory experiences from memory.

"Our findings demonstrate for the first time how smells we've encountered in our lives are recreated in memory," said Afif Aqrabawi, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Cell & Systems Biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto, and lead author of the study.

The AON and Our Sense of Smell

In an effort to explore the connection between memory and olfaction, Aqrabawi and graduate supervisor professor Junchul Kim began by examining a region of the brain known as the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON)  a portion of the brain that plays a crucial role in our sense of smell. Through examining structures and function of the AON in mice, the researchers were able to uncover a previously unknown neural pathway between the hippocampus and the AON, which they believed was crucial to memories and scent.

"[Mice] prefer to spend more time smelling a new odor than one that's familiar to them," said Aqrabawi. "When they lose this preference, it's implied they no longer remember the smell even though they have sniffed it before, so they continue to smell something as if for the first time."

To test the functions of the AON, Aqrabawi and Kim designed a set of tests to exploit the preference of mice to sniff new odors. In a set of mice, the researchers disconnected the neural pathway between the hippocampus and AON and compared them to mice with intact connections. They found that mice with a disconnected pathway sniffed previously smelled odors for longer periods of time, while the other mice didnt.

Detecting Alzheimers through Scent

In conclusion of this study, the researchers believe that with a better understanding of neural circuits that they can understand the early stages of Alzheimers and the onset of the disease. In other studies, it has already been documented that the AON is involved with Alzheimer's and is among the earliest sites of neurodegeneration. With this research and further studies, the scientists believe that better tests for detecting Alzheimers through scent can be created.

"Given the early degeneration of the AON in Alzheimer's disease, our study suggests that the odor deficits experienced by patients involve difficulties remembering the 'when' and 'where' odors were encountered," said Kim. "Such tests might be more sensitive to detecting problems than if patients were prompted to remember an odor itself. The motivation to develop them is high due to their quick, cheap, and easy administration."
Hewlett Packard Enterprise on Tuesday said it has appointed company veteran Pradeep Kumar as the new head of its HPE Pointnext team.

Kumar's promotion to the new role, which is effective Sept. 1, comes less than a month since Phil Davis was appointed chief sales officer and president of hybrid IT at the same time that Ana Pinczuk left HPE Pointnext for "new opportunities."

Pinczuk, who at the time of her departure was president and general manager of HPE Pointnext, led Pointnext since joining HPE early last year, and was credited with making Pointnext a more customer-focused and outcome-led business. She was at HPE for under a year.

[Related: Vertical Focus: HPE's Pointnext Has Partners Primed For A Big-Time Services Play]

HP said that Kumar's title will be senior vice president and general manager for HPE Pointnext.

Pointnext was launched early last year at about the time HPE spun off its $20-billion enterprise service in a merger with CSC to form DXC Technology.

Pointnext is HPE's technology services organization focused on accelerating digital transformation around hybrid IT and intelligent edge computing.

Davis unveiled the promotion of Kumar in a blog post on Tuesday.

Kumar worked with HPE for over 20 years across several business and regions, and was most recently the leader of the HPE Pointnext global support delivery team and an important part in using Pointnext to turn HPE into a services-led company, Davis wrote in the blog post.

"I couldnt think of a better person to lead HPE Pointnext into its next chapter. I look forward to working closely with Pradeep as we continue to build on the positive momentum of HPE Pointnext and accelerate our Hybrid IT business," he wrote.

HPE Pointnext has turned out to be a unique way to deliver digital transformation services to customers, said Chris Case, president of Sequel Data Systems, an Austin, Texas-based solution provider who has worked with HPE's GreenLake hybrid cloud services for the past three years.

GreenLake capabilities are designed, delivered, and operated by HPE Pointnext.

"The biggest difference is it allows customers to consume IT on-premises as if it was on a public cloud, but still keep it on-premises," Case told CRN. "Certain customers have specific concerns, such as requirements that data be kept in specific regions. And customers want the cloud, but not necessarily be in a public cloud. HPE was one of the first to offer this choice."

Case said that he has not yet met Kumar, but looks forward to working with him. "We provide a lot of feedback on GreenLake, and HPE has been very receptive to us," he said. "Hopefully that will continue."
Nyansa has doubled its annual recurring revenue, internal sales force and channel partner base over the past 18 months as solution providers swarm to the network analytics Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider.

"Nyansa gives us everything we could possible need from a visibility standpoint in order to perform full troubleshooting -- were talking endpoint to WAN," said Andrew Shipton, director of engineering for Radiant Networks Services, a Louisville, Ky.-based solution provider and new Nyansa partner. "We're looking for quality and longevity  that's what this product has and that's why I see it gaining a lot of steam here going forward."

Nyansa's cloud-based SaaS platform has been attracting solution providers this year, such as World Wide Technology, Presidio, Sirius Computer Solutions, Gotham Technology Group and Aercor Wireless, to join its Voyers Channel Partner Program.

[Related: Arista Networks To Pay Cisco $400 Million to Dismiss All Patent Lawsuits]

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup's enterprise SaaS platform, Voyance, manages, analyzes and correlates a broad range of infrastructure data from client devices, IP network services, unified communications systems, network products and custom applications. The cloud-based, vendor-agnostic platform is purpose-built for increasingly mobile network environments, providing cross-company correlation and benchmarking of network metrics and trends.

David Callisch, vice president of marketing for Nyansa, told CRN that Voyance is filling a gap for solution providers seeking a cloud-based SaaS that will add value across a customer's entire network.

"There's a lot of vendors that use the word 'analytics' but they dont really do analytics across the entire network," said Callisch. "We're analyzing every single client transaction on the network, then figuring out where to find and fix problems over that network -- whether its a local Wi-Fi problem, DNS [domain name system] wired problems, or a WAN problem.  Point solution vendors only look at a slither of the problem and make customers have to go out and find the rest."

Founded in 2013 by MIT Ph.D.s, Nyansa's technology has been deployed in more than 500 different customer production sites globally and is managing 10 million client wired and wireless devices.

Nyansa, named in CRN's 10 Hottest Enterprise Networking Startups Of 2018 (So Far), now has approximately 70 channel partners. Earlier this year, the startup received a$15 million Series B funding round led by Intel Capital.

In May, the company hired Peter Dehr as Nyansa's new director of channel sales to drive growth. Dehr has decades of top sales and channel experience working for the likes of Cisco, Ericsson and 7singal.

"We're filling a gap that partners just don't have right now," said Dehr, in an interview with CRN. "We allow them to immediate add value that will work with Cisco, Aruba or anyone else.  We don't care what they sell. Our solution adds value across all their products whether its wired or wireless."

A key reason for Nyansa's success, according to partners, is its vendor-agnostic technology approach.

"There's not one single customer that has all Cisco or completely 100 percent HPE-Aruba  you always have a mix of products," said Shipton. "Nyansa is very good at not favoring one vendor over another. They give you the same level visibility across the board, regardless."

Jason Sokoloski, president of Eagan, Minn.-based Aercor Wireless, a new Nyansa partner, said the SaaS solution can locate and fix issues quicker for a customer compared to competitors.

"Everybody says, 'Oh my wireless sucks.' Well, is it really the wireless that sucks or is it the application that sucks? Or is it the Internet that sucks or something else? It helps us analyze that and find the real issue," said Sokoloski. "It's very intriguing technology. We have multiple POC's going on right now."

Nyansa's Callisch said enterprises today are looking for channel partners to provide a complete public or private cloud-based analytics service which is why the company's partner base has doubled over the past 18 months. The channel growth comes as Nyansa's software finds traction among enterprises, including customers like Tesla and General Motors.

"The channel is really the heartbeat of this market," said Callisch. "We are all about helping partners get a grip on actually understanding how their networks are running from an end-user experience perspective. There's no other end-to-end SaaS analytics solution they can purchase today that compares to ours."
Iran and North Korea are pledging to build stronger ties, highlighting the risk that President Donald Trump's pressure campaigns may bring some U.S. rivals closer together.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told North Korea's visiting foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, on Wednesday that the U.S. couldn't be counted on to keep its commitments. "The U.S. is recognized today as an unreliable and untrustworthy country," Rouhani said in Tehran, according to Iran's state-run Tasnim News Agency.

On Tuesday, Ri and his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, called for expanded relations, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said. The report provided few details about the talks, other than to say the pair "discussed the latest regional and international developments, as well as issues of mutual interest."

The meetings underscore the challenges facing Trump administration efforts to pressure the nations to curb their weapons development and give up their nuclear programs. It came on the same day that countries from Russia to Britain criticized the restoration of U.S. sanctions against Iran and Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, accused North Korea of moving too slowly on its "denuclearization" promises to the president.

Ri's trip -- aboard an Air China Ltd. plane -- was the latest example of North Korea's greater diplomatic freedom in the wake of Trump's June 12 summit with its leader Kim Jong Un. The envoy's overseas travel this year has included visits to China, Russia and Singapore.

North Korea and Iran are at opposite ends of up-and-down relationships with the U.S., especially as illustrated by the president's tweets. Last month on Twitter, Trump warned Rouhani that he would "SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED," if he threatened America.

Trump, who unleashed similar rhetoric against Kim last year, has praised the North Korean leader for returning the remains of about 55 service members killed in the Korean War -- the first tangible outcome since their summit. U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo presented Ri with a letter in Singapore last week, seeking another meeting with Kim, in an effort to bolster talks.
A New York congressman and his son were indicted for insider trading related to the shares of an Australian biotechnology firm, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Wednesday.

Christopher Collins, a Republican Congressman representing the 27th District of New York, his son Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins's fiancee were charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. They believe it to be the first insider-trading case against a sitting congressman.

Collins, who was the first House Republican to endorse Donald Trump for president, is accused of tipping off his son about clinical trial results for a drug being developed by Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd. to treat a form of multiple sclerosis, information that wasn't available to the public, according to prosecutors. Collins served on the board of the company and is among its largest shareholders.

His son then passed the news to his girlfriend, his girlfriend's mother, Zarsky and a friend, prosecutors said. During the four days between the time Collins learned about the negative drug trial and when it was announced publicly, they and others sold more than 1.78 million Innate shares, avoiding losses of about $768,000, prosecutors said.

Collins, who has previously come under fire for investing in Innate while sitting on a House committee that oversees health-care policy, isn't accused of selling shares based on the negative drug trial.

"We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name," said Jonathan Barr and Jonathan New, attorneys for Collins. "It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock. We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated."

Attorneys for Cameron Collins said, "We intend to mount a vigorous defense on behalf of our client. We look forward to addressing these charges in court." An attorney for Zarsky declined to comment. Officials at Innate Immunotherapeutics couldn't be located for comment.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York scheduled a news conference to formally announce the charges.

Collins got the news of the drug trial in a June 2017 email from the company's chief executive officer while attending an event on the South Lawn of the White House. "I have bad news to report," the email said. The CEO went on to report that the trial of the company's immunotherapy drug had shown "no clinically meaningful" results compared with a placebo.

"No doubt we will want to consider this extremely bad news," the executive wrote. Collins responded, "Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible?"

Collins then called his son, Cameron, to tell him the results, according to the indictment. "Christopher Collins conveyed this material, nonpublic information to Cameron Collins knowing that it was in breach of his duties to Innate and anticipating that Cameron Collins would use it to trade and tip others," the indictment said.

The indictment notes that while the congressman didn't trade himself and lost millions when the stock plunged, he was "virtually precluded" from trading his own shares for a number of reasons, including the fact that he was under investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics for his investment in the company.

Collins's district in Western New York is solidly Republican and voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016. Collins, a Trump supporter who took office in 2013 and is running for re-election in November, faces a challenge from Democrat Nate McMurray, town supervisor in Grand Island.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was grilled during his confirmation hearing on whether he purchased stocks in Innate Immunotherapeutics after receiving a tip from Collins. Price said he never received information that could be considered a stock tip and denied any wrongdoing. The stock price rose as media reported on the men's holdings in the Australian company.

Price isn't named in the indictment of Collins or accused of wrongdoing. A spokesman for Price referred back to his statements regarding the investment during his confirmation hearing in January 2017, in which he said: "Everything I did was ethical, above-board, legal and transparent." The spokesman declined further comment.

Price, who resigned in September 2017 after criticism of his use of private and military planes for travel, accumulated an interest in the company at around 40 cents a share in 2015 and 2016, according to his financial disclosures. By the time he sold the shares in February 2017, they were worth roughly 70 cents each, giving him a profit of more than $150,000, according to ProPublica.

Many of Collins' congressional colleagues also bought shares in Innate, including Reps. Mike Conaway of Texas and Doug Lamborn of Colorado.

- - -

Bloomberg's Christian Berthelsen and Matt Robinson contributed.
STAMFORD  A traveling troupe of anti-circumcision activists  intactivists as they call themselves  made their first stop to the Lock City on a 21-city Northeast tour Tuesday morning.

They promptly got a Stamford welcome.

Im circumcised and I love it, yelled a man pumping his fists as he rolled through Tresser and Washington boulevards in his car.

Im sorry for your loss, replied a woman dressed in the standard group uniform of shirts, pants and cowboy hats  all white, except for the red-paint-splattered crotch that is the the calling card of the Bloodstained Men and Their Friends.

The nonprofit group, while grotesquely marked, had a less sinister message. They advocate that circumcision is akin to any other body modification including tattoos and piercings.

Such procedures should only be done on consenting adults, not infants, they say.

There is no need for corrective surgery for perfectly healthy boys, said Harry Guiremand, the groups road spokesman, and often the driver of the large SUV that takes the bloodied band from city to city.

Amputation should be a last resort, he said. And its a basic human rights issue.

The group was in the Hartford area Monday, where local families joined the protest.

In Stamford, only one Greenwich woman briefly joined the group during its five-hour visit  which included a trip to see the giant Marilyn Monroe statue on display in Latham Park.

Brian Brown, of Ellington, who runs Intact Connecticut, another grassroots group, said much of the activism on the issue is near him on eastern side of the state.

He tried, he said, to reach out to some liberal groups in Fairfield County, but found little interest. The taboo topic is so divisive that groups you would think would also be against cutting babies dont sign on.

Some city residents seemed keen to the groups message, honking and waving them over for more information. But others were more interested in the oddity of it all.

Its not everyday a red-crotched ensemble walks around City Hall with signs reading Peace, Love, Foreskin and Its not your mothers penis.

Circumcision, which has roots in ancient civilizations and is enshrined in some holy scriptures  thus generally required by those in Islamic and Jewish faiths  is having something of a falling out in other countries, but remains prevalent in the U.S.

Guiremand said the group has many Jewish members, but generally circumvents the religious undertones of banning the ritual. There are movements within the Jewish faith to recast the ritual bris for young boys into a naming ceremony, he said.

Laurie Evans, a Westchester-based intactivist, who is Jewish, said her message is starting to get out, but its hard to change minds when up against more than 5,000 years of history.

How do you interrupt customs? she said.

It is still popular in the United States, studies show, with some 71 percent of boys getting the snip.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has said the benefits of the procedure outweigh the risks, but doesnt recommend it for all newborns, leaving the decision to parents.

The Mayo Clinic advises that the procedure could make for easier hygiene, a decreased risk of urinary tract infections, a decreased risk of sexually transmitted infections and the potential prevention of other problems, including a lower risk of penis cancer.

barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglytton
As details emerge of the University of Bridgeports plan to merge 14 schools and programs into three colleges, so to have questions.

Will my program still be there? What about my professor? My dean? Where was the faculty input?

Not everyone is satisfied with the answers, particularly alum of the College of Public and International Affairs who first worried their program was being eliminated, then challenged its placement in the new UB College of Arts and Sciences.

From the outside looking in it sort of doesnt make sense, said Erica Dumas, a 2009 graduate who has gone on to work at the United Nations, World Trade Center, Port Authority, and now a private mortgage company. Dumas and others call it odd that the changes were made so abruptly, seemingly with little faculty or student input so as to be in place for the start of the fall semester that starts August. 27.

Redirection

UB announced the restructuring on Monday as a way to redirect resources, thin out a top-heavy administrative staff and make the experience more intimate for students.

Instead of 14 deans, there will be three deans, all reporting to Provost Stephen Healey. The change was to take effect immediately.

UBs 14 schools and programs are being immediately clustered into three colleges Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences and a College of Engineering, Business and Education.

By Wednesday, UB announced the deans of those colleges and a list of where program and majors they will oversee.

Manyul Im, who came to UB from Fairfield University in 2014, is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In that college will be the Shintaro Akatsu School of Design, School of Professional Studies, and programs formerly offered at in the School of Arts and Science and College of Public and International Affairs that most alum refer to as CPIA.

Carol Papp, founding dean of the 2015 revival of UBs nursing program in 2015, is dean of the College of Health Sciences. That college includes the Fones School of Dental Hygiene, School of Nursing, College of Chiropractic, Physician Assistant Institute, Nutrition Institute, College of Naturopathic Medicine, and the Acupuncture Institute.

Tarek Sobh, at UB since 1995, is dean of the College of Engineering, Business and Education. He also serves as UBs Executive Vice President.

Laura Skandera Trombley, who became UBs new president on July 1, said the reorganization will not only streamline administrative functions, but send talented faculty back to the classroom, where they can better serve students.

Just which senior staff are leaving has not been fully revealed.

There are some confidential elements to that, Provost Stephen Healey said on Wednesday, adding its a modest number.

In a letter to staff, Healey said the school of Design, now under the College of Arts and Sciences, will be shopping for an new director. So will the schools of business and education. It is unclear if the deans who were in those roles are staying.

The call for more transparency

In a letter to faculty, Healey emphasized no faculty, programs or majors have been cut.

The main gain is strategic, Healey said.

Most students, the provost added, care about professors more than directors or deans.

A number of CPIA alumni beg to differ.

This change was not clear or transparent, Constance Vickers, who graduated from UBs CPIA in 2011, said. It is a huge change and for us to have no details ... I am relying on Dr. Trombley but I have a lot of concerns.

Vickers and Dumas both say the were taught by experts in the field and are not convinced their program belongs within a College of Arts and Sciences.

Dumas called it an odd pairing, and she worries future students wont get the same rich experience she enjoyed.

Relationships built through program were crucial, she said.

Thomas Ward, who was dean of CPIA, said the program will continue, just under a new umbrella. He said he will continue to teach and keep the schools connections with the United Nations. A Center for International Study and Exchange will be created to support study abroad formerly supported by CPIA.

CPIA had 477 students last fall.

Healey said UB officials have hear the alumni concerns and are reaching out to them.

Suffice it to say here that it is a carefully thought through strategic alignment, Healey said.

Unit cohesion

Another alignment some have questioned is the grouping of engineering, business and education.

Ive not seen that particular combination before, but then I see new things every day, said Barbara Brittingham, of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Healy called the pairing deliberate and focused on preparing students for job titles that dont yet exist.

For years, faculty of these schools have worked together to pursue grants and explore interdisciplinary elements that connect and advance their curricula, Healey said.

All three are career-oriented schools that exhibit similar characteristics, aspirations and research initiatives.

Kristin K. McCabe, of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, said education often gets paired with other areas because of its interdisciplinary nature.

Eastern Connecticut State University has business administration, education, communications, kinesiology and physical education in one college. The University of Hartford has a College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions. Jennifer Widness, president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, said Sacred Heart University is moving its computer engineering program to the former GE Campus along with its school of business and school of education to encourage greater collaboration.

Meanwhile, in health sciences at UB, the only changes are titles since most of the programs must follow professional, licensing and accreditation standards.

Instead of deans, Marcia Prenguber in Naturopathic Medicine, Michael Ciolfi in Chiropractic, Jennifer Brett in the Acupuncture Institute and Theresa Horvath in the Physician Assistant Institute will be directors. In the Fones School of Dental Hygiene the retiring Marcia Lorentzen will remain until a replacement found, Healey said.

A new director is being sought to head nursing, a position previously held by Papp, one of the new deans.

David Brady, vice provost of Health Sciences, called the melding of faculty into a more cohesive unit within each college an advantage.

So I think it is a good thing, Brady said. I am very positive about it.
Retail giant Target and online marketplace Shipt Tuesday announced the launch of a same-day delivery service of more than 55,000 products to more than 2 million households in Connecticut.

The service starts Aug. 14 in Stamford, Aug. 16 in Hartford, and Aug. 23 in New Haven and Bridgeport.

The items to be included in the service range from groceries to home goods, electronics, toys and other products, according to a release.

More News The next big thing: faster delivery

Same-day delivery was at the top of our list when we were thinking about ways to make shopping at Target even easier, John Mulligan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Target, said in a statement.

The goal is to make the delivery service available to 65 percent of U.S. households, a total of 80 million, across 180 markets by the end of 2018. The partners plan to follow up in 2019 by expanding the service to include all of Targets major product categories.

Target acquired Shipt last year for $550 million in cash.

Shipts expansion into the Stamford, Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport areas gives nearly two thirds of the state of Connecticut access to the Shipt platform, Bill Smith, founder and chief executive officer of Shipt, said in a statement.

Consumers who sign up for a Shipt membership before Aug. 23 will pay a discounted $49 fee. The cost regularly is $99.

Shipt, founded in 2014 in Birmingham, Ala., said it would hire 200 new Shipt Shoppers to work fulfilling orders across Connecticut.
Not much unites Republicans and Democrats vying for the states top offices, but a 113-acre parcel of land bordering a pristine state forest has done just that.

Statewide and legislative candidates from both parties made the trek to Buttonwood Farm in Griswold on the eastern end of the state Tuesday to oppose a gun range for state police training at an event hosted by the advocacy group, Save Pachaug Forest.

Over my dead body is this gun range going in Griswold, said Republican Tim Herbst, who has garnered significant support from the eastern side of the state. It defies common sense that they would construct a state police training facility that services all 910 troopers in one of the most remote areas of the state. When I become governor and I find out who approved the sale of this property. Theyre going to be fired so fast their heads are going to spin.

State officials revealed in March they signed a purchase agreement in August 2017 with property owner Lee Button for $1.1 million for the 113-acre former farm for to build a new state police firearms training facility. The land borders Pachaug State Forest, the largest in the state, and the private Mystic Rod & Gun Club. The nearest home is more than half a mile away, according to a state report.

In May, senate Democrats unanimously voted against a bill that would have required the property become part of the state forest, effectively moving the gun range elsewhere.

Pam Patalano, chairman of Save Pachaug Forest, said she organized the event after attending several debates and forums featuring candidates in both parties and not once hearing mention of the eastern side of the state.

Were fighting the gun range, obviously, but at the same time, we need to focus on tourism and economic development, Patalano said. My feeling was that we want to hear what they have to say. Sure, we dont want the gun range, but what are you going to do for us?

Opponents to the gun range are also concerned about the impacts on tourism in the area. Pachaug is the largest forest in the state forest system, and draws thousands of visitors annually to its backpack and horse camping sites.

Republican David Stemerman, who shuttered his multi-billion dollar hedge fund to run for governor, was among those who ventured out into the 90-plus degree heat to criticize the plan.

Ive seen a lot of strange and dysfunctional things since I left my business and started doing this, Stemerman said Tuesday at Buttonwood Farm. This is one of the strangest, most dysfunctional things Ive ever seen. Who wants to come to a state forest and hear gun shots?

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who joked he went out to pick up milk and ended up in Griswold, said he too opposes the gun range. Rather than build a new facility, he said, the state should utilize already existing ranges for training.

Not now, not tomorrow, not ever, he said. We have a perfectly good range owned by the federal government in East Haven, Connecticut, that can be utilized by our state troopers.

Madison Republican Bob Stefanowski did not attend the event, and Patalano said he was unaware of the proposed gun range when she invited him. Stefanowski issued a statement opposing the gun range via email during the event.

Local Democrats running for seats in the state legislature also turned up to oppose the gun range, but statewide Democratic candidates were noticeably absent.

Ned Lamont, the endorsed Democratic candidate for governor, came out to forcefully oppose a gun range in Griswold in early July after meeting with Patalano. Lamont said he supports a new facility, but is strongly against the Griswold location.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, who is challenging Lamont in the August 14 primary, is in the minority. He sided with the family that sold the property and said last month, it seems to make sense.

Art Linares, a Republican candidate for state treasurer, who is famously married to Democratic sate Rep. Caroline Simmons, was in awe of the bipartisan turnout at Buttonwood Farm.

When that happens, its amazing how fast we can put a stop to something, Linares said.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
Connecticuts Republican National Committeewoman Leora Levy has waded into the state treasurer race, urging voters to support the partys endorsed candidate Thad Gray over his Republican challenger Art Linares in the August 14 primary.

While praising Grays education and career in private equity investment, Levy dismissed 29-year-old Linares, a state senator from Westbrook, as lacking the financial depth to be responsible for the (states) pension assets, in an August 7 email sent to an extensive list of Connecticut Republican party contacts.
Last month I had the honor and privilege of serving as one of the lead instructors at the annual CUES School of Strategic Marketing held in Seattle. We talked all things credit union branding and marketing for credit unions. It was a terrific week of fun and informative classes led by enthusiastic and up-and-coming credit union professionals from across the United States and Canada.

Some of the best education, however, came outside the formal classroom in the form of field trips. The first field trip was to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery which is described as an immersive, dramatic, theatrical expression of our coffee passion  After touring the facility, I completely agree.

One of the most intriguing elements of the tour was the opportunity to discuss the famous Starbucks corporate culture with our terrific tour guide (and now I can always say Ive had a tour of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery with a Frenchman who left his job as a trapeze artist with Cirque du Soleil to work for the famous coffee company).

Our group learned a great deal about Starbucks culture during the tour. However, one thing that particularly stuck with me came from a question I posed to our tour guide. The dialogue went something like this 
Financial security means many things to many different people. And, for many credit union members, a financial advisor can provide vital insights that can support near- and long-term financial health. We know this because we serve credit unions and their members across the U.S. through CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc. (CBSI) financial advisors.

Every year, these advisors gather for best practices training, collaborative ideation, networking and team building  all for an ultimate goal: to help them drive value for the credit unions and credit union members they serve.




The Kroger grocery chain is poised to expand its ban on Visa credit cards: 21 supermarkets and five gas stations in California no longer will accept Visa credit cards starting Aug. 14. And Mastercard may be the next card to be rejected.

Why? The issue is the level of fees Kroger has to pay Visa.

Players in the payments marketplace are clearly duking it out to maximize the income they receive. The Kroger-Visa war is between two traditional kinds of players in the card ecosystem, a retailer and a card network. Fintechs are now adding an additional layer of complexity to this space, Tony DeSanctis told Payments University participants in the programs second online session last week.

Senior director with CUES Supplier member and strategic provider Cornerstone Advisors, Scottsdale, Ariz., DeSanctis pointed out that each of the three major segments in the payments marketfinancial institutions/networks, retailers, and fintechshas specific financial goals and customers to serve. When they are at odds with each other, as in the Kroger-Visa example, things can get dicey and even reduce payments options for some consumers.
STORY LINK Pound Sterling to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) Exchange Rate Rises despite Brexit Concerns

GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Gains Limited by No-Deal Brexit Fears

With every day that passes, the prospect of a no deal Brexit or a Brexit with very, very little information about the future relationship seems to become more and more likely.

If [Prime Minister Theresa May] continues on her current track, trying to pretend that the Chequers deal - which even within her own party seems to be dead - is the way forward, then there's a risk we end up [with no deal], and that cannot be allowed.

South African Rand to Pound (ZAR/GBP) Exchange Rate Slides on Disappointing Manufacturing Stats

For industrial production figures to avoid a recession in the second quarter and thereby not pull GDP growth down, mining production would need to record growth of at least 4% month-on-month, seasonally adjusted for June.

We expect that the economy probably just returned to growth in the last quarter, narrowly dodging another technical recession.

Pound Sterling to South African Rand Exchange Rate Forecast: GBP/ZAR could Rise Further on GDP Data

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Tuesdays trading session opened with the Pound to South African Rand exchange rate at a level of 17.4036.This proved to be a high point, as the Pound fell over the course of the day to close lower against the Rand at 17.2487.In a recurrent situation, the Pounds losses against the Rand were caused by growing concerns that the UK could be heading for an economically turbulent no-deal Brexit.Yesterdays South African data was disappointing, consisting of manufacturing output data which showed a larger-than-expected slowdown during June.While this was negative news for Rand traders, lower GBP trader sentiment at the time meant that the Pound continued to decline in the GBP/ZAR pairing.The Pound (GBP) has advanced against the South African Rand (ZAR) today, hitting an exchange rate of 17.2577.This appreciation is mainly down to widespread Rand weakness; in other pairings the Pound has made heavy losses.There has been little notable UK economic data out this week, with Pound Sterling instead being influenced by speculation about a possible no-deal Brexit outcome.Since comments made by Bank of England (BoE) Governor Mark Carney last week, there has been a steady stream of warnings about the damage that a bad Brexit deal could cause.The most recent words of caution have come from Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has warned that:Putting a firm limiter on today's GBP/ZAR exchange rate gains, Mrs Sturgeon added that:While the Pound (GBP) has faced continued headwinds from Brexit concerns today, the South African Rand (ZAR) has found itself in lower demand by comparison.The latest factor to dent the Rand's appeal has been Tuesdays ZA manufacturing production readings, which showed a larger-than-expected slowdown in output levels during June.These ecostats have sparked fears that there could be a South African recession in the future and dragged the Rand to Pound exchange rate (ZAR/GBP) down in the process.Looking at the conditions for South Africa to dodge a recession, Investec Chief Economist Annabel Bishop said:Another economist, Capital Economics John Ashbourne, has been pessimistic about South Africas prospects:With this weeks last major South African data now out, the way is clear for potentially greater Pound to Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate gains on Friday.The main UK data to watch out for on the day will be Q2 GDP estimates; Pound Sterling could also be supported by business investment data if it prints as expected.A faster pace of quarterly and annual GDP growth is expected during Q2 2018, while for the same period levels of business investment are also tipped to rise.It is worth noting that not all of Fridays UK data releases are expected to print so positively  news of a larger trade deficit and slowing manufacturing output could limit GBP/ZAR exchange rate gains.The next South African data to be aware of isnt out until Tuesday next week  this will consist of mining and gold production readings for June.There are no solid forecasts for how the gold production figure will print, but economists are expecting a negative reading for the monthly and annual mining output stats.Such results could trigger South African Rand to Pound (ZAR/GBP) exchange rate losses, as they would have negative implications for the health of the nationally important mining industry.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Pound Rand Forecasts
Billie Zahurak plans annual event to continue husband's pledge of support to the United Way

The first Bob Zahurak Memorial Painting Event in March raised $3,000 for the United Way of the Laurel Highlands. Bob's wife Billie plans to continue the event each year in his memory.
In his junior year, Nikolas Cruz was struggling.

Cruz, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School charged with killing 17 students and staff members at the school in February, had returned to Stoneman Douglas after a placement at Cross Creek, a district-run program in Parkland, Fla., for students with behavioral disabilities. Though Cruz had academic success both at Cross Creek and, for a period of time, at Stoneman Douglas, his behavior had started to deteriorate and his grades plummetedpossibly because of a break-up with a girlfriend, his mother reported.

What happened next forms part of a continuing debate over whether the Broward County, Fla. district responded appropriately to Cruzs behavioral needs as a student in special education.

Details about his case and recommendations for district actions came out in a report by a consulting firm hired by the district to review Cruzs educational records and the school systems actions in the wake of the school massacre.

School officials and Cruzs mother agreed that he should return to Cross Creek but didnt think he would take it well. They were right. During an individualized education program team meeting, Cruz angrily told them that he wanted to stay at Stoneman Douglas. And, as an 18-year-old at the time, he was in control of whether he could receive services, not his mother. A special educator in attendance told Cruz that if he wanted to stay at Stoneman Douglas, he would have to do so as a general education student. Cruz said thats what he wanted to do, giving up the services that had supported him in the district since he was 3 years old.

But the choices given Cruz werent correct, said the report, which was released Aug. 3 and written by the Collaborative Educational Network. Broward County largely followed the law when it came to Cruz throughout his educational career. But, the report noted, under state statute, the Broward school district could have decided to file a due process hearing itself within 10 days after the contentious IEP meeting, asking for an administrative law judge to make a decision about where Cruz should be educated. And, based on his history, its likely that the district could have prevailed on its desire to return him to the more restrictive placement, the report stated.

Theres no way to know now if Cruz would have chosen to return to Cross Creek. Even if there was a due process hearing, Cruz could have decided to revoke his consent for special education at a later time. But the report stated that Broward should focus on staff development to make sure that educators understand student options, and that they have training and practice in facilitating emotionally charged meetings.

Those insights into Cruzs special education history come from an error made by the district. It released the consultants report, heavily redacted . But when the report was first placed on the districts website, the computer-generated redaction failed, making the entire report visible. The Sun-Sentinel of Florida was the first media organization to read and report on the entire document . The Broward County school board wants the paper and two of its reporters to be held in contempt of court, saying that it opted to report information the court had ordered to be redacted.

Due Process Hearings Filed By Districts

Due process hearings are overwhelmingly filed by parents when they disagree with district actions. But the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act makes it clear that due process is a legal maneuver available to both parents and the school district. And, about 10 percent of the time, its the district that has the dispute, said Perry A. Zirkel, a professor emeritus of law and education at Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Pa. Most of the cases filed by districts are not like the Cruz case; Zirkel noted: Most often, a district wants to conduct a special education evaluation over the objections of a parent, and they generally prevail, he said. Even when a student is found eligible for services, a parent is not required to accept them, the law states.

Ann Siegel, an attorney and education team manager for the advocacy group Disability Rights Florida, said that revoking all services was the worst thing for [the school district] to do. They were on notice that he required their supports and services.

Its not an unusual for older students to make such a choice to drop special education services, but the district should have known that Cruzs disability affected his decisionmaking skills, Siegel said. But Siegel, who has represented other older students in special education, said students who are behaviorally challenged are the kids we have the hardest time getting schools to keep.

An Atypical Case

Theres been intense focus on Cruzs mental health history in the wake of the school massacre , especially because he had had violent and self-harming tendencies for years. However, students in special education for an emotional disturbance are not more likely than their peers to be school shooters. In an exhaustive examination of targeted school shootings between 1974 and 2000, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education found that while perpetrators commonly described being bullied or persecuted and having thoughts of suicide, they generally did not have a history of mental health evaluations or diagnosis with a mental disorder.

Soon after his return to Stoneman Douglas as a general education student, Cruz continued to struggle academically and behaviorally, eventually leaving the school for an adult-education program. Two months later, in April 2017, he reached out to the school system and asked to re-enroll at Cross Creek, the program he had earlier rejected.

His request to return to Cross Creek bounced around among administrators at the adult education school he had enrolled in, at Cross Creek, and at Stoneman Douglas. Ultimately, they decided Cruz would have to re-enroll in Stoneman Douglas to restart the process, but it was too late in the school year to do so. Cruzs mother died in November 2017, and he did not pursue further services.

After releasing the report, Broward County schools said in a statement that it had used a multi-disciplinary approach, including [exceptional student education] programming, school counseling/guidance and other related services in an effort to meet the ongoing and evolving needs of this student.

We accept the recommendations regarding procedural improvements, and are pleased with the overall review, recommendations and findings, said Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie in a statement before the failed redactions were discovered. We are actively reviewing our policies and procedures, training protocols and data systems in an effort to implement the recommendations in a timely and effective way.

Burn, Kill, Destroy

Days after the district report was released, authorities released another document: a transcript of interviews with Cruz conducted hours the shooting.

He said he had a voice in his head that told him to burn, kill, destroy, a claim the officer attempted to test and push back on throughout the interview, according to a transcript released Aug. 6.

The shooting suspect said hed felt lonely and isolated, especially since his mothers death, and that he didnt have anyone to discuss his struggles with. Living with the family of a former classmate, he stored a collection of guns hed amassed since his 18th birthday in an unlocked safe in his bedroom. Those guns included the AR-15 he is accused of used in the shooting, which he purchased because it was cool looking, he said.

He said he used some drugs, including Xanax and marijuana. Hed tried to kill himself two months before the shooting by taking nearly an entire bottle of Advil, which he later vomited up.

He said he wanted to be an Army Ranger, but that hed failed a prerequisite test.

I am stupid, Cruz said.

Cruz is being held without bail on murder charges.

Staff Writer Evie Blad contributed to this post.

Students return to class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., after former student Nikolas Cruz killed 17 students and teachers.Terry Renna/AP
The Opposition's choice for the prime ministerial candidate is beginning to narrow down. The buzz is to project an 'Iron Lady' like Indira Gandhi as the candidate for the position of head of the nation this time.

Recently Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav had suggested that Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati could be considered for the top job.

While the candidature of the two women leaders, who have proved their mettle in the world of politics, was still a matter of conjecture, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda cleared the air and zeroed in on two names from his side  Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and BSP supremo Mayawati.

Asked about chances of Mamata becoming a Prime Minister, Deve Gowda said: "Most welcome if Mamata is projected as PM. Indira Gandhi ruled for 17 years. Why should we (men) alone become PM? Why not Mamata or Mayawati?

No politician from the Opposition camp has so far expressed any reservations about the proposal.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, Sharad Pawar, who is also seen as a prime ministerial candidate, on his part, said that senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Deve Gowda and he himself, who have no prime ministerial ambitions, should concentrate on consolidating the Opposition camp to take on the BJP in the 2019 general elections.

The statements have come as music to the ears of Banerjee and her supporters in Bengal. Didi's road to Delhi appears to be more or less hurdle-free, in case there is no major rainfall of fortune for the Congress.

In West Bengal too, there is growing enthusiasm over the prospect of having a Bengali Prime Minister. The state missed out on the opportunity when in 1996 Jyoti Basu was not allowed to take up the job by the party's highest decision-making body  Politburo.

Basu later regretted called the decision a "historic blunder".

"Bengal won't commit another historic blunder and we have to make sure that another Bengali makes it this time," said a Trinamool Congress MP, on the condition of anonymity.

Efforts are already on to consolidate votes in the state by drumming up support for a Bengali for the plum post.

Be it political rallies, processions or government programmes, there is just one theme underlining it all - "It's time people of India got a leader like Mamata Banerjee."

At a recent rally in Midnapore, held to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political programme in the state, all Trinamool Congress leaders stressed the need to replace Modi with Banerjee, "who worked for all" and was "humane in her approach".

While Banerjee's trusted lieutenants gushed over her achievements and said that she was actually capable of ushering in good times, as opposed to Modi's promise of 'achhe din', they were quick to add that Banerjee has no lust for power.

But Banerjee's love for positions of power from where she can command and control is well known. However, she is in no hurry to lift her veil. On the question of Prime Minister's chair, she'll go by the Lucknowi tehzeeb of "pehele aap".

The West Bengal chief minister recently said she would be happy to work like a squirrel that goes about doing its work quietly, without really bothering about its reward.

It is likely that she will wait till results are out to stake claim to the prime minister's chair.

Even when the Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that his party will have no problem in accepting anybody as Prime Minister provided the person is non-BJP and non-RSS, Banerjee stressed on collective leadership.

Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, she said, "We are all Kings in the kingdom of our King."

But how this 'group of kings' will rule the kingdom is a big question.

Banerjee has been repeatedly saying that Bengal will lead the country. That is the closest she has come to talking about her hidden ambitions.

If her party manages to win all 42 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal, Banerjee's candidature for the position would get stronger.

Support for her candidature is also being pushed through Facebook pages.

The cry for a Bengali PM is likely to gain a lot of traction because the state has since long been complaining about step-motherly treatment.

Banerjee's stand on the National Register of Citizens and her statement that Bengalis are being driven out of Assam is already paying political dividends and is out to browbeat BJP's attempt at Hindu polarisation in Bengal.

Amid all this, the clarion call for a Bengali PM may just prove to be Banerjee's ultimate masterstroke.

Also read: Nitish Kumar has traced the real culprit in the Muzaffarpur shelter home outrage  the 'system'
Rajdeep Sardesai needs little introduction in the world of Indian journalism. He has reported on and analysed Indian politics from the 1980s onwards, breaking some of the biggest stories, and breaking down some of the biggest moments and movements that have roiled India.

Newsman: Tracking India in the Modi Era is a collection of Rajdeep Sardesai's newspaper and digital writings during the rise of Narendra Modi to power. In this collection, Rajdeep Sardesai both tracks a complex and charismatic political giant  and studies a swiftly changing social landscape around him.

The Ashok Hotel in the national capital, a stones throw away from the Prime Ministers residence, is where old India meets the new. Built in 1956, Delhis iconic five-star hotel is a relic from the Nehruvian era, its pink sandstone facade and imposing structure reflective of an age when the public sector symbolized the commanding heights of the economy.

Edited excerpts from NEWSMAN: Tracking India in the Modi Era by Rajdeep Sardesai (with permission of Rupa Publications India)

Picture of the Ashok Hotel in Delhi. Grand and beautiful. (Photo: Ashok Hotel)

...

The hotel lobby is still populated with kurta-pajama-clad fixers and networkers from the license-permit raj, only they are now jostling for space with the sharp-suited gents of a rapidly globalising world in which India is the fastest growing large economy.

The Ashok was perhaps the perfect venue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to host the fourth-anniversary celebrations of the Narendra Modi government in May 2018.

...

The hotel may still carry the heavy presence of state power in its style and functioning, but the Modi governments slick audiovisual presentation had a distinct corporate veneer. In the presence of party president, Amit Shah, and senior ministers, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, and with the entire national media in attendance, the acting finance minister, Piyush Goyal, was playing impresario.

...

In 2017, Goyal had taken nearly an hour to finish, keeping us waiting for lunch.

I hope it will be shorter and crisper this time, I said. Well, weve completed an additional year now so it might take a bit longer, else you will complain that we have nothing to showcase in the last year! laughed Mr Goyal.

Sure enough, the performance stretched on and on, ending with a song prepared for the occasion, a new catchline  Saaf Niyat, Sahi Vikaas (Clean Intent, Right Progress)  and an upbeat slogan for the 2019 general elections  2019 mein phir ek baar Modi Sarkar (In 2019, the Modi government once again).

As I was leaving, one of the party spokespersons smiled at me and said, Hope you have enough headline material for a prime-time debate!

That evening, the Modi governments media blitz didnt make it to my nightly bulletin: a dozen protesters had been shot dead in Tuticorin during demonstrations against a copper plant. It was only a temporary break from the Modi-centric news cycle.

...

The man in the centre of it all: Narendra Modi on a roadshow. (Photo: PTI)

Truth is, never before in the history of independent India has a single individual, his government and party occupied so much of news space over a sustained period of time. Headline management and event marketing is how critics of the Modi government choose to describe the official media blitzkrieg. We are simply telling a good story well, is the governments pat response. The truth, as often is the case, lies somewhere in the in-between, the gap between hype and reality often lost in the media cacophony.

I have spent much of the last four years trying to find a way out of the stridency that surrounds us in a post-truth world, attempting to make sense of the fine lines between facts and propaganda, between fake and real news, while firmly holding onto my liberal beliefs.

Not easy, I might add, given the ever-sharpening and polarised Right versus Left political environment in which one is often caricatured as an anti-Modi journalist. Instead of samvad, or dialogue, an adversarial them versus us binary now envelops the media narrative  if you criticise the Modi government, then you could well be targeted as paid media, bikau, libtard, antinational presstitute; if, on the other hand, you endorse a government project or policy, then you might be under siege too; this time accused of having sold out to the establishment.

To be a newsman in this age of embedded journalism is to be pushed into taking sides when the situation calls for a firm, non-partisan assessment of objective realities. It is this striving to create a space for an independent opinion that has driven my political commentary ...

...

At the center of this news whirl is Mr Modi, a charismatic and controversial figure. He is the most powerful politician of his age, arguably the most dominant in post-Independence India, with the possible exception of Indira Gandhi in her pomp. A majority of Mr Modis cabinet ministers appear almost irrelevant ... In the past four years, Mr Modi as Prime Minister has been literally everywhere  from being lauded by non-resident Indians (NRIs) in New Yorks Madison Square to spending Diwali with soldiers in Siachen and, more recently, taking up fitness challenges on social media, not a day has passed when he hasnt been in the arc lights.

Keenly aware of fit being a hit: PM Narendra Modi taking the 'fitness challenge'. (Photo: Screengrab)

The energetic and combative persona comes with a rider: this is a Prime Minister who hasnt addressed a single press conference, has chosen to keep most journalists at arms length, prefers one-way communication over social media sites like Twitter and engages directly with his voters, either at large public rallies and grand events or through a monthly interaction on radio. In the Prime Ministers radio show, Mann Ki Baat, the Great Leader lectures, and the public must listen.

...

Take Mr Modis first Independence Day speech as Prime Minister from the Red Fort ramparts in August 2014.

This is where he unveiled his Swachh Bharat vision, making sanitation and toilet building integral to public-private partnership (PPP). This was also the rousing speech where he promised a nation fatigued with high-level corruption: Na khaoonga, na khane doonga (Neither will I accept bribe, nor will I allow anyone to do so). The oratorical flourishes were in sharp contrast to his predecessors staid recitation of government programmes.

He means business: Narendra Modi delivers speeches full of rhetorical power. (Photo: PIB)

Wearing a saffron Jodhpuri safa (turban), this was a Prime Minister as a demagogue using the occasion as a stirring call to action. For Dr Manmohan Singh, the Independence Day speech was a tedious annual ritual, whereas for Mr Modi it is an opportunity to capture eyeballs and set the political narrative.

...

And yet, the Prime Ministers big bang decisions, be it demonetisation or surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), suggest a risk-taking, muscular leadership ... Whether those risky, arguably unilateral, decisions that carry a stamp of authoritarianism have been beneficial to the country or not, is the subject of intense debate  demonetization, in particular, has clearly left Indias sprawling informal sector in some disarray, affecting job creation and business morale, with the original goal of moving to a cashless economy far from realised.

They're still waiting for change: People queued outside ATMs relatively patiently during demonetisation (2016). (Photo: PTI)

But each of these disruptive policy choices has undoubtedly given Mr Modi the popular image of a tough, decisive leader.

...

Sadly, the polarisation in politics is mirrored in ever-sharpening divides in our society Our newsrooms appear equally split wide open ... the core of our prime-time news debates revolves around divisive agendas of religion, identity and nationalism, with politically surcharged and flawed notions of Hindu victimhood and Muslim appeasement feeding on each other.

It is while engaging in toxic Hindu-Muslim and national versus anti-national arguments, driven by a rising Islamophobia, that one feels almost caged in a television (TV) news studio.

...

A reminder of the dangers of the lines between the medium and the message getting blurred by lethal hate agendas was bluntly brought home to me when I was covering the Karnataka elections in May 2018. While enjoying a delicious idli-vada breakfast in an Udupi restaurant in Bengalurus upscale Richmond Circle, I was accosted by a group of men who started to heckle me as Anti-Hindu while chanting, Modi ki jai (Hail Modi).

@sardesairajdeep is that you?Modi bhakt attacked @sardesairajdeep while having his food in banglore... pic.twitter.com/RBceNwK5h8  Aamir Khan ???? (@aamirDelhite) May 8, 2018

We later found out that the hecklers worked in leading infotech companies.

If these Bengaluru youth are a symbol of an aspirational and upwardly mobile, neo-middle class, then we must all worry about what impact this resurgent Hindu awakening will have on our social fabric.

Also read: What heckling of Rajdeep Sardesai in Karnataka says about peddlers of hate in Modi's India
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.
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
Midstates Petroleum Company, Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in the United States. The company's operations are primarily focused on exploration and production activities in the Mississippian Lime. As of December 31, 2018, its assets consisted of approximately 102,198 net acres in the Mississippian Lime trend in Woods and Alfalfa counties of Oklahoma. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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American Electric Power Co., Inc. engages in the business of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission & Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco and Generation & Marketing. The Vertically Integrated Utilities segment engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers through assets owned and operated by its subsidiaries. The Transmission & Distribution Utilities segment engages in the business of transmission and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers through assets owned and operated by its subsidiaries. The AEP Transmission Holdco segment engages in the development, construction and operation of transmission facilities through investments in its wholly-owned transmission subsidiaries and joint ventures. The Generation & Marketing segment engages in non-regulated generation and marketing, risk management and retail activities. The company was founded on December 20, 1906 and is headquartered in Columbus, OH.

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Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions

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Wall Street analysts have given Invesco S&P 500 BuyWrite 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 Invesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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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.

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Wall Street analysts have given SPDR Gold Shares 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 SPDR Gold Shares wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Wall Street analysts have given iShares Europe 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 Europe ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Brookfield Business Partners LP engages in owning and operating business services and industrial operations. It operates though the following segments: Business Services, Infrastructure Services, Industrial Operations, and Corporate and Other. The Business Services segment includes services such as residential mortgage insurance, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, real estate and construction, entertainment, financing, and other businesses. The Infrastructure Services segment consists of services to the nuclear power generation industry and offshore oil production industry: and access, forming, and shoring solutions and specialized services. The Industrial Operations segment deals with automotive batteries, graphite electrode, and other manufacturing; water and wastewater services: natural gas production and well servicing; and a variety of other industrial operations. The Corporate and Other segment comprises cash and liquidity management, and activities related to the management of the partnership's relationship with Brookfield. The company was founded on October 1, 2015 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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Inter Pipeline Ltd. engages in the petroleum transportation and storage, and natural gas liquids (NGL) processing businesses in Canada and Europe. The company operates through four segments: Oil Sands Transportation; Conventional Oil Pipelines; NGL Processing; and Bulk Liquid Storage. The Oil Sands Transportation segment transports petroleum products through Cold Lake, Corridor, and Polaris pipeline systems covering approximately 3,300 kilometers of pipeline and 3.8 million barrels of storage capacity; and related blending and handling services. The Conventional Oil Pipelines segment is involved in the transportation of crude oil through Bow River, Central Alberta, and Mid-Saskatchewan pipeline systems covering approximately 3,900 kilometers of pipeline and 1,635,000 barrels of storage capacity; and related blending, handling, and marketing activities. The NGL Processing segment processes pipeline natural gas to extract NGL, including ethane, propane, butane, and pentanes-plus; and fractionates NGL stream to produce ethane products and propane plus. These NGLs are used as energy products; and as a feedstock for the petrochemical and crude oil refining industries. The Bulk Liquid Storage segment engages in the storage and handling of bulk liquid products. This segment operates 8 bulk liquid storage terminals and approximately 19 million barrels of storage capacity. Inter Pipeline Ltd. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Wall Street analysts have given iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment offers deposit and credit products; individual life, and individual and group long-term care insurance; and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. It also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, portfolio and mutual fund management, mutual fund dealer, life and financial reinsurance, and fund management businesses. Additionally, the company holds and manages oil and gas properties; holds oil and gas royalties, and foreign bonds and equities; and provides investment management, counseling, advisory, and dealer services. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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The following companies are subsidiares of MetLife: 1001 PROPERTIES LLC, 10700 WILSHIRE LLC, 1201 TAB MANAGER LLC, 150 NORTH RIVERSIDE PE MEMBER LLC, 1925 WJC OWNER LLC, 23RD STREET INVESTMENTS INC., 500 GRANT STREET ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 500 GRANT STREET GP LLC, 60 11TH STREET LLC, 6104 HOLLYWOOD LLC, AFP GENESIS ADMINISTRADORA DE FONDOS Y FIDECOMISOS S.A., AFP PROVIDA S.A., AGENVITA S.R.L., ALICO EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LIMITED, ALICO HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, ALICO OPERATIONS LLC, ALICO PROPERTIES INC., AMMETLIFE INSURANCE BERHAD, AMMETLIFE TAKAFUL BERHAD, American Life Insurance Company, BEST MARKET S.A., BIDV METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, BLOCK VISION HOLDINGS CORPORATION, BLOCK VISION OF TEXAS INC., BORDERLAND INVESTMENTS LIMITED, BOULEVARD RESIDENTIAL LLC, BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER LLC, CC HOLDCO MANAGER LLC, CHESTNUT FLATS WIND LLC, CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY MASTER D, COMPANIA INVERSORA METLIFE S.A., CORPORATE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC, COVA LIFE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DAVIS VISION INC., DAVISVISION IPA INC., DELAWARE AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, DES MOINES CREEK BUSINESS PARK PHASE II LLC, ECONOMY FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY, ECONOMY PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, ECONOMY PREMIER ASSURANCE COMPANY, EURO CL INVESTMENTS LLC, EXCELENCIA OPERATIVA Y TECNOLOGICA S.A de C.V., FEDERAL FLOOD CERTIFICATION LLC, FORTISSIMO CO. 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BHD, METLIFE ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., METLIFE ASSIGNMENT COMPANY INC., METLIFE AUTO & HOME INSURANCE AGENCY INC., METLIFE BL FEEDER, METLIFE BL FEEDER LP, METLIFE BORO STATION MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CABO HILTON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAMINO RAMON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAPITAL CREDIT L.P., METLIFE CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST IV, METLIFE CB W/A LLC, METLIFE CC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CHILE ADMINISTRADORA DE MUTUOS HIPOTECARIOS S.A., METLIFE CHILE INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS DE VIDA S.A., METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS GENERALES S.A., METLIFE CHINO MEMBER LLC, METLIFE COLOMBIA SEGUROS de VIDA S.A., METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND GP LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND LP, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE REIT LLC, METLIFE CONSQUARE MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CONSUMER SERVICES INC., METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND LP, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY REIT LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY TRS. LLC, METLIFE CREDIT CORP., METLIFE DIGITAL VENTURES INC., METLIFE EMEKLILIK VE HAYAT A.S., METLIFE EMERGING MARKET DEBT BLEND FUND, METLIFE EU HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE INSURANCE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LLC., METLIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES CO. LTD, METLIFE FM HOTEL MEMBER LLC, METLIFE FUNDING INC., METLIFE GENERAL INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE GLOBAL BENEFITS LTD., METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY I GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY II GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION S.A. De C.V., METLIFE GLOBAL INC., METLIFE GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE GROUP INC., METLIFE HCMJV 1 GP LLC, METLIFE HCMJV 1 LP LLC, METLIFE HEALTH PLANS INC., METLIFE HOLDINGS INC., METLIFE HOME LOANS LLC, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE LIMITED, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE PTE. LTD., METLIFE INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT TRUST, METLIFE INSURANCE BROKERAGE INC., METLIFE INSURANCE K.K., METLIFE INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HF PARTNERS LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND I LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND II LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND III LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND IV LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND V LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VI LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VII LP, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENTS ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS PTY LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS SECURITIES LLC, METLIFE INVESTORS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, METLIFE INVESTORS GROUP LLC, METLIFE IRELAND TREASURY D.A.C., METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND LP, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS LLC, METLIFE LATIN AMERICA ASESORIAS E INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE LEGAL PLANS INC., METLIFE LEGAL PLANS OF FLORIDA INC., METLIFE LHH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE S.A., METLIFE LOAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE MAS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MEMBER SOLAIRE LLC, METLIFE MEXICO HOLDINGS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO S.A., METLIFE MEXICO SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT GP LLC, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL GP LLC, METLIFE MULTI-FAMILY PARTNERS III LLC, METLIFE MUTUAL FUND COMPANY, METLIFE OBS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE OFC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ONTARIO STREET MEMBR LLC, METLIFE PARK TOWER MEMBER LLC, METLIFE PENSION TRUSTEES LIMITED, METLIFE PENSIONES MEXICO S.A., METLIFE PET INSURANCE SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE PLANOS ODONTOLOGICOS LTDA., METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARTZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A., METLIFE PRIVATE EQUITY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE PROPERTIES VENTURES LLC, METLIFE RC SF MEMBER LLC, METLIFE REAL ESTATE LENDING LLC, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF BERMUDA LTD., METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF CHARLESTON, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF VERMONT, METLIFE RETIREMENT SERVICES LLC, METLIFE SAENGMYOUNG INSURANCE COMPANY LTD., METLIFE SECURITIZATION DEPOSITOR LLC, METLIFE SEGUROS S.A., METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FINCO LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FUND LP, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING GP LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING HOLDINGS LP, METLIFE SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE SERVICES CYPRUS LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EAST PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EEIG, METLIFE SERVICES EOOD, METLIFE SERVICES SOCIEDAD LIMITADA, METLIFE SERVICES SP Z.O.O, METLIFE SERVICIOS S.A., METLIFE SLOVAKIA S.R.O. 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LTD., METLIFE SOLUTIONS S.A.S., METLIFE SP HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN FUND SCSP, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN LUX GP S.A.R.L., METLIFE THR INVESTOR LLC, METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO FUNDUSZY INWESTYCYJNYCH S.A., METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEN NA ZYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A., METLIFE TOWER RESOURCES GROUP INC., METLIFE TREAT TOWERS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, METROPOLITAN CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN DIRECT PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC., METROPOLITAN GROUP PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE SEGUROS E PREVIDENCIA PRIVADA S.A., METROPOLITAN LIFE SOCIETATE de ADMINISTRARE a UNUI FOND de PENSII ADMINISTRAT PRIVAT S.A., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INC., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INSURANCE COMPANY OF TEXAS, METROPOLITAN PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER REALTY COMPANY INC., MEX DF PROPERTIES LLC, MFA FINANCING VEHICLE CTR1 LLC, MIDTOWN HEIGHTS LLC, MIM CLAL GENERAL PARTNER LLC, MIM EMD GP LLC, MIM I LLC, MIM METWEST INTERNATIONAL MANAGER LLC, MIM ML-AI VENTURE 5 MANAGER LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF GEORGIA 1 LLC, MIM THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MANAGER LLC, MISSOURI REINSURANCE INC., ML - URS PORT CHESTER SC MANAGER LLC, ML 300 THIRD MEMBER LLC, ML ARMATURE MEMBER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MANAGER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MEMBER LLC, ML BRIDGESIDE APARTMENTS LLC, ML CAPACITACION COMERCIAL S.A. DE C.V., ML CERRITOS TC MEMBER LLC, ML CLAL MEMBER LLC, ML DOLPHIN GP LLC, ML DOLPHIN MEZZ LLC, ML MATSON MILLS MEMBER LLC, ML MILILANI MEMBER LLC, ML ONE BEDMINSTER LLC, ML PORT CHESTER SC MEMBER LLC, ML SENTINEL SQUARE MEMBER LLC, ML SLOANS LAKE MEMEBR LLC, ML SOUTHLANDS MEMBER LLC, ML SOUTHMORE LLC, ML SWAN GP LLC, ML SWAN MEZZ LLC, ML TERRACES LLC, ML THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, ML VENTURE 1 MANAGER S. DE R. L. DE C.V., ML VENTURE 1 SERVICER LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 1 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 2 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 3 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 4 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 5 LLC, MLIA MANAGER I LLC, MLIA PARK TOWER MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF COLONY MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF MANAGER LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS II LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS LLC, MLIC CB HOLDINGS LLC, MLJ US FEEDER LLC, MM GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER S.A. 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Moscow closely monitors recent events in Armenia. Deputy head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, Konstantin Zatulin, believes that Yerevan's decision to withdraw the current CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov does nothing good, since this way new Armenian authorities try to settle scores with former leadership of the country, including former President Robert Kocharian.

Commenting on this and other statements of Zatulin, political scientist and expert on Caucasus, Andrei Epifantsev, wrote on his Facebook page that Zatulin is a man known for defending Armenia's positions: "He had excellent relations with almost all previous Armenian leaders and a huge number of high level officials. And now he openly threatens Armenia, saying that Russia may revise its position in the field of military cooperation with that country. At the same time, I can't say that this is his position as a statesman. As soon as Armenia's course goes against Russia's policy, Zatulin shows that his attitude towards this country can change. By the way, we saw something similar from him earlier with Abkhazia. Another signal that shows that Moscow is irritated by Yerevan's actions is that our large Armenian lobby in the media and expert community stays silent this time."

Recall that in late July, the Special Investigation Service of Armenia initiated criminal case against the CSTO Secretary General Yury Khachaturov for going against constitution during dispersal of protest actions, held on March 1, 2008. Yerevan court released Khachaturov on bail, and the CSTO partner states were asked to begin the process of changing organization's secretary general. CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov said that representative of Armenia will continue to hold this post until January 1, 2020.

Yepifantsev was surprised by this position of the CSTO leadership. He said that Yerevan ignored the CSTO Charter and the Chisinau agreement on legal status of this organization. In addition, Yerevan completely ignored its own promise to only invite Khachaturov as a witness, not as someone who's being accused. Expert believes that this way Yerevan shows that it doesn't care about the CSTO, international law and its own signatures under documents, as well as about Moscow's concerns about this situation.

Meanwhile, head of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan said in an interview with Kommersant that current events in Armenia can't be projected on country's foreign policy priorities: "Current developments in Armenian can be seen as a logical result of Armenian internal political process. It must be viewed in the context of relations between newly arrived elites and old elites. These developments don't have foreign policy component, but their consequences are not always well calculated."

Yepifantsev considers this position a usual, traditional explanation, used by Armenian side: "He basically says: We act based on our national interests, it's none of your business. This explanation has been used for years on many occasions. If we continue to 'understand and forgive', like some experts proposed, we will continue to face new demands from Yerevan... I think we must respond to such things accordingly. It doesn't have to be a radical response, such as expulsion of Armenia from the CSTO, but maybe we should give the Secretary General post to another country, stop giving Armenia new loans for military needs, publicly resume sale of the most advanced heavy weapons to Baku, actively go against Pashinyan's proposal to introduce Karabakh as a separate side in the Minsk negotiation process... I think it would be a right thing to do and it can help to resolve this situation. And then Armenians can decide how will they act next time: based on their own domestic political interest, or according to their obligations."
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. engages in global investment banking, securities, and investment management, which provides financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. The Investment Banking segment serves public and private sector clients around the world and provides financial advisory services, help companies raise capital to strengthen and grow their businesses and provide financing to corporate clients. The Global Markets segment serves its clients who buy and sell financial products, funding and manage risk. The Asset Management segment provides investment services to help clients preserve and grow their financial assets. The Consumer & Wealth Management segment helps clients to achieve their individual financial goals by providing a wealth advisory and banking services. The company was founded by Marcus Goldman in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Wall Street analysts have given Vanguard FTSE Europe 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 Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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After several years of high-level consultations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally hinted that Russia would organize its first Russia-Africa Summit of African leaders and Ministers to roll out a comprehensive strategic road map outlining concrete economic sectors for investment, issues relating to trade and culture for Africa.

As EurasiaReview writes in the article Putin Hints Russia Could Organize Africa Summit  OpEd, addressing a group of invited African leaders at 2018 BRICS Summit on July 27 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Putin told the gathering I would like to inform you that we are studying the idea of holding a Russia-Africa summit with the participation of Heads of African states. This could be preceded by meetings of prominent businessmen, policy experts and public figures. And I intend to discuss this with representatives of African countries.

He did not provide specific dates or any further details about the proposed summit, but strongly acknowledged that Russia has always given priority to the development of relations with African countries, based on long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual assistance, and Africa has now emerged as the worlds most rapidly developing regions.

The leaders of African countries who attended his special meeting came from Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Gabon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has earlier said in interview with the Hommes dAfrique magazine that At present, Russias relations with African countries were progressing both on a bilateral basis and along the line of African regional organisations, primarily the African Union and the Southern African Development Community. He noted Russia has maintained an intensive political dialogue with African countries on one hand and on other side, representatives from African countries are active participants in international forums hosted by Russia.

Our African friends note the need for Russias active presence in the region, and more frequently express their interest in holding a Russia-Africa summit. Such a meeting would undoubtedly help deepen our cooperation on the full range of issues, he explained.

However, it is necessary to bear in mind that arranging an event of such a scale with the participation of over fifty heads of state and government requires most careful preparation, including in terms of its substantive content, Lavrov further argued.

As such, specific Russian participants in bilateral or multilateral cooperation should be identified, which are not only committed to long-term cooperation but are also ready for large-scale investments in the African markets with account of possible risks and high competition. Equally important is African businesspeople who are looking to work on the Russian market, the Foreign Minister elaborated in his discussion.

Definitely, time was needed to solve all those issues, Lavrov said and suggested, both Russia and Africa could start with experts meetings, for example, within the framework of the St Petersburg Economic Forum or the Valdai forum and other economic cum business related events where business leaders participate. He assertively promised that Russia would do its best to raise trade and economic ties to a high level of political cooperation. Currently, Russias trade with Sub-Saharan countries amounted to $3.6 billion in 2017, compared to $3.3 billion in 2016 and $2.2 billion in 2015.

Maxim Chereshnev, the Chairman of the Board of the Council for the Development of Foreign Trade and International Economic Relations also noted that Russia and African states have a long story of relations. But, what is very important today is the fact that new opportunities are arising for small and medium enterprises in Russia and Africa for their collaboration. According to him, nowadays perspectives of business contacts between Russian and African business are actually underestimated, however, there are a huge number of opportunities. For instance, agricultural, high-tech, medicine, energy-saving technologies, logistics and infrastructure projects are really perspective for strengthening Russia-African economic cooperation.

The Russia-Africa summit, would therefore, highlight favorable conditions for active business interaction, participating Russians and Africans establish closer contacts and continue cooperating in key sectors of the economy of both regions. Hence the significance of the proposed summit.

As Professor David Shinn, an Adjunct Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia (1996-99) and Burkina Faso (1987-90), wrote in an email to GNA, Russian governments weakness for investing or boosting economic cooperation compared to many foreign countries has been primarily the question of project financing in Africa. As authorities have always explained Russia has its own priorities, and Africa is a priority for Russia but its Russias own priority to determine the pace and how to raise economic presence in Africa.

As already publicly known, all previous summits held by many foreign countries with Africa, there were concrete financial packages earmarked towards infrastructure development and concrete ways to improve bilateral trade with African countries. From Russias perspective, there are undeniably important geopolitical implications working with Africa. Nevertheless, Russias efforts in the region have been limited thus far which many experts and researchers have attributed to lack of a system of financing policy projects.
The following companies are subsidiares of Eaton: ADF Systems SARL, Abeiron III Limited, Aeroquip (UK) Limited, Aeroquip Financial Ltd., Aeroquip Iberica S.L., Aeroquip International Inc., Aeroquip Limited, Aeroquip do Brasil Ltda., Aeroquip-Vickers, Aeroquip-Vickers Canada Inc., Aeroquip-Vickers International S.a.r.L., Aphel Technologies, Argo-Tech, Arrow Hose & Tubing, Arrow-Hart S. de R.L. de C.V., Azonix Corporation, Babco Electric Group, Beijing Internormen-Filter Ltd. Co., Beijing Yoosung Shinhwa Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Blinda Industria e Comercio Ltda., Bussmann International Holdings LLC, Bussmann International Inc., Bussmann S. de R.L. de C.V., Bussmann do Brasil Ltda., CBE Services Inc., CEAG Notlichtsysteme GmbH, CI ESI de Colombia, CTI-VIENNA Gesellschaft zur Prufung elektrotechnischer Industrieprodukte GmbH, Cambridge International Insurance Company Ltd., Cannon Technologies Inc., Centralion Industrial Inc., Chagrin Highlands III Limited, Cobham, Componentes de Iluminacion S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper (China) Co. Ltd., Cooper (Ningbo) Electric Co. Ltd., Cooper B-Line Inc., Cooper Bermuda Investments Ltd., Cooper Bussmann (U.K.) Limited, Cooper Bussmann Hungaria Kft., Cooper Bussmann LLC, Cooper Capri S.A.S., Cooper Colombia Investments Ltd., Cooper Controls (Watford) Limited, Cooper Controls Limited, Cooper Crouse-Hinds (LLC), Cooper Crouse-Hinds (UK) Ltd., Cooper Crouse-Hinds AS, Cooper Crouse-Hinds B.V., Cooper Crouse-Hinds GmbH, Cooper Crouse-Hinds LLC, Cooper Crouse-Hinds MTL Inc., Cooper Crouse-Hinds Pte. Ltd., Cooper Crouse-Hinds S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Crouse-Hinds S.A., Cooper Csa Srl, Cooper Edison (Pingdingshan) Electronic Technologies Co. Ltd., Cooper Electric (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Cooper Electrical Australia Pty. Limited, Cooper Electrical International LLC, Cooper Electronic Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cooper Enterprises LLC, Cooper Finance (Canada) L.P., Cooper Finance Group Ltd., Cooper Finance USA Inc., Cooper Germany Holdings GmbH, Cooper India Private Limited, Cooper Industrials, Cooper Industries (Canada) Inc., Cooper Industries (Electrical) Inc., Cooper Industries Colombia S.A.S., Cooper Industries FZE, Cooper Industries Finance B.V., Cooper Industries Finanzierungs-GbR, Cooper Industries Global B.V., Cooper Industries Holdings (Canada) Inc., Cooper Industries Holdings GmbH, Cooper Industries International LLC, Cooper Industries Japan K.K., Cooper Industries LLC, Cooper Industries Malaysia SDN BHD, Cooper Industries Middle East LLC, Cooper Industries Poland LLC, Cooper Industries Romania SRL, Cooper Industries Russia LLC, Cooper Industries Trading Limited, Cooper Industries UK Subco Limited, Cooper Industries Unlimited Company, Cooper Industries Vietnam LLC, Cooper Interconnect, Cooper International Holdings S.a.r.l., Cooper Investment Group Ltd., Cooper Investment Group S a.r.l., Cooper Investments Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Cooper Korea Ltd., Cooper Lighting LLC, Cooper Lighting de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Menvier France SARL, Cooper Mexico Distribucion S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Netherlands Investments Ltd., Cooper Notification Inc., Cooper Offshore Holdings S.a.r.l., Cooper Power Systems LLC, Cooper Power Systems do Brasil Ltda., Cooper Pretronica Lda., Cooper Safety B.V., Cooper Securite S.A.S., Cooper Security Limited, Cooper Shanghai Power Capacitor Co. Ltd., Cooper Switzerland Investments Ltd., Cooper Technologies Company, Cooper Univel S.A., Cooper Wheelock Inc., Cooper Wiring Devices Inc., Cooper Wiring Devices Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Wiring Devices de Mexico S.A de C.V., Cooper Xi'an Fusegear Co. Ltd., Cooper Yuhua (Changzhou) Electric Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Copperlogic, Cutler-Hammer Electrical Company, Cutler-Hammer Industries Ltd., Cutler-Hammer SRL, Cyme International T & D Inc., D.P. Eaton Electric, Digital Lighting (Dong Guan) Co. Ltd., Digital Lighting Co. Limited, Digital Lighting Holdings Limited, Dongguan Cooper Electronics Co. Ltd., Dongguan Fu Li An Electronics Co. Ltd., Dongguan Wiring Devices Electronics Co. Ltd., E. Begerow, E.A. Pedersen Co., EIC Holding GP I, EIC Holding GP II, EIC Holding GP III, EIC Holding GP IV, EIC Holding I LLC, EIC Holding II LLC, EIC Holding III LLC, EIC Holding IV LLC, EIC Holding V LLC, EIC Holding VI LLC, ETN Asia International Limited, ETN Holding 1 Limited, ETN Holding 2 Limited, ETN Holding 3 Limited, EX Innovations Limited, Eaton (China) Investments Co. Ltd., Eaton Aeroquip, Eaton Aerospace LLC, Eaton Ann Arbor LLC, Eaton Asia Investments Corporation, Eaton Automation G.m.b.H, Eaton Automation Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Automotive Components Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Automotive Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Automotive Systems Spolka z.o.o., Eaton B.V., Eaton C.V., Eaton CHB LLC, Eaton Capital Unlimited Co., Eaton Controls (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Eaton Controls (UK) Limited, Eaton Controls S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Corporation, Eaton ETN Offshore Company, Eaton ETN Offshore II Company, Eaton Electric, Eaton Electric & Engineering Services Limited, Eaton Electric (Japan) Ltd., Eaton Electric (South Africa) Pty Ltd., Eaton Electric (Thailand) Ltd., Eaton Electric AS, Eaton Electric ApS, Eaton Electric Company Ltd., Eaton Electric G.m.b.H., Eaton Electric Holdings LLC, Eaton Electric Limited, Eaton Electric Manufacturing Middle East LLC, Eaton Electric S.I.A., Eaton Electric S.a.r.l., Eaton Electric S.r.l., Eaton Electric SPRL, Eaton Electric Sales Ltd., Eaton Electric Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Electric d.o.o., Eaton Electric s.r.o., Eaton Electric s.r.o. (Slovak Republic), Eaton Electrical (Zhongshan) Co. Ltd., Eaton Electrical Equipment Co. Ltd., Eaton Electrical IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Electrical Ltd., Eaton Electrical Products Limited, Eaton Electrical S.A., Eaton Electrical S.A. (Venezuela), Eaton Electrical Systems Limited, Eaton Electro Productie S.r.l., Eaton Elektrik Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Eaton Elektrotechnika s.r.o., Eaton Energy Solutions Inc., Eaton Enterprises (Hungary) Kft., Eaton Enterprises Limited, Eaton Enterprises S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton FZE, Eaton Filtration, Eaton Filtration (Denmark) ApS, Eaton Filtration (Italy) S.r.l., Eaton Filtration (Poland) Sp. z.o.o., Eaton Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Filtration BVBA, Eaton Finance (Ireland) Limited, Eaton Finance S.a.r.l., Eaton Fluid Power (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Fluid Power Limited, Eaton Fluid Power S.r.l., Eaton France Holding S.A.S., Eaton Germany G.m.b.H., Eaton GmbH & Co. KG, Eaton Holding (Austria) G.m.b.H., Eaton Holding (Netherlands) B.V., Eaton Holding (UK) II Limited, Eaton Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Holding I B.V., Eaton Holding I Limited, Eaton Holding II LLC, Eaton Holding II Limited, Eaton Holding II S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding III B.V., Eaton Holding III Limited, Eaton Holding III S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding IV S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding IX S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding International LLC, Eaton Holding LLC, Eaton Holding Limited, Eaton Holding S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding SE & Co. KG, Eaton Holding SRL, Eaton Holding V B.V., Eaton Holding V S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding VI B.V., Eaton Holding VI S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding VII B.V., Eaton Holding VIII S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding X S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding XII B.V./S.a.r.l., Eaton Holec AB, Eaton Holec OY, Eaton Hydraulics (Luzhou) Co. Ltd., Eaton Hydraulics (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Eaton Hydraulics (Proprietary) Limited, Eaton Hydraulics LLC, Eaton Hydraulics Systems (Jining) Co. Ltd., Eaton I Spolka z.o.o., Eaton II LP, Eaton III LP, Eaton IV LP, Eaton India Innovation Center LLP, Eaton Industrial Clutches and Brakes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industrial Corporation, Eaton Industrial IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Industrial Systems Private Limited, Eaton Industries (Argentina) S.A., Eaton Industries (Austria) G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries (Belgium) BVBA, Eaton Industries (Canada) Company, Eaton Industries (Chile) S.p.A., Eaton Industries (Colombia) S.A.S., Eaton Industries (Egypt) LLC, Eaton Industries (England) Limited, Eaton Industries (France) S.A.S., Eaton Industries (Ireland) Ltimited, Eaton Industries (Israel) Ltd., Eaton Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Eaton Industries (Japan) Ltd., Eaton Industries (Jining) Co. Ltd, Eaton Industries (Korea) Limited, Eaton Industries (Luxembourg) B.V./S.a.r.l., Eaton Industries (Morocco) LLC, Eaton Industries (Netherlands) B.V., Eaton Industries (Philippines) LLC, Eaton Industries (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industries (Spain) S.L., Eaton Industries (Thailand) Ltd., Eaton Industries (U.K.) Limited, Eaton Industries (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industries Company, Eaton Industries EOOD, Eaton Industries G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Holdings Ltd., Eaton Industries II G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries KFT, Eaton Industries LP, Eaton Industries Manufacturing G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Panama S.A., Eaton Industries Pte. Ltd., Eaton Industries Pty. Ltd., Eaton Industries S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Industries SAC, Eaton Industries Sdn. Bhd., Eaton Industries s.r.o., Eaton International B.V., Eaton International Corporation, Eaton International Industries Nigeria Limited, Eaton Japan Co. Ltd., Eaton LLC, Eaton LP, Eaton Leasing Corporation, Eaton Ltda., Eaton MEDC Limited, Eaton Madeira SGPS Lda., Eaton Manufacturing G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing II G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing III G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing LP, Eaton Middle East LLC, Eaton Moeller B.V., Eaton Moeller S.a.r.l., Eaton Phoenixtec MMPL Co. Ltd., Eaton Power Quality (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Power Quality AB, Eaton Power Quality Limited, Eaton Power Quality OY (Finland), Eaton Power Quality Private Limited, Eaton Power Quality S.A.S., Eaton Power Solution Ltda., Eaton Production International G.m.b.H., Eaton Protection Systems IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton S.A.S., Eaton S.r.l., Eaton SAMC (Shanghai) Aircraft Conveyance System, Eaton SE, Eaton Safety IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Safety Limited, Eaton Senstar Automotive Fluid Connector (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Services S.a.r.l., Eaton Solutions S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Switzerland Holding I GmbH, Eaton Switzerland Holding II GmbH, Eaton Technologies (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Eaton Technologies G.m.b.H., Eaton Technologies IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Technologies Private Limited, Eaton Technologies S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Technologies S.A., Eaton Trading Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Truck Components (Proprietary) Ltd., Eaton Truck Components S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Truck Components Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Truck and Bus Components (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton US Holdings Inc., Eaton Worldwide LLC, Eaton-Powerware, Electromanufacturas S de R.L. de C.V., Electrum Group Ltd., Elpro Technologies Pty. Limited, Ephesus Lighting, Ephesus Lighting Inc., FHF Bergbautechnik GmbH & Co. KG, FHF Funke+Huster Fernsig GmbH, FHF New World GmbH, Fast Eaton (Xi'an) Drivetrain Company Ltd., Fifth Light Technology Ltd., Funke+Huster (Tianjin) Electronics Co. Ltd., Funke+Huster GmbH, GeCma Components electronic GmbH, Georgetown Financial Services Ltd., Gitiesse Asia Pte. Ltd., Gitiesse S.r.l., Green Holding Company, Green Motion, Guangzhou Nittan Valve Co. Ltd., Hein Moeller Stiftung G.m.b.H., Hernis Scan System do Brasil Comercio E Servicos LTDA, Hernis Scan Systems - Asia Pte. Ltd., Hernis Scan Systems A/S, IE Power, Illumination Management Solutions Inc., Iluminacion Cooper de las Californias S de R.L. de C.V., Innovative Switchgear Solutions Inc, Institute for International Product Safety G.m.b.H., Integrated Hydraulics, Integrated Partial Discharge Diagnostics, Intelligent Switchgear Organization LLC, Internormen Filters Private Limited, Internormen Technology, Jeil Hydraulics, Kaicheng Funke+Huster (Tangshan) Mining Electrical Co. Ltd., Lian Zheng Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., MP Group SAS, MTL Instruments (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, MTL Instruments B.V., MTL Instruments GmbH, MTL Instruments LLC, MTL Instruments Private Limited, MTL Instruments SARL, MTL Italia Srl, MTL Partners II Inc., MTL Partners Inc., Marina Power and Lighting, Martek Power F SAS, Martek Power GmbH, Martek Power Limited, Martek Power Limited (UK), Martek Power S.A. de C.V., Martek Power SA, McGraw-Edison Development Corporation, Measurement Technology Limited, Menvier Overseas Holdings Limited, Micro Innovation Holding, Moeller Electric (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Moeller Electric Ltda., Moeller Electrical Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Moeller Holding Gmbh & Co. KG, Moeller Industria de electro-electronicos do Amazonas Ltda., Morestana, Nittan BVI Co. Ltd., Nittan Euro Tech Spolka z o.o., Nittan Global Tech Co. Ltd., Nittan Valve Co. Ltd., Norex AS, Ocean Technical Systems Limited, Oxalis Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Oxalis Group, Oxalis Group Limited, PKL LLC, PT. Eaton Industries, PT. Fluid Sciences Batam, PerkinElmer - aerospace division, Phoenixtec Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Phoenixtec International Corp., Phoenixtec Power, Pigozzi, Polaron Components Limited, Polimer Hortum Teknolojileri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi Ve Pazarlama, Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi ve Pazarlama A.S., Power Distribution, Pringle Electrical Manufacturing, Productos Eaton Livia S.L., Pulizzi Engineering, RTE Far East Corporation, RTK Instruments Limited, Riseson International Limited, Rizhao Yoosung Shinhwa Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Rolec Comercial e Industrial, SOURIAU, Santak Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Santak Electronics Company Limited, Saturn Insurance Company Ltd., Scantronic Benelux B.V., Schreder-Hazemeyer, Scoremax Limited, Sefelec GmbH, Sefelec SAS, Semelec SAS, Senyuan International Holdings Limited, Senyuan International Investments Limited, Shinhwa Precision Co. Ltd., Shinhwa Takahashi Precision Co. Ltd., Silver Light International Limited, Silver Victory Hong Kong Limited, Standard Automation & Control LP, Sure Power Inc., TGM Automotiva, TT (Ireland) Acquisition Limited, Tai Ah Electrical Ltd., Taiwan Nittan Industrial Co. Ltd., Telkom Kenya, The MTL Instruments Group Limited, The Oxalis Protection Technology India Private Limited, Tractech, Tractech (Ireland) Limited, Tractech Industries (Ireland) Limted, Tripp Lite, Turlock B.V., Tuthill Coupling Group, U.S. Engine Valve Company, UPE Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Ultronics, Ultronics Nordic Sales AB, Ulusoy, Vickers International Inc., Vickers Systems Limited, Viking Electronics Inc., WPI-Boston Division Inc., Winner Hydraulics Ltd., Wireless Power and Communications AS, Wright Line, Wright Line Holding Inc., Wright Line LLC, and Zhenjiang Daqo Eaton Electrical Systems Co. Ltd..
The following companies are subsidiares of BlackRock: Acero Cooperatief U.A., Acero Holdings I B.V., Amethyst Merger Sub LLC, AnalytX Hosting LLC, AnalytX LLC, AnalytX Software LLC, Aperio, Aperio, Aquila Heywood, Asia-Pacific Private Credit Opportunities Fund I (GenPar) Ltd., BAA Holdings LLC, BFM Holdco LLC, BLK (Gallatin) Holdings LLC, BLK SMI LLC, BR Acquisition Mexico S.A. de C.V., BR Jersey International Holdings L.P., Beijing eFront Software Company Limited, BlackRock (Barbados) Finco 1 SRL, BlackRock (Channel Islands) Limited, BlackRock (Luxembourg) S.A., BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco II Pte. Ltd., BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Limited, BlackRock (Singapore) Limited, BlackRock AP Investment Holdco LLC, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, BlackRock Advisors LLC, BlackRock Advisors Singapore Pte. Limited, BlackRock Alternative Advisors GP Holdings LLC, BlackRock Alternatives Management LLC, BlackRock Argentina Asesorias Ltda., BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG, BlackRock Asset Management International Inc., BlackRock Asset Management Investor Services Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Asset Management UK Limited, BlackRock Australia Holdco Pty. Ltd., BlackRock Brasil Gestora de Investimentos Ltda., BlackRock Cal 1 Investor LLC, BlackRock Canada Holdings LP, BlackRock Canada Holdings ULC, BlackRock Capital Holdings Inc., BlackRock Capital Investment Advisors LLC, BlackRock Capital Management Inc., BlackRock Cayco Limited, BlackRock Cayman 1 LP, BlackRock Cayman Capital Holdings Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco 2 Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco 3 Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay IV Limited, BlackRock Cayman Z Limited, BlackRock Channel Islands Holdco Limited, BlackRock Chile Asesorias Limitada, BlackRock Colombia Holdco LLC, BlackRock Colombia Infraestructura S.A.S., BlackRock Colombia SAS, BlackRock Company Secretarial Services (UK) Limited, BlackRock Corporation US Inc., BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc., BlackRock Enterprise Management Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Europe Development Management Limited, BlackRock Execution Services, BlackRock Finance Europe Limited, BlackRock Financial Management Inc., BlackRock Finco LLC, BlackRock Finco UK Ltd., BlackRock First Partner Limited, BlackRock France SAS, BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Fund Management Company S.A., BlackRock Fund Managers Limited, BlackRock Funding International Ltd., BlackRock Funds Services Group LLC, BlackRock Germany GmBH, BlackRock Group Limited, BlackRock HK Holdco Limited, BlackRock Holdco 2 Inc., BlackRock Holdco 3 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 4 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 5 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 6 LLC, BlackRock Hungary Kft, BlackRock Index Services LLC, BlackRock Infrastructure Management I LLC, BlackRock Institutional Services Inc., BlackRock Institutional Trust Company National Association, BlackRock International Holdings Inc., BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Dublin) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Korea) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Investment Management (Taiwan) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management Ireland Holdings Limited, BlackRock Investment Management LLC, BlackRock Investments LLC, BlackRock Japan Co. Ltd., BlackRock Japan Holdings GK, BlackRock Jersey Finco 2 Limited, BlackRock Latin America Holdco LLC, BlackRock Latin American Holdings B.V., BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock Lux Finco S.a r.l., BlackRock Luxembourg Holdco S.a r.l., BlackRock Mexican Holdco B.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura I S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura II S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura III S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager II S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager III S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager S de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Operadora S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, BlackRock Mortgage Ventures LLC, BlackRock Niagara LLC, BlackRock Operations (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., BlackRock Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock PC Holdings LLC, BlackRock Pensions Limited, BlackRock Peru Asesorias S.A., BlackRock Property Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Property France S.a.r.l., BlackRock Property Lux S.a.r.l., BlackRock Property Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., BlackRock Realty Advisors Inc., BlackRock Saudi Arabia, BlackRock Scale Holdings LLC, BlackRock Services India Private Limited, BlackRock Singapore III Pte. Ltd., BlackRock Slovakia s.r.o., BlackRock Strategic Investors GP LLC, BlackRock Strategic Investors LP, BlackRock Trident Holding Company Limited, BlackRock UK (Alpha) Limited, BlackRock UK (Beta) Limited, BlackRock UK (Delta) LP, BlackRock UK (Gamma) Limited, BlackRock UK (Sigma) Limited, BlackRock UK 2 LLP, BlackRock UK 3 LLP, BlackRock UK 4 LLP, BlackRock UK A LLP, BlackRock UK Holdco 2 Limited, BlackRock UK Holdco Limited, Blackhawk Investment Holding LLC, CIE Automotive, Cachematrix Holdings, Cachematrix Holdings LLC, Cachematrix Integrations Private Limited, Cachematrix Software Solutions LLC, Cachematrix UK Limited, FutureAdvisor Inc., Glass Mountain Pipeline, Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Advisors LLC, Global Energy & Power Infrastructure II Advisors LLC, Grosvenor Alternate Partner Limited, Grosvenor Ventures Limited, HLX Financial Holdings LLC, MGPA (Bermuda) Limited, MGPA (Exec) Limited, MGPA Limited, Mercury Carry Company Ltd., Mercury Private Equity MUST 3 (Jersey) Limited, Object Capital Technology Inc., Phoenix Acquisition B.V., Phoenix Acquisitions Holdings LLC, Portfolio Administration & Management Ltd., Prestadora de Servicios Integrales BlackRock Mexico S.A. de C.V., SVOF/MM LLC, St. Albans House Nominees (Jersey) Ltd., State Street Research & Management, Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC, Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC, Tlali Acero S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Trident Merger LLC, eFront, eFront, eFront (Jersey) Limited, eFront DMLT Holdings LLC, eFront DMLT Holdings S.R.L, eFront DR S.R.L, eFront Do Brasil Solucoes Informaticas Para Sistemas Financeiros Ltda., eFront FZ-LLC, eFront Financial Solutions Inc., eFront GmbH, eFront Holding II SAS, eFront Holdings SAS, eFront Hong Kong Limited, eFront II SAS, eFront Kabushiki Kaisha, eFront Ltd, eFront SAS, eFront Singapore Pte. Ltd, eFront Software Luxembourg S.a r.l., eFront Solutions Financeieres Inc., eFront d.o.o. Beograd, iShares (DE) I Investmentaktiengesellschaft mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, and iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC.
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Uzbekistan becomes a magnet for foreign investment in Central Asia. Japan announced its intention to expand its economic presence in this Central Asian country. Tashkent hosted a business forum, attended by heads of more than 50 leading companies and private entrepreneurs from Japan.

"The reforms carried out in Uzbekistan and the creation of an attractive environment for investors play an important role in increasing the investment flow," deputy of the lower house of the Japanese parliament Keisuke Suzuki said. "This forum will open new dimensions in cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan, as well as will promote the achievement of beneficial agreements and the development of ties between our countries."

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. However, Japan is a long-standing economic partner of Uzbekistan. Ten enterprises with the participation of Japanese investments operate in the republic. The main areas of their activities are oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical industries, production of power equipment, machine-building and engineering products, provision of transport and logistics services, trade operations, tourism and others. Representative offices of 15 firms and companies of Japan are accredited in Uzbekistan.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave boost to the development of economic relations in October last year. He visited Uzbekistan and other countries of Central Asia. During his October 2015 visit, agreements worth $27 billion were signed. Not all of them were realized, but Japan's interest in Uzbekistan has not been lost. (Japan ready to compete with China in Central Asia - VK).

The Uzbek-Japanese business forum is a common practice in the relations between the countries that develop cooperation with the aim of strategic partnership. So far it has not provided any grounds for deep and far-reaching conclusions about any drastic changes in the Japanese strategy in Uzbekistan and in the Central Asian region as a whole. Formulations such as "an agreement was reached on ..." are just plans or a certain look into the future. Nevertheless, the Uzbek political scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences Rafik Sayfullin told Vestnik Kavkaza that, first, Japan is not a newcomer to the Central Asian region. After the countries of the region gained independence, Japan was a serious competitor to China and the United States, although Central Asia was perceived as Russia's "patrimony" by inertia.

Second, despite Tokyo's increased attention to the Central Asian countries, including serious investment into various projects of certain countries of the region, including Uzbekistan, Japan is not perceived as a dominating external factor, especially against the backdrop of China and Russia.

Third, Central Asia is largely perceived in Japan through the prism of its global geopolitical interests, particularly, its difficult relations with China. In other words, Central Asia remained for Japan not an end in itself in recent times, but a sphere of contact with its vital interests (China, Russia, the United States).

"In general, Japan's actions in Central Asia, couched in the vague and broad wording of 'Central Asia + Japan', have not been systemic until now, and it looks like Japanese visionary experts come to this conclusion. According to them, Japan increasingly lags behind other major external players in the Central Asian region, and the time has come to make a realistic assessment of all the previous activity in the Central Asian region. Moreover, there is a need to develop new approaches with the objective of setting up systematic linkage between Japan and Central Asian countries, which demonstrate the willingness to become an independent subject of regional geopolitical trends," Sayfullin said. In his opinion, one of such links, along with numerous, but often disconnected business projects, could be the Afghan settlement issue. In any case, the Uzbek-Japanese business forum can be perceived as an integral part of the logic of Japan's current strategy in Central Asia.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.
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The Armenian Prosecutor Generals Office declined the motion filed by some MPs wanting former president Robert Kocharyan to be released, press secretary of the office Arevik Khachatryan said.

Kocharyan will remain in detention pending trial.

Earlier, the Prosecutor Generals Office has received the petition signed by 45 MPs on changing the precautionary measure of former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan. The majority of MPs are from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

Kocharyan has been charged on July 26 over the 2008 March 1 case for breaching the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia. He has been remanded into custody.

The case dates back to late February and early March 2008 following the disputed presidential election, when then prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner, angering the opposition, led by the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and setting off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to a crackdown on March 1, when 10 people were killed.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc operates as an industrial technology company in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Civil Aerospace, Power Systems, Defence, and ITP Aero. The Civil Aerospace segment develops, manufactures, and sells aero engines for large commercial aircraft, regional jet, and business aviation markets, as well as provides aftermarket services. The Power Systems segment provides high-speed and medium-speed reciprocating engines, and propulsion and power generation systems for the marine, defense, power generation, and industrial markets. The Defence segment offers aero engines for military transport and patrol aircraft applications; and naval engines and submarine nuclear power plants, as well as aftermarket services. The ITP Aero segment engages in the design, research and development, manufacture and casting, assembly, and testing of aeronautical engines and gas turbines. It also provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for regional airlines, as well as business aviation, industrial, and defense applications. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Barclays: Adler Toy Holding Sarl, Aequor Investments Limited, Alymere Investments Limited, Alynore Investments Limited Partnership, Analog Analytics, Analog Analytics Inc, Analytical Trade Holdings LLC, Analytical Trade Investments LLC, Analytical Trade UK Limited, Archstone Equity Holdings Inc, Ardencroft Investments Limited, B D & B Investments Limited, B.P.B. (Holdings) Limited, BB Client Nominees Limited, BBAIL SAS, BCAP LLC, BIFML PTC Limited, BMBF (No.24) Limited, BMI (No.9) Limited, BNC Brazil Consultoria Empresarial Ltda, BNRI ENG 2013 Limited Partnership, BNRI ENG 2014 Limited Partnership, BNRI ENG GP LLP, BNRI England 2010 Limited Partnership, BNRI England 2011 Limited Partnership, BNRI England 2012 Limited Partnership, BNRI Limehouse No.1 Sarl, BNRI PIA Scot GP Limited, BNRI Scots GP LLP, BPB Holdings SA, BVP Galvani Global S.A.U., Barafor Limited, Barclay Leasing Limited, Barclaycard Funding PLC, Barclaycard International Payments Limited, Barclays (Barley) Limited, Barclays Aldersgate Investments Limited, Barclays Alzin Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Asia Limited, Barclays Asset Management Limited, Barclays BR Investments S.a r.l., Barclays BWA Inc., Barclays Bank (Suisse) S.A., Barclays Bank Delaware, Barclays Bank Ireland PLC, Barclays Bank Ireland Public Limited Company, Barclays Bank Mexico S.A., Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays Bank UK PLC, Barclays Bayard Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Bedivere Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Bordang Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Brasil Assessoria Financeira Ltda., Barclays CCP Funding LLC, Barclays Cantal Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Capital (Cayman) Limited, Barclays Capital Asia Holdings Limited, Barclays Capital Asia Limited, Barclays Capital Canada Inc., Barclays Capital Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V., Barclays Capital Derivatives Funding LLC, Barclays Capital Effekten GmbH, Barclays Capital Energy Inc., Barclays Capital Equities Trading GP, Barclays Capital Finance Limited, Barclays Capital Futures (Singapore) Private Limited, Barclays Capital Holdings (Singapore) Private Limited, Barclays Capital Holdings Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Barclays Capital Japan Securities Holdings Limited, Barclays Capital Luxembourg S.a r.l., Barclays Capital Mauritius Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees (No.2) Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees (No.3) Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees Limited, Barclays Capital Principal Investments Limited, Barclays Capital Real Estate Finance Inc., Barclays Capital Real Estate Holdings Inc., Barclays Capital Real Estate Inc., Barclays Capital Securities Client Nominee Limited, Barclays Capital Securities Limited, Barclays Capital Securities Mauritius Limited, Barclays Capital Trading Luxembourg S.a r.l., Barclays Claudas Investments Partnership, Barclays Claudas Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Barclays Converted Investments (No.2) Limited, Barclays Corporation Limited, Barclays Direct Investing Nominees Limited, Barclays Directors Limited, Barclays Dryrock Funding LLC, Barclays Electronic Commerce Holdings Inc., Barclays Equity Holdings Limited, Barclays Equity Index Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Europe Client Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Europe Firm Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Europe Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Executive Schemes Trustees Limited, Barclays Financial LLC, Barclays Financial Planning Nominee Company Limited, Barclays Funds Investments Limited, Barclays Funds and Advisory Japan Limited, Barclays Global Service Centre Private Limited, Barclays Global Shareplans Nominee Limited, Barclays Group Holdings Limited, Barclays Group Operations Limited, Barclays Group US Inc., Barclays Index Finance Trust, Barclays Industrial Development Limited, Barclays Industrial Investments Limited, Barclays Insurance Guernsey PCC Limited, Barclays Insurance Services Company Limited, Barclays Insurance U.S. Inc., Barclays International Luxembourg Dollar Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Investment Management Limited, Barclays Investment Solutions Limited, Barclays Investments & Loans (India) Limited, Barclays Korea GP Limited, Barclays Lamorak Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Leasing (No.9) Limited, Barclays Leto Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Long Island Limited, Barclays Luxembourg EUR Holdings S.a r.l, Barclays Luxembourg Finance S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg GBP Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Global Funding S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Holdings SSC B, Barclays Marlist Limited, Barclays Mauritius Overseas Holdings Limited, Barclays Mercantile Business Finance Limited, Barclays Merchant Bank (Singapore) Ltd., Barclays Nominees (George Yard) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Jersey) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Manx) Limited, Barclays Oversight Management Inc., Barclays Payment Solutions Inc., Barclays Pelleas Investments Limited Partnership, Barclays Pelleas Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Pension Funds Trustees Limited, Barclays Principal Investments Limited, Barclays Private Asset Management (Monaco) S.A.M, Barclays Private Bank, Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Barclays Receivables LLC, Barclays SAMS Limited, Barclays Securities (India) Private Limited, Barclays Securities Japan Limited, Barclays Security Trustee Limited, Barclays Services (Japan) Limited, Barclays Services Corporation, Barclays Services Jersey Limited, Barclays Services LLC, Barclays Services Limited, Barclays Shea Limited, Barclays Singapore Global Shareplans Nominee Limited, Barclays Switzerland Services SA, Barclays Tenedora De Immuebles SL., Barclays Term Funding Limited Liability Partnership, Barclays UK Investments Limited, Barclays US CCP Funding LLC, Barclays US Funding LLC, Barclays US GPF Inc., Barclays US Investments Inc., Barclays US LLC, Barclays Unquoted Investments Limited, Barclays Unquoted Property Investments Limited, Barclays Wealth Management Jersey Limited, Barclays Wealth Nominees Limited, Barclays Wealth Services Limited, Barclays Wealth Trustees (India) Private Limited, Barclayshare Nominees Limited, Barclaytrust Channel Islands Limited, Barcosec Limited, Barsec Nominees Limited, Blossom Finance General Partnership, Branchcall Computers (Pvt) Limited, Braven Investments No.1 Limited, CP Flower Guaranteeco (UK) Limited, CP Newco 1 Limited, CP Newco2 Limited, CP Newco3 Limited, CP Propco 1 Limited, CP Propco 2 Limited, CP Topco Limited, CPIA Canada Holdings, CPIA England 2008 Limited Partnership, CPIA England 2009 Limited Partnership, CPIA England No.2 Limited Partnership, CPIA Investments No.1 Limited, CPIA Investments No.2 Limited, CRE Diversified Holdings LLC, CREW Tahoe Holdings LLC, CREW Tahoe LLC, Calthorpe Investments Limited, Capton Investments Limited, Carnegie Holdings Limited, Central Platte Valley Management LLC, Chapelcrest Investments Limited, Charles Schwab Europe, Claudas Investments Limited, Claudas Investments Two Limited, Clydesdale Financial Services Limited, Cobalt Investments Limited, Compania Regional del Sur S.A., Compania Sudamerica S.A., Condor No.1 Limited Partnership, Cornwall Homes Loans Limited, Crescent Crown Land Holding SPV LLC, Crescent Legacy LLC, Crescent Plaza Residential L.P., Crescent Plaza Residential LLC, Crescent Plaza Residential LP LLC, Crescent Real Estate Member LLC, Crescent Resort Development LLC, Crescent TRS Holdings LLC, Crescent Tower Residences GP LLC, Crescent Tower Residences L.P., Curve Investments GP, DBL Texas Holdings LLC, DMW Realty Limited, Desert Mountain Development LLC, Desert Mountain Properties Limited Partnership, Develop Training Group Limited, Dorset Home Loans Limited, Durlacher Nominees Limited, EWRD Summit LLC, Eagle Financial and Leasing Services (UK) Limited, East West Resort Development V L.P. L.L.L.P., East West Resort Development VII LLC, Equity Limited Partnership, Equity Value Investments No.1 Limited, Equity Value Investments No.2 Limited, Erimon Home Loans Ireland Limited, Expobank, FIRSTPLUS Financial Group Limited, Finpart Nominees Limited, First Assurance, Foltus Investments Limited, Full House Holdings Limited, Gallen Investments Limited, Global Dynasty Natural Resource Private, Globe Nominees Limited, Gracechurch Services Corporation, Grays Station LLC, Grupo Financiero Barclays Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hawkins Funding Limited, Heraldglen Limited, Holding Stuttgarter Strae GmbH, Hurley Investments No.1 Limited, Imalivest Mineral Resources LP, Investors In Infrastructure Limited, J.V. Estates Limited, JV Assets Limited, Kirsche Investments Limited, LTDL Holdings LLC, La Torretta Beverages LLC, La Torretta Hospitality LLC, La Torretta Operations LLC, Lagalla Investments LLC, Leonis Investments LLP, Liability Partnership, Long Island Assets Limited, Long Island Holding A LLC, Long Island Holding B Limited, MK Opportunities GP Ltd, MK Opportunities LP, MVWP Investors LLC, Maloney Investments Limited, Marbury Holdings LLC, Menlo Investments Limited, Mercantile Credit Company Limited, Mercantile Leasing Company (No.132) Limited, Meridian (SPV-AMC) Corporation, Mintaka Investments No. 4 Limited, Mira Vista Development LLC, Mira Vista Golf Club L.C., Mountainside Partners LLC, Murray House Investment Management Limited, Naxos Investments Limited, Nile Bank, North Colonnade Investments Limited, Northstar Mountain Properties LLC, Northstar Trailside Townhomes LLC, Northstar Village Townhomes LLC, Northwharf Investments Limited, Northwharf Nominees Limited, OGP Leasing Limited, Oakes Millers Ltd, Ownership Trustee Limited, PIA England No.2 Limited Partnership, Palomino Limited, Pecan Aggregator LP, Pelleas Investments Limited, Pelleas Investments Two Limited, Pippin Island Investments Limited, Preferred Liquidity LLC, Preferred Liquidity Limited Partnership, Procella Investments LLC, Procella Investments No.1 LLC, Procella Investments No.2 LLC, Procella Investments No.3 LLC, Protium Finance I LLC, Protium Master Grantor Trust, Protium Master Mortgage LP, Protium REO I LP, R.C. Grieg Nominees Limited, RVH Limited, RVT CLO Investments LLP, Razzoli Investments Limited, Real Estate Participation Management Limited, Real Estate Participation Services Limited, Relative Value Holdings LLC, Relative Value Investments UK Limited, Relative Value Trading Limited, Roder Investments No. 1 Limited, Roder Investments No. 2 Limited, Ruthenium Investments Limited, SPM GP Limited, Securitized Asset Backed Receivables LLC, Servicios Barclays S.A. de C.V., Societe Civile Immobiliere 31 Avenue de la Costa, Solution Personal Finance Limited, Southern Peaks Mining LP, Standard Life Aberdeen, Surety Trust Limited, Surrey Funding Corporation, Sussex Purchasing Corporation, Sutton Funding LLC, Swan Lane Investments Limited, TPLL LLC, TPProperty LLC, Tahoe Club Company LLC, Tahoe Club Employee Company, The Logic Group Enterprises Limited, The Logic Group Holdings Limited, Third Energy Holdings Limited, US Real Estate Holdings No. 2 Limited, US Real Estate Holdings No.1 Limited, US Real Estate Holdings No.3 Limited, US Secured Investments LLC, Union Center LLC, United Counties Bank, Verain Investments LLC, Walbrook Group Ltd, Wedd Jefferson (Nominees) Limited, Wessex Investments Limited, Westferry Investments Limited, Wilmington Riverfront Receivables LLC, Woolwich Homes Limited, Woolwich Plan Managers Limited, Woolwich Qualifying Employee Share, Woolwich Surveying Services Limited, Woori BC Pegasus Securitization Specialty Co. Limited, and Zeban Nominees Limited.
Democrats for Education Reform, a national group that advocates for charter schools and stringent school accountability among other policies, has launched a multifaceted campaign defining its priorities as part of the national progressive movement thats animated Democratic voters across the country.

The organization, known as DFER, on Monday issued a new poll and YouTube videos, and announced $4 million in campaign donations to Democratic candidates in states who support providing parents with more options on where to send their children, holding underperforming teachers accountable, and spending more equitably between schools.

Being an education progressive means doing anything and everything we can to improve public schools for allespecially for poor students and students of color, said DFER President Shavar Jeffries in a statement. Thats why this election cycle DFER is going to the mat to help elect ed progressive leaders who will fight for more money and bold, new ideas that can improve schools for our children.

National education advocacy groups have had an especially difficult time in the last two years navigating a rapidly shifting political landscape. The Every Student Succeeds Act moved big accountability and school improvement decisions from the federal government to statehouses, where national organizations have few lobbyists and mobilized parent groups. Many of those legislatures wanted to put an end to years of political strife over testing and teacher evaluations and in their ESSA plans either punted decisions back to local school boards or conceded to (much more organized) teachers and school administrators demands.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trumps education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has used her bully pulpit to advocate for charter schools and vouchers, which has upset parents and teachers in financially starved school districts, something Democratic candidates looking to take back statehouses have sought to exploit in recent months.

At a raucous statewide convention in April, members of Colorados Democratic Party booed the states DFER president Jennifer Walmer as she spoke in favor of charter schools. The convention then approved an amendment to the partys state platform that says, in part, We oppose making Colorados public schools private or run by private corporations or becoming segregated again through lobbying and campaigning efforts of the organization called Democrats for Education Reform and demand that they immediately stop using the partys name Democrat in their name.

Nevertheless, to the Colorados teacher unions dismay, U.S. House member Jared Polis, who has pushed for charter schools and vouchers in the past, won the Democratic nomination for governor in this years Colorado contest.

Riding A Blue Wave?

In its press release issued this week, DFER said that Democratic black and Latino parents, according to recent polls, want more options on where to send their children and want more accountability of underperforming schools and teachers. The poll , which was conducted by Benson Strategy Group and 270 Strategies for DFER included 2,000 presidential voters.



A Blue Wave is coming, and education reform that includes both more money and new ideas to improve our schools must be part of the progressive agenda so that all American children receive the high-quality public education they deserve, said Jeffries.

The organizations $4 million in campaign money will be be spent to support candidates including Marshall Tuck, a Democrat running for state superintendent in California who supports an expansion of charter schools in that state, as well as Polis in Colorado, Ned Lamont who is seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Connecticut, and New York incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

To set that amount in context, the National Education Association invested close to $22 million in 2016 state elections. Fresh off a wave of somewhat successful statewide strikes for better pay led by their members, the NEA has pledged to donate even more money in this years state elections and to deploy teachers to campaign for the unions preferred candidates. (The NEA also faces political and financial challenges of their own).

And many Democratic candidates in this years election have turned against school choice and pushed for more local control. For example, many of the dozens of Democratic teachers running for state office this year said to Education Week they are running partly to get rid of teacher evaluations tied to test scores, which they say has led to teacher shortages across the state.

Both the Republican and Democratic candidates for New Mexicos governor have pledged to get rid of that states infamous teacher evaluation tied to test scores if elected. And the Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Arizona have pledged to advocate for public school and place a moratorium on the expansion of vouchers and charter schools.

Since the 90s our public education system has been under attack by forces that want to privatize and destroy it, State Sen. Steve Farley, one of three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, said on his website . "[Arizona has] been on the forefront of charter schools and private school vouchers, things to try and take money away from our public education system. After the Great Recession hit we saw dramatic cuts to our public school budgets. Were at an absolute crisis point now.

Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order providing additional funds for the construction of a hydroelectric power station in Ordubad, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Under the presidential order, 13.5 million manat will be allocated to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for continuing the construction of the 36 MW hydroelectric power station, AzerTAc reported.
Inmarsat plc provides mobile satellite communications services on land, at sea, and in the air worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Maritime, U.S. Government, Global Government, Aviation, and Enterprise. It offers voice and data broadband services; global maritime distress and safety system services; mobile and fixed voice services; a portfolio of machine-to-machine services that provide two-way data connectivity for messaging, tracking, and monitoring of fixed or mobile assets; maritime satellite services, including very small aperture terminals and television receive only antenna services; and Global Xpress, a high-speed broadband service that offer seamless connectivity for advanced data services on land, at sea, and in the air. The company also offers in-flight voice, data, safety, and cabin connectivity services for business and commercial air transport. It owns and operates 13 satellites. The company serves the aviation, government, enterprise, and maritime sectors. Inmarsat plc was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation.
Wall Street analysts have given iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF 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 Invesco Aerospace & Defense 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 Invesco Aerospace & Defense 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 CVS Health: @Credentials Inc., ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bahamas) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Global Benefits (UK) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits Limited (DIFC UAE), Aetna Global Holdings Limited, Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Hong Kong) Limite, Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Inc., Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Korea Ltd., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Multi-Strategy 1099 Fund LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Continental Insurance Company, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., American Health Holding Inc., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L. (R.C.S. Luxembourg), CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Claims Administration Corp., Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care Workers Compensation Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Rehabilitation Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, Digital eHealth LLC, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California Inc., Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., FOCUS HealthCare Management Inc., First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, First Script Network Services Inc., Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Group Dental Service of Maryland Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssuance Pennsylvania Inc., Healthagen LLC, Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Life and Health Insurance Company, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, MetraComp Inc., Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare LLC, NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky Inc. (Oh, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Holdings Inc., NeighborCare Inc., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services Inc., NeighborCare Services Corporation, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Holding Company, Omnicare Inc., Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania East LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Holdings Inc., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Pt. Aetna Global Benefits Indonesia, Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Spinnaker Bidco Limited, Spinnaker Topco Limited, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare L.L.C., Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide funding for the renovation and reconstruction of Tazapir Mosque complex.

Under the presidential Order, the Caucasus Muslims Office is allocated 2 million manats for the renovation and reconstruction of the complex, AzerTAc reported.
Oasis Petroleum Inc., an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through Exploration and Production(E&P), and Midstream segments. The E&P segment engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. The Midstream segment offers midstream services, such as natural gas gathering, compression, processing and, gas lift supply; crude oil gathering, terminaling, and transportation; produced and flowback water gathering, and disposal; and water distribution. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 401,766 net leasehold acres in the Williston Basin; and 24,396 net leasehold acres in the Permian Basin, as well as approximately 152.2 million barrels of oil equivalent of estimated net proved reserves. The company sells its crude oil and natural gas to refiners, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to pipeline and rail facilities. Oasis Petroleum Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Quaker Chemical: AC Products Inc., Applied Surface Concepts Holdings Ltd. , Binol AB, Binol Biosafe OY, Commonwealth Oil Corporation, DA Stuart India Private Limited, DA Stuart Shanghai Co, ECLI Products LLC, EFHCO LLC, Engineered Custom Lubricants, Engineered Custom Lubricants GmbH, Epmar Corporation, G.W. Smith and Sons, GH Holdings Inc., GHG Lubricants Holdings Limited, GHGL London Ltd., GHI Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Global Houghton Ltd., Houghton (Shanghai) Specialty Industrial Fluids Co. Ltd, Houghton Argentina S.A., Houghton Asia Pacific Co. Limited, Houghton Australia Pty. Ltd., Houghton Benelux BV, Houghton CZ s.r.o, Houghton Canada Inc., Houghton Denmark AS, Houghton Deutschland GmbH, Houghton Europe BV, Houghton Holdings Limited, Houghton Iberica S.A. , Houghton International, Houghton International Inc., Houghton Italia S.p.A., Houghton Japan Co. Ltd., Houghton Kimya Sanayi AS, Houghton Magyarorszag Kft, Houghton Mexico S.A. de C.V., Houghton Oil (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., Houghton Polska Sp. Zo.o., Houghton Romania S.R.L., Houghton S.A.S., Houghton Sverige AB, Houghton Taiwan Co. Limited, Houghton Technical Corp., Houghton Ukraine ToV, Houghton do Brazil Ltda., Houghton plc, Internationale Metall Impragnier GmbH, Lubricor Inc, Lubricor Inc., Lubricor Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Lubricor USA Inc., MIH Acquisition Company LLC, MX Systems International Ltd, Maldaner GmbH, NP Coil Dexter Industries, New Houghton Brazil Inc., Norman Hay Engineering Ltd., QH Chemical Limited, QH Europe BV, QH Holdings Limited, QH International Limited, Quaker (Thailand) Ltd., Quaker Australia Holdings Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (Australasia) Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical B.V., Quaker Chemical CV, Quaker Chemical Canada Holdings Inc., Quaker Chemical Canada Limited, Quaker Chemical Europe B.V., Quaker Chemical Holdings South Africa (Pty) Limited, Quaker Chemical India Private Limited, Quaker Chemical Industria e Comercio Ltda., Quaker Chemical Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical Limited, Quaker Chemical MEA FZE, Quaker Chemical Operacoes Ltda., Quaker Chemical Participacoes Ltda., Quaker Chemical S.A., Quaker Chemical S.r.l., Quaker Chemical Services EURL, Quaker Chemical South Africa (Pty.) Limited, Quaker China Holdings B.V., Quaker Denmark ApS, Quaker Houghton (Finco) Ltd., Quaker Houghton Holdings Limited, Quaker Houghton Holdings Ltd., Quaker Houghton International LP, Quaker Houghton Ltd., Quaker International Holdings LLC, Quaker Italia S.r.l., Quaker Russia B.V., Quaker Sales Europe BV, Quaker Shanghai Trading Company Limited, Quaker Spain Holding SLU, Quaker Specialty Chemicals (UK) Limited, SB Decking Inc., SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (UK) Ltd, SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts LLC, SIFCO Concepts Sarl, SIFCO Concepts Sweden, Sterr & Eder Industrieservice GmbH, Summit Lubricants Inc, Summit Lubricants Inc., Surface Technology (Coventry) Ltd, Surface Technology (Dalian) Co Ltd, Surface Technology (East Kilbride) Ltd., Surface Technology (Leeds) Ltd, Surface Technology Aberdeen Ltd, Surface Technology Australia, Surface Technology Holdings Ltd., TecniQuimia Mexicana, Tecniquimia Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Thai Houghton 1993 Co. Ltd., Ultraseal Asia Limited, Ultraseal Chongqing Limited, Ultraseal Germany GmbH, Ultraseal International Group Ltd, Ultraseal Machinery Dongguan Ltd, Ultraseal Shanghai Limited, Ultraseal USA Inc., Unitek Servicios De Asesoria Especializad S.A de C.V., Verkol S.A.U., Verkol SAU, Wallover Enterprises Inc., Wallover Oil Company Incorporated, Wallover Oil Hamilton Inc., and Wuhan Quaker Technology Co. Ltd.
China said it will ignore the United States and continue to conduct business with Iran.

"China's commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable and fair, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions," a government statement said.

"China's lawful rights should be protected," Reuters cited the statement as saying.

U.S. sanctions against Iran came into effect yesterday and President Donald Trump has warned that countries who trade with Tehran will not be able to do business with the U.S. Trump also said he will expand the punitive measures in the coming weeks to include tougher ones related to oil production.
UniCredit S.p.A. operates as a commercial bank. The company operates through Commercial Banking Italy, Commercial Banking Germany, Commercial Banking Austria, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Central Eastern Europe segments. It offers retail, corporate, and private banking services; investment services; leasing and factoring services; transactional, investment, and credit products and services; insurance solutions; and structured financing, hedging, and treasury solutions. The company also provides equity and debt capital market, corporate finance and advisory, syndication, and leverage buy-out services; and project and commodity, real estate, structured trade and export, and acquisition finance services, as well as wealth management services. In addition, it is involved in the structuring of products, such as FX, rates, equities, and credit products; and provision of cash management, e-banking, supply chain finance, global securities, and mobile banking services, as well as trade finance products. The company operates in Italy, Other European countries, America, Asia, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Unicredito Italiano S.p.A and changed its name to UniCredit S.p.A. UniCredit S.p.A. was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

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The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that isolation of Iran could lead to chaos, which would further destabilize the region.

"We still consider it a mistake to pull out of the nuclear agreement with Iran. Nobody is saying the deal was perfect, but it is definitely better than having no deal at all," Maas said in an interview with the Passauer Neue Presse.

Maas said that Germany and the EU will fight to keep the deal alive, even without the US. "We will fight for it because it is in our interest in terms of security that there is security and transparency in the (Middle East)," The Local cited the Foreign Minister as saying.

He also attacked those in the West who were pinning their hopes on regime change in Iran, warning that this could lead to even bigger problems.

"The isolation of Iran could boost radical and fundamentalist powers. If Iran were to see the kind of chaos we have seen in Iraq or Libya, it would only further destabilize an already unstable region," Maas stressed.
Iranian intelligence ministry said it managed to foil two terrorist attacks in western and southern Iran.

Two terrorist operations intended to be carried out in Iranian western province of Kurdistan and southern province of Khuzestan were identified and defused by security agents of Iranian intelligence ministry, according to the ministry's statement.

The terrorists were related to Takfirist and separatist groups. During the intelligence operation, 6 terrorists were arrested and their weapons and arms were seized. They carried AK-47 rifles, Uzi submachine guns, pistols, grenades, night vision goggles, as well as ammunition.

In the case in Kurdistan, a blind attack was carried out by a terrorist throwing a grenade into a police station in Saqqez, which was foiled by the police force and no one sustained any injuries.

According to the documents seized, they intended to carry out several other terrorist attacks in Iranian central cities, Mehr News Agency reported.

Another plan to transport a big haul of explosives to conduct consecutive blasts in Iran was also foiled in this operation.
Despite the absence of diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia, they have contacts, which are not publicized, Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov said, who in 2008 served as Russia's deputy prime minister, overseeing issues relating to the military-industrial complex.

He drew attention to the fact that the Georgian side has an understanding that Russia and Georgia are neighbors, these countries have historical and cultural ties. "Which means there will be contacts," he stressed.

At the same time, Ivanov noted that contacts at the political level were not really intensive before the 2008 conflict as well. "Already since 2007 the political contacts have not been at a sufficiently high level," Kommersant cited him as saying.

He also drew attention to the fact that Georgia is not the object of Russia's primary foreign policy attention. "The military threat from the territory of Georgia does not come if the Georgian side wants to develop relations - we are ready for this," he stressed.

According to Ivanov, despite the absence of diplomatic relations, trade relations between the countries are developing, the tourist flow is growing.

Speaking about the 2008 events, Sergei Ivanov said that former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had repeatedly assured him in his personal conversations that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili would not cross the "red line" with regard to South Ossetia.

Ivanov noted that the military headquarters all over the world are always guided by worst-case scenarios. "That s why our General Staff developed a secret plan of actions in 2007 in the case if full-scale military operations begin in South Ossetia and Russian citizens are put in danger," he said.

Nevertheless, Ivanov noted that there is always a difference between theoretical constructions and practical implementation. "There was such a situation that we did not expect that the attack on Russian citizens would be carried out on this day," the Russian leader's special envoy added.

He also noted that the plan stipulated that "if military intervention and peace enforcement was necessary in Georgia, military units fully manned by contract servicemen enter the territory of South Ossetia," the former deputy prime minister said.

In addition, Ivanov said that the U.S. State Department unofficially acknowledged that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was the initiator of the war. "Moreover, the subsequent development, including the recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the reaction of the West, showed that all Western leaders, in fact, knew who was responsible for this situation," the special representative said.

He also noted that after the 2008 events, Rice told him in one-on-one conversations that the U.S. has nothing to do with it. "She admitted that it was Saakashvili's initiative and that he was the culprit of the war, but in private conversation," Sergei Ivanov added.
Swedish Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde said that it will be difficult for the Swedish companies to remain on the Iranian market in light of the reimposition of the U.S. sanctions against Iran.

"The messages received from the Swedish companies, which we contacted, say that, in general, all [the companies] are reducing their activities in Iran in order not to jeopardize their business in the United States, which is a far larger market," Sputnik cited Linde as saying.

She also commented on the EU Blocking Statute's activation, which exempted the EU firms from complying with the US sanctions against Iran.

"The ban on compliance with sanctions signalizes how seriously the European Union views the sanctions and that [the bloc] assumes responsibility. Then every company takes its own decision, there is no forcing to continue one's activity in Iran," Linde explained.

On August 7, the U.S. reinstated comprehensive sanctions against Iran, including secondary sanctions targeting states doing business with the country, which were previously frozen by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

In 2012, after the imposition of anti-Iranian sanctions the Swedish exports dropped from 6.7 billion Swedish krona ($751 million) to 1 billion. In 2017, Sweden's export to Iran totaled 4.3 billion Swedish krona.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his U.S. counterpart James Mattis held a phone call late Tuesday, Daily Sabah reported citing Turkish ministry source.

Akar and Mattis exhanged views on defense, the situation in Syria and the fight against terrorism, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.
The Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018 (DASKAA), aimed at increasing economic, political and diplomatic pressure on Russia in response to Moscows alleged continuing interference in US elections, proposes to bring all existing sanctions against Russia - from CAATSA to the Magnitsky Act into a single base, according to the draft law seen by Kommersant and RBC.

The bill was introduced last week by a bipartisan group of US senators: Lindsey Graham, Robert Menendez, Cory Gardner and Ben Cardin.

The bill suggests sanctions against Russian political figures, oligarchs, family members and other individuals as well as restrictions against transactions related to investment in energy projects supported by Russian state-owned or parastatal entities. Another important measure of the initiative is the demand to ban transactions pertaining to the Russian sovereign debt.

Another clause would ban any transactions in US property by seven of Russias largest banks, including Sberbank, VTB, Promsvyaznabk, Vnesheconombank.

It also proposes the creation of an Office of Cyberspace and the Digital Economy, with the State Department to lead diplomatic efforts on cyber security, and a centre to respond to Russian disinformation threats.

Professor of the RANEPA faculty of Finance, Money Circulation and Credit, Yuri Yudenkov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that if sanctions are imposed in the most radical form, Russia's finances will be in a difficult situation. "If the US freezes the assets of Russian banks, then the circulation of non-cash dollars will stop here, which will deal a huge blow to the economy. We trade in dollars, especially while selling gas, oil, coal, steel, and it can be stopped. According to the rules for Bank activities, the non-cash currency is stored in the issuing country, that is, our dollars are stored in US banks - and these American assets can be frozen. Therefore, if sanctions are adopted in this form, it's not good, especially if similar restrictions are imposed by Europe," he said.

The ban on operations with the Russian national debt will be virtually invisible against this background. "The Americans have already withdrawn almost all their money from the Russian national debt. Only about $5 billion remained, and not all of them are held by the Americans. We were ready for this three months ago and also went out from US securities," Yudenkov stressed.

The advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house, economist Sergey Hestanov, in turn, drew attention to the fact that bans on operations with state debt do not pose a significant threat. "Restrictions on state debt are significant if the state has a deficit budget, while the Russian budget has been proficient for quite a long time," the expert explained.

At the same time, he focused on the fact that the possible freezing of assets of all major Russian banks is fraught with much more serious consequences. "The problem is that US dollars can be attributed to US assets, which actually means paralysis of any deals with the use of US dollars," the advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house believes.

According to him, if the US adopts such restrictive measures in relation to Russia, the ruble exchange rate will greatly weaken. "Previously, Citibank's forecast about the possible decline of the ruble exchange rate by 15% was published, but if it comes to such sanctions, the decline will not be limited to 15%," the expert said.
Central Asian countries may create a Central Asian Schengen zone - Silkviza. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are holding talks on the issue.

The idea was expressed by the Chairman of the Kazakh Senate Committee on International Relations, Defense and Security, Dariga Nazarbayeva, at a meeting with deputies of the Uzbek Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Foreign Economic Relations, Foreign Investments and Tourism.

According to deputy of the international department of the State Committee for Tourism Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Feruz Dodiev, Uzbekistan supported this initiative.
Geospatial Industry Leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York, after the announcement of the launch of the WGIC.

Amsterdam: In a landmark development, geospatial industry leaders from across the world came together to announce the formation of the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) .

The announcement was made on August 1, 2018 at the 8th session of the UN-GGIM (United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management ) held in New York, by Jack Dangermond, Chairman of WGIC and Founder and President, Esri.

WGIC is co-founded by a group of 21 companies, namely AAM Group, AGI India, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Cyient, Data World, DigitalGlobe (a Maxar Technologies company), e-GEOS , Esri, FARO, Geospatial Media, GeoTech Vision, Ground Truth, Hexagon, IIC Technologies, Oracle, Riegl, Rolta Group, Trimble, To mTo m, and Topcon to begin with and its membership is open to commercial companies and representative trade bodies.

WGIC, as it intends to be known in short, aspires to be a collaborative platform for advancing the role of the geospatial industry and strengthening its contribution in the world economy and society. WGIC endeavors to facilitate the exchange of knowledge within the geospatial industry and co-create larger business opportunities for the geospatial industry. Further, with policy restraints limiting private sector participation and commercialization, WGIC also seeks to raise awareness among policymakers and advocate for better environment and investments in the geospatial sector.

The enthusiasm and energy was visible at the first formal meeting of the WGIC on the sidelines of the UNGGIM session in New York City on July 31, 2018, when representatives of the co-founding companies had lively discussions on geospatial industry trends and directions which were fundamental to determining the objectives and key activities for WGIC.

The first office bearers of WGIC Patrons and Executive Board were also elected at the meeting.

With WGIC we have the vision to create a new institution that brings together participants from around the world in the geospatial industry. This will allow new kinds of partnerships to emerge, enabling companies to help each other, and also allow the geospatial industry to collectively work with big global initiatives such as World Bank and the UN, said WGIC Chairman Jack Dangermond.

This will also enable our industry as a whole to have a collective opinion on emerging policies such as those on privacy or geospatial data restriction. I firmly believe that by joining together and exploring collaborative efforts we can make meaningful progress.

Progress in society is becoming more and more data driven and technology enabled. Geospatial content and technologies increasingly play a foundational role in the innovations that make sure we have a better life across the globe. Therefore, WGIC has been established to bring together the geospatial industry in order to improve the level of collaboration with all stakeholders, make clear to governments and policymakers that geospatial technologies can enable progress and help address some of the most critical problems the world is facing, said Alain De Taeye, Vice Chairman.

The World Geospatial Industry Council is a cooperation between leading private sector companies and we are very honored that they chose the United Nations to launch this important initiative. This new and improved cooperation between the industry leadership will also help them to focus and improve their contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, said Stefan Schweinfest, Director, United Nations Statistics Division.

Greg Scott, Inter-Regional Advisor, UN-GGIM Secretariat, said: The World Geospatial Industry Council was launched at the Inter-Governmental Meeting of the UNGGIM. The relationship between data and technology, and industries and governments is increasingly getting important. This is why we also believe that having the WGIC affiliated with the work that we do is just as important.

WGIC President Amy Minnick said, I see WGIC as an opportunity to grow our industry, to raise the profile of geospatial data and solutions, and to make a positive difference in the world by working together across the public and private sectors. With this initiative, we hope to bring the industry together to have a holistic understanding about what is happening in the markets and regulatory environments around the world, so we can speak in a collective voice to enable commercial innovation to continue at a rapid pace.

Sanjay Kumar, Secretary General and CEO of WGIC, said, With geospatial industry valued at around $300 billion in 2017, its economic impact is estimated to be seven times. Today, the value of where is fueling innovation and entrepreneurialism as the convergence with emerging technologies is enabling geospatial capabilities for diverse applications. Given the rapid change, we felt there was a strong need for collaboration within the industry to help realize the true potential of this technology.

Directives and action plans

WGIC will share and represent the perspectives and opinions of the geospatial industry and support the policy development processes with governments and multilateral agencies. Find technology collaboration and convergence in solution-centric business processes.

Build working relationships with national and multilateral agencies and undertake joint programs.

Create opportunities for convergence and partnership with mainstream IT and engineering technology players.

Push for business development through pro-active engagement with user industries, trade bodies, associations and professional forums.
The government is considering a proposal of the parliamentary panel on information technology to call 'postman' as 'postperson' for the sake of gender neutrality. (Photo courtesy: ippbonline)

New Delhi: The government is considering a proposal of the parliamentary panel on information technology to call 'postman' as 'postperson' for the sake of gender neutrality.

"The proposal to rename postman as postperson is under consideration. It is also submitted that word 'dakia', which is generally used is gender neutral," the Department of Posts said in its submission to the panel.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, has recommended to the postal department to use gender neutral term and call 'postman' as 'postperson'.

"The committee in its Report of Demands for Grants felt a need to make the nomenclature for delivery personnel in the Department of Posts and suggested that to further call 'postman' as 'post person'," the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. The panel noted that both postman and post woman are serving the department and therefore feels that there is a need to change the nomenclature.

The committee agreed that word 'dakia' is gender neutral but said it is a Hindi vocabulary. "They (panel members) desire that likewise, in English also, a gender neutral word 'post person' should be used for delivery personnel of the postal articles," the report said.
Power producers had challenged RBIs revised debt norms on NPAs claiming that it could push nearly 75 gigawatts of projects into bankruptcy.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused the plea of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to stay proceedings in Allahabad High Court against applicability of the February 12 circular on the cash-strapped power sector.

The apex court said it would further hear the matter on August 28. At a hearing on August 2 in the Allahabad High Court, the government recommended extension of the RBI circular deadline by another 180 days. In its last hearing, the high court had ordered lenders not to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against power producers.

The verdict of the division judge bench, headed by Rohinton F Nariman, prevented lenders from initiating insolvency proceedings against power producers who may have defaulted on loan repayments unless they are categorised as wilful defaulters. Power producers had challenged RBIs revised debt norms on NPAs claiming that it could push nearly 75 gigawatts of projects into bankruptcy.

On August 2, the government in its report informed the high court about setting up of a high-level empowered committee, led by cabinet secretary PK Sinha, to revive the projects.

The high court asked RBI to file its responses at the next hearing to be held on Thursday.

Banks are under mounting pressure from regulators to clean up their books as the government attempts to revive loan growth and boost the sector in some way or the other.

In a letter to RBI governor Urjit Patel in March, the Association of Power Producers had said that revised guidelines, issued in mid-February, are too stringent for a sector battling cash flow issues because of delayed payments by state distribution utilities and late regulatory clearances for cost-related tariff hikes.

As per an action plan of the finance ministry, of the 34 stressed power projects worth 40,000 mw, 12 projects including that of KSK Energy, Jaiprakash Group would be sold off to strategic partner willing to pay over Rs 3 crore for per mw.

Eight projects have been turned around and have become standard assets after getting coal linkage under the Shakti scheme. The government wants the 14 projects to undergo insolvency proceedings under NCLT.
The trailer of Loveratri which was unveiled at a mall in Central Suburb recently, was one of the biggest trailer launches of the year as it was unveiled on a grand scale in 10 cities via Facebook Live session.

PVR theatres in Thaltej in Ahmedabad, Jessore Road in Kolkata, Marketcity in Pune, Elante in Chandigarh, Treasure Island in Indore, Koramangala in Bengaluru, Saharganj in Lucknow and Eva Mall in Baroda had joined in virtually for the big event.

The trailer launch across the 10 cities, especially in Baroda, was welcomed with an overwhelming response from the audience. When the trailer was unveiled in Baroda the people loved it so much that they started dancing in the theatre.

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Loveratri trailer launch

Immersing the audiences into the festive mood of Navratri, the trailer of Loveratri taps into emotions like romance, drama, humour and tragedy.

Set against the backdrop of Gujrat, it unfolds the love story of the leading couple, played by Aayush Sharma and Warina Hussain, bonding over Garba.

Written by Niren Bhatt, 'Loveratri' is directed by Abhiraj Minawala who will also be making his directorial debut with the film. The romantic drama will mark the next venture of Salman Khan Films and is slated to release on 5th October 2018.
Mumbai: The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is all set to kick off its festivities this Friday, 10th of August. This year promises to be larger than ever with events, Q&As, Panels, a glorious Awards Night, a edgy Dance Competition and a Flag Hoisting that always ensures goosebumps with the biggest names doing the honours each year. The festival gives a chance for film lovers across Australia to learn, enjoy and critique the best films of 2017-18 and also a chance to meet their favourite actors/ directors/ writers personally.

The award winning largest film festival in the Southern Hemisphere begins the celebration of cinema with a star studded opening night where the Australian premiere of Tabrez Nooranis Love Sonia will be screened on 10th of August . The Director Tabrez Noorani, actors Manoj Bajpayee, Frieda Pinto, Richa Chadha and Mrunal Thakur will also be present. Fans and supporters can watch Rani Mukerji hoist the Indian national flag at Melbournes iconic federation square on 11th August alongside the Mayor and High Commissioner of the city. After which they can groove to some Bollywood moves as Malaika Arora Khan, Nikhil Advani, Avtar Panesar judge the Bollywood Dance Competition. When asked The 11th of August is a full day of IFFM events with over 5 Panel discussions with Indias best and most experienced film talent who will be present to discuss their lives, struggles, anecdotes and successes. Everyone from Raj Kumar Hirani, one of Indias most loved directors to superstar Rani Mukerji, international faces like Ali Fazal and Freida Pinto and trade analyst Taran Adarsh will be present to talk cinema, cinema and more cinema.

12th August will see the most looked forward to event, The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Night. Everyone from Amitabh Bachchan to Rishi Kapoor have been part of this glamorous evening where Jury members like Sue Maslin, Simi Garewal and Nikhil Advani, who will be a Jury member for the first time, pick the most deserving winners in every category. When asked Nikhil Advani on his first time as a jury member he said, From its very inception I have had a wonderful relationship with the festival. This is my third time here and Its always a delight to be part of IFFM. To see Indian films being celebrated and being recognised majorly in the land down under for me as a filmmaker is very rewarding. And this time Im ecstatic to be on the jury alongside some legendary names including the iconic Simi maam, and a talented bunch including the likes of Sue Maslin and Geoffrey Wright. The iconic music duo, Sachin  Jigar will also be performing at the awards night.

Apart from the events, film lovers will definitely throng to see Indias best films being selected and screened across the city. One such film is block buster hit Sanju. Not only will audiences get a chance to see Sanju but can see Kamli aka Vicky Kaushal up close as well. This is Vicky Kaushals first time at the festival and he will be present for the Q&A and Panel discussion with his director Rajkumar Hirani. The Sanju actor said, Its going to be my first time in Melbourne and Im so happy that the reason for it is the prestigious IFFM. Im looking forward to being there with the team of our special film Sanju. Cant wait to interact with the cinema lovers in Melbourne.

Saving the best for last, here are some films one will get to see at the festival, some of which are even having their Australian Premiere. Films like Nude, Jonaki, Bhasmasur, Teen aur Aadha, Village Rockstars, Sir, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, and Cycle are all films that will be screened for the first time in the land down under. Other films like Gali Guliyan, Balekempa, Juze, Chumbak, Ascharya F**kit, Ralang Road, Thondimuthum Driksakshiyum, Bhayanakam are a few must watches.

IFFM for the first time also has a childrens section that will allow all age groups to enjoy and appreciate cinema from a young age. The festival is doing its best at promoting Indian cinema on a global stage and we hope it converts more and more cinema goers into Indian cinema lovers.
The iconic Aishwarya Rai Bachchans post-maternity stint onscreen has been far from encouraging. All the four films she has done since the birth of her daughter Aaradhya six years ago have received a lukewarm response. Immediately after she returned from motherhood, Aishwarya did an author-backed part as a single mother trying to retrieve her kidnapped daughter in Sanjay Guptas Jazbaa. Unfortunately, she looked ill at ease in the tailor-made role of the traumatised mother while her chemistry with her onscreen daughter was also woefully lacking.

Next came director Omung Kumars Sarbjit, where she played a real-life character for the first time in her career, that of Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Indian soldier Sarabjit Singh, who was held prisoner in Pakistan. However, the film bombed in spite of every effort to build her up as the prospective recipient of a National award. Once again, Aishwarya failed to do justice to her role, not to forget the ugly rumours about how Richa Chadhas role as Sarabjits wife was cut.

A still from the movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

After this, Aishwarya crossed the firing line to play a Pakistani poetess who has a fling with a younger man in Karan Johars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Though the film did moderately well, it cannot be called a success. And certainly not to the actress credit.

Interestingly, in a bid to perhaps maintain a youthful image, both Aishwarya and Kareena Kapoor Khan are being seen with younger co-stars. While Kareena was paired with 35-year-old Sumeet Vyas in her post-motherhood comeback film Veere Di Wedding, Aishwarya was paired with Ankur Bhatia, Ranbir Kapoor and now Rajkummar Rao (in Fanney Khan) in her three post-maternity films, all of them are her juniors.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Fanney Khan

Says a leading trade analyst, Somehow Aishwaryas comeback films are not working. It could be her selection of roles. A role and a film like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil or Fanney Khan with Ranbir and Rajkummar Rao respectively, is just not working.

Apparently, Aishwarya contributed a whole lot of inputs to her character as the kidnapped singing diva in Fanney Khan.

Even the idea of the tattoo on her wrist was Aishwaryas. She hand-held debutant director Atul Manjrekar because she knew they were treading on wobbly ground. But the final outcome was far from appealing, says a source close to the Fanney Khan team.

A prominent filmmaker who has worked with Aishwarya feels that she lacks the emotional depth to make the transition from glam diva to a woman of substance. She wants to go from Jennifer Lopez to Meryl Streep, but she doesnt have the range. In Jazbaa, she played a traumatised mother but looked shallow and too taken up with looking glamorous. In Fanney Khan, she is fine singing, dancing and playing the pop diva. But when she has to communicate her characters loneliness, she is at a loss. Aishwarya lacks the emotional depth to pull off 40-plus characters, says the filmmaker.

Seems like she needs a Sanjay Leela Bhansali to harness her illimitable beauty into something far more substantial than the eye candy she ends up portraying these days.

Missing the mark

Fanney Khan: Rs 9 cr in the first week

Sarabjit: Rs 33 cr total collection

Jazbaa: Rs 31 cr total collection

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil: Rs 80 cr total collection

HT03
The findings suggest that exposure to an antidepressant reduced female attractiveness. (Photo: AFP)

Songbirds altered their courtship behaviour following exposure to antidepressants increasingly found in the natural environment, according to scientists in Britain who conducted a three-year study.

Male starlings sang less and were more aggressive towards females who had been given small doses of the antidepressant fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac, researchers at the University of York found.

They believe the study -- to be published in the journal Chemosphere -- shows such changes in behaviour could put songbirds at risk in the wild.

"Here is the first evidence that low concentrations of an antidepressant can disrupt the courtship of songbirds," said Kathryn Arnold, from the university's environment department.

"This is important because animals that are slow to find a mate often won't get to breed.

"With many wildlife populations in decline, we have to ask whether more could be done to remove chemical contaminants like pharmaceuticals from our sewage."

River systems around the world are coursing with over-the-counter and prescription drugs waste which harms the environment, according to the European Geosciences Union conference in Vienna in April.

If trends persist, the amount of pharmaceutical effluence leaching into waterways could increase by two-thirds before 2050, it was reported.

In Britain, there were 64.7 million antidepressant items prescribed in 2016, the York study noted.

Like other human pharmaceuticals, they enter the environment via sewage and contaminate birds foraging on invertebrates at wastewater treatment plants.

With the implications poorly understood, the York scientists tested the impact on starlings, a species commonly found feeding at such sites.

The most visible results emerged after they paired males for two days with a female who had been dosed with prozac, with changes in typical behaviour.

"Singing is a key part of courtship for birds, used by males to court favoured females and used by females to choose the highest quality male to father their chicks," said Sophia Whitlock, researcher on the project.

"Males sang more than twice as often and as long to untreated females compared to females that had been receiving low doses of Prozac."

Meanwhile, instead of courting them, males were more likely to chase, peck or claw the female starlings on Prozac.

"Our findings suggest that exposure to an antidepressant reduced female attractiveness," the study's authors wrote.

They said it added to "growing evidence that environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals can alter important traits related to individual fitness and population dynamics."
BENGALURU: A 13-year-old patient got a new lease of life after a heart from Visakhapatnam was transported to Bengaluru by air. The organ was transferred through an exclusive traffic green corridor initiated by Fortis Bannerghatta along with the city taffic police from Kempegowda International airport to the hospital. The ambulance covered a distance of 55 km in 30 minutes.

A potential organ alert was received by the team at Fortis Bannerghatta on Monday evening. The organ was harvested from a 20-year-old male in Visakhapatnam who had met with a road accident and was declared brain dead.

Upon the familys consent the heart was allocated to Fortis Bannerghatta. The organ started at 9:30 pm from Visakhapatnam and reached the hospital by 10:56 pm.
CAIRO: In Egypts premier Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, snake charmer Amier El Refaie puts some of the worlds most dangerous snakes to sleep.

Refaie, who has been charming snakes for the past five years, says the reptiles have become closer to him than some of his human friends. The world of snakes is vast, the trainer must learn the secrets of hunting and capturing snakes ... if he is not knowledgeable he could be exposed to deadly venom at any moment, he said.

Refaie holds each snake by the tail and gently swings it back, forth and sideways to soft Indian music. Then he looks directly into its eyes before touching its head with his forehead and laying it on the ground.

The 29-year-old has more than 13 snakes and hopes that snake charming could become a growth industry in Egypt, where tourism is slowly picking up after years of downturn caused by political turmoil and attacks by Islamist militants.

Beaches and dive sites around Sharm el-Sheikh once attracted around one fourth of the tourists who visited Egypt before a 2011 uprising scared visitors away.

The tourism industry, one of the countrys main sources of foreign currency, has gradually recovered in recent months, with revenues up about $1 billion in the first three months of 2018, a boon for thousands of workers like Refaie whose wages depend on the flow of visitors.

I hope Egypt can host international shows, where I will not be the only one doing this beautiful work ... It can attract more tourism still as Ive seen in the last period how much visitors to Sharm El Sheikh love this show, Refaie said.
Hyderabad: The carcass of five beheaded stray puppies was recovered from an unused cement tunnel (pipeline ) in Paridhi Vada of Puranapul, Old City on Monday morning. The pups were reportedly killed by a drunken man because he felt offended as the dogs had barked at him. The decapitated bodies of four puppies were recovered but the fifth one was found completely beyond recognition, with the skin also peeled off.

Mr Kranthi Raja a resident of Pardivada Puranapul, an animal welfare volunteer and who often fed these puppies, last saw the them on Sunday evening barking at a drunk man, who is yet to be identified by the police.

Mr Raja informed the Gowliguda police, through a formal complaint, that, he found the mother whining next to a tunnel and when he peeped in, he found the five beheaded puppies.

Narrating the scene, Ms Hema Bendela, an animal activist shared, From the information gathered from the locals, it is learnt that the puppies were dumped by their killer in a garbage dump. However, it was the mother who picked them up and placed them inside a tunnel. She sat next to the bodies whining, thus people began to notice. When the volunteer removed them from the pipeline, he noticed that all five were beheaded.

She added, It was heartbreaking to watch the mother run and cry for help, her gestures explained that she wanted someone to rescue them. While they were being removed, she howled and cried loudly and sat next to the corpus until we removed them. The police are unable to get to the killer as the CCTVs are dysfunctional, the wires of the cameras were found chopped off.

The bodies were buried in an open ground at Purnanapul, no post-mortem was conducted. No case has been booked so far.
All-Russian referendum on raising the retirement age will be held if it is supported by citizens of the Russian Federation, the Central Elections Commission's secretary Maya Grishina said.

Russian election officials have cleared three proposals to hold a referendum on the controversial plan to raise the retirement age, moving forward the first referendums approved in 25 years.

Russias Central Election Commission (CEC) approved all three petitions for a referendum on raising the retirement age, including from the Communist Party, RBC reported.

"Do you agree that the age at which a person has the right to receive a state pension (age 60 for men, age 55 for women), as stipulated by the Russian Federation legislation on pensions as of July 1, 2018, should not be raised?" asks the Communist Partys framing of the question.

The CEC has also greenlighted two similarly-worded referendum petitions from the A Just Russia party and two Moscow residents.

The petitions authors now have 45 days to collect at least 2 million signatures, according to the RTVI broadcaster.

The proposal was made by three groups of citizens from Moscow city, Moscow and Altai regions.

At least two million signatures in no less than 43 out of the 85 federal subjects are needed for the referendum to be held, head of CEC Ella Pamfilova said.

She said that the preparation for a referendum is a time-consuming process, and that in a best-case scenario the vote will be held in February or March 2019, or at least no earlier than in the end of 2018.

The vice-rector of the Academy of Labour and Social Relations Alexander Safonov, speaking to a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that a referendum may be held if the initiative groups, in accordance with the Law on the Referendum of the Russian Federation, collect the necessary number of signatures in the regions. After the CEC confirms that all requirements are observed, the initiative goes to the president, and he appoints a referendum.

"The government is obliged to comply with the constitutional decision. The referendum is the highest form of expressing the people's will. I have never seen the government go against the results of the referendum in Russia, it is impossible. Of course, we can expect that the Cabinet will return to the topic of raising the retirement age in the future. It is clear that if the population votes in a referendum against it, it is unlikely that the president or the government will want to discuss this topic again in the next five years," Alexander Safonov said.
The hackers are suspected to hail from Nigeria and are testing the process of cheating (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: If you are watching porn on your mobile phone or laptop or a desktop, be prepared to receive an extortion email from hackers demanding Bitcoins for not publicising your browsing data or videos recorded using your own device.

Of late, hackers are trying to trick the denizens by threatening to expose their internet browsing history including that of the porn websites accessed, videos watched and also the videos that are captured by the malware.

Former Bollywood actress Deepti Naval was surprised to receive an email from an unknown source demanding money in Bitcoins and with a threat of publicising her browsing history. She had been browsing various sites and apparently a malware had sneaked in. The threat made her approach the police. Days after, the Hyderabad city police has revealed that six such complaints of sextortion have been received by the cybercrime police in the last one month.

The victims include two women who are in their mid-30s and men, including a teenager. The demand for money was only through Bitcoins and the deadline was just 24 hours.

Not only that, the hackers gained access to the email id and password of the users, stole the data on the devices and sent it via email, as a proof of hacking and security breach of the device.

Sharing details of the recent cases booked by the cybercrime police, a senior police official said, So far six such complaints have been received from denizens, including two women. The hackers have sent emails, threatening to publish the victims browsing history, including that of the porn website they visited and the videos they watched on that sites.

Each email had similar content, like the amount of money, which was 0.74 Bitcoin valued at about Rs 3.9 lakh, and the threatening message, except that the email id and the password of the individuals changed.

It is believed that while the users browse the porn sites, a malware gains access to the device. It collects details of the email id and password which every smartphone user has to use to access mobile applications.

The malware also collects the browsing history of the user which the hacker uses to extort money. It also operates the camera of the mobile phone or laptop in the background and shares the videos with the hackers. said the official.

He said that, however, none of the victims deposited money as the demand was in Bitcoins.

The hackers are suspected to hail from Nigeria and are testing the process of cheating. It seems like an attempt by the hackers to move ahead in the scam. If any individual had replied, the crooks would have extorted the money, the official added.
Hyderabad: A private employee was throttled to death allegedly by his wife and her paramour at the couples residence at Film Nagar in Banjara Hills late on Monday.

According to the police, Jagan Nayak, 35, got married to Devika in 2008 and the couple had two children, a girl studying in Class II and a boy studying in Class V, the police said.

On Monday night, Jagan came home drunk and picked up an argument with Devika regarding her affair. In a fit of rage, she called her paramour and plotted to kill Jagan.

Devika, with the help of the man, who is reportedly absconding, first sprayed mosquito repellent in Jagans mouth and then throttled him to death, said sub-inspector of Banjara Hills G. Bharat Bhushan Chary, adding that at 3 am, the couples house owner, Vinod, heard the commotion and came down to investigate.

He found Jagans dead body, beside which Devika was weeping, and called the cops. The other man had left the place and is on the run, the official said.

Based on a complaint registered by Vinod, Banjara Hills Police booked a case under section 302 (murder) of IPC and placed Devika under arrest. Efforts are on to trace and nab the absconding paramour, accroding to the officials.
After paying Rs 60,000 she received an email that Vijay was being deported back to Benin as he did not clear the customs obligations.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: A woman working as a marketing manager in a private hospital lost Rs 4.6 lakh in the matrimony fraud. Believing the stra-nger whom she met on a matrimony website, the victim deposited the mon-ey when she was told that her prospective groom was stuck in Doha airport.

Anupama (name changed), a native of Bengaluru works as a marketing manager in a reputed private hospital in Punjagutta. She created a profile on Bharat Matrimony website seeking a prospective groom in June this year. Soon, she received a request from one Vijay Kumar, claiming to be a petrochemical engineer with Lyondell Basel Industries in UK, but posted in South Atlantic Petroleum Limited in the Cotonou Republic of Benin. Soon they exchanged mobile numbers and started talking to each other. They decided to meet in Hyderabad in the third week of July.

On July 18, she received a call from Vijay informing her that his luggage was held at Doha International Airport in Qatar and the customs officials want money to release it. After paying Rs 60,000 she received an email that Vijay was being deported back to Benin as he did not clear the customs obligations.
Chennai: Palanisamy government in Tamil Nadu has faced criticism for rejecting the DMK's request for M Karunanidhi's burial next to the grave of his political mentor CN Annadurai along Marina beach.

The sharpest attack came from the DMK, the party that Karunanidhi led for nearly five decades, which approached the Madras High Court against the AIADMK's denial of the burial site to the late DMK president at Marina beach. The DMK said the AIADMK's refusal to permit the burial was plain and simple "political vendetta" and "reeks of pettiness".

"We are not asking for a memorial at this stage... but only that he should be buried next to his mentor, Anna," DMK spokesperson and lawyer A Saravanan told reporters after the Madras High Court's unprecedented hearing past midnight. The court will resume hearing at 8 am on Wednesday.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked the Palanisamy government to be magnanimous, National Conference leader and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah found the ruling AIADMK's stand petty and the CPM general Sitaram Yechury described the AIADMK government's denial of the burial site "most unfortunate".

DMK spokesperson and lawyer A Saravanan said Anna Square, the memorial built in memory of former chief minister, was not covered under the coastal regulation zone that bars construction within 500 metres from the waterfront.

During the midnight court hearing and later, Saravanan spoke about how the AIADMK had no qualms when it buried the party matriarch and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa at the MG Ramachandran memorial, her mentor.

"We also informed the court how the government is proposing to construct a 3,400-3,500 square feet building for Ms Jayalalithaa's memorial but is refusing to give 6 feet of land for Karunanidhi," the DMK leader said, a reference to a Rs 50 crore memorial that the AIADMK government is planning to build for its leader. The memorial is modelled on a phoenix to symbolise Jayalalithaa's grit and political comebacks.

"They (AIADMK government) want to test emotional patience of the DMK cadres," he said.

Karunanidhi's son and working president of DMK MK Stalin has asked the party cadres to maintain peace and hand over miscreants, who may try to tarnish the DMK's image, to the police. "Prove DMK follows military discipline," he said in a public appeal for calm.
The police said that Matet may have taken the extreme step three to four days ago and he tried to cut his wrist before hanging himself. (Representational Image)

Bengaluru: A 29-year-old Sudan national was found hanging to the ceiling fan of his room in Swatantra Nagar in K.R. Puram police station limits on Monday night.

The deceased has been identified as Mazak Matet, a law student at a private college. Matet lived alone in a room on the third floor of a building near his college.

As he did not attend classes for the last few days, his friends went to check on him, but did not get any response to their repeated calls.

They then informed the police who broke open the door only to find Matet hanging to the ceiling fan. The body was in a decomposed state, the police said. The police also found a three-page suicide note that Matet had penned in Arabic.

The police got the text from the letter translated from the deceaseds friend. The police said that Matet was depressed as he was facing a deep financial problem. He had also not paid the college fee nor the room rent.

The police said that Matet may have taken the extreme step three to four days ago and he tried to cut his wrist before hanging himself. The police have informed the deceaseds family about the incident.

A case has been registered at KR Puram police station in this regard.
Muzaffarpur: Brajesh Thakur, the key accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, on Wednesday claimed that he has been falsely implicated as he was planning to join the Congress party. Thakur was produced before the court among other accused on Wednesday.

A woman meanwhile threw ink at Thakur outside the court.

"I was thinking of joining the Congress and it was almost final that I will contest elections from Muzaffarpur. That is the reason why I have been unnecessarily framed in the case. None of the girls (inmates of the shelter home) has taken my name. You can check that yourself," Thakur told media outside the court.

Speaking about Madhu Kumari, who is one of the accused and currently absconding, Thakur further said, "I have never had any relation with Madhu. This has been propagated by some newspapers who want my newspaper office to shut down. Their business is getting affected due to my newspaper."

He further admitted having spoken to Bihar's Social Welfare Department Minister Manju Verma's husband, but denied to have known him well.

Also Read: Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma resigns over Muzaffarpur shelter rape case

Reacting to Thakur's comments, Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri said, "It is a laughable comment made by him. Investigation suggests that he was connected to Manju Verma's husband. His connections with BJP and JD(U) have also come out. How can it be possible that he was supposed to contest elections representing the Congress? He should reveal the names he was in touch with from the Congress party. I feel that the law and order has completely failed in the state."

Last month, 11 employees of the shelter home were arrested and 44 girls were rescued. The shelter home case was uncovered around three months ago after a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in April revealed that the inmates were allegedly sexually abused.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the case and raised question over the funding of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that were running the shelter home.

Earlier, the opposition parties led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) held a sit-in protest and candle march in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on August 4 to protest against the shelter home rape case.

Many political leaders including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar's former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, former MP Sharad Yadav had joined the protest and demanded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation.
The bench asked the group to submit within 15 days a valuation report of movable and immovable properties of its managing director and directors. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday warned Amrapali Group asking them not to play smart with the court or they will be rendered homeless. The real estate major is accused of delaying its projects to the detriment of homebuyers interest.

The court would sell each and every property of the firm to recover the cost of construction of the pending real estate projects, a bench of justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said.

The real problem is that you have delayed giving possession of homes. Dont try to play smart or we will sell each and every property of yours and render you homeless, the bench said.

The bench asked the group to submit within 15 days a valuation report of movable and immovable properties of its managing director and directors.

It also sought the details of companies that were looking after the maintenance of Amrapali projects and the funds they have collected and disbursed so far.

The apex court enquired about the details of its serving directors and those who have left the Amrapali group since 2008.

The top court, however, asked the power companies to restore the electricity at two projects of the group which was disconnected owing to arrears.

The National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Ltd had on August 2 told the Supreme Court it was ready to undertake the projects of the Amrapali group of companies, which has failed to hand over possession of flats to around 42,000 home buyers.

The bench had asked the NBCC to place before it a concrete proposal in this regard in 30 days on how they proposed to complete the projects, along with a timeline of work.

The top court had earlier cracked the whip on the group for playing fraud and dirty games with the court and ordered attachment of all the bank accounts and movable properties of 40 firms of the real estate major.

It had directed the group to place before it the details of all of its bank accounts from 2008 till date and ordered freezing of bank accounts of the directors of its 40 firms, besides attaching their personal properties.

The group had earlier told the court in an affidavit that it was not in a position to complete the projects and hand over the possession of flats to over 42,000 home buyers in a time-bound manner.
The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to the 'Thalaivar'. (Photo: AFP)

Chennai: Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a doyen of Dravidian politics, was on Wednesday laid to rest on the Marina beachfront as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell after an unsavoury courtroom battle his party won to secure for him the final resting place at the Chennai landmark.

The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to the "Thalaivar" (the leader), school dropout, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life over decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

The 94-year-old leader had breathed his last at a hospital here after fighting for life for 11 days.

A galaxy of leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and his Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan, K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu were in attendance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays his last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

So were CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his predecessor Prakash Karat, and former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav respectively.

Karunanidhi was buried with full military honours with soldiers giving him a gun salute and buglars sounding the last post.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Rahul Gandhi, union minister and the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad placed wreaths at the feet of the departed leader.

Karunanidhi's son and heir apparent 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.

In poignant scenes, Stalin was seen crying inconsolably after touching his father's feet before the casket containing Karunanidhi's body was lowered into the grave.

The leader's youngest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi fondly caressed his head and cheek one last time.

Karunanidhi being a self-proclaimed atheist and rationalist, no Hindu rituals were performed.

Earlier in the day, as thousands of grieving DMK supporters, leaders and celebrities filed past the golden casket containing the mortal remains of the leader draped in the national tricolour at the stately Rajaji Hall, a courtroom battle raged over where he should be buried.

People gather to pay their last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi as his cortege passes through the streets of Chennai. (Photo: PTI)

The state's AIADMK government had on Tuesday rejected the DMK's demand for space at the Marina for Karunanidhi's burial and construction of a memorial to him, citing pending litigations over ecological concerns.

The DMK had swiftly moved the Madras High Court which partially heard its petition around midnight and resumed the hearing at 8 this morning.

The court ruled in DMK's favour and the Thalaivar got his final resting place next to his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place... Provide a place for a decent burial forthwith in terms of the rough sketch given by the petitioner," the division bench of the court comprising Acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and S S Sundar ruled.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place. Already alloted place in the marina for all Dravidian leaders. There is no need to take different stand in the present case," the bench said.

The court's order was greeted with loud chants of "Kalaignar Pugazh Onguga (long live Kalaignar's fame)" by thousands of DMK cadre at the Rajaji Hall some 8 km away.

A glum-faced M K Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president, who stood pensively beside the casket, sobbed uncontrollably, before regaining composure and wiping off tears of joy amid the pervasive gloom.

DMK working president MK Stalin with family members during DMK chief M Karunanidhi's funeral ceremony at Anna Memorial, in Chennai. (Photo: PTI)

Shouts of "vendum vendum, Marina vendum (we want Marina)" had greeted Chief Minister K Palaniswamy earlier in the day when he arrived at the Rajaji Hall to pay his tributes.

Supporters mourn as they arrive to pay their last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall in Chennai . (Photo: PTI)

The court's order dealt a big blow to the AIADMK, which spared no effort to deny Karunanidhi, who headed its rival outfit DMK for half-a-century, a feat unparalleled in the country's history, the final resting place at the Marina.

AIADMK founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran and his protegee J Jayalalithaa, who were buried on the beach and have memorials there, had died in office, and the government cited this as a ground for not bestowing the same privilege to Karunanidhi as he was not a serving chief minister.

There was a massive surge of people at the Rajaji Hall where lakhs had gathered to pay homage to Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister and political warhorse who won 13 assembly elections on the trot.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowed in solemn reverence and placed a wreath at the leader's feet. Clad in white kurta-churidar he spoke briefly to Karunanidhi's wife Rajathi Ammal with folded hands.

He clasped Stalin's hand and the two talked quietly for some time.

The crowd swelled by the minute, people pressing against each other in a massive surge, pushing, shoving, stumbling on each other and clashing with police whose personnel wielded batons to control them.

Some fainted, scores were injured, prompting Stalin to make an appeal to maintain calm.

Identical scenes were witnessed at the Marina. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets as the flower-bedecked gun-carriage inched its way there from Rajaji Hall.

Supporters carry a large banner of the DMK patriarch during the funeral procession in Chennai. (Photo: AFP)

Many crashed their way through the barricades. Others perched precariously atop trees and lamp posts for the one last glimpse of their beloved leader.

Stalin and other male members of the Karunanidhi family walked quietly behind the gun carriage as police personnel threw a security cordon around them.

The DMK's red-and-black flags fluttered across the landscape.

As the golden sun began to dip slowly into the sea, it shone light on the inscription on the casket in Tamil that read: "The one who slogged all his life without rest, rests here", signifying the end of an era in Tamil Nadu politics.
The GST is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services in India. It came into effect on July 1, 2017. (Representational Image)

New Delhi/ Washington: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday described the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a "milestone reform" in India's tax policy, but pushed for a simplified structure, saying the multiple rate structure and other features could give rise to high compliance and administrative costs.

In its annual country report, the IMF also said that a dual rate structure with a low standard rate and an additional higher rate on select items can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality.

The GST is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services in India. It came into effect on July 1, 2017.

The IMF said that GST is a milestone reform in India's tax policy, taking the important step of unifying and harmonising numerous indirect taxes across all states of the federation and the central government.

"Yet, the GST has a complex structure with a relatively high number of rates (and exemptions), which could be simplified without sacrificing progressivity of the current GST and with potentially significant gains from lower compliance and administrative costs," it said.

A dual rate structure with a low standard rate and an additional higher rate on select items can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality, while streamlining exemptions would further contribute to progressivity and reduce compliance and administrative costs, the IMF recommended.

The IMF said that with the consumption basket of the rich taxed at higher rates than that of the poor, the GST as presently designed has an effective tax rate rising with household consumption.

A revenue-neutral reduction in the number of rates would raise the effective rates for poorer households while reducing those for richer households. This is the key cost of moving to a simpler system, it argued.

In its report, the IMF said the implementation of the GST led to the key step of harmonising indirect tax rates on goods and services that previously differed across different states and the centre, and brought services into the state tax net.

However, India belongs in a small group of five countries having four or more GST rates: four non zero rates of five per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent, and 28 per cent; special low rates of three per cent on gems and jewelry and 0.25 per cent on rough diamonds; and a GST "cess" levied on demerit goods.

In comparison, among 115 countries with VATs, 49 have a single rate, and 28 have two rates, it noted.

"The multiple rate structure and other features of India's GST environment could give rise to high compliance and administrative costs, it said.

The goods and services tax created a unified national market for the first time by lowering internal barriers to trade - effectively establishing a free trade agreement for a market of over 1.3 billion people, said Ranil Salgado, IMF mission chief for India. The tax is also expected to increase the amount of economic activity taking place in the formal sector of the economy - leading to better quality and more reliable jobs, he added.

"As a result, the goods and services tax should improve productivity and boost medium term potential growth, while also creating room for the government to increase much needed social and infrastructure spending," Salgado added.
Thanjavur: Glory of M. Karunanidhi, five times Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, lies in his humble beginning. For, very rarely, such persons from scratch reach the pinnacle of glory. Even among them also, Karunanidhi, affectionately called as Kalaignar is exceptional and extraordinary.

Sharing a moment with Indira Gandhi

Born at Thirukuvalai, a tiny village in Nagapattinam district, on June 3, 1924 to Muthuvelar and Anjugam Ammaiyar, Karunanidhi had little to boast of his early childhood, except for the poverty he shared with his family and education barely up to the tenth class. But then, as he himself recalled in many meetings he addressed on the banks of Kamalalayam tank at Tiruvarur, he was an 'active student' in public life. He would describe at the meetings, how he wrote a poem against Hindi in his school days and about his handwritten Murasoli at that time, which has now become a party organ and celebrated its 75th year anniversary in 2017.

Kalaignar with rationalist Periyar

Whenever he addressed meetings at Tiruvarur, besides politics, he will walk down memory lane and recall how he used to swim in Kamalalayam tank along with his school friend Thennan (he passed away). The sprawling tank located on 25 acres of land with a beautiful Neeraazhi Mandapam posed challenge to student Karunanidhi when he started swimming. When we started swimming and were halfway in the tank, my friend, Thennan took cold feet and said that we would return without crossing the tank. But I told him to move forward and cross instead of going back, Karunanidhi would recall at the meetings.

It is the same Kamalalayam tank, he later renovated as Chief Minister and introduced boating. He also took steps as Chief Minister to revive the car festival of Sri Thyagarajaswamy temple at Tiruvarur after a long gap.

With MGR, his friend for 40 years

Whenever he comes to Tiruvarur, he used to visit Thirukuvalai and see his house, which has been made into a memorial by his family and maintained by a committee. The house, has been named as Muthuvelar Illam after his father and a library in it Anjugam Padippagam after his mother.

Receiving Rajajis blessings in Chennai

Besides the library, displayed in the renovated tiled house, are portraits of Karunanidhi with various leaders including foreign dignitaries. During one of his visits to the house between1996-2001, he became nostalgic and looked at the things in the house like a child. During this tenure as Chief Minister, massive desilting work of rivers and canals in the delta was taken up and he inspected the works. He also participated in the water release at Grand Anicut one year during this tenure.

He often visited his mothers Samadhi at Kattur near Tiruvarur and place a wreath whenever he had felt like stopping by. Karunanidhi, though son of the soil, contested from constituencies in composite Thanjavur district only three times, in his long political innings. In 1962 he contested from Thanjavur assembly constituency and won. He defeated A.Y.S. Parisutha Nadar of Congress. Again after many elections, he chose Tiruvarur assembly constituency in 2011 and 2016 and won. He is presently MLA of Tiruvarur, elected to the House 13 times since 1957.

R. Seshachalam (87), a resident of Thiruvoimoor near Thirukuvalai recalled Karunaidhis student days. He (Karunanidhi) studied at Thirukuvalai school up to fifth standard and went to high school at Tiruvarur. I am eight years younger than him but a classmate of his nephew Murasoli Maran. Maran and myself studied at Thirukuvalai school.(third standard). My uncle Muthuswami Naidu was our teacher at Thirukuvalai school. Once our teacher wanted to stage a drama at school; he was searching for someone to act. Karunanidhi came to the school at that time. He was asked to act as Devendran. He acted well. I joined high school at Thiruthuraipoondi and Kalaignar joined high school at Tiruvarur. He was interested in dramas and writing since his childhood days, Seshachalam said.

Closely associated with Cauvery issue for a very long time both as Chief Minister and as an opposition leader, KarunanidhI would say that he was born in 1924, the year the Cauvery agreement was signed between erstwhile Madras Presidency and former Mysore state.

The issue started when I was born, he would say at public meetings and trace the steps taken by him. S. Ranganathan, secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, fondly and emotionally recalled his familys personal touch with Karunanidhi. He (Karunanidhi) had very close association with my father Srinivasa Iyengar, member of Mirasudhars Association of pre-Independence days. He (Karunanidhi) used to consult my father on various occasions and had highest regard for him. Once he made an American Ambassador to wait and meet Mirasudhars when the envoy called on the then Chief Minister Annadurai. Perhaps his association with my father helped me to continue the association with him. His joining with farmers in the court on Cauvery issue without filing a fresh case speaks volumes about his magnanimity and commitment to solve Cauvery issue. Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association organised felicitation meeting for him when Cauvery water disputes Tribunal was formed for which he was instrumental. That was held at Tiruvarur. Again another felicitation meeting was organised at Thanjavur when central government formed the Cauvery Authority with Prime Minister as Chairman and Chief Ministers as members, Ranganathan said.

To his native village and his home district (Tiruvarur which he created as Chief Minister during 1996-2001), he brought a Central University, established a government medical college at Tiruvarur and made Thirukualai into a taluk and set up a government engineering college, affiliated, to Anna University at Thirukuvalai.

Timeline

June 3, 1924 | Born in Thiru-kkuvalai near Tiruvarur, composite Thanjavur .

August 10, 1942 | As self-styled leader of Tamil Nadu Tamil Maanavar Mandram, launches Murasoli in Tamil as handwritten manuscript.

September 17, 1949 | Among the Founding members of the DMK at the rally at Robinson Park in old North Madras, where DMK was launched.

July 1953 | Arrested for the Kallakudi Agitation, demanding renaming of Dalmiyapuram railway station as part of the anti-Hindi agitation, along with poet Kannadasan

April 1957 | Elected for first time to the Madras (later Tamil Nadu) Legislative Assembly from Kulittalai constituency near Tiruchy;

1959 | DMK founder C N Annadurai honours Karunanidhi for steering DMK to victory in Madras Corporation elections.

1961 | Karunanidhi made DMK Treasurer

1962 | Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Assembly on election from Thanjavur constituency.

March 1967 | PWD Minister in Annadurai-led first DMK Ministry, after elected from Saidapet Assembly constituency in Chennai that year.

February 10, 1969 | Sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after untimely demise of his leader and mentor Annadurai.

July 27, 1969 | Elected as President of DMK, a post he held till the end.

1983 | Quits Assembly membership over Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

January 27, 1989 | Comes back as CM for third time after MGRs demise.

June 1991 | Quits Harbour Assembly seat, owning moral responsibility for DMKs defeat in the General elections that year.

May 13, 1996 | Assumes office as CM for fourth time after leading DMK to a massive win in alliance with G.K. Moopanar-led Tamil Maanila Congress.

December 31, 1999January 1, 2000 | Presides over unveiling of the massive 133-feet tall statue of saint-poet Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari.

May 13, 2006 | Sworn in Chief Minister for a fifth time, elected from Chepauk constituency in Chennai.

February 12, 2009 | Undergoes major spinal surgery that confined him permanently to a wheel-chair; missed the Republic Day Parade for the first time that year.

April 28, 2009 | Goes on a sudden, indefinite fast at Anna Square on the Marina in Chennai to press the SLgovernment to announce a ceasefire in its war against the Tamil militants in the Islands North.

June 23-27,2010 | Organises first World Classical Tamil Conference, at Coimbatore.

August 10, 2017 | M K Stalin, Karunanidhi visits Murasoli office in Chennai on occasion of its Pavazha Vizha, a rare visit outside his Gopalapuram house where he stayed put since his second bout of illness in October 2016.
The United States will not be able to prevent Iran from exporting oil, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

"If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences. They cant think that Iran wont export oil and others will export," Reuters cited the minister as saying.

Zarif did not specify what consequences the U.S. could face.

U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero as a means of pressuring Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programmes and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Bengaluru: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation withdrew the services to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday evening. According to a senior officer in KSRTC, the services from all divisions to Tamil Nadu were stopped Tuesday evening after receiving news that the former chief ministers health is deteriorating. We conducted a meeting with other senior officers and it was decided to withdraw the services to be on a safer side. We do not want to take any chance and withdrew the service," the officer said.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is expected to leave for Chennai on Wednesday morning to pay his last respects, sources at the Chief Minister's office said. We have lost a unique personality in Indian politics, and Tamil Nadu a visionary leader, the CM said.

Terming him a "legend", the Mr Kumaraswamy said, Karunanidhi strived for the development of Tamil Nadu throughout his life and built a stronghold for regional party DMK. DMK workers from the state have arranged buses to carry people to Chennai to pay tribute to the Dravidian leader.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi being laid to rest at Marina Beach. (Photo: ANI)

Chennai: After a three-hour hearing on Wednesday, the Madras High Court has ruled that DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi would be buried next to his mentor, C N Annadurai, at the iconic Marina Beach in Chennai.

The high court decision came almost 15 hours the towering leader's death at Kauvery hospital in Chennai on Tuesday evening.

His party, the DMK, moved the Madras High Court hours late on Tuesday after the Tamil Nadu government declined their request to allot space for Kalaignars burial near party founder Annadurais memorial at Marina Beach.

DMK patriarch Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday in Chennai after battling ill health for weeks. He was 94.

Here are the LIVE updates from Chennai:

07:00 pm: Karunanidhi's family members break down as the DMK chief is laid to rest at Marina Beach.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

06:40 pm: M Karunanidhi's family pay their last tribute to the DMK chief at Marina beach. Burial to take place shortly.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

06:20 pm: MK Stalin with sister Selvi and brother MK Alagiri at last rites ceremony of M Karunanidhi.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

06:10 pm: Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, TMC's Derek O Brien and others arrive for Karunanidhi's last rites on Marina Beach.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

06:00 pm: MK Stalin reaches Anna Memorial at Marina Beach.

05:15 pm: The hearse is slowly inching its way to Marina Beach, about 1.7 km from Rajaji Hall, as thousands have lined up to catch a last glimpse of their Thalaivar.

05:00 pm: Heart-rendering slogans like 'Kalaignar pugazh vazhga vazhgavey' (long live the glory of Karunanidhi) can be heard as Karunanidhi's final journey is underway.

04:08 pm: Mortal remains of DMK Chief M Karunanidhi being taken to Marina Beach for last rites.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

03:57 pm: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, NCP President Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Praful Patel pay tribute to DMK Chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

03:20 pm: Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking a stay on the last rites of Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. Ramaswamy had moved the apex court against the Madras High Court order which allowed to perform the last rites of Karunanidhi at the Marina beach.

03:03 pm: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P Sathasivam, and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala paid tribute to DMK Chief at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:58 pm: Two dead and 33 injured in scuffle and stampede outside Rajaji Hall in Chennai, news agency ANI reported.

02:42 pm: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:25 pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi also paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:22 pm: RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and SP's Akhilesh Yadav also paid tributes to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:04 pm: 'A person who continued to work without rest, now takes rest': These are the words written on the coffin of M Karunanidhi.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:54 pm: M K Stalin urged party cadre to remain calm. He said, "I did not want anything for myself. All I want is a fitting tribute to Kalaignar."

"Those who are in power are trying to create chaos, but you have all shown the strength of the cadres. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace," Stalin added.

01:41 pm: After police blocked the entrance of Rajaji Hall due to huge crowds, people climbed walls in an attempt to enter the hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:37 pm: Construction of burial at Marina beach for Karunanidhi underway.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:15 pm: A DMK supporter gets his head tonsured as a mark of respect for late leader Karunanidhi in Coimbatore.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:11 pm: Scuffle broke out between police and crowd gathered at Rajaji Hall; police resorted to lathi charge.

#Watch: Scuffle between breaks out between Police & crowd gathered at #RajajiHall, police resort to lathi charge. #Karunandhi pic.twitter.com/jBjKdfrNzK  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

01:02 pm: Visuals of huge crowd at Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of Karunanidhi are kept.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

12:30 pm: Tamil Nadu government has abided by the Madras High Court ruling and has allotted land for burial at Marina Beach.

12:18 pm: "I was unhappy yesterday as the government did not allow the Marina beach burial. I had called the chief minister but he was unavailable. I also personally called the Prime Minister in this regard," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

12:03 pm: Earlier in Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, "With profound sorrow, I have to inform the House about the sad demise of Karunanidhi who passed away on 7 Aug, 18. He served as CM of Tamil Nadu for 5 times. In his demise, the country has lost a highly popular and eminent personality."

11:58 am: DMK supporters gathered outside Anna memorial at Chennai's Marina beach. JCB machines have also reached the spot following Madras High Court's judgement that Karunanidhi will receive burial at the Marina beach.

11:18 am: PM Modi spoke to M K Stalin and Kanimozhi after paying last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi talks to DMK leaders MK Stalin & Kanimozhi, after paying last respects to M #Karunanidhi at #RajajiHall in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/cEiwjEdNbz  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

11:10 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall in Chennai.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

11:09 am: Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to former Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi.

11:07 am: DMK lawyer V Kannadasan said, "The DMK's plea for the burial of Kalaignar's body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras High Court. The court further directed Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for Kalaignar's."

11:05 am: DMK supporters celebrate following Madras High Court's verdict to allow the burial of Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach. Visuals from Rajaji Hall and outside Madras High Court.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

11:01 am: Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president M K Stalin broke down after Madras High Court's verdict allowing the burial of Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina Beach.

10:55 am: Madras High Court has ruled that DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi to be laid to rest next to his mentor at Marina Beach, report news agency PTI.

10:35 am: Arguments have been over. Acting Chief Justice began to dictate orders.

10:34 am: Justice S S Sundar pointed out to DMK lawyer that the family members of Karunanidhi have not approached the High Court.

10:32 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Chennai to pay last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

10:07 am: Rapid Action Force has been deployed outside Anna memorial at Marina beach in Chennai.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

10:03 am: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan paid last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

09:42 am: Tamil Nadu government's lawyer said,"DMK is pursuing political agenda by filing this case."

"D K Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?" he asked.

09:28 am: DMK lawyer said, "There are 1 crore DMK followers in Tamil Nadu out of 7 crore population of the state. They'll be offended if burial land is not allotted for Karunanidhi at Marina beach."

09:24 am: DMK lawyer had also said, "You (state government) have announced state mourning, why not give land for burial? There's no prohibition under Central Government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for ex-chief ministers.

09:12 am: During the hearing, DMK's lawyer said, "Anna, who is the founder of DMK, used to say my life and soul is Karunanidhi. Burying Karunanidhi next to Gandhi Mandapam cannot be termed as a decent burial."

09:02 am: Tamil Nadu government said in its counter affidavit that DMK chief Karunanidhi himself didn't allot land for former CM Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual when Karunanidhi was the chief minister.

09:00 am: Madras High Court recorded contents of the counter affidavit filed by the state government which told the court that DMK can't challenge press release by the government expressing inability to allot space at Marina Beach for Karunanidhi.

08:55 am: Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice recorded in his order, submissions made by DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi in his affidavit seeking burial land at Marina beach for DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.

08:43 am: VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan paid last respects to M Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall. He said, "We demand that Bharat Ratna be conferred upon him. We also demand that his memorial be made near Anna Samadhi."

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

08:37 am: Madras High Court dismissed petitions filed by Traffic Ramaswamy, K Balu and Duraisamy challenging the construction of memorials at Marina beach.

08:34 am: Deepa Jayakumar, niece of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J Jayalalithaa, paid tributes to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

08:28 am: Madras HC directed Traffic Ramaswamys lawyer to file memorandum that he has no objection to bury Karunanidhis body at Marina beach. Lawyer submitted the memorandum to the Acting Chief Justice.

08:25 am: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy paid tributes to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

08:19 am: Lawyer of petitioner Traffic Ramaswamy said, "We have no objection to the burial land for Karunanidhi'.

Acting Chief Justice said to the lawyer, 'Withdraw your case'.

08:10 am: Tamil Nadu government filed its counter affidavit in case of allowing burial of M Karunanidhi at Marina beach. Hearing in the matter is underway at Madras High Court.

07:50 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Chennai to pay his last respects to M Karunanidhi.

07:48 am: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit paid last respects to former Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

07:35 am: Huge crowd gathered at Chennai's Rajaji Hall to pay last respects to DMK patriarch Karunanidhi. Crowd raised slogans of 'Long live Kalaignar' and 'Need Marina! Need Marina!'

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

07:15 am: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisamy and Deputy Chief Minister O

Panneerselvam paid their last respects to Karunanidhi. Palanisamy said, "This is a great loss for Tamil Nadu. My deep condolences to his family members and DMK party workers."

06:45 am: Madras High Court to hear the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu Government at Marina beach for Karunanidhi at 8 am.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

06:30 am: Visuals from Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of DMK supremo Karunanidhi are kept.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

06:27 am: Superstar Rajinikanth, Dhanush paid last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

06:09 am: Mortal remains of late DMK chief Karunanidhi wrapped in tricolour at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

05:50 am: TTV Dhinakaran arrives at Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of former Karunanidhi are kept.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

05:37 am: Ambulance carrying mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi arrived at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

05:28 am: Karunanidhi's son MK Alagiri and DMK leader Andimuthu Raja arrive at Rajaji Hall in Chennai where mortal remains of the late DMK supremo were being brought.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

05:01 am: Mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi being taken from Kanimozhi's residence in CIT Colony to Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

04:56 am: Congress leader P Chidambaram paid last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's CIT Colony.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

04:38 am: Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan said: When Anna (former Tamil Nadu CM Annadurai) was there to safeguard and promote general Kazhagam, there were two brothers- Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi) and MGR, and to see all three of them at one place would have been good.

02:10 am: Police resorted to lathi-charge to control the crowd gathered outside Kanimozhi's residence in CIT Colony where mortal remains of Karunanidhi are kept.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)
Kerala has assigned three hospitals for gender reassignment surgery and said it would also pay for people to have the procedure outside the state and reimburse those who had already done so. (Representational Image)

Kochi/New Delhi: LGBT campaigners urged the state governments in the country on Monday to "learn a lesson" from Kerala after authorities in the wealthy southern state said they would cover the cost of gender reassignment surgeries.

Kerala's chief minister said his government would pay 200,000 rupees (USD 3,000) to allow people to have the procedure, the second Indian state to do so after neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

"If more money is required, it will be made available," Jaffar Malik, director of the state's social justice department, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Monday.

Maya Urmi Aher, a transgender woman and rights activist, called it a "welcome step".

"Other states must learn a lesson from Kerala," she said.

"Being a community that is so stigmatised and discriminated against, most do not have an education or jobs, meaning they do not have much money."

Kerala has assigned three hospitals for gender reassignment surgery and said it would also pay for people to have the procedure outside the state and reimburse those who had already done so.

A 2015 government survey found there were about 25,000 transgender people in Kerala and more than 80 per cent wished to undergo the surgery but needed financial help.

Faisul Fasu, also a transgender activist in Kerala, said money was often the biggest obstacle to surgery, adding, "this will encourage those who are planning to go for sex reassignment surgery".

India is estimated to have about 2 million transgender people, who are often confined to the margins of society.

In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that they had equal rights under the law, and granted legal status to the "third gender", giving them the right to marry and inherit property.

Yet abuse and exploitation remain rife. Many have no formal education and are denied jobs, forcing them into sex work, begging or dancing at weddings to make ends meet.

Kerala, one of the most transgender-friendly states in India, has put in place measures to improve access to education and jobs. Last month, it announced it would reserve places in higher education for transgender students.

India as a whole spends just over 1 per cent of its GDP on public healthcare - among the world's lowest - and its public health system is overburdened and underfunded.

A bill aimed at protecting the rights of transgender people is expected to be introduced in the parliament this week, although it is unlikely to be passed before the current session ends on Friday.
Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reprimanded the Registrar General of India and the state coordinator of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for speaking to the media about the process that will be adopted for finalisation of the NRC draft.

Referring to state coordinator Prateek Hajela and registrar general of India Shailesh, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman said, Get down to work for finalisation of the NRC and never speak to media on this issue without the prior permission of the apex court. How can officers appointed by the SC talk about something which is to be finalised by us.

The apex court warned that it would have initiated contempt proceedings against Hajela and Shailesh had the task of finalisation of the NRC not been urgently at hand. The apex court in its earlier hearings had directed the ministry of home affairs and NRC authorities to prepare and place standard operating procedure to deal with claims of those excluded from NRC before SC on August 16.
BENGALURU: Thanks, but no, thanks! This was former chief minister Siddaramaiahs response to Congress president Rahul Gandhis suggestion to the Kuruba strongman to contest next years Lok Sabha elections from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency. Sources close to Siddaramaiah told Deccan Chronicle that he declined to contest the general elections next year as he has announced his decision to retire from electoral politics and continue in the role of an advisor.

The suggestion from Gandhi came during a one-on-one discussion with Siddaramaiah after last weeks meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in New Delhi. He had made known his intentions to keep away from electoral politics immediately after Assembly elections in May. With a tough contest on hand between Congress and BJP in next years general elections, Gandhi was evidently keen that Siddaramaiah enter the fray in Mysuru-Kodagu parliamentary constituency. The former CM, however, has distanced himself from his home district, Mysuru, post his defeat in Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, leaving scores of leaders and supporters in the lurch.

In 2009, the Congress did not face any paucity of formidable candidates as former minister H Vishwanth had won the Lok Sabha polls, but in 2014, he lost to a rookie Pratap Simha (BJP) thanks to the pro-Modi wave across the country. Subsequently, Vishwanath quit the Congress following differences of opinion with Siddaramaiah. Since then, Congress leaders have been scouting for a suitable candidate for Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha seat to defeat the BJP candidate. Meanwhile, C H Vijayshankar of BJP, who represented this constituency in 1998 and 2004, joined the Congress as he was upset with BJP leaders for asking him to contest against H.D. Deve Gowda from Hassan instead of Mysuru which he had represtend twice.

At the time of induction into Congress, Siddaramaiah had reportedly asked Vijayshankar to be ready to contest the LS polls from Mysuru-Kodagu and had extended all support. Party workers, however, feel that Vijayshankar lacks mass appeal and could face defeat at the hands of Simha. Sources in the Congress said the political canvas has changed dramatically post the Assembly polls as both top guns-Siddaramaiah and former minister H C Mahadevappa tasted defeat at the hands of Janata Dal (Secular) candidates. Even the BJP had made inroads in the district by winning from two rural constituencies-Nanjangud and Gundlupet-both held by Congress. Besides, the JD(S) gave a rude shock to Congress in many constituencies in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts.

Besides his loss at Chamundeshwari, he faces the threat from two former cabinet colleagues  Vishwanath and former minister V Srinivasaprasad. While Vishwanath has made it as president of state unit of JD(S) unit, Prasad joined the BJP and successfully got his son-in-law to win from Nanjangud Assembly constituency. In case Congress decides to field Siddaramaiah, Prasad would definitely campaign against his bete noire in both Mysuru and Kodagu districts.
Hyderabad: The Qureshi community, mainly engaged in cattle business, has requested the city police to ensure that there will be no attacks on the traders during transportation of cattle for the ensuing Bakrid. They also appealed to the police not to register unnecessary cases against the traders to appease any particular community.

At a meeting held with the Qureshi community, the Muslim leaders and scholars by the city police at Salar Jung Museum, the traders said that this is the time of the year when they can make some money. Mohd Saleem, TRS MLC, said that some unsocial elements form vigilant groups and target the cattle traders.

They snatch away cattle from the owners and shift them to cow shelters. Then starts the misery of the traders who run into losses of lakhs of rupees, he said.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that the police will cooperate with the traders and the community provided they adhere to the rules. Festive atmosphere should prevail and the police will work towards it. At the same time, the public should observe a neat and clean Bakrid festival which the police and other government departments will assist , he said.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi with his son MK Stalin on his 63rd birthday in Chennai on March 1, 2015. (Photo: PTI)

Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin has penned down an emotional letter for his father M Karunanidhi, who passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.

In his moving letter, Stalin asked the DMK chief, "I have always called you as Thalaivar (Leader). Shall I address you as Appa once at least now?"

"Every time you used to tell me the place where ever you go. Now, where did you go without telling me? Where did you go leaving us in lurch?" the letter read.

Stalin also quoted Karunanidhi's statement that the latter wanted to be written on his memorial, which read, "Here lies the person who worked relentlessly throughout his life."

The emotional son then asked the Tamil Nadu former chief minister that whether he has gained complete satisfaction for what he did for the Tamil society or he is just hiding to see if anyone can beat his achievements.

DMK working president MK Stalin has penned down an emotional letter for his father M Karunanidhi. (Photo: Twitter | @mkstalin)

Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday at Chennai's Kauvery Hospital. His funeral will be held with full state honours on Wednesday.

Soon after his demise, many political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and chief ministers of various states expressed their deep grief and extended their condolences to the bereaved family.
Chennai: Even before the official announcement of M. Karunanidhis demise made, educational institutions and offices pre-closed and sent students and employees home anticipating the news of the demise.

Soon after the news broke out, buses plying from the city and within the city stopped leaving the passengers stranded.

Some passengers from other districts took alms at the CMBT and stayed for the night. Bus transportation across the state hit affecting the normal life of the public.
Chennai: Pulling up the state government for showing urgency in transferring investigation relating to the idol theft cases to CBI, Madras high court has stayed the GO transferring the investigation to the CBI.

The division bench comprising Justices R. Mahadevan and P.D. Audikesavalu, before which a petition filed by an advocate 'Elephant' Rajendran seeking to quash the GO came up for hearing on Tuesday, has asked the Additional Advocate General P.H. Pandian , who appeared on behalf of the government, asked what is the urgency in passing the government order within a day when the court is seized of the matter.

The bench has observed that the government, which had not even shown an inch of interest in implementing the directions given by this court in the idol theft cases, has shown that much interest in passing a government order transferring the investigation to CBI.

Justice R. Mahadevan has wondered how the GO was passed a day after the bench asked for the documents pertaining to the policy decision taken by Government to transfer the investigation to CBI.

Making it clear that the GO cannot be continued for even a minute the judges posed several questions to AAG on the GO. The action of the officials was not proper and illegal. "Though the Court has passed several orders with regard to the steps taken by Government in safeguarding the idols nothing was implemented. We will call the home secretary and DGP," it said.

The bench stayed the government order transferring the idol theft case to CBI and ordered notice to government.

Meanwhile, the Bench granted condition bail to Kavitha, Additional Commissioner of HR&CE, who was arrested by the Sivakanchi police in connection to making of two new Panchaloha idols for Sti Ekambaranathat temple in Kancheepuram.

She was directed to stay at Tiruchy for a month and directed her to appear before the Idol Wing, which was specially constituted as per the HC orders in Kumbakonam as and when required.
New Delhi/ New York: A US Navy veteran was on Tuesday awarded three consecutive life sentences on federal hate crime charges for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounding two others at a suburban Kansas City bar in 2017.

Adam Purinton of Olathe shot and killed 32-year-old Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and wounded two others - Indian national Alok Madasani and Kansas resident Ian Grillot - at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas, in February 2017.

Earlier in 2018, he pleaded guilty in federal court to hate crime and firearm offenses arising out of the shooting.

At his federal guilty-plea hearing, Purinton admitted in open court that he targeted and shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani because of their race, colour, and national origin, and that he shot Grillot during an attempt to flee the scene of the crime.

The sentences handed down in federal court today will run consecutively to another life sentence 53-year-old Purinton previously received for first-degree murder in Johnson County District Court.

None of his victims were in court today.

"The crimes at issue in this case are detestable," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

"The defendant acted with clear premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man, simply because of their race, religion, and national origin. As a result, a promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been filled with suffering."

Jeff Sessions said that while the "irreparable harm" that Purinton has done cannot be undone, "some measure of justice for the victims' families has been achieved."

In a statement, Kuchibhotla's widow said that her husband was always "respectful to others" and would have helped Purinton understand that not every brown skinned person is evil but is contributing to America's growth.

"My husband was more than what you chose to address him as. Always kind, caring, and respectful to others. Srinu and I came to the US of America full of dreams and aspirations...Now, my American Dream - and that of Srinu's - is broken," Sunayana Dumala said in the statement read out in court today as Purinton was sentenced, calling her husband by his informal name.

"...(U)se the time that is being given to you to educate yourself and inform others who are still out in the open and stop them from killing innocent people as you did - choosing violence over kindness," she added.

US Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of Kansas said a person should be able to live without fear of becoming a victim of hate crimes irrespective of "who you are, what you believe, or how you worship."

The killing of Kuchibhotla had shaken the Indian community and led to heightened fear and anxiety among the South Asian population in general and the Indian community in particular, about their safety. Concerns grew in the community about misplaced perceptions among individuals over immigration status and ethnicity of Indians and South Asians in America.

According to evidence presented in court, a few weeks before the shooting, Purinton was sitting by himself in the bar area at Austins Bar & Grill when, coincidentally, Kuchibhotla and Madasani happened to be having a drink on the patio. Noticing the two men, Purinton commented to a regular sitting at the bar, "Did you see the terrorists on the patio?"

On February 22, 2017, Purinton drove to Austins Bar & Grill and sat by himself at a table on the enclosed front patio. Sitting at the table to his left were Ian Grillot and several other patrons as well as Kuchibhotla and Madasani. He approached Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and demanded to know where they were from and how they entered the country.

Purinton poked Kuchibhotla in the chest, called him a "terrorist" and an epithet disparaging persons of Middle Eastern descent, and shouted, "Get out of my country!"

Grillot and another patron interceded, told Purinton that he needed to leave, and escorted him out of the bar.

Purinton drove home and retrieved a semi-automatic pistol and to disguise his identity, changed into a different shirt and grabbed a blue-and-white scarf. Later, he returned to the bar.

He walked over to the enclosed front patio, opened the door, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and fired eight rounds-at least four of which struck Kuchibhotla, who died from his injuries, and one of which struck Madasani, who was injured, but survived. Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.

Purinton admitted that he shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani, attempting to kill both men, because of their race, colour, religion, and national origin. After shooting Kuchibhotla and Madasani, Purinton ran out, and Grillot chased after him. As Grillot caught up to him, Purinton turned around and shot Grillot, who was also injured but survived.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had threatened the accused, who allegedly wanted to cut beard of a Muslim man, that they would be converted to Islam.

Bengaluru: A nursing college in Bengaluru is in the eye of a storm after it was accused by four of its students  all four are from Kashmir  of an attempt to curtail their religious freedom after they came under pressure from a new principal to shave off their beards.

The students were told by the school management that if they fail to do so, they could face expulsion.

The principal of Adarsha College of Nursing at Mariyappana Palya in Mallathahalli , Ms Priyadarshini, who took over only weeks ago admitted that she had barred the students from attending classes and called it a disciplinary action.

She said that she asked the students to shave off their facial hair because of hygiene issues as they tend to several patients and there are chances of them transmitting harmful bacteria to the patients. The principal, Ms. Priyadarshini, summoned the four students  three from first year, B.Sc (Nursing) and one from second year  and asked them to shave off their beards if they wanted marks in the internal exams.

For the last one week, we are being sent out of class on instructions from the principal for not shaving our beards. The beards are part of our religion and I dont understand why it should bother the principal, the students said.

Mr Laxman Rudawat, convener of Nursing Association in Hyderabad told, There is no particular rule in the medical books that the male nurses cant be keep beards. But as a decorum and also maintaining the professional look the male nurses are asked to be clean shaved. The reason is in a beard a persons perspective is that of a very serious or sad person and for that reason it is stated that they must be clean shaved.

The male nurses are told not to keep beard and long hair as it causes infection. The infection is due to touch and accumulation of sweat said TS Indian Medical Association president Dr Narasinga Reddy.

 with inputs from Kaniza Garari
New Delhi: JD(U) leader Harivansh Narain Singh will take on the Congress B.K. Hariprasad in the election for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday. Thus election promised to be a nail-biter, with Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal (BJD) holding the key. Both the NDA and the Congress-led Opposition left no stone unturned to woo the wily six-time Odisha CM, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly calling him to seek support.

Mr Patnaik spent the entire day holed up in Mumbai and is likely to return to Bhubaneswar, his state capital, only late Wednesday night or early Thursday, when he is due to attend a tribals programme. Most of his MPs were clueless about his intentions, but reiterated that he was unlikely to reveal his cards before the last possible moment.

If the BJD abstains, it would be advantage Opposition, but if it votes for the NDA candidate and helps him win, it would be taking a definitive side ahead of the 2019 general election, and will send a crucial message to his electorate. The third option of voting for the Opposition candidate has been already ruled out by sources.

Mr Patnaiks party has been fencing with both the BJP and the Congress in Odisha. But as the NDA candidate is from the JD(U) and not the BJP while the Opposition candidate is from the Congress, the balance tilts in favour of the former. It might be recalled that in a similar situation, the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had refused to back NDA candidate P.A. Sangma in the 2012 presidential poll, when Pranab Mukherjee was elected. This fact was mentioned in a press statement issued by the BJD on Tuesday.

The election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman is being held after a 20-year gap, and is being seen as a kind of dress rehearsal for the 2019 general election. After Thursdays voting, it will be clear as to which side the non-BJP, non-Congress parties are aligned with. Many parties like the PDP, the BJPs erstwhile partner in Jammu and Kashmir, have decided to abstain. Others like the Aam Aadmi Party have upped the stakes saying that since it is a Congress candidate, no one other than Rahul Gandhi should call their party chief Arvind Kejriwal to seek support.
Supporters, in large numbers, arrive to pay their last respects to DMK chief M. Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall in Chennai on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

Chennai: The Dravidian icon and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi who pleaded with his mentor C. N. Annadurai for his heart, finally rests besides Annas memorial on the sands of the Marina.

The journey from Rajaji Hall to Marina Beach to his final resting place was marked with emotional scenes and teary-eyed family members including his sobbing sons and daughters: M. K. Stalin, Alagiri and Tamilarasu, and Selvi and Kanimozhi, who paid floral tributes before the coffin holding Karunanidhis body was lowered to the ground at about 7 pm.

Earlier, the body of the five-time chief minister, draped in national tricolour with his trademark black glasses, yellow shawl, white shirt and dhothi on, was taken for his burial in an open procession in a military gun carriage from the Rajaji Hall at 4 pm. A sea of supporters lined up along the route to get a final glimpse of the departed leader and raised slogans for their Thalaivar. Weeping family members, including Stalin and others, followed them.

The military gun carriage inched its way to the Marina beach about 1.7 km from Rajaji Hall. Many in the procession were clad in black shirts and displayed pictures and banners of the late leader who breathed his last at Kauvery hospital Tuesday evening, after battling for 11 days.

The body was kept for a couple of hours at his Gopalapuram residence and later at his daughter Kanimozhis CIT Colony residence for public veneration, before being shifted to the Rajaji Hall in the early hours of Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the galaxy of political leaders and prominent citizens who paid his last respects to Kaliagnar at the historic place. Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, Deputy CM Panneerselvam and their colleagues paid respects.

Karunanidhi was laid to rest with a 27-gun salute. Prior to this, the tricolour draped around him was removed from his body by the military personnel and handed over to Stalin. Stalin, Alagiri and Tamilarasu wept in front of his fathers body inconsolably, while an emotionally charged Kanimozhi gently touched her fathers cheeks as if to bid him goodbye.

At the time of Annas death early February, 1969, Kalaignar wrote the best eulogy ever for a political leader, requesting Anna to lend him his heart, which he promised to return when he comes to visit his departed mentor. Now he rests eternally besides Annas Samadhi; not far from the memorial of his bete noire Jayalalithaa and her mentor MGR.

Chosen by Karunanidhi, the epitaph on Annaurais samadhi reads thus: Edhaiyum thaangum idhayam ingeye urangugiradhu (the brave heart is resting here). And on the sandalwood coffin of Karunanidhi is engraved the epitaph which he dictated to his son Stalin 33 years ago in Tamil: oyvillamal ulaithavan itho oyvu kondirukiran (The man who worked without rest, is now resting).
Chennai: At least a million people came to see DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi on the day of his funeral Wednesday. The crowds thronged all day at the Rajaji Hall to where his mortal remains were brought after having lain in his homes in Gopalapuram and CIT Colony during Tuesday night soon after he passed away in Kauvery Hospital.

Grieving DMK cadres were spread out all along the route of the cortege from the Rajaji Hall to the Marina Beach memorial space. The milling crowd became so huge by evening that the procession took a couple of hours to cover the short 2-km journey to his last resting place.

At least four persons were killed and more than 30 persons, including a woman constable, were injured in a sudden stampede at Rajaji Hall earlier in the day when thousands rushed and pushed to pay homage. The stampede happened at around 11.15 am when the police let the people enter the Rajaji Hall premises in batches and several persons breached the barricades in their hurry.

A few persons fell down and were trampled upon in the crush. Soon after the incident, DMK working president appealed to his party cadres and the public to keep calm and pay homage to the leader in an orderly manner and disperse peacefully. n P4
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Jammu and Kashmir government on a petition alleging that Talib Hussain, key witness in the Kathua rape and murder incident involving an eight-year-old girl, has been in illegal custody and being tortured.

A three-judge bench issued notice on the writ petition filed by cousin of Talib Hussain seeking his release immediately. The apex court had transferred the Kathua rape criminal trial to a court in Punjab.

The CJI asked senior counsel Indira Jaising as to how a habeas corpus petition was maintainable when a person is in police custody. Counsel said if a person was subjected to custodial torture, the court could intervene.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays his last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)

Chennai: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi is an extraordinary leader and a veteran administrator whose life was devoted to public welfare and social justice, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

PM who arrived here by a special flight from New Delhi, paid homage to DMK president M. Karunanidhi after placing a wreath at Karunanidhi's feet kept at Rajaji Hall here. Clad in white, Modi bowed before the mortal remains, and went around the casket in which Karunanidhi's mortal remains were kept draped in the national tricolour. He consoled Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin, and daughter Kanimozhi, MP, by holding their hands. After exchanging a few words with them, the PM consoled Karunanidhis wife Rajathi and other family members before leaving Rajaji Hall.

PM was accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan, Coir Board chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Before leaving the venue, Modi greeted the teaming crowd of mourners with folded hands. He was seen off by Stalin and other DMK leaders.

Shortly after paying rich tributes to the DMK stalwart at the Rajaji Hall here, the Prime Minister tweeted "In Chennai, I paid tributes to an extraordinary leader and a veteran administrator whose life was devoted to public welfare and social justice. Kalaignar Karunanidhi will live on in the hearts and minds of the millions of people whose lives were transformed by him." He also posted photographs of him paying the last respects and consoling Stalin and Kanimozhi.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi has paid off. Mr Rao had submitted a wish list comprising of 11 issues to Mr Modi. Of this, the Centres approval to the new TS zonal system was most important.

The Chief Ministers Office has received information from the Prime Ministers Office that Mr Modi had approved the new zonal system and the Union home ministry is expected to issue a notification in this regard within a week. The Centres approval will enable the TS government to speed up the recruitment drive with reservations to locals.

The new zonal system is aimed at providing 95 percent of government jobs to locals in the respective zones. The new zones were created in the wake of reorganisation of districts from October 10 to October 31, 2016. The state Cabinet on May 27 approved the new zonal system and sent it to the Centre for approval. However, it has been lying pending since then.

The CM had rushed to Delhi on May 20 to pursue the case with the PM and the Union home minister Mr Rajnath Singh.

The CM could not get the PMs appointment due to Mr Modis foreign trip. Mr Rao met Mr Singh and sought approval to the new zonal system. But this did not yield any result.

The CM went to Delhi again and met PM on August 4 and explained to him about the importance of new zonal system and the urgency for Telangana government to implement it to ensure jobs for locals. The PM responded positively. However, the state government was surprised to receive communication from PMO on Mr Modi according approval within three days of the meeting and also asking the Union Home Ministry to take necessary steps in this regard.

With PMs approval, the Home Ministry will now issue a fresh Presidential Order notifying seven zones and two multi-zones.
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders are not in the mood to confront the state government over permission for a meeting at the Osmania University Arts College where AICC President Rahul Gandhis interaction with students is due to be held. They have decided if they do not get permission to hold the meeting at Osmania University, they would look for an alternative venue.

After the TPCC announcement on Rahul Gandhis interaction with students at Osmania University it has become a bone of contention between TRS and Congress. Osmania students belonging to TPCC have submitted a letter to the vice-chancellor of Osmania University requesting permission to hold a meeting at the Arts College where the AICC president would interact with them.

The TRS student wing has objected to this and said that they would not allow Gandhi into the University to hold a meeting. The state government has also reportedly decided not to give permission to the Congress to hold the meeting. Congress leaders are not keen to enter into any controversy with the state government. They do not want to upset or in any way hamper Gandhis two- day visit to Hyderabad.

A senior Congress leader said if they forcibly went to the Osmania University, the police would arrest them and this would upset the Congress leaders visit to Hyderabad. So they have decided to look for an alternative venue.

Congress sources said so far there has been no communication from the vice chancellor of Osmania University on the request of students to hold the meeting at the Arts College of Osmania University.

Rahul aide visits Hyderabad

AICC president Rahul Gandhi's close aide Sazib arrived in Hyderabad from Delhi on Wednesday and visited the proposed venues for the Congress leader's public meetings during his two-day visit to the state from August 13.

Mr Sazib visited Shamshabad where Mr Gandhi's meeting with women self help groups is scheduled to be held on August 13. TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy, former home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and a few other congress leaders accompanied Mr Sazib.

Mr Sazib also visited other places mentioned in the itinerary of Mr Gandhi's state tour. Mr Uttam explained to him the arrangements being made for Mr Gandhi's visit.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) will support JD(U) candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairmans election to be held on Thursday.

The TRS which is opposing the Congress will not hesitate to vote against its candidate B.K. Hariprasad and support the JDU candidate of NDA.

According to sources, TRS chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the MPs to have a meeting on Thursday and take a decision to vote in favour of the JD(U) candidate.

The TRS has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made a telephone call to Mr Rao on Tuesday and requested him to support his party candidate Mr Narayan Singh.

The TRS had also waited for the opposition candidate to take a decision on this issue.

Earlier, Opposition parties had considered the names of Ms Vandana Chavan of the NCP or Mr Tiruchi Siva of the DMK. If any of these two candidates were finalised by opposition parties, Mr Rao would have been in a dilemma as the NCP chief Sharad Pawar and DMK Working President Stalin were more close to him than Mr Nitish Kumar.
GOVERNING Pakistan is an unenviable task in the best of times, not least when the country is faced with an economic meltdown and a diplomatic squeeze. The solution to both is intrinsically linked  with the United States holding one of the keys to relieving the pain. Incoming Prime Minister Imran Khan isnt going to have an easy time managing this account.

In his otherwise mature, conciliatory, and inspirational victory speech, his take on the US relationship is the one aspect that left me concerned. He was in the usual Pakistani vein on this one, implying that Pakistan had been mistreated and that the relationship needed to be mutually beneficial and balanced. I would have glossed over it, but Khan feels passionately about this and may want to press the issue with Washington. If he does, hell find himself in a rather impossible position.

His victory wasnt Washingtons preferred option. Much of what is said and thought of him is tied to his disparaging stance on the US war in Afghanistan and his sympathetic views towards the Afghan Taliban. Several columns written on him in the Western press since the elections have also tended to highlight his negatives.

People around Imran Khan say he is misunderstood. I agree. But his statements on the US and the Taliban back in the day did go too far and he did little to correct the impression. For instance, many tried to convince him to engage the policy community in Washington in recent years to develop rapport and street cred (in anticipation of becoming Prime Minister one day), but he resisted.

The perception of manipulation around the polls will make it harder. Ironically, this Pakistani election cycle was hardly on Washingtons radar till election day. The US capital is too distracted with multiple other international and domestic crises. Since the elections, however, the conversation is back and focused on the alleged pre-poll manipulation and perceived establishment support for Khan. This may come up in his dealings with the US often enough.

On the substance of bilateral ties too, his hand is constrained. For starters, he (as should the US side) must stop feeling that the US-Pakistan relationship has not been mutually beneficial. Both sides have gained tremendously from it over the years; each would have been worse off without the other. But balance isnt possible. In fact, in the short term, the governments desire for balance is going to run up against the compulsion to raise money to get the country out of the economic hole it is in. Asad Umar has already sounded the alarm bells, and rightly so. Pakistan needs the IMF but the US administration has been uncharacteristically candid in drawing a link between the donor agencys leaning and the state of US-Pakistan ties. From everything I am picking up, this doesnt seem to have been a hollow threat.

This brings us to the question at the heart of everything. Can and will Imran Khan do anything different to move the needle on what is now Americas one-point agenda in the bilateral relationship: Afghanistan?

Well have to wait and see. His previous stances were opposed to the US ask of Pakistan to do more. This can further complicate his governments equation with the US. But, if he is persuaded to think otherwise, hell have his first test vis-a-vis the system. The establishment seems convinced that a stick-heavy approach against these actors will backfire.

Pakistan, therefore, prefers to offer positive incentives to the Taliban to join a US-led peace process in Afghanistan. The US wants this support, but in addition to and ideally at the back end of more direct Pakistani efforts to undermine the influence of the insurgency in Afghanistan.

One important indication of Imran Khans approach to foreign policy management and the US relationship will be his selection of the foreign minister and his decision on the fate of Ali Siddiqui, the incumbent Pakistani ambassador to the US. I hear that there is some talk of recruiting a foreign minister from among those usually available for the establishment to anoint. If so, the deadlock will remain.

Siddiquis case is interesting as the PTI had formally opposed his appointment. Yet, Siddiqui has begun to make significant inroads in Washington and switching him now would  apart from the embarrassment of unceremoniously dismissing the second ambassador within months  mean that the successor would have to go through his or her own learning curve. This will set the government further back in terms of managing the day-to-day diplomatic affairs of the relationship.

Handling the US partnership  or whatever is left of it  isnt going to be fun for the incoming Prime Minister. The sooner he begins to pay attention to it, the better.

By arrangement with Dawn

H10
Tamil Nadus five-time chief minister and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, a Tamil litterateur known as Kalaignar and a beacon of light for many Tamils worldwide, leaves behind an army of grieving cadres and politically-savvy kin. He headed the Dravidian party that was an offshoot of the Justice Party and Self-Respect movement for 49 years, right up to the end, though he was indisposed for the past two years. An orator with a gravelly but compelling voice, he challenged an old, conservative society with new ideas and was a champion of the downtrodden and disadvantaged. Having become CM in intra-party manoeuvring in 1969 on the death of mentor C.N. Annadurai, Karunanidhi remained the undisputed master strategist for decades, whether in power or out of it in Tamil Nadu.

As a dynamic champion of the Tamil language he had few equals. He played upon a pan-Tamil sentiment to set alight a dream of an independent Tamil homeland, but the DMK swiftly shed this jingoism after the 1962 Chinese aggression and later was treated in a cavalier way twice through direct rule from New Delhi rule under Article 356. He realised the danger of consorting with LTTE militants and concentrated on regaining political power to pursue the greater goal of social engineering enunciated by social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker. A committed votebank in the DMK cadre brought him back alternately to the CM office with J. Jayalalithaa after he couldnt stop the partys matinee idol MGR leaving the fold to form the AIAMDK, much to the detriment of the DMKs and Karunanidhis hold on power. His phenomenal record of never losing an election will, however, take some beating in a land where even the likes of Indira Gandhi and Jayalalithaa at times lost.

A disciplined party with a clear chain of command enabled MK to rule as unquestioned leader but with passage of time came ambitious relatives, for whose sake he forced his party to abandon its anti-nepotism stand. Corruption charges hanging around succeeding generations stifled the reach of the older Dravidian party, though it picked up a reputation for institutionalising corruption when it first came to power on top of the 1960s anti-Hindi agitation, with students as the dynamos. Beyond the mundane, Kalaignar was the last of the titans who sold a dream through cinema to Tamils, MK with fiery dialogues that pepped up Sivajis thespian delivery and MGR and Jayalalithaa with mass matinee marquee appeal. However frail at the end of his 94 years, he was a colossus of Dravidian values till the end and always an eternal democrat.

H10
The build quality and its design have apparently gratified the testers when they used it for charging their iPhone X. (Image: Logitech)

Wih the rising advancement in smartphones and its peripherals, even the charging facility has gone wireless. And, when it comes to charging your iPhone wirelessly, Logitech's powered wireless charger seems to be the best bet.

Logitech is a newly emerging company in terms of wireless chargers but the product it has build has proved a perfect accessory for the iPhone X and the iPhone 8, according to the source. The build quality and its design have apparently gratified the testers when they used it for charging their iPhone X.

Allegedly, the charging stand possesses a robust and grippy type of material which snugs the iPhone very well keeping it firm in mostly any situation (such as while vibrating). It can charge the iPhone in both angles, vertically and horizontally.

Although the Logitech powered wireless charging stand can charge all Qi-compatible devices, its features closely resemble those of Apple products and it looks to have been made especially for iPhones. That could be attributed to the fact that it has been designed and developed in collaboration with Apple.

When we are talking about Apple, a little premium price over other products is ought to be demanded and this applies to this product as well. Logitech is expected to launch the wireless charger this month with the price tag of $ 69.99 (approx Rs 4,800). Well, an iPhone deserves and demands that much of expense, even if it's just a charger.

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India has asked telecom operators to explore various solutions to block social media apps.

India has asked its telecom operators to find ways of blocking applications such as Facebook and messaging app WhatsApp in the case of misuse, according to a document seen by Reuters.

India has in recent months intensified efforts to crack down on mass message forwards after it found that people were using social media and messaging apps to spread rumours and stoke public anger.

WhatsApp, in particular, has faced the wrath of Indian regulators after false messages circulated on the messaging platform led to a series of lynchings and mob beatings across the country.

The department of telecommunications in July asked Indian telecom service providers, as well as mobile and internet industry bodies, to explore various possible options to block such apps.

You are ... requested to explore various possible options and confirm how the Instagram/Facebook/Whatsapp/Telegram and such other mobile apps can be blocked on the internet, according to the government letter dated July 18 and seen by Reuters.

Facebook Inc, which owns both WhatsApp and photo-sharing platform Instagram, declined to comment. Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A source at Indias department of telecommunication said the letter was aimed at finding ways to block such apps during emergency situations.

There is a need for a reasonably good solution to protect national security, said the official, who declined to be named.

For WhatsApp, India is its biggest market with more than 200 million users and one where it says people forward more messages, photographs and videos than any other country.

Following calls from the government to stem the platforms misuse, WhatsApp has moved to deter mass message forwards and launched an advertising campaign to educate consumers.

In July, WhatsApp said message forwards will be limited to five chats at a time, whether among individuals or groups and said it will remove the quick forward button placed next to media messages.

Separately, Indias federal police have begun probing Cambridge Analyticas misuse of Facebook user data, which New Delhi suspects included information on Indian users.

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Intel Corp plans to upgrade its existing chips and combine them with a new memory technology to help stave off competition from Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) and others, its data centre chief told Reuters on Monday.

The worlds second-largest chipmaker by revenue has come to rely on the market for data centres - which help power most mobile and Web apps - for growth in recent years as the PC market has stagnated. But the companys shares dropped 8.5 on July 27, after the data centre business missed Wall Street growth targets.

Analysts expect AMD to eat into Intels market share with its planned launch next year of chips with a tiny 7 nanometres between transistors.

Intel chips have 14 nanometres between transistors, indicating potentially slower speed. There is some dispute about the measurements, with analysts saying Intels numbers are better than headline figures convey, but AMD appears to have secured a lead for 2019.

Moreover, Intel will not launch its own 10-nanometre chips in PCs until late 2019, with server chips coming in 2020.

The Santa Clara, California, company, which for years boasted about its factories ability to make cutting-edge chips, has completely lost control of the narrative as rivals tout their more efficient plants, said Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon, who has a market underperform rating on Intel stock.

Theyve made their bed, now they have to lie in it, he said on Monday.

Navin Shenoy, Intels data centre chief and a 23-year veteran of the chipmaker, will lay out Intels plans to Wall Street analysts on Wednesday.

His message will be that the data centre market is larger and faster-growing than the company previously thought, as he lays out expectations for that market and for the first time reveals Intels revenue from fast-growing fields such as artificial intelligence.

While the 10-nanometre chips are expected to give Intel a shot in the arm, they will not start shipping in large volumes until 2020. Until then, Intel believes its earnings growth can outpace the overall markets growth if the company focuses on improving its existing chips, Shenoy told Reuters ahead of the meeting.

Shenoy, who took over the data centre business last summer, said he was surprised by the late July share drop after the second-quarter earnings report. It wasnt that long ago that people were asking me how we were going to grow the data centre in double digits, he said, noting that the business grew by 26 per cent in the last quarter.

Intels plan rests on its ability to stitch together its CPUs, the processing brains, with its memory chips, its semi-customisable computing chips and its software offerings. The company also plans to tweak its chips to make them more competitive against offerings from Nvidia Corp for artificial intelligence work. Together they will compete in costs and computing horsepower with rivals systems, Shenoy said.

Intel plans to pair a new memory chip technology called Optane with its processors next year, gaining some capability its rivals will not have because Intel has spent the past decade inventing the technology from scratch.

Were excited, were hungry, were ready to compete and were ready to get after it, Shenoy said.

But AMD is still widely expected to pick up market share over the next year, mostly based on its chips with the smaller circuits, which improve efficiency, analysts say.

While Intel is behind in the chip size race, its processors are more capable than the numbers might indicate, and it is unlikely to lose its dominant place in data centres between now and 2020, said analyst Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI Research Inc.

Its not like theyre two generations behind, Hutcheson said. Theyre kind of half a generation behind.

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Most of the positions are senior in level and require at least six years experience.

Tesla Inc has started hiring for a new factory in Shanghai, according to job postings on its website, just a month after the US electric vehicle (EV) maker signed agreements with local authorities for the $2 billion project.

The website showed the automaker was looking to fill 14 roles, including architectural designer and senior finance manager for its Shanghai Gigafactory, which is expected to produce both electric vehicles and their batteries.

Most of the positions are senior in level and require at least six years experience, the job descriptions showed.

Tesla did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The 21st Century Herald, a Chinese business newspaper that reported the job postings on Tuesday, said Tesla began advertising the roles on Sunday.

Tesla signed agreements with Shanghai authorities last month to build its first factory outside the United States, which would double the size of its global manufacturing.

The automaker planned to produce the first cars about two years after construction began on the factory, ramping up to as many as 500,000 vehicles a year about two to three years later.

Those agreements followed the May hiring of James Zhou as Teslas chief financial officer for China.

Chief Executive Elon Musk said on an earnings call this month the factory would cost around $2 billion and Tesla planned to fund the project with local debt.

Last week, in a letter to investors, the company said the first cars would begin to be built in about three years, or 2021. But during a call with analysts, Musk gave a timeframe that did not match the letter to investors, saying the Shanghai plant would be key to its goal of producing 1 million vehicles per year by 2020. Many analysts say that goal is unfeasible.

Tesla also posted the 14 job listings for the Shanghai Gigafactory on its US website in English, suggesting some hires may come from outside China.

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Facebook is using the group to enhance its investigations of foreign interference.

A day before Facebook announced that it had discovered and disabled a propaganda campaign designed to sow dissension among US voters, it exclusively shared some of the suspicious pages with an online forensics team so busy it hasnt put a nameplate on the door.

The Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab is based in a 12-foot-by-12-foot office in the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the nearly 60-year-old Council, a think tank devoted to studying serious and at times obscure international issues.

Facebook is using the group to enhance its investigations of foreign interference. Last week, the company said it took down 32 suspicious pages and accounts that purported to be run by leftists and minority activists. While some US officials said they were likely the work of Russian agents, Facebook said it did not know for sure.

It fell to the lab to point out similarities to fake Russian pages from 2016 during Facebooks news conference last week.

Facebook began looking for outside help amid criticism for failing to rein in Russian propaganda ahead of the 2016 presidential elections. The US Justice Department won indictments against 13 Russians and three companies for using social media in that election to influence voters. US President Donald Trumps national security team warned last week of persistent attempts by Russia to use social media against the 2018 congressional elections as well.

With scores of its own cybersecurity professionals and $40 billion in annual revenue in 2017, Facebook might not seem in need of outside help.

But the lab and Atlantic Council bring geopolitical expertise and allow Facebook to distance itself from sensitive pronouncements. On last weeks call with reporters, Alex Stamos, Facebooks chief security officer, said the company should not be expected to identify or blame specific governments for all the campaigns it detects.

Companies like ours dont 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, said Stamos, who is leaving the company this month for a post at Stanford University. Instead, he said Facebook would stick to amassing digital evidence and turning it over to authorities and researchers.

It would also be awkward for Facebook to accuse a government of wrongdoing when the company is trying to enter or expand in a market under that governments control.

Facebook donated an undisclosed amount to the lab in May that was enough, said Graham Brookie, who runs the lab, to vault the company to the top of the Atlantic Councils donor list, alongside the British government.

Facebook employees said privately over the past several months that Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg wants to outsource many of the most sensitive political decisions, leaving fact-checking to media groups and geopolitics to think tanks. The more he succeeds, the fewer complications for Facebooks expansion, the smaller its payroll, and the more plausible it's positioning as a neutral platform. Facebook did not respond to a request for comment.

The lab was founded by Brookie, a National Security Council advisor in the last four years of the Obama administration. Ben Nimmo is a co-founder. He joined after stints as a journalist covering the Baltic states as they sparred with Russia a decade ago and as a spokesman for NATO on Russia and Ukraine.

On a recent visit to the head office, the often-travelling Washington staff of four were packed around three desks pushed to the centre of the room.

Aloud and on Slack, the workplace chatroom app, they discussed pending articles they were publishing on the news and opinion website Medium about disinformation operations in Brazil, the United States and Pakistan.

Using its own software and other tools, the team sorts through social media postings for patterns. Then it adds geopolitical context to tell stories on Medium about misinformation campaigns early before they play out.

The combination of urgency and analysis has pushed the young lab to the front line of deciphering state-sponsored and domestically generated misinformation. Even before the Atlantic Council created it in 2016, the team drew attention in Washington policy circles and beyond for using crowdsourcing and technology to challenge the claims of nation-states. It first got attention using geo-tagged selfies to show Russian soldiers were in Ukraine, which added to evidence there was no populist uprising there.

During the recent Mexican presidential election, the lab worked with a media consortium, Verificado, that included Al Jazeera and Mexicos Animal Politico, to debunk wild rumours about candidates illicit foreign support, Nazi relatives and plans to ban junk food. On its own, the lab also rooted out a paid influence campaigner relying on automated accounts.

If you wait for something to happen, its going to be too late, Nimmo said. You have to put verified information into the environment first.

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Now, an accountability court in Lahore on Tuesday declared PML-N Presidents son-in-law, Imran Ali Yousaf, a proclaimed absconder on the request of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). (Photo: AFP)

Lahore: The legal woes of the once powerful Sharif family is mounting with a Pakistani anti-corruption court on Tuesday declaring PML-N President Shahbaz Sharifs son-in-law a proclaimed absconder in a graft case.

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is currently in jail after an Accountability Court sentenced him, his daughter and son-in-law over the corrupt practices over the purchase of four luxury flats in London in the 1990s.

Sharif was ousted from his third term as prime minister by the Supreme Court last year following a corruption investigation stemming from the Panama Papers case.

Pakistans anti-corruption body has also summoned the beleaguered chief of the PML-N party and former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif to appear before it on August 20 in a housing scandal case.

Now, an accountability court in Lahore on Tuesday declared PML-N Presidents son-in-law, Imran Ali Yousaf, a proclaimed absconder on the request of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Yousaf is accused of receiving graft in excess of Rs 12 million from Ikram Naveed, the former CEO of the Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC), and is the subject of a NAB probe, Dawn newspaper reported.

He appeared before the NAB investigators in April but has since missed his scheduled hearings and is currently in London.

The bureau, which last month requested the interior ministry to extradite Yousaf via Interpol, on Tuesday told the accountability court that warrant of arrest against the accused has been issued by NAB chairman.

As per IO (investigation officer), the accused has gone underground and is not traceable.

Following this, the bureau asked the court to declare Yousaf a proclaimed absconder  a request that was accepted, the report said.

Quoting a source, report said the then Punjab Chief Ministers son-in-law was also accused of getting Naveed appointed as PPDC CEO who allegedly committed massive corruption. The NAB is quizzing Yousaf on the information provided about him by Ikram Naveed.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had already carried out a probe against Naveed and Yousaf in 2016. It declared Naveed guilty of embezzling Rs 450 million.

The ACE in its investigation found that Naveed had purchased 19 properties in his and his family members names and also unearthed his and his family members property worth over Rs 1 billion. The property has been attached and their bank accounts frozen, the report said.
Bihars Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma, on Wednesday, submitted her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the CBI investigating the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case found that her husband was in regular touch with Brajesh Thakur, the main accused.

Two days back, Nitish had strongly defended Manju, but added that he wont spare her if she was found guilty.

The call details record (CDR), being investigated by the CBI, shows that Thakur, currently languishing in Muzaffarpurs Khudiram Bose Jail, talked to Manju Vermas husband Chandeshwar Verma 17 times between January and May 2018. During the investigation, it has also come to light Brajesh met Chandeshwar multiple times and even travelled to New Delhi together.

The CBI team, which visited Muzaffarpur and interrogated Brajeshs driver, was informed that the accused was in regular touch with the Ministers husband.

The investigating agency is now interrogating the travel company officials to find out who paid for the air tickets of the duo when they travelled to the national capital, said the source aware of the developments.

Manju Verma is in the eye of the storm ever since Shibha Kumari, wife of Muzaffarpur Child Protection Officer (CPO) Ravi Roshan, alleged that the ministers husband used to frequently visit the Balika Grih, the shelter home for girls, in Muzaffarpur. It was this shelter home where more than 40 girls were sexually abused. Ravi Roshan is one of the ten persons arrested so far.

Manju Verma had vehemently denied her husbands role in Muzaffarpur incident and said she would hang her husband if he was found guilty. Nitish and his BJP colleague Sushil Modi too have defended the minister, reiterating that nobody should cast aspersions on her till the investigating agency pronounces her guilty.

After the CDR pointed out an accusing finger at Manju, the Minister admitted that Brajesh used to call her husband. My department had given work to Brajesh (his NGO looked after the shelter home for girls). So he would make phone calls. But how could someone know that the person, who is making phone calls, is a criminal or has a criminal mindset? she argued.
Gujarat High Court on Tuesday acceded to the request of former state BJP vice-president Jayanti Bhanushali to quash the FIR filed against him by a 21-year-old woman alleging rape.

The decision was announced by the court of Justice P P Bhatt after the girl submitted an affidavit stating that she had no objection to quashing of FIR as she had lodged it due to some misunderstanding and in the spur of the moment. I am not willing to go ahead with the criminal trial as the dispute is settled and I request that the FIR may be quashed in the interest of justice as no useful purpose would be served... she said in her affidavit. ...I would like to have a harmonious and friendly relationship with the petitioner as well as in the society for a better future...

Bhanushali, one of the senior most leaders in the state BJP, had stepped down from his post after allegations were levelled against him. He has been absconding and failed to appear before the state police despite three summons in last one month.

The FIR against Bhanushali was lodged in Surat in July. The High Court had on Friday last asked the girl to submit whether she was withdrawing the FIR under pressure after Bhanushali filed a caution petition seeking quashing of FIR. He said he had reached an amicable settlement with the girl.
The Supreme Court will take up a plea alleging torture of Talib Hussain, key witness in the shocking Kathua gang-rape and murder case, by Jammu and Kashmir Police.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee considered the submission of a close relative of Hussain, seeking urgent hearing.

Lawyer Sunil Fernandes mentioned the plea filed by a relative of Hussain, an activist of Bakarwal community, seeking protection for him in police custody. The plea alleged that Hussain was brutally beaten up in a fake rape case.

A habeas corpus petition (plea to produce body) was filed by a cousin of the witness.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, counsel for the petitioner, said Hussain has been subjected to torture in Sambha in the state and sought "judicial intervention".
WEST VALLEY CITY  Police want both motorists and pedestrians to start being more alert around crosswalks.

On the eve of a new school year, police departments across the valley are planning crosswalk enforcement efforts to get drivers tuned in to who is crossing the street. Likewise, police say pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren, need to also be aware of their surroundings and not assume that all vehicles will automatically see them.

On Tuesday, West Valley City held a crosswalk operation at 4100 S. 2805 West. Two officers in plainclothes continuously crossed the street to see who would yield to them.

In four hours, 108 violations were recorded, said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.

"You can tell when someone's paying attention and ones that aren't using their brakes at all to slow down for you. So I've almost been hit several times, but I'm paying attention and that hasn't happened," said West Valley detective Darren Mower, who was one of the undercover officers crossing the street.

In one case, Vainuku said all lanes of traffic had stopped for the officers. But one impatient driver used the turning lane to go around the stopped cars and then flipped off the undercover officer as he drove by. That man was quickly pulled over by West Valley motorcycle officers waiting nearby.

Police are encouraging drivers to slow down and watch what they're doing around crosswalks, and for pedestrians to watch what the cars are doing.

In 2016, 1,006 pedestrians were hit by vehicles in Utah, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Contributing: Caitlin Burchill
A recent report showing levels of hazardous air pollution have continued to drop across the country is encouraging news, but hard to enthusiastically embrace in these days of smoke-filled skies and warnings of unhealthy breathing conditions along the Wasatch Front.

The annual report on the nations air quality by the Environmental Protection Agency shows dramatic decreases in overall levels of particulate pollution over a period of decades, reflecting the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing automobile and industrial emissions. Despite the progress, current efforts to ratchet back some emissions standards are troubling to the extent they may act to curb this beneficial trend.

In Utah, air quality remains at the top of citizen concerns, particularly during periods of winter inversions and as summer skies turn auburn from Western wildfires. In context, the EPA says the number of days every year in which pollution reaches unhealthy levels have sharply and steadily dropped in 35 major cities, including the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. In 2000, there were more than 2,000 days across those cities in which ozone or fine particulate pollution exceeded healthy levels. In 2016, there were fewer than 700 such days. In Salt Lake City, there were 28 such days in 2016, compared to 65 in 2002.

Thats an impressive trend given that it has coincided with significant population growth in Utahs urban core and an expanding economy across the nation. Credit goes largely to federal efforts going back to the 1970s to enact more stringent emissions standards. The current administration has now ordered the EPA to loosen restrictions on state governments and businesses to conform to ranges of air quality attainment. The administration argues that regulations have become too burdensome and impede economic growth. This may be true. A counter argument  particularly poignant in Utah  is that economic growth is now directly tied to environmental quality as new businesses are reluctant to move to or remain in areas where the air is unhealthy.

In that regard, it is important that Utah officials continue efforts to improve air quality, regardless of Washingtons current posture. In California, state efforts to reduce emissions even beyond federal levels have helped reduce serious pollution problems without a broad negative impact on the states economy.

Despite overall progress, air quality is still of paramount concern in Utah where the geography acts to trap pollutants during inversions, which can be harshly detrimental to public health. There is increasing evidence of a direct link, for example, between levels of air pollution and rates of lung cancer in Utah, which are disproportionately high for a state in which levels of tobacco use are below national averages.

That data should weigh on the minds of Utah policymakers who are in the process of crafting a statewide implementation plan for identifying overall emissions controls. There are legitimate concerns that overzealous regulation could hamper economic growth, and while the state should proceed carefully, it should focus on maintaining the higher objective of reducing emission levels to the point where there are fewer and fewer days in which Utahns are put at risk by simply breathing outside air.
SALT LAKE CITY  The way Taylor Nielsen sees it, home is where you park it.

Nielsen always liked the idea of living remotely. The far-fetched dream became reality this summer when her husband, Dave Nielsen, changed jobs, relocating the couple and their 2-year-old daughter from Salt Lake City to Cedar City.

Rather than buying a home or renting an apartment, the Nielsens invested in an RV  a 1978 Dodge Chinook, to be exact  where they would live for part of their summer in Dixie National Forest.

I had my friend come out and take nice photos of us in the RV because I want to remember this, Nielsen said. We love it so much. Waking up in the morning and opening the door to the mountains was amazing.

This summer, the RV doubled as an art studio for Nielsen, a lifelong crafter who recently teamed up with her mother, Tara Haacke, to start Felt n Folk, an online shop for unique, folk-themed arts and crafts. This weekend, the mother-daughter duo will showcase their creations at the 10th annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival.

I went to Craft Lake City last summer, and I thought, This is so much fun and so up my alley, Nielsen said. I was like, Im gonna challenge myself. Im gonna do the fair. I really want to do that, and my mom said, Im gonna help you.

Felt n Folk brings out the best creative skills in both mom and daughter. Haacke is an experienced seamstress  she started sewing items for state and county fairs when she was 8 years old  and sews dolls, skirts and clothing for the online store. Nielsen contributes with needle felting, a hobby she recently started and quickly has become obsessed with.

At Craft Lake City, Nielsen and Haacke will display and sell wall hangings, dolls, bags, dresses, skirts, pillows, journals and needle-felting kits to help visitors get started with their own unique creations.

Needle felting

Although Nielsen has made gifts and projects with craft felt for a while, she started needle felting in January  a process that uses needles to condense wool fibers and could be described as painting with wool. While the hobby is gaining popularity, Nielsens creations have a unique flair.

A lot of people do 3D felting, or they make it really realistic, Nielsen said. The way Im doing it is more folk looking and its a little bit more playful, which is more my style.

Apart from her folk, cartoon-like designs, Nielsen recently added a new level of innovation to her pieces: She colors her wool with natural dyes made from plants she finds near her familys RV camp.

The time-intensive process includes preparing the wool, boiling natural materials like beets or onion skins, and letting the wool soak in the dye for several hours  or even days.

I feel like it takes all my favorite things, said Nielsen, whos always loved the outdoors. I hike around and learn about flowers, then I come home and I get to make things. I just love it. Living outside, I really get to do that a lot, every day.

Living in the woods has been great for finding materials for natural dyes, but living in a relatively small RV with her 2-year-old, Tara, has made it difficult to find time to craft. Nielsen used to rely on Taras naptime to work on her projects, but in such a small home, needle felting would be too loud.

Nielsens solution? Craft with Tara. Shes found ways to incorporate her daughter into her projects or to help her daughter create her own art.

Every time I sit down to felt, shes either drawing or she says, I help you, Mommy, Nielsen said. She takes the wool out, she tears it up and she puts it on. I give her broken needles so theyre not sharp. Shell poke it like shes felting. Its the cutest, sweetest thing in the whole wide world.

Its just in our family

Living in the woods is coming to an end, as the Nielsen family is in the process of moving into a Cedar City townhome. But Nielsen still plans to involve Tara with her projects because that's just the family way. She learned to craft from her mother, who learned to craft from her mother and grandmothers.

Haacke remembers when her three kids were young and they crafted with her sewing scraps. Its a mirror image of Nielsens daughter, who creates using her mothers old needles and wool scraps.

It was just something that would bring us together, that we could spend time doing, Haacke said about crafting. It would just bring us together and kind of unite us to have fun and be silly. It wasnt a priority like it needed to be done. It was just something to enrich our lives.

To this day, art unifies the family. Nielsen has talked to her mom every day since they launched Felt n Folk. And while it would be nice to break even at the festival, Nielsen said shes most excited to spend the day with her mom, who lives in Washington.

Were a good team, she said. Its been really fun, and I hope to do more craft fairs with her. I think we will, actually.

A few days after Craft Lake City, Nielsen will head to a family reunion, where she'll teach her family the art of needle felting. Every time the family gets together, its not a question: Theres going to be a craft.

Everyone is so excited. My great-grandma emailed me, What should I bring? Do you need me to give you money for some wool? Shes so excited and so sweet, Nielsen said. We like making things. Its just in our family.

If you go 

What: Craft Lake City DIY Festival

When: Friday, Aug. 10, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 11, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 12, noon-7 p.m.

Where: Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City

How much: $5-$25

Web: craftlakecity.com
SALT LAKE CITY  Gov. Gary Herbert has promoted Utah's deputy corrections boss to lead the state's prison and parole systems.

Mike Haddon, who was second in command for 11 years, will head the Utah Department of Corrections, Herbert announced Tuesday. In his new job, Haddon will join other state officials in overseeing the design and completion of a new, nearly $650 million prison just west of Salt Lake City.

Herbert said Haddon has worked in criminal justice for almost three decades.

"He is clearly a talented individual. Most importantly, he understands that we cannot simply warehouse inmates," Herbert said. "Instead, we need to focus on rehabilitating people and helping them lead better lives and prepare to be productive citizens."

Haddon, who has focused on creating best practices and helping offenders readjust to society after their release, said in a statement that department employees are talented and work hard.

"Utah has a lot of critically important work ahead related to corrections, and I am confident that, together, we will move the work forward with positive results," Haddon said.

Haddon succeeds former Executive Director Rollin Cook, who stepped down in April, around the time it was revealed the department withheld medical records in a death penalty case. The department said it had misinterpreted the judge's order and announced it was changing policies after a broader review found 74 cases may have had the same error.

Haddon previously was director of research for Utah's Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and Sentencing Commission.
The presidency and the press have had a long, turbulent and often troubled relationship. Presidents have agendas, and most have an inherent need to be liked. The press has a purpose to report and shine a light, free from bias and agenda, with transparency and accountability. Both should be centered in truth and what is best for the American people. While presidents and the press arent likely to agree on what balanced, principled and fair reporting is, they should agree on the importance of the difficult dance they do together and the need for mutual respect.

It should be noted that while President Trumps railing against the press is unbecoming and unnerving, it is far from unprecedented. Compared to John Adams, for example, the president is actually quite understated in dealing with the press. Adams signed the Sedition Act into law in 1798 because he was fearful of foreign influence in the young nation. This law prohibited the press from criticizing the government. Fortunately, Thomas Jefferson corrected this erroneous approach to the press in 1800.

The reality is presidents from both parties have struggled with their relationship with the press. President Obama regularly called out the conservative press as a propaganda machine. George H.W. Bush bristled at what he felt was unwarranted scrutiny from the press. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon often resorted to bullying and punishing those in the press who were critical. Interestingly, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, while often frustrated with the press, maintained a positive approach, at least in public.

The relationship between the current occupant of the White House and the press is one of contempt. And that is not good for the country. The president's contempt for media is well established and is reciprocated by many in the national media.

For the president to call the press the enemy of the people is actually an attack on the American people. The founders recognized that the First Freedoms  including freedom of the press  were critical to empowering the people to keep government and politicians in check.

Journalist are tasked with asking direct and even difficult questions, but they must do so without contempt and without disrespecting the office or the office holder. A number of national reporters have lost sight of that critical balance.

Last week, CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who can at times seem consumed with his contempt for the president, pressured Sarah Sanders during a White House briefing to say, the press was not the enemy of the people. Sarah Sanders then laid out that Acosta, and most of the reporters in the room, had sat smugly at the Correspondence Dinner while a comedian attacked Sanders appearance, called her a traitor to her gender in a lengthy string of verbal shots. Sanders also noted that she is the first press secretary in history to require Secret Service protection.

The White House press briefing is supposed to be a question and answer session about the presidents agenda and activities  not about reporters or even the press secretary. It was never intended to be a cable news cage-match of contempt.

This contemptuous rhetoric may be good for ratings, and it may be helpful for the president to gin-up his base, but the lack of civility keeps us a safe distance from having the conversations we need to have to solve the challenges the country faces. Such contempt also allows both ends of the political spectrum to raise billions of dollars in campaign cash, but that money wont buy us a better nation.

The president regularly fans the flame, which creates an environment where anger, angst, fear and frustration are weaponized against those he perceives are against him. The same Jim Acosta has found himself in hostile and verbally abusive crowds, particularly at the president's campaign rallies where Acosta is regularly shouted down.

This is not about group hugs or "Kumbaya" moments between the president and the press. America is actually at its best when we are a country of big ideas and honest, open and even roiling debate.

If there is one area where Russian meddling in America is succeeding, it is in sowing the seeds of discord and distrust  not just in our elections, but in our institutions including government and the media, and ultimately in the trust we have in our communities and in each other. It is time for the president and the press to put down their mutual contempt and begin again with their difficult dance.
SALT LAKE CITY  After last year's inaugural Project Homeless Connect  a one-day, one-stop shop for the state's most needy  helped nearly 800 people experiencing homelessness, city leaders hope this year's iteration will do even more.

"We are hoping for an even bigger and better event this year," said Mike Akerlow, chairman of Project Homeless Connect and CEO of Community Development Corp. of Utah.

But to do that, "we need the community," Akerlow said.

Akerlow, who helped organize last year's event before he left his position at Salt Lake City, joined Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski on Wednesday to announce the second annual Project Homeless Connect on Oct. 12  but also to call for volunteers.

"Project Homeless Connect is a life-changing experience for everyone that is involved and participates in this endeavor," Biskupski said. "I hope that you will join us this year."

Last year, Akerlow said, "we didn't know what to expect"  whether volunteers or homeless individuals would even show up.

But it turned out that 784 homeless people came to the event, where 103 service providers helped them get haircuts, immunizations, medical and dental care, substance abuse counseling, housing services, employment assistance, legal and financial assistance and more, according to organizers.

More than 500 volunteers came to not only help connect homeless individuals to services but made personal connections with people who needed it most, Akerlow said.

"One of the things (homeless individuals say) they desire most is to be recognized as a person  to have someone look into their eyes without fear or judgment, and that happens at Project Homeless Connect," Akerlow said, noting that last year many people "were in tears because they not only received services but because someone took the time to meet with them."

In preparation for Oct. 12, Akerlow and Biskupski called on communities throughout the state to help fill the 800 volunteer slots needed to host the event at the Salt Palace Convention Center. They expect an increase of homeless individuals seeking services.

Volunteers will help with a variety of services, Akerlow said, including being matched with a client to guide them through the daylong event.

Cara Baldwin, who volunteered last year, said she had two "powerful takeaways" from Project Homeless Connect: how moving it was to see people from so many different organizations collaborate to help people in need, and also to actually see homeless individuals as human beings.

"Coming here helped me to think and remember these are people," Baldwin said. "We are talking about people. They're not a problem; they're not things to be solved. We're talking about people."

Baldwin said she "really, really loved" to watch their faces change as they were connected with services in an efficient and quick way.

"That was so powerful," Baldwin said. "I look forward to this year."

Salt Lake City's Project Homeless Connect is part of a national movement to help people experiencing homelessness, with events that have taken place in cities including San Francisco, Denver and Washington, D.C.

For more information about the Oct. 12 event or to sign up to be a volunteer, visit phcslc.org.
MANTI  A doomsday cult leader told a judge Wednesday he was following "heavenly laws" when he took a 7-year-old child as his bride last year.

John Alvin Coltharp, 34, expressed no regret for sexually abusing the girl. Instead, he said he is Jacob from the Old Testament, among other biblical figures, and has returned to earth to promote child marriage.

Family members of the child could be seen cringing in the courtroom as he spoke in Manti's 6th District Court.

Judge Marvin Bagley told Coltharp his beliefs are wrong and not attributable to the Bible, and that he is a risk of abusing others. The judge issued what he said was the maximum prison sentence possible: at least 26 years and up to life in prison, adding he hopes Coltharp never is released.

Coltharp earlier in the hearing issued a warning that society is out of line with God's will and governments soon will be overthrown, telling Bagley that it doesn't matter how long he goes to prison because society won't last much longer.

"We're living at a time before the second coming of Christ, where the majority is going down the wrong road," Coltharp said. "And so if I'm judged by majority standards, by people who profess to believe in the scriptures and in those prophesies, I hope they would take that into account."

In June, he pleaded guilty to child sodomy, a first-degree felony, and child bigamy, a second-degree felony. In exchange, and as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, charges in a second, related Sanpete County case were dismissed. The dropped charges are: child kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.

Prosecutors say Coltharp led a doomsday cult, identified as the Knights of the Crystal Blade, with Samuel Warren Shaffer, 35, of Cedar City. They have described the religious group as a "fundamentalist group for millennials" that formed online.

In September, Shaffer and Coltharp disappeared with their children, later saying they took each other's daughters as underage brides. A December Amber Alert helped investigators find Coltharp's daughters, ages 5 and 7, and Shaffer's daughters, ages 4 and 8, in freezing temperatures. Two were hidden in plastic barrels and two in an abandoned mobile home in remote Iron County.

Shaffer is serving a prison sentence of at least 26 years and up to life following separate convictions related to the abuse in Iron and Sanpete counties. He told a Cedar City judge in June he had hoped to have a family and grow old with the 8-year-old girl he considered his bride.

Shaffer's abuse of the girl he considered his bride played a role in Coltharp's fate. The judge Wednesday said Coltharp should be punished for subjecting his own daughter to Shaffer.

Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels said Wednesday that the children suffered so much, he wishes the death penalty had been an option. He said the girls will struggle for the rest of their lives.

"If he wants to be a martyr," Daniels said of Coltharp after the hearing, "I am more than happy to fill the role of the individual who drops the sword on his head."

Also after the hearing, the victims' grandfather noted that Coltharp has always been "very controlling, very manipulative," but the family had no idea of the "depth of his depravity."

"It's nice to know that most likely he will be spending the rest of his life in prison, and we hope that it is very, very uncomfortable for him," he said.

Robert Shane Roe, 35, of Castro, California, an alleged follower of the group, has also been charged with child sodomy. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19.

Correction: A previous version said Coltharp is 35 years old. He is actually 34. The earlier story also said Coltharp was ordered to at least 25 years in prison. The judge sentenced him to at least 26 years and up to life.


The fifth edition of START Art Fair is opening its doors from the 13th to the 16th of September, at the iconic Saatchi Gallery. One of the must-see art fairs in London to discover the most talented emerging contemporary artists promises to kick off Londons autumn art season showcasing over 50 artists from more than 25 countries.

Discover our top 5 exhibitors after the jump:



BALART  Established in 2017 by Art Consultant Rita Balla, Balarts mission is to create opportunities for, mostly, Hungarian  Slovak  Czech artists to become active participants of the English art scene, and to promote a two-sided communication between the English and Middle-European representatives of art. Balart will be represented at START by Czech artist Karel Stedry whose early paintings are influenced by spray-painted street-art or by the material and clear colours of childrens modelling clay. He has tried to express through his works the ability to combine geometrical sobriety with artisanal playfulness and a respect for the past with a willingness to dissect all familiar forms into their prime elements, which he then combines into a new order.

AKROYD ART  Akroyd Art was founded by Tilly McMaster and Simon Akroyd in 2017, after a life changing trip to Burma. Returning to London, they were surprised by the apparent lack of accessibility and poor representation of Burmese contemporary art in this country. Akroyd was therefore established with the aim of becoming the key conduit through which contemporary Myanmar artists can find greater representation and have a long-term platform to showcase their work outside their country. Describing themselves as apolitical, Akroyd Art wants to allow a broad range of artists to express their individual stories and reactions to current issues to offer a better understanding of what Myanmar has to offer. For this years edition of START Akroyd will showcase a subtle combination of traditional and modern influences through artists Hein Thit, Miz Zaw, Nay Myo Say, Bart WasNotHere and Aung Kyi Soe.



SAM SHENDI  Egyptian born sculptor Sam Shendi creates joyfully coloured abstractions of the human figure which, with the subtlest of indicators, hints at the complexity of human interactions. Shendis works references the work of minimalism, the style of paring-down design elements and focusing on the medium of steel, aluminium and paint. Firmly based in modernist morphology his colorful architectural forms abbreviate the human figure and nod to his background in monumental sculpture and interior design. He juxtaposes cartoonish lemon, ultraviolet and pumpkin-coloured blocks, conjuring associations with childrens toys and industrial design and lending his pieces an emotive and playful quality.



OPEN DOORS GALLERY  Set up originally as a pop-up gallery, Open Doors (OD) looked to encourage community cohesion and a sense of local pride through a programme of open submission exhibitions. Popping up in venues across London, OD asked local artists to reflect the local area in their unique style. The success of these events led to the discovery of a huge pool of talented emerging artists that were dismally under represented. Inspired by this observation and coming from a photographic background, OD decided to focus its efforts on highlighting and developing the best photography they could find. For this years edition of START, OD will display artwork from Berber Theunissen (Netherlands), Guy Bolongaro (UK), Monty Kaplan (Argentina) and Arnaud Montagrad (France).



THE GALLERY OF EVERYTHING  Joining START Art Fair for the first time this year The Gallery of everything will be represented by two European artists of African origin; Johnson Weree and Abu Bakarr Mansaray. Opened to the public since 2016, The Gallery of Everything is Londons first and only commercial space dedicated to non-academic and private art-making. As an initiative of The Museum of Everything, a British nonprofit organisation, committed to the advancement, integration and celebration of artists and makers beyond the cultural mainstream, all proceeds from the gallery sales and initiatives will go towards supporting the artists. The gallerys roster includes major historical master artists and newly discovered authors and creators.
Sathish Ninasans Tamil Debut Film Will have Real Life Prisoners?

It was earlier reported that Lucia fame actor Sathish Ninasam will be making his Tamil debut with a yet-to-be-titled film. The film is helmed by Anis, who had earlier directed Thirumanam Ennum Nikkah. And now rumours are rife that a lions share of the movie will be shot inside a jail and that around 40 prisoners of Puzhal jail will also act in it.





It is to be noted that most of the films have depicted jail in an unrealistic way. A member from the unit said, A visit to any jail will make us feel depressed because of our preconceived notions, which are based on the movies we have watched through the years. We were particular that the lives of prisoners are portrayed realistically in the movie.





Notably, among the 40 prisoners who have been chosen to be a part of the project, 30 of them have been recently released. Moreover, the team has sought permission to shoot there and is waiting for approval from higher authorities. The team also has plans to impart acting lessons to some of the jail inmates, as part of which a few people from the crew, including Nasser, Ghibran, etc, who had visited Puzhal jail.





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Source:images.newindianexpress.com
NII Holdings impending sale of its Nextel Brazil unit has reportedly attracted the attention of some major Latin American players, including America Movil, Telecom Italia and Telefonica.

Reuters reported that the local units of these operators (respectively Claro, TIM Brasil and Vivo) were all likely to make a bid for Nextel when NII Holdings begins accepting offers for its 70% stake next month.

Existing 30% stakeholder Access Industries was also named as a possible bidder, as it may be keen to increase its holding  and if it does not, it may be forced to divest its holding if the eventual buyer wishes to obtain the entire unit.

However, Nextels appeal for Telefonica and TIM could be limited. NIIs unit holds valuable spectrum in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, but both potential bidders are approaching the holding limit in these states.

However, Nextel Brazil CEO Roberto Rittes noted that regulator Anatels upcoming increase to spectrum caps could expedite a sale by removing this restriction. He noted that no regulatory resistance to the sale is expected.

If a sale is forthcoming, it could lead to further consolidation in the market. China Telecom has expressed interest in acquiring beleaguered operator Oi, which is the fourth biggest in the country, although no concrete action has been taken.

Teleco positions Nextel as the fifth largest of the countrys seven mobile operators, with 3 million subscribers according to Reuters. It has a market share of around 1.3%, significantly behind fourth-placed Ois 16.5%. Vivo leads the market with a 31.9% share.
If youre a longtime user (and a fan) of Skype 7or Skype classic, as its better knownyoull be happy to know that Microsoft isnt killing the popular video calling application just yet. You might recall that Microsofts original plan was to stop support for Skype 7.0 on September 1 so it could direct users towards the new version of Skype (Skype 8.0). Well, Microsoft is now saying it wont kill Skype 7 off just yet because its heard the clamorous cries of users.

In a Microsoft Community page, the company wrote as a new reply on August 6, Based on customer feedback, we are extending support for Skype 7 (Skype classic) for some time. Our customers can continue to use Skype classic until then. Thanks for all your comments - we are listening. Watch this space. While this doesnt guarantee an eternal life for the beloved online chat application, it does give it a new lease of life, even if its only for a few more months.

Microsoft published a blog post in July, in which it encouraged users to migrate from Skype 7 to Skype 8 in an effort to ensure that all customers have the best possible Skype experience, and that there are no quality or reliability issues resulting from old technology and new technology interoperating. It also announced the end of support for Skype 7 by September 1. Naturally, fans of the previous version who didnt feel up to the substantial change protested.

Skype 8 promises features like free HD video and screensharing calls with up to 24 participants, @mentions (messages directed specifically to a participant in the chat), a dedicated chat media gallery, and improved file sharing (with support now for files up to 300MB). It also brings in a new reactions feature that allows you to send emoticons during video calls. Clearly, its not enough to drive users out of the Skype 7 club. While Skype 8 shows all chats in one single window, Skype 7 has the option to make each chat a separate window. Letting go of this flexibility that Skype has offered for many years now is understandably a deal-breaker for many. But for how long Microsoft will continue to support Skype 7, only time will tell.
If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then Nokia is expected to announce the Nokia 6.1 Plus in India at an event scheduled for August 21. The media event invite reads, HMD Global invites you to an exclusive gathering for the next big unveil. Rumour Mills are abuzz suggesting that the device will be the Nokia 6.1 Plus which is globally known as the Nokia 6X.

Nokia 6.1 Plus specifications

Speaking of the specifications of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, the dual-SIM smartphone will run on Android Oreo out of the box. Nokia phones run on Stock Android and we dont think it should be any different for the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The device has a 5.8-inch full-HD+ 19:9 display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels. The display has Gorilla Glass 3 protection on it.

Under the hood, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is powered by the Snapdragon 636 SoC, coupled with 4GB/6GB RAM. At the back the smartphone has a dual 16=5MP camera setup whereas the front houses a 16MP camera for selfies. The smartphone boasts of 32GB/64GB built-in storage expandable via a microSD card. A 3060mAh battery powers the entire package.

There is no information available about the availability of the smartphone, but we can expect online retail tie ups for the availability of the smartphone.

Nokia 6.1 Forst Impressions

We did get a chance to spend some time with the Nokia 6X. In our first impressions of the device we said, "The Nokia X6 feels like it's trying too hard to fit in. It's a good device nonetheless. There is a Snapdragon 636 chipset inside that's all the rage these days thanks to the Redmi Note 5 Pro along with up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It's easy to guess who the Nokia X6 intends to compete with, in India. The company's biggest flaw so far has been in its pricing strategy. That was somewhat corrected earlier this year with the launch of the Nokia 6.1 and the Nokia 7 Plus. Possibly, with the Nokia X6, HMD might finally be able to compete neck-to-neck with its rivals." You can read our impressions in detail here.
Oppo has been teasing the Oppo F9 Pro smartphone by revealing posters on Twitter since the past couple of weeks. The poster revealed a host of information - like the waterdrop notch design, fast charging capability and back panel design. The company has now officially announced that the Oppo F9 will have VOOC Flash charge, gradient colors, as well as the Waterdrop Screen design and will launch by the end of this month in India.

In an official statement, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer said that the F9 Pro supports the companys proprietary VOOC Flash Charge tech. The technology applies a low voltage fast charging mechanism to deliver quick charging. With its standardised configuration 5V/4A, it can achieve a charging speed four-times faster than conventional 5V/1A charging technology. VOOC also ensures a safe charging process. It is claimed to have five layers of protection from the charging adapter to smartphone, including low temperature and voltage.

In the image posted on Twitter, we could see a designer Oppo F9 Pro back panel. The company has confirmed that the smartphone will come with a gradient colour design that it created because of technological advances in colour processes since gradient colors are already popular among young people in the market. The three colours on offer are Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue and Starry Purple that have been inspired by nature. Oppo said that it is the first time that it has applied a gradient design on the side frame.

When it comes to the screen, Oppo said the smartphone will feature its first FHD+ Waterdrop Screen with a high screen-to-body ratio up to 90.8 percent. The front camera is incorporated in a the tiny notch and the screen has a thick chin. The Oppo F9 Pro features horizontally placed dual-cameras with an LED flash on the back. There is a toned down version of the Oppo F9 Pro, called Oppo F9, with a similar screen and back panel design, but it may not come with the VOOC charge tech. Some specifications of the phone were leaked and you can read about it here.
Samsung Galaxy J8 2018 was launched in May 2018 & runs on Android 8 OS. The Smartphone is available in three color options i.e. Black, Sand Gold, Gold & has a built in fingerprint sensor as the primary security feature, along with the host of connectivity options in terms of 3G, 4G, Wifi Bluetooth capabilities. Priced at Rs. 14391 the phone is available with 64 GB of internal storage.

The Smartphone is powered by a Octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Processor. A 4 GB of RAM ensures phone runs smoothly even the most memory intensive applications & still shows no signs of lag. 64 GB of internal storage can be expanded to 256 GB via a microSD card.

The Phone comes with a large 3500 mAh battery to support it's 6 inch screen with an HD Plus display having a resolution of 720 x 1280.

Samsung Galaxy J8 2018 boasts of dual primary camera of 16 + 5 MP megapixel and 16 megapixel front Camera. It also supports Face Detection and high dynamic range(HDR) imaging.
With no buyers in sight, Centre mulling Rs11,000 cr bailout for Air India

The Civil Aviation Ministry is in discussions with the Finance Ministry for a Rs11,000-crore bailout package for Air India, according to a Press Trust of India report citing sources.

Efforts to privatise the perennially loss-making national carrier have come to nothing so far, as the government is unwilling to cede majority control to potential private buyers.

According to the PTI report, sources in the know said that the bailout package that the ministry is working on would be used to reduce high-cost working capital loans. The proposal is at a preliminary stage of discussions, they added.

Cleaning up the balance sheet of Air India airline will make it attractive for investors as and when the government decides to once again attempt strategic stake sale of the airline, one of the sources said.

A query sent to Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey remained unanswered. An Air India spokesperson said that they will not be commenting upon the matter as it comes under the domain of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The airline is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous United Progressive Alliance government in 2012. At the end of March 2017, the national carrier had a debt of over Rs48,000 crore.

Last month, the government sought Parliaments nod for Rs980 crore in supplementary grants towards equity infusion into the airline.

Due to the financial crunch at the airline, staff salaries have been delayed for five consecutive months.

In the current financial year, the airline has received an equity infusion of Rs650 crore up to June. A turnaround plan and a financial restructuring plan were approved for Air India by the UPA government in 2012.

Under the FRP, high-cost working capital loans have been converted into long term debt carrying lower rates of interest so as to reduce the financial burden on Air India.

The TAP/ FRP includes budgetary support amounting to Rs30,231 crore spread over 10 years ie. up to FY 2020-21 and also equity support for the payment of principal/ interest of the non-convertible debentures, Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, had informed the Lok Sabha last month.
CAG punches holes in UPA's $2.1 bn Boeing anti-submarine aircraft deal

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has raised questions over a $2.1-billion Indian Navy contract awarded to Boeing during the previous UPA regime, suggesting the American defence major was favoured over rival bidder EADS CASA of Spain for procuring a fleet of P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

The CAG report tabled in Parliament blames the UPA governments defence ministry for incorrectly passing on P-8I as the L-1 (lowest bidder) over the A-319 aircraft fielded by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) company CASA of Spain.

The CAG said the defence ministry under A K Antony enhanced the financial bid of the Spanish aerospace firm to provide for a 20-year "product support" cost assuming that Boeing's offer had a similar provision.

While evaluating the bids for conclusion of contract, the MoD enhanced the financial bid of EADS to cater for 20 years of product support (by extrapolating its figures), while ignoring this element in respect of Boeing, it said.

The maintenance support contract for Boeing was later negotiated as a separate contract, CAG pointed out, adding that terming the American company was the lowest bidder (L1) was an incorrect conclusion.

On the other hand, by enhancing the financial bid of the Spanish company by including its product support cost resulted in pushing it to L-2 status (second lowest bidder).

The MoD concluded the $2.1 billion (about Rs14,500 crore at the current exchange rate) contract with Boeing in January 2009.

"At a later date, Boeing, USA, offered the product support under a separate negotiable contract and consequently the deduced ranking of Boeing, USA as L-1 turned out to be incorrect," it said.

The US aircraft was also not "fully meeting" the needs of the Indian Navy, mainly due to limitations of radars installed onboard the aircraft, the CAG observed.

Also, the CAG said the defence ministry had set the offset obligation by Boeing at $641 million (Rs3,127.43 crore), to be met by August 2016, which the US company is yet to fulfil.

In fact, CAG pointed out, "Boeing, USA had claimed offset credits on mere placement of purchase orders defeating the very purpose of offset obligations."

Under the offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.

However, all the eight P-8I (Poseidon Eight India) aircraft contracted under the 2009 deal have been delivered beginning with the first aircraft delivered in May 2013. All the eight aircraft have also been fully integrated into Indian Navy's operations.

The P-8I aircraft is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing developed as a replacement for the US Navy's ageing P-3 fleet.

Indian Navy became the first international customer for the aircraft which is equipped for long range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and surveillance. The CAG also criticised delays in procuring bombs as part of the weapons for the aircraft.
China, Germany defend Iran ties as Trump bans business with Iran

China and Germany have defended their business ties with Iran even as President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that any country trading with the Islamic Republic would be barred from trading with the United States.

See: The United States, which reimposed sanctions against Iran after President trump announced the withdrawal from its 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran ( Markets cheer as Iran, West clinch nuclear deal ), on Tuesday threatened to penalise businesses from third countries that continue to operate there.

But, Trumps warning to the world against doing business with Iran as Washington reimposed "the most biting sanctions ever" on the Islamic republic, only helped to trigger a mix of anger, fear and defiance in Tehran and elsewhere.

Beijing and Berlin were more vocal in expressing their growing anger against the US reimposing sanctions against Iran and its threat to penalise businesses from third countries that continue to operate there.

China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions and long-armed jurisdiction, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

The German government said US sanctions against Iran that have an extra-territorial effect violate international law, and Germany expects Washington to consider European interests when coming up with such sanctions.

The announcement of new US sanctions has spooked investors and triggered a run on the Iranian rial before the punishing sanctions went back into force.

The newly reimposed sanctions, which target access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets, were unlikely to cause immediate economic turmoil.

Iran's markets were actually relatively buoyant, with the rial strengthening by 20 per cent since Sunday after the government relaxed foreign exchange rules and allowed unlimited, tax-free gold and currency imports.

The second tranche of sanctions, which kicks in on 5 November and targets Iran's vital oil sector, could be far more damaging  even if several key customers such as China, India and Turkey refuse to significantly cut their purchases.

"The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less," he said in an other.

Within hours of the sanctions taking effect, German carmaker Daimler said it had "suspended our already limited activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions."

Trump said on Monday that he was open to new talks to reach a "more comprehensive deal" with Iran.

"We want to see a much broader retreat by Iran from their support for international terrorism, their belligerent military activity in the Middle East and their ballistic missile, nuclear-related programmes," National Security Advisor John Bolton told Fox News.

"There's a lot going on here that Iran needs to be held accountable for."

But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the idea of talks while sanctions are in effect, and accused America of waging "psychological warfare."

British Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said that the "Americans have really not got this right." The nuclear deal was important "not only to the region's security but the world's security," he told the BBC.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by the return of sanctions, adding that it would do "everything necessary" to save the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters that the global reaction to Trump's move showed that the US was diplomatically isolated.

European countries, hoping to persuade Tehran to continue to respect the deal, have promised to try to lessen the blow of sanctions and to urge their firms not to pull out. But that was unlikely.

Most European companies have quit Iran, arguing that they cannot risk their US business.

Among those that have suspended plans to invest in Iran are Frances oil major Total, big carmakers PSA and Renault, and their German rival Daimler.

Danish engineering company Haldor Topsoe, one of the worlds leading industrial catalyst producers, said on Wednesday it would cut around 200 jobs from its workforce of 2,700 due to the new US sanctions on Iran, which made it very hard for its customers there to finance new projects.

The chief executive of reinsurance group Munich Re said it may abandon its Iran business under pressure from the United States, but described the operation as very small.

Turkey, however, said it would continue to buy natural gas from Iran.
Government withdraws FRDI Bill in Lok Sabha

The government today withdrew the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI Bill) amidst grave concerns over the "bail-in" clause in in the proposed bill.

The FRDI Bill was aimed at making an enabling law for creation of an independent resolution corporation to carry out speedy and efficient resolution of financial firms in distress, among others.

However, the provision of a bail-in clause generated widespread concerns that a debt-laden of failing bank could appropriate a customers deposit to to meet its debtors' claims.

The bill was introduced on 10 August 2017 in the House and then referred to the joint committee of parliament.

In July the government had said the bill would be withdrawn

A proposal to withdraw the bill was moved today by minister of state for finance Pon Radhakrishnan and was approved by the House.

Last week, the joint parliamentary committee Committee tabled its report and had agreed with the government's proposal to withdraw the bill.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal had informed the committee about various reasons for deciding to withdraw the bill.

The stakeholders, including the public, have raised apprehensions relating to the provisions of the FRDI Bill like the use of bail-in instrument to resolve a failing bank and the adequacy of deposit insurance cover, Mr Goyal had told the panel.
China outspending US in developing 5G backbone: report

China is outspending the United States in developing the next generation 5G communication backbone

According to a report by Deloitte consulting, China already has 10 times more sites to support 5G communications than the United States.

The report titled 5G  The chance to lead for a decade illustrates how China and other countries are outpacing the US in terms of wireless communication infrastructure spend, tower density and efficiency of execution. Together, these practices are distinguishing China's lead in the early stages of 5G deployment.

The report says, in just three months of 2017, Chinese cell phone tower companies and carriers added more sites than the US had done in the previous three years.

China has outspent the United States by $24 billion (roughly Rs. 1.6 lakh crores) since 2015 and has built 350,000 new cell phone tower sites, while the US built less than 30,000.

It cautions, "The US risks losing its technology leadership position unless swift action is taken to help unlock industry-wide investment in the country's underlying communications infrastructure."

The report notes it may also be about 35 percent cheaper to install equipment necessary to add carriers to 5G in China as compared to the United States.

Countries who are first to adopt 5G will likely see greater and more sustained macro-economic benefits, given the network effects associated with adding billions of devices to the 5G network. They will experience "disproportionate gains," as 5G brings an "era of untapped economic potential.", the Deloitte said.

"We predict that 5G will expand the network effect dramatically by extending the reach of the internet to almost any kind of connection, by almost any kind of device, anywhere a wireless signal can reach," said.

Dan Littmann, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. "The potential economic benefits of 5G will soon become a key differentiator for cities looking to attract both businesses and residents. For the US to remain competitive and eventually emerge as a leader, the race to 5G should be carefully evaluated and swift actions should be taken."

The United States could still catch up, the report said, and recommended the US adjust policy to reduce

deployment time, encourage carriers to collaborate, and implement a database of statistics and best practices.

"This report comes after the US Federal Communications Commission announced new rules for bidding on high-band spectrum which is expected to be used in the future for 5G," Reuters reported.
Karunanidhi no more, stage shifts to burial ground Marina Beach

An icon of Dravidian politics and five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi passed away on Tuesday at the age of 94. The veteran politician was reported dead at 6.16 in the evening by doctors at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, where he was admitted for treatment two weeks ago.

His body was taken to his Gopalapuram residence last night, after which it was shifted to Rajaji Hall. Several political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid their last respects to Karunanidhi.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court, after a late-night hearing, granted permission to bury Karunanidhi behind Anna Samadhi  the memorial of his mentor C N Annadurai  on Marina Beach.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Rajaji Hall in Chennai early in the morning to pay last respects to DMK patriarch Karunanidhi, minutes after the Madras High Court allowed the Dravidian icon to be buried next to his mentor CN Annadurai at Marina Beach.

The AIADMK government had denied permission for Karunanidhi to be buried next to Annadurai, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa at the iconic mausoleum complex, saying he was not a sitting CM. The government also pointed out that Karunanidhi himself had denied permission for MGRs wife Janaki to be buried at Marina. Instead the state government offered a two-acre site on Sardar Patel Road near the memorials to Rajaji and Kamaraj.

The DMK, however, asserted that there was no rule that only a sitting CM could be buried near Anna Salai and cited Karunanidhis long and eventful political journey.

Among those who paid respects to the five-time CM are Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami, deputy CM O Panneerselvam, film stars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan and a host of other leaders from across the country

Both houses of Parliament, meanwhile, will be adjourned for the day after paying tributes to Karunanidhi.

"With profound sorrow, I've to inform the House about the sad demise of Karunanidhi who passed away on Aug 7. He served as CM of Tamil Nadu for five times. In his demise, country has lost highly popular and eminent personality," said Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha speaker, earlier today.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and deputy chief minister G Parameshwar arrived at Rajaji Hall to pay last respects to late Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Karunanidhi will be laid to rest between Annadurai and Jayalalithaa. DMK has sought land for Karunanidhi between Anna Memorial and Jayalalithaa Memorial, which is under construction.

Union territory of Puducherry, a DMK stronghold, will observe seven-day mourning in the wake of Karunanidhi's demise. Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy posted a picture paying floral tribute to late Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. "Cabinet Colleagues pays floral tribute to former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Kalaignar Dr M Karunanidhi at Puducherry Assembly. As a mark of respect, Puducherry will observe seven days Mourning in the UT of Puducherry from 7th August 2018," the Puducherry CM tweeted.

DMK cadre kept thronging the venue while senior leaders, including Durai Murugan, were inspecting the arrangements at the burial site at Marina Beach amidst reports that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu was likely to move the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order, in order to save face.

Supporting the AIADMK view, Swaminathan Gurumurthy, co-convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch and RSS ideologue in Tamil Nadu, told News18 that DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi should not be buried at Marina Beach. All the former chief ministers, including Rajaji and Kamraj, have been given burial on the other side near the IIT. It is only sitting chief ministers who are buried on the Marina Beach. So technically, former chief minister should be on the other side where other former CMs are buried...Im just giving a rationale, said Gurumurthy.

The Tamil Nadu government's refusal of Karunanidhis political heir MK Stalin's plea to grant Karunanidhi a burial and a memorial on the Marina beach, had created a furore among DMK supporters, many of whom resorted to violence and clashed with the police. Police had to lathi-charge angry mobs just outside Kauveri hospital in Chenna.
It was sweltering on Monday morning even standing in the shade outside Vintage Wings of Canadas hangar in Gatineau, Quebec. A small crowd of local media members were huddled together alongside the flying collections dedicated band of volunteers awaiting the arrival of a special visitor. The Commemorative Air Forces North American B-25J Mitchell Maid in the Shade was due to arrive any moment now, as we carefully made our way out to a small patch of ground near one of the taxi-ways for a closer look with our cameras as the combat veteran bomber arrived. We waited in the baking heat for some time until the familiar thrum of her engines started echoing off the nearby hills. Andre Laviolette, one of Vintage Wings stalwart technicians was the first to spot the bomber on the horizon as she made her way through the soupy haze along the Ottawa River Valley towards the circuit at Gatineau Executive Airport. Then down she came, so gracefully, to touch her main wheels on the runway, her pilot holding her nose high during rollout to bleed off speed more efficiently, and reduce brake-wear. Finally her nose lowered, and she slowed to a stroll before turning onto the taxiway for the journey towards Vintage Wings hangar; the characteristic clatter of the B-25s unique exhaust stack arrangement creating a kind of music for those of us who love these classic propeller planes.

This B-25, serial 43-35972, is one of just a handful of Mitchells which saw combat in WWII which are still capable of flight. She flew about 15 operational missions with the 319th Bomb Group, 437th Squadron from Serraggia, Corsica between November 1st and December 31st, 1944. While her name and nose-art are fictitious, she did wear the code 18 during this period. She has been with the CAF since her donation in 1982, after-which she underwent a nearly 30 year, down-t0-the-last-rivet restoration. Her current home is with the CAFs Airbase Arizona in Mesa, Arizona, but she spends much of the year barnstorming around North America giving rides to the public for a small donation. She is currently on the Canadian leg of her tour, and will be in Gatineau until August 12th. Her next port of call will be St.Hubert, Quebec. To book a ride aboard this amazing aircraft, please click HERE.

Special thanks go to Vintage Wings of Canadas Andre Laviolette for making these images possible. Vintage Wings of Canadas hangar is open to the public for guided tours on most Saturdays, or by appointment at other times (Click HERE for details). There is always a lot going on in the hangar packed with vintage aircraft, including two major restoration projects  a Hawker Hurricane Mk.XII and her predecessor, a Hawker Fury biplane fighter  already well advanced. The collection will also be hosting a Fly-In on August 11th, an open house with flying on September 8th, and their always impressive Air Show commemorating the Battle of Britain on September 15th. And dont forget to sign up for Dave OMalleys fabulous historical aviation articles which come out on a regular basis either!
More than one million vehicles have been checked on a new website designed to help owners find out if their car has a potentially deadly Takata airbag.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) launched a new website last week - IsMyAirbagSafe.com.au - which allows Australians to check the registration of their vehicle to see if its fitted with a Takata airbag that requires changing. It is part of a new advertising campaign using the tagline Dont Die Wondering to try and get those with the dangerous airbags to take action to the recall notices from car makers.

The faulty Takata airbags can propel shrapnel from the cars steering wheel into the face and neck of the occupants, potentially causing fatal injuries, in an accident. So far more than 20 people around the world have been killed by the Takata airbags, including one Australian.

The FCAI has now released data from the sites first week in operation revealing more than 769,000 unique visitors performed more than 1.23 million registration checks. Of that number approximately one in nine had defective Takata airbags.

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said the numbers were a good sign that Australians are taking the airbag recall seriously. The recall began in 2015 but many owners are ignoring car makers requests to visit a dealer for replacement parts.

Were pleased how the public has responded to this important safety message and it is interesting to note that a large proportion of the website visitors are checking more than one vehicle, Mr Weber said.

The campaign was specifically designed to both raise public awareness of this issue and to motivate vehicle owners to use our web tool to deliver a quick and easy answer.

There are just over three million vehicles across Australia affected by the Takata recall and the industry is now about halfway through that task. Theres a lot of airbag inflator replacement work going on in dealerships right around the country.
Toyota is set to throw its considerable weight behind hybrid technology, offering electrified versions of all models by 2025.

Australian showrooms will be home to five new hybrid models within the next three years, vehicles set to include a new Toyota RAV4 hybrid (pictured) in 2019 and the possibility of a Toyota C-HR hybrid SUV shortly afterward.

The push comes as hybrid power debuts in every grade of the new Toyota Corolla as a $1500 option instead of serving as a seperate model.

Toyota Australia vice president Sean Hanley says the manufacturers experience with hybrid technology is unparalleled.

"No one knows hybrid better than Toyota," he says.

We have a responsibility as the industry leader to take a stand and were doing that with the hybrid model offensive.

We will accelerate both the availability and marketing for this core technology for the 21st century.

More than 40 per cent of new Camry sales this year went to hybrid models.

Hanley says Toyota is preparing for potential changes to Australian laws which could see the introduction of taxes based on CO2 emissions, echoing approaches used overseas.

A strong hybrid lineup would help Toyota offset the relatively heavy emissions of popular large vehicles such as the HiLux and LandCruiser.

But Hanley says Australian unleaded fuel standards allowing high sulphur levels will prevent Toyota from selling its most efficient models on local soil.

Our focus has very much turned to the changes facing our industry, among them, emissions regulations and the evolution to mandated CO2 targets, he says.

Toyotas view is that Australia must harmonise its standards for emissions with leading overseas markets. That will require us to do the same with fuel standards, namely, low-sulphur fuel.

Put simply, we cant achieve first-world emissions without first-world quality fuel.

In addition, any CO2 targets should distinguish between passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, with off-road passenger SUVs included with light commercials. Thats how they do it in the US and Canada.

"Recently Ive seen commentary that suggests mandated targets will kill off, for example, the rugged diesel-powered vehicles for which Toyota is renowned. Let me assure you that will not happen.

Our plans, as far out as we can see, include continued strong demand of sales of vehicles such as HiLux and LandCruiser.

The Australian petroleum industry has persistently rebuffed calls for improved fuel standards, questioning the need for low-sulphur fuel while claiming the cost of overhauling local production standards is exorbitant.
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Losing great Aussie talent to overseas companies is a reality for many small businesses and startups. Working in Silicon Valley may sound like a very attractive prospect but dont fear Australian businesses can compete. The answer? Making the work culture too good to refuse. Some starting points can include: ensuring staff feel cared about, have growth opportunities and flexibility. Dynamic Business had a chat to experts about how the business community can prevent the lost of talent to overseas companies.

Phil Silverstone, General Manager, Asia Pacific, Eventbrite:

Is Silicon Valley a more attractive prospect than Australia for a graduate tech developer or engineer? On the face of it, probably. But theres no reason Australian employers cant compete. With an expanding homegrown talent pool, theres never been a better time for local businesses to make their move and design the kind of dynamic, innovative and inclusive workplaces that top graduates are seeking, to ensure our best and brightest are motivated to stay in Australia.

Local businesses would be wise to think like Silicon Valley in terms of the benefits, perks and culture on offer. Mind you, its not all about ping pong tables and bean bags  Eventbrite Australia offers flexible working arrangements, a wellness benefit, transport stipend, catered meals, outstanding parental leave and the freedom to work remotely, to all staff.

Its also about the experience employees gain. At Eventbrite, our team take on roles of broad responsibility and have opportunities for growth far accelerated beyond whats available elsewhere. Ultimately its a path for personal growth that will retain talent on Aussie shores and not give them cause to look elsewhere.

Scott Price, Founder and CEO, PropertyShares:

A number of people think that we lose talent overseas because of better salaries and office perks like Facebook lunches. The reality is that good quality talent is hungry to work on high quality projects and for companies with a robust company culture.

That is why here in Australia we need to focus on creating companies that appeal to a new generation of thinkers and doers. We need to work on problems that deserve the time of these innovators who not only want to solve interesting problems but feel empowered when they do it.

Jonathan Plowright, Founder and CEO, Typsy:

As a business owner, I guarantee youve noticed that the workforce is changing. Your older, experienced employees are retiring, meaning younger employees are getting ready to fill their shoes  this is particularly evident in the hospitality industry, where millennials often start off in the workforce.

Its important to fulfil the workplace needs of your younger, hungrier employees, as they will predominantly shape how future business communities will operate. How do we do it, and ensure we retain our younger talent to overseas competitors? Here are three ways:

On-going training and development opportunities: Millennials want to be challenged, to learn and to grow. When they dont, they become disengaged and non-committal. Ensure you provide constant learning and development opportunities so you dont lose them.

Keeping up with the technological times: Millennials have grown up with technology, so it makes sense to use it in their learning and training. For example, focusing on online video as a learning method is a great step forward.

Improving staff engagement: Putting your employees first will result in a positive work culture, increased engagement and a reduced turnover rate. Why? Staff who enjoy being in their workplace are more likely to stay than those who dont.

This is why Typsy believes that providing training opportunities to hospitality staff is one of the best incentives you can offer. Whether they are new in the industry or your most experienced staff member, the more your staff know, the more your business can grow.

Charles Tidswell, Vice President for JAPAC, Socialbakers:

Businesses need to think globally and act locally. This means giving their employees the tools and possibility to work in a regional or global role without having to relocate elsewhere. Thanks to technology, businesses no longer face barriers to going global and the same is true for the workforce. Giving employees access to technology that enables global collaboration and the flexibility to work across different times zones means employees looking for an international experience are more likely to stay in Australia to have it.

Mick Spencer, CEO, ONTHEGO:

With the growth of emerging competition, the ability to have an entire workforce offshore, and global players taking local gems, companies need to focus on building a robust growth path for staff and talent to ensure that they feel fully engaged. Strong leadership and an engaged workforce can really help build up future talent. At OTG, we foster employee engagement by offering our staff members more than just a pay check. Some of the things we do is incentivise our staff members with the opportunity to earn staff shares, offer a very close tight knit work place culture, and encourage a very autonomous way of working. Empowering our employees to run mini business within the business is rewarding for both our staff members and the business.

Peter Gardiner, Executive Managing Partner (Specialist Services), Findex:

I often hear colleagues bemoan the loss of Australian talent overseas, yet this loss of talent from the Australia is not restricted to Australians. The difficulty in retaining emerging overseas talent for entry-level positions due to our ever-tightening visa restrictions.

This year, I became involved with Saltire, an international program run by Entrepreneurial Scotland, connecting business leaders with the next generation of Scots afflicted with Wanderlust.

Hannah Gailey joined our Consulting team earlier this year as an intern. Shes truly been amazing, consistently impressing clients and colleagues alike with all she does.

However, when it came time to finding her a more permanent role, the myriad of complicated and challenging regulations has meant we may lose a bright star to a competitor in Europe.

If Australia wants to stop the brain-drain, or diaspora, we need to make ourselves a more accessible market to the international talent pool. We hamstring ourselves by only allowing talent to enter at later career stages, while we continue to see our school leavers take overseas opportunities. These arbitrary rules are stopping Australia from tapping into a wealth of emerging talent.

Emma Lo Russo, CEO, Digivizer:

Australia has just 0.33% of the worlds population  so you could argue that we have to work 99 times harder than any other country to fight for talent! There are three aspects to combating brain drain:

1) Build great talent from the start of our education process, to ensure we have the most relevant, powerful, and the widest pipeline of great talent.

2) We can attract great talent from overseas as well as within Australia, by offering opportunities they will find appealing, stimulating, future-relevant, that allow them to make a difference, and which tap their skills in ways they find rewarding.

3) Retaining talent, ensuring the opportunities are more valuable on balance than anything else on offer elsewhere. That requires us to think and act globally at government and business levels, to focus on how are we building a great place to work, to live, to want to create growing businesses. If we can answer why anyone, anywhere in the world would want to start and grow a business here, and embed those incentives and cultural aspects at every level, we will be attracting talent, not just stopping the drain away from us.

Alex Alexandrou, General Manager, Reckon:

To be frank, the brain drain in Australia is quite a marginal phenomenon compared to the rest of the world. Where this collapses however is in the areas of science, engineering, technology and research. We can reframe this question of a brain drain as Australia having an innovation problem.

Where there is no innovation, less money for research and fewer high profile job opportunities, we lose our best and brightest to countries who will support them. Where are the grants and opportunities for home grown research and Australian science jobs? Here, the federal government has a lot to answer for, with Australias research and innovation budget being cut by a further $8 billion over the next four years after having already been decimated by several billion dollars of cuts over the years prior. The business community needs to raise their voice to those in parliament to curb this innovation crippling defunding, which will inevitably lead to a weak local industry, an infertile ground for associated business and a lack of career options for Australians.


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Newsletters are one of the primary means of communicating with both existing and potential customers. For small e-commerce business owners, however, putting together a regular newsletter may seem daunting.

Is it worth your time and effort? In short, yes -- and following are some reasons you should consider taking the leap.

Communicate With Customers

Since e-commerce businesses often don't have the opportunity to see their customers face-to-face, sending out an email newsletter is one way to open up a channel of regular communication. Newsletters can inform customers about new products and provide helpful information they can use in their daily lives.

"It's important to connect with customers at multiple points, and email is a great way to reach a range of people," said Margaret Hamner, senior marketing manager for email marketing at MailChimp.

"It's effective, efficient, and easy to personalize based on specific target audiences," she told the E-Commerce Times.

Enhance Loyalty

It might seem that creating and sending out a newsletter would involve spending more time and energy than you have, taking valuable resources away from sales and marketing.

In fact, newsletters can be a valuable part of your overall sales and marketing strategy. In the long run, they actually can save time -- while building your customers' sense of loyalty to your brand.

"Email marketing is a great way to gain customers' loyalty," noted Isabel Courbat, co-owner of Mailpro.

"It's a great tool to keep customers happy and informed," she told the E-Commerce Times. "Companies save a lot of time doing email campaigns, since sending emails takes very little time, giving employees more flexibility at work."

Establish Your Authority

Perhaps one of the most important benefits of a newsletter is that it keeps you and your company at the forefront of your customers' minds.

"A newsletter can help to position you as an expert or your brand as a useful resource when you regularly offer content of value to the people on your list," remarked consultant Sharon Ernst.

"When you regularly show up in the in-box, you help to remind people you're there," she told the E-Commerce Times.

Visibility is key to influencing potential customers' purchasing decisions.

"A newsletter is an excellent way to stay in touch with your customers and be top-of-mind so that when they're ready to make a purchase, your business is the one they choose," suggested copywriter Susan Greene.

"The visibility your newsletter provides will ultimately lead to increased sales," she told the E-Commerce Times.

You never know, after all, when your marketing efforts will lead to a sale. Newsletters can help clinch the deal.

"Maybe they weren't ready to buy before, but now they are, and lo and behold, there's a newsletter from you in their in-box reminding them about you and your brand," said Ernst.

"Or maybe someone has asked them for a product recommendation and your email is there as a reminder about your business, so they might be likely to recommend yours instead of another brand," she added.

Build Your Brand

When designing and putting together a newsletter, it's important to consider how it will contribute to your brand's identity. When done right, there will be a kind of seamlessness between all the materials you create to promote your brand.

"Every newsletter should have a polished, professional feel that maintains the personality and relatability of your brand," advised MailChimp's Hamner. "It doesn't require extensive training or expensive tools to accomplish this. Focus on copy that clearly conveys the customer benefit, and use the devices you already own to take photos."

Over time, you'll want to evaluate how your newsletter is working, and whether it's serving the needs of both your customers and your brand.

"It's important to measure engagement and interests to help determine what content resonates most with your audience," said Hamner.

"This can be done by organizing content topics into different blocks and linking out to additional information like a certain product, landing page, or article on your blog," she suggested. "Then, the click-through engagement information on specific interests can be easily collected to help determine what content to send to specific customers in the future."

Develop Personal Relationships

One way to avoid the direct-to-trash fate of some email newsletters is to personalize them. When you address customers directly and offer information that's tailored to them, your newsletter will seem less like mass marketing and more like a personal, curated communique.

"People love to receive personalized newsletters," said Mailpro's Courbat. "It is a great way to show your customers you care about each one of them. Also, personalizing your newsletter increases your chances of not falling into spam folders."

It can be in your interest as well as in the customers' interest, in other words, to make the effort to tailor your newsletters to particular individuals and groups.

"In-boxes can be filled with a lot of noise, so messages with a personal touch stand out," Hamner pointed out. "Differentiate and segment your subscribers as much as possible to ensure you're sending messages that resonate with different audiences on your list."

Vivian Wagner has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. Her main areas of focus are technology, business, CRM, e-commerce, privacy, security, arts, culture and diversity. She has extensive experience reporting on business and technology for a variety of outlets, including The Atlantic, The Establishment and O, The Oprah Magazine. She holds a PhD in English with a specialty in modern American literature and culture. She received a first-place feature reporting award from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. Email Vivian.




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A national debate over civility erupted after Stephanie Wilkinson, a co-owner of a Red Hen restaurant in Virginia, asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave her premises. However, that wasn't the only consequence of the incident.

In its aftermath, restaurant owners in various parts of America whose businesses had the words "red hen" in their name were deluged with a storm of angry reactions -- even though their businesses were totally separate entities.

"In the age of the activist politicized consumer, there are no safe sidelines," commented CMO Inc. founder Peter Horst, who led the marketing teams at Hershey, Capital One, General Mills and other major companies.

For example, Greyhound and Microsoft "are being dragged into the public eye because of their role in cooperating with ICE and border agents," he told the E-Commerce Times.

"It's now a near-daily occurrence for companies to find themselves caught up in an overnight brand crisis," Horst said. "With so little trust in government to fix a broken system, consumers now expect brands to play a role and put their values on display by helping to make society better."

Brands increasingly get contaminated by controversies, even when they are innocent bystanders, observed Michael Solomon, a professor of marketing at the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph's University's in Philadelphia.

Blame it on millennials: "One reason is that consumers, especially younger ones, want to know a company's back story before they will link to it," he told the E-Commerce Times.

Responding to Controversies

Companies often respond to controversies by taking a stand:

Four major airlines announced they would not accommodate any federal government requests to carry immigrant children separated from their parents in connection with the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy on undocumented border crossings;

At least 20 companies pulled their ads from conservative host Laura Ingraham's show after she mocked a Parkland School shooting survivor; and

Tesla, Mozilla and other major brands halted their Facebook activity following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Taking a stand is one option, Solomon said; another is avoiding the controversy outright.

The first option lets a company make a statement about its values, which is a "risky but potentially profitable move," he observed. SMB businesses "often fall into the second category" and need to stay neutral if possible.

Online businesses should carefully select what issues and causes they align with, cautioned Deb Gabor, CEO of Austin, Texas-based brand strategy consultancy Sol Marketing.

"Make sure the value and beliefs expressed by the people involved in that issue or cause align with those held by your own organization," she told the E-Commerce Times.

However, there are other options.

"Many organizations think the choice is simply between putting their head in the sand versus jumping into a political battle," noted CMO Inc.'s Horst. "There is a range of ways brands can engage, depending on their business, their customers, and their appetite for risk."

Online Businesses Must Prepare Themselves

All online businesses, whether they're selling their own branded products and services on a site they own, or reselling other companies' branded goods, "should consider themselves brands," advised Sol Marketing's Gabor.

A brand "acts as a magnet that's designed to attract customers who share values and beliefs similar to those of the organization," she remarked. It is "more than just logo, tagline, and corporate colors. It's a relationship -- or the sum total of all the emotional connections that customers have with it -- facilitated by its engagements with them across multiple touchpoints."

Those touchpoints include in-person encounters, advertisements, marketing and even online transactions, Gabor noted. "Today, that all extends to social media sites, where customers may have nontransactional engagements with the company's posts and content."

When an online business stakes its claim to an idea by aligning with or distancing itself from it, it puts the brand's values on public display, she said.

That brand identity is a fragile thing, because it's "the part of the brand that you control, but your customers own how they perceive you," Gabor pointed out.

Steps E-Commerce SMBs Can Take

Following are some steps e-commerce businesses can take, based on Gabor's recommendations:

Document core values and beliefs;

Share values with all employees and partners -- print them on posters for display in the office, or print them on the back of company name badges, for example;

Ensure that employees are screened, hired, fired and incentivized based on the company's core values;

Have a detailed social media policy in place stating when, how and on what platforms employees can communicate as an agent of the company, along with the protocol for addressing and responding to inbound commentaries or inquiries;

Put practices in place to ensure employees can understand your key messages and know how much leeway they can take with sharing them; and

Remind employees of your social media policies and protocols when a controversy erupts.

No matter what stance a company takes it will "rub at least one segment of its customers or prospects the wrong way," remarked Mukul Krishna, global practice head for digital media at Frost & Sullivan.

"The key is to have policies in place that will remove ambiguity further downstream among the rank and file," he told the E-Commerce Times, to ensure "consistency in using that policy."

Dealing With the Unexpected

Even if they have "very specific internal policies regarding what's permissible for employees to post on social media," companies can be caught out, Haub School of Business' Solomon warned.

For example, some fast food restaurants were hit by employees who posted objectionable photos on social media.

In such cases, "it's vital to take decisive action and to own the problem very quickly," Solomon advised. "The longer it festers without an authoritative response from the company, the bigger the problem will become."

Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard.


(Photo: Reuters / Michelle McLoughlin)The rear of Battell Chapel at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, November 28, 2012. Students at Yale attended mandatory daily chapel there until 1926. Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

During a robust public discussion at the Yale Divinity School, scholars and theologians discussed why there are fewer self-proclaimed Christians in modern American society and where the religion's future is shifting.

When opening the panel, Gregory E. Sterling, Dean of Yale Divinity School during the week that he considered the meeting as a down payment on a promise last year that he would examine the future of Christianity during his tenure.

"In my lifetime, 50 percent of people who grew up in mainline Protestant positions have left," Sterling said Thursday. "I might mention, for example, the Episcopal Church is closing 50 parishes a year. That is one example."

To discuss what has caused this transition and what it means for the religion in the United States, the dean hosted Ross Douthat, a columnist for The New York Times, and author Diana Butler Bass.

The two were moderated in separate discussions by Bob Abernethy, host of PBS's "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly," and Lillian Daniel, author of "When 'Spiritual but Not Religious' Is Not Enough."

During the discussion, both participants tended to agree that Christianity's role in American life had shrunk in the late 20th century.

Douthat, author of "Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics," attributed much of the shift on two cultural revolutions during the 1960s and 1970s.

"If you look at religion at the mid-20th century, you see a crisisto adapt to the landscape that the Cultural Revolution ushered in," Douthat said.

"If you look at the '60s and '70s, you see two big cultures that undercut the period."

The columnist attributed this shift primarily to the sexual revolution and the massive growth of wealth and the American middle class.

"Christian sexual ethics were out of step with the way Americans live their lives," he said.

According to Douthat, the Bible's lessons on financial moderation and pre-marital chastity have become incongruent with existing in the wealthiest nation in history.

Bass, author of "Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening," viewed the change as more of the institutions' failure to adapt or evolve in American life, despite there still being a wide opening for spiritual life.

"In the middle part of the 20th century, the institutions of religious life we had in the United States [were extraordinarily successful,]" Bass said.

"As life began to change around those institutions, they began to live off of what I would call the capital of an earlier age of religious life."

Bass contends that the disconnect came from the leaders of these religious institutions not noticing the drift of followers and writing off cultural shifts as a "fad" for much of the last four decades.

Both believe religion can again play a major role in the American landscape, but only if there are changes in the delivery system.

Douthat admits that due to his columnist work he is required to view the country in a very politically binary world, and says he often distinguishes a difference between liberal Christianity and conservative Christianity.

For Douthat, conservative Christianity saw a rise briefly under the leadership of U.S. President George W. Bush where in a post-9/11 "uncomplicated moment," there was a unity between Christianity, patriotism and a conservative resolve.

This allowed Catholics, evangelicals and other Christians to coalesce around a political leadership that would eventually implode during Bush's second term.

For Christianity to be more broadly embraced, Douthat seemed to suggest that liberal Christianity needs to reconcile their contemporary desires with a spiritual text that they frequently bend too much.

"I look at the reformulation that the liberal Christianity has attempted, I do not think it is theologically sound in historic Christian belief," Douthat said.

"I understand why it is done and I am not sitting here with an answer to how it should have handled the Sexual Revolution." Douthat does suggest though that the Sexual Revolution, which liberal Christianity has embraced, created higher divorce rates, more single parents and a litany of societal woes.

Bass countered that while there is a tendency in liberal Christianity to write off sex as a part of God's plan that this is due to churches' complete ineptitude at handling sexuality in a modern context.

Religious leaders' inability to confront 21st century standards may dictate the need to separate that issue from religion in the future.

However, while there is an increasing "20 percent" who choose not to be affiliated with any religion in the country, Bass argues that an interest in theology is still very prevalent.

"There's ton of great theology coming out of Latin American communities, black communities, huge numbers of women writing from parishes to parishes," Bass said. "[There are] young peoplewho want to engage in real theologic discussions, but there is not a lot of natural avenues to move through for younger generations."

Overall, Douthat tends to suggest that liberal Christianity has lost the "plot or thread" of their scriptures and have helped make it irrelevant in American life.

Bass, however, thinks that there is an untapped interest in Christianity that could be exploited if the mainstream channels shifted from the traditionally institutionalized methods.
(U.S. Department of Defense)A display honoring the service of religious chaplains was dedicated at the Pentagon in 2006. The U.S. military is under fire in recent days for its regulations and policies related to religious proselytizing.

The U.S. military says that its members may share their faith with other personnel as long as they do not force their beliefs on them.

This new statement clarified an earlier one reported by Ecumenical News which created an uproar among evangelical leaders.

In the first statement, released earlier this week, the national military headquarters at the Pentagon said that proselytizing in the armed services was banned.

It also appeared to say that military personnel would be court martialed if they violated regulations related to proselytizing.

The ban came on the heels of a meeting with activist Michael "Mikey" Weinstein, the head of an organization seeking to end all proselytizing in the ranks.

The agenda concerned policies regarding religious tolerance in the military.

Evangelical leaders, especially those associated with the Family Research Council (FRC), pounced on the Pentagon statement and the meeting with Weinstein.

They especially directed their fire at Weinstein and inflammatory statements he has made about conservative Christians in the Huffington Post and elsewhere.

Weinstein called fundamentalist Christians "monsters" and told Fox News that the military should prosecute personnel that share their faith.

The FRC circulated a petition asking the Pentagon to disavow Weinstein's demands. By Thursday it had garnered 110,000 signatures.

Conservative media also began to circulate reports on the matter.

U.S. Today published the new announcement by Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christenen, a Pentagon spokesman, in its Thursday edition.

"Service members may share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one's beliefs (proselytization)," he said.

Christensen's also said that military leaders take action "when religious harrassment complaints are reported."

His statement is a further attempt to define in the media this week what the military means by the term "proselytizing" and the punishment for violating military regulations.

The Nashville Tennessean reported on Wednesday that Capt. Jodie Ritchie of the the Air Force's public affairs defined proselytizing from its usage by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which says it is "to induce someone to convert to one's faith."

"When on duty or in an official capacity, air force members are free to express their personal religious beliefs as long as it does not make others uncomfortable," he said." Proselytizing, a defined above, goes over the line."

The current controversy is the latest dust up between Evangelicals and the Pentagon.

Evangelicals complained recently when a training seminar the military held for reservists taught that they awere extremists.

The training, once publicized, also created a stir among some policially conservative members of the the U.S. Congress.
The final straw broke in November when Aimy Steele got a call from the central office asking her to find space for five more classrooms.

Steele, the principal of Beverly Hills STEM Elementary School in Concord, N.C., about 25 miles from Charlotte, had already moved an English-as-a-second-language class into the library and an after-school program from a portable unit into the cafeteria to comply with a state law mandating lower class sizes in elementary grades.

The mandate, which she said did not come with extra money for new teachers or classroomsschool construction is funded at the county-levelcame after financially-strapped districts had shed hundreds of teaching assistants.

That was kind of the last moment, where I said, this is absolutely ridiculous, said Steele, who filed paperwork to run on the Democratic ticket in North Carolinas 82nd district just a few weeks later. She will face Republican Linda P. Johnson, a nine-term incumbent and chairwoman of the House K-12 education and appropriations committees, in November.

Steele, 39, is among a handful of current and former school leadersincluding principals and assistant principalswho are running for local and state offices this year. Their numbers are dwarfed by teacher-candidates, who, fed up with low salaries and cuts to general education funding, marched on state capitols in the spring. (An Education Week analysis found at least 156 teachers had filed to run for state offices this year, with 25 so far winning their party primaries and 42 advancing without a primary challenge.)

Principals Want Bigger Voice in Education Policy

But the small number of principals who are running hope their experience running schools will give them a bigger voice in state education policy and other policy areas that affect education. The school leaders argue that many of the hot-button issues that legislators are wrestling with are school-connectedwhether its the opioid crisis, the economy, transportation, infrastructure, or healthcare.

If we are not helping to educate our children and providing health services for them so they can grow up to be successful and productive in a viable workforce, I have an issue with that, said Julie Roach, an assistant principal in Oklahoma City, who is running for a house seat in District 100, which covers Oklahoma City and the suburban communities of Warr Acres and Bethany.

Roachs platform includes a strong economy, access to quality healthcare, and government transparency. While she was the top vote-getter in the districts June Republican primary, she did not get enough votes to head straight to Novembers general election and must now clear an Aug. 28 runoff.

With a deep understanding of education and how schools work, principals who are seeking elective office say they can provide both data and real-world examples of how proposed policies and laws could affect students, teachers, school staff, and families. They say they have the credibility to make the case for directing funding to immediate challenges that schools are facing.

They can add nuance to discussions on complex issues such as school discipline. And when school safety proposals emergeas they have in the last few months after high-profile school shootingsprincipals can provide an insiders perspective on how proposals such as arming teachers and staff may or may not work.

Most principals are experienced managers who are used to communicating with different groups, who may not always see eye to eye, they said. That kind of savvy can be a valuable asset in navigating the political landscape and dealing with constituents, they said.

Principals Campaign for More School Funding

Ronny Johns, the principal of Ada Junior High in Ada, Okla., won the June Republican primary in the states House District 25. He said the hardships that fell on Oklahomas schools after years of tax cuts could have been prevented if there had been more educators in the legislature. One of his key campaign issues is increasing funding for public schools.

By the end of last year, Johns school, in a small city about 90 miles from Oklahoma City, had 13 fewer employees than it had three years ago. Classroom sizes had increased, and electives, including woodworking, were dropped to save money.

Last year, Johns told an incredulous parent that their child was telling the truth that the student wasnt allowed to bring a book home to help with homework.

I said yes, that is correct, Johns recalled. Thats embarrassing.

Johns platform also includes, tackling the states opioid crisis, adequately funding other state agencies, which also have been starved over the years, and bridging the partisan political divide, he said.

Johns says he will bring the same passion he has for education to other challenges facing his district, and voters on the campaign trail have reminded him that they have other pressing concerns, including rural healthcare, infrastructure, and small businesses, he said.

Theres more than just the problems of education, and thats what Ive tried to impress on people, he said.

Principals Face Steep Climb to Electoral Victory

While the 2018 electoral season has inspired educators to seek office in greater numbers, there are certainly sitting lawmakers with deep education backgrounds. There are lawmakers who seek out educatorsteachers, principals, and superintendentsto weigh in on proposed legislation and to inform policy discussions. And educators, along with advocates and lobbyists who work for groups that represent their profession are often in statehouses testifying on proposed laws and working the hallways.

Jeffrey Elmore, the co-chairman of K-12 education and education appropriations committees in the North Carolina General Assembly, is a teacher in the Wilkes County school system. The speaker of the states General Assembly recently hired a former principal from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district to join his education policy staff, which already includes a former attorney for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district, according to local media.

Linda P. Johnson, the incumbent who faces Steele on the November ballot, says she regularly meets with teachers, principals, superintendents, and associations representatives.

The state GOPs education platformincluding boosting teacher and principal salaries and expanding principal-leadership training came from meetings with educators, who listed those issues among their top concerns.

Johnson says that she thinks its a good idea for more current educators, including principals, to be part of the General Assembly. But she also said that there are a number of ways for them to participate, and they are not locked out of the process.

Steele said that even when educators are asked to contribute, elected officials sometimes ignore their advice and input in favor of anecdotes theyve heard elsewhere.

Essentially, those voices are never really actually heard because the legislators come into those meetings with their own perspectives, and they dont change, she said.

Know a teacher running for state office? Use our online form to send us their name and information.

Principals on the ballot face an uphill climb. Unlike teachers, whose two major unionsthe National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachersare big political players, principals do not have a built-in political structure to tap into. The majority of local principals unions tend to steer clear of politics, said Scott Treibitz, a spokesman for the American Federation of School Administrators, a national union that represents about 14,000 school administrators across the country. (Fewer than a third of principals are represented under collective bargaining agreements, according to a recent federal survey.)

But with a wave of teacher-led protests over pay and school funding and the recent Supreme Court decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31, which could shrink union membership and influence, principals can no longer sit on the sidelines, Treibitz said.

The nature of a principalin between the teacher and the superintendenthas always been to be in the middle and never really try to rock the boat, Treibitz said. But I think there is a clear understanding that if we are going to turn schools around, the people who are in charge of the actual schools that are delivering education to children have to have a stronger voice. And the only way to have a stronger voice is through an active political process.

The AFSA is encouraging members to become politically active, and at its July convention in Washington, it held a session on organizing in the post-Janus era. Among the speakers was Troy LaRaviere, a former elementary school principal in Chicago and the current head of the citys principals and administrators union, who is challenging incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel in that citys mayoral election next year.

Campaigning After School Hours

For principals whove jumped into electoral politics, finding time to raise money and campaign while running a school is challenging.

I figured out you needed to be good at two thingsasking for money and promoting yourself, and Im not good at either one of them, joked Johns, who campaigns on weekdays after school dismissal, on Saturdays, and Sunday after church.

It was a lack of government transparency, not education, that first led Roach, the Oklahoma City assistant principal, to think about running for office two years ago.

Roach, 52, felt that her representative was not doing enough to keep constituents apprised of what was happening in the legislature and how their tax dollars were being spent. But the timing was not right, and she did not pursue it further, she said.

But after joining teachers during protests in the state capitol this spring and overhearing a legislator evade questions about long-term school and teacher funding, shed had enough.

Roach said she would bring knowledge and common sense to the position, and use her experience working with different school constituencies as a guide.

I am able to work across the aisle and work with all kinds of peopleIve had to in my career, and I do it well, said Roach, who had raised about $6,000 for the June primary, mostly through knocking on doors and asking people to contribute time and money to the campaign.

A former special education teacher, she wants more focus on students with severe mental disabilities, including policies that take into account their physical and mental health needs, home stability, and opportunities for them after high school. She and Johns also are interested in criminal justice reform.

Steele, a former Spanish teacher, gave up her job as principal of Beverly Hills STEM Elementary School at the end of the school year to campaign full time.

Her campaign centers on education, affordable healthcare, transportation, and the opioid crisis. Cabarrus County, where Concord is located, has one of the highest incidents of emergency room visits from heroin and prescription drug overdoses in North Carolina.

Steele wants beginning teachers to be paid $55,000, which she says the state can afford to do if it reduces how much it spends on locking up non-violent offenders and scales back on corporate tax cuts.

Johnson said Republicans have delivered or are in the process of delivering on the list of concerns that educators outlined when they first took over the legislature. They project that the average teacher salary in the state will jump to $55,000 by 2020, which should be the highest in the Southeast. Theyve also revamped how school leaders are compensated, awarding hefty bonuses to principals based on growth in student achievement and not experience.

Johnson, who said Steele never reached out to her about education issues, doesnt believe that educators voices have gone unheard. And the ways people communicate with legislators have changed, she said, adding that she receives text messages and emails from constituents.

If a bill is on the floor and there is something they dont like, they will text me or email me, so I can ask that question on the floor of the house, Johnson said.

Its just that people arent used to it, she said. I dont think they understand that government has opened up in this state.

Steele, for her part, thinks having more educatorsespecially from more diverse backgroundsin political leadership is critical. Traditionally, we have had patriarchal male leadershipand there is nothing wrong with thatbut there can be a change, and there should be a change, she said, and there should be a varied perspective in high levels of leadership, especially in education.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled against the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow on Wednesday, upholding lower court rulings allowing the state department of education to seek repayment of tens of millions of dollars from Ohios largest full-time online charter school after it was unable to verify its claims of student enrollment.

The 4-2 decision in favor of the state education department likely signals the final end of ECOT, which once claimed 15,000 students, but closed in the middle of last school year .

It also lends fresh legitimacy to Ohios move to use software-login records as a way to track student enrollment and attendance in full-time online schools, an ongoing challenge for the sector.

We determine that [the states charter-school funding law] is unambiguous and authorizes ODE to require an e-school to provide data of the duration of a students participation to substantiate that schools funding, Justice Patrick Fischer wrote for the courts majority.

For years, ECOT officials argued unsuccessfully that the states requirement that e-schools provide login data represented an illegal and unfair change of the rules. Lawyers for the school also contended that to receive funding, state law only required that e-schools offer learning opportunities to their studentsnot that students actually participate in online classes.

But state education officials held firm, saying login records substantiated just a fraction of the total enrollment that ECOT officials claimed for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. All told, the Ohio education department has been going after roughly $80 million in repayments from the school.

After suffering a string of legal and bureaucratic defeats and ultimately shuttering its doors, ECOT has spent the past several months liquidating its assets and dealing with the wide-ranging political fallout from its collapse, while holding out hope that the state supreme court would throw it a lifeline.

A spokesman for the school did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Measuring Attendance in E-schools

The Ohio Supreme Courts ruling hinged in large part on a provision in state law that holds that when calculating how long a student has been enrolled, e-schools cannot claim more than 10 hours of student participation in any 24-hour period.

By stating that the maximum daily credit for each student is ten hours, it is apparent that the legislature intended that an e-school will be credited for a students participation for less than ten hours in a day. This calculation can be made only by referring to records that contain evidence of the duration of a students participation in learning opportunities, the majority ruling holds.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Terrence ODonnell argued that nothing in state law indicated that e-school funding should be based solely on how much time during the day that the student chooses to log onto the schools network and participate online.

ECOT isnt the only Ohio school to be affected by the states aggressive move to audit student attendance and funding in its full-time online charters.

At least four other, smaller e-schools in the state have also closed or suspended operations following similar disputes with the state. As a result, other schoolsboth online and brick-and-mortarhave also dealt with an influx of displaced students.

Ripple Effects for Online Schools

Those changes have had ripple effects throughout the state .

In June, the Ohio Virtual Academy convinced lawmakers to grant some schools receiving ECOT students an exception , temporarily shielding them from being held accountable for potential poor academic performance of the transferring students. The move prompted criticism from e-school skeptics, who said traditional public schools should get the same consideration under similar circumstances.

Last month, the Associated Press reported that about 2,300 students (about 20 percent of the total reported enrollment of ECOT when it shut down) were not currently re-enrolled at another school or otherwise accounted for. Some of those students were over 18, and thus not legally required to be enrolled.

And the uncertain fate of the tens of millions of dollars the state says it is still owed has led to all manner of legal and political wrangling.

Earlier this spring, state auditor Dave Yost (a Republican who is running for state attorney general and was previously a visible supporter of ECOT) said that ECOT officials deliberately misled the state in moves that may rise to a criminal act .

State attorney general Mike DeWine, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, has also gotten the green light from a Franklin County judge to go after the personal assets of ECOT officialsincluding the homes and companies of founder Bill Lageras part of the states efforts to collect the schools outstanding debt.
Hyperspectral Imaging is now available as an image processing technique for drones from Headwall Photonics, a Polytec distributor.

Polytec, manufacturer of optical measurement technology, has introduced a complete drone solution for remote sensing using Hyperspectral Imaging.

The ready-to-use system from US manufacturer Headwall Photonics is equally suitable for precision agriculture, environmental protection, forestry and surface mining. It is based on a professional multi-copter with adapted gimbal for image stabilization. Integral components are also position sensors for flight parameter control, VNIR or SWIR hyperspectral image sensors and software for flight planning, post-processing, image correction, analysis and linkage with geodata.

Depending on the application, the system is equipped with a nano-hyperspec VNIR sensor for the visible and near-infrared wavelength range or with a micro-hyperspec sensor for SWIR, i.e. the short-wave infrared range. An additional lidar module can be integrated as an option.

Parameters such as vegetation indices can be recorded at the touch of a button. However, other parameters such as plant infestation by diseases or pests can also be determined using suitable models.

Polytec delivers the system complete in a transport case including training and one year of technical support. The company offers exclusive consulting, evaluation, sales and service for the German-speaking countries and the Benelux countries.




Volker Pape, Viscom: "As a co-founder of the company, I am striving for a succession plan that ensures a smooth transition for everyone involved.

After 34 years of corporate and growth history, Volker Pape, co-founder and until now Executive Board member responsible for sales, marketing, and international business, will join the Supervisory Board of Viscom AG. What does this mean - for Viscom and for Volker Pape personally?

Markt&Technik: Since you founded Viscom in 1984 with your co-partner Dr. Martin Heuser, you have been the "face" of Viscom in the public. You will now move to the Supervisory Board and withdraw from the operative business. Why?

Volker Pape, Viscom: On the one hand, at the age of 63, I am at an age when you realize that you are exposed to the ravages of time. On the other hand, as a co-founder of the company, I am striving for a succession plan that ensures a smooth transition for everyone involved. Viscom stands for continuity - and we also wanted to ensure this when I moved from the Executive Board to the Supervisory Board. My seat on the Supervisory Board and my shareholder position also allow me to continue to be involved in the strategic orientation and management of Viscom in the future.

How are you doing with this change, which took effect on June 1, 2018? Will you continue to pull the strings in silence or even continue going to the office every day?

I'm doing very well with my decision and this step. I gain valuable time for my "third" great love - after my wife and Viscom: music. And since we have a music studio on the Viscom campus and I have assured my wife that I will not be at home every day, I will also be in the office from time to time. To pull strings: Of course, I will support our new Executive Board in an advisory capacity and will actively participate - but only when I am asked to do so - when it comes to the long-term strategic positioning of the company.

How did employees and customers respond to the change at the top of Viscom?

So far I have only received positive feedback. It was important both for the employees and for our customers: I am still here and I am not selling any shares, for example to asian or american investors. There is no intention of selling the majority of the company, which Dr. Martin Heuser and I hold in equal shares via HPC GmbH. We have both always communicated this and it remains that way.

2017 was another record year for Viscom. So the company's strategy so far seems to be good. Do you nevertheless expect strategic changes under the new management team?

Our newly formed Executive Board represents stability and at the same time the opportunity for change through new ideas and new leaders. We are in a phase of expansion - and in a growing and dynamic market. We are continuing our strategy for success and remain agile in its implementation. In short: I do not expect any strategic changes, and if I do, then for the better...

What goals have the newly formed Supervisory and Management Boards set for the coming years?

The original task is to implement the agreed objectives - it is not a new beginning, but a continuation. This is also reflected by our new Executive Board members Peter Krippner, Chief Operations Officer, and Carsten Salewski, my direct successor in sales, marketing, and international business: Both have been with Viscom for over 25 years and can look back on a successful management career.

Is it - or has it always been - the company's declared philosophy to promote managers from within its own ranks instead of recruiting people from outside?

Indeed, it is Viscom's philosophy to provide for junior potential and to further develop its own employees and to develop them for more responsible expert or management positions. However, this does not rule out the possibility of recruiting new managers and experts from outside the company if necessary.

What were the most important milestones for you since the company was founded? Technically and personally?

The most important milestones for Viscom and for me personally in the company were the decision to focus on the SMT business from the end of the 1980s, the step towards internationalization in the mid-1990s, and the IPO in 2006 - to name just a few of the top events. Privately, the most important and significant event for me was the birth of my daughter in 1988.

Finally: What do you look forward to most when you think about the coming time?

What do you think? To a balanced time in which I can pursue all my passions: my family and also my other child Viscom, which should continue to develop and grow well. My second mainstay is the music business - I now own a well-developed recording studio, a music label, and a music publisher. There are also a few other activities, including honorary ones. After all, I had to promise my wife not to spend the whole day at home in the future

The interview was conducted by Nicole Worner, Markt&Technik.

Relevante Anbieter
Organizations typically get all manner of threat reports providing Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) warning them know they might be under cyber attack. But how can an organization know if their systems are properly identifying the IOCs?

Thats a question that Lior Kolnik, head of security research at security firm Demisto, wants to help organizations answer. Kolnik is set to detail his research alongside a new tool at the Black Hat USA 2018 conference on Aug. 8.

Kolniks talk is titled Hunting Wargames with Arthur and Merlin in IOC-Land. While the names Arthur and Merlin are tied to Medieval mythology, they also have a place in computational complexity theory. Kolnik said that in computer science, an Arthur-Merlin protocol is an interactive proof system. In the system, Arthur is the verifier, or standard computer system, while Merlin is what is described as the oracle, or the prover.

With the Arthur-Merlin system that Kolnik is demonstrating, there are two modules. One of the modules plants the evidence, or IOCs, in a system. The other module then is tasked with reaching out to an enterprises security technologies, such as?enterprise detection and response (EDR) tools, to see if the planted IOCs will actually be detected.

The whole system can be operated in an automated way, and the basic idea is to help validate the effectiveness of an enterprises security tools to detect IOCs. The concept can applied and extended to test any EDR tool, according to Kolnik.

The initial tool release on GitHub will coincide with Kolniks talk.

A common way for organizations to get threat intelligence is via the STIX/TAXII protocol, which isnt something that is part of the initial release of Kolniks tool. He noted that STIX/TAXII support will be included in a future update. The first release will be able to support IOC data in a CSV spreadsheet or plain text file.

Often threat hunters will run IOCs against a security information and event management (SIEM) tool to check against collect log files. Kolnik said that his tool will have an API so it can be used to query SIEM systems.

Demistos role

The Arthur-Merlin tool that Kolnik has developed is freely available, and his employer, Demisto, doesnt have immediate plans to commercialize the technology.

Demisto is in the business of automating security tasks, Demisto CEO Richi Bhargava said.



Bhargava added that the Arthur-Merlin platform could be used in conjunction with Demistos platform, though he emphasized that it will never be the case that Demisto is required to use the tool.

We want this to be usable by anyone for free,  Kolnik said.

Looking forward as a GitHub project, Kolnik is hoping to get interest and participation from the security community to further improve the tool.

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eSecurityPlanet and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
When jewelers create a necklace, they control the order and number of each bead or jewel they use to form a desired pattern. It's been challenging for scientists to do the same thing when designing polymers--until now. In ACS Central Science, researchers report a new method using light and chemical reactions to control how subunits come together to form polymers with precise properties.

Laboratory-made polymers as influential to modern life as TeflonTM, nylon and polyvinyl chloride (known as PVC) are made up of repeating units of just one kind of molecule that collectively give the polymer its unique physical properties. But nature is full of designer polymers like DNA and proteins, which are made up of differing subunits strung together that can encode information or structural features. In previous research, Brett Fors and colleagues had taken steps toward mimicking nature's variety in the lab to create designer polymers using two photocatalysts that worked when either blue or green light was shone on them. The method wasn't very selective, so the researchers set out to optimize the strategy.

The team used blue light to make one type of monomer bind, and a chemical stimulus (an oxidant) to make another type of monomer bind. By toggling between the light or the chemical additive, the researchers could selectively choose which subunit was added to the growing polymer molecule. They showed that they could create different patterns of polymer blocks along the chain, the length of which was dependent on how long the stimulus was applied. The researchers suggest that this approach will improve on-demand control over sequence, structure and architecture for many different polymers.

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The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The paper will be freely available will be available on Aug. 8, 2018 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acscentsci.8b00401

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.

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Nanoparticles show great promise as diagnostic tools and drug delivery agents. The tiny particles, which scientists can modify with drugs, dyes or targeting molecules, can travel in the circulation and squeeze through small spaces into cells and tissues. But until now, most nanoparticles had to be injected into the bloodstream because they weren't absorbed well orally. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have modified nanoparticles to improve their uptake in the gastrointestinal tract.

When it comes to daily medication, most people would rather take a pill than an injection. So scientists have tried to design nanoparticles that, when taken orally, are readily absorbed through the intestine and into the bloodstream, instead of being excreted from the body. But so far they have had little success. You Han Bae and his colleagues wondered if they could get polystyrene nanoparticles to "hitch a ride" with bile acids --- small molecules that help move digested fats from the intestine into special cells called enterocytes, where fats are processed before entering the circulation.

The researchers attached 24 copies of a bile acid to each 100-nm nanoparticle, as well as a red fluorescent compound for easy visualization. When the team fed the modified nanoparticles to rats, about 47 percent of the particles made it into the blood. This was much improved from the 7 percent seen for nanoparticles lacking bile acids. Larger nanoparticles were not taken up as well as smaller ones, however. Bae and coworkers also showed preliminary evidence that bile acids on the nanoparticles interact with a bile acid transporter found on the surface of enterocytes, which might help the nanoparticles move through the cells and into the circulation.

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The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The paper's abstract will be available on Aug. 8 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.8b04315

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.

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Researchers from Denmark and Sweden have produced the most comprehensive family tree and atlas of mammals to date, connecting all nearly 6000 living and recently extinct mammal species and overturning many previous ideas about global patterns of diversity

Researchers from Aarhus University and University of Gothenburg have produced the most comprehensive family tree and atlas of mammals to date, connecting all living and recently extinct mammal species - nearly 6,000 in total - and overturning many previous ideas about global patterns of biodiversity.

While others have tried to map the ranges of all mammals or figure out their family tree, previous studies always left out one crucial group of mammals: species driven to extinction by humans.

"This is the first time we've been able to comprehensively include extinct species like the Tasmanian tiger or the woolly mammoth as well as account for human-induced regional range losses among extant species in such a large database, and it's really changing our beliefs about what is 'natural' or not", said biologist Sren Faurby of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, who co-led the assembly of the database and the study, which was resently published in the scientific magasine Ecology.

Scientist often use maps of mammal species ranges to investigate patterns of biodiversity or to predict how climate change will affect species. But these maps are incomplete because they don't show species' natural ranges, only where they occur today. Many species have had their ranges drastically reduced by humans, for instance, through overhunting and habitat destruction.

"Brown bears may be emblematic of Alaska or Russia today but their range used to stretch all the way from Mexico to Northern Africa before widespread hunting by humans. If we want to predict how a warming climate will affect these bears, we can't leave out these natural areas of their range," said Faurby.

Tasmanian tigers and mammoths back on the map

It is also important to include species that have been totally exterminated.

"If we are studying global patterns of biodiversity, we really need to start considering species like the Tasmanian tiger that was hunted to extinction less than 100 years ago, a mere eye blink in geological time," said paleontologist and co-leader Matt Davis of Aarhus University in Denmark.

We associate large mammals like elephants and lions with Africa today, but for most of the last 30 million years, big animals roamed all over the Earth. It was only relatively recently that humans drove many of these large mammals extinct, leaving a world depauperate of giants.

"Even a species like the woolly mammoth, that we think of as prehistoric, lived up to the time the Great Pyramid was being built," Davis said.

Old maps and new algorithms

Assembling a database that included every species of mammal was no easy task. It took the research team, headquartered at Aarhus University, months just to stitch together existing datasets and fill in missing holes in the data.

They then poured over old maps and checked museum records to see where species natural ranges might be without the interference of modern humans.

Adding extinct species to the mammal family tree and making modern ranges for them was even harder. The scientists combined DNA evidence and data from fossil dig sites around the world with a powerful new computer algorithm to predict where extinct species fit in with mammals that are alive today.

New baselines for restoration

"This comprehensive database has already provided much needed evidence to inform restoration baselines and to provide re-assessments of several hotly debated ideas in biology, but this is just the beginning" said Jens-Christian Svenning, professor at Aarhus University and leader of the Aarhus team.

He expects that other researchers, conservationists, and educators will also find the easy to use and publicly available database valuable.

"We are already using the database to quantify and map human-induced biodiversity deficits and assess restoration potential across the globe.

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(Boston)-- A new study has shown that women Veterans being treated for fibromyalgia exhibit high rates of childhood abuse.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain with associated fatigue, sleep and mood issues that has been linked to exposure to interpersonal trauma, such as childhood abuse. With female Veterans representing a growing segment of the VA population, standardized screening for military sexual trauma (MST) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are helpful in providing complete care to patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. However, there is currently no standard screening practice for childhood abuse history in these patients.

Researchers from the VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) examined a subset of women from a larger study of women Veterans' fibromyalgia care experiences at the VA to evaluate the relationship between child abuse history and MST in this patient population.

They found that of the population of female Veterans with fibromyalgia included in the study, 90.9 percent reported experience of MST (of which 68.2 percent reported history of sexual assault). In addition, the average Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) score for these patients indicated moderate to high exposure to abuse in childhood, with many experiencing sexual abuse and emotional neglect. Women Veterans with greater MST exposure reported higher degrees of both childhood abuse and PTSD severity. The researchers conclude that screening for childhood trauma in women Veterans being treated for fibromyalgia would yield important information that may enhance treatment.

"Our fibromyalgia patients have often told us that their disease feels 'invisible' at times. We believe these preliminary study results may help female Veterans with fibromyalgia seek treatment for both their physical symptoms and trauma histories," explained corresponding author Megan Gerber, MD, MPH, medical director of women's health at VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) and associate professor of medicine at BUSM. "The VA is uniquely positioned to treat a complex condition like fibromyalgia and additional research is underway here to better understand interventions for this disabling chronic pain syndrome."

The findings appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

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Funding for this study was provided as part of an operational quality initiative through Women's Health Services, Veteran's Health Administration. The research described here was also supported in part by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service (Award Number 1IK2RX000704-01A2).
Aug. 8, 2018, Cleveland: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded a $4.7 million grant to Cleveland Clinic to study the prevention of life-threatening, cancer-associated blood clots.

The new funding will support a Cleveland Clinic-led research consortium, which will focus on developing strategies to prevent cancer-associated thrombosis (blood clot formation), a potential side effect of cancer treatment.

The five-year grant, led by Keith McCrae, M.D., and Alok Khorana, M.D., supports the creation of a new risk assessment tool to better predict which cancer patients will develop blood clots during treatment. The project, led by Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute and Lerner Research Institute, will coordinate a consortium of three sites involved in this NHLBI program. Other sites include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvard Medical School) and the University of Cincinnati.

"About 20 percent of cancer patients develop blood clots, which can cause stroke, hospitalization and delays in treatment. In fact, cancer-associated thrombosis is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer," said Dr. Khorana, director of the gastrointestinal malignancies program at the Taussig Cancer Institute. "This grant will help us address the challenge of identifying who will develop blood clots and enable us to treat them proactively with blood thinners to prevent this complication."

The study will incorporate data from more than 5,000 patients with colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer enrolled in clinical trials at various research centers. Researchers will use this robust biobank to identify coagulation-related and genetic biomarkers associated with abnormal blood clotting. They will build on research that suggests that activation of a specific blood-clotting pathway may contribute to thrombosis, and that biomarkers related to that pathway may identify patients at particularly high risk of blood clots before they happen.

The team ultimately plans to synthesize this data to develop a comprehensive risk calculator by incorporating the identified biomarkers and statistical modeling. The online risk assessment tool would be available for clinical use.

"Cancer-associated blood clots are a critical clinical problem, and we urgently need better ways to predict which patients are at greatest risk," said Dr. McCrae, director of hematology at the Taussig Cancer Institute. "This NHLBI grant will provide new information that will greatly improve the management of patients with cancer, arming physicians with an advanced statistical tool to better identify who may develop this common and harmful side effect."

The new grant builds upon important work initiated through Cleveland Clinic's Center of Excellence in Cancer Thrombosis Research, which focuses on novel approaches to the management and prevention of cancer-associated thrombosis. Since its establishment in 2016, a multidisciplinary team of researchers across Cleveland Clinic, with collaborators at Case Western Reserve University, have worked together to study the efficacy of novel therapies, develop new preclinical models, and create and expand biorepositories. Dr. Khorana's work is supported by the Sondra and Stephen Hardis Chair in Oncology Research.

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About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Among Cleveland Clinic's 52,000 employees are more than 3,600 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 14,000 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic's health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals, more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations - including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers - and locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2017, there were 7.6 million outpatient visits, 229,000 hospital admissions and 207,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic's health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

About the Lerner Research Institute

Lerner Research Institute is home to Cleveland Clinic's laboratory, translational and clinical research. Its mission is to promote human health by investigating in the laboratory and the clinic the causes of disease and discovering novel approaches to prevention and treatments; to train the next generation of biomedical researchers; and to foster productive collaborations with those providing clinical care. Lerner researchers publish more than 1,500 articles in peer-reviewed biomedical journals each year. Lerner's total annual research expenditure was $260 million in 2016 (with $140 million in competitive federal funding, placing Lerner in the top five research institutes in the nation in federal grant funding). Approximately 1,500 people (including approximately 200 principal investigators, 240 research fellows, and about 150 graduate students) in 12 departments work in research programs focusing on heart and vascular, cancer, brain, eye, metabolic, musculoskeletal, inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. Lerner has more than 700,000 square feet of lab, office and scientific core services space. Lerner faculty oversee the curriculum and teach students enrolled in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University - training the next generation of physician-scientists. Institute faculty also participate in multiple doctoral programs, including the Molecular Medicine PhD Program, which integrates traditional graduate training with an emphasis on human diseases. Lerner is a significant source of commercial property, generating 64 invention disclosures, 15 licenses, 121 patents and one new spinoff company in 2016. Visit us at http://www.lerner.ccf.org. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CCLRI.

Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
New York, NY (August 8, 2018)--Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) have found new evidence of how certain transport proteins are working at the molecular level, paving the way for new, improved drugs to treat psychiatric disorders.

The study's findings have been published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS).

Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSS) regulate signals between nerve cells, and are the molecular target of antidepressants (SSRIs like Prozac) and of various psychostimulants. The understanding of their structure and function, therefore, is key to the development of appropriate therapeutics to treat disorders such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which are a burden to millions of people in the US.

Led by CUIMC researchers Matthias Quick, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurobiology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Jonathan Javitch, MD, PhD, Lieber Professor of Experimental Therapeutics in Psychiatry and Professor of Pharmacology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the team had previously studied a bacterial version of NSS (LeuT). This work revealed the existence of an unexpected second substrate binding site that was shown to also bind drugs. The team's new study examined another bacterial NSS homolog (MhsT) that is even more functionally similar to its human counterparts. Their finding of a second substrate binding site in this NSS, too, powerfully suggests that the same configuration is likely found in human NSS as well, and dispels much of the previous skepticism.

"These data suggest that the involvement of two binding sites in neurotransmitter transport is not unique to LeuT but shared by other NSS members, and is possibly a universal feature of these many transport proteins," says Dr. Javitch.

The study of neurotransmitter:sodium symporters has proven challenging, and three-dimensional images of LeuT were first captured only in 2005 using X-ray crystallography. While a central binding site was identified in the crystal structure, imaging of the second binding site remains elusive, and its identification has required biochemical, biophysical and computational approaches.

"Looking forward, incorporating the knowledge from this new discovery into future NSS research could lead to better-informed therapeutics research and design, ultimately improving the lives of the millions of Americans afflicted with psychiatric disorders," says Dr. Quick.

The study is titled "The LeuT-fold neurotransmitter:sodium symporter MhsT has two substrate sites."

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The other authors of this paper are Ara M. Abramyan, PhD (NIH/NIDA/IRP), Pattama Wiriyasermkul, PhD (CUIMC), Harel Weinstein, DSc (Weill Cornell Medical Center), and Lei Shi, PhD (NIH/NIDA/IRP).

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (U54 GM087519, R01 DA041510, and P01 DA012408), and by the Intramural Research Program of National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The authors report no financial or other conflicts of interest.

Columbia University Department of Psychiatry

Columbia Psychiatry is among the top ranked psychiatry departments in the nation and has contributed greatly to the understanding and treatment of brain disorders. Co-located at the New York State Psychiatric Institute on the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus in Washington Heights, the department enjoys a rich and productive collaborative relationship with physicians in various disciplines at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Columbia Psychiatry is home to distinguished clinicians and researchers noted for their clinical and research advances in the diagnosis and treatment of depression, suicide, schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and childhood psychiatric disorders.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
A team led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found a way to make a liquid-like state behave more like a solid, and then to reverse the process.

They put a droplet of a liquid containing iron oxide nanocrystals into an oily liquid containing tiny polymer strands.

They found that a chemical additive in the droplet can compete with the polymer - like a tiny tug of war - on nanoparticles at the intersection of the liquids.

They were able to cause the nanoparticles assembled here to jam, making it act like a solid, and then to unjam and return to a liquid-like state by the competitive push-pull action of the polymer and the additive.

"The ability to move between these jammed and unjammed states has implications for developing all-liquid electronics, and for interacting with cells and controlling cellular functions," said Tom Russell of Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, who co-led the study with Brett Helms, a staff scientist at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry. The Molecular Foundry is a DOE Office of Science User Facility that specializes in nanoscience research.

"We were able to watch these droplets undergo these phase transformations in real time," Helms said. "Seeing is believing. We are looking at the mechanical properties of a 2D liquid and a 2D solid." The results were published online Aug. 3 in Science Advances.

They watched this movement between the two states simply by looking at changes in the shape of the droplet. The changes provide information about the tension on the surface of the droplet, like observing the surface of an inflating or deflating balloon.

They used an atomic force microscope, which works like a tiny record player needle to move over the surface of the droplet to measure its mechanical properties.

The latest study builds on earlier research by Russell and Helms, visiting researchers, and others in Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and at the Molecular Foundry to sculpt complex, all-liquid 3D structures by injecting threads of water into silicone oil.

While changing liquid states to solid states typically involve temperature changes, in this latest study researchers instead introduced a chemical compound known as a ligand that bonds to the surface of the nanoparticles in a precise way.

"We demonstrated not only that we could take these 2D materials and undergo this transition from a solid to a liquid but also control the rate at which this happens through the use of a ligand at a defined concentration," Helms said.

At higher concentrations of ligand, the assemblage of nanocrystals relaxed more quickly from a jammed state to an unjammed state.

Researchers also found that they could manipulate the properties of the liquid droplets in the oil solution by applying a magnetic field - the field can deform the droplet by attracting the iron-containing nanocrystals, for example, and change the tension at the surface of the droplets.

Finding new ways to control such all-liquid systems could be useful for interacting with living systems, Helms said, such as cells or bacteria.

"Essentially you could have the ability to communicate with them - move them where you want them to go, or move electrons or ions to them," Russell said. "Being able to access this by simple inputs is the value of this."

The study is also valuable for showing fundamental chemical and mechanical properties of the nanocrystals themselves.

Helms noted that the simplicity of the latest study should help others to learn from and build upon the research. "We didn't use anything complicated here. Our goal is to show that anybody can do this. It provides clever insight about nanochemistry at interfaces. It also shows us that chemical systems can be designed with tailored structures and properties in the time domain as well as in the spatial domain."

Future research could focus on how to miniaturize the liquid structures for biological applications or for energy applications in 2D materials, Russell noted.

"The beauty in this work is the manipulation of nanoscale elements, just billionths of an inch in size, into larger constructs that respond and adapt to their environment or to specific triggers," he said.

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Also participating in the study were other researchers from Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry and Materials Sciences Division, and researchers at UC Berkeley, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

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.
With Pennsylvania now among the majority of states in legalizing medical marijuana, a new report shows that young people's attitudes toward pot have become more positive in recent years.

But that shift in attitudes doesn't seem to have affected use.

"While what we found shows that attitudes toward marijuana are becoming more accepting, or normalized, use has not increased," said Philip Massey, PhD, an assistant professor in Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, who head up the report. "This is important because many people fear that legalizing marijuana will lead to greater use and potential abuse."

The report, a datasheet put together by the Pennsylvania State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (which Massey chairs) explored access, use and how Pennsylvanians thought about marijuana in the years before and after it was legalized for medical use in 2016.

In Pennsylvanians between 12 and 17 years old, the rate of those who strongly disagreed with marijuana use dropped from 60.7 percent in 2013 to 53.3 percent in 2017. Over the same period, the rate of Pennsylvania youths who thought their parents would feel that it was "very wrong" to smoke marijuana dropped from 81.2 to 75.4 percent.

Additionally, the rate of young people who said they would never try marijuana dropped from 71 percent in 2013 to 62.2 in 2017, with those unsure about whether or not they would want to try it growing from 6.7 to 10.3 percent.

At the same time, the rate of youths who had at least one best friend smoke marijuana over the last year grew by only about one percentage point, from 30.7 to just 31.9. And young people didn't seem to think the difficulty of getting marijuana changed very much even after it was approved for medical use, with 53.9 percent saying it was "very hard" to acquire in 2013 and 55 percent saying so in 2017.

"Of course, we need to continue to monitor this trend, but these preliminary data tell me that the people who need marijuana for medical purposes are the ones benefitting from this law," Massey said. "It doesn't appear to be affecting youth use."

Overall, this report showing greater potential acceptance for marijuana could ultimately benefit patients.

"This may result in less stigma towards individuals who benefit from the medicinal properties of marijuana," Massey concluded. "This is important in the health sector, but could also extend to other sectors, such as the criminal justice system where certain populations have historically suffered disproportionately higher arrest rates."

Some Arrest Rates Falling, But Disparities Remain

While the workgroup's datasheet showed that arrest rates related to marijuana in Pennsylvania remained relatively unchanged from 2010 through 2016, juvenile arrest rates fell sharply. In 2010, there were 112.3 marijuana-related arrests per 100,000, but that fell all the way down to 79.6 in 2016.

Massey pointed to the recent downgrade in possible charges for marijuana possession in Pennsylvania's two biggest cities as potential factors in this decline.

"It may be related to the decriminalization of marijuana in Philadelphia - 2013 - and Pittsburgh - 2016," Massey said. "This policy change may have impacted juveniles more than adults."

And as for racial disparities in arrests, the numbers showed a narrowing in recent years.

Black adults were 5.88 times as likely to be arrested than whites when it came to marijuana in 2010, but that fell to 3.72 in 2016. In juveniles, the disparity fell from 2.49 to 1.45 over the same time period.

"What is promising is that the disparity is decreasing," Massey said. "However, we cannot be satisfied with just a decrease but rather should aim for an elimination. That should be the goal."

Although arrest rates don't, at the surface, appear to be related to health, Massey, who studies community health and prevention, pointed out that public health is fundamentally about reducing disparities that might play a role in people's well-being.

Arrests would fall into such a category.

"The arrest data are an important piece of the puzzle, as there is clear inequality," Massey said. "The medical marijuana law that was created for medical and health purposes may have unintended benefits in other sectors like criminal justice."

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Whereas ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) can observe very faint astronomical objects in great detail, when astronomers want to understand how the huge variety of galaxies come into being they must turn to a different sort of telescope with a much bigger field of view. The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is such a telescope. It was designed to explore vast swathes of the pristine Chilean night skies, offering astronomers detailed astronomical surveys (https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vst/surveys/ ) of the southern hemisphere.

The powerful surveying properties of the VST led an international team of astronomers to conduct the VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey (VEGAS) [1] to examine a collection of elliptical galaxies in the southern hemisphere [2]. Using the sensitive OmegaCAM detector at the heart of the VST [3], a team led by Marilena Spavone from INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy, captured images of a wide variety of such galaxies in different environments.

One of these galaxies is NGC 5018, the milky-white galaxy near the centre of this image. It lies in the constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) and may at first resemble nothing but a diffuse blob. But, on closer inspection, a tenuous stream of stars and gas -- a tidal tail -- can be seen stretching outwards from this elliptical galaxy. Delicate galactic features such as tidal tails and stellar streams are hallmarks of galactic interactions, and provide vital clues to the structure and dynamics of galaxies.

As well as the many elliptical (and a few spiral) galaxies in this remarkable 400-megapixel image, a colourful variety of bright foreground stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy also pepper the image. These stellar interlopers, such as the vividly blue HD 114746 near the centre of the image, are not the intended subjects of this astronomical portrait, but happen to lie between the Earth and the distant galaxies under study. Less prominent, but no less fascinating, are the faint tracks left by asteroids in our own Solar System. Just below NGC 5018, the faint streak left by the asteroid 2001 TJ21 (110423) -- captured over several successive observations -- can be seen stretching across the image. Further to the right, another asteroid -- 2000 WU69 (98603) -- left its trace in this spectacular image.

While astronomers set out to investigate the delicate features of distant galaxies millions of light-years from Earth, in the process they also captured images of nearby stars hundreds of light-years away, and even the faint trails of asteroids only light-minutes away in our own Solar System. Even when studying the furthest reaches of the cosmos, the sensitivity of ESO telescopes and dark Chilean skies can offer entrancing observations much closer to home.

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Notes

[1] VEGAS is a deep multi-band imaging survey of early-type galaxies carried out with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), led by Enrichetta Iodice from INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy.

[2] Elliptical galaxies are also known as early-type galaxies, not because of their age, but because they were once thought to evolve into the more familiar spiral galaxies, an idea now known to be false. Early-type galaxies are characterised by a smooth ellipsoidal shape and usually a lack of gas and active star formation. The bewildering diversity of shapes and types of galaxy is classified into the Hubble Sequence.

[3] OmegaCAM is an exquisitely sensitive detector formed of 32 individual charge coupled devices, and it creates images with 256 million pixels, 16 times greater than the ESA/NASA Hubble Space Telescope (http://www.spacetelescope.org/about/ )'s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS. OmegaCAM was designed and built by a consortium including institutes in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy with major contributions from ESO.

More information

This research was presented in the paper "VEGAS: A VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey. III. Mapping the galaxy structure, interactions and intragroup light in the NGC 5018 group" by Marilena Spavone et al., to appear in the Astrophysical Journal.

The team is composed of Marilena Spavone (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy), Enrichetta Iodice (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy), Massimo Capaccioli (University of Naples, Naples, Italy), Daniela Bettoni (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova, Italy), Roberto Rampazzo (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova, Italy), Noah Brosch (The Wise Observatory and School of Physics and Astronomy Tel Aviv University, Israel), Michele Cantiello (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Teramo, Italy), Nicola R. Napolitano (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy), Luca Limatola (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy), Aniello Grado (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy), Pietro Schipani (INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 15 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a strategic partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

* Research paper - http://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1827/eso1827a.pdf

* Photos of ESO's Survey Telescopes - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/surveytelescopes/

Contacts

Marilena Spavone

INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte

Napoli, Italy

Tel: +39 081 5575602

Email: marilena.spavone@oacn.inaf.it

Mariya Lyubenova

ESO Outreach Astronomer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6188

Email: mlyubeno@eso.org

Calum Turner

ESO Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6670

Email: pio@eso.org
Metastasis - the spread of cancer - often is considered the deadliest aspect of solid tumors. A leading scientist at Florida Atlantic University has been working to identify what contributes to the ability of tumor cells to move through the body and find other places to "set up shop." He has identified a number of enzymes that he believes are responsible for this process and is working to develop novel compounds to slow down this spreading aspect of cancer. Currently, there is a great need to find new and effective compounds to target these enzymes.

To continue research on the use of chemical approaches to better understand cancer progression and to develop novel anti-cancer therapeutic agents, Gregg B. Fields, Ph.D., principal investigator, a professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and director of the Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science received a three-year grant of $708,044 from the Florida Department of Health's James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program.

In keeping with the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program's goal of treating tobacco-related cancers, Fields will focus his research on melanoma and breast cancer. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of melanoma, breast cancer as well as a number of other forms of cancer.

"For almost 20 years, we have focused our research on understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of these enzymes - how they work, how they behave, and how effective they are in helping tumor cells spread," said Fields. "Now that we have reached a point where we have high confidence in terms of the importance of these enzymes in tumor growth, we will shift our focus on how to stop metastasis in this new study."

The Florida Department of Health grant will enable Fields and his collaborators to develop new types of compounds that will specifically inhibit these enzymes, which have been shown to play a critical role in how cancer spreads. In addition, the method employed by the researchers to develop these new compounds will have applications for many other targets.

"By the end of this three-year grant, we hope to have developed some very good compounds that we will be able to move into preclinical trials for further studies," said Fields.

For the project, Fields is collaborating with Thomas Kodadek, Ph.D., scientific advisory board chair and founder of Deluge Biotechnologies, a local spinoff company from Scripps Florida. Kodadek has been collaborating with FAU for several years on new approaches to creating chemical compounds.

In 2018, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 91,270 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed and approximately 9,320 Americans will die from this form of cancer. The rates of melanoma have been rising for the last 30 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not counting for some kinds of skin cancer, breast cancer in the United States is the most common cancer in women regardless of race or ethnicity. It is the most common cause of death among Hispanic women and the second most common cause of death among white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

"Cases of melanoma and breast cancer continue to rise and affect hundreds and thousands of people around the world each year," said Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., dean of FAU's College of Science. "This important grant awarded to Dr. Fields from the Florida Department of Health will enable him to continue his novel approach for developing new compounds to specifically target enzymes that are responsible for the spread of cancer."

Fields also is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He holds six U.S. patents and has three applications under review. Technology he has developed has resulted in three commercial products currently sold by five different companies. He has authored or coauthored more than 260 scientific publications and has presented more than 190 invited lectures.

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About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu.
FEFU scientists are developing a methodology to calculate the ratio of dust and gas in comas and tails of comets. This will help learn more about the history of the Solar System and its development, as well as understand the processes that took part on different stages of universal evolution.

A team of scientists from the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) under the supervision of the astrophysicist Evgenij Zubko, Ph.D., a lead scientist of the School of Natural Sciences at FEFU is trying to solve a fundamental problem of modern astrophysics which is to assess the reflectivity of cosmic dust particles, their ability to scatter sunlight (or, more generally, star light). To do so, the scientists study the optic characteristics of dust particles in the comae and tails of comets.

The methodology under development is based on the Umov effect - an inverse correlation between the reflectivity of a body and the degree of linear polarization of light scattered by it. The brighter is an object, the lower polarization it produces. This relation was first formulated by the Russian physicist Nikolay Umov in 1905.

According to Evgenij Zubko, previously the Umov effect was studied only for surfaces, such as regolite (Moon surface) and the surfaces of asteroids. The explanation of this effect given in 1960-1970s, excluded its application to single dust particles that comprise the regolite. However, the team concluded that the Umov effect is almost equally applicable to individual particles and surfaces in general.

Previously the researchers concluded that the Umov effect holds in a homogenous sparse cloud of space dust. In the article published in the July 11, 2018 print issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society the scientists suggested that this physical effect could be also applicable to clouds consisting of two types of dust particles which is characteristic of comae and tails of comets. The Umov effect is also expected to be observed in a three-component clouds of cosmic dust that is more typical for protoplanetary disks.

After studying the degree of linear polarization acquired by sunlight when it is scattered by cometary dust particles, scientists are able to give reliable estimation of the particles' albedo or reflectivity. This characteristic is an extremely important for retrieval the total volume of dust expelled from a comet. The latter parameter allows the scientists to improve the existing methods of estimation of the dust-to-gas volume ratio in cometary comae. This is one of the most important characteristic of a cometary evolution - for example, it could indicate the place in the Solar System in which the comet was formed.

"Knowing the ratio between the volumes of ejected dust and gas, we can better understand the evolutionary stages passed by different comets and the circumstances of the Solar-System formation. However, while it is easy to calculate the volume of gas in a comet, in case of dust particles this is much more complicated," said Evgenij Zubko. "When we measure the sunlight reflected by the coma, we need to understand the number of dust particles that contribute to the sunlight scattering. Their albedo or reflectivity is the key data we require to answer this question. However, different dust particles also behave differently, and the difference in the reflectivity of dark and bright particles in comets may exceed ten times. This is a common issue nowadays that also arises in other areas of astrophysics, such as the evaluation of matter volumes in protoplanetary disks around other stars.

We strive to understand the value of this albedo and use additional methods to do so - in particular, polarimetry to measure the degree of linear polarization and, thus, retrieve the reflectivity of cometary dust particles based on the Umov effect."

There is still a lot to be discovered in the course of this work. "We are literally chasing a ghost," says the scientist. He also pointed out that to achieve a breakthrough in this area of studies, groups of astrophysicists from different parts of the world had to extensively collaborate.

The analysis methodology based on the Umov effect may be further used in other areas besides the studies of comets. It may serve as a key to understanding the processes of formation and evolution of other planetary systems and therefore the Solar System as well.

According to Evgenij Zubko, the value of the Umov effect for the science in general is as high as the importance of the spectral analysis method developed by Gustav Kirchhoff. While the spectral analysis helps us understand the chemical composition of distant bodies based on the light reflected from them, the Umov effect allows to evaluate their size even if they appear like a point to an observer.

School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University

Space Science Institute, USA

Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, Geodeetinrinne 2, FI-02430 Masala, Finland

Institute of Astronomy, V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University, 35 Sumskaya Street, Kharkov UA-61022, Ukraine

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Despite researchers having little fondness for them, a large fraction of the world's biodiversity consists of parasites. Natural populations of organisms are often strongly affected by factors of their environment, most notably the effect of predators. Yet, the most outstanding arms race, produced by millions of years of coevolution, is seen between parasites and their hosts. Bats, the second-most diverse mammal order worldwide, are parasitized by numerous lineages of arthropods; bat flies are the most conspicuous. In turn, bat flies themselves can be parasitized by Laboulbeniales, fungal biotrophs of arthropods. This example of hyperparasitism - a condition where a secondary parasite develops within or on another parasite - of bats, bat flies and fungi, is a severely understudied phenomenon.

In a new paper in Trends in Parasitology, researchers Danny Haelewaters, Harvard University, Carl Dick, Western Kentucky University and Thomas Hiller, the University of Ulm, review what is known about the tripartite study system with bats, bat flies and fungi. Known are a few reports from the early 20th century, two more in 1980, and then relatively nothing until 2017, when some studies revealed many new hosts, host associations and undescribed taxa, hinting at a much larger diversity of these unique fungi than currently known. "Only about 10% of Laboulbeniales species parasitize flies," says Haelewaters. "The genus is by far the largest with hundreds of species, of which only 24 species are on flies."

The lack of study of hyperparasitism raises several underexplored questions: How did such associations evolve? What population limitations are necessary to maintain these relationships? How strict are the species-level relationships? In their review, the team pointed out that we know virtually nothing about the biology, host associations or phylogenetic relationships of the different organisms involved. This tripartite system involving bats, bat flies and Laboulbeniales fungi is intriguing and ripe for future study. Hiller says studies on biodiversity rarely include the associated parasites, missing out on important information on host population and ecosystem health. "Host-parasite-systems, like this tripartite association, are often complex and studies on host as well as parasite ecology are crucial for correct interpretations of mere species lists'

The production of robust phylogenetic reconstructions for both bat flies and Laboulbeniales on a global scale is critical to future studies of the ecology, evolution and co-evolution of this tripartite system. "Studies in hyperparasitism lay bare the fact that the natural world remains underexplored," explains Dick. "Our understanding of hyperparasites pales in comparison to our knowledge of parasites, which in turn pales in comparison to our knowledge of hosts." In addition to patterns and processes in ecology and evolution, studies in this and other multi-tiered systems will advance the continued discovery of true global biodiversity. "No one has looked at these organisms in the field in about 100 years," says Haelewaters. "We have gone to the Darien Gap in Panama to study this tripartite system in a small reserve and yet we found three undescribed forms and new findings for the bats and bat flies. Even after the Golden Age of discovering, naming and organizing a tremendous amount of biodiversity back in the 18th and 19th centuries, we are still exploring."

Large field surveys and well-curated museum collections will help produce a database of tens of thousands of bat flies, which can be searched to find associations between parasitism by Laboulbeniales on the one hand and ecological and life history traits of bats and bat flies on the other. Such comprehensive datasets can provide insight into broader-ranging questions, such as how habitat disturbances can shape symbiotic relationships.

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Trends in Parasitology, Danny Haelewaters, Thomas Hiller, Carl W. Dick: "Bats, bat flies, and fungi: A case of hyperparasitism"

Trends in Parasitology (@parasitology), published by Cell Press, is a highly regarded review journal of international importance, reflecting the global significance of medical and veterinary parasites. The journal aims to provide a point of access for communication between researchers in all disciplines of parasitology, bringing content that is authoritative and cutting edge, yet accessible to a wide audience of readers. Review articles provide a concise and synthesized overview of recent research in rapidly progressing or emerging areas, while Opinion articles present a personal viewpoint or novel perspective/ hypothesis on a topic that is currently of interest or under debate in the field. All articles are invited by the Editor from leading researchers in the field and undergo stringent peer-review to ensure they are accurate and authoritative. Visit: https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/home. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
Just half a degree Celsius could make a major difference when it comes to global warming, according to a new paper published by a collaborative research team based in China.

The study, which appears in Nature Communications on August 8, 2018, confirms the significance of the incremental global warming limits articulated by the Paris Agreement, an accord structured within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A total of 175 parties (174 countries and the European Union)* agreed to work to stop global warming from increasing more than 2C, and every effort is to be made to limit the increase to 1.5C and prevent the last half of a degree of warming. The half a degree Celsius is so significant that it could be the barrier preventing extreme precipitation events, according to Tianjun Zhou, the corresponding author on the paper.

Zhou is a senior scientist at the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"As the climate warms, both the mean state and the variability of extreme precipitation are projected to increase, inducing more intense and dangerous extreme events," Zhou said. "Limiting global warming to 1.5C, compared to 2C, would reduce areal and population exposures to once-in-10-year or once-in-20-year extreme precipitation events by approximately 20 to 40 percent."

Zhou and his team combined CMIP5, an archive of comprehensive climate models, with socio-economic projections to investigate future climate changes and the accompanying impacts. The researchers specifically examined extreme precipitation events in the global monsoon region, which sprawls north and south from the Earth's equator and includes nearly two-thirds of the world population. This region is more impacted by extreme precipitation than any other land mass on Earth.

The scientists found that by reducing the global warming limit by 0.5C, a significant number of extreme precipitation events and their impacts could be avoided.

"Realizing the 1.5C low warming target proposed by the Paris Agreement could robustly benefit the populous global monsoon region, in terms of lower exposure to precipitation extremes," Zhou said, referring to the severe floods, landslides and debris flows that can result from excessive rain. "[Our results] are robust across climate models, different definitions of dangerous events, future greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, and population scenarios."

The researchers will continue to study the physical processes of how 0.5C less warming affects dangerous precipitation extremes. They're also calling others to attention and action in regions that are the most sensitive to the 0.5C additional warming.

"Among the global land monsoon regions, the most affected sub-regions, the South African and South Asian monsoon regions, are already among the most vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change," Zhou said. "Our results call attention to more effective adaption activities in these sensitivity regions."

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*The United States has announced it will withdraw from the Paris Agreement by 2020.

Please contact Prof. Tianjun Zhou for a PDF copy of the paper. Prof. Zhou is available for email interview.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Other contributors include Wenxia Zhang, Liwei Zou, Lixia Zhang, and Xiaolong Chen, all from the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Wenxia Zhang also has an affiliation at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Lixia Zhang is affiliated with the Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters at the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology.

Published article:

Wenxia Zhang, Tianjun Zhou*, Liwei Zou, Lixia Zhang, and Xiaolong Chen: Reduced exposure to extreme precipitation from 0.5C less warming in global land monsoon regions. Nature Communications. 2018. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05633-3.
In the age of Big Data, cancer researchers are discovering new ways to monitor the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy developed a new way to use bioinformatics as a gathering tool to determine how a patient's immune system responds to immunotherapy and recognizes its own tumor.

The study was published by Cancer Immunology Research June 12, 2018.

Senior author Kellie Smith, Ph.D., instructor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, hopes enough data can be recovered to allow clinicians to determine the best course of treatment for patients by using a technique called MANAFEST.

"Once people are diagnosed with cancer, we hope to use this procedure to develop the best treatment options for them," Smith said. "Previously, the technology (for MANAFEST) wasn't there. In the last few years, the technology has evolved to enable us to come up with the way to analyze the data to help patients."

Mutation-associated neoantigens (MANAs) are a target of antitumor T-cell immunity. However, there was a need to find out how well T-cells can recognize these MANAs in cancer patients.

The scientists changed how cultures were gathered to improve the accuracy of data for bioinformatics, creating the FEST (Functional Expansion of Specific T-cells) analysis. They said this combined information can be used to create a database to figure out what types of immunotherapy-related responses are associated with clinical benefit, improving the effectiveness of treatment for patients.

The FEST method was adapted specifically to detect a MANA-specific sequence in blood, tumor and normal tissue of patients receiving immunotherapy. Smith said the technique could be used to serve as a predictor of responses to immunotherapy in many types of cancers.

She cautioned this is only the first generation for FEST to be used. The hope is it will lead to a central repository of data that could monitor how well cancer patients mount immune responses to their disease.

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In addition to Smith, other investigators for the study included Ludmila Danilova, Valsamo Anagnostou, Justina X. Caushi, John-William Sidhom, Haidan Guo, Hok Yee Chan, Prerna Suri, Ada Tam, Jiajia Zhang, Margueritta El Asmar, Kristen A. Marrone, Jarushka Naidoo, Julie R. Brahmer, Patrick M. Forde, Alexander S. Baras, Leslie Cope, Victor E. Velculescu, Drew M. Pardoll and Franck Housseau.

All authors were funded by The Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and NIH Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA006973. In addition, Smith and Chan were funded by The Lung Cancer Foundation of America/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Housseau was funded by NIH R01 CA203891-01A1. Smith, Guo, Forde and Brahmer were funded by SU2C/AACR (SU2C-AACR-DT1012). Smith, Sidhom, Zhang, Baras and Pardoll were funded by the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research grant MFCR-MIC-001. Anagnostou was funded by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network and MacMillan Foundation. Velculescu was funded by U.S. National Institutes of Health grants CA121113, CA180950, the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation and the Commonwealth Foundation.
Boosting public support could encourage more locations to consider adopting this harm-reduction strategy to combat the US opioid epidemic

"Safe consumption sites," where people can use pre-obtained drugs with medically trained personnel on hand to treat overdoses, garner higher public support when they are called "overdose prevention sites," according to a study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The researchers, in a study published on August 8 in the American Journal of Public Health, surveyed representative national samples of Americans and found that only 29 percent of respondents were in favor of "safe consumption sites," but 45 percent supported them when the term "overdose prevention sites" was used instead.

Safe consumption sites are already legally operated in Canada, Europe and Australia, and have been found to reduce overdose deaths as well as HIV and hepatitis virus transmission. These sites are being considered in a number of jurisdictions in the U.S. including San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, New York City and Ithaca, New York, but so far, none have moved forward to establish them. A shift to describe these sites as overdose prevention sites could make it easier to increase public support and eventually establish them, particularly in regions heavily affected by the opioid epidemic.

"The lack of support, despite strong evidence that these sites save lives, prompted us to wonder whether changing the language used to describe them might increase public acceptance," says lead study author Colleen L. Barry, PhD, Fred and Julie Soper Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School. "Previous research suggests that how an issue is framed can matter when persuading the public to get behind evidence-based approaches, particularly controversial ones," she adds. "In this case, we found that substituting just three words boosts public support by 16 percentage points."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics indicate that about 50,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in the U.S. in 2017, a substantial increase over the previous year. While the numbers of deaths due to prescription opioids are plateauing, overdose deaths due to heroin and fentanyl are rising rapidly.

To reduce overdose deaths and lessen other detrimental effects of the epidemic on individuals and communities, officials in hard-hit areas have increasingly turned to harm-reduction strategies. Harm-reduction approaches, such as syringe exchanges and naloxone distribution programs, aim to minimize negative health, social and economic consequences of harmful drug use for people who use drugs. Syringe exchange programs allow people using drugs to obtain clean needles to prevent the transmission of HIV and other viruses. Distributing naloxone--a lifesaving medication to reverse the effects of an overdose--through law enforcement, first responders, and friends and family members of individuals using opioids has also been shown to reduce overdose deaths.

"In addition to preventing overdose deaths, another important benefit," says study co-author Beth McGinty, PhD, assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management, "is that these sites offer a range of health and social services to connect people using drugs to drug treatment, to primary health care services including wound care, and to a range of other supports to aid them in gaining control over their lives and, in some cases, transition into successful treatment and recovery."

"We have a very strong evidence base from sites long-established in Europe, Australia and Canada that this approach can reduce overdose deaths, decrease HIV and hepatitis C infection, and lower rates of public syringe disposal, and they have not led to increases in crime or drug use in the neighborhoods where they are located," says study co-author Susan Sherman, PhD, professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health, Behavior and Society.

In the study, Barry and colleagues conducted two nationally representative public opinion surveys using the GfK Knowledge Networks panel, a representative nationwide group of more than 65,000 U.S. adults. Both surveys included over 1,000 respondents. In the first, which used the term "safe consumption sites," the authors found that only 29 percent supported "the legalization of safe consumption sites in your community." In the second survey, using an otherwise identical language and approach, the authors replaced "safe consumption sites" with "overdose prevention sites." This time 45 percent of respondents supported the idea--a 16 percentage point jump.

The increase in support occurred across all demographic and socioeconomic categories.

"Our findings demonstrate that language matters--even minor wording changes can change the way the public thinks about a topic," Barry says. "Using the term 'overdose prevention sites' may resonate more with the public because it emphasizes the consequences of not intervening to save a life."

"These findings fit within a growing awareness that negative terminology that stigmatizes --words such as 'junkie' and 'addict'--really end up working against getting people into effective treatment to prevent overdoses," Barry says.

"Language Matters in Combating the Opioid Epidemic: Safe Consumption Sites Versus Overdose Prevention Sites" was written by Colleen Barry, Susan Sherman and Emma McGinty.

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When the FBI filed a court order in 2016 commanding Apple to unlock the San Bernandino shooter's iPhone, the news made headlines across the globe. Yet every day there are tens tens of thousands of of other court orders asking tech companies to turn over Americans' private data. Many of these orders never see the light of day, leaving a whole privacy-sensitive aspect of government power immune to judicial oversight and lacking in public accountability.

To protect the integrity of ongoing investigations, these data requests require some secrecy: companies usually aren't allowed to inform individual users that they're being investigated, and the court orders themselves are also temporarily hidden from the public.

In many cases, though, charges never actually materialize, and the sealed orders usually end up forgotten by the courts that issue them, resulting in a severe accountability deficit.

To address this issue, researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Internet Policy Research Initiative (IPRI) have proposed a new cryptographic system to improve the accountability of government surveillance while still maintaining enough confidentiality for the police to do their jobs.

"While certain information may need to stay secret for an investigation to be done properly, some details have to be revealed for accountability to even be possible," says CSAIL graduate student Jonathan Frankle, one of the lead authors of a new paper about the system, which they've dubbed "AUDIT" ("Accountability of Unreleased Data for Improved Transparency"). "This work is about using modern cryptography to develop creative ways to balance these conflicting issues."

Many of AUDIT's technical methods were developed by one of its co-authors, MIT professor Shafi Goldwasser. AUDIT is designed around a public ledger on which government officials share information about data requests. When a judge issues a secret court order or a law enforcement agency secretly requests data from a company, they have to make an iron-clad promise to make the data request public later in the form of what's known as a "cryptographic commitment." If the courts ultimately decide to release the data, the public can rest assured that the correct documents were released in full. If the courts decide not to, then that refusal itself will be made known.

AUDIT can also be used to demonstrate that actions by law-enforcement agencies are consistent with what a court order actually allows. For example, if a court order leads to the FBI going to Amazon to get records about a specific customer, AUDIT can prove that the FBI's request is above board using a cryptographic method called "zero-knowledge proofs." First developed in the 1980s by Goldwasser and other researchers, these proofs counterintuitively make it possible to prove that surveillance is being conducted properly without revealing any specific information about the surveillance.

AUDIT's approach builds on privacy research in accountable systems led by paper co-author Daniel J. Weitzner, director of IPRI.

"As the volume of personal information expands, better accountability for how that information is used is essential for maintaining public trust," says Weitzner. "We know that the public is worried about losing control over their personal data, so building technology that can improve actual accountability will help increase trust in the Internet environment overall."

As a further effort to improve accountability, statistical information from the data can also be aggregated so that that the extent of surveillance can be studied at a larger scale. This enables the public to ask all sorts of tough questions about how their data is being shared. What kinds of cases are most likely to prompt court orders? How many judges issued more than 100 orders in the past year, or more than 10 requests to Facebook this month? Frankle says the team's goal is to establish a set of reliable, court-issued transparency reports, to supplement the voluntary reports that companies put out.

"We know that the legal system struggles to keep up with the complexity of increasing sophisticated uses of personal data," says Weitzner. "Systems like AUDIT can help courts keep track of how the police conduct surveillance and assure that they are acting within the scope of the law, without impeding legitimate investigative activity."

Importantly, the team developed its aggregation system using an approach called multi-party computation (MPC), which allows courts to disclose relevant information without actually revealing their internal workings or data to one another. The current state-of-the-art MPC would normally be too slow to run on the data of hundreds of federal judges across the entire court system, so the team took advantage of the court system's natural hierarchy of lower and higher courts to design a particular variant of MPC that would scale efficiently for the federal judiciary.

"[AUDIT] represents a plausible way, both legally and technologically, for increasing public accountability through modern cryptographic proofs of integrity," says Eli Ben-Sasson, a professor in the computer science department at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

According to Frankle, AUDIT could be applied to any process in which data must be both kept secret but also subject to public scrutiny. For example, clinical trials of new drugs often involve private information, but also require enough transparency to assure regulators and the public that proper testing protocols are being observed.

"It's completely reasonable for government officials to want some level of secrecy, so that they can perform their duties without fear of interference from those who are under investigation," Frankle says. "But that secrecy can't be permanent. People have a right to know if their personal data has been accessed, and at a higher level, we as a public have the right to know how much surveillance is going on."

Next the team plans to explore what could be done to AUDIT so that it can handle even more complex data requests - specifically, by looking at tweaking the design via software engineering. They also are exploring the possibility of partnering with specific federal judges to develop a prototype for real-world use.

"My hope is that, once this proof of concept becomes reality, court administrators will embrace the possibility of enhancing public oversight while preserving necessary secrecy," says Stephen William Smith, a federal magistrate judge who has written extensively about government accountability. "Lessons learned here will undoubtedly smooth the way towards greater accountability for a broader class of secret information processes, which are a hallmark of our digital age."

Frankle co-wrote the paper with Goldwasser, Weitzner, CSAIL PhD graduate Sunoo Park and undergraduate Daniel Shaar, The paper will be presented at the USENIX Security conference in Baltimore August 15 to 17.

IPRI team members will also discuss related surveillance issues in more detail at upcoming workshops for both USENIX and this month's International Cryptography Conference (Crypto 2018) in Santa Barbara.

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The research was supported by IPRI, National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Simons Foundation.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Central Atlantic Ocean and looked at cloud top temperatures in Debby, revealing the storm had transitioned from subtropical to tropical.

Subtropical Storm Debby Advisory Number 1 was issued on Aug. 7 by the National Hurricane Center, Miami, Fla. Debby formed far from land areas in the Central North Atlantic Ocean.

On Aug. 8 at 1:05 a.m. EDT (0605 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of Debby. The image showed three areas of strongest thunderstorms. They were around the center of circulation, southeastern, southwestern quadrants and in a band of thunderstorms south of the center. MODIS infrared data showed that some of those storms had cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45.5 degrees Celsius), indicating they are high in the troposphere. Cloud tops continued to warm indicating stronger uplift in the storm, and the transition into a tropical cyclone.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said of the transition, "Over the past several hours, deep convection with cloud tops of minus 55 to minus 60 degrees Celsius has developed in the southeastern semicircle, with some of the convective tops covering the previously exposed low-level circulation center. In addition, outer banding features have dissipated, and an elongated upper-level anticyclone has developed over the cyclone. These convective- and synoptic-scale features indicate that Debby has made the transition from a subtropical to a tropical cyclone."

NHC reported at 5 a.m. EDT (900 UTC) on Aug. 8, the center of Tropical Storm Debby was located near latitude 40.8 degrees north and longitude 48.8 degrees west. That's 1,175 miles (1,890 km) west-northwest of the Azores Islands. Debby is moving toward the north-northeast near 9 mph (15 kph), and this general motion is forecast to continue this morning. A turn toward the northeast is forecast by this afternoon, and that motion should continue into Thursday, Aug. 9.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts. Little change is strength is forecast today, with slow weakening expected to begin late tonight or on Thursday.

Debby is forecast to dissipate over the far northern Atlantic by Thursday night, Aug. 9.

For updated forecasts on Debby, visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.

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New study finds that immigrants pay more money into both private and public health insurance programs than they take out

A study published today in the International Journal of Health Services finds that immigrants use far less health care than non-immigrants, and may actually subsidize the care of U.S. citizens. The findings by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Tufts University School of Medicine contradict recent claims by Pres. Trump and other political leaders that immigrants drive up U.S. medical costs.

Researchers examined all studies published since 2000 related to health care expenditures by immigrants. Compared to U.S.-born individuals, immigrants were found to have lower rates of utilization and lower per capita expenditures from private and public insurance sources; health expenditures were particularly low for undocumented immigrants. Across all age groups, immigrants' utilization was only one-half to two-thirds as high as that of the U.S.-born population. Immigrants also made larger out-of-pocket health care payments compared to those born in the U.S.

Researchers concluded that as a group, immigrants effectively subsidized private insurance and some public insurance programs such as Medicare because they constitute a low-risk pool that pays more into the system (by way of premiums and tax contributions) than is paid out for their care.

"Immigrants have been blamed for a range of problems plaguing the U.S., including health care costs," said study author Lila Flavin, a medical student at Tufts University School of Medicine. "But studies demonstrate that immigrants are propping up the Medicare Trust Fund by paying much more into Medicare than they will ever receive in benefits. Recent immigrants are substantially healthier than native-born Americans, which benefits the American health care economy. But to maintain their health over the long term, new immigrants -- and all Americans -- need access to good health care. Denying care to immigrants is a human rights violation that cannot be justified based on costs, and indeed may raise costs in the future."

Senior author Dr. J. Wesley Boyd, a psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Harvard's Center for Bioethics added, "Our findings show that immigrants are clearly bringing down per capita health care costs and are likely subsidizing care for native-born Americans. Instead of attacking immigrants for driving up costs, we should recognize their proven economic contributions."

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"Review of Medical Expenditures of Immigrant Populations in the United States," by Lila Flavin B.A., Leah Zallman, M.D., M.P.H., Danny McCormick, M.D., M.P.H., and J. Wesley Boyd, M.D., Ph.D. International Journal of Health Services, published online first August 8, 2018.

A copy of the full study is available to media professionals upon request from Ms. Fauke or Dr. Boyd.
In a debate where the stakes are nothing short of understanding how the brain maintains its "sketchpad of conscious thought," researchers argue over exactly what makes working memory work in dueling papers in the Aug. 8 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Working memory is how you hold things in mind like the directions to a new restaurant and the list of specials the waiter rattles off after you sit down. Given that working memory capacity is a strong correlate of intelligence and that its dysfunction is a major symptom in common psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism, it's important that the field achieve a true understanding of how it works, said Mikael Lundqvist, a postdoc at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and lead author of one of the papers.

"Working memory deficits are associated with virtually every major psychiatric disorder, but if we can figure out how working memory works, we can figure out how to fix it," added corresponding author and Picower Professor Earl Miller. "Working memory is the sketchpad of consciousness. Doesn't everyone want to know how our conscious mind works?"

The opposing "Dual Perspectives" paper in the journal is led by Christos Constantinidis of the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Sharp divisions on spiking

The central issue of the debate is what happens after you hear or see what you need to remember and must then hold or control it in mind to apply it later. During that interim, or "delay period," do neurons in your brain's prefrontal cortex maintain it by persistently firing away, like an idling car engine, or do they spike in brief but coordinated bursts to store and retrieve information via the patterns of their connections, akin to how longer-term memory works?

In their essay, Lundqvist, Miller and Pawel Herman off the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm take the latter position. They argue that brief, coordinated bursts are clearly evident in the observations of the most recent experiments and that such activity can more satisfactorily produce key attributes of working memory, including efficient, independent control of multiple items with precise timing.

Importantly, Miller said, the idea that spiking during the delay period drives changes in neural connections, or synapses, reinforces the classic idea that spiking has a crucial role in working memory. The disagreement, he says, is merely that the spiking activity is not as persistent as it looks in older experiments.

"We're showing additional mechanisms by which spiking maintains working memory and gives volitional control," Miller said. "Our work doesn't argue against the idea that delay activity spiking plays a role in working memory, it adds further support. We are just saying that at a more granular level, there are some additional things going on."

For example, much of the disagreement arises from how different researchers have collected and analyzed their data. The data supporting the persistence interpretation arise mostly from analyses in which researchers averaged the firing patterns of small numbers of neurons over many working memory trials, the MIT authors said.

Averages, however, tend to smooth data out over the long term. Instead, in newer experiments, scientists have analyzed the spiking of many neurons in each individual trial. There, it's clear that as animals perform working memory tasks, populations of neurons fire in brief, coordinated bursts, Miller and Lundqvist said.

In their research, members of the Miller lab have also shown how groups of neurons are coordinated, demonstrating how a large-scale, precisely timed interplay of brain rhythms correlate with goal-directed control of working memory functions such as storing or releasing, information from being in mind.

Some of the disagreement arises from models of working memory function. That neurons fire in short, cohesive bursts in accord with circuit-wide oscillations, makes functional sense, Miller and Lundqvist argue. It uses less energy than keeping neurons firing all the time, for example, and readily explains how multiple items can be held in mind simultaneously (distinct bursts representing different pieces of information can occur at different times). Moreover, storing information in patterns of synaptic connections makes the information more resilient to distraction than if neurons are constantly trying to maintain it through activity.

"Storing information with a mixture of spiking and synapses gives the brain more flexibility," Lundqvist said. "It can juggle the activation of different memories, allowing the brain to hold multiple memories without them interfering with each other. Plus, synapses can store temporarily store memories while the spiking processes other thoughts.

"This could explain how our working memory is not erased by things that temporarily distract us," he said.

Got to get it settled

With a lot of new research activity and data coming in, Lundqvist added, it's a debate whose time has come.

"This is a good time to see what the evidence is and to determine what are the experiments that will settle this," he said. "We need more experiments to settle this. They will give us not only more insight into this question of persistence but also about working memory function."

To help research continue to move forward, the MIT paper recommends four major principles: Measuring the activity of whole populations of individual neurons; analyzing every trial separately; making the tasks animals do complex enough to require controlling multiple pieces of information; and measuring neural rhythms, not just spiking.

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The Miller lab's research on working memory is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Naval Research, and the MIT Picower Institute Innovation Fund.
A new species of African pygmy toad was discovered during an expedition in 2016 to Angola's second highest peak, the Serra da Neve Inselberg.

This small toad is distinct among its close relatives in lacking ears, though other more distantly related toads also lack ears. The new species is named Poyntonophrynus pachnodes, with the species name "pachnodes" being Greek for "frosty" in reference to both the name of the mountain ("Mountain of Snow" in Portuguese) and the cool temperatures at the higher elevations where it is found (nearly 1,500 m or 5000 ft above sea level).

The new species was discovered and described by an international team of scientists from the Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Areas de Conservacao (Angola), Villanova University (USA), Florida Museum of Natural History (USA), University of Michigan-Dearborn (USA), Museu Nacional de Historia Natural e da Ciencia (Portugal), and CIBIO - Centro de Estudos em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos (Portugal), and published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

After spending three weeks in the field, the scientists returned from Angola to study the collected amphibians and reptiles through a combination of genetic and anatomical techniques.

The team used DNA sequences to determine the relationship of the new earless species to other African toad species. They also used high-resolution computed tomography scanning (CT scanning) to look at the skeletons of these frogs and determine the extent of ear loss.

While closely related to other pygmy toads, the new species from Serra da Neve was found to lack both external and internal parts of the ear related to hearing in other frogs and toads. The combination of genetic and anatomical information shows that this new pygmy toad recently evolved from an ancestor that had a completely formed ear.

The discovery and description of a new species of toad found only in the mountains of Angola is surprising. Most frogs and toads prefer moist environments such as lowland tropical rainforests or cool montane forests and grasslands.

In contrast, most African pygmy toad species can be found in the arid region of southwestern Africa, encompassed by Angola and Namibia. With the addition of this new species, there are now five pygmy toad species present exclusively in this region. Other species are found across other dry regions in southern and eastern Africa.

While most groups of African frogs are not rich in species in this region, the affinity for arid environments in African pygmy toads is more similar to groups of lizards, many of which have a number of species present only in this area.

Namibe Province is among the better-explored regions of Angola, but little is known of the species found on its isolated mountains, or inselbergs. The Serra da Neve Inselberg is of special interest because of its isolation from other mountains, which allows for the evolution of unique species, such as the new pygmy toad. The recent field research at Serra da Neve and the discovery of this new species of toad contribute to this mountain being considered a priority for conservation in the near future.

The new species is small (less than 31 mm in length) and coppery brown in colour. It lives among the rocks and leaves in dry open forests on Serra da Neve. While otherwise similar to other pygmy toads, the lack of ears makes this species distinct among its near relatives. It is unknown whether this species has a mating call and how it might hear. Many other frogs, including many species of toads, have also lost their ears over evolutionary time.

The discovery of this new species highlights the Serra da Neve as a potentially important center for Angolan biodiversity, but also suggests that African pygmy toads warrant further attention from scientists interested in the evolutionary loss of ears.

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Original source:

Ceriaco LMP, Marques MP, Bandeira S, Agarwal I, Stanley EL, Bauer AM, Heinicke MP, Blackburn DC (2018) A new earless species of Poyntonophrynus (Anura, Bufonidae) from the Serra da Neve Inselberg, Namibe Province, Angola. ZooKeys 780: 109-136. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.780.25859
It happened again, a previously unknown spider species, whose home is a strongly humanised European country, appears to have been quietly and patiently waiting to get noticed until very recently.

Living on the trunks of oaks in Spain, the new species would have probably been spotted decades ago, had it not been for its sophisticated camouflage, which allows the small arachnid to perfectly blend with the lichens naturally growing on the tree.

Going by the name Araneus bonali, the new species was discovered on isolated trees at the borders of cereal fields by the scientists Eduardo Morano, University of Castilla-La Mancha, and Dr Raul Bonal, University of Extremadura. Their study is published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Curiously enough, this is the same habitat, where the team found another new spider in 2016.

"How many new species remain unknown in these isolated oaks that once formed vast forests now becomes one even more intriguing question," say the researchers.

"Anyone going for a walk around any village or park in central Spain would have been close to the new species. However, noticing it requires not only curiosity, but also a good sight, as its lichen-like colours make up an excellent mimicry."

The similarity between the adults and the lichens that cover the oak trunks they inhabit is remarkable. Meanwhile, the greenish juveniles live amongst the green new shoots in the oak canopy until they reach maturity.

Whether the spider uses its mimicry to avoid predators or rather surprise its prey remains open for further investigation.

The description of this new species that belongs to the popular group of orb-weavers once again stresses the need of working harder on completing the list of spiders living in the Old World, such as the countries in the Mediterranean basin - a region that certainly keeps more taxonomic surprises up his sleeve.

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Original source:

Morano E, Bonal R (2018) Araneus bonali sp. n., a novel lichen-patterned species found on oak trunks (Araneae, Araneidae). ZooKeys 779: 119-145. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.779.26944
Killings of unarmed black men by white police officers across the nation have garnered massive media attention in recent years, raising the question: Do white law enforcement officers target minority suspects?

An extensive, new national study from the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers University-Newark reveals some surprising answers. Analysis of every use of deadly force by police officers across the United States indicates that the killing of black suspects is a police problem, not a white police problem, and the killing of unarmed suspects of any race is extremely rare.

"There might be some bad apples in the police department, but white officers are no more likely to use lethal force against minorities than nonwhite officers," says Charles Menifield, lead author of the study and SPAA's dean. "Still, the killings are no less racist but will require a very different set of remedies if we are to change the culture and stop this from happening."

In the study, published on Wiley Online Library, Menifield; postdoctoral research associate Geiguen Shin; and Logan Strother, a visiting scholar in law and public affairs at Princeton University; and several graduate students created a database of all confirmed uses of deadly force by police in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015, the most recent years for which sufficient data were available.

They found that African Americans are killed by police more than twice as often as the general population. While only about 12 percent of the American population is black, 28 percent of people killed by police during this two-year period were black, according to the research, which also found that Latinos were killed slightly more than would be expected and white citizens less often.

The study also found that less than 1 percent of victims of police killings were unarmed. Across all racial groups, 65.3 percent of those killed possessed a firearm at the time of their death.

"The gun could be in their car, or on them, but it was there at the time they were killed," says Menifield. "This shouldn't be surprising because of the availability and ease of getting a gun in the United States."

High-profile killings of unarmed black men in the last few years - like that of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, which gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement - have led many to speculate that white police officers may target nonwhite suspects with lethal force, Menifield says.

The Rutgers-Newark research found, however, that white police officers actually kill black and other minority suspects at lower rates than would be expected if killings were randomly distributed among officers of all races.

The disproportionate killing of black men occurs, according to the researchers, because Institutional and organizational racism in police departments and the criminal justice system targets minority communities with policies - like stop and frisk and the war on drugs -- that have more destructive effects.

"The question of the basic causes of racial disparities in police killings has profound real-world implications for policing a diverse society," Menifield says, suggesting that appropriate reforms for a fundamentally institutional problem would target racism in police department practices and criminal policy that result in over policing of minority populations.

"Today, we have politicians who are arguing for tougher stances on immigration," Menifield says. "These things have a way of trickling down to other things like tougher sentences on crime and policies that have a disparate impact on minority communities."

Addressing the problem will not be easy. Menifield says the U.S. Department of Justice needs to enforce the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 that requires police organizations to report data on police killings. This data will allow researchers to thoroughly investigate each case and determine if other variables are driving police behavior.

In addition, he says, police departments need to bring in external reviewers to examine all of their institutional practices including hiring, promotions and training. The long?running racial discrepancies in the way that force is applied to suspects have significantly eroded trust between law enforcement and the public whom they serve, the researchers argue.

"There is definitely a problem when one race of people are being killed by police at much higher rates than other populations," Menifield says. "This unfortunate state of affairs is unlikely to improve until fundamental changes in public policy and policing are undertaken."

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LA JOLLA, Calif. - Aug. 8, 2018 - A team at Scripps Research has come up with a faster way to analyze the outcome of experimental vaccines against HIV and other pathogens. Their new system lets scientists quickly assess the full spectrum of antibodies produced in an individual in response to a pathogen or vaccine and determine if these antibodies are likely to be effective against the pathogen.

"We can now watch antibody responses evolve almost in real time," says Lars Hangartner, PhD, a Scripps Research associate professor and co-senior author of the study, which published today in the journal Immunity.

"This can be applied to any pathogen," adds Andrew Ward, PhD, professor at Scripps Research and study co-senior author. Ward is also affiliated with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Neutralizing Antibody Center and Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID) at Scripps Research.

When a pathogen attacks, your immune system amasses an army of antibodies to fight back. Some of these antibodies will fail, but some may get close to beating a pathogen's defenses. Over time, the best antibodies will evolve to target a pathogen's vulnerable sites. If all goes well, antibodies will home in on those epitopes, neutralize the invader and provide lifelong immunity.

Vaccines work by tricking the body into producing neutralizing antibodies against a future invader. Testing vaccines tends to be a lengthy process, with an initial immunization and then a series of booster shots over weeks or months. The time it takes to analyze the trial data means scientists don't usually get to see if a vaccine is working until the experiment is over, making it especially hard to tweak treatment strategies in the face of emerging diseases.

With the new study, scientists finally have a way to get a nearly real-time picture of antibody evolution. The new technique builds on Scripps Research-led breakthroughs in immunology and an imaging technique called electron microscopy, which reveals the structures of antibodies bound to their target pathogens, such as HIV.

The researchers used rabbit blood samples collected at different stages of an HIV vaccine trial. The researchers purified the samples, breaking down the molecules until they could extract antibody fragments. They then mixed these antibody fragments with their targets-viral proteins-and imaged them in the electron microscope, revealing how the immune system was developing its attack on the pathogen.

"After fine-tuning the biochemistry behind the formation of immune complexes of HIV Env trimers with antibody fragments, we were able to establish a very solid protocol allowing for semi-quantitative electron microscopy analysis," says study co-first author Matteo Bianchi, PhD, a former Scripps researcher now with the Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich.

This new method is based on images taken by a relatively low-tech method called negative stain imaging, which helped them spot promising, or more often than not, distracting, antibodies. At last, the researchers could quickly find out if a vaccine was pushing the immune system along the right path. And in cases where a vaccine wasn't working, the method could provide researchers with information as to how the vaccine could be improved.

"You can change the direction of a study depending on the results from this method," says study co-first author Hannah Turner, a research assistant in the Ward lab. "Never before have we been able to take a snapshot of our antibodies like this-giving us a more complete picture of what is happening and how we can influence the vaccination process."

While the images were not high-resolution, the researchers were excited to report that this level of analysis-which only takes days-could become a routine test around the world. "Most institutes have at least the technology and resources to do this level of analysis," says Ward.

For an even closer look at the antibodies, Ward used higher-tech cryo-electron microscopy to get high-resolution, 3-D images of the antibodies with their viral targets. These detailed snapshots revealed additional details that may help scientists improve future experimental HIV vaccines.

The researchers say their faster method could open the door to personalized design for vaccines. For example, this study included a "high-responder" rabbit that produced many effective antibodies, and a "low-responder" rabbit with a weak army of antibodies. Going forward, researchers could use this new method in human vaccine or therapeutic trials to quickly separate high responders from low responders early on, saving crucial time for patients and their doctors as they search for effective therapies and vaccines that provide herd immunity.

"This is going to be part of every immunization project I do from now on," Ward says.

"This method has the potential to change the pace at which we can develop vaccines," adds Hangartner.

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Additional authors of the study, "Rapid mapping of polyclonal antibody responses by electron microscopy," were co-first authors Matteo Bianchi and Hannah Turner of Scripps Research; Bartek Nogal, Christopher Cottrell, David Oyen, Matthias Pauthner, Raiza Bastidas and Rebecca Nedellec of Scripps Research; Laura McCoy of University College London; Ian Wilson of Scripps Research, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative-Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery; and Dennis Burton of Scripps Research, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative-Neutralizing Antibody Center, the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery; and the Ragon Institute.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant UM1 AI100663 to Scripps CHAVI-ID), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (grants OPP1115782 and OPP1084519) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (grants PP00P3_146345 and P300PB_160969).

084519) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (grants PP00P3_146345 and P300PB_160969).

About Scripps Research

Scripps Research is ranked the most influential scientific institution in the world for its impact on innovation. A nonprofit research organization, Scripps expands basic knowledge in the biosciences and uses these fundamental advancements to develop profound innovations that improve well-being. Scripps researchers lead breakthrough studies that address the world's most pressing health concerns, accelerating the creation and delivery of medical breakthroughs to better human health across the globe. Our educational and training programs mold talented and committed students and postdocs into the next generation of leading scientists.
(New York, NY - Aug. 8, 2018) -- A comprehensive RNA and DNA sequencing platform benefits late-stage and drug-resistant multiple myeloma patients by determining which drugs would work best for them, according to results from a clinical trial published in JCO Precision Oncology in August.

The novel platform, created by Mount Sinai cancer, genomics, and precision health researchers, expands on traditional DNA-based approaches by using RNA sequencing to find targets for a broad swath of FDA-approved cancer drugs beyond those approved specifically for multiple myeloma. This approach was tested in a pilot precision medicine clinical trial with 64 patients with late-stage and drug resistant multiple myeloma, the second most common blood cancer. All of the patients had run out of other treatment options.

"Our study shows how a precision medicine approach incorporating RNA sequencing may identify viable and effective therapeutic options beyond the current FDA-approved armamentarium for multiple myeloma patients," said researcher Samir Parekh, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) and Oncological Sciences and Director of Translational Research in Myeloma at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "The trial has allowed us to test the accuracy of our platform, laying the foundation for our next-generation precision medicine framework."

The results of this study showed that a comprehensive approach that includes RNA sequencing can provide more treatments for patients with advanced disease beyond the standard DNA analysis currently available. A majority of the patients in the trial received a drug based on their cancer's RNA profile and many benefited from their personalized treatment plans.

"Current approaches in precision oncology aim at matching specific DNA mutations to drugs, but incorporation of genome-wide RNA profiles had not been clinically assessed before now," said researcher Alessandro Lagana, PhD, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Institute for Next Generation Healthcare and the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "We expect RNA sequencing will play a larger role in the precise delivery of targeted drugs in oncology."

Mount Sinai researchers have already received funding to develop a next-generation clinical trial that will incorporate machine learning algorithms into this precision medicine platform, which will implement interactive learning techniques to refine the predictions based on a patient's success with the therapies and a physician's opinion of the treatment plan.

"This research is part of an accelerating paradigm shift in cancer therapy, where treatment may be given based on the specific genomic alterations observed in a patient's tumor, rather than on the tumor histology or tissue type," said Joel Dudley, PhD, Executive Vice President for Precision Health, Director of the Institute for Next Generation Healthcare, and Associate Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "RNA sequencing will likely complement current precision medicine strategies in the near future due to its ability to capture more dynamic aspects of unique tumor biology and provide information beyond what is capable with DNA alone."

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The study was supported by funds from a National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute grant (R21: 1R21CA209875-01A1), The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai's National Cancer Institute Support Grant (P30 CA196521) and the Multiple Myeloma philanthropic fund.

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 nationally in five 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.
The Icelandic Sagas tell of Erik the Red: exiled for murder in the late 10th century he fled to southwest Greenland, establishing its first Norse settlement.

The colony took root, and by the mid-12th century there were two major settlements with a population of thousands. Greenland even gained its own bishop.

By the end of the 15th century, however, the Norse of Greenland had vanished - leaving only abandoned ruins and an enduring mystery.

Past theories as to why these communities collapsed include a change in climate and a hubristic adherence to failing farming techniques.

Some have suggested that trading commodities - most notably walrus tusks - with Europe may have been vital to sustaining the Greenlanders. Ornate items including crucifixes and chess pieces were fashioned from walrus ivory by craftsmen of the age. However, the source of this ivory has never been empirically established.

Now, researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Oslo have studied ancient DNA from offcuts of tusks and skulls, most found on the sites of former ivory workshops across Europe, in order to trace the origin of the animals used in the medieval trade.

In doing so they have discovered an evolutionary split in the walrus, and revealed that the Greenland colonies may have had a "near monopoly" on the supply of ivory to Western Europe for over two hundred years.

For the latest study, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the research team analysed walrus samples found in several medieval trading centres - Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo, Dublin, London, Schleswig and Sigtuna - mostly dating between 900 and 1400 CE.

The DNA showed that, during the last Ice Age, the Atlantic walrus divided into two ancestral lines, which researchers term "eastern" and "western". Walruses of the eastern lineage are widespread across much of the Arctic, including Scandinavia. Those of the western, however, are unique to the waters between western Greenland and Canada.

Finds from the early years of the ivory trade were mostly from the eastern lineage. Yet as demand grew from the 12th century onwards, the research team discovered that Europe's ivory supply shifted almost exclusively to tusks from the western lineage.

They say that ivory from western linage walruses must have been supplied by the Norse Greenlanders - by hunting and perhaps also by trade with the indigenous peoples of Arctic North America.

"The results suggest that by the 1100s Greenland had become the main supplier of walrus ivory to Western Europe - a near monopoly even," said Dr James H. Barrett, study co-author from the University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology.

"The change in the ivory trade coincides with the flourishing of the Norse settlements on Greenland. The populations grew and elaborate churches were constructed.

"Later Icelandic accounts suggest that in the 1120s, Greenlanders used walrus ivory to secure the right to their own bishopric from the king of Norway. Tusks were also used to pay tithes to the church," said Barrett.

He points out that the 11th to 13th centuries were a time of demographic and economic boom in Europe, with growing demand from urban centres and the elite served by transporting commodities from increasingly distant sources.

"The demands for luxury goods produced from ivory may have helped the far-flung Norse communities in Greenland survive for centuries," said Barrett.

Co-author Dr Sanne Boessenkool of the University of Oslo said: "We knew from the start that analysing ancient DNA would have the potential for new historical insights, but the findings proved to be particularly spectacular."

The new study tells us less about the end of the Greenland colonies, say Barrett and colleagues. However, they note that it is hard to find evidence of walrus ivory imports to Europe that date after 1400.

Elephant ivory eventually became the material of choice for Europe's artisans. "Changing tastes could have led to a decline in the walrus ivory market of the Middle Ages," said Barrett.

Ivory exports from Greenland could have stalled for other reasons: over-hunting can cause walrus populations to abandon their coastal "haulouts"; the "Little Ice Age" - a sustained period of lower temperatures - began in the 14th century; the Black Death ravaged Europe.

Whatever caused the cessation of Europe's trade in walrus ivory, it must have been significant for the end of the Norse Greenlanders," said Barrett. "An overreliance on a single commodity, the very thing which gave the society its initial resilience, may have also contained the seeds of its vulnerability."

The heyday of the walrus ivory trade saw the material used for exquisitely carved items during Europe's Romanesque art period. The church produced much of this, with major ivory workshops in ecclesiastical centres such as Canterbury, UK.

Ivory games were also popular. The Viking board game hnefatafl was often played with walrus ivory pieces, as was chess, with the famous Lewis chessmen among the most stunning examples of Norse carved ivory.

Tusks were exported still attached to the walrus skull and snout, which formed a neat protective package that was broken up at workshops for ivory removal. These remains allowed the study to take place, as DNA extraction from carved artefacts would be far too damaging.

Co-author Dr Bastiaan Star of the University of Oslo said: "Until now, there was no quantitative data to support the story about walrus ivory from Greenland. Walruses could have been hunted in the north of Russia, and perhaps even in Arctic Norway at that time. Our research now proves beyond doubt that much of the ivory traded to Europe during the Middle Ages really did come from Greenland".

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The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust, Nansenfondet and the Research Council of Norway.
Drugs like crizotinib are used to treat patients with ROS1-positive lung cancer. But which patients are ROS1-positive? A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows that common laboratory tests used to determine ROS1 status all have inherent limitations that can lead to false-negative results. Some samples that were determined to be ROS1-negative by one test were shown to be ROS1-positive by another, meaning that some patients who could benefit from ROS1-directed therapy may be slipping through the cracks.

A commonly used test, based on a technique known as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), provided a false negative for 2 of 20 samples known to be ROS1-positive; a test that sequences and analyzes ROS1 DNA was negative in 4 of 18 positive samples; and a test that looks for ROS1 fusion RNA was negative in 3 of 19 positive samples.

"The main point is just to be aware of the deficiencies in these assays and not to always trust a negative result from a single test. If you're suspicious that a patient could be ROS1-positive - maybe they're a never-smoker without other known drivers such as EGFR, ALK, KRAS, BRAF - then it may be useful to try another kind of test," says Kurtis Davies, PhD, Lead Assay Development Scientist at the Colorado Molecular Correlates Laboratory (CMOCO).

Davies, the study's first author, worked closely with colleagues including senior authors Robert C. Doebele, MD, PhD, director of the CU Cancer Center Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative, and Dara Aisner, MD, PhD, CMOCO Director in the CU Department of Pathology, which routinely employs multiple modes of testing cancer specimens.

"The University of Colorado has been a big player in the clinical research of ROS1 lung cancer, and so we have a lot more ROS1-positive samples than almost anywhere else. This allowed us to go back to our large bank of samples to test them in these three ways," Davies says.

The study found that each test has inherent deficiencies. ROS1-positive cancers are caused by the gene ROS1 fusing with one of a number of partner genes. One of these possible partners sits very near to ROS1 on chromosome 6. When ROS1 fuses with this nearby partner, there may not be enough DNA deleted to identify the fusion using FISH.

"It can leave enough of the FISH probe binding sites that the sample appears normal even though a ROS1 fusion is present," Davies says.

The deficiency in the DNA-based test was due to the inherent inability to properly sequence large areas of the ROS1 gene.

"You have large swaths of un-sequenced DNA and if the ROS1 change is in one of those areas, it's possible to miss it," Davies says.

"Some regions of DNA can be very challenging to sequence due to highly repetitive sequences, so simply trying to sequence those regions doesn't necessarily fix the deficit," Aisner says.

Unlike the other two tests, the assay based on RNA doesn't attempt to take a snapshot of altered ROS1 DNA. Instead, it looks at what is manufactured from the DNA. This means that an RNA-based assay has the potential to more directly test for the results of ROS1 gene fusion that can drive cancer. That is, as long as you have good enough RNA.

"The deficiency in assays based on RNA is that they depend on RNA quality, which can be bad in clinical samples," Davies says.

On the plus side, pathologists looking at the assay data can tell if RNA is of high enough quality to believe test results. ("We know when RNA quality is low," Davies says.) In these cases, the FISH or DNA test could be used. And the false-negatives attributed to the RNA assay in this study were all due to low RNA quality.

"If you take out the negatives due to RNA quality (which we don't really regard as negative), there were no false negatives with this kind of test," Davies says.

Again, according to Davies, the takeaway is to realize there is no perfect test and sometimes secondary analysis with a different test is necessary to confirm results. The strategy is more than theory.

"We've run FISH concurrently with the RNA test for the past 18 months," Davies says. "This helps us to provide every reassurance that we are not missing patients who can benefit from ROS1 directed therapy."

The strategy of testing by two methods has paid off.

"One of the patients included in this study was initially determined to be ROS1-negative via FISH, but was subsequently shown to be ROS1-positive via RNA," Aisner says. "This patient went on to receive ROS1 targeted therapy and demonstrated an impressive response."

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International collaboration between researchers from the University of Konstanz, the University of Graz, Graz University of Technology and Florida State University sheds new light on animal speciation

Animals that have either migrated to or been introduced in Central Europe - such as the Asian bush mosquito or the Asian ladybeetle - feel extremely comfortable in their new homes due to changing climatic conditions. If these newcomers are genetically compatible with local species, they may crossbreed and produce hybrids, which can continue to evolve under local environmental conditions - a process that has been shown to have taken place during human evolution, between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals for example. New genes contributed by foreign species provide new genetic combinations that can be beneficial and are thus favoured by natural selection. According to hybrid swarm theory, interbreeding between hybrid species and parent species may then lead to divergent populations and even to new species with novel characteristics. But how can modern day science substantiate this theory and identify fundamental mechanisms behind such speciation?

To advance research on and knowledge about how animals diversify (adaptive radiation) to form new species (speciation), evolutionary biologists working with Professor Axel Meyer at the University of Konstanz and Professor Christian Sturmbauer at the University of Graz analysed cichlid fish from the Lake Tanganyika ecosystem in East Africa. "This study - our largest in terms of data volume and level of collaboration since we began working together in 1990 - has finally allowed us to reach a near complete understanding of the evolutionary history of these fish as well as the processes that led to the formation of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid adaptive radiation", explains Axel Meyer.

With more than 1,700 species identified worldwide - of which several hundred are endemic to Lake Tanganyika - cichlids are a model animal system for scientists to use to decipher rapid and therefore difficult-to-explain species emergence. The researchers were not only able to resolve the relationships between the most contested branches of the cichlid family tree and explain the cichlid's rapid early radiation in Lake Tanganyika, but they were also able to shed light on the much-discussed chronology of events relating to cichlid speciation. Their research results were published today in the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications.

Building new evolutionary trees with DNA

By collecting cichlid fish DNA and then sequencing more than 500 selected fish genes via cutting-edge genomic sequencing techniques, the research team was able to establish new evolutionary trees for the East African cichlids and explain why new species sometimes appear in bursts. The researchers found that even at the beginning of the oldest cichlid radiation, environment-induced hybridization between the colonizer lineages produced innovative forms, which then expanded rapidly under stable conditions, thus "boosting" the speed of innovation and species development. In regard to the evolutionary development of 'modern' cichlids from Lake Tanganyika and in accordance with the hybrid swarm theory, the research team discovered that a cichlid species from the Lower Congo River reached the lake and interbreed with their lake ancestors, thereby facilitating the adaptive radiation of the cichlids in Lake Tanganyika. This river cichlid is no longer physically present in today's lake but could be detected via genetic information in the other diversifying lineages.

Some cichlid genes - such as those influencing body colouration and specialisation of the jaw - diversified more rapidly and are associated with the colonisation of new lake environments. "It is those characteristics that are exposed to selection that are responsible for the development of new species," explains Christian Sturmbauer. Using the latest anchored hybrid sequencing methodology, the research team was able to show for the first time that the jaw innovations of cichlids are crucial in terms of providing the fish access to previously unexploited food sources.

Using fossils to establish new timetrees

The research team around Axel Meyer and Christian Sturmbauer were also able to shed light into the much-discussed chronology of events (timetree) relating to cichlid evolution: up until now, studies that used molecular clock calibrations resulted in ages that were either too young or too old, and which were generally problematic to reconcile with the geological history East Africa. Using a set of fossil calibrations that includes a newly discovered fossil anchoring the Tanganyikan radiation, the research team carried out a new molecular clock analysis that for the first time reconciles the split of the southern Gondwana continent with the chronology of the sinking of the East African Rift Valley where Lake Tanganyika cichlids evolved together with the maturing lake ecosystem. "These findings may help us understand, for example, ongoing changes induced by climate change in the animal kingdom," emphasises Sturmbauer.

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These research findings are the result of the intensive international collaboration between four universities - the research group of Alan and Emily Lemmon at Florida State University (USA), Christian Sturmbauer at the University of Graz (Austria) and Axel Meyer at the University of Konstanz (Germany) in collaboration with Gerhard Thallinger from the Graz University of Technology. Iker Irisarri from the University of Konstanz as well as Pooja Singh and Stephan Koblmuller from the University of Graz made important contributions to this research project. This research was carried out in the context of Axel Meyer's ERC Advanced Grant "Comparative genomics of parallel evolution in repeated adaptive radiations", which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) in the amount of  2.5m.

Original publication:

Iker Irisarri, Pooja Singh, Stephan Koblmuller, Julian Torres-Dowdall, Frederico Henning, Paolo Franchini, Christoph Fischer, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Gerhard G. Thallinger, Christian Sturmbauer & Axel Meyer. Phylogenomics uncovers early hybridization and adaptive loci shaping the radiation of Lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes", 9, 3159 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05479-9

Facts:

An international team of evolutionary biologists from the University of Konstanz (Germany), the University of Graz (Austria), the Graz University of Technology (Austria) and Florida State University (USA) sheds new light on the speciation of cichlids

Team led by Professor Axel Meyer at the University of Konstanz and Professor Christian Sturmbauer at the University of Graz studied fish from the Lake Tanganyika ecosystem in East Africa, which are a model animal system for deciphering rapid species emergence

The sequencing of more than 500 fish genes led to the creation of new evolutionary trees for the East African cichlids and helped explain why new species sometimes appear in bursts

Using the latest anchored hybrid sequencing methodology, researchers demonstrated for the first time that cichlid jaw innovations are crucial to providing fish access to new food sources

New fossil calibrations and a newly discovered cichlid fossil led researchers to reconcile the split of the southern Gondwana continent with the chronology of the sinking of the East African Rift Valley for the first time

Research was carried out in the context of Axel Meyer's ERC Advanced Grant "Comparative genomics of parallel evolution in repeated adaptive radiations", which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) in the amount of  2.5m.

Note to editors:

Photo link: https://cms.uni-konstanz.de/fileadmin/pi/fileserver/2018/Bilder/Buntbarsche_Hybridisierung_Boost_Evolution/Evolution_Ern%C3%A4hrungsspezialisierungen.jpg Caption: Feeding specialisations of cichlids. Left: Lobochilotus labiatus, a carnivore from Lake Tanganyika, with a mouth designed to suck invertebrates from rock crevices. Right: Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi, a omnivore from the Congo basin.

Copyright: Wolfgang Gessl (http://www.pisces.at)

Photo link: https://cms.uni-konstanz.de/fileadmin/pi/fileserver/2018/Bilder/Buntbarsche_Hybridisierung_Boost_Evolution/Evolution_Tanganjika_See.jpg

Caption: Lake Tanganyika research expedition to Mpulungu (Zambia) from University of Graz in 2016 to study and collect samples of cichlids.

Copyright: Pooja Singh

Photo link: https://cms.uni-konstanz.de/fileadmin/pi/fileserver/2018/Bilder/Buntbarsche_Hybridisierung_Boost_Evolution/Evolution_Eretmodus_cynostictus.jpg

Caption: Eretmodus cynostictus, a species commonly known as The Tanganyika Clown, swimming near the shoreline of the lake at Mpulungu (Zambia).

Copyright: Maximillian Wagner.

Photo link: https://cms.uni-konstanz.de/fileadmin/pi/fileserver/2018/Bilder/Buntbarsche_Hybridisierung_Boost_Evolution/Evolution_Interaktion_Buntbarsche.jpg

Caption: Interaction between two cichlids: Limnotilapia dardenii (left) typically inhabits the rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika and Lamprologous callipterus (right) swims in the transition zone, where rocky shores give way to open waters.

Copyright: Maximillian Wagner.

Contact:

University of Konstanz

Communications and Marketing

Phone: + 49-7531-88-3603

Email: kum@uni-konstanz.de

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PHILADELPHIA - Cancer cells are more than a lump of cells growing out of control; they participate in active combat with the immune system for their own survival. Being able to evade the immune system is a hallmark of cancer. Cancer cells release biological "drones" to assist in that fight--small vesicles called exosomes circulating in the blood and armed with proteins called PD-L1 that cause T cells to tire before they have a chance to reach the tumor and do battle, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania.

The work, published in the journal Nature, is a collaboration between Wei Guo, PhD, a professor of Biology in the School of Arts and Sciences, and Xiaowei Xu, MD, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine. While primarily focused on metastatic melanoma, the team found that breast and lung cancer also release the PD-L1-carrying exosomes.

The research offers a paradigm-shifting picture of how cancers take a systemic approach to suppressing the immune system. In addition, it also points to a new way to predict which cancer patients will respond to anti-PD1 therapy that disrupts immune suppression to fight tumors and a means of tracking the effectiveness of such therapies.

"Immunotherapies are life-saving for many patients with metastatic melanoma, but about 70 percent of these patients don't respond," said Guo. "These treatments are costly and have toxic side effects so it would be very helpful to know which patients are going to respond. Identification of a biomarker in the bloodstream could potentially help make early predictions about which patients will respond, and, later on, could offer patients and their doctors a way to monitor how well their treatment is working."

"Exosomes are tiny lipid-encapsulated vesicles with a diameter less than 1/100 of a red blood cell. What we have found with these circulating exosomes, is truly remarkable," said Xu. "We collected blood samples from melanoma patients treated with anti-PD1 therapy. This type of liquid biopsy assay allows us to monitor tumor-related immune suppression with time. "

One of the most successful innovations in cancer therapy has been the use of checkpoint inhibitor drugs, which are designed to block attempts by cancer cells to suppress the immune system to allow tumors to thrive and spread. One of the primary targets for this class of drugs is PD-1, a protein on the surface of T cells. On tumor cells, they express a counterpart molecule called PD-L1, which interacts with the PD-1 protein on T cells, effectively turning off that cell's anti-cancer response. Blocking that interaction using checkpoint inhibitors reinvigorates T cells, allowing them to unleash their cancer-killing power on the tumor.

While it was known that cancer cells carried PD-L1 on their surface, in this new work, the team found that exosomes from human melanoma cells also carried PD-L1 on their surface. Exosomal PD-L1 can directly bind to and inhibit T cell functions. Identification of the exosomal PD-L1 secreted by tumor cells provides a major update to the immune checkpoint mechanism, and offers novel insight into tumor immune evasion.

"Essentially exosomes secreted by melanoma cells are immunosuppressive." Guo said. "We propose a model in which these exosomes act like drones to fight against T cells in circulation, even before the T cells get near to the tumor." Since a single tumor cell is able to secrete many copies of exosomes, the interaction between the PD-L1 exosomes and T cells provides a systemic and highly effective means to suppress anti-tumor immunity in the whole body. This may explain why cancer patients might have weakened immune system.

Because exosomes circulate in the bloodstream, they present an accessible way of monitoring the cancer/T cell battle through a blood test, compared to the traditional more-invasive biopsy of tumors. After an acute phase of treatment, the researchers envision such a test as a way to monitor how well the drugs are keeping cancer cells in check.

By measuring pre-treatment levels of PD-L1, oncologists may be able to predict the extent of tumor burden in a patient and associate that with treatment outcome. In addition, a blood test could measure the effectiveness of a treatment, for example, levels of exosomal PD-L1 could indicate the level of T cell invigoration by immune checkpoint inhibitors.

"In the future, I think we will begin to think about cancers as a chronic disease, like diabetes," says Guo. "And just as diabetes patients use glucometers to measure their sugar levels, it's possible that monitoring PD-L1 and other biomarkers on the circulating exosomes could be a way for clinicians and cancer patients to keep tabs on the treatments. It's another step toward precision and personalized medicine."

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Guo and Xu coauthored the work with Penn's Gang Chen, Alexander C. Huang, Wei Zhang, Min Wu, Jiegang Yang, Beike Wang, Honghong Sun, Wenqun Zhong, Bin Wu, Xiaoming Liu, Lei Guan, Tin Li, Shujing Liu, Ruifeng Yang, Youtao Lu, Liyun Dong, Suzanne McGettigan, Ravi Radhakrishnan, Junhyong Kim, Youhai H. Chen, Giorgos C. Karakousis, Tara C. Gangadhar, Lynn M. Schuchter, and E. John Wherry, as well as collaborators from Wuhan University, The Wistar Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Mayo Clinic.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (GM111128, GM085146, AI105343, AI108545, AI082630, AI117950), the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, the American Heart Association, the Tara Miller Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania, the Wistar Institute, the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation, the CAST Foundation, and the NSFC Foundation.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Michael O. Smith, a professor in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Department of Animal Science, has been elected a Fellow in the Poultry Science Association (PSA). The award was presented at the 2018 annual meeting of the organization in San Antonio, Texas, on July 26, 2018.

The status of Fellow is one of the highest distinctions a PSA member can achieve. It recognizes members of the Poultry Science Association for professional distinction and contributions to the field of poultry science without concern to longevity. No more than five members may be elected as Fellows at any one annual meeting. PSA is a professional organization consisting of approximately 1,800 educators, scientists, extension specialists, industry researchers, administrators, producers and college students who are committed to advancing the poultry industry.

In reaction to being elected a Fellow of the PSA, Smith said, "The fact that my peers think enough of me to nominate me, the Committee of Fellows voted for me and the Board of Directors endorsed me to be named a Fellow of the Poultry Science Association, the pre-eminent poultry science organization in the world, is indeed a singular honor."

Smith, who specializes in poultry production, was born in Jamaica and holds a Diploma in Agriculture from the Jamaica School of Agriculture (JSA). He earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture, a master's in animal science and a Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Oklahoma State University. In Jamaica, his professional career included working as an agricultural science teacher at St. Elizabeth Technical High School, Munro College and Elim Agricultural School as well as service as an agricultural extension officer with the Ministry of Agriculture. He has been a member of the PSA since 1986 and served as its president during 2013-2014. Smith began his UTIA career as an assistant professor in 1988 and rose to the rank of professor in 2003. He served as acting assistant dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources for two years during 1999-2000.

At UTIA, Smith teaches courses in poultry production, serves as the scholarship coordinator for the Herbert College of Agriculture and also holds an appointment with UT AgResearch conducting poultry management studies under heat stress conditions. He regularly advises 60-80 students annually as well as serves as faculty advisor to the UT Poultry Science Club. Over the years, he has mentored 15 doctoral students, master's students and visiting scholars as well as served on the graduate committees of 30 others.

Smith's research focuses the on examination of physiological and nutritional factors involved with the growth and survival of heat stressed poultry and examination of the interaction between nutrients, other additives and the environment in this type of bird population. Using these findings, he attempts to develop management and nutrition-based tools to augment poultry production during heat stress. He has published more than 100 scientific articles, including 42 papers in referred journals, 45 abstracts from national and international presentations, 20 technical articles, and 11 proceedings. He has also given 16 invited presentations.

At the national level, Smith received the Minority Access Incorporated National Role Model Faculty Mentor Award for Exemplary Achievements in Motivating, Counseling and Guiding Others, the NACTA Teaching Award of Merit Certificate from the North American Colleges & Teachers of Agriculture and was twice nominated for the PSA Purina Mills Teaching Award. He has received numerous awards from the University of Tennessee, including being a two-time recipient of the Chancellor's Citation for Extraordinary Service. He is also a two-time recipient of the W. S. Overton Faculty Merit Award presented in recognition of outstanding contributions to student development and the W. F. & Golda Moss Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources and was also twice named as the Outstanding Faculty Advisor in the College. In addition, he is the recipient of the E. R. "Prof" Lidvall Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and the Buford E. Ellington Distinguished Faculty Award from the Department of Animal Science. He is an active member of the Gamma Sigma Delta National Honor Society of Agriculture as well as the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Smith and his wife Dr. Delores Smith, also a native of Jamaica and an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee, are the proud parents of three adult sons and grandparents to one granddaughter.

Since 1908, the Poultry Science Association has maintained a level of prestige that ranks it among the top professional organizations in the field. PSA's member scientists have contributed through their research to the growth of the poultry industry and the development of safer and more nutritious food products for the consumer. Throughout this period, PSA has served - and it continues to serve - as the premier clearinghouse and publisher of basic and applied poultry research in the world.

The application of research findings published in PSA's journals has been and remains a major contributor to the rapid growth and maturation of the meat and egg industries. In addition, poultry-related research has made substantial contributions to the overall understanding of human health and nutrition.

Smith considers his Fellowship in PSA to be one of the top highlights of his career, "When I think of all the great folks who have been named Fellows in the past, for me, a poor lad, born and raised in rural Jamaica, to join that illustrious group is truly humbling and I thank all the persons involved from the bottom of my heart," he said.

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The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrates 50 years of excellence of providing Real.Life.Solutions. through research, education and engagement. ag.tennessee.edu
Brennan Delattre, a lab manager and research assistant at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, was awarded a Fulbright fellowship for the 2018-2019 academic year. The prestigious fellowship will fund research on the mental health benefits of cooperative movement in Niteroi, Brazil.

"During my time as an undergraduate, I became immersed in an Afro-Brazilian movement art called capoeira, which has elements of martial arts, dance, music, acrobatics, and improvisation with a partner," said Delattre. She's from Orono, Minnesota, and majored in neuroscience at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. "I've played capoeira in Montreal, Minnesota, Vermont, and Brazil. Across lines of age, gender, ethnicity, language, country of origin, socio-economic status, and physical ability, I watched hundreds of people walk into capoeira classes and walk out reporting that they felt 'better.'"

For her senior thesis, Delattre focused on the puzzle of defining "better" in a quantifiable way.

"From a neuroscience background, 'better' was the most frustratingly unscientific word, and I became interested in how we could eventually develop a mental health intervention that involved capoeira or aspects of capoeira," Delattre said. "I'm specifically interested in the cooperative movement aspect in terms of social and emotional rehabilitation."

She assigned measurable characteristics to "better," and asked participants to complete questionnaires designed to determine if their anxiety had been reduced, if their self-efficacy had increased, and if they were more likely to demonstrate prosocial behaviors after completing sessions of the cooperative movement. Delattre saw a decrease in anxiety and an increase in feelings of empowerment, but the groups were too small to determine significant changes.

Delattre currently manages the labs of Pearl Chiu, Brooks King-Casas, and Stephen LaConte--all of whom are associate professors at the VTCRI. Chiu and King-Casas focus their brain and behavior research on understanding the science of decision making in health and in disease, while LaConte works to improve neuroimaging techniques and to develop brain-biomedical device interfaces. All three researchers also study how people interact with one another in different contexts.

Chiu and King-Casas are also both associate professors in the Department of Psychology in Virginia Tech's College of Science, and LaConte is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics in Virginia Tech's College of Engineering.

"Working in the labs of Dr. Chiu, Dr. King-Casas, and Dr. LaConte, I've seen first-hand how researchers conduct large-scale interventions and investigate social phenomena," Delattre said. "The experience has led me to further consider how one would quantify prosociality in different ways."

According to Chiu, Delattre's interests in understanding the mental health benefits of cooperative movement have been apparent from her first day at VTCRI.

"We are so thrilled that Fulbright has recognized the potential value of Brennan's proposed research and that she's been awarded the rare opportunity to carry out her ideas in the Niteroi community," Chiu said. "We look forward to hearing about Brennan's research results and also to watching her shine as an international science ambassador."

The longitudinal effects of cooperative movement are of particular interest to Delattre, and the Fulbright Award will fund Delattre's research and living expenses for the academic year.

"With the Fulbright support, I'll better be able to investigate trait changes, not just temporary fluctuations of a person's feelings after a session of cooperative movement," Delattre said. "Maybe a session of capoeira makes you feel 'better,' but for how long? Will several classes a week for a series of weeks make you feel even better? How do we quantify that feeling?"

The measurements are designed to get a sense of the traits of a person as a whole, rather than simple in-the-moment snapshots.

"Over the nine months in Brazil, I'll collect data from participants not just before and after one class, but also throughout regular movement sessions, as well as after the intervention has ended," Delattre said.

Delattre plans to eventually develop and test the efficacy of creativity-based interventions to supplement traditional approaches to mental health, such as talk therapy, that could potentially be implemented in a systematic way. She suggests that perhaps, in 20 years, a cooperative movement activity might be one of the low-cost options a healthcare provider gives to a patient who meets the criteria for depression or anxiety.

"I think therapy would be good for everyone, but there is societal stigma and very real monetary barriers around counseling," Delattre said. "Going to a prescribed social, movement-based activity could be not only something people are more inclined to attend and tell their social support systems about, but also something they might be inclined to continue."

Delattre will work under the mentorship of Luiz Mendonca, a professor of dance and anatomy at the Federal University of Niteroi.

"I'm excited about this project because while there are so many anecdotes to the effect of 'exercise makes me feel better, meditation makes me feel better, dance makes me feel better,' there's a lot of room to methodically investigate the mechanisms under those feelings, and to use potential findings in support of an intervention that incorporates art and science to improve life for people across demographics," Delattre said.

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A new Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining study has found that using ethanol from corncobs for energy production may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in China, if used instead of starch-based ethanol.

China has committed to limiting its emissions by 2030, and biofuel is considered the key to lower emissions from transportation. The authors note that corncobs are abundant agriculture residues, and the government should provide stronger incentives to encourage the industry to invest in corncob ethanol.

"Our life-cycle assessment suggests that corncob ethanol emits about 50% less greenhouse gas than corn ethanol," said co-author Dr. Yu Wang, of Iowa State University.

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Gail Rubin, CT, is author and host of the award-winning book and television series, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Dont Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.

Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist (that's a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the end-of-life and funeral planning conversation started. She "knocked 'em dead" with her TEDx talk, A Good Goodbye. She provides continuing education credit classes for attorneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals. She's a Certified Funeral Celebrant and funeral planning consultant who has been interviewed in national and local print, broadcast and online media.

Known as The Doyenne of Death, she is the event coordinator of the Before I Die ABQ Festival. She also hosts A Good Goodbye Internet radio show and produces Mortality Minute radio and online video spots. Her YouTube Channel features more than 400 videos!

Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association New Mexico Chapter. Her speaking profile is available at eSpeakers.com.

Gail Rubin has been interviewed about funeral planning issues in national and local broadcast, print and online media. Outlets include The Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, CBS Radio News, WGN-TV, and local affiliates for NPR, PBS, FOX, ABC-TV, CBS-TV and NBC-TV.

Sign up for a free planning form and occasional informative newsletter at her website, AGoodGoodbye.com.
San Antonio-based software development company GlobalScape Inc., which has been the subject of investigations by federal authorities, said Tuesday it will issue pink slips to about 40 workers.

The positions represent about 30 percent of the 135-person workforce that GlobalScape reported as of March 31.

A company spokeswoman refused to disclose the size of the workforce.

GlobalScape CEO and President Matt Goulet said the company is realigning its sales force to better service its customers and find more efficient operational processes.

It had 57 sales and marketing personnel as of March 31, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This reduction in force, while difficult, is an essential part of making the organization a stronger technological partner for our customers, a better investment for our shareholders, and a work environment rich with opportunity for our employees, Goulet said.

The company expects to take $400,000 in restructuring charges on a pretax basis in the current quarter.

The job cuts come amid an ongoing criminal probe by federal prosecutors and the FBI into the companys dealings. This spring, a former company official pleaded guilty to wire fraud for intentionally inflating sales numbers.

The company in June restated its 2016 and first quarter 2017 financial results. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the restatements.

The companys shares closed at $3.59 Tuesday, down more than half a penny.

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
David Smilde has a rundown on recent Venezuela political news, including how Juan Manuel Santos gave Special Permission status to 442,000 Venezuelans, allowing them access to social services and the ability to work. Questions about it are so similar to the United States.





EP status provides beneficiaries with access to Colombian social services and allows them to legally work and freely circulate in the national territory. Activists applaud this measure but point out that it is less than optimal. First, the ambiguity of the census meant that many Venezuelan migrants were fearful and did not participate. Second, the PEP status is temporary and does not include any road to citizenship. Finally, as a presidential decree it can easily be undone by Santos successor. What is needed instead is actual legislation that regularizes the situation of Venezuelan migrants now and in the future.

Colombia needs a discussion right now of how it wants to handle Venezuelans. This is exactly like the Temporary Protected Status question in the U.S. The president alone decides, and what started as "temporary" was renewed so many times that people had deep roots here. The measure is generous but too much ambiguity will cause pain in the future. Does it end with the end of the current government? With some measurable improvement in Venezuela? Never?





With regard to making it more permanent with a law, it's hard to imagine the current congressional composition passing something very liberal, but clearly Santos was in no position to get something passed before the election. I have not seen whether Ivan Duque has indicated his precise position on migrants within Colombia, though he has said he wants to tighten border security.





In general, this is a time of high uncertainty. Venezuela cannot support its own citizens, Colombia struggles to support its own challenges plus migrants, the international community is slow to respond, and the political landscape in Colombia has shifted.
San Antonio council members approved the creation of a task force Tuesday to fix what they say are shortcomings in the citys permitting process for real estate projects in environmentally sensitive areas.

The move comes more than a month after city officials halted construction at the Mansions at La Cantera, a planned luxury apartment complex on the city's Northwest Side where a contractor bulldozed up to 38 acres of trees that might have served as habitat for endangered golden-cheeked warbler songbirds and karst invertebrates  tiny arachnids and beetles that live in caves and sinkholes.

After concerned neighbors complained about the project, the San Antonio Express-News found that real estate developer Matt Hiles hadn't accurately filled out a habitat compliance form when he told city officials that no endangered species would be harmed.

City officials want to revise the habitat form to make it clearer and prevent future confusion. San Antonio began using such forms in 2009 to alert the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which enforces the Endangered Species Act, about upcoming real estate projects.

More for you Federal officials investigate loss of potential habitat for endangered species

I think this will go a long way, said City Councilman Manny Pelaez, a member of the councils Community Health and Equity Committee, which approved the task force Tuesday.

Related: Federal officials investigate loss of potential habitat for endangered species

The Mansions at La Cantera are in Pelaez's council district. Residents are outraged the construction project denuded a picturesque hillside covered with trees, he said, and theyre unhappy with the city for initially allowing the project to proceed.

This has set the hair of all my constituents on fire, Pelaez said.

Hiles didnt return a message Tuesday.

When Hiles filled out a habitat compliance form in August 2016 for the Mansions at La Cantera, he wrote that biologist Valerie Collins had concluded that the project wouldn't harm endangered warblers and karst invertebrates.

But a copy of Collins study obtained by the Express-News shows it focused only on warbler habitat  not habitat for the endangered creatures that live underground.

And records show the study was finished in July 2011  five years before Hiles filed his plans with the city. San Antonio requires developers to rely on warbler habitat studies that are less than three years old.

After the Express-News asked about the problems in Hiles habitat form, San Antonio officials issued a stop-work order to halt the construction project on July 3 while they reviewed Hiles paperwork. The project is still on hold.

Michael Shannon, director of the city's Development Services Department, said one problem with the habitat compliance form is that it doesn't require landowners to include a copy of the actual biological studies theyre citing when they claim no endangered species will be harmed.

I dont know if Id call it a loophole, but we dont request the studies, Shannon said.

Related: Excessive ozone levels trigger more oversight, could hurt San Antonio's economy

Another problem: Biologists who study endangered species might not even know when a developer relies on their work.

Collins conducted her warbler survey at the property in 2011 for a different landowner. Collins' employer, Pape-Dawson Engineers, complained Hiles had never disclosed to them he was using Collins study to certify Hiles project.

James Cannizzo, an environmental lawyer who represents the Army on warbler issues surrounding Camp Bullis, an army training ground on the North Side, said its also possible for a landowner to simply check a box on the habitat form and falsely claim theres no crucial habitat on properties where warblers are probably migrating.

Theres multiple problems that need to be cleaned up, said Cannizzo, who spoke before the city council committee Tuesday.

Shannon said the task force members will include a wide array of experts, stakeholders and public officials. Its recommendation will be brought to the council committee for approval before any changes to the citys habitat form are made.

John Tedesco 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. | jtedesco@express-news.net | Twitter: @John_Tedesco
San Antonio researchers have made a breakthrough in the fight against AIDS, which could lead to the development of a topical gel to protect against the disease.

In a peer-reviewed study involving rhesus monkeys, Dr. Ruth Ruprecht and her team at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute showed that a previously unstudied class of antibodies is effective in protecting against simian-human immunodeficiency virus.

Its an important step forward, said Dr. Philip Keiser, director of the International HIV Program and Clinic at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Keiser was not involved in the study.

Back in 1985 when the virus was first discovered, we all naively thought that you could just grind up the virus and inject it into people and that would act as a vaccine, he said. And, unfortunately, over 30 years that hasnt been the case.

Ruprechts team is now working on creating other kinds of antibodies to increase effectiveness of the gel. In several years, the team will turn its focus to re-creating similar antibodies in humans to determine whether the gel works as well against HIV as it did against the simian HIV.

There has been tremendous progress, but the war is not over, Ruprecht said.

To date, there has been one major development in protecting against the virus, but it is expensive and cumbersome to take.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP, reduces the risk of HIV transmission through sex by more than 90 percent. But it must be taken every day for a full week before becoming effective for anal sex and 20 days for vaginal sex. That cycle must also be restarted if more than a few doses are missed, according to the Kind Clinic, a medical center in Central Texas that provides PrEP for free or at a low cost.

Ruprechts team put the antibodies in a topical gel that is applied to vaginal or anal areas. It focuses on transmission through those mucosal sites, which is how about 90 percent of all infections occur worldwide. It would be much easier to use than PrEP.

The researchers used six rhesus macaques, a type of primate with a similar immune system to humans, in their study. The gel, which contained IgM, or Immunoglobulin M, antibodies created by the team, protected four of the six primates from infection with SHIV. The gel was effective in preventing infection within 30 minutes of application.

The three-month study, conducted by the institute, UT Health San Antonio and the University of Virginia, was published in the July edition of AIDS, a peer-reviewed journal.

The discovery by Ruprechts team, Keiser and others say, provides new hope not just for immediate protection but for an actual long-lasting vaccine in the future.

If we can get to a point before I retire where we are vaccinating everybody and knowing we can potentially wipe this virus off the face of the Earth, I think that would be a wonderful thing, said Keiser, who has been working on HIV research for more than 30 years.

Creating an antibody

The IgM antibody Ruprechts team created isnt a vaccine itself. The antibodies fight off HIV for a short period, but a vaccine teaches the human body how to produce the antibodies to provide long-term protection. The teams research could lead to the development of a vaccine.

In the meantime, the gel could provide another option for prevention, not just treatment. It would not only protect during sex, but would prevent an HIV-positive mother from transmitting the disease during childbirth.

HIV is such a tricky and treacherous enemy, that you need to have as many defenders as you possibly can, Ruprecht said.

Today, nearly 37 million people around the world live with HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, according to the World Health Organization.

HIV attacks the immune system and suppresses it to a level that makes people more susceptible to opportunistic infections, illnesses such as pneumonia that are usually survivable but can easily become deadly to a person with a weakened immune system.

There is no cure for HIV.

Research for preventive medicines has focused on Immunoglobulin G, which is good at attacking HIV but has only two possible areas where it can attach to the virus.

Ruprechts team had the idea of transplanting genes from Immunoglobulin G into Immunoglobulin M, which is not as good at binding with HIV but has 10 possible areas where the virus can be captured.

In creating the enhanced IgM, the researchers got the best of both worlds: an antibody with 10 binding sites that are all excellent at attacking HIV, explained Eileen Lafer, a professor of biochemistry at UT Health who worked with Ruprecht on the study.

Thats a really novel approach because (Ruprecht) documented that this actually has protective effects against HIV, or in this case, SHIV, Lafer said. Its really setting the stage for potentially a whole new group of therapeutics that could be developed against HIV.

Ruprecht said the IgM antibody had been mostly ignored for use in fighting HIV because it is the first immune system response. Scientists believed that IgM would not stick around long enough to fight off HIV once other antibodies showed up, but in her research, Ruprecht proved otherwise.

We showed that this was a potent way of preventing virus transmission, Ruprecht said.

The study was supported by a Southwest National Primate Research Center grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Holy grail

While diseases such as smallpox have been almost completely eradicated, Ruprecht said HIV has been difficult to beat because of how quickly it changes. Unlike most organisms, there is no method to ensure accurate copying of genetic material every time the virus duplicates.

There isnt just an HIV. There are myriads of different strains. Even an infected person has millions of different (strains), Ruprecht said. Its, in military terms, like the problem of shooting at a moving target.

In the 30 years since Ruprecht began studying HIV, significant progress has been made in treating the disease. In the 1990s, she was involved in the development of AZT, the first successful treatment for HIV. Such antiretroviral therapies have transformed an HIV diagnosis from a death sentence into a chronic, but survivable, illness.

Still, the holy grail is a vaccine.

Keiser recalled that when he started studying HIV in the 1980s, he would often go home to find his patients obituaries in the Sunday edition of the Dallas Morning News.

When I first started treating HIV, we treated a bunch of young men, and they all died, Keiser said, noting that, while that doesnt happen any longer, the virus is still a serious problem.

We may or may not get a cure, but our best chance at eliminating this infection, since its only in human beings, is through a vaccine.

chase.karacostas@express-news.net
A day after a political action committee sued the San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association over allegations it illegally funded its charter-amendment petition campaign, the group is now recommending to county and state officials that the unions president and others be charged for allegedly violating election and state law.

The bid for charges and lawsuit come as the City Council is scheduled to vote next week on calling a Nov. 6 election in which voters will decide on three proposed charter amendments that opponents say would be a blow to municipal government.

Securing San Antonios Future, a PAC run by political consultants Christian Archer and Kelton Morgan, is pursuing legal action largely based on San Antonio Express-News stories last month that determined that the fire union had failed to disclose a half-million dollars in payments to Texas Petition Strategies, a Buda firm that collected nearly all of the signatures submitted on the three petitions filed in April.

RELATED: San Antonio fire union to sue city over alleged First Amendment violation

In a memo written by former Harris County prosecutor Alicia ONeill, a formal request is made to District Attorney Nico LaHood and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate the firefighters association and its president, Chris Steele, its political action committee, Texas Petition Strategies and its owner, John Hatch  as well as any related entity or party deemed to be culpable for unlawfully making and accepting prohibited expenditures and contributions under several sections of the Texas Election Code and the Texas Penal Code.

The San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association (Fire Fighters Union) and its president, Chris Steel (sic); the San Antonio Fire Fighters Political Action Committee (Fire Fighters PAC); as well as Texas Petition Strategies and its president, John Hatch, have admitted that they made and accepted prohibited contributions and expenditures of half a million dollars in violation of (several sections) of the Texas Election Code. As a result, they also may have conspired and acted to aid one another to Tamper with Governmental Records, ONeill wrote in the memo. The spirit of the Election Code is to ensure fair elections in Texas. High dollar prohibited contributions absolutely undermine this system and rob Texans of fair elections.

It is the duty of the local District Attorneys Office and the Attorney Generals Office to ensure that no campaign finance violations have occurred and that the Fire Fighters Union Dues Account is protected from being used to make unlawful political contributions and expenditures.

The PAC has requested that the DA either investigate or appoint a special prosecutor, and that the attorney general also investigate and determine whether prosecution is appropriate.

RELATED: PAC opposing charter amendments sues city, union to block election

Neither Steele nor Hatch immediately returned telephone calls seeking comment.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg has been an outspoken opponent of the charter amendments and has vowed to oppose them as his top priority headed into November,

Im shocked but not surprised, he said about the allegations of criminal activity. Taxpayers, especially those who were deceived into signing these petitions by hired outside operatives, deserve to know what kind of criminal activity Chris Steele and his cohort have been conducting.

The battle over the three charter amendments is expected to intensify. If the proposals make the Nov. 6 ballot and are approved by voters, the amendments would: cap the salary of future city managers and place term limits on them; lower the threshold for signatures on referendum petitions, increase the amount of time allowed for gathering them and remove prohibitions against overturning utility rates, tax levies and appropriations; and give the union sole discretion to declare an impasse on contract negotiations and force the city into binding arbitration, removing its right to seek relief in the court system.

Archer has acknowledged in the past that foes of the measures face an uphill battle because its more difficultto persuade voters to oppose issues rather than support them. But the PAC is prepared to raise big money  and spend it  on a campaign educating voters about the effects of the proposals.

Two of the three major credit-ratings agencies have said that the amendments could lead to downgrades of San Antonios AAA bond rating, which would mean taxpayers would end up spending more money on fewer projects.

Steele rejects such notions and says the amendments are about restoring power to citizens and taking control of City Hall.

Secure San Antonios Future has also asked a Bexar County district judge to block the City Council from calling the Nov. 6 election next week, arguing that the petitions should be tossed out because the fire union allegedly used union dues  not contributions to its PAC  to pay for the signature-gathering campaign.

The case could hinge on the question of whether its illegal for a labor union to spend union dues directly on political activity.

After the Express-News wrote last month that the union and its PAC had failed to disclose any payments to Texas Petition Strategies, the firefighters PAC hastily amended campaign-finance reports from earlier in the year, erroneously showing that Texas Petition Strategies had given more than $500,000 in in-kind contributions to the firefighters PAC. But Steele and Hatch both said afterward that the union had, in fact, paid TPS. Earlier this month, the union  not its PAC  filed a direct expenditure campaign finance report, indicating that the union had paid TPS and Facebook for previously undisclosed political advertisements.

Election-law expert Buck Wood has said that labor organizations are prohibited from making such direct expenditures on political activity, and the SSAF PAC has alleged both in its lawsuit and the memos to the AG and DA that the union has done just that.

Josh Baugh 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. | jbaugh@express-news.net | Twitter: @jbaugh
Over the past two state legislative sessions, the cities of Texas have been on the defensive.

In fighting against Republican-led efforts to impose stringent revenue caps on local communities, municipal officials have taken the correct policy position: that revenue caps dont provide meaningful property tax savings to homeowners, but constrain cities trying to meet residents demands for more investment in street maintenance, parks and public safety, among other things.

When you come out against revenue caps, however, its easy for the other side to demagogue you as the enemy of hard-working homeowners grappling with skyrocketing home appraisals.

Heading into next years legislative session, the city is taking a different tack.

RELATED: Texas lets seniors, disabled defer property taxes, but few mortgage companies allow it

It is positioning itself as the true advocate for property tax relief, with a set of proposals that get to the cause  not merely the symptoms  of the ailment inflicting so much pain on Texas homeowners.

Jeff Coyle, the citys director of Government & Public Affairs, presented the plan to the councils Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Committee on Tuesday morning, as part of the State Legislative Program the city is developing for 2019.

In past sessions, weve been fighting off the misguided solution of revenue caps on cities, Coyle told me. And we still are opposed to that, but we recognize that were up there fighting for the interests of our residents, and that property taxes are a legitimate concern for a lot of people.

The legislative package presented by Coyle gets to the core of some misunderstood complexities in the way property taxes are assessed and spent in Texas.

RELATED: O'Rourke makes San Antonio first stop for education town hall

For example, while cities bear the brunt of taxpayer wrath, the citys share of the property taxes you pay is small. In San Antonio, for example, school districts take 48 percent of your property taxes, while the city collects only 22 percent.

Theres also the fact that appraisal districts, not cities, set valuation rates. So those skyrocketing tax bills youre paying dont have much to do with the city, which hasnt raised its property tax rates in 25 years (and has lowered rates seven times during that period).

Our property tax problem is really a state school-funding problem. And thats the issue addressed by the citys State Legislative Program.

The plan will call on the state to assume more of the burden of public-education funding, thereby offering some relief to individual school districts, which can then pass that relief on to long-suffering homeowners.

The state currently covers only 38 percent of the funding for public education in Texas, according to the Texas Legislative Budget Board. In 2012, the local share of public-education financing was an already-high 54 percent, and it has escalated to an outrageous 62 percent over the past six years.

RELATED: Live Oak residents could see tax rate dip

Rather than formulating a plan to solve that systemic problem, however, weve seen lawmakers, such as state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, push their revenue-cap gimmicks.

Its a bit like members of Congress hollering for a balanced-budget amendment after voting for a series of bills that blow up the deficit. It doesnt wash.

I get a little bit frustrated when folks start to point the laser and take shots at the city, said Councilman Rey Saldana, chairman of the IGR Committee. If you look at our budget, were not cooking the books here: 66 percent is in public safety, we have $100 million going into infrastructure, most of the debt that we support is infrastructure projects that have been voted-approved.

So I think its a little disingenuous for some state leaders to try to find property tax relief at the city level, while ignoring the biggest sticker shock that most of our residents feel, which is the category on their school property taxes.

RELATED: Improvement palpable, vote yes in tax election

The program presented by Coyle will call on the state to assume a bigger share of school financing. It also will ask state lawmakers to ensure that all school property taxes that go up to the state end up getting funneled back into education, rather than being diverted to cover other parts of the state budget.

The third plank of the citys plan is a request for more flexibility at the local level to offer targeted property-tax relief for certain parts of the community.

Right now, the only homestead exemption we can provide is an across-the-board one, Coyle said. We dont have any ability to target it to high-growth urban areas that are experiencing transition, to veterans, any of that stuff.

Its just kind of a one-size-fits-all.

Kind of like revenue caps.

Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
By WestKyStar & Mercy Health Staff Aug. 04, 2018 | 11:20 AM | PADUCAH



Cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. James ORourke is the guest speaker.





Studies show that about 14% of all new cancers are lung cancers. Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.





Other topics that will be covered during the Lunch and Learn include the importance of a lung screening, such as a low dose CT, and the impact of smoking on lung cancer. Those who should consider attending include anyone suffering from a lung condition, current smokers, smokers thinking about quitting, and loved ones of smokers who would like information and tools to help get their loved one to quit.





The lunch is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call 270-538-5867.





To help raise awareness for lung cancer, Mercy Health is hosting a free Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at noon in the Borders Community Room in the Mercy Health  Marshall Nemer Medical Office Building.
San Antonians filled a 650-seat theater to capacity to take part in Beto ORourkes first town hall dedicated to education Tuesday evening.

Carver Community Cultural Center staff quickly set up an overflow room for some while others had to wait outside in the foyer for a chance to see the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate facing Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the November election.

There are a lot of people for me to learn from here, and their expertise, their experience, the concerns, the opportunities that they raise to me right now  those are going to lead to better outcomes in public policy in the U.S. Senate, ORourke told the Express-News before entering the theater to a roaring applause. So this is a place I want to be when we have the conversation about public education.

He cited Edgewood Independent School Districts long-standing reputation for advocating for public school finance and the city-funded Pre-K 4 SA, championed by former Mayor Julian Castro, that has received national attention.

Trish Florence, a mother of two autistic boys, asked how ORourke would protect special education funding. This year, the federal Department of Education found Texas education officials illegally denied special needs to children with disabilities.

Related: Will Texas Latinos make waves in November?

ORourke responded with the story of his sister who grew up in special education classes. He said she may have been able to succeed in a general education classroom if her teachers had been given more support. He also pointed out that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act entitles free public education to children with disabilities.

The demand for (such) funding far outpaces what my colleagues are willing to appropriate, ORourke said.

Adonis Schurmann, president of Northeast Education Association, was among those who didnt make it inside. She said she hoped ORourke would commit to increasing funding for public education and reducing testing. Cruz has drawn the ire of some public school education advocates for supporting legislation that would put taxpayers dollars toward private schools.

Schurmann said, The question (for ORourke) is How are you going to help us to get funding back in public schools?

Related: The business of owning real estate for immigration detention centers

ORourke said public school teachers have been approaching him on the campaign trail with stories of taking second and third jobs while their health insurance premiums went up and they received no cost-of-living adjustments. He has three more education town halls planned in Dallas, Houston and Austin.

Everywhere I go in Texas  smallest town, biggest city, very Republican, very Democrat  people were asking about public education, and theyre sharing with me some of the challenges they face, ORourke said. I want to make sure we dedicate a town hall just to these issues so that I come away a smarter candidate and a better public servant.

Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva
The county court in Zagreb has temporarily blocked a planned strike by Croatia Airlines' staff which was due to begin this morning and affect some 70% of all flights. The court, which is considering the case brought forward by the carrier's management, found that the strike would cause considerable damage to the airline. It has temporarily blocked industrial action and will continue to debate the legality of the strike tomorrow, after which it could either lift or retain the embargo. Two of Croatia Airlines' unions representing pilots, cabin crew and mechanics were due to stage a walk out from 06.00 this morning, unhappy with the proposed terms of the new collective agreement and the carrier's management. It previously cancelled two strikes in hope of reaching a deal.





Croatia Airlines was today due to operate just 22 international and domestic flights, which would have affected some 5.000 passengers. According to the management, the strike would have resulted in a loss of over 800.000 euros per day. It further accused unions of having unreasonable demands, noting that it would have to fork out an additional 7.1 million euros per year in order to meet their requirements for increased pay, extra holiday leave and fixed contracts for a number of staff members. For their part, the unions say the management has done nothing to negotiate the terms of the new collective agreement to replace the one which expired twenty months ago and has offered no compromise. Attempts to break the stalemate between the two sides were made on Monday night but ultimately failed.





The Croatian Minister for Sea, Transport and Infrastructure sent a letter to Croatia Airlines' staff on Monday evening, warning them of grave consequences their strike action would have on the carrier and Croatia as a whole. "Croatia Airlines is a company of great importance and is in the process of seeking a strategic partner, in line with the government's plans. The carrier is in the midst of a significant investment cycle which includes funding for fleet maintenance which is very expensive and is valued in the tens of millions of dollars", Mr Butkovic said. He added, "The collective agreement expired on December 31, 2016, however, its terms have been extended until further notice so as to secure the economic and social interests of all employees".





The Minister warned that the strike could lead to a complete collapse of Croatia's air transportation network. "The strike would affect between 5.000 and 6.500 passengers per day. mostly foreigners who would be unable to return to their countries of origin or arrive to Croatia for their holidays. Croatia Airlines would be obliged to pay for their accommodation and alternative transport, which would be impossible to secure during the summer as all hotels are at full capacity and other airlines are booked out", Mr Butkovic said. He noted, "Accumulating passengers at local airports, especially those on the coast, would lead to a complete collapse of Croatia's air transport, which would impact other sectors of the economy as well". The Minister said the unions are unreasonable in their demands and are acting carelessly and recklessly.





UPDATE: Court delays ruling on the legality of the strike until Thursday.
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Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV.

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KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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Toyota Motor Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of motor vehicles and parts. It operates through the following segments: Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other. The Automotive segment designs, manufactures, assembles and sells passenger cars, minivans, trucks, and related vehicle parts and accessories. It is also involved in the development of intelligent transport systems. The Financial Services segment offers purchase or lease financing to Toyota vehicle dealers and customers. It also provides retail leasing through lease contracts purchase by dealers. The All Others segment deals with the design and manufacture and sale of housing, telecommunications and other businesses. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda on August 28, 1937 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan.

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By The Associated Press Aug. 08, 2018 | 07:28 AM | WESTERVILLE, OH

Two high-stakes elections that tested President Donald Trump's clout and cost both parties millions of dollars were too close to call early Wednesday. Trump claimed victory in one nevertheless.

In battleground Ohio, the president took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance, calling it "a great victory," even though the contest could be headed to a recount. Democrats could also celebrate their showing in a district that has gone Republican for decades.

"We're not stopping now," Democrat Danny O'Connor told cheering supporters. He'll reprise his campaign against Balderson from now through November's general election.

In deep-red Kansas ' Republican gubernatorial primary, the candidate Trump backed on the eve of the election, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, was neck and neck with current Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer.

The day's races in five states, like many before them, tested the persistence of Trump's fiery supporters and the momentum of the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance.

The results were helping determine the political landscape  and Trump's standing within his own party  as the GOP defends its House and Senate majorities this fall.

In Kansas, Republicans were fighting among themselves in an unusual battle for governor in which the president sided with the incumbent's challenger.

Should the polarizing Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governorship to Democrats this fall. The race could become further disrupted if Kansas City-area businessman Greg Orman makes it onto the November ballot. He submitted petitions Monday with more than 10,000 signatures for what could become the most serious independent run for Kansas governor in decades.

Trump made his preference clear for Kobach.

"He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country - he will be a GREAT Governor and has my full & total Endorsement! Strong on Crime, Border & Military," the president tweeted on the eve of the election.

Republicans were hoping for Democratic discord in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, a suburban Kansas City district where several candidates were fighting for the chance to take on Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder in November.

The five-way Democratic primary featured labor lawyer Brent Welder, who campaigned recently with self-described democratic socialists Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and ascending political star, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate.

Also in the race: Native American attorney Sharice Davids and former school teacher Tom Niermann.

In Ohio, the script for the special election was somewhat familiar: An experienced Trump loyalist, Balderson, was fighting a strong challenge from O'Connor, a fresh-faced Democrat, in a congressional district held by the Republican Party for more than three decades. As voters were going to the polls, Trump said Balderson would make a "great congressman."

The winner takes the seat previously held by Pat Tiberi, a nine-term incumbent who resigned to take a job with an Ohio business group.

Balderson and O'Connor will reprise their race in the general election in just three months. There were at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough to force a recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races subject to an automatic recount.

In a special election season that featured nearly a dozen congressional contests, Democrats claimed just a handful of wins, but they may have cause for optimism this fall. In virtually every special election test dating back to the spring of 2017, Democratic candidates performed significantly better than their party in those same places two years earlier.

Trump won Ohio's 12th Congressional District, for example, by more than 11 points in 2016; on Tuesday night, Balderson and O'Connor were separated by less than 1 point.

There are 79 House races this fall considered more competitive than the Ohio district  at least looking at Trump's 2016 performance  according to data compiled by the Democrats' national campaign committee.

Despite the deadlocked race, the specific Ohio returns suggest considerably higher Democratic enthusiasm less than 100 days before the midterms.

O'Connor's total of nearly 100,000 votes far exceeded what the district's former Republican congressman Pat Tiberi's Democratic opponent got in 2014. Balderson's total  just more than 101,500 votes  is barely two-thirds of Tiberi's 2014 mark of about 150,000.

The two will face off again in November to see who holds the seat in 2019 and 2020.

"Over the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great again, so that when we come back here in November  get ready, we gotta come back here in November  I have earned your vote for a second time," Balderson told supporters.

It's unclear how much Trump's support helped or hurt Balderson. Described by campaign operatives as a "Whole Foods" district, the largely suburban region features a more affluent and educated voter base than the typical Trump stronghold.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a leading voice in the GOP's shrinking anti-Trump wing, once represented the district in Congress.

At times, the race centered on Trump's tax cuts as much as the candidates.

O'Connor and his Democratic allies railed against the tax plan, casting it as a giveaway for the rich that exacerbates federal deficits and threatens Medicare and Social Security. Balderson and his Republican allies have backed away from the tax plan in recent weeks, training their fire instead on top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

O'Connor dominated Balderson on the local airwaves. His campaign spent $2.25 million on advertising compared to Balderson's $507,000, according to campaign tallies of ad spending. The Republican campaign arm and its allied super PAC were forced to pick up the slack, spending more than $4 million between them.

In Michigan, former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib is poised to become the first Muslim woman in Congress. She won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed in November.

And in suburban Seattle, three Democrats vied in a jungle primary for the seat held by another retiring Republican, Rep. Dave Reichert.

The field was set in two Senate contests as well.

In Missouri, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill claimed her party's nomination, while state Attorney General Josh Hawley will represent the GOP.

And in Michigan, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow will take on military veteran and business executive John James, who won the Republican nomination. He would join Tim Scott of South Carolina as the only black Republican senators if he wins in November.

Hours before polls opened, Trump again weighed in on Twitter, casting James as "a potential Republican star."
Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Chile 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 Chile ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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by Jon Keebler | Fri, Aug 3rd 12:33pm EDT

According to Casey Holdahl, Trail Blazers beat writer, guard CJ Wilcox will sign a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers. (Casey Holdahl on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

The signing shouldn't have much fantasy relevance to owners in the coming year, but it is always worth keeping an eye on players that switch teams.
British farmers are set to benefit from a new market as Taiwan prepares to welcome British pork exports for the first time.

Defra has announced that the new deal will be worth 50m in the first first years.

UK pork exports were worth 290 million to the UK economy last year, reaching over 80 export markets

The Taiwan deal means UK exporters can tap in to the overseas demand for parts of the pig carcass that are not commonly purchased in the UK, such as offal.

It means UK farmers and pork processors will be able to generate further income for the whole carcass.

The deal has been secured by the UK government, working with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP).

Exporters can take advantage of the market as soon as the administrative listing process is completed and export certification is made available.

China deal

It follows a number of recent successes for UK food and drink exports, which reached a record level of 22 billion in 2017.

Last month, China lifted its two-decade long ban on UK beef exports following the BSE outbreak.

The agreement will allow official market access negotiations to begin, estimated to be worth over 250million in the first five years alone.

A team of trade experts are providing guidance to UK farming businesses as they enter into overseas markets for the first time or consider expanding their current global customer base.

This is complemented by the governments Food is GREAT campaign, which highlights the success of current exporters and showcases the UKs food and drink.
Farmers are making the most of buoyant second-hand trade in machinery  but they need to be careful of VAT and legal pitfalls, according to farm accountants.

Selling surplus machinery is a good way to free up cash, but it usually comes with an increased tax bill and is not without its risks, particularly when dealing with overseas buyers.

British farmers have seen buoyant second-hand trade in machinery, with strong demand throughout Europe.

If you sell any equipment you will usually have to pay Income Tax or Corporation Tax on the sale price, explained Andrew Vickery, head of rural services at accountants Old Mill.

Many people think that they are dealing with Capital Gains Tax instead, and can therefore make use of their CGT allowance  but that simply isnt the case.

Second hand surge

Sales of second hand machinery through Cheffins auctioneers increased by 13% in Q2 2018, to 10.07m; its highest level since 2014.

However, the volume traded only increased by 3%, reflecting the higher prices driven by favourable exchange rates for overseas buyers, stronger commodity prices and a lack of stock.

Around 80% of stock sold at the firms Cambridge machinery sales went overseas, with buyers from countries including Ireland, Spain, Bulgaria, Poland and Belgium.

If youre selling overseas to a business you do not generally need to charge VAT, explained Mr Vickery.

For EU sales, you must show the purchasers VAT number on your sales invoice and they pay VAT in their own country using the acquisition VAT process.

You then need to log the sale on your VAT return, fill out an EC Sales List and send it in to HMRC. It is also vital that you retain a copy of the relevant freight documents for both EU or non-EU sales, he said.

Different laws

Since laws differ in every country, its important to understand the basic legal framework of the country to which you intend to export, explained Amy Kerr, senior associate at solicitor Clarke Willmott.

Considerations include investigating who you are dealing with, and checking they have legal capacity to sign any contract.

In some jurisdictions, there is a duty to inform potential buyers of any facts which would affect their decision to sign up to the contract, explained Ms Kerr.

The contract itself should include an accurate description of the machinery  otherwise it may be deemed to be of satisfactory quality, she said.

Payment issues

A key concern is when and how payment is to be made  and in what currency

"Payment up front is always best, with delivery once payment has cleared, explained Ms Kerr. Paypal is an option as this controls when payment is made.

If interest is to be charged for late payment, this should be specified. She said: If youre receiving a cash payment of 10,000 or more, you may need to register with HMRC and carry out money laundering checks.

Other issues include damage in transit or late delivery, with farmers being urged to specify which courts are to have jurisdiction in the case of a claim.

Many of these considerations also come into play when trading within the UK, warned Mr Vickery.

There is strong trade in second hand machinery within the UK, as farmers join forces to buy new equipment while others look for cheaper options. While there will always be tax considerations when freeing up capital, its important to make the right commercial decisions for your business.
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A security engineer has created a brand new music single following a nationwide search to find the next big name in "farm rap".

Joe Harrison has been crowned winner following a competition by Nottinghamshire-based farm shop Pork Farms.

King of Pork Pie is a light-hearted, farm life inspired rap track created by the 30-year-old.

He has since recorded, produced and starred in the music video.

It sets out to support the next generation of British farmers, as royalties from track downloads will go back into the rural community via donation to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC). The track is available to download now via iTunes and Spotify.

The competition was launched at the NFYFC AGM and saw entries from all over the country.

Joe, a Security Engineer from Southsea, Portsmouth, was selected by a judging panel that included industry professionals.

On winning the competition and recording the track, Joe Harrison, who goes by the stage name of Joe Burger said: Im chuffed to bits and absolutely buzzing to have won.

"Ive always loved rap music and recording this song means a lot to me because weve had good fun while giving something back to the community and celebrating the great work of British farmers.

To listen to or download Joes winning track visit: Google Play, DeezerSpotify or Tidal.
The NFU is today hosting a rural crime roundtable to help deliver solutions that will begin to tackle the increasing levels of crime in the countryside.

A key ask in the NFUs Combatting Rural Crime Report, the meeting will lay out the issues farmers and rural businesses are facing with rural crime.

The meeting, to take place on a farm in Cambridgeshire, will seek to begin to discuss practical solutions that police and government can look to address.

The NFU said it will call for a "consistent and co-ordinated" approach between government departments.

Representatives from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice will be in attendance today to hear from farmers about the impacts crime has on their businesses.

It follows the release of new figures that shows the cost of rural crime has risen to 44.5m, with some farmers using medieval fortifications to combat it.

'First step'

NFU Deputy President Guy Smith will chair the meeting. He said the meeting is an opportunity to get high-ranking civil servants and police leads on rural crime into a room to work on practical solutions that can deliver for rural communities.

This represents the first step in a permanent cross-government rural crime taskforce being formed, something the NFU called for in its Combatting Rural Crime report last year," Mr Smith said.

"We will continue to work towards that goal so that rural crime is consistently on the government agenda.

It is vitally important that decision-makers hear first-hand from farmers about the devastating impacts crime can have on their businesses. Whether it is theft, hare coursing or fly-tipping, the effects can be long-lasting and can severely disrupt a farming business.

Mr Smith added: As new figures show, the cost of rural crime is at its highest in years and the NFU will continue to work with MPs, government and the police to tackle this blight on our countryside.

The NFU has also launched a Rural Crime Reporting Line in partnership with Crimestoppers.

The line allows farmers to anonymously give information about large-scale industrial fly-tipping, hare coursing, machinery theft and livestock theft .
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
Mammootty In Yathra

As you all know, Yathra is one of the much-awaited films of Mammooty and the movie also marks his return to Telugu cinema after two decades. He will be seen essaying the role of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in this much-awaited film.

Anu Sithara At The Sets Of Yathra

According to a recent report by Times Of India, popular Malayalam actress Anu Sithara had visited the sets of Mammootty's upcoming movie Yathra, while she was in the city for discussions on another project. Reportedly, the actress who visited the set was inspired on seeing Mammootty's dedication.

Learning The Telugu Dialogues

Reportedly, the actress stated that she was inspired by seeing Mammootty learning the lengthy dialogues in Telugu. The actress stated that there were a lot of pages and Mammootty was learning the dialogues by understanding the meaning of each and every word.

Dedication And Hard Work

Well, this rightly shows the amount of hard work that Mammootty puts in for the perfection of each and every character that he portrays. The teaser of Yathra was out a couple of months ago and it had some dialogues in Telugu, which Mammootty had said to perfection. Undoubtedly, Yathra is one of the most-awaited upcoming projects of the actor.
Cezanne Khan

After playing the iconic role on Ekta's show, Cezanne Khan is famously referred to as Anurag, despite acting in other Pakistani and Indian shows. According to reports, the actor is currently taking care of his family business in Dubai. Though the actors expressed interest in being a part of the remake of Kasautii Zindagi Kay, it doesn't seem to happen, as other names are making rounds.

Shweta Tiwari

Shweta aka Prerna seems to be happy taking care of her family, as she has no plans of returning to the small screen. She and husband Abhinav Kohli have a son and daughter together. While her son Reyansh is a baby boy still, her daughter Palak was supposed to make her Bollywood debut opposite Darsheel Safary. However, she had to decline the offer due to her school exams.

Urvashi Dholakia

Unlike other actors, Urvashi stayed in the spotlight after Kasautii ended. She appeared on Bigg Boss 6 and even won the reality show. Reports are making rounds that Urvashi will be seen in the remake of Kasautii Zindagi Kay, but not as Komolika. She'll be seen playing the role of Sudha. Recently, she celebrated her 40th birthday with her twin sons and mother.

Ronit Roy

Playing the role of Rishabh Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagi Kay changed Ronit Roy's life. Post Kasautii, he was seen in many movies and shows. But till date, he is referred to as Mr Bajaj. He has become a renowned actor in Bollywood too. He will be seen in the movie Loveratri next.
Ever since the first Indian original Netflix series Sacred Games was released, people have been taken aback by all the factors associated with it! The series was co-directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikram Motwane. But, seems like the cast was not really happy with Vikram's bit of direction, as many actors from Sacred Games, in a recent interview, expressed frustration over his direction. Also, Saif had previously hinted that Vikram Motwane might not be a part of the next season.

In a round table interview with journalist Rajeev Masand, the Sacred Games' actors opened up about their experiences on the sets. While talking, Jatin Sarna, who plays the role of Bunty, said, "It becomes very difficult for an actor,". The actor said he had pleaded Motwane to get a reaction after his performance. And, when the director wouldn't speak, he would turn to his assistants to get a feedback.

"With Anurag sir it was fun", he added.

Previously when Saif Ali Khan was asked if Motwane would be directing the next season, he said, "It might be a little premature to say, but I don't think he's directing the second season". He further added, "I think he was under so much pressure that he didn't have any fun".

However, Neeraj Kani who is seen in the role of the crooked cop Parulkar, had a different opinion about Motwane's direction. He said, "There is also a nice advantage to this kind of direction that I've found, is that when the director is not talking to you at all there's another side to it that you can explore deeper."

Actor Joshi who won many hearts through his character Katekar thanks the director for all the love he received. He said, when they were shooting his death scene, Motwane asked for a re-take, but didn't tell Joshi what exactly to do. After a couple of rehearsals they got the perfect shot, which surprised even Saif Ali Khan. But, Motwane refrained from saying anything. Joshi said, "On my last day, he came over and hugged me for three minutes. When I see the love and praise Katekar is getting now, that is Vikram Motwane."

Also Read -Aashka Goradia Enters Spiritual Path With Brent Goble!
Comicstaan Brings Together Seven Of India's Best Comedians

Comicstaan brings together seven of India's best comedians - Tanmay Bhat, Kenny Sebastian, Sapan Verma, Naveen Richard, Kaneez Surkha, Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath. All the judges can be seen mentoring and judging the budding talents, as they compete each week to win the coveted title.

Tanmay Bhatt On Comicstaan

Tanmay Bhatt, who made a cameo appearance in Ragini MMS 2, will be seen as one of the judges of the show. He feels that the way Comicstaan has been conceptualised is one of the most authentic ways a comedy show has been made in India.

Tanmay Praises Comicstaan

Praising the unconventional concept, Tanmay shared his thoughts on the ongoing season of Comicstaan, he said, "The way the show was done, is the most authentic way comedy shows have been done in India. I mean everything from the mentoring to the variety of skills to the way it was produced. We got actual audiences, unlike other comedy shows. So, it was basically the most authentic comedy experiences we could find."

The Show Brings Two Of The Most Loved Comic Artists In India Together

The show also brings together two of the most loved comic artists in India, Naveen Richard and Sumukhi Suresh. While Naveen is one of the mentors on the show, Sumukhi hosts the digital reality show along with Abish Mathew.

Naveen Had Judged A Show Along With Sumukhi Earlier!

While the duo can be seen sharing the screen space together in Comicstaan, Naveen revealed that he has earlier judged a show along with Sumukhi. He said, "I have judged but not at this level. Once Sumukhi and I went to judge this personality contest in a girl's college, while Sumukhi gelled, I was trying my best. You really have to be funny not just nice. I have always said no to judging."
Ekta Kapoor Gets Calls From Politicians & Bureaucrats

The producer was quoted as saying, "Trust me I get calls from politicians, actors, friends and bureaucrats, who call for casting. My mom says You don't answer these calls and we have to bear the brunt.' And I tell her that I can't help, it's my job."

The Producer Asks Aspiring Actors Not To Stalk Her!

Ekta advises the aspiring actors, who approach her through different means for a break, not to stalk her. She told the reporters, "I would like to tell them that don't stalk me. Don't follow me, or take my number and drop me texts. Don't meet me in a park. That's called stalking."

Ekta Has An Advice For The Aspiring Actors!

She asks them to share their work, she says, "Don't ask you politician and bureaucrat uncles to get you cast. That's a dampener. Tape your work and if that reaches me then be rest assured that if you fit the role, you will be cast. Your legacy or background will not matter."

Ekta Kapoor Talks About Nepotism

Ekta says that she doesn't do nepotism. She adds that if the film with the new comers doesn't work, she will compensate it by doing two television shows! She was quoted by IE as saying, "I don't do nepotism. I don't have a problem with it but I may take a different route."

How She Manages to Balance When Her Films Flop?

"I might pick a route that's not entirely business friendly. At the end, if a film doesn't do well, I will make two shows so that the company doesn't suffer but I will give it back (to the industry)."
Vifor Pharma Ltd. / VIFOR PHARMA GROUP REPORTS STRONG H1 2018 RESULTS, RAISES FULL-YEAR GUIDANCE . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Strong financial performance in H1 2018

Three medium-term strategic growth drivers fully on track

Strategic in-licensing deal concluded with Cara Therapeutics Inc.

Net sales and EBITDA guidance for 2018 raised and positive outlook confirmed

IN H1 2018, VIFOR PHARMA RECORDED A STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DRIVEN BY ITS THREE STRATEGIC GROWTH DRIVERS. AS A RESULT OF THE STRONG H1 2018 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, THE COMPANY IS RAISING ITS NET SALES AND EBITDA GUIDANCE FOR 2018 AND CONFIRMING THE POSITIVE OUTLOOK.

Corrected with updated link: For the full version of the press release in English, please click here (http://hugin.info/148637/R/2209821/860077.pdf).





FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: STRONG GROWTH TREND CONTINUES



Significant revenue growth with net sales of CHF 747.4 million, up 23.4%

EBITDA increased to CHF 192.0 million, up 44.5%

Strong balance sheet with equity ratio of 80.0%

THREE STRATEGIC GROWTH DRIVERS FULLY ON TRACK



Strong growth reported in each of the three strategic growth drivers - Ferinject, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) and Veltassa

Implementation of Milestone 2020 strategic plan in-line with all objectives

FERINJECT



Net sales up 29.3% in H1; on track for growth in excess of 20% for the FY 2018

Increase in overall i.v. iron market share to 45.7% compared to 39.8% the prior year.

VIFOR FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE RENAL PHARMA



Mircera growth strong at CHF 214.0 million, up 38.1% from H1 2017.

Conditional Marketing Application accepted (phase-II data basis) and in review for avacopan for the treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis in Europe

Agreement signed with Cara Therapeutics to develop and commercialise CR845/difelikefalin injection for haemodialysis patients with pruritus worldwide outside US, Japan, South Korea

VELTASSA



Strong momentum, with net sales of CHF 36.8 million for H1 2018 (up 51.8% from CHF 24.3 million in H1 2017)

Launches in Germany, the UK, and Switzerland

First successful ex-US reimbursement approval in Sweden and Denmark

US Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) approves label change enabling Veltassa to be taken with or without food

Exclusive development and marketing licence signed with Zeria in Japan

NET SALES AND EBITDA GUIDANCE RAISED, POSITIVE OUTLOOK CONFIRMED



Net sales expected to grow by more than 15%

EBITDA expected to increase by more than 25%

All other elements of financial guidance as of 15 March 2018 and positive outlook confirmed

Commenting on the first-half results, Etienne Jornod, Executive Chairman of Vifor Pharma Group, said: "In the first half of 2018, we continued to build on our achievements in 2017, executing against our strategy to become a global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies. Our three strategic growth drivers all performed strongly. Ferinject/Injectafer continued to build on its position as the market-leading intravenous iron therapy worldwide, with growth of more than 29%, and is on track to grow at least 20% this year. Our joint company VFMCRP further strengthened its position in the nephrology market, helped by key products including Mircera, which was up more than 38%. Hyperkalaemia therapy Veltassa is performing in accordance with our expectations, strengthening our strategic position in cardio-renal therapies and our overall position in the key US market.

"Based on these results, we are increasing our full-year guidance, with net sales now expected to grow by more than 15% in 2018 at constant exchange rates and EBITDA expected to increase by more than 25%."

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

In million CHF H1 2018 H1 2017 Change in % Net sales 747.4 605.9 23.4% EBITDA 192.0 132.9 44.5% Net profit after minorities (from continuing operations) 118.0 -9.6 -- Core earnings per share 2.66 0.61 336.1%

For further details, please see the Vifor Pharma Group 2018 Half-year Report (PDF) at www.viforpharma.com (http://www.viforpharma.com).

Live conference call and webcast

Vifor Pharma will host a live conference call (see phone numbers below) and webcast ((https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/9bx3fhce (https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/9bx3fhce)) on 8 August 2018 at 2:00 p.m. (CET). The pin code for the live conference call is 8528258. Phone numbers for the live conference call

Switzerland:

France:

Germany:

United Kingdom:

United States of America:

Other countries:



Local

+41 22 567 5750

+33 1 76 77 2257

+49 69 2222 2018

+44 330 336 9411

+1 323 794 2588

+44 330 336 9411 Free

0800 222 801

0805 101 278

0800 101 1732

0800 279 7204

888-394-8218 Replay

A webcast replay ((https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/9bx3fhce (https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/9bx3fhce)) will be available from 8 August 2018 at approximately 5:00 p.m. (CET).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Media Relations

Heide Hauer

Head of Corporate Communications

Tel.: +41 58 851 80 87

E-mail: media@viforpharma.com (mailto:media@viforpharma.com)

Investor Relations

Julien Vignot

Head of Investor Relations

Tel.: +41 58 851 66 90

E-mail: investors@viforpharma.com (mailto:investors@viforpharma.com)

Vifor Pharma Group is a global pharmaceuticals company. It aims to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies. The company is the partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative patient-focused solutions. Vifor Pharma Group strives to help patients around the world with severe and chronic diseases lead better, healthier lives. The company develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for precision patient care. Vifor Pharma Group holds a leading position in all its core business activities and consists of the following companies: Vifor Pharma; Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma, a joint company with Fresenius Medical Care; Relypsa; and OM Pharma. Vifor Pharma Group is headquartered in Switzerland, and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange, VIFN, ISIN: CH0364749348). For more information, please visit www.viforpharma.com (http://www.viforpharma.com).

PRESS RELEASE (http://hugin.info/148637/R/2209821/860077.pdf)


OUTOTEC OYJ PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 8, 2018 AT 10:00 AM



Outotec to deliver minerals processing technology to South America

Outotec has been awarded an order for the delivery of minerals processing technology to a new copper concentrator to be built in South America. The contract value booked in Outotec's 2018 third quarter order intake is approximately EUR 25 million.

Outotec's scope includes engineering and the delivery of flotation cells and filters. The deliveries will take place by the end of 2019.

"We are pleased to be part of one of the most important mining projects in South America through Outotec's energy-efficient flotation cells and our proven filter technology. This order will strengthen Outotec's position as a supplier of advanced minerals processing technologies in South America," says Kimmo Kontola, head of Outotec's Minerals Processing business.



For further information please contact:

OUTOTEC

Kimmo Kontola, President - Minerals Processing business unit

tel. +358 40 822 7100



Eila Paatela, Vice President - Corporate Communications

tel. +358 20 529 2004, +358 400 817198

e-mails firstname.lastname@outotec.com

DISTRIBUTION

Main media

www.outotec.com (http://www.outotec.com/)





This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Outotec Oyj via Globenewswire


Pre-Stabilisation notice

8 August, 2018

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

Volkswagen Leasing GmbH

EUR Triple-Tranche Eurobond Transaction 2.5, 4.5 and 7 years

Pre-Stabilisation Notice

Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 13623492) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Volkswagen Leasing GmbH Guarantor: Volkswagen Financial Services AG Aggregate nominal amounts: EUR tbc Description: Fixed rate triple-tranche due 2021, 2023 and 2025 Offer price: tbc after pricing Other offer terms: payment date 16 August 2018, listing Luxembourg, denomination 1k, under the issuer's existing DIP Stabilisation: Stabilisation coordinator:

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG

BBVA

Credit Agricole CIB

HSBC Stabilisation period expected to start on: 8th August 2018 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

END
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.
BENGALURU, India, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Companies that commence transformation from their core are leading in digital disruption

Lack of digital skill sets is the greatest barrier to transformation

Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today released global research, The New Champions of Digital Disruption: Incumbent Organizations, that reveals that under a quarter of organizations surveyed, understand that commitment to digital is at the heart of true transformation. And, it is these organizations that are reaping rewards from digital disruption. According to the research, more than half of all respondents surveyed, rank focus on digital skillset as the most important factor in successful transformation, followed by senior leadership commitment and change management, implying the need for a conducive organizational culture.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg )



Visionaries, Watchers and Explorers

The research identifies three clusters of respondents based on the business objectives behind their digital transformation initiatives.

Visionaries (22 percent) understand the potential of the digital revolution to completely transform their business

Explorers (50 percent) commit to digital programs driven by the need to enhance customer experience

Watchers (28 percent) see digital transformation through the prism of efficiency

True transformation begins from the core

While Watchers and Explorers are primarily focusing on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and 3D printing for digital transformation initiatives, Visionaries are not only looking at emerging technologies, but are also focusing strongly on core areas such as mainframe and ERP modernization.

Visionaries believe that true transformation comes from the core and without this in the background, digital technologies will not perform to their potential. The study reflects that their commitment to modernizing from the core will yield benefits, such as improved productivity and efficiencies.

Agility in championing digital disruption

Visionaries watch and explore futuristic trends which currently escape the notice of the other two cohorts. They boast of increased clarity on opportunities and threats of digital disruption over Explorer and Watchers, as well as an increased ability to execute on them.

Visionaries look further into the future. They attach a higher rating to the impact of market drivers such as Emerging Technologies (86 percent Visionaries vs 63 percent Explorers, 50 percent Watchers) and Changing Ecosystems (63 percent vs 39 percent, 31 percent) - enabling them to be agile and disruptive.

Lack of digital skill set - greatest barrier

When ranking barriers on the path to digitization, building digital skill sets was found to be the most prevalent (54 percent) challenge for organizations, highlighting the lack of digital skill set available.

Transforming from a low risk organization to an organization that rewards experimentation (43 percent) and lack of change management (43 percent) were the second and third greatest barriers, showcasing the turbulence and resistance to change associated with digital transformation.

The importance of establishing an ecosystem

Building in-house capabilities was on the list of 76 percent of Visionaries, who were keen on acquiring digital native firms, to quickly gain the digital skills that 71 percent of the Visionaries believed were lacking in-house. Thereby, showcasing the increasing trend towards acquisitions and development of a sustainable ecosystem. Comparatively, the proportion of Explorers and Watchers looking at the acquisition and ecosystem options was negligible.

Pravin Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Infosys, said, "Navigating the digital disruption requires companies to drive a holistic approach to transformation and foster a digital culture that brings together leadership commitment and a renewed approach to skill building. Infosys with its long standing partnerships with global corporations is focused on accelerating their digital transformation journey from their core systems while building new capability to drive competitive advantage."

Overcoming barriers to digital transformation

Enterprises are relying on their transformation partners to help them scale barriers. Preparing workforce for digital transformation and developing strong capability in managing large organizational change have emerged as top strategies to overcome these barriers. This is especially critical to Visionaries who are aiming to transform business culture.

For a full copy of the report, please visit:https://www.infosys.com/navigate-your-next/research/

Methodology

Infosys commissioned independent market research company Feedback Business Consulting to undertake a study to understand the decision-making processes and challenges around the digital transformation journey businesses embark on. From March to April 2018, the qualitative and quantitative subset of the study was carried out, interviewing over 1,000 respondents senior management level executives who have a role in digital transformation initiatives. Respondents were from organisations with 5,000 employees or more and $1 billion global annual revenue. Overall, the respondents represented 11 industry groups from Australia, China, France, Germany, India, the UK, and the US.

About Infosys Ltd.

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, data privacy breaches or cyber security incidents, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.
SEATTLE, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumption of wood raw-material by the Swedish forest industry increased in 2017 and early 2018, especially in the pulp sector, which struggled to supply their mills with wood fiber during the winter months. As a result, log and wood chip importation rose and domestic prices for sawlogs and pulpwood increased, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). Softwood log imports were up over 25% during the first four months of 2018 as compared to the same period in 2017, and hardwood pulplog imports were up over 70% in the same period. There were also three rare shipments of Eucalyptus chips from Brazil and Uruguay to Swedish ports during the winter as supply of both domestic and imported hardwood logs had become tight.

Softwood log imports to Sweden increased for the second consecutive year in 2017 to 4.5 million m3, with Finland and Estonia expanding their market share the most. However, in the 4Q/17, import volumes fell to their lowest levels in two years because of weather-related struggles in sourcing logs around the Baltic Sea. When the weather improved in early 2018, shipments of softwood logs increased and 1Q/18 imports from Finland and Estonia were up 88% and 42% respectively, from the 1Q/17.

The biggest changes in supply sourcing over the past five years include a dramatic decline in softwood logs being shipped from Latvia to Sweden and a steady increase in logs coming from Norway to pulpmills in Central Sweden. Log imports from Norway to Sweden have increased from two million m3 in 2013 to 2.5 million m3 in 2017 and accounted for 56% of Sweden's total log import volume last year.

Average import prices for pulplogs from Norway have risen over 30% in the last year to reach US$60/m3 in the 1Q/18, a substantially steeper increase than that seen for domestic pulplog prices, reports the WRQ. Domestic log prices in Sweden have been on a steady upswing from the 4Q/16 to the 1Q/18 with prices for sawlogs and pulplogs increasing by 16% and 19%, respectively.

During July, over 25,000 hectares of forests have been destroyed by fires in Sweden. Substantial restrictions in timber harvests and reduced log deliveries have resulted in declining log inventories throughout the forest industry. As a consequence, it is likely that log imports will increase during the second half of 2018.

Global lumber, sawlog and pulpwood market reporting is included in the 56-page quarterly publication Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The report, which was established in 1988 and has subscribers in over 30 countries, tracks sawlog, pulpwood, lumber and pellet prices, trade and market developments in most key regions around the world. To subscribe to the WRQ, please go to www.WoodPrices.com.

Contact Information:

Wood Resources International LLC

Hakan Ekstrom

Seattle, USA

info@woodprices.com

www.WoodPrices.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/wood-resources-international-llc/r/log-supply-has-been-tight-for-the-forest-industry-in-sweden-in-2018-as-it-has-been-running-in-high-g,c2585019

The following files are available for download:
Record third quarter sales, up 9% year over year to $9.6 billion

Record third quarter diluted earnings per share of $1.62, increased 17%

Record third quarter Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.56, up 12%

Returned $629 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends

Reduced top end of outlook ranges for Total Sales, Adjusted Net Income attributable to Magna and revised outlook for Adjusted EBIT margin

AURORA, Ontario, Nov. 08, 2018for full third quarter Financial Statements and MD&A.

THREE MONTHS ENDED

SEPTEMBER 30,

NINE MONTHS ENDED

SEPTEMBER 30,

2018

2017(2)

2018

2017(2)

Reported



Sales $ 9,618 $ 8,864 $ 30,690 $ 26,904 Income from operations before

income taxes $ 674 $ 683 $ 2,344 $ 2,220 Net income attributable to

Magna International Inc. $ 554 $ 512 $ 1,840 $ 1,637 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.62 $ 1.38 $ 5.22 $ 4.33 Non-GAAP Financial Measures (1)



Adjusted EBIT $ 699 $ 705 $ 2,377 $ 2,281 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 1.56 $ 1.39 $ 5.08 $ 4.36 All results are reported in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share figures, which are in U.S. dollars.



(1)Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted diluted earnings per share and Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales are Non-GAAP financial measures that have no standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP, and as a result may not be comparable to the calculation of similar measures by other companies. A reconciliation of these Non-GAAP financial measures is included in the back of this press release.

(2)2017 amounts included in this Press Release have been adjusted for our adoption of the new revenue standard (Accounting Standards Codification 606) and recast for our new reportable segments.



THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2018



We set third quarter records for sales, diluted earnings per share and Adjusted diluted earnings per share, and returned $629 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. All of our operating segments reported sales growth compared to the third quarter of 2017 and, excluding both acquisitions net of divestitures and foreign exchange movements, sales for all segments outgrew global light vehicle production. However, our sales were slightly lower than we had anticipated, mainly due to lower than expected light vehicle production. Adjusted EBIT was below the comparable quarter in 2017 and was less than what we expected. After taking into account the impact of lower than anticipated volumes, our Power & Vision, Seating Systems and Complete Vehicles segments performed substantially in line with our expectations. However, our Body Exteriors & Structures segment reported results below our expectations, mainly as a result of higher than anticipated launch costs and underperformance at certain facilities, largely offset by a favourable customer pricing resolution.

On a consolidated basis, we posted sales of $9.62 billion for the third quarter of 2018, an increase of 9% over the third quarter of 2017. The strong growth was achieved in a period in which light vehicle production increased 4% in North America and was essentially unchanged in Europe. Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation and net divestitures, sales increased 11% on a consolidated basis, and by segment: 6% in both Body Exteriors & Structures and Power & Vision, 5% in Seating Systems, and 50% in Complete Vehicles.



Adjusted EBIT of $699 million in the third quarter of 2018 decreased 1.0%, resulting in an adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales of 7.3% in the third quarter of 2018 compared to 8.0% in the third quarter of 2017. This margin decline was largely driven by:

an increase in the proportion of sales generated in our Complete Vehicles segment relative to total sales, which have a significantly lower margin than our consolidated average;

lower margins in the third quarter of 2018 in our Seating Systems segment, mainly associated with pre-operating costs incurred at new facilities and favourable customer pricing resolutions in the third quarter of 2017; and

lower margins in our Power & Vision segment, largely reflecting increased spending for electrification and autonomy.

Income from operations before income taxes of $674 million decreased 1.0% in the third quarter of 2018.

Net income attributable to Magna International Inc. increased 8% to $554 million for the third quarter of 2018, substantially reflecting a lower income tax rate.

Diluted earnings per share increased 17% to $1.62 in the third quarter of 2018, reflecting higher net income attributable to Magna International Inc., and the favourable impact of a reduced share count. Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 12% to $1.56 compared to $1.39 for the third quarter of 2017.

In the third quarter of 2018, we generated cash from operations before changes in operating assets and liabilities of $899 million, and $177 million in operating assets and liabilities. Investment activities for the third quarter of 2018 included $381 million in fixed asset additions, and a $114 million increase in investments, other assets and intangible assets.

NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

We posted sales of $30.69 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of 14% from the nine months ended September 30, 2017. North American light vehicle production remained relatively unchanged and European light vehicle production increased 2%, in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the first nine months of 2017.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, income from operations before income taxes was $2.34 billion, net income attributable to Magna International Inc. was $1.84 billion and diluted earnings per share was $5.22, increases of $124 million, $203 million and $0.89, respectively, each compared to the first nine months of 2017.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, Adjusted EBIT increased 4% to $2.38 billion, compared to $2.28 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. Our Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, and Complete Vehicles segments each posted higher Adjusted EBIT compared to the first nine months of 2017.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we generated cash from operations before changes in operating assets and liabilities of $2.87 billion, and invested $750 million in operating assets and liabilities. Investment activities for the nine months of 2018 included $1.00 billion in fixed asset additions, and $331 million in investments, other assets and intangible assets.

RETURN OF CAPITAL TO SHAREHOLDERS

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, we paid dividends of $109 million and $342 million, respectively. In addition, we repurchased 9.2 million shares for $520 million and 22.7 million shares for $1.35 billion, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 with respect to our outstanding Common Shares for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. This dividend is payable on December 7, 2018 to shareholders of record on November 23, 2018.

OTHER MATTERS

Subject to the approval by the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, our Board of Directors approved a new Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB") to purchase up to 33.2 million of our Common Shares, representing approximately 10% of our public float of Common Shares. This NCIB is expected to commence on or about November 15, 2018 and will terminate one year later.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6dd59a22-822f-444c-b864-78e2f6a7068f

SEGMENT SUMMARY (2)

($Millions unless otherwise noted) For the three months ended September 30, Sales Adjusted EBIT 2018 2017 Change 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures $ 4,180 $ 4,004 $ 176 $ 322 $ 306 $ 16 Power & Vision 2,947 2,830 117 258 267 (9 ) Seating Systems 1,219 1,217 2 69 95 (26 ) Complete Vehicles 1,391 938 453 24 17 7 Corporate and Other (119 ) (125 ) 6 26 20 6 Total Reportable Segments $ 9,618 $ 8,864 $ 754 $ 699 $ 705 $ (6 )

For the three months ended September 30, Adjusted EBIT as a

percentage of sales 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures 7.7 % 7.6 % 0.1 % Power & Vision 8.8 % 9.4 % (0.6 )% Seating Systems 5.7 % 7.8 % (2.1 )% Complete Vehicles 1.7 % 1.8 % (0.1 )% Consolidated Average 7.3 % 8.0 % (0.7 )% ($Millions unless otherwise noted) For the nine months ended September 30, Sales Adjusted EBIT 2018 2017 Change 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures $ 13,350 $ 12,280 $ 1,070 $ 1,047 $ 992 $ 55 Power & Vision 9,334 8,685 649 915 861 54 Seating Systems 4,113 3,919 194 315 328 (13 ) Complete Vehicles 4,331 2,334 1,997 44 38 6 Corporate and Other (438 ) (314 ) (124 ) 56 62 (6 ) Total Reportable Segments $ 30,690 $ 26,904 $ 3,786 $ 2,377 $ 2,281 $ 96

For the nine months ended September 30, Adjusted EBIT as a

percentage of sales 2018 2017 Change Body Exteriors & Structures 7.8 % 8.1 % (0.3 )% Power & Vision 9.8 % 9.9 % (0.1 )% Seating Systems 7.7 % 8.4 % (0.7 )% Complete Vehicles 1.0 % 1.6 % (0.6 )% Consolidated Average 7.7 % 8.5 % (0.8 )%

(2)2017 amounts included in this Press Release have been adjusted for our adoption of the new revenue standard (Accounting Standards Codification 606) and recast for our new reportable segments.



For further details on our segment results, please see our Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Position and our Interim Financial Statements.

UPDATED 2018 OUTLOOK

We have updated our 2018 outlook largely to reflect our third quarter 2018 results, as well as fourth quarter 2018 expectations for lower light vehicle production, lower equity earnings in our European transmission joint venture and higher costs in our Body Exteriors & Structures segment. Current Previous Light Vehicle Production (Units)

North America

Europe 17.0 million

22.5 million 17.2 million

22.6 million Segment Sales

Body Exteriors & Structures

Power & Vision

Seating Systems

Complete Vehicles $17.3 - $17.7 billion

$12.3 - $12.6 billion

$5.4 - $5.6 billion

$5.9 - $6.1 billion $17.1 - $17.9 billion

$12.2 - $12.8 billion

$5.5 - $5.9 billion

$6.1 - $6.5 billion Total Sales $40.3 - $41.4 billion $40.3 - $42.5 billion Adjusted EBIT Margin(3) Approximately 7.7% 7.7% - 7.9% Equity Income (included in EBIT) $255 - $280 million $270 - $305 million Interest Expense, net Approximately $95 million Approximately $90 million Income Tax Rate(4) Approximately 22% 22% - 23% Adjusted Net Income attributable to Magna(5) $2.3 - $2.4 billion $2.3 - $2.5 billion Capital Spending Approximately $1.7 billion Approximately $1.9 billion (3)Adjusted EBIT Margin is the ratio of Adjusted EBIT to Total Sales

(4)The Income Tax Rate has been calculated using Adjusted EBIT and is based on current tax legislation

(5)Adjusted Net Income attributable to Magna is Net Income attributable to Magna after excluding Other expense (income), net after-tax and Reassessment of deferred tax balances

In this 2018 outlook, we have assumed:

2018 light vehicle production volumes (as set out above);

no material unannounced acquisitions or divestitures; and

foreign exchange rates for the most common currencies in which we conduct business relative to our U.S. dollar reporting currency as follows:

 1 Canadian dollar equals U.S. dollars 0.772

 1 euro equals U.S. dollars 1.184

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION

Adjusted EBIT The following table reconciles net income to Adjusted EBIT: For the three months ended September 30, 2018

2017

Net Income $ 560 $ 521 Add: Interest expense, net 23 20 Other expense (income), net 2 2 Income taxes 114 162 Adjusted EBIT $ 699 $ 705 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales ("Adjusted EBIT margin") Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales is calculated in the table below: For the three months ended September 30, 2018

2017

Sales $ 9,618 $ 8,864 Adjusted EBIT $ 699 $ 705 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales 7.3 % 8.0 % Adjusted diluted earnings per share The following table reconciles net income attributable to Magna International Inc. to Adjusted diluted earnings per share: For the three months ended September 30, 2018

2017

Net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 554 $ 512 Add: Other expense (income), net 2 2 Reassessment of deferred tax balances (21 ) - Adjusted net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 535 $ 514 Diluted weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the period (millions): 343.0 370.4 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 1.56 $ 1.39



NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION



Adjusted EBIT The following table reconciles net income to Adjusted EBIT: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018

2017

Net Income $ 1,865 $ 1,669 Add: Interest expense, net 67 50 Other expense (income), net (34 ) 11 Income taxes 479 551 Adjusted EBIT $ 2,377 $ 2,281 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales ("Adjusted EBIT margin") Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales is calculated in the table below: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018

2017

Sales $ 30,690 $ 26,904 Adjusted EBIT $ 2,377 $ 2,281 Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of sales 7.7 % 8.5 % Adjusted diluted earnings per share The following table reconciles net income attributable to Magna International Inc. to Adjusted diluted earnings per share: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018

2017

Net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 1,840 $ 1,637 Add: Other expense (income), net (34 ) 11 Tax effect on Other expense (income), net 3 - Reassessment of deferred tax balances (21 ) - Adjusted net income attributable to Magna International Inc. $ 1,788 $ 1,648 Diluted weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the period (millions): 352.3 377.7 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 5.08 $ 4.36

Certain of the forward-looking financial measures above are provided on a Non-GAAP basis. We do not provide a reconciliation of such forward-looking measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To do so would be potentially misleading and not practical given the difficulty of projecting items that are not reflective of on-going operations in any future period. The magnitude of these items, however, may be significant.



This press release together with our Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Position and our Interim Financial Statements are available in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.magna.com/company/investors and filed electronically through the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrievalas well as on the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.

We will hold a conference call for interested analysts and shareholders to discuss our third quarter ended September 30, 2018 results on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The conference call will be chaired by Don Walker, Chief Executive Officer. The number to use for this call from North America is

1-800-682-8914. International callers should use 1-303-223-4366. Please call in at least 10 minutes prior to the call start time. We will also webcast the conference call at www.magna.com. The slide presentation accompanying the conference call will be available on our website Thursday prior to the call.

TAGS

Quarterly earnings, record quarter, financial results, sales growth

INVESTOR CONTACT

Louis Tonelli, Vice-President, Investor Relations

louis.tonelli@magna.com  905.726.7035

MEDIA CONTACT

Tracy Fuerst, Director of Corporate Communications & PR

tracy.fuerst@magna.com  248.631.5396

OUR BUSINESS.

(6) Manufacturing operations, product development, engineering and sales centres and employee figures include certain equity-accounted operations.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We disclose "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") to provide information about management's current expectations and plans. Such forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding our future plans, objectives or economic performance, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, and other statements that are not recitations of historical fact. We use words such as "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "plan", "aim", "forecast", "outlook", "project", "estimate", "target" and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events to identify

forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to:

Cash flow expectations;



Magna's forecasts of light vehicle production in North America and Europe;

Expected consolidated sales, based on such light vehicle production, including expected split by segment in our Body Exteriors & Structures; Power & Vision; Seating Systems; and Complete Vehicles segments;

Consolidated Adjusted EBIT margin for 2018; Consolidated equity income;

Net interest expense;

Effective income tax rate;

Adjusted net income;

Fixed asset expenditures; and

Future returns of capital to our shareholders, including through dividends or share repurchases.

Our forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us, and are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances.

While we believe we have a reasonable basis for making such forward-looking statements, they are not a guarantee of future performance or outcomes. Whether actual results and developments conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and the effects of which can be difficult to predict, including, without limitation:

Risks Related to the Automotive Industry

economic cyclicality;

intense competition;

potential restrictions on free trade, including new, continued or higher tariffs on commodities and/or automobiles;

escalation of international trade disputes;

declines in vehicle sales and production volumes in China; Customer and Supplier Related Risks



concentration of sales with six customers;

shifts in market shares among vehicles or vehicle segments;

shifts in "take rates" for products we sell;

potential loss of any material purchase orders; Manufacturing Operational Risks



product and new facility launch risks;



operational underperformance;

restructuring costs;

impairment charges;

labour disruptions;

supply disruptions; IT Security Risk



IT/Security breaches; Pricing Risks pricing risks between time of quote and start of production;

price concessions above contractual long-term agreement percentages;

commodity cost increases;

declines in scrap steel prices; Warranty / Recall Risks

costs to repair or replace defective products;

warranty costs that exceed warranty provisions;

costs related to significant recalls; Acquisition Risks



an increase in our risk profile as a result of completed acquisitions;

acquisition integration risks; Other Business Risks



risks related to conducting business through joint ventures;

our ability to consistently develop innovative products or processes;

changing risk profile as a result of investment in strategic product areas such as powertrain and electronics;

risks of conducting business in foreign markets;

fluctuations in relative currency values;

tax risks;

changes in credit ratings assigned to us;

the unpredictability of, and fluctuation in, the trading price of our Common Shares; Legal, Regulatory and Other Risks antitrust and compliance risks;

legal claims and/or regulatory actions against us; and

changes in laws.

In evaluating forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, and readers should specifically consider the various factors which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including the risks, assumptions and uncertainties above which are discussed in greater detail in this document under the section titled "Industry Trends and Risks" and set out in our Annual Information Form filed with securities commissions in Canada and our annual report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and subsequent filings.
ALBANY, New York, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the market intelligence study by Transparency Market Research, in 2014, the global wearable medical devices market was worth US$2.7 bn and is projected to reach a value of US$10 bn by the end of 2023. The market is likely to register a promising 18.0% CAGR between 2015 and 2023.

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North America to Lead Global Wearable Medical Devices Market in Near Future

The global market for wearable medical devices has been classified on the basis of geography into the Middle East and Africa, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Among these, North America is anticipated to account for a large share of the overall market throughout the forecast period. The high growth of this region can be attributed to the rising incidences of diabetes and the development of an advanced healthcare infrastructure. In addition to this, the high adoption of the medical technologies is predicted to enhance the growth of the wearable medical devices market across North America in the next few years. Furthermore, developing economies is projected to witness a healthy growth rate in the coming few years.

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On the basis of diagnostic devices type, the market has been classified into wearable neuromonitoring devices, wearable vital sign monitors, and wearable fetal monitors and obstetric devices. Among these, the wearable vital signs segment is projected to witness a high growth in the next few years, owing to the rising incidences of heart diseases and cardiac arrests across the globe. The increasing number of advancements and developments are further projected to accelerate the growth of this segment in the coming few years.

Growing Focus on Technological Advancements to Encourage Market Growth

The technological developments and the rising penetration of smartphones are some of the key factors that are projected to encourage the growth of the global wearable medical devices market in the next few years. The rising use of smartphone-based applications related to healthcare and compatible with wearable devices are further projected to accelerate the growth of the market in the near future. On the flip side, the rising issues related to data security and the high cost of wearable devices, along with the lack of reimbursement are predicted to restrict the growth of the wearable medical devices market throughout the forecast period. Nonetheless, the rising consumer awareness and the rising preference for home healthcare are expected to offer potential growth opportunities for the market players in the next few years.

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The global market for wearable medical devices is fragmented in nature with a high level of competition, states a new market intelligence study by Transparency Market Research. The key players in the market are focusing on the development of new product and technological advancements in this field. These factors are projected to support the growth of the market and help the players in the enhancing the market penetration across the globe. The key players operating in the wearable medical devices market including OMRON Corp., Polar Electro, Fitbit Inc., and Medtronic are projected to collectively account for a large share of the market in the next few years. Furthermore, the rise in the number of players and the rising level of competition are the key factors that are projected to enhance the overall the growth of the wearable medical devices market in the next few years.

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This information is based on the findings of a research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled "Wearable Medical Devices Market (Diagnostic Device - Vital Sign Monitors (Heart Rate Monitor, Activity Monitor, Sleep Monitor, and Electrocardiographs), Fetal Monitors and Obstetric Devices, and Neuromonitoring Devices (Electroencephalograph and Electromyograph); Therapeutic Device (Pain Management, Glucose or Insulin Monitoring, and Respiratory Therapy); Application (Sports and Fitness, Remote Patient Monitoring, and Home Healthcare)) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023."

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Key Takeaways:

The key players are emphasizing on the development of new product in order to stay ahead in the stiff competitive environment of the global wearable medical devices market.

The rising preference of consumers for home healthcare and easy operating devices are projected to encourage the growth of the overall market in the near future.

Popular Research Reports by TMR:

Wearable Injectors Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wearable-injectors-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wearable-injectors-market.html Wearable Medical Technology Market:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wearable-medical-technology.html

About Us

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.

TMR's 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.

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PUNE, India, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Flame Arrestors Market by Type (In-Line and End-of-Line), Application (Storage Tank, Pipeline, Incinerator, Ventilation System), End-user (Oil & Gas, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Waste-to-Energy Plant), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 713.8 million in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 924.7 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.31% during the forecast period. The market is set to grow because of the stringent safety norms and regulations in industries, such as the US Coast Guard Regulations and EU's TRCI (Tank Farm Guidelines for Chemical Industries) which have mandated the installation of flame arrestors for storage of combustible materials.

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Browse 80market data Tables and 28 Figures spread through 116 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Flame Arrestors Market"

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Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

The storage tank segment is expected to hold the largest share of the Flame Arrestors Market, by application, during the forecast period.

Storage tanks used for storing combustible liquids such as crude oil, gasoline, aviation fuel, and LNG require safety instrumentation equipment for prevention of hazards like fire and explosions. Flame arrestors are an intrinsic part of a storage tank safety system, and several regulations mandate the installation of flame arrestors at the end of the tank vents. The segment is expected to be driven by the rising investments in the refinery expansions and petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries in the Asia Pacific. The shale gas and tight oil boom in North America and China are further contributing to the growth as new storage terminals emerge in these regions.

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The in-line segment is expected to dominate the Flame Arrestors Market, by type, in 2018.

In-line flame arrestors are bi-directional flame arrestors installed between pipelines or vents. They are mainly used for the prevention of flame traveling through the pipe in case of accidental ignition. In-line flame arrestors are further categorized as detonation arrestors and deflagration arrestors. Detonation arrestors are an important component of safety instrumentation for facilities and storages where highly combustible substances such as gasoline, propane, LNG, ethyl alcohol, and aviation fuel are stored. The stringent safety norms in industries such as EU's TRCI (Tank Regulation for Chemical Industry) and US Coast Guard Regulations for storage terminals have resulted in the rising demand for detonation arrestors which is driving the market for the in-line segment.

Asia Pacific: Expected to be the leading market for flame arrestors during the forecast period.

The Flame Arrestors Market has been analyzed with respect to 6 regions, namely, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. The market in the Asia Pacific is expected to lead the Flame Arrestors Market, by region. This region is witnessing rapid economic growth and large investments in sectors such as oil & gas refineries, chemicals & petrochemicals, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. This has resulted in an increased demand for industrial safety equipment such as flame arrestors. Shale gas and tight oil extraction in China has also resulted in an increased number of storage tank farms and terminals, thus driving the market for the region.

To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the Flame Arrestors Market. These include Emerson (US), Braunschweiger Flammenfilter (Germany), BS&S (US), Elmac Technologies (UK), and Tornado Combustion Technologies (US). The leading players are trying to understand the markets in developing economies and are adopting various strategies to increase their market shares.

Know more about the Flame Arrestors Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/flame-arrestors-market-86763369.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.

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NORTH READING, Massachusetts, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the life sciences supply chain and providing real-time information sharing for better patient outcomes, today announced its Russia compliance solution, providing companies with the ability to meet requirements for serialization, traceability, and compliance reporting for all pharmaceutical manufacturers that supply medicines to the Russian market, in advance of the country's December 2019 enforcement deadline.

Under Russian Federal Law No. 425-FZ, medicines are required to be uniquely identified, or serialized, at multiple packaging levels including both aggregation and an expected application of cryptographic protections. Companies across the supply chain, from manufacturer to pharmacy, are also required to track and capture a wide range of product movements and packaging changes for these medicines between transfers of custody, and report these events into the Russian central system-the Federal State Information System for Monitoring Drug Circulation (FSIS MDC)-via digitally-signed data exchange. Manufacturers, including both those producing medicines outside of Russia as well as those with domestic production, will be responsible for up to 36 transactions, product events and notifications, including those impacting the product as it moves through internal distribution centers, customs, and third-party logistic providers serving the Russian market.

"Russia has one of the most complicated track and trace regulations in the world, requiring three times the amount of transactions than Europe. With proven experience developing compliance solutions for countries with similarly complex requirements, such as China, South Korea and Brazil, we already have customers that have invested in our Russia compliance solution, including the largest global pharmaceutical manufacturer that supplies to the Russian market," said Shabbir Dahod, president, and CEO of TraceLink. "Because the Russian authorities are still evolving the regulatory requirements and technical guidelines, TraceLink has, and will continue to invest heavily in dedicated resources to continuously monitor and interpret the regulations, which is critical in order to implement timely software updates and accommodate any regulatory changes."

Built on TraceLink's existing network tenant platform and instrumented with the core serialization, master data, integration, and compliance functionalities seen in all other TraceLink compliance solutions, the Russia solution gives customers a single destination to manage all of their global track and trace and serialization requirements. Designed to meet the complex data choreography requirements for Russia compliance, TraceLink's pre-configurable workflows and application logic enable companies to report on serialized events, and manage import, export, receipt, transfer, and shipment processes. The solution also securely and efficiently manages the complex reporting and notification capture process, supporting the complicated data schema and electronic signature process for Russia, employing a new level of technical sophistication not seen in other markets.

With TraceLink's Russia solution, companies can leverage key components from TraceLink's proven compliance platform, which are critical for a comprehensive system to comply with Russian requirements, including: Serialization, Master Data, and Compliance Reporting. To learn more about TraceLink's Russia Compliance solution, please visit https://www.tracelink.com/solutions/global-compliance/russia.

Additional Resources:

Getting started in Russia compliance?

Download the Russia compliance overview infographic

compliance overview infographic Learn the key regulatory terms for Russia compliance

compliance Watch a 10-minute strategy briefing on what to know when planning for Russia compliance

compliance Read the six critical considerations for Russia compliance

Follow TraceLink:

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About TraceLink

TraceLink is the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the Life Sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace. Leading businesses trust the TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility and traceability of pharmaceuticals from ingredient to patient. A single point and click connection to the Life Sciences Cloud creates a supply chain control tower that delivers the information, insight and collaboration needed to improve performance and reduce risk across global supply, manufacturing and distribution operations. A winner of numerous industry awards including three consecutive years on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (ranked number 177 in 2017), the Amazon AWS Global Start-Up Challenge Grand Prize, and the Edison Award for Innovation in Health Management, the Life Sciences Cloud is used by businesses across the globe to meet strategic goals in ensuring global compliance, fighting drug counterfeiting, improving on-time and in-full delivery, protecting product quality and reducing operational cost. For more information on TraceLink and our solutions, visit www.tracelink.com.

TraceLink is funded by Goldman Sachs, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital and F-Prime Capital.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Innovative Technology Will Support Next Generation of Digital Assets

BlackChain Solutions Inc. (the "Company" or "BlackChain") (CSE: BIS), an analytics and risk management software company active in the digital asset space, announced a deal to license digital asset exchange technology from Limitless Blockchain Technology, LLC, ("Limitless") a wholly owned subsidiary of Victory Square Technologies Inc. ("Victory Square") listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:VST).

The Limitless Digital Asset Exchange software is an engine that facilitates the matching and transfer of a variety of digitized assets, as well as their storage and management. BlackChain will use the software in its P2P digital asset lending platform. BlackChain also plans to leverage this technology to develop and launch new and innovative products and services across multiple sectors, including finance, commodities, and the emerging medical and legal recreational cannabis industry.

Zayn Kalyan, CTO of BlackChain said, "This technology will enable BlackChain to deliver a fully end-to-end product with our P2P lending solution, simplifying the client experience, while providing a truly unique offering. The exchange engine will also allow the Company to widen its offerings and develop new asset digitization solutions for both the financial sector and beyond. Over the coming months we will be exploring how asset digitization can play a role in the emerging medical and legal recreational cannabis space in Canada and globally. We believe that there is huge opportunity to offer new and innovative instruments to legal cannabis producers and distributors that will leverage the Limitless technology, and BlackChain's risk and financial solutions."

Michael Shader, CEO of Limitless said, "We are excited to be collaborating with BlackChain on the development and launch of our exchange technology. The Limitless exchange technology that we have developed has been proven in multiple industries and the partnership with BlackChain is the next step in its evolution. BlackChain's P2P lending product is a unique service that will help accelerate entrance of credit into the crypto and digital asset space. We look forward to supporting BlackChain as they explore new avenues for asset digitization."

The license allows BlackChain lifetime perpetual use of the exchange technology and is not limited to any particular sector. It allows BlackChain to leverage the software in the development of different products and services, royalty-free. The total value of the deal is $300,000 CAD over 6 months and includes development and customization by Limitless based on BlackChain's requirements. There is an option for further development after the 6 month period, on yet to be determined terms.

Board Changes

BlackChain also announced the resignation of Jens Brunke from the Board of Directors. The Company would like to thank Mr. Brunke for his invaluable work and stewardship as a member of the board of directors.

About BlackChain Solutions Inc. (CSE: BIS) ("BlackChain")

BlackChain Solutions Inc. is a financial analytics and risk management company that is leveraging blockchain technology to transform lending for the rapidly emerging cryptocurrency economy. Building on an industry-proven credit-risk database and software platform, BlackChain provides the tools and services to bring cryptocurrency lenders and borrowers together, with confidence.

BlackChain is a publicly-traded company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE); trading symbol BIS (C.BIS or BIS.cn).

Forward-Looking Information

This press release include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation concerning Blackchain's future business plans, including the incorporation of the Limitless technology into Blackchain's P2P digital asset lending platform, Blackchain's intention to deliver a fully end-to-end product with its P2P lending solution, and its plans to develop its solution offerings and expand its business across multiple sectors, including finance, commodities, and the medical and legal recreational cannabis industry.

The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including the ability of Limitless to develop its technology to meet Blackchain's needs, the regulatory regime that will govern the Company's business, the availability to the Company of necessary funding to carry out its business plan, competition from other companies in Blackchain's space, and the timing and success of execution of the Company's business plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because Blackchain can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and Blackchain disclaims any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, other than as required by securities laws.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release.

For more information about the company please contact:

BlackChain Solutions Inc.

Zayn Kalyan

+1-833-733-7475

zayn@blckchain.ca
HONG KONG, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yoopay.cn, a leading technology company based in Hong Kong announces the general release of its Global Ecommerce Software (Yoopay eCommerce) platform, the first full-stack ecommerce software as a service (SaaS) platform that helps international merchants to sell directly in mainland China.

The eCommerce market in China has grown to 6.7 trillion RMB (1 trillion USD) in 2017, eclipsing the United States to become the largest eCommerce market in the world. "China's eCommerce market is exciting and dynamic. International merchants can trust Yoopay eCommerce to power their eCommerce in China and start to sell directly here in a big way", Tong Li, founder and CEO of Yoopay.cn said.

Compared with traditional eCommerce platforms in China, Yoopay eCommerce is the first full-stack platform that provides comprehensive and versatile eCommerce functionalities localized for the Chinese market, while letting clients take total control of their eCommerce user data, process, and branding.

"Yoopay eCommerce is powerful, yet easy to use. From inventory management to shopping carts, online marketing, offline events, CRM, payments and delivery logistics, Yoopay eCommerce provides full-stack ecommerce capabilities optimized for both online and mobile", Tong said. "Meanwhile, Yoopay eCommerce is integrated into WeChat, the largest mobile social network in China with 800 million users, so our clients can run effective social media marketing campaigns, build brand image and loyalty, and ultimately drive sales".

"Our clients gain immediate access to the upper end of the Chinese consumer market", Tong said. "Yoopay's platform powers more than 53,000 events and merchants in China and has accumulated more than 7 million young urban professional users". The company's corporate clients include US's Harvard Center Shanghai, Canada's Lululemon, UK's Nord Anglia Education Group, and Budweiser Storm Music Festival.

Yoopay eCommerce provides a plug-in for WordPress, the most widely deployed website content management system powering more than 60 million websites globally. With the Yoopay API, clients can also integrate Yoopay eCommerce into other popular eCommerce systems such as Shopify and Magento.

"Localized eCommerce functionalities for Chinese market, bilingual user interface, and global payment capabilities, enable international merchants to sell directly to discerning Chinese consumers". Tong said. "We are excited about the unique potential of Yoopay eCommerce, and are working with our clients and partners to deliver the ecommerce success in China they have been looking for".
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc., (CSE: MYM) (OTC: MYMMF) ("MYM") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Amsterdam-based Dutch Passion Seed Company for the production and distribution of Dutch Passion branded products and seed genetics in Colombia. This follows the August 1 announcement of a similar agreement between Dutch Passion and MYM for production and distribution of branded products and seed genetics in Australia.

Established in 1987, Dutch Passion is the second-oldest European Cannabis seed company and for over 30 years has been a leading innovator of seed genetics. Dutch Passion has developed its own proprietary genetics and owns a seed collection of international cannabis genetics dating back to the 1970s. The company has won more than 50 Cannabis Cups for its high-THC, easy-to-grow varieties. Dutch Passion also invented feminized cannabis seeds in the 1990s and, more recently, helped pioneer the success of high-THC auto-flowering cannabis seeds.

"We are thrilled to be working with Dutch Passion in both Australia and Colombia. With over 30 years' experience in the development and distribution of cannabis seeds, they are considered to be world leaders," said Rob Gietl, CEO of MYM. "As legal production of cannabis has been rapidly increasing worldwide, so has the demand for seed genetics. The Dutch Passion portfolio of seeds will prove to be a very valuable asset to MYM and its shareholders."

Eric Siereveld, CEO of Dutch Passion commented, "There were a lot of options when we were considering working with producers in Colombia. We chose to partner with MYM because of their strong network and organization in the global cannabis industry. We are confident that MYM has the best environment to maximize the potential of the genetic products we offer."

Dutch Passion agreed to give MYM exclusive rights in Colombia to produce and distribute under the Dutch Passion brand, all products that Dutch Passion sells currently and may sell in the future, including: clones, flowers, pre-rolled joints and other cannabis products. Colombia is poised to be one of the world's leading exporters of Cannabis products due to its favorable growing environment and low production costs. Dutch Passion also agreed to give MYM non-exclusive rights in Colombia to produce and/or distribute cannabis seeds under the Dutch Passion brand.

MYM agreed to make Dutch Passion its flagship brand of cannabis seeds for sale in Colombia and Dutch Passion agreed to list MYM as an official distributor of products in Colombia.

About Dutch Passion

Dutch Passion is a Dutch company with over 30 years' experience in the development and distribution of cannabis seeds. Dutch Passion is focused on producing high quality, high-THC cannabis genetics and on providing attentive customer service through its experienced customer service team. Dutch Passion's diverse seed collection of international cannabis genetics dates back to the 1970s, with all varieties having passed strict tests designed to ensure ease of growth, heavy yields and high-quality results. In the 1990s, Dutch Passion invented feminized cannabis seeds and, more recently, helped to pioneer the success of high-THC auto-flowering cannabis seeds. http://www.dutch-passion.com

About MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. is an innovative company focused on acquiring Health Canada licenses to produce and sell high-end medicinal cannabis supplements and topical products. MYM is a shareholder in two production projects in Quebec that when completed are anticipated to have over 1.5 million square feet of production space. MYM also has interest in two international cannabis production projects in Australia and Colombia. In New South Wales, Australia, the "Northern Rivers Project" is expected to have 1.2 million square feet of cannabis production space. In Medellin, Colombia, MYM and Colombia Organica are planning to build a cannabis production facility in the region. Colombia Organica currently holds a seed-to-sale license for low-THC cannabis, which permits the company to grow, produce and create cannabis derivatives to be commercialized and/or exported. Colombia Organica is in the licensing process for the cultivation and production of high-THC cannabis extracts. To ensure a strong presence and growth potential within the industry, MYM is actively looking to acquire complementary businesses and assets in the technology, nutraceuticals and CBD sectors. MYM shares trade in Canada, Germany and the USA under the following symbols: (CSE:MYM) (OTC:MYMMF) (FRA:0MY) (DEU:0MY) (MUN:0MY) (STU:0MY).

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Rob Gietl, CEO

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

http://www.mym.ca

Keep up to date with MYM on our social media channels:

Twitter: @mymnutra

Facebook: @mymnutra

Instagram: @mymnutra

This release includes certain statements and information that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the production and distribution of Dutch Passion branded products in Colombia and Australia, the anticipated access to and commercial value of Dutch Passion's list of seeds and cannabis products, the anticipated combined production space of 1.5 million square feet for the two production projects in Quebec, the anticipated 1.2 million square feet of production space in the Northern Rivers Project, and the building of a cannabis production facility in Colombia. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends,""anticipates,""it is expected," or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may,""could,""should," or "would" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analyses made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release, including the assumption that the terms and conditions of the agreements with Dutch Passion will be carried out and satisfied as anticipated, that MYM will have access to Dutch Passion's list of seeds and cannabis products and that it will be a commercially valuable asset, that the Northern Rivers Project will be completed as planned, including the construction and operation of 1.2 million square feet of production space, that MYM's projects in Quebec will be completed as planned, with 1.5 million square feet of greenhouse space, and that the cannabis production facility will be successfully built near Medellin, Colombia as anticipated by MYM. Although the Company considers these assumptions 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 may include, among others, the risk that the terms and conditions of the agreements with Dutch Passion will not be carried out or satisfied as anticipated, or at all, that MYM will not have access to Dutch Passion's list of seeds and cannabis products due to unforeseen complications or, if it does, that such list of seeds and cannabis products will not be commercially valuable, MYM's Quebec projects will not be successfully built as planned, the Northern Rivers Project will not be successfully built as planned, the cannabis production facility will not be successfully built as planned, and the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company's business as set forth in the Company's management discussion and analysis and annual information form and the Company's other disclosure available under the Company's profile at http://www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that the transactions contemplated in this news release will complete. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, 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 and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that is incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Investor Relations

Terry Brown

1.855.696.2261

terry.brown@mym.ca


COEUR D'ALENE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2018 / Timberline Resources Corporation (OTCQB: TLRS; TSX-V: TBR) ("Timberline" or the "Company") announced today that recently completed rock chip sampling (Table 1) confirms high-grade gold mineralization within the historic Windfall Mine area of the 23 square-mile Eureka property in Nevada (Figure 1). The Windfall Mine open pit is centrally located on the Windfall trend, a zone which extends 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from north to south (Figure 2). Timberline plans to conduct additional drilling in support of an initial open-pit oxide resource study.

ASSAY RESULTS

Timberline recently collected 40 rock chip samples within and immediately south of the Windfall pit; assays are summarized in Table 1 and on Figure 3 below. Highlights include 10 samples with greater than 1 g/t (0.029 opt) gold and 6 greater than 3 g/t (0.088 opt), up to a maximum of 13.1 g/t (0.382 opt). In total, 17 samples assayed greater than 0.250 g/t (0.007 opt), documenting the extensive zone of gold mineralization.

Steve Osterberg, Timberline's President and CEO, commented, "The rock chip sampling along 760 m (2,500 feet) of the Windfall trend, combined with previously reported historic drill results (Press release dated July 10, 2018 at http://timberlineresources.co/press-releases), show the high discovery potential at Windfall. A substantial zone of oxide gold mineralization remains exposed at the surface and is open at depth and in both directions along strike (Figure 3)."

In addition, "grade - thickness" (gram-meter)(ounce-feet) calcualtions for drill hole intercepts (Figure 3 and Table 2) (see press release dated July 10, 2018 at http://timberlineresources.co/press-releases), and a review of cross-sections (Figure 4) indicate that gold mineralization remains unmined in the Windfall pit-area.

CONTROLS ON GOLD AND SILVER MINERALIZATION

The gold mineralized zone at Windfall occurs along a north-south structural trend (Figure 3) typically separating steeply-dipping Hamburg Dolomite Formation to the west, from moderate east-dipping Dunderberg Shale Formation to the east. Gold appears to be dominantly associated with brecciated dolomite adjacent to and between northeasterly and northwesterly trending cross-faults. Gold grade-thickness anomalies from historic drill hole intercept assays suggest similar structural control on higher-grade gold mineralization. The structures appear to focus gold mineralization within intensely bleached and "sanded", variably brecciated Hamburg Dolomite Formation. Very limited silicificiation is evident in the rocks which likely relates to the reported historic excellent leachability of gold in the Windfall mine.

Table 1. Assay results from Windfall Trend Rock Chip Sampling

SAMPLE Au

(g/t) Au (oz/ton) SAMPLE Au

(g/t) Au (oz/ton) 18WF-009 1.720 0.050 18WF-044 0.047 0.001 18WF-010 0.086 0.003 18WF-045 0.035 0.001 18WF-011 1.050 0.031 18WF-046A 0.077 0.002 18WF-012 0.042 0.001 18WF-046B 0.080 0.002 18WF-013 1.250 0.036 18WF-047 7.710 0.225 18WF-029 0.045 0.001 18WF-048 0.074 0.002 18WF-030 0.061 0.002 18WF-049 0.275 0.008 18WF-031 0.058 0.002 18WF-050 0.197 0.006 18WF-032 0.086 0.003 18WF-051 0.386 0.011 18WF-033 0.088 0.003 18WF-052 0.094 0.003 18WF-034 0.303 0.009 18WF-053 0.610 0.018 18WF-035 3.000 0.088 18WF-054 3.060 0.089 18WF-036 13.100 0.382 18WF-055 3.220 0.094 18WF-037 0.711 0.021 18WF-056 2.520 0.074 18WF-038 0.010 0.000 18WF-057 0.114 0.003 18WF-039 0.408 0.012 18WF-058 0.243 0.007 18WF-040 0.047 0.001 18WF-060 0.141 0.004 18WF-041 0.927 0.027 18WF-061 0.079 0.002 18WF-042 0.143 0.004 18WF-062 4.080 0.119 18WF-043 0.124 0.004 18WF-063 0.066 0.002 *Assays were determined by ALS USA Inc. from grab samples. The samples were crushed and pulverized and a fraction was selected for analyses. Gold was determined by 30 g Fire Assay with an Atomic Adsorption finish. Samples assaying over 10 ppm gold were re-assayed and completed with a gravimetric finish.

Figure 1. Eureka Property - Lookout Mountain, Oswego, and Windfall Trends

*Cautionary Statement: The potential quantity and grade of the Windfall Zone Target are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Figure 2. Drill-indicated Mineralization Along the Windfall Zone

Figure 3. Distribution of Gold and Silver in Rock Samples at Windfall Pit Target Area

Table 2. Gold Assay and Grade - Thickness from 2008-2015 Drilling within Windfall Mineralized Zone

Drill Hole From

(meters)

Length

(meters)(1)

Gold (g/t) GT: (gram -meters) From

(feet)

Length

(feet)(1)

Gold (opt) GT: (opt -foot) BHWF-001 36.6 9.1 1.44 13.1 120 30 0.042 1.3 BHWF-002 57.9 13.7 0.82 11.2 190 45 0.024 1.1 BHWF-003 41.2 13.7 0.69 9.5 135 45 0.020 0.9 BHWF-004 76.2 15.2 7.58 115.2 250 50 0.221 11.1 including 80.8 7.6 13.58 103.2 265 25 0.396 9.9 BHWF-012 44.2 3.1 0.85 2.6 145 10 0.025 0.3 BHWF-036 88.4 12.2 1.26 15.4 290 40 0.040 1.6 BHWF-037 56.4 27.4 2.20 60.3 185 90 0.060 5.4 including 56.4 13.7 3.68 50.4 185 45 0.110 5.0 BHWF-038 128 24.4 0.32 7.8 420 80 0.010 0.8 including 150.9(2) 15.5 1.45 22.5 495(2) 51 0.045 2.3 BHWF-039 115.8 10.7 0.46 4.9 380 35 0.010 0.4 BHWF-040 88.4 24.4 3.04 74.2 290 80 0.090 7.2 including 93 6.1 8.79 53.6 305 20 0.260 5.2 BHWF-041 70.1 18.3 1.24 22.7 230 60 0.040 2.4

Cautionary Statement: Historic drill data have been compiled and reviewed including drill logs, laboratory assay certificates, and location maps with regard to their location relative to recent (2008-2015) drill data. Drill sites have been identified and confirmed through field review. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical information as a current mineral resource, and the Company is not treating the historical information as a current mineral resource. Additional drilling and analysis will be required to verify the historical information or create a current mineral resource.

(1) Drill thickness - True widths of drill intercepts have not been determined

(2) Intercept at end of hole

Figure 4. Representative Cross-section across the Windfall Zone

EXPLORATION PLANNING

With completion of surface grab sampling results now available, along with compilation of recent and historic geologic and drill hole data at Windfall, the Company is finalizing initial drill targets designed to extend gold mineralization beyond the historic mining at Windfall. The anticipated target areas are located on patented claims owned by Timberline and are fully permitted for drilling.

Further technical details of the Company's Eureka project project may be viewed at: http://timberlineresources.co/projects/Eureka-nevada/.

Steven Osterberg, Ph.D., P.G., Timberline's President and Chief Executive Officer, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this release. Mr. Osterberg is not considered independent of the Company as defined in Section 1.5 of NI 43-101.

About Timberline Resources

Timberline Resources Corporation is focused on advancing district-scale gold exploration and development projects in northern Nevada. These include: the 23 square mile Eureka property, comprised of the Lookout Mountain, Windfall, and Oswego areas, which lie along three parallel, north-south gold-mineralized structural stratigraphic trends defined by distinct geochemical gold anomalies; and as the expected operator of two joint venture projects - the Paiute project joint venture with a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, and the Elder Creek project joint venture with McEwen Mining. These properties all lie on the prolific Battle Mountain-Eureka gold trend. Timberline also owns the Seven Troughs property, which is one of Nevada's highest-grade former gold producers. Timberline has increased its controlled mineral rights in Nevada to over 43 square miles (24,500 acres). Detailed maps and NI 43-101 compliant estimated resource information for the Eureka property may be viewed at http://timberlineresources.co/.

Timberline is listed on the OTCQB where it trades under the symbol "TLRS" and on the TSX Venture Exchange where it trades under the symbol "TBR".

Cautionary note to U.S. investors concerning estimates of resources: This press release may use the terms "resources", "measured resources", "indicated resources", "inferred resources" and "measured & indicated resources." We advise U.S. investors that while these terms are defined in and required by Canadian regulations, these terms are not defined terms under United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Industry Guide 7 and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves" as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 reserves.

Forward-looking Statements



Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute 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. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations about its future operating results, performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding: new, high-grade, gold mineralization at Windfall, plans to conduct additional drilling in support of an initial open-pit oxide resource study, high discovery potential at Windfall, gold mineralization remaining unmined in the Windfall pit-area, initial drill targets designed to extend gold mineralization beyond the historic mining at Windfall, anticipated target areas located on patented claims, advancing district-scale gold exploration and development projects in northern Nevada; ownership of two joint venture projects - the Paiute project joint venture with Barrick Gold, and the Elder Creek project joint venture with McEwen Mining; and increasing its controlled mineral rights in Nevada to over 43 square miles (24,500 acres). When used herein, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "upcoming," "plan," "target", "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to Timberline Resources Corporation, its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. The Company's earn-in to the Elder Creek project joint venture has not yet closed, there are a number of conditions precedent to such closing, and there are no assurances that the Company will complete the earn-in as contemplated or at all. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks related to changes in the Company's business and other factors, including risk factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2017. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements.

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 release.



For Further Information Please Contact:



Steven A. Osterberg

President and CEO

Tel: 208-664-4859

E-mail: info@timberline-resources.com



SOURCE: Timberline Resources Corporation
NEW YORK, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage

In a landmark announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a drug derived from pure cannabidiol (CBD), Epidiolex, to treat seizures associated with certain forms of severe epilepsy, setting the stage for huge changes in the world of cannabidiol (CBD).

FDA approval of a cannabis-based drug represents seismic political, legal and economic shifts

Approval likely will lead to more clinical research and further validation of CBD therapeutic efficacy

CBD market projected to explode to more than $2 billion in two years with 39 percent CAGR

What's most transformative about this drug approval is that this is the first time the FDA - the governmental arbiter of safe and effective medicine in the United States - has approved any substance derived from the cannabis sativa plant and validated certain therapeutic benefits of cannabidiol. The FDA is, to some extent, endorsing what has been anecdotally accepted by the masses for millennia.



CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that can be extracted from the industrial hemp plant, is understandably generating worldwide interest from both the scientific and investment communities. A large part of CBD's mass appeal is that it's believed to aid with a broad range of wellness concerns. CBD is known to interact with the human endocannabinoid system, which is found throughout the body's nervous system, organs, connective tissues, glands and immune system. Research indicates CBD may have the potential to treat a wide range of conditions such as anxiety, high blood pressure, skin issues, and chronic pain. It's being researched to treat Alzheimer's, and one study even suggests CBD might be a useful addition when given with conventional antipsychotic medications in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Continued rigorous clinical research is being conducted to further confirm all the potential therapeutic benefits that may be found in this cannabinoid extract. In the meantime, the mass appeal of CBD remains unabated, and the market for CBD products continues to grow at an astounding rate. Committed to the legal hemp-derived CBD market , Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC:MCOA) (MCOA Profile) provides consumers with pure, hemp plant-based CBD nutritional products through its global hempSMART brand and has initiated broad-ranging, innovative cultivation programs for legal, high-quality hemp. Others vying for position in the burgeoning CBD space include Isodiol International, Inc. (CSE:ISOL) (OTC:ISOLD) (FSE: LB6A.F), CV Sciences, Inc. (OTC:CVSI), PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC:POTN) and Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC:MJNA).

The Boom Has Just Begun

Three years ago, in 2015, the hemp-derived CBD market racked up $90 million in sales. Last year that number reached $190 million in sales - and the boom has just begun. The Hemp Business Journal projects $2.1 billion in total CBD sales by 2020 and estimates that $450 million of that will come from hemp-based sources. The explosive demand projections are attributed to an increased public awareness of the wide-ranging potential health benefits of hemp CBD oil and advancements in cultivation, plus the convenience and reach of online retailing - all of which contribute to a global CBD oil market expected to grow at an eye-popping CAGR of 39.19 percent through 2021.

Hemp Focus



With an overarching focus on the cultivation, development and distribution of legal industrial hemp-derived products, Marijuana Company of America (OTC: MCOA) aims to capture an outsized share of growing worldwide demand. Pure hemp-based consumer nutritional products are at the core of this demand, and the company has developed a portfolio of ancillary hemp-centric businesses to vertically integrate hemp production and sales. Cultivation of high-quality hemp from portfolio companies feeds MCOA's proprietary CBD-based formulations, dovetailing to produce the finest quality nutritional supplements on the market.

The unique company vision emanates from Donald Steinberg, MCOA's CEO. A cannabis industry pioneer, he founded the first cannabinoid-centric company to trade on a U.S. stock market. His vast knowledge and industry experience give MCOA unparalleled insights into the machinations of the CBD markets and the vision to capitalize on industry opportunities in a market projected to exceed $2 billion in the coming years. In keeping with this ambitious strategy, Steinberg and his partner, Charlie Larsen, formed Marijuana Company of America as well its sister company, Canadian-based Global Hemp Group, Inc., which is focused on the legal cultivation and processing of industrial hemp. MCOA continues to build an impressive portfolio of synergistic companies across the hemp spectrum. From farm to finished products, MCOA's socially conscious strategy is to capitalize at each profit point and establish a significant footprint at multiple inflection points across the entire hemp value chain.

Hemp-Based Nutritionals



MCOA has worked to create a recognized and respected hempSMART product line that contains levels of clinically researched ingredients designed to exceed consumer expectations and support the body's natural endocannabinoid system. To serve health-conscious consumers, hempSMART includes an array of proprietary nutritional products.

hempSMART Brain is a patent-pending formulation designed for optimal brain function support.

hempSMART Drops offer the highest concentration and potency of full-spectrum bioavailable CBD.

hempSMART Pain Capsules contain a blend of premium CBD and botanical supplements.

hempSMART Pain Cream is a proprietary formulation for relief from muscle and joint pain.

hempSMART Full Spectrum Pet Drops is a unique nutritional supplement designed for furry family members.

hempSMART Face is a topical face moisturizer that combines CBD oil with ayurvedic herbs and botanicals.

MCOA's hempSMART goes through an exacting CO2 extraction process to ensure the highest quality in the company's natural wellness product line. By combining these pure industrial hemp-based cannabinoids with some of nature's most effective wellness ingredients, MCOA's hempSMART products are poised to deliver optimally formulated wellness products to health-conscious consumers.



In a forward-thinking plan to expand retail distribution and capitalize on impulse buys in high-traffic stores, MCOA took a 25 percent equity stake in BeniHemp-branded CBD products. BeniHemp health-focused products include topicals, tinctures and edibles packaged in one-day, two-day and thirty-day supplies widely distributed to convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations and small retail outlets.



A Growing Portfolio



In addition to the hempSMART and BeniHemp consumer products lines, MCOA continues to strategically assemble synergistic portfolio companies. In a joint venture with sister company Global Hemp Group, MCOA launched a 125-acre industrial hemp cultivation project in northeast New Brunswick, Canada. The project targets the promotion of hemp farming while providing year-round jobs in crop and finished product processing.



Also in conjunction with Global Hemp Group, MCOA is developing Covered Bridge Acres, an innovative high-yielding CBD hemp cultivation project in Oregon. The project utilizes both traditional outdoor cultivation and what will ultimately become more than 19,000 square feet of indoor greenhouses, which are slated to eventually supply the raw oil needed for the hempSMART CBD product line.



MCOA also took a 15 percent equity stake in MoneyTrac Technology, Inc., a subsidiary of Global Payout, Inc. . MCOA made this investment to help establish and market MoneyTrac Technology as an alternative banking solution for the cannabis industry.



Others Vying for Position



Isodiol International, Inc. (CSE: ISOL) (OTCQB: ISOLD) (FSE: LB6A.F) grows and harvests hemp on an industrial scale then processes it to extract the cannabidiol for distribution. The company commercializes pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids, micro-encapsulations and nanotechnology for consumable and topical skin care products. Isodiol has announced plans to develop additional over-the-counter and pharmaceutical drugs, expand its phytoceutical portfolio and expand into Latin America, Asia and Europe.



CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB:CVSI) operates in two business segments. The company's drug development division develops and commercializes novel therapeutics utilizing synthetic CBD. Its consumer product division manufactures, markets and sells plant-based CBD products to a range of market sectors. The company is also developing and pursuing FDA approval for drugs with specific indications utilizing cannabidiol as the active pharmaceutical ingredient.



Founded by MCOA CEO Donald Steinberg in 2009, Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC:MJNA) was the first U.S.-traded CBD company. The company develops, distributes and sells hemp oil that contains naturally occurring cannabinoids, including CBD. The company sells its hemp-derived CBD products through a variety of distribution subsidiaries. The company was among the first to bring hemp-based CBD oil products to market in the United States and the first to receive federal government import approvals in Mexico, Paraguay and Brazil.



PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC:POTN) is a publicly traded company that acts as a holding company for its subsidiaries, First Capital Venture Co.; Diamond CBD, Inc.; and Sunrise Auto Mall, Inc. Diamond CBD focuses on the research, development and multinational marketing of hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. Diamond CBD's team consists of hemp industry professionals, chemists, doctors and scientists - all working together to produce CBD oils.



Seismic Shift



Modern science has begun to substantiate both the anecdotal history and the therapeutic efficacy of cannabidiol. The FDA's recent approval of a cannabis-based drug represents a seismic shift and is further indication of the enormous curative potential that may be found in CBD. As more scientific validations ensue, the market for CBD products could easily exceed expectations, and well-positioned companies in the space could outperform the market.



For more information about Marijuana Company of America, please visitMarijuana Company of America (OTC:MCOA).



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LAVAL, Quebec, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altasciences, a leading North American early phase contract research organization (CRO), is pleased to announce that, for a fourth consecutive year, CEO Chris Perkin has been honored as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Leaders in the Life Sciences Industry by PharmaVOICE magazine. Chris is again recognized for the positive impact he has had on the drug development industry through his leadership, influence and positive actions.

Chris has more than 40 years' experience, initially as a scientist and subsequently as a strategic leader, in the CRO industry. He joined Altasciences in 2010, and the Company continues to flourish under his direction. His ongoing guidance, dedication, and innovative drive to excel led to this fourth consecutive nomination by his peers and employees. He is an inspirational corporate leader whose acumen and ability to develop breakthrough strategies ensure the continued success of Altasciences.

Chosen from among thousands of nominations to the PharmaVOICE 100, Chris was humbled by his fourth consecutive award. He said "I'm honored to be recognized by the people I work most closely with, my colleagues and peers. I share this recognition with them; it is their dedication and scientific excellence that drive the success of our company. Together, we achieve more; we accelerate growth and continue to reach new heights."

About Altasciences

Altasciences (http://www.altasciences.com/) is a mid-size contract research organization that encompasses Algorithme Pharma (http://www.algopharm.com/en) in Montreal, QC, Vince & Associates Clinical Research (http://www.vinceandassociates.com/) in Overland Park, KS, and Algorithme Pharma USA (http://www.algopharm.com/en) in Fargo, ND, with an overall company focus on supporting early-stage drug development. With over 25 years of industry experience, Altasciences provides clinical services to an international customer base of biopharmaceutical companies. Altasciences' full-service solutions offering in this critical stage of drug development includes clinical pharmacology, medical writing, biostatistics, data management and bioanalysis.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Julie-Ann Cabana

jcabana@altasciences.com (mailto:jcabana@altasciences.com)

913 304-4505

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: Altasciences Clinical Research - Canada via Globenewswire


LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2018 / The world's largest investment focused cryptocurrency and blockchain event, Crypto Invest Summit (CIS), announces today that Steve Wozniak will be the headline keynote. CIS is leading an effort to open up mainstream access to crypto and blockchain, which until now has been for insiders and techies. They believe Woz can help them on that mission.

CIS Sponsors and partners include, Totle, Netki, Optimum, BitIRA, Aurora (IDEX), CNBC Crypto Trader, GHV, Onchain Capital, Struck Capital, Gumi Cryptos, Krowdster, Wavemaker Genesis, DNA and American Airlines.

Other CIS speakers include, Tim Draper, Crystal Rose, Rodney Sampson, David Bleznak, David Weild, Adam Draper, Jeremy Gardner, Emily Bush, Ran Neu-Ner, Miko Matsumura, Tegan Kline, Alex Wearn, Steven McKie, Yossi Hasson and Scott Walker.

Apple's co-founder is an early blockchain and cryptocurrency supporter, and a global activist for decentralization, fairness, and distribution - the primary benefits of crypto and blockchain.

Preparing for his keynote fireside chat, Wozniak said 'I am very excited to speak about the potential for Bitcoin and blockchain at Crypto Invest Summit. I want to speak with the biggest players in the blockchain community, and challenge them to make innovative products that create utility - and then bring real value to their users.'

Woz speaks up for innovation, and challenges tech giants. When Jobs didn't want to share Apple stock with early employees, Woz famously gave $10 million of his own away. He called out Mark Zuckerberg for taking advantage of users, and abandoned his Facebook account. He touted Elon Musk for too much hype over delivery, and Uber/Lyft for not paying their drivers enough.

'No one demonstrates innovation and distributing its rewards to those who helped build it more than the Woz.' says Alon Goren, co-founder of CIS and crypto fund veteran. 'That is the fundamental spirit behind why so many of us were drawn to the cryptocurrency community. To do it right, everyone is incentivized and rewarded for participation.'

There has been over $1.3 billion in global venture deals for blockchain companies in the first five months of 2018 (excluding ICOs). Goren notes, 'The summit brings this money to Los Angeles.'

CIS's co-founder, Josef Holm, emphasizes the candidness of the event. 'We want Woz and the audience to debate and discuss blockchain technology and its applications. Our platform is for candid conversations, fostering relationships, and deal flow. Ten people from the audience will get to ask Woz questions. The whole point is to learn things at the summit that cannot be easily searched for on google.'

ABOUT Crypto Invest Summit: Sold-out in 2017, CIS, comes back to the Los Angeles Convention Center on October 22nd. The summit brings together angel investors, venture capital investors, retail investors, family offices, real estate investors, startups / entrepreneurs, issuers, exchanges, broker-dealers, service providers, and members of the media. Previous headliners include: Tim Draper, Crystal Rose, Mance Harmon, Ran Neu-Ner, Marcus Lemonis, Robert Herjavec, David Siemer, Bill Barhydt, Scott Walker, Adam Draper, and Apolo Ohno. More information and press passes at https://cryptoinvestsummit.io

SOURCE: Crypto Invest Summit
The total number of digital transactions increased from 220 crore in 2013-2014 to more than 2070.98 crore in 2017-2018, SS Ahluwalia said

New Delhi: Digital payment transactions in the country have increased manifold to over 2,070 crore in 2017-18, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

The digital payment transactions have increased considerably - the total number of transactions have increased from 220 crore in 2013-2014 to more than 2070.98 crore in 2017-2018, Minister of State for Electronics and IT (MeitY) SS Ahluwalia said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

In response to another query, he said the government has been working with various stakeholders including states, smart cities, banks and payment service providers to promote digital payment transactions.

"Digital Payment transaction targets have been allocated to public and private sector banks for 2018-19. MeitY has set target of 3,013 crore digital payment transactions," he added.

As per the information received from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 10, 18 and 26 cases were registered under debit/credit card frauds during 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively, he said.

The minister pointed out that while the total number of digital payment transactions have increased to over 2,070 crore, the number of fraud cases have not seen such rise.
PNB expects to raise nearly Rs 700-800 crore from the sale of its earlier head office in the national capital

Mumbai: State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Wednesday said it is in negotiation with a few government departments, including income tax and central excise, to sell its erstwhile headquarters situated at the Bhikaji Cama Place in New Delhi.

Its managing director and chief executive officer, Sunil Mehta, on Wednesday said the bank is going for the second round of valuation of the south Delhi property due to high demand.

"It (talks) is at the stage of negotiation. There are three government agencies that we are in discussion with. Now we are negotiating for better valuations because we are finding good interest in it," Mehta told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said the departments the bank is in negotiations with include income-tax and central excise.

PNB executive director L V Prabhakar said the first valuation of the property was done five to six months back but since then the property rates have gone up and the demand has also increased, and hence the bank is going for revaluation.

The lender expects to raise nearly Rs 700-800 crore from the sale of its earlier head office in the national capital, a bank official said.

The bank has set a target to garner Rs 8,600 crore from monetisation of its non-crore assets during FY19.

It had raised Rs 167 crore in the June quarter from the sale of offices and its investment in Icra, Crisil and BSE.

The bank has appointed merchant banker for selling its stake in PNB Housing Finance, according to Mehta.

PNB owns 32.79 percent stake in PNB Housing Finance, while Carlyle Group, through its investment vehicle Quality Investment Holdings, owns 32.36 percent of the paid up equity share capital.

The bank and Carlyle Group last month had announced to initiate the process to sell at least 51 percent stake in PNB Housing Finance.

Mehta said the bank will also dilute minority 4 percent stake in PNB Metlife Insurance as part of price discovery mechanism.

It is also looking to shut its four representative offices in Sydney, Dhaka, Dubai and Shanghai soon.

In the quarter ended June, the lender reported a net loss of Rs 940 crore due to higher provisioning for the multi-crore Nirav Modi scam and NPAs despite a recovery of Rs 8,445 crore of bad loans.

Its total provision in the quarter stood at Rs 5,135 crore. Of this, the provision for the Nirav Modi fraud was Rs 1,800 crore. It made a recovery of Rs 8,445 crore.
Noori has exemplified what she has said by stepping down and having another take on that role, say analysts

News that PepsiCos India-born and educated CEO Indra Nooyi will step down has taken boardrooms across the globe by surprise. A career-focused and enterprising CEO who worked almost seven days of the week, Nooyi is credited with turning PepsiCo from just a carbonated drinks seller to a health foods company.

Under Nooyi's leadership, the food and beverage majors revenue grew by more than 80 percent. It added a new billion-dollar brand almost every other year, the company said in a statement, on Monday, which also announced Nooyi's decision to part ways with a firm she often refers to as family. PepsiCo "developed new design and eCommerce capabilities, a business which generated $1 billion in annual retail sales last year," the company said.

PepsiCo is the second-largest food and beverage company globally and her admirers credit that success to Nooyi. And her decision to step down has shaken the world of women CEOs, because, soon, only 24 women CEOs will remain at Fortune 500 companies.

Biocon Ltd. boss Kiran Mazumdar Shaw told Firstpost that Nooyi will leave a big void in many ways including in the sphere of women business leaders. Shaw said Nooyi did prove emphatically that she was one among equals in a male-dominated CEOs world.

Nooyi, 62, will step down on 3 October, 2018, after a 24-year stint with PepsiCo Inc. She will remain as chairman until early 2019.

An area that interests Nooyi is to help more women move into the upper echelons of management, a PTI report said. "In many ways, I think after stepping down as CEO I can work with other women to figure out how to get them to c-suite positions and as a mentor and supporter," she said. There is a need to focus on removing barriers to women's progress, she added.

Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman, India Advisory Board, Advent Private Equity, said Nooyis willingness to mentor CEOs would be fabulous. As someone who has seen her championing the cause of women, Kidwai said Nooyi has, in whatever positions she has held, encouraged and hired women. There was no soft approach to women employees but she actively encouraged them, Kidwai added.

One conversation doing the rounds is how the pool of the top women CEOs will shrink with Nooyi stepping down. There were only 25 women in the Fortune 500 list of CEOs across the globe in 2017. Nooyi was ranked fourth. Now there will be one less among the 25, said Geetha Kannan, MD, Anita Borg Institute  a not-for-profit organisation whose primary aim is to recruit, retain, and advance women in technology.

Nooyi, one of the world's most powerful and influential business leaders, said leading PepsiCo has been the "honour" of her lifetime, and that she is "incredibly proud" of all that the company has done over the past 12 years to advance the interests of shareholders and stakeholders.

Kannan said there are very few women role models in business and to lose Nooyi leaves a huge black hole. We dont have role models of the kind of Nooyi. I am sure she must have the feeling of been-there-done-it-all but I would have liked her to continue for a few more years, she said, adding that everyone who worked with her, the PepsiCo management and its stakeholders were happy with her.

Nooyi has over the last 12 years served as the CEO of PepsiCo. Among the few executives to break the glass ceiling in corporate America, Nooyi also created history by being among the few India-born women to lead a global giant when she took over the reins at PepsiCo.

Kidwai says that she is not surprised that Nooyi is stepping down. After all, she worked as the CEO for 12 years. You serve 12 years in the US where there are very few who have such long tenures. The job is full of pressures and Nooyi not only survived it but came out with flying colours which is huge.

Mazumdar Shaw seconded that and said, Nooyi belongs to a cadre of exceptional global business leaders. She leaves behind a great legacy at PepsiCo that generations will remember. She was the role model of all professional women.

Referring to the aphorism that all good things must come to an end, Kidwai also said that there is no need for one to hang on to these positions.

Nooyis legacy is far greater than her leaving, said Seema Sindhwani, a professor of strategy at the Indian School of Business (ISB), adding that Nooyi always said that fresh blood was required in important positions. Nooyi has exemplified what she has said by stepping down and having another take on that role.

PepsiCo has appointed Ramon Laguarta to take over as chief executive. Nooyi will pass the baton to an insider who led the companys fast-growing emerging markets business. Laguarta, who starts on 3 October, will be tasked with managing the companys response as consumer tastes move away from sugary drinks.

What is important to note, said Sindhwani, is that Nooyi has given wings to many womens dreams. Their thought will be, if an Indian-born CEO raised and educated in India can make it to a CEOs job, so can we. Nooyi has played her innings well, cut the biggest deals for PepsiCo, transformed the company and given it a new purpose. If we study womens leadership styles, they dont go for an immediate change but bring about a transformation, which is what Nooyi has done. She will go down in history as the CEO who created a F&B company from just a soft drink firm, she said.

Nooyi has said that after she quits, her focus will be her family. Being the CEO of a company is "all consuming," she said. "When you are the CEO, especially of such a large company, there's only one priority, and that priority is being CEO. I think my family was short-changed a lot. The last 24 years, the PepsiCo family always came first." She added, "Now is the time to shift my priorities to my family."

Now, going forward, will Nooyi be a family person and mentor women CEOs (not necessarily in that order)? She could just spring another surprise, given her graph of excelling in all that she takes up.

(With data support from Kishor Kadam)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21 August will launch India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) with 650 branches across the country, which will pave way for the largest banking network

New Delhi: India Post Payments Bank will partner with banks and other financial companies to offer loans, mutual funds and insurance policies to its customers.

"India Post Payments Bank will offer loans, mutual funds and insurance through third-party tie-ups. It will sell some of Punjab National Bank products, including loans. It has partnered Bajaj Allianz for insurance and will be looking for more partners," official sources told reporters on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21 August will launch India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) with 650 branches across the country, which will pave way for the largest banking network.

"All 1.55 lakh post office branches will be linked to IPPB by end of this year. There are 1.3 lakh post offices in the rural area that have reach to neighbouring villages. With these rural post office branches, IPPB services will be made available across all villages in the country," the sources said.

Two branches of IPPB are already operational on pilot basis in Raipur and Ranchi.

Payments banks can accept deposits up to Rs 1 lakh per account from individuals and small businesses, and facilitate money transfer to other bank accounts, among other services. However, they cannot offer loans, or issue credit cards.

With the third party tie-ups, account holders in IPPB will be able to avail financial services as in case of a regular banking customer.

To overcome the limitation of Rs 1 lakh deposit limit, IPPB has receive permission to link around 17 crore post office saving banks (POSB) account.

"With this, whenever deposit in IPPB account exceeds Rs 1 lakh, it can be transferred to POSB. There are a total of 37 crore different types of accounts at post offices which will be linked to IPPB gradually," the sources said.

Initially, there will be 11,000 postman who will provide doorstep banking services and later 3 lakh postal department employees will be roped in for doorstep services.

"Doorstep banking services will be chargeable," an official said.

IPPB will also run banking and financial services campaign to create awareness about financial products among people, especially in rural area.
IMF said GST has taken important step of unifying and harmonising numerous indirect taxes across all states of the federation and the central government

Washington: The IMF on Wednesday described the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a "milestone reform" in India's tax policy, but pushed for a simplified structure, saying the multiple rate structure and other features could give rise to high compliance and administrative costs.

In its annual country report, the International Monetary Fund also said that a dual rate structure with a low standard rate and an additional higher rate on select items can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality.

The GST is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services in India. It came into effect on 1 July, 2017.

The IMF said that GST is a milestone reform in India's tax policy, taking the important step of unifying and harmonising numerous indirect taxes across all states of the federation and the central government.

"Yet, the GST has a complex structure with a relatively high number of rates (and exemptions), which could be simplified without sacrificing progressivity of the current GST and with potentially significant gains from lower compliance and administrative costs," it said.

A dual rate structure with a low standard rate and an additional higher rate on select items can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality, while streamlining exemptions would further contribute to progressivity and reduce compliance and administrative costs, the IMF recommended.

The IMF said that with the consumption basket of the rich taxed at higher rates than that of the poor, the GST as presently designed has an effective tax rate rising with household consumption. A revenue-neutral reduction in the number of rates would raise the effective rates for poorer households while reducing those for richer households. This is the key cost of moving to a simpler system, it argued.

In its report, the IMF said the implementation of the GST led to the key step of harmonising indirect tax rates on goods and services that previously differed across different states and the Centre and brought services into the state tax net.

However, India belongs in a small group of five countries having four or more GST rates: four non zero rates of five per cent, 12 percent, 18 percent, and 28 percent; special low rates of three percent on gems and jewelry and 0.25 percent on rough diamonds; and a GST "cess" levied on demerit goods. In comparison, among 115 countries with VATs, 49 have a single rate, and 28 have two rates, it noted.

"The multiple rate structure and other features of India's GST environment could give rise to high compliance and administrative costs, it said.

The goods and services tax created a unified national market for the first time by lowering internal barriers to trade - effectively establishing a free trade agreement for a market of over 1.3 billion people, said Ranil Salgado, IMF mission chief for India.

The tax is also expected to increase the amount of economic activity taking place in the formal sector of the economy - leading to better quality and more reliable jobs, he added.

"As a result, the goods and services tax should improve productivity and boost medium term potential growth, while also creating room for the government to increase much needed social and infrastructure spending," Salgado added.
Ivanka said she is 'deeply grateful' for Indra Nooyi's friendship and thanked the Chennai-born executive for her 'passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond.'

New York: An adviser to her father President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump has said that Indra Nooyi has been her mentor and inspiration as she expressed her gratitude for the outgoing PepsiCo chief's passionate engagement on various social issues.

The great @IndraNooyi is stepping down as PepsiCo CEO, after 12 yrs.

Indra, you are a mentor + inspiration to so many, myself included. I am deeply grateful for your friendship. Thank you for your passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond  Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 7, 2018

Ivanka said she is "deeply grateful" for Nooyi's friendship and thanked the Chennai-born executive for her "passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond."

In 2016, Nooyi had joined a 19-person Strategic and Policy Forum created by then President-elect Trump as he prepared his economic agenda for the US. However, the forum disbanded in August 2017 in the wake of Trump's confrontational response to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

PepsiCo's Board of Directors unanimously elected Ramon Laguarta, 54, to succeed Nooyi, 62, as Chief Executive Officer.

Nooyi will step down on 3 October after 24 years with the company, the last 12 as CEO. She will remain Chairman until early 2019 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran's utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic had nothing to be concerned about, a report on his official website said on Wednesday, as the country's clerical leadership faces biting U.S. sanctions. The sanctions imposed on Tehran this week have already led banks and many companies around the world to scale back dealings with Iran.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran's utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic had nothing to be concerned about, a report on his official website said on Wednesday, as the country's clerical leadership faces biting U.S. sanctions.

The sanctions imposed on Tehran this week have already led banks and many companies around the world to scale back dealings with Iran. Companies doing business with Iran will be barred from the United States, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

"With regard to our situation do not be worried at all. Nobody can do anything," his website Khamenei.ir quoted him as saying in one of his speeches in the past weeks, but was published only a day after the new U.S. sanctions took effect.

Trump tweeted on Tuesday that the new sanctions, which were lifted under a 2015 international nuclear deal, were the most biting sanctions ever imposed.

Iran has denounced as "U.S. unilateralism" the reimposition of sanctions in line with Trumps decision to pull out of the agreement over Irans nuclear programme.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshrou, in a commentary published by Britain's Guardian newspaper on Wednesday, said that Trump was making history by violating a U.N. Security Council resolution it voted for three years ago.

The resolution, which underpinned the pact between Iran and six powers, calls on U.N. member states to refrain "from actions that undermine implementation of commitments" under the nuclear accord.

U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to pressure countries to stop buying oil from Iran in a bid to force Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programmes and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero will not succeed, according to the Iran state newspaper.

"If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences," Zarif told the Iran newspaper.

"They cant think that Iran wont export oil and others will export."

President Hassan Rouhani hinted last month that Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route, if the United States attempted to stop the Islamic Republics oil exports.

Trump responded by noting that Iran could face serious consequences if it threatened the United States.

"The Americans have assembled a war room against Iran," Zarif said. "We cant get drawn into a confrontation with America by falling into this war room trap and playing on a battlefield."

Last month, Trump offered to meet Iran's leaders "without preconditions". But Rouhani on Monday said there could be no talks as long as Washington was reneging on the deal.

Zarif said that Oman and Switzerland have acted as mediators in talks with America in the past but that there are currently no direct or indirect talks being held with the United States.

Rouhani, speaking in a meeting with North Korea's foreign minister on Wednesday, said that America cannot be trusted, according to the State news agency IRNA.

"Today, America is identified as an unreliable and untrustworthy country in the world which does not adhere to any of its obligations," Rouhani said.

(Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
the current crisis in the state's mining sector, saying it has impacted 1.5 lakh people and hit iron ore exports worth up to Rs 25,000 crore.

New Delhi: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to address the current crisis in the state's mining sector, saying it has impacted 1.5 lakh people and hit iron ore exports worth up to Rs 25,000 crore.

During his first visit to the national capital after undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment in the US, Parrikar met Modi and also briefed a group of central ministers about the issues in the mining sector.

Last week, the Goa Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to suitably amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, to allow mining leases in the state to be operational till 2037.

The resolution also wanted the Centre to amend the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act in order to give mining leases in Goa a 50-year tenure of operation.

"I have requested him (Prime Minister) to consider Goa on priority... There is a very positive approach from the PM," the chief minister said after meeting Modi here.

Parrikar was accompanied by Union Minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Tendulkar and South Goa Member of Parliament Narendra Sawaikar.

After participating in a GoM on mining, Parrikar told reporters Goa is facing a total collapse in mining in the wake of a Supreme Court judgement and the GoM after "patiently hearing" the state of affairs has assured to work on some solution.

When asked whether he also gave some suggestions, he said, "My options were some legal amendments ... which would remove all these impediments because Goa is (in) very complex situation. It was concessions. From concessions, we have shifted to lease."

The chief minister also tweeted, "Called on the Hon'ble PM Shri. @narendramodi ji in New Delhi and briefed him on the mining issue and other development works in the state of Goa."

Called on the Honble PM Shri. @narendramodi ji in New Delhi and briefed him on the mining issue and other development works in the state of Goa. pic.twitter.com/vPPMcgSsFf  Manohar Parrikar (@manoharparrikar) August 7, 2018

Parrikar said Goa is one of the net exporters of iron ore that has come to a halt. "From about Rs 20,000-25,000 crore export (it) is today zero and it has affected anywhere up to 1.5 lakh people in the state," he said.

He said that iron ore mined in Goa cannot be used in India as it is low-grade ore and needs to be exported adding that countries like Australia and Brazil are now taking advantage of this situation and exporting to "our markets".

In order to re-establish the market, a concrete plan is a must, he said.

The state's mining sector has been shut since March 16 this year after the Supreme Court, through an order in February, cancelled 88 leases and banned the extraction of fresh ore.

The private member's resolution, moved by BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral, had stated that the Goa government would urge the Centre to suitably amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, to make it effective from 23 May 1987 instead of 20 December 1961. This would allow mining leases in the state to be operational till 2037.

The resolution also wants the Union government to amend the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act in order to give mining leases in Goa a 50-year tenure of operation.
On National Handloom Day on Tuesday, hundreds of weavers held protests at the NHDC headquarters in Greater Noida, demanding payment of outstanding dues and resumption of yarn supply.

New Delhi: The National Handloom Development Corporation has referred to the CBI a case related to alleged embezzlement of funds meant for the supply of yarn, after an internal probe indicated 'irregularities' worth around Rs 200 crore, a top official said.

Textiles Secretary Anant Kumar Singh told PTI that irregularities worth around Rs 200 crore were detected through an inquiry report submitted last week.

The matter been referred to the CBI by NHDC as it found some transactions which may have taken place without the yarn being distributed.

Singh said the matter may have its roots in other states even though the problem has until now been reported in Lucknow region and Greater Noida.

The textiles secretary said the CBI has been handed over the case as the central probe agency has expertise on such issues.

E-mails sent to the top management of National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC), a PSU under the Textiles Ministry, did not elicit any immediate response.

"In the meantime, NHDC has suspended three employees and instituted a departmental inquiry on the matter," Singh said, adding that the public sector undertaking (PSU) has been asked to make sure that weavers do not suffer.

On National Handloom Day on Tuesday, hundreds of weavers held protests at the NHDC headquarters in Greater Noida, demanding payment of outstanding dues and resumption of yarn supply.

Protestors claimed that lakhs of weavers from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are affected as they have not been paid outstanding dues in the current financial year, whereas several have lost their jobs due to stoppage of yarn supply.
Odisha government in association with industry body FICCI on Wednesday conducted a roadshow in the city to woo investors ahead of its second edition of 'Make in Odisha' conclave scheduled to be held in November

Mumbai: Odisha government in association with industry body FICCI on Wednesday conducted a roadshow in the city to woo investors ahead of its second edition of 'Make in Odisha' conclave scheduled to be held in November.

"Odisha is fast emerging as a manufacturing hub of east India. We will be organising the second edition of Make in Odisha conclave in Bhubaneswar from 11-15 November this year to showcase manufacturing prowess of the state and various investment opportunities," Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said after inaugurating the roadshow.

During the inaugural edition of the conclave, organised in 2016, investment plans to the tune of Rs 2.03 lakh crore were announced by the industry.

Business leaders from over 300 leading companies participated in the roadshow to explore growth opportunities across Odisha's focus sectors - food processing and seafood, ancillary and downstream industries in the metals sector, textiles, ESDM (electronic system design and manufacturing), chemicals, plastics and petrochemicals and tourism, a release claimed.

Earlier, Patnaik met a host of industry leaders including richest Indian and RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra, Godrej group chairman Adi Godrej, among others, and invited them to invest in the state.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group, Gautam Singhania, chairman and managing director, Raymond group and Kishore Biyani, founder and chief executive officer, Future Group, are also scheduled to meet Patnaik, as per the release.

Patnaik said the state has seen a significant rise in attracting manufacturing projects with more than 118 large projects approved with an employment potential of 128,572 in the past four years alone.
Last month, the government found nearly 300 companies running their own PF trusts flouting rules and not paying interest to their employees.

Some 1,500 companies in India, all big and most of them listed, have their own in-house provident fund (PF) trusts thus discarding the official Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) other lesser employers set store by. To be sure, there is nothing illegal about these in-house or private PF trusts but it is one thing to encourage competition among PF companies so that the salaried class gets better returns on their hard-earned compulsory savings that are meant to be their post-retirement lifeboat, but quite another to encourage in-house PF trusts that insidiously take liberties with their employees money.

Last month, the government found nearly 300 companies running their own PF trusts flouting rules and not paying interest to their employees. There have also been cases of companies being less than punctual in depositing PF deductions from salaries as well as their own contributions to the in-house trusts smug in the knowledge that after all employees have loyalty to the management who are not going to demur.

To be sure, there are penalties for taking liberties with employees provident fund contributions but then prevention is any day better than cure.

In-house trusts have to offer better terms vis-a-vis the ones EPFO offers so as to make the grade both under the Provident Fund Act as well as under the Income Tax law. Thus, they allow quicker withdrawals than is possible from the EPFO, take only 0.18 percent as administrative expenses as mandated by law as against a more generous 0.50 percent allowed to EPFO besides investing a little more courageously and aggressively in mutual funds too, in addition to government securities including gilts.

EPFO, on the contrary, invests by and large in gilts with a small percentage -- 5 percent of the corpus finding its way into index funds, the most docile form of share market investments.

Employers plump for in-house trusts also for reasons of prestige--- we dont rub shoulders with the teeming millions but allow our employees to do PF business from inside the comfort of their own offices. Hotfooting to the nearest PF office is a nightmare though of late after the government started net-based PF operations for employees by signing into their UAN (universal access number), things have improved considerably.

The moot question is, why not bring in competition to EPFO rather than compromise employee interest through the potentially insidious in-house trusts. As it is the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) allows pension companies to compete with each other to offer pension plans. Resultantly, there are banks and private players with their own pension companies wooing employees to subscribe to their plans. Expertise in running mutual funds successfully is their trump card.

It is curious that the government is loath to extending the pension model of competition to provident fund. In the US, section 401(K) schemes are run by competing companies in addition to in-house trusts. 401(K) owes its origin to the relevant section in the US federal income tax law akin to our own section 80C.

Kenneth Lay of Enron infamy used employees pension funds parked in the in-house trusts to boost up Enron shares followed by quick unloading of his own investments in Enron shares for a fast buck (some $250 million) before Enron collapsed in the bourses. He didnt live to serve his prison term but his estate had to disgorge the ill-gotten profits made at the expense of its employees. In-house trusts tantalise promoters into misusing employee retirement funds. They ought not to be allowed in the first place. Furthermore, unlike professional fund management companies, in-house trusts may not have the requisite expertise to invest judiciously. It is time the government gave the salaried class the option of either plumping for the sarkari EPFO or one of the numerous competing provident fund companies with the facility of portability thrown in for good measure while at the same time grandfathering the existing in-house PF trusts in a phased manner without causing disruption.

There is no earthly reason why employers should cling onto employees funds even for prestige reasons and as a goodwill gesture. That is not their job.

(The author is a senior columnist and tweets @smurlidharan)
Earlier in March this year, the RBI had paid an interim dividend of Rs 10,000 crore for 2017-18.

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank on Wednesday said it has decided to pay a dividend of Rs 50,000 crore to the Union government for the year ending 30 June, 2018.

The decision was taken at its board meeting held here.

"The Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India, at its meeting held on 8 August, 2018, approved the transfer of surplus amounting to Rs 500 billion for the year ended 30 June, 2018 to the Government of India," the central bank said in a statement.

The RBI follows July-June financial year.

The RBI had last year transferred a surplus of Rs 30,659 crore as dividend to the government for the year ended 30 June, 2017, which was less than half of what it paid in the previous year (Rs 65,876 crore).

Earlier in March this year, the central bank had paid an interim dividend of Rs 10,000 crore for 2017-18.

The surplus payout in June 2017 year was low on account of expenses incurred on the printing of new currency notes following demonetisation effected on 9 November, 2016.
The parent firm of the company- Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has dues of around Rs 10,000 crore pending to be paid to the telecom department.

New Delhi: Debt-ridden telecom firm Tata Teleservcies Maharashtra on Tuesday said it is planning to raise an additional fund of Rs 20,000 crore through debt instruments.

"...a meeting of the Board of Directors of the company is scheduled to be held on Friday, 10 August, 2018, to consider the proposal to raise additional funds up to an aggregate amount of Rs 20,000 crore," Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) said in a regulatory note.

The fundraising, if approved, will be done by issue of one or more types of the securities, instruments, etc including redeemable preference shares to promoters on preferential basis, non-convertible debentures or inter-corporate deposit or loans from the promoters or other entities.

The parent firm of the company- Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has dues of around Rs 10,000 crore pending to be paid to the telecom department.

TTSL in process of merging its mobile service business with Bharti Airtel and will need to clear dues before the DoT takes merger on record.
Welcoming the regulator's decision, Walmart said it remains committed to contributing to the Indian economy by supporting smallholder farmers, manufacturers, and its Kirana customers.

New Delhi: The Competition Commission on Wednesday said it has cleared US retail giant Walmart's proposed acquisition of Flipkart, a deal estimated to be worth $16 billion.

The approval comes less than three months after the announcement of the mega-deal, which is also being opposed by various trader organisations.

In May, Walmart announced the acquisition of 77 percent stake of Flipkart in its biggest takeover till date.

@CCI_India approves proposed acquisition of Flipkart Private Limited by Wal-Mart International Holdings, Inc  CCI (@CCI_India) August 8, 2018

Mergers and acquisitions beyond a certain threshold require the approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Welcoming the regulator's decision, Walmart said it remains committed to contributing to the Indian economy by supporting smallholder farmers, manufacturers, and its Kirana customers.

"Flipkart is a prominent player in India with a strong, entrepreneurial leadership team that is a good cultural fit with Walmart.

"We believe that the combination of Walmart's global expertise and Flipkart will position us for long-term success and enable us to contribute to the economic growth," it said.

In a statement, Flipkart Holding welcomed the CCI's decision. "... by combining Walmart's global expertise with our leadership position and Indian ethos, we believe we are positioned for long-term success and contribution to the Indian economy and society," it added.

Traders' body CAIT, which has been opposed to the deal, described the CCI approval as "most unfortunate" and said it would approach the court against the decision.

In June, more than 100 trader organisations opposed the deal stating it will cause "irreversible damage" to small traders and endanger jobs for thousands.

As per the notice submitted to the CCI, the acquisition of majority stake in Flipkart will be done through Wal-Mart International Holdings.

The proposed transaction would be effected pursuant to the share purchase agreement and the share issuance and acquisition agreement entered into on May 9 by and among Walmart's subsidiary and Flipkart, the notice said.

In June, Walmart said that it expects to close the deal this year.

"In May 2018, the company announced it will pay approximately $16 billion in exchange for approximately 77 percent of the outstanding shares of Flipkart Group (Flipkart). The investment includes $2 billion of new equity funding.

"...closing is expected later this calendar year, and is subject to regulatory approval," the American retail major had said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) said the deal is good for India as a whole.

The deal will strengthen the agriculture supply chain and create new skilled jobs, supporting the 'Make in India' initiative, USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi said in a statement.

Walmart is a USISPF member.
As a young boy, Sanjit Debnath would often visit his fathers garment store in Masimpur, 12 kilometres from Silchar town in southern Assam's Cachar district. I still remember the respect my father commanded from people in the area. Many of them only visited our shop to hear him narrate, once again, the time he spent in jail during his student life in the 1940s while fighting for the freedom of India, said Sanjit, a 65-year-old retired government employee from Silchar.

Editor's Note: Of the 4 million who didn't make it to NRC, 2.48 lakh have been marked as 'D' voters. The Supreme Court has asked Assam government not to take any coercive action on those who are found to be without proper documents as required under recent National Register of Citizens. NRC, a product of Assam Accord, is expected to solve the fear of Bangladeshi immigrants that has been prevalent in the state for quite some time now. The Centre proposed in 1999 an updated NRC in Assam to solve the problem of "illegal immigration" and two pilot projects were conducted in Dhubri and Barpeta districts. But breaking out of a riot in Barpeta grounded the project. In 2005, when All Assam Student Union opposed the prime minister's visit to the state, tripartite talk between AASU, State government, and the Centre resulted in a decision to prepare a model for the NRC process, which was delayed yet again by over 5 years by the state government. It was only when Abhijeet Sharma of Assam Public Works (APW), an NGO, filed a writ petition in 2009 that the SC's direct intervention led to the start of NRC process in 2014. Firstpost will run a series which will feature 30 profiles in 30 days of those residents of Assam who have not been covered under the final draft of NRC which will decide if they continue to live in the state that they call 'home'.

***

Silchar: As a young boy, Sanjit Debnath would often visit his fathers garment store in Masimpur, 12 kilometres from Silchar town in southern Assam's Cachar district. I still remember the respect my father commanded from people in the area. Many of them only visited our shop to hear him narrate, once again, the time he spent in jail during his student life in the 1940s while fighting for the freedom of India, said Sanjit, a 65-year-old retired government employee from Silchar.

My father, Bhuban Mohan Debnath, passed away in 2003. He would have never thought that one day, it will be his children fighting for their identity in a country he loved and would have gladly died for, Sanjit said just days after his entire family found their names missing from the second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The 19 members of the family who have been left out of the final draft include five of Sanjits brothers (Ajit, Bijit, Sujit, Asit, Biswajit) their respective children, and his sister Swapna. All of them reside in Silchar, except Asit, who stays in Delhi.

While two of the brothers, including Sanjit, retired from government service, the remaining brothers and the sister are government employees. Sujit, meanwhile, runs a homeopathic medicine shop. The family members are aged between five and 68, with Ajit being the oldest and Sanjit's granddaughter Supritha being the youngest member. The names of the spouses of the family members were, however, in the second draft of the NRC.

Sanjit said, None of our names were in the first list. But since most people did not make it to the list, we were not anxious. We are clueless why our names are missing from the final draft despite submitting documents such as land deeds and a copy of the voters list with my fathers name on it dating back to 1960s, he said.

He said that the family got all documents verified at an NRC Seva Kendra in Cachar districts Palonghat on 5 April. The officials told us everything was in place. They did not raise any red flags, said Sanjit, who completed his higher secondary from Cachar College in 1972, and was employed with the Inspector of Schools in Cachar district until his retirement in 2015.

Sanjit said the road ahead would be tough and that he expected long-drawn-out legal procedures. We will visit the NRC Seva Kendra and submit application forms for claims. It might take a long time to resolve things, he added. More than 40 lakh residents of Assam found their names missing from the final draft of the NRC, of which nearly 4 lakh were residents of Barak Valley.

"People whose names are missing form the final draft of NRC are going to suffer, particularly the poor. They've already suffered a lot during the verification process as a large number of people had to go to distant places to report to NRC Seva Kendras," Sanjit added.

"Many from my family have served the government in various capacities. Some are still in service. We are not able to digest the fact that despite working for (the government) for so many years, we were put under the 'not included' category," he said. Sometimes, I wonder what will happen to us if we are not considered genuine citizens of the country? Will our pensions be stopped? Will my siblings in government jobs be suspended? Sanjit asked.

For now, there are no answers.

Swapnaneel Bhattacharjee is a Silchar-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com
Migration before Independence from East Bengal and infiltration after Independence from East Pakistan and later on from Bangladesh into Assam had become so easy that it caused a profound sense of unease and fear in the minds of all Assamese people.

Many indigenous Assamese, this writer included, often lament loudly about the fact that they make worthy news for the national media only when it pertains to some law and order or election-related issue. Their grudge has some basis as the tyranny of distance frequently plays spoilsport in highlighting the trauma and trouble faced by the Assamese people for a pretty long time.

Last ten days after the publication of the draft NRC (National Register of Citizens) on 30 July, however, has been entirely different. Many discerning eyes of India and abroad seem to have been firmly transfixed on this land of the red river and the blue hills, situated on the other side of the famous Siliguri corridor, often referred to as the chicken-neck of the country. The toxic rhetoric unabashedly underlined by politicians of different hues to give colour to the whole exercise of NRC updating for their narrow political and sectarian gains is disturbingly ominous not only for Assam but for the whole nation. The fact that politicians would try to fish in troubled water was not entirely unexpected, although the intensity of their vitriolic campaign has rattled many in Assam.

But more unsettling and disturbing is the prejudiced attitude shown by a large section of the left-liberal intellectuals of India in denouncing an exercise undertaken in a fairly objective and transparent manner under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. While invoking the victimhood card ad nauseam, they have exhibited their lack of neutrality and balance in the whole issue. I know it is somewhat fashionable for some celebrity writers and columnists to champion the cause of those people whose names have not figured in the draft NRC in their cosy intellectual circles. While it is not wrong to emphasise the trauma of those people, but during that process, should we totally turn a blind eye to the human rights of the indigenous people of Assam whose legitimate claim and grip over their own homeland is fast slipping away due to the large-scale influx across the borders?

It is not difficult to fathom that their partisan posturing has become more strident after the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Amit Shahs preposterous comment in Parliament tarring the whole four million people as Bangladeshi infiltrators. Just because one important leader has adroitly utilised the opportunity to usurp the political discourse in the country should not have blinded these scholars to the traumatic experience faced by the Assamese for nearly a century.

Migration before Independence from East Bengal and infiltration after Independence from East Pakistan and later on from Bangladesh into Assam had become so easy that it caused a profound sense of unease and fear in the minds of all Assamese people.

Way back in 1931, TS Mulan, the then census commissioner in Assam expressed serious concern over the massive migration of people from erstwhile East Bengal to Assam. He said if that trend continued, the indigenous people would be reduced to a minority in all other districts except in Sivasagar district in eastern Assam. Today out of 33 districts in Assam, Muslims are a majority in nine and are almost neck to neck with the Hindu population in few others.

As the communal politics of Muslim League became more and more aggressive after 1937, it wanted Assam to be a Muslim majority province to facilitate its entry into the proposed map of East Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnahs famous statement  'Shilliong would be my summer capital'  has deeply shocked as well as galvanised the indigenous people of the Brahmaputra valley to stand firmly with the tallest leader of the Assam Congress Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi, the then premier and the first chief minister of Assam after Independence.

On NRC and Assam, the Congress party and ambivalence have become two sides of the same coin now. It is difficult to imagine that same Congress fought the 1946 election with the slogan  homeland for the Assamese. The party won that election by a slender majority and successfully prevented the amalgamation of Assam in Pakistan during the infamous Grouping Scheme. During that extremely critical time threatening to gobble up the whole identity of the Assamese, only one important leader from the mainland India supported the just cause of Assam and he was none other than Mahatma Gandhi. However, after two decades of Independence, the Congress party got inextricably enmeshed in the dangerous game of building up their vote banks with the help of those infiltrators.

The Assam Movement against the illegal infiltrators started in 1979 in this backdrop under the leadership of the All Assam Students Union (AASU). It strongly conveyed the pent-up feelings of the indigenous people against the alarming level of influx. A total of 855 martyrs laid down their lives for their motherland and several thousands were severely maimed for life. It culminated in the signing of the historic Assam Accord between the AASU, Axom Gana Sangram Parishad (AGSP) and the Central government led by Rajiv Gandhi. Not a single columnist has pointed out the sacrifice made by the Assamese in accepting 1971 as the cut off year for detection, deletion and deportation of illegal migrants whereas for the rest of the country, the cut off year is 1948. When magnanimity shown by Assam in accepting migrants up to 1971 goes insufficiently recognised by all, it becomes a frustratingly disquieting experience for the majority of the indigenous people.

And now, nearly 33 years of the Assam Accord, the kind of bizarre logic that we have seen right, left and centre has conclusively proved our peripheral status not only in terms of geographical location but also in the national imagination.

As per the Assam Accord, the indigenous Assamese should have been protected by constitutional safeguards in lieu of their sacrifice up to 1971. But any serious work is yet to be initiated in this regard. I know my piece runs the danger of being dismissed by some as an emotional rant by an aggrieved Assamese. But before dismissing, please keep the following facts in mind. If not a feeling of empathy, you may regain some sense of balance. I know this is in severely short supply as this group of academics tries to analyse the current NRC exercise in Assam with an inadequate understanding of the struggle faced by the local people for the last many decades.

First, after the publication of the draft NRC, every person in Assam irrespective of his caste, creed, religion, ethnicity and citizenship status, has shown tremendous maturity by maintaining calm and tranquillity. Credit must go to those indigenous people and Indian citizens of other states whose names are not on the list, for their steadfast refusal to get provoked. We should also not stop short of appreciating those people of dubious citizenship status whose names are not figuring now. I know the sight of unlisted people getting reassured by both Central and state governments and developing faith in the claim and objection procedure of the NRC updating exercise is not liked by many thinkers and columnists who are bent upon getting some brownie points in their intellectual constituencies.

It is pertinent to note that while trying to justify their preconceived notions about the people of Assam, some have denigrated, some have denounced and some have refused to take into account the massive sacrifice made by the indigenous people in the past due to this intractable problem. The development of the state has continuously suffered due to excessive energy and effort being extracted by various narratives and counter-narratives associated with this issue.

Second and more importantly, the people of Assam have remained totally impervious to sinister Assamese-Bengali linguistic spin started by West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee. The BJPs oft-repeated political design of pitting the Hindus against the Muslims has also fallen flat in Assam. The Assamese are in fact angry with the BJP for the proposed citizenship amendment bill 2016 planning to give citizenship status to people based on their religion and in the last several months, the whole of the Brahmaputra valley rose in protest against that. The maturity of the people can be gauged by the fact that they have not left any fertile ground for the nasty political design to take root and sprout. Majority of them have remained unfazed by the divisive refugee-infiltrator binary propounded by the Hindutva brigade.

Last but not the least, a majority of the Assamese people are well aware of the fact that Bangladeshi immigrants have economically contributed to the state. On an individual basis, it would be hard to find many Assamese who are against them. They are scared by the fact that in the last few decades, because of their fast-rising numbers due to infiltration and uncontrolled family planning, the land rights, the political rights and cultural ethos so painstakingly built up by the indigenous people over many centuries are likely to be overwhelmed. Their homeland is being increasingly threatened. But even then, no conscious Assamese wants any infringement of human rights of the non-citizens to be declared by the final NRC. Their demand for expulsion of foreigners as well as for sealing the porous India-Bangladesh border has so far fallen on deaf ears. This has profoundly disturbed and angered the people.

In those trying times, we have not seen any national or international campaign to highlight the plight of the indigenous Assamese. But as the work relating to the preparation of final NRC is about to commence, that too after 33 years of the Assam Accord, we have some people shedding crocodile tears over the fate of the likely foreigners.

But would someone dare to shed a tear for the vanishing homeland and other rights of the Assamese? This is the moot question on many lips in Assam today which would perhaps fail spectacularly to elicit any sincere reply from those biased left-liberal scholars.

The writer is an author and social commentator. He can be mailed at mayurbora@yahoo.com.
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Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said NRC exercise would not be allowed in West Bengal and asked the propagators of this idea not to 'play with fire'

Kolkata: Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan Wednesday said conducting an National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise would not be allowed in West Bengal and asked the propagators of this idea not to "play with fire".

"Parties should desist from trying to reap political dividends by polarising people in the name of NRC," Mannan said while addressing a convention on the NRC in Assam.

The complete draft of the NRC which was released on 30 July has left out over 40 lakh applicants.

"Where will those having been born 50 years back will go? What is happening to Bengalis and other linguistic minorities in Assam will happen to others also in future, if we can't resist this dangerous trend to divide people along communal and linguistic lines," said Mannan, the leader of the Opposition of the West Bengal assembly.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha Tuesday urged upon the Indian Muslims, especially those living in West Bengal to support an NRC exercise in the state claiming that it is becoming a hub for infiltrators under the Trinamool Congress rule.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had also said the NRC will be published in the state on the lines of the one in Assam if his party is voted to power in the state.

Without naming the BJP, Mannan said, "Some people are also talking about conducting the NRC exercise in West Bengal if they came to power in future. They should not play with fire. We assert this will never be allowed to happen in our state."

Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty described omission of over 40 lakh applicants in the complete NRC draft as "against humanity".

"Besides Bengali-speaking, names of many non-Bengalis were dropped from the final draft list," Chakraborty claimed.

"This is not a fight between Assam and Bengal. This is not a fight between Assamese and Bengalis. This is an attack on human beings having lived in the country as bonafide citizens for ages," he said.

The CPM MLA said he was also against the policy of targeting a particular religious community in the name of deportation.

Chakraborty also termed Dilip Ghosh's statement on conducting an NRC exercise in West Bengal as "audacious".

Bengali poet Subodh Sarkar also spoke in the convention. The 'Assam Sanhati Manch' that organised the convention later took out a protest rally in the city.
The Rs 81,400 crore Dedicated Freight Corridor project had got the Union Cabinet's green signal in 2006, and has since missed several completion deadlines.

New Dehli: Although it has moved at a snail's pace since its inception, the ambitious Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project is finally gearing up for its first trial on a limited section of its western arm on 15 August.

A freight train with containers will run on the 192-kilometre Ateli (Haryana)-Phulera (Rajasthan) section of the Western DFC on Independence Day. However, the train will be hauled by a diesel locomotive, though both the Eastern and Western DFCs are expected to be fully electrified.

"Diesel locos will be used only for trial purposes as the electrification of the track is in progress," a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project told IANS. The official is optimistic that the corridors will be fully electrified by the time of commissioning in March 2020.

The Rs 81,400 crore project had got the Union Cabinet's green signal in 2006, and has since missed several completion deadlines due to various reasons, including procedural wrangles, land acquisition, environment clearances and other related issues.

While the Western DFC will cover 1,504 kilometres from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust near Navi Mumbai to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh through Vadodara-Ahmedabad-Palanpur-Phulera-Rewari, the Eastern DFC covers 1,856 km from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni, near Kolkata in West Bengal, and will traverse the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. There are 10 viaducts and major bridges, 127 minor bridges, one railway overbridge and 118 road under bridges and six stations on the Ateli-Phulera route.

The DFC, once completed, is expected to be the grand future of the Indian economy with an increased number of freight trains in eastern and western sectors of the country. Since repeated failures in meeting targets have dampened spirits, the Railways is looking forward to the limited trial run on Independence Day.

There are also expectations that the inaugural trial run will be mentioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech as the progress of the project is now reportedly being monitored by the Prime Minister's Office.

The Railways has, in the recent past, sought to speed up the project with the use of the latest construction technologies such as mechanised boring/auguring of mast foundations and erection of electrical poles through machines, which are being tried for the first time by the national transporter. There are also repeated visits by senior Railways officials involved with the project to inspect work at the sites.

The DFC project aims for a faster run of freight trains with the permissible maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour. This is expected to take average speeds up from the current 30 kilometres per hour to about 75 kilometres per hour.

The targeted completion of the project was 2016-17, shifted to the year-end of 2017-18 and now has finally been set at March 2020. Besides speeding up the movement of freight, the project also aims at easing the congested main trunk routes for passenger traffic.

The Western DFC is being funded by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), while the Eastern DFC from Mughalsarai to Ludhiana is being funded by the World Bank.

The project is crucial for Indian Railways as it faces stiff competition from the road sector for goods movement. The shifting of goods from roads to rail will also save precious fossil fuel which will be a boon to the environment.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking an FIR and a CBI probe against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son for allegedly getting compensation of Rs 1.97 crore by selling a piece of government land to NHAI for widening a national highway in 2010.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking an FIR and a CBI probe against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son for allegedly getting compensation of Rs 1.97 crore by selling a piece of government land to NHAI for widening a national highway in 2010.

Justice R K Gauba rejected the petition which had also challenged an 18 April, 2015 decision of a special CBI court here. The trial court had refused to order a probe into the allegation against Raje and her son, saying no prior sanction was obtained as required under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The high court had earlier asked the prosecution counsel to place before him the notification by which the court was set up. The trial court had dismissed the private complaint by a Rajasthan-based lawyer, saying there was no sanction order to prosecute them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the petition by lawyer Srijana Shrestha, Raje was not a public servant at the time of the alleged commission of the offence in 2010 and was Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan legislative assembly.

The petition said Raje and her son had allegedly illegally claimed ownership of a 567 square metre piece of land adjoining the Dholpur Palace in Dholpur town and sold it to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for Rs 1.97 crore, causing a loss to the state exchequer.
Donald Trump warned the world against doing business with Iran as Washington reimposed the sanctions on the Islamic republic, triggering a mix of anger, fear and defiance in Tehran

Tehran: United States President Donald Trump warned the world against doing business with Iran as Washington reimposed "the most biting sanctions ever" on the Islamic republic, triggering a mix of anger, fear and defiance in Tehran.

Trump's May withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran had spooked investors and triggered a run on the Iranian rial long before the punishing sanctions went back into force.

The newly reimposed sanctions, which target access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets, were unlikely to cause immediate economic turmoil.

Iran's markets were actually relatively buoyant, with the rial strengthening by 20 percent since Sunday after the government relaxed foreign exchange rules and allowed unlimited, tax-free gold and currency imports.

But the second tranche of sanctions, which kicks in on 5 November and targets Iran's vital oil sector, could be far more damaging - even if several key customers such as China, India and Turkey have refused to significantly cut their purchases.

"The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will not be doing business with the United States. I am asking for world peace, nothing less."

European governments - who signed the Iran nuclear deal along with Washington - are infuriated by Trump's strategy that has prompted many of their large firms to leave Iran for fear of US penalties.

Within hours of the sanctions taking effect, German carmaker Daimler said it had "suspended our already limited activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions".

Trump said Monday that he was open to new talks to reach a "more comprehensive deal" with Iran.

"We want to see a much broader retreat by Iran from their support for international terrorism, their belligerent military activity in the Middle East and their ballistic missile, nuclear-related programs," National Security Advisor John Bolton told <em>Fox News</em>.

"There's a lot going on here that Iran needs to be held accountable for."

But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the idea of talks while sanctions are in effect, and accused America of waging "psychological warfare." In Tehran, residents were on edge.

"I feel like my life is being destroyed," said one construction worker on the streets of the capital. "I can't afford to buy food, pay the rent."

The return of US sanctions left some of Washington's partners unimpressed.

British Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said that the "Americans have really not got this right."

The nuclear deal was important "not only to the region's security but the world's security," he told the <em>BBC</em>.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by the return of sanctions, adding that it would do "everything necessary" to save the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters that the global reaction to Trump's move showed that the US was diplomatically isolated.

Most Iranians see US hostility as a basic fact of life, so their frustration is largely directed at their own leaders for not handling the situation better.

"Prices are rising again, but the reason is government corruption, not US sanctions," said Ali, a 35-year-old decorator in Tehran.

Long-running discontent over high prices, unemployment, water shortages and the lack of political reform has sparked numerous protests over the past week, though verifiable information is scarce due to heavy reporting restrictions.

Many hope and believe that Iran's leaders will "drink the poison cup" and negotiate with the US eventually.

There have been rumours that Trump and Rouhani could meet in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly - though Rouhani reportedly rejected US overtures for a meeting at 2017 event.

Iran's regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the tough new US policy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the renewed sanctions as "an important moment for Israel, for the US, for the region, for the whole world."

Iran's currency has lost around half its value since Trump announced the US would withdraw from the nuclear pact, but has surged since Sunday, following the arrest of the central bank's currency chief and new plans being announced.

The new rules mean foreign exchange bureaus will reopen after an attempt to fix the value of the rial in April backfired spectacularly, with corrupt traders making a fortune out of a mushrooming black market.

Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, told <em>AFP</em> that the sanctions would inflict "significant harm" on the Iranian economy.

"But this is not the first time that the Iranian leadership is dealing with sanctions," Vaez said adding "I doubt that in the next two years we would see the collapse of the government or the regime in Tehran."
Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said the Election Commission has been holding discussions with all the stakeholders over the 'misuse' of social media at the time of polls.

Indore: The Election Commission of India is preparing a blueprint to stop the "misuse" of the social media during elections, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said in Indore on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Kumar said the Election Commission has been holding discussions with all the stakeholders on this issue.

"A blueprint is being prepared to prevent misuse of the social media during elections. The Election Commission will issue appropriate directions in this regard in the coming days," he said.

Kumar said a committee already exists within the Election Commission on this issue. "The discussions with the stake-holders on this topic (about misuse of social media during elections) are going on. The Election Commission will issue appropriate instructions on the basis of the outcome of this process," the deputy election commissioner said.

He said social media "misuse" is a global issue and various countries are trying their best to tackle it. "We will share it (the blueprint) with you (media) when our plan in this regard is ready," he said.

On the demand raised by some Opposition parties for usage of ballot papers instead of EVMs in future polls, Kumar said the commission is always ready to address doubts, if any, of political parties about EVMs.

The deputy commissioner said voters can see which candidate they have voted for through the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

On the question of allegations by Opposition parties in Madhya Pradesh about bungling in the voters list, Kumar said necessary corrections were made in the electoral rolls from time to time.

Madhya Pradesh is going to polls later in 2018.

The deputy commissioner assured that the elections will be held with an error-free voter list.

The Congress had alleged irregularities in electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh. The party had claimed that around 60 lakh voters registered in the voting list of the state are fake.

However, the Election Commission in June rejected Congress' allegations of large-scale discrepancies in the voters' list, saying field verification showed that such charges were not borne out.
The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday decried 'all attempts' by the government to 'interfere' with the independence of the media, taking strong note of senior journalists of two TV channels quitting

New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday decried "all attempts" by the government to "interfere" with the independence of the media, taking strong note of senior journalists of two TV channels quitting and frequent instances of broadcast signals being blocked of programmes seen to be critical of the ruling dispensation.

The Guild, in a statement, demanded suitable action against those responsible for "nefarious activities" aimed at "throttling" press freedom and urged media owners not to "cow down" to political pressure being put on them by the government or any other forces.

It demanded that the government take note of the cases of disruptions in television programme signals, investigate and explain how and under what circumstances these "egregious violations" are taking place.

The Guild, an umbrella body of media organisations, said such attempts strike at the root of media freedom and the foundations of India's democracy. "It (government) must also assure the nation that either directly or through any proxies or agencies it isn't involved in this activity. And if it isn't, these saboteurs must be brought to book. Freedom of airwaves cannot be tampered with," said the Guild.

The strong statement comes days after the managing editor and two anchors of a prominent TV channel resigned. The Congress has alleged that they quit due to pressure from the government for airing stories critical of the Modi dispensation.

Asserting that such instances were "disconcerting", the Guild said it decries "all attempts on the part of the government to interfere in the free and independent functioning of journalists, either put under pressure directly, or through the proprietors".

It said the past few days have seen senior journalists of at least two electronic media channels come out in the open to assert that their employers attempted to either "tailor" or "tone down" content to make it less critical of the government, leaving them with no choice but to resign.

The Guild said at least one such instance was reported formally in writing to it. "The Editors Guild of India condemns the manner in which the right to practise free and independent journalism is seen to be undermined by a combination of forces  some media owners' inability to withstand covert or overt pressures from the political establishment and frequent instances of blocking or interference in the transmission of television content that is seen to be critical of the government," it said.

The Guild said one TV channel has also shared with it screen-shots and details indicating such interference. "Even more worrying are the recent instances where signals of television programmes critical of the government have seemingly been blocked or disrupted in a manner almost Orwellian," it said. "These undermine the right to be informed and to hold the establishment accountable. This seems a brazen attempt to punish 'unfriendly' news channels and silence inconvenient voices," the statement said.

The Guild asserted that freedom of airwaves cannot be tampered with and decried the tendency on the part of the government, and the political class in general, to use "selective denial of journalistic access" as a weapon. "This has become worse when there are few opportunities to ask questions to those in public life or in official positions on public platforms like press conferences, which is a legitimate democratic right of journalists on behalf of all citizens. "Denying this right and shunning journalists critical of you are unhealthy practices in a democracy. Unfortunately, it can also lead to one-sided coverage. This unhealthy and unfair practice must be avoided," the Guild said.

It also reminded media owners that institutional strength and respect is directly linked to editorial independence and undermining the former can result in curtailing the latter. "Owners and journalists have an equally shared interest in press freedoms and in resisting pressures," the Guild said.

On a related issue, the Guild decried the "cease and desist" notice served by a large corporate group on some newspapers in an effort to block the coverage of an important defence deal.

"The company should withdraw this notice. And if it doesn't, it should be resisted. If needed, we hope the courts will weigh in for the right of journalists to investigate and raise questions."
A 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping his minor neighbour at Nadia district of West Bengal, a police officer said.

Shantipur: A 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping his minor neighbour at Nadia district of West Bengal, a police officer said.

The accused, a worker at a local factory, was taken into custody on Tuesday after the 14-year-old girl, who lives with her blind parents at Baigachhi village of the district, filed a complaint, he said.

The girl's parents beg at railway platforms and train compartments to make ends meet, the officer said.

"In the FIR, the teenager alleged that her neighbour had taken her to a nearby brick field on 1 August and raped her. The accused then threatened the girl with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anyone. Out of fear, the girl chose to keep the matter to herself," he said.

On Tuesday, however, when the accused attempted to rape her again at her home, her parents came to her rescue, the officer said quoting the FIR.

"The girl, along with her parents and neighbours, approached the police on Tuesday and filed a complaint. Accordingly, we arrested the man and slapped charges on him under relevant sections of the POCSO Act," he added.
Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who had undergone a kidney transplant surgery on 14 May, is likely to resume office of Finance Minister in the third week of August

New Delhi: Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who had undergone a kidney transplant surgery on 14 May, is likely to resume office of Finance Minister in the third week of August, sources said. Jaitley, according to sources, is recovering well and will be able to assume the responsibilities of the Finance Ministry.

He has been quite active on social media  writing blogs on various economic and non-economic issues, like National Register for Citizens (NRC) in Assam, over four-decades of Emergency, No-confidence Motion in Parliament, Rafale (rpt) Rafale fighter jet deal, and GST. He also participated in couple of events like banking conclave and the first anniversary of the launch of Goods and Services Tax (GST) through video conferencing.

On 14 May, when Jaitley underwent a kidney surgery, Railway and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal was temporarily given additional charge of the Finance Ministry. Jaitley has been the Finance Minister since the Modi government assumed office in May 2014. He is also the leader of the Rajya Sabha.
A massive fire broke out after a blast took place in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited refinery in Mahul, Chembur on Wednesday, leaving nearby buildings jolted.

At least 45 workers were injured after a fire broke out following a boiler blast in the refinery of Bharat Petroleum in Mumbai's Chembur area this afternoon, ANI reported. "The fire is still on but is under control," the company said.

The incident took place at the public sector oil firm's plant on the Mahul Road in Chembur area of East Mumbai around 2.45 pm, they said.

After preliminary treatment at BPCL's first aid centre, 22 of them were allowed to go home, whereas 21 were shifted to a nearby hospital in Chembur. One of the workers injured was critical and is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

Nine fire tenders, two foam tenders and two jumbo tankers were pressed into service to douse the blaze. Along with the Fire Brigade, the refinery's own fire-fighting team, HPCL, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, RCF and Mazgaon Dock fire brigades were also engaged in dousing the flames which were now under control, said an official of the Disaster Control Room of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The incident took place in the "Compressor shed of Hydrocracker plant", as per the company's statement. Fire Brigade chief PS Rahangdale said the firefighting was made difficult by heat and pressure inside the plant.

"Due to the tremendous heat and pressure, firefighting is being carried out from a safe distance using fixed monitors," chief fire officer Rahangdale was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, locals in the area staged a protest after the incident, saying a similar accident in the future could turn out to be more devastating.

According to Santosh Aadhar, a local resident, a "massive" explosion was heard in the surrounding area. "Its tremors shook windows of our building which is 500 m away from the refinery," Aadhar told reporters.

People living in the vicinity gathered at the refinery's gate, shouting slogans and demanding that they be relocated from the area. Hundreds of families displaced for various government projects or due to slum demolitions have been resettled in Mahul village.

"Had the boiler exploded near our building, we would have been reduced to ashes," said Puja Waghmare, a local resident. Reshma Chavan, another woman, said, "Today's explosion shattered the window panes in our building. We were lucky that the plant where it happened is farther from our building. Can anyone guarantee that such incident will not take place in future?" she asked.

Shivraj Pandit, convenor of Chembur Welfare Brigade, a local outfit, said air pollution in the area is a major concern, and the government agencies were neglecting it. The plant had caught fire at around 3 pm, PTI quoted an official as saying.

With inputs from PTI
The Guild also decries the tendency on the part of the government, and political class in general, to use selective denial of journalistic access as a weapon.

The Editors Guild of India, an umbrella body of media organisations, on Wednesday released a statement decrying government attempts to interfere with press freedom. It came after two senior journalists of different TV channels quit and said they were being asked to be less critical of the government. The Guild also cited complaints it received regarding the instances of broadcast signals being blocked of programmes criticising the ruling dispensation.

It also demanded action against the people responsible for such activities and that the government take note of such cases."It (government) must also assure the nation that either directly or through any proxies or agencies it isn't involved in this activity. And if it isn't, these saboteurs must be brought to book. Freedom of airwaves cannot be tampered with, " said the Guild.

Here's the full text of the statement:

[1] The Editors Guild of India condemns the manner in which the right to practise free and independent journalism is seen to be undermined by a combination of forces  some media owners inability to withstand political covert or overt pressures from the political establishment and frequent instances of blocking or interference in the transmission of television content that is seen to be critical of the government.

The past few days have seen senior journalists of at least two electronic media channels come out in the open to assert that their employers attempted to either tailor or tone down their content to make it less critical of the government, leaving them no choice other than resigning. At least one such instance has been reported formally in writing to the Guild. These instances are disconcerting.

The Guild decries all attempts on the part of the government to interfere in the free and independent functioning of journalists, either put under pressure directly, or through the proprietors. It also reminds media owners that institutional strength and respect is directly linked to editorial independence and undermining the former can result in curtailing the latter. It urges them to not cow down to political pressure being brought upon them by the government or any other forces. Owners and journalists have an equally shared interest in press freedoms and in resisting pressures.

Even more worrying are the recent instances where signals of television programmes critical of the government have seemingly been blocked or disrupted in a manner almost Orwellian. One TV channel has also shared with the Guild screen-shots and details indicating such interference. Such attempts strike at the root of media freedom and indeed the foundations of our democracy. These undermine the right to be informed and to hold the establishment accountable. This seems a brazen attempt to punish unfriendly news channels and silence inconvenient voices.

The Guild demands that the government take note of these instances of disruptions in television programme signals, investigate and explain how and under what circumstances these egregious violations are taking place. Suitable action must be taken against those who were responsible for such nefarious activities aimed at throttling media freedom. It must also assure the nation that either directly or through any proxies or agencies it isnt involved in this activity. And if it isnt, these saboteurs must be brought to book. Freedom of airwaves cannot be tampered with.

[2] The Guild also decries the tendency on the part of the government, and the political class in general, to use selective denial of journalistic access as a weapon. This has become worse when there are few opportunities to ask questions to those in public life or in official positions on public platforms like press conferences, which is a legitimate democratic right of journalists on behalf of all citizens. Denying this right and shunning journalists critical of you are unhealthy practices in a democracy. Unfortunately, it can also lead to one-sided coverage. This unhealthy and unfair practice must be avoided.

[3] In a related issue, the Guild decries the cease and desist notice served by a large corporate group on some newspapers in an effort to block the coverage of an important Defence deal. The company should withdraw this notice. And if it doesnt, it should be resisted and. If needed, we hope the courts will weigh in for the right of journalists to investigate and raise questions.

[4] The Editors Guild of India is also pained and agitated to learn of the detention of Shahidul Alam, eminent photographer and educator, in Dhaka under the provisions of the Information and Communication Technology Act of Bangladesh. The Guild understands that Mr Alams detention is arbitrary and unreasonable. Highlighting the peaceful protests by school children and young people in Dhaka against the malpractices in the transport sector, resulting in deaths, is not a crime. The Guild stands behind Mr Alam and demands his immediate and unconditional release from detention.

The entire text has been reproduced from The Editors Guild of India website and has not been edited by Firstpost.
An engineering graduate-turned-militant has been short-listed for recruitment as sub-inspector in Jammu and Kashmir Police, four days after he was killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district.

Srinagar: An engineering graduate-turned-militant has been short-listed for recruitment as sub-inspector in Jammu and Kashmir Police, four days after he was killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district. Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday released the short-list of 2,060 candidates and at the serial number 1913 is Khurshid Ahmad Malik, a resident of Arabal villager of Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

They have been called for interview for recruitment to the post of sub-inspector (executive wing). Malik, a B Tech, had appeared for the written examination in June this year. He was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Drusoo area of Sopore in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on 3 August, barely 48 hours after he joined the militant ranks.

He completed his B Tech recently from Sri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) in Katra district of Jammu region and had also cleared GATE. Malik, who had been preparing for the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) examination, had left his home to apply for the Combined Competitive Examinations and had gone missing, according to family sources.

He was killed 48 hours after he went missing even as his family had made passionate appeals first asking him to return and then pleading him to surrender after they came to know he was trapped by the forces in Sopore. Malik and Riyaz Ahmed Dar, a resident of Naseer Abad Chinkipora Sopore  affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit  were killed in the encounter. An army jawan, Sawar Vijay Kumar, was also killed in the gunbattle.
With the appointments of Justices Indira Banerjee, Vineet Saran and KM Joseph to the Supreme Court, the total strength of the judges in the apex court has gone up to 25 against the previous figure of 22.

Justices Indira Banerjee, Vineet Saran and KM Joseph were sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the order of seniority notified by the Centre.

The swearing-in ceremony started at 10.30 am in the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra's courtroom. Justice Banerjee was the first to take oath, followed by Justice Saran and Justice Joseph. The oath of office and secrecy was administered to the three judges by Misra in a packed courtroom in the presence of all judges, law officers and advocates.

While Justice Banerjee was the chief justice of the Madras High Court, justices Saran and Joseph headed up the high courts in Odisha and Uttarakhand respectively.

With these appointments, the total strength of the judges in the apex court has gone up to 25 as against the previous figure of 22.

Joseph's seniority lowered

However, the three judges being sworn in does little to ease the situation at the apex court. There are vacancies for 31 judges in the Supreme Court, and the current strength of 25 means there are still six vacancies.

Furthermore, while the three judges were elevated, the Centre came out with a notification on the appointment of the three and placed Justice Joseph at third position. In the notification, Justice Banerjee was number one, followed by Justice Saran.

Convention dictates that the seniority of the judges is determined in accordance with the order of names notified by the government.

Calling it a "black day", senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told ANI, "The government has given the message that if a judge doesn't make a judgment in their favour, he may be treated the same. I believe that this day will be seen as a 'black day' in the history of Indian judiciary. This is the arrogance of the government."

The Centre on Monday said none of the three judges will become chief justice of India as there are other Supreme Court judges who have been elevated to the apex court earlier and will retire later.

Opposition parties have claimed that the government has been targeting Joseph unfairly ever since he gave a verdict against the BJP in 2016, when he cancelled President's Rule in Uttarakhand and upheld the government of Congress' Harish Rawat.

A report on NDTV said the Supreme Court Collegium named Joseph for elevation to the Supreme Court in January, but the government questioned the choice, citing inadequate representation in the top court from other states, especially Kerala. But after the collegium reiterated its choice of Justice Joseph, the government accepted it.

With inputs from PTI
DMK patriarch Karunanidhi was laid to rest at Marina Beach with full State honours on Wednesday as his family members and follower bid farewell.

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As thousands await Karunanidhi's mortal remains at Rajaji Hall in Chennai, reports said that DMK chief's son Alagiri and DMK leader A Raja, accused in the 2G scam who recently got acquitted, have reached Rajaji Hall.

Defending DMK's claim, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan tweeted and said, "When Anna was alive, it was Kalaignar and MGR as two brothers who worked hard to strengthen the party. It is only just that all three are allowed to rest nearby. It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality. Had MGR been alive and Kalaignar had passed away, MGR would have made Kalaignar to rest next to Anna."

Politicians and actors came out in support of DMK's demand that Karunanidhi be buried at the Marina beach where political stalwarts like Annadurai and MGR were laid to rest. Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa was buried at the Marina Beach too.

Only just if Anna, MGR and Kalaignar are allowed to rest nearby: Kamal Haasan

Both Modi and Rahul, besides a host of other leaders are expected to arrive in Chennai today to pay their last respects to the departed doyen of Tamil Nadu politics.

"Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight," he said on Twitter.

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised," Modi said in a series of tweets.

According to The Hindu, AIADMK's rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran was the first to pay homage to Karunanidhi. "I dont want to comment on giving space to Kalaignar at Marina. This is not the time for politics. Karunanidhi is a tall leader. It would not be appropriate to comment on it, since, the Madras High Court has seized of the matter at 8 am. I hope things will be fine," Dhinakaran was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

As leaders of Tamil Nadu make beeline to pay homage to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, thousand of Kalaignar supporters have been raising slogans, "Marina venu (We want Marina)", demanding that the DMK chief be laid to rest just like other political stalwarts of the state.

Chief Minister E Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Pannerselvam paid their last respect to Karunanidhi. Palaniswami was accompanied by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai, Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan, AIADMK MLA D Jayakumar and other AIADMK members.

Hearing the plea late Tuesday night , the court directed the state government and the Chennai Corporation to file their replies and adjourned the case to Wednesday morning 8 am.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday morning at 8 am would decide on the DMK's plea against Tamil Nadu's government's decision to deny burial of the party president M Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach.

The Madras High Court hearing will begin at 8 am sharp. The judges are on their way their way to the high court premises

Additional Advocate General Arvindh Pandian and senior lawyer C S Vaidyanathan have arrived at the Madras High Court. Hearing set to begin soon.

As the Madras High Court verdict will decide whether Karunanidhi will be buried at the Marina Beach, the Tamil Nadu government has intensified security around the area.

The hearing in Madras High Court has begun. Government lawyers are arguing that two acres of land for a memorial has been allocated in Guindy's Gandhi Mandapam in accordance with union government laws. Karunanidhi will be buried with full state honours.

Hearing in the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu government at Marina beach for M Karunanidhi begins

Tamil Nadu government counsel CS Vaidyanathan, AAGs PH Arvindh Pandian and SR Rajagopal are at Court 1 of the Madras High Court, along with NR Elango and a battery of DMK lawyers.

Lawyer of petitioner Traffic Ramaswamy says, "We have no objection to the burial land for Karunanidhi". Acting Chief Justice tells the lawyer to withdraw the case.

All five petitions filed against the allocation of burial space at Marina have been withdrawn by the litigants

Government lawyers argue that the courts cannot interfere in the state's decision in this regard. They cite the case of former chief minister K Kamaraj who isn't buried at Marina.

Madras High Court directs Traffic Ramaswamys lawyer to file memorandum that he has no objection to bury Karunanidhis body at Marina beach. Lawyer submits the memorandum to the Acting Chief Justice.

Traffic Ramaswamy files memorandum that he has no objection to Karunanidhi's burial in Marina

Right now, the judges are studying if the responses filed by the government meet demands of the petition filed by the DMK lawyers last night.

Based on the response filed by the lawyers representing Tamil Nadu government and taking in consideration "the truth of the situation", the court will deliver a speedy decision, the Madras High Court has said.

Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice records in his order, submissions made by DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi in his affidavit seeking burial land at Marina beach for Karunanidhi.

The government lawyers argued that the decision about the burial need not be delivered today on an emergency basis. However, the court can decide to deliver the judgment whenever it pleases, they said. The judges intervened to say under the circumstances it is not possible to delay the judgement any longer and it will have to be arrived at soon.

Decision on burial need not be delivered on emergency basis, say govt lawyers

Tamil Nadu governmnet says in its counter affidavit that late DMK chief Karunanidhi himself didn't allot land for former chief minister Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual when Karunanidhi was the chief minister.

Security has tightened at the Anna Memorial at Marina Beach. The public is not being allowed into the memorial and the police have cordoned off the entrance.

 DMK's lawyer says "Anna, who is the founder of DMK, used to say my life & soul is Karunanidhi. Burying Karunanidhi next to Gandhi Mandapam cannot be termed as a decent burial."

DMK's lawyer says, "There are 1 crore DMK followers in Tamil Nadu out of 7 crore population of the state. They'll be offended if burial land is not allotted for Karunanidhi at Marina beach. You (Tamil Nadu government) have announced state mourning, why not give land for burial? There's no prohibition under central government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for former chief ministers."

Tamil Nadu government's lawyer accuses DMK of pursuing political agenda by filing this case. "DK Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?" asks the state government lawyer.

Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan arrived at Rajaji Hall to pay homage to Karunanidhi. "I express my condolences. I came to bow down and pay my respects to him. I don't want to comment on the burial issue, I can barely hold back my tears," says Kamal Haasan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (arrival time 10.20 am) Congress chief Rahul Gandhi (12.45 pm) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (12.35 pm) Kerala Governor Sathasivam (1.30 pm) Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (1.30 pm) Kerala leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala (1.30 pm) West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Ghulam Nabi Azad (12.40 pm) Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy (12.30 pm) Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao (10.30 am) Former Karanataka CM Veerappa Moily (12.40 pm) Former Odisha Finance Minister Shashidhusan Behera (2.05 pm) Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu (2.20 pm)

Rapid Action Force has been deployed outside Anna memorial at Marina beach in Chennai. Hearing in the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu Govt at Marina beach for Karunanidhi is underway at Madras High Court.

The government lawyers continue to argue that the demand for space in Marina is against the very philosophy of Kalaignar. This is trial by media, they say. Judge S S Sundar questions the government about the direction of their arguments. He says, the government mentioned that there are legal complications to the issue but instead of explaining what these are, the government is making contrary statements.

Prime Minister Modi arrives at Chennai airport. He will be taken via helicopter to the INS helipad from where he will proceed by road to Rajaji Hall. He is accompanied by Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Madras High Court has allowed Kalaignar M Karunanidhi to be buried near the Anna Memorial at the Marina Beach in Chennai.

The Tamil Nadu government has been ordered to allocate space for M Karunanidhi to be buried at Marina Beach in Chennai.

MK Stalin was seen crying along with other DMK leaders as the news of the High Court rder allowing for M Karunanidhi's burial at marina Beach came in. There was loud cheering by mourners gathered at the hall.

DMK's plea for the burial of Kalaignar's body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras High Court. The court further directed Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for M Karunanidhi, said V Kannadasan, DMK's lawyer.

Madras High Court orders for a memorial to be created for Karunanidhi post his burial at Marina Beach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Chennai's Rajaji Hall where he would pay his last respects to the late DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects to former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall. Modi spoke to MK Stalin and Kanimozhi after paying last respects to Kalaignar.

Madras High Court approves the plan for Kalaignar memorial within the premises of Anna Memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai.

Both the houses were adjourned for the day due to the passing away of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi.

West Bengal Mamata Banerjee says she called Narendra Modi on Tuesday to express disappointment over Tamil Nadu government's denial to bury Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach in Chennai. TMC leader Derek O'Brien will represent the party at the ex-DMK chief's funeral.

I was unhappy as the TN govt did not allow Marina beach burial for Karunanidhi: Mamata Banerjee

The law and order situation is getting chaotic at Karunanidhi's burial site at Marina Beach as supporters have thronged the venue in large numbers forcing the police to resort to lathicharge, IndiaToday reported.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to DMK President MK Stalin condoling the passing away of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. "I believe he had full confidence that you would nurture and take forward his legacy," she writes.

Former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday condoling the passing away of Karunanidhi.

The funeral procession of M Karunanidhi is expected to leave Rajaji Hall at 4.30 pm and make its way to Anna Memorial.

Karunanidhi's coffin carries the epitaph he penned for himself over three decades ago. "Resting here is a man who worked without rest."

We have accepted the Madras HC judgment, will not challenge it: TN Attorney General Vijay Narayan. This followed news reports that quoted sources saying the government was considering moving to the Supreme Court against the high court decision.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has arrived at Rajaji Hall whereas Akhilesh Yadav, Siddaramaiah and K Chandrasekar Rao have landed at the Chennai airport.

"I humbly request the cadres to maintain calm and hold the Dravidian values. I do not want anything for myself all I want is a fitting tribute to my leader and that is why I went to chief minister's E Palaniswami's residence yesterday. But he refused our demand for resting place for Kalaignar at Marina Beach and we were very upset with the CM's decision. But I request you all to cooperate with us to make this final journey of Karunanidhi memorable," says MK Stalin as he addresses the crowd at Rajaji Hall in Chennai.

The police estimate that over three lakh people are in and around the venue, with more coming in by the hour. More battalions of city police have been deployed to Rajaji Hall.

The question that arises is why EPS had to behave so gracelessly, a pointer to the politics of acrimony and vitriol the DMK and the AIADMK have always practiced against each other. To do so within hours of Karunanidhi's death came across to neutral observers of Tamil Nadu politics as petty politics and in bad taste.But look at it from Palaniswami's point of view. He wasn't thinking of the non-party voter at all. The chief minister saw this as an opportunity to curry favour with the AIADMK cadre that wears its dislike for Karunanidhi on its sleeve. ( Read more here )

Did Palaniswami shoot himself in the foot by objecting to Marina burial for ex-DMK chief?

Two people, including a 60-year old female, have reportedly lost their lives in the stampede at Rajaji Hall. A further 26 people, including a policewoman, have been taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital with injuries. (Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters)

Samajwadi Party leader says that Karunanidhi struggled since he was 14 and he was a true leader. India has lost a big leader today.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters at Chennai airport that he had known Karunanidhi since he was a young Congress worker and has always thought of him as a model leader. Calling his loss devastating, he said DMK and the Congress are a family and the coalition will continue. (Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters)

"CM HD Kumaraswamy and DyCM G Parameshwara paid their last respects and tributes to M Karunanidhi, former CM of Tamilnadu who died yesterday, on behalf of the Government of Karnataka. They also met his bereaved family members and expressed their deepest condolences (sic)," tweets Karnataka chief minister's office.

Preparations are underway at Anna Memorial for the state funeral of DMK patriarch. (Input by Guna/101Reporters)

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad paid tribute to Kalaignar and said, "Karunanidhi was a national icon  One of the great leaders of our country, great orator, thinker, writer and a great politician. I think he was the only politician who had so many qualities in one person; he always thought of poor people and downtrodden people, of social justice and self-pride. Being chief minister, chief of Opposition he was known and respected across the country. Today he is no more but his work and ideology will remain a guiding factor for all of us. A person like me with whom he was associated for 40 years since I was a youth Congress leader. I would come from North India to take guidance from him. There is a void that cannot be filled up by any political leader. This is a great loss for the country. May god give strength to his family to bear this loss.'

Karunanidhi's void cannot be filled up by any other leader: Ghulam Nabi Azad

The army vehicle that will carry Karunanidhi's remains on its final journey towards Marina beach has arrived at Rajaji Hall. ( Input by Sundar/101Reporters )

Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking stay on the last rites of Karunanidhi at MarinaBeach. Ramaswamy had moved SC against the Madras High Court order which allowed to perform the last rites of Karunanidhi at the Marina beach.

Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking stay on last rites on Marina beach

Grace Banu is a technologist from Tamil Nadu and the founder of Trans Rights Now Collective.

When the common public derided transwomen as pottai, ali and ombothu, Kalaignar embraced us fondly and gave us a new name, Thirunangai, and shielded us from ridicule. When we begged for money on the streets, he keenly observed the sound of our clap and set up a Transgender Welfare Board to address the problems we faced. When violence and discrimination peaked in the country that calls itself the leader of the free world, it was under his leadership that Tiruchi Siva of the DMK compiled the issues in the life of our people and piloted the bill Rights of Transgender Persons Bill in the Indian parliament in 2014. This made the false democracies that oppress people like us around the world hang their heads in shame.

Many obituaries are being written in his memory at this moment of great sadness when he has passed away. I, a transwoman, cast away from home and family, one who had to struggle every day, and eventually emerge as Indias first transgender student of engineering, write this note mourning his death. I write this because when I went to college, Kalaignar had wished me well, like any mother and father would, in a write-up in the magazine Murasoli. If not me, who can do justice to write about what he has done for transwomen like me.

DMK leader Durai Murugan and Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran present at venue for final rites The funeral procession of late DMK president M Karunanidhi is currently going on. DMK leader Durai Murugan and Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran are among the several personalities present at the place where the Karunanidhi will be laid to rest.

The golden casket in which the mortal remains of Karunanidhi would be laid to rest will have the engraving in Tamil, "Oivu edukamal uzhaithavan, idho oivu eduthu kondu irukiran", meaning "one who worked hard without taking rest, is resting in peace here". According to NDTV , the epitaph is what the DMK patriarch had dictacted to his son MK Stalin about three decades ago.

According to a party statement, the procession, which began from Rajaji Hal around 4 pm, will proceed through Sivananda Road and Thanthai Periyar Road to reach Anna Square.

Having set off close to two hours ago from Rajaji Hall, Karunanidhi's mortal remains are nearing Anna memorial.

Over 30 DMK workers tonsured their heads to express their grief in the passing of M Karunanidhi in Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district.

DMK working president MK Stalin, who was at the head of the funeral procession with Kalanidhi Maran, enters the memorial. He greeted the string of dignitaries present at the venue and stood with HD Devegowda for a long time as they share a moving moment.

Chief Minister EK Palaniswami and his deputy Panneerselvam are not part of those waiting to witness the Kalaignar's final rites. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar is representing the government at the event. He is seated next to BJP MP from Kanyakumari Pon Radhakrishnan.

The funeral procession reached Marina Beach where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda are among the thousands present to pay final tributes. The late DMK chief will be laid to rest with full state honours.

Karunanidhi's followers climb over the 'Triumph of Liberty' statue near Anna Memorial to get a better view of Karunanidhi's funeral procession.

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit, state minister D Jayakumar and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Marina beach. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are not present at the ceremony.

Karunanidhi's family members paid their respects to the DMK patriarch. The burial is expected to take place shortly.

Karunanidhi was finally laid to rest with full State honours at Marina Beach on Wednesday as thousands of mourners including his family members and followers paid their final respects.

Earlier in the day, a stampede broke out at Rajaji Hall when M Karunanidhi's mortal remains were kept for public viewing as swelling crowds jostled and surged forward to have a last glimpse of him.

The number of people who died at Rajaji Nagar on Wednesday rose to three with the death of one of the injured who was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

Having set off close to two hours ago from Rajaji Hall, Karunanidhi's mortal remains are nearing Anna memorial.

Over 30 DMK workers tonsured their heads to express their grief in the passing of M Karunanidhi in Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district.

DMK working president MK Stalin, who was at the head of the funeral procession with Kalanidhi Maran, enters the memorial. He greeted the string of dignitaries present at the venue and stood with HD Devegowda for a long time as they share a moving moment.

Chief Minister EK Palaniswami and his deputy Panneerselvam are not part of those waiting to witness the Kalaignar's final rites. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar is representing the government at the event. He is seated next to BJP MP from Kanyakumari Pon Radhakrishnan.

The funeral procession reached Marina Beach where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda are among the thousands present to pay final tributes. The late DMK chief will be laid to rest with full state honours.

Karunanidhi's followers climb over the 'Triumph of Liberty' statue near Anna Memorial to get a better view of Karunanidhi's funeral procession.

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit, state minister D Jayakumar and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Marina beach. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are not present at the ceremony.

M #Karunanidhi 's family pays last tribute to the DMK chief at Marina beach. Burial to take place shortly pic.twitter.com/hNIW5dkjOy

Karunanidhi's family members paid their respects to the DMK patriarch. The burial is expected to take place shortly.

Karunanidhi was finally laid to rest with full State honours at Marina Beach on Wednesday as thousands of mourners including his family members and followers paid their final respects.

Earlier in the day, a stampede broke out at Rajaji Hall when M Karunanidhi's mortal remains were kept for public viewing as swelling crowds jostled and surged forward to have a last glimpse of him.

The number of people who died at Rajaji Nagar on Wednesday rose to three with the death of one of the injured who was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

Karunanidhi funeral LIVE Updates: DMK patriarch Karunanidhi was laid to rest at Marina Beach with full State honours on Wednesday as his family members and follower bid farewell. Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit, state minister D Jayakumar and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Marina beach. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are not present at the last rites ceremony.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda are among the thousands present at the ceremony to pay final tributes. The late DMK chief will be buried with full state honours.

Having set off close to two hours ago from Rajaji Hall, Karunanidhi's mortal remains are nearing Anna memorial. Meanwhile, Over 30 DMK workers tonsured their heads to express their grief in the passing of M Karunanidhi in Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district.

Earlier, two people, including a 60-year old woman, reportedly lost their lives while 33 were injured in the stampede at Rajaji Hall.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav pay tribute to Karunanidhi. Army has been called in to protect Kalaignar Karunanidhi's body at Rajaji Hall in Chennai. The police estimate that over three lakh people are in and around the venue, with more coming in by the hour. More battalions of city police have been deployed to Rajaji Hall.

DMK leader MK Stalin addressed the cadres gathered at Rajaji Hall and asked them to maintain calm and not do adventurous stunts as crowd continues to swell at the venue.

40 people have been injured in the stampede at Rajaji Hall in Chennai where Karunanidhi's mortal remains have been kept for public viewing, according to India Today.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has landed in Chennai to pay last respects former Tamil Nadu chief Minister to M Karunanidhi. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu govt said that it will not challenge Madras High Court's decision, to allow burial of Kalaignar at Marina Beach, in Supreme Court.

The funeral procession of M Karunanidhi is expected to leave Rajaji Hall at 4.30 pm and make its way to Anna Memorial.

Karunanidhi funeral; LIVE updates: The law and order situation is getting chaotic at Karunanidhi's burial site at Marina Beach as supporters have thronged the venue in large numbers forcing the police to resort to lathicharge.

West Bengal Mamata Banerjee says she called Narendra Modi on Tuesday to express disappointment over Tamil Nadu government's denial to bury Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach in Chennai. TMC leader Derek O'Brien will represent the party at the ex-DMK chief's funeral.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day due to the passing away of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi.

The Madras High Court has approved the plan for Kalaignar memorial within the premises of Anna Memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai. Madras High Court allows Kalaignar to be buried near Anna Memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai. Also, orders the state government to build a memorial for Kalaignar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Chennai's Rajaji Hall where he would pay his last respects to the late DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Prime Minister Modi arrives at Chennai airport. He will be taken via helicopter to the INS helipad from where he will proceed by road to Rajaji Hall. He is accompanied by Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday assured speedy decision in the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu government at Marina beach for DMK chief M Karunanidhi. The government lawyers said that the demand for space in Marina is against the very philosophy of Kalaignar. This is trial by media, they say. Judge S S Sundar questions the government about the direction of their arguments. He says, the government mentioned that there are legal complications to the issue but instead of explaining what these are, the government is making contrary statements.

Tamil Nadu government's lawyer says, "DMK is pursuing political agenda by filing this case. DK Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?'

The High Court dismissed all pending petitions challenging burials on the Marina Beach in Chennai as it resumed hearing on a petition by the DMK seeking allotment of space at the famous beach for laying to rest its leader M Karunanidhi. The first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar dismissed the petitions, including one by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy, when it resumed hearing this morning.

"You (Tamil government) have announced state mourning, why not give land for burial?" DMK lawyer asked the state government. There's no prohibition under central government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for ex-chief ministers.

Tamil Nadu government in its counter affidavit says that DMK chief Karunanidhi himself didn't allot land for former chief minister Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual when Karunanidhi was the chief minister. DMK's lawyer says "Anna, who is the founder of DMK, used to say my life and soul is Karunanidhi. Burying Karunanidhi next to Gandhi Mandapam cannot be termed as a decent burial."

The Tamil Nadu government lawyers said that the decision about the burial need not be delivered today on an emergency basis. However, the court can decide to deliver the judgment whenever it pleases, they said. The judges intervened to say under the circumstances it is not possible to delay the judgement any longer and it will have to be arrived at soon.

All five petitions filed against the allocation of burial space at Marina have been withdrawn by the litigants. Government lawyers argue that the courts cannot interfere in the state's decision in this regard. They cite the case of former chief minister K Kamaraj who isn't buried at Marina.

Government lawyers are arguing that two acres of land for a memorial has been allocated in Guindy's Gandhi Mandapam in accordance with union government laws. Karunanidhi will be buried with full state honours.

Additional Advocate General Arvindh Pandian and senior lawyer C S Vaidyanathan have arrived at the Madras High Court.

National politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, are expected to arrive in Chennai to pay their last respect to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall. Other chief ministers Kumaraswamy, Chandrababu Naidu, Oommen Chandy, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal are also expected to arrive to pay homage to the DMK chief.

As leaders of Tamil Nadu make beeline to pay homage to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, thousand of Kalaignar supporters have been raising slogans, "Marina venu (We want Marina)", demanding that the DMK chief be laid to rest just like other political stalwarts of the state. Reports have said that Tamil Nadu is on high alert.

AIADMK's rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran was the first to pay homage to Karunanidhi. "I dont want to comment on giving space to Kalaignar at Marina. This is not the time for politics. Karunanidhi is a tall leader. It would not be appropriate to comment on it, since, the Madras High Court has seized of the matter at 8 am. I hope things will be fine," Dhinakaran told reporters.

Actor Rajinikanth reached Rajaji Hall to pay his last respects to DMK chief Karunanidhi. Rajinikanth, who arrived later on Tuesday, had failed to get past the massive crowd outside the residence and enter the residence. Rajinikanth reached Karunanidhis residence late on Tuesday night but had to return without seeing the Dravidian politics stalwart.

Reports said that the mortal remains of Karunanidhi has left the CIT Colony home for Rajaji Hall where thousands await their leader's last journey. DMK supporters who are present in hordes at Rajaji Hall said that they were confident that the Madras High Court will allow them to bury their Kalaignar at the Marina Beach in Chennai.

Karunanidhi's son MK Alagiri, DMK leader A Raja and TTV Dhinakaran arrived at Rajaji Hall, reports said.

Within minutes of Karunanidhi's death, a huge row erupted after the state's AIADMK government rejected the demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach where he could be buried. The Madras High Court will decide at 8 am whether the DMK chief be laid to rest along with other political stalwarts like Annadurai and MGR.

As the clamour to give DMK chief M Karunanidhi a burial at the Marina grew, Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan tweeted in support of Karunanidhi's burial at the Marina beach and said, "When Anna was alive, it was Kalaignar and MGR as two brothers who worked hard to strengthen the party. It is only just that all three are allowed to rest nearby. It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality. Had MGR been alive and Kalaignar had passed away, MGR would have made Kalaignar to rest next to Anna."

Leading politicians have supported the DMK claim. "AIADMK is playing petty politics," DMK supporters told reporters outside the CIT Colony home of the late DMK supremo.

The Madras High Court has adjourned hearing on a DMK plea to allot space on the Marina beach for burial of party leader M Karunanidhi who breathed his last on Tuesday at a Chennai hospital. The hearing is likely to begin at 8 am on Wednesday and the verdict is expected by 8.30 am.

The DMK moved the court hours after the Tamil Nadu government announced its inability to allot burial space on the Marina beach citing legal hurdles. In a special late night hearing before the first bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar, the counsel for DMK questioned the government's legal ground for not allotting space for burying Karunanidhi at the Marina beach.

Hearing the matter, Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh adjourned it to 8 am. The DMK argued that there was no legal impediment to allotting space within the memorial of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai on the beachfront.

Senior counsel for the state government, making their submissions, said they would get instructions and file a counter in the morning. In his observations, the acting chief justice told the government counsel that "every minute of delay" may cause problems to the government and asked if it was prepared to handle it.

He also said Karunandihi was among the tallest leaders of the country and asked what was the problem in allotting a burial site for him at the Marina. While the special hearing was held at the acting chief justice's residence here, the matter, which was adjourned, will be heard at the court in the morning.

Advocate G Doraisamy (Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam) and PMK advocate K Balu submitted before the bench that they were withdrawing their petitions against construction of a memorial for Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Marina beach.

This will remove legal hurdles for the government allowing a site for Karunanidhi, they told reporters later. Counsel for DMK P Wilson and Saravanan had earlier gone to the residence of the acting Chief Justice and sought permission to move an urgent motion.

The acting chief justice directed them to serve notice on the advocate general, saying he would hear the case at 10.30 pm at his residence. Earlier, DMK working president M K Stalin, recalling the long public life of Karunanidhi, had written to Chief Minister K Palaniswami seeking space inside the mausoleum complex of the departed leader's mentor C N Annadurai at the Marina.

A government statement said it was "unable to allot space at Marina beach owing to several pending cases in the Madras High Court and legal complications."

Hence, the government is prepared to allot a two-acre site on Sardar Patel Road near the memorials to Rajaji and Kamaraj, it said.
Actor Rajinikanth reached Rajaji Hall to pay his last respects to DMK chief Karunanidhi. Rajinikanth, who arrived later on Tuesday, had failed to get past the massive crowd outside the residence and enter the residence. Rajinikanth reached Karunanidhis residence late on Tuesday night but had to return without seeing the Dravidian politics stalwart.

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DMK cadres are hopeful that their party president, even after being pushed to a critical health condition on Monday night, will bounce back to good health soon. The members of DMK gathered outside Kauvery Hospital in Alwarpet were neither extremely depressed nor happy, but they believe their leader would soon return home.

The supporters of Karunanidhi gathered outisde the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai and prayed for his speedy recovery.

Tamil Manila Congress leader GK Vasan in Chennai today said that Karunanidhi "has" to return home soon and wished the DMK chief speedy recovery.

Local channels report that Karunanidhi's health has been a cause of worry for the cadre and the DMK chief's family, including party working president MK Stalin, Alagiri and Kanimozhi are all at the hospital.

"Ezhundhu vaa thalaiva, ezhundhu vaa.. (Get up, come up and get up)" continues to echo in Alwarpet, where the Kauvery Hospital is located. Party workers and Karunanidhi's supporters are stationed outside the hospital since Monday night, Puthiya Thalaimurai TV reports.

Get up, come up, get up : Emotional slogans heard outside Chennai hospital

The Hindu reports Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy visited the DMK veteran at the hospital. After a brief visit, he left.

"We are sure that our Kalaignar will return home with all good health. During emergency in late 1970's he boldly. Like that, he'll also overcome this medical emergency and will serve for the people again. We are waiting to see him and we will leave this place only after he's discharged from the hospital," said Venkateswari, a DMK worker from Kolathur, Chennai.

Some hoaxes which were circulated on Monday night were that DMK's Duraimurugan have had an urgent meeting with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also scheduled a visit to Chennai on Tuesday morning.

Monday night witnessed a row of rumours posted and forwarded by social media users on Karunanidhi's health. However, the party cadre stayed calm throughout the day on Tuesday, not reacting to various versions of the news floating around.

Thirumavalavan had also visited Kauvery Hospital last week and enquired about the health of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi.

Actor Arjun and politicians Kongu Eswaran and K Veeramani arrived at the Kauvery Hospital to inquire about DMK chief M Karunanidhi's health, reported The News Minute

In the view of adding more hopes to the party members at the hospital premises, a mammoth flex was hung from the top of TTK Road flyover. The flex read as Karunanidhi's first person account, 'Uyirinum melaana udan pirappe kalangathae nalamudan irukkiren.'

The DMK cadre was raising slogans 'Ezhundhuvaa thalaiva', but had their emotions under control. 'We are not going to believe any rumour this time. We trust the doctors and our Thalapathi. They will ensure that our Kalaignar's health is saved,' said Arumuga Nainar a cadre from Tirunelveli. Similarly, another cadre said, 'We expect a positive news today. No one can grab the life of our thalaivar Kalaignar.'

Police deployment outside the Kauvery Hospital was increased in view of the swelling number of supporters. The DMK cadre thronged the whole of Eldams Road junction at Alwarpet area and over 1200 armed reserve policemen were put on standby, The Indian Express reported. Local channels reported that two Deputy Commissioners and four Assistant Commanders have been put on duty.

DMK leader and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin has left from the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, according to local media reports.

According News18 Tamil Nadu, a meeting is underway in Chennai between chief minister E Palaniswami and DMK leader MK Stalin at the chief minister's residence.

DMK chief Karunanidhi is suffering from severe breathing problem and his health continues to remain at risk, New18 Tamil Nadu quoted sources at Kauvery Hospital as saying.

DMK leaders MK Stalin, Alagiri and Kanimozhi have returned to Kauvery hospital in Chennai after meeting chief minister E Palaniswami at his residence, The News Minute reported.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi met ailing DMK chief Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital over the weekend. Meanwhile, union Minister Nitin Gadkari paid him a visit on Monday and was received by his son and MK Stalin, daughter Kanimozhi and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran.

Ever since the news came that DMK chief's health condition was deteriorating, DMK supporters have been gathering in large numbers outside the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai.

The panel of doctors treating DMK chief M Karunanidhi said that he remains 'very critical,' The Times of India reported. Karunanidhi has been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of the hospital since 29 July. Earlier, the hospital had also said that the maintaining the functionality of Karunanidhi's vital organs remained a challenge for the doctors.

According to a local news channel, Puthiyathalaimurai TV, the administration has ensured heavy police force deployment around the Kauvery Hospital as M Karunanidhi's health remains on the edge. The news channel said that around 300 policemen are concentrated in Kauvery hospital premises to rule out any law and order problems. The DMK cadres have gathered outside the Chennai hospital in huge numbers to get an update on their leader's health.

According to a latest official communique, the Tamil Nadu Deputy General of Police has ordered all personnels across all cities and districts to report immediately to their respective Superintendent of Police. The Zonal IGPs have been advised to further deploy manpower as per the required security challenges that may arise in the state.

Tamil Nadu DGP orders all police personnel to report on duty, IGPs tasked to deploy manpower to ensure law and order situtaion

Sources have said that an oral instruction has been issued to all Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai bus drivers to return to the depots and keep off the roads. Many multi-national firms and companies that run offices in Chennai have also asked their staff to return home early.

According to the latest bulletin released by Kauvery Hospital, the condition of DMK chief M Karunanidhi has further declined over the past few hours. The hospital said that despite maximum medical support, his vital organ functions continue to deteriorate.

The party cadres waiting outside the Kauvery Hospital for their leader's health update are inconsolable after the latest medical bulletin stated Karunanidhi's health has suffered a significant decline. According to News 18, some of the anxious DMK supporters have fainted outside the hospital premises, while several others turned emotional on hearing the news.

Hundreds of DMK supporters and party workers have gathered outside the hospital premise since Monday night, when the hospital said that M Karunanidhi's health was extremely critical.

The Chennai Police have disallowed general public from entering the Kauvery Hospital in view of the sensitive law and order situation, The Times of India reported. The administration has also announced that the hospital will not take in any fresh patients at the moment. It was not clear whether the family members of other patients undergoing treatment could access the hospital at the moment or not.

M Karunanidhi's daughter and DMK leader Kanimozhi teared up as she arrived at Kauvery Hospital. Her sister Selvi and MK Stalin's wife Durga also turned emotional as they left the hospital to proceed to Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence.

News18 has reported that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will land in Chennai at around 9:30 pm to meet DMK chief M Karunanidhi and his family.

The security outside Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence has been ramped up. DMK chief's family members and close associates have started gathering at the Gopalapuram home. MK Stalin's wife Durga, Karunanidhi's daughter Selvi, and his long-time associate and personal secretary Shanmuganathan have arrived here.

The TASMAC shops in Krishnagiri have already downed their shutters as the government-run liquor outlet company had ordered that all shops should shut down by 6 pm today. The order was issued, keeping in view the law and order situation as DMK chief M Karunanidhi's health deteriorated.

The police deployment has been increased at Kauvery Hospital as the crowd outside the hospital continues to increase. The DMK supporters, many of whom have been stationed outside the hospital since last night, are chanting "Get up and come Anna's brother", and have been praying for their leader's health. Many of the people their say that they have wouldn't go back till they see Karunanidhi.

All cinema halls and multiplexes in Tamil Nadu will be shut for the next two days. A Tamil movie Pyaar Prema Kaadhal was set to release on Thursday, however, the production house has said that the release is postponed in view of the declining health of the popular Tamil Nadu leader. It will likely hit screens on Friday.

The state police has been kept on high alert and all security personnel across the state have been called in for immediate mobilisation. The state's fire and rescue officials have also been asked to stay alert.

Tamil Nadu on high alert; all security personnel across state called in for immediate mobilisation

Actor and chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam, Kamal Hassan, has reportedly canceled all his appointments for Wednesday in New Delhi and is rushing back to Chennai tonight.

DMK patriarch and senior leader M Karunanidhi passed away at Chennai's Kauvery Hospital at 6.10 pm on Tuesday. The former Tamil Nadu chief minister was 94-years-old.

All roads leading to Kalaignar M Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence have been cordoned off by police and Rapid Action Force personnel. The security forces are not allowing any vehicles to pass without ID checks and the entry to the family residence is being restricted to VIPs and the residents of the area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his condolences to M Karunanidhi's family. "Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised," Modi tweeted.

"Extremely sad to learn of the passing of Thiru M. Karunanidhi. A doyen of our public life, as a contributor to the development of Tamil Nadu and of India he has few peers. Our country is poorer today. My condolences to his family and millions of well-wishers," President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.

DMK Patriarch's body will be taken to his daughter Kanimozhi's home at CIT colony first. His mortal remains will then be shifted to the family's Gopalapuram home and finally to Rajaji Hall where the public will be allowed to pay their final respects.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has shut down all bus services to Tamil Nadu temporarily after the news of M Karunanidhi's death was released.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami condoled M Karunanidhi's death and said that Kalaignar's immense contribution, not only to Tamil and national politics but also to Tamil literature and cinema, is unparalleled.

Actor and politician Rajinikanth took to Twitter to condole DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's death. He said: "Today is a black day in my life, one which I can never forget as I lost my #Kalaignar. I pray for his soul."

Preparations are underway Chennai's Rajaji Hall, where Karunanidhi's body will be kept tomorrow for public viewing. The body will be first taken to Kanimozhi's CIT colony home, and later will be shifted to family's Gopalapuram residence. Tomorrow, the body will be moved to Rajaji Hall for people to pay their last respects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Chennai on Wednesday to pay his last respects to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. He said that India has lost a great sons in Kalaignar, who ruled Tamil Nadu political stage for six decades.

Senior DMK members and Karunanidhi's close associates and friends have gathered at the family's Gopalapuram residence to pay their last respects to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.

A route map of Rajaji Hall indicates all the entry points for VVIPs, VIPs and the general public. The general public will only be allowed to enter the hall through the Anna Salai Periyar statue hospital gate and Swamy Sivanandha Salai.

DMK's working president MK Stalin has released a statement on his father's death expressing his sorrow. He also urged the DMK supporters to maintain their calm and support the state agencies to maintain law and order situation.

The Tamil Nadu chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan has released a statement announcing that no place has been allocated for the burial of Karunanidhi's body at Marina beach. The party had petitioned for space to be granted near Anna Memorial but hadn't received any response to it until today. She has said two other places have been allocated for his memorial.

The DMK workers mourned the death of their party patriarch at the party's office in Coimbatore. At party's Chennai headquarters, the DMK 's crimson flag featuring a rising sun was lowered to half mast as a mark of respect. Outside Chennai's Kauvery Hospital, the Kalaignar's supporters lit candles to mourn their loss.

DMK supporters sit in protest at Ranipet against the Tamil Nadu government's decision to not allow Karunanidhi's body to be buried at Marina beach. The government has cited legal restrictions in granting the permission and has instead offered two acres of space near Guindy. AIADMK leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, and DMK founder Annadurai's memorials are built at Marina Beach.

The Tamil Nadu government's decision to not allow Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach has become the latest flashpoint. DMK members protested at Ranipet and outside the Kauvery Hospital demanding a memorial to DMK founder Annadurai's memorial at city's Marina Beach.

The Chennai police resorted to lathi-charge after DMK cadres started protesting against the denial of burial space for Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. The emotionally charged cadres turned violent and the police used some force to disperse the huge crowd that had gathered outside the hospital.

Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Huluvadi G Ramesh has agreed to hear the plea on an urgent basis at 10:30 pm.

After Tamil Nadu government announced that it could not allocate space for Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach, the DMK moved Madras High Court to seeking space for his memorial next to DMK founder Annadurai's resting place.

Ambulance carrying Karunanidhi's mortal remains left from Kauvery Hospital and his enroute his Gopalapuram residence. A huge crowd of party supporters has gathered on sidewalks of the road leading to Karunanidhi's home. An emotional party worker yelled "Come back, Kalaignar", as M Karunanidhi's body makes its way from the hospital to his home for the last time.

Puducherry government has declared a holiday tomorrow and has announced a three-day mourning following the demise of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

The Chennai Airport has issued a statement stating that as per security notice issued by state police, there are traffic restrictions in Chennai. The statement advised passengers who fly in and out of Chennai Airport to plan their mode of travel to avoid delays and inconvenience.

DMK supporters have gathered to pay their respects at the house where Karunanidhi was born, in Nagapattinam's Thirukuvalai.

Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had tweeted to express his condolence on the demise of DMK patriarch's death. "Kalaignar Karunanidhi was a seasoned leader who dedicated himself in service to the poor and needy. He was a powerful voice of the marginalised section of our society. India mourns his demise," he had said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that the National Flag will fly at half-mast tomorrow in New Delhi, all state capitals and across Tamil Nadu as a mark of respect to M Karunanidhi.

National Flag to fly at half-mast tomorrow in Delhi, all state capitals and across Tamil Nadu

Hundreds of DMK cadre gathered outside the hospital as news of his death spread, and many of them could be heard chanting,"We want Marina," T he News Minute reported. The emotional supporters said that they will not accept any other place for Karunanidhi's burial, as Anna's brother (referring to DMK founder CN Annadurai) must lie next to him at Marina Beach.

The DMK supporters, who just lost their tallest leader, are up in arms against the AIADMK-led state government over getting space for Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach.

'Anna's brother should rest beside him': Kalaignar's supporters demand space for his burial at Marina Beach

Veteran Dravidian leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi will be accorded a state funeral, which will take place tomorrow in Chennai. The Government of India will observe state mourning across the country tomorrow and there will be no official entertainment during the day, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

Later, at 3 am, the body will be moved to Chennai's Rajaji Hall and the venue will be open for the public from 4 am onwards.

The body will be kept at the Gopalapuram home until 1 am after which it will be moved to Kanimozhi's CIT Colony residence. Only close friends and family will be allowed to pay their respects during this time.

The ambulance carrying Karunanidhi's body took over one hour to reach his Gopalapuram residence as the vehicle was surrounded by an overwhelming crowd.

The DMK chief's body has arrived at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. However, people swarmed around the Ambulance to catch a glimpse of their leader. The police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and make way for the body to be taken inside.

Earlier, Congress' GHulam Nabi Azad had also spoken in support of the DMK's demand. "The Tamil Nadu government should not play politics. On such occasions, the government and parties should rise above politics. Kalaignar should be given his due. He deserves rightful place even after his demise," Azad said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and actor and politician, Rajinikanth have come out in support of the DMK in seeking a burial space for Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. The Tamil Nadu government had denied the space citing legal restrictions and had instead offered 2 acres land in Guindi.

Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami is holding a meeting with state's advocate general at his residence, News18 reported Meanwhile, the DMK's legal team has already arrived at Chief Justice's residence in Chennai. A late-night legal drama is expected to unfold as the state government has denied space for Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach, a move which was challenged by the DMK.

A two-judge bench, comprising of Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice SS Sundar, will hear the DMK's urgent petition demanding a burial spot for M Karunanidhi at Marina Beach shortly, News18 reported.

Advocate S Duraisamy, who had filed a PIL against the construction of a memorial for J Jayalalithaa at Marina, has withdrawn the petition. He said, "My petition had nothing to do with the issue of space for Karunanidhi. But since the government was using my petition as an excuse to deny space, I have decided to withdraw the petition."

Withdrew petition against Jaya memorial on Marina Beach as TN govt was playing politics on it, says M Duraisamy

The poem was captioned 'Just this once, can I call you 'father', my leader'.

"Wherever you had travelled in the past, you've always left after letting us know. This time why did you leave us without a notice? Where did you go, our leader? The one who is blended with my emotions, blood, thoughts, hearts and body.." Stalin wrote in an emotive poem that he shared on his Twitter page.

'Just this once, can I call you 'father', my leader': MK Stalin pens emotional poem for Karunanidhi

Speaking to the press at Chennai airport, Mamata Banerjee said that Karunanidhi's death is a great loss to the nation. Expressing her condolences to his family, DMK members, and the Tamil people, she said that she had been on her way to Chennai to check on his health and the news of his death was a shock to her.

US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, in a tweet, said, "Karunanidhi will be remembered for years of public service to the state." "On behalf of the United States Mission in India, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi and the people of Tamil Nadu," he said.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena mourned the death of Karunanidhi. "I am deeply saddened by the death of former Chief Minister and senior political leader Karunanidhi," he said in a tweet, extending his condolences to the bereaved family and party cadres.

Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Hassan addressed reporters at the Chennai airport. He says, "Kalaignar's death is sad for me as an artist and also as a new politician. Shall we be optimistic that they would let 'thambi' (brother) rest near Anna? It's an emotional issue. It's a tradition and there's nothing wrong in people demanding a place for their leader at Marina. I am sure there be a fair decision on this."

Should thambi be allowed to rest near Anna... we should be hopeful, says Kamal Haasan

Late DMK chief Karunanidhi's body was shifted out of his Gopalapuram residence to the CIT colony home. According to reports, Karunanidhi's body will soon be taken to Rajaji Hall.

Mourners thronged MP Kanimozhi's residence in CIT Colony where Kalaignar's body is bring brought to next. The motorcade has reportedly already left Gopalapuram.

Tamil Nadu government lawyers had initially asked for time until 10.30 am on Wednesday to prepare for the case. The Acting Chief Justice declined the request. The court will be reconvened at 8 am at the judge's residence and the hearing will resume then. The judgment will be delivered immediately after the hearing at around 8.30 am.

As M Karunanidhi breathed his last on Monday evening, a number of politicians, including Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Rajinikanth, dropped by at the Gopalapuram residence of the DMK patriarch to pay their respects. While Banerjee managed to meet Stalin and others while paying her tributes to the Kalaignar, Rajinikanth, who arrived later, failed to get past the massive crowd outside the residence and enter the residence. Rajinikanth reached Karunanidhis residence late on Tuesday night but had to return without seeing the Dravidian politics stalwart.

Chennai Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the crowd gathered outside DMK MP Kanimozhi's home in CIT Colony where Karunanidhi's mortal remains are kept.

Starting from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, leaders came out in support of DMK's demand to bury their Kalaignar at Marina beach. "Like Jayalalitha ji, Kalaignar was an expression of the voice of the Tamil people. That voice deserves to be given space on Marina Beach. I am sure the current leaders of Tamil Nadu will be magnanimous in this time of grief," Rahul tweeted.

"When Anna was alive, it was Kalaignar and MGR as two brothers who worked hard to strengthen the party. It is only just that all three are allowed to rest nearby. It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality. Had MGR been alive and Kalaignar had passed away, MGR would have made Kalaignar to rest next to Anna," tweets Kamal Haasan.

It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality: Kamal Haasan on Karunanidhi's burial at Marina beach

Within minutes of Karunanidhi's death, a huge row erupted after the state's AIADMK government rejected the demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach where he could be buried. The Madras High Court will decide at 8 am whether the DMK chief be laid to rest along with other political stalwarts like Annadurai and MGR.

It is 5 am and mourners and supporters continue to pay homage to DMK chief Karunanidhi who died of multiple organ failure at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday at 6.10 pm.

Firstpost editorial says, "MGR was the first actor to really become a mass hero, primarily through the scripts written by Karunanidhi. He was always projected as a virtuous do-gooder who stands with the downtrodden, loves his mother, has family values and upholds women's rights. MGR never endorsed alcohol in any of his films, which created an aura around him. This got DMK the all-important vote bank of women. The image of a Tamil mass hero has changed with times, but the MGR formula still rules, as seen by the success of Rajinikanth and later of Vijay and Ajith."

As thousands await Karunanidhi's mortal remains at Rajaji Hall in Chennai, reports said that DMK chief's son Alagiri and DMK leader A Raja, accused in the 2G scam who recently got acquitted, have reached Rajaji Hall.

Both Modi and Rahul, besides a host of other leaders are expected to arrive in Chennai today to pay their last respects to the departed doyen of Tamil Nadu politics.

"Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight," he said on Twitter.

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised," Modi said in a series of tweets.

#WATCH : Police resort to lathi-charge to control the crowd gathered outside Kanimozhi's residence in Chennai's CIT Colony where mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM M #Karunanidhi are kept. pic.twitter.com/2NMsugk6tU

Like Jayalalitha ji, Kalaignar was an expression of the voice of the Tamil people. That voice deserves to be given space on Marina Beach. I am sure the current leaders of Tamil Nadu will be magnanimous in this time of grief. #Marina4Kalaignar

Starting from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, leaders came out in support of DMK's demand to bury their Kalaignar at Marina beach. "Like Jayalalitha ji, Kalaignar was an expression of the voice of the Tamil people. That voice deserves to be given space on Marina Beach. I am sure the current leaders of Tamil Nadu will be magnanimous in this time of grief," Rahul tweeted.

"When Anna was alive, it was Kalaignar and MGR as two brothers who worked hard to strengthen the party. It is only just that all three are allowed to rest nearby. It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality. Had MGR been alive and Kalaignar had passed away, MGR would have made Kalaignar to rest next to Anna," tweets Kamal Haasan.

It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality: Kamal Haasan on Karunanidhi's burial at Marina beach

Within minutes of Karunanidhi's death, a huge row erupted after the state's AIADMK government rejected the demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach where he could be buried. The Madras High Court will decide at 8 am whether the DMK chief be laid to rest along with other political stalwarts like Annadurai and MGR.

It is 5 am and mourners and supporters continue to pay homage to DMK chief Karunanidhi who died of multiple organ failure at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday at 6.10 pm.

Firstpost editorial says, "MGR was the first actor to really become a mass hero, primarily through the scripts written by Karunanidhi. He was always projected as a virtuous do-gooder who stands with the downtrodden, loves his mother, has family values and upholds women's rights. MGR never endorsed alcohol in any of his films, which created an aura around him. This got DMK the all-important vote bank of women. The image of a Tamil mass hero has changed with times, but the MGR formula still rules, as seen by the success of Rajinikanth and later of Vijay and Ajith."

Chennai: #Karunanidhi 's son MK Alagiri and DMK leader Andimuthu Raja arrive at Rajaji Hall in Chennai where mortal remains of the late Tamil Nadu CM are being brought pic.twitter.com/QwCQTci7uT

As thousands await Karunanidhi's mortal remains at Rajaji Hall in Chennai, reports said that DMK chief's son Alagiri and DMK leader A Raja, accused in the 2G scam who recently got acquitted, have reached Rajaji Hall.

TTV Dhinakaran arrives at Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM M #Karunanidhi are kept. pic.twitter.com/CtQ0vPPpVu

#Visuals from Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM M #Karunanidhi are kept. pic.twitter.com/dXoA1L0BTN

Thousands flock to Rajaji Hall to see Karunanidhi on his last journey

Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight. #Karunanidhi

I have had the opportunity of interacting with Karunanidhi Ji on several occasions. His understanding of policy and emphasis on social welfare stood out. Firmly committed to democratic ideals, his strong opposition to the Emergency will always be remembered. pic.twitter.com/cbMiMPRy7l

Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised. pic.twitter.com/jOZ3BOIZMj

Both Modi and Rahul, besides a host of other leaders are expected to arrive in Chennai today to pay their last respects to the departed doyen of Tamil Nadu politics.

"Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight," he said on Twitter.

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised," Modi said in a series of tweets.

Karunanidhi death; LATEST updates: Actor Rajinikanth reached Rajaji Hall to pay his last respects to DMK chief Karunanidhi. Rajinikanth, who arrived later on Tuesday, had failed to get past the massive crowd outside the residence and enter the residence. Rajinikanth reached Karunanidhis residence late on Tuesday night but had to return without seeing the Dravidian politics stalwart.

Reports said that the mortal remains of Karunanidhi has left the CIT Colony home for Rajaji Hall where thousands await their leader's last journey. DMK supporters who are present in hordes at Rajaji Hall said that they were confident that the Madras High Court will allow them to bury their Kalaignar at the Marina Beach in Chennai.

Karunanidhi's son MK Alagiri, DMK leader A Raja and TTV Dhinakaran arrived at Rajaji Hall, reports said.

Within minutes of Karunanidhi's death, a huge row erupted after the state's AIADMK government rejected the demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach where he could be buried. The Madras High Court will decide at 8 am whether the DMK chief be laid to rest along with other political stalwarts like Annadurai and MGR.

As the clamour to give DMK chief M Karunanidhi a burial at the Marina grew, Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan tweeted in support of Karunanidhi's burial at the Marina beach and said, "When Anna was alive, it was Kalaignar and MGR as two brothers who worked hard to strengthen the party. It is only just that all three are allowed to rest nearby. It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality. Had MGR been alive and Kalaignar had passed away, MGR would have made Kalaignar to rest next to Anna."

Leading politicians have supported the DMK claim. "AIADMK is playing petty politics," DMK supporters told reporters outside the CIT Colony home of the late DMK supremo.

Within minutes of Karunanidhi's death, a huge row erupted after the state's AIADMK government rejected the demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach where he could be buried.

Wasting no time, DMK's counsel P Wilson and A Sarvanan rushed to the residence of H G Ramesh, the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, with a plea to direct the state government to revoke its decision denying permission for Karunanidhi's burial and erection of a memorial to him on the beach.

Meanwhile, Chennai Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the crowd gathered outside DMP MP Kanimozhi's home in CIT Colony where Karunanidhi's mortal remains are kept. A large number of people were waiting outside the house, and was uncontrollable as leaders including Stalin arrived.

Hours after former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief Karunanidhi passed away at a Chennai hospital on Tuesday, a huge controversy erupted over Kalaignar's final resting place. Angry DMK supporters took to streets on Tuesday amid heavy drama and slammed the AIADMK government for refusing to give "6-feet of land" for Karunanidhi. "The TamilNadu government proposes to build a 3,500 sq-ft memorial for Jayalalithaa, but refuses to give 6-feet of land to our leader," reports quoted supporters as saying.

The Tamil Nadu government rejected the request that was made by Karunanidhis political heir MK Stalin - to grant him a burial and a memorial on the Marina beach - creating a furore among DMK supporters and setting the stage for a courtroom battle.

The DMK moved the Madras High Court against the government's decision on Tuesday night and Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh held a special hearing at midnight in his residence.

According to latest reports, body of DMK chief Karunanidhi has been moved out of the Gopalapuram residence to his CIT colony home, which also happens to be his daughter and DMK MP Kanimozhi's home.

A sea of DMK supporters that had thronged outside Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence in Chennai broke open the gates and entered the premise to pay their last respects. Except for a minor scuffle, the situation was calm and the crowd was peaceful.

"Wherever you had travelled in the past, you've always left after letting us know. This time why did you leave us without a notice? Where did you go, our leader? The one who is blended with my emotions, blood, thoughts, hearts and body.." Stalin wrote in an emotional poem that he shared on his Twitter page.

The controversy over the burial site for DMK chief Karunanidhi has reached the Madras High Court. A two-judge bench has started hearing the case at the acting chief justice's residence in Chennai. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has reached Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram.

Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami is holding a meeting with state's advocate general at his residence. Meanwhile, the DMK's legal team has already arrived at Chief Justice's residence in Chennai. A late-night legal drama is expected to unfold as the state government has denied space for Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach, a move which was challenged by the DMK.

The DMK chief's body has arrived at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. However, people swarmed around the Ambulance to catch a glimpse of their leader. The police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and make way for the body to be taken inside.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Rajinikanth have come out in support of the DMK in seeking a burial space for Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. The Tamil Nadu government had denied the space citing legal restrictions and had instead offered 2 acres land in Guindi.

Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Huluvadi G Ramesh has agreed to hear a plea seeking space for Karunanidhi's memorial at Marina beach on an urgent basis at 10:30 pm.

The ambulance carrying body of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi has left from Kauvery Hospital for his residence in Gopalapuram. The body will be kept there till 1 am when only family and close friends will be allowed to pay respects.

After Tamil Nadu government announced that it could not allocate space for Karunanidhi's burial at Marina Beach, the veteran leader's party has announced that it will move Madras High Court on Wednesday to seek space for his memorial.

DMK supporters sit in protest at Ranipet against the Tamil Nadu government's decision to not allow Karunanidhi's body to be buried at Marina beach. The government has cited legal restrictions in granting the permission and has instead offered two acres of space near Guindy. AIADMK leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, and DMK founder Annadurai's memorials are built at Marina Beach.

DMK's working president MK Stalin has released a statement on his father's death expressing his sorrow. He also urged the DMK supporters to maintain their calm and support the state agencies to maintain law and order situation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Chennai on Wednesday to pay his last respects to DMK patriarch Karunanidhi.

Karunanidhi's body will be taken to his daughter Kanimozhi's home at Chennai's CIT colony first. His mortal remains will then be shifted to the family's Gopalapuram home and finally to Rajaji Hall where the public will be allowed to pay their final respects.

The state police has been kept on high alert and all security personnel across the state have been called in for immediate mobilisation. The state's fire and rescue officials have also been asked to stay alert.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to arrive in Chennai at around 9.30 pm tonight as the health of DMK chief M Karunanidhi continues to decline. She will meet the family members at their Gopalapuram residence.

Karunanidhi's daughter and DMK leader Kanimozhi teared up as she arrived at Kauvery Hospital. Her sister Selvi and MK Stalin's wife Durga also turned emotional as they left the hospital to proceed to Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence.

The Tamil Nadu police is on high alert and police personnel across the state have been ordered to report on duty. The administration has also ordered the TASMAC shops to down shutters by 6pm and several offices are also sending their employees home early.

According to Kauvery Hospital's latest bulletin, M Karunanidhi's health has declined considerably in the last few hours. The hospital said that it was difficult to maintain the functionality DMK chief's vital organs.

The Tamil Nadu Deputy General of Police has ordered all personnel across all cities and districts to report immediately to their respective Superintendent of Police. The Zonal IGPs have been advised to further deploy manpower as per the required security challenges that may arise in the state.

The Kauvery Hospital is expected to release the latest bulletin on DMK chief's health in the next 30 minutes as a sea of DMK cadres wait expectantly outside the hospital premises. The security has also been ramped up, with over 300 police personnel deployed at the institute.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi's health remains very critical, reports said. Meanwhile, the secuirty has been ramped up inside and around the Kauvery hospital.

DMK leaders MK Stalin, Alagiri and Kanimozhi have returned to Kauvery hospital in Chennai after meeting chief minister E Palaniswami at his residence, The News Minute reported.

DMK chief Karunanidhi is suffering from severe breathing problem and his health continues to remain at risk, New18 Tamil Nadu quoted sources at Kauvery Hospital as saying. Meanwhile, a meeting is underway in Chennai between chief minister E Palaniswami and DMK leader MK Stalin. Earlier, Karunanidhi's son Stalin had left from the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai.

Actor Arjun and politicians Kongu Eswaran and K Veeramani arrived at the Kauvery Hospital to inquire about DMK chief M Karunanidhi's health, reported The News Minute. VCK Chief Thol Thirumavalavan has arrived at Kauvery Hospital. He had also visited Kauvery Hospital last week and enquired about the health of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi. Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended outside the hospital premises.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi is in critical condition, the doctors have said. The situation outside the Kauvery Hospital in the Alwarpet area is a bit tense as there are rumours floating and the doctors haven't said anything since Monday night. Party working president Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi arrived at the hospital amid heavy security. Reports said that internet access outside the hospital has been restricted.

Reports from Chennai have said that doctors at the Kauvery Hospital have not released any statement on Karunanidhi's health since Monday night. "There has been a decline in the medical condition of DMK president and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. Maintaining his vital organ functions continues to remain a challenge considering his age related ailments," hospital statement on Monday night had said.

DMK cadres are hopeful that their party president MK Karunanidhi, even after being pushed to a critical health condition on Monday night, will bounce back to good health soon. The members of DMK gathered outside Kauvery Hospital in Alwarpet were neither extremely depressed nor happy, but they believe their leader would soon return home.

The condition of ailing DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi has "declined" and keeping his vital organs functioning remains a "challenge", doctors at the Kauvery Hospital said, indicating that the next 24 hours could be crucial.

The 94-year-old five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister was being continuously monitored and treated with active medical support, a press release issued by the hospital said.

"His response to the medical interventions over the next 24 hours will determine the prognosis," Executive Director of the Hospital Dr Aravindan Selvaraj said in the terse two-paragraph release.

Soon after the news of a decline in Karunanidhi's condition spread, hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the hospital, including a large number of women, some failing to control their tears, others waving at the TV cameras, preparing for an overnight vigil at the facility in downtown Alwarpet.

Karunanidhi was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital on July 28 following a dip in blood pressure, which stabilised following medical intervention.

The hospital had, however, said on July 31 that an extended stay could be necessary due to age-related overall decline in his general health, altered liver function and haematological parameters.

A host of dignitaries and political leaders, including President Ram Nath Kovind Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi have visited the hospital over the last few days to inquire about the condition of the DMK veteran.
Two persons were killed and 35 suffered minor injuries on Wednesday in a stampede outside the Rajaji Hall in Chennai as hundreds of thousands thronged for a final glimpse of DMK leader M Karunanidhi, a hospital official said.

Three persons were killed and 34 suffered minor injuries on Wednesday in a stampede outside the Rajaji Hall in Chennai as thousands thronged for a final glimpse of DMK leader M Karunanidhi, a hospital official said.

A senior official of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital told IANS: "Two persons were brought dead to the hospital with injuries arising due to trampling. One is a woman, Shanbagam, while the other person is an unidentified male." The woman, Shanbagam, was said to be 60 years old. Another person brought to the hospital named Saravan later succumbed to his injuries.

The official added that 34 persons were brought to the hospital with minor injuries and were treated. Some were dehydrated. "There has been heavy jostling and pushing and pulling in the crowd since morning," one man at the site said, explaining what led to the stampede.

The tragedy occurred shortly after Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin appealed for calm to the milling crowds which were getting restive at not being able to get close to the former Tamil Nadu chief minister's body. Even as the crowd began to swell by noon, barricades placed by police in the sprawling premises off arterial Anna Salai were strewn at several locations.

Efforts by police to regulate the crowd vent in vain as frenzied cadres argued with police personnel, demanding to be allowed to go forth and pay homage. The situation got out of hand after the crowd tried to reach the main venue from all sides, including from the adjacent government super-speciality hospital complex, and breached designated entry points.

The commotion heightened when several people tried to take the rear and side pathways by following prominent personalities. Earlier, thousands of people kept thronging the venue from the wee hours even as a bandh-like situation prevailed in the city and suburbs. The Tamil Nadu government announced a local holiday on Wednesday as a mark of respect to Karunanidhi.

All educational institutions, shops, business establishments, fuel outlets remained closed in the city. Cinema theatres cancelled shows for the day. Most roads wore a deserted look as State-owned transport corporation operated skeletal services and other public transport vehicles including autorickshaws stayed off roads. Train services, however, operated as usual. The Koyambedu vegetable market wore a deserted look as traders decided to shut shop.

With inputs from agencies
The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to Karunanidhi, who left an indelible imprint on the Tamil Nadu's public life for decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

Chennai: Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a doyen of Dravidian politics, was on Wednesday laid to rest on the Marina beachfront as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell after an unsavoury courtroom battle his party won to secure for him the final resting place at the Chennai landmark.

The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to the "Thalaivar" (the leader), school dropout, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life over decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

The 94-year-old leader had breathed his last at a hospital in Chennai after fighting for life for 11 days.

A galaxy of leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, and his Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh counterparts  Pinarayi Vijayan, K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu  were in attendance. So were CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his predecessor Prakash Karat, and former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh  Oommen Chandy and Akhilesh Yadav.

Karunanidhi was buried with full military honours with soldiers giving him a gun salute and buglars sounding the last post.

Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Rahul Gandhi, union minister and the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan, Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad placed wreaths at the feet of the departed leader at the Marina.

Karunanidhi's son and heir apparent MK 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.

In poignant scenes, Stalin was seen crying inconsolably after touching his father's feet before the casket containing Karunanidhi's body was lowered into the grave. The leader's youngest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi fondly caressed his head and cheek one last time.

Karunanidhi being a self-proclaimed atheist and rationalist, no Hindu rituals were performed. Earlier in the day, as thousands of grieving DMK supporters, leaders and celebrities filed past the golden casket containing the mortal remains of the leader draped in the Tricolour at the stately Rajaji Hall, a courtroom battle raged over where he should be buried.

The state's AIADMK government had on Tuesday rejected the DMK's demand for space at the Marina for Karunanidhi's burial and construction of a memorial to him, citing pending litigations over ecological concerns. The DMK had swiftly moved the Madras High Court which partially heared its petition around midnight and resumed the hearing at 8 am on Wednesday.

The court ruled in DMK's favour and the Thalaivar got his final resting place next to his mentor and former chief minister CN Annadurai.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place... Provide a place for a decent burial forthwith in terms of the rough sketch given by the petitioner," the division bench of the court comprising Acting Chief Justice HG Ramesh and SS Sundar ruled.

"There is no legal impediment for not allotting the place. Already alloted place in the marina for all Dravidian leaders. There is no need to take different stand in the present case," the bench said.

The court's order was greeted with loud chants of "Kalaignar Pugazh Onguga (long live Kalaignar's fame)" by thousands of DMK cadre at the Rajaji Hall some 8 kilometres away.

A glum-faced MK Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president, who stood pensively beside the casket, sobbed uncontrollably before regaining composure and wiping off tears of joy amid the pervasive gloom.

Shouts of "vendum vendum, Marina vendum (we want Marina)" had greeted Chief Minister K Palaniswami earlier in the day when he arrived at the Rajaji Hall to pay his tributes.

The court's order dealt a big blow to the AIADMK, which spared no effort to deny Karunanidhi, who headed its rival outfit DMK for half-a-century, a feat unparalleled in the country's history, the final resting place at the beach.

AIADMK founder and former chief minister MG Ramachandran and his protegee J Jayalalithaa, who were buried on the beach and have memorials there, had died in office, and the government cited this as a ground for not bestowing the same privilege to Karunanidhi as he was not a serving chief minister.

There was a massive surge of people at the Rajaji Hall where lakhs had gathered to pay homage to Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister and political warhorse who won 13 Assembly elections on the trot.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowed in solemn reverence and placed a wreath at the leader's feet.

Clad in white kurta-churidar he spoke briefly to Karunanidhi's wife Rajathi Ammal with folded hands. He clasped Stalin's hand and the two talked quietly for some time.

The crowd swelled by the minute, people pressing against each other in a massive surge, pushing, shoving, stumbling on each other and clashing with police whose personnel wielded batons to control them.

Some fainted, scores were injured, prompting Stalin to make an appeal to maintain calm.

Identical scenes were witnessed at the Marina Beach. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets as the flower bedecked gun carriage inched its way there from Rajaji Hall.

Many crashed their way through the barricades. Others perched precariously atop trees and lamp posts for the one last glimpse of their beloved leader.

Stalin and other male members of the Karunanidhi family walked quietly behind the gun carriage as police personnel threw a security cordon around them. The DMK's red-and-black flags fluttered across the landscape.

As the golden sun began to dip slowly into the sea, it shone light on the inscription on the casket in Tamil that read "the one who slogged all his life without rest, rests here", signifying the end of an era in Tamil Nadu politics.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informed members of the demise of Karunanidhi (94). Describing him as a 'visionary' and a 'leader of the masses', she said he spread his political philosophy through screenwriting and produced some of the best hits in Tamil cinema.

New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Wednesday after paying obituary to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who passed away on Tuesday.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informed members of the demise of Karunanidhi (94). Describing him as a "visionary" and a "leader of the masses", she said he spread his political philosophy through screenwriting and produced some of the best hits in Tamil cinema.

After observing a moment of silence in his memory, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day.

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, reading out an obituary reference, described Karunanidhi as a multifaceted personality and a gritty figure who overcame difficulties.

Beginning his career as a screenplay writer, Karunanidhi used Tamil cinema to propagate Dravadian ideology and contributed to Tamil culture, he said. Karunanidhi entered politics at a very young age and was a member of the Tamil Nadu Assembly for a record of 13 times, being elected from seven different constituencies, he said.

In 1969, he became the third Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and went on to serve the state as its head for five terms. He played a key role in scripting development of Tamil Nadu, Naidu said, adding in his death the country lost an eminent litterateur, an able administrator, a dedicated social worker and an outstanding statesman.

Members stood in silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Naidu then adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Prior to the commencement of proceedings of the day, Naidu consulted senior leaders of various political parties for their views on adjournment of proceedings of the House for the day. He sought to know views of leaders as there was no precedent of adjourning the House in case the departed leader was not a sitting or former member of the House, sources said.

Referring to Karunanidhi as one of the tallest leaders of the country, all members spoke in favour of adjournment of proceedings of the House as a mark of respect to the departed leader, they said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anant Kumar said the government was also in favour of adjournment and the same was conveyed to the Lok Sabha Speaker as well.

He, however, sought the cooperation of all parties in both Houses in passing important pending Bills like the one relating to Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs in the Rajya Sabha and if required by dispensing with the Zero Hour and private members bills, they said.
Tamil Nadu's main opposition party had moved the court last night after the AIADMK government rejected its request for allowing the burial of Karunanidhi on the famed Marina sands alongside his mentor and former chief minister CN Annadurai.

Chennai: The Madras High Court on allowed the burial of DMK chief M Karunanidhi on the Marina Beach. A division bench of the court comprising Acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and S S Sundar passed the order on a petition filed by the DMK at a special hearing.

Tamil Nadu's main opposition party had moved the court last night after the AIADMK government rejected its request for allowing the burial of Karunanidhi on the famed Marina sands alongside his mentor and former chief minister CN Annadurai.

Earlier, soon after the court resumed the hearing on the DMK's plea, which was adjourned in the wee hours on Wednesday morning, all five petitions challenging former chief minister late Jayalalithaa's burial at the Marina on different grounds were dismissed as withdrawn.

These petitions had been cited by the government for denying permission to bury the DMK stalwart on the beach, which also has memorials to former chief ministers MG Ramachandran and his protegee Jayalalithaa.

Defending its decision the state government said the previous DMK government headed by Karunanidhi had turned down a plea for burying late chief minister MG Ramachandran's wife Janaki on ground she was not a sitting CM.
After DMK chief and five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi breathed his last due to age-related ailments on Tuesday, his son and potential party heir MK Stalin penned an emotional letter to the late Karunanidhi, his 'leader', asking if he could address him as 'Appa' one last time.

After Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday, his son and potential party heir MK Stalin penned an emotional letter, asking his "leader" if he could address him as "Appa" one last time.

Here is the full text of Stalin's letter:

Wherever you had traveled in the past, you've always left after letting us know. This time why did you leave us without a notice?

Where did you go, our leader? The one who has blended with my emotions, blood, thoughts, hearts and body. You wrote 33 years ago to inscribe 'The one who served restlessly is resting here' on your tomb. Now did you leave with a satisfaction that you've served a for the Tamils without a break?

At the age of 95 and 80 years of public life, did you leave, challenging everyone, with a thought who could conquer one such feat like you?

When I was addressing at Tiruvarur in your 95th birthday celebrations, I asked for half of the energy you possess. Now, I beg for half of your potential and the heart of CN Annadurai you won. Will you give me, my leader?

With that, we will win all your aspirations and make your dreams come true.

A request from crores of your brotherly souls. Just once tell, 'En uyirinum melaana anbu udan pirappugalae'. That will give us strength to function for 100 more years.

In all my life I've called you 'Thalaivare' more than calling 'Appa'. At least now, for once, can I call you 'appa', my leader?

Tearfully,

MK Stalin

With inputs from IANS
In February 1974, Karunanidhi demanded that Cheif Ministers be included in Independence Day celebrations. The Indira Gandhi government acknowledged his demand in July 1974.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi in 1974 secured the right for chief ministers to unfurl the Indian flag on Independence Day. According to reports, on 15 August, 1974, he became the first chief minister of Tamil Nadu to unfold the Tricolour on Independence Day Chennai's Fort St George.

A report from The Indian Express says that until 1973, the President of India and governors would unfurl national flags on Republic Day, while Independence Day was mostly an internal event in institutions. According to The Hindu, this was because they were perceived to be representatives of the Centre.

The Hindu also reported that Karunanidhi, then in his second term as chief minister, complained that chief ministers were ignored in such national celebrations. At a publication launch event in February 1974, he asked why chief ministers were left out, while prime ministers were allowed to hoist the national flag.

Karunanidhi was campaigning state autonomy at the time, in light of the submission of a report by he Rajamannar Committee on Centre-State relations. Ironically, at one point, he was part of the secessionist political movement that sought the creation of 'Dravida Nadu'.

According to another report from The Hindu, the Indira Gandhi government acknowledged Karunanidhi's demand in July 1974. The Centre then announced that chief ministers would hoist the national flag on Independence Day while Governors would do it on Republic Day. Karunanidhi went on to be the first Tamil Nadu chief minister to unfurl the flag on 15 August that year.

The late DMK chief had taken the same occasion to explain the benefits of state autonomy to reporters. He emphasised that autonomy would benefit all states and parties.

Muthuvel Karunanidhi served as chief minister for five terms, and was one of the most prominent leaders of the Dravidian movement. He passed away at the age of 94 on Tuesday.
A huge demand for a law to deal with superstitious beliefs and occult practices echoed across Kerala last year, when a youth who was engaged in supernatural experiments brutally killed his parents, sister and aunt in Thiruvananthapuram

A huge demand for a law to deal with superstitious beliefs and occult practices echoed across Kerala last year, when a youth who was engaged in supernatural experiments brutally killed his parents, sister and aunt in Thiruvananthapuram. The demand has returned with renewed vigour 16 months after the ghastly incident. What has spurred the fresh demand is the murder of four members of a family in the hilly district of Idukki. Curiously, the victims are a sorcerer, his wife and two children, and the person who committed the murder is suspected to be his former disciple.

While the youth in Thiruvananthapuram is still not in an appropriate frame of mind to provide a credible reason for the crime, the police probe into the murder of Krishnan (52), wife Susheela (50), daughter Arsha (22) and son Arjun (20) at their home in Thodupuzha (Idukki district) indicates that Krishnan's former apprentice, Aneesh had allegedly murdered the four in his bid to eliminate his mentor to regain the magical powers that he believed were rendered ineffective by the former through his own magical powers.

The police team investigating the murder came to this conclusion after questioning Aneesh's accomplice Libeesh (28). Idukki district police chief KB Venugopal said that the information they extracted from interrogating Libeesh had revealed that professional rivalry between Aneesh and his former mentor had led to the diabolical murder.

"Aneesh had acquired additional skills in sorcery from another practitioner of black magic after he learnt the basic skills from Krishnan. When the power did not work with his clients after he set up a separate branch, Aneesh believed that it was because his power was weakened by his mentor," Venugopal said.

He said that Aneesh believed that by murdering Krishnan, he could get back his black magic powers. He also had an eye on the palm leaf scriptures that dealt with black magic practices besides the money and jewellery that Krishnan had in his possession, the senior police officer added. As the professional rivalry between the two grew, Aneesh hatched a conspiracy six months ago to eliminate Krishnan and sought the help of his old friend Libeesh to carry out the crime.

Aneesh, who was aware that Krishnan's family was cut off from neighbours and relatives, arrived at the house during the night on 29 July along with Libeesh and struck down the family members one-by-one with a silencer pipe from an Enfield Bullet motorcycle, the police said. When the duo returned two days later, it found Krishnan's son alive. They hit his head with a shovel to ensure his death. However, Arjun was not dead when his body was buried in a pit behind the house along with the other three. The police said that even Krishnan was buried alive.

The accused had slaughtered a black hen to ward off the police. However, the magic did not work. Both landed in the police net less than a week after the crime came to light. The brutal murders have once again turned the focus to the thriving black magic market in Kerala, which boasts of high literacy and progressive thinking. Psychiatrist Dr Mohan Roy, who assisted the state police in verifying the claims of the accused (in the Thiruvananthapuram family murder case) that he had murdered his family members as part of an experiment to "detach human souls from their bodies said Keralas claim of progressive thinking was hollow.

He said a growing number of people in the state was coming under the spell of black magic and other occult practices. While people in advanced countries have started drifting away from religion, Keralites are going back to the primitive practices despite strong renaissance waves sweeping the state. "This is a sign of mental illness afflicting the population. The flourishing black magic market shows that the disease has assumed epidemic proportion. Both the people who seek magic remedy for their problems and the sorcerers who sell these remedies need mental treatment," the psychiatrist said.

Black magic has been in vogue in Kerala from ancient times and no community is free from it.

According to a medieval legend, a Christian priest known as Kadamattathu Kathanar gained superhero status among the people through display of supernatural powers. Recently, even a bishop was found indulging in practices bordering on black magic and was suspended from the Church. John Thattungal made a young woman stay with him while serving as bishop at Kochi saying she had divine powers. He had taken the blood of the woman and blessed his house with it.

Many Christian cults are thriving in the state offering healing and divine solutions to the believers. 'Spirit in Jesus', a cult-like group that came up in the state in 1989 with the objective of saving mankind, gained a foothold across the world with a claim that it could 'evoke' the souls of the dead on the earth and free them of their sins. Devil (Satanic) worship is another form that is gaining ground in a big way in the state. The Satan-worshippers are trying to spread their net in the state by making fake claims that they can solve peoples problems and bring riches, besides destroying their enemies.

A similar cult that is popular among Hindus is Chathans, who have been practicing black arts for centuries for those seeking fortunes and relief from sufferings. The sect, that is based in Peringottukara village in Thrissur, worships a dark avatar of Vishnu as its deity. Most castes including the upper caste Nampoothiris in the Hindu community have been practicing black magic in different forms from ancient times. The Namboothiris used to practice sorcery in accordance with ancient texts.

Their origins lie in the combination of 12 spirits  of which six were meant for the propitiation of evil spirits and the other six for the good ones. Three well-known Nampoothiri magician families in the state are Kallur, Kattumatan and Akavoor.

Occult practices are also popular among Muslims. It is practiced mostly in the form of faith healing. The Thangal family, that claims to be direct descendants of Prophet Muhammads family, are popular religious healers in the community and traditionally hold reins of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a dominant political arm of the community. Dr Zubair, who is a medical graduate from Kozhikode Medical College, has been practising Islamic treatment saying that some of the disease are caused by evil forces. He also has a huge following in West Asia.

Former state police chief PJ Alexander said that black magic is thriving in Kerala because Keralites want easy money and quick solutions. He does not think that this can be checked through law. "Black magic will flourish as long as there is demand for it. The only solution to the problem is creation of scientific temper among people. Rationalists, who led several movements against superstitious beliefs in the past, have disappeared from the social space now," he added.

KN Anil Kumar, president of the Kerala Rationalists Association, said its campaigns were not yielding result as sorcerers were more powerful and resourceful. They are luring gullible people through extensive ad campaign in the media, including television channels and social media. "At least a ban on the advertisements can check the menace to a great extent. The law introduced by Maharashtra government against superstition and black magic in 2013 has yielded positive results. A similar law is the need of the hour in Kerala," he added.
Sugar mills in Maharashtra, which has seen a glut in production, owe Rs 593 crore to farmers, an official said on Wednesday.

Mumbai: Sugar mills in Maharashtra, which has seen a glut in production, owe Rs 593 crore to farmers, an official said on Wednesday. The state government is making efforts to persuade the sugar mills to clear the dues of farmers, he said.

The mills paid around Rs 20,682 crore as sugarcane purchase price to farmers till July this year, but there are still arrears worth Rs 593 crore, the official in the state sugar commissioner's office said. Last year, there were arrears of only Rs two crore, he noted.

State sugar commissioner Sambhaji Kadu Patil said he has been personally talking to sugar mill owners to clear the dues of farmers.

Action has been taken against some mills which did not comply with the government norms for making payments, he said.

"This has helped in reducing the conflict between farmers and mills and also in bringing down the arrears of Rs 850 crore as on July 18 to Rs 593 crore by July end," he said.

The government had earlier notified its decision to fix the ex-factory sugar price at Rs 29 per kg as well as the monthly stock holding limit on mills as part of measures to help the cash-starved industry to clear cane arrears.

No producer shall sell sugar in the domestic market at a rate below Rs 29 per kilogram, the notification said. If a sugar mill violates the order, it will have to face action, Kadu Patil said.

He said earlier there was no fixed selling price for sugar producers and many mills used to incur losses due to volatility in the market.

There was a fair and remunerative price (FRP) formula which mandates the sugar mills to make certain payment to farmers, but there was no regulation that would ensure fixed earnings to mills.

With Rs 29 per kg minimum price bar, every trader will have to buy sugar at this rate from mills, Kadu Patil said.

He said the Centre has also decided to increase ethanol production in sugar mills.

In June this year, the Union government raised the price of ethanol produced from C-grade or final molasses. It also fixed a price for ethanol produced from intermediary or B-grade molasses, a move to help mills divert cane juice for ethanol manufacturing during surplus years.

Kadu Patil said the decision will increase the production of ethanol which is blended with petrol.

"Mills will also get an additional source of income because the Centre has allowed ethanol blending up to 10 percent with petrol," he said.

These steps would increase the earnings of sugar mills and help them in making full and timely payments to farmers, he added.

Cane-based ethanol can be produced in three different ways directly from cane juice, from B-grade and C-grade molasses. Molasses is a viscous product obtained from raw sugar during the refining process.

Maharashtra is one of the leading sugarcane producing states.

Sugar mills in the country are incurring losses as prices have fallen below the production cost on account of record output of 31.5 million tonnes in the 2017-18 season ending September, as against the annual domestic demand of 25 million tonnes.
As Maharashtra gears up for the anticipated Maratha protest on Thursday, various factions of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, an organisation that has been spearheading the cause, have decided not to go ahead with the protest.

As Maharashtra gears up for a Maratha protest on Thursday, various factions of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, the organisation that has been spearheading the cause, have decided not to go ahead with the strike.

One of the main demands of the community is reservation in government jobs and education. The statewide district coordinators of the Morcha are committed to conducting a 'thiyya andolan'.

Hindustan Times reported that a group from the Maratha community has declared a one-day shutdown in Mumbai on 9 August, after Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of all the Maratha outfits, announced peaceful protests in the Maharashtra capital on the same day.

Amol Jadhavrao, who is leading Sakal Maratha Samaj, said they will shut the city down from midnight on 8 August for 24 hours as part of their ongoing protest for reservation.

We will observe a Mumbai bandh peacefully on 9 August. There will be no violence at all. No emergency services will be obstructed during the bandh, Jadhavrao said.

The Thane unit of the Maratha Kranti Morcha said it would hold a rally from Talav Pali to the district collectors office on Thursday.

However, the Navi Mumbai unit of the Morcha will not hold any protests on Thursday, according to a report by The Indian Express. The violence in Navi Mumbai during the 25 July bandh had claimed the life of a youth. Several cases were registered against youngsters of Maratha community. In such a scenario, we have decided not hold any protest as a precautionary measure, said Narendra Patil, NCP legislator and convener of the Morcha in Navi Mumbai.

Nanasaheb Kute, convener of the Morcha in Mumbai said, We have decided to hold a sit-in protest outside the office of the Mumbai Suburban Collector in Bandra (East). It will be a peaceful protest from 11 am to 2 pm with protesters wearing black badges. Then, we will hand over a letter containing our demands to the collector and leave."

Those who wont be able to come to the protest site, can go to work wearing black badges, said Kute, adding that everyone have been instructed to be cautious of anti-social elements participating in the protest. If we find anybody, we will hand him over to the police immediately," The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

Even though the Maharashtra government is expecting a peaceful agitation, six Rapid Action Force (RAF) companies and one Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Company will be deployed in various parts of Aurangabad, Nanded and western Maharashtra, according to a report by Times Now.

In Amravati, schools will remain closed as a precautionary measure. In Pune district, a precautionary holiday has been declared for schools and colleges on 9 August.

The faction that has been leading the stir in Parli decided to withdraw their protest till 30 November, which is when the Devendra Fadnavis government has said that it will meet the community's demands.

The Times of India reported that the Morcha leaders of the Aurangabad and Latur factions disagreed with Parli faction's leader Abasaheb Patil's decision to suspend the stir. The protesters demanded a written undertaking from the chief minister saying that their demands will be met by November-end.

The leaders said they have decided to suspend all communications as part of the protest. "The state government has not only failed to implement its promises made to the Maratha community before the 2014 assembly elections and in the last four years but also delayed the procedure of withdrawing police complaints filed against the Maratha youth across the state," said Vinod Pokharkar, a leader of the Maratha Kranti Morcha.

The politically influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 percent of Maharashtra's population, has been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category.

In a related development, the Bombay High Court appealed to members of the Maratha community on Wednesday to refrain from resorting to violence or committing suicide over their demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

With inputs from PTI
Nitish Kumar didn't take action against Bihar minister Manju Verma even after the link between the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur case and her husband became clear.

By securing the resignation of Manju Verma, the social welfare minister of Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar finally did the least that was expected of him after the horrific rapes at the Muzaffarpur shelter home came to light. But it was delayed action on his part as it came two weeks after the case, involving the sexual assault of over 40 girls, blew up on national and regional media.

What perhaps saved Verma from being sacked so far was the fact that she belongs to the influential Koiri, or Kushwaha, community. There was apprehension in the circles of the ruling Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition in Bihar that her community would not take lightly to an ignominious exit for Verma.

The other ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar, Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), had been publicly voicing his angst against the chief minister. Kushwaha, who is also the Minister of State for Human Resource Development at the Centre, had in fact been projecting himself as the JD(U) chief's potential replacement as Bihar chief minister and leader of the NDA in the state.

Nitish's continued indecisiveness on Verma's fate could have been for two reasons. First, there was nothing to suggest her direct complicity with the prime accused in the case, Brajesh Thakur, and his associates. However, her husband was known to have close relations with the prime accused, and had visited the children's home Thakur ran in Muzaffarpur on a number of occasions.

The association between Thakur and Verma's husband had been known since the day the rapes at the shelter home surfaced, and the district police had carried out preliminary investigations. Even then, Nitish did not take action then; he continued to shield the Verma couple.

Sources in the ruling coalition in Bihar told Firstpost that investigations had brought to light Thakur's call data records from a fortnight before his arrest, which had revealed over a dozen conversations with the minister's husband. The records, which have been procured by the Central Bureau of Investigation, are what finally pushed Nitish to act and ask Manju Verma to resign.

Now, the second reason for Nitish's hesitation: Those who follow the JD(U) chief's politics, both as a leader and as an administrator, are aware that he is quite image-conscious. A senior leader of the ruling JD(U)-BJP coalition said, "We all know that when he thinks a certain development is affecting his image adversely, he reacts impulsively. In such situations, he does not hesitate to take an extreme position."

One can think of a whole lot of instances of when Nitish has acted impulsively  withdrawing from the alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtiya Janata Dal (RJD) when the corruption cases against the RJD chief and his family had begun to mar Nitish's image as chief minister; pulling out of the alliance with the BJP when he believed that the rise of Narendra Modi would affect his carefully-cultivated Pasmanda Muslim support and his image as a secular leader; resigning from the Bihar chief minister's post after facing a humiliating defeat in the parliamentary elections; and resigning as the Union railway minister after the Gaisal train accident.

After displaying a lackadaisical attitude towards the Muzaffarpur case initially and then getting bombarded by brickbats, Nitish tried to move fast. He transferred the investigation to the CBI, asked for the inquiry be monitored by the high court, and held two press conferences at which he declared that the case had put "Bihar to shame" and he "felt ashamed as a Bihari".

The chief minister was clearly disturbed that the matter was taking a heavy toll on his image. His sushasan babu (good governance man) tag had taken a beating and was being ridiculed. Even a party like the RJD had launched a full-blown attack on him. Tejashwi Yadav had been trying to use this case as an opportunity to project himself as a serious leader both in and out of Bihar. Even the likes of Arvind Kejriwal, Nitish's erstwhile friend, was seen by Tejashwi's side.

At present, there is also an impression in Bihar that Nitish has not been that effective an administrator this term as he had been during his previous tenures as chief minister. Maintaining law and order used to be his strong suit, but he has been losing out on that count in the eyes of the public.

Nitish had no choice but to act to cut his losses, to salvage the damage to the extent he could. It is evident that over the past few days, the Bihar chief minister had been trying to get his act together, both as a prominent leader of the NDA and as an administrator.

This is clear from his swift action to reach out to Odisha chief minister Naven Patnaik and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekher Rao to secure the support of their Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for the NDA's nominee for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. The NDA has fielded JD(U) parliamentarian Harivansh Narayan Singh as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha deputy chief's post. Nitish succeeded in his endeavor, as both Patnaik and Rao assured him of their party's support, which was critical to ensure Harivansh's victory.
Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma has resigned after the name of her husband cropped up in the case of sexual abuse of minor girls at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur

Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma resigned on Wednesday after the name of her husband cropped up in the case of sexual abuse of minor girls at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur.

Verma met Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and handed over her resignation to him, sources in the Chief Minister's Office said here.

The Opposition had been continuously gunning for her head following allegations by the wife of an arrested accused from the department that Verma's husband was a frequent visitor to the Muzaffarpur shelter home, where 34 girls were allegedly raped over a period of time.

Speaking to News18, Manju Verma said, "The high court-monitored investigation is on, and I have faith in the CBI. I will come out clean and I have not resigned due to political pressure." It is a conspiracy by the Opposition against me, Nitish Kumar has not told me anything, and its (resignation) my own decision. I want Brajesh Thakurs call detail record to be made public."

Verma blamed the media and the Opposition for her resignation. "I resigned because media and opposition had created a furore," ANI quoted her saying.

What appears to have precipitated her quitting are the media reports that examination of mobile phone details of key accused Brajesh Thakur showed that he had spoken to her husband 17 times from January to June this year. Speaking to the media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur, Thakur earlier this week admitted that he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was "on political issues".

Verma had been defending herself by maintaining that her husband had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence. She had also said that she was being targeted because she belonged to the Kushwaha caste, an OBC group.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday called the Muzaffarpur incident "condemnable" and said that the Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting an inquiry into the case. He added that the state government acted on information received from TISS but had no knowledge prior to that.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday had asserted that there was no need for the resignation of Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma or any other minister in the aftermath of the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal "just because some people are giving statements".

However, he said that if Verma is found involved or if anything is found against her in connection with the shelter home sex scandal, she may be asked "to go".

An MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district since 2010, Verma was the minister in the NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar from JD(U) quota. No action against the minister in the wake of the shelter home horror episode had been bringing a bad name for the chief minister as well his government across the country.

A shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur is at the centre of an alleged sex scandal where the victims are minor inmates and one of the abusers is the owner of the non-government organisation (NGO) operating it.

With inputs from PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress in the key infrastructure sectors of power, renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas, coal and mining.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the progress of household electrification under the 'Saubhagya' scheme, focusing on last mile connectivity and distribution of power in urban and rural areas, a PMO statement said.

The prime minister had on Tuesday reviewed the progress in the key infrastructure sectors of power, renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas, coal and mining. The review meeting, which lasted for over two hours, was attended by top officials from infrastructure-related ministries, NITI Aayog and the Prime Minister's Office.

Progress in household electrification under the 'Saubhagya' initiative was reviewed. The discussions focused on last mile connectivity and distribution in both urban and rural areas, the PMO statement said.

In September 2017, the prime minister had launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana Saubhagya to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas. Under the scheme, states and Union Territories are required to complete the works of household electrification by 31 December, 2018.

The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs 500 which will be recovered by DISCOMS in 10 installments through electricity bills.

In course of the presentation made by NITI Aayog, it was noted that the installed power generation capacity in India has risen to 344 gigawatts. India's energy deficit, which stood at over four percent in 2014, has shrunk to less than one percent in 2018. Significant capacity additions have been made in transmission lines, transformer capacity and inter-regional transmission. India now ranks 26th in the World Bank's "Ease of Getting Electricity" Index, up from 99th in 2014.

Officials expressed confidence that India is on track to comfortably achieve the prime minister's target of 175 gigawatts renewable energy capacity by 2022. Modi urged the officials to work towards ensuring that the benefits from increase in solar energy capacity reach the farmers through appropriate interventions such as solar pumps and user-friendly solar cooking solutions.

In the petroleum and natural gas sector, it was noted that targets set under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will be comfortably achieved in the current financial year. In the coal sector, discussions focused on further augmentation of production capacity, the statement said.
After going around the casket in which the body was placed, the Prime Minister comforted Karunanidhi's son and daughter with words of solace.

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to the late DMK President M. Karunanidhi after laying a wreath on the body that was lying in state at Rajaji Hall. Arriving here by a special flight, Modi reached the government estate and paid his respects to the late former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

After going around the casket in which the body was wrapped in the tri-colour, the Prime Minister patted MK Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and political heir, and his daughter Kanimozhi, MP, and comforted them with words of solace. After exchanging a few words with them, Modi also comforted other family members and left the place.

Modi, in November last year, visited the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi and urged him to come to the Prime Minister's official residence in Delhi for medical care if he wanted.

Though the Prime Minister's visit was acknowledged as a political nicety in deference to the senior-most political leader of the country, observers also feel it could send signals to the DMK ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state where uncertainty clouds political scene.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan. Sitharaman also comforted Stalin and Kanimozhi.

Modi also greeted with folded hands the crowd of mourners who shouted to acknowledge his arrival. Stalin and another DMK leader saw him off.
A senior People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Wednesday claimed that the majority of people in Jammu were against the scrapping of Article 35A

Jammu: A senior People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Wednesday claimed that the majority of people in Jammu were against the scrapping of Article 35A of the Constitution which gives special rights and privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

A misconception is being deliberately created that the people of Jammu are in favour of the revocation of the Article 35A," additional spokesperson of the PDP Abhijeet Jasrotia told reporters here.

"Like the people of Kashmir and Ladakh region, almost all Dogras are in favour of continuation of the constitutional provision," he added.

Jasrotia said the residents of Jammu region especially the Dogras were mature enough to understand the threat to their next generation if the act was revoked.

I am myself a Dogra and we are fully aware of the challenges the revocation of the constitutional provision poses. We will not allow this provision to go on the demand of a small group, the PDP leader said.

He said the act was enacted by Maharaja Hari Singh on the recommendation of Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras.

We honour (the) Maharaja and hold him in high esteem. He had come out with this act which is beneficial for us, he said.

Highlighting that the provision acts as a"bridge" between the state and the rest of India, Jasrotia said the PDP, whether in power or opposition, had always worked to safeguard Articles 370 and 35A.

Our president (former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti) single handedly made efforts to safeguard these provisions over the past couple of years, others have awakened now," he said.

"We will do whatever it needs to protect the special provision which acts as a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country, he added.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman Harsh Dev Singh asked all national and regional political parties to desist from issuing provocative statements on the issue which is sub-judice.

Such moves are deplorable attempts to influence the judiciary and amount to contempt of court, Singh said in a statement here.

He said everybody must respect the wisdom and judgement of the Supreme Court.

The Congress and the Kashmir centric National Conference and PDP were on the same page issuing threats if Article 35A was tinkered with, while the BJP was making statements to hoodwink the people over the sub-judice issue, he said.

"All the parties are whipping up emotions of the people to serve their petty political interests," he added.
A militant and an over-ground worker have been arrested from Pulwama and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Srinagar: A militant and an over-ground worker (OGW) have been arrested from Pulwama and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Wednesday.

A joint party of security forces on Tuesday apprehended the militant, identified as Abdul Majid Shah, from Awantipora area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir, a police official said. He is a resident of the Iqbal Colony Pattan area of Baramulla, the official said.

The militant was travelling in a car bearing Delhi registration number and was on his way to meet his other accomplices active in the area, he said. Some arms and ammunition and other incriminating material was seized from him, the official said. During questioning, Shah said that he was in touch with other militants of the area "who are planning future terror strikes", he said.

The official said that a case under Section 7 and Section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered and further investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, an OGW of Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) was apprehended on Wednesday in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, the official said.

He said based on a specific information, when the OGW of AGH was on his way to Uri to undertake some terrorist action, multiple naka points/motor vehicle checking points (MVCPs) were established by police and security forces in the area. The OGW, identified as Irfan Ahmad Ganaie, a resident of Hajam Mohalalh, Rathsuna of Tral area, was apprehended in Sheeri area on the Baramulla-Uri road, the official said.

He said Ganaie was carrying a live hand grenade and his mobile phone was also seized. "Preliminary investigation into the matter has revealed his affiliation with terrorist outfit Gazwat-ul-Hind, and in conspiracy with other terrorists of the outfit, he was planning to carry out terrorist actions in the Uri area," the official added.

He said a case under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been registered and further investigation into the matter is underway.
The Supreme Court asked the Centre 'what public good' the penal law on adultery served as it provides that no offence would be made if the husband of a woman approves the adulterous relationship.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre "what public good" the penal law on adultery served as it provides that no offence would be made if the husband of a woman approves the adulterous relationship.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which is hearing petitions challenging Section 497 of the IPC, was told by the Centre that adultery is a crime because it damages marriage as an institution and family.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, commenced her arguments by saying that adultery has been made an offence by keeping in mind the sanctity of marriage as an institution. "What is the sanctity of marriage here. If consent of husband is taken then there is no adultery," the bench said. "What is this consent. There will be no offence if the husband consents to this relationship. What is this? What is the collective public good in section 497 to hold that this (adultery) is an offence," the bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said.

The observation came when the Centre said that adultery should continue as penal offence as it poses a threat to sanctity of marriage.

Anand also said that judgement of foreign jurisdictions which had set aside adultery as a criminal offence should not be taken into account and the instant matter has to be decided on social conditions prevalent in India.

Referring to the inconsistencies in the penal provision, the bench said that the burden of maintaining the sanctity of marriage rests only with the woman and not the husband.

The advancing of arguments by the ASG will continue in the afternoon.

Section 497 of the 158-year-old IPC says: "Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery."

On 5 January, the apex court referred to a five-judge constitution bench the plea challenging the validity of the penal law on adultery.

The court had taken a prima facie view that though the criminal law proceeds on "gender neutrality", the concept was absent in Section 497.
The Directorate of Government Examination, Tamil Nadu is expected to release Tamil Nadu Class 11th Supplementary Results 2018 soon by on its official website  dge.tn.nic.in.

The Directorate of Government Examination, Tamil Nadu is expected to release Tamil Nadu Class 11th Supplementary Results 2018 soon by on its official website  dge.tn.nic.in.

The Directorate had organised the supplementary examinations for Class 11th in June.

How to check the results:

- Go to the official website, dge.tn.nic.in.

- Click on the link for 11th Supplementary results.

- Enter the registration number and birth date.

- Click Submit.

- Save the result for further reference.

As per News18 reports, the results might be released tomorrow, thereby candidates should keep a close tab on the official website to check and download the results as and when they are released
A Shivlinga was found desecrated in a temple in village Hasanpur in Shamli district on Wednesday following which devotees held protests over the incident, police said.

Muzaffarnagar: A shivlinga (Hindu deity Shiva's idol) was found desecrated in a temple in village Hasanpur in Shamli district on Wednesday following which devotees held protests over the incident, police said.

The incident occurred at the Durga temple in the Hasanpur village that falls under Jhinjhana police station area in Shamli district, they said.

According to Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar Tiwari, the incident came to light when devotees found the damaged shivlinga in the temple.

Police rushed to the spot while arrangements were made to install a new shivlinga, officials said. The security was tightened as a precautionary measure, they said.

It is suspected that some anti-social elements had indulged in vandalism to stoke tension, an official said. A case is being registered and appropriate action will be taken, the official said.
By Catarina Demony and Rafael Marchante MONCHIQUE, Portugal (Reuters) - More than 1,150 firefighters battled resurging flames as huge fires swept the forested hills of Portugal's southern Algarve tourist region on Monday, with late winds fanning the blaze and forcing the evacuation of another village. The fire has injured 25 people and spread quickly over the weekend as a heatwave swept large parts of Europe.

By Catarina Demony and Rafael Marchante

MONCHIQUE, Portugal (Reuters) - More than 1,150 firefighters battled resurging flames as huge fires swept the forested hills of Portugal's southern Algarve tourist region on Monday, with late winds fanning the blaze and forcing the evacuation of another village.

The fire has injured 25 people and spread quickly over the weekend as a heatwave swept large parts of Europe. Authorities had hoped to control the blaze during the day as temperatures fell slightly, but instead it flared up again.

"Mountains are still burning. Nothing is under control," said Eulalia Nunes, 46, a music teacher in Monchique. "It's a horror movie, with sparks falling everywhere. The sky is cloudy and full of smoke and ash in every corner."

Temperatures reached a peak of nearly 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, and it remains extremely hot in most of Portugal. Authorities have kept sending more firefighters to Monchique over the past 24 hours, with 1,158 mobilised by Monday afternoon.

The army sent 160 soldiers to help with evacuations.

The village of Foia was evacuated on Monday, with authorities taking no chances in a country which had its worst fires in history last year that killed 114 people.

The fire is burning through eucalyptus and pine forests in the hills above the Algarve coast, an area popular with tourists for its hot springs. Two well-known hotels in the village of Monchique were evacuated and closed on Sunday.

The smoke from the fire could be seen from the coast.

Twenty four people have been treated for light burns and smoke inhalation while one person suffered more serious burns.

While many people were evacuated, Joao Furtado, 60, was forced to hide in a water tank to escape the flames as his house burnt down during the night, according to his sister-in-law.

"He was panicking because he was trapped in the house," said Maria Helena Furtado. "There was fire everywhere and he couldn't get out."

Spain sent three Canadair firefighting planes, bringing a total of 13 aircraft that were dumping water on the flames.

Jorge Botelho, head of civil protection in the region, said between 15,000 hectares and 20,000 hectares of forest had burnt - an area much greater than the size of the capital Lisbon itself.

Authorities have gone to great lengths to ensure there was no repeat of last year's tragedies, when two deadly fires struck Portugal in June and October, killing a total of 114 people, after an extended drought and hot weather.

Hundreds of new firefighters have been hired and efforts made to clear flammable undergrowth from forests. Until the heatwave this had largely worked, partly as the summer had been unusually cold and wet.

(Writing by Axel Bugge; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi, one of the foremost Dravidian politicians in modern times, died in Chennai on Tuesday, 7 August 2018, aged 94. The former Tamil Nadu chief minister had been admitted to Kauvery Hospital for 11 days before his demise.

One of the most charismatic figures in Tamil Nadu politics  whose life in the public eye spanned over seven decades  Karunanidhi is survived by two wives and six children, including DMK working president and heir apparent M K Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi, a Rajya Sabha MP.

The most enduring mascot of the Dravidian movement breathed his last at 6.10 pm on Tuesday.

"With deep anguish we announce the demise of our beloved Kalaignar M Karunanidhi. Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond. We profoundly mourn the loss of one of the tallest leaders of India and we share the grief of family members and fellow Tamilians worldwide," a press release quoted Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director of Kauvery Hospital, as saying.

As news of Karunanidhi's deteriorating health reached DMK party workers and his supporters, hundreds had thronged the streets outside Kauvery Hospital, maintaining a ceaseless vigil since Monday night. Even as updates emerged from the hospital authorities that Karunanidhi's condition was critical, his supporters believed that their leader might still recover.
Introduction: Palestine rarely makes the news in Indian media. When it does, it is usually because "clashes" or hostilities have flared up yet again. Knee-jerk sentiments are often quick to ascribe Palestinians with terrorism. The reality is that the Palestinians are an exceptionally warm and welcoming people.

Perceptions about Palestine are too often shaped by lack of information or by propaganda. It is easy to dehumanise those we are ignorant about.

This 10-part series on Palestine consists of photographs from East Jerusalem and the West Bank taken by the author during a visit in early 2018. They convey varied aspects of Palestines natural beauty, her ancient and unique history, Palestinian art, education and culture, and the grim realities of their lives under Israeli military occupation.

In part seven, we look at the contrasting fates of Israeli and Palestinian houses.

[Below: A map of West Bank, Gaza and Israel (L); the West Bank (R). Courtesy: palestinett.org]

***

The international consensus to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution  forming a State of Palestine alongside Israel.

The Palestinian State is expected to comprise what are today the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel routinely affirms its commitment to the two-state solution (except for claiming all of Jerusalem as its own). However, the ground reality is at variance with Israels public position.

Israel has been rapidly constructing Jewish-only settlements all over West Bank and East Jerusalem ever since occupying them in 1967. Through these means, Israel has been insidiously encroaching on more and more Palestinian land. These settlements are illegal under international law. Several UN resolutions have condemned Israeli settlements; Israel has ignored all such resolutions.

In contrast, ruins of Palestinian houses demolished by the Israeli military are scattered all across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel routinely declares Palestinian houses illegal  on territory that Israel ostensibly acknowledges would be part of a future Palestinian State  and bulldozes them.

Nearly 50,000 Palestinian houses have been demolished in the past 50 years, rendering hundreds of thousands of Palestinians homeless. Simultaneously, the Israeli State has illegally moved well over 500,000 Israeli Jews into East Jerusalem and West Bank territory. Their numbers are increasingly rapidly.

Israel has strategically moved to create facts on the ground all but rendering the two-state solution dead while charging the Palestinians with intransigence on the issue.

These photographs present the study in contrasts that is the fate of Israelis and Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

***

Israeli Jewish-only settlements lining the street from Bethlehem to Hebron in the West Bank:
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said it would support any candidate put up by the NDA for the election to the post of deputy chairman Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said it would support any candidate put up by the NDA for the election to the post of deputy chairman Rajya Sabha. The election will be held on 9 August. SAD chief Sukbhir Singh Badal said there is no question of abstaining or not supporting the NDA's official candidate for the post.

Badal said this after a meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday night at Shah's residence. "The Akali Dal is standing rock solid with the BJP. It would support any candidate the NDA fields for the post," he said.

When asked if there was any move to abstain from voting, as reported by a section of the media, Badal said, "There is no question of abstaining."
The state unit of the BJP has appealed to the Kolkata Police to grant permission to fly a drone for mass surveillance during party president Amit Shah's rally in the city on 11 August.

Kolkata: The state unit of the BJP has appealed to the Kolkata Police to grant permission to fly a drone for mass surveillance during party president Amit Shah's rally in the city on 11 August.

The saffron party, which has become wary after a tent collapsed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Midnapore rally in June, also appealed to the police to allow the use of walkie-talkies during Saturday's rally.

Over 90 people were injured on 16 June after a section of a tent caved in during Prime Minister Modi's speech at a public rally in West Bengal's Midnapore. "We have applied for permission from the Kolkata Police for using one drone during Amit Shahji's rally on Saturday. Drones will help us in keeping an eye on the proceedings in and around the rally area. This is merely for security reasons," West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh told PTI on Wednesday.

The party is trying to take precautionary measures to avoid another untoward event, he said. "We have also sought permission for walkie-talkies for the Saturday rally as it would help in keeping a tab on the ground situation," Ghosh added. A senior officer of Kolkata Police, however, said nothing has been decided on the issue.

"We are yet to make a decision on the request made by the BJP. A detailed report, stating the reasons, is required before granting permission for drone use," the officer said.

The Kolkata Police will provide foolproof security arrangements during Saturday's rally, keeping in mind Shah's stature as a political leader, he stated.

There will be two daises at the rally venue on Mayo road, in the heart of the city, the officer said, taking a cue from the rally arrangement plans submitted by the BJP to the Kolkata Police.

"One will be for Shah and senior leaders of the party while the second one will be for other functionaries. We are taking all forms of security measures for it," he stressed.

The BJP had earlier alleged that the administration denied it permission to hold a rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in central Kolkata. Amid speculations, Shah, too, had said he does not need the Bengal government's permission to come to Kolkata and dared the state administration to arrest him. Refuting the allegation, Kolkata Police clarified that it did not receive any application for any rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue.

"Some unwarranted speculation on 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," it had said in a tweet.
Congress has nominated BK Hariprasad as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman candidate on Wednesday as talks of Vandana Chavan of NCP being the Opposition consensus candidate fell through.

After much wait, Congress nominated BK Hariprasad as its Rajya Sabha deputy chairman candidate on Wednesday as talks of Vandana Chavan of NCP being the Opposition consensus candidate fell through, media reports said.

Sixty-four-year-old Hariprasad is a Congress leader who represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. He is also a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee.

After a second round of meeting on Tuesday, the Opposition had concluded that Chavan, whose name was proposed by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Satish Chandra Mishra and seconded by TMC leader Derek O'Brien, would be able to get the support of all Opposition parties and even a few of NDA allies. Congress had even supported Chavan's candidacy. However, the party did a U-turn on Wednesday and announced Hariprasad as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. What led to the decision is not clear yet.

"Party must have taken this decision after a lot of thinking. We will talk to all the Opposition leaders and discuss what is to be done," Hariprasad told ANI.

Party must have taken this decision after a lot of thinking. We will talk to all the opposition leaders and discuss what is to be done: BK Hariprasad on reports that he will be Congress candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/3JJmiee2gD  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

The Congress decided to field its nominee as the joint Opposition candidate after the other parties in the opposition bloc chose not to nominate their members. Meanwhile, the BJP has reached out to the Opposition for a consensus on the name of NDA's nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman while working to secure the support of neutral parties like the Biju Janata Dal in the event of an election.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters on Tuesday that the BJP leaders, including himself, have contacted the Congress and other Opposition parties saying they wanted a consensus to emerge on Harivansh' name. According to a report in NDTV, Singh has been a Rajya Sabha member of the Janata Dal (United) since 2014. Singh, 62, is the former editor-in-chief of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar, which for years championed the cause of special category status for Bihar, a key demand of Nitish Kumar.

Wednesday is the last day for filing nomination for the post and BJP sources said they wanted cross-party support for the JD(U) leader, and therefore refrained from making any formal announcement about his candidature. Opposition parties have been holding deliberations to decide their candidate. With the NDA nominee likely to get the support of 13 AIADMK members and six of the TRS, the decision of the BJD, which has nine members, will be significant.

If the BJD backs Singh, the NDA candidate's prospects will brighten in case of an election but if it abstains from voting, then his fate will become more uncertain.

BJP leaders said they have reached out to the two partners and expressed confidence they would get their support. The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members would be needed for a win in case of an election, if all members are present.

On Tuesday, the YSR Congress party decided to vote against the NDA candidate in the upcoming Rajya Sabha deputy chairman's election.

What has added to the suspense over Singh' fate was the ambivalence of BJP ally Shiv Sena, which has often been critical of the BJP. Its another ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), however, on Tuesday said it would support any candidate put up by the NDA for the election to the post of deputy chairman Rajya Sabha.

With inputs from PTI
The rumours started when some news reports claimed that BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa and former water resources minister and Congress MLA MB Patil boarded the same flight for Delhi on Monday.

Amid sounds of discord in the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance in Karnataka, speculations are afloat that at least eight to 10 disgruntled Congress MLAs may join hands with the BJP to bring down the HD Kumaraswamy-led state government, less than three months after he took charge.

The rumours began to circulate after some news reports claimed that BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa and former water resources minister and Congress MLA MB Patil had boarded the same flight for Delhi on Monday.

Patil has reportedly been upset since the government was formed for being denied a ministerial berth in the Karnataka Cabinet. He had held protests in the state and had managed to get the support of several MLAs, including MTB Nagaraj, Satish Jarkiholi, Sudhakar and Roshan Baig. He had told reporters that "his self-respect was hurt" on being denied a ministerial post.

However, the matter was closed after Congress president Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader Ahmed Patel intervened and prevented a near rift by placating Patil.

The rumours found more weight when Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundurao accused the BJP of still trying to poach Congress MLAs to bring instability to the state.

"The BJP is desperate and trying to bring down this government. They are unable to digest staying out of power, so they are trying to do all sorts of things but not succeeding," he said in response to reports that a few Congress MLAs were in touch with the BJP.

He also revealed that Rahul was scheduled to visit Karnataka on 13 August and will meet party leaders, apart from addressing a public rally in Bidar.

These developments come days ahead of an ambitious Cabinet expansion expected before Independence Day. The exercise in June had pushed the alliance to the edge with several Congress MLAs expressing their displeasure over not receiving ministerial berths in an alliance where the Congress has the larger share of seats. There are still seven ministerial posts empty  six for the Congress and one for the JD(S)  which are expected to be used to accommodate leaders from North Karnataka, a region where the Congress enjoys a better seat share.

According to a report in The News Minute, apart from Patil, former home minister Ramalinga Reddy as well as senior Congress leader Baig are also unhappy about being benched.

Meanwhile, Congress party sources have dismissed these as plain rumours merely being floated by party leaders ahead of the Cabinet expansion to secure plush portfolios, according to a report in The Times of India. Party sources were quoted as saying in the newspaper that the Congress' central leadership is unlikely to bow down to such stage-managed pressure tactics, and Cabinet expansion will be conducted according to the party high command's wishes.

Earlier, there were reports that the Congress would rotate ministers to placate disgruntled MLAs, and that non-performers could be dropped in the next expansion.

With inputs from agencies
DMK chief and Tamil Nadu politics veteran M Karunanidhi who passed away on Tuesday in Chennai at the age of 94, is survived by two wives and six children.

DMK chief and Tamil Nadu political veteran M Karunanidhi, who passed away in Chennai on Tuesday evening at the age of 94, is survived by two wives and six children. Karunanidhi who started his political career as a student wing leader at the age of 14, married thrice. His first wife Padmavathi, died at an early age and left behind a son Muthu, who would later go on to dabble in films and politics but succeed in neither. Muthu has a son Aruvinidhi who also nurtures political ambitions but hasn't forayed into active politics yet.

Karunanidhi married again in 1948 with Dayalu Ammal, from whom he has four children. His eldest son, MK Alagiri, has been active in politics, while second son MK Stalin is touted to be the apparent heir to Karunanidhi's legacy in Tamil politics as he is a prominent DMK leader who is expected to become the next party chief. He has another son Tamizharasu and a daughter Selvi from his second marriage. Only Alagiri and Stalin have been active politicians and they have been at loggerheads with Alagiri openly criticising Stalin for being a 'non-working' president after he was made the working president of DMK since Karunanidhi's retirement. Alagiri, a former Union minister, was in fact expelled from the party in 2014 before the Lok Sabha elections due to alleged 'indiscipline' and 'anti-party activities'.

Kalaignar, as Karunanidhi is fondly called, married the third time in 1960 with Rajathi Ammal, from whom he has daughter Kanimozhi. Rajathi's name had cropped up in the Nira Radia tapes case for alleged corruption but the CBI did not find any evidence to implicate her in the same and she was thus acquitted by the courts. However, her daughter, Kanimozhi who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, was chargesheeted by the CBI in the 2G spectrum case for the alleged scam in the dealings of Kalaignar TV, a television channel owned by the family. But she was later acquitted in 2017 by a special CBI court along with former MP A Raja.

The political ambitions, however, have trickled down to the third generation of Karunanidhi's family as well. His grandson Arivunidhi (Muthu's son), Durai Dayanidhi (Alagiri' son) and Udayanidhi (Stalin's son) all harbour the dream of entering politics soon. It is his granddaughter Kayalvizhi (Alagiri's daughter) who is reportedly all set to make her political debut. Karunanidhi has another granddaughter in Senthamarai (Stalin's daughter) but it is unclear as of now if she will enter politics.

Karunanidhi also had a sister Shanmugasundari, who has two sons Murasoli Selvam and Murasoli Maran. While Selvam is the DMK mouthpiece's editor, Maran is a former Union minister. It is Maran's son Kalanidhi who owns the famous Sun TV network, whereas his other son Dayanidhi Maran was also a Union minister in the UPA government in 2004. It is interesting to note, that Dayanidhi Maran who is a former telecom minister was also accused of scam in a telephone exchange case during his tenure.

However, it is Karunanidhi's son Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi who continue to remain prominent party faces and leaders of his Dravidian legacy after his death due to prolonged illness.
For EPS to behave so gracelessly within hours of Karunanidhi's death came across to neutral observers of Tamil Nadu politics as petty politics and in bad taste

At 6.10 pm on Tuesday, M Karunanidhi breathed his last. But he was not finished. In a rather petulant turn of events, the 94-year-old was made to fight one final battle against his arch political rivals, the AIADMK. With the Edappadi Palaniswami regime refusing Karunanidhi a burial at the Marina Beach in Chennai, a VVIP memorial zone of sorts for political titans of Dravidian lineage, the Madras High court worked overtime to decide where the former chief minister would be buried.

Sixteen hours later, Karunanidhi won. The leading light of the Dravidian movement acquired the legal nod to have his final resting place next to his mentor, CN Annadurai at the Marina.

The question that arises is why EPS had to behave so gracelessly, a pointer to the politics of acrimony and vitriol the DMK and the AIADMK have always practiced against each other. To do so within hours of Karunanidhi's death came across to neutral observers of Tamil Nadu politics as petty politics and in bad taste.

But look at it from Palaniswami's point of view. He wasn't thinking of the non-party voter at all. The chief minister saw this as an opportunity to curry favour with the AIADMK cadre that wears its dislike for Karunanidhi on its sleeve. Given the fissures in the AIADMK, with many in the rank and file looking to migrate to TTV Dhinakaran's outfit, EPS saw this as an opportunity to show that he can stand up to the DMK, a la Jayalalithaa. To tell them that he is not a political pygmy, that he won't budge an inch, or give an inch at the Marina in this case. Appealing to an anti-Karunanidhi sentiment among the AIADMK, therefore seemed like a gambit worth employing.

All her life in politics, Jayalalithaa adopted an extremely adversorial position vis-a-vis the DMK and Karunanidhi in particular. It is anyone's guess as to whether Jayalalithaa would have behaved in a similar manner had she had been in Palaniswami's shoes. In fact, it is quite possible that even the DMK may have acted as EPS did. At a larger level, EPS was trying to erroneously convey that Karunanidhi did not fit into the pantheon of Dravidian icons and that the place is reserved only for the troika of Annadurai, MGR and Jayalalithaa.

Much of it was also tit-for-tat. The DMK had objected to the memorial for Jayalalithaa and the unveiling of her portrait in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on the grounds that had she been alive, she too would have been convicted and sentenced for four years like her co-accused VK Sasikala in the Disproportionate Assets case. Throwing the protocol manual at the DMK was therefore to make MK Stalin and Company sweat.

Dhinakaran sensed it. Which is why he refused to wade into the controversy after he paid his respects to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall on Wednesday. Dhinakaran knew a pro-Karunanidhi position, even though it may endear him to the public at large, could be a risky take within the larger AIADMK parivaar. Supporting Palaniswami's decision would have made him look boorish and lacking in decency at a time like this.

Legally, the government was on a sticky wicket. It argued that only those who die as chief ministers deserved a place at the Marina. For VIPs out of power, Gandhi Mandapam was the designated place. The government lawyers also pointed out how Karunanidhi himself had not allotted the Marina to former chief minister Janaki Ramachandran, who was MGR's widow. It was rather strange to see Janaki Ramachandran being compared to a colossus like Karunanidhi.

But then this was not so much about legality but about doing the right thing. It was wrong to deny the five-time chief minister his rightful place just because he was not in office when he passed away. Moreover, Karunanidhi was not merely a politician. He was a literary scholar, poet, dramatist and storyteller who had played a key role in the development of Tamil Nadu. To subject his mortal remains to a wait in the corridors of the court, was crass and mean.

Apologists for the AIADMK however, saw a silver lining in the legal snub. They argued that EPS managed to get all the objections to the Jayalalithaa memorial withdrawn. It is a bit like shooting yourself in the foot and then feeling happy that you can claim insurance money.

EPS had in fact, employed a high-risk strategy. Apart from the legal option, Stalin could have also reached out to Narendra Modi with an appeal to him to use his good offices. Last November, the prime minister had visited Karunanidhi and in fact, invited the ailing DMK chief to stay for a few days with him at his residence in Delhi. Would EPS have turned down the prime minister's request if it was made, is a matter of conjecture.

When news of the verdict trickled in, Stalin held his stepsister Kanimozhi's hands and wept at Rajaji Hall. For the DMK cadre, this was a very emotional scene to witness. And in the run-up to the 2019 election, it will only spur the rank and file to fight it well as a tribute to the departed leader.
The media coverage on Wednesday carried several obituaries and editorials praising the five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi's contribution to politics and the Dravidian movement

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi, one of the foremost Dravidian politicians of modern times, passed away on Tuesday after waging a battle for life at the hospital where he was admitted for the last 11 days. Karunanidhi, 94, was one of the most charismatic figures of Tamil Nadu politics whose public life spanned over seven decades. As befitting for such a towering personality, the media on Wednesday carried several obituaries and editorials praising the five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister's contribution to politics and the Dravidian movement.

The Times of India wrote an obituary focusing on Karunanidhi's abilities to form alliances with a variety of parties, in a piece titled 'He made regional pride his political capital'. "The wily satrap could ally with the Congress after suffering its Emergency-era excesses. He could sign up with the BJP, a party that seemed to stand for everything the Dravidian movement opposed. He's been part of the United Front, the BJP-led NDA and the UPA, often wielding power disproportionate to his strength in Parliament," it wrote.

"Despite new parties like MDMK, PMK, DMDK and VCK emerging in TN  many with the intention of countering DMK  Karunanidhi managed to draw them into his fold. He was adept at weakening opponents through electoral tie-ups, promising them much yet denying a share in power. He managed to cultivate a pro-DMK faction in every party, except AIADMK," the article wrote.

If this spoke of Karunanidhi's wily machinations, The Indian Express wrote about the role played by secularism, caste, affirmative action, federalism and regional identity in Karunanidhi's politics. In an article titled, Fighting caste bias, giving region a voice: Karunanidhis legacy, its relevance, it said, "Karunanidhis politics engaged with a slew of ideas  secularism, caste, affirmative action, federalism, regional identity  and their role in public affairs. His demise comes when these issues are returning to the political centrestage as the nation moves towards another general election.... For Karunanidhi, identity politics was not an end in itself; he effectively used it to make the administration more representative of the states social composition and, most importantly, to improve delivery of public services and goods."

The Hindu, meanwhile, got down to the specifics. An article titled M Karunanidhi: From health care to community living, his schemes were aimed at social equality spoke of the various programmes and schemes launched by the DMK head during his five terms as chief minister. "Often criticised for his urban bias, Karunanidhi actually worked carefully to craft schemes to woo rural voters, perceived to be the AIADMKs supporters," it said. "In comparison to many States and the national average, Tamil Nadu has better human development indicators and Karunanidhis role in this, as the states five-time chief minister, is both crucial and substantial."

An analysis piece in Deccan Chronicle also paid tribute to policies framed and furthered by Karunanidhi's DMK. "The abolition of hand rickshaws, creation of the Slum Clearance Board, enlarging the basket of benefits for the depressed and backward classes, conceding the category of 'most backward classes' in reservation in education and government jobs to Vanniyars and several other communities with a 20 percent reservation for them, legislating equal property rights for women, setting up of the State Planning Commission, liberalising the free rice scheme, the role played in setting up the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 1990 and establishing the 'TIDEL' park that flagged Tamil Nadu's foray into IT, all go to the DMK's plus side," the article wrote.

The Dravidian movement that Karunanidhi embodied throughout his political life was the subject of an obituary in Hindustan Times. Titled Karunanidhi was the last warrior of Tamil Nadus Dravidian politics, the article argued that his "lifelong commitment towards social justice and frontline advocacy of language made him a champion of Dravidian politics".

"Karunanidhi was an eloquent orator, a Tamil writer of repute, indomitable publisher and all-weather political strategist. He was an unassuming party campaigner and dedicated communicator who wrote everyday messages to the cadre, penned articles for Murasoli, the DMK's official newspaper, proofread copies until midnight and then woke up at 4.30 am to read and record his notes for more than fifty years of his political life. These qualities are testimony to the remarkable career of a politician who had been chief minister five times, was elected 12 times to the Tamil Nadu Assembly and once to the erstwhile Tamil Nadu legislative council. Among the qualities that endeared him to friends, critics and political foes were his accessibility and ability to face criticism without bitterness and listen to different perspectives even if he disagreed with them," it said.

With inputs from PTI
The Madras High Court on Wednesday morning at 8 am would decide on the DMK's plea against Tamil Nadu's government's decision to deny burial of the party president M Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach.

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday morning at 8 am would decide on the DMK's plea against Tamil Nadu's government's decision to deny burial of the party president M Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach.

Hearing the plea late Tuesday night, the court directed the state government and the Chennai Corporation to file their replies and adjourned the case to Wednesday morning 8 am.

At the hearing, the state government had opposed the allotment of space at Marina Beach for burial of Karunanidhi's body.

On Tuesday, the DMK party and family members of Karunanidhi had requested the state government for allotment of space near DMK founder CN Annadurai's memorial at the Marina Beach.

Citing pending cases against the burial of bodies at the Marina Beach, the AIADMK government had said it was ready to allot two acres near Gandhi Mandapam on Sardar Patel Road where Raj Bhavan is located.

On Tuesday, the government decision drew flak from leaders cutting across party lines including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, MDMK's Vaiko, DMDK's Vijayakanth and PMK's S. Ramadoss, who favoured a memorial on the Marina Beach. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and the CPM also joined the chorus.

Ramadoss urged the ruling party not to indulge in politics in this matter, saying the reason stated by the government is not acceptable.

Ramadoss said even when AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa was buried at the Marina Beach there were court cases pending. Her body was buried at the Marina Beach within the memorial of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran.

He said Karunanidhi was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for 19 years and his last rites should be done in a decent manner.

The mortal remains of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran and his successor Jayalalithaa are buried near Annadurai's memorial on the Marina Beach.

A five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi died after battling age-related ailments at Kauvery Hospital on Tuesday evening.

Follow LIVE updates on Karunanidhi's funeral here
Following DMK president M Karunanidhi's death on Tuesday evening in a Chennai hospital, leaders from across all political spectrum have been conveying their condolences for their beloved Kalaignar.

Following DMK president M Karunanidhi's death on Tuesday evening in a Chennai hospital, leaders from across all political spectrum have been conveying their condolences for their beloved Kalaignar. Chennai's Kauvery Hospital, where he was admitted, said in a statement: "Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond. We profoundly mourn the loss of one of the tallest leaders of India, and we share the grief of family members and fellow Tamilians worldwide."

As condolences started pouring in immediately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised."

Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised. pic.twitter.com/jOZ3BOIZMj  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2018

Kalaignar Karunanidhi stood for regional aspirations as well as national progress. He was steadfastly committed to the welfare of Tamils and ensured that Tamil Nadus voice was effectively heard. pic.twitter.com/l7ypa1HJNC  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2018

I have had the opportunity of interacting with Karunanidhi Ji on several occasions. His understanding of policy and emphasis on social welfare stood out. Firmly committed to democratic ideals, his strong opposition to the Emergency will always be remembered. pic.twitter.com/cbMiMPRy7l  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2018

My thoughts are with the family and the countless supporters of Karunanidhi Ji in this hour of grief. India and particularly Tamil Nadu will miss him immensely. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/7ZZQi9VEkm  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2018

Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami said that the DMK chief contributed to the fields of politics, cinema and literature.

It is saddening to know about the demise of M #Karunanidhi . The DMK chief was someone who had contributed to the fields of politics,cinema and literature: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami statement pic.twitter.com/k2rZ8RoLGQ  ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2018

President Ram Nath Kovind also condoled Karunanidhi's death and said, "Our country is poorer today."

Extremely sad to learn of the passing of Thiru M. Karunanidhi. A doyen of our public life, as a contributor to the development of Tamil Nadu and of India he has few peers. Our country is poorer today. My condolences to his family and millions of well-wishers #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 7, 2018

BJP president Amit Shah tweeted that Karunanidhi had had an impressive journey, starting as a screenwriter in the Tamil film industry to being a five-term chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Anguished to learn about the demise of veteran politician, M Karunanidhi ji. He had an impressive life journey, starting as a screen writer in Tamil film industry to being five term Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. No one can forget his struggle during Emergency, imposed in 1975.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 7, 2018

Sharing his condolences, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that "India has lost a great son".

Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight.#Karunanidhi  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 7, 2018

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also condoled the death of the DMK chief.

A legend in his lifetime, counted amongst the giants of the political landscape of India #Kalaignar #Karunanidhi ji has left a void not just in his home state of Tamil Nadu but in the entire country that will never be filled. My condolences to his family & Tamils the world over.  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 7, 2018

Feel v sad to hear about the demise of this great leader. May his soul rest in peace. Its a great loss to the nation. https://t.co/fymujgcmMI  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 7, 2018

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said Tamil politics would never be the same again.

News has just come in of the passing of Kalaignar Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a giant of Indian politics as CM of Tamil Nadu & a screenplay writer who gave voice to the Dravidian movement through his immortal dialogues. Tamil politics can never be the same again. RIP.  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 7, 2018

Tamil actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth called it a "black day" in his life.

Today is a black day in my life, one which I can never forget as I lost my #Kalaignar. I pray for his soul: Rajinikanth on #Karunanidhi (file pic) pic.twitter.com/R8ociRQSsN  ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2018

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that India had lost one of its greatest sons.

Today India lost one of its greatest sons. And Tamil Nadu lost its father figure. Farewell @Kalaignar89. My deepest condolences to the people of Tamil Nadu, @arivalayam, @mkstalin, @KanimozhiDMK and family. India mourns your loss  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 7, 2018

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted: "Only once in a while you see a visionary leader like Karunanidhi, who championed the cause of social activism and federalism."

Only once in a while you see a visionary leader like @kalaignar89, who championed the cause of social activism and federalism. My respect to a giant soul who departed for heavenly abode. My condolences are with family and fans of Shri #Karunanidhi.  ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 7, 2018

Congress' Veerappa Moily said Karunanidhi had reached the common people of Tamil Nadu with his films.

#BREAKING -- #Karunanidhi reached the common people of Tamil Nadu with his films: Veerappa Moily, speaking about his compatriot. For Live Updates: https://t.co/SJYMI8x4bO pic.twitter.com/72pl8bawpp  News18 (@CNNnews18) August 7, 2018

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the party had lost an important friend.

Country has lost a great leader. Our condolences to the entire DMK family. Congress party has lost an important friend. A loss that will be difficult to recoup: Randeep Surjewala, Congress, on #Karunanidhi pic.twitter.com/EtqfplY6hQ  ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2018

United States ambassador to India Kenneth Juster also extended his condolences to Karunanidhi's family and the people of Tamil Nadu.

On behalf of the United States Mission in India, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of former Chief Minister Muthuvel #Karunanidhi and the people of Tamil Nadu. He will be remembered for his years of public service to his state and the country at large.  Ken Juster (@USAmbIndia) August 7, 2018

Preparations are underway at Chennai's Rajaji Hall, where Karunanidhi's body will be kept on Wednesday for public viewing for people to pay their last respects. The body will first be taken to his daughter Kanimozhi's CIT colony home and will later be shifted to the family's Gopalapuram home.

Click here to follow news updates on Karunanidhi's demise
Karunanidhi was an ace scriptwriter, but even he could not have written the twists and turns of his story better, and the manner in which he was bested by friend-turned-foe MG Ramachandran and the latter's heir Jayalalithaa

Call it a quirk of destiny or anything else but M Karunanidhi's health took a turn for the worse just days before Jayalalithaa's demise in December 2016. It was as if it were a signal for Karunanidhi that with his principal adversary gone, he had no big battles left to fight. His political career had been marked by a friendship with MG Ramachandran that turned sour, followed by the bitterness of his relationship with Jayalalithaa.

Karunanidhi was an ace scriptwriter, but even he could not have written the twists and turns of his story better. Rewind to 1947 when he wrote the story for the Tamil film Rajakumari starring MGR. Three years later, as the writer of Manthiri Kumari (The minister's daughter), Karunanidhi is believed to have recommended MGR's name for the hero's role. Both films were box-office hits and did a world of good to the careers of both Karunanidhi and MGR.

Clearly, Karunanidhi had not bargained for the fact that his comrade in arms in the world of make believe would one day overtake him as the DMK's star campaigner. Which is why in sheer desperation, Karunanidhi tried to promote his eldest son MK Muthu as a rival to MGR in the Tamil film industry, even making him copy the latter's mannerisms. But with Muthu coming a cropper, Karunanidhi could not come to terms with MGR's rising popularity, and the latter was on his way out of the party after a spat.

The resentment over MGR using his on-screen persona, in whose shaping even Karunanidhi had played a part, to further his political career clearly irked the DMK chief. When MGR floated the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), Karunanidhi referred to the party as 'Nadigar Katchi' (party of the actor). An attempt was made to remind people that MGR's cinema and politics were different, and songs were composed to push the narrative that actors were no good. One such booklet of songs was titled 'Cinema Soru Poduma?' (Will cinema feed us?) and the lyrics ridiculed cinema as misleading.

MGR was to take his revenge by submitting a memorandum listing corruption charges against Karunanidhi's government. In January 1976, the DMK government was dismissed and the Justice Sarkaria Commission was set up to probe the charges.

The period between 1976 and 1989 was perhaps the most trying time for Karunanidhi. Out of power, he had to ensure he retained his hold over the DMK and kept the cadre motivated. But MGR did not make it easy for his political rival. When Karunanidhi became an MLC in 1984, MGR brought a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly to abolish the Legislative Council, on the grounds that it served no real purpose. The real aim, the DMK believed, was to deny Karunanidhi a forum to speak from.

In terms of electoral accomplishments, Karunanidhi clearly towers over most, not just in Tamil Nadu, but in the whole country as well. A five-time chief minister, 13-time MLA who won every election since 1957  except 1984, when he did not contest  Karunanidhi has few parallels in India's political theatre.

One thing he would regret, however, is that he was bested by two people, both junior to him in politics. After the dismissal of his government in 1976, Karunanidhi couldn't become chief minister till the time MGR was alive.

But he would regret that in his political career, he was bested by two people, both junior to him in politics. After the dismissal of his government in 1976, Karunanidhi could not become chief minister so long as MGR was around. It was only after MGR's demise in 1987 that Karunanidhi tasted power again. And Jayalalithaa's victory in 2016, giving her a second consecutive term in office, denied Karunanidhi one last shot at the CM's chair.

According to available records, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa's paths crossed in Kollywood just once, in the 1966 Tamil film Mani Magudam. Jaya played the second lead in this movie, while Karunanidhi wrote the story.

When Jayalalithaa entered politics, the DMK under Karunanidhi subjected her to a bodyline attack. In her biography of Jayalalithaa, the author Vaasanthi refers to the party conference in Cuddalore in June 1982, when the whole town gathered to hear the queen of the silver screen deliver her maiden political speech. "They mainly came to see a pretty face and were instead treated to an impressive, fiery oration," wrote Vaasanthi.

The DMK, however, described her political entry as 'Cuddalore Cabaret' in its party paper.

A shameful episode inside the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989 then soured their relations for ever. Jayalalithaa accused the ruling DMK of tapping her phones, following which Chief Minister Karunanidhi reportedly made a remark that irked her. A ruckus followed, and in the melee, DMK leader Duraimurugan clutched at Jayalalithaa's saree and reportedly tried to pull it. A furious and upset Jayalalithaa swore not to set foot inside the Assembly till she won the next election and crushed this show of male chauvinism.

Two years later, in 1991, Karunanidhi had his worst moment. Jayalalithaa returned as chief minister, with the AIADMK winning 225 seats and the DMK-led alliance being reduced to a paltry seven. Her voteshare of 59.8 percent was nearly double of what DMK managed, with 30 percent. Karunanidhi chose to resign from his seat instead of attending the Assembly. Bureaucrats of that time said it was because he was apprehensive of an attack by the AIADMK inside the Assembly to avenge for the 1989 assault on Jayalalithaa.

But worse was to follow. Following her arrest in a corruption case in the late 1990s, Jayalalithaa took revenge by getting Karunanidhi picked up in the dead of night in a flyover case in 2001. The tit-for-tat revenge politics that the two played ensured their rivalry was characterised by vitriol and hatred.

Fifteen years later, when Jayalalithaa was sworn in as chief minister in 2016, MK Stalin was not accommodated in the front row during her swearing-in ceremony, despite heading the DMK, a party with 89 MLAs in the House. Karunanidhi fumed at this "deliberate humiliation", saying, "Jayalalithaa has not changed, she will never change." That forced Jayalalithaa to clarify that there was no intention to insult Stalin.

But beyond the public persona, insiders point out that MGR had a special affection for Karunanidhi and would scold anyone who called him by name, insisting he be referred to as 'Kalaignar' (artist). When MGR passed away, Karunanidhi was among the first to arrive at his residence and was inconsolable.

With the passing away of Karunanidhi, an era in Tamil Nadu politics has indeed come to an end. A period that saw three larger-than-life figures playing politics in their own unique manner. One can only wish it was less unpleasant.
In denying DMK's demand, the AIADMK government had cited rules of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act.

There is no little amount of irony in the fact that a party that preaches rationalism, atheism and iconoclasm is desperate to secure for its departed leader a memorial for the ages. DMK's desperation to get a Marina Beach burial for Muthuvel Karunanidhi (1924-2018) and its deification of Kalaignar stands in stark contrast with its so-called anti-idolatry ideology.

Yet if the Dravidian ideologue is being imbued with a cultish aura and venerated as a demigod in death, the absurdity mirrors the confusion within the larger Dravidian Movement that has deviated from its egalitarian ideals and roots in cultural autonomy to emerge as a vehicle for Tamizh chauvinism, driven by an insecurity forged in the fire of identity politics.

The Dravidian Movement (that has its roots in the erstwhile Justice Party, founded in 1916 by around 30 non-Brahmanical leaders) has been vastly influential in shaping Dravidian identity, regional politics and even strengthening federalism in India.

However, for all the stress on rationalism and atheism espoused by founder EV Ramasamy (Periyar) and later handholding by CN Annadurais DMK (that gradually deviated from its demand for a separate Dravida Nadu to join the political mainstream), the Dravidian Movement could never rid the Tamizh society of its steadfast rootedness in theism.

It is here that we must seek the answers from the contradiction within DMK's ranks that teaches iconoclasm, yet seeks divinity for its leaders so that party workers, cadres and supporters can pay eternal homage. Politics, after all, is shaped by the society. A grasp of this reality is essential in understanding the controversy around a Marina Beach burial for the five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister who breathed his last on Tuesday at the age of 94.

If DMK revealed the hollowness of its idealism in seeking a memorial for its departed patriarch, the AIADMK revealed its penchant for scoring own-goals in making a controversy out of it. The fact that the Madras High Court had to step in to act on a petition filed by the DMK at a special hearing and order the state government to permit the burial of Karunanidhi at Anna Square on Marina sands beside his mentor and former chief minister Annadurai, amounts to little more than political suicide for the ruling party.

Chief minister E Palaniswamy (EPS) and his deputy O Panneerselvam (OPS) should have realised that the act of rejecting DMKs wish to lay Kalaignar to rest at Marina Beach (near the memorials of J Jayalalithaa and MGR) might be seen as a slight to Tamil Nadus tallest leader, a grave insult to his memory and trigger widespread popular outrage. If EPS and OPS failed to grasp the depth of the blunder, it could only be put down to their lack of political maturity.

In denying DMK's demand, the AIADMK government had cited rules of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act and stressed on the fact that Karunanidhi was a former chief minister, not a sitting one and therefore, unlike Jayalalithaa, did not merit a place at Anna Square. The death of a popular leader is an emotive issue. The ruling party's stance looked more like vendetta politics and pettiness over a deceaseds mortal remains instead of a rational position.

The AIADMK leadership perhaps failed to grasp the fact that the nonagenarian Kalaignar wasnt just Tamil Nadus tallest leader butwas also one of the greatest influencers in Tamizh society and culture through his writings, films, poetry, not to speak of his contribution to the Dravidian cause over the course of a long political career spanning several decades.

He was also at the forefront of resisting imperialism of northern India  always a sensitive issue in Tamizh politics. The Justice Party, father of the Dravidian Movement, received a boost in its political campaign back in 1937 when the Madras Presidency government led by C. Rajagopalachari insisted on compulsory learning of Hindi in the State, as Sruthisagar Yamunan writes in The Hindu.

Anti-Hindi sentiment and resisting cultural imperialism of the north remained the keystones of DMK's politics. Karunanidhi's political career benefitted immensely in taking part in and shaping that fight. The Congress, for instance, scripted its own death in the state when in 1965, it tried to make Hindi the sole official language of the country. It could never to return to power after being rejected by voters in 1967. This sentiment, closely tied with supremacy of Tamizh culture espoused by the Dravidian Movement, holds its relevance in regional politics.

This latest controversy, therefore, will obliquely harm even the BJP  which is seen as an unofficial ally of the AIADMK  and have wider implications for national politics beyond the confines of the state. To understand this, we need only take a look at the way the Congress and DMK are trying to set the battle lines.

Huge setback for proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny Kalaignar his rightful Burial place. Rahulji strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Karunanidhi at Marina.

Why are Central/State Govts silent? Huge victory of justice for DMK. Long live Kalaignar https://t.co/rgEF2Icb9m  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 8, 2018

Looks like it is the design of RSS to deny our great leader @kalaignar89 a place in Marina. The BJP stands exposed now, it is the BJP and its leaders who are opposing #Marina4Kalaignar https://t.co/vvo8yUVIvi  Saravanan Annadurai (@asaravanan21) August 7, 2018

The Congress or the DMK spokespersons suggestions  that BJP is behind the slight to Kalaignar  might appear as far-fetched, given the fact that the BJP has gone out of its way not to let such an impression develop. The Centre has declared a day of national mourning, the Tricolour will fly at half-mast and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have rushed to pay their last respects to the departed leader.

Yet, BJPs apparent proximity with the AIADMK has given DMK and Congress the opportunity to paint them in a corner. The AIADMK recently voted against the no-confidence motion against the Modi government, causing MK Stalin to call its arch-rival spineless.

Support for Modi Govt in #NoConfidence despite NEET, 15th Finance Commission, GST, Hindi imposition and communal politics is further proof of the quid pro quo arrangement between ADMK and BJP. IT raids on Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswami's family have achieved their objective.  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 20, 2018

It has also emerged that AIADMK may endorse the BJP-backed candidate in the Thursday election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. The shifting sands of regional and national politics will soon see all local skirmishes getting subsumed within the larger political battle for 2019. If the controversy over Kalaignar's burial triggers an emotive, statewide reaction and hands DMK an electoral advantage, the party could emerge much stronger in 2019 and be in a position to call the shots.

The opening of Tamil politics following the departure of both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi presents opportunities for the existing players. The AIADMK seems to have committed a tactical blunder. This may lead to upsetting BJPs carefully laid plans.
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Some of key the players in the market are Armune BioScience, Inc. (U.S.), Arquer Diagnostics Ltd (U.K), BioMark Diagnostics Inc. (Canada), Biotheranostics, Inc. (U.S.), Cancer Diagnostics, Inc. (U.S.), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), Illumina, Inc. (Denmark), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.K), QIAGEN N.V. (Netherlands), Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), Roche Diagnostics (Switzerland), Siemens Healthcare (Germany), Philips Healthcare (U.K), C.R. Bard, Inc. (U.S.).

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The Americas dominate the Global Cancer Diagnostics Market owing to the presence of huge patient population with cancer, high healthcare spending, and increasing government support for research & development. According to a report published by the breast cancer information and awareness, in 2017, around 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women, along with 63,410 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.

Europe holds the second largest share of the global cancer diagnostics market as result of increasing focus of various government agencies on the treatment of diseases. Moreover, the growing public awareness is also likely to boost the European market.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market across the globe. Moreover, rapidly developing economy, increasing healthcare expenditure, and the government initiatives for research & development are projected to drive the market in China and India.

The Middle East and Africa holds the least share of the global market due to limited availability of medical facilities. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are expected to drive the Middle East & African market. Whereas, the African region is expected to witness a moderate growth.

Brief Table of Contents of Report

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis

Chapter 6. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By Type

Chapter 7. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By Application

Chapter 8. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By End User

Chapter 9. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By Region

Chapter 10. Competitive Landscape

Chapter 11. Company Profile

Chapter 12. Conclusion

Chapter 13. Appendix

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Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah engaged in war of words as the latter accused the PDP leader of promising both Congress and the BJP of supporting their candidates in the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election.

A war of words on social media between political rivals is not an unusual occurrence. However, when former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah used emojis to take digs at each other, their followers were left impressed.

It began on Tuesday when Abdullah accused Mufti of promising both the Congress and the BJP that People's Democratic Party (PDP) will support their respective candidates in the election for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. Mufti lashed out at him, saying the National Conference leader was fabricating stories "based on pure fiction".

Usually fake news & falsehoods are peddled by dubious news channels. But its baffling when a politician like @OmarAbdullah fabricates stories based on pure fiction. Such dangerous propaganda is detrimental to the truth & an attempt to mislead people.https://t.co/39wAb1rzIS  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 7, 2018

Mehbooba, who had to resign in June after BJP pulled out of the alliance government, also responded with a Pinocchio emoji to depict a lying face.

 Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 7, 2018

Using a smile emoji, Abdullah lauded Mufti's social media team for the sense of humour. This prompted Mufti to again hit out at him.

Again fake news ! . Give a compliment where its due Omar .  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 7, 2018

Replying to Mehbooba's claim about fake news, he added, "Fake news you would have ignored as I always do with your pronouncements. What I said has clearly pinched somewhere!" The Twitterati praised the humour quotient of the entire exchange.

ha ha cool banter. The way it ought to be  barkha dutt (@BDUTT) August 7, 2018

And the Best emoji use award goes to @MehboobaMufti !  Zafar Abbas (@zafarabbaszaidi) August 7, 2018

I think that's the first time an Indian politician has made me laugh.  Namecannotbeblank (@Aftrunner) August 7, 2018

2 Former cm fight each other with emoji twitter is great..  Malik DDL (@MalikMunawwar) August 7, 2018

Would love to see both of u discussing issues and achievements like this.  Wahid Iqbal (@WahidIqbal01) August 7, 2018

Responding to a tweet about Mufti indirectly calling him a liar, Abdullah said that the use of the Pinnochio emoji was "a huge improvement" from what she has called him in the past.
AAP said that since Congress president Rahul Gandhi has not sought the party's support for the Opposition's candidate, the Kejriwal-led party 'has no option but to boycott the poll'.

New Delhi: The AAP has decided to "boycott" the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday, according to party MP Sanjay Singh.

Singh said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal rejected his Bihar counterpart and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar's request to support the NDA nominee, Harivansh Narayan Singh, in the election as he has the backing of the BJP.

He said that since Congress president Rahul Gandhi has not sought AAP's support for the Opposition's candidate, the Kejriwal-led party "has no option but to boycott the poll tomorrow (Thursday)".

Hariprasad, a Congress MP from Karnataka, is the Opposition's candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson.

"If they (the Congress) ask for our vote, we will oblige. It is meaningless to vote compulsively (for the Congress), if they do not need it," Singh told reporters.

Later, he tweeted: "Nitish Kumar ji spoke to Arvind Kejriwal ji, seeking support for JD(U) candidate. Since he is a BJP-backed nominee, it is not possible to support him. Rahul Gandhi ji does not want support for his candidate... then AAP has no option, but to boycott the poll."

Kumar and Kejriwal had canvassed for each other in assembly polls in their states in 2015.

However, the ties soured after Kumar dumped the UPA to rejoin the NDA. "If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cannot he ask Arvind Kejriwal to support his party's candidate?" Singh asked.

Terming the Congress a "mean-spirited" party, Singh said the AAP voted in favour of its candidates in the elections for president and vice-president, even without being asked for it.

"We voted in favour of their candidates in the elections for president and vice-president but they did not even had the courtesy to say thank you."

"The AAP supported the Congress on many occasions including the political crisis in Goa, Uttarkhand and Mizoram but has only received opposition in return," Singh alleged.

"They distributed sweets when our 20 MLAs in Delhi were disqualified. All Opposition parties supported us during Kejriwal's dharna at the lieutenant-governor's office barring the Congress," he said. The AAP has three MPs from Delhi in the Rajya Sabha.
Shashi Tharoor said as the prime minister, Narendra Modi should be the 'moral conscience' of the country, but there had been no word from him on the rising incidents of violence in India.

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence" on cow vigilantism and "rising intolerance" in the country and said the "Hindu rashtra project" being promoted in the name of nationalism would be a fundamental betrayal of India's past and its constitutional values. People, he said, are being made to go through an "acid test", and those who do not agree to utter "Bharat mata ki jai" at the insistence of the government are being victimised.

"They (the ruling dispensation) are betraying the central Hindu value of tolerance which has given us six and half decades of communal harmony in the country and they have done so in the name of nationalism which is in itself unpatriotic," he said. "This Hindu rashtra project will be a fundamental betrayal of the past of India, it will be a fundamental betrayal of the constitutional values of our country."

Tharoor, who was delivering the Shihab Thangal memorial lecture, spoke at length interspersed with stories which described the secular values which Thangal uphold. He was a rallying force behind the Hindu and Muslim unity in Kerala, Tharoor said.

"I have great hope that Thangal's ideas will not succumb to the narrow-minded approach of those who are not just betraying the nation but the very religion they claim have the right to speak," he said, targeting the BJP and its ideology.

He drew parallel between the writings of English novelist George Orwell on nationalism and the ideas being propagated currently in the country -- that of "obsession, instability and indifference to reality".

Talking of instability in the country, he cited the recent Home Ministry statistics presented in Parliament, according to which "there have been 70 cases of cow vigilantism in the country, most of which were recorded during the last four years. Besides, there have been a record number of communal incidents".

"But have we had a word from the prime minister? The prime minister should be the moral conscience of the nation. He should speak to the nation. He should reassure, but the prime minister prefers silence. He used to criticise the previous prime minister for his silence... It is time we asked the prime minister to break his silence on issues which we want to hear about, issues which have caused so much pain," he said.

Invoking the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, who is often cited by the prime minister, Tharoor said that in Hinduism, Vivekananda has taught us a religion of acceptance and tolerance. He also recalled Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar, saying they wanted freedom for India which would be inclusive freedom.
Reuters

Users who publish content freely available on the internet should get consent from the person behind it, Europes top court ruled on 7 August in a boost to the blocs creative industries.

Regulators say they lose out because illegal uploads of works on big online platforms such as Googles YouTube and Vivendis video-sharing site Dailymotion deny publishers, broadcasters and artists of revenues.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) ruling came after a secondary school student in Germany downloaded a photograph of Cordoba from a travel website to illustrate a presentation which was then published on the school website.

Photographer Dirk Renckhoff then sued the city of Waltrop and North Rhine-Westphalia for copyright infringement and 400 euros in damages. A German court then sought guidance from the Luxembourg-based ECJ, which went against a non-binding opinion from its adviser four months ago.

The posting on a website of a photograph that was freely accessible on another website with the consent of the author requires a new authorization by that author, judges said.

By posting on the internet, the photograph is made available to a new public, they said.

Judges said posting a work online was different from hyperlinks which lead users to another website and thus contribute to the smooth functioning of the internet.

Subject to the exceptions and limitations laid down exhaustively in that directive, any use of a work by a third party without such prior consent must be regarded as infringing the copyright of that work, the court said, referring to EU copyright legislation.

The ruling could result in a rash of litigation as artists assert their rights, said Nils Rauer, a partner at Frankfurt-based Hogan Lovells.

The idea is that we as a society should appreciate and protect copyrighted works. The overall intention of the Commission, European Parliament and the court is to create respect for copyright, he added.
tech2 News Staff

The Nokia 6.1 Plus or the Nokia X6, has been announced in global markets and in China last month. However, now it looks like the Finnish smartphone maker could soon be unveiling the device in the world's third largest smartphone market, India. HMD Global, who owns the Nokia brand, has sent out media invites for a launch on 21 August in New Delhi.

Now the invite does not directly say anything about the Nokia 6.1 Plus, but very recently a support page for the same phone has opened up on Nokia's Indian website. This has fueled rumours about the launch as India happens to be an important market for Nokia. The launch invite reads "HMD Global invites you to an exclusive gathering for the next big unveil".

Also, there are rumours that the Nokia 6.1 Plus will not be the only device that HMD unveils. The Nokia 5.1 Plus or the Nokia X5 and the Nokia 2.1 are also possible candidates for a launch alongside the Nokia 6.1 Plus on 21 August.

Obviously, none of this information can be confirmed so we advise you to take with a grain of salt. That being said, we are sure to find out more about what exactly Nokia plans for its 21 August event in the coming days. As far as pricing is concerned in China the Nokia 6.1 Plus was rebranded as the Nokia X6 and priced starting at CNY 1,299 (Rs 13,800 approx) while for the global markets, Nokia 6.1 Plus was launched with a price tag of HKD 2,288 (Rs. 20,000 approx).

Nokia X6 features a 5.8-inch FHD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and ultra slim bezels on the sides. Inside, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. The primary camera comprises of a dual camera setup with a 16 MP + 5 MP units with Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) along with HDR and a bokeh mode.

In terms of connectivity, the phone features a dual SIM setup with 4G VoLTE radios, an FM Radio, USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Apart from that, the phone features Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and a fingerprint sensor mounted on the rear.
Reuters

Uber Technologies Inc is creating a standalone business out of its long-haul trucking business, with plans to double its investment in the unit to drive growth ahead of a much-anticipated initial public offering.

Uber said on 7 August its separate freight business, which connects truckers with shippers, will be led by Lior Ron, a former employee who left the ride-services firm in March. During Rons absence, the company negotiated a deal allowing for his return that also gave Uber Freight more flexibility to make acquisitions or strategic investments.

Ron co-founded a self-driving trucking company, called Otto, which Uber acquired in 2016 and later became the centrepiece of a high-stakes lawsuit over the trade-secrets theft. Uber settled that lawsuit, brought by Alphabets self-driving unit Waymo, in February for $245 million.

As part of Ubers reorganization, the co-founders and employees of Otto will receive an equity stake in Uber Freight, although Uber declined to provide details on the value of that equity or the number of employees receiving it.

Anthony Levandowski, who co-founded Otto with Ron and was at the centre of Waymos trade-secrets theft allegations, also received equity in Freight. But Levandowski, who was fired from Uber last year, is selling his Freight shares to a venture capital firm, Uber said.

Levandowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ron and Levandowski both previously worked for Alphabet. Levandowski was not a defendant in the Waymo lawsuit but was accused of downloading confidential documents before leaving Waymo. During the case, he asserted his constitutional right against self-incrimination.

Uber said it will double its investment over the next year in Freight, a brokerage service set up in May 2017 for truck drivers and fleet managers looking for cargo to haul across the continental United States. It declined to provide a dollar amount but said Freights growth was promising. The business is doubling the number of loads it connects with truckers every quarter, Uber said.

The company said Freight was a key area of investment leading up to Ubers initial public offering planned for next year. The US trucking business is a $700-billion industry, but Uber is competing in a crowded and fragmented market.

Uber had taken pains to distance Freight from Otto, saying the two were separate, independent businesses without overlapping products.

There is little left of the company Ron helped to create. Uber last month shut down its self-driving truck unit, long after its autonomous truck testing had ceased.
Press Trust of India

The Cabinet today approved a proposal for enhancing the amount of assistance to the people living with HIV/AIDS in the national capital.

The monetary assistance given to people and children living with HIV/AIDS on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) have been increased from the existing Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, while for orphans infected with the disease was enhanced from Rs 2,050 to Rs 4,100.

The assistance for destitute children suffering from HIV/AIDS in institutional care was increased to Rs 4,100 from Rs 2,050 while the financial assistance for orphan children affected by the disease has been increased from Rs 1,750 to Rs 3,500.

The Cabinet also approved the Social Welfare Department's proposal for removing the age restriction on financial assistance to individuals with special needs, which means the pension, as per the quantum in existence at the time, will be continued lifelong or until the conditions under which the assistance was granted no longer exists.

However, the beneficiary will not be eligible for pension under more than one scheme among the three schemes for the old age, persons with disability and pension to women in distress, an official statement said.

Currently, 27,250 (by the end of March this year) People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are on anti-retroviral treatment in Delhi at the 11 ART centres located in major government hospitals in the national capital, run under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).

Of these registered patients, there are 81 double orphans (29 infected with HIV/AIDS, 29 infected destitute, 23 double orphan children, who are not infected by HIV but have been affected by HIV due to death of their parents, who were HIV infected).

The Department of Social Welfare implements Financial Assistance to the Persons with Special Needs Scheme, under which financial assistance is given to persons with disability in the age group from birth to 60 years, and having annual family income not more than Rs 1,00,000 per annum.

The scheme is applicable to persons with blindness, low vision, locomotor disability, hearing impaired, leprosy cured, cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, and mental illness.
Rishiraj Bhagawati

In a recent tech2 article about why pictures clicked in space have no stars in the background, readers pointed out that it was rather mysterious how no space agency did a manned mission to the Moon after Apollo 11 in 1969.

"NASA sent men (to the Moon) in 1969. OK, that may be right. But since then, no one including NASA dared to send men again to land on the Moon. It's surprising, and mysterious too," a reader said. To this, another replied: "Not so surprising; there is no requirement to go to the Moon. As it has no importance in terms of minerals and stuff, and going there would be a waste of time."

A third reader, who was even more convinced that there was "nothing surprising" here, then commented, "NASA, along with the majority of other national space agencies, simply doesn't have the resources to do it any more. It costs a lot to build a rocket with enough power to escape low-orbit with all the required equipment and their operating budget is less than a fifth of what it was back in '69..."

These, along with points about politics during the Cold War and harsh surface conditions on the Moon, are justifications often given to defend why the Apollo 11 mission remained the only time astronauts landed on the lunar surface.

However, this is simply not true.

Men have landed on the moon on six separate occasions, beginning with Apollo 11 in July 1969, during which Neil Armstrong gathered fame as the first man to walk on the Moon. [Cue: That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.]

Until now, 12 astronauts have walked on the Moon's surface, and six of them drove lunar roving vehicles on it. While three astronauts have flown to the Moon twice, none landed on the Moon's surface more than once.

Here is the list of all the other missions that took man to the moon:

1. Apollo 12

Only four months after the first ever manned landing on the Moon, NASA launched its second such mission on 14 November 1969, with astronauts Charles Pete Conrad, Richard F Gordon and Alan L Bean.

The module containing Conrad and Bean safely landed on the lunar surface on 19 November 1969, as Gordon remained in lunar orbit, controlling the units.

"The primary mission objectives of the second crewed lunar landing included an extensive series of lunar exploration tasks by the lunar module, crew, as well as the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package, which was to be left on the moon's surface to gather seismic, scientific and engineering data throughout a long period of time," NASA had said.

The crew explored an area of about half a kilometre around their module, and spent almost one day and seven hours on Moon for collecting samples, taking photographs and performing experiments. The Apollo 12 crew returned back to Earth on 24 November 1969.

2. Apollo 14

After the third moon landing attempt failed because of an explosion on board, NASA's next Moon mission  the Apollo 14  took off from the Kennedy Space Center on 31 January 1971.

With American astronauts Alan Shepard Jr and Edgar D Mitchell on board the lunar module that landed on the Moon, and Stuart A Roosa remaining in the lunar orbit, the crew collected rocks and soil samples from 13 different locations on the satellite.

The astronauts spent a day and nine hours on the Moon for surface operations and scientific experiments, and returned back to Earth on 9 February 1971.

3. Apollo 15

The fourth successful lunar landing was brought about by the Apollo 15 mission, which was launched on 26 July 1971 with three astronauts  David R Scott, James B Irwin and Alfred M Worden. This was also the first manned mission to use a lunar roving vehicle.

"There were four primary objectives falling in the general categories of lunar surface science, lunar orbital science and engineering-operational. The mission objectives were to explore the Hadley-Apennine region, set up and activate lunar surface scientific experiments, make engineering evaluations of new Apollo equipment, and conduct lunar orbital experiments and photographic tasks," NASA said.

Astronauts Irwin and Scott performed 18.5 hours of extra vehicular activity on the Moon's surface using the rover, and collected 370 individual rocks and soil samples during their exploration.

This was all while Worden made multiple scientific experiments staying on the lunar orbit. The mission's crew spent two days and 19 hours on the Moon, and reached Earth on 7 August, 1971, having landed in the Pacific Ocean.

5. Apollo 16

As the first ever moon mission to land in the highlands of the lunar surface, Apollo 16's objectives were clear: (1) to inspect, survey, and sample materials and surface features at a selected landing site in the Descartes region; (2) emplace and activate surface experiments; and (3) conduct in-flight experiments and photographic tasks from lunar orbit.

The mission took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 16 April 1972, and landed on the Moon's surface five days later on 21 April. While astronauts John Young and Charles Duke spent close to three days on Moon, Thomas K Mattingly performed experiments from the lunar orbit.

Using lunar rovers, the two astronauts conducted multiple extra vehicular activities on several regions of the Moon, and conducted nine scientific experiments (that helped verify Apollo 15 data) at eleven different sites. The crew collected collected almost 90 kilograms of samples from the Moon and drover over 26.7 kilometres on its surface.

Total mission time was almost 266 hours, and the crew returned to Earth on 27 April 1972.

6. Apollo 17

The Apollo 17 mission, which was the final Apollo mission from NASA, marked the sixth and last time humans set foot on the Moon. It was launched on 7 December 1972 with astronauts Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt and Ronald E Evans on board.

Apollo 17's lunar landing site was the Taurus-Littrow area on the Moon, where rocks both older and younger than those previously returned from other Apollo missions, as well as from Luna 16 and 20 missions, were expected to be found.

"Scientific objectives of the Apollo 17 mission included geological surveying and sampling of materials in a pre-selected area of the Taurus-Littrow region, deploying and activating surface experiments, and conducting in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast," NASA said.

While Cernan and Schmitt (who was the first-ever scientist to land on moon) stepped down to the lunar surface for scientific experiments, Evans stayed on the lunar orbit. The lunar rover vehicle covered a total of 30.5 kilometres, and the astronauts gathered 110.4 kilograms of material from the satellite. The mission safely returned to Earth on 19 December 1972.

It has now been 46 years since the Apollo 17 mission that man has set foot on the Moon. The primary reason for that is that the goal for lunar missions has shifted to longer and more comprehensive expeditions. "This is much more than flags and footsteps," John Olson, senior NASA official, told Space. "We're going for a sustained human presence in space."

Instead of spending a couple of days on the moon, astronauts are now aiming to embark on missions that could last months. However, NASA's current space shuttles and equipment are not yet capable of crossing low-Earth orbit to reach the moon with the amount of gear required for such a manned expedition.

Until then, NASA's Apollo missions are likely to tell the only stories to be told from ground zero.
tech2 News Staff

When we turn on the tap first thing in the morning, the water behaves in a manner that physicists and engineers couldn't quite put their finger on  it splays upwards slightly before making its way towards the sink.

This phenomenon got the attention of prominent artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, who in the 16th century, coined the term 'hydraulic jump' for that dance he saw the water do as it splashed onto a flat surface from a tap. Since the early 1800s, physicists have thought of hydraulic jumps as something that occurs at least partly due to gravitational pull.

However, a paper published on 31 July in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics disproves this age-old theory.
Agence France-Presse

Asian elephants snatched from the wild and conscripted to haul logs in Myanmar's timber industry live on average five years less than working elephants born in captivity, researchers said on 7 August, 2018.

The older an elephant is at the time of capture, the more likely it is to die young, according to an analysis of government logs for 5,150 of the giant mammals  two-fifths of them wild-born  covering the period from 1951 to 2000.

The median lifespan for working captive-born males and females was 30 and 45 years, respectively. Among wild-caught animals, it was half-a-decade less for both sexes.

Stress, trauma from captivity

The trauma of being drugged or lassoed into submission during capture; the brutal process of "breaking" an animal so it will obey orders; separation from family  all of these factors likely contribute to this foreshortened lifespan, the researchers speculated.

"Elephants are affected by long-term stress stemming from their earlier experiences and new life in captivity," Mirkka Lahdenpera, lead author of the study at the University of Turku in Finland, told AFP.

Earlier research has shown that both African and Asian elephants are highly social. Calves separated from mothers, for example, can suffer long-lasting trauma.

Indeed, for this reason traffickers selling the animals into Thailand's tourist trade or Myanmar's logging industry generally avoid taking calves under five years old that still suckle their mothers.

Currently, there are some 5,000 adult elephants toiling in Myanmar, the vast majority dragging freshly cut tree trunks through the dense jungle to transport hubs and mills.

Carrying scars

Since they breed poorly in captivity, there is constant demand for wild specimens.

In Myanmar, the highly valuable animals are protected by government regulations that mandate maximum work loads and rest periods. Timber industry elephants have holidays, maternity leave and a mandatory retirement age. Most work during the day and are released to forests during the night to forage and socialise, with both captive and wild peers.

"Captive-born working timber elephants in Myanmar live as long as wild ones," Lahdenpera noted.

But the study, published in Nature Communications, highlighted the cost to these majestic creatures of the violent transition from jungle to a life of servitude.

"Wild-caught elephants carry the scars from their capture for a long, long time," said Lahdenpera.

"We should find an alternative and better methods to boost the captive populations."

The scope

The worst environments for elephants are zoos, which shorten lifespans most of all.

Asian elephants  Elephas maximus  used to roam across most of Asia, but are today restricted to 15 percent of their original range. Of the 45,000 remaining, about a third live in captivity.

The species is listed as "endangered" on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List.

Some Asian elephants live well into their 70s.


Major Aeromagnetic Target Identified at Yangibana

Sydney, Aug 8, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Hastings Technology Metals Limited ( ASX:HAS ) is pleased to announce the results of a detailed interpretation completed by independent consultants Southern Geoscience Consultants (SGC) on specific targets indicated in its earlier assessment of the Company's 2016 aeromagnetic and radiometric survey data. The interpretation has identified a major aeromagnetic anomaly that warrants drill testing, and indicated potential extensions of the defined resources at Auer and Auer North.- Interpretation of aeromagnetic data identifies a major anomaly near Fraser's deposit- Dimensions 1km by 800m by 400m- Anomaly strength indicates probable magnetite-rich body- Potential extensions to Auer and Auer North identified- Assay results from infill drilling at Fraser's confirm expectations with results includingo 9m at 3.03%TREO including 1.22% Nd2O3+Pr6O11o 9m at 2.38%TREO including 1.01% Nd2O3+Pr6O11o 8m at 1.51%TREO including 0.59% Nd2O3+Pr6O11o 6m at 2.87%TREO including 1.16% Nd2O3+Pr6O11o 4m at 2.80%TREO including 1.15% Nd2O3+Pr6O11- Drilling to increase Indicated Resources and thence Probable Reserves commenced at Auer and Auer NorthINTRODUCTIONResults from recently-completed infill reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Fraser's deposit are in line with expectations. RC and diamond drilling are now under way to increase Indicated Resources and thence reserves at the Auer and Auer North deposits.AEROMAGNETIC ANOMALYSGC's recent work has concentrated on a number of targets in the Fraser's Southwest area being the area that lies between Fraser's deposit in the east and the Auer and Auer North deposits in the west (see Figure 1 in link below). The major anomaly occurs predominantly in the southern corner of E09/2018 and has been modelled with a significant target as shown in Figures 2 and 3(see link below).The detailed assessment of this feature has defined an anomalous magnetic feature with a strike length of approximately 1km with a strong magnetic susceptibility. The modelled feature has a depth extent of approximately 800m extending from surface, and a width of approximately 400m. This body has a higher intensity core (darker pink in Figure 3) (see link below) with a strike length of approximately 750m, a depth extent of approximately 650m (from 60m below surface), and a width of approximately 300m.The strength of the anomaly in the Yangibana environment suggests the presence of a large magnetite-rich body, potentially similar to the magnetite-rich units that host portions of the known rare-earths deposits nearby.Surface assessment has located evidence of ironstone and samples have been taken for analysis.A conceptual hole shown in Figures 2 and 3 (see link below) is planned to provide a first test of the anomaly.SGC also undertook interpretation of the aeromagnetic data further west, identifying potential extensions of 900m to the north of the current limit of the Auer North deposit and 1,200m to the south of the current limit of the Auer deposit.INFILL DRILLING RESULTSAssay results have been received for all RC holes drilled at Fraser's deposit as part of the programme to deliver a large composite sample representative of the Bald Hill and Fraser's mineralisation for further metallurgical testwork (see Figure 4 in link below). Results have been in line with expectations with best results shown in Table 1 (see link below). Details of hole coordinates and assays are shown in Appendices 1 and 2 (see link below).The important Nd2O3+Pr6O11:TREO ratio ranges from 39% to 45% (other than FRRC145), in line with the November 2017 JORC Resource average of 42%. This ratio effects the proportion of the Company's target oxides of neodymium and praseodymium to TREO in the planned mixed rare earths carbonate product.RESERVE EXPANSION DRILLINGOn completion of the programme to recover additional metallurgical samples, both RC and diamond rigs are now focused on a programme to increase Measured and Indicated Resources and then, incorporating additional metallurgical, geotechnical and mining studies, to increase total reserves at the Project.The current drilling programme is centred on the Auer and Auer North deposits with the intention of further adding to the Measured and Indicated Resources at these deposits. Geotechnical and geochemical work, and metallurgical testwork are all progressing with the aim of completion of mining studies and the establishment of further increased Probable Reserves by the end of 2018.TERMINOLOGY USED IN THIS REPORTTotal Rare Earths Oxides, TREO, is the sum of the oxides of the light rare earth elements lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), and samarium (Sm) and the heavy rare earth elements europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu), and yttrium (Y).To view tables and figures, please visit:About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd

Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas.

Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China.

Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project.

Brockman Project

The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition).

The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project.

Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products.
Bangladeshi Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said in a letter to the council that necessary conditions for the safe return of the Rohingya refugees do not exist.

United Nations: Bangladesh is accusing Myanmar's government of failing to tackle the concerns of over one million Rohingya Muslims who fled the country, and is urging the UN Security Council to take action to ensure their safe return home.

Bangladeshi Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said in a letter to the council circulated on Wednesday that while his government continues to engage with Myanmar "in good faith" on arrangements to return the Rohingya, "we regret that the necessary conditions for safe and sustainable return do not exist."

Momen also said that "Nor has Myanmar taken any demonstrable effort to address the concerns of the Rohingyas and the international community."

He urges the Security Council to adopt a resolution and take "concerted and determined action to address the Rohingya crisis" so refugees in Bangladesh can return.
While journalists' groups called for proper investigation over attacks on media persons covering the protests, there was relative calm in Dhaka throughout Tuesday with buses returning to streets after the Cabinet approved a new road safety law.

Bangladeshs nine-day-long youth protests for safer roads have dwindled down following the heavy-handed police response towards protesters. While journalists' groups called for proper investigation over attacks on media persons covering the protests, there was relative calm in Dhaka throughout Tuesday with buses returning to streets after the Cabinet approved a new road safety law.

However, the three private universities  which turned battlefield between protesting students and the police on Monday  remained closed on Tuesday. While Brac University is scheduled to be open Wednesday and East West University on Thursday, North South University has been closed indefinitely. The education ministry has invited all vice-chancellors of private universities to a meeting to be held on Wednesday to discuss clashes between students and the police.

Meanwhile, in a major development, the high court has asked to send Shahidul Alam, an internationally acclaimed photographer and activist, to a hospital for treatment. The court also fixed Thursday for further hearing on the issue.

"Since the court has ordered him to be admitted to a hospital immediately, we hope that his remand would be postponed till then," said Dr Kamal Hossain, the chief of Shahiduls legal team comprising of well-known legal experts.

He was picked up by police Monday for his Facebook posts related to protests and "provocative comments" made in a scathing Al-Jazeera interview conducted hours before his arrest.

While being taken to a court for a remand hearing, he seemed unable to walk on his own. He alleged that he was badly treated in police custody and forced to re-wear his blood-stained clothes.

He was then placed in a seven-day remand under the notorious Section 57 of ICT Act on charges of "spreading propaganda and false information against the government". His wife, Rehnuma Ahmed, has challenged the decision today in a writ-petition filed with the high court.

"Following his detainment, he was tortured before being presented to the court. Hes also ill. His constitutional and fundamental rights have been violated by placing him in remand," Tanim Hussain Shawon, a lawyer for Shahidul, told reporters.

Bdnews24 (Bangla) reports, as Sarah Hossain, another member of Shahiduls legal team, was arguing for her case, Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain, of the two-judge bench, interrupted her saying, (You are) lucky that (they) didnt disappear him.

In another development, a minister has trashed statements from the United Nations and the US Embassy over attacks on student protesters demanding road safety. Calling on for these statements to be withdrawn, information minister Hasanul Haque Inu told reporters that the comments were "unwarranted" and unprecedented" and that "no attack took place on the protests and the children".
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N.

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the world body's new human rights chief, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Bachelet now needs to be approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly. She would replace Jordan's outspoken Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who is stepping down at the end of the month after one four-year term in the Geneva-based job.

Ambassadors chairing different regional groups at the United Nations were told of the decision on Tuesday by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, several diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters earlier on Wednesday.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement that Guterres formally notified the General Assembly on Wednesday.

Bachelet, a victim of torture under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, was conservative Chile's first female leader.

The pediatrician-turned-politician first served as president of Chile from 2006 to 2010. Her amiable style, welfare policies and steady economic growth in one of the region's most developed countries made her popular.

Bachelet then led U.N. Women, a body for gender equality and the empowerment of women, between 2010 and 2013, before returning to Chile where she again served as president from 2014 to 2018, pushing for a more radical tax-and-spend agenda, as well as broader abortion rights and gay marriage.

Zeid told reporters in New York earlier this month that he did not seek a second term because he did not believe he would have the support of key world powers, including the United States, China and Russia.

Zeid has been strongly critical of some of U.S. President Donald Trump's policies and his attacks on the media.

"Someone said to me 'just come out swinging' and that's what I did," Zeid said of advice he was given when he started the job in 2014. "Silence does not earn you any respect."

"We do not bring shame on governments, they shame themselves," he said.

Zeid said the pressure of the human rights job was intense. After a tough week last year, his wife recommended he watch feel-good reality television show "The Great British Bake Off" to take his mind off human rights abuses.

"This man pulls out a souffle just before the competition ends and the thing collapses," he said. "I burst into tears and I couldn't stop."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Crews battling the largest wildfire in California's history took advantage of milder overnight temperatures to gain considerable ground in containing the blaze on Wednesday, a day after officials said it would take until September to snuff it out.

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Crews battling the largest wildfire in California's history took advantage of milder overnight temperatures to gain considerable ground in containing the blaze on Wednesday, a day after officials said it would take until September to snuff it out.

The Mendocino Complex fire, which has scorched an area of northern California almost the size of Los Angeles, was 47 percent contained on Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said, up from 34 percent a day earlier.

So far, two firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze, which has consumed more than 300,000 acres. While sprawling, the wildfire was less destructive than last week's Carr Fire near Redding, which burned 75 homes to the ground, forced the evacuation of more than 23,000 people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures.

Overnight temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday should drop to a low of 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 Celsius) but highs were forecast to hit 98 degrees (37 Celsius) on Wednesday and 99 degrees on Thursday, said Jennifer Guenehner of the National Weather Service.

Some 4,000 firefighters were working to stop the fire from reaching communities at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest, about 100 miles (161 km) north of San Francisco. The blaze is still threatening more than 10,000 structures, according to Cal Fire.

The Mendocino Complex is one of 17 major fires burning in California that have destroyed more than 1,500 structures and displaced tens of thousands of people.

Cal Fire on Tuesday pushed back the date when it expected to bring the Mendocino fire under full control to Sept. 1, the fourth time the department has revised its timetable as the massive wildfire expanded.

The blaze became the largest in California history on Monday, after officials began battling two separate blazes in the Mendocino area as a single event.

The blaze, which scorched more than 300,000 acres, has surpassed the Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in southern California last December.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Wednesday directed federal agencies to use any water that was needed to protect life and property threatened by California wildfires.

In a written statement Ross said he had directed the National Marine Fisheries Service to facilitate access to the water needed to fight the fires.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump claimed, without substantiating his remarks, that California was letting water run into the ocean instead of using it to fight the flames, and blamed California's environmental policies for worsening the fires.

The comments baffled California firefighters, who said they had more than enough water to douse the flames.

The California fires are on track to be the most destructive in a decade, prompting Democratic Governor Jerry Brown and Republican leaders such as state Senator Ted Gaines to call for thinning forests and controlled burns to reduce fire danger.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Phil Berlowitz)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
US president Donald Trump nominated a prominent Indian-American law professor Aditya Bamzai to be a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

New York: US president Donald Trump has nominated a prominent Indian-American law professor and legal expert to an agency on privacy and civil liberties.

Aditya Bamzai, a professor at University of Virginia's School of Law, has been nominated by Trump to be a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for the remainder of a six-year term expiring 29 January, 2020.

The agency works to ensure that efforts by the executive branch of the government to protect the nation from terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.

According to Bamzai's profile on the university website, he teaches and writes about civil procedure, administrative law, federal courts, national security law and computer crime.

He joined the University of Virginia School of Law's faculty as an associate professor in June 2016.

Bamzai has argued cases relating to the separation of powers and national security in the US Supreme Court, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, D.C. Circuit and other federal courts of appeals.

He is a graduate of Yale University and of the University of Chicago Law School, where he was the editor-in-chief of the law review

Before entering the academy, Bamzai served as an attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel of the US Department of Justice and as an appellate attorney in both private practice and for the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.

Earlier in his career, he was a law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia of the US Supreme Court and to Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
A gunman opened fire on two New Jersey police officers and wounding them in what authorities are calling an ambush attack.

Camden: A gunman opened fire on two New Jersey police officers while they were sitting in their vehicle at a red light on Tuesday night, wounding them in what authorities are calling an ambush attack.

At least one suspect opened fire on the plain clothes detectives in Camden, which is located just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, said Camden County Police Chief J Scott Thomson. "The information we have thus far is that they were essentially ambushed," Thomson told reporters at a late night news conference. "A male walked up and began opening fire. We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers."

One of the detectives was able to return fire, Thomson said, but it was not immediately clear if anyone else was shot. Thomson said his department was in communication with hospitals in the region. The detectives were taken to an area hospital and are expected to survive.

"At this point in time our officers have non-life-threatening injuries but not for the grace of God quite frankly," Thomson said. "The amount of rounds that were fired at close range and particularly through the windshield," he added.

Police continue to search for the suspect or suspects involved in the "unprovoked" attack. "Maybe they did know they were police officers and that's the reason why they did it. Maybe they thought they were somebody else. We'll find that out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

The shooting occurred on National Night Out, an event designed to bring local police and the communities they serve, together.
While Kashmir is at the forefront of Imran Khan's foreign policy agenda, he also wants to restart negotiations with India on the Indus Waters Treaty.

Everything in Pakistan is in "postponement mode". The Election Commission of Pakistan has yet to issue its final notifications on the winning candidates, and authorities are still dithering on just who was responsible for the breakdown of the Result Transmission System (RTS), which had forced polling stations to fall back to physical counting of votes.

Besides these issues, Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony seems to be getting pushed, as well. This may be due to the fact that the headhunters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are allegedly busy buying elected candidates to secure a dominating majority in Parliament and in Punjab province. This is a time-consuming exercise. After all, everyone wants his pound of flesh, either in cash or in the form of a good Cabinet post.

Falling current account deficit and a whopping IMF loan demand

But despite the cry of rigged elections rising by the day, there is no likelihood that anyone but Imran is going to be the head of a recalcitrant and divided country, presiding over an even more divided and fractured Parliament.

First off the bat is the problem of getting a loan of around $11 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)  the highest amount requested from the IMF in the last decade  to address a perilously dipping current account deficit. Despite China channeling an estimated $7 billion under terms that remain opaque, there is enough to show that this "funding" is nowhere near enough to address Pakistan's economic crisis.

However, as The Wall Street Journal reported, there is mounting opposition to loans from the IMF, with 16 Pakistani senators writing to the body with some serious questions about China's "weaponising capital" in Asia and Africa and increasingly in Europe, as well. Their specific concerns include Chinese activity in Gwadar, a port that has little commercial value, sitting as it does far from the shipping lanes serviced admirably by Dubai and others.

Add to that the earlier acerbic remarks by United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the issue of the IMF virtually funding China's One Belt, One Road initiative, and the future Prime Minister of Pakistan clearly has a problem on his hands. His finance minister-designate has promised transparency on all deals with China. But he has to get Beijing to agree first, and that's not going to be an easy task. None of this appears in Imran's "first 100 days" speech, where he merely identified the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a "game changer".

In the same speech, he insisted that "the burden of taxation" on businessmen, traders and industries would be reduced. For a country where less than 1 percent of the population pays taxes, and banks have information on only 12 million of the 40 million accounts, that's going to be a another difficult task. It also contradicts what the incumbent Finance Minister Asad Umer has been saying. Umer has been calling for prioritising income tax (which is 10 percent of revenue at present) as against indirect taxes (90 percent of revenue).

Imran has also promised to build 5 million houses in the first 100 days of being in power and reduce electricity and gas prices, the very areas the IMF is likely to target to increase the country's revenues. For now, the PTI chief is likely to be on the path of a head-on collision with the IMF.

FATA merger and Pashtun opposition

There are other areas that the prime minister-to be has vowed to deal with in his first 100 day. One of them is to begin the actual process of bringing about reforms to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Although the necessary constitutional amendment to allow the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will probably get the assent of the new President of Pakistan, the merger is likely to take at least five years.

Imran could simply announce a formal beginning of the process, but there's trouble there, too. The proposed changes, which includes the provisions of the Rewaj Bill, has been criticised strongly on the grounds that it is worse in some ways than the earlier Frontier Crimes Regulations it is meant to replace. For instance, Pakistan's security forces retain the right to move entire villages on security concerns, while the powers of the political agent remain more or less intact. The reform also creates a legal nightmare in terms of implementing it in the six agencies and seven tribal pockets, each of which have their own customs and traditions.

PTI's strong win in the tribal areas are due in part to expectations from the proposed merger. When those expectations are exposed to reality, more trouble is likely, particularly in Waziristan, where two candidates of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) have made it to the National Assembly. The main position of the PTM is crimping the role of Pakistani security forces and ending disappearances, threats and searches of Pashtuns. This is not part of Imran's election manifesto at all.

There is no shortage of issues likely to hamper Imran's 100-day plan. Another specific promise was the bifurcation of Punjab with a separate South Punjab province. This is a demand that has been around for decades, with different governments at the Centre using it to twist the tail of the Punjab politicians and never really getting any serious consideration until now.

This time, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Quershi had strongly backed it. Quershi seems to be hankering for a chief minister's post, having missed the prime minister's chair time and again. Being part of a family that has been the caretaker of the Bahauddin Zakariya for generations, he has the clout to carry this through to an extent.

However, the Constitution demands that the creation of a new state have the support of a two-third majority in the National Assembly, the Senate as well as in the state concerned. The PTI is unlikely to get such a mandate in any of these bodies, particularly in the Punjab Assembly, despite the fact that eight influential defectors from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have created the South Punjab Province Front. The end result in the first 100 days could be severe political unrest, with the PML-N fighting back in a province where the winner has yet to be decided.

Foreign policy and relations with India

By merging his victory day speech, the PTI manifesto and various statements, one can gather the following: while Imran and PTI have prominently referred to Kashmir and the United Nations resolutions on the dispute, the main issue the prime minister-in-waiting is likely to take up with India is a review of the Indus Waters Treaty. A separate international law division is to be set up in the Foreign Ministry, where incidentally, Imran has taken a leaf out of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book by calling for lateral induction to ensure expertise.

Kashmir will remain the core concern in this respect, and Imran will want to restart negotiations with this in mind. With regard to China, Imran's awe of his neighbour was apparent in his victory speech, and Beijing will most likely be his first foreign trip. He is apparently looking to Beijing for tips to curb corruption, which includes getting black money back from tax havens, which according to a few estimates is at about Rs 43 trillion. While China will certainly encourage that effort, any demand for larger loans is likely to be met with bland assertions of everlasting friendship, deeper than the seas and higher than the mountains. Tired phrasing costs nothing.

However, Beijing will need a game plan to make the CPEC a more cost-effective and less threatening enterprise, and India may be an answer to both in Chinese eyes. It is the US position that is likely to bite the soonest. Opposition to IMF loans will translate into a good, long and hard look at the projects that China is backing in Pakistan, with the United Kingdom peering over American shoulders. That is actually all for the good as far as Pakistan is concerned, though this is likely to be the first hurdle for a future Prime Minister of Pakistan. The hurdle may be "made in China" but would certainly carry Rawalpindi's fingerprints on it.
The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake killed at least 105 people and triggered panic among locals and tourists on Lombok on Sunday, just a week after another tremor surged through the holiday island and killed 17.

Mataram: More than 70,000 people have been left homeless in the deadly earthquake that hit Lombok island, forced to sleep in makeshift shelters and lacking food, medicine and clean water, authorities said on Wednesday.

The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake killed at least 105 people and triggered panic among locals and tourists on Lombok on Sunday, just a week after another tremor surged through the holiday island and killed 17. Some 236 people have been severely injured in the latest quake, with tens of thousands of homes damaged, and authorities have appealed for more medical personnel and basic supplies.

"The efforts to evacuate people have been intensified but there are still a lot of problems on the ground," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Wednesday. "The number of victims keep rising. More than 70,000 people have been evacuated and tens of thousands of houses have collapsed."

There are fears the death toll will rise as workers with heavy machinery claw through the rubble of homes, schools and mosques, with hopes of finding any survivors fading.

Muhammad Zainul Majdi, the governor of West Nusa Tenggara province which covers Lombok, said there was a dire need for medical staff, food and medicine in the worst-hit areas. Hundreds of bloodied and bandaged victims have been treated outside damaged hospitals in the main city of Mataram and other badly affected areas.

"We have limited human resources. Some paramedics have to be at the shelters, some need to be mobile,"Majdi told AFP. "The scale of this quake is massive for us here in West Nusa Tenggara, this is our first experience." - 'Destruction almost 100 percent' - Across much of the island, once-bustling villages have been turned into virtual ghost towns. "In some villages we visited the destruction was almost 100 per cent, all houses collapsed, roads are cracked and bridges were broken," said Arifin Muhammad Hadi, a spokesman for the Indonesian Red Cross.

Makeshift encampments have popped up on the side of roads and rice fields, with many farmers reluctant to move far from their damaged homes and leave precious livestock behind. "It's typical of earthquake victims in Indonesia, they want to stay close to their livelihood, they can't bring their livestock to the shelters,"Hadi said.

Local authorities, international relief groups and the central government have begun organising aid, but shattered roads have slowed efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north and east of Lombok, which was hardest hit. The Indonesian military said that three Hercules transporter planes packed with much-needed food, medication, blankets, tents and water tanks have now arrived in Lombok.

The tremor struck as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island and there are fears that one collapsed mosque in north Lombok had been filled with worshippers. Crews using heavy equipment resumed the search today for survivors in the mosque, now reduced to pile of concrete and metal bars, with its towering green dome folded in on itself.

Rescuers have found three bodies and also managed to pull one man alive from the twisted wreckage. "We estimate there are still more victims because we found many sandals in front of the mosque," Nugroho said on Tuesday. Among other major buildings to collapse were a health clinic, government offices and other public facilities, he added.

Meanwhile, the evacuation of tourists from the Gili Islands, three tiny, coral-fringed tropical islands off the northwest coast of Lombok has finished, officials said. "Most foreign tourists have been evacuated," Yusuf Latif, national search and rescue team spokesman, told AFP. Lombok airport's general manager said airlines had laid on extra flights and his staff had been providing blankets and snacks.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC), according to Pakistan's defence ministry.

Islamabad: Pakistan and Russia have signed an agreement to allow Pakistani troops to receive training at Russian military training institutes, a move aimed at boosting their bilateral defence ties.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC), according to Pakistan's defence ministry.

"Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RF's (Russian Federation) Training Institutes," the ministry said. The Russian side was led by Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen. Alexander V Fomin who visited Pakistan from 67 August to attend the first session of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC).

Lt. Gen (retd) Zamir ul Hassan Shah, Secretary Defence, led the Pakistani delegation during the JMCC meeting. Prior to the inaugural meeting, held yesterday in the ministry of defence Rawalpindi, the visiting dignitary called on secretary defence and the defence minister.

During the meetings, the two sides discussed the present status of their bilateral defence relations with the aim to further strengthen, expand and diversify mutual cooperation. JMCC is the highest forum of defence collaboration between Pakistan and Russia.

During the inaugural session of the JMCC, both sides exchanged views on bilateral and major international issues including the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan. A comprehensive issue based review was also carried out during which the two countries expressed satisfaction on the milestones achieved since the signing of the groundbreaking Agreement on Defence Cooperation in 2014. The two sides also held in-depth discussions on avenues of future cooperation, the defence ministry said.

Col Gen Fomin also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs. An Army spokesman said that Col Gen Fomin met Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed the regional security situation and matters of mutual interest including enhancement of bilateral defence and security cooperation.

Fomin expressed his appreciation for Pakistan Army's achievements against terrorism and expressed requirement of greater cooperative and collaborative approach among the global community to defeat extremism. Pakistan's defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

Pakistan has shown eagerness to build military-to-military level ties with Russia. Earlier this year, the then foreign minister Khawaja Asif visited Moscow during which the two sides agreed to set up a commission to boost military cooperation. Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed 'Friendship'
The fate of former Pakistan army chief, Raheel Sharif, hangs in the balance after the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the concerned authorities to place his appointment as the commander-in-chief of a coalition force of Islamic nations, before the federal Cabinet for a regular approval (or disapproval).

Islamabad: The fate of former Pakistan army chief, Raheel Sharif, hangs in the balance after the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the concerned authorities to place his appointment as the commander-in-chief of a coalition force of Islamic nations, before the federal Cabinet for a regular approval (or disapproval).

Once Pakistans most powerful man, Sharif is currently serving as the commander-in-chief of Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), a Saudi-led "41-nation pan-Islamic coalition", announced in December 2015.

The former Pakistan army chief may face embarrassment as the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had strongly opposed the previous government's decision to allow Sharif to join the coalition force, is all set to form the next government in Centre after winning majority seats in general elections held on 25 July, 2018.

"We strongly oppose this governments decision to allow the ex-army chief to lead a military coalition, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry had told journalists last year.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan was told on Tuesday that the former chief of army staff (COAS) had joined the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition as its head in April 2017 without obtaining a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government. Sharif retired from the service in November 2016.

However, defence secretary Lieutenant General (retired) Zamirul Hassan, informed the court that the "former chief of Pakistan army joined the coalition military only after the defence ministry granted him NOC to accept the post of the Commander of Islamic Military Counter-terrorism Coalition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan, however, clarified that as per the law, only the federal government can grant NOC to government officers willing to join services in foreign lands.

"It is mandatory for the NOC to be approved by the federal Cabinet under government service rules, Khan said.

A three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Supreme Court Mian Saqib Nisar directed the concerned authorities to place the matter of Sharif's appointment before the federal Cabinet for a regular approval (or disapproval).

"The rule of law must be ensured. We have to proceed according to the law," Chief Justice remarked during the hearing. He observed that only the Cabinet represents and control the federal government. Hence, only it can grant NOC to officials like Sharif who intend to join services abroad.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Supreme Court has directed the concerned authorities to consult the federal Cabinet with regards to approval or disapproval of the NOC given to the former military chief. "The Supreme Court has directed the concerned authorities to consult the Cabinet on this matter. However, no official order was issued from the office of registrar of the Supreme Court yet, Shahid Hussain, Public Relation Officer of Supreme Court said.

It is worth mentioning here that Sharif's appointment as the head of the Saudi-led military alliance had sparked debate across Pakistan. Opposition parties questioned his appointment arguing the move will impact Pakistan's foreign policy.

The 41-nation armed coalition headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was initially proposed as a platform for security cooperation among Muslim countries including Pakistan. Its primary responsibilities included provisions for training, equipment and troops, and the involvement of religious scholars for devising a counter-terrorism narrative.

Experts in Pakistan and abroad had raised concerns about the nature of the alliance and how it may affect a pre-existing parliamentary resolution on Yemen passed unanimously by lawmakers calling for "neutrality in the conflict" in 2015.
Volunteers and rescue personnel in Indonesia have set up temporary shelters for the thousands left homeless in Lombok by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

Bangsal, Indonesia: Aid began reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after a powerful earthquake that killed more than 130 people as rescuers intensified efforts Wednesday to find those buried in the rubble.

The national disaster agency stood by its latest death toll of 131 from Sunday's quake despite other government agencies including the military reporting much higher figures.

The governor of the province that includes Lombok where the quake was centered, the military, the national search and rescue agency and regent of North Lombok issued different tolls that ranged from 226 to 381.

But disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement the information from those sources was incomplete and hadn't been cross-checked for duplication. He has said several times that the number of deaths will increase. An interagency meeting will be held Thursday to compare information, Nugroho said.

As the aid effort stepped up, volunteers and rescue personnel erected more temporary shelters for the tens of thousands left homeless on Lombok by the magnitude 7.0 quake.

Water, which has been in short supply due to a prolonged dry spell on the island, as well as food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks. The military said it sent five planes carrying food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers.

Still, government assistance was barely a trickle in the west Lombok village of Kekait where Zulas Triani, an elementary school teacher who was sharing a tent with 30 others, said they had received only a basket with three noodle packets, five eggs and a small ration of water.

"My house was flattened. We are all frustrated to live like this  in a tent without certainty. Where should we go if we have no house anymore, nowhere to live?" said the mother of 15- and 9-year-old girls.

"I don't know how to rebuild on my own. We're all relying on the government to help. I do hope the government can help," she said.

Nearly 1,500 people have been hospitalized with serious injuries and more than 1,56,000 have been displaced due to the extensive damage to thousands of homes. Thousands of people have been sleeping in makeshift shelters or out in the open.

At a collapsed mosque in Bangsal district, emergency workers in orange uniforms removed a woman's body from the ruins on Wednesday morning. A green and yellow dome rested on the pile of rubble, the only part of the structure still intact.

Authorities said all the tourists who wanted to be evacuated from three outlying vacation islands due to power blackouts and damage to hotels had left by boat, some 5,000 people in all.

The quake was the second in a week to hit Lombok. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake on 29 July killed 16 people and cracked and weakened many structures, amplifying the damage that occurred in Sunday's quake.

Like its famous neighbor Bali, Lombok is known for beaches, mountains and a lush interior. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 2,30,000 people in a dozen countries.
The UNHCR chief said the 'real solution' to the Rohingya issue is in Myanmar, calling for regional support to fight the root causes of Rakhine displacement.

United Nations: The United Nations refugee agency head has asked government representatives and business leaders from the Asia-Pacific region to offer more support and protection to over 700,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled violence and discrimination in Myanmar's Rakhine state since last year.

Since late August 2017, widespread and systematic violence against Myanmar's mainly Muslim minority Rohingya has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in Rakhine state for Bangladesh.

"I urge you to consider what support your governments could pledge in solidarity with Bangladesh until solutions are found for refugees," head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said, addressing ministers of 26 countries in Bali, Indonesia, at the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process. "We need also to work towards comprehensive solutions for the people of Rakhine State, so that they are not forced to move in the first place."

The Bali Process is a forum made up of 48 Governments and four international organizations  including UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime  which was set up to enable dialogue and discussion on issues relating to people-smuggling, human trafficking and related cross-border crime.

In March 2016, the Bali Declaration was adopted, highlighting the need for a comprehensive collective approach to resolve statelessness, invest in inclusive development, and expand safe pathways so that refugees and migrants would have legal alternatives to putting their lives at risk while on the move.

Prior to that, well over 2,00,000 Rohingya refugees were sheltering in vast, makeshift camps in Bangladesh as a result of earlier displacements.

In his address on Tuesday, Grandi urged governments to move "from consultation to action on the commitments they made" in the Declaration, asking them to consider how they could share Bangladesh's refugee burden.

"Could your Government support, for example, construction of hospitals in Bangladesh," he asked. "That will treat refugees but also improve the health care of local people? Can we conceive of development, trade, and migration-related measures to help the people and Government of Bangladesh shoulder the responsibility of hosting some 9,00,000 refugees, such as expanding guest worker quotas for Bangladeshis that would increase remittances, or reducing tariffs on garment exports from Bangladesh?"

The UNHCR chief also stressed that the "real solution" lies in Myanmar itself, and he appealed for regional support to address the root causes of displacement in Rakhine: for example, investing in infrastructure that connects communities instead of dividing them, and providing expertise on resolving statelessness and inter-communal conflict.

The High Commissioner also addressed business leaders of major corporations who attended the Conference as part of the Bali Process Government and Business Forum, a public-private partnership to expand legal labour migration and combat human trafficking.

"People forced to move can fall prey to modern slavery, adding the insult of exploitation to the injury of exile," he said, adding that "there are now, more than ever, opportunities for refugees in this region to contribute to their host communities".
German foreign minister Heiko Maas warned on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran could further destabilise the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.

Berlin: German foreign minister Heiko Maas warned on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran could further destabilise the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.

Trump brought back the punishing sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and Western powers to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions. "We still think that it is a mistake to give up on the nuclear accord with Iran," Maas said in an interview with the daily Passauer Neue Presse. "We are fighting for the deal because it also serves our purpose by bringing about security and transparency in the region."

Noting Iran's geographic proximity to Europe, Maas warned that "anyone who's hoping for regime change must not forget that whatever follows could bring us much bigger problems." "Isolating Iran could boost radical and fundamentalist forces," he said, adding that "chaos in Iran, as we have experienced in Iraq or Libya, would further destabilise an already troubled region." In a desperate bid to save the nuclear accord, European governments have pledged to do what they can to keep business links with Tehran.

Despite the political will to hold firm, many large European firms such as German automaker Daimler are leaving Iran for fear of US penalties.

The US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, welcomed the news. "We are pleased to see German businesses stopping their trade with Iran, complying with U S sanctions, and helping pressure the Iranian regime back to the table," he tweeted. "We stand together to stop Iran's malign activities."
Ola today announced it is planning to enter the UK, bringing a dynamic, responsible new service to the market. The company has obtained licenses to operate in South Wales and Greater Manchester and will launch operations in South Wales within the next month.

Hello UK ! Were Ola, an inclusive, driver-focused ride-hailing platform. We are expanding our service to South Wales this August.

Now registering drivers in Cardiff and Newport! Find out more: https://t.co/tde7CenkKg pic.twitter.com/dCICB3cn4h  Ola UK (@OlaInUK) August 7, 2018

The company claims that it is the only ride-hailing app in the UK providing options like PHVs and Black Cabs through one consumer-friendly platform. The company is working with local authorities across the UK to expand nationwide by end of 2018. Olas passenger safety features include DBS screened drivers, 24/7 voice support, options to share ride details with emergency contacts and in-app emergency features.

Back in February, Ola announced that it foraying into Australia where it now operates in seven major cities and over 40,000 drivers across Australia have registered since its launch in February and have completed millions of rides. Ola mentioned that it now conducts 1 billion rides each year globally, with more than 1 million drivers and 125 million customers in over 110 cities.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO of Ola, commented:

Ola is excited to announce its plans for the UK, one of the worlds most evolved transportation markets. The UK is a fantastic place to do business and we look forward to providing a responsible, compelling, new service that can help the country meet its ever demanding mobility needs. We look forward to our continued engagement with policymakers and regulators as we expand across the country and build a company embedded in the UK.

Source
HMD Global has released Android P Developer Preview 5 (Beta 4) V3.150 for the Nokia 7 Plus smartphone few weeks after the Preview 4 was released. The update brings back gesture support that was removed after the first beta.

Whats New New system navigation, settings menu and notifications

Adaptive Battery power prioritization for users most commonly used apps/ services

Adaptive and optimized brightness levels

Predictive Application Actions

Google Security Patch 2018-07

Last chance to help us perfect #Android #Pie before official release! Beta4 is now available for your #Nokia7Plus. As a special treat, weve integrated gestures! #Nokiamobilehttps://t.co/NnRjAgvYkF pic.twitter.com/1rXFoXqJHL  Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) August 8, 2018

The Nokia 7 Plus Android P Developer Preview 5 (Beta 4) V3.150 is 1.4GB in size and it still has Android security patch for July 2018. Since this is the final beta, we can expected the stable release sometime in September.
When it comes to saving for college, Americans have many possible choices. You can invest money in a brokerage account, save money in a checking, savings, or CD account, or you could even plan to use some of your retirement savings. However, there are two main savings vehicles specifically intended for college savings: the 529 savings plan and the Coverdell Education Savings Account, or Coverdell ESA.

Since these have some excellent tax benefits when funds are used for educational expenses, they are often the smartest way to save for college. However, many Americans have no idea how they work, or how to go about setting one up. With that in mind, here's a quick discussion of both account types and the pros and cons of each.

529 savings plans: High limits and potential tax benefits

529 plans technically come in two varieties: prepaid tuition plans and savings plans. However, prepaid tuition plans are becoming less and less popular and are only offered by a few states. So, we'll focus on 529 savings plans here.

529 savings plans are state-run. For example, South Carolina (where I live) has its own 529 savings plan, as do most other states. As far as investments go, 529 plans generally offer a variety of investment fund options, similar to a 401(k). There are usually some static investment options (meaning the investment focus stays the same), as well as some that adjust their asset allocations over time.

Both 529 savings plans and Coverdell ESAs are after-tax accounts, like Roth IRAs. This essentially means you don't get a current-year federal tax deduction for your contributions, but any qualifying withdrawals will be 100% tax free, and your investments will grow and compound tax-free while in the account.

Having said that, because of the state-operated nature of 529 savings plans, many states do offer a current-year state tax deduction for contributions. For example, South Carolina allows residents to deduct contributions to the state's plan, while some, like Arizona for example, allow residents a deduction for contributions to any state's 529.

On that note, it's important to mention that you don't necessarily have to contribute to your home state's 529 plan. So, if you're not particularly fond of the plan offered by your state, feel free to shop around.

A big advantage of 529 savings plans is that most have extremely high contribution limits. For example, the South Carolina Future Scholar 529 Savings Plan has a $426,000 contribution limit -- designed to be enough to cover a four-year college education at any school you can think of.

Coverdell ESA: Investment flexibility

A Coverdell Education Savings Account, or Coverdell ESA, is the other main option designed to help Americans save for college.

Unlike 529 savings plans, Coverdell ESAs are not state-run. You can open a Coverdell ESA through a broker of your choice.

The upside to this is that while a 529 savings plan is structured like a 401(k) when it comes to investment choices, a Coverdell ESA allows you to invest in virtually any stock, bond, or mutual fund you want. If you want to invest some of your kid's college fund in Disney stock, for example, a Coverdell ESA allows you to do it.

On the downside, this means Coverdell ESAs don't qualify for state tax benefits like many 529 savings plans do. To be clear, they get the same tax-advantaged treatment as 529s on the federal level, but your state isn't going to let you write off Coverdell contributions. If you live in a state that offers deductions for 529 contributions, this can be a big difference.

Another big downside of using a Coverdell ESA is the contribution limit. Coverdell contributions are limited to $2,000 per year. And this isn't a per-account limit, it's per-beneficiary. In other words, even if you, your parents, and an aunt or uncle all open Coverdell ESAs for your child, the combined annual contributions to all accounts can't exceed $2,000. If your goal is to pay for four years of college in full, a Coverdell is unlikely to get you there all by itself.

Tax reform took away a key advantage of the Coverdell ESA

One of the biggest advantages of using a Coverdell ESA to save for education is that you aren't limited to just college. Coverdell funds can be used to pay for qualified educational expenses at any level -- in other words, if you sent your child to a private high school, you could use money from a Coverdell to help pay for it.

Well, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has leveled the playing field. According to the bill, and to recently released guidance from the IRS, 529 plan distributions can now be used to pay as much as $10,000 in elementary or secondary school tuition per year, per beneficiary.

In a nutshell, the two key advantages of a Coverdell ESA have historically been the investment flexibility and the ability to use funds at other educational levels beside college. Now that 529 plans have higher contribution limits, potential state tax benefits, and more flexible uses of funds, it's tougher to make the case in favor of a Coverdell.

Why I chose a 529 for my kids (and you probably should, too)

I'm generally a fan of 529 savings plans over Coverdell ESAs, and in full disclosure, I use 529s to save for my children's educations. The first reason I do so is because I want to be able to set aside more than $2,000 per year -- especially while they are young and time is on their side. It has been estimated that public college could cost more than $50,000 per year by the time my infant son gets there. Even if my investments perform phenomenally well, I'm unlikely to accumulate nearly enough in a Coverdell alone.

In addition, I live in a state (South Carolina) that gives a state income tax deduction for 529 savings plan contributions, and this has saved my wife and I hundreds of dollars since we started setting money aside.

It's important to note that you can use both a 529 savings plan and a Coverdell ESA if you want. If you're set on putting some of your kid's college savings in, say, Apple stock, a Coverdell can allow you to do it, but I don't find it necessary in this case. Don't get me wrong -- given the choice, I love investment flexibility. For example, I've rolled over 401(k) accounts from previous employers into IRAs just so I could buy some individual stocks with the money. However, in a Coverdell, my investments would have to significantly outperform the market to justify giving up the state tax advantages.

Simply put, a 529 savings plan makes a lot more sense in my situation, as well as for most other American college-savers.
Executive Care Eyes D.C. Metro for Expansion

Home health care company serves seniors, disabled and recovering individuals.

August 08, 2018 // Franchising.com // HACKENSACK, N.J. - With an aging population that requires help with daily activities or with managing health, in-home care has become a popular solution. Looking to help manage the rising demand for such services, Executive Care, one of the nations leading providers of skilled home health care, is targeting the nations capital for expansion.

With one territory signed for Richmond, Virginia, company executives state an aggressive growth strategy is underway in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Major metropolitan areas are key to this strategy, including Washington D.C., Alexandria, and Baltimore.

According to Todd Leonard, Vice President of Franchise Development, there are several interested franchisee prospects, with executives stating they are confident they will officially enter the marketplace in the next 24 months. Over the next several years, executives plan to add a total of 10 offices in the region.

Our mission is to provide compassionate, quality home care services to our clients so that they can remain safe and independent in the comfort of their own home, amidst their personal treasures and familiar surroundings, said Leonard. As we continuously strive to be the provider of choice for exceptional in-home care services in all the communities we serve, we look forward to bringing those same services to residents of Washington D.C. and surrounding areas.

Founded in 2004, Executive Care provides a full range of medical and non-medical home care services for individuals and families to help them remain independent and stay in their home. Services range from companionship and help with meal preparation and household chores to help with bathing, personal hygiene and personal care. Executive Care also serves individuals recovering from illness, injury or surgery.

To guarantee the highest quality, Executive Care requires all prospective caregivers to undergo an intensive pre-employment screening process, including a criminal background investigation, verification of references and an employment history check. All caregivers are insured, experienced and undergo skills tests and continuing education training. Registered nurses closely supervise and monitor all staff, conducting periodic evaluation assessments.

Our focus and commitment passes down to each and every client and their family to make their in-home care experience easier, added Leonard. We carry our name with pride  our friendly and dedicated staff of home care nurses and caregivers provides an Executive treatment to our clients.

Today, there are 21 Executive Care offices open and operating in 11 states with several additional locations in various stages of development throughout the country. The brand plans to open an additional eight to ten locations by the end of the year.

Including a franchise fee (for a territory with a population of 500,000 residents) of $44,900, initial investment to own and operate an Executive Care office ranges between $99,650 and $169,900. The franchise fee for a second territory is reduced to $35,900 and $26,900 for a third territory.

About Executive Care

Founded in 2004 and based in Hackensack, NJ, Executive Care is a full-service home health care company serving seniors, disabled and recovering individuals. The company also provides staffing in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. Recently ranked #264 in Entrepreneur magazines Annual Franchise 500, Executive Care continues to expand its national footprint with several locations in various stages of development in NJ, VA, CT, WA, CA and PA. For more information, visit http://executivehomecare.com/

Contact:

Cami Fannin

Franchise Elevator PR

(847) 239-8169

cfannin@franchiseelevator.com

SOURCE Executive Care

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Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Clear and windy. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Clear and windy. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
A poker pro who reached the final tables of two LAPT events is fighting for his life after being shot in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Steven Thompson was shot three times late Monday night while walking in the Leon XIII, San Jose Province, Tibas. Emergency services found the player lying in the road, where he immediately received first aid and was transferred by ambulance. Police collected evidence from the scene of the attack.

Sources tell Gambling911.com Thompson owes in the area of $100,000 in gambling debts to local loan sharks at the time of the shooting. Police have not yet identified the culprits.



Steven Thompson fights for his life

Thompson has won $328,487 life time and ranks 7th on Costa Ricas all time money list.

He is known for his partying lifestyle, which included hard drugs and alcohol.

Thompson told ESPN he was working to clean his life up.

"Today I'm getting ahead of many things that are not good, paying debts and how I'm moving forward and I feel strong and healthy."

Costa Rica is a peaceful Central American nation where many poker players relocated following a series of law enforcement actions against online poker sites targeting US citizens in 2011. Certain neighborhoods in the capital of San Jose are known to be dangerous at night.

Costa Rica is also the second largest online gambling hub after the Mediterranean island nation of Malta.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
After ten years from the 2008 war, borderization continues - GeorgianJournal
Nokia 6.1 Plus India launch likely pegged for August 21; invites are out News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Nokia is going to launch something big in India later this month.

Nokia 6.1 Plus is the global variant of the Nokia X6, which went official in China in May. Now, it looks like this smartphone will be launched in India on August 21. HMD Global, the Nokia licensee has sent out media invites for an event to happen on the specified date but there is no word on the product that is to be launched at the event.

Invite sent by HMD

As per the invite sent by HMD Global, the company will host an event on August 21 in New Delhi at 11:30 AM. As mentioned above, though there is no word on the device to be launched, it looks like it will be the Nokia 6.1 Plus.

This isn't surprising as the company has been teasing the launch of a smartphone in India. And, it is expected that it could be the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Notably, the official Nokia India website had listed the Nokia 6.1 Plus revealing the SAR details hinting at its imminent launch.

At the launch event to happen later this month, it looks like Nokia 6.1 Plus will be accompanied by the Nokia 5.1 Plus, the global variant of Nokia X5. However, we are yet to come across an official confirmation regarding the same.

Nokia 6.1 Plus specifications

Nokia 6.1 Plus aka Nokia X6 is the first smartphone from the company to sport a display notch. The device bestows 5.8-inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels, an aspect ratio of 19:9 and a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 coating. Under its hood, the smartphone makes use of an octa-core Snapdragon 636 SoC paired with 4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB default storage space, which can be expanded further using a microSD card.

The imaging department comprises of a dual-camera setup including a 16MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor along with LED flash and f/2.0 aperture. The selfie camera is a 16MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture, AI capabilities for depth of field effect, portrait lighting and more, HDR and Bothie effect. The smartphone also supports Face Unlock that has become a trend nowadays.

On the connectivity front, Nokia 6.1 Plus is packed with features such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack. The device gets the power from a 3060mAh battery. Notably, it is an Android One smartphone and will receive the Android 9 Pie update this fall.

Expected price in India

The Nokia 6.1 Plus price in India will be announced at the launch event later this month. However, the smartphone is expected to be priced around Rs. 20,000.

Best Mobiles in India

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Vodafone introduces Door-Step delivery for new connections News oi-Karan Vodafone has introduced a new door-step delivery for new connections. Now order your new SIM without visiting any physical store.

Vodafone has once again come up with a new "Order a Postpaid SIM in just a minute". This a new three-step procedure plan to register for a new Postpaid SIM where you need not have to go physically to any Vodafone store to submit your documents or receiving your new SIM.

Under this new plan, you can avail unlimited calls and data, you can also choose your own number as per your wish. Moreover, if you are looking to port your number then that is also available under this plan.

If you are worried about where you will get the SIM then let us tell you that the SIM will be delivered to your doorstep and you need not have to visit and store. Moreover, you needn't have to worry about the physical documentation. As everything is digitalised so no xerox game at all.

Vodafone has taken this initiative to increase their customer base in the postpaid sector, and what else would be a great option than all these mentioned above.

How to apply for Vodafone Postpaid SIM

For a new SIM, you have to follow three simple steps. First, you have to visit the https://shop.vodafone.in/shop/new-connection/request-postpaid-sim-connection-online.jsp this website and then click on Get a new Post Paid Number.

After clicking the option you will see a window where you have to fill in your basic details like Name, contact number, E-mail ID and location. Once you are done with all this you have to click the Proceed button which will redirect you to a page where you have to choose a plan. Choose your plan wisely before moving further.

Basically, you have four plans and all the plans come under the Vodafone RED plan. The first one is Rs 299 per month plan which will offer you 20GB of data and 50Gb of Rollover data. In case you don't know, Rollover data is the data which remains unused by the end of the month that remaining data can is add on to you next month data. Along with all these, you have unlimited local and STD calling facilities also.

Second on is Rs 399 per month in which you will get 40GB data with 200GB of Rollover data, along with unlimited STD and local calls. Third is Rs 499 plan which offers 75GB of data with 200GB of Rollover data, along with unlimited STD and local calls. And the last one is Rs 1299 with 100GB data with 200GB of Rollover data, along with unlimited STD and local calls and 100 ISD minutes.

Extra benefits

Do note that all the four plans come with extra benefits. The Rs 299 plan comes with the free benefit of worth Rs 499 which you give access to Vodafone Play. Rs 399 plan comes with the free benefit of worth Rs 1498 which you give access to Vodafone Play, Amazon Prime and Red Hot Deals. Rs 499 plan comes with the free benefit of worth Rs 4498 which you give access to Vodafone Play, Amazon Prime, Mobile Shield and Red Hot Deals. The last plan will offer you access to Vodafone Play, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Mobile Shield and Red Hot Deals.

After choosing the plan you will head to a window which will show you a series of numbers from where you can choose. Once you are done with choosing the number, you have to put the pin code where you want to get the SIM delivered.

After that, you have to fill in some more details like address and the date of delivery. Once you are done with all these you need to hit the "Get it delivered" button and you are all set to go.

Best Mobiles in India
Pain of Genocide Defines Nineveh Plains for Assyrians

Assyrian homeland in north Iraq. The evil of attempting to annihilate an entire people group because of who they are generates long-lasting consequences. For Iraq's Christians, the horrific pain of genocide has repeated time and time again. Over 80 years ago, the term "genocide" was coined because of the mass slaughter of Iraq's Christians. But it took ISIS militants sweeping across the Nineveh Plains in 2014 for the depth of Christian persecution in Iraq to gain recognition on the world stage. Sadly, today (August 7) marks the anniversary of both genocides. Dr. Raphael Lemkin would not coin the word "genocide" until almost a decade later, but it was the 1933 Simmele (????) Massacre which disturbed him so much that he would make raising awareness about genocide his life's work. The massacre occurred near Dohuk, in northern Iraq, and left more than 3,000 Christians of all ages killed in the most horrific manner. It was reported that some of the bodies were burned on the pages of Bibles. It is because of this genocide that many Iraqi Christians commemorate August 7 as a day of mourning. They never expected that on the same day in 2014, they would become the victims of yet another genocide.

"We did never expect displacement," said Yusuf. Originally from Qaraqosh, Yusuf now lives 70 kilometers away, in a building never intended to be a place of residence. He lives with his wife, whose name translates to hope, and his two disabled adult daughters. Although Qaraqosh was liberated nearly two years ago, Yusuf and his family will never return home. The grief they bear as victims of genocide is too much. "Whenever I am there, even if the house is clean, psychologically I feel uncomfortable. Life is like it had turned into something bad... I am having psychological problems whenever I remember those incidents. We are alive, but we cannot enjoy life again," Yusuf told ICC. As he reflects back on the day of his displacement, the emotions are mixed with despair and frustration. "We were sure that we would come back very soon, we were not expecting that to happen... We didn't take anything with us, just our clothes. The daughters needed diapers, so we took a few diapers for them, and that was all... we could not live well (because of the special needs)." Like many displaced families, they were constantly searching for housing, a situation made more complex because of their daughters' disabilities. One would eventually fall from a height of five meters, causing her to lose her eye. "I feel like I am in a nightmare. It is a disaster as bad things are happening to us all the time," said Yusuf. Yusuf's experience speaks to the challenges that many of Iraq's Christians currently face. On-the-ground sources estimate that up to half of the Christians who fled ISIS's genocide have not returned home. The psychological and financial strain is a significant barrier, as well as the unstable security situation in the Nineveh Plains. Sadly, because this isn't the first wave of targeted violence that Iraq's Christians have experienced, some have accepted that displacement is a routine part of life. Milad, a farmer from Qaraqosh, explained to ICC, "I took the displacement easy, but my family didn't. Actually, ISIS's attack was the third time I lost my home." With so many displacements under his belt, he has grown accustomed to restarting his life from scratch. He pursues rebuilding his life with a resilient focus that comes from years of experience. Determination to restore their homeland is also a significant driver for those who have returned home. Weary of being targeted, one believer left Iraq with his family shortly after being displaced from Qaraqosh. He shared, "[But] alienation was too hard for me and my wife from the first day. My wife told me that she would rather have just water and bread in Iraq than immigrating. Also, there was a school allocated for Iraqi students in Jordan where we lived for three months and whenever students sang the Iraqi anthem in that school my wife started crying. So, we went back to Iraq [in] February 2015." He was determined that he "would be in Qaraqosh again, just if there was water and electricity. We will build the city again." He would become the first business to reopen on Qaraqosh's main street, which gave confidence for many others to return. Today, it is estimated that approximately 30,000 Christians have returned to Qaraqosh even though many basic public services remain nonexistent. It is no small task to return to a homeland where so many Christians have suffered through decades of targeted violence because of their faith. As these three stories show, a mixture of pain, resilience, and determination exist among Iraq's Christians. Sadly, it took a genocide in 2014 for the world to hear the cry of Iraq's Christians, even though they had been crying out for years. If history has taught us one thing, it's that we shouldn't celebrate the military defeat of ISIS too early. The road to end the cycle of genocide against Christians in Iraq has yet to truly be traveled.
GREENWICH  A small group of town residents gathered to ask Dallas trauma surgeon Dr. Brian H. Williams tough questions about interracial relations at the Nantucket Project house.

Williams treated three of the five police officers who later died after a gunman ambushed law enforcement in Dallas in July 2016. He brought his experience as a black man and a doctor who supports law enforcement to the national discussion about police brutality after his comments in a CNN press conference after the Dallas shootings went viral.

Now, he applies the Hippocratic oath he took to heal the sick to a different illness: police violence in minority communities.

The intimate Q&A held Tuesday night was an episode of the neighborhood project: an effort by the Nantucket Project organization, which hosts an annual conference of ideas, to localize national discussions through special programming at its satellite locations.

Bruce Bond, co-founder and president of Common Ground Committee, a nonpartisan nonprofit, moderated the frank exploration of the state of American race relations at the satellite house on Mason Street. The committee, based in Wilton, co-hosted and funded the discussion.

Attendee Betsy OReilly asked Williams to describe the initial feedback he received after the CNN press conference.

Williams said the texts, emails, phone calls and boxes of letters were overwhelmingly positive, but he also heard extremely negative opinions. The harshest comments stung the most, he said, quoting anti-black sentiments (You shouldnt care for white people or police officers) and anti-police ones (Im glad you let those police officers die).

Theyre so committed to their racial beliefs or their beliefs about law enforcement that they cant see the humanity in these people, Williams said.

His activism has helped Williams to recover from the trauma he experienced trying to save the officers lives. Now, he hosts a radio show and a blog, contributes op-eds to The Dallas Morning News, donates to nonprofits and travels the country on speaking tours.

Im figuring this out as I go, Williams said. I could not tell you a very coherent plan, but I just didnt retreat.

He is also the chairman of his citys Citizens Police Review Board, which aims to improve the relationship between the community and the police department. Ongoing violence has forced officers to confront their implicit biases while policing, he said.

Bond asked Williams to explain implicit bias and what the audience can learn from the concept.

Implicit bias is a subconscious preference for one race, the doctor said. The concept can help people come to terms with their biases without letting them take on racist intent. To gauge bias, Williams recommended taking Harvard Universitys Project Implicit race test, which is available online at implicit.harvard.edu.

If theres one thing to take from this meeting, its to take that test, he said.

Attendee Gretchen Bylow asked how Greenwich parents can develop conversations about race when, she said, said her sons go to a predominately white school and do not have much exposure to diversity in town.

You see people constantly talking about diversity, but its not their day-to-day experience, she said. In a town like Greenwich, which is mostly white and affluent, what do you think we should do to raise kids the right way so they can have those conversations?

Williams said he and his wife had the same dilemma in choosing the best school for their 7-year-old daughter. She was at an overwhelmingly white school, but they made the decision to transfer her to a more diverse one, he said.

As a parent of a child of color, who has the means to let her go to a majority white school, Ive decided I want her to go to a different school for the social aspects that I think will be important to her growing up, he said.

One woman said that when she was in college, the administration encouraged students from different ethnic backgrounds to socialize. Those concerted efforts led to what she called fireside chats in some dormitories.

She remembered that a few students of color said they preferred sitting with other students like them, and asked Williams what students of a racial majority should do to respect that desire while still remaining inclusive.

Williams opened her question to the floor.

Youve just got to take the risk, Khaitsa Wasiyo said.  Ive been through that same experience. Some kids just want to sit together and catch up on things, but this is a human conversation.

Wasiyo, who is Ugandan, said tensions flare in her country between ethnic and language groups, but she said she first encountered the white-black racial divide in America. When she lived in Japan, she said that she felt more in common with internationals of different races because everyone was Gai-Jin, or foreigner.

Those experiences taught her to be open, she told the audience. The key for anybody trying to be inclusive through conversation is to focus on individual discussions, Wasiyo said.

After Bond concluded the official Q&A with Williams, smaller conversations proliferated. One attendee, Claude Johnson, said the doctor is a courageous and remarkable man.

Johnson emphasized the importance of leaving aside associations when meeting people who have a different racial background or gender.

Dont be a prisoner of your definitions, he said.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  Jonathan Mills, convicted of murdering four people in Guilford in 2000, is likely one of five people  three of them prison inmates  seeking reward money for aiding the states case against serial killer William Devin Howell, according to a New Haven Register source.

Howell killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 and is serving six consecutive life terms in prison. Mills, who was convicted in 2004 in four murders, shared a cell with Howell. Mills used their conversations to draw a map for police showing where the bodies of some of Howells victims were located.

Several months ago, a source in Superior Court in New Haven told the Register that Mills was interested in collecting some of the $150,000 reward money from the state. Three $50,000 rewards had been offered.

New Britain States Attorney Brian Preleski has filed a motion for equitable apportionment of reward. A court hearing will be held to consider the issue.

Preleski wants to keep the names of the five claimants secret because he believes releasing those names could jeopardize their safety. But news media reports have already identified Mills as the source who told police that the bodies of Howells victims were buried in a wooded area behind a shopping mall in New Britain.

Howell was arrested in September 2015 in those slayings. But that year, he already was serving a 15-year sentence in the killing of Nilsa Arizmendi. He was convicted in that case in 2005.

His other victims were Joyvaline Martinez, Mary Jane Menard, Danny Lee Whistnant, Diane Cusack, Melanie Camilini and Marilyn Mendez Gonzalez.

Howell received the six life sentences last November after pleading guilty to six counts of murder.

Mills was sentenced to life in prison in January 2005 for killing Mindy Leigh, Katherine Kleinkauf and Kleinkaufs two children, Rachael Crum, 6, and Kyle Redway, 4.

Mills strangled Leigh after they allegedly had an argument. He stabbed the other three victims after they woke up while he went to steal Kleinkaufs ATM card to get cash for drugs.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com
The following editorial appeared in Wednesday's Yomiuri Shimbun:

Will the United States' merely increasing sanctions pressure on Iran lead to the stability of the Middle East?

The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump must respond prudently, so as not to cause any unexpected developments or turmoil in the world economy.

The United States has reimposed certain economic sanctions against Iran, prohibiting transactions with Iran's automotive and related sectors - the country's key industry - and in such areas as steel and aluminum.

Companies in third-party countries that fail to comply with U.S. sanctions will be subject to such penalties as being expelled from the U.S. market or slapped with fines.

Trump issued a statement emphasizing that the United States will continue applying maximum economic pressure on Iran and that he will remain open to reaching a more comprehensive deal that addresses Iran's activities, including its ballistic missile development and its support for terrorism.

He probably intends to pressure Iran to make concessions, as he did to realize the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit, by intensifying pressure on Pyongyang. In July, he even proposed direct talks with Iran.

The problem is that Trump's policy toward Iran is devoid of proper strategy and he clearly seems to be aiming to impress voters with his hard-line posture ahead of the midterm elections in November.

In the 2015 nuclear accord, the United States and European countries lifted their economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for limitations on Iran's nuclear program. Trump decided to withdraw from the accord, which the previous administration viewed as one of its achievements, and he reimposed the sanctions following a 90-day grace period.

On Nov. 5, the United States plans to resume all remaining sanctions on Iran, including those targeting crude oil-related transactions and the financial sector. Should the crude oil supply stagnate from Iran, one of the world's leading oil producers, it will inevitably have an adverse impact on the economy, such as steep rises in crude oil prices.

Britain, France and Germany have indicated their policy of protecting European companies that have expanded into Iran. China, Russia and India are also highly likely to continue their trading with Iran.

As long as the nuclear accord has been functioning effectively in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, the United States will not be able to win wide support from other countries for its measures.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asserted that the United States should call for a dialogue only after the country suspends its sanctions on Tehran. His moderate policies aimed at reconciliation with other countries and attracting foreign investments will undoubtedly be imperiled further. Already the decline in the value of

Iran's rial currency and the rise in commodity prices have become serious.

It is worrisome that Iran recently held military drills near the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf, while the country has hinted at blockading the strait.

Most of the crude oil produced in the Middle East passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and is then transported to foreign countries, including Japan. Both the United States and Iran have to avoid a head-on conflict and ease tensions.

The Japanese government has taken the stance that sanctions should not have an adverse impact on the activities of Japanese companies. While cooperating with countries concerned, Japan should continue calling on the United States to exempt it from the sanctions, so Japan can continue importing crude oil from Iran.
Burger King is all set to come to Havre, with ground-breaking for construction happening next week, Meridian Restaurants Marketing Director Vy Trinh said Tuesday.

Havre Public Works Director Dave Peterson said the building permit request was submitted Monday and the city will be issuing the company a building permit soon so it can begin construction.

Meridian Director of Construction Jason Wolff said he had received the information about the permit Tuesday and is working to align the contractor.

Meridian Restaurants is based out of South Ogden, Utah, and is franchise owner of Burger King, El Pollo and Chilis restaurants.

Peterson said he was unsure when the company had purchased the property, the lot between West Fifth and Sixth avenues south of First Street West, but the city had received plans last week for the project. The company had been in contact with the city before that asking questions, he said.

Wolff said the building will be 4,600 square feet and will include state-of-the-art equipment. He added that the building will be made with the latest and greatest Burger King design with a significant play area.

The design is a combination of corporate guidelines and private design, Wolff said, adding that Meridian Restaurants has built many Burger Kings.

Wolff said it is too early to tell when the grand opening will be. He added projects of this size generally take 100 days to build.

Trinh said she is hopeful that the construction will start next week and finish within 90 days.

The Burger King will be the newest building in town with a very modern look, Trinh said. It will have a play area for the kids with digital games and two or three automatic kiosks where customers can order their food themselves and customize their meals, she said.

The play area will be one part of the restaurant the company will be proudest of, she said, with a completely updated area for kids with touch-screens booths for kids to play games and a touch-screen table for kids to play with.

Trinh said the Burger King will have 50 to 70 team-member positions with the total of 60 to 80 job opportunities brought to Havre.

We love Montana, Trinh said, adding that the company has been planning to build in Havre for a long time, and this project is part of the companys 2018 development plan.

The company had looked into the demographic the size of the town, Trinh said, and Havre had good potential to Burger King to do business.

She said that last week the company had done $3.3 million in sales and is very excited to bring Havre into the company.

Meridian Restaurants has 114 restaurants in 11 different states with 22 restaurants already in Montana, Trinh said.

Havre City Council member Ed Matter said that any time a business comes to Havre it is excellent. He said the company may have some problems hiring the amount of staff that they are planning on, like many other businesses in Havre do, but he wished the company good luck.

Council member Caleb Hutchins said that, as a member of the community, having the new business is great.

I think its great and Im happy that they thought Havre was a place to come and add a new business to, and I think thats wonderful, Hutchins said.

I am skeptical that Havres economy is going to be greatly sustained by a bunch of national chain businesses, he added. I think the strongest parts of Havres economy are the locally owned businesses and properties and industries. Like the breweries or the local hardware store or the locally owned restaurants that are not part of national chains.

I think its great that Burger King is here and I think its great that they are adding more entry level jobs in Havre, but thats not the kind of thing that makes and breaks a community like Havre, he said. Its locally owned businesses that have a bigger impact on our economy, on our culture, in my opinion.

Council member Karen Swenson said she thinks Burger King coming is wonderful. Any new business is an asset to the community, she added. She said that with the other businesses leaving  Herbergers, Sears and Kmart  it is good to have some entry level jobs coming to town.

Council member Lindsey Ratliff said it is exciting to have a new food option available in Havre.

Council member Sarah McKinney said the new business was very exciting and it is a positive thing to see a company believe Havre has potential. She added that it is great to see job creation, and if Burger King can really bring 60 to 80 new jobs to Havre it is very exciting.
Judge sentences Cole-Hodgkinson to six days, fines $1,500 and bars from practice in justice court for one year

Former Hill County Attorney Jessica Cole-Hodgkinson is sworn in during a contempt of court hearing in Hill County Justice Court. Judge Audrey Barger found Cole-Hodgkinson guilty of three counts of contempt.

After a year-and-a-half of complaints about her work, former Hill County Attorney Jessica Cole-Hodgkinson suffered legal consequences Tuesday.

Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger found Cole-Hodgkinson guilty of three counts of criminal contempt, sentencing her to six days of house arrest and fining her $1,500 for not having an attorney capable of representing the state appear in three different criminal cases.

She told Cole-Hodgkinson she wanted her to understand how harmful it is if no one representing the state appears in court.

"You need to understand that," Barger said after imposing the sentence. "And I hope you do."

She said Cole-Hodgkinson can request a review of her findings in a higher court, the district judge can determine if she believes Barger made any legal errors.

"I tried the best I can," Barger said. "I am just a judge who is trying to maintain the dignity of my court. ... You are welcome to file a writ of review with the district court judge, and if he doesn't believe that I followed the law he can let me know."

Cole-Hodkginson, who was in Barger's court for the second time facing a contempt charge, indicated she would request a review of Barger's findings.

"I do respectfully disagree with you on the law," she said, and requested a stay on the penalties pending review.

Barger delayed the sentence for 30 days to give Cole-Hodgkinson a chance to file for review of the findings in District Court.

Citing Montana law that authorized her to impose fines up to $500 and sentences of up to 30 days for each count of contempt, Barger fined Cole-Hodgkinson $500 for each count and sentenced her to one day for the first count, two days for the second and three for the third, to run consecutively.

Citing testimony by Hill County Sheriff Jamieson Ross that Cole-Hodgkinson's safety might be in danger if she were sent to the county jail, due to people prosecuted by the county attorney's office being in the jail, and the costs of sending her to a jail in a different county, Barger ordered Cole-Hodgkinson serve the time under house arrest, and to wear a monitoring bracelet at her own expense.

Noting that only the Montana Supreme Court has the authority over revocation or suspension of licenses held by attorney in the state, Barger said she does have jurisdiction over proceedings in her court.

"Therefore, I am going to preclude you from practicing law in this court for one year unless you are self-representing yourself," Barger said.

Barger filed orders July 25 ordering Cole-Hodgkinson to show why she had failed to appear or find an attorney who could represent the state in three cases in which then-Hill County Deputy Attorney Karen Alley had conflicts and could not prosecute.

While stating the facts of the case, Barger said that during the hearings July 16, Alley told the court she had advised Cole-Hodgkinson of the conflicts and she had not responded to communications via text, email and telephone.

July 26, Cole-Hodkginson submitted her resignation effective at 8 a.m. July 30.

The Hill County Commission appointed Alley, the sole deputy in the county attorney's office, as the county attorney July 30.

Alley had won the Democratic primary race to take the position next January and is unopposed in the general election.

State District Judge Dan Boucher had set hearings for last Thursday in which Cole-Hodgkinson was to explain why she had not filed required written judgments on sentences imposed in seven cases.

After Cole-Hodgkinson provided the judgments July 30, along with a letter saying personal problems had interfered with her work and that she had resigned, Boucher vacated those hearings.

During Tuesday's hearings, Cole-Hodgkinson said the issue was that she had to go to Great Falls and Missoula to get care for her dog, which was having seizures and going into cardiac arrest.

"It was extremely serious. ... He is a service dog. He is (more important to) my life than a companion," she said.

Problems in the courts

Cole-Hodgkinson's problems in court proceedings started before she came to Hill County.

In one case, in 2014 while she was a Lake County deputy attorney, a district judge threw out a felony charge alleging a man had attacked a jailer, saying Cole-Hodgkinson had taken too long - 18 days - to file the charges after the suspect made his initial appearance.

Judge James Manley said guidelines require charges to be filed within 10 days under Montana's reasonable amount of time requirement.

The reasons Cole-Hodgksinson gave for the delay - waiting on medical records and information from law enforcement officers - were not justified and also hard to believe, Manley said.

Cole-Hodgkinson was appointed Hill County attorney in Nov. 25, 2016, to take the place of Gina Dahl, who left office to take a position in Billings.

Complaints started shortly after she took office.

After Cole-Hodgkinson said in an interview early last year that she was working to deal with a huge caseload, an employee in the county attorney's office wrote a letter to the editor in March 2017 saying Cole-Hodgkinson had hardly been in Havre, spending most of her time closing out her practice in Missoula.

Also in March 2017, Cole-Hodgkinson had a felony assault charge dismissed because she said she lost contact with the victim.

The victim, who said she was prepared to testify but had not been contacted by Cole-Hodgkinson, then filed a $1 million lawsuit against the county alleging gross incompetence led to the dismissal.

Boucher later dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the lawsuit lacked factual basis and the county attorney is immune from civil liability in performing her duties.

The state Attorney General's Office refiled and prosecuted the charges in the case that had been dismissed, to which the defendant plead guilty and was sentenced to seven years.

March 20, 2017, Cole-Hodgkinson appeared before Barger to explain why she had not appeared at a trial in Justice Court, leading to charges in that case being dismissed.

Cole-Hodgkinson said the paperwork was misfiled and the trial not put on the calendar.

Barger told the county attorney to improve the workings of her office and its communications with attorneys and other branches of local government, but did not find her in contempt at that hearing.

Another felony case was dismissed in April when no one from the county attorney's office showed up for a hearing. Cole-Hodgkinson said the parties had reached a plea agreement.

No agreement was filed with the court, and Boucher dismissed the assault charges.

In September 2017, three felony assault cases that were on the docket for trial in District Court in Havre were dismissed when Cole-Hodgkinson said she was unprepared to proceed with the prosecutions.

She was prepared to prosecute the fourth case on the docket that day.

Issues have continued this year, with people complaining Cole-Hodgkinson has failed to file charges against suspects, failed to appear at hearings, and Boucher ruling in one felony case that the Hill County Attorney's office could not prosecute a case because Alley had previously served as public defender for the defendant.

Failing to appear

During Tuesday's hearing, Barger said that in the cases in the July 16 hearings, Alley reported that she had conflicts and could not represent the state, but Cole-Hodgkinson had not responded to texts, emails and telephone calls asking her to find an attorney who could appear for the prosecution.

Barger dismissed two of the cases, with the third agreeing to allow Alley to represent the state in that hearing.

Barger then issued orders July 25 ordering Cole-Hodkginson to appear and explain why the state was not represented.

Barger said she received a letter from Cole-Hodkginson July 30, the date of her resignation, saying she did not know a conflict existed and serious personal issues had taken her out of town at that time. She wrote that she had resigned from her position, and requested Barger vacate the hearing, or, because she planned to be out of Montana on that date, to reschedule the hearing or allow her to appear by telephone.

Barger said she ruled the letter was a motion and denied it based on facts personally witnessed by the court.

"Miss Cole-Hodgkinson's excuse that she was unaware of Deputy Allen's conflicts or that she needed her assistance was not credible to the court based upon the records of the hearings the court has before it," Barger said. " ... As the county attorney you should have known about these hearings and you should have known about these conflicts. There is only one other attorney available, and it was your responsibility to know about these hearings and these conflicts."

Cole-Hodgkinson spent nearly an hour during the hearing putting her objections to the proceeding and her reasons for not appearing at the hearings on the record. She made several objections about the proceedings, including that Barger was holding it as a summary hearing without requiring witnesses or evidence based upon what Barger had witnessed herself in the court.

Cole-Hodgkinson said she relied upon Alley to keep her notified of what was needed in Justice Court, and if she had known she would have made arrangements. At one point, however, she said that even if she had known she might have given her dog's treatment priority because she did not have a choice.

Cole-Hodgkinson said she had tried to efficiently use the resources of her office, and that included Alley notifying her of conflicts.

Cole-Hodgkinson spent some 20 minutes reading texts and emails she had had with the people in her office, saying it showed she communicated extensively with them.

Barger said the records of the hearings do not show claims that Cole-Hodgkinson did not communicate with the office, but that she did not respond to communications about Alley's conflicts.

Cole-Hodgkinson responded that the last communication she had had from Alley was June 16, the date of the hearings, which she had said did not indicate a conflict.

Cole-Hodgkinson said the problem was she was trying to effectively use her staff members and she expected everyone in the office to "be a grownup and be responsible for their own actions. Clearly, that's bit me in the butt a few times."

She said when she does not have the support she needs, the job is not worth it.

"So I made the decision to step away," Cole-Hodgkinson said.

Barger said that, especially with only two attorneys in the office, Cole-Hodgkinson should have been checking the dockets and cases to know what the issues were.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch

"You had indicated that you believe your staff should be grown up and responsible for their actions," Barger said. "I believe you should be, too. It's not reasonable to the court that you just not know because you should know."

Barger said she understands that issues came up that had put a lot on Cole-Hodgkinson's plate, but perhaps she should have better-evaluated the situation.

"That was a decision that you made, to continue in that job. I didn't make that decision," Barger said. "And if you were in that much trouble, maybe you should have resigned at that time. Because of that, you end up committing contempt in common scheme, just one right after another, because you weren't able to take care of the state's appearance in court."
Press release

HELENA  Agriculture businesses and organizations throughout Montana will have the opportunity to learn more about the Growth Through Agriculture program through an upcoming How to Apply for a GTA Grant webinar. The webinar will be held at 9 a.m. Aug. 16, and people interested in participating can access the webinar at https://rtchelena.mt.gov/meet/anelson/YDG8BVZN/.

Some past projects funded by the GTA Program include Farver Farms of Scobey, who received assistance to expand their products which take wheat and lentils from their farm to create mixes for healthy soups, salads and a lentil brownie mix. Windrift Hill of Conrad received assistance with the expansion of their goat milk-based soap, lotion and skin care line of products and also created 6 jobs.

The GTA program was established by the legislature to strengthen and diversify Montanas agriculture industry by developing new agricultural products and processes. GTA grants and loans are awarded by the Agriculture Development Council, a seven member committee appointed by the governor. More information, including a list of past projects can be found at https://agr.mt.gov/Growth-Through-Agriculture/.

The Montana Department of Agricultures mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit http://www.agr.mt.gov/.
A great culture promotes openness, inclusion, belonging, enables change and demands acceptable standards of behaviour.

The question is: Is HR doing enough to create cultures that prevent these scandals in the first place? Maybe not.

Jessica Ciccozzi, general manager people and capability, QinetiQ Pty Ltd, added that she is acutely aware that employees dont always feel comfortable stepping forward to raise workplace harassment concerns.

The #MeToo campaign provided us with a valuable platform to proactively discuss these issues more openly, said Ciccozzi.

Its easy to become complacent, but we have a duty of care to ensure we are always focused on reviewing our workplaces, training, and frameworks.
Chris Collins, an HHS graduate in Congress, charged with insider trading

Chris Collins, a 1968 graduate of Hendersonville High School, was elected to Congress in 2012.

U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, a 1968 graduate of Hendersonville High School and 2013 HHS Hall of Fame inductee, was indicted on Wednesday on insider trading charges rising from the sale of pharmaceutical stock before the product's failed drug test became public, multiple news outlets reported. Here's the New York Times story.

The New York Times reports that charges against Collins stem from his involvement with Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, a drug maker based in Sydney, Australia, whose primary business was the research and development of a medication designed to treat a form of multiple sclerosis, according to an indictment.

The Times reports that Collins was attending the Congressional Picnic at the White House in June 2017 when he received a private email from the companys chief executive that a test for an experimental drug had failed, the indictment said. Fifteen minutes later, the congressman, who sat on the firms board of directors and was one of its largest shareholders, called his son, Cameron Collins, who sold their shares in the company, avoiding losses of more than $570,000, the indictment said.

We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name, Collins lawyers said in statement. It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of the companys stock.

Born in Schenectady, New York, in 1950, Collins came to Hendersonville with his family when his father was transferred to General Electric's East Flat Rock plant.

After graduating from HHS, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University. He earned an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1975, according to Wikipedia. Collins made his money buying bankrupt and troubled companies.

County executive of Erie County, New York from 2007 to 2011, Collins, 68, won his congressional seat representing a Buffalo-area district in 2013. He was one of the first sitting congressman to endorse Donald Trump.
So far, Ryanair has scrapped 146 flights due to the strike

Around 25,000 Ryanair passengers will suffer flight disruption as pilots in up to five countries walk out this Friday.

Pilots in Germany and the Netherlands are set to announce they will join their colleagues in Ireland, Belgium and Sweden for a 24-hour stoppage.

So far, Ryanair has scrapped 146 flights due to the strike and up to 3,500 passengers will be hit in Ireland after 20 of 300 flights were cancelled.

Another 104 flights to and from Belgium will be grounded, as well as 22 in Sweden. The tally could rise if pilots in Germany and the Netherlands join in.

Compensation

Ryanair has refused to pay compensation, which is worth 250 per person for UK flights, because it claims the strikes are an extraordinary circumstance.

However, the Commission for Aviation Regulation has encouraged passengers to claim it even if they received refunds or were accommodated on other flights.

If Ryanair turns down their request, they can appeal the decision to the regulator.

German pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit will reveal today whether it will join the strike, while the Dutch pilots' union VNV said it could reveal its intentions tomorrow and only has to give up to 12 hours notice.

The British Airline Pilots' Association, however, confirmed it cannot take part in the strike, which would hit Ryanair badly, as it makes up a quarter of its pilots and planes and is home to its biggest base at Stansted.

"Even if we were near to that stage with the company, it wouldn't be possible for us to join the strikes on that date due to having to ballot members first and having to give 14 days' notice to the company under UK law," said a spokesperson.

City Index senior market analyst Fiona Cincotta predicted the strikes will hit Ryanair's profits in its next set of results.

She said Ryanair shares have been slumping since the announcement of a pilots' strike in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium but said shares have "reacted positively" every time Ryanair "talks tough" with the unions, and threatened job cuts.

She said the airline has been "reacting aggressively" with cuts to its Dublin fleet announced last month and that tackling unions head-on can be a very risky strategy, as it can cause more employees to sign up and ultimately lead to wider strike participation.

Ms Cincotta feels Ryanair will still need to compete for skilled staff against other European discount carriers and that the "elephant in the room" for Ryanair is still Brexit, given its reliance on the UK as a market for many of its routes.
The tuck shops on the Mountjoy campus, which includes the Dochas Centre for female offenders, reported sales of 997,934.

Inmates spent more than 6m in prison tuck shops last year, buying items such as cigar- ettes, sweets, newspapers and soft drinks.

The busiest tuck shop was at Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, which houses notorious killers Graham Dwyer, Gerald Barry and Mark Nash. It took in nearly 1.3m.

Tuck shops on the Mountjoy campus, which includes the Dochas Centre for female off-enders, reported the next-highest revenue of 997,934.

Former Anglo chief executive David Drumm is among the prisoners serving time in Mountjoy.

Chores

Figures released by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that 6.02m was spent in tuck shops at its 14 detention centres last year.

The IPS made a gross profit of 895,876, though margins varied considerably, ranging from 22pc at Castlerea Prison to 5.7pc at Portlaoise.

Inmates received nearly 2.6m in pocket money from the IPS last year, which can be spent on goods sold by the tuck shop or on services such as TV rental.

The money is paid to prisoners in the form of a daily all- owance of up to 2.20, though inmates can earn additional cash by mucking in with chores including painting, cleaning, cooking, laundry and waste management.

A stock list of items that can be bought or ordered through prison tuck shops outlines an extensive range of tobacco, groceries, toiletries and other goods.

Unusual products include a One Direction carry-case, calendar and gift mug.

The range of confectionery includes a Hello Kitty chocolate egg for 3.99, Bear in the Big Blue House corn snacks for 59c and a pack of Pampers nappies for 8.80.

Arbour Hill Prison, where wife-killer Joe O'Reilly is serving a life sentence, sold 152,783 worth of goods from its tuck shop last year, generating a gross profit of 24,055, representing a margin of nearly 16pc.

The tuck shop at Wheatfield Place of Detention reported revenue of 695,738 and gross profit of 102,543, a margin of almost 15pc.

A profit margin of 23.7pc on sales of 135,220 was reported at St Patrick's Institution, which accommodated juvenile offenders before it closed in June 2017.

The tuck shop at Limerick Prison had one of the highest profit margins at 21pc, reporting a gross profit of 94,441 on sales of 447,012.

Castlerea Prison recorded a profit margin of 22pc on sales of 531,769.

Portlaoise, Loughan House and Cloverhill had the tuck shops with the lowest margins.

Portlaoise reported sales of 477,119 but a profit margin of only 5.7pc, while Loughan House sold 96,404 of goods, making a gross profit of 10pc.

Cloverhill Prison reported revenue of 654,664 but a profit margin of only 11pc.
A man who dislocated his knee and started self-medicating the painful injury with cannabis became addicted to the drug, a court has heard.

Darren Flanagan (29) was caught with 350 of cannabis, which he claimed was for his own use because of his heavy addiction.

However, he said that getting caught was a "wake-up call" for him and he was now drug-free, having attended treatment and counselling, Swords District Court heard.

Judge Dermot Dempsey struck out the charges after 1,000 was donated to the Aiseiri Rehabilitation Centre.

The defendant, of Cardy Rock Avenue, Balbriggan, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and having the drug for sale or supply at Rathingle Road, Swords, on April 19, 2017.

He had no previous convictions, the court heard.

The defendant was stopped by a garda as he was acting in a suspicious manner. He and his car were searched and gardai located the drug, the court heard.

Addicted

He made admissions and signed the garda's notebook.

Flanagan became addicted to cannabis after he dislocated his knee, his solicitor said.

"He was managing his pain with cannabis," the solicitor added, explaining that the defendant had a difficult background but had sought to better himself.

He worked as an IT technician, the court heard.

"The sale and supply issue was that he was sharing the drug among his friends and he bought the drug for his own use as he had quite a heavy cannabis addiction," the solicitor said.

"It was a wake-up call and he went for help as he realised things had to change in his life."

He explained the defendant had a hobby with Fingal Living History Society where he took part in re-enactments of historical events.

"He has a trip to Boston coming up and it's a tall order to leave him without a conviction but he is dealing with matters," the solicitor said.

After a reference from his employer, a clear urinalysis and a 1,000 charitable donation were handed in to court, Judge Dempsey agreed to strike the case out.
FilmQuest film fesitval to bring hundreds of filmmakers to Provo this Friday

Starting Oct. 29, the streets of downtown Provo may have a few more people checking out restaurants and entertainment venues. The 2021 FilmQuest Festival will hold its 8th annual festival beginning Friday and ending on Nov. 6. While most locals may not even know what this is, the more than 200 filmmakers planning on attending do. FilmQuest, based at Velour on University Avenue, is one of the largest genre festivals in the country and one of MovieMaker Magazines 2021 Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. While some of the productions may not suit all residents, like those ...
Hagerstown moving forward with indoor sports facility

City council approved moving forward with Municipal Stadium plans, but not until after having words with Corderman.
July 27, 2018, was significant in more ways than one. On that day, Tamil Nadus grand old politician M Karunanidhi entered his 50th year as the president of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)  perhaps the only leader in the world to hold a position for half a century. The day also witnessed an inactive Karunanidhis health deteriorating rapidly, giving way to rumours. A day later, he was rushed to a hospital. But much before July 27, speculation was rife about Karunanidhis worsening health condition, keeping party men worried. Yet on July 27, when he was shifted to a hospital, they were protesting against a hike in property tax.

Rewind to September 2016 when J Jayalalithaa, at the time Tamil Nadu chief minister, was hospitalised. Soon after, her ministerial colleagues offered special prayers and undertook spiritual activities for her recovery that more often than not bordered on irrationality. For the AIADMK, despite claiming to be an offshoot of the Dravidian movement, such activities were not new.

In contrast, the protesting DMK workers carried forward the cherished legacy that Karunanidhi might have desired to leave behind. During his tenure as an activist and politician  80 years in public life, 50 years as a party chief and five terms as chief minister  Karunanidhi has weathered many storms. During the 13 years from 1976 to 1989 that he had to remain out of power when the AIADMKs founder leader MG Ramachandran was ruling the state and, when in 1991, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi threatened to wipe out the DMK, Karunanidhi perhaps faced adversity that would have effectively reduced any other leader to a non-entity. Yet the DMKs patriarch always made a remarkable comeback. If it was partly because of his keen political acumen, it was also partly because of the politics he fervently believed in: the Dravidian ideology.

During his five terms as CM, Karunanidhi took upon himself to translate the dreams of Dravidian icon Periyar into reality. In doing so, he helped consolidate Tamil Nadus position as possibly the most progressive and rational state in the country. It was during his tenure that women were granted rights to a property. The DMK patriarch also drove the electrification programme in Tamil Nadu.

From providing free electricity to farmers to increasing reservation, the DMK leader took several steps that seemed small but were actually giant leaps. In a sense, they made Tamil Nadu the socially just state that it is.

Perhaps the last of the tall Dravidian leaders, the biggest legacy that Karunanidhi would leave behind is this: Tamil Nadu remains a formidable roadblock for the BJP. Critics accuse him of aligning with the BJP previously and giving it some legitimacy, yet when he did so, Karunanidhi did so on his own terms. The once-upon-a-time alliance has failed to provide an effective platform for the BJP to survive and grow on. In fact, since his inactivity, Karunanidhis son and DMK working president MK Stalin have repeatedly said that his party would not allow the BJP to grow in the state. In being an antithesis to the Dravidian ideology, the BJP is inherently alien to the Tamil land. Karunanidhis legacy will only ensure it continues to be so.

On July 29, when the DMK chiefs health showed stability, the news of the appointment of Tamil Nadus first non-Brahmin priest in a Hindu temple surfaced. In 2006, it was Karunanidhi who had passed an order, making it possible for anyone to become a priest irrespective of caste, and when he did so, the DMK leader observed that the move will remove the thorn from the heart of Periyar. Battling for his life, one is not sure if Karunanidhi was aware of this development. But the order was among his most cherished legacies.

Kavitha Muralidharan is an independent journalist

The views expressed are personal
A senior leader of the Congress recently said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returns to power, India will become a Hindu Pakistan.

Several leaders of the Congress party, perhaps supported by the evangelical Church and influenced by the un-Indian ideology of Communism, continue to issue statements that hurt the very identity and glory of Bharat. When these highly educated people make such statements, one is reminded of the comment made in the report of education commission by former President Dr S Radhakrishnan in 1949: One of the serious complaints against the system of education which has prevailed in this country for over a century is that it neglected Indias past, that it did not provide the Indian students with the knowledge of their own culture. It has produced in some cases the feeling that we are without roots, in others, what is worse, that our roots bind us to a world very different from that which surrounds us.

Clearly, this un-Indianisation has gone so deep that it has influenced our thinking, even our vocabulary. Hindu Pakistan, Hindu Taliban, Hindu terror  all these terms exhibit a completely un-Indian thought. In fact, the expression Hindu Pakistan is a complete oxymoron. Before we recognise the meaninglessness of this term, we should understand what Bharat and Hindutva are.

Speaking about Bharat in Nagpur recently, the former President Dr Pranab Mukherjee said that India was a state long before the concept of the European nation state gained ground. This model of a defined territory, a single language, shared religion and a common enemy led to the formation of various nation states in Europe. On the other hand, Indian nationalism emanated from universalism, which finds its roots in the Bharatiya philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah. We see the whole world as one family and pray for the happiness and good health of all. Our national identity has emerged through a longdrawn process of confluence, assimilation, and co-existence. The multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. We derive strength from not just tolerance but acceptance and respect. We accept and respect pluralism that forms the basis of our composite culture. We take pride and celebrate our diversity. These have been a part of our collective consciousnesses for centuries. Any attempt at defining our nationalism in terms of dogmas and identities of religion, region, hatred and intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national Identity.

The foundation of this fundamentally liberal, all embracing, tolerant and universal thought is the integral and holistic view of life based on spirituality. This view of life has been called the Hindu view of life by Dr Radhakrishnan. Enumerating its distinctive features, he said: The Hindu method of reform enables every group to retain its past associations and preserve its individuality and interest. As students are proud of their colleges, so are a group of their gods. We need not move students from one college to another, but should do our best to raise the tone of each college, improve its standards and refine its ideals, with the result that each college enables us to attain the same goal.

He adds: We see that the Hindu recognises one Supreme Spirit, though different names are given to it. In his social economy he has many castes, but one society. In terms of population there are many races and tribes, but all are bound together by one common spirit.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore also said the same thing in his essay Swadeshi Samaj. He wrote: To feel unity in diversity, to establish unity amongst variety  this is the underlying dharma of Bharat. Bharat does not regard difference as hostility, she does not regard other as enemy. That is why without sacrifice or destruction she wants to accommodate everybody within one great system. That is why she accepts all ways and sees the greatness of each in his own sphere. Because of this virtue in Bharat we shall not be frightened considering any society as our opponent. Each fresh conflict will enable us to expand ourselves. The Hindus, the Buddhist, the Muslim and the Christian will not fight each other and die in India; here they will find a meeting point. That point will not be non-Hindu, but very specifically Hindu. However foreign may be her body parts, her life and spirit will be of Bharat only.

The Congress leaders forget that Pakistan was formed in denial of this liberal, all embracing, integral and holistic spiritual tradition. This is the result of un-Indianisation through education and the influence of un-Indian ideologies like Communism. As long as Bharat is embedded within Hindutva, it will never become Pakistan. It is only due to the rejection of Hindutva that Pakistan was born. The unity, independence and sovereignty of Bharat is its existence  Astitva  and the philosophical and cultural heritage based upon spirituality of Bharat is its identity  Asmita. Due to petty political interest, leaders of the Congress are denying the very identity of Bharat. This is a matter of deep concern. Dont they realise that the denial of its inherent identity can threaten the very existence of Bharat?

The liberal Indian culture which celebrates diversity, and of which Dr Mukherjee spoke, and which was called as Hindu view of life by Dr Radhakrishnan and Tagore, was inherited even by Pakistan. But it became Pakistan because it snapped ties with this rich heritage. If it reconnects itself to this heritage, then without leaving its Muslim way of worship it can remain Hindu. Innumerable people like MC Chagla, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and the Pakistan-born Canadian resident Tarek Fatah, while continuing to follow the Muslim faith, connected themselves with this heritage. In this way, even while remaining Muslim, if Pakistan accepts this liberal and tolerant heritage, then it will become Hindu Pakistan; in other words, it will become Bharat. It can do this even while retaining its separate political identity.

Manmohan Vaidya is sah sarkaryavah (joint general secretary), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

The views expressed are personal

(This is the first of a two-part column on Indias identity and its roots)
As is a standard practice with star kids, will Aarav Bhatia, son of Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, enter the movie industry? Well, that was the question that was posed to the Gold actor at a recent event. Now, Aarav is often spotted with his friend Ibrahim Ali Khan, son of Saif Ali Khan, by the paparazzi.

However, daddy Akshay feels he is way too young to become an actor. Answering questions about his son, Akshay was quoted by Times of India as saying that he is interested only in his studies. Akshay revealed that once Aarav is done with his studies in Mumbai, he intends to continue further studies in London. In fact, he has even identified the school in London that he wants to attend.

Both Akshay and Twinkle have been very protective about their children. In fact, for the longest time, Aarav and his kid sister Nitaras pictures were nowhere to be seen, unlike many other star kids. That is because the couple wanted to give the children as normal a childhood as was possible. However, of late, both seem a lot more relaxed about putting out pictures of their children (though they are still careful not to show Nitaras face). In fact, a recent picture from their holiday in the US in June, in which Nitara has a map in hand while her big brother looks on, was a big hit with fans.

Meanwhile, Akshay remains as busy as ever with his work. On his return from the US, he has been busy promoting his new film, Gold, which also stars Mouni Roy (making her big screen debut), Karan Kapoor, Amit Sadh and Vineet Singh (of Mukkabaaz fame) in prominent roles. The film has been directed by Reema Kagti.

Twinkle, who moonlights as a columnist and goes by the name Mrs Funnybones, recently launched her latest book, Pyjamas Are Forgiving.

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Amitabh Bachchan took to his blog to express his feelings and thoughts after attending the prayer meeting of late industrialist Rajan Nanda in New Delhi on Tuesday. He also gave his blessings to his son-in-law Nikhil Nanda as he is appointed the new chairman of Escorts Ltd.

Nikhil .. as you take on this new responsibility, all our blessings and love .. we are with you always .. you have inherited a great legacy, and you have to take this even further, he tweeted.

T 2893 - Nikhil .. as you take on this new responsibility, all our blessings and love .. we are with you always .. you have inherited a great legacy, and you have to take this even further .. pic.twitter.com/1S8J4pNLs8  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 8, 2018

Rajan Nanda was the father-in-law of his daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda.

Characteristic of Bachchan, the post was a stoic acceptance of the finality of death, the eternal nature of soul and the will to move on. He also shared lots of pictures of his family members from the prayer meet including those of wife Jaya Bachchan, Shweta, grandchildren Navya Naveli and Agastya, son Abhishek Bachchan and son-in-law Nikhil Nanda. Sharing the pictures, he wrote: The soul cannot be burnt by fire, nor drenched by water, nor dried by the wind, nor pierced by an arrow... the thought therefore is that atma is eternal .. the soul is eternal and therefore rests in peace.

He shared lines were in Sanskrit, Hindi and English and were quotes from a text called Jan Gita Bachan. Looks like they are from one of many works of Hindi poet, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the actors late father.

Amitabh ended his post by informing that the legacy has been duly passed on to the next generation, symbolised by the pagdi ceremony. With prayers, it is time to move on.

Navya Naveli, Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan at the prayer meet. (http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/)

Amitabh Bachchan participates in the pagdi ceremony with son-in-law Nikhil Nanda and grandson, Agastya. (http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/)

Amitabh Bachchan speaks at the function. (http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/)

He continued, ... prayers... condolences .. the pagri ceremony .. folded hands in gratitude .. the elder of the family has gone .. the next elder has been given the pagri of its seniority .. the soul is eternal and hence in peace .. what has passed cannot be brought back .. Joh beeth gayi soh baat gayi, he signed off in Hindi.

It may be recalled that late industrialist passed away on Sunday. Amitabh, who was shooting in Bulgaria, rushed back home to be with the family in their hour of grief. The Nandas, Bachchans and Kapoors got together to bid a final goodbye at the funeral on Monday. Ritu Nanda, daughter of late Raj Kapoor, is the wife of Rajan Nanda.

After hearing the news, the actor had written an emotional blog speaking of personal tragedies on Monday. In it, he wrote: Yes, the personal tragedy is now in discloser and transmitted... but it had a lead... a lead of distress and anxiety and apprehension from a time of some immediate length... the obvious nested facts were not pressed into the print of this page, but there were hidden hints of them in it. My hidden heart can bleed within unseen... but it takes not away the pain of its emission.

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Actor Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday wrote a condolence message for the late DMK leader M Karunanidhi, who died on Tuesday. The actor took to Twitter and wrote, Prayers and condolences for the Honourable and dynamic leader Shri Karunanidhi .. I received my very 1st National Award for Saat Hindustani from him, when the ceremony was held in Chennai that year .. he was the CM.

T 2893 -    , for the Honourable and dynamic leader Shri Karunanidhi .. I received my very 1st National Award for 'Saat Hindustani' from him, when the ceremony was held in Chennai that year .. he was the CM .. pic.twitter.com/lu9Mc886EX  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 8, 2018

The film fraternity of Tamil Nadu is mourning the loss of one of its greatest scriptwriters and lyricists. Karunanidhi was behind films such as Parasakthi, Poompuhar, Panam and more. The writer-turned politician rose to popularity in both fields side-by-side and amassed a following for his idealogy.

Karunanidhi was 94 years old when he succumbed to age-related ailments. The politician was admitted to Kauvery Hospital on July 28 when his blood pressure dropped. The doctors had then said that he was in critical condition and their aim was to keep him stable.

Actor Rajinikanth was one of the first members of the film industry to take to Twitter and share a condolence message. He tweeted, Today is a black day in my life, one which I can never forget as I lost my Kalaignar. I pray for his soul.

Twitter was flooded with messages from actors, directors and musicians who recalled meeting Karunanidhi.

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All debate over nepotism can wait because heres yet another star kid set for a Bollywood launch. We are talking of late Amrish Puris grandson, Vardhan Puri. The actor will make his Bollywood debut in an upcoming romantic thriller to be produced by Jayantilal Gada, reports Mumbai Mirror.

In an interview to the said publication, the actor said that his grandfathers influence on him is complete. For Vardhan, his grandfather is the God to whom he prays.

According to the report, the upcoming film will be shot in north India and will roll from September. The hunt is still on for the leading lady and director of the film and a decision to that effect should happen sometime soon.

Vardhan, who has assisted Habib Faisal on Ishaqzaade and Daawat-e-Ishq and Manish Sharma on Shuddh Desi Romance in the past, was quoted as saying: I was supposed to start off with a period-drama with Jayanti bhai, but for some reason that didnt work out. He approached me later for this film which I loved and immediately gave my nod to.

Vardhan Puri says he has fond memories of watching films of Dilip Kumar and Al Pacino till late in the night with his grandfather, late Amrish Puri.

The film will be much on the lines of Hollywood director David Finchers psychological thriller Gone Girl in its treatment of the subject, he added. The actor is currently busy attending workshops and training for his role.

Vardhan is clearly in awe of his late grandfather. He identifies himself as a fan of Charlie Chaplin, Kishore Kumar along with Puri senior. To him, his grandfather was his first teacher and the God he prays to. The late actors influence on Vardhan is evident in the manner the latter speaks about the veteran actor. Dadu is the God whom I pray to. I was so close to him that I would sleep between him and my grandmother. When he passed away, for me it was like losing the protective cover of an umbrella. It was then, that I decided that if I do something, it would be for my grandfather and this film is an ode to him.

#Gods A post shared by Vardhan Puri (@vardhanpuri02) on Jul 1, 2018 at 6:09am PDT

The young actor counts Virasat, Ghatak, Mr India and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as his all-time favourite films of his grandfather.

He obviously has fond memories of his grandfather and said how the duo would watch movies of Dilip saab, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro till 3 am and also binge on classics like The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption.

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Salman Khans Veergati co-star Pooja Dadwal was discharged from hospital after a five-month battle with tuberculosis, and she thanked Salman for having come to her help. Poojas family reportedly abandoned her during her illness. Pooja has said that she would not have survived had it not been for Salman.

According to Mumbai Mirror, Pooja weighed just 23 kg when she was admitted to the Sewri hospital in March. The hospital staff said that the former actor required oxygen support for almost two months and both her lungs were infected before Salmans Being Human foundation stepped in with financial aid. Pooja had actively sought Salmans help.

I just heard about it, and we are trying help our as much as we can. Our team is already on to it and taking care of it. I didnt know she was going through a difficult phase like this. I think she will be ok, Salman had previously said, according to DNA. The actor had also reportedly helped Tarak Mehta actor Kavi Kumar Azad with his heart surgery eight years before Azad died. In addition to Salman, it was reported that Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan had also sent aid to Pooja.

Pooja fought this deadly bacteria only because of her will power. When I first met her in the ward, she told me, I want to walk again, please do something so that I can stand on my feet and walk again, Dr Lalit Anande, medical superintendent of the hospital told Mirror.

After being discharged, Pooja is now heading to Goa. I cant describe how I am feeling. When I was hospitalised on March 2, I thought I was going to die there - bedridden in a corner of that depressing ward. My family and friends had abandoned me. I gave up all hope after the doctors told me that my lungs were severely affected. Incessant coughing and breathlessness had left me weak. And I saw so many like me, dying all alone  their friends and family, like mine, had deserted them. But then I decided that I dont want to end up like that. I decided to fight, to not let the disease win. Yes, one of the side-effects of tuberculosis is social rejection but I am really thankful to Salman Khan who lent me the support. From clothes to soaps, diapers, food, medicines, his foundation took care of everything. If I survived the ordeal, it is only because of him, she said.

The report adds that Pooja will continue treatment for another month. The actor had appeared in several films towards the late 90s and early 2000s. Her last credited appearance, according to IMDb, is 2004s Hindustan, which also starred Gulshan Grover.

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In a milestone thats been more than a decade in the making, Indias first Ikea store will open on Thursday, bringing inexpensive Nordic-inspired furnishings and food to the worlds fastest-growing middle class.

Ikea expects to welcome as many as 6 million visitors a year to its 13-acre complex in Hitec City, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Indias fourth-biggest city. The 400,000-square-foot showroom contains some 7,500 products, of which about 1,000 will sell for less than 200 rupees ($2.91) apiece. Its the first of 25 stores Ikea plans to open across the nation by 2025.

Expected global share of middle class consumption. (Bloomberg)

Ikeas launch comes at least 12 years after it started studying India, which is poised to overtake the US to become the worlds second-largest middle-class market by 2022. By then, sales of homewares and home furnishings will probably reach $15.3 billion from $12.9 billion last year, according to researcher Euromonitor International.

Rising incomes and affluence make for an attractive market in India, said Sowmya Adiraju, a research analyst with Euromonitor in Bengaluru, in an email. Indian consumers are curious to see what Ikea has to offer and the retailer is well-positioned to meet this demand.

Brand Fatigue

The worlds biggest furniture retailer invested more than 10 billion rupees on its first foray in India. Its counting on new customers in industrializing nations bolstering sales growth in the face of brand fatigue and increased competition from online retailers, such as Amazon.com Inc. and made.com, in established markets. Ikea added no new outlets last year in Sweden, where domestic sales were flat.

We know that we are bravely stepping into a low-price zone, Jesper Brodin, Ikea Groups chief executive officer, told reporters on Wednesday. We are prepared to take some risk in India.

Indias indoor furniture market set to reach US$10.7 billion in 2022. (Bloomberg)

An Ikea is slated to open in early 2019 in Mumbai, followed by stores in urban Bengaluru and metropolitan Delhi. Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat and Pune are also targeted for stores. Elsewhere in Asia, it plans to set up shop in the Philippines and Vietnam and open additional stores in Bangkok, Thailand, within the next few years.

The pace of opening stores in India will intensify, said Harminder Sahni, founder and managing director of consulting firm Wazir Advisors in Gurugram, near Delhi, adding that the 75-year-old Swedish company spent more than a decade researching the market to ensure its success in India. Ikea has never failed; its never closed a single store in its history.

Ikea opens its first Indian store in Hyderabad

Ikeas competitors in India include Godrej Groups Godrej Interio, Future Groups HomeTown, Nilkamal Ltd.s @Home, and Durian Industries Pvt Ltd.s namesake furniture business, along with mom-and-pop proprietors vying for an indoor furniture market predicted to expand about 8.8 percent annually through 2022, according to Euromonitor.

Poverty Constraint

While India offers faster growth than Singapore, Japan, South Korea and other developed markets in Asia, its market is constrained by high poverty levels, income inequality, and relatively low per-household expenditure on homewares and home furnishings, Euromonitors Adiraju said.

Ikea is marketing its product offerings in India as being affordable, stylish and available for all, she said. This resonates closely with the demands of an average Indian consumer. Indians, although price conscious, are quite aspirational.

If two-seat sofas costing as little as 5,990 rupees and 7,990-rupee double-bed frames arent enough to lure shoppers, the Hyderabad store features a 1,000-seat restaurant -- one of the largest across Ikeas 400-strong global chain -- that will serve a mix of Nordic and local dishes, including biryani for 99 rupees a plate. Chicken and vegetarian meatballs, for 129 rupees a serve, will replace the traditional Swedish ones made with beef and pork.

Hyderabad resident B. Sohini Singh said she is keen to try the meatballs between browsing for furniture that she plans to buy before her wedding next March.

Im waiting for Ikea to open, the 28-year-old filmmaker said. Its just an hour from my home and it will be within my budget. The trigger is obviously price and, of course, the range.

No DIY Culture

Concerned that the absence of a strong do-it-yourself culture in India could impede acceptance of Ikeas traditional model of self-assembling furniture, Ikea partnered with local start-up, UrbanClap, and hired 150 staff to offer paid delivery and assembly options, and plans to introduce an online store in conjunction with the opening of its Mumbai outlet in 2019.

Initially deterred by since-amended legislation that required foreign single-brand retailers to operate stores with a local partner, the Swedish giant began construction on the Hyderabad complex about two years ago.

Its opening, set for July 19, was postponed by three weeks to give the store more time to live up to its expected quality commitments towards customers and coworkers, according to a statement.

Some 950 people will be employed directly by Ikea in Hyderabad, with an additional 1,500 jobs created indirectly, a company spokesperson said.

Ikea said in December it plans to have 15,000 staff in India by 2025, half of whom will be women. Recent recruits in Hyderabad include eight female forklift drivers and 100 young people from a government-backed program supporting underprivileged women entering the workforce.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.)

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The worlds biggest furniture retailer Ikea is to launch its store in Hyderabad on Thursday. All eyes are set on the development as it would be Ikeas first venture in India and also the first of the 25 stores it plans to start across the country by 2025. Here are a few facts about Ikeas first foot on India.

1.The Swedish retail giant has invested more than 1,000 crores to place its first foot in India. The 13-acre complex in Hitec City, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, is built on an area of 400,000-square-foot and contains over7,500 products. It is expected to welcome over 60 lakh visitors in a year and will be bringing inexpensive Nordic-inspired furnishings and food to the country.

2.The move by Ikea is being seen as an effort to bolster its sales growth in the face of brand fatigue and increased competition from online retailers, such as Amazon.com Inc. and made.com, through opening outlets in industrializing nations like India.

3.The Ikea store in Hyderabad is the first of the 25 outlets the retail giant plans to open by 2025 across the country. The company has been studying the Indian market and working on an elaborate plan for over a decade. Mumbai is slated to be the next city to welcome Ikea in early 2019 followed by followed by stores in Bengaluru and Delhi. Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat and Pune are likely to come next.

4.Ikea has partnered with UrbanClap and hired over 150 staff to offer paid delivery and assembly options to make sure its model of self-assembling furniture doesnt harm its market in India, which largely lacks a DIY culture.

5.Ikeas Hyderabad complex will also boast of the retail giants largest restaurant  a 1,000 seater and with innumerable options on its menu. The affordability of the food served has also been planned to cater to the needs of the middle-class, the primary target of Ikea.

Ikea opens its first Indian store in Hyderabad
Police officials on Tuesday said they have arrested six men, who are believed to from Bangladesh, for alleged involvement in six cases of dacoity and burglary in Delhi, Bengaluru and Kerala. The Delhi Police said the alleged robbers had also tried to kill a cop in east Delhi two weeks ago.

The police recovered two country-made pistols, stolen jewellery, one Bangladeshi passport, one Aadhaar card, two knives and tools that the police suspect were used to break into homes. Police said the six men  identified as Islam (32), Ikram (30), Sohail (28), Harun (46), Salim alias Appan (40), and Suttan Sheikh (29)  are citizens of Bangladesh. The police said the seized passport belongs to Salim. The others are yet to produce citizenship documents.

Deputy commissioner of police (east) Pankaj Singh said the police have informed the Bangladesh High Commission about the six men.

Singh said that on July 27, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was shot at by the arrested gang members, who had entered a house in Preet Vihar to commit a dacoity.

ASI Lokesh was hit on his head with a pistols butt and was shot in his left shoulder when he overpowered one of the robbers. They managed to flee even as ASI Lokesh and in-charge of another patrolling van fired at them, said Singh.

A case of attempt to kill a policeman on duty was registered and teams were formed to identify and nab the men. One of the teams scanned the areas near the railway track through which the men had fled and found a bag that they had dropped while fleeing.

We found some items that helped us identify the suspects. Ikram was the first to be arrested from near Kanpur Central Railway Station last week. His interrogation led to the arrest of five others from Delhi and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, he added.

During the interrogation, the DCP said, Ikram revealed that he lived in Delhis Mandawali area since his childhood as his father was into scrap business. Ikram has been in touch with his associates, living in Delhi as well as Bangladesh.

With no source of income, Ikram formed a gang and roped his Bangladeshi friends to commit dacoity and burglary, said a police officer associate with the case.

The police said the gang had committed three dacoities last year  two in Kerala and another in Bangalore. Some of their associates were arrested earlier in the three cases.
Ghaziabad police said that the 32-year-old cab driver, accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a five-year-old girl on the night of August 2 in Khoda, was drinking and watching porn videos when the child entered his room.

Police arrested Deepak Thakur, a native of Agra and a tenant of the girls family for the past one year. He allegedly raped the girl, a LKG student, on the night of August 2 and later smothered her to death as she started screaming for help.

The accused allegedly packed the body in a plastic bag and dumped it the same night over the roof of her uncles house in the neighbourhood.

The accused has admitted that he murdered the girl after raping her. To mislead investigators, he visited the police station with the girls family when they went there to file a missing person complaint and also helped the family in their search a day later. He then fled the house leaving the doors open, Vaibhav Krishna, SSP Ghaziabad, said.

According to the police, the man had returned from his in-laws house in Mainpuri on the morning of August 2 and, thereafter, cleaned his room and bought food in the evening.

Thakur said, As I was having drinks, the girl arrived. I was watching porn on my mobile phone for nearly 40 minutes. I caught hold of her when she came to my room. Then I locked the room from inside and switched off the lights and assaulted her. When she started to scream, I smothered her by holding her mouth and nose till she fell unconscious.

He said after regaining his senses, he put the body in a bag but it did not fit. He managed to stuff it in the bag and hid it in a loft near the stairs.

I was afraid of what I had done and went to sleep. Around 11.30pm, her father came and asked me to lock the doors which I had left open. Later, there was a hue and cry over the missing girl and I decided to go to the police station with her family. Before that, I moved the bag to the roof of the adjacent house. The next day, I helped them make loudspeaker announcements in an auto, he said.

Officials said Deepak was married three years ago and the couple has a son who turned one on August 4, the day the girls body was recovered. His wife and son were at her parents house in Mainpuri for the last two months.

Deepak fled to Delhi on August 3 and continued driving his car for the cab aggregator. On August 4, when he came to know that his name had cropped up in the probe, he fled to Bulandshahr where he stayed with his friends but did not tell anyone about the incident, the SSP said.

The police have also carried out extensive forensic examination of the scene of crime. The SSP said he also initiated an inquiry into the delay in conducting the postmortem. The autopsy was carried out on the night of August 4 as the documents had not arrived in time from the Khoda police station.

The police have arrested Deepak on charges of abduction, rape, murder, destruction of evidence and also under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Delhis Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Tuesday approved a 150% hike in the local area development (MLALAD) funds under which every legislator will be entitled to an annual sum of Rs 10 crore per year instead of the existing Rs 4 crore per year for development work in their constituencies.

The decision, taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and conveyed to the Delhi assembly on Tuesday, makes the funds available to the citys 70 MLAs twice the amount that the seven members of Parliament in the national Capital get for their constituencies as per the Union governments provisions for all MPs.

The move came under heavy criticism from experts and Opposition leaders on several grounds  the overwhelming number of AAP MLAs in the assembly, the proximity to next years Lok Sabha elections and state elections due in 2020, and because several of the MLAs had been unable to spend the existing amount available to them effectively.

Kejriwal, however, justified the decision saying that MLAs have to be directly in touch with the people. People go to them for their smallest needs. The MLA fund makes it possible to address those needs immediately, he told reporters. Though Kejriwal did not explain where the additional funds for the scheme would come from, a senior bureaucrat familiar with the states finances said that an additional allocation would either have to be made under a supplementary grant or in revised Budget estimates later this year.

In the budget of 2018-19, there was an allocation of Rs 280 crore towards MLALAD funds. Any additional budget allocation of Rs 420 crore per year Rs 6 crore extra for every MLA) can be done in the supplementary grant or a provision can be made in the revised budget estimate around November or December, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The AAP has 66 of the 70 MLAs in the Delhi assembly. The remaining four are from the BJP.

Sanjay Kumar, director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), described the increase as too much. It is impossible not to see this decision in isolation of the politics involved. The Lok Sabha elections are due next year and then there will be assembly elections in Delhi. The timing is such that the party has to prepare for these elections. The 66 AAP MLAs will be reviving their vote base by showing development works in different constituencies, he said.

The leader of the Opposition in the Delhi assembly, Vijender Gupta of the BJP, criticised the move, saying it would not help the people of Delhi. Since the past three years, the AAP MLAs have not done any work. Now that elections are inching close, the government hurriedly increased MLALAD funds to R10 crore. People will not benefit from this additional fund until the procedure of spending MLALAD is not simplified. Legislators have only been able to spend half the fund of the previous year, he said.

But deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia argued that the government had decided to give complete discretion to legislators on how they want to spend the fund.

At present, MLAs have to mandatorily pay Rs 1 crore crore to the Delhi Jal Board for the maintenance of water lines. We have removed even this clause now. The Cabinet has also given power to the urban development minister to make minor changes in guidelines meant for the MLA LAD fund from time to time, he said

When contacted, a government spokesperson contended that the approval of the lieutenant-governor would not be required following the July 4 Supreme Court order that gave the elected wing the powers to take decisions on issues other than the reserved subjects  land, law and order and policing. However, since the SC directed us to keep the L-G informed, we will apprise him about the Cabinet decision, he added.

Urban development Minister Satyendar Jain said the Cabinets decision will be implemented this year. It will be done in a few months as the urban development department will have to notify it, he said.
A 24-year-old computer science graduate who put on a fake personality by posing as an author and official of an aviation firm has been arrested for cheating a Delhi woman of lakhs of rupees by promising to get her nephew admitted to a top city school, police said on Tuesday.

Tarun Poddar would allegedly hire expensive cars and bodyguards to come across as a genuine author and operational head of a multinational aviation firm, said Vijay Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (west).

To his victims, he would allegedly lie about being the author of a book on love. To avoid suspicion, Poddar allegedly designed the front and back covers of a book in his name and put it up for sale on an online shopping app.

The book covers carried Poddars name, but the content inside was someone elses. We suspect he himself would write reviews for the books on the shopping app and on blogs. He even managed to get fake news published about himself, said the DCP.

Tarun had allegedly created a Twitter account to promote the book and his Facebook account showed he studied in a foreign university and working as a top official with an aviation firm. The fake personality impressed some women who were keen on marrying him. He would use the opportunity to cheat them, said the officer.

Police learnt of Poddars alleged fraud on May 29 when a Delhi woman approached the west Delhi district police to complain that her relative had been duped of Rs 8.5 lakh.

Poddar had met the woman while sharing a cab with her. He used the brief meeting to boast about his links to reputed schools in Delhi and his contacts with top officials in multinational firms. In reality, he was a graduate in computer science and earned his living by cheating people, said the DCP.

The conversation in the cab continued even after the ride as Poddar continued to be friendly with the woman, police said. Since the woman believed Poddar was really a man with contacts, one day she requested him to help with admission of her relatives son, the officer said.

Since the school of choice was a reputed one with many branches in the city, Poddar allegedly demanded Rs 12 lakh for a confirmed admission. The womans family was able to arrange Rs 8.5 lakh.

Poddar created a fake email id in the name of the school and sent a confirmation email to the childs parents. When the parents cross-checked it with the school, they realised they had been cheated. The police were subsequently approached, said the DCP.

The cyber cell of west Delhi district police used phone details to track Poddar down to his home in north Delhis Rani Bagh. Police said they recovered the fake book from him. Police said so far they are aware of two other cheating cases involving Poddar.
Twinkle Khannas signature style is both refined and fashion-forward  a combination that not many could pull off with the effortlessness that the actor-turned-writer does. Twinkles creative spins on classic looks (this is the woman who picks a pantsuit instead of a dress, whenever she can) has many a style setter watching her every move for fresh inspiration. The proof is in the pages of Elle Indias August issue, where Twinkle graces the cover.

A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindiaofficial) on Aug 1, 2018 at 1:12am PDT

For her latest magazine cover shoot, Twinkle, who is married to actor Akshay Kumar, skipped the tricks and brought an intoxicating dose of everyday wear-infused elegance. For the effortless and low-key yet polished magazine cover, Twinkle posed pretty at The Asiatic Society of Mumbai in a knitwear look in the coolest colour possible: Millennial pink. Twinkles choice of casual-chic outfit (from Tibi and Pringle of Scotland) is unexpected but definitely welcome.

Read more: How is Twinkle Khannas hair this shiny? Watch her reveal her beauty secrets

A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindiaofficial) on Aug 3, 2018 at 11:43pm PDT

A Twinkle Khanna magazine spread has never disappointed us. But we have to admit: Her Elle India cover boasts pieces that look as though they came straight from her wardrobe. Read on for a look at Twinkles seriously stunning ensembles and prepare to fall in love.

A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindiaofficial) on Aug 6, 2018 at 12:57am PDT

Truth be told, Twinkle Khannas dreamy Missoni dress (paired with Alexandre Birman heels and Om Jewellers earrings) looks as if it could just be some stunning going-out look from Twinkles own wardrobe. Yes, she looks that much at home in the pieces and that much like herself. And while its a lesson in finding the trends that feel authentically you, theres a part of us that just shrugs and acknowledges the fact that this style star really can wear anything.

A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindiaofficial) on Aug 7, 2018 at 2:07am PDT

Twinkle Khanna is a pro at taking trends and making them look emphatically her own. This crisp white suit from Tibi paired with an Emporio Armani shirt could look like too much on the wrong person, but not Twinkle.

A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindiaofficial) on Aug 3, 2018 at 6:58am PDT

Twinkle Khannas statement hand-embroidered olive blazer from Patines AW2018 collection, GulNora, was not just thrown over a simple button-down, but a deconstructed olive button-down shirt from Rishta by Arjun Saluja. Earrings from Zoya and ivory Tibi trousers add finishing touches to her look.

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Now that Avengers: Infinity War is out on home video, fans can dissect every tiny detail of the film, and discover new Easter eggs. One such recently discovered element - spotted, as always, by an eagle-eyed Redditor - has larger implications on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In the opening battle scene of the film, when two members of Thanos Black Order - Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw - attack New York, there is apparently a nod to one of Marvels biggest characters - Captain Marvel. In one shot, there appears to be a piece of cloth dangling from Cull Obsidians waist, which looks like a piece of Captain Marvels costume, complete with the red, blue and gold colour scheme.

Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw battle Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Hulk.

Captain Marvel will make her debut in a solo film scheduled for March, 2019, but was featuring in a silent cameo at the end of Infinity War, when Nick Fury sends out a distress call to her. The character will be played by Oscar winner Brie Larson in future Marvel films, and has been rumoured to be the one who will take over as the leader of the Avengers post Phase IV.

Contracts for most of the main cast are reportedly about to end, and the upcoming Avengers 4 (due out in May) is supposed to be a major conclusion to the MCU.

This piece of information can be interpreted in several different ways. We know that Captain Marvel - the film - takes place in the 90s, decades before the events of Infinity War. We also know that Avengers 4 will likely involve time travel and alternate dimensions. We also know that Captain Marvel will play an important role in the Avengers last stand against Thanos, and the rescue of the fallen heroes. Half the Avengers died at the end of Infinity War, along with half the universes population.

Details from Captain Marvel have been tight, other than the fact that the film will also star Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury. Fury is said to have a history with Carol Danvers (Captain Marvels real name), and her absence from the MCU so far could possibly be explained if shes dead (in this timeline). Whos really dead, and whos really in the flaky wind of Marvel dust, I dont know, but I do know theres a solution that they didnt even have to tell me, just because I know who Captain Marvel is and what all that means, Jackson teased in an interview to Vulture.

Captain Marvel is being co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The director duo recently shared that principal photography on the film had ended.

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Priyanka Chopras next big Hollywood project has hit a roadblock. According to a report in Collider, Universal Studios has pulled the film from its release calendar and the production has been delayed indefinitely. However, the film--starring Chris Pratt in the lead--is still in active development according to the report.

Cowboy Ninja Viking is an action film adapted from the popular graphic novel by AJ Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo. The film will be directed by Michelle Maclaren, who has also helmed a few episodes of hit HBO series, Game of Thrones.

Priyanka signed the film after walking out of Ali Abbas Zafars Bharat, 10 days before her portion of the shoot was to begin. Cowboy Ninja Vikings story centres around a lethal agent, played by Pratt, whose treatment by a psychotherapist leaves him with an ability to manifest the deadliest attributes of the three titular personas. A report in EW read that details of the Priyankas role are not confirmed as of now but she will be the leading lady.

Priyanka has so far worked in two Hollywood movies--she played the villain in Baywatch and had a small appearance in A Kid Like Jake. She will now be seen in Rebel Wilsons Isnt It Romantic? Priyankas American TV series Quantico has been cancelled after three seasons. Its poor show was the reason.

Her only Bollywood project right now is Shonali Boses The Sky Is Pink, in which she will work with Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim.

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On July 27, Karunanidhi achieved a feat few political leaders can boast of  being at the helm of a political party for 50 years. He would have been hoping that his successor, if not in terms of longevity, at least in terms of ease with which he controlled the party, would have the same felicity.

But that appears tough, given the ill will between his nominated successor, MK Stalin, and his other children.

Consider the last major electoral test the party faced. RK Nagar in Chennai was an assembly seat held by chief minister J Jayalalithaa before she died. When by-elections were held in 2017, with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) split into two factions and each of them putting up their candidates, it was predicted as an easy win for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

When the results came in, the DMK was in the third position. Party president Karunanidhis second son MK Alagiri blamed his younger brother and working president of the party, Stalin, for the defeat and said: Not just RK Nagar. The DMK will not win any polls till he is at the helm. This would not have happened if Thalaivar (referring to Karunanidhi) had been in charge.

The comment indicated that despite Karunanidhis best efforts to ensure a smooth family succession to the partys leadership, the sibling rivalry smouldered on. For the longest time, Stalin had been his fathers understudy, the chosen one to eventually succeed.

Karunanidhi groomed him first as the mayor of Chennai and later inducted him into his cabinet and made him the states first deputy chief minister. Known for his low-key manner and ability to take party seniors along, he was a study in contrast to his elder brother.

Alagiri, who used to be the DMKs strongman controlling the southern districts of the state, is known to be brash. His supporters had attacked the Madurai office of Dinakaran, a daily owned by his cousins Marans, when it published a survey that didnt portray him in a flattering light.

The DMK is the first regional party to win on its own in an Indian state and it has never ever faced a leadership crisis. Unlike the AIADMK, which witnessed leadership crisis, things will be fine for the DMK, asserted the partys south Chennai district secretary and former mayor M Subramanian.

There is no alternative to our leader Kalaignar, but the only relief is that he leaves Stalin as his political heir, he said.

Having worked as a Union minister in Manmohan Singhs cabinet during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) -2 regime, Alagiri can claim administrative experience. However, he was expelled in 2014, just ahead of parliamentary polls because of alleged anti-party activities.

The DMK, founded in 1949, will be hoping that the party will be spared the succession chaos that plagued the AIADMK after the death of its founder MG Ramachandran in 1987 and that of J Jayalalithaa in 2016.

Political analyst A Marx said it is unlikely that the party will split after the death of Karunanidhi. Karunanidhi has shaped Stalin for the past five years to drive the party. Stalin is also doing well in the recent years when compared to his past. Since cadres and office bearers have accepted Stalin, there will not be any split post-Karunanidhi, he said.

Since Alagiri is out of politics for some time, he will not be in a position to control the party. Initially, he had strong supporters based in southern Tamil Nadu but most of his loyalists have now migrated towards Stalin. Unlike AIADMK, DMK will function smoothly under the leadership of Stalin, he added.

Stalin has been functioning as the partys working president for several years now and, in the absence of Karunanidhi, has taken all the key decisions.

The Thalapathi (or commander), as Stalin is fondly known, will be hoping that senior guard of the party will stay loyal and aid him in establishing control.

Though side-lined, Alagiri and half-sister MK Kanimozhi, apart from the influential cousins, the Maran brothers, will inevitably have some say on who will control the party.

While Stalin holds control, whether he is able to retain it or a battle for succession will break out remains to be seen.
Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam visited Chennais Rajaji Hall Wednesday morning to pay their respects to DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi.

This is a great loss for Tamil Nadu. My deep condolences to his family members and DMK party workers, Palaniswami said.

Palaniswamis visit came amid the DMKs skirmish with the AIADMK government over a burial site for Karunanidhi. The Madras High Court to hear the case against denial of burial plot by Tamil Nadu Government at Marina beach for Karunanidhi at 8 am.

Thousands of DMK supporters are thronging the Rajaji Hall to pay their last respects and catch a last glimpse of the man who strode like a colossus in Tamil politics.

Actors Rajnikath and Dhanush were also among the mourners who visited Rajaji hall to pay their respects to Karunanidhi.

The 94-year-old leader breathed his last at the Kauvery Hospital in downtown Chennai at 6.10 p.m after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days. He had not made any public appearance for about two years due to failing health.
The Congress has communicated to other Opposition parties that it wants to field BK Hariprasad, a lawmaker from Karnataka, as the common candidate for the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha against the ruling NDAs Haribansh Narayan Singh.

Our candidate will be BK Hariprasad, said CPI leader D Raja. An official announcement is expected later Wednesday morning.

Party must have taken this decision after a lot of thinking. We will talk to all the opposition leaders and discuss what is to be done, Hariprasad told ANI.

While a large number of Opposition parties are expected to support Hariprasad, it is not clear if parties like AAP, Trinamool Congress and TDP accept Prasads name. These parties are averse to the Congress in their regional turf and in case, they refuse to support for Hariprasad, the Opposition strength will be depleted further.

An OBC leader, Hariprasad served as a general secretary of the Congress for a long time before being removed from the post this year.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has an edge in the election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairmans post, with the Congress and other Opposition parties unable to zero in on a joint candidate till late Tuesday evening to field against Haribansh Narayan Singh.

In a House of 245 members, the winner is decided by a simple majority.

The election on Thursday will test the NDAs floor management skills in the Upper House, where it is in a minority and has faced obstructions on several bills and other issues from opposition parties. If the NDA wins, it will mark its first significant victory in the Upper House. The ruling coalition has managed to garner the support of fence-sitters such as the AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a senior government functionary said on condition of anonymity. The Opposition appears unsure of its total strength.

With just a year left before the general election, the House poll reflects the ground reality of the Opposition camp, political analyst and former Lok Sabha secretary general Afzal Amanullah said.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday called chief ministers such as Naveen Patnaik of Odisha and K Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana for support, said a BJP leader on condition of anonymity.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar also tried to contact Patnaik. Later in the evening, Patnaik informed them that he had promised Nitish Kumar that the BJD would vote for Haribansh Narayan Singh, a lawmaker of Kumars Janata Dal (United), an Opposition leader said.

Kesava Rao, a senior leader of Raos Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said: Nitish and our chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao are very good friends for many years.
Another alleged Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative has been arrested for his alleged links with the Bodh Gaya IED case.

The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police arrested Dilwar Hasan (26), a resident of Bengals Malda district, from Jharkhand on Wednesday. STF officers said Hasan was a member of the Jamaat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned terror outfit in that country.

The arrest comes just a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) nabbed Mohammed Jahidul Islam (38), a key accused in the October 2014 Burdwan blast and the Bodh Gaya case.

In the third week of January this year, three improvised explosive devices were found in Bodh Gaya temple complex just before the visit of the Dalai Lama.

One mobile phone, one voter card (seems to be fake one) one Aadhaar card and one phone purchase bill were seized, an STF statement said.

Hasan was charged with criminal conspiracy (120B), waging, or attempting to wage war against the state, (121) and concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war (123), among others.
Bihar social welfare minister Kumari Manju Verma resigned on Wednesday amid allegations that her husband had links with the main suspect in a scandal linked to the sexual abuse of inmates of a government-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur.

Vermas resignation letter was immediately faxed to governor Satya Pal Malik, who is in Delhi, for acceptance, officials aware of the development said on condition of anonymity.

The resignation came hours after Brajesh Thakur, the main suspect in the scandal, told reporters outside a Muzaffarpur court that he had no special connections with the ministers husband, Chandeshwar, but used to speak to him over political and other issues.

Verma had been under pressure to step down after her ministry was accused of inaction in the case. Former Muzaffarpur child protection officer Ravi Kumar Roshans wife, Shibha Kumari Singh, had last week claimed Vermas husband was a regular visitor to the shelter home. She alleged that her innocent husband had been made a scapegoat and arrested. The minister and her husband had denied the allegations as baseless.

Opposition parties had demanded Vermas removal even as chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy, Sushil Kumar Modi, defended the Janata Dal (United) legislator from Cheria-Bariarpur.

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Kumar had on Monday promised to remove Verma if anything was found against her in the investigation and warned opposition parties against politicising the sensitive issue.

The Supreme Court had rapped the Bihar government on Tuesday and questioned why there had been no inspections of shelter homes earlier to prevent sexual abuse.

Over 30 girls rescued from the Muzaffarpur shelter home were found to have been sexually abused and tortured for several months.

The Congress said Verma should have resigned earlier to ensure a fair probe. I had said that the chief minister was trying to defend the indefensible. When the entire social welfare department is under the scanner, how can its head remain untouched? It is late but better it has happened, said Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri.

Congress MLC Premchandra Mishra said that when the chief minister was ashamed of the heinous crime against innocent girls and accepted lapses, it should have been the natural corollary for the minister to resign to ensure a fair probe.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav sought Vermas resignation as her ministry was in charge of overseeing the shelter home. Removing small fries will not serve the purpose. The accountability should be fixed at the top, he had said.
Two persons were killed and more than 30 injured on Wednesday in a stampede outside the Rajaji Hall in Chennai as hundreds of thousands thronged for a final glimpse of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, witnesses said.

There has been heavy jostling and pushing and pulling in the crowd since morning, one man at the site said, explaining what led to the stampede.

(Read: Live updates)

The two people were crushed shortly after DMK leader and Karunanidhis son M K Stalin appealed for calm to the milling crowds which were getting restive at not being able to get close to the body, reported news agency IANS.

Karunanidhi funeral procession started at 4 pm and he will be laid to rest at Marina near the Anna memorial here, said the DMK.

A party statement said the procession would begin from Rajaji Hall by 4 p.m, and proceed through Sivananda Road and Thanthai Periyar Road to reach Anna Square.

He would be buried adjacent to mausoleum of former Chief Minister and his mentor C N Annadurai on the sands of Marina, it said.

Party supporters and public are requested to stay calm during the procession and pay their respects to the unparallelled leader, it said. Shops and businesses are shutterred and vehicles are off the roads in Chennai.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday allowed Karunanidhi to be buried at Chennais Marina beach. The order came on a petition filed by DMK following Tamil Nadu governments refusal to allot space for him to be buried at the beach, the resting place of many political icons.

A Tri-colour is placed on the mortal remains of DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall in Chennai on Wednesday. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Karunanidhi and briefly met members of his family. Clad in white, Modi laid a wreath at Karunanidhis feet and bowed before his mortal remains, paying his respect to the late leader.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav were among other leaders who paid homage to the departed leader.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday was told by the firecrackers manufacturers that firecrackers alone were not the sole reason for rising pollution levels during Diwali though it was one of the contributing factors, and that an entire industry cant be shut down.

A bench of justice AK Sikri and justice Ashok Bhushan, hearing a PIL seeking a countrywide ban on manufacturing, sale and possession of firecrackers, was told that pollution has reached very high levels not only because of firecrackers, but also by vehicular pollution, construction dust and stubble burning.

The question is whether an entire industry can be shut down citing air pollution while other industries are allowed to continue, contended counsel for the firecrackers manufacturers.

The counsel told the bench that during Diwali, it brings people together in celebration.

At this justice Sikri replied, Diwali is a festival of lights. Firecrackers are not necessary to bring people together. People can be brought together by distributing and sharing sweets also.

The court posted for hearing on August 14 a batch of pleas seeking a country-wide ban on possession, sale and bursting of firecrackers and stubble burning by farmers.

Earlier, the bench had expressed concern over growing respiratory problems among children due to air pollution and had said it would decide whether there has to be a complete or reasonable curbs on the use of firecrackers.

The bench had cited a report that said 20-25 per cent children suffer from respiratory diseases, adding: The lungs of most infants in Delhi are grey.

One of the pleas filed by a child, Arjun Gopal, who is represented by lawyer Gopal Shankarnarayan, sought a ban on possession of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) as it was contributing to an already alarming level of air pollution.

Last year the apex court prohibited the sale of firecrackers in Delhi and NCR during Diwali.
Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale and other senior Indian officials will hold discussions with their US counterparts in Washington this week to prepare the ground for the first two-plus-two dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries, to take place in New Delhi in September, people familiar with the development said.

Gokhale, accompanied by Gourangalal Das, joint secretary (Americans) in the external affairs ministry, left for the US on Tuesday evening.

The foreign secretary, with US officials, will discuss a host of bilateral issues, and the upcoming two-plus-two dialogue in September that is expected to bring a new momentum in ties, especially in the areas of security and defence ties, one of the people said.

The discussions will also touch on a wide range of topics such as the peace-process in Afghanistan, counter-terrorism issues, designation of terrorists at the United Nations, Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and trade issues, the above cited person said.

For the inaugural United States and India two-plus-two dialogue on September 6, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defence Secretary James Mattis would be travelling to India meet their counterparts, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Pompeo and Mattis look forward to meeting with their Indian counterparts...to discuss strengthening strategic, security and defence cooperation as the US and India jointly address challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, state department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in July.

Both Swaraj and Sitharaman were to visit Washington for the first two-plus-two dialogue on July 6 with Pompeo and Mattis. The two-plus-two dialogue was postponed because Pompeo had to visit North Korea.

The meeting had been earlier scheduled for April this year, but was put off after Trump fired then secretary of state Rex Tillerson.

The United States and India relationship is based on strong foundations and two sides see this as an important part of their ties, said said Lalit Mansingh, former foreign secretary and ex-Indian envoy to the US.

The forthcoming two-plus-two dialogue at the level of the foreign and defence ministers would bring a new direction in the relationship that spreads across various sectors, Lalit Mansingh added.
Four puppies were found beheaded near Hyderabad prompting animal activists to lodge a complaint with police.

An FIR has been registered in connection with the recovery of the beheaded carcasses, police said on Wednesday.

Following a complaint by representatives of Humane Society International/India and local animal activists, a case was registered on Tuesday, inspector G Shyamsundar told PTI.

The incident seems to have been committed around two to three days ago at Parthiwada, the inspector said.

According to the complainants, the incident came to light when a local citizen visited the spot to find the mother dog and the carcasses of the puppies next to her and uploaded the video on social media.

Apoorva Katpatal, cruelty response manager, HSI/India in a release said We are appalled at the gruesomeness of the incident. We hope that the police will make the necessary arrests along with psychiatric evaluation of the accused.

If the perpetrator/s are not caught, he or she will move on hurting other people too.

In July 2016, three puppies were allegedly burnt alive by a group of youngsters, one of whom recorded the gruesome act, at a graveyard in Musheerabad.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
On the eve of the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stood united, and seemed to have secured the support of non-aligned parties, even as fractures appeared to widen in the Opposition camp.

The list of notices accessed by Hindustan Times shows that apart from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United), the Republican Party of India (RPI), the Shiv Sena, the Akali Dal and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had either proposed or seconded Harivansh, the JD(U) leader who is the NDAs candidate. Harivansh also has the support of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), after JD(U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar called up Odisha CM and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik and TRS leader and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday.

It was starkly different on the other side with both the AAP and Trinamool missing from the notices backing BK Hariprasad, the Oppositions candidate, although the latters Derek OBrien said that his partys MPs would support the Opposition candidate.

The nomination of Hariprasad itself was preceded by high drama and his candidature was announced hours before the deadline for nomination on Wednesday.

An OBC leader from Karnataka, Hariprasad is serving his third term in the Upper House.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar called up Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and sought the AAPs support for Harivansh, a political leader familiar with the development said.

Kumar said that Harivansh was his candidate and sought Kejriwals support. But the Delhi CM made it clear that he could not vote for a National Democratic Alliance candidate. If Congress did not want his support, AAP would abstain, the leader said on condition of anonymity.

The election will be held on Thursday morning. Party whips are not allowed in this poll. The winner is decided by a simple majority.

Relief over the naming of the candidate  itself achieved after much palaver  was short-lived as the AAP, which has three MPs in Rajya Sabha, slammed the Congress and demanded that party president Rahul Gandhi must speak to Delhi CM Arvind Kerjiwal to secure support for Hariprasad.

Dubbing the Congress as a mean-spirited party, the Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, If they [the Congress] ask for our vote, we will oblige. It is meaningless to vote compulsively, if they do not need it.

If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cannot he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support to his partys candidate? Singh added. There is also an apprehension that all Trinamool Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal MPs may not vote for the Opposition nominee.

Opposition leaders who asked not to be identified said that the Trinamools initial choice was either Vandana Chavan or KTS Tulsi.

Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah and Bihar CM Nitish Kumars outreach to allies and non-aligned parties appeared to have paid off.

The Opposition is also not sure if Jagan Mohan Reddys YRSCP will vote for Hariprasad.

We dont expect them to vote for the Opposition in an open ballot voting, quipped a senior Opposition leader asking not to be identified.

Several senior Opposition leaders rushed to Chennai to pay their last respects to deceased DMK President M Karunanidhi. All four DMK MPs also rushed to Chennai.

We are expecting that at least three of them will try to return to Delhi for the vote, said a second Opposition leader on condition of anonymity.

The Congress, however, can draw some satisfaction that the TDP has announced its support for Hariprasad.

We have decided to support Congress leader B K Hariprasad, TDP leader Y S Choudhary said.

Earlier in the morning, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma introduced Hariprasad as the joint choice of the Opposition and said he is a formidable candidate and a better one than the NDAs Harivansh.

Opposition unity is a case of the headlines getting in front of ground realities. The fracturing of the opposition in the deputy chair race is a reminder that anti-BJP forces have a long, uphill climb before they achieve something close to consensus, said Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

He added being unified against something should not be conflated with being unified for something.
The district administration of Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh has called off the annual Kinner Kailash pilgrimage, which commenced on August 1, after continuous rain caused flash flooding in nullahs and rivulets. Meanwhile, torrential rain in Himachal Pradesh claimed a life on Tuesday, while damaging scores of roads and bridges.

Powari village in Kinnaur district on Hindustan-Tibet road i.e. National Highway 5, was evacuated after gushing waters swept away five shops on Tuesday.

The district administration had ordered revenue officials to evacuate people living near the river bank.

A team was sent to move out people living in the village, especially those near the river bank, said Prem Sarita, a revenue official.

We ran out of the shop when I heard whistles of alarm as the river was in spate. Within seconds my shop was swept away said a shop owner, Pasang Lama.

Sanjay Kapoor, a pilgrim from Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, died of hypothermia.

Kinnaur deputy commissioner Anvinder Kumar said, The pilgrim was not wearing warm clothes and died of cold. He was brought to the base camp by army jawans.

Kinner Kailash Shivlingam, one of the mythical abodes of Lord Shiva is a 79-foot vertical rock in the Kinner Kailash mountain range. On a clear day, one can see the Shivlingam, which changes colour during the course of the day.

Meanwhile, around 100 pilgrims were stranded at Kangrang nullah en route Kinner Kailash. The pilgrims were evacuated with the help of army jawans and personnels of Indo Tibetan border police.

Rain also damaged a bridge on the national highway in Ribba, one of the biggest villages in Kinnaur district.

The administration has requisitioned engineers from Jindal Steel Works - 1091 Karcham Wangtoo project to repair the damaged bridge.

Man killed in landslide

A man was killed in a landslide at Dunali on Harsar-Manimahesh Lake trek in Bharmour region. The deceased was identified as Sanjeev Kumar, 25, resident of Chowbhia village in Bharmour sub-division.

Bharmour additional district magistrate PP Singh said the man was looking for a suitable place to set up a shop during Manimahesh Yatra that will begin in September.

His body has been retrieved and family members were provided an immediate relief of Rs 10,000.

In another incident, a school principal was injured after his car was hit by a rolling boulder in Chuwari area of Chamba district.

The flooded Satluj river at Powari village in Kinnaur district. (HT Photo)

The district administration has advised people to avoid venturing out of their houses during heavy rainfall.

Pilgrims have also been advised against taking the Manimahesh trek until the official pilgrimage begins. The yatra is scheduled to start on September 3 on Janmashtmi.

Meanwhile, remote Kugti Panchayat in Bharmour sub-division was cut off from rest of the district after a footbridge was washed away in a flash floods in the Lahal Nullah. Around a dozen pilgrims who had gone to pay obeisance at Kartik Swami temple in Kugti were also stranded and have taken shelter in the village.

In Tissa area of the district, power supply to 35 panchayats was snapped for over 10 hours due to heavy rains while in remote Pangi region two link-roads were closed for traffic.
M Karunanidhi, an iconic figure in Tamil Nadu politics, was buried with state honours at Chennais Marina Beach this evening. The five-time chief minister was allotted space at the beachfront which also has memorials of three other former chief ministers, including his mentor CN Annadurai and rival J Jayalalithaa.

Karunanidhi, who always appeared in public wearing dark glasses and a yellow shawl, was today wrapped in the tricolor. The casket carrying his body read, a person who continued to work without rest, now takes rest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengals chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Karnatakas H D Kumaraswamy, Keralas Pinarayi Vijayan, Telanganas K Chandrasekhar Rao, actor-politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, former CMs of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh Oommen Chandy and Akhilesh Yadav were among leaders who had paid homage to the departed leader.

The DMK had earlier submitted a sketch in the Madras High Court describing the spot for Karunanidhis burial between the two iconic leaders.

A sketch submitted by DMK in the Madras High Court describing the spot for Karunanidhis burial (HT Photo)

A tussle had ensued over Karunanidhis burial place after the DMK chief died at the age of 94 in a private hospital in Chennai on Tuesday. The ruling AIADMK had refused DMKs request to allot space for his burial at Chennais Marina beach  a resting place for the icons of Dravidian politics.

The decision was then placed in the hands of the Madras High Court which ruled in DMKs favour. Karunanidhis heir apparent MK Stalin earlier broke down after the court gave its hearing. Both Stalin and his family members earlier today laid wreath as a tribute to the politician.

Thousands, including veteran politicians and leaders, have been mourning over Karunanidhis death  the last leader in Tamil Nadu with a mass following.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi will soon be buried at Chennais Marina Beach, close to his mentor CN Annadurais memorial, after thousands marched in his funeral procession.

The tri-colour covered body of the 94-year-old veteran politician was put on a military vehicle by military personnel shortly before 4 pm Karunanidhis body will be interred in a sandalwood casket and lowered into the earth at Marina.

As per Karunanidhis wish, the wordings -- The person who had worked without rest is resting here -- was sculpted on the casket.

DMK leader and Karunanidhis son M.K. Stalin, accompanied by party leaders, walked ahead of the military vehicle as the funeral procession made slow progress, with thousands crowding the streets.

All the arterial roads to Marina Beach and Rajaji Hall have been blocked for traffic as Chennai continued to be deserted.

Read: Live updates

The police had a tough time handling the crowd at Rajaji Hall where lakhs of DMK supporters turned up to pay tributes to the departed leader. Two persons were killed and more than 30 injured in a stampede outside the Hall.

Wednesday started with Madras High Court allowing DMK chiefs burial at Marina Beach, the resting place of many political stalwarts. The order came on a petition filed by DMK following Tamil Nadu governments refusal to allot space for him to be buried at the beach.

During the day several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid their respects to the DMK chief.
Congress Madhya Pradesh in-charge Deepak Babaria on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of sending its workers to his partys meetings to create disturbances. He claimed the BJP was doing so to malign Congress leaders and to win elections in the state due later this year.

in Rewa, some of those who created a ruckus were known to be close to a local BJP leader, who is a minister in (chief minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhans cabinet. This will not help as the tide is against the BJP, Babaria said, referring to the ruckus created at a Congress meeting in Rewa on July 29.

Six Congress workers were suspended after Babaria was reportedly assaulted in Rewa. Babaria denied having been hit, but admitted to the ruckus having taken place.

Babaria was forced to leave an event in Vidisha on August 6 when two rival groups clashed after a leader of one of them was not given a seat on the dais. Babaria had also earlier faced protests from some party workers in Anuppur.

The series of incidents had prompted Babaria to ask the Congress workers to learn discipline from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ideological mentor of the BJP.

He clarified he had spoken in the context of discipline and not the RSSs communal agenda. We are willing to learn from even our opponents if they have some good virtues but it does not mean that we have given a certificate to the BJP or RSS on its divisive and communal agenda.

State BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal called Babarias views about RSSs discipline absolutely correct and said the indiscipline was the Congresss true culture.

Instead of blaming the BJP for the clash, attack and disturbances during the Congress meetings, he should admit it as a reality. Also, he should be more concerned about his fate in the Congress after his praise for the RSS. His party may subject him to intellectual mob lynching.

The Congress had earlier called it an attempt to project the party in poor light after Madhya Pradesh home minister Bhupendra Singh offered security to Babaria.
Brajesh Thakur, who ran a shelter home in Bihars Muzaffarpur where girls were allegedy sexually exploited, on Wednesday said he was about to join the Congress but the political party rejected his claim.

I was thinking of joining Congress and it was almost final that I will contest elections from Muzaffarpur. I am being framed for that reason. This is also happening due to that. None of the girls has taken my name, you can check that for yourself in the case diary, Thakur said ahead of an appearance in a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act) court at Muzaffarpur, 70 kms north of Patna.

On whether he was the hunter wale uncle the shelter home girls referred to in their statement to the police, Thakur said, No, they were confused with another person who used to come there.

Thakur, who was talking to TV journalists from inside a police van before being produced before the court, said he had no special relationship with Chandeshwar Verma, husband of Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma. He, however, said that he occasionally spoke to Verma about political issues.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, had reportedly found 17-odd calls to the ministers husband in Thakurs call record details.

The Congress rejected Thakurs statement. Thakurs claims are absolutely baseless. He was not even a primary member of the Congress. In fact, he was a member of the JD(U) and had even shared the dais with chief minister Nitish Kumar at some functions, said Sanjeev Singh, Bihar Congress spokesperson and general secretary.

Bhai Birendra, chief spokesperson for the Rashtriya Janata Dal, told a TV channel that Chief Minister Kumar should explain his links with Thakur.

The girls shelter where the alleged abuse took place belongs to Thakur. The premises were doubled up as offices for three newspapers and Thakur was a correspondent for one of them. He is also alleged to have close links Madhu Kumari, another accused who ran the shelter and is now absconding. But Thakur denied any connection with the woman and claimed he had been framed by business rivals.

Ive never had any relation with Madhu. This has been propagated by some newspapers who want my newspaper office to shut down. Their business is getting affected due to my newspaper thats why its happening, he said.

Last Saturday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi led Opposition parties at Delhis Jantar Mantar for a protest march against the Muzaffarpur rapes.

Prominent leaders who joined the protest included Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, RJDs Tejashwi Yadav and Misa Bharti, CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury, CPIs D Raja and Atul Kumar Anjan, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, DMKs TKS Elangovan, INLDs Dushyant Chautala and TMCs Dinesh Trivedi.
Brajesh Thakur, the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual horror case prime accused, allegedly used his newspapers to browbeat officials, including those in the judiciary, by publishing fake and fabricated stories to get his work done on his terms, a court order had said.

In 2012, the court of Arun Kumar Singh, special vigilance judge (north Bihar), Muzaffarpur, had issued warning to one of his newspapers Pratah Kamal a Hindi daily  for trying to malign/defame the court by making a select group of lawyers file false petitions with motivated allegations. The special vigilance court had then recommended action against him. HT has accessed the court order.

The matter had come to the notice of the court after Thakurs close knit group of lawyers went on to file a petition against the special vigilance judge, who had dismissed some of their pleas in the past. The aggrieved judge appraised the matter to the Patna high court and sought guidelines. Patna HC asked him to work fearlessly and according to the provisions of law.

In one of the complaint petitions filed by a lawyer considered close to Thakur, the judge was charged with taking a big amount through the then vigilance commissioner, Ashok Kumar Chauhan, on a false affidavit.

An attempt was also made to scandalise a pious institution like judiciary through print and electronic media. Therefore, it is necessary to take immediate action against the lawyer and Brajesh Thakur and the official complaint be sent to the court of chief judicial magistrate for proceeding against them, the judge had then observed.

The judge also pointed to a well organised racket running in Muzaffarpur for manipulating legal process. When the vigilance power was entrusted on me, I was surprised to find that several hundred complaint cases (vigilance) were left abandoned and pending without any reason or pressure, resulting in their obvious dismissal, the judge observed.

The judge observed in his order that when he got to know the truth, it pointed towards a big racket in the civil court through few lawyers and others to file cases for extortion of money.

When the extortion of money was complete, the complaint case was left abandoned. This is gross misuse of legal process, said the judge, citing the Supreme Court order on Bhajan Lal vs state of Haryana case that by of complaint petition abuse of legal process cannot be allowed by anyone howsoever mighty he or she may be.

The judge observed that in keeping with the spirit of the apex court order, when he started checking misuse of legal process, the whole interested group became his enemy and started writing complaint letters against him with false allegations.

Several inquiries were also conducted by registrar, vigilance of the HC and I apprised them of the facts and situation through confidential letters. All the motivated allegations were found false, fake and fabricated. However, all the allegations were again mentioned in a new complaint case using a new face in the form of complainant Pankaj Kumar, he observed.
Exchanging warm welcome on both sides of the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge along the International border, the much awaited India-Myanmar border land road was formally opened on Wednesday.

Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, located at Manipurs border town Moreh, 110 km south of Imphal, connects India with Myanmars towns. The government has already announced Moreh as an Immigration Check Post of India.

With the opening of Indias only border road through Manipurs Moreh town, Indians travelling to Myanmar would no longer require to obtain special permits. Travellers would be issued visas provided they possess passports, said M Lakshmikumar, commissioner (Transport). Some of the travellers from India are already making use of the opportunity, the officer said. Earlier, citizens of the two countries were allowed free movement up to 16 km of each others territory, Indians who wished to travel beyond 16 km had to take special land permits from the Myanmar authority.

Convenor RK Shivachandra of Manipur Act East Policy Committee, additional chief secretary Suhel Akhtar,commissioner(Transport) M Lakshmikumar,special secretary Home Kh Raghumani, brigader AS Chauhan of 26 sector Assam Rifles, deputy commissioner Tengnoupal A Tombikanta and SP Tengnoupal represented the?Indian delegation at the opening gathering.

The Myanmar delegation led by its ministry of labour, immigration and population permanent secretary U Awe Lwin lincluded former secretary Myat kyaw of Saigaing Region, Myanmar, CEO Fly Myanmar Nyein Chan Soe Win, CEO Ken Tun of Parami Energy Group, editor-in-chief Soe Myint of Mizzima media,Businessman Htin Lin Aung and others.

Nandan Singh Bhaisora , consul general of India who attended the ceremony said, This is a historic and positive beginning for both India and Myanmar to have better bilateral relations in future. Ahead of the days event, convenor of Manipurs Act East Policy committee RK Shivachandra said, Many said Manipur is a landlocked state considering its geographical location, said Shivachandra. But with the opening of this border road I think the state will be the land link.
The Biju Janata Dals (BJD) likely support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate in the election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday is the third sign in recent weeks of a new warmth in the otherwise frosty, even hostile, relationship between Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaiks party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is also a part of a larger softening of ties between the two parties as their goals converge, said two leaders, one from each party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Patnaik over phone to seek his support for the deputy chairmans election, according to people familiar with the matter, and the two leaders cited above described the gesture as illustrative of a direct engagement between the top leaders of the two parties.

Even before that, the BJD did not support the Oppositions no-trust vote against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha on July 20  the message was communicated to MPs just minutes before the debate started  and stood with the government on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

Patnaik had also supported Modis call in June for simultaneous assembly and parliamentary elections across the country. Odisha already votes simultaneously for the parliamentary and assembly elections.

On Tuesday, Patnaik turned down Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawars request for support to the Oppositions candidate in election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, telling him that he had already told Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar that he would support Janata Dal (United) leader Harivansh, according to people familiar with the development.

There is a certain climbdown in position from both the sides  BJP and BJD, one of Patnaiks aides said on condition of anonymity. There is a realisation on both sides that they may need each other after polls.

Also read: Ahead of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman elections, unity eludes Opposition

Naveen is least interested in politics of Delhi, this person added. He wants to be comfortable in Bhubaneswar. The changed equation brings that comfort. Also, he added, it helps keep the door open in case he needs support from outside to run the state.

Between the BJP and the Congress, the former will be the choice, the aide said

The BJP pushed Patnaiks traditional arch-rival, the Congress, to the third position and emerged as his principal challenge during the last years panchayat elections in Odisha. But the general sense in the partys state unit and the central leadership is that while the BJP will strive to expand as much as it can in Odisha, it may not be able to replace the BJD as the number one party in the state in 2019, said a second senior BJP leader who asked not to be named.

He added that the BJP does not want the Congress to benefit from a fight between the two parties. It, therefore,wants to keep the channels of communication open with the BJD, which is not an ideological antagonist, has been part of the NDA, and also stayed away from the efforts to join a federal front against Modi.

There is a change in the BJPs approach towards Naveen, Bhubaneswar-based political commentator Rabi Dash said. The PM did not attack the Odisha chief minister during his rally in Cuttack on the fourth anniversary (of the NDAs rule). BJP president Amit Shah has also avoided a personalised attack on the BJD leader during his visit.

Naveen is more anti-Congress than anti-BJP, Dash added. He has interestingly not given opinion on issues like mob lynching, which creates discomfort for the BJP.

The new dynamic also helps Patnaik, a second BJD leader who asked not to be identified said, as it takes away BJPs aggression at the local level and come with the benefits of a helpful Centre in an election year.
As a mark of respect to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness, both houses of Parliament  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Wednesday.

The DMK chief died at Chennais Kauvery Hospital on Tuesday. He was undergoing treatment for urinary tract infection and other ailments for almost two weeks.

Thousands of grieving supporters gathered outside Chennais Rajaji Memorial, where Karunanidhis body has been kept for public view, to pay their respects to the last leader in the state with a mass following.

Tamil Nadu has declared Wednesday a state holiday to mourn the death of the five-time chief minister and leader of DMK party for 50 years.

Karunanidhis heir apparent, MK Stalin, broke down earlier today after the Madras High Court allowed the DMK chiefs body to be buried at Marina beach.

A tussle had ensued over the burial of the former Tamil Nadu chief minister after the ruling AIADMK refused to allot space for him to be buried at Marina beach  the resting place of the icons of Dravidian politics.
M Karunanidhis heir apparent MK Stalin broke down as he came to know that the Madras high court allowed his fathers burial at Chennais Marina beach.

Former Union minister A Raja explained the high court order to Stalin.

The court order also triggered celebration among the DMK cadres who bought back their tears. Cadres raised slogans praising Karunanidhi as soon as the court pronounced its order.

The DMKs plea for the burial of Kalaignars body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras high court. The court further directed Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for Kalaignar, ANI quoted DMKs lawyer V Kannadasan as saying.

The order came as a huge victory for the DMK after the AIADMK government cited environmental rules to disallow Karunanidhis burial at Marina beach which is the resting place of three iconic Dravidian leaders.

Karunanidhis body is now at the Rajaji hall for the public to pay their last respects. The DMK patriarch died Tuesday evening at the age of 94.
Uttar Pradesh police and the Deoria district administration expanded their search for 18 girls reported missing from a shelter home for women that has come under a cloud over allegation of sexual exploitation of its residents, even as the issue resonated in Parliament on Tuesday.

Two administrative officers accompanied by four police teams searched every room of the two-storey Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila aur Balika Sanrakshan Griha for documents that could lead to more information about the missing girls.

Deoria additional district magistrate (ADM) Sitaram Gupta said they were focusing on ascertaining the number of residents who lived at the shelter home, to better identify the ones missing.

The regular entry register, which contains updated information about the total number of girls, is being looked into with the hope of getting more information. We have recovered registers, files and other documents which have been seized for further investigation, the ADM said.

A second official privy to the investigation said documents weighing more than 20 kg had been recovered.

The alleged sexual exploitation was unearthed Sunday night after a 10-year-old girl escaped the home by scaling a wall and informed the police.

The 10-year-old girl told police about the sex racket that was being run from the shelter home. The district administration has committed negligence in taking action against the management of the shelter home, state women and child welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said.

Five people, including the couple who ran the shelter, Girija and Mohan Tripathi, have been arrested. Police have rescued 24 women and girls, who statements were recorded on Tuesday.

In Parliament, opposition parties raised concern over the allegations, which come just weeks after a similar incident at a government-funded shelter home in Bihars Muzaffarpur, where more than 30 girls were allegedly sexually abused for months.

Union home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the incident shameful and said two senior officials of the UP government were probing the matter. No culprit will escape action, Singh added, describing such incidents as unfortunate, sad and shameful.

Soon after the home ministers response, members of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and Trinamool Congress staged a walkout. In the Rajya Sabha, SP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member disrupted proceedings after House chairman M Venkaiah Naidu disallowed a notice to raise the issue under Rule 267, which allows other proceedings of the day to be set aside for members to take up a specific matter.

The shelter home lost its licence in 2017 over irregularities but continued to function. Joshi said the district administration ignored several missives to raid the shelter home and shift the residents.

The district administration has committed negligence in taking action against the management of the shelter home. Strict action would be taken against the officers involved in the racket. Police have been directed to find out the girls missing from the shelter home, she said.

(With inputs from Lucknow and New Delhi)
Saudi Arabia is ready to meet Indias need for additional oil supplies should the US sanctions on Iran hit energy imports, the Saudi ambassador said on Wednesday.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia are the top two suppliers of energy to India, which imports more than 80% of its oil. The US has said it wants India and other buyers of Iranian crude to reduce imports to zero by November 4, when sanctions will kick in against Iran.

We have been a consistent and reliable supplier of energy to India and other countries. We will always be there to meet any demand of our customers, including India, Saudi Arabian ambassador Saud bin Mohammed al-Sati told a group of journalists.

We have always been a strong energy partner for India, he added, while responding to a question on whether Saudi Arabia would step in to help if the US sanctions led to a drying up of oil supplies from Iran, which became Indias second biggest energy supplier in May.

New Delhi imported 771,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Tehran in May, a 35% increase over April. The increase pushed Saudi Arabia to third place while Iraq retained the top slot.

Al-Sati said he was not aware of any request from India for additional oil supplies in view of the impending US sanctions. However, he noted that bilateral ties in a wide range of areas, from investments to security cooperation and cultural and people-to-people contacts, were excellent and growing.

Indians play an important role in Saudi Arabia. One out of every 10 persons in our country is an Indian and this reflects our close friendship, he added.

Despite being removed from its traditional position as Indias top energy source by Iraq, Saudi Arabia supplied 30.9 metric tonnes of crude in the first 10 months of the current fiscal. Saudi Arabia is also Indias fourth largest trade partner after China, the US and UAE, and bilateral trade during 2016-17 was valued at $25.079 billion, with Indias exports amounting to $5.13 billion.

Saudi Arabia is also home to 3.2 million Indians, the largest expatriate community in the kingdom whose annual remittances are worth about $10 billion.
Organisers of Maratha protests in Maharashtra could not reach a consensus on Wednesday over the way to take their agitation forward for reservation to the community in government jobs.

A group from the community has declared a one-day shutdown in Mumbai on August 9, after Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of all the Maratha outfits, announced peaceful protests in the Maharashtra capital on the same day.

Amol Jadhavrao, who is leading the other group, said they will shut down the city from midnight on August 8 for 24 hours as part of their ongoing protest for reservation.

We will observe a Mumbai bandh peacefully on August 9. There will be no violence at all. No emergency services will be obstructed during the bandh, Jadhavrao said.

He also alleged some people from his community dont want trouble for the state government and hence are trying to tone down the protests.

We want the state government to give a written assurance about the promises made by CM (Devendra) Fadnavis. Until then we will continue our protests. There are some members who are more concerned about the inconvenience to the state government, Jadhavrao said.

Coordinators of the protest in Mumbai on Tuesday declared a symbolic protest outside suburban collector office on August 9.

Virendra Pawar, one of the coordinators, said there is a lack of coordination and consensus among the factions which is leading to differences.

We want a peaceful protest as we have seen how some miscreants used violence in the name of Maratha protests in Navi Mumbai, Chakan and other places last month, Pawar said.

We want to avoid that but some amongst us want aggressive protests. We have told them that they can do whatever they like to but we will not support them, he added.

The Maratha agitation is struggling with a lack of coordination and rift among various factions of the community.

The protests are being run collectively by a number of outfits who have an informal coordination committee at the state level.

However, not all factions follow what the committee says as almost every district in the state has a different group even though all of them use the banner of Maratha Kranti Morcha.

Organisers from Beed district, who were the first to launch the second round of agitations in July, on Tuesday declared they are withdrawing their agitation till November, which was condemned by the rest of the state coordinators.

Their decision came after chief minister Fadnavis has said all the legal and constitutional procedures for reservation for the Marathas will be completed by November and also stayed the state governments mega recruitment drive for 72,000 jobs.

They have also called an emergency meeting to discuss the issue in Aurangabad on Wednesday.
After most of the state government employees had joined the three-day strike on Tuesday, the revenue, health services in the state, especially in the rural parts, were badly affected on the first day of the stir.

Since there was no dialogue between the stirring employees and the government on the first day, the strike is expected to continue on Wednesday.

The employees unions have given the strike call for immediate implementation of the seventh pay commission pay hike, reintroduction of the pension scheme, extension of the retiring age to 60 years and implementation of the five-day working week.

On the first day of the strike, the state secretariat Mantralaya registered the attendance of 70.64 per cent, while in rest of the state it had dropped to 37.1 per cent. The attendance of Grade C and D employees was badly affected at 37.28 per cent in Mantralaya.

The government said that despite its attempts, the representatives of the employees did not show up for talks. There was satisfactory attendance in Mantralaya on Tuesday and it is expected to improve it further on Wednesday. We are open for the dialogue even tomorrow, but I think whatever has been promised is not the less in given scenario. The employees have already been intimated about the possible action under services rules, which has the standing provision of strictest action on the employees in the emergency services, said Shivaji Daund, secretary, general administration department.

According to the health department figures, 21 per cent of grade 3 and 24 per cent of grade 4 employees participated in the strike across the state.

Teachers unions have said that the effect of the strike will be visible in schools from Wednesday. We could not convey the message of the strike to the schools well within the time yesterday and as result of it, most of the teachers attended the schools. More teachers will now join the strike from tomorrow, said Subhash More, executive president of Shikshak Bharti, a union representing teachers.

The agitating employees have struck down the proposal of the implementation of the pay commission. We have been ditched by the government thrice in last two years over the promises. If the government is ready to implement the pay commission from January, why not on an immediate basis? The government figures on attendance are false as the strike was 100% successful across the state, said Milind Sardeshmukh of state government employees central union.
Pune The thumping sound of the Royal Enfield motorbikes modified silencer will no longer be music to policemens ears as the officials have undertaken a drive to fine the owners of these motorbikes for causing pollution.

In a special drive against Bullets with modified silencers, the Pune city traffic police took action against around 200 Royal Enfield motorbikes in a day and fined them for installing noisy silencers post modification of the originals. The action against bikers were taken under Section 119 and 190 (2) of Motor Vehicle Act. The Act pertains to unauthorised modifications to the vehicle, often causing nuisance.

The officials said that the police have managed to collect Rs 1.2 lakh fine from the violators. The city has in the past few years seen rising number of Royal Enfield motorbikes with modified silencers for producing thumping sound while driving. The modifications are done by mechanics by introducing additional cylinder.

ACP (administration) Prabhakar Dhamale, attached to DCP (traffic) headquarters, said that the youth have been found tampering with the motorcycles original silencer to add more growl to their Enfields. The youth and some groups who want to spread their tentacles in a particular area too are resorting to such types of growling silencers. We have taken action against them and will continue with the drive, said Dhamale.

In order to prevent accidents and bring discipline on road, Pune city police traffic branch on Monday conducted special drive and penalised 919 drivers and collected Rs2.54 lakhs fine from traffic violators.

The special drive was conducted on the instructions of newly appointed police commissioner K Venkatesham. The actions were taken under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act.

A total of Rs 23,100 was collected from 36 persons for rash driving using racing bikes. In case of minors, their guardians were fined Rs 42,000 has been collected from 265 persons for triple seat riding. Police used jammer on vehicles of 418 persons and collected Rs 69,400 for parking in no-parking zones and creating obstructing.Police have appealed people to follow traffic rules and support traffic police in maintaining discipline on road.
India repatriated 14 Pakistani fishermen who were arrested for allegedly entering its territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, through the Attari-Wagah border on Tuesday.

While fishing in the sea, they entered territorial waters of India around three years ago. After being kept in various jails of the country, they were freed and sent back to their country. Border Security Force (BSF) personnel handed them over to the Pakistan Rangers.

Mistakenly entered territorial waters

Arresting and sentencing each others fishermen is usual practice exercised by both the countries as they mistakenly enter the territorial waters of the other country.

We are poor people and go for fishing for our ends meet. We dont enter territorial waters of the other country deliberately. Still, we are arrested and are made to languish in jails for many years. Even our boats are also seized, said a fisherman, before crossing the border.

He requested governments of both the countries to resolve their issue and not to arrest them while fishing.

The problem of the fishermen of both the countries is same, he said.

Pakistan government should also release the Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistans jails, he added.

According to Pak media reports, Prime Minister-designate Imran Khan is extending a hand of friendship towards New Delhi and is likely to order release of 30 Indian fishermen before his oath-taking ceremony on August 14.
Paramjit Singh Pamma, who is under the watch of Indian agencies for organising pro-Khalistan event Referendum 2020 at Trafalgar Square in London on August 12, was a petty criminal in India till 1992.

A native of Bhanno Majra village in Rupnagar district in Punjab, Pamma, now 48, entered the world of crime through his cousin, known as Boss in militant circles.

He initially committed petty crimes such as thefts, then used Bosss clout to first commit robberies and later hobnobbed with terrorists before moving to Pakistan, Germany and finally to England to seek political asylum in the country in 1994. He also had a house in Mohali.

As per a dossier sent by the Indian authorities to the UK government to extradite Pamma, he visited Pakistan on numerous occasions and became the main fundraiser of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Initially, Pamma was close to Pakistan-based Wadhawa Singh  Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist but later he joined hands with Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Jagtar Singh Tara, one of the assassins of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.

In 2000, Pamma was arrested for an alleged terrorist activity by the UK police while he was returning from Pakistan after receiving terror training and was entering England via Germany. He was sent to 30 months in jail as he was active member of BKI which was declared a proscribed organisation.

But he tendered apology and was released after 13 months. He got settled in Birmingham and drives a van, reveals the dossier.

Why India wants him?

Pamma is wanted in India as the main conspirator of killing Rashtriya Sikh Sangats (an RSS offshoot) Punjab chief Rulda Singh in July 2009. For this, Pamma had handpicked UK-based Gursharan Singh and Piara Singh to carry out the shooting. The UK police though arrested Pamma in this case in 2010 and their special team visited Patiala to find Pammas role in the case but he was released.

In 2010, Pamma allegedly hatched a plan to carry out two bomb blasts in Patiala and Ambala but it could not be implemented properly and there was no causality, says his police record. The Rajasthan police also wanted him in a case of smuggling of RDX and other firearms from Pakistan via Barmer.

Portugal connection with Pannu

As India has issued a red corner notice against Pamma, the Portugal police nabbed him from a hotel where he was staying with his family. It was here where he came in contact with the mastermind of Referendum 2020 and self-styled human rights advocacy group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) head Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.

Pannu collected funds for Pammas release from pro-Khalistani people in the UK and countries and managed a battery of lawyers to ensure Pamma is not extradited to India. Here, they became close associates and they have collected money to run the pro-Khalistan movement, a senior police official said.

The Punjab Police officials claimed that Pamma is blatantly engaged in anti-India activities in the UK, which are in clear violation of the guidelines for asylum seekers in that country.
Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson faced a welter of criticism for his remarks this week on face veils worn by Muslim women, with Prime Minister Theresa May and others demanding an apology though he stood his ground on Wednesday.

Seen as a way to burnish his credentials for a future leadership contest in a climate of right-wing headwinds in Europe, Johnson set forth his views on the recent burka ban in Denmark in his column in The Daily Telegraph.

Johnson, a former journalist who resigned as foreign secretary in July to protest against Mays soft Brexit policy, wrote that he felt "fully entitled" to expect women to remove face coverings when talking to him at his constituency office.

Schools and universities should be able to take the same approach if a student "turns up... looking like a bank robber... If you tell me that the burka is oppressive, then I am with you," he wrote.

"If you say that it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces, then I totally agree  and I would add that I can find no scriptural authority for the practice in the Koran. I would go further and say that it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes."

Sayeeda Warsi, Johnsons colleague in the Conservative Party, and a member of the House of Lords, accused him of making hate crime more likely with an indefensible dog-whistle reference to fully veiled Muslim women.

Warsi responded in The Guardian, saying Johnson had used rightwing, alt-right language in criticising the appearance of the burqa, which contributes to a view that Muslim women are fair game.

She wrote, As a feminist, what really disgusts me in this whole episode is that Muslim women are simply political fodder, their lives a convenient battleground on which to stake out a leadership bid.

Well, this approach is not just offensive, its dangerous. Johnsons words have once again validated the view of those that other Muslims. They send out a message that Muslim women are fair game. What starts as useful targets for colourful political language and the odd bit of toxic campaigning ends up in attacks on our streets.
China has begun recalling faulty rabies vaccines exported to several countries, including India, following revelations that a company which made the vaccines violated immunity standards and forged documents.

The government, however, has declined to share details about the recall protocol thats been initiated.

Media reports from New Delhi revealed last week that the company at the centre of the vaccine scandal in China - Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology Corporation - had exported its products to India.

Given that it has now emerged the company was selling ineffective vaccines since 2014, experts believe a sizeable number of people in India could have been exposed to the deadly infection which had a 100% fatality rate in the country in 2017.

In New Delhi, a government official told the media: We have ordered an immediate withdrawal of rabies vaccines manufactured by a Chinese firm for the time being till the investigation...is completed. As per our inputs, Chinas drug controller has issued an order to stop its manufacturing.

The Chinese government hasnt shared details about the number of countries that had purchased the tainted vaccines. Hindustan Times sent a questionnaire to the foreign ministry on the recall of vaccines made by the company, which sold fake anti-rabies vaccines in China and abroad.

The foreign ministry did not also answer the question whether the firm had exported other types of vaccines  such as the DPT vaccine for infants  to India. The foreign ministrys statement didnt mention India at all.

Changchun Changsheng has started recalling the export vaccines since July 16. The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) will continue to supervise the recall work, the ministry said in its written statement.

It didnt share details about the quantity of vaccines exported to India or the period when was the firm sent them to India.

According to the news released by CFDA, the State Council (Chinas cabinet) investigation team is conducting investigations into the case of Changchun Changsheng illegal production of rabies vaccines. The CFDA has maintained communication with the World Health Organisations representative office in China, the statement said.

Changchun Changsheng, based in northeastern Jilin province, violated national regulations while producing rabies vaccines since April 2014, the state media reported.

A recall protocol has already been initiated, including notifying other countries and regions about the incident and recalling the vaccines sold there, according to the inspection team sent by the State Council, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

Some vaccine batches were mixed with expired ingredients, and production dates and batch numbers were inconsistent with the truth, Xinhua reported.

The case has given Chinese vaccines a negative reputation, Zhou Zijun, a professor at Peking University's School of Public Health, told Global Times. Foreign buyers, including WHO, could be more cautious about not only Chinese vaccines, but Chinese medications in general, Zhou said.

The scandal emerged in July when it was found the companys anti-rabies vaccines didnt meet immunity standards.

Though there have been no reports of the vaccines causing any harm, the case triggered massive outrage from hundreds of thousands of people on social media after investigations showed the listed company was also linked to a substandard DPT vaccine for infants.

Details of fake DPT vaccines sold by the company emerged last November during investigations into the rabies vaccine, indicating the matter was hushed up. The state medias latest reports on the scandal have focused entirely on the anti-rabies vaccine, and the case of the DPT vaccines has found no mention.
Republicans held the slimmest of leads in a special election for an Ohio congressional seat that they have held for decades, but were quick to claim victory, eager to wrap up a contest that could set them up badly for the upcoming midterm polls.

The results were too close to call at the end of the counting on Tuesday night.

President Donald Trump, who endorsed the candidate and campaigned for him, has already declared victory.

Kansas state also reported a close fight in the Republican primary for the partys nomination for governorship, which remained unresolved till Wednesday.

If Kris Kobach loses, he could end the streak of wins for nominees endorsed by Trump.

Missouri and Michigan also held their primaries for state and federal offices for the midterm polls in November at which Democrats hope to take control of the House of Representatives and the Senate from Republicans.

But all eyes were on the Ohio by-election to fill a vacant seat in which Republican Troy Balderson led his Democratic rival Danny OConnor by only 1,754 votes, a lead of 1 percentage point.

Over 3,400 provisional ballots and 5,000 absentee ballots remained to be counted, a process that could take days or weeks. And the states laws call for automatic recount if the margin separating the candidates is less than half a percentage point.

Republicans could still win. But they couldnt wait in their hurry to get past an electoral contest they had feared could go the other way, specially if it reflected disillusionment among constituents who had been committed Republican supporters and voters for decades.

Trump not only declared victory prematurely but went on to claim credit for it in a tweet: When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.

He added: Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!

But it did not look like a win to some Republicans, who warned that a slim victory should serve as a wake-up call for the upcoming midterm. Their party has held that seat  Ohio 12 for 35 years; it has generally polled more Republican than the rest of the country and Trump himself won it by 11 points (10,000 votes) in the 2016 elections.

OConnor, the Democratic candidate who was nicknamed Danny Boy by the president, had not conceded the contest and has said he was ready to battle on. We made our case for change, he told supporters on Tuesday night. Were going to make that case tomorrow. Tomorrow we rest and we keep fighting through to November. The seat goes back to polls in November with the rest of the House of Representatives.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its office in Peshawar on Tuesday in a case related to alleged misuse of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments helicopters.

Khan has been accused of illegally using Mi-17 and an Ecureuil helicopters belonging to the provincial government for 74 hours, causing losses of Rs 2.1 million to the national exchequer. The PTI was in power in the province till recently.

He had been summoned by the anti-corruption body on July 18, but had sought more time to appear due to his busy schedule for campaigning for the July 25 general election. He submitted an application to the NAB through his counsel Babar Awan, seeking another date to appear. Awan had also filed an appeal, requesting NAB to fix the case after the general elections, preferably on August 7.

A questionnaire with 15 queries prepared by NAB was handed over to Khan and his lawyers on Tuesday. The questionnaire needs to be answered within 15 days, NAB officials said. They said Khan was interrogated inside the NAB office in connection to the case for more than one hour.

In February, after taking notice of the issue when it was highlighted by the print and electronic media, NAB had taken its first action against Khan and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak for allegedly misusing official aircraft for private visits.

NAB chairman Javed Iqbal directed the bureaus provincial director general to conduct an inquiry against Khattak and Khan over the unofficial use of two government helicopters.

The provincial government, however, said Khan had not used any official helicopter for private and personal trips. A spokesperson of the PTI-led provincial government had said that since 2013, authorities had not used helicopters for any purpose other than official business.
The swearing-in of Imran Khan as Pakistans next premier may not be held on August 11 as announced earlier, with reports on Wednesday suggesting the event is now likely to be held on August 16 or 17.

August 14 is a national holiday in Pakistan on account of Independence Day.

Analysts have said the parliamentary process that will lead to a vote of confidence in the leader of the House can only be held after the new Parliament has been summoned and the speaker and deputy speaker have been elected.

Khan had told Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders that he intended to take oath on August 11. However, the local media reported the ceremony is now likely to be held on August 16 or 17. Reports suggested the delay in Khan's swearing-in may be because the PTI still does not have the required strength in Parliament to elect the new Prime Minister.

Another spanner was thrown in the works this week when the election commission notified the final results of the July 25 general election but withheld results in nine national and 17 provincial assembly seats for various reasons, stirring a new controversy before the formation of the government.

The PTIs strength in the National Assembly or Lower House with 272 directly elected members has gone down from 116 to 112 and the tally of its ally, the Balochistan Awami Party, has gone from four to three.

Though the election Commissions statement did not explain the nature of the violation that led to some results being withheld, it apparently referred to the violation of the secrecy of the vote due to the stamping of ballot papers in a constituency in Islamabad on the table of the presiding officer, instead of voters going behind a screen.

In a related development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside a ruling of the Lahore high court restraining the election commission from issuing the victory notification of PTI chairman Imran Khan from a seat in Lahore, and ordering the returning officer to recount the ballot papers.

Soon after the apex courts verdict, Khan's lawyer Babar Awan wrote to the poll panel, requesting it to issue the notification of Khans victory in two seats in Lahore and Islamabad. Awan argued that since the apex court had nullified the high court's ruling, the election commission should issue the victory notification.
Pakistan's Supreme Court was informed by the attorney general on Tuesday that former army chief Raheel Sharif did not obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the federal cabinet before taking on the job of heading a 41-nation military alliance based in Saudi Arabia.

During the hearing of a suo moto case regarding the dual nationality of civil servants and judges, attorney general Khalid Jawed Khan said that according to the law, the NOC is issued by the federal government to government officers wishing to take up jobs abroad. It is necessary for the NOC to be approved by the cabinet under government service rules, he said.

Khan presented the legal perspective after defence secretary Lt Gen (retired) Zamirul Hassan informed the court that it was the defence ministry which had granted the NOC to Sharif after the General Headquarters cleared him to accept the post of commander of the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking about former Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha, Hassan told the court that he had informed Pakistani authorities that he is currently unemployed. Pasha was reported to have taken up a private job abroad.

After hearing all sides, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar ordered authorities to place the matter of Sharif's appointment before the federal cabinet for regular approval, or disapproval.

"We have to proceed according to the law," Nisar said during the hearing, observing that the governments authority is controlled by the cabinet. He said the matter was of an urgent nature.

The hearing was adjourned till an unspecified date after the courts summer vacations as the attorney general and defence secretary sought time to refer the matter of the NOC to the cabinet.
British rock band Jethro Tull once sang, Youre never too old to rock n roll if youre too young to die. Two elderly men in Germany have proved that by running away from a retirement home to attend Wacken Open Air, arguably the worlds biggest heavy metal festival.

The pair went missing from their retirement home in Dithmarscher district on Friday, travelling about 40 km to Wacken Open Air, a four-day festival held near the city of Hamburg, The Washington Post reported.

The men, whose ages were not specified, were found at the festival at around 3 am, with police saying they were disoriented and dazed.

Police said officers in a patrol car spotted the men. Their disappearance was noticed at the nursing home and their swift return there was organised after police picked them up, the police statement said.

The Post quoted a police spokesperson as saying that the men were thought to have made their way to the festival by foot and public transport. However, it was unclear when they arrived in Wacken and how much time they spent at the festival.

They were then taken to the medical tent on the festival site and were sent back by taxi at around 6.30 am, the police spokesperson said. The men were reluctant to leave the festival, so police escorted them home with the help of a taxi and a patrol car, Deutsche Welle reported.

A photo showing other elderly people rocking out at the festival was posted on social media. The official Twitter account of Wacken reposted that photo, writing: No discrimination of seniors... Because youre never too old too rock (sic).

Wacken which bills itself as the Metal Mecca  draws about 75,000 metalheads from around the world. Headline acts at this years festival included Judas Priest, Hatebreed, In Flames, Running Wild, Arch Enemy, In Extremo and Cannibal Corpse.
Additional capital investments will be made to update all guestrooms and common spaces

In a joint venture, LTD Hospitality Group and Sefira Capital acquire the 152-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Columbia, Maryland. Sefira Capital is a Miami- based boutique investment firm specializing in the acquisition and development of high-quality commercial real estate assets.

We are thrilled to partner with Sefira Capital on this project: this asset has tremendous potential and the joint venture marries two highly experienced groups that share the same investment strategy and principles, said Neel Desai, LTDs managing principal. While there is already substantial in-place cash flow, we feel there is upside opportunity with focused management and thoughtful renovations, added Desai.

Columbia, Maryland is one of the fastest growing master-planned communities in the country, located between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, two growing and dynamic markets. The DoubleTrees full- service guest amenities include a newly-renovated restaurant and lounge, fitness center, business center, indoor swimming pool, in-room dining service, guest laundry facility, sundry shop, local shuttle, and approximately 11,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, not including the Hotels unique atrium lobby.

We are excited to be adding another Hilton hotel to our portfolio, said Mijael Attias, co-founder and managing partner of Sefira Capital. This property is the perfect example of the type of real estate investment our team seeks out: a well-positioned, high-quality hotel in a market with strong demand generators and high barriers to entry; plus the ability to reinvigorate the asset and deliver strong returns for our investors, added Attias.

The DoubleTree is centrally-located in Columbia, just a 20-minute drive from both Baltimores Inner Harbor and the Washington, DC Beltway. The Hotel is in close proximity to key area demand generators: it is less than 2 miles from Columbias Town Center, which includes the Mall of Columbia and the Merriweather Post Concert Pavilion. The Hotel is also located a short drive from the Columbia Gateway Drive Business Park, Fort Meade and the National Security Administration (NSA).

In the fall, additional capital investments will be made to update all guestrooms and common spaces. LTD has significant experience in operating all of the industry-leading brands and has previously developed and operated hotels in this market. This is the first transaction between LTD Hospitality Group and Sefira Capital, but both parties are eager to find other strategic joint acquisition and/or development opportunities.

About LTD Hospitality Group:

Founded in 1983, LTD Hospitality Group is headquartered in Chesapeake, VA and is comprised of several key lodging-sector business units, including Asset Management, Hotel Management, and Development. LTD is proud to be recognized as a distinguished leader in the hospitality industry with a portfolio of premium-branded properties. LTDs mission is to drive value by delivering first-class service to each of its customers and partners.

For more information on LTD Hospitality Group, please visit: www.ltdhospitality.com

About Sefira Capital

Sefira Capital, founded by Aby Galsky and Mijael Attias, is a Miami-based boutique investment company with a dynamic real estate portfolio of office buildings, multi-family developments, hotels, resorts and self-storage facilities across the United States. Sefira takes a conservative approach to investing on behalf of its investors, pursuing creative, active-role, opportunistic deals  both on its own, as well as through joint ventures with the companys network of seasoned, credible partners. Obsessed with delivering unprecedented returns and doing so on a risk-adjusted basis, Sefira acquires only those commercial real estate assets that have the most favorable terms. The company prides itself on its seamless process, in-depth analysis, transparent communication and commitment to exceeding expectations.

For more information on Sefira Capital, please visit www.sefiracapital.com.

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Hotelogix has announced the integration of its PMS with RepUp, a customer experience management platform. This partnership will facilitate hotels to automate the guest review collection process in order to boost their online ratings and reputation.

Hotelogix, a leader in cloud-based Property Management System has announced the integration of its PMS with RepUp, a customer experience management platform. This partnership will facilitate hotels to automate the guest review collection process in order to boost their online ratings and reputation.

Speaking on this alliance, Aditya Sanghi, Co-founder & CEO at Hotelogix said, RepUp has an international quality product when it comes to manage hotel guest reviews. Due to this integration, our customers are now able to improve both guest experience and business with the assistance of a tool like RepUp.

Commenting on this development, Shinichi Shirane, Manager of Guest Relations at Kokotel  Thailand said, The integrated offering helps us to manage our reputation via Hotelogix platform, seamlessly. It has also helped us automate the whole review collection process. RepUp has been a powerful tool that helps us to know what is being said about us on review platforms.

Currently, RepUp helps 2100 hotels with 64000 rooms across the globe to improve their online score. It empowers hoteliers to understand guest sentiment by analyzing reviews and feedback. Its dashboard allows hotels to view, analyze, reply to and resolve issues related to guest reviews coming from over 150 platforms.

The integration with Hotelogix was essential to automate key daily tasks. Without this integration, Hotelogix customers would have to spend almost 2-3 hours in managing and processing their guest data to improve reviews and ratings. Hotelogix has a global client base and their customers are seeing a great value out of this integrated product, said Pranjal Prashar, Founder & CEO at RepUp.

About Hotelogix



Hotelogix provides a robust cloud-based Hotel PMS that helps hotels to automate and manage their end-to-end operations with ease. It also assists hotels to drive growth, increase revenue and to enhance their online reputation. The PMS is hosted on Amazon Web Services, and thus offers the much-needed stability and security to hoteliers. The company has rich experience in serving global markets with customers in 100 plus countries including developed geographies such as North America and Europe.

Media Contact



Debi Prasad Sarangi

Corporate Communications

Mail: debiprasad.sarangi@hotelogix.com

Ph: +91 9986496849

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One Database for All Properties; Integrated Spa, Restaurant and Room Booking, Event Scheduling, Guest History and Loyalty: Maestro PMS Does it All

It is essential that all our properties and their activities be instantly accessible on one PMS system for our destination service agents. Maestro Multi-Property Management does a great job of connecting the different pieces of our business, the Spa, front desk, and food and beverage outlets. It all comes together on one system to support personalized experience that is essential for our Forbes rating, says Mary Arcuri, Group Director of Reservations and Revenue for Ocean House Management.

We call our reservations team destination services because they take reservations for all services and activities for our properties on one property software system, Arcuri added. Ocean House Management operates four properties. The Ocean House earned Forbes Five-Star designations for each of its hotel, spa and restaurant operations and a AAA Five-Diamond rating.

Exceptional training and ease of use boost productivity

Training and staff productivity are important for multi-property operators. My team commented how easy it is to learn and navigate our Maestro Multi-Property System. It is easy to find the information you need to answer questions quickly and provide personal service, said Michelle Miller, Director of Revenue for Lais Hotel Properties Ltd, which represents Vintage hotels and Niagaras Finest Hotels with a total of 11 properties. We programmed room descriptors, color codes, packages and text in our property software describing amenities for all our hotels. When guests call our service representatives we can describe our rooms in a natural, unscripted way from looking at Maestro. We can quickly scan their history to see which room they had before. These subtle things add up to an exceptional guest experience.

In the area of training, Maestros multi-property, multi-module integration is effective and efficient, Arcuri said. Maestros online eLearning and webinars make it easy for staff to learn the system on their own time schedule. We can hire and train a guest service agent for one hotel, and they can easily move to another property since our hotels all use the same Maestro multi-property software system.

VIDEO: Leading operators discuss the importance of sound technology

A feature rich, easy to use technology solution is essential to profitable property operations.

Click here to listen in on a group of full-service independent operators discuss what system features are most important to their properties.

Multi-property reporting = standardized data delivery, smooth guest journey

My focus is to protect company revenue. Maestro tracks our revenue effectively and lets me drill down to learn how guests generate our revenue. Maestro is a solid system that manages all areas of our business, Miller said. Guests can book rooms, meals, and spa appointments at any of our properties and they will appear on their confirmation, itinerary and their folio. Maestro integrates with our point of sale system so we can even drill down and view charges on their restaurant check. This enables us to provide a seamless guest experience. Maestro Multi-Property has been huge for us.

Their product is superior because their service is superior

Its not just about the system, it is about the people behind the scenes that deliver that system to you, said Chris Shroff, owner of Seaside Properties with six destinations in South Carolina. Maestros product is superior because their service is superior. Service, courtesy, and friendliness, Maestro has all these qualities when we call them.

Warren Dehan, Maestro PMS President, said, Maestro is really a service company that provides very good technology for independent operators. We understand hospitality is a 24/7 business, and it doesnt matter how good your system is, hoteliers will call for help. We pride ourselves on always having a person respond to a support call.

The Maestro Property Management System delivers flexible and scalable deployment options with an identical full-featured web browser or windows solution available in the cloud or on premise. Maestros revenue-generating hotel management software tools and services increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations, and provide personalized and mobile guest service tools to enhance the guest experience. Click here for more information on how to engage and socialize with Maestro PMS.

About Maestro PMS

Maestro is the preferred cloud and on-premises PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. Maestros PCI certified and EMV ready enterprise system offers 20+ integrated modules on a single database including web and mobile apps to increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations, and enable operators to engage guests with a personalized experience. For over 40 years Maestro's Diamond Plus Service has provided unparalleled 24/7 North American based support and education services to keep hospitality groups operational and productive. Click here for more information on Maestro.

Contact:

Maestro PMS

Macarena Lorenzini

65 Allstate Parkway, Suite 100

Markham, ON L3R 9X1

Canada

Toll Free: 1-888-667-8488

Email: info@maestropms.com

www.maestropms.com

Media Contact

Julie Keyser-Squires, APR

Softscribe Inc.

609 SW 8th Street, Ste 600

Bentonville, AR 72712

Phone: 404-256-5512

Email: Julie(at)softscribeinc.com

www.softscribeinc.com

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Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., announced today its conclusion of a contract with Meieki Management LLC to manage Nikko Style Nagoya, the first hotel under the new upscale, select-service Nikko Style brand, which will open in 2020.

Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., announced today its conclusion of a contract with Meieki Management LLC to manage Nikko Style Nagoya, the first hotel under the new upscale, select-service Nikko Style brand, which will open in 2020.

Nikko Style Nagoya will be located in Nagoyas popular Meieki district, which combines offices, retail outlets and other downtown conveniences, including Nagoya Station, within the fast-redeveloping Chukyo metropolis that extends well beyond Nagoya.

Mr. Marcel P. van Aelst, CEO of Okura Nikko Hotel Management, remarked, We are delighted that we will be opening Nikko Style Nagoya in 2020. This will be our first property branded under Nikko Style, our new lifestyle brand targeting customers who are especially interested in new and creative hotel experiences. We look forward to opening this and other Nikko Style hotels in major locations worldwide to create an all-new customer base.

Nagoyas Meieki district is a principal transportation hub with intersecting JR, Nagoya Railroad and Kintetsu Railway lines. In recent years, Meieki has become the main gateway to the Nagoya metropolitan area and surrounding region. The districts distinctive atmosphere is defined by its highly regional character, including historic Yanagibashi Central Market, the local pantry of citizens. Chubu Centrair International Airport is within easy reach and is expected to bring in many more overseas visitors as Japans inbound tourism continues to surge.

Nikko Style Nagoya will offer 191 rooms, a communal lobby, all-day dining and a fitness gym. This will be Okura Nikko Hotels first select-service lifestyle hotel targeting at a new customer base. The upscale facility will be specifically geared to satisfying the needs and preferences of millennials interested in culture, health, the environment and creative hotel experiences. It is forged from the brand concept of a hotel that fascinates people by offering them new travel styles and experiences.

One of the hotels many appealing features will be its communal lobby, which is designed to facilitate interaction among hotel guests, local people and other visitors. Additionally, a special event area in the lobby will provide a unique space for culinary events featuring tasty local ingredients, workshops on Nagoyas distinctive cuisine and performances by local musicians, allowing guests to absorb Nagoya culture and experience its charms even before venturing outside.

All-day dining will include a tempting mix of all-round and local Japanese cuisine, including fresh, high-quality produce supplied by local farmers, as well as representative local beers and Japanese sake.

Standard rooms will offer an above-average 30 m of floor space with 5 meters of frontage, providing spacious living areas and bathrooms allowing enhanced relaxation. Interiors will incorporate motifs inspired by the traditional crafts of Nagoya, imbued with Japans world-famous manufacturing culture, and in the same spirit, Nikko Style Nagoya will provide their own original amenity products which are gentle on the skin and environmentally friendly.

The 24-hour fitness gym will invigorate guests with an exhilarating open design enhanced by an extra-large picture window. As a people-friendly and earth-friendly hotel, Nikko Style Nagoya will offer guests environmentally friendly choices such as the option to decline replacement towels or bed linen.

The development of the hotel facilities is being carried out by Support 27 LLC. And ORIX Real Estate Investment Advisors Corporation performs asset management and project management work, which has been commissioned by Support 27.

Overview of Nikko Style Nagoya

Location: 5-2011-1 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture

Access: 5-minute walk from Kokusai Center station

No. of floors: 13

Total floor area: About 9,542 m2

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Months after his passing, Jimmy Wopo has been named in a federal indictment of members affiliated with 11 Hunnit, a gang operating out of Pittsburgh. At least three members of the gang Wopo was affiliated with, have been indicted on racketeering charges that include homicide, drug trafficking, and robbery. Although Wopo was not officially charged in the indictment, his name featured prominently in the 15-page document, relating many of the gangs activities.

Jimmy Wopo was spoken of as a key influencer within the group. The document stated the following under the abridged version of his given name Tavon Smart): T.S. held the greater influence within the group largely due to his notoriety as a regionally popular rap artist, members attempted to curry favor with T.S. by carrying out criminal acts at his direction."

The paragraph went onto describe a mutual exchange that eluded law enforcement for several months. Rappers were promised a certain level of notoriety in his music videos if they accomplished certain deeds in the streets, so the document states. 22-year-old Dionte Griffin, 20-year-old Sydney Pack, and 23-year-old Richard Kelley, are the three individuals who were indicted in the gang sting. All remain in custody and await trial for their actions, presumed organized by rank.

Jimmy Wopo's manager Taylor Maglin insists his client was not involved in any of the stated crimes, in no shape or form. "They will say what they want to say," he added. "At the end of the day, this is the government. But i will keep the message positive, his music going, and his name alive forever."
Mattress Firm could shutter up to a third of its stores should it pursue bankruptcy protection, analysts who follow the industry said Tuesday in dissecting the ongoing financial woes of the nations largest mattress retailer.

Speculation about the Houston-based companys future comes on the heels of an anonymously sourced Reuters story that said the company is mulling a bankruptcy filing as a way to close hundreds of underperforming stores and return to financial stability. Mattress Firm is reportedly working with AlixPartners, a consultant that helps companies plan and execute turnaround strategies, including emerging from bankruptcy, the news service said.

Analysts and industry experts could not confirm but said that would not surprise them a bit. If Mattress Firm files for bankruptcy, the company might close anywhere from 600 to 1,200 stores, they said. The company has more than 3,400 stores nationwide, after closing about 200 in the past year.

Now Playing: Trending Business News Video: Houston Chronicle

Bankruptcy for Mattress Firm would make sense as it would allow them to reposition their real estate portfolio and close stores to become profitable, said Peter Keith, principal of hard-goods retail for Minneapolis-based financial firm Piper Jaffray & Co.

Mattress Firm would likely wait until after Labor Day, the largest shopping event for mattresses, to file for bankruptcy, Keith said. Sales over the busy holiday would likely generate enough cash for the retailer to survive another month or so, and give the company a stronger footing to head into bankruptcy proceedings, he said.

A Mattress Firm spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday. An AlixPartners spokesman declined to comment Monday evening.

Mattress Firms predicament comes as the company has expanded rapidly amid growing competition from online bed-in-a-box competitors and the loss of Tempur-Sealy as its largest mattress supplier. The $3.8 billion acquisition of the retailer by Steinhoff International, now embroiled in a financial accounting scandal, brought the extent of Mattress Firms financial problems to light.

Mattress Firm has overstored the market substantially with their acquisition and expansion plans, said Ed Wulfe, CEO and chairman of Houston-based retail brokerage Wulfe & Co. There are just too many mattress stores.

Bankruptcy seems inevitable, analysts said, as Mattress Firm burns through cash under the weight of operating thousands of stores and as it shifts its inventory from Tempur-Sealy to Serta-Simmons mattresses.

Steinhoff, in its most recent financial filing, reported Mattress Firm had losses of $109 million during the six months ending March 31. The South African conglomerates creditors agreed last month to a three-year timeline to restructure the companys debt.

Right now, theyre having to put up capital for inventory through the Labor Day holiday, said Seth Basham, a Wedbush analyst who has followed Mattress Firm. Their cash crunch will be at its peak over the next week. Bankruptcy could come more imminently.

Basham said he has heard Mattress Firm has been shopped around for the past six months. Potential buyers include private-equity firms and mattress manufacturers looking to vertically integrate.

A potential Mattress Firm bankruptcy would have wide-reaching consequences for the industry and the Houston real estate market.

Mattress Firm has a third of the U.S. mattress market share, employs more than 10,000 workers and operates some 3,400 stores and 75 distribution centers nationwide, according to IBISWorld, a business research firm. The retailer had $3.2 billion in revenue last year, according to Furniture Today.

Mattress Firm has about 60 stores in the Houston area, averaging around 5,000 to 7,000 square feet, Wulfe said.

Its not a huge number compared to the Toys R Us closure, Wulfe said. By and large, Mattress Firm has great locations that can be absorbed in 18 months.

Mattress Firms competitors would benefit from having fewer mattress stores to compete with. However, the loss of the mattress giants ubiquitous presence  whose advertising campaigns kept customers coming through all bedding stores  could hurt smaller retailers, analysts said.

Competitors drafted off of Mattress Firms very heavy local advertising, which generated consumer interest in the mattress category, Keith said. A lot of competitors want a bruised Mattress Firm, but not a battered Mattress Firm.

Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale of Gallery Furniture said he wasnt concerned about a drop in foot traffic to his furniture and mattress stores.

Our share of voice has been heavy and loud for three decades, McIngvale said. Mattress Firms advertising hasnt really helped us. I think weve had more impact when they parted ways from Tempur-Pedic. People came to us to buy more Tempur-Pedic.

Mattress Firm store closures could boost Tempur-Sealys earnings by as much as $50 million, an increase of 11 percent, according to Wedbushs Basham. Tempur-Sealy, which severed ties with Mattress Firm earlier this year, produces high-end Tempur-Pedic mattresses.

Youval Meicler, the founder and owner of Texas Mattress Makers, said Mattress Firms marketing buzz around mattresses has helped his own business. Losing a big retailer could also have a negative ripple effect on mattress manufacturers, he said.

Neither McIngvale nor Meicler said they would take any joy in Mattress Firms financial struggles. Meicler even recalled that his company was one of Mattress Firms initial suppliers in the early 1980s, when the retail giant was much smaller.

paul.takahashi@chron.com

twitter.com/paultakahashi
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is racing to close a deal with Mexico on the North American Free Trade Agreement before the leftist president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, takes office later this year, a drive that appears increasingly likely to eliminate an investment protection provision dear to U.S. oil companies and many other corporations.

The administration has just over three weeks to get a new deal before Congress, if lawmakers are going to complete their required 90-day review period before Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto leaves office Dec. 1. Pena Nieto has his own incentives to get an agreement in place soon as he seeks to cement a legacy before turning over the government to Obrador, according to officials following the negotiations closely.

Theyre both trying to find a way to get this done, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said of Trump and Pena Nieto.

Now Playing: Mike Corbat, head of the fourth biggest bank in the U.S. with $1.84 trillion in assets, said that many of the existing trade agreements don't adequately support the current economy. He said it's 'unfortunate' that progress from other policies, like tax reform, could be hampered by the threat of trade wars. Video: Cheddar TV

At the center of talks are NAFTAs existing investment protection rules - known as Investor State Dispute Settlement, or ISDS. Championed by oil companies and corporate America at-large, the provision allows companies to challenge foreign government policies through an independent arbiter and win compensation for losses caused by those policies.

Earlier this year, for example, ConocoPhillips won a $2 billion arbitration award from the Venezuelan government which nationalized the Houston oil companys holdings in the country just over a decade ago. In 2015 Exxon Mobil and Murphy Oil won a $17.3 million judgment against Canada for a requirement they invest in local research and training in exchange for oil rights off Newfoundland.

President Donald Trump has pushed to eliminate the arbitration provision, arguing that it impinges on U.S. sovereignty. Observers, including Cuellar, say that its a concession that Pena Nieto could make to win agreement on other issues.

If Pena Nieto is willing to move on this, [the Trump administration] will be a little bit flexible to get this thing done, said Cuellar, who is fighting to keep the arbitration provision in NAFTA

Labor activists, who have criticized the provision for decades as encouraging companies to move factories abroad, are already declaring victory on the issue. Lori Wallach, the director of global trade watch at the activist group Public Citizen, said last week the arbitration provision was out of NAFTA, as a practical matter.

After close to a year of negotiations, the United States, Canada and Mexico are down to a relatively short list of negotiating points, including Trump administrations insistence that the agreement come up for review in five years under a so-called sunset clause. Mexico and Canada strongly oppose such a clauses as likely to create too uncertain an environment for investors.

Trump also is fighting to tighten the rules on which motor vehicles are exempted from U.S. tariffs, limiting the exemption only those vehicles with 50 percent of more of their components manufactured within the United States. Mexico has recently offered a counter proposal that is short of Trumps demand, but would increase the U.S. share of car manufacturing, said Antonio Garza, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and now an attorney in Mexico City with the law firm White & Case.

If they can get [car manufacturing] across the goal line, then the sunset clause and ISDS should follow in short order, he said. If it goes beyond Dec. 1, there could be a loss of momentum that sets in, largely because of the loss of urgency.

NAFTA without the arbitration provision would face significant hurdles in Washington. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industrys chief lobbying arm, said doing away with arbitration or instituting a sunset clause would, undermine U.S. energy security, investment protections and our global energy leadership.

Earlier this year, more than 100 Republican House members and senators, including Rep. Kevin Brady, of the Woodlands, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the number two Republican in the Senate, sent a letter to the White House stating their concerns about doing away with the arbitration provision.

At the end of the day this has to go to Congress, and Republicans have made themselves crystal clear they think its important to maintain ISDS, said John Murphy, senior vice president for international policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Whether enough Republicans are willing to defy the administration remains to be seen. The labor unions opposition to the arbitration provision may provide the administration with the votes of Democrats, who have become increasingly wary of supporting trade deals perceived as detrimental to U.S. workers, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Trump withdrew the United States from that agreement, which would have lowered trade barriers across 12 Pacific Rim nations, including low-cost competitors such as Vietnam and Malaysia.

[U.S. Trade Representative Robert] Lighthizer knows he may lose some Republican votes, but he might gain some Democratic votes, said Bob Cash, director of the Texas Fair Trade Coalition, a nonprofit representing labor interests. I wouldnt want to predict anything.

james.osborne@chron.com

Twitter: @osborneja
Occidental Petroleum will sell its oil export terminal near Corpus Christi and a West Texas pipeline network for a combined $2.6 billion as the Houston oil company increasingly opts to focus on its growing production in the Permian Basin in West Texas

The company, nicknamed Oxy, is selling to two Houston-area companies that are backed by the San Antonio private equity firm EnCap Flatrock Midstream. Moda Midstream is acquiring the Ingleside Energy Center Terminal for crude exports, while the recently launched Lotus Midstream is buying the Centurion pipeline system that extends from the Permian to the Cushing, Okla. oil storage and transportation hub.

Occidental is the middle of expanding its export terminal at Ingleside on Corpus Christi Bay to accommodate larger volumes of oil exports on the biggest crude tankers. But the company is increasingly focused on oil and gas production in the Permian, selling many other international and domestic assets in recent years.

Oxy is easily one of the Permians top producers, pumping oil from recently-developed shale reservoirs as well as older sections of the basin, where it uses a process known as enhanced recovery to squeeze oil out of aging wells.

In an interview before the terminal and pipeline deals, Oxy Chief Executive Vicki Hollub repeatedly emphasized the Permian focus.

The Permian is now the foundation and the growth of our company, Hollub said. The bulk of our growth capital will continue to go to the Permian Resources business.

RISING: Oxy posts quarterly profit of $848 million

As for the buyers, EnCap Flatrock started Moda with former executives of Oiltanking Partners after Houstons Enterprise Products Partners acquired Oiltanking. Likewise, EnCap Flatrock jumpstarted Lotus at the beginning of this year with former leaders from Sunoco Logistics, which was absorbed within the larger family of Dallas-based Energy Transfers pipeline firms.

These are the biggest moves for both Moda and Lotus since they were created. EnCap Flatrock was co-founded 10 years ago by Houston firm EnCap Investments.

The timing makes sense for Oxy from a sell high perspective, said Ethan Bellamy, an energy analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co., especially if pipelines arent your main business model.

Texas oil production growth and producers clamoring for more infrastructure make this a great time for Oxy to sell these two marquis assets to private equity, Bellamy said. Private equity remains flush and in a better position to win an asset auction versus large publicly-traded companies that  on average  remain stretched after the oil recession.

The Centurion pipeline system is a large network of almost 3,000 miles of crude oil gathering and mainline transportation pipelines extending from southeast New Mexico and across West Texas to Oklahoma. The system includes storage terminals in Midland and Cushing.

At HoustonChronicle.com: How OXY's CEO weathered the oil bust and came out stronger

As for Ingleside, Oxy bought an old naval terminal in 2012 for $82 million and converted into the oil exporting facility. In 2017, Texas accounted for three-fourths of U.S. crude exports, which recently hit a weekly record in late June of 3 million barrels a day.

The terminal currently can export about 300,000 barrels of oil a day, but the ongoing expansion plans are to take it up to 750,000 barrels daily. Oxy currently can only load up to about 1.3 million barrels on the biggest tankers that can hold about 2 million barrels of crude. Thats because the water depths wont accommodate the biggest crude tankers when theyre filled to capacity. However, planned deepening and widening efforts in the channel eventually would allow the terminal to load the ships to capacity.

Oxy had planned to eventually expand the terminal even beyond 750,000 barrels a day, Hollub said previously. Thats the first phase. Ultimately well get it to 1 million barrels a day, she said. And, if production grows higher than were currently forecasting, we could grow it even more. We have a lot of area to expand that terminal.

jordan.blum@chron.com

twitter.com/jdblum23
Bill Quinns path to music production was full of starts and stops before he started Gold Star Records and the Quinn Recording Company in a converted gas station on Telephone Road. There he struck gold quickly with Harry Choates hit Jole Blon in 1947, making Quinn one of the first producers of national note from Texas. Quinn also recorded a few dozen songs for Lightnin Hopkins that are among the blues greats best.

Hes one of Texass famed producers. As we whittled down the names on our list for the Greatest Texas Musicians, people like Quinn, who influenced so much of the states musical streams, kept coming up, and being vetoed in favor of performers and songwriters. But its worth nothing people like Quinn, and other producers with Texas roots who have had quite an impact on music from the Lone Star State, and beyond.
The Houston Jewish History Archive is looking for family heirlooms to add to its collection, which documents Jewish life in the greater Houston area.

The archive, which is headed by Rice University professor Joshua Furman and is located at Rice, has been growing steadily this year, as Furman and others worked in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to find and save heirlooms that were at risk of being damaged by the storm.

Furman has gathered many official documents in his hunt. Now he's looking for personal effects that could shed light on everyday life.

"People for whatever reason don't always see the historical value of something," he says. "When you're inside it, and it's your life, you wouldn't realize that others would care about your letters from high school, or your parents' wedding photos. And it turns out those things are historically important if we want to reconstruct the every day experiences of people in the community."

While he's on the hunt for sermons of great rabbis and records of important institutions, those kind of documents only tell half the story of Houston's Jewish population, which started reaching big numbers in the 1950s and 1960s.

"I've been chasing down cookbooks for months," he says. "Not just any cookbook, but cookbooks that are particular to Jewish communities in southeast Texas. They're really valuable historical sources, especially for trying to tap into women's lives. If you're talking about records of a congregation or an organization, for decades, those were mostly run by men. Women's lives were much more private. But cookbooks were organized by women, printed by women, and usually for women. You can learn a lot from them."

Often, synagogues published cookbooks, which were snapped up by families in the community. And while they may now occupy a space on a family's kitchen shelf as a family heirloom passed down by a beloved grandmother, they could also add insight to help answer greater societal questions.

"You can learn about what Jews were eating, how they tried to keep traditional recipes alive. You learned about how they made accommodations to different degrees with contemporary American and Texan ways of eating," he says. "And you'll find Tex-Mex and Creole recipes that Jews are tasting and sharing, so something as seemingly innocuous or boring as a 1960's cookbook is actually really historically valuable for a lot of reasons."

If you have a cookbook you'd like to donate, Furman invites you to reach out to Rice's Jewish Studies Program.
Winston Moose is not above sneaking French fries from a plate.

We saw him try that one recent evening on the Becks Prime patio at Memorial Park, although he seemed composed in every other way, sitting obediently in the hot shade with his owners, Sarahbeth and Pierce Bush. Winston Mooses plush blond coat had just been groomed. He is apparently always picture perfect.

Havent met Winston Moose yet? He is undisputably  well, probably indisputably  the most lovable dog in Houston. His Instagram feed has more than 55,000 followers. He invariably draws a crowd when hes out and about in person. He also has a modeling contract, and he is training to be a therapy dog.

Drool.

It would be easy to chalk up Winston Mooses popularity to the pedigree of his owners. You may have heard of them. Pierce Bush is the son of Neil Bush, and the nephew and grandson of two former U.S. Presidents, George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush.

Born at Yukon Goldens in Massachusetts last fall, Winston Moose has a cushy life. But the story of how he came to Houston has a humbler beginning that relates to Sarahbeth Bush, the tall, vivacious 30-year old blond who married Pierce in March. (Yes, if you do the math, Winston Moose was acquired, um, a few months out of wedlock.)

On Instagram Follow Winston Moose @winston_moose See More Collapse

Its Sarahbeth who videotapes and photographs Winston Moose all the time and writes the pithy captions that seem to capture his persona. For example, before he started training to become a pet therapy dog this week, she caught him sitting pretty, with his tongue out in a big smile: . I cant wait! The rules seem kinda strict but mom says theyre straight out of the manual. No Snooping through purses. (Unless its a fancy one, then peek inside.) No Knocking people over for food. (Unless its Chick-Fil-A, then bring straight to mom.) No Biting fingers. (Unless they look like Cheetos, in that case its just funny.)

Little paw prints and purses appear like exclamation points at the ends of his sentences.

In other words, Sarahbeth knows her way around a smartphone.

But back to the beginning. This is my redeeming dog, she said during an interview. I waited 18 years for this dog.

No non-shedding, over-popular golden doodle would do. She wanted a beautiful, obedient and thoroughbred golden retriever.

Sarahbeth grew up in the Woodlands, went to Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, earned a degree in psychology at Sam Houston State University and worked in downtown Houston about six years for Linn Energy. At that time, she yearned for a golden retriever like Professor, the dog her family had when she was young  before times got really hard and they couldnt afford to keep him.

Sarahbeths job played out after Linn declared bankruptcy and dissolved. Since then, shes been writing a memoir with a hopeful message about weathering tough times. And managing Winston Mooses career now takes a lot of time.

His full name, but the way, is Winston Moose Christmas Bush. That happened because Pierce wanted to call him Winston, Sarahbeth wanted to call him Moose, and, well, she loves Christmas. Not exactly regal, but that does not appear to have hampered his career.

Sarahbeth recently signed Winston Moose to a modeling contract with the Dog Agency, a company that represents dog influencers around the world for advertising and movie gigs.

She cant believe hes already nine months old. At the risk of sounding dramatic, she confessed that on his third day in Houston, she felt she had postpartum depression. Winston Moose was a cuddler with a fun personality from day one, although he can be manipulative and he is a total counter surfer, she said.

Winston is the name, fluffin is my game, he says on Instagram.

But do not take Winston Moose for a diva. He follows hundreds of other pooches on Instagram. That is, in fact, where Sarahbeth found his breeder.

Its terrible to say, but I dont really care what my friends are doing every minute on Instagram or Facebook, Sarahbeth said. But it makes your day lighter and happier to see fluff balls.

molly.glentzer@chron.com
Before Syria was devastated by war, its population displaced and ancient cities ruined, Anissa Helou would show visitors a different side to the country. Starting in Damascus, her tour groups wove northeast through Bosra and Palmyra, admiring the sites before entering Aleppo, a city she would showcase as the Middle Easts gastronomic capital.

Seven years later, the celebrated food writers new cookbook, Feast, pays homage to the city from the get-go, its cover adorned with a picture of its lamb and sour cherry kebab piled among pine nuts and crisp shards of bread.

The book is Helous ninth, and a veritable compendium, with more than 300 recipes. Taken together, the recipes chronicle how a history of trade routes and migration throughout the Islamic world plays out on the dinner table, from simple suppers to festival fare.

Helou, 66, is a Lebanese native with Syrian roots. She grew up in Beirut on a street running down to the sea. But eventually, chafing at the small citys constraints, she moved to London to begin a life as an art consultant.

It was not until summer 1992 that she thought for the first time of writing a cookbook, the notion striking her one afternoon as she sat at the dinner table with Lebanese friends displaced by the countrys civil war. It occurred to me then to write a book for all the young people who did not get the chance to experience Lebanese food like I had, she recalled.

The upper-middle-class Helou household came alive on cooking days. Fish vendors and milkmen brought their freshest produce to the door. Street carts were piled with fruit. You were just immersed in food, she said. Cooking with your mother and your grandmother, you saw everything.

Lebanese Cuisine, the book that followed, went on to win international acclaim, bringing the dishes of Lebanon to a global audience in much the same way that Madhur Jaffrey has done for Indian food and Edna Lewis for that of Americas South.

The publication of Feast marks a broadening of that endeavor, after Helou realized that no single compendium existed to showcase the recipes of the Muslim world. And so her travels took her through a global crescent of 1.8 million people, searching for grilled fish in Zanzibar, sweet couscous in Morocco and the best festive lamb in Jordan.

Although Helou herself isnt Muslim, decades of experience have made her a rare authority on Islamic regions cuisines. In the back-cover-blurb words of London chef-author Yotam Ottolenghi, she is just the kind of cook you want by your side when baking a Moroccan flatbread.

As Naomi Duguid, the celebrated food writer and author of Taste of Persia, put it, We need more books like this. Writing about the food of other cultures with respect and empathy is important, because its an entry point. We all have to eat. This gives a sense of the rich range and also the interconnectedness of everything people are eating.

Divided into sections on foods that play a central role in Islamic culture, the book opens with those breads, underscoring their importance in almost all Muslim countries. Usually baked in a pit oven or on a concave metal hot plate, flatbreads can be used in place of cutlery or laid on the plate as a starchy bed for curry or stews.

Against the backdrop of wars in the Middle East and President Donald Trumps travel ban for residents of five Muslim-majority countries, Helou sees the publication of Feast as a political act. The Islamic world has such a rich history that I wanted to do something to portray its positive side, she said. Especially in this moment, it felt important.

On trip after trip, she found that food offered a way to connect with the lives of strangers, with the simplest of inquiries yielding surprising encounters. In Aleppo, before the war, a chance meeting with a group of heavily covered women ended with tea and date-stuffed sweets in their home. In Dakar, it led her to a former prime ministers home, where she dined on Senegals national dish of thieboudienne. The version that made it into Feast features whole grouper or sea bream laced with a spicy marinade of parsley and Aleppo peppers.

Everywhere you travel, you find food is a unifier, she said. It doesnt matter who you are and whether you live to eat or eat to live, these dishes are like a connective tissue between people.

Feast is also a testament to how recipes can morph from country to country, or even between cities, as spices are added and techniques change. Unable to pick just one, Helou offers recipes for seven biryanis, from the slow-cooked, one-pot dish of Hyderabad to a Kolkata variation with potatoes. Even the United Arab Emirates has a version, albeit with fewer spices and no meat. You could see the commonalities, but each time its different, wonderful, Helou said.

But it is the food of the Levant  particularly Lebanon and Syria  for which the book reserves the greatest affection, with references to the grilled Syrian kibbe that Helou ate during childhood visits to her aunts house in the town of Majd al-Helou, and a sumac version she ate with friends in Aleppos Old City.

Much of the splendor of those areas is destroyed now. Wide swaths of Aleppo, in particular, have been shattered under Syrian government bombardment, and the districts in which she once enjoyed plates of kibbe and quince now resemble a post-apocalyptic ghost town.

But as in centuries and decades before, the city is already rebuilding, and even outside Syrias borders, mass displacement has caused the recipes found along Helous onetime culinary tour route to proliferate, as families now share them in exile.

Even in the refugee camps of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, groups of Syrian women gather each evening to prepare the meals of their homeland, some working on a steady production line, others bickering over the best recipes to adopt.

There is something about the cuisine of these places there that is almost mythical, because of how many cultures have passed through them, she said. Her favorite meal, even after years of traveling the world, is still Aleppos glistening sour cherry kebab.

RECIPE: Malabar Chicken Biryani from Feast: Food of the Islamic World
The U.S. midterm elections are at increasing risk of interference by foreign adversaries led by Russia, and cybersecurity experts warn the Trump administration isn't adequately defending against the meddling.

At stake is control of Congress. The risks range from social media campaigns intended to fool American voters to sophisticated computer hacking that could change the tabulation of votes.

At least three congressional candidates have already been hit with phishing attacks that strongly resemble Russian sabotage in the 2016 campaign. Among them was Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat in one of the year's most hotly contested races.

MIDTERMS: Democratic candidate says Russians tried hacking website

Facebook has shut down dozens of accounts and pages to stop what appeared to be a coordinated disinformation campaign.

Three months ahead of the election, President Donald Trump's top national security officials are sounding the alarm. Five of them went to the White House podium last week to warn of interference and outline the government's preparations, even as Trump himself continues to publicly raise doubts about Russia's involvement in the 2016 election that he won. Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, warned that a major Russian effort to undermine the November election is "only one keyboard click away."

Bloomberg photo by David Paul Morris.

What would such an attack look like? Here are some of the major risks and an analysis of the damage they could do, according to experts in the field.

- Fooling voters: Russia sought to sway the vote in 2016 through disinformation campaigns and targeted hacking and leaking of information. Hackers are at it again, as shown in the phishing attacks on congressional candidates and suspect Facebook pages.

HOW TO: Protect the midterm elections from hackers

Even as Twitter and Facebook launch new initiatives to stop such meddling, hackers are adjusting to avoid -- or at least delay -- detection. Some of the suspect pages Facebook shut down in July had been operating for more than a year. One simple tweak their sponsors made: paying for ads in U.S. and Canadian dollars instead of Russian rubles. Others include consistently obscuring network locations and the identities of ad buyers.

Meddling through social media remains a cheap and effective means to "throw fuel on already divisive fires that are burning," said Michael Sulmeyer, the director of the Cyber Security Project at Harvard's Belfer Center.

The polarized U.S. political climate feeds the viral spread of incendiary material. That "exacerbates all of the false information and propaganda that can shape an information environment," said Kara Frederick, a former member of Facebook's counter-terrorism team.

It's already happening and likely to spread. The strategy's effectiveness boils down to whether American voters remain gullible enough to believe fake ads and news stories.

COUNTING: The 2020 census could be a prime target for hackers

- Undermining trust: Elections only work in democracies if the public believes in the outcome. Russian hackers have already identified that trust as a point of attack elsewhere. In 2014, they attempted to fool television stations in Ukraine into broadcasting the wrong results to sow confusion.

Hackers need only introduce uncertainty about whether votes will be counted accurately to weaken the legitimacy of elected leaders. Even an unsuccessful cyber attack could shake faith in the results.

"In some ways they've achieved the goal of achieving distrust," said Christopher Painter, who served as the nation's top cyber diplomat under President Barack Obama. "Even if they do nothing new, we are paranoid."

If sowing confusion was the great achievement of Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2016 campaign, this is the logical next step.

- Suppressing the vote: It's a truism of politics that voter turnout decides elections. Malicious hackers have plenty of ways to interfere, said Steve Grobman, chief technology officer of the security software company McAfee Inc. Russian hackers successfully penetrated voter rolls in 2016 in a few states. Security experts fear they may seek to reshape the electorate in 2018 by strategically deleting voter information.

THREAT: Trump isn't taking the Russia threat seriously, but lawmakers can show they are

Plenty of more subtle avenues are also available, Grobman said. Well-timed denial-of-service attacks could prevent voters in specific districts from getting information about their polling places. Fake reminders could direct voters to show up at the wrong voting locations. Malware that targets operations at specific polling places, such as systems used to check in voters, would only need to slow the process a few seconds per voter to create cascading delays.

Suppressing turnout or making voting more difficult is the most effective way to alter results without changing actual votes. Such attacks would escalate Russia's interventions compared to 2016 but are within the Kremlin's capabilities. Their likelihood probably depends on whether Putin fears U.S. retaliation.

- Altering the tally: The nuclear option is to attempt to change the outcome of an American election by tampering with election machines or the tabulation of votes.

A close election with a "smoking gun" showing interference in even a small number of key races "would undermine confidence in electoral tallies across the board and cause a political crisis," said James Miller, who served as an under secretary of defense in the Obama administration.

Congress set aside $380 million in March to help states bolster election security measures. Some states are strengthening their defenses: California plans to use the money to protect voter rolls while Hawaii plans cybersecurity training and computer upgrades. But five states still don't even have voting machines with paper trails that can be audited.

2016 REPORT: FBI, Homeland Security report on Russian election hacking

U.S. authorities are most focused on preventing just this scenario. It would the most provocative attack and invite retaliation. It may not be worth the risk to Russia or other adversaries, especially in a midterm election when the presidency isn't on the line.

Burrowing in: Foreign hackers could stay in the background during the less-prominent Congressional elections, instead making inroads into election systems and, according to Miller, even recruit insiders to aid a campaign to significantly undermine the next presidential election.

U.S. adversaries face a key strategic question, according to James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies: "Would you save your best tricks for 2020 or will you maybe experiment with a couple in 2018?"
MCALLEN - With a fresh flurry of tweets and comments, President Trump has thrown his long-sought border wall back on the national agenda, with vows to shut down the U.S. government if he can't get it built soon.

It's time we had proper border security, the president said last week. We're the laughingstock of the world.

Those words already may have faded for many Americans amid the drumbeat of crises and controversy that punctuate public life these days. But here on the lower reaches of the Rio Grande, Trump's demands have served up a new thump of worry about a long-looming threat.

Now, landowners and anti-wall advocates are suiting up for another round, bolstering their argument with liberals and conservatives alike with calls for both protecting the environment and respecting property rights.

Were ground zero. Ground zero-zero, says Becky Schuster Jones, who has been told by federal officials that any new fencing will first go up through the border-front farmland her family owns downriver from McAllen.

Its like a lava flow, she said. You know its coming. Now what do you do to stop it?

National debate about Trump's wall has dwindled since Congress reached a funding compromise in March to allocate $1.6 billion for new wall construction, far short of the presidents demand for up to $25 billion. Public concern faded even further amid this summer's crisis involving the plight of Central American migrant families separated at the border.

Related: The business of owning real estate for immigration detention centers

While prohibiting a wall through a three-mile stretch of the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, which had been slated for the first new section of it, the March agreement provided enough money for building it most everywhere else on this stretch of border.

Because of the river's snaking path as it nears its mouth, 25 miles of new wall in Hidalgo County will be built on flood control levees, often a mile or more from the border itself. That will leave thousands of acres of land, and the homes of U.S. citizens, on the Mexican side of the wall.

The Rio Grande here wriggles past cities that are some of the most violent in Mexico. A multisided war between criminal gangs and security forces killed more than 31,000 people across Mexico last year, and officials say this year will be worse. The Lower Rio Grande Valley serves as the primary destination for migrants crossing illegally into the U.S.

Few here question the need for security. But many simply don't believe a wall is the way to guarantee it.

This idea that if youre against the border wall youre for open borders is a fallacy, says Marianna Trevino-Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center, a 100-acre river front reserve outside the city of Mission through which new fencing is planned. If anyone thought that the wall was a solution, you wouldnt have the vigorous opposition you have had.

The levee fence as currently designed will leave as much as 70 percent of the butterfly preserve  the most important in North America on the Mexican side of the wall. The same will happen to a neighboring federal wildlife refuge and the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, just upriver.

The three refuges, which total more than three square miles of border-front habitat, are part of a wildlife corridor that stretches along the Rio Grande. Wright and other advocates say only 5 percent of the regions natural habitat remains intact. Once completed, a border wall will maroon 95 percent of it on the Mexican side.

Still, scuttling plans for more wall is not about the butterflies and birds, Wright argues. Its about protecting property rights, defending our actual border.

Carter Smith, executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife, sent a letter last week to Border Patrol officials advising that putting a wall through the Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park would substantially disrupt operations there.

Arguing that it is a biologically rich and exceedingly unique area hosting species found nowhere outside the region, Smith said that ensuring the continued future viability of the state park is of paramount importance.

Related: Immigrant families separated at border arrive with complex stories

Border Patrol officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite the heavy traffic of illicit drugs and undocumented migrants passing through them, McAllen and other Texas border cities rank as among the safest in the U.S. Many residents argue that security has been more effectively won with boots on the ground and electronic surveillance.

It would be better if they just brought in more agents, says Yolanda Hernandez, 66, a retired school secretary who has lived her entire life in a tiny cluster of houses called Rancho Viejo, staked to the cotton and sugar cane fields two miles downriver from the Santa Ana refuge. They are doing a good job.

As plans stand now, Hernandez's house, those of her neighbors and the 85-year-old Pentecostal church where many of them worship will be on the far side of the new fencing. Residents have heard that their area will be among the first areas for new levee wall construction.

Yet, no one from the government has come to explain when the fence will be built here or exactly where, Hernandez and others said. Surveyors have recently been spotted working on the levees nearby.

They said they were going to start, that they were just waiting the green light, said Angel Anguiano, 56, the pastor of the church, called La Hermosa. It's really going to interfere with what we do here. It's just very inconvenient.

Landowners along the river began receiving requests to survey their property this summer, with some agreeing and others refusing to cooperate. Anti-wall advocates point out that scores of lawsuits are still being litigated by landowners whose property was taken for portions of the wall built a decade ago. They promise fresh court fights over the latest wall building.

Right now they have the money to build all the levee walls in Hidalgo County, said Scott Nicol, the McAllen-based co-chair of the Sierra Club's borderlands campaign. But its going to take them a while because they are going to have to sue everybody. They cant start building until they take that property from landowners.
Amid a fight over whether a facility that would house migrant children has satisfied the code requirements necessary to open east of downtown, Houston inspectors have begun visiting existing centers run by the same nonprofit.

Austin-based Southwest Key Programs said last week it had all but one of the permits it needs to open a proposed facility for children who illegally cross the countrys southern border. City officials dispute that claim, saying the company must begin the permitting process again because two residential permits the nonprofit holds were granted based on incomplete information that did not adequately describe the proposed institutional use of the building.

Now Playing: Immigration advocates are calling on the city of Austin and Travis county to end their contracts with Southwest Key. Video: Fox7

Fire Chief Sam Pena last Thursday sent inspectors to the three existing facilities Southwest Key runs in Houston in an effort to ensure that other facilities permitted by your company have not been occupied under similarly incorrect permits, he and Houston Building Official Mark Savasta wrote in a follow-up letter to Southwest Key last Friday.

The inspectors were stopped in the lobby at each facility, however, which Pena and Savasta said is not in keeping with city ordinances that allow inspectors to access buildings at reasonable times to ensure compliance with building and fire codes.

Fire inspectors visited all three locations on Wednesday, Southwest Key spokesman Jeff Eller said, and building inspectors are expected to visit the sites on Thursday. The sites have passed annual fire inspections, he said, as well as occasional reviews.

They didnt indicate they found major violations today or they would have taken action, Eller said. Do I think its selective enforcement? Yes.

Pena disagreed.

Were doing our due diligence in ensuring that these facilities are operating appropriately and that were enforcing the proper code, and its about public safety, the chief said. This is not a political issue. Were not doing anything different than we do for any other major business of this type.

Turner echoed that.

I think youd be critical of us, in view of all the questions that have been raised, if we didnt do our due diligence to make sure everything was above board and that these kids were being properly taken care of, he told reporters at a press conference after the weekly council meeting.

Eller had said last week that the nonprofit operates two shelters for unaccompanied minors under residential permits, though those are licensed to hold children older than those the Emancipation facility would house. A third Southwest Key facility housing children in the same age range 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.

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 a building it had leased at 419 Emancipation Ave.

When news of the proposed facility became public at the height of the furor over family separations at the border, 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.

mike.morris@chron.com

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Early voting begins Wednesday on Harris Coutys $2.5 billion flood bond, which appears to enjoy widespread support from elected officials and the public even as turnout for the referendum is expected to be well below what it would have been in November.

Forty-five polling places will be open until Tuesday, Aug. 21, Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart said, with the exception of Aug. 11-12, which will have just 25 balloting locations. Regular voting will take place at hundreds of polling places on Saturday, Aug. 25, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. Residents can find their polling places at www.HarrisVotes.com.

This is the easiest type of election in which voters may participate because there is only one item on the ballot, Stanart said in a statement. He added that of 68,000 mail ballots sent to voters, 23,000 already have been returned.

Stanart estimated that between 10 and 13 percent of the electorate will turn out, totaling between 230,000 and 300,000 votes. That would be fewer voters than turned out for the Republican and Democratic primaries in March, but well below the 2014 midterm elections, in which 33 percent of county voters cast ballots.

More Information What: Early voting begins on proposed Harris County flood control bond issue of up to $2.5 billion When: Hours vary by day:8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 15 through the 18; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 19; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 20 and 21. Where: Find early voting locations at harrisvotes.org Those casting ballots in person must present a photo identification at the polling location. Acceptable forms of voter ID include a Texas driver license, a personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, A Texas election identification certificate from the DPS, a Texas handgun license, a U.S. citizenship certificate containing a photograph, a U.S. passport or military identififcation card containing a photograph. See More Collapse

County officials chose the one-year anniversary of the day Harvey came ashore in hopes of reminding residents why new flood mitigation projects are needed. Much of the infrastructure damaged by Harvey has yet to be repaired, leaving the county vulnerable to future storms.

The bond would fund more than 230 projects including channel improvements, detention basins, new floodplain mapping and buyouts for more than 3,000 flood-prone buildings. If passed, it would be the largest local investment in flood control post-Harvey.

As they head to the polls, residents will be hard-pressed to find a local elected official who objects to the proposal. The Chronicle asked each member of Commissioners Court and City Council, as well as each state legislator representing Harris County, whether they support the bond. Eight of 16 council members, all five members of commissioners court, two of seven senators and 14 of 24 representatives said they support the bond. Democrats and Republicans alike said they will vote yes, and not a single elected official reached by the Chronicle opposed the measure.

Some, though, dislike the timing of the vote. Houston Republican state Sen. Paul Bettencourt called for an end to one-issue elections in the summer, claiming school districts and local governments are intentionally holding them at odd times in a bid to drive down turnout in hopes it will help them win voter approval of tax increases and bond issues.

It is a shame and unecessary to spend nearly $1.5 million of taxpayer monies to hold a low-turnout election in Harris County in August when all this could be done for almost no cost and placed on the November ballot with a lot more voter participation, Bettencourt said in a statement.

Bettencourt said he and Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, plan to file legislation in the next sesssion to require elections that could raise property taxes, such as bond proposals, be held in November. Bettencourts office would not divulge his position on the Harris County flood bond.

If the flood bond is approved by voters, Harris County owners would see their property taxes increase 2 to 3 cents per $100 of assessed value over the 10- to 15-year life of the bond. Residents who are disabled, or over the age of 65 and have a home worth less than $200,000, would see no tax increase.

Schofield and Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Baytown, who wanted the bond election in November, did not respond Tuesday to questions about their position on the bond. Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton said he has yet to decide.

A poll released by the University of Houston on Monday found that 62 percent of likely voters support the bond, as well as 55 percent of residents overall. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they were certain to vote.

zach.despart@chron.com

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Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

In an unprecedented gathering, FBI officials warned top leaders of Texas academic and medical institutions Wednesday about security threats from foreign adversaries, the first step in a new initiative the agency plans to bring around the country.

The gathering, attended by more than 100 academic officials from the Texas Medical Center and around the state, focused on how the institutions can better partner with the FBI to prevent the theft of intellectual property and research, often involving inside threats on campus.
Students at Best Elementary in southwest Houston have seen prostitutes being roughed up by pimps during the morning drop off, the principal told a county official.

There are so many prostitutes along a nearby strip dotted with low-cost motels that they don't even scatter when the vice squad rolls up, said the Houston police chief.

Sex trafficking has become so rampant on this mile and a half stretch that county officials on Wednesday asked a court to declare it off limits, filing a civil lawsuit that prohibits by name more than 80 pimps, prostitutes and customers from doing business on the infamous "Bissonnet Track. " The sex trafficking is so open that it's listed on international websites as Houston's unofficial red light district.

"For years people in this area have complained about the large number of people buying and selling sex and committing other crimes on or around the Track," said Mayor Sylvester Turner, who jointly announced the nuisance lawsuit with the county attorney and the city police chief downtown Wednesday.

"Sellers of sex walk up and down the street all day long, 24-7, seven days a week, 365 days a year," noted Police Chief Art Acevedo. For the most part, the street hustling is bought, sold and provided by people from outside the neighborhood, Acevedo said, with pimps and traffickers dropping off sex workers on Bissonnet and buyers driving over to the area.

The civil case is likely the first of its kind in Texas, but a similar suit was filed years ago by the City of Milwaukee, according to Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan's office. The goal is to restore quality of life to residents and restore victims, officials said.

The lawsuit asks for a judge to establish a "Bissonnet Anti-Prostitution Zone," and order that any of 86 suspected pimps, prostitutes and johns engaging in sex trafficking be subject to arrest and fine of up to $10,000 for contempt of court if they do it again. Each of the individuals named in the lawsuit has previously been arrested for prostitution-related crime in the area, and the majority have prior convictions, the county attorney's office said.

Now Playing: FOX 26 News Reporter Damali Keith Video: Fox 26 Houston

Acevedo noted that among those listed in the lawsuit is a documented gang member with a long rap sheet who is free on bond on a charge of sexual assault of a child under 17. Others include a woman free on a personal bond for allegedly compelling minors into prostitution, and a man who posted bail for the brutal beating of a woman who refused to work for him on Bissonnet, the chief said.

The street prostitution injunction, if approved by a judge, would offer an opt-out provision for people named in the lawsuit who can demonstrate they have been victims rather than perpetrators of sex trafficking, or those actively taking steps to alter their conduct. The court would be able to review and sanction violators individually.

In addition, Turner said his office partnered with faith based organizations and community groups to clean up the neighborhood and offer support services.

"Today's lawsuit is seeking a new tool in this long battle," said Ryan, the county attorney. His office has already sued at least four motels in the area.

Across the county, Ryan's office has worked jointly with law enforcement to file civil suits against 20 nightclubs or bars, five hotels and 25 massage parlors in a two-year period. These actions have resulted in many injunctions or settlements that shuttered such establishments.

The anti-prostitution initiative is not the first time county officials have used civil nuisance laws to fight crime. Earlier this year Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg filed a lawsuit against a local bar, alleging that its chronic over-serving of alcohol to patrons led to traffic accidents and assaults in and outside the establishment.

And in late 2010, former District Attorney Pat Lykos filed suit that led to an anti-gang injunction targeting dozens of documented gang members suspected of selling drugs in the 700-unit Haverstock Hills complex and the surrounding community in the northwest corner of Aldine Bender and the Eastex Freeway.

Houston has long been a hub for human trafficking, as a major metropolitan area with seaport and major highway corridors allowing access to cheap labor from the Mexican border area.

RELATED: HPD prostitution sting nets Houston cop among 139 clients

Since taking over the Houston Police Department, Acevedo has taken aim at sex trafficking operations, including a sting last fall that netted charges against nearly 140 men, including a Houston police officer, at phony massage parlor operated by undercover police.

The mayor said officials targeted the Bissonnet area because the problem was so pervasive. But he said he would endorse a similar approach if the problem resurfaced elsewhere.

"I want to make sure the Bissonnet area is safe for residents and their families and for the businesses and the churches that exist in that area," Turner said.

Street prostitution along Bissonnet between the beltway and US-59 dates back to at least the 1970s, said Captain James Dale, of the Houston Police vice unit.

Pastor Terrance Johnson, who for 19 years has offered community support at the nearby Higher Dimension Church, said the sex trade festered because those with the power to help weren't paying attention.

"There's been neglect of programming for children and there's been a neglect of security and police presence," Johnson said. "When you have that, weeds just grow."

gabrielle.banks@chron.com

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The woman who shot a masturbating bicyclist attempting to break into her southeast Houston home Tuesday will not be charged, authorities said Wednesday.

The man she shot, however, is now facing charges of trespassing, indecent exposure and failure to identify after his violent encounter with the 69-year-old gun-toting homeowner.

The woman was taking out her trash along the 6600 block of Cherrydale Drive around 5:15 p.m. when she spotted the man, later identified as Clarence Johnson, 39, riding his bike and masturbating, according to Houston Police Department Lt. Larry Crowson.

Now Playing: A woman opened fired on a masturbating man trying to break into her southeast Houston home Tuesday afternoon, police said. Video: Houston Chronicle

She yelled at him to stop, but he continued, Crowson said.

Johnson eventually followed the woman to her front door after she went inside and allegedly tried to break in, Crowson said. The woman ordered him to go away and even told him she had a gun, Crowson said.

When he refused to stop, she fired one round through her front door, striking the man in his stomach.

He immediately ran back to his bike and managed to pedal a few feet away from the house before collapsing, Crowson said. Paramedics rushed him to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition.

Johnson is expected to survive. A booking photo was not immediately available.

The woman was questioned by officers and homicide detectives but was not immediately charged, Crowson said. Investigators worked with the Harris County District Attorney's Office and later determined charged were not warranted for her.

Johnson is now facing three charges stemming from Tuesday's incident.

He was out on bond for a separate exposure charge from about a week ago, Crowson said. He was arrested after allegedly walking naked along Bellfort Avenue in southeast Houston, Crowson said.

"I would have done the same thing if it were my house," said one neighbor, who asked to not be identified. "Ain't no telling what else he was going to do or what he's got. She was protecting her property."

The woman's 14-year-old granddaughter was inside the home when the action unfolded, but the child did not see any of it, Crowson said.

She was shaken up by the incident but cooperated with detectives throughout the investigation.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com
Michelle Nicoll Gutierrez had often visited the United States legally since her mother married a retired U.S. Foreign Service official years ago and relocated from Mexico to Maryland.

Nicoll Gutierrezs toddler son was born here after she became ill during an extended stay late in her pregnancy. She was returning on another trip to celebrate her 42nd birthday when federal officials detained her at Bush Intercontinental Airport Saturday and denied her entrance, revoking her tourist visa, and barring her from returning for five years.

Customs and Border Protection officials have expansive latitude in determining who is allowed into the United States and under President Donald Trumps administration have tightened their scrutiny. Lawyers said Nicoll Gutierrezs frequent long visits within the limits of her visa may have raised a red flag that she was intending to stay beyond her authorization, despite never having violated the conditions of her visa.

But they said federal officials focused unusually on her use of Medicaid and state health insurance during the birth of her son in December 2016 in Maryland.

'WE'RE GROUND ZERO': Rio Grande Valley braces for first new sections of Trumps border wall

Photos courtesy of John Kristian

In a statement, Daniel Hetlage, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, said entrants to the United States are inadmissible by law if they risk becoming a public charge."

Nicoll Gutierrez, he said, was found to have used government assistance during a previous stay to pay for the expenses associated with having a child in the U.S.  She was found to be an intended immigrant and returned.

The incident comes as Trumps administration is finalizing a proposed rule that would make it more difficult for legal immigrants and tourists to obtain a green card or any type of visa if they or their dependents, including their American children, have used an expanded range of public benefits, from Medicaid and food stamps to the Childrens Health Insurance Program.

Because Nicoll Gutierrezs child was born in Maryland, he is automatically an American citizen and qualifies for benefits, including Medicaid. Nicoll Gutierrez also qualified for benefits under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, in which more than 29 states, including Maryland, allow pregnant women who are lawfully present and have less than a certain annual household income to be eligible.

Immigration lawyers, advocates and public health researchers say the administration's proposed rule would be the most significant change to the legal immigration system in decades and estimate that more than 10 million immigrants could be impacted, including 1.3 million in Texas. Immigrants like Nicoll Gutierrez, who apply for or arrive on valid visas but had previously used such benefits through their American children could also be denied entry.

This would be a very radical change, said Mark Greenberg, who led the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and is now a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank. It would have both direct effects on people seeking admission and adjustment of status, but there is also enormous concern of a chilling effect as families across the country may become fearful of using health assistance and other public benefits.

Katie Waldman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said that the administration is enforcing immigration law, which is intended to ensure that foreigners seeking to enter or remain in the U.S are self-sufficient.

Any proposed changes would ensure that the government takes the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer funds seriously and adjudicates immigration benefit requests in accordance with the law, she said in a statement.

The proposed rule is not yet in effect and must still be published and opened to public input. It is likely to result in litigation.

But Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry have unfettered authority in deciding if immigrants should be allowed into the United States, said Charles Foster, a Houston immigration attorney who advised President George W. Bush on the issue.

A CASH COW: The business of owning real estate for immigration detention centers

They can use any number of factors, including whether they think someone might intend to stay beyond the period allowed in their visa or whether they suspect the person could become a public charge.

The term has been a long-standing feature of immigration law and President Bill Clintons administration redefined it in 1999 to include immigrants who receive cash assistance through programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The Trump administrations proposed changes would vastly expand that definition.

In (Nicoll Gutierrezs) case, what is particularly frustrating is that she has been re-admitted multiple times and this issue never came up, Foster said. So why now?

Nicoll Gutierrezs stepfather, John Atchley, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who spent 28 years working on economic affairs across Latin America and Africa, said his stepdaughter tried to comply with American law while juggling a close-knit family separated by international borders and a backlogged immigration system.

Its hard not to feel disillusioned and bitter, he said.

Atchley wed Nicoll Gutierrezs mother in 2008 and she became a U.S. citizen through her spouse. Her youngest daughter was a minor at the time so she qualified for a green card through her mothers marriage; Nicoll Gutierrez did not.

Americans can sponsor spouses, minor children, and parents without numerical visa limitations. But the wait-list for Nicoll Gutierrez, as the married daughter of a U.S. citizen from Mexico, is currently 23 years.

Congress limits how many visas can be granted to residents of any one country each year and the backlog for countries such as Mexico and India who send many immigrants here are tremendous.

We would have been dead by that time, said Atchley, who is 77. We said, well guys, youre out of luck.

Instead Nicoll Gutierrez visited once a year on extended stays, always less than six months as required by her tourist visa, which is valid for a maximum of 10 years.

In September 2016, Nicoll Gutierrez came here to help her mother, who was suffering from fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal pain disorder.

She told Customs and Border Protection officers that she also wanted to go shopping because she was pregnant at the time, according to a transcript of her extensive interview Saturday. Agents questioned her thoroughly about her financial affairs and focused on her brief use of Medicaid and other such health benefits during pregnancy.

In October 2016, Nicoll Gutierrez said she was diagnosed with pre-diabetes while visiting her mother and told she had a high-risk pregnancy and was in danger of gestational diabetes.

They told me I could not fly, she said.

The family sought advice from a church-based organization, an immigration advocacy group, hospital employees and even Maryland Health Connection, the states official health insurance marketplace. Nicoll Gutierrez was advised she qualified for assistance through both Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program because her child would be an American citizen and because Maryland participates in the allowance for pregnant women on legal visas.

She was told that she was eligible for those benefits, Atchley said. "That is why she was doing everything right and nothing wrong, and was very grateful."

INTENSE SCRUTINY: Immigrant families separated at border arrive with complex stories

Had that not been the case, he said she would have covered her medical expenses with her familys help and from income she receives from a rental property in Mexico. She and her husband are also regional distributors for a line of high end cookware.

She would never have become any kind of public charge, Atchley said.

Nicoll Gutierrezs son was born in December 2016 and she returned to Mexico in March 2017.

She came to the United States again in June 2017, leaving in November. In that time, she told federal officials she did not seek any medical care.

My mother wants to be with her grandson, she said.

Nicoll Gutierrez, her toddler, her mother, and sister were going through airport inspection Saturday when Customs and Border Protection officials separated her and her son.

They declared her inadmissible as an intending immigrant and revoked her tourist visa. They sent her back to Mexico, barring her from returning for five years.

Atchley said future family reunions would have to be in Mexico or another country a little more welcoming.

Were very upset, he said.

lomi.kriel@chron.com

@lomikriel
A new report by the Texas Observer claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement repeatedly denied the existence of a crash that injured multiple migrant moms being transported last month.

In the July 18 crash, a pickup truck T-boned an ICE-contracted van with eight Central American mothers who were separated from their children, according to interviews with the passengers and a police report obtained by the Observer.

The mothers told the Observer they suffered from headaches, dizziness and nausea after being slammed into the seat in front of them.

Two days after the crash, an ICE spokesperson told the Observer, "Your sources misinformed you. There was no crash."

EDITORIAL BOARD: Trump officials who separated migrant families must face consequences for knowingly hurting kids

Now Playing: Paul Ryan on Thursday spoke out against those calling to abolish ICE. Video: GeoBeats

ICE repeatedly denied the crash took place and ignored requests for information for three weeks, the Observer said.

After the Observer obtained concrete proof of the crash, the federal agency eventually issued a statement calling the accident a "fender bender not [a] vehicle crash" a statement that ran counter to details in the police report that said the ICE van suffered "disabling damage" and was towed because of the crash.

It's not the first time an immigrant has been injured while in ICE custody. Last week, a child died after contracting a disease from another detainee, according to an immigration lawyer's claim.

As of last week, 572 children remain separated from their parents, almost three-fourths of which have been deported.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93




Texas police are searching for a 25-year-old mother who went missing last week.

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office said Suzie Escobedo was last seen on Thursday in her home in Seadrift, a coastal town southeast of Victoria.

Police said they are not aware why she has not been seen or heard from.

"We have a missing person who shouldn't be missing," said Chief Deputy Johnny Krause, of the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office according to the Victoria Advocate.

RELATED: Baytown police officer missing since Aug. 2

Now Playing: The search for missing teen Video: Fox 26 Houston

"We assume something bad has happened, or she would have shown up already," he said of the mother with two children, including an infant.

Authorities did not know what Escobedo was wearing when she was last seen.

Police are offering between $500 and $1000 for any information on her whereabouts.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office at 361-553-4646.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93




Regarding Blame the Arabs letter (Page A9, Tuesday), the writers criticism of Noah Horwitz portrayal of Arabs as blameless is not entirely off course. Indeed Israel has offered the Arabs land for peace as she stated, but it is non-arable, undesirable land that certainly has no holy/religious tie-in which is what they pilfered from the onset.

In juxtaposition to Western standards and mores, Israel is perhaps the United States closest ally within the region, but it walks not on water (to allude to my personal Christianity). If Israel truly desires a lasting peace, it will withdraw from occupied territories and revert to pre-1967 internationally recognized boundaries. Then, terrorism  as we have experienced (i.e., the 9/11 attacks, etc.)  will greatly subside. Behold the chicken-egg conundrum.

David N. Hooper, Conroe

Houston

Regarding A walkable city: less parking, more trees (Page A9, Tuesday), its maddening that, if I need a loaf of bread, I cannot just walk the half-mile to Krogers to get it; rather, I must get in my car, drive there and park in their 10-acre lot. Meanwhile, our streets are perpetually clogged with traffic. Someone has finally pointed out the reason for both of these phenomena.

The oped did not also mention the mountains of tax dollars spent to build, and re-build, all these ever-widening streets and roads. This is another example of where the solution to a huge problem is simply less government.

David M. Woods, Houston
The direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry is booming, and over 12 million people are estimated to have completed testing. Even established companies like weight-loss service Jenny Craig are now offering DNA tests. Last week, amid growing privacy concerns, a group of the largest DNA testing companies, including 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage, jointly released a set of industry best practices regarding user privacy. As DNA testing becomes more mainstream, the question remains: Is your genetic data safe?

The new guidelines arrive on the heels of a string of privacy controversies. Just last month, 23andMe announced a major deal with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, raising concerns about the use of 23andMe users genetic data in for-profit research. Earlier, 23andMe publicly offered DNA testing services to detained refugees, which sparked outcry from privacy advocates. In May, the National Institutes of Health launched a new initiative seeking the DNA of 1 million Americans. Earlier this year, police used public DNA databases such as GEDmatch to catch criminals including the Golden State Killer.

Industry best practices are a positive step in the right direction, and the new guidelines contain several good recommendations. For example, they suggest that users be permitted to request that their DNA samples be destroyed, and informed consent should be obtained before genetic data is used for research. However, these non-binding, self-imposed guidelines may be insufficient to protect consumer privacy. Consider, for example, the recent Facebook controversies. For years, Facebook promised it would fix the companys privacy problems. Nevertheless, a series of high-profile scandals involving the social media giant have emerged. By comparison, the privacy harms for the genetic testing industry could be far worse. Genetic information is the most intimate personal data that a person can reveal, and the full extent of the privacy risks remain unknown. Moreover, unlike social media, genetic testing has an air of medicalness that engenders a false sense of security in consumers.

Current U.S. health privacy laws provide inadequate protection. For instance, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act protects patient medical information; If doctors or hospitals share health data inappropriately, they can face hefty fines imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services. However, HIPAA does not apply to direct-to-consumer genealogy and genetic testing companies like 23andMe and My Heritage, which occupy a legal grey area. These companies could share users genetic data with third parties without violating federal law. With only these companies privacy policies and the new industry guidelines to protect them, consumers of genetic testing services are placing their health data at risk.

If users genetic information is shared, sold, or stolen, few if any laws protect them from harm. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prohibits employers and health insurance companies from requesting genetic test results or discriminating against people based on that data. But it has significant limitations. For instance, though it applies to employers and health insurance companies, it does not apply to other entities with an interest in your genetic information such as life insurance companies, lenders, and advertisers. According to Ellen Wright Clayton, a genetics expert and professor of law and medicine at Vanderbilt University, GINA actually provides very little protection.

Some US lawmakers have taken an interest in the privacy policies of consumer genetic testing companies. If these companies want to continue operating without federal regulation, they need to be more proactive: In addition to agreeing to broad principles like those found in the newly released guidelines, companies should pledge to comply with HIPAA guidelines for the storage and protection of medical information even though they are not required to do so. They should vow to protect not only the raw genetic data that they collect from consumers but also any inferences that can be drawn from that data. They should also consider making all services exclusively opt-in, including participation in research, even if only aggregate data is used. Finally, companies could promise to act as fiduciaries of user information, which would establish duties owed to consumers on par with those characteristic of the trusted relationships between doctors and patients or lawyers and their clients.

Professor Jack Balkin of Yale Law School suggests treating companies that handle large volumes of consumer data as information fiduciaries to reduce the risk of consumer exploitation. The concept is gaining traction; it was raised during Mark Zuckerbergs Congressional hearing in April and made its way into Indias proposed personal data protection law.

By creating new industry standards specifically aimed at protecting consumer privacy rights, genetic testing companies are asking consumers to trust them. But trust must be earned. Though the guidelines are a good opening statement in an ongoing conversation with consumers, actions speak louder than words. If companies wish to mollify the fears of consumers and regulators, they must do more to protect genetic privacy. Poorly handling user privacy cost Facebook billions this week. If genetic testing companies dont set a better example, their profits could be next to fall.

Li is a visiting fellow at Yale Law Schools Information Society Project where she directs the Wikimedia Initiative on Intermediaries and Information. Marks is a joint research fellow at NYU Law School and Cornell Tech and a visiting fellow at Yale Law Schools Information Society Project.
Last week, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ruled that the Trump administration must restart the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which temporarily allows young undocumented immigrants to work and removes the threat of deportation.

Bates essentially declared that Trumps Department of Homeland Security, which runs the program, never meaningfully explained in what way DACA was unlawful and unconstitutional. He also characterized DHS efforts to prove the DACA programs illegitimacy as a hodgepodge of illogical or post hoc policy assertions that simply will not do.

Though the judge perfectly described the administrations general modus operandi, theres little doubt about why the Trump administration moved to shut down DACA: to inflict pain and suffering on immigrants.

Last September, after Trump announced he would end DACA and gave Congress a six-month timeframe in which to enact permanent legislation, immigrant-rights activists and advocacy organizations called the move evil, cruel and the worst decision Trump has made.

At that time, I wrote: We truly have lost our humanity when we give in to hyperbole and refer to an opposing party as evil and monstrous  even when leaders like Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, declare (falsely) that DACA recipients are by and large gang members and drug smugglers.

I couldnt have been more wrong.

I still believe that hyperbole is harmful to sincere debate. But I never imagined that a mere nine months later wed see the Trump administration systematically separate parents from their kids at the border, house children in cages and force toddlers to speak for themselves in immigration court hearings.

Evil and cruel is putting it lightly, especially when you consider that more than 700 families were still separated when the July 26 deadline arrived for reuniting approximately 3,000 children with their families.

News reports alleged that some parents had been deported and subsequently lost in the government record-keeping morass, making reunification impossible. Other parents were released in the U.S. but were also not able to be located. Several reports suggested that a small number of parents declined to be reunited  some because theyd rather be separated and have their children be safe in the U.S. than face the violence and economic uncertainty that theyd fled.

But at the end of July, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the U.S. government, alleging that it coerced migrant parents into unwittingly signing documents that waived their rights to family reunification.

And it just gets more evil and cruel from there.

ProPublica published two separate investigations of immigrant youth shelters detailing allegations of physical and emotional abuse, threats of rape and deportation, inappropriate sexual contact by their caretakers and incidents in which children were lost on field trips.

The Los Angeles-based Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law filed documents in court alleging that some immigrants and their young children were detained in inhumanely cold conditions, with no access to clean water or sufficient bathrooms and food that was often rotten or too frozen to consume.

The New York Times reported on a Virginia juvenile detention center for immigrants in which teens as young as 14 with documented emotional, behavioral and psychological disorders allege being stripped to their underwear and strapped to metal restraint chairs  with some having their heads fully covered inside mesh hoods  for the safety of the guards.

A federal judge ordered U.S. government officials in Texas to stop administering psychotropic medication to migrant children without either their parents consent or a court order, unless there was a dire emergency.

Meanwhile, the consensus of the pediatric medical community is that all of this tumult  some would say torture  will almost surely cause irreparable harm to these children, not to mention their parents. And in a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on family separations, it came out that administration officials were forewarned about the trauma its actions would have on kids.

Make no mistake, the reason the Trump administration wanted to revoke DACA was no doubt to ensure that its beneficiaries, who have lived here nearly all of their lives, felt the same kind of grinding fear and were exposed to the same horrors as the youngest and oldest migrants making it to the border today.

The Trump administration has until Aug. 23 to appeal the federal courts ruling or it will have to restart DACA. Stay tuned to see if it will prevail in its campaign to inflict the maximum evil and cruelty on immigrant families.

Cepedas email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com, or follow her on Twitter: @estherjcepeda.
Its no secret that Texans dont like taxes, and Harris County residents are no different. But a new survey points to another quintessentially Houston trait.

We are a pragmatic people.

A majority of people from Houston and Harris County say they are support the upcoming $2.5 billion bond proposal for drainage improvements, infrastructure repair and other projects, and the support cuts across age, gender and partisan lines.

The multiyear survey, part of an ongoing project by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, is tracking residents of Harris and surrounding counties to gauge both how well individuals and neighborhoods recover from Hurricane Harvey and how people feel about the policies public officials are proposing to prepare for the next monster storm.

We asked about support for the Harris County bond issue last month and found that 55 percent of survey respondents said they support the bond. That rose to 62 percent of people who said they are certain to vote.

Early voting starts Wednesday, Aug. 8, and Election Day is Aug. 25, one year after Harvey struck the Texas coast.

Houston and Harris County appear ready to live up to our reputation for practical solutions to keep our economy on track, along with our quality of life. The flooding hurt individual residents and neighborhoods, and the submerged landscape that flashed across television screens nationwide had the potential to limit our appeal to newcomers, both residential and business.

That became clear as Harvey stalled over the Houston region, dumping mind-numbing amounts of rain across our urban and suburban sprawl. But many residents also remember the storm as an example of Houston at its best  neighbors jumping into boats and pulling stranded residents to safety as the water kept rising, saving pets, doling out sandwiches and volunteering to muck out hard-hit neighborhoods.

The survey results support those dual visions: Residents said solving the regions propensity to flood is an urgent issue, and it didnt matter whether they were personally affected or not. In an era where too many people dont think beyond their own self-interest, people here understand that flooding is a threat to all of us.

Those who sustained property damage during Harvey were slightly more likely to support the proposed bond than those who had not, 61 percent vs. 52 percent, but what we found important is that a majority of both groups offered support.

Both Republicans, at 58 percent, and Democrats, at 63 percent, support the proposal.

The county has estimated property taxes for the average homeowner are projected to go up 1.4 percent if the proposal is passed. Earlier Hobby School surveys have found that local residents dont like higher taxes. A 2017 survey of registered voters in Houston and Harris County found that more than 83 percent said it was important for the Legislature to lower property taxes for homeowners.

But those responding to the latest survey suggest they have put suspicion of higher taxes aside, for now. They understand that doing nothing is no longer an option, and this may be particularly true when the funds are targeted for a specific public purpose. Credit that pragmatic streak for that. We value hard work and results. And Harvey - 50 inches of rain, more than 200,000 flooded homes and $125 billion in damage - made it clear there are things here that dont work, at least not under extreme conditions.

Our bayous and reservoirs overflowed, our first responders didnt have the equipment they needed and entire neighborhoods were underwater for days or longer.

People want action. And it appears that they are willing to pay for upgrades to infrastructure to make our city resilient for the future.

Granato is executive director and Renee Cross is senior director of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. Pinto is director of the Hobby Schools Center for Public Policy.
Speaking to local news outlets, Ouared claims he was told his hair looked like a girls style.

They basically said, 'cut it, put it in a turban like a Sikh, or turn it into dreadlocks like a Rastafarian', he told the media. I am not any of those things and I can't believe that they would make me wear my hair like something that I am not.

The employee claims that management told him he couldnt wear his hair in a bun as only female staff could sport that style.

So, because I'm not a female, I wasn't permitted to have my hair in that style, continued Ouared. It was absolute sexism. I was even told by a member of management at BA, 'your hair is like a girl's hair'.

Thousands of women who work for BA and who worked alongside me had their hair exactly like mine. Yet I'm discriminated against for it.
Page Content



Panama City and Montreal, 8 August 2018  Stressing that it will align respective national and regional programmes and targets with ICAOs new Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP), ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu is welcoming the recent endorsement of an Aviation Security Roadmap for the UN specialized agencys North American, Central American, Caribbean (NACC) and South American (SAM) Regions.

The ICAO Regional Aviation Security Conference, hosted by Panama, was opened by Secretary General Liu and Mr. Carlos Rubio, Minister of Government, who was acting on behalf of the President of Panama. Panamas Minister for Public Security, Mr. Alexis Bethancourt, also participated in the programme.

In her address to the Conference, Dr. Liu highlighted key priorities set forth under the GASeP, which are now important areas of focus for the Organization, its Member States and other agencies.

Aviation security has experienced a major shift over the past two years, Dr. Liu underscored, with new resolutions supporting its effectiveness and sustainability being adopted by the most recent ICAO Assembly, and by the UN Security Council. The GASeP and UN Security Council resolution 2309, taken together, provide us with an aligned foundation from which to pursue better coordinated and more effective actions to prevent acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation targets.

The new Regional GASeP Roadmap will improve international coordination among the States of the NACC and SAM regions, and Secretary General Liu praised the related commitments which were realized specific to the implementation challenges, gaps and resources of these Regions and their States.

She also noted that ICAO was seeing a similar dynamic being emulated worldwide, and that the new Roadmap would entail some important work ahead for a number of States. She called on these governments to be open to accepting assistance to enhance their local effective implementation, whether it involves training, technology, or mentoring, and to ensure that any solutions set out are fully sustainable.

Highlighting ICAOs Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forums, Dr. Liu reiterated that a key first step will be to advertise the GASeP and the new Regional Roadmap as widely as possible among all Regional stakeholders. She added that ICAO will continue to help coordinate assistance and capacity building activities between donor and partner States, and organizations and recipient States, consistent with its ongoing No Country Left Behind initiative.

Thanking the U.S.A. and Canada for the voluntary funds they have provided to support related assistance projects, Dr. Liu reiterated ICAOs priority to ensure that States have available, and can retain, sufficient numbers of regulatory and operational aviation security professionals.

Dr. Liu also reminded her audience that ICAO will discuss GASeP and other aviation security progress made at its back-to-back AVSEC2018 Symposium and second ICAO High-Level Conference on Aviation Security in Montreal this November.

It will only be by virtue of sustained political will, especially at the highest levels of government and industry, that the Global Aviation Security Plan will succeed in its ambitious mandate, she concluded.

While in Panama, Dr. Liu conducted bilateral discussions with the President of Panama on the roles of international civil aviation connectivity and ICAO compliance as key enablers for socio-economic development. His Excellency Juan Carlos Varela appreciated Dr. Lius views and ensured that Panamas vision for civil aviation development is fully aligned with ICAOs Strategic Objectives.

The Secretary General held additional meetings with the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Mr. Luis Miguel Hincapie, and the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Panama, Mr. Alfredo Fonseca Mora, focused on projected air transport growth, related aviation infrastructure needs, and the benefits to be realized when States incorporate their aviation development requirements into their national planning strategies.

During the bilateral meetings with local authorities, the current Aviation Security deficiencies identified by the audit in Panama were an important theme raised by the Secretary General. Dr. Liu stressed ICAOs support to help address the situation as soon as possible, and the authorities, including the President of Panama and its DGCA, ensured her that a corrective action plan would be presented to ICAO in the next few weeks.

Dr. Liu also spoke in Panama with the Administrator of the United States Transport Security Administration, Mr. David Pekoske, and with the Assistant Deputy Minister for Safety and Security of Transport Canada, Mrs. Lori MacDonald. During these bilateral meetings, the continuous mutual support for Security and Facilitation activities as well as the development of new initiatives to address emerging issues and capacity building in local States were discussed.

Dr. Liu was accompanied throughout her visits by ICAO Regional Directors Mr. Melvin Cintron and Mr. Fabio Rabbani, and by ICAOs Deputy Director for Aviation Security and Facilitation, M. Sylvain Lefoyer.

ICAOs Panama Conference was the first multi-regional event to convene NACC and SAM aviation security leaders, and was attended by more than 200 delegates representing 40 Member States and three International Organizations.

The event was concluded with a declaration of support for the Regional GASeP Roadmap and the related event themes.

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 Security Plan

ICAO's North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Office

ICAO's South American (SAM) Regional Office

ICAO's No Country Left Behind initiative

Contacts



Anthony Philbin

Chief, Communications

aphilbin@icao.int

+1 514-954-8220

+1 438-402-8886 (mobile)

Twitter: @ICAO


Posted on: August 8, 2018 3:20 PM

The United Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney and the Church Army, an Anglican society of evangelists, are working together to create a Centre of Mission in Aberdeen  the north-east Scotland coastal city. The Centre of Mission will be used to resource evangelism in the city in partnership with other churches and ecumenical partners. The centre will operate from three locations: St Devenicks Church in Bieldside, and two missional cafes: Caf4e in the Bridge of Don, and Caf4e at Credo in the city centre.

In a statement, the Scottish Episcopal Church explained that the new scheme will build on and extend the work done over a number of years by Church Army Evangelists Gerry and Jo Bowyer. Next month, Gerry Bowyer will become Rector of St Devenicks and leader of the Centre of Mission; while Jo Bowyer will continue to be based at Credo, the cafe in the city centre that is the location of a fresh expression of church with Caf4e. A third church army evangelist will be appointed to lead the Caf4e community at the Bridge of Don.

I am delighted that the Church Army is investing further resources into the City of Aberdeen, The Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, Anne Dyer, said. The churches in the city are concerned with sharing the love of God through mission and evangelism in many and varied ways. The development of the Centre of Mission will support and encourage wider engagement, especially among those who are not presently part of church communities.

The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop Mark Strange, is Vice President of the Church Army. He, too, welcomed this step forward in mission, saying: I am delighted that the Church Army has again chosen to support the mission outreach of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The decision to share the provision of further ministry and evangelism in the City of Aberdeen can only increase the love and care that is central to Jesus message.

Church Armys National Development Officer for Scotland, Canon Kerry Dixon, commented: Church Army are delighted at the partnership with Bishop Anne and The United Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in establishing a new centre of mission in Aberdeen. This follows in a great Church Army tradition of working together to share the gospel so that lives are transformed and those who would never darken the door of a Church Building have the opportunity to become a follower of Jesus!

Gerry Bower, currently searching for a pioneer evangelist to join the team, said: This person will help bring into reality a vision Jo and I had for many years, to create a Centre of Mission in Aberdeen, which will model a varied way of making new disciples. In the long term we want to see churches in our diocese grow and if the Church Army team can to be an advocate, to resource and enable others in mission then we will have achieved our goal.
The Republic of Cote d'Ivoire's National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I send my best wishes to the people of Cote dIvoire as they celebrate 58 years of independence on August 7.

"The United States and Cote dIvoire share a longstanding friendship based on shared principles of democratic governance and free market economics. We fully support Cote dIvoires efforts to better the lives of all Ivoirians by expanding economic opportunity, improving health, and advancing security sector reform.

"As we celebrate the anniversary of Cote dIvoires independence, the United States offers best wishes for a joyous and safe holiday and the reaffirmation of our enduring friendship."
Winters Are Here And You Need These Superfoods to Keep Yourself Healthy
Posted on: August 8, 2018 5:12 PM

The Registrar Generals Department (RGD) in Jamaica has apologised to the Suffragan Bishop of Kingston, Robert Thompson, after a bureaucratic mix-up left him stripped of the right to conduct marriages. Bishop Robert said that he would not conduct any further marriages, but the RGD says it will accommodate him if he changes his mind. The mix-up comes amid an ongoing row over a new registration system and annual fees for wedding celebrants.

I performed a wedding ceremony on the weekend so I went in on the Monday, which is required, Bishop Ropert told The Sunday Gleaner newspaper. You can either send it by mail or go in. So I went in to hand in a copy of that marriage certificate and the attendant took my register.

He [the attendant] said I needed to fill out a registration form. So I told him that I would need some time to do it, so could I take the form and send it back? He said no, I would have to do it in his presence. I couldn't wait, so I said, can I have back my register? And he said he could not give it back.

During the course of the conversation, the RGD official repeatedly asked Bishop Robert for for details of his Church; despite being told that, as Suffragan Bishop of Kingston, he didnt have a church but oversight of several.

It was quite embarrassing, he told The Sunday Gleaner. I wrote [to] the RGD and I didnt have my register, so if I was down to perform a wedding the following week or days after, I would have been disenfranchised. So I reflected on it, and I explained my situation and my pain. The RGD responded but it wasn't really very helpful. . .

Its out of my hands. I don't feel comfortable being harassed, and I have other things to do. I am a little old for this. After 45 years, I am done. And I still have not got back my register and that, for me, is the worst part of it. And to now take my register, knowing full well that I can't perform without it, is extortion, he said.

In June, the Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Dr Howard Gregory, wrote to Jamaicas Prime Minister threatening to withdraw from performing marriages because of the RGDs demands. He is concerned about the requirement for clergy to pay a fee to register as marriage officers, saying that many ministers do not charge a fee to couples for conducting marriage ceremonies.

Marriage is regarded as a sacrament so its not something you charge people for, it is something you encourage people to do, he told The Sunday Gleaner.

But now, the RGD has apologised to Bishop Robert, saying We are saddened by the decision that he has taken and are willing to accommodate him should he decide to reconsider, as this would be in the interest of Jamaica on the whole and his congregants in particular, The Gleaner reports today (Wednesday).

It said that despite its officers refusal, marriage officers and registrars are allowed to take the form and complete same at their own convenience.
In the world of bar tech, the floor is littered with peanut shells--and ordering apps.

In recent years, scores of entrepreneurs have founded so-called tab management apps, which offer to erase the friction bar-goers often experience when ordering a drink. Long wait times can be excruciating, and then there's the ordeal of closing out your tab, which can often mean waiting in line again. In effect, these startups want to eliminate your need to ever belly up to the bar again.

The idea sounds compelling--particularly as giants in the space, the Squares and PayPals of the world, don't offer the service. Still, the market has been difficult to penetrate. Just consider the number of bar apps that have tried--and mostly failed--to make a dent. There's Flowtab, Tappr, BarEye (soon to relaunch as on-me), TabbedOut, Coaster, BarBud, Radtab, and Noble, just to name a few.

These companies' struggles aren't for a lack of consumer desire for a solution. Graduate student research out of UC Berkeley's Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology in 2016 found that 81 percent of survey respondents said they would be likely or very likely to use a tab management mobile app. Yet these same researchers found such apps had penetrated only about 2 percent of bars and restaurants in the six years prior.

The reasons for the disconnect are varied--and particularly instructive for anyone looking to start up in a market that's as disparate as the bar scene itself.

Know thy customer.

Like many startup founders, entrepreneurs peddling mobile ordering apps face a chicken-and-egg situation: You can't get venues without first collecting masses of end-users and vice versa.

Jack Cunningham is co-founder of BarBud, which recently launched in Minneapolis. He says if his app has the venues, it can attract users from the bars' existing customer base. "We do think of ourselves as B-to-B and the consumer side comes secondhand," he says.

However, J.C. Diaz, president of the American Nightlife Association, a nightlife industry trade group in Washington D.C., says it's the other way around. "If you don't have the eyeballs, how can you sell something?" says Diaz.

Of course, courting customers without having much distribution can be tricky. San Francisco's Flowtab found this out the hard way when its founders, Kyle Hill and Mike Townsend, tried to attract customers by offering up free drinks, parties, and Lyft promotions. After raising $50,000 from an angel investor and winning a local startup competition, Hill and Townsend thought they had struck it big. But after a year of trying to get people to sign up, the founders ran out of money and had to shutter.

Hill said tab management apps need to be available at a huge number of bars before they're attractive to consumers. "We needed half the bars in California to be viable," says Hill.

Do no harm.

Then there's the fact that every bar operates differently. Market research firm IBISWorld found the bar industry has no major players and is projected to become only more fragmented. BarBud's Cunningham noted that it forces entrepreneurs to devote more time to understanding each venue's unique way of doing things, as bar owners will only adopt technology that does not disrupt existing logistics.

So your first rule of thumb is to avoid requiring too much additional training for servers, who may be skeptical that an app can be better salespeople than they are, says Stephen Maly, director of guest relationships at In Good Company, a New York City restaurant and bar group. "Any change is always scary. It takes time to buy into," he says.

Diaz, from the American Nightlife Association, adds that most critically, the app must integrate with the bar's existing point-of-sales, or POS, system. "When you think of how many POS systems are out there, you have to create an app for each POS," Diaz says. "From a developer's standpoint that would be another huge barrier to entry."

But it's not impossible. Ernesto Rodriguez, the CEO of N-plex, the maker of on-me--the forthcoming reincarnation of BarEye, which first launched in 2010--says he has

overcome this problem by partnering with several mainstream systems. The company also employs Omnivore, a platform through which apps can sync up with various restaurant POS systems. Similarly, Varun Pathak, CEO and co-founder of Boston's Noble, has hired a full-time POS engineer.

While these entrepreneurs have found workarounds that may make their apps attractive to bar owners and consumers, some payments analysts remain unmoved. There's a reason why digital payment giants aren't rushing to offer their own tab management platforms, says Scott Kessler, CFRA's director of equity research. It makes sense to invest in mobile ordering to speed up wait times for coffee, something you drink on the go (Square partnered with Starbucks from 2012 to 2016), but not a beer that you'll nurse at the bar for hours.
When it comes to economic impact, women are all business. They are the primary or sole breadwinner in 40 percent of U.S. households with children, according to the Pew Research Center.[i] And they're increasingly striking out on their own. Roughly 36 percent of all businesses are women-owned (51 percent or more), and another 9 percent are equally owned by women and men, according to U.S. Census data.[ii]

Whether they're embracing entrepreneurship because of a grand vision or to have greater control over their lives, women business owners still face obstacles. For instance, a February 2018 report by Biz2Credit found that the average funding for women-owned businesses was 45 percent lower than companies owned by men.[iii] Such lack of access to capital can be a challenge for these companies. But, women business owners are resourceful. Here, two successful women entrepreneurs share how they faced and overcame their own roadblocks.

1. Find funding.

A late-night vision of bringing her Argentine grandmother's dulce de leche recipe to grocery stores nationwide led to a new business for Josephine Oria. As a former CFO, she knew that her Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania-based company, La Dorita, had to show detailed financial reports and projections to be attractive to lenders.

She also aimed to make a good impression: She used her professional accomplishments and an exemplary business plan to bolster the relationship with her bank. Oria counsels women business owners to market not only their businesses but also themselves.

While banks look at your financials, "they also bank on the person," she says.

2. Make a smart first hire.

If you want to grow your business, you need the right people. For that reason, Jamie King wanted to be selective with the first hire for her Portland, Oregon yoga studio, Flex & Flow.

She ultimately chose an experienced yoga instructor who had a desire to hone her social media prowess. The combination of teaching experience and a desire to stretch her skills and help grow the business was exactly what she was seeking.

There are plenty of skills King can teach someone, so she looks for employees with skills she can't teach-chiefly the ability to connect with people.

"I want to hire people who are also leaders, who are hungry in the same way I am for an opportunity," she says.

3. Face down the fear.

King says there were things about running a business she couldn't have prepared for--including the ice storm during the first winter she owned her studio. It was up to her to turn this unexpected setback into an opportunity. Instead of losing money and letting down customers by taking a "snow day," she braved the elements and headed to the studio to generate a full day's revenue from the customers who came to classes.

Being the ultimate leader and decision-maker in your business can be daunting, especially early on. For better or worse, this position can challenge you and test your nerves. For King, the experience has been richly rewarding.

"Don't let that first failure or big opportunity steer you off your path," she says. "There's a lot of resilience that goes into this. Don't let that fear be the thing that stops you."

This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. PNC urges its customers to do independent research and to consult with financial and legal professionals before making any financial decisions.

[i] "Breadwinner Moms," by W.Wang et al. Pew Research Center, May 2013.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

How I Became a Socialist by Helen Keller

The Iron Heel, The Jacket and Martin Eden by Jack London

Deutsche Ansprache: ein Appell an die Vernunft (An Appeal to Reason) by Thomas Mann

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

The Outline of History by HG Wells

Monographs about Marc Chagall and Paul Klee

All works published before 1933 by Sigmund Freud, Bertolt Brecht, Stefan Zweig, John Dos Passos and thousands of others

No to decadence and moral corruption! Yes to decency and morality in family and state! I consign to the flames the writings of Heinrich Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Ernst Glaser, Erich Kastner

Joseph Goebbel, 10 May 1933, Berlin

It is impossible to put together an exhaustive list of all the books burnt by the Nazis between 1933 (when burnings started in earnest) and 1945, but estimates put it at well over 4,000.

An initial blacklist was drawn up by German librarian Wolfgang Herrmann and a 1935 issue of Die Bucherei, the Nazi journal for lending libraries, featured a list of guidelines for deciding which books and writers were fit for the flames.

This included anything written by Jewish authors (irrespective of the subject), all pacifist literature, all Marxist literature and anything by foreigners or German emigrants in a foreign country badmouthing the new Germany.

More specifically, anything supporting the Weimar Republic, primitive Darwinism, or encouraging decadent art was also doomed.

The book burning was led by the German Student Union and titled Action Against the Un-German Spirit (Getty)

Anything about sexuality or sex education was highly suspect. Nor did previous success count for anything; Jack London, especially his The Call of the Wild, was one of the most popular foreign authors before Hitlers rise to power but that was no protection for his books.

Matthew Fishburn, author of Burning Books, argues that having your books burnt was actually a confirmation of a writers importance and credentials. Indeed, Oscar Maria Graf demanded his works join those of his compatriots after he was initially left off the early lists (Burn me! he demanded).

The most famous burning was organised for 10 May 1933. Books were not simply tossed on to the pile; there were also Fire Oaths which were short statements read out explaining why certain works and authors had been selected. Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front, a huge bestseller in Germany, was one of the works specifically singled out because of its literary betrayal of the soldiers of the world war.

Freud was also namechecked because of his soul-shredding overvaluation of sexual activity.

Another Fire Oath accused journalist Alfred Kerr of the arrogant corruption of the German language  how he and his family made their consequent escape from Germany to London is told in When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by his daughter Judith Kerr, author of the Mog stories and The Tiger Who Came To Tea.

In 1934, two public libraries were established in opposition to the burnings.

The stock of both the German Freedom Library (Deutsche Freiheitsbibliothek) in Paris, and the American Library of Nazi-Banned Books in Brooklyn, New York, was made up of the works which were lost in the fires.

A Book of Book Lists by Alex Johnson, 7.99, British Library Publishing

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Kanye West will make a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, the show's host has announced.

The controversial rapper's last appearance was in 2013 when he and Kimmel settled a beef that flared up after West took exception to a sketch which spoofed his infamous BBC interview, where he made several outrageous claims including where he called himself "the number one rock star on the planet".

After the sketch aired, West branded Kimmel a "manipulative media motherf***er", to which Kimmel responded by saying he'd "always wanted to be in a rap feud". The "beef" ended when West came onto the show.

'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes Show all 10 1 /10 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes "I was the best new artist this year" Kanye asserted this after losing the New Artist of the Year award at the 2004 American Music Awards Getty Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes I am the number one human being in music. That means any person that's living or breathing is number two. Kanye made this claim while appearing on the Wendy Williams show in 2007. He had recently released the album 'Graduation' to critical acclaim Getty Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyonce has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time! In arguably the most famous incident of his career, Kanye bravely stole the microphone from then 19 year old Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for the Female Music Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards REUTERS 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street and people look at me... like I'm Hitler" Kanye said this during a mid-set rant while on stage at the Big Chill festival in 2011. Despite releasing the acclaimed 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' in 2010, he was still widely disliked following the Taylor Swift incident PA Archive/PA Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes "I am Picasso. I am Michelangelo. I am Basquiat. I am Walt Disney. I am Steve Jobs" Kanye compared himself to these visionaries in a mid-set rant on stage in Paris, 2013 AFP/Getty Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes My greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live. In 2013, Kanye opened up to reveal more Kanye. His pain is understandable, considering such performances as his at the BRITs in 2015, where he came on stage with an entourage of flamethrower wielding grime artists (pictured) Getty Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes I have to dress Kim everyday so she doesnt embarrass me. Kanye tweeted this in 2014, around the time that he was designing the first Yeezy range AFP/Getty Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes By 50 percent [I am more influential than] Stanley Kubrick, Apostle Paul, Picasso f***ing Picasso and Escobar. By 50 per cent more influential than any other human being. Kanye made this claim backstage after appearing on Saturday Night Live in 2016, he did not show his working out Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes "My wife just called me and she wanted me to make this clear to everyone. I don't agree with everything Trump does. I don't agree 100% with anyone but myself." This quote followed Kanye's recent expression of love for Donald Trump on Twitter, in which he claimed that he and Trump were "dragon energy" Getty Images 'Imma let you finish' - Kanye West's most controversial quotes "When you hear about slavery for 400 years... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice." Kanye made this comment in a May 2018 interview with TMZ. He later clarified that, in saying slavery was a choice, he meant "we can make our own reality" PA Wire/PA Images

Details on the topics of Kimmel and West's conversation have not been revealed, but it is likely that they will discuss West's controversial political comments, and also his recent album ye which dropped in June. The interview will air on Thursday 9 August on ABC in the US.

He rarely makes late night appearances, and has a history of causing a stir when he does. Recent controversial remarks include his claim that "slavery was a choice", which he later tried to backtrack on, and proclaiming his love for US President Donald Trump.

Kimmel announced the upcoming show by tweeting to his 11m+ followers: "On Thursday night, HURRICANE KANYE strikes @KimmyKimmelLive! @KanyeWest."

West's appearance was announced just over a week after his wife Kim Kardashian-West appeared on the late-night comedian's show, where she talked about her husband, her family reality show, and other topics.
Bitcoin has fallen in price by almost 10 per cent following a decision by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to delay a major ruling on the cryptocurrency's future.

The delayed decision relates to an application for a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), which if approved could cause the value of bitcoin to skyrocket.

The world's first ETF backed by gold, which was launched in 2003, is widely credited for pushing gold's price up by more than 300 per cent in the following decade.

Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Satoshi Nakamoto creates the first bitcoin block in 2009 On 3 January, 2009, the genesis block of bitcoin appeared. It came less than a year after the pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto detailed the cryptocurrency in a paper titled 'Bitcoin: A peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System' Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin is used as a currency for the first time On 22 May, 2010, the first ever real-world bitcoin transaction took place. Lazlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins  the equivalent of $90 million at today's prices Lazlo Hanyecz Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Silk Road opens for business Bitcoin soon gained notoriety for its use on the dark web. The Silk Road marketplace, established in 2011, was the first of hundreds of sites to offer illegal drugs and services in exchange for bitcoin Screenshot Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures The first bitcoin ATM appears On 29 October, 2013, the first ever bitcoin ATM was installed in a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada. The machine allowed people to exchange bitcoins for cash Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures The fall of MtGox The world's biggest bitcoin exchange, MtGox, filed for bankruptcy in February 2014 after losing almost 750,000 of its customers bitcoins. At the time, this was around 7 per cent of all bitcoins and the market inevitably crashed Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Would the real Satoshi Nakamoto please stand up In 2015, Australian police raided the home of Craig Wright after the entrepreneur claimed he was Satoshi Nakamoto. He later rescinded the claim Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's big split On 1 August, 2017, an unresolvable dispute within the bitcoin community saw the network split. The fork of bitcoin's underlying blockchain technology spawned a new cryptocurrency: Bitcoin cash Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's price sky rockets Towards the end of 2017, the price of bitcoin surged to almost $20,000. This represented a 1,300 per cent increase from its price at the start of the year Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures What goes up... Bitcoin price crashes spectacularly, losing half of its value in a matter of days Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin plunges The cryptocurrency eventually bottoms out below $4,000 in 2019 before slowly rebuilding momentum to outperform more traditional assets Getty Images

Bitcoin's price fell from $7,100 to below $6,500 following the delay, prompting even greater drops in value for other major cryptocurrencies like ethereum, ripple and bitcoin cash.

The SEC previously rejected a bitcoin ETF request last year on account of the cryptocurrency's price volatility. In delaying a ruling on the latest request, made by blockchain platform SolidX through the Chicago Board of Exchange, the SEC said it needed more time to consider the proposal.

A presentation by SolidX to the SEC last week addressed the reasons for the SEC's 2017 decision not to approve the bitcoin ETF, arguing that there have been "significant changes in product, market structure and overall circumstances" since the ruling.

SEC assistant secretary Eduardo Aleman said in a note published to the agency's website that the latest decision would be made on whether to approve or disapprove the proposed rule change by 30 September.

"As of August 6, 2018, the Commission has received more than 1,300 comments on the proposed rule change," Mr Aleman said.

"The Commission finds that it is appropriate to designate a longer period within which to take action on the proposed rule change so that it has sufficient time to consider the proposed rule change."

The SEC's decision to delay the bitcoin ETF ruling prompted a market-wide price crash for cryptocurrencies (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Cryptocurrency analysts claim the ruling centres around the issue of bitcoin custody, whereby a financial institution would actually store bitcoin for the ETF.

"A green light for the bitcoin ETF would fire the starting gun on a race among institutional investors to cash-in on this new product, so the market is rightly frustrated by the delay to the decision," Matthew Newton, an analyst at the investment platform eToro, told The Independent.

"But there is something bigger at stake. The lingering question mark for the SEC is around bitcoin custody. To approve the decision, they'd need to do so in the knowledge that the ETF was backed by physical bitcoin  either stored by the Chicago Board of Exchange or a third party... Along with regulatory oversight, this question of custody will determine the next big move in the market."

Goldman Sachs has already begun deliberations over bitcoin custody, making it the first Wall Street banking giant to make such a move.
Humans time may have run out and artificial intelligence could be about to take our place on Earth, according to James Lovelock.

The leading environmental thinker, who became famous for Gaia theory and is soon to turn 100, said that the Earth was in dire trouble and could soon experience intense climate-related disasters.

But he still believes himself to be an optimist and thinks that new kinds of life, in the form of AI, will be ready to take over from humans.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Mr Lovelock said that he felt the Earth was something like himself: it is very old, but still has some time left. Im looking forward to quite a few years to go in this beautiful region and so is the planet, but you cant bank on it, he told the Today programme.

But he said that should not be taken to mean we are not in dangerous territory: Just as I am. I cant go and do the things I would have done when I was a lot younger.

He pointed to strange weather patterns like those that contributed to the wildfires sweeping across California at the moment, and the fact that such incidents seem to be happening more often. But the kinds of major disasters that could be the consequence of runaway climate change have not yet arrived, he said.

Still, he said that if such disasters come it might only be a consequence of the fact that humans have had our time. Asked whether he meant that our days might be over, he made clear that he meant that humanitys time could be up.

But we could be replaced by artificially intelligent life that could live on the changed planet for many, many years to come, he said.

I think were on the verge of seeing new forms of life, he said. Weve got all the AI stuff going on. But thats trivial, its simple, but I dont see it being too long before forms of life, based on the idea of AI and so on, take over and run the planet for heaven knows how long.
You can't judge a book by its cover, but perhaps you can judge a man by his underwear, as a new study suggests that the boxers vs briefs debate is more than just a matter of taste.

According to research published in the journal Human Reproduction, men who wear boxer shorts benefit from both a higher sperm count and concentration than men who opt for tight-fitting varieties of underwear, such as briefs and jockeys.

The study is the largest of its kind and also revealed that men who wore boxers also had lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which stimulates sperm production as compensation for testicular damage that has arisen as a result of increased scrotal temperatures and decreased sperm count and concentration.

A total of 656 men aged between 18 and 56 were involved in the study, which examined a number of previously unexplored variables related to testicular function, such as sperm DNA damage and reproductive hormones.

According to the team of Harvard researchers, including this information was crucial in fostering a deeper understanding of how underwear choices affects sexual development in men.

Participants were recruited via calling on male partners in couples who were seeking fertility treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 2000 and 2017.

Each person had an average BMI of 26 and was asked to provide blood and semen samples in addition to answering a questionnaire that asked for details on their underwear preferences and required them to state which style they had worn the most in the last three months.

53 per cent of participants said they had mostly worn boxer shorts and, according to the researchers, these men were typically younger and slimmer than those who wore tighter-fitting varieties of underwear.

These men boasted a 25 per cent higher sperm concentration and 17 per cent higher total sperm count than those who avoided wearing boxers.

They also possessed 33 per cent more swimming sperm in a single ejaculation.

As for differences in sperm DNA damage and reproductive hormones, the researchers concluded that there were no significant imparities.

Speaking to The Independent, lead author Dr Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, a research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explains that her findings were consistent with previous studies on the correlation between underwear choice and sperm production.

However, it marks the first time that any research has revealed that men who wear tighter underwear also have higher FSH levels, which she argues suggests that a potential compensatory mechanism might be in effect for these men.

These results could be used to improve the sperm counts of men, since type of underwear worn is a modifiable lifestyle and spermatogenesis (sperm production) is estimated as taking around 90 days, she adds.

Results from this study are very practical, since men could improve their sperm production by easily changing their type of underwear worn to boxers.
A woman in Maryland tested positive for opiates while in labour, having eaten a poppy seed bagel for breakfast that morning.

Elizabeth Eden, a woman from Maryland, USA, had gone into labour on April 4 this year when a doctor at St Joseph Medical Centre informed her about the positive results of the test.

Despite expressing her disbelief over the results and requesting that she be tested again, the doctor then revealed that she had been reported to the state.

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According to WJLA, Ms Edens newborn daughter was kept at the hospital for five days while her mother was monitored by a caseworker.

However, after concluding that Ms Edens consumption of a poppy seed bagel could have influenced the drug test results, the caseworker allowed the mother and her baby to go.

The presence of opiates in poppy seeds is a subject thats been explored for quite some time.

Poppy seeds come from the papaver somniferum flowering plant, which is also known as the opium poppy.

Mothers meeting their newborn babies Show all 9 1 /9 Mothers meeting their newborn babies Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Fermont Fotographie Mothers meeting their newborn babies Mothers meeting their newborn babies

The morphine opium extracted from the opium poppy can be used to produce heroin and other opioids.

Ms Eden told local news station WVTM 13 that she suspected her poppy seed bagel may have been to blame for the positive opiate test results.

Professor Atholl Johnston, a professor of clinical pharmacology at Queen Mary University, explained that while consuming poppy seeds may increase ones chances of being tested positive for opiates, its unlikely to have an intoxicating impact.

If you eat a poppy seed roll, it could give rise to a positive result on a urine drug test for morphine, Professor Johnston told the BBC.

It is unlikely that a single poppy seed roll, or even a dozen rolls, would result in an individual ingesting enough morphine to have a pharmacological effect.

In May this year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an update on the organisations scientific opinion on the opium alkaloids that can be found in poppy seeds following contamination during harvesting.

The EFSA concluded that the noscapine and papaverine alkaloids detected in some poppy seeds dont necessarily pose a health concern.

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However, the thebaine alkaloid found in the poppy seed samples may present more of a health risk.

The Aegis Sciences Corporation, a forensic laboratory, states that the morphine and codeine found in poppy seeds may still be identified in a urine sample up to 48 hours after consumption.
Its Saturday night. Youre going out. Youve been looking forward to this all week. Youve got your glad-rags on. Your hairs gone right. You blow a kiss to your reflection in the bathroom mirror and your reflection blows a kiss right back at you. Youre ready to go.

Taxi will be here in 10 minutes, you tell your loved one / flatmate / party partner for the evening.

Nearly ready, they assure you. You sit at the bottom of the stairs for the next five minutes, watching the little car icon on the cab app draw closer.

Cabs by the roundabout now!

Four minutes to go. The cabs just three streets away.

Another minute! comes a cry from the bathroom.

Dont forget they charge waiting time! You try to hurry things along.

With two minutes to go, your party compadre finally appears and stands in front of you, wearing what looks like a butchers apron (clean) over a pair of lederhosen (possibly not clean).

Ta-daa!

They give a quick twirl and smile at you hopefully before asking one of the most difficult questions known to humankind.

How do I look?

Oh hell. The pin is out of the grenade.

(Tom Ford)

Of course, if youre going to the sort of party where a butchers apron over a pair of lederhosen is actually quite a low-key interpretation of the dress code, youre in the clear.

Perfect, darling! Heres the car. Lets go.

But if youre on your way to your grandmothers eightieth, your godsons eighteenth, or any other kind of social occasion where even wearing a perfectly normal leather jacket raises eyebrows and encourages mutterings of up for a bit of bondage, are we, then you are in trouble. Your sixty-something cousin Jerry is going to see those lederhosen and throw his keys straight into the fruit bowl. If only your beloved had put on those nice black trousers they usually wear.

Well? They press for an answer.

You could try saying it in body language.

You look, ah, you look followed by a Gallic shrug combined with the Italian hand sign for I will kill your personal shopper.

Or you could try suggesting a small outfit tweak.

Maybe with a cashmere sweater on top?

Its 30 degrees Celsius out.

Or you could try being honest.

I prefer you in that other thing.

What other thing?

Anything. Anything at all.

Whatever you do, if you hesitate to respond, all is lost. Everyone knows that hesitation in answering this particular question really means, You look like you just escaped naked from a serial killers cellar and grabbed a random selection of his clothes on your way out.

Yet if youre not open about what you think when someone asks you how they look, arent you doing the other person a disservice? You may be wary of hurting their feelings but if you know theyre not looking their best, or are actively looking like a hot mess, arent you setting them up to be even more hurt by not saying so before someone else does? Dont we ask questions in the hope of receiving an honest answer? Well, of course wed all like to think we do. In reality, what were usually after is the real-life equivalent of an Instagram like for our banana yellow flares.

(Tom Ford)

My personal feeling is that if someones dress is tucked in their knickers, you should tell them. Likewise, if their too-tight trousers have split up the back and their undies are on show, you really ought to let them know. But if someone asks you how they look and you cant see their nipples and youre pretty sure that no-one will be harmed in the wearing of that outfit, then what the hell?

Darling, you look amazing is always technically the truth, if you go by the Oxford Dictionary definition of amazing as causing great surprise or wonder. Shock and awe in sequinned designer chaps.

Talking of shock and awe, perhaps it was fear of hurting Melanias feelings, by telling her she looked flat out wrong for the occasion, that led to her latest wardrobe mishap. She headed out on an official visit to children separated from their parents at the US border wearing a Zara parka bearing the legend I really dont care, do you? It was a strange sartorial choice to say the least. Why didnt anybody question it before Melania stepped into the public gaze? The White House staff may not have wanted to upset the bosss wife. Instead, people were upset all over the thinking world.

Melanias parka reminded us that while we all like to trot out the old adage that appearances dont matter, the clothes we choose to wear do send out messages. Not usually a literal message, as in the case of Melanias parka (which her husband quickly defended as being two fingers to the purveyors of fake news), but important messages none the less.

There is a growing industry dedicated to deciphering Melanias outfits. There were those insanely high white heels she wore when boarding Air Force One en route to visit people made homeless by the storms in the Gulf of Mexico in September 2017. A month later, she wore a see-through top to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

What was Melania thinking when she chose each of these outfits? Did she not ask anybody How do I look? before stepping out in glamour model chic that was bound to distract from the gravity of the occasion?

In contrast, there have been moments when Melania has dressed like an extra from The Handmaids Tale. The scarlet Alice Roi coat she wore in March 2017 was pure Offred. The voluminous dark burgundy coat-dress she wore on the Trumps visit to South Korea would have been suitable for a commanders wife (if it came in green). It was an outfit at the opposite end of the style spectrum from the figure-skimming look her husband typically prefers. The enormous sleeves of the Roksanda dresses Melania sometimes favours are a neat way of preserving personal space if you dont want anyone touching you with their tiny hands.

Are Melanias wardrobe choices really unthinking or is she actually more like Phyllis Latour Doyle, a British secret agent in the Second World War who sent coded messages in her knitting. Having parachuted into occupied Normandy, Phyllis used her cover that she was an innocent handicraft-crazy local to get friendly with German soldiers. When she heard something important, she went straight to her knitting basket and knotted the information into silk threads using Morse Code. She disguised the silk threads as hair ribbons. In Belgium too, the Resistance sent messages about enemy troop movements knitted into jumpers and scarves.

Maybe Melanias Serena Joy style is a nod to observers that she gets it. Maybe the unfortunate parka was actually two fingers to her husband. Maybe even that see-through top Melania wore as she stood behind Trump at the Hispanic Heritage Month event hid a coded message. Would you look at this tit?

But how do I look? Going back to your dear friend, dressed for the Ruby Wedding celebrations in a butchers apron and the lederhosen. Maybe the way to answer their question is to first ask, What exactly do you want your outfit to say?

Christine Manby has written numerous novels including The Worst Case Scenario Cookery Club
Michael (not his real name), a former police officer, is one of an anti-illicit trade team at one of the worlds leading tobacco companies  the so-called big four that make up the lions share of the global smoking industry. Hes long departed his former crime-fighting career but is now on a juicy beat: running a cat-and-mouse campaign with the growing numbers of cigarette smugglers to the UK and EU. Cigarette smuggling is increasingly lucrative, says Michael. Theres a lot to gain.

The smuggling, he says, takes place in a few different ways. Theres the opportunist traveller who brings back cigarettes and tobacco bought cheaply on holiday. Theres the more organised ant smuggler, [an industry term] who regularly returns from cheap European holiday destinations with a suitcase full of cheap cigarettes. And theres the organised criminal who works a supply chain.

Michael, whose colleagues include a mix of ex-police and customs officers and analysts, is in the job for brand protection but is also engaged against these growing crime syndicates, which have been linked to terror groups, according to some, including the Centre dAnalyse du Terrorisme (CAT) in Paris.

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Between them, the smugglers work with three kinds of illicit cigarettes: well known legal brands bought cheaply in places such as Belarus and Ukraine (where, for example, Marlboro costs about $1 (77p) a pack, as opposed to 11-12 here, or Vietnam for the Australian market, where a legal pack of Marlboro costs about $25.10). The Vietnamese pack, at about 85p, shows the profit incentive.

Then theres a dubious but growing tier of lesser smokes known in the trade as cheap whites, including brands such as Jin Ling: the smokers equivalent of Diamond White cider. These are currently the majority of illegal seizures and theyre made in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (aka Jafza) in the United Arab Emirates, where at least 25 cigarette producers legally manufacture cheap whites. Made for export, they still end up being smuggled to Europe via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, where they eventually end up under the counter in the less wholesome high street stores.

Most commonly, cigarettes are smuggled into the UK by bribing lorry drivers to carry it over the border (PA)

Another development is that fake cigarettes, says the 50-year-old ex-cop, are now being made in Europe rather than in the far east, which is why the big four  known collectively and sometimes disparagingly as Big Tobacco  are throwing a lot of heat at it.

Its happening because the margins are so big and the potential for easy profit so tempting, says Michael. And its widely understood that the black market has grown because of the constraints on the legal industry. Moreover, he adds, the cheaper cigarettes are going straight to the UKs most deprived communities  the market in which combustible smoking has its greatest hold.

These products may become more costly in the trade war Show all 9 1 /9 These products may become more costly in the trade war These products may become more costly in the trade war Orange Juice, which Florida is known for, may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war The EU lists 'footwear with outer soles of rubber or of plastics and uppers of plastics' amongst the goods that may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war Cosmetic products, such as US brands Maybelline, MAC and Avon, may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images for Rebekka Ruetz These products may become more costly in the trade war Jeans, the all-American trousers, are on the EU's list of goods that may be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war Bourbon whiskey is on the EU's list of over 100 US products that may be subject to import tariffs Getty These products may become more costly in the trade war US peanut butter products are on the EU's list of goods that may soon be subject to tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war US motorcycles, such as the Harley-Davidson, may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war Cranberry products, a major US crop export, may soon become more expensive Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war All tobacco products are on the EU's list of US goods that may be subject to import tarifs AFP/Getty Images

A recently published report by KPMG covering the illicit market in the EU, Norway and Switzerland estimated that last year, the counterfeit and contraband (C&C) cigarette consumption was 8.7 per cent of total use in the EU. Thats 44.7 billion cigarettes. In the UK, meanwhile, C&C cigarette consumption increased from 14.3 per cent to 17.8 per cent between 2016 to 2017, the highest level since 2005 to 2006.

Worldwide, it is thought that 6 per cent to 8.5 per cent of the global cigarette trade is illegal. So, this autumn, the tobacco industry and health wonks are aiming to really smoke out the smugglers. On 25 September, a United Nations-backed treaty called the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products enters into force  by July, 45 countries had already ratified it  and in October, its the eighth WHO Conference of the Parties (COP8) for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a biannual meeting that has set the agenda for smoking since 2005.

The WHO claims that if global illicit cigarette trade was eliminated, governments would gain $31bn (AFP/Getty)

No doubt there will be talk of illicit trade, as this is becoming one of the biggest problems in a murky world. Just as official cigarette smoking rates decline across the world, partly due to the restrictions of tobacco use by price, taxation, advertising and ability to even find places to smoke, smuggling has taken hold. The WHO claims that if the global illicit trade was eliminated, governments would gain $31bn in revenue and 160,000 lives could be saved a year.

As Michael says, the European fakery market is surprisingly bold, particularly in Poland where 40 illegal producers were seized in 2017. This year alone, clandestine factories have been found in Preston, Birmingham, County Durham and elsewhere in the UK, while in March Ireland debuted with one in Louth where an eastern European team laboured away in a remote farmhouse on machinery hidden behind hay bales. Inside, the police raid found 25 million cigarettes destined for the UK.

So how do they make plausible cigarettes? They often use machinery that has been either bought on Ebay or decommissioned by old tobacco manufacturers, says Michael. Some of it is half a century old but still turns out a proper looking stick [the industry term for a cigarette]. And although the authorities bust them all the time they just crop up elsewhere.

The cigarettes are often hidden inside furniture, hollowed-out white goods and even tree trunks (AFP/Getty)

Sometimes, he says, theyre even staffed by redundant cigarette company workers, working in dusty warehouses, sheds and garages alongside technicians and shop floor workers from poorer territories such as Moldova, using ledger books, wages and accounts, and normally nimble enough to do a moonlight flit if they smell a rat. Once the fakers get the cigarettes to a shipping point, theyre disguised alongside legal freight such as furniture or inside (a recent development) hollowed-out white goods and tree trunks.

Most commonly, the smuggled cigarettes are secreted into lorries by bribing drivers. The Benelux countries are favoured for this part of the operation and in a process known to Michael and his colleagues as window tapping, the smugglers approach lorry drivers at laybys and service stations, and offer them a wad of about 1,000-2,000 to take a pallet of fags to the UK. Assuming the driver gets through border checks they then contact the smugglers pals on a burner mobile phone, and receive directions where to pull over and give the cargo up and get paid off. With the deal complete, the cigarettes are then taken to the UKs less salubrious stores and sold for about 4 or 5  less than half the normal RRP  or via social media, a process which involves smoke, mirrors and creativity. Facebook doesnt allow the promotion of cigarettes, says Michael. To get around this they use code  such as, in one case, a cupcake with a cigarette brand written on it.

Cigarette smuggling costs the taxpayer about 2.5bn a year, according to HMRC. But it also illustrates that smoking remains popular. Only last month, the Office for National Statistics Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) found that the UKs rate of smoking had risen for the first time in six years, up from 16.1 per cent in 2016 to 16.8 per cent of the population.

Also, while it seems counterintuitive, cigarette smuggling may be linked to the long-term decline in smoking. Some attribute it to high prices and taxes, as well as new constraints on vaping (an activity which has plateaued in the past year according to Public Health England and the ONS). As Michael says: The packaging ban [now one year old] has also driven the business underground  but in any case, soon after the ban the illegal factories were producing counterfeit cigarettes in plain packaging. Clearly, millions of people still want to smoke but dont want to pay 10-12 a pack, which traps the government in a curious double bind: it asks us not to smoke, but likes the tax take. Whenever a smuggler is caught, the immediate government message is that they have cost the UK valuable revenue that could have been put into, say, healthcare. In Australia the fake cigarette and smuggling factor has become so bad  a record 15 per cent of the market  that the government has set up a tobacco taskforce to dismantle illicit tobacco supply chains.

The tobacco war is stepping up. The Tobacco Retailers Alliance, which represents independent stores that sell tobacco in the UK, says that illicit tobacco has been found to contain pesticides, arsenic and rat poison  not to mention higher levels of nicotine  while a study from the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath claims that the tobacco industry is working to secure control of the global track and trace system that the United Nations wants in place to counter smuggling. Although big tobacco is accused of being complicit in the illegal trade, according to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), 90 per cent of illegal products seized are cheap whites from the UAE, providing a counter argument. Also, as the chief executive of health charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Deborah Arnott says, theres nothing new about cigarette smuggling: its just that the illicit market has a higher proportion of the total market. The tax gap of lost revenue has grown from 1.9bn in 2010-11 to 2.5bn today.

So Michaels job is likely to be secure for a while. Its still quite under the radar, he says. But cigarette smuggling is up there with drug dealing. As well as providing succour for the deprived, its also possible that cigarettes are getting the renegade allure of illegal drugs. Maybe, like in the era of prohibition, smoking a Marlboro will soon be something done at a speakeasy with a little entry flap.
The Earth could not be changed to save the environment, according to a new paper exploring the possibilities of "geoengineering" the planet to protect us from the worst effects of climate change.

Injecting aerosols into the atmosphere is one of the great hopes for mitigating the effects of climate change. Proponents argue that it would help counter most of the changes to the climate, as well as being cheap and quick to implement.

It would work by limiting the amount of sunlight that could get through the environment. In essence, the aerosols injected into the atmosphere would work something like a shade, reducing the amount of light and keeping the worst effects of climate change at bay.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

But the new research suggests that the plan would wipe out crop yields to such a degree that it would undo any of the positive benefits gained by limiting the effects of climate change. While it might provide some protection it would also damage agriculture deeply, they write in the new paper published in Nature.

Scientists looked at the aftermath of two volcanic events to understand how the geoengineering might change the Earth. Both events had a similar effect to the "veil" concept and helped it inspire it  the volcanic eruptions threw similar chemicals up into the stratosphere.

Researchers looked at what happened to aerosol levels, solar irradiation data and recorded crop yields in the aftermath of the eruption of El Chichon in Mexico and the explosion of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. They studied different kinds of crops and looked at how they coped with those natural disasters.

They found that what benefit the veil would offer to crops by blocking out heat would be offset by the damage done by not getting enough sunlight. As such, the plan would not mitigate the effects of climate change on global agriculture and food security, they conclude.
A 31-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of drill rapper Sidique Kamara who was stabbed to death in London last week.

Kenneth Umezie from Camberwell was charged on Tuesday after Mr Kamara, 23, was found with stab wounds on the evening of 1 August. He died at the scene.

Mr Umezie, of Southwark, south London, was brought before Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with murder.

Mr Kamara, who performed under the name Incognito with rap collective Moscow17, had previously spoken about the relationship between drill and violence, saying: Youve got to put your hands up and say drill music does influence [violent crime].

Three other teenagers, aged 16, 18 and 19, who were arrested in connection with the incident have been released under investigation.

Another member of the Moscow17 collective, 17-year-old Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, was found fatally shot on the same street in May.

The groups music videos have had hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, and their tracks include lyrics hostile to long-running rival drill group Zone 2, from neighbouring Peckham.

Earlier this year, Mr Kamara and another member of Moscow17 were cleared at the Old Bailey of murdering teenager Abdirahman Mohamed, a brother of a member of Zone 2.

Confectionery giant Mars has pulled its advertising from YouTube after one of its brands was shown alongside drill rap videos linked to violent crime in the capital.

District Judge Susan Green ordered Mr Umezie to appear before the Old Bailey on Friday for a bail application, ahead of a preliminary hearing on 5 September.

He was remanded in custody.
The Duke of Cambridge and Theresa May will attend commemorations marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens  the beginning of the end of the First World War.

The event, staged at Amiens Cathedral in northern France, will tell the story of the conflict which heralded the beginning of the period known as the Hundred Days offensive.

From the start of the battle exactly 100 years ago  8 August, 1918  successive military victories eventually led to the surrender of German forces and the end of the conflict on Armistice Day on 11 November that year.

Recommended New statue honours heroic horses of First World War

General Sir Henry Rawlinson, commander of the Fourth Army, combined air and land forces, from Australia, Canada, France, America and Britain, to great effect during the conflict.

He had learnt the lessons of the bloody Somme offensive  where he played a prominent role  employing improved tactics and new technology, utilised alongside subterfuge, from concealing troop numbers to ending the practice of firing range-finding shells so there was no warning of the attack.

The battle saw more than 500 tanks from the UK's Tank Corps deployed, more than 1,900 British and French aircraft used, tens of thousands of troops present, with the Australians and Canadians prominent in the attack, and all supported by more than 2,000 guns from the Royal Artillery.

Over the following days the gains made by Allied troops were huge, with many miles claimed from German forces  but its real impact was on the morale of many in the German high command, convincing them the war could not be won.

 Giant scrap metal soldier built to commemorate those who died in the First World War

During the commemorations, both Prince William and the Prime Minister will give readings during the service and lay wreaths as a mark of respect.

They will also meet descendants of the soldiers who fought during the battle and hear their stories told by relatives.

They will be joined by Armed Forces minister Mark Lancaster and Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter, who is head of the Armed Forces.

General Sir Nick Carter said: "The Battle of Amiens marked the beginning of the end of the First World War.

"It was a remarkable achievement over the course of the war to expand the military, moulding a new citizen-based force into a very accomplished fighting force, against a backdrop of rapid technological change."

Press Association
Firefighters in Derbyshire have captured on video a rare fire tornado, or firenado, towering 50ft above them while they tackled an industrial blaze near the town of Swadlincote.

The film shows a dazzling column of red-hot fire reaching high into the sky as black smoke billows up from a pool of flames at a plastic pallet factory, where the blaze broke out at about 1.20am on Tuesday morning.

As the camera tilts back to show the full height of the phenomenon, the whirling string of light appears to pulsate and bend as it is whipped by winds.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, which helped the Derbyshire and Staffordshire services tackle the blaze, shared the video on Facebook, saying: Whilst we were firefighting at Occupation Lane we witnessed a firenado or a fire whirl.

Its created as cool air enters the top of the hot air causing a swirl similar to how a tornado is formed.

The fire has caused extensive damage at Ravensbourn Plastics Ltd, in Albert Village.

A firenado is generated in a similar way to a tornado (Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service)

The blaze spread to a small building site and a number of fork lift trucks at the property, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

No injuries have been reported, but the enormous dark plume of smoke was visible as far as Nottingham city centre, 25 miles away.

At about 3pm on Tuesday firefighters were able to start damping down the fire, which had engulfed stacked plastic pallets ordinarily used for making plastic crates for supermarkets.

At its peak the phenomenon towered more than 50ft in the air (Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service)

Speaking while crews tackled the fire, the Derbyshire services group manager Steve Wells said: Weve received lots of calls to our control room this morning, as people in the Swadlincote area have woken to the sight of a large black smoke plume.

Crews from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire have been working hard since the early hours of the morning  jointly with partners from the police, Severn Trent Water and the Environment Agency  to bring the fire under control, prevent any further spread and bring the incident to a safe and swift conclusion.

Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Show all 34 1 /34 Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures British Army soldiers of 4 Scots assist the fire fighters on Saddleworth Moor PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures British Army soldiers of 4 Scots assisting fire fighters EPA/Ministry of Defence Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Soldiers douse the wildfire AFP/Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures A helicopter fills a container with water from Upper Swineshaw Reservoir AFP/Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Members of the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland join firefighters AFP/Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures The full moon rises behind burning moorland between Dovestones and Buckton Vale Getty Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Kate MacRae / SWNS.com Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures SWNS.com Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Fire officers continue to fight the large wildfire Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Fires on Saddleworth Moor Sean Quarmby/PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Fire officers continue to fight a large wildfire on the moors above Stalybridge Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Fire officers outside Castle Farm Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Horses are moved through heavy smoke in Carrbrook Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures A scorched fencepost Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Sean Quarmby/PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters on Saddleworth Moor attempt to dampen down the area to stop the spread of fire PA Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures A llama sits in a field below burning moorland Getty Images Saddleworth Moor fire: Greater Manchester blaze in pictures Firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor PA

Whilst the site of the fire is not directly next to any residential properties, we are still advising locals to keep their windows and doors closed until the fire is completely out and the smoke has subsided.

He added: Anyone experiencing any discomfort or breathing difficulties as a result of the smoke should seek guidance from their GP.

Additional reporting by PA
Windrush citizens are being forced to wait months for their immigration cases to be resolved despite a government pledge to process them in two weeks, The Independent can reveal.

Scores of people who were referred to the Windrush taskforce in the wake of the scandal have been left in limbo, leading to accusations that the Home Offices chaotic response is forcing Commonwealth citizens into distress and destitution.

In one case, an NHS dental assistant who came to Britain from Jamaica in 1966 is still waiting to hear from the taskforce more than two months after being referred, causing him continued emotional and financial stress.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott wrote to Sajid Javid on 18 July informing him that four of her constituents  all Caribbean nationals who arrived in the UK before 1973  were still waiting for a response after being referred as early as April, when the taskforce was set up.

The Labour MP is yet to receive a response from the home secretary, and the individuals concerned are still awaiting news about their immigration cases.

Despite claims by the Home Office that it aims to resolve all Windrush cases within two weeks, figures published by the department reveal the proportion of cases that exceed this time limit has steadily increased, from 3 per cent (41 of 1,294) during May to 16 per cent (113 of 690) in June.

The delays will fuel mounting concerns around the Home Offices response to the Windrush crisis, which has seen people who arrived from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and early 1970s routinely targeted by immigration officials.

The Independent revealed earlier this week that the Home Office was gagging victims of the Windrush scandal in return for fast-track compensation, despite Mr Javid pledging that no one would be asked to sign any kind of non-disclosure agreement.

The home secretary has also been criticised for slamming the brakes on an official scheme to compensate members of the Windrush generation  and for planning to cap their payments.

Donald Thompson, 64, who came to the UK from Jamaica in 1966 to join his Windrush mother, had his biometrics taken by the Windrush team at the end of May and was told a decision would be made about his case in two weeks. But no decision has been made after more than two months.

Donald Thomspon, 64, said he feels let down by the UK government after waiting over 10 weeks for his Windrush case to be resolved (Donald Thomspon)

The NHS dental assistant has had his applications for British citizenship repeatedly refused over 28 years. He is unable to obtain a drivers license due to his immigration status and has been detained and threatened with deportation in recent years.

I have spent about 30,000 on Home Office legal and application fees trying to settle my case over the years. Ive had countless distress, Ive had letters sent to me saying Im not legal. Its absolutely disgraceful. I cant find words for it, Mr Thompson told The Independent.

After the Windrush issue came to light I was expecting it to be sorted out. The prime minister stood up in parliament and said anyone who came here before 1973 is British. They havent fulfilled their promises.

They have all the information they need about me. They have everything. Theres no doubt that I was here before 1973. They say theyre looking into it  looking into what?

The 64-year-old, who went to school in Tottenham where his mother worked as an auxiliary nurse, said he submitted his Jamaican passport to the Home Office on its request in 2008 and has not received it back.

I didnt come to this country on a boat or on the back of a truck; it was on the invitation of the British government. But Ive lost out financially. Ive been let down, he added.

Theyve put me through endless pain and financial stress. Its unspeakable. And they are still, for some reason or another, continuing it.

Ms Abbott said the delays were completely unacceptable, adding: This Tory Home Office has proven consistently that it is not fit for purpose.

From the Windrush scandal to immigration detention, to these outrageous delays  it is long past time that the government takes responsibility for leaving people distressed and destitute.

Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Show all 15 1 /15 Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947 PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I cant face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice." PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948. Getty

Referring to the case of Mr Thompson, who is a member of her constituency, the Labour MP said: People are literally paying thousands of pounds and receiving a chaotic service in return.

A Home Office spokesperson said: In his letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee in July, the Home Secretary made clear that the Taskforce aims to complete the decision-making process within two weeks of all the evidence being gathered. Some decisions will fall outside these timescales due to their complexity, but for those completed within two weeks the vast majority have been completed on the same day.

The experiences faced by some members of the Windrush generation are inexcusable and it is clear that we must do what is needed to ensure that nothing like this happens again. The Home Secretary has said that it is his top priority to right the wrongs that have occurred.
 Close Theresa May piles on pressure for Boris Johnson to apologise for burka comments

The live blog has now ended.

Boris Johnson is facing mounting calls to apologise for his comments about Muslim women who wear the niqab.

The former foreign secretary said wearers of the veil "look like letterboxes" and resemble "a bank robber", adding that the garment was "absolutely ridiculous".

Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, called the comments "very embarrassing" and said he would leave the Conservative Party if Mr Johnson became leader.

Ruth Davidson also added her voice to the backlash, calling Mr Johnson's claims "gratuitously offensive" and demanding he apologise.

Theresa May and Brandon Lewis, the Tory chairman, also called for an apology, while opposition MPs accused Mr Johnson of Islamophobia.

Conservative peer Lord Sheikh, the former of the Conservative Muslim Forum, said he had asked the party to take "severe action" and remove the whip from Mr Johnson.
Cheer up Boris.

Your party chairman may have ordered you to apologise for your comments about the burqa.

Your fellow Tories may be calling for the party whip to be withdrawn and damning your comments as gratuitously offensive.

But back in your constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip on Wednesday afternoon, the sun was still shining and the news was good: Boris Johnson still has the Im not an Islamophobe vote.

Hes a legend, said Scott Woodley, 30, a window cleaner, as he emerged from a local pub. Hes right. We should ban the burqa.

You cant wear a bikini in a Muslim country, so why should they be able to wear burqas in this country?

France has done it. Denmark has done it. Why shouldnt we ban the burqa?

And when it was pointed out that Boris wasnt demanding a ban on the burqa, just comparing women who wore it to letterboxes and robbers, the ex-foreign secretary was still right.

Its the fact that the terrorists are using it [the burqa] to smuggle themselves out of the country after they have blown people up, said Mr Woodley. How many terrorists have smuggled themselves out of the country wearing a burqa?

Boris Johnson is right. And Tommy Robinson. Hes right as well. He might say things in the wrong way, but hes right.

This is our country. We should be able to live by our rules.

Im not racist, insisted Mr Woodley. Im not an Islamophobe. Im a terrorist-phobe.

Ive got no problem with people coming to this country who want to contribute to it. I live next to a Muslim family, and they are the nicest people I have ever met. They bring over food to my mum and dad.

But some of them  They come over here, they scrounge off benefits while I work my nuts off and then they want to blow our people up.

Theres a geezer that our Royal Navy saved from Libya that went and blew 22 people up in a [Manchester] concert arena. Its not right.

(Salman Abedi, a British citizen, was rescued from the civil war in Libya by the Royal Navy, the Daily Mail reported last week.)

But when we asked whether he liked Mr Johnsons personality, Mr Woodleys smile returned.

Yeah, he said, Cos hes quirky, and not afraid to say what he thinks.

Our country needs more people like Boris Johnson. I will be voting for him, 100 per cent. Because hes right.

This, it has to be said, did not seem the unanimous view in Uxbridge. Nor did it appear the majority opinion. Nor even the standpoint of a sizeable minority.

Moving a few yards down the high street, we found Roger Vipond, 72, ready to offer a slightly different view of the local MP: Hes a four-letter word. Beginning with C.

Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Show all 7 1 /7 Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson plays rugby with Japanese elementary school children in Tokyo Getty Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson bumps into a schoolchild during a Street Rugby event at Tokyo Square Gardens building EPA Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson collides with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match

I have spoken with him face-to-face, said the retired engineer. He is a very amiable, very humorous, very distinguished classicist, and a disgraceful individual from a moral and social standpoint.

Because of his treatment of women, because of his treatment of countries that are not his own, because  the list is too long.

He seems driven to offend and outrage as many individuals and as many groups as possible, and his comments about the burqa are just the latest example.

Kevin Voisey, 54, a design and technology teacher, also met Mr Johnson.

I wasnt impressed at all, he said. Hes not someone I would want to trust with anything, not even sweeping the streets. He just wouldnt do it.

So no, he wouldnt be voting to help maintain Mr Johnsons relatively slender 5,034 majority.

Before the election, he promised more cycle lanes. We have never seen anything.

On the third runway at Heathrow, he promised to stand in front of the diggers. Then when it came to the crunch vote he was nowhere to be seen.

He is full of false promises.

You could argue that Mr Voisey was being a little harsh.

After all, having been sacked from the Conservative front bench in 2004, Mr Johnson did assure Daily Telegraph readers: There are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters".

And surely, over 14 gaffe-filled years, he has more than delivered on that hint of a promise  from linking the people of modern Papua New Guinea to orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing in 2006, to trying to recite a colonial-era poem on a visit to Burma last year.

As foreign secretary he helped Iran portray an innocent British citizen as a spy by erroneously saying jailed mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been teaching journalists, and said the Libyan city of Sirte would make a great holiday resort once they cleared the dead bodies away.

Some might think he has delivered so many disasters it is now hard to remember that then Conservative leader Michael Howard sacked him in 2004 over allegations about an affair that Boris had initially denied as an inverted pyramid of piffle.

But still Mr Voisey was banging on about Mr Johnsons failure to deliver.

He is definitely just working for himself, he said. Its probably the rich looking after the rich. He seems to feel entitled. Hes out to get headlines for himself all the time.

 Theresa May piles on pressure for Boris Johnson to apologise for burka comments

And as for the latest headlines

It was crass, said Debbie Clayton, 54, a fire health and safety officer. He should resign right now. The time has come for Boris to no longer represent a borough that is so multicultural.

Liz, a primary school teacher who asked for her surname not to be published, seemed to agree.

There were a lot of Muslims at her primary school, she said. A few of them wore burqas. Some of them also helped out at the school.

They are very nice, said Liz. Very co-operative, supportive parents.

When Mr Johnson says such burqa-wearing women look like letterboxes or robbers, she added, he is an idiot, or he has an ulterior motive  and he is obviously not an idiot, is he?

Hes trying for more power.

Mr Johnson, she suggested, was still hoping to be prime minister.

But would his latest comments really prove a gaffe too far?

In one way or another, they all conceded that his buffoonish Boris charm had helped him wriggle out of plenty of previous scrapes.

For all of his other goings on, said Mr Vipond, Hes still the smiling face with the big shock of blond hair.

Johnson called Teflon Tony Blair a mixture of Harry Houdini and a greased piglet.

At the time, everyone thought this was a criticism.

Listening to the constituents in Uxbridge, however, Mr Johnson might in fact have been in awe of Blairs skills.

Pot, kettle, said Mr Vipond in response to Boriss verdict on Blair.

But then he paused.

He makes Tony Blair look good. How bad is that?
A no-deal Brexit could mean patients in the EU will not be able to receive medicines from the UK, a pharmaceutical giant has said.

AstraZeneca warned patients might miss out on drugs if the company does not prepare well for the possibility of a no deal.

The company, which has its research headquarters in Cambridge, manufactures medicines for treating cancer, heart and lung problems.

It was carrying out tests in both the UK and EU as it prepares for the strongest Brexit scenario,  the companys director of market access and external affairs, Ad Antonisse, said.

If we do not prepare well for Brexit, patients in the EU may no longer be able to receive their medicines. Just because production happens to happen in the United Kingdom, Mr Antonisse, told the Dutch government Brexit-loket site.

Science is simply an international playing field.

The Anglo-Swedish firm focuses on developing treatments for cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and respiratory issues.

These are serious diseases and you do not want Brexit to have a problem with delivery to the patient, Mr Antonisse said.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Last month, the new health and social care secretary admitted officials were considering working with industry to stockpile drugs, medical devices and supplies in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Matt Hancock said he was confident a deal could be reached but said it was responsible to prepare for a range of outcomes.

This includes working up options with industry to stockpile medical supplies if a deal cannot be reached, Mr Hancock told the Health Select Committee on 24 July.

He said: We are working right across Government to ensure that the health sector and the industry are prepared and that peoples health will be safeguarded in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

This includes the chain of medical supplies, vaccines, medical devices, clinical consumables, blood products.

And I have asked the department to work up options for stockpiling by industry.

We are working with industry for the potential need for stockpiling in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
A leading member of Zimbabwes opposition was arrested as he tried to flee the country to escape the brutal crackdown which has followed the bitterly contested election and its violent aftermath.

However, Emmerson Mnangagwas government was later forced to free Tendai Biti, a senior official in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), because he had already crossed into the territory of Zambia, where he is seeking political asylum, when Zimbabwean soldiers detained him.

Arrests and assaults, meanwhile, continue in the African country, with hundreds of opposition supporters and MDC members disappearing.

Some have gone into hiding, but others are missing after being taken away by soldiers or armed men in civilian clothes wearing balaclavas.

Mr Biti had been among those claiming the poll results awarding victory to Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF party vwere rigged. The security forces have been carrying out a number of raids in efforts to hunt him down over the last few days.

Recommended What I learnt as I watched the violence unfold in Zimbabwe

A police report requesting an arrest warrant for Mr Biti, seen by The Independent, states that his claim  made at a press conference  that Nelson Chamisa, the opposition presidential candidate, was the true winner on votes cast constituted a crime and justified detention.

The document says: I received information from a reliable source to the effect that Luxton Tendayi (sic) Biti, on 31 July 2018 at an unknown place and in Harare held a press conference where he unlawfully and unofficially declared Nelson Chamisa of MDC Alliance as the duly elected Presidential Candidate for the Zimbabwe 2018, Harmonised Elections. He CONTRAVENED SECTION 66A (1) (b) OF THE ELECTORAL ACT CHARTER (sic) 2:13 UNOFFICIAL OR FALSE DECLARATION OF RESULTS PROHIBITED.

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

The document also accuses Mr Biti of inciting violence and possession of arms. It continues: Further information received indicates that Luxton Tendayi (sic) Biti on 1 August 2018 and at the Zanu-PF Harare Provincial Headquarters committed the offence of PUBLIC VIOLENCE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 36 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW (CODIFICATION AND REFORM) ACT, whereby he was acting if in consent with his accomplices still at large while armed with firearms, ammunition, stones alleged to having committed acts of violence and preceded to burn vehicles and one bus at the Zanu-PF Harare Provincial Headquarters.

The MDC headquarters in Harare were raided last week by soldiers and police claiming they were searching for weapons. Paperwork and computers were seized and 16 party officials detained.

They were subsequently charged with inciting violence. MDC officials maintained that the real motive for the search was to find material proving electoral fraud. But dont worry, they are in a safe place, said Nelson Chamisa.

The apparent focus of the security forces on open press conferences as venues of sedition was in evidence in a raid on a hotel, The Bronte, where the international media was waiting for a briefing with Mr Chamisa.

 Zimbabwe election: Shots fired at protesting crowds in Harare as violence escalates

Armed riot police ordered the journalists present to leave, but withdrew themselves after a confrontation pursued by the media.

The incident ended after the senior officer who had led the raid asked photographers and cameramen to stop chasing his men.

The government has accused MDC supporters of starting the violence on Wednesday last week in which six people died and 25 more were injured, after the troops appeared on the streets and opened fire with live rounds. President Mnangagwa expressed regrets over the deaths and announced the setting up of an investigation.

A senior western diplomat who was with Mr Mnangagwa when the violence was unfolding said he seemed unaware that the military had been deployed.

There have been a number of reports about a power struggle taking place between the president and the vice president, General Constantino Chiwenga, the former head of the army.
With the largest wildfire in the state of Californias history razing homes and businesses, the paid, professional firefighters who have been deployed by the thousands there to save lives are getting help from what may seem like an unexpected place: the states prisons, and thousands of felons who have signed up to risk their lives for just dollars a day.

More than 2,000 inmates have volunteered to join an army of 14,000 firefighters fighting at least three massive fires in the state, including 58 youth offenders, in a role that often results in 24-hour shifts where workers face potentially fast-changing conditions that could put firefighter lives in danger within moments.

While the inclusion of inmate firefighters has provided a helpful boost to the response  and saved the state government as much as $100m  their employment has raised questions about whether the conditions of their work are exploitative  and whether it makes sense to pay people dramatically differently when theyre facing down the same potentially deadly threats.

Absolutely  this is very inhumane, Clarise McCants, the campaign director for the group Colour of Change, said, citing a vast pay inequity between incarcerated firefighters and those who did not come from state prisons to work.

And, there needs to be a really big change so that people are actually treated fairly, so they have increased pathways to get out of prison early, so theres fairness in that, and that theyre actually able to make a living once they get out, Ms McCants continued.

Firefighters watch on as the blaze continues ravage California (AP)

Emergency firefighters in California make at least $11 per hour (8.50), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), which oversees emergency fire responses in the state. That pay  which jumps to at least $16.50 an hour for overtime  dwarfs that of the inmates who make $2 a day, plus another $1 for each hour they spend fighting an active fire during that time. Those responders  incarcerated or not  face a daunting task to stop what may become the worst fire season in California history.

California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze Show all 15 1 /15 California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze Rex California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze Rex Features California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze Rex Features California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP California wildfires: thousands flee homes after devastating blaze AP

Already, the state has experienced its largest fire  the Mendocino Complex fire which has burnt up 450 miles worth of northern California  in history, while another massive fire, the Carr fire, has simultaneously burnt roughly 271 miles worth of Golden State lands.

That massive scale of destruction has had a devastating impact on the communities in the fires paths. The Mendocino Complex fire has destroyed at least 75 homes, and burnt down at least another 68 buildings. The Carr fire, meanwhile, has destroyed at least 1,077 homes, and over 500 other buildings.

And, in that process, at least seven people themselves have died in the blazes.

The inmate firefighters  all individuals without records of arson, sexual crimes, escape attempts, kidnapping, gang affiliations, or life sentences  who have volunteered to help out have all made something of a gamble in their decision to jump on the front line of the battle against nature and the dry, hot, and unforgiving circumstances near those infernos.

In addition to the elevated pay compared to their incarcerated peers who opt out of the programme, they can also receive time off of their sentences for good behaviour, often two days off for each day fighting fires. They can reportedly get better meals, and extended periods outdoors that would not normally be afforded inmates in the states correctional facilities.

Still, though, the pay is ridiculous, LaSonya Edwards, an incarcerated firefighter, told The New York Times last year during the fire season. There are some days we are worn down to the core. And this isnt that different from slave conditions. We need to get paid more for what we do.

The massive scale of destruction has had a devastating impact on communities (AP)

Families of incarcerated firefighters do not receive death benefits, as was the case following the death of 22-year-old Shawna Lynn Jones, who was killed in 2016 while fighting fires.

Danica Rodarmel, an attorney with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, said that, even for Californians facing down the potential destruction of their home, the struggles facing the incarcerated firefighters can be surprising. Many, she noted, may face difficulties becoming a firefighter after being released from prison, as firefighters are often required to get Emergency Medical Services licenses before joining a force  a license frequently denied to felons.

Ms Rodarmel recalled that last October she had to rush home to her family home in Santa Rosa to help with community coordination as a different wildfire threatened to burn down homes in the community, and that she saw first hand as Californians began to realise that there were incarcerated firefighters working to save their communities from destruction just over a ridge.

It was really amazing to watch people learn that so many of the people who were just over the hill, who were fighting the fire, were people who were incarcerated, Ms Rodamel said. And, watch as my community really was horrified by the fact that they werent going to be able to get these jobs when they would be released.

The California Department of Corrections has been contacted for comment.
 Close Ex-Trump Campaign Chair Manafort's Court Arrival

The bruising cross-examination of Paul Manaforts protege continues today, with Rick Gates set to return to the witness stand for a third day.

Mr Gates  the governments star witness in a case against Donald Trumps erstwhile campaign chairman  was yesterday accused of being immersed in so many lies he cannot remember them all.

Lawyers for Mr Manafort are challenging the credibility of Mr Gates. Defence lawyer Kevin Downing has already pressed Mr Gates on lies he told special counsel Robert Muellers investigators and on the hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Recommended Rick Gates testifies to falsifying documents during Manafort trial

Mr Downing briefly ventured into territory the two sides mostly avoided for the first five days of the trial: the presidents presidential campaign. The charges are not related to Mr Manaforts work with the Trump campaign.

Today, the lawyer is set to grill Mr Gates further about a secret life he claims was funded by embezzlement and about an extramarital affair that Mr Gates has admitted.

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load.
California's biggest wildfire on record is expected to burn for the rest of the month, fire officials say, amid strong winds and a summer heatwave.

Hot and blustery conditions challenged thousands of fire crews, who battled eight major blazes burning out of control across the state on often rugged terrain.

The inferno has spread more than 450 square miles in just 11 days, forcing thousands of people to flee and destroying at least 75 homes. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

The latest report from firefighters is that 34 per cent of the fire has been contained, after it damaged 75 residences and nearly 2,000 other structures.

The state experienced a similarly large wildfire last year in the southern part of the state in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, but the Mendocino Fire has eclipsed the Thomas Fire in size.

The Thomas Fire claimed two lives and destroyed 1,000 buildings in the region.

 Apocalyptic scenes as Californian wildfire rages leaving 6 dead

Though the current blaze is raging in mostly uninhabited land, it does threaten more than 11,000 structures surrounding it and as it spreads more evacuations have been ordered.

The state department of forestry and fire protection (Cal Fire) spokesperson Scott McLean said nearly 14,000 firefighters are combatting the Mendocino blaze.

"I can remember a couple of years ago when we saw 10 to 12,000 firefighters in the states of California, Oregon and Washington and never the 14,000 we see now," he said.

Cal Fire chief Charlie Blankenheim said planes have been deployed to drop water across wide swathes of the blaze to assist ground crews as well.

The Mendocino fire has caused such a haze of smoke that Sacremento county, where the state capital is, has advised residents to restrict outdoor activities over health concerns from breathing in the smoke.

Crews also gained ground against another northern California wildfire that has destroyed more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding.

It was nearly halfway contained, Cal Fire said. That wildfire is about 225 miles (360 km) north of San Francisco and started more than two weeks ago by sparks from the steel wheel of a trailer's flat tyre.

The fire has claimed the lives of two firefighters and four residents while displacing more than 38,000 people.

Meanwhile, a new fire erupted south of Los Angeles in Orange County once again in the southern part of the state on early in the week and quickly spread through the Cleveland National Forest.

Campgrounds and homes in the area were ordered evacuated as the fire sent up an enormous pillar of smoke and ash due to dried out earth.

Environmental experts have said one of the causes of the fires spreading so quickly and intensely this year is climate change, which has led to hotter weather drying out vegetation to the point that the smallest spark can cause massive blazes.

They also blame over-development, however, as cities have continually expanded into forest land, making them more susceptible to fire damage.
Four years ago the death of teenager Michael Brown sparked violent protests on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and led to a national discussion about police violence against people of colour.

A handful of efforts have since been made to change the system, despite police shootings across the country continuing at an alarming rate.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2014 shooting  in which a white police officer shot Mr Brown, a black man, as he walked down the street  the backlash was severe, and the public attention placed on Ferguson revealed deep racial tensions in the city.

The shooting also pushed for a reckoning across the country, and continues to serve as an example each time a black individual is shot by police in situations that critics say shows unwarranted use of force and deadly weapons.

But has anything changed?

In Ferguson, things at least look different

The shooting of Mr Brown led the Justice Department to conduct a study of the situation there, and that probe ultimately revealed deeply entrenched and blatant racist bias in the police department.

The study  and the unrest that followed the shooting itself  forced a change in Ferguson.

The city has seen an increase in the number of black members of the city council, the number of minorities on the police force, and the instalment of a black chief of police there.

To put those changes into numbers, the number of black city council members on the seven-person panel jumped from one to three, while the number of black officers on the police force jumped from four to at least 10. White members of the force also declined, from 48 to at least as low as 26.

Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Show all 15 1 /15 Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome, a Black Lives Matter activist, leads a protest outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, US. January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Carol Garza, a Black Lives Matter supporter, protests outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower A Black Lives Matter supporter protests in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter supporters protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter Kandy Freeman marches in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty

Were other police forces impacted?

The United States has nearly 18,000 individual police agencies, and each of those police forces largely has authority with how they run their operations.

While the Justice Department during the presidency of Barack Obama offered up community policing initiatives and investigated patterns and practices of police departments, the police agencies themselves were not required to voluntarily engage in community police initiatives.

Plus, since the agencies largely have authority to determine their own policies and budget guidelines, they could determine whether to provide de-escalation training to officers.

The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that they are uninterested in those types of initiatives and investigations championed by the previous administration.

Either way, the number of people who have been shot and killed by police  on a national scale  has appeared to roughly stay the same. Individual cities may have seen changes, but the aggregate is generally the same.

Has the officer who shot Mr Brown seen repercussions?

The Justice Department in 2015 decided against prosecuting Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed the 18-year-old Mr Brown.

In doing so, prosecutors said that there was insufficient evidence available to charge Mr Wilson with a crime  and Mr Obama publicly supported the decision, noting that the US is a nation of laws and presumption of innocence.

That decision was criticised following its announcement by some legal experts, who pointed to thousands of grand jury documents that were released, saying that the documents showed prosecutors asking what some believe were soft-ball questions of Mr Wilson during the proceedings.
The teenager charged with killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentines Day told police that a demon urged him to burn, kill, and destroy before the attack.

That is according to a recently released segment of a tape made just after officers arrested the 19-year-old in February in Parkland, Florida.

On the tape, the alleged shooter also said he wanted to die.

Recommended Father of two Parkland shooting survivors shot and killed

Kill me, he reportedly muttered to himself after an officer briefly left the room, according to a transcript. Just (expletive) kill me. (Expletive).

The new portions of the transcript have been made publicly available after news organisations sued for their release under Floridas public records law. A judge in Florida released the new segments Monday.

Why didnt he kill me? the shooter says aloud at one point, though he does not clarify who he is talking about. Why didnt he kill me? Why didnt he kill me? Why didnt he kill me? Why didnt he kill me?

Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

He also said that the demon in his told him to Burn. Kill. Destroy.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the alleged shooter, who has been identified as a former student at the school, Nikolas Cruz, 19.

Mr Cruzs lawyers have offered to enter a guilty plea if prosecutors agree to a plea deal in which they spare him from the death penalty. But, that offer has been declined by the prosecutors on the case.

Since the shooting, it has been discovered through Mr Cruzs educational records that the school did not provide adequate therapeutic services to him while he attended the school.

Mr Cruz dropped out of the high school in February 2017, and bought the AR-15 rifle that he allegedly used in the attack earlier this year.

Video taken by the shooter prior to the attack showed him saying he wanted the shooting to make him famous, and appearing to gleefully discuss the acts he was planning on carrying out.
The US government has said it will impose fresh sanctions on Russia after determining it used a nerve agent in the attack against a former Russian spy in Salisbury.

The State Department said the sanctions will be imposed on Moscow because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law in the attack on former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 33. The pair were poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent called novichok in Salisbury, UK, in March.

Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, the new US sanctions will take effect on or around 22 August, according to a statement.

Downing Street and the Foreign Office both welcomed the move. The UK welcomes this further action by our US allies. The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged, a spokesman said.

Three months after the attack, Dawn Sturgess, who lived in a city nearby and had no ties to Russia, died from exposure to the nerve agent. The mother-of-three had fallen ill on 30 June and passed away at Salisbury District Hospital. Her death is being investigated as murder.

Her partner Chris Rowley, who was also exposed to the novichok, was released from hospital in late-July. Police believe the couple accidentally found a bottle containing novichok.

 Britain exterminated evidence in Salisbury spy poisoning incident and benefited politically, Russian foreign minister claims

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said it had been determined Russia had used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

Following the use of a Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, the United States, on 6 August, 2018, determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals, a statement said.

The sanctions will cover sensitive national security goods, a senior State Department official said. There would, however, be exemptions for space flight activities and areas covering commercial passenger aviation safety, which would be allowed on a case by case basis, the official added.

A second batch of more draconian sanctions would be imposed after 90 days unless Russia gives reliable assurances that it will no longer use chemical weapons and allow on-site inspections by the United Nations.

If those criteria are not met  it is up to Russia to make that decision  a second round of sanctions ... will to be imposed, the official said, They are in general more draconian than the first round.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May had been quick and unwavering in her assessment of Russias role in using the nerve agent in the Salisbury incident.

She called it a brazen act, expelled 23 Russian diplomats, and cut high-level contact with Moscow.

We consider this hostile action as totally unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted, the Russian Embassy to the UK said in a statement, which denied any claims of an attempted assassination of the Skirpals, adding that all the responsibility for the deterioration of the Russia-UK relationship lies with the current political leadership of Britain.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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Even former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had been fast to call it a really egregious act that appears to have clearly come from Russia. He had called President Vladimir Putins country an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens.

Mr Tillerson even went as far as saying the poisoning certainly will trigger a response from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). Ill leave it at that, he said.

However, Mr Trumps initial comments were more cautious. He said on Tuesday that as soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be. There was not an official condemnation from the US over the attack until the State Departments notice of sanctions today.

In the wake of Ms Mays accusation and expulsion of several Russian diplomats from the UK, Moscow responded in kind. That same month, Mr Trump expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the US.

However, while it had expelled diplomats the US had had yet to make the formal determination that the Russian government had used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

Several members of Congress had expressed concern that the Trump administration was dragging its feet on the determination and had missed a deadline to publish its findings.

Reuters contributed to this report
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to penalise immigrants to the US who have applied for public benefits, in a major departure from current US practice that could affect millions of people.

The White House intends to issue a proposal in the coming weeks that would make it harder for immigrants to get a green card or become a citizen if they have used benefits like Obamacare, children's health insurance, or food stamps, according to NBC News.

The proposal is reportedly part of White House policy adviser Stephen Millers plan to reduce the number of immigrants eligible to stay permanently in the US. Experts estimated it could affect up to 20m immigrants.

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The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the administration was committed to enforcing existing immigration law. These laws, a department spokesperson added, were clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the US are self-sufficient.

But immigration attorneys told The Independent that the proposal would be a huge departure from how immigration law is actually enforced.

Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Show all 8 1 /8 Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Mishawaka, Indiana AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Washington DC AFP/Getty Images Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy New York Mayor Bill De Blasio speaks in Tornillo, Texas alongside the many other US mayors who have called for detained immigrant children to be reunited with their families AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Albuquerque Mayor Tim Kelle leaves a teddy bear as a gift for detained immigrant children in Tornillo, Texas AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti leave sandals as gifts for detained immigrant children in Tornillo, Texas AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy San Diego, California EPA Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy US embassy, Mexico City AFP/Getty Images Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy San Diego, California EPA

Under current US statues, immigrants can have their green card or visa applications rejected if they are determined to be a public charge"  someone who is likely to become dependent on the government for subsistence.

But two immigration attorneys  both of whom have worked in the field for more than 30 years  told The Independent they had never seen an application rejected over the use of government programmes.

Bruce Coane, an immigration attorney who practices in Texas and Florida, said the term public charge usually refers to someone who receives direct government aid, like cash assistance or funding for long-term care. The new policy would expand that category to include people who received an indirect government benefit, like subsidized insurance through Obamacare.

From there, Mr Coane said, the category could be expented to include any immigrant who has received any kind of government assistance  from a free bus pass to federal emergency relief after a hurricane.

This could really be expanded to all sorts of crazy things, he said, adding: This administration has become very creative in coming up with ways to deny and exclude immigrants.

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Atlanta immigration attorney Charles Kuck said that if the policy was issued, it would likely be challenged in court. Much like the president's failed attempts to repeal DACA, he said, it was doubtful the policy would stand up to legal scrutiny.

I would love to be the lawyer that has that first case, Mr Kuck said. The reality is i dont think they have a case to deny citizenship to people.

But what the policy could do, he added, was prevent immigrants from applying for benefits in the first place. He said he had already heard from immigrant parents who were wary of applying for food stamps for their children, for fear it would affect their citizenship application.

I think what we see here is, again, [a policy] designed to scare people, he said. And its working to a certain extent.
Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates admitted to an extramarital affair and to falsifying documents during an explosive day of testimony at the bank fraud trial of his mentor Paul Manafort.

Having been brought to the stand by the prosecution for a second day of testimony Mr Gates testified that Mr Manafort instructed him not to tell their firms bookkeeper about payments from accounts in Cyprus that held millions of dollars in earnings from consulting work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, with hundreds of emails showing that Mr Manafort had approved payments out of the account.

Mr Gates, as the governments star witness, is crucial to the prosecutions case. Mr Manafort, 69, has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts containing tens of millions of dollars earned from work in Ukraine.

The charges in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, largely pre-date the five months Manafort spent on Trumps campaign as the now-presidents campaign manager. Mr Gates also spent time with the campaign.

Mr Gates testimony was part of the prosecutions effort to prove that Mr Manafort was responsible for financial manoeuvrings that he and other witnesses have testified include filing false tax returns and failing to report foreign bank accounts.

For the defence, it is crucial to undermine Mr Gates credibility  with the core of their case being that Mr Gates was in charge of the finances for Mr Manaforts consulting firm and that Mr Manafort had just been too trusting.

The charges against Mr Manafort stem from US Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and possible collusion with Trump campaign officials, and are the first such charges to go to trial. Although Mr Manaforts charges are not related to collusion.

Mr Gates has taken a plea deal with Mr Muellers office, having pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and conspiring to defraud the United States. Mr Manaforts sought to attack that first.

Under questioning from defence lawyer Kevin Downing Mr gates testified that he provided false information to investigators before he pleaded guilty to charges in February.

Have they confronted you with so many lies that you cant remember? Mr Downing asked Mr Gates.

Mr Gates admitted that he had another relationship involving first-class flights and luxury hotels, but denied these were funded with money embezzled from Mr Manafort.

Mr Downing went on to say: Theres another life, right, the other Rick Gates? The secret Rick Gates?

Mr Gates, who is 46 and married, admitted: There was a period in my life, about 10 years ago, when I had a relationship, yes.

Mr Downing pressed: As part of your secret life did you maintain a flat  is that what they call it  in London?

Gates acknowledged that he did for two months and that he took first class flights and stayed in fancy hotels around Europe. But said he maintained it by inflating expense reports.

In essence, I was living beyond my means, Mr Gates testified. Im taking responsibility for it. I made a mistake.

Mr Gates testified on Monday that he helped Mr Manafort doctor financial statements, hide foreign income and evade hundreds of thousands of dollars in US income taxes. On Tuesday, he acknowledged writing a fraudulent letter to prospective investors in a movie project and possibly submitting personal expenses to Donald Trumps inaugural committee for reimbursement.

Mr Downing sought to portray Gates as an inveterate liar. After all the lies you told you expect this jury to believe you? Downing asked Gates, who responded that he did.

Im here to tell the truth, Mr Gates shot back. Mr. Manafort had the same path. Im here.

The trial continues
Troy Balderson, the Republican candidate claiming a narrow victory in the Ohio 12th Congressional District special election, has been on quite a journey.

Born and raised in Zainesville, where he still lives, the 56-year-old Ohio State Senator once enjoyed a reputation as a moderate, right-leaning local businessman but has bought into the Donald Trump programme wholesale in recent years.

He supports the divisive tax plan the Trump administration passed in 2017 and has backed the presidents efforts to repeal and replace Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act and controversial plan for the construction of a wall along the US border with Mexico.

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In his campaign adverts, Mr Balderson, a former car dealer, stressed his status as a farmer and triathlete and styled himself a man not afraid of hard work, which he argued would be key to getting the wall built.

His loyalty to the White House incumbent is such that he was forced to reassure local reporters he would not allow it to interfere with the best interests of his district.

He had to fight a tough battle for the partys nomination with rival Melanie Leneghan, the choice of the influential Freedom Caucus, the pair spending $2m (1.55m) running attack campaigns against each other, according to CNN.

Having beaten Ms Leneghan by a margin of just one per cent, Mr Balderson was rewarded with the support of Ohio governor John Kasich, one of President Trumps most outspoken critics from his own side, allowing the senator to appeal to his fellow Republicans as a unifying candidate.

He also secured the support of the House Republican-linked Congressional Leadership Fund. Groups associated with the fund have invested $2.4m (1.85m) in boosting their mans profile and $3.7m (2.86m) attacking his Democratic rival, Danny OConnor, painting the change candidate as little more than a wet liberal stooge of the House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi.

The campaign was heated, with Mr Balderson dropping his earlier focus on the economy to go after Dishonest Danny in highly negative, Trumpian fashion, fear-mongering about the latters intentions for higher taxes, tighter gun laws and open immigration.

The self-described Christian conservative with grit was not above using his own mother in a campaign commercial, reassuring voters that he would never jeopardise Social Security or Medicare because Mrs Balderson depended on it, she sat beside him at the kitchen table wearing a nasal cannula to assist her breathing.

Despite the backing of the Republican war chest, Mr Balderson came close to jeopardising his bid to replace the safely centre-right, nine-term representative Pat Tiberi when he unwisely attacked Mr OConnor at a Zainesville rally with the line: We dont want someone from Franklin County representing us.

Franklin County is home to the state capital, Columbus, and is Ohios most densely-populated region, home to approximately a third of the districts eligible voters, according to New York magazine.

Insiders deemed the aggressive shift necessary to secure the win and it appears to have paid off, though possibly not without having a lasting impact on how the victor is perceived by voters.

The Trump camp still reportedly feared Mr Baldersons establishment connections might alienate hardcore loyalists, hence both President Trump himself and vice president Mike Pence jetting into Ohio late on in the campaign to address rallies and endorse Mr Balderson, Mr Trump insisting, he was always my first choice.

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Mr Balderson declared victory in last nights special election before all the ballots had been counted but even so was beaten to the punch by the president, who took to Twitter to take credit for the win.

When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov, Mr Trump wrote.

At the time of writing, Mr Balderson is only 1,700 votes ahead of Mr OConnor, with 3,367 provisional and 5,048 absentee ballots still to be counted, meaning a recount could be on the cards.

His apparent victory will allow the president to insist all is well but, in truth, the tightness of the result in what has typically been a safe Republican seat must be cause for concern within the party, with midterm elections on the horizon.
Donald Trump 's administration reversed an Obama-era policy banning genetically modified (GMO) crops and use of bee-killing insecticides in protected wildlife refuges.

The policy reversal will affect more than 50 wildlife refuges across the country out of a total 560 which covers approximately 150m acres (607,000 sq km).

Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO of charity Defenders of Wildlife, told Reuters: Industrial agriculture has no place on refuges dedicated to wildlife conservation and protection of some of the most vital and vulnerable species.

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In 2014, the National Wildlife Refuge System issued a memorandum announcing it would phase out GMO seeds and a certain category of chemicals that was thought to kill off critical bee populations in those protected areas.

Some of the refuges already allow limited agricultural activities and farming, particularly if growing a certain crop in the area would improve the ecosystem of the refuge.

However, the new policy, outlined in a memo by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, does not ban farmers from planting so-called biotech crops like corn or soybeans engineered to resist insects and weeds, as the previous ban did.

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The Obama-era ban had also prohibited the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics, which research has shown contribute to killing wild bees and other pollinating insects crucial to the refuge ecosystem.

The use of these pesticides will be made on a case-by-case basis according to the Fish and Wildlife memorandum.

US Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke has continuously worked to expand hunting rights on these protected lands and Fish and Wildlife is overseen by his agency.

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Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Greg Sheehan said in the memorandum the policy reversal was needed to ensure adequate forage for migratory birds, including ducks and geese  favoured and hunted by sportsmen on many of the nations refuges, Reuters reported.

Mr Sheehan also argued the bee-killing pesticides and GMO crops were necessary to maximise production of farming done in refuges.

He said in the memorandum: Normal human expansion in our nation will continue to eliminate wildlife habitats that have previously been relied upon for successful wildlife restoration. Therefore, our professional wildlife managers will need to work more diligently than ever to ensure that those remaining important places have the best available food resources and other important conditions to ensure [wildlife] can persist.

Ms Clark said Mr Sheehan and the Trump administrations decision an insult to our national wildlife refuges and the wildlife that rely on them.

The move is just one of many Mr Trump has made to dismantle the environmental legacy of Mr Obama. In June 2017, Mr Trump began the process of withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change, signed by nearly 200 countries in 2015 to curb carbon emissions and contain global warming to 2 C.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also repealed the Clean Power Plan, which if implemented would have reduced carbon emissions of US power plants by nearly a third by 2030.
An elderly village shaman kidnapped a 13-year-old girl, brainwashed her into having sex with him and kept her captive in a cave for the next 15 years, police said.

The woman, now 28 and identified by police as H, was rescued in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province.

Police said they found the woman in a rocky crevice in a jungle near Bajugan village, where she had been held during the day since her disappearance in 2003.

At night, police said she stayed in a hut near the house of the 83-year-old witch doctor, identified by police as JG, but named locally as Jago.

They said he tricked her into believing that her family had moved to the country's capital Jakarta.

By claiming he was possessed by the jin, or spirit of a young boy, he convinced her to have sex with him.

Central Sulawesi Police Chief Muhammad Iqbal Alqudusy said the man had shown the girl a picture of a boy named Amrin who she thought was her boyfriend.

She was led to believe that Amrins spirit had entered [the elderly mans] body, Mr Iqbal told news conference. "It is obvious that he was satisfying his lust.

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country, but old beliefs about spirits and other paranormal activity are still held by some.

Police say they found the woman in a rocky crevice in the jungle where she had been held during the day since her disappearance in 2003 (Handout)

Police said they found the woman after her sister alerted neighbours she was nearby.

She was married to the son of the shaman, who is known for his traditional healing methods and abilities to channel spirits, The Jakarta Post reported.

The man explained the victims disappearance to her parents by saying she had gone to Indonesias capital, Jakarta, to work.

The man has been charged with offences under Indonesias child protection laws, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
A Spanish fighter jet pilot accidentally fired an air-to-air missile during drills close to the Russian border.

Estonia's military said it was looking for the remains of the missile launched from a Eurofighter Typhoon on Tuesday afternoon during a mock dogfight in the south of the Baltic country, which is a Nato ally.

The multi-role fighter is part of the alliances air-policing mission in the region. It erroneously fired an AMRAAM (advanced medium range air-to-air missile)-type missile which was last seen 24 miles north of Estonias second city, Tartu.

The projectile has a built-in self-destruct system designed for such accidents, but Nato believes it may have landed on the ground.

Tartu is about 30 miles west of the Russian border.

Juri Ratas, Estonia's prime minister, called the incident extremely regrettable" but confirmed there were no human casualties.

I am sure that the Estonian defence forces will, in cooperation with our allies, identify all the circumstances of the case and make every effort to make sure that nothing like this happens again, he added.

The Typhoon  also flown by the UKs Royal Air Force  was taking part in drills alongside a second of its type and two French Mirage 2000 jets, the Agence France Presse news agency reported.

British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Show all 10 1 /10 British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Pilots and ground crew prepare combat aircraft Panavia Tornados at RAF Marham at RAF Marham, UK Getty British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Eurofighter Typhoon jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet ahead of taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The air strikes were carried out within hours of a vote by MPs in the Commons to back extending operations against Isis from neighbouring Iraq British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Personnel work on a British Tornado after it returned from a mission at RAF Akrotiri in southern Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Two RAF Tornado GR4's, both with remaining weapons ordnance, approach RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, as they return to the base after carrying out some of the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado takes off from RAF Akrotiri, on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet leaving RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria AKA RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri, Cyprus. The RAF has sent two further Tornado aircraft and six Typhoons to bolster aircraft now flying sorties to both Iraq and Syria

Spain has launched an investigation into the error, which its defence ministry said took place without causing any harm.

The air-to-air missile has not hit any aircraft, it added.

Additional reporting by AP
The UK has been branded complicit in a recent rise in the number of refugees and migrants dying in the Mediterranean, following the release of a damning human rights report.

Amnesty International said a spiralling death toll at sea and a surge in the number of people living in squalid detention centres in Libya was a deadly consequence of European Union policy.

More than 700 people died on the Central Mediterranean route from Africa to Europe between June and July, the report reveals, up from 597 over the same period last year. This came despite a drop in the number of people attempting to make the perilous journey.

The number of detainees in Libyan detention centres has also increased in recent months, from 4,400 in March, to more than 10,000 by the end of July, the charity claims.

According to the report, titled Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, virtually all detainees were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya by the countrys coastguard, which is equipped, trained and supported by European governments.

Detainees are forced to live in appalling conditions and suffer torture, forced labour and even death, the report alleges.

 Libyan Coast Guard puts refugees and rescuers in danger during rescue operation at sea

Responsibility for the mounting death toll falls squarely on European governments who are more concerned with keeping people out than they are with saving lives, said Matteo de Bellis, researcher on asylum and migration at Amnesty International.

European governments are colluding with the Libyan authorities to contain refugees and migrants in Libya, despite the horrific abuses they face at the hands of the Libyan coastguard and in detention centres in Libya.

The Independent reported last year how Britain had been supporting Libyas coastguard, despite heavily documented evidence of refugee abuse and even instances of violent clashes with aid vessels.

Italys migration policy, implemented by its new right-wing government, is blamed by Amnesty for rendering search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean unreliable, unpredictable, and punitive.

Authorities have been denying entry to ships carrying migrants, forcing vulnerable people in need of urgent assistance  including pregnant women, torture survivors and unaccompanied children  to remain at sea for days on end, the report says.

Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants arriving in Italy on MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie DeardenI Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants undergoing health checks after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants undergoing security checks after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants being fingerprinted after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants being fingerprinted after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily A man being taken to hospital from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden

In its callous refusal to allow refugees and migrants to disembark in its ports, Italy is using human lives as bargaining chips, Mr De Bellis said. Desperate people have been left stranded at sea with insufficient food, water and shelter.

On top of this, the Italian and Maltese authorities have smeared, intimidated and criminalised the NGOs that try to save lives at sea, refused their boats permission to disembark and even impounded them.

These serious incidents must be promptly and adequately investigated  they highlight the deadly consequences of Europes policies.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty UKs refugee and migrant rights director, said: The UK is as complicit as any other European government in the EU policy that now sustains a cycle of human rights abuse on a huge scale while humanitarian effort to save lives is deliberately undermined and obstructed.

The truly dreadful outcomes for many thousands of children, women and men include exploitation, torture and far greater loss of life at sea.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
Saudi Arabia is transferring all Saudi patients currently receiving medical treatment in Canada to different countries as the diplomatic row between Riyadh and Ottawa shows no sign of abating.

All Saudi medical treatment programmes in Canada have been cancelled and arrangements are already underway to move patients out of the country, a state-run Saudi news agency said on Wednesday, citing Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, the Saudi health attache to the US and Canada.

The move comes after Saudi Arabia took the stern step this week of expelling the Canadian ambassador and suspending all new trade and investment between the two countries  a retaliation for criticism of the arrests of Saudi civil rights activists.

 Saudi rapper Leesa A releases song about women being allowed to drive

Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada means that we are allowed to interfere in Canadas internal affairs, a Saudi foreign ministry statement said on Monday.

Since then, Riyadh has also halted academic exchange programmes, giving 15,000 Saudi students one month to transfer elsewhere, and Saudia, the state airline, has announced the suspension of flights to Toronto.

Legions of automated social media bots have begun calling for the secession of Quebec, and Saudi-owned media have also launched a wave of attacks on Canadas own human rights and prisons record.

Al Arabiya, the pan-Arab news channel, incorrectly told viewers on Wednesday that 75 per cent of prisoners in Canadian jails died before trial. Another Saudi channel aired an interview in which a pundit claimed Canada is the worst country in the world for the treatment of women.

Canada has offered a muted response to the extraordinary Saudi campaign in what is believed to be an attempt to calm the crisis.

Reports surfaced on Wednesday that Ottawa is seeking help from the UK along with Saudi neighbour and ally the United Arab Emirates to defuse the escalating spat.

Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Show all 8 1 /8 Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman gestures while driving in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman drives at night in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Saudi women embrace as they celebrate the lift of the female driving ban in Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman straps in Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman drives to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Fadya Fahad is one of the first female drivers for Careem, a ride sharing company in Saudi Arabia Getty Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman stops at a petrol station while driving to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman waits for coffee on the commute in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters

The international community has remained notably quiet after Canada rebuked Saudi Arabia over the arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah, the latest detentions in a crackdown on womens rights and civil society activists which began in May.

New Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has ushered in a wave of social and economic reforms since his appointment last June. Critics note, however, that the royal decrees do not go as far as addressing the kingdoms strict laws on freedom of expression, assembly or liberal use of capital punishment.

While the US is traditionally Canadas greatest foreign policy ally, Washington has made it clear it will not involve itself in the row.

 Saudi Arabia fashion show mocked because it doesn't feature any models- only drones

Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cant do it for them; they need to resolve it together, US state department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters on Tuesday.

A British government statement also issued on Tuesday urged both nations to show restraint.

Relations between Ottawa and Riyadh have soured since Canadian Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau entered office in 2015.

Since the election of Donald Trump, Washington and Riyadh have grown closer, and the US president and Mr Trudeaus relationship has deteriorated over trade tariffs and Nato spending.
Asma al-Assad, the wife of embattled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, Syrian officials have said.

A post on the Syrian presidencys official social media channels on Wednesday said Ms Assad had been diagnosed with a malignant tumour which was detected early.

The 42-year-old was bearing the illness with strength, confidence and faith, the announcement said, wishing her a speedy recovery.

 Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad releases footage of him walking into work hours after air strike

The news was accompanied by a photograph of Ms Assad sitting in a chair in a hospital room hooked up to a saline drip whilst smiling at her husband sitting next to her. She appeared to have lost a severe amount of weight since her last high profile public engagement last month.

Sana, the Syrian state news wire, said she was being treated at a military hospital in Damascus.

A British citizen, Ms Assad was born and raised in London to Syrian parents. She worked in investment banking before marrying Mr Assad shortly after he took over the presidency following the death of his father Hafez in 2000.

Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action Show all 21 1 /21 Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action A picture released by the French Defence audiovisual communication and production unit (ECPAD) shows the launching of a cruise missile from a French military vessel in the Mediterranean sea towards targets in Syria overnight. The United States, France and Britain carried out a wave of punitive strikes against Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime in the early hours of April 14 in response to alleged chemical weapons attacks. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action Rafale warplanes being prepared for take off at the Saint-Dizier aerial military base, eastern France. Media reports state that the United States, France and Britain launched military strikes in Syria to punish President Bashar Assad for an apparent chemical attack against civilians and to deter him from doing it again. EPA Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action Damascus skies erupt with missile fire as the US launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the capital. President Donald Trump announced airstrikes in retaliation for the country's alleged use of chemical weapons. AP Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action A map show the location of the air strikes carried out by the US-led coalition in Syria overnight. US Department of Defense Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action Royal Air Force tornado jets take off in the early hours from RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus to conduct air strikes in Syria. Four Tornado jets fired Storm Shadow missiles "at a military facility -- a former missile base -- some 15 miles (24 kilometres) west of Homs, where the regime is assessed to keep chemical weapon precursors," the defence ministry said in a statement. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action Map of where the air strikes hit in Syria released by the Pentagon. A Syrian military statement says the US, Britain and France fired 110 missiles during a joint attack on targets in Damascus and outside. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action A photo released on the Twitter page of Hezbollah's "Central War Media" account shows night footage of flares above Damascus seen through a night-vision device as Western strikes reportedly hit Syrian military bases and chemical research centres in and around Syria's capital. US, France, and Britain announced the joint operation. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Barzah research and development centre before and after the air strikes, released by the Pentagon. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker before the air strikes. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker after the air strikes. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus. AFP/Getty Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons storage site before and after the air strikes, released by the Pentagon. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons storage site before the air strikes. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons storage site after the air strikes. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action A British military Typhoon aircraft lands at the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) of Akrotiri, a British overseas territory located ten kilometres west of the southern Cypriot port city of Limassol, following US, British and French strikes on Syria. Syrian state media slammed Western strikes on Saturday as illegal and "doomed to fail," after the US, Britain and France launched a joint operation against the Damascus.government. Huge blasts were reported around the Syrian capital, moments after the three Western governments announced they were striking Syria's chemical weapons capabilities. AFP/Getty Images Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker before and after the air strikes, released by the Pentagon. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker before the air strikes. Pentagon Syria air strikes: US, UK and France joint military action The preliminary damage assessment of Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker after the air strikes. Pentagon

She has stood by her husband in her role as first lady since Arab Spring protests against the Assad familys oppressive rule broke out in 2011.

The brutal now seven-year-old civil war is thought to have left 500,000 dead and displaced half of Syrias pre-war population of 22 million from their homes.

Ms Assad last appeared in public in July, meeting the children of Russian soldiers who have died fighting on the behalf of the Syrian government.

She and her husband read to the children, posed for photographs and played with a cat.

The Syrian government was forced to deny rumours in Middle Eastern media last year that Mr Assad had suffered a stroke and mental health problems after speculation that leading a country engulfed in civil war had taken its toll on his health.
Security staff at German airports are under fire for a third evacuation in 10 days - the latest triggered by a sex toy.

A screening team at Berlins Schonefeld Airport, one of the six busiest in Germany, mistook an Ann Summers vibrator for a hand grenade and ordered an evacuation of part of the terminal.

The offending item was identified during an X-ray at the outsize baggage check-in area on Tuesday.

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The airport tweeted: Due to police investigation concerning a piece of baggage, check-in at Terminal D is currently restricted.

The owner of the offending luggage was reported by Morgenpost to be a 31-year-old man who said he had bought the vibrator for his girlfriend. He was allowed to continue his journey with the sex toy still in his luggage.

The airport tweeted: "Police Investigation is over. Terminal D reopened. However, further impairments in passenger handling possible."

Schonefeld was the main airport of the German Democratic Republic, and is now used mainly by low-cost airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair.

Also on Tuesday, dozens of flights were cancelled at Germanys biggest airport, Frankfurt, when the airside area was penetrated by a traveller who had side-stepped the security search area.

Departures were halted as passengers were evacuated landside so that they could be re-screened.

Dozens of flights were cancelled, while Eurocontrol said: Arrivals regulated due to security reasons. Moderate to high delays.

On 28 July, 300 flights were cancelled at Munich airport after a passenger was able to avoid the security check.

The oversight was identified only after they boarded their plane and departed. But more than 30,000 passengers had their travel plans wrecked by the subsequent evacuation and security sweep.
Ryanairs summer strife has intensified, as the airline announced 250 more flight cancellations due to an anticipated walk-out by German pilots on Friday.

Europes biggest budget airline had already cancelled around 150 flights operating ahead of pilots strikes in Ireland, Belgium and Sweden.

Around 45,000 passengers are to be given 48 hours notice or less that their flights have been cancelled.

Ryanair has not revealed which flights have been cancelled, but The Independent understands that links from East Midlands, Glasgow, Manchester and Stansted to and from Berlin Schonefeld will be grounded on Friday, along with Manchester and Stansted services to Frankfurt.

The walk-out follows a 96 per cent majority vote by Ryanair pilots employed in Germany in favour of a strike, announced on 30 July, in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Their union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), said no improved offer has been received.

Martin Locher, president of VC, said: Improvements are inconceivable without staff cost increases in the cockpit. Ryanair categorically ruled out any increase in staff costs in the negotiations.

Ryanair alone is responsible for the escalation that has now occurred.

VC regrets the impact on affected passengers, cabin crew and ground crew.

Friday is set to be one of the busiest days of the summer for airlines, with Ryanair originally planning to operate 2,400 flights.

That number has now dwindled by around 400 due to strike cancellations in Ireland, Belgium and Sweden, as well as Germany, representing one-sixth of the airlines schedule. In total, an estimated 72,000 passengers across Europe will see their flights grounded.

Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Show all 20 1 /20 Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair airline workers shout slogans during a small protest during the first of two days of a cabin crew strike at Adolfo Suarez-Barajas international airport in Madrid in July AP Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Empty Ryanair check-in counter at El Prat airport in Barcelona AFP/Getty Images Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair employees hold up signs in English and Spanish on the first day of a cabin crew strike in Palma de Mallorca REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair airplanes stand idle on the tarmac EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Irish Ryanair pilots outside the company headquarters at Swords in Dublin, as they stage their fourth one-day strike with their union, Forsa PA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos A woman sits at a Ryanair airline check-in desk after her flight to Pisa, Italy, was cancelled AP Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair employees protest at the entrance of the airport in Malaga REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Stranded Ryanair passengers line up for information at the airport in Valencia REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Employees of Ryanair's customer service department wear T-shirts with a slogan 'Ryanair Must Change' during the first day of strike of the company's cabin crew members at Brussels South airport in Charleroi, Belgium, in 25 EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Cabin crew workers for low-cost airline Ryanair went on strike in four European countries over working conditions in July, forcing thousands of passengers to make last-minute travel adjustments at the peak of the summer holiday season REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary addresses a news conference in Schwechat, Austria Reuters Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair employees hold up signs at the airport in Palma de Mallorca REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos People queue at the Ryanair airline customer service desk during the first of two days cabin crew strike AP Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair personnel stand at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, during a strike of cabin personnel AFP/Getty Images Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair's customer service department gather behind a banner reading: 'Ryanair On Strike - Respect Us! Ryanair must change' at Brussels South airport, in Charleroi, Belgium EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Passengers wait in line in front of Ryanair's desks EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair planes at Valencia airport, during a protest on the first day of a cabin crew strike held in several European countries REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos A passenger tries to get informations on Ryanair flights EPA

Ryanairs chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said: We regret the decision of VC to go ahead with this unnecessary strike action given that we sent through a revised proposal on a collective labour agreement [CLA, on 3 Aug] and stated our intention to work towards achieving a CLA together.

We also invited VC to meet us on Tuesday but they did not respond to this invitation.

Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions. They are paid up to 190,000 [171,000] per annum and, as well as additional benefits, they received a 20 per cent pay increase at the start of this year. Ryanair pilots earn at least 30 per cent more than Eurowings and 20 per cent more than Norwegian pilots.

Ryanair is now forced to cancel 250 flights of over 2,400 flights scheduled to operate on Friday 10 August. We apologise to our customers for this unnecessary strike and regrettable disruption.

Last month more than 200,000 Ryanair passengers flights were grounded by cancellations, most of them due to strikes by pilots and cabin crew.

The airline said: All affected customers will be notified by email/SMS by 3pm today and will be reaccommodated (or refunded) on other Ryanair flights.

Under European air passengers rights, there is a third option: Ryanair must buy tickets on other airlines if necessary to allow travellers to complete their journeys as swiftly as possible.

In addition to Friday's action, flight crew who are members of the Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV) have voted by a majority of 200 to 1 in favour of a strike. They are calling for Dutch employment law to be applied, for no more bogus self-employment, and for improved sick pay and pension arrangements.

The VNV said after the vote: Ryanair needs a wake up call, and a strike in the Netherlands might be the only solution.

Unlike in most European countries, the Dutch union needs to give only 12 hours notice of a strike. But the VNV said that Ryanair is going to court on Thursday afternoon to try to prevent any walk-out. The union said it was surprised but also furious about this attack on Dutch labour rights.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has urged passengers whose Ryanair flights are cancelled by strikes to claim compensation of 250 (for journeys of up to 1,500km) or 400 (for longer journeys).

But the airline insists the stoppages are beyond its control and says any such claims will be refused.
The Dutch Airline Pilots Association celebrates its 90th birthday next year. The Netherlands pilots union has a long and proud history of fighting for the rights of flight crew. But in nine decades it has never faced an opponent like Ryanair.

Its members who work for the Irish airline want to be employed according to Dutch employment law. They demand an end to what they call bogus self-employment. And they are seeking improved sick pay and pension provisions.

In a vote on strike action, 99.5 per cent were in favour.

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Ryanair needs a wake up call and a strike in the Netherlands might be the only solution, the union said after the vote.

The airline has recognised trades unions only since December 2017, and since then has not followed the traditional approach to industrial relations in the aviation world.

Conventionally, carriers do all they can to avoid even the hint of a possible strike: merely a vote for industrial action is enough to persuade prospective passengers to switch to alternative airlines.

But Ryanair appears intent on confronting unions across Europe, knowing that it has a very strong financial and market position, and can withstand industrial action more successfully than its rivals.

Tucked away on page 12 of little-noticed filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, submitted 10 days ago, is clear evidence of the airlines industrial relations strategy.

There may be a push for legacy-type working conditions which if acceded to could decrease the productivity of pilots, increase costs and have an adverse effect on profitability, says Ryanair. In other words: If you think were going to give you terms like Lufthansa, Air France and the like, forget it.

The airline looks prepared to take all the flak that comes with a refusal to compromise: Ryanair intends to retain its low-fare/high people productivity model; however, there may be periods of labour unrest as unions challenge the existing high productivity model which may have an adverse effect on customer sentiment and profitability.

Some measure of customer sentiment is provided by Twitter, on which Carl from Norwich wrote: This company is finished surely? How can anyone book in the future and be assured they will actually reach their destination?

And profitability? If Karl Billingtons tweet is representative, it is already being hit: Trying to find some cheap flights for spring 2019, Ryanair have good flights, good locations at good times and dates etc, basically what I need but haven't booked because simply can't be relied up.

They are finished, their union stance will kill them.

On the worst day of strikes in its history, 10 August 2018, Ryanair is cancelling 400 flights, affecting 72,000 passengers. But such is the scale of the airline that five out of six passengers that day will fly as planned.

Ryanair is relying on its size and its fares to see it through the rest of a tumultuous summer and what could be a long, cold winter in what looks increasingly like a war of attrition against the established aviation order.
Wouldnt it be amusing if Boris Johnsons remarks about the niqab resulted in him losing the Conservative whip in the Commons thus rendering himself unable to stand for the party leadership? Who knows, such an ironic turn of events might appeal to the baser instincts of the party leadership. After all, his friends say he wont apologise, as Theresa May has demanded. Is he allowed to bring his party into disrepute with no sanction?

Imagine for one moment if some stray Labour MP had written a newspaper article this week poking fun at Orthodox Jewish dress? Even if they said the conventional attire should not be banned, just saying it looked ridiculous. And then Jeremy Corbyn asked them to apologise and did nothing when they refused? I think we know the outrage that would bring  and rightly so.

If nothing else, Bozza has done his party a huge disservice in reminding people of the Tories own problems with Islamophobia, clearly detailed by Baroness Warsi, who claims it runs from the top to the bottom of her party, and that it had passed the dinner table test of social acceptability. Just as the antisemitism scandal was rightly damaging Corbyn and Labour, making the Conservatives look respectable by comparison, along comes Boris to mess it all up.

Theresa May piles on pressure for Boris Johnson to apologise for burka comments

Of course it might be different if the former foreign secretary hadnt got form. Hes written, in the past, about picanninies with water melon smiles. He talked of Liverpool enjoying a victim mentality  not racist, but certainly so offensive that his party leader at the time, Michael Howard, ordered him to Merseyside to apologise. He went grudgingly but met few, if any, actual Liverpudlians.

I recall, too, TV footage of an official FCO visit to Myanmar, where life saving work was to be done, with Boris gently singing the old colonial era song The Road to Mandalay on a trip to a temple. The British ambassador could be heard begging him: please, please, not now minister.

Boris Johnson is Britains great lost... what? Not prime minister, but stand-up comedian perhaps. He has the wit of Winston Churchill, his hero, but no other of the old mans qualities.

He just cannot help himself. He has to crack a gag. Rarely does he resist the temptation: his resignation speech recently was an exception. He enjoys the attention; he likes winding up lefties; and he likes to try and get away with it all like a guilty schoolboy.

He also, by the way, lacks application to his work, as everyone from his masters at Eton to his civil servants at the FCO and Michael Gove have attested. Hes not at home in politics. Journalism is a second best outlet for his humour, and high office an even less suitable one.

Back to the issue: anyone within legal limits is entitled to a view on the veil, and they can, if they dont incite hatred or violence in doing so, declare it robustly.

Boris Johnson's resignation letter Show all 2 1 /2 Boris Johnson's resignation letter Boris Johnson's resignation letter Boris Johnson's resignation letter

In some countries  France, Denmark  they ban it. In Britain we do not, but we can still debate the issue. Theres no problem with saying that the niqab is disliked or in a woman saying she chooses to wear it. No problem, actually, with an MP saying those things either. But that does not mean that their political party has to put up with it.

The Conservatives do not have to treasure Boris Johnson like he is some gift from God. They can disown him, ostracise him, or at the very least discipline him, just as they have other less famous backbenchers in the past  and they look increasingly close to doing so. One happy consequence of having the whip withdrawn would be that Boris would never again get the chance to engage in his satirical banter in the name of this country. We dont want him pushing the boundaries of good taste from the steps of No 10, thank you.

Boris Johnson is not even a pound shop Enoch Powell: he is a pound shop Nigel Farage, and more dangerous with it. Headmistress Theresa May should give him six of the best. I think the sheer joy of that would unite the nation, regardless of creed.
Europe is the birthplace of the enlightenment and modern science. Even in the 20th century, fundamental discoveries that transformed our understanding of the world from quantum mechanics and relativity to genes and the structure of DNA came from Europe. These discoveries paved the way for modern technology and transformed our lives.

Yet by the time I had to choose where to go to graduate school in the early 1970s, the USA had become the top destination of choice for young scientists. This relative decline was only reversed after decades of close scientific cooperation between European countries. Being part of the EU has played a huge role in the UK becoming a global scientific powerhouse and a magnet for talent. That success is now at risk.

Leaving the EU without a deal poses a very real threat to scientific progress, damaging innovation and the economy, the NHS, and our overall future. UK science has little or nothing to gain from Brexit but plenty to lose.

The Royal Society welcomed the governments recent commitment to an unparalleled partnership on research and innovation, but the clock is ticking to March 2019 and scientists are worried that when the chips are down and the negotiations tense, science will be sacrificed in the name of ideology. The lack of a deal on science will have serious consequences.

First and foremost will be our ability to collaborate with and attract the best scientists from throughout the EU. Research is international and ideas flow freely around the world  just like the scientists behind them. One in six of our academic staff are from the EU and there is little clarity about what would happen to them under a no-deal scenario.

Seven out of ten of our strongest scientific partners are EU nations and currently 60 per cent of the UKs internationally co-authored papers are with EU partners. Crashing out of the EU without a deal could undermine decades of close scientific collaboration. Such collaboration currently allows us to have a scale of ambition and international influence that cannot be matched if we go it alone.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Crashing out will also affect our ability to attract the best talent. It is not only a question of whether researchers can come to Britain, but whether they want to. For decades, Britain has been perceived as an attractive, outwardly-facing country that is a great place to work for scientists. There is only anecdotal evidence that Brexit has made scientists leave or not want to come here, but the increasing prospect of no deal has significantly darkened the mood.

Without a deal, we could also lose around 1bn a year in EU research funding, or around a tenth of the UKs yearly public spending on research. Such funding has played an important role in, for example, the development of graphene in Manchester and contributed to advances in quantum computing in Bristol. At a time when the country will be more dependent on an innovative, knowledge-based economy, we cannot afford to reduce investment in science.

A no-deal Brexit will create major uncertainties about scientific regulation. For example, the EU Clinical Trials Regulation is due to come in to effect in May 2020, meaning it will not automatically become UK law. Without regulatory alignment, the UK will be excluded from participating with our European partners on clinical trials, adding a significant hurdle for UK patients and researchers, as well as our world-leading life sciences industry.

People with rare diseases will lose out the most, as patient populations in individual EU countries are often too small to recruit sufficient numbers, requiring member states to work together to make scientific progress in better understanding these conditions. This will limit the NHSs ability to provide cutting-edge treatments. Last week we also saw doctors warning of the dangers of leaving Euratom without a deal, which would see critical supplies of medical isotopes imported for cancer patients held up at the border.

The governments Chequers white paper has a dedicated section on science and innovation, but at this stage they are just words. I am a natural optimist and still very much hope that science gets a good deal out of the negotiations ahead. A deal on science is in the best interests of Europe as a whole and should not be sacrificed as collateral damage over disagreements on other issues.

If we are going to successfully tackle global problems like climate change, human disease and food security, we cant do so in isolation. There is no scenario where trashing our relationships with our closest scientific collaborators in the EU gets us closer to these goals.

No deal is a bad deal for science, and ultimately the future prospects of the UK.

Venki Ramakrishnan is a Nobel prize-winning biologist and the president of the Royal Society
Uri Avnery is without doubt the most intellectual, philosophical, prescient leftist Israeli seer I have ever met. Like TS Eliot, he has a habit of using the fewest words to tell the greatest truth. Every essay he writes, this reader always says the same thing: Exactly! Yet, for the first time in 40 years, I disagree with the great man.

He has just suggested that Benjamin Netanyahus agreement to address the US Congress at the invitation of Republicans tomorrow  two weeks before an Israeli general election  and Barack Obamas decision not to see the old rogue, has destroyed Israels bipartisan support in America. For the first time, says Uri, Democratic politicians are allowed to criticise Israel.

Absolute Tosh.

Congressmen of both parties have grovelled and fainted and shrieked their support for Bibi and his predecessors with more enthusiasm that the Roman hordes in the Colosseum. Last time Bibi turned up on the Hill, he received literally dozens of standing ovations from the sheep-like representatives of the American people, whose uncritical adoration of the Israeli state  and their abject fear of uttering the most faint-hearted criticism lest they be called anti-Semites  suggest that Bibi would be a far more popular US president than Barack. And Bibis impeccable American accent doesnt hurt.

And his aim  to earn votes for himself and to destroy the one foreign policy achievement within Obamas grasp  will have absolutely no effect at all on Israeli-US relations. When Bibi made himself the laughing stock of the UN Security Council  by producing an infantile cartoon of an Iranian bomb with a red line in the middle, indicating that Iran could build nuclear weapons by the end of 2013  his charade was treated with indulgence by the American media. These mythical deadlines have been expiring regularly for more than a decade, yet still we are supposed to take them seriously. Obama is struggling to reach an agreement with Iran which would protect the world from any nuclear weapon production by the Islamic Republic.

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Bibi wants to destroy this opportunity. He wants more sanctions. He wants to win the Israeli elections on 17 March. He might even bomb Iran  which would bring an immediate military response against the United States. But hes going to be telling Congress that the entire existence of Israel is at stake. According to Uri, Bibi will be spitting in the face of President Obama. I dont think there was ever anything like it, Uri Avnery wrote this weekend. The Prime Minister of a small vassal country, dependent on the US for practically everything, comes to the US to openly challenge its President, in effect branding him a cheat and a liar like Abraham, who was ready to slaughter his son to please God, Netanyahu is ready to sacrifice Israels most vital interests for election victory.

I dont wish to exonerate Bibis cynicism. Even Uri admits that he cannot imagine any more effective election ploy. Using the Congress of the United States of America as a propaganda prop is a stroke of genius, he says. But the Prime Minister of Israel knows he can get away with anything in America  with the same confidence that he can support his army when they slaughter hundreds of children in Gaza in the self-defence of Israel. Bibis speech to Congress will be as disproportionate as his soldiers bombardment of the worlds mightiest slum.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after an adress to a joint session of Congress in the US (Getty Images)

And hell do just fine. Were told the Democrats are upset. We are informed that Obama is very, very  really  very angry. But the Democrat presidentess-in-waiting is no problem for Bibi. It was Hillary, remember, who told us last summer that she wasnt sure it was possible to parcel out blame for the Gaza slaughter because its impossible to know what happens in the fog of war. The media stories may have obscured what was happening. I do think oftentimes that the anguish you are privy to because of the coverage, and the women and children and all the rest of that [sic], makes it very difficult to sort through to get to the truth. So the fewer reporters, the closer to the truth about the dead women and children and all the rest of that, well all get. No wonder liberal Zionists, according to The New York Times, are worried that Hillary is getting too close to Bibi.

Unrest in Jerusalem Show all 22 1 /22 Unrest in Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem A masked Palestinian celebrates the attack on the Jerusalem synagogue holding a poster of the attackers,Ghassan and Uday Abu Jamal, during a rally in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem A masked Palestinian youth wearing a Hamas headband uses a sling-shot to throw back a tear gas canister towards Israeli forces during clashes outside the Israeli-run Ofer military prison following the deadly attack on a Jerusalem synagogue Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Masked Palestinians hold axes and a gun as they celebrate with others an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli Zaka emergency services volunteers carry the body of one of the two Palestinian assailants who were shot dead while attacking worshippers at a synagogue to an ambulance in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood in Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem An Ultra-orthodox jewish man prays at the scene of an attack, by two Palestinians, on a synagogue in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood in Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem An Israeli woman cries on a veranda next to a synagogue where a suspected Palestinian attack took place in Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem An Israeli police officer gestures as he holds a weapon near the scene of an attack at a Jerusalem synagogue Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli Zaka emergency services volunteers carry the body of an assailant who was shot dead while attacking a synagogue AFP Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli emergency services personnel clean the sidewalk at the scene of an attack, by two Palestinians, on Israeli worshippers at a synagogue in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood in Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli security personnel run next to the synagogue in Har Nof, where a suspected Palestinian attack took place Reuters Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem A Palestinian activist knocks a hole through the wall near East Jerusalem AFP Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem A masked Palestinian youth burns a tire near Israel's controversial barrier that separates the West Bank town of Abu Dis from Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem A Palestinian protester throws a stone at Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank town of Abu Dis near Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Palestinian mourners attend the funeral of bus driver Yusuf Hasan al-Ramuni in the West Bank town of Abu Dis from Jerusalem . A Palestinian bus driver was found hanged in his vehicle in Jerusalem, sparking clashes, after what Israel said was an apparent suicide but a colleague said looked like murder Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem A Palestinian protester tries to hammer a hole through Israel's controversial barrier that separates the West Bank town of Abu Dis from Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Palestinian protesters climb a ladder at Israel's controversial barrier that separates the West Bank town of Abu Dis from Jerusalem Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli border policeman arrested over shooting of Palestinian boy during West Bank protests REUTERS Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Masked Palestinian youths clash with Israeli security forces in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Abu Tor AFP Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli fire fighters inspect the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian man rammed his car into a crowded train platform in east Jerusalem and then attacked people with an iron bar, killing one person and injuring 13 in what authorities called a terror attack before he was shot dead by the police. The militant Islamic group Hamas took responsibility for the attack Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli police officers walk at the scene of an attack in Jerusalem Reuters Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Israeli rescue workers and paramedics carry an injured man to an ambulance after a Palestinian man, Ibrahim al-Akri, was shot by Israeli police officers after he drove into a crowd of people Unrest in Jerusalem Jerusalem Ultra-Orthodox Jews look on from behind a police line at the scene of a killing when a Palestinian man drove a van into a crowd of police and civilians along the tracks of the Light Rail trolley system in East Jerusalem

As for the Republicans, well take a look at ol Jeb Bush, promising that all will be a clean sweep if he becomes the US commander-in-chief. Therell be no focus, understandably, on the past  Daddy George and Big Bro George W. But his probable advisers in a future presidency include Paul Wolfowitz, John Hannah (Cheneys old national security adviser), Michael Hayden (who misled Congress about torture) and Condi Rice, after whom an entire oil tanker was once named and then un-named  in other words, the same mangy crew who produced weapons of mass destruction, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, trillions of dollars in debt, torture and that infamous mushroom cloud (a real fog of war, if ever there was one). Columnist Maureen Dowd says that Jeb Bush should be holding to account those who inflicted deep scars on America. But why should he? The only thing unmentioned by Jeb is that in 2003, Israel was also producing the same scams about WMD and Saddams links to world terror.

Bibi wont be reminding Congress of this on Tuesday, of course. It will be Irans WMD and the Islamic States links to world terror which will have Congress on its feet. Its a pity Bibi wasnt born in New York. Then we could have US President Netanyahu  and stop pretending theres any difference between the Israeli and American governments.
I am writing to say that as a veiled British Muslim woman I found Boris Johnsons comments on burqa-clad women to be categorically offensive as well as socially divisive.

Not only has he perpetuated the racist bigoted belief that veiled women are shady characters with sinister motives, but hes also proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is no more than Trumps transatlantic disciple!

Would he ask a nun to remove her habit should she visit his constituency office? I should think not.

In reality, the niqab is but a mere thin piece of material across a womans face. It is the only thing which separates a veiled womans attire from the attire of a nun. Quite simply put, veiled women resemble orthodox nuns in a close manner  ie they both wear a long black dress along with a black head covering.

This type of modest dress should be respected in society. It is a form of dress based on the clothing of Mary, the mother of Jesus, whom Muslims regard as being both a pious and God-fearing woman. However, Boris Johnson has chosen, instead, to mock, ridicule and vilify veiled women for their modest dress code.

The prime minister should have sacked him ages ago as he is more gaffe than governmental policy! His underlying resentment at being confined to the Tory back bench is being manifested in his attack on vulnerable members of society and in his fanning the flames of Islamaphobia for his own political gain.

A mere apology from him simply wouldnt go far enough!

Sarah Adham

Hodgehill

Give Boris even more publicity  itll make the Tories unelectable for decades

On the one hand, it seems that Boris Johnson clearly has a bad case of Trump syndrome  hes an overgrown attention-seeking child.

So why give him so much publicity? The correct response, surely, would be to sigh deeply and ignore him.

But on the other hand, the more we see him for the bumbling self-promoter that he is, the more likely it is that if/when he becomes the leader of the Tories, his elite-serving, squabbling party will be rendered unelectable.

Susan Alexander

Frampton Cotterell

Johnsons racism puts Labours antisemitism crisis into context

Boris Johnsons attack on women who chose to wear the burqa  comparing them to letterboxes and bank robbers  was pure racism designed to appeal to racists. In this Johnson has form.

In an article published by The Daily Telegraph on 10 January 2002 Boris Johnson argued the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies.

In the same article he opined that Tony Blairs visit to the Congo would make the AK47s ... fall silent, and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird.

As editor of The Spectator Johnson argued in an article written in 2002 that the problem with Africa is not that we were once in charge, but that we are not in charge anymore. He went on to insist that left to their own devices, the natives would rely on nothing but the instant carbohydrate gratification of the plantain.

On a visit to Uganda in 2003 Boris Johnson instructed Unicef workers there with the demand lets go and look at some more piccaninnies.

In September 2008 Johnson had to apologise to Papua New Guinea after he linked it to cannibalism and chief-killing in yet another of his noxious Daily Telegraph columns. His apology was as foul as his original offence: I meant no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea who Im sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us.

In 2016 Johnson insisted that President Obamas part-Kenyan heritage meant he had an ancestral dislike of Britain.

In May 2016 Johnson won a 1,000 prize for submitting the winning entry in a competition specifically designed to offend Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Johnson proved how much he had benefited from his expensive private education by producing a limerick about the Turkish president having sex with a goat.

It is revolting to see the committed anti-racist Jeremy Corbyn  whose opposition to racism is a matter of public record  being pilloried by the right-wing media for mythical widespread antisemitism in the Labour Party.

The same right-wing media have given Johnson licence to vomit up his racist bile for decades now.

Jeremy Corbyn has always been anti-racist. Boris Johnson has always been a racist and has always been in the political gutter soliciting for racist votes. That he is such a central figure in the Tory Party and remains welcome in the Tory Party says everything about its commitment to fighting racism.

Sasha Simic

N16, London

Time we had an internationally recognised definition of Islamophobia that we can demand the Tory Party sign up to?

G Forward

Stirling

Where will all this nastiness lead?

I dont do social media in any form, a decision I took soon after the launch of Facebook when people were posting pictures of their dinner plates and their new babies, and not much else. How things have changed.

Boris Johnsons recent comments in his Telegraph column (burqas/letterboxes/bank robbers), and then my MP Heidi Allens tweeted response (About as suitable to be PM as he was foreign secretary) seem to have opened a floodgate of vitriol. I looked at some directed at her on her website and I am appalled. Realistically I imagine that this sort of thing is commonplace and probably most others are subjected to the same sort of thing. But in no way does that make it acceptable.

For as long as I can remember the British have hosted an undercurrent of racial intolerance and general superiority with regard to the rest of the world. But it was tolerable, just as living close to a dormant volcano is tolerable. The EU referendum seems to have lifted that veil of tolerance and the true nature of many of our citizens is now on show.

Most disturbingly they seem proud of their bigoted views and opinions and have no hesitation in giving vent to their nastiness.

As this wretched Brexit process grinds painfully onward, my personal hope for a tranquil retirement fades, and my despair deepens for future generations.

Where on earth will all this lead?

Steve Edmonson

Haslingfield

The Today programme is too downbeat

The news that the Radio 4 programme Today has lost over a million listeners is perhaps not too much of a surprise to the regular listener.

Since the days of Jack de Manio, Brian Redhead and John Timpson, the programme has changed beyond recognition.

Although the programme content has always been on the serious side, there was far more variety and always room for a moment or two of humour.

These days the programme gives the impression of being nothing more than three hours of politics, frequently covering the same argument day after day.

The style of interviewing has changed considerably since the old days, with the interviewers being very aggressive and very rude by often interrupting an answer and not allowing the interviewee a chance to finish their point.

One very irritating habit of the current interviewers is to say to an interviewee, could I have a brief answer as we are running out of time, and then proceed ask an extremely long and complicated question.

The programme is broadcast at the start of a day when the listener would like a little encouragement and optimism.

Sadly, most of the items contain vast quantities of pessimism and depression.

When did you last hear John Humphrys, or Nick Robinson, sound really excited, optimistic and happy about any item on a programme?

It is no wonder that so many listeners have moved to more cheerful and uplifting programmes to start the day prior to facing the everyday routine of their place of work.

Colin Bower

Sherwood
Ireland would be the worst-affected country in Europe in the event of a no-deal Brexit with fears for the economy and potential job losses.

And while all sides in the Brexit talks say they want to avoid a hard border in Ireland, it remains to be seen how this will be done.

How would a no-deal Brexit impact on Ireland?

The effect of the UK crashing out of the European Union without a deal could be devastating to the Irish economy. In recent weeks the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of 50,000 job losses and a 4pc drop in economic output. Ireland would be the worst affected country in Europe with the exception of Britain itself.

Finance minister Paschal Donohoe has previously said there is a potential for 40,000 job losses under a no-deal Brexit. He told the Dail: "Sectors with strong export ties to the UK such as agri-food, manufacturing, and tourism, would be especially exposed, in particular at the regional level."

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What about the border?

All sides in the Brexit negotiations have said that they want to avoid a hard border in Ireland to protect the peace process and ensure frictionless trade on the island.

But the question remains as to how this will be done, particularly in the event that there's no deal. The Irish government claimed in December that it got a "cast-iron" commitment from the UK in December for a 'backstop' that would avoid border posts even if an overall deal between the UK and EU doesn't materialise.

The backstop would involve regulatory alignment on both sides of the Irish border to allow for smooth trade on the island. This commitment has looked shaky and will be the focus of much of the Brexit negotiations in the coming weeks. Theresa May last month repeated the British government's opposition to a 'backstop' that would effectively see a trade border along the Irish Sea under a no-deal Brexit.

In a speech in Belfast she reiterated her goal of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland by reaching an overall Brexit deal with the EU. The EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier last week adopted a conciliatory tone towards Britain when he signalled a willingness to be flexible in talks around the Irish border. However, he also warned the UK that a backstop solution is necessary for a withdrawal agreement. EU sources insisted that the backstop has to prevent a hard border.

Read More

What is the threat to the agri-food sector here?

Much of Ireland's agricultural produce - particularly dairy and beef - gets exported to Britain.

An EU report last year predicted that a worst-case scenario Brexit would cost the agri-food sector a staggering 5.5bn in lost exports.

The study by the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development said the expected impact on Ireland is "particularly concerning" with the Irish agri-food sector "highly dependent on trade with the UK".

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What contingency plans are the Irish government putting in place for Brexit?

The European Commission has warned member States to prepare for the possibility of a hard Brexit. A document circulated to governments last month outlines how the EU hopes to reach a deal with the UK but also recognises that talks can fail. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced details of the government's contingency planning after a special Cabinet meeting in Kerry. He said: "The key decisions are particularly focused on areas where the Government has direct responsibility and on measures that need to be taken on an East-West basis, such as customs and veterinary controls at ports and airports."

Read More

He said the government also reiterated that it "would not countenance a return of a border on the island under any circumstances, including in the event of a hard Brexit . A government statement said that, to date, more than 450m has been allocated in business supports for Brexit. Among the announcements were plans for around 1,000 new customs and veterinary inspectors by 2021. There is to be upgraded infrastructure at Dublin and Rosslare ports that will require "significant investment".

The Irish Independent today reports that a new post-Brexit shipping route will see Ireland connected to Europe via the Netherlands and Belgium under EU contingency plans. The realignment of the EU's strategic transport corridor is part of an effort to allow Irish trade a means of circumventing UK customs checks post-Brexit and to find alternatives to the land-bridge over Britain.

But what about Britain? What will happen if Britain and the EU fail to get a deal?

Britain is a member of the World Trade Organization so tariffs and other terms governing its trade with the EU would be set under WTO rules.

EU tariffs are quite low, averaging about 5 percent, but they are higher for some important British exports including cars which would face a 10 percent tariff. Exporters could face other barriers including complying with EU standards for goods such as food and electrical products. British exports might get stuck at the EU border.

Many British services firms, especially in the giant financial industry, would probably face more restrictions on doing business in the bloc than under May's preferred deal. Under WTO rules Britain and the EU could not offer each other low tariffs, quick border checks, or close cooperation on services, unless they offered these to all WTO member states.

What's the downside of a no-deal Brexit for Britain?

Most economists say the higher the barriers are to trade with the EU, the bigger the hit for Britain.

The National Institute for Economic and Social Research says a no-deal Brexit would cost each person in Britain 800 pounds ($1,030) a year more than the effect of a "soft Brexit" under which Britain had ties to the EU similar to Norway's. May's plan would cost 500 pounds per person a year more than a soft Brexit. The impact on Britain's economy could be bigger still if business investment falls, aggravating slow productivity growth, or a fall in migration causes labour shortages.

What's the upside?

Brexit supporters argue that WTO rules would help Britain's economy by making it easier for London to strike its own trade deals with faster-growing countries and regions beyond Europe. However, this would take years and Britain on its own might struggle to secure favourable terms from the likes of the United States and China.

Ruth Lea, a pro-Brexit economist, said the concerns about border delays were overblown, because countries outside the EU typically declare their exports online to speed their passage. Brexit backers also say Britain could save its estimated EU divorce bill of around 39 billion pounds and spend this on public services instead.

Will a no-deal Brexit mean chaos in Britain?

With less than eight months until Britain leaves the EU, time is short to negotiate an agreement or prepare both sides for the possibility of no deal Any disorderly Brexit risks delays at borders as officials struggle with a sudden introduction of new customs rules. Britain's government is drawing up plans to stockpile medicines and blood products before a possible no-deal Brexit.

In the worst-case scenario, Britain would fall out of EU arrangements such as the U.S.-EU aviation Open Skies agreement, possibly causing transport chaos. Financial derivatives trading would face legal uncertainty. EU citizens in Britain and British citizens in the EU would risk losing residency and other rights. Given the potential for disruption, the EU might offer to extend the Brexit negotiation period if there were some prospect of a deal, Malcolm Barr, a JP Morgan economist, said. "The EU knows that a no-deal Brexit would hurt all involved and would be an enormously complex problem to manage," he said.
Eight arrests have been made after 17 properties in the UK were raided as part of a human-trafficking investigation.t. Photo: PA

British police chiefs have acknowledged a risk to the public from a hard Brexit.

Police and crime commissioners have written to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid to express concern over what withdrawing from the EU will mean for security measures.

They warned that leaving the EU without an agreement on future relations would mean "a significant loss of operational capacity" because police would instantly lose access to cross-border investigative powers and databases.

The association says these concerns come as the threat from foreign nationals targeting the UK from abroad is increasing.

Tensions are rising as the UK tries to hammer out an agreement that can be approved by all the EU member states.

The cross-party Brexit working group has requested a meeting with the home secretary to discuss "preparations, contingencies and the financial implications of post-Brexit policing".
Glyphosate kills weeds by blocking proteins essential to plant growth and has been used in commercial weedkilling products since the 1970s. Stock pic: REUTERS

A trial in which a school groundskeeper alleged that his use of Monsanto's Roundup weed killer caused his terminal cancer will go to a California jury after lawyers for both sides delivered their closing arguments on Tuesday.

Groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson is one of more than 5,000 plaintiffs across the United States who claim Monsanto's glyphosate-containing herbicides, including the widely-used Roundup, cause cancer. His case, the first to go to trial, began in San Francisco's Superior Court of California four weeks ago.

Johnson's lawyer Brent Wisner on Tuesday urged jurors to hold Monsanto liable and punish them with a verdict he said would "actually change the world." Wisner claimed Monsanto knew about glyphosate's cancer risk, but decided to bury the information.

Monsanto, a unit of Bayer AG following a $62.5 billion acquisition by the German conglomerate, denies the allegations and says expert testimony on which Johnson and others rely does not satisfy any scientific or legal requirements.

"The message of 40 years of scientific studies is clear: this cancer is not caused by glyphosate," Monsanto's lawyer George Lombardi said, according to an online broadcast of the trial by Courtroom View Network.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in September 2017 concluded a decades-long assessment of glyphosate risks and found the chemical not likely carcinogenic to humans. The World Health Organization's cancer arm in 2015 classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

If it finds Monsanto liable, the jury can decide to award punitive damages on top of the more than $39 million in compensatory damages Johnson demanded. The jury is expected to start deliberating on Wednesday.

Johnson's case, filed in 2016, was fast-tracked for trial due to the severe state of his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system that he alleges was caused by Roundup and Ranger Pro, another Monsanto glyphosate herbicide. Johnson's doctors said he is unlikely to live past 2020.

A former pest control manager for a California county school system, Johnson, 46, applied the weed killer up to 30 times per year.

His case is not part of proceedings consolidated in Missouri, Delaware or California state court, where most of the Monsanto cases are pending. It is also separate from consolidated federal multidistrict litigation pending before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco.

Chhabria in July allowed hundreds of Roundup lawsuits to proceed to trial, finding there was sufficient evidence for a jury to hear the cases despite calling plaintiff's expert opinions "shaky."
Tom Stephenson farmer placed a slurry tanker in gate way to stop removal of bales of straw from field. Photo Roger Jones.

WICKLOW farmer Tom Stephenson has beefed up security on his farm by using old farm machinery to block gates in an effort to protect his straw and hay from being stolen.

Mr Stephenson, a drystock and tillage farmer in the Glen of Imaal, told the Farming Independent that he had bales stolen last winter and that there was a fodder theft recently on a neighbouring farm.

"One farmer three or four miles away from me had between 130-150 bales of hay stolen and I had 13 bales stolen last winter.

"The demand for straw is so great I decided to block the gate into the field with the winter barley straw with trailers and slurry tankers so people won't steal it.

"It's common enough that hay and straw are stolen and there's always someone out there who will be opportunistic and take a chance."

Other cases of straw theft have been reported in Kilkenny and Laois.

The trade for straw remains exceptionally strong, according to cereal growers, with demand being driven by hard-pressed livestock farmers.

One grower in Laois described the level of competition for straw as "savage", with barley straw generally selling for between 27 and 30 per 4x4 bale. He said farmers were generally paying up front in order to secure supplies.

Prices are even higher in the northern half of the country, with farmers from the Six Counties adding to demand.

Up to 35-40 has been quoted for 4x4 bales and a top of 100 for 8x4x4 bales.

"The market for straw is just crazy. It's like a lottery; you'll be paid what you ask for it," said one Louth farmer.

PHOTO: ROGER JONES
While we have seen some rainfall over the past week, it's only a drop in the ocean compared to what farmers need to see themselves through some of the most difficult weather conditions in recent memory.

Having battled through a long, wet and snow-filled winter, farmers only had around a month of normal weather this year before they were faced with drought conditions.

With many already using winter's feed, a major crisis is pending and it was against this backdrop that IFA national president Joe Healy arrived in Enniscorthy last Thursday to meet with farmers and see if there's any more the association can do to help.

"The South East and Wexford are without doubt among the worst areas hit," told the Wexford People.

"The whole country was bad, but in the West and North West, we've seen adequate amounts of rain for the past fortnight. Wexford hasn't had that yet. Farmers had hoped to replenish yards with stock following a long difficult winter. But most farmers have fed out their first cut of silage and are now grazing the second."

Mr Healy said that the IFA was lobbying hard for farmers and proposed that the government take urgent action on things such as the delivery of low-cost loans, flexibility in relation to fertiliser and slurry and providing incentives for tillage farmers to grow fodder crops on harvested lands. Mr Healy is also calling on the Minister for Agriculture to immediately reactivate the fodder import scheme which was available earlier this year and outline what steps are being taken to alleviate the crisis.

Expand Close Local farmers with IFA national president Joe Healey and Wexford IFA chairman James Kehoe in Ballymurn last Thursday / Facebook

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Whatsapp Local farmers with IFA national president Joe Healey and Wexford IFA chairman James Kehoe in Ballymurn last Thursday

"As a matter of urgency, Minister Creed must now clarify what exact measures he has sought and is seeking from Brussels,' he said. 'It is reported today that no formal request has been submitted by the minister for a number of derogations that are needed under the GLAS scheme to help farmers to save more fodder before the winter."

As farmers entered the hall at the IFA centre, many of them tried to remain upbeat, despite being very firmly pinned to their collars. One farmer spoke of having to spend an extra 3,400 per week in comparison to last year to keep 150 cows fed. Many farmers have accused processors and suppliers of profiteering and taking advantage of the dire straights that farmers are in.

"There's definite profiteering going on by the factories," one local farmer said. "160 a head is gone off the price of cattle in the last six week period. The factories are profiteering in areas worst hit by the drought. This is what's having the biggest impact."

While there had been some grumbling from certain areas over the IFA's engagement with this issue, Mr Healy says that it's something they are looking at.

"We are calling on the processors not to take advantage of an unprecedented situation," he said.

"It has been an issue and factories have dropped the price of cattle over the last six weeks, knowing that farmers are trying to unload stock. I would urge that factories would be responsible in this situation. Similarly I would urge a maximum payout for dairy farmers and we've met with vegetable retailers in recent weeks and they've committed to an increase in prices."

Expand Close South Leinster regional chairman Tom Short, national development officer Joe Brody, Wexford IFA vice-chairperson Edel Gahan, national president Joe Healey, Wexford chairman James Kehoe and director general Damien McDonald / Facebook

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Whatsapp South Leinster regional chairman Tom Short, national development officer Joe Brody, Wexford IFA vice-chairperson Edel Gahan, national president Joe Healey, Wexford chairman James Kehoe and director general Damien McDonald

The county IFA chairman said that farmers right across Wexford are in dire straits.

"Wexford in my opinion is the worst in the country at the moment," he said.

"We are a very active county and provide 10% of the total agricultural output for the country. This has been unprecedented weather. I know that silage stocks on certain farms are well below 50%. We're calling for the government to take a number of small measures that will have a big impact. Really at the moment, we're depending on a really good back end to the year and high growth, but unfortunately we're at the mercy of the weather."

South Leinster IFA chairman Tom Short agreed that Wexford farmers were facing an incredibly difficult situation.

"I look after eight counties and Wexford is probably the worst hit, south Wexford in particular," he said.

"Some colour is beginning to come back with the little bit of rainfall in recent days, but it would take two or three weeks of rainfall to see any significant growth. Glanbia at the moment are estimating that the country is about 3milion bales short of where we need to be. The government needs to get pro-active and do what needs to be done. Small measures, such as extending the dates for the spreading of fertiliser, could make a huge difference. We need to see action now before it's too late."

Meanwhile, farmers across the county are left looking to the skies. They are being forced to spend out excessive amounts of money on feed and are simply hoping for the best.

"There will be a mass exodus out of farming, make no mistake about it," one under pressure farmer said.

"Lads are still trying to buy fodder, but it cannot be bought at any price. The cost of feed is astronomical. People are spending thousands more than usual every week just to keep things going. Something has to give."
A "through investigation" into the possible link between poultry litter and a suspected incidence of botulism as the cause of the unexpected death of up to 20 beef animals on a Co Kildare farm last spring has been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

However, six months after the incident, which involved a farmer loss of up to 30,000, Minister Michael Creed has stated in a Dail reply that the investigation "is not yet concluded" and remains ongoing.

The Minister told Deputy Timmy Dooley who raised the matter in a Parliamentary Question that the investigation involves ensuring that "adequate measures are being taken to prevent outbreaks (of Botulism) on the farm where the poultry litter is being spread; by the poultry litter haulier; and on the poultry units that supplied the poultry litter".

The Minister added "My Department is fully aware of the botulism incident referred to in the question. A thorough investigation is currently underway and is not yet concluded. Therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further on the matter at this stage".

Minister Creed pointed out that there is a strict Codes of Good Practice to be complied with by poultry farmers, poultry litter hauliers and end-users of poultry litter, in relation to the management, transport and use of poultry litter in order to minimise the risks of contamination of pasture to cattle on the end users farm and neighbouring farms.

It is also understood that officials from the Department of Agriculture have inspected a farm in Co Meath where botulism is also suspected as the cause of sudden death of ten animal earlier this year.

Other reported losses of animals suspect to have been caused by Botulism over recent months remain unconfirmed. There is no legal requirement for vets to notify the Department of Agriculture of suspected cases of Botulism in this country, although they are recommended to do so. It is a legal requirement to report such cases in England.

Botulism, which is usually associated with poultry litter, is rated the most deadly known toxin in the world, so deadly, that "sniffing 13-billionths of a gram can be lethal", and once ingested by an animal is fatal within hours, without remedy.

ICMSA President, Pat McCormack told the Farming Independent that any suspect Botulism infection is "extremely concerning" to livestock farmers.

"There just isnt room for complacency and farmers expect a clear and categorical conclusion on what happened (on these farms) and how any repeat can be avoided from the Department of Agriculture and Food" he added.
A cow is seen as Swiss Air Force Super Puma helicopter delivers water for cows in a pasture due to an ongoing drought near Rossiniere, Switzerland, August 7, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Swiss army helicopters began airlifting water on Tuesday to thousands of thirsty cows who are suffering in a drought and heatwave that has hit much of Europe.

Large red plastic containers hung from the bottom of the Super Puma helicopters carried the water to farms in the Jura Mountains and Alpine foothills.

Some 40,000 cows graze in the summertime in high-altitude pastures in Vaud canton (state) in western Switzerland and each needs up to 150 litres (40 gallons) of water a day, authorities said.

Two large basins have been filled with water to allow farmers with land accessible by road to fill up their tank trucks, they said.

Several dozen farmers have called a special hotline to request help from the helicopters since the emergency operation was announced last Friday.

"I've been renting this pasture for 13 years now. We had to airlift water sometimes but never that much," Gregoire Martin, who runs a farm with 68 cows and 90 head of young cattle at Le Culand pasture in Rossiniere, told Reuters Television.

Expand Close A Swiss Air Force Super Puma helicopter delivers water for cows in a pasture due to an ongoing drought near Rossiniere, Switzerland, August 7, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Swiss Air Force Super Puma helicopter delivers water for cows in a pasture due to an ongoing drought near Rossiniere, Switzerland, August 7, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

"We already used the army's helicopter two years ago but in the long term we cannot go on like this," he said.

Switzerland will cut import tariffs on livestock feed and offer interest-free loans to help farmers deal with the drought, the federal government said on Monday, amid a heat wave that is killing off fish in the Rhine.

"The situation is very worrying because Switzerland has not known a drought like that ... since 1921," said Philippe Leuba, head of economy and sport for Vaud, who attended Tuesday's operation.
HNA, the Chinese conglomerate unwinding a global acquisition spree, is in advanced talks to sell a $2.2bn (1.9bn) stake in Dublin-headquartered jet lessor Avolon to Japan's Orix Corporation.

Orix has been discussing the purchase of around a 30pc stake in Avolon from HNA's Shenzhen-listed Bohai Capital unit, according to sources.

A deal for the stake in Avolon, which was co-founded by and is headed by Clare native Domhnal Slattery, could be announced as soon as this week.

No final agreement has been reached, and there's no certainty the negotiations will lead to a deal, it's understood.

Avolon is the world's third-largest aircraft lessor. It was established by Mr Slattery, chief financial officer Andy Cronin and chief commercial officer John Higgins.

They secured more than $7bn in backing from private equity firms and banks, including Cinven and CVC, and Oak Hill Capital Partners to launch the lessor in 2010.

HNA's Bohai Leasing subsidiary completed the acquisition of Avolon in 2016, in a deal that placed a $7.6bn (6.5bn) enterprise value on the lessor.

Avolon had floated on the New York Stock Exchange just months before Bohai offered to buy it.

HNA has already shed more than $17bn (14.6bn) of assets this year, reversing a multi-year acquisition spree that saddled it with one of corporate China's biggest debt loads.

The group has spent billions of dollars in recent years buying stakes in businesses such as the Hilton hotel group and Deutsche Bank.

That the conglomerate is looking to sell more aviation assets indicates there is little that HNA considers off-limits in terms of disposals.

HNA has been discussing a range of options for Avolon, and other potential buyers remain interested in the lessor, according to one source. A spokesman for HNA declined to comment.

Firms backed by Hong Kong tycoons Li Ka-shing and Henry Cheng are among suitors that have held talks about buying a stake or some of Avolon's aircraft, it's understood.

Orix's own leasing business, Orix Aviation, is also based in Dublin. It has 230 owned, managed and committed aircraft in its portfolio. Its customers include EasyJet, Etihad and Emirates.

Accounts for Dublin-based Orix Aviation Systems show that it generated an $88.7m (76.5m) pre-tax profit in the financial year to March 2017.

Avolon tripled in size after acquiring CIT Group's plane-leasing business for more than $10bn in 2017.

Since then, it has been divesting non-core assets, including a portfolio of about 100 airplanes that it gained from CIT, according to Mr Slattery.

The lessor sold 41 aircraft in the second quarter, according to an earnings report this month. Avolon's fleet shrank 3pc to 890 aircraft from a year earlier. The company also holds orders and commitments for 328 planes.

There's been intense interest in the aircraft leasing business from Chinese investors.

Goshawk Aviation, another Dublin-based lessor, agreed during the summer to buy Sky Leasing's Irish subsidiary. That deal created a top 10 global aircraft lessor with a $9.1bn fleet.

Founded in 2013, Goshawk is owned by stock market-listed Hong Kong firm NWS and Chow Tai Fook. The latter is privately owned by the family of the late Hong Kong billionaire Cheng Yu-tung, and is a major shareholder in NWS. (Bloomberg)
A BELFAST-based agri-technology firm has secured 118m in long-term funding to allow it to press ahead with its research, development and growth plans.

The major refinancing deal for Devenish Nutrition is being made possible by a pioneering investment of 40m from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which is being combined with commitments from the company's new commercial finance partners, Ulster Bank and Danske Bank.

The EIB investment is the largest-ever support for agri-business on the island of Ireland by the EIB, and is also the first support for the agri-business sector in the country under the Investment Plan for Europe, in which the European Commission and EIB are strategic partners.

The investment has been described as a "major financial boost" by Devenish Nutrition CEO Richard Kennedy.

The EIB loan will enable Devenish to develop a purpose-built Global Innovation Centre in Dowth, Co Meath, from where it will develop and showcase its 'One Health - from Soil to Society' research, development and innovation programme.

It will also fund innovation-related capital projects and research into optimised animal nutrition, food innovation, health and sustainability. "The EIB funds will form part of a major investment to develop Devenish's research, development and innovation capability across Ireland and the UK," said Mr Kennedy.

"A significant amount of this investment will go towards developing performance houses and sustainable production systems in the Irish and UK markets - including Northern Ireland."

Devenish has ambitious long-term growth plans.

By 2021, it aims to increase turnover by more than 100m to around 315m and add over 100 jobs to its current 450-strong international employee base.

"This major financial boost marks a most significant milestone for Devenish as we seek to realise our vision of becoming the world's leading provider of integrated animal, human and environmental health solutions," Mr Kennedy added.

"This funding will be invested in the business to build and grow our research and development and manufacturing capabilities as well as facilitate our mergers and acquisitions activity."
RYANAIR has cancelled 250 more flights this Friday after pilots in Germany revealed they are going on strike, along with their colleagues in Ireland, Belgium and Sweden.

This brings the total number of flights that will be grounded on Friday to 396 flights as a result of the 24-hour stoppage.

A union for pilots in the Netherlands will decide tomorrow if it will join the industrial action on Friday.

Vereinigung Cockpit announced at a press conference this morning that its members will strike from 3.01am on Friday and last until 2.59am on Saturday.

In a statement, it claimed that all flights scheduled to depart from German airports during this time will be affected.

The union said all permanent pilots employed at Ryanair stations in Germany will strike.

The German union said an overwhelming 96pc approval for industrial action in a ballot was a clear vote for strikes.

However, since then no improved offer has been received from Dublin, it said.

In its letter to VC dated last week, Ryanair management confined itself to repeating and summarising what they considered to be the most relevant negotiating positions instead.

President of VC, Martin Locher, said the union is demanding improvements in pay and working conditions.

"Improvements are inconceivable without an increase in personnel cockpit costs, he said.

He said Ryanair categorically ruled out any such increases at talks.

At the same time, Ryanair has not shown any interest to find solutions, he claimed.  It is only Ryanair, which is responsible for the escalation which has now taken place.

VC regrets the impact on affected passengers, cabin crew and ground crew. Passengers may wish to contact Ryanair directly regarding their scheduled flights as only the company itself can tell which flights are going to operate.

A Ryanair spokesperson said it has cancelled 250 out of over 2,400 flights scheduled to operate on Friday.

It accused VC of refusing to give seven days notice of the unjustified strike so it could minimise disruption for customers.

In a statement, it said affected customers will be notified by 3pm today and can get a refund or booking on an alternative flight.

It said the strike is unnecessary as Ryanair sent VC a revised proposal last Friday on a collective labour agreement and called on the union to meet for talks.

Ryanairs Kenny Jacobs said it invited VC to meet yesterday but it did not respond to the invitation.

Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working condition, he said. They are paid up to 190,000 per annum. and, as well as additional benefits, they received a 20pc pay increase at the start of this year. Ryanair pilots earn at least 30pc more than Eurowings and 20pc more than Norwegian pilots.
Broadcaster Gay Byrne, whose company Gabbro Ltd enjoyed profits of more than 10,000 in 2016. Photo: Mark Condren

Shareholder funds at the media firm owned by Ireland's most celebrated broadcaster, Gay Byrne, passed the 600,000 mark in 2016.

Filings lodged by Byrne's Gabbro Ltd with the Companies Office show that shareholder funds - largely made up of accumulated profits generated over the years - increased to 602,634 at the end of 2016.

Current assets - largely made up of cash - increased from 496,105 to 576,176.

Byrne, who celebrated his 84th birthday on Sunday, presented 'The Late Late Show' for 37 years before stepping down in 1999. He continued to work in broadcasting, including the successful 'Meaning of Life' TV interview series and a popular show on Lyric FM.

The filings for Gabbro Ltd show the firm had a profit of 10,988 in 2016, which followed a profit of 25,789 in 2015.

PENSION

The company also benefited in 2016 from the transfer of realised profit of 11,213.

The increases in profit in 2016 and 2015 were more modest than those of 52,223 in 2014 and 87,571 in 2013.

In an interview this year, Byrne spoke with RTE broadcaster Ray DArcy about his 2016 diagnosis for prostate cancer and the eight rounds of chemotherapy that followed.

Gay said he was totally wrong not to take a year off to nurse myself rather than continue to try to fit other things into his schedule while also undergoing treatment.

I regret the amount of time I gave to this place. I should have taken time to do other things, he said.

The solid financial performance of the firm in 2016 and 2015 shows Byrne has moved on from the financial troubles he went through as a result of the economic crisis when his pension was wiped out.

I never had a pension in RTE so we invested in what we believed were blue chip stocks, AIB, Bank of Ireland, Anglo  and all of that has been wiped out, he said.

His loss on his shares and investments was the second jolt to his finances.

In 1987, the Dubliner had to rebuild his finances after learning that his life savings entrusted to his friend and accountant, the late Russell Murphy, had disappeared.

His losses from that episode are estimated to have been more than 200,000.
An industry boycott of Eir's growing fibre network looks to be waning, with one of Ireland's largest broadband resellers agreeing to conduct trials on the incumbent telco's network.

Sky, Ireland's fourth-largest broadband provider, had previously complained that Eir had set too high a price for retailers to make any money from reselling access to the fibre broadband network.

Along with Vodafone, Ireland's third-largest broadband retailer, it said it could not do business with Eir on its new network.

However, the company has now parked its objections and is trialling a consumer service on Eir's fibre service, which offers speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second, the joint-fastest in the country.

A spokeswoman for Sky Ireland confirmed the trial with Eir. "Sky has always indicated we are willing to work with any access service provider, be it Eir, Siro or the winners of the NBP contract in bringing fibre to the widest possible footprint," she said.

"At present, we are carrying out trials with Siro and Eir. With regards to Eircom's connection charges for FTTH, our position remains that we support ComReg's position that, if implemented, would see a significant reduction in the current 270 charge."

Eir's burgeoning fibre network, which will connect 300,000 homes and businesses located in rural parts of Ireland that are without any high-speed service, is being built privately under an agreement with the Government that it will be finished by the middle of next year. The 300,000 premises were originally part of the National Broadband Plan's map of 840,000 rural homes and businesses.

Eir says it is running behind on the rollout of the fibre network due to storms last year, but has now promised that the final tally of homes and businesses connected will rise to 330,000. Its last reported completion figure was 165,000 in June.

Eir is likely to announce new investment in its city and urban broadband networks this autumn as the company prepares a revised business strategy under new owner Xavier Niel.

Eir has no high-speed 'last mile' broadband infrastructure in Ireland's biggest broadband markets, ceding large chunks of the business to Virgin Media's cable broadband business.

Eir is the country's largest broadband provider while Virgin is second, thanks to its cable business in cities.

The news comes after Enet, the sole remaining bidder for the State-subsidised National Broadband Plan, has opted not to replace SSE as an anchor partner in its consortium. Instead, Enet has hired senior industry executives from abroad to oversee the construction process of the rural network.
Dublin-based UDG Heathcare has sold its Aquilant division for a potential consideration of up to 23m.

The division was sold to H2 Equity Partners, a European private equity firm.

Aquilant is a distributor of specialist medical, pharmaceutical and scientific products and services, including outsourced sales, marketing, distribution and engineering services to clients in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.

It represented approximately 4pc of Healthcare's operating profits in the six-months to 31 March 2018.

Following the disposal of the group's United Drug supply chain businesses to McKesson in 2016, UDG has now exited all of its lower margin distribution businesses, the healthcare services provider said in a statement today.

Proceeds from the sale of Aquilant will be used to fund the continued development of the HDG's higher growth and higher margin divisions, Ashfield and Sharp.

Under the terms of the transaction, the total proceeds receivable by the group will be up to 23m.

This comprises an initial cash consideration payment of 20.5m and deferred consideration of up to a further 2.5m, payable in cash, based on the achievement of gross profit targets by Aquilant in financial years 2018 2019.

"The sale of Aquilant is consistent with the group's strategy to focus on its higher growth, higher margin international healthcare services businesses," Brendan McAtamney, CEO of UDG Healthcare, said.

Separately, UDG also announced its results for the three months to 30 June.

UDG said that its performance during the quarter was ahead of the same quarter last year.

The group said that strong contributions from acquisitions, as well as good underlying growth from Ashfield Communications & Advisory and Sharp, more than offset a lower contribution from Ashfield Commercial & Clinical and Aquilant.

Looking forward, UDG said that its balance sheet remains strong leaving it with "significant capacity" to execute further strategic acquisitions to complement its existing growth platforms.

The group said that it reiterates its full year guidance for constant currency adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) growth for the year to 30 September 2018 to be between 18pc and 21pc ahead of last year's EPS of $37.1cent.
A leading bank that sold thousands of mortgages to a US vulture fund has insisted it has not sold any clean loans.

However, mortgage debt campaigner David Hall has accused Permanent TSB of lying and claims the lender added performing home loans into the controversial sale.

Amid mounting pressure over the sale of 10,000 loans to vulture fund Loan Star, the bank is continuing to maintain that anybody affected would have at least one loan in arrears.

The loan in arrears is usually a buy-to-let, even though the customer may be paying their main mortgage on their home.

In other cases the residential mortgage is in arrears, a spokesman for Permanent TSB said.

But Mr Hall, of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation, said he has been contacted by thousands of those affected.

He said some of these have been engaging with the bank, and do not have a buy-to-lets mortgage that is in arrears.

Mr Hall claimed Permanent TSB had added in a number of performing loans into the portfolio sale as a "sweetener" in a bid to make it more attractive to buyers.

Some properties which were put forward for the mortgage-to-rent scheme were included in the loan sale, he claimed.

These, by definition, would not have involved the mortgage holders having a buy-to-let investment.

Mr Hall said a number of the residential mortgages sold had split repayment arrangements in place, even though the bank had earlier agreed to exclude these from the sale.

He added that people whose loans are going to Loan Star, and to its Irish-regulated affiliate Start Mortgages, would have little access to alternative payment arrangements.

Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath said yesterday there are "major questions" about the sale and the way it has been handled.

"Both the bank and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe now need to step up and provide some answers," he said.

Permanent TSB said what it sold were non-performing loans linked to 10,700 properties.

Some 3,300 of these are buy-to-lets, with 7,400 residential properties.

The bank said around 1,000 of the loans that were sold were performing mortgages on residential properties, but insisted that these were linked to a non-performing investor mortgage.

Connected

A spokesman for the bank said: "In transactions like this, all connected mortgage loans transfer together."

He added that some of the mortgages sold involve a customer who is engaging with the bank, but for whom the lender has been unable to agree a restructuring deal that is "affordable and sustainable".

The spokesman went on: "If a borrower has agreed a restructure or an alternative payment arrangement (ARA) and they have consistently made payments in line with the terms, then these terms will be honoured by Start Mortgages."

Start Mortgages did not respond to a query, but the company says on its website that it offers a full range of alternative payment options for those in arrears.
We are apparently talking less. That is the takeaway from a landmark report that found people are speaking to others less on their mobile phones for the first time ever.

British communications regulator Ofcom, which compiled the report, says the popularity of messaging services such as WhatsApp, Skype and Snapchat - all of which can be used to make calls as well as send messages - has slashed the amount of time spent on traditional mobile voice networks.

In the first fall since data collection started, total outgoing mobile call volumes in the UK dropped by 2.5 billion minutes last year to 148.6 billion minutes, the regulator said.

"When I talk to young people as part of my research very few of them ever use their phones to call," said Dr Joanne Orlando, researcher of digital lifestyles.

"They claim texting is much easier and quicker and that there is no need to talk. Actually we have seen a trend in phone plans offering more and more data - offering more phone calls is not a selling feature any more."

With young people using smartphones more than ever before, concerns have been raised about how the use of messaging might be affecting their communication skills. There have long been fears that the use of text-speak might have a negative impact on the grammar and spelling. But could it also harm the art of conversation?

Dr Orlando doesn't think so.

"Conversation is just shifting to take into account the various ways technology can be used to enhance it," Dr Orlando, of Western Sydney University, explains. "If we think about it, conversation has changed a lot over the years. We are now finding value in communicating via video and images - take the massive appeal of Snapchat and Instagram. Often these images are then used as talking points when we see each other face-to-face."

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a leading psychologist and author, disagrees, and blames some parents, who are spending "way too much time" on smartphones.

"I really don't think this is a moral panic, as some people are saying, I think this is legitimate," he says.

"When you are growing up, nothing lights up the child's brain like one-on-one three dimensional play with a loving adult. And what worries me is that with so many kids now, you see them in restaurants and they're basically just given a mobile to shut them up. There's no interaction, they're not learning delayed gratification, no manners, and learning just to be alone... and you wonder what that's going to mean for these kids when they grow up.

"Will they have the ability to sit quietly, will they have the ability to carry on a conversation with someone, particularly as they never see their parents doing it?"

Dr Nenagh Kemp, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Tasmania, believes the use of smartphones by teenagers could be more detrimental.

"During adolescence, it's increasingly common to use online apps to communicate. Sometimes this means that young people aren't getting the chance to practise more challenging conversations face-to-face: inviting someone out, declining an invitation, apologising for an offence.

"This lack of practice with face-to-face interaction could breed lifelong difficulty with some types of conversation."

The Ofcom report found more than two in five admitted to spending too much time online. Adult users spend an average two hours and 28 minutes a day online on a smartphone, the regulator said. For 18-24 years olds, this increases to three hours and 14 minutes.

"A lot of us spend way too much time online," Dr Orlando says. "The dangers are that we get mentally exhausted from it."

In a study last year, Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, found teenagers who spent more time on new media were more likely to report mental health issues than those who spent time on non-screen activities.

According to data collected between 2010 and 2015 from more than 500,000 adolescents in the US, children who spent low amounts of time engaged in in-person social interaction, but high amounts of time on social media, were the most likely to be depressed.

Dr Orlando argues that "talking less with voice only - as in a phone call - won't affect their mental health".

"What will affect it is if they are not communicating in a meaningful way. If a young person is still connecting with friends, talking to them when they see them, and having two-way conversations that they find meaningful, then that will contribute to their social needs for connecting with others."

Dr Carr-Gregg, however, says the excessive use of smartphones is why "we are seeing a massive decline in child and adolescent mental health." He says universities "have noticed the difference in mental health" of students. "The problem doesn't get better when they leave school - it gets worse," he adds.

With three quarters of people in the Ofcom survey saying their smartphones helped keep them close to friends and family, Dr Carr-Gregg agrees "some communication is better than none". "We know that isolation and loneliness are two of the biggest problems for mental and physical health. I'm happier for them to communicate than not communicate, and you could argue that the technology allows communication and gets round a lot of geographic barriers in a way that we haven't been able to do before."

Indeed, Dr Rachel Grieve, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Tasmania, says in some cases communicating online helps people overcome feelings of social isolation.

"If people are using their smartphones to chat via apps such as Facebook, then that is a means to enhance their social capital and social connectedness. So, that means smartphones could serve as a buffer to loneliness, rather than causing feelings of isolation," she says.

One debate that is taking place around the world is whether to ban mobile phones at school. Blenneville National School near Tralee, Co Kerry, has noted an improvement since banning smartphones for primary pupils, while France is to impose a total ban on pupils using such devices in primary and secondary schools starting in this September, though how it will be enforced remains to be seen.

Dr Carr-Gregg, who is leading an inquiry for the New South Wales government in Australia on the use of mobile phones in schools, says: "Where schools have banned phones, particularly in recess and lunchtime, there is an upsurge in socialisation, people actually start communicating with each other."

Some 54pc of respondents to the Ofcom survey also said the devices proved a distraction during face-to-face conversations with those same people.

"We've got a whole new challenge facing us and that is teaching kids to turn their phones off when they're having a conversation with someone so they're not distracted," Dr Carr-Gregg says.

Dr Orlando acknowledges the distraction by saying "conversation is shifting gears". "We want to be with others and we want to be online at the same time; we don't want limits on either of them," she says. And while she agrees physical conversations are "really important" to develop relationships, communication online has its benefits too.

"Part of building relationships comes from sharing things about ourselves, like our day-to-day lives, etc. We often find it easier to do that online - we become braver online, and we also don't have time limitations or the need to be physically connected with them.

"The internet acts as a space where we reflect on and shape our social skills. That's a good thing."
Steinway Musical Instruments, the legendary piano maker controlled by US hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, has attracted takeover interest from China's Poly Group, people familiar with the matter said.

The state-owned conglomerate is holding preliminary talks about a purchase of Steinway, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The company, whose iconic pianos have been used by virtuosos such as Lang Lang, could fetch about $1bn (862m) in a sale, the people said.

Poly Group is doing due diligence work on Steinway as well as seeking financing and government approvals for an offer, the people said. The piano maker has also attracted other potential buyers such as private-equity firms and companies, the people said.

Steinway should be able to fetch a high valuation given that the company may reach 30pc to 40pc annual sales growth in China, according to Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group.

A Chinese company like Poly Group could help improve Steinway's distribution network in the country, which has been weak so far, he said.

"Steinway has massive potential in China as consumers love the brand," Mr Rein said. "As Chinese middle-class families get wealthier, they'll be willing to spend on a luxury piano for their kids as they see music as a key part of their education. And nobody beats Steinway on that."

Poly Group started in 1992 as a supplier of defence equipment for the Chinese military. The conglomerate now has operations spanning explosives manufacturing, real estate, mining, cinemas and the arts.

The conglomerate's Hong Kong-listed unit Poly Culture Group owns China's biggest homegrown auction house. It also runs a chain of theatres that have hosted musicals such as 'Cats' and performances by the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Paulson's New York-based investment firm Paulson & Co agreed to acquire Steinway in 2013 for about $512m, beating rival bidders including South Korea's Samick Musical Instruments Co.

The piano maker that gave the company its name was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in a Manhattan loft. (Bloomberg)
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is to publish a negotiators' "cook book" on his experiences during the peace process.

The ex-party president said it would include some of the best-kept secrets of the talks, which produced the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Adams addressed the West Belfast Festival on Monday evening.

The Irish Times reported the book, to be printed before Christmas, was to be called The Negotiators' Cook Book.

Not 2 Long 2 Christmas. A Wee Taste Of A Great Stocking Filler From Ted & Padraic agus Mise. pic.twitter.com/XmtEYAk76c  Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) August 6, 2018

Mr Adams said: "The British never fed us. They never had any food.

"But as intrepid republicans and being blessed by one or two great cooks these are the recipes that sustained the Irish negotiating team.

"It contains some of the best-kept secrets of the Irish peace process."
Irish author Caroline Mitchell has garnered a loyal following for her crime fiction novels over the past five years, but it was a terrifying experience with paranormal activity in her home that kick-started her career as a writer.

Caroline, who is originally from Ferbane in Offaly, moved to the UK with her husband Neil over a decade ago and was working with CID as a Detective Constable in 2010 when things started to go bump in the night (and day) at their Essex home.

The mother of four received a call at work from Neil, who was disturbed by crashing and banging upstairs in the house, even though nobody else was at home.

It was the beginning of a four-year ordeal which saw the activity range from objects moving on their own to Neil being physically attacked and scratched by an unseen force. The family also heard growling in the house and were forced to flee in terror on several occasions.

Over the course of that time the house was blessed by priests but this had little effect so eventually they requested an exorcism from the Vatican. The turning point came when they visited a local priest at his house, which was attached to the church. While they were there they heard heavy footsteps upstairs.

Speaking to Derek Mooney on The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE Radio 1 this week, Caroline revealed, The priest asked, Whats that? and my husband said, Thats part of whats going on with us at home.' The priest turned white as a ghost and said, That should not be happening here.

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It took a year to have the exorcism approved and carried out at the family's home, but thankfully it quietened the activity significantly. Whatever is causing the issue appears to be attached to Neil and the family have found that removing their focus from any mild activity that does occur prevents it from escalating.

Given the litany of incredible experiences the family had over the course of those four years, and the 30 other people (including one of Carolines fellow police officers) who also witnessed troubling incidents in the house, there has been huge interest in the story.

Tired of repeating their terrifying tale to people, Neil suggested that Caroline write it down and her first book, Paranormal Intruder, was born.

I dont even tell everyone that I started writing because of those experiences  it takes so long to explain, Caroline tells Independent.ie. I just say, oh yeah, I just got into writing because once they hear that they dont hear anything else!

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It was just a horrible experience and certainly a weird way to get into writing. I self-published Paranormal Intruder in 2013 because I didnt expect a career as a writer but it sold really well and even now its still a best-seller in that category.

I think its very unusual to have a real life story from a police officer, the fact that this really happened, and we have so many witnesses - over 30 witnesses - that separates it from other books on the market, she adds.

The fact you have someone who is the most reasonable, respectable person standing up and saying this happened to me makes it more interesting. I know its not for everyone and I dont expect everyone to believe it and Im not out to change anyones mind, I just started off telling my story.

Once the book was published, Caroline found she missed writing, so she started penning crime fiction on her hour-long commute to and from work, and late at night, drawing on her experiences in the CID, a role she eventually left when writing full-time became a viable option financially.

I used to interview vulnerable victims of crime, children, and the perpetrators of crimes as well, she says. And not just that but also being in the office with colleagues all trying to work really hard and bring people to justice, and how you and your colleagues feel when you work with those vulnerable victims  things you can only come up with if youve worked in that environment.

Children are what got to me the most. I would have to walk away sometimes and just clear my head, she says of dealing with some of the most upsetting cases. However, she adds that keeping morale up in the police is important so the old black humour creeps in as well.

The books do get quite dark but there are lighter moments too. If it was dark and gloomy the whole way through it would be too depressing so there are human moments in there too that will make you smile, as there are in real life. At the end of the day my books always have a positive message. People love a detective battling evil. But good wins out.

Carolines tenth novel in five years, Truth and Lies, will be published on August 30 via Thomas & Mercer. Its the first in what she hopes will be a series about Amy Winter, a Detective Inspector, who wants to follow in her fathers footsteps. However, she discovers that her birth parents are two of the UKs worst serial killers and a letter from prison from her birth mother may lead her to the burial sites of three murder victims.

She drew from the infamous cases of Rose and Fred West who committed at least 12 murders between 1967 and 1987, and Moors murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, who murdered five children between 1963 and 1965, including school boy Keith Bennett, whose body has never been found.

I love getting into the head of a serial killer, which is going to sound very strange, but it fascinates me and it fascinates a lot of people. Most of my books have a chapter written from the perpetrators point of view. I have done a lot of research into different personality traits, sociopaths, psychopaths, she explains.

While Truth & Lies is her tenth novel, Caroline is already working on her twelfth and admits that she has worked extremely hard over the past five years to build her impressive back list.

Its not even that I write super fast  I work long hours," she says. "Most writers will write a certain amount for the day, maybe 1000 or 2000 words a day, but I will sit down for hours to write and work out plot and take a short break before coming back and working quite often late into the night.

Having four children and a home to pay for is great motivation! But because I have so many books under my belt now I can start to slow down a bit. Its great to have a back list. When you sell one book readers who love what you write want to go back and buy all the other books. Theres nothing worse than having to wait a year for a new book to be released.

Truth and Lies by Caroline Mitchell will be published on August 30 by Thomas and Mercer. Paperback 4.99 (5.55).
Actress Ruth Negga arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., May 7, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Ruth Negga attends the Tiffany & Co. 2017 Blue Book Collection Gala at ST. Ann's Warehouse on April 21, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)

Nominee for Best Actress "Loving" Ruth Negga arrives on the red carpet for the 89th Oscars on February 26, 2017

She's one of Hollywood's rising stars and details of Ruth Negga's next movie can be revealed as the actress has signed on to star in the drama Passing.

The upcoming film is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen, which explores issues of race and gender.

The title refers to the concept of 'racial passing' when a person of a particular racial group is also accepted as a member of another group.

Negga (36) will star alongside Tessa Thompson.

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The story will follow two childhood friends, Clare Kendry (Negga) and Irene Redfield (Thompson) who reunite as adults.

The film will be the directorial debut of actress Rebecca Hall, who also wrote the screenplay.

"Nella Larsen's Passing is an astonishing book about two women struggling not just with what it meant to be black in America in 1929, but with gender conventions, the performance of femininity, the institution of marriage, the responsibilities of motherhood, and the ways in which all of those forces intersect," Hall said in a statement.

history

"I came across the novel at a time when I was trying to reckon creatively with some of my personal family history, and the mystery surrounding my biracial grandfather on my American mother's side.

"In part, making this film is an exploration of that history, to which I've never really had access," Hall added.

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Negga was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 2016 racially-charged drama Loving.

She played one half of an interracial couple in 1960s America, challenging the country's laws against interracial marriage.

She will next be seen in the sci-fi movie Ad Astra where she will reunite with Brad Pitt, who she previously worked with in the action film World War Z.

The Limerick woman is also flexing her acting muscles on the stage.

She is set to star in the iconic lead role in Hamlet this year, as the Danish prince out for revenge for the murder of his father.

It will run for six weeks from September 21 to October 27 in the Gate Theatre as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
"When do you ever get to live in Paris? That was the greatest story of my life."

There's a sense that Catherine Walker feels she'll be hard-pressed to top the experience of starring in lush, raunchy, big-budget BBC series Versailles.

Playing Madame de Maintenon, the real life figure who held King Louis XIV, and the whole of France (and Europe at one point) in thrall, has proven to be one of the most high profile and interesting gigs of the Dublin actress's career.

When filming wrapped last year, she says, "I went through that sadness of letting go of the character and the journey and the whole experience of it. It was really, really wonderful, working with incredible people, living in Paris. When do you get to live in Paris? That was just the greatest story of my life."

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Maintenon was a rather reticent character in the second series, slowly building her relationship with King Louis (played by Georges Blagden), but the third series sees her rise from nanny to the position of queen, albeit a secret one (their marriage was never publicly announced).

"When I got the role I had no idea how significant she was and how important she is to the French," says Catherine, "So that was a great honour and also a responsibility.

"And what was wonderful was we worked with historians, and we would shoot on location sometimes in the Palace of Versailles and we were brought around the rooms she was in, and I sat behind her writing desk. It was a great privilege. All of that went to create a really incredible once in a lifetime experience."

Catherine (42) completely immersed herself in researching the character and is fascinated by her real rags to riches tale.

"At one point they said that she held the whole of Europe in her hands, such was her power, and what was extraordinary was she came from nothing. She was not of nobility at all. In fact she was born in a prison. She came from poverty. Her father was a criminal," she reveals.

"She was very brilliant and intelligent woman and she used every opportunity she was given in her life. That was her great intelligence. And she becomes very pivotal in season three."

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While Catherine wanted to play the "long game" with viewers and have Maintenon hold back in series two, she says it was difficult to do.

"Shes the nanny and you dont really give her that much attention and that was what I wanted but its always hard to do that. An actors ego wants you to go another way.

"But it was important to me because of so many people binge watching the show, and I thought how brilliant that suddenly you go, What? What the hell? because that is exactly what happened. How this woman goes from poverty to being the most powerful woman is extraordinary and the story is completely true."

However, Maintenon had a darker side, too, which Catherine says we see echoes of today.

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"What she has as well is this very strong religious belief and it ticks into something extremely dangerous, this absolutism and zealot-like belief that were all experiencing in the world today," she says.

"She has the absolute unwavering belief in the divine right of kings and its so dangerous when God can justify everything for you. She goes to some very dark places and she has blood on her hands and has done all that in the name of God.

"But she went on to do extraordinary things which we dont see in the series, amazing things for women. She founded schools for impoverished girls. She was way ahead of her time.

"But she was also responsible for an awful lot of hardships of the protestants. Ironically she was born protestant so she converted. She's really really complex."

Bidding au revoir to the French queen was tough, but there's one aspect of playing Maintenon that Catherine won't particularly miss, and that is the authentic corset she had to wear on set, although she speaks fondly of her relationship with costume designer Madeline Fontaine, who also designed the costumes for Jackie, starring Natalie Portman.

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Madeline created an entire palette for Maintenon's costumes based on Catherine's colouring.

"Not many characters have that journey of going from an ordinary person to nobility to being the queen, albeit a hidden queen. We had a great sartorial journey together," she says.

Of the corsets, she laughs, "The corsets are not made more comfortable for you! The French really pull you in. You are pulled in and there is no room to expand. I had done quite a bit of corset work on stage and on other productions and I kind of went in thinking, oh yes, Ive done loads of corset work, but these were a whole different level.

"We were shooting through the summer. Its tough. Theyre hot. Not to be overdramatic, but you do worry about your rib cage!"

Catherine faced 4.45am calls and spent two hours each day being transformed into her character.

"You arrive in bedraggled in tracksuit bottoms and then for two hours you sit there and these people working on hair and make up are phenomenal and you watch yourself and the character being created and its a brilliant gift for an actor," she says.

"You walk in thinking Im Catherine in a tracksuit from Coolock, how the hell am I going to be Maintenon today? And she is created for you. You walk on set a completely different person. Its a great gift. You dont have to do a lot of thinking. You stand in all of this stuff  and the gigantic hair goes on and gets larger and larger and heavier and heavier as the series progresses!"

Since filming on Versailles wrapped, Catherine has returned from Paris to Dublin where she has bought a house "so it's more of a permanent thing".

She filmed a Scandinavian drama, Rick 45, then went to London to perform in a stage production of Fanny and Alexander, and is currently filming a series in the Shetland Islands off Scotland. Her career has seen her flit from TV (The Clinic, medical drama Clinical, and RTE's Acceptable Risk) to film (Patrick's Day, Leap Year, Dark Touch) to theatre (Phaedra, Miss Julie, Hedda Gabler).

"I feel lucky that I can do that. I like to do that," she says. "By the time I finish one thing I crave the other. When Ive finished something very intricate, smaller acting thats just about thinking on screen, suddenly I want to get my body more involved and be on stage again.

"Fanny and Alexander was my first time back on stage in about two and a half years. I had done Hedda Gabler in the Abbey and wanted to take time off from the stage but actually it felt interesting going back, it felt it had been too long. I hope not to ever leave it that length of time again. Theres nothing like sitting down in the company of actors and creating a play. I suppose my very first love is theatre, thats where I did my apprenticeship. I always like to go back. It pushes you in a different way. It challenges you the most."

Catherine trained at the Gaiety School of Acting before moving to London and joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has come full circle from Dublin to London to Paris and back again to her hometown, and she's perfectly content with that.

"I always want to get back to Ireland. Ireland is home," she says. "Im lucky to get to work in London but there is not home to me. I always have to get back to Ireland and to work in Ireland is very important to me, working with Irish artists and writers who are the best in the world."

Versailles series 1-3 box set releases on August 13.
Survivors of clerical sex abuse have said they are not surprised at allegations that the Vatican had tried to secure a cover-up of Church records.

Former President Mary McAleese says she received a request in 2003 from a senior Vatican official that Church documents should be protected and the State have no access to them.

At the time there were two inquiries into child abuse involving the Church in Ireland - the Ryan Commission and the Ferns Inquiry.

Ms McAleese said she immediately told the official - the Vatican's then secretary of state Cardinal Angelo Sodano - the conversation had to stop.

She told 'The Irish Times' the incident was "one of the most devastating moments in my presidency".

Last night, clerical sex abuse survivor Marie Collins told the Irish Independent the alleged Vatican request "doesn't come as any surprise". She added it was an attempt to cover up the Church's "secrecy and lack of co-operation".

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Another survivor, Amnesty Ireland boss Colm O'Gorman, said: "I'm not shocked or surprised by what Mary McAleese has revealed."

Mr O'Gorman said that the Vatican has always acted to try to protect its power and authority.

He added that Ms McAleese's account of her conversation with the cardinal was "entirely consistent with everything the Church and the Vatican were doing at the time" and the alleged deal was an attempt to "bury these records".

Mr O'Gorman, who founded survivor support charity One In Four, was abused as a teenager by Fr Sean Fortune in the 1980s.

The Vatican press office did not respond to requests for comment last night. Pope Francis visits Ireland later this month for the World Meeting of Families.

Ms McAleese's conversation with Mr Sodano occurred in the time of Pope John Paul II.

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She said: "What he was asking for was an agreement between the Holy See and the Irish government under which Church documents would be protected by the Church and the State would, clearly, have no access to it."

She added she was "gratified to say it was never pursued".
Sexual consent workshops may become mandatory for students in all third-level colleges in the wake of new research on sex-related attitudes and behaviours on campus.

Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor said she thought it was time to make them compulsory, describing as "troubling" findings from a study by NUI Galway.

More generally, Ms O'Connor said she wanted all colleges to demonstrate a uniform minimum standard of best practice to address issues such as sexual harassment and assault.

She said it was both timely and appropriate to formulate a standard of institutional responsibility and to incorporate it formally into governance and regulatory requirements "for anybody delivering publicly funded third-level education".

The minister acknowledged good work was already being done, but she wanted to move the voluntary commitment that many institutions already demonstrated to a formal footing.

She said she would be collaborating with the sector and at a broader level to arrive at the best fit for such a standard.

Key findings of the study, led by Dr Padraig MacNeela of the NUI Galway School Psychology and the university's SMART Consent team, and which involved more than 3,000 students in a number of colleges, included:

70pc of female and 40pc of male students experienced sexual hostility or crude gender harassment during their college years;

25pc of women students experienced unwanted sexual contact or attempts at unwanted sexual contact through the use or threat of violence;

71pc of female and 63pc of male students were dissatisfied with the sex education they received at school;

67pc did not consider a female character in a story too drunk to give consent after she consumed 28 standard drinks - the equivalent of a bottle of vodka, 14 pints of beer or more than three bottles of wine.

The NUI Galway team runs consent workshops in the university and have also trained facilitators in other colleges.

Dr MacNeela said the percentage of students who "strongly agreed" they felt well informed about sexual consent after a workshop was 71pc, compared with 29pc before.

Consent is a major focus of a review of sex education in schools, with a view to introducing the concept in an age appropriate way. For primary school pupils, it would be covered by respect in relationships.
The complainant was told her head was all over the place. Stock picture

A hairdresser has been awarded 7,000 after a salon decided to fire her because she suffered from anxiety.

The dismissal was deemed to constitute discrimination on grounds of disability by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

An employment law expert has warned that businesses need to find better ways to support workers with mental health difficulties in light of such decisions.

An adjudication hearing of the WRC heard that the complainant had been working as an apprentice hairdresser at the salon for around seven months when she was diagnosed with anxiety in April 2017.

She sent a text message to the owner of the salon, explaining that she had been experiencing panic attacks and had been advised by a GP to take some time off work.

She indicated to her employer that she had been prescribed medication for the condition, and that she would have a sick cert when she returned to work four days later.

The owner replied by saying that she didnt do sick days.

Upon her return to work, the complainant felt that she was being ignored. Two weeks later, she was taken aside by the owner and told that she was a liability. The business could not be run around her, the owner said.

The complainant asked what she had done wrong, and was told that the salon and its clients had no problem with her, but her head was all over the place. She understood this to refer to her anxiety.

The hairdresser was asked to get her belongings and leave. She told the WRC that she was physically upset and crying as she passed by staff and clients on her way out of the salon.

She was left badly scarred by the experience and had felt unable to return to hairdressing as a result. She had since resumed an old job in a factory where she has no contact with the public.

In her evidence, the salon owner claimed there were longstanding performance issues with the complainant. This was denied and WRC Adjudication Officer Kevin Baneham noted that the only documentary evidence presented in this regard was a self-assessment sheet completed by the complainant herself.

The former employee told the WRC that the low marks she had given herself in that exercise was a reflection of her low self-confidence rather than any deficiency in terms of performance.

The owner said it was a fabrication to say that the complainant had been dismissed due to her mental health. She said the salon stylist has depression and has worked with her for 14 years.

However, Mr Baneham concluded that the complainant had been dismissed because she was imputed to have a disability  anxiety  and said the effects of this discrimination warranted an award of 7,000.

Employment law specialist Jason OSullivan of JOS Solicitors said employers are obliged to make reasonable accommodation for employees who have a disability, including mental-health conditions.

There does appear to be a need for employers to start finding better ways to support employees who are experiencing mental-health difficulties, he said.

Until employers start taking such affirmative action, they will continue to fall foul of the law.
Lisa Lawlor pictured with her son, Lennon. Lisa lost her parents, Francis and Maureen Lawlor in the Stardust Fire. Photo: Damien Eagers

A barrister who advised the families of Hillsborough victims is assisting the Stardust campaign in a bid to have a new inquest into the tragedy.

The families of the 48 victims of the Dublin nightclub blaze in 1981 have formally notified the Attorney General they intend to apply for another inquest, with 25,000 backing their postcard campaign over the past month.

At a press conference yesterday, Darragh Mackin, a lawyer at KRWL solicitors, said the legal team representing the Stardust victims' families had been strengthened with the assistance of Alan Straw, a London-based barrister who advised on the campaign to get justice for the 96 Hillsborough disaster victims.

"It is in my view indicative of the strength the campaign has gathered, a pivotal and crucial stage, on an almost daily basis there's fresh evidence coming forward," said Mr Mackin.

"We're being inundated by contacts with fresh evidence, fresh witnesses and, as we can see from today, fresh victims coming forward who have never before had their voice heard.

"We're in a very advanced stage of the inquest application. We hope in the coming weeks the application will be launched."

Mr Mackin added: "The legal team has been strengthened twofold - we are now being advised as well by barrister Alan Straw, who actively advised the Hillsborough families in their petition for justice.

"He is now part of the campaign."

Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan said an enormous amount of work had gone into their campaign and the legal aspect was "almost ready" to be presented to the AG.

A tribunal held the year after the fire concluded that the cause of the fire was probably arson.

In 2009, an independent examination into the tribunal found there was no evidence to support Justice Keane's finding the fire was started deliberately near the ballroom of the nightclub.

Lisa Lawlor - who was just 17 months old when her parents died in the fire - has also joined the campaign to have a new inquest heard.

"I went through intensive counselling for years, I was afraid of what I would hear and see if I joined the campaign," said Ms Lawlor yesterday.

"I wasn't strong enough. I wanted to ignore it, and I can't ignore it any more. We need closure, I can't live with not knowing."

Antoinette Keegan, who lost two sisters in the fire, slammed the Government's inaction.

"We have huge political support across the board, except from Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

"The State has an obligation for a criminal investigation. In 37 years, the victims have become insignificant."
Protesters take over a house in Summerhill to protest against the lack of rental accommodation, overcrowded accommodation and homelessness in Dublin. Photo: Arthur Carron

A house where scores of tenants were found to be living in incredibly cramped conditions has been occupied by housing groups.

Some 150 demonstrators marched from Dublin's city centre to Summerhill Palace last night, where they occupied the property.

Participants of the protest, including the Dublin Central Housing Action group, said they wanted to raise awareness of the housing situation in Ireland.

The protest began at 6.30pm.

Around 10 people broke into a property sometime before the main group of demonstrators had arrived.

A number of people - wearing masks with the likeness of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar - inside the house greeted the crowds by hanging a banner out the top window with the words "Homes for all".

The demonstrators have said they may occupy a number of other vacant buildings beside the house.

In May, it emerged that up to 40 tenants were living in two properties in the row and had been told to leave immediately.

At the time, a young man, who claimed to be acting on behalf of the owner, told the tenants there was a "fire safety issue" and they needed to leave.

The Brazilian students were offered 250 to get out and given two hours to pack up their belongings.

Michelle Connolly, of Dublin Central Housing Action, said: "There are about 10 people inside at the moment, from various housing groups such as ours."

Aaron Downey of Blanchardstown Housing Action Committee said illegal occupations were the only way for "change to happen".
An Irish DJ was caught supplying large amounts of cocaine and ecstasy to the Australian party scene. Stock photo

An Irish DJ who was caught supplying large amounts of cocaine and ecstasy to the Australian party scene has been jailed.

Stephen Donnelly (37) was one of four people arrested in Darwin in October 2017 following a multi-agency police operation.

He was sentenced to six years and nine months at the Supreme Court in Darwin today.

Donnelly, from Co Meath, previously played in clubs across Ireland and moved to Australia in 2011.

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"I totally accept I am an absolute idiot," he said whilst giving evidence at a previous hearing.

Tommy Ransley, a 32-year-old UK national who was leader of the drug syndicate, was also jailed for six years, while French glamour model Sebastian Ducros (24) will be released and deported in October.

The two men paid Ducros and a Darwin local to pick up a package of 5,000 ecstasy tablets and almost $700,000 (447,595) worth of cocaine hidden in noodle containers, police said.

The pair then travelled back to Darwin and dropped the package at a Darwin CBD storage shed. They were arrested shortly after.

Police said the drug syndicate transported the drugs from Europe into Australia.

A package containing 1.2kg of MDMA pills and 127 grams of cocaine hidden in containers was seized by police.

"This is another excellent result for Taskforce Nemesis, which is committed to providing a multi-agency approach to combat illicit substances that enter the Territory," Detective Senior Sergeant Stringer said on Northern Territory's Facebook page.

"The message to drug traffickers is simple: Your business is not welcome here, and we will continue to use all resources available to dismantle your trade and bring you to justice.

Police allege that on 8 October, two males traveled to Mount Isa where they collected a package containing drugs.

"The pair then travelled back to Darwin on 11 October and dropped the package at a Darwin CBD storage shed. They were arrested shortly after.

"A third male attended the shed and collected items from the package. Upon doing so, members from Taskforce Nemesis and the Territory Response Group arrested him."
A petition to withdraw an invitation to pro-LGBT priest James Martin from the World Meeting of Families event has gained nearly 10,000 signatures.

The petition summary states that Fr James Martin should not be invited to the event as he supports transgenderism for children, and favours homosexuals kissing during the mass.

Fr Martin said recently that LGBT Catholics bring unique gifts to the Church; both as individuals and as a community. These gifts build up the church in special ways, as St. Paul wrote when he compared the People of God to a human body.

The petition was started by the Irish branch of Tradition, Family, Property.

They have posted the petition alongside an open letter to Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin asking him to stop the cleric from speaking at the event. The petition will also be sent to Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin, Bishop Raymond Field and Bishop Eamonn Walsh.

The letter states: Fr Martin is a supporter of New Ways Ministry, a pro homosexual and lesbian religious organisation which has been declared gravely unacceptable by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He has publicly accepted an award from this group, delivered a talk at their event and subsequently developed this talk in to a book.

Fr Martin is also in disagreement with the Catechism of the Catholic Churchs reference to homosexual inclination as gravely disordered.

In this way he would prevent those with same sex inclination from arriving at a true understanding of their condition in the light of church teaching and Gods mercy. This is a great disservice to those whom he purports to help.

We believe that sowing error and confusion should have no place at the World Meeting of Families. For this reason, we strongly request you to disinvite Fr James Martin from speaking at so important an event.

Fr Martin has previously spoken about his support of LGBT people in the Church, and the need to make them feel included in their own Church. He has been invited to speak at the World Meeting of Families event during Pope Franciss visit this month.

Speaking to America magazine recently, he said, We need to see LGBT people as full members of the church, by virtue of their baptism. They need to know that God loves them and their church accepts them.

Independent.ie has reached out to the organisers of the World Meeting of Families for a comment.
THIS is the first picture of Christopher Lenihan, who has been jailed for threatening to make his ex-partner's personal photographs public after she reported him to gardai for savagely assaulting her.

Lenihan (28) was jailed last week after an incident in which he:

* Held Grace Brady down and punched her repeatedly in the head during an attack in a room at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght in Dublin, on January 13, 2017.

* Pulled her back by grabbing her hair and pulling clumps of it from her head when she tried to get away from him.

* Put his hands over her mouth to try to stop her screaming, leaving her unable to breathe.

* Bit her arm.

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* Slapped her phone out of her hands and hit her when she tried to call for help.

* Sent a barrage of abusive texts to her after she reported the assault to gardai.

* Threatened to circulate personal photographs of her.

The court heard that the couple had gone to the hotel for the night to mark their four-month anniversary after Lenihan had spent the afternoon drinking.

Ms Brady joined him later and they continued drinking but later that evening Lenihan "flipped" and was "like a mad man". She said he had a terrifying look in his eyes.

She told gardai that the ordeal continued all night and Lenihan acted in a very threatening manner.

The next morning, Lenihan said he was sorry and Ms Brady convinced him to leave the room. She then called hotel staff and gardai came and arrested Lenihan.

Garda Geraldine Ross said that when she met Ms Brady the next day, she saw she had bruising to her face and lips.

She said she also noticed an older, very large bruise on her arm and asked her about this.

Ms Brady said that the previous week the couple were staying at the Redbank House Hotel in Skerries when Lenihan became abusive and insulting to her.

He elbowed her in the bed and got angry, and at one stage he grabbed her arm tightly.

Over the two weeks following the attack at the Plaza Hotel, Lenihan sent around 200 messages to her phone, ranging from apologetic pleading to abusive texts, Maurice Coffey BL, prosecuting, told the court.

He said that in one message, Lenihan threatened that "photos of a personal nature would be disseminated if matters didn't go his way".

Gda Ross told the court that as well as the texts, there were numerous unanswered calls and emails.

Ms Brady asked Lenihan to stop contacting her but he continued to harass her even after a warning from gardai.

Gardai arrested him at his home at Windmill Court, Kelly's Bay, Skerries, on January 31 and charged him with harassment.

Lenihan subsequently pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm to Ms Brady at the Plaza Hotel on January 13, 2017.

He also admitted harassing her on dates between January 13 and January 31, 2017.

He had one previous conviction from February 2016 for breach of a barring order.

Counsel for Lenihan said he had alcohol abuse issues and could not recall the events of the night but was deeply apologetic for his actions.

Judge Melanie Greally referred to a probation report, which suggested that Lenihan "does not display any level of remorse for his actions" and had "limited insight" into the impact of his offences.

She said the letters of remorse that were handed to her at the sentence hearing "ring hollow".

Judge Greally imposed a three-year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended on condition Lenihan undergoes 18 months probation supervision.

Dangers

Judge Greally said that it was a most serious episode of domestic violence, adding: "I don't accept alcohol for a moment to be a mitigating factor."

The director of the National Women's Council of Ireland, Orla O'Connor, said the case highlighted a number of issues surrounding the dangers for a woman leaving an abusive relationship, which it is hoped new laws will address.

"Where there is already a history of abuse, such as the breaching of a barring order, we need to ensure there are more protections for a person, and an assessment of risk, as well as a need to provide safety for a person leaving a violent or abusive partner," she said.
President of Trinity College Students Union, Lynn Ruane, has been elected to the universitys third Seanad seat.

Ruane was declared victorious on the 15th count, beating incumbent senator Sean Barrett by 116 votes.

She joins returning senators Ivana Bacik and David Norris, who were also elected to the University of Dublin constituency.

Speaking after the win, Senator Ruane (31) thanked the graduates who voted for her, as well as the people of her native Tallaght.

Ms Ruane left school shortly after completing her Junior Cert, during which time she was pregnant with her first daughter, Jordanne.

By the time she was 21, Ms Ruane had a second daughter, Jaelynne, and a career as a drugs addiction worker in her community.

She returned to education through the Trinity Access Programme at the age of 26, and went on to be elected Student Union President.

Throughout her tenure as TCD SU President, she has been vocal in her support for the Students Against Fees movement and more childcare funding for young parents pursuing third-level education.

Ms Ruane was one of the first Seanad candidates backed by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). In March, the union said it fully supported Ms Ruanes bid, alongside former USI President Laura Harmon.

All six university seats in the Seanad have been filled following Ms Ruanes election.

Independent Ronan Mullen reclaimed his NUI seat, while former Tanaiste Michael McDowell was also elected to the same panel.

Alice Mary Higgins, the daughter of President Michael D Higgins, was elected to the third and final NUI seat.

Sinn Feins Padraig McLochlainn was elected to the Industrial and Commercial Panel, while Labours Ged Nash was elected to the Labour Panel.
An Irish priest who has motor neuron disease has completed a 550km walk from the north to the south of Ireland  and raised 250,000 for motor neuron disease.

Fr Tony Coote, a former chaplain of UCD, walked from Letterkenny in Donegal to Ballydehob in Cork in 27 days.

The priest was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) less than a year ago. MND is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. It can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe.

The priest and his team began their walk in Letterkenny, Donegal on Tuesday July 10, stopping at towns in Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare and Limerick on their way.

They arrived as planned in Ballydehob in Cork on Monday

Fr Tony said: This time last year I was fit and healthy  I had no idea what was in store for me. None of us know when it might be their turn and so, Im determined to turn my experience into a positive force for future generations of MND sufferers.

Broadcaster Jonathan Healy, who is an Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) board member, said: Fr. Tony Coote is an incredible inspiration to us all, from the moment he was diagnosed, true to the man himself he automatically thought of others living with Motor Neurone Disease and how he could best help them.

Roisin Duffy, CEO of IMNDA said: The awareness and funds that Fr Tony Coote and his fantastic team have achieved is truly remarkable.

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We have three nurses that travel the length of this country visiting over 370 people with MND in their homes. We receive no funding for this vital service.

Fr Tony has really highlighted this fact right across the country and his drive will not only go towards funding an essential service but it will also go towards finding a treatment and providing some hope for future generations

Following the initial shock of his diagnosis, Tony resolved to do something positive.

He said: Im not afraid of death. Of course Im afraid of losing my independence and, even though I struggle with it, I get up every morning and say Lord thank you for today, please help me through the rest of it. It is frustrating because everything is slower and takes longer. But Im not angry. I dont ask why me. Things happen in life and I leave myself in the hands of God.

Professor Orla Hardiman of Trinity College Dublin said the money raised by Fr Coote and his team will be put to very good use.

"We have already identified the projects that this donation will support. The projects will find better ways to measure the effects of new drugs, and to speed up new discoveries.
The impact of the tougher new emissions testing system that kicks in next month can be highlighted this week - for good and bad.

A major analysis warns that several manufacturers face being hit hard as their vehicles return much higher emission data under the new WLTP regime.

The data experts JATO are warning that the chasm between old and new figures will hit many marques harder than they expected.

The organisation says that the gap between new WLTP and old NEDC is much wider than anticipated.

Yet, at the same time, the likes of Toyota here are saying that their hybrids are faring particularly well, with 2019-arrival models registering 10pc lower than with the old (NEDC) test.

Just to recap: The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) is replacing the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

The WLTP test better reflects real-word conditions.

After September 1 only new cars that have been WLTP-tested can be sold. But a special device, called Co2mpass, has been devised to put the WLTP test results in current context (called NEDC2).

So effectively it is the NEDC2 data that comes into force on September 1.

And they are the C02 figures manufactures will report until full WLTP applies in 2020.

At that stage, C02 reported figures are expected to be significantly higher than they were under NEDC.

Last week we revealed that BMW owners face a minimal, yet 600, hike in some prices under the new system (the 520d was given as an example).

This week, Toyota are claiming their emphasis on hybrid has contributed to favourable results.

According to marketing director Michael Gaynor they are still finalising their NEDC2 figures for some hybrids.

"But I can confirm that hybrid performs very well under NEDC2," he said.

"The C-HR hybrid (crossover) actually shows a 1pc decrease under NEDC2, with some new hybrids launching in 2019 coming in 10pc less."

On a more general note, JATO are saying the average gap between old and new tests is 18.3g/km higher in luxury vehicles.

That could have big implications for price and road tax if the new data shunts them into a higher tax band, given they are usually already in fairly high brackets.

According to the JATO data, small and city cars are faring best, with an average increase of 6.6g/km expected.

However, there is an average 16.7g/km increase predicted in medium-sized SUVs, for example.

The danger, as already illustrated, is not allowing for the fact that some of these cars can fare much better than others of their sector.

The JATO revelation followed analysis of a sample of the cars that have been re-homologated.

As previously reported, the European Commission has recommended that consumers should not be penalised under the new measuring system.
Aoife Walsh, from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, at Punchestown Racecourse in Naas, Co. Kildare. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile

She made a name for herself in the Big Apple, but Aoife Walsh has admitted life in New York wasn't always as easy when it came to making friends.

The former Miss Ireland (29) signed with a modelling agency in the US last year and quickly hit the ground running.

She now divides her time between Dublin and New York, but is trying to spend more time at home.

Asked about what the other models in the city are like, Aoife admitted it's sometimes tough to make "a connection" with them.

"I wouldn't necessarily say they're bitchy," she said, "but I just think there's so many over there it's very hard to make a friendship with them.

"There are hundreds of girls going for casting. It's just a different environment."

Aoife, who won Miss Ireland in 2013, has been a familiar face in the Irish industry for years and reckons the smaller scale of it means it's easier to get to know everyone.

"I just think it's harder in New York because the industry is so much bigger. You'd be going on a casting with girls and you might hit it off, but you won't necessarily ever see them again.

"I think it's easier in Ireland because the industry is smaller and everyone knows everyone.

"You see the same faces all the time, so you build a relationship. You just see them more often."

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The Tipperary woman, who was at home to celebrate her birthday last weekend, is not the first Irish model who has tried to make it abroad.

Another former Miss Ireland, Emma Waldron, moved to New York in 2015 and collaborated with some of the biggest names in the media industry, including broadcasting legend Larry King.

Shahira Barry has lived in Los Angeles for several years and previously worked as a stand-in for reality star Kim Kardashian, while Andrea Roche model Sarah Tansey also spent a while in New York.

"Me and Sarah used to work in Abercrombie and Fitch before I was Miss Ireland. I think she might have been modelling at the time," said Aoife, who previously studied to become a primary school teacher.

"She was a great adviser to me because she'd been there before."

Aoife isn't sure where she will ultimately settle, but thinks it's important to strike while the iron is hot.

"Roughly, maybe a month on, a month off kind of a thing," she said.

"I don't really have set dates. I definitely want to do a little bit more in Ireland because I just really enjoy being at home.

"It's a lot of go, go, go, but sure, look, you're only young once. In a couple of years I don't know where I'll be, so I'm just trying to make the most of it."
Kendall Jenner has revealed she took a break from the catwalk because she was on the verge of a mental breakdown (Ian West/PA Wire)

Kendall Jenner has revealed she took a break from the catwalk because she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

The 22-year-old supermodel told Love Magazine she stayed away from fashion shows in Europe and New York City in 2017 due to concerns over her mental health.

She said: Last season I didnt do any shows. Just cause I was working in LA and I was like Oof, I cant right now  Im gonna go crazy. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Jenner returned to the catwalk in June this year for Versace in Milan.

She is part of the famous Kardashian-Jenner family along with her sisters Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Kylie.

The siblings boast enormous social media followings and a reality TV series  Keeping Up With The Kardashians  centred on their lives.

Jenner said she was blessed with her life but admitted she was sometimes overcome by the fame.

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She said: I feel very, very blessed and I think that I live a very extraordinary life. I wouldnt change it for the world but there are days where I wish I could walk outside and nothing would be like it is right now.

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This is not the first time Jenner has opened up on her mental health struggles. In April last year she told Harpers Bazaar she suffered from panic attacks.

She said: They wake me up from my sleep, and I need to stand up and I pace and Im freaking out and crying. I dont feel normal and I like to feel as normal as I can.
An Iranian-born designer has showcased models wearing burkas and dressed as police officers at a fashion show in Denmark.

The bold statement comes days after a law banning the full face coverings worn by some Muslim women took effect in the country.

Reza Etamadi said of his MUF10 brands Copenhagen Fashion Week show: I have a duty to support all womens freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

Denmarks much-debated Burka ban has prohibited burkas and niqab  Muslim dress which only shows the eyes  in public places since August 1. Both are rare in Denmark.

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Mr Etamadi said that by enforcing the ban, authorities are violating womens rights and the free choice we in the Western world are known for and proud to have.

The government says the law is not aimed at any religion and does not ban headscarves like the more-common Muslim hijab, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.

The Danish 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.

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.

I have a principle: No man should decide what women should wearReza Etamadi

Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws.

By enforcing the ban, authorities are violating womens rights and the free choice we in the Western world are known for and proud to have, he said in connection with the semi-annual fashion industry event.

In Iran where I was born, women fight to freely choose what to wear, Mr Etamadi said, adding: In Denmark, where I grew up, () women were free to choose how dressed or covered they wanted to dress.

I have no unanimous attitude toward the ban in general but I have a principle: No man should decide what women should wear.

On Sunday, a woman wearing a face veil became the first person in Denmark to be penalised for violating the new law, and was fined 1,000 Danish kroner (120). Police asked her to either remove the veil or leave the premises. She opted to leave.
Former UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson will refuse to apologise for saying women wearing burkas looked liked letterboxes, despite Theresa May saying his remarks were offensive.

Allies of Brexit cheerleader Johnson have accused the Conservative Party of trying to "shut down" legitimate debate about wearing burkas.

Mr Johnson sparked a row after he wrote in a column that women who wore face veils looked like bank robbers, prompting accusations he was stoking Islamophobia.

However, an ally of Mr Johnson insisted he would not be apologising, warning: "If we fail to speak up for liberal values then we are simply yielding ground to reactionaries and extremists."

Mrs May has backed a call by Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis for Mr Johnson to apologise, saying the remarks have "clearly caused offence".

Mr Johnson said should not follow Denmark in banning women from wearing burkas, but warned that they are "oppressive".
Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, front centre, tours the burnt area of Mati, east of Athens, last week. Photo: AP

Europe has been ravaged by 43pc more wildfires this year than the average for the last 10 years.

At least 15 EU countries have experienced more wildfires than usual for this time of year, according to figures from the European Forest Fire Information System.

Several countries are in the grip of unprecedented wildfires, with fears that the death toll from blazes in Greece will top 100.

Residents and tourists were forced to flee to the sea to escape flames that tore through towns near Athens.

The increase has been driven by outbreaks in areas of central and northern Europe which are not normally prone to wildfires but have been hit by heatwaves.

Sweden, experiencing an unprecedented drought and the highest temperatures in a century, has counted more than 60 fires across the country.

Fires have also hit Finland's northernmost Lapland province, and a firefighter died tackling a blaze in Norway in July.

The largest increases in fires have been seen in Sweden and the UK, both of which have seen vastly more wildfires this year than the 10-year average.

Sweden has had 74, compared with an average of three, while the UK has had 71, with an average of nine.
Firefighters help to put out a forest fire in the village of Monchique, Portugal. Photo: Rafael Marchante/Reuters

A major wildfire raged in southern Portugal for a fifth straight day yesterday - as firefighters questioned the government response.

Strong gusting winds dashed hopes that lower overnight temperatures would allow the blaze, which was 95pc under control on Monday, to be contained.

More than 1,200 firefighters, supported by 19 planes, are involved in the operation. But flames are racing through dry and largely inaccessible woodland.

The fire came within 500 metres of the fire department in Monchique, a town of 2,000 people about 250km south of Lisbon, as officials evacuated scores of houses. Emergency services say 29 people have been hurt in the wildfire.

An unknown number of homes - believed to number in the dozens, according to local reports - in the forested hills have burned down.

The firefighting effort drew criticism, with some claiming poor organisation is thwarting the operation. Monchique was identified as a high risk area months ago.

The National Association of Professional Firemen and the Professional Firemen's Trade Union issued a joint statement saying that the government's recent reorganisation of firefighting capabilities need to be reassessed and rethought.

The organisations asked for a "very urgent" meeting with interior minister Eduardo Cabrita.
Hundreds of crop pickers have held a one-day strike and protest march in south-eastern Italy to protest the exploitation of migrant farm workers.

Labour union activists organised the strike and march from the shanty town of San Severo to the city of Foggia after 16 farm workers died in two recent road accidents in the Foggia area.

Flanked by labour leaders, the protesters held signs reading Never Slaves and We are workers, not meat for the butcher. Many waved flags of the left-wing USB labour union.

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Workers said there was running water or electricity in the shanty town. Activists said crop pickers are charged for rides in overcrowded, rundown vans to the fields and orchards where they spend long hours labouring in the sun.

The farm workers who were killed on Saturday and Monday were riding in vans that collided with trucks carrying tomatoes. Prosecutors are investigating to determine if the vans are safe.

Most of the crop pickers who work in Italys verdant Puglia region are foreigners, typically from Africa or eastern Europe. Union leaders and the farm workers themselves contend they are often paid below union wages.

Italys previous centre-left government successfully lobbied in 2016 for a law intended to prevent the exploitation of agriculture workers, both migrants and Italians. It authorised stiffer penalties for labour recruiters and employers.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who heads Italys new populist government, told reporters on Wednesday that enforcement of the law must be improved.
Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, centre right, has unveiled a package of measures to assist farmers (Ivan McDonnell/AAP Image via AP)

Farmers in Australias most populous state have been given enhanced authority to shoot kangaroos because of the drought.

The conditions in New South Wales state this year have been the driest and most widespread since 1965.

The conditions mean kangaroos have been competing with livestock for sparse pasture during the intensely dry spell.

We understand the mental toll the drought takes on farmers, families and rural communities.  Malcolm Turnbull  (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 5, 2018

The state government said on Wednesday that 100% of New South Wales land area of more than 309,000 square miles was now in drought.

The government has also lifted the number of kangaroos that farmers are allowed to shoot and reduced bureaucratic red tape facing landholders applying for permission to shoot.

We wont leave you behind.

Weve got your back. pic.twitter.com/JuITamrDJf  Malcolm Turnbull  (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 5, 2018

Australias prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled a package of measures to assist farmers coping with the conditions.

New South Wales primary industries minister Niall Blair said farmers were enduring one of the driest Southern Hemisphere winters on record.

This is tough. There isnt a person in the state that isnt hoping to see some rain for our farmers and regional communities, Mr Blair said in a statement.

The requirement to tag dead kangaroos to keep a tally of the number shot across the state had been dispensed with.

We see this as probably the worst possible outcome for the kangaroo, but I've got to emphasise we do understand the plight that farmers are inRay Borda

Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left, Mr Blair said.

If we dont manage this situation, we will start to see tens of thousands of kangaroos starving and suffering, ultimately leading to a major animal welfare crisis, he added.

But Ray Borda, president of the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia, which represents commercial shooters who hunt kangaroos for meat and leather, raised animal welfare concerns about the regulation changes.

Anybody on the land that will make a phone call to the Department of Environment can get permission to shoot almost whatever they want to shoot and its unaudited and unchecked and thats our concern  animal welfare, Mr Borda told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The government would have been better off subsidising professional shooters to reduce kangaroo numbers more humanely, he said.

We see this as probably the worst possible outcome for the kangaroo, but Ive got to emphasise we do understand the plight that farmers are in, Mr Borda said.
Glencores shares were hit when news of the money laundering investigation broke (Xstrata/PA)

Glencore has posted a rise in earnings for the half-year, but remained tight-lipped on an ongoing money-laundering probe by the US Department of Justice.

The mining giant said its adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 23% to 8.3 billion US dollars (6.4 billion) in the first half, up from 6.7 billion US dollars (5.2 billion) during the same period last year.

However this was lower than the 8.5 billion US dollars analysts were expecting.

Weve just announced our financial results for H1 2018  a record-breaking first half. Watch the highlights here and read the release on our website: https://t.co/GDfCHAez9y #GlencoreResults pic.twitter.com/AR2Ov8Nmtx  Glencore (@Glencore) August 8, 2018

Glencore, which is currently involved in an anti-money laundering probe by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), said market conditions would remain volatile.

Liberum analyst Ben Davis said this was due to the timing of copper shipments, which delayed sales to the second half.

Mr Davis said: There was no increase in the announced 1 billion US dollar buyback programme, which we thought to be possible given the continued weakness in the shares, or any update on the DOJ investigation.

Production is weighted to the second half, but we expect continued weakness in earnings momentum as China demand slows with the real estate sector.

Glencores shares were down 7.1p or 2.1% to 319.2p in early trading on Wednesday.

The slides for our financial results are now available on our website: https://t.co/tjkbj3c3yR #GlencoreResults pic.twitter.com/TBBksEFvH5  Glencore (@Glencore) August 8, 2018

Glencore shares tumbled after the mining giant announced that it had been slapped with a subpoena in the US, with the DOJ demanding documents relating to the firms business in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Venezuela over the past 11 years.

The company has previously said it will co-operate with the DOJ.

Glencores chief executive, Ivan Glasenberg, said: While broader market conditions are likely to remain volatile, confidence in our business prospects and current share trading levels point to near-term focus on de-leveraging and shareholder returns/buybacks funded through cash generation.

We remain focused on creating value for shareholders through the disciplined allocation of long-term capital.
The most serious challenge to the Iranian establishment in a decade came this year - but it wasn't from the US or Donald Trump.

Instead it was the people who confronted the powers that be. And it could be the people who bring the regime crashing down, albeit with a helpful nudge from Mr Trump's latest sanctions.

Iranian protesters have been out on the streets for months calling for the fall of the government and berating its handling of the country's deepening economic crisis.

Farmers in the rural north angered over rising egg prices to the devout in the holy city of Qom, have joined the demonstrations.

In the past when things were going badly, Iranians blamed outside forces. They always believed their governments, which in the decades since the 1979 Islamic Revolution have pointed the finger at the US, or 'The Great Satan', as the source of all its problems.

This time, the public have been turning their frustrations on their own leaders instead.

Some shout "Death to the Ayatollah (Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader)", "We don't want incompetent officials," scream others.

It is hard to tell just how big the protests are as the authorities quickly shut down the internet in areas of unrest and foreign journalists are denied access.

Frustration

"Prices are rising again, but the reason is government corruption, not US sanctions," said Ali, a 35-year-old decorator in Tehran.

Some see US hostility as a fact of life, so their frustration is largely directed at their leaders for not handling the situation better.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday rejected Mr Trump's offer to discuss the nuclear deal, but he will need to talk with the US eventually.

Many of those out on the streets have been angry working-class, demonstrating against spiralling food prices and the plummeting value of the rial, which has dropped 80pc in a year.

They complain that their government is spending billions on propping up proxies in foreign wars in Yemen and Syria, at their expense.

The first wave of sanctions - targeting Iran's access to US banknotes and key industries including cars and carpets - will hit the poor hardest but will hurt the middle class too.

Analysts believe that if and when the middle class joins the demonstrations, the establishment will have a real problem on its hands. The sanctions are a blunt weapon, which will further destabilise the already wobbly economy.

As the US's former Iran ambassador, John Limbert, put it - the US is not interested in an agreement with Iran, but rather a complete surrender.

Such a scenario is a long way off, but if protests continue to expand, Tehran may have more reason to negotiate. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Colombias President Ivan Duque after receiving the presidential sash during his inauguration ceremony (Fernando Vergara/AP)

Colombias youngest elected president has been sworn in to office, promising to make corrections to a peace deal with leftist rebels that has divided the country.

Ivan Duque, the 42-year-old protege of a powerful right-wing former president, now faces the task of implementing the historic accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) that ended a half century bloody conflict, but which remains on shaky ground.

He will also have to deal with burgeoning coca and cocaine production that has strained relations with key ally Washington and negotiate a peace with a holdout guerrilla army.

The moment has come for all of us to unite to fight against illegal groups, Mr Duque said in his inauguration speech to more than a dozen heads of state, promising to get tough on crime, drug trafficking groups and other armed and rebel groups.

The new president said he believed in the demobilisation, disarmament and reinsertion of the guerrilla base into society under the accord with the Farc.

But he added that we will make corrections to ensure that the victims receive truth, proportional justice, reparations and not a repetition after a conflict that left at least 260,000 dead, some 60,000 missing and millions displaced.

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In another nod to conservatives who have demanded tougher negotiation terms with rebel groups, Mr Duque said he will push for a constitutional reform that makes it impossible for the government to grant amnesty to individuals who have been involved in drug trafficking and kidnappings.

Mr Duque will have to lead peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN), a guerrilla army of some 2,000 fighters that began talks with Mr Duques predecessor, Juan Manuel Santos.

He said the talks with the ELN will hinge on whether the group ceases its attacks on Colombias military and accepts international monitoring.

We have to construct a culture that respects the rule of law, Mr Duque said as he spoke on a large blue stage on Bogotas largest public square.

Mr Duques detractors fear he will be little more than a puppet for Alvaro Uribe, the ex-president who led a referendum defeat of the initial version of a peace accord with the Farc rebels.

Mr Uribe is still backed by millions of Colombians, though he is perhaps equally detested by legions who decry human rights abuses during his administration.

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On Tuesday, hours before the inauguration ceremony, thousands gathered at public squares in Bogota and a dozen more cities across Colombia to express their opposition to Mr Duque.

At the rallies, protesters bore white flags and signs that called for the preservation of the peace deal.

We are ready for dialogue, said opposition Senator Ivan Cepeda, one of Mr Duques and Mr Uribes fiercest critics.

But we are also ready to mobilise and exert our opposition if he enacts policies that limit peoples rights.

Mr Duque is taking office as a spate of attacks and the killings of social activists have underlined that peace remains a relative term.

On Monday night, a motorcycle bomb exploded outside a police station in the western province of Cauca.

The National Liberation Army, a smaller guerrilla group that is still in peace talks, last week kidnapped three policemen and a soldier in an attack that highlighted the governments struggle to bring law and order to Colombias most remote areas.

If Duque is not able to solve this problem and find a way to bring the state into the countryside, were going to keep having the same problems weve had for decades, said Jorge Gallego, a professor at Colombias Rosario University.

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The new president has promised a harder line against drug trafficking that includes bringing back the aerial fumigation of coca crops, a policy that was stopped by Mr Santos administration three years ago over health concerns, but is supported by the US government.

Cocaine production has doubled in Colombia over the past two years, according to US government estimates.

Mr Duque has undergone a quick transformation from unknown technocrat to president of South Americas second most populous nation, thanks in large part to the support of Mr Uribe.

Just four years ago, Mr Duque was a Washington suburbanite with a job at an international development bank.

It was there that he developed close ties to MrUribe, assisting the former president when he taught a course at Georgetown University.

In 2014, Mr Uribe propelled Mr Duque into the political limelight when he encouraged him to return to Colombia to run for a Senate seat and placed him on a list of newcomer candidates that he urged his multitude of supporters to elect.
Flames leap above a vehicle as the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, burns near Clearlake Oaks, California. Photo: Getty

Thousands of fire crews battling to bring California's biggest ever wildfire under control are now facing soaring temperatures and high winds.

The Mendocino Complex, which has spread to cover 283,000 acres - almost the size of Los Angeles - formed on Monday when two wildfires merged at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest.

It is the largest of eight major fires burning out of control across California, prompting a "major disaster" to be declared in the state.

The Mendocino Complex has burnt 75 homes and forced thousands to be evacuated.

Conditions are also about to become worse for the fire crews, with temperatures forecast to reach 43C in Northern California over the next few days, with gusty winds fanning the flame.

The 3,900 crews battling the Mendocino Complex have been focusing on keeping flames from breaking through fire lines on a ridge above the foothill communities of Nice, Lucerne, Glen Haven, and Clearlake Oaks, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire said.

Cabins

Elsewhere in California, evacuations were ordered for cabins in Cleveland National Forest canyons in Orange County on Monday afternoon after a blaze broke out and quickly spread to span 700 acres.

The Carr Fire - which has torched 164,413 acres north of Sacramento since breaking out on July 23 - was said to be 47pc contained.

The Carr Fire has been blamed for seven deaths, including 21-year-old Pacific Gas and Electric Company lineman Jay Ayeta, who was killed in a vehicle crash as he worked with crews in dangerous terrain.

US President Donald Trump weighed in with a tweet in which he claimed: "California wildfires are being magnified and made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren't allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilised."

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection would not comment on the tweet but said crews did not lack water to fight the flames.

Environmental activists and some politicians say that the intensity of the state's wildfire season could be linked in part to climate change.
Donald Trump broke from the multi-national deal on Iran in May, claiming that Iran was exploiting the agreement. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

US President Donald Trump yesterday issued a warning to US trading partners thinking of continuing to do business with Iran in defiance of his newly reimposed sanctions.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States," Mr Trump said in an early morning tweet.

"I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!"

The first set of US "snap back" sanctions against Iran that had been eased under the landmark nuclear accord signed by President Barack Obama went back into effect early yesterday under an executive order signed by Mr Trump.

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They will be targeting financial transactions that involve US dollars, Iran's automotive sector, carpets, food, and metals including gold.

Pressure

The stiff economic sanctions have ratcheted up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite deep dismay from European allies, three months after Trump pulled the US out of the international accord limiting Iran's nuclear activities.

The European Union, which includes several signatories to the deal, has already said that it would provide protection for European businesses operating in Tehran.

Alistair Burt, the British minister of state for the Middle East, has also reassured UK companies they would be shielded by a new law that aims to mitigate what EU officials say is an unlawful reach beyond US borders.

However, a number of major European companies, including French oil company Total and Danish tanker operator Maersk, have already halted business with Tehran after failing to secure a waiver from the US sanctions.

Mr Trump withdrew the US from the deal in May, citing fears that Iran was using it as cover to destabilise the Middle East and build up its ballistic missile programme while enjoying the economic benefits of the agreement.

However, EU ministers have insisted that Iran was upholding its end of the 2015 nuclear accord and said that the deal was "crucial for the security of Europe, the region and the entire world".

In a statement issued on Monday just hours before the sanctions went back into effect, Mr Trump said: "The Iranian regime faces a choice.

"Either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.

"I remain open to reaching a more comprehensive deal that addresses the full range of the regime's malign activities, including its ballistic missile programme and its support for terrorism."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hit back against the US president, saying: "Negotiations with sanctions doesn't make sense."

Protesters have been out on the streets of Iran for months, calling for a solution to the country's economic crisis and demanding the fall of the establishment in Tehran.

In response to the rapidly plummeting value of the Iranian rial, the Central Bank of Iran has announced measures to allocate subsidised hard currency, including US dollars and euro, for trading in basic commodities and in pharmaceuticals.

The bank has said that it will allow unlimited inflows of such currencies, as well as gold, without taxation.

Some experts said yesterday that they believed domestic pressure could soon force Mr Rouhani back to the negotiating table.

Crippling

However, others believed Mr Rouhani would not be prepared to make any new deals with the US while the crippling sanctions remained in place.

Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told the BBC: "Basically the sanctions are targeting ordinary Iranians.

"The US under Trump are trying to create mass poverty, trying to destroy people's lives, prevent the country from even being able to import medicine and food.

"They are trying to halt all exports.

"It's a war. The US is engaging in war, but it's directed at ordinary Iranians.

"The hope by the Americans is to make life so miserable for Iranians that they will force the Government to capitulate to the US.

"That is what the Americans are seeking."
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday accused the US of waging "psychological warfare" with a wave of reimposed sanctions.

The United States has brought back into effect harsh penalties that had been lifted under a historic, multi-party nuclear agreement that President Donald Trump abandoned in May.

The first of two rounds of sanctions kicked in at 12:01 am, targeting Iran's access to US banknotes and key industries, including cars and carpets.

"If you're an enemy and you stab the other person with a knife, and then you say you want negotiations, then the first thing you have to do is remove the knife," Mr Rouhani said in an interview on state television.

Currency

"They want to launch psychological warfare against the Iranian nation. Negotiations with sanctions doesn't make sense."

Iranians are already seeing the effects of the sanctions, with Iran's rial currency losing around half its value since Trump announced the US would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear accord.

Mr Trump's contempt for the nuclear deal dates back to his time as presidential candidate and on May 8, he made good on a pledge to pull America out of the international agreement.

He blasted the agreement yet again on Monday, calling it a "horrible, one-sided deal (that) failed to achieve the fundamental objective of blocking all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb".

The president's unilateral decision to withdraw came despite other parties to the agreement - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the EU - pleading with him not to abandon the pact aimed at blocking Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. It highlights the US leader's go-it-alone style and his distaste for multilateral agreements.

In an executive order on Monday, Mr Trump said the sanctions seek to pile financial pressure on Tehran to force a "comprehensive and lasting solution" to Iranian threats, including its development of missiles and regional "malign" activities.

The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc, as well as Britain, France and Germany, deeply regretted Washington's move.

"We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran," she said in a statement.

Many large European firms are leaving Iran for fear of US penalties, and Mr Trump warned of "severe consequences" against firms and individuals that continued to do business with Iran.

The impact of the return of sanctions has ramped up tensions inside Iran, which has seen days of protests and strikes in multiple towns and cities over water shortages, high prices and wider anger at the political system.

Severe reporting restrictions have made it impossible to verify the swirl of claims coming through social media.

Mr Trump said he was open to reaching a deal with Iran "that addresses the full range of the regime's malign activities, including its ballistic missile programme and its support for terrorism".

John Glaser, director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, noted that the US sees the sanctions "as a tool to pressure Iran to come back to the negotiating table to rehash the nuclear deal on terms more to Trump's liking". He added: "That is not going to happen."

The second phase of US sanctions, which takes effect on November 5 and will block Iran's oil sales, is due to cause more damage.

However, several countries including China, India and Turkey have indicated they are not willing to entirely cut their Iranian energy purchases.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters global reaction showed the US was diplomatically "isolated" but acknowledged the sanctions "may cause some disruption."

Mr Rouhani's government has taken emergency measures to stem the collapse of the rial ahead of the return of sanctions.
Sergei and Yulia Skripal, who were victims of a nerve agent attack in March

Washington said on Wednesday it would impose fresh sanctions on Russia after it determined that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian agent and his daughter in Britain.

Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russias GRU military intelligence service, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found slumped unconscious on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March after a liquid form of the Novichok type of nerve agent was applied to his home's front door.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it had been determined that Russia "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals."

She said sanctions would take effect on or around Aug. 22.

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The news came as Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul said on Wednesday he had delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing cooperation.

The sanctions would be structured in two tranches, with the biggest impact from the initial sanctions expected to come from a ban on granting licenses to export sensitive national security goods to Russia, NBC reported, quoting a senior State Department official.

Responding to new US sanctions on Russia, a Downing Street spokesman said: "The UK welcomes this further action by our US allies.

"The strong international response to the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury sends an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged."
It comes after two drones armed with explosives detonated near the president on Saturday (Ariana Cubillos/AP)

President Nicolas Maduro has accused two opposition legislators of having roles in the drone attack that Venezuelan officials have called an assassination attempt on the leader.

The head of Venezuelas pro-government constitutional assembly said he would have the body take up a proposal on Wednesday to strip the politicians of their immunity from prosecution.

During a national television broadcast on Tuesday night, Mr Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects already arrested in the weekend attack pointed to key financiers and others, including Julio Borges, one of the countrys most prominent opposition leaders who is a poltician but is living in exile in Colombia.

Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The investigations point to him, Mr Maduro said, though he provided no details on Mr Borges alleged role.

Mr Borges did not immediately comment on Mr Maduros accusation.

The president also named opposition politician Juan Requesens, who was seen in a video widely circulating on social media being arrested by Venezuelas political police force.

Critics of Mr Maduros socialist government had said immediately after the attack that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opposition politicians as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuelas devastating economic collapse.

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Whatsapp Nicolas Maduro delivers his speech as his wife Cilia Flores winces and looks up after being startled by and explosion in Caracas on Saturday (Venezolana de Television via AP)

In the attack, two drones armed with explosives detonated near Mr Maduro as he spoke outdoors during a military celebration on Saturday evening.

Images on live television showed Mr Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky at one blast and then hundreds of soldiers scrambling.

Prosecutors have arrested six people who face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism.

As elected politicians, Mr Borges and Mr Requesens enjoy immunity from prosecution under Venezuelan law.

But Diosdado Cabello, the powerful socialist party leader and president of the National Constitutional Assembly, said in a tweet that he planned to introduce legislation stripping politicians of this protection.

The events come as Venezuelas economy continues to haemorrhage and thousands flee to neighbouring nations seeking food and medical care.

Mr Maduro has grown increasingly isolated, with the United States and other foreign powers slapping economic sanctions on a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and criticising his government as an autocratic regime.

The International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top one million percent by years end.

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Mr Maduro spoke for two hours from the Miraflores Presidential Palace in a presentation using polished videos showing suspects and images of the drones exploding.

One video included a purported confession by one handcuffed suspect, whose face was blurred out.

Mr Maduro also held up military hats worn by soldiers with holes in them from debris the explosion. Several soldiers seated in the audience had white bandages on their heads, apparently injured in the assassination attempt.

The president also displayed wanted posters with names and pictures of other suspects who he said are living in the United States and Colombia.

Mr Maduro said he would provide evidence to officials in both countries and ask for their cooperation handing over suspects who helped orchestrate and finance the attack.

I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices and direct responsible living in the state of Florida, Mr Maduro said.

I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump.

Mr Borges rejected the accusations on Twitter, saying Mr Maduro blames him for Venezuelas economic crisis, from cash shortages to the hyperinflation. Youre not fooling anybody, he said.

He said the incident was a farce staged to justify the persecution of opponents.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in undertook a four-day visit to India in early July, keen to improve bilateral economic and business ties between Seoul and New Delhi.

High on the visiting leaders agenda was renewing South Korean interest in Prime Minister Narendra Modis flagship Make in India campaign.

Moon and Modi were both present as Samsung, the South Korean multinational conglomerate, used the visit to launch its largest global mobile factory in Delhis National Capital Region.

After formal talks, the focus was on finding ways to ease bilateral investment challenges, deepen economic ties, and upgrade the current Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

India and South Korea also aim to increase trade and investment to US$50 billion by 2030  from the current US$20 billion.

Converging Moons New Southern Policy with Modis Act East

MoUs were signed to boost bilateral trade and investment and promote cooperation across a wide spectrum  artificial intelligence, biotechnology, railways, culture, and tourism, among others.

Overall, the MoUs reflect the complementary foreign policy agendas of India and South Korea  Modis Act East and Moons New Southern Policy.

The New Southern Policy focuses on economic cooperation and building a prosperous and people-centric community of peace in the South Asian region.

Indias Act East policy encourages further economic engagement, reinvigorating cultural and tourism relations, and developing new strategic partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both the policies converge in their directives, which will reinforce trade and investment ties through CEPA  the bilateral trade agreement in force since 2009.

India-Korea CEPA  Harvest deal negotiated

Modi and Moon have urged business communities in both countries to take advantage of the complementary requirements of the two economies and enhance the benefits available under CEPA .

The two countries signed a joint statement on July 10 upgrading negotiations under CEPA, with early harvest offers made for 35 items.

In addition, yoga and taekwondo instructors were included in the list of professionals under the Sporting and Other Recreational Services category. This means Indians can now open yoga institutes in South Korea and Koreans can open taekwondo institutes in India under the Early Harvest Package (EHP).

South Korea also agreed to eliminate tariffs over a period of time on 17 Indian products  seven fish items, beer, jams and jellies, mango, corn, and maize, among others. In particular, South Korea will reduce the import tariff on shrimps from 20 percent to zero upfront for 15,000 tons; Indias total marine exports currently stands at 2,400 tons.

India will, in turn, reduce / eliminate import tariffs for 11 items, including fish fillets and marine base oil.

With regards to the movement of professionals, the EHP increases the visa duration for information communication technology (ICT) employees to three years from one year.

These changes will move some way in correcting the trade balance between the two countries  South Korea enjoyed a trade surplus of US$12 billion in 2017-18.

Bilateral trade and investment scenario

South Korea has a stronghold in the global electronics market, also reflected in its trade with India. Electronics and electrical equipment dominated Indian imports from South Korea in 2017  accounting for US$3.09 billion (Rs 211.7 billion).

India, on the other hand, exports raw goods, such as aluminum, iron and steel, organic chemicals, as well as machinery.

South Koreas business environment, much like Indias, depends largely on major family run mega-conglomerates or chaebols. Samsung, Hyundai, and LG are a few that have already made large investments in India. Indian firms in South Korea mostly belong to the IT services and consultancy category.

Several manufacturing sectors benefit from strong bilateral ties between India and South Korea  from automobiles and engineering to consumer goods.

Indias competitive labor market and Make in India policy provides South Korean companies with the impetus to invest in manufacturing here.

Further, the newly set up Korea-India Future Vision Strategy Group will identify areas of high-end technological components to boost trade and investments between the two countries.

This focus on investing and knowledge exchange in developing leapfrog technologies will open up business opportunities across several rapidly expanding sectors, including biotechnology, cyber security, healthcare, and energy.

Around 150 Korean companies from the automotive, heavy industry, food processing, and textiles sectors have shown interest in setting up in India in the coming years.

The Indian governments Korea Plus initiative is largely responsible for this.

Under this initiative, a Korea desk has been set up within the government and acts as the first point of reference for Korean companies interested in market access to India.

They assist in end-to-end services such as public relations, market or project research, and provide business intelligence services to Korean companies investing in India.

Investment prospects in electronics, infrastructure industries

Indias electronics manufacturing sector is growing at 17 percent CAGR; it is expected to cross US$228 billion (Rs 15.6 trillion) in turnover by 2020.

The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) segment has also seen rapid growth over the past few years, doubling from US$500 million (Rs 34.25 billion) in 2013 to US$1 billion (Rs 68.5 billion) in 2015. Both sectors are a stronghold for Korean manufacturers.

With the Make in India policy offering incentives for foreign companies manufacturing in India and a push to increase the number of electric vehicles on Indian roads  Korean investors will find a large market in India for a wide range of products from lithium batteries to electronic components to IoT in the coming years.

Indias infrastructure industry is also growing at a fast pace, with foreign investor interest keen on roads, transmission and telecommunications, and renewable energy sectors.

Currently the foreign investment landscape in this area is dominated by global pension funds, large private equity (PE) players, and long-term capital investors as well as investments from the UAE and Japan.

China, Thailand, and Malaysia are other countries bullish on Indias infrastructure market  identifying marquee projects and Indian manufacturing equipment, power, and construction companies for investment.

As India hurries to upgrade its infrastructure to match the standards of advanced economies and regional rivals, South Korean firms with long-standing experience in the sector will stand to benefit.

Meanwhile, the Export-Import Bank of Korea is pursuing a US$10 billion (Rs 685 billion) plan to support infrastructure development across India.
Aug 08: The, highly respected Court of Master Sommeliers will conduct for the first time, its examination for membership as a Master Sommelier outside the UK or the US, selecting Austria for The final Diploma, to be awarded at Klosterneuburg Abbey in Lower Austria, later this month, evidencing once again the importance given to Austria as a country focused on wine education, writes Subhash Arora

For the first time in its more than 40--year history, the court will now conduct the exam outside of the UK or the USA. On 19 & 20 August, 16 international candidates will undergo the double examination at Klosterneuburg Abbey: first, six wines from anywhere in the world must be correctly analyzed and described in a blind tasting.

This will be followed by an oral theory exam encompassing questions on the entire body of knowledge relevant to wine and its service. Only those who satisfy the highest standards of the exam will be confirmed as Master Sommeliers by the examining board consisting of Master Sommeliers (MS), according to a Press Release by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

The London-based Court of Master Sommeliers is a 40-year old institution that has been granting the Master Sommelier Diploma since 1977, with the aim of offering a top qualification in matters regarding wine for individuals in the hospitality industry. The objective has been to have a comparable title for the sommeliers that is comparable to the Master of Wine.

Master Sommelier is considered the highest level for sommeliers worldwide. Only 249 individuals have successfully completed the Diploma to qualify as Master Sommelier, highly demanding Master Sommelier training. Three Austrians are already Master Sommeliers. As a contrast, we do not have a single in India yet. Only Viraj Sawant in Mumbai is currently undergoing the training to become an MS. Earlier this March, a course was conducted followed by an examination in Mumbai by visiting Masters Sommeliers from UK.

One has to watch the movie Somm a couple of times to really grasp the grueling training one has to undergo in tasting, before joining the current 249 Somms. Gerard Basset is one of the few, if not the only one, who has received both the Master of Wine and master Sommelier titles. Considering there are not many qualified sommeliers in India, Masters of Wine seems to be more the direction people have been taking. But with the training and facilities starting in Mumbai earlier this year through Berkmann Cellars India, this route is going to become more popular in the hospitality industry.

Getting back to Austria, it has been more and more evolved in the field of education and with Josef Pepe Schuller, who celebrates 20th anniversary this year as a Master of Wine and who broke the tradition of having only a British MW as Chairperson of the Institute of Master of Wine, set up Austrian Wine Academy in Rust in Burgenland. It is today is one of the worlds most highly respected wine education institutes. In addition, the Sommelierunion Austria played an important role in Austria being chosen by the Court of Master Sommeliers for the final exam.

Willi Klinger, Managing Director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is very pleased about yet another feather in the cap of Austria. He says, The fact that, for the first time, the Master Sommelier examination will be taking place here serves to confirm the extraordinary esteem that Austria enjoys among the elite of the international wine educators. We can justifiably be proud of this!

For a few of the earlier related Articles, please visit:

Seeds for SOMM to be Sowed in India

East meets West at Taj International Vine and Food Experience

Star Interview: Gerard Basset Sommelier Restaurateur Extraordinaire

Movie Review: Making of Somm and a Master Sommelier

Easier to be a Somm than a Master Sommelier

Subhash Arora
Amrish Puri was such a great on-screen villain that he would overshadow the heroes in Hindi films. With his impeccable performance in anti-hero roles, he would give nightmares to the audience. From Mogambo Khush hua to Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe, his exemplary dialogue delivery was proof of his sheer brilliance as an artiste.

Be it in a negative role or be it his roles in films like DDLJ, Amrish Puri was undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of the Hindi film industry. After all, how can one forget Jaa Simran Jaa, Jee Le Apni Zindagi.

Amrish Puri's demise came as a shock to the world of cinema. Bollywood buffs were shattered because the industry had lost a gem in 2005. It has been over a decade that he left us all for his heavenly abode and now, his grandson Vardhan Puri is all set to take his legacy forward.

Amrish Puris grandson Vardhan is gearing up to make his Bollywood debut with a yet-to-be-titled romantic thriller. Vardhan has been an actor-in-training since he was five years old. He has been learning the craft from Amrish Puris mentor and National Award-winning actor-filmmaker-writer Satyadev Dubey. The debutante has assisted Habib Faisal on Ishaqzaade and Daawat-e-Ishq and Manish Sharma on Shuddh Desi Romance. He has been a part of over 90 plays.

I have a strong inclination towards writing and direction too but acting is my first love. Initially, Dubey ji made me work backstage, serving tea to the cast and crew and cleaning the stage, after which I started getting smaller roles. I got to play a lead role when I was in my teens, he was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.

 A post shared by Vardhan Puri (@vardhanpuri02) on Jul 4, 2018 at 3:54am PDT

Talking about Amrish Puri, he said, Dadu is the God whom I pray to. I was so close to him that I would sleep between him and my grandmother. When he passed away, for me it was like losing the protective cover of an umbrella. It was then, that I decided that if I do something, it would be for my grandfather and this film is an ode to him.

Vardhan Puri said that he wouldnt sleep until his grandfather Amrish Puri returned to home from work.

Dadu and Id watch films of Dilip saab, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro till 3 am and also binge on classics like The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption.

Looks like another star kid is all set to be launched in Bollywood! Are you excited?
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's impending divorce is taking dramatic turns every year. From several accusations to dragging each other to court, there have been many twists in this never-ending tale. And now, according to a PTI report, Angelina Jolie has accused her estranged husband Brad Pitt of not extending "meaningful" child support since their separation.

Agencies

Almost two years after the Hollywood power couple separated, Jolie is trying to kickstart the process so that it can be finalized by the end of the year, reports telegraph.co.uk. Jolie's lawyer filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday saying the actress wanted a judgment returning the parties to single status during the calendar year 2018.

Agencies

"The document also said that Pitt had paid no meaningful child support since separation and said that although informal arrangements had been made with him, payments had not been regularly sustained.

Just to jog your memory a little, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, ending two years of marriage and a 10-year romance.

Agencies

The two have six children -- Maddox, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, Zahara and Knox -- for whom she is seeking primary custody. Mindy Nyby, a spokeswoman for the actress, said on Tuesday that the court filing was intended to provide closure to the marriage in a way that clears a path towards the next stage of their lives and allows her and Brad to recommit as devoted co-parents to their children.

Pitt's representatives declined to comment. A source familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said,

Agencies

"Brad is someone who fulfills his commitments."

The divorce filing, citing irreconcilable differences, triggered a bitter custody dispute during which Pitt was investigated and cleared of child abuse. Final custody arrangements have yet to be agreed.

If we talk about their professional commitments, Brad Pitt has kept a low profile in the past two years, while Jolie has recently been filming a sequel to fairytale drama Maleficent in London and directed a 2017 film about the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in which more than one million people died.
Some time ago, there were reports about Salman Khans co-star from Veergati, Pooja Dadwal battling tuberculosis for over five months. A good news has just dropped in that she got discharged from Sewri TB hospital, healthy and hearty on 7 August.

A Mumbai Mirror report claimed that after Dadwals illness was reported by the media, her Veeergati co-star extended help. Her condition was bad and she barely weighed 23 kg, when she was admitted to the hospital in March. But it was after she received help from Salman Khan's Being Human foundation that now she is fine.

Mumbai Mirror

After she was relieved from the hospital, she thanked Being Human foundation for lending support after her family abandoned her and she lost all hope of ever recovering from the illness. Talking to Mumbai Mirror, she said,

Twitter

From clothes to soaps, diapers, food, medicines, his (Salman Khan) foundation took care of everything. If I survived the ordeal, it is only because of him."

Being Human foundation provided a number of multi-vitamins and protein supplements which helped in her recovery process. Considering these medicines are expensive, this was indeed a big support she received. The doctor in-charge of Poojas case, Dr. Lalit Anande too accepted that all these positive results were possible due to the multi-vitamins and supplements.

She spoke to Mumbai Mirror and said,

A majority of the patients who come to the TB hospital are from the economically weaker section of society, who cannot afford the various multivitamins and other supplements."
Latest reports claim that Actress Ruby Rose has been roped in to play the role of a lesbian Batwoman in a series for the network The CW. Ruby Rose was also Deepika Padukone's co-star in her Hollywood debut film.

As previously announced, the character will make her debut in the annual crossover event between four of the networks DC shows: The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow,a and Supergirl, reports hollywoodreporter.com. The event will be held in December.

Greg Berlanti is also planning a stand-alone series revolving around the character. The Batwoman series, which is in development with Caroline Dries penning the script, revolves around Kate Kane, who, armed with a passion for social justice and flair for speaking her mind, soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing citys criminal resurgence.

Agencies

While saving the city, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gothams symbol of hope. Rose celebrated the news through a post on Instagram, saying she is beyond thrilled and honored. Im also an emotional wreck because this is a childhood dream, she wrote.

This is something I would have died to have seen on TV when I was a young member of the LGBT community who never felt represented on TV and felt alone and different.

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Thank you everyone. Thank you God, added the actress. Should Batwoman move to series, it would join a slate of DC shows at The CW that includes Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Black Lightning.

Roses casting comes after the network made it a priority to cast an openly gay actress to take on the role.

Roses credits include Orange Is the New Black and features in The Meg, Pitch Perfect 3 and John Wick: Chapter 2.
Did you know that your brain shrinks by about five percent every decade after the age of 40? Brain exercises, diets, supplements and different types of foods can only improve your brain so much. What your brain truly needs is a good dose of exercise to maintain its well-being.

"When you exercise you produce a chemical called brain- derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which may help to prevent age-related decline by reducing the deterioration of the brain," says Joseph Firth, from the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at Western Sydney University.

Research/Scan compliments of Dr. Chuck Hillman University of Illinois

Here are 7 incredible ways exercise can benefit the health of your brain:

#1. Betters your mood

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Exercise increases the amount of the feel-good hormones in your body which impacts your mood on the whole. It increases the number of endorphins and other chemicals that make you feel good, essentially warding off feelings of depression, anxiety and sadness. This chemical rush in your body also enhances your overall sense of wellbeing.

#2. Can increase your IQ

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Its true. Exercise can literally make you smarter. One of the largest studies published on the subject yet, found that there was a strong link between cardiovascular health and the score on IQ tests. The study also revealed that young adults between the age group 15 to 18 also saw an overall increase in your IQ.

#3. Can increase your focus and concentration

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People who are fit have a greater ability to focus their focus and concentration on tasks that require their attention and concentration. In fact, just being able to perform 30 minutes or so of moderate-to-high intensity exercise for at least once a week is able to better you attention and task making ability.

#4. Helps fight depression and anxiety

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Exercise helps soothe the activity of your nervous system. In doing so it can lower your blood pressure, regulate your breathing and slow your heart rate. This makes sure that the body is able to maintain a lower heart rate even during anxious times, without let you skip a heartbeat during anxious and tense moments.

#5. Spurs the growth of new brain cells as you age

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Although, the brain constantly regenerates itself brain tissue shrinks as we grow older, because the pace at which new brain cells develops slows down, exercise might be able to reverse that trend. Just a few months of training can show a remarkable improvement in brain density and volume. One such study show revealed that people aged between 60 to 79 showed a remarkable increase in brain volume after six months of aerobic training.

#6. Helps you control your emotions better

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To be able to control a burst of anger, feeling of sadness or anxiety is test of the control of your cognitive abilities. A study revealed that just a 2-month participation in physical exercise can cause multiple changes in behavioural patterns, which included a decrease in emotional stress and increase in emotional control.

#7. Exercise boosts your memory

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Considering exercise can boost our cognition, it shouldnt come as a surprise that it can also boost your memory. In fact, research reveals that even mild-to-moderate physical activity, such as walking, yoga or resistance training can help maintain your cognitive health. It helps enhance your working memory. That enables you to store phone numbers in your head when you dial.
Many in the field of psychiatry have arrived at the one definite conclusion: 'Not all psychopaths are serial killers, but all serial killers are psychopaths.' One common mistake we all make is thinking that they're geniuses gifted with exceptional IQs. But that's where we're wrong. If anything, a serial killer is a psychopath with deadly intentions. A psychopath is not to be confused with a sociopath. A sociopath is any person displaying anti-social behaviour that is often the result of environmental factors. In the case of a psychopath, the condition is intrinsic and not acquired. According to what Dr Stephen McWilliams writes on thejournal.ie, the psychopath is not a recent product either.

Around 300 BC, one of Aristotle's students, Theophrastus, identified 'psychopathic traits' in who he called the 'unscrupulous man.' Dr McWilliams goes on to explain that Greek and Roman mythology, the Bible, even the plays of Shakespeare are filled with stories of individuals with psychopathic traits. Back in the 18th-century, French psychiatrist Philippe Pinel tried explaining immoral and antisocial behaviour with the term 'mania sans delire.' People with such traits don't really show any particular signs of mental illness and live out their life in society just fine. Take the much-known case of Ann Rule, author of countless true crime novels. She worked with Ted Bundy and the two were great friends until the day she realised he was a murderer, something she writes about in 1980's 'The Stranger Beside Me.' Ted Bundy was the same person who went on to say, "I don't feel guilty for anything. I feel sorry for people who feel guilt."

But where do serial killers, criminals come from?

Is torturing animals at an early age mean a person will become a serial killer? Is it necessary that gruesome scenes from early childhood turn an individual in to a serial killer later? How are serial killers made? Modern works of fiction, books and movies, provide some insight. Lionel Shrivers novel 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' follows a mother's attempt to understand the mind of her teenage son after he guns down children at his school. In Thomas Harris' novels, 'Red Dragon' and 'The Silences of the Lambs' not to mention the Hannibal trilogy, made into movies later, Hannibal Lecter was a forensic psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer who is is also described as a character with high intelligence but one without any conscience and moral boundaries. He tortured animals as a kid, and in one television adaptation, even saw his sister being killed and eaten. This brings us back to the question, are serial killers made or are they born?

While there's no definite answer for this, some experts suggest that most psychopathic killers have an 'overwhelming desire to kill,' and experiencing violence in childhood tips the scales greatly. An article on Psychology Today reads, the causes of remain a mystery.' Studies have even gone as far as suggesting that psychopathic traits have more to do with genes than with upbringing. Here were revisit some

Here are 13 disturbing quotes from some of history's most manipulative and deadly serial killers:

1. Ted Bundy

"We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow."

Im the most cold-hearted son-of-a-bitch youll ever meet.

You feel the last bit of breath leaving their body. Youre looking into their eyes. A person in that situation is God!



AP

Ted Bundy (Theodore Robert Bundy) is remembered as America's most evil serial killer. Between 1974 and 1978, Bundy sexually assaulted and murdered 28 women in Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon and Florida. Other estimates claims he killed hundreds. He was finally executed in an electric chair in Florida in 1989.

2. Zodiac Killer

"I like killing people because it is so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of them all."

Wikipedia/Zodiac Killer Facts

The Zodiac Killer to date remains unidentified. Between the late '60s and early '70s, he claims to have murdered 37 people but officials could only tie him to five. According to one survivor's description, he had worn an executioners mask with a circle-cross symbol, a symbol he signed off with in the letters he wrote to Bay Area newspapers seeking credit for the murders. It was in a 1969 letter to The San Francisco Examiner that he first identified himself as the Zodiac. In 1974, the letters abruptly stopped. The search for the perpetrator continues to date.

3. Charles Manson

"I'm Jesus Christ. Whether you want to accept it or not, I don't care."

If youre going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy.



AP

Charles Manson was released from prison in 1967 after having served time for crimes that included auto theft, burglary and larceny. By '68, he was the leader of the 'Family,' a religious cult that blondly followed his equally ridiculous religious preaching. He preached in order to achieve the ultimate goal: an apocalyptic race war that would leave the Family at the top and in total control. The period between 1968 and 1969 shows how strong his hold over his followers was; there were several murders the Family committed during that time. The one gained him more notoriety was the murder of Sharon Tate, famed director Roman Polanski's wife, who was heavily pregnant on 9 August, 1969 which is when she along with three of her friends was killed in her home in Los Angeles. There was national interest in Manson's trial that followed. He finally died from cardiac arrest on 19 November, 2017.

4. John Wayne Gacy, 'Serial Killer Clown'



The only thing they can get me for is running a funeral parlor without a license.

A clown can get away with murder.



Chicago Reader

John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer and rapist who murdered 33 boys and men. It was in 1968 when he was convicted of sexual assault that the murders were discovered. But it wasn't till much later in 1980, Gacy having maintained his innocence all these years, that he was found guilty before finally being executed by lethal injection in 1994. He was a performer who would dress as a clown at kids' parties. He was also known as 'serial killer clown' because he also liked to dress like Pogo the clown, reportedly his alter ego, when he murdered people.

5. H.H. Holmes, 'The American Ripper'

"I struck him to the floor with a heavy chair when he, with one cry for help ending in a groan of anguish, ceased to breathe."

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If the name confuses you and make you draw a connection between Jack the Ripper and The American Ripper, then you're not the only one. Experts have often wondered if the two men were the same. There's not much in H.H. Holmes' story to go by either; everything from the number of people he killed to the manner in which he killed them, remains shrouded in mystery. While police at the time found him guilty of murdering ten people, he confessed to murdering at least 27. Some others suggest he easily murdered hundreds. What probably adds to the mystery is the construction of the 'murder mansion' that Holmes' used to trap and kill his victims in. According to the blueprints, 51 doorways opened to nowhere, there were 100 windowless rooms and two staircases that led nowhere.

6. Jeffrey Dahmer

"The killing was a means to an end. That was the least satisfactory part. I didn't enjoy doing that. That's why I tried to create living zombies with uric acid in the drill [to the head], but it never worked. No, the killing was not the objective. I just wanted to have the person under my complete control, not having to consider their wishes, being able to keep them there as long as I wanted*."

*Interview with Stone Phillips, Dateline NBC

I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex for each one, put in the upper portion of the body and boiled that for about two hours and then the lower portion for another two hours. The Soilex removes all the flesh, turns it into a jelly like-like substance and it just rinses off. Then I laid the clean bones in a light bleach solution, left them there for a day and spread them out on either newspaper or cloth and let them dry for about a week in the bedroom.



AP

Jeffrey Dahmer breathed his last in a prison in 1994 where he was killed by a prison mate. He reached there after being found guilty of murdering 17 males between 1978 and 1991. Dahmer's notorious game concluded after he was arrested on 22 July, 1991, the same day the police saw a man in handcuffs walking down the street. This man claimed he was drugged and restrained by a 'weird dude' who turned out to be Dahmer.

7. Albert Fish, 'The Boogey Man'



I like children, they are tasty.

"First I stripped her naked. How she did kick  bite and scratch. I choked her to death then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms, cook and eat it. How sweet and tender her little ass was roasted in the oven. It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. I did not fuck her, though, I could of [sic] had I wished. She died a virgin."

AP

If you ignore the facade of a helpless old grandfather, Albert Fish will make you believe that monsters don't necessarily live under your bed. He grew up in an orphanage, worked as a prostitute, and was sexually assaulting young boys by the time he was 20 years old. A marriage (and six kids), a sadomasochistic relationship with a man (where he chopped off half his penis), and his wife eventually leaving him all contributed to the next stage that gained him true notoriety: cannibalism. As is the case in most 'missing' cases, he selected African-American kids no one would miss, and using his 'implements from Hell,' tortured them, slaughtered them and ate them. Once caught, he claimed to have had a child in every state. His victims are anywhere between three and nine in number, but the number dulls in comparison to the nature of the crimes. The Boogey Man was caught and given the electric chair treatment.

8. Edmund Kemper, 'The Co-ed Killer'



One side of me says, I'd like to talk to her, date her. The other side of me says, I wonder what her head would look like on a stick?

I remember there was actually a sexual thrill . . . you hear that little pop and pull their heads off and hold their heads up by the hair. Whipping their heads off, their body sitting there. Thatd get me off.



Wikipedia/Santa Cruz County Sheriff



The one thing about 'Ed' Kemper that really stuck, alongside his crimes, was his height. He grew to 6 feet 9 inches, living days marred with abuse and neglect. At 15, his mother kept him locked in the basement for fear he would harm his two sisters while constantly reminding him no girl would ever love him. He ran away to live with his father who then remarried and sent him packing to his grandparents' house. Kemper ended up killing his grandmother with his grandfathers .22 caliber rifle, and then shot his grandfather. Kemper was sent to Atascadero State Hospital's criminally insane unit from where he was released in 1969. He had an IQ of 145 and knew how to handle his probation psychologists: he knew exactly what to say. His crime started a year later and he raked up a list of 10 victims. He would pick up hitchhikers, women, kill them and then sex with their dead bodies. Dismemberment followed. In '73, he killed his mother, cut off her head and had sex with it. Her tongue and larynx he threw out with the trash. Kemper has attempted suicide and even asked for capital punishment but continues to live on having spent 5000 hours recording tapes for the blind.

9. Dennis Rader, 'The BTK Killer'

"Yes, I went back and strangled her again, and finally killed her at that time."

I actually think I may be possessed with demons; I was dropped on my head as a kid.



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The manner in which he killed his victims, a double-life leading Dennis Rader came to be known as the BTK killer. BTK stands for 'Bind, Torture, Kill.' IN 1974, he murdered a family at their home in Wichita, Kansas. He was found guilty of 10 murders carried out over three decades and was eventually caught in 2005.



10. Jack The Ripper

"That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal*."

"My knifes so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance*."



*In a letter dated 25th September, addressed to The Boss, Central News Office, London, City.

From hell/movie still/AP

Jack the Ripper as this unidentified man came to be known eventually was single-handedly responsible for London's East End murders in 1888, murders that terrified many and scarred history. Even now, Jack the Ripper's crimes continue to baffle us. While experts would like to say he had anywhere between three and eight victims, it's in no way certain. A 'dear boss' letter addressed to the police is another infamous angle of this case - it was in one of these 'Letters from Hell' that he first introduced himself as Jack the Ripper. Authorities know of at least five murders by him where the victims, prostitutes, were found cut open with viscera hanging out or missing altogether. His method led authorities to believe he had knowledge about human anatomy.

11. Ed Gein, 'The Butcher of Plainfield'



She isn't missing. She's at the farm right now.



AP

Ed Gein was a body snatcher and killer. He suffered emotional abuse at the hands of his mother and lived alone for the first time at 39 years of age by which time his mother had passed away. He would dismember bodies, women mostly, preserve their body parts and even 'wear them. He's known for his heinous acts of necrophila, cannibalism, and murder. Why'd he do it? "I had a compulsion to do it," he's been quoted as saying.
They say women are difficult to understand and there have been a lot of debates about men really not knowing what women really want. Having pre-conceived notions about what women really want is only giving wrong ideas and adding to the myth of women waiting for the perfect boyfriend. So, dear men. Here are some points that'll help you understand your lady:

1. Planning big surprises.

No women really don't want that. They rather appreciate small gestures that you guys make to make us feel special. That stays with us long.

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2. Having a perfect body.

No, we are not picky about bodies. If you are doing this for yourself, good.

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3. Taking care of every damn thing.

There is absolutely nothing that women can't do. We don't want you to take charge every time. Supporting each other is all that counts.

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4. A rich man with all the more rich wallet.

Beleive me, no woman will get impressed if a man keeps flashing his money. We have our own money.

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5. A man taller than her.

It is fine if you are not. There are a lot more important things that really matter.

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6. Being protective all the time.

Yes, we like being protected. But like everything else, this also has an extent.

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7. An unemotional stoic man.

Seriously? A lot of guys who are under the impression that if they show any type of perceived vulnerability to a woman, theyre less of a man. Expressions are always the best guys!

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8. A man who treats a woman like a princess.

Can't speak for all the women but we like being treated with honesty and respect more.

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9. A man who acts like an old-fashioned gentleman.

A little chivalry goes a long way but if I reach the table first, I'd gladly pull out the chair for you.

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The Ludhiana police Special Task Force (STF) arrested a former vice-president of district-level NGO Yuva Anti-corruption Society with 500gm heroin here on Tuesday. The accused was all set to contest as an independent candidate from ward 30 of South constituency during municipal corporation elections this year, but his form was rejected.

Fatehjit Singh, 27, of Mohalla Amarpuri, Daba, was arrested at a checkpoint near Kabeer Nagar. He was crossing the area in his Maruti Suzuki Alto car when an STF team stopped him. On frisking, the police recovered 500gm heroin  which costs Rs 2.5 crore in the international market  tied to his waist.

STF in-charge sub-inspector Harbans Singh said, The accused used to conduct rallies against social evils, like drugs and corruption, in the city. He was all set to contest civic body polls this year, but his form was rejected. He started peddling drugs around three years ago. The peddlers based in Ropar supplied the contraband to Fatehjit in Ludhiana and he delivered it to customers.

Heroin

The official said the accused was presented in the court that remanded him to three days police custody. Fatehjit is married and earns a living through drug peddling. The sub-inspector said, Fatehjit started peddling drugs under the influence of a murder accused lodged in Kapurthala jail. On the jail inmates instructions through mobile phone, he would tell Ropar-based smugglers the place and date of delivery. The jail inmate would inform Fatehajit about the customers too. The police will bring the inmate on production warrant from the Kapurthala jail.
Major Kaustubh Rane (29) who was among the four Indian Army solider killed in an encounter on the Line of Control (LOC) in north Kashimir's Gurez sector of Bandipora district, around 125 kms from Srinagar, on Tuesday was a Mira Road resident and had been promoted to a Major in January.

The news of the death of their only son reached to the parents Prakash and Jyoti in the wee hours at their first floor Hiral Sagar building, Sheetal Nagar, Mira Road. The Rane's were planning to head to their native town in Konkan when news of Kaustubh reached them.

The family has been residing in Mira Road for over 30 years and Prakash is fondly referred to as 'Rane Kaka' in the locality.

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Residents said that the parents, both retired, took pride in the fact that their son was a soldier. Kaustubh too was keen on joining the army since a very long time. He had completed six years in the job.

Kaustubh grew up in the locality and went to the nearby Holy Cross School. Neighbours recalled him as a soft spoken and jovial person who stopped by to speak to even his acquaintances.

While his parents were in shock and did not speak, his uncle Pratap Rane said that it was Kaustubh who would call up his parents as and when possible.

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Kaustubh, who belonged to the Army's 36 Rashtriya Rifles left behind his wife Kanika and two-and-a-half year old son who are in their native town in Konkan and are expected to arrive in Mumbai soon.

The firing broke out at around 1 am when a group of armed terrorists tried to infiltrate into the Indian territory.

The alert soldiers foiled the infiltration bid by the group from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). The other soldiers have been identified as Rifleman Mandeep Singh (26) of Shivpuri in Uttrakhand, Rifleman Hameer Singh (28), of village Pokhriyal in Uttrakhand and Vikramjeet Singh (25) of village Tepla in the Ambala district of Haryana.
This can only happen in India, outsiders come here to get their identity cards made by just giving a meagre amount of money. The worse is that some of them involve in criminal activities. In the recent case a gang of robbers - hailing from Bangladesh - was busted and the kingpin was carrying a genuine Aadhaar card.

According to police, Mohammed Ikram (32) is the kingpin of the gang. He hails from Khulna district in Bangladesh. The Aadhaar card he possessed showed him as a resident of F Block, Sundar Nagri, northeast Delhi.

Ikram had used his Aadhaar card to buy the SIM card from Kanpur, and the police tracked him down with the number.

twitter/cp delhi

Preet Vihar SHO Maninder Singhs team then probed deeper and found that Ikram had also managed to procure a voter ID card on his Delhi address several years ago with which he had got the Aadhaar card made.

According to a TOI report, he had contacted another Bangladeshi national named Kalam who ran a racket of preparing fake identification documents for illegal immigrants. For the voter card, Ikram had paid Kalam Rs 2,000.

This particular case shows how helpless police have become without any official intelligence on illegal migrants or action against them. Six years ago, Delhi Police had to wind up its Bangladeshi cells that had been created in all districts for crime control.

afp/representational image

Since then, police have been dealing with the illegal immigrants unofficially. In most cases, they identify and inform the Foreign Regional Registration Office, which detains and deports them.

The Special Cell also keeps an eye on these illegal migrants. In June, the Cell had arrested Umar Farukh Khan from Bangladesh who had managed to get an Indian passport and had been living in Delhi on his return from Saudi Arabia.

Police say around 4 lakh Bangladeshis are estimated to be living in Delhi. The preferred route of entry is via trains from Kolkata. Sources say that intelligence wing sleuths and police from other units do keep an eye on Delhi- bound trains from West Bengal to identify suspects.

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But they cant act until there is proof of their involvement in any crime.

Ikrams gang had been committing crimes since 1994. A list shows they were involved in some sensational robberies in 1994, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2017 and 2018. But they managed to evade arrest all these years.
Global warming is a major concern for citizens across the world. The rise in temperatures across the globe is something we all should worry about as it is taking a toll on health of many.

Not only health, the Climate changes are making mosquitoes and other insects bolder and the germs they transmit stronger, leading to a spurt in vector borne diseases, particularly chikungunya.

According to a research by University of East Anglia, limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius could avoid around 3.3 million cases of dengue fever per year in certain parts of the world. A global warming trajectory of 3.7 degree Celsius increase can lead up to 7.5 million additional cases of dengue by the middle of this century across the world.

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In India too, there seems to be a spurt in chikungunya. The researchers here have based their model on number of chikungunya cases reported in Delhi in 2016. According to a report by The Times Of India, scientists at Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) have found a link between increase in chikungunya cases in south India and global warming. They noted that in same year many other parts of India reported a spurt in chikungunya infections, which was highest incidence rate of chikungunya in a decade. The result of the study was published in the latest issue of the scientific journal, The Science of Total Environment.

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Though similar studies were conducted in other countries this is the first time that a link has been established in south India between increase in chikungunya and the rise an average day temperature. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease that has been a major health nuisance along with dengue and malaria in Hyderabad and other parts of the country.
After planning for at least 12 years, Swedish furnishing giant is finally opening its first store in India. This first IKEA store is a 4 lakh square feet spread over 13-acre complex, all set to open on August 9 in Hyderabad. The Swedish multinational has invested more than Rs 1000 crore in this project and will have a direct staff strength of about 950 people, and indirect staff of up to 1500 people.

Indians are excited to see this new store as it will be open from 10 am to 11 pm, and the company itself is expecting as many as 60 lakh visitors a year. This is not the only surprising feature, but the store will have its globally-largest restaurant that will be a 1000 seater with many options in the Indian cuisine.

"We want to be accessible and from tomorrow we will be accessible in Hyderabad. Now we will try our best to speed up our expansion to move quicker than normally we do in IKEA," IKEA Group CEO Jesper Brodin told TOI. After Hyderabad, IKEA's second store would be in Mumbai next year followed by Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR.

According to reports, here is how the store will look:

image: bloomberg quint

The store is spread across 13 acres and will display nearly 7,500 products. Around 1,000 of those products will be available for under Rs 200, IKEA said in an official statement.

image: bloomberg quint

The store will exhibit two full homes that reflect Life at Home in Hyderabad, besides different room sets based on different parts of the house like bedroom, kitchen, childrens room and living room. It will also have a market hall where one will find home kitchen utensils and accessories, textiles, rugs, lighting, decoration, stationary and live plants.

image: twitter/ikeasverige

In terms of the products, the company will be bringing its classic IKEA range along with a small percentage of locally relevant products for the Indian market like masala boxes, pressure cookers, tawas, idli makers, colourful sheets and mattresses made with coconut fibre centre. Customers will also be able to buy global classics like the BILLY bookcase, KLIPPAN sofa, LACK table and POaNG armchair among others, IKEA said.

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IKEAs Hyderabad store will have the companys largest restaurant globally. The 1,000-seater restaurant will have several vegetarian options, including Indian cuisine, on the menu.

image: bloomberg quint

The restaurant will offer 50 per cent Swedish specialities like salmon and chicken and vegetarian meatballs and 50 per cent local delicacies like biryani, samosas, dal makhni in the case of Hyderabad, the company said. The Swedish retailer added the food would be "very affordable" -- a plate of samosas will cost Rs 10.

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Adam Purinton an american man who was found guilty in the murder of Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been awarded three consecutive life sentences on federal hate crime charges.

Earlier he had pleaded guilty to hate crime and firearm offenses arising out of the shooting.

AFP/FILE

In the plea, the US Navy veteran had admitted that he targeted and shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani because of their race, colour, and national origin.

The three life sentences will run consecutively to another life sentence 53-year-old Purinton previously received for first-degree murder.

The defendant acted with clear premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man, simply because of their race, religion, and national origin. As a result, a promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been filled with suffering, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

AFP

Even though none of the victims were present in the court for the sentence, a written statement from Srinivas Kuchibhotla's wife Sunayana Dumala was read out in the court.

My husband was more than what you chose to address him as. Always kind, caring, and respectful to others. Srinu and I came to the United States of America full of dreams and aspirations....Now, my American Dream  and that of Srinus  is broken, Sunayana Dumala said in a statement.

32-year-old Kuchibhotla, who was from Andhra and worked with a US tech company was with his two friends having a drink at a bar in Kansans in February last year when Purinton allegedly made derogatory comments on them and was asked to leave the.

He returned a short time later with a gun and shot at the trio. Kuchibhotla, who was fatally injured died in the hospital, while the two others survived with minor injuries.

AFP/FILE

Purinton is said to have inquired about the legal status of Kuchibhotla and his friend, implying that they were illegal immigrants and shouted "Get out of my country!" before firing at two men.

Purinton who fled the scene immediately after the firing had told a bartender that he had shot two "Iranians" and was looking for a place to hide.
As thousands and thousands from all walks of life continue to flow to the Rajaji Hall to pay their last respects, Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin has penned a poem as an emotion tribute to his late father. Read More.

Here are the top news for the day:

1) Maharashtra Govt Now Says Outside Food In Cinemas Poses Security Threat, Why Can't It Control Prices Then?

Less than a month after the Maharashtra government told the assembly during the monsoon session that multiplexes and malls have been directed to allow eatables and beverages inside, they have taken a U-turn on the issue.In an affidavit submitted in the Bombay High Court, on Tuesday, the government said that allowing moviegoers to carry outside food may create a security issue. Read More.

2) Kansas Techie's Killer To Spend Life In Jail As Indian Couple's American Dream Ends In Tragedy

Adam Purinton, an American man who was found guilty in the murder of Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been awarded three consecutive life sentences on federal hate crime charges.Read More.

3) Meet The Indian-American Professor Nominated By Trump To Agency On Privacy, Civil Liberties

Meet Aditya Bamzai, a prominent Indian-American professor of law and legal expert who has been nominated by US President Donald to an independent agency that protects privacy and civil liberties in the country. Read More.

4) Climate Change Is Making Mosquitoes Deadlier Resulting In Increase In Vector-Borne Diseases

According to a research by University of East Anglia, limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius could avoid around 3.3 million cases of dengue fever per year in certain parts of the world. A global warming trajectory of 3.7 degree Celsius increase can lead up to 7.5 million additional cases of dengue by the middle of this century across the world. Read More.

5) Meet Mumbai's 'Comic Bai', A Domestic Help, Who Spread Joy With Her Hilarious Stand-Up Shows

They say laughter is the best medicine. There are people who are go-to persons when you want to relax and get rid of the daily stress. In the metropolitan cities, where people live a fast and stressful life, they are always on a lookout for some relaxing exercises and start afresh the next morning. In Mumbai, Deepika Mhatre, the 'Comic Bai' has taken the responsibility of making people smile and stay happy. Read More.
Tamil Nadu is mourning the death of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Patriarch Muthuvel Karunanidhi who died of prolonged illness in a Chennai hospital on Tuesday.

The death of the 94-year-old former five term chief minister who is considered one of the stalwarts of Tamil politics has sent a wave of grief across the state, which has declared a seven day official mourning.

AFP

As thousands and thousands from all walks of life continue to flow to the Rajaji Hall to pay their last respects, Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin has penned a poem as an emotion tribute to his late father.

In the poem, which is written in a letter form Stalin, who is considered the successor of Karunanidhi asks his father if he can address to him as 'appa' instead of thalaivar (leader) which he used to call him.

PTI/File

"I used to address you as thalaivare (leader) most of the time in my life than calling you as appa. At least now, shall I address you once as appa?" he asks.

Stalin begins the letter by asking where his father has gone without telling them. He also recalls the lines his father told him three decades ago about what should be written on his memorial - Here lies the person who worked untiringly throughout his life."

Stalin also begs his father to utter the phrase Udanpirappe (blood brothers - a phrase which Karunanidhi used to address his party workers).
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The industry veteran sits on 23 years of experience across Fortune 100 firms, with a particular focus on the property-casualty business. He was most recently with Zurich Insurance Group as group controller based in Zurich, Switzerland. Wismer also spent nine years at Liberty Mutual, where he was senior vice president & chief financial officer for Liberty International.

Jons more than 23 years of financial experience and leadership roles within the insurance and reinsurance industry, together with his extensive international experience, will provide valuable perspective to the company. He will play an integral role within the finance team as we support AIGs overall goal of delivering sustainable, profitable growth, said Sankaran.

Wismer holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Christian University, and attended the Insurance Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

This is an exciting time to join the finance leadership team at AIG, and I look forward to continuing the important work of this group in serving the companys businesses and stakeholders while advancing shareholder value, said Wismer.
The reinsurers board of management is pleased with the firms performance. Chair of the board, Joachim Wenning, commented: With a half-year profit of 1.6 billion, we are most certainly on track to reach our profit target of 2.1-2.5 billion for the year as a whole. We also made progress with the implementation of our strategy: Munich Re is becoming more profitable, more digital and leaner.

Munich Res reinsurance field of business contributed 620 million to the consolidated result in Q2. Gross written premiums reduced by 9.5% to 6.9 billion, down from 7.6 billion the previous year. This was largely driven by a significant decrease in premium volume in life and health reinsurance owing to terminations and the restructuring of large volume treaties.

Property and casualty reinsurance generated 335 million in Q2, a significant decrease from 517 million in the same period of 2017, which the reinsurer attributes to an increase in man-made major losses and higher basic losses. The combined ratio was 102% of net earned premiums in Q2, but remained at 95.5% by the end of H1, which is right on track to reach the envisaged figure of 97% for the year, according to a company release.

The treaty renewals at July 01 once again brought a slight increase in prices of 0.9% and a significant business expansion of around 3.3 billion. The strong 42% increase was due to an attractive large-volume treaty in Australia, and profitable growth of reinsurance quota share business in the US.

Munich Res ERGO field of business performed well. It contributed 108 million to the Q2 result and 135 million to the half-year result, at a combined ratio of 96% - better than the forecasted 97%. Total premium income across all lines of business rose by 32% to 4.5 billion in Q2 and GWP was up by 2.8% to 4.3 billion.

Given its strong performance in the first half of the year, Munich Re has lowered ifs projection for ERGO Internationals combined ratio for the full year by one percentage point to 96%.

The company release concludes: Expectations for 2018 have not changed in comparison with the figures given in the Quarterly Statement for Q1 2018 that was published in May. Munich Re is still expecting to post gross premiums written of 46-49 billion for 2018, and is not changing its forecast consolidated result in the range of 2.1-2.5 billion.
In a statement, the firms said the agreement comes amid surging demand for de-risking from the UK, where pension insurers are increasingly seeking to manage their risk and capital with longevity reinsurance arrangements.

Demand is also being driven by the increasing affordability of pension risk transfer, reflecting attractive pricing and the enhanced capacity of insurers, as well as the improved finances of UK schemes, many of which are approaching full funding, the statement said.

Prudentials head of longevity risk transfer, Amy Kessler, said market activity in 2018 is building toward a very strong second half.

Rising rates and equities, combined with lower-than-expected longevity improvements, mean that pension schemes are very well-funded and that de-risking is more affordable than ever, Kessler said. Leading pension schemes are taking advantage of this favorable environment by locking in gains and transferring risk, knowing that such advantageous markets are always fleeting.
Despite the onslaught of natural disasters and cyber incidents seen in the past year, many global multinationals dont necessarily have plans in place should they have to deal with a major hit from a storm or hacker, according to one expert.

At least 50% of companies have a limited to no grip on the business implications of a cyberattack on their day-to-day operations. Theyre thinking about it as an IT problem, explained David Nolan, CEO and founder of Fusion Risk Management, a provider of business continuity and risk management solutions. Theyre not thinking about it as a business problem.

Take Facebook, said Nolan. If companies were good at having foresight about potential crises, the social media giants leaders wouldve been able to predict the fallout of providing such widespread access to its users data. And when it comes to nat cats, organizations are still using spreadsheets and static documents that dont lend themselves well to maintaining and incorporating accurate forecasting and analytics, said Nolan.

Theres a lot of forgiveness in this world for acts of god and cyberattacks because everybody has to face them, but I dont think theres a lot of tolerance for people being unprepared and not having given it significant thought, he said.

Just as corporations will want to stay on top of whats new in technology and find ways to incorporate tools to cut down on costs and increase efficiency, understanding whats cutting edge in risk management and business continuity planning is likewise crucial to preventing losses and protecting a companys reputation.

Were the ones protecting the brand equity  the things that are essentially uninsurable  while the insurance companies are covering their part of that, explained Nolan. Ours is a management system for managing these risks to avoid them or to be able to respond effectively in the event that one of them happens.

Fusion thinks about business continuity and resilience using four scenarios: workplace disruption, workforce disruption, supply disruption or a technology disruption. Acts of terrorism or volcanic eruptions and any kind of catastrophe in between could result in one of these situations.

Companies should be thinking about what happens if they lose a key asset or location, and what operations would be impacted as well as how that loss would materially affect their ability to deliver products and services, according to the CEO. Fusion can help simulate that potential fallout and when a risk becomes reality, provide answers on how to manage it instantaneously.

If an executive is trying to deal with a crisis, were going to know exactly what happened, were going to know what the direct damages are, were going to know what the collateral damages are, were going to know what our resources are, were going to know what our expectations should be because we will have simulated an actual response, said Nolan.

One example of a Fusion client that dealt with a problem and was able to avoid major losses was a business in Florida that was preparing for the approaching hurricane, which couldve come across the Gulf, the west coast of the state or the east coast and hit the Carolinas.

They were able to model those scenarios in advance and before the hurricane hit, they were able to make adjustments in where their products were shipped, said Nolan. They adjusted their logistic operations and they essentially kept all of the supply assets outside of the impact zones, and essentially avoided any disruption because they didnt continue to move product or supplies or even people inside an area that was potentially going to get hit.

Fusion works with some of the largest companies in the world and counts around 80 Fortune 500 firms among its clientele, along with many companies as small as 500 employees or less. The team has seen firsthand how important having a plan in place, besides just property and casualty insurance or business interruption coverage, is to a companys brand.

Those things dont protect the covenant of trust that an organization has with their customers, and so thats where we come in, said Nolan. How do we protect the brand and how do we protect the covenant of trust that an organization has?
The potential [of intelligent solutions in the insurance industry] is huge, according to Sharad Sachdev, managing director and the analytics lead in Accentures Insurance Strategy Practice. The purpose of the study, he added, was to motivate insurers to accelerate their innovation journey.

You can start this journey anywhere, Sachdev told Insurance Business. An insurer or broker can start by investing in one area of the business, like underwriting, claims, distribution, product, pricing or customer service, and then build up their intelligent solutions capabilities over time. What were starting to see in North America, which is really exciting, is a desire to look across the entire business value chain to use intelligent solutions to create a competitive advantage throughout all day-to-day processes.

Insurers are starting to look at innovation and change from an enterprise level rather than just a functional level. Change at a functional level makes small improvements to existing business processes, whereas change at an enterprise level can transform a companys entire culture and philosophy.

Despite there being US$20 billion worth of potential profit for US insurers alone, the insurance industry worldwide has been slow to capitalize on the true potential of intelligent solutions. Sachdev attributes this to the fact that the insurance industry is doing quite well without it.

If you look at the retail industry in comparison, a lot of retail players have gone out of business in North America as a result of the e-commerce phenomenon, he said. The insurance industry, on the contrary, is doing quite well and has remained profitable. Theres no red-hot platform disrupting everything. Because of that, and because of the fact that the insurance industry is traditionally quite conservative, insurance firms have waited to see how some of the most advanced technologies and capabilities have played out in other industries before making investments.

Cautious investment is sensible, but Sachdev warns the trend is coming faster than you think. The luxury of time can be fleeting at best, which is why Accenture is encouraging insurance firms to think about implementing enterprise-wide innovation strategies.

A key driver of change is customer expectation. Companies like Amazon, Google and Apple have transformed the customer experience, so if insurers want to stay relevant, they need to offer similar experiences.
Officials say two workers have suffered serious injuries in an explosion at a Rochester, N.Y., manufacturing plant.

City fire officials say emergency crews responded around 12:20 p.m. Monday to a report of a person on fire at the Arconic Fastening Systems facility on Rochesters west side.

When crews arrived, they found two men suffering from burns. Theyve been taken to Strong Memorial Hospital. Their conditions havent been released.

Fire officials say the explosion occurred when fluid from a leaking hydraulic press came in contact with an ignition source, causing a 30-foot diameter fireball to erupt and engulf both men.

According to the companys website, Arconic makes rings for aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New York Manufacturing
Hub International Ltd., the Chicago-based insurance broker, announced it has acquired Benefit Broker Services Inc.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Located in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Benefit Broker provides innovative solutions around employee benefits and pension plans. This deal supports Hubs ongoing Canadian employee benefits acquisition and services strategy to assemble best-in-class capabilities and entrepreneurial talent across Canada to develop a complete employee benefits solution, said Hub in a statement.

Scott and Stacey Ewing of Benefit Broker will join Hub Ontario, reporting to Rob Tamblyn, president of Employee Benefits, Southwest region of Hub Ontario.

This acquisition follows two additional Ontario-based deals, also announced this month. Hub purchased Southland Insurance Brokers Inc., a broker that has provided Ontario customers with home, auto, travel and commercial insurance for more than 50 years. In addition, Hub acquired the property and casualty insurance business of Cypher Systems Group Inc. (CSG), an insurance broker servicing large Canadian group and affinity programs.

Hub said it is committed to growing organically and through acquisitions to expand its geographic footprint and strengthen industry and product expertise.

Source: Hub International Ltd.

Related:

Topics Mergers Agencies Canada
American International Group, Inc. announced that Thomas Lillelund will join as chief executive officer of AIG Europe SA.

Headquartered in Luxembourg, AIG Europe SA is a new legal entity for AIGs business in the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The new entity has been established to provide business continuity for AIGs European operations after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

In this new role, Lillelund will report to Chris Townsend, chief executive officer, International General Insurance. His appointment is subject to the required regulatory approval.

Lillelund joins from Aspen Re where he has been chief executive officer. He will be responsible for Continental Europe and Ireland. Previously, Lillelund served as regional managing director of the Asia Pacific region for Aspen Re. During his 20-year career, Lillelund served as AIGs regional vice president in Southeast Asia, and worked for various companies in Hong Kong, South Africa and the U.S.

Anthony Baldwin, currently CEO of AIG Europe Ltd., will become chief executive officer of AIGs new UK entity, American International Group UK Ltd., and will continue to report to Townsend.

Commenting on Lillelunds appointment, Townsend said: Im delighted to welcome Thomas back to AIG as CEO of our European business. Thomas is a well-respected international insurance executive who is a strategic leader with experience growing and building teams.

AIG has established two new entities, one in the UK and one in Luxembourg, to enable uninterrupted client service regardless of the future relationship between the UK and the EU. AIG will transfer existing business to the new UK and European entities and merge its existing carrier, AIG Europe Ltd, into the new European company. The two new companies will begin writing business from Dec. 1, 2018.

Related:

Topics Europe AIG
A Nationwide Insurance spokesman says the company intends to provide career management resources and other aid to employees who will be losing their jobs in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nationwide spokesman Eric Hardgrove said that the company announced in 2015 plans to close the Allied Insurance office by the end of 2018. The closing is part of the companys long-term strategy for service, claims and sales office locations.

Nationwide and Allied combined once employed more than 700 people in Lincoln in several locations. Allied Insurance has been in Lincoln since 1965. Nationwide bought the company in 1998.

Hardgrove says about 90 people still work at the Allied office and says some will continue to work for the company from home after the office closes for good.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Talent Nebraska
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has recommended no action against Exxon Mobil Corp. over its investor disclosures, ending a two-year probe with a victory for the company.

The SEC in 2016 launched its review of Exxons reserves and climate-change disclosures to investors in the wake of low oil prices and concerns over potential curbs on carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Exxon released a copy of the SECs letter disclosing an end to its investigation, and said in a statement that it had supplied more than 4.2 million pages of documents as part of the probe.

We are confident our financing reporting meets all legal and accounting requirements, said Exxon spokesman Scott Silvestri.

A spokesman for the SECs Fort Worth office declined to comment.

The worlds largest publicly traded oil company is being investigated by the New York and Massachusetts Attorneys General over its disclosures to investors and the public about the impact of climate change.

Our investigation remains ongoing, said Amy Spitalnick, a spokeswoman for New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Multiple courts have now rejected Exxons arguments regarding our investigation  fully dismissing Exxons lawsuit against our office, and ordering Exxon and its accounting firm to produce the documents we subpoenaed.

(Reporting by Gary McWilliams Editing by Susan Thomas)
Embroker, a digital commercial insurance brokerage, has launched a fully digital directors and officers (D&O) insurance policy, specifically designed for venture capital (VC) backed tech startups.

The D&O policy is part of Embrokers new digital Startup Program, which also includes employment practices liability (EPLI), and fiduciary liability insurance, its first through a new partnership with Munich Res Digital Partners. The coverage is available instantly and reinsured by Munich Re.

The new Embroker D&O coverage is available for purchase by mid-market companies directly online, with coverage available to growth stage and pre-IPO businesses with up to $250 million in funding.

Startups are typically required to purchase D&O insurance as a condition of VC investment, but the traditional process involves sharing sensitive and confidential financial information, including equity ownership and financial statements, and securing coverage can be a lengthy process. Embrokers Startup Program does not require sharing any sensitive financial information and the process can be completed online within minutes.

The Embroker program is available in all 50 states to U.S.-based startups that have raised up to $250 million. Embroker plans to launch similar suites for other industry segments in the coming year. Coverage is not open to agents or brokers. However, Embroker does have a team of experienced insurance professionals that provide consultation and guidance to customers.

Embroker works with over 40 carriers to provide a more modern way to buy commercial insurance. Founded in 2015, Embroker is headquartered in San Francisco, licensed in all 50 states and serves more than 1,800 customers. Embrokers backers include Caanan, Nyca Partners, XL Innovate, Bee Partners, Fin Tech Collective, Vertical Venture Partners, 500 StartUps and Manulife Capital Ventures.

Topics InsurTech Startups
Allergan Plc on Thursday sued Pfizer Inc. to require its rival to cover any damages it is forced to pay as a result of hundreds of lawsuits claiming Allergan deceptively marketed an opioid it acquired from a company Pfizer bought.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, Allergan said the primary basis for the claims against it was the alleged improper marketing and sale of Kadian, a form of morphine, in the years before it gained rights to the painkiller in late 2008.

But now that more than a thousand lawsuits seek to impose liability for that very marketing and sale, Pfizer has rejected any responsibility to indemnify Allergan, alleged Allergan Finance LLC, the subsidiary that filed the lawsuit.

Pfizer in a statement said Allergans claims related to a drug it never sold and arise from a contract with King Pharmaceuticals Inc, which Pfizer acquired in 2010.

We will review Allergans suit and respond accordingly, Pfizer said.

Opioids were involved in more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drugmakers including Allergan, Purdue Pharma LP and Endo International Plc are facing a wave of lawsuits by state and local governments accusing them of pushing addictive painkillers through deceptive marketing.

At least 1,021 lawsuits are consolidated before U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland. The first trial is set for March.

Plaintiffs lawyers pursuing the cases have compared them to the litigation by states against the tobacco industry that led to a $246 billion settlement in 1998.

In its complaint, Allergan said most of the lawsuits it faces seeking to hold it responsible for playing a role in the opioid crisis primarily relate to improper marketing of Kadian and involve allegations dating back to the mid-1990s.

The drug at that time was owned by Alpharma Inc, which King Pharmaceuticals acquired in 2008, the same year King sold the rights to Kadian to Actavis. In 2016, Actavis acquired Allergan and took on the companys name.

Sale of rights to Kadian was a condition of winning U.S. antitrust approval for Kings acquisition of Alpharma.

Allergan argued that Pfizer under the terms of an agreement Actavis signed with King in 2008 was required to indemnify it for any damages arising out of the pre-2009 marketing of Kadian.

But Allergan said Pfizer has rejected its claim for indemnification.

The case is In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, No. 17-md-2804.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston Editing by Bill Berkrot and Matthew Lewis)

Topics Lawsuits USA Numbers
Louisville officials have settled a lawsuit over a 2017 police shooting for $1.8 million.

The Louisville Courier Journal reports the citys chief financial officer, Daniel Frockt, announced that the lawsuit filed by Bruce Warrick is settled.

Warrick was shot by Louisville Metro Police Officer Sarah Stumler in March 2017. Authorities had received a report of a man doing drugs inside a house. Upon searching the home, Stumler and other officers came across the unarmed Warrick, who was then shot in the stomach. He sued the city in February and argued excessive force was used.

The case was sent in May to a grand jury, which declined to indict Stumler for assault. An internal investigation is ongoing. Stumler still is on the force, though her police powers are suspended.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement Kentucky
Jax, LLC, which operates a Golden Corral restaurant in Matthews, N.C., has agreed to pay $85,000 and provide other relief to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), according to a statement from the federal agency.

The EEOC had charged that Jax discriminated against an employee when it subjected him to a hostile work environment based on both his disability (autism) and his sex (male). The EEOC had also charged that the employee was forced to resign because of the harassment.

According to the EEOCs suit, Sean Fernandez worked as a dishwasher at the Matthews Golden Corral. Fernandez has high-functioning autism, which limits his ability to communicate and interact with others. The EEOC alleged that, from around March or April 2014 until January 2016, a male assistant manager created a hostile work environment by repeatedly referring to Fernandez as retard, calling him stupid, and using profanity. The assistant manager also asked for oral sex from Fernandez, threatened to sexually assault him, and subjected him to unwanted physical contact, the EEOC said. Fernandez filed a complaint with the general and district managers, but the EEOC said the company failed to take effective action to prevent and correct the hostile work environment. Fernandez resigned his employment because he was fearful of encountering the assistant manager again.

The alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects employees from discrimination based on their disabilities, as well as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte Division (EEOC v. Jax, LLC d/b/a Golden Corral, Civil Action No. 3:17-cv-535) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

EEOC said on July 13 that in addition to providing monetary relief to Fernandez, Jax, LLC entered into a two-year consent decree requiring the company to implement an anti-discrimination policy that prohibits disability-based and sex-based discrimination. The decree further requires the company to conduct annual training for its Matthews employees and managers on the ADA and Title VII. Jax must also post an employee notice about the lawsuit and about employee rights under federal anti-discrimination laws at its Matthews facility, and must provide periodic reports to the EEOC.

Employers must take appropriate action to stop employees from harassing other employees, said Kara G. Haden, acting regional attorney for the EEOCs Charlotte District. It is particularly problematic when the harassment is perpetrated by a supervisor. The EEOC takes the conduct and an employers failure to stop it seriously, and will prosecute cases where this kind of abuse occurs.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Source: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Topics Lawsuits North Carolina Restaurant
A Georgia agency says more than 900 drivers were cited for violating the states new law prohibiting handling cellphones behind the wheel during its first month.

Georgia on July 1 joined more than a dozen states that make it illegal for people to hold a cellphone in their hands while driving.

The Augusta Chronicle reports the Georgia State Patrol says state law enforcement officers had issued 961 citations under the new law as of July 31. The figure doesnt include citations by local police and sheriffs offices.

More than 60 percent of the citations went to drivers accused of illegally holding phones. The Georgia Department of Public Safety says another 244 drivers got tickets for failing to exercise due care. And there were 65 citations given for texting while driving.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Personal Auto Georgia
Dry, hot and windy conditions are threatening to expand Californias largest wildfires, which so far are burning in largely rural areas, muting their economic impact.

The fires, which have killed 12 people and burned an area almost as big as Rhode Island, have hit the tourism industry around Yosemite National Park but left agricultural areas mostly unscathed.

Read more: a photo essay on record California blaze

While the fires have been devastating and ferocious, our Mendocino wine industry has little impact, said Bernadette Byrne, executive director of Mendocino WineGrowers in Northern California.

The blazes have forced thousands to evacuate homes and blackened about 1,000 square miles (260,000 hectares) of forests, hillsides and pastures, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. Thats almost triple the area that had burned in the state by this time last year.

Unlike fires that ripped through California wine country in 2017, authorities have not blamed any of this years blazes on utility power lines. Cal Fire has determined that one of the largest blazes  the Carr fire in Northern California  was sparked by a mechanical failure of a vehicle, said Heather Williams, a spokeswoman for the agency. The Mendocino blazes, which have grown into the largest in state history, remain under investigation, she said.

One industry that has been battered is tourism  particularly near Yosemite, which for weeks has been largely closed to visitors as firefighters battle a nearby blaze. It could not have come at a worse time for hotels and businesses near the park, which make most of their money in summer.

Dylan Shull, who manages two hotels, the Best Western Plus and the Monarch, said the properties near the park are usually fully booked at peak rates of $200 to $289 from June through August. These days, theyre more than half empty, offering rates of $100 to $189 a night, Shull said by telephone.

The tourism is pretty much dead, Shull said. Were essentially competing for the firefighters and emergency personnel.

Tourism officials are already planning to use the fall, typically a slower season, to make up for the summer calamity. Theyre developing a campaign called Yosemite Now to educate people and draw them back, said Therese Williams, spokeswoman for Visit Yosemite Madera County. Hotels may reduce rates and offer other specials, she said by telephone.

Wine Country

Two-hundred and fifty miles (400 kilometers) northwest, a separate fire in Mendocino County forced two wineries  Fetzer Vineyards and Vintage Wine Estates  to close for several days. But flames didnt hit the vineyards, Byrne said. The fires have moved east, and the growers dont expect grapes to be tainted by smoke, she said.

Exceedingly thick smoke can ruin grapes, making wine smell like an ashtray, said Kurt Schoeneman, owner of Ferrington Vineyards, which produces varietals including pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc in Boonville, California.

While grapes have been spared, grazing and timberland have suffered in Mendocino County, said Dave Kranz, spokesman for the California Farm Bureau Federation. There have also been reports of damage to pear orchards and vineyards further east, in Lake County. Its too soon to know if smoke has damaged grapes there, he said.

Weve been getting some smoke and its not too bad, Schoeneman said by telephone.

The devastating fires of 2017 are continuing to roil Californias giant utilities. PG&E Corp. faces as much as $17.3 billion in potential liabilities from last years blazes in wine country. The company has raised the prospect of bankruptcy as it lobbies the state to ease its burden. Edison International may have about $3 billion in costs related to Decembers fires in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

With assistance from Brianna Jackson, Jen Skerritt and Christopher Martin

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Catastrophe California Natural Disasters Wildfire
Leading gig economy companies including Uber and Lyft are quietly lobbying Californias top Democrats to override or undermine a court ruling that could make many of their contract workers into employees.

In April, the California Supreme Court issued a far-reaching ruling which could make it much harder for companies to claim their workforces of independent contractors are not full-fledged employees under the states wage laws. Over the months since, business leaders have been pleading their case to state officials including members of Governor Jerry Browns cabinet, Browns presumed successor Gavin Newsom, and members of the state legislature.

The business leaders are pushing to blunt the rulings impact, either through legislation or through executive action by the governor  moves that would reverberate across the national debate over the rights and roles of workers in the modern gig economy, and what Democrats posture toward tech companies should be.

The magnitude of this issue requires urgent leadership, nine companies wrote in a July 23 letter reviewed by Bloomberg, which warns of the ruling stifling innovation and threatening the livelihoods of millions of working Californians and says that without political intervention it will decimate businesses. The letter was sent on behalf of Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., Instacart Inc., DoorDash Inc., Postmates Inc., TaskRabbit Inc., Square Inc., Total System Services Inc. and Handy Technologies Inc. It was addressed to the governors secretary of labor and cabinet secretary.

A spokeswoman for the governors office declined to comment on whether Brown, whose final term ends in January, was mulling granting the companies pleas.

An executive at one of the companies behind the push, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that because Brown and Newsom are both pro-tech and pro-worker, they are uniquely positioned to strike a compromise with the potential to be replicated. Forging a balance between the need for flexible, scalable work arrangements and workers rights shouldnt just be left to the courts or calculated based on old models, the executive said.

Spokespeople for Lyft, Handy, TaskRabbit, Square, Postmates and Instacart declined to comment on the companies lobbying efforts. DoorDash did not respond to inquiries. Spokespeople for TSYS and Uber referred requests for comment to the California Chamber of Commerce, which has been an outspoken opponent of the new requirements. If you have a business model that doesnt lend itself to the strict structure that an employer-employee relationship dictates, said the Chambers president and CEO Allan Zaremberg, then the ruling puts you in a situation that its almost impossible to continue your business model.

Zaremberg declined to comment on the prospect of executive action from the governors office, but said the Chamber aims to get a legislative fix introduced and passed by the states assembly and senate before the legislative session closes at the end of the month. Without it, he said, workers and companies alike will be hamstrung, and whole sectors of Californias economy could be in jeopardy. People depend very much now on an on-demand economy, said Zaremberg. In the worst-case scenario, it isnt a viable business model anymore.

The California Labor Federation pledged Sunday to resist the efforts to suspend or reverse the ruling. With income inequality at an all-time high and millions of working families struggling to survive in this unfair economy, why would our states leaders intervene to protect big corporations from paying the wages owed to their workers? said the groups legislative director Caitlin Vega.

Federal and California state laws entitle employees to a suite of rights including minimum wage, overtime pay, protection from sexual harassment, payroll tax contributions from employers and the chance to win collective bargaining. Those perks dont extend to independent contractors, a category for workers with greater autonomy to choose the terms of their work. The boundary between an employee and a contractor can be fuzzy, though, and is defined differently under different laws. The question of who gets employee protections has been hotly contested in a slew of government agency proceedings and lawsuits around the country, frequently targeting app-based sectors like ride-sharing as well as older industries such as trucking and health care.

The April ruling in the California case, Dynamex Operations West Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, established whats sometimes called an ABC test for enforcement of the states wage laws. Among the key elements of the new standard, which is more stringent than most states or the federal governments, is the determination that people are employees of a company unless they are conducting work that is outside the usual course of the companys business. For businesses whose core capacity is delivering a service to customers via an army of workers classified as independent contractors, that could be a challenging test to pass.

The court ruling applied only to California, but companies worry that, along with upending their operations in the nations most populous state, it could be a harbinger of things to come elsewhere. The week after the Dynamex decision, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill  backed by a handful of fellow potential contenders for the Democratic Partys 2020 presidential nomination  that would make an equivalent ABC test the standard for federal labor laws, like who has the right to unionize.

Rather than treating that as an idle threat, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has already been lobbying congressional offices about the bill, according to federal disclosures. In meetings with U.S. Senate staff, business leaders have been emphasizing the downsides of Dynamexs ABC test, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Getting Democratically controlled California to pump the breaks on its new court-decreed standard could also have a significant impact on national-level discussions.

In their letter to Governor Brown, the businesses floated options to curtail the rulings influence. Those included issuing an executive order barring state agencies from implementing the ABC test, reviving a defunct state commission that could amend it and passing legislation that would suspend it. The companies cite an estimate by the pro-free-market research group R Street Institute that more than 300,000 California workers could be newly considered employees rather than independent contractors due to the ruling. Once the imminent damage from Dynamex is averted, the companies say in the letter, there could be a robust legislative discussion about how we can collectively invest to protect worker voices and benefits in the new economy, as well as a balanced test for who is an employee.

Besides the letter, the companies have also met with the governors office to plead their case, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the meetings were private. And they have discussed the issue with the Democrats who lead the states assembly and senate and with Lieutenant Governor Newsom. Spokespeople for Newsom, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins declined to comment.

Gig-economy startups arent the only companies concerned. The Im Independent Coalition, a project of the California Chamber of Commerce devoted to opposing the ABC test, also counts the Internet Association as a backer. The associations members include Google, Amazon and Facebook, all of which also hire contractors. The internet industry is concerned about the implications of the Dynamex ruling and its potential to jeopardize internet-enabled, freelance work, the associations California government affairs director Kevin McKinley said in an emailed statement.

The Chambers coalition also includes the state associations representing restaurants, retailers, publishers, hospitals, shopping centers, child-care providers, farms, grape growers, manufacturers, trucking, taxis, ambulances and insurers. The coalition has gathered statements from workers about why they prefer to be classified as contractors, and is working to mobilize some for an Aug. 15 rally at the state capitol in Sacramento.

Company officials are also urging their own workers to join the cause. On Thursday, DoorDash sent an email to its California Dashers telling them that the Dynamex ruling threatens their flexibility to choose when, where and how you want to work, and providing a web tool to send their state legislators a message asking them to help protect my freedom to choose the way I work.

Attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, who represents a worker suing DoorDash, responded by filing a motion Friday in federal court asking a judge to enjoin the company from engaging in further coercive and misleading communications that she alleged encourage workers covered by her putative class action lawsuit to undermine their claims in the case. DoorDash did not respond to inquiries.

Workers advocates have argued that responsible companies should welcome the clarity of the courts April ruling. Its been a bit of a free-for-all, particularly in California, where a whole economy of companies has risen up in recent years saying that they can build their workforce off of workers that dont have any employment protections, said Liss-Riordan, who also represents workers currently suing other gig economy companies including Uber, Lyft and Postmates over alleged denials of employee rights (the companies have denied wrongdoing).

Labor advocates say theres no reason for California to water down workers rights. These companies continue to have choices about their business model, union leaders from the states building trades, Teamsters union affiliates, and AFL-CIO chapter told Governor Brown and legislative leaders in a July letter reviewed by Bloomberg. They can convert workers to employees and retain control over their work rules and their rates. Or they can contract with true independent contractors. The only thing they cant do after Dynamex is have their cake and eat it too.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics California Legislation USA Contractors Sharing Economy Ridesharing
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has named California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones chair of its new Cannabis Insurance Working Group.

Jones proposed that the NAIC establish this working group the NAICs Summer National Meeting.

The reason for creating the group would be to enable state insurance regulators to better understand where there are insurance coverage gaps for the legalized cannabis industry and to share and develop best practices for state insurance regulators to follow to address coverage gaps and cannabis insurance regulatory issues.

Jones previously chaired the NAICs Sharing Economy Working Group, which developed a template for insurance coverage for ridesharing and home sharing.

Cannabis businesses face insurance availability and insurance coverage gaps  which means that those who shop, those who work in, those who sell goods or services to, or those who own, invest in or operate cannabis businesses may not have access to insurance to help them recover if there are accidents, injuries, property damage, or any of the things insurance typically covers, Jones said in a statement. As state insurance regulators, one of our responsibilities is to understand new legal businesses and their insurance needs, and then work to encourage the availability of insurance to meet these new risks and coverage needs.

The NAIC Cannabis Insurance Working Group will consider the insurance regulatory issues surrounding the legalized cannabis business from seed to sale, including availability and scope of coverage, workers compensation issues, and consumer information and protection. The working group will also develop a white paper outlining the issues and make recommendations for the development of regulatory guidance as appropriate.

Jones launched an initiative last year in California to encourage admitted commercial insurance companies to write insurance to fill coverage gaps for the cannabis industry.

The first filing and approval of an admitted commercial insurer offering insurance for the cannabis industry was announced in November 2017, the first surety bond program for the industry was announced in February 2018, the first coverage for commercial landlords for the industry was announced in May 2018, the first standardized cannabis policy forms and program filed by the American Association of Insurance Services was approved in June 2018, and last week three more insurance carriers were approved by Jones to offer surety bond coverage for the cannabis industry in California.

Related:

Topics California Legislation Cannabis
Recently called the richest man in Saudi Arabia, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, is often referred to as the 'Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia.' Like Buffet, Alwaleed made his fortune through astute investments. In August 2018, he announced a $250 million investment in Snap Inc. (SNAP) that would give him a 2.3% stake in the company.

Here is an overview of how Prince Alwaleed bin Talal used a relatively small amount of money to build one of the worlds most valuable investment portfolios.

Key Takeaways Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is a Saudi royal and the richest man in all of Saudi Arabia.

bin Talal's wealth has been amassed through a keen eye for investment opportunities, rather than through oil profits.

As a result, he has been nicknamed the 'Warren Buffett' of Saudi Arabia.

Alwaleed's fortune

After graduating from college, Alwaleed bin Talal borrowed $330,000 from his father to start an investment company and other businesses. He lost all of that money within four years. Fast forward to today, more than 35 years since launching his career in business, Alwaleed is one of the worlds wealthiest and most successful investors.

The company he started in 1980, Kingdom Holding Company, has a market capitalization of nearly $6.4 billion, as of May 2020. Alwaleeds majority equity stake in the company pegged his personal net worth at more than $18.7 billion in late 2017. As a devout value investor, Alwaleed uses Kingdom Holdings as a vehicle to hold an internationally diverse portfolio of businesses operating in many sectors including banking, real estate, and healthcare. His most notable investments include sizeable stakes in Four Seasons Hotel Ltd., Citigroup Inc. (C) and Euro Disney S.C.A.

In addition to controlling a large investment portfolio, Alwaleed owns a 460,000 square foot palace that requires a staff of 100 to maintain as well as a Boeing (BA) 747. In 2015, Alwaleed made headlines in the financial media around the world after pledging to give away the vast majority of his wealth to fund important charitable causes around the world.

Early Life and Schooling

Alwaleeds journey to his multi-billion dollar fortune is not a rags to riches story. At his birth in 1955, Alwaleed became a member of the House of Saud, the wealthy royal family of Saudi Arabia. He is the grandson of Saudi Arabias first monarch, King Ibn Saud, and the nephew of the nations last King, Abdullah Saud. Also, Alwaleeds father, Prince Talal, was once the finance minister of Saudi Arabia while his mother, Princess Mona Al Solh, was the daughter of the first Prime Minister of Lebanon.

As a Saudi, Alwaleed was raised in a household that practiced the Islamic faith. He also showed early signs of future entrepreneurial success during his childhood. In Alwaleed: Businessman, Billionaire, Prince by Riz Khan, Alwaleeds mother stated, Even as a child, you [could have seen] the determination he [had]. In the same book, a childhood friend by the name of Raid El Solh further explained, [Everyday after school Alwaleed and I] had one hour of Monopoly and practically every time, he beat me. I think I had brains to be able to resist his onslaught, but he always managed to beat me in Monopoly, so I knew he was going to make money.

In his teenage years, Alwaleed started to become rebellious, and as a result, his parents enrolled him in a military school to instill some discipline in their son. At the age of twenty, Alwaleed left the Middle East to study business administration in the United States. He graduated with a bachelors degree from Californias Menlo College in 1979, before receiving a masters degree in social science in 1985 from New Yorks Syracuse University.

Seizing Opportunities

Following the completion of his bachelor's degree program in the United States, Alwaleed returned home to Saudi Arabia to launch a career in business. At the time, the nation was experiencing an economic boom.

During that era, Saudi Arabia required foreign companies that were interested in operating in the country to have partners and representatives who were citizens of the kingdom. This created a lucrative opportunity for local businessmen who wanted to profit from the large amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) occurring in the country. As a result, many people, including Alwaleed, became local representatives for international companies and then charged these companies a commission on every deal they conducted in Saudi Arabia. These commissions ranged from as little as 5% to as much as 30% of a transaction.

Although Alwaleed worked with foreign companies and developers to help them get their projects off the ground in Saudi Arabia, he often chose not to receive a commission explaining that he, hated it, because it was a, very quick way to make money. Instead, Alwaleed took actual ownership stakes in the projects he helped to facilitate. He used this concept on his first major contract, which came in 1982 when he was contracted to construct a club for a South Korean-based company. Additionally, the deals that made Alwaleed an upfront commission helped to provide him with enough cash to slowly build a modest real estate portfolio on the side. Thanks to a series of successful contracts and Saudi Arabias no income tax, Alwaleed had amassed a personal net worth of $1 billion by the start of 1989, exactly one decade after graduating college.

Expanding His Portfolio

During the mid-1980s, Alwaleed began to diversify Kingdom Holdings' investment portfolio. One of his first and most notable investments was 7% equity stake he slowly acquired in United Saudi Commercial Bank, a publicly traded local bank that was on the brink of collapse. Through a hostile takeover, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, Alwaleed worked with the other major shareholders of the bank to change its management and overall direction. His strategy was successful, and the bank was ultimately acquired by Samba Financial Group, the kingdom's largest financial institution.

It was in the 1990s when the name "Alwaleed" began to get attention in the Western world of business and finance. At the dawn of that decade, Citigroup was undergoing a lot of problems. In addition to failing to meet the Federal Reserve's capital requirements, many of the loans in the bank's portfolio were not being paid. This caused many shareholders to believe that the bank would fail and, therefore, resulted in a sizeable fall in the company's stock price. Alwaleed, on the other hand, believed that Citigroup's crisis would be short-lived. He took advantage of the low share price and purchased a 4.9% stake in the company for $207 million. The value of his Citigroup investment has since soared, and it remains a core part of the Kingdom Holdings portfolio.

Since then, Alwaleed has profited from many others investments in a wide range of well-known companies including Twitter, where he was one of the company's earliest investors before it went public, and News Corporation, the giant conglomerate that owns the Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins publishers.

In his statement announcing his large investment in Snap, Alwaleed stated "Our investment in Snapchat is an extension of our strategy for personal investment in new technology through leading companies."

83-Day Detention

Alwaleed revealed in an exclusive Bloomberg TV interview broadcast Mar. 20, 2018 that his Jan. 27 release from an 83-day detention in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton hotel was secured via "a settlement with the government." He would not disclose the monetary figure, but the Wall Street Journal estimated the figure to be "at least $6 billion." Alwaleed told Bloomberg that "there were no charges" levied against him.

Alwaleed had been arrested on Nov. 4, 2017, in a major crackdown on alleged corruption, which Talal has referred to as a "misunderstanding." The arrests reportedly had been ordered by his own uncle and cousin. The allegations against Prince Alwaleed included money laundering, bribery and extorting officials.

The Bottom Line

Despite being born into a royal family, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, for the most part, built his fortune on his own. After graduating from college, he started a business with a relatively small loan from his father. He eventually built it into a billion-dollar conglomerate through a series of successful investments in real estate deals and companies both in Saudi Arabia and abroad.
What Is Eurocurrency?

Eurocurrency is currency held on deposit by governments or corporations operating outside of their home market. For example, a deposit of U.S. dollars (USD) held in a British bank would be considered eurocurrency, as would a deposit of British Pounds (GBP) made in the United States.

Key Takeaways The term eurocurrency refers to currency deposits held at banks outside of their country of origin.

The most famous example of eurocurrency is the eurodollar, which involves U.S. dollar (USD) deposits held outside the United States.

Eurocurrency has become an extremely important facet of the global financial system, due to factors such as globalization and financial regulations.

Understanding Eurocurrency

The term eurocurrency applies to any currency deposit held outside of the home market in which that currency is issued. Importantly, despite its name, it does not necessarily need to involve European currencies. For instance, South Korean won (KPW) deposited at a bank in South Africa would be considered eurocurrency, even if no European currency is involved.

Eurocurrency is an important part of the global financial system. Since globalization has led to a sharp rise in cross-border transactions in recent decades, many banks find themselves needing to access deposits of local currency in different regions throughout the world. This has led to a large and active eurocurrency market, in which international banks regularly exchange and lend foreign currencies with one-another out of their eurocurrency deposits.

In addition to the rise of international transactions, another explanation for the use of eurocurrency throughout the world concerns regulation. For many banks, borrowing from other banks through the eurocurrency market can be a faster and more efficient way to access short-term financing as compared to finding alternative sources of funding within their home market.

Real World Example of Eurocurrency

The most prominent example of a eurocurrency market are the USD-denominated time deposits held at banks outside the United States. Colloquially referred to as eurodollars, these deposits have become an integral part of the global financial system as a source of short-term USD funding for financial firms throughout the world.

Since the USD is the worlds reserve currency, virtually all multinational corporations, banks, and governments require large quantities of USD in order to satisfy their routine financial obligations. Often, these firms rely on the eurodollar market to satisfy these short-term funding needs. Although it is difficult to obtain reliable estimates of the size of the eurodollar market, recent estimates have placed it at nearly $14 trillion.


IRELAND: The Minister for Health Simon Harris has defended the government's record after figures released this morning by Fianna Fail show that almost 1 million people are on hospital waiting lists.

IRELAND: 15 food businesses were issued with Enforcement Orders in July for breaches of food safety legislation.

IRELAND: People living in rural areas could face higher taxes than city counterparts if a potential new plan to tax people for the distance they drive is introduced in the budget.

IRELAND: A bid to force a by-election which could unseat North Antrim MP Ian Paisley is about restoring trust in politicians, one of his leading critics said.

WORLD: An 11-year-old girl was Tasered by police in Cincinnati who say she was stealing from a supermarket.

SPORT: Eamonn Fitzmaurice has detailed the contents of a letter one Kerry player received this summer which "crossed the line".

SPECIAL REPORT: Knocknagree, north-west Cork, was vibrant once, its livestock market drawing people from around the country. That was then.

... SOME DISTRACTION

VIRAL: This adorable page boy was mad for road as he raced up the aisle at this wedding in County Monaghan.

CMP Productions

SHOWBIZ: Grab your double denim, B*Witched are back and theyre playing this years Electric Picnic.

LIFESTYLE: As the debate about video games continues, Irish Examiner columnist Ronan Jennings offers a personal take on the fine lines between enjoyment and addiction.
By Geoff Percival

Dominos Pizza is set to open another two outlets here before the end of the year, taking the number of restaurants/delivery outlets it operates in Ireland past 50.

The quick-service restaurant chain said it remains on track for group underlying pre-tax profit of 95.9m (107m) and 101.4m this year despite the cost of overseas investments damaging its first half profits. Underlying pre-tax profits amounted to 96.2m last year.

Sales in Ireland increased 2.5% in a year in the first half but slowed considerably due to this years wildly changeable weather conditions.

Sales rose over 10% in the corresponding period last year.

Our first campaign of the year impacted on value perception, which has not yet been recovered. In addition, prolonged periods of adverse weather have also affected sales.

Online continues to grow strongly, with sales up 15.1% in the first half, and the [Irish] market remains highly profitable for the group and our franchisees, it said.

In the last month Dominos has opened its 50th outlet in Ireland, opening an outlet in Ringsend in Dublin. The company plans to open two more in the second half of the year.

Group sales for Dominos covering the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden increased 22.6% in a year to 259.1m in the first half.

However, profits were weighed down by investments overseas, sending Dominos shares down almost 12% to a more than 11-month low.

The company has been investing in its online operations, which accounts for 79% of UK sales and over 55% of Irish sales.

In addition, Dominos has been focusing on its overseas operations, specifically Norway, where costs have eaten into profits.

First-half, group pre-tax profit increased 2.5% to 45.7m, offset by investments in Norway and Sweden, and rising interest costs from higher debt, the company said.

However, international sales rose especially in Norway which recorded sales growth of more than 180%.

Additional reporting Reuters
Cheaper bus fares, reduced parking charges, and an extended park and ride service are among a package of measures being introduced in Cork city tomorrow in a bid to smooth the reintroduction of the controversial afternoon car ban on the citys main street.

Some 111 days after it was suspended amid uproar after a trader backlash, the daily time-regulated bus priority lane will be reintroduced on St Patricks St tomorrow, with access limited to buses, taxis, emergency vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians from 3pm to 6.30pm daily.

This time, the measure dubbed locally as the Pana car ban, is being introduced alongside an incentives package which includes:

- Reduced bus fares and parking charges;

- An extended park and ride service, which will now have nine stops, including on Parnell Place, St Patricks St, and Grand Parade;

- A network of 15-minute set-down areas;

- And a marketing campaign to encourage people to visit and shop in the city centre.

Traders were asked last night to give it a fair chance but City Hall would not put a timeframe on how long it will take to fully assess the impact of the scheme.

Trader representatives said they will be monitoring it closely and expect any issues to be addressed quickly.

The afternoon car ban is a key part of the city councils City Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS), a 10-phase city-wide scheme designed to improve public transport and better route traffic through a city centre where up to 5,000 jobs are expected to be created in the next three years.

The car ban was introduced on March 27 last but, within days, traders claimed it had decimated afternoon trade and created a ghost town.

City Hall responded with parking deals but the tipping point came after some 200 furious traders attended a public meeting on April 18 and demanded the scheme be abandoned.

Two days later, city councillors voted unanimously for its suspension and for in-depth consultation.

The chief executive of Cork City Council, Ann Doherty, said last night that City Hall has learned a lot since then.

I believe we have brought together a set of arrangements that will mean that success is achievable on this occasion. I respect peoples opinion and their genuine concerns. But I would ask that people give it a fair chance, she said.

Ms Doherty said a lot of work has been done since April through the Core partnership, involving City Hall, traders, Bus Eireann, and gardai, to ensure the measure will work this time but she declined to say how long it will take for its impact to be fully assessed.

She said it will be monitored closely over several months but that wont prohibit minor changes in the meantime, if that is whats required.

Cork Business Association (CBA) and Core member Pat OConnell said City Hall has adopted a more commonsense approach this time.

It was so badly brought in the last time that it was doomed to failure, he said.

Business owners panicked, and it was real panic, in March and April when they saw their till receipts fall.

Its fine to say wait three months but people didnt have a three-month cushion to wait, he said. But this time, there are a lot of incentives to encourage people into the city centre and get out of their cars and use other modes of transport.

He said CBA members should bring issues of concern to the attention of the CBA executive quickly, and they will do their best to resolve them quickly.

Were not going to leave things drag. We will meet with council through this, we will bring any issues that arise to council and to Core meetings to make sure they are tackled straight away, so nothing is left to develop thats going to cause a problem for businesses, he said.

Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy said there has been a real focus on communication this time.

The aim on this occasion is to ensure that the general public will have a clear understanding of whats going on  that this is a change to the traffic movement in one part of the city but that the city continues to operate and actually will be easier to get in and around, which is good for business, he said.

Undoubtedly there will be challenges. It will take patience but, for this to work, it needs everyone to buy into it and to look at the bigger picture that, in the medium to longer term, this will be very, very good for Cork and for Cork business.

Reduced fares

- Bus Eireann is introducing a five-week fares promotion tomorrow until September 9, offering reduced fares for Leap Card holders only on all Cork Urban Red Zone routes, from 2pm to end of service daily. Adult and student fares in the recently extended red zone, which includes Carrigaline and Ballincollig, will cost 1 with childrens fares at 50c.

- The Black Ash park and ride service has been extended into the city centre. Operating from 7am to 8pm, it will now travel from Black Ash, via the South Link Rd stopping at Eglington St, Merchants Quay (via Parnell Place), St Patricks St, Grand Parade, South Mall and Anglesea St. The enhanced service will no longer serve Lapps Quay or Albert St. The 5 fee per car remains for intending passengers boarding at the Black Ash terminus. For walk-in passengers with a Leap Card boarding at the Black Ash, the Red Zone promotional fares will apply during the promotion period, and at the standard rate thereafter.

- Half-price parking at Paul St and North Main St car- parks: 1pm to 6.30pm daily.

- A network of 26 free 15-minute set-down spaces has been developed on South Mall, Grand Parade, Drawbridge St and Cornmarket St.

- A three-month Island of Discovery campaign will champion the city centre as a shopping destination, dining and family day outs. DJ and radio presenter Stevie G will be one of the faces of the campaign. Street acts will perform on St Patricks St later this month.
By Sean ORiordan, Defence Correspondent

The Department of Defence is out of touch with the retention crisis in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, it has been claimed, as a leaked military report shows it is failing to achieve the number, or calibre, of new recruits needed to fill gaps.

Fianna Fail spokesperson on defence, Jack Chambers, said the classified draft report, details of which were published yesterday by the Irish Examiner, had highlighted the diminishing quality of recruits and was adding to the growing crisis within the Defence Forces.

Deputy Chambers has also obtained figures that confirm the numbers serving in the permanent Defence Forces have continued to drop.

By the end of May last, there were 9,010 personnel, while there were 9,044 on the same date 12 months previously. Thats still short of the 9,500 minimum requirement for the Defence Forces to be fully functional.

Despite the fact that the Defence Forces has an approved, establishment strength of 9,500, over the last five years it has never even come close to achieving that target, Mr Chambers said.

Since 2015, over 2,000 recruits have been taken on, yet numbers have continued to fall. Indeed, they are down 270 since then. It is absolutely clear that the substantive issue here is retention, he added.

Many experienced soldiers, sailors, and aircrews have left for better-paid jobs in the private sector.

The Defence Forces are reportedly the poorest-paid in the public sector.

In contrast, An Garda Siochana has secured 2,000 recruits since 2014, which resulted in a net increase of 600 in their overall strength, Mr Chambers said.

Some members of the Defence Forces left to join the gardai, due to better pay, allowances, and conditions.

It was revealed, earlier this year, that HR within the Defence Forces conducted a survey of 167 personnel, who paid to leave the Defence Forces early.

Findings revealed the vast majority departed for better pay and conditions elsewhere.

When members feel compelled to pay to leave, there can be no denial that there is a crisis in retention, Mr Chambers said.

The exit survey showed that at least one person was so anxious to get out, they paid 10,000.

The classified draft report, which was compiled to give senior commanders a snapshot of recruitment, focussed on one recruit class.

It concluded that some of the recruits had severe learning difficulties, others were extremely unfit, and one had been arrested numerous times by gardai.

It also called into question the lack of a proper vetting service.

Mr Chambers said there should be no lowering of the standard of people joining the Defence Forces, which were known worldwide for their expertise, especially on peacekeeping duties with the United Nations.

Mr Chambers also said that if there was a lowering of standards, it would prompt even more highly trained personnel choosing to bail out for jobs in the private sector.

Mr Chambers said that the Minister of State for Defence, Paul Kehoe, and his officials should explain why there is a continuing review of psychometric (intelligence) tests for recruits, amid fears that they may be dumbed down.

Increased recruitment was brought in by the department in an attempt to address the exodus of personnel.

However, both PDFORRA, which represents enlisted men, and RACO, which represents officers, have consistently said that the department should focus more on retaining personnel.

Defence Forces bosses have written to the Department of Defence, calling for the establishment of an independent pay review board, similar to the one in Britain.
People living in rural areas could face higher taxes than city counterparts if a potential new plan to tax people for the distance they drive is introduced in the budget.

AA Ireland criticised the move after it was suggested as part of independent tax changes advice given to the Department of Finance in recent days.
The Agriculture Minister has been accused by farm organisations of failing to grasp the enormity of the fodder crisis, and they warn that immediate supports are needed to stave off another emergency.

Michael Creed said the shortages of fodder experienced earlier this year did not amount to a national crisis as had been described by many.

Mr Creed told the Irish Examiner: It was very challenging for a number of individual holdings but if you consider in terms of what we required to import, we imported 18,500 tonnes of fodder with State assistance.

In the context of seven million cattle in the country thats the equivalent of about eight hours feed, he said.

However, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) both hit out at Mr Creed in calling for more Government action to prevent severe shortages and fodder price hikes again this winter.

ICMSA president Pat McCormack said: I remain unconvinced that the Government and specifically the minister directly responsible appreciate the full extent of the emergency that were looking at.

He seemed to think that the fodder crisis experienced in most parts of the country earlier this year was localised and had been somewhat blown out of proportion.

The reality, of course, is that thousands of farmers incurred massive feed bills, often totalling thousands of euro; getting their herds through the spring and next winter looks a great deal more ominous than anything weve come through so far.

We already know that were going to have to import massive quantities of fodder and will have to de-stock sooner rather than later.

Mr Creed has already announced a 2.75m scheme to incentivise tillage farmers to plant fast-growing fodder crops as a way of making up for a shortage of hay and silage which this summers severe drought has caused.

However, pointing to silage prices which have surged 31% year-on-year, Mr McCormack called for the immediate establishment of a scheme for grassland farmers to incentivise the production of more silage.

Similarly, the IFA said Mr Creed must recognise there is a very real fodder crisis in parts of the country.

There are still fodder shortfalls and income pressures from last winter in the west and northwest but the more immediate problem is worst in the east, southeast, and south. Overall, as Teagasc has identified, there is a significant national fodder deficit, a spokesman said.

The organisation said far more is required on top of the incentive for tillage farmers to close the fodder deficit.

Relaxation of EU fertiliser and slurry rules are needed along with derogations under some GLAS measures so that farmers are given maximum opportunity to conserve sufficient fodder.
Ireland has one of the lowest death rates from assaults in the EU, according to official figures.

The crime has been falling generally across the union, including in Ireland, the data shows.

The statistics, which cover 2002 until 2015, examine deaths caused as a result of an assault.

Ireland scores the second-lowest rate, marginally below France and Germany, but above Britain, which registers the lowest number of such deaths.

Males accounted for 85% of assault deaths in 2014 and 2015 in Ireland, compared to an EU average of around 65%.

The EU Eurostat agency found that deaths from assault are far higher in the Baltic States than in the rest of Europe.

In absolute numbers, Germany (441 deaths) and Italy (395) recorded the most deaths from assault in 2015.

But when the figures are adjusted to the size of the population, it shows a different picture.

Latvia registered the highest number of such deaths (5.1 per 100,000 inhabitants), followed by Lithuania (4.1), and Estonia (3.6).

At the opposite end of the scale, in 2015, the lowest rates of deaths due to assault were recorded in the United Kingdom (0.1), Ireland, France, and Germany (all 0.5), Eurostat said.

At EU level, the assault death rate stood, on average, at 0.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.

The figure for Ireland in 2015 stood at 0.47, compared to 0.52 in France, and 0.53 in Germany.

The bulk of countries in western Europe had rates well below 1.

In terms of total numbers, 3,583 people died in this way in the EU in 2015: 2,276 (64%) male and 1,304 (36%) female.

In Ireland, there were 21 such deaths, 18 (86%) male and three female (14%), reflecting a far higher death rate among men.

It was similar to 2014, when there were 32 such deaths in Ireland, 27 (84%) of them male, compared to the EU average (65%).

Garda authorities have been concerned at a rise in assaults in the last few years, after a fall in assaults between 2008 and 2013.

The number has increased since then and peaked in 2017, reaching the highest number for ten years.

Preliminary garda figures show that 2018, to date, is on a par with the same period last year. It prompted the garda Use Your Brain Not Your Fists campaign, aimed at young men.

CSO figures show that the number of assaults rose from 14,365, in 2013, to 18,803, in 2017.
All farmers will have to plant a portion of their land with trees if Ireland is to avoid multimillion-euro fines, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has suggested.

Mr Creed said farmers need to get over the perception that they are throwing in the towel if they plant forestry on their land.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Creed warned that Ireland is failing on its climate change targets and will face significant fines by 2030 if farmers do not play their part and afforestation is not significantly ramped up.

Despite lucrative annual payments for those who plant forestry on their land, the National Afforestation Programme is significantly failing to meet its target to plant 10,000 hectares of forestry per year.

There are very few farm holdings that could not provide some level of afforestation, said Mr Creed.

He acknowledged that for many, planting land with trees can be very emotional, adding that the perception in some quarters is of throwing in the towel if you plant the land.

This is a difficult message, but it is a truism  afforestation is a legitimate enterprise and it delivers in terms of our climate change obligations, said Mr Creed.

It delivers very valuable employment, at planting, at thinning, at timber processing. It is not looked upon in the way it is in Ireland in any other country that I am aware of.

In other countries, it is seen as another legitimate farm enterprise, its another crop. We need to work on the messaging here. I dont consider it a failure.

Most of the challenges farmers face are income-related and I think they need to be aware of the income opportunities that exist with forestry, it is a tax-free income for 15 years.

It will deliver results, certainly on marginal land, far beyond anything that other enterprises would deliver on those lands.

However, Mr Creed said we cannot simply dump the obligation of afforestation on any particular geographic location.

The Governments Forestry Programme 2014-20 encourages farmers to plant trees by providing 100% establishment grants and 15 years of annual forest premiums.

Despite this incentive, Ireland has the lowest forest cover of all European countries at only 11%. While the Government has been pushing to increase this, last year it missed its target of planting more than 7,000ha by over 20%.

The Climate Change Advisory Council has said Ireland is now completely off course in its efforts to meet goals on climate change.

In its annual review for 2018, submitted to the Government last month, the council found that instead of achieving the required reduction of 1m tonnes per year in carbon dioxide emissions  in line with the national policy position  Ireland is currently increasing emissions at a rate of 2m tonnes per year.

Pointing to the excessively wet winter, followed by drought conditions this summer, Mr Creed said that farmers will now have to play their part in climate change measures.

Whats abundantly clear now in the next iteration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is that there will be a far greater degree of conditionality on payments that farmers are getting on environmental sustainability criteria, and it will also be on verifiable outcomes, he said.

Whether you agree or disagree with that, it is abundantly clear that the next CAP will have a greener hue to it than the current one. Do I think thats right? I do.

I think every farmer will have to do more. Because the alternative is so unacceptable in the sense that whatever resources the State has I would rather we are pumping them into agriculture rather than paying fines.
Parents suing the state over side-effects from a swine flu vaccine say that the jab was rushed into use before getting full approval.

It is alleged that the Pandemrix vaccine caused the sleep disorder Narcolepsy in a number of children.
Relatives of the victims of the Stardust disaster have renewed calls for an inquest into the nightclub fire which killed 48 people.

Families and activists met in Dublin yesterday and outlined their plan to appeal to the attorney general to use his discretion to open an inquest into the deaths.

Lisa Lawlor was just two years old when the fire claimed the lives of both her parents on February 14, 1981.

I went through intensive counselling for years, I was afraid of what I would hear and see if I joined the campaign, said Ms Lawlor.

I wasnt strong enough, I wanted to ignore it, and I cant ignore it anymore.

We need closure, I cant live with not knowing.

Ms Lawlor is joining what is being called the postcard and public campaign to get a new inquest into the fire that broke out in the early hours of the morning at the disco in Artane, Dublin in Dublin on St Valentines night.

Lawyers and the relatives plan to submit an application to attorney general Seamus Woulfe in the coming weeks which they claim includes fresh evidence.

Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan said there is huge momentum around the campaign.

The postcard campaign hopes to see 48,000 postcards signed in support of a new inquest, 1,000 for each victim of the Stardust fire.

Antoinette Keegan, who lost two sisters in the tragedy, claimed there is support among all political sides for an inquest, except from Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

We have been waiting 37 years. We want truth and justice, she said.

Ms Keegan said Finian McGrath, an Independent Alliance minister and TD for Dublin Bay North, had written to her in recent days saying he had asked the attorney general to review the case again.

Ms Keegan accused the minister of getting in to the Dail on the back of Stardust.

Ms Lawlor said she wants an inquiry reopened into the deaths to get justice for her late mother and father.

Lawyer Darragh Mackin outlined how a portfolio of new documents would be submitted to the Office of the Attorney General in the coming weeks.

Families cant get accountability  the first step is truth, the second is accountability, he said.

The attorney general has been put on notice that the application for a new inquest will be made. Whether to have a fresh inquest is entirely at his discretion.

Mr Mackin added: There has never been an effective investigation, and given the number of people involved, we say a new inquest is in the public interest.

Forty-eight people died in the blaze which broke out in the early hours of Valentines Day, 1981 in the Artane nightclub in north Dublin. More than 200 people were also injured in the blaze.

A tribunal held after the fire, chaired by Justice Ronan Keane, was declared flawed by the victims families. He concluded the cause of the fire was probably arson.

However, in 2009, an independent examination into the tribunal concluded there was no evidence to support Justice Keanes finding that the fire was started deliberately near the ballroom of the nightclub.

A report in 2017 did not recommend a further inquiry.
Minister for Health Simon Harris has said his concern for womens health does not stop at the border and he will be extending access to abortion services to residents of the North.

The Government is working to roll out abortion services across the country from January of next year after Mays referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

Abortion remains illegal in the North unless the risk to the mothers health is severe.

However, Mr Harris told an event in Belfast that his concern for a womans right to access health services in crisis pregnancies situations does not stop at the border.

Speaking at Feile an Phobail last night, which Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald also attended, Mr Harris said:

Last year, at least 919 women from Northern Ireland travelled to England and Wales to access abortion services. This is a reality for women in Northern Ireland and one that I really hope their politicians address.

In recent months, the Irish people have addressed this issue through our referendum to repeal the eighth amendment. I now intend to bring in legislation to give effect to this decision in the autumn.

In June, a Supreme Court ruling found that abortion legislation in the North is incompatible with human rights laws.

Mr Harris said: Whilst I respect the issue of abortion laws in Northern Ireland is a matter for public representatives in Northern Ireland, I really hope this is addressed in the near future.

In the meantime, I intend to ensure women from Northern Ireland can access such services in the Republic, just like they can access other health services here.

Last month, more 170 politicians from across the spectrum in Britain and Ireland called on the British government to reform the Norths abortion laws in the absence of a Stormont Assembly.

The group, including Irish TDs and senators, UK Conservative, Labour, and Lib Dem MPs and peers, as well as Stormont Assembly members, said nearly 1,000 women were forced to travel to Britain for safe terminations last year, while others had to take illegal abortion drugs at home.

They have called for changes as they say is a matter of protecting womens human rights and honouring the Good Friday Agreement.

Sinn Feins leaders, Michelle ONeil and Mary Lou McDonald, signed the letter calling for the changes in the legislation.

However, the DUP, are strongly opposed to any relaxation of abortion laws in the North.
By Dan Buckley

Rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) among Irish patients have more than doubled in 10 years, a new study shows.

Research conducted at the University of Limerick shows a huge increase in AKI rates that can only be partly explained by a rise in the number of elderly patients in the health system.

Austin Stack, lead author of the study, said a national strategy to prevent the occurrence of AKI needs to be developed and implemented.

In one of the largest studies of its kind ever conducted, researchers used data from the National Kidney Disease Surveillance System, based in ULs Graduate Entry Medical School to track trends in the rates of AKI from 2005-2014.

They found that the trend of rising rates of AKI was observed in both hospital and non-hospital clinical settings and among both men and women. The highest rates of AKI were detected among hospitalised patients where the rates increased from 28.8% in 2005 to 46.2% in 2014.

The study, led by researchers at ULs Graduate Entry Medical School and part funded by the Health Research Board, is published today in the academic journal, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.

Our study has uncovered a huge surge in AKI rates over the past 10 years, said Prof Stack, foundation chair of Medicine at GEMS and Consultant Nephrologist at University Hospital Limerick.

We tracked over 450,000 patients in the Irish health system from 2005 to 2014 and identified more than 40,000 episodes of AKI. We found that the overall rate of AKI increased from 5.5% to 12.4% which was a growth of 126%.

Leonard Browne, senior author of the study and research fellow, said: The increase in AKI could in part be explained by an increase in the number of elderly patients in the health system and a larger proportion of patients with poorer kidney function.

AKI involves the sudden loss of kidney function that can occur when the kidney is damaged by severe dehydration, acute illnesses like pneumonia, blood loss or even certain medications like anti-inflammatory drugs. In the long term, patients who suffer an AKI are more prone to kidney failure and early death.

It can range from mild (stage 1) to severe (stage 3), where severe forms are more likely to cause kidney failure and require dialysis.

According to the findings, the most common form of AKI among Irish patients was stage 1 which increased by 130% while stage 3 increased by 76%.

According to Prof Stack, action needs to be taken.

The Irish health system needs to respond with an appropriate multi-pronged cross-disciplinary approach, he said.

Acute kidney injury is a significant problem and puts patients at risk of kidney failure. The first step is to recognise that we have a problem across the health system.

Key strategies to prevent AKI and its consequences include: greater public and physician awareness and education; early identification of high-risk individuals; early detection of AKI in all clinical settings using electronic alert systems; early use of treatment strategies including prevention of dehydration; avoidance of drugs that damage the kidneys; and, early referral to kidney specialists.

We would advocate for the development and implementation of a national strategy designed to prevent the occurrence of AKI and its consequences in the health system.
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent

One of the most dramatic radio reports of the Second World War has been brought to virtual and visual reality by a Waterford-based education company.

Immersive VR Education (IVRE) has made a 14-minute virtual reality (VR) experience film, in which viewers are placed in the belly of an Royal Air Force (RAF) Lancaster bomber on a September 1943 night-time raid on Berlin.

However, it is not just any of the thousands of sorties made over Germany during the war. It recreates the night BBC reporter Wynford Vaughan-Thomas and sound recordist Reginald Pindsley climbed aboard to record what happened for the services listeners.

BBC commissioned IVRE to make the film in February, as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the RAFs creation.

In the original radio broadcast, aired hours after returning to the RAF base at Langar in Nottinghamshire, Vaughan-Thomas described what he saw and heard. The audience also heard recordings of the conversations between pilot, bombardier, and gunners as they saw off attacking German aircraft and probing searchlights trying to thwart their mission.

An image from '1943: Berlin Blitz', made for the BBC by Waterford virtual reality firm Immersive VR Education

"Once were through that searchlight... I got a glimpse of that furious glowing carpet of light, thats all we can now see of Berlin, the reporter said from the plane."

The 14-minute film 1943: Berlin Blitz incorporates some of the famous broadcast, but IVREs four-person team also pored over other archive material during the four months spent making it.

To create the experience, the team gathered hundreds of photographs of Lancaster bombers and all of the original mission data in order to recreate the historic event, said IVRE co-founder David Whelan.

We pretty much recreated the mission with everything being historically accurate, right down to the smouldering Berlin landscape below.

1943: Berlin Blitz will be in competition in the VR cinema section of the Venice Bienalle, which begins at the end of August. It is expected to be available from the BBC for users of VR headsets later this year.

In the meantime, however, a 43-second teaser trailer uploaded to YouTube by Immersive VR Education gives a taste of the action.

David and wife Sandra Whelan set up the company in 2014 and their focus is on distance learning platforms, with Oxford University and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland among their third-level and corporate educator partners.

IVREs holding company is listed on the Dublin and London stock exchanges and 34 people are now employed. It plans to release a showcase within weeks that places VR headset users on board the Titanic the night it sank or to dive the wreck.

Our vision for the future is to see virtual reality become a staple tool for education and training, said Ms Whelan, IVREs chief operating officer.

The original 1943 BBC broadcast by Wynford Vaughan-Thomas can be heard on the Australian War Memorial website here.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan talks to Political Correspondent Juno McEnroe ahead of the publication of a report by the Commission on the Future of Policing

Riddled by scandal after scandal and with a conservative silo mentality that has resulted in the neglect of garda whistleblowers, the failure to rein in financial irregularities, and also deal with policing malfeasance, the Department of Justice has sat for years like an untouchable citadel.

The police force itself has limped through controversies, from the mistreatment of garda whistleblowers to phantom breath tests and to concerns around the garda college spending.

With little reform, authorities in both justice and the Gardai circled the wagons when a shot was fired at them: Criticism was the enemy.

An expert outside report on the Department of Justice last month concluded:

Improvements have been slow;

Officials inside focus their efforts on maintaining stability;

Mutually dependent senior department officials and senior gardai are in the trenches together;

The system has naturally evolved to ensure that the buck stops nowhere.

Like the facade of the ageing Georgian department building on St Stephens Green, which at present is covered by scaffolding and undergoing detailed restoration, the department itself is facing change. Indeed, the entire policing and justice system from the top down is in a state of flux.

Justice has just recently appointed a new secretary general, Aidan ODriscoll. There is a new garda commissioner, Drew Harris; and the future of policing report will be presented to the Government next month.

This latter point I take up with Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, who took over the portfolio just over a year ago.

This will be a blueprint for An Garda Siochana for decades ahead. It is particularly timely, as it coincides with the term of Drew Harris as Garda Commissioner, explains the minister.

Commissioner Harris will attend a garda walking out ceremony in a few weeks, his first ever, before that blueprint by the Commission on the Future of Policing is presented the same week.

It will potentially be the start of a defining moment for the force, or a symbolic sham if ignored. Former editor Conor Brady resigned from the commission in part over a lack of support for it.

It is therefore up to Mr Flanagan to not just grasp that nettle that is the dysfunctional policing and justice strategies so highly criticised time and again in recent years, but to commit to change, especially as we approach the centenary of the establishment of An Garda Siochana at the start of the next decade.

Mr Flanagan wont be drawn on the commissions work, but he seems prepared for change.

I will embrace strongly any recommendations made in the report, which I will have by mid September. What I will say is I want to see the programme of reform in an Garda Siochana accelerated.

Nonetheless, just like the tired facade of the department building, which needs work, there will be no overnight solution that Mr Flanagan or indeed his new garda commissioner can offer up.

Also, there are a plethora of matters on the ministers desk that need addressing, including demands for garda resources, ways to battle rural crime, the most prolific legislative agenda of any department, and preparations for the garda and justice budget next year.

Mr Flanagan, a Laois- Offaly TD, is adamant about wanting to protect rural communities. A spate of violent burglaries in recent years has sparked fears in isolated areas. CSO statistics last month also showed violent property crime has risen sharply, with a 17% rise in offences in the last year.

What will be done, I press the minister, to prevent gangs in high-powered cars speeding off motorways into areas and targetting households. This is not something gardai can do alone, he answers.

There is a very strong level of trust and confidence among people with gardai. I want to ensure that is maintained.

He notes that the Irish Farmers Association, Muintir na Tire and community alert networks all work with gardai, but more can be done.

I want to assist gardai with CCTV cameras, having regard to the changing nature of modern crime. One of the unintended consequences of our rapid expansion of our motorway network in the Celtic Tiger years has been the ease with which mobile criminals can engage in their illegal activities up and down the country.

I want to see cameras on motorway slipways. It will stop them, as it will provide evidence to assist the gardai in the detection and the investigation, prosecution and ultimately conviction [of criminals].

Ive got a million euro each year for three years for local communities for community CCTV that is currently being rolled out. I want to encourage local communities to get together and apply for these funds.

Mr Flanagan also maintains that recent new laws, including strengthening bail restrictions, will be used to fight rural crime.

We have a strong body of criminal legislation which would facilitate the conviction and jailing of ruthless gangs marauding up and down the country.

With 800 garda recruitments annually now resulting in 500 new members after retirements, the hope is that more gardai will be out on the beat. Increased visibility in communities is a priority, the minister also explains, and officers need to get out from behind desks.

Justice and Equality Minister Charlie Flanagan tells Irish Examiner journalist Juno McEnroe he will embrace strongly any recommendations in the Commission on the Future of Policing report.

Another headache for the minister is complaints by gardai about hiring outside the force.

A recent advertisement for a chief superintendent position was pitched at the PRSI in the North and angered representative associations here, but the minister is open-minded about bringing in fresh blood, especially after Harriss appointment.

I want to see a greater level of mobility across police services, across Europe and across the world. I want to ensure that there is ease of transfer. For example, many young Irish people who emigrated over the last 10 years have joined police forces in other jurisdictions, in Australia for example. I want to make it easy for these people to come back and give of their experience and expertise to an Garda Siochana, he says. I do acknowledge that at superintendent level we have a number of former PSNI representatives, who are bringing with them experience and expertise from policing on the island of Ireland. I would welcome that.

Such hiring is separate from Commissioner Drew Harriss own special management team, which the former PSNI deputy chief constable is bringing with him, explains the minister.

Indeed, a key part of the Commission on the Future of Policing is to look outside Ireland at other policing models and to make recommendations around effectiveness and efficiency. This will likely play a part in the options recommended next month on how to modernise the force.

The commission will also look at a spectrum of justice authorities in Ireland and how they provide oversight of gardai, including the Police Authority, the Garda Inspectorate, the Garda Ombudsman, Joint Policing Committees and, of course, the Department of Justice.

The landscape of policing and justice is likely to be uprooted with this report.

Government figures are preparing for major surgery in the gardai, with fresh recommendations on battling the changing nature of crime, the need for continuous engagement with communities and the need to bed down strong leadership and ethos in the force.

Is the force ready for such tumultuous change? It will be up to Mr Flanagan to grasp the nettle and deal with any backlash if he is to successfully lay the foundations for modern policing and justice systems.
Earth may be decades away from a climatic tipping point that triggers runaway global warming and threatens the future of humanity, scientists have warned.

The threshold will be reached when average global temperatures are only around 2C higher than they were in pre-industrial times, new research suggests. They are already 1C higher, and rising, writes John von Radowitz

Feedback mechanisms acting like a row of dominoes will then spin the world into a Hothouse Earth state of uncontrollable climate change.

Long term, the Hothouse Earth climate will stabilise at a global average of 4C-5C above pre-industrial levels, the study shows.

If that happens, swathes of the planet around the equator will become uninhabitable, with sea levels up to 60 metres (197ft) higher than they are today, threatening coastal cities.

A Hothouse Earth would pose severe risks for health, economies, political stability, and ultimately, the habitability of the planet for humans, the international scientists wrote in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research highlighted 10 feedback processes that were predicted to kick in at around 2C of global warming.

The tipping elements could turn natural carbon storage systems or sinks into powerful greenhouse gas emitters.

Professor Johan Rockstrom, a leading member of the team from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, said: These tipping elements can potentially act like a row of dominoes. Once one is pushed over, it pushes Earth towards another. It may be very difficult or impossible to stop the whole row of dominoes from tumbling over.

Places on Earth will become uninhabitable if Hothouse Earth becomes the reality.

The tipping point dangers were identified as thawing permafrost, the release of methane trapped on the ocean floor, weakening land and ocean carbon sinks, increased carbon dioxide production by ocean bacteria, Amazon rainforest die-back, coniferous forest die-back, reduced northern hemisphere snow cover, loss of Arctic summer sea ice, reduced Antarctic sea ice, and melting polar ice sheets.

Burnt houses and trees following a wildfire in Mati, east of Athens, July 25. The forest fire was Greeces deadliest in decades. Picture: AP

The scientists wrote: Our analysis suggests that the Earth system may be approaching a planetary threshold that could lock in a continuing rapid pathway toward much hotter conditions  Hothouse Earth. This pathway would be propelled by strong, intrinsic, biogeophysical feedbacks difficult to influence by human actions, a pathway that could not be reversed, steered or substantially slowed.

Where such a threshold might be is uncertain, but it could be only decades ahead at a temperature rise of (around) 2C above pre-industrial.

Avoiding a Hothouse Earth would require deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions as well as concerted efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, both by preserving natural carbon sinks and using technology, said the researchers.

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members search for missing people near a damaged taxi after flooding caused by heavy rains hit Hiroshima on July 12. Picture: AP

Commenting on the findings, climate researcher Dr Phil Williamson, from the University of East Anglia, said: In the context of the summer of 2018, this is definitely not a case of crying wolf, raising a false alarm. The wolves are now in sight.

Chris Rapley, professor of Climate Science at University College London, said: Previous research has shown that an increase in the mean global temperature of 11-12C would make more than half of the land area currently occupied by humans uninhabitable. So, a runaway warming to a new and uncontrollable hot state would represent an existential threat to humanity and the majority of existing species.

The warnings come as twin northern California blazes fuelled by dry vegetation and hot, windy weather have become the states largest wildfire in history. The two fires burning a few miles apart and known as the Mendocino Complex are being treated as one incident. It has scorched 283,800 acres (443.4 sq m), according to fire officials. The fires, north of San Francisco, have burned 75 homes and are only 30% contained.

A flooded village in Chuong My district, Hanoi, Vietnam, on July 31. High seasonal floods threatened to submerge Vietnams capital. Picture: AP

The size of the fires surpasses a blaze last December in southern California that burned 281,893 acres (440.5 sq m). It killed two people, including a firefighter, and destroyed over 1,000 buildings.

Hotter weather attributed to climate change is drying out vegetation, creating more intense fires that spread quickly from rural areas to city subdivisions, say climate and fire experts.

But they also blame cities and towns that are expanding housing into previously undeveloped areas.
As Zimbabwes next president, Emmerson Mnangagwa will need to make genuine efforts to restore the trust of a population emerging from the Mugabe era, writes Grainne Kilcullen

My most recent visit to Zimbabwe was in May 2018, just six months after Robert Mugabe had been forced from power. I found hope and excitement on the streets of Harare as people began to exercise a new-found freedom to speak their minds and criticise the events of the past. But their hope was tempered with caution. And that caution was well-rounded.

Although last weeks presidential and parliamentary elections were largely peaceful, tensions spilled over into violence when the parliamentary results suggested that Zanu-PF had won the majority of seats. Six people were killed and many others were beaten and injured by soldiers using live fire and excessive force against civilian protestors.

The opposition MDC Alliance believes that Zanu-PF rigged the election. And external election observers, including the EU, have expressed doubts about the fairness of the presidential and parliamentary contests. Nevertheless, the Zimbabwean Election Commission announced Emmerson Mnangagwa, leader of Zanu-PF, as the next president.

Zanu-PF has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 with Robert Mugabe maintaining a tight grip on power for 37 years.

The Mugabe era was characterised by a devastating decline of the economy, the persistent use of violence, and widespread corruption. Human rights violations spanning decades have spawned a deep-rooted anger and frustration with the political system, and inter- and intra-party violence has infected many aspects of daily life: access to essential services; the availability of currency; security of property and land; and participation in public life.

Emmerson Mnangagwa

Political violence has also contributed to ethnic tensions between the Ndebele people of southern Zimbabwe and the majority Shona-speaking people of the north. The Ndebele people have historically felt isolated and discriminated against compared to the Shona people who have dominated politics and government since independence. Among the darkest chapters of Zimbabwes history were the Matabeleland massacres, carried out between 1983 and 1987, in which approximately 20,000 people (mostly Ndebele) were killed, and thousands more were detained, tortured, and sent to re-education camps. The brutal crackdown was led by Zanu-PF under the leadership of Robert Mugabe in an effort to eradicate support for his then rival, Joshua Nkomo.

There was no reprieve in the years that followed with the introduction of a controversial land reform in which 3,000 farms were seized from white landowners and handed over to thousands of black Zimbabweans. This programme, which came in the midst of widespread social unrest and protests over rising food prices, provoked protests in Harare and extensive violence against the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

Subsequent elections were marred with violence. In 2005, whole communities were demolished in the name of slum clearance but which the opposition party believed to be the deliberate persecution of their supporters. And in 2008, elections saw widespread incidences of politically motivated rape, murder, abductions, kidnappings, assaults, disappearances, and displacement. Zimbabweans were denied any freedom of expression or association. And poverty, economic collapse, and a large cholera outbreak added to their suffering. Although the power-sharing agreement made after the 2008 elections between Zanu-PF and MDC aimed to restore some trust, this was quickly quashed in 2013 when Zanu-PF seized power amid allegations of election fraud, changing the constitution to allow Mugabe to stay in power until 2023.

Robert Mugabe

That is why in 2017, after decades of one-party and one-leader rule, the streets of Harare erupted into celebration with the prospect of a new leader and a new future for Zimbabwe.

Generally referred to as the transition, the bloodless military coup of November 2017 offered the potential for regime change and provided a stark reminder of the power of the army to determine the direction of the country. The subsequent endorsement of Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabes confidante for more than 30 years, left people with mixed emotions. Known as the crocodile for his political shrewdness, his role in the Matabeleland Massacres and the continued role of the army in maintaining the status quo clouded peoples hopes for open democracy, national reconciliation and accountability for past abuses. The events of this week show why that caution was justified.

This election offered the prospect of a new dawn in Zimbabwe but with intimidation and distrust in the process, it is not surprising that the anger of civilians has spilled onto the streets. And it is not surprising that the army, given its role in previous abuses, has been quick to use brutal measures to quell the unrest. Regardless of where the blame lies, resorting to violence to solve political grievances is not the answer.

The election results were very tight, with 50.8% to Emmerson Mnangagwa and 44.3% to Nelson Chamisa of MDC so Mnangagwa will need to remain humble in his leadership and make genuine efforts to restore the trust of the population. MDC is accusing its opponents of rigging the election. During the pre-election period, external EU observers reported an un-level playing field citing intimidation of voters, media bias, and lack of transparency by the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission. This does not make for a promising platform on which Mnangagwa can build his presidency.

In the coming days we urge the parties and the army to commit to peace. If the opposition is planning to challenge the results, they must do so in accordance with the rule of law. Zimbabwe has a long way to go to reach its full potential as an economic and democratic pillar of Africa. Christian Aid is playing its part, supporting local civil society to reduce political violence and build peace.

But the government must be prepared to address the abuses of the past and ensure they do not infect efforts to rebuild the country politically and economically. Ireland and the international community, including the African Union, the United Nations and the EU, must continue to support efforts for peace, truth and reconciliation in Zimbabwe. Without such national initiatives, the violence of the past will continue, dampening progress towards peace, democracy and prosperity.

Grainne Kilcullen, Governance and Human Rights Advisor at Christian Aid.
Pope Francis will land at Dublin Airport at 10.30am on August 25. If the scale of public exuberance will be entirely different from 1979, I predict it will, within limits, be a modest success. There will certainly be sharp criticism, and perhaps some confrontation.

On the whole, I think there will be a welcome. And then things will go on largely as they were before. It is a healthier thing and a more mature understanding of religion that it is no longer to be defined by, apparently, epoch-making events, only for disappointment to rapidly arrive afterwards.

The Church context has changed completely in 39 years. The last papal visit was foretold as a great revival. It was seen in hindsight as a high watermark.

Both estimations were misleading. The euphoria of the event, contrasting subsequently with reputational shattering, doubled down on anger towards Church and clergy. Partly because people felt duped, and they were.

More insidiously, many were wise enough to know they were also culpable. Child abuse may have taken place behind closed doors, but Magdalene laundries, industrial schools, and mother and baby homes were highly conspicuous.

More to the point, they facilitated societal need and prejudice and were actively fed and supported by it.

There is no blame as articulate as the accusations of the implicated. Craw-thumping then and rancorous criticism now need to be understood not as opposites but as a continuum of exaggerated self-interest unconnected with any real moral compass. Change abounds. Moral improvement is more difficult to see.

Another part of Church context that has changed completely is that the parish network, instituted universally at the Council of Trent but only effectively created in Ireland in the 19th century after Emancipation, especially after the Famine, is on the verge of collapse.

The Counter-Reformation arrived here 200 years late and in an entirely different context. Jansenism, a particularly guilt-ridden and gloomy view of the world more interested in sin than redemption, had already taken hold in Maynooth.

That institution simultaneously developed as a permanent counterweight before independence to Irish republicanism generally and secret societies especially. There could be no secrets from God or his anointed.

That struggle was comprehensively won by the bishops. There was a Republic, in significant measure created by physical- force republicans. But the State that emerged was not a new invention. It was continuity with an unofficial but enforced social contract already in place for a generation.

The critical moment in Church-State relations was not 1922 or 1916. It was the fall of Parnell in 1890-91. That was the moment when, politically, Ireland calcified into what later became a largely Catholic state.

Structures were populated in schools, hospitals, and parishes by a burgeoning army of clergy. Now numbers have plummeted while the age profile has soared. What there is less awareness of is how embedded this process has been for a very long time.

In 1965, the total number of Catholic religious vocations, male and female, was 1,375. By 1970 it was 750. In 1979, the year of the last papal visit, it was 506.

In a separate comparison which deals with candidates for the priesthood only, by 2009 there were 92 students for the priesthood in Maynooth and the Irish College in Rome. Last year, there were 41 studying in Maynooth.

We shouldnt be surprised by an almost 50-year trajectory of a decline in vocations. In a week when the Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, advocated for Humanae Vitae as an alternative to a contraceptive culture, which he sees as the centre of much that is wrong with modern culture, it is worth thinking back to The Riordans, a farm-based soap opera in the early 1970s.

The contraception train had already arrived from Belfast; the McGee case had established contraception as a right, and, in a way that completely transfixed the country, Maggie Riordan went on the pill. This was really the start of bodily autonomy.

There is a direct line from the Riordans fictional farm at Leestown, Co Kilkenny, to Mays referendum.

All the while, the immutable structure of the Catholic Church, with its dense institutional network and phalanx of clergy, seemingly withstood the onslaught of events. But not for much longer. Demographics are the new certainty. The parish structure still stands, just about.

But if Pope John Paul II came to revive what went before, the visit was, in hindsight, an unhelpful diversion from home truths. It engendered a last gasp of institutional arrogance, when humility might have been more appropriate.

Whatever its stated intention, Pope Franciss visit is truly goodbye to all that. Within 10 years, the structures will first subside under the weight of retirements, and then they will collapse. It wont be the end of the Church by any means, but it is certainly the end of it as we know it.

Irish Catholicism had a long history before the Famine. What we have experienced since will soon be not only history but a historical aberration.

The problem is that, without priests, there is no Catholicism. It is a priestly religion, and the sacramental function of the ordained is essential. Prayer services are well and good, but the sacraments can only be provided by priests.

In a sense, the stripping of the altars since the 1960s has desacralised Catholicism, and left the role sometimes indistinguishable from that of a senior social worker, in architectural settings now remarkably similar to the parish hall.

There is not just a vocations crisis, there is an identity crisis. The surrounding culture has changed profoundly. In 2016, only 53% of marriages were Catholic ceremonies. A key purpose of the Council of Trent was to ensure that marriage was a public and registered ceremony in the local parish church.

This was to police private conjugal rites, as distinct from living in sin, which was something else entirely.

It is not just that the parish structure is on the verge of collapse for want of priests to serve. It is that the function of the parish and its relationship to the surrounding community is withering as culture changes.

I dont know what will exist in 20 years time.

But the inalterable change to a once unchanging edifice is now unstoppable. If you consider that only a third of the population is now seriously committed to its Catholic faith, the immediate corollary is that there is no vocations crisis, just a vast excess of already denuded and now clapped-out plant.

The unspoken context is that ultimately it is never about structure, it is about belief. Is counselling and psychoanalysis working for us?

A lot of it is just applied as a fake religion. Naming ceremonies and humanist funerals seek to meet essentially similar needs as Church ceremonies.

The Church is an old story, and it is not finished yet. But a page is being turned.
Business China Considers Buying Myanmar Cattle After Export Ban Lifted

A herd of cattle is seen in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, in 2017. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  China has proposed buying about 800,000 cattle annually from Myanmar, said U Yan Naing Tun, director general of the Trade Department at the Ministry of Commerce.

The proposal came from the autonomous prefectures of Xishuangbanna and Dehong in Chinas Yunnan Province, he told The Irrawaddy.

Combined, their demand is for around one million cattle per year, though they wont buy all from us; they will also buy from their other neighbors, he said.

Xishuangbanna has proposed buying about 300,000 cattle and Dehong about 500,000 from us, he added.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation conducted a census of cattle in February, finding that Myanmar has about 11.5 million cattle. The country therefore has the capacity to export to China, said U Yan Naing Tun.

We could only cover 57 percent of the land in the cattle census. There are places where we could not count, so the actual number should be higher. Officially, we will be able to export over 700,000 cattle a year excluding domestic consumption, deaths, calves and those used for farming, he said.

Those wishing to export cattle have to apply for a license at the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, which will determine if the herd is suitable for export.

Only with an animal health certificate from the department will the Commerce Ministry issue an export license, said U Yan Naing Tun.

Several foreign companies have proposed investments in Myanmars livestock breeding sector, he added.

A cow can fetch anywhere from1.7 million kyats ($1,160) to 2.1 million kyats ($1,430) depending on its size, according to the Commerce Ministry.

Cattle have been exported illegally for many years. We will be able to export the proposed amount. If some procedures regarding cattle exports are relaxed, then many smugglers will be able to start exporting legally, I believe, U Kyaw Htin, vice chairman of the Myanmar Livestock Federation, told The Irrawaddy.

The government can also earn more tax if smuggling is reduced, he said.

He also suggested that the government should grant licenses for slaughterhouses so that finished meat products can be exported as a new business model for Myanmar businessmen.

This will also create job opportunities, he added.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, over 70,000 cattle have been exported from Myanmar since January.

The government lifted a ban on the export of live cattle in October last year. Exporters are now allowed to ship 100 cattle overseas per batch.

In the first week of August, the Lower House of Parliament voted down a proposal by a lawmaker from Maubin Township, Irrawaddy Region, to impose a ban on the export of live cattle.
From the Archive Another Black August

The front and back covers of The Irrawaddy's August issue in 2000.

On Aug. 8, 2000, The Irrawaddy marked the twelfth anniversary of the 8888 uprising with an appeal for a full recounting of the bloodshed. Without coming to terms with its past, it would never be able to move forward, it argued.

August is the cruelest month. For every person who experienced Burmas democracy summer of 1988, August will always be remembered as a month of bloodshed and crushed hopes. For it was in August 1988 that literally millions of Burmese from every walk of life joined to demand an end to more than a quarter-century of unenlightened despotism, only to be gunned down in untold numbers throughout the country.

Horrifying images crowd the mind of every person who witnessed this deadly massacre: endless gunfire and the relentless advance of soldiers bearing down on unarmed crowds; bullet-riddled corpses in the streets; the innocent faces and blood-stained uniforms of murdered schoolchildren; smoke billowing non-stop for days from the crematoria of city cemeteries.

Resurrecting these memories might almost seem to compound this unmitigated cruelty; but properly understood, the impulse to revisit this traumatic episode in Burmese history can be seen as an act of resistance.

In the pages that follow, we offer our own small contribution to the on-going struggle to understand what really happened in August 1988, in an effort to confront and correct willful distortions of history.

Establishing the culpability of the perpetrators of the Black August atrocities would, of course, require immeasurably more than the contents of these few pages. But it is not our purpose here to assign blame for these events: Our goal now is simply to add a few more facts to the bulwark of historical research, as a defense against a rising tide of lies that would portray the massive popular uprising of 1988 as merely a series of disturbances instigated by hooligans and political opportunists.

But if Burma is ever to achieve a genuine reconciliation, the question of who bears responsibility for the innumerable deaths recorded here and elsewhere must one day be answered. History will not be kind to those who turned the once-respected Tatmadaw against the very people it was intended to defend; but the people of Burma could surely forgive, if only they were given a chance to know the whole truth so that they might finally be able to put the past to rest.

As the Burmese people, at home or in exile, mark their twelfth Black August in silent remembrance or in angry protest, the world is watching for signs of reconciliation, ready to assist in the task of rebuilding the country.

A full disclosure of the truth about the past would move Burma much closer to its goal of realizing its tremendous potential as a nation. Without it, Burma will remain a pariah state, deeply divided and incapable of functioning as a member of the world community. It is up to the countrys rulers to decide whether denying the past is worth sacrificing the future.
From the Archive We Can Bring about BothJustice and Reconciliation

Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 1988 uprising against military rule, explains what hes doing to push for national reconciliation.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the nationwide protests in 1988 that launched Myanmars pro-democracy movement. As one of the most prominent leaders of that uprising against military rule, Min Ko Naing was forced to spend most of the next two and a half decades in prison.

Released in early 2012 along with many other fellow political prisoners, he has since returned to public life as a founding member of the 88 Generation Peace & Open Society, a group dedicated to restoring democracy and human rights in Myanmar. The Irrawaddy interviewed him in 2013 on Myanmars struggle for independence.

Min Ko Naing is a nom de guerre meaning Conqueror of Kings, and it has become synonymous with the determination of the people of Myanmar to end unjust and autocratic rule. But these days Min Ko Naing is also actively seeking national reconciliation, even as he continues to push for accountability for human rights abuses committed in the country. However, as he says in this interview with The Irrawaddys Kyaw Zwa Moe, his quest to uncover the truth about the past is not about seeking revenge.

Min Ko Naing has won numerous international awards for his activism. These include the 2009 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights; the 2005 Civil Courage Prize; the 2001 Student Peace Prize; the 2000 Homo Homini Award of People In Need; and the 1999 John Humphrey Freedom Award. His most recent honor was an award from the US National Endowment for Democracy, which he received in 2012.

Twenty-five years after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, what do you think the movement has achieved so far?

Certainly, they [the authorities] now have to shout louder than we do about democracy. Whether they are really practicing it or not is another matter. The situation today is that they now have to admit that the banner of democracy that we raised is righteous and noble. Here, I think we need to examine what kind of political reform is taking place in this countryis it for all of the people, or just for a group of people? The important question is: who is this current change for?

Back in 1988, many democracy activists, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, called the pro-democracy movement the countrys second struggle for independence. Is it still the same struggle today?

Unlike the past, the other side is no longer denying democracy. But things are not moving smoothly, so we still have to struggle. Sometimes, we have to compete with them and sometimes we have to negotiate with them. After all, it is still a struggle.

It will be very difficult to achieve reconciliation in Myanmar without compromising on the issue of justice. How will the 88 Generation Peace & Open Society seek justice for those who have suffered for their role in the struggle?

I think we can bring about bothjustice and reconciliation. Of course, it is essential to reveal the truth. We can learn lessons from the past only if we uncover the truth. But this doesnt mean seeking revenge. So first we have to disclose the truth, and then we have to take responsibility together to ensure that injustices dont happen again.

These days, we can see many media reports about human rights violations in the past. So far, I havent seen any actions taken by the authorities against those publications. I think its all part of disclosing the truth, although we still cant pursue it as a nationwide mission.

Your group has decided to make peace and reconciliation the theme of its commemoration of the 1988 uprising. Why did you choose that topic?

Peace and reconciliation are essential if we want to move forward. At the same time, however, we will also organize exhibitions about what happened in the past, to continue to disclose the truth.

Myanmars opposition groups always had trouble dealing with the political games of the former regime, and they are still lagging behind the current government in terms of strategy. Why are the opposition groups so weak at formulating and following strategies?

I dont see politics as a game. Eventually, politics [in Myanmar] will become a game in which there are players. But right now we are freedom fighters, not players in a political game. I dont know the rules of that game. Dhamma [justice] will prevail over Adhamma [injustice] in the end. But it also depends on our might and unity. Unity is not a problem in a dictatorship because it is always a top-down system. But in a democracy, everybody is allowed to be different. That is the nature of democracy.

The people of Myanmar are looking to the 88 Generation for leadership at this critical time. What is the political agenda of the group?

I dont want people to depend on an individual person or group. I think we need collaborative leadership. We are now trying to empower civil society, which is different from forming political parties. I think the civil society groups are getting stronger and stronger. What we are doing today is building a network. You cant see a single tree standing out in a field. Our work is horizontal, not vertical.

Will you form a political party to contest the 2015 national election?

Personally, I have no plan to form a political party. But in our group, there are some who are keen to do so and capable of making it work, so they might form a party at some point. I understand why they want to do it, but as for me, I dont have any enthusiasm or aptitude for it.

Let me say a few words about party politics and peoples politics. Those two ideologies always divide us into two groups. Look at Bogyoke Aung San: He formed a party, but he wasnt really doing party politics. Instead, he engaged in peoples politics for the good of the whole nation.

I wont form a political party, but I will keep working at the grassroots level. Look at people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. We dont criticize them for not taking part in party politics. Their work was hugely influential. So I dont think that that forming a political party and running in an election is the only way to achieve things in politics.

How do you propose to change the current political situation in Myanmar, in which former military leaders still dominate in both the government and the Parliament?

It would be best if power was in hands of the people. To reach our goal, I am more interested in influence than power. After 50 years of being ruled with an iron fist, our people tend to think of power as something used to oppress them. It was power that intimidated and enslaved them. The way governments took or seized power wasnt right, either. Thats why I want to apply influence rather than power. By building influence, we will be able to put power into hands of the people.

What is the difference between the struggle you started in 1988 and the challenges you face today?

In the past, our struggle faced total denial and a closed door. So we had to put all our energy into opening that door. Now the door is open and weve received promises [from the authorities] that they will walk together with us on this road [to political reform]. We have to admit that we now enjoy more freedom. The media, for example, is much freer than before. We couldnt even dream of such freedom in the past. These are changes we cant deny, but that doesnt mean that those changes are complete.

What I am concerned about now is whether these initial changes will be able to continue to grow. We now have basic rights to form and run associations, organize activities, and so on. But if these rights cant grow and develop, they will be like bonsai trees in a living roomjust for show.

There are traps and obstacles that we have to overcome. There are still restrictive laws in force, such as the draconian Electronics Act, under which we were given 60-year prison sentences for sending out four emailsthats 15 years for each email. Those laws are still instruments that they can use to throw you into jail anytime they choose.

You said earlier that you are not satisfied with the current political reforms. What kind of political transition would satisfy you?

Lets talk about what should be done in this situation. One of the most critical issues in our country is the ethnic problem. Unless that issue is tackled seriously and immediately, any political reform will be a sham, and we wont be able to build up a new nation. If we really want to continue this political reform, we need to solve the ethnic issue right away.
From the Archive The Day a New Burma was Born

Exactly 30 years ago, a democratic uprising took off in Rangoon that would sweep the country but end with a bloody crackdown by the military.

Exactly 30 years ago, on Aug 8, 1988, a popular democratic uprising took off in Rangoon that would sweep the country but end with a bloody crackdown by the Burma Army. In this article, which first appeared on Aug 8, 2012, participants in the uprising recall the heady days of revolt and its tragic ending.

RANGOON  When he woke up early on a drizzling Monday morning in August 24 years ago, Sanny, then 21 years old, probably had no idea that the day would end in tragedy. He was in high spirits when he left home at 7:30 to attend a downtown demonstration. He wasnt worried about a thingjust very excited.

It was August 8, 1988, or 8-8-88 as its widely known, when hundreds of thousands of Burmese from all walks of life joined a popular protest in the former capital Rangoon to topple the dictator Ne Wins single party rule that had oppressed them for 26 years.

Even today I have no regrets about joining the demonstration at that time. I was doing something I felt I had to do, said the then third-year physics student at Rangoon University, who later received a long prison sentence for his participation.

Twenty-four years later, the day still stands as an important milestone in modern Burmese historya day that marked the emergence of a full-fledged democracy movement that managed to topple Ne Wins regime, only to see a new junta seize power and spend the ensuing decades relentlessly suppressing its leaders, including Burmas newfound democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi.

It was a day of hope, bullets, blood and tears.

Whenever he thinks about that day, the first thing that comes to Sannys mind is the huge column of demonstrators shouting anti-Ne Win slogans and the people on both sides of the road who expressed their full support for the protesters.

The road was packed with people as far as the eye could see. There were countless people lining the sides of the roads, giving us food, drinking water and cigarettes. They said May your cause succeed, he recalled.

It made me cry, and what I learned on that day was that people are always ready to be with you when you stand on their side. With that much popular support, I was convinced that we would easily win, he added.

But the military crackdown on thousands of protesters at Rangoon City Hall that night proved he was wrong.

Pyone Cho, a leading member of the 88 Generation Students group, was among the demonstrators near the City Hall a few minutes before the army opened fire. He was 22 years old at that time, doing his masters degree in geology at Rangoon University.

Around 11 pm, someone informed us that we were surrounded. The army gave us three warnings to disperse. Then came a sudden blackout and the bullets started to fly in. I was lucky to narrowly escape, he recounted.

Pandavunsa, 55, has a vivid memory of how bloody the crackdown was.

When they began shooting, I was in total shock. Then two guys near me fell down. So I grabbed them and started to run for my life, remembered the Buddhist monk, who took part in the protest as a member of the Rangoon Young Monks Organization and was later a leading figure in the monk-led Saffron Revolution in 2007.

A few minutes later I stopped to find out that the head of the man I carried away was open. His brains were like smashed tofu. The other one, a monk, had been shot in the stomach. I could see his intestines. He was already dead, too, he said.

The next morning, an eerie silence descended on the whole of Rangoon and there was no trace of the previous nights mass killing in front of the City Hall. The number of casualties still remains unknown.

Dr Tin Myo Win, the family doctor of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was a surgeon at that time at Rangoon General Hospital, where he treated many wounded protesters.

Although he also has vivid memories of that day and its aftermath, he said he is reluctant to recount them, lest he reignite public resentment over the crackdown and cause any obstacle to the national reconciliation process that Suu Kyi is now working on. He acknowledges, however, that the 8-8-88 uprising has had an indelible impact on the country.

Nobody can deny that it brought out leaders and players for todays Burmese politics. The uprising opened our eyes to the need for national reconciliation and unity, which are the essential forces to complete our mission that originated 24 years ago, he said.

Pyone Cho said the 88 movement was the mother of all subsequent uprisings, all of which have had only one strong message that still echoes today: People want democratic changes.

After our repeated demands for change, the government is now doing some reforms. But I have to say, theres a long road to the change we want. Take the Constitution, for example. If we all take part in the reform process, as we did in 1988, we will win, said the 46-year-old ex-political prisoner who has spent nearly 20 years behind bars.

For Pandavunsa, Burmese democracy begins with the 88 movement.

It was the very first time we Burmese collectively fought against the dictatorship. It was the first time we talked about democracy. Anyone in their right mind knows todays changes are the long awaited results of the 88 uprising, the monk commented.

Tin Myo Win said it was the 88 spiritworking for the peoples interests and having comradeship among protestersthat toppled single party rule 24 years ago.

If we were able to work together even at that time when the doors to change were closed, why cant we reapply that spirit now, when changes are visible and our goal is in sight? he said, adding that the goal is a long way to go.

Meanwhile, the 24th anniversary of the 8-8-88 uprising has revived Pandavunsas memories of that fateful day.

I still remember the faces of people on that night. Even in their death, I felt hope for change was written on their faces, said the monk.

We have sacrificed a lot. I saw comrades die young. I pray for no repetition of that day.
From the Archive The Women of 1988

The Irrawaddy

To mark the 30th anniversary of the 1988 uprising this week, The Irrawaddy is revisiting some of its past articles about the event. This article from a year ago highlights the important contributions of seven women to the uprising and the pro-democracy movement it helped inspire.

Of all the social and political upheavals that Myanmar has experienced since 1962, the popular uprising of 1988 is seen by many as the most prominent in the countrys modern history. Over a period of six monthsreaching a peak on the auspicious day of August 8, 1988people across Myanmar took to the streets to defy the dictatorship that had oppressed them for 26 years.

Despite an end to the struggle in a bloody military coup, young people kept the spirit of the 88 pro-democracy movement alivein prisons, in exile, and on borders by defying the regime using whatever means possible. It is believed that their efforts, power and commitment made way for the elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government today.

When Myanmar marks the 29th anniversary of the uprising on Tuesday, we will honor those who dared to sacrifice their lives for the good of the country and their fellow citizens. In commemoration, The Irrawaddy chose to profile seven women who were involved in or inspired by the events of 1988, so as to represent the many more who fought alongside their male counterparts at the forefront of the democracy movement. Most of those featured below continue to be politically active in different sectors, fighting against injustice or serving people in need, and fulfilling legacies 29 years in the making.

Ma Win Maw Oo: The Martyr

When Myanmar Army soldiers indiscriminately opened fire on protesters on September 19, 1988 in downtown Yangon, Ma Win Maw Oo was at the forefront of the column. Witnesses recalled that despite her bullet wounds, the high school student did not drop the picture she held of Gen Aung San until she fell to the ground. Later, her blood-soaked body was carried away by two doctors for emergency treatment, captured in an iconic photograph taken by a foreign journalist. The picture appeared in the Oct. 3, 1988 issue of Newsweeks Asia edition, and 16-year-old Ma Win Maw Oo soon became an icon of the brutality of the crackdown, which cost her her life.

Apart from her sacrifice, Ma Win Maw Oos last words reflected the unbowed spirit of the participants of the 88 uprising. In Myanmar, a deeply rooted traditional belief has it that a persons soul cannot rest in peace until his or her name is called out by the family so that the merit of the living can be shared with the deceased. Her final request was to her father, whom she told not to perform these last rites until her country had become a democracy.

Twenty-eight years later, in May 2016, one month after the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led democratically elected government came to power, the last Buddhist funerary rites for Ma Win Maw Oo were performed by her family, to put her wandering soul to rest. Despite her untimely death, she will be remembered along with the other young students who put their lives before the barrels of loaded guns when they took to the streets to defy the dictatorship 29 years ago.

 By Kyaw Phyo Tha

Ma Thandar: The Lawmaker

Twenty-nine years after she took the streets to protest against the authoritarian regime, Ma Thandar finds herself sitting in the Lower House of Parliament, making laws and participating in Myanmars democratic transition.

In 1988, she was a leading student activist in Irrawaddy Divisions Einme Township. After a bloody military coup on Sept. 18, 1988, a warrant was issued for her arrest because of her participation in demonstrations. Ma Thandar had to flee her home and go into hiding. Later, she joined the NLD.

In 2007, she was arrested for her pro-democracy work. She was tortured during interrogations and jailed for six years in Insein Prison.

The long-time activist co-founded the Democracy and Peace Womens Network with other female former political prisoners as a mechanism to fight for justice, womens rights and speak out against land grabs.

Three years ago, Ma Thandar lost her husband Aung Kyaw Naing, a journalist who wrote under the name Par Gyi and who had once served as Daw Aung San Suu Kyis bodyguard. She was in Bangkok to receive a United Nations award for her work when she learned that he had been killed by the Myanmar Army during an interrogation.

Though two soldiers initially implicated in her husbands death were acquitted by a military tribunal, Ma Thandars call for answers prompted the army to make an unprecedented statement admitting the journalist had been shot in custody.

Following the 2015 election, the 48-year-old became the representative for her home region, Irrawaddys Einme Township, and a member of the Lower Houses Citizens Fundamental Rights Committee.

We faced human rights violations and justice has never been done. But if we can protect the next generations from suffering as we did, I would see it as a success. Thats what I want, she said.

 By San Yamin Aung

Hnin Pan Eain: The Supporter

It would have been unimaginably more difficult to survive in Myanmars prisons under the military regime without the moral and physical support of people like Hnin Pan Eain.

Like many other family members of political prisoners who struggled to care for their jailed loved ones, she long supported her husband, Nay Oo, who was imprisoned for eight years for his role in Myanmars pro-democracy movement of 1988.

Hnin Pan Eains preparation for this role unknowingly began in 1969, when she was just three years old, and she first visited her father in jail. He was a journalist and peace activist who was arrested by Gen Ne Wins regime in 1966. It marked the first of hundreds of prison visits that she would make in her lifetime.

Between 1998 and 2005, the years during which her husband was jailed, she made more than 200 visits to the remote Kalay prison where he was held. The journey there was long and arduous, and allowed for just a 15-minute visitation period. She traveled 400 miles by train from Yangon to Mandalay with her five-year-old son. From there, they continued by bus for another 160 miles, through dense jungle to Kalay. Along the way, they had to cross the wild Chindwin River by boat.

After seeing her husband incarcerated in deplorable conditions, Hnin Pan Eain decided to stay in Kalay so that she would be able to make regular visits to the prison and bring him and others food, medicine and necessities every fortnight. She sold fish paste in the town market in order to survive.

She considered family visits a form of physical and mental sustenance for the political prisoners, who she saw as freedom fighters on the front line. In addition to visiting her own husband regularly, she helped family members of other political prisoners make trips to remote prisons.

In 1999, she transformed the hardship of her visits into a series of stories based on her experiences and those relayed to her by other prisoners. Originally called Daw Thandar, she wrote under a pen nameHnin Pan Eainunder which she continues to be known.

Now a well-known 52-year-old writer, she continues helping former political prisoners and their families.

She has facilitated counseling for former political prisoners, their family members, and women in vocational schools, under the outreach programs of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, in order to heal the trauma, depression, and anxiety that haunts the past of so many who survived this era.

 By San Yamin Aung

Nan Khin Htwe Myint: The Legacy

In the same office building once run by her father, Dr. Saw Hla Tun, former head of the Karen State Council under the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League (AFPFL), Nan Khin Htwe Myint serves as the Karen State chief minister under the NLD civilian government.

The 63-year-old has made many sacrifices due to her activism and family history of opposing military rule.

A participant in the political movement since an early age, she was detained for the first time in 1975 for taking part in the student movement. She continued to be imprisoned multiple times throughout the 1990s, including in Insein and Moulmein prisons.

She became a dedicated member of the NLD upon its formation in 1988, following the 1988 uprising. She contested and won a seat in the 1990 general election, in Hpa-an Constituency, the same constituency she represented in the 2015 general election.

Being the daughter of a politician, Nan Khin Htwe Myint fostered a homegrown knowledge of federalism, politics, and ethnic history, and fully committed herself to the movement for a democratic Union.

Her father was a supporter of the federal movements of the 1960s, in which Myanmars ethnic minority representatives suggested amendments to the 1947 Constitution. Later, in the 1962 military coup, AFPFL ministers and active ethnic leaders from the Shan, Kachin, Karenni, Karen and Chin communities were, among others, arrested.

Nan Khin Htwe Myints own family became targets for persecution under the military regime.

A strong believer that women are highly capable of coping with challenges, she has urged other women to increase their participation in politics and current affairs.

We, as women, should never feel nor think that we are weak and cannot do things like others can. I want every woman to think that we can keep abreast of everything, she told The Irrawaddy earlier this year.

 By Nyein Nyein

Dr. Cynthia Maung and Daw Aye Aye Mar: Those Who Bridged the Border

Often referred to as Myanmars own Mother Teresa, Dr. Cynthia Maung has served as a source of strength for vulnerable communities on the Thai-Myanmar border, including migrant workers and ethnic minorities displaced by civil war.

In the aftermath of the 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations, Dr. Cynthia Maung left Karen State and opened a clinic in a dirt-floor building on the outskirts of Mae Sot, on the Thai side of the border. Today the Mae Tao Clinic she founded boasts a staff of about 700 and sees between 400-500 patients each day, according to its website, treating a range of issues, from landmine injuries to facilitating safe childbirths to providing HIV counseling.

Today, Dr. Cynthia, as she is widely known, has been honored with dozens of humanitarian awards, and remains a powerful advocate for decentralized and community-based healthcare in Myanmars ethnic states.

The renowned ethnic Karen physician has inspired many, including Daw Aye Aye Mar, the director of the Social Action for Women (SAW) Foundation, also based in Mae Sot. Following Dr. Cynthias suggestion, she started with a safe house, in order to provide shelter to some of Mae Taos patients and orphans, and then co-founded SAW in 2001, along with other 88-generation women, including Dr. Cynthia.

The organization provides shelter and 24-hour support to orphans, domestic violence and rape survivors, as well as trafficked women and their families. SAW has helped provide in-house care to nearly 300 women and children, runs a learning center, and facilitates health awareness trainings. Some 90 orphans from SAWs shelters receive formal education at Thai schools.

Daw Aye Aye Mar, now 48, had been involved in Myanmars democracy movement since 1988, and was detained in the notorious Insein Prison for one month in 1989. She left her home in March 1990 and joined the once-outlawed student army, known as the All Burma Students Democratic Front.

She also has had a career as a radio broadcast reporter for 19 years, with the Democratic Voice of Burma, then Radio Free Asia, and Voice of Americas Burmese service. She became particularly involved in documenting the plight of female migrant workers.

The political transition over the past five years has contributed to major funding cuts in cross-border aid and has forced many community-based groups on the Thai border to return to Myanmar. Despite financial difficulties and security challenges, migration patterns persist, and Daw Aye Aye Mar continues to provide social services to women and children, just as Mae Tao Clinic founder Dr. Cynthia continues to offer lifesaving healthcare support.

 By Nyein Nyein

Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung: The Next Generation

Having been born in August 1988 at the height of student-led democracy movement, Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung said she feels close to the struggle.

It cant be separated from me, she told The Irrawaddy earlier this month, adding that it is important to remember the peoples power, unity, and struggle for democracy associated with that era. These events, she explained, helped to create her own political commitment a generation later.

Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung was an active leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) organizing committee from 2007 and until November 2016.

She was detained in June 2008 with her father U Nay Win for helping to bury the dead who were scattered after Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta region in May, killing more than 140,000 people. She was imprisoned for four years after a closed trial in 2009, in which she was charged under sections 6, 7 and 505(b) of the countrys Penal Code, accused of forming an illegal organization, contacting unlawful groups and intent to commit an offense against the State.

Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung faced a trial and another jail term of 13-months for her involvement in nationwide protests against the national education law in March 2015. She was released in April 2016. She remained a member of the National Network for Education Reform (NNER) and said she would continue pursuing change in the sector.

She is also a 2014 alumnus of the George W. Bush Institutes Liberty and Leadership Forum in the United States.

As the ABFSU elected new leadership in Nov. 2016, she no longer possesses official responsibilities with the organization.

Now a mother of a five-month-old son, she is dedicating her time to her family while contributing to a youth capacity building school called the Wings Institute, cofounded by ABFSU colleagues. Her work focuses on peace building and reconciliation, and discussions of federalism and transitional justice.

 By Nyein Nyein
Burma On Anniversary of '88 Uprising, Student Leaders Say the Struggle Continues

People attend an event marking the 30th anniversary of the '88 uprising at Yangon University on Wednesday. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Prominent student leaders of the 1988 uprising stressed that Myanmars political achievements to date were only a partial victory and called for more democratic reforms on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the mass protests on Wednesday.

During a commemoration ceremony at Yangon University to remember the popular nationwide uprising against one-party dictatorship, U Min Ko Naing, a member of the 88 Generation Students group, said the progress Myanmar was experiencing now was not the ultimate goal of the uprising that he joined as a university student.

We have been asked if our demands have been met after 30 years. Having a parliament and elections was not our goal. We will have to work hard for a parliament filled entirely with elected members and for a government made up entirely of civilians, he told the hundreds of attendees, mostly former students who had taken part in the uprising.

Named after the nationwide protest on Aug. 8, 1988, the 8888  or 88  uprising was a major shift in Myanmars modern history. Political analysts at home and abroad agree that, despite ending in a bloody military coup, the uprising raised the publics political awareness, which in turn paved the way for changes that brought Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) to power 28 years later. Despite the civilian government now in power, Myanmar today is coping with a guided democracy based on a military-drafted constitution and is still accused of being undemocratic.

U Min Ko Naing praised the unsung heroes of the uprising, saying they served better than us, and suggested that the countrys policymakers be aware of the peoples concerns and suffering.

If they know what people need, a better nation is on its way, he said.

For another student leader, U Ko Ko Gyi, the 30th anniversary commemoration at Yangon University was a surreal experience, as many students were arrested there in 1988 not only for protesting, but merely for hoisting a fighting-peacock flag or holding pictures of independence hero General Aung San.

I see today, event here, as a metamorphosis of a 30-year-long journey, he told the audience, admitting that he was still haunted by memories of fellow students being arrested or killed or going insane in jail.

We are saying this not because we feel bad. We are just sharing that people who were involved in this had suffered like that to have change like this today. It would be an honor for those who are gone and a consolation for those still alive, he said, adding that he did not want todays youth to have to go through what they did.

He also said the government needed to listen to the voiceless, the discontented and disenfranchised who cannot or do not dare to speak out.

The government in 1988 failed to listen to them and all hell broke loose, he said.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the uprising, Myanmars Lower House and Upper House speakers sent formal messages to the event on Wednesday. There was no message from State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The anniversarys organizing committee personally delivered an invitation to her in Naypyitaw before events began on Monday. She did attend and gave a speech in 2013, on the occasion of the uprisings 25th anniversary.

When The Irrawaddy asked U Min Ko Naing, U Ko Ko Gyi and U Mya Aye, a committee member who invited the state counselor, why she had failed to attend this year, they all refused to comment.

However, other members from the NLDs Central Executive Committee did attend, along with some international diplomats.

Yangon-based political analyst U Yan Myo Thein said the lack of a message from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi could prove a black mark on the countrys history.

She is supposed to send it. Its the uprising that has made her a politician and turned her into a popular leader, he said.
Burma Group of 1990 Election Winners to Form Party with Eye on 2020 Vote

Members of a group of former successful electoral candidates who were denied parliamentary seats after the 1990 general elections. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YANGONA group of former successful electoral candidates who were denied parliamentary seats after the 1990 general election will join with their political partners to set up a new party in order to contest the 2020 general elections.

The then-ruling military regime refused to recognize the results of the 1990 election.

The announcement was made at Yangon Universitys Judson Hall on Wednesday during an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the pro-democracy uprising in 1988.

The decision was reached at a preliminary meeting on July 15. Though its name has not been finalized, immediate steps will be taken to register the party with the Union Election Commission, said United National Democracy Organization (UNDO) general secretary U Aung Thura.

UNDO was formed by former members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), which leads the current government. It has been engaged in protecting and promoting human rights and the rights of various specific groups, including farmers.

We have had difficulties in undertaking those activities. Our legitimacy has been questioned time and again. People have urged us to stand by them in an official capacity. So, we decided to set up a political party together with our partners and run for Parliament, U Aung Thura said.

The main objective of the party is to rewrite the undemocratic 2008 Constitution, he said, adding that he and his colleagues are not satisfied with the performance of the NLD, which contested the 2015 elections on a promise to change the Constitution.

I believe we will be able to reform the Constitution if we have the same number of seats as the NLD in Parliament. Our strategies are different. Their policy is to change [parts of] the Constitution. But our policy is that the 2008 Constitution is illegitimate, U Aung Thura said.

The group of elected representatives denied seats in the 1990 elections filed a lawsuit against the government at the Dekkhinathiri District Court in Naypyitaw calling for the 2008 Constitution to be scrapped.

The court dismissed the case, saying the group had no authority to sue the government.

The party will be led by the 1990 election winners, but only younger, able members will be fielded as candidates in 2020, U Aung Thura said.

Khun Tun Oo, a Shan ethnic leader who serves as chairman of the group of election winners, believes the party will be become a third force in Myanmars politics.

The group was formed in 2014 and joined later by the UNDO and other political partners.
News State Counselors Tourism Plan Promising but Hard to Implement

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attends a meeting of the Central Committee for the Development of the National Tourism Industry in Naypyitaw. / Myanmar State Counselors Office / Facebook

YANGONWhile giving State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi high marks for her strategies to reform the tourism sector, tour operators point out that conditions on the ground make her suggestions hard to implement.

Speaking at a National Tourism Industry Development Central Committee meeting in Naypyitaw on Friday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi put forward more than 10 key tourism-promotion strategies, from extending the railways, promoting community-based tourism and building small, livable hotels and hostels, to planning new destinations and natural adventure tours.

Myanmar has a rich natural environment and remains one of the last remaining countries in Southeast Asia with undiscovered tourist destinations. From January to June, the country received about 1.8 million visitors, a drop of roughly 38,000 compared with last year. The government targets 7 million annual tourist arrivals by 2020. By comparison, neighboring Thailand received 35.38 million tourists in 2017, equivalent to more than half its population.

We must have new, innovative ideas if we want to attract more tourists, the State Counselor said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was aware that neighboring countries Thailand, Cambodia and Laos were already several steps ahead of Myanmar in terms of developing their tourism sectors.

If we can modernize our transportation system, we could attract more tourists, she said.

She suggested that rather than investing more in airport facilities, investors should consider developing the nations railways and waterways, which offer tourists more convenient ways to travel.

Most tourists enter Myanmar by airplane, but to get around inside the country, they normally choose other modes of transport such as bus and rail. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that personally, she preferred traveling by train, as it allowed travelers to take in the scenery and afforded them many opportunities to learn the local culture, such as by buying local food and souvenirs whenever the train stopped at stations along the route.

I want the transportation sector to consider extending the railways to attract more tourists, she said, adding that rail travel could be enhanced by selling local products and souvenirs at train stations.

Turning the State Counselors words into action is made difficult by the fact that Myanmars railway network is one of the most outdated in Asia. With the exception of the Yangon-Mandalay route, levels of rail infrastructure quality, train cleanliness and passenger comfort are all relatively low. In particular, bathrooms are basic and the ride itself is rarely smooth. Additionally, some sections of the network become impassable during the monsoon season.

Freight trains, for example, travel at an average speed of 40 kilometers an hour. The trip from Yangon to Mandalay takes 14 hours, versus three hours for a trip of the same distance in neighboring countries.

The further one gets from Yangon, the less predictable the rail system becomes, particularly in terms of arrival and departure times.

Operators agree most tourists would be interested in taking a train to Shan State, but few towns offer daily rail connections. Some routes are plagued by cancellations and standards of cleanliness that are inadequate for tourist services.

The train system is poor in many tourist destinations. Normally, train schedules are unpredictable. Levels of trust have declined. Tourists dont have time to waste, and wont choose train travel, said U Nyunt Win Naing, chairman of the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute.

We need to increase the train speeds. Our trains are really slow. It is a waste of time for tourists. Also, train tickets cant be purchased with visa or other credit cards, and we need a website that can display train schedules and specific routes for tourists, U Nyunt Win Naing said.

Community-based tourism involving adventure tours such as trekking and river trips is one of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis strategies to support local community development. She also wants to find new destinations and unexplored tour spots. She warned the tourism industry, however, to create an environmentally sustainable plan that preserves the countrys natural surroundings and keeps them free of trash. She urged people to learn from other countries examples.

The State Counselor also suggested creating special elephant-care camps that could be visited by tourists, and recommended the creation of tours for observing wild animals such as Irrawaddy dolphins. Her strategy for tourist accommodation is to promote small businesses that operate small, livable hotels and hostels that prioritize cleanliness and hygiene to guarantee tourists health.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also said tourists are keen to try street food. She cited the example of Thailands roadside food vendors, who are famous for safe, delicious food prepared in hygienic conditions. She urged the tourism sector to consider promoting roadside vendors offering food at reasonable prices. The idea is in line with her strategy of promoting small enterprises in local areas.

Currently, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is promoting community-based tourism in 15 places in Shan, Kachin, Kayah and Chin states, and Magway, Tanintharyi, Yangon and Mandalay regions. These include traditional activities and cultural tours.

However, tour operators on the ground say they face many challenges such as the difficulty of obtaining loans from banks, expensive license fees and weak enforcement of laws against illegal tours.

We are more expensive than Thailand, though we offer inferior services. We must have a company license, even a car license, if we run CBT. But many people are doing business without licenses; there is no law enforcement for that, said U Nay Moe Aung, managing director of 9 Generation Force Travels and Tours and secretary of Kayah Zone Travel based in Loikaw, Kayah State.

Illegal tour operators are able to offer cut-rate prices because they dont pay license fees and other expenses such as staff salaries. Unable to attract as many customers, legal operators find it hard to survive, he said.

Despite Daw Aung San Suu Kyis eagerness to promote small enterprises in local areas, operators in local ethnic areas said it was hard to get bank loans to develop travel attractions and tours.

The government recognizes Kayah State as a CBT area. It has become a destination for tourists looking to explore caves in eastern Myanmar next to Shan State. Local operators say that if the government can operate a well-run rail service from Shan to Kayah, the majority of tourists will choose to travel by train in those areas.

The train doesnt run daily in Loikaw. If we can run daily, both locals and foreigners will take the train, U Nay Moe Aung said.

Local operators have urged the government to establish a daily train service in Loikaw, but the idea was rejected due to a lack of travelers.

They should take the risk if they want long-term benefits, U Nay Moe Aung said.

Local CBT operators said the Hotels and Tourism Ministry had been working with regional officials to improve the local tourism infrastructure. However, regional authorities did not listen to advice from operators, they said.

Recently, the ministry launched the first overland trip from Kayah State to Mae Hong Son, Thailand, and discussed opening a direct border crossing between Kayah and Thailand. But there is hesitation on the Thai side, as Myanmar has not suggested specific potential new destinations that would attract tourists to Kayah State.

When we met with officials from both sides, local tour operators wanted to present lists of attractive destinations in Kayah State. But the regional government did not allow it, and they rejected it. So, the Thais think we dont have many places to visit; thats one reason for their hesitation on the border gate opening, said U Maung Maung Kyaw, director of Myanmar Land Travel based in Yangon.

We also need to figure out why we are more expensive than other countries, U Maung Maung Kyaw said.

According to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, there are 1,676 hotels and 67,350 rooms across the country for tourists, but the industrys income has fallen since the humanitarian crisis erupted in northern Rakhine State in August last year. Overall visitor numbers from the U.S., Canada, the Middle East and Europe have declined significantly in 2018 because the countrys image has been tarnished in the eyes of many Western and European travelers.

But the tourism industry expects more tourists from Asia, provided the country implements realistic policies.

Daw Aung Suu Kyis key strategies received praise from the industry, but operators cautioned that a continued lack of stability in the country and some unrealistic policies kept them from achieving her goals.

Recently, the Hotels and Tourism Ministry announced that citizens of Japan, South Korea and China will be able to request visas on arrival in Myanmar provided they show 1,000 USD in cash at the airport.

U Myint Htwe, deputy director of the ministry, told The Irrawaddy that the ministry was trying to attract more tourists from those countries. However, criticisms were raised among operators that the requirement to show such a large amount of cash was not realistic, as few tourists carry so much cash while traveling. They said it was an outdated policy that would ultimately discourage visitors.

The ministry later announced it was suspending the requirement.

We should have a chance to sit down together with officials. They need to listen to our challenges and advice from the ground. Otherwise, they will never know why the tourist numbers are declining, U Nay Moe Aung said.
(ANSA) - Rome, August 7 - Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Tuesday that the government was ready to use all the means at its disposal to stop the exploitation of migrant farm workers in Italy.

Salvini was speaking at the end of a security meeting in the southern city of Foggia after death of 16 foreign workers in two separate road accidents in the area highlighted their inhuman working and living conditions. "The fight against the mafia and exploitation are priorities of mine and of the government," said the minister, who is also deputy premier and leader of the rightwing League party.

"We'll use all the arms available to stop these criminals (responsible for the exploitation) to cause harm".


The trial of Govpass, the ID system that is being planned so Australians can avoid having to repeatedly prove their identity when using government services, will go ahead in October as planned, despite the fact that the cloud provider, Vault Systems, was unceremoniously shown the door.

The government's Digital Transformation Agency did not offer any clue as to who would provide the cloud hosting when asked about it on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The DTA decided that the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Human Services would assume responsibility for hosting the components of the digital identity system, a decision that came to light on Tuesday.

But when the DTA was asked as to who would provide the cloud services on Tuesday  as neither DHS nor the ATO are in this business  the agency did not respond.

iTWire's query, was "Given that neither the ATO nor DHS have their clouds in place, who will provide the hosting?"

Mentioned was the fact that it would have to be one of the other four companies that are certified by the Australian Signals Directorate to the Protected status level: Dimension Data, Sliced Tech, Macquarie Government and Microsoft.

On Wednesday, DTA was asked: "In view of the fact that there is now no cloud host for Govpass  until the Department of Human Services and the ATO call for fresh bids  will this affect the scheduled trial of Govpass in October?"

A DTA spokesperson replied: "A pilot of the end-to-end digital Tax File Number application process featuring the Govpass identity provider, myGovID, is expected to begin in October this year.

"The Australian Taxation Office will the be first provider of myGovID. More trials will follow next year."

There was again no mention of who would provide the cloud hosting.
Exhibiting white goods pride is Kogan.com, offering a "new price benchmark set for fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and more" in an assault on the home appliances market.

"It's ok to be a white goods seller" is a t-shirt Lauren Southern would never likely wear, but might one day grace Ruslan Kogan, whose eponymous retail empire has added a new bow to its quiver of technological sales triumph.

Indeed, as is Kogan's value-driven wont, the company proudly states that "Australians can now outfit their homes for less with Kogan.coms brand new white goods and built-in home appliance range".

The company states it is "setting a new pricing benchmark for large household appliances including fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, ovens, cooktops and rangehoods", with "20 new products available today, exclusively through Kogan.com".

With some of the lowest prices in the market for these home essentials, Kogan naturally states it is "living up to its mission to make the most in-demand products more affordable".

Highlights from the range include:

Freestanding dishwasher with a 4.5-star water rating, 14 place settings, anti-flood and anti-leak devices for $299.

High-power 7.5kg front load washing machine with a four-star water rating and 16 different programs for $349.

One of the most affordable refrigerators on the market, a 323L Bottom Mount Refrigerator available for $459, with all the essentials.

An electric built-in oven with five cooking functions, chrome detailing and a huge 68 litre capacity for $199.

A selection of gas and ceramic cooktops, from only $149.

In addition, we're told that "every item in the range comes with a two-year warranty".

The man who knows "y" is Sergiy Bobrovnychyy, Kogan.com's director of Exclusive Brands, who said: "Were changing the landscape of the Australian white goods and home appliance market.

For a long time, Aussies have been faced with limited options resulting in a lack of competitive tension and pricing. Our customers have been calling out for someone to disrupt this market and thats exactly what were here to do.

"Were committed to making the most in-demand products and services more affordable.

Australians are more comfortable than ever shopping online. Weve launched our initial range today and expect to be building our offering in the years to come.

Whether any of these products have any kind of home automation smarts is unlikely at the price points, but who knows what marvels of technology Kogan will be able to add to the range in years to come, at the magically low price points Kogan is famous for?

Customers can purchase their Kogan white goods and built-in kitchen appliances today at Kogan.com, and no doubt the company hopes Aussies will flock to the new range to own them with pride.
Civica says Carelink products add complementary capability and expertise, extending the groups range of solutions for the health and care sector, which are used to support essential community services in Australia, the UK and Canada.

Carelink products include employee and client co-ordinated rostering, award interpretation, Department of Social Security and National Disability Insurance Scheme interfaces, client and employee portals and smartphone apps the company says are used by more than 140 customers across Australia, representing more than 20% of the health and care sector.

Icon Global, an enterprise software company headquartered in Geelong, Victoria, with teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, provides Carelink cloud-based software solutions for the community care market.

Richard Fiddis, executive director, Civica International, said, I am delighted to welcome Icon Global to the group. Care in the community is a key area of focus for Civicas Health & Care business globally and we are delighted to strengthen our capability locally in partnership with Carelink.

We have the potential to expand further on the current activities of both companies and to capitalise on key opportunities in Australia and beyond.

Craig Porte, Icon Global chief executive, said, Joining the Civica Group is a very positive step in Carelinks development at an important time for our customers, with a strong match in our longer term aspirations for the business."

Porte said Icon Globals increased ability to grow and expand as part of the Civica Group will be driven by the large Australian presence and commitment to continuing development of the Carelink suite of products including our latest smartphone and Web-based apps for mobile workforces, our move to the cloud and the continuation of our API rollout.

Under the deal, the current Icon Global team will continue to run the business as part of a new expanded ANZ Health & Care operation and Craig Porte will report directly to Richard Fiddis as a member of the Civica management team.
The US Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence has invited WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange to testify before it in connection with its probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

The letter, from Richard Burr, chairman, and Mark Warner, vice-chairman, respectively of the panel, was sent on 1 August through the US embassy in London.

In a tweet, the whistleblower website said its legal team was considering the offer, "but the conditions must conform to a high ethical standard".

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012, having been granted asylum, and later citizenship, by Ecuador.

BREAKING: US Senate Intelligence Committee calls editor @JulianAssange to testify. Letter delivered via US embassy in London. WikiLeaks' legal team say they are "considering the offer but the conditions must conform to a high ethical standard". Also: https://t.co/pPf0GTjTlp pic.twitter.com/gQIUstbGbq  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 8 August 2018

The Australian claims he has taken refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to the US where he fears he will face either a life sentence or else execution for publishing leaked material that showed US atrocities in war zones.

Britain has said it will arrest Assange if he leaves the embassy as he skipped bail in order to take refuge in the building.

News of the invitation to testify in the US comes after Ecuador President Lenin Moreno said recently that he has no objection to the UK agreeing to extradite Assange to the US, if there is an understanding that he will not face the death penalty.

There have also been reports that Ecuador and Britain have reached, or are about to reach, a deal on ending the asylum for Assange.

The letter from Burr and Warner said: "As you are aware, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is conducting a bipartisan inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

"As part of that inquiry, the Committee requests that you make yourself available for a closed interview with bipartisan Committee staff at a mutually agreeable time and location.

"Please respond in writing upon receipt of this letter."

Moreno told the Spanish newspaper El Pais in an interview in the last week of July that Ecuador was not helping Assange to exercise his rights by prolonging his stay in Ecuador's London embassy, and therefore had to find a way to end the impasse.

He said any solution would have to ensure Assange's rights, especially his right to life, while at the same time it removed what was obviously a problem for his country.
Students Honored with Consulado General de Mexico Scholarship

Monica Munoz 19 (left) and Veronica Torres Luna 19 (right)  two of five recipients of the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME) Scholarship  are shown here at the 2016 Council for IWU Women Summit.

Aug. 8, 2018

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  Five Illinois Wesleyan University students of Mexican heritage will receive financial support for the 2018-19 academic year through a $25,000 scholarship awarded to IWU by the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME) Scholarship Program, funded by the Consulado General de Mexico en Chicago.

This scholarship will be a great help for me to continue studying at Illinois Wesleyan and to finish my last year in college, said Monica Munoz 19 (Chicago). And as a Mexican, it is also an honor to be able to receive this scholarship.

Illinois Wesleyan is the only Illinois school outside of the Chicagoland area to receive funding from the Mexican Consulate. This marks the second consecutive year that IWU has received this funding.

The ability to pursue an Illinois Wesleyan education has provided these five students unique opportunities to excel in their undergraduate careers. The scholars have taken on leadership roles in Student Senate, the Spanish and Latino Student Association (SALSA), and other student organizations across campus. They have showcased their talents in an array of activities  from the Titan track and field team to the Ethics Bowl team  and they have been inducted into several national honor societies. The scholarship honorees have also made a positive impact on their fellow students as tutors in the Writing Center, as Spanish tutors, and as first-year resident assistants (FYRAs), in addition to volunteering throughout the community.

I know that through all these positions, I am preparing to continue building a better me and making my parents proud along the way, said Veronica Torres Luna 19 (Chicago), an FYRA and the Civic Engagement Commissioner for Student Senate. As a first-generation student, I always strive to be great at whatever I do, because I know how hard my parents and I have worked in order for me to attend college.

For many recipients of the IME Scholarship, the Mexican Consulates financial support carries special significance in helping them become the first in their family to earn a college degree.

As a first-generation college student, its very scary to navigate college, not only socially but economically, said Hispanic studies and secondary education double major Yesenia Martinez Calderon 20 (Chicago), who aspires to teach Spanish to children. I appreciate opportunities like these, because not only do they make me proud of where I come from, but they also humble me to work even harder and provide knowledge to my future students so that they can achieve their dreams.

The Mexican Governments IME Scholarship Program was created in 2005 as an initiative to contribute to the development and educational improvement of Mexican migrants living in the United States. Since its inception, more than 68,000 students have received financial support.

The five Illinois Wesleyan recipients of the IME Scholarship include:

Yesenia Martinez Calderon 20, Hispanic studies and secondary education double major, Chicago

Geoffroi Gus Castro 19, philosophy and political science double major, Rockford, Illinois

Veronica Torres Luna 19, political science major, Chicago

Monica Munoz 19, financial services and Hispanic studies double major, Chicago

Victor Arizmendi Yanez 20, accounting major, Chicago

By Rachel McCarthy 21
(ANSA) - Rome, August 8 - Premier Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday that Italy is ready to be more rigorous on the issue of Iran in the light of the position of the United States.

US President Donald Trump has said that anyone doing business with Iran will not do business with American after withdrawing from the nuclear deal with the country and reimposing sanctions.

The European Union remains committed to the Iran nuclear agreement. "We aren't ducking out of the commitments made up to now, but we are willing to verify the updated situation, including in a more rigorous direction," Conte told a press conference. "In the (recent) meeting with Trump I expressed the position that if the news comes from American intelligence outlining a different outlook from that acquired up to now in terms of nuclear proliferation, Italy must be ready to look at the substance of the matter". He added that the government will take action to "limit to the utmost the negative impact of the sanctions" imposed by the US on Iran "for our companies".


Migrants: Berlin-Madrid accord on rejections Spokesman Seehofer, talks still ongoing with Rome and Athens

(ANSAmed) - BERLIN, AUGUST 8 - Germany's talks with Spain on immediate rejections at the border for migrants who have already applied for asylum in Spain ''have ended'', said German interior ministry spokeswoman, Eleonore Petermann, during a press conference Wednesday in Berlin. Under the agreement, migrants can be sent back to Spain in 48 hours, said the spokeswoman of Horst Seehofer.



The measure is effective starting on August 11. It concerns secondary migration movements and was strongly promoted by the minister of Csu, which on this theme has dragged the government into a major crisis.



''Madrid didn't ask for anything in exchange'', said the spokesperson, responding to a question.



''Negotiations with Greece and Italy are still open'' and they are particularly important as the pressure of migration on these countries is ''particularly strong'', added Petermann.



Contrary to Spain, ''there are expectations in Italy and Greece'', said the spokeswoman. In Greece, due to the deadly wildfire in the country, ''we did not force more'' but negotiations are moving forward. ''No news regarding Italy'' Petermann said, stressing that ''details of these negotiations, during the talks, must not become public'', as explained by the minister over the past few weeks. (ANSAmed).




Italian museums open during summer holidays Special events organized in August at many venues

(by Marzia Apice).



(ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 8 - Art is not going on holiday this summer with museums across Italy open throughout August, including on the 15th.



Marc Chagall will be the protagonist at the civic museum of Villa Colloredo Mels in Recanati with the show "Marc Chagall. Le favole ed alter storie" (Marc Chagall. Fables and other stories).



The exhibit, which runs until September 30, focuses on the artist's fascination for La Fontaine's work, which he represented through the technique of engraving. On display, alongside the illustrations of the Fables will be two artworks rarely exhibited on loan from an Italian private collection - King David and His Harp and Musicien et Danseuse.



The National museum of contemporary art and architecture in Rome MAXXI will offer throughout the month of August (including on the 15th) a special 7-euro ticket to visit its 12 exhibits and ongoing special projects.



The museum will also remain open until 10 pm on Thursdays.



Events include a display of the work of 40 African artists in "African Metropolis An imaginary city", which runs through November 4, and "Road to justice", until October 14.



Bauhaus architecture will be the focus of "Tel Aviv, the White City", running through September 2, and Bruno Zevi's work and students in "Zevi's architects", until September 23.



The exhibit "Capolavori del Trecento. Il cantiere di Giotto, Spoleto e l'Appennino" (Masterpieces of the 1300s. Giotto's building site, Spoleto and the Appenines" will be showcased in four Umbria cities: in Trevi at the Museo di San Francesco; in Spoleto at the Museo Diocesano - Basilica di Sant'Eufemia and the Museo Nazionale del Ducato; in Montefalco at the museum complex of San Francesco.



The show runs through November 4 with 70 masterworks highlighting how Umbria was at the center of an extraordinary artistic revolution between the 13th and 14th centuries.



Turin's Museo del Cinema will be open and will offer visitors the possibility of seeing, along with its permanent collection, also "SoundFrames. Cinema and music on show", a project on the connection between film and music.



The museum and its panoramic lift will also be open on August 15 from 9 am until 8 pm.



The Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan will offer special projects including one on August 16 when a ticket from 6 until 10:15 pm will only cost 3 euros, offering visitors the possibility of seeing the entire collection, visiting all its rooms and listening to the students of the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado.



Another opportunity on offer will be a free tour of the Pinacoteca (including an entry ticket) to learn about the history of the museum and its collections with a special focus on great masterpieces (until August 22).



Milan's Palazzo Reale will also be open and offer events including the exhibit "Bonalumi 1958 - 2013" (until September 30) five years after the death of the painter Agostino Bonalumi (1935-2013), and "Pino Pinelli. Pittura oltre il limite" (or painting beyond the limit, until September 16), the first dedicated to the master of analytic painting.



Another show will focus on luxury - "Luxus. Lo Stupore della Bellezza" (surprising beauty, until September 30) while "Alik Cavaliere. L'universo verde", (the green universe), will showcase the sculptor's evolution and his focus on nature on the 20th anniversary of his death.



In Genoa, Palazzo Ducale will be open in August and will offer on the 15th a special ticket for 5 euros to visit the show "Mexico, la pittura dei grandi muralisti e gli scatti di vita di Frida Kahlo e Diego Rivera" on the art of great muralists and photos portraying Khalo and Rivera and to see the Torre Grimaldina, the prison and formal rooms. (ANSAmed).




Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Overcast with showers at times. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Overcast with showers at times. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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1.

JERUSALEM (Maan)  Members of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel announced on Tuesday the launch of their own struggle against the controversial Nationality Law, demanding its cancellation.

The High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel turned to the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, demanding them to immediately intervene and support the cancellation of the law.

Muhammad Barakeh, head of the High Follow-Up Committee, said in a statement were saying these things not on behalf of a party or a movement in the Arab population, but on behalf of the Arab public in general.

Barakeh stressed that we demand the unconditional cancellation of the law.

Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel also filed a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice against the Nationality Law, calling it a bid to progress ethnic superiority by promoting racist policies.

Adalah said that the law has distinct apartheid characteristics and denies civil and national rights of Palestinians in their homeland.

On Saturday, tens of thousands opposing the law had demonstrated against it in Tel Aviv, calling for its annullement to ensure equality for Israels non-Jewish minorities.

The law, which was passed by the Israeli Knesset in July, enshrines the status of the State of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people and includes legally preserving Israels democratic character, its state symbols (national anthem, flag, icon), Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Hebrew as the official language and the right of return for Diaspora Jewry.

Meanwhile, the Arabic language will receive a special status as Israels second official language. The law, however, would not require making state services accessible in Arabic.

Critics of the law raised concerns that it will permit the exclusion of various populations, based on nationality or religion, and allow the illegal establishment of Jewish settlements and communities only.

Meanwhile, supporters believe it ensures the Jewish character of the state for generations to come.

Via Maan News Agency

2.

Israeli minister warns High Court of revoking Nationality Law

BETHLEHEM (Maan)  Israeli Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked, warned of an earthquake to occur in the case that the Israeli High Court of Justice decides to overturn the controversial Nationality Law.

According to Times of Israel news outlet, during an interview with the official Israeli Army Radio, Shaked said that the Israeli High Court has no right to strike down the law on constitutional grounds, because it was passed as a Basic Law.

The Basic Laws of Israel are the constitutional laws that can only be changed by a supermajority vote in the Israeli Knesset, hence the constitutional underpinning of the Israeli justice system.

Shaked stressed that such a move would cause an earthquake between different authorities.

Shaked added that the Knesset is the constituent assembly, which defines and determines the Basic Laws. The High Court justices have to interpret the laws in accordance with the Basic Laws, explaining that she doesnt believe the majority of the High Court would take such a step.

Shaked restated her support for the controversial law, which has been labeled as racist against non-Jewish minorities.

Since the law was passed in July, at least three petitions have been submitted to the Israeli High Court, demanding that the justices overturn the law for its discrimination.

One of the petitions was filed by Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, against the Nationality Law, demanding the Israeli High Court to overturn it for its discrimination.

The petition was submitted on behalf of all of the Arab political leaderships in Israel, the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, the National Committee of Arab Mayors, the Joint List parliamentary faction and in the name of Adalah, against the Knesset, according to an Adalah press release.

The petition stated that there is no single constitution in the world today that declares in its laws that it will act to advance the interests of the dominant group, particularly when it concerns public resources such as land.

The Nationality Law enshrines the status of the State of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people.

The law includes legally preserving Israels democratic character, its state symbols (national anthem, flag, icon), Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Hebrew as the official language and the right of return for Diaspora Jewry.

Critics of the law raised concerns that the law will deepen a sense of apartheid within the Arab community, which has become a minority over the years.

Via Maan News Agency
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A further round of new Trump sanctions against Iran went into effect yesterday, but the president is failing to get buy-in from allies and rivals, who pledge to keep dealing with Iran.

Chinese auto-makers are flooding into Iran to replace French car companies there. China has pledged to pay no attention to the Trump threats.

VOAnews writes,

State-owned and private auto companies currently assembling or importing Chinese models have a nearly 10 percent share of the Iranian market, which analysts say will likely expand rapidly in the wake of the French departure. Chinese enterprises currently command a 50 percent share of auto parts imported into Iran.

The European Union has signaled that it may impose substantial fines on European firms that pull out of Iran deals for fear of Trumps unilateral US Treasury Department sanctions.

It is likely that smaller European companies that trade with Iran but have no relationship with the US will continue their relationship with the Islamic Republic, using Euros and non-US banks. But large firms such as French oil giant Total S.A. and Renault have signaled that they will get out of Iran to avoid American fines. It is hard to imagine them taking this risk or that EU fines could offset the threat of American ones. The US has fined European banks billions for dealing with Iran in the years before the 2015 UNSC Iran deal.

The European announcement is likely intended to reassure Iran of the continued commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of the European Union member states, and to forestall an Iranian return to large scale nuclear enrichment (which Iran maintains was for peaceful purposes).

Russia may be happy with Trump in general, but his assault on the Iran deal is driving the Kremlin up the wall. Russia needs Iranian help in Syria, and its businesses want to invest in Iran to take advantage of the good feeling produced by the alliance. Russia is planning to invest $50 bn in Iranian oil and natural gas, and doesnt welcome Trump interference in this plan.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, We are deeply disappointed with US efforts to reinstate national sanctions against Iran.

They complained that This is a graphic example of Washingtons continued violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and trampling upon the norms of international law.

Moscow denounced any unilateral sanctions that went behind the back of the UN Security Council and especially if they involved third party sanctions. (I.e. Russia is upset about the prospect of the US imposing sanctions on Russian firms investing in Iran, not just on Iran itself.)

Russia observed, The JCPOA has completely proved its worth and efficiency. The IAEA regularly confirms that Iran unfailingly honours its obligations. The Plans verification, control and monitoring measures are being carried out in full. This itself reliably attests to the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme.

Moscow called on the international community to prevent the US from subverting the achievements of multilateral diplomacy, and expressed confidence that the parties to the treaty can keep it in place.

-

Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

Channel 4 News: Trump clashes with EU over Iran sanctions
NAPLES - The MENA area - Middle East and North Africa - which has the world's second-youngest population after Sub-Saharan Africa, needs reforms to create jobs for the young to curb rising unemployment, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said in a new report.

Current population projections show that about 5.5 million new workers will join the MENA labor force every year for the next five years, the fund said in the report.

''There is no greater challenge facing the MENA region in its efforts to build a future based on inclusive growth than job creation'', the fund said in a statement.

''In the past five years, the region's working-age population increased by 50.2 million, and 27.6 million people joined the labor force. Yet employment increased by only 25.4 million''.

With 60% of the population under the age of 30, the region is struggling to create enough jobs for its young work force and unemployment rates remain high. After reaching more than 11.5% in the early 2000s, it averaged 10.6% in the region in 2016, compared with 7.2% in advanced economies and 9.8% in emerging markets.

According to the IMF's analysis, ''if the region could generate an additional 0.5 percentage point of employment growth per year, real gross domestic product growth would accelerate to 5.5% per year, and real per capita income would rise annually by 3.8%''. ''Without such change, unemployment could reach 14% by 2030 and labor force participation would not change.'' Problems highlighted by the IMF included limited access to funding for small and medium-sized enterprises, low levels of direct foreign investment, political instability.

Boosting access to finance small and medium-sized companies in emerging markets would lead to more than 300 billion dollars in additional private sector investment in the region, the IMF said.

The public sector, in addition, remains the main employer in several countries in the region, hindering the growth of the private sector and job creation in small and medium-sized firms.

The public sector accounts for an average of 8% of working-age population in MENA oil importers and 13% in the Arabian Gulf, compared to an average of 5% in emerging markets and developing economies.

Direct foreign investments are also few, another deterrent to job creation.

During the 2010-15 period, such investments declined by 53%, compared to an increase of 11% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 76% in sub-Saharan Africa.

''Raising levels of FDI inflows as a share of GDP to the average of emerging markets would require an influx of $40bn or 1.25% of GDP,'' the fund said.

A key point in the IMF's analysis focuses on the fact that the area needs to eliminate energy subsidies to gather funds to invest in economic development and infrastructures and improve tax collection.

''For each percentage point of GDP spending on energy subsidies in the Mena region that is redirected to infrastructure spending, the region has the potential over six years to increase its real GDP by 2 percentage points and create 0.5 million new jobs'', the fund said.
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Riyadh (AFP)  Saudi Arabias diplomatic rupture with Canada underscores the kingdoms newly combative foreign policy to tame international criticism after a crackdown on domestic critics, as it struggles to implement risky reforms, analysts say.

Saudi Arabia on Monday expelled Canadas ambassador and recalled its own envoy while freezing all new trade and investments, after Ottawa denounced a new crackdown on women and human rights activists in the kingdom.

Riyadh also said it will relocate thousands of Saudi students studying in Canada to other countries, while state airline Saudia announced it was suspending flights to Toronto.

Experts said the move illustrates how the oil-rich kingdom is increasingly seeking to use its economic and diplomatic muscle to quell foreign criticism under its young de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This is clearly an attempt to bully countries to tone down their criticism of Saudi Arabia, James Dorsey, a fellow at Singapores S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told AFP.

The question is: are they going to allow themselves to be bullied? They (critics) are not going to fall on their knees.

Canada on Monday indicated it will not back down, despite the risk of imperilling business deals including a significant $15 billion agreement to sell Riyadh light armoured vehicles.

If the deal is scrapped, thousands of jobs could be lost in Canada, experts say.

But Canada will always stand up for human rights, in Canada and around the world, and womens rights are human rights, said Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

 Discipline foreign critics 

Canada annoyed Riyadh last week when it called for the immediate release of rights campaigners, including award-winning womens rights activist Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.



GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / ALEX WONG. Saudi activist Samar Badawi received an International Women of Courage Award in Washington on March 8, 2012.

Samar Badawi was arrested along with fellow campaigner Nassima al-Sadah last week, the latest victims of what Human Rights Watch called an unprecedented government crackdown on women activists.

It came after more than a dozen womens rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state.

After disciplining domestic critics through warnings & arrests (Saudi Arabia is) seeking to use economic leverage & diplomatic actions to discipline foreign critics as well, tweeted Kristin Diwan, of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

So far major Western powers including the United States  a key ally of Saudi Arabia  have not publicly come out in support of Canada, though it is not the first country to be targeted for speaking up.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Stockholm over criticism by the Swedish foreign minister of Riyadhs human rights record.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia was scaling back its dealings with some German companies amid a diplomatic spat with Berlin.

The move came after Germanys foreign minister last November remarked that Lebanon was a pawn of Saudi Arabia after the surprise resignation of its Prime Minister Saad Hariri while in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia was historically defined by its calculated diplomacy, Gulf affairs expert Khalil Harb told AFP.

But such an aggressive and rash stance towards Canada illustrates an extremist foreign policy driven by the young crown prince, Harb added.

Prince Mohammed has drawn criticism not just over human rights but also for pursuing a ruinous bombing campaign in neighbouring Yemen, which is in the grip of war and a humanitarian crisis.

 Hyper-nationalism 

Lashing out at Canada, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Monday said the kingdom will deal with any interference decisively.

Some Saudi supporters bashing Canada on social media appeared to take that threat too far.

A pro-Saudi Twitter account stirred outrage when it invoked 9/11 imagery with a digitally altered image showing a plane flying towards the Toronto skyline.

The account later apologised and the image was reposted with the plane removed, but screenshots of the original tweet spread quickly.

Saudi Arabia appeared to have shut down the account on Tuesday.

What were seeing is (an) example of growing hyper-nationalism constructed in Saudi Arabia: vigorously defending sovereignty through punitive measures against transnational civil society groups and countries that support them, said Diwan.

But proponents of Prince Mohammeds aggressive stance say he seeks to avoid complications that could derail his highly sensitive social and economic reform drive  opposed by many arch-conservatives.

The 32-year-old crown prince, set to be the first millennial to occupy the throne in a country where half the population is under 25, has introduced a string of reforms such as lifting a decades-long ban on women drivers.

The prince aims for change but is unwilling to be guided by other countries, nor establish quick change that could trigger the risk of conflict inside the kingdom, Najah al-Otaibi, a senior analyst at pro-Saudi think-tank Arabia Foundation, told AFP.

Of course Canada can continue supporting Saudi Arabias reforms, but through means other than pressure and criticism.

Featured Photo: Saudi Royal Palace/AFP/File / BANDAR AL-JALOUD. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has overseen dramatic reforms but drawn criticism over human rights.
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By Jeffrey Kucik | 

President Donald Trump justifies tariffs on imports by arguing that unfair trade policies have harmed American workers. This has led to a trade war in which the U.S. and China have placed tit-for-tat tariffs on each others products.

Most recently, China said its ready to slap tariffs on US$60 billion in U.S. imports if Trump goes ahead with his threat to tax another $200 billion of Chinese goods.

Since the president claims to be acting on behalf of working-class Americans, its fair to ask: How do tariffs actually affect them?

Scholars of international political economy, such as myself, recognize that trade hasnt always been good for poorer Americans. However, the economic fundamentals are clear: Tariffs make things worse.

Free trade and tariffs

The erosion of American manufacturing became a hot-button issue during the 2016 election. And for good reason. Total employment in manufacturing has fallen by 25 percent since 2001, putting about 4.5 million workers out of a job.

Members of both parties now agree that free trade is largely to blame for this decline. Off-shoring and bad trade deals are cited as evidence that trade no longer serves Americas interests.

The Trump administrations solution is tariffs. In recent months, entry barriers have been erected, first to protect solar panels and washing machines in January and then steel and aluminum in March.

Although hes fighting these trade battles with many partners, including Canada and Europe, most of Trumps attention is directed toward China. He claims that China manipulates its currency, fails to protect intellectual property and stunts economic innovation. Sweeping tariffs  beginning with a 25 percent increase on $34 billion of Chinese imports  are an attempt to combat those issues.

Trump has said another $200 billion in tariffs are ready to go  and that hes even prepared to tax everything China sends to the U.S.

Unfortunately, there are several reasons to think that tariffs will only harm those Trump wants to protect.

Tariffs raise prices for consumers

The purpose of a tariff is to help domestic companies.

Tariffs are a tax on imports. As taxes go up, so do the prices of foreign goods. Consider the metal tariffs. Foreign imports of steel and aluminum became more expensive overnight  to the tune of 25 and 10 percent, respectively. Higher prices drive down consumption of foreign goods while bolstering demand for domestic equivalents.

Unfortunately, protecting a few narrow industries can generate much broader costs. Not least, consumers now have to pay more for everyday goods.

Trumps tariffs on Chinese imports go far beyond steel and aluminum and affect a wide variety of basic products, from consumer electronics to shoes and apparel.

Thats not a problem for higher earners who can absorb the extra costs. But, for those with more limited incomes, who are especially vulnerable to tariff increases, price hikes can quickly gobble up take-home pay.

Basic necessities such as food and clothing make up a larger share of working-class household expenditures when compared to higher-income families. And most of those products are imported. Foreign producers make up an overwhelming percentage of sales of many basic goods, such as shoes. In fact, one manufacturing industry group reports that 80 percent of Walmarts suppliers are housed across the Pacific.

One 2017 paper estimated that a 10 percent across-the-board increase in tariffs on imported goods would cost the poorest 20 percent of earners $300 a year.

Thats a meaningful chunk of the less than $13,000 earned by the poorest U.S. households in 2015. Moreover, Trumps first round of tariffs werent the 10 percent used in the study. They are 25 percent.

And the president isnt stopping there. While the White House initially threatened a 10 percent tariff increase on the next $200 billion of goods hes targeting, officials are reportedly considering raising that to 25 percent.

Taken together, this means the real impact of tariffs on household incomes could be more than double earlier estimates.

Tariffs raise prices for companies

Tariffs also have negative consequences for American producers that rely on foreign inputs.

The metals tariffs, for example, mean that manufacturers of cars, aircraft and tractors all have to pay more to produce their goods. Hence the vocal opposition to Trump from companies such as Ford and Boeing. Their costs are now going up, endangering their competitiveness.

What this also means is that tariffs put jobs at risk  far more than they help protect.

Trumps recent steel and aluminum tariffs were said to benefit as many as 400,000 workers. But 10 times as many workers  4.6 million  are employed in industries that rely on metals as a core input.

The comparison is even starker for solar panels. About 2,000 workers directly manufacture solar panels in the United States. However, 260,000 work in related industries such as installation and maintenance. Those workers depend on a thriving solar market  a market that has stagnated since the tariffs.

If one wants to count jobs, the numbers simply dont add up to a net benefit for the U.S. economy.

Tariffs make it harder to do business abroad

Finally, trade protectionism is a two-way street.

Beijing wasted no time in responding to Trumps tariffs, announcing duties of 15 percent to 25 percent on nearly $45 billion of U.S. exports to China, mostly agricultural products. And more will be coming if the war escalates, with some of the highest tariffs being put on food products.

Of course, targeting agrarian goods is a strategic decision. Agriculture is one of the United States few remaining export-oriented sectors. And, since China is the second-largest buyer of U.S. agricultural exports, farmers are particularly vulnerable to retaliation. If a country wants to hit the U.S. economy where it hurts, target agriculture.

China did exactly that, hitting U.S. producers of soybeans, corn, poultry and beef particularly hard. As a result, agricultural workers will find it more difficult to make a living in a sector where incomes have historically lagged behind the national average of all industries.

And poorer areas of the country will be harder hit than others. Three of the states that are the most vulnerable to retaliation  Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina  all have per capita incomes far below the national average.

That means that poorer households, in poorer states, face the greatest threat if export-dependent agricultural companies cant do business with one of their most important trade partners.

The bigger picture

This is not to say that removing all trade barriers and opening the U.S. economy to all comers will solve the problems facing working-class and poorer Americans.

No one argues that trade is cost-free. Some industries inevitably contract due to foreign competition. And workers in those industries arent easily employed in the new jobs that are created.

But theres something else that costs jobs, too: trade wars.

As tensions continue to escalate, poorer households, already struggling to keep up, will face additional downward pressure on their incomes. Thats bad news for the workers whom Trump promised to help.

Jeffrey Kucik, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Arizona

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Featured Photo: GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / JUSTIN SULLIVAN. Washington has already imposed tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese products, but it initially held off on the final $16 billion as a result of concerns raised by US companies.
New Strategic Relationship with Continental Resources

(in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted)

TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2018 /CNW/ - "We are pleased to have entered into a first-of-its-kind mineral rights acquisition relationship with Continental Resources, Inc. Continental is the leading operator in the SCOOP and STACK oil & gas plays in Oklahoma," commented David Harquail, CEO. "We are excited to be able to work together to grow our royalty revenues effectively through grass-roots acquisitions."

"For 2018, we are increasing our oil & gas guidance while at the same time modestly tempering our guidance for our mining assets. Our precious metals stream at Candelaria is temporarily producing largely from stockpiles. For 2019, we expect improved production from Candelaria and to benefit from the ramp-up of our major precious metals stream at Cobre Panama. We also expect on-going growth from our U.S. oil & gas assets complimented by our new Continental relationship."

Q2/2018 Financial Highlights

$161.3 million in revenue

in revenue 107,333 Gold Equivalent Ounces 1 ("GEOs") sold

("GEOs") sold $126.3 million of Adjusted EBITDA 2 or $0.68 per share

of Adjusted EBITDA or per share $53.6 million of net income or $0.29 per share

of net income or per share $53.7 million of Adjusted Net Income 3 or $0.29 per share

of Adjusted Net Income or per share $158.4 million in working capital at quarter-end and no debt

Revenue and GEOs by Asset Categories Q2/2018 Q2/2017 GEOs Revenue GEOs Revenue # (in millions) # (in millions) Precious Metals Gold 83,870 $ 108.6 92,706 $ 116.5 Silver 14,147 18.1 18,139 22.8 PGMs 7,546 9.6 8,801 11.0 Precious Metals - Total 105,563 $ 136.3 119,646 $ 150.3 Other Mining Assets 1,770 2.3 2,895 3.7 Oil & Gas  22.7  9.6 107,333 $ 161.3 122,541 $ 163.6

For Q2/2018, revenue was sourced 84.5% from precious metals (67.3% gold, 11.2% silver and 6.0% PGM) and 80.9% from the Americas (39.6% Latin America, 22.1% U.S., and 19.2% Canada). Operating costs and expenses decreased year-over-year due to lower stream GEOs sold during the quarter. Oil & Gas revenue increased 136.5% year-over-year, reflecting the additional contributions from the SCOOP/STACK, Midland, Delaware and Orion royalties, higher prices and increased payments from Weyburn. Cash provided by operating activities was $111.3 million, a decrease of 12.0% compared to Q2/2017.

Corporate Updates

Strategic Relationship with Continental Resources, Inc.: On August 6, 2018 , Franco-Nevada announced that it had entered into a strategic relationship with Continental Resources, Inc. to acquire mineral rights in the SCOOP and STACK plays of Oklahoma . Franco- Nevada is contributing $220 million for the acquisition of existing mineral rights owned by a subsidiary of Continental and has committed, subject to satisfaction of agreed upon development thresholds, to spend up to $100 million per year over the next three years to acquire additional mineral rights through a newly-formed company.

On , Franco-Nevada announced that it had entered into a strategic relationship with Continental Resources, Inc. to acquire mineral rights in the SCOOP and STACK plays of . Franco- is contributing for the acquisition of existing mineral rights owned by a subsidiary of Continental and has committed, subject to satisfaction of agreed upon development thresholds, to spend up to per year over the next three years to acquire additional mineral rights through a newly-formed company. 2018 Guidance: With a better than expected contribution from its previously acquired U.S. assets and stronger oil prices, Franco-Nevada now expects to generate $65 million to $75 million in revenue from oil & gas for 2018. This compares with the original 2018 guidance of $50 million to $60 million .

The benefit of the positive performance of the oil & gas portfolio however will be offset by a downward revision to the 2018 GEO guidance. Franco- Nevada now expects from its mining assets in 2018, attributable royalty and stream production to total 440,000 to 470,000 GEOs mainly due to reduced deliveries from the Candelaria stream. While decreased grades were expected as part of Lundin Mining Corporation's updated mine plan following a pit slide last year, the impact on 2018 gold and silver production was greater than anticipated. This is a reduction from the original 2018 mining asset guidance of 460,000 to 490,000 GEOs. Production from the Candelaria stream is expected to recover in 2019.

In forecasting GEOs for 2018, silver, platinum and palladium metals have been converted to GEOs using commodity prices of $1,250 /oz Au, $16.00 /oz Ag, $850 /oz Pt and $950 /oz Pd. The WTI oil price in the updated guidance is assumed to average $65 per barrel with a $4.80 per barrel price differential between the Edmonton Light and realized prices for Canadian oil.

With a better than expected contribution from its previously acquired U.S. assets and stronger oil prices, Franco-Nevada now expects to generate to in revenue from oil & gas for 2018. This compares with the original 2018 guidance of to . The benefit of the positive performance of the oil & gas portfolio however will be offset by a downward revision to the 2018 GEO guidance. Franco- now expects from its mining assets in 2018, attributable royalty and stream production to total 440,000 to 470,000 GEOs mainly due to reduced deliveries from the Candelaria stream. While decreased grades were expected as part of Lundin Mining Corporation's updated mine plan following a pit slide last year, the impact on 2018 gold and silver production was greater than anticipated. This is a reduction from the original 2018 mining asset guidance of 460,000 to 490,000 GEOs. Production from the Candelaria stream is expected to recover in 2019. In forecasting GEOs for 2018, silver, platinum and palladium metals have been converted to GEOs using commodity prices of /oz Au, /oz Ag, /oz Pt and /oz Pd. The WTI oil price in the updated guidance is assumed to average per barrel with a per barrel price differential between the Edmonton Light and realized prices for Canadian oil. 5-Year Oil & Gas Outlook: As a result of stronger oil prices and recently completed and announced asset acquisitions, including the Continental transaction, Franco-Nevada is revising its longer term oil & gas revenue outlook, resulting in an increase from previously announced guidance in March 2018 of $80 million to $90 million in revenue by 2022 (at a $55 per barrel WTI oil price assumption) to updated guidance of $120 million to $140 million in revenue by 2022 (at a $65 per barrel WTI oil price assumption).

As a result of stronger oil prices and recently completed and announced asset acquisitions, including the Continental transaction, Franco-Nevada is revising its longer term oil & gas revenue outlook, resulting in an increase from previously announced guidance in of to in revenue by 2022 (at a per barrel WTI oil price assumption) to updated guidance of to in revenue by 2022 (at a per barrel WTI oil price assumption). Cobre Panama: Franco-Nevada, through a subsidiary, funded the additional precious metals stream on the Cobre Panama project for $356.0 million on March 16 , 2018. Franco-Nevada now has exposure to the precious metals produced from 100% of the ownership of the Cobre Panama project.

Q2/2018 Portfolio Updates

Precious Metals  Latin America : GEOs from Latin American precious metals assets decreased 18.1% year-over-year, with 49,606 precious metal GEOs earned in Q2/2018, reflecting decreased deliveries from Candelaria, Antamina and Antapaccay. First payments from the Cerro Moro royalty were received in Q2/2018. Cobre Panama (gold and silver stream)  During Q2/2018, a Franco-Nevada subsidiary contributed $89.2 million of its share of construction capital for the Cobre Panama project. The company at quarter-end has contributed $886.0 million of its total maximum $1 billion commitment for the construction of Cobre Panama. For the remainder of 2018, Franco-Nevada expects to fund the balance of the $1 billion deposit. Recently, First Quantum announced plans to expand throughput capacity to 85 million tonnes per annum and a potential further increase to 100 million tonnes per annum after 2022. As of the end of Q2/2018, First Quantum estimates that the project is 76% complete and continues to anticipate phased commissioning during 2018 and ramp-up during 2019. Cerro Moro (2% royalty )  Yamana declared commercial production at Cerro Moro on June 26, 2018 . Franco- Nevada recorded its first revenue from the asset during the quarter. Guadalupe-Palmarejo (gold stream)  Guadalupe-Palmarejo delivered 9,833 GEOs in Q2/2018. Coeur has raised full year 2018 gold production guidance due to higher grades at Guadalupe-Palmarejo. Candelaria (gold and silver stream)  Candelaria delivered 14,472 GEOs, compared to 21,981 GEOs in Q2/2017. Precious metals production levels are lower as a result of processing lower grade materials which has had a greater impact on gold and silver production. Production is expected to recover in 2019. Antapaccay (gold and silver stream)  Antapaccay delivered 15,717 GEOs in Q2/2018, a decrease of 9.5% year-over-year due to timing of deliveries. Antamina (silver stream)  9,151 GEOs from Antamina were sold during the quarter. This is in-line with expectations and a decrease compared to 11,081 GEOs in Q2/2017. Franco- Nevada has partnered with Compania Minera Antamina S.A. ("CMA"), the Antamina joint venture company, in supporting and expanding CMA's support of Ensena Peru , which aims to improve education at existing schools in the region.





GEOs from Latin American precious metals assets decreased 18.1% year-over-year, with 49,606 precious metal GEOs earned in Q2/2018, reflecting decreased deliveries from Candelaria, Antamina and Antapaccay. First payments from the Cerro Moro royalty were received in Q2/2018. Precious Metals  U.S.: GEOs from U.S. precious metals assets increased by 3.0% year-over-year mainly due to a strong quarter from Bald Mountain which was offset by reduced deliveries from South Arturo which was expected. 19,930 GEOs were earned from U.S. precious metal assets. Bald Mountain ( 0.875-5% royalty )  Increased tonnes on leach pads and caps expiring on a specific royalty contributed to a strong performance in the quarter, resulting in payments of 4,768 GEOs, compared to 923 GEOs in Q2/2017. South Arturo (4-9% royalty)  Construction of the Phase 1 open pit and the El Nino underground mine have been accelerated with production from both operations expected later in 2018. Additional work is planned to assess the potential of further mining opportunities that include a Phase 3 pit and processing of heap leach material from all pits. Marigold (0.5-5% royalty)  SSR Mining provided a new life of mine plan which is expected to support mining for over 10 years and gold production for 15 years. Annual gold production is forecast to exceed 265,000 ounces in 2021 and 2022, a more than 30% increase over 2017. Stibnite Gold (1.7% royalty)  Midas Gold provided an updated permitting schedule for the Stibnite Gold project in Idaho indicating a modest delay relative to prior expectations. Fire Creek/Midas (fixed gold deliveries and royalty) & Hollister (3-5% royalty)  Hecla closed its acquisition of Klondex's three underground operations in Nevada including Fire Creek, Midas and Hollister . Franco- Nevada has agreements and royalties covering all three properties. Castle Mountain (2.65% royalty)  Equinox announced the results of a prefeasibility study envisioning gold production of 2.8 million ounces over a 16-year mine life. Stillwater (5% royalty)  The Blitz project achieved first production in September 2017 and is expected to reach full production by late 2021 or early 2022. Blitz is anticipated to increase total PGM production from Stillwater by more than 50% to approximately 850,000 ounces per year.





GEOs from U.S. precious metals assets increased by 3.0% year-over-year mainly due to a strong quarter from Bald Mountain which was offset by reduced deliveries from South Arturo which was expected. 19,930 GEOs were earned from U.S. precious metal assets. Precious Metals  Canada : 12,868 GEOs from Canadian precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a decrease of 24.7% year-over-year compared with Q2/2017, primarily due to deliveries from the Sudbury assets. Detour (2% royalty)  Detour Gold provided an updated life of mine plan with average annual production of 659,000 ounces over 22.6 years. Hardrock (3% royalty)  Greenstone Gold Mines, the JV partnership advancing the Hardrock project, signed a Definitive Agreement with Long Lake #58 First Nation with respect to the development and operation of the project. Brucejack (1.2% royalty)  Brucejack had a strong quarter benefitting from the implementation of a grade control system. The operation expects to produce between 200,000-220,000 ounces of gold in the second half of 2018. As of June 30, 2018 , Brucejack has produced approximately 335,000 ounces of gold since start-up. Franco- Nevada's royalty begins after approximately 500,000 ounces have been produced which is expected to occur towards the end of 2018. Kirkland Lake (1.5-5.5% royalty & 20% NPI)  Continued exploration success at Macassa supports potential for future resource growth and resource conversion. Kirkland Lake Gold has previously announced plans for a new shaft at the Macassa mine which would support higher levels of production and offer more effective underground exploration. The two phase project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.





: 12,868 GEOs from Canadian precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a decrease of 24.7% year-over-year compared with Q2/2017, primarily due to deliveries from the assets. Precious Metals  Rest of World: 23,159 GEOs from Rest of World precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a slight increase of 2.2% year-over-year. Sissingue (0.5% royalty)  Perseus Mining declared commercial production at Sissingue on April 1, 2018 following first gold pour on January 26, 2018 . Franco- Nevada received its first payment under this royalty in Q2/2018. Agi Dagi (2% royalty)  Alamos announced that it has been granted the GSM (Business Opening and Operation) permit required for the development of its Kirazli project in Turkey . This is a positive indication for the permitting of Alamos' two other projects in Turkey , Agi Dagi and Camyurt, on which Franco-Nevada has royalties. Subika (2% royalty)  The Ahafo mill expansion was impacted by a tragic accident that resulted in six fatalities. Newmont is working with the Government of Ghana for a safe restart of construction which has resulted in a minor delay in first gold. The Ahafo expansion projects (Subika underground and mill expansion) are expected to increase Ahafo's production to 550,000-650,000 ounces per year for the first five full years of production (20202024). Franco- Nevada estimates that the majority of underground reserves are covered by its royalty. Tasiast (2% royalty)  The Phase One (12,000 tpd) expansion is complete, first ore has gone through the mill and commissioning is in final stages. Phase Two activities are being paused as Kinross analyzes alternative intermediate throughput expansion options and engages in discussions with the Government of Mauritania .





23,159 GEOs from Rest of World precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a slight increase of 2.2% year-over-year. Oil & Gas: Revenue from oil & gas assets increased to $22.7 million in Q2/2018 compared to $9.6 million in Q2/2017, reflecting the additional contributions from the SCOOP/STACK, Midland, Delaware and Orion royalties, higher prices and increased payments from Weyburn . Weyburn (NRI, ORR, WI)  Weyburn generated $10.2 million in the quarter versus $6.5 million in the previous year with continued strong performance under Whitecap Resources, the new operator. Delaware (various royalty rates)  The Delaware transaction closed in February 2018 . The effective date of the transaction was October 1, 2017 and the royalties have since generated $4.3 million in revenue which was booked in Q2/2018. Rig activity in the basin is ahead of original expectations. Midland (various royalty rates)  Midland contributed $1.9 million in the quarter, compared to $0.7 million in the previous year. Orion (GORR)  Osum Oil Sands Corp. continues with its expansion of the Orion asset to over 18,000 barrels per day. Differentials for heavy oil prices in Western Canada widened during the quarter which negatively impacted revenue.

Revenue from oil & gas assets increased to in Q2/2018 compared to in Q2/2017, reflecting the additional contributions from the SCOOP/STACK, Midland, and Orion royalties, higher prices and increased payments from .

Dividend Declaration

Franco-Nevada is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share. The dividend will be paid on September 27, 2018 to shareholders of record on September 13, 2018 (the "Record Date"). The Canadian dollar equivalent is to be determined based on the daily average rate posted by the Bank of Canada on the Record Date. Under Canadian tax legislation, Canadian resident individuals who receive "eligible dividends" are entitled to an enhanced gross-up and dividend tax credit on such dividends.

The Company has a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the "DRIP"). Participation in the DRIP is optional. The Company will issue additional common shares through treasury at a 3% discount to the Average Market Price, as defined in the DRIP. However, the Company may, from time to time, in its discretion, change or eliminate the discount applicable to treasury acquisitions or direct that such common shares be purchased in market acquisitions at the prevailing market price, any of which would be publicly announced. The DRIP and enrollment forms are available on the Company's website at www.franco-nevada.com. Canadian and U.S. registered shareholders may also enroll in the DRIP online through the plan agent's self-service web portal at www.investorcentre.com/franco-nevada. Canadian and U.S. beneficial shareholders should contact their financial intermediary to arrange enrollment. During Q2/2018, the Company amended and restated the DRIP to allow for certain non-Canadian and non-U.S. shareholders to participate in the DRIP, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. Non-Canadian and non-U.S. shareholders should contact the Company to determine whether they satisfy the necessary conditions to participate in the DRIP.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer of securities. A registration statement relating to the DRIP has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and may be obtained under the Company's profile on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

Shareholder Information

The complete Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis can be found today on FrancoNevada's website at www.franco-nevada.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Management will host a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review FrancoNevada's Q2/2018 results.

Interested investors are invited to participate as follows:

Via Conference Call: Toll-Free: (888) 390-0546; International: (416) 764-8688

Conference Call Replay until August 16 th : Toll-Free (888) 390-0541; International (416) 764-8677; Pass code 372650#

Webcast: A live audio webcast will be accessible at www.franco-nevada.com

Corporate Summary

Franco-Nevada Corporation is the leading gold-focused royalty and stream company with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow producing assets. Its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. Franco-Nevada is debt free and uses its free cash flow to expand its portfolio and pay dividends. It trades under the symbol FNV on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Franco-Nevada is the gold investment that works.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, respectively, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future events or future performance, management's expectations regarding Franco-Nevada's growth, results of operations, estimated future revenues, carrying value of assets, future dividends and requirements for additional capital, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, production estimates, production costs and revenue, future demand for and prices of commodities, expected mining sequences, business prospects and opportunities and the completion of the transaction with Continental Resources, Inc. and its expected impact on future performance and results of operations. In addition, statements (including data in tables) relating to reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces ("GEOs") are forward looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, and no assurance can be given that the estimates and assumptions are accurate and that such reserves and resources and GEOs will be realized. Such forward looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Franco-Nevada to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from any forward looking statement, including, without limitation: fluctuations in the prices of the primary commodities that drive royalty and stream revenue (gold, platinum group metals, copper, nickel, uranium, silver, iron-ore and oil and gas); fluctuations in the value of the Canadian and Australian dollar, Mexican Peso and any other currency in which revenue is generated, relative to the U.S. dollar; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory, political or economic developments in any of the countries where properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest are located or through which they are held; risks related to the operators of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including changes in the ownership and control of such operators; influence of macroeconomic developments; business opportunities that become available to, or are pursued by Franco-Nevada; reduced access to debt and equity capital; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; whether or not Franco-Nevada is determined to have "passive foreign investment company" ("PFIC") status as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; potential changes in Canadian tax treatment of offshore streams; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; actual mineral content may differ from the reserves and resources contained in technical reports; rate and timing of production differences from resource estimates, other technical reports and mine plans; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including, but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions, slope failures or cave-ins, flooding and other natural disasters, terrorism, civil unrest or an outbreak of contagious disease; and the integration of acquired assets. The forward looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including, without limitation: the ongoing operation of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest by the owners or operators of such properties in a manner consistent with past practice; the accuracy of public statements and disclosures made by the owners or operators of such underlying properties; no material adverse change in the market price of the commodities that underlie the asset portfolio; Franco-Nevada's ongoing income and assets relating to determination of its PFIC status; no material changes to existing tax treatment; the expected application of tax laws and regulations by taxation authorities; the expected assessment and outcome of any audit by any taxation authority; no adverse development in respect of any significant property in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; the accuracy of publicly disclosed expectations for the development of underlying properties that are not yet in production; integration of acquired assets; risks related to the completion of the transaction with Continental Resources, Inc.; and the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. However, there can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Franco-Nevada cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward looking statements and investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For additional information with respect to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Information Form filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on www.sedar.com and Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on www.sec.gov. The forward looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only and Franco-Nevada does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

NON-IFRS MEASURES: Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate these measures differently. For a reconciliation of these measures to various IFRS measures, please see below or the Company's current MD&A disclosure found on the Company's website, on SEDAR and on EDGAR. Comparative information has been recalculated to conform to current presentation.

GEOs include our gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other mining assets. GEOs are estimated on a gross basis for NSR royalties and, in the case of stream ounces, before the payment of the per ounce contractual price paid by the Company. For NPI royalties, GEOs are calculated taking into account the NPI economics. Platinum, palladium, silver and other mining commodities are converted to GEOs by dividing associated revenue, which includes settlement adjustments, by the relevant gold price. The gold price used in the computation of GEOs earned from a particular asset varies depending on the royalty or stream agreement, which may make reference to the market price realized by the operator, or the average for the month, quarter, or year in which the mining commodity was produced or sold. For Q2/2018, the average commodity prices per ounce were as follows: $1,306 gold (Q2/2017 - $1,257 ), $16.57 silver (Q2/2017 - $17.26 ), $904 platinum (Q2/2017 - $940 ) and $979 palladium (Q2/2017 - $819 ). Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA per share are non-IFRS financial measures, which exclude the following from net income and earnings per share ("EPS"): income tax expense/recovery; finance expenses; finance income; depletion and depreciation; non-cash costs of sales; impairment charges related to royalty, stream and working interests and investments; gains/losses on sale of royalty interests; gains/losses on investments; foreign exchange gains/losses and other income/expenses and unusual non-recurring items. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per share are non-IFRS financial measures, which exclude the following from net income and EPS: foreign exchange gains/losses and other income/expenses; impairment charges related to royalty, stream and working interests and investments; gains/losses on sale of royalty interests; gains/losses on investments; unusual non-recurring items; and the impact of income taxes on these items.

Reconciliations to IFRS measures: For the three months ended For the six months ended June 30, June 30, (expressed in millions, except per share amounts) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net Income $ 53.6 $ 45.6 $ 118.2 $ 91.2 Income tax expense 11.1 11.1 24.6 21.5 Finance expenses 0.8 0.8 1.7 1.6 Finance income (0.7) (1.1) (1.7) (2.0) Depletion and depreciation 59.6 67.2 120.2 138.7 Non-cash costs of sales 1.8 2.3 3.7 4.1 Foreign exchange (gains)/losses and other (income)/expenses 0.1 (0.4) (0.5) (1.1) Adjusted EBITDA $ 126.3 $ 125.5 $ 266.2 $ 254.0 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 186.0 181.6 186.0 180.1 Adjusted EBITDA per share $ 0.68 $ 0.69 $ 1.43 $ 1.41

For the three months ended For the six months ended June 30, June 30, (expressed in millions, except per share amounts) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net Income $ 53.6 $ 45.6 $ 118.2 $ 91.2 Foreign exchange (gains)/losses and other (income)/expenses 0.1 (0.4) (0.5) (1.1) Tax effect of adjustments  0.1 (0.1)  Other tax related adjustments: Valuation allowance  0.8  0.8 Adjusted Net Income $ 53.7 $ 46.1 $ 117.6 $ 90.9 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 186.0 181.6 186.0 180.1 Adjusted Net Income per share $ 0.29 $ 0.25 $ 0.63 $ 0.50

Franco-Nevada Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars) At June 30, At December 31, 2018 2017 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents (Note 4) $ 72.1 $ 511.1 Receivables 62.3 65.9 Prepaid expenses and other (Note 6) 45.5 39.4 Current assets 179.9 616.4 Royalty, stream and working interests, net (Note 3) 4,403.0 3,939.2 Investments (Note 5) 178.9 203.1 Deferred income tax assets 6.5 14.5 Other assets (Note 7) 13.7 15.2 Total assets $ 4,782.0 $ 4,788.4 LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 20.7 $ 21.5 Current income tax liabilities 0.8 1.1 Current liabilities 21.5 22.6 Deferred income tax liabilities 60.3 60.3 Total liabilities 81.8 82.9 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Note 14) Common shares 5,125.1 5,107.8 Contributed surplus 17.1 14.2 Deficit (252.6) (310.0) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (189.4) (106.5) Total shareholders' equity 4,700.2 4,705.5 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 4,782.0 $ 4,788.4 Subsequent event (Note 3 (a)) The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements and can be found in our Q2/2018 Report available on our website

Franco-Nevada Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts) For the three months ended For the six months ended June 30, June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenue (Note 10) $ 161.3 $ 163.6 $ 334.4 $ 336.3 Cost of sales Costs of sales (Note 11) 29.8 33.9 60.0 73.8 Depletion and depreciation 59.6 67.2 120.2 138.7 Total cost of sales 89.4 101.1 180.2 212.5 Gross profit 71.9 62.5 154.2 123.8 Other operating expenses (income) General and administrative expenses 7.0 6.6 12.2 12.7 Gain on sale of gold bullion  (0.1) (0.3) (0.1) Total other operating expenses (income) 7.0 6.5 11.9 12.6 Operating income 64.9 56.0 142.3 111.2 Foreign exchange (loss) gain and other income (expenses) (0.1) 0.4 0.5 1.1 Income before finance items and income taxes 64.8 56.4 142.8 112.3 Finance items Finance income 0.7 1.1 1.7 2.0 Finance expenses (0.8) (0.8) (1.7) (1.6) Net income before income taxes 64.7 56.7 142.8 112.7 Income tax expense (Note 13) 11.1 11.1 24.6 21.5 Net income $ 53.6 $ 45.6 $ 118.2 $ 91.2 Other comprehensive (loss) income: Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss: Changes in the fair value of available-for-sale investments, net of income tax (Note 5)  (11.8)  (10.3) Currency translation adjustment (17.3) 30.8 (40.5) 40.5 Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss: Changes in the fair value of equity investments at fair value through other comprehensive income, net of income tax (Note 5) 10.4  (15.3)  Other comprehensive (loss) income (6.9) 19.0 (55.8) 30.2 Comprehensive income $ 46.7 $ 64.6 $ 62.4 $ 121.4 Basic earnings per share (Note 15) $ 0.29 $ 0.25 $ 0.64 $ 0.51 Diluted earnings per share (Note 15) $ 0.29 $ 0.25 $ 0.63 $ 0.51 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements and can be found in our Q2/2018 Report available on our website
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2018) - Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. (TSX: XTG) (OTCBB: XTGRF) ("Xtra-Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce positive results for initial phase of an ongoing mineral resource expansion drilling program at the South Ridge gold deposit, on the Company's wholly-owned Kibi Gold Project, located in the Kibi  Winneba greenstone belt (the "Kibi Gold Belt"), in Ghana, West Africa. A total of 11 diamond core boreholes totaling 1,282 metres were completed by the Company's in-house drilling crew on an intermittent basis from February to June 2018. Initial drilling focused on further defining the litho-structural setting of the gold mineralization based on recent remodeling efforts of the South Ridge gold zone. Highlights of the drill results reported today include:

2.67 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold over 37.78 metres (uncut), including 5.23 metres grading 13.53 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 52.22 metres in #KBDD18263; and 27.0 metres grading 2.85 g/t gold, including 4.84 metres grading 5.12 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 21.0 metres in #KBDD18264 (i.e., #KBDD18263 - #264 Drill Fence); extending gold mineralization approximately 60 metres down dip from previous drilling.





21.0 metres grading 0.9 g/t gold, including 10.38 metres grading 1.5 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 54.0 metres in #KBDD18260; and 24.0 metres grading 0.88 g/t gold, including 9.15 metres grading 1.38 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 24.0 metres in #KBDD18261 (i.e., #KBDD18259 - #261 Drill Fence); extending gold mineralization approximately 65 metres down dip from previous drilling.





24.0 metres grading 0.73 g/t gold, including 10.15 metres grading 1.5 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 21.0 metres in #KBDD18265; and 18.67 metres grading 1.12 g/t gold, including 7.14 metres grading 2.06 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 31.0 metres in #KBDD18267.

James Longshore, President and CEO remarked: "Recent geological mapping, core re-logging and geological modelling resulted in strong drill intercepts in the initial phase of the South Ridge mineral resource expansion program. These two new higher grade intercepts, along with the large footprint of the South Ridge gold zone, traced to date along an approximately 400 metre strike-length and 230 metre down-dip depth from surface, demonstrates the potential for increasing the current inferred mineral resource from both tonnage and grade perspectives. Drilling is currently ongoing at South Ridge with the evolving geological model providing enhanced drill targeting to further maximize the gold zone's economic potential."

The South Ridge deposit has a current inferred mineral resource estimate of 42,000 ounces at an average grade of 1.48 g/t gold. The South Ridge deposit, along with the Big Bend, East Dyke, and Mushroom deposits in Zone 2 and the Double 19 deposit in Zone 3, form part of a maiden National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") compliant mineral resource estimate (October 26, 2012) on the Company's Kibi Gold Project. In aggregate, these five gold deposits lying within approximately 1.6 kilometres of each other (see Figure 1) are estimated to contain an Indicated mineral resource of 278,000 ounces at an average grade of 2.56 g/t gold and an additional Inferred mineral resource of 147,000 ounces at an average grade of 1.94 g/t gold (@ base case 0.5 g/t cut-off). The Zone 2  Zone 3 maiden mineral resource represents the first ever NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource generated on a lode gold project within the Kibi Gold Belt. Gold mineralization is characterized by auriferous quartz vein sets hosted in Belt-type granitoids geologically analogous to other "Grantoid-hosted" gold deposits of Ghana, including Kinross Gold's Chirano and Newmont Mining's Subika deposits in the Sefwi gold belt. The NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled "Independent Technical Report, Apapam Concession, Kibi Project, Eastern Region, Ghana", prepared by SEMS Explorations and dated October 31, 2012, is filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Table 1: Significant Drill Intercepts - South Ridge Gold Deposit

(Mineral Resource Expansion Program / February - June 2018)

Hole ID From

(metres) To

(metres) Core Length (metres) Gold Grams Per Tonne

Comments KBDD18257 104.35 112 7.65 0.73 KBDD18258 56.5 58 1.5 1.02 and 65.5 67 1.5 1.1 KBDD18259 38.25 39.85 1.6 1.05 #KBDD18259 - #261 Fence KBDD18260 54 75 21 0.9 #KBDD18259 - #261 Fence including 55.02 65.4 10.38 1.5 including 64.4 64.9 0.5 7.16 KBDD18261 24 48 24 0.88 #KBDD18259 - #261 Fence including 24 33.15 9.15 1.38 including 27.7 28.3 0.6 4.3 KBDD18262 37.5 39.5 2 1.67 KBDD18263 52.22 90 37.78 2.67 #KBDD18263 - #264 Fence including 52.22 78.8 26.58 3.68 including 56.47 61.7 5.23 13.53 including 56.47 57 0.53 69.84 including 60.7 61.7 1 22.25 KBDD18264 21 48 27 2.85 #KBDD18263 - #264 Fence including 33.5 48 14.5 3.68 including 33.5 38.34 4.84 5.12 including 37.7 38.34 0.64 12.46 KBDD18265 21 45 24 0.73 including 21.85 32 10.15 1.5 including 22.7 23.2 0.5 17.78 and 71.3 75.5 4.2 1.63 KBDD18266 39 42.68 3.68 0.65 #KBDD18266 - #267 Fence and 54.4 54.9 0.5 7.22 KBDD18267 31 49.67 18.67

1.12

including 39.36

46.5 7.14

2.06 #KBDD18266 - #267 Fence

Notes:

Reported intercepts are core-lengths; true width of mineralization is unknown at this time.

Unless otherwise indicated intercepts constrained with a 0.25 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold minimum cut-off grade at top and bottom of intercept, with no upper cut-off applied, and maximum of five (5) consecutive samples of internal dilution (less than 0.25 g/t gold). All internal intervals above 10 g/t gold indicated.

The present drill results correspond to the initial 11 boreholes (1,282 m) of an ongoing mineral resource expansion drilling program at the South Ridge gold deposit on Zone 2 of the Kibi Gold Project (#KBDD18257 - #KBDD18267). The diamond core boreholes ranging in length from 78 metres to 153 metres were completed by the Company's in-house drilling crew on an intermittent basis from February 21 to June 26, 2018. The typically SW-trending, steeply inclined (-75o) boreholes tested the northwestern 200 metre segment of the northwest striking / northeasterly dipping quartz diorite-hosted gold mineralization zone with a series of drill fences at 50 metre spacing. Exploration significant auriferous intercepts are presented in Table 1 and a drill / compilation plan with collar details depicted in Figure 1, available at: Click Here

Drill fence #KBDD18263 - #264 yielded the strongest gold intercepts with #KBDD18264 corresponding to the front (shallower) hole returning a mineralized intercept of 27.0 metres grading 2.85 g/t gold, including 4.84 metres grading 5.12 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of

21.0 metres; and #KBDD18263 collared 30 metres back (northeast) returning 37.78 metres grading 2.67 g/t gold (uncut), including 5.23 metres grading 13.53 g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 52.22 metres, approximately 45 metres down dip from the #KBDD18264 intercept. The #KBDD18263 mineralized intercept is centered approximately 85 metres down dip from surface and extends the gold mineralization approximately 60 metres down dip from previous drilling.

Drilling is ongoing at South Ridge with 10 holes (~1,000 m  1,200 m) currently planned to further test the southeastern 200 metre segment of the mineralization zone and to follow up on the significant gold intercepts yielded by the #KBDD18263  #264 and #KBDD18259 - #261 drill fences (see Figure 1).

QA/QC

Yves P. Clement, P. Geo, Vice President, Exploration for Xtra-Gold is acting as the Qualified Person in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") with respect to this announcement. He has prepared and or supervised the preparation of the scientific or technical information in this announcement and confirms compliance with NI 43-101. All samples in this news release were analyzed by standard fire assay fusion with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish at the ISO 17025:2005 accredited Intertek Minerals Limited's laboratory in Tarkwa, Ghana. Xtra-Gold has implemented a rigorous quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of drill core, trench channel, and saw-cut channel samples, the details of which can be viewed on the Company's website at www.xtragold.com.

About Xtra-Gold Resources Corp.

Xtra-Gold is a gold exploration company with a substantial land position in the Kibi Gold Belt. The Kibi Gold Belt, which exhibits many similar geological features to Ghana's main gold belt, the Ashanti Belt, has been the subject of very limited modern exploration activity targeting lode gold deposits as virtually all past gold mining activity and exploration efforts focused on the extensive alluvial gold occurrences in many river valleys throughout the Kibi area.

Xtra-Gold holds 5 Mining Leases totaling approximately 226 sq km (22,600 ha) at the northern extremity of the Kibi Gold Belt. The Company's exploration efforts to date have focused on the Kibi Gold Project located on the Apapam Concession (33.65 sq km), along the eastern flank of the Kibi Gold Belt. The Kibi Gold Project (Zone 2  Zone 3) maiden mineral resource estimate produced by Xtra-Gold in October 2012 represents first ever NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate generated on a lode gold project within the Kibi Gold Belt. The NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled "Independent Technical Report, Apapam Concession, Kibi Project, Eastern Region, Ghana", prepared by SEMS Explorations and dated October 31, 2012, is filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This news release includes certain "forward- looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward- looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward- looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Contact Information

For further information please contact:

James Longshore Chief Executive Officer 416-628-2881

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.xtragold.com
20m of 2.32 g/t gold (including 6m of 6.80 g/t gold)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashanti Gold Corp. (Ashanti or the Company) (TSXV:AGZ) is pleased to announce additional results from the recently completed 105 hole Reverse Circulation (RC) and Diamond Drill (DD), 12,283 metre drill program that tested mineralization on the Kossanto East Project (the Property) in western Mali (Figure 1). Results presented here continue to demonstrate strong positive mineralization trends throughout Gourbassi East. The results reported here demonstrate the down-dip continuity and extend the strike length of mineralization of the Main Zone as well as increase the confidence in continuity of Main Zone mineralization.

The Main Zone consists of several subzones collectively more than 100m wide at the surface in this section and wider where other zones have been intersected. In particular, gold mineralization intersected in drill hole GERC295 demonstrates the strong mineralization and down-dip continuity.

Tim McCutcheon, CEO, said We are very pleased with these results. Based on these results and previous ones, it looks like there is continuity of mineralization from the surface to 200m down at Gourbassi East. We designed the 2018 summer drill program at Kossanto East to fill in the gaps from previous drill campaigns, and the down-dip continuity data certainly confirms our understanding of the mineralization at the project.

Figure 1.

Section Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m)* Grade (g/t) 1483950 GERC235 11 25 14 0.95 incl. 11 13 2 3.42 GERC295 118 119 1 0.36 120 122 2 0.46 138 158 20 2.32 incl. 140 146 6 6.80

*Intervals indicated are not true widths as there is insufficient geologic information to calculate true widths. However, drill holes have been drilled to cross interpreted mineralized zones as close to perpendicular as possible.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

About Kossanto East Project

The Kossanto East Project is a 66.41 km2 concession in the prolific Kedougou - Kenieba Inlier, the northwestern most exposure of Birimian rocks in West Africa and host to the Loulo and Sadiola group of world class gold deposits. The Property hosts two principle historically drill-tested targets, Gourbassi East and Gourbassi West and several surface anomalies identified in historic surface samples and Rotary Airblast (RAB) drill holes. Geochemical anomalies identified by previous explorers led to drill testing and successful intersection of gold mineralization. The results reported here are from Gourbassi East. Further results from Gourbassi East and Gourbassi West are anticipated in the coming weeks.

ABOUT ASHANTI GOLD

Ashanti is a gold-focused, exploration and development company that targets projects where it has a competitive advantage due to past work experience of the team and specific project know-how. The Company is driving forward its 100%-owned Kossanto East project in Mali on the prolific Kenieba Belt, which hosts such deposits as Loulo, Fekola and Sadiola. Ashanti is also working to advance, together with its earn-in partners, the Anumso project and the Ashanti Belt project in Ghana, which are near-adjacent to the Akyem deposit.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

ASHANTI GOLD CORP.

"Tim McCutcheon"

Tim McCutcheon

CEO

For further information, please contact:

Ashanti Gold Corp.

2300  1177 West Hastings Street

Vancouver BC, V6E 2K3

Phone: 604-638-3847

Qualified Person and Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Dr. Paul Klipfel, CPG (AIPG certification #10821), Ashantis COO and Chief Geologist is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian NI 43-101 and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Dr. Klipfel is responsible for all aspects of the work including the Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs. Dr. Klipfel is not an Independent Person, as he is a shareholder of Ashanti.

Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are inserted into the sample stream at the rate of 1:20 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:50 samples. All samples have been analyzed by SGS Laboratories in Bamako with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. SGS does their own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Ashanti for double checking. Higher grade samples are reanalyzed from pulp or reject material or both.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

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 press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.
VANCOUVER, B.C., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GT Gold Corp. (GT Gold or the Company) (TSXV:GTT) is pleased to announce the intersection of high-grade gold in step out drilling both to the east and west of its exciting 2017 Saddle South gold discovery and, additionally, the discovery of a new and deeper high-grade trend to the south (hole TTD069).

Presented below are assay results from an initial eight holes of the companys 2018 exploration program, which commenced in late June. Drilling is ongoing and additional assays are pending. The 2018 program is expected to encompass a minimum of 18,000 metres of diamond drilling in an estimated 40 holes, with potential for program expansion and drilling to mid-November.

Highlights

Hole TTD069: 4.67 g/t Au over 40.02 metres 1 , including 32.65 g/t over 2.82 metres (new zone approx. 175 metres south and east of the Saddle South Main Trend, and approx. 650 metres vertically from surface)

, including (new zone approx. 175 metres south and east of the Saddle South Main Trend, and approx. 650 metres vertically from surface) Hole TTD076: 9.47 g/t Au over 6.47 metres , including 33.40 g/t over 1.54 metres (west step out, approx. 235 metres vertically from surface)

, including (west step out, approx. 235 metres vertically from surface) Hole TTD077: 6.70 g/t Au over 4.15 metres (east step out, approx. 135 metres vertically from surface)

(east step out, approx. 135 metres vertically from surface) Extended trend of Saddle South high-grade intersections by an additional 400 metres in an east-west direction, bringing total zone strike length to more than 1 kilometre

Mineralization remains open in all directions

Steve Burleton, President and CEO stated: We are very pleased with the early success of the drill program at Saddle South this season. All holes have hit mineralization as we step out to the east and west, and our deep drilling encountered high grades and strong widths along a new and well-mineralized trend not far south and east of the area drilled in 2017. As per plan, we are now also underway with follow-up drilling to last years intriguing results at Saddle North, where our first two reconnaissance holes showed significant potential for a sizable copper-gold-silver porphyry system, perhaps like that of the Red Chris mine, which is only 20 kilometres southeast of Saddle. We look forward to further demonstrating the true potential of the Saddle discovery area  both North and South.

Saddle South

The Company has extended the Saddle South Zone (the Main Trend) both west and east by approximately 400 metres from the area drilled in the 2017 discovery holes. Saddle South now encompasses high-grade intercepts along more than a kilometer of strike length (see plan view). All holes drilled in the 2018 program have intersected mineralized zones, with highlighted zones and subzones tabulated in the attached table and shown on the accompanying plan and section views.

The primary goal of the early 2018 drilling at Saddle South has been to test the east and west extensions and to highlight the total strike extent of relatively shallow mineralization. This goal is now well on the way to being accomplished, and the mineralized trend remains open in both directions.

[1] Widths reported are drilled core lengths. True widths are estimated to be approximately 80% of drilled lengths for the minus 45 to 50 degree holes in this news release, and approximately 60 to 70% for more steeply inclined holes.

The secondary goal of the early 2018 Saddle South drilling has been to test the depth extent of the mineralized system. In doing so, hole TTD069 intersected high-grade mineralization 650 metres below surface in what appears to be a new sub-parallel mineralized trend south and east of the main area of 2017 Saddle South drilling (see section XS4150). To the west, along strike from the main area of 2017 drilling, beneath the rock glacier west of Saddle ridge and toward the western limit of 2018 drilling, high grades over broad widths were returned from hole TTD076 at moderate depths approximately 235 metres vertically from surface. As drilling progresses, holes will continue to test the along-strike and down-dip extents of the Saddle South Au-Ag system, and to infill between the known mineralization of the 2017 Main Trend and the new intercepts presented here.

Saddle North

Drilling has just commenced at Saddle North, an exciting copper-gold-silver porphyry system intersected late in the 2017 season in the Companys first two reconnaissance holes. Initial drill results suggest strong similarities to the nearby Red Chris deposit, and the discovery hole (TTD062) was mineralized top to bottom, with grade increasing downhole. An Induced Polarization (IP) ground geophysical survey completed in mid-July this year has confirmed that the nearer-surface geophysical signatures outlined in last years shallow survey extend to depths of 500 metres or more and are continuous along trend. A number of targets will be tested in the initial 3,000-5,000 metres of drilling planned for the Saddle North target area. This includes deepening TTD062.

Table 1  Initial Saddle South 2018 Diamond Drill Program Assay Results: Significant intercepts for 8 NQ-diameter diamond drill holes are reported below. For hole locations, dips and azimuths, refer to the accompanying drilling plan view and drill sections. Widths reported are drilled core lengths. True widths are estimated as approximately 80% of drilled lengths for the minus 45 to 50 degree holes reported in this news release, and approximately 60 to 70% for more steeply inclined holes.

Hole Au (g/t) Interval (m) From (m) To (m) Ag (g/t) TTD065 0.33 169.96 55.04 - 225.00 - including 5.42 1.51 100.74 - 102.25 - and 1.14 8.29 113.12 - 121.41 - and 1.02 5.19 128.53 - 133.72 - and 1.03 6.92 190.54 - 197.46 - TTD065 3.58 1.22 265.00 - 266.22 64.87 TTD066 0.44 107.62 64.38 - 172.00 - including 1.74 3.56 108.00 - 111.56 - and 6.65 3.47 149.72 - 153.19 - TTD067 0.81 63.24 49.81 - 113.05 - including 1.86 5.33 50.67 - 56.00 - and 5.52 3.89 63.48 - 67.37 - TTD068 0.40 125.00 48.00 - 173.00 - including 2.04 5.63 87.00 - 92.63 - and 1.76 5.69 95.88 - 101.57 - TTD068 0.48 59.07 189.00 - 248.07 - including 1.59 3.00 193.00 - 196.00 - and 1.25 3.30 209.70 - 213.00 - and 2.04 1.56 227.18 - 228.74 - and 2.27 1.74 234.87 - 236.61 - TTD068 1.02 7.87 325.56 - 333.43 - including 10.45 0.44 328.03 - 328.47 - TTD068 0.79 22.63 352.83 - 375.46 - including 3.27 0.78 362.70 - 363.48 - and 3.60 3.31 366.00 - 369.31 - TTD069 4.67 40.02 673.35 - 713.37 - including 32.65 2.82 675.18 - 678.00 - and 13.78 3.88 681.84 - 685.72 - and 8.04 4.45 698.25 - 702.70 - TTD071 0.54 56.93 194.83 - 251.76 - including 1.32 14.00 237.76 - 251.76 - or including 4.14 3.96 237.76 - 241.72 - or 8.19 1.48 240.24 - 241.72 - TTD071 1.07 76.32 347.11 - 423.43 - including 2.85 21.12 397.22 - 418.34 - or including 4.39 9.68 397.22 - 406.90 - or 33.38 1.15 406.46 - 407.61 - TTD076 1.29 70.44 421.56 - 492.00 - including 9.47 6.47 431.78 - 438.25 - or including 33.40 1.54 436.71 - 438.25 - and 2.48 6.72 482.84 - 489.56 - TTD077 2.63 21.86 135.19 - 157.05 - including 4.32 6.28 135.19 - 141.47 - or including 13.57 1.71 136.74 - 138.45 - including 3.08 9.87 147.18 - 157.05 - or including 6.70 4.15 147.18 - 151.33 - or including 33.10 0.76 150.57 - 151.33 -

Table 2  Initial Saddle South 2018 Diamond Drill Hole Details: Key information for the above 8 diamond drill holes is reported below. Refer to the accompanying drilling plan view and drill sections for hole locations.

Hole Number Azimuth (degrees) Dip (degrees) Length (m) Elevation (m) UTM E UTM N Section TTD065 180 -50 492 1595 433550 6408250 XS3550 TTD066 180 -50 480 1732 434149 6408248 XS4150 TTD067 180 -75 171 1595 433550 6408250 XS3550 TTD068 180 -65 453 1595 433550 6408250 XS3550 TTD069 180 -70 777 1732 434149 6408248 XS4150 TTD071 030 -50 525 1693 433890 6407927 XS3900A TTD076 170 -45 516 1636 433500 6408400 XS3500 TTD077 180 -50 249 1621 434420 6408126 XS4420

QA/QC Procedures



GT Gold has implemented a rigorous quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of diamond drill core, the details of which can be viewed on the Company's website at Click Here.

All assays are performed by ALS Canada Ltd., with sample preparation carried out at the ALS facility in Terrace, BC, and assays at the North Vancouver laboratory. Assay values are uncut. Assay results presented below are fire assay results only. For gold, fire assays are performed as per ALS protocol Au-AA26 (0.01-100.00 g/t Au) using 50 grams of sample with assays equal to or greater than 5 g/t Au calculated gravimetrically, and lower-grade samples measured by (AA) atomic absorption.

Qualified Person

Charles J. Greig, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for GT Gold Corp. and a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About GT Gold

GT Gold Corp. is focused on exploring for gold in the geologically fertile terrain of British Columbias renowned Golden Triangle. The Companys flagship asset is the wholly-owned, 44,206-hectare Tatogga property, located near Iskut, BC, close to roads and grid power. The Company achieved, in 2017, a major new gold-silver discovery at its Saddle prospect, located up a gentle valley only 10 kilometres off highway 37. The Saddle discovery comprises two parts: a high-grade, near surface, epithermal gold-silver vein system at Saddle South and, close by at Saddle North, a largely covered, porphyry copper-gold-silver mineralized system. Geophysical surveying suggests that both may be large in scale, and early drill results suggest that Saddle North bears similarities to the nearby Red Chris deposit. The Saddle discovery was internationally recognized for its significance in November 2017 with the Mines and Money Exploration Discovery Award. The Company has the backing of major institutions and key Canadian investors and is fully funded for the 18,000-metre program of expansion drilling now underway on this exciting new discovery.

For more information please contact: GT Gold Corp. GT Gold Corp. GT Gold Corp. Steve Burleton Charles J. Greig, P.Geo Amandip Singh President and Chief Executive Officer Vice President, Exploration Director, Corporate Development Tel: (647) 256-6752 Tel: (250) 492-2331 Tel: (647) 256-6754 Website: www.gtgoldcorp.ca

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects', "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading Risk Factors and elsewhere in the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Saddle South 2018 Drilling Plan and Section Views

A drilling plan view and five drill sections are provided below. The location of each drill section is shown with a red dashed line on the plan view. The same images can be obtained from the Downloads portion of the Companys homepage (scroll down, left) at: http://www.gtgoldcorp.ca/



Saddle South Drilling Plan View, August 8, 2018



Saddle South Drilling Cross-Section 3500, August 8, 2018

Saddle South Drilling Cross-Section 3550, August 8, 2018

Saddle South Drilling Cross-Section 3900A, August 8, 2018

Saddle South Drilling Cross-Section 4150, August 8, 2018

Saddle South Drilling Cross-Section 4420, August 8, 2018
New discovery of high-grade uranium mineralization in the Eastern Athabasca Basin warrants aggressive follow-up

VANCOUVER, Aug. 8, 2018 /CNW/ - IsoEnergy Ltd. ("IsoEnergy" or the "Company") (TSXV: ISO; OTCQX: ISENF) is pleased to announce geochemistry results for the interval of uranium mineralization intersected in previously reported drill hole LE18-01A. Drill hole LE18-01A was completed on the 100% owned Larocque East property (the "Property") in the Eastern Athabasca basin, Saskatchewan (Figure 1). A broad, 8.5-metre-long interval of elevated radioactivity (see news release dated July 25, 2018), averages 1.26% U 3 O 8 (above a cutoff of 0.1% U 3 O 8 ), and includes a higher-grade subinterval of 3.58% U 3 O 8 over 2.5 metres. Within the higher-grade subinterval is a zone of off-scale radioactivity (>15,000 cps on an SRAT SPP2 scintillometer (the "SPP2")) that averages 6.45% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metre. This new zone of mineralization has been named the Hurricane zone.

Craig Parry, Chief Executive Officer commented: "The geochemical results reported herein support our view that the Hurricane zone is a significant new discovery of high-grade uranium mineralization in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. Importantly, the mineralization is relatively shallow and close to other major uranium deposits and mines in the prolific Eastern Athabasca. It is pleasing that as we continue to execute on our strategy of acquisition and exploration of Athabasca Basin uranium assets that these projects are starting to deliver on their exploration potential. The timing for discovery of high-grade uranium could not be better as the uranium spot price continues to strengthen to over $26/lb. in recent days with further upward pressure on the uranium price emerging. We continue to work hard to position IsoEnergy as the go-to name amongst junior uranium exploration companies and these excellent results see us firmly on that path."

Steve Blower, Vice President, Exploration commented: "With only one hole completed in the zone to date, follow-up drilling should be exciting. Several geological features in drill hole LE18-01A are highly encouraging, including elevated geochemistry in the sandstone, impressive structures both high in the sandstone and in the basement that may be important controls on additional mineralization, and strong alteration of both the sandstone and basement. These features suggest that even stronger mineralization may be present elsewhere on the section."

LE18-01A Geochemistry

As previously disclosed, drill hole LE18-01A targeted the unconformity beneath historic drill hole KER-12 on the Larocque Lake conductor trend. KER-12 intersected elevated uranium geochemistry and moderate to strong alteration in the sandstone 165 metres east of the western property boundary. LE18-01A was drilled parallel to KER-12 and intersected the unconformity 57 metres north of that drill hole (Figure 2).

LE18-01A penetrated 42 metres of overburden followed by Athabasca sandstone to 344.9 metres and then basement metasedimentary gneiss to the end of the hole at 494 metres. Mineralization within the broader 8.5-metre-long interval of elevated radioactivity straddles the sub-Athabasca unconformity and consists of fracture controlled and disseminated pitchblende with hematite and clay from 338.5-347.0 metres. The mineralized intervals are summarized in Table 1. An off-scale subinterval from 345.0-346.0 metres that includes semi-massive pitchblende averages 6.45% U 3 O 8 over 1.0m. The highest assay was 0.5 metres of 8.20% U 3 O 8 from 345.0-345.5 metres.

Table 1  Radioactive Intervals Hole-ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) SPP2 cps U 3 O 8 (%) LE18-01A 338.5 347.0 8.5 >500 1.26 includes 344.5 347.0 2.5 >2500 3.58 Includes 345.0 346.0 1.0 >15,000 6.45

The sandstone above the mineralization is highly fractured, bleached and clay altered, and includes structures high in the sandstone at 119.0, 146.0 and 181.0 metres. Basement immediately beneath the mineralization consists dominantly of bleached and clay-rich graphitic cordierite augen gneiss that hosts two large fault zones (cataclasites) at 354.7-356.3 metres and 423.2-431.5 metres. These brittle faults are likely responsible for a 15 metre difference in the unconformity elevation between LE18-01A and KER-12.

Larocque East

Larocque East consists of 6 mineral claims totaling 3,200 hectares and was recently purchased in May, 2018. The Property is owned 100% by IsoEnergy and is not encumbered by any royalties or other interests. Larocque East is immediately adjacent to the north end of IsoEnergy's recently expanded Geiger property and is 35 kilometres northwest of Orano Canada's McClean Lake uranium mine and mill.

The Property covers a 15-kilometre-long northeast extension of the Larocque Lake conductor system; a trend of graphitic metasedimentary basement rocks that is associated with significant uranium mineralization in several occurrences to the southwest of the Larocque East property. The closest of these are the Larocque Lake and Larocque North zones, which are located 6.5 kilometres and 0.4 kilometres, respectively, to the southwest of the western Larocque East property boundary. Drilling at the Larocque Lake zone has returned historic intersections of up to 29.9% U 3 O 8 over 7.0 metres in drill hole Q22-040. Drilling at the Larocque North zone has returned intersections of up to 2.05% U 3 O 8 over 0.8 metres in drill hole Q22-16. Both the Larocque Lake zone and the Larocque North zone are located on the Dawn Lake property. Dawn Lake is a joint venture between Cameco Corp., Orano Canada and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Ltd. Like the nearby Geiger property, Larocque East is located adjacent to the Wollaston-Mudjatik transition zone - a major crustal suture related to most of the major uranium deposits in the eastern Athabasca Basin. Importantly, the sandstone cover is relatively thin, ranging between 140 metres and 330 metres in previous drilling. A total of 23 historic drill holes have been completed on the Property along approximately 22 kilometres of graphitic conductors.

Outlook

The results in drill hole LE18-01A warrant aggressive follow-up drilling. Follow-up potential along-strike is limited only by the property boundary 165 metres to the west. The closest drill hole along-strike to the east is 415 metres away and was likely drilled too far to the north to intersect the prospective stratigraphy cored by LE18-01A. On section, follow-up potential is limited only by historic drill hole KER-12, which intersected the unconformity 57 metres south of LE18-01A. IsoEnergy's follow-up drilling will likely involve multiple drills and start with additional fence holes on section with LE18-01A followed by step-outs along strike to both the east and west. It is expected that drilling will resume after freeze-up in the winter (January, 2019) to allow ground access into the area.

Figure 1  Larocque East Property Location Map





Figure 2  Cross-Section Through Drill Hole LE18-01A

Qualified Person Statement

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release was prepared by Steve Blower, P.Geo., IsoEnergy's Vice President, Exploration, who is a "qualified person" (as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Mr. Blower has verified the data disclosed. This news release refers to properties other than those in which the Company has an interest. Mineralization on those other properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Company's properties. As drill hole LE18-01A was drilled steeply at -70 degrees and the mineralization is interpreted to be horizontal, the true thickness is expected to be approximately 90% of the cored intervals. Sample preparation and analyses were completed at SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Uranium assays at SRC are by Inductively Coupled Plasma  Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and quality is controlled through the inclusion of internal duplicates, blanks and standards.

About IsoEnergy

IsoEnergy is a well-funded uranium exploration and development company with a portfolio of prospective projects in the eastern Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada and a historic inferred mineral resource estimate at the Mountain Lake uranium deposit in Nunavut. IsoEnergy is led by a Board and Management team with a track record of success in uranium exploration, development and operations. The Company was founded and is supported by the team at its major shareholder, NexGen Energy Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations 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 news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referenced herein have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements thereunder.

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein 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 applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder, alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VR Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: VRR, FSE: 5VR), the "Company," or VR, is pleased to provide an update of exploration activity on its mineral properties in Nevada, including Bonita, Junction and Danbo. The drill holes completed to date at the Hemco target at Bonita intersected continuous alteration and provide vectors for further drilling within the alkaline porphyry copper-gold system. The Company continues to refine targets at the Junction copper-silver-gold mesothermal vein and dyke system towards a first-pass drill program planned for this fall. Surface exploration is ongoing at all three properties and will continue through the summer field season.

The figures referenced below are appended to this news release posted at the Companys website (www.vrr.ca/news). Descriptive information for all three mineral properties, including maps and photographs, are available at the Companys website at https://vrr.ca/.

Bonita Property (Figure 1)

Four drill holes are complete at Bonita for a total of 1,860 metres. A total of 305 drill core samples were submitted for geochemistry, and all data have been received by the Company. All four holes were drilled at the Hemco target, in follow-up to drilling in 2017, and centered on a covered conductive pipe surrounded by a high resistivity alteration ring approximately 2 kilometres across, with associated copper-gold mineralization evident in weathering-resistant ridges of altered diorite and iron oxide breccia (Figure 2). Continuous porphyry-style mineral alteration was intersected in all four drill holes. Salient features include:

Continuous alteration for 358 m in diorite in BN-18-005 collared in the center of the conductive pipe feature, with 18 metres at the top of the hole, below Tertiary basalt cover, of quartz vein stockwork and iron oxide breccia with silica-specularite matrix, anomalous copper and potassic-altered diorite fragments (Figure 3);

Visible copper minerals over 60 metres in pervasive potassic alteration in diorite in BN-18-006, with 0.3 g/t Au and 617 ppm Cu in one 1.5m sample interval, reinforcing the copper-gold correlation evident in BN-17-003 from last fall and located one kilometre to the northeast in the high resistivity alteration ring (Figure 4);

in diorite in BN-18-006, with 0.3 g/t Au and 617 ppm Cu in one 1.5m sample interval, reinforcing the copper-gold correlation evident in BN-17-003 from last fall and located one kilometre to the northeast in the high resistivity alteration ring (Figure 4); 56 metres at the top of Hole BN-18-007 of hematite - quartz vein stockworks in pervasive phyllic alteration of diorite, located near the eastern edge of the conductive pipe feature at Hemco (Figure 5);

Continuous high-temperature alteration over 515 metres in Hole BN-18-008, spanning phyllic, inner propylitic and outer calc-potassic porphyry alteration facies in sodic diorite, including several quartz-hematite vein stockwork zones with anomalous copper geochemistry (Figure 6).

The results reinforce the Companys conviction on the potential of the large-scale (7 x 7 km) alkaline porphyry copper-gold system at Bonita to host one or more porphyry copper-gold stocks. At Hemco, specific attributes of alkaline porphyry alteration systems and copper-gold mineralization are evident in all five holes drilled at Hemco. Vectors for follow-up drilling to fully evaluate the 2 x 2 km area of core alteration at Hemco include:

The iron oxide vein breccias with potassic alteration in Hole 5 provide a vector for follow-up drilling to the northwest, towards the northern margin of the conductive pipe where copper-gold  bearing specularite breccia crops out around the historic Hemco workings;

The copper-bearing potassic alteration intersected in Hole 8 provides a vector for follow-up drilling to the north and to the west, toward the historic copper workings at Hobbit on the northern margin of the conductive pipe.

Follow-up surface work and ongoing integration of 2017 and 2018 drill data is underway and will be done through August to refine alteration facies across Bonita and prioritize follow-up drill holes at the various targets (Figure 1).

Concurrent with drilling this spring, VR initiated baseline environmental surveys over the Hemco target area for a Plan of Operations (POA) permit from the BLM. While more drilling is still possible under the current NOI, this initiative is strategic in nature, designed to enable the Company to be ready to complete more detailed delineation drilling in the future. Work is being done by an independent, arms-length company which specializes in such base-line surveys as required by the BLM. Work started in May is ongoing at the time of this news, and includes:

Habitat Evaluation Report, a desktop analysis of habitats within the project area;

Baseline Biological Survey, including Botanical Survey and Wildlife Survey, including Aerial Raptor Survey.

If all surveys required by the BLM for the POA permit are taken to completion, including cultural and archaeological surveys, the Company believes that a successful application is possible by the spring of 2019.

Junction Property

Exploration at Junction has been active since April. Key results and summary figures for work completed in the spring are provided in the previous news release dated July 11, 2018. To summarize activity:

Two ground geophysical surveys (gravity and IP), and one airborne magnetic and radiometric survey were completed in April and May covering the entire property;

Line-based soil sampling was done in May and again in July over the Lone Mountain and Wilder Creek targets for 371 samples in total, to augment the detailed existing survey of 307 soil samples on 16 lines over the Denio Summit target in the western part of the property;

Detailed geological mapping and rock sampling was done in July, and additional work is planned for August.

Detailed mapping was done around the gold-bearing quartz veins at the Denio Summit target in the western part of the property, where the new airborne radiometric anomaly is co-spatial with existing gravity and soil geochemical anomalies in copper, gold, silver and tungsten. The core of the integrated anomaly is from 800  1,000 m long, striking northeasterly. The vectors are increasingly clear for where to drill-test the down-dip extension of the polymetallic vein and dyke system, and field work in August will assess specific drill collar locations for permitting and drilling logistics.

Detailed mapping was also done at Wilder Creek some 6 kilometres east along trend from Denio Summit. The cluster of historic pits and workings at Wilder Creek spans a zone several hundred metres wide of numerous, parallel northwesterly trending pegmatite dykes with copper-silver mineralization (Figure 7). The dykes have a consistent planar geometry overall, with a moderate (45-60 degrees) dip to the northeast (Figure 7). There is a multi-line, multi-sample copper-silver-gold soil geochemical anomaly over the area of the workings, all within a concentric magnetic anomaly and co-spatial radiometric anomaly. Overall, the integrated target is about 1.5 km long along the northwesterly trending dyke swarm. A gravity anomaly offset to the north of the showings highlights the potential for a larger intrusive body at depth as the source of the mineralized pegmatite dykes at Wilder Creek.

As at Denio Summit, the vectors from surface work at Wilder Creek this spring are increasingly clear for where to drill-test the down-dip extension of the polymetallic dyke system. The Company has already assessed specific drill collar locations in the field for permitting and drilling logistics. There is no historic diamond drilling in the area.

The Company continues to plan towards a focused, first-pass diamond drill program in the fall, pending the ongoing integration of existing and new exploration data. The Company has internal permitting expertise from its Bonita project in order to quickly and effectively navigate the BLM permitting process for Junction in Humboldt County.

Danbo Property

Exploration at Danbo has been active since June. An airborne magnetic and radiometric survey, and an airborne hyperspectral survey were completed in June, covering the recently acquired Amsel property and surrounding area northwest along-strike from Danbo:

The helicopter-borne high resolution magnetic survey consists of 108 lines spaced 100m for 912 line-kilometres in total covering a block approximately 8 x 10 kilometres in size;

The fixed wing hyperspectral survey covers approximately the same area as the magnetic survey, and is used for mapping alteration minerals based on spectral reflectance properties.

Final data and interpretations for both surveys were received in July, 2018. The Company used the results as the foundation for a nine-day field program of reconnaissance-level and detailed geological mapping, prospecting and rock sampling on both the Danbo and Amsel properties, and surrounding area. A total of 54 rock samples were collected. A one-week field program of geological mapping and prospecting is underway and will run through early August.

The purpose of the airborne surveys and ongoing surface work of prospecting and mapping is two-fold:

Refine specific drill targets, and finalize drill strategies for the Danbo property; Evaluate new/additional drill targets on the recently acquired Amsel property, and evaluate the regional potential of the area around and between the Danbo and Amsel properties, on structural trend.

The Company continues to work with the National Forest Service on the Notice of Intent drill permit for targets on the Danbo property. Successful completion of the permitting process by calendar year-end 2018 is possible.

Technical Information

Drill core samples for geochemistry are submitted to the ALS Global (ALS) laboratory facilities in Reno, Nevada, with final analytical work done at the ALS laboratories located in Vancouver, BC., including ICP-MS analyses for base metals and trace elements, and gold determination by atomic absorption assay. Analytical results are subject to industry-standard and NI 43-101 compliant QAQC sample procedures at the laboratory, as described by ALS.

Technical information for this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101. Justin Daley, P.Geo., Principal Geologist at VR and a non-independent Qualified Person both oversees and participates in all aspects of the Companys mineral exploration at the Bonita property. The content of this news release has been reviewed on behalf of the Company by the CEO, Dr. Michael Gunning, P.Geo., a non-independent Qualified Person.

About VR Resources

VR is an emerging junior exploration company focused on greenfields opportunities in copper and gold (TSX.V: VRR; Frankfurt: 5VR; OTCBB: VRRCF). The diverse experience and proven track record of its Board in early-stage exploration and discovery is the foundation of VR. The Company is focused on exploring large copper-gold mineral systems in the western United States. VR is the continuance of 4 years of active exploration in Nevada by a Vancouver-based private exploration company. VR is well financed for its exploration strategy, with a working capital of $3.0 M to the June 30th reporting period. VR owns its exploration assets outright and evaluates new opportunities on an ongoing basis, whether by staking or acquisition.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Michael H. Gunning

_____________________________

Dr. Michael H. Gunning, PhD, PGeo

President & CEO

For general information please use the following: Website: www.vrr.ca Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: 604-262-1104

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. Forward looking statements in this release include but are not limited to: continuous alteration and provide vectors for further drilling; refine targets at Junction towards a first-pass drill program planned for this fall.

Although the Company believes that the use of such statements is reasonable, 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. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

All of the Companys public disclosure filings are available at www.sedar.com, and readers are urged to review them.

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.

Figure1 (002)

FIgure2 (002)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osino Resources Corp. (TSXV: OSI) ("Osino or the Company), is excited to announce the discovery of a major new gold bearing trend located in the southern central zone of the Damara orogenic belt, stretching from the producing Navachab Gold Mine to Osinos Okapawe target, more than 40km to the northeast.

The Karibib Gold Trend is defined by a large-scale, deep, basin margin structure (the Karibib Fault) which is visible in the regional aeromagnetic data. It has been sampled over a strike length of 20km to date and continues for a further 30km to the southwest. A number of significant soil anomalies (Twin Hills, OJW and Okapawe) have been discovered along the fault zone which appears to be mineralized throughout its length. The soil anomalies are in the range of 100 to 400ppb gold against a background of less than 5ppb and are between 1km and 4km in length following the regional northeast trend. The mineralized prospects occur in association with splays, bends and syn-tectonic granite intrusions, typical of fertile orogenic belts.

The remaining portion from Twin Hills to the Navachab Gold Mine is currently being explored and further discoveries are considered likely.

Figure 1

The figure above indicates the location of the Karibib Gold Trend and major soil anomalies discovered to date. Osino has now consolidated its ground holding from the Goldkuppe prospect in the northeast all the way to the producing Navachab Gold Mine in the southwest. Also indicated is the location of the major marble marker horizon and the area to be covered by aeromagnetics and sampling between Twin Hills and Navachab during the rest of 2018.

In the press release dated 11 July, 2018, the gold corridor was referred to as the Khan River Gold Corridor as it was initially named when the presence of a mineralized system was noted near the Khan river, which is a significant local feature. This has now been changed to the Karibib Gold Trend to reflect its growing and more regional extent.

Drill Results and Interpretation

As reported in a press release dated 11 July, 2018, a short scout drill program (RC and DD) was undertaken during April and May of 2018 with 23 holes at the Twin Hills prospect and 6 at Okapawe. The drill results to date at Twin Hills confirm the presence of gold within a large-scale hydrothermal alteration system along splays from the basin margin fault and stretching at least 3.5km in strike length. Gold grades increase with depth and the next round of drilling will target the mineralized system down dip and towards the west where the splays intersect the Karibib fault to locate higher grade portions of this large system.

The holes drilled were drilled to 100m in average length and at an inclination of 60 degrees towards the southeast. The gold mineralization is contained within a package of quartz biotite schists and is associated with quartz sericite arsenopyrite and pyrite alteration. Structural measurements made on core and on outcrop at Twin Hills indicate that the gold mineralization may be controlled by localized folding immediately to the south of the Karibib Fault. Significant intercepts are presented in Table 1 below. There are also additional long intercepts of low grade but anomalous bedrock.

Recent detailed field mapping and rock chip sampling at Twin Hills has indicated the presence of a second parallel mineralized zone to the north of the drilled zone. Rock chip samples collected have returned several positive samples including a peak value of 25g/t in a sulphide bearing quartz vein.

Future Work Program

In the coming months, Osino will focus on exploring the Karibib Gold Trend to the southwest of Twin Hills where it continues a further 30km towards the Navachab Gold Mine. The work to be undertaken will include a detailed aeromagnetic survey, geological mapping, soil and calcrete sampling followed by RAB drilling.

A second round of reverse circulation and core drilling is planned for early 2019, once the remaining Karibib Gold Trend has been explored southwest to Navachab and further drill targets have been identified and ranked.

Table 1: Significant Twin Hills Drill Assay Results Prospect Hole ID From To Interval Au Grade Azimuth Dip Type (m) (g/t) () () Twin Hills TWR018 69 79 10 1.07 60 RC in 60 79 19 0.72 Twin Hills TWR012 82 84 2 1.15 60 RC in 73 86 13 0.60 Twin Hills TWR002 15 17 2 1.02 60 RC in 14 25 11 0.51 Twin Hills TWR009 76 79 3 1.00 60 RC in 73 84 11 0.51 Twin Hills TWR001 32 33 1 1.60 60 RC Twin Hills TWD002 73 74 2 1.44 60 RC Twin Hills TWD001 16 20 8 0.55 60 RC Twin Hills TWD004 85 87 2 1.70 60 RC in 83 88 5 0.85 Twin Hills TWD003 13 14 1 1.22 60 RC in 9 15 6 0.61 Table 2: Twin Hills Rock Chip Sample Results on Northern Trend Prospect Sample ID Grade Description (g/t) Twin Hills Northern Trend R9,455 25.00 Vein Qz, White to Grey, FeOx Twin Hills Northern Trend R9,166 9.05 Vein Qz, Clear to White, Minor FeOx Twin Hills Northern Trend R9,447 7.61 Vein Qz, Clear to White, Minor FeOx

Quality Assurance

All Osino sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control/quality assurance ("QA/QC") program including the insertion of blind standards, blanks and pulp and reject duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at Osinos secure facility located in Omaruru near the Karibib Project. Drill core is sawn in half on site and half drill-core samples are securely transported to the Actlabs sample prep facility in Windhoek, Namibia. RC chips are split at the drill rig using a riffle splitter until a 5-7kg sample is obtained. The core and chips are dried, crushed to 95% -10mesh, split to 250g and pulverised to 95% -150mesh. Sample pulps are sent to Ontario, Canada for analysis. Gold analysis is by 30g fire assay with AA finish and automatically re-analysed with Gravimetric finish if Au >5 g/t. In addition, pulps undergo 4-Acid digestion and multi-element analysis by ICP-AES or ICP-MS.

Qualified Persons

David Underwood, a Chartered Professional Geologist (SACNASP), and a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for the Karibib Gold Project has reviewed, verified and approved the contents of this news release.

About Osino Resources

Osino Resources Corp. (TSXV: OSI) is a Canadian company, focused on the acquisition and development of gold projects in Namibia. Osinos Namibian interests comprise eighteen exclusive exploration licenses located within the central zone of Namibias prospective Damara belt, mostly in proximity to and along strike of the producing Navachab and Otjikoto Gold Mines. Osino is currently focusing its efforts on developing the flagship Karibib Gold Project and defining new exploration targets in the Otjikoto East area and on our other licenses. The Karibib Gold Project is located approximately 130 km north-west of Namibias capital city Windhoek.

By virtue of its location, the projects benefit significantly from Namibias well established infrastructure with paved highways, railway, power and water in close proximity. Namibia is mining-friendly and lauded as one of the continents most politically and socially stable jurisdictions. Osino continues to evaluate new ground with a view to expanding its Namibian portfolio.

Further details are available on the Company's website at https://osinoresources.com/

CONTACT INFORMATION

Osino Resources Corp.

Heye Daun, CEO

Tel: +27 21 418 2525

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 press release.
EBITDA(1) of $59 million on net revenues of $134 million;

Cash position of $104 million and working capital of $160 million;

Net Income of $23.5 million or $0.03 per share

All financial figures are in U.S. dollars.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trevali Mining Corporation (Trevali or the Company) (TSX: TV; OTCQX: TREVF; Frankfurt: 4TI) has released financial results for the three and six months ending June 30, 2018. Second quarter (Q2) net income was $23.5 million ($0.03 per share) and EBITDA(1) was $59 million on net revenues of $134 million.

Highlights:

Consolidated Q2 zinc production of 103.9 million payable pounds. First-half 2018 consolidated zinc production was 202.6 million payable pounds, on-track with 2018 production and cost guidance.

Total Cash Operating Costs and All-In Sustaining Costs decreased on a quarter to quarter basis to $0.68 and $0.85 per pound of payable zinc produced respectively, net of by-product credits.

Q2 net revenues of $134 million and $249 million for the six months ending June 30, 2018  a 16.5% increase in net revenues quarter-to-quarter.

Net income of $23.5 million ($0.03 per share) in Q2 and first-half 2018 net income of $52 million ($0.06 per share). Net income was adversely affected due to downward provisional pricing adjustments.

Q2 EBIDTA (1) of $59 million ($0.07 per share) and first-half 2018 EBIDTA (1) of $117 million ($0.14 per share).

of $59 million ($0.07 per share) and first-half 2018 EBIDTA of $117 million ($0.14 per share). Cash and cash equivalents of $102 million.

Working capital of $160 million.

Debt reduction of $16 million year-to-date on the Term Facility as part of the long-term debt repayment schedule.

Net debt of $149 million as of June 30, 2018; total liquidity, including cash and available credit facilities, of $128.1 million and a 1.1 debt/EBIDTA (1) ratio (0.5 on an annualised basis).

ratio (0.5 on an annualised basis). Continued focus on organic growth and optimization during the quarter  advanced 2018 exploration goals reporting material high grade zinc intercepts at Perkoa, acquired an additional 10% of Rosh Pinah for US$23.1 million (increasing our ownership to 90%) and purchased new power generators at Perkoa.

(1) EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of a business gives an indication of its current operational profitability and is a non-IFRS measure and is calculated on 100% basis. Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

This news release should be read in conjunction with Trevalis unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, which is available on Trevali's website and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Certain financial information is reported herein using non-IFRS measures. Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

As per plan, we saw increased zinc production in the second quarter and the Company remains on track to achieve both annual production and cost guidance," stated Dr. Mark Cruise, Trevali's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The overall improvements, versus the first quarter, reflect continued strong performance at Perkoa, a return to normal capacity at Santander and decreasing seasonal effects at Caribou. Unfortunately, Rosh Pinah had a challenging quarter; however, we anticipate significant improvement in the second half of the year as we focus on optimizing operations, specifically underground mining efficiency and productivity.

Q2-2018 Financial Results Conference Call:

The Company will host a conference call and webcast at 10:30AM Eastern Time on Thursday, August 9, 2018 to review the Q2-2018 operating and financial results. Participants are advised to dial in 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the call.

Conference call dial-in details:

Date: Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 10:30AM Eastern Time

Toll-free (North America): 1-877-291-4570

International: 1-647-788-4919

Webcast: http://www.gowebcasting.com/9331

Consolidated Financial Results ($ millions, except per-share amounts)

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017 2018 2017 Revenues $114.7 $133.9 $37.4 $248.6 $77.4 Income from mining operations $36.6 $46.1 $10.1 $82.7 $19.8 Net income $28.6 $23.5 $0.1 $52.0 $2.8 Basic income per share $0.03 $0.03 $0.00 $0.06 $0.01

Consolidated Production Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017(1) 2018 2017(1) Tonnes Mined 790,215 807,166 371,802 1,597,381 742,755 Tonnes Milled 743,935 820,214 431,093 1,564,149 864,222 Payable Production:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



98,738,944

44,800

12,296,555

5,579

336,606



103,891,609

47,138

10,531,420

4,778

337,801



29,949,148

13,589

9,912,095

4,497

385,505



202,630,552

91,938

22,827,974

10,358

674,407



61,895,376

28,083

19,895,758

9,027

731,167 Total Cash Operating Costs (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.83 $0.68 $0.55 $0.74 $0.69 All-In Sustaining Cost (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.97 $0.85 $0.80 $0.88 $0.86 Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled) (2) $73 $58 $50 $65 $49

Consolidated Sales Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017(1) 2018 2017(1) Zinc Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 98,171 124,418 31,596 222,589 70,523 Lead Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 10,169 16,199 11,948 26,367 24,981 Payable Sales:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



89,490,812

40,604

7,956,056

3,610

274,748



114,220,221

51,824

13,160,877

5,971

376,455



27,644,763

12,543

9,828,395

4,459

379,577



203,711,033

92,427

21,116,933

9,581

651,203



61,223,004

27,778

19,536,784

8,864

708,213 Revenues (3) $114.7 million $133.9 million $37.4 million $248.6 million $77.4 million Zinc realized price per payable pound sold before pricing adjustments $1.49 $1.42 $1.20 $1.45 $1.24 Provisional and final invoicing and quantity adjustments per payable pound sold ($0.04) ($0.15) ($0.07) ($0.10) ($0.02) Zinc realized price per payable pound sold $1.45 $1.27 $1.13 $1.35 $1.22 LME average zinc price ($/pound) $1.55 $1.41 $1.18 $1.48 $1.22

(1) Q2-2017 and six months June 30, 2017 consolidated production and sales are from the Santander and Caribou mines only. Trevali acquired the Perkoa and Rosh Pinah mines on August 31, 2017.

(2) Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

(3) Revenues include effects of settlement adjustments on sales from prior quarters and is calculated on a 100% basis.

Perkoa Mine, Burkina Faso:

Q2 production was 46.2 million pounds (20,940 tonnes) of payable zinc. Metal sales for the quarter was 58.8 million pounds (29,687 tonnes) of zinc for revenue of $62 million. The Q2 operational gross profit was $19.5 million, an increase of 97.2% from Q1, with operational costs all materially decreased on a quarter-to-quarter basis.

Mine output and mill throughput for the quarter were 182,551 tonnes and 176,027 tonnes of ore, respectively. Given the strong performance over the first half of 2018, the Company increased its 2018 zinc production guidance by 9 million pounds (4,080 tonnes) to 164-174 million payable pounds (74,400-78,950 tonnes).

Perkoa Production Results

Three months ended Six months

ended June

30, Q1-2018 Q2-2018 2018 Tonnes Mined 192,158 182,551 374,709 Tonnes Milled 179,940 176,027 355,967 Payable Production:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)



45,874,974

20,814



46,151,647

20,940



92,029,621

41,756 Total Cash Operating Costs (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.78 $0.74 $0.76 All-In Sustaining Cost (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.84 $0.83 $0.83 Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled) (1) $112 $87 $100

Perkoa Sales Results

Three months ended Six months

ended June

30, Q1-2018 Q2-2018 2018 Zinc Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 33,660 61,492 95,153 Payable Sales:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)



32,598,594

14,791



58,819,244

26,687



91,417,837

41,478 Revenues (2) $36.8 million $62.0 million $98.8 million

(1) Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

(2) Revenues include effects of settlement adjustments on sales from prior quarters and is calculated on a 100% basis.

Rosh Pinah Mine, Namibia:

Q2 production was 20.8 million pounds (9,449 tonnes) of payable zinc, 2.1 million pounds (974 tonnes) of payable lead and 28,388 ounces of payable silver. Metal sales for the quarter were 17.5 million pounds (7,946 tonnes) of zinc, 4.4 million pounds (2,006 tonnes) of lead and 54,050 ounces silver for revenue of $21.6 million.

Mine output and mill throughput for the quarter was 159,797 tonnes and 173,082 tonnes, respectively. Performance for the quarter was below expectation; specifically, mine production did not achieve targeted levels due to non-optimal operational practices. Consequently, 2018 production guidance has been reduced by 10 million pounds (4,540 tonnes) to 95-105 million payable pounds (43,100-47,640 tonnes) of zinc. The Company is actively addressing this issue and continues to onboard key skills, advance workforce training, provide operational support and implement compliance tracking.

Rosh Pinah Production Results

Three months ended Six months

ended June

30, Q1-2018 Q2-2018 2018 Tonnes Mined 172,334 159,797 332,131 Tonnes Milled 177,837 173,082 350,919 Payable Production:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



22,831,575

10,359

3,925,012

1,781

50,473



20,825,332

9,449

2,146,675

974

28,388



43,656,907

19,808

6,071,687

2,755

79,182 Total Cash Operating Costs (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.90 $0.47 $0.70 All-In Sustaining Cost (per pound of payable zinc produced) $1.06 $0.69 $0.88 Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled) (1) $54 $47 $51

Rosh Pinah Sales Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30, Q1-2018 Q2-2018 2018 Zinc Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 30,386 19,610 49,996 Lead Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) - 5,388 5,388 Payable Sales:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



28,077,201

12,739

-

-

-



17,512,049

7,946

4,421,369

2,006

54,050



45,589,250

20,685

4,421,369

2,006

54,050 Revenues (2) $33.2 million $21.5 million $54.7 million

(1) Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

(2) Revenues include effects of settlement adjustments on sales from prior quarters and is calculated on a 100% basis.

Caribou Mine, Canada:

Q2 production was 20.5 million pounds (9,315 tonnes) of payable zinc, 6.5 million pounds (2,937 tonnes) of payable lead and 178,753 ounces of payable silver. Metal sales for the quarter were 21.7 million pounds (9,858 tonnes) of zinc, 6.9 million pounds (3,114 tonnes) of lead and 196,829 ounces silver for revenue of $29.7 million.

Mine production for the quarter was 266,500 tonnes, an operational record, and mill throughput was 247,222 tonnes. As expected, the winter impacts experienced in the first quarter decreased in the second quarter, which continues to positively impact zinc recoveries.

Caribou Production Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017 2018 2017 Tonnes Mined 238,650 266,500 223,104 505,150 445,368 Tonnes Milled 235,531 247,222 225,692 482,753 458,572 Payable Production:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



19,079,123

8,657

7,200,955

3,267

216,087



20,530,395

9,315

6,473,136

2,937

178,753



17,879,104

8,112

6,862,370

3,114

203,556



39,609,517

17,972

13,674,090

6,204

394,840



37,498,499

17,014

14,970,143

6,792

420,641 Total Cash Operating Costs (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.73 $0.64 $0.71 $0.68 $0.71 All-In Sustaining Cost (per pound of payable zinc produced) $0.90 $0.81 $0.83 $0.85 $0.83 Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled) (1) $64 $60 $61 $62 $61

Caribou Sales Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017 2018 2017 Zinc Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 21,409 24,694 17,491 46,103 42,457 Lead Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 9,058 8,959 8,970 18,017 19,062 Payable Sales:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



17,821,252

8,086

6,821,963

3,095

207,122



21,727,049

9,858

6,863,850

3,114

196,829



15,503,529

7,034

7,087,580

3,216

208,371



39,548,300

17,944

13,685,813

6,210

403,951



37,277,157

16,913

14,961,286

6,788

411,449 Revenues (2) $28.0 million $29.7 million $21.5 million $57.7 million $47.9 million

(1) Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

(2) Revenues include effects of settlement adjustments on sales from prior quarters.

Santander Mine, Peru:

Q2 production was 16.4 million pounds (7,434 tonnes) of payable zinc, 1.9 million pounds (867 tonnes) of payable lead and 130,659 ounces of payable silver. Metal sales for the quarter were 16.2 million pounds (7,333 tonnes) of zinc, 1.9 million pounds (851 tonnes) of lead and 125,576 ounces silver for revenue of $20.6 million.

After completing the scheduled major mill maintenance program in March 2018, the mill achieved throughput of 223,884 tonnes (an operational record) and mine output of 198,318 tonnes during the second quarter. With the Santander mill now operating at approximately 2,500 tonnes per day (above design capacity), the Company increased its 2018 zinc production guidance by 1 million pounds (500 tonnes) to 55  58 million payable pounds (24,950  26,320 tonnes).

Santander Production Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017 2018 2017 Tonnes Mined 187,073 198,318 148,698 385,391 297,387 Tonnes Milled 150,627 223,884 205,401 374,511 405,650 Payable Production:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



10,953,272

4,970

1,170,588

531

70,046



16,384,235

7,434

1,911,609

867

130,659



12,070,045

5,476

3,049,724

1,384

181,949



27,337,507

12,404

3,082,197

1,398

200,706



24,396,879

11,069

4,925,615

2,235

310,525 Total Cash Operating Costs (per pound of payable zinc produced) $1.08 $0.64 $0.53 $0.81 $0.65 All-In Sustaining Cost (per pound of payable zinc produced) $1.44 $0.90 $0.85 $1.11 $0.91 Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled) (1) $64 $40 $38 $50 $36

Santander Sales Results

Three months ended Six months ended June 30 Q1-2018 Q2-2018 Q2-2017 2018 2017 Zinc Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 12,715 18,622 14,104 31,337 27,683 Lead Concentrate (dry metric tonnes) 1,111 1,852 2,978 2,963 5,055 Payable Sales:

Zinc (pounds)

Zinc (tonnes)

Lead (pounds)

Lead (tonnes)

Silver (ounces)



10,993,766

4,988

1,134,093

516

67,626



16,161,879

7,333

1,875,658

851

125,576



12,141,233

5,509

2,740,815

1,244

171,206



27,155,645

12,321

3,009,751

1,366

193,203



23,945,848

10,865

4,575,498

2,076

296,764 Revenues (2) $16.6 million $20.6 million $15.9 million $37.2 million $29.4 million

(1) Please refer to Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures below.

(2) Revenues include effects of settlement adjustments on sales from prior quarters.

Q2-2018 OPERATING COSTS AND ANNUAL COST GUIDANCE (1, 2, 3)

Q2-2018 Operating Costs and Annual Cost Guidance (US$ per tonne)

Mine 2018 Annual Operating Cost Guidance Q1-2018 Operating Costs Q2-2018 Operating Costs YTD-2018 Operating Costs Perkoa (100%) $103-$113 $112 $87 $100 Rosh Pinah (100%) $49-$54 $54 $47 $51 Caribou $55-$61 $64 $60 $62 Santander $38-$42 $65 $40 $50 Total $60-$66 $73 $58 $65

(1) Constitutes forward-looking information; see Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.

(2) Trevalis ownership interest is 90% of Perkoa and 90% of Rosh Pinah.

(3) Costs are preliminary and subject to adjustment.

2018 CONSOLIDATED PRODUCTION GUIDANCE

Production guidance for the year remains unchanged at 400-to-427 million pounds (181,450-193,760 tonnes) of payable zinc, 43.8-to-46.0 million pounds (19,900-20,900 tonnes) of payable lead and 1.40-to-1.47 million ounces of payable silver.

The Company increased its zinc production guidance at Perkoa and Santander by an aggregate of 10 million pounds (4,540 tonnes) of payable zinc offset by the lower zinc production guidance at Rosh Pinah of 10 million pounds (4,540 tonnes). There will be moderate fluctuations on a quarter-to-quarter basis due to normal-course mine scheduling.

2018 Quarterly zinc production guidance (mid-range) versus actual zinc production.

2018 Consolidated Production Guidance (1, 2)

Mine 2018 Zinc Production 2018 Lead Production 2018 Silver Production Perkoa (100%) 164-174 million lbs

74,400-78,950 tonnes N/A N/A Rosh Pinah (100%) 95-105 million lbs

43,100-47,640 tonnes 5.7-6.0 million lbs

2,600-2,700 tonnes 123-129 k ozs Caribou 86-90 million lbs

39,000-40,850 tonnes 27.1-28.4 million lbs

12,300-12,900 tonnes 627-658 k ozs Santander 55-58 million lbs

24,950-26,320 tonnes 11.0-11.6 million lbs

5,000-5,300 tonnes 654-687 k ozs Total 400-427 million lbs

181,450-193,760 tonnes 43.8-46.0 million lbs

19,900-20,900 tonnes 1,404-1,474 k ozs

(1) Constitutes forward-looking information; see Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.

(2) Trevalis ownership interest is 90% of Perkoa and 90% of Rosh Pinah.

Exploration Update  Second Quarter:

Trevalis 2018 exploration program is focused on brownfield and near-mine exploration targets. The primary aim is to expand and discover new mineral resources adjacent to existing mine infrastructure, replace mined inventory, grow sustainable production, extend expected mine life and ultimately, contingent on success, provide production growth optionality to the operations.

The annual exploration program includes approximately 60,000 metres of diamond drilling for surface and underground targeting in-to-near mine resource growth with a minimum committed budget of $13 million.

Exploration and resource conversion drilling totaled approximately 26,500 metres during the quarter.

At Perkoa, 2,900 metres of underground resource expansion drilling continued to return exceptionally high-grade zinc results up to 240 metres below the current modelled mining level and confirms the high-grade mineralization remains open at depth. Highlights include:

9.4 metres at 26.6% zinc, including 2.6 metres at 39.3% zinc and 3.3 metres at 31.8% zinc;

10.3 metres at 18.7% zinc, including 5.0 metres at 30% zinc;

19.6 metres at 16.5% zinc, including 9.1 metres at 23.1% zinc.

The exploration group continues to test the depth extents of Perkoa system and is planning to mobilize a second UG diamond drill rig to site.

Regionally, the Company continues to advance high priority targets along the approximately 25-kilometre strike of the Perkoa Mine Horizon identified to date. Using a multi-disciplinary mineral system approach the Company has identified significant priority VMS targets, intersected semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization  a first for this frontier district, and identified areas of surface to near-surface gossanous material (evidence of the presence of semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization).

Initial drill testing of the AF1 target intersected thick zones of VMS alteration (silica  sericite  pyrite) within which semi-massive to narrow massive sulphides occur. Currently interpreted as the top of a VMS system, this is the first VMS and zinc mineralization intersected outside of the Perkoa deposit and is potentially indicative of the presence of a productive VMS belt. Downhole geophysics will be used to vector future drill testing. At the Byrhado prospect, 5 stacked gossan horizons are hosted within a folded package of siliceous felsic volcanics, tuffs and sediments that are cross cut by an intense quartz stockwork. All samples collected to date are highly geochemically anomalous with similar trace element pathfinder geochemistry as the Perkoa deposit. Drill testing will occur in Q4 following the end of the wet season. The Company classifies the target as early stage. Significant drill testing is required and there is no guarantee that base metal sulphides will be intersected in subsequent drill testing.

At Santander, exploration drilling continues to test the Magistral deposit extensions approximately 300 vertical metres below current development, in addition to continuing to extend the emerging Pipe target at depth. Geochemical assay results from second quarter drilling will be released in upon receipt, anticipated in late August  early September. The approximately 45-square-kilometre Santander exploration block remains under-explored and several priority exploration targets will be tested during the second half of the year.

At Rosh Pinah, ongoing underground exploration continues to define the emerging NW extension in the Western Orefield that remains open for expansion. During the quarter the Company re-targeted the deposit from first principals with a focus on the historically mined Eastern Orefield. The exploration initiative identified numerous priority targets in an area previously or largely considered geologically closed. The Company has hired additional dedicated exploration specialists and an initial approximately 10,000-metre discovery drill program will commence in H2. Regional and district targeting continues to advance in the belt.

In the Bathurst Mining Camp, Trevali completed resource definition drilling on its Restigouche deposit in addition to metallurgical and geotechnical drilling on the Murray Brook property with partner Puma Exploration. The results of both programs will facilitate advanced engineering and production studies for future Caribou mill feed. Late in the quarter a 12,000-metre exploration and definition drill program commenced at the Caribou deposit to target the down-dip extensions of the East Limb, Hinge Zone, and the newly discovered CX Zone, all of which remain open for extension.

Senior Vice President Corporate Development / IR

Alex Terentiew will be joining Trevali in September 2018 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development/Strategy and Investor Relations. Alex spent over 12 years in the investment industry as a mining and commodity research analyst at Scotia, Credit Suisse, Raymond James and most recently at BMO Capital Markets. At BMO he was a top-ranked analyst covering the base metals sector in addition to providing insightful research focused papers of long-term growth potential, value margins and commodity research. Prior to his career in research, he was a licensed Professional Geoscientist in the Province of Ontario. Mr. Terentiew holds an MBA degree from the Rotman School of Management, a Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science from the Department of Geology, both from the University of Toronto.

Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance

EurGeol Dr. Mark D. Cruise, Trevali's President and CEO, and Paul Keller, P.Eng, Trevalis Senior Vice President - Major Projects & Technical Support, are qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101, and have supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Dr. Cruise is not independent of the Company as he is an officer, director and shareholder. Mr. Keller is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.

ABOUT TREVALI MINING CORPORATION

Trevali is a zinc-focused, base metals company with four mines: the wholly-owned Santander mine in Peru, the wholly-owned Caribou mine in the Bathurst Mining Camp of northern New Brunswick, the 90% owned Rosh Pinah mine in Namibia and the 90% owned Perkoa mine in Burkina Faso.

The shares of Trevali are listed on the TSX (symbol TV), the OTCQX (symbol TREVF), the Lima Stock Exchange (symbol TV), and the Frankfurt Exchange (symbol 4TI). For further details on Trevali, readers are referred to the Companys website (www.trevali.com) and to Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

TREVALI MINING CORPORATION

Mark D. Cruise (signed)

Mark D. Cruise, President

Contact Information:

Steve Stakiw, Vice President - Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: (604) 488-1661 / Direct: (604) 638-5623

Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures

Trevali uses non-IFRS measures such as EBITDA and Cash Operating Costs (per Tonne milled), among other measures. Management uses these measures internally to evaluate the underlying operating performance of the Company for the reporting periods presented. The use of these measures enables management to assess performance trends and to evaluate the underlying business of the Company. We believe that these measures reflect the Companys performance and are useful indicators of its expected performance in future periods. This data is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation of or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

In this news release, we present EBITDA, which we define as profit attributable to shareholders before net finance expense, foreign exchange gains and losses, income and resource taxes, other income and expense, and depreciation, depletion and amortization. Our calculation of EBITDA may be different from the calculation used by other companies, including our competitors in the mining industry, so our measures may not be comparable to those of other companies.

We also present in this news release Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled), which includes mine operating production expenses such as mining, processing, administration, indirect charges such as surface maintenance and camp expense, and inventory stock movement divided by tonnes milled. Site Cash Operating Cost (per Tonne milled) does not include smelting and refining, distribution (freight), royalties, by-product revenues, depreciation, depletion, amortization, reclamation, and capital sustaining and exploration expenses.

See Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward-Looking Statements below as well as Use of Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures in our Managements Discussion and Analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of the Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Companys plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results. Such forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to statements as to: the timing and amount of estimated future production; the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves; costs and timing of development; operating efficiencies, including the ability to manage water while reducing power consumption, costs and expenditures; expectations regarding milling operations and metal production shortfalls; metal output and throughput rates; cost guidance and anticipated annual results; anticipated results of future exploration; and forecast future metal prices.

These statements reflect the Companys current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. If any assumptions are untrue, it could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including commodity prices, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the Companys actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to joint venture operations; fluctuations in spot and forward markets for silver, zinc, base metals and certain other commodities (such as natural gas, fuel oil and electricity); fluctuations in currency markets; risks related to the technological and operational nature of the Companys business; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States, Peru, Namibia, Burkina Faso, or other countries where the Company may carry on business in the future; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with whom the Company does business; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; diminishing quantities or grades of Mineral Resources as properties are mined; global financial conditions; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; the Companys ability to complete and successfully integrate acquisitions and to mitigate other business combination risks; challenges to, or difficulty in maintaining, the Companys title to properties and continued ownership thereof; the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, and changes in project parameters to deal with unanticipated economic or other factors; increased competition in the mining industry for properties, equipment, qualified personnel, and their costs, as well as other risks as more fully described in the Companys annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2017, which is available on the Companys website (www.trevali.com) and filed under our profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty or reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

Note to United States Investors

In accordance with applicable Canadian securities regulatory requirements, all mineral resource estimates of the Company disclosed or incorporated by reference in this news release have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, classified in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves Definitions and Guidelines.

The Company uses the terms "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources". While these terms are recognized by Canadian securities regulatory authorities, they are not recognized by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into reserves.
Israeli army closes roads around Gaza Strip After Hamas's statements following fighters' deaths, spokesman

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, AUGUST 8 - The Israeli army on Wednesday closed several roads near the Gaza Strip and sent reinforcements to its division in the south.



A military spokesman said that the decision was connected with ''Hamas's statements'' after the killing of two of its fighters on Tuesday and the ''identification of the leaving of positions''. On Tuesday, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that ''our resistance will never accept Israel's hitting our positions and our men with impunity. We can make sure that the enemy does not known peace.



Similar statements were released by the Islamic Jihad group. ''The army,'' the military spokesman added, ''will act in such a way to ensure the security of the residents of the area around Gaza and will not allow civilians or soldiers to be targeted.'' On Tuesday a tank targeted a Hamas observation post, killing two fighters after some Israeli soldiers nearby said that they had been shot at. Later it become clear that the shooting had not been aimed at the soldiers and had instead been part of a Hamas military exercise within the Gaza Strip. Indirect contact has long been in place - through Egyptian and UN mediation - between the parties involved to achieve an agreement that would bring the months-long crisis to an end. Some media reports attributed to Hamas sources have said that a framework agreement may arrive by the end of August.



(ANSAmed).




TORONTO, Ontario, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YAMANA GOLD INC. (TSX:YRI; NYSE:AUY) (Yamana or the Company) is pleased to announce the promotion of Daniel Racine to President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), from his current role as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer. Peter Marrone, the Companys Chairman and CEO, is assuming a newly created role as Executive Chairman, and will continue to serve as Chairman of Yamanas Board of Directors.

Mr. Marrone will be accountable to the Board of Directors and serve as a liaison between the Board of Directors and management, through the President and CEO. Mr. Marrone will continue to drive Yamanas strategic vision, focusing on the initiatives to optimize capital deployment, return measures, the sustainability of cash flows, and the evaluation of strategic alternatives to maximize the value of the Companys assets, including the substantial non-producing portion of the portfolio, for shareholders.

Mr. Marrone will also serve as a guide, and mentor, to the President and CEO and, through the President and CEO, to management of the Company more generally. Mr. Marrone is the founder of the Company and has been responsible for its activities and development in his role as Chairman and CEO.

The creation of an Executive Chairman role is consistent with the Companys ongoing review of management effectiveness and succession planning. The separation of the Chairman and CEO roles has been enabled by several years of progressive steps where management strength and the management construct have been enhanced, the balance sheet bolstered, and the Companys mines and projects have performed well, including the newly commissioned high-grade Cerro Moro mine. The new construct provides a continuity in approach, builds on the strong foundation in place, while leveraging the expertise of both Mr. Marrone and Mr. Racine.

We are delighted to report on our succession plan for the senior most roles of the Company pursuant to which Daniel succeeds me in the role of CEO and takes on the formal role of President and CEO, said Peter Marrone, who now takes on the role of Executive Chairman. Our Board of Directors sees this appointment as a natural evolution of his roles over the last several years. Daniel has shown tremendous leadership and his co-operative approach has been a key to the Companys recent strong performance. Mr. Marrone continued, In my role as Executive Chairman, I look forward to continuing to assist the Company in many initiatives and efforts to deliver value for our shareholders and other stakeholders.

Mr. Racine has been with the Company since 2014 and, most recently, was the Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of the Company, responsible for overseeing Yamanas operations and development stage projects. In his capacity as President and CEO, Mr. Racine will be responsible for the business of the Company with all executive offices reporting directly to him. In turn, the President and CEO will report directly to the Executive Chairman of the Company. Mr. Racine will work with the Executive Chairman in the formulation of strategy, be responsible for managing the business and be accountable for the management, prepare the business plan for the Company and ensure the Company adheres to that plan.

Commented Daniel Racine, President and Chief Executive Officer: In joining this Company in 2014, I recognized the opportunities in assets and people. Considerable efforts have been made to improve the quality of managers and management of the Company and oversight by the Board of Directors in the last several years. These changes have helped improve the resilience of our Company, deliver predictable operational performance, successfully develop Cerro Moro and establish a culture that champions health, safety and sustainable development more effectively.

Peter has been instrumental in driving these changes and with them, much of the heavy lifting to position Yamana Gold for the future and next phase in its evolution have been completed. Our operations are performing well, as evidenced by our performance through the first half of 2018 and that strong performance continued through July. Cerro Moro is producing at a monthly rate that is in line with our plans and our other operations continue to perform. We are well in excess of production plans so far this year and are trending very favourably toward annual guidance for all gold, silver and copper.

When I was called to step into the role of President and CEO as part of the Companys senior management succession plan, it was natural for me to accept. We have accomplished so much in the past few years and I am confident we have more potential to unlock from our portfolio. I look forward to working with our management, Peter and the Board of Directors to deliver further value to our stakeholders.

About Yamana

Yamana is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold production, gold development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas including Canada, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Yamana plans to continue to build on this base through existing operating mine expansions and optimization initiatives, development of new mines, the advancement of its exploration properties and, at times, by targeting other gold consolidation opportunities with a primary focus in the Americas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

416-815-0220

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains or incorporates by reference forward-looking statements and forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to the Companys optimization and expansion plans, strategy, other plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements are characterized by words such as plan, expect, budget, target, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the Companys expectations in connection with the changes in its management structure, the production and exploration, the impact of declaring commercial production, development and expansion plans at the Company's projects being met, the impact of proposed optimizations at the Company's projects, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/or changes in the administration or laws, policies and practices, and the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, fluctuating metal prices (such as gold, copper, silver and zinc), currency exchange rates (such as the Brazilian real, the Chilean peso, and the Argentine peso versus the United States dollar), the impact of inflation, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in the Companys hedging program, changes in accounting policies, changes in Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, risks related to asset disposition, risks related to metal purchase agreements, risks related to acquisitions, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in project development, construction, production and commissioning time frames, unanticipated costs and expenses, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, unexpected changes in mine life, final pricing for concentrate sales, unanticipated results of future studies, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting timelines, government regulation and the risk of government expropriation or nationalization of mining operations, risks related to relying on local advisors and consultants in foreign jurisdictions, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, risks relating to joint venture operations, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage and timing and possible outcome of pending and outstanding litigation and labour disputes, risks related to enforcing legal rights in foreign jurisdictions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to herein and in the Company's Annual Information Form filed with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com, and the Companys Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 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, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managements estimates, assumptions or opinions should change, except as required by applicable law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Companys expected financial and operational performance and results as at and for the periods ended on the dates presented in the Companys plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes.
Ivory Coasts former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, who is serving a 20-year jail term, will be freed on Wednesday after President Alassan Ouattara granted her an amnesty, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

The wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo has spent seven years behind bars for her role in a wave of political violence that claimed several thousand lives in 2010-11.

On the eve of independence day, Ouattara had on Monday announced an amnesty for Simone Gbagbo and around 800 others in the name of national reconciliation.

Her attorney, Rodrigue Dadje, told AFP she would be released tomorrow, after the judicial formalities have been completed.

She was delighted to learn the news of her release, Dadje said.

Simone Gbagbo was convicted for endangering state security for her part in post-electoral violence and sentenced in 2015.

She had been implicated in the 2011 shelling of a market in an Abidjan district that supported Ouattara and for belonging to a crisis cell that allegedly coordinated attacks by the armed forces and militias in support of her husband.

Laurent Gbagbo has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for seven years. He has been on trial since 2016 for alleged crimes against humanity.

In February 2012, the ICC also issued a warrant for Simone Gbagbos arrest.

In 2016, Ouattara said he would no longer send Ivorian nationals to the court, as the country now had a functioning justice system.

About 3,000 people died in the turmoil that erupted in Abidjan  once one of Africas most cosmopolitan cities  after presidential elections in November 2010 when Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to Ouattara, his bitter rival.

The conflict left a legacy of political friction that endures today. The lack of national reconciliation has been seen by many observers as the biggest mark against Ouattaras record.

Among others granted amnesties were former defence minister Lida Kouassi  a key Gbagbo ally  who was sentenced this year to 15 years for conspiracy, and former construction minister Assoa Adou, jailed in 2017 for four years.

Around 500 of those named have already been released provisionally from detention, the president said. They will have their criminal records erased.

The other 300 will be released soon, he added, without giving any dates.
Former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo, who had been serving a 20-year jail term, was released on Wednesday, two days after being amnestied by President Alassane Ouattara. After seven years detention, Gbagbo returned to her home in an upmarket district of Abidjan to be greeted by around 1,000 supporters.

The 69-year-old wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo was convicted over political violence that claimed several thousand lives in 2010-11.

The old page is turned, she told activists outside her home. Get ready for a new page.

On Monday  the eve of the Ivory Coasts independence day  Ouattara announced an amnesty for Gbagbo and around 800 others in the name of national reconciliation.

She had been implicated in the 2011 shelling of a market in an Abidjan district that supported Ouattara and for belonging to a crisis cell that allegedly coordinated attacks by the armed forces and militias in support of her husband.

About 3,000 people died in post-election violence in the countrys commercial capital, Abidjan, when Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to Ouattara, his bitter rival, in a presidential ballot in November 2010.

She was first detained without trial after her arrest in 2011 and later convicted and sentenced in 2015 on a charge of endangering state security.

Laurent Gbagbo has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for seven years. He has been on trial since 2016 for alleged crimes against humanity.

 Contested amnesty 

Ouattara has been under pressure to foster reconciliation. The legacy of the 2010-11 conflict is still felt deeply today, especially in politics.

The Gbagbos retain a groundswell of support within the Ivorian Popular Front, the party they co-founded in the 1980s but which has since split into two factions.

Leader of the pro-Gbagba faction, Abdoudramane Sangare, said her release prepares the arrival of Laurent Gbagbo.

One step has been taken, another remains to be done. I know that we will overcome all obsticles, he said.

On Tuesday, 11 rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, lashed the mass release.

There should be no amnesty for those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations, they said.

To decide, after seven years of judicial proceedings involving hundreds of victims and alleged perpetrators, that only 60 people will face justice is not only an arbitrary decision but will be an act of disrespect to victims.

Among others granted amnesties were former defence minister Lida Kouassi  a key Gbagbo ally  who was sentenced this year to 15 years for conspiracy, and former construction minister Assoa Adou, jailed in 2017 for four years.

Around 500 of those named have already been released provisionally from detention, the president said. They will have their criminal records erased.

In February 2012, the ICC also issued a warrant for Simone Gbagbos arrest.

But in 2016, Ouattara said he would no longer send Ivorian nationals to the court, as the country now had a functioning justice system.

Ouattara on Monday also announced a reform of the Independent Electoral Commission, a panel which has been accused of bias and inequality.
Ivory Coasts Iron Lady Simone Gbagbo  soon to be released from prison in an amnesty  basked in her role as the power behind the throne during her husbands regime, but to foes she was a pitiless killer.

The wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo, who lost power in 2010 after a turbulent decade in office, is one of some 800 people who are being freed by president Alassane Ouatarra.

Laurent Gbagbo has been in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for seven years.

His wife is three years into a 20-year sentence for endangering state security for her role in political violence that claimed some 3,000 lives after a bitter 2010 presidential election.

The couple were arrested in April 2011 by forces loyal to Ouattara during a French-backed military operation, after five months of fighting.

She was accused of actively supporting Laurent Gbagbo in his bid to keep power after his electoral defeat.

Her 2015 conviction revolved around her alleged involvement in a 2011 shelling of a market in a district of the capital Abidjan that supported Ouattara and for being a member of a crisis cell that allegedly coordinated attacks by the armed forces and militias in support of her husband.

Fervently Christian but ruthless by reputation, Simone Gbagbo never sought to deny exercising political influence after her husband rose to power in 2000 elections in which former prime minister Ouattara was barred from standing on the grounds he was a foreigner.

All the ministers respect me, and they often consider me above them. Ive got what it takes to be a minister, she told the French newsweekly lExpress in 2001, justifying her stance after a life she said had been dedicated to activism.

I engaged in political struggle against the former regime alongside men. I spent six months in prison, I was beaten, molested, left for dead. After all those trials, its logical that people dont mess with me.

 Blood Lady 

Born in the predominantly Christian south in 1949 as one of 18 children of a policeman, she studied linguistics and history before becoming a trade union activist.

Her militancy led to a jail term in the 1970s for openly criticising then president Felix Houphouet-Boigny  Ivory Coasts first leader after independence from France in 1960  when he rejected opposition calls for multi-party elections.

She and Laurent Gbagbo married in 1989 after founding the opposition socialist Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), and she was later elected to parliament in the worlds leading cocoa producer.

Her husband sought to change relations with former colonial master Paris, arguing that previous regimes had been servile, and the first lady proved a fierce critic of neo-colonialism, once famously describing Frances former president Nicolas Sarkozy  a main mover in her husbands downfall  as the devil.

Supporters of Simone Gbagbos commitment to political causes hailed her as the Hillary Clinton of the tropics.

But for detractors, the Iron Lady became the Blood Lady, amid allegations by human rights activists that the regime used teams of killers to deal with opponents.

Those concerns were reinforced when she was implicated by a French judicial inquiry into the sinister disappearance of French-Canadian journalist Guy-Andre Kieffer in Ivory Coast in 2004.

Gbagbo frequently mingled politics with the evangelical faith she practised after miraculously surviving a car crash and starting prayer meetings at the presidential palace.
DR Congo President Joseph Kabila, ending months of speculation, has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary to be his successor in upcoming elections, the government said on Wednesday.

The announcement came just hours before the deadline for lodging applications for the December 23 election  a vote analysts say is crucial for the countrys future.

Ramazani Shadary, a Kabila loyalist, is permanent secretary of the Peoples Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD).

He will represent our political family in the presidential election, spokesman Lambert Mende told a press conference. We will all rally behind him.

A country of some 80 million people, the Democratic Republic of Congo has never known a peaceful government transition since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila, 47, has been in power for 17 years, taking over from his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, who was killed by a bodyguard.

He should have stepped down at the end of 2016 when he reached a two-term limit.

But, igniting angry demonstrations, he stayed on thanks to a constitutional clause enabling the president to remain in office until a successor is elected.

Speculation had mounted in recent months that he would stand again, possibly contending that he was entitled to do so because of a constitutional revision in 2006.

Opponents staged protests that were bloodily repressed, triggering angry condemnations from the United States and the European Union.

Late Tuesday, Kabila held talks with his political allies, who are joined in an electoral platform called the Common Front for Congo (FCC), on picking a candidate who would succeed him.

Their choice was the conclusion of consultations that the president, the moral authority of the the Common Front for Congo, undertook to find the rare bird, Mende told journalists.

 Clamour for change 

Kabilas tenure over the vast mineral-rich country has been marked by a reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest.

Several provinces are in the grip of armed conflict and according to the UN High commissioner for refugees, more than four million people have had to flee their homes, many to Uganda, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia.

Theres a heightened political awareness and an understanding that the ruling party and Kabila hasnt brought the kind of change that Congo needs and that Congolese want, said Stephanie Wolters, Johannesburg-based analyst at ISS Africa.

Its essential to have some credible process or the Congo will keep spiralling and none of the important human security priority issues will be addressed.

The African Union this week reiterated calls for all stakeholders to ensure peaceful, transparent and truly inclusive elections in the DRC.

Sixteen candidates, including three major opposition figures, have already submitted their names to the electoral commission.

Among them are Felix Tshisekedi, 55, leader of Congos oldest opposition party UDPS, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, 55, a former warlord recently acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The fate of opposition leader Moise Katumbi who was barred from entering the country last week to lodge his candidacy has been a key issue ahead of the deadline.

Katumbi, 53, a wealthy businessman and former governor of the province of Katanga, was unable to cross the border from Zambia where he and his team remains as of Wednesday.

The definitive list of candidates is set to be announced on September 19 after each name is validated by CENI.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired in a political crisis for years, which deepened when Joseph Kabila clung to power after his final term ended.

Here is a timeline:

 Controversial elections 

In January 2001, Kabila, 29, becomes leader of the sprawling Central African country after his father Laurent-Desire is assassinated by a bodyguard.

In 2006, Kabila is declared winner at the first free presidential election for 41 years, standing against ex-rebel Jean-Pierre Bemba  the poll is tainted by outbreaks of violence.

In March 2007, clashes in Kinshasa with heavy weaponry between troops loyal to Bemba and the army leave 300 dead. Bembas men are defeated and he leaves the country.

In 2011, Kabila is re-elected in a one-round presidential election marked by chaotic organisation, violence and alleged irregularities.

 Bloodshed 

In January 2015 demonstrations break out in Kinshasa against a bill that would delay the next presidential elections, due in 2016, enabling Kabila to stay in power beyond the end of his second and last constitutional term. Dozens of people are killed in clashes with security forces.

In September 2016, several dozen people are killed in anti-Kabila protests. Public buildings and majority party headquarters are looted and torched.

On December 20 2016, meant to be the last day of Kabilas mandate but with no election planned or sign of him stepping down, there are more protests in Kinshasa and several other towns. The UN says at least 40 are killed.

 Election delays 

On New Years Eve 2016, opposition parties and the government reach agreement that elections will by held at the end of 2017 and Kabila can stay in power until then under a transition deal.

But the elections are postponed again, purportedly because of the problems of organising them in time.

In November 2017 the Electoral Commission announces a presidential election for December 23, 2018. Under the plan Kabila will remain in place to January 2019.

The opposition demands he leave at the end of 2017. More demonstrations from December 2017 to February 2018 result in several further deaths. The UN and Western countries denounce the crackdown.

 Election deadline 

As the August 8 deadline looms for filing election bids, Bemba  freshly acquitted of war-crimes convictions in The Hague  returns home to declare his challenge.

But fellow opposition leader Moise Katumbi is refused entry from Zambia as he tries to return. He faces possible arrest after being handed a three-year jail term in absentia in June 2016 in a case of alleged property fraud, charges he denies.

Just hours before the filing deadline, Kabila ends months of speculation.

Instead of planning to run again, as some critics had suspected, he names a loyalist, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, to be his successor for the December 23 race.

Ramazani Shadari, 57, served as interior minister during the crackdown on protests. He also is a co-founding member of Kabilas party, the Peoples Party for Reconstruction (PPRD).
University selects first cohort of NBAF Scientist Training Program fellowships funded by $1.6 million federal grant

Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018

Five Kansas State University students have been awarded National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Scientist Training Program fellowships funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The fellowship recipients, from left: Kaitlynn Bradshaw, Laura Constance, Chester McDowell, Victoria Ayers and Christian Cook. | Download this photo.





MANHATTAN  When a federal laboratory comes to town, it fuels demand for highly educated and trained workers.



Kansas State University is helping meet that demand. Five graduate students from the College of Veterinary Medicine have been awarded National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Scientist Training Program fellowships. The awardees will receive tuition, stipends and funds for supplies and travel through a $1.6 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.



Fellowship awardees were selected for their strong interest and expertise in emerging animal diseases, diseases that infect both animals and people, or foreign animal diseases that threaten global health and food security. Once they complete the fellowship program, they are committed to working at the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York and, ultimately, the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility, or NBAF, which is under construction adjacent to the university's Manhattan campus. The selected students have already received training in high-containment facilities that work with pathogens that will be studied at NBAF.



The fellowship recipients will be mentored by their major professors, with whom they have worked with for at least one to three years, as well with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory scientists with subject matter expertise in the identified program areas.



The following students are recipients of the NBAF Scientist Training Program fellowships:



 Kaitlynn Bradshaw, master's student in veterinary biomedical science, Hill City. Her mentor is Sally Davis, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.



 Chester McDowell, concurrent Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and doctoral student in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Corrales, New Mexico. His mentor is Juergen Richt, Regents distinguished professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Kansas Bioscience Authority eminent scholar and director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases.



 Laura Constance, concurrent Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and doctoral student in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Clyde, North Carolina. Her mentors are Bob Rowland, professor, and Megan Niederwerder, assistant professor, both of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.



 Victoria Ayers, doctoral student in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Prague, Oklahoma. Her mentor is Dana Vanlandingham, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.



 Christian Cook, doctoral student in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Fort Worth, Texas. Her mentor is Dana Vanlandingham, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.



Beth Montelone, senior associate vice president for research at Kansas State University, said the fellowships are an effort to train future research scientists, veterinarians and research technicians. Other students in the inaugural fellowship class are graduate students at Iowa State University and Mississippi State University. The program will expand next year to include applicants from other universities.



"K-State is very excited to partner with USDA APHIS on training the new generation of front-line researchers on transboundary animal diseases who will be working in the NBAF," Montelone said. "It is a great commentary on the strengths of our research and graduate educational programs that five of our students have been selected to participate in the first cohort of NBAF Scientist Training Program fellowships fellows."



The fellowships provide funding to cover tuition and fees, as well as an annual stipend, health benefits and funds for materials and supplies, travel and publication costs to further their research. A total of five years of funding is available for the concurrent Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and doctoral students; up to four years for doctoral students; and three years for master's-level students.



Carol Shanklin, dean of Kansas State University's Graduate School, said the NBAF Scientist Training Program provides an excellent opportunity for the recipients to gain valuable knowledge and skills while preparing them for scientific careers in national laboratories, including NBAF.



"Preparing graduate students to meet the specialized needs of both U.S. and international workforces is an essential role of graduate education," Shanklin said. "I look forward to working with the five recipients and their mentors to assure the success of the program."



Frank Blecha, associate dean for research at the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the college supports efforts to provide qualified staff for NBAF and other facilities that require agro- and biodefense expertise.



"The NBAF Scientist Training Program fellowship is a career-changing opportunity for selected students," Blecha said. "These students planned their graduate and professional programs to gain research and diagnostic expertise to work on select agents in high-containment facilities with the hope that there would be positions available when they graduate. We are fortunate that USDA APHIS, the university and the college invested in the personnel and infrastructure that will help them reach their goals."



The fellowship opportunities will be offered again in fiscal year 2019. More information about the program is available at k-state.edu/research/opportunities/NSTP.html.






TEL AVIV - Premier Benyamin Netanyahu is planning to attend a UN General Assembly mid-September and will meet US President Donald Trump on that occasion, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told radio 'Kol Barama'.

Dannon added that Iran and the effects of new US sanctions on Tehran would be the main issues discussed during the meeting.

''The premier will give a very important speech'', Danon told the radio.

Netanyahu's office for the moment has neither confirmed his participation in the assembly nor his meeting with Trump.
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Just recently, New York and Virginia became the first two states to mandate that mental health become incorporated into school curriculums. New York passed a law for educators to teach material on mental health beginning from elementary school continuing on to high school. Virginias legislation intertwines mental health education with physical and health education for 9th and 10th graders. While these two states should certainly be commended for recognizing the importance of mental health care and for building a strong foundation to grow upon, the new curriculums dont go nearly far enough to combat the seriousness of mental illness in America today.

Anyone who can remember D.A.R.E. classes or the anti-drinking and smoking lectures from high school health class can attest to the ineffectiveness of promoting healthy choices once stepping outside of the classroom. Although good-intentioned, the education and tools these classes afforded its students rarely translated into real-world situations. Its wonderful that students will be getting exposure to the topic and recognizing the importance of mental health care, but schools should go beyond just education.

There should be an increased budget for schools to recruit psychologists and counselors while placing an emphasis on normalizing usage of these services. Students should be encouraged to check in with mental health care professionals at least once a year to talk about any difficulties they are experiencing so they can learn tools on how to cope.

Understandably, students may feel embarrassed to be seen walking into the doors of their school counselor, so measures should be taken to assuage their fears. Although logistically difficult, I give my school credit for moving their mental health counseling services to a building different from the one we attended classes, one where students rarely entered to ensure confidentiality. Ideas like that could help embolden students to seek the care they need.

Additionally, the new booming field of telehealth provides people with a whole new avenue to receive the care they desperately seek while sitting in the comforts of their own home. Theyre able to speak to the appropriately licensed health care provider over phone, video call or even text message. I imagine students would feel undeniably more comfortable talking to someone from home rather than doing it in school if offered the choice.

Years ago, I wish my school curriculum educated me on subjects that were more applicable to the real world like taxes, mortgages and retirement plans. But now students in New York and Virginia will be taught something that can potentially save their lives in the future. While I believe the new legislation isnt as impactful as it could be, theres no reason why the other 48 states shouldnt follow suit while going even further.

Whether child or adult, the biggest barrier to mental health care, in my opinion, is the stigma associated with seeing a professional for help. As Ive stated before, going to a psychiatrist or any other mental health professional for depression is no different from going to your primary care doctor for chest pain. Changing curriculums and introducing legislation are external solutions to an internal problem on how we think about and perceive mental illness. We need to start adapting the way we internally think about and even judge mental health care. Only once we start normalizing mental health care as a collective people in America will we start to see a real change in the prevalence and negative outcomes associated with mental illness.

Brandon Jacobi is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The Herald reports:

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters made a personal explanation in Parliament today in a bid to distance himself from Wally Haumaha, despite Peters speaking at an event to celebrate Haumahas promotion last year to Assistant Police Commissioner. Peters said he had been invited to the event to mark Haumahas promotion under the previous National Government and that the Police had asked Peters to make a speech. I do not think that in any way compromises me, said Peters.

This is avoiding the real question. Why was Peters asked to speak? Surely it was because Haumaha requested it. Which means they have a significant relationship.

It cant just be because Peters is Maori. The then Deputy Prime Minister, Paula Bennett, is Maori and hence was the most senior Maori MP.

Haumaha has multiple links to NZ First. He was selected as a candidate. He is related to the Deputy Leader. He is very close to Tommy Gear, who is Peters closest confidante.

This is why no NZ First Minister should be involved with the inquiry, and the Herald exposes the red herring that it had to be Tracey Martin as she is Internal Affairs Minister:

The Internal Affairs staff provide administrative assistance to public and Government inquiries set up under the Inquiries Act 2013, but that does not mean the Internal Affairs Minister must set up each inquiry. David Parker as Attorney-General, for example, set up the Government inquiry into the Operation Burnham.

It seems pretty clear Winston chose Martin as a loyal NZ First Minister, rather than Parker or Little. And Martin had 10 candidates to choose from, and chose an inquiry head who thought so highly of Haumaha (whom she had worked with) that she had publicly endorsed all his skills on Linked In.

The sad thing about all this is that the actions of the NZ First Ministers make Haumahas viability for the job more tenuous. Im not sure his comments 14 years ago should disqualify him for the job. But the more NZ First tries to protect him, the more he looks like a partisan appointment, and the less confidence we have in the Police.

The best thing NZ First could do for Haumaha is for Martin to recuse herself. Otherwise he may end up being the victim of their attempts to run interference.

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Liam Hehir writes:

My alma mater, Victoria University of Wellington, says it is also grappling with name baggage. It is losing money hand over fist, the claim goes, because potential enrollees are confused about the Victoria bit. Does it refer to the Australian state? The city in Canada? The waterfall in Zimbabwe?

To fix this, the university has decided, in principle, upon a simplification of its name. Victoria is to be expunged, leaving the name to be the University of Wellington. Bloodless, but more lucrative, the thinking goes. 

The decision has provoked a backlash on the part of alumni, most of whom were totally unaware of the pending decision. In fairness to the university, it had sought feedback through its e-newsletter and on forums such as LinkedIn.

My wife, also an unimpressed Victoria grad, was not happy with this form of engagement. It reminded her of that scene from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy where the notification for the demolition of the heros house had been placed on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying beware of the Leopard'.
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London, Aug 8 (AFP) WikiLeaks said today that its founder Julian Assange was "considering" a request by a US Senate committee to testify about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

The whistleblowing website posted on Twitter a letter purportedly from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence asking Assange to "make yourself available for a closed interview with bipartisan committee staff at a mutually agreeable time and location".

It added: "WikiLeaks' legal team say they are 'considering the offer but the conditions must conform to a high ethical standard'." In the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, WikiLeaks published documents hacked from Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign.

US intelligence officials have blamed Russia for the theft of the documents, which they say was part of a deliberate attempt to hurt Clinton's chances.

They claim WikiLeaks knowingly acted in concert with Russian intelligence. WikiLeaks has denied that the source of the material was the Russian government, while stressing it will never reveal where it gets its information.

WikiLeaks said today the Senate letter -- dated August 1 -- was delivered to Assange via the US embassy in London, but the mission declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

There was also no immediate confirmation from the Senate committee. Assange is currently living in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he sought political asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault and rape.

He said the claims were a political smear linked to WikiLeaks' work and said he feared being transferred from Sweden to the United States to face trial for the release of leaked US military documents.

The Swedish investigation has since been dropped but Assange stayed in the embassy, as he still faces arrest by British police for skipping bail six years ago. Ecuador and Britain are currently in talks over his fate. (AFP) PMS

(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 8: The Bharat Bandh call issued by nearly a dozen Dalit outfits under the aegis of All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM) has been deferred. The Mahasabha has cited the passage of amendment Bill in Lok Sabha, which annuls the changes made to the SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court, as the reason behind deferring their agitation.

AIAM convenor Ashok Bharti said the bandh has not been cancelled by them, but only deferred as the government has assured to address all their demands. "Our primary demand has been fulfilled. We will give time to the government to implement others," he said, referring to the restoration of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form via the amendment Bill on Monday.

Among other demands raised by the Mahasabha include the release of nearly 30 Dalit activists arrested for their role in bandh called on April 2. The protesters have also sought swift justice to the kin of 12 Dalit agitators who were killed during the April 2 shutdown. Publication of the exhaustive caste census data gathered in 2011 is also among their charter of demands.

Although the Dalit groups have backed out from their bandh call, their cadres will be supporting the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) who would be staging demonstrations against the government in the national capital.

While the Kisan Sabha has marked its dissent against the lack of steps taken by the government to ensure the disbursement of adequate remunerative prices to the farmers, the ex-servicemen's group is up in protest due to the alleged lack of response shown by the Centre to address the anomalies related to the 'one rank, one pension' or OROP.

Earlier, the government had issued an appeal to the protesters saying all their issues would be addressed via negotiations. Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, reached out to the Dalit groups saying there is no reason to "proceed with the bandh" as the government has already reversed the changes made to the SC/ST Act by the apex court.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2018 11:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Srinagar, August 8: Security forces apprehended a terrorist in Awantipora yesterday in a joint operation. The terrorist was identified as Abdul Majid Shah. The security forces also recovered arms and ammunition and incrimination material from him. The Jammu and Kashmir police registered a case under Arms Act at Awantipora police station. The police have started investigating the case. According to reports, during interrogation, Shah revealed that he was planning a terror attack in the area.

In a similar incident, on August 6, a terrorist was arrested, and eight grenades were recovered from him in Jammu. The Jammu police has foiled a major terror plot to carry out blast in the winter capital just days before Independence Day. On July 6, the Indian Army also unearthed an arms dump in a forest area in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition including 11 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Besides IEDs, some Pakistani currency, two AK assault rifles, three pistols, three rounds of rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and four Chinese hand grenades were also seized.

Earlier today, an encounter broke out in between security forces and terrorists at Rafiabad in Baramulla district. No causalities have been reported so far. Yesterday, four army personnel including a major-rank officer lost their lives, while four terrorists were also gunned down in an encounter in Gurez sector. In 2018, more than 130 terrorists were killed by security forces in the Kashmir valley, whereas close to 60 security personnel lost their lives while combatting terrorism.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2018 04:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
According to media reports, Durex Singapore has recalled three batches of its Real Feel condoms 1000433144, 1000438055, and 1000422259 after the contraceptives failed in the durability test. The products were recalled on August 1 because the condoms didnt withstand its shelf-life durability tests. The move comes days after Durex UK and Ireland recalled the same brand of condoms for similar concerns. The company was apprehensive that the condoms may split during using after they failed the burst-pressure test.

The company website says that the ultra-thin condoms are made of a technically-advanced non-latex material (polyisoprene), which will give a natural skin on skin feeling for a more intimate experience during sex. But unfortunately for the brand, the condom proved too thin to withstand its durability tests.

Here's a tweet featuring the company's advertisement:

Durex has killed people guys what is this??? pic.twitter.com/UCwlM7BKwa  Slickartie (@slickartie) August 8, 2018

Durex reached out to the consumers through a statement on its website saying that the limited number of Real Feel condoms manufactured by the company couldnt comply with its quality standards. They say that the condoms have not met the ISO standards on ageing. This means that there is a chance that the prophylactics may degrade over time.

The company also assured consumers, saying that there is no reason to be worried even if they used the condoms lately. The non-latex Real Feel condoms will be safe, as long as the consumers used them as instructed. If they are still not confident, the company can offer a full refund on the original pack.

The safety of our consumers always comes first, and this is reflected in our rigorous quality standards, it said. Durex also added that there was no reason for consumers to worry as no other products were affected.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2018 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
There is one thing Helen Gensheimer wants people to know as she mourns her 4-month-old great-granddaughter and she worries about her grandson, who is now in jail.

Joshua Michael Clark, 27, of Easton. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Despite the way Joshua Michael Clark acted Monday night -- and she said she doesn't doubt he threatened to kill people -- there was a reason why he was on such an emotional edge, the Easton woman explained Wednesday morning from her home in the 100 block of North Eighth Street.

Clark's daughter, Cahrhynn Marie Clark, died Saturday afternoon. Joshua Clark was visiting a home on Livingston Street in Bethlehem with his twin girls and 6-year-old daughter when one of the babies was found unresponsive, authorities and Gensheimer said. The infant was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m. at St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill, the Lehigh County Coroner's Office reports.

Bethlehem police and the coroner's office are doing a death investigation but Coroner Scott Grim said Tuesday that there isn't anything suspicious from the autopsy as they wait for toxicology test results before determining a cause and manner of death. City police Chief Mark DiLuzio said they are probing environmental factors as part of the investigation.

The other twin, Camillahh, was checked out at Easton Hospital and Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township and is healthy, Gensheimer said.

His grandmother admits Clark is a "spoiled brat" -- and she takes the blame for spoiling him; she raised him from a child -- and when he was younger, "he was the pits," twice being arrested on drug dealing charges at her home.

But he's a "good kid" and a "good father," she said.

In addition to the twins and the 6-year-old, he also has an 8-year-old daughter, Gensheimer said. The 6-year-old lives in Bethlehem, but the 8-year-old resides in the North Eighth Street home Gensheimer has owned for many years.

She dropped off Camillahh at a nearby babysitter on Monday night and Clark was chatting with city police officers on the front porch, Gensheimer said.

The babysitter ran down the street saying someone took Camillahh, Gensheimer said, adding she can't remember if the sitter said it was a Northampton County Children, Youth and Families social worker. A worker did take Gensheimer to the hospital to get the child checked out, Gensheimer said.

"He lost it," Gensheimer said. It was before he was told the child would be in foster care overnight, she added.

"He got up. He wanted to know where she was. He started screaming, yelling and carrying on. 'I can't breathe. I can't find my heart. I need to have my baby,'" he said, according to his grandmother. "He just wanted to hold her. That's all.

"If I remember correctly, that's when he really started flipping out. That's when the two officers said, 'calm down, calm down.' I think they touched him. That's when he started going off."

According to court papers, Clark screamed at the officers, "I am going to get my guns and kill all of you." Then he turned his attention to a social worker and said, "I'm going to get my FN with his 100 round magazine" and kill her, police said. He struggled with officers before finally being put into cuffs, police said.

Gensheimer said a police officer later told her that Clark calmed down once in the police car and apologized for his behavior.

He's facing four counts of terroristic threats and one count of resisting arrest and is in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Clark cared for the twins since they came home from the hospital, Gensheimer said.

Children and Youth did check early on if Gensheimer's house was suitable for the infants and she said "everything was fine." It's the last she said a social worker was involved in their lives until recent days.

Kevin Dolan, who is in charge of the county division, did not immediately return a phone call seeking more information on the family's interactions with Children and Youth and the current status of custody on the other children.

Clark took what he learned helping raise his older daughters and changed diapers, among other duties, his grandmother said. He bathes the older ones, but the twins were just too tiny so Gensheimer, a nurse for 30 years, handled that duty, she said.

"The other two girls are healthy and thriving," she said of the older children. "They love their dad."

There are parts of Clark's life that don't make Gensheimer proud, but "as far as him being a father, he was excellent," she said.

For now, Clark is behind bars awaiting a preliminary hearing that is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 21 in District Judge Antonia Grifo's Downtown court.

"He's worried about Camillahh," Gensheimer said. "He doesn't want her in foster care. He wants her with me. I miss her something terrible. I have her empty crib in my room."

Services will be private for Cahrhynn, she added.

Sarah Cassi contributed to this report.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The owners of the Easton Iron and Metal scrapyard got a reprieve Wednesday from 22 citations filed by the city code department.

The city withdrew the citations the day before the scrapyard owners were due in district court.

Easton Director of Planning and Codes Stephen T. Nowroski said the owner agreed to address complaints such as high weeds, broken fences and poor upkeep.

"The city and owners of the former Easton Iron and Metal site met on Friday, Aug. 3, to discuss the violations at the properties. The owners expressed a commitment in remediating several issues along with the violations identified on the code report," Nowroski said in an email.

The site at 1111-13 Bushkill Drive has been vacant since 2015. The owner is listed as the Jacob Stein Revocable Living Trust of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Former scrapyard employee Ken Moyer previously told lehighvalleylive.com the business was owned by his stepfather, Jacob "Jack" Stein, who died in 2016. Stein's sons liquidated the business, Moyer said.

According to the citations, the owners:

Failed to repair a dangerous structure on the premises

Failed to repair the roof, gutters and downspouts

Failed to repair a building's exterior walls and foundation walls

Failed to maintain window frames, window glass and door frames

Failed to repair a fence

Failed to trim weeds and plants

Failed to keep the property free from an accumulation of rubbish and garbage

Stein family attorney John Gross said the family didn't have very much notice to clean up the property. The citations were issued in June.

"We're going to work together to make sure that there are no concerns," he said.

He said an environmental assessment of the property has turned up no issues. It will be listed soon with a local Realtor, Gross said.

The scrapyard is among a stretch of old industrial properties being rehabilitated. It has the Simon Silk Mill redevelopment to its southwest and a string of properties redeveloped by Lafayette College to the east.

"We hope that it will be acquired and redeveloped in a way that's good for my clients and good for the area," Gross said.

The scrapyard was once home to two distinctive pieces of artwork. A 10-foot-tall chicken perched on top of a small two-story concrete building. A statue of Atlas holding up the world was across from the weigh station.

The chicken is now outside the Easton Area Neighborhood Centers facility. Atlas is now at Hugh Moore Park in Easton.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
UPDATE:

After shooting a man five times on the side of Hamilton Boulevard, a South Whitehall Township officer reportedly told other officers he "f---- up."

Now, 33-year-old officer Jonathan Roselle is facing a criminal charge in connection with the July 28 fatal shooting of 44-year-old Joseph Santos.

Roselle, of Parryville, Carbon County, surrendered to authorities Tuesday afternoon, and was arraigned on the single charge of voluntary manslaughter.

South Whitehall Township police officer Jonathan Roselle. (Source: South Whitehall Township Police Department Facebook page)

He was released on $75,000 unsecured bail; Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said he is not considered to be a flight risk.

Martin said the investigation "has disclosed no facts" which would show there was police brutality or racism involved in the fatal shooting.

"This was the act of a relatively inexperienced officer, who held a subjective fear for his own safety, but made a decision which objectively was unreasonable in light of the facts as they existed and appeared at the time he discharged his weapon and killed Mr. Santos," Martin said.

Roselle is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and is currently a major in the National Guard.

He graduated from the Allentown Police Academy in December, and had 13 weeks of training after that, but had been on patrol by himself for less than five months, Martin said.

Gavin Holihan, one of the attorneys representing Roselle, issued a statement after the district attorney's announcement.

"While the loss of a life is always unfortunate, it is not always unjustified. Police officers face challenges every shift that may require split second decisions. Those decisions are then calmly reviewed, with 20/20 hindsight, by the criminal justice system, those in political office, the media and the public," the statement said.

"Officer Roselle believes now, as he did on July 28, that his actions were justified and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances evident at the time. He respects the system of justice he has sworn to uphold and he eagerly awaits the opportunity to be heard at trial. He believes that when all of the evidence is presented publicly, any fair citizen will reach the same conclusion he reached: that the deadly force used on July 28 was justified and appropriate."

U.S. Attorney William McSwain was at Tuesday's announcement, and said "this is a case the federal government cares about."

"We have an interest in safeguarding the civil rights of all citizens," he said, adding that he was showing support for Martin. "I know that the decision that he has made here today is not something that he takes lightly."

Body camera footage

The district attorney said there is audio and video footage of the shooting from the dashboard camera and the body camera worn by Roselle, and he would like to release it to the media, but would not now that there is an active criminal investigation.

Martin's office asked for an extension Thursday before acting on a right-to-know request filed by lehighvalleylive.com for the dashboard and body camera footage.

Facebook videos from witnesses both before and during the shooting have been widely circulated in the meantime.

On Tuesday, Martin provided more details about what led to Santos and Roselle meeting on the side of the road.

After police shot and killed a man outside Dorney Park, the Lehigh County district attorney is discussing the July 28 incident at a news conference. Watch it live here. Posted by lehighvalleylive.com on Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Martin said Roselle was monitoring traffic at Lincoln Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard, about 1 1/2 blocks south of where the shooting occurred on Hamilton Boulevard (Route 222) by the Comfort Suites and across the street from Dorney Park.

A "hysterical and frantic" woman pulled alongside the officer's passenger side, and reported a man tried to get into her vehicle while she was driving on Hamilton Boulevard. Martin noted this was the only incident Roselle was aware of, when he drove over and made contact with Santos.

Roselle made a U-turn and found a bleeding man that was later identified as Santos.

Santos banged on Roselle's driver's side window, and jumped on the hood of the police SUV and banged on the windshield, Martin said.

"Which clearly is somewhat bizarre behavior," the DA said.

The officer called the dispatch center to report the incident and, while his duty weapon was unholstered, repeatedly issued commands from inside the SUV to Santos.

Roselle told dispatch the man "might have mental issues," according to Martin, and that he would wait for backup.

Santos walked away a short distance, less than 100 feet, and then walked back, Martin said.

Roselle might have been in danger of "some injury," and believed Santos was a danger to himself or others.

But Santos walked away from the police vehicle, and, when he turned around, he walked toward the officer. Santos was ordered to get on the ground, which he ignored, and began walking toward the officer.

"He was not running or rushing toward the officer. He did not have anything visible in hands, he was not clenching his fists, he did not present a threatening posture. He was plainly not armed with any type of weapon," Martin said.

Santos is heard saying to Roselle, who had his weapon unholstered and pointed at Santos, "Don't do it."

Roselle opened fire, shooting Santos five times, Martin said.

Roselle's back up arrived and CPR was performed on Santos. Santos was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead.

While investigators are awaiting toxicology reports, Santos' cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, Martin said.

"I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Santos," Martin said.

South Whitehall Township police Chief Glen Dorney said the announcement was a sad day for his department and the law enforcement community.

"It is also a message to our community that as police officers we are held accountable for our actions. This tragic incident is a reminder that split-second decisions can have grave consequences," he said.

Dorney said his thoughts and prayers go out to Santos' family and Roselle and his family.

"This is an extremely trying time for him (Roselle) and has affected him dearly," the chief said. "Knowing Jonathan as I do, he is a man of honor and integrity and is a good person to the core. This incident does not change that."

What is voluntary manslaughter?

Martin said he approved the voluntary manslaughter charge, rather than third-degree murder, because murder requires malice.

Malice can be inferred from using a deadly weapon to kill someone, but Martin said there can be no malice when there is a killing in the heat of passion following a serious provocation, or when the defendant is under an unreasonable or mistaken belief of justifiable circumstances.

Without malice, Martin said the voluntary manslaughter charge made the most sense in this case because Roselle mistakenly believed he was justified in using deadly force.

Roselle believed he was in some imminent danger, but after analyzing the incident, the belief to use lethal force was unreasonable and not justified, Martin said.

Roselle told the first officer to arrive that Santos kept coming at him, but the officer was not "in danger of imminent seriously bodily injury or death," Martin said.

In addition to his department-provided firearm, Roselle had an expandable baton, pepper spray and a stun gun, Martin noted.

The district attorney said at a news conference the night of the shooting said the officer "had to discharge his weapon."

"That was obviously at that stage of the investigation a poor, very poor, choice of phrasing, but it was exactly that," Martin said. "It did not, and does not, indicate I had a bias examining the facts."

Roselle told the first officer to arrive at the scene he "f----- up," and then repeated that statement to other officers, according to Martin.

The district attorney discussed the parameters for justified deadly force, including if deadly force will prevent death or serious injury to the officer or others, or if the person is committing a forcible felony.

Martin said Santos was not armed, and there was no evidence he committed or attempted a forcible felony.

If the case goes to trial, prosecutors will have to prove Roselle had the intent to kill, Martin said. If found guilty, the charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Brooklyn, New York, man admitted Wednesday he came to the Lehigh Valley three times to have sex with a then-11-year-old girl.

Sandro Zhinin also admitted he filmed himself having sex with the child.

The 34-year-old will spend at least 30 years in federal prison and could spend the rest of his life there after he's sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Edward G. Smith.

Court records say Zhinin met the girl at a park in Northampton Borough on March 4, 2017, and again on March 11, 2017. Each time he took her to a different hotel in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, where he had sex with her, records say.

Records say the girl told her parents March 11. A medical examination showed injuries consistent with sexual abuse.

Records say police were waiting for Zhinin when he came to the park on March 25, 2017, to pick up the girl for sex again.

He met the child online and communicated with her via Skype and SnapChat, according to federal authorities.

Federal prosecutors agreed the federal sentence will run concurrently to a 20- to 40-year state prison sentence he's serving in Lehigh County. Zhinin pleaded guilty in June in Lehigh County Court to rape of a child, a charge related to the incidents for which he's charged federally.

He pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor by crossing state lines to have sex with the child. Each charge comes with a mandatory minimum 30-year prison sentence.

Smith scheduled sentencing for Nov. 26.

Zhinin admitted to making child pornography with the girl and to possession of child pornography.

In exchange for the plea, three related offenses were withdrawn by federal prosecutors.

The victim's parents were present in court Wednesday but did not speak.

Sandro told the judge Wednesday he has a bachelor's degree in marketing and has worked as a marketing professional.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A vacationing New Jersey State Police trooper helped saved the life of a woman who nearly drowned in the ocean off the Outer Banks of North Carolina last weekend.

Craig Kempinski was at the beach in Hatteras with his family on Saturday when his wife noticed a swimmer was caught in a riptide and being pulled further from the shore, State Police said on Tuesday.

Craig Kempinski (New Jersey State Police)

Kempinski quickly grabbed a boogie board and navigated the 200 yards to where the exhausted woman was trying to stay afloat. He then placed her on the board and with the help of a paddle boarder brought her back to land.

The woman swallowed some water but was otherwise not hurt.

Kempinski, 35, has been a trooper for nearly 11 years, according to a State Police spokesman.

A graduate of Phillipsburg High School and Rutgers University, he wrestled in both high school and college.

Very proud of this former Stateliner wrestler (and the best man in my wedding!!!).... https://t.co/Ul1nCIB7qH  PBurg HS Wrestling (@PBurgHSWrestlin) August 8, 2018

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said Tuesday that a South Whitehall Township police officer who fatally shot a man near Dorney Park will face a charge of voluntary manslaughter.

Martin described Officer Jonathan Roselle as inexperienced, but said his review of the shooting did not indicate police brutality or racism was a factor.

Roselle shot Joseph Santos, 44, Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, along Hamilton Boulevard after responding to calls about a man acting erratically and trying to get into vehicles as they were moving, according to a state police investigation. Santos was unarmed and, after initially jumping onto the hood of Roselle's police vehicle, was walking calmly toward Roselle when the officer opened fire and shot him five times, Martin said.

"This was the act of a relatively inexperienced officer, who held a subjective fear for his own safety, but made a decision which objectively was unreasonable in light of the facts as they existed ..." Martin said.

Roselle is free on $75,000 unsecured bail. He served in the Army in Afghanistan and is a major in the National Guard. He had been on patrol by himself in South Whitehall for fewer than five months.

Members of Santos' family have called for justice. The Allentown branch of the NAACP demanded that Martin recuse himself from the case and that Roselle, who is on paid leave, be fired.

What do you think? Did Martin make the right call in approving a voluntary manslaughter charge? Have a say in our informal poll, and feel free to join the conversation in the comment section.
A controversial proposal allowing a trash hauler to continue operating in Phillipsburg's riverside redevelopment area got council's approval Tuesday night, eliciting cheers from some in the packed audience while others shook their heads.

Under the measure, LMR Disposal, which has operated on South Main Street since 2015, will be allowed under the amended town code to store empty waste containers and trucks on site. The locally owned business provides service for residential and commercial customers across northern New Jersey and three counties in Pennsylvania.

There was an organized effort against the ordinance, which continued Tuesday night. A petition gathered more than 160 signatures and a number of residents at the council meeting spoke against allowing the garbage business in town. They worried about smell, truck traffic and how a waste disposal company will fit in an area that Phillipsburg plans to remake into a hub of commercial activity.

A part of the LMR Disposal site off South Main Street in Phillipsburg. (Photo courtesy Council President Bobby Fulper)

About an equal number spoke in support of LMR, calling it an established business that will provide revenue to the town. More than one resident compared the area to the old Ingersoll-Rand tract, which after many years sat fallow as proposals came and went -- development of warehouses there has only progressed in the last few years. Why wait when a business is ready to go, they asked.

Council mostly agreed with that line of thought. The ordinance was approved 4-1, with Councilman Josh Davis the lone "no" vote.

LMR ran into resistance last year when it tried to expand operations in nearby Alpha. That proposal was ultimately denied.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A new councillor joined Laois County Council in July, co-opted to fill the seat of the late Cllr Jerry Lodge, and taking on many of his board memberships.

Pauline Madigan from Portlaoise was chosen by Fianna Fail HQ for the seat from eight local candidates.

She will however have to go to the public in local elections in eight months to win enough votes to retain it.

The Carlow IT lecturer was warmly welcomed to the chambers by the other 18 councillors, with a crowd of supporters in the gallery including her husband Gerry Flanagan, daughter Meghan, her mother and her mother-in-law.

Portlaoise FF Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald formally nominated her to fill the seat, empty since Cllr Lodges untimely death in April. She was seconded by Cllr John Joe Fennelly.

The new councillor admitted she had very big shoes to fill.

History says we stand on the shoulders of great men and women and one of those was Jerry. His wife and two sons and colleagues are in my thoughts, Cllr Madigan said.

Im from Limerick but I love Laois, I think this town and county will enjoy enormous success with the population growth, and I intend to play my part.

I appreciate that having the tenacity of going for this without a political background has been controversial, although Fianna Fail was a stronghold in my family.

I will never take this seat for granted, I will work hard and hit the ground running to ensure the people of Laois vote for me in the local elections, and work hard for local people, she said.

The Chief Executive Officer John Mulholland welcomed her.

This is a very exciting time for this county in terms of what is happening, and your words are appreciated, you are very welcome on board, he said.

The councillors all spoke to welcome Cllr Madigan, following which she was nominated to fill Cllr Lodges seats on ten committees and boards.

They include the Local Community Development Committee, the Strategic Policy committee for Transportation, Environment & Emergency Services, Laois Offaly Education & Training board, Laois Arts Theatre Company Ltd, Portlaoise Leisure Centre, Portlaoise Enterprise Centre, Audit Committee, the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Laois Third Level Initiative and the Placenames Committee.

Cllr Lodges vacant seat on the Irish Public Bodies, was filled by Cllr John Joe Fennelly, nominated by Cllr Seamus McDonald.

Six homeless in one day seek homes from Laois County Council
The sanctions, which would come into force from November 4, are likely to block current payment routes used to pay for Iranian imports.

Less than a year after first oil from the US was imported into India, state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has signed up to buy crude oil from the US through a term-tender deal, a senior company official said.

New Delhi: Less than a year after first oil from the US was imported into India, state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has signed up to buy crude oil from the US through a term-tender deal, a senior company official said.

IOC has signed a contract to buy about 6 million barrels of US crude oil under single tender for delivery in November 2018 to January 2019, he said. Currently, the company, as well as other state-owned oil firms, buy crude oil from the US on a spot or current tender basis which comprises one shipload of oil.

They cannot enter into a term or fixed quantity deals as the government policy does not allow them to enter into such contracts with non-state foreign firms. IOC and other state firms like Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) enter into annual term import deals with national oil companies of mostly Middle East countries.

To overcome this, IOC floated a tender to buy three shiploads of US crude instead of the usual practice of one cargo, the official said. The company will receive one very large crude carrier (VLCC) of US oil every month in November, December and January. It is expecting the first VLCC to be delivered to Vadinar in Gujarat in November and a second cargo at Mundra in the same state in December.

A third shipment is to come at Paradip in Odisha in January, he said. Including these cargoes, the company's US crude purchase amount to 16 million barrels in total since April. Prior to this deal, IOC had struck deals for importing 10 million barrels from six cargoes in the spot market.

"We had been regularly taking spot cargoes but are now also looking at tender-term deals where monthly cargoes can be booked through a tender purchase," he said.

India first imported US crude oil in October last year and has since then oil firms have been buying oil from that country on a tender basis. The increased purchase of US oil companies has come ahead of re-imposition of economic sanctions against Iran - India's second-biggest supplier of oil.

The sanctions, which would come into force from November 4, are likely to block current payment routes used to pay for Iranian imports.

Iran is India's second-largest oil supplier, after Iraq. India is the second-largest buyer of Iranian oil after China. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had last month told Parliament that Iran had in April-June overtaken Saudi Arabia to become the second largest supplier of crude oil to Indian public sector firms.

Indian PSUs, which last fiscal cut oil imports from Iran by a quarter, bought 5.67 million tonnes of crude oil from the Persian Gulf nation during April-June.

The US, which in May pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal and said sanctions will be re-imposed on Iran within 180 days, has threatened to cut off access to the American banking system for foreign financial institutions that trade with Tehran.
Dogs Trust is offering free dog microchipping as part of National Chipping Week 2018 with a clinic organised for Maynooth next Tuesday, August 14.

Dogs Trust, Irelands leading dog welfare charity, has today launched details of their annual Nationwide Microchipping Awareness Campaign.

The campaign will run from August 13 to 19 in association with Government approved microchipping database Fido.

Sarah Lynch, Campaigns Manager at Dogs Trust Ireland said; Becoming lost and separated from their owners can be very distressing for dogs and incredibly stressful for loving owners. By having your dog microchipped and correctly registered, you could drastically reduce the amount of time you are apart. Dogs Trust wants to play a part in ensuring lost dogs are quickly reunited with their owners should they go missing and we cannot emphasize enough the many benefits of compulsory Microchipping and Registration. In association with Fido, we are delighted to be able to offer a nationwide Microchipping Certificate Amnesty to dog owners across Ireland, so please, check your dogs details are up to date and if not, avail of the amnesty.

SEE ALSO: Funeral details for Kildare girl (4) who died in Spain pool tragedy

Although it has been a legal requirement to have your dog microchipped, registered with a government approved database and be in possession of an up-to-date Microchipping Certificate since April 2016, Fido estimates less than half of dogs are fully compliant with the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015.

Last year, only 25% of stray dogs entering Irish Pounds were reunited with their owners, however Dogs Trust believes through microchipping and correct registration, this figure could be greatly improved.

Dogs Trust wants to ensure that every dog in Ireland can be swiftly returned to their owners should they become lost or separated from them. That is why this year the charity will again be offering free microchipping clinics at Maxi Zoo stores in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow, as well as a Microchip Certificate Amnesty for dog owners across the country.

Free Chipping Clinics will be taking place at the following Maxi Zoo stores:

 Bray  August 13

 Maynooth  August 14

 Tallaght  August 16

 Finglas  August 17

Booking is essential so please visit www.DogsTrust.ie for more information.
The parents of a four-year-old Kildare girl who drowned tragically in a pool accident in Marbella, Spain, on Saturday, July 28, have said they are "devastated by her loss".

Georgia Anne Callan's parents Emeline Callan and Jacqueline Russell issued a statement this afternoon, in which they described the young girl as "our own tiny Wonder Woman".

The couple described their daughter as "a happy, playful, brave, gentle and funny girl" and said "she loved nothing more than making new friends and wearing princess dresses everywhere. Georgia loved everyone, and her pets were amongst her dearest friends.

She sought beauty, goodness and fun wherever she was. She brought immense joy to our lives and to the lives of everyone who knew her. We love her deeply. We will miss her more than we can say."

The family thanked the police, medical staff and the Irish Embassy for their professionalism, support and care.

We ask that you respect our privacy, and the privacy of our family and friends at this incredibly difficult and sad time, they concluded.

The Ardclough girl's funeral will take place at Cunningham's Funeral Home, Celbridge, this Thursday evening, August 9, and at Newland's Cross Crematorium on Friday, August 10, at 2pm.

Her parents said they would appreciate those attending dress cheerfully in memory of Georgia, who loved bright colours, twirly dresses and sparkles.
As the Brexit date is approaching and the LEO office is interacting more with small businesses, we are finding that most businesses think Brexit will only affect them if they are selling goods or services into the UK.

This is not the case  many businesses underestimate the level of inputs into their business that come via the UK.

With the supply chains on the island of Ireland being so heavily integrated, a Hard Brexit would be most disruptive to trade. Many businesses in border counties like Leitrim, rely on being able to trade seamlessly with their customers in Northern Ireland and it is difficult to imagine how they could be affected.

At this moment in time, in the absence of any agreement so far on the future trading relationship, businesses should prepare for the eventuality that the UK may 'crash out' of the EU in March 2019.

Local Enterprise Office Leitrim is here to help you prepare for Brexit and recommend the following:

Complete the Brexit Scorecard at https://www.prepareforbrexit.com

If you want to receive one to one advice on the possible impact of brexit on your business, contact us on 071 9650420 or email info@leo.leitrimcoco.ie You may be eligible to receive a Trading Online Voucher to create/update a website, giving you an online presence and increasing your competitiveness

The LEAN programme is commencing in October  by participating in this programme, you will be guided through the technique of reducing waste in your business, by doing things quicker, better, cheaper. Email info@leo.leitrimcoco.ie to register on the programme.

Take the time to attend Brexit events in Leitrim planned for October. Sign up for regular updates from the Local Enterprise Office Leitrim by logging on to www.localenterprise.ie/leitrim and register for our newsletter. For appointments, please phone 071 9650420.
Speaking from his constituency today, Sinn Fein TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Martin Kenny said that part of the process of building a united Ireland is a dialogue with unionists and that the Dublin government has a role to play in that.

Deputy Kenny said: A referendum on a united Ireland is part of the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement and a referendum is needed to end partition. It is no longer a question of if a unity referendum will happen, but a question of when it will happen.

So, political leaders must begin practical preparations for a new, inclusive Ireland beyond partition. Change is coming and it must be considered and managed with imagination and sensitivity, including a process of national reconciliation.

As Britain departs the European Union, being part of a new and outward-looking united Ireland will be more attractive to more of the people of North, nationalist and unionist alike. There is no reason why British identity cannot be accommodated in a new Ireland.

Basic rights are not up for discussion, however, and a united Ireland will be based on equality of opportunity regardless of colour, religion, gender and sexual orientation.

The growing strength of Sinn Fein is evidence that change is on the way. Recent referendums show that the younger generation wants change and is driving political and social change.

More and more of our people realise that economic change is needed too to end injustice and inequality which causes suffering to working people in their daily lives. That change needs a new ideology and a change of government."
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, has officially marked its first day of business in Shannon.

Minister of State Pat Breen joined representatives of the company and the IDA to mark the occasion this Wednesday morning.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, USA Edwards Lifesciences recently announced it was to invest around 80m in Ireland.

The company, which employs 12,000 people globally, says it hopes to create around 600 jobs in the Mid West over the coming years.

Wonderful to see @EdwardsLifesci new state of the art facility in Shannon with @PatBreen1 cutting the ribbon @IDA_MidWest pic.twitter.com/v53WI9R850  IDA Mid-West Region (@IDA_MidWest) August 8, 2018

Edwards is planning to hire approximately 60 people this year across various areas, such as production staff, engineering and professional management, to work at its initial site in the Shannon Free Zone.

This is very positive for the Mid-West and I congratulate everyone involved in bringing it to fruition. The presence of Edwards Lifesciences is a vote of confidence in the capacity of the Mid-West to attract one of the worlds most progressive and innovative companies and it sends a signal to others that this is a location worth considering. My Department and the IDA will continue to support Edwards as it develops its operations, and we wish the company every success in Ireland, said Minister Breen.

Nathan Tenzer, plant manager says is an exciting day for the company. Our first day of business represents many years of planning to invest in our global operations to support the development and manufacturing of our patient-focused innovations. We look forward to getting our operations in Shannon underway and continuing to work closely with our local team and the communities in the Mid-West as we pursue our longer-term plan of opening a purpose-built facility also in the Mid-West, to help us serve even more patients around the world.

Michael Lohan, IDAs Head of Life Sciences, also attended the ceremony. IDA is delighted to see the progress made by Edwards Lifesciences since announcing plans in March of this year to build its first plant in the European Union in Ireland. Todays First Day of Business event marks another milestone in their journey here. We assure our continued support for this project and will follow the companys progress with interest.
A MOTHER with one previous conviction for no insurance was quoted over 10,000 for cover, Kilmallock Court heard.

Evelyn Crowe, aged 26, of Church Street, Cappawhite pleaded guilty to no insurance and driving without a licence at Lacka, Doon on October 3, 2017.

Garda Brian McNamara, who stopped the defendant, said Ms Crowe told him she had no licence or insurance.

Sabina Hegerty, solicitor for Ms Crowe, said her mother was very ill at the time and she subsequently passed away in December.

Ms Crowe was pregnant. She was trying to manage work, caring for her mother and children. When she looked for an insurance quote it was over 10,000. She knows she shouldnt have been driving but she didnt understand the serious implications of driving without insurance, said Ms Hegerty.

The solicitor said Ms Crowe was working as a carer in a nursing home. After her mothers passing she took time off. She moved home. She got rid of the car and there is good public transport. She wants to put it behind her, said Ms Hegerty.

Judge Marian OLeary said she was absolutely shocked that Ms Crowe didnt realise the seriousness of it. Ms Hegerty said when a person hasnt been before the court it doesnt hit home for some how serious the implications are.

Judge OLeary said she didnt accept that for a person 26 years of age.

The judge handed down a three month suspended sentence, two year disqualification and 300 fine for no insurance. Ms Crowe was fined a further 300 for no driving licence.
A NEW family room has been unveiled at Limerick Prison in an effort to create a more homely environment for children visiting their incarcerated parents.

The newly-renovated sitting room was shown for first time, as three new artworks created by the Limerick City Build were put on display at the front of the prison on Mulgrave Street.

A pilot programme with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the prison has been focusing on giving female prisoners a voice, according to Human Rights Commissioner Teresa Blake.

Women in Irish prisons are a unique group, Ms Blake said.

Maintaining family relationships is essential to them, she added.

According to the Bedford Row Family Project, a Limerick City based voluntary group, imprisonment of a family member has a significant impact on those left outside, especially children.

This pilot project, looking at the womens voice here, has also been looking at how we can better conditions, Ms Blake added.

This sitting room is very important as it will give the women here a room in which they can spend time with their children in a normalised setting, she explained.

Its a homely room, without a clinical feeling.

Limerick Prison has made a significant effort in enhancing its premises on Mulgrave Street, according to Governor Mark Kennedy.

While the programme to enhance the building started eight years ago, an influx of visitors when the prisons Tree of Life water fountain froze during Storm Emma acted as a catalyst for the project, Governor Kennedy explained.

Pictures of extreme icicles formed on the fountain during the snow-storm went viral in March and the prison saw a massive influx of visitors to the site, he added.

Weve seen great renovations on William Street and Mulgrave Street and we decided to enhance the space.

We removed the razor wire along the front of the prison and weve taken steps to transform what was a grey, stern building, he said.

Three pieces of art created by the Limerick City Build, a social enterprise initiative, have also been installed on the grounds.

This includes a sculpture called The Space Between, a renovation to the prisons original Governors door created using wood from railway sleepers and a steel bench called Kathedra.

Its not just a straightforward bench, Governor Kennedy explained.

Its an intricate, beautiful piece that would stand anywhere in the world. The three new pieces of art will also be lit with spotlights at night, he added.
LIMERICK City author Dan Mooney was longlisted in The Guardian newspapers highly-regarded Not The Booker prize this year.

The 34-year-old received the mention in the UK publications annual longlist for his latest, second novel The Great Unexpected, which was released last Friday.

Have you voted on the Not the Booker prize longlist yet? Help us choose a shortlist before votes close on 6 August! https://t.co/yTJ8oW2fzg August 1, 2018

His sophomore work follows his debut novel Me, Myself and Them, which was first self-published in late 2016 and later re-released through Legend Press in early 2017.

The Great Unexpected is an uplifting story about Joel Monroe, a septuagenarian nursing home resident, who wants to end his life with the help of his flamboyant friend Frank Adams.

When his rommate dies and is replaced by the interloper Frank Adams  a flowery former actor  Joels path to ending his life becomes one of serendipitous adventure.

Joel has learned the pointlessness of his existence and has decided that this is so utterly pointless. Why am I alive, waiting to die in this nursing home when people just keep on dying? Whereas Frank, who is in the exact same circumstances, enjoys himself, Dan told the Leader in a recent interview.

As I was writing Joel and Frank, I kinda fell in love with the two of them, a little bit. So when I was sitting back down to write them, every time was fun. There wasnt a time I would struggle and wonder what I would do next. Every time I sat down to write, I kinda felt like I was hanging out with Joel and Frank. I loved it because I loved them, he said.

The Limerick author didnt make the final cut as the shortlisted authors were announced this Tuesday. The five nominees are Ariel Kahn, Dervla McTiernan, Naomi Booth, Rebecca Ley and Will Dean.

Dan Mooney has confirmed that he is working on his third novel.
Chandeshwar Verma, Manju Vermas husband visited the shelter home nine times, each time for several hours.

When Manju Verma was confronted with the evidence, she admitted that her husband was in touch with Brajesh Thakur but said that they didnt realise that he was a criminal. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Patna: Bihar Minister Manju Verma has resigned over the allegations against her husband, who is accused of having links with the Muzaffarpur shelter case.

According to a report, police say call records of Manju Vermas husband confirm that he was constantly in touch with Brajesh Thakur, who ran the shelter home where over 30 girls were raped.

Chandeshwar Verma, Manju Vermas husband visited the shelter home nine times, each time for several hours. When Manju Verma was confronted with the evidence, she admitted that her husband was in touch with Brajesh Thakur but said that they didnt realise that he was a criminal.

Manju Vermas husband came under the scanner when Shibha Kumari, wife of arrested Muzaffarpur Child Protection Officer Ravi Roshan, alleged that the ministers husband visited the shelter home frequently.

Addressing a press conference, Manju Verma said, "I have resigned because of the furore created by the media and opposition. I have full faith in both the CBI and the Judiciary. I am sure the truth will be out and my husband will come out clean."

Call Data records initial analysis hasnt revealed that whether Brajesh Thakur spoke to ministers husband after the scandal broke out.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Sushil Modi had earlier ruled out Manju Vermas resignation and said that there were "no incriminating documents" and "she will resign when anything that suggests wrongdoing on her part comes up."
LIMERICKs historic clash against Galway in the All-Ireland senior hurling final will be showcased on a giant screen at the Gaelic Grounds, it has been confirmed.

Limerick City and County Council and Limerick GAA made the joint announcement this Wednesday morning following talks on the homecoming and the screening lasting for more than a week.

The big screen will be located at the Ennis Road venue on Sunday, August 19, and gates will open for the free-ticketed event at 12 noon.

There will be a Big Screen in #Limerick to watch the All Ireland Hurling Final. In conjunction with @LimerickCLG the big screen will be in the Gaelic Grounds. Free tickets available from lunchtime today from https://t.co/beYgkO5q2y. pic.twitter.com/fFVLcIhf2Q  Limerick Council (@LimerickCouncil) August 8, 2018

It is understood that the physical layout of the event will be similar to the National Geographic Symphony for our World concert next month.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr James Collins welcomed the announcement this Wednesday morning.

This is fantastic news for Limerick hurling supporters, who wont be able to make it to Croke Park for the final. What better place to watch the final than in the home of Limerick GAA, the Gaelic Grounds.

Sunday the 19th of August will be a very special occasion, one that doesnt come around too often, and I thank Limerick City and County Council and Limerick GAA for providing the big screen for the match, he said.

Mayor Collins said that the anticipation of the final is building and they have been determined to hold a free, family-friendly event on match day.

The GAA is all about community and county and what better way to celebrate your locality and the Limerick team than in the Gaelic Grounds watching the match with friends and family. Ive no doubt the atmosphere in the stadium will be amazing.

Mayor Collins added: Im also calling on businesses and communities across the city and county to get behind the team and proudly display the green and white and show their support for the team.

They can be booked for free via www.tickets.ie from this Wednesday 1pm or from Centra or Supervalu stories from next Monday morning.

The idea of hosting a big screen for the match was first publicly mooted by metropolitan mayor Cllr Daniel Butler, shortly after Limericks victory against Cork in Croke Park two weeks ago.

Limericks All-Ireland contest against Kilkenny in 2007 was screened at City Hall, attracting a crowd of 2,500 fans.

The following year, Munsters famous victory against Toulouse for the Heineken Cup final was broadcast live via a giant screen on OConnell Street.
May 3, 2021, 2 AM

This Here Be Dragons cancellation celebrates the U.S. Postal Services Aug. 9 release of four colorful Dragons stamps.

By Molly Goad

The United States Postal Service will offer a different pictorial cancellation for each day of the American Philatelic Society Stampshow 2018, co-hosted with the American Topical Association. The 132nd annual APS convention is Aug. 9-12 in Columbus, Ohio.

The cancellations cover four themes: Here Be Dragons! (Aug. 9), Celebrate Nature (Aug. 10), Science and Exploration (Aug. 11) and Days of Legend and Lore (Aug. 12).

Here Be Dragons is the overall theme of the four-day show, coinciding with the release of a set of four United States stamps celebrating the mythical creatures. The first-day ceremony for the nondenominated (50) forever stamps is Aug. 9 at the convention.

The postmarks are listed and described below. Each cancel includes the theme name and Stampshow NTSS Station, Columbus, OH 43215.

The requests need to include the full station name as found in the four listings below, followed by this street address:

USPS/Stamp Fulfillment Services, 8300 NE Underground Dr., Kansas City, MO 64144-9998.

HERE BE DRAGONS Station, Aug. 9. (Fierce dragon; shown above.)

CELEBRATE NATURE Station, Aug. 10. (Plant.)

SCIENCE AND SPACE EXPLORATION Station, Aug. 11. (Space shuttle with booster rockets heading upward, Ohio.)

DAYS OF LEGEND AND LORE STAMPSHOW / NTSS Station, Aug. 12. (Castle with two turrets, two flags.)

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In its annual country report, IMF said that a dual rate structure can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality.

The GST is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services in India. It came into effect on July 1, 2017. (Representational Image)

Washington/New Delhi: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday described the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a "milestone reform" in India's tax policy, but pushed for a simplified structure, saying the multiple rate structure and other features could give rise to high compliance and administrative costs.

In its annual country report, the IMF also said that a dual rate structure with a low standard rate and an additional higher rate on select items can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality.

The GST is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services in India. It came into effect on July 1, 2017.

The IMF said that GST is a milestone reform in India's tax policy, taking the important step of unifying and harmonising numerous indirect taxes across all states of the federation and the central government.

"Yet, the GST has a complex structure with a relatively high number of rates (and exemptions), which could be simplified without sacrificing progressivity of the current GST and with potentially significant gains from lower compliance and administrative costs," it said.

A dual rate structure with a low standard rate and an additional higher rate on select items can be progressive and preserve revenue neutrality, while streamlining exemptions would further contribute to progressivity and reduce compliance and administrative costs, the IMF recommended.

The IMF said that with the consumption basket of the rich taxed at higher rates than that of the poor, the GST as presently designed has an effective tax rate rising with household consumption.

A revenue-neutral reduction in the number of rates would raise the effective rates for poorer households while reducing those for richer households. This is the key cost of moving to a simpler system, it argued.

In its report, the IMF said the implementation of the GST led to the key step of harmonising indirect tax rates on goods and services that previously differed across different states and the centre, and brought services into the state tax net.

However, India belongs in a small group of five countries having four or more GST rates: four non zero rates of five per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent, and 28 per cent; special low rates of three per cent on gems and jewelry and 0.25 per cent on rough diamonds; and a GST "cess" levied on demerit goods.

In comparison, among 115 countries with VATs, 49 have a single rate, and 28 have two rates, it noted.

"The multiple rate structure and other features of India's GST environment could give rise to high compliance and administrative costs, it said.

The goods and services tax created a unified national market for the first time by lowering internal barriers to trade - effectively establishing a free trade agreement for a market of over 1.3 billion people, said Ranil Salgado, IMF mission chief for India. The tax is also expected to increase the amount of economic activity taking place in the formal sector of the economy - leading to better quality and more reliable jobs, he added.

"As a result, the goods and services tax should improve productivity and boost medium term potential growth, while also creating room for the government to increase much needed social and infrastructure spending," Salgado added.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today after paying obituary to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who passed away on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today after paying obituary to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who passed away on Tuesday.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informed members of the demise of Karunanidhi (94). Describing him as a "visionary" and a "leader of the masses", she said he spread his political philosophy through screenwriting and produced some of the best hits in Tamil cinema.

After observing a moment of silence in his memory, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day.

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, reading out an obituary reference, described Karunanidhi as a multifaceted personality and a gritty figure who overcame difficulties. Beginning his career as a screenplay writer, Karunanidhi used Tamil cinema to propagate Dravidian ideology and contributed to Tamil culture, he said.

Karunanidhi entered politics at a very young age and was a member of the Tamil Nadu Assembly for a record 13 times, being elected from seven different constituencies, he said.

In 1969, he became the third Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and went on to serve the state as its head for five terms. He played a key role in scripting development of Tamil Nadu, Naidu said, adding in his death the country lost an eminent litterateur, an able administrator, a dedicated social worker and an outstanding statesman.

Members stood in silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Naidu then adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Prior to the commencement of proceedings of the day, Naidu consulted senior leaders of various political parties for their views on adjournment of proceedings of the House for the day. He sought to know views of leaders as there was no precedent of adjourning the House in case the departed leader was not a sitting or former member of the House, sources said.

Referring to Karunanidhi as one of the tallest leaders of the country, all members spoke in favour of adjournment of proceedings of the House as a mark of respect to the departed leader, they said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was also in favour of adjournment and the same was conveyed to the Lok Sabha Speaker as well. He, however, sought the cooperation of all parties in both Houses in passing important pending Bills like the one relating to Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs in the Rajya Sabha and if required by dispensing with the Zero Hour and private members bills, they said.
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi passed away on Tuesday at the age of 94.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi being laid to rest at Marina Beach. (Photo: ANI)

Chennai: After a three-hour hearing on Wednesday, the Madras High Court ruled that DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi will be buried next to his mentor, C N Annadurai, at the iconic Marina Beach in Chennai.

The high court decision came almost 15 hours after the death of Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital in Chennai on Tuesday evening.

DMK moved the Madras High Court hours late on Tuesday after the Tamil Nadu government declined their request to allot space for Kalaignars burial near party founder Annadurais memorial at Marina Beach.

DMK patriarch Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday in Chennai after battling ill health for weeks. He was 94.

Here are the LIVE updates:

07:00 pm: Karunanidhi's family members break down as the DMK chief is laid to rest at Marina Beach.

Photo: ANI | Twitter

06:40 pm: M Karunanidhi's family pay their last tribute to the DMK chief at Marina beach. Burial to take place shortly.

Photo: ANI | Twitter

Photo: ANI | Twitter

06:20 pm: MK Stalin with sister Selvi and brother MK Alagiri at last rites ceremony of M Karunanidhi.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

06:10 pm: Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, TMC's Derek O Brien and others arrive for Karunanidhi's last rites on Marina Beach.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

06:00 pm: MK Stalin reaches Anna Memorial at Marina Beach.

05:15 pm: The hearse is slowly inching its way to Marina Beach, about 1.7 km from Rajaji Hall, as thousands have lined up to catch a last glimpse of their Thalaivar.

05:00 pm: Heart-rendering slogans like 'Kalaignar pugazh vazhga vazhgavey' (long live the glory of Karunanidhi) can be heard as Karunanidhi's final journey is underway.

04:08 pm: Mortal remains of DMK Chief M Karunanidhi being taken to Marina Beach for last rites.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

03:57 pm: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, NCP President Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Praful Patel pay tribute to DMK Chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

03:20 pm: Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking a stay on the last rites of Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. Ramaswamy had moved the apex court against the Madras High Court order which allowed to perform the last rites of Karunanidhi at the Marina beach.

03:03 pm: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P Sathasivam, and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala paid tribute to DMK Chief at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:58 pm: Two dead and 33 injured in scuffle and stampede outside Rajaji Hall in Chennai, news agency ANI reported.

02:42 pm: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:25 pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi also paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:22 pm: RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and SP's Akhilesh Yadav also paid tributes to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

02:04 pm: 'A person who continued to work without rest, now takes rest': These are the words written on the coffin of M Karunanidhi.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:54 pm: M K Stalin urged party cadre to remain calm. He said, "I did not want anything for myself. All I want is a fitting tribute to Kalaignar."

"Those who are in power are trying to create chaos, but you have all shown the strength of the cadres. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace," Stalin added.

01:41 pm: After police blocked the entrance of Rajaji Hall due to huge crowds, people climbed walls in an attempt to enter the hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:37 pm: Construction of burial at Marina beach for Karunanidhi underway.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:15 pm: A DMK supporter gets his head tonsured as a mark of respect for late leader Karunanidhi in Coimbatore.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

01:11 pm: Scuffle broke out between Police and crowd gathered at Rajaji Hall; police resorted to lathi charge.

#Watch: Scuffle between breaks out between Police & crowd gathered at #RajajiHall, police resort to lathi charge. #Karunandhi pic.twitter.com/jBjKdfrNzK  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

01:02 pm: Visuals of huge crowd at Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of Karunanidhi are kept.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

12:30 pm: Tamil Nadu government has abided by the Madras High Court ruling and has allotted land for burial at Marina Beach.

12:18 pm: "I was unhappy yesterday as the government did not allow the Marina beach burial. I had called the chief minister but he was unavailable. I also personally called the Prime Minister in this regard," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

12:03 pm: Earlier in Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, "With profound sorrow, I have to inform the House about the sad demise of Karunanidhi who passed away on 7 Aug, 18. He served as CM of Tamil Nadu for 5 times. In his demise, the country has lost a highly popular and eminent personality."

11:58 am: DMK supporters gathered outside Anna memorial at Chennai's Marina beach. JCB machines have also reached the spot following Madras High Court's judgement that Karunanidhi will receive burial at the Marina beach.

11:18 am: PM Modi spoke to M K Stalin and Kanimozhi after paying last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi talks to DMK leaders MK Stalin & Kanimozhi, after paying last respects to M #Karunanidhi at #RajajiHall in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/cEiwjEdNbz  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

11:10 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall in Chennai.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

11:09 am: Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to former Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi.

11:07 am: DMK lawyer V Kannadasan said, "The DMK's plea for the burial of Kalaignar's body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras High Court. The court further directed Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for Kalaignar's."

11:05 am: DMK supporters celebrate following Madras High Court's verdict to allow the burial of Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach. Visuals from Rajaji Hall and outside Madras High Court.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

11:01 am: Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president M K Stalin broke down after Madras High Court's verdict allowing the burial of Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina Beach.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

10:55 am: Madras High Court has ruled that DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi to be laid to rest next to his mentor at Marina Beach.

10:35 am: Arguments have been over. Acting Chief Justice began to dictate orders.

10:34 am: Justice S S Sundar pointed out to DMK lawyer that the family members of Karunanidhi have not approached the High Court.

10:32 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Chennai to pay last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

10:07 am: Rapid Action Force has been deployed outside Anna memorial at Marina beach in Chennai.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

10:03 am: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan paid last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

09:42 am: Tamil Nadu government's lawyer said,"DMK is pursuing political agenda by filing this case."

"D K Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?" he asked.

09:28 am: During the hearing, DMK lawyer said, "There are 1 crore DMK followers in Tamil Nadu out of 7 crore population of the state. They'll be offended if burial land is not allotted for Karunanidhi at Marina beach."

09:24 am: DMK lawyer had also said, "You (state government) have announced state mourning, why not give land for burial? There's no prohibition under Central Government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for ex-chief ministers.

09:12 am: During the hearing, DMK's lawyer said, "Anna, who is the founder of DMK, used to say my life and soul is Karunanidhi. Burying Karunanidhi next to Gandhi Mandapam cannot be termed as a decent burial."

09:02 am: Tamil Nadu government said in its counter affidavit that DMK chief Karunanidhi himself didn't allot land for former CM Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual when Karunanidhi was the chief minister.

09:00 am: Madras High Court recorded contents of the counter affidavit filed by the state government which told the court that DMK can't challenge press release by the government expressing inability to allot space at Marina Beach for Karunanidhi.

08:55 am: Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice recorded in his order, submissions made by DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi in his affidavit seeking burial land at Marina beach for DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.

08:43 am: VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan paid last respects to M Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall. He said, "We demand that Bharat Ratna be conferred upon him. We also demand that his memorial be made near Anna Samadhi."

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

08:37 am: Madras High Court dismissed petitions filed by Traffic Ramaswamy, K Balu and Duraisamy challenging the construction of memorials at Marina beach.

08:34 am: Deepa Jayakumar, niece of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J Jayalalithaa, paid tributes to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

08:28 am: Madras HC directed Traffic Ramaswamys lawyer to file memorandum that he has no objection to bury Karunanidhis body at Marina beach. Lawyer submitted the memorandum to the Acting Chief Justice.

08:25 am: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy paid tributes to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

08:19 am: Lawyer of petitioner Traffic Ramaswamy said, "We have no objection to the burial land for Karunanidhi'.

Acting Chief Justice said to the lawyer, 'Withdraw your case'.

08:10 am: Tamil Nadu government filed its counter affidavit in case of allowing burial of M Karunanidhi at Marina beach. Hearing in the matter is underway at Madras High Court.

07:50 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Chennai to pay his last respects to M Karunanidhi.

07:48 am: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit paid last respects to former Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

07:35 am: Huge crowd gathered at Chennai's Rajaji Hall to pay last respects to DMK patriarch Karunanidhi. Crowd raised slogans of 'Long live Kalaignar' and 'Need Marina! Need Marina!'

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

07:15 am: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisamy and Deputy Chief Minister O

Panneerselvam paid their last respects to Karunanidhi. Palanisamy said, "This is a great loss for Tamil Nadu. My deep condolences to his family members and DMK party workers."

06:45 am: Madras High Court to hear the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu Government at Marina beach for Karunanidhi at 8 am.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

06:30 am: Visuals from Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of DMK supremo Karunanidhi are kept.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

06:27 am: Superstar Rajinikanth, Dhanush paid last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

06:09 am: Mortal remains of late DMK chief Karunanidhi wrapped in tricolour at Chennai's Rajaji Hall.

05:50 am: TTV Dhinakaran arrives at Chennai's Rajaji Hall where mortal remains of former Karunanidhi are kept.

05:37 am: Ambulance carrying mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi arrived at Rajaji Hall.

05:28 am: Karunanidhi's son MK Alagiri and DMK leader Andimuthu Raja arrive at Rajaji Hall in Chennai where mortal remains of the late DMK supremo were being brought.

05:01 am: Mortal remains of former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi being taken from Kanimozhi's residence in CIT Colony to Rajaji Hall.

04:56 am: Congress leader P Chidambaram paid last respects to Karunanidhi at Chennai's CIT Colony.

04:38 am: Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan said: When Anna (former Tamil Nadu CM Annadurai) was there to safeguard and promote general Kazhagam, there were two brothers- Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi) and MGR, and to see all three of them at one place would have been good.

02:10 am: Police resorted to lathi-charge to control the crowd gathered outside Kanimozhi's residence in CIT Colony where mortal remains of Karunanidhi are kept.
Aerial images of Southern Resident killer whale juvenile J50, taken in 2017 (left) and August 1st 2018 (right) for comparison. Note in the recent image she has lost body condition revealing a very thin profile, and noticeable loss of fat behind the head creating a peanut head appearance. Images obtained with an unmanned drone, piloted non-invasively >100ft above the whales under NMFS research permit #19091. SR3 - Sealife Response, sealifer3.org.

It's all hands on deck as biologists, fishermen and concerned citizens try to come up with the best plan possible for saving a wild, starving killer whale (Orcinus orca) named Scarlet, or J50, last seen off the coast of Washington state.

The best idea on the table so far is to feed her live salmon  a tactic that's never been tried with a wild orca before. If Scarlet accepts the dished-out fish, biologists will add medication to some of the salmon they're feeding her, reported the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But first, they'll need to find Scarlet and her pod, who haven't been seen since Saturday (Aug. 4).

Scarlet is a 3-year-old female (born December 2014) who is part of the J pod, one of three small groups of orcas within the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale subpopulation. The members of this population of charismatic cetaceans spend their summers feeding on salmon in the waters around Vancouver, Canada, and northern Washington. [Photos: Drone Reveals Killer Whales]

The J pod also includes J35, or Tahlequah, a female whose calf died a half hour after it was born on July 24. Biologists watched the grieving mother carry her dead calf around for hundreds of miles over a period of at least 10 days.

While observing Tahlequah and the rest of the J pod, scientists noticed that Scarlet was emaciated and lethargic. To see one of the few reproductive-age females in this group in such poor condition may be a bad sign for the struggling population of killer whales, which has declined from 98 individuals in 1995 to just 75 currently, according to NOAA.

NOAA reported that the J pod has not been seen since Saturday (Aug. 4), but observers on boats are keeping their eyes out. "There's been some challenges with the fog, but the crews have been out looking, and [they're] ready and waiting," Michael Milstein, a spokesman for NOAA, told CTV News Vancouver.

In the meantime, fishermen with the Lummi Nation, a Native American tribe in western Washington, have been practicing techniques for capturing salmon, then keeping the fish alive and well enough to entice a wild orca's appetite, The Seattle Times reported. Their plan is to take the freshly caught salmon directly to the orcas and serve them a meal from the deck of their boat, but there's no guarantee it will work.

Another option is to use an extended pole to administer a long-lasting antibiotic to Scarlet, Lynne Barre, a NOAA biologist, told The Seattle Times. However, getting close enough to the whale to deliver the antibiotic safely and effectively could be a challenge, Milstein told CTV News Vancouver.

But before they approve either of these unconventional rescue plans, NOAA biologists want to know more about what ails Scarlet. A breath sample didn't reveal any obvious illness or infection, but NOAA stated that doesn't rule them out. Nonetheless, scientists agree that Scarlet is in poor condition and she may not survive much longer.

Unfortunately, the scientists can't do anything until they find the orcas. Scarlet and the rest of the J pod were last seen in the outer coast areas of northern Washington.

Yesterday (Aug. 7), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force met for the third time this year regarding the orcas, according to Gov. Inslee's Executive Order 18-02. Representatives from state agencies, tribal and federal government, and private and nonprofit sectors have been charged with preparing recommendations for actions to address the major threats to this declining subpopulation of killer whales.

And you can be sure that when the expert task force was meeting, biologists were on the water, watching for Scarlet and her family to return.

Original article on Live Science.
For men, deciding between boxers and briefs may be about more than just comfort  men's underwear choices may affect their sperm health, a new study suggests.

The study, which included more than 600 men, found that those who wore boxers had higher sperm counts than those who wore tighter underwear, such as briefs or jockeys.

The findings suggested that tight underwear may impair sperm production, the researchers wrote in the study, published today (Aug. 8) in the journal Human Reproduction.

However, the study didn't look at the effect of switching underwear styles on sperm count, nor did it examine whether men who wear tight underwear had lower chances of conceiving a child. [Trying to Conceive: 12 Tips for Men]

While experts praised the study's concept, they also noted that low sperm counts don't always mean low fertility, especially since sperm counts are highly variable.

A "man's sperm counts can vary tremendously week to week," said Dr. Sarah Vij, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved with the study. Vij acknowledged that many studies of male fertility use sperm counts because they are much easier to study than pregnancy rates. But even if a study finds that something is linked with lower sperm counts, "does that actually translate to a lower ability to cause a pregnancy?" Vij said. "We always struggle in our field to make that leap."

Boxers or briefs?

It's known that higher testicular temperatures can negatively affect sperm production. Tighter underwear could potentially lead to higher testicular temperatures, by holding the testicles closer to the body, but studies looking at the effect of underwear style on testicular function have had inconsistent results.

The new study is one of the largest to examine the link between underwear type and sperm quality. It involved 656 men, mostly in their 30s, who visited Massachusetts General Hospital for infertility treatment with their female partners between 2000 to 2017.

The men provided semen and blood samples and answered questions about the type of underwear they wore most frequently. Overall, 53 percent of men said they usually wore boxers. [Should You Wear Underwear to Bed?]

Both men who wore boxers and men who wore tighter underwear had average sperm concentrations that were "normal"; that is, they had at least 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen.

But men who wore boxers had 25 percent higher sperm concentrations, and 33 percent more swimming sperm in a single ejaculate, on average, than men who wore tighter underwear. The findings held even after the researchers took into account factors that can affect sperm health, including obesity, physical activity, frequent hot baths and smoking.

What's more, the researchers found that men who wore tighter underwear had higher levels of a hormone called follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which stimulates sperm production.

That finding suggests that, in men who wear tighter underwear, decreased sperm production may send a signal to the brain to increase levels of FSH to compensate for the lower sperm production. But more studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Should men switch?

The researchers said that the findings provide some simple advice to men looking to conceive. "These results point to a relatively easy change that men can make when they and their partners are seeking to become pregnant," lead study author Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, a research scientist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a statement.

However, other experts said they wouldn't make a flat-out recommendation for men to switch to boxers.

Vij said she "applauded" the study question, but "I don't know that I would recommend [switching] based on this study." When men have trouble conceiving, "we hope that there are other ways that we can intervene that have a little more significant science and data to back them up," she said.

Dr. Michael Eisenberg, director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, agreed. "I generally counsel men that they can choose the type of underwear that is most comfortable," Eisenberg told Live Science. "But if they do feel warm or constricted, then another type may make sense," he added.

Still, Eisenberg said that "if the current study can be consistently reproduced, then I think it's something we should discuss with all patients." In 2016, Eisenberg co-authored a study of 500 men that found that, no matter what type of underwear the men wore, the time it took couples to become pregnant was about the same.

It's also important to note that the study wasn't able to consider some factors that could affect testicular temperatures, such as the type of underwear fabric, or whether the men wore tight pants such as skinny jeans, the researchers said.

Eisenberg said that if men are having trouble conceiving, they should see a doctor for an evaluation of risk factors for fertility problems.

Original article on Live Science.
Oct. 12, 1492, is remembered in North America as the fateful day an Italian explorer named Christopher Columbus made landfall in the so-called New World. By some accounts, it should also be remembered as the day he and his crew almost crashed a glowing marine worm orgy.

It happened in the wee hours between Oct. 11 and 12. Columbus stood on the deck of his ship, the Santa Maria, peering into the Caribbean darkness, when he saw a faint, flickering glow far out on the inky ocean. In his diaries, he described the glow as "like the light of a wax candle moving up and down," though it appeared too small and disappeared too quickly to be a sign of land.

Columbus didn't have much time to study the mystery; a few hours later, his fleet landed at the island now known as San Salvador, in the Bahamas. Today, however, many biologists suspect that Columbus may have been a lucky witness to one of nature's stranger romantic wonders: the massive, green-glowing mating ritual of the Bermuda fireworm (Odontosyllisenopla). Now, a new fireworm study published today (Aug. 8) in the journal PLOS One dives deeper into the chemical processes that make this glowing lovefest possible. [The 7 Weirdest Glow-in-the-Dark Creatures]

Bermuda fireworms are tiny (less than 1 inch, or 2.5 centimeters, long) sea dwellers who live throughout the Caribbean. They're not much to look at on any given day, but catch them at the right moment  approximately 22 minutes after sunset on the third night after a full moon in late summer  and you will see a display of bioluminescence like no other. Here's how Mark Siddall, co-author of the new study, describes the ritual:

"The female worms come up from the bottom [of the sea] and swim quickly in tight little circles as they glow, which looks like a field of little cerulean stars across the surface of jet black water," Siddall, a curator in the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Division of Invertebrate Zoology, said in a statement. "Then the males, homing in on the light of the females, come streaking up from the bottom like comets  they luminesce, too. There's a little explosion of light as both dump their gametes in the water."

We know what you're thinking: That's hot. But it's also very peculiar, even among the odd sliver of animals who use chemically generated light to send messages to friends and foes in their ecosystem. What causes this lovely luminescence, and why is it so neatly linked to the full summer moon? Siddall and his colleagues at the AMNH thought about questions like these as they studied the gene expression in three female fireworms plucked from Bermuda amid a mating swarm.

You're positively glowing, my dear

Researchers captured three female fireworms mid-mating from lovely Ferry Reach in Bermuda. (Image credit:  AMNH/M. Siddall)

The researchers found that the Bermuda fireworm's signature glow can be traced to a special type of enzyme called luciferase that activates during the mating cycle. Other bioluminescent creatures, such as fireflies, produce luciferase to glow, but the precise variety of luciferase enzyme found in the fireworm has never been detected in any other species, the researchers wrote. This finding not only helps researchers better understand the worm's uniqueness, but may also prove helpful in biomedical research that requires lighting up certain molecules under certain conditions.

"It's particularly exciting to find a new luciferase because if you can get things to light up under particular circumstances, that can be really useful for tagging molecules for biomedical research," co-author Michael Tessler, a postdoctoral fellow in the Museum's Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, said in the statement.

The team also detected genes that caused the female fireworms to undergo a series of temporary biological changes during the mating cycle. Certain enzymes caused each of the worms' four eyes to enlarge (making them more sensitive to the greenish-blue glow), while others modified the worms' nephridia  a kidney-like excretory organ  to store and release gametes. When it's time for the monthly mating swarm, the fireworms literally have to put on their game faces.

Columbus did not know any this, of course (he also did not know that the Americas even existed, or that manatees and mermaids are two different things), but that's probably for the best. Even worms deserve their privacy.

Originally published on Live Science.
Since there aren't any images of the Greenland fireball, here's an illustration of a space rock burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere.

A fireball that streaked across the sky above the Thule Air Base in Greenland on July 25 was notable for not only the 2.1 kilotons of energy it released  the second-most-energetic "explosion" of its kind recorded this year  but also the stir it caused on social media and the frenzied calls it prompted to the U.S. Air Force.

And the blazing rock  which was traveling at about 54,000 mph (87,000 km/h), about 74 times the speed of sound, according to The Aviationist  may have sent meteorites to the ground for passersby (the few people who happened to be this far north of the Arctic Circle) to discover.

The first reports of the meteor above Greenland came from two tweets from scientists. On July 31, Ron Baalke, of the Solar System Dynamics group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (or "Rocket Ron" on Twitter), wrote, "A fireball was detected over Greenland on July 25, 2018 by US Government sensors at an altitude of 43.3 km. The energy from the explosion is estimated to be 2.1 kilotons." His tweet was followed by a similar one on Aug. 1 by Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project for the Federation of American Scientists: "Meteor explodes with 2.1 kilotons force 43 km above missile early warning radar at Thule Air Base." [Top 10 Greatest Explosions Ever]

Apparently, the news reports that stemmed from those tweets led to a flurry of calls from reporters to both the air base and NASA asking about potential harm to the Thule Air Base, according to the Military Times.

So, what's up with the fireball? Though meteors like this one are large enough to create a blaze when entering the atmosphere, they are not big enough to be seen before they plow through Earth's atmosphere.

"These objects are only a few meters across and smaller, which is too small to be detected before they strike the Earth," Robert Lunsford, a longtime meteor observer with the American Meteor Society, told Live Science. "Therefore, we have no idea when and where such events will occur."

When this Greenland meteor ripped through the atmosphere last month, some 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle, some sensors in the global network run by the base's 21st Space Wing detected it.

"As the meteor[s] enter the atmosphere, they ablate until they either completely disintegrate or remnants fall to the ground," Lunsford said. "The shock wave generated by the collision with the atmosphere is the source of the 'explosion' and resulting estimate of impact energy."

These objects are too small to cause much damage, unless someone gets hit by a fragment of the rock or if someone is near the sound blast, he said. That did indeed occur in 2013, when a 55-foot (17 meters) meteor struck Chelyabinsk, Russia. The shock wave from the impact smashed windows and damaged buildings, and more than 1,000 people were injured.

For comparison, that fireball packed 300 kilotons of energy, or 20 to 25 times more energy than the atomic bombs dropped during World War II. Even so, the Chelyabinsk impact was much less powerful than the Tunguska meteor explosion in Siberia that released 10 to 15 megatons (10,000 to 15,000 kilotons) of energy in 1908, Live Science previously reported.

Though the Greenland fireball explosion was significant, nobody saw it.

"Being that it was such a remote location, there are no pictures of this fireball," Lunsford said. "In fact, we have not received any visual reports, either. If not for the U.S. government sensors, we would not even know about this object."

Originally published on Live Science.
The family held onto hope that their three loved ones had survived, even when they found their home reduced to ash. They searched hospitals and evacuation shelters. They posted notes on bulletin boards and desperate messages on social media sites.

They hoped that, somehow, Melody Bledsoe and her two great-grandchildren, Emily Roberts, 4, and James Roberts, 5, had escaped the flames as the Carr Fire rushed into Redding on Thursday.

On Saturday, the family members gathered at the Shasta County Sheriffs Office to learn their fate.

Carla Bledsoe, an aunt to the children, arrived sobbing.

We are waiting for them to tell us what they need to tell us, she said.

The childrens mother, Sherry Bledsoe, shook with grief as she entered the building.

My babies, she yelled.

About 30 minutes later, the family re-emerged.

Theyre deceased, Sherry Bledsoe said, declining to comment further and asking for privacy.

Melody Bledsoe had been at her home on Quartz Hill Road with the children Thursday evening while her husband, Ed Bledsoe, ran errands in town. As the fire grew closer, Ed Bledsoe raced back, but with flames bearing down, he was unable to reach the home.

The 4-year-old, officials told the family, called 911 for help, but emergency responders were unable to reach them in time.

Don Kewley, the boyfriend of one of the Bledsoes granddaughters, Cynthia Hoskinson, said he called the home as he watched the fire from about 2 miles away.

She was screaming, Its getting closer, and you could hear the sirens, Kewley said. Then the phone went dead.

Melody Bledsoe was sickly and not very mobile, requiring a walker to get around, and there was no other car at the house at the time, said Jason Decker, the boyfriend of Shelley Hoskinson, another granddaughter.

The elder Bledsoes had raised Emily and James since they were babies, Decker said.

The childrens mother had been incarcerated and was released Saturday to attend the meeting with sheriffs officials, according to family members.

Before they learned that the bodies had been found, Decker said it was incomprehensible to think of the children as being gone.

Theyre little kids, he said. Those kids deserve a good life. It brings me to tears thinking about it.

Shelley Hoskinson, who posted a missing poster on social media, said they had gotten several leads from people who thought they might have seen the grandmother and children, but none panned out.

She said earlier Saturday that her grandfather had been convinced all three would be found alive.

Hes just like, OK, people go missing all the time. Were going to find them, Hoskinson said. At the same time, he just doesnt want to think the worst.

The road to the Bledsoes home was closed Saturday, with authorities saying the area was considered a crime scene as they searched the area for bodies or other information on the whereabouts of the three family members.

Decker said Emily and James were shy but fun kids who loved to ride dirt bikes and go fishing. The two were inseparable from their grandparents, he added.

This is just the most horrible thing to happen, he said. Grandpa is such a good man. This is just the most horrible thing to happen.

Jill Tucker and Melody Gutierrez are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com, mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker, @melodygutierrez
REDDING  As thousands of firefighters worked Sunday to push the huge Carr Fire away from homes and subdivisions, some still smoking from bouts with flame, the toll on the besieged city became only more clear  and more grim.

A sixth fatality was found in the rubble, according to Shasta County sheriffs deputies. The victims identity was not immediately released, though authorities said the individual had refused orders to evacuate. Two firefighters as well as a woman and her two great-grandchildren had previously been confirmed dead.

The sheriffs office is investigating reports of seven missing people after accounting for nine additional people previously reported as missing.

But after three days when the fire raged out of control, firefighters began to corral the blaze Sunday. An evening briefing showed that the 95,368-acre Carr Fire was 17 percent contained, a big jump from single-digit figures of recent days and just 5 percent Sunday morning.

Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as weve begun to gain some ground instead of always being on the defensive, said Bret Gouvea, incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Meanwhile, nearly 874 structures were estimated to have destroyed and 175 damaged, many on the western edge of Redding where the fire made an extraordinary run last week from the countys rural hills, near Whiskeytown Lake, into suburbia more than 10 miles away.

Temperatures in the area hovered at 104 degrees Sunday, while fire officials said the blaze was so immense it was generating its own wind and weather patterns. Fire tornadoes were reported to have uprooted trees and overturned cars.

Close to 40,000 people remained under evacuation orders Sunday, with the small town of Lewistown in adjacent Trinity County becoming one of the latest to empty out. About 3,800 firefighters were on the job.

Weve had some big fires here before. I remember seeing flames leaping in the air. But nothing like this, said Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty, who represents the area where the fire ignited and has lived in Redding his entire life.

Although evacuation orders had not been lifted Sunday for burned-out parts of the city, Anna Noland was determined to learn the fate of her home near Keswick Dam.

Noland was at work Thursday night when the Carr Fire roared into the city. With flames approaching, she wasnt about to wait for the official order to tell her 16-year-old daughter, who was home, to evacuate their residence of eight years. And its a good thing her daughter got out, Noland said, because they never got a call or text telling them to go.

The fire, Noland discovered on Sunday, devoured all but the front wall of their house on Cape Cod Drive, leaving a charred pile of their life possessions inside. Noland remained surprisingly upbeat in the face of the destruction, excited to see some trinkets had survived.

Ive got an Eiffel Tower and some gnomes, she exclaimed. Thats about it.

While her neighbors home was spared, most of the houses on the street and adjoining streets were also leveled, a ghostly scene reminiscent of the neighborhoods devastated in Octobers Wine Country fires.

The victims of the Carr Fire include Melody Bledsoe and her great-grandchildren, Emily Roberts, 4, and James Roberts, 5. The three were found dead in the ashes of their Redding home Saturday.

Grandma did everything she could to save them, said family member Amanda Woodley in a Facebook post. She was hovered over them both with a wet blanket.

Also among the dead were two men battling the blaze, bulldozer operator Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, and Jeremy Stoke, a fire inspector with the Redding Fire Department.

The fire started on the afternoon of July 23 from a vehicle mechanical failure, which authorities have not elaborated on.

Sundays growth was less than in previous days, which provided at least a little optimism among firefighters.

Today is a much better day, said Gouvea, the fires incident commander.

Authorities, however, said the fire was continuing to expand in all directions, except toward Redding. Officials warned that a heat advisory for the area through Monday morning may continue to create challenging conditions.

Richard Urban, 79, and Barbara Urban, 78, were eager to return home after evacuating in their 33-foot Winnebago Adventurer on Friday to a friends farm across town.

In their 48 years in the house, the couple have evacuated multiple times.

But this time, Richard said, I thought we were done.

Fortunately for the Urbans, when they arrived home to their leafy south Redding neighborhood, they found that their house had been spared.

Chronicle photographer Santiago Mejia and staff writer Dominic Fracassa contributed to this report.

Michael Cabanatuan and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan @kurtisalexander
The court will now resume hearing at 8 am as Tamil nadu government has reportedly sought more time to file a reply.

Chennai: Madras High Court has adjourned the hearing of DMK's plea seeking burial of late party supremo M Karunanidhi's mortal remains at Chennai's Marina Beach. The court will now resume hearing at 8 am as Tamil nadu government has reportedly sought more time to file a reply in the case.

The judges heard the arguments by counsel for the DMK and the state government before adjourning the matter around 1.15 a.m for resumed hearing at 8 in the morning. The DMK counsel wanted to know the legal ground on

which its demand was rejected following which the advocates for the government pleaded for time till morning to file a counter affidavit which the court allowed.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi, a colossus in Tamil Nadu politics, poet, columnist and script writer, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life for over five decades, died today, setting the stage for a late night courtroom drama over where he shall be buried. The 94-year-old leader breathed his last at the Kauvery Hospital in downtown Chennai at 6.10 p.m after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days, the hospital said. He had not made any public appearance for about two years due to failing health.

Within minutes of Karunanidhi's death, a huge row erupted after the state's AIADMK government rejected the

demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach

where he could be buried. Wasting no time, DMK's counsel P Wilson and A Sarvanan rushed to the residence of H G Ramesh, the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, with a plea to direct the state government to revoke its decision denying permission for Karunanidhi's burial and erection of a memorial to him on the beach. Their plea was granted and Justice Ramesh and his fellow judge S S Sundar began hearing the petition minutes before midnight.

In a twist to the late night proceedings, unprecedented in Tamil Nadu's legal history, two of the petitioners who had moved the court against late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's burial at the Marina and construction of a memorial there, withdrew their applications. One of them, advocate S Duraisamy, said the claim of the government that the memorial to Karunanidhi's mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai facing the Marina beach, where the DMK sought land for its leader's burial, was in an ecologically sensitive zone, was "misleading". He told reporters outside the Acting Chief Justice's residence that it was on the banks of the Cooum river close to the beach but not in the eco-sensitive zone like the memorials of Jayalalithaa and former AIADMK chief minister the late M G Ramachandran.

Similarly, K Balu of PMK also withdrew his petition seeking the court's direction against use of the Marina as a

burial ground. Earlier in the day, another PIL filed in the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the Corporation of Greater Chennai from permitting any burial of bodies on the Marina beach was dismissed as withdrawn.

Hours before the unsavoury courtroom saga unfolded, Karunanidhi was declared dead by the hospital where he was

undergoing treatment since his admission on July 28 when his blood pressure had dipped. "With deep anguish we announce the demise of our beloved Kalaignar M Karunanidhi on 07.08.2018 at 6.10 pm. Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond.

"We profoundly mourn the loss of one of the tallest leaders of India and we share the grief of family members and

fellow Tamilians worldwide," a press release by Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Executive Director of Kauvery Hospital, said.

President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned Karunanidhi's death. "Extremely sad to learn of the passing of Thiru M Karunanidhi. A doyen of our public life, as a contributor to the development of Tamil Nadu and of India he has few peers. Our country is poorer today. My condolences to his family and millions of well-wishers," Kovind tweeted.

Modi said Karunanidhi stood for regional aspirations as well as national progress. "Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised," Modi said in a series of tweets.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to condole Karunanidhi's death. "Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight," he said on Twitter.

Both Modi and Gandhi, besides a host of other leaders are expected to arrive here tomorrow to pay their last respects to the departed doyen of Tamil Nadu politics. Soon after Karunanidhi's death, his son and DMK working president M K Stalin despatched his emissary and the party's deputy leader in the state assembly Duraimurugan to Chief Minister K Palaniswamy requesting him to allot land in the mausoleum complex of Annadurai.

Soon afterwards, the government issued a statement saying it was "unable to allot space at Marina beach owing to

several pending cases in the Madras High Court and legal complications." Hence, the government is prepared to allot a two-acre site on Sardar Patel Road near the memorials to Rajaji and Kamaraj, it said.

Some reports said the government was reluctant about allotting space for Karunanidhi's burial at the Marina as he was not a sitting chief minister. Former chief minister M G Ramachandran and his protegee J Jayalalitha were buried at the Marina beach and memorials to them were erected there. Both were bitter foes of Karunanidhi in politics.
A correctional officer with the Webb County Sheriff's Office was arrested on Tuesday.

Myrthala Aylin Flores, 22, was charged with aggravated robbery following a domestic dispute call on the 9800 block of Cantera Court, the Sheriff's Office said.

READ ALSO: WCSO: Over 300 capsules of cocaine intercepted from man being booked at the jail

The Laredo Police Department previously reported that a standoff with law enforcement caused the evacuation of Sontera Apartments at approximately 8 a.m. Police said a woman would not open the door to her apartment and as a precaution, the SWAT team was called in.

Sheriff Martin Cuellar and deputies identified Flores as the suspect inside of the apartment and made several attempts to talk to her, but she refused to open the door to be interviewed. Flores eventually opened the door and was arrested without incident, according to the Sheriff's Office.

READ ALSO: Two City of Laredo employees arrested by police

Upon arrival at the Webb County Jail, Flores was interviewed with internal affairs and resigned from her position, which she had held for the last nine months.

"Ever since I took office in 2009, I have held all deputies and correctional officers to a high standard and I constantly remind them to always be in compliance with our office's Standard Operating Procedures, and this type of behavior will never be condoned," said Sheriff Cuellar. "They have been directed to stay away from situations that may place them in danger or where their integrity may be compromised."

The investigation continues.

JeriLynn Thorpe is a digital reporter for the Laredo Morning Times. Read more of her stories on LMTonline.com | jerilynn.thorpe@lmtonline.com
Alan Rabinowitz, a zoologist who overcame a debilitating stutter to become a powerful voice for leopards, jaguars and other wild cats threatened by humans, died Aug. 5 at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 64.

The cause was cancer, according to a statement from Panthera, a wild-cat conservation organization that he co-founded in 2006 and, until recently, led as chief executive. Dr. Rabinowitz had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2001.

As a child with a severe stutter, Rabinowitz spent much of his free time playing on the floor of his bedroom closet, where he secluded himself with "a little menagerie" of pet chameleons, snakes, turtles and hamsters - "the only living beings around me that seemed to listen but not judge."

Rabinowitz went on to conquer his speech disorder and become "the Indiana Jones of wildlife protection," as Time magazine once called him, braving 500-mile hikes through the wilderness, vampire bats, attacks of leeches and malaria, and a plane crash in the jungle, to preserve wild cats from Latin America to Southeast Asia.

At the Wildlife Conservation Society, where he worked for nearly three decades before moving to Panthera full time in 2008, Rabinowitz gained international renown for his research on jaguars, tigers, rhinos, bears, raccoons, leopards, leopard cats and civets.

In Belize, his work was credited with spurring the creation of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world's first jaguar preserve; in Myanmar, he discovered a deer known as the leaf muntjac - "an animal so tiny that hunters wrap it in a single, albeit ample, leaf from a tropical plant," according to the New York Times.

In recent years, he linked the world's declining populations of big cats to the rise of infectious diseases such as SARS, West Nile virus and Ebola, saying that these apex predators "stabilize and help balance the ecological food webs to which they belong."

But Rabinowitz also "went beyond the science," said biologist and conservationist George Schaller, to convince foreign governments and local populations of the importance of protecting animals, especially those that are seen as a nuisance, threat or a lucrative source of fur.

"Nobody goes to Belize, or anywhere else, and establishes a reserve - you convince the government to establish it. That takes a certain political sense," said Schaller, who serves as vice chair of Panthera's science council. "It takes passionate people like Alan to be on the ground in these countries, sometimes for several years, to reach the trust of the government and convince them to protect something. And that's not what you train for as a scientist."

Rabinowitz successfully pressed the military leaders of Myanmar, also known as Burma, to create the world's largest tiger reserve, a sanctuary in the Hukawng Valley nearly as large as Vermont. He said his work was actually easier "in communist countries and in dictatorships than in democracies," where he was often frustrated by slow-moving agencies and bureaucratic red tape.

"I find that most of these dictators - they're not nice people, and I'm not an apologist for the ones I work with, but I will do anything I can to save animals," he said in a 2008 appearance on "The Colbert Report."

Rabinowitz also helped create the largest nature preserve in Taiwan; drew international attention to tigers in Thailand, where the United Nations added a wildlife sanctuary to its World Heritage list in 1991; and, in the Himalayan mountains of Bhutan, identified a previously unknown population of high-altitude tigers.

Still, he maintained a particular affinity toward jaguars, which he often described as "an indomitable beast" - the title of a 2014 book about his conservation efforts surrounding the animal - and which had fascinated him since childhood.

Born in Brooklyn on Dec. 31, 1953, and raised in Queens, Alan Robert Rabinowitz recalled that as a boy, he was often taken to the Bronx Zoo by his father, a physical-education teacher who served as an Army paratrooper in World War II.

"I would always be drawn to this one cage, with a solitary jaguar," he told National Geographic in 2014. "All the other cats would charge at the bars or vocalize. But the jaguar would mostly stay quiet, watching everybody pass by, in a world of its own. That's the way I felt. So I would go to the bars, wait until nobody was around, and talk to the jaguar - tell it my hopes and dreams, whether it was a bad day at school or how stupid I felt people were because they didn't try to understand me.

"And I would never leave that enclosure without promising the cats that if I ever found my voice, I would try to be their voice and help them," he continued. "I had no idea what I would be in life or that I would ever work on jaguars. All I knew is that these cats made me feel whole. They were like me, trapped inside a cage not of their making."

Rabinowitz overcame his stutter while studying biology and chemistry at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) in Westminster, Maryland, where he graduated in 1974. At the University of Tennessee, he received a master's degree in ecology in 1978 and a doctorate in ecology in 1981, focusing on the endangered gray bat before shifting his research to raccoons in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It was Schaller, who met Rabinowitz while visiting Tennessee, who suggested he begin studying jaguars in Belize. He soon received a fellowship from the Wildlife Conservation Society - then the New York Zoological Society - and came on as a researcher, with an office not far from the jaguar cage at the Bronx Zoo.

Rabinowitz wrote more than 100 scientific articles and several books for a popular audience, including "Jaguar: Struggle and Triumph in the Jungles of Belize" (1986) - published the same year he succeeded in establishing the jaguar preserve in that country - and "A Boy and a Jaguar" (2014), an autobiographical children's book.

He was also featured in television programs including "60 Minutes" and in the 2015 documentary "Tiger Tiger," which followed his travels to the Sundarbans, the vast mangrove forest on the border of India and Bangladesh. By then, he had been diagnosed with leukemia and had two children with his wife, the former Salisa Sathapanawath, a geneticist. (They were married at the home of actress Jane Alexander, whom he met while working in Belize; she now serves on Panthera's advisory board.)

"I have two choices in my life now," Rabinowitz said in the film. "I can play it very, very safe and sit at home, and maybe prolong my life by a few years and be there for my kids . . . Or I can be the person who I am, and who makes me feel best, and be the father I want them to know - but maybe cut my life short with them."

"I'm really good at what I do, and the best thing I can do is be a model for them," he said, explaining his reasons for leaving to make the expedition. "Not a bad father, but not an ever-present father."

In addition to his wife, survivors include his children, Alexander Rabinowitz and Alana Rabinowitz, all of Mahopac, New York; and two sisters.

At Panthera, which he formed with billionaire investor Thomas Kaplan, Rabinowitz oversaw projects including the Jaguar Corridor Initiative, which aims to protect jaguars across the full range of their native habitat, from Mexico to northern Argentina.

Last year, he began the Journey of the Jaguar, an expedition in which he planned to traverse the length of that habitat over four years, in chunks. After leading his team through the Mexican state of Sinaloa, despite security concerns from Mexican friends and colleagues, he was diagnosed with appendicitis and then pneumonia.

Rabinowitz was still "in recovery and out of shape," said Howard Quigley, executive director of the Panthera jaguar program, when he rejoined his team to continue the trip in Honduras, Colombia and Brazil, ultimately covering about 4,000 miles of jaguar habitat.

"The Jaguar Journey will continue," Quigley wrote in an email, with trips to Brazil, Mexico and the Colombian Amazon. "All of them will be to commemorate his legacy, the legacy of Mr. Jaguar, or Papa Jaguar, as the Latinos in our program call him."
The 2018-19 school year will be the last for Edwardsville District 7 Superintendent Dr. Lynda Andre.

Andre has served the district for three years and this coming one, the result of a previously approved one-year contract extension, will be her last.

District 7 students return to class Tuesday and Andre will retire shortly after the May 25, 2019, Edwardsville High School graduation.

Andre said in a phone interview Wednesday she feels she will leave District 7 at a good time.

Im leaving at a a good place with good people, she said. I think the district is in a positive position.

The Illinois Association of School Boards will have a representative at Mondays board of education meeting to discuss options for an executive search.

Andre was at the helm of District 7 in April, 2017, when Proposition E passed.

That education fund referendum will ultimately provide the district with $6.9 million in additional funding, which will help eliminate an operating debt that was expected to reach $6.7 million.

Andre said Wednesday that when she leaves at the end of the school year, approximately half of the districts debt will be paid off.

She will also see the conclusion of the first two years of a four-year plan aimed primarily at updating curriculum and security measures.
At 10:07 p.m. on Tuesday Annette Glenn held a fairly sizable lead over Republican opponent Carl Hamann for the 98th House race.

With 35 of 38 precincts reporting in Midland County, Glenn held a sizeable 4,444 to 3,235 lead. In Bay County she held a slim 1,119 to 992 edge with 11 of the 12 precincts reporting.

Should Glenn maintain her lead, she would face Democrat Sarah Schulz on Nov. 6 to represent the district that encompasses the towns of Midland, Auburn and Pinconning. It also includes Homer, Jerome, Larkin, Lee, Lincoln and Midland townships in Midland County along with Beaver, Fraser, Garfield, Gibson, Mount Forest, Pinconning and Williams townships in Bay County.

Both Glenn and Schulz are making their initial runs for elected office.

However, Glenn has a vast background in politics going all the way back to high school when she knocked on doors for a gubernatorial candidate.

Inspired by President Ronald Reagan, Glenn served as college Republican chair at Boise State University, state chair of College Republicans and was elected as vice-chair of the College Republican National Committee. She holds a bachelor's degree in public administration from Boise State.

Glenn served as state chair of Youth for Reagan in 1984 and was elected county Republican Party chair at age 23. She also served a state Senate internship while in college and attended the 1984 Republican National Convention that nominated Reagan for his second term.

Before raising her five children, Glenn worked on the staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and managed campaigns for Congress, lieutenant governor, state supreme court, and multiple state house and senate campaigns. She was also a paid staff member of former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole's presidential campaign.

Schulz has spent 17 years in the non-profit field and currently serves as vice president for human services at City Year, an education-focused nonprofit organization with 28 locations and more than 5,000 staff.

Over the last year, Schulz has been a founding member and currently acts as a volunteer leader of the 1,400-member Woman of Michigan Action Network.

Schulz holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in human resources and labor relations, both from Michigan State University.
HURON COUNTY  Mary Ellen Babcock defeated incumbent Huron County Commissioner John A. Nugent for the District 7 Republican nomination, according to Tuesday's unofficial election results.

With no Democrats running, Babcock will take the seat in January.

"I'm relieved that it's over," Babcock told the Tribune late Tuesday.

She won by 37 votes (467 to 430).

"There was some pretty ugly stuff going on in the past couple weeks," she said. "I stayed positive. I stuck to my strengths. I stayed true to my word and it paid off."

Babcock noted several letters to the editor that were critical of her, and phone calls to voters she said were saying things that were untrue.

"I refused to go negative. I chose to run on my strengths, and it worked," she said. "I'm hoping that once they see me in action, they'll see what they heard was untrue."

"I'm just thankful for the voters who voted for me and stuck by me," she added. "And I can't wait for the new year to come so I can get to work and show that they voted for the right person."

District 7 consists of Dwight, Hume, Lake, Lincoln, Pointe aux Barques and Port Austin townships.

Commissioner Ron Wruble of District 6 held his seat after a challenge by Robert Oakes of Harbor Beach.

Wruble, too, was thankful for the support of voters. He said he was humbled by it.

"Actually, I'm very, very happy with the turnout and very thankful for the support I received from the voters in my district," Wruble told the Tribune.

He received 636 votes to Oakes' 295.

"My big emphasis has always been in (the) financial well-being of the county," he said.

His priorities include covering legacy costs, getting a solar energy ordinance in place with the help of the Huron County Planning Commission, and making sure "that the people in Huron County are covered from the government side."

District 6 is composed of Bloomfield, Gore, Huron, Rubicon, Sand Beach townships and the city of Harbor Beach

Two newcomers vied for the District 2 seat, where Michael Meissner defeated Jeffery Krohn by 117 votes (487 to 370).

"I'm humbled that the voters put their confidence in me," Meissner told the Tribune.

"I have no agenda," he added. "My agenda is strictly to represent the people of my district  their concerns. And whatever problems come up, we'll handle it. I've always been conservative. I believe in common sense solutions and solutions should always be fiscally responsible."

He added that although he was optimistic about the race, it could have went either way because Krohn was a good candidate.

District 2 consists of Bingham, Grant, Paris, Sheridan and Sherman townships.
Nearly five months after President Donald Trump first confronted China with tariffs over its trade practices, the two countries are farther than ever from resolving their differences and appear to be digging in for what is likely to be a long and bruising conflict.

China on Wednesday said it would impose tariffs on an additional $16 billion in U.S. autos and energy products, retaliating for the Trump administration's latest import levies on an equivalent value of Chinese goods.

Beijing signaled this week that it might target prominent American companies such as Apple if the trade dispute escalates. The iPhone maker relies upon China for one-fifth of its $229 billion in annual revenue, "leaving it exposed if Chinese people make it a target of anger and nationalist sentiment," warned a commentary in state-owned China Daily.

Trump administration efforts to force China into concessions also have been complicated by the falling yuan, which has lost more than 8 percent of its value against the dollar since April. By making Chinese products less expensive for American buyers, the weaker yuan partially counteracts the effects of Trump's trade measures.

Vacationing at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club, the president on Tuesday promised a dinner gathering of chief executives that the United States and China would soon have a "fantastic trading relationship."

But within the administration, there is growing unease over where the U.S.-China tussle is headed. Initial diplomatic talks, which failed to reach agreement, have left both sides irritated and confused about the path to a deal.

Two senior administration officials, frustrated by what they say is Chinese President Xi Jinping's refusal to negotiate, have become increasingly certain that the standoff is only going to worsen. Economic threats will continue escalating before any settlement is possible, they said.

Even as Trump's approach to China thus far bears little fruit, administration officials say they are optimistic they will be able to announce by the end of this week agreement with Mexico on key elements of a new North American trade deal. U.S. and Mexican negotiators are finalizing new rules for granting automobiles duty-free treatment, which would require more manufacturing work to be done in high-wage factories, according to three sources familiar with the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential talks.

Any such agreement would still need to be reconciled with Canada, the third party in the original 1994 North American trade accord. But a U.S.-Mexico arrangement is expected to lead to the end of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum from Mexico as well as retaliatory Mexican tariffs that hurt American farmers' south-of-the-border sales, said Dan Ujczo, a trade lawyer with Dickinson Wright.

Still, the administration's hard-line stance on China is stirring doubts among congressional Republicans and business leaders, who fear it may rupture profitable commercial relations. With no formal talks taking place between Chinese and American officials, some analysts say Trump's use of tariffs may be designed to reverse a quarter-century of growing economic ties between the two countries, rather than to spur diplomatic bargaining.

"Their plan may not be to get China to cry uncle. It may be pulling up the drawbridge," said Scott Kennedy, director of the project on Chinese business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Both sides are definitely serious and they're going to go blow for blow."

The latest tariff salvos stem from Trump's complaint that China is unfairly acquiring American technology via coercive joint ventures with U.S. companies, cybertheft and other violations of intellectual property rights.

After months of skirmishing between the two economic powers, U.S. customs officers began collecting the first tariffs from importers of Chinese products on July 6. China immediately retaliated with similar tariffs on U.S. goods, including soybeans, pork and poultry, which were designed to hurt Trump voters in rural America.

When the additional tariffs go into effect on August 23, both sides will have taxes on about $50 billion worth of imports from the other.

Trump also is moving forward with plans to tax a further $200 billion in Chinese products as soon as September and has threatened to eventually impose tariffs on all Chinese imports, which totaled $505 billion last year, unless China capitulates.

"People really need to get used to a world with tit-for-tat tariffs in place between the two largest economies," said Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator. "That's going to be the new reality."

The president remains confident that his "America First" overhaul of U.S. trade policy is paying dividends. At Tuesday's CEO dinner, Trump said his "powerful trade policies" had contributed to the economy's 4.1 percent growth rate in the second quarter.

As additional trade deals are signed, the president predicted that economic growth would "go much, much higher," a view at odds with his own administration's forecasts.

"We're in a little bit of a fight with China right now," Trump said, before adding that the two nations would end up with a "fantastic trading relationship."

Trump has claimed in recent tweets that "tariffs are working far better than anyone ever anticipated," linking them to a downturn that has shaved nearly a quarter from the value of Chinese stocks since late January. Along with the trade spat, Chinese stocks have suffered from slowing growth in the debt-laden economy.

But China has notched a pair of concrete victories in the trade showdown, according to Jeff Moon, a former U.S. trade negotiator in the Obama administration.

After complaints by Chinese leaders, Trump agreed to reverse a U.S. enforcement action that would have caused ZTE, a prominent state-owned telecom company, to go out of business. And Chinese regulators last month barred Qualcomm, a U.S. telecom leader, from completing its $44 billion acquisition of Netherlands-based NXP, which would have made it a more formidable competitor for Chinese companies.

"There are only two hard outcomes so far and China's winning 2-0," Moon said.

Though months of verbal exchanges make it feel as if the two countries have been locked in protracted commercial combat, the first tariffs have been in effect for only about a month. The financial pain so far has been felt by individual companies or industries - and their workers - rather than by either the overall U.S. or Chinese economy.

In a statement Wednesday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry charged the United States has "once again put domestic law above international law by imposing 'very unreasonable' new tariffs on Chinese goods."

China's announcement is a direct response to new duties on Chinese goods imported into the United States, announced Tuesday in Washington. Those new tariffs, totaling $16 billion, will be levied against 279 products, including motorcycles, steam turbines and railway cars.

Administration officials believe that the $505 billion Americans spend on Chinese products each year gives them leverage over China. Beijing already has stopped trying to match the U.S. tariffs on a dollar-for-dollar basis, threatening to hit just an additional $60 billion in U.S. imports if the president follows through on his threat to target a further $200 billion in Chinese products.

But the Chinese government can employ other tools if the conflict continues. In a dispute with South Korea last year over its role in hosting a U.S. missile defense system, the Chinese government orchestrated a boycott of Seoul-based Lotte Group that ultimately persuaded it to sell many of its stores in China.

"We'll know China is really feeling the pressure when they start stirring nationalist sentiment or calling for boycotts against U.S.," said Bruce Andrews, managing director of Rock Creek Global Advisors.

After months of escalation, business executives in both countries are wondering when and how the trade confrontation will end.

"With each successive round of tariffs, Trump continues to back China into a corner, forcing Beijing to respond in kind," said James Zimmerman, a partner in the Beijing office of Perkins Coie.

"Trump has given China little wiggle room to save face and come to the bargaining table," he said. "By continuing to up the ante, Trump is, in effect, publicly demanding an unconditional surrender from Beijing."

---

The Washington Post's Emily Rauhala contributed to this report.
BJP president Amit Shahs Chalo Kolkata rally on August 11 raise the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has requested the Kolkata police for permission to fly a drone for mass surveillance during party president Amit Shahs Chalo Kolkata rally in the city on August 11. The party has also appealed to the police to allow the use of walkie-talkies during the rally when the BJP president is expected to raise the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue and the stand taken against it by state chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The BJP decided to make the request to the Kolkata police as a precautionary measure after a tent collapsed at Prime Minister Narendra Modis Midnapore rally in June in which over 90 people were injured.

We have applied for permission from the Kolkata police for using one drone during Amit Shahjis rally on Saturday. Drones will help us keep an eye on the proceedings in and around the rally area. This is merely for security reasons, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh told a news agency.

He said the party is trying to take precautionary measures to avoid another untoward event. A senior officer of Kolkata police, however, said nothing has been decided on the issue. He said a detailed report, stating the reasons, is required before granting permission for the use of drones. The state police officer said that foolproof security arrangements will be made for Saturdays rally, keeping in mind Mr Shahs stature as a political leader.

The rally venue on Mayo Road will have two daises. While one will be for Mr Shah and senior leaders, the second one will be for other party functionaries. The BJP had earlier alleged that the administration denied it permission to hold a rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in central Kolkata. But refuting the allegation, Kolkata police clarified that it had not received any application for any rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue.
BOGOTA, Colombia - Promising the drug crackdown demanded by President Donald Trump, a young, conservative and unusually pro-Trump leader took power in Colombia on Tuesday, as Washington celebrated an ally against leftists including the anti-American president of next-door Venezuela.

Standing in rain and a stiff wind before a wall of roses and other flowers in historic Bolivar Plaza, newly elected President Ivan Duque listed the expansion of coca production, corruption and the terror of drug cartels among the problems he will address. He also pointed to a rise in killings of social-movement leaders as one of the threats to the country's fragile peace pact that ended five decades of war.

"The time has come for us all to unite to confront illegalities," including drug production and trafficking, Duque said in an inaugural address focused on issues of justice and security.

Duque, 42, has advocated a more aggressive approach to the drug war, positioning him as a leading ally of the Trump administration.

"We will be effective in the eradication and substitution of illegal crops, accompanied by productive opportunities" for farmers and a crackdown on drug traffickers, Duque promised.

He pledged a law enforcement "principle that whoever does it, pays for it," and said he will immediately present a bill to strengthen laws that target drug trafficking and kidnapping.

"Building peace, Colombians, means to defeat the drug cartels," he said.

Duque thanked the United States for its support but did not mention President Trump by name.

Security for the open-air inauguration here included 10,000 police officers in the city and thousands more on alert, as well as a radar-enforced ban on drones.

Estimates showed Colombian coca production at a record high in 2017, and the top White House drug official pronounced it "unacceptable" in June. Although a new United Nations report on coca growth has yet to be released, analysts are expecting it to show a historic high in cultivation.

Washington is now turning to Duque to do something about it.

"We're very excited about President Duque and his plans for Colombia, the way that we're going to be partnering with him," said Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Trump's representative at Duque's inauguration.

"I think he's got a very aggressive vision of where he sees the situation going," Haley said, including making what she called needed improvements to the historic 2016 peace agreement with rebels.

Haley said she issued no warnings or ultimatums about coca production in a private meeting with Duque on Tuesday, although Trump's expectations and his threat last year to decertify Colombia as a U.S. partner against drugs hang over the new relationship.

Trump has said that drugs grown in Colombia and other Latin American nations primarily for the U.S. market are a deadly assault on Americans. His administration has slowly rebuilt much of the old "war on drugs" approach to tougher prosecution that the Obama administration considered ineffectual.

Trump's sudden threat to Colombia last fall - which stunned and offended the government of Juan Manuel Santos - came amid frustration that the United States had spent about $10 billion to fight drugs and promote security in Colombia only to see coca production increase, a U.S. official said.

Among the reasons for the coca surge, observers say, is a crop-substitution program tied to Colombia's peace deal that offered incentives to coca farmers to switch to legal crops. Those incentives were so lucrative that some rural dwellers planted more coca to earn more cash. In addition, Colombia in 2015 banned aerial spraying of coca crops after a determination that the herbicide being used could cause cancer in humans.

Colombia analysts said Duque is likely to rely less on passive solutions like crop substitution while bringing back some form of forced eradication through aerial spraying.

Duque and Haley discussed aerial eradication as an option, she said, and the United States is expected to support it. Trump had urged Santos to resume the practice last year.

Duque's ceremony included disparaging references to Santos from the Senate president, a member of Duque's political party. The party also took out a full-page newspaper ad Tuesday listing what it called the failed legacy of the outgoing president, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Duque is also set to become a significant ally in Washington's push for change in Venezuela, Colombia's rapidly collapsing neighbor. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has charged Colombia with being behind an apparent assassination attempt against him Saturday using drones - a charge Colombia has dismissed as ludicrous.

Haley has been among the Trump administration's most vocal critics of the Maduro government, especially on human rights grounds. She plans to visit the Colombia-Venezuela border Wednesday to see where thousands of refugees and day laborers cross into Colombia.

Late Tuesday, a visibly agitated Maduro took to national television to issue his most detailed account of Saturday's apparent assassination attempt and the culprits who Venezuelan authorities believe were behind it. He aired a dramatic video, complete with images of exploding drones allegedly used in the attack and the seeming confessions of captured suspects.

He named a Florida-based Venezuelan exile as the "mastermind" of the operation, and aired an audio recording of him supposedly directing the operation. The attack, Maduro said, had been carried out with the aid of "Colombian oligarchs" and involved the "Grupo Bravo" - an organization he described as Venezuelan civilians and former military men allegedly trained by paramilitary groups in Colombia.

He said his government will review the evidence with the governments of the United States and Colombia and would request the extradition of alleged plot members. "I trust that Trump won't permit people to prepare an assassination against civilian leaders and soldiers in a country like Venezuela from U.S. soil," he said.

- - -

Faiola reported from Miami. Rachelle Krygier in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.
Former Michigan state legislator Rashida Tlaib is poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after winning the Democratic nomination for the 13th District seat previously held by Rep. John Conyers Jr.

With 95.7 percent of precincts reporting from Tuesday's primary, Tlaib led a six-candidate Democratic field with 33.2 percent of the vote in the race for a full two-year term beginning in January. No Republicans ran in the Detroit-centered district, which backed Hillary Clinton by a wide margin in 2016.

Results in a separate special primary to fill the remaining months of Conyers's term through January were too close to call as of Wednesday morning.

Tlaib, a native of southwest Detroit, became the first Muslim woman to serve in Michigan's legislature in 2008. The oldest of 14 children and the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, she was the first in her family to attend college; neither her father, a Ford assembly line worker, nor her mother attended high school.

Tlaib graduated from Wayne State University and Thomas Cooley Law School and worked in the nonprofit world before entering politics.

In August 2016, she was among more than a dozen protesters who made headlines when they interrupted a speech by President Donald Trump to the Detroit Economic Club.

Tlaib later described her reasons for protesting in a Detroit Free Press commentary:

As Trump delivered his speech, "the titles that ran through my mind were: American, parent, Muslim, Arab-American, and woman," Tlaib wrote. "As I thought about my identities, I felt more and more that confronting Trump was the most patriotic and courageous act I could pursue."

She added that it was "heartbreaking" to see her 11-year-old son become increasingly anxious upon hearing from friends about Trump's remarks during the campaign.

"So when I heard Trump was coming to Detroit to speak only a few miles from our home, I couldn't say no when I was offered a ticket to attend his speech," she wrote.

The seat has been empty since Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, stepped down in December amid multiple accusations of sexual harassment. Conyers's downfall was cited as a source of frustration by many of the candidates in the race, including Tlaib, who has said that she would have liked to see an investigation into the allegations rather than a hasty exit by the liberal legend.

Among those running for the seat were Conyers's grandnephew, state Sen. Ian Conyers, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, and Westland Mayor Bill Wild.

A Democratic primary in the November special election for the remaining months of Conyers's term was also held on Tuesday. With 95.7 percent of precincts reporting, Jones held a slight edge over Tlaib in that race, meaning that she is likely to represent the district in Congress for roughly two-and-a-half months before Tlaib begins a full two-year term in January 2019.

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Video: Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in Michigan's 13th Congressional District on Aug. 8. She could become one of the nation's first Muslim congresswomen.(Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)

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4 die in stampede-like situation as lakhs turn up to pay their respects.

People gather to pay their last respects to DMK chief M. Karunanidhi as his cortege passes through the streets of Chennai on Wednesday. DMK leader M.K. Stalin. (Photo: Asian Age)

Chennai: Dravidian icon and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi was laid to rest beside his mentor C.N. Annadurai on Marina Beach on Wednesday evening as lakhs of people turned up to pay their last respects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and chief ministers of Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were in attendance. As were film personalities Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Khushboo among others.

Earlier in the day, when thousands had gathered for a last glimpse of the man lovingly called Kalaignar at Rajaji Hall, at least four people were killed and 35 injured, including a woman constable, in a sudden stampede-like situation.

The stampede happened at around 11.15 am when police was allowing people to enter the hall premises in batches, but several people breached the barricades. A few fell down and were trampled upon in the crush.

Breaks down after the Madras high courts verdict to allow the burial of his father M. Karunanidhi at Marina Beach.

Police used force to bring the situation under control and soon after DMK working president M.K. Stalin appealed to party cadres and the public to keep calm and pay homage to their leader in an orderly, peacefully manner.

Karunanidhis journey from Rajaji Hall to Marina Beach, his final resting place, was marked with emotional scenes. Teary-eyed family members, including his sobbing sons and daughters Stalin, Alagiri, Tamilarasu, Selvi and Kanimozhi  paid floral tributes before the coffin holding his body was lowered into the ground at about 7 pm.

A towering figure of the Dravidian movement and Tamil Nadu politics, Karunanidhi was laid to rest with full state honours.

A 27-gun salute and buglers sounded the last post as his body, draped in tricolour with his trademark black glasses, yellow shawl, white shirt and dhoti on, was brought for burial in an open procession in a military gun carriage from the Rajaji Hall.

In keeping with his rationalist beliefs, Karunanidhis body, kept in a sandalwood casket, was lowered into the earth without any rituals.

The tricolour was removed by military personnel and handed over to Stalin before the coffin was lowered into the ground.

DMK working president Stalin was seen crying inconsolably after touching his fathers feet before the casket was lowered into the grave.

Stalin had wept in the morning too, after the Madras high court, headed by acting Chief Justice H. Ramesh, permitted Karunanidhis burial on Marina Beach.

The order came after a night-long drama over the ruling AIADMKs refusal to give the five-time chief minister space at the beachfront which has memorials to three other former chief ministers, including Anna, MGR and J. Jayalalithaa.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) pays his last respects to Karunanidhi.

Alagiri and Tamilarasu too wept in front of their fathers body inconsolably, while an emotional Kanimozhi gently touched her fathers cheeks for the last time.

Kanimozhis mother Rajathi, Stalins actor-son Udayanidhi, several grandchildren of the late DMK patriarch, besides his nephews Kalanidhi Maran and Dayanidhi Maran, also paid their last respects.

A sea of supporters lined up along the route to get a final glimpse of the departed leader raised slogans expressing their grief and support.

Many in the procession were clad in black shirts and displayed pictures and banners of the late 94-year-old leader who breathed his last at Kauvery hospital Tuesday evening, after battling with illness for 11 days.

The milling crowd became so huge by evening that the procession took a couple of hours to cover the short 2-km journey to his last resting place.

At the Marina, slogans like Kalaignar pugazh vazhga vazhgavey (long live the glory of Karunanidhi) rent the air as the tri-service military personnel lifted the glass casket containing the mortal remains and placed it at the memorial ground for final farewell.

Prime Minister Modi, who flew from Delhi in the morning, laid a wreath on the body at Rajaji Hall and spoke to Stalin and Kanimozhi.

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami, deputy CM Panneerselvam and their Cabinet colleagues also paid their respects.

Karunanidhis body was kept for a couple of hours at his Gopalapuram residence and later at his daughter Kanimozhis CIT Colony residence for public veneration, before being shifted to the Rajaji Hall in the early hours of Wednesday.

There was a complete shutdown in the city and across the state. The government had declared a public holiday as a mark of respect to Karunanidhi.

Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a man who began his political career at the tender age of 14, was buried next to his mentor, Dravidian ideologue and former chief minister, Annadurai at the Marina Beach thats kissed by the Bay of Bengal.

The epitaph on Annadurais samadhi, chosen by Karunanidhi, reads: Edhaiyum thaangum idhayam ingeye urangugiradhu (The brave heart is resting here).
Items have been culled from The Chronicles archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.

1993

Aug. 18: San Francisco Fire Lieutenant Jerry Butler died yesterday of burns suffered Saturday night when a wall of flame blasted through the door of a burning apartment in the Geneva Towers highrise complex in Visitacion Valley. His death, believed to be the first in San Francisco history of a black firefighter, shocked the 1,500-member department. Until early yesterday, the prospects for his recovery seemed bright.

Butler suffered second and third-degree burns over 40 percent of his body when he and other firefighters broke down the door of a third-floor apartment engulfed in flames. Deputy Chief James Olson said a horizontal chimney effect was created when winds up to 40 miles per hour roared through the burning apartment directly into the firefighters faces. Butler was the most seriously burned of seven firefighters. Four remained at the Bothin Burn Center at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital.

Butlers name will be added to those of 138 firefighters killed in the line of duty since 1851. The list is inscribed on a marble wall at the departments headquarters at 260 Golden Gate Avenue. Assistant Chief Bob Demmons recalled going to the hospital on Sunday and talking to Butlers wife Sue Elle, a lawyer. They thought he would pull through. That was the word I kept getting, he said. It really kind of reminds us of the hazards of this profession. I dont know anybody in it who hasnt come close to being killed.

Butler was active in the Black Firefighters Association and often tutored black recruits in his spare time. Eva Paterson, an attorney for the association, remembered that Butler worked hard to keep a sometimes fractious coalition of blacks, Latinos, Asians and women together during the years-long litigation to fully integrate the department.

 Ken Hoover

1968

Aug. 16: The police Tactical Squad appeared destined for a drastic shakeup yesterday. James W. Mailliard III, president of the Police Commission, said he favors abolishing the Tactical Squad as a separate unit. Members of the squad would do routine police duties and be called together only in the case of a riot. While Mailliard was making his comments Deputy Chief Al Nelder confirmed that Troy Dangerfield, a member of the Police Community Relations Bureau, had been in the Haight-Ashbury district on July 18 when the Tactical Squad made an anti-riot sweep. Officer Dangerfield informed his superiors that he was clubbed to the ground before he could identify himself. When he managed to explain that he was a policeman, one burly Tac Squad member was supposed to have snarled, Well you shouldnt be here, while another sneered, Hey, n, what are you doing here?

Already under investigation was the clubbing of a State narcotics agent by two Tac Squad members. One of the two policemen involved in that incident, Elbert Boyd, 32, was arraigned yesterday on other charges in Municipal Court. Boyd and his co-defendant Thomas Dougherty of the Tactical Squad were arrested after at least seven teenagers charged that they had been beaten by off-duty members of the squad. Boyd, who stands six-feet five inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, is charged with using karate chops on a 14-year-old boy who weighs 119 pounds.

 Birney Jarvis

1943

Aug. 13: Dr. Wilton J. Halverson, State director of public health, said today he believes infantile paralysis in California has reached its peak and is now on the downgrade. He warned, however, that all precautions previously recommended for possibly avoiding the disease should continue to be exercised with the utmost care. This includes avoiding crowds, excess fatigue, chilling and overheating. There have been 903 cases so far this year compared with 150 cases for all of 1942. Medical science does not know how infantile paralysis is transmitted, he said, but most workers believe it is by direct transmission from an infected person to a healthy individual.

1918

Aug. 12: Gasper Bernado, a shipyard employee, was perhaps fatally wounded yesterday morning when Mike Grupico, a tailor at 1347 Kearny Street, attacked him at Grant Avenue and Green Street, and after threatening him with a knife drew a revolver and fired seven shots at him. Three bullets took effect in Bernados body. The shooting took place while four friends of Bernado and three friends of Grupico looked on. The police believe it was the work of the Black Hand. At the Central Emergency Hospital Bernado was found to have a bullet wound in the chest, one in his left hip and one in his left arm. At the hospital, Bernado, in a statement to Assistant District Attorney and Detective McGrath, said Grupico sprang at him without warning and bore him to the street. He stood over him for a moment with a knife and threatened to cut off his face. Then he drew the revolver and began shooting. Bernado is being guarded by police for fear the Black Hand will further carry out their plot against him.

Johnny Miller is a freelance writer.
Scientists say California's record wildfires have been fed by an abnormally hot and dry fire season, but the Trump administration continues to insist that there's a culprit to blame other than climate change: environmentalists and their policies.

"Radical environmentalists" should shoulder some of the blame for pushing back against "active forest management," policies that include mechanical thinning and timber harvest to reduce the risks of wildfires, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wrote in an op-ed in USA Today Wednesday.

Zinke is the latest administration official to echo President Donald Trump, who tweeted Monday that the fires that have killed at least seven people and consumed more than 500,000 acres of land, should be blamed on "bad environmental laws." It's an assertion that environmentalists and scientists reject -- especially as his administration works to dismantle international efforts to combat climate change.

"Zinke, like Trump, continues to deny the obvious. It is climate change that is exacerbating wildfire season in the West," said Kirin Kennedy, associate director for lands and water legislative policy at Sierra Club. "The long-term safety of homes, businesses and families in the path of these fires relies on cutting climate pollution -- something wholly at odds with Secretary Zinke's push to drill, mine and frack every possible acre of our parks and public lands."

Trump started blaming environmentalists earlier this week. "Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!" Trump tweeted, apparently referencing an unrelated agricultural dispute involving the amount of water from snow melt in the Sierra's being allowed to flow into the Pacific Ocean to sustain fish populations in rivers rather than being used to irrigate farmland.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross picked up on that theme Wednesday, saying he's directed the National Marine Fisheries Service to "facilitate access to the water needed to fight the ongoing wildfires affecting the state of California."

But California's fire service says there's no shortage of water.

"We have plenty of water to fight these fires," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Monday in a statement tweeted by ABC7 news. It said that two of the biggest fires are near lakes that are being used to obtain water.

Cal Fire had no immediate response to Ross's move on Wednesday.

Michael Mann, a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State, said a key contributor to the worsening wildfires is increased temperatures and drought due to human-caused climate change.

"Trump is trying to eliminate regulations designed to combat human-causedclimate change, and to scuttle international efforts to deal with climate change," Mann said in an email. "So the problem isn't environmental regulations. It's his (and enabling congressional Republicans) efforts to dismantle environmental regulations."

Zinke argued in the opinion piece that when authorities "try to thin forests of dead and dying timber, or we try to sustainably harvest timber from dense and fire-prone areas, we are attacked with frivolous litigation from radical environmentalists who would rather see forests and communities burn than see a logger in the woods."

"The buildup of fuels is the condition we can and must reverse through active forest management like prescribed burns, mechanical thinning and timber harvests," he wrote.

While experts consider forest thinning -- a policy advocated for by the timber industry -- a valid way to reduce the risk of wildfires, many of the fires in California are taking place where thinning already occurred, said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

"The relationship is not as easy as he describes it," Miller said in a phone interview.

On Tuesday, speaking to reporters from his resort in New Jersey, Trump pledged to help protect people in the path of the fires.

"We're deeply grateful to our incredible firefighters and first responders," Trump said. "They're really brave people."

- - -

Bloomberg's Jennifer A. Dlouhy contributed.
CUCUTA, Colombia - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is to blame for his country's economic and humanitarian ruin, and indirectly for a recent drone assassination attempt on him, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley charged Wednesday as she visited a border crossing where newly impoverished Venezuelans stream into Colombia.

Haley announced an additional $9 million in U.S. aid for Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia, atop some $60 million already committed. The money will go for water, medical supplies and other immediate needs, Haley said.

"The Maduro regime is doing this to the Venezuelan people," Haley said.

She spoke at the foot of the Simon Bolivar bridge where about 2,500 Venezuelans cross daily, many of them to receive a hot meal and medical care or to shop for food before returning to Venezuela.

"These are his people, these are the people he should be feeding; these are the people he should be giving medicine to; these are the people he should be giving jobs to and making sure that they have a good quality of life. But instead, he is protecting himself," Haley said.

Haley is one of the Trump administration's fiercest critics of the leftist Venezuelan leader and said she wanted to see the damage he has caused firsthand.

Maduro should leave power, Haley said, but she did not call for any U.S. intervention. Other Latin American nations must step in and apply pressure on Maduro, she said, arguing that if the region gives Maduro the cold shoulder other nations and international organizations will follow suit.

"At some point, Maduro is going to have to be dealt with. I have long said that it's time for Maduro to go," Haley said.

President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of U.S. military action against Maduro, but the official U.S. policy does not call for U.S.-assisted regime change.

Latin America analysts say U.S. pressure such as Haley's border visit may draw international attention to the spreading crisis, but may also play to Maduro's narrative that he and his country are under siege from Washington.

Maduro has blamed Colombia and outside enemies for the alleged assassination attempt Saturday, a charge that both the Colombian and U.S. governments reject as ridiculous.

"He's been full of excuses for years," Haley said of the drone attack on Maduro. "He did this by creating this chaos. "Maduro is the firebrand successor to the late Hugo Chavez and portrays his mission as preserving Chavez's socialist revolution.

"Venezuela will continue on the democratic, independent and socialist path," Maduro said following the foiled drone assault.

Colombia has struggled to cope with the region's largest crush of Venezuelan refugees, estimated at more than 1 million people. New Colombian President Ivan Duque, whose inauguration Haley attended Tuesday, is appealing for more international help.

"You look at this oil-rich country, which everyone used to look to as successful," Haley said of Venezuela, once considered a wealthy and stable Latin American democracy. "And because of Chavez, because of Maduro, we have seen all of that get wiped out."

The Trump administration has slapped three rounds of sanctions on the Maduro government, the latest in May.

Trump is "passionate" about confronting injustice in Venezuela and committed to helping, Haley said.

The U.S. diplomatic push to get other nations to pin the humanitarian crisis on Maduro is not hampered by criticism from some of those same Latin American leaders of Trump's treatment of refugees and migrants at the southern U.S. border, Haley said.

"We haven't gotten any pushback from anyone because they realize we are doing a lot to help the Venezuelan people," Haley said. "What I said to them was, when we were being loud about Venezuela a year ago, they were being quiet. And maybe had they done something we'd be in a different situation."
My party will support NDA nominee. I have conveyed our stand to PM Narendra Modi a few days before he said.

New Delhi: JD(U) leader Harivansh Narain Singh will take on the Congress B.K. Hariprasad in the election for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday.

Odisha CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said his party would extend support to the NDA candidate. The CM made his party's stand clear after returning to Bhubaneswar from Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

My party will support NDA nominee. I have conveyed our stand to PM Narendra Modi a few days before he said. Both the NDA and the Congress-led Opposition had left no stone unturned to woo the wily six-time Odisha CM, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly calling him to seek support. Mr Patnaik, on his part, spent the entire day holed up in Mumbai. Most of his MPs were clueless about his intentions.

If the BJD abstains, it would be advantage Opposition, but if it votes for the NDA candidate and helps him win, it would be taking a definitive side ahead of the 2019 general election, and will send a crucial message to his electorate. The third option of voting for the Opposition candidate has been already ruled out by sources.

Mr Patnaiks party has been fencing with both the BJP and the Congress in Odisha. But as the NDA candidate is from the JD(U) and not the BJP while the Opposition candidate is from the Congress, the balance tilts in favour of the former. However, it might be recalled that in a similar situation, the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had refused to back NDA candidate P.A. Sangma in the 2012 presidential poll, when Pranab Mukherjee was elected. This fact was mentioned in a press statement issued by the BJD on Tuesday.

The election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman is being held after a 20-year gap, and is being seen as a kind of dress rehearsal for the 2019 general election. After Thursdays voting, it will be clear as to which side the non-BJP, non-Congress parties are aligned with. Many parties like the PDP, the BJPs erstwhile partner in Jammu and Kashmir, have decided to abstain. Others like the Aam Aadmi Party, though having pledged their support to the Opposition candidate, have now upped the stakes saying that since it is a Congress candidate, no one other than Rahul Gandhi should call their party chief Arvind Kejriwal to seek support.

The Congress, on its part, is trying very hard to convince Mr Patnaik to at least have the BJD abstain, leaving the room open for a tight contest and a possible win, which would cause huge embarrassment to the government.

The BJP officially claimed it has the support of 126 MPs in a House of 244. But an internal party document said with the BJD on its side, the NDA had 126 votes, but if the BJD abstains, the government falls short by one vote.

In a setback for the Opposition side on Tuesday, the NCP pulled out its candidate after having failed to secure a yes from the Odisha CM. Following this, it was left to the Congress to field a candidate, as it was the largest Opposition party.

D01
An Odessa High School employee has been charged following a sexual assault investigation, according to an Odessa Police Department press release.

Sammy Cruz Martinez, 29, was charged with a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault of a child, an incident that Mike Adkins, Ector ISDs communications officer, described as unacceptable.

Odessa police received a report on July 15 of an alleged sexual assault, according to the OPD release.

The investigation revealed that several inappropriate messages had been sent between Martinez and a 16-year-old male special-needs student. Further investigation revealed that there had been a sexual relationship between the two, according to the release.

OPD identified Martinez as a teachers aide. Adkins said Martinez began working with the district in April 2017.

We are angry to be facing a situation like this again, Adkins said in a statement. The safety of our students is our highest priority. We want to remind our community that we take great strides to hire great people -- our hiring requires a criminal background check, via fingerprinting. Drug testing is required, as are checks of previous employment. We place a very heavy emphasis on ethics training. We require face-to-face and online training for all employees, and multiple times per year. We give special focus to sessions on inappropriate relationships between educators and students. We set very clear expectations for our staff.

We have incredible people in ECISD, he said. This situation denigrates the work being done by thousands of others who are teaching, encouraging and inspiring kids every day. We do not want to forget their work. At the same time, we want to assure our community we will help the police and the family in any way we can. An incident like this is unacceptable.

Martinez was arrested Wednesday morning by Ector County ISD police, according to the release. If convicted of the second-degree felony charge, he could face up to 20 years imprisonment.






Pakistans defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years.

Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RFs (Russian Federation) Training Institutes, the ministry said.

Islamabad: For the first time, Pakistani soldiers will undergo training at Russian military institutes after the two countries signed an agreement related to it, in a sign of further strengthening their defence ties amid Islamabads increasingly uneasy relations with the United States.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC)  the highest forum of their defence collaboration, according to Pakistans defence ministry.

Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RFs (Russian Federation) Training Institutes, the ministry said.

The Russian side was led by deputy defence minister Col. Gen. Alexander V. Fomin, and Lt. Gen (retd) Zamir ul Hassan Shah, secretary defence, led the Pakistani delegation.

Pakistans defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed Friendship.

D01
A San Antonio car shop owner accused of killing his business associate in 2015 pleaded not guilty as his murder trial opened Wednesday.

David James Gomez, 49, was arrested in November, more than two years after Isaias Flores, 42, died from a gunshot wound to the torso after the two men allegedly argued.

San Antonio police said at the time of Gomezs arrest, he called in a report on April 7, 2015, the night of the killing, that someone was on the way to the Mercedes Service shop in the 900 block of Bitters Road on the North Side to cause harm.

As authorities were on the way to the scene, Gomez again called police to say that he shot the man in self-defense inside the business.

When police and emergency responders arrived, Gomez walked outside the business, flagged officers and told them he had just shot the victim, who was still inside, according to video of the crime scene that was shown to the jury.

Self-defense is not a shield you stand behind when you commit murder, prosecutor Stephanie Franco told the jury in her opening statement.

She pointed out that Gomez told detectives on the scene that Flores, also known as Isaac, was so mad, his face was so red, that he had to shoot. When asked if Flores was armed, Gomez responded, No.

Gomez and Flores had been business partners for about three years in 2015, hauling fracking sand to the Eagle Ford Shale, and Flores wanted out because Gomez allegedly hired a driver that Flores did not like, Franco said.

She told the panel text messages between the men leading up to the killing indicated Flores wanted to get out of the business, but Gomez wanted him to stay. Although Gomez said some of the exchanges were threatening, Franco disagreed.

Franco told the panel they would hear from witnesses who heard increasingly embellished stories from Gomez about how the incident occurred.

Why would he need to keep changing his story to make it bigger and bolder, Franco said.

In his opening statement, defense attorney George Shaffer told the jury the evidence would clearly show that what happened was not murder, but an act done in self-defense.

The evidence will show Isaias was in an uncontrollable rage, he told the panel. He physically attacked and assaulted David. David tried to get away when he (Flores) tried to come over the desk, and David thought, If I dont defend myself, hes going to take this gun away from me. Ill be killed in my office with my own gun.

The case is being heard in Felony Impact Court, presided by Visiting Judge Dick Alcala.

If convicted, Gomez faces five to 99 years or life in prison.

Elizabeth Zavala is a courts and crime reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
She was facing flak for spouses alleged role in matter.

Patna: Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma, who has been facing criticism for the alleged role of her husband, Chandeshwar Verma, in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, submitted a resignation from her post on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters on the issue after her resignation, she said, I resigned because Opposition parties wanted me to step down on moral grounds, but I am confident that my husband has nothing to do with the case.

Opposition parties have been blaming Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for shielding political leaders including Ms Verma.

Besides the RJD, two prominent BJP leaders from Bihar  C.P. Thakur and Gopal Narayan Singh had also joined the fray in demanding her resignation for links with the shelter home case.

JD (U) insiders told this newspaper that Mr Kumar spoke to Ms Verma on Wednesday and asked her to submit resignation after the main accused Brajesh Thakur, in a statement, accepted that he had talked to her husband on the phone.

Sources claim that analysis of call data records (CDR) had revealed that her husband Chandeshwar Verma was in touch with Thakur, who was running the shelter home. Sources claim that the ministers husband spoke to Thakur around 17 times.

Ms Verma, however, dismissed the allegation, saying, The CDR should be made public to show how many more people used to talk with Thakur. My husband is a political worker, and the Opposition targeted him to harm my political image.

There are allegations that Chandeshwar Verma used to visit the shelter home frequently. His name surfaced for the first time after Sheeba Kumari, the wife of one of accused who was arrested by the police in connection with the case, claimed that he used to visit the upper level of the shelter home alone.

Mr Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had earlier ruled out the resignation of Ms Verma, calling the allegations against her baseless.

The state government will not spare anyone who has been involved in the case. Now since Verma has resigned from her post, the Opposition has no moral right to raise questions on the good governance policy of the government. Inste-ad, it should now sack RJD MLA Rajballabh Yadav, who is accused of raping a minor girl, JD (U) spokes-person Neeraj Kumar said.
I recently heard a quote from Gertrude Stein when asked about Oakland, Calif., where she was raised in the 19th century. There is no there there, she wrote in Everybodys Autobiography.

The Oakland of that time was nondescript. It lacked a sense of place.

This is the impression most people have upon leaving the Alamo. The question that is at the heart of the issue of the Alamos reimagining is  how is this sense of place best achieved?

All around the Alamo are myriad other places whose kitschy carnival presence or looming heights are bleeding into the plaza. Add to that cars, buses, preachers, raspa vendors, etc., and you have a perfect storm of visitor distraction.

As a retired University of Texas at San Antonio faculty member, I believe that the reimagining should include the requirements for an open-air classroom. That means eliminating as many of the above distractions as possible.

Also, as a lifelong San Antonio resident of 64 years, visiting the Alamo has always meant the church and Long Barrack. My opinion, therefore, is that the remaining original structures of the mission/fort must be the predominant focus of the space. With accommodations made for Fiesta floats, the closing of Alamo and Houston streets to everyday traffic is essential to this end.

I propose that moving the Cenotaph is also necessary. The most appropriate headstone for the defenders is the site itself. The idea of the Cenotaph being a tomb started with the urban legend that the remains of the defenders were actually interred in the Cenotaph. This was never true.

The Cenotaph is twice the height of the Alamo church and at least three times that of the Long Barrack. It is a meaningful tribute, but because of its size it commands more attention than the remaining original structures. The Cenotaph deserves its own prominent space outside the original Alamo footprint, where we now know it was originally planned to be located.

The state-owned buildings across Alamo Street present a more difficult issue. While the idea that historical priorities might some day change to favor these structures over the World Heritage Site opposite them is a little absurd, they too are historic structures that do provide an enclosure of appropriate human scale that can contribute to providing the sense of place that is desired. And in creating that sense of place, we establish the foundation for a satisfying and inspirational educational experience.

Exactly what visitors to a World Heritage Site expect to find.

Michael Richter is a retired lecturer in the Department of Music at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Along with the structure of the mosque, its embellishments too reveal a Persian aesthetic.

Nestled within a maze of narrow, lacklustre lanes in Dongri, The Mughal Masjid, or Masjid-e-Iranian is testimony to the grandeur of Persian architecture. The mammoth structure hits you like a bolt out of the blue, literally, because a mesmerizing mosaic of blue tiles covers its entire facade. From an airy sky blue to a rich navy, the entire spectrum of blue shades splash across the walls. People have a wrong impression that the mosque was built by the Mughals. However, it was actually built by a rich Iranian merchant called Haji Mohammad Hussain Shirazi, reveals Lubna Rafiq, who works as a research associate at on online museum and is heading the Mughal Masjid tour, organized by Sahapedia Heritage Walks.

Hailed as one of the oldest receptacles of Iranian culture in the city, the mosque, which was constructed in the 1860s, was built to offer displaced Iranians a place to practice their religion. Because of a drought, a lot of Iranians left their homes and migrated to other parts of the world. Many from the Shia community, who belong to the Ithna Ashariyyah sect came to Bombay and settled in the Bhendi Bazaar area, says Lubna. The masjid was built with the help of donations given by other wealthy Iranian traders and merchants who came to the city to carry out business. Because of its strong Persian connect, the architecture of this mosque is strikingly different from the Indo-Islamic architectural motifs in other mosques across the city. Whats special about this masjid is that it mimics architectural details seen in masjids in Iran. For example, this mosque has no gumbaz, or dome, and has only two minarets, Lubna points out.

Entrance to the main prayer hall

Along with the structure of the mosque, its embellishments too reveal a Persian aesthetic. If you looks closely, youll see that the steps leading up to the prayer hall have Iranian poems inscribed on them. Plus, the chandeliers and carpets inside the prayer hall, and the blue tiles that cover the mosque have all been imported from Iran, Lubna discloses. The masjid also has fine examples of Islamic calligraphy, which can be spotted on the minarets, above the entrance archway and in the prayer hall, where verses from the Quran have been relayed in ancient calligraphic scripts. The symmetrical designs and geometric patterns that dot the walls are an important feature of Islamic architecture, informs Lubna.

While women cannot enter the main prayer hall, they can visit the adjoining one that has been specially constructed for them. It is one of the few mosques that have such a section. When you go to Hajj, both men and women pray at the Kaaba. So people thought, why not have a section for women to pray here? But the sections are totally separate, so men and women never mingle, says Lubna. The insides of both prayer halls have ornate ceilings, opulent chandeliers and luxurious carpets. However, while the main prayer hall contains the Mihrab (a niche that indicates the direction of the Kaaba) and the minbar, (podium from which an Imam preaches) the womens section contains just the minbar, as it is located right behind the main prayer hall.

Blackboard surrounded by designs

Outside, a massive rectangular pond, or hauz, functions as the centrepiece of the courtyard one finds drinking water stations, stone benches and verdant trees all around. This is a very special place for people belonging to the Shia community, says Lubna. If you visit this place during Muharram, more than two lakh people congregate here to perform rituals, she adds.

Islamic calligraphy on titles

The mosque is truly a sight to behold, not just as a place of beauty, but also as place that manifests that which keeps us all going  faith.
A north Longford man who died five months after being knocked down and critically injured by a police vehicle in Canada last week, has been remembered as a brilliant academic and someone who left an indelible impression on all who crossed his path.

Mullinalaghta man Brendan Keogh (29), of Cullenmore, Dring, Co Longford tragically passed away last Wednesday morning (August 1), almost five months to the day since the much admired former Cnoc Mhuire student sustained serious injuries following an incident in Squamish, north of Vancouver.

Mr Keogh had been walking along the intersection of Highway 99 and Garibaldi Way of the British Columbian provincial town when he was struck by an unmarked police SUV.

ALSO READ: Longford man dies four months after being knocked down by police vehicle in Canada

The officer, attached to the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Services, had been on duty at the time.

That resulted in Canadian police watchdog The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) launching an investigation into the circumstances behind the incident.

The former Dundalk IT student's parents Kevin and Marian, and two sisters, Niamh and Aine, flew out to Canada to be by his side, while back at home, two prayer services were held in Mullinalaghta's St Columba's Church.

Mr Keogh had been living in the Canadian province of British Columbia for a year and had been working at local bar and restaurant the Howe Sound Inn up until the time of the incident.

The well liked and much respected north Longfordian was flown home to Ireland a number of weeks later where, it was hoped, he would continue his rehabilitation.

News of his passing, however, has been greeted with shock and much anguish within the tight knit community of Mullinalaghta.

"It's very sad to hear that Brendan has passed away," said local Cllr PJ Reilly.

"It's very tough on his parents Kevin and Marian and two sisters as it is for the local community."

Mourners came from near and far to pay their respects to Mr Keogh both at Our Lady's Manor Nursing Home, Edgeworthstown last Saturday and for his Funeral Mass the following day at St Columba's Church.

In his weekly contribution to the local notes section of the Leader, Mullinalaghta correspondent DP Finnegan told of how many would invariably choose to remember their well respected fellow Longfordian.

A quiet spoken individual, with a keen interest in photography and drama, Brendan was a past pupil of St. Columba's NS and Cnoc Mhuire, Granard, wrote Mr Finnegan.

He subsequently attended the College of Further Studies, Cavan and Dundalk IT.

2A high achiever and brilliant academic he studied Film Production graduating with a First Class Honours Degree.

Prior to his accident he achieved a position editing films. Sadly it was not meant for him to pursue his chosen career. He was popular with all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Mr Keogh's family have also expressed their gratitude to Vancouver General Hospital, Cavan General Hospital and the Mater Hospital, Dublin for the care they afforded him since the accident.

Similar appreciation was also directed to all those who attended Mr Keoghs funeral and offered their support to the family in the days since his untimely passing last week.

The late Brendan Keogh is survived by his loving parents, Marian and Kevin, sisters Niamh and Aine, brother-in-law Colm, uncles, aunts, cousins and a large circle of friends.
Following the recent announcement of the closure of a number of rural post offices, it appears the west of the country is in for the biggest elimination after it was confirmed 161 postmasters in the region have been granted voluntary redundancy.

An Post said the 161 postmasters' offices, from among a network of 1,111, were now "likely" to close with the announcement coming on the back of a leaked document - containing a portion of those taking the redundancy - showed how rural areas in the west were particularly exposed in comparison to eastern areas.

ALSO READ: Longford Cllr wants government to intervene in threatened Post Office closures

Here in Co Longford, Carrickboy and Cloonagh post offices will close after their postmasters availed of the voluntary redundancy on offer.

Cllr Mick Cahill (FF) said that the closure of Carrickboy Post Office was yet another indication of the way in which the Government was continuing to erode services from rural Ireland.

The closure of Carrickboy Post Office is a serious blow to the community; it has provided a great service for a long number of years, but the job is labour intensive and with the change in commerce and business these days, it appears to me that these closures are part of what is now a natural shift, he added.

Meanwhile, An Post said communities of more than 500 people would have a post office and that 95% of the population would be within 15km of at least one post office. All island post offices are being retained.

Needless to say, the move has sparked concern among rural representatives about the impact closures will have, especially in isolated areas.

I cant support the removal of rural services and something needs to be done to make rural services, including post offices, viable, Cllr Cahill continued.

The local councillor went on to say that post offices were part of the very fabric of rural life and their closure was just a small example of how rural services were being eroded away altogether.

Rural services need to be supported and older people need services close to them, the local area representative in Colehill explained.

Now older people in rural Ireland will find themselves having to travel long distances just to get to the nearest post office.

Deputy, Robert Troy, a postmaster himself said that his colleagues who opted to take the redundancy package have been absolutely entitled to do so.

They have given years of fantastic service to their local communities; however An Post and the Government cannot be allowed to use these redundancies as a smokescreen to close the post offices, he added.

This would constitute a direct attack on these communities and on rural Ireland.

As a postmaster in my local community, I am keenly aware of the pressures faced in keeping rural post offices open. Under the current system the business is simply not there in many areas. This is why I have been advocating for some time that greater services need to be offered as part of the An Post network.

Taking away the State harp from over the door signals the States withdrawal from the village and effectively tells people that the State no longer sees that village as a viable place to live and work.

There is a domino effect when it comes to the removal of State services from villages and rural towns.

Longford town's Cllr Joe Flaherty said An Post was well aware of its obligations and responsibilities to rural Ireland, but was simply choosing to walk away from them.

According to An Post's annual report, 76% of the population are using the Post Office, he added.

Name any other local business that can say three out of every four people are availing of their services?

An Post makes no secret of the fact that their future plans are modelled on the German Deutsche Post and other European models that have also been allowed to turn their backs on rural communities.

Once again rural Longford is set to lose further services and pay the price in the shameful march towards even greater profits.

An Post made a profit of 12.4m in 2017 as against a loss of 8.4m in 2016.

This is one of the few companies that are actually profiting on the back of online shopping. Parcel business was up 30% in 2017 and will certainly continue to grow. An Post is the preferred delivery partner for Amazon and DHL.
It's festival season in Longford and Ardagh village is the place to be this weekend for two days of magic and mythology.

Creative Ardagh will be hosting a unique storytelling and mythology event this August 11 and 12.

The first storytelling festival of its kind in the Midlands, Scealta Beo will have a diverse programme for adults, teens and families, including workshops and performances.

Some of the panel of international storytellers and mythology experts have been working on new pieces on the local legend of Midir and Etain especially for their appearances.

The wordsmiths have been hammering out the story with their unique skills and from their different perspectives of poetry, archaeology and story performance for months.

After the planning and polishing, Creative Ardagh can finally announce that tickets are on sale for this amazing event.

Thanks to the support of Creative Ireland's Longford Committee the organisers are able to offer this event at the low cost of 10 per adult for one day or 15 for both days (children are free on Sunday, but must be accompanied by an adult).

Tickets for the adults only concert on Saturday night cost 15 or you can get a combination day/evening ticket for 20. Or, if you won't be able to get enough, you can come to all events for 30.

Saturday will be an adult-focused day, as the explorations of some of the themes of the legend are not suitable for younger ears.

John Wilmott of Bards in the Woods (Co Sligo) will set the scene for the Festival at 12pm on Saturday with a prequel of the folklore, landscape and mystery that fed into the Etain and Midir story.

This will be followed by the story of the Three Etains by Gerry Donlon of Bards Aloud (Ipswich) and Kate Corkery (London).

A fascinating examination of morals, impulse control and consequences, performed by celebrated storytellers, it promises to enchant and entertain.

Kate Corkery is a professional storyteller with a background in language teaching and theatre.

Storyteller in Residence at the Irish Cultural Centre, she has toured internationally telling stories in China, Russia and South America as well as appearing in many European festivals.

She won a Fringe First Award for her outstanding work in regenerating the art of storytelling in today's society.

The Creative Ardagh crew are honoured to have her attend the inaugural Scealta Beo festival.

Scealta Beo means living stories and Kate's workshop, Bringing Stories to Life, will examine storytelling techniques and allow participants to use their own voice and tell their own tale.

The day programme for Saturday will conclude with a presentation on the tasks of Midir by Story Archaeology duo Chris Thompson and Isolde Carmody (Co Leitrim).

Creative Ardagh are incredibly happy to be able to welcome them both to the village, as they offer a unparalleled insight into the depth of the original text and its local connections.

With their usual mix of performance and banter, based on close analysis of the text, they will focus on the wide variety of feats and challenges undertaken in the long and complicated Wooing of Etain and explore the mystery of the causeway over Moin Lamraige built in secret by Midir and its counterpart, the remains of the Iron Age causeway uncovered at Corlea Bog near Kenagh, Co Longford.

A special adult only concert will be held on Saturday 11, at 7.30pm, featuring all of our guests. This promises to be the highlight of the festival with a mix of story, song, poem, magic and mystery.

Gerry Donlon and Kate Corkery have been planning a joint performance, Chris Thompson will present an engaging, detective style look at the Mystery of Midir, while Bards in the Woods team, John Wilmott and Claire Roche, will dazzle with their unique blend of harp music, storytelling, poetry and more.

There are limited tickets available for this online at http://scealtabeo.blogspot.ie.

The special family day on Sunday will have something for all ages.

Sign up for the Open Mic session at 12pm Sunday on the website and perform your own story, song or poem to the audience (children and adults welcome).

Chris Thompson will enthral with her Warriors and Wizards Family Show at 2pm.

There will also be family storytelling sessions featuring Kate Corkery and Bards Aloud throughout the day while John Wilmott will teach the craft or storytelling at adult and children's Find Your Story workshops all building to a special finale.

Come along with all the family for a spectacular day of magic, myth, dressing up, drama and more.

The weekend promises to be an extremely memorable occasion.
Local News, Crime, Business & Finance, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 08 2018

Hanawalt takes the helm of a Bureau that has long been a driving force behind critical financial industry reforms on behalf of investors.

New York, NY - August 8, 2018 - Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood today announced the appointment of Cynthia Hanawalt as Chief of the Investor Protection Bureau for the Office of the New York Attorney General. Ms. Hanawalt has been leading the Bureaus enforcement work as Enforcement Section Chief, and brings significant private sector experience prosecuting and defending complex securities matters. She takes the helm of a Bureau that has long been a driving force behind critical financial industry reforms on behalf of investors.

As Enforcement Section Chief, Cynthia played a critical role in many of the Bureaus victories  including the teams recovery of $772 million on behalf of New York investors, said Attorney General Underwood. I am confident Cynthia will continue the Investor Protection Bureaus vital work protecting everyday investors and the integrity of our markets.

Investor Protection Bureau Chief Cynthia Hanawalt said, I am honored to accept this appointment from Attorney General Underwood. Amidst federal retreat and Congressional attacks on the state laws protecting our citizens, there could not be a more important moment for energetic state securities work. We are fighting for New Yorkers financial security on all fronts, from classic abuses like Ponzi schemes and fee overcharges to the evolving risks to the public in trading cryptocurrency.

Cynthia Hanawalt joined the Office of the Attorney General in 2017, to serve as Enforcement Section Chief of the Investor Protection Bureau. In that role, she led the enforcement team to groundbreaking resolutions in electronic trading and the mutual fund industry, and to the recovery of hundreds of millions in housing relief for New Yorkers, as well as the development of an active pipeline of innovative new investigations.

Previously, Ms. Hanawalt was a Partner at the boutique securities firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP, where she represented institutional investors seeking to recover losses and improve the fairness and transparency of financial markets through strategic litigation. She started her legal career as an associate at McKee Nelson LLP, defending clients in federal and state securities matters. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and Duke University, where she received the Griffith University Service Award.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 08 2018

Defendants Aided and Abetted Co-Conspirators Who Shot and Paralyzed a 16-year-old Suspected Rival Gang Member.

Queens, NY - August 8, 2018 - Earlier today, Melvi Amador-Rios, Santos Amador-Rios, Yan Carlos Ramirez and Antonio Salvador were charged in a four-count indictment with assault, murder conspiracy and attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering, along with a related firearms offense. The defendants were arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Marilyn D. Go at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James P. ONeill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the indictment.

As alleged, the defendants are members of MS-13, an international gang known for its culture of violence and murder, stated United States Attorney Donoghue. They used their positions to direct, instruct and assist lower-level gang members to shoot and kill a suspected rival on the streets of Jamaica, Queens. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who spread fear in our communities by participating in such acts of violence. Mr. Donoghue thanked the Queens District Attorneys Office for its assistance in the investigation.

Since January 2016, the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Forces in Queens and Long Island have arrested more than 45 of the most violent MS-13 members in the area and charged them with murder, attempted murder, arson, and assault, stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. Todays operation is a continuation of this coordinated and sustained effort. The task force will not stand by while this gang engages in meaningless violence in an attempt to use fear to poison and control our communities.

Through close collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the FBI and the Eastern District of New York, the NYPD will continue to conduct aggressive, precisely-directed investigations into criminal groups like this, stated NYPD Commissioner ONeill. Such cases result in strong indictments that ultimately send these criminals to prison. And this important work stanches the violence  which is an essential step toward healing gang-plagued communities and fulfilling our duty to work with and protect all New Yorkers, in every neighborhood.

According to court filings, the defendants are members of the La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Melvi Amador-Rios is the leader of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas (CLS) clique of MS-13, which operates in Jamaica, Queens. On October 22, 2016, Amador-Rios directed a low-level CLS member, known as a chequeo, to obtain a firearm from his brother, Santos Amador-Rios, and use the firearm to murder a rival gang member. The CLS chequeo obtained the firearm and enlisted two other CLS chequeos to assist in the murder. Yan Carlos Ramirez and Antonio Salvador instructed the three CLS chequeos how to use the firearm to carry out the murder. During the early morning hours of October 23, 2016, in Jamaica, Queens, the three CLS chequeos confronted the suspected member of the rival 18th Street gang, beat the victim and shot him in the head. The victim survived the attack, but is now a paraplegic.

Todays indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent international criminal organization. The MS-13s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including the FBIs Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.

The governments case is being handled by the Offices Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia E. Moore and Nadia I. Shihata are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendants:

MELVI AMADOR-RIOS (also known as Letal and Pinky), Age: 27, Briarwood, New York

SANTOS AMADOR-RIOS (also known as Rayo), Age: 31, Jamaica, New York

YAN CARLOS RAMIREZ (also known as Demente), Age: 28, Jamaica, New York

ANTONIO SALVADOR (also known as Pantro), Age: 30, Jamaica, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-398 (RRM)
Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 08 2018

Funding for these projects comes from a $24 million capital fund appropriation for the renovation and construction of New Yorks libraries in the 2017-18 State Budget.

Long Island, NY - August 8, 2018 - Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,Ref- Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,Ref- Glen Head ) is pleased to announce 230 construction projects have been approved by the New York State Library and the New York State Education Department for libraries across the state of New York. Funding for these projects comes from a $24 million capital fund appropriation for the renovation and construction of New Yorks libraries in the 2017-18 State Budget. The 15th Assembly District will see nearly $220,000 toward construction on the Bethpage Public Library, Hicksville Free Public Library and the Locust Valley Library.

Libraries provide so much more than books to our communities, said Montesano. They provide the opportunity to escape reality and dive headfirst into a world of wonder, fantasy, romance and thrilling adventures. Libraries also bring our communities together through classes, events and other programs offered for people of all ages. I am so excited to see three of our local libraries the fund for needed repairs in order to ensure they will continue to serve our communities for many years to come.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 08 2018

Nearly 100 Additional Jobs Created Under Governor Cuomos At Risk Youth Initiative on Long Island.

Suffolk County, NY - August 8, 2018 - Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced nearly 900 students participated in Suffolk Countys Summer Youth Employment Program, an increase of approximately 100 students from the previous year due to additional funding provided by New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to divert at-risk youth from gang activity. The Summer Youth Employment Program has been in existence for over 50 years in Suffolk County and provides economically disadvantaged and at-risk youth from across the county with first-time work experience.

It is critical that we keep our students engaged during the summer months and provide them with the tools necessary to succeed, said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. This program allows participants to not only earn a wage but to gain experience to put on a resume, develop a strong work ethic and desire to succeed, and attain skills that will prepare them for joining the workforce once their education is completed. I applaud Governor Cuomo for his leadership and providing the additional funding necessary to be able to serve a greater number of students.

New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Samuel D. Roberts said: Through Governor Cuomos leadership, the state has taken a dynamic approach to combatting gang violence across the state, especially on Long Island, by providing at-risk youth with the opportunities and supportive services they need to succeed. I applaud the Governor and my partners on the local level on prioritizing this initiative and giving children of Long Island a chance at a better tomorrow.

Suffolk County Legislator Monica Martinez said: As a Suffolk County Legislator, it is my pleasure to not only support but continue expanding the summer youth employment program. As adults, we need to provide our youth with an opportunity to work so they may build valuable skills, essential employment experience, and develop a sense of professionalism to propel them into being productive members of society. The summer youth employment program not only gives students the understanding and value of money, but it also gives them a sense of what it means to go out and work on a daily basis and to take care of ones self and family.

Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, Brentwood Union Free School District said: "These summer jobs represent more than a paycheck for our youth; they represent a chance to learn important career skills, explore new fields, give back to their community and save for school supplies. We are thankful that the Governor and County Executive have continued to invest in our students by creating more opportunities for our young people to earn while they learn during the summer months."

The Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs received $1.6 million in funding from New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to help run the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). An additional $150,000 in funding was made available to supplement the program as part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomos multi-agency plan to reduce gang violence and divert at risk youth away from gang activity. The supplemental funding allowed the program to serve 76 additional youth participants. The additional jobs for at risk youth focused on the communities of Wyandanch Brentwood and Bellport

The purpose of the Summer Youth Employment Program is to provide young adults from economically disadvantaged homes and at risk youth, ranging in age from 14 to 21, with the tools and framework necessary for success in their future career paths. This year the program has employed 888 young adults from all across the County. The young workers are working at 75 different worksites including school districts, not for profit organizations and County agencies. The youth workers are working in various seasonal positions such as custodial aides, camp counselors, food service aides, clerical aides and teacher aides.

All of the youth working are paid $11 an hour and work 25 hours per week. This year the program runs from July 2, 2018 to August 17, 2018, with Brentwood School District being the exception, running from June 25, 2018 to August 10, 2018. Applications for the program open at the end of April and applications are readily available for eligible students at various school districts and the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs.

In order to be eligible for the Summer Youth Employment Program, a participants family income must be below the 200% federal poverty level. Automatic eligibility is given to families collecting any sort of Public Assistance including cash grant, food stamps, Medicaid, SSI or HEAP.

Out of the 888 youth employed, 772 jobs were created through the summer Temporary Assistance To Needy Family (TANF) program, 76 jobs were created through the Governors Office for Gang Prevention, and 40 jobs were created through the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The strategy to be followed by government in challenging HC verdict will be discussed with the counsel of the department in a meeting today.

'Delhi government will challenge the verdict through a special leave petition in the Supreme Court,' Rai told reporters. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The AAP government will challenge the Delhi High Court verdict that quashed its notification on revision of minimum wages for workers, Labour minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.

In its August 4 verdict, the court scrapped the Delhi government's much-touted March 2017 order revising the minimum wages for all classes of workmen in scheduled employment, saying the "hurried" decision was taken without hearing the employers or employees who would be affected and was violation of the Constitution.

In a meeting with officers his department, Rai reviewed the court order.

"Delhi government will challenge the verdict through a special leave petition in the Supreme Court," Rai told reporters.

The strategy to be followed by the government in challenging the High Court verdict will be discussed with the counsel of the department in a meeting on Tuesday, he said.

The minister claimed that the order impacts the interests of around 50-60 lakh employees, and said opinion of the trade unions will also be sought on the issue through a meeting with them on August 9.

The government will also explore administrative ways to find a solution, he said.

In its 218-page verdict, the High Court had also set aside the September 2016 notification by which a Minimum Wages Advisory Committee for all scheduled employments was set up, saying that its constitution was "completely flawed".

Rai said a study of court verdict showed that the court raised two points- the decision was made hurriedly and the constitution of the committee was flawed- which were "not that strong".

"The court has not, however, commented on the formula used by us to hike the minimum wages," he said.

The minister claimed that the notification was issued after the revision of wages was deliberated in at least 17 meetings of two committees over a period of over a year.

The committee which recommended revised wages was similar in constitution to a committee that had been formed for revision of dearness allowance (DA), he said.
Fred Miller claimed victory over Steve Bieda early Wednesday morning in the hotly contested race for the Democratic nomination for Macomb County clerk and register of deeds.

Final unofficial tallies posted after 4 a.m. showed Miller receiving 33.5 percent of the vote for the right to advance to the November to face the winning Republican while Bieda got 30.8. In a distant third was Cynthia Konal with 14.1 percent.

Miller will be considered the favorite when the winner faces the Republican primary winner, newcomer Lisa Sinclair. Sinclair, a nurse, with 17.7 percent of the vote outlasted a field of 11 candidates, including former county commissioners James Perna with 13.9 percent and Nicholyn Nikki Brandenburg with 12.9 percent, in second and third place, respectively.

In all, 17 candidates were seeking to fill the final two years of the term of ousted Republican clerk Karen Spranger following her controversial 15-month tenure.

Miller of Mount Clemens, is a former county commissioner who currently works as the deputy treasurer in Oakland County. He was the Democratic nominee in 2016 but suffered a stunning defeat to Warren Republican Karen Spranger, who was removed from office earlier this year when a judge determined she misrepresented her residency.

Sinclair, 42, of Harrison Township, is an emergency-room nurse at Sinai-Grace Hospital in the Detroit Medical Center but also has a political background. She was a communications specialist and legislative aide for the Michigan Senate Republicans from 1998 to 2008.

In the second countywide primary, County Executive Mark Hackel, as expected, breezed to an easy victory over Democrat Arnold Simkus. Hackel will be a heavy favorite in November against Republican Joseph Hunt, a Warren gadfly and Sprangers former campaign manager, who was defeated Norman Golembiewski of Sterling Heights.

Joe Bindeman of Mount Clemens said he voted for Hunt because he read a story about him and the answers he gave to the questions were clear and pretty straight forward.

In the only primary for the Macomb County Board of Commissioners that didnt include an incumbent, longtime politician Harold Haugh of Roseville won the Democratic primary in the 11th district and the right to face Republican winner Joe Salvaggio in November. Current Commissioner Kathy Tocco declined to run in favor of running for 39th District Court judge in Roseville and Fraser.

In the remaining 12 board races, all of the incumbents advanced to November.

The county race that drew the most attention featured Bieda and Miller, each representing a faction of the split Macomb County Democratic Party. Bieda has been term-limited out his state offices after serving nearly eight years as a state senator and six years as a state representative. Miller was seeking the clerk post a second time after Spranger defeated him by less than 1,000 votes.

Bieda and Miller each spent a great deal of money as they poured literature into county residents mailboxes for many weeks. Bieda  backed by Hackel, Sheriff Anthony Wickersham and Prosecutor Eric Smith  criticized Miller for his ties to the secretive Mount Clemens-based Philip A. Hart Democratic Club, which spent tens of thousands of dollars on Millers behalf and raised nearly $2 million in less than two years from hundreds of Bingo nights at a Warren hall.

Phil Hart-funded literature criticized Bieda for accepting $16,000 from lobbyists during his nearly 14 years in state office and for errors in his campaign fundraising in his abated run for Congress.

Bieda dropped out of the race to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Sander Levin after realizing he had an uphill battle against Levins son, Andy.

Bieda and Hackel also accused Miller of trying to rig the election in 2016 by colluding with former long-time clerk Carmella Sabaugh, who insisted she would run again but withdrew at the last moment in a maneuver designed to help Miller.

Tom Wilson, an artist from Clinton Township, said he voted for Miller.

I have friends who know him and trust him, Wilson said. I trust them.

On the Republican side, John Zupanc of Mount Clemens voted for Julie Williams for county clerk.

Shes another good person, Zupanc said. I just happened to run into her and we talked for about 20 minutes. She really wants to do something and seems like the kind of person who is getting into public service for that reason, to get things done.

In a contested county board race, the 13th District, which features most of Macomb Township, incumbent Republican Leon Drolet overcame a strong effort by retired sheriffs deputy Charles Missig, winning by a margin of 57.7 percent to 37.7 percent. Drolet will be challenged by lone Democrat Joanne Recchia in November.

In the second districts Republican primary in Warren and Center Line, Gary Boike was defeating K.G. Wittbrodt for the right to face incumbent Democrat Marvin Sauger, who was unopposed. Boike led by a 75.1 to 24.9 percent margin, with 96.2 percent of the precincts tabulated.

In the fourth district in Sterling Heights, incumbent Joseph Romano was thwarting a challenge from former councilman Paul Smith as well as Steven Bahoura, with Romano collecting 59.4 percent, Smith receiving 32.6 percent and Bahoura drawing 8 percent. Romano in November will face Carole Chi, who ran unopposed.

In the eighth district in Chesterfield and Lenox townships, the city of New Baltimore and the village of New Haven, James Munroe defeated Kurt Kramer by only 81 votes for the Democratic nomination and right to face incumbent Republican Phil Kraft, who ran unopposed. Munroe received 50.8 percent compared to 49.1 percent for Kramer.

In the ninth district, which includes Clinton Township, Mount Clemens and a small part of Macomb Township, incumbent Democrat Elizabeth Lucido was knocking down challenges from Democrats Matt Wojick and Rodney Tolbert, who collected 23.1 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively, compared to Lucidos 59.6 percent, with 48.3 percent of the precincts reporting. If the results hold up, Lucido will face lone Republican candidate Kurt Broadbridge, who ran unopposed.

In the 11th district, Haugh, a former three-term state representative and Roseville mayor and councilman, had 48.2 percent of the vote while fellow Democrats Charles Frontera had 29.7 percent and Fred Barbret had 22.1 percent, and Salvaggio defeated John Tenny by a margin of 65.3 percent to 34.1 percent.

County commission districts that didnt have contested races included the first, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, 10th, which features a Liberatarian candidate, and 12th.

 Staff writer Gina Joseph contributed to this report.
26-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by her estranged husband over suspicion of an extramarital affair in New Delhi, police said.

In a complaint lodged with the police, the woman alleged her husband followed her in his car, banged her vehicle from behind and stopped it on Sardar Patel Marg on Monday evening. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: A 26-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by her estranged husband over suspicion of an extramarital affair in Chanakyapuri area of south Delhi, police said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old man is a resident of Shalimar Bagh while his estranged wife lives in Krishna Nagar, they said.

In a complaint lodged with the police, the woman alleged her husband followed her in his car, banged her vehicle from behind and stopped it on Sardar Patel Marg on Monday evening. He abused and thrashed her, a senior police official said.

The man suspected her of having an extramarital affair, the police said, adding a case has been registered.
Local outfits in Thane, Navi Mumbai withdraw from stir.

In all, over 2 lakh personnel will be deployed across the state to maintain law and order.

Mumbai: The split in the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) has forced the parent body of the community to exclude Thane, Navi Mumbai and Parli from the Maharashtra bandh on Thursday. They will only have a thiyya(sit-in) agitation. But the city will not be exempt from Thursdays bandh call. The MKM issued a statement calling for a peaceful bandh.

A day before the bandh on Wednesday, a meeting took place between MKM coordinators and police in Thane. Police told the protesters that they would take strict action against violent protests.

The MKM coordinators reassured them that they were not planning the protest in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Parali and Beed. The constant agitations in these cities will create trouble for the state. Hence, they will be excluded from the bandh. Only sit-in agitations will be held at some locations in these cities, the MKM coordinators told the police.

In a meeting called by chief secretary at Mantralaya over the bandh, issues regarding the smooth flow of traffic and milk supply were discussed. Officials said that instructions have been issued for smooth operation of traffic and uninterrupted supply of essential commodities. This will be the second statewide bandh in the last 20 days.

We have already announced that the agitation will be peaceful. No protester will take the law into their hands. Police are free to take action against violent protesters, if any,

the MKM coordinators said.

It was clear on Wednesday evening itself that there is a split between MKM coordinators. The agitation started in Parli and Beed but Aabasaheb Patil, who has been leading the agitation there, has postponed the protest till November 30 following chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assurance that the legal process for Maratha reservation will be cleared by November 30.

Meanwhile, the Sambhaji Brigade, one of the strongest body of Maratha youth, has appealed for a peaceful protest. We should register our opposition against the mere assurance by the state government in a peaceful manner, said its chief, Mr Pravin Gaikwad.

The Centre has dispatched six companies of the RAF and one company of the CISF to deal with Thursdays protests. The personnel will mostly be positioned in sensitive areas likes Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nanded and Kolhapur.

Over 2,000 Home Guards, officials from the State Reserve Police Force and local police will also maintain vigilance. In all, over 2 lakh personnel will be deployed across the state to maintain law and order.

We have also asked local SPs to engage in dialogue with local leaders to ensure that order is maintained, ADGP (Law and Order) Parambir Singh said.

The bandh at a glance

Protest locations

Dadar East-Chitra Talkies, West Plaza Theatre, Lalbaug - Ganeshgalli, Sewri - Sewri station, west side, Fort - Azad Maidan, Worli Chowk, Chembur - Chembur Naka, Bandra West, near station, Jogeshwari- Near station and at Shankar bus stop, WEH, Borivali - Station, on the east side, Bhandup - Maharashtra Nagar, Dombivali - East, Bajiprabhu Chowk, Kalyan - Shivaji Chowk.

Demands

16% Reservation in government jobs, education.

Capital punishment for culprits in Kopardi rape case.

Govt stand

Government to ensure smooth operation of traffic and uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, including milk.

Who will be affected

The MKM has given a call for a total shutdown in state except for emergency services.
HOLYOKE -- Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association union on Thursday will protest staff cuts announced last month at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital.

The cuts amount to about 10 laid-off nurses and the elimination of an undisclosed number of mental health counselors, supervisors and other workers at Providence.

The cuts come as the state's Center for Health Information and Analysis reports Trinity Health -- parent company of Trinity Health of New England, which owns the hospital -- earned $1.3 billion in excess revenue over expenses, a 7.1 percent profit margin. Trinity Health of New England also owns Mercy Medical Center in Springfield.

"Simply put, despite its enormous profits Trinity Health is reducing the quality of care for children and elderly patients at Providence Hospital," Cindy Chaplin, a registered nurse and co-chairwoman of the MNA bargaining unit, said in a news release. "Trinity has the resources and the mission to provide quality care. Instead Trinity has made cuts to child and elder psychiatric care providers that restrict access and mean patients receive a lower quality of care."

Earlier in the year, Providence also stopped using 12 of 24 inpatient adolescent psychiatric beds. It is the only inpatient psychiatric hospital for young people in Western Massachusetts. The nearest facilities are in Manchester, Connecticut, and in Brattleboro, Vermont.

The union said the staff cuts also mean fewer workers in Providence units housing and treating senior citizens with psychiatric problems on top of ailments related to aging.

The state Department of Mental Health has found children are three times more likely than adults to wait four or more days for inpatient mental health care due to a lack of space at Providence and hospitals like it elsewhere in the state.

"Children across Massachusetts are waiting in emergency departments for acute behavioral health care and Trinity is cutting those services at Providence Hospital," said Marilyn Hernandez, a registered nurse who works in the child and adolescent unit at Providence. "Imagine if your child needed specialized psychiatric care to feel better and they couldn't get it because a giant corporation made a business decision instead of following its non-profit mission."

Management said it cut jobs because the cost of providing care is rising and insurance, including government health care coverage, doesn't pay enough to meet the expense. Also, a national shortage of psychiatrists can make it difficult to staff the hospital. The facility is also aging, which drives up the cost of maintenance and repair.

The informational picket is set for 2-5 p.m. Thursday in front of the hospital at 1233 Main St., Holyoke.

Providence management sent out a letter to employees acknowledging the demonstration and reiterating the hospital's position that the cuts were necessary. The letter reminds employees that picketers are prohibited from impeding the flow of traffic. The picketers can only be on public property.

The hospital and the jug-handle entrance driveway across the street for northbound cars are both on private property, according to the letter.

Nurses at Providence are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association and counselors are represented by the United Auto Workers.

Clarification:

This article was updated to note that the revenue figures represent earnings for Trinity Health, the parent company of Trinity Health New England.
When NeNe Judge left her Roslindale house on her motorcycle Friday night she just wanted to relax, she said.

Her daughter's eighth birthday party, with a petting zoo and dozens of guests, was scheduled for the next morning. The 38-year-old needed a break from party planning, she told MassLive in an interview.

But the ride was not peaceful, she said. On her way she and her husband, who was riding with her, were berated by Paul Sheehan, 54-year-old Dorchester man who was later arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

When Judge and her husband, who are both black, pulled over to check directions, Sheehan, who is white, unleashed a racist tirade. Boston police are investigating the case as a possible hate crime because Sheehan repeatedly used a racial slur.

"All I was thinking was I wanted to get out of there," Judge said in an interview with MassLive. "I did nothing wrong."

She started recording the incident on her cell phone because she was afraid Sheehan would hurt her. She said she thought the rant was "definitely" racially motivated.

"You f---ing animals, shooting...in my neighborhood. I pay a mortgage, get the f--- out of my neighborhood, this is my f---ing neighborhood," Sheehan said in the video, now viewed more than 700,000 times on Facebook.

For Judge, riding her motorcycle is a "stress reliever."

"He took that from me," she said.
An overnight blaze at a home in Dorchester displaced at least one resident and minorly injured one Boston firefighter on Wednesday.

In what the Boston Fire Department described as hot and humid conditions, firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at 550 Ashmont Street around 2:18 a.m.

A two-day heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service had just expired before the fire response, but the heat and oppressive air lingered. Relative humidity measured over 80 percent around 2 a.m. as firefighters fought flames at the 2.5-story home.

One resident was evacuated as flames extended from the first to second floor, according to updates from the Boston Fire Dept. on Twitter. That resident was ultimately displaced as fire officials estimated there had been roughly $400,000 lost in damages.

Companies making up. Hot & humid weather conditions. Firefighters cooling down & staying hydrated. pic.twitter.com/hdYNyeaybZ  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) August 8, 2018

At least one firefighter was transported by Emergency Medical Services with non-life-threatening injuries, Boston Fire reported. Fire investigators were on the scene in Dorchester overnight.

The Boston Fire Department thanked the Boston Sparks Association for providing firefighters with water during the unusually warm weather conditions overnight.
A 54-year-old Dorchester man was arrested Friday after he threatened and berated a black couple parking their motorcycles.

Paul Sheehan was arraigned on a disorderly conduct charge Monday, but is being investigated for a potential hate crime, police said.

Boston Police Sgt. Boyle said the department's Civil Rights Division is looking at the incident as a possible hate crime because Sheehan used racial slurs, including the n-word.

In a now-viral video that's been viewed over 700,000 times, Sheehan approaches NeNe Judge, 38, and her husband near Beaumont and Adams streets. He starts to yell at Judge, asking if she lives in the neighborhood. He calls the couple "animals."

"This is my f---ing neighborhood," he says in the video. "If you bring this s--t into my neighborhood....I'll knock you out."

Judge told MassLive that she and her husband had pulled over in Dorchester to go over directions. About an hour earlier on Adams Street - just feet from where Judge pulled over - a car being chased by police hit another car and a fence, according to a police report obtained by The Dorchester Reporter.

Sheehan lives in the area and began yelling at the couple until a Boston police officer pulls him away.

Sheehan is a welder who works for Keolis Commuter Services, spokesman Tory Mazzola told the Boston Globe. Keolis operates the MBTA's commuter rail system.

"We have absolutely no tolerance for this type of reprehensible conduct or language in or outside the workplace,'' Mazzola wrote in an e-mail to the Globe. "The matter is under investigation, and we don't comment on personnel matters."

State data shows Sheehan was paid $50,249 for his work in 2017.

In the video, a Boston police officer tells him: "Sir, you go back down there, I'm going to lock you up. You're out of control. Go home."

About an hour later Sheehan was arrested because he returned to the street screaming racial slurs and pulling on a traffic sign, according to police.

According Boston police, Sheehan was repeatedly yelling "F--k that [n-word]."
Five employees were injured in a reported explosion and fire that happened at a manufacturing plant in Acton Wednesday, according to NBC10Boston.

Firefighters and police responded to the scene at the Haartz Corporation plant on Hayward Road around 10:40 a.m.

One employee reportedly suffered severe burns while the other four suffered from smoke inhalation.

The building was seriously damaged in the fire. The estimate for the damages is not known.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
CHICOPEE - Two residents were displaced after a fire damaged their home Tuesday.

The fire on 68 Bernard St. was reported at 7:20 p.m. and the first firefighters arrived less than three minutes later, Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Cross said.

"It was quickly extinguished," he said. "It was probably put out in 10 minutes."

When firefighters arrived they could see heavy smoke coming from the home and the two residents had already escaped from the building, he said.

There were no injuries in the fire, Cross said.

The fire appeared to have started inside the house but department investigators have just begun searching for the cause, he said.

The fire started as heavy thunderstorms were rolling through Western Massachusetts but the storms do not appear to be a factor in the blaze, he said.

About 15 firefighters responded to the fire. They remain on the scene checking for any fire extension and cleaning up after the blaze, he said.

Chicopee Electric Light was also on the scene turning power off to the house.

The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the residents.

Bernard Street is closed to through traffic while firefighters remain on the scene.
Massachusetts public safety officials are teaming up with a marijuana business to curb drugged driving.

Sira Naturals, which runs three medical marijuana dispensaries and has a cultivation license for recreational marijuana, announced the launch of a public service announcement (PSA) highlighting the dangers of impaired driving.

"Don't drive stoned. Ever," a young woman says in the PSA, which is titled, "Let's Do This Right."

Sira Naturals CEO Michael Dundas urged responsible usage of marijuana as he stood with Massachusetts public safety and law enforcement officials, who are launching their own related campaign against drugged driving. The campaign includes a 30-second ad airing on the internet and on TV.

"It remains illegal and dangerous to drive under the influence of marijuana," State Police Major Richard Ball added.

Massachusetts voters broadly legalized marijuana for adults ages 21 and over in 2016. Homegrowing and gifting of marijuana is allowed, with limits, while retail sales of recreational marijuana remains weeks away. The first medical marijuana dispensaries opened in 2015.

Ball urged people who choose to take marijuana to plan ahead and get on the MBTA or use a ride-hailing app like Uber and Lyft.

Ball said State Police drug recognition experts can do "field assessments" to determine whether somebody is under the influence of marijuana. According to Ball, the State Police are also participating in a pilot program using oral swabs. They're still awaiting the results of the pilot.

The human body metabolizes marijuana in a different way than alcohol, though public safety officials repeatedly tied driving drunk with driving stoned.

Jennifer Queally, state undersecretary for law enforcement, pointed to data showing that in Massachusetts, marijuana was the most prevalent drug found in drivers involved in fatal crashes between 2012 and 2016.

A recent state Department of Public Health study showed 34.3 percent of respondents who said they use marijuana added that they drive under the influence, and 7.2 percent of the adult population drove under the influence in the past 30 days.

"There is no excuse for somebody to be driving impaired," said Jennifer Flanagan, a member of the Cannabis Control Commission, the new agency tasked with overseeing the new industry.

"We've heard time and time again the messages about impaired driving with alcohol," and the message remains the same for marijuana, she said.

"Once you're impaired, the ability to operate a motor vehicle lessens," Flanagan added.
Eggs from marine invertebrates release a chemical factor that attracts sperm by a process called chemotaxis.

The molecule that Kaupp and colleagues identified allows sodium ions to flow into the sperm cell and, in exchange, transports protons out of the cell.

In a recent discovery, scientists have identified a key molecule that drives chemo attraction between sperm and egg cells in marine invertebrates, animals that don't have a vertebral column.

More than 100 years ago, MBL Director F.R. Lillie of the University of Chicago discovered that eggs from marine invertebrates release a chemical factor that attracts sperm by a process called chemotaxis.

Sperm swims up a chemical gradient to reach the egg, assisted by a pulsatile rise in calcium ion concentration in the sperm tail that controls its beating.

In past years, many of the cellular components that translate chemo-attractant stimulation into a calcium response have been revealed, but a crucial ingredient has been missing. A prerequisite for calcium ions from the sperm's environment being able to enter the tail is that the sperm cell's pH becomes more alkaline. The molecule that brings about this change in pH has been hard to pin down.

In this new report, U. Benjamin Kaupp, a MBL Whitman Center Scientist from the Center of Advanced European Studies (Caesar) in Bonn, Germany, identifies this molecule.

The molecule that Kaupp and colleagues identified allows sodium ions to flow into the sperm cell and, in exchange, transports protons out of the cell. Such so-called sodium/proton exchangers have been known for a long time, but this one is special. It is a Chimaera that shares structural features with ion channels, called pacemaker channels, which control our heartbeat and electrical activity in the brain.

This sodium/proton exchange in the sperm cell is activated by a stretch of positively charged amino acids called the voltage sensor. When sperm capture chemo-attractant molecules, the voltage becomes more negative, because potassium channels open and potassium ions leave the cell.

The voltage-sensor registers this voltage change and the exchanger begins exporting protons from the cell, the cell's interior becomes more alkaline. When this mechanism is disabled, the calcium pulses in the sperm tail are suppressed, and sperm are lost on their voyage to the egg.

(Source)
HOLYOKE - The state's marijuana industry just expanded its footprint downtown after the Holyoke City Council approved special permits for growing and dispensing facilities Tuesday night.

The council approved a special permit for RISE Holdings Inc. (formerly GTI) to amend an existing permit, which grants permission for a marijuana manufacturing establishment or growing component at the company's 28 Appleton St. facility.

The special permit sets forth several conditions: RISE must abide by the city's commercial property tax rate ($39.70 per $1,000 in valuation), hire 30 percent of residents in nonsecurity jobs, and retired Holyoke police officers and retired officers outside the city must be granted hiring preferences for security positions.

Councilor Linda Vacon said the company only requested changes to the existing permit. She recommended granting the special permit. She noted the Ordinance Committee held extensive public hearings on all the petitioners.

The council then granted a special permit to East Coast Pharma, owned by Jorge Tirse, of Gloversville, New York, for recreational and medical marijuana facilities at 630 Beaulieu St.

While the first three conditions align with RISE's, East Coast Pharma must also assure that marijuana is not consumed on-site and make no retail or medical marijuana deliveries to individual homes, residences or people.

East Coast Pharma's facilities can operate Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Republican/MassLive reported East Coast Pharma will invest $2.5 million in the facility and employ 20 to 28 workers in the coming months. The company estimates $10 million in product annually.

Vacon said her committee will revisit some minor wording related to the terms medical and recreation marijuana.

She added the hours of operation are out of respect to the facility's neighbors, particularly with the Sunday operating times.

The council granted a special permit to Canna Provisions Inc., whose main shareholders are Eugene McCain, of West Newton, and Arthur P. Becker, of New York City. The company plans to operate a recreational marijuana dispensary at 380R Dwight St.

The permit's conditions, including property taxes, hiring guidelines, bans on consumption and deliveries, mirror those of East Coast Pharma. Canna's plan includes a $1.25 million buildout and hiring around 20 employees.

The Ordinance Committee held public hearings on the special permits. Representatives for the three companies appeared before Vacon's committee. She said the committee tried to remain consistent with the special permit restrictions.

Hothouse Holyoke withdrew its application, which called for a growing facility at 5B Appleton St. The applicant submitted a withdrawal letter to the Ordinance Committee.

Councilor Joseph McGiverin presided over the regular session. Council President Todd McGee was attending to a personal matter.
HOLYOKE - An off-duty officer spotted a wanted suspect Wednesday afternoon, leading to a short chase and a three-department police search of Rivers Park and the woods off Interstate 391 in Chicopee.

The officer initially saw the suspect leaving a store on Sargeant and Maple streets and alerted on-duty police. He then followed the suspect in his private car until marked cruisers arrived. By then, the suspect was getting on I-391, Lt. Michael McCoy said.

"He is still at-large. ... The suspect eluded us again," McCoy said.

There are six warrants out for the man's arrest and police have been searching for him for some time. McCoy did not release the suspect's name and did not know the crimes he is accused of committing.

The man was stopped by police on I-391 near Exit 3 at about 1:30 p.m. He then got out of his car, jumped over the guard rail and ran toward Rivers Park, located off Meadow Street, McCoy said.

That sparked a search by Holyoke and Chicopee police and state troopers. Holyoke police brought a K-9 and the state police helicopter was flying in the area and assisted, McCoy said.

Michael Wilk, public information officer for Chicopee police, alerted people in the area through Facebook that the suspect was on foot and asked people to call police if they saw anyone suspicious in the area.

"If you happen to spot someone running, who seems extremely out of breath, or anything suspicious, please, call our dispatch to report this," Wilk said.
In a public awareness campaign on impaired driving, Massachusetts public safety officials sought to equate operating a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana with doing so under the influence of alcohol.

"It's the same," State Police Major Richard Ball said.

"You're a danger to yourself and others and that's what we're trying to combat here," he added, pointing to the possibility of someone who's consumed marijuana having slower motor skills and experiencing changed depth perception as they get behind the wheel of a 2,000-pound vehicle.

The public awareness campaign comes as the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission sifts through applications and paperwork for retail marijuana licenses. Home-growing and gifting of marijuana for adults over the age of 21 has been legal since December 2016, and medical marijuana dispensaries have been open since June 2015.

The campaign's 30-second ad will air on TV and online.

The campaign promotes alternative modes of transportation, including the MBTA, taxis and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft.

At a press conference announcing the campaign, Jennifer Queally, undersecretary for law enforcement within Gov. Charlie Baker's public safety secretariat, reiterated the dangers of drugged driving. Earlier, she pointed to numbers saying that an average of 125 drunk or high drivers die annually in Massachusetts.

"I just want everyone to recognize that impaired is impaired is impaired, okay? Regardless of whether it's alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, other legal drugs, if you are impaired and you drive a car, it is illegal, it's dangerous and it's deadly, okay?" she said.

"So the effects you might feel may be different, whether you're high or whether you're drunk, but the impairment is no different and the law doesn't look at it any differently," Queally said.

Jim Borghesani, chief operating officer for Tudestr, a cannabis consulting company, called impaired driving "unacceptable, period."

He added that it's also "unacceptable" for state law enforcement officials for using statistics that don't differentiate between impairment and the presence of marijuana in somebody's system, which can last for weeks.

"True to their pattern, the Baker administration puts fear first, alarmism second and leadership third," said Borghesani, who also sparred with Baker officials when he the spokesman for the ballot campaign legalizing marijuana in 2016.

"Massachusetts voters and drivers deserve a more deliberative approach in order to give the issue the intelligent, factual discussion it deserves," he said in an email.

Jennifer Flanagan, a member of the Cannabis Control Commission, said consumers are responsible for understanding the effect of marijuana and alcohol on their bodies. Technology also hasn't caught up with marijuana legalization, so something like the Breathalyzer, deployed in alleged drunk driving cases, is unavailable in drugged driving cases.

Alcohol and marijuana do have different effects, too, Flanagan said. And a person using marijuana every day will see a different level of impairment than someone trying for the first time, according to Flanagan.

"No one is trying to demonize the fact that marijuana is legal," Flanagan said. "No one is trying to say people shouldn't use this product. What we're trying to say today is you need to use it responsibly."

A former state senator from Central Massachusetts, she also acknowledged the limits of promoting the use public transit and ride-hailing apps in parts of the state that have little of either mode.

"I do recognize the fact that the further west you go, Uber is not as relevant there, they don't have as many drivers, and that's why planning for afterwards is so important," she said. "Just as you would if you were going out with your friends for drinks or dinner."
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The upcoming Massachusetts Morgan Horse Show at the Eastern States Exhibition has been canceled out of concerns for the horses after a recent case of a type of virus common among horses was linked to the fairgrounds.

The annual show was planned for Aug. 15-18.

Instead, the Massachusetts Morgan Horse Show committee voted on Sunday to call the whole thing off for this year. The group is planning its return for the Eastern States again in 2019.

According to a statement issued by the committee, the decision to cancel was made by a unanimous vote.

"While many factors were considered, the ultimate decision was based on our philosophy that we need to do what is in the best interests of the horses," the statement said.

Molly O'Brien, manager for the horse show, said the biggest concern was exposing the horses to the equine enteric coronavirus.

A case of the virus was confirmed in a horse that took part in the Quarter Horse Show at the Eastern States two weeks ago, according to the Massachusetts Farm Bureau.

The virus, which is transmitted either fecally or orally and impacts horses, can cause fever, anorexia, lethargy and change in normal feces.

Only one case has been confirmed but the Farm Bureau said other horses that were at the facility for that show or subsequent shows should be considered exposed to the virus and isolated from other horses.

The show in previous years has attracted 500 or more riders and horses, and thousands of spectators. The show has been held in West Springfield annually for several years.

The Morgan horse is home-bred in West Springfield, where the breed began with a colt owned by a breeder named Justin Morgan, who was born in 1789.

All Morgan horses today trace their lineage back to a bay stallion who won many races and pulling contests, and who also served as a parade mount, saddle and driving horse, and was also used to work the land.
WILBRAHAM - The two international students who died June 29 while rescuing two young children who were caught in the currents in the Chicopee River, have been honored posthumously by the Saudi Arabian government for their bravery.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has awarded Theeb Alyami, 27, and Jaser Daham Alrakah, 25, with the Order of King Abdulaziz of the First Degree for their bravery and service, according to a statement from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington D.C.

The two, who are cousins, jumped into the river near Red Bridge Road when they saw the children were struggling in the water. The children were saved but the two men were swept away by the currents, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said in a past statement.

Alrakah was studying engineering at Western New England University and Alyami, was an engineering student at the University of Hartford.

After their deaths, King Abdulaziz met with the families of the two students to express his condolences and honored the two with the award, which is one of the highest awards given by Saudi Arabia, embassy officials said.

The award is given in recognition of major services performed for the country, one of its institutions, services and works of significant moral value, or to those who make great sacrifices, officials said.

"The King...lauded the students' bravery and selfless acts," embassy officials said.

The U.S. State Department also recognized the two students for their bravery after the drowning.
A Springfield man was convicted in a Bangor, Maine court on federal charges that he was involved in shuttleing large amounts of heroin from Massachusetts and Connecticut to Maine.

Myron Crosby, 54, was convicted in U.S. District Court on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin.

He was convicted Friday after the jury deliberated for 90 minutes before finding him guilty.

Crosby had earlier requested his trial be moved to a different venue in either Massachusetts or Connecticut where there would be a more racially diverse population. He argued that as a black man he could not get a fair trial before an all-white jury.

According the the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Bangor is 91 percent white, and has fewer than 500 people who identify as black.

The request for a new venue was refused.

According to prosecutors, Crosby from August 2015 through January 2016 transported between 60,000 and 80,000 bags of heroin from operations in Hartford and Springfield to Newport, Maine.

Newport, Maine, is a town of 3,200 people some 30 miles west of Bangor.
AMHERST - A computer science professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a $1.6 million grant to teach computers how to develop "visual common sense."

How does one go about doing that? And what does that mean, exactly? It's complicated.

Erik Learned-Miller, who has taught at the school since the early 2000s, is heading a project whose goal is to teach computer systems to "intelligently" see and identify objects and be able to categorize them, the school announced Wednesday.

"The idea is that we want to endow the computer with the ability to use common sense reasoning to find things," said Learned-Miller. "For this it needs to recognize and identify objects."

Learned-Miller received the four-year grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon's large research agency responsible for developing new defense technologies.

DARPA, which has been behind many of the largest technological breakthroughs of the 20th century--including the Internet, GPS, and air force stealth technology--has funded numerous research projects at UMass Amherst over the years.

Learned-Miller will be joined by research partners Kristen Grauman at the University of Texas at Austin, Rob Fergus at New York University and Greg Shakhnarovich at the Toyota Technological Institute of Chicago.

Learned-Miller will head the new program, which itself is part of DARPA's Lifelong Learning Machines (L2M) program--a large, multi-institution program that seeks to create machines that someday may learn like "biological organisms do," according to the project website.

"It is well-established that machines can learn from examples," Learned-Miller said. "They can learn to discriminate among different types of fruit, for example. This sort of machine learning is widely used now. However, there are many new directions in which we'd like to be able to extend this."

Visual common sense is part of the field of study known as "computer vision"--a large area of investment for the U.S. defense community.

Computer vision is described as "the use of computer algorithms to modify or analyze digital images using signal and image processing," according to a researcher with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. Essentially, it's the process of teaching machines to see and process information. Algorithms can be used to translate visual images into geometric and linguistic descriptions, which hopefully inform the machine's behavior relative to the images, according to a report put together by the Basic Research Office.

"One of the complaints people have is that if you want to have an assistive robot and you want to ask it, 'bring me my medicine,' some of that can be written into the computer with rules, but they are brittle," Learned-Miller said. "Humans do this kind of intelligent search all the time, but computers don't currently have these abilities, and if we want to rely on them as personal assistants, it will be incredibly frustrating if they can't do this kind of thing."

An example of this process in action might be sending a robot on a search to find your car keys.

"We are hoping to let the computer learn to reason about where keys might occur and to look there first," he says. "In the old days, computers were set up to learn by rules, but now they need to become more flexible and to learn in a new way, by what they have experienced."

The notion of teaching machines to see and think may sound like science fiction but many in the science and corporate communities feel it's a quickly approaching reality. Though its historically been funded by military and government agencies, the field of computer vision has recently become the object of investment by many large tech companies, with Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Uber and Tesla hiring researchers to aid their self-driving car and autonomous vehicle programs.

"This project is a broad and ambitious effort to move to computer vision and machine learning to a new level," Learned-Miller said, of the new project he will be heading.

In the past, Learned-Miller's work has focused on facial recognition technology, robot programming and task execution, and has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Health Institute, NASA, and MIT.
The driver accused of slamming into Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas Clardy's cruiser on the Massachusetts Turnpike two years ago, killing the trooper, wants the blood evidence authorities used to claim he was high on marijuana during the crash thrown out.

David Njuguna's defense lawyer, Peter Ettenberg filed a motion in Worcester Superior Court Wednesday asking for the blood evidence to be suppressed based on the handling and testing of the evidence.

Ettenberg claims more than 20 hours passed between the time troopers seized Njuguna's blood and it arrived at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab for testing.

The blood evidence is a key part of the Worcester County District Attorney's office case against Njuguna.

Njuguna was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester after the fatal crash on March 16, 2016, in Charlton.

Blood and serum were drawn from Njuguna when he arrived at the hospital. The following day, March 17, 2016, State police obtained a search warrant to seize the blood evidence.

That blood evidence was tested at the crime lab and tested positive for marijuana, Ettenberg wrote in his motion.

Records show the blood evidence was placed in a brown evidence bag on March 17, 2016, at 12:45 p.m. and the search warrant was signed the same day 1:14 p.m. noting the seizure of the blood.

"Thereafter, on March 18, 2016 at approximately 9:30 a.m., some twenty hours after the sample were seized by Troopers Shawn Murphy and Robert Parr from UMass, the four vials of blood were transported to the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab in Sudbury," Ettenberg wrote.

The blood samples were then sent to a crime lab in Maynard for testing.

Ettenberg argues in his motion that there is no indication to show where or how the blood samples were stored in those 20 hours.

"There is no police report documenting this twenty hour period, there are no photographs, there is no chain of custody report for this time period," the defense lawyer wrote. "There is nothing to document the handling of this critical evidence during this twenty hour period."

The four vials of blood were placed in a plastic bag and then into an evidence bag. There is no indication that the plastic bag was signed or dated and it has since been destroyed. The brown evidence bag was also destroyed, Ettenberg wrote.

He argues State police violated policies and procedures for sealing and packaging blood evidence.

The blood evidence went from the State Police Crime Lab in Sudbury to the Maynard Crime Lab on March 18, 2016. Ettenberg questions whether the vials were labeled and photographed at this time.

The blood evidence, he says, has been destroyed.

Ettenberg further claims records show State police tested more blood than what was collected from Njuguna.

The motion says there are "numerous examples of irregularities in both the handling of the blood evidence and its testing" and therefore the evidence should be suppressed or excluded in the case.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Sept. 28 in Worcester Superior Court.

Njuguna remains held on bail after he was charged in superior court with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, driving while under the influence of drugs and other motor vehicle charges.

Clardy, 44, was on duty when he pulled over a driver on the Massachusetts Turnpike on March 16, 2016, in Charlton. Authorities say Njuguna crossed three lanes of traffic and slammed into his cruiser.

Authorities say Njuguna was driving 81 miles per hour at the moment of impact.

Prosecutors say Njuguna was at a medical dispensary for marijuana one hour prior to the crash and got three marijuana cigarettes. A partially smoked marijuana cigarette was found in Njuguna's car, authorities said.

Authorities say THC (signs of marijuana use) was discovered in Njuguna's blood.
DEERFIELD -- Seven Democrats vying for state representative in the 1st Franklin District fielded questions at a candidates forum Tuesday night.

Kate Albright-Hanna, Natalie Blais, Christine Doktor, Jonathan Edwards, Casey Pease, Nathaniel Waring, and Francia Wisnewski all agreed that strong progressive leadership is needed on Beacon Hill to represent Western Massachusetts, and that education funding reform, public transportation, affordable housing, and bold leadership on climate change are priorities.

Albright-Hanna described herself as a "muckraking journalist" who worked for former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. "It's time to launch a new progressive era," she said. "Wealthy interests have captured our state legislature, but we can take it back."

She said she co-founded RuralOrganizing.org, a nationwide coalition of rural progressive groups, and said that among other things, she would work to increase diversity in Western Massachusetts. Locally, she said she is proud of her work as a member of the Huntington Planning Board, where she wrote a 12-page site plan review ordinance.

Blais, of Sunderland, said she has worked on major issues in the region for a decade, and would "hit the ground running." She is a former aide to U.S. Rep. James McGovern and retired U.S. Rep. John Olver, and executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.

Blais said with the death of Rep. Peter Kocot (D-Northampton), the retirements of Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) and Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington), and the resignation of former Sen. Stan Rosenberg, "We are losing 100 years of collective experience" on Beacon Hill.

"They worked together extremely well," she said. "They worked collaboratively. Delegates from Western Mass need to form a voting bloc, and we need to support each other."

Waring, of Sunderland, said that he is not bothered by the loss of "100 years of experience," because conditions for the working poor are the same as they ever were.

Waring said he is a "Democratic Socialist" who will stand up for those who are just trying to get by. "No one on Beacon Hill has any experience with poverty," he said. "I would shake things up. You shouldn't have to wait until your ninth term to have your voice heard."

Doktor grew up in the town of Peru, graduated from Columbia Law School, worked in New York doing "high-stakes litigation" and pro-bono work, and is now a Cummington lawyer who runs a family farm with her husband.

On the topic of climate change, Doktor said that land is an important part of the equation, and that rural towns with much preserved farm and forest land should be supported.

"Our farmlands and forests are working lands," she said. "Our forests absorb carbon dioxide, and provide other services. I support PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes) so that towns can afford to have conservation land."

She said education funding would be a top priority, and that she supports the preservation of small elementary schools in rural communities.

Edwards spent 14 years on the Whately Select Board, ran for lieutenant governor in 2014, and co-founded SmartPower, a marketing firm for renewable energy.

"It's time to reinvigorate the region with a new call to economic arms," said Edwards. He said the region can grow jobs by embracing clean energy technologies, but that better workforce training is needed to attract high-quality companies.



Edwards said he is proud of creating South County Emergency Management, a regional 24-7 ambulance service that significantly cut response times in a network of rural towns. "I am a coalition builder," said Edwards. "We can only succeed in Boston if we work together. It is my nature to find collaborations and common ground to move the ball forward."

Pease, 21, chairs the Worthington Democratic Town Committee, is a volunteer firefighter, and was a staffer on Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. "It's time to elect the next generation of public servants, not politicians," he said. "Being progressive means being bold, not being reactionary."

Pease said he is passionate about climate change, but that "reducing emissions alone is not enough to solve the problem." He said technology exists to let farmers remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and put it in the soil, and that Beacon Hill should pass a law allowing that to happen.

Wisnewski, of Montague, chairs the Hampshire Franklin Commission on the Status of Women, and is a former elected member of the Greenfield School Committee. "My strength is as an educator," she said. "I support universal quality pre-school for all, so parents can go to work in peace. It's a social justice issue." She spoke for better transportation funding for rural school districts, special education, and "farm-to-table" programs in the schools.

"I'm excited people have an opportunity to elect a woman of color, like me, with 17 years of experience who got elected twice," Wisnewski said.

Kulik, a longtime state representative, did not run for reelection.

The district comprises 19 towns in Hampshire and Franklin counties: Ashfield, Buckland, Chester, Chesterfield, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Goshen, Huntington, Leverett, Middlefield, Montague, Plainfield, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Whately, Williamsburg, and Worthington.

The forum was organized by the League of Women Voters in conjunction with the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Northampton's WHMP radio.

The Democratic primary is set for Sept. 4.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- A special congressional election that tested President Donald Trump's clout and cost both parties millions of dollars in battleground Ohio was too close to call early Wednesday. Trump claimed victory nevertheless.

The president took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance, calling it "a great victory," even though the contest could be headed to a mandatory recount. Democrat Danny O'Connor, trailing in the latest count, vowed: "We're not stopping now."

The candidates were locked in a razor-thin race, which they will reprise in the general election in just three months. There were at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough to force a recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races subject to an automatic recount.

The Republican president's shadow also loomed over primary contests in four other states, none bigger than Kansas, where Trump roiled the governor's race by opposing the GOP incumbent on the eve of the election.

The day's races, like dozens before them, pitted Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results are helping determine the political landscape -- and Trump's standing within his own party -- just before the GOP defends its House and Senate majorities in November.

Voters in Kansas, Missouri, Michigan and Washington state joined those in Ohio in Tuesday's voting.

Kansas Republicans were fighting among themselves in a battle for governor, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach was trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer.

Should the polarizing Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall. The race could become further disrupted if Kansas City-area businessman Greg Orman makes it onto the November ballot. He submitted petitions Monday with more than 10,000 signatures for what could become the most serious independent run for Kansas governor in decades.

Trump made his preference clear for Kobach.

"He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country - he will be a GREAT Governor and has my full & total Endorsement! Strong on Crime, Border & Military," the president tweeted on the eve of the election. "VOTE TUESDAY!"

Republicans were hoping for Democratic discord in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, a suburban Kansas City district where several candidates were fighting for the chance to take on Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder in November.

The five-way Democratic primary featured labor lawyer Brent Welder, who campaigned recently with self-described democratic socialists Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and ascending political star, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate.

Also in the race: Native American attorney Sharice Davids and former school teacher Tom Niermann.

In Ohio, the script for the special election was somewhat familiar: An experienced Trump loyalist, Balderson, was fighting a strong challenge from O'Connor, a fresh-faced Democrat, in a congressional district held by the Republican Party for more than three decades. In an election morning tweet, Trump said Balderson would make a "great congressman."

The winner takes the seat previously held by Pat Tiberi, a nine-term incumbent who resigned to take a job with an Ohio business group.

In a special election season that featured nearly a dozen congressional races, Democrats claimed just a handful of wins, but they may have cause for optimism this fall. In virtually every special election test dating back to the spring of 2017, Democratic candidates performed significantly better than their party in those same places two years earlier.

Trump won Ohio's 12th Congressional District, for example, by more than 11 points in 2016; on Tuesday night, Balderson and O'Connor were separated by less than 1 point.

There are 79 House races this fall considered more competitive than the Ohio district -- at least looking at Trump's 2016 performance -- according to data compiled by the Democrats' national campaign committee.

Despite the deadlocked race, the specific Ohio returns suggest considerably higher Democratic enthusiasm less than 100 days before the midterms.

O'Connor's total of nearly 100,000 votes far exceeded what the district's former Republican congressman Pat Tiberi's Democratic opponent got in 2014. Balderson's total -- just more than 101,500 votes -- is barely two-thirds of Tiberi's 2014 mark of about 150,000.

The two will face off again in November to see who holds the seat in 2019 and 2020.

"Over the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great again, so that when we come back here in November -- get ready, we gotta come back here in November -- I have earned your vote for a second time," Balderson told supporters.

It's unclear how much Trump's support helped or hurt Balderson. Described by campaign operatives as a "Whole Foods" district, the largely suburban region features a more affluent and educated voter base than the typical Trump stronghold.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a leading voice in the GOP's shrinking anti-Trump wing, once represented the district in Congress.

At times, the race centered on Trump's tax cuts as much as the candidates.

O'Connor and his Democratic allies railed against the tax plan, casting it as a giveaway for the rich that exacerbates federal deficits and threatens Medicare and Social Security. Balderson and his Republican allies have backed away from the tax plan in recent weeks, training their fire instead on top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

O'Connor dominated Balderson on the local airwaves. His campaign spent $2.25 million on advertising compared to Balderson's $507,000, according to campaign tallies of ad spending. The Republican campaign arm and its allied super PAC were forced to pick up the slack, spending more than $4 million between them.

In Michigan, three mainstream Democrats in suburban Detroit were among those vying for a chance at retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott's seat in November. The field included Fayrouz Saad, who would be the first Muslim woman in Congress.

And in suburban Seattle, three Democrats vied in a jungle primary for the seat held by another retiring Republican, Rep. Dave Reichert.

The field was set in two Senate contests as well.

In Missouri, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill claimed her party's nomination, while state Attorney General Josh Hawley will represent the GOP.

And in Michigan, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow will take on military veteran and business executive John James, who won the Republican nomination. He would join Tim Scott of South Carolina as the only black Republican senators if he wins in November.

Hours before polls opened, Trump again weighed in on Twitter, casting James as "a potential Republican star."

--By Steve Peoples and Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press. Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Angie Wang in Westerville, Ohio, contributed.
Researchers have proposed using equipment to embed isotopes below the surface of valuable works of art.

The hefty prices for paintings by the likes of Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso drive a lucrative forgery market. (Photo: Pixabay)

It would be a signature thats virtually impossible to fake.

Because youd need an immensely powerful nuclear science research facility to create it.

A pair of Michigan State University researchers  Wolfgang Bauer and Bradley Sherill  have proposed using equipment at the universitys $765 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams to embed isotopes below the surface of valuable works of art.

Doing so in a specific pattern and density would allow for a unique signature an owner or gallery could check with a handheld isotope detector. And because these isotopes would decay at a predictable rate, the signatures could be useful for a century or longer, explained Bauer, a theoretical physicist.

The hefty prices for paintings by the likes of Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso drive a lucrative forgery market.

German forger Wolfgang Beltracchi, for instance, admitted in 2011 to faking more than a dozen works of art that sold for $45 million. Beltracchi later told the German magazine, Der Spiegel, that he had faked works of approximately 50 artists during his career as a forger.

It wouldnt cost the owner of an artwork much to embed isotopes into their piece at FRIB, Bauer said, a few hundred dollars to rent time at the facility and to use the necessary electricity, but this relatively low price is only possible because FRIB already exists.

The prohibitively high cost of similar equipment would mean a forger like Beltracchi couldnt replicate the isotope signature, Bauer said.

A potentially interested forger would have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to imprint the same signature into the art piece, he told the Lansing State Journal .

FRIB is funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy. Once completed, it will be capable of producing extremely rare, short-lived isotopes  atoms that are chemically similar to the elements on the periodic table, but have a different number of neutrons  contributing to scientific understanding of the universe and its fundamental forces.

The idea came out of discussions back when MSU landed FRIB in 2008. Bauer and Sherill, director of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, sought to patent the process in 2016. The application is under review.

The thought process was, how can we make societally useful applications of the FRIB accelerator? Bauer said.

Art galleries and private owners seek to authenticate their works in myriad ways, according to John Steele, vice president of the exhibition, collection and information strategies at the Detroit Institute of Arts

Authentication is a tricky business, Steele said. Its really about looking at the big picture and seeing whats available, assess a piece of art and give the best insight into whats happening.

Dozens upon dozens of pieces are evaluated by the conservation department at the DIA every year, Steele said. A museum curator will look to the past, researching ownership and connecting documentation to help better understand a piece in question.

Conservators look at the condition of the piece itself, analyzing the elemental composition to determine what pigments were used and when they were prominently used by artists. Other imaging techniques that use infrared or ultraviolet light can also be used to help draw conclusions.

We at DIA are fairly well equipped for an art museum, Steele said, adding that they do occasionally offer their expertise to smaller museums out of professional courtesy.

Conservators rarely speak in absolutes, Steele said, opting instead to learn as much as they can to make measured conclusions.

Steele said something like whats being discussed at MSU could add another tool to the already extensive utility utilized by galleries and private collectors.

Civil construction at FRIB has already wrapped up, and researchers are in the midst of installing and testing technical components ahead of its expected completion in 2021.

(Source)
A majority of Massachusetts educators, parents and administrators oppose policies that would increase the number of guns in schools, including proposals to arm teachers, according to findings U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark released Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Democrats, in a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, touted the results of their "Keeping Schools Safe" report, which found most respondents believe the federal government should pursue policies that reduce access to firearms in schools, strengthen existing gun laws and increase support for mental health services.

They called on DeVos, who heads President Donald Trump's Commission on School Safety, to share the report with the full panel and to consider its findings when developing policy proposals.

Arguing that "the epidemic of gun violence in America cannot continue," Warren offered that Massachusetts -- which has a low rate of gun deaths -- "can serve as a model for the federal government to develop policies that will keep our students and communities safe."

"I urge Secretary DeVos and the commission to take these recommendations from our constituents seriously and act now to curb gun violence," she said in a statement.

Clark added that the commission "should make these recommendations a centerpiece of efforts to protect students and our communities."

The report, which surveyed nearly 400 Massachusetts teachers, school administrators, parents and others, found that more than two-thirds of respondents oppose policies that would increase the number of guns in K-12 schools, particularly those in which guns would be carried by untrained professionals.

About 9 in 10 stakeholders further expressed concerns that Trump's suggestion of arming teachers would not reduce rates of gun violence in schools -- a policy American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts President Tom Gosnell has called "ill-informed and threatening."

Further, the report found that nearly 70 percent of respondents cited firearm access as a primary cause of gun violence in schools and 90 percent believe enhanced access to counselors, therapists and other support professions would reduce the risk of gun violence.

About two-thirds of stakeholders, meanwhile, agreed that improving existing security measures could make schools "more safe," but raised concerns about the impact it could have on students' access to "nurturing, supportive learning environments."

Trump established the Commission on School Safety after the deadly February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The panel has been tasked with evaluating and making recommendations to improve school safety relating to recent gun violence.

The commission held its third public listening session Tuesday in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Following the commission's formation, Clark and Warren sent surveys to Massachusetts teachers, students, parents, principals and others seeking input on actions the federal government could take to reduce or eliminate gun violence in schools.
All 11 members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation called on the Trump administration this week to block a proposed rule that could prevent home care workers from voluntarily having union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks.

The lawmakers, in a Tuesday letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, raised concerns that the agency's "reassignment of Medicaid provider claims" proposal could "erode the ability of hundreds of thousands of home care workers in Massachusetts and across the country to exercise their rights to participate in union organizing and collective bargaining."

They called the proposed rule "insulting" and cast it as an "attempt to roll back home care workers' collective bargaining rights."

Noting that not all workers represented by unions choose to pay dues, the Democrats argued that those who do should be allowed to pay them "in the least burdensome way possible," like voluntary, automatic deductions.

The delegation added that while automatic dues may seem like "a minor convenience to some," for many workers -- especially low wage earners and those without access to a bank account -- it's crucial to their ability to join unions and take part in collective bargaining.

"Eliminating this option for Medicaid-funded home care amount to erecting an unnecessary barrier to home care workers using their own paychecks however they wish," the lawmakers wrote, arguing that it comes at odds with arguments the administration made in a recent Supreme Court case.

They urged CMS to "refrain from proceeding with this rulemaking and interfering in home care workers' ability to voluntarily pay union dues in the manner that they choose."

"Proceeding with this proposal could erode the ability of hundreds of thousands of home care workers to effectively seek improved wages, benefits and working conditions; threaten to exacerbate the nationwide shortage of home care workers; and undermine the quality of crucial care on which seniors and Americans with disability rely every day," the delegation cautioned.

CMS issued a proposed rule in July to remove regulatory text that allows states to make payments to third parties on behalf of individual providers for benefits, like health insurances, skills training and others.

The agency said it was concerned that such provisions "are overbroad and insufficiently linked to the exceptions permitted by the statute."

Officials noted that a potential impact of the legislation could be that states stop reassigning home care workers' dues to unions, which currently collected as much as an estimated $71 million from such assignments.

The administration is accepting comments on the proposed rule through Aug. 13.
SPRINGFIELD -- With thousands of science, technology, engineering and math-related jobs going unfilled across New England and the country, Springfield Technical Community College plans to use a new federal grant to enhance K-12 STEM education and encourage more students to enter such fields.

The $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will allow the college, in partnership with Smith College, to launch a four-year project with Springfield Public Schools beginning in the 2019-2020 school year that takes an "imaginative education" approach to bringing engineering into classrooms.

STCC Physics and Engineering Professor Beth McGinnis-Canvanaugh said the effort, which targets middle school students, will incorporate storytelling across various media, including using books, articles and other platforms to introduce STEM concepts.

The initiative will further encourage teachers to reshape both conversations on STEM and curricula to better engage children's imaginations and inspire them to learn more about engineering.

"We want to be the Harry Potter of STEM education. That's our goal," she said, noting that STCC plans to expand the curriculum nationwide after the four-year project ends.

McGinnis-Canvanaugh, for example, offered that students taking part in the initiative could learn about engineering materials and their applications through the lens of building a "super suit" for a child who gets trapped in a video game.

"There will be some kind of fantastical story around that which will interest the kids," she said. "But, we will also connect, let's say they do a unit on light and electricity, we have stories about time travel going back to Tesla and Edison and the war between AC and DC current -- that sort of thing. That's how we would reframe it."

McGinnis-Canvanaugh, however, stressed that project will not ask teachers to teach more, but rather to look at STEM in a new way. That could include establishing new partnerships with teachers of other disciplines.

STCC will also look at teacher feedback to refine and revise the project's curriculum throughout the four-year period, she said.

Contending that there's a need to better engage students with STEM, particularly in middle school -- a critical juncture for whether students continue on to engineering or other fields -- McGinnis-Canvanaugh said the project will initially focus on sixth graders before moving up to other grades.

About 900 students, across eight middle schools are expected to take part in the project.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat who joined STCC officials in announcing the grant award, stressed the importance of promoting STEM among students in the Springfield Public Schools system could have on the industry, which is struggling to fill precision manufacturing and engineering jobs in the region.

"(STCC's) emphasis has been, in a lot of ways, on making sure people have employable skills," he said. "I think that's what we acknowledge today."

The congressman added that "the number of students who are able to participate in this collaboration will certainly reap the long-term benefits."

STCC President John Cook said the grant, which is part of the National Science Foundation's Discovery Research K-12 program, offers his school a "significant opportunity" to impact STEM education.

"We are grateful to work alongside Smith College and the Springfield Public Schools on this wonderful and important initiative," he said in a statement. "It is our hope that this project will spark interest in STEM among middle school students in Springfield and young girls in particular."

The project will build on a previous joint initiative between STCC and Smith College, which sought to spark middle schoolers' interest in engineering.

The two schools received a $3 million, five-year National Science Foundation grant in 2012 to distribute an initiative to after-school programs and other programs nationwide.

Smith has been awarded a separate $1.4 million for the new research project.
The discussions included how to equip youth and their guardians to use online tools .

According to an Alphabeta report, over 80 per cent of Indian VOD consumers found online safety features useful and trustworthy in keeping themselves and their families safe.

The office of the Chief Minister Maharashtra, in partnership with the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)  an NGO working in the area of online safety, organised a forum called Create, Connect, Respect: Empowering parents and educators to guide connected children and youth, recently in Mumbai. This event was supported by UNICEF India, Netflix and FICCI Arise.

Bringing together both global and local leaders in the area of online safety, the focus of this event was on how to enable children and youth to benefit from the advantages that the Internet has to offer. At the event, the discussions included how to equip youth and their guardians to use online tools and other techniques which ensure that they have a safe and age-appropriate experience online. According to an Alphabeta report, over 80 per cent of Indian VOD consumers found online safety features useful and trustworthy in keeping themselves and their families safe.

In addition to Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI, speakers at this event included Javier Aguilar, Chief Child Protection Officer, UNICEF; Kuek Yu-Chuang, MD of APAC, Netflix; Kaustubh Dhavse, Joint Secretary and OSD to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Amitabh Kumar, HoD, Centre for Social Research, Siddharth Pillai, Director, Aarambh India Initiative, and Gowree Gokhale, Partner at Nishith Desai Associates.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sent a supporting message to the audience, saying India houses the youngest population in the world. The transition of India from an emerging economy to a $5 trillion economy will depend on how well we leverage our demographic dividend. The advent of the fourth industrial revolution entails adequate exposure of the Internet to every last person for a future-ready workforce. In her remarks, Pankaja Munde noted that The Government of India is coming up with a lot of new platforms where we can engage in this dialogue. We are working on making vulnerable populations more and more Internet savvy. Connectedness needs to go hand-in-hand with education so that people are empowered to have a safe and productive experience online.

FOSI CEO Stephen Balkam said, Online safety is everyones responsibility and everybody has to work together to maintain it. This can best be done through open dialogue with various stakeholders. Netflix's MD of APAC, Kuek Yu-Chuang, said, Netflix encourages families to make wise decisions when streaming content from the Internet, including our own service. We are proud of the product features on our service such as PIN parental control that empowers our users to make these decisions.
The study report worldwide Human Identification Analysis Software covers the market analysis for the regions  North America, Europe, Asia Pacific/ Southeast Asia and Row and country analysis of China, Japan, and India focusing on top manufacturers in world market and the market share they hold including their contribution to the market growth

The Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market is growing at the CAGR of ~8.1% during the forecast period and expected to reach US$ 873.2 million by 2023.

Key Players for Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market:

Agilent Technologies (US), Laboratory Corporation of America (US), GE Healthcare (US), Human Identification Technologies (US), LabCorp DNA Identity (US), Illumina, Inc. (US), LGC Limited (UK), Promega Corporation. (US), QIAGEN (Germany), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US), and others.

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Market Scenario:

Global human identification analysis software market is growing moderately. Increasing demand for DNA database, government initiatives, increasing funding and advancement in the field of biotechnology are key drivers for the global human identification analysis software market. All the companies are investing money to develop new solutions that driving the market growth. Innovation and rapid adoption are also major driving forces for the growth of global human identification analysis software market.

Segments:

Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market has been segmented on the basis of products which Instrumentation, Consumables, and others. Instruments are further sub segmented into DNA Extraction, DNA Amplification, DNA Quantification, kits and others. On the basis of diagnosis, it is segmented into Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electronystagmography (ENG), Head CT, Head MRI, Hearing test, Magnetic resonance angiography, Caloric stimulation, and others. On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into DNA Testing, Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Automated Liquid Handling, Microarray, Next Generation Sequencing, Purification & Extraction and Others. On the basis of application it is segmented into Forensics, DNA analysis, Genetic studies, Anthropology, and others. Forensics is sub segmented into Facial Recognition, Fingerprint Identification, Evidence Collection, and others. DNA analysis is Sub segmented into STR analysis, DNA data basing, DNA casework, Paternity testing, and others.

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Regional Analysis of Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market:

Considering the global scenario of the market, due to continuous innovation and rapid adoption of new technology, North America is the largest market for Human Identification Analysis Software. US is holding the largest market share in North America region. European market is second largest, west European countries are dominating in this market. On the other hand, due developing healthcare infrastructure, and increasing healthcare spending, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) is fastest growing market for Human Identification Analysis Software and expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. Middle East and Africa (ME&A) is likely to have a limited growth in the market due to comparatively low adoption of new technology.

Table of Content

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

 Continued

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Global Throat Lozenges Market  Highlights

Throat lozenges are the medical or non-medical preparation intended for temporary relief from cold and cough. Due to changing lifestyle and increasing smoking has decrease the immune system of the people and make them more susceptible to get affected by virus and bacteria. Pediatric and geriatric population are also more susceptible to get affected by foreign organism.

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Increasing pediatric and geriatric population, changing lifestyle and increasing need for minimizing the healthcare expenditure are the major driving factor for the market. Whereas short term effect and availability of alternative therapies may hamper the growth of market.

Global throat lozenges market is expected to grow at a steady CAGR of 3.5% during forecasted period.

Global Throat Lozenges Market  Segmentation

Global throat lozenges market is segmented on the basis of ingredients types into menthol throat lozenges and non-menthol throat lozenges. Menthol throat lozenges is further segmented into eucalyptus oil, mint, peppermint oil and others. Non-menthol throat lozenges is further segmented into zinc gluconate glycine, pectin and other. On the basis of usage the market is segmented into pharmaceutical lozenges, antibacterial lozenges and others. And on the basis of application the market is segmented into cough and cold, throat soreness, throat diseases and other.

Global Throat Lozenges Market  Leading Players

The major key player for the global throat lozenges market are Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd (India), GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited (UK), Thornton & Ross, Pfizer, Inc (US), Procter & Gamble (P&G) (US), united confections(US), August Storck KG (Germany), Roshen Confectionery Corp (Ukrain), Crown Confectionery Co. Ltd. (South Koera), CRM Group (Brazil), United Confections Throat lozenge (UK), Yildiz Holding (Turkey), Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. (Japan), Perfetti (Italy), Hershey Foods Corp. (US).

Global Throat Lozenges Market  Competitive Analysis

Global throat lozenges market is highly saturated due to presence of a number of local and multinational companies. Huge number of products are available in the market. Majority of companies are focusing on cost effective medication while some has adopted strategies of acquisitions and strategic alliances for the growth of the market. Currently market throat lozenges are composed of an anesthetic, benzocaine and eucalyptus oil. Various brands are available in the market for throat lozenges that include Lakerol, Pastilles Juanola, Butter-Menthol, Chloraseptic, Strepsils, Vicks, Victory V, Sucrets and many more.

Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd. is an Indian pharmaceutical and company headquartered in Mumbai, India. Company primarily manufactures wide category of products. Company is trying to develop their market in other countries and in 2014 they are awarded by the Indian Government for outstanding exports performance for the FY 2012-13. The major product of the company is Fricks which is a herbal variant of lozenges. This products are exported across the different countries and are suitable for adults and children over two years old.

Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) is an American consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, US. Company is primarily specializes in a wide range of cleaning agents, personal care and hygienic products. It is one of the leading company for the throat lozenges market. Vicks is one of the major brand of the company.

Some Points from TOC of Throat Lozenges Market Research Report  Global Forecast Till 2023:

1 INTRODUCTION

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 MARKET DYNAMICS

4 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS

5. GLOBAL THROAT LOZENGES MARKET, BY INGREDIENTS TYPE

6. GLOBAL THROAT LOZENGES MARKET, BY USAGE

7. GLOBAL THROAT LOZENGES MARKET, BY APPLICATION

8. GLOBAL THROAT LOZENGES MARKET, BY REGION

9. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

10 COMPANY PROFILE

1 CONCLUSION

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by Chuck Martin , August 8, 2018

Samsung plans to invest $22 billion in artificial intelligence, automotive technology and 5G development.

The Korean tech giant also announced a set of initiatives aimed at building the ecosystem of innovative businesses for the digital economy. Samsung plans to open its venture incubation program to both external and internal startup projects and provide software training.

Innovations powered by AI technology will drive the industrys transformation and the next-generation 5G telecommunications technology will create opportunities in autonomous vehicles, the IoT and robotics, according to the company.

Samsung aims to become a leader in electronics components for future cars such as system-on-chips for autonomous driving, utilizing its leadership in semiconductors, telecommunications and display technologies, stated the Samsung investment announcement.

The investment includes capital expenditures and research and development. Samsung expected to create 40,000 new jobs over the next three years. The company also will expand C-Lab, its internal venture incubation program, and work with the Korean government to establish and run software education centers across the country.
by Larissa Faw , August 7, 2018

Tourism and travel marketing agency MMGY Global is acquiring Grifco and its sister company Ophir PR as part of its ongoing strategy to grow its global footprint and service existing and prospective clients worldwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Under the agreement, the Grifco brand will be retained though it will now be known as Grifco, an MMGY Global company. Ophir PR will continue to operate as a separate brand.

Agency founder Claire Griffin will remain an integral part of the company, continuing to oversee Grifco as managing director and Ophir PR as executive director. (She decided to develop two separate shops to each manage a different set of clients with a slightly different approach.)

In addition, Griffin will also partner with the MMGY Global senior management team to further grow the agencys European footprint in the luxury travel sector.

MMGY now employs 400+ plus workers across six locations, including three offices in London plus offices in Dubai, Madrid and Taipei.

The acquisition is the is the fifth by MMGY Global since private equity firm Peninsula Capital Partners and Fine Equity Partners made a significant equity investment in the company in February 2016.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 8, 2018

Apple told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday that its iPhones do not listen to users without their consent and do not allow third-party apps to do so either.

In July, Apple and Alphabet CEOs were questioned by Congress about mobile tracking data and whether the virtual assistants listen in and record conversations between the user and device.

The letters, addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Larry Page, were sent by the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee and asked\ for answers about the collection of data through their devices and services, such as email, location data and voice.

Reuters obtained copies of Apples response to lawmakers, but reported that Alphabet did not respond to questions about whether the company replied.

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Apple told lawmakers that developers need to take responsibility to notify users when apps are removed, and in the past it has removed apps from its App Store over privacy violations. It did not say whether it ever banned developers from its store.

The letter to lawmakers, per Reuters, stated that Apple cannot monitor what developers do with customer data and does not have the ability to ensure they meet privacy laws and compliance. The company also stated that over the years it has rejected about 36,000 apps from among the 100,000 submitted weekly for violations of its guidelines.

The attention being given to voice search and assistants by the U.S. government is not without warrant, as companies continue to build global platforms that support voice.

Earlier this week, Nippon Broadcasting System and voice search platform Audioburst announced a joint partnership to support and build voice technology products relying on Audiobursts AI-based voice-search platform. Most will become available for the Japanese market.

As part of the expanded partnership, Nippon invested $3 million as part of Audiobursts latest funding round led by Samsung Ventures, bringing the rounds total funding to $14.4 million.
Taiwan blocks imports of the active ingredient Valsartan made in China. Carcinogenic contamination is 200 times higher than allowed. Lab testing continues in Europe and the United States. Changsheng Biotech mixed anti-rabies vaccines with expired products.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Valsartan, the active ingredient produced by Zhejiang Tianyu Pharmaceutical, contains carcinogenic substances that are 200 times higher than allowed.

The Chinese-made active ingredient used in hypertension drugs was found to be contaminated with a carcinogenic substance called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).

Taiwans Food and Drug Administration announced the finding after testing drugs imported from China following reports about its harmful nature.

Zhejiang Tianyu Pharmaceutical last month had reported to the European Union about possible impurities in the active ingredient due to changes in the production process in 2012.

The company exports to Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea and some African countries.

Taiwans health authorities last Saturday announced a recall for all drugs containing Valsartan. This follows a similar decision in other Western countries.

Testing by European labs show that Chinese-made Valsartan contains 200 times the maximum acceptable quantity (0.3 parts per million) of carcinogens.

According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), these percentages cause cancer in one person out of 5,000 taking the maximum dose of 320 milligrams a day for seven years.

The hypertension drug is widely used. In Europe about 54 per cent of men and 53.7 per cent over 50 suffer from hypertension.

Meanwhile, the investigation into Changsheng Biotech, the pharmaceutical company at the centre of recent vaccine scandals, continues.

In China, the investigation team set by the authorities announced yesterday that the Changsheng Biotech anti-rabies vaccines were mixed with other expired products.

In addition, the drug company has not recorded dates since April 2014, including batches sold abroad. The company provided forged production data for four years.

In 2017, Changsheng provided Chinese health units some 113,000 expired anti-rabies vaccines and about 250,000 ineffective vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus (DPT).

These drugs were given to hundreds of thousands of children, some as young as three months old. When the scandal broke, it caused concern ang anger among parents with young children.

In the past few months, investigators uncovered complicity between the Health Ministry and manufacturing companies. President Xi Jinping called the whole thing "appalling".

Public officials charged with monitoring have been caught up in the affair.

Court verdicts show that public officials accepted bribes worth hundreds of thousands of yuan to approve vaccines.

According to some economists, the lack of serious competition in Chinas pharmaceutical sector is a serious problem.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 8, 2018

President Donald Trump is asking a federal appellate court to reverse a finding that he violates critics' free speech rights by blocking them on Twitter.

In legal papers filed Tuesday, the Department of Justice argues that the @realDonaldTrump account -- which Trump uses to broadcast official policy statements -- is his "personal" account, and that his blocking of critics is "merely an exercise of his personal, not governmental, authority to exclude individuals from that private account."

"The @realDonaldTrump account is neither owned nor controlled by the federal government; it belongs to Donald Trump in his personal capacity," the government argues. "Nothing in the First Amendment divests Donald Trump of the ability to decline to receive messages on his private property that he does not wish to hear, nor does it compel him to allow others to use his speech as a platform to amplify their own."

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The administration's appeal comes several months after U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in New York ruled that Trump acts unconstitutionally when he blocks people based on the views reflected in their Twitter posts. "The blocking of the individual plaintiffs as a result of the political views they have expressed is impermissible under the First Amendment," she wrote in a sweeping ruling addressing people's free speech rights in the digital era.

The legal dispute dates to last July, when the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and seven critics of the president who were blocked by him. They argued that the @realDonaldTrump account is a "public forum" -- meaning that it's comparable to city streets, parks and other locales where the government can't prevent people from speaking based on their views. The users asked Buchwald to declare the blocks unconstitutional, and to order Trump and other officials to remove the blocks.

The Department of Justice urged Buchwald to reject the claims, arguing that Trump has a First Amendment right to decide who to interact with on Twitter. The government also argued that the blocked Twitter users weren't injured, because they could continue to read Trump's tweets and interact with other users.

But Buchwald said in her ruling that the blocks impermissibly limited people's ability to use Twitter. "As long as they remain blocked, 'the Individual Plaintiffs cannot view the Presidents tweets; directly reply to these tweets; or use the @realDonaldTrump webpage to view the comment threads associated with the Presidents tweets while they are logged in to their verified accounts,'" she wrote, quoting from a court document.

She added that it's also difficult for people to "understand the reply tweets without the context of the original @realDonaldTrump tweets."

The White House is now asking the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse Buchwald's ruling. The Justice Department makes several arguments, including that Trump is acting as a private individual, and not a government representative, when he blocks people on Twitter.

"The First Amendment protects individuals against abridgments of their speech by the government, not against restrictions attributable to private actions," lawyers for Trump argue. "The @realDonaldTrump account belongs to Donald Trump in his personal capacity, not his official one. He established and began frequent use of the account in 2009, long before his election and inauguration."

The Department of Justice previously stipulated that Trump uses Twitter to communicate "with the public through statements about official matters and other comments about his administration." The government also stipulated that Trump's social media director, Dan Scavino, also posts to the account.

Internet law expert Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University, says that the administration's attempt to characterize the @realDonaldTrump account as personal is "completely unconvincing."

"I don't see how they can do that," he says, adding that the argument isn't consistent with the administration's acknowledgment that Trump makes official government statements from the account, and that a government employee contributes to it.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 8, 2018

Twitter is asking an appellate court to immediately review a trial judge's decision allowing white nationalist Jared Taylor to proceed with a lawsuit alleging that he was wrongly banned from the microblogging service.

"Twitters decisions on what or whose content to distribute are quintessential editorial judgments protected by the First Amendment," the company writes in legal papers filed this week in California's First Appellate District. "A private-sector communications platform cannot be compelled to disseminate a message it finds objectionable solely because its decision to exclude the message would deprive another of a private platform from which to speak."

The company is seeking to appeal a recent ruling by Judge Harold Kahn in San Francisco, who refused to dismiss Taylor's claims that he was wrongly discriminated against by Twitter based on his political views.

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Last December, soon after Twitter announced a crackdown on "violent extremist groups," the company permanently suspended Taylor and his publication, American Renaissance. Two months later, Taylor sued Twitter over the bans. He claimed that the account suspensions violated several California laws, including one dealing with unfair business practices.

Twitter asked Kahn to dismiss the case at an early stage under California's anti-SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) law, which aims to protect free speech about matters of public importance. Twitter argued that its First Amendment right to decide what content to allow on its platform was threatened by Taylor's suit.

Kahn said at the conclusion of a hearing in June that he planned to reject Twitter's bid to dismiss the matter immediately. The company had argued at that hearing that it has the right to suspend accounts for any reason.

During the hearing, Kahn questioned Twitter's lawyer about whether that position was consistent with prior statements by executives who had previously called the company the "free speech wing of the free speech party."

Kahn added that Twitter's position that it can suspend accounts at will may be "unconscionable," or too unfair to be enforceable.

The company is now asking an appellate court to review Kahn's decision, and to stay all proceedings pending appeal.

Twitter specifically argues that its terms -- including its reservation of the right to ban users -- are not unconscionable, given that its service is free.

"Twitters ability to provide a communications service for free depends in part on its ability to include in its standardized user agreement 'provisions and protections' such as the one at issue here," the company writes. "Such contract terms eliminate or control costs of doing business that Twitter would otherwise face -- for example, by ensuring that it does not have to litigate every decision it makes about who can use its platform."

The company adds that Taylor and his publication received the "benefit of their bargain."

"They were permitted to use Twitter for years without ever having to pay any fee," the company says, adding that Taylor used the platform to build a business by driving traffic to his sites.

Earlier this year, a different judge -- Kimberly Gaab in Fresno County -- threw out a lawsuit against Twitter by right-wing activist Charles Johnson, who was banned from the service in 2015. Gaab said in a "tentative ruling" that Twitter has the right to decide what speech to allow on its platform.

Twitter's newest filing comes the same week that the company is facing questions about its decision to allow right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to continue using the platform. Other major tech companies, including YouTube, Facebook and Apple, have removed at least some of Jones' material from their platforms over alleged policy violations.
According to a new study carried out in Australia, a protein found in spider venom could help scientists design an effective medication for the treatment of a rare form of epilepsy. Share on Pinterest Deadly venom may provide life-saving insight. Dravet syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that typically appears during the first 12 months of life. Seizures, which increases in temperature and bright lights can sometimes trigger, can be frequent. Children with Dravet syndrome also tend to have developmental delay, speech impairment, sleep disturbances, and a number of other symptoms. The condition is resistant to current treatments and, sadly, children who are affected often die before they reach adulthood. Recently, a team of researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, both in Australia, set out to find answers in an unusual place: spider venom.

Spider venom and epilepsy The researchers were led by Prof. Glenn King, from UQ, whose research focuses on harnessing various types of venom to be used medicinally. In fact, his UQ laboratory houses the most extensive collection of venoms in the world. Prof. King explains why spider venom might help children with Dravet syndrome, saying, About 80 percent of Dravet syndrome cases are caused by a mutation in a gene called SCN1A. When this gene doesnt work as it should, sodium channels in the brain, which regulate brain activity, do not function correctly. Specifically, the mutation in the SCN1A gene alters a subunit of fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons. When these inhibitory neurons fire, they dampen down neural activity. However, if they are not fully functioning, the brain is more susceptible to hyperexcitability, which increases the chance of seizures. The researchers investigated the effect of a spider venom peptide on a mouse model of Dravet syndrome. They demonstrated that this molecule, called Hm1a, zeroed in on the exact receptors that are affected in this condition. In our studies, the peptide from spider venom was able to target the specific channels affected by Dravet, restoring the function of the brain neurons and eliminating seizures. Prof. Glenn King They recently published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
A mole can bleed if it gets caught on something and is torn. While this can hurt, it is not usually anything to worry about. In rare cases, a mole bleeds for no apparent reason, and this can be a sign of skin cancer. It is common for adults to have between 10 and 40 moles. People with lighter skin tend to have more moles than those with darker skin. Moles can change as a person ages. Some will become darker or lighter, and many moles grow. They can appear anywhere on the skin, from the scalp to the soles of the feet and even under the fingernails. Most moles are harmless, but people should check them for changes, such as bleeding, that can indicate melanoma. In this article, learn why moles can bleed and when to seek medical treatment.

Causes Share on Pinterest A doctor should inspect any mole that bleeds for no reason. Raised moles can catch on things, such as jewelry, and start to bleed. They can also feel itchy, and a person may break the skin if they scratch too hard. A bleeding mole may be painful, but a person can usually treat these minor wounds at home. If a mole bleeds for no apparent reason, however, a person should see a doctor. Bleeding moles, or moles that look like open sores, can sometimes be signs of melanoma.

When to see a doctor Melanomas are skin cancers that begin in the skin cells that produce pigment. The cancerous cells may look like moles, or they may develop from moles. When spotted and treated early, melanomas are almost always curable. People can use the ABCDEs to monitor new or existing moles. If any of the following signs are present, see a doctor for a professional evaluation: Asymmetry : The two halves of the mole or freckle do not match.

: The two halves of the mole or freckle do not match. Border : The mole or freckle has an irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined border.

: The mole or freckle has an irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined border. Color : The mole contains varied shades of tan, brown, black, white, red, or blue.

: The mole contains varied shades of tan, brown, black, white, red, or blue. Diameter : Melanomas are usually larger than 6 millimeters in diameter when a doctor diagnoses them. They can be smaller, however.

: Melanomas are usually larger than 6 millimeters in diameter when a doctor diagnoses them. They can be smaller, however. Evolving: If one mole looks different from the others, or has noticeably changed in size, shape, or color, it may indicate a melanoma. If a mole bleeds or oozes, this can also point to melanoma. Other symptoms include: sores that do not heal

redness or swelling that spreads outside of a moles border

itchiness, tenderness, or pain in a mole

changes in a moles texture

blurry vision, partial loss of sight, or dark spots in the eyes iris

Treatment Standard first aid for a bleeding mole involves covering the wound with a sterile dressing and applying pressure to stop the bleeding. Most moles are harmless and do not require treatment. A doctor may remove a suspicious mole to test it for cancerous cells. Some people also wish to remove moles that are bothersome or uncomfortable. A dermatologist can remove a mole using surgical excision or a surgical shave. During surgical excision, the doctor numbs the area, cuts away the mole, and closes the wound with stitches. A surgical shave can remove small moles. After numbing the area, the doctor uses a small blade to remove the part of the mole that is raised above the rest of the skin. Some people try to remove moles at home, but the American Association of Dermatologists warns against this for three reasons: If the mole does contain skin cancer, some of the cancer cells can stay in the skin and even spread.

Shaving off or cutting out a mole can disfigure the skin and cause scarring.

Removing a mole without sterile equipment and in nonsurgical conditions can lead to infection.

Prevention Share on Pinterest Taking steps to protect the skin from direct sunlight can help reduce the risk of skin cancer. Exposure to the suns harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays causes most skin cancers. The following are general tips to prevent skin cancer: Stay in the shade during the brightest hours of the day.

Avoid tanning in the sun, and never use UV tanning beds.

Cover up in the sun with a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.

Use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher during long periods of sun exposure.

Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and immediately after swimming or sweating excessively.

Keep newborns out of the sun.
Breast milk is the best, easiest and the most accessible source of nourishment for baby.

Breast milk helps protect babies from illness such as cold, flu, pneumonia and infections, due to the presence of immunoglobulins and antibodies.

Breastfeeding can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes as well as certain types of breast and ovarian cancer.

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Clean your breasts and nipples properly to avoid any breast-feeding-related infections. It is advisable to simply clean your breasts and apply a nipple care butter infused with kokum butter and virgin coconut oil, which soothe, heal and protect dry, cracked and sore nipples.

To avoid unexpected leaks and stickiness after a feeding session, you can use nursing wipes enriched with coconut oil.

It is recommended that you stay away from synthetic products to clean your nipples, so opt for products with natural ingredients to treat soreness, cracks and for instant hygiene needs.

Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat. And, it is all provided in an easily digestible form. Breast milk contains immunoglobulins and antibodies that help your baby fight viruses and bacteria.Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first six months have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea.When breastfeeding, it is important to maintain breast hygiene while your breasts adjust to the new lactating state. A few tips:It is advisable to feed your baby as often as possible, about every two hours or so, as breast milk gets digested quickly. The best way to feed your baby (whether breast or bottle-feeding) is to first choose a calm room, away from any noise or distraction. Make yourself and your baby comfortable on a chair or couch with plenty of cushions around for support.Breastfeeding is nature's'way of helping new mothers recover quickly from the trauma of childbirth, supporting her health, and providing the perfect opportunity to bond with the baby. Most mothers find it difficult to breastfeed in public as nursing in public is not common in India. Ensure that you do not breastfeed your baby in an unhygienic environment such as washrooms, especially when you are traveling. This can make you and your baby vulnerable to infections.Taking cognizance of the fact that mothers need to breastfeed in a healthy and safe environment, Himalaya BabyCare has set up over 120 breast-feeding booths in Kempegowda International Airport and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, as well as railway and bus stations in Rajasthan.Source: IANS
We are more than aware of the state of our roads in India. Name any town or city, big or small, the number of wheels speeding on an already brimming road at any given point in time is truly testing on many levels. No, we aren't just thinking 'time', we're talking more along the lines of keeping our equilibrium together and reining our wayward tongue in such moments of civilian weakness when the roads threaten to get the better of us.

Since that seems pretty relatable on an everyday basis and we hear some unanimous muttering of been there, done that, we may all come to agree upon the fact that cab-hailing services may (and have, on multiple occasions) come to our rescue during such testing times. One such platform that's an absolute hit across the Indian subcontinent is Ola and every Indian must take pride in this homegrown cab-hailing giant that's made everyday commute easy and a LOT less aggressive, to say the least.

News hit the wire last afternoon with Ola Co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal's announcement that the ride-hailing service is all set to launch in the United Kingdom very soon. The news comes after just a few months of Ola's successful operations in Australia since February earlier this year. Now with its impending launch in the UK, which also happens to be the company's second major global launch, things are looking up for the company like never before.

Spearheading the company's globalisation spree is Bhavish Aggarwal, the brain we're all set to anatomize today.

From Humble Beginnings To The Ride

 Reuters

Born to a pair of doctors and hailing from the small town of Ludhiana in Punjab, Bhavish is a 2008 IIT-Bombay graduate in Computer Science and Engineering, who ranked #23 in his entrance examinations (little to his parents' disappointment, we know right?!) and went on to work with Microsoft as an Assistant Researcher for the next two years post graduating from college.

IIT-B was also to be the place where he was destined to meet the future Co-founder of Ola, Ankit Bhati - the two shared dorms in college and were the first friend either of them made on campus. Though the rest is history but to cut the story short, that first introduction led to innumerable escapades together and exchange of ideas which culminated into the fathering of what was to be known as Ola Trips. At a raw age 24, Bhavish along with Ankit, co-founded an online weekend trip-booking portal in early 2010 with a personal pain point they sought a solution to.

BTS Scoop You'd Wanna Know

 Reuters

In his own words, he was 24 when he started, had a girlfriend but wasn't married and had no money so that eliminated the risk of huge losses - and this here folks, formed the basis of his first startup. That's some way to look at it, right? However, while all might seem up and pumping to an onlooker, Bhavish often admits to having lived through numerous hiccups at the initial stages of Ola's inception. Back in the day in 2010, the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India wasn't as hot and bothered as recent times which posed as a struggle for them to breakthrough.

After being in operation for 6 months, Ola Trips metamorphosed into Ola Cabs harnessing on the need of the hour. Built with an aim to build urban mobility in India, Bhavish stood by his belief that startups should be established to solve big, important problems and that's how Ola Cabs came into being. Then came the funding which was slow to come by but was it worth the wait? Sure as hell! Tiger Global came onboard as their first major investor and they have never looked back since. Fast forward to 8 years, and what started as India's very own ride-hailing service has now already travelled overseas after successfully catering to the needs of Indians over the past few years!

Going Global: Taking Ola Westward

 Reuters

2018 marked a new phase for the company, one that came as a welcome change, mind blowing enough to leave any founder elated! Starting with the launch of their services Down Under in Australia at the beginning of this year, Bhavish is now all set to ride over to the UK and target one of the most sophisticated transportation markets in the world for its new challenge.

As the company spreads its wings and continues to soar high, we wonder what continues to fuel Bhavish's vision everyday. Right from expanding to newer markets and exploring ways to contribute to the government's Vision 2030 by planning to introduce EVs across major towns and cities in India, to launching Ola Play and relaunching Ola Cafe, there's no backing down for the budding entrepreneur.

Backing Words With Actions

 Reuters

Bhavish lives by ideology that their company must always be about the consumer and partner satisfaction first and we have no trouble taking his word for it because he continues to give us major reasons to place our trust on him.

For every other aspiring entrepreneur, he has one advice - don't wait for the perfect time, the perfect team or even the money - just jump into the fire, perhaps much like how he started.
by Uri Avnery

The prominent Israeli political figure wades into the heated debate. Compared to Israels Declaration of Independence, the new law omits words such as democracy and fairness. The rediscovery of the Israeli nation is needed for a peaceful future with the Palestinians and neighbouring Arab countries.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews)  Being "first of all" Jews or Israelis "lies at the heart of all our basic problems", this according to Uri Avnery, well-known Israeli political figure, who waded into the heated debate over the Nation State of the Jewish People law.

Today, the Knesset was set to meet at the request of 52 opposition members to discuss the law that has sparked extensive criticisms since 19 July. On Saturday evening, thousands of members of Israels Druze minority protested in Tel Aviv.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Maronite Patriarch of Lebanon Card Bechara al-Rahi also spoke out against it.

Israeli NGOs have also expressed strong opposition to the new "fundamental" law, which in their view casts a "dark shadow" over Israel.

Below is a statement Uri Avnery posted last Saturday on his personal webpage.

YEARS AGO I had a friendly discussion with Ariel Sharon.

I told him: "I am first of all an Israeli. After that I am a Jew."

He responded heatedly: "I am first of all a Jew, and only after that an Israeli!"

That may look like an abstract debate. But in reality, this is the question that lies at the heart of all our basic problems. It is the core of the crisis which is now rending Israel apart.

THE IMMEDIATE cause of this crisis is the law that was adopted in great haste last week by the rightist Knesset majority. It is entitled "Basic Law: Israel the Nation State of the Jewish People".

This is a constitutional law. When Israel was founded during the war of 1948, it did not adopt a constitution. There was a problem with the Orthodox religious community, which made an agreed formula impossible. Instead David Ben-Gurion read out a "Declaration of Independence", which announced that "we are founding the Jewish State, namely the State of Israel".

The declaration did not become law. The Supreme Court adopted its principles without a legal basis. The new document, however, is a binding law.

So what is new about the new law, which at a first glance looks like a copy of the declaration? It contains two important omissions: the declaration spoke of a "Jewish and Democratic" state, and promised full equality between all its citizens, without regard to religion, ethnicity or sex.

All this has disappeared. No democracy. No equality. A state of the Jews, for the Jews, by the Jews.

THE FIRST to cry out were the Druze.

The Druze are a small and close-knit minority. They send their sons to serve in the Israeli army and police and consider themselves "blood brothers". Suddenly they have been robbed of all their legal rights and sense of belonging.

Are they Arabs or not? Muslims or not? That depends on who is speaking, where and what for. They threaten to demonstrate, to leave the army and generally rebel. Binyamin Netanyahu tries to bribe them, but they are a proud community.

However, the Druze are not the main point. The new law completely ignores the 1.8 million Arabs who are Israeli citizens, including the Bedouin and Christians. (No one even thinks about the hundreds of thousands of European Christians, who immigrated with their Jewish spouses and other relatives, mainly from Russia.)

The Arabic language with all its splendor, which until now was one of the two official languages, was demoted to a mere "special status", whatever that means.

(All this applies to Israel proper, not to the 5 million or so Arabs in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, who have no rights at all.)

Netanyahu is defending this law like a lion against mounting criticism from within. He has publicly declared that all the Jewish critics of the law are leftists and traitors (synonyms), "who have forgotten what it is to be Jewish".

AND THAT is really the point.

Years ago, my friends and I asked the Supreme Court to change the "nationality" entry in our identity cards, from "Jewish" to Israeli". The courts refused, stating that there is no Israeli nation. The official register recognizes almost a hundred nations, but not an Israeli one.

This curious situation started with the birth of Zionism in the late 19th century. It was a Jewish movement, designed to solve the Jewish Question. The settlers in Palestine were Jewish. The whole project was closely connected with Jewish tradition.

But once a second generation of settlers grew up, they felt uneasy about being just Jewish, like Jews in Brooklyn or Krakow. They felt that they were something new, different, special.

The most extreme were a small group of young poets and artists, who in 1941 formed an organization nicknamed "the Canaanites", who proclaimed that we were a new nation, a Hebrew one. In their enthusiasm they went to extremes, declaring that we have nothing to do with Jews abroad, and that there was no Arab nation  Arabs were just Hebrews who had adopted Islam.

Then there came the news of the Holocaust, the Canaanites were forgotten and everybody became remorseful super-Jews.

But not really. Without a conscious decision, the popular language of my generation adopted a clear distinction: Jewish Diaspora and Hebrew agriculture, Jewish history and Hebrew battalions, Jewish religion and Hebrew language.

When the British were here, I took part in dozens of demonstrations shouting "Free Immigration! Hebrew State!". I don't remember a single demonstration where anyone shouted "Jewish State!"

So why does the Declaration of Independence speak of a "Jewish State"? Simple: it was alluding to the UN resolution which decreed the partition of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. The founders simply stated that we are now setting up this Jewish state.

Vladimir Jabotinsky, the legendary forefather of the Likud, wrote an anthem declaring "A Hebrew is the son of a prince".

ACTUALLY THIS is a natural process. A nation is a territorial unit. It is conditioned by its landscape, climate, history, neighbors.

When the British settled in America, they felt after some time that they were different from the British they had left behind in their island. They became Americans. The British convicts sent to the Far East became Australians. In two World Wars, Australians rushed to the rescue of Britain, but they are not British. They are a proud new nation. So are Canadians, New Zealanders, and Argentinians. And so are we.

Or would have been, if official ideology had allowed it. What has happened?

First of all, there was the huge immigration from the Arab world and Eastern Europe in the early fifties  for every one Hebrew there were two, three, four new immigrants, who considered themselves Jews.

Then there was the need for money and political support from the Jews abroad, especially in the US. These, while considering themselves full and true Americans (try and say they are not, you bloody anti-Semite!) are proud to have a Jewish State somewhere.

And then there was (and is!) a rigorous government policy of Judaization of everything. The present government has reached new heights. Active  even frantic  government actions try to Judaize education, culture, even sports. Orthodox Jews, a small minority in Israel, exert immense influence. Their votes in the Knesset are essential to the Netanyahu government.

WHEN THE State of Israel was founded, the term Hebrew was exchanged for the term Israeli. Hebrew is now only a language.

So is there an Israeli nation? Of course there is. Is there a Jewish nation? Of course there isn't.

Jews are members of an ethnic-religious people, dispersed throughout the world and belonging to many nations, with a strong feeling of affinity with Israel. We, in this country, belong to the Israeli nation, whose Hebrew members are part of the Jewish people.

It is crucial that we recognize this. It decides our outlook. Quite literally. Are we looking towards Jewish centers like New York, London, Paris and Berlin, or are we looking towards our neighbors, Damascus, Beirut and Cairo? Are we part of a region inhabited by Arabs? Do we realize that making peace with these Arabs, and especially the Palestinians, is the main task of this generation?

We are not temporary tenants in this country, ready at any moment to go and join our brother and sister Jews around the globe. We belong to this country and are going to live here for many generations to come, and therefore we must become peaceful neighbors in this region, which I called, 75 years ago, "the Semitic Region".

The new Nation Law, by its clearly semi-fascist nature, shows us how urgent this debate is. We must decide who we are, what we want, where we belong. Otherwise we will be condemned to a permanent state of impermanence.
Aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange soared by more than 3% at the close of trading on Wednesday August 8, buoyed by strike action at Alcoas Pinjarra alumina refinery, while tit-for-tat tariffs continue to limit confidence in commodity investment. Read more here in our live futures report Here is how prices looked at the close of trading:

Alcoa workers have gone on strike in western Australia due to a breakdown between the company and Australian Workers Union officials representing the workers.



The London Metal Exchange has undertaken a review of its warehousing network and tightened up rules surrounding third-party landlords following the delisting of warehousing company Worldwide Warehouse Solutions (WWS).



Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe have moved up over the past week, supported by the effects from the recent regional safeguard case, sources told Metal Bulletin.



Domestic prices for steel beams in Europe remained stable this week while trading maintained usual seasonal summer levels, sources told Metal Bulletin.



Domestic prices for mesh-quality wire rod produced and delivered in Europe remained unchanged over the week as market activity weakened during the summer holidays.



Brazilianautomotive production grew by 9.3% year on year in July, driven by an increase in domestic sales.



Swiss special and stainless steel producer Schmolz + Bickenbach expects further growth in terms of both sales volumes and product value in the second half of 2018, it said after reporting strong results for the second quarter of the year.



Fintech firm Autilla has received a High Court notice of a petition to wind up the company under the corporate insolvency act.
by Mathias Hariyadi

The Sisters of Notre Dame are getting ready to communicate on the web, an idea they owe to their superior, Sr Monika Ekowati, who is also a writer. For her, today "there is an urgent need to understand the logic of social media and, last but not least, acquire a personal experience in the use of modern tools."

Pekalongan (AsiaNews)  The Sisters of Notre Dame (SND) are turning to journalism training: media communication, video production, social media use and big data.

Sr Monika Ekowati, superior and writer who already has several publications to her name, is behind the idea of a media literacy campaign called Word2Share.

Some 20 members of the order attended the first seminar in Pekalongan, Java province, from 3 to 5 August.

Sr Monika made her talents available to her sisters. "It is part of our ongoing training, she explained. Each nun is invited to use her various skills and increase her capacity as a good communicator and active producer of good news in society."

Sister Monika Ekowati's passion for writing began as a child. "In my family I was encouraged to read a lot since I was a girl. My father asked me for a summary of the stories I was reading. He drove me to memorise and write the story based on what I could remember."

When she entered the order, her superiors did not look favourably to her passion for writing and forced her to burn her writings.

Only later did an elderly nun begin to push her to renew her passion because it could be a tool to spread the word of God. Since then Sr Monika has successfully published three books.

For her, today "there is an urgent need to understand the logic of social media and, last but not least, acquire a personal experience in the use of modern tools."

"This must be done to enable the sisters to pass on the good news for the sake of the Catholic Church, Indonesian society and their own religious congregation."

After two days of intensive training, all the participants were encouraged to produce video news focusing on the stories of some of the orders older sisters.

Speaking at the end of the seminar, Sr Monika expressed her appreciation for the participation of the young sisters. "It is part of our ongoing training in which each nun is invited to use her skills and increase her capacity as a good communicator and active producer of good news in society."

Lastly, speaking about the video project proposed at the end of the meeting, Sr Monika said, "These videos represent the history of our sisters, the time when they built this religious congregation in Indonesia.
The application of several members of the clergy was also turned down. Participation in the event required a letter of recommendation from Card Joseph Coutts to guarantee that the applicant would not seek asylum in Europe. The Irish consulate explained that their decision was based on applicants' family circumstances, economic situation and social conditions.

Karachi (AsiaNews/Ucanews)  Ireland has decided not to grant visas to thousands of Pakistani Christians.

The consulates in Karachi and Islamabad turned down applications by families wishing to attend the upcoming World Meeting of Families (WMF) in Dublin from 21 to 26 August. Pope Francis will be present at the event.

About 10,000 families from around Pakistan had applied; 600 from the Archdiocese of Karachi alone. All requests were rejected. Even clergymen saw their application refused.

Speaking about the issue, Father Anthony Abraz, parish priest at the Good Shepherd church in Karachi, said that in the case of many families, "The visa officer [. . .] found insufficient evidence of strong family, social, economic or other obligations to return home after staying in Ireland. The clergyman himself was denied a visa also because he had not taken part in similar events in the past.

The Irish consulate in Karachi said that it analysed the reasons for going to Ireland and other criteria, including family circumstances, financial situation, employment details, travel reasons and accommodation in Ireland.

However, for Father Abraz, "All applications should have been assessed on a case-by-case basis, noting that two groups of lay people received identical letters.

Church authorities had screened potential pilgrims, and Card Joseph Coutts of Karachi only granted letters of recommendation to those who were not interested in seeking asylum.

Many Catholics are outraged at how the whole thing was handled.

Samuel Sarfraz, who works at a pharmaceutical company in Multan (Punjab), sold a residential plot to raise 300,000 rupees (US,420) for non-refundable visa applications and registration fees for his family of three children to attend the Irish event.

"This is a conspiracy to mint money from people who are already marginalised and discriminated against in a Muslim-majority country. If the policy was to reject all Pakistanis, why did they accept visa and registration fees for the world meeting?" he asks.

The Pakistani passport precludes the possibility of visiting many countries. The Henley Passport Index ranks the Pakistani passport as third worse after Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Iraqi premier is forced to apply US sanctions to Iran. But he adds that the measure of sanctions is "unjust" and ends up targeting ordinary people. The US president warns: Those who do business with Tehran "will no longer be able to do business with the United States". EU responds: "We will increase business" with the Islamic Republic.

Baghdad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says he must reluctantly apply the American sanctions against Iran, its neighbour and ally in the Middle East region.

The Iraqi leader in fact remembers the suffering of his country for the 12 years under international embargo, wanted by the UN Security Council following the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. "We do not support sanctions - added the premier - because they are a strategic mistake. However, we are forced to respect them ".

The Iraqi leader went on to underline that "in general" attacks on the economy and life of a nation are "unjust". At the same time he claims to have to adapt to the provisions of Washington - a key ally, like Tehran, in the fight against the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis) who have long occupied part of the country - to "protect our people" and our interests".

Iraq is the second largest importer of non-hydrocarbon products from Iran. In 2017 the volume of business was around 6 billion dollars. In addition, the provinces bordering Iran depend largely on the Islamic Republic for electricity supplies and local businesses.

Yesterday, meanwhile, US President Donald Trump launched a very harsh warning against his allies and the international community via Twitter: "Anyone doing business with Iran - he said - will no longer be able to do business with the United States". Words that follow the entry into force of the first part of the sanctions against Tehran, ordered by the White House following the decision to cancel the 2015 nuclear agreement (the JCPOA). From November, those relating to Iranian oil exports will also be applied.

The US leader recalled that "sanctions against Iran have officially started, they are the strongest ever imposed and in November they will reach another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will not do business with the United States. "I ask, he concludes, for "peace in the world, nothing less!".

The High Representative for the Common Foreign and Defense Policy of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, responded to the statement by the White House leader by renewing her encouragement of EU companies to "increase their business with Iran". The head of European diplomacy recalls that Tehran is respecting the commitments made under the nuclear agreement and for this reason it must be supported on an economic and commercial level.
Indian intelligence agencies have warned the government that terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen could be planning to carry out terror strikes in Jammu and New Delhi during the nations Independence Day celebrations on August 15,

Security measures at the Delhi Metro and the Indira Gandhi International airport have been stepped up with the induction of over 600 new security personnel and commuters are being frisked in view of the heightened vigil in the run-up to the Independence Day, officials said.

While passengers in the Delhi Metro are being frisked twice before entering stations, additional quick reaction teams (QRTs) and flying squads have been deployed at select stations that witness a heavy footfall or are important from the security point of view, local media said.

The Central Industrial Security Force, that is tasked to secure over 210 stations of the metro in the national capital region, has enhanced the number of security personnel in the network to keep a better eye on the people and their luggage, the officials said.

About 500 CISF personnel have been deployed additionally in the Delhi Metro network as part of the stepped-up security measures in the wake of the Independence Day celebrations on August 15, a senior official said.

A new control room, armed with over 5,000 CCTVs and other smart tools, has recently been commissioned for the CISF and it will help us in better monitoring operations at stations under its surveillance cover, the official said.

Special teams of mufti-wearing intelligence and passenger profiling sleuths have been deployed at various stations and they have been asked to keep an eye on a few stations by continuously moving between them, another official said on the condition of anonymity.

The officials said similar measures have been deployed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport and passengers are randomly being made to undertake a second frisking, called the secondary ladder point check (SLPC).

Last week Jammu police foiled a major plot of suicide terror attacks in New Delhi and other places during the Independence Day celebrations by arresting a terrorist there. The police said the arrested man was on his way to the national capital carrying 8 live grenades.

IGP (Jammu Range) SD Singh Jamwal said on Monday the terrorist carrying the live grenades, Rs 60,540 in cash and incriminating documents was arrested on Sunday evening as he was spotted moving in a suspicious condition in the posh locality of Gandhi Nagar.

The IGP said the arrested terrorist had been identified as Irfan Hassan Wani of the Ansar-Gazwat-ul-Hind outfit. He is a resident of Dangerpura in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

Initial interrogation of the terrorist is learned to have revealed that he was on his way to Delhi to meet some terrorists and plan the attacks. He has reportedly been sent to the joint interrogation centre for further questioning.

In London, the Indian diaspora has strongly criticised a Pakistan sponsored anti-India protest planned by pro-Khalistan Sikhs on August 12.

It is alleged that Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI, has drawn up elaborate plans to embarrass India during the 71st Independence Day functions in London.

British businessman and philanthropist of Indian origin, Rami Ranger said in his tweet: "A rally planned by an unelected and self-appointed handful of Sikhs from around the world for Independence on August 12th, 2018 in London is unwelcomed by the majority of Sikhs. A counter demonstration is planned by pro-India supporters which can result in disturbance".

He said in another tweet: "These handful of Sikhs are an embarrassment to Sikhs at large and also an impediment to progress in Punjab".

Many people have expressed their views by raising objections on pro-Khalistan rallies in the UK.

They raised questions by saying: "#Khalistan supporters are planning to do a global rally in London and many parts of the world for a referendum to vote for the creation of Khalistan, but they don't protest for the recent Sikh massacre in Afghanistan? They don't protest for Pakistani Sikh policeman who was humiliated?"

Sikhs for Justice, a pro-Khalistan group recently revealed its plan for August 12 by holding a joint press conference with Kashmiri separatists in London.

"On August 12, we will unveil the case for Sikhs right to self-determination as guaranteed in the UN Charter and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights", said Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor of Sikhs for Justice.

In Pakistan, reports said Imran Khan, who is set to become the countrys new prime minister, may take an oath of the office on the country's Independence Day on 14 August.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the single largest party in the 25 July elections, winning 116 National Assembly seats out of the contested 270 parliamentary constituencies.

The country is also being swept up in a new patriotic fervor triggered by the latest polls and a new administration.

People belonging to every walk of life especially youngsters busy in decorating their houses and vehicles with national flags as the nation starts preparations to celebrate Independence Day, reported AAP.

A report aired by a private news channel said, the capital is wearing green and white look with national flags at each nook and corner while stalls of different Azadi accessories are surrounded by youngsters who are eagerly waiting for the Independence Day (I-Day) celebrations to commence.

Many families have covered rooftops of their cars and hind screens with the national flags.

A roadside vendor Mohammad Zubair said people especially children and youth keep visiting from morning till night to buy the items required by them to celebrate Independence Day.

Different public and private departments will hold special functions and activities including seminars, discussion programmes, photographic exhibitions, painting, poetry, national songs and debate competitions with the focus on acknowledging the contribution of leaders of Pakistan movement and sacrifices of national heroes
PIGEON  Cross Lutheran School in Pigeon is hosting a free Scholarship Open House on Thursday.

The open house will run from 5 to 7 p.m. and is open to anyone interested in learning about the opportunities of Christian education for preschool through eighth grade students.

Families of all Christian denominations are welcome. Guests can tour the school, meet the teachers and staff and enter a drawing to win a full semester scholarship. A free meal will be provided from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.

Three scholarships will be given away, and the drawings will take place at 6:15 p.m. One scholarship will be given to a new family with another one being given to a returning K-8 family. The final scholarship will be given to a preschool family (can be new or returning).

If you have any questions, call 989-551-0338 or email schoolinfo@crosslutheranschool.org.
CLINTON  A California-based utility company has sweetened the deal in its effort to convince Connecticut Water Service shareholders to suport its offer rather than one being proposed by Eversource Energy.

The $70 per share that San Jose-based SJW Group is offering represents an $8.14 increase on the offer that it made in March for Clinton-based Connecticut Water. But the original deal was a stock swap and SJWs latest proposal calls for that utility to purchase Connecticut Water shareholders stock.

David Benoit, president and chief executive officer of Connecticut Water, said he doesnt view SJW Groups amended agreement as a deal sweetner.

This really represents an attempt to clear up any distractions that Eversources offeer may have created with our stock price, Benoit said. This (was) designed to facilitate the closing of our companies transformative transaction, which we believe remains the better deal.

Eversource officials made a counter offer for Connecticut Water in mid-April, offering to acquire all outstanding shares of Connecticut Water for either $63.50 a share in cash and/or Eversource common shares.

Eversource completed its acquisition of Bridgeport-based Aquarion Water Co. in early December 2017. Caroline Pretyman, a Boston-based Eversource spokeswoman, said company officials are aware of SJW Groups latest offer for Connecticut Water.

We are evaluating our options and as we have made clear, well be disciplined in pursuit of this or any other transaction, Pretyman said. We believe our offer is more compelling.

Robert Van Valer is the lead independent director of SJW Groups board of directors and trustee of the Roscoe Moss Jr. Revocable Trust, which is the largest stockholder of SJW Group. Van Valer said the amended agreement reflects our continued and shared commitment with Connecticut Water to combine our two companies to create a leading national water and wastewater utility.

Under the revised terms, the combination will substantially enhance our long-term value and significantly benefit our shareholders, employees, customers and local service area communities, he said. Together, we will have a multi-state presence with a broader and more attractive growth platform and capacity to invest in our infrastructure, maintain our local operations and focus, provide greater opportunities for our employees and increase shareholder value over the immediate- and long-term.

The merger of equals is scheduled to close during the first quarter on next year. Benoit said the merger agreement already is making its way through regulatory hearings before the states Public Utilities Regulatory Authority holds it first public hearing on the application Aug. 15.

Connecticut Water serves 450,000 people in this state and Maine. In Connecticut, the utility serves 56 towns, including 10 in the New Haven area.

The company also provides wastewater service to more than 10,000 people in Connecticut.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Bill, an Australian traveler in Zimbabwe, stood in the velvet-caped darkness and listened. I planted myself next to him and sucked in my breath, not wanting the smallest leak of air to disturb the quiet. And then we waited for it, the low growl that would confirm our suspicions: A lion had crashed our campsite.

After hearing the noise again, I grabbed our guide from the picnic shelter. Onary screwed up his face as he registered the bellow. Then his expression relaxed, and he let out a belly laugh.

On a budget safari in Africa, I was out in the raw elements, among the wildlife and the humans who snort like them. I couldn't shush either one, a concession I had made for the savings I had reaped by roughing it. But what I sacrificed in soundproof accommodations, I gained in adventure and adrenaline - including the thrill (real or imagined) of a predator within a whisker of my tent flap.

Several companies offer overland safaris that keep costs down by swapping in camping, campground cooking and bus transport for pricier lodges, restaurants and bush planes. (Higher-end safaris typically cost $400 to $1,000 a day.) Intrepid Travel, for one, lists three levels of comfort, with "Basix" at the bottom. Before signing up for this nine-day trip from Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, to Kruger National Park in South Africa, I had to look deep into my travel soul and ask: Was I looking for an "exceptional value" and "plenty of free time?" Yes, I was. Did I want the "flexibility to choose where and how [my] time and money was spent?" I certainly did. Could I handle early rises, long drives on rutted roads and such duties as food prep, kitchen cleanup and tent assembly? For $1,100 (land only) and the possibility of seeing a leopard or a lion, roll out the sleeping bag and toss me the potato peeler.

- - -

Intrepid Travel copies the pricing model of a low-fare airline. The company provides the main elements - tents with sleeping pads, most meals, safari truck transport and a few game drives - but you pay for the extras, such as a sleeping bag (you can also bring your own) and optional tours. At Victoria Falls, our starting point, the excursions included a gorge swing for $110 and a 12-minute helicopter flight for $180. The Irish teachers in our group splurged on the heli ride; I opted for a lower and less expensive view of the falls, paying $30 to enter the park. I could have rented a raincoat, but I knew that the wait for a hot shower at the campsite could be long, and my fallback plan was the largest waterfall in the world.

When I showed up at the Victoria Falls Rest Camp, our rendezvous spot in Zimbabwe, the tents were already standing. All I had to do was toss my bags inside and remember which tan-and-green shelter was mine. That evening, we met each other (14 people, five nationalities, a half-century age span) and the staff. Onary, the guide, introduced us to Enos, the cook; Ernest; the driver; and Truck, the truck.

"This is the fourth member of the crew," Onary said of the 24-seat vehicle. "Treat it with respect. If he breaks, he's not going to take us where we need to be."

Onary, who grew up in Zimbabwe, briefed us on the itinerary. We would spend four nights in Zimbabwe, one night in Botswana and three in South Africa, and were responsible for buying five lunches. Since we would be traveling in close and sometimes challenging quarters, he encouraged us to "develop a family spirit and have space for others in your minds and hearts." He also urged us to not contract malaria.

"You paid for the trip to enjoy, not to get upset," he added philosophically.

I raised my hand with a few questions. Since I had paid a single supplement of $72, could I have two sleeping pads, for my phantom other half? The answer was no. Did we have drinking water? No. Onary said the staff fills jugs with tap water, but the company's pre-departure notes warned us to avoid water from the faucets, a common concern in developing countries. After he wrapped up the talk, reminding us of the 8 a.m. departure time, we streamed into town and hit up the OK supermarket, loading up on chips, biscuits and five-liter bottles of water.

Dinner was not included that night, so three of us scanned the menu at a fast-food joint. Bill and Ash, a British cook, poked at fried chicken that looked tragically undercooked. I settled on a liquid dinner of red wine and instant coffee provided by a South African family camping between my tent and the bathroom. Our meeting was inevitable.

- - -

You never forget your first wildlife sighting. Mine was a pair of vervet monkeys goofing around at Victoria Falls and a lone warthog snuffling through plastic outside the national park's entrance. The next day, I added baboons, but fortunately not during what our guide referred to as a "bushie-bushie" stop.

"They're going to see you once and never again," Onary said of possible run-ins - whether simian or human - during the roadside bathroom breaks.

On the half-day drive from Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park, we stopped in the nearest town for supplies. More chips, more water, but no coal, the area's main industry. I walked around the commercial strip, passing several banks that appeared dark and empty in a sign of Zimbabwe's financial distress. The following day, in Bulawayo, the country's second-largest city, we would see people lined up hoping to withdraw their $30 daily allotment before the currency stream dried up.

When we arrived at the Ivory Lodge Campsite, we moved like ants, quickly raising our tent village. After lunch, several of us climbed up to the observation deck overlooking a watering hole. Dozens of elephants appeared from out of the bush. A voice from down the road hollered for us to come down. We followed a dusty path to an elegant lodge, where a guide led us to a sunken teak lounge with an open window and an intimate view of the elephants. We were so close I could see the tufts of hair on a baby elephant's head and follow the watchful eye of its protective mother. After several minutes, the employee ushered us out, just as the paying guests pulled up.

"Look what we ordered for you," he informed his excited clients, directing their gaze to the herd.

We trudged back to camp, smug in our knowledge that we had seen them first.

That afternoon, we boarded two open-air vehicles for our first official game drive. The Hwange park guide, Zebedee, told us to call him "Rhino," though his name was not prophetic. A better nickname would have been "Impala."

Back at the campsite, with images of wild animals dancing around in our heads, Onary told us to stash our shoes inside our tents. Hyenas and jackals might snack on them while we slept, or scorpions could burrow inside. That night, all footwear remained indoors.

- - -

Rhinos are better than caffeine.

If you are feeling drowsy, as I was after a cold night of camping and an early wake-up call, seeing the horned animals lolling around in the grass will revive you faster than a double shot of espresso.

We started the overcast morning outside the gates of Matobo National Park, where our guide Kurt Schmidt described the event that sparked his interest in rhinos.

"I was charged by a black rhino," he said.

The harrowing incident drew him closer to the animals, inspiring him to learn more about their behaviors and to tighten his protective arms around them. With a 95 percent unemployment rate in Zimbabwe, poaching is pervasive. He asked our group to not publicize the park's rhino population numbers and to turn off the GPS feature if we planned to post photos of the rhinos. He didn't want to give poachers any leads.

Kurt was less guarded about the black eagles (200 breeding pairs) and the leopards (600) inhabiting the park.

"They are ambush predators," he said of the big cats. "It's wonderful to know that we are being watched."

While explaining dehorning and his controversial idea to legalize rhino horn, he received a call.

"Fantastic! That's good news," he said into the receiver. "Guys, we have a rhino to look at."

On the trail, he told us to walk in single file and remain quiet. We stopped at a clearing, where I could see patches of tough gray skin but no distinguishing features. Then the blobs were gone, disturbed by our presence.

Not giving up, we scaled a rocky incline and looked down to find our quartet. From this vantage, we could see the white rhinos in various stages of relaxing - not the most scintillating activity if you're watching a cow but fascinating if your object of interest is a prehistoric-looking beast. Kurt motioned for us to follow him down the hill and around the bend, for a ground-level view. He smacked his lips, hissed and released a high-pitched, nasal sound. The rhinos twitched their ears.

"We are trying to tell them, 'We are here and one of you.' " he explained.

The sky was darkening and the temperature was dropping, but we had one more stop before we returned to the campground. We disembarked in a small village and entered the thatch-roofed home of a Ndebele chief. In his native language, Pondo entertained us with the story of his first leopard hunt, an animated tale that involved a dog, a good Samaritan in a pickup truck and a trip to the hospital. (Kurt acted as translator.) The 87-year-old, who wore a quill bib and plumed headgear, also told us about his trip to South Africa in the 1960s. He was responsible for transporting eight white rhinos to the park. Based on his animated actions, all bent knees and grunts, it was a colossal job.

Pondo asked us to join him in a prayer for rain and a good harvest. Then, he invited us to take photos with him in matching leopard skins. I skipped the photo op and played with the children instead. We snapped selfies and I showed them videos of penguins. A boy named Mpendulo sketched a picture of a rhino in my notepad. I asked him if he had any other drawings. He presented me with a stack of images of the animals, landscape and people that are part of his daily life - and are now a part of mine, too.

- - -

I saved money. Botswana waived its visa requirement days before we arrived at the border crossing. Also, because we were traveling during peak season, Onary was not able to reserve seats on an optional evening game drive in Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa.

I also spent money, in the name of staying warm. I bought a blanket and sweatpants in Botswana and upgraded to a bungalow at our overnight in South Africa's Limpopo province. (Many of the campgrounds provide indoor lodgings for an extra fee. Emma, an Aussie, and I each paid $15 for accommodations with two beds and a bucket shower but no electricity.) For our final safari, I tossed frugality to the lions.

We had one full day in Kruger, and Onary advised us to skip the open-air vehicle, which cost extra, and ride in the truck, which did not.

"You pay 880 rand [about $60] for the day drive and you don't see anything," he said, "and then you come back with your faces down."

We were one of the first vehicles through the gate, and less than 10 minutes inside the park, we were gazing at impalas, elephants and more elephants, guinea fowl, black-chested snake eagles, Cape buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, lilac-breasted rollers, zebras - and Zazu from "The Lion King," otherwise known as a red-billed hornbill. Just after 10 a.m., we released a communal gasp when we spotted a leopard about 300 feet from the road.

"This is very, very, very rare," Onary said. "He is in a hunting position, relaxing and conserving his energy in case something happens past."

Post-leopard, we checked off waterbuck, tawny eagle (a pair), giraffe and kudzu. Someone yelled out "lion," but it was a false alarm. We glared at the rock.

In the late afternoon, we piled into jeeps for the second half of the safari. Onary had originally quoted us a price of $25 but later informed us that the fee had nearly doubled. A few of us groused, but in the end, we paid up.

"Please find us a lion," Niamh, an Irish teacher living in Abu Dhabi, implored the local guide behind the wheel.

He complied. He darted through the bush, screeching around corners and pummeling the vegetation. Without warning, he turned off the engine and pointed at our prize: a male teenage lion commandeering a hill. For several minutes, we had a private audience with a lion, an experience that temporarily made us forget all the rest.

- - -

IF YOU GO

What to do

Intrepid Travel

800-970-7299

intrepidtravel.com/us

The Australia-based company organizes a slew of overland safari tours in Africa throughout the year. The nine-day Vic Falls-to-Kruger tour starts at $1,093 per person. The company will match solo travelers for shared lodging or pay a single supplement of $72 for your own tent. Price includes tent and sleeping pad; eight breakfasts, three lunches and seven dinners; bus transport; and several game drives with fees. Extra expenses before and during the trip include international airfare (I booked through AirTreks and paid $2,000 from Dulles International Airport on Ethiopian Air); several meals; vaccinations; visas ($30 for Zimbabwe); tips for local and trip guides; and lodging upgrades, if you need a break from camping. If you travel in the winter months, pack warm clothes and bring several headlamps or flashlights with extra batteries. Also grab packs of gum and notebooks and pens, in case you visit a village with children.
3 1 of 3 Contributed photo / Linda Tomas Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo / Melissa Ruszczyk, DEEP Wildlife Division Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is asking state residents to notify DEEP Wildlife Division officials if they find a GPS (global positioning system) neck collar in their yards or while in the outdoors. As part of a DEEP Bobcat Research Project, which was initiated in fall 2017, GPS collars were placed on 50 bobcats throughout the state.

These collars have been collecting and transmitting important data about Connecticut's bobcat population. All of the collars were programmed to automatically detach from the animals on Aug. 1, 2018.
MIDDLETOWN  As municipalities and the secretary of the states office gear up for Tuesdays primaries, local town committees will be out campaigning until the final moments.

In the 13th Senate District, which comprises Meriden, Middletown, Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield and Middletown, a seat currently held by Sen. Len Suzio, R-Meriden, Democrats Mary Daughtery Abrams and Alex Tikinsky, of Meriden, are vying for their partys nomination.

In the General Assemblys 100th District, which serves Middletown, Republican Planning and Zoning Commissioner Tyrell Brown and School Resource Officer Anthony Gennaro are competing for the chance to face off against city Treasurer Quentin Phipps in November.

Democratic state Rep. Matt Lesser, of Middletown, is vacating the seat to run for state Senate in the 9th.

Republicans Ed Charamut, of Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield resident Tyler Flanigan are running in the 9th Senate District, which will be vacated by state Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield, in the area that covers Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield. Democratic primary candidates are state Rep. Tony Guerrera, of Rocky Hill, and Lesser.

William Wilson, chairman of the Republican Town Committee, said city Republicans have been out knocking on doors since announcing their candidacies. He hopes voter turnout will buck the trend of off-year elections.

I think the primary will be pretty decent. It is August  thats the hardest part people are on vacation, said Wilson, who thinks many may opt to use absentee ballots.

He also said voters should be motivated to go to the polls for financial reasons.

These are the people who are going to affect your taxes, affect the way things go on in the state for the next two to four years. I dont know why people dont think thats important: to get out and vote, said Wilson, who will moderate at the polls Tuesday.

This is a critical race and voters should come out and make their voices heard, said Middletown Democratic Town Committee Chairman and Common Council member Robert Blanchard. Democrats in Middletown who have been vocal all throughout this campaign cycle really need to make sure they vote Tuesday, as anything can happen in a low-turnout primary.

Blanchard is eyeing the 18-18 split in the state Senate with hopes of taking Republican seats.

Its important that we elect two Democratic state senators, given that the state Senate is currently split. We have an opportunity to flip what used to be a Democratic state Senate seat in the 13th. We have four strong Democrats competing for nominations, he said.

If we can somehow take the Senate by one  and we need four votes in the House to take control, that would be quite the victory, Wilson said.

Statewide Democratic candidates for governor are party-endorsed Ned Lamont and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim; and GOP hopefuls members Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, former Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, Steve Obsitnik of Westport, Madison resident Bob Stefanowski and David Stemerman of Greenwich.

Its a big race this year for governor, Wilson said. In the past, weve had two giant tax increases under Dan Malloy. Somebody said, Lamont doesnt want to raise taxes. Hes going to raise fees and other things, talking about putting tolls in: That is raising taxes.

You can look at it one way or another, but anytime you put in more ways for the people of Connecticut to have their pockets drained, thats another tax, Wilson said.

For lieutenant governor, Middletowns own Susan Bysiewicz, an attorney, former secretary of the state and brief gubernatorial candidate in 2010, and Hartford union organizer Eva Bermudez Zimmerman are primarying; while Republicans are choosing between 16th District state Sen. Joe Markley of Southington, Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson and New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart.

Middletown has an opportunity to send to Hartford an experienced local leader in Susan Bysiewicz, who has worked on behalf of Connecticut families for decades, Blanchard said.

For comptroller, Republicans Kurt Miller and Mark Greenberg are primarying for the chance to run against Democratic incumbent Kevin Lembo, and for attorney general, Sue Hatfield and John Shaban are facing off against Doyle, Democratic state Rep. William Tong, of Stamford, and former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei, a Democrat from Hartford.

Democrats Shawn Wooden and Dita Bhargava are facing off for treasurer against Republicans Thad Gray and state Sen. Art Linares, R-Westbrook.

For U.S. Senate, Republicans Matthew Corey, of Hartford, and Dominic Rapini, of Branford, are vying to run against U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat.

Primary ballots for other Middlesex County towns, as well as statewide, can be viewed at the secretary of the states website at bit.ly/2OEejZz.

Editors note: The original story incorrectly reported that state Rep. Matt Lesser was running for treasurer. He is running for the 9th District Senate seat.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@hearstmediact.com or Twitter @cassandrasdis.
Still undetermined is whether the impact caused the October leak, or if the line was hit by something else at a later date.
The upcoming funerals this week of two soldiers who had been listed as missing from the Korean War illustrate the difficulty forensic specialists will have in establishing identities for the 55 cases of remains brought to Hawaii last week.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) said the funeral for Army Sgt. William A. Larkins of Pennsylvania will be held in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, on Friday.

Larkins' remains were among those recovered in a joint field activity in North Korea in 2005. He was finally identified on May 4, 2017, 12 years after the remains were brought back, the DPAA said. Larkins was 20 years old when he went missing in December 1950.

On Saturday, a funeral will be held for Army Cpl. Terrell J. Fuller of Georgia in his hometown of Toccoa. Fuller's remains were among 208 boxes of commingled human remains turned over by North Korea from 1990 to 1994.

He was finally identified this April. Fuller was 20 years old when he went missing in February 1951, the DPAA said.

Following the return to Hawaii last week of the 55 transfer cases handed over by North Korea, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague, director of the DPAA, cautioned it was only the first step in a painstaking process of identification.

He and Dr. John Byrd, the DPAA's director of labs, said there is a possibility some remains could be identified fairly quickly, but most will probably take years.

Among the remains were boots, scraps of clothing, canteens and other equipment associated with the U.S. military -- and one dog tag.

On Wednesday, DPAA officials will present the dog tag to the family of its still missing owner; on Thursday, it will provide an update on the progress of the repatriations to families of the missing.

Larkins was a member of A Battery, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, which was fighting off Chinese counter-attacks in November 1950 in the Ch'ongch'on River area of what is now North Korea.

On Dec. 1, 1950, the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion began moving under enemy mortar, machine gun and small-arms fire toward the village of Sunchon, where Larkins was reported missing.

Following the armistice that ended the war in 1953, a returning U.S. prisoner of war reported that Larkins had been captured and died at an unknown POW camp in 1951, the DPAA said. Based on that information, the Army declared him dead as of Jan. 31, 1951.

Fuller was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, which was engaged in early 1951 against units of the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in an area known as the Central Corridor in South Korea.

During a withdrawal to the town of Wonju, South Korea, Fuller was reported missing on Feb. 12, 1951. His name later appeared on a list provided by the CPVF and the Korean People's Army of U.S. service members who died while in their custody.

Following the armistice, a fellow soldier from Fuller's company reported that he had been held prisoner with Fuller but did not know his status. The Army declared Fuller dead as of Feb. 18, 1954.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Wage watchdog savage, new franchisor laws





CAFES, restaurants and takeaway food outlets breaching minimum wage and penalty-rate compliance remain firmly in the sights of authorities, and recent law changes mean franchisors can now be held liable for their networks.

The latest business in breach, risking customer backlash, is the franchise-model Degani Bakery and Cafe with 80 outlets.

Following a Fair Work Ombudsman audit of 14 Degani outlets in Melbourne and two in Rockhampton (Qld) just one was found to be compliant with workplace laws, the ombudsman said this week.

The audits resulted in the FWO recovering $44,000 for 86 underpaid workers and issuing:

10 formal cautions;

8 compliance notices; and

5 infringement notices (on-the-spot fines).

Of the 15 stores found to be non-compliant:

8 were non-compliant with record-keeping

9 were non-compliant with weekend and public holiday penalty rates

8 were non-compliant with base rate of pay

1 provided false or misleading records

1 failed to comply with a Notice to Produce records.

In February, the FWO commenced court action against a Degani outlet in Greensborough (Vic) for allegedly using false records to conceal more than $12,000 in underpayments to workers. The matter remains before the court with a hearing scheduled for 1 October 2018.

The report is available at www.fairwork.gov.au

Penalty rates problem

Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said under or non-payment of penalty rates was the most common issue identified by inspectors, as well as underpayment of base rates of pay.

We uncovered issues with record-keeping at several Degani outlets that hindered our ability to determine exactly how much back-pay the employees were owed, Ms Parker said.

Unfortunately, Deganis failure to meet basic workplace requirements is common throughout the hospitality industry.

One in ten disputes resolved by FWO in 2016-17 involved a restaurant, cafe or takeaway food outlet, and nearly one third of the most serious cases that we take to court involve this sector.

Recent law changes mean franchisors can now be held liable for workplace breaches by businesses in their networks. This report reinforces the need for industry-wide cultural change and hospitality leaders should work with the FWO to support compliance, Ms Parker said.

MORE: New minimum wage, how to remain compliant

Also in Australian Food News

Degani Australia

Degani Australia CEO Darren Lane said the company has been co-operating with the FWO since the underpayment issue was first brought to its attention in 2016.

Since that time, Degani Australia has undertaken a number of steps to minimise the opportunity for underpayment to occur again, Mr Lane said.

Degani is working closely with store owners to ensure they meet their obligations for all aspects of their business, including Fair Work obligations.

Mr Lane said the company is deeply concerned about the issue of staff underpayment across the cafe industry.

Degani Australia is committed to protecting the rights of vulnerable workers and recognises its responsibility to have systems in place to ensure accurate recording of working hours and payment of award rates, Mr Lane said.

Insanely proud of the blood, sweat and tears put into creating this evening of fine food and wine for some of Melbourne's most influential palettes. Our Mediterranean inspired menu for @deganizetland is by far our most innovative to date. Check out the full vid via our YouTube channel  shoutout to the best chef in the world @richchef_ for absolutely smashing it as usual  Posted by Degani Australia on Monday, 9 January 2017
Editors note: This story has been corrected. The officers facing review for administrative separation are still attending training at The Basic School.

Half a dozen Marine officers are facing administrative separation after being accused of cheating on a land navigation event during a course that prepares them to lead enlisted troops.

The six officers attending The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, are under review for separation from the service said Capt. Joshua Pena, a spokesman for the Marine Corps' Training and Education Command. All newly commissioned officers and warrant officers attend TBS following their entry-level training.

It was not immediately clear when the incident occurred or who made the decision to remove the officers from the course. It was first reported Tuesday by Marine Corps Times.

All officers attending TBS are warned about cheating and misconduct while attending their training, Pena said.

"There is zero tolerance for it," he added.

Marines at TBS are tested on their day and night land navigation skills. The officers learn how to read maps, plot locations and analyze terrain, Pena said.

During land nav examinations, Marines are given the coordinates of ammunition boxes plotted throughout the course. They're tasked with locating each box on their own using a compass and azimuth, and are warned about the challenging conditions they'll face in a training packet for the course.

"Students can anticipate multiple individual land navigation events and unit field exercises on uneven terrain in daylight and darkness within areas up to [about 13 square miles]," the packet states. "... Any student found to be utilizing or generating an answer matrix for the TBS land navigation courses will face appropriate disciplinary action."

This isn't the first time Marines and officer candidates training at Quantico are believed to have cheated on land navigation events.

In 2012, about 40 officer candidates were removed from training after some were tapping on ammunition cans during a nighttime land nav event to help others find their locations. Two years prior, more than a dozen lieutenants were kicked out of TBS following a land nav cheating scandal.

Commandant Gen. Robert Neller has frequently touted the importance of basic land navigation skills -- not just for leading Marines, but because GPS devices and other technology could reveal troops' locations.

"We have to leverage the technology we have, which gives us an operational advantage," Neller said in 2016. "But at the same time -- and this makes training even harder -- you have to work through or be prepared for when it's not there."

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.
The name on the dog tag returned along with the remains of troops missing from the Korean War last week was that of Master Sgt. Charles Hobert McDaniel, an Army medic from Indiana who fell in battle nearly 68 years ago.

"We were just overwhelmed," McDaniel's son, Charles Jr., said Wednesday of the phone call he received from the Army notifying him of the find.

"I have to say, I didn't think about the emotions that were very deep, even though I was a small boy and have very little memory of my father," said the son, who was three years old when his father fell in 1950. "But I sat there and I cried for a while and it took a while to compose myself."

Charles Jr., 71, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and chaplain from Indianapolis, immediately called his brother Larry, 70, in Jacksonville, Florida.

"I was just flabbergasted," Larry McDaniel said, adding that his father was "just one of thousands of guys from that generation who did what they did" and never came home.

The dog tag bearing McDaniel's name, blood type and other information "was the only personal effect" found in the 55 boxes of remains that were brought back to Hawaii on Aug. 1, said Dr. John Byrd, a forensic anthropologist and director of laboratories for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).

Byrd, who led the U.S. team into North Korea on July 27 to receive the 55 transfer cases, joined the McDaniel brothers and DPAA and Army officials for a brief acceptance ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, ahead of meetings Thursday with more than 700 families of troops missing from the Korean War.

McDaniel also served in Europe during World War II with the 83rd Infantry Division, where he earned the Bronze Star with combat "V" device, Charles Jr. said.

In Korea, McDaniel was serving with the Medical Co., 8th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, as part of the U.S. Eighth Army in late October 1950. As they approached the Yalu River separating Korea from China, Chinese People's Army forces attacked.

The Americans and Republic of Korea forces were driven back. In a battle near Unsan, about 60 miles north of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, McDaniel, who was with the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Regiment at the time, went missing.

The DPAA said that an eyewitness -- another medic -- later said he believed McDaniel was killed in action. DPAA officials also said there was no evidence that he was ever captured and held in a prisoner of war camp. McDaniel was 33 years old when he went missing.

According to the DPAA, about 7,700 U.S. service members are still listed as missing in action from the Korean War, about 5,300 of them in what is now North Korea.

Charles Jr. said he and his brother consider themselves among the luckiest of those thousands of families still hoping they will have a chance to welcome their loved ones home.

"We don't know if my father's remains will be found, but at least we have this," he said while holding up the dog tag.

The return of the remains was the result of weeks of haggling with the North Korean side and came amid mistaken claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that repatriations had already occurred following his June 12 Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korean military officials were no-shows for an initial meeting on repatriations, but a deal for the return of remains was finally worked out by Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Minihan, chief of staff of the United Nations Command in Korea, in talks at the Panmunjom peace village on the Demilitarized Zone.

On July 27, Byrd and a U.S. team flew to Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, where they picked up the 55 cases and then flew to Osan Air Base, south of Seoul.

Byrd said the North Koreans did not tell him of the possibility of finding personal effects in the cases. At Osan, Byrd conducted a preliminary review of the contents of the cases and found the dog tag. The McDaniel family was immediately notified, DPAA officials said.

Byrd said the dog tag was individually wrapped in a bag that was included with a separate bag of remains in one of the cases.

On Aug. 1, the 55 cases were flown back to the U.S. aboard two Air Force C-17 Globemasters to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii for an "honorable carry" ceremony.

"Our boys are coming home," Vice President Mike Pence, who presided at the ceremony, said.

Its too early to say how many individuals may be represented by the remains in the 55 cases, Byrd said. In past repatriations, several individuals' remains were represented in one box, he said.

The early indications are that the remains in the 55 cases are those of Americans, and "they are certainly remains that can be looked at and tested," he said.

DNA samples from the remains are to be sent later this month to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratories at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to begin the process of matching them against the existing DNA database from more than 90 percent of the families of the missing.

Charles Jr. had already given a DNA sample, but his brother had not. To aid in the identification process, Larry McDaniel had his mouth swabbed for a DNA sample right after he and his brother were presented with the dog tag.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com.
Mary Jennings "MJ" Hegar isnt the odds-on favorite to win her race against Republican incumbent John Carter in Texas' 31st Congressional District in November. But it's not the first time she has faced a closed door and prevailed.

In a powerful campaign video, "Doors," that debuted in June and quickly went viral, Hegar showed the world her story of surviving childhood domestic abuse and the negative effects of gender inequality in her military career. As the ad shows, she'd go on to make her mark on history despite it all.

"We need a new freshman class of servant leaders who are used to working with people we disagree with," Hegar said in a telephone interview with Military.com on Monday.

Hegar, an Air Force and combat veteran, believes her prior service aligns with the type of leadership the U.S. needs at a time of "hyper-partisan" politics that affects the way Americans deal, interact and empathize with one another. Her new mission is to work with her prospective lawmaker colleagues to back a stable, national security environment while fighting for better jobs and medical care back home.

MJ Hegar's campaign ad "Doors" was released in June and has been watched more than 5 million times on YouTube.

"I see an uncomfortably flippant attitude toward putting our men and women in uniform at risk, by how we treat our allies, or how we treat a nuclear power or how we treat countries that are actively attacking our democracy. I think there are a lot of things that we need a lot more veterans in Congress because of that," she said.

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Hegar is running as a Democrat against Carter, an eight-term Republican. Carter, she said, once denied her a meeting years ago when she was looking for congressional support to pressure the Pentagon to allow women to serve in combat.

Hegar was one of four female veterans who signed on to a lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in 2012 against then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, calling existing restrictions against women serving in ground combat units unconstitutional. Resolution ultimately did not come through the courts -- the case remains open. But amid mounting pressure, Panetta reversed the ban in January 2013, paving the way for women to serve in previously closed units.

It is one of the reasons she wanted to put her story out there. Eventually, she said, it became the motivation behind her current campaign.

"In the military, we are thrown into a melting pot of cultures and communities and we disagree a lot on how to accomplish the mission, but when it comes time to get the work done, we focus our energy on accomplishing the mission," Hegar said. "We've got to tell our stories to influence culture, and we have to get more people elected who have faced challenges like domestic violence, working minimum-wage jobs, wondering how to get food on the table ... regular people."

Opening 'Doors'

Hegar describes herself a private, introverted person who doesn't seek attention. But she says she's concerned about the inadequate representation she's seen throughout her life as a service member, mother and proud Texan.

The "train had already left the station" for getting pretty personal during her powerful commercial, she said.

"Doors" had garnered more than 5 million combined views on YouTube and Facebook as of Tuesday, and in recent weeks has grabbed the attention of fellow veterans, lawmakers and even celebrities.

In the video, Hegar walks viewers through her life: Dreaming, as a young girl, of flying for the Air Force, to lobbying lawmakers to reverse outdated policies, to moments of pain that shaped her life story.

It "was very out-of-character for me, especially with anything to do with my kids [in the public eye]  but this is really who I am," said Hegar, who partnered with Putnam Partners, a political advertising firm, for the commercial.

"This district that I grew up in is a part of who I am, and I love my home, and I feel we deserve better representation," she said.

She won the primary runoff in May. She goes up against Carter in November.

"I got so sick of hearing, 'This is a state this or this is a state that, or I don't have to have a campaign or town hall' " to deal with issues, Hegar said. "If we elect people who have never been to public school, never had to worry about counting on Social Security, then how can they effectively legislate?"

Women as Warriors

Hegar served in the U.S. Air Force first as an aircraft maintenance mechanic working on F-16 Fighting Falcons and then B-2 Spirit bombers between 2000 and 2004.

Her memoir, "Shoot Like a Girl," which contains the occasional F-bomb, was published last year.

"There were very personal, private things like the domestic violence in my life," among other challenges, she said.

"I got this question once where someone asked me, 'How do you resolve the conflict of your warrior heart and your mothering, nurturing nature?' And it's the same thing. I don't know why the American culture separates the two for some reason, when in other cultures throughout history, women have been utilized in various military roles," she added.

MJ Hegar appears in uniform in this undated Air Force service photo.

Hegar experienced sexual assault in the Air Force. Her commanding officer helped her file the paperwork in order to deal with the crime internally, but justice never came. It was one of the reasons she left active duty when an opportunity to fly HH-60 Pave Hawks in the Air National Guard opened up in 2004.

On her third tour in Afghanistan in 2009, Hegar, co-piloting a helicopter during a combat search-and-rescue operation, came under direct enemy fire from the Taliban outside Kandahar.

She was shot, but hung on as the helicopter went down a few miles away. Two Army helicopters rescued the downed crew. Hegar returned fire as they circled over 150 Taliban fighters below. She earned the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" device for her actions, which helped save the lives of those aboard her helicopter.

"I feel like everyone always focuses on the shootdown," she said. "Being a pilot was a lot of hard work  and I had to demonstrate a skill set that I think will come in handy in D.C. and that was  to study and be an expert on a multitude of systems and things like that."

Hegar spent the first half of her career as an aircraft maintenance officer, an experience she said helped her develop management and business leadership skills.

"That's definitely more of the experience I lean on," she said.

Hegar served 12 years before separating as a major. Now, she wants those who exemplify "exceptional fortitude and courage under pressure" and "an inability to accept intimidation and bullying" to step up in Congress.

"The people who are sending our men and women in uniform into conflict need to understand that there are some things worth fighting for, but also understand the high cost of war," she said.

Catalyst for Change

Regarding the 2012 lawsuit, filed with the aid of the American Civil Liberties Union, Hegar said her primary concern was for military effectiveness and the impact the exclusion policy had on recruiting and retention.

"We were losing women like myself because those women couldn't move on to jobs that were a natural progression or a natural fit for their skill set because they were women. Which was ridiculous," Hegar said, calling the lawsuit an extra boost to amplify the needed change.

"I was trying to provide a catalyst for change," she said, to "help push the administration over toward the other side of the fence to go ahead and take the very monumental and historic steps to actually repeal the policy."

Hegar helped co-found the Women in International Security's Combat Integration Initiative, a program that supports connecting female veterans through partnerships, conducts independent research to provide lawmakers, and meets with them or their staffers.

"I hate talking about women as a group -- I hate talking about any group as a group, because there are unique attributes to each individual, and that was really my whole argument for opening jobs and competition for women," she said. It should be about, "Let the best soldier win."

Hegar was supposed to sit down with Carter in 2013 to discuss these ideas, but he never showed up, she said. Carter has denied this account.

Hegar said she realized in the end that Carter's no-show wasn't just about trying to repeal one policy. It meant that better representation was needed across the U.S.

Stopping the Divide

Over the next few weeks, Hegar anticipates more town halls with community members and door-to-door visits with potential constituents.

It means "there's a real race on our hands," not just going to the ballot box and checking a name of someone district voters wouldn't know, she said.

"I'm doing my part to show the district that we deserve present representation who will listen to the different communities ... and not just stay in D.C. the whole time, but actually stay in the district, talking to and helping people in this district. Helping bring jobs here, helping people bring opportunity here."

Hegar is running against Republican incumbent John Carter in Texas' 31st Congressional District. Courtesy MJ Hegar's campaign

She continued, "I think this toxic, hyper-partisanship is part of a gridlock that keeps us from getting anything done in D.C. It disgusts people and makes them tune out, turn off their TVs and stop reading the news. And that's dangerous."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Earlier this year, U.S. military commanders in the Middle East were puzzled to note that a dangerous trend of Iranian small boats harassing Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf had suddenly and unexpectedly come to a halt.

And though Iran has announced a show-of-force military exercise in apparent response to a new round of U.S. sanctions that went into effect Tuesday, calm continues to prevail on the waters, the commander of U.S. Central Command told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

"I think so far this calendar year, we have not seen any incidents we would characterize as unsafe or unprofessional, compared to what we've seen over the last couple of years," Gen. Joseph Votel said. "I don't know if I can explain why that is; I'm glad that's not the case."

The Wall Street Journal first reported in January that after two years of routine harassment of American vessels, including instances in which the U.S. Navy resorted to firing warning shots, the run-ins dropped off in August 2017.

"For whatever reason they're doing that, I hope that continues," Votel said. "I would just highlight that we remain very vigilant in terms of this."

The Defense Department announced last week that it was monitoring a major Iranian naval exercise that began Aug. 2 in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, timed to coincide with the U.S. reimposition of stringent economic sanctions on Iran restricting trade, export of certain products, and the ability to purchase U.S. currency.

In a tweet, President Donald Trump called the measures "the most biting sanctions ever imposed," saying they would prevent anyone who did business with Iran from doing business with the U.S.

While Votel said the scope of the recent Iranian maritime exercise was similar to that of other exercises done in the region, its timing gave it added significance.

"It's pretty clear to us that they are trying to use that exercise to send a message to us, that, as we approach this period of sanctions here, that they have these capabilities," he said. "I think the purpose of any messages we would send would be to highlight to them that we are paying attention, we are very vigilant, we are aware of what's going on, and we remain ready to protect ourselves as we pursue our objectives of freedom of navigation, freedom of commerce and international democracy."

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is a key transit passage for the U.S. Navy.

The carrier George H. W. Bush passed through the strait in March 2017, becoming the first carrier to enter the Gulf during the Trump administration. Iranian vessels reportedly harassed the carrier as it made the transit, but did not delay the ship's passage.

On Wednesday, Votel demurred when asked if Iran had the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz if provoked.

"Iran has layered capabilities that include mines, that include explosives ... coastal defense missiles and radars. They certainly have some capabilities there," he said. "But I would just suggest we have capabilities as well."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
A group of pro-government lawyers in Turkey have filed charges against several U.S. officers associated with Incirlik Air Base, seeking their arrest for alleged ties to terrorist groups.

The accusations come amid increased tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, a NATO ally that has cracked down in recent years on political opposition, shut down media outlets and tightened control of the court system, according to international aid groups.

The lawyers are seeking a temporarily halt to all flights leaving the base and access to execute a search warrant, according to court papers filed last week by the Association for Social Justice and Aid. The group is a well-known, non-governmental organization made up of backers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Stockholm Center for Freedom, a group of exiled journalists from Turkey, said that the warrants were likely filed in response to the U.S. levying economic sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for their roles in the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

Brunson has been held in prison since October 2016 on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization, allegations that the U.S. government and international human rights organizations refute.

The U.S. imposed the sanctions after Turkey refused to free Brunson, who was last week moved from prison to house arrest in Izmir for pretrial detention.

Erdogan has publicly linked the release of Brunson to a request for the U.S. to deport Muhammed Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim religious leader living in Pennsylvania that the Turkish government says is responsible for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

The court papers accuse the American officers and NCOs cited of having connections to the FETO group allegedly run by Gulen and trying to "destroy the constitutional order" of Turkey.

The 60-page criminal complaint seeks the arrest of Col. John C. Walker, Col. Michael H. Manion, Col. David Eaglen, Col. David Trucksa, Lt. Col. Timothy J. Cook, Lt. Col. Mack R. Coker, and Sgts. Thomas S. Cooper and Vegas M. Clark.

Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, retired U.S. Army Gen. John F. Campbell and Air Force Brig. Gen. Rick Boutwell, director of regional affairs for the deputy under secretary of the Air Force, were also named in the complaint.

The Air Force said it is aware of the reports but referred all questions to the Turkish government for comment.

"We continue to carry out our mission here at Incirlik Air Base, and we are proud of the relationship we have with our Turkish military partners," said Air Force Capt. Amanda Herman, spokeswoman for the base.
Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but...
Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Strunz Dana Chemical Elements

Mineral List  Gold

1 valid mineral. 1 valid mineral.

Detailed Mineral List:  Gold Formula: Au Reference: McCarthy, P.L. (1992) What was it like to be an Underground Operator in Ballarat in the 19th Century. Address to Underground Operator's Conference, Ballarat.

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification Group 1 - Elements  'Gold' 1.AA.05 Au

List of minerals arranged by Dana 8th Edition classification Group 1 - NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS Metals, other than the Platinum Group  Gold 1.1.1.1 Au

List of minerals for each chemical element Au Gold Au  Gold Au

Regional Geology

No description has been added for this locality. Can you add one?

This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found.

Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org

Newer Volcanic Group Age: Cenozoic (0 - 23.03 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Newer Volcanic Group Description: Cinder cones - scoria, minor ash and agglutinates; Lava flows - tholeiitic to minor alkaline and basanitic lavas. Comments: igneous mafic volcanic; synthesis of multiple published descriptions Lithology: Igneous mafic volcanic Reference: Raymond, O.L., Liu, S., Gallagher, R., Zhang, W., Highet, L.M. Surface Geology of Australia 1:1 million scale dataset 2012 edition. Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia). [5] Paleozoic sedimentary rocks Age: Paleozoic (427.4 - 541 Ma) Comments: Lachlan Fold Belt Lithology: Sedimentary rocks Reference: Chorlton, L.B. Generalized geology of the world: bedrock domains and major faults in GIS format: a small-scale world geology map with an extended geological attribute database. doi: 10.4095/223767. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5529. [154]

Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

References

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Geological Survey of Victoria (1981) Ballarat Goldfield South 1:10 000 geological map. Department of Minerals & Energy, Victoria. McCarthy, P.L. (1992) What was it like to be an Underground Operator in Ballarat in the 19th Century. Address to Underground Operator's Conference, Ballarat.
WYOMING - The millage dedicated to the city's Public Safety Department has been permanently renewed at a rate of 1.25 mills after residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Results show that 11,432 people voted in Tuesday's election, a turnout of about 23 percent of the registered voters in Wyoming. Of those voters who weighed in on the millage question, 7,306, or about 77 percent, voted in favor of the permanent renewal, while 2,223 were against.

The renewal does not change the rate that residents were already paying; the cost for a homeowner with a $100,000 home will remain at $62.50 per year.

"We are pleased with last evening's results and want to thank everyone who came out to vote," Mayor Jack Poll said. "Over the years, we have worked hard to be good stewards of the funding this millage provides, and it is clear our residents recognize we've made good on our promises."

Since the dedicated millage for Public Safety was first passed in 2010, the department has seen a number of accomplishments. Some of these include achieving and maintaining Gold-Standard police accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., providing a professional response to more than 37,000 calls for service on average every year, and implementing efforts to visit every school in Wyoming each school day.

Other accomplishments since that time include:

conducting daily and nightly visits to businesses, with 8,606 contacts and 6,852 closed business checks in 2017;

equipping every police cruiser with an automated external defibrillator, or AED, as well as supplying every officer with Naloxone, which reverses the effects of overdoses;

increasing forensic laboratory capabilities to provide faster, more comprehensive results, which have contributed to a higher success rate in solving crime;

reducing response times with the 24/7-operation of the Gezon Fire Station and the addition of two quick-response vehicles, or QRVs;

adding three full-time fire fighters;

utilizing part-time employees to implement a peak load staffing model which employs more staff during times of high call volume;

crossed-training and licensing 22 city employees as firefighters and utilized paid-on-call staff; and

securing grants that allowed staff to become licensed as EMTs and purchase CPR assisted compression devices.

Public Safety Chief Kim Koster said the department's efforts to work more closely with residents are bringing about excellent results for the community as a whole.

"Safety is at the core of the city's mission, and the public safety millage allows us to maintain funding for critical services and programs," Koster said. "We are fortunate to have the confidence of our residents and businesses, who continue to support our officers and firefighters.

"We look forward to working with the entire community to ensure Wyoming remains safe and welcoming."
Why Wesfarmers is cutting Coles loose 3.0





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.

This is the third and final instalment from Associate Professor Mortimer on why Wesfarmers is cutting Coles loose. In part one, we learned Wesfarmers has 61 per cent of its working capital invested in a business that is contributing 34 per cent of the conglomerates profit (EBIT). In part two we looked at steps to market, investing in FlyBuys MAX and keeping a stake in FlyBuys data.

Private equity groups and international players

While Wesfarmers will remain a minor shareholder of the new company, it will be interesting to see which companies will be casting an eye over the books as the new and separate Coles business lists on the ASX.

Putting a food, liquor and convenience business comprising over 2500 locations onto the market becomes a very attractive proposition for international players to enter, like Walmart or Carrefour.

Walmart has a long history of international market entry via acquisition. Wal-Mart entered Canada through an acquisition. In Mexico, due to cultural differences, they used a 50/50 joint venture with Cifra, Mexicos largest retailer. Entry into Brazil was also accomplished through a joint 60/40 (in favour of Walmart) with Lojas Americana. French retail giant Carrefour too has adopted different approaches to international expansion, including joint ventures and acquisition. Then there is of course Amazons purchase of US grocery Whole Foods, which enabled them to grow the food element of their offer.

Potential relationship impacts

The new ownership  be it a private equity group or international player  will have impacts on existing relationships, none more important than the relationship between the supermarket and suppliers. While the nature of these relationships have regularly been criticised and investigated, a new owner will bring these matters back to the forefront. Ultimately, private equity good and global businesses generally purchase companies and enter markets where considerable return on investments (ROI) can be made.

A new Coles company will become a more agile business, no longer constrained by a conglomerate ownership model and this will present challenges for a newly refreshed and profitable Woolworths. This will lead to faster innovation, greater investment and potentially another battle for market share between the two big supermarkets.

Also in 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.

Wesfarmers subsidiaries: Bunnings Warehouse, Coles Supermarkets, BI-LO, Pick n Pay Hypermarket, Coles Express, Coles Central, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore, Officeworks, Officeworks BusinessDirect, Harris Technology, Kmart, Kmart Tyre & Auto Service, Target, Curragh Queensland Mining, Bengalla Mining Company*, Koukia*, Blackwoods, Bakers, Total Fasteners, Bullivants, Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety NZ, CSBP, PB Workwear, Australian Gold Reagents*, Kleenheat, Unigas*, Coregas, Gresham Partners Group*, Wespine Industries*

*Joint ventures
East Grand Rapids graduates and first-year students at Ferris State University have brought home gold in the 2018 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.

Keith Takens and Ben Waters beat out 10 finalists in the 3-D Animation and Visualization category. The pair are in the Ferris Digital Animation and Game Design program.

David Baker, the DAGD program coordinator, said Ferris has hosted a state-level competition in Grand Rapids for years but was encouraged to support the two East Grand Rapids students. Takens had competed in 2017 as a high school student in SkillsUSA.

The national competition is hosted each year in Louisville, Kentucky and took place from Sunday, June 24, through Friday, June 29. Takens and Waters first competed as college students in April and won state honors to advance to nationals.

Waters and Takens had approximately eight hours available to create a 20-second video.

They relied on technology for efficient production of the animated segment. Their tasks included creating a storyboard, modeling and rigging their character and rendering their animated work.

"We used Unreal Engine, a game development tool, as it allowed us to render images in real time," Waters said. "That allowed us to focus on the other aspects of the production."

Takens added that it helped that he was a SkillsUSA National competitor in 2017 while he was a student at the Kent Career Technical Center.

"It was a thrill to be in Louisville, as there were more than 15,000 participants, supporters and advisors in the stands at Freedom Hall," Takens said. "Ben and I were honored to bring home the gold for Ferris State and Michigan."
ANN ARBOR, MI - A federal judge has denied a nonprofit organization's effort to immediately end the University of Michigan's use of a Bias Response Team it claimed hindered free speech on campus.

U.S. District Court Judge Linda V. Parker issued her denial of Speech First's request for a preliminary injunction against the BRT and any actions UM takes to punish students for violations of the prohibitions on "harassment," "bullying," and "bias-related misconduct" set forth in the University's Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Much like she did during a hearing last week, Parker sided with UM's defense that the Bias Response Team is not a disciplinary body. Instead, its work is purely supportive and educational, and it works only with students "who agree to participate."

"The evidence does not even reflect an instance where the BRT criticized the speech of an individual who is reported to have engaged in biased conduct," Parker wrote. "But even if the record reflected that the BRT had criticized an individual's speech, there would be no First Amendment violation "in the absence of some actual or threatened imposition of governmental power or sanction."

While the lawsuit remains open, UM Spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen said the university is carefully reviewing the latest ruling for all of its implications as the proceedings move forward.

"We are pleased to see the court has affirmed our definitions of bullying and harassment and agrees that the mission of the university's Bias Response Team is educational, not punitive and does not violate the First Amendment," Broekhuizen said.

Washington D.C.-based group Speech First filed the lawsuit in May, claiming 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, represented 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.

Parker asserted that Speech First's claims that the policies chill speech can only be described as "subjective," and that the organization failed to demonstrate that the BRT poses a concrete or objective threat of harm to the First Amendment rights of students.

"Speech First establishes a concrete and objective threat of harm in connection with the Statement's prohibited conduct," Parker wrote in her ruling. "Speech First alleges, and Defendants do not deny, that students engaged in 'bullying' and 'harassing' behavior can be and have been punished through (Office of Student Conflict Resolution) proceedings. Speech First, however, fails to demonstrate that the BRT poses anything but a 'subjective chill' on students' free speech rights."

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.

"... This court finds that Defendants have met their burden of demonstrating mootness with respect to the University's 'bullying' and 'harassment' policies," Parker wrote. "First, the University removed the objected to definitions of "bullying" and "harassing" within a month of Speech First's initiation of this lawsuit."
BAY CITY, MI - The first day of school is right around the corner and United Way of Bay County hopes to help some children with new clothing.

But the program is running about $15,000 short in order to supply all 1,100-plus children who have applied and have been approved.

Every year since 2004, The Helen Wirt Lee Back to School Clothing Program allows low-income families to enroll their children to receive a new pair of shoes, pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, socks and undergarments. United Way of Bay County pairs with Do-All, which gives the children a new backpack and school supplies.

The distributing dates are Aug. 21-22, so the push for more donations is critical to meet the demand.

Director of Marketing and Community Impact Tera Szeliga says the program has a beneficial impact on the family and children.

"Clothes are not only a basic need, but it becomes a social barrier as well," Szeliga said. "It's important for kids to feel good about themselves and walk into class ready to learn."

The average cost to supply the clothing for each child is $65.

Organizations, businesses or individuals can contact United Way of Bay County at 989-893-7508 or they can mail/drop off donations at 909 Washington Ave., Suite 2, Bay City, MI 48708.
BAY CITY, MI -- Two people are facing federal felonies after police allege they sold guns and methamphetamine to an undercover officer, then led police on a two-county chase, which ended when their vehicle erupted in flames.

According to an affidavit authored by ATF Special Agent Kyle Salcido, his agency and the Michigan State Police Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET) launched a joint investigation after receiving information that Chad T. Hartupee, 33, and Jody J. Jackson, 41, had been attempting to sell guns and meth in Saginaw.

On July 30, police allege a BAYANET detective acting in an undercover capacity spoke with Hartupee on the phone and arranged to buy two guns for $800 and 10 grams of meth for $100 per gram. Hartupee agreed to meet with the detective at the Perkins Street Market at 2817 Perkins St. near the border of Buena Vista Township and the city of Saginaw, the affidavit alleges.

BAYANET and the ATF established surveillance around the area and watched as Hartupee and Jackson drove into the business's parking lot. The undercover detective approached the vehicle.

Hartupee, sitting in the driver's seat, produced a .380-caliber Sig Sauer P238 pistol and .45-caliber Rock River Armor 1911 pistol, the affidavit said. Jackson, seated in the back, handed a Ziploc bag containing suspected crystal meth to Hartupee, the affidavit said.

Hartupee handed the bag and the guns to the undercover officer, who gave him $1,500 in cash. Hartupee then handed the cash to Jackson, the affidavit states.

Before the buy ended, Jackson told the officer she could meet up again for additional sales and asked what other firearms they might be interested in, according to the affidavit. The officer replied he was looking to buy a "choppa," street slang for an assault rifle. Jackson replied she could procure such an item, the affidavit states.

After the officer walked away, the vehicle began driving away from the market. At that point, marked police vehicles attempted to pull it over. Jackson tumbled out of the vehicle and Hartupee sped off.

Hartupee drove onto northbound Interstate 75, then to westbound U.S.-10, with law enforcement in pursuit. Near the Auburn exit, Hart's vehicle began emitting heavy flames and eventually stopped near Seven Mile Road.

Police arrested Hartupee without further incident. In the vehicle, they recovered several rounds of .380 ammunition, a .45-caliber bullet, a digital scale, a folded receipt containing a bit of suspected heroin, and a zippered case containing two loaded syringes and small baggies containing less than a gram of suspected meth, the affidavit states.

Officers had arrested Jackson where she'd fallen from the vehicle. On her they found less than a gram of suspected meth and heroin, as well as the $1,500 the undercover officer had paid with, the affidavit states.

Both Hartupee and Jackson are now charged in federal court with possessing with intent to deliver meth, felon in possession of a firearm, and knowingly utilizing a communication facility in furtherance of a conspiracy.

In their initial court appearance before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris on Aug. 1, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim M. Turkelson argued that both defendants be held in custody pending trial.

He pointed out that Hartupee was on probation out of Isabella County at the time of the offense, having been sentenced to two years of it in February 2017 on a conviction of marijuana possession. He also recounted aspects of the crime to Morris.

"When confronted, (Hartupee) took off and his girlfriend either jumped or fell from the back of the vehicle as he was leaving and tumbles down the road a bit," Turkelson said. "He then takes off on a lengthy car chase that I don't think would have stopped until the time of which his engine blew.

"He was willing to put his own interests ahead of that of his significant other when he just sort of lets her fall out of the car and he just keeps going," he continued.

Jackson, while not probation at the time of the incident, has nine felony convictions on her record, eight of which are drug offenses.

Morris ordered both Hartupee and Jackson be detained pending trial.

The pair is to appear for a preliminary examination Aug. 15.
Flint Coffee Company co-owner, John Cherry, speaks with customers during a coffee tasting by the Flint Coffee Company on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at the Local Grocer in Flint. (Conor Ralph | MLive.com File Photo)

GENESEE COUNTY, MI - John Cherry overcame a bid by former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling to return to political office Tuesday, Aug. 7, by winning the Democratic nominations for the 49th District Michigan House of Representatives seat

Cherry, the son of former Lt. Gov. John Cherry and state Rep. Pam Faris, won the race with 43.44 percent of the vote.

Walling, who lost the mayor's spot in November 2015 when he was soundly defeated for re-election by Karen Weaver, placed second with 28.73 percent.

Cherry, 33, formerly worked for the state Department of Natural Resources, served on the Flint Charter Commission, and owns the Flint Coffee Company alongside wife Teresa.

"I'm appreciative of the support I have received from so many people and the support I received from voters. We spent three months talking to voters nearly every day and hearing their concerns," he said Tuesday night.

"I appreciate the positive campaigns run by my fellow candidates and the effort they put into their campaigns," added Cherry. "I look forward to working over the next months to ensure that residents of the 49th district and the State of Michigan have a government working to improve their lives."

Walling pointed toward several factors in Cherry winning the day, including major union backing and a key endorsement from U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, as well as public perception about his time previously spent in office.

"I knew going into this race that there were a good number of people who had already made up their mind about me because of one thing or another I did as mayor, including how I handled the water crisis," Walling said. "I also heard from a lot of people that they wanted somebody who had governing experience and creative policy proposals and I brought that to the table."

While expressing disappointing at the loss and thanking his supporters, Walling said he would now think about different ways he "can continue to serve the community and fix the problems that need to be addressed" while backing "good Democratic candidates" in the fall.

Other candidates included Flushing resident Lashaya Darisaw, who'd received an endorsement by the People for Bernie Sanders, a national group that supports progressive candidates; Don Wright, husband of the late Flint Township Treasurer Sandra Wright; Justin B. Dickerson; and Jacky King.

The 49th District includes Flint Township, Flushing, Swartz Creek, Mt. Morris, Mt. Morris Township and a portion of Flint.

The winner faces Republican Patrick Duvendeck in November. Duvendeck ran unopposed in the primary.
EMMETT COUNTY, MI - Bay View Association, a Northern Michigan cottagers' group, has voted to eliminate a requirement that members be of "Christian persuasion."

The membership bylaw was amended at the association's annual meeting earlier this month.

Nearly 70 percent of the members voted to eliminate the requirement that members be Christians.

The requirement "was previously in place to align with the Association's Christian heritage and the faith of its members," Bay View Association of the United Methodist Church said in a statement issued by executive director Mike Spencer.

The vote comes as Bay View Chautauqua Inclusiveness Group wages a legal fight against the association alleging religious discrimination under the First Amendment, and violations of the federal Fair Housing Act and state civil-rights laws.

Grand Rapids attorney Michael Bogren, representing the association, said he was investigating what effect the agreement would have on the lawsuit.

Sarah Prescott, a Northville attorney representing the inclusiveness group, said: "It is a step in the right direction, but still not compliant with the law. We will be pursuing full compliance with federal and state law."

The association, founded in 1875 by Methodist ministers, is a private group of cottage owners on the shores of Little Traverse Bay. Under an 1889 state law, the association acts as a municipal body, and has to adhere to the state and federal constitutions, the lawsuit said.

Named one of the 12 "Prettiest Painted Places" in the U.S. for its colorful, Victorian-era "gingerbread" cottages, it offers its members - and surrounding community - religious, educational, cultural and recreational programs during the summer months.

In its mission statement, the association says it is intended as "an institution in which Christian values and traditions are central ... to provide a Christian perspective in a changing world."

Articles of Association of Bay View Campground Association of the Methodist-Episcopal Church filed in 1890. (Document filed in U.S. District Court)

The lawsuit said the association once required owners be Caucasian. It kept religion restrictions, including a quota on Catholics, the lawsuit said. Those who filed suit complained they could not leave cottages to their surviving spouse or children if their religion's differed. The restriction also limited the pool of prospective buyers, the lawsuit said.

The association said it would abide by the cottagers' vote.

"Bay View Association respects the process and the collective decision of the members. Bay View looks forward to healing as a community, coming back together as friends and family, and working together for future generations."

Jon Chism, association president, said in a statement: "Change is often difficult, but Bay View members have a way of coming together over time and, ultimately, agreeing on changes that benefit the entire Association. We have a strong Christian heritage which values doing and giving with open hearts, open minds and open arms and we expect it to continue."

Methodists began using the site, then accessible by rail and steamboat, in the late 1800s.

The 337-acre property includes the Bay View Historical Museum, 444 cottages, a library, roads, parks, a chapel, two privately owned inns and a bed and breakfast. There are over 30 public buildings.

The association owns the property which is leased to cottage owners.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Cathy Albro, a former teacher and small business owner, edged out a local minister Tuesday, Aug. 6, to win the Democratic primary for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.

Albro, 65, of Middleville, beat the Rev. Fred Wooden, a senior minister at Fountain Street Church.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Albro had 42,391 votes to Wooden's 19,820.

Albro now faces four-time Republican Incumbent Congressman Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, in the Nov. 6, general election.

"Over the next three months, I will be out there connecting with people about how I will represent them better than Justin Amash has these last eight years,'' she said. "People are ready for change."

Albro, who owned an early childhood center and a toy store to help subsidize family childcare costs, has been campaigning on the need for equity in education, a vibrant inclusive economy, and universal healthcare.

"I think my message that people are more important than profit is resonating with people,'' she said, noting you have to have new decision-makers to achieve change.

"We've been talking about the economy and reversing the power structure in Congress. My focus is on strong healthy families and strong healthy communities.''

She said knocking on doors, social and digital media, and mailers all helped her get her message out in the district comprised of Kent, Barry, Ionia, Montcalm and Calhoun counties.

Albro said Monday she held a 12-hour "Get Out the Vote Road Rally'' that started in Middleville at 7 a.m. and ended in Byron Center.
ROCKFORD, MI -- A Rockford High School social studies teacher will contend as his party's candidate this fall in the race for Michigan's 28th Senate District seat.

Democrat Craig Beach beat out fellow party members Ryan Jeanette and Gidget Groendyk, formerly Scott W. Langford.

Beach received 7,688 votes, Groendyk took 6,444 and Jeanette had 4,427, according to unofficial results from the Kent County elections website.

Beach is also a former trustee of Ionia County's Otisco Township.

Michigan's 28th Senate District is the largest in regard to land mass in Kent County. It encompasses the county's northern half and a sliver of its western edge, including the cities of Wyoming, Walker and Grandville.

The seat is currently held by state Sen. Peter MacGregor, R-Rockford.

MacGregor, a former state representative, took over the seat in 2015.

Beach, MacGregor and Libertarian Nathan Hewer will square off in the Nov. 6 general election.
GRAND HAVEN, MI - Two Republican candidates who faced competition secured spots on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Tuesday in the primary election.

Kyle Terpstra, a newcomer to the board, and 18-year incumbent Philip Kuyers won their respective primary races Aug. 7. No Democrat challenger filed to run in either district.

Terpstra, 27, won the race for the Ottawa County Commission 6th District seat and received 1,727 percent of the votes. Gregory Honderd and Cynthia Davis received 1,630 and 1,212 votes, respectively, based on the unofficial vote totals.

Kuyers, 59, won the District 9 seat on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. He received 1,934 votes. Pat VerDuin, the challenger, received 1,354 votes based on the unofficial vote totals.

It was the first time since 2012 Kuyers was challenged for his seat as commissioner.

District 9 in Ottawa County encompasses Robinson Township Precinct 3, Olive Township, City of Grand Haven Precinct 3 and Grand Haven Charter Township Precincts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7.

District 6 includes Georgetown Township precincts 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.
KENT COUNTY, MI - Police identified Dale Cross Sr., a retired pastor, as the man whose body was found next to a sport-utility vehicle in what police call a suspicious death.

A 911 caller reported that the man had suffered an apparent gunshot wound. Police have not disclosed results of an autopsy.

His body was found Monday, Aug. 6, by a GMC Envoy along 68th Street SW near Burlingame Avenue, Kent County sheriff's deputies said.

He appeared to have been working on the vehicle. A tire jack was underneath it.

Cross, 66, had worked at Abundant Life Church of God in Wyoming.

Michigan Church of God said on its Facebook page: "Please join the Michigan State Office in prayer for his wife, Rhonda and all of this family!"
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Two Democratic and two Republican candidates will have the chance to pursue commissioner seats for Kent County after primary victories Tuesday.

The four earned the right to compete in the November election.

Tuesday's primary election winners -- Republican Thomas Antor, Democrat Pamela DeGryse, Republican Harold Voorhees and Democrat Monica Sparks -- will have their names on the Nov. 6 ballot.

In the primary races, Antor won the 2nd District race, DeGryse won the 6th District race, Voorhees won the 8th District race and Sparks won the 12th District race.

The candidates who win in November will serve a two-year term on the Board of Commissioners for Kent County.

MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information through a voting guide. Candidates were asked to answer questions on their policies and stances.

2nd District, Republican primary - Thomas Antor

Thomas Antor

Incumbent Thomas Antor, 58, has the chance to serve another term following nine years as a commissioner in the 2nd District seat.

Antor received 2,707 votes while challenger Scott Harvey, 68, received 925 votes. With his primary win, Antor will run against Democratic challenger Jeremiah Anway in the Nov. 6 general election for the district commissioner seat.

Kent County's 2nd District encompasses Algoma Township, Alpine Township, Sparta Township and the Village of Sparta.

In addition to his role as a Kent County commissioner, Antor is the president of Sportslink, Inc. and served on the Sparta Township Board of Trustees and Zoning Board of Appeals.

6th District, Democratic primary - Pamela DeGryse

Pamela DeGryse

Pamela DeGryse, 63, beat out her opponent, 19-year-old Raymond R. King Jr., 2,341 to 776 votes for a chance to serve as Kent County's 6th District commissioner.

With her primary win, DeGryse will run against Republican incumbent Stan Stek in the Nov. 6 general election for the district commissioner seat.

Kent County's 6th District includes the city of Walker and a portion of the city of Grand Rapids' northwest side.

A retiree from Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), DeGryse was on the Michigan Education Association Board of Directors for nine years, GRCC Strategic Planning for 11 years and the Drain Commission for Marne, Michigan for three years and was Walker's Assistant City Treasurer for two years.

8th District, Republican primary - Harold Voorhees

Harold Voorhees

With 2,324 votes, incumbent Harold Voorhees will run unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election for the 8th District commissioner seat.

In a race for the Republican ticket, Benjamin K. Franz, 24, ran against Voorhees, who has been a commissioner since 2002. Franz received 726 votes. There is no Democratic challenger.

Kent County's 8th District is one of four districts within Wyoming city limits. It includes portions of central and southwest Wyoming.

Voorhees is a former state representative, Wyoming mayor and Wyoming city councilman. After being term limited as state representative, he has held the commission seat for 16 years and owns Steenstra Cookies.

12th District, Democratic primary - Monica Sparks

Monica Sparks

Out of four candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Kent County's 12th District commissioner race, Monica Sparks, 46, will run against Republican candidate Jill Martinez in the November election.

With 1,154 votes, Sparks beat out her opponents, Keith Courtade (182 votes), Katy Steele-Barone (492 votes) and Scott Urbanowski (307 votes).

The county's 12th District was long held by Republican Harold Mast. The commissioner represents east Wyoming and west Kentwood.

Sparks is an entrepreneur and real-estate investor who is currently on the Kentwood Planning Commission board.
BATTLE CREEK, MI -- Two 23-year-old men have been arrested for a drive-by shooting that injured a woman police say was not their intended target.

The 27-year-old victim was found with a gunshot wound to her back on a porch in the 90 block of W. Goguac Street about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7.

The injury was not life-threatening, police said.

Battle Creek police said they used information from the victim and witnesses that led them to a house on Arthur Street. There, they found an abandoned get-away car used in the shooting.

Police quickly located surveillance video that showed the two men leaving the Arthur Street area in silver Cadillac SUV.

Battle Creek police, working with Calhoun County dispatchers, then tracked the SUV to westbound I-94.

The SUV was located "within minutes," police said, and two men were arrested without further incident. They were taken to the Calhoun County Jail on initial charges of attempted murder.

Police later determined that the injured woman was not the intended shooting target. Instead, a 24-year-old Battle Creek man was identified as the likely target.

Police were investigating reports that the 24-year-old had fired a gun back at the other two men on Goguac Street after they fired at him.

Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from an argument between the three men earlier in the day.

Police recovered a stolen handgun from the 24-year-old and he was taken into custody on charges unrelated to the shooting, as well as a firearms violation
GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, MI - State Rep. Chris Afendoulis, R- Grand Rapids Township, easily claimed the Republican Party's nomination for the 29th District Senate Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Afendoulis, a two-term representative for the 73rd District, squared off against Republican Daniel Oesch, a health care analyst from Alto, in the primary.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Afendoulis had 19,179 votes to Oesch's 4,368. There were 87 write-ins.

"People appreciate that I have a common sense and pragmatic approach to getting things done,'' said Afendoulis, who said he connected with residents knocking on doors across the district.

"I've delivered results thus far and want to continue to fix our roads and other infrastructure, and work on the educational attainment for our young people.''

Afendoulis, a certified public accountant and co-owner of Afendoulis Cleaners and Tuxedos, campaign has been focused on the next phase of Michigan's comeback.

He will face Democratic state Rep. Winne Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, and Libertarian Robert VanNoller in the November general election to see who will replace the term-limited Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R- Lowell Township.

Afendoulis was expected to win the primary. He has the legislative experience, name recognition, and has already raised well over $425,000. Oesch filed a reporting waiver.

That's money he will need in a general election that's expected to be a battle.

Political pundits consider the race between Afendoulis and Brinks one to watch to see if he can hold on to what's traditionally been a reliably Republican seat. Brinks, who is term-limited, faced no primary challenger.

Afendoulis said he expects it to be one of the most competitive races in the state. He said he is looking forward to a spirited debate about what he wants to achieve for the district and state.

The district consists of the cities of Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Lowell, and the townships of Ada, Cascade, Grand Rapids, Caledonia, Lowell and Bowen.
HOLLAND, MI -- A 26-year-old Holland woman killed in a motorcycle crash was just two weeks away from graduating from Tulip City Beauty College, relatives said.

Amanda Vorabout, a single mother to a 7-year-old girl, died Sunday, Aug. 5 following a crash in Newaygo County's Bridgeton Township, west of Grant, family members said.

Relatives said her boyfriend was driving the motorcycle and she was a passenger when the motorcycle crash on West 112th Street about 6:20 p.m.

Vorabout was flown by helicopter to Spectrum Health Butterworth hospital and died later the same evening.

"She was eccentric, optimistic, spontaneous," said her brother, Alvin Vorabout.

"She could bring positive vibrations to change the atmosphere of something in a heartbeat," he said.

Vorabout was raising her 7-year-old daughter, Anjali, and hoped to make a better life by learning the beauty school trade.

Her brother described her as someone who was "very warm-hearted," but also someone who was opinionated and spoke her mind.

"She knew how to talk to people," he said.

She had a talent for making crafts, particularly with beads, and also was a good cook. She learned from her parents how to cook cultural dishes from her family's heritage -- Laos and Thailand.

"Cooking always brought a lot of her friends together," Alvin Vorabout said.

Friends and family have created a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral and other expenses.

Funeral services are planned for Aug. 11.
Former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib appeared to come out the victor in a heavily contested primary race in the 13th Congressional district, setting her up to take over the southeastern Michigan district held for decades by former U.S. Rep. John Conyers in 2019.

The Associated Press called Tlaib the winner in the race for the two-year term at 1:53 a.m. Wednesday based on unofficial results. The latest numbers as of 2:30 a.m. show that with 95 percent of precincts reporting, Tlaib earned 33.61 percent of the vote.

Close behind was Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones with 28.51 percent of the vote. Other candidates in the race included Westland Mayor Bill Wild, state Sen. Coleman Young II, state Sen. Ian Conyers and Shanelle Jackson.

In the special election race to fill the rest of the term vacated by former U.S. Rep. John Conyers in December 2017, the race was too close to call as of Wednesday morning, with Tlaib and Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones tied at 36.63 percent of the vote apiece with 95 percent of precincts reporting.

The tallies come after a glitch in Wayne County's election reporting website delayed results, leaving some key races in the region up in the air into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Because there are no Republican, independent or third party challengers in the 13th Congressional District, Tlaib is set to run unopposed in the November election for the two-year term starting in January.

John Conyers Jr. served the region in Congress for decades before stepping down in December 2017 after former staffers accused him of sexual harassment. Ian Conyers, John Conyers' great nephew, came fifth in unofficial results with 6.2 percent of the vote.

John Conyers Jr.'s son, John Conyers III, was denied a spot on the ballot after failing to turn in the requisite number of signatures.

Tlaib, the first Muslim woman in the Michigan state legislature, would be the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

The eldest of 14 children, Tlaib served in the state legislature from 2009-2014 and worked as an attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice after that.

Tlaib's top priorities during her campaign included implementing a $15 minimum wage, preventing cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and creating a "Justice For All" act to extend civil rights protections to cover discriminatory impacts and discriminatory intent against minority groups and women.
John James has won the Republican nomination in Michigan's U.S. Senate race.

With 29 percent of precincts reporting, initial results on Tuesday night showed James with 56.96 percent of the vote to opponent Sandy Pensler's 43.04 percent. The Associated Press called the race for James at 10:11 p.m.

James will go on to face incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow in the general election. Stabenow, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, was first elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate since 2000.

In a statement following the call, James said Stabenow "better get ready for the fight of her political life."

"I don't have a Black message. I don't have a White message. I have a Michigan message," James said. "We need people who have experience getting results. You aren't going to get results from a 43-year career politician."

In a concession statement, Pensler thanked his supporters and said he would support James' bid for Senate in the general election.

"It has been a rough primary, but John James and I always said we would be friends after the primary and I believe that now as I did then," he said in a statement. "I support John and hope he will get to enact the President's policies in the Senate."

Pensler also thanked the press, saying the media's "unbiased vigilance and fairness are a critical pillar of our freedom and democracy."

James is a 2004 graduate of West Point and served as a U.S. Army captain who served during the Iraq War, leading two platoons of Apache helicopters.

After eight years in the Army, James returned to Michigan to work in the family business, James Group International, which works in supply-chain management. James is president of the company, which was founded by his father.

Throughout the election, James and Pensler had battled over who had the most conservative credentials.

In late July, James snagged a key endorsement from President Donald Trump, who called James "spectacular" and said James was a rising star in the party.

Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November cant come fast enough!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

Michigan Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser called James a highly inspirational candidate who has the party's full support for the November election.

"John is not only a businessman who has led a successful Detroit business, he is also a West Point graduate and brave patriot who fought for our nation on the front lines in Iraq," Weiser said in a statement.

On Tuesday evening, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon said James emerged from the election "badly bruised from a nasty primary and on the wrong side of issues that matter to Michigan families."

"Our Senator, Debbie Stabenow, is Michigan, delivering time after time for our workers and families," Dillon said in a statement. "For Michigan voters, the choice in November could not be more clear."
DETROIT, MI -- Though Democratic candidate for governor Gretchen Whitmer won the primary election Tuesday night, she wasted no time in her victory speech turning the focus to November.

Speaking directly to the supporters of her Democratic opponents Shri Thanedar and Abdul El-Sayed, Whitmer said: "This is a big tent; join us. Come on inside."

Whitmer will face Republican Bill Schuette on the ballot Nov. 6.

Schuette won his contested primary. The Associated Press called the race for Whitmer at 9:55 p.m. As of then she was leading with 49.61 percent of the vote, beating Abdul El-Sayed's 35.16 percent and Shri Thanedar's 15.23 percent.

To Thanedar and El-Sayed, Whitmer called on them for their support in the coming months.

"I was proud to share a stage with these men," Whitmer said. "There is a place for you as we move forward...Let's work together and get this done."

Whitmer's supporters gathered Tuesday night at the Motor City Casino in Detroit, where the crowd waited for Whitmer's appearance at about 10:30 p.m. to fully celebrate.

"She ran a campaign that we were all proud of didn't she?" said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan before Whitmer came on stage, noting Whitmer ran her campaign with "calm" and "poise."

As Whitmer was celebrating her victory, El-Sayed endorsed Whitmer for governor during his concession speech at the Cobo Center in Detroit.

The race for the Democratic nomination in Michigan drew national attention as El-Sayed's progressive campaign hoped to draft on the success of underdog and political rock star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York. As Whitmer portrayed herself as a progressive candidate, El-Sayed campaigned with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, in Detroit the weekend before the election.

"We have the opportunity to reject the politics of division, of exclusion," Whitmer said Tuesday night.

In her victory speech, Whitmer said highlighted schools and roads as problems she wants to fix -- as well as undrinkable water and repealing the retirement tax. She took a jab at President Donald Trump -- who has supported Schuette.

"Governance should not be done via tweet. It should not be done with threats or lies or hate, because hate is not a Michigan value," Whitmer said.

One of the biggest cheers in her 10-minute speech came as she said Michigan needed a leader to "roll up HER sleeves."

Among the notable names and faces at Whitmer's party were Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, presumed Democratic candidate for attorney general Dana Nessel, State House Minority Leader Sam Singh, D-East Lansing; U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-MI; U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-MI; and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI.

"It doesn't matter if she's in the majority or the minority, Gretchen Whitmer will get the job done," Stabenow said as she rallied the crowd Tuesday night.

Whitmer served as the Senate Minority Leader from 2011 to 2015. In total, she has served 15 years in the state legislature.

The basics of the partisan breakdown Whitmer faced when she led the Senate Democratic Caucus are still true today. Democrats started the year with 11 members and are down to 10 currently due to a resignation. Republicans have controlled the Senate since the 1980s.

Whitmer was the only female gubernatorial candidate on the primary ballot in Michigan. She's campaigned with the slogan "fix the damn roads" -- even stopping in Southfield Monday to throw hot asphalt on potholes. In total, Whitmer wants to put $3 billion a year into Michigan's crumbling infrastructure.

Her platform also includes plans to address inequities in Michigan's public schools, and would put the state on a path to universal preschool. She's advocating for a $15 minimum wage as well.
Next month some medical marijuana patients in Michigan may be caught in the lurch of regulatory chaos.

It's anticipated that many medical marijuana businesses in the state will have to shut their doors Sept. 15, as state officials impose a deadline for businesses to have new licenses issued under the state's program.

"You're running a whole set of very serious risks if you operate after Sept. 15," said Bob Hendricks, a marijuana business lawyer in Grand Rapids. "Risk of prosecution; risk of not getting a license at all ever."

Hefty applications and heavy scrutiny from an appointed board has slowed the launch of the program -- and regulators admit they won't be able to license all of the businesses that have applied by Sept. 15.

State officials said patients will have to be vigilant about knowing where their medicine comes from.

"The whole point of these laws is for safe access for patients to medicine," said Brandon Gardner, lead lawyer for Grand Rapids Cannabis Attorneys. "I think that's really lost in these discussions."

Temporary rules

Medical marijuana was approved by Michigan voters in 2008, but the state attempted to clarify the loosely operating system with new laws in 2016. Those led to two sets of emergency rules.

At first, the Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation required all operating businesses to apply for a license by Feb. 15. A total of 215 did so and have been operating under temporary rules for the past several months. At the time, the state said it would complete its vetting by June 15 and would issue new licenses.

As the day grew closer, there was such a backlog of paperwork that no licenses had been issued. The bureau extended the deadline to Sept. 15 with a signature from the governor.

"It's not a deadline for applicants per se," said Gardner. "It's more of a deadline that the state self-imposed."

Any medical marijuana business that had been operating under the temporary rules must now have a new license approved by the state's Medical Marihuana Licensing Board by Sept. 15 to be operational.

But out of the 215 that have applied, only a fraction will be licensed by Sept. 15.

The Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation's board is not only considering licenses for businesses operating under the emergency rules, it is looking over license applications from new businesses -- almost 600 entities in total have applied so far.

"The problem here lies with the state. The state's got to get going," Gardner said. "The state is the gatekeeper to all of this. The application process is absurd."

Seven licenses issued so far

State officials claim they have upheld their end of the bargain by issuing licenses.

As of Aug. 8, seven licenses have been issued by the state's board -- and none to testing facilities. The Aug. 9 meeting of the board has 10 facilities up for license consideration, with one more board meeting scheduled before Sept. 15.

"We fully expect that several provisioning centers will be open throughout the state by Sept. 15, with the ability to sell fully-regulated, safety-tested products to the state's medical marihuana card holders," said David Harns, spokesman for the BMMR, in a statement. "The Temporary Operation initiative was not designed to act as a conditional license for businesses that were looking to move into the new, regulated market. It was intended as a short-term solution with the goal of maintaining patient access while we moved applicants through the licensing process - and that objective has been met."

Harns said the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs would be posting a list of licensed facilities on its website for patients to check.

"They can't just leave the patients with no solutions," said Jamie Cooper, 36, of Grand Haven. "I really hope that the state gets their act together and starts issuing these licenses, so that come Sept. 15 we have an operating system. And if they don't, then they need to extend it."

Cooper is a medical marijuana patient, and considers herself a marijuana advocate. She is hoping to treat her five-year-old son, Kylen, with a marijuana extract for his moderate autism.

"If we don't pay our taxes we get penalized by the state. But when the state doesn't do their job, they're not penalized," Cooper said. "I think the state will definitely be dealing with some lawsuits at some point because of how things have been conducted."

Licenses not a guarantee of a functioning industry

But even with a new license, dispensaries may not have any product to sell.

That's because the new medical marijuana program has strict seed-to-sale tracking. Once a dispensary pays for a new state license, any product they put on their shelf must be grown, processed, tested and transported by businesses that also have new license and are abiding by the state's new rules.

Business owners aren't confident there will be enough supply in the new industry at first to make operating right away financially feasible.

Rocky Thomas, owner of State Line Wellness Center in Morenci, said doesn't think he'll have any product to sell come Sept. 15 if he receives his license in time. The license for State Line has been tabled by the board.

"There will be no product for me to legally access, therefore I will just have to shut the door," Thomas said. "It's the cart before the horse."

Thomas said State Line serves 3,800 patients -- three-quarters of which are older than 50.

"They're fighting glaucoma, they're fighting opiate addictions," Thomas said. "They are cancer victims fighting without chemo -- and they're actually winning."

The state's slow launch of the medical marijuana industry in Michigan is now playing out alongside a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana use in the state. Voters will decide that issue at the polls Nov. 6.

-- Amy Biolchini is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact her with questions, tips or comments at abiolch1@mlive.com.
After a day of casting ballots, Michigan voters will see tonight who emerges the victor in contested primaries up and down the ticket.

A full list of live results for the Aug. 7, 2018 primary will be listed below after the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Scroll down to see the latest tabulations of the U.S. Senate Republican primary, primaries in U.S. House races and state House and Senate primaries.

Uncontested primaries will appear in the list, but will not be tabulated.

(Reading on an app? Click to see results on mlive.com)
An estimated 2 million Michiganders cast ballots in Tuesday's election, a new record for a Michigan August primary.

The previous record was set in 2002, with a similar dynamic: An open governor's seat; contested primaries in both parties, and the potential of a second woman in the governor's seat.

About 53 percent of the voters participated in Tuesday's Democratic primary and about 47 percent chose among the Republican slate.

That compares to 67 percent cast for GOP candidates in August 2010, the last primary with an open governor's seat and contested races for both Republicans and Democrats.

Voter enthusiasm was so high in Oakland County that some precincts ran out of ballots.

Election workers in communities including Ferndale, Berkley, Oak Park and Farmington Hills had to scramble to print more ballots so everyone could vote.

With 94 percent of precincts reporting statewide, 929,794 cast ballots in the Republican gubernatorial primary, where Bill Schuette defeated three opponents for the GOP nomination.

Meanwhile, 1,057,471 cast ballots in the Democrat gubernatorial race, where Gretchen Whitmer won in a three-way race.

In a Tuesday evening post on Facebook, Berkley City Manager Matthew Baumgarten said his city ordered the "the maximum ballots were allowed to order and we still had to go to our contingency plan."

"Incredible turnout today in Berkley and across Oakland County!!" his post said. " .. Berkley voters ROCK!! If you are at a polling place please be patient as our Clerks Office is making sure everybody has a chance to make their voice heard!"

The previous voter turnout record for an August primary was set in 2002, when 1.7 million Michiganders cast ballots to choose between two Republicans and three Democrats competing to replace John Engler as governor.

Democrat Jennifer Granholm and Republican Dick Posthumus were the winners of their respective primaries that August. Granholm went onto win in November to become Michigan's first woman governor.
Scientists have confirmed that two new species of exotic zooplankton are present in the Great Lakes, bringing the number of such announcements to four in recent years.

On Wednesday, Aug. 8, the Cornell University Biological Field Station in Bridgeport, New York confirmed that Diaphanosoma fluviatile and Mesocyclops pehpeiensis were collected in routine Lake Erie sampling conducted in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The tiny creatures are the third and fourth non-native zooplankton species to be found in western Lake Erie since 2014.

According to Cornell researchers, D. fluviatile is native to South & Central America and the Caribbean. The species has been reported in Florida, Louisiana and central Texas.

The species M. pehpeiensis is native to temperate and tropical Asia. Detections in Mexico, Cuba and southern states like Louisiana and Mississippi are attributed to ornamental aquatic plants.

Risk to the Great Lakes ecosystem posed by the new zooplankton is uncertain, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Non-native species are generally not labeled "invasive" unless they are considered be harmful to the ecosystem.

It's unknown how they entered Lake Erie, but environmental groups were quick to point at ballast water discharge as a possible culprit.

"While we may not yet know how these two new species entered the Great Lakes, we do know that once in the lakes aquatic species are easily moved from lake to lake by ships," said Molly Flanagan with the Alliance for the Great Lakes in Chicago. "As a result, a new non-native species in one Great Lake pose a potential risk for the entire region."

Cornell says the new species are in low abundance in Lake Erie, but will "now be closely monitored."

The discoveries are part of the Environmental Protection Agency's long-term biology monitoring program in the Great Lakes.
CHARLOTTE -- Larry Nassar is seeking a new sentence in his Eaton County case, officials confirmed.

A motion filed Monday with the Eaton County Circuit Court claims Judge Janice Cunningham improperly tried to "send a message to the community" when she sentenced Nassar to 40-125 years in prison on three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The charges were connected to sexual assaults that took place at the Twistars gymnastics facility in Dimondale.

The sentencing was unfair, attorneys argue, because Nassar became a symbol of a broader problem, according to the motion.

"Numerous speakers during the victim impact statements did not limit themselves to explaining to the court the impact of the defendant's conduct on them but went on to call for a change to the legal system, Michigan State University, the United States Gymnastics Association, the United States Olympic Committee and/or even the nation's culture," the motion states.

A judge is only supposed to consider the individual actions at hand during sentencing, the motion argues. In the Nassar case, the judge gave credence to the victims' "desires for extra-judicial vengeance," according to the motion.

The motion asks for re-sentencing under a different judge, but attorneys did not file a motion to disqualify Cunningham like they did in Ingham County, where a chief judge has yet to weigh in on whether Judge Rosemarie Aquilina should be disqualified.

A few days before the motion was filed in Eaton County, Aquilina refused to disqualify herself from the case in Ingham County. Nassar's attorneys argued that Aquilina's outpouring of support for the victims of the case displayed bias.

Aquilina contends she handled Nassar's case fairly and only began showing support for the victims after he already pleaded guilty. The attorney general's office argued judges aren't confined to using "tepid language" about a case once it's been settled. Judges are the moral voices of the community at that point, the attorney general's office said.

Nassar's attorneys are also arguing that there is nothing in state law that forced Cunningham to make the sentence consecutive to his federal child pornography case.

"The court did not indicate under what authority it was ordering the Michigan sentences to be served consecutively to the federal sentences," attorneys wrote in the motion.

Nassar is now appealing his federal conviction and his two state convictions.

Andrea Bitely, a spokeswoman for the attorney general office, said they received the motion and are currently reviewing it.

Nassar's attorneys with the State Appellate Defender Office could not be reached for comment.

A clerk at the Cunningham's office said a hearing has been set for Sept. 6 on the motion.

Nassar, a former doctor for Michigan State and the U.S.A. Gymnastics team, is serving 40-175 years in prison for sexual assault.
LANSING, MI -- Department of Talent and Economic Development Director Roger Curtis will step down from his position at the end of September, according to a press release from Gov. Rick Snyder's office.

He will leave for a role in the private sector.

"Roger's leadership of the TED team has been exemplary - his passion and energy for wanting to make things better for all Michiganders is incredible," Snyder said in a press release Tuesday. "Roger's work to implement Project Rising Tide and to help create the Marshall Plan for Talent will serve as a tremendous legacy of his relatively brief time in state government."

Curtis has served as TED director since November 2016.

"I feel so privileged to have served in Gov. Snyder's cabinet and am so happy that I got the chance to make a difference with the work I have been doing," Curtis said in a press release.

"There is no shortage of career opportunities in Michigan, we just need to continue to find the best ways to connect Michigan's workforce with the skills they need to find successful careers. Gov. Snyder's commitment to making sure people have the tools to learn and to earn a good wage is a model in this country. It will have a lasting positive effect on Michiganders for generations to come."

Snyder has not yet decided on a replacement.
LANSING, MI - Two candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump posted big wins on Tuesday night, claiming victories in high-profile races after getting his support.

Attorney General Bill Schuette won the Republican nomination for governor after getting Trump's endorsement back in September of 2017. Veteran and businessman John James won his U.S. Senate primary after he secured Trump's endorsement more recently, on July 27.

Each were winning by big margins per incomplete results Tuesday night, with Schuette taking close to 51 percent in a four-way Republican primary for governor and James posting 55 percent in a two-way Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

In the lead-up to the election Trump showed his support of the two, sending out a robo-call discussing their attributes. And their wins resonated with Trump in Washington - he tweeted about them late Tuesday night.

Congratulations to Bill Schuette. You will have a Big win in November and be a tremendous Governor for the Great State of Michigan. Lots of car and other companies moving back!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

Congratulations to a future STAR of the Republican Party, future Senator John James. A big and bold victory tonight in the Great State of Michigan - the first of many. November cant come fast enough!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

Schuette tweeted that he got a call from the president congratulating him on the win.

At his election watch party on Tuesday, some Schuette supporters cited Trump's endorsement. Dorothy Schuhmacher, of West Branch, said Schuette's message is similar to Trump's - and that's why she's supporting him.

"He's going to go far," Schuhmacher said. "I like what he's got to offer. More jobs. Lower ... taxes."

And wins weren't limited to Trump-endorsed candidates. Candidates who worked to align themselves with the president's politics and policies saw success in some state House and Senate races.

Matt Maddock worked to elect Trump, including volunteering in a local office and organizing flash mobs in his support.

"I worked hard to elect President Trump and we need the same bold leadership at the state level," his website reads.

He won handily in the Republican primary in the 44th House District in Oakland County. With 89 percent of precincts reporting he was ahead with 63 percent of the vote, besting four other Republican candidates.

On the west side of the state, Trump supporter Matt Hall pulled off an upset win, besting incumbent Rep. Dave Maturen, R-Vicksburg, in the 63rd House District, which covers parts of Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties.

In filling out MLive's voter guide, done in partnership with the League of Women Voters, Hall cited his support of Trump and his experience as Donald Trump for President Congressional District Chairman.

With 97 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Hall was winning with 57.73 percent of the vote.

Members of the Michigan Trump Republicans Facebook group praised Republican wins Tuesday night.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who un-endorsed Trump and ran against Schuette in the primary, in a concession video acknowledged Trump's role in the election.

"The reality is, this is President Trump's Republican party. His chosen candidates win Republican primaries," Calley said.

MLive reporter John Counts contributed to this report.
Michigan's primary ballots have been cast, and for most of the state's Congressional races, the general election battle lines have been drawn.

For voters in southeastern Michigan, results were delayed due to malfunctions in Wayne County's reporting system for incoming vote tallies.

Two of the most contested primaries - the Republican and Democratic races for the open seat in Michigan's 11th Congressional District to be vacated by sitting U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, R-Birmingham - were called by the Associated Press at 10:38 a.m.

In the 13th Congressional District, it's still unclear who is the winner for a special election to fill the remainder of former U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr.'s vacated term starting in November. For the full two-year term, the Associated Press called the race for Rashida Tlaib, who is poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress if unofficial results hold.

Below is a list of the primary victors Michigan voters will see on their ballot based on unofficial results reported late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Check out the link below for a full list of results in all of Michigan's state and federal primary races.

1st Congressional District: In this Northern Michigan district, incumbent U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, ran unopposed in his bid for reelection.

Due to an error in his petition filing, Democrat Matt Morgan didn't qualify for the Democratic primary and ran as a write in. To get on the general election ballot as a Democrat, Morgan has to receive at least five percent of the total ballots cast in the race with the most votes in the Democratic primary in Michigan's 1st.

Morgan's campaign claimed early Wednesday morning that he had met the threshold, citing more than 15,000 write-ins tallied in unofficial vote counts for the 1st District Democratic primary.

The first Congressional District is made up of the Upper Peninsula and much of Northern Michigan.

2nd Congressional District: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and Democratic challenger Rob Davidson, an emergency room physician from Spring Lake, both ran unopposed in their respective primaries. They're headed for a matchup on the general election ballot in November.

Huizenga was first elected to the seat in 2011, and he won the 2016 election with more than 60 percent of the vote. The district covers Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana, Lake and Newaygo counties as well as parts of Mason, Allegan and Kent counties.

Davidson initially got into the race to challenge Huizenga's disapproval of the Affordable Care Act and has leaned on his experience as a physician throughout his campaign. One of his main policy pillars is support of a single payer health care system.

3rd Congressional District: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Twp., ran unopposed in the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District, which stretches from Albion in the south to Sand Lake in the north and includes all or portions of Barry, Calhoun, Ionia, Kent and Montcalm counties.

The district has been a Republican stronghold for decades, and has been represented by Amash since 2010.

The Democratic primary was contested, however. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Cathy Albro had 68.16 percent of the vote to Grand Rapids pastor Fred Wooden's 31.84 percent. The Associated Press called the race in Albro's favor at 2:09 a.m. Wednesday.

The general election race will also have an independent candidate, Douglas Smith.

4th Congressional District: In this Republican-leaning district, which covers 15 counties in central and northern Michigan, U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, ran unopposed in this year's Republican primary.

In the contested Democratic primary, Jerry Hilliard was called the winner - with 84 percent of precincts reporting, Hilliard had 65.98 percent of the vote to Zigmond Kozicki's 34.02 percent.

5th Congressional District: Michigan's 5th Congressional District consists of Arenac, Bay, Genesee, and Iosco counties and parts of Saginaw and Tuscola counties. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee was first elected to the Democratic leaning district in 2012, taking over for his uncle, retiring Rep. Dale Kildee.

Kildee, D-Flint Twp., ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the Republican primary, one candidate, Travis Wines, ran unopposed.

6th Congressional District: The Republican primary for this southwest Michigan Congressional District was similar to elections past, with longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, running unopposed.

But the Democratic primary was a competitive four-way race, and on election night, former YMCA national health officer Matt Longjohn emerged the victor.

Longjohn earned 20,849 votes, followed by George Franklin, 15,604, David Benac, 12,116, and Rich Eichholz, 7,182, according to unofficial results, with all but two precincts in Allegan County reporting.

The 6th District covers the counties of Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Cass, St. Joseph, Berrien, and most of Allegan County.

7th Congressional District: The 7th Congressional district, which includes all of Monroe, Lenawee, Hillsdale, Branch, Jackson and Eaton counties, as well as western Washtenaw, is set to see a rematch of 2016.

In the Republican primary, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, ran unopposed.

Former state Rep. Gretchen Driskell, who ran against Walberg in 2016 and lost, was called the victor in a Democratic primary race between her and Steven Friday. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Driskell earned 85.22 percent of the vote to Friday's 14.78 percent.

8th Congressional District: In a district that covers covers Ingham and Livingston Counties as well as a portion of Oakland County, incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, fended off a primary challenge from businessman Lokesh Kumar with 92.56 percent of the vote in the Republican primary with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

In the Democratic primary, former U.S. State Department and Department of Defense official Elissa Slotkin defeated Michigan State University professor Chris Smith.

Slotkin - whose fundraising numbers eclipsed Bishop's ahead of the primary - earned 71.92 percent of the vote with 98 percent of precincts reporting to Smith's 28.08 percent.

Libertarian Brian Ellison, who ran unopposed in the primary, is also running in the 8th Congressional District.

Bishop was first elected to represent the 8th Congressional District in 2014.

9th Congressional District: This Southeast Michigan Congressional district is made up of portions of Macomb and Oakland counties, and will be vacated by incumbent U.S. Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Royal Oak, at the end of the term.

Three Democrats - Sandy Levin's son Andy Levin, Ellen Lipton and Martin Brook - were competing for the slot.

The AP called the race for Any Levin at 9:15 a.m.. He captured 52.51 percent of the vote to Lipton's 42.35 percent. Brook had 5.14 precent of the vote.

Levin will face Republican Candius Sterns in the general election, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, and Green Party candidate John McDermott.

10th Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Dryden, was first elected to represent the 10th Congressional District in 2016. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary for the district, which includes Huron, Lapeer, St. Clair and Sanilac counties, as well as parts of Macomb and Tuscola counties.

The three-way Democratic primary included Kimberly Bizon, Frank Accavitti and Michael McCarthy. At 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press called the race for Bizon, who had 41.49 percent of the vote with 96 percent of precincts reporting. Accavitti had 31.24 percent of the vote, and McCarthy had 27.27 percent.

Also running in the 10th Congressional District are independent candidate Jeremy Peruski and Green Party candidate Harley Mikkelson.

11th Congressional District: With five-way primaries on both the Democratic and Republican side, the 11th District was the race to watch.

In the Republican primary, businesswoman Lena Epstein was declared the victor by the AP at 10:38 a.m. Wednesday with 30.74 percent of the vote. Former state lawmaker Rocky Raczkowski was following behind with 25.4 percent of the vote, followed by state Sen. Mike Kowall, state Rep. Klint Kesto and former U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio.

In the Democratic primary, Haley Stevens was declared the winner with 27.05 percent of the vote. State Rep. Tim Greimel had 21.77 percent of the vote and Suneel Gupta had 21.27 percent, followed by Fayrouz Saad and Nancy Skinner.

The seat is being vacated by Dave Trott, R-Birmingham, at the end of the term. Trott was first elected to the seat in 2014.

Libertarian Leonard Schwartz and independent Cooper Nye will also be on the general election ballot.

12th Congressional District: Both the Democratic and Republican primaries in the 12th District, which includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dearborn and other Downriver communities, including Taylor, Woodhaven and Grosse Ile, were uncontested in the August primary.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, and Republican Jeff Jones also ran unopposed. They will face off in the November general election, along with Green Party candidate Steve Young.

13th Congressional District: The six-way primary in the 13th Congressional District was a race to replace former U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., who served the Detroit area and surrounding suburbs in Congress for decades before stepping down following sexual harassment allegations in December 2017.

The Associated Press called former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib the winner in the race for the two-year term at 1:53 a.m. Wednesday based on unofficial results. The latest numbers as of 2:30 a.m. show that with 95 percent of precincts reporting, Tlaib earned 33.61 percent of the vote.

Close behind was Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones with 28.51 percent of the vote. Other candidates in the race included Westland Mayor Bill Wild, state Sen. Coleman Young II, state Sen. Ian Conyers and Shanelle Jackson.

In the special election race to fill the rest of the term vacated by former U.S. Rep. John Conyers in December 2017, the race was too close to call as of Wednesday morning, with Tlaib and Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones tied at 36.63 percent of the vote apiece with 95 percent of precincts reporting.

14th Congressional District: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Brenda Jones, D-Southfield, ran unopposed in the 14th District's Democratic primary.

She will face Republican Marc Hershfus in the general election, who also ran unopposed.
LANSING, MI - Michigan women running for office posted big wins in Tuesday's primary election, charting a course some hope will lead to greater representation in state offices.

On the Democratic side, the trend starts at the top of the ticket with Gretchen Whitmer, who has long been confident in the energy female voters bring to her campaign.

Whitmer is one of eleven women who have won gubernatorial nominations so far across the nation, a record, according to national reports. The only woman running for governor in Michigan - and the only one to hold elected office prior to her run -- she beat out two men also vying for the Democratic nomination.

"I think that people recognize her experience in public service made a difference in her ability to win a statewide election," said Shannon Garrett, founder and president of political consulting firm SMG strategies, which runs training sessions for women seeking office.

For other women who many not have existing political experience, Garrett says Hillary Clinton's loss to President Donald Trump encouraged more women to run.

"I think that a lot of women woke up the day after the 2016 election and thought 'if not me, who? If not now, when?'" Garrett said.

Women-led victories were common in races up and down the ticket.

On the congressional level there were some notable victories for women in Michigan's 11th congressional district. Lena Epstein was victorious over a pack of male contenders on the Republican side. Haley Stevens, who earned support from Hillary Clinton, won on the Democratic side.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics out of Rutgers, 162 women have already won primaries for congressional seats, and 301 are still in the running. They look poised to beat the previous record of 167 women candidates who won primaries in 2016.

It's not clear yet what the trendline is in state legislative races, though many competitive primaries saw women besting male counterparts.

Women aren't approaching parity but could make gains, said Matt Grossmann, director of Michigan's State University's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, who is currently on sabbatical.

"It's still not that women are reaching their demographic representation. They're still not near 50/50 nationwide," Grossman said.

He said research shows women tend to have a tougher time in Republican primaries.

Garrett said in the state Senate, where women holding 4 of 38 seats, are notoriously under-represented, Michigan is almost sure to see gains.

"I definitely think we're going to see gains in women in the state Senate this fall on both sides of the aisle. I think women have stepped up both in the Democratic and the Republican parties," she said.

But that may be more pronounced as voters look at the Democratic ticket.

With Whitmer's decisive win on Tuesday, Michigan Democrats appear to be looking at an all-female slate at the top of their ticket: Whitmer for governor, Dana Nessel for attorney general, Jocelyn Benson for secretary of state and Debbie Stabenow, who is seeking re-election for her U.S. Senate seat.

Nessel and Benson have been endorsed by the Michigan Democratic Party, but the party still needs to formally nominate them at their convention later this month.

"I don't know the specifics on how often that has happened, but certainly this year we're seeing an upsurge in women candidates being nominated to statewide office," Grossman said.

The general election takes place Nov. 6.
MICHIGAN CENTER, MI - An operating millage for Michigan Center Schools was left off 697 ballots during the Tuesday, Aug. 7 primary election.

But the omission didn't swing the result. The 18-mill non-homestead tax passed 714 to 481 - a margin of 233 votes. Only 182 people voted from the ballots that omitted the proposal.

The six-year renewal will generate $1 million in operating funds for the district the first year.

Jackson County Elections Director Colleen Garety said she confirmed with the state that the result is official.

If the margin would have been smaller than the turnout in the area affected, those who voted could have petitioned for a special mail-in ballot to potentially change the result.

For what it's worth, only those who voted in the affected area can still submit such a petition, "but it's not mathematically possible to change the outcome," Garety said.

Only a subsection of Leoni Township's Precinct 1 had the proposal missing from the ballots. Garety said she's never had such an issue before in her 10 years in elections.

When the issue was discovered Tuesday morning, both county and township officials owned the mistake, Michigan Center Schools Superintendent Brady Cook said. He added there's "no hard feelings" from the situation.

"We didn't place blame on anybody," Cook said. "We had faith that we were going to have enough of a positive voter turnout and that we had enough people in our Cardinal family that were going to vote yes that it was going to be a non-issue. And as it turned out, that was the case."

Other school millage results

While the Northwest Community Schools bonding proposal and Western School District sinking fund millage came just short again of passing, all other public school proposals in Jackson County passed.

Litchfield Community Schools had three different proposals pass and Marshall Public Schools passed an operating millage renewal by a 2-to-1 margin.

Stockbridge Community Schools also passed an operating millage renewal with a 2-to-1 margin.
JACKSON, MI - Despite some outspoken opposition, Jackson County voters continued their support of countywide millage proposals in the Tuesday, Aug. 7 election.

The 0.5-mill parks proposal and 0.25-mill animal control proposal passed with 5,000-plus vote margins.

Both millages will last 10 years - with the parks gathering $2.18 million per year and the animal control side bringing in about $1.1 million each year.

The parks millage passed with 58.7 percent of the vote, while 61.8 percent of the votes for the animal control millage were yes votes. Residents owning a property valued at $100,000 would pay an extra $37.50 per year in taxes with the two new millages.

"We are pleased that so many of (the voters) made it very clear that parks are important to their lives," Jackson County Parks Director Jeff Hovarter said.

Jackson County has 17 county parks, although Hovarter said some would have to close if they didn't receive more funding for upkeep and development.

"The goal was to develop a high-quality parks system that provides the quality of life that will make Jackson an attractive place to want to live," Hovarter said. "Only fixing things - including things that were put in in the 1950s and early '60s that may not be appropriate today - would be a complete waste of our money. Yes, we are developing some new things that are modern and of interest today."

Plans include improved playgrounds, new park restrooms, kayak and canoe launches, a community dog park and heavy doses of addressing deferred maintenance, Hovarter said.

In 2018, $1.2 million was budgeted from the county's general fund for parks. There's a chance that number could decrease in the future because of the passed millage, Hovarter said, adding the decision isn't up to him.

"It will give the county an ability to provide all the services that are being asked for," Hovarter said. "It isn't, we're stealing from one to give the other. That isn't the case at all."

The animal control millage will pay to hire three animal control officers - the county has had none since 2014. It will also pay for an animal shelter operations manager, a generator, capital improvements at the shelter and more.

While many of the Jackson County Board of Commissioner candidates have spoken against adding more millages, voters seem to be in favor of them.

Since 2016, six millage proposals have gone before all Jackson County voters - for the 911 center, the medical care facility, the library, mental health and now parks and animal control.

All have passed.

Voter turnout soars

Michigan broke August primary records with roughly 2 million voters coming to the polls on Tuesday. Jackson County was no exception.

There were 33,838 ballots cast in the county, equating to a 30.39 percent voter turnout. Jackson County's online voter turnout numbers date back to 2002, and no other August primary has had more than 25,000 voters.

"I'm just stunned at the level of turnout," Hovarter said. "Folks in Jackson County are clearly engaged. From what we could tell, looking at the last five primaries, you were looking at about 15,000 likely voters."

The parks millage received more total votes - 18,020 - than Hovarter believed there would be total votes.
HANOVER TWP., MI - A woman was in critical condition, and many pigs perished Wednesday after a semitrailer hauling a load of sows struck an SUV in Hanover Township, south of Jackson.

The woman, 29, of the Brooklyn area was heading east about 2:36 p.m. Aug. 8 on Hanover Road. She reportedly stopped and then pulled into the path of the semitrailer, traveling south on Moscow Road, Jackson County Sheriff's Deputy Timothy Roberts said.

Crash involving pig hauling semi closes Moscow and Hanover roads 26 Gallery: Crash involving pig hauling semi closes Moscow and Hanover roads

Both the woman and the truck driver went to Henry Ford Allegiance Health. Police at the scene characterized the womans injuries as very critical. The truck driver had what were said to be minor injuries.

"I just saw the semi, the trailer flying through the air," said Laura Hart, who works at Cutty Sark, a restaurant at the intersection.

She and the owner, Doug Lyons, heard screaming. Not immediately knowing the contents of the trailer, it was impossible to tell whether the sound was coming from people or animals, Lyons said.

The semitrailer landed on its side, across both lanes of Moscow Road and pigs escaped, running about the area and into a cornfield along the west side of the road. Witnesses described a chaotic scene of scurrying, squealing sows. Some were motionless in or near the road.

"It was one of the worst things I have ever seen," said Denise Powell, who has lived at Hanover and Moscow roads all her life. She too described what sounded like human screams.

"It was just dead carnage."

The sight of it will haunt her for some time, she said.

Five to six people immediately went to help the woman, said Powell's husband, Don, who saw the crash from their porch. He said the truck driver tried, but could not avoid the impact.

"I did a prayer, kept saying 'Jesus, be with her,'" Denise Powell said.

Local farmers and others rushed into the area with tractors and heavy equipment to provide aid.

With some difficulty, they freed those still trapped inside, corralled the live pigs into trailers and drove them to the Alexander's Na-Lar Farms, 5815 Hanover Road. Larry Alexander, whose son Jeff now owns the farm, estimated there were 40 to 50 pigs there.

He said they had an empty barn and the pigs were being fed, watered and cooled. "Trying to take the stress off them," he said.

A veterinarian, Dr. Christine Kostesich of Countryside Veterinary Service in Somerset Township, was to go from the intersection to the farm to re-evaluate the pigs and determine whether any require humane euthanization. A farmer and emergency personnel had summoned her for assistance, and she was there for "welfare assessment," to assure compassionate treatment. "We don't want to prolong suffering."

Some pigs were euthanized at the crash site. Employees from Bob Evan Farms, 200 N. Wolcott St., in Hillsdale had what a deputy called a bolt gun, a quiet device specifically designed for such a purpose.

The semitrailer, with a Manitoba, Canada license plate, was taking the pigs to the Hillsdale facility, which butchers or harvests hogs. It was unclear to whom the animals belonged or from where they specifically came.

A Bob Evans representative, talking on a cell phone along Moscow Road, declined to comment.

Larry Alexander and a Hanover Township firefighter, Dale Jordon, estimated there were about 100 pigs on the trailer. Some might still be in the cornfields.

Many of them died. They were taken by front-end loaders to a dump truck belonging to nearby Weir Farms on Reynolds Road and, no longer fit for human consumption, would likely be hauled to a rendering facility, farmers said.

Men from the Weirs, Alexanders and Sears Farm, also on Reynolds Road, were there with tractors, fencing and manpower. They were moving busily for hours.

"Farmers do that," Larry Alexander said.

When someone is in stress, they all come around, he said.

"A lot of good people out here," Jordon said. "That's what happens out here... People help each other."

Jeff Weir and Ryan Earl, an employee, just happened to be passing through the area, to check irrigation, Earl said. "Can't really walk away from that," he said of the crash.

The intersection was closed for hours and remained so as of about 5:20 p.m. The small SUV was loaded onto a trailer, but the semitrailer remained in the road. It was gone by about 7:30 p.m.

Its just a tough situation, a bad accident, the veterinarian said and commended her community for its care.
PARMA, MI - Voters have once again struck down a five-year, 1-mill sinking fund proposal for the Western School District.

There were 1,589 votes against the proposal in the Tuesday, Aug. 7 primary election, while 1,468 voted in favor of it -- a 121-vote difference.

One precinct in Concord and two in Spring Arbor were the only three of nine precincts to vote in favor of the proposal.

The sinking fund proposal was defeated by 87 votes on the May 8 ballot.

"We got the info out to the voters," Superintendent Mike Smajda said. "They had everything they needed, and we heard loud and clear. I'm disappointed, but we had great voter turnout and I'm proud of our community for that."

There are no immediate plans to go back to voters with another proposal in the near future, Smajda said.

"We still have a lot of work to do and we're going to have to find ways to make it happen," he said. "Our primary focus is building security and student safety."

Smajda previously said that an extra layer of security at Bean, Parma and Warner elementary schools and Woodville Community Center, which houses Western Career Prep High School and Little Panthers Daycare, were high on the list of needs.

Other projects include roof replacement at the elementary schools and Woodville Community Center, bettering traffic flow at all three elementary schools, upgrading technology infrastructure, upgrading climate control in all buildings and upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting in classrooms.

The sinking fund would have generated an additional $352,000 in 2018, according to school district figures. It would have cost the owner of a $150,000 home with an assessed valuation of $75,000 an additional $75 per year in taxes.

Sinking funds are specific and restricted funds that only can be used for construction, renovations, repairs, security improvements and the acquisition or upgrade of technology. They cannot be used for salaries, benefits or routine maintenance.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Matt Longjohn is the Democratic Party's choice to face U.S. Rep. Fred Upton for Michigan's 6th Congressional District in November.

Longjohn earned 22,077 votes, followed by George Franklin, 17,222, David Benac, 12,681, and Rich Eichholz, 7,596, according to unofficial results.

The mood was celebratory at his campaign watch party in Bell's Eccentric Cafe in downtown Kalamazoo, but Longjohn acknowledged that the campaign is just getting started -- he plans to go "toe-to-toe" with Upton until election day on Nov. 6.

"This is just the end of the beginning," he said. "We have so much more work to do."

Matt Longjohn campaign watches lead as Michigan 6th District Democratic primary results come in. Posted by Kalamazoo Gazette on Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Longjohn will likely have his work cut out for him in the November general election. Upton, 65, is something of an institution in Southwest Michigan; he's represented Southwest Michigan's Congressional District since 1986 and is seeking a 17th term in the House of Representatives.

Upton sailed to reelection in 2016 by earning 58.6 percent of the vote, his strongest victory since 2010. In his entire career as a Congressman, Upton on average won with 63.5 percent of the vote.

"Mr. Upton is a formidable foe," Longjohn said Tuesday. "It will take a lot of hard work, a lot of support, and it's going to take some luck, but I look forward to the campaign ahead."

The Republican acknowledged the attention on his district in an election night statement. Upton said he is looking forward to public forums and debates to come.

"We must continue all working together to make Southwest Michigan a great place to live, work, and raise a family," Upton said in the statement. "We look forward to a tough, clean campaign contrasting our visions for the future."

The 6th District covers the counties of Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Cass, St. Joseph, Berrien, and most of Allegan County.

Longjohn, 46, is a former national health officer for the YMCA who gave up his job to run for Congress. Longjon he entered the race to provide a strong contrast to Upton and used his expertise as a public health official to show he was most qualified to improve health care.

"Too many people are working too hard and not being able to meet ends meet," he said. "This is about putting people first."

Two hours after polls closed on Aug. 7, things were looking good for Longjohn. He won Kalamazoo, Van Buren and St. Joseph counties by 10 p.m. Half an hour later, Longjohn congratulated his opponents but wasn't ready to declare victory just yet.

The Franklin campaign wasn't ready to give up either. A spokesperson said the campaign expected a big boost from absentee ballots.

By 11 p.m., Longjohn had 16,415 votes to Franklin's 11,086. By 11:30 p.m., Franklin called the front-runner to concede defeat and released a statement soon afterward.

Franklin said he will support Longjohn in the general election. He also thanked voters, his staff and his wife, Molly, for supporting him during the race.

"I have enjoyed this experience thoroughly and am a better person for having met so many outstanding people throughout Southwest Michigan," Franklin said in the statement. "There is no doubt Michigan's 6th District is ready for change ... We need a healthcare system that works for everyone, and no one should go without clean water."

"I think they have each run races that we can all applaud," Longjohn said. "I greatly admire what they have done."

All four primary candidates are first-time politicians who never sought public office before. It was the first Democratic primary in 20 years and by far the most expensive race the 6th District has ever experienced.

Combined, the four Democratic candidates raised about $1.7 million before the primary, an unprecedented amount for the 6th District. But that's still less than Upton's $2.2 million raised so far this cycle.

Franklin raised the most on the Democratic side, reporting raising $762,899 this cycle, followed by Longjohn, who raised $672,095.

Longjohn said he is running a campaign that is divorced from "dark money" interests. He committed to not accepting any corporate political action committee funds.

Upton spent $1.05 million before the primary despite not facing a Republican challenger in August.

Eichholz raised $191,852, while Benac raised $76,912.

Eichholz, 70, is a biologist and co-founder of renewable energy company Qmulus LLC. His message at community forums was a focus on strengthening the economy through an infrastructure jobs program and clean energy business.

Tuesday, Eichholz said he is looking forward to focusing on his business but will also support Lonjohn's campaign against Upton. He was encouraged by the high turnout and expects the momentum generated by four Democratic candidates will carry through into the general election.

Franklin, 66, is president of Franklin Public Affairs and a former lobbyist for Kellogg. He campaigned on protecting Social Security and Medicare, creating universal health care and a stronger EPA.

Franklin carried the support of establishment Michigan Democrats, including heavyweights like former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm. He gained support from Upton's predecessor Bob Carr and former 7th District Congressman Mark Schauer.

Franklin also pulled in endorsements from Democrats in other states like Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper and former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley.

Despite his popularity among prominent political figures, Kalamazoo progressives targeted Franklin when demeaning descriptions of women from his 2014 memoir resurfaced on social media.

Franklin spent most of his professional career at Kellogg before establishing a government relations firm in 2005. He also served on WMU's Board of Trustees for more than a decade.

Three Democrats who ran but did not appear on the ballot endorsed Longjohn after ending their campaign. Longjohn was also supported by Portage Mayor Patricia Randall.

Campaign ads touted President Barack Obama's recognition of Longjohn as one of the "top healthcare innovators in America," one of several statements about his experience that Franklin supporters criticized for perceived inaccuracy.

Paul Clements was the Democratic nominee in 2016 and 2014 but failed to obtain enough valid signatures to be on the August ballot. After failing to reverse the decision in federal court, Clements endorsed Longjohn.

Two other candidates supported Longjohn before the primary. Eponine Garrod was disqualified and Aida Gray withdrew from the race.

Benac, 44, is a Western Michigan University history professor and representative of the American Association of University Professors. He ran as a progressive grassroots organizer focused on fighting big-money interests in Washington.

Benac received endorsements from several grassroots and progressive organizations, including the Michigan Democratic Party progressive and cannabis caucuses, Michigan for Single Payer Healthcare and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, among others.

He received endorsements from a coalition of other Democratic candidates for Congress across the country and local politicians like Don Cooney, a Kalamazoo City Commissioner who ran twice unsuccessfully against Upton.

Benac was supported by the Justice Democrats, a progressive political action committee focused on replacing establishment Democrats with candidates more aligned with working class values. It was founded in January 2017 by left-leaning commentators and former leadership from the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.

The group also supported gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about a Kalamazoo-based deck building company.

Kalamazoo Craftsman and owner David Sohlden is accused of agreeing to build or replace a resident's deck, taking the money for the project and then failing to start or complete the work, according to the Better Business Bureau.

Sohlden also is accused of not returning phone calls and frequently canceling on follow-up meetings. Solhden could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

On one occasion, a homeowner said Sohlden took a $5,000 down payment and did not come back to the job. Another homeowner said Sohlden took a $6,000 deposit to build a deck and then stopped communicating.

Neither Sohlden nor Kalamazoo Craftsman is currently licensed with the state, even though businesses that build decks are required to have an individual or company builder's license. Sohlden's license on file with the state lapsed in 2004.

Kalamazoo Craftsman also goes by the business name Decked Out, but the only businesses by that name that are licensed by the state list an unrelated address and resident agent on the east side of Michigan, according to the BBB.

The BBB has given Kalamazoo Craftsman an "F" rating.

The BBB offers these tips in hiring a deck builder:

* Arrange a payment schedule. Never pay in full up front. Stagger your payments so your final payment is not due until the work is complete and you have fully inspected it.

Do not pay cash; make sure your check is written to a company, not an individual, or that you use a credit card. Paying with a credit card will provide some recourse should the job not be completed as stated in the contract.

* Verify licenses and insurance. Always be sure that the company you decide to work with has the necessary licenses and insurance to work in your region. In the United States, you can get to your state's licensing agency to learn more here.

* Confirm building permits. Your contractor must have the correct permits before starting your project. They will usually obtain the permits, but you will probably pay for them. That should be detailed in your contract. Request that all final inspections be completed by the local building official prior to final payment.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Voters in Muskegon County have spoken.

Here are a few key takeaways from the Tuesday, Aug. 7 primary election. All results are according to unofficial returns.

Voter turnout: 26.8 percent

Michigan pollsters projected a record turnout for the August primary election, and that surge was apparent in Muskegon County.

At least 26.8 percent of registered Muskegon County voters turned out to cast ballots in Tuesday's contest. For context: 23 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the Michigan 2016 presidential primary, and around 13 percent of voters cast ballots in the 2014 gubernatorial primary.

Some candidates told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that the large turnout was instrumental to their success in tough races for seats in the state House, Senate and the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners.

Sias-Hernandez, Bumstead win party nominations for 34th Senate

Democrat Poppy Sias-Hernandez, from Muskegon, and former Republican Rep. Jon Bumstead, R-Newaygo, will face each other in the November general election. The winner will serve in the state Senate representing Michigan's 34th District.

Hernandez defeated former Democratic state Rep. Collene Lamonte, D-Montague, with more than 53 percent of the vote.

Bumstead narrowly defeated current 91st District Rep. Holly Hughes in a tight race for the Republican nomination. Bumstead received 51 percent of the vote.

VanWoerkom, Cabala claim victory ahead of state House 91st District showdown

A legacy candidate and a former Whitehall City Councilwoman will compete in November for a seat in the state House of Representatives serving Michigan's 91st District.

Republican Greg VanWoerkom, son of former state Sen. Jerry VanWoerkom, won in a landslide against former Muskegon County Commissioner and current Holton Township Supervisor Alan Jager. VanWoerkom carried 69 percent of the vote.

Democrat Tanya Cabala won her race handily, as well. Cabala garnered 55.55 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.

County board chair Cross ousted by challenger Hovey-Wright

In a stunning defeat, former Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon, bested longtime commissioner and current Muskegon County Board Chair Ben Cross, District 2. Hovey-Wright carried at least 60 percent of the vote in her race.

Hovey-Wright will run unopposed in the November general election, barring the emergence of a Republican write-in candidate.

Wilkins and Mahoney gear up for reelection in November

Incumbent county commissioners Rillastine Wilkins, District 1, and Kenneth Mahoney, District 9, won their respective Democratic primaries with an eye toward the November election.

The candidates carried more than 60 percent of the vote in each of their races. Wilkins will face Republican Demario Phillips next, while Mahoney is set to face Republican Richard Holman in the fall.

County board challengers hope to affect change

Two Republican candidates hope to offer a fresh and potentially sobering take on countywide issues as District 5 candidate Zach Lahring and District 9 challenger Richard Holman both won their respective primaries.

Lahring, a cattle farmer and Constitutional conservative, has his sights set on replacing District 5 Commissioner Marvin Engle, who is not seeking reelection. Lahring won in a landslide against former Rep. David Farhat, R-Muskegon, carrying 62 percent of the vote. He'll face Democrat Brandon Popps in November.

Holman narrowly defeated his opponent, Eric Rothoff, in a tight race to challenge Mahoney for his seat in the fall. Holman won by less than 100 votes.

Muskegon Township voters tap Hernandez for supervisor

Muskegon Township voters chose Jennifer Hernandez to be their next township supervisor.

Hernandez has been serving as interim township supervisor for about five months.

She faced off against township Clerk Ann D. Oakes on the Democratic ticket of Tuesday's primary race. With no Republican candidates, Hernandez will run unopposed in November, barring the emergence of a write-in candidate.

Hernandez won 54.82 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results. Oakes garnered 36.26 percent.

Tri-Cities Historical Museum millage passes

A property tax supporting a local Grand Haven museum was renewed by voters in three northern Ottawa County communities.

Voters said yes Tuesday to a request to renew the 0.25-mill property tax. The millage will provide funds for the Tri-Cities Historical Museum for the next six years, from 2019-2024.



The millage rate translates to 25 cents for every $1,000 in taxable value.

In the city of Grand Haven, 1,890 voted yes and 524 voted no, according to unofficial results. In Ferrysburg, 559 voted yes and 269 voted no. In Grand Haven Township, 2,637 voted yes and 1,105 voted no.



According to Julie Bunke, director of the museum, the following amounts are raised for the museum annually by the millage: $45,000 from Ferrysburg, $129,469 from the city of Grand Haven and $180,000 from Grand Haven Township.

Fruitport District Library millage fails by nearly 100 votes

Voters in Fruitport Township said "no" to a new tax that would have supported the Fruitport District Library.

Township officials asked voters to approve a new millage of .75 mills - 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value - for 10 years. The proposal lost by nearly 100 votes.

More than half - 51 percent - voted to kill the millage, while 48 percent of voters in Fruitport voted in favor of the measure.

Other Muskegon County unofficial race returns:

MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP

Board of Trustees Democrats

Robert Grabinski - 646

Tim Koens - 281

Peggy Watkins - 593

Board of Trustees Republicans

Dave Barham - 822

EGELSTON TOWNSHIP

Fire Department Millage Renewal

Yes - 1,054

No - 497

Streetlight Millage Renewal

Yes - 963

No - 582

FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP

Board of Trustees Democrats

Todd Dunham (i) - 612

Terry Knoll - 644

FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP

Parks & Recreation Commission Democrats

Lynn Knopf - 457

Bob Murray - 442

Debra Svensson - 493

Parks & Recreation Commission Republicans

Herb Huch - 527

LAKETON TOWNSHIP

Public Safety Millage Renewal Proposal

Yes - 1,214

No - 481

See election results for the Muskegon area on Aug. 7, 2018
GRAND HAVEN, MI - The Toasted Pickle is bringing food fame to the popular tourist destination of Grand Haven.

The restaurant will be featured on The Food Network on Thursday, Aug. 9.

The 2-year-old sandwich shop in downtown Grand Haven will be on a segment of "Seaside Snacks & Shacks" on the Food Network's Cooking Channel at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

In the show, Sabin Lomac, a lobster-roll entrepreneur and lover of summer, travels the coasts, waterways and lakes of the United States searching for "legendary local dishes, seasonal standouts and classic comfort foods" to showcase "vacation eating at its finest," according to the Cooking Channel website.

The Toasted Pickle will appear on episode five of season one, which will include visits to Manchac, Louisiana; Scarborough, Maine; and Miami.

At the Grand Haven stop, Sabin will try two of The Toasted Pickle's most popular dishes: Nashville Hottie and the Green Goddess Grilled Cheese.

Here's what they're made of:

Nashville Hottie: fried chicken smothered in sweet and spicy butter sauce on house-made waffles with sweet hottie pickle chips ($9.50)

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese: goat cheese, cheddar, avocado and house-made basil walnut pesto on sourdough ($9.50/$6.50)

Tune into the Cooking Channel on August 9th at 10pm to watch Sabin Lomac discover beautiful Grand Haven Michigan and... Posted by Toasted Pickle on Saturday, July 28, 2018

The restaurant, 112 Washington Ave., is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday during the summer.
Leroy Jamal Butler

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - A Muskegon Heights man arrested for lying to police is a person of interest in the July homicide of his neighbor.

Leroy Jamal Butler, 35, has been charged with perjury for lying about his whereabouts on the night of July 19 when Tyrie Fulgham was shot dead in his home on Sanford Street. He also has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Butler is considered a person of interest in the homicide, said Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson.

Fulgham had been chased into the basement where he was staying by a black male who shot him and then fled, according to a Muskegon Heights Police affidavit.

The shooting occurred around 11:20 p.m. in the 2200 block of Sanford Street.

Fulgham, 35, was taken to Mercy Health Hackley Campus where he died that night.

Muskegon Heights Police Chief Joseph E. Thomas Jr. said investigators believe there was more than one person involved in the shooting.

"We're still following leads," Thomas said. "We got an indication that someone was with (the shooter) or aided and abetted him."

Butler lived across Sanford Street from Fulgham and the two had been "lifelong friends," Thomas said.

An affidavit for a warrantless arrest sworn by Muskegon Heights Police Detective Antonio Perez describes an interview with Fulgham's girlfriend, who was a witness to the shooting. She reported that they were in bed when Fulgham received multiple phone calls around the same time there was a knock at the side door, according to the affidavit.

Fulgham answered the phone, told his girlfriend he'd be right back and then grabbed two bags of marijuana, a cell phone and his keys, the affidavit states. About four minutes later, he came running back downstairs with the man chasing him who shot him in the basement, according to Perez's statement.

Investigators found Fulgham's phone outside the home and the last call on it was at 11:17 p.m. from a person named "Mookie," who was identified as Butler, according to the affidavit.

"We've got reason to believe there was some type of relationship between all three people in the basement of the home," Thomas said, referring to Fulgham, the girlfriend and the shooter.

The police chief referred to the shooting as a "social shooting" that is impossible for police to anticipate and prevent.

"You can't come up with a plan to stop friends from shooting friends," Thomas said.

He said it's up to family members and friends to alert police to unlawful firearms, even by seizing and turning them into the police department.

"It's up to individuals to report people carrying guns," Thomas said. "Better yet, bring the gun to the chief, or call the chief and he'll come pick it up."

Butler is being held in the Muskegon County Jail on two $100,000 bonds: one for the perjury charge and one for the weapons charge. The perjury charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison.

He is being charged as a third-time habitual offender due to 2002 convictions for larceny and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

A preliminary examination on the perjury charge has been set for 10:30 a.m. Aug. 21 in front of Muskegon County District Judge Raymond Kostrzewa.

The investigation into Fulgham's death is continuing.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Greg VanWoerkom was chosen by voters to be the Republican Party nominee in the race for the state House seat covering Michigan's 91st District.

VanWoerkom is the district director for U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and the son of Jerry VanWoerkom, who once represented the 34th District in the state Senate and the 91st District in the state House. He previously served as the senior policy adviser to former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland.

VanWoerkom carried 69.62 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. His opponent, Alan Jager, received 21.15 percent of the vote.

"I want to thank all the volunteers and those who voted for me," VanWoerkom said. "I appreciate all the support that they've given me since we announced."

Prior to Election Day, VanWoerkom identified his top three legislative priorities: improve education achievement, fix roads and strategically invest in infrastructure to create jobs and remove Muskegon Lake as an Area of Concern to improve quality of life.

VanWoerkom will now face the Democratic nominee Tanya Cabala in the Nov. 7 general election.

"I feel good heading into the general with the overwhelming support we saw in the primary," he said. "My message is resonating."

The goal is to build on the work of outgoing Rep. Holly Hughes, R-Montague.

"We need to keep building on policies rather than going in reverse," he said.

Michigan's 91st District covers parts of Muskegon County, including the cities of Montague, Norton Shores, Roosevelt Park and Whitehall, and the townships of Blue Lake, Casnovia, Cedar Creek, Dalton, Egleston, Fruitport, Holton, Montague, Moorland, Ravenna, Sullivan and White River.

Hughes could not seek re-election due to term limits.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Muskegon's Poppy Sias-Hernandez has been chosen to become the Democratic party nominee in the race for the state Senate seat representing Michigan's 34th District.

Hernandez garnered more than 53 percent of the vote in Tuesday's Democratic primary against former Rep. Collene Lamonte, D-Montague, who received 46 percent of the vote.

Hernandez told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that she was excited and encouraged, not just by the outcome of her race, but by the larger than usual voter turnout that helped carry her win.

"This win happened because Democrats showed up at the polls," Hernandez said. "It means they're engaged in more meaningful ways. As a candidate, what I felt most encouraged by was the way the communities rallied around this work. The work at hand is about really addressing the fact that the Republican-led legislature hasn't made it it's priority to serve the public.

"At the forefront of the work I want to do is 'how can I support working families and strengthen our communities?'

In a separate interview, Lamonte said she called Hernandez to concede the race just before midnight.

The candidate will now face former Republican Rep. Jon Bumstead and Libertarian Max Rieske in the Nov. 6 general election.

Michigan's 34th District covers Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana counties. Incumbent Sen. Goeff Hansen, R-Hart, cannot seek re-election due to term limits.

Hernandez, from Muskegon, is the owner of the PoppyConsults firm and currently serves as the managing director of Good for Youth, a nonprofit organization that supports professionals who serve youth. She previously served as an administrative assistant with Muskegon Public Schools.
FLINT, MI -- A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Saginaw County against a Flint-based ambulance company.

U.S. District Judge Terrence G. Berg on July 31 signed the dismissal order in the case of Saginaw County versus STAT Emergency Medical Service, Inc.

Saginaw County had filed its suit in January 2017, claiming STAT was violating a county ordinance. The preceding year, the county passed an ordinance requiring anyone seeking to provide ambulance services in the county to first obtain the approval of the county's Board of Commissioners. STAT, however, operated in the county without the board's approval, though it had been authorized by state officials to provide services throughout Michigan.

STAT, a for-profit company, argued the county ordinance was illegal and was enacted to prevent STAT and other licensed ambulance companies from providing services in Saginaw County.

In 2009 and again in 2013, the county had entered into contracts with Mobile Medical Response (MMR), a nonprofit entity. The contracts stated MMR was designated "the sole provider of mobile basic and advanced life support ambulance services for (Saginaw) County during the term of this Agreement."

In a September 2013 meeting, STAT counsel argued the MMR contract would violate an antitrust act and the 14th Amendment's due process clause.

"Saginaw County's claims and those made by the real party in interest funding this lawsuit, Mobile Medical Response (MMR)," said Joseph R. Karlichek, STAT's vice president and chief operating officer, "were clearly intended as scare tactics designed to create the false impression that STAT EMS, and other licensed ambulance providers do not have the legal right to operate in the county, knowing full well that their actions are not only contrary to the EMS statutes of the State of Michigan, but in violation of Federal law. A new day is coming for Saginaw patients and for healthcare systems in Michigan and STAT intends to continue to fight for the legal rights guaranteed by both state and federal law".
Diontae L. Laury

SAGINAW, MI -- Police have arrested a man in connection with a spring double-shooting on Saginaw's East Side.

The Major Crimes Unit, comprising Saginaw police officers and Michigan State Police troopers, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, arrested 37-year-old Diontae L. Laury, according to MSP Special 1st Lt. David Kaiser.

On Wednesday, Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank arraigned Laury on four counts of felony firearm, two counts of assault with intent to murder, and single counts of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and felon in possession of a firearm.

Assault with intent to murder is a life offense, while a felony firearm conviction comes with a mandatory minimum two-year prison sentence, to be served consecutively to any other stints.

The shooting in question occurred about 8 p.m. on Friday, May 4, at 3217 Webber St. Two adult males were standing in a doorway when they were shot, suffering non-life-threatening wounds, Kaiser said. Investigators developed Laury as a suspect and believe he was standing outside the house when he opened fire, Kaiser said.

The wounded men were transported via Mobile Medical Response to area hospitals for treatment. Kaiser could not comment on what prompted the shooting or what investigators believe Laury's motives were, adding the victims have not been entirely cooperative.

Judge Frank set Laury's bond at $175,000 cash-surety. Laury is to appear for a preliminary examination at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 27.

Laury's criminal record includes convictions of brandishing a firearm in public, possession of marijuana, carrying a concealed weapon, and assaulting police. The Michigan Department of Corrections discharged Laury in September 2015.
CINCINNATI -- An 11-year-old girl was shot with a taser Monday after she attempting to shoplift from a Kroger store in Cincinnati. According to USA Today, police confirmed the shooting and an investigation has been launched by the department.

MLive.com file photo.

The officer involved in the shooting was off duty at the time and providing security for the grocery store when he began questioning a group of girls suspected of stealing. One of the girls ignored his questions and began walking away before she was shot with the taser.

The girl was taken to the hospital and treated before being released to her parent's custody. She was also arrested and charged with theft and obstructing official business, according to USA Today.

The name of the officer has not been released, but city officials have confirmed an investigation has been opened and answers are expected immediately.

"There needs to be a complete investigation," said Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman. "It's hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be Tased. I expect answers in 24 hours."

Police Chief Eliot Issac issued a statement saying the department is concerned about what happened.

"We are extremely concerned when force is used by one of our officers on a child of this age," said Isaac. "As a result, we will be taking a very thorough review of our policies as it relates to using force on juveniles as well as the propriety of the officer's actions."

The department's policy for taser use is that they are only to be used "for self-defense or to temporarily immobilize a subject who is actively resisting arrest."
Governor Bill Haslam, Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves in partnership with U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads), Senator Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), Parkers Crossroads Mayor Kenneth Kizer, Henderson County Mayor Dan Hughes and the Friends of the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads dedicated the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads on Tuesday.

It took several federal, state and local partners to make this vision a reality for Tennessees veterans, but it is rewarding to see this breathtaking facility opened, Governor Haslam said. There is no way to repay the debt of gratitude we have for those who served, however, this cemetery does offer a tangible place of reverence.

The 132-acre cemetery is located at 693 Wildersville Road and will serve more than 45,000 veterans and their families within 17 counties in west Tennessee. The cemetery opened on July 6, and burials began on July 9.



This celebration is a perfect way to start a new chapter for the Department as we continue to increase our focus on why we do what we do, Commissioner Grinder said. Our why is wrapped in unrelenting desire to be a pristine final resting place for heroes, gripped by compassion for grieving families and committed to selflessness as we remember what we do is about excellence that can be built on for years to come.



There are currently two state veterans cemeteries in Knoxville, one in Nashville and one in Memphis. Additionally, there are national cemeteries in Knoxville, Mountain Home, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis. In 2011, the Department determined a portion of veterans living between Nashville and Memphis and Knoxville and Nashville did not have access to a veterans cemetery within a 75 mile radius of their communities and families.



The National Cemetery Administration awarded $5,754,802.00 in federal funding for the construction of the cemetery, which started in 2016.



Our state and tribal partners are critical in helping the National Cemetery Administration achieve its strategic goal of providing 95 percent of the Veteran population with convenient access to a burial option within 75 miles of their home, Mr. Reeves said. We will continue to work with and support states like Tennessee to provide grants which reflect the needs, resources and preferences of the local veteran community.



It's an honor to partake in the dedication of Tennessee's fifth State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads, Ms. Blackburn said. There is nothing more important than fulfilling our commitment to ensure our nations heroes receive the honor and respect they deserve for their sacrifice to our country. Tennessee veterans and their families deserve the best, and this field of honor provides a final resting place that reflects our respect and admiration of their service to our country, state, and communities. I want to thank Tennessee Veterans Services Commissioner Grinder and all those involved in the selection and construction process. Parkers Crossroads is treasured for its deep military history going back to the Civil War, and I can think of no better place to pay our respects to the men and women who have borne the battle.



I knew this area would serve as a perfect home for the states newest cemetery, not only because of the rich military history, but because of the close knit community, Rep. McDaniel said. Driving down the interstate and seeing this field of honor brings a sense of patriotism to my heart and mind that makes me think of the brave men and women who have served our country for centuries.



The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services has grown in function, vision and direction under the leadership of Commissioner Grinder, Ms. Gresham said. As a retired veteran it is exciting to think about the trail she has blazed with the customer service improvements in cemeteries, claims, education and state veterans homes.



To pre-register for burial at the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads or find out more about State Veterans Cemeteries visit tn.gov/veteran.


Singapore-based Temasek Holdings has acquired some stake in India's cab-hailing company Ola for about USD 225 million.

According to a report by The Economic Times, the stake was purchased from early investors in Ola, and Temasek plans to put in more money by subscribing to new shares. This investment could aid Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal in ensuring diversity in the companys shareholder base.

The ET report says speculation is rife that Olas employees, venture capital shareholders, and angel investor Rehan Yar Khan, are expected to sell major chunks of their shares. Some of these venture firms include Helion Venture Partners, Taxiforsure founders  Raghunandan G and Aprameya Radhakrishna  and Accel India.

Ola has plans to raise around USD 1 billion after discussions with new investors, marking the companys first major liquidity event.

It recently expanded its operations in the UK - Greater Manchester and South Wales - with offers of black cabs and private hire vehicles, and plans on introducing more transport options in the near future.

As per reporting by Inc42, the company raised funds amounting to USD 3.9 billion, in March 2018, from about 20 investors in 11 rounds. Olas 1 million-plus driver partners are present in 110 cities, which include Colombo and Dhaka. It has further plans of expanding operations across Asia and even to North Africa.
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Drug maker Cipla is likely to report a net profit of Rs 390.4 crore for the first quarter of FY19, going by an average of estimates of analysts polled by Reuters.

The rise in the company's net profit will be led by improved sales in India and South Africa and some gain in market share for its recent generic launches in the US market.

Cipla had reported a net profit of Rs 408.8 crore for Q1 FY18.

The analysts polled by Reuters estimated the company's revenue to rise 18.21 percent on year to Rs 4,057.4 crore for the quarter under review.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and ammortisation (EBITDA) is seen coming in at 18-20 percent.

"The US business should gain further momentum (on the back of ramp-up in generic asthma drug Pulmicort) and we expect the quarterly revenue run-rate at $115 million (from $100 million last year in Q1FY18)," brokerage Nirmal Bang said in a report.

"First quarter is also one of the better quarters for Cipla in the domestic market seasonally. We expect South Africa, Sahara and EM business to grow 12 percent YoY, flattish performance in API and other business and about 7 percent QoQ growth in Europe business," Nirmal Bang said.

The brokerage expects the company to post a sequential growth of 16 percent, 60 percent, 216 percent, respectively, in revenue, EBITDA and PAT.

"US revenue ($110 million) is expected to grow 10 percent YoY and 6 percent QoQ as launch of generic antiretroviral medication Sustiva, generic asthma drug Isuprel and full quarter of sales from generic antiretroviral Viread and generic chemotherapy induced naurse Aloxi are likely to offset base erosion," Edelweiss Research said in a report.

"India business is expected to grow 25 percent YoY, assisted by Basalgar launch and a favourable base. Expect South Africa to be driven by 9 percent appreciation in the ZAR," the research house said.

"We expect Ciplas US revenue to grow at 13.5 percent CAGR over FY18-21 to $602 million. Consistent ANDA approvals (10-12 approvals per year) given clear FDA status at its manufacturing plants would drive this growth," ICICI Securities said in a recent report.

The brokerage expects Pulmicort, Aloxi, Isuprel, Dacogen, Nasonex, Cialis, Albuterol, among others, to be the key drivers for Cipla's US business.

Things to expect from management commentary

Commentary on the status of limited-competition opportunities like asthma medications Advair, Albuterol , Nasonex and chemotherapy injection Abraxane in the US will be key.

The market will also watch for any comments on pricing pressure in the US market and the company's India plans.
Google's Chief Scientist of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has highlighted the contribution of Indians to the development of AI technology in the global AI scene.

While speaking at this year's Google Cloud Next event, Fei Fei Li said that, Indian students globally are contributing a lot to AI and some of my close personal mentors are also of Indian origin. So, I think India is contributing a lot to the global AI scene," as per a report by The Economic Times.

Li made these statements on the sidelines of Google Cloud Next - an annual conference that Google conducts to focus on Google's Cloud platform.

Li, who is also serving as the director of Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab, believes that with a technology such as AI, the problem of fake news could be eliminated.

She further added Just like AI (and natural languages processing) has been used to call out gender inequality in Hollywood, the women are less represented, I think its a great use of the technology to deliver a positive message and I hope that NLP can contribute to that (fake news problem) as well.

Speaking about automation and AI's threat to future jobs Li said Every time we invent and innovate with the goal of making lives better, we face new challenges throughout every wave of industrial revolution and AI is no exception. However, because of the computer, new jobs also emerged."
Punjab National Bank | PNB, the second largest of the 17 public sector banks, has written off Rs 44,565.59 crore as technical write-offs in a four-year period starting FY17. As against these write-offs, the bank managed to recover just Rs 12,027.97 crore, data obtained by Velankar under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed. (Image: PTI)

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After being hit by a Rs 14,000-crore fraud a quarter ago, Punjab National Bank (PNB) aims to bounce back with bad loan recoveries of Rs 11,500 crore by September and funds of Rs 8,600 crore for the full year from the sale of non-core assets.

The second largest public sector lender is in negotiations with a few government departments, including income tax and central excise, to sell its erstwhile headquarters situated at the Bhikaji Cama Place in New Delhi.

"It (talks) is at the stage of negotiation. There are three government agencies that we are in discussion with. Now we are negotiating for better valuations because we are finding good interest in it," PNBs Managing Director and CEO Sunil Mehta told reporters in Mumbai a day after announcing the banks financial results.

PNB expects to raise nearly Rs 700-800 crore from the sale of its earlier head office in the national capital, said the banks Executive Director LV Prabhakar.

He said the first valuation of the property was done five to six months ago but property rates have gone up since and the demand has also increased. The bank is, therefore, going for revaluation.

Other non-core assets

In the April-June quarter, PNB raised Rs 167 crore from sale of offices and its investment in ICRA, Crisil and BSE.

It also appointed a merchant banker for selling its stake in PNB Housing Finance and should be able to finalise a buyer by August end. About Rs 7,000 crore would be monetised through it, Mehta said.

PNB owns 32.79 percent stake in PNB Housing Finance and the bank will look at either selling its entire shareholding in it or up to 26 percent.

Mehta also said the bank will dilute its minority four percent stake in PNB Metlife Insurance in a bid to seek price discovery.

As part of the consolidation in its international book, PNB is also looking to shut its four representative offices in Sydney, Dhaka, Dubai, and Shanghai soon.

Recoveries

Mehta said the bank has targeted recoveries worth Rs 11,500 crore for the second quarter ending September with the help of a stressed asset management vertical with 3,000 well-trained staff working towards it.

We have a target of Rs 20,000 crore for the first half and we have already recovered Rs 8,445 crore in Q1 and further Rs 11,500 crore will be recovered in this quarter (Q2), Prabhakar said.

PNB also expects slippages into bad loans to the tune of Rs 17,000 crore for the full year (Rs 5,250 crore in Q1) along with resolution of nine large power assets under the Samadhan scheme and sending four accounts to the insolvency courts.

On Monday, the bank reported a lower-than-expected net loss of Rs 940 crore for the quarter ended June. The loss was contained on the back of healthy interest income and fall in non-performing assets (NPAs).

Mehta said he was confident of a turnaround to make profits in the current fiscal year.

Now the bank is totally geared up to bounce back in FY19. We will be back in black this year as we have non-core assets to back up, to optimise our capital utilisation, to augment it with employee stock purchase options and first quarter results are an indication of things to move ahead, Mehta said highlighting the improvement in the banks operating profit and gross and net NPAs in the June quarter.

If not for the Rs 1,800-crore provisions made towards the fraud related to the Nirav Modi case, Mehta noted the bank would have made a profit, much higher than Rs 343.40 crore made in the June quarter a year ago.
Lenders called for EOI while CEO Vinay Dube sought emergency funding. Lenders refuse to budge and the airline suspended operation till an investor is found. (Image: Reuters)

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In December 2015, the then Jet Airways CEO Cramer Ball put in his papers. The position remained vacant until August 2017, an unusual occurrence for an airline that was in the middle of turning around its operations. Perhaps, Chairman Naresh Goyal was looking for someone with just the right mix of international exposure and experience in expanding the business by building alliances, expanding the network and keeping costs low.

The search finally ended with Vinay Dube, who was Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific for Delta Air Lines, the second largest American carrier.

Dube came with impeccable credentials. A 30-year industry veteran, the Indian American had turned around Deltas operations in Asia. Under him, the airlines Asia Pacific business had expanded over 60 percent by entering new markets and stitching up alliances.

In his earlier roles, Dube was instrumental in Deltas successful acquisition of Northwest Airlines. He also gained considerable experience in sales and marketing while at Sabre Inc, a leading provider of technology services to the aviation industry.

For the aviation veteran, who calls Mumbai home, the shift back to India seemed like a perfect way to cap a distinguished career.

But even as Dube completes a year at Jet Airways on August 9, the current assignment now looks like one of the toughest ones in his career.

Financial trouble

We want to run a good operation that throws off cash and to have a healthy, sustainable, profitable business, Dube told Hindu in an interview to mark the airlines 25th anniversary in May.

But a look at Jets financial health underscores how difficult that task is. The companys fourth-quarter net loss of over Rs 1,000 crore had turned the whole 2018 financial year in the red.

Within a year, the airlines market share in India has gone down from 15.6 percent to 13.9 percent. Its bills (including wage and fuel costs) are among the highest and Jet lags its peers in on-time performance.

To cap it all, reports emerged that the airline had just enough money to last 60 days, prompting it to cut the pay of its pilots and engineers. While latest reports say the company may finally not resort to the drastic step, worries remain.

To be fair to Dube, much of Jets - and every airlines  fortunes are interlinked with fuels costs. Still, it doesnt explain why it lags peers in growth in revenues or average ticket rates.

With the company set to announce its quarterly results on August 9, the street will be looking out for more details.

Major steps

Dube in his interviews has reiterated that an airline cant hope to survive by neglecting its domestic market, something many would say Jet is guilty of. The CEO now wants to correct it.

Within a month of his joining, Jet announced 56 new weekly flights, and later in March this year, added 30 more with a focus on the North-East sector.

To re-haul the operations, Dube roped in his former colleague at Delta, Piero Ceschia, who now heads the all-important strategy and business transformation team at Jet.

Some of the cost cutting measures, including leasing aircraft, have been implemented. But with fuel costs playing spoilsport the benefit may not be optimal.

Among the biggest priority for Dube would be to handle the induction of 225 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Eleven of them will be added to the fleet this year. The aircraft, which save costs and allow the airline to add more destinations, will be a crucial part of the turnaround.

"It will either make or break (because it is expensive) the airline," says Mark Martin, Founder and CEO of Martin Consulting LLC, an aviation advisory.

In the international business, tongues have been wagging about a possible exit of Etihad Airways (which holds 24 percent in the Indian company), and chances of Jet deepening its ties with Air France-KLM, which could buy into its partner.

Dube, given his international experience, will be instrumental in making a deal successful.

The Naresh factor

Completing one year, Dube has already been at his job longer than what some of his predecessors could manage. Gary Kenneth Toomey, who joined the airline in 2013, lasted seven months.

Dube is Jets third CEO in four years, and that includes nearly two years when the company didnt have a full time chief executive.

What sets the door at Jet revolving?

Those in the industry point to the man on top, Founder Naresh Goyal.

Naresh Goyal is a hands-on guy and does his own thing whoever the CEO, says a senior executive from an airline. It was only Nikos (Kardassis, the two-time CEO) who has proved otherwise, adds the executive.

Kardassis second term ended in 2013, but he continues to be associated with the airline. Earlier this year, he was appointed an advisor to the airline.

Dube has painted Goyal as an industry icon, and the Chairman too has been effusive in his praise for this chief executive. Their partnership will be crucial for Jet to turn a corner.
A group of 16 Japanese cryptocurrency exchanges - Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) - have presented a detailed proposal to the countrys financial regulator, calling for the formation of a self-regulatory organisation.

As per a report by CoinDesk, the JVCEA was formed in March and was registered with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in April. Now the group is aiming to be a 'certified fund settlement business association.

This means that if approved, the group will get the authority to impose self-regulatory rules on the country's cryptocurrency trading market, which would eventually lead to stringent industry standards.

The 100-page working draft of the proposal outlines various regulations, including regular audits to be conducted for cryptocurrency exchanges, apart from prohibiting trading of specific anonymous cryptocurrencies like Dash or Monero.

The JVCEA had also recently expressed its interest in limiting the extent of borrowing allowed in margin trading. It said that trading with borrowed money should be restricted to a maximum of four times of the investor's actual deposit.

Japan's FSA itself, has been instrumental in cracking down on the cryptocurrency industry, with detailed inspections and observations of what licensed cryptocurrency exchanges are doing.

The suggestions shared by the JVCEA in its proposal, are also aimed at preventing the repetition of fraud or theft incidents related to cryptocurrency, such as the Coincheck hack, which saw a loss of USD 533 million from the exchange's digital wallets.

This proposed move by the JVCEA, will also help FSAs mission, as it has been working extensively to ensure that cryptocurrency businesses are improved and enhanced with better internal auditing, apart from safeguarding the users assets.
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The merger of the three state-owned general insurance companies is likely to be pushed to the next financial year, post the General Elections in 2019. Sources told Moneycontrol the government is buying more time to get a better valuation for the combined entity.

Sources said the merger is not the top priority for the government at present. Considering April and May are when the Lok Sabha elections will take place, the merger process will be pushed to the end of the second quarter of FY20. This means it's business as usual for the almost 75 million policyholders of the three entities for the next few quarters.

The idea is to have a better value for the larger entity. Consultants will be appointed at a much later stage so that the finer details of the merger between the insurers can be finalised. It is a complex arrangement and will take time to be completed, said a senior official.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley had made a budget announcement in February 2018 for the merger and subsequent listing of United India Insurance, National Insurance, and Oriental Insurance. Among the public sector companies, New India Assurance and reinsurer General Insurance Corporation of India.

The merger was expected to be the biggest ever in the insurance sector with the merged entity having a valuation exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore. This announcement had come in as a surprise to the market, since National Insurance was already planning to list by June 2018.

In the initial days, there were concerns around two of the merger candidates maintaining lower-than-required minimum capital. Insurers are required to maintain a minimum solvency (capital required) of 1.5X (assets vis-a-vis liabilities) at all times.

At the close of FY18, the solvency margin of the insurers has seen an improvement. Oriental Insurances solvency improved to 1.67 in FY18 from 1.11 a year ago. National Insurance had a solvency margin of 1.55 at the end of the March quarter down from 1.90 a year ago. United Indias solvency moved to 1.54 from 1.15 a year ago.

Apart from the valuation concerns, there has been an opposition from the employee unions has been an area of concern. Employee union sources told Moneycontrol they have not yet received a concrete response on whether there will be any human resource restructuring post the merger.
RSS ideologue and journalist Swaminathan Gurumurthy has been appointed by the government as a part-time director to the board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Gurumurthy, known for his views on Swadeshi economics, is the co-convenor of RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch.

He is the editor of Tamil political weekly Tughlak and is a chartered accountant by profession.

Along with Satish Marathe, Gurumurthy has been appointed by the government to the central banks board for a four-year term.

The political journalist was extremely vocal in his support for demonetization, and called it "a fundamental corrective to the economy much like liberalisation of the 1990s," The Financial Express reported.

In an interview with the Economic Times in 2016, Gurumurthy had said that Swadeshi connects culture and economics.

"Swadeshi is not protectionism. It is a philosophy that links culture and economics. It rules out the idea of fit-all model for development and makes development culturally compatible. This actually is the future global idea," Gurumurthy said in the interview.

He has written articles about corporate world for The Indian Express and was in favour of NITI Aayog replacing the Planning Commission.

In 2017, India Today magazine ranked him at number 30 in their list of Indias 50 most powerful people.



Story of my appointment as director RBI. This is the first directorship ever. Never accepted any private or PSU directorship. Not even audit of PSUs or Pvt cos. Wanted to be free to speak. But when pressure built up I am needed to do something in public interest I had to accept.

 S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) August 8, 2018

Gurumurthy often uses Twitter to communicate his views on politics and economics, even criticizing RBI's policies last year.



When I say Dravidian or anti Hindu parites some think I mean non brahmin castes. It is wrong. Dravidianism is anti Hindu political idea. Even a famous Brahmin like VP Raman was in it. Rajaji asked Brahmins to support it in 1967 holding the poonal. Don't mix caste in it. https://t.co/G7h3avX8wZ  S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) August 5, 2018


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The initial public offering of CreditAccess Grameen, which aims to raise up to Rs 1,131-crore, opens for subscription on August 8 with a price band at Rs 418-422 per share.

The public issue, which will close on August 10, comprises a fresh issue of up to Rs 630 crore and an offer for sale of up to 1,18,76,485 equity shares by the promoter, CreditAccess Asia NV.

Its promoter, CreditAccess Asia NV, which holds 98.88 percent stake in the company as of now, is a multinational company specialising in MSE financing (micro and small enterprise financing), which is backed by institutional investors and has micro-lending experience through its subsidiaries in four countries in Asia.

CreditAccess Grameen (CAG) focused on providing micro-loans to women customers, predominantly in rural areas in India. According to CRISIL Research, it was the third-largest NBFC-MFI in India in terms of gross loan portfolio as of March 2017. As of March 2018, it covered 132 districts in the eight states (Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, Goa) and one union territory (Puducherry) in India through 516 branches and 4,544 loan officers.

Also read - CreditAccess Grameen IPO to open on August 8; 10 key things to know before investing

Majority of brokerage houses do not expect huge listing gains from the microfinance lender as they feel it is highly valued at current price band.

Some research firms advise subscribing the issue with long-term perspective as there is limited upside potential in the short term and good returns expected in the longer term while some advise avoiding the issue due to inherent risk associated with the business model along with low return on equity (RoE), though the company has solid financials.

Brokerages which say subscribe for long term and not for listing gains are:

Prabhudas Lilladher

The third largest NBFC-MFI (next to Bharat Financial Inclusion), Credit Grameen Access with AUM of Rs 4,974.7 crore headquartered in Bangalore is promoted by South-east Asia focused Credit Access NV (99 percent holding) specialising in MSE financing. With thrust on providing microloans to women customers (JLG model) predominantly in rural areas, Credit Access follows district based expansion model.

We do laud the strong business momentum (55 percent last 4 years) with clear rural focus backed by higher customer retention (around 90 percent: best in the industry), 0 percent net NPA with high repayment rate (around 97 percent) and high CAR at 29 percent.

In near term, high business concentration risks and expensive valuations (at upper price band of Rs 422, valuations post issue stand expensive at 34x+ PER and 2.9x P/B FY18, 2.6x P/ABV FY19E given current high GNPA, low RoE) stand as clear deterrents.

Given this, any decline in credit costs and sustainability of high margins ahead would directly translate into stark improvement in return profile. While listing gains should stand limited, we recommend Subscribe for long term.

Mehta Equities

We believe investors can tap this IPO offer as a next long term investment idea in microfinance space. Microfinance industry has exhibited impressive business growth over the past few years and company with a clear focus on rural customers whose access to the formal banking sector is limited would witness healthy growth going forward.

Unlike other microfinance players with mix exposure to urban/rural markets, we found that CAG is a pure rural play with 82 percent of its branches catering to rural markets which act as the main catalyst for investment.

On valuation perse post-IPO equity CAG is expecting a market cap Rs 6,050 crore at higher price band, valued at 2.9x the book value, which is on the lower side of the average to its listed peers.

Given the relatively lower valuation, higher quality of the loan assets, and majority rural focused business target the IPO looks suitable and hence Subscribe the issue for long only play as there would be limited (15-18 percent) listing gain possibility.

Hem Research

The company is bringing the issue at price-to-book multiple of 2.94 on post issue book value at higher end of price band of Rs 418-422/share.

Although company has shown strong growth with CAGR of more than 50 percent from FY14 to FY18 in its financials added by solid fundamentals as some of the company's ratios are one of the best in industry but low RoE which will dilute post listing is a concern . Hence, we rated issue a Subscribe one with limited upside potential.

Choice Broking

CAGLs demanding valuation at Rs 6,049.63 crore is valued at P/ABV of 2.9(x) to FY18 annualised adjusted BVPS (post issue) which is premium to peers (Ujjivan Financial -2.7x, Equitas  2.8x).

At this valuation, the issue presents limited room for further upside.

Considering all these parameters, we assign Subscribe with Caution rating to the issue. However, we think that businesss fundamentals are strong and it will create value in the short to medium term. Investors are thus recommended to invest in this issue for short to medium term period.

Arihant Capital

Considering the business model, we have a '3-star' rating on the issue.

SMC

The company offers loans mainly to rural women by using the joint liability group (JLG) model of lending. The company posted revenue growth of 56% CAGR in the last 5 years.

Its customer-centric business model, wide range of product offerings, as well as its well designed product delivery but Microfinance loans are unsecured and are susceptible to various operational and credit risks which may result in increased levels of NPAs, may adversely affect its business, results of operation and financial condition.

Moreover, the Companys operations are concentrated in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Pricing of the issue looks at a premium in comparison to its listed peers of its size. Those who want to invest may opt the issue as long-term investment. We have '1.5-star' rating on the issue.

Brokerages which advise avoiding the issue are:

Antique Stock Broking

Credit Access Grameens IPO presents an interesting dilemma  its well entrenched position in rural India, strong customer connect and tightly run operations makes it one of the most profitable MFI in India.

On the other hand, geographic concentration, low breath of the organization in terms of technology & people, and inability to offer beyond plain vanilla JLG loans raises questions on long term competitive positioning especially in the light of changing MFI landscape (where incumbents like Bandhan and Bharat Financial are taking host of other financial services at the rural customers door-step).

The near term looks great for Grameen, thanks to huge capital infusion & strong growth. However, the long term needs hard thinking  demonetisation has illustrated that even well run MFIs can lose 5 percent to 10 percent of AUMs in crisis.

Geographic diversification & well capitalised balance sheet are the two most important defences for NBFC-MFIs, who have regional niches.

This will increase operating expenses and cap RoEs. In this light, we believe that valuations at 2.3x FY20e book and 16x earnings do not leave investors with much margin of safety. Recommend Avoid.

Emkay

Credit Access Grameen has priced IPO at around 2.9x P/FY18 Book (post money) & around 34.8x P/FY18 earnings with around 11.8 percent FY18 ROEs (before dilution).

Considering inherent risk associated with the business model along with low RoEs, we believe that the valuation premium is not justified.

We firmly believe that the management has duly considered low RoEs and higher adequacy while determining the price however we would Avoid the IPO even at current price considering lower probability of RoE improvement over next few quarters.

Here are some risks and concerns highlighted by these brokerage houses:

> Its operations are concentrated in Karnataka and Maharashtra and any adverse developments in these states could have an adverse effect on the business;

> Microfinance loans are unsecured and are susceptible to various operational and credit risks which may result in increased levels of NPAs;

> The companys lending and collection operations involve handling of significant amounts of cash, including collections of instalment repayments in cash. Such large amounts of cash collection expose it to risk of loss, fraud, misappropriation or unauthorised transactions by employees responsible for dealing with such cash collections;

> Competition from banks and financial institutions may adversely affect its profitability and position in the Indian microcredit lending industry;

> Rise of digital platforms, payment solutions & fintech companies may adversely impact companys business model;

> Industry specific concerns due to political interference;

> Risk of higher slippage in loan portfolio;

> Upcoming elections in the country can disturb the credit discipline in rural areas.
CreditAccess Grameens Rs 1,131 crore initial public offering (IPO) opens for subscription today. The company plans to raise Rs 630 crore of fresh capital in addition to an offer-for-sale from promoters and existing shareholders amounting to Rs 500 crore. The primary market offering of the nonbank microfinance institution comes at a time when the MFIs are back on the growth path, shrugging off impact of demonetisation, which proved to be an Achilles heel for the sector.

In addition to the sectors demonstrated resilience and growth potential, some of the structural changes has made microfinance a promising sector. The sector is thriving with eight MFIs converting into small finance banks (SFBs) and one of the largest MFIs (Bandhan Bank) transitioning into a universal bank. Acquisition of Bharat Financial by IndusInd Bank has added to the dynamism in the sector.

CreditAccess Grameen (CAGL), the third largest MFI in term of loan book size as at March-end, operates right at the heart of rural India, providing finance to the unserved masses at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid making it a unique rural financial services play.

CAGL is an established player in the microfinance industry with over 18 years of operations. Promoter CreditAccess Asia NV holds 98.8% stake in the company which will reduce to 80.3% after the issue. The Netherlands-based entity provides financial services to micro and small businesses and self-employed people, via controlled companies, in India, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

As at March-end, it had a loan portfolio of Rs 4,975 crore serving 1.85 billion active borrowers across 132 districts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Despite the demonetisation induced slowdown in FY17, loan book has grown 44 percent (compounded annually) between FY14 and FY18.

The company provides micro-credit to economically backward women through the joint liability group (JLG) mechanism. The core focus is to provide income generation loans to customers, which comprised 87 percent of total JLG loan portfolio as of March-end. Credit risk, which is inherent in any financing business, is generally lower in case of lending through JLG. The access of personal information of each group member and social pressures are the key reasons for the same. However, the JLG model can prove to be a double-edged sword  containing risks in good times, but triggering large-sale defaults during a crisis.

Something similar was experienced by CAGL. It witnessed a steep deterioration in asset quality after demonetisation. The same was reflected in its gross non-performing assets (GNPA) which rose 2 percent in FY18 from 0.10 percent in FY17. This was because the company had made use of the Reserve Bank dispensation for deferral of recognition of NPAs in FY17. Recognising the pain in FY18 led to increase in NPAs and provisioning. On account of additional provisioning during FY17, profitability was impacted with return on assets falling to 2.3% in FY17 from 3.6% in FY16.

In FY18, CAGLs credit costs  albeit elevated compared to its historical average - declined, thereby supporting its profitability, with RoA improving to 2.8% in FY18.

Credit costs can remain high going forward, in line with the change in its provisioning policy. The transition to IndAS will require the company to assess provision requirement based on forward looking expectations vis-a vis the backward looking days past due (DPD) used currently. While expected credit loss (ECL) can be higher, the management sounded confident on credit loss declining going forward.

CAGL has maintained its strong operating efficiency over the years as reflected by the cost-to-income ratio of about 38% and operating profit-to-average managed assets of 4.9% during FY18.

Though Karnataka accounted for around 59% of the companys portfolio exposing it to risks associated with significant regional concentration, no single district (apart from one) contributes more than 5% to gross loans. The regional concentration will continue to reduce as CAGL scales up through its district-based expansion strategy.

CAGLs significant rural presence  close to 82% of branches and about 81% of the customers are in rural areas, its predominantly weekly collection model, and prudent customer on-boarding and monitoring provides comfort to an extent.

There is scope for potential return improvement driven by lower credit costs and controlled expenses. As the company levers its capital to grow the loan book, return on equity should improve significantly.

The microfinance sector has come a long way from just a 'not-for-profit' endeavour to a business model of sustainable growth with strong returns. The remarkable journey has been marked by many highs and lows. The exponential growth of the sector was halted by the Andhra Pradesh crisis in 2010. Evolution of the regulatory framework after the crisis has helped the sector mature while attempting to protect the borrowers interest by regulating product pricing. While demonetisation disrupted the sector once again in November, 2016, it is heartening to see growth return to pre-demonetisation levels

Given the enormous potential, rating agency ICRA expects traction in disbursements to sustain and the microfinance industry to report 25-30% per annum portfolio growth over the medium term.

However, low income group concentration, unsecured nature of lending and political risks are the key concerns for the sector.

While microfinance is a relatively riskier asset segment with weak borrower profile, susceptible to socio-political issues and resulting unhealthy credit culture, few in the industry boasts of a track record as CAGL.

At the upper end of the price band (Rs 422 per share), the stock is valued at 2.9 times trailing book on a post-money basis. While the MFI has strong earnings growth potential and ability to generate RoA of around 3-3.5%, part of the near term growth seems to be priced in. On a relative basis, valuations are at a premium when compared to small finance banks (SFBs) like Ujiivan and Equitas operating in the micro-lending space. Hence, we see limited scope for listing gains.

There can be upside potential emanating from the possibility of an acquisition by a bank. While investors can play the sector through SFBs, a lower cost structure, higher returns and potential to convert or being acquired by a bank makes a pure-play MFI a worthy consideration and should support relatively higher valuations. Investors with an ability to shoulder risks associated with a microfinance business and looking for high quality business operating at the bottom of the pyramid should subscribe to the IPO for long term gains.

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Despite the government's claims that it has succeeded in electrifying all of India's villages, many rural households are languishing in the dark, while several privately-owned power plants are mothballed or operating below optimum capacity on the back of mounting debt.

India's total power capacity is over 3.40 lakh megawatts, almost 75 percent more than what it was six years ago. But as the demand for electricity has gone up over the years, coal-fired plants in the country's private sector have seen a drop in capacity utilization from 84 percent in 2010 to 55 percent today.

Power plants have turned unprofitable. The banking sector is saddled with stressed assets totalling as much as 40,000 MWs. According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the accumulated debt of dysfunctional power companies in India, amounts to $53 billion, twice the GDP of Nepal.

Source: Ministry of Power

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been unyielding in its resolution to subject large power projects that have defaulted to insolvency proceedings. However, promoters, banks, and the government seem to believe that external factors are responsible for the fragile financial position of power companies, despite there being an increase in demand.

By handing over the operation of power stations to asset reconstruction companies (ARCs), banks hope the quantum of bad debt can be salvaged. According to the ratings agency ICRA, haircut for banks is likely to be in the 20-70 percent range, averaging around 40 percent.

In spite of the central banks diktat to banks to clean up their books, lenders could yet profit from offloading large defaulting accounts in the power sector. Unsustainable debt can be converted into equity and sold to a jointly owned asset management company, which in turn can sell stake after a turnaround.

State-owned power distribution companies, saddled with debt of their own, are wary of signing long-term procurement agreements. Many states subsidise electricity, prompting discoms to switch between providers to procure electricity at the cheapest price in the wholesale market.

Coal-fired power plants are also witnessing a fall in the supply of raw material despite having long-term procurement agreements with Coal India. The state utility supplied 95 percent of Indias 600 million tonne production target for 2017.

Source: Central Electricity Authority of India

India might be self-sufficient with regards to coal, but power plants still struggle to replenish their coal inventory to meet production capacity. Coal stocks with power plants have remained below the average inventory level of 17.5 million tonne after the turn of the decade.

At present, coal is auctioned to the highest bidder, which prices out a large number of power plants that are already struggling to stay afloat. Since they cannot afford to outbid bigger players, they are forced into a vicious cycle of running below maximum capacity, relying on debt to procure the next shipment of coal to keep the plant operational.

The cost of financing has also shot up to around half the total expenses. If lenders are able to find new promoters to take over the flagging operations of indebted power companies, it will ensure that the physical assets will be passed on, instead of being sold for scrap value. Also, numerous jobs will be saved. However, banks will have to take a significant haircut in the short term, with the hope that AMCs will be able to turnaround the finances of insolvent companies.

The RBI issued a circular on February 12 which stated that August 27 will be the deadline for finalising the resolution process for defaulting companies in the power sector. However, the government may approach RBI to extend the deadline for the consortium of lenders to identify new promoters.

Lenders are close to clinching deals with bidders for 8-10 defaulting power plants. In case the resolution process is not completed before the stipulated deadline of August 27, the projects will be referred to the insolvency court. The Economic Times had reported on July 27 that stressed power projects with a consolidated capacity of 13,000 MWs look set to be auctioned to new promoters much below the debt's valuation.

Negotiations are on with bidders for six power plants, including KSK Mahanadi and Avantha Power (Jhabua). JSW Energy, Edelweiss, Adani Power, Vedanta, as well as foreign investors like Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and Lone Star are in the fray to snap up ailing power plants.

The RKM Powergen project, which has an installed capacity of 1,440 MWs, is the only project under the scanner of debt resolution authorities that will be restructured with the existing promoters still at the helm.
Malaysian airport company Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad is planning to buy a minority share in GVK Airports Holdings, according to a report by The Times of India.

GVK Airports Holdings is currently responsible for running Mumbai's international airport and has the rights to develop another one in the city.

The Malaysian airport company is working with a top international consulting and advisory firm to secure the acquisition, the newspaper reported.

Like its peer GMR, Hyderabad-based GVK has considered both private placements of shares and an initial public offer for the airports holding company in recent years.

Last month, reports surfaced that GVK was negotiating with Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), and AMP Capital, among others, to sell a minority stake in the airport operator. It had reportedly appointed Citigroup for carrying out the transaction.

Reports further suggest that that the deal could run into valuation hurdles as Malaysia Airports will only pursue a deal at the right price.

This will not be the first time tht Malaysia Airports will invest in India. It previously owned a minority stake in both Delhi and Hyderabad airports, which are operated by GMR.

GVK's airport vertical falls under GVK Power and Infra, which currently has a debt of Rs 800 crore. The company needs Rs 1,600 crore to build the Navi Mumbai International airport.
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Consumer durables manufacturer Dixon technologies reported a mixed set of numbers for Q1FY19. The company reported a double-digit decline in the topline on account of lower contribution from the mobile business. The decline in revenues was compensated by strong performance and profitability from the consumer electronics and home appliances business. Despite the subdued quarterly performance, the company appears to be on a secular growth trend as it enjoys a strong order-book and is gradually adding new clientele across product categories and also focusing on margin expansion through backward integration.

Quarterly result snapshot

Revenues for the quarter declined 13 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 593 crores. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 24 percent YoY to Rs 26 crore in Q1FY19 from Rs 21 crore in Q1 FY18. Profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter came in higher at Rs 13 crores over Rs 11 crores in the same quarter last year.

Consumer electronics reported a strong growth in the topline but the margins in the segment suffered on account of site transfer from Dehradun to the new Tirupati facility as well as higher input costs. During the quarter gone by, Dixon signed an agreement with Xiaomi for the manufacturing of TV sets. The company is witnessing good traction in this segment and expects consumer electronics revenues to grow by 20 percent in this financial year.

Lighting products also grew at a healthy double-digit rate in Q1 FY19. The performance can be attributed to strong demand from its key clients - Crompton Greaves, Wipro & Panasonic, Anchor, and Philips. The order book in this segment has further strengthened with the addition of 4 new clients (Jaguar, Usha, Syska, and Orient) in the past couple of quarters. The product portfolio has also expanded with the addition of Wipro High Beam LED bulbs. The management expects revenue growth of 10-12 percent for lighting products and therefore, sees margin improvement on account of economies of scale.

Home appliances revenues for the quarter more than doubled owing to strong washing machines demand. High commodity prices, as well as the adverse currency movements (linked to raw material imports), resulted in weaker margins for this segment. The company has agreements in place to pass on the input costs to its clients and therefore expects to regain 13 percent margins (vs 11 percent currently) over the next few quarters.

Dixon is expanding its washing machine manufacturing capacity from 0.7 million per annum to ~1.2 million per annum washing machine in the current year. The company has a very strong order-book in this vertical and expects to attain 80-85 percent capacity utilisation in the coming quarters.

Mobile phones segment reported yet another quarter of disappointment as Dixons customers continue to face competitive pressures and low volume offtake. Gionee has restarted operations with Dixon from Q1 FY19 but its sales during the quarter remained weak. During Q4 FY18, Dixon has added Tambo as a client for the manufacturing of feature phones which should result in increased capacity utilization over the next few months. To further enhance the scope and margins in this segment, Dixon is venturing into manufacturing of motherboard and Printed Circuit Boards.

Reverse logistics business was again a dampener on the profitability like the previous quarter. Dixon has appointed a new business head to revive the business and expects to post a revenue and margin recovery in FY19.

Dixon has ventured into Security systems with the manufacturing of CCTVs and Digital Video Recorders and has made good progress in this segment so far. CP Plus, Dixons sole business partner for this segment, is witnessing strong market demand for security systems. As a result, Dixon is planning to enhance its camera manufacturing capacity to 400k units from 100k currently.

Outlook and Recommendation

Dixons business sits at the forefront of Make in India theme. The government proposal to increase customs duties will further boost domestic electronic manufacturing from players like Dixon. The business has additional tailwinds in the form of low electronic penetration, reduction of GST rates for white goods and pick-up in domestic consumption.

The management expects to clock a topline growth of around 20 percent by adding new clients as well as mining the relationships with existing clients. The company expects an even faster growth in profits on account of 70-80 bps improvement in margins. The margin enhancement will be driven by improving capacity utilisation, higher contribution from original design manufacturing, backward integration and investing in low-cost automation to generate operating efficiencies. The completion of manufacturing transition from Dehradun to Tirupati facility (expected completion by August/September 2018) will result in further margin expansion due to the removal of cost redundancies. However, further currency appreciation and increase in commodity prices could impact the margins over the short term.

Dixon is an interesting play on domestic manufacturing. A muted Q1 show has resulted in a price correction post results and the stock is now trading at nearly 35 times FY19 earnings. Long-term investors interested in steady and secular earnings growth can look to accumulate this stock.
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 as a trade dispute between the United States and China escalated further and after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in demand.

Brent crude futures fell $1.88 to $72.77 a barrel, a 2.5 percent loss, by 10:56 a.m. EDT (1456 GMT).

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.85 to $67.32 a barrel, a 2.7 percent loss.

China is slapping additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of US imports, from fuel and steel products to autos and medical equipment, as the world's largest economies escalated their trade dispute.

The trade spat has rattled global markets on fears it could lead to a slowdown of the world's largest economies and result in lower demand for commodities.

China's crude imports recovered slightly in July after falling for the previous two months, but were still among the lowest this year due to a dropoff in demand from the country's smaller independent, or "teapot," refineries.

Shipments into the world's biggest importer of crude came in at 36.02 million tonnes last month, or 8.48 million barrels per day, rising from 8.18 million bpd a year earlier and just up on June's 8.36 million bpd, customs data showed.

"Even before their implementation, these proposed (Chinese) tariffs are starting to have an impact, with Chinese imports of US crude falling by 70 percent from April to July," Goldman Sachs said in a note on Wednesday.

The bank said, however, that such tariffs were unlikely to derail the outlook for US energy exports.

Also weighing on prices on Wednesday was data from the US Energy Information Administration that market participants described as bearish. Crude inventories fell by 1.4 million barrels in the last week, the EIA data showed, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 3.3 million barrels.

Gasoline stocks rose by 2.9 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.7 million barrel drop.

"Gasoline demand has been one of the main bullish stories in the oil market and if that demand is slipping off a little bit, maybe we're seeing reluctance to higher prices," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Markets remained supported by the introduction on Tuesday of new US sanctions against Iran, which initially target Iran's purchases of US dollars - in which oil is traded - as well as metals trading, coal, industrial software and its auto sector.

From November, Washington will also target Iran's petroleum sector.

Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

However, a US plan to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero will not succeed, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was cited as saying by an Iranian newspaper on Wednesday.
Bankruptcy

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has proposed setting up of eight new courts under the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to deal exclusively with Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code cases, reports the Business Standard. Thats a much needed boost for the company court which is struggling with a backlog of pending cases. Resolving insolvency cases speedily is necessary to clean up the balance sheets of both banks and corporate India. It is also a key condition to kick-start bank lending and boost private investment demand.

According to data presented to the Rajya Sabha, there were 9,073 cases under consideration by NCLT at the end of January. That included 1,630 cases of mergers, 2,511 cases of insolvency and 4,932 cases under other sections of the Companies Act. These numbers have only increased and are set to accelerate as Reserve Bank of India new norms nudge banks to speedily refer default cases to NCLT if they are not resolved within 180 days of the first non-payment of dues.

But the numbers also show that the pace of admission and resolution has been slow. Since the legislation kicked in , only 701 cases have been admitted under insolvency law till March, according to data from the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of Indias (IBBI) quarterly bulletin. Of these, 22 cases have gone into resolution and liquidation has started in 97 firms.

Infrastructure in the form of increasing number of courts to deal with the influx of cases is only the first step. Far more needs to be done especially when it comes to timely resolution. The cornerstone of IBC is the fact that resolution must happen within 270 days of a case being admitted. That is under threat.

There are delays happening at two stages. One, cases are taking long to get admitted because the Supreme Court has ruled that judicial discretion needs to be applied before an insolvency case is admitted to the NCLT. Last year, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had ruled that the 14-day timeline for rejecting or admitting a case under the bankruptcy was only directive and not mandatory. When courts are struggling with so many cases, making admission of cases a clerical decision would hasten the process.

Two, the 270-day timeline is not being strictly adhered to. Part of this is owing to the fact that the bankruptcy law is still in the teething stage. There have been two amendments in the last 12 months, which has led to a bunch of litigation. However, NCLAT has ruled that the 270-day timeline does not include time spent on issues outside the control of bidders/resolution professional such as stay on litigation, time taken by the resolution profession to take charge of a case, etc. In some other cases, the NCLT has allowed bidders to submit revised bids, which leads to further rounds of litigation and more delays.

Thus, high profile bankruptcy cases such as those of Essar Steel, Bhushan Power & Steel and Binani Cement are still pending before one court or the other with the 270-day deadline whooshing by. Nearly a year has passed since the RBI referred 12 big defaulters who held a quarter of the banking systems bad loans between them to courts under the bankruptcy law. So far, only 4 cases from the big 12 have been resolved. From RBIs second list of 28 firms, only 17 have been admitted.

The pace of cases passing through the bankruptcy system needs to be hastened to solve the twin balance sheet problem. Many of the assets that form the underlying basis for the bulk of the banking systems Rs 10 lakh crore bad loans are either inoperative or working at low capacity. A successful resolution means they can get back to business as usual. Higher revenue and profits is good for the company, its employees and suppliers and also for the economy. A resolution package will see banks take a partial haircut and the rest will be repaid or restructured. Even if the asset is sold on a piecemeal basis, i.e. it is liquidated, there are higher chances it will become operative. Either way, the loan book of banks becomes healthier. If the new owners run the business well, they should soon begin to earn interest on the restructured loans as well.
A company older than the Indian republic is today one of the country's most resolutely successful business empires. We use the word, 'resolutely' because this company has faced and survived a crisis that few enterprises can recover from.

This is Rakesh and today on Digging Deeper into the Business of Family, our continuing series on family businesses in India, I will trace the rather interesting journey of the Apeejay Surrendra group, a sprawling conglomerate that employs over 43,000 people in multiple operations in tea plantations and tea brands, fast-moving consumer goods, shipping, boutique hotels, real estate, bookstores and tea rooms, logistics and knowledge parks and much more.

The company evolved from the patriotic fervour around 1910 like many other Indian businesses of the time to assert the Indian identity during the British Raaj.

It all began with one Pyare Lal, who inspired by radical India of creating businesses to feed a sense of nationalism, set up a tiny firm by the name of Amin Chand Pyare Lal in Jalandhar to churn out steel goods for the agricultural sector.

By World War II, the company was thriving and big enough to engage 100 employees and became one of the first importers of steel into India.

Exponential growth

One year post independence, in 1948, the company stepped into shipping operations.

By 1951, even though the founder Pyare Lal had passed, his spirit continued to inspire the family and the vision of Jit Paul and brothers Stya Paul, Swraj Paul and Surrendra Paul went on to nurture the business. The Groups headquarters were established in Calcutta.

When there was a steep slump in the market, the company tapped countries like Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland East Germany, China and the USSR, to import the alloy which was crucial to the expanding infrastructural needs of an aspirational country. The business grew even further when the company started trading in finished steel products, coal, and machinery and began importing rails from Eastern Europe.

A crowning achievement of the time was the establishment of the country's most advanced steel mill in Calcutta and the manufacturing of stainless steel in a domestic market which was then dominated by Hindustan Steel Limited and Tisco.

The birth of APJ, the brand

When the company's shipping empire began to expand, it branded its bigger, better vessels with spanking new, distinctive red and white initials - APJ and the ships proudly took the new branding to many parts of the world including North America, the Far East and Europe. Today the shipping wing specialises in dry bulk cargo, with its regularly upgraded fleet meeting the changing standards of evolving global trade.

The ambitious sixties

Post independence, as India consolidated its position as a rising entrepreneurial force, the galvanised brand now set its sights on unexplored territories like hospitality, real estate, construction and pharmaceuticals.

It was in a way a full circle moment when a Swadeshi company acquired a controlling interest in British companies such as Martin Harris &Walter Bushnell that manufactured antibiotics and other key drugs of the time to battle malaria and angina.

Another feather was added to the APJ hat when in 1967, it initiated what was going to be a seminal moment in its history , the first ever hotel at the bustling Park Street in Calcutta.

Success and heart break

Surrendra Paul became the Chairman of the Group in 1982 and the company was well on its way to acquire more dimensions. The company added to its kitty, tea estates in the North East. In fact, says the company on its website, and we quote "Within less than a decade, the tea enterprise had created new jobs, better pay and more facilities for its workers. The greater exports and higher tax revenues substantially contributed to the economy of the state of Assam." Unquote.

In 1988, Surrendra's daughter Priya Paul joined the company, a refreshing thing to see at a time when daughters of large business families rarely if ever stepped into boardrooms, leave alone handle business responsibilities.

On April 9, 1990 however, an unexpected tragedy struck the family. Surrendra Paul, who was then also the chairman of Assam Frontier Tea Ltd (later renamed Apeejay Tea Ltd), was travelling in a car along with his general manager Ashish Kumar Choudhary across Upper Assams Tinsukia district, about 500 km from Guwahati, when unidentified gunmen fired at the vehicle and Surrendra Paul unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

This was an unprecedented event in the Indian business circles and in politics and led to the dismissal of the state government that was then led by chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Dramatic measures were taken to ensure the safety of the remaining staff and top tea executives were airlifted from Upper Assam. The Apeejay brand subsequently added Surrendra's name to its brand identity to pay a lasting tribute to him.

New figure heads and expansion

After Surrendra Pauls demise, his wife Shirin Paul became chairperson and his brother Jit Paul took over the day to day running of the empire. This was a trying time for the family and especially for young Karan Paul who learnt of his father's demise in the US where he was studying. The future would see the three siblings Karan, Priya and Priti handling retail, real estate and shipping but we are getting ahead of ourselves.

It was in 1990 and 1992 respectively that Priti Paul and Karan Paul joined the business and the APJ baton was successfully passed on to the third generation.

In the nineties, the Apeejay Finance Group came into being along with Apeejay Securities Private Limited , a real estate division that introduced Business Centers and a triumphant resurgence of the The Park Hotels brand.

1999 was also a significant time because it was then that the iconic brand now known as Oxford Bookstores was introduced in a new avatar.

The next decade was marked with consolidation and says the company's website and we quote, "The Group embarked on consolidation of the Corporate Structure with objective of ensuring highest standards of corporate practice, corporate ethics and corporate governance. Corporate Strategy, Corporate Affairs, Treasury; Human Resource Development; Information Technology, Corporate Communications were centralized in Apeejay Surrendra Management Services Private Limited. Incorporated in 2000 this entity owns the Apeejay Surrendra brand licensed for use by Group companies." Unquote.

The next generation

The family business had been split amicably into three parts among the four brothers in 1989 with Caparo, a British company involved mainly in the design, manufacturing and marketing of steel and engineering products, going to Lord Swraj Paul, the Apeejay Education Society going to Stya Paul, and the Apeejay Surrendra slice going to Surrendra Paul and Jit Paul.

Karan Paul joined the Group right after his graduation. He independently ran a finance company and a stock-broking company for about 10 years and then sold them in 2006-07. He became the Group Chairman of Apeejay Surrendra in 2004 and set the goal for the future and we quote his vision for the company, " To be one of Indias largest and most profitable privately owned family business. Unquote.

A step towards that goal was achieved, when in 2005 the company's Tea division acquired Typhoo, a legendary 100 year-old English tea brand. This was at that time, Indias second largest global FMCG acquisition and the 7th biggest corporate takeover by an Indian company, says the company website. The tea division

Well-equipped Knowledge Parks were also established in Eastern Indian states.

Major steps were taken to diversify into Marine Cluster and Logistics Parks sectors and the company's brand equity was further enhanced by multiple mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures etc that are too numerous to mention here.

Karan has brought with him a modern operational style and he takes a special interest in processes and policy matters.

In a 2017 article in www.entrepreneur.com, Karan was quoted thus, "Working hard, being humane, doing good business with integrity and fairness, ensuring a win-win partnership for everybody related to the enterprise  whether it is employees, suppliers, customers or bankers  constitute my familys legacy and values I was born to. Unquote. According to him in the same article, the Pauls have succeeded consistently because they have followed a forward, backward and vertical integration approach for diversification.

Centennial celebrations

In 2010, the company that was birthed in the tumultuous pre -independence India, grew along with the Indian republic and rose above immense tragedy, celebrated 100 fruitful years.

To mark the milestone, 100 Community Initiatives were launched.

Community service initiatives

The Apeejay group believes in adhering to a Sustainability and Social Responsibility (SSR) framework and we quote the company motto, "The SSR framework adopted by our CSR Committee outlines our target to protect, conserve and preserve ecosystems and all natural resources on our Estates." Unquote. This of course refers to the company's tea estates where it is easy to forget the human stories and the larger context of biodiversity.

The company however in its own words, "remains committed and invested in finding solutions for reducing the impact of human elephant conflict in Assam." Unquote. This is a very important issue full of emotive subtext for not just eco warriors, local communities but also those who live and work on tea estates.

The company's CSR Policy addresses this issue thus and we quote, "We will create and sustain cornerstones of our community's future through projects that halt biodiversity loss, protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, preserve the tangible and intangible cultural heritage, keeping responsible business practices that demonstrate highest standards of corporate and environmental governance always front and forward in the execution of our business strategy." Unquote.

As a tea producer, the company wants to align with UN Sustainable Development Goals and is committed to deliver the following targets - Life on Land, Climate Action, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation.

The company's shipping wing also wants to improve its practices and we quote its mission statement, " We want to continuously improve our existing systems and processes to minimize pollution or contamination of all natural resources including marine resources.We have zero tolerance towards illegal wild life trade and are a signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration led by HRH the Duke of Cambridge." Unquote.

The company's Ethics Policy outlines business conduct guidelines and a statement of intent which according to the internal and external stakeholders guides proper business conduct.

That the values of the founders have had a trickle down effect is evident from Karan Paul's message to the employees as their Chairman in 2004 and we quote from the company site, "We must always do good business and the right thing, drawing from our tradition of trust, reliability and fairness. These values are very dear to us and must not be compromised with." Unquote.

The ideals of accountability and social inclusion have been part of the company's credo much before the CSR terminology was created and this was the case also with many companies that were founded before independence. The group remains committed to causes like education, job creation, gender equality at work place, the increasingly elusive ideas of peace and justice in corporate dealings, and the creation of sustainable cities and communities, and sensitivity to climate related issues.

The brand legends continue to unfold..

A brand that is over a hundred years old has many important anecdotes and legends and one such story was born in 1967, when The Park was offered to Calcutta as the country's first luxury Boutique hotel. The hotel is now a familiar presence all over India and is known for its unusual decor punch lines, art and sculpture collections, path breaking restaurants, spa services, edgy architecture and modern vibrance.

The Oxford Bookstore was created and we quote from the company site, "as the best equipped 'base-camp' for journeys of the mind offering its customers the widest range of outstanding titles and consistently courteous and informed service." Unquote.

Interestingly, the iconic book store's story began nearly a 100 years ago in Kolkatas Park Street when people frequented a modest and unassuming books and stationery store. Over time, the store has grown to over 30 locations and apart from offering books across genres, the store hosts literary events and also visual and performing arts experiences.

Even before Amazon took over the pockets of the reading public in India, www.oxfordbookstore.com was the first online interface of its kind, and offered over 6 million titles worldwide.

What distinguishes an Oxford store from any other is its fine-tuned ambience, and its diverse, hand-picked merchandise that includes selection of specially curated stationery, music, software, and of course a mix of classic and contemporary book titles. Not to forget, proceeds from every book support the Give Back to Nature  programme of WWF-India.

Influential players

The late Jit Paul is credited with not just creating the distinct Park street culture with the hotel he opened here but with with stamping the hospitality sector in India with his vision and also supporting the family after Surrendra's death.

One of his most favourite business acquisitions was Flurys, Calcuttas historic tea room that he took over in 1965 after owner Joseph Flury agreed to sell it.

Born in 1923 on April 1, in Jallandar, into a modest business family, Jit Paul joined his father in 1928 , in the steel business and there was no looking back from then on.

Another remarkable name in the family's crowded list of achievers is that of Priya Paul who has helmed the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels with great grace, vision and unrelenting hard work.

She joined the Park Hotel, Delhi, after graduating in Economics from the Wellesley College, in 1988. The times that followed were hugely challenging personally and professionally because of her father Surrendra's unfortunate death. She had to hit the ground running and to manage three Park Hotels and the experience also prepared her to envision the future growth of the brand. What Priya did with great success was to shake the idea of a hotel out of its traditional predictability and give it a modern, refreshed modern vibe architecturally and with inputs of designers like Michel Aram and artists like Hemi Bawa. She once even brought down legendary Italian chef Antonio Carluccio to train chefs in the Park restaurants. Her interest in art also extends to her role as a trustee of the India Foundation of the Arts.

She chose unusual locations close to financial nerve centres to open new properties. Each hotel went on to acquire a welcoming design idiom that encouraged synergy and communication. Under her leadership, the brand was able to carve a niche for itself among industry giants with its ever evolving, young energy, trend setting ideas and competitive rates for business travellers.

In keeping with the company's CSR policies, the group under her leadership also took the responsibility for the preservation and maintenance of Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Her approach to business can be summed up in a statement she made during a 2003 interview in Hindu Business Line, "The challenge is to constantly innovate. No day goes by when you don't learn something new." Unquote.

As Jit Paul once said memorably and we quote, "Performance builds image, not the other way around  Reliability of performance is the most secure capital." Unquote. This is one capital that the Apeejay Surrendra group has consistently invested in and the goodwill has brought them exemplary success that many new businesses could learn from.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday warned the Amrapali group, that it would sell 'each and every property' of the embattled firm and make it homeless to recover the cost of unfinished projects if the firm failed to raise Rs 5112 crore to complete them. The case will be next heard on August 14.

Last week, the court had slammed the Amrapali group for playing "fraud" and "dirty games" with the court and ordered attachment of all the bank accounts and movable properties of 40 firms of the realty firm. It had also directed the company to place before it details of all 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.

"The real problem is that you have delayed giving possession of homes. Don't try to play smart or we will sell every inch of your property and render you homeless," the bench said, adding homebuyers will not pay even one more penny.

The bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit asked the group to submit a valuation report of movable and immovable properties of its managing director and directors within 15 days. It has also sought details of its serving directors and those who have left the Amrapali group since 2008, lawyers present at the hearing said.

The bench also asked the firm to file a detailed proposal on how it plans to raise Rs 5112 crore to ensure there are enough funds to enable NBCC to complete the delayed housing projects, advocate Kumar Mihir told Moneycontrol.

The court will vet the proposal at the next hearing.

The resolution professionals for Amrapali Silicon City, Zodiac projects (A category A) projects in Noida have been removed, lawyers present at the hearing said.

It also sought the details of companies that were looking after the maintenance of Amrapali projects and the funds they have collected and disbursed so far.

The top court also asked the power companies in Noida to restore the electricity at two projects of the group which had been disconnected owing to arrears. Amrapali has been directed to clear all dues to the electricity board, lawyers said.

The National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Ltd had on August 2 told the Supreme Court it was ready to undertake the projects of the Amrapali group of companies, which has failed to hand over possession of flats to around 42,000 home buyers.

The bench had asked the NBCC to place before it a "concrete proposal" in this regard in 30 days on how they proposed to complete the projects, along with a time line of work. The next date of hearing for considering NBCCs proposal has been set for September 4.

NBCC has been directed to construct the unfinished units and give a report within 30 days on how they propose to construct the units along with the timelines and the amount that will be required to complete them, advocate Mihir said.

At an earlier hearing on May 17, the apex court had given the go ahead to three co-developers to complete the stalled projects. It had also asked the Amrapali group to deposit Rs 250 crore in four weeks in an escrow account that will be have to paid to co-developers on completion of the projects. These co-developers included Noida-based Galaxy Group, IIFL-Viridian consortium and Kanodia Cement. The May 17 order was recalled at the last hearing on August 2.

The Supreme Court on August 1 had ordered attachment of the properties and bank accounts of all the directors of Amrapalis 40 firms. It hadd rapped state-owned National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) for publicly offering to complete Amrapalis projects when the apex court was hearing the matter and a verdict was still awaited.

The secretary of ministry of housing and urban affairs and chairman and managing director of NBCC had to personally appear before the court on August 2 on the matter.

At last weeks hearing, the court had also taken note of the alleged diversion of Rs 2,765 crore by the Amrapali group and asked the auditor to submit a report on it. The apex court directed the statutory auditors of Amrapali Group Anil, Ajay and Company, to examine accounts of all 40 companies of the group and file the report on whether the company had indeed diverted the amount collected from homebuyers.

If you have diverted money, we will squeeze every asset and bring back every money you have diverted, including compensation that you may have to pay to the buyers for delay, the bench comprising justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit had told the builder.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday had also noted that diversion of funds collected from investors by real estate developers was a "malady" and it wanted to stop this "nonsense" once and for all. The apex court observed that if builders were diverting money invested by a person in a particular housing or commercial project to complete other projects, it, prima facie, amounted to misappropriation and criminal breach of trust.

The bench wondered as to how Rs 2,765 crore fund was allegedly diverted by the Amrapali Group for carrying out works in its other projects.

"How can they (chartered accountants) allow siphoning of money like this," the bench said, adding "money given by the investor to complete a particular project cannot be used for other projects as it amounts to criminal misappropriation."

"This (diversion of funds) is the malady which is affecting all the builders. We want to stop this nonsense once and for all," the bench said.

Referring to the issue of diversion of funds, the bench told the counsel appearing for the Amrapali Group, "Stand on your legs and not on the shoulder of investors."

Last month, Amrapali group had informed the Supreme Court that it has submitted the proposal for construction of its unsold projects by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to the high-powered monitoring committee set up by the central government to look into delayed projects in Noida.

NBCC sources had told Moneycontrol that at the high-powered monitoring committee meeting held last month, the ministry had requested NBCC to look into the viability of the proposal. The proposal needs to be vetted and due diligence of Amrapalis properties also needs to be carried out. We may even decide to come up with a counter proposal, sources had said.

NBCC, if it decides to take over the projects, will manage it as a project management consultant (PMC) to ensure that completed houses are handed over to homebuyers and there is no diversion of money. For the purpose an agreement may have to be entered between NBCC, Noida Authority and the Amrapali group so as to manage the projects as a PMC, sources had said.

If an agreement is signed with Amrapali, it will continue to remain the promoter and will be responsible for any litigations concerning the projects. The embattled firm may even be asked to deposit its unsold inventory with NBCC which may be mortgaged to raise the PMCs fees, sources had said.

If NBCC decides to manage the project, initial funding may come in through a financial institution after mortgaging Amrapalis unsold land. As PMC we will have to ensure quality of construction through the contractor and we will deposit the realization in an escrow account, NBCC sources had said.
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Here are the stocks that are in news today:

Results Today: BPCL, Cipla, HPCL, Lupin, Siemens India, NMDC, Indian Bank, NALCO, BEML, Strides Shasun, Hindustan Construction Company, City Union Bank, Natco Pharma, Thermax, Blue Star, Punjab & Sind Bank, Balrampur Chini, Aditya Birla Capital, PNB Housing Finance, Trent, Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, Minda Industries, Phoenix Mills, Future Consumer, Sundaram Clayton, APL Apollo Tubes, EID Parry India, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ratnamani Metals, Nesco, Forbes & Company, Minda Corporation, Jamna Auto, Goodyear, Greenply Industries, Shree Renuka Sugars, Igarashi Motors India, Meghmani Organics, Gabriel India, Quick Heal, BLS International, Hikal, Shriram EPC Indian Hume, INEOS Styrolution, S Chand and Company, UFO Moviez, Kokuyo Camlin, Siti Network, 8K Miles, Sadbhav Infra, Gujarat Borosil, Manali Petrochemicals, Pricol, Man Industries, Indian Terrain Fashions, Stylam Industries, Centum Electronic, TD Power Systems, AksharChem (India), Gokaldas Exports, Selan Exploration Technology, Swelect Energy Systems, Asahi Songwon Colors, Kanoria Chemical, GeeCee Ventures, Hitech Corporation, Kopran, NDTV, Kirloskar Electric, 20 Microns, Apollo Pipes, Ganesh Benzoplast, Kirloskar Pneumatic, Yuken India

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announces FDA acceptance of the companys first new drug application for Ryaltris

Kalpataru Power Transmission: Q1 profit rises to Rs 81.04 crore versus Rs 70.45 crore; revenue jumps to Rs 1,324.93 crore versus Rs 1169.59 crore (YoY).

Mphasis: Q1 consolidated net profit increases 8.7 percent to Rs 258.3 crore versus Rs 237.6 crore; revenue rises 4.3 percent to Rs 1,820.2 crore versus Rs 1,744.5 crore (QoQ).

Mphasis board approved a proposal for buy-back of equity shares

Dhampur Sugar Mills: Q1 profit falls to Rs 31.66 crore versus Rs 62.63 crore; revenue slips to Rs 734.40 crore versus Rs 850.32 crore (YoY).

Inox Wind: Q1 profit at Rs 10.37 crore versus loss of Rs 39.02 crore; revenue jumps to Rs 430.45 crore versus Rs 105.99 crore (YoY).

Lovable Lingerie: Q1 profit drops to Rs 4.05 crore versus Rs 6.21 crore; revenue declines to Rs 54.89 crore versus Rs 60.53 crore (YoY)

Reliance Industries completed the acquisition by subscribing to 3,111,088 'A' ordinary shares at USD 15 per share for cash aggregating to USD 46.67 million for 5% equity stake of Eros International Plc

Accel Frontline: Q1 profit jumps to Rs 3.24 crore versus Rs 0.10 crore; revenue rises to Rs 161.87 crore versus Rs 142.81 crore (YoY).

Gulf Oil Lubricants India: Q1 profit rises to Rs 40.13 crore versus Rs 34.28 crore; revenue jumps to Rs 390.36 crore versus Rs 280.05 crore (YoY).

Nectar Lifesciences: Q1 profit increases to Rs 13.20 crore versus Rs 10.39 crore; revenue spikes to Rs 532.73 crore versus Rs 317.81 crore (YoY).

Prataap Snacks: Q1 profit rises to Rs 10.39 crore versus Rs 9.76 crore; revenue jumps to Rs 268.61 crore versus Rs 225.35 crore (YoY)

Tata Teleservices board meeting on August 10 to consider raising of funds upto Rs 20,000 crore

SRF: Q1 profit increases to Rs 1.34 crore versus Rs 1.04 crore; revenue rises to Rs 17.41 crore versus Rs 12.93 crore (YoY).

Shriram Asset Management Company: Q1 profit rises to Rs 41.10 lakh versus Rs 23.42 lakh; total income rises to Rs 1.48 crore versus Rs 0.91 crore (YoY).

GAIL India: The High Court Gujarat dismissed the petitions filed by the Gujarat Sales Tax Department which has raised a demand of Rs 3,449.18 crore and interest thereon Rs 1,513. 04 crore in respect of Hazira unit in Gujarat, treating the transfer of natural gas from the State of Gujarat to other states, as inter-state sales, during the periodfrom April 1994 to March 2001

Tata Power becomes the first power utility in Mumbai to offer Bill Payments at Vodafone Mini Stores

Patel Engineering: The civil construction company has bagged two hydro projects worth Rs 1793.5 crore and a tunnel project worth Rs 618.21 crore.

GOCL Corporation: Company received order from Singareni Collieries Company Limited, a PSU of Telangana state, worth Rs 203.09 crore for supply of explosives and accessories over a period of 2 years.

Butterfly Gandhimathi Appliances: Board of directors accepted resignation of Prakash Iyer as Chief Executive Officer of the company. Board also decided to immediately start the process for selection of new CEO.

Beekay Niryat: Board recommended issue of bonus equity shares in the proportion of 1:1

Dhanlaxmi Bank revised MCLR w.e.f. August 7

CRISIL has reaffirmed its rating on the bank facilities of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri at CRISIL BBB+/ Stable

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
The US Treasury on Wednesday proposed tax regulations for a new 20 percent income tax deduction for owners of businesses organized as pass-through entities, including rules to prevent the measure from becoming a tax loophole for wealthy Americans.

Senior Treasury officials said the regulations are intended to provide everything pass-through owners need to comply with the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code that President Donald Trump signed into law in December.

Most US businesses, including many small "Mom and Pop" firms, are organized as pass-through entities. Rather than operating like corporations with shareholders, as many large companies do, these businesses pass profits through to their owners as personal income.

"The pass-through deduction is an important tax cut for small and mid-size businesses, reducing their effective tax rates to their lowest levels since the 1930s," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

"This 20 percent deduction will lead to more investment in U.S. companies and higher wages for hardworking Americans."

Trump's tax overhaul provided permanent tax relief for corporations, which saw their tax rate slashed from 35 percent to 21 percent and an end to U.S. taxes on much of their foreign profits.

But pass-through business owners were given only temporary relief as part of the new law's individual tax provisions, which are due to expire after 2025. The pass-through deduction produces a tax rate of no more than 29.6 percent.

Republicans in the House of Representatives are expected to consider new legislation to make individual tax cuts permanent, with a vote possible ahead of the Nov. 6 congressional midterm elections. But such a measure is not expected to become law anytime soon.

The proposed regulations, described as the first of two sets of rules for pass-throughs, are intended to ensure that business owners receive the full deduction on business income up to a $315,000 threshold for married couples and $157,500 for single filers.

But the deduction is limited for business owners with higher income levels in specific industries including healthcare, law, accounting and consulting.

Analysts have warned that wealthy taxpayers could try to seize the full deduction improperly by declaring themselves as pass-through entities for tax purposes or splitting off a restricted firm's non-restricted income into a separate entity.

Treasury officials said the new regulations include anti-abuse safeguards to prevent such schemes.
People's Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and senior party leaders attend the 19th Foundation Day of PDP, in Jammu on Monday. (Image: PTI)

A Twitter banter between two former Chief Ministers of Jammu & Kashmir took a humorous turn as one of them showed her ability to use the right emoji at the right place, something even a teenager would envy.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah accused Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti of playing the field and assuring a support to both BJP and Congress in the upcoming election for Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. How does that work exactly? he further asked.



Usually fake news & falsehoods are peddled by dubious news channels. But its baffling when a politician like @OmarAbdullah fabricates stories based on pure fiction. Such dangerous propaganda is detrimental to the truth & an attempt to mislead people.https://t.co/39wAb1rzIS

 Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 7, 2018

Mufti responded, Usually fake news & falsehoods are peddled by dubious news channels. But its baffling when a politician like @OmarAbdullah fabricates stories based on pure fiction. Such dangerous propaganda is detrimental to the truth & an attempt to mislead people.

Mufti closed the reply with a Pinocchio emoji which is also known as the lying face emoji.



 Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 7, 2018



The surprising reply also left Abdullah in awe. He said, Hats off to whoever operates your account for you. They actually have a sense of humour. Nice emoji use.



Again fake news !. Give a compliment where its due Omar .

 Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 7, 2018

Apparently, the misplaced credit did not go down well with Mufti who shot back, Again fake news! Give a compliment where its due Omar.

The harmless light-hearted banter, the kind which is rarely seen in Indian politics, received applause from the Twitter fraternity. One user awarded Mufti with best emoji use award.

Others were also appreciative:



I think that's the first time an Indian politician has made me laugh.  Namecannotbeblank (@Aftrunner) August 7, 2018





2 Former cm fight each other with emoji twitter is great..

 Malik DDL (@MalikMunawwar) August 7, 2018

The emoji, in this case, is named after Pinocchio effect which refers to an increase in the temperature around the nose and in the orbital muscle in the inner corner of the eye when someone lies.
The Rafale deal is a case of "monumental criminal misconduct" by the NDA government and the scam involving it is much bigger than the Bofors scandal, former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie alleged today, demanding a time-bound probe into the contract by national auditor CAG.

Sinha and Shourie, addressing a press conference along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, raised a number of questions over the Rs 58,000 crore deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The trio, known as strong critics of the NDA government, also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of single-handedly changing the parameters of the deal and that there was a gross violation of mandatory procedures in finalising the contract.

The entire deal was a "textbook case of criminal misconduct, of misuse of public office and of enriching parties at the expense of the national interest and national security", they alleged, adding there was an "effort" by the government to "conceal" facts.

The Congress has been accusing massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government for the procurement of 126 Rafale jets. The deal negotiated by the UPA could not be inked.

The trio also rejected government's contention that the prices of the aircraft have gone up due to India-specific add-ons and weapons systems, citing a joint statement by India and France during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Paris in 2015.

They said the joint statement mentioned that the aircraft and the associated systems and weapons would be delivered to India on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by Indian Air Force for the deal negotiated for procurement of 126 jets under the UPA government.

Shourie alleged that there had been "gross misuse of office" by which the original project for the acquisition of 126 fighter aircraft had been "sabotaged".

"I can tell you, as a person who handled the matter with regards to Bofors, that Bofors was absolutely nothing compared to this (Rafale scam). There was never a sudden change (in the deal) like this in which you suddenly give up the entire project," the former minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government said.

The Congress has also been pressing for price details of the deal but the NDA government has refused to divulge them citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. The government has asserted that there were no irregularities in the deal.

"I would suggest, on our behalf, that the audit which Comptroller and Auditor General was supposed to take up, that should be a forensic audit and it should be completed within three months," said Sinha, adding "It is a huge scam. Bofors pales into insignificance before this scam."

The Bofors scandal involving procurement of howitzer guns in late 1980s had rocked the then Rajiv Gandhi government.

Terming the Rafale deal as the "biggest defence scam" that this country has seen so far, Bhushan alleged that it involved a loss of at least 35,000 crore to the public exchequer.

The trio said the ever-shifting statements of the ministers of defence, invoking of secrecy clauses in the contract and the inexplicable dropping of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), from the project were among the factors which convinced them of the deal being "a major scandal".

"We are convinced that this is an enormous scandal that jeopardises national security and hence we feel the government must reveal the facts, especially the facts in relation to what the whole deal is going to cost the public exchequer," Shourie said.

"We hope that the opposition parties will relentlessly pursue this matter, the way the BJP had pursued Bofors at that time. With the same tenacity, the opposition parties must pursue the matter," he said.

The three leaders also accused the government of benefitting Reliance Defence, saying that the company which was under Rs 8,000 crore in debt and had no experience in making aircraft was involved under mandatory offset obligations of the French firm.

Strongly rejecting the charges, CEO of Reliance Defence and Aerospace Rajesh K Dhingra said no contract has been given to any Reliance Group company by the Ministry of Defence related to the purchase of the 36 Rafale aircraft.

"As all 36 aircraft are to be delivered 'fly-away', to be manufactured in France by Dassault and exported to India, how is the question of experience in manufacturing aircraft relevant here?" he asked.

Under India's offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.
The aerial view of Marina beach after a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean hit the area in the southern Indian city of Madras December 26, 2004. At least 390 have been killed after a tsunami hit India's southern coast on Sunday, a federal cabinet minister and officials said. REUTERS/Babu AH/CN - RP5DRIAGJMAA

The Congress today termed the Madras High Court ruling allowing M Kanunanidhi's burial at Chennai's Marina beach as a huge setback for "proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny" the DMK patriarch his rightful burial place.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the court's decision is a huge victory for the DMK and recalled that party chief Rahul Gandhi had strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Kanunanidhi on the Marina beach.

The Madras High Court earlier in the day, dismissed all pending petitions challenging burials on the Marina.

A division bench, which resumed the special hearing of the DMK's plea for a burial space for Karunanidhi at the Marina after adjourning it in the wee hours, rejected the state government's contention that there were legal hurdles in way.

"Huge setback for proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny Kalaignar his rightful Burial place.

"Rahulji strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Karunanidhi at Marina. Why are Central/State Govts silent? Huge victory of justice for DMK. Long live Kalaignar," he said on Twitter.

Gandhi had yesterday said, "Like Jayalalitha ji, Kalaignar was an expression of the voice of the Tamil people. That voice deserves to be given space on Marina Beach. I am sure the current leaders of Tamil Nadu will be magnanimous in this time of grief."

Karunanidhi died yesterday evening at the age of 94 following prolonged illness.
After receiving the Rajya Sabhas nod on Monday, the 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill now only requires the Presidents assent to become a law. The bill caused some trouble for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2017 when it could not get passed because the party did not have a majority in the House.

BJP chief Amit Shah asked the Congress this time to explain its stand on the bill, claiming that this would show if the party stood by backward communities. Finally, the amendment was passed with 156 votes to nil.

What is the 123rd Constitutional Amendment?

This bill gives constitutional support to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), which was first set up under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. The NCBC has the power to examine complaints regarding inclusion or exclusion of citizens or groups within the list of backward classes.

After its passage in the House, the commission gets new powers to provide safeguards to the backward classes.

What are the new powers?

Under the new bill, the commission would be required to investigate and monitor matters relating to safeguards provided for the socially and educationally backward classes under the Constitution. The bill also mentioned that the commission will have powers of a civil court while investigating said matters.

Any policy or matters related to Other Backward Classes (OBC) proposed by the government would have to go to the commission for consultation.

The commission now has the power to look into specific complaints related to rights of the backward classes. For deeper investigations, NCBC will have the power to summon and enforce the presence of any person from across the country and examine them.

It would be a duty of the commission to work towards improved socio-economic conditions for OBCs and evaluate the development at central and state levels.

It will submit annual reports to the President with recommendations on the implementation of measures taken for welfare of the backward classes.

Under the new amendment bill, the commission will have a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and three other members. The President will decide service conditions and tenure of office for all members.

What does it mean for the BJP?

Calling it a historic bill, BJP President Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally served justice to the backward community, which was deprived for decades since Independence.

Other than providing constitutional status to NCBC, BJP has also moved to set up a commission to look into the sub-categorisation of OBCs to ensure even distribution of government jobs and other benefits.

With the 2019 general elections around the corner, the BJPs moves will help them win votes from backward communities, which make for 52 percent of the total population, making them the single largest section of voters.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Congress) and JD(S)'s HD Kumaraswamy

The JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka is preparing for a cabinet expansion as soon as the "unfavourable" month of Ashada ends on August 11. The political undercurrent in the state suggests that attempts are being made to topple the HD Kumaraswamys 10-week-old government.

At least eight to 10 Congress MLAs, who are aspiring for a cabinet seat during the expansion, are holding the government hostage with threats of "defecting to the BJP if we aren't given seats". However, sources within the party told Times of India that the speculations are baseless. They said these were only being made up to put pressure on the high command to get a place in the cabinet.

If the MLAs do resign from the assembly, it would bring down the coalition strength from 112 to 104. After the magic number is lost, the saffron party will need only a simple majority to stake claim to form the government.

Meanwhile, people within the BJP claim that some Congress leaders have been in touch with senior party members and may even resign.

BJP national party chief Amit Shah and national general secretary Ram Lal met Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday to discuss preparations for 2019. However, the actual agenda of the meeting was reportedly Yeddyurappa seeking permission to dislodge the coalition. Sources said Shah and Lal asked Yeddyurappa to not be hasty.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Dinesh Gundurao recently made a comment along similar lines, accusing BJP of trying to lure Congress MLAs with money and power. The BJP is desperate and trying everything to bring down this government. They cannot bear to be out of power. They can try, but they will not succeed, he said.

The speculations started to fire up when municipal administration minister Ramesh Jarkiholi flew to New Delhi with six other MLAs, reportedly on the same flight as Yeddyurappa.

Jarkiholi, however, said he had been in Delhi to meet senior Congress leaders and would not ditch the party at any cost.
Representative image

Around 17 lakh employees of the Maharashtra government began their three-day strike today to press for various demands, including implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report.

On the first day of the stir, around 63 percent of the class 3 and class 4 employees remained absent from work, an official said.

Though the unions claimed that the strike was "100 percent" successful, the government suggested that the services in general remained unaffected.

The unions had yesterday announced that class 3 and class 4 employees of Zilla Parishads, state hospitals, staff working at Mantralaya (secretariat) will participate in the strike.

However, a General Administration Department (GAD) official said today that 70.64 percent attendance was recorded at Mantralaya at the end of the day.

The attendance registered for class I and class II officers was 83.32 percent, and that for class III employees 70 percent. The attendance for class IV officers was 37.28 percent, he said.

The average attendance for the government employees on field (outside the Mantralaya) was registered at 37.18 percent today, the official said.

As per information received from the rural health service centres, staffers did not take part in the strike on a large scale, he said.

"Hence no health services were affected," the official said.

He said around 30-40 percent nursing staff did not show up for work.

Around 20 percent class IV staffers remained absent.

"For employees who are covered under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance (MESMA) Act, they had already been notified that the strike has been deemed illegal.

"The provisions of the Act will now be studied and appropriate action will be taken against them," he said.

The official said the government will follow the Centre's policy of "no work, no pay" for the employees not covered under MESMA Act and cut their salaries accordingly.

Earlier in the day, State Government Employees Organisation president Milind Sardeshmukh said the government employees are yet to receive arrears accrued to them since the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission by the state government.

He claimed that 1.85 lakh posts of class 3 and class 4 employees are lying vacant in Maharashtra.

In a Government Resolution (GR) issued late last night, the government had said the employees' decision to go on strike will be construed as "misbehaviour" and disciplinary action will be taken against them.

Another GR was issued stating that the 7th pay commission will be implemented from January 2019.

The demand of employees for a five-day week and raising the retirement age from 58 years to 60 years will be taken up during Diwali, an official had said last night.

The arrears will be paid in the salaries of employees for August month, as per the GR.

If the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission is delayed, the employees will get the benefit as per the wage structure of the central government employees from January 2019, the government had stated.

Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said today the government was surprised over the "sudden strike" called by the employees, "as most of their demands have been accepted by the government".

"We have held repeated discussions with the unions representing the striking employees and assured them that their demands will be fulfilled in a time-bound manner. Yet they suddenly chose to go on strike," the minister said.

A release issued by one of the striking unions claimed that "history was achieved today, as the strike was 100 percent successful".

"Employees in every district held protest marches, 'dharnas' and voiced their displeasure against the government. If the government does not take cognisance of this strike, the employees will then go on an indefinite strike," it said.

Teachers and non-teaching staff of around 800 government-aided schools in Mumbai also went on strike, which affected the functioning of the schools.

In the last night GR, the state government had issued a resolution offering to make payment of dearness allowances into the bank accounts of teachers and non-teaching staff of government-aided schools.

"This decision created a confusion among the teachers whether to go on strike from today or not. Hence, some schools remained open. But this afternoon, we held talks with several leaders from the teaching community and decided to join the strike," Subhash More, executive chairman of Shikshak Bharati, said.

Shikshak Bharati is a government-recognised union of teachers and non-teaching staff in Mumbai region.

Over 10,000 teachers in the region are affiliated with Shikshak Bharati, he claimed.

The Bombay University and College Teachers' Union (BUCTU) announced its support to the three-day long strike.

The BUCTU called upon the teachers in colleges and university to support their colleagues from the non-teaching staff, who will be in this strike and to ensure the strike is not disrupted.
Representative image

Maratha quota leaders said today that the community members will hold strident protests across Maharashtra on August 9 for the cause.

The leaders said they have decided to suspend all communications as part of the protest.

"The state government has not only failed to implement its promises made to the Maratha community before the 2014 assembly elections and in the last four years, but also delayed the procedure of withdrawing police complaints filed against the Maratha youth across the state," said Vinod Pokharkar, a leader of the Maratha Kranti Morcha.

He accused chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders of not keeping the quota promise.

Pokharkar claimed that at least 2,000 youths from the community were arrested by the local police under serious charges in the state, following the agitations held last month.

"With the August 9 protest imminent, the state government ensured that hearing on the cases against the Maratha youth would take place after August 9. This means that these youths will remain behind bars till Thursday," he alleged.

He claimed that not a single police station in districts has received the state government's letter asking them to withdraw charges of non-serious nature against the arrested youths.

Fadnavis had announced last month that the government would withdraw non-serious charges against the Maratha youths.

Pokharkar alleged that Fadnavis seemed not keen to withdraw the cases.

Another leader Bhaiyya Patil said meetings will be held tomorrow in some districts to chalk out the strategy for the August 9 protests.

"We will finalise the agitation plan in these meetings. We want to show the strength of the community to the government," Patil said.

The politically-influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 per cent of Maharashtra's population, has been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category.

In a related development, the Bombay High Court appealed to members of the Maratha community today to refrain from resorting to violence or committing suicide over their demand for reservation in government jobs and education.
Opinion | Why corrupt politicians and bureaucrats can now breathe easy

The amendment of the Prevention of Corruption Act will likely end up protecting corrupt legislators and bureaucrats rather than innocent bankers.

RN Bhaskar August 10, 2018 / 09:39 AM IST













On July 23, ostensibly in an attempt to shield honest bankers from prosecution agencies, Parliament amended the Prevention of Corruption Act. It now requires investigation agencies to seek prior permission from appropriate authorities before proceeding to arrest a bank official accused of misdemeanour. Financial markets have reacted favourably to the move and bankers have welcomed it. Everyone seems to be pleased, but for those who have not forgotten history. The move will likely end up protecting corrupt legislators and bureaucrats rather than innocent bankers. Once you examine the issue closely, you realise that the amendment may actually prevent any major investigation into corruption. With this move, the government has closed one more avenue through which corrupt deals could be discovered. To understand this one has to go back to history. The story dates back to 1957. It is one that got revived in 1992 when the Harshad Mehta scam came to light. On May 25, 1992, this author published an article in the now-extinct Express InvestmentWeek titled "Two HMs: 35 years apart". Close Related stories Hertz says it may expand supply of Teslas to Uber to 150,000

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Coal India has stepped up coal supply to meet increased demand of power sector: Pralhad Joshi The article tried to show similarities in the modus operandi of the two scams. The one played out by one of Indias earliest scamsters, Haridas Mundhra, and the other by Harshad Mehta, which came to light in 1992. In both scams, the principal characters, other than the main villains, were the prime ministers office, the finance minister, the RBI governor and LIC chairman. But what was most interesting about the Mundhra scam of 1957, is the role of Justice M.C. Chagla, who formed the single-member commission of enquiry appointed by the Parliament. The enquiry was held in the legislative council hall near the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai (it is now the headquarters for the state police) and was conducted publicly (no in-camera proceedings). As jurists were to declare later, the best disinfectant is almost always sunlight. When the attending audience grew in size, loudspeakers were fitted in the lawns so that people could sit there and hear the testimony of senior bureaucrats and ministers. After all, these were the men in charge of public institutions. And the public had a right to know how they had discharged their duties, and how the scam which involved public money came to pass. The witnesses included HM Patel, then principal finance secretary; HVR Iyengar, governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI); PC Bhattacharya, chairman, State Bank of India (SBI); IS Vaidyanathan, managing director, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC); GR Kamat, chairman LIC; AD Shroff, director, New India Assurance Company and of the Tata Group of Companies; Ram Nath, deputy governor, RBI; DL Majumdar, secretary, ministry of finance, company law & administration; and  most importantly  TT Krishnamachari, Union minister of finance. All of them appeared before the commission in public view. All gave their testimony for public consumption. All had faith in the right of the public to know how affairs were being managed.

Interestingly, the man who brought the first bit of information about the scandal to the knowledge of the people and Parliament was Feroze Gandhi, son-in-law of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Those were times when even Parliamentarians believed that the best disinfectant was indeed sunlight.

The Union minister of finance accepted full responsibility for the scandal and resigned. The chairman of LIC followed suit. So did the president of the Calcutta Stock Exchange. The principal finance secretary, despite being exonerated by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which also investigated his role in the affair, also resigned on moral grounds.

Legislators ring-fence themselves

That was the last time a public trial took place. Hastily, legislators brought in a slew of laws aimed at ensuring that no investigations were launched against civil servants on the grounds that frivolous complaints might deter them in carrying out their public duties. It wasnt long after that legislators extended these protective measures to themselves. A moat had been built. Public trial of public servants and legislators would not normally be possible. Sadly, each time a major investigation into a big scam has taken place, it has often been triggered by a Supreme Court directive to the executive  even the legislature  to work out ways to investigate the scam. This is what happened in the cash-for-votes scam. That was when the Narsimha Rao government survived a trust vote. The allegation was that votes were bought. That investigation eventually yielded nothing. But the directive was given by the Supreme Court.

The same thing happened with the 2G Scam, which was about preferential allotment of valuable telecom spectrum to a favoured few. It was the Supreme Courts directives that triggered investigations into the scam. Ditto with the coal mines allocation scam. It was the Supreme Court which called the CBI a caged parrot, and it was the court that had to often ask the investigators to go ahead with investigations despite delaying tactics adopted both by the legislature and the executive.

It was the Supreme Court which asked the government to ensure that all political parties submit details of their funding from bodies overseas. This was a move that was countered by the legislature by passing amendments to the Foreign Contributions (regulations) Act or FCRA . It remains to be seen whether this move, that could be seen as frustrating the courts ruling, will be struck down as unconstitutional.

This is because the amendments to the FCRA have been challenged by NGOs and by EAS Sarma, former Secretary, Ministry of Finance (among other positions held). This time, quite interestingly, even while there was a ruckus going on in Parliament, the government rushed through the amendments to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act earlier this year, giving political parties retrospective immunity against investigation into the sources of funding. Significantly, no political party raised any objection against this modification of laws. Occasionally, judges did frown on such moat-like devices. For instance, when it came to politicians tainted with the Adarsh scam in Mumbai, the High Court ordered investigation agencies to continue with their work, and that prior sanction of the government was not needed. A similar ruling was issued when it came to investigations into the irrigation scam, which the courts have now decided to monitor on a day-to-day basis. It now only needs for the Supreme Courts Constitutional Bench to take up such laws and decide if they are constitutionally valid.

Laws to deter complaints

Another peculiar law that legislators introduced was the one related to bribery. This law too has been clarified in the latest modifications to the Corruption Act. It prescribes a penalty of 3-7 years or fine or both for anyone taking and anyone giving a bribe. Prima facie the law looks okay, until you realise that this law actually prevents any bribery charges being made at all.

It was this law that was singled out in a seminal paper brought out by the former Chief Economic Advisor, Kaushik Basu in March 2011. Titled, Why, for a Class of Bribes, the Act of Giving a Bribe should be Treated as Legal, the paper puts forward a small but crucial idea of how we can cut down the incidence of bribery. The paper points out that There are different kinds of bribes and what this paper is concerned with are bribes that people often have to give to procure things to which they are legally entitled. I shall call these harassment bribes. . . . Suppose an income tax refund is held back from a taxpayer till he pays some cash to the officer. Suppose government allots subsidised land to a person but when the person goes to get her paperwork done and receive documents for this land, she is asked to pay a hefty bribe. These are all illustrations of harassment bribes. Basu makes a case that the giver of a harassment bribe should have full immunity from any punitive action by the state. Basu points out that in almost all cases of (harassment) bribe-giving, it is in the interest of the bribe-giver to have the bribe-taker caught. Since the bribe-giver will cooperate with the law, the chances are much higher of the bribe-taker getting caught. In fact, it will be in the interest of the bribe-giver to have the taker get caught, since that way the bribe-giver can get back the money he gave as bribe. Since the bribe-taker knows this, he will be much less inclined to take the bribe in the first place. This establishes that there will be a drop in the incidence of bribery. By punishing the bribe giver as well, the legislators have ensured that bribes do not get reported in almost all cases . The bribe takers can breathe easy! The governments unwillingness to permit probes into corruption was in full evidence when it was reluctant to act against the list of Indians who had accounts in Lichtenstein. It was the Supreme Court which then insisted that the government table its findings before the court. It appears that nobody wants to benefit from the antiseptic qualities of sunlight, which could help disinfect the malaise of corruption afflicting the nation.
Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to late DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the Rajaji Hall here today and briefly met members of his family. Clad in white, Modi laid a wreath at Karunanidhi's feet and bowed before his mortal remains, paying his respect to the late leader.

He later consoled the DMK chief's family members, including his wife Rajathi and son M K Stalin.

Modi, who arrived here from New Delhi by a special flight earlier in the morning, was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and state unit leaders of the BJP, besides those of the DMK and the AIADMK.

He later had a brief conversation with Rajathi.

He exchanged a few words with Stalin, the DMK's working president, gently patting him on the back in an apparent gesture of consoling him.

While leaving, Modi spoke to Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi, an MP, as Stalin joined him.

Karunanidhi, 94, died at a private hospital yesterday following prolonged illness.

The prime minister in his message had described the DMK chief as a prolific thinker and a deep-rooted mass leader who stood for regional aspiration and national progress.
Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama today said Jawaharlal Nehru had a "self-centred attitude" to become India's first prime minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time. He also claimed India's partition would not have happened if Mahatma Gandhi's wish of Jinnah becoming the prime minister had materialised.

The 83-year-old monk was addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management in Goa's Sankhalim town, located about 40 km from here.

Responding to a student's question on taking right decisions, he said, "I feel democratic systems are very good than the feudal system, which gives power of making decisions in the hands of a few people, which is more dangerous." "Now look at India. I think Mahatma Gandhiji was very much willing to give the prime ministership to Jinnah. But Pandit Nehru refused," he said.

"I think it was a little bit self-centred attitude of Pandit Nehru that he should be the prime minister... Mahatma Gandhiji's thinking, if it had materialised, then India, Pakistan would have been united," he said.

"So Pandit Nehru, I know very well, (was) very experienced person, very wise but sometimes mistake also happens," he said. To a question on the biggest fear that he encountered in life, the spiritual leader recalled the day he had to escape from Tibet along with his supporters.

"On the night of March 17, 1959, after 10th March crisis which was result of the problem that started in 1956, we had to escape," he said. Recalling how the problem in Tibet with China had started becoming worse, he said the attitude of Chinese officers kept on being more and more aggressive.

"So then on 17th night, in spite of all my efforts to cool down the situation, that very day, I decided that I cannot remain here and I escaped," he said. "(In the) meantime, the feeling whether I will see tomorrow or not topped my mind," he added.

The monk said the route from where they escaped was quite near the Chinese military base. While passing along a river they could see the military personnel, he said narrating his journey from the neighbouring country into India.

"So we were completely quiet. But we cannot control the noise of horses' feet. We really felt scared," he said.

He said next day at the dawn, they were passing through a mountain and there was "every danger" of Chinese soldiers coming from two different places to stop them. "That was a fearful journey."

"At the age of 16, I lost my freedom. At the age of 24, I lost my country. For 17 years, there was lot of suffering and lot of destruction in the country, but we kept our determination," the Dalai Lama said.

He said the China's power is its military force. "We can say from the barrel of gun." "Our strength is truth. Temporarily, the power of gun is more decisive but in the long run, the power of truth is much more stronger than the power of gun," he said.

The monk said Tibetans never consider Chinese people as their enemy. "We respect them. We always look at them as our human brothers and sisters," he added.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address party leaders and members at a meeting here on August 11.

Rajasthan Congress president Sachin pilot briefed party leaders about Gandhi's programme at a meeting here and gave necessary directions for preparations.

Gandhi will leave for the meeting venue from the airport soon after his arrival, Pilot said.

On the way to the meeting venue, which is yet to be finalised, Gandhi will be welcomed by the party workers at a few places, he said.
The OLED screen market has a new entrant - Sharp. The Japanese manufacturing company has entered the domain to develop OLED screens for smartphones. This essentially means competition for Samsung and LG. Apple may be the beneficiary if Sharp manages to carve a niche in the OLED screen market.

Since its inception, iPhone X screens have been provided by Samsung. To overcome this dependency, Apple is taking a keen interest in Sharp. Currently using a screen manufactured by Samsung; Apple is all set to introduce two iPhone variants. Apples second screen supplier LG has not been able to match up to their standards.

Sharp plans on commercially selling the screens as OEMs. After using its own manufactured OLED screens for its Aquos devices, the company shows promise to manufacture the screens on a large scale.

To walk a step ahead of Samsung, Apple, as reported by BGR , is searching for new OLED suppliers.
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Italian bike brand Benelli, owned by China's QianJiang (QJ) Group, wants to develop its Indian operations into a hub for design and manufacture of mid-capacity motorcycles to revitalise the domestic play.

Benelli, along with its Hyderabad-based partner Mahavir Group, will ready investments for a Research and Development (R&D) centre, a manufacturing facility, and a parts supplier park as part of its Phase II expansion programme.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by the company with the government of Telangana to that effect. The state will also play host to a completely knocked down (CKD) assembly plant having a capacity of 10,000 units a year, that will start operations in October this year.

Benelli was in a tie-up with Pune-headquartered DSK Motowheels, part of DSK Group, for marketing its bikes here with engines ranging from 250cc to 1200cc. The price of these bikes ranged from Rs 1.88 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.

The partnership ended abruptly a few months ago following the arrest of Shirish Kulkarni, Managing Director of DSK Motowheels in a financial fraud also involving his father Deepak Kulkarni, the Founder of the DSK Group.

In 2017, Benelli's India sales went down to 1,700 units from 2,200 units in 2016. The company discontinued sales operations after April this year.

The setback, though, did not impact Benellis ambitions for India.

Speaking to Moneycontrol Dante Bustos, Chief Marketing Officer, Global- Benelli said, There were a lot of things that we were not able to do during our earlier partnership. One of which was to have a greater brand communication with the Indian buyers, create an ecosystem for the brand. We will begin doing that now."

Vikas Jhabakh, MD, Benelli India said, The Phase I of our plan, spread across 3 acres, is to get the products back into India through CKD because products should not be away from the market for so long. Then Phase II, with 20 acres, will involve charting out local production, R&D, sourcing of parts locally. Benelli is very confident and committed to the India growth story."

Mahavir Group has been in the automotive dealership business for two decades. It has dealerships of Mercedes-Benz, Skoda Auto, Benelli, and Isuzu. While about 18 existing dealers of Benelli will be now part of the new partnership, a further 20 dealerships will be added every year for the next two years as part of the expansion plans.

The Indian market is witnessing a surge in bike launches targeting buyers looking for the 300cc and above class. BMW, TVS Bajaj , KTM, Triumph, Harley-Davidson, Husqvarna, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda and Eicher Motors -owned Royal Enfield have either launched products in this segment or are in advanced stages of product development.
After Ranveer Singh popularised Switzerland and almost doubled the number of Indian footfalls to the European nation, Barfi star Ileana DCruz will look to do the same for the tropical islands of Fiji.

Tourism Fiji has launched their new campaign #BulaHappiness in India to attract more Indian tourists to indulge in the sun and sands of Fiji.

DCruz launched Tourism Fijis campaign at the Fiji Roadshow, held on August 8 in India. The country's tourism board in holding roadshows in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore, between August 7 and 10.

"From 2016-2017, there has been a 30 per cent increase in Indian nationals visiting Fiji. During the first quarter of this year, we recorded a rapid growth of 27.8 per cent as compared to 2017, making India one of the fastest growing tourism source markets, for Fiji," said Seema Kadam, country manager India of Tourism Fiji.

"With Ileana as our brand ambassador, we aim to showcase through this campaign video, a first-hand experience of what Fiji has to offer and hope that more and more Indians experience what this beautiful country has to offer, she added.

According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020.

Indian Tourism Statistics 2017 by market Research Division of the Ministry of Tourism adds that the number of Indian nationals departure from India during 1991 was 1.94 million which rose to 21.87 million in 2016 with a CAGR of 10.17 percent.

Illeana is the latest member of the club of celebrities endorsing international destinations preceded by Ranveer Singh in the recent past and Sidharth Malhotra who was on-boarded as the brand ambassador for New Zealand Tourism in October 2015 and Dubai Tourism that collaborated with Shahrukh Khan in early 2017.
China increased its coal imports in July by 14 percent to their highest in 4-1/2 years, official data showed on Wednesday as rising temperatures boosted demand for coal-fired power to run air conditioners in the world's top buyer of the fuel.

Arrivals came in at 29.01 million tonnes last month, the General Administration of Customs said. That is the highest since January 2014.

Imports rose 23.9 percent from the 25.47 million tonnes in June and climbed 49.1 percent from the 19.46 million tonnes in July 2017.

Electric power loads on the transmission grid in parts of China soared late last month because of high temperatures, with southern areas of the Hebei province that surrounds Beijing reporting record demand and the State Grid Corporation of China warning of power shortages.

Increased buying of foreign shipments has also been spurred by curbs on domestic output as Beijing increases checks on heavy industry to clear air pollution.

"The authorities have vowed to ensure coal supplies and keep prices running smoothly during the peak season, therefore checks on imports could not be tightened in the short term," said Cheng Gong, coal analyst at Zheshang Securities.

The figures include lignite, a type of coal with lower heating value that is largely supplied by Indonesia.
Source: www.kremlin.ru

China successfully carried out its first test flight of Starry Sky-2, which is a hypersonic aircraft carrying its own shock waves. The test was carried out at a remote location in Chinas northwestern region.

The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics announced that these hypersonic vehicles travel much faster than the speed of sound. Touching the speed of 7,344 km per hour, the aircraft, also called as the waverider carries nuclear bombs and has the potential to enter missile defence systems.

The official news agency, Xinhua, said that the waverider "is a hypersonic aircraft that has a wedge-shaped fuselage designed to improve its supersonic lift-to-drag ratio by using the shock waves generated by its own flight as a lighting force".

"The current generation of anti-missile defence systems is mainly designed to intercept cruise and ballistic missiles, which are either slower or easier to predict, making them impossible to intercept. But the trajectory of a waverider is relatively unpredictable in the glide and it flies so fast that it poses an extreme challenge to current anti-missile defence systems," Chinas military expert Song Zhongping told Hindustan Times.

Comparing its advancement with the rest of the world, Song said that with this successful test, China is neck to neck with Russia and the US.
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.

Imran Khan today said Pakistan and the United States should strengthen their relations based on trust, a media report said today, amidst tensions in bilateral ties over Islamabad's support for terror groups.

The relations between Pakistan and the United States nosedived this January after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

The US Congress also passed a bill to slash Pakistan's defence aid to USD 150 million, significantly below the historic level of more than USD one billion per year.

Khan, set to be sworn-in as Pakistan's new prime minister next week, made the remarks when US Ambassador John Hoover called on him at his residence, the Express Tribune reported.

Hoover congratulated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief on his party's victory in the July 25 general elections and discussed the relations between the two countries, it said.

Khan stressed that strengthening the bilateral relations based on trust was the need of the hour, the report said.

In his victory speech last month, Khan had said that Pakistan wants to have a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States.

But he noted that up now, that has been "one-way, the US thinks it gives us aid to fight their war ... we want both countries to benefit, we want a balanced relationship," he had said.

Khan has been a vocal critic of US drone attacks inside Pakistan against terrorists.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty today to three new money-laundering charges related to the alleged multi billion-dollar looting of a state investment fund that led to his stunning electoral defeat three months ago.

Dressed in a grey suit, Najib was calm and spoke softly as he entered his plea in the High Court. He has previously accused Malaysia's new government of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name in his trial. Najib, 65, had pleaded not guilty last month to abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

All of the charges against him involve the transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund that international investigators say was looted of billions by Najib's associates.

Abuse of power and breach of trust carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Each money-laundering count carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the sum laundered.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 for the stated purpose of promoting economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

After leaked documents exposed the scandal, Najib sacked critics in his government, muzzled the media and quashed investigations. Public anger led to the defeat of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened the investigations stifled under Najib's rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country. Police also seized jewelry and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($270.2 million) from properties linked to Najib.

His case Wednesday was heard by a new judge after the previous judge, who is the brother of a senior official in Najib's Malay party, was transferred to another court.

Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah questioned why the previous judge was suddenly transferred out even though there were no applications to remove him. Prosecutors said the transfer of judges was a normal procedure.

The court will resume Friday to hear a bid by Shafee for a gag order to bar the media from reporting on the merits of the case. The judge is expected to set trial dates then.
Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak was hit with new charges today linked to a multi-billion-dollar financial scandal that contributed to his shock election defeat in May.

Looking tired as he appeared in court, Najib was charged with three counts of money-laundering over claims he pocketed 42 million ringgit (USD 10.3 million).

He faces up to 15 years in jail for each charge.

These are in addition to the charges he faced last month after he was first arrested -- three for criminal breach of trust and a separate count that he abused his position to take the money.

He faces up to 20 years in jail for each of those charges.

Malaysia's new government is probing allegations that billions of dollars were looted from state fund 1MDB, which was set up by Najib, in a sophisticated fraud.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the electoral earthquake in May that toppled Najib's long-ruling coalition and ushered in a reformist alliance headed by his 93-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

In a packed Kuala Lumpur courtroom, the three new charges were read out to Najib.

Asked if he understood the charges, Najib responded: "I understand".His case was being transferred to another court for a plea to be taken.He previously denied the other four charges against him.

All the charges relate to SRC International, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB.

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, about USD 10 million originating from SRC was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts, a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Najib and his allies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.

The US Justice Department, which is seeking to recover items allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB cash in America, estimates that USD 4.5 billion in total was looted from 1MDB.

Investigations into 1MDB have been moving swiftly.

Yesterday, a luxury yacht allegedly paid for with money stolen from 1MDB arrived outside Kuala Lumpur after being handed over by Indonesian authorities.
Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif (left) and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) have a press conference after their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, China, April 23, 2018. Madoka Ikegami/Pool via Reuters - RC190D4A2C80

Pakistan will decide on whether to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund or friendly nations such as China by the end of September, according to Asad Umar, the finance minister-in-waiting of the incoming government.

Umar's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party is due to be sworn in to government around the middle of August and will immediately face a brewing economic crisis, requiring Pakistan to seek outside help to reduce balance of payments pressures that could trigger a full-blown currency crisis.

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have plummeted over the past year and have been kept afloat by lending from China, which has deepened economic and diplomatic ties after pledging $57 billion in separate infrastructure loans for Pakistan. The rupee currency has been devalued four times since December.

Umar said he needs to see the latest government figures before he can speculate on the size of any bailout package, which analysts expect to exceed $10 billion. However, he added "no option, including an IMF programme, can be ruled out".

"We have to evaluate all options in parallel," Umar, 56, told reporters in capital Islamabad. "By end of September, I should be able to sit here and tell you this is the way we are going."

While the economy is growing at 5.8 percent, the fastest pace in 13 years, Pakistan's current account deficit widened 43 percent to $18 billion in the fiscal year that ended on June 30. The fiscal deficit has ballooned to 6.8 percent of the economy.

Pakistani media reported that China lent Pakistan another $2 billion this month, pushing its total lending over the past year to around the same size as the last IMF rescue package for Pakistan, which was $6.7 billion in 2013.

Umar, a former chief executive of Engro, one of Pakistan's biggest conglomerates, said he had met with the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan but they did not discuss any sums about a rescue package. The Chinese Ambassador also met PTI leader Imran Khan.

Umar added that the incoming government has no plans to renegotiate any Chinese Belt and Road projects that have been criticised as too expensive, as going back on government guarantees could scare off foreign investors.

"There is no question of going back and re-opening those commitments," Umar said.

In the past, historic ally Saudi Arabia has also come to Pakistan's rescue with financial assistance but the scale of any bailout needed has left many analysts expecting the IMF to step in for what would be its 15th bailout of Pakistan since 1980.

Umar said his party was considering raising money in the international debt markets through a Sukuk offering and a diaspora bond of some sort.
A diplomatic spat between two nations took an ugly turn when a Saudi government-affiliated Twitter handle shared a 9/11-like image that appeared to show a plane moving towards CN Tower, the tallest structure in Toronto, Canadas largest city.

The now deleted tweet shared from the handle @infographic_ksa was accompanied by an Arabic saying: He who interferes with what doesnt concern him finds what doesnt please him.



Now deleted, here a screenshot of the threatening Saudi "infographic" featuring an airliner headed for the Toronto skyline. pic.twitter.com/LrkCLxxjFk

 Tobias Schneider (@tobiaschneider) August 6, 2018

The text sticking ones nose where it doesnt belong! was also superimposed over the image.

The uncanny resemblance of the modified image to the attack on World Trade Centre in September 2001 which took about 3,000 lives drew sharp reactions. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in the attack were of Saudi origin.

After the furore on social media, the tweet was taken down and it was shared again with the plane removed from the image. But, the screenshot of the original tweet had already been shared widely.

According to The Washington Post, which was first to report on the story, a clarification on the tweet was posted from the same handle. The @infographic_ksa said that the plane was actually a depiction of Canadian ambassador going home.

Apparently, on the orders of Saudi authorities, the Twitter account has been shut down till the time investigations are completed.

Based on a complaint filed to the ministery of Media about a post by @Infographic_ksa, the ministry has ordered the owner of the account to shut it down until investigations are completed, according to electronic broadcasting laws in KSA (Sic), The Saudi Ministry of Media tweeted.

Before being deleted, the account had over 3.5 lakh followers which included a number of Saudi diplomatic figures.

The controversial tweet was shared after the Saudi government ousted the Canadian envoy from the country and ordered to halt to all new trade and investment deals between the two nations.

The Saudi government was responding to a comment from Canada which said it was gravely concerned about recent arrests of activists in Saudi Arabia.
CRUDE-OIL

The United States will not be able to prevent Iran from exporting oil, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was cited as saying by an Iranian newspaper on Wednesday.

U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero as a means of pressuring Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programmes and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

"If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences," Zarif said. " They cannot think that Iran won't export oil and others will export."

Zarif did not specify what consequences the U.S. could face.
One of the key elements to having a successful business is providing products or services that benefit your customer, he said. My vision for Tribecca was to implement several mortgage and loan products to meet different needs, whether it be a first mortgage to help people achieve home ownership, a second mortgage to consolidate debts, or provide capital to self-employed customers for their business, or a construction loan for someone to build the house of their dreams.

But it all goes back to the broker channel and, specifically, what his father imparted to him.

My father owned a brokerage company and I worked with him. As a broker, I worked with many types of lenders, banks, trust companies, credit unions, and private lenders. I got to understand how different lenders think and the differences in their underwriting criteria. I did both residential and commercial mortgages and had an understanding of different underwriting processes and the way different lenders thought, in terms of providing mortgages and why they either would or wouldnt. It was a very good level of experience to understand different mindsets and underwriting and approval processeswhy they would decline deals and what they were looking for. I learned to identify the weaknesses in files.

Canada does not teem with financial institutions, but the ones it has are fastidious in their lending guidelines, and thats made the alternative space indispensable. Kaushal says its importance has been amplified by the changes B-20 spurred over the last couple of years.

Its extremely important for brokers to have relationships with alternative lenders because, even though clients go to brokers for all kinds of reasons, its most commonly because theyve been turned down by an institution and theyre looking for their mortgage broker to prove them options for funding. I think its imperative that brokers have relationships with alternative lenders and I only see the alternative space growing.
The study, published in Springer's journal Demography, analyzed data about foreclosures and federal taxes in 305 US commuting zones, and took note of unemployment rates, refinance mortgage debt, home prices, and the number of 19-year-olds living in these areas.

They found that higher rates of families with children starting college correlated with a higher rate of foreclosures in the following year.

"This may help explain why some families with children were more likely to experience foreclosure during this period than childless households - as shown in previous studies. Our findings do not suggest that households' decisions to send children to college were as consequential as housing or labor market dynamics in shaping the Great Recession, but it is important to understand all contributing factors, especially because the penalties of foreclosure can be substantial and lasting," says Faber.

Income band was not the issue

The findings revealed that the increased likelihood of foreclosure was not dependent on income as the link persisted across income distribution.

"Our study warrants policy attention not only to risky home lending, but also to other determinants of financial hazard--such as the cost of college attendance--that can overextend families and render us all vulnerable to future economic crises," Rich said.
Oil's trading in a tight range as investors weigh falling U.S. inventories and potential supply curbs in the Middle East against escalating trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Futures in New York were little changed after a 0.8 percent gain Monday. They have traded within a $3 range so far in August, the tightest spread since 2003 based on monthly data. While expectations for falling U.S. stockpiles during the summer driving season and fears over lower Iranian exports have supported gains, concerns that a trade war between China and American will hurt consumption have kept a lid on prices.

Crude has declined about 7 percent from the highs of June as the trade dispute threatens to imperil economic growth that underpins energy consumption. While Saudi Arabia was said to have cut production last month despite a pledge in June by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies to add more barrels, Russia said it has the capacity to lift output to a post-Soviet record. Meanwhile, the U.S. is seeking to restrict Iranian oil sales via sanctions.

"U.S. crude stockpiles are seen falling as the driving season continues, helping oil hold near $69 a barrel," Will Yun, a commodities analyst at Hyundai Futures Corp., said by phone. "At the same time, oil's being pulled from the other side, with the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and China putting downward pressure on commodities including oil."

West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery traded at $69.06 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 5 cents, at 12:21 p.m. in Tokyo. The contract rose 52 cents to $69.01 on Monday. Total volume traded was about 52 percent below the 100-day average.

Brent for October settlement traded at $73.99 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, up 24 cents. The contract added 54 cents to close at $73.75 on Monday. The global benchmark crude traded at a $5.96 premium to WTI for the same month.

Futures for September delivery surged by their 5 percent daily limit against Monday's settlement to 537.2 yuan a barrel on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange, the highest level since the contract's debut in late March.

See also: Oil Market Moving Toward Tightness, Goldman's Della Vigna Says

In the U.S., nationwide crude stockpiles may have dropped by 3 million barrels last week, while inventories in the storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, may have declined by 1 million barrels for a twelfth straight week of losses, according to a Bloomberg survey before Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump moved to restore some American sanctions on Iran and reaffirmed plans to impose tougher penalties on the Persian Gulf nation's oil sales in November, further raising concerns over a potential supply shortage. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country is open to talks with the U.S., but not under sanctions.

Oil-market news:

Saudi Arabia is sending the most crude oil to the U.S. in 15 months. The world's largest oil exporter loaded 1 million barrels a day onto tankers bound for the U.S. in July, according to preliminary vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Rising costs and dwindling pipeline space have some U.S. oil companies doing what was once unthinkable: saying no to the coveted Permian shale region.

--With assistance from Tsuyoshi Inajima.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Apache Corp. and Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation announced Tuesday that a fund has been established to raise $2 million for pool repairs at Balmorhea State Park.

Apache also announced it is providing a challenge grant and will match gifts up to $1 million.

Apache is proud to partner with Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to support one of Texas most treasured destinations, Apache Chief Executive Officer and President John J. Christmann IV said in a statement. This public-private partnership will ensure this unique natural treasure remains an iconic part of our community for many years to come,

The parks spring-fed pool has been closed since early May after part of the structure collapsed during annual cleaning. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced last week that repairs to the historic pool are set to begin.

The labor-intensive job will repair the damage to the concrete apron used to stabilize the diving board along the east headwall. TPWD said that after months of thorough evaluation, including extensive geotechnical examination, it was determined that the structural failure was due to years of undermining erosion behind the wall caused by the flow of water from the springs.

Raising private funds for this project will allow available state funding to be used for other critical repair needs across the state park system, according to Tuesdays announcement.

We are incredibly thankful to Apache for their spirit of generosity in stepping forward with this major challenge grant to help repair Balmorhea State Park and its much beloved spring-fed swimming hole, TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith said. With this challenge grant and the generosity of other Texans, we can now embark upon the essential repairs to the pool without having to divert resources away from other critical repair and maintenance projects across the state park system.

The pool was built in the mid-1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is the worlds largest spring-fed swimming pool. More than 15 million gallons of water flow through the pool each day, gushing from the San Solomon Springs. The 1.3-acre pool is up to 25 feet deep, holds 3.5 million gallons of water and the water temperature stays at 72 to 76 degrees year-round, according to the release.
Three men were arrested Sunday after allegedly assaulting a man, according to court documents.

Clyde Haskel Brunson, 44, of Midland; Jonathan Marrufo, 25, of Odessa; and Joseph Sylvester Portillo, 35, of Midland were being held Tuesday on $75,000 bonds for second-degree felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Portillo was also being held on a $500 bond for a Class B misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.

Midland police were dispatched to a motel at about 4:50 p.m. Sunday in reference to a disturbance with weapons.

Brunson got out of a vehicle and tackled a man to the ground, according to his arrest affidavit. Brunson used his closed fist to hit the man in the ribs and side of his face, according to his arrest affidavit.

When the man started to gain control of the altercation, the vehicles other occupants identified as Marrufo and Portillo  began hitting the man, according to the affidavit.

Marrufo allegedly used nunchucks to strike the him his back and head. Also during the incident, Portillo struck the man one time with his fist, according to the affidavit.

The man had injuries to his face, head, hands, back and shoulder, according to the affidavit.

If convicted of second-degree felony charges, the men could face up to 20 years imprisonment.
The Keli Mullins era at Sam Houston Collegiate Preparatory Academy ended before it got started.

As late as May, Midland ISD communicated with the community that Mullins was set to be the first chancellor at Sam Houston, which trustees had turned into a school of choice. She was introduced at a school board meeting as the new leader of Houston.

However, on Tuesday, the school district told the Reporter-Telegram that further vetting of (Mullins) application warranted moving in a different direction for leadership. Lacy Sperry, executive director of communication for Midland ISD, said Mullins was not paid severance as the mutual decision was made before her start date (July 27).

Other details are considered personnel records and are confidential, Sperry said in an email.

Sperry said that following Mullins departure the district selected a dynamic leader within our family to lead the transformative work of Sam Houston -- Stephanie Ramos, former principal at Bush Elementary.

Sperry said parents of Sam Houston students have been notified.

Midland ISD officials told the board in July that Bush was surging academically and stood a good chance of meeting state standards. Earlier this summer, the Reporter-Telegram reported that Bush students showed improvement on eight of 10 STAAR tests administered in grades three through six.

Mrs. Ramos was identified within our organization as someone that is not only an amazing leader with a true passion for students, but an enthusiastic, innovative driver that is more than ready to fulfill the role and expectations of a chancellor, Sperry wrote in her email.

Sam Houston Collegiate Preparatory Elementary, according to the district, is expected to instill expectations that all students will attend college. The principal will be referred to as chancellor, teachers will be referred to as professors, and students will be referred to as scholars.

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) strategies for elementary will be used to incorporate student success skills, writing through inquiry and organizational skills to equip students for success at every level. AVID, according to the district, enables students to develop a vision for their future, gain confidence in their abilities, and take ownership of their learning. For more information about AVID, visit www.avid.org.

Before this upcoming academic year, the Texas Education Agency reported Houston Elementary was an improvement required for three straight years. Midland ISD officials last month stated Houston was one of 12 schools that was close when it came to whether it would meet state standard.
Chris Brown came to Midland College in the summer of 2017 to teach technical and business writing and English composition. He moved 1,400 miles from Minnesota to West Texas in three weeks leaving his new home in disarray. His office supplies took over his kitchen, so he did what we all do when moving into a new place: eat out. Then, he got an idea.

I realized I had eaten at quite a few restaurants, so months later I thought, I will try to eat at as many restaurants as I can, Brown said.

He has now eaten at more than 120 Midland restaurants. He keeps a meticulous list and highlights in yellow those he likes just a little bit more. He said he does not have favorites. You cannot read his reviews anywhere; he keeps his opinions to himself.

I am hesitant to blog or write reviews on social media because I do not want to be negative, Brown said. Some reviews can be nasty, and I think there is no need for that unpleasantness.

As for his ordering preferences, he is low-maintenance.

I have no food allergies,. Brown said. I can eat anything. If I am around a vegetarian I can eat whatever they eat, if I am around people obsessed with meat I can eat steak and ribs. I do not take home doggie bags. I also like to try new things. If I see something on the menu I have never had before, I will order it. The most unusual dish I have eaten is lingua (beef tongue). Chefs cut it into cubes or strips to prepare it, and it is very tender. I like it. I would recommend it.

However adventurous he is, Browns mainstay is on-campus dining.

I save a lot of money eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Jack E. Brown Dining Hall during the week, Brown said. Eating there singlehandedly allows me to indulge myself in trying so many restaurants on weekends. The home-cooked meals at Jack E. Brown are great, but I also enjoy it because I get to eat with and get to know people outside of the division where I work.

While it is a no-brainer to eat on campus, Brown hesitates when asked who his dream dinner guest (dead or alive) would be.

I do not want to eat with Shakespeare or Chaucer, he said. If I could meet artists I admire I worry I would be disappointed. I do not want to know the truth about their works. I am sure those great writers would exclaim, That is not what I meant! I am just happy to be around thoughtful, sensitive, intelligent, funny people.

Brown is originally from south Alabama. The graduate of Faulkner State Community College (which has been renamed Coastal Alabama Community College) says his associate degree opened doors.

I received a creative writing scholarship. I wrote a poem, and that scholarship helped make all my subsequent education possible. Since then, I have always been a fan and supporter of community colleges. I am really happy to be working at one.

Brown got his bachelors and masters degrees in English at the University of South Alabama. His first graduate class was in Shakespeare while studying abroad in London.

That opportunity was a life-changing experience, he said. After I took that class, I knew I wanted to work in higher education, and I started building my life around making it happen.

He received his doctorate from Indiana University in English medieval studies with a minor in literary theory.

For those students interested in following his footsteps, Brown recommends becoming a bookworm.

You should always be reading books to push and challenge you, Brown said. One of my favorites is Fearless Speech by Michel Foucault. Lately, I have been reading books about West Texas to learn more about where I live.

Brown has immersed himself in West Texas culture. He enjoys the arts. Outside of work he enjoys attending events at the Wagner Noel, the Midland Community Theatre, the McCormick Art Gallery and Midland College student recitals. He also likes to support student athletes by attending their games.

I keep hearing people lament, There is nothing to do in Midland, Brown said. That remark surprises me because between work, eating out and attending cultural events, there are more things to do than I have time to do them.

Stacey Hewitt is part-time coordinator for the Institutional Advancement department at Midland College.
MRT file photo

Congressman Mike Conaway has followed ethics and reporting requirements required of members of Congress, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, following reports of a stock purchase that has come under scrutiny.

The Midland congressmans purchase of an Australian pharmaceutical companys stock has come under the microscope after a fellow member of the House  Chris Collins of New York  was charged with insider trading.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has asked President Donald Trump to come to Texas to campaign for him.

During a campaign stop in Seguin late Monday, Cruz said he has reached out to his former rival for the White House to help him with his re-election effort against Democrat Beto ORourke.

I would certainly welcome his support, and I hope to see him in Texas, Cruz said, standing outside the Dixie Grill in Seguin. I think we are likely to see the president down in Texas before the election.

Cruz said while his relationship with Trump has had its ups and downs due to their 2016 GOP primary battle, he has tried to become an ally to the president. He said he has been in constant contact with the White House and Trump directly to offer his help in getting legislation through the Senate.

At HoustonChronicle.com: Beto has Ted Cruz running scared [Opinion]

Were talking to the White House every week, sometimes every day, Cruz said. Ive been proud to lead the effort to bring Republicans together.

Trump is in full campaign mode, having held rallies in Florida and Ohio over the last week. Trump has been to Texas five times since he became president, but has not held a big rally like those hes done in the last week in other places. In May he spoke at a Republican fundraiser that was closed to the media and before that he spoke to the National Rifle Associations annual conference in Dallas where he endorsed Cruzs re-election.

Cruz is facing a tougher re-election campaign than many first expected. Polls from the last week have shown Cruz holding onto a single-digit lead over ORourke, a congressman from El Paso who has set records for Democrats fundraising in Texas.

Cruz told supporters in Seguin that he faces a real race and cannot afford for his supporters to be complacent. He said conservatives outnumber liberals in Texas, but if Republicans dont get fired up and get out to vote, he could be in big trouble.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com

Twitter.com/JeremySWallace
Ms. Scott said, Bible in the Schools is honored to be the conduit through which the community makes this elective possible for youth in our public schools. We believe the Bible is essential to a well-rounded education and to the overall character development of youth. While Bible History is a robust academic subject, the byproduct of these courses reaches beyond mere academic gains as students are exposed to the hope, values, and life lessons found in the Bible; many of which are universally relevant today. Students often report that the Bible empowers them to give more thought to their actions and to make healthier choices, particularly related to conduct, relationships, and self-care. It is with deep honor that we present this gift that we trust will continue to enrich public school youth with the hope, wisdom, and knowledge of what is still the worlds most influential book.
A Carlinville woman is among eight former state workers who are suing Gov. Bruce Rauners administration, claiming they lost their jobs because of political reasons.

Patty Ambrose of Carlinville was among those laid off from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The employees argue in a lawsuit filed in federal court that the layoffs were part of an attempt to deprive the plaintiffs of their employment in retaliation for not being supporters of Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Republican Party.

The workers  Ambrose, Isauro Rivas of Frankfort and Melissa Schaive, Mason McDaniel, Cindy Houlihan, Tim Henderson, Marianne Hankis and Kristen Chiaro of Springfield  were all employed by the state transportation department, most with the Division of Traffic Safety in Springfield. They were reassigned from their positions at IDOTs headquarters in April 2016 but were assured by Transportation Secretary Randall Blackenhorn that no one would lose their positions at IDOT because of these reassignments, according to the lawsuit.

The employees were laid off July 12, 2017, because of a lack of work, the suit contends.

In Ambroses case, she first was hired as a media buyer responsible for negotiation and purchase of advertising or media placement for traffic safety programs. She was reassigned to the Division of Communications and performed essentially the same or similar job functions as she did when she was assigned to the Division of Traffic Safety.

The lawsuit makes similar assertions for the other seven, including that each received satisfactory performance evaluations up until the time they were let go. The assertion that they were laid off because of a lack of work is a pretense, according to the civil complaint. Rather, the real reason for the termination  was that they were employed by the prior administration (under then-Gov. Patrick Quinn, who was a member of the Democratic Party) or that they refused to become affiliated with the Rauner administration.

Rauner last year said the layoffs were partly a case of cleaning up past hiring mistakes and personnel practices. Rauner said the employees were illegally hired patronage workers under previous Democratic governors.

The lawsuit, which presents only one side of a case, seeks to have the employees re-hired and receive lost salaries and benefits. In addition, each is seeking full restoration of seniority, credit for continuous service, and restoration of all pension, insurance or other benefits of employment together with an injunction prohibiting defendants from taking any other action in retaliation.
WOOD RIVER  A pair of U.S. Army combat veterans are working together on two fronts to help discharged and retired veterans of any military branch, discharge type and era.

Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) of Madison County Supervisor Bradley Lavite and Vet Center readjustment counselor Nathan Ferguson started a two-pronged VAC/Vet Center Group Outreach program that works toward a single goal of assisting veterans navigate the complex veterans health care and benefit system through the federal Veterans Health Administration and Benefits Administration, both under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Lavite and Ferguson aim to provide consistency in their approach to help veterans readjust and maintain a healthy stable life.

Lavite works on the benefits administration side, assisting veterans with complicated Veterans Administration (VA) benefits paperwork and disability filings. Ferguson works on the health administration side and provides one-on-one mental health counseling, as well as readjustment counseling for groups of veterans.

When working on the benefits administrative side, we weave the question into every conversation, Have you met with the Vet Center? Lavite explained. They can get in to be seen one-on-one, free of charge, for readjustment or other counseling services. The federal government foots the bill. These are free services sitting here  paid for  for veterans to access and use immediately within the community. Veterans dont have to register, they dont have to have a medical card or insurance. Its all free, because they served.

Lavite and Ferguson began working together in 2015 to combine their expertise from their respective fields to maximize and capitalize on the various benefits and counseling services veterans receive throughout Madison County. Lavite provides a complex roadmap created specifically for each individual veteran and Ferguson helps those individuals navigate that roadmap specifically on the counseling side of things.

Counseling provided by the Vet Center is strictly confidential and in accordance with HIPAA laws, addressing mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and readjustment.

More Information If you go: VAC Supervisor Bradley Lavite and readjustment counselor Nathan Ferguson will hold the first monthly Wood River veterans group outreach meeting - which is open to all veterans - at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, at Von Dell Gallery. After the veterans group outreach portion, veterans have the option of hanging around for artist Terry Diveley's leather pictorial class, which he offers free to the general public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday. Where: Von Dell Gallery, 102 E. Ferguson Ave., Wood River Info: To get plugged into a VAC/Vet Center Group Outreach, set up a one-on-one appointment or for additional information about the art program, call the Veterans Assistance Commission at 618-296-4554. Follow the Veterans Assistance Commission on Facebook @mcVeterans for more information. Vet Center satellite locations Readjustment counselor Nathan Ferguson works for the federal Vet Center in East St. Louis and does outpatient clinical therapy at various Vet Center satellite locations, now including Von Dell Gallery, located at 102 E. Ferguson Ave., in Wood River, at 9:30 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Besides the new Wood River location, VAC Supervisor Bradley Lavite and Ferguson also work together at the below outreach locations: 10:30 a.m. every Thursday at Cottage Hills Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7678, 121 S. Williams St. 10:30 a.m. first Wednesday of each month at River of Life Church, 3401 Fosterburg Road, Alton (Individual one-on-one appointments are available from 1 to 3:30 p.m.).

10:30 a.m. third Wednesday of each month at The Fountains in Granite City, 3450 Village Lane (Individual one-on-one appointments are available from 1 to 3:30 p.m.).

9:30 a.m. fourth Wednesday of each month at Von Dell Gallery, 102 E. Ferguson Ave. (Individual one-on-one appointments are available from 1 to 3:30 p.m.) The Vet Center program was established by Congress in 1979. There are 300 Vet Centers nationwide with approximately 2,200 employees, of which 70 percent are veterans and of that 70 percent, women make up 45 percent. In 2017-2018, the Lavite and Ferguson team worked with more than 1,350 veterans throughout all of the outreach locations. In addition, Ferguson provided more than 260 one-on-one counseling appointments, working in tandem with Lavite and the Veterans' Assistance Commission (VAC) of Madison County. See More Collapse

Readjustment is a primary focus because veterans in general  not just combat  have issues readjusting to numerous things in life, Ferguson said.

Ferguson works for the federal Vet Center in East St. Louis and does outpatient clinical therapy at various Vet Center satellite locations, now including Von Dell Gallery, located at 102 E. Ferguson Ave. in Wood River. Ferguson is on site starting at 9:30 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in Wood River.

A veteran can walk into any of those location, theres no screening or pre-registration required, Lavite explained about each satellite VA center.

Consistent at each meeting and location is a counseling component, led by Ferguson, which goes along with Lavites component of navigating benefits administrative requirements, such as understanding the VA disability and compensation process and filling out the plethora of forms.

Both Lavite and Ferguson, as well as their individual offices, spend numerous hours connecting veterans to resources and following-up with them to ensure that they are successfully navigating the numerous systems. Individual one-on-one appointments are available from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at each outreach location, as a convenience to the veteran and to those who may not have stable transportation. A delegation of local Madison County, Illinois, veterans established the VAC in 1933 for the sigular purpose of assisting veterans in need.

Veterans who are active and participate in any of the VAC/Vet Center Group Outreach also has the opportunity to engage in a Von Dell Gallery art class provided by the VAC. Art classes give members of veteran groups a chance to maintain camaraderie in a laid-back, non-clinical environment; express themselves through art; and, complete a project to take home.

At this time, the VAC is planning to have quarterly art classes for those veterans who are active and participate as part of any of the established groups. The programs first quarterly art class at Von Dell occurred approximately three weeks ago, with the group taking instruction from award-winning artist Terry Diveley in his leathering art class. Diveley teaches the art of leather tooling and painting tooled images once pounded into a piece of leather.

The VAC/Vet Center Group Outreach meetings at the Von Dell Gallery are held on a re-occurring monthly basis, while the art classes are held on a quarterly basis and actively participating veterans are pre-registered by the VAC.

Lavite and Ferguson will hold the first monthly Wood River group outreach meeting, which is open to all veterans, at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, at Von Dell Gallery. After the veterans group outreach portion, veterans have the option of hanging around for Diveleys leather pictorial class, which he offers free to the general public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday.

Diveley asked that interested people please register by calling Von Dell Gallery at 618-251-8550 to make sure there are enough tools for each student. Von Dell Gallery, owned by Gary Conrad, of Grafton, currently offers 14 different painting classes to the general public for a reasonable fee.

Diveley, of Bethalto, leases a studio at Von Dell Gallery and teaches regular open-to-the-public classes at the gallery. He is just one of many talented regional artists who teach and/or lease a studio at Von Dell. The art classes offered at Von Dell Gallery are all instructed by different artists who highlight each of their specific medium. Visit www.vondellgalleryandstudios.com for a complete list of classes and more information. Follow Von Dell Gallery on Facebook @vondellgalleryandstudios.

To get plugged into a VAC/Vet Center Group Outreach, set up a one-on-one appointment or for additional information about the art program, call the Veterans Assistance Commission at 618-296-4554. Follow the Veterans Assistance Commission on Facebook @mcVeterans for more information.

Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @jill_moon.
WOODLAWN  Illinois State Police have charged a Woodland woman in a deadly crash along Interstate 64 in January.

Caitlin R. Happach, 26, of Woodlawn is charged with two counts of failure to report an accident and one count of reckless homicide. All charges are felonies.

On Jan. 5, a Toyota Avalon was traveling east on I-64 in the right lane. A black 2007 Cadillac CTS, also traveling in the right lane, approached the Toyota from the rear at a high rate of speed, according to police. The Cadillac passed the Toyota on the left and proceeded to merge back into the right lane, striking the Toyota.

The impact caused the Toyota to veer off the road and crash into a tree. One of the passengers in the Toyota was killed and another suffered serious injuries, according to state police. The Cadillac left the scene of the crash.

Happach is accused of being the driver of the Cadillac at the time of the crash.

Happach was released Tuesday from the Jefferson County Jail after posting bail.
How creative artistes are fighting against ...
Photos taken Friday afternoon of the donnel fire from the vista area photos taken by Kevin Munroe View Photos

The Air Quality Alert issued by the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District and the Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District remains in effect as the smoke levels continue to reach well into the hazardous range.

Exposure to particle pollution can cause serious health problems, aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and increase risk of respiratory infections.

Residents are advised to use caution as conditions warrant.

People with heart or lung diseases should follow their doctors advice for dealing with episodes of unhealthy air quality.

Older adults and children should avoid prolonged exposure, strenuous activities or heavy exertion, as conditions dictate.

This Air Quality Alert will remain in effect until at least the Ferguson Fire is extinguished.

The Fire Weather Watch that had been issued for the Stanislaus National Forest, expired this morning.
View a timeline of Ferguson Fire News Stories here.



Update at 7 p.m.: The latest numbers on the Ferguson Fire show a hike in the containment to 68-percent while the acreage held at 94,992 acres. Incident command had predicted a jump in the containment after crews made significant gains in fighting the flames last night and today. Further details on todays firefighting efforts and evacuation information is below.

Update at 11:30am: As of 10 a.m., those who live and/or work in Yosemite Valley began to be allowed back into the area. Ferguson Fire officials stress the area is not open to the public.

The fire, at 94,992 acres today, is expected to increase in containment although it remains at 43 percent at present. Personnel on the day shift today totals 2,039, including 157 engines; 18 water tenders; 14 helicopters; 25 crews; 28 dozers; 5 masticators.

Evacuated residents in communities who were affected by the fire are beginning to return home and the area is reopening for business. Yosemites Tioga Road is open through the park, including Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, White Wolf Campground, Soda Spring, Tenaya Lake, and Lembert Dome.

Vegetation along steep terrain continues to burn between the Big Oak Flats Road and El Portal Road moving toward the Cascade Falls picnic area. Firefighters completed a successful burnout operation last night over the tunnel.

Securing the fire at Cascade Falls area is critical to prevent the fire from moving into the valley and spreading to the south and north rims. This finger of the fire also effects all the major roads entering Yosemite Valley. Hotshot crews are constructing and reinforcing direct hand line from North Wawona Road around the fires edge to Glacier Point Road and west to Chinquapin.

Officials reports that the stable atmosphere continues to aid the firefighters; however, the vegetation is extremely dry and the probability of that vegetation igniting with an ember is 90 percent.

As we reported earlier here, Stanislaus National Forest officials closed several roads and trails on the Groveland Ranger District until Sept. 30. As for Yosemite National Park, besides the valley, Wawona Road, the Mariposa and Merced groves of giant sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, among other areas, remain closed.

Original Post at 9am: Yosemite National Park, CA  Incident command officials report significant milestones in fighting the Ferguson Fire, last reported at 94,992 acres with 43 percent containment.

Last night at 6 p.m. residents only were allowed back into Yosemite West and the mandatory evacuation was reduced to an advisory. Assigned personnel at 2,357, includes 202 engines; 18 water tenders; 14 helicopters; 39 hand crews; 33 dozers; 5 masticators.

Containment of the fire perimeter from the Merced Grove west along Old Yosemite Road to Pilot Peak and through Anderson Valley was a key piece in opening of Highway 120 yesterday. Firefighters constructed line around a small spot fire outside of the fire perimeter near the Merced Grove and night crews monitored it through the night. Spot fires remain a concern, however managers report that firefighters have been able to contain the detected spot fires.

Moderate fire behavior allowed firefighters the opportunity to complete direct hand line in the Crane Creek drainage above El Portal and a combination of hand line and dozer line was constructed around the community of Foresta. Firefighters were successful in protecting all the structures in the community.

Fire Impacts On Yosemite Valley Access

Fire is affecting three major roads leading into Yosemite Valley; Big Oak Flat Road, El Portal Road and Wawona Road. Securing the fire at Cascade Falls area is critical to prevent the movement of fire into the valley and spreading to the South and North valley rims. The fire is burning in extremely steep terrain between the Big Oak Flat and El Portal roads, moving toward the Cascade Falls picnic area. Firefighters have hose lays above the big tunnel and are attempting to pinch off the fire in this area.

The hottest and most active part of the fire continues to be between Wawona Road, Glacier Point Road and Chinquapin, where the fire is burning into old fire scars. Reduction of fuel within the scars enable crews to work directly on the fires edge. A small spot fire was worked in front of the main fire and crews constructed hand line around it. Crews are monitoring the spot and also working to contain the main fire.

Yosemite West residents should expect delays due to hazards impacting the roadway such as falling trees and rock travelling between Wawona and Yosemite West. As firefighters and utility crewmembers continue to be working in the Yosemite West community, hoses, pumps and sprinklers may still be in place in and around homes.

Suppression repair efforts are underway on the southern and western portions of the fire. This may include using heavy equipment to build water bars, bringing in berms and vegetation if available to reduce erosion during future storms and to allow vegetation regrowth. This also helps the restore the habitat of the local flora and fauna. Repairs also include protection of cultural/archaeological sites by reducing access to those sites.

To read yesterdays progress, click here.
Stanislaus National Forest  A historic landmark is near the Donnell Fire footprint. The Scottsdale Firefighters Association shared an image of Arizona firefighters in front of the Bennett Juniper. They are currently assigned to fight the Donnell Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest.

The Association says, Scottsdale firefighters have moved to the Donnell Fire in California. They have been evaluating and preparing structures that are in the fires path. They stopped to snap a photo at the Bennett Tree, one of the largest known Juniper in America.Keep up the hard work brothers!

The Bennett Juniper is managed under the Bennett Juniper Stewardship Project by Save the Redwoods League. The League says the tree is estimated to be somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 years old. The Bennett tree is at 8,400 feet elevation and has a radius of 7 feet 2 inches and a height of 82 feet. The Nature Conservancy conveyed it and the surrounding buffering land to the League in 1987. Before then, rancher JW Martin Sr. protected the tree until donating it and the surrounding three acres in 1978 to The Nature Conservancy.

The tree is named after naturalist Clarence Bennett, who studies junipers in the early 1890s. Juniper shrubs can reached heights of 50 to 70 feet and core samplings showed many to be at least 1,000 years old. More about the Bennett Juniper is here.

The video of the Juniper caretaker is from October 2010.

Details on the Donnell Fire are here, resources continue to be requested for the incident which is one of many in California.
(Bloomberg) -- The wafer-thin lead held by President Donald Trumps candidate in the special election for an Ohio House district is yet another signal of a political climate that has the Republican House majority at risk in November.

Republicans as well as Democrats saw warning signs in the outcome of the contest that had Republican Troy Balderson ahead of Democrat Danny OConnor by just 1,754 votes -- a margin of less than 1 percent -- for the suburban Columbus seat that the GOP has dominated since 1982.

Still to be counted were several thousand provisional ballots, a process that will take at least 10 days. Balderson and Trump claimed victory, but OConnor didnt concede defeat. Whatever the final result, the two candidates will get a rematch to win a full term on Nov. 6 when the entire House and one-third of the Senate are on the general election ballot.

The narrow margin is ominous for the party on several levels. In a district that Trump won by 11 percentage points in 2016, OConnor was able to close the gap on the strength of votes from the Columbus suburbs, where the electorate generally is wealthier and college educated. Those are the same voters that Democrats are targeting in districts across the country to flip Republican-held seats.

The results also highlight the growing partisan divide between urban and rural America in the age of Trump. OConnor won Franklin County, a part of the Columbus metropolitan area, by 30 points. Balderson won Muskingum County, the rural part of the district, by 33 points. In a notable shift, Balderson won the affluent and traditionally Republican Delaware County by just 8 points -- after Trump won it by 17 points.

In addition, there are 68 Republican-held House districts that have voting patterns more favorable to Democrats than Ohios 12th district, including those of Virginias Barbara Comstock, Illinoiss Peter Roskam and Californias Dana Rohrabacher, according to a calculation by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats to take control of the House.

Under Performing

This race should not have even been a contest, Charlie Dent, a former GOP representative from Pennsylvania who retired in May, said on CNN. He called it a significant under-performance for his party that foreshadows a wipeout for many of his former colleagues in November. If Im a Republican in a swing or marginal district right now, Im very concerned.

The Ohio special election was the most watched contest of a day in which primaries for state and federal offices were held in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington.

Trump declared the Ohio race settled and took credit for Baldersons victory via Twitter.

As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job Im doing, Trump tweeted Wednesday. He again forecast a giant Red Wave! that will sweep more Republicans into office in November.

Trump is meeting tonight with supporters to promote a joint fundraising committee, Protect the House, that distributes money to GOP candidates.

Outside Spending

Republicans pulled out the stops to hang on to the Ohio seat, which was left open in January by the resignation of former Representative Pat Tiberi, who won the district by an average of 35 points in every election since it was redrawn after the 2010 census.

Trump campaigned for Balderson in the district on Saturday, and sent a tweet on Tuesday urging voters to turn out and disparaging OConnor. Vice President Mike Pence visited the district to back Balderson, who also was supported by Ohios GOP governor, John Kasich, and the states Republican senator, Rob Portman.

Outside groups backing Balderson or opposing OConnor had spent $5.2 million on the race, while those backing OConnor or opposing Balderson spent $1 million.

The biggest outside spender was the Republican-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund, whose executive director Corry Bliss warned late Tuesday that "this remains a very tough political environment and moving forward, we cannot expect to win tough races when our candidate is being outraised. Any Republican running for Congress getting vastly outraised by an opponent needs to start raising more money."

Claiming victory, Balderson said hes very honored to represent the 12th district, thanking his parents, campaign volunteers, and Trump. America is on the right path, he said. Over the next three months, Im going to do everything I can to keep America great again.

OConnor said in a statement that we dont know the results quite yet but that theres a lot at stake this November for the district.

Uncounted Ballots

The ballots still to be counted include 1,349 provisional ballots in Franklin County, the most populous in the district, according to the country elections board, and where OConnor had his best showing. There are 2,000 provisional votes in other counties. They are cast by voters who move and dont update their registration or dont appear in poll books.

In Ohio, provisional ballots cant be counted for 10 days to allow for voter eligibility to be verified. State law calls for an automatic recount if the margin is less than 0.5 percent of the total vote cast.

There are also 5,048 ballots that were sent out to voters who requested them that havent been returned. As long as a ballot is postmarked by Aug. 6 and received by the county elections board by Aug. 17, it can be counted.

Trump Factor

Although the Ohio district has long been a GOP stronghold, the Columbus suburbs have a significant concentration of white, college-educated, relatively high-income voters in the suburbs who have turned away from Trump.

The chaos that seems to surround Donald Trump has unnerved a lot of people. So suburban women in particular here are the ones that are really turned off, Kasich, a moderate Republican and Trump critic, said Sunday on ABCs This Week program. Its really kind of shocking because this should be just a slam dunk and its not.

Republican pollster Frank Luntz said on Twitter that a 1-point victory in that district is nothing to commend. #OH12 The GOP have to do something really significant in September if they want to keep the House in November.

Republicans in the Ohio contest -- much like in the Pennsylvania House special election in March -- largely abandoned their messaging touting the tax law in favor of TV ads highlighting critiques of illegal immigration and the liberal resistance. Its a sign that they view their voters as more driven by cultural rather than fiscal issues.

Other Primaries

In the other contests on Tuesday, Democratic women enjoyed big victories in primaries on Tuesday, most notably in races to be the next governor of Michigan and Kansas.

In Michigan, the Democratic nomination for governor was won by Gretchen Whitmer, a former state legislator who was backed by Emilys List, a group that supports Democratic women. She defeated Shri Thanedar, a wealthy entrepreneur, and Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who ousted a powerful incumbent in a June primary.

It was a proxy war between competing wings of the Democratic Party, both of which have scored victories in the 2018 primaries.

Shell face Bill Schuette, the Republican attorney general of Michigan, in the fall election.

In Kansas, Democrat Laura Kelly, a state senator, defeated four men to win her partys governors race. On the Republican side, the race was too close to call. Kris Kobach, a polarizing candidate who is backed by Trump, was locked in a tight race with incumbent Republican Governor Jeff Colyer for the nomination. With all precincts reporting, Kobach led by a mere 191 votes, out of more than 300,000 cast.

Missouris U.S. Senate race was officially set when Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill and Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley won their parties nominations, as expected. The state is central to the GOPs quest to save -- or expand -- its 51-49 majority.

In Washington state, Democrat Maria Cantwell won renomination for a fourth term in the Senate; shes the favorite against Republican Susan Hutchison.

In Michigan, Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic nomination for a deep-blue U.S. House district with no Republican challenger on the general election ballot, making her set to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

--With assistance from John McCormick and Mark Niquette.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sahil Kapur in Washington at skapur39@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Michael Ciaglo /Houston Chronicle

Houston-based Apache Corp. and a California investment firm are entering into a partnership that will create a $3.5 billion pipeline and energy processing company in West Texas.

The agreement between Apache Corp. and Los Angeles-based Kayne Anderson Acquisition Group will create Altus Midstream LP. Apache Corp. will contribute its midstream assets at its Alpine High shale oil and gas play to Altus Midstream, while Kayne Anderson Acquisition Group will contribute $952 million in cash.
Harte Hanks Inc.

Losses widened on plunging revenue during the second quarter at Harte Hanks Inc., the struggling San Antonio-based marketing company.

Harte Hanks reported Wednesday it lost $6.9 million, or $1.10 a share, on $69.6 million in revenue for the three months ended June 30. It lost $2.7 million, or 43 cents a share, on $94.7 million in revenue in the same period a year ago.
Ray Black pitched the eighth inning as Madison Bumgarners replacement Tuesday, and the Giants felt confident their shutout bid would remain intact.

Black surrendered three runs in his big-league debut July 10 but rebounded to throw hitless ball in his next 10 outings, covering 101/3 innings.

It was the longest hitless stretch by a Giants reliever since Yusmeiro Petits 121/3 innings in 2014.

The run ended when Black gave up a double to leadoff man Marwin Gonzalez and two-run homer to Tyler White, who blasted a 1-2 fastball that got too much of the plate. The Giants lost 2-1, and Black took his first big-league loss.

In my mind, Im thinking he might be sitting on an off-speed pitch, Black said of White. I didnt locate a fastball in a pitchers count. Thats on me. He tagged me for it. Tip my hat to him. He put a pretty good swing on it, but a mistake was made on my part, too.

During his postgame interview, Bumgarner didnt object to exiting after 100 pitches, saying, The bullpens been throwing really well.

Pence decision: With Alen Hanson on third with one out in the seventh, manager Bruce Bochy hit Hunter Pence for Bumgarner. Houston manager A.J. Hinch summoned sidewinder Joe Smith.

Bochy said he stuck with Pence (instead of perhaps lefty-swinging Joe Panik) for two reasons: Pence hit a sacrifice fly last week against a similar pitcher, Arizonas Brad Ziegler, and Smith had been better against lefties (.152 batting average) than righties (.219).

Smith struck out Pence and Andrew McCutchen to end the inning.

DArnaud update: Chase dArnaud exited during his fourth-inning at-bat, having fouled a pitch off his left knee, causing a contusion. Hanson replaced dArnaud and swung through strike three, the strikeout going on dArnauds record. DArnaud said X-rays were negative, and he expects to be available Thursday.

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicles national baseball writer.
DANBURY  In a city where almost half of its residents are people of color, Danbury officials have failed to keep decades of promises to hire more minority police officers for the citys 157-member department.

There are just three black officers in the ranks today  including Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour, who was tapped to lead the department two years ago.

There are two Asian officers and 14 who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Those numbers are unchanged from four years ago, when city officials last vowed to ramp up efforts to hire more minority officers, and they are virtually the same as nine years ago  when there were four black, one Asian and 13 Hispanic officers.

Local advocates say the city has fallen far short of its pledge.

My Lord  we had more African American officers 25 years ago than we have today, said Glenda Armstrong, president of the local NAACP. Were not moving in the right direction. Hiring them is not a police officers job, its on the Mayors Office.

Republican Mayor Mark Boughton has led the city for the past 17 years and is now running for governor at a time when racial tensions and violence between police and communities of color have riven the nation, from Baltimore to Bridgeport.

Boughton said he believes his city has made an honest effort to hire a more diverse police force.

It seems like every time you take two steps forward, you take one step back, Boughton said. We certainly havent given up on it, but I think its fair to say that our HR department and both Chiefs Ridenhour and Baker, when he was here, have been frustrated.

Im frustrated, he said. But well keep trying to grind it out.

Predominately white cops

Over the years, Danbury has become one of the fastest growing and most diverse cities in the state.

But even though white residents now make up 53 percent of the citys population, white personnel make up 88 percent of the police force, according to a Hearst analysis of city data.

Black officers make up just 2 percent of the force, even though 8 percent of the citys 85,000 residents identify as black.

The small cohort of Hispanic and Latino officers represent just 9 percent of the force today, despite almost 30 percent of city residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino.

Year after year Mayor Mark Boughton, retired Chief Al Baker and now Ridenhour have said that the department is striving or making gains trying to ramp up minority recruitment[; yet the efforts have resulted in only minimal increases to the citys Hispanic and Latino ranks.

This past year, none of the five transfers Danbury accepted from other departments were Hispanic or black, Ridenhour said. One was hired because he spoke Portuguese.

Lackluster recruitment

Danburys struggles with minority recruitment and retention in its police ranks date back to the early 1990s, when two black officers filed a federal lawsuit against the department claiming they were discriminated against because of their race.

At the time the city had 10 black officers  triple its current total.

The city settled the case in 1994 and agreed to hire more people of color, but another group of officers took the city back to court in the late 1990s after they said it had failed to keep its promise.

The move spawned a minority hiring task force that recommended changes to the citys civil service test and permitted hiring experienced transfers from other departments. But those efforts almost immediately sputtered and stalled.

In 2000, the departments fourth black officer joined the force through the transfer program and the number of black cops has hovered at three or four ever since, according to reports dating back 15 years.

The Hispanic and Latino officers have slowly ticked up over those years, hovering at around a dozen at a time over the past decade.

Danbury officials say they have made strides to attract more minority candidates by reaching out to community churches and local advocates, but that has not translated into greater numbers on the force itself.

Its often not a persons first career choice, but just as important is how you recruit, said Charles Wilson, chairman of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers. If you send a recruitment team of all white officers into a black community, you arent going to get anyone.

Wilsons group will present Ridenhour with its community police award this fall due in part to his recruitment efforts since taking over the top position two years ago.

I thought that if people see we have minority leadership in Danbury it might encourage people to come here who might have reservations, Ridenhour said. Its difficult to get more diversity when you dont have a lot it in the first place.

Emanuela Palmares, editor of the Danbury-based Tribuna Newspaper, said she believes that recruitment for police officers needs to start as early as high school so they are prepared for the rigorous process to become a cop and help to overcome the achievement gap experienced by minority students.

The process has become very difficult and for all the right reasons, she said. But when we make a more complex system to enter an organization, and we want to have more minorities represented in that organization, we either have to adapt the process to accommodate for the achievement gap or start preparing these candidates at an earlier age.

Systemic problems

City officials blame the difficulty of the police hiring system for Danburys rock bottom minority numbers.

The state police academy will only accept a handful of officers from Danbury at a time, making it slow to get through the list of several hundred would-be candidates, Boughton said.

Of the eight officers that Danbury has at the state police academy this year, none identify as Latino or black.

Some recruits are ruled out because of strict rules about candidates criminal past, sometimes for relatively low-level misdemeanors, Boughton noted.

But that is exactly the cycle Connecticut needs to break, said Central Connecticut State University researcher Ken Barone, who manages the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project that examines racial bias in police traffic stops across the state.

There are clearly barriers that are present for minority applicants and arent present as often for white applicants, and we havent done anything to address that, he said. If we want to increase the diversity of our departments, should we be altering the application process to accommodate for some of the other disparities we see throughout the criminal justice an education system?

We havent been willing to do that, so what we get is a lot of white people policing minority communities.

At least 500 people attended forums on joining the Danbury department over the last year  an encouraging portion of whom were minorities, Ridenhour said. But only about 200 passed the testing phase of that process and the department is required by law to hire new officers in order of their scores, regardless of race, he said.

Is there a right number? Boughton said. We dont hire simply based on color, we hire based on merit, but I think the right range would be to add another 12 to 15 African American officers ... Another 10 Latino officers would fill us out, especially with language.

Local advocates plan to try to meet with Ridenhour and other city officials later this year to try to advance the departments recruitment efforts further, but there is still more than just incremental work to be done, Armstrong said.

They say it all the time, Grow your own,  she said. But when (minority candidates) step up, theyre not getting the kind of support and understanding from the layers and layers and layers above them.

This is not a bashing of anybody, this is simply saying the community as a whole deserves to have a diverse staff because the whole community can benefit from that, she continued. It stops in City Hall, and thats where more work has to be done.

zach.murdock@hearstmediact.com, deperrefort@newstimes.com
5 1 of 5 Contributed Photo / Bridgeport Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Contributed Photo / Bridgeport Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Contributed Photo / Bridgeport Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5









BRIDGEPORT  Bridgeport firefighters train often to ensure theyre ready for any situation  fires, accidents and, in some cases, removing rings from fingers.

The fire department recently had a man v. machine training class to provide firefighters with skills on handling odd job rescues, including someone being impaled, entrapment scenarios and ring removals.
Contributed Photo / City of Bridgeport / Contributed Photo

BRIDGEPORT  Local youths are invited to attend a fishing lesson at the grant opening of the reconstructed Seaside Park fishing pier Thursday morning.

The fishing lesson will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Seaside Parks Al Bennett Fishing Pier.
The Ned Lamont and Joe Ganim debate on Tuesday included a feisty, televised confrontation in which the Bridgeport mayor portrayed himself as a can-do public official, while the Greenwich businessman said hes the outsider the state needs to turn itself around.

In their last joint appearance before Tuesdays Democratic primary for governor, Ganim again tried to position Lamont, the party-endorsed candidate, as an out-of-touch millionaire who doesnt know the needs of the cities. I dont think its time for on-the-job training when Connecticut is still in a fiscal mess, Ganim punched.

Lamont said Ganims culture of corruption that landed him in federal prison for seven years, derailed the economic development of the states biggest city.

Lamont said since Ganims return to the mayors office, local property taxes have risen nearly 30 percent.

But 14 years of public service, dealing with job creation, is different than being on the sidelines talking about what you might be able to do, said Ganim, who was returned to the Bridgeport mayors office by city voters in 2015.

Its easy for the outsider to say what youre going to do, Ganim said during the debate before a panel of reporters at WFSB Channel 3 studios in Rocky Hill.

Lamont said Ganim initially was in favor of a $10 million study of electronic tolling in Connecticut, then opposed it for political reasons amid a cascade of bipartisan criticism of the expenditure.

After Lamont said he would not support Ganim in the fall election if he somehow wins the primary, Ganim called him a Trump-like scourge and an unloyal Democrat.

Lamont said he would work for other Democratic candidates, particularly in the General Assembly races.

Ive been in there holding the line on taxes, Ganim said, promising property tax relief if he becomes governor. If youre going to ditch the Democratic party, I have a hard time responding or rebutting at any of those comments.

First thing Joe does when he gets re-elected and takes office, after promising not to raise taxes, is increase the mill rate 29 percent, Lamont fired back. This is just politics as usual. I see this on the Republican side of the equation as well.

Ganim revisited an attack made several times on Lamont during this primary campaign, charging that he laid off 70 percent of his cable-TV employees.

That last comment is a lie, Lamont struck back. He knows its a lie. He knows its false, and thats the problem: Its the same old Joe. Lamonts employees were retained by the company that bought a division of his business.

Ganim claimed to have saved Bridgeport from bankruptcy, and that 32,000 people signed the petitions he filed to gain access to the Democratic primary. In fact, Bridgeport was never bankrupt; and about 19,000 petition signatures were validated, while the rest were ruled ineligible by the local voter registrars around the state who reviewed them.

Joe, I think that the people of Bridgeport gave you an amazing opportunity, Lamont said. Given all that happened in your fair city, and when you came back to be elected mayor, I really believe you should honor the commitment they made to you by honoring the commitment you made to them. I would finish that job. Id show that Bridgeport is turning around.

I guess it looks different being in the top 1 percent of the 1 percent, Ganim replied.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
CROMWELL  Council members sent a strongly worded letter to one of their colleagues late last month, saying his disruptive and derogatory behavior at meetings and harassment of town staff will no longer be tolerated.

The email sent to Councilor Myron Johnson  signed by all six board members, including the mayor  requests he conduct himself with decorum and in accordance with the councils rules and the town charter.

Further incidences, the letter said, will result in sanctions, including, but not limited to, censure and possible ejectment from the meetings.

Johnson declined to comment, other than saying, All the allegations are untrue and can be easily proved if you just listen to the recorded tapes of the public hearing.

The Press has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain those audio recordings.

One incident occurred during executive session, according to Councilman James Demetriades.

There was language exchanged that disparaged people with disabilities  specifically the word retarded was used, said Demetriades, who has a sister with disabilities. Thats an extremely sensitive point of discussion for me.

Councilman Frank C. Emanuele Jr. said Johnsons behavior has had consequences.

Hes trying to create animosity to the point where we cannot function as a body. That is stepping over the line. That word is not used, he said.

The subsequent conversation during which Demetriades explained to Johnson why he felt his language was inappropriate was unproductive, he said.

I was told I was too sensitive and overly politically correct. I understand the difference between what people think is appropriate or not. I found it personally insulting for the language to be used in a way to indicate stupid or hard-headed, said Demetriades, who said he thinks Johnson didnt mean to insult anyone.

In fact, Demetriaedes said, he finds the contributions Johnson makes to council meetings interesting.

After I said it, Councilman Johnson did not seem to care. He is bold and unapologetic and he speaks his mind, Demetriades said.

Mayor Enzo Faienza said council members felt Johnsons behavior had reached a point of intolerability.

He brings up already resolved issues as we try to move the meeting along, Faienza said, adding that in one instance, the council entertained Johnsons questions and discussions for an hour, delaying the meeting.

The mayor said he had to cut Julys meeting short because he couldnt get to all issues on the agenda.

This is not acceptable, the letter to Johnson reads. Its a disservice to the public when you prevent the council from addressing town business and inconsiderate of the time your behavior usurps from your fellow council members and staff.

This letter is a final attempt to garner your cooperation before more drastic measures to obtain your compliance become necessary, the email said, adding Johnson also maligned, improperly challenged or otherwise harassed town staff in the exercise of their duties for the town.

The mayor said Johnsons behavior began following his election to council and the decision to send the letter was unanimous.

This was every single council member  this is not political, Faienza said. They basically said, Weve had enough.

We thought the letter was the best way to review the issues, his approach, the way he talks to town staff and fellow council members. Were not looking to penalize him or cause more issues, we just want to try to find a way that he understands we are all fed up with the way things are going, Faienza said.

Although the council has been very lenient in allowing you excessive time to query staff during the public meetings, your use of that time to berate and criticize staff and other council members is not productive or appropriate and will no longer be tolerated, the letter said.

Emanuele, who is Catholic, said he arrived at a meeting Ash Wednesday with ashes on his forehead. He charges Johnson insulted his religious beliefs.

It did cross the line, Emanuele said, adding it was the same day as the Florida school shootings. I just want the man to stop acting this way, and act with professionalism and courtesy, adding the point of the letter is Please stop doing what youre doing. 

After this years Memorial Day parade, Johnson allegedly said after Emanuele marched with the Knights of Columbus something to the effect that he should wear a turban.

I decided to take the high road, he said.

Town Manager Anthony Salvatore said he supports the councils action, and hopes everything is resolved by the letter so leaders can get back to dealing with important town business.

Johnson is also alleged to have put down town employees and questioned their competency.

The charter says if theres a problem with employees observed by a council member, the council member should not be addressing or disparaging in public about our staff, and should bring and complaints to his attention, Salvatore said.

If he has evidence of wrongdoing, corruption or other things, hes obligated as a citizen, and, more importantly as a council member, to bring it to the attention of police for a criminal investigation  or administrators, for possible personnel action, Salvatore said.

Persistence with your inappropriate behavior with respect to town staff could subject the town to liability for grievances, slander and libel, the letter concludes.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day

@hearstmediact.com or Twitter @cassandrasdis.
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Pasadena police arrested a man accused of credit card abuse after he fled from police while throwing thousands of dollars out of a car window.

The pursuit began around 5 p.m. Monday, after a sergeant working at the Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union on Fairmont Parkway and the East Sam Houston Parkway noticed that a suspect in credit card abuse cases was at the credit union's drive-thru ATM, Pasadena police said.
A secretive summit, an open invitation to visit the United States and now a letter hand-delivered by a sympathetic senator - as President Donald Trump makes increasingly unorthodox overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the GOP is facing a politically existential choice: cross the president and his allies, or accept that the party is warming to the Kremlin.

Trump has challenged traditional Republican antipathy toward Russia since taking office, even as his administration steps up sanctions against Moscow for various aggressive activities - most recently Wednesday's announcement that the administration would increase punitive measures over the recent Russian nerve agent attack on a former Russian agent now living in Britain.

But while the president's outreach to Putin has elicited a rebuke from many of the GOP's fiercest national security hawks, it has also earned the tacit support of some Republicans, who in recent weeks have sidestepped party leaders to make their own diplomatic overtures to Moscow, as well as wide swaths of the Republican electorate, which polling has shown is starting to embrace Trump's line on Russia.

The question is which faction of the GOP will prevail: those like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who advocate a clenched-fist approach toward the Kremlin, especially as the dispute over Russia's interference in the 2016 election intensifies, or those endorsing Trump's efforts to establish more friendly relations, despite the warnings of the national security community.

A visit to Moscow this week by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., marked the sharpest endorsement yet of Trump's polarizing policy toward Russia. Paul punctuated his first day in the country by extending a surprise invitation to members of the Russian legislature to visit the United States in an attempt to establish a dialogue between the parliaments of both countries.

Paul is not the first lawmaker to go to Moscow in recent weeks: Last month, an eight-member Republican delegation visited. Members met with high-ranking lawmakers and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. But congressional leaders were quick to quash the idea that they are interested in hosting an exchange with Russian counterparts.

"Neither Congress nor the leader have invited any delegation from Russia to the Capitol," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., adding: "Senator Paul is the only one that I know who is discussing it."

"That's not something we've discussed," said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Last month, Ryan and McConnell also said that Putin would not be welcome at the Capitol if he accepted Trump's invitation to visit Washington, D.C.

Paul, a dogged noninterventionist, is known as something of a lone wolf on foreign policy. More recently, he has assumed the role of a one-man army fighting the many Republicans and Democrats who criticized Trump on Russia, particularly after the president's summit with Putin in Helsinki, in which Trump appeared to take the Russian leader's denials of election interference above the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community.

On Wednesday, Paul said he delivered a letter to the Kremlin on behalf of Trump, calling it correspondence that "emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."

Deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley argued that the White House had merely provided Paul with a letter of introduction at his request, including in it the "topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin" - a meeting that did not occur.

But while Paul's moves might lack a ready audience in Washington, D.C., some Republican voters in Kentucky applaud the effort.

"He wants to build off where Trump left off. I'm all for it. I think it's long overdue," said David Badgett, 44, a real estate broker. "What would be bad if we got along with Russians?"

"Any kind of diplomacy is good," said Billy Williams, 34, a self-employed building contractor - who noted that he was dating a Russian woman. To him, Trump's outreach to Putin "doesn't seem weak; it seems diplomatic."

A recent Gallup poll found that 40 percent of Republicans think Russia is either an ally or friendly toward the United States - nearly double the number of Republicans who thought so four years ago.

Several congressional experts pointed out that foreign policy only rarely ranks as a top issue for most U.S. voters, and few came into the present political moment with well-formed views on Russia - giving Trump plenty of latitude to sway public opinion.

"It's not a topic that most Americans have been thinking a great deal about, and that's what gives him such influence in this area," Jack Pitney, a professor of political science at Claremont McKenna College, said of Trump. "For a certain number of Republican voters, Republicanism consists of whatever Trump stands for. So if Trump is more for Russia, they are too."

That view was on striking display at Trump's rally in Ohio this week, which some supporters attended wearing shirts that read: "I'd rather be a Russian than a Democrat."

Even if GOP lawmakers don't agree with such sentiments, they are not immune to that level of tribalism in a Republican base "that is in lockstep with Trump," American Enterprise Institute congressional expert Norm Ornstein argued.

"To go against him, other than in a tweet here or there, risks being attacked by or shunned by them," Ornstein continued. "When some of those who are clearly uneasy about [Trump's Russia policies] do speak up, it's in more muted tones. And often, they don't."

Only McCain - who has been in Arizona since December receiving treatment for a serious form of brain cancer - has refused to pull punches when tangling with Trump over Russia, Ornstein argued. He pointed out that even those who have fiercely advocated stepping up sanctions, such as Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Bob Corker of Tennessee and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have occasionally "soft-pedaled" their message so as not to anger Trump - whose condemnations of Russian aggression have been murky at best.

With little time on the calendar before the midterm elections, it is increasingly unlikely that lawmakers will do anything to push back against the president's diplomatic efforts - or take any legislative steps to force a harder line against the Kremlin. GOP leaders have all but tabled efforts to swiftly pass new sanctions against Russia, opting first to hold hearings, and over the past few weeks, all Republican lawmakers but one - Corker - voted against devoting new funds to election security efforts.

"Even for the senators who object to what the president is doing on Russia and continue to see Russia as a threat . . . the degree to which they feel limited in what they can do to push back is a big part of the dynamic that's at play," said Molly Reynolds, a congressional expert at the Brookings Institution. And with elections looming, Trump's sway over the GOP electorate could make the price of crossing the president even higher.

"It's a classic case of opinion leadership. The president is out there making a case about Russia, and typical Republicans are following," she said.

---

The Washington Post's Jim Higdon in Louisville contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump, who for three years has vowed to build a massive security wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, is running into his own wall on illegal immigration, which has continued to surge in recent months despite family separations and other hard-edge policies aimed at curbing the flow.

Nearly 19 months into his presidency - and three months ahead of pivotal midterm elections - the envisioned $25 billion border wall remains unfunded by lawmakers. Deportations are lagging behind peak rates under President Barack Obama, while illegal border crossings, which plummeted early in Trump's tenure, have spiked.

And government data released Wednesday showed that the number of migrant families taken into custody along the southern border remained nearly unchanged from June to July - an indication that the Trump administration's move to separate thousands of parents and children did little to deter others from attempting the journey.

More than 9,200 family members entered the country illegally in July, a number on par with the past several months, according to the data. In all, more families with children have arrived in the first 10 months of fiscal 2018 than during any year under Obama.

Supporters of Trump's hard-line stance credit him with executive actions that have tightened border controls, including curbs on legal immigration through a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries and a reduction in the number of refugees admitted to the United States.

But the supporters acknowledged that his strategy has not delivered the kind of sweeping enforcement victories that he promised voters with bumper sticker-worthy slogans in 2016.

"The administration has done a lot to secure the border and tighten up a variety of areas, but these are things that are way more in the weeds," said R.J. Hauman, government relations director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates for lower immigration levels. "They aren't exactly sexy things like building the wall."

At a trio of campaign rallies last week in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, Trump boasted about job growth, his Supreme Court nominees, the Republican tax cuts and North Korea. Immigration was not on his list of accomplishments.

Instead, Trump blasted Congress for blocking his border wall and accused Democrats of wanting to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an effort to shift the debate to a proposal suggested by only a handful of Democrats.

A senior administration official said the president's aim was to make clear that the best way to speed up progress is to elect Republicans who will be willing to close "loopholes" in immigration laws that prevent federal agencies from more quickly deporting immigrants.

The administration's efforts are "preventing what otherwise would be a tidal surge of illegal immigration," said the official, who was not authorized to speak on the record and requested anonymity. "Every single person we talked to at the operational level will tell you that the number one reason for the increase in family units is the legal inability to deliver predictable immigration consequences because of congressional loopholes."

Trump's tenure has been marked by efforts to paint many of the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants as criminals and public safety threats and to send a strong deterrence message to dissuade foreigners from trying to enter the country illegally.

Administration officials said the policies need time to ripen and emphasized they are still developing new tactics, including increased workplace raids. But critics said the past 19 months have exposed the limits of Trump's strategy of trying to make up for limited federal resources by creating a climate of fear that persuades immigrants to stay away or leave the country voluntarily.

"The fact that people are coming in higher numbers shows his immigration strategy isn't working," said Simon Rosenberg, executive director of NDN, a liberal think tank. "We do not see any obvious manifestation of self-deportation happening here."

After Trump assumed office in Jan. 2017, the number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border plummeted to the lowest levels in 45 years.

The decline was attributed largely to Trump's promise of a wall and other enforcement measures, including an executive order in his first week to eliminate Obama-era guidelines that focused enforcement resources on violent criminals.

But the rates began to spike again in the fall.

Trump's early success "was based on promises there were going to be consequences for crossing the border illegally," said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, who supports Trump's push for a wall.

Instead, Judd said, the smuggling cartels "probed us to find out if we actually were going to follow through with the president's promises. It didn't happen. So now illegal immigration is right back up to the Obama era."

The data released Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security showed that U.S. agents took 39,953 migrants into custody along the border in July, down from 42,838 the previous month. Those figures were significantly lower than the number of arrests in March, April and May - a spike that left Trump fuming at Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and led to the "zero tolerance" policy that included family separations.

Illegal migration along the Mexico border typically increases in spring before falling again during the summer when temperatures peak.

Opponents of the border wall have argued the barrier would do little to curb what are historically modest levels of illegal immigration. The number of illegal border crossings over the past decade have averaged about one-third of the peak rates of the 1990s, after which Congress devoted significantly more resources to enforcement operations.

Trump had a chance to secure $25 billion for the wall during budget negotiations with Democrats in the spring. But he refused to strike a deal that did not include deep cuts to legal immigration programs, which Democrats opposed.

"We're going to get the wall passed - don't worry about that," Trump assured supporters last week in central Ohio. "The Democrats are obstructionist . . . 'Let's not build a wall.' They are haters."

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said Trump's "shock and awe" mentality has butted up against the "trench warfare" realities of the U.S. immigration system.

The Senate voted down four immigration bills, including one backed by Trump, in the spring. Federal courts blocked Trump's bid to end Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that provided deportation relief to more than 700,000 immigrants. And "sanctuary" cities in liberal enclaves have sought to enact limits on the administration's enforcement efforts, such as barring the use local resources to cooperate with federal operations.

Trump's "accomplishments are more granular," said Krikorian, whose group favors stricter policies. "A lot of that is important, but it's not campaign-rally material."

Trump has continued to prime his base with tough rhetoric. Last week, the president threatened to shutdown the government in the fall to secure wall funding, even as Republican leaders in Congress warned that it would hurt GOP candidates.

Some suggested Trump's recent actions reflect an increasingly desperate president lashing out over the failures on his signature issue - and predict he could become more willing to take extreme measures to demonstrate progress.

In April, the president ordered some National Guard troops to assist at the border. And in June, Trump tweeted that he favored a system that would strip unauthorized immigrants of due process rights - two weeks after Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared that victims of domestic abuse and gang violence would no longer qualify for asylum.

"When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came," Trump wrote.

John Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director in Obama's second term, said Trump's frustration has exposed the fallacy of his logic.

"He talked on the campaign trail as if Obama was just making a choice and was somehow reluctant to enforce immigration law," Sandweg said. "Trump promised to unleash this massive enforcement apparatus, as if someone was pulling on the reins. But that's just how the system works."

---

The Washington Post' s Nick Miroff contributed to this report.
Kari Orviks tintype portrait studio looks out on Outer Mission District shops that are as old-time and analog as the pictures she makes.

There is the pharmacy with a post office in the rear, the watch and jewelry repair shop, the barber, and the surplus store selling work boots and war medals.

They are all shopkeepers trying to get by until they retire, sell out or are priced out, just like Orvik. If they go, some will have one thing to take with them  a one-of-a-kind picture on a glass or metal plate. When Orvik isnt booked with a paying customer, she has invited neighborhood merchants upstairs for a portrait sitting. It is a deeply personal process the way she does it, which is to show her subject how it works, every step of the way until they are holding their own image in their hands.

Its instant gratification that uses the darkroom and retains the magic of photography, Orvik, 41, said on a summer afternoon with both the sun in the west and the traffic noise blasting through her window.

Kari Orvik

Anybody can experience this magic, because Kari Orvik Tintype Studio is open for bookings. The customer keeps the plate, but before Orvik lets it go she makes a digital image. These have made the covers of magazines, and onto gallery walls.

Im trying to create an ongoing document of who is here on the corner, said Orvik, who hopes to turn her Geneva Project into a personal essay about one corner of the city, Geneva Avenue and Mission Street, at a historical moment in time.

Eventually, I do want to make a book about it, but it is hard to keep going sometimes when your survival in the place where you live and work is at stake.

She learned the tintype process at RayKo Photo Center, which is now gone. She honed her skill working at Photo Booth, a camera store and portrait studio, which is also gone. Her film processing lab is gone. Her new lab cannot close on her because she is the lab, mixing her own chemicals and operating her own darkroom.

She had to go into debt to open Kari Orvik Tintype Studio, which added on to what she already owed on student loans at UC Berkeley, where she got her MFA in 2012, and at Stanford University, where she got her BA in comparative literature, in 1998.

At Stanford, she learned film photography, which became a useful skill in her first job out of college, as a tenant coordinator at a single room occupancy hotel in San Franciscos South Park. At night she took classes in portraiture, lighting and color printing in a darkroom.

All of which she put to use by day, making pictures of the people in the hotel, then giving them away.

I wanted to take portraits of these residents so they would have a formal record of themselves, she says. A South Park cafe gave her an exhibition, and she slowly transitioned out of nonprofit work and into photography as a vocation.

Over time, she became an adjunct faculty member in the photography department at City College of San Francisco. She teaches digital, but remains personally dedicated to the historical processes. Four years ago, she lugged her tripod, bulky view camera with hood, and aluminum plates to Fairbanks, Alaska, for her 20th reunion at West Valley High School.

Liz Moughon / The Chronicle

She assembled a darkroom in the park where the event was held, which was a lot of effort but also a way to avoid the painful small talk of reunions. People dont ask too many questions of someone standing under a black hood pointing a camera at them.

Orvik photographed 16 or 17 classmates and gave them the tintype plates. Eight landscapes she made in Fairbanks are now part of Westward, a group show at San Francisco City Hall.

Orvik also dragged her tintype gear across the Golden Gate Bridge to Headlands Center for the Arts, where she spent a year as a graduate fellow, employing another unique analog skill, her ability to walk on a tightrope. She set her camera on the tripod and strung a tightrope 5 feet off the gym floor.

Orvik, who likes to do everything herself, had to enlist a friend to click the shutter on the view camera while she walked the line.

Precariousness is a word she often uses, when describing both walking the tightrope and trying to survive as a working artist in the city. It isnt just the people who are in limbo, but also the things they carry. Shes been documenting what people unload at the city dump at Recology San Francisco, where she is an artist in residence through the summer.

Her work at Recology, which will form a solo exhibition beginning Sept. 21, is influenced by what she sees from the bay window at her tintype studio, on the corner of Mission and Geneva.

Recology Artist-in-Residence Program: Exhibition hours: 5-8 p.m. Sept. 21, 1-3 p.m. Sept. 22, 5-7 p.m. Sept. 25. 401 and 503 Tunnel Ave., S.F. www.recology.com Westward: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Through May 10, 2019. Free. SFAC Galleries at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, S.F. 415- 252-2244. www.sfartscommission.org See More Collapse

Her stunning images of the changing face of the Outer Mission are haunting, says Ann Jastrab, who curated Westward at City Hall. And ... that she is documenting the people and the place with a process from the 1850s is compelling.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com. Instagram: sfchronicle_art
NAIROBI, Kenya - Just one week after an outbreak of the Ebola virus was extinguished in northwestern Congo, a new one was declared in the country's conflict-hit northeast. This is Congo's 10th Ebola outbreak since the 1970s, and some health officials are worried it might be the hardest to contain.

The new outbreak is centered on a thickly populated stretch of Congo's eastern border with Uganda - an area that is also the epicenter of decades-long clashes between dozens of militias that have forced millions into squalid refugee camps.

At least 43 people are believed to have been infected in North Kivu province, including 36 who have died, Congo's health ministry said on Tuesday. Sixteen of the cases were confirmed to be Ebola.

While Congo has experienced the most outbreaks of the Ebola virus, this is the first time it has cropped up in this part of the country. Lab tests have confirmed that it is the same strain as the previous outbreak, which started in early May, but there is no indication the outbreaks are related.

"We are still in the early days, and there are lots of unanswered questions," said Peter Salama, the World Health Organization's head of emergency response. "But we are expecting this one to be significantly more costly and complex than the last."

There are already 25 suspected cases in the city of Beni, a center for displaced people and home to 350,000. There are also two probable cases in Butembo, a city of nearly 1 million and a key trading hub between Congo and Uganda.

As in most past outbreaks - including the vast epidemic that swept Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea between 2014 and 2016, killing more than 11,000 - this one probably began to spread quickly when one of the initial cases died and was buried by family members who were unaware that touching the deceased's body would infect them. Salama said WHO had identified seven family members of a 65-year-old woman who was given an "unsecured burial." All seven contracted the virus.

Ebola lives in what health officials call the "animal reservoir" - meaning that it can be contracted by being bitten by an infected animal (most commonly bats and monkeys), by handling an infected animal, or by eating the meat of one. Some Congolese diets include wild animals including bats and monkeys, commonly referred to as bushmeat.

The outbreak that started in May was confined to Equateur province, along the heavily trafficked Congo and Ruki rivers, and killed 33 people.

The virus was briefly present in the regional trading hub of Mbandaka, raising fears that it could travel rapidly to other population centers or spread within the city, but rigorous tracing of possible cases by Congo's health ministry, WHO, and other public health organizations prevented those worst-case scenarios.

"All the factors that made the Equateur outbreak enormously complex are present in the new one in North Kivu," said Salama. "Urban centers, infected health care workers, proximity to international borders - it's all there. But then you have 20 highly active militias in the region as well, and more than a million displaced by them."

The conflict makes one essential component in preventing Ebola's spread particularly difficult: tracing the contacts of those who are suspected to be infected. There are numerous areas of North Kivu and neighboring Ituri provinces that are highly volatile and often cut off entirely by clashes.

Salama told reporters at a news conference earlier this week that health workers may need armed escorts when they trace contacts.

"Beni is more or less surrounded by armed groups," said Nicolas Lambert, the deputy leader of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Congo, who is in Beni. "We have an ongoing dialogue with several of them to negotiate the safety of our health workers. But, more importantly, we must all work to stop the outbreak before it becomes lodged in areas with more active fighting."

According to the Reuters news agency, authorities in North Kivu announced on Tuesday that 14 bodies had been discovered in the town of Tubameme, about 25 miles northeast of the outbreak's epicenter. The various conflicts in North Kivu and Ituri are led by both ethnic and religious armed militias, and the government, based more than 1,000 miles away in Kinshasa, exerts only sporadic control.

But the conflict does make the response to the outbreak easier in one way.

The region is home to the world's largest and most expensive peacekeeping operation, a United Nations mission known as MONUSCO. It has contributed to the building of roads and airstrips, which will make the delivery of supplies somewhat easier than in Equateur, which has the least developed infrastructure in what is already one of the world's least developed countries.

Experimental vaccines that were successfully deployed in Equateur are being delivered to the area around Beni. More than 3,000 were left over in Congo from the last outbreak, and a WHO spokesman told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that vaccinations of health-care workers in North Kivu would start this week.

The vaccines are made by the pharmaceutical giant Merck, and 300,000 more could be provided on short notice.

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https://wapo.st/2KQjx1R
Activist groups in Georgia are calling on Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp to step down as secretary of state, a post that includes responsibility for overseeing the state's elections.

Kemp, through his campaign spokesman, has said he will not give up the job that he has held since 2010, noting that other elected officials have not quit their elected posts while running for higher offices. He is running against Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams, a former state lawmaker who has clashed with Kemp in the past over her efforts to register voters.

The race will be one of the most closely watched of the midterms, a test of President Donald Trump's political popularity and a chance for Abrams to make history as the nation's first black female governor.

Two groups - the Georgia Alliance for Social Justice and Resist Trump Tuesdays - have planned a rally for Wednesday afternoon to call for Kemp to resign. Common Cause Georgia issued a statement this week urging him to leave his position. "It is ethically wrong for a politician to oversee the campaign he is a candidate in," reads an online petition launched by the group.

The Georgia NAACP also has called on Kemp to resign after a local television station reported that an app for the office of the secretary of state included links to Web pages associated with his campaign. Kemp has since removed those links.

Sara Henderson, executive director of Common Cause Georgia, said the incident with the app demonstrates the ethical concerns about Kemp remaining in the position. "You have a candidate for governor who is going to be certifying his own election," Henderson said in an interview.

The state's constitution does not require Kemp to step down. But, she and others have noted, past secretaries of state have resigned when they decided to pursue other offices, including former senator Max Cleland, a Democrat, and Rep. Karen Handel, a Republican.

Kemp was appointed to complete Handel's term in 2010, when she gave up the position to run for governor. He subsequently won a full term later that year and was reelected in 2014.

Kemp's spokesman, Ryan Mahoney, said via email that the GOP gubernatorial nominee has no plans to step down. He cited several elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, who did not vacate their offices to run for governor. The list included Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, whom Kemp routed in a runoff last month after being endorsed by President Trump. "There's certainly not a precedent," Mahoney wrote.

Mahoney also said there was no conflict of interest in 2014, when Kemp ran for reelection as secretary of state, and there is no cause for concern this year. "Elections are administered on the local level in Georgia. Hardworking Georgians in all 159 counties ensure secure, accessible, and fair voting," he wrote.

The website for the Georgia secretary of state reads: "The Elections Division of the Secretary of State's Office organizes and oversees all election activity, including voter registration, municipal, state, county, and federal elections." It further states that the office is "responsible for certification of election results as well as certifying the qualification of candidates and preparation of ballots and election forms and materials."

Abrams's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In 2014, Abrams launched a group called the New Georgia Project, aimed at registering and engaging the state's growing population of young and minority voters. She says the group has submitted more than 200,000 voter registration forms. But less than that number have been added to the rolls because of policies, which have disqualified potential voters because of minor discrepancies or arbitrary decisions to stop processing applications because of backlogs.

Kemp accused the New Georgia Project of fraud, and the group countersued, accusing the secretary of state of voter suppression. The New Georgia Project and other groups have continued to go to court to fight policies such as purging large numbers of infrequent voters.

Kemp also has been criticized for data breaches on his watch, including the release of voters' personal information, and revelations that the state's elections system was wide open to hacking. Groups have gone to court to demand that the state retire its outdated electronic voting machines that lack a paper trail to verify.
NEW HAVEN  Police are searching for one or more suspects in the shooting of a 27-year-old man in the groin Tuesday night, according to a press release.

The release said the shooting happened at 8:49 p.m. in the 400-block of Huntington Street. Officers were dispatched to nearby locations on Newhall and Huntington streets after the ShotSpotter system was activated.
In video sermons, the man railed against vaccines, "bad medicine" and doctors whom he deemed to be "priesthoods of the medical cult."

And he explained why he refused to vaccinate his children, saying: "It didn't seem smart to me that you would be saving people who weren't the fittest. If evolution believes in survival of the fittest, well then why are we vaccinating everybody? Shouldn't we just let the weak die off and let the strong survive?"

On a Facebook page matching his name and likeness, Seth Welch of Michigan spoke of his religious beliefs, which he shared with his wife, Tatiana Fusari. Those beliefs that may have contributed to their own child's death, according to court records.

Although the circumstances surrounding the baby's death remain unclear, the couple was charged Monday with felony murder and first-degree child abuse after their nearly 10-month-old daughter, Mary, was found dead in her crib from malnutrition and dehydration, according to court records cited by NBC affiliate WOOD.

RELATED VIDEO: Vaccinations decline as parents choose to opt out their kids

The parents, both age 27, told police that they had known for at least a month that their daughter seemed underweight, and Fusari acknowledged that they declined to seek help "for fear of having her children removed by Child Protective Services, lack of faith and trust in the medical services and religious reasons," according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the station.

The sheriff's office and prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday from The Washington Post.

It's unclear whether the parents have an attorney.

Deputies from the Kent County Sheriff's Office responded Thursday to the family's home outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, after the father called 911 to report that his child was not breathing, according to a media release.

A deputy noted that the infant's "eyes and cheeks were sunken into her head," she was not breathing and was "cold to the touch," according to the arrest warrant affidavit. She was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Welch apparently wrote on Facebook that same day that he was "shattered" and "just numb inside."

Police have not publicly confirmed that the Facebook page belongs to Welch, but local media have reported that it is his.

The medical examiner ruled the infant's death a homicide, according to the court documents, and Welch and Fusari were arrested and charged in connection with her death.

During their arraignment, according to the Detroit Free Press, Fusari appeared to be clutching her husband's arm. As the charges were announced, Fusari wept and Welch sat with his mouth open.

There have been similar cases over the years in which parents have refused to seek medical treatment for their dying children on religious grounds, instead opting to pray for their healing. In fact, there were so many such cases in Oregon that lawmakers did away with laws protecting parents in those situations, according to Religion News Service.

In a Facebook video titled "Vaccinations/health/medical industry," Welch criticized the health-care industry.

"I'm not opposed to medicine or doctors," he said. "I'm opposed to bad medicine and doctors that are just, well, aren't really doctors - they're priesthoods of the medical cult. They have a certificate from some training camp somewhere that says they got this test score, but that doesn't mean they know about the human body and stuff like that."

He explained that he thinks doctors would have to believe in creationism to be able to successfully treat patients.

Welch and Fusari are being held without bond. The couple is due back in court Aug. 20.
NEW CANAAN  Its primary election time.

Five Republicans and two Democrats are vying to win their partys nomination for governor this season. Primaries will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 14 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Connecticut is a closed voting system, meaning residents have to be enrolled in a political party to cast votes in their partys primary.

Unaffiliated party members have until Aug. 9 to enroll in a party but can only do so if they have not been enrolled in a party within the last three months at the Registrars of Voters office in the first floor of town hall. Unaffiliated voters can also register up to Monday, Aug. 13 but must show up before noon at the Registrars of Voters office and have also not been enrolled with a party in the last three months.

The Republican primary ballot is held for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, treasurer, comptroller and attorney general.

The Democratic primary ballot goes for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer and attorney general.

The town is split into three districts and residents can check their corresponding district with the Registrars of Voters. Voters are reminded to bring valid identification to the polls.

District 1 will vote at the New Canaan High School gym on 11 Farm Road. District 2 and District 3 will both vote at Saxe Middle School on 468 South Ave., with District 2 at the new gym and District 3 in the old gym.

More Information To use the onling voter registration system, visit: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do To contact the town's Registrars of Voters, visit: http://www.newcanaan.info/content/9490/293/321/ or call 203-594-3060 To contact the Town Clerk, visit: http://www.newcanaan.info/content/9490/293/329/default.aspx or call 203-594-3070 To learn more about the Secretary of the State's office, visit: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS See More Collapse

Democratic Registrar George Cody said parking should not be an issue as schools would not be in session during the elections.

As of Aug. 1, there were a total of 13,597 registered voters in town according to the Registrars of Voters office. Of those, 6,250 were registered Republicans, and 2,894 registered Democrats. Unaffiliated voters amounted to 4,303 and there were 148 voters registered for other parties.

New residents to town will also have until the same date  Aug. 9  to register to vote in the partys primary.

According to Town Clerk Claudia Weber, absentee ballots for the party primaries have been available since July 24 at town hall.

To be eligible to vote by absentee ballot, the applicant must be out of town on election day, be on active service, working at another polling place on election day or be physically disabled, Weber said.

As of Aug. 3 at noon, 156 residents had applied for absentee ballots according to the Town Clerks office.

Those who may qualify to vote via absentee ballot can go to the Town Clerks office on the first floor of Town Hall from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to fill out an application for the absentee ballot.

Voters are able to both apply for an absentee ballot and vote at the same time if they go to the town clerks office.

Once the application is completed, it is to be turned in to the town clerks office for approval before receiving the ballot itself. The absentee ballot must be handed in before the close of election day  scheduled at 8 p.m.  for it to be counted.

humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com
People want an apology from Facebook for its role in the 2016 election - a real one this time, skeptics say. Just as they wanted one last year from Google for allowing ads to appear alongside offensive videos on YouTube.

But the apology that might best inform the country's anguished debate over free speech and the spread of false information - which found a focal point this week in efforts to limit the platform enjoyed by Alex Jones of Infowars - is the one issued by Benjamin Franklin in 1731. The giant of colonial-era publishing might just be the intellectual lodestar missing from the 21st-century reckoning with "fake news," a term that once meant something, before it was reduced to a rhetorical bludgeon.

"Apology for Printers" was the response of the polymath and founding father to the public outcry over his decision to print an advertisement for a ship sailing to Barbados that seemed to denigrate the clergy. Franklin was no stranger to the condemnation of his readers, he said. He was so familiar with public censure that he had long considered drafting "a standing Apology," which he could republish every time he ruffled someone's feathers. He never got around to it, instead issuing the lone apology to quiet the most recent flap.

Instead of admitting guilt, he rejected the responsibility to regulate the material that he circulated.

"When Truth and Error have fair Play," he wrote, "the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

Franklin's print shop is no analog for the headquarters of the today's technology giants, where algorithms are being tweaked to decide what users see when they move their thumbs around their smartphones. Just as social media sites compete for the time and attention of their patrons, however, Franklin once had to decide how to allocate scarce space in the pages of his newspaper for classified ads, employment notices, lost-and-found records and bulletins about foreign events and far-flung travel. The parallel between the two modes of publishing has been noted on The Junto, a blog about early American history.

It's clear that he learned lessons from this experience, lessons that endure to this day.

The short tract, published on the front page of his Pennsylvania Gazette on June 10, 1731, weighs the civic virtue of free exchange against the social imperative to avoid harm. Franklin upheld the right to offend but urged forbearance, and appeared to have clear standards for material he wouldn't tolerate.

In the guise of apologizing for his "extraordinary Offense," Franklin set out principles of publishing that prefigure some of the arguments made by Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook chief executive, in his defense of the technology company as a neutral platform, meaning it simply presents the views of others, rather than authenticating them or arbitrating among their competing claims.

Franklin made his first principle the diversity of human opinion, citing an ancient adage, "So many Men, so many Minds." Most of what is printed, he argued, concerns an opinion, by nature subject to disagreement. This fact makes the purveyor of opinion subject to a particular "Unhappiness" not experienced by "the Smith, the Shoemaker, the Carpenter, or the Man of any other Trade," who can do business with people of all viewpoints without offending any of them.

The solution, for publishers, is to allow each opinion equal airing, Franklin wrote - an objective that has grown more complicated as the printed page gives way to the infinite Internet, allowing anyone to self-publish.

Franklin had faith that truth would win out over falsehood, if given a fair chance to compete, and that serving "all Parties" meant being willing to offend. He didn't spell out the terms of fairness, however, and the parties with whom he was dealing were, for the most part, people he knew in the flesh, rather than anyone, anywhere in the world, with a computer and an Internet hookup.

"Being thus continually employ'd in serving all Parties, Printers naturally acquire a vast Unconcernedness as to the right or wrong Opinions contain'd in what they print," Franklin observed. "They print things full of Spleen and Animosity, with the utmost Calmness and Indifference, and without the least Ill-will to the Persons reflected on."

The printer's good intention, he warned, wouldn't stop the offended party from considering "the Printer as much their Enemy as the Author" - a warning lent new meaning by President Donald Trump's attack on the media as the "enemy of the people."

"If all Printers were determin'd not to print any thing till they were sure it would offend no body, there would be very little printed," Franklin wrote.

Yet the ambitious publisher was no absolutist. At the end of his vehement rejection of predetermined notions of truth and decency, point #10 allows for exceptions that find echoes in today's criticism of Jones, who claimed that the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax and promoted the conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate" that led a gunman to open fire in a D.C. restaurant last year.

"Printers do continually discourage the Printing of great Numbers of bad things, and stifle them in the Birth," he wrote.

There were two main cases in which Franklin refused space on his page, he noted: material that "might countenance Vice, or promote Immorality," as well as "such things as might do real Injury to any Person."

Not even "Offers of great Pay" could shake him from this commitment, he affirmed.

Just as giving certain opinions a platform put a target on his back, so, too, withholding one proved controversial.

"In this Manner I have made my self many Enemies, and the constant Fatigue of denying is almost insupportable," he recounted.

Concluding his statement of principles and before moving on to the specifics of the offending advertisement, he quoted the poetry of Edmund Waller, an English orator and lyric poet who sat in the House of Commons in the 17th century.

"Poets loose half the Praise they would have got

"Were it but known what they discreetly blot;"

Franklin then added a final, slightly less mellifluous line of his own: "Yet are censur'd for every bad Line found in their Works with the utmost Severity."

His frustration at the pitch of the debate is fitting for present times. The principles he articulated, with his characteristic irreverence, seem relevant, too.
On Wednesday morning, news broke that Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., was indicted along with his son and his son's father-in-law on charges of insider trading.

The implications of the charges are significant for obvious reasons. Such serious allegations against a sitting member of Congress are important in any context but in the context of an already-tough political environment for Republicans, they become outsized. Collins' district was not considered in reach for the Democrats. That's likely going to change.

There's a non-obvious reason the indictment of Collins is important, too: His is only the most recent example of someone who played a role in President Trump's 2016 campaign facing serious criminal allegations.

Collins, as many have noted, was the first sitting member of Congress to offer Trump his endorsement. It came after Trump had started to demonstrate his electoral strength but was still unexpected. At no point before Nov. 8, 2016 was Trump exactly a darling of the Republican establishment, so his support often came from the more distant fringes of the party. Collins, as a de facto establishment figure given his position, helped to some small extent to solidify Trump as acceptable to the party. And Trump appreciated it.

Because Trump was drawing mostly from the fringes, though, his campaign ended up attracting a number of people who wound up facing either federal indictments or significant federal investigations. Given Trump's one-time assertion that his team would be made up of the "best people in the world," it's worth remembering just how extensive those allegations are.

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Corey Lewandowski

Former campaign manager

Charged with misdemeanor battery in March 2016. Charges dropped.

After Trump gave a speech at a Trump Organization property in Jupiter, Florida, in March 2016, journalist Michelle Fields approached the then-candidate to ask a question. Lewandowski grabbed Fields' arm and pulled her away from Trump, leaving her with bruising.

For weeks, Lewandowski (and Trump) denied that Fields had been touched and downplayed her allegations. Eventually, video from the room where the incident occurred was released clearly showing that Fields had been grabbed. Lewandowski was charged with misdemeanor battery, but officials declined to prosecute.

Lewandowski was fired two months later.

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Carter Page

Former campaign adviser

Subject of a federal counterintelligence investigation beginning in October 2016.

Page was one of several people named as an adviser to the Trump campaign in March 2016. At the time, Trump was seeking to bolster perceptions that he was up to the presidency and the appointment of a foreign-policy team was meant to show that he had serious advisers backing his effort.

Page, an energy industry executive, had been on the FBI's radar for years, after a federal counterintelligence investigation recorded a suspected Russian agent mentioning Page as a possible target for espionage work. Over the course of 2016, Page traveled to Russia twice. In July, he met with a deputy prime minister while in Moscow for a speech. Former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele - hired earlier in the year to investigate ties between Trump and Russia - was told that there was more to Page's conversations than he let on.

In October, the FBI sought a warrant to surveil Page. It was granted and eventually extended several times to continue allowing federal authorities to track his communications. No charges have been filed against Page.

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George Papadopoulos

Former campaign adviser

Pleaded guilty to making false statements in October.

Papadopoulos, like Page, was appointed as an adviser to the campaign in March 2016. Shortly after earning that position, he was approached by a London-based professor named Joseph Mifsud who allegedly has ties to the Russian government. In April, Mifsud informed Papadopoulos that the Russians had emails incriminating Hillary Clinton, a revelation that Papadopoulos later shared with an Australian diplomat.

When documents stolen from the Democratic National Committee were leaked in June and July 2016, the Australians told the FBI what Papadopoulos had said. That launched the broader investigation into ties between Russian interference efforts and the Trump campaign.

A week after Trump is inaugurated, Papadopoulos is questioned by the FBI. He misleads investigators on his conversations with Mifsud, deception to which he later admits. In July 2017, he's arrested and agrees to work with the investigation. He pleaded guilty to one charge of making false statements in early October.

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Paul Manafort

Former campaign chairman

Charged with more than two dozen criminal counts ranging from conspiracy to money laundering to obstruction of justice to bank fraud in October, February and June. Trial is underway.

Manafort was hired by the Trump campaign before Lewandowski was fired after which point he stepped into the lead role. He'd worked on a number of campaigns but had earned a reputation for being willing to work with controversial figures including Russian oligarchs and dictators.

In October, investigators working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller obtained an indictment against Manafort for a broad range of alleged crimes largely centered on his work for the former president of Ukraine and his alleged efforts to hide money he'd been paid. In February, Mueller's team added new charges and, in June, Manafort was charged with having tried to obstruct the investigation into his actions by trying to influence a witness.

While many of the alleged crimes predate his time with Trump's campaign, it's clear that his actions during that period are also of interest to Mueller. Manafort is on trial in Virginia.

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Michael Flynn

Former campaign adviser

Pleaded guilty to making false statements in November.

Flynn was an early and enthusiastic backer of Trump who parlayed that loyalty into a gig as national security adviser. It was short-lived. The Washington Post reported that Flynn, already tapped for an administration role, had spoken with former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016. Pressed to say whether the conversation had included discussion of sanctions imposed by the administration of Barack Obama, Flynn at first denied it. That's apparently what he told others on Trump's team, too: Vice President-elect Mike Pence assured an interviewer in January 2017 that Flynn had had no such conversation. It wasn't true. Flynn was eventually fired for misleading Pence.

He also misled the FBI in an interview that January. In late November, he admitted making a false statement to investigators and is awaiting sentencing.

Flynn's most infamous moment during the campaign came during a speech at the Republican convention in July.

"If I did a tenth of what she did," he said, referring to Clinton, "I would be in jail today."

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Rick Gates

Former deputy campaign chairman

Originally charged with more than two dozen criminal counts, Gates eventually pleaded guilty to two, conspiracy and making false statements, in February.

Gates came to the Trump campaign with his longtime business partner Manafort, serving as deputy campaign chairman. At first, he faced a similar array of criminal charges as his former boss, but in February agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigators in exchange for admitting guilt on two counts.

This week, he appeared at Manafort's trial and admitted a broad array of criminal activity, some of which, he testified, came at Manafort's behest. Like Manafort, none of the charges deal specifically with actions undertaken while he was employed by the campaign or during the transition period while he was still in Trump's employ.

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Michael Cohen

Campaign aide and attorney to Trump

Under investigation by the Department of Justice reportedly for tax fraud.

In April, federal investigators raided Cohen's home and office in New York City, seizing thousands of documents and files (including some audio recordings). It's not clear what charges Cohen might face from the investigation by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, but the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that he was likely at least being investigated for failing to properly pay taxes on income from his taxi business.

Cohen may also be at risk for campaign finance violations stemming from his role in paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Cohen's role with the Trump campaign was informal but involved both providing advisory work to Trump personally and occasionally appearing on television to offer insights into how the campaign was doing.

The investigation stemmed in part from information provided to the Department of Justice by Mueller's team.

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Chris Collins

First congressional endorser

Charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and false statements Wednesday.

As noted above, Collins, an early Trump endorser, was charged with 11 criminal counts on Wednesday. They include conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud and, like others above, offering false statements to investigators.

Authorities announced on Wednesday that some of those allegedly involved in the Collins insider-trading effort had settled the charges against them.

In total, these seven individuals who were involved in making Trump's campaign a success have pleaded guilty to or faced 41 criminal counts.

Mueller's investigation is still underway
Twitter positioned itself this week as an outlier among technology companies and streaming services that have acted in recent days to limit the platform enjoyed by Alex Jones and his Infowars shows because of allegations of hate speech.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter's co-founder and chief executive, said in a series of messages posted Tuesday evening that the social networking service had not suspended accounts associated with Jones, 44, because he had not violated the company's policies. Dorsey's explanation, which elaborated on a short statement released by Twitter the day before, came under immediate criticism and renewed the debate over the parameters of hate speech and the responsibility of technology firms to regulate the flow of information while remaining neutral platforms.

Twitter, which now stands out as one of the few social media sites refusing to curtail Jones's online reach, has been attacked by conservatives claiming that the platform is stifling them as it aims to purge fake accounts and automated bots. The other companies, including Facebook and Apple, cited harassment and hate speech as among the reasons they had deleted years of content from Jones, who responded by telling The Washington Post that the First Amendment was in danger.

Jones, who has a verified Twitter account with 855,000 followers, had not been barred for a "simple" reason, Dorsey said: "he hasn't violated our rules. We'll enforce if he does."

"Truth is we've been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past," Dorsey added. "We're fixing that. We're going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories."

A number of platforms have reached a different conclusion, as the crackdown on Jones intensified this week. A decision late Sunday by Apple to erase virtually all of Jones' podcasts from iTunes and its podcast apps set off a cascade. Facebook blocked four of Jones' pages on Monday morning, followed by YouTube's decision to delete his Infowars page, which boasted 2.4 million followers. Both sites had already temporarily limited his publishing power, and Spotify showed itself ready to act against Jones when it removed some of his podcasts last week.

Dorsey said on Twitter that the company would not cave to "outside pressure."

"Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so it's critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best," Dorsey said.

A set of new rules on "hateful conduct and abusive behavior," implemented by Twitter at the end of last year, added additional content, such as "hateful imagery," to the category of material banned because it constitutes "specific threats of violence or wishing for serious physical harm, death, or disease to an individual or group of people." Twitter has recently stepped up actions against fake accounts, but the company has admitted that it has no "scalable policy or set of product features around authenticity of content."

Kevin M. Kruse, a historian at Princeton, sought to portray Dorsey's resort to Twitter's codes of conduct as blind to Jones' online behavior. The conspiracy theorist faces several defamation lawsuits arising from his claim that the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax.

"Have you considered adding a new rule against users who harass the parents of dead kindergartners so much that they have to go into hiding?" Kruse wrote on Twitter.

Dorsey also appeared to put the onus of identifying false information on individual users, calling on journalists to "document, validate, and refute such information." This marks a contrast with the approach of Facebook, which has rolled out a set of fact-checking initiatives, including the use of machine-learning tools to prevent the spread of debunked stories.

A former communications director for Twitter, Emily Horne, responded directly to Dorsey on Twitter, disagreeing with the decision not to ban Jones and faulting the company's CEO for appearing to blame the outcry against Twitter on "communications." Dorsey said in his posts that "we've been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past."

"Also, FWIW I think this is the wrong call. Jones' behavior isn't a one-off. Twitter started examining offline behavior as a factor in verification last fall. If your policy doesn't account for Jones-like activity on/offline then the policy isn't serving a healthy conversation," Horne said.

Horne, who now works for the Brookings Institution, said the company's error lay in attempting to separate online behavior from offline activity, arguing that Jones's digital communications "encourage followers to harass/harm people offline." Amid the reaction against Jones sweeping much of the technology industry, she said, Twitter had missed "an opportunity to take a stand and commit to making and enforcing hard choices in service of promoting healthy conversation."

It wasn't only major technology companies that chose to remove material associated with Jones. An online porn site, YouPorn, said Tuesday it had deleted six of his videos and would no longer host any content related to the prolific conspiracy theorist.
Robert McCulloch assured the city of Ferguson, repeatedly and occasionally in all caps, that he was "fair and impartial in every matter" concerning the criminal case of the police officer who killed Michael Brown.

But his critics had doubts.

They said the white St. Louis County, Missouri, prosecutor's family was, after all, full of police officers, including a father who died at the hands of a black suspect when McCulloch was 12.

And long before Brown was fatally shot in 2014 - igniting months of protests and fueling a nationwide discussion about whether police are more likely to use deadly force against black people - McCulloch said he agreed with a grand jury's decision to not indict officers who killed two unarmed black men.

Elected leaders, activists, the NAACP and the county executive all said McCulloch's choice was a simple one: Step down and let a special prosecutor lead the case. McCulloch refused.

"If there was a flash point, I'd say it was the refusal to recuse himself, because there was just this high level of outrage," Montague Simmons told The Washington Post on Wednesday. Simmons heads the Organization for Black Struggle, an organization that seeks to erase political, economic and criminal justice disparities.

"We knew then that if we wanted something different to happen, we would need someone different."

On Tuesday, primary voters in St. Louis County, Missouri, ousted McCulloch, who had been the top law enforcement official in the county for nearly three decades, surprising political observers who thought the veteran prosecutor would defeat a relatively inexperienced newcomer.

Wesley Bell, a black Ferguson city council member who ran on reforming the prosecutor's office, defeated McCulloch with nearly 57 percent of the vote, a margin of more than 24,000 ballots, according to the board of elections.

No Republicans were on the ballot, all but guaranteeing that Bell will be the next prosecutor in St. Louis County, where 23 percent of residents identify as black.

The last time McCulloch was on the ballot was in November 2014, when he ran unopposed and garnered 95 percent of the votes cast.

Weeks later, he announced that a grand jury would not indict Officer Darren Wilson in Brown's killing.

Tuesday's primary was the first time he had faced voters since that fateful announcement.

Many saw his attempt to hold on to his office as a referendum on what happened in Ferguson. His harshest critics accused the prosecutor of skewing the investigation in favor of Wilson, as The Washington Post's Mark Berman reported.

"Obviously Ferguson defined this election," St. Louis University political science Prof. Ken Warren told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Warren had predicted a victory for McCulloch based on his long tenure and experience running a prosecutor's office. "Bell made his name through Ferguson, and [McCulloch] tarnished his name through his handling of Ferguson," Warren said.

Bell, 43, an attorney who has also served as a judge and prosecutor, alluded to Ferguson's spotlight in an Election Day posting on his campaign's Facebook page: "The world is watching. Let's show them what DEMOCRACY looks like."

He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

His campaign platform included a pledge to "fundamentally change the culture" of the prosecutor's office, including appointing special prosecutors to review allegations of police misconduct.

During the campaign, McCulloch, 67, tried to paint Bell as inexperienced, saying the younger man had never overseen an office as large as the St. Louis county prosecutors', which has 110 staff members and reviews nearly 12,000 investigations a year.

"I'm sure [Bell's] a fine guy and a fine lawyer, but putting someone with zero experience in a position like this would be one of those things that is very detrimental to public safety," McCulloch told Politically Speaking, a show on St. Louis Public Radio.

McCulloch told the show that he had been an assistant prosecuting attorney, tried more than 75 felony trials and spent time in private practice.

In a video posted on his campaign Facebook page Tuesday, Bell spoke of reunification: "There's too much divisiveness, too much division in this county, in this region. We've got to start bringing people together."

In an election night interview with St. Louis Public Radio, McCulloch said he was disappointed by the loss but downplayed the notion that Brown's death was a factor in his defeat.

"I wouldn't change a thing that I have done," he said. "I certainly wish to thank the people of the county for all they've done for me, allowing me to have this job for 28 years when I'm done."

Simmons disagreed with McCulloch's assessment.

He remembered watching McCulloch refuse to recuse himself in 2014 and deciding that he would dedicate his efforts to getting him out of office. He filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to have McCulloch removed. When that failed, he spent years talking to voters.

Simmons said he was happy that Bell won, but added that more than anything, the victory is proof that the outrage that followed Brown's shooting has been channeled into political change.

"The hope isn't in Wesley himself," he said. "It's literally in all the people that made this moment possible - the network of activists, the people that came to the table . . . It's a political act that we can't ignore."

- - -

The Washington Post's Mark Berman contributed to this report.
The Bright School hired five new classroom teachers and a new school counselor for the 2018-19 school year. The new teachers are Rachel Berger in junior pre-kindergarten, Jill Johnson in pre-kindergarten, Heather Cooper in kindergarten, Farrah Barto in fourth grade and Jennifer Galloway in fifth grade. Rachel Desmond is the new counselor.Ms. Desmond comes to Bright after serving as school counselor for two years at Rossville Elementary School. She earned her bachelors degree at Auburn University and her masters degree in counselor education at the University of Virginia.Mrs.Berger was a preschool teacher at Belvoir Christian Academy since 2004. She earned her bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Mrs. Johnson comes to Bright after eight years teaching at Highland Plaza United Methodist Preschool. She earned her bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.Mrs. Cooper has 16 years of teaching experience, most recently as a kindergarten teacher in Hamilton County and in Georgia. She earned her bachelors degree from the University of Alabama and her masters degree in education from Walden University.Mrs. Barto has been a reading and language arts teacher for elementary and middle schools in the area and last taught at Red Bank Middle School. She earned a bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a masters degree in secondary English education from Middle Tennessee State University. Her husband, David, graduated from Bright in 1988.Mrs. Galloway spent 11 years at Prince of Peace Catholic School in Taylors, SC and taught fifth, fourth and second grades. She earned a bachelors degree from Western Carolina University.
A crash has blocked the right shoulder and right lane of traffic at the westbound State Highway 225 at Goodyear, according to Houston TranStar.

At least four vehicles were involved in the crash, which happened around 6:12 a.m.
A judge on Wednesday appointed a new attorney and reinstated an injured lawyer who had been removed from a capital murder death case that ended last month in a mistrial while the jury was being selected.

Brian Flores, 36, will continue to be represented by Ed Camara, who suffered a concussion when he fell and hit his head in June. State District Judge Joey Contreras, who is presiding over the case, also appointed John Fahle to assist the defense team headed by Camara and David Woodard.

This case has been delayed for far too long. We need to proceed, Contreras said during a hearing to discuss the status of the case.

Flores is accused of capital murder-multiple persons in the deaths of Joshua Rodriguez and Victoria Dennis on Sept. 29, 2015. They were killed at the Churchill Park apartment complex in the 1200 block of Patricia Drive.

Prosecutors Jason Goss and Gretchen Flader began jury selection in early June, but proceedings were delayed after Camaras accident June 18.

Visiting Judge Susan Reed, former Bexar County district attorney, declared a mistrial in July after Camaras physician, Burton Shaw, said Camara, 77, had post-concussion syndrome, couldnt walk a straight line and is a little slower and muted on his responses.

Contreras took over after Reed, who was appointed judge after Steven Hilbig retired from the bench last year, withdrew from the case.

Goss and Flader argued Wednesday that they are ready to go to trial in September, but Woodard told the judge they need more time because Fahle needs to get to know their client and get up to speed on the case.

Contreras set a hearing for Aug. 15 to reconvene with all attorneys to discuss going to trial in October.

Elizabeth Zavala is a courts and crime reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
The San Antonio Zoo is expanding its rhino exhibit, and outside experts said it will be a major improvement in quality of life for the endangered species.

The new habitat will not only give the rhinos more space, it will also connect to the giraffe and zebra habitat, known as "The Savanna", leading to more of the interspecies interaction that is commonly found in nature. It will open early next year.

"It's terrific," said Susie Ellis, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation. "It will be a very rich environment for those animals with lots of stimulation ... It's much like the wild."

RELATED: S.A. Zoo asks Toys R Us to donate "Geoffrey the Giraffe" trademark to support giraffe conservation

Ellis said there are not many zoos that have exhibits focusing on creating a more natural environment for the animals. But it is a trend many zoos are moving toward, she said.

New features being added to the habitat include a waterfall, a mud wallow and more trees and landscaping. Crown cranes, waterbucks, sitatungas and marabou storks will join the rhinos too.

Zoo CEO Tim Morrow told mySA.com that he visited other zoos in recent years and has used ideas seen elsewhere as the zoo redevelops its habitats to make them feel more like home for the animals.

"Zoos are really refocused on creating naturalistic habitats for the animals. Our visitors expect to see that when they come," Morrow said. "Zoos used to be judged by the public by how many animals they had and how many different kinds of animals they had. Where now zoos are judged by who has the best habitat."

Beyond expanding the size of the rhino habitat, the zoo is also adding a nursery area and plans to receive two female and one male Southern White Rhino in 2019 when the exhibit reopens to begin a breeding program. Previously, the zoo was the first place in America to successfully a breed a white rhino in 1972.

The changes to the rhino habitat also come in between rhino moves at the zoo. Morrow said one of their rhinos, Kutu, was recently moved out, and they needed to move up their schedule for revamping the habitat before the new three arrive. Kutu was born in San Diego and brought here in 2002.

The "rhino-vation" is the latest in a wave of upgrades the zoo has seen in recent years. Cook said the zoo has seen an increase in attendance as the community has "fallen in love" with it again. Donations from park visitors as well as H-E-B and Valero have fueled funding for the zoo's improvements, he said.

Also currently planned for renovations is the jaguar habitat, which will soon feature a catwalk that guests can walk under. Construction has yet to begin, but Cook said the jaguar habitat renovations should be done by late 2019 or early 2020.

Chase Karacostas is a staff writer for mySA.com. | Chase.Karacostas@express-news.net | Twitter: @ChaseKaracostas
The Army veteran who killed his estranged wife and fled with their 1-year-old child on Sunday had been "lying in wait" for her that morning, according to a statement from the family.

Richard Concepcion, 37, who was in the process of retiring from the special forces, turned the gun on himself hours after shooting and killing Sarah Alexis Furey, herself a veteran corpsman of the U.S. Navy who served in Afghanistan.

The statement, written Jay Roberts, Furey's cousin and director of ministries at His Place Church in Westminster, California, where Furey's father is a pastor, provides a detailed account, according to Furey's family, of the events leading to Furey's slaying during what was supposed to have been a peaceful custody exchange.

RELATED: Mother of 3 killed by estranged husband was Navy medic who served in Afghanistan

"You didn't know Sarah without knowing that she loved her three kids," Roberts said. "She put everything she had into those three kids. She was a dedicated family member and sister. For something like this to happen to her is just completely unimaginable."

San Antonio police said they could not confirm any of the details until their homicide detectives release information on the incident.

Concepcion's family also released a statement and said they couldn't comment on the events of Sunday morning, as they didn't have first hand knowledge of the shooting. They said at some point that morning Concepcion called them and provided the family with a "conflicting" account of the shooting.

"We look forward to the police investigation determining the timeline and what transpired," reads a statement from the family, provided to mySA by Jeffery Farnsworth, Concepcion's stepfather.

They expressed sincere condolences for the Furey family on the loss of their daughter and lamented the "messy divorce" preceding the shooting.

Crucial to that morning's shooting and ensuing manhunt was the custody agreement between Furey and Concepcion, who, according to his family, suffered from PTSD.

Furey filed for divorce in Bexar County on Oct. 30 and requested a temporary restraining order the following day. The presiding judge granted Concepcion custody of their 1-year-old son, Aaron, every other weekend, but he couldn't keep him overnight, meaning he had to return the boy to Furey around 7 p.m. each night and pick him up around 8:30 a.m. each morning.

A fraught few months ensued, with police responding to Furey's residence at least four times prior to the day of the shooting. On Jan. 11, Concepcion threatened Furey, according to police records. He allegedly called and said he was "on his way to her home to kill her," and then said he "thought about killing himself instead of her." Furey told police that since the couple had separated, Concepcion had become "more mentally unstable" and that she was afraid he would hurt her or their children "to get back at her for separating."

Around 8 a.m. Sunday morning, 10 days after the alleged threat, Furey returned to her home in the 10400 block of Arbor Bluff with Aaron, about an hour before the scheduled custody exchange that morning.

When Furey entered her home, she "realized that something was amiss, as someone had been going through her possessions," Roberts writes in the statement. Police said they were asked to assist in the custody exchange around that time though it wasn't clear whether the call was in response to Furey's suspicions.

Scared by the apparent break in, Furey tried to leave her house, but "she was accosted by [Concepcion], who was lying in wait in the house and had broke into the couple's safe and retrieved a gun," according to the statement.

Faced with her now-armed estranged husband, Furey tried to run out the front door, but Concepcion opened fire, the statement says. Furey was shot five times, collapsing in her front yard, Roberts wrote. Paramedics later pronounced her dead at the scene.

Police said Concepcion then took Aaron, loaded him up into his Toyota Tundra and fled, initiating an hours-long manhunt and a statewide Amber Alert. Concepcion's family said he was trying to take the child to a safe third-party residence, but he never made it.

RELATED: Driver allegedly tells pedestrian he's OK after hitting him, flees

According to a news release from Lt. Craig Jones of the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office, a business owner on Highway 123 spotted Concepcion's white Toyota Tundra and reported the vehicle to authorities. Deputies found Concepcion around 11 a.m. on FM 1339, where he pulled over. A deputy tried to approach but before he could do so, Concepcion shot himself in the head.

In the car with his father was Aaron, the missing child.

"It's definitely a blessing that he's alive and well," Roberts said.

Concepcion was pronounced dead at a hospital in San Marcos.

Furey's parents, Joe and Therese Furey, are now involved in a legal process regarding the status of the three children. The loss is especially tragic for the parents, Roberts said, because they recently lost Sarah's older brother, Gabe.

Two official GoFundMe's have been created to raise money for the now orphaned children. Darren Moon, another cousin of Furey's, created one account on Sunday titled "Sarah Alexis Furey." The account has since raised more than $25,000.

"We're all just shocked and extremely sad," Moon said. "When we found out about everything, we were just in disbelief. You never think this would happen to anyone you know, let alone your family."

Roberts also created a GoFundMe account on Monday titled "Help support the Furey family." It has since raised more than $14,000, bringing the total amount of funds raised for the boys to about $40,000.

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
On June 22, Jeanelle Cornelius cooked crab legs, one of her children's favorite meals. Competition over the succulent shellfish was fierce, and when her 25-year-old son, Brandon, snatched up the last bunch, tempers flared.

"His sister chased him out of the house, saying she was gonna give him flicks because he ate the last cluster," she recalled.

Neither she, nor her daughter, knew it would be the last time they saw Brandon alive. A few hours later, he was gunned down in a dark parking lot outside a North Side night club by two suspects, neither of whom have been identified or apprehended.

Now Cornelius, 48, and her family struggle with the rare pain of a slain family member and no one to hold responsible.

RELATED: Police look for motives, mother looks for answers after 8 shootings claim 10 victims on East Side

"I just want justice," she said. "I know that that can't always happen, but I want to know someone is trying. I've got two other adult children, and my nieces and nephews live here. I want to make sure that the person who killed my son isn't going to do the same to them. I want to know that someone is trying to make sure it's not going to happen to anyone else."

Brandon's killing is one of 56 homicide cases opened in the first half of 2018 in San Antonio, and it is one of 23 police have yet to clear, meaning the case is still open to investigation. That leaves the San Antonio Police Department's uncleared homicide rate for the first half of the year at 41 percent, which is almost exactly on par with the national average of 40.6 percent for 2016, the most recent year for which the FBI has statistics.

[Click through the slideshow above for a comprehensive list of every homicide in San Antonio from January to June and the status of each investigation.]

But the unsolved homicide rate in San Antonio appears to be steadily growing, according to records reviewed by the San Antonio Express-News. In 2015, the department's uncleared rate sat at 28.8 percent. The following year it climbed to 31.2, and in 2017, the number rose again to 34.2 percent.

A homicide is considered cleared when an arrest is made, a case is turned over to the district attorney's office, authorities determine the homicide was justified or the suspect commits suicide.

The San Antonio statistics have been significantly lower than the national average, and Sgt. Michelle Ramos, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Police Department and former homicide detective, said this year's current uncleared rate may not be a completely accurate representation.

At least not yet.

The uncleared rate may drop over time as forensic evidence returns from crime labs, new clues are discovered and Crime Stoppers rewards are announced.

"What people don't realize is that these are very in depth investigations," she said. "Many of them take several months. We want to build the best case we can before we turn it over to the DA. A lot of people watch 20/20 or CSI and hear about these cases solved in 24 hours, 48 hours. It's not like that."

The San Antonio Police Department has more than 1,000 homicides listed as "cold cases," some dating back to 1952 and some as recent as 2016. In order for a case to reach that designation, homicide detectives must exhaust any and all investigative resources and still come up empty handed.

RELATED: Teen found shot to death in East Side street was mourning mother, trying to earn GED

Ramos said one of the primary hindrances to a homicide investigation is a lack of witness cooperation. While an aversion to law enforcement may motivate some to decline to work with authorities, Ramos said in her experience the main factor is a fear of retaliation. She said police encourage witnesses to cooperate with them, and officers investigate any retaliation that does occur and act accordingly.

Another aspect that can prevent police from making an arrest is how the homicide is perpetrated. Drive-by shootings are notoriously difficult to solve, and if the suspect and victim are strangers, as is often the case in drug deals, investigators may not be able to link one to the other.

Such are the circumstances in Brandon Cornelius's slaying. Jeanelle Cornelius said her son, who formerly served in the National Guard and enjoyed playing video games on the weekend with his friends, held no grudges and had no enemies. To her knowledge, there was no reason why someone would want to kill him.

Witnesses to the shooting were also unable to provide officers with a possible motive, according to police reports.

"Nobody understands why this would happen to him of all people," Cornelius said. "He didn't argue with people. If he hurt you, he would apologize. He would try to make things right. If he knew that he had done something that would make someone want to hurt him, he would not have put his friends in harm way."

Her frustration, she said, lies not in the difficulty of the case -- unknown motive, unfamiliar suspects, lack of surveillance video -- but in the police department's lack of communication in the aftermath of the killing. Since her son's funeral in early July, Cornelius has struggled to communicate with the detective investigating her son's killing.

RELATED: Authorities ID Universal City man gunned down at North Side shopping center

This frustration is common among the family members of crime victims.

"Despite significant progress in establishing federal and state legislation that defines the rights and redress for crime victims, only a small percentage of victims obtain the services and information they are entitled to receive," reads a report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

"As a result," the report continues, "the critical needs of crime victims are often unmet by the criminal justice system which historically is focused on the goals of apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, punishment, and reformation of offenders"

Cornelius, who spent 20 years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic and now works as a nurse at Brooke Army Medical Center, said she's required to communicate with her patients on a monthly basis to help foster personal relationships. She feels police should do the same.

"They should make us feel like they care about our family members," she said. "Even if it's a generic email saying they haven't learned anything. It's particularly concerning to me because it's only been a month, but I haven't heard anything. So I guess for the rest of my life I'm going to know nothing."

Ramos said detectives aren't required to communicate with family members, at least in part because the family may be involved in the crime. Updating the family in that case could tip off a suspect to their impending arrest.

There are some resources available to family members. Ramos suggests contacting the detective's supervisor if communication falters. There are also victim's advocates at Public Safety Headquarters who can help with counseling services, paperwork and victim compensation.

"Our goal for the families is to get justice for them," Ramos said.

But the information crime victim's families so desire -- who did this and why -- may not be something police can release. Worse, such information, may be something that even investigators never learn, leaving families stranded in a state of obsidian, heart-wrenching ignorance.

Some, like Cornelius, find a way to work through that darkness.

"I'm the kind of person who stays hopeful, so, yes," she said, "I have hope."

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
Latest Oregon Coast: Water Warning, Trail Closure, Clamming

Published 08/08/2018 at 5:51 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Newport, Oregon)  A diverse set of closures and re-openings along the Oregon coast, which affect razor clamming, the Saddle Mountain Trail near Seaside and water quality at Seal Rock. (Above: Seal Rock).

A public health advisory was issued Tuesday for Seal Rock State Park Beach on the central Oregon coast, after testing for fecal bacteria showed levels that were higher than normal.

These kinds of bacteria can cause health issues if you come in contact with the ocean water, such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) advises beachgoers to avoid such contact in the area until the advisory is lifted. This applies especially to children and the elderly, who may be more vulnerable to waterborne bacteria.

The actual source of these elevated levels is almost never known, but bacteria and other pathogen can rise in ocean waters due to shore and inland events such as stormwater runoff, sewer overflows, failing septic systems, and animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife.

While this advisory is in effect at Seal Rock State Park Beach, visitors should avoid wading in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean.

State officials maintain all other activities on the beach are OK, such as kite flying, picnicking or simply strolling on the beach.

Nearby beaches of Lincoln County are not affected.

The status of water contact advisories at beaches is subject to change. For the most recent information on advisories, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website or call 971-673-0482, or 877-290-6767 (toll-free).

When it comes to razor clamming, there is good news on the southern Oregon coast. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced that razor clamming is now open from Tillamook Head to the south jetty of the Coquille River. Parts of it had been closed due to domoic acid levels in the meat of the creature.

Recreational razor clamming remains closed from the south jetty of the Coquille River to the California border for elevated levels of domoic acid toxin, however. Recreational razor clamming is also closed from the Columbia River to Tillamook Head (Seaside to Warrenton) for ODFW's annual razor clam conservation closure. This closure is not related to biotoxins and does not affect razor clam populations south of Tillamook Head. The conservation closure is in effect from July 15 to Sept. 30 each year.

More tests will continue every other week on the Oregon coast to determine safety.

On the north Oregon coast, the main trail to the summit at Saddle Mountain State Natural Area in the northern Coast Range is closed due to a bridge collapse. Park staff will remove the bridge and prepare a new crossing.

State officials said that staff are hoping to have the trail open again by August 10. The rest of the park, including the Humbug Mountain Viewpoint Trail, is open. Visit oregonstateparks.org for updates. Oregon Coast Lodgings in these areas - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours















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Do you need a license to perform your job? Texas requires people practicing more than 500 occupations to have licenses to engage in their jobs. This affects 1 in 3 Texans in our economy.

If the state agency regulating your profession decides to deny you a license or determines that your license should be revoked, in almost all cases you have a right to an impartial hearing where the agency must have facts to justify its action.

For most of our history since 1876, the Legislature provided that this impartial hearing should be held by the very agency that denied you the license or wanted to revoke your license. Say what? Your accuser got to be the judge to determine what the facts were? Yes, that was true.

However, the Legislature studied this issue in the 1980s and decided not only did it have the appearance of impropriety, many times the judges of the agency were simply deciding the cases in the manner chosen by the regulatory agency. Therefore, in 1991, the Legislature created the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

SOAH was created for one purpose: to provide fair hearings for Texans who were denied a license or when an agency wanted to revoke the license. It is solely composed of judges, and their only function is to hear and decide cases referred from other agencies.

In essence, SOAH is the independent judiciary of administrative agencies. A chief judge runs the agency, and he or she is appointed by the governor. The law requires that the chief judge protect and ensure the decisional independence of each administrative law judge. The Legislature clearly did not trust the agencies to play fair!

For 25 years, SOAH has done its job. It has been the model of impartiality, and residents of Texas have had the right to a fair hearing where the facts must be proven by an agency by a preponderance of the evidence before an impartial decisionmaker, an SOAH judge.

However, there is now a crisis at SOAH and Texans right to a fair hearing have been severely threatened. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Chief Judge Leslie Ginn in May 2016.

Ginn has wholly failed to comply with the law to protect the decisional independence of the SOAH judges. This past year, a SOAH judge decided a very complex and long trial that included many witnesses, lay and expert. He analyzed the case and wrote a 77-page opinion deciding the agency did not prove its case. Two other judges reviewed the decision and gave comments but said the decision was sound. The agency accepted the decision by not appealing and dismissed the charges.

The judge who held the hearing and made the decision had more than 10 years experience, had recently been promoted and also had been assigned the job of supervising other SOAH judges.

However, even though the agency accepted the opinion, the agency sent a letter to Ginn and met with her personally in a closed-door meeting to complain that the judge got the facts wrong. They did not complain the judge was unethical, failed to comply with the law or failed to comply with the procedure. It was simply that he was wrong.

Ginn then fired the judge. Oh, not really. As her letter stated, she allowed resignation in lieu of termination.

An outcry occurred. Many current judges stated they would now be scared to rule against an agency for they might lose their job. They said this confidentially, for of course they could lose their job for saying so.

SOAH no longer exist for its only purpose  to hold fair hearings. Morale could not be lower. The judges feel they should start a hearing with a presumption the agency is right. The right of Texans for a fair hearing is gone.

Abbott has been pummeled with requests that Gill be removed. He has all the facts. What has he done? Ginns term expired May 1. He has allowed her to remain in office without a formal nomination.

Gov. Abbott, do you not believe Texans have a right to a fair hearing before the government? You must replace her immediately with a seasoned, experienced administrative lawyer.

The lives of Texans depend on it.

Ron Beal is a professor of law at Baylor Law School.
Two years is no ones idea of temporary. But thats roughly how long a temporary chain-link fence has wrapped around Guadalupe Plaza on the citys West Side. It needs to come down.

And, as the temporary fence foreshadows plans for a permanent fence, city officials, community leaders and West Side residents need to think long and hard about these plans. We dont think fencing around Guadalupe Plaza makes sense. A plaza is an open space for the public. A fence that closes off the space to the public makes it the opposite.

It also is not a solution to concerns about drug use, prostitution, vagrancy and other types of criminal behavior in the plaza. A fence might move these illicit activities to other parts of the West Side, but it would not treat the drug addict or break the bonds of prostitution. It is no replacement for public health and policing strategies.

Built in 1984, Guadalupe Plaza belongs to the city of San Antonio. But it is managed by the Avenida Guadalupe Association, which has put up this temporary fencing and has drafted plans for a permanent wrought-iron fence.

In an interview, Gabriel Velasquez, the nonprofits executive director, told us the fence is necessary to protect the plaza from criminal activity and vandalism. The issues arise in the middle of the night when gang members, drug dealers, addicts and prostitutes enter the space, he said. In his view, a fence would control this place.

He also viewed the fence as a way to complete the vision for the plaza, which originally called for medical complex around the open space.

The plaza was never designed to be as open as it is, he said.

At times, though, his points were hard to follow. For example, Velasquez told us the the plaza is the central focal point of the neighborhood. He also called it the central point for congregation and repeatedly talked about how the plaza, in essence, belongs to the surrounding neighborhood.

All reasons to take down this ugly chain-link fence. All reasons to cast serious doubts about the rationale and efficacy of putting up a permanent fence. If the plaza is the heart and soul of the neighborhood, a place for people to congregate, it should be open

Sarah Gould, a member of the Westside Preservation Alliance, expressed some skepticism about the level of illicit activity at the plaza but said solutions reside with policing, social outreach and public health efforts.

We are not convinced that a fence is doing anything to address those crimes, she said. And we also think the cost of putting a fence around the plaza, both monetarily and socially, is much higher than it is worth given the amount of arrests that have been made (there).

The city of San Antonio has committed about $300,000 in community development block grant funding for the permanent fence, and officials have expressed support of the fence in the past.

We are supportive of the fence and have the funding necessary for its construction and staff is working with Gabriel on its design, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston wrote in an email dated March 23, 2017.

However, in a recent interview, Houston said, It has not been decided whether or not a permanent fence would be placed at the plaza.

A community meeting is planned for later this month to help determine a vision for the plaza and whether a fence fits with that vision, she said. Any fence, she said, would come with requirements about access and accessibility, but she also cited the revamp of Travis Park downtown as a way to activate a public space without a fence.

Travis Park was once a magnet for homelessness but now features food trucks, movies, lifesize chess, a dog park and other activities.

District 5 City Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales told us the chain-link fence is not appropriate and not acceptable and needs to go.

She was less clear about the prospect of a permanent fence, but said the CDBG funds could instead be used to improve lighting, bathrooms and kitchen space at the plaza. She would also like to see more shade.

Maybe the West Side community truly wants a fence around the plaza. Well see. But again, we question the value. A better approach would be to improve lighting and shading, and develop a plan to hold more events in the space. A better approach would incorporate policing and public health strategies.

A fence is an expedient response to entrenched challenges that deserve so much more attention.
Re: Grant will help prevent deaths from opioids, Metro, Sunday:

I would like to correct Mark Kinzly, who was quoted in this article. He said, We could still probably use more (money), but the fact of the matter is, it (naloxone) will still save a lot of lives.

That is not really true. Naloxone saves addicts. Good treatment programs saves their lives.

From the 240,000 units purchased by the state, I would love to follow the research on recidivism.

Steve Goetsch

Selective outrage

Re: New starts, Your Turn, July 26:

Letter writer Santos Hernandez expresses displeasure with President Donald Trump for being nothing more than a pussycat to President Vladimir Putin and for Trumps treatment of immigrants.

Where was Hernandez when President Barack Obama was making his apology tour of foreign dignitaries, e.g., kneeling and kowtowing to the king of Saudi Arabia, bowing to the Japanese prime minister, not to mention whispering in then Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedevs ear just prior to the presidents re-election bid, when he said to tell Putin he (Obama) would have more flexibility after his re-election?

Regarding immigration issues, Hernandez states that it is so easy to push women and children around and separate them because they are treated as criminals. Trump is simply enforcing immigration laws and policies currently in effect. The same laws and policies existed under Obama, in which women and children were being separated under his administration, with his tacit approval.

Where was the outrage when Obama was in office, and Democrats held both houses of Congress and did nothing to solve the immigration problem? Could it be because Democrats encourage illegal immigration for political purposes and refuse in many instances to enforce current laws, such as establishing sanctuary cities?

James B. Johnson, Cibolo

No tacky hotel

Re: Put Alamo first in hotel decision, Editorial, Sunday:

Sound advice. No one wants a Hard Rock Hotel on top of Joskes  its just tacky. We need to keep this area pristine and remember the Alamo!

Full disclosure: My grandmother worked for years at Joskes in the linens department.

Patricia A. Ireland
GREENWICH  Police arrested a New York City man wanted in a weekend home invasion on Brook Drive in which a man was found bound and injured.

Hassan Washington, 46, was picked up Tuesday by a law-enforcement team made up of Greenwich police, New York City police and the FBI.

Washington was developed as a suspect after a local man was found bound and injured in the home Saturday, police said.

Arriving officers found the victim restrained and bleeding from injuries sustained in the crime, said a press release from Greenwich police. The victim reported he had been bound and beaten by a group of armed individuals who forced their way into his home, demanding cash and jewelry.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Washington after interviewing witnesses and processing the crime scene.

The New York Violent Crimes Task Force, Greenwich police and FBI agents, went to a New York City address to apprehend the suspect.

Washington was charged with home invasion, robbery, kidnapping, assault and larceny. As of Wednesday, he was held in New York City, pending extradition to Connecticut.

Additional arrests are expected, according to Greenwich police.

The home invasion appeared to have been planned in advance, Greenwich police spokesman Lt. John Slusarz said.The evidence indicated this was a targeted incident and not a random act, he said.
If Joe Ganim pulls a political rabbit out of his hat and wins next Tuesdays primary against endorsed candidate Ned Lamont, the Bridgeport mayor  and Connecticut Democrats  will be at a tremendous disadvantage no matter who emerges from the Republicans own bruising, five-way nomination battle.

With a massively depleted campaign war chest, Ganim could end up like John DeStefano Jr., the then-mayor of New Haven who won a close, hard-fought Democratic primary against Dannel P. Malloy in 2006, only to find himself way behind in fundraising. He faced a crushing loss in that Novembers general election.

Its definitely not where you want to wake up the day after the (primary) election, DeStefano recalled Wednesday. Its not so much the realization that you dont have any money, but the fact that your opponent does.

That 2006 primary predated Connecticuts public-financing program, and DeStefano, now vice president of the Start Community Bank in New Haven, raised and spent $6 million to defeat Malloy in the primary. He left himself with just a few thousand dollars for the general election against then-Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Ganim has a meager $173,000 on hand after raising a total of $779,500 in his primary challenge to Lamont, financial disclosures filed this week with the state show. A federal judge last year ruled that Ganims 2003 corruption conviction during his first mayoral administration and seven-year prison term made him ineligible for public financing.

After a news conference in Hartford on Wednesday in which he questioned Lamonts party loyalty, Ganim, who was re-elected to Bridgeport City Hall in 2015, understated the financial challenges ahead if he wins.

Im up against a self-financed millionaire now, he said of Lamont. Weve raised close to $1 million already, which is pretty close to what the public financing provides, at least for a primary, and Im confident well be able to raise the amount of money needed for this, whether its against a public-financed campaign or somebody that wants to put his own money in. After winning the primary, theres no doubt in my mind that well raise enough.

Any of the three Republican candidates in the Citizens Election Program  Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, Tim Herbst of Trumbull and Steve Obsitnik of Westport  would get $6.5 million for the November race, after already receiving $1.35 million for the primary. The two former businessmen, David Stemerman of Greenwich and Bob Stefanowski of Madison, are millionaires who could invest as much of their own money as they want in the fall governors race. Stemerman has already given his campaign $13 million.

Seeking a blue wave

Ganim campaign insiders are counting on Democrats, both in and out of state, to coalesce around the mayor in attempt to prevent blue Connecticut from turning President Donald Trump red.

But Lamonts announcement during a debate earlier this week that he would probably not support Ganim if he is victorious in their primary match Tuesday could reflect the feelings of many Democrats concerned that a convicted felon might have diminished chances in November.

Ganim will need at least $2 million for the general election and will raise it, said former Democratic State Chairman John Droney.

If Joe Ganim wins, I will support him as a Democrat, said Droney, who has not made a primary endorsement but has represented Ganim and family members as an attorney. Droney said he was stunned over Lamonts tepid support of Ganim.

Theres a lot of people who dont like Ned Lamont (or) this one or that one, Droney said. The key is when you have a party, whether you like them or not, if they participate in and win (a primary), you support them or dont have a party. Its that simple.

John Olsen, another former Democratic state chairman, former state AFL-CIO president and a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee, said a fall Ganim campaign would be closely scrutinized by Democrats outside the state.

Im not saying if Ganim won he might not attract some of that (financial support), Olsen said. But youve got to show, one: youre raising money; and two: poll numbers that say their investment will have a decent opportunity for return.

And those are both unknowns for Ganim, Olsen said: Joes campaigning on second chances and (hes assuming) everybodys going to say, Well give you the second chance. Im not so sure.

An astronomical amount

Four years ago, a total of $15.4 million was raised and spent by both campaigns during Malloys successful re-election run against Republican Tom Foley of Greenwich, according to FollowTheMoney.org.

DeStefano said the money to run a campaign for governor now is astronomical.

Six million dollars was a lot of money back then and with our reserves virtually down to zero  and no public financing  a preponderance of my time went to fundraising, DeStefano said.

Rell, who took over the last two years of John G. Rowlands term, including the 10 months he served in prison on federal corruption charges, beat DeStefano 710,048 votes to 398,220.

Kaitlyn Krasselt contributed to this report.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Presidential candidate, Dr Thokozani Khupe has called on President elect, Emmerson Mnangagwa to engage all opposition parties and share ideas on how to move the country forward.

Addressing journalists in Harare today, Khupe said opposition parties must sit down with the ruling party and share ideas to improve the welfare of the country.

The President elect is advised to immediately after inauguration call for a meeting of the 22 candidates to speak for a common vision.

We need to show the world that we are together in the quest to change the lives of the people, said Khupe.

Meanwhile, Khupe raised a concern over Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) transparency saying they failed on many things and that the party is not happy with numbers announced as results.

We also have issues with ZEC, the numbers were manipulated because there were polling stations where we know that our agents voted and our relatives but when results were being announced we were told that we have zero, ZEC did not give an explanation on that, she said.

She dismissed her partys chances of joining the inclusive government with Zanu PF saying the President elect made it clear when he appeared on Sky News that he is not interested in a Government of National Unity.

Khupe called on the international community to support Zimbabwe through training of security forces.

The international community must give Zimbabwe a chance including assisting in the retraining of the security sector in being civilian forces, added Khupe.

She said the country needs to move forward, have its own currency and re-open closed industries urging other political parties to come together for the sake of the people.

For the sake of moving forward, it is important as political parties that we come together and move our country forward, she said.

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British ambassador to Zimbabwe Catriona Laing has come under spotlight after two legislators who visited the country before last weeks national harmonised elections accused of her of ridiculing opposition leader Nelson Chamisa and backing the Zanu PF government.

This comes as the MPs  Kate Hoey and Conor Burns  who both visited Zimbabwe on a fact finding mission at the end of May  have released a report in which they asked their government not to endorse a flawed electoral processes election.

Laing has been consistently accused of siding with President Emmerson Mnangagwas government, claims she said were not true.

In a damning report released last week, Hoey and Burns urged Prime Minister Theresa Mays government not to accept second best or flawed electoral processes.

Being prepared to accept second best or flawed processes is patronising and sends the signal that our care and concern for Zimbabwe are not genuine.

We were disappointed at how every element of civic society and politicians outside Zanu PF had the belief that the UK Embassy  and in particular the Ambassador is biased in favour of the incumbent regime.

Huge offence was taken that our Ambassador wore a Mnangagwa scarf outside 10 Downing Street earlier this year on her visit to the UK. This offence and fear of bias was compounded when the first person to re-tweet it from his official account was Mnangagwa himself.

The Embassy organised a dinner for us to meet some Zimbabweans and we found that most were supporters of Zanu PF. Indeed prior to the dinner the Ambassador was openly ridiculing the leader of the MDC Alliance, the two MPs said in their critical report.

Opposition and rights groups have repeatedly accused the UK of showing soft signs towards Mnangagwa and his government with most of their criticism directed at Laing.

On more than one occasion, Laing has had to scramble for her own defence.

The top British diplomat has taken to micro-blogging site, Twitter to dismiss the latest allegations from the two prominent UK politicians.

This story is untrue. At the dinner I held for Kate Hoey on June 1, Zimbabwean guests were: an independent candidate, a pastor, and two business people. To my knowledge only one supports Zanu PF and only since Nov. I also invited a human rights activist, but she couldnt make it.

I certainly did not ridicule Nelson Chamisa, who I recognise as a major political figure in Zimbabwe. I believe he and I have a good relationship and we meet regularly. We had a good meeting just before the election, discussing his plans if he won, and we spoke soon after, Laing said.

On July 30, millions of Zimbabweans cast their vote in historic elections to choose both a new Parliament and president following the fall of former leader Robert Mugabe who resigned from office last November.

The elections were the first since 1980 to be held in the country without Mugabes participation, whose 37-year, iron-fisted rule was dramatically ended by a military operation late last year which triggered events that ended with his resignation.

The elections also marked the first time that the main opposition MDC was not represented by its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who lost his brave battle with cancer of the colon on Valentines Day this year.

Zanu PF retained its two third parliamentary majority in Mondays elections with Mnangagwa winning a tightly contested race by 50,8 percent.

But the peaceful campaigns and a camaraderie spirit that had characterised the run-up to the July 30 elections were sullied last Wednesday by deadly clashes between opposition supporters and security agents.

At least six people subsequently died when the army which had been called in to assist in managing the situation used live ammunition to break the ugly protests.

Chamisa has insisted that he won the hotly-disputed July 30 presidential poll  whose results he claimed had been fiddled with by the Chigumba-led Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).

Mnangagwa has since moved to calm the waters by reaching out to the youthful MDC Alliance leader to join hands with him to move the country forward.

We cannot allow the violent actions of the few to detract from the democratic expression of the many.

To Nelson Chamisa, I want to say you have a crucial role to play in Zimbabwes present and in its future. Let us both call for peace and unity in our land, call for both louder than ever.

That is the role of leaders. That is our joint responsibility even though discharged and fulfilled differently, he said. last Friday

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- An organisation has described former president Olusegun Obasanjo as Nigeria's number one enemy

- The organisation said the elder statesman has succeeded in turning himself against the people of Nigeria

- According to Coalition for Change in Nigeria, Obasanjo reportedly ran the country as an imperial emperor is now vocal against the current government

A civil society organisation has accused a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, of being Nigeria's number one enemy.

The group, Coalition for Change in Nigeria while reacting to various remarks by the former president on the political space said the elder statesman has succeded in turning himself against the people of Nigeria.

CFCN said Obasanjo reportedly ran the country as an imperial emperor is now vocal against the current government.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, August 7, the secretary general of the group, Jonathan Ogwuche reacting to Obasanjo's recent statement that he sacrificed for Nigeria and would not be deterred by an kind of intimidation said the former president has equally inappropriate interventions that actively placed him in the arena of partisan politics.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Mathew Sieyefa from Bayelsa appointed acting DG DSS

Ogwuche said while the former president has the right to participate in the affairs of the country, he does not have the moral ground to make such intrusions.

He said: "Here was a man that ran the country as an imperial emperor. He warned his then vice president that it was a presidency and not a co-presidency, which was his own crude reminder that he was not amenable to entertaining inputs from his then deputy."

"It was this attitude of his that created the mindset that a deputy is a spare tire, a situation that set the foundation for the many acrimonious relationship between governors and their deputies across many states and one that has continued to plague the nation till now.

He equally negated the ability of citizens to contribute because any attempt to do so means the anti-corruption agencies would be sent after the person or any other form of crisis is contrived to keep such an individual busy.

Obasanjo is so allergic to criticism that he declared he was not obliged to consider the advice offered by his appointed advisers, which was because he saw some of their genuine inputs as a question mark on his capabilities as a leader. Not that he was much of a leader anyway.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Jubilation as Saraki arrives National Assembly (video)

Thirdly, nothing in Nigerias modern history has depicted the concept of a dog returning to its vomit as Obasanjo and his theatrics about quitting partisan politics.

Since he successfully destroyed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and made a show of tearing his membership card, he has continued to explore face saving avenues to return to partisan politics because he has since discovered that he lacks what it takes to be an elder statesman, one that will guide the upcoming generations aright without servicing his banal interests," Ogwuche said.

The coalition further warn Nigerians and the international community that the former president is acting to destroy the country and cannot be trusted.

The coalition also said that steps must be taken to curb such excesses whenever they cross the bounds of legality.

"We urge the right-thinking sections of the population to henceforth disregard him. He should be allowed to talk only to himself for his delusion has attained that phase.

We have the duty, as citizens, to hold the government accountable; but we will trivialize that all important assignment if we allow Obasanjo, or his proxies, to lead the charge. We must begin to look within our ranks for those that will speak truth to power but certainly not someone that once did his utmost to wreck the country," Ogwuche added.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Obasanjo had said that no level of threats and intimidation will make him abandon his clamour for a better Nigeria.

The former president said no right thinking Nigeria would be satisfied with the situation of the country at the moment.

He also said that he had made sacrifices for the nation, fighting to defend the country during the civil war and even being sent to jail over a phantom coup allegation.

2019 Presidency - 'Why Nigerians Must Vote For Atiku' | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Following the threats Cee, Alex and Tobi have been getting form each other's fans, Nigerians have reacted

- Former BBNaija housemate, Ifu Ennada shared a post, asking Cee C and Alex to make peace for their own safety

Legit.ng earlier shared the acid bath threat Cee C received from a faceless troll who many are classifying as Tobi and Alex's fan. The issue which should not be taken with a pinch of salt has sparked various reactions from Nigerians including one of the former housemates, Ifu Ennada.

Ifu who appeared furious over the threats begged the housemates to show the world they are good terms in order to calm the angry fans who might, someday, get violent and attack either of the housemates.

Ennada shared the post on her Instagram page, stating there has been several attempts made by her to settle the apparent dispute between the housemates, but all her effort has been fruitless. Ifu advised they both take the threats seriously and find a way to put a leash on their die-hard fans by making peace and showing the world they are stronger together.

READ ALSO: Popular Nollywood twins celebrate their birthday with new beautiful photos (photos)

Read her post below:

Recall the drama all started when Cee C shared an email in which she was sternly threatened by and alleged fan of Alex's and Tobi who promised to bath her in acid.

Although the BBNaija show ended months ago, some fans are still taking sides and wanting to cause harm on their least favourite housemate.

Ifu Ennada revealed in her post that threats are being sent to Tobi and Alex as well and suggested that the only way to calm the raging storm is to come together and make amends where necessary.

She ended on a high point, stating that "love is key."

READ ALSO: Ghanaian actor John Dumelo fires back at fans who claim he is an idol worshiper (photo)

Meanwhile, former housemate Princess has weighed in on the matter and suggested it might be a publicity stunt from Cee C. She however stated that if it isn't, they parties involved should make peace before it gets out of control.

Read her post below:

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BBNaija 2018: Dee-One reveals the fake housemates (Exclusive Interview) | Star Git on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit
For relating with the minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, ahead of his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Emmanuel Udom has sacked one of his commissioners, Victor Antai.

Victor Antai, a former lawmaker in the state, was until his sack the commissioner in charge of culture and tourism.

READ ALSO: Breaking: See how Saraki was treated after entering Nass (video)

Legit.ng reports that the Akwa Ibom state government said Antai was sacked because he refused to comply with good governance processes.

His sack was signed by the secretary to the state government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, very later on Tuesday, August 7.

The statement said with his sack, Antai is no longer a member of the states executive council.

He was asked to immediately hand over to the permanent secretary in the ministry before the close of work on Wednesday, August 8.

Legit.ng reports that Antai is one of the 11 high profile politicians in the state that would be leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to join defecting Akpabio in the APC.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that Senator Godswill Akpabio received a heros welcome in Akwa Ibom when he arrived in the state ahead of his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former Senate minority leader who is set to move to the APC landed on Tuesday, August 7.

A list of those defecting to the APC in the state with Akpabio has Victor Antai.

Pastor Adeboye, Imams Should Join Politics to Move Nigeria Forward - Olulade | Legit.ng TV

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- The seat of the former Speaker of the Kogi state House of Assembly has been declared vacant

- Umar Imam's seat was declared vacant for defecting from the ruling APC

- The declaration was made following a letter sent to the House by the chairman of the Kogi state chapter of the APC

The Kogi state House of Assembly on Tuesday, August 7, moved a against the past Speaker, Umar Imam.

The Assembly in its moved declared the seat of the Speaker vacant after the defection of Imam from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The Nation reports that the declaration by the Kogi House of Assembly followed a letter sent to the House by the chairman of the Kogi state chapter of the APC, Abdullahi Bello.

READ ALSO: British government reacts to SSS siege on National Assembly complex

Bello's letter is sequel to a motion moved by the majority leader of the House, Hassan Abdullahi who called for the declaration of the seat vacant.

Also, the deputy majority leader, Ahmed Muhammed (APC-Ankpa 1) seconding the motion said, the move by Abdullahi was timely.

READ ALSO: Ex-NEMA boss, sacked for corruption joins PDP Kaduna race

Muhammed said: There is no crisis in APC. The last time we defected to the ruling party, the PDP were in crisis.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Imam had on Sunday, July 22, announced his defection from the APC to the SDP.

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Imam said he was shut out of the party by its leadership in Kogi.

He said he defected from the APC because of its continuous internal that friction that has led to its factionalisation nationally.

Nigeria News: Dino Melaye and 2019 Criminal Conspiracy | Legit.ng TV

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- An imminent strike looms as the leadership of ASUU has rejected Wale Babalakin as chairman of the renegotiation team

- The union alleged that Babalakin had made a mockery of the renegotiation process

- The agreement by the union was reached at the end of its three-day national executive council meeting in Calabar

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected Wale Babalakin as the chairman of the government renegotiating team for the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government of Nigeria Agreement.

The union on Tuesday, August 7, said the renegotiation had collapsed over the alleged arrogance of Babalakin, who was said to have made a mockery of the renegotiation process.

Punch reports that ASUU had said that anything could happen if nothing was done about a letter written to the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, over the development.

The agreement by the union was reached at the end of its three-day national executive council meeting at the University of Calabar.

READ ALSO: Just in: First victim of Godswill Akpabios defection to APC emerges in Akwa Ibom

Speaking on the crisis, the national president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, described Babalakin as a stumbling block in the renegotiation process.

Ogunyemi said: Recall that in January 2017, the NEC meeting of ASUU held at Bayero University, Kano, welcomed the reconstitution of the government renegotiation team to enter into a renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, which was long overdue."

The renegotiation commenced in March 2017. At the inauguration of the committee, the Minister of Education declared that he expected the renegotiation to be completed within six weeks. Since then, for over 14 months, our union has had a series of negotiation meetings but it has been a fruitless exercise.

The chairman of the Government Renegotiating Team, Dr Wale Babalakin, has constituted himself into a stumbling block in the process of the renegotiation. He has arrogantly exhibited the I-know-it-all attitude and also conducted himself as a judge, instead of a negotiator.

With unwarranted arrogance, he has disregarded the cardinal principles of collective bargaining, deliberately slowed the process and made a mockery of the core tenets of industrial democracy. He has arrogated to himself the power to decide matters that should be collectively debated, analysed, and agreed upon by the two parties.

READ ALSO: Ex-NEMA boss, sacked for corruption joins PDP Kaduna race

He has also consistently attempted to substitute core constitutional provisions of Nigeria on education, including university education, by market principles of trading in and purchasing higher education, putting Nigerian children in debt in order to acquire higher education. This situation is not acceptable to the union.

ASUU has tried through several entreaties to make him see reason and return to the path of collective bargaining and respect for the constitutional provisions on education to no avail. Since March 2017, a period of over fourteen (14) months, the discussion has hovered only on funding and Babalakins insistence that a tuition regime must be introduced into the public universities in Nigeria," Ogunyemi said.

The ASUU national president said that the executive council has approved the decision of the ASUU team to withdraw from the re-negotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.

He said this is as a result of Babalakins insistence on the commercialisation of tertiary education in the country.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the workers at the Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, on Wednesday, July 18, commenced an indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries, poor welfare and non-accreditation of courses.

Three unions in the institution are involved in the strike.

They are the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

Ibarapa Polytechnic is the fifth institution out of the six owned by the Oyo state government to join an indefinite strike declared by the unions.

Parents advice government over ASUU strike - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Godwin Obaseki reveals that his government is currently challenged with the huge debt it met on ground

- Obaseki laments that some funds allocated to infrastructures at the NYSC orientation camp were not not utilised for the purpose

- He promises that his government would continue to do its best for the peoples of the state

The governor of Edo, Godwin Obaseki, has reportedly lamented that efforts by his government to provide the much-needed infrastructure in the state are being hampered by the huge debts he inherited when he came to office.

Obaseki said the debts were incurred by successive governments in the state.

Leadership reports that the governor said this when he received the chairman of the governing board of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Amb Fatima Balla Abubakar, and her delegation.

READ ALSO: Breaking: See how Saraki was treated after entering Nass (video)

Obaseki reportedly pledged a utility vehicle and a power generating set to the agency to make life easier for the corps members.

He, however, disclosed that records show that the fund appropriated for the development of the orientation camp, during its relocation from Abudu, in Orhionmwon local government area, to Okada, in Ovia North East local government area was not utilised for the project.

He noted the bad shape of facilities at the orientation camp adding that this would not have been so if the fund was spent as supposed.

The governor said his administration was working to work on the camp so that corps members would be comfortable while there.

We have a camp at Abudu to take are of corps members, but some people relocated the facility to Okada. We are just recovering that facility now to establish a teacher training college, he said.

According to the governor, despite this challenge, his administration will continue to work to put smiles on the faces of the people of the state.

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The chairman of the NYSC governing board had earlier commended Obaseki for his achievements in the state so far.

She told the governor that members of the board were in the state to inspect facilities at both the temporary and permanent camps of the NYSC.

Legit.ng earlier reported that as at February 16, 2017, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said that the country would not seek any debt reprieve.

Nigeria Latest News: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Senior lawyers in Nigeria have commended the acting president Yemi Osinbajo for sacking the director general of the SSS

- The lawyers said the acting president had just renewed the hope of Nigeria's democracy

- According to the senior lawyers, the action by the acting president should be extended to all security and law enforcement agencies

Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have commended the acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, for his action against the recent blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS).

The senior lawyers also saluted Osinbajo for terminating the appointment of the former director general of the SSS, Lawal Daura.

Speaking on the incident that occurred on Tuesday, August 8, when operatives of the SSS blocked the entrance of the National Assembly, a former deputy director of the Nigerian Law School, Ernest Ojukwu, said the Osinbajo has renewed the hope of the country's democracy.

Punch reports that Ojukwu, who is a Nigerian Bar Associations presidential aspirant, said: I am excited to be counted as a Nigerian, a lawyer and a law teacher by this example of leadership by our acting President."

I urge all Nigerians, the Nigerian Bar Association inclusive, to play more proactive roles in protecting our democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

We should not allow a few men and women to destroy our country by impunity," Ojukwu said.

Also speaking on the matter, another SAN, Tayo Oyetibo, in a statement said the acting President must be commended for standing up for the supremacy of the rule of law at this difficult phase of Nigerias nascent democracy.

Oyetibo said: All lovers of democracy must support him in his decisive action on the unlawful takeover of the National Assembly.

Also adding his voice to the alleged breach of Nigeria's democracy, senior lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa said the action by the acting president should be extended to all security and law enforcement agencies.

I commend the action taken by the acting President, in due consultations with the President, I believe.

This should be extended to all other security and law enforcement agencies, to follow the law and observe the due process of law, in all their dealings. Let us never allow security operatives, to take our people for granted, Adegboruwa said in a statement.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the acting president had on Tuesday, August 7, sacked the director general of the SSS, Lawal Daura.

A statement by Laolu Akande, a spokesperson to the acting president said: The acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), has directed the termination of the appointment of the director general, State Security Service, Lawal Musa Daura, with immediate effect.

Mr. Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice," the statement added.

News Nigeria Today: Who is Nigerias Smartest Politician? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Some social media users in Nigeria have slammed the police in Lagos for their alleged poor conduct

- This came as a lady, Eniola Toluwalase, shared her experience with security operatives in which they refused to come to her aid after her handbag was stolen by thieves

- Other social media users recounted similar bitter moments with policemen and claimed that nothing was done to save them when they needed help

Nigerian Twitter users have taken to the social media to share their experiences with the police command in Lagos, following the alleged refusal of some security operatives to come to the help of a lady whose hand bag was stolen in front of Panti police station, Punch reports.

READ ALSO: List of high profile PDP members allegedly joining Akpabio to decamp to APC

Recounting her experience, the victim, Eniola Toluwalase, said: My bag was hijacked this morning by 6am directly in front of the Panti police station. About 10 armed policemen witnessed it. I begged them to chase the guy since their truck was there.

"They said they are going somewhere and I need to go lodge a complaint inside the station, Toluwalase revealed."

In a similar vein, one Twitter user, Chronicle@ristoflex, revealed that rather than get help from officers when his phone was stolen in the Ikeja area of the state; he said the policemen told him welcome to Lagos.

The social media subscriber stated:

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that just when many Nigerians had lost hope in the Nigeria Police force, an officer showed that they were still good people dedicated to their service.

A man identified as Boye Abe recently took to his Facebook page to applaud a police officer who gave first aid treatment to some accident victims.

According to the man, a minor accident happened between a keke and an Okada and both parties were injured. He continued that when they were about to leave, some policemen came with their van and offered to give them some first aid treatment.

If Any Police Officer Misbehaves With You, Call Any of These Numbers | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, wife of Imo state governor gives widow bundles of cash

- The governor's wife also gave the mother of three a house and a job

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and his wife, Nneoma Nkechi, have come to the aid of a widow in the state. The couple reportedly gave the woman bundles of cash, a job and a house.

Legit.ng came across the story of good deed after Nnamdi Obiaraeri, the Imo state commissioner of information, shared the story on his Facebook page.

The commissioner revealed that the widow received the good deed after she attended the Imo Women August meeting on Tuesday, August 7. He noted that the incident occurred at Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.

Poor widow can't hide her tears as Governor Okorocha's wife gifts her money, house and job Photo source: Facebook user Nnamdi Obiaraeri

READ ALSO: Billionaire Femi Otedola gives full scholarship to 11-year-old rap sensation Megabyte (video)

According to Obiaraeri, the woman who is a mother of three had been financially unstable before the governor and his wife helped her.

Obiaraeri revealed that the woman was given a job at the Ohaji, Egbema local government area. He further stated that countless other communities benefited from the event.

She was given the money at a women's event in Imo state Photo source: Facebook user Nnamdi Obiaraeri

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Read post below:

"SALUTE TO IMO FIRST LADY OF EXCELLENCE AND DIVINE DESTINY HELPER!

Pray for a Divine Destiny Helper as we all have our needs and challenges.

Any day, any where, any time, any how, your level can change for good. It is for GOD to do it...

HE can use any medium or occasion, any person or persons, any style or fashion, any power or authority!

This woman in this picture with HERO THE HERO and Governor of Imo State, is a true life story of instant migration from rags to riches.

Her story is a moving one and a practical demonstration that GOD does not take permission from our enemies before HE will be on our matter.

This homeless widow and her poorly children came to the 2018 Imo Women August Meeting which held on 7 August at Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri as one of the poorest of the poor and not knowing where their next meal will come from.

Mother luck smiled at her and the Host of Heavens opened a floodgate of bounties.

She and her children left the venue clutching millions of Naira in cash, a house gift, automatic employment in the Ohaji/Egbema LGA and other goodies courtesy of HERO THE HERO and her wife and Mother Theresa of our time Ugo Nneoma Nkechi Rochas Okorocha.

Level don changeooooo be that...THANK GOD!

There are countless other lucky ones from the 645 Autonomous Communities in Imo State who smiled home with big time, life changing winnings.

Imo Women got it so good with the valedictory August Meeting...gifts, gifts, gifts and gifts.

We salute the praying woman and mother of genuine philanthropy that is filled with milk of human kindness and a divine destiny helper...UGO NNEOMA NKECHI ROCHAS OKOROCHA on the successful hosting of the 2018 Imo Women August Meeting.

It was an epic classic! Pray GOD to put out your destiny helper!"

PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group

Would you rather have money or be poor and have a good family? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, August 8, has ordered Nigeria's inspector general of police to arrest and bring the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, to court for refusing to obey a valid order court, Independent Newspaper reports.

Justice Stephen Pam had on July 5 ordered Yakubu to appear before him to prove why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court but five days later, on July 10 when the court sat again, Mahmood did not show up with his counsel, Mr Adeboyega Awomolo.

READ ALSO: 6 APC lawmakers join PDP in Kano

Consequently, on August 1, he ordered the arrest of the INEC boss for failing to appear in court for the third time and asked the police to effect the arrest immediately.

The news outlet reports further that Goddy Uche, counsel to the plaintiff, had earlier told the court that the INEC chairman had blatantly refused to obey an order of court summoning him to appear in court.

As a result of this, Justice Pam was said to have demanded to know from counsel to the INEC chairman, Adegboyega Awomolo, why Prof Mahmood was not in court.

In his reply, Awomolo was quoted to have said: My lord, I dont know where he is; if Goddy knows, he should go and bring him.

The judge repeated his question: Chief, where is Prof Mahmood?

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Responding, Awomolo said: My lord, it is beyond my brief to produce the INEC Chairman in court. The court has issued a bench warrant against Prof Mahmood, so, let the IGP produce him in court.

Going further, Justice Pam said that the order of August 1st, was still subsisting and has not been set aside or discharged.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, to disqualify the judge that issued arrest warrant against him, Vanguard reports.

Legit.ng gathered that the INEC boss, in the petition he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, alleged that Justice Stephen Pam, was determined to send him to prison without recourse to the rule of law.

How Masked DSS Gunmen Stormed the National Assembly (The True Story) on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit
The president of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, August 8, reacted to the siege on the National Assembly by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Saraki, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, commended the acting president of the country, Yemi Osinbajo, for his immediate reaction to the siege.

Osinbajo had ordered the sack of Lawal Daura, the director of the DSS, as a result of the tension and embarrassment the siege caused the country.

READ ALSO: Flash: PDP senators allege their APC colleagues already taking signatures to sack Saraki (video)

It is a matter of record that yesterday, lawmakers and staff of the National Assembly were prevented from entering the National Assembly Complex by heavily armed security agents of the Department of State Services (DSS). All entries to the Complex were blocked.

The National Assembly, the seat of democracy in Nigeria, was under lockdown. senators and Members of the House of Representatives were prevented from gaining access.

The ensuing standoff was a show of shame that played itself out over several hours in full view of the country.

In no circumstances should this have happened. And we as a nation reaped the bitter fruits instantaneously, as evident in media images relayed around the world, images that shame us as a democratic nation.

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The siege was also an act of cowardice by those seeking to carry out an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate in flagrant disregard of the law, he said.

The press conference was still ongoing at the time of this report.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Senate president Bukola Saraki said he will step down from the leadership of the Senate if he loses the support of fellow lawmaker in the upper chamber.

Saraki made the statement on Wednesday, August 8, when addressing journalist at a press conference held at the National Assembly to address the recent siege laid to the Assembly complex by the Department of State Security (DSS).

Nigeria Latest News: Primate Ayodeles Predictions About The Upcoming 2019 Elections | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- 36-year old Adamu Garba, says he is ready to occupy the number one office in Nigeria

- Garba says the country needs a new political order to get it right

- He believes he stands the chance of leading Nigeria and has offered himself as a presidential candidate for the elections

36-year old Adamu Garba, a presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, has declared that he is capable of vying for and performing as Nigeria's president.

Garba made the statement on Wednesday, August 8, when the Not Too Young To Run movement held a procession on major roads in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The movement had visited the headquarters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to demand that tickets are reserved for young people with character, capacity and competence ahead of the 2019 general elections.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Garba, says he is ready to take up the challenge.

His words: I believe Nigerian youths are born ready, I believe what we are seeing today is the decay of the old political order yearning for a new political order in the system of governing Nigeria.

And that is why we came here in solidarity with the Not Too Young To Run movement, putting down some demands and guaranteeing them that the future of Nigeria is safe under the Nigerian youths because we are born ready, we have the right programmes, we are fully aware of the situation of the country.

We have the right programmes that can transit Nigeria away from poverty and transform it to be one of the greatest countries in the world. For someone like me, at the age of 36, I am capable of vying for the office of the president.

It is time for us to actualize this by coming in 2019, to contest and win the presidency and ask our leaders to retire and relax so that we can continue to move our country forward from here.

Asked what drives his passion for the presidential contest as a young man, Garba said: I am a symbol of this movement. Each and every street in Nigeria have a youth that is ready to contest for a particular office. I have moved to 21 states, I have seen how the fire is gradually getting ignited, so the youths of Nigeria are coming up.

Nigerian youths are coming in 2019 to demonstrate their capacity to move this country to be one of the greatest in the world.

READ ALSO: Court orders arrest of INEC chairman, asks IGP to produce him on August 14

Meanwhile, the Not Too Young To Run movement are also demanding for 298 tickets out of the available 900 tickets for the Houses of Assembly election nationwide and 109 tickets out of the available 360 tickets for the House of Representatives elections nationwide.

The movement asked political parties to prescribe and enforce spending limits for party nomination fees and charges and cost for nomination of young candidates.

Nigeria News: Not too young to run pay a visit to APC and PDP| Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
Yves here. Apologies for the lack of original posts. Working on some longer-term stories (reporting takes a ton more time than commentary) plus competing aging parent duties.

The Satanic Nature of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki OffGuardian (JTM)

Burn, Baby, Burn

The Blockchain Has Inaugurated A Golden Age Of Criminality DealBreaker

Plan to replicate 50 high-impact cancer papers shrinks to just 18 Science

Why data is not enough to answer scientific questions Lars P. Syll

Medical Schools Exam-Rigging Against Women Prompts Furor in Japan Wall Street Journal (Kevin W)

Why Italys U-turn on mandatory vaccination shocks the scientific community CNN (Kevin W)

Germanys diesel killer Politico

Brexit

The UKs Labour Party and Its Anti-Semitism Crisis Counterpunch

New Cold War

State Dept Demands Russia Withdraw From Georgias Separatist Regions Antiwar.com. Kevin W: It is not generally known that the military for South Ossetia has already been partially incorporated into the Russian Armed Forces so this demand will not likely be fulfilled.

Russian pension reform sparks protests as Putins ratings fall Asia Times

Syraqistan

Imperial Collapse Watch

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

NEC unveils facial recognition system for 2020 Tokyo Olympics The Verge. Well, scrap the (very very idle) idea of making that trip

Tariff Tantrum

Trump Transition

News anchors should be asking Deval Patrick about his work at Texaco and subprime mortgage lender Ameriquest, and the circumstances under which he was offered the positions. https://t.co/s3kw0nsFiF  Zach Carter (@zachdcarter) August 5, 2018

Fake News

Heres the Internal Report Proving the FCC Made Up a Cyberattack Gizmodo

Gunz

New McCarthyism

Opioid Firms, Facing Hundreds of Lawsuits, Turn Strategically Charitable NonProfit Quarterly

Musk Makes $82 Billion Gambit to Silence Tesla Critics Bloomberg

Mattress Firm Considers Bankruptcy to Get Out of its Real Estate Scams Wolf Street (EM)

Whats the Right Way to Legalize Prostitution?: An Exchange New York Review of Books

Crisis Retrospective

Obama didn't prevent a depression. He prevented a New Deal. https://t.co/NzgPdIyGUC  Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) August 7, 2018

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour. Susan B:

This is a Mafur from Iceland, also known as a baby seagull. It was taken on the small island of Flatey off the coast of Breiafjorur in Iceland. Flatey has fantastic bird watching.

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
By Alex Randall, who coordinates the Climate and Migration Coalition  a network of refugee and migration NGOs working together on climate-linked migration and displacement. Originally published at openDemocracy

Many zoos have an exhibit like this: a wall with a hatch, and under the hatch words like Do you want to see the most dangerous animal in the world?. Of course everyone does, and before they open the hatch they speculate as to what the animal behind the hatch will be. A lion? A crocodile? However, when you open the hatch there is a mirror, and you see yourself staring back. You are the most dangerous animal in the world.

Of course this is nonsense. Not everyone who opens that hatch and sees themselves looking back is equally dangerous. We are not all equally responsible for destruction of the worlds ecosystems. Some humans who open the hatch probably are responsible for a great deal of destruction. Other are not. Many people bear the brunt of someone elses destruction.

The idea that all humanity is equally and collectively responsible for climate change  or any other environmental or social problem  is extremely weak. In a basic and easily calculable way, not everyone is responsible for the same quantity of greenhouse gasses. People in the worlds poorest countries produce roughly one hundredth of the emissions of the richest people in the richest countries. Through the chance of our births, and the lifestyle we choose we are not all equally responsible for climate change.

But we are not all equally responsible in a more fundamental way. Some people through the power they wield, have stood in the way of halting climate change. Not because they were stubborn or incompetent or failed to understand the seriousness. But because they acted in pursuit of a fundamental re-organising of our economies during the 1970s and 80s. And this shake-up militated against the kinds of policies and government intervention that might have halted  or at least slowed  climate change.

This is the point that is missed in Losing Earth, the New York Times 30,000 word feature on climate change. The piece charts the failure of the US government to act on climate change between 1979 and 1989. During this period we knew enough about the issue to act, but didnt. The piece sets out to explain this failure.

Losing Earth presents the failure as one of political tragedy. Politicians and policy makers simply couldnt agree. Not because of the undue influence of lobbyists, but because  as humans and politicians  they could not look far enough into the future. They could not take political risks now, in return for the long term safety of the planet.

As humans we cannot engage with complex long term problems. We favour short term comfort over long term safety, even when this is illogical. Our political systems are set up to favour short term political wins. Our politicians think only as far ahead as the next election. This failure to stop climate change was no ones fault, Losing Earth argues. It happened because were human, and because our electoral systems arent geared up for this kind of problem.

But is this really why the US didnt act on climate change during the 1980s?

The late 70s and 80s were also a time when the economies of most developed countries underwent a fundamental restructuring.

Since the end of the Second World War the economies of Europe and the US had been growing steadily. Ordinary people had been taking home and ever growing slice of this new economic growth. In the US, unionised workforces were consistently negotiating better pay and conditions. In Europe people also began to see the benefits of nationalised healthcare and house building.

The very richest people in society had also been getting richer as developed economies grew. But the slice of the pie they were keeping was shrinking. In 1940 the wealthiest 0.1% kept about 20% of all the money earned. While the poorest 90% (almost everyone) kept about the same. By the mid 70s the slice kept by the 0.1% had dipped to around 7%, while the slice kept by the 90% had climbed to over 30%. The US economy was still vastly unequal, but it was becoming more equal. Many working people were gaining, at the expense of very rich.

US wealth inequality over time. Data from Saez and Zucman, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2016, 131(2): 519-578. Adapted from Business Insider.

We should not pretend that the gains of working people were evenly shared. These figures disguise cruel inequalities amongst the 90% shaped by race, religion, gender and geography.

By the middle of the 1970s it was clear to the wealthiest in society that something had to change. More and more of the spoils of economic growth were going into the pockets of ordinary people. Across the Western world, governments were taxing growing profits and spending them on housing, healthcare and education  mainly for the benefit or ordinary people.

The economy, and peoples expectations of it, needed a shake up. Crucially, a shake up that reversed the growing trend of economic equality. A shake up which would return the 0.1% to the position they had been in during the 1930s and 40s when they were keeping a much greater cut of the all the money that was earned.

To do this they turned to a collection of political ideas that had been largely ignored since their formation in the 1920s. These ideas and the economies shaped by them have come known as neoliberalism.

These ideas held that the role of the state should shrink. Government  neoliberals believed  stood in the way of prosperity. The size of the state should be reduced, the number of people on the public payroll should go down. Areas that had been the domain of government  healthcare, house building, transport, energy  should no longer be. Instead these should become the domain of private enterprise.

Markets should decide what receives investment and what does not. If there is demand (say) for new energy generation then the price of electricity should provide the signal for power companies to build it and profit from doing so. The government should step back and let the market decide what happens.

In addition, regulation and corporate taxes of all kinds should be stripped back. This  they argued  would drive more investment. Environmental regulation controlling pollution simply prevented businesses providing energy to people cheaply, they argued. Taxes on polluting substances did the same. Stripping these away  they argued  would give people what they wanted. In place of regulation the proposed consumer choice. If people wanted non-polluting products  if that mattered to them  they would pay extra for them. And businesses would respond to this demand by providing them.

The ideology and the practice of neoliberalism were not always consistent. While the ideology demanded the withdrawal of the state, many private businesses continued to demand (and receive) vast government subsidies. In the US during the 1980s the government continued to sponsor billions of dollars worth of research into fossil fuel extraction.

For an introduction to the rise of neoliberalism these podcasts are very good.

The impact of these changes on the overall economy was also well understood by those who proposed them. As responsibility for infrastructure, energy, housing and the other usual domains of the state  moved to the private sector so did the money. These became new areas in which to make profit. The lack of regulation, lower taxes and subsidies meant making these profits was easier.

The wealthiest 0.1% began to see their share of the societys wealth increasing. Starting around 1974 the economy swung around in favour of the richest. Their slice of all the money earned began to climb, while the slice taken home by the 90% began to fall. This trend has continued until now. In the US levels of income inequality have returned to where they were before the Second World War. This was the drive behind this vast shake up, and it worked.

The reshaping of the US economy took place during the period covered by Losing Earth. It was during the decade  1979 to 1989  that neoliberalism truly entered the political mainstream.

In order to address climate change the US (and other nations) needed to do things that were no longer politically possible. Fossil fuels needed to be taxed in order to reduce their consumption. Carbon emissions needed to be taxed, or capped. The government needed to invest heavily in renewable energy. Or it needed to force energy companies to do so through legislation.

These things might have been possible in previous decades, when governments saw this kind of investment and legislation as their job. But in this new neoliberal era, these kind of interventions were impossible  especially for the US.

So the US governments failure to act was not a political or human accident as Losing Earth holds. Rather, the economy of the US had very deliberately been re-shaped. It had been re-shaped in order to return economic advantage to the very wealthiest people, who had been losing that advantage over several decades. However in doing this, the US government had stripped itself of the tools it needed to address climate change  regulation of polluting businesses, taxation of carbon emissions and state investment in energy alternatives.

We did not lose the earth in the 1980s. Rather, the tools governments needed to act had be taken from them.
A community group has sought funding from Tipperary Co. Council to assist it with funding a conservation survey of five monuments associated with the Slieveardagh area's former coalmining industry.

Ballingarry Cllr Imelda Goldsboro tabled a motion at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District's monthly meeting requesting a financial contribution from the District's General Municipal Allocation fund to help the Slieveardagh Mining Group pay for the survey of the monuments.

The Earlshill Colliery Powder House is one of the monuments the Group wants to conserve.

The Fianna Fail councillor said experts at University College Cork have offered to do the work at a discounted rate of 6000 but the Mining Group currently doesn't have enough funds for the project.

She appealed for a grant from the GMA to allow the survey to go ahead and pointed out that the Group had a very tight time frame to notify UCC at the beginning of August if they could go ahead with the works.

Cllr Goldsboro said the monuments were part of the Slieveardagh area's cultural heritage and the Slieveardagh Mining Group had done a lot of work to try and preserve them since the Group was founded in 2013.

"I am asking for the Council's support. This will allow the Group to go one step further but without these works being carried out, everything stands still."

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Administrator Martin Nolan told Cllr Goldsboro to get the Slieveardagh Mining Group to submit the required paperwork for the funding application to the Council as soon as possible.

"We will look at it and if it looks okay we can anticipate an approval in September," he said.

Margaret O'Brien of the Slieveardagh Mining Group said without a conservation survey the Group will be unable to apply for funding to such bodies as Leader to carry out conservation works on the monuments.

"We can't do anything unless we have the paper work in place to put in an application for funding," she told The Nationalist.

She said the Mining Group was a voluntary organisation trying to secure the preservation of the Slieveardagh area's mining heritage and promote this heritage for the past five years but they were finding it frustrating to achieve any progress. Meanwhile, monuments were continuing to deteriorate.

Ms O'Brien said two UCC academics have offered to do the survey at a discounted cost during the summer holiday period when they are free. This gave the Mining Group a short time frame to secure the necessary funding to pay for the work.

She fears that if the Group isn't able to get the survey done this summer, it will have to wait until next summer or possibly longer.
The roads and byways around Grange, Clonmel were busy on Saturday, July 14 when over 2,000 people called to the home of the late Tony OReilly, farmer and businessman, to pay their respects.

Tony was a successful tillage farmer, who will be remembered as a kind and generous man and who always had time for people and community.

From the prominent OReilly Ballypatrick family, Tonys father Eddie established one of the first agricultural contracting businesses in the country in what was then post-war Ireland.

Running an almost unheard of fleet of 10 tractors in the 1950s, Eddie bought the first self-propelled combine harvester in Ireland in 1953 and was known as being at the leading edge of agricultural innovation at the time.

In 1968, Tony set out on his own at the age of 25, buying his first farm near Grange, Clonmel. A short number of years later, he bought Ballymackee near Newcastle, Co. Waterford.

Over the years, he expanded both, purchasing neighbouring lands and created farms of exceptional productivity and beauty.

The late 60s and early 70s was a period of dramatic change in Irish agriculture. New methods and technologies in relation to agricultural production were being developed.

Tony embraced this opportunity and travelled extensively throughout Europe to study developments, then adapting these to work in the unique Irish growing environment.

For this, he received many accolades and was visited frequently by university students, academics and overseas farming groups.

During the 1980s, Tony continued to expand his farming operations and was a founding member of Clonag Co-op, a grain drying and trading business based between Clonmel and Cahir.

This gave Tony and his fellow members the opportunity to process and store grain for sale directly to end-users, rather than selling directly off the combine.

The 1990s saw him continue to develop his business interests. During this period, he both entered the Polish farming scene, acquiring farmland and development land in Lower Silesia and established his piggery at Garrentemple, Clonmel.

It was reported in newspapers at the time, that he was the first Irish or UK national to be granted to a state permit by the Polish authorities for land acquisition, where his family continue to hold property interests.

His success as a tillage farmer was as a result of the exceptionally high standards that he set. He was respectfully feared for his precision generally and for leaving nothing to chance, especially the Irish weather.

One piece of advice that Tony was well known for treat every fine day like its the last one.

As a businessman, he will be remembered for his honesty and integrity. His word was absolute, and if he said something would be done, it would be done.

Most importantly, it was widely known and appreciated that Tony was selfless with his knowledge and was a mentor to many of his peers.

Tony was well known for his travels and adventures. Up until recent years, he would head away every January for a month and always to unusual destinations.

Even for a trip made 30 years ago, he could recall the details of each and every day, the towns passed through, sites seen, and the people met, famous or infamous.

He was always happy to recount a travel story and in the pre-internet days, provide advice to those travelling to where he might have been.

A keen flyer, having held a pilots license earlier in his life, his love of adventure saw him take up helicopter flying in latter years.

A keen sea fisherman also, he kept a boat in Dungarvan for many years which sat on stand-by for a days fishing out beyond Helvic Head, if nothing more pressing required his attention.

Well-known for his kindness, integrity and personality, his real interest in and concern for people made him many friends in many walks of life. He was a true gentleman of the strictest ethics, highly-respected, selfless to the end.

Tony is survived by his son Edmond, daughters Susan, Valerie and Laurann, his much-adored grandchildren Phillipa and Robyn, sons-in-law Barry John Ryan and John Bohan, and daughter-in law Pamela Newenham, and by his siblings Breda, Ebbie, Anne, Bill, Jack, Bunny and Terry.4

Tony is being laid to rest in Kilcash this Friday, 10th August following 7pm public mass.
The Irish Genealogical Research Society is launching a new database, adding to its growing library of online resources.

The databases material is taken from a census  or statistical survey  of Carrick-on-Suir.

It was compiled in 1799 and notes vital biographical details about the towns entire population; people from all walks of life, both Catholic and Protestant, numbering just under 11,000.

The original manuscript was compiled by Lieutenant-Colonel William Morton Pitt of the Dorset Militia, a member of parliament at Westminster representing Dorset constituencies from 1780 to 1826. Pitt was assisted in compiling the census by local men Francis White and Patrick Lynch.

Its purpose isnt clear, but it seems likely to be connected with Pitts unsuccessful attempt to gain preferment as a commissioner of the Irish union from his relative and namesake, William Pitt, the Prime Minister

The original manuscript is now held by the British Library, London. Arranged by street, it comprises data on 1,738 homes and 10,907 individuals. In 1912 there was a call in an archeological journal for the manuscript to be edited for publication. A similar call was published again in the IGRS own journal in 1975. Neither succeeded and the manuscript remained in obscurity. .

Finally, a further forty years later, the digital age has allowed the IGRS to make this valuable resource available online. The database is the work of the Societys Fellow and webmaster, Nick Reddan, who is based in Australia.

A sample page from the manuscript showing details for Thomas Flaherty, aged 47, a carpenter, and his wife, Joan, aged 45, a huckster.

Noted from the original manuscript, it records the names of all the inhabitants, giving for each their sex, age, occupation, religion, address and, where relevant, marital status.

In launching this new resource, IGRS chairman Steven Smyrl said: "The story of the destruction of Irelands 19th-century census records is a sad tale of poor decisions made by both government officials and civil war insurgents. Its not always appreciated that Irelands nominal census enumerations began two decades before the rest of the United Kingdom, and they were more detailed, too. Yet bureaucratic bungling and shortsightedness by civil war combatants saw that little of it has survived. Thus, gems like the 1799 census substitute for the town of Carrick-on-Suir are a rarity that needs to be carefully preserved and given the widest possible public exposure. Pitts manuscript is unusual for being so extensive and this has proved to be the reason it has taken until now to put it in the public domain.

Nick Reddans careful work in transcribing this material has ensured it will now, finally, be easily accessible online to answer queries regarding the lives of the people of Carrick-on-Suir living over 200 years ago.

The Society acknowledges with thanks the kind permission of the British Library to publish the data contained in the Pitt manuscript.
(Natural News) Censorship is the new black, at least on social media. Facebook, YouTube and Apple have taken aim at InfoWars and its founder, Alex Jones, in a seemingly shared effort to quash conservative voices. The trio of tech giants have already scrubbed content from the site and other channels related to Alex Jones from their networks. Of Jones five podcasts, four have already been removed by Apple  including The Alex Jones Show. Google has also removed the Alex Jones Channel, and Facebook has taken down four pages manned by Jones.

It has been reported that YouTube is also banning videos calling out their blatant acts of censorship.

As private companies, Facebook, Google and Apple arent violating the First Amendment. But the question of if these companies are truly playing fair still remains. Concerns about free speech aside, the policies imposed by these companies on their users are exceedingly vague by design. Operating under a cloak of ambiguity gives tech giants the ability to do as they please, silencing whomever they wish, with a simple mantra: They violated the guidelines.

But when no one knows what the guidelines are, including the companies pretending to enforce these inane policies, virtually anything can be a violation.

Censoring Alex Jones

On the banning of Alex Jones, Apple has said the company does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users. Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming. We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions.

In a similar vein, YouTube reportedly commented that, When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts.

What is hate speech?

Now that the term fake news has lost its sting, it seems the Left has decided hate speech will be their new phrase du jour. What constitutes hate speech is often elusive to the unoffended party, and what companies like Apple and Facebook view as hateful is even more hard to ascertain. Indeed, it would appear that offense need only be taken when it is useful to the Leftist paradigm.

Writing for the Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro contends, [T]he political Left has no clear standards. So, for example, social media companies like Twitter will accidentally suspend Candace Owens, a black woman, for simply substituting the words blacks and Jews for whites in Sarah Jeong tweets to demonstrate the double standard in the media; Jeong, however, retains her elevated position at The New York Times.

Shapiro is not the first to take notice of the Lefts wishy-washy definitions, especially regarding hate speech. Mike Adams, the founder of Natural News and creator of Brighteon.com, has issued a statement on the censorship of Alex Jones. Adams contends that Apple, Facebook, Google and their ilk have been engaging in a coordinated racketeering effort to take out Jones and his network  and that hate speech is really nothing more than a tool used by the Left to silence conservative views.

Its clear that this censorship effort was a coordinated, criminal racketeering effort. Number one is that the Department of Justice should now arrest the CEOs of all of these companies: Google, YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, all those who censored InfoWars. They should be arrested right now and charged with RICO Act violations. They are running a criminal racket, an online racket with the purpose of silencing all voices with which they disagree, Adams states in the video. Watch below:

Sources for this article include:

DailyWire.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) For truth news seekers and Constitutionalists, Trump couldnt be a better POTUS, but for protecting the environment, clean food, and the animals responsible for 75 percent of all U.S. food, hes falling short  or so the fake news media would have us all believe. Limited farming for the purposes of wildlife food and habitat is permitted in dozens of U.S. wildlife refuges, but genetically modified crops, such as GM corn and soy, were not, unless addressed on a case by case basis, according to an Obama-era ban.

The worst part of the memo is that it allows cancer-crop farmers to use neonicotinoids (neonics)  a class of insecticides proven by research to wipe out entire populations of pollinating insects, including bumble bees, honey bees, wasps, butterflies, dragonflies, and even frogs, birds, bats and aquatic life. These animals are responsible not only for the majority of the worlds food, but the survival of 90 percent of our wild plants. If the bees are wiped out, say goodbye to watermelons, lemons, limes, squash, tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini and kiwi, among others.

To pour salt in the massive wound, the same food we eat is sustenance for the mammals, birds and insects on the wildlife preserves, so allowing GMOs and poisonous insecticides is like passing laws that allow animal genocide.

Trumps so called toxic deal has basically the same wording as Obamas memo from 4 years ago

All U.S. environmentalists should be up in arms over this atrocity, if it were real news, but its not. Here are the two memos that nobody in the fake news media sourced, because theyre nearly identical:

Fish and Wildlife Service 2014 memo  Use of Agricultural Practices in Wildlife Management in the National Wildlife Refuge System

Fish and Wildlife Service 2018 memo  Withdrawal of Memorandum Titled, Use of Agricultural Practices in Wildlife Management in the National Wildlife Refuge System

However, thanks to Mike Adams the Health Ranger, the research was done to expose fake news, find the two memos, and show that Trump isnt the culprit here, even though he could stand to make some major food and agriculture reforms down the road.

Trump basically left most of the language the same, but the fake news saw a little angle they could exploit, to make it look like all of the sudden Trump enabled all of our wildlife preserves to be pummeled by insecticides and GMOs. Its true that chemical agriculture is the polar opposite of pristine wildlife reserves, but the Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director, Greg Sheehan, couldnt care less. Sheehan, along with U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, think the only way to grow anything on a wildlife preserve is to genetically infuse weed-killer and bug-killer into the plant seeds and genes, and then spray more chemical-laden pesticide toxins all over them. They think its good for the expansion of hunting ducks and geese  their main (and only) goal for the Fish and Wildlife agency.

Wildlife refuges exist and persist just fine without GMOs or neonics. Still, the memo leaves it open for case by case judgment for GMO and toxic neonicotinoid use in 50 national wildlife preserves across the U.S. that cover 150 million acres of land.

Neonics recognized by Ontario government as #1 threat to environment, meanwhile U.S. farmers use them more heavily than even necessary

Environmentalists in Canada warn us all of a major ecosystem collapse if farmers keep using neonicotinoid insecticides. If you notice the root word nicotine in neonicotinoids, thats because the insect killer is a neuro-active chemical similar to nicotine. The toxins arent just being consumed by wild bees either. Now theyre showing up in rivers and lakes, as their application has more than doubled over the past two years in agriculturally dense areas.

The science of GMOs is NOT settled  theyre not safe or effective, but rather experimental and dangerous. According to the environmental minister for Ontario, Glen Murray, neonics are a bigger threat to the ecological integrity of the world than DDT. Hes says theyre much more toxic and have been banned for nearly 50 years in all of Canada due to safety and environmental worries. The chronic damage could even be far worse than already observed. Why?

One of the major problems with neonics is that they are persistent and stay in the soil for years. Eugene, Oregon and Spokane, Washington have implemented bans on toxic neonics being used on city property. Tucson Arizona says theyre next to ban it. Ontario Bee Keepers Association says theyve already lost more than half of their beehives just last winter due to the use of neonics.

American farmers dont even recognize the possibly irreversible impact occurring from neonic application. These poisons are applied to the seeds and then taken up into the plants tissues, even when only applied in parts per billion. Plus, since neonics are water-soluble, the roots absorb the insecticide. Next, the poison only stays on the plants for about 3 weeks, and then it washes into nearby waterways.

Environmentalists across America better step up and push for the U.S. government to ban neonics before they destroy our entire ecosystem, our nations pollinators, and the majority of our food supply.

Sources for this article include:

Reuters.com

EarthRangers.com

NaturalNews.com

Pesticides.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The hard-Left in America, which is devouring the Democratic Party and filling it with hateful Marxists who seek to bully their way to power, has long targeted the National Rifle Association.

But not because the 147-year-old organization has done anything wrong  at least not in the eyes of most rational people. The NRA was founded by Union Army officers who were disappointed with the lack of marksmanship displayed by their troops during the Civil War; since then the organization has continued its marksmanship mission but also has come to serve as the countrys premier gun rights group.

And Left-wing Democrats despise the Second Amendment. So they have made it a mission to destroy the NRA in any way possible.

After all these years, they may have found a way: Starve the NRA to death economically.

As reported by Townhall, the NRA has filed a lawsuit against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), New York States Superintendent of Financial Services Maria T. Vullo and the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), claiming that the governor, Vullo and officials at DFS pressured banks and insurance companies not to do business with the organization.

Simply put, Defendants made it clear to banks and insurers that it is bad business in New York to do business with the NRA, says the lawsuit, which was first reported by Rolling Stone magazine.

As a direct result of this coercion, multiple financial institutions have succumbed to Defendants demands and entered into consent orders with DFS that compel them to terminate longstanding, beneficial business relationships with the NRA, both in New York and elsewhere, the filing says.

Townhall reported that DFS launched a probe into an NRA insurance product, Carry Guard, even though several other companies offer something very similar. The NRA said that it fashioned Carry Guard after other similar insurance plans specifically to avoid being singled out.

But, according to The Wall Street Journal, anti-NRA regulators in New York banned the insurance program in May anyway because it allegedly violated state law, while imposing a $7 million fine on the insurance broker who set it up.

Not the first time this has been tried

WSJ reported:

The NRA program allows policyholders to buy policies that cover legal costs in self-defense shootings. The NRA Carry Guard program is still being marketed, according to the programs website, although sales in New York were suspended last fall shortly after the states Department of Financial Services launched its probe.

The NRA lawsuit claims that its Carry Guard program wasnt DFS true focus, as demonstrated by the fact that shortly after it began the investigation dramatically expanded.

Defendants goal, from the outset, was to disrupt any and all business arrangements between the NRA and any insurance administrator, broker, or underwriter  indeed, any financial institution, the suit notes.

After receiving extortion threats from NY DFS, Townhall reported, Lockton  the long-time insurer of the NRA  dropped all of its NRA-related business and services. The suit says at the time the NRA and the insurer were in negotiations over a policy renewal and were set to seal the deal when Lockton officials instead informed the NRA that it could not provide the gun rights group with services moving forward. (Related: MASSIVE: NRA crushes it with 15-year fundraising record in March.)

Chubb Group Holdings, another provider of NRA insurance policies, also had DFS enact a similar content order against them, threatening to fine Chubb $1.3 million if the company participated in any NRA-endorsed program.

The suit also says that the Defendants made it nearly impossible for the NRA to engage in pro-gun advocacy absent basic financial services as well.

This isnt the first time economic warfare has been used by the Left to attack the Second Amendment. The Obama administration used Operation Choke Point to shut down gun shops by walling them off from necessary financial services. The Trump administration ended that program a year ago.

Read more about Left-wing assaults against the Second Amendment at SecondAmendment.news.

Sources include:

NewsTarget.com

Townhall.com
Scientists warn that the planet nears a tipping point that will send it hurtling toward a "Hothouse Earth"  and greenhouse gases aren't the only issue.

In a "Hothouse Earth" scenario, the planet will have a global average temperature 4 to 5 degrees Celsius (7 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the pre-industrial temperatures. The sea level will also be 10 to 60 meters (32 to 197 feet) higher than it is today.

"Our study suggests that human-induced global warming of 2 degrees Celsius may trigger other Earth system processes, often called 'feedbacks' that can drive further warming  even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases," lead author Will Steffen explains in a release from Stockholm Resilience Centre.

A Domino Effect Into A Scorching State

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, noted 10 natural feedback processes, including permafrost thaw, loss of methane hydrates from the ocean floor, weakening land and ocean carbon sinks, increasing bacterial respiration in the oceans, Amazon rainforest dieback, boreal forest dieback, reduction of northern hemisphere snow cover, loss of Arctic summer sea ice, and reduction of Antarctic sea ice and polar ice sheets.

A number of these are considered tipping elements with critical thresholds that, when crossed, could transform them "from friend to foe." This means that feedbacks that currently store carbon could suddenly be uncontrollably releasing it and creating an even warmer world in the process.

Even more alarming, co-author Johan Rockstrom describes the elements as potentially like a row of dominoes with the fall of a single one spurring on the fall of the next. He adds that it may be difficult or even impossible to prevent the entire row of dominoes from tumbling.

"Places on Earth will become uninhabitable if 'Hothouse Earth' becomes the reality," Rockstrom, the incoming co-director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, says.

Can We Still Avoid A Hothouse Earth?

Since there are several feedback processes that contribute toward the planet's descent into a state of "Hothouse Earth," just focusing on cutting greenhouse gas emissions isn't enough to keep the dangers at bay.

According to the authors, creating new or enhancing existing biological carbon stores is essential as well. A handful of ways to achieve this include improved management of forests, biodiversity conservation, and new technology.

In the end, keeping a stabilized planet needs fundamental changes in the society, the study says. As Steffen puts it, making sure that the world avoids a "Hothouse Earth" should include redirecting human actions from exploitation of the planet to stewardship of it.
If people wonder about this odd household phenomenon just like Leonardo da Vinci did in the 1500s, scientists now have a definitive answer.

Centuries ago, Da Vinci noticed that when he turns on the tap, the water splays out upon hitting the sink before it goes on down the drain. This is called the hydraulic jump, a phenomenon of liquids that occurs in kitchen sinks as well as in nature such as rivers and oceans.

In the new study published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, researchers explored the nature and origins of the strange phenomenon.

It's Not Just Gravity Behind The Everyday Phenomenon

According to a University of Cambridge report via Eurekalert, since the 1820s, many scientists believed that this behavior is partly caused by the gravitational pull. It is a long-held assumption that was challenged and debunked by the latest study from the university.

When the study first author Rajesh Bhagat tried firing jets of water on flat surfaces upwards and sideways, he noted that the exact same hydraulic jumps occurred as it would when the water is fired downwards. This implies that gravity plays a much smaller role than presumed.

Bhagat, who is a Chemical Engineering PhD student at the St John's College, University of Cambridge, suggests that the phenomenon could be affected by surface tension and viscosity.

In the research, he manipulated these two factors to accurately predicted the size of the hydraulic jumps, regardless of the direction of the water.

Professor Paul Linden of the University of Cambridge hails the new study, saying it is a ground-breaking step in understanding the behavior of thin layers of fluid.

"His experiments and theory show that the surface tension of the liquid is the key to the process and has this has never before been recognised even though the problem was discussed by da Vinci and many others since," Linden adds.

The Practical Implications Of Hydraulic Jumps

While the hydraulic jump can be observed every day in the house, these new findings could have benefits reaching far beyond the kitchen sink. For one, it could be a game-changer in industries that work with massive amounts of water.

"Understanding this process has big implications and could reduce industrial water use dramatically," Bhagat says. "The new theory is already being used in practical work in the Chemical Engineering department. People can use this theory to find new ways to clean everything from cars to factory equipment."

He adds that the theory could also be used to find ways to reduce water consumption in households.
There's a new tick species sweeping across the United States that's known to kill a significant chunk of its victims in Asia.

The Asian long-horned tick has been busy in the past year, rapidly making its way from state to state.

It's now confirmed to be in seven different states: New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to Live Science.

Public health officials are still investigating how the long-horned tick arrived at the United States, but some suggest that it could have hitched a ride on pets, livestock, horses, or even people entering the country.

Ultra-Aggressive Ticks Wreak Havoc In The US

The introduction of the long-horned ticks are alarming due to its particularly aggressive nature. So far, they have been found on horses, deer, dogs, a calf, an opossum, and a sheep.

The United States Department of Agriculture says that officials are particularly concerned over the new ticks' impact on livestock as very large infestations often form on warm-blooded animals. It can lead to great stress, which in turn causes a reduction in growth and production. More severe infestations can even kill animals from blood loss.

In a New York Times report, entomologist Tadhgh Rainey recalls how a woman came into his department in New Jersey after shearing her Icelandic sheep and catching ticks from the animal.

"I thought she'd have a few," Rainey says. "But she was covered in them, easily over 1,000 on her pants alone."

A month later, he visited the woman's sheep to see the ticks with his own eyes. Just a minute after entering the paddock and even before touching the infected sheep, Rainey says that he's already covered in the long-horned ticks.

The ease with which the species is spreading is due in part to their reproduction technique. Female long-horned ticks can reproduce asexually  and they can spawn 2,000 eggs at a time. This massive number is enough to establish a population in a brand-new location.

Danger On Human Lives Still Uncertain

While the danger to animals is apparent, the danger to humans is much more difficult to pinpoint. So far, none of the long-horned ticks observed in the United States have been found to carry human diseases.

Some of the viruses that have been screened negative in the new ticks are Powassan, Heartland, and Bourbon. The tick has also been found free of Lyme disease, relapsing fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and two varieties of ehrlichiosis.

The Species' Deadly Threats In Asia

In East Asia, long-horned ticks can be very lethal. One of the biggest tick-related threats to humans is the phlebovirus that causes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

SFTS has a 15 percent overall fatality rate, entomologist Terry A. Klein tells New York Times. Even more alarmingly, it kills about half of infected people who are 60 years old and above.
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite unwittingly captured a photobomber in a set of test images: comet C/2018 N1 streaking in and out of the frame.

TESS began science operations last Wednesday, July 25. As it scours the cosmos for signs of alien planets, it is able to get snapshots of other cosmic bodies in distant space as well.

Comet In Flight Steals The Show

The images of the wayward comet were collected by TESS in a span of 17 hours just before the planet hunter kicked off its operations. Astronomers stitched together the images to create a video that illustrates the flight pattern of the comet.

Comet C/2018 N1 was discovered by the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite last June 2018, according to NASA. It currently lies roughly 29 million miles (48 million kilometers) from Earth, in a section of the constellation Piscis Austrinus.

Amazingly, the video from NASA was detailed enough to spot the comet's tail trailing the space rock as it journeys across the skies.

Other Cosmic Activities On The Clip

While the comet is undoubtedly the star of the recently released video, the swath of space that was captured also showcased other interesting astronomical activity.

Most notably are two variable stars that flicker throughout the 1.5-minute video. As Space.com explains, these brightening and dimming behavior is caused by stellar mechanics, not by planets orbiting the star.

Mars lies out of the video frame, but it makes its presence known with a faint beam of light visible. This is reportedly reflected off the Red Planet, possibly due to Mars' exceptional brightness as it was in opposition.

Astronomers were also able to glimpse a group of asteroids zipping in the distance, only visible in the sped-up boomerang clip at the end of the video.

More About TESS

The images prove that TESS is ready to collect a series of clear, stable images of a broad expanse of space periodically. This ability is critical in the search for alien planets, which is the primary goal of NASA's advanced satellite.

TESS will spend two years tracking the nearest, brightest stars in hopes of catching transits or periodic dips in the star's light. Transits are indicative of a planet orbiting the star, causing a temporary flicker in the brightness.

The planet hunter will be sending data back to Earth once per orbit, which is every 13.5 days.

"I'm thrilled that our new planet hunter mission is ready to start scouring our solar system's neighborhood for new worlds," Paul Hertz, director of the NASA Astrophysics division, says in a statement following the start of TESS' operations. "Now that we know there are more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the strange, fantastic worlds we're bound to discover."
New Zealand's stunning Pink and White Terraces was once called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Travelers used to flock to the expansive silica terraces where water cascades into natural pools. Once upon a time, these rocks that make a pretty tableau in hues of pink and white were a famed destination in the Rotorua region of New Zealand until its mysterious disappearance.

Researchers Argue On The Terraces' Fate

In a paper published in the Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand this week, researchers from GNS Science reiterated their previous findings of the White Terraces getting obliterated in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. They also confirmed that whatever fragments that are left of the Pink Terraces have likely been swallowed by the lake water rise and now lie in the depths of Lake Rotomahana.

One of the reasons behind the paper's publication is to counter research in the past few years claiming that the long-lost Terraces survived the eruption and has been found underground in the land surrounding the lake. Using reverse engineering and surveying works of 19th-century geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter to reach their conclusion, researchers even say that part of the Pink and White Terraces may be revived.

Long-Gone Wonder Is Actually Gone Forever

In the new paper, lead author Cornel de Ronde and his team quash the hopes of the Terraces' return with the results of their reexamination of data they collected between 2011 and 2014.

"We've re-examined all of our findings from several years ago and have concluded that it is untenable that the Terraces could be buried on land next to Lake Rotomahana," De Ronde says in a release from GNS Science.

The team used advanced techniques to "find" the legendary site including high-resolution bathymetry, magnetics, measurements of the water column, side-scan sonar, seismic surveys, underwater photography, and surveys. Their findings are also reportedly consistent with historic photographs, as well as published maps by Hochstetter.

The comprehensive research paints a picture of what brought the destruction of the New Zealand treasure. An eruption destroyed most of the Pink and White Terraces, then the lake's water level rose and its area expanded to submerge all remaining traces of the landmark.

De Ronde points out that given the strength of the 1886 eruption, it is not at all surprising that the Terraces were wiped out entirely.
Elbit Systems announced today that it was awarded an approximately $85 million contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) to supply Electronic Warfare (EW) suites for the Israeli Navy Sa'ar 6-class corvettes that will be tasked with the protection of Israel's Economic Exclusion Zone. The contract will be performed over a 10-year period.

Elbit Systems announced today that it was awarded an approximately $85 million contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) to supply Electronic Warfare (EW) suites for the Israeli Navy Sa'ar 6-class corvettes that will be tasked with the protection of Israel's Economic Exclusion Zone. The contract will be performed over a 10-year period.

infographics on the Saar 6



The EW systems to be supplied are combat proven and include digital receivers, signal processing technologies and analysis tools that are all of an open system architecture, thus enabling effective operational capabilities while maintaining flexibility to cope with both current and future threats. The latest configurations of those technologies were developed in close cooperation with the IMOD's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure and with the Israeli Navy, and have been recently declared operational after successfully completing intensive sea trials. This award follows previous Elbit Systems contract awards to equip all the Israeli Navy surface vessels with the Company's advanced EW technologies.

Edgar Maimon, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Elbit Systems EW and SIGINT - Elisra, commented: "We are proud to continue to be the EW house of the Israeli Navy and to have been awarded this contract to equip the new corvettes with the sophisticated EW capabilities necessary to perform a variety of complex missions while maintaining maximal level of force protection. The increasing demand for our EW solutions is a clear indication for the growing operational importance of advanced and combat proven EW capabilities in all domains of operational engagement - maritime, land and air."

Israeli Navy animation



Comment about Saar 6

The Saar 6 class was developed from the German MEKO A100 base (and variations for the German Navy K130 corvettes). The Saar 6 vessels will not just be "Patrol Vessels" as initially reported but rather powerful Corvettes with a displacement in excess of 2,000 tons and a length of 90 meters.The width of the class is 13.5 meters and its draft is more than 4 meters. Their maximum speed is 26 knots thanks to their diesel power plant and dual-shaft arrangement. The crew complement is about 70 sailors.

Saar 6 class corvettes will be heavily armed for their size: They are set to be fitted with:

- 32x VLS cells for Barak 8 surface to air missile system by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

- 2x C-DOME naval point defense system launchers by Rafael (20x Tamir missiles in each launcher for a total of 40x per ship)

- 16x anti-ship missiles (Boeing Harpoon Block 2 or Israel's IAI Gabriel Mk 5)

- 1x 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid main gun

- 2x Typhoon 25mm remote weapon stations by Rafael (likely able to launch Spike-ER missiles as well)

- 2x 324mm torpedo launchers for MK54 Lightweight Torpedo by Raytheon



The main sensor system aboard the Saar 6 will be the MF-STAR multifunction AESA radar by IAI. Saar 6 corvettes will have hangar space and platform able to accommodate a medium class (SH-60 type) helicopter.
A Spare the Air alert has been issued for the Bay Area for Wednesday because of a mix of smog and wildfire smoke expected in the region, air quality officials said.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the alert, the fifth for smog this year, and is encouraging people to carpool, take public transit or work from home to avoid contributing to the bad air quality.

"Air quality in our region is being threatened for two reasons -- smoke from wildfires and smog from cars on our roadways," air district executive officer Jack Broadbent said in a statement.

Excessive pollution of smog, or ozone, can cause throat irritation, congestion, trigger asthma, worsen bronchitis and emphysema, or cause other health issues, according to the air district.

People are advised to only exercise outdoors in the early morning hours when smog levels are lower.

People can find out when a Spare the Air alert is in effect by registering for email alerts at www.sparetheair.org, calling (800) HELP-AIR, downloading the Spare the Air smartphone app or connecting with Spare the Air on social media.
What to Know New England Aquarium biologist began performing a necropsy Tuesday on a minke whale that washed up Sunday near Marshfield's Brant Rock.

The 27-foot whale was pinned against a jetty in shallow water at low tide and is believed to be the 38th dead minke whale documented.

Minke whales, the smallest of the large whale species found in New England waters, are often seen on whale watches in the region.

Officials at the New England Aquarium officials are trying to determine the cause of death for a whale that was found over the weekend on the South Shore of Massachusetts.

The 27-foot long minke whale was found dead Sunday morning near Marshfields Brant Rock.

The aquariums animal rescue team responded, and two biologists waded into the water from knee to waist deep to do an initial exam and take tissue samples.

Aquarium biologists then had to move the whale to do a necropsy, after it was pinned against a jetty in shallow water at low tide and along the very rocky, narrow shore.

On Tuesday, an entire team of researchers came out to further investigate the whales organs and musculature. Eventually, they will send samples to labs across the country.

Since January 2017, minke whales have been dying in unusually high numbers along the east coast of the United State from Maine to the Carolinas. Aquarium officials say this is believed to be the 38th dead minke whale that has been documented.

Weve got a lot of whales that are underweight in an area that for this species, has plenty of food, Tony LaCasse of the New England Aquarium said. Were wondering if there is something like a bacteria, a virus or a change in the environment thats causing this.

Aquarium officials say the adult female whale was thin but not emaciated. There was no visible gear from a possible entanglement, and there was no major trauma visible from a possible vessel strike.

The whale will be buried on site in Marshfield once the necropsy is complete. They expect results in the next few months.

Minke whales, the smallest of the large whale species found in New England waters, are often seen on whale watches in the region. They are grey, sleekly built and often can be identified by their white bellies and small white, pectoral fins, which are called minke mittens.

The minke whales are a protected species like all whales in U.S. waters, but their population is not considered either endangered or threatened.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the American federal oceans agency, has declared an unusual mortality event and is committing additional resources to try to learn what might be affecting the species.
What to Know KinderCare in Burlington, Massachusetts is at the center of the investigation.

The district attorney's office says it is investigating the alleged assault of a child by an adult on Monday.

A source says a 4-year-old boy was allegedly grabbed by his arm and thrown onto a cot during naptime.

A Massachusetts day care is under investigation after a teacher allegedly grabbed a 4-year-old boy by his arm and threw him onto a cot earlier this week.

Burlington police confirmed that they, along with investigators from the Middlesex district attorney's office and state Department of Children and Families, are looking into an alleged incident at KinderCare on Cambridge Street.

A source told NBC10 Boston that a 4-year-old was grabbed by his arm and thrown onto a cot during naptime on Monday.



The district attorney's office confirmed that it has received a report of an allegation of a potential assault and battery of a child by an adult that occurred at KinderCare on Monday and is investigating along with Burlington police.

DCF confirmed only that it has received a report and is investigating.

KinderCare offered this statement on Wednesday evening.

Late Monday (August 6) a concern was raised that one of our teachers may have been rough with a child As soon as we became aware of this concern the teacher involved was placed on administrative leave. The teacher has not been in the center since the concern was raised on Monday and will remain on leave until further notice. a KinderCare spokesperson said.

Sheedal Adigi, who has sent her kids to the day care for a few weeks, is one of many parents questioning teachers after hearing about the incident.

Adigi and other parents say they know the teacher who has been placed on leave and they are shocked by the allegations.

"He seems to be pretty fine with the kids," she said.



A number of parents said they still plan to send their kids to the day care for now but that they will be keeping a close eye on the situation.

This is an open investigation, according to the district attorney.
A Vermont man accused by relatives of killing his millionaire grandfather and his mother to collect inheritance money asked a Connecticut probate judge Tuesday to allow him immediate access to $150,000 in a family trust so he can pay for legal expenses.

Nathan Carman also requested that his aunt, Valerie Santilli, be removed as trustee of the Nathan Carman Family Trust, a fund that was set up for him by his grandfather in 2011 and is worth about $270,000 today, according to court documents.

Judge Owen Eagan set a full hearing date of Sept. 6 and gave Carman, who is representing himself, and Santilli's lawyers time to question witnesses and exchange documents.

Carman, 24, of Vernon, Vermont, filed the probate court action after his request last year for $150,000 from the trust for legal expenses was rejected, court documents filed by Santilli's lawyers say. He cited Santilli's "extreme hostility" toward him and other factors in his court filings.

He said he needed the money for legal representation to defend himself against a lawsuit in New Hampshire filed by Santilli and her two sisters. They accuse him of killing his grandfather, John Chakalos, and possibly his mother, Linda, and are asking the New Hampshire judge to block him from collecting any money from his grandfather's estate.

"I need to hire an attorney to defend me in New Hampshire to ensure a just outcome," Carman, dressed in a wrinkled gray suit, told Eagan.

Carman also repeated that he had no involvement in the deaths of his grandfather and mother. He declined to answer questions after the hearing.

Santilli's attorney, Dan Small, said Carman already has enough money to hire a lawyer and refuses to provide any details of his finances.

Chakalos, a real estate developer, was found shot to death in his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013. Police said Carman was a suspect in the killing, but a prosecutor declined to sign an arrest warrant and no one has been charged. Carman's mother, Linda, went missing during a fishing trip with him in 2016 after their boat sank near Rhode Island and is presumed dead. Carman was rescued at sea.

Chakalos, 87, who also had a home in West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, left an estate now worth more than $29 million to his four daughters, and $7 million of that could go to Carman.

Carman also is fighting an insurer in federal court in Rhode Island over his insurance claim for his boat. The insurer alleges he made suspicious alterations to the boat before it sank and it is trying to avoid payment on the $85,000 policy.

Santilli's lawyers say she appointed an independent lawyer, at Carman's urging, to review his request for $150,000 for legal costs, and that request was rejected because Carman refused to provide financial information. They also say Santilli previously approved giving Carman $25,000 in 2012 for him to buy a car and $175,000 in 2014 to pay his Connecticut defense lawyer, who later returned $150,000 to the trust, court documents say.

Carman told the probate judge Tuesday that he did not want to give the independent lawyer his financial information because he was concerned the lawyer would give it to Santilli and she would use it against him in the New Hampshire case. Carman said he would agree to provide the information if there was a confidentiality agreement.

Small said Santilli and her sisters do not want Carman profiting from the deaths of his grandfather and mother.

"The family is obviously very upset at this process but they're looking for justice," Small said.
Two people were killed and a third wounded in a shooting that led to a car crash early Wednesday on Chicago's West Side, authorities said.

The incident took place at around 3:40 a.m. in the 4300 block of West Lake Street in the city's West Garfield Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police.

Five people were traveling in a Jeep Grand Cherokee when someone opened fire on the vehicle, striking three people and causing the car to crash into a pillar under the train tracks at Lake Street and North Kostner Avenue, officials said.

A 21-year-old man was shot twice in the chest and once in the wrist, according to police, and a 22-year-old woman was shot in the back.

Police and fire officials said both were taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office could not immediately confirm the fatality and further details, including their identities, were not available.

A 19-year-old man was also shot in the chest and was taken to Stroger Hospital where he was listed in serious condition, according to police.

Authorities said the two other people in the vehicle were not shot and did not suffer injuries in the crash.

No one was in custody in connection with the shooting, according to police, and an investigation into the incident remained ongoing.
The State Department of Education has notified the City of Ansonia that the city has failed to meet its minimum budget requirements (MBR) for public education funding for the 2017-2018 fiscal year and for the coming year, which could cost the city over $1 million in education grant funding if not made up.

Under Connecticut law, MBR prohibits a town from budgeting less for education than it did the previous year without demonstrating certain requirements, such as a reduction in aid or a decrease in enrollment.

In June 2017, the Ansonia Board of Alderman approved an education budget of $31.8 million for the 2017-2018 year, making the MBR $31.8 million.

In January 2018, the Board of Alderman slashed that budget by $600,000 down to $31.2 million, a move that led to a major dispute that escalated to the point of a lawsuit as school district leaders claimed schools might have to shut down early due to the budget crisis.

The city and Board of Education ultimately settled the lawsuit with a one-time deal of the city giving $500,000 to the Board of Education for the fiscal year.

The Board of Alderman in June also approved a $31.2 million budget for the 2018-2019 school year.

According to the state, that's not good enough.

The letter from the state, dated August 8, states that the city failed to meet its MBR for the 2017-2018 school year, and will also fail to meet its obligation in the current fiscal year unless it appropriates an additional $600,000 to the Board of Education. If the city fails to meet its MBR, it could result in a reduction to state grant money to double the amount - $1.2 million. If the city loses that funding, it would still be required to fund the Board of Education to the MBR level with local funds.

The letter went on to urge city leaders to work toward a solution at the local level before the state has to take enforcement action. The state also offered to meet with the city and school board to discuss a solution.

In an interview Wednesday, Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti told NBC Connecticut at this point he's not willing to give more money to the schools, and wants the issue to play out in court.

"Not until I get a detailed budget from them so I can see where their money is being spent," he said.

Cassetti also said he had not yet decided whether to attend the meetings offered by the state.


Longtime Trumbull High School English teacher Clayton Curtiss is preparing for his fourth Closer to Free Ride in support of the Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven.

My wife and I had always been bicyclists, he said. Wed always done a lot of riding together.

That was before Mary Curtiss, Claytons wife of 40 years, lost her balance because of a brain tumor.

And we didnt ride anymore and that was one of the things she regretted most, Clayton said.

Mary passed away in January 2015, just three months after Claytons 51-year-old daughter Carolyn died following her own battle with cancer.

It was a pretty horrible time in my life, Clayton told NBC Connecticut Wednesday morning at Smilow. Of course you ask yourself isn't there anything you can do, is there anything I can do.

The next summer Clayton became determined to get back on a bike, so he bought a new one better equipped for his age in Branford.

"As Im coming along I-95 in East Haven, I look up on the billboard and there it says Ride Closer to Free and I thought wait a minute, this is something that is a sign to me, he said.

Today, event production company Eventage that helps Smilow put on the ride each year presented Clayton with a gift basket from one of the companys for profit clients, Art of Shaving.

Its a gift, its an honor for us to be part of it, Olive Isaacs from Eventage said.

Eventage plans to pass out at least 50 gift baskets with grooming products to patients at Smilow.

These are our Art of Going Home kits, which are luxury products for comfort and pampering to those who need it most, Isaacs said.

After everything Clayton went through, losing two loved ones in such a short time span, he learned of his own cancer diagnosis last summer.

My urologist said Clayton you must have surgery to have this removed, he said, your prostate is in such danger its a threat to your life.

The first time Clayton went in for surgery, he said his heart stopped. So he had a pacemaker installed ahead of a successful operation in January.

Now, he is one month away from a 40-mile bike ride.

Ill be wearing a survivor jersey for the first time and thats unexpected, but pleasantly unexpected, Clayton said.

Hes raising money for research in hopes of making this world closer to cancer free.

If we can eradicate cancer, Clayton said, what more can we leave to our generations to come except a cancer free life, I cant think of anything better.

NBC Connecticut is a proud media sponsor of the Eighth Closer to Free Ride on Saturday September 8. There is still time to sign up.
A firefighter is recovering after getting injured while battling a fire at a vacant building in Willimantic early Wednesday morning.

Officials said the firefighter suffered a minor back injury while fighting the fire that broke out at a vacant building on Chapman Street shortly before 4 a.m.

When firefighters arrived to the building, they said there was heavy fire showing in the front on the right side of the building. The strength of the fire forced firefighters to fight the flames from outside of the building. The fire partially collapsed the roof in the back of the building.

"There's going to be a lot of hot spots. It's an older building so it's got a lot of voids in it," said Willimantic Fire Department Captain Ron Palmer.

Fire officials said the building has been vacant for a number of years and in that time, firefighters have responded to several fires there.

"I've been in this department for 22 years. This is my third fire at the building so I believe it's been vacant for several years," Palmer said.

Nobody was inside of the building at the time of the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

On top of dealing with the scorching flames, firefighters also had to deal with extreme humidity.

"It's brutal. It really wears you down so it's probably decreasing our effectiveness by at least 50 percent," Palmer said.

Chapman Street is closed from Ives Street to Elm Street. There is no word on how long the road will be closed for.
Greenwich police have arrested a man from Staten Island, New York, after they received a report of a sexual assault in June.

Detectives said they conducted an extensive investigation and developed probable cause for an arrest warrant for 37-year-old Gionni Scaltro for charges including sexual assault, threatening, unlawful restraint and breach of peace.

On July 26, New York Police Department arrested Scaltro for the warrant. On Tuesday, officers from Greenwich police responded to Richmond County Supreme Court in Staten Island to extradite Scaltro back to Connecticut.

He was released on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Torrington police are investigating reported break-ins at two nail salons.

The owner of Serenity Nail Spa tells NBC Connecticut he got a call around 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday that something was wrong.

He believes someone took an object, like a flash light, broke the front door and then quickly went to work.

I was here early this morning until 6:00 a.m. cleaning the front door and calling the insurance company, call the glass company, said Bobby Sikhounmeuang.

Sikhounmeuang raced to make sure his Torrington business, Serenity Nail Spa, was ready to open after an overnight burglary.

Its unfortunate for anybody but especially for small businesses. They put a lot into it, said Megan Ross of Torrington.

Sikhounmeuang said a security camera at the store in the Torrington Commons Shopping Center off of High Street captured what unfolded just before 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

In the span of 20 seconds, the video shows someone enter the spa, head right to the cash register and then eventually take off.

I feel like violated. We have a camera. We have everything. No one is going to leave a lot of money in the cash register at night, Sikhounmeuang said.

About $100 in cash was allegedly swiped, but repairing the shattered door cost almost another $400.

On Tuesday, customers showed up in solidarity.

A few people have come in since Ive been here just to, you know, support, said Ross.

Pictures posted on Facebook captured the aftermath of a similar break-in that went down back on Friday at Gloss Nail Spa on Winsted Road in Torrington.

Police tell us they are investigating both of the salon burglaries.

Now Sikhounmeuang believes it may be time to invest in more security and a safe in case a burglar strikes again.

It happens everywhere nowadays. So just be more cautious, Sikhounmeuang said.

Anyone with information should contact Torrington police.
Greenwich police are investigating a violent home invasion over the weekend in which the victim was tied up and beaten and officers have arrested one suspect.

Officers responded to a home on Brook Drive around 3 p.m. Saturday and found the victim restrained and bleeding.

He said several armed intruders had forced their way into his home and demanded cash and jewelry.

Police said the evidence suggests the home invasion was targeted and not a random act.

Investigators identified 46-year-old Hassan Washington, of New York City, as one of the suspects and obtained a warrant charging him with home invasion, first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault and sixth-degree larceny.

Officers from the FBI and the New York Police Department arrested him and he is being held in New York pending extradition to Connecticut.

Police said more arrests are expected.
Italy's prime minister visited people who were injured when a truck carrying highly flammable gas crashed and exploded on a highway near Bologna, saying Tuesday it was important to understand what happened to prevent future tragedies.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation of Monday's accident, which was triggered when the tanker truck hauling liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, rammed a truck stuck in a line of traffic. The tanker caught fire and then exploded, shooting a fireball across the raised highway's eight lanes and collapsing part of it.

The tanker truck's driver was killed, but two highway patrolmen were credited with preventing more deaths by clearing the road of startled and curious motorists in the minutes between the collision and the big blast.

"The road was full of people outside of their vehicles that were making videos. There were two or three kilometers full of cars," patrolman Giacomo Chiriatti told Italian news channel Sky TG24. "In six, seven minutes, eight, we managed to get all of the cars out of the way. After that, there was a great big explosion, as if from a film about Hiroshima and the atomic bomb."

Highway police said only the tanker driver died in the crash, revising earlier reports by the Italian carabinieri that the accident caused two fatalities. The driver was identified as 41-year-old Andrea Anziolin of the northern Italian city of Vicenza.

"Maybe it was a moment of distraction or a wave of sleepiness" that caused Anziolin to rear-end the truck, Bologna prosecutor Giuseppe Amato told Italy's RAI radio. "But it is too early to say with certainty."

The accident injured dozens of people. Some had burns, while others were cut by flying glass from the windows of nearby buildings that shattered during powerful secondary explosions.

The ones hurt by glass included 11 carabinieri from a barracks near the blast site who were preparing to respond to the accident, officials said.

Doctors said 120 people were treated, with just 18 hospitalized for injuries that included severe burns. Ten patients were being treated in a plastic surgery ward, four in burn units.

"I am here today to demonstrate the closeness of the government to the people who are suffering but also to understand why so that these things are not repeated," Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said during his trip to see accident victims Tuesday.

Conte traveled later to the southern region of Puglia, where a van packed with immigrant farmworkers overturned after colliding with a truck carrying tomatoes, killing 12. It was the second such fatal accident in the area in the space of three days.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini beat him there, pledging to crack down on immigrants working illegally in Italy.

"The fight against the mafia and exploitation are a priority of my government," Salvini said. "Out of control immigration helps the mafia, and therefore reducing arrivals" hurts criminal organizations.

Italy's transport minister told lawmakers it would cost a maximum of 1 million euros ($1.16 million) and take about five months to repair the highway near Bologna, part of a key junction that connects highways linking northern Italy and the Adriatic coast, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Simone Somekh contributed to this report.
What to Know Rick Gates, labeled Paul Manafort's "right-hand man" took the stand once again Tuesday as Manafort's trial resumed

Gates admitted Monday to embezzling money from Manafort, along with committing crimes with him

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller in the Russia probe

In a blistering back-and forth, Paul Manafort's lawyer suggested Tuesday that the star witness in the former Trump campaign chairman's financial fraud trial has told "so many lies" he can't remember all of them.

Defense lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates by pressing him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

Downing also ventured into territory both sides had agreed to avoid: discussion of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Under questioning, Gates said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trump's inaugural committee, which he helped operate. Downing also asked whether Mueller's investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

The judge then brought the trial to a standstill late Tuesday afternoon, calling a brief recess. Afterward, Downing dropped the Trump-related line of questioning, moving on to other topics without explanation.

In general, references to Trump at the trial have been few and far between. Both sides agreed ahead of time to limit discussion of the campaign so as not to prejudice the jury, though they had agreed to allow testimony about the overlap of a bank loan with Manafort's role in the campaign.

The tough questioning of Gates came after he spent hours telling jurors how he disguised millions of dollars in foreign income as loans in order to lower Manafort's tax bill. Gates recounted how he and Manafort used more than a dozen offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.

Under questioning from Downing, Gates acknowledged he had to plead guilty to false statements after lying during a February interview with federal investigators. At one point, as Gates had trouble recalling the details of his confession, Downing asked him, "Have they confronted you with so many lies that you can't even remember them?"

Manafort's defense attorneys have sought to paint Gates as an embezzler, a liar and the instigator of any criminal conduct. They have tried several times to impugn his credibility before the jury.

Ahead of that barrage, Gates implicated himself in a vast amount of criminal conduct on the stand, an apparent strategic decision by prosecutors as they hoped to take some of the steam out of the defense's questioning.

Gates' testified that he and Manafort knew they were committing crimes for years.

"In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts," Gates said.

Prosecutors summoned Gates to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme. Gates also provided the first witness testimony that overlaps with Trump's presidential campaign.

Manafort and Gates were the first two people indicted in Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. But Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to cooperate in Mueller's investigation of Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.

The case against Manafort has little to do with either man's work for the Trump campaign and there's been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia  the central question Mueller's team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort and suggesting he has been treated worse than gangster Al Capone.

On Tuesday, Gates did connect one part of the bank fraud charges against Manafort to his role in the Trump campaign.

The 46-year-old former political consultant told jurors how Manafort asked for tickets to Trump's inauguration so he could give them to a banker involved in approving a loan at the center of his financial fraud trial. Gates also said Manafort floated banker Stephen Calk's name for consideration as Secretary of the Army, a post he ultimately did not get.

The email exchange about Calk occurred after Manafort left the Trump campaign but while Gates was active on the Trump inauguration committee. Prosecutors had previously said that Manafort's interactions with Calk were the only part of the trial expected to overlap with his Trump campaign role.

The face-off between longtime business associates and former senior members of the Trump campaign drew scores of people who waited in line for hours outside the courthouse and then jammed into both the courtroom and an overflow room that contained a video feed of the proceedings.

In testimony Tuesday, Gates laid responsibility squarely at Manafort's feet for a series of crimes, saying the two had committed crimes together by stashing money in foreign bank accounts and falsifying bank loan documents.

Gates described to jurors how he repeatedly submitted fake financial documents at Manafort's behest as his former boss became concerned he was paying too much in taxes and, later, that his funds were drying up.

In one email, Manafort wrote "WTF" about tax payments he was going to have to make, Gates said.



In other testimony, Gates recounted how he converted a PDF of a profit-and-loss statement to a Microsoft Word document so he could doctor it to inflate the business' income. Gates also fabricated a forgiveness letter for what he said was already a fake loan between Manafort's consulting company and a Cypriot entity he controlled.

Prosecutor Greg Andres pointed out he had created a "loan forgiveness letter between Mr. Manafort and Mr. Manafort."

"Yes," Gates agreed.

During the testimony, Manafort did not stare Gates down as he did Monday. When the trial broke for lunch, Manafort looked back at his wife, sitting in the front row, smiled and winked at her, followed by a quick shake of his head, seeming to indicate he was unfazed by the morning's testimony.

In addition, Gates has admitted to other criminal conduct.

Gates, who is awaiting sentencing, told jurors that he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollarsc from Manafort by filing false expense reports. He also said he committed credit card and mortgage fraud, falsified a letter for a colleague involved in an investment deal and made false statements in a deposition at Manafort's direction.

Associated Press writer Stephen Braun contributed to this report.
Wednesday morning, firefighters from Little Elm boarded a plane bound for California. The department is among 32 in Texas that will send help through the Texas Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System to help battle wildfires.

"If you call, we're gonna go," said Jeremy Wilson, assistant fire chief in Little Elm. "They've been overrun by fires. I think they've got five fires that are zero percent contained."

While Little Elm will send help, it will be bringing something back from California. Experience.

"It's a unique opportunity for us to send our men out, get a totally different type of fire," Wilson explained. "There's a tool in our toolbox we can pull out when we're out on these type fires."

Though the terrain and types of fires are different in California, Wilson said his crew will learn new firefighting techniques they could apply in other situations. "No matter what you throw at us...we're gonna make sure our people stay safe and are going to make sure the people in the community stay safe."

The deployment for Little Elm is expected to be two weeks. Wilson said if asked, the department will send more help.
What to Know The Trump administration this week reimposed sanctions on Iran starting Tuesday. which target Iran's automotive sector, among others

Cybersecurity experts say Iran could hit back at the US for the sanctions with cyberattacks

The Trump administration says it re-imposed sanctions on Iran to prevent its aggression

The U.S. is bracing for cyberattacks Iran could launch in retaliation for the re-imposition of sanctions this week by President Donald Trump, cybersecurity and intelligence experts say.

Concern over that cyber threat has been rising since May, when Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal, under which the U.S. and other world powers eased economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. The experts say the threat would intensify following Washington's move Tuesday to re-impose economic restrictions on Tehran.

"While we have no specific threats, we have seen an increase in chatter related to Iranian threat activity over the past several weeks," said Priscilla Moriuchi, director of strategic threat development at Recorded Future, a global real-time cyber threat intelligence company. The Massachusetts-based company predicted back in May that the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement would provoke a cyber response from the Iranian government within two to four months.

U.S. intelligence agencies have singled out Iran as one of the main foreign cyber threats facing America, along with Russia, China and North Korea. A wave of attacks that U.S. authorities blamed on Iran between 2012 and 2014 targeted banks and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. They also targeted but failed to penetrate critical infrastructure.

Iran denies using its cyber capabilities for offensive purposes, and accuses the U.S. of targeting Iran. Several years ago, the top-secret Stuxnet computer virus destroyed centrifuges involved in Iran's contested nuclear program. Stuxnet, which is widely believed to be an American and Israeli creation, caused thousands of centrifuges at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility to spin themselves to destruction at the height of the West's fears over Iran's program.

"The United States has been the most aggressive country in the world in offensive cyber activity and publicly boasted about attacking targets across the world," said Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran's diplomatic mission at the United Nations, contending that Iran's cyber capabilities are "exclusively for defensive purposes."

Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who heads the elite Quds Force of Iran's hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has sounded more ominous, warning late last month about Iran's capabilities in "asymmetric war," a veiled reference to nontraditional warfare that could include cyber attacks.

The Trump administration says it re-imposed sanctions on Iran to prevent its aggression  denying it the funds it needs to finance terrorism, its missile program and forces in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

The sanctions restarted Tuesday target U.S. dollar financial transactions, Iran's automotive sector and the purchase of commercial planes and metals, including gold. Even stronger sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector and central bank are to be re-imposed in early November. European leaders have expressed deep regret about the U.S. actions. They hit Iran at a time when its unemployment is rising, the country's currency has collapsed and demonstrators are taking to the streets to protest social issues and labor unrest.

Norm Roule, former Iran manager for the office of the Director of National Intelligence, said he thinks Tehran will muster its cyber forces in response.

"I think there is a good chance Iran will use cyber, probably not an attack that is so destructive that it would fragment its remaining relationship with Europe, but I just don't think the Iranians will think there is much cost to doing this," Roule said. "And it's a good way to show their capacity to inflict economic cost against the United States."

"Iran's cyber activities against the world have been the most consequential, costly and aggressive in the history of the internet, more so than Russia. ... The Iranians are destructive cyber operators," Roule said, adding that Iranian hackers have, at times, impersonated Israeli and Western cyber security firm websites to harvest log-in information.

The office of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats declined to comment Tuesday on the likelihood that Iran will answer the sanctions with cyber operations against the U.S. When the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal, the FBI issued a warning saying that hackers in Iran "could potentially use a range of computer network operations  from scanning networks for potential vulnerabilities to data-deletion attacks  against U.S.-based networks in response to the U.S. government's withdrawal" from the nuclear pact.

Accenture Security, a global consulting, managing and technology company, also warned Tuesday that the new sanctions would "likely to push that country to intensify state-sponsored cyber threat activities," particularly if Iran fails to keep its European counterparts committed to the nuclear pact.

Josh Ray, the firm's managing director for cyber defense, said it hasn't seen any evidence that Iran has launched any new cyber operations, but he said Iran has the capability to do it and has historically operated in a retaliatory manner.

"This still remains a highly capable, espionage-related type threat," Ray said. "Organizations need to take this threat seriously. They need to understand how their business could potentially be impacted."

Recorded Future's Moriuchi anticipated that businesses most at risk were those victimized in Iranian cyberattacks between 2012 and 2014  they include banks and financial services, government departments, critical infrastructure providers, and oil and energy.

Those cyberattacks cost nearly 50 financial institutions tens of millions of dollars. The repeated attacks disabled bank websites and kept hundreds of thousands of customers from accessing their online accounts. U.S. prosecutors indicted several Iranians, alleging they worked at the behest of the Iranian government.

One defendant allegedly targeted the computer systems of the Bowman Dam in Rye, New York. No access was gained, but prosecutors said the breach underscored the potential vulnerabilities of the nation's critical infrastructure.

In March, the Justice Department also announced charges against nine Iranians accused of working at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to steal large quantities of academic data from hundreds of universities in the United States and abroad as well as email accounts belonging to employees of government agencies and private companies.

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report.
What to Know The Holy fire started Aug. 6 near the Riverside and Orange county border in Cleveland National Forest

The fire spread quickly in dry brush, steep terrain and extremely hot weather

The fire is one of more than a dozen large wildfires burning this summer throughout California

A man arrested in connection with the 9,600-acre wildfire burning in Cleveland National Forest was charged Thursday with several arson-related counts.

Fifty-one-year-old Forrest Gordon Clark was arrested Tuesday, a day after the fast-moving wildfire started in dry brush and steep terrain near the Riverside and Orange county border. He was charged Thursday with one felony count each of aggravated arson of five or more inhabited structures, arson of inhabited property, arson of forest, criminal threats, two felony counts of resisting and deterring an executive officer, and a sentencing enhancement for arson burning multiple structures.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison.

Details about how the fire started were not immediately available, but Clark is accused of setting the blaze in the Trabuco Canyon area. At least 14 structures have burned.

A court appearance was scheduled for Thursday, but the suspect refused to come out of his cell as of early afternoon. Arraignment was re-scheduled for Friday.

A family member declined NBC4's request for a comment Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether Clark has an attorney.

The Orange County Register reported that the suspect owns a cabin in the Holy fire area and allegedly sent an email warning "this place will burn." Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan told the Register that he received the emails last week.

"He has issues," Milligan told the Register. "I hope they get him."

The Holy fire in Riverside and Orange counties is one of more than a dozen large wildfires burning in California, including the Mendocino Complex -- the state's largest wildfire on record. Major fires also are burning in Shasta County and in and around Yosemite National Park during what could be one of the worst years for wildfires on record in California.

The Holy fire is at least the second large wildfire this summer that authorities said was started by an arsonist. Last month, a Temecula man was arrested on suspicion of starting nine fires, including the 13,000-acre Cranston fire in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County.

The Holy Fire was first reported about 1:15 p.m. Monday near Holy Jim Canyon and Trabuco Creek roads, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito. The fire grew to more than 4,100 acres by Wednesday morning. It was less than 5-percent contained.

The area has not burned since the early 1980s, leaving hillsides covered in dry brush that provides fuel for the fire.

A care and reception center was established at Temescal Canyon High School on El Toro Road in Lake Elsinore.

About 600 firefighters were called in to try to encircle the blaze, with the USFS taking the lead, aided by personnel from Cal Fire, Corona, the OCFA and other agencies.

California could be facing the toughest wildfire season ever as 12 gigantic blazes ravage the state. Some 14,000 firefighters are battling fires that have destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and claimed at least six lives due to wind-whipped flames that have caused an explosive spread through vegetation left tinder-dry by years of drought.

California's largest recorded blaze -- the side-by-side fires dubbed the Mendocino Complex -- needed just 11 days to blacken an area nearly the size of Los Angeles. A deadly fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the Redding area of Northern California is less than 50 percent contained.
Police were pursuing a vehicle down the Angeles Crest Highway heading towards the San Gabriel Valley Tuesday night at approximately 9:45 p.m.

The driver failed to yield after the California Highway Patrol initiated a stop for erratic driving.

Newschopper4 Alpha was over the scene as the pursuit headed towards the La Canada Flintridge area at approximately 10:00 p.m.

However, the driver appeared to turn around and head back north on the Angeles Crest Highway, where Newschopper4 Alpha was unable to follow the pursuit vehicle.

Reports from the scene suggested that the CHP employed a spike strip at approximately 10:10 p.m., but the driver refused to stop and proceeded at low speeds.

The vehicle appeared to be headed towards Wrightwood, and CHP confirmed that there were two people in the vehicle.

At approximately 10:40 p.m., the CHP attempted a pit maneuver but failed to stop the car. The driver was proceeded at extremely low speeds, estimated to be 10 mph.

Police Chases Video from Southern California's police pursuits and follow-ups on what happened after the chase Spike Strip Helps Bring 100-MPH Mercedes-Benz SUV Chase to an End

Soon after, the driver increased speeds to approximately 40 mph. Due to the the spike strips, the vehicle was running on rims and had a high risk of causing a brush fire.

At approximately 10:45 p.m., the LA County Fire Department launched a helicopter to follow the chase due to concerns that the sparks from the vehicle could ignite a brush fire.

The pursuit concluded at approximately 11:15 p.m., with the suspect giving up following a short standoff. The chase concluded on Angeles Crest Highway, east of Buckhorn Campground.
What to Know A 2015-2016 methane gas leak forced evacuations in Porter Ranch, a community northwest of Los Angeles

The gas stemmed from an underground storage facility owned by Southern California Gas Co.

A class-action suit involving around 9,000 plaintiffs has been filed

A $119.5 million settlement agreement was announced Wednesday to resolve claims by several governmental bodies stemming from the massive Aliso Canyon methane leak that sent more than 100,000 tons of natural gas into neighborhoods around Porter Ranch.

According to a statement released by Southern California Gas Co. just before the start of a news conference to detail the agreement, the settlement with the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, the County of Los Angeles, the California Attorney General's office and the California Air Resources Board resolves "all outstanding claims by those government bodies against the company related to the 2015-2016 natural gas leak at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility."

"Under the terms of the $119.5 million settlement agreement, SoCalGas will, among other things, reimburse city, county and state governments for costs associated with their response to the leak; establish a program with the California Air Resources Board to mitigate the methane emissions from the leak; and fund local environmental benefit projects to be administered by the government parties," according to the statement.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilman Mitch Englander and county Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis were scheduled to discuss the settlement at a morning news conference.

The gas stemmed from an underground storage facility owned by the company.

Officials said the invisible gas was flowing for about four months in what is being called the worst methane leak in history. An estimated 8,000 residents evacuated their homes, and people from the area said they experienced health issues such as headaches, nosebleeds and nausea.

A class-action suit involving around 9,000 plaintiffs has been filed again SoCalGas. People affiliated with the suit said they resented reports of a settlement since it indicated that a state investigation of the leak will end even though, they claim, the leaking has not stopped.

Bret Lane, the utility's president and chief operating officer, said SoCalGas "is delivering on our commitment to the governor and the people of California to fully mitigate the methane emissions from the leak at our Aliso Canyon facility."

"The settlement will also help California meet its ambitious climate goals by advancing projects that capture methane from dairy farms and waste and convert that energy into renewable natural gas for use in transportation," he said. "SoCalGas is pleased to have worked with the Attorney General's Office, the Air Resources Board, the Los Angeles City Attorney and the County of Los Angeles to resolve these matters for the people of California."

The gas leak, which was discovered in October 2015 and continued emanating methane until February 2016, poured an estimated 109,000 tons of methane into the air and forced an estimated 15,000 residents to temporarily relocate.

Limited operations resumed at the facility in late July 2017 with the blessing of state regulators. Efforts by Los Angeles County officials to block the resumed operations failed in court.

Last year, SoCalGas reached an $8.5 million settlement with South Coast Air Quality Management District over the leak, which included $1 million in funding for an SCAQMD-sponsored health study on the impacts of the leak, although county health officials said that $35 million to $40 million would be needed for an adequate study.
Steve Garrison grows more than 700 plants at his Homestead farm, but there's one plant he isn't allowed to grow. And it's one he wants to the most  marijuana.

"It has been a lot of heartaches, a lot of frustrations and expenses," said Garrison.

He's been fighting to get his license to grow medical marijuana for four years.

For him, the struggle is personal.

"I owe this to my son," he said.

Garrison's son, Matt, was a combat veteran who suffered from PTSD.

He died of heart failure before medical marijuana was legalized in Florida.

"We're on a mission," he said.

As Garrison has learned, it's not an easy process to get a license to grow medical marijuana in Florida.

Farmers: "We Can't Grow Fast Enough"

The number of patients being prescribed marijuana by doctors in Florida is growing fast, but the number of farms growing the plants is not.

Right now, more than 144,000 patients are registered to receive medical marijuana. The number of patients has doubled since January 2018.

All marijuana prescribed in Florida has to be grown, processed and sold in the state.

The Florida Department of Health has granted licenses to 14 farms throughout the state over the past two years to grow and sell cannabis, but less than half of those farms are up and running.

Some businesses say they're having a difficult time keeping up with demand.

"Keeping up in six months is going to be challenging," said Josh Reed, Vice President of Production for Surterra Wellness.

NBC 6 Investigators visited the greenhouse where all of Surterra's marijuana is grown in Hillsborough County.

Inside, the facility is filled with plants that are made into oils and sold at dispensaries across the state.

"We're increasing as fast as we can, but we also don't see the need to limit the competition," said Reed. "The more people the better."

Dispensaries Running Out of Marijuana

So many patients are signing up for marijuana prescriptions, some dispensaries are having a difficult time keeping their shelves stocked with popular products.

Pain medicine Doctor Michelle Weiner says she has 800 patients who have prescriptions for marijuana.

Some of them are having a difficult time getting their prescription filled.

"The places that they've been getting their medications from will run out of what they've been taking, so I'll have to give them suggestions for different places," said Dr. Weiner. "So then they may go to a dispensary and try something else out that may or may not work better."

New License Applications Accepted Soon

The Florida Department of Health's Office of Medical Marijuana said it will start accepting applications for new licenses, but not until at least next month.

By the time the applications are reviewed and granted, it could be another year before new marijuana facilities are sprouting up in the state.

In response to the delay in licensing, the Department of Health sent this statement: "The department continues to focus on the health and safety of Florida's families and is dedicated to ensuring patients continue to have safe access to medicine."

Homestead farmer Steve Garrison is waiting for those new applications to be accepted. He's hoping his farm will be one able to grow marijuana by this time next year.

"We're going to do whatever we have to, we're not going to give up," said Garrison.
What to Know The 14 members will hear from experts on "school hardening" and state and federal privacy laws.

On Thursday, the commission will discuss school shootings nationally and the Florida Department of Children and Families' response to calls.

The sheriff leading the state commission investigating the Florida school massacre said the suspect's behavior before the shooting was a "roller-coaster."

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission on Wednesday that Nikolas Cruz would do well at school for long periods, but then his behavior would deteriorate. He didn't go into details.

The 14 members are hearing Wednesday from experts on "school hardening" and state and federal privacy laws.

On Thursday, the commission will discuss school shootings nationally and the Florida Department of Children and Families' response to calls regarding Cruz. They'll also have a closed session on the 19-year-old's educational, medical and mental health. The commission must file a report by Jan. 1.

Cruz is charged with killing 17 people at the school Feb. 14.
What to Know The pair will debate Wednesday, just more than a week after President Donald Trump held a rally in Florida to pump up DeSantis' campaign.

Trump's endorsement has helped the congressman overcome Putnam's early advantage in the race.

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam meet in the second of two debates ahead of Florida's Republican primary for governor.

The pair will debate Wednesday, just more than a week after President Donald Trump held a rally in Florida to pump up DeSantis' campaign. Trump's endorsement has helped the congressman overcome Putnam's early advantage in the race.

The event is being sponsored by Jacksonville University and WJXT-TV and will run from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. It comes less than three weeks before the Aug. 28 primary election. Republican Gov. Rick Scott can't run for re-election because of term limits and is instead challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
What to Know Two Camden County police detectives survived an ambush shooting at a traffic light in Camden, New Jersey Tuesday night.

Police say a gunman went up to the detectives, who were in plainclothes and an unmarked vehicle, and opened fire.

Both detectives are expected to survive. Police are searching for at least one suspect in a white van with a Pennsylvania license plate.

Two Camden County, New Jersey, police detectives are recovering after gunmen ambushed them Tuesday night, authorities said.

The undercover officers were dressed in plain clothes and sitting inside an unmarked vehicle at a red light on Mount Vernon Street and Broadway in Camden around 8:30 p.m. As they were waiting, two gunmen approached them and fired between 10 and 25 rounds, according to officials.

Both officers were hit by gunfire, but it remains unclear where on their bodies they were shot.

During the ordeal, one of the officers fired back and the suspects fled the scene. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether the suspects were shot.

"There was at least 13," a woman, who did not want to be identified, told NBC10. "I thought it was fireworks. When I peeped out and I saw the cops jumping out of the car trying to reload the gun again and then that's when they ran into another car and went to the hospital."



The officers were taken to Cooper University Hospital, where they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. They are both expected to survive and are surrounded by relatives, officials said.

Camden police originally said they were searching for at least one suspect, but on Wednesday revealed they were looking for two. Philadelphia police are aiding in the investigation and said the suspects are in a white van with bullet holes on the driver's side.

The van has the Pennsylvania license plate KKJ2047 and is registered as a 2006 Ford in Hatboro, police said. Investigators also said the van may be occupied by two men wearing dark shirts and blue jeans.

Officials released surveillance photos of two persons of interest in the shooting Wednesday night.

Camden County Prosecutor's Office

The shooting occurred the same night as National Night Out, a nationwide event in which communities across the country join local police departments in an effort to build better relationships.

Four National Night Out events were taking place in Camden at the time of the shooting, two of which occurred less than two miles away.

"Unfortunately, on a night when we were supposed to be celebrating safety, two of our detectives were engaged as victims," Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said. "I can tell you every cop in this land would say we'd rather have it us than the citizenry. But it's an unfortunate event."

If you have any information on the shooting, please call the Camden County Prosecutor's Office at 609-820-7192, Philadelphia police or Camden County police.
What to Know Six correction officers were attacked at two different jails on the same day, officials said

One attack at a Brooklyn jail left an officer concussed and bloodied, while the other attack on Rikers Island injured five officers

The president of the correction officer's union has called for the head of the Department of Correction's resignation

The head of the corrections officers' union called for the city Department of Corrections commissioner's resignation after officers at two different jails were attacked by inmates on Tuesday.

An inmate punched a corrections officer in the face and kicked him while he was closing a gate at the Brooklyn Detention Complex Tuesday afternoon, the DOC said.

In a separate incident at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island, an inmate punched an officer in the face and hurt four other officers who tried to intervene after the jail discovered he had contraband, according to the DOC.

The inmates who attacked the officers were re-arrested and placed in restrictive housing, the DOC said. The department is investigating both incidents.

The attack at the Brooklyn jail, which was caught on surveillance video, left the officer with a bloodied face and a concussion, according to Elias Husamudeen, the president of the NYC Correction Officer Benevolent Association said.

At a press conference Wednesday, Husamudeen called for Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Branns resignation.

We think that she has proven over the last three years to be in over her head and have no idea of what it means or what it takes to run a New York City jail system, he said.

Based on the way the commissioner has been running the agency, she and the mayor of the city of New York have done nothing but put the lives of corrections officers at risk, he added.

Less than a month ago, Husamudeen called for more protections for jail guards after a corrections officer was slashed in the face while trying to break up a fight on Rikers Island.

In a statement Wednesday, the DOC's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said the department was "working with the Brooklyn and Bronx district attorneys to make sure that the next facilities these inmates visit are state prisons."
What to Know A cleaning crew found a dead fetus in a bathroom on an American Airlines plane in a hangar at LaGuardia Airport Tuesday

The plane had arrived at the Queens hub from North Carolina Monday night; photos showed Port Authority cops surround the jet Tuesday

The Queens district attorney's office is investigating; American Airlines referred questions to law enforcement

Cops have tracked down the young woman who says she miscarried in a bathroom of an American Airlines flight when it landed in Queens this week -- and she told detectives she didn't know she was pregnant, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell News 4 New York.

Detectives tracked her down at a hospital in Brooklyn after flight attendants who had been on the plane said they remembered seeing two young women sitting near the back go into the bathroom after it landed. Cops pulled out a manifest and looked for the names of the women who had been sitting there.

The mother, whose name has not been released, told detectives she had been bleeding for a day or two while they were on a trip in Jamaica. Their flight stopped in Charlotte, North Carolina, before heading back to New York -- and when the plane did land in Queens, the mother said she was uncomfortable.

She told cops she miscarried the fetus in the plane bathroom, put it in the toilet and covered it with paper towels. She said the baby didn't make a sound and didn't appear to be alive. Autopsy results are still pending.

She also told police she didn't know she was pregnant, law enforcement sources say. Cops are investigating that claim.

The grisly discovery was made before 7 a.m. Tuesday aboard the flight, which had arrived in Queens from Charlotte late the night before.



American's flight tracker showed the plane, flight 1942, left Charlotte at 8:56 p.m. and arrived at LaGuardia's Terminal B at 10:44 p.m. Monday. Photos from the scene showed Port Authority cops surround the jet on a tarmac Tuesday after it apparently was removed from the hangar for further investigation.

American Airlines referred all questions to law enforcement, telling News 4, "As we continue to learn more about this tragic and sensitive situation, we are actively cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation."

The Queens district attorney's office says it is also investigating.
What to Know The FBI has arrested New York Rep. Chris Collins on securities fraud-related charges

The congressman, a Republican who hails from western New York, surrendered to the FBI at 26 Federal Plaza this morning

Collins was one of the first members of Congress to endorse President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign

The FBI has arrested New York Rep. Chris Collins on securities fraud-related charges, law enforcement officials said.

Collins, a Republican who hails from western New York, his son and his son's future father-in-law have all been charged with insider trading, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said.

The congressman surrendered to the FBI at 26 Federal Plaza Wednesday morning, officials said.

He pleaded not guilty at an appearance in Manhattan federal court Wednesday afternoon and will be released on $500,000 bond. He will also be forced to surrender his diplomatic passport and any firearms he owns within 14 days.

Collins was one of the first members of Congress to endorse President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.

Last fall, the Office of Congressional Ethics released a report that said the congressman may have violated House rules when he bought discounted stock that wasnt available to the public and was offered to him based on his status as a politician.

The report also found that Collins, a board member of Australia-based Innate Immunotherapeutics, may have shared nonpublic information about the company, another possible violation.

Innate had been in the process of developing a drug to treat multiple sclerosis in 2017, according to the indictment. When the product failed drug trials in June 2017, however, the public results sent Innate stock prices plummeting by 92 percent.

Collins  one of Innate's largest stockholders  had access to information about the company and its research that wasn't available to the public, the indictment alleges.

When Collins found out about the trial results, he allegedly told his son Cameron Collins, also an Innate stockholder, who told his then-girlfriends father Stephen Zarsky, as well as several other stockholders.

Cameron Collins, Zarsky, and the stockholders Collins told subsequently sold their Innate stock before prices plunged, narrowly avoiding hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, the indictment says.

The congressman, his son and Zarsky have all been charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office said. The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed its own civil action against the three men.

"Representative Collins, who, by virtue of his office, helps write the laws of this country, acted as if the law did not apply to him," Berman said. "These charges are a reminder that this is a nation of laws, and everyone stands equal before the bar of justice."

Hours after he was released on bail, Collins spoke to reporters in Buffalo, professing his innocence and saying he would remain on the ballot for re-election this fall.

"I believe I acted properly and within the law at all times," he said. "I will mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name. I look forward to being fully vindicated and exonerated."

The congressman's attorneys Jonathan Barr and Jonathan New, of BakerHostetler, also said Wednesday they would "answer the charges filed against [Collins] in court and... mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name."

"It is notable that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share of Innate Therapeutics stock," they said in a statement. "We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement the congressman would no longer serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pending the ultimate outcome of the indictment.

"While his guilt or innocence is a question for the courts to settle, the allegations against Rep. Collins demand a prompt and thorough investigation by the House Ethics Committee," he said. "Insider trading is a clear violation of the public trust."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, said Americans "deserve better than the GOP's corruption, cronyism and incompetence."

"The charges against Congressman Collins show the rampant culture of corruption and self-enrichment among Republicans in Washington today," she said. "The Ethics Committee must accelerate its own investigation into Congressman Collins' illegal abuse of the public trust."

The congressman is expected to appear in court again on Oct. 11.
What to Know The father of the infant who was found floating in the East River over the weekend has been taken into custody in Thailand

The 37-year-old man from Co-op City is expected to face charges of concealment of a human corpse in connection to the case, authorities say.

The baby, Mason Saldana, was discovered near the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge Sunday just after 4 p.m. by a tourist from Oklahoma

The father of the 7-month-old infant who was found floating in the East River over the weekend has been taken into custody in Thailand and is due back in New York next week, the NYPD says.

The father, James Currie, 37, from Co-op City in the Bronx is expected to face charges of concealment of a human corpse in the alleged dumping of his baby, identified as Mason Saldana, authorities say. Additional charges could be filed pending an autopsy. A determination on the baby's cause of death isn't expected this week.

In a Wednesday press conference, NYPD Chief Dermont Shea said there were significant updates in the case over the past 24 hours and provided a timeline of the events leading up to the infant being discovered floating in the river.

The child, who was born in January, was exchanged between the mother and father at the mothers residence around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. However, around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, the childs father was seen leaving his home with a backpack covered with a blanket, fashioned as baby carrier, officials said, and it is believed the infant was already deceased at this time.

Currie was then seen walking in Lower Manhattan, between South Street Seaport and Wall Street Heliport, around 3:10 p.m. with the backpack, officials say.

The mother of the infant who was found floating in the East River over the weekend allegedly attempted to get in touch with the childs father before sensing something was amiss and contacting authorities Monday night to report a custodial dispute.

During the "blood-curdling" call to 911, the mother said the child was not dropped off at daycare, Shea said, adding that at some point she'd heard about the child in the water, feared the worst and started crying.

It was because of this call that authorities were able to identify the child found in the river.

On Monday, the father boarded a plane to Bangkok, Thailand, and was apprehended in Thailand. He is expected to return to New York sometime next week to face charges of concealment of a human corpse.

It's unclear if Currie has an attorney.

The cause of death of the child has yet to be determined since additional testing is necessary, however, pending the results, Currie's charges could be upgraded, authorities say.

According to officials, there was a court-stipulated agreement for visitation involving the parents, who were not legally married, and the child, but there were no red flags.

The baby was discovered near the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge Sunday just after 4 p.m. A tourist from Oklahoma saw the child floating in the water and jumped in to bring him ashore, then tried to resuscitate him, witnesses and police said.

The boy, who was wearing only a diaper, did not survive.

Monte Campbell, the tourist from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who jumped into the water, said it was his wife Diana who first spotted the baby's body.

"She just called me over and said there was a baby in the water. I called 911. At that point I thought it was a doll," said Campbell. He jumped into the water and brought the baby ashore, performing CPR until help arrived.

Police said they moved the child from the embankment to the pedestrian walkway and continued CPR until an ambulance came. Diana Campbell said her husband didn't feel a pulse.

A backpack was floating near the baby, she said. It was also recovered.
What to Know A 17-year-boy man drowned trying to help a girl in a New Jersey lake Tuesday amid wild storms that whipped across the tri-state

The body of the girl was recovered a day later, on Wednesday, from Ramapo Lake in Oakland

More wild weather is expected Wednesday

The body of a 17-year-old girl has been pulled from a New Jersey lake where a 17-year-old boy drowned trying to help her as she struggled while trying to escape the heat amid wild weather that roared across the tri-state Tuesday, officials said.

Photos: Lightning Strikes All Over the Tri-State

The identities of the victims have not been released, and their relationship wasn't immediately clear.

The boy, who was from Newark, drowned Tuesday after he dove into Ramapo Lake to help the girl, who was struggling to swim, according to Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager and the Associated Press. The boy was pronounced dead, but authorities didn't recover the body of the girl until the following day.

More punishing weather is expected Wednesday afternoon. Since Thursday, the tri-state has seen flooding, a rare tornado in Queens and three people struck by lightning, one of whom remains in critical condition.

[NATL] Extreme Weather Photos: Record Heat Threatens Europe
What to Know Paul Manafort's lawyer suggested the star witness in the former Trump campaign chairman's financial fraud trial has told 'so many lies'

Dental health experts worry more people are using fluoride-free toothpaste and leaves them at a greater risk of cavities

Angelina Jolie alleged in a court filing Brad Pitt hasn't paid any 'meaningful' child support for a year and a half during their divorce

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.

Manafort Trial: Gates Describes Funneling Millions Through Cyprus Accounts

In a blistering back-and forth, Paul Manafort's lawyer suggested the star witness in the former Trump campaign chairman's financial fraud trial has told "so many lies" he can't remember all of them. Defense lawyer Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates by pressing him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, an extramarital affair and hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss. Downing also ventured into territory both sides had agreed to avoid: discussion of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Under questioning, Gates said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Trump's inaugural committee, which he helped operate. Downing also asked whether Mueller's investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the campaign, prompting an objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/Rick-Gates-Paul-Manafort-Testimony-490222931.html

Ohio Race Too Close to Call, But Trump Claims Victory

Two high-stakes elections that tested President Trump's clout and cost both parties millions of dollars are still too close to call. Trump claimed victory in one nevertheless. In battleground Ohio, the president took credit for Republican Troy Balderson's performance, calling it "a great victory," even though the contest could be headed to a recount. Democrats could also celebrate their showing in a district that has gone Republican for decades. In deep-red Kansas ' Republican gubernatorial primary, the candidate Trump backed on the eve of the election, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, was neck and neck with current Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer. The day's races in five states, like many before them, tested the persistence of Trump's fiery supporters and the momentum of the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance.

Experts Question Benefits of Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

Dental health experts worry more people are using toothpaste that skips the most important ingredient  fluoride  and leaves them at a greater risk of cavities. Most toothpastes already contain fluoride. While health authorities recognize fluoride as a cavity blocker, the internet is dotted with claims, often from "natural" toothpaste marketers and alternative medicine advocates, that fluoride-free toothpaste also prevents cavities. Dental authorities disagree. An article in the dental journal Gerodontology reviewed the scientific literature on cavities and its primary conclusion is that, without fluoride, oral hygiene efforts have "no impact" on cavity rates.

Jolie Accuses Pitt of Shirking Child Support in New Court Filing

The long-running divorce case of one-time Hollywood power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt has hit a new level of drama. Jolie, the star of "Maleficent," alleged in a court filing her estranged husband hasn't paid any "meaningful" child support for a year and a half during their ongoing, and at times contentious, divorce  and said she is planning to seek a court order to force his hand. "[Pitt] has a duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation," wrote Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, in a two-page brief filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by NBC News. Pitts spokesman did not immediately comment.

Ruby Rose Cast as Lesbian Superhero Batwoman for The CW

Ruby Rose is making history with her latest role as Batwoman, the first openly gay superhero to headline a TV series. Batwoman will be introduced in a December crossover event between the network's other DC Comics shows, "Arrow", "The Flash" and "Supergirl." A stand-alone series about Batwoman, whose real name is Kate Kane, is in development for the 2019-20 TV season. Kane is described as a highly-trained street fighter with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind. Rose wrote on Instagram that she's "thrilled and honored" and "an emotional wreck" over the news. As a young, gay person, she never felt represented on TV. Rose gained stardom when she was cast in season three of Netflix's "Orange is the New Black."
What to Know A New York City man is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly killing his girlfriends family dog, authorities say

Brando Henriquez, 23, of Queens, allegedly made his girlfriend and her family think the dog ran away

Prosecutors say surveillance video shows Henriquez carrying a bag, allegedly with the dog inside, and disposing it in a nearby parking lot

A New York City man is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly killing his girlfriends family dog, which she thought went missing, and disposing its body in a nearby parking lot, authorities say.

According to the Queens District Attorney, Brando Henriquez, 23, of Woodside, Queens, has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and overdriving, torturing and injuring animals in connection to the alleged incidents that occurred last month.

Prosecutors say that Henriquezs girlfriend left her Broad Channel residence on the afternoon of July 15, 2018, leaving Lavonia, her black and white Shih Tzu-type dog, alone in the single-family residence, however, when she returned after approximately a half-hour, Henriquez was allegedly alone in the residence and claimed that he didnt know what happened to the dog, suggesting that the dog might have escaped.

After several days of searching for the dog and putting up lost dog poster, on July, 19, the mother and brother of Henriquezs girlfriend found Lavonias decomposing remains in a white plastic bag, disposed at a parking lot a few blocks from their home, according to authorities.

In a subsequent investigation into the alleged incident, police allegedly obtained video camera footage from several locations along the route, which allegedly showed Henriquez leaving his girlfriends residence with a white plastic bag containing a lump shortly after she had left, prosecutors say.

Additional footage allegedly showed Henriquez crouching down behind a garbage as a passerby walks nearby him. According to authorities, the video then shows Henriquez run down the block, still holding the white bag, which his girlfriend recognized as the type and brand she had purchased.

Allegedly, Henriquezs girlfriend received two voicemails on July 20th and 21, in which he stated, Im so sorry, Im sorry and Im sorry about the dog.

Prosecutors also say that on Aug. 2, Henriquez allegedly called his mother saying that the dog had defecated and that he performed CPR on the dog in the bathtub.

A necropsy was performed by an ASPCA forensic veterinarian on the dog, allegedly found that the dog was in an advanced state of decomposition and that the dog had four rib fractures due to blunt force trauma, according to the complaint, which also added that there was no evidence of healing to the fractures, indicating that they occurred shortly before or after death.

The defendant is accused of aggravated cruelty to animals for brutally killing a small helpless dog and heartlessly offering false hope to his girlfriend and family by making them think that the dog had just run away, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

For the next four days she and family members searched the area and put up missing dog posters in the belief that they would find the dog alive, sadly, only to find the dogs remains where the defendant allegedly disposed of them, he added.

Henriquez is due back in court Aug. 22. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison.

Contact information for Henriquezs attorney could not be found.


What to Know A group of robbers bound and beat a Connecticut man during a home invasion on Saturday

The robbers forced their way into the home in Greenwich, bound the man who lived there and demanded cash and jewelry

Police were able to track down one of the robbers, but are still searching for his accomplices

A group of robbers bound and beat a Connecticut man during a home invasion on Saturday, police said.

The robbers forced their way into the home on Brook Drive in Greenwich, bound the man who lived there and demanded cash and jewelry, Greenwich police said. At some point during the home invasion, the robbers also beat the man, he told police.

When officers arrived at the home around 3 p.m. on Saturday after receiving a report of a home invasion, they found the man bound and bleeding from his injuries, police said.

Police were able to track down one of the robbers, 46-year-old Hassan Washington, of New York City, based on witness accounts and evidence.

Washington is being held on $500,000 bond and faces charges including home invasion, robbery, kidnapping, assault and larceny, officials said.

Police didnt say what the robbers made off with. The home invasion was a targeted incident, not a random act, they noted.

The other suspects are still on the loose, and an investigation is ongoing.
The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce held a kickoff event on Tuesday, at the Cleveland Country Club, for its Momentum 22: Investing in Tomorrow campaign. Campaign leaders announced they have already raised nearly 65 percent of the campaign goal of $1.6 million.

The five-year, public/private workforce, economic and community development initiative will support the Chambers program of work and services, to grow the economy and create a bright economic future for Cleveland and Bradley County. Momentum22: Investing in Tomorrow is co-led by Campaign Chairs Mike Griffin, First Tennessee, and Cameron Fisher, Church of God International Offices.

The Momentum 22 campaign will support programs that are crucial to current and potential new employers, said Mr. Griffin.

Forty-two companies and individuals have contributed to the campaign for a total of $1,040,000. The supplement to the Chambers operating budget, will support the creation of over 2,000 direct and 1,703 indirect new jobs and over $1.1 billion in new private capital investments.

In this competitive environment for growth, our county and the Ocoee Region will succeed if we work together, as friends and neighbors, in this public/private collaboration, said Mr. Fisher.

Momentum 22: Investing in Tomorrow initiatives include:

 Workforce Development.

 Entrepreneurial Development.

 Buy Local.

 Tourism Based Economic Development.

 Chamber, facility, website and equipment upgrades.

 Economic & Community Development Support.

Many thanks to everyone who attended the event and the partners who have committed funds at this point in time, which will allow the Chamber to continue to achieve our mission of providing a landscape of opportunity for businesses, large and small, said Chamber President and CEO, Gary Farlow. We believe the five-year plan will result in increased job creation and capital investment in our community. We look forward to working with other people and businesses to reach this goal together.

For more information or further pledge support, contact Campaign Director, Chris Marshall, at the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce office, at 472-6587.






What to Know A man shot and killed his wife in her hospital bed at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla Wednesday morning, then himself, police say

Both were in their 70s; police say the man left a note at their home indicating he wanted to end his wife's suffering from medical issues

It's not clear what she was being treated for; the hospital treats more than 120,000 patients each year in every clinical specialty

A 71-year-old man walked into Westchester Medical Center Wednesday morning and opened fire in a fourth-floor room, killing his wife in her bed before taking his own life inside the 652-bed hospital in Valhalla, officials say.



The pair has been identified as Richard DeLucia and Ann DeLucia, 70, a married couple from Yorktown. Each died of single gunshot wound.

In a note left at their home, Richard DeLucia said he was distraught over his wife's medical issues and wanted to end her suffering.

It wasn't clear why Ann DeLucia was being treated at the hospital on Woods Road. She was found shot in her hospital bed. The gunfire was confined to her room and the situation was under control quickly.

They were the only ones in the hospital room at the time and no one else was hurt. A 0.38-caliber revolver authorities say was used in the shooting was recovered at the scene.

Richard DeLucia had once owned a well-known Westchester catering hall, the Westchester Manor, called the Manor House during his time, current co-owner Enrico Mareschi said. Although DeLucia sold the venue to another owner roughly 15 years ago, he still came by occasionally until two to three years ago, Mareschi said.

"He was a nice guy," Mareschi said. "He really was a good person."

At the couple's condo building in Yorktown Heights, neighbors absorbed the news with dismay.

"Everybody's just shocked," resident Valeria Tassone said, adding that she had no insight into what was going on in the couple's life.

Ground footage from the hospital shooting scene showed the huge facility crawling with law enforcement officers, yellow police tape cordoning off the scene.

News 4 spoke with Joel Brown who was working in the burns unit when he found out about the shooting. "I look outside the window of the burns unit and I saw a whole lot of nurses and doctors running outside on their cellphones," he said.

His colleague said she didn't hear an announcement about the shooting over the loudspeaker, rather she heard from a co-worker that there was an active shooter in the hospital. "We were in shock," she said.



Questioned about the response at a briefing Wednesday, authorities said three officers, one uniformed and two in plainclothes, were at the scene within 2 minutes. Authorities called it an "unfortunate incident," but said "the active shooter training and response was exactly the way it should be."



How the man got the weapon inside remains under investigation. Officials said there are no comprehensive searches of hospital visitors, but noted they have armed security posted at every entrance to the building.



According to the hospital's website, Westchester Medical Center treats more than 120,000 patients each year in every clinical specialty. It has six primary centers, including the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. It's sprawling regional network serves the Hudson Valley and beyond, employing about 7,000 healthcare professionals including 1,200 physicians across its network.



Wednesday marked the second hospital shooting in New York in a bit more than a year. In June 2017, a doctor and former Bronx-Lebanon Hospital employee walked into his ex-hospital and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, killing a doctor and wounding five members of the medical staff and a patient before taking his life.



He was allegedly bent on revenge, angry over accusations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct made against him by a female employee.


What to Know The U.S. will hit Russia with new sanctions later this month in response to a chemical attack against a Russian former spy and his daughter

The Russian Embassy in the U.S. said the accusations are "far fetched" and that they've yet to hear any facts or evidence

Those sanctions will include the presumed denial of export licenses for Russia to purchase many items with national security implications

New sanctions against Russia will be imposed later this month for illegally using a chemical weapon in an attempted assassination of a former spy and his daughter in Britain earlier this year, the United States said.

The penalties come despite President Donald Trump's efforts to improve relations with Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, and his harsh criticism of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the U.S. move runs contrary to a "constructive" atmosphere at the Trump-Putin summit last month, and he strongly denied any Russian role in the poisoning in Britain.

"In our view, these and earlier restrictions are absolutely unlawful and don't conform to international law," Peskov said.

A Russia Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday the restrictions represent a new attempt to "demonize Russia." Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow will work out retaliatory measures, adding that "ultimatums against Russia are useless."

The State Department said Wednesday the U.S. made the determination this week that Russia had used the Novichok nerve agent to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, and that sanctions would follow. It said Congress is being notified of the Aug. 6 determination and that the sanctions would take effect on or around Aug. 22, when the finding is to be published in the Federal Register.

Those sanctions will include the presumed denial of export licenses for Russia to purchase many items with national security implications, according to a senior State Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to do so by name.

The U.S. made a similar determination in February when it found that North Korea used a chemical weapon to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2017.

Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the Novichok military-grade nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury in March. Both eventually recovered. Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Months later, two residents of a nearby town with no ties to Russia were also poisoned by the deadly toxin. Police believe the couple accidentally found a bottle containing Novichok. One of them died.

The U.S. had joined Britain in condemning Russia for the Skripal poisoning and joined with European nations in expelling Russian diplomats in response, but it had yet to make the formal determination that the Russian government had "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals."

British Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the U.S. decision. Her Downing Street office issued a statement saying the move sends "an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behavior will not go unchallenged."

Peskov insisted that "there can't be any talk about Russia having any relation to the use of chemical weapons," adding that Britain has failed to present any evidence to back the claim and stonewalled Russia's proposal for a joint probe.

The Russian Embassy in Washington said the "draconian" new sanctions against Russia weren't backed by any facts or evidence, noting that while the U.S. said it has enough information to conclude that Russia is to blame, it refused to disclose what it has, saying the information is classified.

Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, said Thursday that the U.S. has behaved like a "police state, threatening and torturing a suspect to get evidence." He added that the new sanctions amount to "inflicting a punishment in the absence of a crime in the tradition of lynch law."

Leonid Slutsky, the head of the lower house's foreign affairs committee, denounced the sanctions as a manifestation of "unbridled Russophobia" and mockery of international law, saying that Russia may respond with countersanctions.

Russia has not said how it might retaliate. Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that it needs to see what specific action the U.S. takes before retaliating. He insisted that Russia's financial system is strong enough to withstand shocks from the new penalties.

In the morning, the Russian ruble sank to the lowest levels since April on the news of the new sanctions before recovering slightly later in the day. The shares of Russian state-controlled banks, the national carrier Aeroflot and other companies also tanked.

Several members of Congress had expressed concern that the Trump administration was dragging its feet on the determination and had missed a deadline to publish its findings.

Lawmakers praised Wednesday's announcement.

"The administration is rightly acting to uphold international bans on the use of chemical weapons," said Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Royce had previously accused Trump of ignoring the Russian nerve agent attack.

"The mandatory sanctions that follow this determination are key to increasing pressure on Russia. Vladimir Putin must know that we will not tolerate his deadly acts, or his ongoing attacks on our democratic process," Royce said Wednesday.

While criticized as too keen to strike up a friendship with Putin, Trump maintains that he's been tough on Moscow. His administration has sanctioned a number of Russian officials and oligarchs for human rights abuses and election meddling.

In March, the Trump administration ordered 60 Russian diplomats  all of whom it said were spies  to leave the United States and closed down Russia's consulate in Seattle in response to the Skripal case. The U.S. said at the time it was the largest expulsion of Russian spies in American history.

The State Department announced a number of possible exceptions to the new sanctions. Waivers have been issued for foreign assistance and space flight activities, while commercial passenger aviation and other commercial goods for civilian use will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to the official who briefed reporters.
What to Know The bodies of Jeffrey Mancuso and his daughter were found by the girl's stepfather.

Jeffrey Mancuso had a lengthy criminal record dating back to 2009.

He was charged with biting a man's ear and throwing a beer bottle at a woman, among other charges.

The man who police said murdered his 7-year-old daughter before killing himself had a long history of violence, including biting off part of a mans ear and throwing a beer bottle at a womans face, court documents showed.

Jeffrey Mancuso, 41, and his daughter, Kayden Mancuso, were found dead Monday morning in his Manayunk home, police said. The two were discovered by the girls stepfather after she failed to return to her mothers house Sunday evening.

Relatives suspected that Kayden Mancuso fell victim to her fathers violent impulses. On their GoFundMe page, the family blamed Philadelphia police and the Bucks County family court system for failing to protect the girl.

Kayden's mother trusted that the law and the court system would work for her daughter's best interests. However, the system failed and she was taken too soon, the page read. "Kayden's mother was told to trust the process, but the door was slammed in her face time after time."

According to a custody order provided by the girl's family, Kayden Mancuso witnessed her fathers violent urges on several occasions. Mancuso yelled at his daughter, verbally fought with her grandmother and harassed her teachers and other school officials. Mancusos aggressive behavior prompted Pennsbury School District in Bucks County to issue a certified letter asking the erratic father to "cease and desist all communication with the school."

Kayden Mancuso also witnessed her father punch himself in the face while angry and attack the family dog, according to family court documents.

In May, Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey G. Trauger granted full custody of the girl to her mother, Kathryn Giglio. Jeffrey Mancusco received visitation rights and a word of warning from the judge.

"The court cautions [Mancuso] to be aware at all times of potential risks that his behavior may have on childs future emotional and psychological wellbeing," Trauger wrote in his court order.

Philadelphia criminal court records showed that Jeffrey Mancusos violent tendencies dated several years back to September 2009 when he threw a beer bottle at a man and the man's wife near 15th and Sansom streets in Center City. Part of the bottle broke off and cut the womans face.

Mancuso was charged with a total of eight counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime. He pleaded guilty to simple assault in exchange for dropping the other charges. Mancuso was fined and sentenced to a maximum of two years probation.

Then, in 2012, Mancuso was arrested again for punching a man in the face and biting the top of his victims ear off during a fight near 2nd and Reed streets. He, again, faced some familiar charges, including recklessly endangering another person, aggravated assault and simple assault. He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to house arrest with electronic monitoring.

During this time, Mancuso was allowed to drive to work, but had to submit to random alcohol and drug testing and attend anger management counseling.

Five years later, Mancuso received a DUI near the Vine Street Expressway.

The father also violated his probation several times, though court records did not specify the violations.



Neighbors told NBC10 they saw the man and his daughter around but did not think she was in danger.

"I never saw signs of him being violent, nothing like that," Noah Cook said. "That's why this is so shocking."

Even her godfather didnt think Jeffrey Mancuso could kill his own daughter.

We never thought the father would go this far, Matthew Moffett said. When your child is taken from you in a manner that Kayden was, there is no justice. There is no peace.

Kayden Mancuso was set to begin the second grade at Edgewood Elementary School in Yardley this fall, school officials said.

A cause of death for Mancuso and his daughter are pending autopsy results, Philadelphia police said.
Montgomery County police say two sisters who were missing for nearly a week have been found safe.

Kandyce Matos, 11, and Karmen Matos, 16, were last seen at their home at 11p.m. Aug. 4. When their parents went into their bedroom the next day to check on them, they could not find them.



Their father said he believed they ran away, but he wasn't sure why they left their eyeglasses.

"They left with nothing," Ramon Matos, the girls' father said, "They've got nothing with them. They got no money, no clothes, nothing."

The girls' father said it appeared Karmen Matos deleted her Instagram account shortly after they left.

On Friday, police said the girls had been found safe. No further details were released.
Two workers who were found dead at the Howard County Fair Tuesday may have overdosed, Maryland police say.

An employee called Howard County police after learning that the two men were locked inside a bunkhouse on the fairgrounds.

Firefighters forced their way into the bunkhouse and found the two men dead. One man was said to be in his 30s and the other was in his 40s. Both men were food vendor employees from out of state, according to police.

Investigators found evidence of drug use at the scene. The cause of death will be confirmed through an autopsy, and police say there are no indications of foul play.
D.C. police closed multiple streets ahead of a planned white supremacy rally near the White House, with more groups counterdemonstrating.

Police were planning in case violence breaks out like it did when the Unite the Right rally was first held last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a counterdemonstrator was killed.

Rally organizers had expected 100 to 400 people to show up, according to a permit application. While the number of Unite the Right attendees turned out to be much lower, fewer than 30, hundreds of counterprotesters showed up.

Whenever you have an event like this, emotions can run high, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said in advance of the events. Washington, D.C., has been very good even when we have controversial situations here in the District, they almost always end peacefully, so hopefully thats what will happen on Sunday.

The Unite the Right rally ended before it was scheduled to begin, and many counterprotesters have appeared to disperse, but about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Antifa was demonstrating in D.C. amid what appeared to be rising tensions with police.

D.C. police closed several streets at 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.:

15th Street NW from Constitution Avenue to K Street NW

17th Street NW from Constitution Avenue to K Street NW

18th Street NW from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

19th Street NW from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

20th Street NW from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

21st Street NW from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

22nd Street NW from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

23rd Street NW from Virginia Avenue to Washington Circle NW

H Street NW from 17th Street to 15th Street NW

I Street NW from 17th Street to 15th Street NW

K Street NW from 17th Street to 15th Street NW

Connecticut Avenue NW from H Street to I Street NW

Vermont Avenue NW from H Street to I Street NW

G Street NW from 17th Street to 23rd Street NW

F Street NW from 17th Street to 23rd Street NW

E Street NW from 17th Street to 23rd Street NW

[[490310591, C]]

Closures and times could change as deemed necessary, authorities said. Drivers should obey emergency no parking signs. Cars parked along the route will be ticketed and towed.
What to Know The Marvin Center, Gelman Library and the Lerner Health and Wellness Center will all be closed Sunday, GW officials said.

GW is bracing for disruptions at the Foggy Bottom Metro station, as well as more traffic, road closures and security barriers.

University officials issued a list of recommendations to GW community members.

Several key buildings on The George Washington University's main campus will be closed Sunday due to possible disruptions from the Unite the Right rally and counter-protests.

The Marvin Center, Gelman Library and the Lerner Health and Wellness Center will all be closed Sunday, GW officials announced in a campus security advisory released Tuesday, saying they expect the rally and protests to have "a major impact" on the Foggy Bottom campus.

Hundreds of white supremacists are expected to attend the rally near the White House, with more people expected to counter-demonstrate. Demonstrators plan to take the Metro from Vienna, Virginia, to the Foggy Bottom station located amid GW's urban campus, before marching to the White House.

GW is bracing for disruptions at the Metro station, plus more traffic, road closures and security barriers on and around campus, officials said. There could also be restricted access or closures of more campus buildings, as well as delays on the Vern Express shuttle to and from the university's Mount Vernon Campus.

While university officials say protest activity and counter-protests could happen any time over the weekend, they expect the majority of the impact to the Foggy Bottom area to be Sunday between 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

The permit application for the Unite the Right rally, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, says the demonstration will take place from about 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Expected speakers include David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.



The university says it's been working with D.C. police and other local law enforcement agencies.

"There will be a significant law enforcement presence on and around campus," GW officials said in the release.

University officials issued this list of recommendations to GW community members:
A Maine man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for frightening a woman during a burglary and causing a fatal heart attack.

Carlton Young was originally charged with murder in the death of 62-year-old Connie Loucks, who suffered a heart attack after Young allegedly knocked on her door and windows.

Young pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter, attempted burglary and other charges in York County Superior Court. Jury selection was set to begin Monday.

The Sanford man is accused of being part of a burglary ring in southern Maine. Authorities say he and several others broke into Loucks' home when she wasn't there on March 21, 2015, and returned the following day. Police officers found Loucks dead on her sofa.
A Massachusetts man has been indicted on charges that he secretly took photos and videos of underage, unsuspecting female victims.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz says Christopher Barlow, of Kingston, allegedly stored and shared hundreds of images of four underage females on electronic devices and told two of the teenagers that he would upload their images to a pornographic website unless they shared other images with him.

A grand jury returned 58 indictments against Barlow on Tuesday in Brockton, including extortion.

Michael Bergeron, an attorney for Barlow, says the behavior in question relates back to a period of time when Barlow was "untreated for significant mental health disorders."

Police executed a search warrant of Barlow's home in June 2017. He will be arraigned on the charges on Aug. 15 before Superior Court.
A Rhode Island state staffer for the governor's office has been charged with sexual assault.

Daniel Brown, 54, was charged Tuesday with second-degree sexual assault and procuring alcohol for a minor. A spokesman for Gov. Gina Raimondo says Brown is immediately being placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

Brown was stabbed last week by the 18-year-old male he is accused of sexually assaulting and is recovering.

Providence police say he will be arraigned in his hospital bed by a bail commissioner. Brown worked in Raimondo's Constituent Affairs office and has worked for the state since 2003. It is not immediately clear if Brown has an attorney from a search of electronic court records.
As data volumes escalate, many organizations are looking for storage efficiencies  and they have found it with software-defined storage (SDS).

For IT organizations undergoing digital transformation, SDS provides a good match for the capabilities needed  flexible IT agility; easier, more intuitive administration driven by the characteristics of autonomous storage management; and lower capital costs due to the use of commodity and off-the-shelf hardware, said Eric Burgener, research director at IDC.

The analyst firm predicts the SDS market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.5% through 2021.

So, what is SDS? And how can companies get started with it?

Defining SDS

Just as its name suggests, SDS is an approach where software provisions and manages storage independently from underlying hardware. Its more than just virtualization  although thats one of its components. SDS also encompasses abstraction services and automation.

Perhaps the most notable benefit to these solutions is scalability. SDS enables companies to create a storage pool of resources, including virtualized and physical server hardware, as well as cloud-based resources. These features make it much easier to add or remove capacity, which gives the enterprise greater agility.

In addition, SDS lowers costs. That benefit derives from its very nature, which makes storage more like an application on commodity, industry-standard hardware. In addition, its automation capabilities decrease OpEx, simplifying IT administration and management, and optimizing storage.

SDS also enables the business to match resource use to application needs, which increases availability while improving performance by accommodating for fluctuating workload demands.

Building the Right SDS Solution

HPE has taken a flexible approach to software-defined storage that enables companies of all sizes, with workloads of any size, to customize and deploy solutions that best fit their needs. Its SDS building blocks include:

HPE StoreVirtual Storage: virtual storage solutions that simplify client and server virtualization with a flexible and highly available scale-out platform.

HPE Synergy: a composable, software-defined infrastructure that speeds application delivery.

HPE ProLiant DL Gen9 rack servers: versatile compute for data center efficiency across diverse workloads and applications.

HPE Hyper Converged infrastructure: an all-in-one virtualization solution that integrates compute, software-defined storage and software-defined intelligence, while speeding deployment, simplifying operations and reducing costs.

HPE Helion OpenStack: open, configurable and secure cloud infrastructure that delivers leading open-source cloud computing while adhering tightly to OpenStack API standards and services.

SDS in Action

Two case studies demonstrate how HPEs SDS solutions have helped companies generate greater business value and improve IT operations.

The City of Los Angeles needed to upgrade its storage infrastructure to use less space and energy, while being simpler to maintain. It chose an HPE Hyper Converged system, which has improved application performance by 33%, provided the ability to manage the system remotely, and lowered both heating and cooling costs.

For the University of Wolverhampton, the main challenge was having to constantly ask for the business for more storage investment. It used a traditional architecture, where storage was separate to compute, causing capacity to quickly run out. The university deployed an HPE StoreVirtual solution and quickly achieved better utilization rates by using a pool of storage resources. It now delivers new services in hours, rather than days.

Scale, Flex, Deliver

Discover how HPE software-defined storage solutions simplify the IT infrastructure, while delivering cost savings for the business. Read more here.
...but number of empty businesses also up

WEST Berkshire Council says a record number of businesses are now paying rates  but the number of empty properties has also increased.

The council said it currently has 5,704 business rated properties in the area, more than ever before.

The news could prove crucial to the councils finances, as it successfully lobbied the Government to become part of a one-year business rate retention pilot.

The scheme will see the council retain an estimated additional 2m.

West Berkshire Council executive member for economic development James Fredrickson (Con, Victoria) said: This is yet more good news about West Berkshires local economy and the areas desirability as a destination for business.

Were making sure we have everything that businesses need to thrive.

Great digital connectivity, a strong economy and one of the best-qualified workforces in the country.

When you factor-in the huge boost that we will receive from improvements to Heathrow Airport in the coming years, it is no surprise that West Berkshire is well on the way to establishing itself as the tech powerhouse of the South East.

Once again, we are showing that West Berkshire is open for business.

However, council documents show that while the number of properties subject to business rates are up, the amount of empty buildings has also increased.

The documents state that there are 187 more business properties since the end of June 2017, making a total of 5,546, but 96 additional properties are empty.

The last two quarters reached levels higher than the quarterly values over the last two financial years (at 241, empty business properties Q4 result is 66 per cent higher than Q4 of last year), the report says.

The two measures of volume suggest that despite an increase in empty properties, the increase in registered properties subject to business rates is greater.

The leader of the councils Liberal Democrat opposition, Lee Dillon (Thatcham North), said: An increase in registered businesses within the district is welcome news, as long as they are also offering job opportunities to local residents.

New business is of course needed after the council lost one of our larger employers, Bayer, to neighbouring Reading, which could have been saved if we had a more proactive council.

Whilst we are seeing new businesses emerge we must also do more to support existing local business, especially those in our town centres.

Empty units in the Kennet Centre in Newbury and on the High Street in Thatcham show that the retail sector is facing a challenging time, which the council should be doing more to support.
With the state facing a $2 billion budget shortfall in the fiscal year starting next July 1, you might think candidates for governor would promise to hold the line on taxes and hope lucky lightning strikes to somehow avert an increase.

Not on the Republican side. All of them  from Steve Obsitnik, whos the most cautious, to the unrealistic extreme of Bob Stefanowski  are promising huge tax cuts on the way to balancing the budgets of the next eight years.

Thats the heart of economic plans on the GOP side. We also see some good ideas to create jobs and growth and a universal call to restructure pension liabilities, the official state albatross.

And of course, theyre all promising spending cuts to make their plans work. Those avowed cuts range well into the billions of dollars in some cases.

Never mind the fact that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the Democrat not seeking re-election, has cut somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 state employee jobs without reducing overall spending, because of those rising pension, health and debt payment bills  generated by Democrats and Republicans alike  coming due.

Republicans in the General Assembly  none of whom, by no coincidence, are among the final five candidates on Tuesdays primary ballot  have barely managed to suggest cuts of a few hundred million dollars when they were asked to weigh in. Even doing that required trickery and largely unrealistic measures such as assuming state employees would lose collective bargaining rights when the current deal ends in 2027.

With that as a backdrop, lets look at highlights of the five GOP governor candidates economic plans. Everyone talks about transportation plans, without tolls, and Im leaving those out for space.

David Stemerman has the most detailed plan and Obsitnik is not far behind, but theyre here in alphabetical order starting with the endorsed party candidate.

Mark Boughton

Big Idea: Immediate reductions in the state income tax, with lower income earners getting the biggest percentage cuts; eliminate the income tax in 10 years.

Highlights: undergo a complete review of all state regulations; reduce fees; eliminate the $250 business entity tax; create a centralized state permitting center; end corporate welfare handouts; expand technical education; eliminate the state board of regents; buy out retiree pensions. Click here for plan

Comments: Boughton, the 9th term Danbury mayor, doesnt go into a lot of detail in any of his ideas. The big one, elimination of the income tax, would require cutting or replacing $9 billion to $10 billion a year, half the states tax revenue. Recall, when the tax began in 1991, taxes on capital gains, dividends and business profits dropped sharply, though not as much as the new tax raised. Hes counting on voters recognizing in him an experienced hand in state and local government with a proven ability to get along with lawmakers and actually execute the an economic blueprint thats a down-the-middle Republican plan. he fact that hes had to raise taxes in Danbury hurts him politically, but then, few if any cities or towns have averted tax hikes.

Tim Herbst

Big Idea: Dismantle the Department of Motor Vehicles as a first step in reforming government

Highlights: Immediately eliminate the income tax for anyone making $75,000 or less; abolish the estate tax, the business entity tax, the income tax on Social Security payments; reduce business taxes; reduce,reform and eliminate duplicative and excessive regulations; generally reduce bloated government. Click here and here for plan.

Comments: Alone among the candidates, Herbst leads with restoring law and order along with the pension crisis, an oddity considering violent crime has dropped more in the Malloy years than in any other state. Herbsts economic plan contains by far the least detail of any, with no suggestion of how to pay for massive tax cuts and no guide to how he would reform the DMV and the rest of state government. To his credit, he does not promise to eliminate the state income tax. And as Trumbull First Selectman for eight years until the start of 2018, his tax increases were well below average for a municipality  though he did have increases in most years.

Steve Obsitnik

Big Idea: Create 300,000 jobs over eight years with a centerpiece of public-private partnerships along career corridors, both geographic and by industry, with at least one major national research university involved. Similar to successes in Boston, Pittsburgh and on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

Highlights: Restructure states pension and benefits plans to save at least $1 billion a year, including elimination of cost-of-living increases and moving of state assets such as lottery revenues into pension funds; reduce size of government by $2 billion, largely through privatization and consolidation; reduce Medicaid spending by $500 million a year by shifting to outside management; bring more government services online; support charter schools and outcome-based education while eliminating minimum local spending levels; dramatically increase industry apprenticeships in partnership with companies. Click here for plan.

Comments: Obsitnik, like Stemerman, goes into far more detail than highlights can capture, calling on his background as a Naval Academy graduate, submarine officer and founder or co-founder of three tech firms. Hes more eager to work with unions than other GOP candidates but willing to bring down the hammer on pension issues and other givebacks. Hes very specific on numbers  $3.8 billion in added revenue from economic growth, for example  but the plan still relies on addition by subtraction, which has proven elusive in places like Kansas that have tried it. The jobs engine idea through partnerships is innovative but to put the numbers in perspective, a good year is 16,000 jobs, or 1 percent, and weve had few of those. His plan calls for more than double that, consistently. We need more innovation on a number of fronts. Im the innovator, he says.

Bob Stefanowski

Big Idea: Phase out the state income tax over eight years as part of a broad tax-cutting policy

Highlights: Other taxes to be cut or reduced immediately include the corporate earnings tax, which could be modified with a revenue trigger; and the estate and gift tax. Would enact a taxpayer bill of rights; embrace zero-based budgeting by starting with a blank sheet of paper, adding back only the services that are necessary. Click here and here for plan.

Comments: Stefanowski was a high-level executive at General Electric, UBS and a payday lender in London. Hes used to cutting waste by ordering it done and appears to believe that will work in state government. His plan covers 26 pages but almost all of it documents how badly Connecticuts economy has fallen. He worked out the plan with his consultant, Arthur Laffer, the economist under former President Ronald Reagan who made famous the idea, never proven, that lower taxes lead to higher revenues. Much of he plan comes from Laffers database of statistics and Stefanowski appears to have spent more time on data and less time learning the players and the quirks of the Connecticut economy.

David Stemerman

Big Idea: Restructure and renegotiate retirement liabilities as part of a cost reduction plan to enable $3 billion in tax cuts.

Highlights: Lower income tax rates to a maximum of 5 percent, 4 percent for households at $50,000; use private partnerships to improve infrastructure including airports; reduce and restructure retiree benefits through buyouts and/or moving large numbers of people to 401 (k)-style plans; create an independent, locked financial trust for state assets to shore up pension plans; eliminate estate and business entity taxes; review all tax credits and exemptions; create a regulatory reform task force; fund schools based on performance. Click here and here and here for plan.

Comments: Stemerman formed an investment fund in 2008 and it grew to nearly $2 billion before he closed it to run for governor, and now hes using his background  including a law degree and an MBA, both from Harvard  to analyze the state economy in copious detail. He says unions must either agree to lower-than-promised retirement benefits or see the federal courts erode their pension rights under future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. There is not enough money today nor will there ever be to fulfill the responsibility, Stemerman said. He says his plan is a fair deal thats better than state employees would otherwise see, but persuading unions to buy in or winning concessions in court are both steep hauls.

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
To the Editor:

I am writing about two amazing candidates running for office in Connecticut, Jahana Hayes, running for U.S. Congress for the 5th District, and Eva Bermudez Zimmerman, running for lieutenant governor.

Both women are strong, intelligent, well informed and well-spoken candidates.

Jahana Hayes grew up in Waterbury projects, got her degree and returned to teach at Kennedy High School.

In 2016, President Obama awarded her National Teacher of the Year.

She traveled the world, was offered many jobs, but returned to Kennedy High School. Why? Simply because she cares about those kids.

Jahana cares about people. When answering questions, she uses her history teacher background in her answers.

I firmly believe that caring about people and having an historic background are two things that are essential to a Congressperson.

Eva Bermudez Zimmerman has worked on stimulus package legislation in Congress, performed labor negotiations and served as a Newtown Legislative Council member.

Eva was awarded Latina Citizen of the Year by the Connecticut General Assembly for her outstanding activism, assisting 7,000 Connecticut residents to health insurance through the Access Health Market Place.

Presently, Eva represents and organizes for SEIU, ensuring that people have access to retirement plans, decent salaries and health insurance benefits.

Eva is committed to improving and fighting for our communities.

Please vote on Democratic primary Day, Aug. 14, for Jahana and Eva.

Mary T. Weber

New Preston
To the Editor:

The Washington Republican Town Committee has endorsed Dr. Ruby Corby ONeill for our partys nomination in the 5th District Congressional race.

In this unusually eventful year in our district, we believe Dr. Corby ONeill would be the best advocate for our district and hopefully usher in some sense of balance in what has become a one-party monopoly in Connecticut as well as the rest of New Englands congressional delegation.

Rubys personal and professional stories comprise a portrait in American exceptionalism.

Her family emigrated to America from Honduras, landing at the port of Baltimore when Ruby was a 1-year-old before settling in the Bronx to build their American dream.

While supporting her young family, Ruby worked full time as an executive assistant in the fashion industry while taking business courses at night. After earning her undergraduate degree, she forged ahead to earn two masters degrees and a PhD.

After her life was upended by her ex-husbands substance abuse issues, she found a landing spot in Bethel to raise her young children and re-establish her career.

She became a psychology professor at several universities before being asked to join the faculty at Teikyo Post University.

As one of the few conservative professors on campus, Ruby championed freedom of speech when the culture of academia became more intolerant of conservatism and diversity of thought in general.

Her mantra to her students was that they were there for an education, not indoctrination. She maintains a zero-tolerance policy for groupthink.

In 2008, Ruby met state Rep. Arthur ONeill on a blind date. In 2009, they married and she worked together with Art serving our district since then.

In 2014, Ruby helped create the Latino National Republican Coalition of Connecticut (LNRCCT) as a vehicle for outreach to spread Republican and conservative principles beyond their traditional political base to Connecticuts diverse communities.

In 2014, she was appointed by Republican House Leader, Rep. Themis Klarides, to the Commission on Equity & Opportunity where she now serves as vice chairman. She chairs the Latino and Puerto-Rican policy division of the commission, where shes been a staunch advocate for advancing the Republican principles of opportunity and reward for hard work.

For our state to more fully recover from the Great Recession, she supports investment in incubator innovation centers in urban areas for New Economy industries.

An invigorated high-tech sector will help our state to retain its young college grads and reverse the migration that has drained our talent base. As part of what we hope remains a GOP majority in the House, she will work to channel federal funds to the district for infrastructure improvement.

Each year our state loses over 1,000 residents to opioid addiction deaths. Ruby advocates a multi-pronged approach to the crisis including interdiction measures to shut down pill mills prescribing opioids irresponsibly, holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for disreputable practices and promoting diversionary programs in the judicial system.

As a legal immigrant who learned English as a first language and became a citizen at the age of nine, Ruby is committed to the rule of law and border security.

Securing our border to combat human trafficking (including sex trafficking), ending once and for all the policy of catch and release of unlawful entrants, ending chain migration and the awarding of visas through a lottery system are her priorities.

Dr. Corby ONeill has applied the ambition and determination that crafted a successful career to understanding the inner workings of government and has the energy to be an effective advocate in Congress.

The WRTC urges GOP voters to choose Ruby Corby ONeill for Congress.

Joan Lodsin

Chairman

Washington Republican Town Committee
ROCKY HILL  In their final debate, all five Republican candidates for governor on Wednesday indicated whats to come, no matter who wins.

They took shots at the politicians who werent in the room  outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, endorsed Democratic candidate Ned Lamont and even Lamont-challenger Joe Ganim  and generally refrained from attacking each other during the hour-long, television appearance.

Danbury mayor and party-endorsed candidate Mark Boughton took one of the first swings at Democrats, answering a question about the reputation of Connecticuts business climate.

There are a couple of things that make it detrimental to coming here, Boughton said. Number one is the attitude that the governor has, and sometimes the legislature has, toward the businesses. I dont think the governor has done a lot to reach out.

Only Tim Herbst, the former first selectman of Trumbull, attacked another candidate directly, and even then he didnt do it by name. He brought up the voting record and revolving party affiliation of former business executive Bob Stefanowski of Madison.

Right after Herbsts slam, Stefanowski answered a reporters query about whether hed support the eventual Republican nominee, and declined to didnt take the bait.

To answer the question, yes, I will support the Republican candidate, Stefanowski said, ignoring Herbst.

Steve Obsitnik, the Westport tech entrepreneur who is considered the long-shot candidate in the crowded field, once again tried to position himself as the candidate in the middle ground. In doing so, he made the only other subtle jab at Stefanowski and David Stemerman, who shuttered his Greenwich hedge fund to run for governor.

We have great candidates up here, Obsitnik said. If you trust a career politician to fix the problems politicians have created, then you have two great choices up here. If you want to trust two recovering Democrats to be Republicans, then you have two great choices. I am the only real business-outsider Republican.

It wasnt until the final minutes of the debate, when moderator Dennis House hit the candidates with a speed round of yes or no questions, that the candidates differentiated themselves even slightly in the studios of WFSB Channel 3.

Herbst, Boughton and Stefanowski have all tried marijuana, while hedge fund mogul David Stemerman and Obsitnik, a Naval veteran, have not, though Obsitnik said maybe he should. As it turns out, none of them are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana without further research.

On the best governor in Connecticut, Boughton and Obsitnik chose Ella Grasso while Stemerman said, none. Herbst went with Tom Meskill and Stefanowski declared, Jodi Rell did some good things.

Counting the five faceoffs held prior to the party convention in May, there have been 13 Republican debates among the candidates for governor, though not all candidates participated in every debate.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
Litchfield County Pools is heading into the future with renewed poise and vigor.

The new energy abounds from Devon Dobson, who has joined his father, Phil, as co-owner of the business that the elder Dobson founded in 1987.

We are growing, and its an organic growth, Devon said.

Since Devon came aboard, he has strengthened the relationships and communication with employees and clients, as well as spearheaded all aspects of the companys technology and social media.

We can always rely on (LCP), said client Adam Goodman of Washington, citing the companys quality of service.

Litchfield County Pools specializes in the design and construction, servicing and restoration of in-ground, custom gunite swimming pools and spas in Litchfield County and neighboring Putnam and Duchess counties in New York. Gunite is a mixture of cement, sand, and water applied through a pressure hose, and is known for its durability.

We create thought-out, crafted custom pools, Devon Dobson said of the companys mission.

The company works closely with the client, architects, landscapers and others to coordinate the project and ensure the client will have the pool of their dreams, he said.

James Babski praised Phil and Devon for the efficient and smooth construction of a pool at his Kent home last year.

They were easy to work with and worked well with other crews on site working on larger projects, Babski said.

LCP pools and spas come with a lifetime guarantee for the shell (gunite). Projects are usually completed within four to six weeks.

After graduating from Notre Dame, where Devon was a finance major, and working for two years each at an investment bank and a hedge fund, respectively, in New York City, Devon realized it was not for me.

In the summer of 2016, he and his then-fiancee packed their bags and moved from New York City to Connecticut, where he grew up, so he could become a partner in the family business.

I saw it as a way to become an entrepreneur, Devon said of his decision to move home. And its a wonderful opportunity to be involved in the family business, to grow the family business, and to help my dad so he can take a few steps back.

Having grown up with the family business, Devon Dobson has extensive knowledge of the industry. Even so, upon his return, he spent two months on the job, getting my hands dirty and working alongside the construction team, he said.

Although Devon is handling the day-to-day business of the company, Phil maintains an active role. The father-son team oversee the construction of every installation.

Communication and building a relationship with clients is key at LCP, Devon said.

We never want a client to be surprised, Devon emphasized, citing how the LCP team keeps in close communication with customers to ensure they know whats happening at every step of the process, from construction to completion.

After completion, Devon and members of his team will work with clients to explain all aspects of the pool, as well as how to utilize digital devices that can be programmed for pool equipment.

Goodman praised the companys prompt replies to emails and texts, and thorough care and service to ensure a customers pool is clean and ready for use at all times.

To stay current, Devon and LCP employees, many of whom have worked at LCP for 20 or more years, participate in continuing education.

LCP also provides regular servicing of their clients pools and spas, with the majority of servicing completed toward the end of the work week, which complements the schedules of many clients who are weekenders.

Babski noted his pool is always in perfect shape.

Devon Dobson said he is looking forward to many more years in the business.

(Pools are) a happy product, Devon said. From installation through service, (the product) makes people happy.

For more information, call 860-355-8547, email info@lcpools.com or visit www.lcpools.com.
The Italian government has removed the necessity for all children to be vaccinated against 10 important infectious diseases before they can join school or day care. This has shocked and angered the medical and scientific community.

There is a law in place that mandates that parents provide a proof that all children are vaccinated against 10 important infectious diseases when enrolling their children in preschools and kindergartens. The law is suspended for a year under this new governance. The amendment was passed by the upper house of Italys parliament last week Friday. The motion gathered 148 to 110 votes. It still needs to pass the lower house before it can be adopted by the nation.

Image Credit: Numstocker / Shutterstock

There were 5004 cases of measles reported in 2017. These numbers ranked second highest after Romania in Europe says the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Around 34 percent of all cases of measles in the European Economic area were reported from Italy. Measles is a viral infection that is preventable with vaccination. In July 2017, the Democratic Party as a response to this outbreak introduced this law that necessitated all parents to vaccinate their children before they could enrol them in schools. This compulsory vaccination strategy was opposed by Italys Five Star movement and its coalition partner  the far-right League. They said that this would discourage school inclusion. According to league leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini in June this year these 10 vaccinations are useless and in many cases dangerous, if not harmful. He said, I confirm the commitment to allow all children to go to school. The priority is that they don't get expelled from the classes. Health Minister Giulia Grillo, a Five Star member said that they wanted to amend these rules because they wanted to spur school inclusion and simplify rules for parents.

Naturally these anti-vaccination policies have shocked and angered the medical community. They have warned that the nation was just beginning to see a positive trend in the epidemiology of these important vaccine preventable infections and all the progress could be revered now. The World Health Organization recommends 95 percent coverage for all the population to ensure herd immunity and protect the whole community. The vaccine coverage for first dose of measles was 85 percent in 2015 and 83 percent for second dose in Italy says the World Health Organization.

As parents opt out of vaccination out of principle or out of carelessness, they explain, the community becomes vulnerable once more. Children too small to be vaccinated and those with a supressed immunity that cannot be vaccinated are protected when the other children are vaccinated, explain the experts in the field. As mass coverage lowers, these children become susceptible to these infections that may turn deadly for them.

The anti-vaccination groups have based their theories on the associations of measles vaccine and autism, there was a ruling in the Rimini court connecting autism with the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The ruling has been overturned for lack of scientific evidence three years since then. However, the negative impact on the minds of the general populace remains.
Dravidian icon and DMK chief M Karunanidhi made his final journey from Rajaji Hall to Marina Beach to take his final resting place alongside Jayalalithaa, DMK founder CN Annadurai and MGR. Draped in a tricolour, the five-time chief minister was taken for his burial in an open procession. A sea of supporters lined up along the route to catch a final glimpse of the departed leader and chanted slogans for their Thalaivar. Sobbing family members, including the late leader's sons M K Stalin and Tamizharasu, followed them. The commotion outside Rajaji Hall had led to the death of a 60-year-old woman and an elderly man as the crowds became restless in line to pay their last respects to the DMK patriarch in the afternoon. The Kalaignars heir and DMK Working President MK Stalin appealed for calm and security personnel tried to keep order as the bereaved family geared up for the funeral procession to Marina beach. DMK leader A Raja was among the first to reach Marina to oversee the preparation to bury Karunanidhi next to his mentor and DMK founder CN Annadurai. Karunanidhi will be buried at Anna Salai complex in the evening after his party won a legal challenge to the AIADMK governments denial of permission. Former chief minister MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa are also buried at the iconic complex. Leaders cutting across political lines and several film personalities have paid their last respects to the Dravidian icon at Rajaji Hall.
Why Jack of Hearts could be the key to Marvel's The Reckoning War event

How Jack of Hearts could be the Joker of the deck for The Reckoning War
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Riyadh : Saudi Arabia announced that it was expelling the Ambassador of Canada and froze new trade deals with the country after Ottawas criticism of human-rights violations in the Islamic Kingdom.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that it it was recalling its ambassador in Canada for consultation and simultaneously declared the Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horak persona non-grata, giving him 24 hours to leave, reports the Saudi Gazette.

The move comes after Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland last week called on Saudi Arabia to release arrested civil-rights activists and signalled concern at a new crackdown in the Middle Eastern country

Saudi Arabia took this firm stance following Canada's statement about "civil society activists" that was negative and baseless, according to the Ministry.

It deemed Freeland's remarks as false allegations.

The ministry considers the Canadian statements as a "blatant interference in the Kingdom's internal affairs that violates simple international norms" that governs relations between countries.

A spokeswoman for Freeland said late Sunday night that the Canadian government was trying to make contact with Saudi Arabia, reports Canadian daily The Globe and Mail.

"We are seriously concerned by these media reports and are seeking greater clarity on the recent statement from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the spokeswoman said.

"Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, including women's rights, and freedom of expression around the world. Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy."

The detained activists include Samar Badawi, sister of writer Raif Badawi who is already imprisoned in Saudi Arabia and sentenced to 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam.

Saudi Arabia is one of Canada's biggest export markets in the Gulf region and more than 15,000 Saudi students attend Canadian schools and universities.
According to 2015 data, the mortgage rate in Finland is only 1.28 percent on the population of one lakh

New Delhi : Guess, the happiest country in the world? Well, its the Finland and as the name suggest it is the finest place with no crime and high economic security. Finland of United Nations holds many things which demonstrate that people in the country are leading a peaceful life. If youre excited to know all those special things Finland beholds, then take a look at the mentioned information.

United Nations World Happiness Report released recently has listed Finland as the happiest destinations on the Earth. The consideration has been done on the basis of bank account income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity.

In Finland, the economic security is noteworthy. Every citizen has many such rights and facilities with economic security, allowances and there is no problem of joblessness or shortage of money. The country has a high GDP and high taxes which support social programs and free or low-cost higher education and healthcare. Plus, life expectancy is very high for both men and women, according to the World Health Organization.

Also the country has zero percent crime. It is the most stable and safe country. According to 2015 data, the mortgage rate is only 1.28 percent on the population of one lakh. The total population here is 55 lakhs. There is no case of organized crime. Cops are trustworthy and capable of handling any serious situation.
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Years ago, I was lucky enough to work with two giants in the advertising industry. Out of respect, I am not going to name them because they would want it that way.

I will hear conversations about how something is going to happen long before we even know what is going to happen. It has to be mobile, digital or if you are doing a film, it has to be this long or that way. And we still have no idea of what we are doing yet.

Radiant beauty, a good yarn and a dollop of charm

One was a suit, the other a creative. They were both very impressive. They liked each other. They also used to fight a lot. Invariably, the argument would be a clash about research and proof on the one hand, and the power of imagination on the other.This created a strange tension in the agency. At any time, there could be two answers for any situation or problem. This tension made the agency work. It created a bizarre and slightly uncomfortable equilibrium. It also gave the agency energy and the idea that there were always multiple solutions to any brief.It instilled in me this idea of being open to solutions. Answers are not pre-ordained and can come from anywhere. Ideas can semi belong to one person and half belong to another. Ideas are not very fond of rules and restrictions.I mention this because lately, I have noticed two strange things in our business:Firstly,It is what I call putting the accuracy before the horse. The idea should come first.Secondly, right now,. Advertisings strength has always been about being able to look at a problem from multiple perspectives.Like the suit and the creative I mentioned earlier, the different points of view created friction but also made the work better. When it comes to the messy business of having ideas, deciding there is only one right way, is the easiest and fastest way to be wrong. The trick is to stay open to ideas and possibilities. That is what a creative should do. That is his or her job.Trying to have some iron-clad formula, or methodology, will only give you what you already have. There are some very polarised views at the moment. It feels like many believe they have to back just one horse.Before you place your bets, do yourself a favour and read Ian Leslies brilliant article in theIt shows the schism that is emerging in our business far more eloquently than I ever could. From a creative perspective, it really does feel like this thinking is pushing meaningless choices or creating filters and channels long before there is an idea.There is often a large discussion about accuracy and very little about attraction.To use Rory Sutherlands analogy, these days we talk a lot about where the weeds should go because that can be measured. Speaking to many creatives, the flower can often be an afterthought. I guess the issue is a beautiful flower is a lot like charm. Desirable, yet hard to measure.Imagine somebody, lets call him Sven. He has a well-paid job making things more streamlined, measurable and efficient. One day he pops into his favourite French bistro after work with one of his workmates called Doug.Sven likes going there because of the foreign music, the old-school posters on the walls and the slightly mad ambiance. He enjoys the crazy chef who shouts a lot. The host has loads of funny stories, is effortlessly charming and always remembers Svens name.While all this pleasantness is washing over him, Doug says to him, Why do you like coming here? The tables are too bloody small. He had never noticed.Thats the thing about radiant beauty, a good yarn and a dollop of charm: in the right hands, they are way more powerful than being correct and accurate.Some in our industry might want to discard or minimise these things because they are hard to measure, yet they have never been needed more than now.There is a simple reason for this:Take Tinder. You can create an efficient service that gives you lots of data and measurement. But where the technology ends, people begin. You might be able to get them that date very efficiently.But, it is those pesky humans who are going to have the date. So, the next day, the story isnt about Tinder and efficiency. Its about the date Jenny had with the weird guy who had a mullet and a very large goldfish collection.Or, perhaps, how she just met the love of her life. It is not just about what we efficiently give. It is also about what people want. And, what people often want is immeasurable:We need what can be measured. Time and distance. This is the compass. However, we also need whatbe measured. The story of what happened on the journey. This is the engine.And we need to quickly realise, one is very pointless without the other. Rory Sutherland
The Hummus & Pita Co., a growing fast-casual restaurant, has opened its first Connecticut location at 15 Federal Road in Brookfield.

The restaurant, based in New York City, offers homemade Mediterranean cuisine such as pita and laffa breads, salads, flavored hummus, vegetarian dishes and a choice of meats cooked in a traditional taboon oven. Restaurant officials said the store is known for its dessert hummus and hummus shakes.

The Brookfield location, near the Danbury line on Federal Road, will hold a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday with a block party.

The Hummus & Pita Co. was founded in 2011 in New York Citys Chelsea neighborhood by Janice Axelrod. There are three locations in New York City with Brookfield being the first restaurant out of that market. There are other restaurants being developed in New Jersey, Denver, Detroit and Los Angeles.

Rishi Parikh signed a multi-unit deal with Hummus & Pita Co. to open franchises in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Ive been looking for emerging fast-casual concepts that are scalable and profitable, Parikh said last fall when he announced he would be opening in greater Danbury. I am particularly passionate about Mediterranean restaurants, but had yet to find a brand on the level of (Hummus & Pita Co.). Im looking forward to bringing this authentic, healthy food, and employment opportunities, to new markets.

To reach The Hummus & Pita Co., call 203-546-8879.

The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
CENTERBROOK  Ivoryton Playhouse favorite Michael McDermott with pianist Nathaniel Baker will give a free concert to raise awareness and funds for The Soft Foot Alliance, Saturday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. The evening will be filled with songs of hope and promise - from Fields of Gold to Here Comes the Sun; from Celtic culture and heritage through American folk traditions to new works.

McDermott has been seen many times at the Playhouse - most recently in The Bells of Dublin: The Carol of the Bells. He was moved by the story of Cecil the Lion and began a correspondence with Brent Stapelkamp, who lives and works with the animals and people in and around Hwange National Park, where Cecil was killed.
UPDATE: 6 P.M.

At 6 p.m., the National Weather Service updated the information about the approaching thunderstorm.

Now, winds could reach up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail is possible. There is the potential for damage to cars from hail and damage to trees and power lines from the wind.

The storm will hit Bridgeport around 6:05 p.m., Trumbull around 6:25 p.m., Monroe around 6:40 p.m. and Milford and Shelton around 6:45 p.m.

Original story:

BRIDGEPORT  A strong thunderstorm is expected to hit Fairfield and western New Haven counties Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service announced at 5:50 p.m. that a strong thunderstorm was spotted over Redding, about seven miles southeast of Danbury. The storm is moving east at 15 mph.

Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with this thunderstorm, NWS said.

Another storm was developing over eastern Westchester, moving east into Fairfield County.

Bridgeort, New Haven, Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, Milford, Shelton, Naugatuck, Southbury, New Canaan, Newtown, Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull and Westport can expect to be hit.

Theres a likelihood of torrential rainfall with this storm. It may cause localized flooding.
NEW MILFORD -- One of the towns top cops is at the center of an internal police investigation and has been placed on administrative leave.

Mayor Peter Bass confirmed Wednesday that Lt. Larry Ash has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which stemmed from a complaint received recently by the police department.

Bass declined to comment on the nature of the complaint or the investigation itself other than to say it was received through the departments tip line. While State Police confirmed that they are assisting in the inquiry, Bass declined to say if the investigation is criminal in nature.

Unfortunately, and I mean unfortunately, I cant comment on that while the investigation is pending, he said.

Ash has been a police officer for 31 years; he followed in the footsteps of his own father, Robert, a decorated, 17-year department detective. Larry Ash is the departments spokesman and media liaison.

The investigation comes as Bass is in the process of reorganizing the department to make it more community friendly, he said.

The mayor confirmed last month that Chief Shawn Boynes contract was not renewed as part of the effort. Boyne is staying on with the department until his existing contract expires in October.

Right now we are assessing candidates for the chiefs position and Ive brought in some (law enforcement) people to help facilitate that, he said. Im looking to have a more community focused and community centered based operation where its more hands on.

He declined to comment further on the nature of the reorganization or how the department could be structured in the future.

Members of the Town Council are also apparently in the dark, both about the investigation and Bass new vision for the department.

The mayor hasnt told the town council what directions he wants to take the department, said council member Peter Mullen, who was also surprised earlier this week to learn of the investigation surrounding Ash.

Mullen said he hopes the issue comes up for discussion during the councils meeting next week.

Im not too concerned at this point, but Id like to have more information about why the chief is leaving and now our second in command isnt there, he said.

Bass said that despite the impact on the departments leadership team -- only Lt. Jeffery Covello who joined the department two years ago is unscathed - he still has the utmost confidence in the departments ability to protect the public.

We have a very dedicated staff with a lot of experience and I feel very confident they will continue to perform well while we look to reorganize the department, he said.

Boyne and Ash could not be reached for comment.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
Dalton State will screen the film Down and Yonder, which features a Dalton State student and was filmed entirely in Northwest Georgia.

Geoffery James, a Dalton State student majoring in history, was heavily involved in the film as a producer, lead actor, and casting director.

The screening will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the James E. Brown Center, room 105. It is free and open to the public, and though the film is not rated, there is strong language.

The film is a coming of age story that follows two friends in their mid-twenties. When one friend moves away, they begin to examine their futures.

The film is about a friendship that becomes tested by time and distance, and it is ultimately a love letter to growing up in a small, Southern town, Mr. James said.

Mr. James, a Ridgeland High School graduate, attended Dalton State from 2005-2008 as an education major and was involved in theatre at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. He left the College to attend The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood, from which he graduated in 2010.

Mr. James spent a few years working in production and videography around the country. He worked on Down and Yonder before re-enrolling at Dalton State. As a history major seeking a secondary certification, James hopes to teach high school history after graduating in 2021.

I wanted a degree in something I am just as passionate about as films, Mr. James said. As a teacher, I feel like I can give kids a broader perspective on the world outside of this area, and remind them anything is possible.

"Down and Yonder is the debut feature-length film from Cindicate Productions, which was founded by Mr. James and his friends, Christopher Flippo and Jonathan Hunt. The company focused on short films and documentaries initially.

Down and Yonder was written by Mr. Flippo while living in California out of homesickness for Rossville, Ga. The film was released in 2017 and was directed by Mr. Flippo.
The Western Cape Government is striving to put an end to bullying at schools across the province by launching a mobile toolkit and campaign called 5 Questions to End Bullying.

Developed by Hellocomputer and FCB Cape Town, in conjunction with child psychologists, it features a video of a fake bullying incident in a school yard and the reactions of learners to five questions asked in sequence after viewing the video. These were carefully chosen to help learners see that their perceptions about bullying should change.To launch the mobile toolkit, influential students from all around the province shared the fake incident to their social media accounts. Their peers were prompted to find out more about the bully, pushing them to a mobile site where the five questions were set up to look like a Buzzfeed-style quiz. Answering the questions, they could come to their own conclusion, clicking through to discover how to behave in all kinds of situations.Commenting on the campaign, WCG Head of Communication, Bronagh Hammond, said that bullying has reached an all-time high the Western Cape. With many of the incidents filmed and shared on Social Media for their friends to see, learners dont realise you dont need to beat somebody up to be a bully, she said. We needed a way to help learners realise it for themselves.The Western Cape Government is using this toolkit to educate learners and schools throughout the province, hoping an important message, Raise your voice. Not your phone spreads far beyond.You can repeat a message over and over and over again but, but unless you let learners discover it for themselves, the message will only be heard, and not bring about behaviour change, said Mike Barnwell, the CCO of FCB Cape Town.endsCredits:Client: Western Cape GovernmentBrand: Education DepartmentSpokesperson and job title: Bronagh Hammond, Head of Communications WCGCreative agency: Hellocomputer and FCB Cape TownChief Creative Officer: Mike BarnwellCreative Director: Camilla Clerke, Nthabiseng LethokoArt Director: Matthew CrispAccount Director: Nadja SrdicAccount Manager: Matt MitriTV production: Lauren TrevelyanProduction companies: Carbon FilmsDirector: Bruno BossiEditor: PriestPost production: Priest, Fuel Content
Watch the news every night for a week, and you will see that ethical scandals in business show no signs of disappearing. Whether it is a large corporation like Facebook, Uber or Wells Fargo or even a small, local dry cleaners, the frequency and impact of organizational misconduct just seems to grow.

But beyond the trends and statistics, wrongdoing in business is about people, their choices and the impact of those choices. When a scandal occurs, careers can be destroyed, loyal friends or customers can flee for good, and innocent lives can be ruined.

Related: A Case Study in Why Core Values Are Cruically Important

One person who knows this all too well is rap legend and business mogul Jay-Z. Raised on the streets of Brooklyn, Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter) has been wildly successful on nearly every front. Yet, despite being one of the wealthiest musicians of all time, his own net worth of more than $800 million did not shield him from his own scandal. In fact, this recent crisis prompted him to question his life-long attitude of winning-at-all-costs and instead embrace a very different, more compassionate value.

The losing proposition of winning-at-all-costs.

Like many successful entrepreneurs, Jay-Zs own laser-focus on winning-at-all-costs blinded him to many of its darker elements. For Jay-Z, the reckoning occurred in 2014 when it came to light that he had been cheating on his wife, fellow superstar Beyonce. The rapper recently shared that rather than walk away from his marriage and family, he chose instead to do everything he could to save it. This process started with taking a hard look at himself.

Through a commitment to rigorous self-examination, he was able to let go of many life-long beliefs and adopt a new mindset that can best be summarized as four key principles. Even though Jay-Z made these changes to salvage his marriage, the four principles are effective in almost any setting, especially for leaders committed to improving a businesss culture and avoiding scandals.

1. Accountability: expressing responsibility for actions and their subsequent impact.

In business, success is often seen as gaining dominance over ones competitors by being smarter, more innovative and more efficient. With that mindset, there is no space for admitting ones shortcomings or examining their origins.

However, all businesses, as well as all human beings, make mistakes that hurt others. Yet when unacknowledged, mistakes grow more toxic and result in greater, more lasting damage.

When his wife learned of his infidelity, Jay-Z realized that to save his marriage he had to admit not just his wrongdoing, but also the flawed mindset that gave rise to it. In business, this kind of fearless self-examination and accountability are rare.

Case in point is Ubers embattled former CEO Travis Kalanick. When Kalanick left the company, it was amid accusations of sexual misconduct, verbal abuse and a host of unethical and illegal business practices. As reported, Kalanick assumed little responsibility for these misdeeds. In fact, before his departure, Kalanick complained that his only problem was that he was grossly misunderstood.

2. Vulnerability: revealing imperfections and weakness while avoiding blame or defensiveness.

If accountability is about taking ownership for harmful or deficient things one has done, vulnerability is about revealing weakness or imperfections in ones character or make-up. In business, vulnerability, like accountability, is rarely openly acknowledged.

Yet, for improvement to occur, there must be an honest recognition of where change is needed and why. Ironically, leaders overconfidence and unwillingness to be vulnerable may be one reason scandals are on the rise. For example, a 2015 study by Deloitte found that corporate leaders are consistently more confident than they have reason to be when estimating their companys ability to respond to scandals and crises.

As Jay-Zs marriage was about to collapse, he realized that a lifetime of success had made him too overconfident. This recognition helped him see that his infidelity was largely caused by his fear of being vulnerable with his wife. He knew that if his marriage to Beyonce was going to survive, this had to change.

Related: Being Vulnerable Is the Boldest Act of Business Leadership

To do his part, Jay-Z made a commitment to being more vulnerable with those closest him. He sought help for this from a qualified therapist and over time has seen the benefits. As he shared in 2017, To expose your feelings, to be vulnerable in front of the world. Thats real strength. You know, you feel like you gotta be this guarded person. Thats not real. Its fake.

3. Empathy: an intimate awareness of the struggles and/or emotions experienced by another person.

Traditional business values downplay empathy and emotions in favor of logic and intellect. While this thinking may have worked in the industrial age, in todays business environment, it simply ignores the facts.

It is even easier to ignore emotion when a company or powerful individual has done harm. Yet to ensure problem behaviors are not repeated, it is crucial the offending party develop empathy for what the victim is feeling. When Jay-Z was working to save his marriage, he knew he needed to have a full and accurate understanding of the harm he had caused Beyonce.

He was well aware that acquiring this understand meant having some very difficult conversations with his wife. He recognized that unless he could relate to exactly what she felt, there would always be a risk he would fall into the same behaviors again.

4. Amends: actions taken to repair the damage or loss one has caused another.

Typically, when an individual or company makes amends, they usually make a statement of apology that pain was caused. However, simply saying Im sorry generally does little to repair the damage done. This is the reason such gestures can often leave the offended party feeling strangely victimized a second time.

In the wake of Facebooks recent scandal involving unethical data mining by the British firm Cambridge Analytica, many Facebook users were not happy and felt that the company was out of touch with their sense of being violated. This may be one reason why a majority of independent shareholders now believe that it is time for CEO Mark Zuckerberg to go.

Jay-Z understands these risks. When his infidelity was exposed, he knew that a mere Im sorry, and I promise Ill do better would not be nearly enough. It was clear to him that if trust was to be restored, he needed to take action that resulted in substantial changes in what he brought to their relationship. This clarity, in turn, led him to undergo the intense level of soul-searching that helped save his marriage and put his relationship with Beyonce on new footing.

Related: Does It Matter What Motivates Business Philanthropy?

What it takes to make it.

Companies like Facebook and Uber can only survive over the long term if they recognize that their primary strength is not in their technology; it is in the relationships they build over time with their users. And like a successful marriage, those relationships will only endure if they are based on fearless self-analysis and an unrelenting willingness to change for the better.

Related:

6 Pieces of Timeless Business Advice From Ford, Hamilton, Rockefeller and More

How to Connect With Influencers and Famous People

4 Hiring Lessons From CNBC's 'The Profit'



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
For all the talk of "fire and fury" we once heard from President Donald Trump, his administration's most-frequently used weapons have been not have been explosive - they've been financial.

Since entering office, Trump has often used economic sanctions (and, concurrently, tariffs) in an attempt to bend other countries to his will. The administration feels, with some justification, that tough sanctions brought North Korea to the negotiating table.

Now Trump hopes that reinstating sanctions on Iran will also force that country to bargain with the United States and craft a new nuclear deal.

Trump tweeted "The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!"

But the evidence that these sanctions are working as a foreign-policy tool isn't convincing. And there is considerable concern that the Trump administration is overusing them while neglecting other important facets of foreign policy, such as negotiations or coordination with allies.

The Washington Post's Carol Morello recently outlined just how prevalent sanctions have become in the Trump era in a recent article. She found that during just one month - February 2018 - the United States had imposed sanctions not only on North Korea, but also groups or individuals in Colombia, Libya, Congo, Pakistan, Somalia, the Philippines, Lebanon and more.

Though their use may be increasing, sanctions are not a new idea - they date back hundreds of years, if not further. Yet academic research has found that they often don't work as intended. One study looked at 200 sanctions from between 1914 and 2008 and found only 13 that were clearly instrumental in achieving their creators' aims.

The problem isn't necessarily that they can't inflict financial damage on a foe (given the power the United States holds over the global economy, that much is now a given). Instead, the issue is that this damage doesn't always contribute to any logical foreign policy goal. This problem may be particularly acute for the Trump administration, in which sanctions are sometimes a substitute for a broader foreign policy rather than a way to implement one.

Consider North Korea, the great success story of the current U.S. sanctions regime. Following the rapid advances Pyongyang made in its weapons programs in 2017, the United States was able to impose some of the strictest unilateral and multilateral sanctions (via the U.N. Security Council) ever placed on North Korea. The evidence we have suggests that these sanctions hurt: South Korea's central bank estimated last month that North Korea's economy suffered its steepest decline in two decades in 2017.

Sanctions, therefore, seem to have played at least a supporting role in moderating North Korea's behavior and helping pave the way for the June 12 summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But the summit itself was not the goal. The whole point, from the U.S. point of view at least, was that North Korea would agree to denuclearize. And that part is not going well.

Just under two months after the summit, North Korean diplomats are verbally sparring with their U.S. counterparts again. Even among officials, there is growing acceptance that denuclearization may not happen in any kind of meaningful way. As Andrei Lankov, a Seoul-based expert on North Korea, put it after a recent visit to Washington: "Bureaucrats admit that they understand that denuclearization is no longer a realistic goal."

Yet Trump now seems to be applying the North Korean playbook to Iran. The president pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal and officially started reinstating sanctions on Tehran on Monday. He also said last week that he would be open to meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "anytime" without preconditions. To many, it was the repeat of a cynical tactic - threaten, sanction, then voila, a summit! - that is unlikely to produce meaningful results.

Julia Ioffe tweeted "Prediction: in a year, Trump has a summit with Rouhani in some neutral city-Dubai?-on which 1,500 journalists will descend, at which point, Trump and his supporters will claim that he averted war with Iran."

This time around, the sanctions part of the plan has even more obvious flaws. For one thing, Iran has a complicated and divided civil society that will not necessarily fall into line behind its leadership. As my colleague Ishaan Tharoor wrote earlier this week, new sanctions may not weaken Iran's hard-liners but rather embolden them.

The international situation is much different, too. The United States' major European allies are opposed to Trump's decision to exit the nuclear deal; some have suggested they may try to actively undermine U.S. sanctions by instructing state-owned banks and energy companies to do business with Iran.

Then there's China, which was clearly so instrumental to the success of North Korean sanctions but is now anticipating a trade war with the United States. Why would China bother to help Trump on Iran - or again on North Korea, for that matter?

The simplest issue with Trump's sanctions-heavy, strategy-light policy is the wasted effort. But they could also produce more subtle effects that would be bad for the United States. For example, there's growing agitation in South Korea as sanctions continue to block economic rapprochement with North Korea - likely to the eventual benefit of China and Russia.

And it's worth remembering that one reason that the United States can effectively employ sanctions is its hegemonic power over the global financial system. In the long term, that could change as foreign powers grow more and more disillusioned with Washington's supposedly steady hand.

It looks like Trump's dreams of sanctions bringing peace are unlikely to turn into a reality any time soon. As Daniel Larison of the American Conservative put it in a response to Trump's tweet on Tuesday: "Nothing says world peace like economic warfare with the rest of the world."
Several weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to support a bill that would have given gays and lesbians the right to bear children through surrogates. A day later, without explanation though not uncharacteristically, he reversed positions and blocked the bill. Since then, gay-rights groups have voicing their outrage. On Monday, Netanyahu responded to the criticism by noting that he is "proud to lead one of world's most open democracies."

The comment was disingenuous, of course. And ironic given that the security services he controls have spent the last few weeks chipping away at Israel's freedom of speech - at least for those who do not share this government's political views.

In mid-July, Meyer Koplow -chairman of Brandeis University's Board of Trustees, a long-time supporter of Israel and a highly regarded philanthropist -was already at a departure gate at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport when security personnel whisked him away. What had aroused suspicion between the time Koplow had passed the security checkpoint and the moment he was about to board the plane was a pamphlet titled "This Week in Palestine" that was found during a search of his suitcase. Koplow had picked it up in a Bethlehem hotel. Although Israeli officials defended his questioning, insisting that Israeli aviation safety must never be compromised, the incident was clearly clumsy and counterproductive. As Koplow himself noted, "I have a deep Zionist connection. Whatever was intended by this questioning, I think it accomplished exactly the opposite."

Koplow's son Michael serves as policy director at the left-leaning but undeniably pro-Israel and pro-two-state-solution Israel Policy Forum, and wrote that what his father had experienced "is a perfectly sad microcosm of everything wrong with the way Israel treats information as a threat and American Jews as objects of suspicion."

Lest anyone suspect that Michael Koplow had exaggerated, Israel seemed intent on proving him right. A few weeks later, Moriel Rothman Zecher, a well-known left-leaning activist who years ago refused to serve in the military over his objections to Israel's treatment of Palestinians, was also detained at the airport. Rothman Zecher, an Israeli citizen who has been living in the U.S. for several months, was told by the Shin Bet interrogator that he should see the interaction as a "cautionary conversation."

This week, the pattern continued with the interrogation of Simone Zimmerman, who served as Jewish outreach director in the Bernie Sanders campaign for a few days until she fired over expletive-laden comments she had posted on social media about Netanyahu. Zimmerman, an American now living in Tel Aviv, is one of the founders of If Not Now, a Jewish group (that New York Magazine has called one of the "fastest-growing American Jewish organizations") that does not endorse Jewish statehood.

Zimmerman and a friend, Abby Kirschbaum, were detained at the Taba crossing on the Egyptian border and permitted entry after four hours of interrogation. Kirschbaum noted that "the level of surveillance and intimidation we experienced tonight was unsettling, but it is a fraction of the lived reality for the Palestinians I know and am proud to work with."

Smarting from criticism of the incident, the Shin Bet insisted that while it had ordered that the two women be detained, it was the border patrol who had done the questioning.

As all this was unfolding, two Italian artists visiting Israel painted a mural of a Palestinian teenager named Ahed Tamimi. Israel had jailed Tamimi for eight months for slapping a soldier, and she has become a bit of a hero and media sensation in Palestinian circles. Israel deported the two artists and banned them from the country for 10 years.

It is not clear what Israel is hoping to accomplish with this heavy-handed, amateurish display of power. In early 2017, Israel announced that it would bar entry to the country to individuals who advocated a boycott of Israel or the settlements. The response from American Jews was critical, but among Israelis - who have been under international boycotts for decades and consider them odious - the announcement elicited little reaction.

Netanyahu seems to be begging for that relative calm to change. Although it is hard to know exactly who is issuing directives to the security services on this issue, the clumsiness leads one to suspect there is an unstated goal. It seems likely that Netanyahu has decided to stoke the embers of "Zionists versus Israel's enemies" discourse, which will win him points with the right-wing factions of Israeli society he needs to win the next elections, scheduled for next year, but may be called early.

The prime minister is playing with fire. More than half of Israel's Jewish citizens are either immigrants from North Africa, Yemen, Iraq and Iran or their descendants. They come from societies where freedom of speech is not nearly as sacrosanct as it is in the U.S. Add in more than 1 million Russian immigrants, many of whom are comfortable with the sort of heavy-handedness President Vladimir Putin is displaying there. Israel needs a leader who can model devotion to the values of liberal societies, not undermine them for the sake of short-term political gains. Appealing to citizens comfortable with authoritarian-leaning regimes may earn Netanyahu short-term political gains, but could eventually yield a country which no one would call "one of the world's most open democracies."

- - -

Daniel Gordis is senior vice president and Koret distinguished fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem. Author of 11 books, his latest is "Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn."
With the primary less than a week away, the race for the Republican nomination for governor has sharply tightened as two wealthy businessmen have apparently lost the leads they established earlier this summer.

Bob Stefanowski of Madison, a former business executive, has been on TV most of this year. David Stemerman, who closed his Greenwich hedge fund to run, started buying ads right after the May party convention. In recent months, their self-funded campaigns have focused attacks on each other.

Their battle of bickering commercials, combined with the three other candidates catching up on TV in recent weeks, likely has eroded much of their early leads in public perception.

A July 23 poll conducted for Stefanowski by McLaughlin and Associates showed him with support from 29 percent of likely GOP primary voters, ahead of Danbury Mayor Mark Boughtons 18 percent and Stemermans 17 percent, according to a source familiar with that survey. The other candidates, Tim Herbst, the former Trumbull first selectman, and Steve Obsitnik, a Westport tech entrepreneur, were at 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

But between the negatives generated by the Stemerman-Stefanowski skirmishes, and the competition from the media buys of Boughton, Herbst and Obsitnik, the landscape has changed.

The candidates are now smiling, standing pat and appealing to the wider electorate of Republican primary voters.

Stemerman declined to divulge his poll results, but said hes in the position where he wants to be.

The race continues to be wide open, its very volatile and its changing every day, he said.

But during a debate among Republican candidates at Fairfield University on Monday, Stemerman, who had clashed with Stefanowski during previous forums, particularly a late-July debate hosted by Hearst Connecticut Media, WSHU Public Radio and Sacred Heart University, declined to raise any issues that could cause televised conflict.

Its all about your momentum and where youre going to push, Stemerman told a couple of reporters after the forum. I like the trajectory of where we are and I dont want to give any more details than that.

Candidates typically are less-than-candid about their internal polling and rarely release hard numbers.

Our polling shows us surging, said Herbst, who has characterized Stefanowski and Stemerman as former Democrats.

I can tell you that our internals show us that our growth rate is three times greater than any of the other candidates, Herbst said in an interview. I can tell you that our polling shows that Mr. Stefanowski and Mr. Stemerman, their numbers are dropping like a lead balloon because I think voters are concerned about Democrats trying to hijack our party. And I think that the way that they have very viciously attacked each other, it has hurt them equally. So I can tell you Mr Stemermans attacks brought Mr Stefanowskis numbers down by about 13 points, but his numbers dropped by 11 points. So what is happening is, voters are saying we dont want opportunists trying to hijack our party.

Boughtons campaign believes the mayor is in a good position to win.

Matt Joiner, campaign manager for Obsitnik, said the poll could be invalid because its methodology and wording is not known publicly and the sample size is too small for a race with five candidates.

Stefanowski had earlier polls showing his support above 30 percent, which means hes trending downward, Joiner said.

We are confident that Steve is well above the 4 percent showing, Joiner said. When people know about him, his numbers have been surging and were confident that we are going to peak on Election Day.

He declined to say whether the Obsitnik campaign has done its own polling but said hes seen several polls for the race. There are a lot more undecided voters than 21 percent, he said.

Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University, said with as many as half the primary voters still up for grabs, its time for candidates to focus on the issues, and not each other.

I think there is a realization among the candidates that the nation has been saturated with conflict and hate and attacks among politicians so maybe the best thing is to speak about the issues people care about, Hanley said. By staying true to positions, perhaps theyll get the marginal voter out and on their side. The new ads show more smiling faces. There seems to be a softening of the tone, and thats definitely part of a strategy.

Hanley says candidates are usually reticent to announce their internal polls because it may affect their spin. The rule is to always try to spin your numbers in the best way possible to show momentum, Hanley said.

Earlier this week, Boughton released an ad critical of Stemerman and Stefanowski.

That sounds desperate, said Patrick Trueman, Stefanowskis campaign manager.

Associated Editor Dan Haar contributed to this report.
Regarded as the biggest boutique agency in the world, Jellyfish, with offices in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, is directing the South African digital marketing space with innovative, data-driven concepts that resonate with the consumer. One such concept they are excited to be executing is for the leading fast-moving consumer goods' (FMCG) manufacturer, Willowton Group.

David Sweidan of Willowton Group pictured in Jellyfish SA offices.

This established FMCG company was looking for a way to connect more directly with consumers, to engage and showcase their extensive product range. They wanted to expand on their interactive #nowwecooking concept but hadnt ventured very much into the digital marketing space previously. Willowton Group decided to find an entrenched company with the vision to really see this campaign through, and this search led them to Jellyfish.The pitch was quite open-ended, making it open to interpretation which is great, explained Tim Lombard, MD of Jellyfish. Many of their products are centred around cooking, so we felt they should own this space with the #nowwecooking platform. This is going to be a unique campaign, unlike any countrywide, and the concept is taking off.Lombard said they were excited to be working on the Willowton Group, one of the countrys more forward-thinking companies ready to embrace the digital marketing sphere.He said when considering what digital marketing techniques would work for companies, Jellyfish adopts the challenger sale approach. Clients are no longer likely to spend time helping agencies discover their needs. We aim to teach our clients something they did not already know. We challenge the brief. And then we offer something unique and different that separates us from the rest.We believe todays brand relationships are the sum of every interaction along a digital journey. Marketers can no longer fire out an occasional 'brand campaign'  every journey can build or detract from brand reputation.Commenting on the #nowwecooking campaign, Willowton Groups marketing executive, David Sweidan, said: Digital is an ever-changing landscape whereby we can create real-time conversations with our consumers, as well as content they can consume from the comfort of their mobile devices.As traditional marketing mediums are being consumed less, we recognise the opportunity to fully embrace moving into the digital space. We needed a partner that would be able to understand our objectives and bring personality to our brands.Jellyfish has been able to seamlessly integrate into our business and understand what it is we want to achieve. They are passionate people that innovate continuously and have a multifaceted approach to business. From junior to executive level, every one of their employees treats our business with importance. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with them.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A flash flood watch has been issued today for much of Upstate New York today as thunderstorms move into Upstate New York.

The watch is in effect until midnight for Central New York, much of the Southern Tier, the Capital Region and the Upper Hudson Valley. Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties are also under a flood advisory, a step above a watch that means minor flooding is likely.

The National Weather Service said repeated thunderstorms this afternoon may pass over the same areas. It's a phenomenon known as "training," like train cars passing over the same spot.

Areas in dark green are under a flash flood watch until midnight. The neon green area is under a flood advisory until 3:15 p.m.

"Storms may train over the same locations, producing torrential rainfall," the watch said. "Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour or more are possible locally."

Flash flooding could occur where the rain is heaviest. Areas that have seen high rainfall amounts over the past few weeks are the most vulnerable to flooding today, the weather service said.

A flash flood watch means conditions are right for flash flooding to occur.

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251
Elon Musk Tesla and Solarcity were both publicly trading from 2012 to 2016. Tesla went public June 29, 2010. Solarcity went public Dec 12, 2012.

Solarcity was bought by Tesla in a $2.6 billion all-stock transaction Nov 21, 2016.

Elon Musk has tweeted that he has the funding to take Tesla private for $420. I am quite sure thata majority of shareholders will accept the deal. The buyers probably includes the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund.

Elon Musk will have some extra valuation on his Tesla stock, but will probably retain all of it.

Elon will not need to worry about quarterly earnings and can focus on the ten year goal.

Elon will be able to focus on making Tesla worth more than $650 billion by March 2028 in order to trigger the maximum performance bonus of $55.8 billion. Elons shares would be worth about $145 billion if the $650 billion target was met. Elon would have $200 billion in Tesla valuation if Tesla reaches $650 billion.

Elon will be more free to run all of his private companies.

SpaceX

Tesla

Solarcity

Boring Company

Hyperloop

Neuralink

OpenAI
BRIDGEPORT  Union officials say layoffs and raising the state juvenile offender age to 18 have created a safety problem at the citys state juvenile detention center.

Its a serious situation that could get much worse, Ron Nelson, a juvenile detention officer and vice president of AFSCME Local 749, said Tuesday. Our officers are tired and overworked, and the kids they supervise know it. Its only a matter of time before something bad happens.

In July 2016, the state Judicial Branch, which oversees Connecticuts juvenile detention centers, laid off 40 officers. In 2012, the state finished implementing changes approved five years earlier by the legislature that raised the age of eligibility for the juvenile justice system to 18 years old.

The combination ... has left our juvenile detention facilities understaffed and our juvenile detention officers overworked and vulnerable to injury and burnout, said AFSCME Local 749 President and State Supreme Court Police Officer Charles DellaRocco.

DellaRocco said the union has filed numerous grievances against the Judicial Branch over staffing and safety-related issues, as well as two State Prohibited Practice complaints with the state Department of Labor. One of those complaints is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday in Hartford.

Administrators said they are aware of the problems and have begun hiring more staff.

The Judicial Branch is committed to meeting all standards related to best practices as well as state and federal laws and regulations related to our two juvenile detention centers (in Bridgeport and Hartford), Chief Court Administrator Patrick Carroll III said.

In the spring of fiscal year 2016, due to significant budget constraints, the Judicial Branch issued 300 layoff notices over a two-month period, which included 40 juvenile detention officers and 15 other employees who worked in the detention centers, Carroll said. This past spring, all of the laid-off juvenile detention officers were offered the opportunity to return to work, but only 13 accepted, and 10 additional employees who worked in the detention center returned to work.

Nelson said the detention center in Bridgeport is supposed to be staffed by 55 officers working three shifts, but 22 of those officers are out on workers compensation with injuries he said were the result of being overworked.

We have officers out with torn (knee ligaments), shoulder and back injuries, many are long-term workers comp cases, he said.

Because the age was increased (six years ago), many of the juveniles are the size of adult men and women, and are a greater threat, physically, he said. Many of the juveniles at the center are also rival gang members, Nelson said, and there not enough officers to keep them separate.

We had an instance where gang members jumped an individual, an officer called for backup but there was no one to back him up and he became injured, Nelson said.

Carroll said the Judicial Branch hired 21 juvenile detention trainee transitional officers on June 22, but two new employees did not report for the mandatory pre-service training. The remaining 19 new juvenile detention workers went through an intensive five weeks of pre-service training and another week of orientation. The detention workers started in the field on Friday.

The Judicial Branch is continuously recruiting juvenile detention workers and will be hiring another class with a minimum of 10 new hires this fall, Carroll said.

He said the juvenile detention centers have been accredited by the American Correctional Association since 2003, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare since 2004, and have been compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act since 2014. The centers are re-accredited every three years.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story erroneously said the age of eligibility for the states juvenile justice system increased to 18 under an initiative introduced by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The increase was implemented in 2012 under legislation approved in 2007, when M. Jodi Rell was Connecticuts governor.
HAMDEN  The Legislative Council accepted a $48,875 state grant to bring the Rectory School Barn into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Monday, albeit with some reluctance, as members debated whether it was appropriate to take steps to restore the historic building given the likely cost.

The Rectory School Barn was built in 1869. It was designed by town native Henry Austin, who, among other buildings, also designed New Haven City Hall.

According to past reporting, the town accepted ownership of the structure in 2001, and the Hamden Historical Society, through donations, provided $52,000 to move it to its current location on Dixwell Avenue, near Town Center Park in 2001.

The town has since invested in the edifice, including spending some hundreds of thousands of dollars for structural and foundational repairs.

But the building currently is idle, without electricity or running water, and a firm plan for its future has not been determined.

Economic Development Director Dale Kroop told the council Monday he recently took over the project and plans to engage local organizations and commissions to develop a vision for the building. One possible use is as an arts center, he said.

This $48,000 will not make it habitable for community use by itself. Were going to come up with a plan, said Kroop. This is grant is to do ADA and structural improvements that need to be done regardless of what the final use of the building will be. But basically, it will be a community building at Town Center Park.

The work will include a ramp and structural improvements to the front of the building, Kroop said.

Council members debated, with some humor, whether it was wise to accept the grant funding, given the towns current financial outlook and the investment likely required to ready the building for public use.

Councilor James Pascarella, noting the historic nature of the structure and the usual virtue of taking available funds from the state, shared his concerns about the amount of money that had been sunk into the building to date and the wisdom of accepting these funds.

We can accept the grant ... to make it ADA-compliant, which is perfectly nice, except that no one would be allowed to enter the building, whether its ADA-compliant because theres no electrical, plumbing, and the roof I dont think is functional, either, said Pascarella. So its expending $50,000 on a shack to make it ADA-compliant, with all due respect.

Kroop acknowledged that there would be an additional cost to fix up the building  he estimated it would run into the high six figures  but said this was a way to begin the process.

Ultimately, the decision would be up to the council, but there was value in having a plan to inform its decision-making, he said.

Council President Michael McGarry argued the council should accept the grant, noting the building is an observable reality.

This structure, it exists. The amount of money we have spent prior to Mr. Kroop taking over this is unfortunate, but what would you guys rather do? Hit the barn with a sledgehammer? McGarry said. Its there, it exists, and I believe we should make use of it.

McGarry suggested the structure could house restrooms for patrons of Town Center Park, which would be particularly helpful for children and those with disabilities.

Even though a specific plan has not been determined, the work still would be meaningful, he and others said. If the town was to use the structure in the future, it would need to be ADA-compliant, McGarry said.

The council ultimately voted 7-4 to accept the grant funding, with Pascarella, Lauren Garrett, Harry Gagliardi and Athena Gary against.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
This company article has been removed.
NEW HAVEN  Still reconciling last fiscal years expenses and revenues, the Board of Alders recently approved a $10 million transfer to cover some departmental deficits.

The board transferred $10 million from a debt service budget surplus from last fiscal year to cover projected shortfalls in various line items: public safety, workers compensation, youth services, parks and recreation, and the fire and police departments.

The surplus was from a bond sale last August and will work to cover the budget shortfalls from last fiscal year, Acting Budget Director Michael Gormany said. The transfer was submitted in early June and at the time the city was projecting around $10 million in collective department deficits, Gormany said.

In the citys latest monthly report ending in June, the police and fire departments were still reporting deficits, along with youth services and workers compensation. But public safety communications and parks and recreation gained budget surpluses since the transfer was submitted.

The city normally submits a closeout transfer, or pre-audit, which takes the savings from any department and puts them in departments with shortfalls.

At the end of the fiscal year, any surplus goes to cover the shortfalls, Gormany said. It doesnt matter what department. That surplus offsets any deficits. Moreover, the city cant carry over general fund money, he said.

We wouldnt be able to do anything else with that surplus in that fiscal year, he said. The general fund is on a year-by-year basis.

The ordinance moves money from the debt service account to others that are projected to have gone over budget last year. According to the latest monthly report, the police departments deficit equals $60,161; the fire departments is $3,672,044; youth services equals $468,262; and workers compensation, just under $1.5 million.

Were still reconciling the year and will know better when the books close in September, Gormany said. Those were the projections. Some departments we had expenditure savings in and lessened the deficit numbers. As long as it holds steady, all the funds might not to be transferred, which would be good.

During the board vote to approve the item, Alder Abigail Roth, D-7, said she was concerned about the practice of using debt service surpluses to cover department shortfalls.

The administration has a practice of counting money received from refunding and restructuring debt as revenue in the operating budget, she said in the meeting. FRAC (the citys financial review and audit commission) has warned that debt should not be used to cover operating expenses and the budget should balance without such gimmicks. This is because refunding and restructuring debt increases the citys debt burden in the long run atop of imposing significant costs on the city. This practice of papering over deficits doesnt hold departments accountable to operate within their budgets.

Roth used the citys recent $160 million debt refinancing deal as an example of how such actions cost the city more in the long run. For the first seven years of the refunded bonds, the city will save $108 million in debt service over what it would have paid under the current debt service schedule. In the next nine years, however, it will pay $197.6 million in debt servicing just due to the refunding.

What got us to this point and what we have to do as legislators is to make some serious changes, Alder Richard Furlow, D-27, said in a previous interview after the bond refunding vote. We are going to be meeting weekly to make sure we get this five-year plan developed and not one penny is spent that shouldnt be. It is crucial or we are going to be back in this position in five years or three years, Furlow said.

Roth said debt service money specifically shouldnt be used to cover deficits because, unlike other line items, its not real revenue, but thats what the city always turns to. The city sees savings in the short term but ends up paying more in the long term.

(Departments) are not held accountable, she said in a later interview. We set a limit. They go above it and the city uses the debt services savings by refinancing it to cover the costs.

mdignan@hearstmediact.com
HARTFORD  The teachers union, immigrant advocates and political leaders rallied abound Salma Sikandar Tuesday after an emotional appeal from her family to halt her scheduled deportation back to Bangladesh.

Apologizing for tearing up as his parents cried beside him, their American citizen son, Samir Mahmud, 17, thanked the crowd that showed up outside Immigration Court and the 6,000 people who signed a petition on behalf of his mother.

He said he does not want his family split up just as he is set to start this freshman year at Quinnipiac University Aug. 27. Mahmud said his parents have never done anything wrong and have always worked to better his life. The family lives in New Haven.

His father, Anwar Mahmud, said he and Sikander had decided to have only one child so they could make sure he had the opportunites  particularly a college education  that they never had.

Sikandar is scheduled to leave the country Aug. 23 under orders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after several appeals since 2014 have not been succcessful.

Her attorney, Robert Wang, has filed an emergency stay of removal to stop the deportation so another appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals can be heard, something he expects could take place in a few months time.

Sikander is also part of her husbands case, in which he is seeking asylum based on his conversion to Mormonism in 1997, which makes it too dangerous for him to return to Bangladesh where members of minority religions are persecuted.

Mahmud is scheduled for an individual merit hearing before Hartfords Immigration Court in a year, on July 15, 2019. The family wants to fight the deportation through all the legal means available to them and sending Sikander home prior to exhausting them makes no sense to them.

Vanessa Suarez of Unidad Latina en Accion said the support of about 100 people at the rally outside the court means a lot to the family, given all the anxiety over the years and for the uncertainty that will be with them for the next 16 days.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who also attended, said they research these cases before getting involved and he determined that these are good people, hard working people ... The battle that we are waging is for the right reasons for the right family in the right country and certainly in the right state.

State Sen. William Tong, D-Stamford, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, said he was very proud to be standing with the family, but said he was ashamed that we have to stand here again in front of the court in Hartford to protest yet another deportation.

Tong said his father was out of status when they came to this country and, like Salma Sikandar and Anwar Mahmud, made their living working in a restaurant. Mahmud is a manager at a McDonalds and his wife works as part of the crew. They both have working papers and pay taxes.

Salma Sikandar overstayed her tourist visa (in 1999.) You know who else overstayed their tourist visa  my father almost 50 years ago, Tong said. Ultimately his was allowed to to stay.

I wanted to be here with you because I wanted people to understand there is no daylight between us. There is no difference between this family and your families and our families. They are our family. They are our people and we stand here and fight for them, Tong said.

He left the crowd with one thought.

Under the law, there is this concept know as arbitrary and capricious. The federal government and its agencies are not supposed to take arbitrary and capricious action against the people of this country. But why Salma? Why single her out? It just seems so arbitrary and so capricious to say youve got to go by August 23 when their son is about to start college and they are doing everything right, Tong said.

He said now was the time to stay strong and fight hard for the family.

John Brady, a vice president of the Connecticut American Federation of Teachers, which represents some 30,000 educators and medical personnel, said they will support the family as its appeals go forward.

Samir Mahmud just graduated from Engineering and Science University Magnet School, a New Haven school located in West Haven.

Im very proud to be an American, but sometimes our government doesnt make us proud, like separting children from their families at the border, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthat told the family.

It is not only the border. Now it is happening here, said Anwar Mahmud.

As an elected representative from Connecticut I am going to fight for justice and try to make our government better, Blumenthal said.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin was also there and said the Bangladeshi family has done everything a country could ask of its residents in putting their family first.

We have to stand here and repeat that refrain that these deportations make nobody safer, they make no community stronger and they make absolutely no sense, Bronin said.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3; U.S. John Larson, D-1; and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also support the family, as does state Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven.

Eric Maroney, who was Samirs English teacher, said he was a good, inquisitive student who does not deserve to be separated from his parents as he is beginning to make his way into the world.

We need to bring national attention to this case, he said

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has registered 'Scotch whisky' as a certification trademark in South Africa, which is the seventh largest Scotch whisky market by volume.

Ersler Dmitry via 123RF

Greater degree of legal protection

'Scotch whisky' is one of the first foreign registrations in South Africa with protection, making enforcement against counterfeit products being sold or passed off as Scotch whisky easier.Scotch whisky exports earn the UK 139 every second, totalling more than 4bn annually. Exports to South Africa increased by 20.7% to 144m in 2017, with nearly 100 bottles shipped there every minute.According to SWA, the legal protection of Scotch whisky is vital to the industry's export success. South Africa joins over one hundred other countries where 'Scotch whisky' has been granted specific legal protection.SWA chief executive Karen Betts commented: "The registration of the 'Scotch whisky' certification trademark in South Africa is a milestone for Scotland's national drink in our largest export market in Africa, and one of the largest in the world."This registration offers Scotch whisky a greater degree of legal protection and will allow us to prosecute rogue traders who seek to cash-in on the heritage, craft and quality of genuine Scotch."Consumers can enjoy Scotch whisky confident that South Africa stands behind Scotch whisky as a Scottish product, produced according to traditional methods."
ANSONIA  The Ansonia Police Department can add some life-saving equipment to its arsenal, thanks to a local church and the community lending a hand.

The efforts of the second annual Honoring Ansonia Blue police appreciation event, held last fall at First Baptist Church, raised $16,000 in donations. That money enabled the department to purchase three ballistic shields, strong enough to stop rifle rounds, and eight Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs, for police cruisers, according to Police Chief Kevin Hale.

Hale on Wednesday, along with the Rev. John Hinson and his wife, Maude, of First Baptist Church, unveiled the life-saving equipment during a news conference.

Theyve been absolutely instrumental in enabling us to purchase this equipment, which we couldnt do on our own, Hale said. This will help keep our officers safe.

Maude Hinson, who has worked the last two years to make the police appreciation events a success, said giving back to the police is critical.

They go out every day not knowing if theyre going to come back to their loved ones, she said.

Hale said all officers will be trained in the use of the AEDs, which he said greatly aids in the chain of survival before a patient can get to an emergency room.

If we show up 45 seconds sooner than an ambulance, we can help save a life, Hale said.

Officer Brendon Nelson demonstrated how the 28-pound ballistic shields can help shield an officer from gunfire and said thankfully, they havent had to be used yet.

Mayor David Cassetti said hes grateful the police will have an extra layer of protection.

I want to thank Maude and Pastor John for the supplies and for helping out our department, Cassetti said.

The Hinsons, along with a committee, are gearing up to hold the third annual Honor Ansonia Blue day, scheduled for 4 p.m. Oct. 7 at First Baptist Church, 235 Prindle Ave. This years party will feature live music by Backbeat, free refreshments, raffle and door prizes, a petting zoo, pony rides, bounce houses, line dancing lessons and more.

Maude Hinson said the committee has set a goal of raising $40,000 this year. Hale said hed like to outfit all officers with ballistic helmets and purchase additional ballistic shields, if possible.

Were encouraging businesses, corporations and individuals to please reach even deeper this year, Maude Hinson said. Every little bit helps.

Several events leading up to the big day will take place throughout September, including tip-a-cop fundraisers at Crave, Copper City Grill and McDonalds.

During the inaugural police appreciation event in 2016, $8,200 was raised, which enabled the department to purchase trauma kits. The kits are worn on the officers belts and provide tourniquets and quick-clot agents designed to save lives by slowing down or stopping bleeding in people critically injured.

John Hinson said the police deserve everyones appreciation, and the church and the community will continue to rally to show how much their hard work and efforts on a daily basis mean.

Anyone wishing to donate or get involved can contact jmh2r1@gmail.com or call 203-734-0434. Tax deductible donations can be made via checks payable to First Baptist Church Ansonia and mailed to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 147, Ansonia, CT 06401, with Ansonia Police Gear in the memo. The Hinsons said they will never collect money over the phone, especially in light of several scams.

jean.sos@snet.net
There was a heavy police presence Wednesday in the Camden neighborhood where two Camden police officers were shot Tuesday night. (Paige Gross | NJ.com)

By Rebecca Everett and Paige Gross | For NJ.com

There was a heavy police presence on Camden city streets Wednesday morning as officers searched for two gunmen who ambushed and shot two plainclothes officers Tuesday night at a red light in the city's Bergen Square neighborhood.

The officers, a man and a woman, are expected to recover from their injuries but for the grace of God, said Police Chief J. Scott Thomson.

Multiple agencies are helping in today's manhunt, police spokesman Dan Keashen said.

Heres what we know and dont know about the shocking attack.

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Who were the officers and what were they doing?

The victims in the shooting are detectives in the Camden County Police Department, which took over city policing from the former city force in 2013.

Keashen said they were in an unmarked car, in street clothes, working a violence reduction detail and werent actively investigating anyone or doing any enforcement activity. He said he did not know if they were wearing bullet-proof vests.

They were sitting in the car in the area of a red light on Broadway and Mount Vernon around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday when the shooting occurred.

The officers names and the extent of their injuries are not being released at this time, but Keashen said they are in stable condition at Cooper University Hospital.

6ABC reported that the male detective was shot twice in the arm and a female detective was shot in the hand.

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This is the vehicle that was involved in the shooting where two Camden County Police Detectives were ambushed and shot as they sat at a red light at Broadway and Mt. Vernon in Camden, NJ. Tuesday night. You can clearly see 5 bullet holes in the windshield. pic.twitter.com/ZWpxoGRUR1  Chuck Purnell (@ChuckP6abc) August 8, 2018

What happened?

At a press conference Tuesday, Thomson called the attack an ambush and said it was completely unprovoked.

He said the detectives were sitting in the car when at least one man approached the car and sprayed it with gunfire  somewhere between 10 and 25 rounds. Some were fired through the windshield, he said.

In a release Wednesday, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said investigators have determined that there were two gunmen.

The male detective was able to return fire. However, Thomson said, We dont know if his rounds struck anyone.

Keashen said he didn't know how police were called to respond to the scene, but the officers who responded put their wounded colleagues into cruisers and rushed them to the hospital instead of waiting for an ambulance. This is a common practice in Camden and some cities when there is a gunshot wound or stabbing, nicknamed in law enforcement circles "the scoop and run."

Since one of the detectives fired on the shooters, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office is investigating whether the use of deadly force was appropriate, in accordance with state policies. Both detectives are on paid leave during that investigation, the office said.

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Police secure an area by the intersection of Broadway and Spruce Street, where a gunman opened fire on two New Jersey police officers in Camden, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Joe Lamberti/Camden Courier-Post via AP)

What do we know about who did this?

Police have not released any description of any suspects, but around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday a "be on the lookout" notice went out over Philadelphia's police scanner, saying that authorities were looking for a white van with bullet hole's on the driver's side in connection with the shooting of two Camden officers.

The transmission said the occupants were believed to be two males with dark shirts and blue jeans, and that they might be seeking care for gunshot wounds at a hospital.

Keashen said that since the manhunt is underway, he cannot confirm any information about the vehicle.

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A Camden County Police Department Mobile Command Unit is parked at Broadway and Mount Vernon Wednesday morning. (Paige Gross | For NJ.com)

What does the manhunt look like?

Were working with all our law enforcement partners on both sides of the river to locate these suspects, Keashen said Wednesday.

He said he couldnt reveal exactly where police were searching, but added that they were casting as wide a net as possible.

Since it's possible that the shooters were wounded when the detective fired back, Thomson said police were monitoring local hospital emergency rooms in case anyone walked in with a gunshot wound.

On Wednesday morning, there was no crime scene investigation at the shooting site, but a police mobile command unit and four cruisers were parked there. There was a large police presence around the city.

Among those aiding in the search are New Jersey State Police, the FBI, ATF, the Camden County Prosecutors Office and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.

Keashen said New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal spoke with Thomson last night about the incident.

Keashen said detectives canvassed the area after the shooting to see if there were any witnesses.

No security cameras were observed there Wednesday morning. The residential neighborhood with many vacant properties was quiet Wednesday, and residents approached by a reporter said they hadnt seen Tuesdays shooting.

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An officer is posted by Copper hospital following a shooting that left two detectives wounded in Camden, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Joe Lamberti/Camden Courier-Post via AP)

What was the motive?

Thomson said Tuesday that the motive of the shooting remains unclear.

"Maybe they did know they were police officers and that's the reason why they did it. Maybe they thought they were somebody else. We'll find that out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

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How common are officer shootings in Camden?

The shooting Tuesday marks the third and fourth time that an officer was shot in the line of duty, since the county force started patrolling in May of 2013. None have been fatal shootings.

The most recent incident was nine months ago, when Officer Patrick O'Hanlon was shot in the leg by alleged Crips gang member Delronn Mahan, 20, of Lindenwold, according to police. He is in jail awaiting trial, and O'Hanlon is back on active duty.

Police said Mahan, who was armed, fled a pedestrian stop on the night of Nov. 1, 2017. OHanlon gave chase and the two wrestled over the gun, even after OHanlon was shot in the leg, body camera footage shows. Thomson said Mahan tried to shoot OHanlon in the head but the gun jammed.

In 2015, Officer Prince Reed was working a special violence prevention detail when he drove near two men who appeared suspicious. One of the men, Victor Bennett, then 21, opened fire on Reed's car and he was struck in the arm with a bullet fragment, according to police. Bennett was arrested after a chase two days later, pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 2016, and is serving an 18-year prison sentence.

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Police Wednesday morning were near the scene where a shooting that left two detectives wounded in Camden, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Paige Gross | For NJ.com)

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
It was a beautiful night in Camden.

Like many communities, police hosted National Night Out festivities Tuesday evening.

Officers mingled with residents, bought ice cream for kids and posed for photos, all in an effort to strengthen ties with the citizens they serve.

The city had reason to celebrate. Crime is down during the first half of this year, compared to the same period in 2017.

Then came 8:30 p.m. at a desolate intersection in the Bergen Square neighborhood.

Two gunmen ambushed a pair of Camden Police detectives sitting at a red light in an unmarked SUV, firing between 10 and 25 rounds into the vehicle.

Somehow, the cops escaped with non-life threatening wounds and now the hunt is on for two men, and a bullet riddled white van.

Well-wishes poured in on social media for the unidentified officers as everyone anxiously awaited word of their conditions Tuesday night. The goodwill continued Wednesday.

Gov. Phil Murphy expressed relief that the officers survived and reaffirmed his support for the city's future.

"We remain committed to being part of Camden's turnaround and to building a safer community by getting guns off our streets," he said in a Facebook post Wednesday morning.

That turnaround has been years in the making and local officials have proudly touted their progress.

Shocked by last night's shooting of two Camden County Police Department detectives on #NationalNightOut, and grateful... Posted by Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday, August 8, 2018

The city saw an 18.6 percent drop in violent crime in the first 6 months of 2018, including homicides, rapes, robberies, and assaults, but an 11.7 percent increase in non-violent crimes.

Some took to social media to describe the shooting as the latest episode in a national war on cops, while others simply asked for prayers.

Camden pastor and community activist Amir Khan recalled a recent gathering of local clergy at city hall. They were praying "for the city, peace in the streets, and protection over our police officers," he said.

Tuesday's shooting was "heartbreaking," Khan said.

He wondered aloud if the shooting was gang-related or the result of someone suffering from mental illness. Either way, this former candidate for mayor reached out to local police officials Wednesday to offer his support.

"First and foremost, our prayers are for the officers that were shot, along with their families and the entire police force," he said.

Khan knows that some people may have issues with cops, but noted that those same people will quickly call 911 when they are in danger.

"Whether people like the police or not, the fact of the matter is, whenever anyone is on trouble, they are there," he said. "There is never, ever a reason for this kind of violence towards police officers."

He hopes this assault doesn't have a lasting impact on Camden's improving fortunes. Corporations are starting to invest in the city and he doesn't want to see that momentum lost.

"We hope the progress will continue and steadily go on," he said. "You're going to have violence in any city across America," he said. Camden, though, is fighting a bigger challenge because of the stigma of violence associated with the city, Khan added.

In order for the city to truly turn a corner, its residents need jobs and job training, he said.

Police secure an area by the intersection of Broadway and Spruce Street, where a gunman opened fire on two New Jersey police officers in Camden, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Joe Lamberti/Camden Courier-Post via AP)

In the meantime, the search for two gunmen continues.

The assailants who shot the detectives Tuesday night are described as two males with dark shirts and blue jeans, and that they might be seeking care for gunshot wounds at a hospital. One of the cops returned fire at the assailants. The van they were driving will have bullet holes in the driver's side, police said.

Police spokesman Dan Keashen, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, said no arrests had been made and the department had no new information.

Among those aiding in the search are New Jersey State Police, the FBI, ATF, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and Philadelphia police.

As the hunt continues, Camden County police are still reaching out to local residents with a message of unity and peace. The department is hosting its "Annual Metro Summer Carnival Night" this Friday at 5 p.m., in Staley Park.

Anyone with information about the shooting of the officers is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Sergeant Vince McCalla 856-225-8569.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.
The good news for Rider University is it ranks among the nation's 384 best colleges, according to a new rating.

The bad news? The pricey private college in Lawrenceville has the worst dorms of any college in that group, its students said.

Rider is ranked No. 1 in the Princeton Review's "Is that a Dorm?" category, topping the list of colleges where students aren't happy with on-campus housing.

The poor reviews apparently aren't news to the university, though.

"We are in the midst of a $15 million bond investment for residence hall improvements," spokeswoman Kristine Brown said Tuesday.

The university already completed significant renovations to three residence halls and will be starting on another three this winter, Brown said. Upgrades include better bathrooms and common areas, as well as new ceilings, flooring, lighting and furniture, she said.

The average Rider undergraduate student paid about $41,000 in tuition and fees last year, according to an NJ Advance Media survey on the cost of college. Room and board typically adds thousands more to a student's total bill.

The Princeton Review lists published this week are based entirely on student feedback. Data comes from surveys of 138,000 students at the 384 schools in the publication.

The annual publication lists the 384 best colleges in alphabetical order (without a top-to-bottom ranking). It also rates colleges in 62 categories, such as top party school, best campus food and best-run college. Colleges often tout positive rankings in marketing materials while dismissing negative ratings as meaningless.

Rider ranked 18th in three other categories: Students Study the Least, Administrators Get Low Marks and Is That a Library?

Several other New Jersey colleges appear on lists, but only Rider ranked No. 1 in any category.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook
Authorities say they've busted a crew of car thieves that targeted expensive vehicles in affluent towns - including one set of wheels that sells for just under $200,000.

The six alleged thieves - four have been arrested, two are sought - are from Newark.

They stole vehicles in Bergen, Burlington, Somerset and Monmouth counties, including four in one day in Holmdel, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday evening.

Dante Jones, 18; Kevon Wright, 18; Omari Shomari, 18; Ismeal Merrill, 25; Muhammad Merrill, 21; and Layquan Davis, 18, are charged with second-degree conspiracy to receive stolen property.

All have been arrested except for Ismeal Merrill and Shomari, who remained fugitives Tuesday night.

They're charged with stealing the following cars in July, all which had their key fob left inside the vehicle, were parked in the driveway. They were all later recovered in Newark.

- a 2017 Bentley Continental from Monmouth Beach, on July 11

- a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio from Moorestown, on July 16

- a 2015 Land Rover Evoque from Warren, on July 17

- a 2018 Audi Q5 from Hillsdale, on July 19

- a 2017 Mercedes Benz C300 from Holmdel, on July 24

- a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover from Holmdel, on July 24

- a 2018 Audi from Holmdel, on July 24

- a 2018 Ford F150 from Holmdel, on July 24

The Bentley Continental typically sells for just under $200,000.

In all, the eight vehicles are worth about $500,000, according to Assistant Prosecutor Joseph A. Giordano, who is handling the case.

"As we celebrate National Night Out Against Crime today, everyone should be mindful that they can decrease the rate of auto burglaries and theft in this state by locking their vehicles and taking their car keys or fobs with them,'' Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino said in an announcement.

Muhammad Merrill appeared before a judge Tuesday, who ordered he be detained until trial, while Davis and Wright were released under home confinement, the prosecutor's office said.

Jones has a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

In addition to the stolen property charge, Davis was charged with possessing 200 grams of marijuana and one deck of heroin, and both Merrills are also charged with credit card thefts. The prosecutor's office said they used credit cards belonging to the Alfa Romeo owner at a WalMart in Kearny.

The New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force started the investigation with assistance from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Special Prosecutions Unit.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
When you purchase a product, I imagine you hope that the product was made with attention to human rights: that production occurred without unfair wages, human trafficking, forced or child labour, discrimination, abuses, or safety hazards. Perhaps you also hope that the company producing the item is conscious of avoiding environmental and ecological damage. But in reality, many products are made in factories where conditions are far from humane or ethical. In many instances, we know very little about the way products are made.

Deepwater Horizon fire. By US Coast Guard, Wikimedia Commons

Modern CSR

Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. By rijans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Does it work?

In some cases, this can lead to disaster. Take the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, which killed more than 1,100 workers who were engaged in productions of garments for big brands such as Inditex, Mango, Loblaw, Primark, and Walmart. Such a devastating incident reminds us that corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be a matter of life and death.The idea that corporations should respect human rights and the environment has been around for a long time. But it only started to be seen in legal terms fairly recently. The term CSR began to be widely used in 1990s, when sweatshops supplying garments to Nike came to the worlds attention through widespread media coverage . It gains further traction each time the world experiences corporate social and environmental problems (BPs 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill for example).Early scholars defined CSR as a self-regulatory mechanism ensuring that corporations voluntarily conduct their business in a way that is socially responsible, ethical and takes care of the environment. But these scholars gradually observed that in the absence of regulatory pressures, companies only conducted CSR and related disclosure activities (including pouring billions of dollars into building CSR teams) whenever they experienced greater pressure from the public and social movements. Because of the absence of regulatory expectations, CSR activities were not regular or frequent.But over the past decade, CSR has in some instances become a mandatory corporate activity. CSR now means that many corporations now legally have to comply with particular social disclosure legislation.New forms of regulation have emerged all over the world. For instance, both the 2010 California Transparency in Supply Chain Act (CTSCA) and the UKs 2015 Modern Slavery Act require companies to disclose the actions they take to tackle modern slavery, child labour, human trafficking throughout their production chains (including supply chains overseas). Such actions are not just confined to the global north. Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act (2013) prescribes Indian companies to spend 2% of their pre-tax profit on CSR.These new forms of CSR regulation mark a major shift in corporation law. For the first time, certain disclosures are required to be made, regardless of whether these are relevant to shareholders or not. The aim of this is to achieve transparency for wider groups (NGOs, media, local community, consumers and so on) on issues of human rights and social responsibility.In addition, companies are now often required not only to take action to eliminate modern slavery or human trafficking or human rights violations in their home countries, but also to prevent such irresponsibility in their production locations (or supply chains) in developing countries.Such regulations are therefore discouraging companies from sourcing products from factories similar to Rana Plaza. For many suppliers in developing nations, such regulations exert mandatory social compliance on them from their buyers (companies) in the West.So now that compulsory CSR has been around in some countries for a few years, do they actually work? I have been researching whether CSR actually advances corporate social transparency and accountability as expected.First, myself and colleagues investigated the CTSCA . This mandated CSR disclosure requires US firms based in California to disclose, at minimum level, efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their supply chains on an annual basis.Based on a sample of 105 US retail companies subject to the CTSCA, we found that in CTSCAs first year, 83% of firms disclosed their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking, but disclosures in general were not detailed. Extensive disclosure for any of the specific categories was quite limited, with only 4% firms including extensive information disclosure across all five required items investigated. As such, to ensure greater corporate transparency and accountability, it is important that regulators enforce extensive disclosure requirements.Then, in another international collaboration , we looked at how the US Conflict Mineral Rule (Section 1502) affects corporate disclosure pertaining to the elimination of human trafficking and slavery in global mineral supply chains. Like the CTSCA, Section 1502 requires minimum disclosure by relevant firms. This means that at a minimum level they have to disclose what they are doing or not doing to prevent human trafficking in their supply chains.Focusing on a sample of global companies that deal with electronics from 20 countries, we found that companies conflict mineral disclosures tended not to be extensive, but that social movements (via NGO collaborations or activist protests) lead to more comprehensive, and more transparent, disclosures.This has practical and policy implications: improved corporate transparency is the result of social movement actions via NGOs. This means that regulation on its own may not result in comprehensive and quality CSR disclosures.While social movements have led regulators to enact new CSR regulation, regulation on its own may not create much improvement of CSR. This means that continuous monitoring of corporate compliance with CSR legislation by social activists is necessary to achieve the regulatory objective of CSR.This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article
Newark cemented into law its $2 billion incentive on Wednesday to convince retail giant Amazon to open its second headquarters in the city.

The City Council gave final approval to three ordinances that would allow any corporate headquarters that creates 30,000 jobs and invests $3 billion over 20 years to qualify for tax breaks and a long-term exemption.

The legislation does not name Amazon specifically, but the commerce behemoth would qualify: It has promised to build a new home base and create 50,000 jobs with an average compensation of $100,000.

Newark is one of 20 finalist cities in the running for Amazon's HQ2. A decision on the site is expected by the end of the year.

The ordinances allow such corporate headquarters to avoid paying Newark's one percent payroll tax for any employees who live in Newark and pay 50 percent of the tax for workers who live outside the city.

The waiver is capped at $1 billion.

A second ordinance allows companies like Amazon to qualify for a 30-year tax exemption for up to $1 billion.

The council also acted to create a fast track for land use and permit approvals for transformative projects like Amazon. Gov. Phil Murphy will have to authorize the move through an executive order.

"This is the administration thinking ahead of time," Newark's corporation counsel Kenyatta Stewart told NJ Advance Media. He said the city wanted large corporations thinking of settling in Newark -- like Amazon -- to understand the expectations and available exemptions.

When the measures were first introduced last month, they were passed quietly by the council but on Wednesday, some residents were opposed to handing out large corporate tax breaks.

"The people who are living here and working here are paying the debt for these people," resident Debra Salters said. "If we took that money and invested it in our own people, we would see a boom in our economy."

The state has already signed off on its own $5 billion incentive package for Amazon, which last month reported a $2.5 billion quarterly profit.

Mayor Ras Baraka said the city was "a giant step closer to being Amazon's choice for HQ2."

"The unanimous vote of the council reflects the fact that Newark speaks in a clear and unified voice. We are ready to lead and win the Amazon bid," he said in a statement.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY  The city police department promoted 17 provisional deputy chiefs Tuesday afternoon, including the city's first woman taking on the position.

"This is unusual -- for now," said Deputy Chief Patricia Cassidy, heralded Tuesday as the first woman Jersey City deputy chief. "But in a few years, it's not going to be unusual."

Cassidy, 48, is the daughter Joseph Cassidy, who retired as a Jersey City police deputy chief and then went on to serve as Hudson County sheriff from 1996 to 2007. Cassidy died in May.

Patricia Cassidy was one of 17 who were promoted during the ceremony in the chief's office at 1 Journal Square Plaza. With Tuesday's latest additions, the JCPD now has 19 deputy chiefs.

Some 24 years on the job, Cassidy spent a majority of her career in narcotics and was a captain in the East district at the time of her promotion. She acknowledged how it was more challenging when she first joined the force  due to stereotypes from the older generations  but in 2018 there is a more accepting culture.

"There were some challenges, but ... it was more accepted with the younger generation," she said. "Now, with the police department, I don't think it's even thought of that much because there are so many females now and so many males who have gone through police academy with females that it's just accepted."

Cassidy said that she wants to follow in the footsteps of her father and her uncle, who is a retired lieutenant, describing it as a kind of "natural progression."

"That's why I wanted to become a police officer," she said. "I was around it my whole life and saw the great things that they did, and I wanted to follow in their footsteps."

The lifelong Jersey City resident emphasized how there are a lot of women who are on the job and rising through the ranks.

She also expressed her promotion as a "stepping stone" for the department and stated that the women who come after her will continue to achieve, eventually making it become the norm.

James Carroll, Neil Donnelly, Nicola Flora, Michael Gajewski, David Goldrich, Michael Kenny, Peter Lagis, Carmine Lancellotti, Edgar Martinez, Mark Miller, John Redmond, Nicolas Scerbo, Mitchell Schnee, Ilias Voutsas, Jay White and Vincent Wolleon were also promoted to provisional deputy chief.

Mayor Steve Fulop gave the oath and greeted the promoted officers. He thanked everyone for the work that they do and emphasized the amount of change the department has gone through.

"The police department  I think  is going in a great place right now," Fulop said. "Trends for the first half of this year are as good as we ever expected it could be and know you are a small part of that."

Director of Public Safety James Shea was also in attendance for the event, acknowledging the police executives who are helping mold the department into a "modern community service-oriented police department."

"Right off the bat, Capt. Cassidy is an excellent police executive and the most important thing is that Jersey City is getting a great police executive," Shea said. "And the fact that she's a woman, we like that because it increases our diversity and the department, helping us look more like Jersey City, which the mayor and I are committed to."
A Jersey City church pastor has been charged with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl church member and fondling a relative -- and a source said the pastor has threatened at least one other victim with deportation if she told anyone.

Orlando Martinez-Chavez, 47, was charged on July 27 and he was arrested on July 30, according to a criminal complaint. The former spiritual leader of the Iglesia Pentecostal Lirio de los Valles church on Summit Avenue is being detained through his prosecution.

He faces charges of sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal sexual contact.

Martinez-Chavez's troubles started a month earlier, according to the source, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution. Martinez-Chavez was removed from his position on June 26 after he was accused of sending graphic pictures and videos to a 32-year-old woman who attended the church, the source said.

The Rev. Joseph Andino, who oversees the Assemblies of God churches in northern New Jersey, could not be reached for comment. An official with the Iglesia Pentecostal Lirio de los Valles church, in the Heights neighborhood, declined to comment.

The 10-year-old victim is now 15, and she told authorities that Martinez-Chavez reached inside her pants and touched her genital area in November 2012, the criminal complaint said. The pastor's relative also came forward with the allegation that the pastor -- who is married and has three girls, ages 4, 10 and 18 -- fondled her breasts over her clothing, the complaint said.

Another alleged victim, a 15-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by Martinez-Chavez two years ago, is too traumatized to come forward, the source said. When confronted by the girl's mother, Martinez-Chavez threatened to have the family, which is undocumented, deported, the source said.

The alleged victim and her family, former congregants, left the church and moved out of state almost immediately, the source said.

Martinez-Chavez had been with the Jersey City Heights storefront church for six or seven years, the source said.

"I think there are a lot more victims," the source told The Jersey Journal. "They are scared. They were threatened. These people are all illegal immigrants. He targeted them because he knows they are afraid."

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office did not immediately respond to questions regarding the possibility of more victims coming forward, but spokesman Ray Worrall said the investigation is ongoing.

He also said that anyone with information about Martinez-Chavez is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victim's Unit at 201-915-1234. All information will be kept confidential, he said.

Coincidentally, the Summit Avenue church is under the same Assemblies of God leadership as Gregorio Martinez's Elohim church of North Bergen. Martinez, who is not related to Martinez-Chavez, was convicted of molesting a 13-year-old boy and faces two more sex assault trials.
JERSEY CITY  Mark Albiez, chief of staff to Mayor Steve Fulop and one of the mayor's top aides, is leaving city government at the end of August.

Rumors have swirled for weeks that Albiez, 37, was looking to leave his city job. Albiez told The Jersey Journal he will soon start working at Fairview Insurance, a Verona-based agency run by the politically connected Graham family. Fairview official Ryan Graham was a Fulop fundraiser.

"It's been an honor to serve the administration and the residents of Jersey City," Albiez said.

He is the second top Fulop aide to announce his departure from City Hall in the last two weeks. Marcos Vigil, a deputy mayor, is quitting to move with his family to San Francisco.

It's not clear yet who will replace Albiez. Allison Solowsky is his deputy.

Albiez joined the city payroll in 2014, a year after Fulop became mayor. Formerly an aide to state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, Albiez was one of a group of officials Fulop hired when the mayor was still mulling a run for governor in 2017.

"On behalf of all the residents of Jersey City, we thank Mark for his service and his work in moving our great city forward. We wish mark the best of luck in his next endeavor," Fulop said in a statement today.

Albiez became chief of staff about four months after he was hired, replacing Muhammed Akil. He makes about $129,000 annually, and also receives $5,000 monthly from Fulop's campaign to act as a political consultant. He gets a roughly $10,000 stipend for sitting on the city's insurance commission.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Whether she's choreographing a routine for the Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, teaching a class at the Joffrey Ballet School, or starring in her own production, Sarah Weber Gallo is dancing.

Gallo, 44, first entered the world of dance when she was 4 and began taking classes in her hometown, Indianapolis. She continued to dance throughout her adolescent years and studied the art, along with psychology, at Goucher College in Baltimore before moving to New York to pursue a career in dance.

Like many aspiring performers, Gallo took a job as a waitress when she reached New York. Unlike many dancing hopefuls, she quickly got her big break when a fellow dancer pushed her to audition for the Metropolitan Opera ballet.

Gallo, who's lived in Hoboken for 20 years, became a full-time company member and is now a senior dancer entering her 20th season.

"It's still a great experience to be on a stage in that huge house with friends and the chorus,'' she said, adding that she also enjoys performing in "really intimate areas, where you're very up close to the dancers and the audience."

Next week, she'll focus on that small-space experience with "The Sarah and Whitney Show,'' a production she choreographed with Queens resident Whitney Jacobs that will be performed Aug. 16-18 at Mile Square.

The show marries Gallo's "Fun Head" and Jacobs' "You're Full of Air,'' resulting in an hour-long work that tackles everything fun, Gallo said.

"I hope that people will have fun, that people will laugh,'' she said. "It's absurd, and I think people often don't know what to do when faced with absurdity, but we're doing this really high-impact performance that should make people laugh almost with discomfort and then realize it's OK and that they're in on the joke."

In the piece, the dancer/choreographers explore excess, effort, risk and messiness, Gallo said.

They deal with why people seek fun, even though a lot of times it can be disappointing and expectations aren't meant, Gallo said, and even tackle loneliness and the idea that every time we go out and seek companionship we ultimately end up home alone.

In that way, Gallo said, we are all alike.

Over the years at the Met, Gallo has been featured in the works of Christopher Wheeldon, Sean Curran and many other directors.

Last year, she danced as a Rat Pack-era Los Vegas showgirl in Michael Mayer's take on Verdi's "Rigoletto."

This year, she and other dancers performed nearly six hours straight in Francois Girard's production of Wagner's "Parsifal," spending the entire second act standing in a pool of blood with spears in their hair.

Gallo has also performed with the New York City Opera and the Radio City Rockettes.

After the birth of her daughter Olivia in 2009 and earning her MFA in dance at the University of Wisconsin, Gallo's passion for choreographing came out strong.

"The scandal of the ballet world is that all choreographers are white men and that all dancers are woman,'' she said, "so I am really trying to subvert that as much as possible and get dancers to think like choreographers."

She's also turned much of her attention to teaching.

About four years ago, she said, Gallo was asked by Mile Square artistic director Chris O'Connor to start a dance portion for the theater's children's education wing.

In the beginning, she worked out of a donated space and had an average of three students a class. Today, the program has 120 students and the theater is opening a larger space.

As dance education director, Gallo teaches ballet and contemporary dance.

Dedicated to getting more girls to "think like choreographers," she hopes the next generation of dancers will shake up the performance world, she said.

While Gallo helps choreograph dance for Mile Square productions, she has also showcased her own productions.

Last year, she presented "The Magic Hour." And this year, it's next week's "The Sarah and Whitney Show.''

"I'd like for this to create a buzz in the community,'' she said, "for presenting other types of dance.''

If you go ...

"The Sarah and Whitney Show'' begins at 8 p.m. Aug. 16-18, at the Mile Square Theatre, 1400 Clinton St. Hoboken. It is recommended for ages 10 and up. For information, call 201-683-7014 or go to milesquaretheatre.org.
A Ewing man accused of killing his girlfriend with a phone cord testified at his trial that he indeed strangled her, but was only defending himself in a fight she started.

Carlos Ortiz, 53, said his girlfriend, Rufina Castro, threw a beer bottle at him during a domestic dispute in August 2016, initiating the struggle that resulted in him wrapping a cell phone charging cord around her neck.

The revelations surfaced in Ortiz's murder trial in Mercer County, which started last week and continued Tuesday morning with Ortiz on the stand. The jury started deliberating in the afternoon.

Carlos Ortiz, 53 (police photo)

"There's no dispute over how she died, but there is dispute leading up to it," said public defender Amber Forrester, who represented Ortiz.

Ortiz, who had entered a not guilty plea in September 2017, testified Castro was the aggressor.

However, authorities say it was Ortiz who had the beer bottle and hit Castro in the head with it, then killed her.

Ewing police discovered Castro's dead body hidden under laundry and blankets while conducting a welfare check at her Ewingville Road home around 3:30 a.m. the next day. Ortiz lived with her.

"Is this how you treat someone you love and respect?" Assistant Prosecutor Katie Magee, asked the jury during her closing statement.

In addition to hiding Castro's body and locking her in her bedroom, Ortiz lied to her son Eduardo, telling him Castro was still at work when he returned to their house that afternoon. Magee said.

Ortiz also went to the Shop Rite in Ewing, found Castro's supervisor, and told him she wouldn't be there for her 5 p.m. shift because she was sick in the hospital.

And Magee said Ortiz made several attempts to cover up the crime.

"He created a story to explain away his actions, but his story doesn't make sense," she said.

Ortiz took Route 1 to a motel in Belleville, just outside of Newark, where he was arrested. Police found $750 worth of crack cocaine, as well as multiple beer bottles, according to testimony.

He only used cash to make purchases that night, and parked his Ford Explorer three miles away from the motel. He also had Castro's jewelry, and her credit and debit cards with him at the motel, prosecutors say.

Before police arrested him at the motel, Ortiz said he thought about taking off to Florida.

"I killed her man, what can I do?" he said during a police interview that night, prosecutors say.

Several of Castro's family members attended the trial, facing the man who admitted strangling the woman they loved.

Castro was 51 and was survived by her three children, Eduardo Castro, Betty Webb, and Roxana Galindoand. She worked at Providence Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Trenton during the day, and the Shop Rite in Ewing at night, with her son.

Ortiz was indicted on charges of murder, aggravated assault, theft and weapons offenses and is being held in the Mercer County jail.

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.




A cleaning crew made a gruesome discovery in the bathroom of an American Airlines plane Tuesday morning when a dead fetus was found in the toilet, officials said.

A plane that had arrived at LaGuardia Airport from Charlotte, N.C., the night before and was scheduled to fly back at 7:55 a.m. was being cleaned before its flight when the fetus was discovered, airline spokesman Justin Franco said.

"There was a lot of toilet tissue in and around the bowl and when they looked inside they made the discovery," Franco said.

He said they contacted their supervisor and the New York Port Authority was called and "took over the investigation from there."

American Airlines flights at Terminal B may experience some delays due to an out of service aircraft. Please check with @AmericanAir before your departure.  LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport) August 7, 2018

A spokesman for Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown said his office is "aware of the incident and is awaiting the medical examiner's determination."

Aja Worthy-Davis, a spokesperson for New York City's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said the department confirmed that it was a human fetus found in the bathroom of the plane but said she did not have any further information as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Franco said American Airlines is "cooperating with law enforcement" as they "continue to learn more about this tragic and sensitive situation."

He said all the passengers who were expected to take Tuesday morning's flight to North Carolina were "reaccommodated" and made it to their destination.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A regional sales manager for drug manufacturer Insys Therapeutics pleaded guilty Tuesday in an elaborate kickback scheme to persuade doctors and others to prescribe a powerful fentanyl painkiller in return for thousands of dollars in sham "speaking fees."

Jeffrey Pearlman, 51, of Edgewood, N.J., admitted paying physicians and nurses to attend high-end dinners in Connecticut masked as "speaker programs," while pushing them to prescribe Subsys, a fentanyl spray intended for late-stage cancer patients.

In truth, the events were usually just a gathering of friends and co-workers, most of whom did not have the ability to prescribe Subsys, and no educational component took place. "Speakers" were paid a fee of $1,000 or more for attending the dinners, authorities said.

An NJ Advance Media investigation found fentanyl manufacturers paid out $1.67 million to New Jersey doctors from 2013 to 2015. Insys alone paid out $1.28 million, according to the data, while encouraging providers to prescribe Subsys for minor conditions.

As a regional sales manager, Pearlman was tasked with raising the popularity of Subsys in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Authorities said he personally profited off the scheme through inflated quarterly bonuses that were largely based on sales results.

Pearlman became addicted to Subsys himself, according to papers filed by his attorney, Michael Rosensaft, after his arrest in 2016. He petitioned for medical marijuana access while behind bars as a substitute pain medication, but his request was rejected.

Rosensaft could not be reached for comment.

Pearlman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback law and faces a maximum of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 31.

Insys Therapeutics paid $150 million Wednesday to settle a federal investigation into its deceptive marketing practices and payment scheme, according to the Wall Street Journal.

New Jersey filed a lawsuit against Insys in October and has pursued other sales representatives who pushed its drug.

Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
One of New Jersey's Catholic dioceses is bringing together a group of senior advisers to consider changing how priests can report sexual misconduct by fellow priests, church officials said Tuesday.

Bishop James Checchio, head of the Diocese of Metuchen, said the recent resignation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has raised questions about whether his diocese needs to make big changes.

McCarrick is accused of sexual abuse and misconduct with young seminarians and priests, including some who said they feared retaliation if they reported him to church authorities because he was a high-ranking Catholic leader.

One of McCarrick's alleged victims, a former priest, said last month he endured McCarrick's sexual advances in part because the Catholic Church lacked the type of human resources departments and anonymous reporting systems that exist in the corporate world for those reporting abuse by co-workers.

"Does the Catholic Church have that? How is a priest supposed to report abuse or wrong activity by his bishop?" Robert Ciolek, a former priest who said he was abused by McCarrick, said last month to the New York Times.

Checchio said the Diocese of Metuchen is ready to reconsider its systems for reporting abuse by priests.

"I have begun to bring together a senior team of advisors to examine reporting processes. Clearly, the safety of an independent reporting structure that allows for anyone to bring an allegation forward without the fear of retribution of any kind is needed," Checchio said in a letter to the diocese sent Tuesday.

The Diocese of Metuchen -- which includes 90 parishes in Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties -- has more than 250 priests and seminarians.

Checchio said he continues to be "saddened and ashamed" of the events that led to the resignation of McCarrick, who founded the Diocese of Metuchen and went on to become the Archbishop of Newark and head of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

"The case of Archbishop McCarrick demonstrates that the culture of the church is changing and that no one is exempt from its censure - regardless of a person's rank or status, or the number of years that have passed since an incident occurred," Checchio wrote.

McCarrick, 88, resigned from the College of Cardinals last month after an allegation he sexually abused an altar boy nearly 50 years ago in New York City was found to be credible. Pope Francis ordered the priest, who is living in Washington, D.C., to conduct a "life of prayer and penance" as he awaits a church trial.

McCarrick has said he does not remember the incident from 50 years ago and believes he did nothing wrong. He has said he will cooperate with any investigation.

Another man has since come forward to say McCarrick sexually abused him for years, beginning when the man was an 11-year-old in New Jersey.

After the allegations against McCarrick became public, the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Metuchen revealed that he had previously been accused of sexual misconduct with three adults during his time in New Jersey.

Two of those cases resulted in settlements paid to former priests who accused McCarrick of sexual misconduct.

Ciolek, a former priest turned lawyer, was paid $80,000 after he said McCarrick would invite him and other young seminarians and priests to a Shore house in Sea Girt, where they would be expected to share a bed with the church leader.

"In the corporate world, there are ways to report misconduct," Ciolek, 57, told the New York Times last month. "You have an H.R. contact, you have a legal department, or you have anonymous reporting, you have systems."

Another priest received a $100,000 settlement from the church in 2007 after he alleged McCarrick would get in bed with him and wrap his arms and legs around him. The priest also alleged he saw McCarrick having sex with another young priest during a fishing trip.

In the Archdiocese of Newark, Cardinal Joseph Tobin responded to the allegations against McCarrick by inviting any priests who had been abused to come forward.

The seminaries where priests train in the archdiocese are affiliated with Seton Hall University, Tobin said. So, the university's sexual harassment reporting policies and procedures apply to any seminarian accusing a priest of abuse.

"Shortly after the original announcement in June concerning the allegations from New York, I invited all priests of the archdiocese to a prayer service and an opportunity to share their thoughts about the recent revelations involving Archbishop McCarrick. During that meeting, I again offered to meet privately with any priest who experienced abuse while a seminarian," Tobin said in a statement.

Tobin also brought the issue up with the U.S. Conference of Bishops, his spokesman said.

Last week, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he has also convened a series of meeting with his group's leaders to discuss what changes the Catholic Church can make in response to the McCarrick allegations.

"These failures raise serious questions. Why weren't these allegations of sins against chastity and human dignity disclosed when they were first brought to church officials? Why wasn't this egregious situation addressed decades sooner and with justice? What must our seminaries do to protect the freedom to discern a priestly vocation without being subject to misuse of power?" DiNardo said.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.
Bob Hugin, the former drug company CEO who is running for U.S. Senate, offered discounted cancer drugs to Russia last year at the same time his company jacked up prices here at home.

We are supposed to believe that means Hugin, a Republican, is something less than patriotic, that he favors Russia over America.

"It's clear that Bob Hugin is more than happy to rip off American cancer patients to line his own pockets, but when he gets a little pressure from Vladimir Putin, like Donald Trump, he caves," said Steve Sandberg, a spokesman for Sen. Robert Menendez, the Democratic incumbent.

This is wildly unfair, and more confirmation that this race is likely to be one of the ugliest in years.

Pharmaceutical companies all sell their products at lower prices in other countries, whether in Russia, France, or Canada. They do so because they have to, not because they want to. Most foreign governments control the prices by law or through regulation, and many negotiate for lower prices as they buy in bulk for national health care systems.

It's the United States government that is the outlier, refusing to take the same kind of measures to control prices here. That's partly out of concern that pinching prices would deprive drug companies of money needed to fund research. In 2016, American consumers provided 42 percent of the revenue for pharmaceutical companies globally, in effect subsidizing drug research for the entire world.

But it's also a reflection of the lobbying power of the pharmaceutical industry, and our government's corrupt dependence on campaign donations. The most striking symptom of this is that Medicare, the biggest purchaser of drugs, is forbidden by law from negotiating for lower prices.

So, to blame this state of play on Hugin, and to suggest it reflects hidden sympathy for Putin, is a silly game of political spitball.

The mystery is why Menendez took this cheap shot when there are grounds for serious and legitimate criticism of Hugin's performance as CEO of Celgene, the pharmaceutical firm where he earned a fortune selling the cancer drug Revlimid.

For one, Hugin fought ferociously to block generic drug companies from getting their hands on Revlimid so that they could break it down and replicate it at far lower costs, and he worked to block changes in the law to reduce those barriers. Consumers groups cite Celgene as among the worst offenders on that score, and at least three generic firms have filed lawsuits over the issue.

Worse, under Hugin Celgene paid $280 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a leading sales representative who charged that company executives trained the sales force to mislead doctors about potentially fatal side effects of Revlimid and a second cancer drug, and that the company routinely paid kickbacks to doctors for prescribing its drugs.

Companies often settle lawsuits to avoid legal costs, while maintaining their innocence. But $280 million is an enormous sum and suggests that Celgene feared the whistleblower could prove the charges in court. Hugin was CEO at the time the settlement was struck.

This race is depressing. Aside from these problems at Celgene, Hugin was a major booster of Donald Trump, donating more than $230,000 to the cause in 2016, and serving as Trump delegate at the Republican convention.

Menendez, meanwhile, survived a corruption trial last year but he acknowledged receiving expensive gifts, failing to disclose them, and using his political office to benefit the friend who provided the largess. In a bipartisan vote, his colleagues in the Senate "severely admonished" him for breaking ethics rules.

So, this cheap shot over Celgene's sales in Russia is the least of it. Brace yourself for a deluge of more credible attacks aimed at both these flawed candidates.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
The tax law amendment designed to compel expatriates to pay tax is going ahead, causing many citizens living abroad to consider the legal formalities of terminating their South African tax and exchange control residency.

Jonty Leon, legal manager at Financial Emigration

Passport status does not impact tax status

When can you lose citizenship?

Under the new law, which will come into effect on 1 March 2020, the first R1m of foreign remuneration will be exempt from tax in South Africa if an individual is outside of the republic for more than 183 days, as well as for a continuous period of longer than 60 days during a 12-month period.However, the exemption threshold should reduce the impact of the amendment for lower- to middle-class South African tax residents who earn remuneration abroad. The exemption also means it is unlikely that South African tax residents in high-income-tax countries will have to pay any additional top-up payments to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).The financial emigration process does not impact South African citizenship status, as this is purely a compliance formality from a Sars and South African Reserve Bank perspective.Sars is aware of the differences between laws falling under the Department of Home Affairs and the Income Tax Act, and released a statement noting that the change is not related to citizenship and should not lead to South Africans giving up their passports, as its application rests solely on tax residency. Individuals who give up their passports may find they are still tax resident in South Africa and may still be liable for South African tax.Simply put, giving up your passport does not release you from your obligations to pay tax to Sars. Conversely, doing financial emigration which confirms you are not liable for tax on your world-wide income, does not impact your South African passport status.In terms of the South African Citizenship Act No. 88 of 1995 where a South African citizen makes an application to obtain citizenship of another country, once obtained, you automatically lose your South African citizenship. The question on many expatriates lips is how this is possible, when we know you are constitutionally guaranteed of South African citizenship by right of birth?To give effect to your entrenched right, the Citizenship Act makes provision for dual citizenship. Section 6(2) of this Act states: Any person referred to in subsection (1) may, prior to his or her loss of South African citizenship in terms of this section, apply to the Minister to retain his or her South African citizenship, and the Minister may, if he or she deems it fit, order such retention.This application must be done before you have obtained your second citizenship and, in our view, cannot be legally declined where application is correctly done.Where you have missed this deadline, you have technically given up your South African passport. However, I have consulted with Marisa Jacobs, immigration specialist at Xpatweb, who has pointed out that the loss of South African citizenship is not always equally enforced.There may be many South Africans who hold two citizenships and have never applied, neither had any issues with renewing their South African passport. Jacobs further mentioned that the prudent approach, where you have obtained a second citizenship, but have missed the opportunity to proactively apply for dual citizenship, is a special process which can be followed to get this still ratified with Home Affairs.
By Linda Coulter

What does the union mean to me? There are many ways to answer this question. Being part of a union is much more than paying dues and attending meetings. In my twenty plus years of teaching, the New Jersey Education Association and Millburn Education Association have been invaluable to me.

They have done the things that everyone expects - brokered raises, dealt with health care changes, and protected my job. They have also been there to protect me, just me, on an individual basis when it mattered most to me.

What exactly does it mean to "protect" my job? In my experience, it has meant several things. For instance, the union has attended meetings with administrators and defended me. My many observations and summary evaluations have had nothing but positive things to say about my teaching. However, when I faced a situation with a difficult student and an unhappy parent, I was met with no support from my administration. Instead, I was met with multiple criticisms from the administration and was told that I "needed to do better." I was required to attend multiple meetings with an administration that was hostile towards me. Each time I met, someone from the union attended the meetings with me. They would make sure my due process rights were not violated.

When the district decided, as a direct result of this unhappy parent, that a corrective action plan was necessary, the union was by my side the entire way. They made sure the plan included pieces that were relatable and attainable and would assist in making me an even better teacher. When the district did not meet provisions of the plan, the union was there to point out where improvements on the district's part were needed.

At the end of that tumultuous year, the union was essential in helping me make a transfer to a less hostile environment with a supportive, knowledgeable administration. The result of this overall support has made me enthusiastic and excited to teach again. My students have gained immeasurably with this support. To me, the union means that I am not unfairly, or without just cause, fired from my position.

What does the union mean to me? It means that I can take the days I need to recuperate when I am sick, break a bone, or must attend an important doctor's appointment. It means that I have personal days so I can see my child's kindergarten graduation, a second grade writing celebration or a third grade science fair. It means that I have bereavement days when one of my loved ones passes away and I want to honor his life.

What does the union mean to me? The union helps me become a better teacher on an ongoing basis. The union provides numerous ways to help me advocate for my students. The union helps me by providing professional development workshops, articles in the NJEA Review, and finding new strategies on NJEA.org. Because I am part of NJEA, I can participate in the yearly teachers' convention that provides numerous professional development opportunities as well as access to vendors for educational supplies, among other things. Being part of the union means they will help support me so that I can continuously improve my teaching which will benefit my students.

The union means I can support my family. As a single mom with two sons, the thought of not being able to support them is often a daunting one. The strength of the union means that I will be paid a fair wage for the job I love. The strength of the union means I will have health benefits to care for my boys and myself. Being part of the Millburn Education Association and NJEA means that someone will always have my back and protect my rights.

Linda Coulter is a fourth grade teacher in Millburn Public Schools and a member of Millburn Education Association and New Jersey Education Association.
By Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent

Republicans become deeply offended when you suggest that their party is in the process of adopting a white nationalist agenda, and that many of their voters are motivated by xenophobia.

No no, they say, we acknowledge that America is a nation of immigrants; we just want a secure border and all the laws to be enforced. We welcome legal immigrants; it's illegal immigration we have a problem with.

But then you get something like this, as reported by NBC's Julia Ainsley:

"The Trump administration is expected to issue a proposal in coming weeks that would make it harder for legal immigrants to become citizens or get green cards if they have ever used a range of popular public welfare programs, including Obamacare, four sources with knowledge of the plan told NBC News.

"The move, which would not need Congressional approval, is part of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller's plan to limit the number of migrants who obtain legal status in the U.S. each year.

"Details of the rulemaking proposal are still being finalized, but based on a recent draft seen last week and described to NBC News, immigrants living legally in the U.S. who have ever used or whose household members have ever used Obamacare, children's health insurance, food stamps and other benefits could be hindered from obtaining legal status in the U.S."

So much for the idea that Republicans only want to eliminate illegal immigration. Donald Trump -- who, let's not forget, got elected by saying he'd ban Muslims from entering the country and build a wall on our southern border -- is following through on his vision, and that of people like Stephen Miller, that America should no longer welcome immigrants, and kick out as many of those who are already here as they can.

As Ainsley reports, the administration has drastically reduced the number of green cards they grant and the number of green card holders who are granted citizenship. They've also taken steps to all but shut America's doors to asylum-seekers, unleashed ICE to pursue people for deportation who have been living lawfully in the U.S. for decades, and of course enacted the horrific family separation policy at the border, with the explicit intent of deterring people from trying to come to America lest their children be ripped from their arms.

There's little doubt that these initiatives are born of the sincere contempt that Trump, Miller, and others in the administration have for immigrants, particularly non-white ones. The president has made that clear again and again. But there's a political calculation at work, too.

Trump knows that he has to keep feeding his base red meat on immigration, and one of the benefits of this policy is that it wouldn't require congressional approval. Another benefit is that it can easily play into the misconceptions and prejudices Americans already hold.

You may have noticed that the NBC story used the word "welfare" when referring to programs like food stamps, the Affordable Care Act, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. As it happens, extensive research has shown that term is racially charged and turns people against whatever policy you're using it to refer to. The strategy is clear: Portray legal immigrants as a drain on the system, taking advantage of hard-working people like you.

Indeed, this new move should be looked at in the context of the midterm elections. We already know that Miller (and Trump) want the fall elections to be all about immigration. In the spring, Miller said in an interview that he wants the "big fight" this summer to pit Trump's immigration agenda, which he described as pro-American-worker, against the Democrats' embrace of "open borders." (Both of those are lies, but never mind that for now.) Plainly, Miller and other Republicans want immigration to be in the headlines, to make it harder for Democrats to break through with talk about the Trump/GOP tax cut for the rich and the Trump/GOP drive to repeal Obamacare, both of which have proven epic political flops. So Miller is floating this latest policy as part of this broader strategy.

But there's an additional nuance here worth appreciating. While Trump (and many GOP candidates imitating him) have used immigration to launch many race-baiting appeals designed to energize the hard-core Trumpist base -- from the claim that Dems coddle MS-13 to the vow to make Mexico pay for the wall - this issue is a bit different. Immigration advocates believe the attack on immigrants claiming benefits as directed not just at the base, but also at softer supporters of Trump, such as GOP-leaning college educated or suburban whites who might recoil at the more obvious race-based messaging.

"While 'immigrants take jobs' works with the angry, resentful base, with a more potent line of attack with the better educated, more successful -- and more reluctant -- Trump voter is the 'immigrants use welfare' distortion that this policy fight sets up," Frank Sharry, the executive director of America's Voice, tells us. "These less rabid Trump voters have jobs, homes, and security; they are more likely to resent the idea -- inaccurate as it is -- that their tax dollars are paying to support immigrants."

In fact, as a recent Cato Institute study found, "immigrants are less likely to consume welfare benefits and, when they do, they generally consume a lower dollar value of benefits than native-born Americans."

That's not to mention that nearly all Americans benefit at one time or another from programs that would fit under the expansive definition of "welfare" Republicans would like to propagate. For instance, if you're not getting health insurance from the government in the form of Medicare or Medicaid, or getting subsidies through the ACA, the government is paying part of your health insurance premiums by making them tax-deductible. That's far and away the largest tax expenditure on the books, over triple the size of the mortgage interest deduction, another government program you may benefit from.

But many Americans like to believe that government programs that I benefit from are no less than I deserve, while government programs that other people benefit from represent lazy moochers sponging off the system. So saying that immigrants who ever used a program like CHIP or the ACA for them or their family members should now be refused citizenship is a pretty clear attempt to stoke anger and resentment at these people, making it easier to get rid of them.

All of which sets up an interesting test. The question will be whether the less-Trumpist GOP voters, having already been alienated by this particular administration's cruel and wretched immigration policies -- particularly the family separations landing untold numbers of children in cages, but also Trump's open displays of bigotry and his stepped up deportations of longtime residents - might actually be less inclined to side with the administration on even this "softer" policy directed at supposed immigrant welfare cheats.

On this front, Tuesday night's results out of the Ohio special House election will bear watching. Republicans are testing a strategy of deliberate polarization around immigration issues in this race, with an eye towards using it in contests across the country this fall. They are trying to tar Democrats as the party of crime and open borders by elevating the left's call to "Abolish ICE," to juice the GOP base. But this is a divided district: while much of it went heavily for Trump, it also has a lot of college educated whites, which is one reason Democrat Danny O'Connor is competitive - and those voters could be alienated by Trump's immigration appeals.

If Republicans do better than expected tonight, particularly among those voters, you can expect Republicans to see plenty of upside, and very little downside, in really cranking up these appeals going forward. This will get uglier.

Paul Waldman is an opinion writer for The Washington Post.

Greg Sargent writes The Plum Line blog for The Washington Post, a reported opinion blog with a liberal slant - what you might call "opinionated reporting" from the left.

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City officials and other residents of Passaic expressed shock and grief about the sudden death of Councilwoman Zaida Polanco on Wednesday, after her family said the 41-year-old Democratic stallwart died in her sleep overnight.

"Today the City of Passaic, the State of New Jersey, and the Dominican Community mourn the loss of a family member, a friend, one of our leaders, Passaic City Councilwoman Zaida Polanco," Mayor Hector Lora posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon, in a message in English and Spanish.

"May her soul rest with the LORD ALWAYS. She dedicated her life to public service and fighting for the rights of those who often did not have a voice. Please keep her family in prayer."

Today the City of Passaic, the State of New Jersey, and the Dominican Community mourn the loss of a family member, a... Posted by Hector Carlos Lora on Wednesday, August 8, 2018

A city official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter said Polanco did not rise from bed on Wednesday morning in the second-floor apartment where she lived in her family's home. She was found lifeless by family members, who then called authorities, and Polanco was later pronounced dead, the official said.

It was the morning after Polanco had just returned from a trip her native Dominican Republic.

Her sister, Ely Polanco, released a statement Wednesday saying the family was "heartbroken."

"People have asked, 'What happened?" the statement read. "My sister returned home from a vacation last night, went to her bedroom and didn't wake up this morning. In consultation with medial professionals, we were told that Zaida passed away peacefully in her sleep from natural causes."

Polanco worked as the Passaic school district's human resources director, and was a well-known figure in the city, particularly among Passaic's Dominican community.

Polanco is a former Passaic Board of Education member who stepped down a year into her first term after being elected to the City Council in Passaic's May 2011 non-partisan municipal elections, according to a biography provided by the city clerk's office. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2015, which was due to expire in July 2019.

Apart from her sister, Polanco is survived by her parents, Marino and Isabel Polanco, and a brother, Henry.

Polanco was a veteran Democratic activist, and fellow Democrats including Passaic County Democdatic Chairman John Currie, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and others paid tribute to her on Wednesday.

Assemblyman & City of Passaic Council President Gary Schaer issued a statement calling Polanco, "a friend to our entire community and a valued colleague on the council."

Passaic Board of Education President Peter T. Rosario said he and other districdt officials were "deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and mentor."

Word of her death quickly spread on social media, where friends and constituents posted their condolences.

"In total disbelief," wrote a friend, Yesenia A. Mella, in a post on Polanco's Facebook page. "Another great beautiful soul gone too soon. May you RIP Zaida Polano. You will never be forgotten."

A post by Casey Lewis Teague praised Polanco's commitment to her position and her Passaic neighbors.

"I can say that she always gave 110 (percent) towards any assignment she was given. Her presence will surely be missed throughout Passaic County. My heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to her family and friends."

Polanco was born in the city of Bonao, in the Dominican Republic, before she immigrated to the United States with her famly in 1990 at age 13, the clerk's office said. She graduated from Passaic High School, and went on to attend Montclair State University and then Rutgers, where she earned a master's in political science.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with the state Legislature in the first-ever test of lawmakers' power to undo rules or regulations introduced by a governor's administration.

The case stems from a change former Gov. Chris Christie's administration tried to make to the way state workers are promoted. The Civil Service Commission wanted to eliminate in some cases tests that are administered to promote employees, but the Democratic-controlled Legislature said that wasn't in line with the intent of the Civil Service Act.

The state Civil Service Commission under Christie, a Republican, introduced new "job banding" rules, which grouped together certain job titles. The commission then said employees could advance between those job titles without taking competitive examinations that it found to be inefficient.

The Legislature used its authority under the Legislative Review Clause -- a 1992 amendment to the state Constitution -- to object to the new rules.

Under the Legislative Review Clause, the Legislature can pass a concurrent resolution challenging the administrative rule as out of sync with its legislative intent, and then the administration has 30 days to revoke or amend the rule. If the administration doesn't comply, the Legislature can pass a second concurrent resolution that invalidates the rules.

That's what the Legislature did in this case in its first exercise of the Legislative Review Clause.

But the administration went ahead with the new job banding rules anyway, according to the decision.

The suit was brought by the Communications Workers of America, which represents 32,000 state workers, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and then-state Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

"This is an important decision in support of workers' rights and the constitutional authority of the New Jersey Legislature," Sweeney said in a statement.

"The ruling reaffirms the balance of power that is vital to democracy and it reinforces the basic principle that the laws of New Jersey must be honored by the executive branch of government."

Hetty Rosenstein, CWA state director, said "with the New Jersey Supreme Court today vacating Governor Christie's ridiculous, infamous "job-banding" rule, we finally close the door on another terrible chapter (in) Christie's tenure."

State Supreme Court Justice Anne Patterson, writing for the majority, said the Legislature's invalidation of the rule in Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO v. New Jersey Civil Service Commission held up to a three-part test of whether the court should intervene and overturn the Legislature.

"We conclude that the Legislature correctly determined that (the rule) conflicts with two provisions of the Civil Service Act," she wrote. "Accordingly, we concur with the Appellate Division panel that the Legislature properly invoked the Legislative Review Clause."

Justices Jaynee LaVecchia and Lee Solomon affirmed in part and dissented in part.

The Civil Service Commission had argued that the Legislature had not met the procedural requirements for invalidating a rule change and was flouting the Constitution. It also argued that the job banding changes complied with the Civil Service Act.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
WASHINGTON -- A federal law more than two decades old is leading to a doctor shortage in New Jersey's hospitals.

Now, Jersey's lawmakers in Washington are looking to overturn it.

When Congress passed the Balanced Budget Act in 1997, it capped Medicare-funded slots for doctors in training at the previous year's levels. But New Jersey had an artificially low number that year because several of its graduate medical residents were working at out-of-state hospitals.

That cap has helped reduce the number of doctors working in the state, and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said New Jersey could use as many as 2,800 additional physicians to meet the expected demand by 2020.

"It is unacceptable that outdated calculations prevent more physicians from obtaining the necessary training to join New Jersey's health workforce," said Menendez, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care.

Menendez and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., have introduced the bill in the Senate and six New Jersey House members, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., have introduced similar legislation in that chamber.

"We're the proud home to world-class research institutions, amazing education facilities, and life-saving hospitals and clinics," Gottheimer said. "However, we're in the midst of a physician shortage that threatens to undermine our quality of care and economic competitiveness."

The lawmakers cited Association of American Colleges data that says the state as a high rate of doctors over age 60 and a low rate of doctors aged 40 or younger. In addition, the state has 24.4 medical students per 100,000 residents, 37th among the 50 states.

"We need the top medical students to come to New Jersey and call it home," said Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th district, another sponsor. "We need their genius and passion and we need to fix the training slot miscalculation to make it happen."

Also sponsoring the bill in the House are Reps. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist.; Tom MacArthur, R-3rd Dist.; Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist.; and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
A man who pleaded guilty to robbing seven banks before he was caught in an armed attempt to rob an eighth was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Wednesday.

Marlon Peek, 42, of Plainfield, robbed or attempted to rob these banks in New Jersey:

TD Bank, Edison, March 17, 2015

Magyar Bank, Edison, March 31, 2015

Investors Bank, Dunellen, April 9, 2015

Wells Fargo, South Plainfield, April 14, 2015 (aiding and abetting)

Unity Bank, Middlesex, April 15, 2015

PNC Bank, South Plainfield, April 21, 2015

TD Bank, Springfield, April 21, 2015

Bank of America, Linden, May 6, 2015

U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden in Newark sentenced Peek, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said in a statement.

Between March and May 2015, Peek would hand a note to tellers demanding cash and indicating that he had a gun and would shoot them.

Peek seen during two of the robbery attempts. (FBI)

The note he handed to s teller at the TD Bank in Edison read: "I have gun will shoot to kill you have 3 seconds."

Peek was caught on May 6 of that year after attempting to rob a Bank of America in Linden, in which he pointed a gun at a bank teller. While fleeing, he attempted three carjackings before entering a warehouse, grabbing a hostage, and putting the gun to the hostage's head, the statement said.

Police arrived and told Peek to drop the gun. He did, and was arrested.

While at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Rahway, he slipped out of his handcuffs but an officer guarding the room tackled him in the hallway.

In addition to his prison term, Peek will have five years of supervised release and must pay restitution of $21,598.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Nakesia Washington, owner of OBL Travel LLC., the Jefferson Parish travel agency accused of bilking several dozen 2018 Essence Festival attendees out of tens of thousands of dollars for vacation packages she didn't deliver, has been arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

Washington, 41, of Harvey, was booked Aug. 2 with theft of more than $25,000, theft valued between $5,000 and $24,999 and two counts of computer fraud, said Lt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.

The charges stem from two complaints filed by a group of family and friends traveling to the 2018 Essence Musical Festival from Philadelphia and a Nashville woman who worked with Washington's company to arrange travel for about 25 would-be attendees.

Investigators expect Washington will face more criminal charges, Rivarde said. Thus far, the Sheriff's Office has received complaints from several dozen OBL customers who had been expecting hotel reservations, party passes and tickets to the popular, July 4-weekend music festival.

Detectives estimate the reported losses at about $80,000, according to Rivarde.

"We expect the number of cases and the monetary losses to grow as additional cases come in," said Rivarde, who noted the Sheriff's Office is investigating with the assistance of the FBI.

Washington was released Sunday (Aug. 5) from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Grenta on a $45,000 bond. She did not return telephone calls or emails seeking comment on Wednesday.

Girls' trip spoiled

Mattine Buchanan is the Nashville-area travel agent who reported losing more than $31,000 to Washington, paid by 25 women who were to take a girls' trip to New Orleans for Essence Fest. Buchanan signed a contract with OBL Travel and began sending payments for the women's hotel reservations on Aug. 31, she said.

But Buchanan became alarmed when a sales manager from the Omni Royal Orleans hotel in the French Quarter contacted her on June 20, about two weeks before Essence Fest, and told her the group's reservations had been canceled for non-payment.

Washington had given the hotel about $8,000 to hold rooms for travelers, but still owed them more than $14,000 and hadn't returned Omni staffer's calls about the balance, according to Buchanan.

"Nakesia claimed that she had a heart attack. It kept her from doing what she needed to do," Buchanan said in a telephone call Wednesday.

Washington also told Buchanan and hotel staffers that her bank account had been hacked. But she vowed to pay the full amount once she was out of the hospital, according to Buchanan. Washington didn't fulfill that promise.

Buchanan's clients paid between $1,092 and $2,208 for vacation packages through OBL based on room occupancy, she said. Only 11 of the 25 women made the trip to New Orleans. But they had to pay out-of-pocket for Essence concert tickets and their hotel rooms.

"I have women that entrusted me with their money that they worked hard for," Buchanan said. "Some of these ladies may not ever use my business again."

No justice

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Cinneah El-Amin, 24, of New York, and a group of three college and childhood friends each paid $1,092 to OBL to travel to Essence. Washington had been extremely communicative during the payment process and sent invoices with confirmation numbers, El-Amin said.

"I spoke with the Omni Royal hotel and confirmed that she did have a room block," said El-Amin, who also found no negative reviews of the business when she researched online before deciding to go with OBL. "I felt like I was doing everything I could to protect myself as a consumer."

Like many other OBL customers, El-Amin said she and her friends arrived to find themselves without hotel reservations. Omni staffers provided a smaller room than the group had initially booked, but the friends had to pay an additional $1,000 for the accommodations, El-Amin said.

El-Amin hounded Washington, who finally provided Essence Fest concert tickets. But the friends were not seated together, and they were shorted a ticket on Saturday night, El-Amin said.

Washington gave the friends the same "hacked account" explanation that she provided Buchanan, but El-Amin said she was skeptical.

Both Buchanan and El-Amin said they were glad to hear of Washington's arrest, but they and other victims really want the stolen money returned. El-Amin was able to recoup about 60 percent of the money she paid using Eventbrite, the online ticketing website that Washington used to sell some of the packages.

The best chance to recover money is a restitution order from a judge after conviction, Rivarde said. He urged victims to contact the Sheriff's Office and file a complaint.

"It really doesn't feel like justice for us," said El-Amin, who said she wants to make sure that no one else is duped by OBL Travel and Washington is barred from doing business.

Still booking trips?

Despite the fraud accusations and her arrest, it appears Washington is still in the travel business, according to her website. She is advertising a five-day Carnival cruise to Mexico at rates of $784 to $1,722 with the first deposit due Friday (Aug. 10).

The cruise advertisement directs those interested to The Power House Connection, another company owned by Washington, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State.

And Washington is accepting deposits for 2019 Essence Festival vacation packages on OBL's website.

"I would hope that anyone who wants to travel with OBL would Google them to see that there are all kinds of stories out there, now." El-Amin warned.

. . . . . . . .

Anyone who believes that they were the victims of fraud or lost money to OBL Travel is asked to contact Detective Stephen Bowman with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Economic Crimes Unit by calling 504-364-5235.
A Jefferson Parish judge on Tuesday (Aug. 7) ruled there was probable cause to hold Shantel Parria Wagner on the charge of second-degree murder for the shooting death of her husband, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Sgt. Troy Smith.

Magistrate Commissioner Paul Schneider also reduced Wagner's bond from $500,000 - his customary starting point for second-degree murder bonds - to $300,000.

Schneider ordered that should Wagner make bond, she must be fitted with a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and confined to home at all times except for medical appointments.

The ruling marked the end of an unusually long, two-day hearing in commissioner's court during which Sheriff's Office investigators said the physical evidence doesn't support Wagner's various stories to investigators that her husband committed suicide by a gunshot to the head. Prosecutors also accused Wagner admitting guilt.

"There is one witness who said (Wagner) said she shot her husband," Assistant District Attorney Kellie Rish said. "She confessed to shooting her husband. I want to make sure the court is very clear about what that witness said."

But Wagner's defense attorneys, Leo Palazzo and Wiley Beevers, said Wagner has always been consistent in her statement that Smith shot himself. Smith was suffering from PTSD, was depressed, had financial and relationship troubles and had threatened to kill himself just the day before in a text message, according to Palazzo.

And defense attorneys point out that the Sheriff's Office admits Wagner's DNA was not found on the gun used in the shooting.

"How do you shoot somebody without touching the gun?" Beevers asked after the hearing.

Smith, 44, an instructor at the Sheriff's Office training academy and a former member of the New Orleans Police Department, died June 24, one week after Wagner called 911 to report that he tried to commit suicide inside their Waggaman home on Father's Day.

Sheriff's Office detectives arrested Wagner on July 11, noting that forensic evidence and interviews led authorities to determine that Smith's injury wasn't self-inflicted.

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Dr. Dana Trosclair, the forensic pathologist who conducted Smith's autopsy, took the stand Tuesday. But Trosclair and coroner's office attorney Chuck Credo told the court she could not yet provide an official opinion on whether Smith's death was a homicide or a suicide because the final autopsy report was not complete, according to court records. Toxicology samples are still being tested.

Palazzo, who employed Wagner as a paralegal at his Gretna law firm, did have Trosclair identify the location of Smith's entry wound, the "parietal scalp, right above the right ear," she said. The exit wound was on the "vertex" or top of the scalp.

Trosclair described the trajectory as right to left, slightly front to back and upward.

Chief Deputy Tim Scanlan, commander of the Sheriff's Office Crime Lab, also took the stand Tuesday. He testified that his technicians are in the preliminary stages of reconstructing the shooting.

Beevers pressed Scanlan with questions about bullet trajectory and whether he could he sure a hole found in the ceiling of the couple's home was made by a projectile fired at the time of Smith's shooting.

Scanlan conceded that Wagner's DNA was not found on the gun recovered at the shooting scene. But he also testified that the totality of evidence is inconsistent with Smith shooting himself.

Palazzo passionately argued that the state did not prove probable cause to hold Wagner on a murder charge. None of the evidence presented during the hearing prove Wagner shot her husband, he said.

In the end, Schneider agreed with Rish that Wagner's multiple inconsistent statements and the alleged confession to a witness rises to the level of probable cause.

Although Schneider lowered Wagner's bond, Palazzo said the family will not be able to meet the $300,000 amount and called her prosecution political.

"It is an absolute tragedy," he said.
A 30-year-old man accused of shooting two people in a French Quarter drive-by shooting in January was arrested Friday (Aug. 3), according to court documents. At the time of the shooting, the suspect -- Wendell Butler -- was on probation in connection to a 2014 shooting on Bourbon Street, on a charge of accessory to aggravated battery, court records show.

Shortly after 4:15 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2018, a 29-year-old man was walking with three other men in the 100 block of Royal Street when they got into an argument with the passengers of a white SUV, according to a preliminary police report. One of the passengers started shooting out of the car's window, NOPD said, striking the 29-year-old and a 57-year-old man.

Both victims were brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds to the arm and leg, according to NOPD.

According to Butler's warrant, surveillance video from the scene showed a white 2007 Toyota Sequoia fleeing the scene of the shooting. Officers contacted the owner of the car, who said his daughter had been using the vehicle the night of the shooting.

The owner's daughter told investigators she was with Butler and one other person at the time of the shooting, according to Butler's warrant. The woman told police Butler was riding in the front passenger seat and fired a gun through the window. She later identified Butler from a photo-lineup, the warrant states. As of Wednesday, the woman is not wanted in connection to the shooting, according to NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney.

It was not clear in the warrant whether the woman was driving her father's car during the shooting, but NOPD released the name of photo of the suspected getaway driver -- 23-year-old Jordan David Theojan Mitchell - five days after the shooting. Mitchell was arrested in connection with the shooting on Jan. 22, court records show.

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Mitchell was booked into Orleans Justice Center jail the same day on one count of principal to aggravated battery and was indicted on the charge in March, court records show. Devin Green, 30, was also indicted in the same case on one count each of illegal use of a weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Louisiana Department of Corrections records show Green is currently in custody of the Bossier Parish jail.

Neither Green or Mitchell are named in Butler's warrant, which was signed ten days after the shooting by Orleans Parish Magistrate Commissioner Albert Thibodeaux.

Butler was booked into Orleans Justice Center jail Friday morning on two counts of aggravated second-degree battery and one count each of assault by drive-by shooting, illegal use of a weapon and possession of a weapon by a felon, online court records show. He appeared in court the next day, where Thibodeaux set his bond for a total of $32,000 and assigned a public defender to his case.

Court records show Butler was previously accused of shooting a 43-year-old man on Bourbon Street in Dec. 2014 after the two men got into an argument "over their girlfriends." Witnesses told police Butler pulled a gun out and shot the man twice, once in the arm and once in the leg, before fleeing the scene.

Butler turned himself in to police in early January 2015, court records show. Butler was indicted in May of that year on one count of aggravated second-degree battery, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accessory to second-degree battery in November. He was sentenced on Nov. 6, 2015 to five years in prison, but the Orleans Criminal District Judge Karen Herman suspended the sentence on the condition Butler serve five years of active probation, according to court records.

Court documents show Butler's probation was set to end on Nov. 6, 2020.
Three top administrators for the Orleans Parish School Board have resigned from the central office, according to a report from The Lens Wednesday (Aug. 8).

The Lens reported that OPSB Assistant Superintendent Adam Hawf and Chief Strategy Officer Colleston Morgan Jr. resigned at the end of July. Forrest Collins, OPSB's director of new school development, resigned June 22. A district spokeswoman confirmed the departures, but The Lens reported that she didn't say who would replace them.

The school district's proposed budget stated Mary Garton, the district's chief student services officer, is the new assistant superintendent. The assistant superintendent serves as the top deputy to OPSB Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr.

The changes in the district's administration come as the school district resumes control over all schools formerly regulated by Louisiana's Recovery School District. Hawf, a partner at the Grand Isle Group that does education consulting work, previously worked for the RSD and Louisiana's Education Department. Hawf's LinkedIn profile states he joined the OPSB in 2016.

Morgan's LinkedIn profile states that he joined the district's charter schools office in 2012 before he climbed the ladder to chief strategy officer in 2016. Collins previously worked for the Algiers Charter School Association before he joined the OPSB last year, according to his LinkedIn profile. His profile states he is currently the regional director of staffing for IDEA Public Schools, a Texas-based charter school network.

. . . . . . .

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.
The search is on for the 4th annual Veuve Clicquot Elle Boss: one woman who is redefining the world of business with her entrepreneurial spirit, leadership, creativity and determination.

Nomination criteria

Entrepreneur Category:

Age: Not younger than 25 and not older than 45 years of age.

Entrepreneurship: Founder/leader of a local business, driving force behind the success of the business. Displays a pioneering approach, business acumen, dynamism, innovation, audacity and tenacity.

Financial Success: Sustained profitable growth and a healthy balance sheet with a minimum turnover of R1 million. The applicant must have been in business for a minimum of three years. She is the main shareholder of this business. Not for Profit organisations will be considered, however their justification on financial performance and development will be required. Fundamental measures of success are financial viability and year-on-year growth.

Social Investment: The candidate must have a genuine commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices, such as environmental policies, employee benefits, workforce diversity and community schemes/relationships.

Role Model: Mentoring, succession planning, pushing boundaries, ability to motivate others, relationship building with colleagues/employees, especially for other women.

Involvement in business and industry: Profile and participation in the business sector they operate in and public profile.

Awards or recognition as a significant achiever: The candidate must show that she has personal brand strength.

Corporate Category:

Age: Not younger than 25 and not older than 45 years of age.

The candidate must work for a company with a minimum turnover of R15 million per annum.

Management experience: The candidate should have no less than three years in a senior position and the entry must confirm the candidates advancement in business to date and chronicle success as a manager to date. The candidate should display a pioneering approach, business acumen, dynamism, innovation, audacity and tenacity. She should also demonstrate leadership and team building skills.

Role Model: The candidate will be assessed with regards to her contribution to mentoring, succession planning, pushing boundaries, and her ability to motivate others, relationship building with colleagues/employees and especially for other women.

Social Leadership: Displays qualities of leading by example in any corporate CSI initiatives, public service.

Involvement in business and industry: Profile and participation in the business sector they operate in and public profile.

Will need to demonstrate the success of their brand business personality through awards or recognition as a significant achiever.

Note: Importantly, the candidate is not an employer, major shareholder or owner of a business.

Judging

Prizes

Veuve Clicquot andmagazine set out to celebrate women who have been in business for at least three years  women already demonstrating clear signs of success, and/or, exceptional corporate managerial skills and a social conscience.The current Veuve ClicquotBoss, Amanda Dambuza, is a woman who embodies what it means to be a leader. Running a project management services company, Uyandiswa, which has scores of employees and makes a staggering annual turnover, and also mentoring girls through her social enterprise network, Dambuza demonstrates the qualities were looking for in the next Veuve ClicquotBoss, said Khanyi Dhlomo, founder and CEO of Ndalo Media andpublisher.Women matching the criteria in the Entrepreneur or Corporate category could either self-nominate, with a mentor or manager seconding their application. Or they could be nominated, however they will need to consent to the nomination.Deadline for entries is 14 September 2018.Judges will include Khanyi Dhlomo, Founder and CEO of Ndalo Media andpublisher and Aimee Kellen, Regional Marketing Manager Moet Hennessy, with further judges selected from a wide range of women in leadership from various industries.A Veuve ClicquotBoss 2018 winner will be selected from all finalists from both the corporate and entrepreneurial categories. There will be one overall winner from either the corporate or entrepreneurial category.They will be recognised at a bespoke event hosted bySouth Africa and Veuve Clicquot in Johannesburg on 18 October 2018.In addition to the public recognition on the evening of the awards, the general press coverage, the winner will also receive one-on-one mentoring during a two-hour session with powerhouse business moghul Khanyi Dhlomo to ask personal, career and development questions. As well as features inSouth Africa (magazine and online /digital platforms), the winner will be flown to visit the prestigious Veuve Clicquot Maison and hosted by Veuve Clicquot in Reims, France, the home of Champagne. The trip will take place in 2019 and will include all flights, accommodation and a daily allowance.The runner-up will receive a special Veuve Clicquot Experience, including a private dinner for her and five guests, to relax and unwind, to savour the recognition of her meaningful achievement to date as a Woman in Business (T&Cs apply).Four further runners-up will receive a Magnum of Veuve Clicquot.For more information, see the website: www.elle.co.za/could-you-be-the-2018-veuve-clicquot-elle-boss
Dillard University students will have an opportunity to prepare for water management jobs in government agencies and the private industry in a new program being established this fall, the university announced.

Dillard stated its Urban Water Management Certificate Program is the first and only program of its kind in Louisiana, according to a Dillard news release. The program is designed to teach students how to handle flooding from hurricanes, as well as stormwater management, sinkholes, and sinking land caused by subsidence. Students will also learn how to protect cities from water-borne illnesses by providing clean and safe water to residents.

Although it's not a degree-seeking program, Dillard said the classes will count as general elective credits for any student regardless of their major. Students will earn the certificate by completing program activities and four courses, including the new Introduction to Urban Water Management and the new Urban Water Management Seminar. Dillard is also planning "to package" the program as a continuing studies program for those who work in fields such as urban planning, government, architecture, and structural engineering.

The program will be directed by Dillard's Urban Studies & Public Policy Program advisors. Dillard stated the certificate program came about after "brainstorming" with Greater New Orleans, Inc. to find areas where Dillard could offer something that aligns with the workforce needs of the region.

Dillard stated water management will be among the top six growth industries over the next 10 years. The industry currently employs 34,350 people, and Dillard stated 14,000 job openings will need to be filled going forward. In a statement, Dillard's Urban Studies & Public Policy professor Robert Collins said the program will help put New Orleans "on the cutting-edge" of the nationwide Urban Water Management industry.

"Right now, there are no training programs focused the unique challenges of the Gulf Coast region, so we know there is both a need and a market for this program," Collins said.

. . . . . . .

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.
An analysis of the placement of students participating in the New Orleans public school enrollment system says that although there is room for improvement, most families obtained one of their top choices during their first application process this year.

A summary of a forthcoming Louisiana Legislative audit of OneApp, obtained by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Tuesday (Aug. 7), shows auditors reviewed enrollment data from the 2014-15 school year to the 2018-19 academic year. The audit, which is expected to be released later this month, says more than 75 percent of students received one of their top three choices during the first application process for 2018-19.

Public schools in the city generally rely on EnrollNOLA, which uses a centralized enrollment lottery computer system called OneApp, to assign students to seats based on family preference and school priorities. Every year, EnrollNOLA holds a "main round" process where families can apply to up to eight participating schools in OneApp for their child. If parents are unhappy with their choice from the main round, EnrollNOLA gives parents another chance to select their desired school during "round 2" of OneApp.

The performance audit, spurred by a request by State Rep. Joseph Bouie, D-New Orleans, reveals 45 percent of students received their first choice during the first round this school year. However, the percentage of students receiving one of their top three choices has decreased each year, down from 83 percent in 2014-15. This decrease in desired assignments comes as officials report higher participation in OneApp: Some high-performing schools, such as Edward Hynes Charter and Audubon Charter, only recently began to participate in the system.

The audit said 11.5 percent of students weren't placed in one of their preferred schools during this year's first round. Within that group, more than 99 percent of the applicants didn't list a full eight choices for preferred schools.

More than half of the city's public school students are also attending schools outside their neighborhood this year, according to the audit. Fifty-four percent of students will attend schools outside their geographic zone because more than two thirds of the schools listed by families were outside of their zone.

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The audit shows the highest schools in demand continue to be the hardest for students to get into without an enrollment priority, such as having a sibling at the desired school. Sixty-five percent of schools this year used geographic priority to give families more access to schools near their home, but only 50 percent of their seats gave families outside of the area an equal chance at the remaining half of seats. Every school accepting new students this year also had sibling priority in place. Students admitted without a priority made up less than a third of the students admitted at high-demand schools.

Parents over the past two years have criticized OneApp for its lack of transparency in its enrollment algorithm. Some families this year have expressed disappointment in their child's school placement, and others say their student hasn't received placement at all.

The audit's summary concludes by echoing what officials like Orleans Parish School Board Superintendent Henderson Lewis and New Schools for New Orleans CEO Patrick Dobard have argued: The problem isn't OneApp itself, but the need for more high quality schools.

. . . . . . .

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.
No charges will be filed in a traffic accident last week that claimed the lives of a Madisonville woman and her 16-year-old daughter, a Louisiana State Police spokesman said Tuesday (Aug. 7).

Brandi Landwehr, 43, and her daughter, Hannah Landwehr, died from the injuries they sustained in a three-vehicle crash Friday at the intersection of Louisiana 22 and Louisiana 1085, west of Madisonville.

State Police said Hannah Landwehr was driving a 2015 Honda Civic south on Louisiana 1085 shortly before 7 p.m., with her mother in the passenger seat. She stopped at the stop sign at Louisiana 22 but turned left onto the highway without yielding to oncoming traffic.

A 1996 Ford F-250 pickup truck traveling west on Louisiana 22 struck the driver's side door of the Civic, pushing it into the ditch along the roadway. The truck slid into the eastbound lane and sideswiped a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic, police said. No one else was injured in the wreck and all of those involved were wearing seat belts.

The F-250s relatively high center of gravity compared to that of the Civic contributed to the tragic outcome of the accident, police said.

Trooper Dustin Dwight, a State Police spokesman, said no charges will be filed against the driver of the truck or the driver of the Sonic. The truck was not exceeding the 55 mph speed limit on the two-lane Louisiana 22 when it hit the Civic, Dwight said.

However, police will continue to investigate the accident to determine if a "roadway abnormality" may have been a contributing factor. The investigation will also look into the brakes, tire pressure, tire tread and other mechanical functions of the vehicles involved in the fatal accident. "It will be a thorough investigation, as we do with all fatal accidents," Dwight said.

On Jan. 10, a 16-year-old Mandeville High School student Nathan Matthew Kiern was killed at the same intersection. In that accident, Kiern was making a left turn onto Louisiana 22 from Louisiana 1085 when his 1996 Toyota Corolla was struck by another vehicle.
State Judge Peter Garcia of the North Shore's 22nd Judicial District Court has been recognized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness for his work with the mentally ill.

The organization presented Garcia, of Covington, with the 2018 Sam Cochran Criminal Justice Award during its annual convention in New Orleans, the Louisiana Supreme Court said in a news release Tuesday (Aug. 7). Garcia is the first Louisiana recipient of the award.

The award, named in honor of the founder of the crisis intervention team training program, recognizes outstanding work in the criminal justice system, specifically the fair and humane treatment of people with mental illness, the release said.

In 2011, Garcia worked to establish the Behavioral Health Court in the 22nd Judicial District, which serves St. Tammany and Washington parishes, and for many years he has advocated for the needs of those with mental illness in the criminal justice system, the Supreme Court said.

"It is our duty to point out the defects in the criminal justice system that further stigmatize mental health issues as criminal behavior," Garcia said in the news release. "Mental illness is not a crime and we must advocate for those most unable to advocate for themselves."
A woman's body was found in Lake Pontchartrain Tuesday (Aug. 7) as New Orleans police, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies and volunteers, including the United Cajun Navy, searched the waters for a woman missing since a boat was found floating adrift without a crew Sunday, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

The body has not been identified, and officials could not confirm that it was the body of Sadie Thibodeaux, 32, last seen Sunday evening, the NOPD said.

About 5:20 p.m., a boater saw a body in the water and notified those aboard a Department of Wildlife and Fisheries vessel, police said. The body was located about a quarter of a mile from the Seabrook Boat Launch.

Todd Terrell, president of the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer group that organizes using a system called the Patriot Emergency Response Team (PERT), said one of the group spotted the body during the search, which incorporated drones and information on currents and wind.

"It's always hard to find a body," Terrell said, referring to the mental and emotional impact of making such a discovery.

Thibodeaux was reported missing after authorities found a sailboat adrift in the lake, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The boat was without a crew and without a mast. A dog was found onboard, as well as two cellphones, authorities said.

The boat's owner, 42-year-old Michael Farley, was rescued in "good condition" Monday morning, according to police and Coast Guard officials.

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The United Cajun Navy, a volunteer group under the Patriot Emergency Response Team, joined the search for Thibodeaux on Tuesday and quickly found and recovered a woman's body, Terrell said.

NOPD Cmdr. Jeff Walls said at a press conference Tuesday morning that police do not necessarily suspect foul play at this time, but they are not ruling it out. Investigators have scoured the boat for evidence, searching GPS records and interviewing people involved.

According to NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney, the case was still being considered a missing person investigation.

New Orleans police have been leading the search for Thibodeaux, with help from the Coast Guard, New Orleans Fire Department and the Department of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.

However, Kerald Smith -- Thibodeaux's close friend and ex-husband -- said Thibodeaux's family needed more.

"If everybody works together, we can make things happen a lot faster," Terrell said. "United is strength."

Nola.com|The Times-Picayune's Marie Simoneaux contributed to this report.
Family and friends of Sadie Thibodeaux embraced and wept beneath a lakeside pavilion Tuesday night (Aug. 7), but amid the deep sadness was a tinge of relief.

Authorities have been searching for Thibodeaux, 32, since Sunday evening, when she was reported missing after a sailboat was found adrift in Lake Pontchartrain -- with nobody on board and no mast, carrying only a dog and two cellphones, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard rescued the boat's owner, 43-year-old Michael Farley, from the lake Monday morning. Farley was in "good condition" but showed "obvious signs" of hours spent in the water, authorities said.

After roughly two days of searching for Thibodeaux, search crews found a woman's body in the lake, about a quarter mile from the Seabrook Boat Launch, according to the New Orleans Police Department, which is leading search efforts.

The body has not been identified, and police said they could not confirm whether the body is that of Thibodeaux.

However, some of Thibodeaux's family and friends believe that among the myriad questions surrounding her disappearance, one question may have been answered.

"I'm just happy we found her," said Kerald Smith, Thibodeaux's close friend and ex-husband. "The whole while I was driving here from Baton Rouge I was like, 'Where is she?'"

Smith said he and Thibodeaux were together for 11 years, beginning when she was 19 and he was 21, and that they have remained close.

"We were never not going to be friends," he said.

He described Thibodeaux as a passionate, determined person with a loving nature and a soft spot for animals.

Since the body's recovery Tuesday afternoon, Smith said he feels relieved.

"I now can get some sleep tonight," he said.

Thibodeaux's sister, Nikki Thibodeaux-Dowden, said she was grateful for the volunteers, including the United Cajun Navy, which found the body, as well as family and friends who helped in the search.

"I'm just thankful we were able to get a connection with people who were compassionate and motivated," Thibodeaux-Dowden said.

New Orleans police have been leading the search for Thibodeaux, with help from the Coast Guard, New Orleans Fire Department and the Department of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.

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The United Cajun Navy joined the search Tuesday after Thibodeaux's family put out an open call to boaters for help in finding their loved one. The family was connected to Todd Terrell -- a leader within the United Cajun Navy -- through a mutual friend.

The family started organizing with Terrell on Tuesday morning, said Smith, who has helped develop a systematic search method and provided equipment to assist.

Brien McGlynn of Baton Rouge, a retired U.S. Navy nurse who has often volunteered with the United Cajun Navy, said the group had about 10 volunteers in four to five boats searching the lake. The group used several drones and information on currents and wind to guide their efforts, Terrell said.

McGlynn said he and other volunteers had been in the water for only about 10 minutes when they spotted a body.

"It was almost surreal," he said.

During a Tuesday morning news conference, NOPD officials said the case is still considered a missing person investigation but that foul play has not been ruled out.

Investigators have scoured the sailboat for evidence and are searching GPS records and conducting interviews.

According to Thibodeaux-Dowden, Thibodeaux is a lobbyist and just one month ago, relocated from Baton Rouge to New Orleans for work.

Though NOPD Cmdr. Jeff Walls said in a news conference that Thibodeaux and Farley were dating, Thibodeaux's sister said she does not think they were in a relationship, and that she has never met Farley.

"She had just moved down here, Michael was pretty much her only friend outside of work," Thibodeaux-Dowden said. "He helped her get settled and they would hang out, but it was strictly platonic, at least on Sadie's side."

Tuesday evening, Smith said he likewise did not think the two were dating.

"No one knows him," Smith said of Farley.

Tuesday morning, Walls said Farley has been "very cooperative" with police and provided investigators with a consistent story regarding how he and Thibodeaux ended up in the water.

"At the end of the day this could be a horrific accident or it could be a real crime, so that's why we're processing and taking the time we are, to make sure that we do the best we can for Sadie," Walls said.

NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune's Marie Simoneaux contributed to this report.
The panel will cover the topics: KZN as an economic powerhouse and the "real" consumers driving the KZN and South African economy.

Sales Managers



Marketing Managers



Creatives



Content Creators



Media Strategists, Planners & Buyers



Media Managers

Accenture

- Put experience at the centre of your organisation.



- Put experience at the centre of your organisation. Goliath and Goliath

- Whats your story: Steps to build a personal brand.



- Whats your story: Steps to build a personal brand. 2 x Google

- The unskippable future of advertising.

- Data-driven creative.



- The unskippable future of advertising. - Data-driven creative. Raizcorp

- Are creative entrepreneurs born or made?



- Are creative entrepreneurs born or made? Women in Marketing

- Female representation and the media - who controls the narrative?



- Female representation and the media - who controls the narrative? Shared Value Africa Initiative

- Profit and purpose - uneasy bedfellows.

For consideration is a MasterClass hosted by Gagasi FM that focuses on the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) - home of the Loeries - and the economic contribution it makes to the country's economy as well as the overall economic value of the province and it's population.This MasterClass will be of great value for custodians of brands and products that generate revenue from the evergreen middle market. The following should attend:Thursday, 16 AugustDurban ICC2pm  5pmPanalists will represent Gagasi FM, Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal, Tourism KZN and the Durban Chamber of Commerce. the Seminar and MasterClasses can be claimed as Informal Training in the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice.
North Augusta, SC (29841)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 54F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 54F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
This Women's Month, we go behind the selfie with Dianne Makings, festival director of the Cape Town International Animation Festival and ad producer for Tulips and Chimneys.

Makings the most of it!

1. Where do you live, work and play?

2. Whats your claim to fame?

3. Describe your career so far.

The PR company was the start of a really interesting journey  days with them were full of adrenaline and deadlines  as opposed to theatre, which was often a waiting game. It soon became obvious that I preferred the pace and scope of the projects, and made the move from theatre to communications. Since then, Ive worked in PR and as a BTL specialist for corporates and ad agencies. The move to events was a natural one for someone who loved creating spectacles.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

5. What do you love about your industry?

6. What are a few pain points your industry can improve on?

We need to stop being afraid of sharing resources and collaborating. Were competing on a global scale, not a local one.

7. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

8. What are the tools of your trade?

9. Who is getting it right in your industry?

10. What are you working on right now?

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

When we build an intellectual property (IP), I dont believe we should be creating for any one medium. Instead, we should be thinking about how we create this IP for all mediums. A consumer should be able to find you on a shelf, on their phone, on their laptop, in a bookstore and on a cinema screen.

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

13. Whats your secret talent/party trick?

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Photos of my daughter and partner

Serial Killer podcasts

Nineties music

Lists of notes to myself

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

I live in Observatory, work in town and love spending time with the family in Kirstenbosch and the aquarium on the weekend.Im the current festival director of the Cape Town International Animation Festival and a producer at Tulips and Chimneys.A long and windy path. I studied theatre and performance and worked in theatre for about five years. During that time, I decided I wanted to learn more about how to market the shows we were creating and interned at a PR communications company.All of these roles were really fulfilling in the moment, but ultimately I missed the very creative nature of theatre  which led me to animation. It combines all the adrenaline of a traditional communications office and the creativity of theatre and performance.I love graphic novels and inventing new recipes. Not all are successful. The turmeric ice-cream was a mistake.I love how creative the work is and how passionate people are. Its a new industry filled with young creative people who arent jaded yet.When I watch Ree and the team brainstorming on a project, Im always so inspired by what they come up with  we have such a strong creative team in-house!I drop off my daughter at school at about 8am, then head into the office to meet with Ree and Nina.Ill work on Tulips and Chimneys projects until about midday when its time to head back and fetch my daughter.We go home, have lunch, and catch up a little on her day at playgroup. Then the afternoon shift starts, and I work on festival planning or other special projects related to the festival. The festival takes about 10 months to plan, and includes fundraising, planning, conceptualising, meeting and networking.The temptation is to constantly innovate, but were trying to establish this experience for delegates, so its really about reiterating and making sure youre improving on every touch point rather than reinventing the wheel.This all flies out the window about eight weeks before the festival. Then its live, breathe and eat festival 24/7. Luckily, I have a very supportive partner who doesnt mind the chaos!Without Trello, Im absolutely lost. Its definitely my go-to project-planning tool.Im a massive fan of companies like Polycat and Black Ginger who are producing world-class VFX work.Im also a huge fan of Isaac Mogajane and his new series, its a fantastical African story that kids are going to love.And of course, I love Tulips and Chimneys. Have you seen our latest spot for Hendricks Gin?Right now, Im working on three commercials at Tulips and Chimneys, and two international pitches. Its been really interesting how local advertising agencies and their clients are making the shift into through-the-line (TTL).Almost all of our briefs are now TTL and that means we get to think about a lot more than just whats happening on the screen. SA has top-class advertising agencies and were privileged to work with some of the best in the industry.Plus, Nina and I just attended the Annecy Animated International Film Festival in June. While I focus on promoting our own festival and expanding the network, Ninas focus is on promoting Tulips and Chimneys projects currently in development.Annecy is the perfect festival to meet with global leaders of the biz and pinpoint strategic delegates to bring out for the 2019 festival.Youll always hear me muttering about the ecosystem.Other buzzwords continue to be VR, AR and AI. My partner works in these fields, and theyre fascinating.When Im sorting through a complicated project plan that has lots of dependents and scope issues my brain will always spit out a random idea, which Ive learned to jot down and look at later. Its almost always the perfect solution to another problem!I can sing. And I know all the words to cartoon theme songs from the 1980s. Seriously, try me.I love tech! Give me your gadgets and gizmos!Focus on what you can do rather than what you cant. You always bring something to the table that others dont  even if you werent specifically trained to work in that sector.
It's the first First Friday of the new arts season, and there is no shortage of great choices all around the city. Here are a dozen visual arts events we're hoping to see on Friday evening.


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In April, 2018, Professional Educators of Tennessee raised the issue on Testing, with a hard-hitting editorial called the Trouble with Testing. Now the Superintendents of two low performing districts, Shelby County and Metro-Nashville Public Schools are eliciting media attention by challenging testing across the state. Welcome to the club.

Testing has taken a wrong turn in public education. I have always tried to keep it simple: testing is like your school picture; it is what you look like on that particular day. Kids go in to take a test. Teachers show up to make sure kids are taking their own test. Parents encourage their children to do their best. However, like Ozzie & Harriet, Leave it to Beaver, and the Lone Ranger, those days are gone.

With an infusion of $501 million federal dollars of Race to the Top money we hurried to increase standards by adopting Common Core, which was soon corrected by moving back to state standards. We then increased testing, changing both format and frequency. Tennessee also adopted new evaluation methods. The teachers union supported the incorporation of TVAAS data into the states teacher evaluations, which landed Tennessee $501 million from the federal Race to the Top grant in 2010. Professional Educators of Tennessee did NOT support the use of that data on teacher evaluations, nor did they sign a support letter on the original grant submission.

Not everything Tennessee tried was damaging, but it is not debatable that, thus far, the Age of Accountability has failed students, teachers, parents and taxpayers. Since 2012, Tennessee has had one misstep after another in testing. In 2013, our tests were not aligned to our standards. In 2014, the issue was transparency, notably quick scores and test score waivers for final semester grades were the major issue. In 2015, the new TNReady online tests had issues in the post equating formula. In 2016, we fired the vendor, Measurement, Inc. because after the online platform was botched, they were unable to get out a paper version of the test. In 2017, we were again plagued by issues due to scoring discrepancies. This year 2018, had issues related to testing, including the belief by the testing vendor, Questar, that the Questar data center was under attack from an external source, although it is never thought that any student data was compromised.

At no point since 2012 were any of the testing issues the fault of students or educators. However, for educators, they are often the ones who bear the brunt, quite unfairly, of parental anger. Students also suffer, with everything from loss of instruction time to not understanding their educational progress. When we make education decisions on the basis of unreliable or invalid test results, we place students at risk and harm educators professionally. This is especially unfair to the hardworking teachers in our state. To policymakers and stakeholders alike we must ask these questions:

Why are we relying so heavily on test scores to make important educational decisions about students, teachers or schools, especially when the process is flawed? For example, when officials thought the Questar data center was under attack from an external source, there should have been no greater priority by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to identify and prosecute those individuals guilty of this activity and confirm that no student data was compromised. Fortunately, there was no attack.

Should we question the reliability, validity, and accuracy of testing in Tennessee since 2013? Especially when shifting between online to paper tests? Note: Reliability relates to the accuracy of their data. Reliability problems in education often arise when researchers overstate the importance of data drawn from too small or too restricted a sample. Validity refers to the essential truthfulness of a piece of data. By asserting validity, do the data actually measure or reflect what is claimed?

In Tennessee we appreciate straight talk and candor. We unquestionably detest hypocrisy. We understand mistakes are made by individuals, by companies and even by our government. We are not pointing fingers, just stating a fact. Clearly there is a problem with testing in Tennessee. It isn't our students or our educators. It is a flawed testing system.

Shawn Joseph and Dorsey Hopkins timed the announcement of their joint press release well. A sitting group of mostly outgoing legislators were at the Capitol at the time to discuss education. It is also political season. Their joint letter will momentarily take the attention away from their own issues. However, we welcome the discussion. Unfortunately, simply offering the much-ballyhooed solution of another blue ribbon panel to discuss the testing issue is a mere diversion. For teachers, thank Race to the Top which was supported by the previous Superintendents of Shelby County and Metro-Nashville Public Schools and the teachers union. I wish both men had offered a solution. We will help you out- Eliminate TVAAS data from teacher evaluations. That would an enormous leap forward.

J.C. Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Images of immigration and societies undergoing change will be central to the seventh annual Photoville festival, which arrives in Brooklyn in September.

From Sept. 13 through Sept. 23, the Brooklyn Bridge Plaza in Dumbo will turn into a pop-up photography village, with more than 80 free exhibitions housed in shipping containers. John Moore, who photographs for Getty Images, will present Undocumented, featuring a decade of his work on immigration and border security. One of the images displayed will be of a crying 2-year-old Honduran asylum seeker at the United States-Mexico border this year; the photo was widely shared online and was adapted for a Time magazine cover in June.

Many of the exhibitions will feature either female subjects or female photographers. Makeba Raineys Soul(s) of  portrays black women in gentrified communities; Shiho Fukadas Nowhere Left but Here captures the growing phenomenon of petty crimes committed by older women in Japan. And MFON ALTAR: Prayer, Ritual, Offerings features more than 40 female photographers of African descent exploring Africa and its religious traditions.

The festival, spearheaded by the nonprofit organization United Photo Industries, will include different types of events beyond galleries. The New York Times (Sept. 14), New York Magazine (Sept. 15), Getty Images (Sept. 21) and National Geographic (Sept. 22) will host events with projections and discussions about their work. (Mr. Moore will be presenting at the Getty event.)
The examples of Michigan and Indiana, where right-to-work laws took effect earlier this decade, suggest that the legislation could have cost unions thousands of members and millions in revenue.

One question is the extent to which the victory could reverberate beyond Missouri.

I think this will build momentum and send a message to all legislators, Mr. Trumka said, that if you vote against the people, go against the will of the vast majority of working Americans, its going to cost you.

But it was not immediately clear that the forces driving the impressive showing for labor in Missouri could be reproduced elsewhere.

One reason is that Republican voters who buck their party on a ballot measure, as many appeared to do in Missouri, may be unwilling to vote against Republican candidates in a general election, even when those candidates are hostile to labor.

Theres a big difference between overturning the law itself and defeating legislators who supported it, said Jonathon Prouty, a Missouri political consultant and former executive director of the states Republican Party. Its a lot easier for unions to energize their base around the issue, which is right to work, rather than against candidates.

T. J. Berry, a Republican state representative whose district includes some outer suburbs of Kansas City, said that many of his constituents were proud union members who opposed right to work but nonetheless voted Republican because they were conservative on issues like abortion and guns.
Mr. Iger gave few specific answers, promising that more details would come at a future investor conference. He assured analysts that the successful introduction of the streaming service would be Disneys biggest priority in 2019, which will also bring the integration of 21st Century Fox assets.

Mr. Iger indicated that he would seek subscription sales for the service from every corner of the Disney empire: theme park pass holders, holders of Disney-branded credit cards, the masses who own Disney time-share properties. He also confirmed that content from National Geographic, which Disney is buying from Fox, would appear on the service. He mentioned that Disney also sees promise for National Geographic in Disneys vacation business as an eco-tourism offshoot.

But do not expect a high volume of new original series and movies on the Disney-branded service, at least initially. Mr. Iger said that he did not see Disneys service as needing anything close to the volume that Netflix has, largely because Disney has strong brands like Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars at its disposal.

For the quarter, Disneys major businesses largely performed as they had over the last year. Weakness continued at the cable division and in the consumer products unit, where the decline in shopping malls has hurt the Disney Store chain. But theme parks remained a reliable engine and Walt Disney Studios continued to deliver growth.

Walt Disney Studios had operating income of $708 million, an 11 percent increase from the same quarter a year earlier. Avengers: Infinity War and Incredibles 2, both runaway hits, were largely the reason. The studio would have had even better results had it not taken a $100 million write-down related to animated films in its pipeline that will no longer proceed, including a third Planes movie.
Tionna Smalls does not remember when tensions between black residents and Korean-American merchants rocked her Brooklyn neighborhood decades ago. But when she saw a video of Asian nail salon workers attacking African-American customers last week, she said she knew exactly what she was seeing.

Im tired of the disrespect in the black community, said Ms. Smalls, 33, a former star of the VH1 reality show What Chilli Wants.

The video of the melee went viral. Ms. Smalls took to Twitter to call for protests. People from around the country flooded the website Yelp to denounce the salon, calling its workers racist, often in incendiary language.

Within hours of Ms. Smallss tweet, an angry crowd of several dozen people gathered outside the business and picketed nearby stores.
The police were searching on Tuesday for the father of an 8-month-old boy whose lifeless body was found floating in the East River river. The father was the last person known to have custody of the baby and has fled to Southeast Asia, the police said.

The boys mother, who is 36, filed a police report on Monday after her sons 37-year-old father, who had visitation rights, failed to return the baby to her home in the Bronx, as scheduled, a police official said. The man, who also lives in the Bronx, is believed to have taken a flight on Monday headed for Southeast Asia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation.

Tourists found the boy on Sunday floating near an embankment between the Brooklyn Bridge and the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. The baby was not breathing and had no pulse when a chiropractor from Oklahoma pulled him from the water. He was wearing only a diaper.

Investigators do not yet know if the boys death was accidental, or if he was killed. The medical examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine how he died.
ROME  Ive found lately that I can ruin any dinner party. Its like magic. Just get me going on Trump or Putin or climate change and I can put a frown on every face and a furrow in every brow. I do weddings and bar mitzvahs, too.

So I thought Id come to Italy for a little sun and risotto. I made the mistake, though, of spending a few days with Italian government and international experts trying to understand the refugee crisis that is fracturing the European Union, much of which originates in Italy. And guess what? Now I can ruin your dinner party  and breakfast!

Because what you find when you take a close look at the situation here is something profoundly worrying. I was born in 1953 and have been living my entire life inside the community of democracies that came to be known as the West and eventually spread to include democracies around the world, such as Japan, Brazil, South Korea and India. At the core of this community were two pillars: the U.S. and the group of European democracies that became the European Union.

The West was not just a state of mind. It was an association of countries with shared interests, institutions and values  particularly the values of liberty, democracy, free markets and the rule of law  which made the post-World War II world, though far from perfect, a steadily more prosperous, free and decent place for more and more people. This community of democracies was also a beacon, a refuge and a magnet for those who wanted to embrace its values but were denied them where they lived.
To the Editor:

Re A Magazine Betrays a Poet, by Grace Schulman (Op-Ed, Aug. 7):

After The Nation published How-To, a poem by Anders Carlson-Wee, the poem received considerable criticism . The poet himself apologized on Facebook and Twitter, and some readers demanded that we take down the poem.

Instead, in keeping with our tradition of encouraging debate, and in deference to the independence we assign the poetry editors, we posted a note that the poetry editors had issued explaining the reasons behind their selection and their view that publishing the poem had been a mistake. This note itself has raised strong objections, and we plan to run an exchange in the next letters section of the magazine in which the poem and the note are discussed.

With much respect to Ms. Schulman, who ably served as The Nations poetry editor for 35 years, we hardly see how this is tantamount to abandoning The Nations storied tradition of provoking readers and cherishing a free press.

In fact, quite the opposite has occurred. Were glad we live in a world in which poems (and apologies) can still arouse such fierce opinions, and we remain absolutely committed to airing them.
The lawsuit, filed in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, asks the judge to declare the new credible-fear policies illegal and to enjoin the government from applying the new standards.

This is a naked attempt by the Trump administration to eviscerate our countrys asylum protections, Jennifer Chang Newell, the managing attorney with the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, said in a statement. Its clear the administrations goal is to deny and deport as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

Even before President Trumps crackdown on immigration, only about 20 percent of asylum seekers in recent years ultimately won their cases and earned the right to remain permanently in the United States. But the process can take months or years, enabling tens of thousands of people to live freely in the United States while their cases wend through the courts, especially families, because children cannot be indefinitely detained.

Historically, about 80 percent of applicants pass their initial credible-fear screening, allowing them to remain in the country for the rest of the asylum process, according to government data. That is because the credible-fear interview is a cursory assessment to determine whether a person has a chance of winning his or her case if given the opportunity to gather evidence and develop legal arguments to present before an immigration judge.

If an asylum officer decides that a person has not met the credible-fear standard, the applicant can ask for the decision to be reviewed by an immigration judge, a hearing that takes only a few minutes and results in an immediate ruling. If the judge in that case overturns the interviewer and finds a basis for a fear of persecution, the applicant can enter the immigration court system for a full trial.

Immigration lawyers and legal experts say that many migrants who in the past would likely have qualified for asylum are now being swiftly rejected.

In one case presently underway in Texas, a Honduran woman identified as K. Yadira told authorities that, over a nine-month period, she was driven to a motel and sexually assaulted at gunpoint by a man who she believed worked for the police. He threatened to kill her child every time she tried to resist him. When she moved three hours away to evade him, she said, the assailant found her.
In voting elsewhere Tuesday, Gretchen Whitmer, a former Democratic leader in the Michigan State Senate, claimed her partys nomination for governor, setting up a crucial test for Midwestern Democrats and organized labor in November. Ms. Whitmer will face Bill Schuette, the state attorney general. Republicans have dominated Michigan for most of the last decade and Mr. Trump carried the state narrowly in 2016. The governorship is a vital prize for Democrats seeking a comeback there.

In the Senate race in Michigan, John James, an African-American Republican who also had Mr. Trumps backing, won the nomination to challenge the Democratic incumbent, Debbie Stabenow. And in a race to replace longtime representative John Conyers Jr., who resigned in December after allegations of sexual misconduct, Rashida Tlaib took a major step toward becoming the first Muslim woman in Congress by winning the primary to compete in November in a safely Democratic seat.

In Missouri, Josh Hawley, the Republican state attorney general, will face off against Senator Claire McCaskill, a vulnerable Democrat.

And while Mr. Trump crowed about lifting Mr. Balderson in Ohio, his ability to propel a much-closer ally in the Republican primary for Kansas governor appeared uncertain Wednesday morning. One day after he received an endorsement from Mr. Trump that he had aggressively lobbied for, Secretary of State Kris Kobach was clinging to a very slim lead over Gov. Jeff Colyer with almost all precincts reporting. However, Mr. Colyer was enjoying an advantage in Kansass most populous jurisdiction, Johnson County, where nearly all the remaining votes were to be counted.

If Mr. Kobach, who has made a national name for himself for devising crackdowns on immigration and voting rights, were to lose, it would snap Mr. Trumps streak of success in Republican primaries. The president has crowned Republican nominees from Georgia to South Carolina to Alabama in recent nominating contests. In the case of Kansas, though, Mr. Trump defied White House aides and other high-level Republican officials who urged him to stay out of a race involving a sitting governor. Many Republican leaders, and most all Democrats, believe Mr. Kobach would be a weaker general election candidate for the G.O.P. and perhaps imperil their grip on the states governorship

But it was the Ohio congressional race that transfixed Democrats and Republicans as one of the marquee midterm battles of the summer. The Republican Partys tactics that helped Mr. Balderson are now likely to be reproduced across the country this fall, as Republicans defend their congressional majority in similar districts stocked with the right-of-center suburbanites who proved so elusive in the special election.

Republicans prevailed in Ohio by wielding a set of divisive issues  including gun rights, immigration restriction and taxes  that mobilized just enough voters on their side, particularly in the exurban and more rural reaches of the district. And they invoked Ms. Pelosi at every opportunity.
Her refusal to support a Medicare-for-all or single-payer health care system caused friction between her and her opponents  a former Detroit health director, Abdul El-Sayed, and a business mogul, Shri Thanedar  but Ms. Whitmer said she was proud to have the receipts from being on the front line as a progressive.

In recent days Ms. Whitmer had leaned in to her front-runner status, refusing to mention her primary opponents on the campaign trail and admonishing campaign crowds to not take anything for granted. She travels the state in a large bus marked with her trademark campaign slogan: Fix The Damn Roads.

She also claims her message is resonating with female voters in the state. Gender is a huge strength in this environment right now, Ms. Whitmer said in an interview this week. Women are turning out in droves. I find Republican women coming up to me saying they dont like whats happening in the White House and saying they dont particularly like their options.

Mr. El-Sayed, in particular, was touted by some as a insurgent progressive in the mold of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Bronx-born activist who shockingly defeated a leading Democrat, Joseph Crowley, in a New York City House primary in June. Following her victory, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez came to Michigan to campaign with Mr. El-Sayed, as did Senator Bernie Sanders, who held a rally with him on Sunday.

On the Republican side, the results again reinforced how Mr. Trump has refashioned the party in his own image while playing an influential role in many primary races. Both Mr. Schuette in the governors race and Mr. James in the Senate primary were backed by the president.
Mr. Gatess testimony, eagerly anticipated since the trial began a week ago, was crucial to the prosecutions effort to show that Mr. Manafort knowingly defrauded tax and bank authorities and had not simply been tripped up by lazy accountants or confusion about complex tax laws. Mr. Gates testified, for instance, that in October 2016, Mr. Manafort personally falsified a profit-and-loss statement for his firm while seeking to secure a bank loan.

In an email, Mr. Gates said, Mr. Manafort sought advice on editing the statement, asking, How do I convert the PDF into a Word document? Mr. Gates said Mr. Manafort then changed the document to show that his firm had $3 million in profit instead of more than $600,000 in losses.

He also testified that Mr. Manafort had personally ordered money wired from bank accounts in Cyprus to pay clothiers, landscapers and other expenses in the United States. He said Mr. Manaforts accountants were never told of those payments  evidence, prosecutors claim, of millions of dollars in illegally concealed income  because Mr. Manafort said we did not need to.

But Mr. Gates also demonstrated his own facility at falsifying documents, referring to what prosecutors said was blatant fraud in bland terms. He referred to invoices he altered for Mr. Manafort as modified and said that changes to Mr. Manaforts financial documents sometimes required him to update or edit the template.

When Mr. Manafort needed false loan documents  either to reduce his reported income to evade taxes or to inflate it to obtain bank loans  Mr. Gates said he called upon a law firm in Cyprus, run by a man nicknamed Dr. K., to help him create the fakes.

His confident delivery turned stumbling when Mr. Manaforts defense lawyer began delving into financial schemes that Mr. Gates executed for his own benefit, not Mr. Manaforts. Asked how much of his own income he had illegally hidden from tax authorities, for instance, he said he could not come up with a figure, but had told prosecutors that he did not disclose it all.

Pressed on how he stole $125,000 from one of Mr. Manaforts accounts, Mr. Gates repeatedly described his transfers of funds for fake expenses as unauthorized. When Mr. Downing demanded to know why he refused to use the term embezzlement, Mr. Gates replied that Mr. Downing could use whatever word he wanted, before finally acknowledging that it was embezzlement from Mr. Manafort.
WASHINGTON  Wearing shirts that read Now Showing: Truth and with accordions in tow, the comedian Rosie ODonnell and a cast of Broadway actors and musicians bused from New York to Washington on Monday for a musical protest just outside the White House.

The performance was part of a series of daily demonstrations that have taken place in front of the White House since President Trumps meeting in Helsinki, Finland, with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Monday was the 22nd night of the protests, which have been named the Kremlin Annex.

The cast members  who hailed from current and past runs of Wicked, The Lion King, Hamilton, The Phantom of the Opera and other shows  belted out songs meant to evoke a political edge or offer a tinge of hope for the hundreds of protesters who are disillusioned by Mr. Trump (who was in New Jersey during the performance). With demonstrators often singing along, the five-song set included climactic Broadway tunes such as Do You Hear the People Sing? from Les Miserables and Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day from The Wiz.

Ms. ODonnell, who has been an adversary of Mr. Trumps for more than a decade, organized the trip with the Broadway producer James Wesley and his husband, Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of Sirius XMs On Broadway and a fixture of the Broadway scene.
The president of the University of Southern California, C. L. Max Nikias, resigned on Tuesday, less than a week after hundreds of professors issued a letter demanding that he step aside before classes begin this month.

The university had already pledged to begin an orderly transition to find a new president, but it appeared to fast-forward the process on Tuesday, announcing that Mr. Nikias would step down effective immediately.

Wanda M. Austin, an engineer and former corporate chief executive, was appointed interim president. She is the first woman and the first African-American to lead the private university, U.S.C. said.

The change in leadership comes after a series of scandals at the university, brought to light by The Los Angeles Times. U.S.C. came under fire for its handling of reports that the longtime gynecologist at the campus health center had mistreated students for decades. Although an internal investigation found that the doctor had conducted pelvic exams inappropriately and made offensive remarks to patients, officials settled the matter quietly and did not report it to the state medical board.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has been steadily building an inclusive roster of curators as a way to attract new audiences and rethink the narrative of art history typically framed around Italian Renaissance and Western European ideals. Who you choose in organizing the program has an impact, said Madeleine Grynsztejn, the museums director. You are responsible for correcting a canon.

Museums have tended to explain away their lack of diversity by bemoaning a scarcity of qualified curators. But art professionals say museums just have to look a little harder for help  perhaps to Spelman Colleges new Curatorial Studies Program or the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Cultures Teen Curators program. We go to state schools to get them, Elizabeth W. Easton, director of the Center for Curatorial Leadership in New York City, said of young job candidates. When people say its so impossible, that isnt true.

People of color have had difficulty entering the pipeline, facing barriers that include exclusion from informal mentoring networks, resistance to alternative perspectives on art history, and financial hurdles: many entry-level internships are unpaid.

I had to turn down a curatorial assistant offer at the Guggenheim in 1999 because of how little the pay was, said Christine Y. Kim, now an associate curator of contemporary art at Lacma. For many marginalized young people interested in art, museums still represent authority, whiteness and power  places where we do not belong.

Several institutions are trying to address the compensation issues. Lacma, for example, recently selected two college graduates for a new paid fellowship, and teamed up with Arizona State University for a three-year program that combines academic training and work experience to develop a diverse pool of curators, directors and other museum professionals.
 President Trumps lawyers rejected the special counsels latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation, but made a narrow counteroffer that skipped any questions about obstructing justice.

And heres the latest in the increasingly seamy trial of Paul Manafort, where defense lawyers accused a longtime Manafort deputy, Rick Gates, of having four extramarital affairs and lying about them.

And all of this as the results of voting in five states showed an increasing challenge for Republicans and the elevation of Rashida Tlaib, who is poised to become the first Muslim woman in Congress.
The nonprofit that popularized some of Americas most recognizable public service campaigns and slogans, including friends dont let friends drive drunk and only you can prevent forest fires, is teaming up with a gun control group to raise awareness of what both describe as a crisis: unintentional deaths or injuries to children caused by guns.

The new campaign, End Family Fire, begins on Wednesday and aims to educate the public on the importance of safe firearm storage. Family fire, a phrase created for the campaign, refers to shootings that cause injury or death and involve improperly stored or misused guns found in the home.

We want everyone who is driving down the street, listening to the radio, watching TV, to hear this term, to go to our website and to internalize what family fire is, said Kris Brown, a president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the gun control organization leading a coalition of groups behind the campaign, which it produced in partnership with the Ad Council, the nonprofit.

As with the Ad Councils other campaigns, End Family Fire will rely on space donated by online, print and broadcast media. Those that have donated services so far include Fox Networks Group, the Meredith Corporation and Conde Nast. The advertisements will start appearing this week on television, in print, on outdoor signage and online.
LONDON  Whats the difference between a McDonalds Happy Meal and a box of Coco Pops?

Beyond the obvious, one can be advertised to children on British television, and the other cannot.

Britains Advertising Standards Authority ruled on Wednesday that the fast food giant McDonalds could market its Happy Meal during childrens programs, but ordered Kelloggs, which makes Coco Pops cereal, to remove commercials it had broadcast alongside a childrens show.

The decisions highlighted the British governments increased scrutiny of fatty and sugary food and drinks being marketed to young people, part of a broader effort here to promote healthier eating among children.

Obesity affects nearly a third of children from 2 to 15 in Britain, and regulations prohibit the advertising of products that are high in fat, salt or sugar content during programs commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal to children younger than 16.
From The New York Times Magazine, this is Behind the Cover. Im Jake Silverstein, editor in chief. And Im Gail Bichler, design director. The cover story this week is by C.J. Chivers. And its an account of the military experience of army specialist Robert Soto. More broadly its about the failures of all of the military campaigns in both Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. Because the war has gone on for 17 years, weve seen a ton of these kinds of images. And we wanted to try and set this cover apart. Chris Chivers and Tyler Hicks, a great photojournalist, were both embedded with Specialist Sotos unit. We were drawn to one image in particular. Robbie Sotos unit has been ambushed by the Taliban. During the ambush, Tylers camera was damaged. So he grabbed Chris Chivers point and shoot camera and began shooting with that. In the end, we really liked the effect that less precise camera gave us  a little bit more blurry and a little more impressionistic. Youre able to read the haywire quality of what war can be like. It has a kind of emblematic feeling. It could almost be any soldier fighting in any war.
Ive been described by a few mental-health professionals over the years as having obsessive tendencies. I never exactly doubted the assessment, but I also never really understood it until I started fly-fishing. My dad tried to get me into the sport when I was younger, but my teenage brain deplored the whole thing. It requires a hunters patience and attunement to your surroundings. Lacking actual bait, you have to try to create an impression of foods that fish like to eat, guessing where they like to hang out and what they might want to be eating at different times of day and in different seasons. It seemed tedious. And the reward  more than catching a ton of fish  is a sort of soft-focus state of poised relaxation, totally losing yourself in a piece of water. But I didnt understand any of that until I was in my late 20s.

I finally figured it out on a hidden stretch of a mountain river in New Hampshire, a place full of wild and hungry brook trout  and after a week I developed an obsession in the fullest sense of the word, something that made me feel whole and made me feel insane in almost exactly equal measure. Soon it was all I wanted to do, and all I read or thought about when I wasnt doing it. Any emotional setback in my life  a bout of anxiety or a relationship problem  would trigger a consuming need to disappear to a river. Id almost always come back feeling fresh, settled, repaired. I was lucky, in that I was single and footloose and had little interest in the oppressive (and expensive) gear culture the sport is known for. But I was still traveling constantly  to Montana, Quebec, the Sierra Nevada  which cost a ton of money, disrupted my work and annoyed my family. I was living in Brooklyn at the time, trying to write and realizing that I was doing no favors to my career or emotional life by fleeing for weeks every time my desire to fish got too intense to ignore.

So one day I took my rod, walked a few blocks down to a little pier jutting into the harbor, and chatted a bit with the voluble neighborhood bait fishers about tides and what sorts of things fish get into beneath the surface of New Yorks great estuary. The next night I went back and hooked a nice striped bass. I rarely keep the fish I catch, but I ran off carrying this one to my local, to announce my triumph and receive a couple free drinks as congratulations. This, at least, was something you couldnt do after fishing in a remote mountain stream.
Second Platoon did not hide its dark mood as its soldiers waded across the Korengal River in the bright light of afternoon. It was early in April 2009 and early in the Pentagons resumption in earnest of the Afghan war. The platoons mission was to ascend a mountain slope and try to ambush the Taliban at night. They were about 30 men in all, riflemen and machine-gunners reinforced with scouts, a mix of original platoon members and replacements who filled gaps left by the wounded and the dead. Many of them considered their plan foolish, a draining and dangerous waste of time, another example of a frustrated Army units trying to show activity for the brass in a war low on focus and hope. They muttered foul words as they moved.

Specialist Robert Soto had been haunted by dread as the soldiers left their base, the Korengal Outpost. His platoon was part of an infantry unit that called itself Viper, the radio call sign for Bravo Company, First Battalion of the 26th Infantry. Viper had occupied the outpost for nine months, a period in which its soldiers were confined to a small stretch of lower valley and impoverished villages clinging to hillsides beneath towering peaks. Second Platoon had started its deployment with three squads but suffered so many casualties that on this day even with replacements it mustered at about two-thirds strength. With attrition came knowledge. Soto knew firsthand that the war did not resemble the carefully considered national project the generals discussed in the news. He had enlisted in the Army from the Bronx less than two years before, motivated by a desire to protect the United States from another terrorist attack. But his idealism had turned swiftly into realism, and the war had become a matter of him and his friends surviving each day as days cohered into a tour. He was doubtful about the rest, from the competence of the wars organizers down to the merits of this ambush patrol. Theres no way this works, he thought. The valley felt like a network of watchers who set up American platoons, relaying word to those laying traps.

Soto sensed eyes following the patrol. Everybody can see us.

He was 19, but at 160 pounds and barely needing to shave, he could pass for two years younger. He was nobodys archetype of a fighter. A high school drama student, he joined the Army at 17 and planned to become an actor if he survived the war. Often he went about his duties with an enormous smile, singing no matter what anyone else thought  R. & B., rap, rock, hip-hop, the blues. All of this made him popular in the platoon, even as he had become tenser than his former self and older than his years; even as his friends and sergeants he admired were killed, leaving him a burden of ghosts.

[Get a weekly roundup of Times coverage of war delivered to your inbox. Sign up here.]

He faced the steep uphill climb, physically ready, emotionally spent. Were just trying to get out of here in two months, he thought. He and his fellow soldiers had been in the valley long enough that they moved in the sinewy, late-deployment fitness of infantry squads seasoned by war. Sweat soaked his back. His quadriceps and calves drove him on, pushing him like a pack animal for the soldier beside him, Specialist Arturo Molano, who carried an M240 machine gun. The two fell into a rhythm. One soldier would get over a hard patch, turn around and extend a hand to the other. Hey, man, you good? Soto would ask. Molano would say he was fine. You want me to carry the gun? Soto would offer. Molano declined every time. Soto considered Molano to be selfless and tough, someone who routinely carried more than men of much larger size. He liked being partnered with someone like this.
In the not too distant future, Representative Chris Collins will likely have his day in court to answer the insider trading charges that were leveled against him on Wednesday, but the Republican lawmaker may well be judged sooner  by voters in November.

Mr. Collins, who was the first congressman to endorse Donald J. Trump in 2016, is running for his fourth term in a Buffalo-area seat that is one of the most conservative in New York. Mr. Trump carried the district with nearly 60 percent of the vote, his best showing in the state, and Democrats had harbored little hope of unseating Mr. Collins amid the broader fall House battleground.

But the indictment of Mr. Collins is expected to change that.

[Prosecutors accused Mr. Collins of engaging in brazen acts of insider trading. For more on the indictment, read here.]

A spokeswoman for the campaign arm of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Meredith Kelly, now declared the seat to be firmly in play.
Representative Chris Collins was at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House last summer when he received an unexpected email from the head of a drug company in which he was heavily invested. The companys only product  an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis  had just failed a do-or-die scientific trial.

What Mr. Collins did next, apparently in a state of panic, forms the core of a federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday in New York that accuses him of insider trading and lying to federal agents. Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Collins with brazenly using his private information about the company to help his son and others avoid financial disaster.

The charges against Mr. Collins, a New York Republican who was one of President Trumps earliest and most ardent supporters, stem from his involvement with Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, a small drug maker based in Australia, which had no approved drugs but several well-placed allies in the capital.

Within minutes of learning about the companys unsuccessful test, Mr. Collins frantically called his son, Cameron Collins, who, in the days that followed, sold off his stock, avoiding losses of more than $570,000, prosecutors said.
A transit worker whose infant son was found dead in the East River on Sunday was detained in Thailand earlier this week at the request of New York police, who are seeking his return to face charges in connection with the boys death.

James Ronnie Currie, 37, of Co-Op City in the Bronx, was taken into custody at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok after he got off a flight that had left New York on Monday afternoon, the police said.

Mr. Currie is employed as a cleaner by New York City Transit Authority, according to payroll records. The police have obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Currie for concealment of a human corpse, a felony in New York State.

Mr. Currie does not have any prior criminal convictions, according to court records. Police said there were no warning signs about disputes between the parents of the dead boy. The couple are not legally married.
Ms. Gutierrez-Scaccetti and Mr. Corbett, who was also appointed by Mr. Murphy, were responding to a crisis of the agencys own making. It has been losing engineers, to retirement and other railroads with higher pay, much faster than it has replaced them, Mr. Corbett said. That failure has left the railroad without enough of them, particularly in the summer, when some are on vacation and others take unscheduled days off.

The unplanned absences have forced the railroad to abruptly cancel 20 or more trains a day in the last few weeks, frustrating commuters who depend on them to get to and from work. Mary Migacz told the commissioners that, counting this morning, her usual 6:14 a.m. train from Rahway to New York City had been canceled six times in three weeks, adding a half-hour to her trip each time.

Last summer was a breeze. This summer will be the summer of hell, Ms. Migacz, who lives in Colonia, N.J., told the commissioners. She was alluding to extensive track repairs at Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan last summer that required trains to be rerouted and prompted Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York to forecast a summer of hell for commuters.

That work caused significant disruptions, but it was announced in advance and additional alternatives were provided to help commuters cope. New Jersey Transit also gave discounts to customers whose trains were detoured away from Penn Station.

Some commuters have complained that the spate of cancellations this summer has been more disruptive because of the lack of sufficient warning to allow them to make other plans. After a train is canceled, the next train to come along is often overcrowded or already full, they complain.

Mr. Corbett, who commutes by train from Morristown to Newark, said he felt the customers pain. He said one of his morning trains had been canceled this summer. But he said his commute last summer, to his previous job on the Upper East Side, was more torturous.

It was a zoo, he said, referring to having his daily train to Penn Station rerouted to Hoboken Terminal, where he had to switch to the PATH train to Manhattan. It was a dogfight every day. It was ugly.
Update: The New York City Council has voted to cap Uber vehicles.

As Uber has grown into a global behemoth, upending urban transportation networks and changing the way people get around, the company has often found itself clashing with local governments or trying to dig itself out of a public relations morass.

On Wednesday, it is likely to suffer one of its biggest blows.

The New York City Council is expected to vote on a cap for Uber vehicles  a move that would be a major setback for the tech giant in its largest American market.

The City Council plans to vote on a package of bills that would halt the issuance of new licenses for Uber and other ride-hail vehicles for a year while the city studies the booming industry. The legislation would also allow the city to set a minimum pay rate for drivers.

Why does the city say a cap is needed?

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker, say the bills will address worsening street congestion and improve low driver wages.
Its a small, pretty, hillside, cemetery. All my family is there: My father, Bernie; my uncles Artie and Hymie and Hymies wife, Shirley; my grandmother Gussie and my grandfather, Jake Wadler, for whom I am named. Jake was originally buried in a big cemetery in Queens; then the family moved him to the mountains to be next to his wife. That move was made 70 years after Jake died, those Queens grave sites were very close to one another, so I suspect my grandmother is buried next to mostly Jake, with a vertebra from a stranger with a name like Saul or Irving.

This is the Jewish view of the afterlife: Dont count on it. Jews, at least in my family, do not believe that when the end comes you waltz over the rainbow bridge and are reunited with your cat and your loved ones. We do not search for messages from the dead in the spread after the service: Look at the creamed herring, that swirl in the shape of Yonkers Raceway it made on the table when it dripped off the plate, your uncle loved the track, hes telling us something.

The dead live on in your memory, end of the story.

So, I am stunned, walking past my aunts grave, to hear her voice.

You missed the excitement, Shirley says. They were making a movie right here in the cemetery.

Youre speaking from an afterlife? I say. How are you able to do that?

Its a mystery which transcends human understanding, Shirley says. Like why the Greek coffee shops keep making those 12 high lemon meringue pies when nobody has ever ordered them. But we dont get a lot of time. What do you want to know?

The zombie movie, I say. Do you have any idea how long its going on?

No idea, my aunt says. They shoot something once, they shoot it again, it looks exactly the same and it goes on like that all day. Its not like theyre singing or dancing, theyre, what would you call it, lurching. Theyre big lurchers. If youre worried about your mother its not a problem. They made an agreement with the synagogue. If somebody dies, the film company has to be out in 24 hours. No shooting on Friday night or Saturday.

My grandmothers voice, with her heavy Yiddish accent, cuts in.

Theyre doing something with the CGI so you cant see the names on the graves, my grandmother says. What means this CGI? Do you want one? If you want one, Ill pay.
Many gamblers see roulette as a game of pure chance  a wheel is spun, a ball is released and winners and losers are determined by luck.

Richard Jarecki refused to believe it was that simple.

He became the scourge of European casinos in the 1960s and early 70s by developing a system to win at roulette. And win he did, by many accounts accumulating more than $1.2 million, or more than $8 million in todays money  until, that is, the casinos finally found a way to eliminate his edge.

But no matter. By then he had filled his pockets and achieved a level of celebrity and was on his way to carving out a career in another arena of risk-laden wagering back in the United States  as a commodities futures trader.

He died on July 25 at his home in Manila. He was 86. His wife, Carol Jarecki, said the cause was pneumonia.
Kansas Republicans appear to have thumbed their noses at the party establishment on Tuesday in the primary for governor, failing to persuasively back the sitting governor, Jeff Colyer, and instead leaving room to elect Kris Kobach, the states secretary of state  and quite possibly the most pernicious public official in America.

This distinction is not conferred lightly. Mr. Kobach has labored for it long and hard, notably in the areas of voter suppression and nativism. He is best known for having been the vice chairman of President Trumps ugly voter fraud commission, spawned in 2017 to root out the millions of illegal voters who Mr. Trumps ego pathetically, and falsely, claimed had cost him the popular vote in 2016. The commission was dissolved this January, having failed to find any evidence of widespread fraud, but having succeeded in raising Mr. Kobachs national profile and cementing his reputation as a master purveyor of Trumpism.

Mr. Kobach on Wednesday declared victory at a noon news conference, acknowledging that only 191 votes separated him from Mr. Colyer and that the election result may change as provisional and other ballots are counted. Awkwardly, as the state's top election official, Mr. Kobach would be the person charged with overseeing any recount of votes. Unless he recused himself, which he has said he would not.

Mr. Kobach is running for governor on a promise to Make Kansas Great Again. (#MKGA!) If it holds up, his primary election win, bolstered by a last-minute endorsement by Mr. Trump, will be another reminder that the political currents that delivered us this president still rage within the Republican base.
Mr. Nixon understood that a major change had happened, and some of that drama entered his speech, one of the best he ever gave.

He had been thinking about the speech for weeks, writing out concepts on his yellow legal pads while holed away at Montauk, on Long Island. He went for long walks on the beach  once into a fog so deep that he had trouble finding his way back. But the speech was full of taut sentences about a country that could become great again, exactly as he had.

A near-disaster nearly prevented the speech from being given. The aide holding it, a former TV executive named Frank Shakespeare, was briefly separated from the peloton surrounding Mr. Nixon as he entered the hall. But they found each other just in time. Mr. Nixon then took the enormous stage with confidence, smiling incessantly, assuring millions of viewers that the New Nixon had arrived. The air conditioning was working. Then the speech began, sprinkling optimistic promises of greatness with dire warnings against non-greatness. Norman Mailer, covering the convention, wondered if Nixon were simply entering random data into a cosmic Teletype machine, like the supercomputer HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, saying whatever the people wanted to hear.

That was too harsh, but there was something to Mr. Mailers observation that it was a strangely put-together speech. For long sections, he promised ever-expanding vistas of an air-conditioned paradise, in which all Americans treated each other decently. In one stretch, he almost seemed to channel the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., repeating I see an America much as Dr. King had chanted I have a dream.

But in other sections of the speech, the old 5 oclock shadow grew back. Crime was out of control in America, and Mr. Nixon promised to restore law and order. The United States had paid too much for its alliances; it was time for the allies to step up and pay their fair share. He promised that he would stop pouring billions of dollars into programs that have failed, including welfare. Somehow, that would reduce crime.

In short, less taxes, more greatness. Over and over, he spoke to the forgotten Americans, assuring them that greatness was right around the corner:

America is a great nation ... And America is great because her people are great ... America is a great nation ... And it is time we started to act like a great nation around the world ... We are a great nation ... And we must never forget how we became great ... We make great history tonight.

In a way, he did. The speech was a hit and helped propel Mr. Nixon to victory in November. One section, near the end, described a child listening to a train in the distance, forming dreams of faraway places where hed like to go. That image resonated when the audience slowly realized he was talking about himself, growing up in straitened circumstances, along a different coast. It was about as personal a moment as Mr. Nixon ever offered.

He was buoyed by the speech and stayed up late with his advisers, excited. The final lines of the speech had promised to end the long dark night and look out over a new dawn. That also seemed to be his plan for the evening. He nearly made it, but fell asleep around 4 a.m., muttering imprecations against The New York Times that could not be printed in his least favorite newspaper.
But now hes revised his argument, because the years since the Great Recession have been brutal for almost every major in the humanities. Theyve also been bad for social science fields that most closely resemble humanistic ones  sociology, anthropology, international relations and political science. Meanwhile the sciences and engineering have gained at the expense of humanism, and with them sports management and exercise studies  the hygiene and sport, if you will, from Audens list of Apollonian concerns.

Notably this trend is sharper among elite liberal arts colleges, the top thirty in the US News and World Report rankings, where in the early 2000s the humanities still attracted about a third of all students, but lately only get about a fifth. So its not just a matter of the post-Great Recession middle class seeking more practical degrees to make sure their student loans get repaid quickly; the slice of the American elite thats privileged enough and intellectually-minded enough to choose Swarthmore or Haverford or Amherst over a state school or a research university is abandoning Hermes for Apollo at the fastest clip.

Even this acceleration is no doubt partially driven by economic concerns: Elite college grads are by no means immune to feelings of precarity. But as with another, more literally humanistic pursuit  childbearing  that had seemed to stabilize after a post-1960s collapse but now is in decline again, the absence of a post-Great Recession bounce-back for the humanities suggests that the economic calamity of 2008 was a precondition but not the only cause, and that other cultural shifts had left the humanities ripe for another era of collapse.

In explaining those shifts many conservatives blame the humanists themselves, for being politicized and marching lock step to the left and for pursuing postmodernist obscurantism in their scholarship and prose. But I think its more useful to step back a bit and recognize both politicization and postmodern jargon as attempted solutions to a pre-existing problem, not the taproot of the crisis.

That problem is the one that Auden identified seventy years ago: In an Apollonian culture, eager for Useful Knowledge and technical mastery and increasingly indifferent to memory and allergic to tradition, the poet and the novelist and the theologian struggle to find an official justification for their arts. And both the turn toward radical politics and the turn toward high theory are attempts by humanists in the academy to supply that justification  to rebrand the humanities as the seat of social justice and a font of political reform, or to assume a pseudoscientific mantle that lets academics claim to be interrogating literature with the rigor and precision of a lab tech doing dissection.

At the moment both efforts look like failed attempts. But is there an alternative? Here I would dissent a little from the sternness of Jacobss pessimism, since I think the Christian humanists that he describes  and their secular and Jewish counterparts  had a little more short-run success than he suggests. There was real growth in humanities majors beginning in the 1950s (stronger among women than men, but present among both), and that indicator corresponded to a genuine mass interest, mediated by journalists and popularizers as well as academia, in pursuits that now seem esoteric and strictly elitist  poetry and public theology, classical music and abstract impressionism, the Great American novel and the high theory of French cinema and more.

What sustained this temporary cultural moment, middlebrow and crass in all sorts of ways but still more successfully humanistic than our own? Three forces, in particular, that are no longer with us. First, there was a stronger religious element in midcentury culture, visible both in the general postwar religious revival and in the particular theological-intellectual flowering that Jacobss subjects embodied, which rooted midcentury humanism in a metaphysical understanding of human life  an understanding that both ennobled acts of artistic creation and justified a strong interest in the human persons interiority, his actual person as opposed to just his brain chemistry or social role.
Earlier this year I interviewed doctors, addiction therapists, hospital dorm managers, social workers, community organizers, teachers, priests and drug-policy reform advocates to understand the scope of the Philippines drug problem and the efforts to address it. I found reasons to be optimistic, but only if the government listens sincerely to those involved in fighting drug addiction and allocates limited resources wisely.

I spoke with Bienvenido Leabres, a doctor who leads a government-run rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Metro Manila. When I visited the center, some 600 patients, ages 13 to 71 at the time  95 percent of whom are addicted to shabu  were undertaking therapeutic community rehabilitation: a month of detoxification followed by roughly a year of residential treatment in which patients and their families learn how to manage the social and psychological issues that led to addiction. During this phase, counseling, education and vocational training are essential; in a country lacking economic opportunity, the drug trade thrives by creating another dependency  financial  among addicts through a pyramid scheme of petty dealing.

Dr. Leabress team does heroic work, but such centers are limited. Underfunding by past administrations led to a shortage of resources, and in the early months of Mr. Dutertes drug war, they struggled with overcrowding. Philippine law mandates rehab for drug-related offenses, yet officials have lacked training to discern between users who can stop and addicts who need more intensive treatment. According to Dr. Leabres, only about 5 to 10 percent of users become severely addicted, needing inpatient rehabilitation, while others need only outpatient care. Nobody is beyond help, he said.

Some communities are trying to fill in for the governments failures. Thats what Luciano Felloni, an Argentine Catholic priest who has lived in the Philippines for decades, is doing. In September 2016, as the number of drug suspects being killed in his community skyrocketed some three months into Mr. Dutertes term, Father Felloni, working with a local leader and a city official, started an outpatient program in the parish.

We realized, lets be proactive, he said. What can we do from our little point of view to help a campaign against drugs  but to do it in the right way? In a way that will really benefit, not harm, the community.

Initially, the project was met with hostility from the police and skepticism from those it sought to help. Father Fellonis team then asked neighborhood matriarchs to quietly persuade addicts to attend. Fear of being killed kept the first batch to only six patients. Within a year, enrollment grew to at least 40 in each of the second and third batches  but only after Father Fellonis team advocated successfully for, upon completion of the six-month program and proof of sobriety, the removal of their patients from government watch lists.
Mr. McCarthy did indeed lead the citys data-driven CompStat system in the 90s, which not only overlapped with Mr. Giulianis tenure, but also coincided with a sharp decline in the crime rate across nearly all major cities in the country, many without New York-style data systems or crackdowns on so-called quality-of-life crimes.

As the statistical adage goes, correlation does not imply causation. The verdict from mainstream sociologists and criminologists alike is that there is a clear and obvious reason for neither the widespread decades-long decline in violent crime nor its recent spike in big cities like Chicago.

When Mr. McCarthy came to Chicago in 2011, the citys homicide rates had steadily declined to their lowest levels since the 1960s. After a troubling rise in 2012, the Chicago Police Department under Mr. McCarthy was under pressure to get the numbers down, and to his credit, it did.

Still, the specific forces behind the spikes and dips have vexed both independent observers and public servants honest about how unwieldy and multilayered the roots of violence are. A popular but unproven answer is the Ferguson effect (or in Chicago, the Laquan McDonald effect), which maintains that police officers are being undermined and unfairly maligned by politicians and the public and in response are retreating from proactive policing.

The let cops be cops solution  most recently peddled on Fox & Friends in light of the bloody weekend  feeds the delusion that police officers themselves can actually control crime, that the causes of and prescriptions for plagues like gun violence are untied to socioeconomic factors.

Giving the police more of anything  more numbers, more money, more liberties  to quell violence is still a reactionary, and thus limited, posture. And yes, so is simply calling for tougher gun laws (regulations the city of Chicago has, but its immediate surrounding area does not). To the communities affected, policing and gun laws are only parts of the puzzle.

Missing from Mr. Giulianis playacting concern for Chicago  and too often absent from the familiar pattern of reactions in our media  is an exploration of what the communities whose residents are being disproportionately shot and killed say they want.
To inflict more pain on China, the Trump administration last week raised the ante in its trade war. It now promises that the next round of tariffs, on $200 billion in imports from China, will be 25 percent instead of the 10 percent announced earlier. President Trump exhorts his supporters that tariffs mean jobs and great wealth.

If jobs and wealth are the metric for winning the trade war, China, not America, will emerge the victor. China will win not because of one-party rule, although it certainly helps President Xi Jinping weather difficulties caused by trade tensions. Rather, China will win because it is playing this game more skillfully. The tariffs imposed by the United States will mostly be paid by American companies and consumers, while China is retaliating with moves that soften the blow for companies in China, including those that are foreign-owned.

To win a trade war on these terms, the United States would have to impose tariffs that somehow hurt the Chinese economy so badly that its leaders improve their treatment of American intellectual property, a longtime demand by American trade negotiators. The health of Chinas economy depends on exporting to the United States, so, the thinking goes, the Chinese government will capitulate to American demands.

This strategy is certain to backfire.

First, about 60 percent of Chinas exports to the United States are produced at factories owned by non-Chinese companies. Many of them produce customized inputs for American manufacturers, such as computer routers, LED fixtures and boat motors. That means the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration that are directed at China actually affect many American (and European) companies that own factories in China.
First of all: We should all be celebrating that last night voters in Missouri rejected a right-to-work law by a 2-to-1 margin.

Why? The average person in the United States has essentially zero power in society. Thats why millions have organized into unions over the years. But the slow decline of unionism in the United States should concern you even if youre not in one.

Unions improve wages, benefits and working conditions for their members. But its not just to members advantage. Collective bargaining affects pay standards across entire industries, meaning even nonunion workers benefit. Unions also secure legislation that protects all workers, from workplace safety guidelines to a guaranteed weekend. And they reduce gender and racial wage gaps across industries, which contributes to broader equality in society.

Owing largely to a sustained political assault on unions, their memberships have been declining since the mid-20th century  a trend that, not coincidentally, maps neatly onto rising economic inequality and falling wages. The Supreme Courts recent decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the latest blow to unions, effectively instituting a nationwide right-to-work regime for public-sector unions. Right to work forces unions to represent even those who dont pay dues or claim membership, discouraging workers from joining and contributing. In short, it kills unions by attrition.
And yet that does make it hard not to wonder, when you add the celebrity to the clothes to the photographer, if the cover is effectively  a Louis Vuitton ad.

Magazines have long blurred the line between commerce and editorial content, tacitly supporting advertisers in their fashion shoots. Recently, some have begun venturing into e-commerce with various products in their pages (sometimes even taking a cut of each transaction). Stylists and photographers who produce editorial shoots are often the same ones behind ad campaigns.

But synergy like this, where the dots are connected out in the open, is rare. According to the magazine, though, it was not by design, but by accident.

Vanity Fair chose Ms. Schorr to shoot the cover in May, before it was aware that she had shot the Vuitton ad campaign, which was unveiled in mid-June. The magazine was drawn to her both because of her aesthetic and because she was one of the few photographers in fashion to speak out when the Harvey Weinstein revelations broke, demanding that fashion take responsibility for its own actions.

This is also, presumably, part of what drew Vuitton to her, since a number of previous ad campaign s had been shot by Bruce Weber, a photographer accused of abuse by more than a dozen men in an investigation in The New York Times.
IT DOES NOT announce itself as a major building. In Ueno, at the northern end of old Tokyo, stands a relatively small concrete box, hoisted on slim columns. It is set off from the rest of the park by a wide gray plaza, demanding a solemn approach. As you near it, the flat expanse of the facade begins to differentiate itself into cladding panels, textured with pebbled aggregate. An off-center stairway juts out, a symbolic ascendance into a temple of art. This is the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, erected in 1959, and it is, incredibly enough, the only building to be designed by Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, better known by his nom de plume Le Corbusier, in all of East Asia.

The austerity of its presentation hides special, humanizing characteristics in its interior such as a characteristically Corbusian ramp that ascends to the second-floor gallery space. Built to house the collection of an early 20th-century Japanese industrialist, with special strengths in late 19th-century French art, the National Museum of Western Art employed three local architects. Their names  Junzo Sakakura, Takamasa Yoshizaka and, above all, Kunio Maekawa  would become hallowed in the emerging pantheon of Japanese Modernists. They had trained with Le Corbusier in Paris, and they were early exponents of his ideas. In Japan, they all assumed a position of pre-eminence, their own acolytes cementing the hegemony of Modernism over other forms of Japanese architecture.

The story is not well known. To look at just a few standard accounts of Le Corbusiers life and work  Kenneth Framptons Le Corbusier: Architect of the Twentieth Century, Charles Jenckss Le Corbusier and the Continual Revolution in Architecture  is to search in vain for any reference to the building, or for any mention of the association between Le Corbusier and Japan. (The story of the building is well told, however, in Jonathan Reynoldss pioneering study, Maekawa Kunio and the Emergence of Japanese Modernist Architecture, as well as in Nicholas Fox Webers authoritative biography of Le Corbusier.) That the architects work in Japan is among his least known both occludes the extent of his influence and testifies, obliquely, to the enduring anxiety of Japanese Modernists, and Japanese architects more generally, over the scope of his project.
Hidden in the lush greenery of the East Khasi hills of Meghalaya State along the Indian border with Bangladesh lies the pristine village of Mawlynnong . The rolling green hills and topaz watering holes serve as a backdrop for 500 residents, a number that swells during high season with a couple of hundred tourists daily.

At a time when major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are facing a growing waste crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned the spotlight on this pristine village as a source of inspiration, highlighting Mawlynnong as a model for the rest of the country in a monthly radio address in 2015. I was happy to know that in our country there is such a village in the northeast, in Meghalaya, which is passionately carrying forward the mission of cleanliness for years, he said. It has become the habit of the residents to maintain cleanliness.

It is held forth as an example of what concerted efforts to clean up can yield, and used to bolster the Clean India Mission campaign to sanitize the nation by 2019, which is the 150th bi rthday of Mahatma Gandhi (who advocated community cleanliness and sanitation in India). One of the goals of the Clean India Mission program is to increase the use of toilets in rural India. In Mawlynnong, every household has a toilet.
After the Indonesian island of Lombok was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that has killed at least 90 people on Aug. 5, aftershocks have continued to shake the island. The quake followed a 6.4-magnitude on July 29, which killed 17; the island, home to hundreds of resorts, has been under various states of emergency since late July. Residents are slowly readjusting to the new normal as they have to pick up the pieces  in some cases literally  of their lives and rebuild. The damage to the islands growing tourism industry is less clear.

Tourism is an increasingly important part of Lomboks economy, and while the island doesnt get the numbers of neighboring Bali, it has been earmarked by the government as an emerging destination. Last year President Joko Widodo identified 10 places around Indonesias 17,000 islands to target as the next Bali, among them an integrated resort development in South Lombok called Mandalika. The earthquakes, though, may have temporary disrupted those plans.

Travelers are panicking, wrote John Konstantinidis, general manager of Authentic Lombok, a tour operator based in the popular, west-coast beach area Senggigi, over email; he has lost 50 percent of bookings since the July 29 earthquake, he added. A lot of people are also canceling because their hotels are damaged.

Supratman Samsi, who has run Adventure Lombok, an outfitter also based in Senggigi, since 2006, said his bookings have dropped 20 percent, even though large sections of the island were not damaged by the quakes. People are scared  its the first word they write in their emails, he said. For sure the people here need to recover from the trauma but we also need the media to tell everyone how beautiful Lombok is, how amazing it still is. The areas affected were the east, north and west. Gili Trawangan, where images and video of stranded tourists massed on beaches have gone viral, is off Lomboks northwest coast.
Good morning.

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As California firefighters battle historic wildfires across the state, our readers have reached out with questions about the role climate change plays in the intensity and frequency of these blazes. Others have expressed confusion over tweets by President Trump laying the blame on the states forestry and water management policies.

The New York Times reporter Lisa Friedman, who covers climate and wrote about this topic, dug into her reporters notebook to answer some of your top questions:

What exactly is the role of climate change in these intensifying wildfire seasons? Is it all climate change, or are there other factors as well?

Lisa: I put that question to Michael F. Wehner, a senior staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He stressed that there is no question that warming temperatures have led to severe droughts, meaning more dry fuel, as well as more intense heat waves. Those are essentially the conditions that have made for wildfire seasons that start earlier, last longer and affect larger areas.
Prosecutors are investigating an allegation that a Georgia man and four other adults who lived with children in a squalid desert compound in New Mexico were training them to carry out school shootings, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40, and four of his relatives were charged with child abuse this week after 11 malnourished children were discovered in a makeshift compound in northern New Mexico last week. The children, ages 1 to 15, had barely any food and no access to fresh water or basic hygiene, the authorities said.

A foster parent of one of the 11 children told the authorities that the adults had trained the child in the use of an assault rifle in preparation for carrying out school shootings, according to court documents that prosecutors filed with New Mexicos Eighth Judicial District Court. In the documents, prosecutors requested that the judge keep Mr. Wahhaj and the other defendants in detention because they posed a threat to the children and the broader community.

At court appearances on Wednesday, all five defendants pleaded not guilty, according to court documents. The judges overseeing the cases ordered that they be detained until their next hearing.
WASHINGTON  American immigration officials arrested 2,885 fewer people at the Southwest border last month than in June, the second month in a row that the number of migrants trying to enter the United States has dropped.

Data released on Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security show that authorities apprehended 39,953 people at the American border with Mexico in July. The number of arrests in June totaled 42,838.

A senior Homeland Security official attributed the decrease in apprehensions in part to the Trump administrations stepped up immigration policies at the border. But the official agreed with advocates and experts that the numbers also reflect seasonal flows of border crossings; individuals are more likely to travel in milder weather than during the often dangerous heat of summer.

An estimated 4,357 unaccompanied children showed up at the border in July, the data show, compared to 5,562 in a month earlier. Meanwhile, 12,285 people traveling in family groups were denied entry to the United States last month, compared to 12,386 family members in June.
TOPEKA, Kan.  On the same night that a special congressional election in Ohio proved too tight to call, one of the most competitive Republican primaries for governor this summer was also deadlocked early Wednesday, as Kansass most populous county struggled to tally its votes in the race between Kris W. Kobach and Gov. Jeff Colyer.

Mr. Kobach, a hard-right conservative endorsed by President Trump and known nationally for his grim warnings about voter fraud and illegal immigration, sent his supporters home from a watch party in Topeka just before 1 a.m. as he clung to a lead of a few hundred votes over Mr. Colyer, with 88 percent of precincts reporting.

Try to get a good nights sleep, Mr. Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, told the dozens of supporters who remained past midnight at a Topeka hotel as returns trickled in. I dont know if Ill be sleeping much.

The long night came amid delays in counting the votes in Johnson County in suburban Kansas City, home to more than 500,000 people, where new voting machines were being used. Mr. Kobach, who in his current position oversees the states elections, said the results might not be finalized for hours.
When the lead prosecutor for the special counsels office, Greg D. Andres, objected, challenging the relevance of the question, Mr. Downing asserted that Mr. Gates may have lied about the number of affairs under oath, which could invalidate his plea agreement.

Mr. Gates pleaded guilty in February to lying to federal investigators and conspiracy to commit fraud, but he has yet to be sentenced. Under federal sentencing guidelines that the judge is not required to follow, his plea would result in a prison sentence of four years and nine months to six years. But as part of his testimony, Mr. Gates said prosecutors have agreed not to object if his defense lawyer argues that he should receive probation. The most serious of the 18 felony charges against Mr. Manafort carry a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates had been quite close. Mr. Manafort, 69, served as both a boss and mentor for Mr. Gates, 46. When Mr. Manafort was brought on to help run the Trump campaign, he brought on Mr. Gates as his deputy. When Mr. Manafort was forced out amid allegations about his work in Ukraine, Mr. Gates continued working with the campaign, and then served as the executive director of Mr. Trumps inaugural committee.

Mr. Manaforts allies regarded Mr. Gatess decision to cooperate with prosecutors as an ultimate betrayal.

Over three days of testimony this week, Mr. Manafort glared continuously at Mr. Gates in the witness box, his fists perched underneath his chin. Mr. Gates kept his gaze fixed on the floor in front of him.

Mr. Gates provided hours of damning testimony against Mr. Manafort related to their decade of work together on behalf of Russia-aligned Ukrainian politicians and oligarchs. Mr. Gates accused Mr. Manafort of deliberately hiding income from the Ukraine work in foreign bank accounts to evade federal taxes, as well as personally directing the falsification of financial statements to obtain bank loans.

The defense, in response, has worked to cast Mr. Gates, not Mr. Manafort, as the driving force behind the financial improprieties. Another defense lawyer seemed to suggest on Wednesday that Mr. Gates may have forged his bosss signature on documents related to foreign bank accounts that the special counsel says were used to hide income.
DETROIT  By the time Rashida Tlaib was finished, not a dry eye remained in the room.

I want people across the country to know that you dont need to sell out, Ms. Tlaib said early Wednesday morning. You dont have to change who you are to run for office  and that is what this country is about.

Ms. Tlaib is poised to become the first Muslim woman ever elected to Congress, after she narrowly defeated Brenda Jones, Detroits City Council president, in a Democratic primary race to succeed longtime Representative John Conyers Jr. in Michigans 13th Congressional District. She will run unopposed in November. In a separate Democratic primary contest for a special election to serve the remaining months of Mr. Conyerss term, Ms. Jones prevailed over Ms. Tlaib on Wednesday afternoon, according to The Associated Press.

Ms. Tlaib, a former Michigan state legislator, Detroit native and daughter of Palestinian immigrants, was so cautious about celebrating her victory that she waited until every vote was counted  and long after The Associated Press had called the race in her favor  to begin her celebrations at almost 3 a.m.
This requires context.

After Tuesdays elections, President Trump cherry-picked results to make the case that his endorsement always produces victories for candidates. While candidates backed by Mr. Trump in Republican primaries have almost always won, four of his endorsed candidates have lost their elections.

Republican voters did choose four out of the five candidates Mr. Trump backed in Tuesdays primary elections. The fifth  Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who is running for governor  is also leading in the polls, but the race is too close to call.

In Ohios special congressional election, Troy Balderson, whom Mr. Trump endorsed in July, is leading his Democratic opponent by a razor-thin margin, but The New York Times and other news outlets have yet to declare a winner.

Beyond Tuesdays elections, Mr. Trump has endorsed at least 18 other winning candidates in primary elections. But Republican voters rejected one of his picks: Luther Strange, who ran for the partys nomination in Alabamas Senate election last year.
Mr. Giuliani would not comment on the contents but confirmed that the presidents lawyers had not rejected an interview altogether and had instead tried for an avenue that could work.

The response indicated how far apart the two sides remain. Mr. Mueller wants to question the president on a range of issues, chiefly his associates contacts with Russia; possible coordination between his campaign and Moscows election interference; and the intent behind presidential actions that could be construed as attempts to obstruct the inquiry, including firing the F.B.I. director.

But the presidents lawyers are concerned that if he is interviewed, Mr. Trump could perjure himself. That concern is in part driving the continuing negotiations. They had been prepared last week to tell Mr. Mueller that Mr. Trump would decline an interview, but the president, who believes he can convince Mr. Mueller that he is innocent, pushed his lawyers to continue negotiating.

By making another counterproposal after months of promises that they were only weeks away from deciding about an interview, Mr. Trumps lawyers run the risk that Mr. Mueller could conclude that they are negotiating in bad faith to prolong the investigation. In a meeting with Mr. Trumps lawyers this year, Mr. Mueller threatened to take the extraordinary step of subpoenaing the president to testify before a grand jury if he did not sit for a voluntary interview.

Mr. Trumps lawyers indicated that the negotiations were winding down, setting the stage for a possible subpoena. The talks were nearing an impasse, Mr. Giuliani said on Wednesday when he called into a radio show hosted by Mr. Sekulow.
Joseph Kabila, who took over the Democratic Republic of Congo at age 29 after the assassination of his father in 2001, announced on Wednesday he would not stand for re-election, raising hopes the country might carry out a peaceful transition of power for the first time in its modern history.

Mr. Kabila had long overstayed his welcome as leader, and for two years, Congolese opposition groups, the African Union, the United States and the United Nations had all urged Mr. Kabila not to defy term limits and seek a third term in voting scheduled for December.

This week, The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration was prepared to tighten financial sanctions against Mr. Kabila and his associates if he did not agree to relinquish power. In June 2017, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Gen. Francois Olenga, one of Mr. Kabilas most senior military officials, and in December it put forward sanctions against Dan Gertler, an Israeli businessman who is close to the president.

Opposition activists rejoiced at the presidents decision, but also cautioned that it was only a first step toward an orderly transition of power.
Argentinas Senate is set to debate a bill on Wednesday that would legalize abortion for pregnancies up to 14 weeks. The vote, in a predominantly Catholic nation that is also the home of Pope Francis, is expected to reverberate throughout the region.

If the bill passes and is signed into law, Argentina will become the most populous nation to legalize abortion in Latin America, a region where strict abortion laws are the norm and where Catholic teaching has steered policy for decades.

Now, abortion in Argentina is allowed only in cases of rape or if the pregnancy poses a risk to the mothers health. Women getting abortions can be charged with a crime and imprisoned under the current law, although that happens very rarely.

Heres what you need to know about the debate.

How did this rise to the top of Argentinas political agenda?

The effort to loosen the countrys abortion laws is decades old, but it got a boost from the movement Ni Una Menos (Not One Less), which was formed in 2015 to raise awareness about violence against women.
Alex Jones is the internets most notorious conspiracy theorist. And with his site, Infowars, hes peddled a number of dark and bizarre conspiracy theories. Sandy Hook, its got inside job written all over it. You want us to cover Pizzagate. We have covered it. We are covering it. And all I know is  God help us  were in the hands of pure evil. After weeks of criticism, YouTube, Facebook, Apple, and Spotify all acted to essentially erase many of his videos and posts from their services. In many cases, the companies are saying he violated their terms regarding hate speech and a number of other rules. Alex Jones today in his show dedicated nearly all four hours to what he called censorship of his platform. And President Trump, the Republican Congress, the statehouses, independent media all need to rally together against this global move to censor America and the planet. And this is something that he essentially has been warning his followers of because there was sort of ticky-tacky enforcement for several weeks, and he sort of saw this coming. This is the internet purge, people. I think for those who have tracked the social media policies by some of these big tech firms, today was a significant moment, because these tech companies have really struggled with this dilemma of wanting to combat misinformation online, but at the same time not wanting to become arbiters of truth. Can you define hate speech? Senator, I think that this is a really hard question. And I think its one of the reasons why we struggle with it. For months, and really for years, the tech companies have been reluctant to weigh in on a lot of these controversial speech issues. But it appears after months of criticism, that tech companies have finally said, in the case of Alex Jones, that enough is enough.
Efforts to reach Ms. Bachelet in Chile were not immediately successful.

The change comes as the Trump administration has taken an increasingly dim view of human rights diplomacy at the United Nations. The administration withdrew from the Human Rights Council in June, partly over the frequent criticism of Israel and other actions that the administration described as two-faced.

After Mr. al-Husseins office criticized the White House over the practice of separating children from parents to deter undocumented immigrants, Nikki R. Haley, the American ambassador, angrily accused it of ignorance and hypocrisy.

Ms. Haley had a measured reaction to the choice of Ms. Bachelet.

The failures of the Human Rights Council make the Secretary-Generals selection of a new High Commissioner for Human Rights all the more important, she said in a statement. It is incumbent on the Secretary-Generals choice, Ms. Bachelet, to avoid the failures of the past.

Human rights advocates welcomed the choice of Ms. Bachelet.

As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights, Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful.

Ms. Bachelet became involved in Chilean human rights activism practically at the onset of Gen. Augusto Pinochets dictatorship in September 1973. She was studying medicine at the University of Chile and active in the Socialist party when a military coup toppled the government of Salvador Allende.
On Aug. 4, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was apparently the target of an assassination attempt. Maduro was giving a speech, here, in front of troops. Then something exploded in midair, probably less than the length of a football field away from the president. A second explosion happened 14 seconds later, two blocks away. The day ended in mayhem and mass confusion. And its still unclear who launched the attack. But by reconstructing the events, we can get a clearer look at how it unfolded. Hundreds of soldiers take formation on historic Avenida Bolivar in Caracas. Maduro is hosting a ceremony honoring the National Guard. Its a demonstration of strength for his dictatorship, broadcast live on state TV. About an hour into the event, Maduro and others nervously notice something above them. Two minutes later, something suddenly interrupts him. The state broadcast cuts to a soldier, but the same scene was captured by a different camera. In this clip, you can hear an explosion and see Maduros bodyguards running to protect him. Around this area, cellphone video captured a drone exploding in midair  above the military parade, and within Maduros sightlines. Two blocks away, another drone is seen. It flies into an apartment building and crashes. It detonates 14 seconds after the first explosion. The sound can be heard at the ceremony grounds, and it sends the crowd fleeing. You can see a hole on the wall where the drone exploded. We analyzed the images of both drones. They are DJI M600 commercial drones. Each costs about $5,000. They can carry up to 13 pounds in a three-mile radius. Here we see a likely camera and explosives attached. According to the Venezuelan authorities, the drones carried C-4 plastic explosives. These are commonly used by military and law enforcement. Theyre moldable and usually triggered remotely. Seven soldiers were injured by the explosion at the parade. In the aftermath of the incident, authorities arrested six people and started to crack down on opposition lawmakers.
The last time the acclaimed Bangladeshi photographer Shahidul Alam had a major run-in with the police, it was for a 2010 project documenting official torture and death squads, which led the Dhaka police to besiege and shut down his gallery and provoked national protests on his behalf.

This time, he was picked up in connection with protests that have roiled Bangladesh for the past two weeks, mostly by high school students angered by the deaths of two students killed by a speeding bus.

At least 20 police officers raided Mr. Alams home on Sunday, hours after he posted a video on Facebook saying that he had been beaten up by pro-government thugs and made a similar claim in an interview with Al Jazeera. He criticized the governments handling of the protests.
PEMENANG, Indonesia  When the earthquake struck off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia, three days ago, Lala Intan Komala lost her mother, her home and her livelihood.

Now, she and about 100 relatives have taken refuge in a large tent they built on a strip of land wedged between a peanut field and a banana grove. They have no idea how long they will be here or how they will rebuild their lives.

Help has been slow in coming.

We lost our houses, said Ms. Lala, 19. We lost our jobs. And the aid is very minimal.

The story of Ms. Lala and her clan is repeated across much of North Lombok, where the quake destroyed more than 42,000 structures and displaced about 156,000 people, officials said Wednesday, sharply increasing earlier estimates as data collection improved.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand has pledged that her newborn daughter would grow up to learn both English and the countrys indigenous Maori language, which is battling for survival after years of decline.

Ms. Arderns first child, Neve Gayford, was born on June 21, and the prime minister returned to work last week after six weeks of parental leave. As one of only two modern world leaders to give birth while in office, each decision she makes about raising her daughter is being watched and discussed by a global audience.

In an interview on Monday with Maori Television, Ms. Ardern said that she certainly wants her daughter to speak Maori.

Maori, or te reo Maori as it is widely rendered in New Zealand, is one of the countrys three official languages  along with English and New Zealand Sign Language  but it is thought only about 125,000 of the countrys 4.7 million people, or about 2.5 percent, speak it.
Six of those detained were released after questioning, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.

The Investigative Committee accused those detained of gaining illegal access to a Belarusian Telegraph Agency website that is available only to paying subscribers more than 15,000 times over a two-year period.

The criminal offense in question is punishable by a fine, a ban from certain professions, arrest, or up to two years of house arrest or prison time.

Tut.by and the Belarusian Private News Agency, known as BelaPAN, deny the accusations.

The raids drew protests from the Council of Europe, an organization that focuses on human rights and that includes nearly every country on the Continent but not Belarus. A press officer for the secretary general called on Minsk to liberate all the arrested journalists and to respect freedom of the press.

Reporters Without Borders, which considers Belarus one of the worlds 25 least hospitable countries for journalists, also condemned the actions of the authorities. Johann Bihr, who leads the organizations Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, criticized Minsks attempts to intimidate leading independent media outlets at a time of growing harassment of critical journalists.
Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University, concurred, saying, You cant really see anything Boris does other than through the prism of his own leadership ambitions.

He added, Theres no doubt he believes that using this kind of language will resonate with a certain kind of Conservative supporter, and that might do him good in the leadership contest to come.

The article was devoted mostly to criticizing Denmarks recent ban on the burqa. But Mr. Johnson also wrote that it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes, the British term for a mail box.

The burqa storm, as some British media outlets are calling it, has prompted Ms. May and others, including the Conservative Party chairman, Brandon Lewis, and senior Tory politicians, to force Mr. Johnson to apologize, something he has so far refused to do. Instead, he has accused his critics of ridiculous attacks and trying to shut down legitimate debate.

The question of how a woman should dress is a matter for a womans individual choice, Ms. May said. Nobody should be trying to tell a woman how to dress. Its imperative that everybody is careful in the language that they use. It is very clear that the language that Boris Johnson used to describe peoples appearance has caused offense. Its not language I wouldve used.
ROME  Hundreds of migrant farmworkers walked off tomato fields in southern Italy on Wednesday to protest their working conditions after two road accidents killed 16 African laborers in 48 hours, adding a volatile new element to Italys wrenching debate over illegal immigration.

We are not slaves, the workers chanted as they marched in the red caps that protect pickers from the sun, and have become a symbol of their battle against day-labor exploitation in the province of Foggia.

The deaths dominated prime-time television this week and were quickly seized upon by the hard-line interior minister, Matteo Salvini, who promised to stop the exploitation by breaking up the ghettos where many migrants live.

The fight against the mafia and exploitation are priorities of mine and of the government, Mr. Salvini said on Tuesday, as he met with representatives of the African workers.
WARSAW  With the nation embroiled in a bitter dispute with the European Union over its drift away from Western democracy and the rule of law, and similarly concerned protesters taking to the streets weekly, Poland is at a crossroads.

But at this critical moment, the man who set Poland on its current course, and who has arguably done more to shape the country than any single politician since it broke free of Soviet domination three decades ago, has been largely absent.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 69, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice Party and the most powerful politician in Poland, is not well.

Ever since he went to the hospital in May, for what was described at the time as a knee surgery to treat osteoporosis, there have been questions swirling about his health. He ended up staying in the hospital for 37 days, and since he left, he has only made a handful of public appearances.
MOSCOW  A deeply unpopular government plan to raise retirement ages in Russia for the first time in 90 years has created an unusual schism within President Vladimir V. Putins typically monolithic ruling party.

The overhaul, which the government says is necessary to cope with a shrinking work force and a growing retiree population, has touched off street protests in more than 150 cities and divided the party, United Russia, usually known for its lock step unity.

The turbulence poses no serious threat to Mr. Putin, whose approval rating slipped in late June but has since begun to recover. Analysts say, however, that the plan tests how far Mr. Putin can go in tweaking the terms of an implicit bargain at the core of his rule: a surrender of political freedoms in exchange for economic stability and national pride.

Russians have among the earliest retirement ages in the world, unchanged since they were set by the Soviet Union in 1928, early in the rule of Joseph Stalin. Men qualify for pensions at 60 and women at 55, and in some industries and regions women can retire as young as 50.
The professionals in government were just doing their jobs here, said Daniel Fried, an assistant secretary of state in the George W. Bush administration who also served as a special envoy under President Barack Obama.

The new sanctions are expected to go into effect on Aug. 22. The provisions of the biological and chemical weapons act have previously been used only twice  against Syria in 2013, for its chemical weapons attack on its own population, and this year against North Korea, for the alleged assassination of Kim Jong-uns half brother with a banned nerve agent in Malaysia.

American officials said some exceptions will be allowed: for equipment that the United States relies upon to send goods and people to the International Space Station, as well as for commercial aircraft equipment involved in the safety of passengers.

Trade between the United States and Russia has been declining since 2013, as relations between the countries have grown increasingly cold. With other sanctions already imposed over the past year against Russia  on its military equipment vendors, on officials engaged in human rights abuses and on oligarchs with close ties to Mr. Putin  trade is likely to tumble even more.

The legislation calls for tougher sanctions to be imposed three months from now if Russia fails several tests, including a determination that it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons, that it provides reliable reassurances that it will not use them in the future, and that it allows international inspectors to ensure compliance  tests that Russia is unlikely to meet.

In a call with reporters on Wednesday, a senior official refused to say whether the United States had any new information on Russias involvement in the case. He said the Trump administration accepted months ago that the poison used in the attempt on Mr. Skripals and his daughters lives was Novichok and that Russia was to blame.

Many in Washington praised the new sanctions.

We must stand with our British allies, and Im pleased to see the Trump administration hold Russia accountable for its actions by imposing additional sanctions, Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, said in a statement.
Here, Im a refugee, said a former Syrian soldier who asked to be identified by his nom de guerre, Abu Fares. In Syria, Im a traitor.

Few of the refugees leaving Arsal knew for certain that they would be safe at home. All had decided that home was nevertheless preferable to a tent with no future.

My life there would be better than it is now, Mohsin Ishac, a former taxi driver from Fleita, a village just across the border, said before he left with the first convoy. I have a tent here. Ill put a tent there if I have to.

Lebanon has taken in so many Syrians  more than a million  that they now make up a quarter of the countrys population. But the welcome has not always been gracious.

Lebanese authorities never gave full rights to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who have lived in Lebanon since the 1940s and 60s, even as the refugee camps have become permanent cities. Apparently learning from that experience, the government has prohibited the establishment of refugee camps and made the Syrians lives difficult, in ways large and small, in the hope that they would return as soon as possible.

Most Syrians in Lebanon cannot move freely around the country. They are banned from some public parks and certain jobs. The small minority of Syrian children who attend school are largely separated from Lebanese children.
State Housing Action Network (SHAN) has called for an independent assessment of meth-testing compensation claims brought by Housing New Zealand (HNZ) tenants.

Earlier this year, flawed meth testing methods led to a number of evictions from HNZ homes after tenants were ruled responsible, though the level of evidence presented was criticised as being sparse and vague. The Tenancy Tribunal has a set window of 10 working days for tenants to lodge an appeal, so none of the cases can now be legally opposed.

SHAN has written to Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford, asking the government to appoint an independent assessor to evaluate claims for compensation as a result of the fiasco, saying that HNZ cannot be trusted to treat residents fairly, reasonably and respectfully.
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I have always wondered what an Indian breakfast looks like.

Is it as spicy as other Indian meals? My online research landed me on a Huffington Post article published last year that sought to compile breakfasts from across the globe.

It said the editors and reporters struggled to find an Indian breakfast, because, traditionally, Indians do not have the practice of eating breakfast. Like in Uganda, an Indian breakfast is whatever your hands can land on in the morning.

Nevertheless, I sauntered into The Bistro at Kisementi and asked for Indian breakfast.

And lo behold, there was one  the Bistro Indian breakfast. It comes with two wheat parathas (Indian bread) served with sugarless yoghurt, butter and mango pickle. It is served hot, spicy and very vegetarian.

The paratha is actually more like two small Ugandan chapatti stuffed with spiced potatoes. Inside the parathas are lots of onions and coriander.

Of course the pickle is hot, but with the yoghurt, you can easily cool it down. If you are into spicy and Indian food, this is it. The waiter had warned me against this particular choice unless I was into Indian food.

That bread doesnt taste nice, he said.

But not only am I into Indian and spicy food, I also like to try out new meals whenever I get the chance. I was not disappointed.

The breakfast is served with free Masala tea in a very small cup that will leave you yearning for more. Separately, the tea ranges between Shs 5,000 and 8,000.

The Bistro Indian breakfast is priced at Shs 24,000. However, there are other cheaper breakfasts with more food variety.

And, with the birds chirping away from the nearby flowerpots and glowing sweet melodies in the background, it is hard to imagine you are still in the same Kisementi area that is always annoyingly buzzing with activity in the evening.

fkisakye@observer.ug
A businessman from Nakasongola district has regained his freedom from kidnappers after his family reportedly paid $7,500 (about Shs 27.6m) ransom.

Robert Mugabe, a resident of Busoni village in Kituba parish, Nakasongola district was traveling with three other business people on August 3 when he was kidnapped.

Mugabe was travelling with Patrick Bukora, a businessman from Migyera in Nakasongora district, Julius Saturday from Busia in eastern Uganda and Sauda Nassolo, a businesswoman from Kiyola, Nakasongola district.



Gunmen dressed in suspected Congolese military uniform waylaid their victims who were travelling in a truck reg. no. UAB 196J near the Southern Gate Army Barracks in Kanungu district. They were transporting fish from Kasese to Ishasha in Kanungu district.

The kidnappers had demanded for $20,000 but his family negotiated for a reduction of up to $7,500 The gunmen who emerged from Queen Elizabeth national park reportedly started shooting randomly and injured three of their victims. They kidnapped Mugabe and later contacted his family later using his mobile phone number demanding for a ransom of $20,000 (about Shs 73m) for his release.



Kigezi region police spokesperson Ely Maate says Mugabe's family negotiated with the kidnappers to reduce the ransom money from $20,000 to $7,500. He says Mugabe's family sent the money prompting his kidnappers to escort him to Ishasha border in the wee hours of Tuesday morning where they set him free.



"We thank God that this Mugabe Robert who was kidnapped on August 3rd and his three colleagues were shot at and injured has come out alive. But this was after his relatives and friends deposited $7500 on the [mobile money] account." said Maate.



He added that the kidnappers destroyed Mugabe's mobile phone after withdrawing the money. Maate says Mugabe is now at Kihihi police station helping police to trace the gunmen. He says the other victims who were admitted at Kihihi health centre IV in Kanungu district are responding to treatment.



Mugabe's kidnap for ransom will reignite the fear that gripped the nation when in February this year,Susan Magara, daughter of wealthy businessman John Magara was kidnapped from Lugunjja in Kampala. The kidnappers contacted her family and demanded for $1 million ransom (about Shs 3.5 billion). The gunmen who emerged from Queen Elizabeth national park reportedly started shooting randomly and injured three of their victims. They kidnapped Mugabe and later contacted his family later using his mobile phone number demanding for a ransom of $20,000 (about Shs 73m) for his release.Kigezi region police spokesperson Ely Maate says Mugabe's family negotiated with the kidnappers to reduce the ransom money from $20,000 to $7,500. He says Mugabe's family sent the money prompting his kidnappers to escort him to Ishasha border in the wee hours of Tuesday morning where they set him free."We thank God that this Mugabe Robert who was kidnapped on August 3rd and his three colleagues were shot at and injured has come out alive. But this was after his relatives and friends deposited $7500 on the [mobile money] account." said Maate.He added that the kidnappers destroyed Mugabe's mobile phone after withdrawing the money. Maate says Mugabe is now at Kihihi police station helping police to trace the gunmen. He says the other victims who were admitted at Kihihi health centre IV in Kanungu district are responding to treatment.Mugabe's kidnap for ransom will reignite the fear that gripped the nation when in February this year,Susan Magara, daughter of wealthy businessman John Magara was kidnapped from Lugunjja in Kampala. The kidnappers contacted her family and demanded for $1 million ransom (about Shs 3.5 billion).

While the family reportedly sent the kidnappers Shs 700 million, Magara was nevertheless killed and her body dumped along the Southern bypass road in Kigo, Wakiso district. Magara's murder suspects are still on trial.
The just concluded police manpower audit has unearthed more than 8,000 ghost police officers, URN has learnt.

According to highly placed police sources, a report handed over to the inspector general of police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola last week shows that there were close to 40,000 police officers and policemen.



These include about 900 officers who were missing on the nominal roll and all those on other police records with the exception of recruitment files. Prior to the audit, police records indicated a total of 47,300 personnel on the nominal roll, an increase of 4,200 since the 2014 audit.



According to sources privy to the report, Ochola has tasked the audit team to investigate and establish how the ghost officers came to be on the nominal roll. Ochola who replaced Gen Kale Kayihura in March this year as police boss, ordered for a countrywide head count in June.

Police officers from Aswa region. An audit has unearthed 8,000 ghost police officers

"Some of the ghosts are as a result of deserters and retired officers who remain on the records even after they have long left the force," the source told URN on condition of anonymity.



It is yet to be established who has been receiving the salaries of the retired officers and deserters.

"Imagine they have been paying ghosts and yet there are so many police officers who have not been earning salary. They give excuses that the names of these officers are not on the nominal roll. They get time to create ghosts and they don't have time to rectify the nominal roll," a police officer attached to the Field Force Police (FFP) who has spent one year and four months without pay said.



Police spokesperson, Emilian Kayima said he wasn't aware that the headcount exercise had been concluded and a report made.

"No no, the exercise is not yet over. Anyway, let me ask the responsible people," Kayima said.

The last similar police manpower head count exercise was in 2009. In 2007, the army manpower audit found 3,000 ghost soldiers in its system during a payroll clean up exercise.

The revelation came four years after President Yoweri Museveni set up a committee of inquiry in 2003 to investigate claims of ghost soldiers.



Following the finding of ghost soldiers, the Defense ministry installed a computerized system known as the Information, Records and Management system to track the number of soldiers.
Without warning, a months-long traffic police crackdown on errant boda boda riders and taxi drivers in Kampala was abruptly stopped by Inspector General of Police John Martin Okoth Ochola last Thursday.

Days later, on Monday about 15 senior traffic officers were banished from Kampala Metropolitan Area. Simultaneously, investigations into suspected extortion and grand corruption were announced.

The affected officers, according to people with direct knowledge, were accused by boda boda riders in various petitions to the police chief of running an extortionist ring under the guise of cleaning up boda boda operations.

Off they were shuffled and transferred to far-flung districts in the countryside away from the lucrative capital city and Wakiso district. Things were so bad that some riders were threatening to physically harm some of their alleged tormentors.

Traffic officers on duty in Kampala city streets

The riders, insiders say, had threatened to pour acid on former Kira division traffic officer, ASP Dickson Odongo. Odongo was shipped off to the western Uganda district of Ntungamo as officer in charge of traffic in the Monday changes.

In random interviews with riders at stages near Central Police Station, Kampala, Pioneer mall, Constitution Square, Kira Road police station, Kamwokya, Hotel Africana and at the Jinja Road traffic lights  reports daily targeting of riders without protective helmets, licenses and those carrying two passengers or a wide load emerged.

Sometimes, they could even arrest you or impound your boda boda when you have all the requirements such a license and a helmet. They would instead accuse you of careless riding, Matia Lubega, a rider at CPS stage, said.

He said a rider accused of carrying two passengers would be arrested and the motorcycle impounded. To regain his freedom and the bike, the rider would be quietly asked to pay between Shs 200,000 and Shs 500,000.

If you delayed to collect your impounded vehicle or motorcycle from police, chances are you would find it either vandalised or auctioned off, he said.

Hassan Mpagi, another rider at CPS, said the most notorious traffic police extortion rackets operated outside of CPS, Katwe and Kawempe police stations.

On a daily basis, about 100 boda boda cyclists were detained at CPS by Julius Luyima, the head of traffic at CPS Kampala, and less than 20 percent were taken to court. The rest had to pay bribes to gain their freedom, Mpagi claimed.

At CPS Kampala, Mpagi said riders paid between Shs 150,000 and Shs 200,000 to retrieve their motorbikes. If a rider was detained as well, then he would be asked to come up with between Shs 300,000 to 500,000 to walk free and get back his machine.

Nasurudin, a boda-boda cyclist at Constitution Square, said Luyima informally retained an extortionist squad at CPS to deal directly with the desperate cyclists.

After Luyima brings suspects from the field, his team camps in room 35 where they are taken for statement recording. And then they start demanding money if you want your motorcycle released, he said.

Nasurudin said boda boda cyclists seeking remedies had to use Luyimas agents always camped inside the CPS canteen. Peter Kyomya, a boda boda rider at Acacia One stage, said police at Kira Road ask for impossible things.

He said he was once arrested for carrying two passengers and paid Shs 200,000 to be set free and get his motorcycle back.

They asked me for the motorcycle card, yet sometimes these cards are retained by the banks or organisations that give us these motorcycles on loan but these police officers insist, he said.

Kyomya also said cyclists are charged a towing fee for the impounded motorcycle, which ranges from Shs 20,000 to Shs 40,000. None of these fees are receipted. Money is paid directly to the officers.

Saulo Kakeeto, a rider at Hotel Africana, said traffic officers who man the streets should have also been transferred too because they make the dubious arrests.

I think the traffic commanders had outlived their usefulness and lost direction and even forgot what they are supposed to do, Im happy that some known officers have been transferred, he said.

They charge you according to your looks that day. I was arrested in Bweyogerere for carrying two passengers at around 9am in the morning. I tried to negotiate with them; they wanted Shs 60,000 but I did not have the money; so, one senior officer asked a junior officer to call a breakdown which took my motorcycle up to Jinja Road police station.

He said he was shaken down for Shs 100,000 to secure his motorcycle and another Shs 50,000 for the breakdown. John Bosco Mulira said he was arrested at Jinja Road traffic lights and his motorcycle kept at the police booth for a whole day.

These people [traffic police] waited for me at the lights, when I stopped with the help of UTODA traffic wardens. They grabbed me from the motorcycle and took it, I was lucky I escaped but I had to give them money in the evening, he said.

Farouk Mulindwa said the traffic officers lie in wait mostly at traffic lights junctions of Wandegeya and Jinja road.

However, one cyclist said some of his colleagues deserved to be arrested because they are unruly. Siraje Mutyaba, the chairperson of Century Boda Boda Motorcycle Association, said the transfers were timely and very welcome.

He said the rampant arrests were irresponsible and also confirmed that the traffic officers used middlemen and UTODA wardens to extort money.

They have brokers in plainclothes; every police station had brokers, they could arrest about 100 cyclists but only 10 could be taken to court, the rest were forced to pay bribes, he said by telephone.

zurah@observer.ug

justuslyatuu08@gmail.com


Phil Cox

Guidepost Strategies has signed up BMW of North America to work Washington about the negative impact that president Trumps steel and auto tariffs will have on American job creation.

Founding partner Phil Cox, who was executive director of the Republican Governors Association and a board member of Mitch McConnells Senate Leadership Fund, handles the BMW push.

BMW AGs manufacturing facility in Spartanburg (SC), which opened in 1994, has the highest production volume of any of its worldwide factories. Seventy percent of the Spartanburg output is exported.

The company fears that Trumps tariffs will result in retaliatory measures by China, Japan and South Korea to up the cost of BMWs US exports.

China, for instance, slapped a 40 percent tariff on US cars, triggering BMW to raise the price of its South Carolina-made X5s and X6s by four percent to seven percent.

All of these factors would substantially increase the costs of exporting passenger cars to these markets from the United States and deteriorate the market access for BMW in these jurisdictions, potentially leading to strongly reduced export volumes and negative effects on investment and employment in the United States, BMW said in a letter to US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

The German automaker warned Ross that walling off the US from foreign competition will provide less incentive for American companies to strive to raise their productivity and look for ways and means of producing ever better goods (and services) ever more cheaply.

The Commerce Dept. says BMW is Americas No. 1 highest value vehicle exporter.
Dave Meyers/Republic RecordsAriana Grande is sweetening the deal for her fans.

After her album, Sweetener, is released on August 17, shell be performing three exclusive shows dubbed The Sweetener Sessions.

surprise. im doing a lil thing called the sweetener sessions to celebrate release week w @americanexpress, Ariana tweeted. On sale 10 am local tmrw #amexlife ! the first of the sweetener sessions will take place in ny after the vmas. be der.

The New York City show will take place on August 20. There will also be a Chicago show on August 22, followed by a Los Angeles show on August 25.

Meanwhile, Ariana has revealed that she injured her hand while filming Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. She wouldn't say how the injury happened, only telling fans, "You'll see...it's so...stupid."

Despite the accident, Ariana says she had the "best day ever" shooting the episode. She also added that she "loves" her bandage.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Evangelist Alveda King: Revisiting Prophecy After the Hot Meeting at the White House

Contact: Leslie Palma, 732-757-9087

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Evangelist Alveda King submits the following and is available for comment:

Talk about a long hot summer Since my recent visit to the White House on August 1, 2018 , the heat has been turned up. Being a part of the group present for an update on President Trump's prison reform and urban initiative agenda has caused a firestorm in many circles, to say the least. At the meeting, his support for people of faith was emphasized, reminding us of his quoted position on faith:

"We will be one people, under one God, saluting one American flag."

"We will say Merry Christmas again!"

"Our republic was formed on the basis that freedom is not a gift from government. Freedom is a gift from God."

"Faith is more powerful than government, and nothing is more powerful than God."

"Across our land, we see the splendor of God's creation. Throughout our history, we see the story of God's providence. And in every city and town, we see the Lord's grace all around us, through a million acts of kindness, courage and generosity. We love God."

Also, here are some of candidate Donald J. Trump's campaign promises in 2016. (Note that President Trump has fulfilled most of them.):

 Defend Religious Liberty.

 Represent the unborn.

 Defund Planned Parenthood.

 Appoint conservative jurists to the Supreme Court and federal appeals courts.

 Reinstate the Mexico City Policy (block U.S. federal funds for abortion).

 Rescind the Johnson Amendment.

 Sign the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (2018).

 Move the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

"Having had a year and a half to take his measure, President Trump turns out to be a Samson, willing to do what God's people have not done. Even Samson's "parents did not know that this was from the LORD," on the occasion when Samson was confronting the Philistines.(3)

"Minority unemployment is at a historical low, the economy is soaring, and ISIS is defeated. There are tax cuts for all. Given all this, one particular question still requires an answer from both Democrats and moderate Republicans: "Is the take down of Trump 45 more important than the success of America?"

Success or failure? Which one will we choose? While I've often said that I don't care what people say or think about me, that's not entirely true. If your hatred for me prevents your being able to receive truth and light, I do care.

"Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?" Galatians 4:16

It's been a week since the meeting at the White House . I've been quiet on the networks since then; licking a few wounds I must admit. People have been very supportive or very hateful to those of us who attended the meeting with POTUS. I'm back now, asking for your prayers, and praying for you . God bless you.
Businessman in Kolkata shot at after his car was stopped by 18 men

Abandoned bag ahead of Mamata's arrival triggers bomb scare at Kolkata airport

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Kolkata, Aug 8: An abandoned bag was found at the Kolkata Airport today which triggered a bomb scare. The bag was found just ahead of Mamata Banerjee's arrival at the airport. Mamata had gone to Chennai on Tuesday to pay homage to Karunanidhi, who passed away last evening.

Bomb squad was rushed to the Kolkata airport and sniffer dogs were pressed into action. It was later found that the bag was empty.

In May this year, a misplaced bag near Thane railway station triggered a bomb scare. The bomb and dog squads were rushed to the spot, but nothing except clothes were found in the bag.

In April, an abandoned bag at the departure area of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) in Kolkata triggered a bomb scare.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 17:15 [IST]
BJP plans Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhinis branch near Delhi!

India

oi-Vinod

By Vinod

New Delhi, Aug 8: Bharatiya Janata Party is planning to start a branch of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini's either in Delhi or near Delhi. The party is looking for a suitable land and place to set up the branch of one of the most specialized institution of the BJP to benefit its workers.

Sources said that national BJP president Amit Shah has been looking for a suitable place near Delhi so that the branch office of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini could be set up. The organisation provides training to the political workers in a most professional manner which is named after Late Rambhau Mhalgi - a former BJP MP. Former Union minister Late Pramod Mahajan had played key role in developing the RMP.

Sources said that earlier there was a plan to give this responsibility to Vijay Sharma, former organisation secretary of Delhi BJP and the branch was to be planned in Haryana but now Sharma has been assigned something else. At present chairman of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini is Prof Anirudhdh Deshpande, vice chairman is Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahashrabudhdhe, who is an expert in political training.

Sources said that RMP works as an academy for training and orientation of socio-political activists and a centre for overall public-awakening activities and research projects. The institution was launched mainly as a memorial of Late Rambhau Mhalgi in 1982 as a unique Training and Research Academy, primarily aimed at enhancing the capabilities of voluntary activists and elected representatives of the people.

However, over the years it has been groomed as a multi-dimensional institute. Apart from training elected representatives, activists, civil servants and journalists, The RMP also provides conference and accommodation facilities to corporate houses. Sources said that just before the 2019 elections, the BJP needs training of lots of its workers. Moreover, training is not just election-centric. It is done 365 days so the BJP wants to set up an organisation close to Delhi so more people could be benefited.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 13:12 [IST]
Can BJP counter Rafale with Bofors: Two contentious deals that are very different

Rafale deal bigger scam than Bofors: Arun Shourie

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Rafale deal is a case of "monumental criminal misconduct" by the NDA government and the scam involving it is much bigger than the Bofors scandal, former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and alleged today, demanding a time-bound probe into the contract by national auditor CAG.

Sinha and Shourie, addressing a press conference along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, raised a number of questions over the Rs 58,000 crore deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The trio, known as strong critics of the NDA government, also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of single-handedly changing the parameters of the deal and that there was a gross violation of mandatory procedures in finalising the contract.

The entire deal was a "textbook case of criminal misconduct, of misuse of public office and of enriching parties at the expense of the national interest and national security", they alleged, adding there was an "effort" by the government to "conceal" facts.

The Congress has been accusing massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government for the procurement of 126 Rafale jets. The deal negotiated by the UPA could not be inked.

The trio also rejected government's contention that the prices of the aircraft have gone up due to India-specific add-ons and weapons systems, citing a joint statement by India and France during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Paris in 2015.

They said the joint statement mentioned that the aircraft and the associated systems and weapons would be delivered to India on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by Indian Air Force for the deal negotiated for procurement of 126 jets under the UPA government.

Shourie alleged that there had been "gross misuse of office" by which the original project for the acquisition of 126 fighter aircraft had been "sabotaged".

"I can tell you, as a person who handled the matter with regards to Bofors, that Bofors was absolutely nothing compared to this (Rafale scam). There was never a sudden change (in the deal) like this in which you suddenly give up the entire project," the former minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government said.

The Congress has also been pressing for price details of the deal but the NDA government has refused to divulge them citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. The government has asserted that there were no irregularities in the deal.

"I would suggest, on our behalf, that the audit which Comptroller and Auditor General was supposed to take up, that should be a forensic audit and it should be completed within three months," said Sinha, adding "It is a huge scam. Bofors pales into insignificance before this scam."

The Bofors scandal involving procurement of howitzer guns in late 1980s had rocked the then Rajiv Gandhi government.

Terming the Rafale deal as the "biggest defence scam" that this country has seen so far, Bhushan alleged that it involved a loss of at least 35,000 crore to the public exchequer.

The trio said the ever-shifting statements of the ministers of defence, invoking of secrecy clauses in the contract and the inexplicable dropping of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), from the project were among the factors which convinced them of the deal being "a major scandal".

"We are convinced that this is an enormous scandal that jeopardises national security and hence we feel the government must reveal the facts, especially the facts in relation to what the whole deal is going to cost the public exchequer," Shourie said.

"We hope that the opposition parties will relentlessly pursue this matter, the way the BJP had pursued Bofors at that time. With the same tenacity, the opposition parties must pursue the matter," he said.

The three leaders also accused the government of benefitting Reliance Defence, saying that the company which was under Rs 8,000 crore in debt and had no experience in making aircraft was involved under mandatory offset obligations of the French firm.

Strongly rejecting the charges, CEO of Reliance Defence and Aerospace Rajesh K Dhingra said no contract has been given to any Reliance Group company by the Ministry of Defence related to the purchase of the 36 Rafale aircraft.

"As all 36 aircraft are to be delivered 'fly-away', to be manufactured in France by Dassault and exported to India, how is the question of experience in manufacturing aircraft relevant here?" he asked.

Under India's offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.
Can I call you appa at least once now: Stalins emotional letter for Karunanidhi

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Aug 8: Can I address you as Appa once at least now? This was part of an emotional letter written by M K Stalin, following the death of his father, Karunanidhi, who passed away on Tuesday.

Here is the full transcript of the letter, translated from Tamil to English:

"You used to tell me the place where ever you go. Now, where have you gone without telling me? Where did you go leaving us all in the lurch? You had said 33 years back, what should be written in your memorial- Here lies the person who worked untiringly throughout his life. Have you now decided that you did enough for Tamil society."



" Are you hiding somewhere, to see if anyone can beat your achievements? On June 3, the day of your birthday, I begged for at least half the ability you had. Now will you give the heart you got long ago from Arignar Anna, to me? Because, with that significant donation, we will fulfill your unfulfilled dreams and ideals."



"On behalf of crores of 'Udanpirappukkal' (Karunanidhi used to address DMK cadre as Udanpirappu (blood brothers), I appeal to you: "Just utter the phrase 'Udanpirappe' once and that will make us work for a century! I used to address you as 'thalaivare' (leader) most of the time in my life than calling you as 'appa'. At least now, shall I address you once as 'appa'?"
CBI initiates probe into data theft of Indians from Facebook by Cambridge Analytica

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated initiated a preliminary inquiry to look into data theft of Indians from Facebook by British firms Cambridge Analytica & Global Science Research,news agency ANI reported on Wednesday.

Earlier, the government had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe political consultancy Cambridge Analytica's misuse of Facebook user data.

Facebook has faced increased scrutiny in the United States and the European Union over how Cambridge Analytica obtained the personal data of 87 million Facebook users. The consultancy allegedly used the data to support U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.

Facebook had admitted that information from 5.6 lakh Indian users may have been may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 17:53 [IST]
Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

Despite license being revoked, cops kept sending girls to Deoria shelter home

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Lucknow, Aug 8: The Deoria shelter home case seems to be getting murkier and murkier. What has now emerged in connection with the case is that the police continued to send girls there, despite the license of the shelter being suspended, because there was no other home for girls in the district.

Twenty-four girls were rescued from a shelter home in Deoria after allegations of sexual exploitation of the inmates came to light.

The licence for the Deoria shelter was suspended by the state government in June 2017. The shelter home was run by Girija Tripathi who has now been arrested along with her husband.

The district has no other shelter for girls. The nearest shelters are in Gorakhpur, 60 km away, and Ballia, about 120 km away. As a result, police stations in Deoria continued to send the girls to the shelter run by Tripathi, reported Indian Express.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday recommended a CBI probe into the Deoria shelter home case and also constituted an special investigation team (SIT) to ensure that there is no tampering of evidence.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi, woman and child welfare minister of Uttar Pradesh, said on Tuesday that strict action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence or connivance in the sexual exploitation racket that came to light in the state's Deoria district.
SC reserves verdict in Section 497 case: Centre says adultery should continue as penal offence

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Centre has once again reiterated that adultery must continue as a penal offence as it is a threat to the sanctity of marriage. It also said removing the provision that holds men guilty of adultery and not women will wreck havoc in the institution of marriage. The court has reserved orders on the matter.

Responding to a petition which seeks to strike down Section 497 or make both men and women liable for the offence of adultery, the Centre said, " striking down of the provision would tantamount to decriminalising the offence of adultery, thereby eroding the sanctity of marriage and the fabric of society at large."

The Centre says that Section 497 was enacted to safeguard the sanctity of a marriage and diluting it would be detrimental to matrimonial bond.

The court however asked why the burden of maintaining the sanctity of a marriage always rests on the woman and not the husband. What is the sanctity of the marriage if the consent of a husband is taken, the court also asked.

The centre said that we in India must evolve our laws according to societal developments and not go by what happens in western countries or other societies. The idea of Section 497 is not to enforce monogamy but protect fidelity in marriage, which is part of the promise made by parties to a marriage.

What does Section 497 state:

Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.

The Centre in its affidavit however did not deal with the contentious issue of making both men and women equally liable for the crime of adultery. The issue of equal liability is under consideration by the Law Commission of India. We will await the final report of the commission, the Centre also said.
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

Terrorist who was going to kill shopkeeper in J&K gunned down

J&K: 5 terrorists gunned down in Baramulla

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Srinagar, Aug 8: One terrorist was gunned down by the security forces on Thursday morning in an encounter which began yesterday in Baramulla. Fours terrorists were gunned down by the security forces on Wednesday in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.A total of five terrorists were killed in the Baramulla encounter.

On August 4, five terrorists were killed in Kiloora village in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. The operation concluded with the recovery of four bodies. The terrorists were identified as Arshad Ahmad Khan (LeT), Aijaz Ahmad Paul (AL Badr), Waqar Ahmed Sheikh (LeT), Umar Nazir Malik.

On August 6, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Anantnag. A huge cache of incriminating material and explosives have also been seized, reported ANI. The seized explosives were said to be meant for carrying out terror strikes.
'Karunanidhi like a father figure to me,' Sonia Gandhi writes letter to Stalin

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 8: United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote a touching letter to MK Stalin, condoling the passing away of Karunanidhi.

In the letter, the former Congress president described Karunanidhi as a "towering figure in the world of politics".

"For me, Kalaignar's loss is very personal. He always showed me great kindness and consideration, which I can never forget. He was like a father figure to me," Gandhi wrote.

"Throughout his long and magnificent life, he stood unwavering for social justice and equality, for development, progress and prosperity of Tamil Nadu, and for the well-being of every single citizen, especially the poorest and most marginalised," she said.

"He was also a brilliant literary figure who did so much to promote Tamil Nadu's rich and distinctive culture and arts, and brought worldwide recognition for it," she added.

"His decades at the helm of Tamil Nadu's government and politics have left a superb and enduring legacy, for which he will forever be honoured and remembered. I believe he had full confidence that you would nurture and take forward his legacy.""We shall not see the like of Kalaignar again, and our nation is poorer without his wise statesmanship, and his dedication to our country and our people," Gandhi wrote in her letter to Stalin.

Karunanidhi, 94, died at a private hospital yesterday following prolonged illness. The prime minister in his message had described the DMK chief as a prolific thinker and a deep-rooted mass leader who stood for regional aspiration and national progress.
Campaigning for First Phase of local body Polls Ends today; voting on Wednesday

TNEA Supplementary Counselling registration ends today at 5 pm: Direct link to register here

Karunanidhi: Age did not wither his pithy prose

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Agu 8: A script writer par excellence, M Karunanidhi began penning scripts for plays as a 20-year-old, his works becoming a vehicle for propagating the principles of the Dravidian movement.

Age did not wither his pithy prose and as he crossed 90, he wrote his last script for a television serial based on reformist Hindu saint Ramanuja, who strove for an egalitarian society.

Scripting dialogues for the television soap based on the 11-th century Vaishnavite saint in 2015, Karunanidhi had praised the saint for throwing his weight behind the oppressed and backward classes.

A voracious reader and prolific writer, Karunanidhi took a keen interest in Tamil literature, poetry and drama and even as a 20-year-old had enacted a reformist drama "Pazhaniappan.'

As a teenager, he ran a handwritten magazine "Manava Nesan" in 1941.

In 1947, Karunanidhi wrote the screenplay and dialogue for the blockbuster 'Rajakumari', the debut movie of M G Ramachandran, who later became his arch political rival and founded AIADMK.

Little did he know that his dialogues in 'Parasakthi' (1952), which debutant 'Sivaji' Ganesan delivered with panache, would become a big hit and aid in catapulting his political career as well.

Besides a host of plays like 'Manimagudam', he has penned screenplays and dialogues for over 50 movies and scripted the story for several of them.

'Manohara' (1954), 'Malaikallan' (1954), 'Rangon Radha' (1956) were among the movies in which he was involved as a screenwriter.

In addition to penning dialogues, he had also written stories for movies, including successful films like 'Marudanattu Ilavarasi', 'Mandiri Kumari (both 1950), Tirumbipar (1953) and Arasilangkumari (1961).

'Mani Makudam', 'Marakka Mudiyuma', 'Avan Pithana', 'Pookkari' and 'Needhikku Thandanai' were among his several other movies.

A noted Tamil author, Karunanidhi has over 100 works to his credit, including poems and novels.

His novels include Romapuri Pandian, Thenpandi Singam, Nenjukku Needhi (his autobiography and commentary on contemporary politics), Sanga Thamizh, Kuraloviam, Ponnar Shankar, Thirukkural Urai.

His stage plays include 'Manimagudam', 'Ore Ratham', 'Thooku Medai,' 'Kagithapoo' and 'Silapathikarum.

(With agency inputs)
Karunanidhi to be laid to rest at Marina rules Madras HC

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Aug 8: The Madras High Court has allowed the body of M Karunanidhi to be buried at the Marina Beach. After hearing arguments at length the court said that there is no impediment on burying the body at the Marina.

The court also directed that the government allot land forthwith at Marina. The order was passed while allowing a petition filed by the DMK which challenged the government's order of not allowing the burial at Marina.

With this order Karunanidhi would be laid to rest at the Marina where other leaders such as C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa were buried.

To find out how the arguments unfolded in the court, check our updates below:

Newest First Oldest First The Madras HC has only released an operative portion of the order in which it directed the TN government to allot space at Marina for the burial of Karunanidhi. The court said that the detailed order would follow later. The TN government may move the Supreme Court against the order of the Madras HC which permitted the burial of M Karunanidhi at Marina. The government counsel is currently waiting for a certified copy of the order. There is no impediment to bury Karunanidhis body in Marina says HC. The government is hereby directed to allow land forthwith, the court also orders. The Madras High Court has said that Karunanidhis body will be buried at Marina. Petition by DMK allowed. The verdict will be out anytime soon. The court is dictating orders on whether Karunanidhis body will be buried at Marina or not. If the order is not favourable to the TN government, it may approach the Supreme Court. Arguments conclude, court is now dictating the order DMK counsel Wilson says that Vaidyanathan has not argued legally. He argued with a vengeance. We are testing the decision of the government, this is not a writ of mandamus, Wilson also stated. Why has a family member not approached the court, the HC asks the DMK counsel. The application of mind has to be tested on the basis of circumstances that prevailed on the day when the decision was taken by the government. Defending the governments actions, Vaidyanathan says it was a fair call. The state has the highest respect for Karunanidhi, but the DMK petitioner is not espousing a bonafide cause and there is no ground made out to entertain the petition, the TN says in its concluding arguments. We cannot dispose off a writ petition so urgently like this says TN government. Madras HC asks sarcastically,  shall we adjourn it by a week? A sentiment cannot compel a court to issue a write of mandamus or direction says TN government. There has to be a right and corresponding duty to seek a writ of mandamus, the government further states. A press release is not a government order, it cannot be challenged, says Vaidyanathan who is advancing arguments in favour of the TN government. The government has passed a detailed order with all the reasons to deny a place at Marina for Karunanidhi. That has not been challenged by the DMK, the TN government contends. Former CMs are not included in central government protocol. Nobody will is going to question you if your allow Karunanidhis body to be buried at Marina says HC. Karunanidhi himself had followed this protocol. By going against it, it would actually amount to dishonouring him says TN govt. Why did you not mention the protocol regarding the former Cs in the press release issued yesterday, asks court. The petitioner R S Bharathi has not raised any ground with regard to discrimination. All that is mentioned in the petition is the violation of Article 14. Moreover the protocol with regard to funeral rites of high dignitaries has always been treated incumbent office holders and former office holders differently, TN government tells court. How does denying space at Marina become violative of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. Is there an averment in it regarding the Dravidian movement, asks C S Vaidyanathan who is arguing for the TN Government. TN government says that the CM had asked for the precedents and then taken a decision. The government also said that even the right to a decent burial is not mentioned in the writ petition filed by the DMK. If it is a valid classification, then why was it not mentioned in your press release, Bench asks TN government. TN government argues that classification between a former and sitting CM is valid. TN government cites Periyar, says he was the tallest leader of the Dravidian movement. Was he buried at the Marina, asks TN government counsel, Vaidyanathan. Some commotion breaks out in the court after the counsel for the TN government uses the word stage-managed. The DMK objects to the use of the word, as the judges try to pacify the lawyers. This is nothing but a political agenda being pursued by the DMK, TN government. The withdrawal of cases is stage managed and it is unfortunate, the government also says. The TN government has begun submissions. Senior counsel Vaidyanathan is representing the TN government. Arguing for the DMK, senior counsel Veera Kathiravan says that in its counter, the TN government has not disputed that Anna memorial is a notified burial ground. The DMK finds loopholes in the Central Government protocol relied upon by the TN government. It says that the protocol has nothing to do with the burial ground. Karunanidhi should be buried along with his mentor (Anna). Only then will be termed as a decent burial. There is no law that says only sitting CMs are eligible to be buried at Marina says DMK counsel. Out of the 7 crore population of Tamil Nadu, 1 crore are DMK followers and if land is not allowed at Marina, they will offended. The court says it wants to see the order which granted permission to bury Jayalalithaa at Marina. The DMK argued that the law has not changed between the death of Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa and hence his body should be buried at Marina. Activist Traffic Ramaswamy told the court that his petition relates to the relocation of the mausoleums of Anna, MGR and Jayalalithaa. The larger question can be decided after Karunanidhi is buried at Marina. Activist Traffic Ramaswamy told the court that his petition relates to the relocation of the mausoleums of Anna, MGR and Jayalalithaa. The larger question can be decided after Karunanidhi is buried at Marina. Justice Hulavadi G Ramesh tells TN government that the more time you take on deciding, the more trouble you may have to face in maintaining law and order. The TN government cited protocol as the reason for burying Jayalalithaa at Marina. However the DMK said that protocol is not the law. Tamil Nadu based advocate Duraiswamy has said that he had withdrawn his PIL. He alleged that there were "political motives behind not allowing Karunanidhi's burial at Marina beach" and said that his petition had nothing to do with providing Karunanidhi a place beside his political God-father Anna Durai. The petition was in fact against the burial of Jayalalithaa, he also said. The DMK will argue that Karunanidhi should be allowed to be buried at Marina given his political stature. In total there were five petitions pending in the HC on the issue relating to the burial of leaders at Marina. However with the death of Karunanidhi, four of the five have been withdrawn. Senior advocate Duraisamy told journalists, The Anna Memorial does not fall under the Coastal Regulatory Zone since it was facing landward. Therefore there should not be any problem in allowing Kalaignar to be buried there. Hearing in the Madras HC has begun The government has served its counter-affidavit on the DMK counsel In counter affidavit government cites examples of former CM Kamraj who was buried at Gandhi Mandapam. It was Karunanidhi who had allowed the said place and not any site in Marina as Kamraj was not a sitting CM, the government also said. Govt also says that there is another memorial for M Bhaktavatsalam, former CM at the Gandhi Mandapam. Memorials for these stalwarts indicate that a leader who was not serving as a CM are remembered at the Gandhi Mandapam, govt also says. The court has asked Traffic Ramaswamy to withdraw his case. He had told the court that his petition relates to the relocation of the mausoleums of Anna, MGR and Jayalalithaa. The larger question can be decided after Karunanidhi is buried at Marina. Traffic Ramasway has requested the court for more time to withdraw the case. Traffic Ramasway says he has no objection to Karunanidhi being buried at Marina. Acting CJ insists he withdraws the case. He prays for more time. Court records submission of Traffic Ramaswamy who said he has no objection to Karunanidhi being buried at Marina. He has been told to file a memo that he has no objection to Karunanidhi being buried at Marina. Madras HC has dismissed the petition filed by Traffic Ramaswamy, which challenged the construction of memorials at Marina. On DMKs petition, the court has started dictating the order. The HC is currently dictating the order with the facts. The final order would be pronounced after hearing the counsels. State counsel C S Vaidyanathan says that the state is not in any urgency to get the order passed today. The court may pass it if it wants. This was in response to the court saying that it was dictating facts first as the order has to be delivered today itself. The court has recorded the contents of the counter affidavit filed by the Tamil Nadu government, which has opposed the DMKs plea to bury Karunanidhi at Marina. The state argues that the DMK cannot challenge a press release issued by the government. In the press note, the government had expressed its inability to allot a space at Marina for the burial. Karunanidhi himself did not allot land at Marina for Janaki Ramachandran when he was the CM. He took into account the protocol manual, the government argues. Sitting chief ministers and former CMs cannot be treated as equals when it comes to protocol, the TN government says. The DMK has commenced arguments. The party is being represented by senior counsel, P Wilson. DMKs counsel argues that Kamarajar and Gandhi Mandapam are in Adyar and not Marina because the ideologies of these leaders were different from that of the Dravidian leaders. Anna always said Karunanidhi is his life and soul. The ideologies of both DMK and AIADMK are more or less the same and hence MGR was given space at Marina, DMK argues. If Karunanidhi is not buried in Marina, it would hurt sentiments of people. It would amount to discrimination, argues, DMK. The grounds raised by the government are flimsy and not tenable legally says DMK.
Campaigning for First Phase of local body Polls Ends today; voting on Wednesday

Karunanidhi gifted his house for a hospital

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Aug 8: Departed DMK chief M Karunanidhi gifted his residence at upscale Gopalapuram here in 2010 for setting up a hospital for the poor.

On the eve of his 86th birthday, he donated it to Annai Anjugam Trust, (named after his mother) to run a hospital for the poor after his and his wife's lifetime.

In 1968, he registered the house in the name of his sons Alagiri, Stalin and Tamilarasu and after getting their consent in 2009, the DMK veteran had donated it to the trust.

Former union minister A Raja and noted Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu are among the trustees of the Trust. Karunanidhi purchased the house in 1955.

(With agency inputs)
Karunanidhi: Man who fought for Dravida Nadu, was first TN CM to hoist Tricolour

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Aug 8: M Karunanidhi, who was once part of a struggle for the establishment of a Dravida Nadu was also incidentally the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to unfurl the National Flag on Independence Day.

Until the year 1973, Governors who were considered to be representatives of the states would hoist the Tricolour on both Independence Day and Republic Day.

In February 1974, Karunanidhi during his second term as Chief Minister complained that the CMs were being ignored on both August 15 and January 26. He raised the issue at the time he was intensifying a struggle for state autonomy.

When the Prime Minister could hoist the National Flag on Independence Day, why could the chief ministers not do it, he had asked at an event in Chennai. He continued to pressurise the Centre on the issue and in July 1974, the then PM, Indira Gandhi conceded to his request. She announced that on August 15, chief ministers would hoist the flag, while on Republic Day it would be the Governor.

On August 15 1974, the rule came into force and Karunanidhi went on to become the first CM of Tamil Nadu to hoist the Tricolour at the Fort St. George.
Campaigning for First Phase of local body Polls Ends today; voting on Wednesday

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Karunanidhi no more: 2 dead, 33 injured in stampede at Rajaji Hall in Chennai

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Chennai, Aug 8: Two people were killed and 33 others injured in scuffle and stampede outside Rajaji Hall in Chennai where the mortal remains of Dr. M Karunanidhi have been kept.

MK Stalin's appeal to people to maintain peace went in vain. He blamed Tamil Nadu government for 'trying to create chaos'.

Stalin said, " Those who are in power are trying to create chaos, but you have all shown the strength of the cadres. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace."

"I request the cadre to remain calm, I did not want anything for myself. All I want is a fitting tribute to Kalaignar, he said.

People were seen climbing walls in an attempt to enter Rajaji Hall after Police blocked hall entrance due to huge crowds.

#Watch: Scuffle between breaks out between Police & crowd gathered at #RajajiHall, police resort to lathi charge. #Karunandhi pic.twitter.com/jBjKdfrNzK  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

DMK party workers throng Rajaji Hall DMK party workers during the funeral of DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai on Wednesday, Aug. 08, 2018. Karunanidhi died yesterday after a prolonged illness. PTI photo Party worker faints A DMK party worker faints during the funeral of DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai on Wednesday, Aug. 08, 2018. Karunanidhi died yesterday after a prolonged illness. PTI photo DMK workers mourn DMK workers mourn the death of their Party chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai on Wednesday, Aug. 08, 2018. Karunanidhi died yesterday after a prolonged illness. PTI photo Dejected party workers DMK workersmourn the death of their Party chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai on Wednesday, Aug. 08, 2018. Karunanidhi died yesterday after a prolonged illness. PTI photo
Mutual cooperation in Covid era will strengthen our ties in future: PM Modi at 18th ASEAN-India summit

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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.
Kathua rape case: SC issues notice to J&K government over alleged torture of witness Talib Hussain

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Jammu and Kashmir government on habeas corpus petition filed by family member of Talib Hussain, a key witness in the sensational Kathua gang rape and murder case. The petition alleges that Hussain was kept in illegal detention and was subjected to custodial torture.

The next hearing in this case has been fixed for August 21.

A habeas corpus (produce the body) writ petition was filed by the cousin of the witness. Hussain's family alleged that he was tortured in police custody in a fake rape case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee on Tuesday (August 7) considered the submission of a close relative of Hussain, seeking urgent hearing on the plea.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, counsel for the petitioner, later said Hussain was subjected to torture in Sambha in the state and they are seeking "judicial intervention" in the matter.

The apex court has transferred the trial in the Kathua gang rape and murder case to Pathankot after taking note of the plea of the father of the victim apprehending threat to the family. Hussain is a key witness in the Kathua gang rape case, in which an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community disappeared from near her home in a village close to Kathua in the Jammu region on January 10.

Her body was found in the same area a week later. The state police's Crime Branch, which probed the case, filed the main charge sheet against seven persons and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile in a court in Kathua district. The charge sheet has revealed chilling details about how the girl was allegedly kidnapped, drugged and raped inside a place of worship before being killed.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 12:19 [IST]
Bihar court's unique condition to rape accused to get bail: Wash clothes of 2000 women

Bihar judge who asked molestation accused to wash clothes of 2000 women restrained from work

Not giving up demand for special status for Bihar: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

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Muzaffarpur shelter home case: Bihar Minister Manju Verma resigns

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Patna, Aug 8: Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma on Wednesday handed over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid uproar over sex scandal case in the Muzaffarpur shelter home.

Verma met the chief minister and handed over her resignation to him, PTI reported quoting sources.

The resignation came a day after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said that he will not spare anyone found involved even if it is minister Verma.

Manju Verma has been is in the eye of a storm after the name of her husband cropped up in connection with an abuse case at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur district.

Her husband is accused of having links with alleged mastermind in the case Brajesh Thakur.

There was a widespread criticism against the state government led by Nitish Kumar after the report of sexual abuse of 34 girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur emerged.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi asserted that there was no need for the resignation of Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma or any other minister in the aftermath of the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal on Monday "just because some people are giving statements".

However, he said that if Verma is found involved or if anything is found against her in connection with the shelter home sex scandal, she may be asked "to go".

A shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur is at the centre of an alleged sex scandal where the victims are minor inmates and one of the abusers is the owner of the non-government organisation (NGO) operating it.
Muzaffarpur shelter home case: Prime accused alleges conspiracy

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Patna, Aug 8: Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, alleged that he was being framed in the case.

Brajesh Thakur, said, "I was in touch with Manju Verma's husband but it was for political reasons. None of the girls from my shelter home have levelled any accusation against me."

Manju Verma is social welfare minister in Nitish Kumar's Cabinet. Thakur alleged that he was being framed in the case due to professional and political reasons.

"I've never had any relation with Madhu (absconding). This has been propagated by some newspapers who want my newspaper office to shut down. Their business is getting affected due to my newspaper that's why it's happening," Thakur told reporters outside court premises, reports ANI.

"I was thinking of joining Congress and it was almost final that I contest elections from Muzaffarpur. This is also happening due to that. None of the girls has taken my name, you can check that for yourself:," Thakur added.

The case came to light when Bihar's social welfare department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home, conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. On May 31, an FIR was registered against 11 people, including Thakur -- who was arrested in the first week of June.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 13:06 [IST]
Need 6X6 ft land for our leader, nothing else: DMKs emotive pitch in HC

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Aug 8: The DMK won a battle against the Tamil Nadu government after the Madras High Court ruled that M Karunanidhi would be buried at Marina. At Marina, three former chief ministers, C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa have been laid to rest.

The DMK put out an emotive argument at the court when it said, " all we need is 6X6 ft land for our leader and nothing else." It was also pointed out that Karunanidhi's mentor, Annadurai too is buried there.

The petition in the HC became necessary after the Tamil Nadu government rejected the DMK's request to bury their leader at Marina. It may be recalled that the TN government had circumvented a ban on the construction of 500 metres from the water front along the beach by burying Jayalalithaa in an existing memorial of M G Ramachandran.

The DMK told the court that the same yardstick should apply for Karunanidhi as well. The state however cited pending legal cases and also the Coastal Zone Regulation Act. It said that 2 acres of land would be allowed at Gandhi Mandapam. Other former CMs, Rajaji, and Kamaraj are also buried at the same place.
'Let's teach lesson to Modi govt': Stalin attacks BJP in first speech as DMK chief

Never an MP, Karunanidhi gets a rare honour as Parliament adjourns as mark of respect

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 8: In a rare gesture, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today after paying obituary to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who passed away yesterday. Notably, a five-time Chief Minister and a 13-time lawmaker, Karunanidhi had never been a member of parliament.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informed members of the demise of Karunnidhi (94).

Describing him as a "visionary" and a "leader of the masses", she said he spread his political philosophy through screen writing and produced some of the best hits in Tamil cinema. After observing a moment of silence in his memory, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day.

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, reading out an obituary reference, described Karunanidhi as a multifaceted personality and a gritty figure who overcame difficulties.

Beginning his career as a screen play writer, Karunanidhi used Tamil cinema to propagate Dravadian ideology and contributed to Tamil culture, he said.

While it is a convention for parliament to adjourn to pay respects to departed members -- present and former -- the honour had never been extended to a non-member before.
No interviewing minor survivors of sexual abuse or using their blurred photos, SC reiterates

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Supreme Court, which expressed concern today over incidents of rape in the country by observing that women are being raped "left, right and centre", has asked all the print, electronic and social media not to publish or display photos of survivors of sexual abuse even in blurred or morphed form in any case across in the country.

The top court also warned against interviewing minor survivors of sexual abuse saying it has serious mental impact.

It asked the Centre to appraise it on steps proposed to be taken to prevent sexual abuse of minors in shelter homes across country.

It said that survivors of child sex abuse can only be interviewed by members of National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commissions For Protection of Child Rights in presence of counsellors.

The top court also pulled up the Delhi Commission for Women for trying to intervene in the Bihar shelter home case and said that no politics should be involved in the matter.

Earlier in the day, a bench comprising justices MB Lokur, Deepak Gupta and KM Joseph came down heavily on the Bihar government for funding the NGO which ran the shelter home in Muzaffarpur where girls were allegedly sexually abused.

The bench, during the hearing in the morning, referred to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data and said that every six hours, a woman is raped in India.

It referred to the NCRB data and said 38,947 women were raped in India in 2016.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), which conducted an audit of shelter homes, told the court that out of 110 such institutions in Bihar, "grave concerns" have been raised about 15.

To this, the Bihar government told the apex court that nine cases of sexual abuse have been lodged involving these 15 institutions run by various NGOs.

Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of the state-funded NGO.

The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by TISS to the state's social welfare department in April.

An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur, on May 31. 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 were among those who were arrested by the police in connection with the case.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 7:14 [IST]
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election: Shiv Sena to back NDA candidate Harivansh Singh

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said it will support the NDA's nominee in the election for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman's post.

The NDA has fielded Harivansh Narayan Singh of the JD(U) for the August 9 election. "We will back the NDA candidate," said Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai.

BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday called his Sena counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and sought support for the August 9 election.

The Shiv Sena had abstained from voting on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha moved by the Opposition last month against the Modi government.

The Congress has reportedly decided field BK Hariprasad in the election for the post of Deputy Chairman in Rajya Sabha.

Going by the existing situation, the NDA does not have the numbers on its side. It has the support of 90 MPs in the Upper House with parties such as the BPF, JD(U), NPF, RPI, SAD and SDF backing it.

The NDA would also look for the support of three out of the four nominated members. Going by these numbers, the NDA is still short of around 32 votes. To win the election in the 245 member house, a candidate would require the support of 123 members.

The opposition on the other hand has the support of 112 MPs which includes the Congress, AAP, TMC, BSP, CPI (M), DMK, IUML, JD(S), Kerala Congress, NCP, RLD, PDP, SP, and TDP. With these numbers, the opposition is still short by 11 members.

The post of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since June this year after the retirement of PJ Kurien, who was elected to the upper house on a Congress ticket from Kerala.
BJD not to hold rallies, campaign meets for May 13 Pipili by- polls: Patnaik

More than 1,000 govt schools in Odisha will be transformed with modern facilities: CM

RS dy-chairman election: BJD to support NDA candidate

India

pti-PTI

Bhubaneswar, Aug 8: Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said his party will support the NDA candidate in the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman today.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken to me and our party will support the JD(U) candidate in the Rajya Sabhas deputy chairman election, Patnaik told reporters on his return from Mumbai.

The BJD will support the JD(U) since the two parties have emerged from the Jay Prakash Narayan movement, while the Congress candidate was the AICC in-charge of Odisha and vitriolic in his statements against the BJD, Patnaik said.

The BJD believes that there should be unanimity when it comes to constitutional posts, such as Speaker and deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Patnaik said, adding his party waited for a unanimous decision to emerge, but it did not happen. He also said that a number of political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, had spoken to him in this regard.

A keen contest is on the cards tomorrow between NDA nominee Harivansh and joint opposition candidate B K Hariprasad for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, with both sides claiming majority support.

The numbers, however, appear stacked in favour of the ruling coalition which claims the support of 126 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs. While Harivansh is a first-time MP of the JD-U, Hariprasad is a three-time parliamentarian of the Congress. The BJD has nine MPs in the Upper House.

PTI
SC refuses to entertain plea seeking stay on Karunanidhis last rites

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Aug 8: The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a petition that sought a stay on the last rites of M Karunanidhi. Activist Traffic Ramaswamy had approached the Supreme Court against the order of the Madras High Court which permitted the burial of Karunanidhi to be held at Marina Beach.

Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu government will not prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court. The government indicated that it has accepted the order of the Madras HC and will not go in appeal to the Supreme Court. Moreover the Madras HC too provided only an operative portion of the judgment and said that the full order would follow.

The DMK put out an emotive argument at the court when it said, " all we need is 6X6 ft land for our leader and nothing else." It was also pointed out that Karunanidhi's mentor, Annadurai too is buried there.

The petition in the HC became necessary after the Tamil Nadu government rejected the DMK's request to bury their leader at Marina. It may be recalled that the TN government had circumvented a ban on the construction of 500 metres from the water front along the beach by burying Jayalalithaa in an existing memorial of M G Ramachandran.

The DMK told the court that the same yardstick should apply for Karunanidhi as well. The state however cited pending legal cases and also the Coastal Zone Regulation Act. It said that 2 acres of land would be allowed at Gandhi Mandapam. Other former CMs, Rajaji, and Kamaraj are also buried at the same place.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 15:53 [IST]
SC/ST Commission summons Aligarh Muslim University VC

India

oi-Vinod

By Vinod

New Delhi, Aug 8: The government does not want to leave any chance to please Dalit community in the election as the decision of Aligarh Muslim University not allowing a reservation to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes may cost it dear.

National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission has asked vice chancellor of the university to appear before it on August 9. The commission is committed to provide reservation to Dalits in these institutions.

Now the commission will tighten its noose on Jamia Milia Islamia as well. Chairman of National Scheduled Caste Commission Ram Shankar Katheria said that he was committed to get reservation implemented in these institutions. He said that Aligarh Muslim University utilized over Rs 7000 crore in the past 10 years. If the institution is getting financial assistance from the government why can't it follow constitutional provisions to provide reservations to SCs and others. He said that Aligarh Muslim University was not a minority institution. This is simply a Central University and every rule and instruction as per Indian constitution is applicable here.

Katheria further said that a five-member constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that Aligarh Muslim University was a Central University not a minority institution. He said that university tries to get away by referring the decision of Justice Arun Tandon of 2005. University is saying that it is not bound to follow the reservation policy of constitution Under section 15 (5) Article 30. High Court in its decision rejected the amendment Act 1981 of the Centre that it was not as per essence of constitution. However, the court ruled the 1967 decision as correct that Aligarh Muslim University is not a minority institution.

Katheria asked that why did the university not implement reservation before 2005. He said that the Supreme Court decisions in 1968, 2005 and 2006 Aligarh Muslim University must provide reservation to SC, ST and OBC students. The Commission has convened a meeting in this regard in which AMU VC, registrar, secretary Union Human Resource Development ministry, secretary social welfare ministry and chairman university grant commission participate. He said that decision to SC in AMU might be taken after this meeting. However, the matter is still in the court.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 21:48 [IST]
Campaigning for First Phase of local body Polls Ends today; voting on Wednesday

Where is Periyar buried?

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Chennai, Aug 8: Madras High Court ordered to bury Dr M. Karunanidhi at Marina beach in the case against denial of burial land citing protocol by Tamil Nadu Government.

The DMK felt that such a tall leader must be buried at the Marina along with other stalwarts such as CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

However, Tamil Nadu government counsel, Vaidyanathan asked: " Periyar, the tallest leader of the Dravidian movement, was he buried at the Marina?"

Where was E.V. Ramasamy aka Periyar buried?

E.V. Ramasamy, the founder of Dravidar Kazhagam, revered as 'Periyar' was buried at Thidal at Vepery in Chennai.

On December 24, the resolute Rationalist, Periyar, breathed his last, putting billions of rationalists, Tamilians of Dravidian race and admirers all over the globe into unbearable agony.

An official State mourning was announced by then ChiefMinister Dr. M Karunanidhi and Gazette extraordinary was issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu. A state funeral with police honours was arranged in Madras (now Chennai). His body was kept in the Rajaji Hall for the public to pay their respects.

The funeral procession started in the evening and reached the Periyar Thidal at Vepery, Chennai where his body was laid to rest. Leaders like former Chief Minister Mr. K. Kamaraj and Karunanidhi came in the procession.

A Government holiday was declared on 24-12-1973 by the State Govt of Tamil Nadu.
Ivanka Trump thanks 'the great' Indra Nooyi for being a mentor and inspiration

International

oi-Pushyarag

Washington (Aug 8): Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, has inspired millions of women across the world and one such inspired woman happens to be the senior advisor to the President of America, Ivanka Trump.

For people living under the rock, Ivanka Trump is a businesswoman, fashion designer, author and reality television personality. She was also appointed as the senior advisor to her father, the American President, Donald Trump.

Taking to twitter, Ivanka Trump wrote, "The great @IndraNooyi is stepping down as PepsiCo CEO, after 12 yrs. Indra, you are a mentor + inspiration to so many, myself included. I am deeply grateful for your friendship. Thank you for your passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond."

The great @IndraNooyi is stepping down as PepsiCo CEO, after 12 yrs.

Indra, you are a mentor + inspiration to so many, myself included. I am deeply grateful for your friendship. Thank you for your passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond  Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 7, 2018

In 2016, Nooyi had joined a 19-person Strategic and Policy Forum created by then President-elect Trump as he prepared his economic agenda for the US. However, the forum disbanded in August 2017 in the wake of Trump's confrontational response to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Sixty-two-year-old Nooyi joined Pepsi Co in 1994 and became CFO in 2001. The India-born high profile executive became CEO in 2006. She drove the company's global strategy. Nooyi will step down on October 3 after 24 years with the company, of which she was the CEO of the company for 12 years.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 18:15 [IST]
Trump government imposes USD 16 billion import tariffs on China

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Aug 8: In what is being termed as a response to China's "unfair trade practices", the US announced a 25 per cent tariffs on import of 279 items from China on Wednesday (Aug 8). This is the second tranche of such tariffs and comes into effect on August 23.

Washington had already imposed tariffs on USD 34 billion on July 6 but held off on a final USD 16 billion in goods as a result of concerns from US companies. After coming to power, the Trump administration has initiated steps to address the issue of massive balance of trade with China and to the alleged Chinese theft of intellectual property.

In March 2018, the US Trade Representative (USTR) had released the findings of its "exhaustive" Section 301 investigation that found China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are "unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce".

The investigation had revealed that China uses joint venture requirements, foreign investment restrictions, and administrative review and licensing processes to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies and it deprives US companies of the ability to set market-based terms in licensing and other technology-related negotiations. It also found that China directs and unfairly facilitates the systematic investment in, and acquisition of, US companies and assets to generate large-scale technology transfer.

The USTR claimed that China conducts and supports cyber intrusions into US commercial computer networks to gain unauthorized access to commercially valuable business information. The world's two biggest economies are locked in a trade dispute. But there seems no solution at sight as the Trump administration prepares for tariffs of up to 25 per cent on an additional USD 200 billion in Chinese products.

PTI
US navy veteran gets 3 life terms for killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla

International

oi-Madhuri

New York, Aug 8: A US Navy veteran was awarded three consecutive life sentences on federal hate crime charges for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounding two others at a suburban Kansas City bar last year.

Adam Purinton of Olathe shot and killed 32-year-old Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and wounded two others - Indian national Alok Madasani and Kansas resident Ian Grillot - at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas, in February 2017.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty in federal court to hate crime and firearm offenses arising out of the shooting.

At his federal guilty-plea hearing, Purinton admitted in open court that he targeted and shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani because of their race, colour, and national origin, and that he shot Grillot during an attempt to flee the scene of the crime.

The sentences handed down in federal court today will run consecutively to another life sentence 53-year-old Purinton previously received for first-degree murder in Johnson County District Court.

None of his victims were in court today.

"The crimes at issue in this case are detestable," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

"The defendant acted with clear premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man, simply because of their race, religion, and national origin. As a result, a promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been filled with suffering."

Jeff Sessions said that while the "irreparable harm" that Purinton has done cannot be undone, "some measure of justice for the victims' families has been achieved."

In a statement, Kuchibhotla's widow said that her husband was always "respectful to others" and would have helped Purinton understand that not every brown skinned person is evil but is contributing to America's growth.

"My husband was more than what you chose to address him as. Always kind, caring, and respectful to others. Srinu and I came to the US of America full of dreams and aspirations...Now, my American Dream - and that of Srinu's - is broken," Sunayana Dumala said in the statement read out in court today as Purinton was sentenced, calling her husband by his informal name.

"...(U)se the time that is being given to you to educate yourself and inform others who are still out in the open and stop them from killing innocent people as you did - choosing violence over kindness," she added.

US Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of Kansas said a person should be able to live without fear of becoming a victim of hate crimes irrespective of "who you are, what you believe, or how you worship."

The killing of Kuchibhotla had shaken the Indian community and led to heightened fear and anxiety among the South Asian population in general and the Indian community in particular, about their safety. Concerns grew in the community about misplaced perceptions among individuals over immigration status and ethnicity of Indians and South Asians in America.

According to evidence presented in court, a few weeks before the shooting, Purinton was sitting by himself in the bar area at Austins Bar & Grill when, coincidentally, Kuchibhotla and Madasani happened to be having a drink on the patio. Noticing the two men, Purinton commented to a regular sitting at the bar, "Did you see the terrorists on the patio?"

On February 22, 2017, Purinton drove to Austins Bar & Grill and sat by himself at a table on the enclosed front patio. Sitting at the table to his left were Ian Grillot and several other patrons as well as Kuchibhotla and Madasani. He approached Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and demanded to know where they were from and how they entered the country.

Purinton poked Kuchibhotla in the chest, called him a "terrorist" and an epithet disparaging persons of Middle Eastern descent, and shouted, "Get out of my country!"

Grillot and another patron interceded, told Purinton that he needed to leave, and escorted him out of the bar.

Purinton drove home and retrieved a semi-automatic pistol and to disguise his identity, changed into a different shirt and grabbed a blue-and-white scarf. Later, he returned to the bar.

He walked over to the enclosed front patio, opened the door, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and fired eight rounds-at least four of which struck Kuchibhotla, who died from his injuries, and one of which struck Madasani, who was injured, but survived. Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.

Purinton admitted that he shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani, attempting to kill both men, because of their race, colour, religion, and national origin. After shooting Kuchibhotla and Madasani, Purinton ran out, and Grillot chased after him. As Grillot caught up to him, Purinton turned around and shot Grillot, who was also injured but survived.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 9:07 [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

US reimposes tough, unilateral sanctions against Iran

International

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Washington, Aug 7: The United States re-imposed a wave of tough, unilateral sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, three months after President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the international accord limiting Iran's nuclear activities.

Trump declared the landmark 2015 agreement had been "horrible," leaving the Iranian government flush with cash to fuel conflict in the Middle East.

Iran accused the US of reneging on the nuclear agreement, signed by the Obama administration, and of causing recent Iranian economic unrest. European allies said they "deeply regret" the US action.

Trump said in a statement, "We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice: either change its threatening, destabilizing behavior and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation."

A first set of US sanctions that had been eased under the accord were going into effect at one minute past midnight under an executive ordered signed by Trump. Those sanctions affect financial transactions that involve U.S. dollars, Iran's automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals including gold.

A second batch of US sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector and central bank are to be reimposed in early November.

Trump warned that those who don't wind down their economic ties to Iran "risk severe consequences."

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)

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Story first published: Tuesday, August 7, 2018, 9:59 [IST]
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Reportedly, at a press conference held last night, the secretary of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, warned against the Muslim Brotherhood's threat. He said that the Muslim Brotherhood leaders did something worse than taking arms and killing Muslims because they created a kind of "cultural terrorism" by categorizing the public based on their misinterpretation of religious texts.

Bin Zayed said that with the support of Qatar and Erdogan, the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to use this systematic terrorism to hit the countries of the region, especially the UAE, Egypt and Afghanistan. Sheikh believes that this triangle relies on the money of the Qatar, the doctrine of the Brotherhood and the power of Erdogan. However, he emphasized that we took important steps to control and weaken this terrorist triangle and they are doomed to failure with the cooperation of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

It should be noted that a few days ago, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced his support for the formation of a military alliance, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, entitled "Arab NATO." Reuters reports that "the Trump administration is quietly pushing ahead with a bid to create a new security and political alliance with six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan."

The Washington Times puts that Trump's plan for establishing "Middle East Strategic Alliance" and creating "Arab NATO" has been drawing wide range of global reactions from total optimism to casting serious doubt on its success.

However, while many analysts believe that this Arab NATO is going to be created to confront Iran, Sheikh Zayed's recent statements reveals that Arab NATO should get ready for a long-term war in the region among the Arab nations.
Seventeen-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi has been freed from Israeli prison after eight months behind bars. Known to some as the Rosa Parks of Palestine, Tamimi became a hero to Palestinians and people around the world last year after a viral video showed her slapping a heavily armed Israeli soldier near her family's home in the occupied West Bank.

The incident came just after Tamimi learned her cousin had been gravely wounded by an Israeli soldier who shot him in the head using a rubber-coated steel bullet. Video of Tamimi confronting the soldier went viral, elevating her into a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Ahed was soon arrested in the middle of the night and charged with assault in an Israeli military court. She was sentenced to eight months in an Israeli prison and celebrated her 17th birthday behind bars.

Her mother was also arrested and charged for incitement, in part for streaming video online showing the interaction between Tamimi and the Israeli soldier.

Tamimi and her mother, Nariman, were released in late July.

We speak with Ahed Tamimi from her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.

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From Informed Comment

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's campaign manager, is being tried for money laundering, keeping some 15 illegal foreign accounts, and cheating the government out of the taxes he rightfully owed, among a host of other crimes.

Manafort joined Trump's presidential campaign in March, 2016, having offered to work for free, and tried to persuade delegates to back trump. On June 20, 2016, Trump made Manafort his campaign manager. Manafort was intimately involved in running the campaign, overseeing millions of dollars, campaign strategy, and staffing. Manafort was involved in the infamous meeting on June 9, 2016, with Russian agent Natalia Veselnitskaya, set up by Emin Agalarov and Vladimir Putin, which Trump and his son Don Jr. are said to have attempted to get hacked dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians.

The quid pro quo would be the lifting of Magnitsky Act sanctions on Putin cronies and oligarchs in Russia who allegedly had been involved in the murder of political opponent. As campaign chair, Manafort had a plank taken out of the Republican platform that pledged military aid to Ukraine to fight Russian incursions in the east. Manafort had allegedly received over $12 mn from the pro-Russian Ukrainian Party of Regions at one time headed by Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. When this allegation became public in mid-August, Trump fired Manafort after the latter's six months of direct service, and brought the fascist white nationalist Steve Bannon aboard in the campaign chairman position.

Manafort's business associate Rick Gates has rolled over on him, providing the Federal government with information on the illegal activities that the two engaged in, and admitting along the way that he, Gates, had defrauded Manafort of some $800,000.

Where did the millions of dollars come from that Manafort allegedly laundered or hid in secret overseas accounts?

Well, some millions appear to have come from Russian oil money, laundered through Ukrainian sockpuppets.

But Manafort was not new at this business of influence peddling. He had worked on the Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush campaigns, and was extremely well-connected in the Republican Party. His lobbying firm in the 1990s and after represented the most sordid gallery of torturers and villains ever assembled in one client list.

There was no strong man so idious that Manafort would not take his money and make phone calls to his old buddies on his behalf.

Manafort's firm represented the Saudis for several months at one point.

The firm is alleged to have gotten money from the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence to promote the cause of Muslim separatists in India's Kashmir province. There is nothing wrong with Kashmir's people wanting better governance, but the whole affair was likely a false flag operation.

Even as late as fall, 2016, Manafort was still lobbying away, taking money to help organize the ill-fated referendum for independence in Iraqi Kurdistan, which the Baghdad government shut down by sending in troops.

Note that in addition to Russia, the Middle East bulks large in all this corruption.

Behind the scenes, Manafort was providing the only value added he knew: connections. He would make The Call. To the movers and shakers. Congressional representatives, senators, powerful people in Washington. Because of Manafort's long association with them, he was a known quantity. They would take the call from him, give him his 15 minutes of lobbying time.

(I was once told by a staffer in Congress that a representative's day is divided into 15-minute segments, in which lobbyists one after another come to her or him to lay out what their clients' wanted.) The implication was that the client would donate to the Congress-person's campaign. Running for national office is expensive, mainly because of the cost of radio and television ads (which however ought to be nationalized and made free).

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"In today's tumultuous world, it is important for all Americans to know exactly who in Washington is standing up for our most essential needs: a clean, livable environment, quality universal healthcare, and a more just, equitable society for all."

By Jon Queally, staff writer



'To build an equal and just society in which every person can live a healthy life, Members of Congress must support bold progressive policies that address the public health and environmental crises that are ripping our country apart,' say the groups behin

(Image by (Photo: jerry dohnal/Flickr/cc)) Details DMCA



With the momentum and energy within the Democratic Party clearly tilting towards those willing to embrace a bolder, progressive set of policies and priorities, a new congressional scorecard released Tuesday reveals that only 12 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have put their support behind five specific bills that would "collectively ensure a strong, just future of public health and environmental protection" in the country.

The progressive scorecard -- created jointly by National Nurses United, Food & Water Watch, and Progressive Democrats of America -- is intended to be used as tool by voters to determine whether or not their lawmakers are putting their political muscle behind ambitious and visionary legislative proposals already introduced in Congress. The groups behind the effort say would dramatically improve the lives of Americans if ultimately voted into law.

"To build an equal and just society in which every person can live a healthy life, Members of Congress must support bold progressive policies that address the public health and environmental crises that are ripping our country apart," the groups declared.

According to the Congress-Scorecard.org website -- where visitors can check the record of their own member of Congress or any member via a state-by-state index -- the five bills on which the scorecard is based include:

H.R.676 -- Expanded & Improved Medicare For All: Today's healthcare system fails to provide quality, therapeutic healthcare to tens of millions of people in the US. Because of the for-profit health insurance model, tens of millions of people don't have health insurance, and tens of millions more cannot afford the costs of healthcare even though they have insurance. This legislation would establish a federal Medicare for All program to ensure every person in the U.S. has quality healthcare. A Medicare for All system would provide healthcare based on patient need, not on corporate profit. Full Bill Text





Today's healthcare system fails to provide quality, therapeutic healthcare to tens of millions of people in the US. Because of the for-profit health insurance model, tens of millions of people don't have health insurance, and tens of millions more cannot afford the costs of healthcare even though they have insurance. This legislation would establish a federal Medicare for All program to ensure every person in the U.S. has quality healthcare. A Medicare for All system would provide healthcare based on patient need, not on corporate profit. Full Bill Text H.R.1144 -- Inclusive Prosperity Act: This bill would establish a small speculation tax on Wall Street financial transactions, which would help stabilize the market and generate an estimated $320 billion in revenue per year. That revenue would fund free tuition at public colleges and universities, guaranteed healthcare for all, affordable housing, the eradication the AIDS pandemic, climate change prevention, infrastructure development, and job creation through green infrastructure programs. Full Bill Text





This bill would establish a small speculation tax on Wall Street financial transactions, which would help stabilize the market and generate an estimated $320 billion in revenue per year. That revenue would fund free tuition at public colleges and universities, guaranteed healthcare for all, affordable housing, the eradication the AIDS pandemic, climate change prevention, infrastructure development, and job creation through green infrastructure programs. Full Bill Text H.R.2392 -- Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety And Quality Care: Right now, there are no federal standards regulating the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at one time in US hospitals. As a result, nurses are regularly required to care for more patients than is safe, compromising patient care. This legislation would protect patients and improve healthcare by setting mandated, minimum registered nurse to patient staffing ratios. Full Bill Text





Right now, there are no federal standards regulating the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at one time in US hospitals. As a result, nurses are regularly required to care for more patients than is safe, compromising patient care. This legislation would protect patients and improve healthcare by setting mandated, minimum registered nurse to patient staffing ratios. Full Bill Text H.R.3671 -- Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future: From fires to floods to hurricanes, the impacts of climate change on the health and safety our communities and all people on the planet continues to escalate. Science has conclusively shown that dependence on fossil fuels is leading to massive changes in climate patterns. The OFF Act will rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollutions by ensuring a complete and just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources by 2035 with the bulk of reductions happening in the next decade. Full Bill Text





From fires to floods to hurricanes, the impacts of climate change on the health and safety our communities and all people on the planet continues to escalate. Science has conclusively shown that dependence on fossil fuels is leading to massive changes in climate patterns. The OFF Act will rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollutions by ensuring a complete and just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources by 2035 with the bulk of reductions happening in the next decade. Full Bill Text H.R.5609 -- Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, And Reliability: Across the country, water infrastructure is crumbling, and millions of people lack reliable access to safe, drinkable, water. This legislation would provide the major financial investment needed to update our water infrastructure, repairing old and lead-ridden water pipes, stopping sewage overflows, and allowing for affordable water services for everyone, while also creating nearly a million jobs. Full Bill Text

"These five bills are vitally important to ensure the health and safety of the American people and of our planet," Jean Ross, RN, co-president of National Nurses United.

Currently, just one dozen lawmakers -- all of them Democrats -- are co-sponsors of all five "benchmark" bills. They are: Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

After that, there are an additional 13 Democratic lawmakers who are backing four of the five bills.

"In today's tumultuous world," said Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter, "it is important for all Americans to know exactly who in Washington is standing up for our most essential needs: a clean, livable environment, quality universal healthcare, and a more just, equitable society for all. By advocating for bold solutions to our most pressing health and environmental problems, these 12 Congress members have shown they are public health and environmental champions in Washington."

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Careful Who You Trust - The Devil Was an Angel First

(Image by Akemi Ohira) Details DMCA



Suspended by salacious supporters of segregation, seeing no Samaritan's Socialism in sight, souls settle for a smidgeon of scraps, while succeeding selfishness spews from shameless speakers successful at solicitating the unschooled to serve society's scoundrels in scheme to shift from serene speech, to scatological simplicity of supererogation.

Sadly, sucker-punching sublime story-telling seers are striking out on scoring scoop: middle-finger salutes signal strings to spurious schooling, not superiority.

Still sustaining shallow scandalous sessions, with Sessions stoking and stroking shared sanctuary of sweeping squires with sinister secrets -- Eden's serpent savors survival, slandering supreme settled law.

Slim is the service of self-serving special interests, shunning soul searching, surrendering us to swamps speeding slavery to substandard selections, smearing our presidential seal with stupidity.

Scurrying for support, surrogate's set-up stories, sacrifice sanity's savvy on a scorned specious speedway surfaced by sneaks stealing solutions for our studiously salvaging solidarity from synthesis of silly stand-ins.

Spotting our susceptibility to self-centered simpletons - hacking serpents and political snakes -- swiftly shake off sharing super lies swindling seniors and swinging sincere sophomores into suicidal strife.

Straightaway, sternly sling suspicious scrutinizing of society this season and sympathetically seize non-voters with the sufficiency to show up, to speak-out against slippery slope of separateness, for sharpened sticks are not soldiers-at-arms but savage stucco stupor -- salient sauce for sham shepherds.

In this short-lived stage of spineless substitutes spontaneously submissive to staunchly slipshod behavior, shoddy information spat from supporting-roles serving shifty swain, as suddenly steeled Supers speechifying for subversive skippers; serious singular stomping grounds spare scholarship, sloppy seconds in the name of, We the People:

After FDR's 12 April 1945 death, America's wealthiest Military Industrial Complex warfare class implemented first fifty-year plan to control every American's choices, social status, income and willingness to wage war to enrich them

170,000 American military personnel occupy 150 countries

Jeff Sessions advertises Guantanamo still open; no trial necessary

Americans in harm's way for nearly seventeen years in Afghanistan

Donald Rumsfeld's knowns and unknowns

Using 9/11 as excuse for unlawful activity, Bush/Cheney order Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card to John Ashcroft's hospital room to intimidate deputy Attorney General James Comey into secretly reauthorizing Domestic Surveillance

August 11-12, 2017, America's new domestic tribalism proved itself as dangerous as any international terrorism fueled by our war-mongering ultra-moneyed.

Any corrupted administration easily colludes with power -- so, have asylum-seeking parents forever lost families because Trump's America is trafficking brown refugee children?

Power is not made in the image of a president for whom a quick read of Proverbs' sixth chapter would expose as the very nemesis of all things divine.

However, refraining from judging others is all-powerful:

Not all evangelical Christians are old, overweight Caucasians

Not all: hypocritical conservatives deserting Ecclesiastes

Not all: radical, love it or leave it zealots blind to separation of church and state

Not all: NRA brainwashed with Open Carry

Not all: single-issue voters

And because most evangelicals are Jesus Christians, not trumped Christians, not all evangelicals vote for a trumped GOP

America's super power resides in our connectivity with and emulation of all-inclusive community.

Many "S" words spell Donald Trump, but his debacle will slither to silence for both supporters and detractors if we don't sink into the savage peace.

To the degree we resurrect, recommit and renovate, all men are created equal, our lives will prove honor and courage live in the gender and racial equality of 12 strong, separation of church and state, our free press and right of, peaceably to assemble.

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From Caitlin Johnstone Website



John Bolton

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If you've been wondering why you're seeing John Bolton's carrion-soaked mustache on screen more than usual lately, it's because things are escalating further with Iran.

President Trump's National Security Adviser has been on a whirlwind media tour helping the imperial propaganda machine manufacture support for the latest round of crushing sanctions that have now gone into effect against the Islamic Republic. Bolton has been a busy little bee, smearing and deceiving and manipulating the narrative to ensure that we all know the unrest and violence that may be about to erupt in Tehran is totally, totally organic and not at all the result of the CIA covert operations that have been implemented there.

The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less! -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2018

Read the last sentence very carefully. This is as close to a public admission one can expect from Pompeo that the Trump Admin is actively engaged in destabilizing Iran. https://t.co/qnUcyjcK8Z -- Trita Parsi (@tparsi) June 7, 2018

Throughout his appearances on such outlets as Fox News, Fox Business, Fox & Friends, CNN's The Lead, and Conservative Review, Bolton has been repeating the blatantly false talking point that Iran is somehow uniquely egregious in the Middle East in its support for terrorist factions, calling it the "world's central banker for international terrorism."

Since we're seeing so much John Bolton and so much talk of terrorists, I think this would be a good opportunity to remind everyone of the time John Bolton threatened to murder the children of a UN official in order to deceive the world into consenting to the Iraq war which killed a million people.

Jose' Bustani was the director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in early 2002, during which time The Interceptreports he came under fire for having too much success in diplomacy with the Iraqi government, which undermined the case for an invasion. So Bolton attempted to scare him off.

From The Intercept:

"Cheney wants you out," Bustani recalled Bolton saying, referring to the then-vice president of the United States. "We can't accept your management style." Bolton continued, according to Bustani's recollections: "You have 24 hours to leave the organization, and if you don't comply with this decision by Washington, we have ways to retaliate against you."

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From Ann Wright Facebook



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We helped fill backpacks at the Presbyterian Church in Harlingen Texas for people awaiting opportunity to come across to the US at the border crossings in Matamoros -- Brownsville.

Backpacks are also given to people coming out of the detention facilities arriving by bus and dumped at the bus stations in McAllen, in Brownsville, awaiting tickets to go on to their sponsors' homes around the country.

A wonderful network of Spanish-speaking volunteers meet every bus from the detention facilities at the Greyhound bus stations and help sort out tickets, calls to sponsors and a variety of other issues that pop up after people are coming out of detention and not knowing really where they are or whether they have tickets waiting for them!

While we were talking to families from Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba and Brazil on the Mexico side of the border who are awaiting a determination from ICE that they can come into the US and immediately to a detention center, a mammoth rainstorm hit, dumping at least two inches of water in 15 minutes, flooding the streets and pounding on the blue tarps that were strung between the fence and the sidewalk. Then the intense sun came out and humidity skyrocketed as the rainwater dried up.

Mexico Red Cross showed up asking if anyone needed shelter -- Mexican volunteers bring food to those waiting on the bridge. The Red Cross workers said that even waiting at the bridge can be dangerous as gangs of human traffickers have kidnapped persons at the bridge and held them for ransom money.

Catholic charities in McAllen is doing a great job helping people. As is the network called Neta Rio Grande Valley (netargv.com).
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Place Democrats end to end and likely they all point in different directions. Identity Politics is not a method of aligning political and social goals. Their weakness is that most Democrats are a one-trick pony. Take, for example, abortion. What percentage of voters "really" care about abortion to the extent it consumes their day? Unisex toilets: are these a consuming issue for most Americans? A woman for president. I see so many people that still gripe about the Hillary loss as if she carried a great message that we all ignored. NO! Message was not an issue, it was a lack of message that did her in. She just didn't get it. News Flash to Hillary!! "What Happened?" You lost, that's what happened. You never sent a message to me that made it appear that you cared about me. I think you assumed it was your turn, and that is what you cared about. I voted for you, holding my nose, because the alternative was so frightening. It is time for the Democrats to make a U (you) turn and start talking to the American people.

"I feel your pain," said Bill Clinton. It was one of the great lines in all political history. He won! Clinton was a master of the "You". Most charter schools, "don't take the hardest-to-teach kids, or, if they do, they don't keep them," Hillary Clinton said at a South Carolina forum. Identity Politics at its best. I bet that dug deep down into most of your souls; it did not speak to me. She Lost! One election, I believe, was won by a simple phrase. It was when Ronald Reagan said, "Are "you" better off than you were four years ago?" He had every American, just a few days before defeating Jimmy Carter, asking themselves that very question. He Won! The word "You" said by any candidate translates into the word "Me" to each listener. That said; the word "You" in a negative context can translate very badly to "me". "I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. Are "you" going to start listening to "me" here?" Michele Bachmann. She lost!

Democrats need to get off their one-trick ponies and start campaigning to the masses. Democrats! You need to start telling me that "my" Social Security is safe. That "my" taxes will go down while a tiny minority will have theirs increased. The Republicans cannot call that out since you will be talking to me. You need to tell me how my life, and the lives of all Americans, will be better from wages to full employment. That "my" life will change for the better under Democratic control. Tell "me" why I do not have to worry that my medical bills will no longer threaten to bankrupt me, or that all medical facilities "MUST" treat me the same as our rich neighbors. Every American that is in the middle class is concerned about these and other such issues. Do your research and speak to us all, not just a few.

The only time I care about campaign reform, let me see..., NEVER! That is because the right message will defeat big money every time. Make me believe you. If I feel you care about me then I will care about you. Put a vision in my head about how much better "my" life can be simply because you care.

Talking to my son today he told me that Democrats can't even recognize identity politics when it slaps them in the face. For example: "I am voting for Mary Jo because she believes we need more women in positions of power." That may be a true statement, but it may not reflect the "concerns" of most Americans. When McDonalds says they are "America's Best First Job" and half the people working there are 30 or older, women and men trying to feed their families on three jobs, you have been given a golden "You" moment.

Get a clue Democrats; we lost control of all three branches of government. We lost the Presidency to Donald Trump of all people. Our Democratic candidates and incumbents have forgotten the word "You!" You must consider the fact that voters cannot hear the word "me" without it.

There is an old saw: "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line." Why do voters buy this strategy, which ignores them (because they are not at the head of that line, Charles Koch is)? They buy this because we "ARE" a bunch of "snowflakes." But, one snowflake can be the beginning of a great blizzard. We can show the Republicans what a blizzard looks like. I am not saying we leave those of special interest behind, but we damn well better sharpen our message.

We have reached that crossroad where we both get tough, and fight for the typical American looking desperately to translate our "You" into their "Me", or we lose the America we love!
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With the right-wing push to overturn Roe v Wade and repeal the Affordable Care Act, progressives are eager for the rejection of Brett Kavanaugh, but there are reasons for conservatives to reject Kavanaugh, all related to a universal concern, privacy.

Kavanaugh is on record as saying that he does not believe that the US Constitution guarantees any right to privacy, despite the clear wording of the Fourth Amendment. He also believes in the 'special need' exception that allows national security to override any perceived right or protection that the amendment provides. Other conservative justices, Neil Gorsuch among them, have also stated this view. Privacy is at the basis of HIPAA, the patients' Bill of Rights, and laws like the Financial Privacy Act of 1978. What if any of these laws were to be challenged and overturned?

The Cambridge Analytica/Facebook debacle over the past 3 years would not only not be a scandal, it would be legal. Businesses would be free to use financial and personal data as they saw fit; for their own marketing, to sell to other organizations, to manipulate the political landscape.

Far more troubling is the impact a judicial overturn of HIPAA could have. Imagine health-insurance companies allowed to demand your medical records from any facility to determine your eligibility for coverage. Imagine being required to undergo gene-mapping testing to determine your risk of developing breast cancer or Alzheimer's disease. Imagine, if the ACA were repealed, your genetic makeup being considered a pre-existing condition even though you have no symptoms of a condition let alone sought treatment for it. If you believe in market solutions for healthcare, you may say that insurance companies, being in the private sector, should be allowed to impose their own criteria for eligibility and risk-based pricing. But what if your eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid and SSI were dependent on such testing or scrutiny of medical records?

Let us also consider the opposite of a Roe v Wade scenario, coercive birth control as opposed to voluntary. Our country has a sad and sordid history of genetic selection based on race or social status. In the 19th century, health clinics pushed for sterilization of black women so that the country would not be overrun by persons predetermined to be of inferior intelligence. In the early 20th century, the theory of eugenics, especially the scientific theories of Havelock Ellis regarding identifying the criminal mind, were given credence even by the American Medical Association, and infamously used in the defense of Nazi war criminals. Margaret Sanger, though she started her crusade for birth control as a feminist issue, used genetic inferiority as an argument for wide availability of birth control. As recently as the 1970s, women giving birth in Indian Health Services facilities were sterilized without either their knowledge or consent. Part of the justification for these practices was reducing dependency on government 'entitlement.' As recently as 2010, there are documented cases of coerced sterilizations performed on inmates of California prisons.

In a post-Kavanaugh world, where the privacy of medical records was not protected, gene-mapping science, amniocentesis, even ultrasounds could be used to justify requiring termination of genetically suspect fetuses, or mandating sterilization to prevent conception by genetically inferior or compromised parents whose offspring would be seen as future burdens on society. While this may seem far-fetched, we must remember that early in the 20th century Irish and Italian immigrants and their progeny (one of whom became President) were seen to be of inferior genetic stock, and a societal burden. What race, nationality or genetic predisposition might it be tomorrow? What ethnic, political or religious groups could be seen as national-security threats and extreme action justified based on 'special need'? History has shown us far too often how easily this can happen.

As shocking as it seems, the social implications of these practices have been debated for decades and are still being debated by bioethicists with no definitive limits or guidelines to prevent abuse. Even Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes upheld the state's role in the coerced sterilization of Carrie Buck in 1924 in Buck vs Bell, saying '3 generations of imbeciles are enough.' Neither Carrie, her mother Emma or her daughter Vivian were found to have any kind of mental illness. It seems Carrie was institutionalized simply for being pregnant at 17.

This ruling in support of state-mandated sterilization has never been overturned.

We must all be vigilant in protecting the Fourth Amendment and our fundamental right to privacy. Kavanaugh and those who share his views on privacy and 'special-need' exceptions must never be confirmed to the US Supreme Court. In this new world where neither our thoughts, beliefs, financial status nor medical history are private, any of us could be found wanting, depending on the political climate of the time.
Sustained Release Injectable Drugs Filling an Unmet Need by Extending Dosing Intervals

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(Amherst, NH) - For many chronic and refractory conditions, the need for frequent and continual drug injections is a therapeutic necessity, one that can be accompanied by harsh side effects and safety issues that often lead to erosion in patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes. While the pharmaceutical industry has made significant progress in developing and introducing extended release formulations of orally administered drugs, the complexities associated with injectables go far beyond simply protecting an API from first-pass GI degradation. As a result, less than two dozen sustained release injectables are currently FDA-approved.Several drug formulation companies have been attempting to address this unmet need by working with drug developers to create drugs that can be administered at dosing frequencies that are measured in weeks or months. The technologies that are being used to create these extended release formulas include a range of approaches such as microsphere encapsulation, drug conjugation, and physical chemistry processing. The advantages of these drug products have allowed sustained release injectables to quietly carve out a healthy space for themselves in a number of therapeutic indications, sometimes achieving more than a billion dollars in annual revenue.The majority of formulation technology companies have migrated to a business model based on a development collaboration, under which the technology IP owner develops or co-develops a sustained release version of an injectable in return for milestone payments and licensing revenue once the drug is launched. A few sector participants attempt to increase the value of their services by developing a sustained release formulation to a predetermined point  typically Phase II clinical trials  before partnering with a larger, more established therapeutic market player.Infrequently, the formulation technology company develops sustained release injectables independently, only partnering for marketing purposes when the drug is about to be approved. Alkermes, with two approved sustained release injectables on the market, is an example of this go-it-alone strategy. As experience with extended release injectables mount, formulation companies and their drug development partners, are working to push the dosing envelope further.A new report analyzes the current market and potential for extended release injectables. The report - Sustained Release Injectables to 2022 - examines the therapeutic impact of approved sustained release injectable drugs and development-stage candidates, and analyzes key market segments, technology factors, demand drivers and the competitive landscape.More information is available atSource: Greystone AssociatesAbout GreystoneGreystone Associates is a medical technology consulting firm focused on the areas of medical market strategy, product commercialization, venture development, and market research. We assist medical and healthcare market participants in achieving their business objectives through the creation of detailed development strategies, product commercialization programs, and comprehensive market and technology research and analysis. Our market research publications are designed, researched and written to provide timely and insightful information and data on focused market segments, with the aim of providing market participants with the essential knowledge to refine and execute their marketing plans and financial targets.Contact:Mark SmithGreystone Research Associates98 Route 101AAmherst, NH 03031 USAVoice: 603-595-4340
Rapid Growth of High Speed Steel Market | Top Key Players - Sandvik AB, Nachi-Fujikoshi, Tiangong International, OSG | Global Forecasts 2018 - 2023

High Speed Steel Market

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Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On High Speed Steel Market - Trends, and Forecast (2018 - 2023) which contains global key players survey information and forecast to 2023.Overview of the Global High Speed Steel Market:The Global High Speed Steel Market is expected to witness a moderate growth during the forecasted period, 2018-2023. The growth of the market is majorly driven by the increasing demand from various end-user industries such as automotive, aerospace and others, across the world. In 2017, Asia-Pacific accounted for the largest market, followed by North America and Europe.The cutting tool materials need a number of important properties so that they can avoid excessive wear, fracture failure and high temperatures in cutting. The demand for high speed steel (HSS) is growing for manufacturing cutting tools due to its properties such as high working hardness, high wear hardness, durability, and good retention of hardness. The use of HSS has increased the cutting speed by four times in comparison to the previously used carbon steels. The alloying elements of HSS also make the steel harder and more heat resistant. These properties are driving the demand for high speed steel during the forecast period.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @The use of high speed steel, owing to its high toughness, high strength and wear resistance at high temperature and excellent erosion resistance, is increasing in automotive industry in recent times. HSS is used as special cutting tools, gear cutting tools, standard cutting tools, which includes drills, end mills, and taps, among others. For cutting tools, hardness is necessary for cutting harder materials and it is also gives better tool life. Owing to these, both the production and consumption of HSS is expected to increase in many countries in emerging economies during the forecast period. .Geographically, Asia-Pacific holds the highest marker for high speed steel in 2017. China is the largest market for high speed steel in the region. The aerospace industry is another major industry of the country and the government investing huge amounts to increase its domestic manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, automotive is one of the countrys pillar industries, and it continues to be the largest vehicles market in the world. The country registered automotive sales of 29,122,531 during the year 2017 with an increase of 3.9% from past year, and hence driving the demand for high speed steel in the region.Purchase this report online with Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @Major Key Players:1 Sandvik AB.2 Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation.3 Tiangong International Co., Ltd.4 OSG Corporation.5 JIANGSU FEIDA TOOL GROUP CORPORATION.This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?Any Query? Ask to our Expert @In 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 High Speed Steel Market.Table of Contents:1 Introduction2 Executive Summary3 Market Insights4 Market Dynamics5 Market Segmentation and Analysis (Growth, Size, and Forecast)6 Regional Market Analysis (Market Size, Growth, and Forecast)7 Competitive Landscape8 Company ProfilesAbout us:We at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt. Ltd.Thane  421501India.sales@marketprognosis.com+1 973 241 5193
Industrial Internet of Things Market Growth Analysis by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast by 2025 - ABB, Atmel Corporation, ARM Holding plc.

Industrial Internet of Things Market

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Global Industrial Internet of Things Market Size Status and Forecast 2025ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Industrial Internet of Things Market Size Status and Forecast 2018 report detailed insights about the aspects responsible for augmenting as well as restraining market growth and analyses the market potential for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macroeconomic parameters, consumer buying patterns, and market demand and supply scenarios.This report studies the global Industrial Internet of Things market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Industrial Internet of Things market by companies, region, type and end-use industry. Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States, EU, Europe, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, India.This report focuses on the global top players, coveredGeneral Electric Company (GE)International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)Cisco Systems, Inc.Siemens AGIntel CorporationMicrosoft CorporationRockwell Automation, Inc.ABBAtmel CorporationARM Holding plc.Request for the Sample Report Here:Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoConnectivity ManagementApplication ManagementDevice ManagementMarket segment by Application, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can be split intoManufacturingEnergy & PowerOil & GasHealthcareLogistics & TransportAgricultureOthersThe study objectives of this report are:To study and forecast the market size of Industrial Internet of Things 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.Ask for Discount on Report @Table of ContentGlobal Industrial Internet of Things Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Industrial Internet of Things2 Global Industrial Internet of Things Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 General Electric Company (GE)3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Cisco Systems, Inc.3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)4 Global Industrial Internet of Things Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Industrial Internet of Things Development Status and Outlook6 Europe Industrial Internet of Things Development Status and Outlook7 China Industrial Internet of Things Development Status and Outlook8 Japan Industrial Internet of Things Development Status and Outlook9 Southeast Asia Industrial Internet of Things Development Status and Outlook10 India Industrial Internet of Things Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Industrial Internet of Things Market DynamicsBuy the comprehensive report trusted by everyone@Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiOrganization: ReportsWebEmail: sales@reportsweb.comPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
PTFE Micro Powder 2018 Global Industry Key Players - Daikin , Solvay ,Micro Powder (MPI) , Asahi Glass Market Analysis And Forecast To 2023

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World PTFE Micro Powder MarketExecutive SummaryPTFE Micro Powder market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.The report includes the forecasts, Analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry Players.Request a Sample Report @The Players mentioned in our report3MChemours(DuPont)DaikinSolvayMicro Powder (MPI)Asahi GlassGujarat FluorochemicalsShanghai 3F New Material CompanyChenguang Research Institute of Chemical IndustryShamrock TechnologiesReprolon TexasSuzhou Norshine Performance MaterialShenyang Tianyuxiang Micro Powder MaterialGlobal PTFE Micro Powder Market: Product Segment AnalysisThermoplasticsCoatingsLubricants & GreaseElastomersInksOthersGlobal PTFE Micro Powder Market: Application Segment AnalysisGlobal PTFE Micro Powder Market: Regional Segment AnalysisUSAEuropeJapanChinaIndiaSouth East AsiaTable of Content-Key Points CoveredChapter 1 About the PTFE Micro Powder Industry1.1 Industry Definition and Types1.1.1 Thermoplastics1.1.2 Coatings1.1.3 Lubricants & Grease1.1.1.4 Elastomers1.1.1.5 Inks1.1.1.6 Others1.2 Main Market Activities1.3 Similar Industries1.4 Industry at a GlanceChapter 2 World Market Competition Landscape2.1 PTFE Micro Powder Markets by Regions2.1.1 USAMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2013-2023Sales and Growth Rate 2013-2023Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20182.1.2 EuropeMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2013-2023Sales and Growth Rate 2013-2023Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20182.1.3 ChinaMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2013-2023Sales and Growth Rate 2013-2023Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20182.1.4 IndiaMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2013-2023Sales and Growth Rate 2013-2023Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20182.1.5 JapanMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2013-2023Sales and Growth Rate 2013-2023Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20182.1.6 South East AsiaMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2013-2023Sales and Growth Rate 2013-2023Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20182.2 World PTFE Micro Powder Market by TypesThermoplasticsCoatingsLubricants & GreaseElastomersInksOthers2.3 World PTFE Micro Powder Market by Applications2.4 World PTFE Micro Powder Market Analysis2.4.1 World PTFE Micro Powder Market Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-20182.4.2 World PTFE Micro Powder Market Consumption and Growth rate 2013-20182.4.3 World PTFE Micro Powder Market Price Analysis 2013-2018Chapter 3 World PTFE Micro Powder Market share3.1 Major Production Market share by Players3.2 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share by Players3.3 Major Production Market share by Regions in 2018, Through 20233.4 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share By Regions in 2018, Through 2023Chapter 4 Supply Chain Analysis4.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis4.2 Raw material Market Analysis4.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20184.2.2 Raw material Supply Market Analysis4.2 Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Analysis4.3 Production Process Analysis4.4 Production Cost Structure Benchmarks4.5 End users Market AnalysisContinued..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 Polypropylene Catalyst Market 2018-2026| W. R. Grace and Company, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., Evonik Industries AG, INEOS and Mitsui Chemicals

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Albany, NY, 8th August : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Polypropylene Catalyst Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2018 - 2026" globally.Polypropylene catalyst is used in the polymerization reaction of propylene to form polypropylene (PP) in a fluidized bed reactor. The ZieglerNatta catalyst segment dominates the global polypropylene catalyst market, due to low price of the product.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Potential application of polypropylene catalyst lies in the production of polypropylene for injection-molded products such as vials, suture materials for surgery, and automotive interior parts including bumper facias, instrumental panels, and door panels. The injection-molded products segment is anticipated to continue to dominate the polypropylene catalyst market during the forecast period.The demand for polypropylene is increasing worldwide, due to increase in the global production of polypropylene, led by rise in the demand for lightweight, PP-based materials in different industries such as automotive and packaging. Polypropylene catalyst is required to support the production of polypropylene. Though metallocene catalyst is expensive, it offers major benefits, as it is a single-sited catalyst with identical active sites that meet the requirement in terms of molecular weight and stereo structure of polypropylene.This report analyzes and forecasts the market for polypropylene catalyst at the global as well as regional level. The market has been forecast in terms of volume (tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2018 to 2026, considering 2017 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints for the global polypropylene catalyst market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on the demand for polypropylene catalyst during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the polypropylene catalyst market at global and regional levels.The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global polypropylene catalyst market. Porters Five Forces model for the polypropylene catalyst market has also been included to help understand the competition landscape of the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein product and application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @The study provides a decisive view of the global polypropylene catalyst market by segmenting it in terms of product, process, and application. In terms of product, the polypropylene catalyst market can be classified into ZieglerNatta catalyst, metallocene catalyst, and others. Based on process, the market can be categorized into gas phase, bulk phase, and others. Based on application, the market can be segmented into films, fibers, tubes, injection-molded products, and others. These segments have been analyzed on the basis of present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for polypropylene catalyst in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.The report provides the actual market size of the polypropylene catalyst market for 2017 and estimated market size for 2018, with forecast for the next eight years. The global polypropylene catalyst market has been provided in terms of volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in tons and the revenue has been defined in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on product, process, and application of polypropylene catalyst. Market volume and size have been provided in terms of global, regional, and country-level markets.The report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global polypropylene catalyst market. Key players operating in the polypropylene catalyst market are W. R. Grace and Company, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., Evonik Industries AG, INEOS, and Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.The global polypropylene catalyst market has been segmented as follows:Polypropylene Catalyst Market: by Product (Volume (Tons), Revenue (US$ Mn); 20172026)ZieglerNatta CatalystMetallocene CatalystOthersPolypropylene Catalyst Market: by Process (Volume (Tons), Revenue (US$ Mn); 20172026)Gas PhaseBulk PhaseOthersPolypropylene Catalyst Market: by Application (Volume (Tons), Revenue (US$ Mn); 20172026)FilmsFibersTubesInjection-molded ProductsOthersPolypropylene Catalyst Market: Regional Analysis (Volume (Tons), Revenue (US$ Mn); 20172026)North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.FranceSpainItalyRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaBrowse Report @Middle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaResearchMoz 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 :
Global Biopharmaceutical CMO Market 2018-2023| Lonza, Boehringer Ingelheium, Samsung Biologics And Wuxi Biologics

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Albany, NY, 8th August : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Global Biopharmaceutical CMO Market - Analysis By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2018-2023) - By Region (North America, Europe, APAC), By Country (U.S, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, China)" globally.A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of the global biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Organisation (CMO) market.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The report titled Global Biopharmaceutical CMO Market - Analysis By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2018-2023) analyses the global market as well as the market by Region (North America, Europe and Asia Pacific) and by Country (U.S, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, China).According to Azoth Analytics research report Global Biopharmaceutical CMO Market - Analysis By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2018-2023), the global market value is projected to display a steady growth represented by a CAGR of 14.36% during the forecast period of 2018  2023.Amongst the regions, Europe accounts for the largest share by value in global Bio CMO market in 2017. Additionally, Asia Pacific will be a growing region in the forecasted period, 2018-2023 as population is increasing along with growing number of pharmaceutical requirements. Growing number of chronic diseases is also supporting the market of Bio CMO industry.The report titled Global Biopharmaceutical CMO Market - Analysis By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2018-2023) has covered and analyzed the potential of Global Bio CMO Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global Bio CMO market. Additionally, the report also assesses the financial performance and strategies of various companies operating in the Biopharmaceutical CMO market.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Scope of the ReportGlobal Bio CMO Market (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023Global Bio CMO Market  By valueBy Type  Mammalian & MicrobialRegional Markets  North America, Europe, APAC (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023)Bio CMO Market  By valueCountry Analysis - U.S, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, China and OthersBio CMO Market  By valueBrowse Report @Other Report HighlightsMarket Dynamics  Drivers and RestraintsCompany Analysis  Lonza, Boehringer Ingelheium, Samsung Biologics, Wuxi BiologicsResearchMoz 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 :
Epic Research Daily Agri Commodity Report Of 8 August 2018

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The Uttar Pradesh Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA) has wrote a letter to the state government, reiterating an earlier plea for a financial rescue package. The Association has reiterated its request for Rs 40 a quintal incentive on cane crushed by private sector mills during the recently concluded 2017-18 crushing season. The millers say their paying capacity was impaired due to less return from the sale of ugar and byproducts, against a comparatively higher cost of production. As a result, banks are not giving them loans, given the huge payment liabilities and unsold stock. So, they are unable to do the necessary repair works in preparation for the next season.The hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of Cotton for the kharif 2018 season was 2.5 times that of Soybean but farmers in key states appear to have migrated to the oilseed, finding it potentially more remunerative. On an all-India basis, the area under Cotton was 4% lower at 109.8 lakh hectares as on August 3 compared with what it was at the same time last year; Soybean acreage, on the other hand, was about 11% higher than last year at 109.5 lakh hectares.In Madhya Pradesh prices of processed Dal are expected to come down in coming weeks owning to exemption of mandi tax on raw Pulses purchased from outstation for processing. Madhya Pradesh government has exempted Pulses from 2.2% mandi tax. Leading to drop in price of processed Dal by about Rs 1.5 per kg to Rs 2 per kg since the local mandi tax has been removed. The exemption is valid on all pulses- Tur, Urad, Moong, matar- except Chana. Processing units were running into losses due to such a high mandi tax. But the exemption will support the processing units and reduce the cost of operation. The exemption will save Dal mills that were going to shut down because of high rate of purchase and lack of price parity.Economic NewsProduction of pulses, groundnut, cotton, coarse cereals and paddy can see a fall in yield across Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka if rains dont cover these region in the next few days, feel farmers, government officials and analysts. In Bihar, state government officials say paddy and maize production will see a reduction due to late rains. In Madhya Pradesh, farmers are worried about soyabean crop which is in the flowering stage. In Gujarat, cotton and groundnut farms have either got deficit rain or received a break in rainfall for a long period, say farmers. Parts of Karnataka, which is an important belt for pulses, oilseed and coarse cereals, is reeling under rain deficit which traders and analyst feel was worrisome. The total rain deficit for the monsoon season has widened to 10%. Agriculture ministry officials say rainfall distribution was never uniform and the dry spell in some region will not make any major impact on overall sowing or production. They say planting will be at its peak till August 20.Over 1.11 crore farmers spread over 16 states and union territories have registered on e-NAM platform, which promotes better marketing opportunities for farmers to sell their produce online, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. Singh said in the Lok Sabha that farmers wishing to join e-NAM platform need to register themselves on e-NAM portal and can sell their produce on e-NAM platform in any e-NAM mandi of their choice. "eNAM platform promotes better marketing opportunities for farmers to sell their produce through online, competitive and transparent price discovery system and online payment facility. "It also promotes prices commensurate with quality of produce. All these contribute towards better marketing efficiency and also better prices to farmers," he said during Question Hour. The minister said a total of 585 'mandis' have been integrated till March 31, 2018 on e-NAM platform.Trading RecommendationsSELL CORIANDER AUG BELOW 4900 TARGET 4880/4860/4840 SL 4930BUY TURMERIC AUG ABOVE 7260 TARGET 7290/7320/7350 SL 7220BUY GUARGUM5 OCT ABOVE 9600 TARGET 9640/9680/9720 SL 9550Epic 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
Sleep Testing Services Market Demand, Top Key Players Analysis | Midwest Sleep Services,SleepMed,SOVA Sleep Services,Medical Service Company | Business Opportunity During 2018  2025

Sleep Testing Services Market 2018

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Sleep Testing Services Market Research Report 2018 presents an in-depth analysis of market size, share, and growth, trends, and cost structure, statistical and comprehensive data of the global market. This report also conveys an essential review of the market size, share, growth, revenue, application and forecast, definition, applications assembling innovation and the organization profile, item determinations, limit, generation esteem, Contact Information of maker and pieces of the pie for organization.Get Sample Copy of this Report -Sleep Testing Services market 2018 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Sleep Testing 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 Sleep Testing Services 2018 Market Research Report is spread across 91 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 Sleep Testing Services market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the TOP PLAYERS including Midwest Sleep Services SleepMed Inc. SOVA Sleep Services Inc. Medical Service Company Sleep Services Australia Genesis SleepCare The report also focuses on global major leading industry players of Global Sleep Testing 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 Sleep Testing 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 Sleep Testing 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 Sleep Testing Services Market Report 2018 @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Diagnostic Services Treatment MonitoringOn 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 Hospitals Sleep Centers Home Care SettingsTable of Contents:Global Sleep Testing Services Market Research Report 20181.Industry Overview of Sleep Testing Services2.Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Sleep Testing Services3.Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Sleep Testing Services4.Global Sleep Testing Services Overall Market Overview5.Sleep Testing Services Regional Market Analysis6.Global 2013-2018E Sleep Testing Services Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7.Global 2013-2018E Sleep Testing Services Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8.Major Manufacturers Analysis of Sleep Testing Services9.Development Trend of Analysis of Sleep Testing Services Market10.Sleep Testing Services Marketing Type Analysis11.Consumers Analysis of Sleep Testing Services12.AppendixAuthor ListDisclosure SectionResearch MethodologyData 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:
Radiofrequency Ablation Market - Comprehensive Picture of Dynamics 2025 | Boston Scientific, Stryker

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Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: SnapshotOne of the key factors during the demand for radiofrequency ablation is the growing popularity of minimally invasive procedures point minimally invasive techniques such as radiofrequency ablation is giving a lot of fractions in the market today on account of its ability to reduce the risk of infection reduce complications, minimise the pain, and reduce the hospital stay duration and recovery time. Radiofrequency ablation technique is also extensively used for treating patients with comorbidities and complications and that is why this technique is preferred over conventional surgical procedures or open surgeries.Another factor which is boarding well for the growth of the global radio frequency ablation market is the increasing number of training program which are conducted by the device manufacturers on how to use these radiofrequency ablation devices point there increased adoption rates of tissue ablation devices across medical facilities is increasing since its assists doctors and surgeons to gain experience in performing procedures and using minimally invasive devices. The different products available in the market today catheters, systems, consumables, and accessories. By application, the global radio frequency ablation market is segmented into cosmetology, gynaecology, oncology, pain management, and cardiovascular.Request Sample Copy of the Report @This market is extremely competitive as well as diversified, characterized by the presence of a large number of both international and local vendors operating on a global level. Factors such as brand, specification come availability command cost some of the criteria on the basis of which players are competing with each other. Players are found to be increasingly concentrating on research and development activities so as to boost their profits and reduce the cost of equipment.Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: OverviewRadiofrequency ablation is an analgesic procedure wherein radiofrequency waves are targeted on particular muscles or muscle groups. The radiofrequency waves create an electric current, which is used to emit heat onto the affected area. This temporarily deadens the nerve cells in the applied area, leading to reduction in pain. The global radiofrequency ablation market has benefited significantly from the rising demand for noninvasive and minimally invasive medical procedures. Radiofrequency ablation is likely to receive sustained demand from the healthcare sector, particularly in developed countries with government-backed healthcare programs, due to the rising prevalence of spinal conditions in urban populations.Request TOC of the Report @Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Key TrendsThe rising adherence to a sedentary lifestyle, particularly in developed and developing urban centers, has the potential to remain a key driver for the global radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years. The increasing share of the urban population doing sedentary jobs has resulted in an increasing prevalence of problems related to the spine and shoulders. The reliable utility of radiofrequency ablation in relieving muscle pain and tension has ensured a safe growth trajectory for the global radiofrequency ablation market.The key benefit presented by radiofrequency ablation is its minimally invasive nature. This not only makes radiofrequency ablation more convenient for doctors as well as patients, but also keeps it safe from environmental contaminants such as microbes.Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Market PotentialThe global radiofrequency ablation market could play a key role in the development of cancer therapeutics in the coming years. Due to the minimally invasive nature of radiofrequency ablation and its effectiveness in deadening cells and nerve ending, radiofrequency ablation has frequently been tried in the treatment of cancers such as metastatic sarcomas. Due to the attention being provided to cancer research, the radiofrequency ablation market could be set for steady growth if its utility in cancer treatment is established.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Geographical DynamicsThe global radiofrequency ablation market is dominated by North America. The ready availability of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, due to steady government support, has aided the growth of the radiofrequency ablation market in the region and is likely to remain a key driver for the market in the coming years. The rising incidence of chronic muscle disorders in North America is a prime driver for the radiofrequency ablation market in the region. Latin America is also an important region in the global radiofrequency ablation market and could become a steady consumer over the coming years, as several countries in the region have initiated large-scale development programs in the healthcare sector in recent years.Emerging countries in Asia Pacific such as India and China are also likely to play a key role in the growth of the global radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years. The rising awareness regarding the need for technologically advanced equipment in the healthcare sector has driven steady investment in the healthcare sector in emerging economies and is likely to remain a key growth driver for the radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years.Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report presents a comprehensive picture of the competitive dynamics of the global radiofrequency ablation market. Key players in the market, such as Boston Scientific, Stryker, Medtronic, and St. Jude Medical are profiled in the report. This section delivers a comprehensive analysis of the successful strategies adopted by players in the radiofrequency ablation market, the business and financial dynamics of the leading players, and the overall trends shaping the space in the global radiofrequency ablation market.The global radiofrequency ablation market has benefited from the ready participation of key manufacturers in marketing and publicity activities. Successful promotional efforts by companies in the radiofrequency ablation market include direct sales to the physicians and hospitals, since the convenience of the devices has made it the prime choice for healthcare distributors across the world. The continued efforts of leading players are expected to remain crucial for the global radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years.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
Thaumatin Market Global Industry Analysis 2018  2025

Global Thaumatin Industry

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Global Thaumatin IndustryNew Study On 2018-2025 Thaumatin Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThis report studies the global Thaumatin market status and forecast, categorizes the global Thaumatin 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).This report studies the thaumatin market, thaumatin is a low-calorie sweetener and flavour modifier. The protein is often used primarily for its flavour-modifying properties and not exclusively as a sweetener.The thaumatins were first found as a mixture of proteins isolated from the katemfe fruit (Thaumatococcus daniellii Bennett) of West Africa. Some proteins in the thaumatin family of sweeteners are roughly 2000 times more potent than sugar. Although very sweet, thaumatin's taste is markedly different from sugar. The sweetness of thaumatin builds very slowly. Perception lasts a long time, leaving a liquorice-like aftertaste at high usage levels. Thaumatin is highly water-soluble, stable to heating, and stable under acidic conditions.Firstly, as being the most intense natural sweetener thaumatin has the extraordinary property of enhancing the taste of lower quantities of salt and sugar in food products - so there is no loss of tastiness. Due to its characteristics, it is popular in the developed districts such as USA, Europe and Oceania.Secondly, compared to synthetic sweeteners which have many side effects to humans health, sweeteners extracted from nature plants is beneficial to humans and is considered to replace the synthetic sweeteners. So thaumatin extracted from thaumatococcus daniellii bennett is becoming popular in the world. The production increases to 169.07 MT in 2016 from 138.47 MT in 2012.Thirdly, Europe is the main manufacturing region, much larger than other districts. In 2016, the production is 137.42 MT, which take 81.28% of the global production. USA and Oceania are the other two main manufacturing districts.The global Thaumatin market is valued at 170 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 250 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.0% during 2018-2025.The major manufacturers covered in this reportNaturexBeneo Palatinit GmbHNatexKF Specialty IngredientsTry 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 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 intoFood GradePharmarceutical GradeOtherOn 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, includingFoodBeveragePharmaceuticalOthersThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Thaumatin capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Thaumatin 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 Thaumatin 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 StakeholdersThaumatin ManufacturersThaumatin Distributors/Traders/WholesalersThaumatin Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch 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 Thaumatin market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.For Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:Global Thaumatin Market Research Report 20181 Thaumatin Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Thaumatin1.2 Thaumatin Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Thaumatin Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Thaumatin Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Food Grade1.2.4 Pharmarceutical Grade1.2.5 Other1.3 Global Thaumatin Segment by Application1.3.1 Thaumatin Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Food1.3.3 Beverage1.3.4 Pharmaceutical1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Thaumatin Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Thaumatin Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 26 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 Thaumatin (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Thaumatin Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Thaumatin Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Thaumatin Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Thaumatin Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Thaumatin Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Thaumatin Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Thaumatin Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Thaumatin Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Thaumatin Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Thaumatin Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Thaumatin Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Thaumatin Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Thaumatin Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Thaumatin Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Thaumatin Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Thaumatin Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Thaumatin Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.8 South America Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.9 Middle East and Africa Thaumatin Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Thaumatin Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Thaumatin Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Thaumatin Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Thaumatin Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Thaumatin Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Thaumatin Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Thaumatin Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Thaumatin Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Thaumatin Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Naturex7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Thaumatin Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Naturex Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Beneo Palatinit GmbH7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Thaumatin Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Beneo Palatinit GmbH Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Natex7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Thaumatin Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Natex Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 KF Specialty Ingredients7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Thaumatin Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 KF Specialty Ingredients Thaumatin Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Thaumatin Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Thaumatin Key Raw Materials Analysis8.1.1 Key Raw Materials8.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials8.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials8.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials8.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure8.2.1 Raw Materials8.2.2 Labor Cost8.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses8.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of ThaumatinContinued..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:
Unexpected growth seen in PLC Splitter Consumption Industry as it may reach $XX million up to 2023

plc splitter

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In this report, LP Information covers the present scenario (with the base year being 2017) and the growth prospects of global PLC Splitter market for 2018-2023.The key manufacturers covered in this report:NTT ElectronicsSenkoTianyiscBrowaveCorningBroadexChangzhou LINKETYuda Hi-TechYilutHonghuiPPIKorea Optron CorpNewfiberT and S CommunicationsWutong Holding GroupIlsintechGo FotonSun TelecomFiberon TechnologiesKorea Optron CorpDownload Free Sample:PLC (Planar Lightwave Circuit) Splitter is integrated waveguide optical power budget device based on quartz substrate, featuring small size, wide operating wavelength range, high reliability, and good light splitting uniformity, which is especially suitable for split circuit connecting head and terminal equipment and realizing photosignal transmission in passive optical network (EPON?BPON?GPON and so on).The leading companies own the advantages on better performance, more abundant products types, better technical and impeccable after-sales service. Consequently, they take the majority of the market share of high-end market.Download Free Sample:Looking to the future years, the slow downward price trend in recent years will maintain. As competition intensifies, prices gap between different brands will go narrowing. Similarly, there will be fluctuation in gross margin.In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, the challenges and the risks faced by key manufacturers and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development.Buy Report:Research objectivesTo study and analyze the global PLC Splitter consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2023.To understand the structure of PLC Splitter market by identifying its various subsegments.Focuses on the key global PLC Splitter manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the PLC Splitter with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.Research 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.Contact Us:DavidSales Manager,US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424UK: +4403308087577Email: sales@researchreportsinc.com
Powered Agriculture Equipment Market 2018 Global Major Key Players: AGCO, John Deere, Mahindra & Mahindra, CNH Industrial, Kubota, CLAAS Group Analysis and Forecast to 2023

Powered Agriculture Equipment Market

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Powered Agriculture Equipment Market Share, Size, Trends, And Business Opportunity Analysis Report 2018 include historic data, with forecast data to 2023. Powered Agriculture Equipment Market report is helpful for future strategy development, and to know about Market Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, And Global market size, share, Growth, Trends, key players forecast to 2023Global Powered Agriculture Equipment Market Information Report by Product Type (Tractors, Combine/Combine Harvester, Sprayer, Soil Preparation & Cultivation Equipment, Seed Drill, Others), and by Region - Global Forecast To 2023Get Sample Report of Powered Agriculture Equipment Market@Market ScenarioAgricultural equipment and tools play a vital role in various functions according to consumer needs. Powered agriculture equipment replace traditional methods due to highly innovated and advanced products.Based on product type, powered agriculture equipment market has been divided as tractors, combine/combine harvester, sprayer, soil preparation & cultivation equipment, seed drill and others. Tractors segment accounted for the largest market share of 52.4% in 2016, with a market value of USD 36.37 billion. Tractors are essential in the agriculture industry and they are the highest volume segment in the market. The high sales of tractors can be attributed to their multifunction. This is because they are usable as agricultural equipment in monsoons and for other transport and commercial purposes. India is the leading tractor market, globally, followed by China and USA.Combine harvesters was the second-largest market in 2016, valued at USD 9.5 Billion in 2016. Combine harvester is among the most expensive agricultural equipment in the market. It combines the process of reaping, threshing, and cleaning grains, and collecting them in a grain tank fitted in the machinery. Soil preparation & cultivation equipment segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.59%. There are different equipment to be used for soil preparation and cultivation such as cultivator, plow, rotary tiller, and others. Sprayers are significant in agriculture process as they help in proper and timely application of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and other products used for crop protection. The Crop Protection Products (CPP) are applied to the crops through sprays and are necessary for the better yields. Thus, powered agriculture equipment are of great use in such applications.On the basis of region, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share of 33.47% in 2016, with a market value of USD 23.3 billion and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.26% during the forecast period. The region comprises more than 60% of the worlds population and is predicted to increase in the future, due to which the country is facing issues of food shortage. This generated the need of increasing the food production. Use of agricultural equipment and machinery has proven to be an effective way to increase food productivity. Additionally, countries such as India, China, and Indonesia, majorly promote agricultural production in the Asia Pacific region. In India, a large number of people are connected with the agriculture sector. The major factor that favors the market is the amount of subsidies by the both central and state governments, which encourage farmers to buy farm equipment.North America was the second-largest market in 2016, valued at USD 20.2 Billion in 2016. North America is the major producer of wheat, corn and soybean, which require the use of agricultural equipment, thereby driving the growth of the market. US accounts for the largest share in the North America market. There are presently more than 2.2 million farms in the U.S., covering an area of 922 million acres. Canada is also the major market for powered agriculture equipment and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.00% during the forecast period. The European market accounts for around 24.7% share in the global agriculture equipment market in the year 2016. Germany and France are the major markets in Europe. Germany is one of the leading exporting countries of agriculture machinery in the world and is ranked first when it comes to agriculture equipment market in Western Europe. John Deere, and Fendt, are among the leading agriculture tractor manufacturers and suppliers in Germany.Hence, global powered agriculture equipment market is expected to reach a market size of USD 99.89 billion by the end of the forecast period at CAGR of 5.43%.The Key Players of Global Powered Agriculture Equipment Market Are:AGCO Corporation (U.S.), John Deere & Co. (U.S.), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (India), CNH Industrial (U.K), Kubota Corporation (Japan), CLAAS Group (Germany), Alamo Group Inc. (U.S.), Escorts Group (India), Iseki & Co. Ltd (Japan), SDF S.P.A. (Italy), and other.The report for Global Powered Agriculture Equipment Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Get Complete Report Details of Powered Agriculture Equipment Market@Table of Contents1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2 INTRODUCTION3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY4 MARKET DYNAMICS5 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS6 GLOBAL POWERED AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE7 GLOBAL POWERED AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY REGION8 COMPETITIVE SCENARIO9 COMPANY PROFILE10 LIST OF TABLES11 LIST OF FIGURESContinued.About Us: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.Address:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Artificial Lift Market Expansion Activities By Top Key Players: Borets, GE Oil & Gas, Dover Corporation, Baker Hughes

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Market Overview:-Artificial lift is installed in wells that require to supplement natural reservoir drive to boost fluids. Almost all oil and gas wells that require water removal use some kind of artificial lift. The types of artificial wells comprise gas lift systems, progressing capacity pumps, rod-lift systems and electric submersible pumps (ESPs). Other lift systems include a hydraulic lift and plunger lift. Factors in choosing the type of lift involve well trajectory, depth of the well, properties of the fluid, and volume of the fluid to be pumped. Other factors involve pressure at the wellbore, the amount of gas produced and the presence of sand.The global artificial lift market is facing an upward trend due to decline in oil reservoirs, increase in shale oil and gas production and increase in deep water and ultra-deep activities. However, strict government and regulations and environmental problems associated oil and gas production are inhibiting the growth of the artificial lift market.Get Sample Report @Global Artificial Lift Market Segmentation:-The global market for artificial lift can be segmented on the basis of type, mechanism, application, and region.The market has been segmented into electrical submersible pump (ESP), rod lift, progressive cavity pump (PCP), gas lift, and others based on type. The rod lift market contributed a larger revenue share and is expected to be a dominant market over the forecast period. While the ESP and plunger segment is expected to show a significant growth rate in the years to come.The market has been segmented into pump assisted which is further subdivided into positive displacement and dynamic displacement and gas assisted. Among these, the pump assisted artificial lift mechanism is projected to show the largest market share in 2016. The dynamic displacement segment is the fastest growing segment within the pump assisted segment.The market has also been segmented into onshore and offshore based on application. Owing to the presence of a high amount of onshore oil wells, the onshore segment held a larger market share in 2017.Competition Analysis:-The prominent players operating the artificial lift market are Cameron International, Borets, GE Oil & Gas, Dover Corporation, Baker Hughes, and more. Industry players are focusing on inorganic growth ventures to enhance their business. Halliburton, in July 2017, acquired Summit ESP to strengthen its position and expand its artificial lift capabilities in North America oilfield services.Industrial Developments:-The Trump administration granted gas drilling and new offshore oil in almost all US coastal waters, thus giving energy companies the access to lease off California and opening more than a billion acres in the Arctic and along the Eastern Seaboard.Browse Complete Report @Baker Hughes, a GE company, proposed using a Terr- Adapt adaptive drillbit so that the drilling performance is improved and the NPT is reduced by proactively mitigating slip and stick and impact loading. This device comes with self-adjusting depth-of-cut control elements to reduce torsional instability.In October 2014, Dover Corporation acquired Accelerated Companies LLC which is a supplier of artificial lift solutions and fluid handling to oil and gas production industry.Major Points of TOC:-1 REPORT PROLOGUE2 Global Artificial Lift Market 2016-2027: INTRODUCTION3 Global Artificial Lift Market 2016-2027: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY4 Global Artificial Lift Market 2016-2027: MARKET DYNAMICS4.1 DRIVERS4.2 RESTRAINTS4.3 OPPORTUNITIES4.4 MEGA TRENDS4.5 MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS4.6 IMPORTANT POINTERS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS4.6.1 FASTEST GROWING MARKET4.6.2 GROWTH PROSPECTS4.5 REGULATIONS/ACTSAsk our Experts @5 Global Artificial Lift Market 2016-2027: MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS5.1 VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS5.2 PORTERSContinued......About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Worm Gear Market Major Manufacturers, Trends, Demand, Share Analysis to 2025

Global Worm Gear Industry

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Global Worm Gear IndustryNew Study On 2018-2025 Worm Gear Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThis report studies the global Worm Gear market status and forecast, categorizes the global Worm Gear 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).Worm Gear is used to transfer movement and power of two alternating axis, it is a unit generally include a Worm Gear and a Worm.Worm Gears are normally used when a high gear ratio is desired, or again when the shafts are perpendicular to each other. One very important feature of Worm Gear meshes that is often of use is their irreversibility: when a Worm Gear is turned, the meshing spur gear will turn, but turning the spur gear will not turn the Worm Gear. The resulting mesh is 'self-locking', and is useful in achieving mechanisms.The global Worm Gear 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 reportIMS(GER)Mitsubishi(JP)PIC Design(US)Precision Gears, Inc(US)Gear Manufacturing, Inc(US)AMTech(US)AME(US)Framo Morat(GER)Avon Gear and Engineering(US)Gear manufacturing OTT GmbH(GER)Berg(US)KHK(JP)Martin Sprocket & Gear(US)HPC Gears(UK)SDP/SI(US)Gear Motions(US)CAPT(CN)Xinghe Gear Machinery(CN)ESSOR Precision Machinery(CN)Zhengben Gear(CN)Taizhou Yage machinery(CN)Try 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 intoSingle envelope Worm GearDouble envelope Worm GearNon-enveloping worm gearOn 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, includingShipsVehiclesHeavy MachineriesOthersThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Worm Gear capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Worm Gear 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 Worm Gear 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 StakeholdersWorm Gear ManufacturersWorm Gear Distributors/Traders/WholesalersWorm Gear Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch 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 Worm Gear market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.For Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:Global Worm Gear Market Research Report 20181 Worm Gear Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Worm Gear1.2 Worm Gear Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Worm Gear Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Worm Gear Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Single envelope Worm Gear1.2.4 Double envelope Worm Gear1.2.5 Non-enveloping worm gear1.3 Global Worm Gear Segment by Application1.3.1 Worm Gear Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Ships1.3.3 Vehicles1.3.4 Heavy Machineries1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Worm Gear Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Worm Gear Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Worm Gear (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Worm Gear Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Worm Gear Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Worm Gear Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Worm Gear Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Worm Gear Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Worm Gear Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Worm Gear Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Worm Gear Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Worm Gear Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Worm Gear Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Worm Gear Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Worm Gear Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Worm Gear Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Worm Gear Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Worm Gear Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Worm Gear Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Worm Gear Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Worm Gear Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Worm Gear Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Worm Gear Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Worm Gear Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Worm Gear Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Worm Gear Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Worm Gear Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Worm Gear Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Worm Gear Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Worm Gear Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Worm Gear Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Worm Gear Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Worm Gear Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Worm Gear Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Worm Gear Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 IMS(GER)7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 IMS(GER) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Mitsubishi(JP)7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Mitsubishi(JP) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 PIC Design(US)7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 PIC Design(US) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Precision Gears, Inc(US)7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Precision Gears, Inc(US) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Gear Manufacturing, Inc(US)7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Gear Manufacturing, Inc(US) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 AMTech(US)7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 AMTech(US) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 AME(US)7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 AME(US) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Framo Morat(GER)7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Framo Morat(GER) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Avon Gear and Engineering(US)7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Avon Gear and Engineering(US) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Gear manufacturing OTT GmbH(GER)7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Worm Gear Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Gear manufacturing OTT GmbH(GER) Worm Gear Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.11 Berg(US)7.12 KHK(JP)7.13 Martin Sprocket & Gear(US)7.14 HPC Gears(UK)7.15 SDP/SI(US)7.16 Gear Motions(US)7.17 CAPT(CN)7.18 Xinghe Gear Machinery(CN)7.19 ESSOR Precision Machinery(CN)7.20 Zhengben Gear(CN)7.21 Taizhou Yage machinery(CN)8 Worm Gear Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Worm Gear Key Raw Materials Analysis8.1.1 Key Raw Materials8.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials8.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials8.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials8.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure8.2.1 Raw Materials8.2.2 Labor Cost8.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses8.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Worm GearContinued..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:
Global Endoscope Reprocessing Device Market: Hospitals to Remain Most Attractive Segment by End User During the Forecast Period (2017-2027)

Global Endoscope Reprocessing Device Market

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ResearchMoz presents professional and in-depth study of "Endoscope Reprocessing Device Market: Hospitals to Remain Most Attractive Segment by End User During the Forecast Period: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027)"Before coming up with this brand new report on global endoscope reprocessing device market, the analysts in Future Market Insights have thoroughly inspected the global as well as regional markets. One of the most important aspect of this report is, our expert team of analysts who are working extensively in healthcare domain have focused on forecast factors and have offered the unique perspective and assumptions on the market force. Pricing analysis, value chain analysis and list of active key participants are some of the other features of this recently published report titled, Endoscope Reprocessing Device Market: Global Industry Analysis (20122016) and Opportunity Assessment (20172027).Click to get Sample PDF @To give the crystal clear picture of the market to our clients our analysts went extra miles to give detail information about market size, forecast, drivers, restraints, trends and opportunities of all the seven regions that have been covered in this report. Apart from regional insights, we have also given comprehensive information on various segments and its sub-segments. For the better understanding of the entire market, we have divided the market based on product, end user, and region segments.Market Size and Forecast FactorsWe have considered market consolidation activities such as merger and acquisition, collaborations, partnerships, license agreements, patent transfer, which may influence the market growth over a forecast period. Capital expenditure on healthcare infrastructure in the developing economies is also a factor, expected to drives the market. It also rules out impact of extreme events in specific countries. Regulatory impositions such as the rules and regulations by the various regulatory authorities such as China Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Commission could affect the market. Currency fluctuations and changing taxation policies would have a significant impact on forecasting of Endoscope Reprocessing Device market over the forecast period.Report StructureThis report includes global endoscope reprocessing device market overview which consists of market size and forecast, Y-o-Y growth and absolute $ opportunity. The analysts have taken 3600 views of market dynamics and have also taken a glance at various micro-economic factors, supply and demand side drivers, restraints, opportunities and key trends which are affecting the global endoscope reprocessing device market. Another section of the report consists of market definition and taxonomy. Product-wise Weighted Average Selling Price (ASP) has been considered to deduce market values. Top-down approach has been used to assess market numbers for each product category, while bottom-up approach has been used to counter validate the market estimations. All the currencies are converted to US$ at an average conversion rate of 2015. We have taken help from sources such as World Bank, various companies annual and financial reports while inspecting this report.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Research MethodologyEach interview is thoroughly analysed and average market volume is deduced and reconfirmed prior to incorporating in the report. The price of endoscope reprocessing device is deduced on the basis of the product type, where the average price of each endoscope reprocessing device type is inferred across all the seven assessed regions. The market value of the global endoscope reprocessing device market is thus calculated from the data provided by the average selling price and market volume.For the 10-year forecast of the global endoscope reprocessing device market, various macroeconomic factors and changing trends have been observed, giving an idea about the future of the market. Other important factors considered to arrive at market forecast are the size of the current market, inputs from the supply side and the demand side and other dynamics shaping the scenario of the market. In the compilation of the report, the forecasts are conducted in terms of CAGR, while other important criteria such as year-on-year growth and absolute dollar opportunity have also been incorporated presenting the client with crystal clear insights and future opportunities as far as the global endoscope reprocessing device market is concerned.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.usTel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074For More Reports Visit @
Rapid growth of the Aircraft Health Monitoring System Market by 2025

Aircraft Health Monitoring System Market

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The Global Aircraft Health Monitoring System Market was valued at $ 875.0 million in 2014 and is likely to garner $ 1802.9 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.28% during the forecast period according to Progressive Markets report, Aircraft Health Monitoring System Market (AHMS) - Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, 2014-2025.Access Full Summary at :The report provides a detailed analysis of the entire aircraft health monitoring system industry, covering the key market segments, market landscape, market dynamics, major market players, the research methodology used, market size by segment and region, market forecast, Porters analysis, and trends analysis. The information provided in the report is a result of an extensive research of the global aircraft health monitoring system market with opinions from industry experts. The research methodology is provided in terms of primary and secondary research methods implemented to gather and validate data.The aircraft health monitoring system market report is a useful resource for market players, VPs, investors, stakeholders, and new entrants to understand the overall market scenario for the historic period 2014-2016 and the forecast period 2018-2025. It also helps in devising plans for expansion and determining opportunities for business growth.An executive summary of the global aircraft health monitoring system market is provided based on the key findings, market attractiveness and trends analysis, and competitive landscape. Market landscape is provided in the study based on growth drivers, Porters Analysis, and market share analysis. The market drivers and restraints help analyze the factors affecting the growth of the global aircraft health monitoring system industry. The Porters Five Forces Analysis (PFFA) is offered in the study based on the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, threat from substitutes, and industrial rivalry. This analysis helps assess the level of competition prevailing in the market and devise strategies for business growth. Market share analysis is valuable as it helps determine how well the players are doing in the market as compared to their competitors.Request Sample Report:The AHMS market report includes the drivers and challenges to explain why the market is growing or slowing down. The increasing expenditure in aerospace IT in the developing economies, as well as the technological advancements for workflow optimization, are driving the demand for advanced analytical systems, causing the AHMS market to grow. Moreover, the growing demand for real-time fault management, performance monitoring, and custom alerting & analysis solutions are propelling the market growth. Furthermore, increased application areas for aircraft integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) are likely to create growth opportunities for aircraft health monitoring system market. On the other hand, a lack of trained professionals is likely to limit the AHMS market growth during the forecast period.A detailed segmentation of the AHMS market report is provided based on type, aircraft type, fit, and geography. Based on type, the market is divided into commercial and defense. The defense sector garnered $388.7 million in 2017 and is likely to grow at a CAGR of 8.78% during the forecast period. By aircraft type, the industry is bifurcated into wide-body aircraft, narrow body aircraft, and regional jets. The regional jets segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.22% during the forecast period. By fit, the industry is classified as line-fit and retro-fit. The line-fit segment is expected to garner $1270.0 million in 2025 while the retro-fit segment is likely to grow at a CAGR of 5.73% during the forecast period. Geographically, the market analysis covers the various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. In North America, the market analysis covers the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In Europe, the market analysis covers UK, Germany, France, and the other parts of Europe. The market study in the Asia-Pacific region includes China, India, Japan, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. In LAMEA, the market study covers Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.The report offers a detailed analysis of the major market players operating in the AHMS market. An overview of each player is provided along with the insights into their business segments and recent developments. These information help market players gain an understanding of the competitive market scenario and plan strategies to be adopted to gain a competitive advantage. The key players include Rockwell Collins Inc., Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc., United Technologies Corporation, Meggitt Plc., Airbus Group, Honeywell International Inc., Boeing Company, RSL Electronics Ltd., General Electric Company, and Rolls-Royce Plc.The 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
Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market 2018 Industry Trend and Forecast 2025

Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Industry

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Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump IndustryNew Study On 2018-2025 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThis report studies the global Variable Displacement Piston Pump market status and forecast, categorizes the global Variable Displacement Piston Pump 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 Variable Displacement Piston Pump is a type of mechanical-electrical motor placed in a fluid channel. Built either to generate electrical power from the natural flow of fluid past it or to apply mechanical force to make stationary fluid flow in a pipe gives the variable displacement pump a dual use  adjustable capability. Such pumps have versatile applications because they can be set to capture the maximum amount of hydraulic fluid energy as the velocity of fluid flow in a channel dynamically changes, or they can be switched to applying mechanical energy powered by electricity to increase fluid flow.As Chinese overall economic downward trend in the past few years, and international economic situation is complicated, in the next few years there will be many uncertainties, and coupled with Variable Displacement Piston Pump industry in relative large supply on the market in the past few years, more and more companies enter into Variable Displacement Piston Pump industry, and according to our research, the analysis team find that there are so many manufacturers, the mainly companies includes Bosch Rexroth Corporation, Parker, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Eaton and Danfoss.Variable Displacement Piston Pump product demand market there is also a certain space in the next few years, especially the China market, the demand of Variable Displacement Piston Pump is increasing slowly with the rapidly development of Electricity industry.Although sales of Variable Displacement Piston Pump brought a lot of opportunities, the study group recommends the new entrants just having money but without technical advantage and downstream support do not to enter into the Variable Displacement Piston Pump field.The global Variable Displacement Piston Pump 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 reportBosch RexrothParkerKawasakiEatonDanfossOilgearHAWEYukenAtosCasappaLinde Hydraulics (Weichai)MoogASADALi YuanHuadeShaoyang Victor HydraulicsSaikesiHenyuan HydraulicTry 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 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 intoAxial Variable Displacement Piston PumpRadial Variable Displacement Piston PumpOn 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, includingChemical Processing IndustryGeneral IndustyPrimary Metals IndustryOil and Gas IndustryPower Generation IndustryMining IndustryOthersThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Variable Displacement Piston Pump capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Variable Displacement Piston Pump 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 Variable Displacement Piston Pump 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 StakeholdersVariable Displacement Piston Pump ManufacturersVariable Displacement Piston Pump Distributors/Traders/WholesalersVariable Displacement Piston Pump Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch 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 Variable Displacement Piston Pump market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.For Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Research Report 20181 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Variable Displacement Piston Pump1.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Axial Variable Displacement Piston Pump1.2.4 Radial Variable Displacement Piston Pump1.3 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Segment by Application1.3.1 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Chemical Processing Industry1.3.3 General Industy1.3.4 Primary Metals Industry1.3.5 Oil and Gas Industry1.3.6 Power Generation Industry1.3.7 Mining Industry1.3.8 Others1.4 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 29 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 Variable Displacement Piston Pump (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Variable Displacement Piston Pump Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.8 South America Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.9 Middle East and Africa Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Variable Displacement Piston Pump Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Bosch Rexroth7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Bosch Rexroth Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Parker7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Parker Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Kawasaki7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Kawasaki Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Eaton7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Eaton Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Danfoss7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Danfoss Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Oilgear7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Oilgear Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 HAWE7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 HAWE Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Yuken7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Yuken Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Atos7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Atos Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2020)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Casappa7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Casappa Variable Displacement Piston Pump Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2020)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.11 Linde Hydraulics (Weichai)7.12 Moog7.13 ASADA7.14 Li Yuan7.15 Huade7.16 Shaoyang Victor Hydraulics7.17 Saikesi7.18 Henyuan Hydraulic8 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Variable Displacement Piston Pump Key Raw Materials Analysis8.1.1 Key Raw Materials8.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials8.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials8.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials8.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure8.2.1 Raw Materials8.2.2 Labor Cost8.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses8.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Variable Displacement Piston PumpContinued..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:
High-Performance Electric Vehicle 2018 Global Market Key Players  BMW, Daimler, General Motors, NISSAN MOTOR, Tesla Motors  Analysis and Forecast to 2025

High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market

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WiseGuyRerports.com Presents Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Research Report 2018 New Document to its Studies DatabaseThis report studies the global High-Performance Electric Vehicle market status and forecast, categorizes the global High-Performance Electric Vehicle market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, India and other regions (Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa)Electric high-performance vehicles can be differentiated from other EVs on aspects, including longer range of distance i.e., over 150 miles in a single charge, high acceleration, and their ability to attain a speed of over 90 miles per hour with faster acceleration of 0 to 60 miles per hour, unlike that of EV, which can range at speeds varying from 40-65 miles per hour. While purely electric cars do have some limitations, usually including lower range and higher weight, unlike normal gasoline powered cars, they do hold the advantage of having all of their torque available from a standstill.The global High-Performance Electric Vehicle 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 reportBMWDaimlerGeneral MotorsNISSAN MOTORTesla MotorsAudiBYDFord MotorHondaHyundai MotorVolkswagenRequest For 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, coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoEntry LevelSUVPremiumLuxuryOn 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, includingHome UseCommercial UseThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global High-Performance Electric Vehicle capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key High-Performance Electric Vehicle 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.Complete Report Details @Table Of Contents:1 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of High-Performance Electric Vehicle1.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Entry Level1.2.4 SUV1.2.5 Premium1.2.6 Luxury1.3 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Segment by Application1.3.1 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Home Use1.3.3 Commercial Use1.4 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 United States Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 EU Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of High-Performance Electric Vehicle (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers High-Performance Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion7 Global High-Performance Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 BMW7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 BMW High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Daimler7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Daimler High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 General Motors7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 General Motors High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 NISSAN MOTOR7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 NISSAN MOTOR High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Tesla Motors7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 High-Performance Electric Vehicle Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Tesla Motors High-Performance Electric Vehicle Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +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.ABOUT US:Address:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Porous Organic Polymers Market Size, and Forecast 2017  2025 : Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, Max Planck Institute and Zewail City of Science and Technology.

Global Porous Organic Polymers Market

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ResearchMoz presents professional and in-depth study of "Porous Organic Polymers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025"Porous organic polymers are thermally stable cross-linked polymeric materials that exhibit high surface areas and excellent optoelectronic properties. These materials are non-soluble in nature, provide exceptional light absorption properties, and possess high dimensional geometry. They play an important role in chemical processes such as molecular separation and catalytic operations. They are widely employed in the health care and energy industries due to their distinguishing properties such as high flexibility and high nano-pores. Porous organic polymers are used in gas storage operations, separation process, and environmental remediation activities and sensing. They are also used in water treatment process for contaminant removal.Click to get Sample PDF @Based on type, the global porous organic polymers can be segregated into crystalline and amorphous. Demand for the amorphous type is expected to rise significantly during the forecast period. This can be ascribed primarily to its distinguishing features such as excellent catalytic activities with high conversion yield owing to its highly efficient size selectivity. Amorphous porous organic polymer is useful for advanced functional material design. Porous organic polymers have emerged as potential polymeric materials; chemists and material scientists are focusing on them in order to contribute to their design and synthesis.Rise in demand for effective and potential polymeric materials in the health care, energy storage, and water treatment industries is driving the porous organic polymer market. Pore size is an important feature of porous organic polymer. There can be distortion in the pore size due to requirement of high chemical reaction, leading to changes in the molecular structure. In addition, fluctuating prices of raw materials and high production cost are anticipated to act as a barrier to the growth of the porous organic polymer market. However, upsurge in research and development activities in order to discover new porous framework that is compatible with various existing materials is expected to boost the porous organic polymer market. Several research institutes are collaborating with different industries in order to scale up the production process of these materials for the benefit of targeted applications.Geographically, the porous organic polymer market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of consumption, North America is leading in the porous organic polymer market, followed by Europe. Rise in shale gas exploration activities coupled with increase in research activities in the oil & gas industry in North America are expected to augment the demand for porous organic polymers significantly during the forecast period. Furthermore, rise in demand for blended porous organic polymers such as pyrene based, silicon-based, grapheme-based, etc. is also creating lucrative opportunities for the manufacturers in the region. In Europe, Germany, France, and the Nordic countries possess significant growth potential for the porous organic polymer market. It is primarily driven by rise in demand for porous organic polymers as intermediates for manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, dyes, and polymers. Asia Pacific is also witnessing significant growth in the porous organic polymer market due to increase in interest in nano-technology. Depleting fossil fuel sources and rising interest in development of alternative fuel sources such as solar energy in order to optimize hydrogen conversion efficiency by employing nano materials such as porous organic polymers are expected to fuel the market in the region. Latin America and Middle East & Africa have slow growth rate in the porous organic polymer market. However, rise in awareness among consumers as well as growth in production capacity are expected to propel the demand for porous organic polymers in the regions.Browse Detail Report @Key research institutes and players operating in the global porous organic polymer market are Dow Chemical Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, and Zewail City of Science and Technology.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.The study is a source of reliable data on:- Market segments and sub-segments- Market trends and dynamics- Supply and demand- Market size- Current trends/opportunities/challenges- Competitive landscape- Technological breakthroughs- Value 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.Get PDF for More Professional and Technical insights @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 market- Important changes in market dynamics- Market segmentation up to the second or third level- Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume- Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments- Market shares and strategies of key players- Emerging niche segments and regional markets- An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market- Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout 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.usTel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074For More Reports Visit @
Pipe Insulation Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players - Owens Corning, Johns Manville, Knauf Insulation, ITW, Armacell, K-flex, Rockwool, Aeroflex USA Inc.

Pipe Insulation

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MarketStudyReport.com adds a new 2018-2023 Global Pipe Insulation Consumption Market Report focuses on the major drivers and restraints for the global key players providing analysis of the market share, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the market.This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Pipe Insulation Market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions. Over the next five years, projects that Pipe Insulation will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, reach US$ xx million by 2023, from US$ xx million in 2017.Request a sample of this premium report at:Pipe Insulation is thermal or acoustic insulation used on pipework. This report studies the Pipe Insulation used in commercial market.The United States Pipe Insulation consumption volume was 2185 K m? in 2012 and is expected to reach 2740 K m? in 2017.In United States, the leading Pipe Insulation consumption regions are Northeast, South, West, Midwest USA. Northeast Region was the largest consumption region, and occupied 32.97% consumption value market share in 2016, followed by South Region. The market is supplied by a combination of large multinational firms and smaller local manufacturers. The leading United States firms include Owens Corning and Johns Manville.Despite the presence of competition and brand effect problems, due to the demand for water efficiency products, investors are still optimistic about this area. There will be more new investors entering into this industry in the future. The manufacturers who want to occupy the market must depend on market mechanism reform, core technology improvement, manufacturing equipment innovation, and brand establishment.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:The report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Owens Corning, Johns Manville, Knauf Insulation, ITW, Armacell, K-flex, Rockwool, Aeroflex USA Inc.Segmentation by product type:FiberglassPolyurethaneCalcium SilicateElastomeric rubberOthersSegmentation by application:EducationalHealthcareCommercialOfficeCommunicationsResearch objectives:To study and analyze the global Pipe Insulation consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2023.To understand the structure of Pipe Insulation market by identifying its various subsegments.Focuses on the key global Pipe Insulation manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Pipe Insulation with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).To project the consumption of Pipe Insulation submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).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.More Report At:Related Report:Global Rock Wool Pipe Insulation Sales Market Report 2018This report studies the global Rock Wool Pipe Insulation market status and forecast, categorizes the global Rock Wool Pipe Insulation market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:
Global Strapping Industry Market Analysis,Applications & Forecast 2018-2023

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Strapping Industry Market entails the qualitative and quantitative analysis of current and future market estimations. It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more.The report has a mention of the market drivers and opportunities. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the Global Strapping Industry Market .Get Sample@A brief overview of the Global Strapping Industry Market is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography. The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type.Regarding this segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption, market share, and growth rate. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2012-2022 for each of these regions are listed in the report.Get 15% Discount on this Report@The Global Strapping Industry Market report also provides an analysis of the manufacturing cost of the product. This includes the key raw materials, the proportion of manufacturing cost structure, and manufacturing process analysis. The key raw materials encompass the price trend, key suppliers, and market concentration rate. The proportion of manufacturing cost structure incorporates the raw materials, labor cost, and manufacturing expenses.Global Strapping Industry Market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk (substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmental change.Information about the production, capacity, price, revenue (value), and market share of each of these manufacturers from 2012 to 2017 are clearly described in the report. In addition, the report details the basic information, manufacturing base, area of sales, and competitors of each of the players. The trends and marketing strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, adopted by each of the manufacturers provide an understanding of the level of competitiveness prevailing in the industry.Check Full Report With TOC@About Us:Research Beams uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United Statesphone+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Offshore Decommissioning Market Size, Development Strategy, Applications and Outlook | Global Industry In- Depth Analysis Report by Forecast to 2023

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Market Highlights:Offshore decommissioning of aging oil and gas platforms, subsea wells, and related infrastructure is essential to safely remove the equipment used for oil or gas exploration and production, and dispose them at the end of their production. The process of decommissioning of offshore oil and gas platforms, is critical in terms of environmental protection concerns, as it has probable effects on the marine ecosystem, along with disposal of hazardous substances. Offshore decommissioning encompasses different activities for removal of installations, namely, project management, engineering and planning, permitting and regulatory compliance, platform preparation, well plugging and abandonment, conductor removal, mobilization and demobilization of derrick barges, platform removal, pipeline and power cable decommissioning, materials disposal, and site clearance.Technological advancement has resulted in technological obsolescence and shortening lifecycle of machinery. The growing capabilities and capacities of advanced machinery coupled with falling cost of new machinery have created a significant refurbishing business for decommissioning solution providers.Get Sample Report @Study Objectives of Global Offshore Decommissioning Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next five years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Offshore Decommissioning market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the global Offshore Decommissioning market based on various tools such as Supply Chain Analysis, and Porters Five Forces Analysis To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to regions and their respective key countries 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 segments by material type, product, application and region To provide strategic profiling of 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 Offshore Decommissioning marketTop Key Players:-The major players operating in this market, who have adopted these strategies are Tetra Technologies, Inc., (U.S.), BP P.L.C. (U.K.), Statoil ASA (Norway), DNV GL (Norway), TechnipFMC PLC (U.K.), AF Gruppen ASA (Norway), Ramboll Group A/S (Denmark), Aker Solutions ASA (Norway), Amec Foster Wheeler (U.K.), John Wood Group Plc. (Scotland), Claxton Engineering Services (U.K.), Allseas group SA (Switzerland) and DeepOcean Group (Netherlands).Browse Detailed Report @Regional Analysis:Asia-Pacific accounted for a market share of 8.83% in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.41% during the forecast period. The Middle East and Africa region is supposed to be dominated by Gulf economies of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar. The presence of large onshore oil and gas deposits in the Middle East and Africa hampers offshore oil exploration and thus accounts for the disproportionately small size of the market as compared to its petroleum production.Europe accounts for the most significant share of 70 % regarding global offshore decommissioning market value in 2016, based on the size and volume of the structures, especially in the North Sea. Europe is followed by the North America region led by Mexico owing to the aging platforms most of which are more than 30 years old. The Gulf of Mexico accounts for the most substantial number of facilities requiring decommission with a lower cost structure between USD 0.5 million to 4 million for shallow water structures. The Gulf of Mexico has historically been the most significant region regarding the volume of platforms decommissioned, which is around 4,000. North America offshore decommissioning market was valued at USD 877.1 million in 2016 and which is expected to grow to USD 1,383.3 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.83 %.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Residential Monitored Security Market 2018-2022 - North America, Asia Pacific, Europe covered

Global Residential Monitored Security Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2018-2022)

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Global Residential Monitored Security Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2018-2022), provides analysis of the global residential monitored security market with detailed analysis of the marker size in terms of its value, growth and its subsequent segments.The report also includes detailed regional analysis of residential monitored security market in regions such as North America, Asia Pacific and Europe. Under competitive landscape, players in the global residential security market have been compared on the basis of their service offerings followed by their comparison on the basis of revenue and market capitalization. Also, comparison of players in the residential monitored security market in North America has been done on the basis of share.Moreover, the report assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall residential monitored security market has also been forecasted for the years 2018-2022, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.ADT Inc., The Brinks Company, APX Group Holdings Inc. and Comcast Corporation are some of the key players operating in the global residential monitored security market whose company profiling is done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and the business strategies of the companies are provided.VIEW COMPLETE TOC AND LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES:Company CoverageADT Inc.The Brinks CompanyAPX Group Holdings Inc.Comcast CorporationRegional CoverageNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeREQUEST FOR READY SAMPLE PAGES OF THIS REPORT:Executive SummaryResidential monitored security has become an important need of todays age with the people wanting to keep a track of safety of their property/assets/ dear ones at all times even if they are not present in their homes. It can be explained as a combination of input and output security devices. Some of the input security devices are sensors and actuators, whereas output security devices are hooter and alarms. Wireless locks and smart apps are also some of the latest additions.The global residential monitored security market can be segmented on the basis of products, solution and residential type. On the basis of products, the market can be split into security cameras, sensors, security alarms, smart locks and fire extinguishers & sprinklers. On the basis of solution, the market can be sub segmented into audio visual surveillance, access control & management, alert system and intercom system. On the basis of residential type, the market has been split into independent and apartment type residences.The global residential monitored security market is expected to grow at a healthy rate during the forecast period (2018-2022). The growth of the market is supported by factors such as increasing levels of urbanization, ease of installation of wireless security, rising labor force globally and hike in disposable income.The market faces challenges such as intensive competition to major players from the smaller players, complex supply chain management and high dependency on sales of existing and new houses for generation of revenues. Increasing adoption of internet of things, ascending requirement for home security systems with remote access and hike in number of smartphone users are some of the latest trends in the market.Ask more specific questions regarding this report:Get in touch with us:ResearchByMarkets.comRitesh Tiwari, Directorenquiry@researchbymarkets.comUSA: +1-800-416-3124About 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.Research By MarketsE/3, Ganga Homes,Behind Bank Of India,Viman Nagar,Pune 411 014.Maharashtra, India
Hot Melt Adhesives Market Forecast Analysis through 2018 to 2023 and Global Emerging Trends | Worldwide Competitors Insight | H.B. Fuller Co., 3M, The Dow Chemical Co., Dow Corning Corp., Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Hot Melt Adhesives Market

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Recent Industry News:The market has multiple significant players owing to which it experiences continuous development in the product and by offering new variants, brands try to stay afloat. For instance, the U.S. based packaging solution providers Pack size has recently launched a hot melt adhesive designed to remove stickiness from the product.Market Summary:Hot Melt Adhesives, also known as hot glue are thermoplastic in nature. They are used for creating a strong molecular attraction between the materials. These adhesives are applied in their molten state and then solidify after cooling.Receive Sample Report @Hot Melt Adhesives are known for their non-toxic and ecofriendly nature. They are of five types namely ethylene vinyl acetate, polyolefin, polyamide, polypropylene and polyurethane hot melt. Ethylene vinyl acetate Hot Melt Adhesives are light in color and widely used in the market due to their usage in several applications such as buildings & construction, food packaging and others.The Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market has been driven by the important factors and trends such as safe storage, ease of use, excellent moisture resistance and anti-oxidant characteristics. It is estimated that the Global Hot Melt Adhesive Market is set to witness a rapid growth due to its benefits and advantages over solvent based adhesives.Categorization:The Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market is fragmented by type and application. Ethylene vinyl acetate, polyolefin, polyamide, polypropylene and polyurethane segments are known, on the basis of market type. Among these, ethylene vinyl acetate segment holds the major share in the market due to growing demand in end-use industries such as buildings & construction, food packaging, product assembly, and others. It possess several advantages over water based additives such as environmental friendly nature and antioxidant characteristic. The polyamide adhesives provide high thermal resistance and are used in extremely high temperature applications, however their growth in the market is being hindered by their cost. Growing demand from the polymer industry has propelled polyurethane segment to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The polypropylene adhesives are used in spray formulations to generate delayed setting time properties. Food packaging, buildings & construction, wood working, carton-sealing, and others are classifications on the basis of application.Regional Analysis:The Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market is categorized into five key regions namely; North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa (MEA)Among these, Asia Pacific is the major shareholder of this market owing to growing use in heavy end industries such as construction, packaging and others. The European region is set to witness a rapid growth in the market owing to technological advancements and rising use in automotive, defense, and other industrial sectors. The hot melt adhesives has observed a stunning development in the North American region due to growing popularity of polyurethane adhesives. An increase in the number of manufacturing and production units has propelled the Latin American market to witness a notable growth. The economic slowdown due to low crude oil prices has propelled the Middle East & Africa to witness a stunted growth.Top Global Competitors:Some of the prominent competitors in the Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market: Sika AG (Switzerland), RPM International Inc. (U.S.A.), H.B. Fuller Company (U.S.A),Arkema (France), 3M Company (U.S.A), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Huntsman International LLC. (U.S.A.), Dow Corning Corporation (U.S.A.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.A.)Read Report Detail @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.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.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora Chambers,Pune- 411028Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com+16468459312
Global Ice Cream Sector Market 2018: Analysis of Opportunities Offered by High Growth Economies, with Nestle SA, Havmor Ice Cream Limited, Saudia Dairy & Foodstuff Company, etc

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This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the global ice cream sector as part of our global series. It includes an analysis on global ice cream sector with consumption analysis highlighted for all regions. The report also identifies high potential countries by region that have been identified by creating a risk-reward analysis with multiple parameters.The global ice cream sector was valued at US$58.2 billion in 2017. A growing population, rising urbanization rate, and improving economy will remain the primary macroeconomic factors driving the sector globally. Asia-Pacific was the leading region in 2017, whilst the Middle East & Africa is forecast to record the fastest value CAGR during 2017-2022.Get Sample Copy of this Report@Scope:- The report provides an overview of global and regional markets covering - Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Americas, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe - highlighting sector size, growth drivers, latest developments, and future inhibitors for the region. It also identifies top ten high potential countries and provides deep dive analysis of top two countries in each region.- The report draws on the sector data by analyzing key distribution channels for ice cream in the global market.- Sector data is also used for studying the level of competition in the sector by identifying the top brands at a global and regional level with insights on sector shares of private label products. The report also includes insights on health & wellness products in terms of value and percentage share in the overall ice cream sector at global and regional level during 2012-2022.Reasons to buy:- To have a thorough fact based analysis with information about the global ice cream sector across the five regions in value terms and the underlying factors that are driving the sales- To gain confidence to make the correct business decisions based on a detailed analysis of the global ice cream sector and to identify high potential countries over the next 5 years- The analysts have placed a significant emphasis on the mega trends that drive consumer choice and will provide a clear picture about the future opportunities that can be explored across the region, resulting in revenue expansion- To gain competitive intelligence about leading brands in the ice cream sector at global and regional level with information about their sector share, business descriptions and product profiles.Make an Inquiry before Buying@Key Players:UnileverNestle SASan Miguel CorporationChomthana Co. LtdGeneral Mills IncGCMMFWells Enterprises Inc.Devyani Foods Industries Pvt. Ltd.Havmor Ice Cream LimitedIFFCOSaudia Dairy & Foodstuff CompanyMafad Trading CompanyArabian Food & Dairy Factories CoBlue Bell CreameriesDean Foods Co.Loblaw Companies LimitedDunkin DonutsCompanhia Brasileira De DistribuicaoMondel?z InternationalZielona BudkaFamily FrostGet More Information about the Report@About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Info:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Email id: sales@orbisresearch.com
Global Spa and Sauna Component Market - Europe, APAC, North America, Middle East and Rest of the World

The Global Spa and Sauna Component Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2018-2022)

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Global Spa and Sauna Component Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2018-2022), provides an in-depth analysis of the global spa and sauna component market by value, by sauna type, by end use, by demand and by region. The report also provides the analysis of the spa and sauna component market of Europe, APAC, North America, Middle East and Rest of the World.The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global spa and sauna component market has also been forecasted for the period 2018-2022, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The global spa and sauna component market is highly fragmented due to presence of numerous local and small players. However, the competition in the global spa and sauna component market is dominated by CapMan (Harvia), TyloHelo, Klafs, Anhui SaunaKing, EOS Saunatechnik, SAWO and Narvi.VIEW COMPLETE TOC AND LIST OF TABLES/FIGURES:Country CoverageEuropeAPACNorth AmericaMiddle EastRest of the World (ROW)Company CoverageCapMan (Harvia)TyloHeloKlafsAnhui SaunaKingEOS SaunatechnikSAWONarviREQUEST FOR READY SAMPLE PAGES OF THIS REPORT:Executive SummarySauna is a Finnish word meaning bath or bath house. Sauna is a small room which was traditionally constructed with a wooden interior and is used as a hot air steam bath for cleansing and refreshing the body. The roots of spa and sauna culture dates back to the Neolithic Age. Although today, sauna culture is considered to come from Finland as with the scares of syphilis in 1500s, the culture died in most of the Europe except the country.The first saunas were dug into a trough in the ground. The saunas then evolved to being build above the ground with wooden logs and then to using metal woodstove with a chimney. The heating technology also evolved from wood burned to electric and to infrared. The therapeutic properties of spa and sauna can help in treating arthritis, allergies, skin ailments and chemical sensitivity. Although, prolonged sessions in a sauna increase the risks of dehydration which can lead to low blood pressure and loss of consciousness.Spa and sauna component market can be segmented on the basis of products, equipment and application. On he basis of equipment spa and sauna can be further segmented into installation, maintenance and repair services, sauna components and heaters and sauna and spa room structures, control units and accessoriesThe global spa and sauna component market has increased at a significant CAGR during the years 2013-2017 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2018-2022 tremendously.The spa and sauna component market is expected to increase due to growing wellness tourism, increase in employment, rising consumer expenditure, rising urban population, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges due to high cost involved with spa and sauna components.Get in touch with us:ResearchByMarkets.comRitesh Tiwari, Directorenquiry@researchbymarkets.comUSA: +1-800-416-3124About 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
Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market - Outlook to 2021: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics

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Global Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market provides a basic overview of the markets including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market analysis is provided for the international Industry including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.The Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) report provides key statistics on the market status of the Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.For Free Sample report@The provincial analysis of the worldwide Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Industry splits the global market area into key areas that include both continents as well as specific countries which are currently shining in phrases of demand, volume or normal Trends.Complete report on Global Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market spreads across 304 pages and supported with 210 tables and figures@Global Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market focuses on global major leading 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 Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.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 market Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals).Direct Purchase This Report@Important Points Covers from Table of contents:1 Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Market /Industry Overview2 Classifications by Product Category3 Global Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data, Type and Application4 Energy Bars (Bakery & Cereals) Manufacturing Cost Analyses5 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers6 Marketing Strategy Analyses, Distributors/Traders7 Market Effect Factors Analysis8 Research Findings and Conclusion9 AppendixAbout Us:ReportsAndMarkets is part of the Algoro Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. On ReportsAndMarkets.com you will find all the globally available market research and company reports from well-respected market research companies, all leaders in their field. Reports And Markets is totally independent and serves its customers by providing the most reliable market research available, as we understand how important this is for you.Contact Us:Sanjay JainManager - Partner Relations & International Marketinginfo@reportsandmarkets.comPh: +44-020-3286-9338 (UK)Ph: +1-214-377-1121 (US)Ph: +91-703-049-0292 (IND)
Boooming Healthcare Sector to Propel Medical Education Market

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Medical Education Market: SnapshotThe medical education market is set to boom in the near future thanks to major advances made in the field of medical science, the surging incidence of chronic illnesses, increased incidences of various types of cancer, technological innovations, and the frequent introduction of new courses. The online learning space has grown manifold, especially in developed countries, owing to the growth of the online education market, the increased preference of updated and diverse courses, the development of new start-ups, and higher internet penetration.Read Report Overview:Transparency Market Research predicts that the global medical education market is poised to expand at a 4.3% CAGR during the forecast period, rising from a value of US$25.9 bn in 2015 to US$38.4 bn by 2024.Rising Incidence of Cardiovascular Diseases Spurs Cardiothoracic Education and TrainingMedical education includes training in a number of disciplines, including cardiothoracic, neurology, orthopedic, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric, radiology, and laboratory. The cardiothoracic training segment led the medical education market in 2015 by revenue, driven by the rising incidence of cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary blockages. The effectiveness of cardiothoracic training in treating these diseases and curbing side effects such as thrombosis and restenosis associated with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has also fueled the growth of this segment. Other factors that drive the cardiothoracic training segment are the effective management of heart diseases, rising awareness among patients, and increased medical needs such as surgeries and diagnosis. The radiology training segment is likely to expand at the highest CAGR during the forecast periodRequest Sample of Report:Technological Innovations and Upgrades Driving Medical Education in North America and EuropeGeographically, the medical education market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World.North America was the leading market for medical education in 2015, followed by Europe. Being a well-established region in terms of medical education and healthcare, North America is likely to retain its dominant share throughout the forecast period. The medical education market offers immense growth potential in this region due to timely technological upgrades, increased awareness among patients, and the continuous evolution of information technology.Request Brochure of Report:The growth of the medical education market in Europe is attributed to technological innovations, the consistent introduction of new courses, and increasing healthcare expenditure. In addition, the increased implementation of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and stable healthcare education policies widens the scope for growth and acceptance of medical education in this region.Asia Pacific has been witnessing increased adoption of online training for medical education. Rapidly evolving healthcare infrastructure, the rising number of researchers in the medical field, several initiatives taken by government organizations to provide scholarships and economic relief to medical students, and the presence of a large pool of patients suffering from various types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases in countries such as India and China are some of the key factors driving the medical education market in Asia Pacific.Apollo Hospitals, TACT Academy for Clinical Training, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (Zimmer Institute), Olympus Corporation, Gundersen Health System, GE Healthcare, and Medical Training College are some of the leading players in the global medical education market.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:
Intrusion Detection System Market Key Players  McAfee, Check point, Corero, Dell by Forecast to 2022

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Market Scenario:Global IDS market has been valued at USD in billion in the year 2015 which is growing with the CAGR high and expected to reach market size of USD billion by the end of forecasted period. Security loopholes and week IT infrastructure in the organization are some major factor which is giving fuel to the market of IDS.IDS or Intrusion Detection System is a technology which can be deployed as a device or a software to monitor the network activity and system of an organization. This activity includes monitoring the malicious activity, policy violations, unauthorized access to the system among others. As the security proliferation in the organizations are increasing, the market of IDS is also increasing.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: McAfee (California) Check point (Israel) Corero (Massachusetts) Dell (U.S.) IBM (U.S.) Cisco (U.S.) Extreme Networks (U.S.) Symantec (U.S.) Metaflows, Inc. (U.S.) Hewlett-Packard (U.S.)Regional AnalysisNorth America accounted for largest market share in the year 2015 which has been valued at USD in billion. Technological advancement and advantage of existence of global players in this region are some key factor which is supporting the market of IDS in North America.Asia-Pacific and Europe market has been growing rapidly as the economies of countries in this region is under developing phase.Study Objective of Intrusion Detection System Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Intrusion Detection System Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Intrusion Detection System market based on various factors- value 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, Asia, 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 deployment, by components, by end users and sub-segments To provide strategic profiling of 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 Global Intrusion Detection System MarketMarket Segmentation:Segmentation by Deployment: Cloud based and Infrastructure based.Segmentation by Components: Hardware & Software.Segmentation by End Users: BFSI, IT& Communication, Aerospace & Defense, Software Industry, Manufacturing, Government, Healthcare among others.Industry News: In August 2016, Symantec Corp announced the acquisition of Blue Coat a leading provider of web securities for the expansion of future cyber security system. In July 2016, Symantec Corp announced the partnership with SSL Store for quick encryption of websites.Browse Full Report Details @Target Audience SMEs Cloud Security Providers Infrastructure Security Providers Security System Providers Cloud Service ProvidersTable 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 Type2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size EstimationContinued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Fruit Vinegar Market 2018 Flourishes with International Prestigious Players | Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Fleischmann's Vinegar Company, Inc., Vitacost, Inc., Etc.

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Market Definition:The emerging market opportunities for fruit vinegar appear to be conducive for the acceptance of convenience food in European and North American region. Market Research Future, a firm which specializes in market reports related to the Food, Beverages & Nutrition sector among others, recently forecasted in its report on Global Fruit Vinegar Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023 that the market will demonstrate an exceptional CAGR % while achieving million dollar growth readily in the forecast period.Vinegar is a liquid, consisting of about 5-20% acetic acid, water, and other trace chemicals. Vinegar also comes in various flavors. It is mainly used as a cooking ingredient. It is one of the important types of vinegar. Fruit vinegars are made from various fruits. It comes in various flavors such as apple, blackcurrant, raspberry, quince, and tomato. The demand of the fruit vinegar is increasing widely due to its various nutritional benefits. The demand of the fruit vinegar is anticipated to be driven by the various factors.Get a Unique Sample Report @Market Scenario:One of the factors responsible for increasing growth of fruit vinegar is introduction of new products. Consumers are also inclined to use new products. One of the recent trends observed is getting momentum in the global fruit vinegar market is natural fruit vinegar. Manufacturers are emphasizing to launch natural products due to the increasing awareness of the adverse effects of chemical preservatives. Apart from this, fruit vinegar is increasingly used in sauces & dressings which in turn will escalate the sales of fruit vinegar during the forecast period of 2017-2023.Fruit vinegar also finds application in the cosmetic & personal care sector due to the presence of high amount of vitamin D is that prevents the cell aging and strengthens the body immunity. Fruit vinegar also offers anti-glycemic properties to diminish blood sugar levels. Presence of acetic acid content helps in minimizing blood sugar by averting the complete digestion of complex carbohydrates. All these factors are anticipated to enhance the sales of fruit vinegar during the forecast period of 2017-2023.Latest Industry Updates:October 2017 Lovebeets has launched new fruit vinegar products in a new flavorApril 2017 Pressery has launched sparkling drinking vinegarAugust 2016 Kevita has introduced three new flavors in the fruit vinegar categoryJuly 2016 Suja has extended the product lines of fruit vinegars by introducing apple cider vinegarLeading Key Players:The key players profiled in fruit vinegar are Bragg Live Food Products, Inc. (U.S.), Fleischmann's Vinegar Company, Inc. (U.S.), Vitacost, Inc. (U.S.), Australian Vinegar, Inc. (Australia), Mizkan Group (Japan), Acetificio Marcello De Nigris (U.K.), ACETUM SRL (Italy)Global Fruit Vinegar Market - Regional Analysis:The global fruit vinegar market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Among all the region, Asia Pacific region is estimated to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period of 2017-2023. China is the major country in Asia Pacific which is accounting for approximately 35% market proportion in the year of 2017 and it is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period of 2017-2023. This is attributed by the increasing awareness of the healthy food habits and increasing disposable income of the consumers.ACCESS REPORT DETAILS @Also, various innovative vinegars launched by the key manufacturers in the Asia Pacific countries are anticipated to intensify the sales of fruit vinegar market in the upcoming decade. Europe is also considered to be one of the attractive regions among the fruit vinegar manufacturers. Europe is also projected to witness impressive growth during the forecast period of 2017-2023. Among the European countries, Germany is estimated to hold significant market share in the year of 2017 and it is expected to continue throughout the forecast period of 2017-2023.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.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Market Showing 42%CAGR Growth to 2024: Company Profiles & Trends Analysis

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Market Study Report adds global Network Function Virtualization (NFV) market report that gives meticulous investigation of current scenario of the market size, share, demand, growth, trends, companies active in the industry and forecasts for the coming years.Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Market size will likely surpass USD 70 billion by 2024; according to a new research report.The NFV market is projected to register a CAGR of over 42% between 2018 and 2024. This robust growth can be attributed to the growing demand for server virtualization and data center consolidation. Data center consolidation involves reforming old data center facilities, architecture, network transformation, optimization, resource integration, and system migration to make them more energy-efficient, agile, reliable, and economical to offer sustainable development. As networks become more programmable, data center operations can be conducted in a more agile manner. As SDN and NFV are driving the convergence of data center and IT & telecommunications, they offer data center managers an improved scalability and flexibility to accommodate changing market demands.Request a sample of this premium Network Function Virtualization (NFV) market Research Report @Network Function Virtualization (NFV) market is projected to surpass USD 70 billion by 2024. NFV is the abstraction of network functions that allow them to be installed, controlled, and manipulated through the software running on standardized hardware nodes. It incorporates virtualization and cloud technologies to enable rapid development and deployment of new network services with elastic scale and automation. The technology brings increased agility in delivering network services through enhanced capital efficiency by enabling on-demand deployment of new services and removing bottlenecks introduced by manual processes. The increasing demand for automating the orchestration and management of computing resources, network, and storage devices are the key driving factors for the development of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and NFV technologies. A key value proposition of NFV is that its architecture supports cross-vendor interoperability and coordination while maintaining excellent compatibility with the existing network architecture.NFV uses traditional IT virtualization techniques on commodity hardware such as storage, computing, and networking. Thus, by consolidating network functions into industry high-volume servers and storage, enterprises can benefit from the cost as well as innovation dynamics of the traditional IT. Complex networking tasks that traditionally required custom hardware builds on specialized devices can be performed by using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) IT infrastructure using virtualization technologies such as NFV and SDN. In enterprise IT environment, the server, storage infrastructure, and associated complexity issues cause most of the enterprises to spend over 70% of their resources and budget on ?maintenance & operations? while leaving less than 30% resources for innovation. Through infrastructure convergence using virtualization technologies, such as NFV, enterprise IT departments can shift their focus from maintenance & operations to innovation.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium Network Function Virtualization (NFV) market Research Report atAnother important factor expected to drive the adoption of NFV solutions is the massive investment by telecom service providers for the commercialization of 5G. Some of the typical issues in complex carrier networks are a huge diversity in proprietary nodes & hardware appliances and the requirement of additional proprietary hardware for launching new services. NFV allows telecom carriers to use network resources without worrying about their physical location. With optimized network device utilization, carriers can use a single platform for different applications, users, and tenants. Also, by minimizing the typical network operator cycle of innovation, NFV reduces product?s time to market.North America is expected to hold a majority share of the NFV market in 2017 due to the availability of an extensive data center ecosystem in the region, widespread adoption of industrial IoT (IIoT) in different industry verticals, and a major presence of leading global cloud service providers in the U.S. The U.S. government is moving swiftly to lead the world in 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is emphasizing on making additional low, medium, and high-band spectrum available for 5G services. It also focuses on reducing regulatory barriers to encourage investments in 5G networks.Asia Pacific NFV market is expected to register the fastest growth between 2018 and 2024 due to the increasing demand for cloud-based computing, storage, and networking solutions from the rapidly emerging technology companies in the region. With major investments in the NFV technology from telecom companies, such as ZTE and Huawei, in China, the innovation in NFV solutions and services is expected to accelerate rapidly over the forecast timeline. Under China?s ?Internet Plus? initiative to modernize and transform traditional industries to join the modern economy, the telecom service providers in the country are rapidly embracing NFV technology to benefit from its flexibility, speed, and cost-effectiveness.More Report At:Table of content:Chapter 1. Methodology & Scope1.1. Methodology1.1.1. Initial data exploration1.1.2. Statistical model and forecast1.1.3. Industry insights and validation1.1.4. Scope1.1.5. Definition1.1.6. Methodology and forecast parameters1.2. Data Sources1.2.1. Primary1.2.2. Secondary1.2.2.1. Paid sources1.2.2.2. Public sourcesChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. NFV industry 360 synopsis, 2013 - 20242.1.1. Region trends2.1.2. Component trends2.1.3. Hardware trends2.1.4. Software trends2.1.5. Service trends2.1.6. Application trendsChapter 3. NFV Industry Insights3.1. Introduction3.2. Industry segmentation3.3. NFV industry landscape3.4. Industry ecosystem analysis3.5. Features/benefits of NFV solutions3.6. Technical network challenges for NFV3.7. NFV architectural framework3.8. SDN and NFV3.9. Technology & innovation landscape3.9.1. Network as a service3.9.2. Software-defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN)3.9.3. Virtual Customer Premise Equipment (vCPE)3.10. Regulatory landscape3.10.1.1. ISO/IEC 2700013.10.1.2. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Protection Controls of ISO/IEC 270183.10.1.3. European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) GS NFV -IFA 0083.10.1.4. IEEE SDN/NFV Standardization3.10.1.5. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines3.10.1.6. The Open Compute Project and OPNFV3.10.1.7. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 19993.10.1.8. The Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive3.11. Industry impact forces3.11.1. Growth drivers3.11.1.1. Significant CAPEX and OPEX savings for enterprises3.11.1.2. Optimized network scalability and agility offered by NFV3.11.1.3. Lower telecom carrier costs3.11.1.4. Increasing demand for mobility3.11.1.5. Increasing demand for data center consolidation and server virtualization3.11.1.6. Growing investment in 5G network technology3.11.2. Industry Pitfalls and Challenges3.11.2.1. Lack of in-house technical expertise3.11.2.2. Security concerns3.11.2.3. Integration and interoperability issues3.12. Porter's Analysis3.13. PESTEL analysis3.14. Growth potential analysisFor More:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Connect with us:Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter
Global Agriculture And Farm Equipment/Machinery Market 2018 Competitive Major Vendors - AGCO Corp.,CNH Industrial N.V.,Iseki & Co., Ltd.

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Agriculture And Farm Equipment/Machinery Sales Market Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the global Agriculture And Farm Equipment/Machinery market status and forecast, categorizes the global Agriculture And Farm Equipment/Machinery market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).Agriculture Machinery is any kind of machinery used on a farm to help with farming. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that they tow or operate.North America dominated the market in 2015. This is ascribed to the advent of machines with better fuel efficiency and improved features in this region that have encouraged farmers to purchase new machinery for agriculture.Another major factor driving the demand for agriculture equipment in North America is the shortage of farm labor.The strong economic growth in developing nations such as China, India, and the Middle Eastern countries is projected to further drive the farm machinery industry. Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. China alone held over 20% of the regional revenue share in 2015.Fill the form for an exclusive free sample of this report @The major players covered in this report-AGCO Corp.-CNH Industrial N.V.-Iseki & Co., Ltd.-Same Deutz-Fahr Group S.p.A. (SDF)-J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited-Kubota Corporation-Mahindra & Mahindra Limited-Deere & CompanyWe can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:-North America-United States-Canada-Mexico-Asia-Pacific-China-India-Japan-South Korea-Australia-Indonesia-Singapore-Rest of Asia-Pacific-Europe-Germany-France-UK-Italy-SpainYou can find the detailed table to contents for this report at :On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into-Tractors-Harvesters-Planting Equipment-Irrigation & Crop Processing Equipment-Spraying Equipment-Hay & Forage EquipmentOn 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-Land Development & Seed Bed Preparation-Sowing & Planting-Weed Cultivation-Plant Protection-Harvesting & Threshing-Post-harvest & Agro ProcessingThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Agriculture And Farm Equipment/Machinery sales, value, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);To analyze the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, to study the sales, value and market share of top players in these regions.Focuses on the key Agriculture And Farm Equipment/Machinery players, to study the sales, 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.About 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:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog:
Global Legal Practice Management Software segmentation and analysis by recent trends development and growth by regions to 2023

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Legal Practice Management Software MarketThe research report titled, Legal Practice Management Software Market has adopted a systematic way to evaluate the dynamics of the overall market. It gives a definite study comprising a top to bottom research on the markets growth drivers, challenges, threats, and potential lucrative opportunities, with a key focus on Global.Request for a free sample report @Scope of the Report:In a chapter-wise format, the report assesses the demand and supply trends witnessed in the overall market, complete with important insights and graphical representation. An in-depth investment feasibility analysis and market attractiveness analysis is provided in the report, which makes it a miscellaneous document for players operating in the worldwide market. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Legal Practice Management Software market.The Legal Practice Management Software Market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Key Players Legal Practice Management Software :Themis Solutions, AppFolio, TrialWorks, Needles, The Legal Assistant, Legal Files, DPS Software, RELX Group, Smokeball, Rocket Matter, Leap, LawYee, Thomson Reuters Elite, Executive Data Systems, Eclipse Legal Systems, Abacus Data Systems, CaseFlow, Matrix Pointe Software, SmartAdvocate, BHL Software.Key Regions of Legal Practice Management Software is :North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East, Africa).Key Applications of Legal Practice Management Software is:Law Firms & Attorneys, Courts Other.Key Types of Legal Practice Management Software is:Cloud-based, On-premises Others.Get Discount On this Report @Research objectivesTo study and analyze the North America Legal Practice Management Software market size by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2027.To understand the structure of Legal Practice Management Software market by identifying its various sub-segmentsFocuses on the key North America Legal Practice Management Software players, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Legal Practice Management Software with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).To project the size of Legal Practice Management Software sub-markets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).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.ContinuedBrowse Complete Report with TOC of Legal Practice Management Software Report, Visit:Key Question for this Market Report:What is Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Legal Practice Management Software ?Who will be the key manufacturers in this particular Market space?What is the trending factors influencing the Market shares in next few years?All aspects of the report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the North America as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining are also discussed in the report.Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like Asia, United States, Europe.Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.About UsGarner Insights is a Market Intelligence and consulting firm with an all-inclusive experience and vast knowledge of the market research industry.Our vast storage of research reports across various categories, gives you a complete view of the ever changing and developing trends and current topics worldwide. Our constant endeavor is to keep on improving our storage information by providing rich market reports and constantly improving them.Kevin ThomasContact No: +1 513 549 5911 (US)+44 203 318 2846 (UK)Email: sales@garnerinsights.com
Global Stainless Insulated Bottle Market Trend Analysis by 2025: Thermos, Haers, Zojirushi, Tiger, Nanlong

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Stainless Insulated Bottle Market Professional Survey Report 2018 to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the global Stainless Insulated Bottle market status and forecast, categorizes the global Stainless Insulated Bottle market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia and other regions (Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).A stainless insulated bottle is made of stainless steel, which is an insulating storage vessel that greatly lengthens the time over which its contents remain hotter or cooler than the bottle's surroundings.Most of those famous manufacturers of Stainless Insulated Bottle are OEM or ODM by other companies. Such as Thermos is OEM by Haers; Fuguang is OEM by Chinawaya.Fill The Form To Book A Free Sample PDF :In the past few years, as the main raw material price was relatively stable, with the addition of a sharp increase in production capacity, expected that the Stainless Insulated Bottle raw material price will be stable in the short term. However, the improvement of energy, transportation costs, and employee wages, will play a significant role in promoting the cost of Stainless Insulated Bottle.There are companies adding new capacities and aims at the cost and quality leadership which shall improve profitability. As the same time, companies are focusing on technological innovation, equipment upgrades, and process improvements, to reduce costs and improve quality.The global Stainless Insulated Bottle market is valued at 3890 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 5800 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during 2018-2025.The major manufacturers covered in this reportThermosHaersZojirushiTigerNanlongShine TimeHydro FlaskKlean KanteenChinawayaFuguangSibaoGeographically, 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 AmericaEuropeChinaJapanIndiaSoutheast AsiaOther regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)To Browse a Complete Report with TOC Visit @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoNon-Vacuum Stainless Insulated BottleVacuum Stainless Insulated BottleBy Application, the market can be split intoOutdoorIndoorThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Stainless Insulated Bottle capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Stainless Insulated Bottle 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.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Stainless Insulated Bottle 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 StakeholdersStainless Insulated Bottle ManufacturersStainless Insulated Bottle Distributors/Traders/WholesalersStainless Insulated Bottle 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: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog:
Global Minimally Invasive Devices Market Size, Share, Development by 2025 - QY Research, Inc.

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This report studies the Minimally Invasive Devices market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2013-2017 and forecast data 2018-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Minimally Invasive Devices in these regions, from 2013 to 2025, coveringNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)South America (Brazil etc.)Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries)The various contributors involved in the value chain of the product include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in this market includeABBOT LABORATORIESBOSTON SCIENTIFICC. R. BARDCONMED CORPCOOPER SURGICALETHICONGETINGE ABBy the product type, the market is primarily split intoSurgical DevicesMonitoring/Visualization DevicesEndosurgical InstrumentsElectrosurgical And Auxiliary EquipmentRobotics/Computer-Assisted DevicesBy the end users/application, this report covers the following segmentsCardiothoracicOrthopedicGastrointestinalGynecologicalUrologicalVascularThoracicCosmeticRequest Sample Report and TOC@Contact USQY Research, INC.17890 Castleton, Suite 218,City of industry, CA  91748USA: +1 626 295 2442Email: sales@qyrsearchglobal.comWeb:About Us:QY Research established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc.Room 2905, Vili International, 167 Linhe West Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Fortified Breakfast Spreads Market Analysis 2018, Major Key Players Reviews  Unilever Group, Wellness Foods, Premier Foods, Ferrero Group, Andros SAS, Daiya Foods, Kraft Foods Group, Etc.

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Market Overview:Breakfast spreads is nothing but soft spreadable fruit, nut, and dairy processed spreads generally eaten with bread, bagel and usually for breakfast. Fortification involves the process of adding micronutrients to the fortified breakfast spreads which are generally consumed by the different age group consumers. These fortified products offers extra micronutrients which includes essential trace elements & different vitamins.Market Scenario:With the growing consumer awareness & their increasing demand for healthy & convenience food, the demand for fortified breakfast spreads will drive the market growth from 2016 to 2023. Also, with the growth of food advancement in food technology and packaging technology combined with the innovation and introduction of new flavored fortified breakfast spreads has also boosted the sales of these products. Key players are also focusing on new product launch in the developing nations in order to acquire new consumer volume base. Also, the manufactures are launching their new products in various food & beverages exhibitions to create awareness of their products which in turn will accelerate the sales of these products in the near future. These factors will play a key role in supporting fortified breakfast spreads market and so the market will grow at of CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period.Get a Sample Report @Key Players:The key players profiled in the fortified breakfast spreads market are as Unilever Group (U.K.), Wellness Foods Ltd. (U.K.), Premier Foods Plc (U.k.), Ferrero Group (Italy), Andros SAS (France), Daiya Foods Inc. (Canada), Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (U.S.)Downstream market analysis:Globalization and urbanization are major driving force for this market, furthermore popularity of healthy and low carb fortified breakfast spreads are also encouraging the growth of the market. Fortified breakfast spreads such as nut based will be the highest growing segment and fruit based will dominate the market during the forecast period. Moreover, fortified breakfast spreads are mainly bought from supermarket and convenience stores and so store based distribution channel will dominate the market. However, busy lifestyle of people is supporting the sales of these products through online stores which will change the future of overall retail network of breakfast spreads.Regional Analysis:The global fortified breakfast spreads market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Among this North American region has major market share followed by Europe. Urbanization and rising disposable income in Asia Pacific region is driving the demand for fortified breakfast spreads in that particular region. Rising number of health cognizant people and the growing demand for healthy food especially in China and India will be the crucial factor underlining the market growth.ACCESS REPORT DETAILS @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.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Crowdsourced Smart Parking Market - Size, Share, Outlook, and Forecast till 2026

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Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled Crowdsourced Smart Parking Market - Size, Share, Outlook, and Forecast till 2026 to its Large Report database.Crowdsourcing is the method of obtaining services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people or online community. Smart parking is a vehicle parking system that allows drivers to find vacant driving spot. The technology Uses sensors in each parking space to detect the presence or absence of a vehicle and informs incoming drivers regarding available locations. Smart Parking strategy is used to minimize utilization of resources such as fuel, time, and space to achieve faster, easier and denser parking of vehicles. Crowdsourcing has applications in maps and traffic information, executive recruiting, web usability testing, and mutual fund management.To get holistic SAMPLE of the report, please click:Increasing adoption of automobiles across the world is propelling demand for efficient management of traffic and parking space, which in turn is driving growth of the crowdsourced smart parking market. According to the International Parking Institute (IPI) 2012 Emerging Trends in Parking Study, around 30% of the cars around the city are looking for parking space leading to traffic congestion, in turn wasting high amounts of fuel and carbon emissions. Furthermore, increasing traffic congestion and less availability of parking space in emerging economies is driving growth of crowdsourced smart parking market, owing the advantages provided by system for effective management of parking. However, high cost required for installation and maintenance of the system is major factor restraining growth of the crowdsourced smart parking market.Enquire here get customization & check discount, please click:Key Developments of Crowdsourced Smart Parking MarketMarket players are engaged in developing advanced crowdsourced smart parking systems in order to meet increasing demand for effective traffic management across the world. For instance, in June 2018, Dubai Police launched smart multi-level parking project as part of efforts to provide high quality services to members of the public. The smart parking project will be built in the most populated residential and commercial districts in Dubai. Furthermore, in September 2017, Los Angeles adopted smart parking system to reduce congestion with a demand-based parking system that adjusts prices based on real time occupancy data, in order to evenly distribute cars across downtown bays. The system includes sensors, which record parking spots and transmit the information to a central computer system that recommends price adjustments. Drivers are notified of available slots via mobile apps, which allows them to reserve spaces in advance. Key players operating in crowdsourced smart parking market include 3M, Amano Corporation, Cubic Corporation, Thales, Kapsch TrafficCom AG, Nortech Control Systems Limited, Siemens, Swarco AG, Fujica, Imtech, and Xerox Corporation.About WMRWorldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Contact Us:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market ReportsTel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.comVisit our Website for More Details:Visit our new Website:
Global Smart Grid IT Systems Market Price, Sales, Gross Margin, Growth Rate, Industry Demand, Scope and Revenue

Smart Grid IT Systems Market

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Research Reports Inc introduce the Smart Grid IT Systems Market basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Get Free PDF @The regional analysis of Global Smart Grid IT Systems Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America is the leading/significant region across the world in terms of market share. Whereas, owing to the countries such as China, Japan, and India, Asia Pacific region is anticipated to exhibit higher growth rate / CAGR over the forecast period 2017-2022.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.Enquire @Complete report on Global Smart Grid IT Systems Industry 2017 Market Research Report is spread across 163 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and landscape details in this niche sector.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.The Smart Grid IT Systems Market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, Smart Grid IT Systems landscape analysis, and major regions' development status. The report focuses on Global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What's more, the Smart Grid IT Systems industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed...Get Direct Copy of this Research Report @In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Then this Report analyzed the worlds main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysisThe report includes six parts, dealing with:1.) Basic Information;2.) Asia Smart Grid IT Systems Market;3.) North American Smart Grid IT Systems Market;4.) European Smart Grid IT Systems Market;5.) Market Entry and Investment Feasibility;6.) Report Conclusion.Major points from Table of Contents for Global Smart Grid IT Systems Industry 2017 Market Research Report include:1 Industry Overview of Smart Grid IT Systems2 Global Smart Grid IT Systems Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Smart Grid IT Systems Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2017)5 United States Smart Grid IT Systems Development Status and Outlook6 EU Smart Grid IT Systems Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Smart Grid IT Systems Development Status and Outlook8 China Smart Grid IT Systems Development Status and Outlook9 India Smart Grid IT Systems Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Smart Grid IT Systems Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2017-2023)12 Smart Grid IT Systems Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixMethodologyAnalyst IntroductionData SourceAbout Us:Research 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 worldwideContact us for your special interest needs and we will get in touch within 24hrs to help you find the market research report you need.With our expertise and research offerings, we ensure we deliver on all your requirements, whether youre looking for industry analysis or market trends or anything else, first time and every time!Email us sales@researchreportsinc.comCall: US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK : +4403308087577
Savory Yogurt Foods Market Top Key Players Analysis | Wallaby Yogurt Company, The Icelandic Milk and Skyr Corporation and Fage International S.A. | Asserts MRFR

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Market Overview:Nutritious Savory Yogurt also known as the world's easiest breakfast seems to be the best option for those morning person by nature and think that breakfast is an opportunity to start the day on the right foot. Its a chance to eat something healthy, fast, and homemade. Savory yogurt is made from locally sourced milk, probiotic cultures, and sea salt, which is an excellent source of protein. Savory yogurt food is vegetarian and gluten free. Savory yogurt is used as a part of meal or on the social or traditional occasions. Savory yogurt is used for enhancing taste of the meal. Grass-fed milk is mainly used in the production of savory yogurt to enhance the natural flavor, is considered as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids with powerful anti-inflammatory properties.Changing attitude of customers towards savory yogurt and other healthy food is heavily influencing the global savory yogurt market. Furthermore, increasing consumer demand for savory yogurt, increase in consumer disposable income, and change in consumer taste preferences owing to increase in number of flavors are fueling the demand for savory yogurt across the globe. In addition, worldwide increase in vegan population and growing consumer awareness regarding health benefits of savory yogurt is expected to boost the demand for savory yogurt. Manufacturers of savory yogurt are focused on innovations in the flavors, and using grass-fed milk for savory yogurt production, are identified as key trends.Receive a Sample Report @Globally, Savory Yogurt Foods Market is growing due to increasing disposable income and changing eating habits of consumers. Moreover increasing awareness of savory yogurt benefits and availability of flavored yogurt is driving the market. The rise in disposable income, a shift in the eating habits of consumers, increasing awareness of the health benefits of savory yogurt and the growing availability of flavored yogurt are expected to drive this market. Yogurt is rich in calcium and proteins and its health benefits include boosting the immune system, combating diarrhea and constipation etc. Health concerns due to the fat content in the yogurt and lactose intolerance may restrain this market. The introduction of low-fat yogurt and innovations shall help in the development of this market. However the cost of Savory Yogurt Foods is towards slightly at higher side, which may pose as a challenge to the market growth of Savory Yogurt Foods Market.Key Players:Savory Yogurt Foods Market appears highly fragmented with the presence of many small and big marketers operating in the global market. Marketers are competing on the basis of price, quality, innovation, reputation, and distribution. Innovation, mergers & acquisitions, and brand reinforcement remain the key trends for leading players in the Savory Yogurt Foods Market. These strategies are expected to improve product portfolio and increase production capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand, particularly from the emerging regions.Profiled in MRFR analysis some of the key players involved in Global Savory Yogurt Foods Market are Blue Hill Inc. (U.S.), Chobani LLC (U.S), Noosa (U.S.), Wallaby Yogurt Company (U.S.), The Icelandic Milk and Skyr Corporation (U.S.), and Fage International S.A. (Luxembourg).Market Segments:The Savory Yogurt Foods Market is segmented in to 3 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;Segmentation by Product: Comprises Drinks, Fruit-flavored foods, Vegetable-flavored foods, Desserts, and others.Segmentation by Type: Comprises strained, unstrained, flavored, low fat and full fat, and others.Segmentation by Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Access Report Details @Regional Analysis:North America is expected to dominate among the regions for savory yogurt market. This is due to increase in number of manufacturers in the US. In addition, increasing consumer demand for flavors such as Chipotle Pineapple and Sirach Mango in US is driving the savory yogurt market. Growing population in India and China coupled with healthy economic outlook creates a significant opportunity for growth of Savory yogurt market in Asia Pacific region. Europe is expected to follow Asia Pacific region, this is attributed to increase in consumer disposable income and consumer demand for savory yogurts in France, Germany and UK. Additionally, Germany and UKs consumers are used to eat savory yogurt as a part of meal. Latin America and MEA are anticipated to witness modest growth rate over the forecast period, this is attributed to the rise in health awareness and demand for nutritious and healthy food, and changing lifestyle in Brazil, South Africa and GCC countries.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.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Data Center Rack Server Market : Applications Analysis and Key Players - Lenovo Group Limited,Dell, Inc.,Cisco Systems, Inc.

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Data Center Rack Server Market Research Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the global Data Center Rack Server market status and forecast, categorizes the global Data Center Rack Server 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).Data center rack server solutions are gaining a significant importance among organizations as they are scalable and provide for easy migration from traditional technologies. Rack servers can be installed with low initial cost and can also be operated at a lower cost as compared to other technologies. The enterprises are moving beyond the traditional concepts of tower server for data centers to address rapid technology changes and todays business needs that is helping in the increasing adoption of rack server approach.The global Data Center Rack Server 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 19.0% during 2018-2025.The major manufacturers covered in this reportHewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (HPE)Lenovo Group LimitedDell, Inc.Cisco Systems, Inc.Oracle CorporationFujitsu Ltd.Huawei Technologies Co.NEC CorporationQuanta Computer Inc.Iron Systems, Inc.Enter your information below to receive a free sample copy of this report @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 AmericaBrazilArgentinaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoTier 1Tier 2Tier 3Tier 4Read Complete Table of Content @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, includingSmall Enterpriseslarge and Medium-size EnterprisesThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Data Center Rack Server capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Data Center Rack Server 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.About 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:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog:
Global Dog Crates Market 2018 | Major Key Players  YOU & ME, Exercise Pen, Dogit, PETMAKER, Carlson, Boots & Barkley Analysis And Forecast : MI Reports

Dog Crates Markets

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Description :Dog Crates-Global Market Status and Trend Report 2013-2023 offers a comprehensive analysis on Dog Crates industry, standing on the readers perspective, delivering detailed market data and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, potential entrant or investor, the report will provides useful data and information. Key questions answered by this report include:Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Dog Crates 2013-2017, and development forecast 2018-2023Main manufacturers/suppliers of Dog Crates worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Dog Crates marketMarket status and development trend of Dog Crates by types and applicationsCost and profit status of Dog Crates, and marketing statusMarket growth drivers and challengesRequest For sample Report @The report segments the global Dog Crates market as:Global Dog Crates Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023):North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanRest APACLatin AmericaGlobal Dog Crates Market: Type Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume, Average Price, Revenue, Market Share and Trend 2013-2023):Single DoorDouble DoorOtherGlobal Dog Crates Market: Application Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume and Market Share 2013-2023; Downstream Customers and Market Analysis)Home UseCommercial UseGlobal Dog Crates Market: Manufacturers Segment Analysis (Company and Product introduction, Dog Crates Sales Volume, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin):YOU & MEExercise PenDogitPETMAKERCarlsonBoots & BarkleyProSelectIRISRetrieverMidWestOxGordAspenDrs. Foster & SmithBono FidoComplete Report Details @Table Of ContentChapter 1 Overview of Dog Crates1.1 Definition of Dog Crates in This Report1.2 Commercial Types of Dog Crates1.2.1 Single Door1.2.2 Double Door1.2.3 Other1.3 Downstream Application of Dog Crates1.3.1 Home Use1.3.2 Commercial Use1.4 Development History of Dog Crates1.5 Market Status and Trend of Dog Crates 2013-20231.5.1 Global Dog Crates Market Status and Trend 2013-20231.5.2 Regional Dog Crates Market Status and Trend 2013-2023Chapter 2 Global Market Status and Forecast by Regions2.1 Market Development of Dog Crates 2013-20172.2 Production Market of Dog Crates by Regions2.2.1 Production Volume of Dog Crates by Regions2.2.2 Production Value of Dog Crates by Regions2.3 Demand Market of Dog Crates by Regions2.4 Production and Demand Status of Dog Crates by Regions2.4.1 Production and Demand Status of Dog Crates by Regions 2013-20172.4.2 Import and Export Status of Dog Crates by Regions 2013-2017Chapter 3 Global Market Status and Forecast by Types3.1 Production Volume of Dog Crates by Types3.2 Production Value of Dog Crates by Types3.3 Market Forecast of Dog Crates by TypesChapter 4 Global Market Status and Forecast by Downstream Industry4.1 Demand Volume of Dog Crates by Downstream Industry 4.2 Market Forecast of Dog Crates by Downstream IndustryChapter 5 Market Driving Factor Analysis of Dog Crates5.1 Global Economy Situation and Trend Overview5.2 Dog Crates Downstream Industry Situation and Trend OverviewChapter 6 Dog Crates Market Competition Status by Major Manufacturers6.1 Production Volume of Dog Crates by Major Manufacturers6.2 Production Value of Dog Crates by Major Manufacturers6.3 Basic Information of Dog Crates by Major Manufacturers6.3.1 Headquarters Location and Established Time of Dog Crates Major Manufacturer6.3.2 Employees and Revenue Level of Dog Crates Major Manufacturer6.4 Market Competition News and Trend6.4.1 Merger, Consolidation or Acquisition News6.4.2 Investment or Disinvestment News6.4.3 New Product Development and LaunchChapter 7 Dog Crates Major Manufacturers Introduction and Market Data7.1 YOU & ME7.1.1 Company profile7.1.2 Representative Dog Crates Product7.1.3 Dog Crates Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of YOU & ME7.2 Exercise Pen7.2.1 Company profile7.2.2 Representative Dog Crates Product7.2.3 Dog Crates Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Exercise Pen7.3 Dogit7.3.1 Company profile7.3.2 Representative Dog Crates Product7.3.3 Dog Crates Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Dogit7.4 PETMAKER7.4.1 Company profile7.4.2 Representative Dog Crates Product7.4.3 Dog Crates Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of PETMAKER7.5 Carlson7.5.1 Company profile7.5.2 Representative Dog Crates Product7.5.3 Dog Crates Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of CarlsonContinued.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.
Payments Landscape in Taiwan-Opportunities and Risks to 2022 | Chunghwa Post, Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Taiwan Cooperative Bank, First Commercial Bank, Cathay United Bank

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Publisher's "Payments Landscape in Taiwan: Opportunities and Risks to 2022", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, credit transfers, direct debit, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2014-18e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2018-22f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.Free | Get Sample Copy atThe report brings together Publisher's research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Taiwanese cards and payments industry, including--Current and forecast values for each market in Taiwan's cards and payments industry, including debit and credit cards.-Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, credit transfers, direct debit, cheques, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.-E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.-Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.-Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and credit cards.Scope-Taiwanese consumers traditionally save part of their income and spread their savings across multiple bank accounts to take advantage of deposit insurance. According to a Mastercard survey, Taiwanese consumers save nearly a quarter of their monthly income as savings, higher than the average of 18% for Asia Pacific. To further promote savings in the country, in April 2017 the government announced a children's savings account program for orphans and children of low-to middle-income families. The account, which must be created at Bank of Taiwan, enables guardians to deposit a maximum of TWD15,000 ($504.93) per year, with an equal amount to be contributed by the government. This is expected to boost the banked population, which in turn will drive demand for banking products such as bank accounts and debit cards.-The NCCC is taking initiatives to promote the use of credit cards for the payment of public services and facilities. In December 2015 it established the Credit Card Payment Platform for Public Agency Fees, enabling public agencies to accept credit cards. By the end of 2017 the number of participating public agencies totaled 922, up from just 14 in January 2016. To encourage the use of credit cards, 13 of the country's banks announced they would waive transaction fees on credit card transactions made at government institutions and public hospitals starting January 1, 2018.-Alternative payments are gaining prominence, with a number of key players launching their services in Taiwan in 2017. Apple Pay entered the market in March 2017, and is now accepted at merchants including Carrefour, Big City, FamilyMart, City Super, and Far Eastern Department Stores. Samsung Pay was launched in Taiwan in May 2017; the solution works on both NFC and magnetic secure transmission technology. And in June 2017, Google Pay (previously Android Pay) was launched in the country, enabling users to make in-store, in-app, and online payments.Make an InquiryReasons to buy-Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Taiwanese cards and payments industry and each market within it.-Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.-Assess the competitive dynamics in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.-Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Taiwan.-Gain insights into key regulations governing the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.Key Companies:Chunghwa PostHua Nan Commercial BankTaiwan Cooperative BankFirst Commercial BankCathay United BankChinatrust Commercial BankE.SUN BankTaishin International BankCitibankVisaMastercardSmartpayJCBAmerican ExpressTable of Contents:Table of ContentsMarket OverviewExecutive SummaryCard-based PaymentsE-commerce PaymentsAlternative PaymentsPayments Infrastructure & RegulationAppendixFor More Information about This Report:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune, India
Conjunctivitis Market Is Thriving Worldwide with Sun Pharmaceutical, Akorn, Freda, Sinqi

Conjunctivitis Market

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HTF MI recently introduced Europe Conjunctivitis 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 Novartis, Santen Pharmaceutical, Bausch + Lomb, Allergan, Sun Pharmaceutical, Akorn, Freda, Sinqi, Univision, Alcon, Merck, Celsus Therapeutics, Eleven Biotherapeutics, Griffin Discoveries & InSite Vision etc.Request Sample of Europe Conjunctivitis Market Report 2018 @:This report studies the Europe Conjunctivitis market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the Europe Conjunctivitis market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Browse 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and in-depth TOC on " Conjunctivitis Market by Type (Bacterial Conjunctivitis, Viral Conjunctivitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis & Other Types of Conjunctivitis), by End-Users/Application (Newborns, Kids & Adults), 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 Novartis, Santen Pharmaceutical, Bausch + Lomb, Allergan, Sun Pharmaceutical, Akorn, Freda, Sinqi, Univision, Alcon, Merck, Celsus Therapeutics, Eleven Biotherapeutics, Griffin Discoveries & InSite Vision 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 Europe Conjunctivitis Market has been divided into type, application, and region.On The Basis Of Type: Bacterial Conjunctivitis, Viral Conjunctivitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis & Other Types of Conjunctivitis.On The Basis Of Application: Newborns, Kids & AdultsOn The Basis Of Region, this report is segmented into following key geographies, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share, growth rate of Conjunctivitis 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 Europe Conjunctivitis Market Report 2018 @Have a look at some extracts from Table of ContentIntroduction about Europe ConjunctivitisEurope Conjunctivitis Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2017Conjunctivitis Market by Application/End UsersEurope Conjunctivitis Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications(2013-2023) table defined for each application/end-users like [Newborns, Kids & Adults]Europe Conjunctivitis Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2023)Conjunctivitis Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationConjunctivitis (Volume, Value and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined.Europe Conjunctivitis 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 Bacterial Conjunctivitis, Viral Conjunctivitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis & Other Types of ConjunctivitisConjunctivitis Manufacturing Cost AnalysisConjunctivitis Key Raw Materials AnalysisConjunctivitis 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.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 Coiled Tubing Unit Market Forecast 2018-2025 CNPC, TRICAN, NOV, KERUI, SERVA, Precise Energy Products

Coiled Tubing Unit Market

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A detailed market study on "Global Coiled Tubing Unit Market" Research report 2018-2025 examines the performance of the Coiled Tubing Unit market. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Coiled Tubing Unit market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Coiled Tubing Unit market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Coiled Tubing Unit Market 2018 report includes Coiled Tubing Unit market Revenue, market Share, Coiled Tubing Unit industry volume, market Trends, Coiled Tubing Unit Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Coiled Tubing Unit Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.Firstly, the report covers the top Coiled Tubing Unit manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Request Sample Copy of Report:Leading Manufacturers Companies Analysis are Jereh Oilfield Equipment, Stewart & Stevenson, CNPC, Precise Energy Products, TRICAN, NOV, KERUI, SERVA, Total Equipment And Service.Coiled Tubing Unit Market Segmented Based on Application - Mountainous Area, Hills, Desert Area.Coiled Tubing Unit Market Segmented Based on Type - Truck Mounted Coiled Tubing Unit, Trailer Mounted Coiled Tubing Unit, Skid Mounted Coiled Tubing Unit.Further, the Coiled Tubing Unit report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Coiled Tubing Unit industry, Coiled Tubing Unit industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Coiled Tubing Unit Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Coiled Tubing Unit research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Coiled Tubing Unit market revenue worldwide.Finally, Coiled Tubing Unit market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact Us:3626 North Hall Street (Two Oak Lawn),Suite 610,Dallas, TX 75219, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Web:Email: sales@qymarketstudy.com
Sulfur Recovery Technology Market  Innovation Highlights 2025 | Linde AG, GTC Technology

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Sulfur Recovery Technology Market: OverviewWith respect to numerous associated factors, the global sulfur recovery technology market has been thoroughly covered in the report. Various associated elements such as driving factors, prime restraints, competitive analysis, geographical outlook, and latest trends and opportunities, are comprehensively described in the report. The study compiled includes key historic factors associated with the global sulfur recovery technology market. The report also prognosticates the global sulfur recovery technology market to depict extensive growth that is expected to occur during the forthcoming years. Chief market dynamics associated with trends are also covered in the report.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Sulfur Recovery Technology Market: Drivers and RestraintsThis market is mainly being driven owing to a rising demand for sulfur in various applications. Ranging from metallurgy and medicines to chemical plants and geotechnical investigations, knowledge about presence of sulfur and its extraction is highly necessary. Extensive geological studies also involve the study of sulfur present in specific regions, coupled by taking into account its formation under particular conditions, thereby driving the global sulfur recovery technologies market. Boundless innovations occurring in extraction of sulfur and its use in various industries is also responsible for making the market pick up notable pace.However, extraction of sulfur is highly expensive, which may make it difficult for new players and enterprises stand their ground against well-established companies having large capital. This factor has been marginally responsible for driving the global sulfur recovery market in recent times. Rising concerns about technical risks that might cause high losses to companies is also discouraging them from embracing newer technologies. However, this picture is soon expected to change with favorable initiatives offered by several governmental bodies all over the world to encourage the sulfur extraction processes.Request TOC of the Report @Sulfur Recovery Technology Market: Geographical OutlookThis market is mainly spread across North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Of these, Europe and the Middle East and Africa holds a leading position in terms of maximum revenue gained compared to other regions. This is mainly due to ample amounts of sulfur deposits found in these regions, coupled with highly advanced oil and gas reserves existing, wherein high chances of finding sulfur are present. Companies working in this region are making rampant use of advanced technologies to detect and extract sulfur.However, many players are looking forward to establish themselves properly in Asia Pacific too, owing to existence of numerous places where sulfur extraction can be carried out. Thus, Asia Pacific is projected to depict a rapid development in the global sulfur extraction market during the forthcoming years. North America is expected to depict extensive growth too, thanks to the advanced techniques and methodologies being provided to international clients by well established players.Sulfur Recovery Technology Market: Competitive LandscapeThis market exhibits a highly fragmented vendor landscape to exist mainly due to the presence of numerous players. Most service providers have formed a strong clientele base by developing exceptional sulfur recovery technologies. With widespread advancements prognosticated to occur in the global sulfur recover technology market, the competitive scenario is expected to intensify, as more players could make their foray in this field. Many companies are implementing prime strategies in the form of product differentiation, cost regulations, and extensive investments in research and development to maintain their standing in the market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Linde AG, GTC Technology, TechnipFMC, WorleyParsons, Prosernat, Fluor Corporation, KT Kinetics Technology SPA, Bechtel Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, KNM Group Berhad, CB&I, Royal Dutch Shell, Black and Veath Holding Company, John Wood Group, Chiyoda Corporation, and Exxon Mobil Corporation, are key players operating in the global sulfur recovery market.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
Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) Market : Strategies, Segmentation and Forecasts 2026

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Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) is an inorganic compound produced by heating a mixture of monosodium phosphate and disodium phosphate. Sodium tripolyphosphate is used as food preservative and emulsifier for various packed foods such as meats, seafood, poultry, and animal feeds. Additionally, Sodium tripolyphosphate is also as water softener in detergents. Sodium tripolyphosphate is also employed as a cleaning agent in anticorrosion pigments, textiles, leather tanning, metal treatment, ceramic tiles, and water treatment.Read Report Overview @Global Sodium Tripolyphosphate Market: Key SegmentsThe global Sodium tripolyphosphate market can be segmented based on grade and formulation. In terms of grade, the Sodium tripolyphosphate market can be segregated into anhydrous grade and hydrate grade. Anhydrous grade contains 56.5% of phosphorous pentaoxide (P2O5), while hydrate grade contains 46.5% to 47.5% of phosphorous pentaoxide (P2O5). Based on formulation, the market can be divided into gels, tablet, liquid, and dry powder. The dry powder segment dominates the Sodium tripolyphosphate market due to the rise in demand for surface cleaners, household and industrial detergents. Technological advancement in industrial detergents and the increasing usage of sodium tripolyphosphate as cleaning and dispersing agent in other applications such as ceramic processing, toothpaste, flame retardant, and rubber manufacturing are propelling the demand for odium tripolyphosphate during the forecast period.Global Sodium Tripolyphosphate Market: Drivers & RestraintsRise in demand for packaged food and food additives across the globe is one of the major factors driving the demand for sodium tripolyphosphate. Sodium tripolyphosphate raises the pH level and also increases the water holding capacity of packaged food when used as food preservative. Increase in consumption of household cleaning agents and growth in laundry technologies are other factors expected to boost the global sodium tripolyphosphatemarket during the forecast period. Limited concentration of sodium tripolyphosphate in various applications due to the rise in health concerns over high level of phosphates is anticipated to restrain the Sodium tripolyphosphate market during the forecast period.Additionally, availability of other substitutes and implementation of stringent regulations on phosphate-based detergents are estimated to adversely affect the sodium tripolyphosphate market in the near future. However, trending applications of sodium tripolyphosphate in other application areas  sodium tripolyphosphate is used in the production of animal feed, herbicides, and poultry applications  are providing lucrative opportunities to manufacturers operating in the sodium tripolyphosphate market. Sodium tripolyphosphate is gaining popularity in the agriculture sector, as it inhibits the growth of harmful micro-organisms and bacteria.Global Sodium Tripolyphosphate Market: Regional OutlookIn terms of region, the global sodium tripolyphosphate market can be segregated into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of consumption, Asia Pacific is a leading region of the Sodium tripolyphosphate market, followed by North America. In Asia Pacific, China is a major revenue generating country of the Sodium tripolyphosphate market, led by the increase in production and export activities. Expansion in end-user industries in developing economies of Asia Pacific such as India, and ASEAN is also projected to propel the demand for Sodium tripolyphosphate in the region during the forecast period.The U.S. is a leading consumer of Sodium tripolyphosphate in North America; however, its restricted usage in various applications is restricting the demand in the country. The Sodium tripolyphosphate market in Europe has been recording stagnant growth since the last few years. This can be primarily ascribed to the implementation of stringent regulations on phosphate detergents by the European Union due to its environmentally hazardous nature.Additionally, STPP is facing stiff competition from counterparts such as Zeolite, which has emerged as substitute. This is also hampering the sodium tripolyphosphate market in the region. The sodium tripolyphosphate market in Latin America and Middle East & Africa is expanding at a sluggish pace compared to that in matured economies. However, the sodium tripolyphosphate market in Latin America and Middle East & Africa is likely to record positive sales during the forecast period due to the growth in end-user industries such as construction and food & beverages.Request to view Sample Report:Global Sodium Tripolyphosphate Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the global STPP market are Innophos Holding Inc., Tata Chemicals Ltd., ICL Performance Ltd., Aditya Birla Chemicals, and Sumitomo Chemicals Co. Ltd.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:
India Inbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Market will be Valued at US$ 5 Billion by 2025

Inbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Market

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BusinessIndustryReports.com has new research report on the India Inbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism market. India Inbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Market is growing continuously and expected to grow US$ 5 Billion by Forecast year 2025India Inbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Market Overview:India Inbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Market Report: Country Outlook, Analysis, Size, Share and Forecast 2018 -2025 offers the most upto-date industry data on the actual market situation and future outlook for India Inbound MICE tourism market.Request Report Sample@The report uses data and analysis to discuss potential lucrative opportunities and future trends related to India Inbound MICE travelers arrival, revenue and main destination markets. The report provides clear insight into current and future tourism developments of the India Inbound MICE tourism market. Furthermore, this report uses country focused analysis to explore India Inbound MICE tourism market.A detailed country-wise analysis of the market is provided, covering a total of 16 countries. The research study limelight growth drivers and investigates market inhibitors of India Inbound MICE tourism market.The regional scope of the study is as follows :1 United States2 United Kingdom3 UAE4 Germany5 Singapore6 Malaysia7 France8 China9 Japan10 Thailand11 Sri Lanka12 Switzerland13 Australia14 Canada15 Russia Federation16 Philippines and other countriesPurchase this premium research report atKey Findings are :1 India inbound tourism market is expected to exceed US$ 38 Billion by 20252 India is emerging as the fastest growing inbound MICE tourism market3 India will attract more than 1.4 Million MICE travelers by 20184 United States and China will become most popular MICE travelers nation by 2025The Latest Industry Data Included in this Report:1 Market Size & Analysis: India Inbound Travelers Visitation & Spending (2012 - 2025)2 India Inbound Travelers Visitation & Forecast (2012 - 2025)3 India Inbound Travelers Spending & Forecast (2012 - 2025)4 Market Size & Analysis: India Inbound MICE Travelers Visitation & Spending (2012 - 2025)5 India Inbound MICE Travelers Visitation & Forecast (2012 - 2025)6 India Inbound MICE Travelers Spending & Forecast (2012 - 2025)7 India Inbound MICE Travelers Visitation & Spending Share & Y-o-Y Growth (%) (2012  2025)8 Major 16 Countries MICE Travelers Visitation in India& Forecast (2012 - 2025)9 Major 16 Countries MICE Travelers Spending in India& Forecast (2012 - 2025)10 Identification of Key Market Drivers and Inhibitors of the India Inbound MICE Tourism MarketGrab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2025 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What is driving this market?4 What are the challenges to market growth?5 Who are the key vendors in this market space?6 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?7 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?About usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940
Automotive Rear-view mirror Market 2018 Global Leading Players Analysis: FLABEG, Ficosa, Magna, Gentex, SL Corporation, Burco, Valeo, Lumax Automotive, Honda Lock Manufacturing, Ichikoh, and Murakami

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Automotive Rear-view mirror Market Highlights:Automotive Rear-view mirror Market growing at Phenomenal Compound Annual Growth rate of 6% by forecast period of 2018 to 2023. Automotive Rear-view mirror Market is majorly driven by factors such as the global automotive sales have seen a steady increase due to the increase in the purchase power of people the world over. Secondly, the safety features used in the automobiles have seen a drastic shift due to increased vehicle movement. Thirdly, the automobile manufacturers must deal with the tremendous competition in the automotive field and thus to differentiate their product offering, they offer state of the art technological features at competitive prices to stay ahead of the curveAutomotive Rear-view mirror Key Companies Market Analyzed for This Research Report Are:FLABEG Holding GmbH (Germany), Ficosa International S.A. (Spain), Magna International Inc. (Canada), Gentex Corporation (U.S.), SL Corporation (South Korea), and Burco Inc. (U.S.). Valeo SA (France), Lumax Automotive Systems Ltd (India), Honda Lock Manufacturing (Japan), Ichikoh Industries, Ltd. (Japan), and Murakami Corporation (Japan) are among others.Get Sample Copy of "Automotive Rear-view mirror Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023" At:The global automotive scenario has seen a lot of changes in terms of the approach used in vehicle manufacturing in the past and in the future. Earlier, the focus would be more on delivering a functional product in context of the core requirements. Thus, the automakers would use purely mechanical technology for the car manufacturing. To put it simply, for all the moving components, every part that was utilized would be the ones following the basic laws of mechanical engineering. Thus any vehicle that was manufactured would consist of more than 95% mechanical parts and less than 5% electrical parts (headlights, tail lights, spark plugs etc.). But, with the advent of the electronics and related science, the entire dynamics of the automotive industry changed. The automobiles started incorporating more electronics in the automobile functioning. This was primarily done to easily control the vehicle functionality and also to have easy & efficient monitoring of the problems (if any) or the repair works that are being carried out. Thus, almost every new technology developed in the automotive field was done with the help of the electronics system.The mirrors have been an integral part of the automotive set up for almost if the automobiles have been plying on the global scenario. Still, for the longest time, mirrors were an added safety feature instead of being looked at from a point of view of crucial necessity. With the advent of the synergistic use of electronics in enhancing the vehicle safety features, the mirrors were not being left far behind. In this context, the mirror now made from advanced electronic materials, wherein they could dim the intensity of the bright headlight from the oncoming vehicle or the vehicle just behind the automobile in question.Additionally, the mirrors could also then double up as a screen for helping the parking assist system. This works wherein, the rear parking assistance system consisting of sensors and cameras provides a real-time data to the vehicle central processing unit. This data is then processed and displayed on the split screen which is built inside the rear mirror. Thus the mirror can double up as normal / conventional mirror in the absence of use of the parking assistance system, and can be used as a high definition screen where the video feed from the parking assist technology gets displayed.This MRFR Automotive Rear-view mirror market perspective delivers a complete analysis of the opportunities of Automotive Rear-view mirror system and its prospects over the next five years, until 2023. All the key parameters that are currently governing the course of the market were gauged thoroughly. The research objective also includes identification of primary growth enablers and threats for the market that are likely to emerge during the assessment period. It also includes risk assessment and evaluation of untapped growth pockets.Regional Analysis:Based on region, the market is segmented based on North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. The customers in U.S. and Canada generally prefer large SUVs and mini trucks, which require parking assistance systems, thus making this region a strong prospect for rearview mirror market growth. The Europe region is known for sale of high-end cars, which can be fitted with this system to provide a more seamless driving experience. The Asia Pacific region is seeing consistent automobile sales for a long time. Due to the increased purchase power, people in this region are willing to spend a little extra for safety and security thus underlining the importance of this region for the growth of the rearview mirror system.Automotive Rear-view mirror Market Segmentation:This study provides an overview of the Global Automotive Rear-View Mirror Market, tracking four 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 (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). 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 the global automotive rear-view mirror market by its Mounting Position, Location, Technology, Features, Vehicle Type and Region.Competitive Landscape:The Automotive Rear-view mirror market is witnessing intense competition, rapid advances in technology, frequent changes in government policies, and environmental regulations, as key factors that confront market growth. The vendors compete in terms of cost, product quality, reliability, and aftermarket service. It is crucial for the vendors to provide cost-efficient and high-quality driver state monitoring systems, to survive and succeed in an intensely competitive market environment.Major Table of Content:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porter's Five Forces AnalysisContinued...Browse more details on this "Automotive Rear-view mirror Market Report 2018" report at:About Us: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:Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Medical Simulation: Market 2018 Global Analysis By Top Key Players  Laerdal Medical, CAE Healthcare, Simbionix, Surgical Science, Simulaids, Kyoto Kagaku, Gaumard Scientific, Mentice, Limbs & Things

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An exclusive Medical Simulation market research report created through broad primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, and stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Medical Simulation Market By Type, By Application, By Region - North America, Europe, South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global Medical Simulation market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Medical Simulation Market Players: Laerdal Medical CAE Healthcare Simbionix Surgical Science Simulaids Kyoto Kagaku Gaumard Scientific Mentice Limbs & Things Simulab Tellyes Shanghai Honglian Yimo Keji Shanghai Kangren Shanghai YilianGet Sample Copy of This Report Now @Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Intelligent System Fully Automatic Type Semi Automatic Type Manual Control Type OtherMarket segment by Application, split into Medical Colleges Hospitals Medical Training Institutions OtherMajor regions are as follows: United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaWorldwide Medical Simulation Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Medical Simulation industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Medical Simulation market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global Medical Simulation market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Medical Simulation players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Inquire before Buying @Also, key Medical Simulation 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 Medical Simulation 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.
Luxury Watches Market 2018 Trends and Demand in fashion Industry

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Orbis Research adds 2018 Market Research Report on Global Luxury Watches Industry with Economic Impact, Future Scope & Scenario to Its Database.In our aim to provide our erudite clients with the best research material with absolute in-depth information of the market, our new report on Global Luxury Watches Market is confident in meeting their needs and expectations. The 2018 market research report on Global Luxury Watches Market is an in-depth study and analysis of the market by our industry experts with unparalleled domain knowledge. The report will shed light on many critical points and trends of the industry which are useful for our esteemed clients. The report covers a vast expanse of information including an overview, comprehensive analysis, definitions and classifications, applications, and expert opinions, among others. With the extent of information filled in the report, the presentation and style of the Global Luxury Watches Market report is a noteworthy.Request a sample of this report @The Global Luxury Watches Industry report provides key information about the industry, including invaluable facts and figures, expert opinions, and the latest developments across the globe. Not only does the report cover a holistic view of the industry from a global standpoint, but it also covers individual regions and their development. The Global Luxury Watches Industry report showcases the latest trends in the global and regional markets on all critical parameters which include technology, supplies, capacity, production, profit, price, and competition.The key players covered in the report provide a detailed analysis of the competition and their developments in the Global Luxury Watches Industry. Accurate forecasts and expert opinion from credible sources, and the recent R&D development in the industry is also a mainstay of the Luxury Watches Market report.The report also focuses on the significance of industry chain analysis and all variables, both upstream and downstream. These include equipment and raw materials, client surveys, marketing channels, and industry trends and proposals. Other significant information covering consumption, key regions and distributors, and raw material suppliers are also a covered in this report.Finally, the Luxury Watches Market report ends with a detailed SWOT analysis of the market, investment feasibility and returns, and development trends and forecasts. As with every report on Orbis Research, the Luxury Watches Industry is the holy grail of information which serious knowledge seekers can benefit from. The report which is the result of ultimate dedication of pedigree professionals has a wealth of information which can benefit anyone, irrespective of their commercial or academic interest.Browse the complete report @Major Points from Table of Content:Chapter One: Luxury Watches Market OverviewChapter Two: Global Luxury Watches Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter Three: Global Luxury Watches Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)Chapter Four: Global Luxury Watches Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)Chapter Five: Global Luxury Watches Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter Six: Global Luxury Watches Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter Seven: Global Luxury Watches Manufacturers Profiles/AnalysisChapter Eight: Luxury Watches Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter Nine: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter Ten: Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter Eleven: Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter Twelve: Global Luxury Watches Market Forecast (2018-2025)Chapter Thirteen: Research Findings and ConclusionChapter Fourteen: AppendixContact sales@orbisresearch.com for more information.About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019
Online Payment Gateway Market 2018 Top Services by Stripe, Amazon Payments, Authorize.net, Adyen, Adyen, CCBill, 2Checkout, FirstData, SecurePay, PayU, MOLPay, Paymill, GMO, Alipay, Tenpay, Ping++, Boleto Bancario, CashU and Others

Online Payment Gateway Market

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Online Payment Gateway Market 2018 Global Industry Research report provides in depth study of using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Online Payment Gateway 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. The study provides forecast and estimates market for each product in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period.Online payment gateways are the merchant service which assists in carrying out a smooth transaction at the time of online shopping. The transaction is carried out by processing credit card, debit cards and direct payment process for various online business such as e- retailers, online websites. The payment gateways services can be provided by any financial service provider of by any commercialized bank.Get Free Sample Copy of Report atRegion (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East, Africa): Regional Market Production Development Sales Regional Trade Regional ForecastCompany (PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Payments, Authorize.net, Adyen, Adyen, CCBill, 2Checkout, FirstData, SecurePay, PayU, MOLPay, Paymill, GMO, Alipay, Tenpay, Ping++, Boleto Bancario, CashU, OneCard, Wirecard, WebMoney, Realex etc.): Company Profile Product & Service Business Operation Data Market ShareInvestment Analysis: Market Features Investment Opportunity Investment CalculationThis report describes the development of the industry by upstream & downstream, industry overall and development, key companies, as well as type segment & market application and so on, and makes a scientific prediction for the development industry prospects on the basis of analysis, finally, analyzes opportunities for investment in the industry at the end of the report.Browse Complete Report atKey Reasons to Purchase To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global market and its commercial landscape. Assess the production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk. To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the market and its impact in the global market. Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations. To understand the future outlook and prospects for the market. Besides the standard structure reports, we also provide custom research according to specific requirements.Place Direct Purchase Order of Online Payment Gateway Market atNote: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Contact Info:Name: Research For MarketsEmail: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.comPhone: +44 8000-4182-37Research For Markets indulge in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East And Africa.Level 21, Dashwood House69 Old Broad StreetLondon EC2M 1QS, United Kingdom
Energy Management Systems 2018 Global Market Key Players  ABB, C3 Energy, CA Technologies, Cisco Systems, Eaton Corporation, Emerson Electric Company.....

Energy Management Systems Market 2018

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Energy Management Systems Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Energy Management Systems  Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2025 To Its Research Database.Description:This report studies the global Energy Management Systems market status and forecast, categorizes the global Energy Management Systems 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).Energy Management Software (EMS) is a general term and category referring to a variety of energy-related software applications which may provide utility bill tracking, real-time metering, building HVAC and lighting control systems, building simulation and modeling, carbon and sustainability reporting, IT equipment management, demand response, and/or energy audits. Managing energy can require a system of systems approach.Energy management software often provides tools for reducing energy costs and consumption for buildings or communities.The global Energy Management 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.The major manufacturers covered in this reportABBC3 EnergyCA TechnologiesCisco SystemsEaton CorporationElster GroupEmerson Electric CompanyFirstFuel SoftwareGeneral Electric CompanyGridpointRequest for 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 intoSCADAPLCDCSEnergy PlatformsEnergy Analytics, Meter Data ManagementEMISPLCSDRMSOn 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, includingRetailGroceryRestaurant SitesEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Content:Global Energy Management Systems Market Research Report 20181 Energy Management Systems Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Energy Management Systems1.2 Energy Management Systems Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Energy Management Systems Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Energy Management Systems Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 SCADA1.2.4 PLC1.2.5 DCS1.2.6 Energy Platforms1.2.7 Energy Analytics, Meter Data Management1.2.8 EMIS1.2.9 PLCS1.2.10 DRMS1.3 Global Energy Management Systems Segment by Application1.3.1 Energy Management Systems Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Retail1.3.3 Grocery1.3.4 Restaurant Sites1.4 Global Energy Management Systems Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Energy Management Systems Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Energy Management Systems (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Energy Management Systems Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)7 Global Energy Management Systems Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 ABB7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 ABB Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 C3 Energy7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 C3 Energy Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 CA Technologies7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 CA Technologies Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Cisco Systems7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Cisco Systems Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Eaton Corporation7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Eaton Corporation Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Elster Group7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Elster Group Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Emerson Electric Company7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Emerson Electric Company Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 FirstFuel Software7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 FirstFuel Software Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 General Electric Company7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 General Electric Company Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Gridpoint7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Energy Management Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Gridpoint Energy Management Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +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 Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Power Energy Storage Battery 2018 Global Market Key Players  EOS, The AES Corporation, Imergy, NEC, S&C Electric Company, Absolute Renewable Energy (UK) Ltd.....

Power Energy Storage Battery Market 2018

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Power Energy Storage Battery Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Power Energy Storage Battery  Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2023 To Its Research Database.Description:The Power Energy Storage Battery market revenue was xx.xx Million USD in 2013, grew to xx.xx Million USD in 2017, and will reach xx.xx Million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of x.x% during 2018-2023. Based on the Power Energy Storage Battery industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Power Energy Storage Battery market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2013-2018), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2018-2023), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Power Energy Storage Battery market.The Power Energy Storage Battery market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Major Players in Power Energy Storage Battery market are:EOSThe AES CorporationImergyNECS&C Electric CompanyZENNGK GroupPrincetonABBAbsolute Renewable Energy (UK) LtdSaftSAMSUNG SDIOutBackGEAEGSolarCityRequest for Sample Report @Major Regions play vital role in Power Energy Storage Battery market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersMost important types of Power Energy Storage Battery products covered in this report are:Lithium ion batteryAll-vanadium flow batteryZinc-bromine flow batteryAsvanced Lead-Acid BatteriesOtherMost widely used downstream fields of Power Energy Storage Battery market covered in this report are:ResidentialCommercialIndustrialEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Content:Global Power Energy Storage Battery Industry Market Research Report1 Power Energy Storage Battery Introduction and Market Overview1.1 Objectives of the Study1.2 Definition of Power Energy Storage Battery1.3 Power Energy Storage Battery Market Scope and Market Size Estimation1.3.1 Market Concentration Ratio and Market Maturity Analysis1.3.2 Global Power Energy Storage Battery Value ($) and Growth Rate from 2013-20231.4 Market Segmentation1.4.1 Types of Power Energy Storage Battery1.4.2 Applications of Power Energy Storage Battery1.4.3 Research Regions1.4.3.1 North America Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.2 Europe Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.3 China Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.4 Japan Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.5 Middle East & Africa Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.6 India Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.7 South America Power Energy Storage Battery Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Drivers1.5.1.1 Emerging Countries of Power Energy Storage Battery1.5.1.2 Growing Market of Power Energy Storage Battery1.5.2 Limitations1.5.3 Opportunities1.6 Industry News and Policies by Regions1.6.1 Industry News1.6.2 Industry Policies8 Competitive Landscape8.1 Competitive Profile8.2 EOS8.2.1 Company Profiles8.2.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.2.3 EOS Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.2.4 EOS Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.3 The AES Corporation8.3.1 Company Profiles8.3.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.3.3 The AES Corporation Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.3.4 The AES Corporation Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.4 Imergy8.4.1 Company Profiles8.4.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.4.3 Imergy Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.4.4 Imergy Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.5 NEC8.5.1 Company Profiles8.5.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.5.3 NEC Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.5.4 NEC Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.6 S&C Electric Company8.6.1 Company Profiles8.6.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.6.3 S&C Electric Company Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.6.4 S&C Electric Company Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.7 ZEN8.7.1 Company Profiles8.7.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.7.3 ZEN Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.7.4 ZEN Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.8 NGK Group8.8.1 Company Profiles8.8.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.8.3 NGK Group Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.8.4 NGK Group Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.9 Princeton8.9.1 Company Profiles8.9.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.9.3 Princeton Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.9.4 Princeton Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.10 ABB8.10.1 Company Profiles8.10.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.10.3 ABB Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.10.4 ABB Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.11 Absolute Renewable Energy (UK) Ltd8.11.1 Company Profiles8.11.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.11.3 Absolute Renewable Energy (UK) Ltd Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.11.4 Absolute Renewable Energy (UK) Ltd Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.12 Saft8.12.1 Company Profiles8.12.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.12.3 Saft Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.12.4 Saft Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.13 SAMSUNG SDI8.13.1 Company Profiles8.13.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.13.3 SAMSUNG SDI Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.13.4 SAMSUNG SDI Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.14 OutBack8.14.1 Company Profiles8.14.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.14.3 OutBack Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.14.4 OutBack Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.15 GE8.15.1 Company Profiles8.15.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.15.3 GE Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.15.4 GE Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.16 AEG8.16.1 Company Profiles8.16.2 Power Energy Storage Battery Product Introduction8.16.3 AEG Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.16.4 AEG Market Share of Power Energy Storage Battery Segmented by Region in 20178.17 SolarCityContinued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +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 Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Biomass 2018 Global Market Key Players  ADM, Louis Dreyfus, Cargill, Wanxiang, Yedao, Dhseed, Ronghua, Shengyun, Bunge.....

Biomass Market 2018

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Biomass Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Biomass  Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2023 To Its Research Database.Description:The Biomass market revenue was xx.xx Million USD in 2013, grew to xx.xx Million USD in 2017, and will reach xx.xx Million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of x.x% during 2018-2023. Based on the Biomass industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Biomass market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2013-2018), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2018-2023), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Biomass market.The Biomass market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Major Players in Biomass market are:ADMLouis DreyfusCargillWanxiangYedaoDhseedRonghuaShengyunBungeBeidahuangCofcoLongliveRequest for Sample Report @Major Regions play vital role in Biomass market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersMost important types of Biomass products covered in this report are:StrawForestry WasteEnergy PlantOrganic WasteMost widely used downstream fields of Biomass market covered in this report are:Civil UsingIndustrial UsingGenerate ElectricityEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Content:Global Biomass Industry Market Research Report1 Biomass Introduction and Market Overview1.1 Objectives of the Study1.2 Definition of Biomass1.3 Biomass Market Scope and Market Size Estimation1.3.1 Market Concentration Ratio and Market Maturity Analysis1.3.2 Global Biomass Value ($) and Growth Rate from 2013-20231.4 Market Segmentation1.4.1 Types of Biomass1.4.2 Applications of Biomass1.4.3 Research Regions1.4.3.1 North America Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.2 Europe Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.3 China Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.4 Japan Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.5 Middle East & Africa Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.6 India Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.4.3.7 South America Biomass Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2013-2018)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Drivers1.5.1.1 Emerging Countries of Biomass1.5.1.2 Growing Market of Biomass1.5.2 Limitations1.5.3 Opportunities1.6 Industry News and Policies by Regions1.6.1 Industry News1.6.2 Industry Policies8 Competitive Landscape8.1 Competitive Profile8.2 ADM8.2.1 Company Profiles8.2.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.2.3 ADM Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.2.4 ADM Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.3 Louis Dreyfus8.3.1 Company Profiles8.3.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.3.3 Louis Dreyfus Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.3.4 Louis Dreyfus Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.4 Cargill8.4.1 Company Profiles8.4.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.4.3 Cargill Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.4.4 Cargill Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.5 Wanxiang8.5.1 Company Profiles8.5.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.5.3 Wanxiang Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.5.4 Wanxiang Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.6 Yedao8.6.1 Company Profiles8.6.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.6.3 Yedao Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.6.4 Yedao Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.7 Dhseed8.7.1 Company Profiles8.7.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.7.3 Dhseed Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.7.4 Dhseed Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.8 Ronghua8.8.1 Company Profiles8.8.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.8.3 Ronghua Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.8.4 Ronghua Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.9 Shengyun8.9.1 Company Profiles8.9.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.9.3 Shengyun Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.9.4 Shengyun Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.10 Bunge8.10.1 Company Profiles8.10.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.10.3 Bunge Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.10.4 Bunge Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.11 Beidahuang8.11.1 Company Profiles8.11.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.11.3 Beidahuang Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.11.4 Beidahuang Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.12 Cofco8.12.1 Company Profiles8.12.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.12.3 Cofco Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.12.4 Cofco Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 20178.13 Longlive8.13.1 Company Profiles8.13.2 Biomass Product Introduction8.13.3 Longlive Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E8.13.4 Longlive Market Share of Biomass Segmented by Region in 2017Continued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +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 Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Global Herb Oil Market Research Report 2018 with top key players - Young Living Essential Oils, Symrise, Givaudan, International Flavors & Fragrances, Biolandes, DoTERRA, The Lebermuth

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Herb Oil Market Status and Forecast 2025This Write up presents in detail analysis of Herb Oil Market especially market drivers, challenges, vital trends, standardization, deployment models, opportunities, future roadmap, manufacturers case studies, value chain, organization profiles, Sales Price and Sales Revenue, Sales Market Comparison and strategies.The Herb Oil market Report provides a detailed analysis of the Herb Oil industry. It provides an analysis of the past 5 years and a future forecast till the year 2025.It also studies the future market trends in the global market. It studies the market by the various parameters such as sales, volumes, and the revenues. It also gives us an insight in the Herb Oil industry and is also making strategic decisions. It is also prepared with a view to understand the current market trends, opportunities and global analysis in the market.REQUEST A FREE SAMPLE @For your understanding and application wise distribution, the consumption figures are also given. With the important data of supply and consumption the gap between both the parameters is explained in detail. It also provides a detailed overview of the competitive landscape and also analysis the gross market landscape. It also studies the sales, production revenue market price also the import and export value and the trending section of the Herb Oil market report.The research covers the current market size of the Global Herb Oil Market. This 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 Young Living Essential Oils, Symrise, Givaudan, International Flavors & Fragrances, Biolandes, DoTERRA, The Lebermuth, China Flavors and Fragrances, Citrus and Allied Essences, Enio Bonchev.The in-depth information by segments of Herb Oil market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The report will the intensive investigation of the key business players to get a handle on their business routes in which, yearly income, organization profile and their commitment to the Global Herb Oil piece of the overall industry.This Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Global Herb Oil Market providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Global Herb Oil opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in this industry.Herb Oil Market On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Basil, Mint, Thyme, Dill, Others.Herb Oil 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 Personal care and cosmetic, Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Aromatheraph, Others.CHECK DISCOUNT FOR THIS REPORT @All aspects of the Herb Oil 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 Herb Oil market are also discussed in the 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 America, Europe, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa).The report answers several questions about the Herb Oil market. These questions include:What will be the market size of Herb Oil market in 2025?What will be the Herb Oil growth rate in 2025?Which key factors drive the Herb Oil market?Who are the key market players for Herb Oil?Which strategies are used by top players in the Herb Oil market?What are the key market trends in Herb Oil?Which trends and challenges will influence the growth of Herb Oil market?TO BUY THIS REPORT @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
Singapore signs a freetrade pact with Sri Lanka

Spire, Singapore, FTA

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Singapore and Sri Lanka signed the first modern and comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) earlier this year. This is expected to boost commerce, trade and investments between the two island nations.Sri Lanka is Singapores 36th-largest trading partner with bilateral trade amounting to SGD2.7 billion in 2017. Singapores top imports from Sri Lanka include fuel oils, clothing accessories, perfumes, wheat flour and motor spirit, while Singapores exports to Sri Lanka include gold and jewelry, diesel fuel and petroleum oil, to name a few.Will companies take advantage of the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA?Find out more here:Spire Research and Consulting was established in 2000 to address a gap in the research and consulting industry in global emerging markets. Unlike most agencies that focus on traditional consumer research, our founders saw a profound need for holistic research projects.Unit 501-502, DLF City Court,DLF Phase III, Sector 24, Gurugram  122002, IndiaTelephone: (91) 124 421 6144Fax: (91) 124 422 1934E-mail: india.info@spireresearch.com
Payments Landscape in New Zealand-Opportunities and Risks to 2020

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ReportsWeb.com published Payments Landscape Market from its database. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Publisher's "Payments Landscape in New Zealand: Opportunities and Risks to 2020", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in New Zealand's cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, direct debit, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2012-16e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2016-20f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together Publisher's research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.Request a Sample Report@This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into New Zealand's cards and payments industry, including--Current and forecast values for each market in New Zealand's cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.-Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, direct debit, cheques, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.-E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.-Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing New Zealand's cards and payments industry.-Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.Report Scope:-Alternative payments are gaining traction among New Zealanders with the emergence of a number of payment options, with the most notable launches being Apple Pay in October 2016 and Android Pay in December 2016. Apple Pay enables users to make contactless in-store, in-app, and browser payments. In October 2017, BNZ collaborated with Apple to become the second bank (after ANZ) to offer Apple Pay to its customers. In December 2015, Visa launched its Visa Checkout online payment service in New Zealand, allowing consumers to make payments using just a username and password, without the need to disclose card details for each transaction. Other prominent payment solutions-including PayPal, POLi, and Masterpass-are also available in New Zealand.-New Zealand's central bank and commercial banks are taking steps to offer faster payments. In April 2016 the Reserve Bank of New Zealand signed an agreement with Italian payment processor SIA to implement a real-time gross settlement system (RTGS), which is now in the developmental phase. And in October 2017 Westpac collaborated with real-time electronic payment and banking solutions provider ACI Worldwide to offer real-time payments in New Zealand. With the help of ACI's UP Immediate Payments solution Westpac revamped its retail banking payment system, moving payments from end-of-day batch settlement to real-time, instant clearing.-To capitalize on the growth in e-commerce transactions in New Zealand, in July 2017 Co-operative Bank launched Online EFTPOS for its internet and mobile app users. The service enables consumers to pay for online transactions through their bank account by selecting the Online EFTPOS payment method. Once the user confirms the payment they receive an authorization message on their mobile banking app or internet banking.Inquire before Buying@Companies Mentioned:ANZ BankWestpacASB BankKiwibankPrezzyBank of New ZealandEFTPOSVisaMastercardAmerican ExpressReasons to buy:-Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to New Zealand's cards and payments industry and each market within it.-Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in New Zealand's cards and payments industry.-Assess the competitive dynamics in New Zealand's cards and payments industry.-Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in New Zealand.-Gain insights into key regulations governing New Zealand's cards and payments industry.Table of Contents:Market OverviewExecutive SummaryCard-based PaymentsE-commerce PaymentsAlternative PaymentsPayments Infrastructure & RegulationAppendixFor more information about this report@About ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queriesPune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Brain Health Supplements Market 2018 Research Analysis and Future Scope with Global Top Key Players- Amway, Accelerated intelligence, Onnit Labs, Puori, Liquid Health, Ocean Health

Brain Health Supplements

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The report gives the clear picture of current Brain Health Supplements Market scenario and the predicted future of the industry. The report focuses on the basis of market drivers, restraints, growth, trends and forecast for the period of 2018-2025. In addition, the report also maps the market performance by value chain analysis which will help in better product differentiation along with the analysis of each segment in terms of opportunity, market attractiveness index and growth rate.The report Brain Health Supplements Market by Key players highlights the essential market dynamics of Brain Health Supplements Market sector. The efficiency of this segment has been studied deeply along with the noteworthy challenges and forthcoming growth opportunities and prospective. The report focuses in decision making abilities and supports to make effective counter strategies in order to achieve competitive advantage. Current market scenario of the segment and forecasts of the market situation have also been bounded in this market report.QY Research groups can be relied upon for the most updated and in depth information of the title Global Brain Health Supplements Market this is estimated by experts to develop at the most elevated CAGR amid the estimate time frame 2018-2025.Get your Sample Report Copy @The major manufacturers covered in this report Amway Accelerated intelligence Onnit Labs Puori Liquid Health Ocean Health...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, covering North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, 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 into Herbal Extracts Vitamins & Minerals Natural Molecules OthersBy Application, the market can be split into Supermarkets & Hypermarkets Drug Stores Online Stores OthersThe study objectives of this report are: To analyze and study the global Brain Health Supplements capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025); Focuses on the key Brain Health Supplements 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.Get the best Discount in the market here @This market is segmented by Types and Applications. It provides a profound study of the leading players in the market and the prevailing regions in the business, thereby benefiting new entries in the business by proving the most updated insights of the market.At QY Research Groups we render the most authentic and elaborate information for the utmost benefit of our clients.About 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.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-236-2744Email: sales@qyresearchgroups.comRoom B1510, Shiji Kemao Building,No.66 Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing,100190, China.
Payments Landscape in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Risks to 2021

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ReportsWeb.com published Payments Landscape Market from its database. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Publisher's "Payments Landscape in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in Hong Kong cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, direct debit, cash, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into Hong Kong cards and payments industry, including--Current and forecast values for each market in the Hong Kong cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.-Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, direct debit, cheques, cash, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.-E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.-Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing Hong Kong cards and payments industry.-Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.Request a Sample Report@The Payments Landscape Market report brings together Publisher's research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.Report Scope:-With rising non-cash payments in the country, the need for a real-time payment processing system has intensified. In line with this the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is working with Hong Kong Interbank Clearing to launch the Faster Payment System in 2018. Currently, the Hong Kong Dollar Clearing House Automated Transfer System, the country's real-time gross settlement system, is accountable for settling high-value interbank transactions, while low-value transactions are processed through electronic clearing.-Alternative payments are gaining traction in the country. In June 2017 UnionPay launched its HCE-and tokenization-based m-payment service QuickPass, enabling users to pay using their UnionPay QuickPass chip card or mobile QuickPass-enabled smartphones and wearable devices at contactless POS terminals. Similarly, in May 2017 Samsung Pay was introduced in Hong Kong, allowing users to make purchases at participating stores with Samsung devices across all forms of terminals, including magnetic stripe, EMV, and NFC. Likewise, to offer convenient wallet top-up options, in June 2017 HKT Payments announced that Bank of China customers who use the Tap & Go wallet can instantly add funds through the 'Instant Bank Transfer' option in the top-up menu. Further, Tap & Go consumers can recharge the wallet by using local coins at HEYCOINS kiosks.-Leading scheme providers such as Visa and Mastercard have also introduced payment solutions in Hong Kong. Mastercard launched the Masterpass digital wallet in July 2015, enabling customers to make online payments with a registered payment card using a mobile phone, without disclosing card details for every purchase. Similarly, Visa launched the Visa Checkout online payment service in December 2015, allowing users to pay for online purchases by smartphone. It stores users' payment and shipping details and uses a username and password for authentication, streamlining the ordering process.Inquire before Buying@Companies Mentioned:HSBCStandard CharteredBank of China (Hong Kong)CitibankDBSBEAEPSCUPVisaMastercardAmerican Expressand Diners ClubReasons to buy:-Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to Hong Kong cards and payments industry and each market within it.-Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in Hong Kong cards and payments industry.-Assess the competitive dynamics in the Hong Kong cards and payments industry.-Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Hong Kong.-Gain insights into key regulations governing Hong Kong cards and payments industry.For more information about this report@About ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queriesPune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Advanced Farming 2018 Global Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 13.44% and Forecast to 2022

Advanced Farming Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Advanced Farming 2018 Global Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 13.44% and Forecast to 2022.The agriculture sector feeds around 7.5 billion people that require proper lands and fresh water. However, with the increasing pollution, the environment is changing and resulting in damage of crops and is leading to the change in the life cycle of plants and animals. Thus, one way to address this issue of agricultural production is to use sensing technology to make intelligent farms. Advanced farming is about utilisation of right technology to improve the cultivation regardless of using chemicals. The use of advanced farming will improve monitoring of crop health and animal, quality of the filed, improvement in soil (moisture and fertility), and yield production. It also helps in reducing wastage on the field and improves the efficiency of land and the crop.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe usage of technologies improves decision making process in agriculture. Escalating the demand of the food supply chain has mandated the utilisation of the agriculture resources. With this, the regulatory bodies have also started developing rural areas by setting up new infrastructure to ensure the benefits of the development in these areas.The analyst estimates the advanced farming market to witness a CAGR of 13.44% during the forecast period 20162022. Some of the players included in the report are Trimble Navigation, AGCO Corp., John Deere & Company, Raven Industries, and Agjunction Inc. The advanced farming market is segmented by technologies, applications, services, deployment, and regions. The reports also talks about the investment done in all the regions by private and public sector. In regions, Americas is expected to be the biggest market in terms of revenue contribution while Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa (MEA) are expected to expand the market in the upcoming years.The study covers and analyses Global Advanced Farming Market. Bringing out the complete key insights of the industry, the report aims to provide an opportunity for players to understand the latest trends, current market scenario, government initiative and technologies related to the market. In addition, it will help the venture capitalist in understanding the companies better and take informed decisions.Ask Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1 Industry Outlook1.1 Industry Overview1.2 Industry Trends1.3 Pest Analysis2 Report Outline2.1 Report Scope2.2 Report Summary2.3 Research Methodology2.4 Report Assumptions3 Market Snapshot3.1 Total Addressable Market (TAM)3.2 Segmented Addressable Market (SAM)3.3 SAM as a Segment of TAM3.4 Advanced Farming By Types3.5 Related Markets3.5.1 Connected Agriculture3.5.2 Smart Animal Husbandry4 Market Outlook4.1 Overview4.2 Evolution of Advanced Farming4.3 Architecture of Advanced Farming4.4 Market Segmentation4.5 Porter 5 (Five) Forces5 Market Characteristics5.1 Market Trends5.1.1 Cloud Technology in Farming5.1.2 Introduction to Floating Farms5.1.3 IoT and M2M in Agriculture5.1.4 Robotics Farming5.2 Value Chain5.3 Market Dynamics5.3.1 Drivers5.3.1.1 Growing Food Requirement5.3.1.2 Need for Environment Friendly Farming Techniques5.3.1.3 UN Support5.3.2 Restraints5.3.2.1 High Initial Investment Costs5.3.2.2 Lack of IT Literate Farmers5.3.2.3 Improper IT Infrastructure5.3.3 Opportunities5.3.3.1 Big Data Analytic Solutions5.3.3.2 Drones and Robots5.3.3.3 Connected Farms5.3.4 DRO  Impact Analysis5.4 Key Stakeholders6 Technologies: Market Size and Analysis6.1 Overview6.2 Variable-rate Technology (VRT)6.2.1 Overview6.2.2 Market Size and Analysis6.3 High Precision Positioning Systems6.3.1 Overview6.3.2 Market Size and Analysis6.4 Automated Steering Systems6.4.1 Overview6.4.2 Market Size and Analysis6.5 Remote Sensing6.5.1 Overview6.5.2 Market Size and Analysis6.6 Integrated Electronic Communication6.6.1 Overview6.6.2 Market Size and Analysis7 Applications: Market Size and Analysis7.1 Overview7.2 Fleet Management7.2.1 Overview7.2.2 Market Size and Analysis7.3 Livestock Farming7.3.1 Overview7.3.2 Market Size and Analysis7.4 Forest Farming7.4.1 Overview7.4.2 Market Size and Analysis7.5 Aqua Farming7.5.1 Overview7.5.2 Market Size and Analysis7.6 Horticulture7.6.1 Overview7.6.2 Market Size and Analysis8 Services: Market Size and Analysis8.1 Overview8.2 Integration Services8.2.1 Overview8.2.2 Market Size and Analysis8.3 Maintenance Services8.3.1 Overview8.3.2 Market Size and Analysis8.4 Training & Consulting8.4.1 Overview8.4.2 Market Size and AnalysisContinuedFor 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.
Man-portable Rocket Launcher Market Top Key Players Analysis (General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Saab, Thales, Instalaza, Bazalt, Safran etc.) Growth Intelligence, Dynamics & Strategic Research by 2018-2025

Man-portable Rocket Launcher Market

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Man-portable Rocket Launcher 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 of this Report @The report features key market flow of division. Various definitions and classification of the industry, applications of the industry and chain structure are given. The present market situation and prospects of the sector also have been examined. Additionally, prime strategical activities in the market, which includes product developments, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, etc., are discussed.The Top Companies Analyzed Are Man-portable Rocket Launcher Market Research Report General Dynamics Lockheed Martin Raytheon Saab Thales Instalaza Bazalt No. of Report Pages: 105Enquire more @The report provides comprehensive analysis of: Key market segments and sub-segments Evolving market trends and dynamics Changing supply and demand scenarios Quantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecasting Tracking current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive insights Opportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsPlace Direct Order of this Report @The regional scope of the study is as follows:North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia Indonesia, , Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America ,Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East , Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa.Major Points of Table and Content1 Industry Overview of Man-portable Rocket Launcher2 Global Man-portable Rocket Launcher Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Man-portable Rocket Launcher Market Size by Application (2013-2018)5 United States Man-portable Rocket Launcher Development Status and Outlook6 Europe Man-portable Rocket Launcher Development Status and Outlook7 China Man-portable Rocket Launcher Development Status and Outlook8 Japan Man-portable Rocket Launcher Development Status and Outlook9 Southeast Asia Man-portable Rocket Launcher Development Status and Outlook10 India Man-portable Rocket Launcher Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions and Application (2018-2025)12 Man-portable Rocket Launcher Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixAbout 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.com
Bio-protein Drug Global Market 2018 Analysis By Key Players  Amgen, Biocon, Fresenius kabi, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi

Bio-protein Drug

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SummaryWiseGuyReports.com adds Bio-protein Drug Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2023 reports to its database.This report provides in depth study of Bio-protein Drug Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Bio-protein Drug 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 includes market status and forecast of global and major regions, with introduction of vendors, regions, product types and end industries; and this report counts product types and end industries in global and major regions.Global Bio-protein Drug market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAbbott LaboratoriesBayer AGEli Lilly and CompanyAmgen Inc.Biocon Ltd.Dr. Reddy?s LaboratoriesRocheFresenius kabiGlaxoSmithKlineJohnson & JohnsonMerckNovartis AGPanacea BiotecProBioGen AGSanofiReliance Life Science Pvt. Ltd.Market Segment as follows:By Region / CountriesNorth America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain etc)South America (Brazil, Argentina etc)Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa etc)By TypeMonoclonal AntibodiesTherapeutic ProteinsVaccinesBy End-User / ApplicationPharma and Biotech CompaniesCROsAcademicsRequest a Sample Report @Major Key Points in Table of Content1 Market Definition1.1 Market Segment Overview1.2 by Type1.3 by End-Use / Application2 Global Market by Vendors2.1 Market Share2.2 Vendor Profile2.3 Dynamic of Vendors3 Global Market by Type3.1 Market Share3.2 Introduction of End-Use by Different Products4 Global Market by End-Use / Application4.1 Market Share4.2 Overview of Consumption Characteristics4.2.1 Preference Driven4.2.2 Substitutability4.2.3 Influence by Strategy4.2.4 Professional Needs5 Global Market by Regions5.1 Market Share5.2 Regional Market Growth5.2.1 North America5.2.2 Europe5.2.3 Asia-Pacific5.2.4 South America5.2.5 Middle East & Africa..12 Key Manufacturers12.1 Abbott Laboratories12.1.2 Company Overview12.1.2 Product and End-User / Application12.1.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.2 Bayer AG12.2.1 Company Overview12.2.2 Product and End-User / Application12.2.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.3 Eli Lilly and Company12.3.1 Company Overview12.3.2 Product and End-User / Application12.3.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.4 Amgen Inc.12.4.1 Company Overview12.4.2 Product and End-User / Application12.4.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.5 Biocon Ltd.12.5.1 Company Overview12.5.2 Product and End-User / Application12.5.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.6 Dr. Reddy?s Laboratories12.12.1 Company Overview12.12.2 Product and End-User / Application12.12.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.7 Roche12.7.1 Company Overview12.7.2 Product and End-User / Application12.7.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.8 Fresenius kabi12.8.1 Company Overview12.8.2 Product and End-User / Application12.8.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.9 GlaxoSmithKline12.9.1 Company Overview12.9.2 Product and End-User / Application12.9.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.10 Johnson & Johnson12.10.1 Company Overview12.10.2 Product and End-User / Application12.10.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)12.11 Merck12.12 Novartis AG12.13 Panacea Biotec12.14 ProBioGen AG12.15 Sanofi12.16 Reliance Life Science Pvt. Ltd.At any Query @Continued....Contact Us: sales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +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.Address:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra,Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Intraductal Papilloma Market 2018-2023 Global Prominent Key Players: Allergen plc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., Entax Medical, Olympus, Boston Scientific Corporation

Intraductal Papilloma Market

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An intraductal papilloma is a benign, or noncancerous, breast tumour that forms in a milk duct and is made of gland and fibrous tissue as well as blood vessels. These generally appear as lumps after breast examination and may cause nipple discharge or bleeding. Intraductal papilloma most commonly occur in women between ages 35 and 55. Central/solitary papillomas are generally benign while multiple papillomas, have been associated with a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.The symptoms of intraductal papilloma are breast enlargement, inversion of the nipple, thickening or swelling of part of the breast, changes to the breast or nipple skin area, such as dimpling, redness, scaling, peeling etc. Multiple papillomas consist of about 10 % of all intraductal papillomas. Intraductal papilloma comprise approximately 10% of all benign breast tumour types and are benign lesions with an incidence of approximately 2-3% in humans. Risk factors such as obesity, alcohol consumption, postmenopausal hormone therapy, having the first child after the age of 35, or never having a child, medications containing estrogen and progesterone such as birth control pills, menstrual cycle abnormalities, physical inactivity, not breastfeeding the child etc. increase the chances of intraductal papillomas.Get Sample Copy @The market for global intraductal papilloma is constrained by the lack of awareness, high cost of surgery, complications of the surgery, lack of focus on women health in the developing and poorer regions of the world etc. Market development represents the best strategy for the market growth. The market will witness exponential growth over the review period owing to minimal invasive surgeries procedures such as needle aspiration biopsy surgeries etc.The global intraductal papilloma market is expected to reach USD 8.4 billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 4.4 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Segments:The global intraductal papilloma market has been segmented on the basis of type, diagnosis, treatment, and end user.Based on type, the market has been segmented as central/solitary papillomas, peripheral/multiple papillomas and others.Based on diagnosis, the market has been segmented as examination, ultrasonography, biopsy, mammogram/galactography, ductograms, Computerized Tomography (CT) and others.Based on surgery, the market has been segmented as microdochectomy, total duct excision, drugs and others.Based on the end user, the market has been segmented as hospitals & clinics, academic and research, and others.Regional AnalysisThe Americas account for a significant market share owing to extensive volume of surgeries performed and high expenditure on the health care. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new products and surgical procedures in the US drive the intraductal papilloma market. Also, concentration of major healthcare companies in the developed countries of this region coupled with the larger insurance penetration is adding fuel to the market growth. Moreover, the US spends high on its healthcare, which accounts for 16% of GDP, further cruising the market for intraductal papilloma treatment.Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and strong healthcare penetration. European market growth is led by countries such as Germany and France. The UK is expected to be the fastest growing market over the assessment period.Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly and China and India are likely to lead this market due to fast growing healthcare sector and large unmet needs during the forecast period. South East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia are projected to contribute highly to the market growth.Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. Other Middle East nations to watch out for will be Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Iran. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions and poor healthcare development.Key Players in the Global Intraductal papilloma MarketSome of key players profiled in the report are Allergen plc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., Entax Medical, Olympus, Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic, Cook Medical, Cook Medical, Inc., and others.Apply for Exclusive Discount @Detailed Table of Contents:1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3 Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment...ContinuedTop 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 AnalysisSend 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
Cloud-based Database Market 2018 Major Platforms and Technology Services, Future Scope till 2023

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Latest Report Available at Orbis Research on Global Cloud-based Database Market provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics and a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining industry growth.As per Global Cloud-based Database Market report for the period of 2018 to 2023, the Cloud-based Database Market is likely to reach an approximation of USD xx million at the end of the year 2023 rising at the rate of CAGR xx% throughout the forecast period of 2018 to 2023. The Global Cloud-based Database Market report covers an exhaustive understanding of the Cloud-based Database Industry that encompasses various important factors like the product type, sales, revenue, competition market size, regions, and applications.Request a sample of this report @The report further provides a thorough understanding of the Cloud-based Database Market through value chain analysis and SWOT, which helps the consumer/user/ reader to understand expected trends in the Cloud-based Database Industry, demand-supply situation in the market, its weaknesses, strengths and various opportunities the market can offer. Statistics and data have been included in the Cloud-based Database Market to support the information in the report through charts and tables for enhanced readability and to present more engaging content.The Global Cloud-based Database Market report also discusses, in detail, the regional distribution of the Cloud-based Database Market, which enables readers to plan an expansion of their business. The regional bifurcation of Cloud-based Database Market includes data with regard to sales, market share, revenue, growth rate and consumption for each region mentioned below: USA Europe Japan China India Southeast Asia South America South Africa OthersBrowse the complete report @All products mentioned in the global Cloud-based Database Market report are examined in depth across all parameters which include drifts in the market based on market size, sales revenue, gross margin, price and market share.The following product types are included in the report: SQL Database NoSQL DatabaseThe Global Cloud-based Database Market report mainly targets the outlook of major end users, their status through consumption, market share, and growth rate.The end user applications covered in this report include: Small and Medium Business Large EnterprisesThe Global Cloud-based Database Market report includes vendor profiles of major players in the Cloud-based Database Industry which provides the reader with the best view of the competitive landscape. The Global Cloud-based Database Market report includes market valuation and analysis of performance of the key players along with new product launches.Some of the major companies discussed in the report include: Amazon Web Services Google IBM Microsoft Oracle Rackspace Hosting Salesforce Cassandra Couchbase MongoDB SAP Teradata Alibaba TencentPlace a purchase order of this report @Some Points from TOC:1 Cloud-based Database Market Overview1.1 Product Overview of Cloud-based Database1.2 Classification of Cloud-based Database1.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.2.3 Type 31.2.4 Type 41.3 Applications of Cloud-based Database1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.3.4 Application 41.4 Global Cloud-based Database Market Regional Analysis1.4.1 USA Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.2 Europe Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.3 Japan Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.4 China Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.5 India Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.6 Southeast Asia Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.7 South America Market Present Situation Analysis1.4.8 South Africa Market Present Situation Analysis1.5 Cloud-based Database Industry Development Factors Analysis1.5.1 Cloud-based Database Industry Development Opportunities Analysis1.5.2 Cloud-based Database Industry Development Challenges Analysis1.6 Cloud-based Database Consumer Behavior Analysis2 Global Cloud-based Database Competitions by Players2.1 Global Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Players2.2 Global Cloud-based Database Revenue (Million USD) and Share by Players (2017-2018)2.3 Global Cloud-based Database Price (USD/Unit) by Players (2017-2018)2.4 Global Cloud-based Database Gross Margin by Players (2017-2018)3 Global Cloud-based Database Competitions by Types3.1 Global Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Types3.2 Global Cloud-based Database Revenue (Million USD) and Share by Type (2013-2018)3.3 Global Cloud-based Database Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2013-2018)3.4 Global Cloud-based Database Gross Margin by Type (2013-2018)3.5 USA Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.6 China Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.7 Europe Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.8 Japan Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.9 India Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.10 Southeast Asia Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.11 South America Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Type3.12 South Africa Cloud-based Database Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by TypeAbout Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019
Purchase Amazing Pet Products from Susan Lanci Designs

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We at Wet Nose Boutique are leading resellers of amazing brands that manufacture world class pet products. One of those brands is the esteemed Susan Lanci Designs for dogs.Susan Lanci Designs is a family owned and operated business that manufactures super high-quality outfits for dogs. Susan Lanci focuses on the perfect fit, high quality, safety, and style while designing a pet product. They use genuine Swarovski crystals and Ultrasuede fabric imported from Japan in the manufacturing process. Ultrasuede ensures that the product is of high quality and looks and feels premium.Susan Lanci Designs has gained a tremendous reputation for over 15 years for providing high quality and practical merchandise for little dogs. The Ultrasuede fabric is stronger than leather and is used by manufacturers of high-end yachts, private jets, and luxury cars. Ultrasuede is not inexpensive but it lasts for a very long time and is easy to carry around.Wet Nose Boutique also sells Plush Dog Harnesses. This harness is a gentle yet a very effective harness that does its job by eliminating the stress around your dogs neck and distributes it across the chest and shoulders. The harness is very easy to put on and features the following: The harness is comfortable and very easy to put on takeoff. The quick release buckle instantly releases the harness. The harness is very adjustable with the Velcro closure. The harness features a breathable air mesh material. The harness features an alloy D-ring to attach a leash. The reflective strips allow for easy nighttime visibility. The harness is easily washable.The harness is available in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes. There are also a wide variety of color options such as black, bubblegum pink, grass green, horizon blue, orange, and etc.If you are looking for products by Susan Lanci Designs for your dog or a dog stroller in Florida, visit our website. You can order any of these pet products from our online store and also browse through a wide variety of other pet merchandise we offer. You can also avail a 20% discount on your first purchase.Wet Nose Boutique4910 South Pheasant WayFloral City, Florida, 34436352 897-6863
Professional Mobile Radio Market 2026| Motorola Solutions Inc., Harris Corporation, JVCKenwood Corporation

MRRSE

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This comprehensive report by MRRSE analyzes and provides growth forecast for the professional mobile radio market at the global and regional level, which includes Asia Pacific, South America, North America, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Europe. The report provides analysis for the period between 2016 and 2026, wherein 2018 to 2026 is the forecast period, and the base year is 2017. An in-depth and unbiased market assessment has been made to offer readers insightful and accurate analysis. The report emphasizes on all the major trends and services playing a key role in the expansion of the professional mobile radio market between 2018 and 2026. It also focuses on restraining factors, market drivers, and opportunities of the expansion of the professional mobile radio market during the said period.Looking for more information on this market? Get Free sample report @The report includes detailed pestle analysis, which is focused to enlighten a widespread view of the global professional mobile radio market. The Porters Five Forces analysis is also provided to understand the competitive scenario in the global professional mobile radio market. The study incorporates professional mobile radio market attractiveness analysis, wherein the market segments, for instance digital technology and analog technology, are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and attractiveness, in terms of opportunity. Every geographic region mentioned in the report has been provided with attractiveness analysis in order to provide a complete analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the professional mobile radio market.An overview of the professional mobile radio market, detailing key market trends and dynamics has been included for providing clear understanding of ecosystem forces. Dynamics include impact analysis of market restraining factors, drivers, and opportunities for the professional mobile radio market. Additionally, the report also provides analysis of different business strategies being adopted by the market leaders of professional mobile radio market. Trends and services related to professional mobile radio systems along with their applications have also been explained in the report.Global Professional Mobile Radio Market: Scope of the ReportThe study provides a decisive view on the global professional mobile radio market, broadly segmented by technology as digital technology and analog technology, by application as commercial and public safety. Furthermore, the report provides detailed breakdown of the professional mobile radio market across geographic regions, which include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America, thus providing valuable insights at micro and macro levels.The report highlights the competitive scenario within the professional mobile radio market, thus ranking all the major players according to the key recent developments and their geographic presence. The insights for the professional mobile radio market are the result of our extensive primary interviews, secondary research, and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by considering the impact of different economic, political, social, legal and technological factors.Order a copy of Global Professional Mobile Radio Market Report @In terms of country, the market in North America is segmented into the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Furthermore, the market in Europe is segregated into France, Germany, the U.K., and Rest of Europe. The professional mobile radio market in Asia Pacific is also segmented at country level into China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia Pacific. The market in Middle East & Africa is segmented into GCC Countries, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa. Similarly, South America includes Brazil and Rest of South America. This report provides all the strategic information required to understand the professional mobile radio market along with its technology and application.Global Professional Mobile Radio Market: Research MethodologyThe research methodology is a perfect combination of primary research, secondary research and expert panel reviews. Secondary sources such as annual reports, company websites, SEC filings and investor presentations, internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases, relevant patent and regulatory databases, market reports, government publications, World Bank database, and industry white papers are usually referred for developing preliminary market understanding.Primary research involves telephonic interviews, e-mail interactions, and face-to-face interviews for detailed and unbiased reviews on the professional mobile radio market, across geographies. Primary interviews are usually conducted on an ongoing basis with industry experts and participants in order to get latest market insights and validate the existing data and analysis. Primary interviews offer new and fresh information on important factors such as market trends, market size, competitive landscape, growth trends, etc. These factors help to validate and strengthen secondary research findings. Moreover, the data collected and analyzed from secondary and primary research, is again discussed and examined by our expert panel.Global Professional Mobile Radio Market: Competitive DynamicsThe research study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global professional mobile radio market. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments. Parameters such as investment & spending and developments by the major players of the market are tracked. Key players operating in the global professional mobile radio market include Motorola Solutions, Inc., Harris Corporation, JVCKenwood Corporation, Tait Communications, Codan Radio Communications, Hytera Communications Corporation Limited, Simoco Wireless Solutions, and Raytheon Company.Inquire more or share questions if any on this report @About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Global Online Travel Agencies IT Spending Market Competitive Market, review, future growth, in-depth analysis, Key Players, and Forecast Period 2018-2023

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The Global Online travel agencies IT spending market Forecast 2018-2023 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the online travel agencies IT spending industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report. The market insight distribution examines into the development direction of the worldwide medication of manhandle testing market as far as income and volume. The report likewise measures the main patterns and the vital components that are probably going to affect the development of the market in a positive or antagonistic way.Global online travel agencies IT spending market research analyst will grow steadily at a CAGR of almost +xx% during the forecast period 2018-2023Request sampleTop Players:Amadeus, Navitaire, Sabre, Travelport, CRS Technologies, Dolphin Dynamics, eCare Technology, Expert Travel Services, Fourth Dimension Software, Lemax, mTrip, Oracle, PcVoyages 2000, Qtech, Technoheaven, Toursys, Tramada, TravelCarma, Trip Solutions, Web Booking ExpertThis report provides comprehensive analysis of Key market segments and sub-segments, Evolving market trends and dynamics, Changing supply and demand scenarios, Quantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecasting, Tracking current trends/opportunities/challenges, Competitive insights, Opportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughs.Ask for the discountGlobal online travel agencies IT spending market: regional segment analysis, United States, North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India ,And RoW. Like to face threats by the decreasing reimbursement rates are also given in detail. . Facts such as different countries and regions, production capacities, production, costs, profit margins, production values and gross margin of these businesses are also presented by the report.Table of contentChapter 1 Global Online Travel Agencies IT Spending Market overviewChapter 2 Global economic impactChapter 3 Competition by manufacturersChapter 4 Production, revenue (value) by region (2018-2023)Chapter 5 Global online travel agencies IT spending supply (production), consumption, export, import by region (2018-2023)Chapter 6 Production revenue (value), price, trend by typeChapter 7 Analysis by applicationChapter 8 Manufacturing cost analysisChapter 9 Industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream buyersChapter 10 Marketing strategy analysis, distribution/traders.Chapter 11 Market effect factors analysisChapter 12 Global online travel agencies IT spending market forecast (2018-2023)Chapter 13 AppendixEnquiry before buyingAbout Us:Report Consultant - A global leader in analytics, research and advisory that can assist you to renovate your business and modify your approach. With us, you will learn to take decisions intrepidly. We make sense of drawbacks, opportunities, circumstances, estimations and information using our experienced skills and verified methodologies. Our research reports will give you an exceptional experience of innovative solutions and outcomes. We have effectively steered businesses all over the world with our market research reports and are outstandingly positioned to lead digital transformations. Thus, we craft greater value for clients by presenting advanced opportunities in the global marketContact usAkasaka biz tower,5-3-1 akasaka minato-ku,Tokyo, Japan+91-9607100004info@reportconsultant.com
Global Naval Combat Systems Market Overview, Trends and Growth Opportunities Forecasted till 2025

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The market for Naval Combat Systems is growing with the expansion of this Industry Sector Worldwide. Market Research Hub (MRH) has added a new report titled Global Naval Combat Systems Market Size, Status and Forecast 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 Naval Combat Systems sector is highlighted in the report which indicates a prosperous future.Request Free Sample Report@@This report studies the global Naval Combat Systems market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Naval Combat Systems market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.The Naval Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin. It uses powerful computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets.The increasing number of unmanned underwater vehicle will drive the growth prospects for the global naval combat systems market for the next four years. The emergence of UUVs or unmanned drones has offered flexibility to snaval combat systems, which can undertake various combat operations such as combat search and rescue, electronic warfare, C4ISR, and communication transfer. Furthermore, it protects the life of a Navy personnel as it can withstand hazardous chemicals and dangerous situations. In addition, the functions of UUVs such as efficient and precise naval intelligence, monitoring systems, mine countermeasures (MCM) operations, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and anti-submarine warfare missions is propelling the demand for advanced naval combat systems.In 2017, the global Naval Combat Systems market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.This report focuses on the global top players, coveredBAE SystemsLeonardoLockheed MartinRaytheonThales GroupQinetiQKongsberg GruppenElbit SystemsIMIUltra ElectronicsSaabElbit SystemsSaabMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoC4ISRElectronic WarfareWeaponOtherBrowse Full Report with TOC@Market segment by Application, split intoSmall Patrol BoatsLarge Aircraft CarriersSubmarinesOtherThe study objectives of this report are:To study and forecast the market size of Naval Combat Systems 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 Naval Combat Systems 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 StakeholdersNaval Combat Systems ManufacturersNaval Combat Systems Distributors/Traders/WholesalersNaval Combat Systems Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsContinue...@@$Enquire about this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :
Global Relay Tester Market is valued at 100 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 140 million US$ by the end of 2025

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This report studies the global Relay Tester market status and forecast, categorizes the global Relay Tester market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia and other regions (Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).Request Sample Copy of Report @Relay Tester, also called relay protective tester, is a type of secondary test equipment in power system, and usually be used in electrical utilities, large industries and railway networks.There are many relay tester producers, but this industry concentration is still high due to the majority of production are dominated by several big players. High-end products are mainly from U.S. and Western European.In this market, there still has a distinct feature, that is, global giant manufacturers have very little market share in China market. That?s because China government encourages native brands, especially in the national power grid, which purchase relay testers by the way of bidding.In the international market, the marketing channels characteristic differ from company to company.The international leading companies prefer taking own sales department to expand market. The giant companies are more likely to set their own big agents in some major countries and regions taking charge of regional business building their international market position.The market is not only influenced by the price, but also influenced by the product performance. Although China domestic companies have price advantage, their quality cannot match the giant brand ones on the performance of reliability and stability.This industry is affected by the economy and policy, so it?s important to put an eye to economic indexes and leaders? prefer. With the global economic recovery, the need of Relay Tester will increase.The global Relay Tester market is valued at 100 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 140 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during 2018-2025.The major manufacturers covered in this reportOMICRONMeggerDobleISASMCMUSASHIPovonoHaomaiOnllyKingnenTesientFuguang ElectronicsGeographically, 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 AmericaEuropeChinaJapanIndiaSoutheast AsiaOther regions (Central & South America, 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 into6-Phase Type3-Phase TypeOtherBy Application, the market can be split intoElectrical UtilitiesLarge IndustryRail NetworkOtherRequest for discount @Table of ContentsGlobal Relay Tester Market Professional Survey Report 20181 Industry Overview of Relay Tester1.1 Definition and Specifications of Relay Tester1.1.1 Definition of Relay Tester1.1.2 Specifications of Relay Tester1.2 Classification of Relay Tester1.2.1 6-Phase Type1.2.2 3-Phase Type1.2.3 Other1.3 Applications of Relay Tester1.3.1 Electrical Utilities1.3.2 Large Industry1.3.3 Rail Network1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 Europe1.4.3 China1.4.4 Japan1.4.5 Southeast Asia1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Relay Tester2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Relay Tester2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Relay Tester2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Relay Tester3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Relay Tester3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Relay Tester Major Manufacturers in 20173.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Relay Tester Major Manufacturers in 20173.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Relay Tester Major Manufacturers in 20173.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Relay Tester Major Manufacturers in 2017Browse Full Report With TOC @4 Global Relay Tester Overall Market Overview4.1 2013-2018E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2013-2018E Global Relay Tester Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2017 Relay Tester Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2013-2018E Global Relay Tester Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2017 Relay Tester Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2013-2018E Global Relay Tester Sales Price4.4.2 2017 Relay Tester Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)Who we areResearch Trades has team of experts who works on providing comprehensive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimates, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the client's specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using customer-centric approaches, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 (USA), +91 7507349866 (IND)Web:Skype ID: researchtradescon
Architectural Coatings Market 2017 - 2025 : Akzo Nobel N.V, BASF SE, Nippon Paint Holding Co., Ltd, PPG Industries, Inc.

Architectural Coatings

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https://www.researchmoz.us/architectural-coatings-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2017-2025-report.html/toc

Global Architectural Coatings Market: OverviewArchitectural coatings are used to coat buildings and homes. Mostly, they are designated for specific uses such as roof coatings, wall paints and deck finishes. Each architectural coating is anticipated to provide certain decorative, durable and protective functions. Different test protocols may be applied in the evaluation of an architectural coating depending upon the type of end uses such as residential and non-residential. Architectural coatings are different from that of other industrial coatings.. . Get Sample Report_' 'Architectural coatings can be defined as the organic coatings intended for on-site End-User to interior or exterior surfaces of residential, commercial, institutional or industrial buildings. They are considered the protective and decorative finishes applied at ambient temperatures. The architectural coatings industry has undergone great change over the past few years. These changes have been introduced with the help of paint formulators, end users and environmental regulators. The commonly employed resins in the architectural coatings include acrylics, polyurethane, vinyl/styrene, alkyds, etc. and the major technology is solvent-based technology. However, water-based technologys growth potential is projected to be high and it is expected to replace solvent-based technology.Global Architectural Coatings Market: Trends and OpportunitiesRapid expansion in the building and construction industry is a key factor driving the global architectural coatings market. Increase in environmental awareness has led to technological innovations to provide quality products that are affordable and have enhanced properties. Another significant driver for the architectural coatings market is growing population and increase in disposable income. Investment in housing has been an important source of growth for many countries across the world in recent years. The change in culture coupled with the effect of globalization has been affecting the lifestyle of the people. People have become more health conscious and are choosing coatings with low emission of volatile organic compounds. Volatility in prices of raw materials have been considered restraint for the architectural coatings market.Strategic co-operation among manufacturers is also considered as the opportunity for the architectural Coatings market.Global Architectural Coatings Market: Scope of the ReportThe report estimates and forecasts the architectural coatings market on the global, regional and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2017 and 2025 based on volume (Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2016 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the 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 architectural coatings 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 architectural coatings market on the global, regional and country 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 substitute analysis of architectural coatings and global average price trend analysis.The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global architectural coatings market. Key players profiled in the report include Akzo Nobel N.V, BASF SE, Nippon Paint Holding Co., Ltd, PPG Industries, Inc., RPM International Inc., and The Sherwin Williams Company. 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).. . More Clear Details get Full Table of Contents_' 'Architectural Coatings Market  Resin Analysis- Vinyl/Styrene- Acrylics- Alkyds- Polyurethanes- OthersArchitectural Coatings Market  Technology Analysis- Water-based- Solvent-based- OthersContinue.....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,sales@researchmoz.usTel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Global Acetoacetanilide Market 2018-2023 Industry Leaders | Eastman Chemical Company,Mitsuboshi Chemical Co, Nantong Acetic Acid Chemical,iaozhou Fine Chemicals Co,Laxmi Organic Industries Ltd

Acetoacetanilide Market, Acetoacetanilide Market size, Acetoacetanilide Market share, Acetoacetanilide Market trends, Acetoace

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Acetoacetanilide Market 2018 Industry and forecast to 2023 report analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, analysis, size, share, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.THE INCREASING CONSUMPTION OF PAINT & COATING INDUSTRY WILL BOOST THE DEMAND OF ACETOACETANILIDE MARKET.Acetoacetanilide Market Overview:Acetoacetanilide is a white crystalline solid that is used in various application such as copromoter, pesticides, pigments, and others. Furthermore, it is highly used in various industries such as agriculture, pharmaceutical, plastic, paint & coatings, and others. Additionally, the growing agriculture industry is driving the acetoacetanilide market. Acetoacetanilide are available in various forms such as dry powder, wet solid, and others. On the basis of region, market share of acetoacetanilide is high in Asia Pacific and is also expected to increase at a higher growth rate as compared to other regions such as Europe, North America, Latin America and Middle East.Receive a Sample Report Copy @Acetoacetanilide Competitive analysis:Eastman Chemical Company (US), Mitsuboshi Chemical Co. Ltd. (Japan), Nantong Acetic Acid Chemical Co. Ltd (China), Jiangyan Yangtze River Chemical Co., Ltd. (China), Jiangsu Tiancheng Biochemical Products Co.,Ltd. (China), Cangzhou Goldlion Chemicals Co.,Ltd (China), Jiangsu Changyu Chemical Co., Ltd. (China), Hangzhou Dayangchem Co.Limited (China), Jiaozhou Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd. (China), Laxmi Organic Industries Ltd (India), and others.Acetoacetanilide Market Segmentation:Global acetoacetanilides market is divided by forms, applications, end user industry, and region. On the basis of forms, the acetoacetanilides market is segmented into dry powder, wet solid, and others. Generally, Acetoacetanilide is vailable as white crystalline powder at room temperature.On the basis of end user the acetoacetanilides market is segmented into agriculture, pharmaceutical, plastic, paint & coatings, and others. Among all industry paint & coatings industry occupied the highest market share. The increasing consumption of acetoacetanilides in various industry such agriculture, pharmaceutical, plastic, paint & coatings, and others will drive the global acetoacetanilides market in the forecasted period.On the other hand, on the basis of application the acetoacetanilides market is segmented into copromoter, pesticides, pigments, and others. Among all application pesticides and pigments covers the largest share in terms of global acetoacetanilides market. On the other hand, acetoacetanilides also highly utilize as low-color copromoters unsaturated polyesters at room-temperature. It is a dye intermediate used in the productions of pyrazolone, acid complex yellow GR, hansa yellow G, neutral dark yellow GL, light yellow 5G, pigment yellow G and many more, and is also utilized as a raw material for carboxin in pesticides. Furthermore, acetoacetanilide is used in the production of pigments. Moreover, pesticides is highly utilized in the agriculture industry, likewise the increasing consumption of pesticides will propel the demand of acetoacetanilides. Increasing population and growing disposable income of various region such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Middle East are additional drivers for the demand of acetoacetanilides. The market of acetoacetanilides is growing due to increasing demand of these application especially in agriculture industry especially in APAC region.Acetoacetanilide Regional Analysis:Asia Pacific is the biggest market of acetoacetanilide due to huge utilization in paint & coating industry, especially in China followed by India. Growing demand for agriculture, pharmaceutical, plastic, paint & coatings, and others in China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea has made Asia Pacific the largest competitor in the global acetoacetanilide market followed by Europe coupled with the increasing demand for this product. In Europe region, acetoacetanilide market is driven by pharmaceutical and agriculture industries. In addition, the third largest market of acetoacetanilide is North America due to large utilization in copromoter, pesticides, pigments, and others applications. Moreover, Latin America and Middle East also observed in the growth of acetoacetanilide market due to various industry such as agriculture, pharmaceutical, plastic, paint & coatings, and others.Complete Report Details @Study Objectives of Acetoacetanilide Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of various segments and sub-segments of the global acetoacetanilide market. To understand the supply and demand dynamics including supply and consumption concentration mapping To provide region level market analysis and future outlook for regions like North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa, and their countries To provide competitor positioning of the market To provide company profiling of major players in the market along with their production and capacity To provide regional trade analysisIntended Audience Acetoacetanilide manufacturers Traders and distributors of Acetoacetanilide Production Process industries Potential investors Raw material suppliers Nationalized laboratorAt Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@Market research future.com
Range Hood and Cooktop Industry Research Report and Competitive Analysis 2018-2025

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This study researches the market size of Range Hood and Cooktop, presents the global Range Hood and Cooktop sales and revenue by companies, regions, type and application, history breakdown data from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025. This report focuses on the key data information of Range Hood and Cooktop in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa, presents sales, revenue, market share, growth rate of Range Hood and Cooktop for each region and countries in each region.For top companies, this report investigates and analyzes the sales, revenue, market share and growth rate for the top players, key data from 2013 to 2018. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. A range hood is a cooking appliance whose primary function is to remove additional heat and unwanted airborne particles from the kitchen. The growth in trend to keep the kitchen well-managed, clean, and elegant looking have also been major drivers of the global range hood and cooktop market.In 2018, the global Range Hood and Cooktop market size was xx million US$ and is forecast to xx million US in 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% from 2018. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Range Hood and Cooktop.This report includes the following manufacturers; we can also add the other companies as you want.Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.AB ElectroluxKoninklijke Philips N.V.Siemens AGWhirlpool CorporationRobert Bosch GmbHPanasonic CorporationFagor ElectrodomsticosVatti Corporation Ltd.Request To buy Full Report @Market Segment by Product TypeRange HoodsCooktopsMarket Segment by ApplicationPersonalProfessionalThe study objectives are:To analyze and research the global Range Hood and Cooktop status and future forecast, involving capacity, production, value, consumption, growth rate (CAGR), market share, historical and forecast.To present the key Range Hood and Cooktop manufacturers, capacity, production, revenue, market share, and recent development for key players.To split the breakdown data by regions, type, companies and applications.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends, drivers, influence factors in global and regions.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.Request Sample Copy of Report @In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Range Hood and Cooktop are as follows:History Year: 2013-2018Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025About Us:QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry.Contact US:QY Research, INC.17890 Castleton,Suite 218,City of industry, CA  91748USA: +1 626 295 2442Email: enquiry@qyrsearch.comWeb:
Factor XIII Deficiency Treatment Market Expansion Projected to Gain an Uptick During 2018 to 2028

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Factor XIII deficiency is a rare genetic blood disorder that is characterised by the deficiency of clotting factor XIII. Clotting factors are proteins that play an important role in blood clotting. Patients suffering from factor XIII deficiency are able to form clots, however, these clots are highly unstable and dissolve easily, which results in prolonged uncontrolled bleeding. The severity and symptoms of the factor XIII deficiency varies from person to person thus the factor XIII deficiency treatment differs with respective to the severity. In most patients with factor XIII deficiency (80%), bleeding symptoms appear after birth, which include bleeding from the umbilical stump. Other patients are likely to have only a mild expression of the factor XIII deficiency that can become more apparent in the later stages of life when they encounter a traumatic injury or surgery.Factor XIII deficiency is a genetic disorder that is recessive in nature. Thus, the risk of two carrier parents passing both the altered genes to their offspring is about 25% with each pregnancy. In case the parents are close relatives of each other, the risk is much higher. Thus, in communities where consanguineous marriages are more common, the risk of factor XIII deficiency is higher in the offspring, hence, it is widely seen in such communities.Factor XIII deficiency treatment involves the usage of factor XIII concentrates. Fresh frozen plasma is one of the most common factor XIII deficiency treatments, especially in regions where the pharmaceutical version of factor XIII concentrates are not available easily. However, cryoprecipitates are no longer recommended for factor XIII deficiency treatment because of the risk of infections from viruses and other similar pathogens. The risk of allergy is also likely with other unknown factors present in the cryoprecipitates. Individuals with factor XIII deficiency are recommended to undergo preventive factor XIII deficiency treatment that includes the use of factor XIII concentrate every 3-4 weeks. The prophylactic factor XIII deficiency treatment is mainly used to prevent bleeding in the brain.In extremely rare cases, factor XIII deficiency may be caused due to the development of autoantibodies. These autoantibodies are also called inhibitors since they mistakenly attack replacement factor XIII that is used for the factor XIII deficiency treatment. In case the factor XIII deficiency treatment results in the formation of autoantibodies, additional therapy is required along with the factor XIII deficiency treatment. These additional therapies include the usage of immune suppressant drugs.In 2011, CSL Behring received FDA approval for its Corifact (FXIII Concentrate) for the routine prophylactic factor XIII deficiency treatment. Similarly, in 2014, Novo Nordisk, Inc. received FDA approval for Tretten, a recombinant factor XIII replacement product. Tretten was approved for the prevention of bleeding in adults and children due to factor XIII A-subunit deficiency. Factor XIII deficiency treatment using recombinant technology is a popular topic for research since it is artificially created and does not contain human blood components, thereby resulting in no risk due to blood-borne viruses or similar other pathogens.Request for Brochure @Factor XIII Deficiency Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe significant presence of communities that follow consanguineous marriages increases the risk of passing on factor XIII deficiency to the next generations, which is driving the factor XIII deficiency treatment market. Increasing government support for the treatment of rare diseases such as the factor XIII disease treatment is also an important factor driving the factor XIII deficiency treatment market. However, lack of experience of skilled personals for the factor XIII deficiency treatment like other rare diseases along with the difficulties encountered during the R&D of factor XIII deficiency treatment are some of the factors expected to hamper the growth of the factor XIII deficiency treatment market during the forecast period.Factor XIII Deficiency Treatment Market: SegmentationThe global factor XIII deficiency treatment market can be segmented on the basis of treatment distribution channel and geography.Based on treatment type, the global factor XIII deficiency treatment market is segmented as:Fresh frozen plasma treatmentPharmaceutical product treatmentBased on distribution channel, the global factor XIII deficiency treatment market is segmented as:Hospital pharmaciesRetail pharmaciesBlood banksFactor XIII Deficiency Treatment Market: OverviewThe global factor XIII deficiency treatment market is largely driven by the significant presence of consanguineous marriages. The factor XIII deficiency treatment that was used in the past involved the usage of fresh frozen plasma. However, due to the risk of infections, this form of treatment is not preferred. Recombinant technology-driven research resulted in products, such as Tretten, a recombinant factor XIII A-subunit, which are now more preferred since they are completely lab-synthesized products. The administration of these products for factor XIII deficiency treatment must be carried out at regular intervals for the prevention of bleeding especially in the brain.Factor XIII Deficiency Treatment Market: Regional OutlookBased on epidemiology, factor XIII deficiency cases are more frequent in regions where consanguineous marriages are more common. Thus, the occurrence of the disorder is most frequent in the Middle East and Africa region. However, a large number of cases go undiagnosed in these regions. Furthermore, the factor XIII deficiency treatment market has the highest potential in the MEA. Regions such as Canada, Brazil, Mexico and China also among the most lucrative regions for the factor XIII deficiency treatment. Europe and Australia have the lowest epidemiology, owing to which the treatment rate for the factor XIII deficiency treatment is low.Factor XIII Deficiency Treatment Market: Key PlayersThe global market for factor XIII deficiency treatment has two main pharmaceutical players, however, there are a number of blood banks that offer fresh frozen plasma. Companies that offer factor xiii concentrate are CSL Behring and Novo Nordisk, Inc. Examples of some of the blood banks that offer fresh frozen plasma for factor XIII deficiency treatment are Global Blood Fund, World Blood Bank and other local blood banks.Request Report Methodology @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 SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyRegional analysis includesAPEJGreater ChinaIndiaKoreaASEAN CountriesRest of APEJJapanCIS & RussiaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaChilePeruRest of LATAMNorth AmericaUSCanadaEuropeEU  4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain)UKBENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg)NORDIC (Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden)Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Czech Rep. etc.)Rest of EuropeMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyIranIsraelSouth AfricaRest of MEAReport Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.About Fact.MRFact.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.Fact.MR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:
Creating High-Speed Internet Access across a Mountaintop, over 12 Inches of Radial Ice, in -20F

Sumitomo Pogo Mine use Perle SFP Media Converters

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You know the feeling when you find yourself in a remote area of the country and the internet access isumm slow, is the nice word. You can access your email and perhaps see what is going on in the world of social media but, streaming a video, having a video conference or downloading large files is not going to reliably happen. Well, if this problem can be solved at a remote mining camp deep in the Alaska interior, it can be solved anywhere.Pogo Mine, 38 miles northwest of Delta Junction, operates like a small town. It provides accommodation, medical care, food, and more, for 450 people living and working on-site. Between the camp and Delta Junction is "40mi mountaintop". It gets its name by being located at mile-marker 40 on the 50-mile access road that connects the mine to the town.From 2011 thru 2016, the morale network, which enabled everyone on site to stay in touch with loved ones by checking their email, calling home and accessing the internet consisted of a pair of 20mb Ethernet Circuits and a pair of T1s. While this was sufficient, people longed for the bandwidth that would allow them speedy access to multimedia content. However, installing a fiber line to Delta Junction would cost $6.6 million and that kind of spend was out of the question. In early 2017, Mike Spooner, Telecom and Infrastructure Technician for Sumitomo Metals Mining Pogo LLC, found a solution."It came to my attention that a local WISP had their own telco tower in Delta Junction, with a direct fiber connection to two ISPs", explains Spooner. "This was a breakthrough. After a substantial amount of research, we figured out we could install a 11ghz link from Delta Junction to 40Mi [mountaintop], and a 5.8ghz link from 40mi [mountaintop] back to the mine for less than one months cost of our current internet bill."Spooner continues, "As the design came together, we realized that the 11ghz microwave had to be on one side of the mountain and the 5.8ghz had to be on the other side, about 100ft apart. Since it is the highest mountaintop around and trying to achieve ground on solid rock is very problematic, we decided that eliminating the electrical route between the two systems was the best way to go. Perle had already proven themselves to me as being able to handle our rough environment, so they were the first place I looked when I needed Fiber to Ethernet."Due to lightning risk, Spooner decided to heavily ground the structures, install double lightning isolation on the power leads, and run optical fiber for the four Gigabit links needed by the radio equipment. Perle SFP Media Converters were used to provide addition copper to fiber conversion ports that were not natively availble in the equipment being installed. For more details about the installation and equipment used, read the original Case Study here.Spooner concludes, "Everything seems to be working just grand, even during all the torture mother-nature throws at us. The Perle Media Converters havent dropped a single frame or packet since they were turned on, even in -20F temperatures and over 12 inches of radial ice!"About Perle Systems -Perle Systems is a leading developer, manufacturer and vendor of high-reliability and richly featured connectivity and device networking products. These products are used to connect remote users reliably and securely to central servers for a wide variety of business applications. Product lines include Console Servers for Data Center Management, Terminal Servers, Device Servers, Remote Power Switches, Media Converters, Ethernet I/O, Serial Cards, Parallel Cards and Multimodem Cards. Perle distinguishes itself through extensive networking technology, depth of experience in major real-world network environments and long-term distribution and VAR channel relationships in major world markets. Perle has offices in 9 countries in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products through distribution and OEM/ODE channels worldwide.Perle Systems830 Fesslers Parkway, Suite 108Nashville, TN 37210Contact Person:Julie Mc DanielVP MarketingPhone: 1-800-46703753email: pr@perle.com
Healthcare Human Resources Software Market is Ready to reach USD 1.4 billion with Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, PeopleAdmin, Kenexa Corporation, EmployWise and More by 2023

Healthcare Human Resources Software Market

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This study covers the market dynamics and trends in major countries that are expected to influence the current market scenario and future status of the Global Healthcare Human Resources Software Market over the forecast period.Key Players:PeopleAdmin (US), Kenexa Corporation (US), SAP SE (Germany), EmployWise (India) and Oracle Corporation (US).Get Premium Sample Copy @Market Overview:The global healthcare human resources software market is set to reach valuation of USD 1.4 billion by 2023, confirms Market Research Future (MRFR) in its new report. The global market will be expanding at a very sluggish CAGR of 2.3% during the forecast period (2016-2023). Errors in management of HR, organizational complexity and compounded inefficiency results in healthcare industry seeking solution in the form of healthcare human resources software. The global market is thriving on the back of complex healthcare industry in dire need of a simplified software to minimize errors. The software offers various benefits that include document control and data security along with functions like recruitment, salary hikes, vacation leaves, bonus, training, and management. Hence, on account of these benefits, the demand for the HR software has increased in the healthcare industry. Moreover, added features in the software such as advertisement management, candidate searching, and link up with social media such as LinkedIn make the software more appealing to the consumers, hence positively influencing the sale globally. In addition, growing automation and rise in demand for simplification of employee data nurtures the healthcare human resources software market.On the other hand, increase in cyber-crime incidences may deter the market growth in the coming years. On the contrary, the HR software is highly automated, which reduces the time spent on manual data entry work as well as other time consuming administrative work. This feature aides the market gain immense popularity elevating the market growth.Also to be noted are few trends changing the dynamics of the global market One of these trends is adoption of cloud-based software systems. This type of software is easier to navigate and enables employees to use it wherever and whenever needed. This results in HR staff gaining extra time to complete large number of administrative tasks.Market Segmentation:The global healthcare HR software market has been segmented on the basis of administration software, software types, organization types and end-users.The administration software is sub-segmented into payroll, time and attendance, benefits management and others. The software, when used for tracking payroll, proves to be highly advantageous in an organization as it tracks salaries and deductions. This helps in managing employee insurance premiums, gratuity, and retirement programs.The software type is sub-segmented into recruiting, software-as-a-service (SaaS), core HR and others. The SaaS software offers many potential advantages over the traditional software, such as easy upgrades, low up-front cost, quick set-up and high scalability. Therefore, on the basis of these benefits, SaaS finds many applications in the healthcare human resources platform.The organizations type is sub-segmented into medium businesses, large enterprises, and small business.The end-users in the global market are pharmaceuticals, hospital and laboratories and other. Large number of hospitals adopt the HR software as it is an ideal solution to reduce the organization complexity, increase productivity and reduce cost with easy-to-use administrative self-serve platform. It helps create a communication-rich environment, keeps track of every kind of data and aligns the workforce efficiently.Industry Development:India-based MEngage Technologies Pvt. Ltd has raised USD 175,000 million in funding to enhance its technology platform. The company connects doctors with patients through software-as-a-service (SaaS) app. The software stores a patients medical history on the cloud and allows doctors to manage appointments in real time, and then set automated reminders. It also has features such as sharing prescriptions, a chat facility, and notifications. Moreover, the software also provides doctors with digital notepads for prescriptions. Technological innovation is a strategic plan adopted by the company that will help make the product more appealing to the consumers and also help the company establish itself further in the global healthcare HR software market.Get Valuable Discount @Regional Analysis:According to the report, the global market for healthcare HR software is established in the regions of North America, Europe, Asia-pacific and Middle East and Africa.Among all regions, North America holds the largest market share of the global market. Vast development of healthcare sector has resulted in this growth. In the region, Canada and United States (U.S) are the prominent countries to contribute to the market. The need to reduce the labor costs and growing demand for operational efficiency catalyzes the market growth in the region. Moreover, intense competition amongst market players also shapes the market size positively.On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market is anticipated to grow at the highest rate owing to rapid industrialization and growing number of healthcare organizations. The developing countries such as India and China are major contributors to the regional market. Heavy reliability on technology and increasing digitization has been observed in the region which has, in turn, led to massive market expansion.Next in line is the Europe market which is expected to witness promising growth due to growing number of numerous corporate offices in healthcare sectors. Need for simplified and strategic human resource management, increasing awareness pertaining to the benefits of the software and sophisticated healthcare infrastructure has ameliorated the market size in the region.The markets in Middle East and Africa are growing steadily. The regions are heavily burdened with onslaught of diseases. This has increased the investments and expenditures for healthcare services, leading to market expansion.Major Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.2.2.1 Assumptions1.2.2.2 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process:2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research:3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis4.1 Porters Five Forces Model4.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers4.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers4.4 Threat of New Entrants4.5 Threat of Substitutes4.6 Intensity of RivalryContinued!Reports Enquiry @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.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Contouring Products Market Value Projected to Expand by 2018 to 2028

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Contouring is a makeup technique used to define and enhance ones features with the help of cosmetic products. Contouring products create a shadow and slimming effect with the help of a slightly darker warm color. Contouring is often complemented with a slightly lighter-colored highlighter. The growing acceptance and consumption of cosmetics around the world, driven by the increasing income of women and primal desire for beauty, is driving the contouring products market. Today, cosmetics have become a daily necessity for women across the world. The media and fashion industry has penetrated even the lowest strata of the society. The media has a profound effect on the contouring products market. Peer pressure, growing number of working women and emergence of the hospitality sector led by the hoteling & tourism industry are among the many factors driving the contouring products market.Contouring Products Market: DynamicsAdvancements in cosmetic technology in terms of material, organic color and ergonomic design, among others, are driving the demand for contouring products. The growing economic clout of developing regions and the concurrent investments by global cosmetic giants, such as Lakme and Revlon, in developing regions, such as India, are the other factors driving the adoption of contouring products.Request for Brochure @However, factors restraining the contouring products market include pressure on pricing owing to large market fragmentation and the high volume & low value nature of the contouring products market, which results in price being the most significant value proposition in this market. The menace of too many products and lack of standardization are the other factors hampering the contouring products markets growth. Similarly, some contouring products also lead to allergies and this growing number of allergies owing to substandard products is also hampering the adoption of contouring products.Contouring Products Market: SegmentationThe contouring products market is segmented on the basis of body parts, formulation type, skin type, shade, finish, end user and region.Based on body parts, the global contouring products market is segmented into:Face ContourHair ContourArms and Leg ContourBreast CounterOthersBased on formulation type, the global contouring products market is segmented into:PowderCreamLiquidCake and StickOthersBased on skin type, the global contouring products market is segmented into:OilyNormalDryBased on shade, the global contouring products market is segmented into:Cool UndertonesWarm UndertonesBased on finish, the global contouring products market is segmented into:MatteNaturalRadiantOthersBased on end user, the global contouring products market is segmented into:Professional ParlorsCustomersOthersContouring Products Market: OverviewBased on regions, the global contouring products market is classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, CIS & Russia, Japan, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America is expected to account for the largest share in the global contouring products market owing to growth in the income of women, large investments by cosmetic companies and the huge potential of the market. China and India are expected to drive the lions share in the Contouring Products market.The North America and Europe Contouring Products markets are expected to witness sluggish growth owing to saturation. The Contouring Products markets in these regions is expected to be led by the U.S., Germany, France and the UK. France has a large cosmetic industry, which is driving the European regions Contouring Products market.The Middle East and Africa Contouring Products market is expected to be driven by the gulf economies of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. However, poor per capita income of African countries is likely to hamper the Contouring Products market growth in this region.Contouring Products Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players in the global contouring products market are NYX Professional Makeup, Rimmel, City Color, Hard Candy, Shany, Maybelline, L'Oreal, Profusion Cosmetics, Black Radiance, E.L.F. Cosmetics, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Amorepacific Corporation, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Beauty blender, Becca and others.Research and development to bring newer shades to replace the rational orangey shades is the latest market trend. Price is the most significant value proposition that creates incentives for improvements in distribution efficiency, especially in developing regions. Close collaboration with retailers is crucial for cosmetic companies as they influence the decisions of buyers and provide critical support sales, which is likely to help reduce the cost associated with marketing.Shelf-positioning is an extremely important and often overlooked area, which needs to be taken into account while marketing. Companies are also developing specialized franchise to develop brand image and boost customer loyalty.Visit For TOC @This market study 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 study provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The study also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.The market study covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth AmericaUSCanadaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaChilePeruRest of LATAMEuropeEU  4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain)UKBENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg)NORDIC (Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden)Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Czech Rep. etc.)Rest of EuropeCIS & RussiaJapanAPEJGreater ChinaIndiaKoreaASEAN CountriesRest of APEJMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyIranIsraelSouth AfricaRest of MEAHighlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.About Fact.MRFact.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.Fact.MR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Market Value Projected to Expand by 2018 to 2028

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Human growth hormone, also known as somatotropin or growth hormone, helps in the growth of all the essential tissues of the body including bones. It is one of the most essential hormones required by a human body. Human growth hormone is produced and secreted by somatotrophs, anterior pituitary cells that secrete almost 1-2 milligrams of hormones every day. Synthetic human growth hormone was developed in the 1980s and was approved by FDA for use in children and adults. As per a study conducted by the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), the usage of synthetic human growth hormone by teenagers has witnessed an increase of 120% from 2012 to 2013. Human growth hormone spurs muscle strength, growth, and exercise performance. Lower levels of human growth hormone can increase the risk of diseases, hamper quality of life and initiate fat gain. Human growth hormone helps avoid several disorders, which include growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Noonan syndrome, SHOX gene haploinsufficiency, idiopathic short stature, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and chronic kidney diseases.Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Market: DriversLong-acting human growth hormone formulations are consistently developing. Increase in the prevalence of human growth hormone deficiency, HIV/AIDS, cancer, Turner syndrome, SHOX gene haploinsufficiency, skeletal dysplasia, as well as increase in healthcare expenditure and the availability of advanced recombinant DNA technology are among factors expected to drive the human growth hormone market over the forecast period.Request for Brochure @However, costs of the R&D required for human growth hormone are extremely high. The high cost of treatment is another factor restraining the growth of the human growth hormone market. Adverse effects of recombinant human growth hormones, which include joint & muscle pain, swelling in the legs & arms, increased insulin resistance, and carpal tunnel syndrome, are also expected to hamper the growth of the human growth hormone market over the forecast period.Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Market: SegmentationThe global Human Growth Hormone (HGH) market can be segmented on the basis of application type, end users, and geography.Based on application type, the global Human Growth Hormone (HGH) market is segmented as:Growth hormone deficiencyIdiopathic short statureTurner syndromeSmall for gestational agePrader-Willi syndromeOthersBased on end users, the global Human Growth Hormone (HGH) market is segmented as:HospitalsClinicsBased on geography, the global Human Growth Hormone (HGH) market is segmented as:North AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeCIS & RussiaJapanAPEJMiddle East & AfricaHuman Growth Hormone (HGH) Market: OverviewGrowth deficiency syndrome is expected to contribute a major share in the human growth hormone market owing to the increased incidence of pituitary dysfunctioning and growing support for the R&D of growth hormone drugs. Turner syndrome also plays a significant role in the human growth hormone market. A large number of patients suffering from Turner syndrome are treated by growth hormones for delayed sexual and physical development. US. FDA has approved human growth hormone for the treatment of Turner syndrome in 1996. The others segment includes chronic kidney diseases, Down syndrome, skeletal dysplasia, Noonan syndrome, SHOX gene haploinsufficiency, and several other indications that are anticipated to boost the human growth hormone market.Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Market: Regional OutlookNorth Americas human growth hormone market is anticipated to grow the fastest over the forecast period owing to the presence of local players in the market, easy availability, and better affordability for human growth hormone drugs and hormonal therapy. Commercialization of human growth hormone drugs by the US. FDA over the years is also one of the vital factors boosting the human growth hormone market. The Asia-Pacific human growth hormone market is also expected to grow significantly over the forecast period because of improved healthcare expenditure, large patient pool, and increasing investments by market players. Increasing awareness about the treatment of short stature by human growth hormone is also propelling the human growth hormone market.Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Market: Key PlayersSome of the major market participants operating in the global Human Growth Hormone (HGH) market are Novo Nordisk; Eli, Lilly and company; Merck & Co., Inc.; Pfizer Inc., Genentech, Inc.; Ferring Holding SA; Sandoz International GmbH; and Ipsen.Pfizer signed an agreement with OPKO for the developing and commercializing the hGH-CTP human growth hormone for the treatment of adults and children. Novo Nordisk, in January 2015, received U.S. FDA approval for an injection pen, Norditropin FlexPro, for patients suffering from growth hormone disorders. The companies are competing for the production of long-acting drugs with lower adverse effects.Request Report Methodology @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 SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth AmericaUSCanadaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaChilePeruRest of LATAMEuropeEU  4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain)UKBENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg)NORDIC (Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden)Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Czech Rep. Etc.)Rest of EuropeCIS & RussiaJapanAPEJGreater ChinaIndiaKoreaASEAN CountriesRest of APEJMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyIranIsraelSouth AfricaRest of MEAReport Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.About Fact.MRFact.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.Fact.MR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:
Intelligent Speed Assist Market to See Incredible Growth During 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.Get PDF Sample of This Report @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.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:
Advanced Driver Assistance Market to Expand with Significant CAGR During 2020

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According to a new research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) market is projected to reach US$50.48 billion in 2020. TMR states that the market, having a valuation of US$14.80 billion in 2013, will display an impressive 19.2% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.The report, titled Advanced Driver Assistance Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2020, is available for sale on the company website.Worldwide, increasing disposable incomes are boosting demand for sophisticated automobiles, which will lead to significant growth of the automotive sector. In developed countries such as the U.S, the U.K., and Japan, increasing emphasis on safety pertaining to automobiles stands as a key factor driving the ADAS market.In recent years, increasing importance of consumer safety and installation of ADAS in low-cost cars is also aiding the growth of this market. With the rising geriatric population worldwide and changing family structures, there is surging demand for comfort driving that employs the latest technology. ADAS technologies assist everyday driving tasks by reducing the demands on the driver and adding comfort, which helps enhance luxury and comfort, complementing safety with these benefits.However, production complexities and cost pressures associated with environmental factors that affect the systems performance hinder the growth of the global ADAS market, states the report.Get PDF Sample of This Report @Adaptive cruise control registered as the largest segment of the market, accounting for 18.15% of the overall market in 2013. However, the tire pressure monitoring system segment is anticipated to witness the fastest growth, at a CAGR of 21.1% from 2014 to 2020. Additionally, drastic and rapid economic reforms and mandatory legislations all over the globe will spur the growth of the market in coming years.In 2013, North America held the largest share of the global ADAS market. This was mainly due to strict safety and environmental regulations and favorable consumer preference to own advanced vehicles with the latest technology. Consumers in the region are inclined towards owning automobiles with advanced comfort systems and equipped with features that are compliant with health and safety regulations imposed by the government.The ADAS market in the U.S. and Europe has a huge potential due to mandatory implementation of certain ADAS features in the automotive sector by regulatory agencies. For instance, the advanced driver assistance system characteristics like pedestrian protection and tire pressure monitoring system will be compulsory in Russia in coming years. However, Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit the fastest growth, at a CAGR of 20.5% from 2014 to 2020. Increasing vehicle demand, growing purchasing power, and changing buyer preferences are attributed as the major factors propelling the ADAS market in Asia Pacific. In the rest of the world, favorable policies in countries in Latin America and the Middle East and Africa is contributing massively to the growth of the ADAS market. The report profiles some of the key participants in the global advanced driver assistance system market that are Autoliv Inc., Denso, BMW AG, Robert Bosch GmBH, Audi AG, and Continental AG.View Our Report @The global ADAS market is segmented as follows:Advanced Driver Assistance System Market: By typeAdaptive Cruise Control (ACC)Blind Spot Detection (BSD) SystemPark AssistDrowsiness Monitor SystemLane Departure Warning (LDWS) SystemTire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)Others (night vision, driver monitoring system, forward collision warning, heads up display)Advanced Driver Assistance System Market: By technologyUltrasonic SensorsImage SensorsRadar SensorsLaser SensorsInfrared SensorsAdvanced Driver Assistance System Market: By geographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the WorldTransparency 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:
Cancer Diagnostics Market Analysis By 2018 to 2025 With Top Industry Players Like Siemens Healthcare, Hologic, Becton, Dickinson & Company and More

Cancer Diagnostics

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The global cancer diagnostics market is projected to grow at a steady rate and capture a moderate cagr over the forecast period of 2017-2024, reveals a research report by DBMR. Amounts of diagnostics data generated per day lead to diagnostics of cancer and an emerging architecture which addresses the growing challenge of cancer treatment.The new cancer diagnostics market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024. Forecasting with Global Cancer Diagnostics Market Analysis By Technology (ELISA, ELFA, PCR, NGS, Immunohistochemistry, Microarray, Imaging (MRI, CT, PET, Ultrasound, Mammography), Biopsy), By Application (Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Melonoma) And By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World) With Trends and Forecast to 2024. Global Market is expected to reach USD 40.10 billion by 2024 from USD 16.55 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 11.7% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024.Get Free Sample Research Report:The cancer diagnostics market has gained immense popularity in recent years, and the growth in the market can be attributed to the technology deployment in next generation sequencing and biopsy techniques.Key Points:GE Healthcare is going to dominate the cancer diagnostics market, by imaging following with Siemens Healthcare GmbH Hologic, Inc, Becton, Dickinson & Company.Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. is going to dominate the cancer diagnostics market, by platform based following with Illumina, Inc. along with others such as Roche Diagnostics, Abbott Laboratories, Inc. Qiagen. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) market is growing with the highest CAGR. Globally biopsy is driving the market with highest market share. Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) is dominating the cancer diagnostics imaging market.Want Full Report? Enquire Here:Market Segmentation:The global cancer diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of technology, application and geography. The global cancer diagnostics market is segmented into 2 types, namely platform based and instrument based. In 2017, the cancer diagnostics instrument based segment is expected to dominate the market with a share of 68.8% and is expected to continue this trend till 2024.Cancer diagnostics platform based market is segmented into Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), In Situ Hybridization (ISH), Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), DNA microarrays, flow cytometry and others. Cancer Diagnostics instrument based market is segmented into imaging and biopsy. Imaging is further segmented into Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography- Computed Tomography (PET-CT), mammography and ultrasound.On the basis of application, the market is segmented into lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma and others.Key Drivers:Some of the major factors driving the market for cancer diagnostics market are growing ageing population worldwide, government initiatives for funding and awareness about cancer. These factors increase the demand for cancer diagnostics products. Increasing prevalence of cancer, key players focusing are on strategic decisions and technological advancements are the major factors driving the growth of the cancer diagnostics market. Stringent regulations imposed by the international and local authorities and shortage of the skilled and trained professionals are the factors which may hinder the growth of this market. Many companies are increasingly focusing on Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and biopsy products in order to strengthen their product portfolios in the cancer diagnostics market. Increasing demand for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) will drive the market in future.For TOC or Buy Full Report, Visit:About UsData Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. For Customization and Getting Discount on Report by emailing sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com . We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.Contact UsData Bridge Market ResearchToll Free: +1-888-387-2818Mail: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com
Food Preservatives Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis

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Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled "Food Preservatives Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis" to its Large Report database.The Global Food Preservatives Market was valued at US$ 2.23 billion in 2016, according to a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Food preservatives are substances added or sprayed onto food to restrict the growth of fungi, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms. Increasing demand for convenience and packaged food is driving growth of the global food preservatives market. Natural food preservatives are the most preferred preservative and the segment is expected to gain further traction over the forecast period, according to the stats provided by Coherent Market Insights. Oil and salt are the primary natural food preservatives used to preserve food. For instance, salt is used to trap the water content in the food and is applied to store dried vegetables and fruits. Moreover, citric juices are also used as antioxidants and helps in fermentation of various foods. Increasing population, growing urbanization and increasing number of women in the workforce is increasing demand for processed and ready-to-eat food products, in turn driving growth of the global food preservatives market.Request for Sample Copy of Research Report:Rampant economic growth in Asia Pacific is expected to create a highly conducive environment for growth of the food preservative market. For instance, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF)a Trust established by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of Indiathe Indian food processing industry accounts for 32% of the total food market in the country and contributes around 14% towards the country's GDP. Furthermore, increasing investment by various players and supportive government initiatives would further favor growth of the food preservatives market in one of the largest economies in Asia Pacific. Also, ITC Limited plans to set up a premier food processing unit in Medak, Telangana with an investment of US$ 117.4 million. Furthermore, the Government of India, in December 13, 2014, established the Mega International Food Park at Dabwala Kalan, Punjab, which is directed towards strengthening the food sector in the country.Request for Discount @Key takeaways of the market: Asia-Pacific is projected to be the third-largest region in global Food Preservatives market. It accounted for around 27.6% of overall Food Preservatives market revenue in 2016. The market in this region is expected to be primarily driven by rampant growth of economy and rapid urbanization in China, India, and ASEAN countries. The growing demand for convenience food is expected to be the key drivers for the growth of Food Preservatives in the Asia-Pacific region. The market in Latin America is expected to register highest growth rate over the forecast period. Rise in discretionary income along with increasing disposable income is expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the players in this region. Meat, poultry and sea food industry is one of the key industries for the use of food preservatives. Rapid urbanization and increasing working population in Asia-Pacific and Europe is expected to enhance the growth of Food Preservatives in the forecast period. Moreover, growing food industry and Foreign Direct Investment in Asia Pacific is expected to double the demand for food preservatives. For instance, according to the Department of Industrial Policies and Promotion (DIPP), the food processing sector in India has received around US$ 7.47 billion worth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the period April 2000-December 2016. Univar Inc., Hawkins Watts Limited, Cargill Inc., DSM N.V., AkzoNobel N.V., Tate & Lyle PLC, Brenntag AG, Galactic, Danisco A/S, Kemin Industries Inc., among others are few of the key players in global food preservatives market.Request for Table of Content :** If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About WMRWorldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Contact Us:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market Reports1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154,U.STel: +1 415 871 0703Email:sales@worldwidemarketreports.comVisit our website for more details:Visit our new website for latest News:
Enteral Feeding Formulas Market Analyzing Top Industry Players In 2018 Like Fresenius Kabi, Abbott, Nestle, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Danone, Hormel Foods, Victus, Inc.

Enteral Feeding Formulas Market

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This study focuses on the production side and consumption side of Enteral Feeding Formulas, presents the global market size by manufacturers, regions, type and application, history breakdown data from 2015 to 2018, and forecast to 2025. In terms of production side, this report researches the Enteral Feeding Formulas capacity, production, value, ex-factory price, growth rate, market share for major manufacturers, regions (or countries) and product type.In terms of consumption side, this report focuses on the consumption of Enteral Feeding Formulas by regions and application. The key analysis in Report Forecasting Global Analysis By Product (Standard Formulas, Disease-Specific Formulas), Application (Oncology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Diabetes, Critical Care, Others), End Users (Hospitals, Long-Term Care Facilities), Stage (Adults, Pediatrics) Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) With Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025.Get Free Sample of This Analysis:The Global Enteral Feeding Formulas Market is expected to reach USD 10.32 billion by 2025, from USD 4.87 billion in 2017 growing at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025. The global enteral feeding formulas 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.Major Market Competitors/Players: Global Enteral Feeding Formulas MarketThe report includes market shares of Enteral feeding formulas market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America. Some of the major players operating in the global enteral feeding formulas market are Nestle S.A. Fresenius Kabi AG Danone S.A. Victus, Inc. Abbott Laboratories Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd. Global Health Product, Inc. Mead Johnson Nutrition CompanyOther Players Are B. Braun Melsungen AG and Hormel Foods, LLC, Mead Johnson & Company, LLC, Real Food Blends, Nutritional Medicinals, LLC, C. R. Bard, Inc, Halyard Health, Inc., MOOG INC ,Shield HealthCare, Inc., Apple Discount Drugs, Shepherd Center, Fresenius Kabi India Pvt. Ltd. ,Aveanna Healthcare LLC. amongst others.Want Full Report? Enquire Here:Major Market Drivers and Restraints: Increasing healthcare expenditure Increasing demand for homecare Rising geriatric population Increase in number of preterm births Reimbursements policies Growth in healthcare expenditure of developing economies increasing demand for personalized medicineMarket Segmentation: Global Enteral Feeding Formulas Market The global enteral feeding formulas market is segmented based on product, end user, application, stage, end user and geographical segments. Based on product, the market is segmented into standard formulas and disease-specific formulas. The standard formulas segment is further sub-segmented on the polymeric formulas, monomeric formulas. Disease-specific formulas segment is further sub-segmented into diabetic formulas, renal formulas, hepatic formulas, pulmonary formulas and others. On the basis of stage, the market is classified into adults, pediatrics. On the basis of application, the market is classified into oncology, gastroenterology, neurology, diabetes, critical care and others. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospitals, long-term care facilities. Long-term care facilities segment is further sub-segmented into home care agencies and hospices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities. Based on geography, the market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies namely 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.Related Report:The Global Enteral Feeding Devices Market accounted to USD 2.9 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 5.43% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024.Visit:About UsData Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. Get Customization and Discount on Report by emailing sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com . We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.Contact UsData Bridge Market ResearchToll Free: +1-888-387-2818Mail: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com
Multiplex Assays Market 2023 Top Key Players are Luminex, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Qiagen, Abcam, Becton Dickinson and Company, Merck, Agilent Technologies, Meso Scale Diagnostics and More

Multiplex Assays Market

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The report titled Multiplex Assays Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023 is a direct appreciation by Market Research Future of the market potential of the Multiplex Assays Market. The report intends to provide accurate and meaningful insights, both quantitative as well as qualitative. It can be said with high confidence level, that this report will satisfy the need for comprehensive insights needed to compete and beat other players in todays winner takes all market!Global Multiplex Assays Market Key Players:Luminex, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Qiagen, Abcam, Becton Dickinson and Company, Merck, Agilent Technologies, Meso Scale Diagnostics, Randox Laboratories, Quanterix, Bio-Techne, Olink, Seegene, and others.Get Premium Sample Copy @Market Overview:The increase in high-throughput screening tests in research and development for detection of biomolecules of various diseases drives the market growth. Multiplex assays are used for diagnosing various autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. According to the National Institutes of Health (2012), autoimmune diseases are most prevalent as compared to other diseases and 23.5 million people in America suffer from autoimmune diseases, whereas 9 million people have cancer. Thus, growing prevalence of such diseases and rise in government funding for the R&D sector influence the growth in this market. The growing demand for rapid and precise measurement of analyses, operational and labor cost reduction, rising use of multiplex assays for diagnostic uses, and technological advancements are also the key factors for the market to grow.The Global Multiplex Assays Market is expected to reach an approximate CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period.However, factors such as expensive multiplex assays, heavy capital investments, shortage of skilled labor, and others are expected to restrict the market growth during the forecast period.Segmentation:The global multiplex assays market is segmented on the basis of product and service, type, technology, application, and end-user. The multiplex assays market, by product and service, is sub-segmented into consumables, instruments, software and services, and others. On the basis of type, the market is categorized into protein multiplex assays, nucleic acid multiplex assays, cell-based multiplex assays, and others. Protein multiplex assays are further sub-segmented into planar protein assays, bead-based protein assays, and others. Nucleic acid multiplex assays are further sub-segmented into planar nucleic acid assays, bead-based nucleic acid assays, and others. The technology segment includes flow cytometry, fluorescence detection, luminescence, real-time multiplex PCR, and others. On the basis of application, the market is categorized into research and development and clinical diagnostics. The research & development segment includes drug discovery and development and biomarker discovery and validation. The clinical diagnostics segment includes infectious diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, nervous system disorders, metabolism and endocrinology disorders, and others. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hospitals and research institutes, reference laboratories, and others. On the basis of region, the global multiplex assays market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.The Americas is sub-segmented into North America and South America. The North American region is further segmented into the U.S. and Canada. The European region is divided into two, namely, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified into Germany, Italy, France, the U.K., Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The Asia Pacific region is sub-segmented into Japan, China, India, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of Asia Pacific. The Middle Eastern and African region is sub-segmented into the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa.Apply for Attractive Discount @Regional Market Analysis:The multiplex assays market is dominated by North America owing to strong R&D activities in this region. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the United States is the leading country in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D) activities and conducts around half the world's Research and Development (R&D) in pharmaceuticals. Increased adoption of technologically advanced devices and the high amount of healthcare expenditure drive the market in this region.It is estimated that Europe stood second in the global multiplex assays market. Increasing healthcare expenditure and health care activities and increase in the use of diagnostics and unmet needs for health care are driving the growth of this market in Europe. The use of multiplex assays for diagnostics influences the market growth in this region. According to the European Heart Network (2017), 45% of deaths in Europe are due to cardiovascular diseases. Thus, increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Europe drives the market growth. Furthermore, growing biotechnology sector in Europe is expected to boost the market in this region.Asia Pacific was projected to be the fastest growing region for the global multiplex assays market. Key factors such as rising number of patient population, increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, and growing research and development activities in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of diseases, such as cancer and other infectious diseases influence the market in this region.The Middle East and Africa holds the least share in the global multiplex assays market due to the presence of stringent government policies and poor economies. However, increasing investment by private market players in this region can boost the market growth.TABLE OF CONTENT:Chapter 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 Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentContinued!Enquiry about Reports @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.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Complex Fertilizers Global Market 2018: Key Players  Yara International ASA, Ocp S.A, Eurochem Group AG, Helena Chemical Company

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Complex Fertilizers IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Complex Fertilizers -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2026 To Its Research DatabaseGlobal Complex Fertilizers market is expected to grow from $36.59 billion in 2017 to reach $72.58 billion by 2026 with a CAGR of 7.9%. Increasing demand for greenhouse production, rising crop demand for animal feed and rising awareness about soil profile & nutritional balance and increasing markets for fruits & vegetables are some of the key factors propelling the market growth. However, factors such as fluctuations in raw material prices, unfavorable regulatory stance and depressed commodity prices & lower farm incomes are hindering the growth of the market.Complex fertilizers include unstable ratios of two or three macronutrients required by plants. Their function simplifies the mission of balancing soil nutrients and boosts yields. Complex fertilizers provide crops through essential nutrients in a form favorable for plant nutrition, assuring peak efficiency in a variety of climatic conditions. They offer a wider variety of options and can be customized to satisfy demand in accordance with specific soil compositions. Most important complex fertilizers are Nitro phosphates & polyphosphate based fertilizers.Based on Type, an incomplete complex fertilizer has a considerable growth in the market due to increasing awareness on multi nutrient complex fertilizers in the soil. Incomplete fertilizers are usually used to overcome specific nutrient deficiencies in the soil. Incomplete complex fertilizer such as diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate are the most commonly used around the globe. They are less expensive than complete fertilizers and require more skill to use properly.Asia Pacific region is the largest consumer of complex fertilizers. The region is mainly dominated by significant operations, through a planned distribution chain. Asia Pacific largely consists of marginal farmers practicing conventional farming methods. Moreover, South America is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, the growth is due to rising awareness about the modern agricultural practices in this region.Some of the key players in the Complex fertilizers Market are Yara International ASA, Ocp S.A, Eurochem Group AG, Helena Chemical Company, CF Industries Holdings, Inc, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile SA, Haifa Chemicals Ltd., Coromandel International Ltd., J.R. Simplot Company, Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., Hebei Monband Water Soluble Fertilizer Co., Ltd., Azomures, The Mosaic Company, Agrium Inc., Kugler Company, Israel Chemicals Limited and Phosagro.Request for Sample Report @Crop Types Covered: Oilseeds Fruits & vegetables Cereals Other Crop TypesComplex Fertilizers Types Covered: Complete Complex Fertilizers Incomplete Complex FertilizersForm Covered: Liquid SolidRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo UKo Italyo Franceo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando South Koreao Rest of Asia Pacific South Americao Argentinao Brazilo Chileo Rest of South America Middle East & Africao Saudi Arabiao UAEo Qataro South Africao Rest of Middle East & AfricaLeave a Query @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsTable of Content1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Emerging Markets3.7 Futuristic Market Scenario....9 Key Developments9.1 Agreements, Partnerships, Collaborations and Joint Ventures9.2 Acquisitions & Mergers9.3 New Product Launch9.4 Expansions9.5 Other Key Strategies10 Company Profiling10.1 Yara International ASA10.2 Ocp S.A10.3 Eurochem Group AG10.4 Helena Chemical Company10.5 CF Industries Holdings, Inc10.6 Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile SA10.7 Haifa Chemicals Ltd.10.8 Coromandel International Ltd.10.9 J.R. Simplot Company10.10 Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals10.11 Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.10.12 Hebei Monband Water Soluble Fertilizer Co., Ltd.10.13 Azomures10.14 The Mosaic Company10.15 Agrium Inc.10.16 Kugler Company10.17 Israel Chemicals Limited10.18 PhosagroBuy Now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)Complex Fertilizers, Complex Fertilizers Segmentation, Complex Fertilizers Manufacturers, Complex Fertilizers Industry, Complex Fertilizers Prospectus, Complex Fertilizers Industry Trends, Complex Fertilizers Market Share, Complex Fertilizers Market Growth, Complex Fertilizers , Complex Fertilizers Industry, Complex Fertilizers Market, Complex Fertilizers Market Trends, Complex Fertilizers Industry Trends, Complex Fertilizers Market Share, Complex Fertilizers Market Growth, Market Size, Complex Fertilizers Manufacturer, Complex Fertilizers Market Share, Complex Fertilizers Market, Global Complex Fertilizers Industry, Global Complex Fertilizers Market Trends, Complex Fertilizers Growth, Global Complex Fertilizers Market Share, Global Complex Fertilizers Market Size, Complex Fertilizers , Complex Fertilizers Market, Complex Fertilizers Industry, Complex Fertilizers Market Trends, Complex Fertilizers Market Share, Complex Fertilizers Market Analysis, Complex Fertilizers Market GrowthAbout 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
Medical Device Connectivity Market 2023 Top Key Players are Qualcomm, Cerner, GE Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Bernoulli Enterprise, Medtronic, Cisco Systems, Nanthealth, Infosys and More

Medical Device Connectivity Market

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Market Research Future provides premium research reports that are relevant across all sectors. Recently published Medical Device Connectivity Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023 provides analysis of factors pertinent to market growth. Expert data analysts take a magnifying glass to the various nuances of the market in an effort to impart put forth fresh content which is vital in assisting organizations to make major business decisionsKey Players in the Global Medical Device Connectivity Market:Qualcomm (U.S.), Cerner (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), Bernoulli Enterprise (U.S.), Medtronic (U.S.), Cisco Systems (U.S.), Nanthealth (U.S.), Infosys (India), Lantronix (U.S.), True Process (U.S.), Ihealth Lab (U.S.), Nuvon, Inc, Stryker Corporation, eDevice, Inc. and others.Get Premium Sample Copy @Market Overview of the Global Medical Device Connectivity:The global medical device connectivity market is expected to grow at an approximate CAGR of 16.1% during the forecast period, 20182023. Moreover, the increasing penetration of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and health information exchange systems in healthcare organizations, are the factors responsible for the market growth. Major factors responsible for the market growth are penetration of EHRs through the collaboration between IT service providers and healthcare service providers. For instance, in 2016, Allscripts Technologies signed a ten years strategic agreement with Optumcare to deploy Allscripts TouchWork suite as its exclusive Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) solution for physicians. The strategic agreement will provide physicians with the clinical, health plan, and analytic data that will further enhance the high-quality care they provide to their patients. Moreover, in 2016, market players such as Cerner and Sharp Healthcare came together to extend its Electronic Health Record (EHR) to the Sharp Community Medical Group. Through the expanded relationship with Cerner, Sharp will utilize an integrated platform to create consistencies by streamlining physician workflows and care team communications for transitions of care. All such instances are expected to boost the medical device connectivity market.On the other hand, factors such as the high cost of deployment for small healthcare organizations and increasing privacy and cybercrimes are likely to hinder the market growth during the forecast period.Segments:The global medical device connectivity market is segmented on the basis of products and services, technology, and end-user. By products and services, the market is segmented into medical device connectivity solutions and medical device connectivity services. Medical device connectivity solutions are further segmented into medical device integration solutions, telemetry systems, connectivity hubs, and interface devices. Whereas, medical device connectivity services are further segmented into support and maintenance services, implementation and integration services, and training services. Based on technology the market is segmented into wired technologies, wireless technologies, and hybrid technologies. By end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals, home healthcare, ambulatory care centers, diagnostic centers, and others. The global medical device connectivity market by region is majorly categorized into Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The American medical device connectivity market is segmented into two regions, namely, North America and South America.The Europe region includes both Eastern and Western European countries which are involved in the deployment of medical device connectivity. Countries that are majorly involved in the medical device connectivity market are the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, among others.Get Quality Discount @Geographical Market Summary:At present, the U.S. is dominating the North American medical device connectivity market, as it has been the first choice for the deployment of medical device connectivity solutions due to established healthcare systems and technology advancements. The medical device integration solutions segment is likely to dominate the medical device connectivity solutions market in the American region.Europe holds the second largest market share. The growth is attributed to the increasing use of medical device connectivity solutions and services, which increases the efficiency of the healthcare workforce and systems. Moreover, the market is driven by the increasing adoption of wearable patient monitoring systems in European countries.Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a faster pace during forecast period owing to a large number of developing countries such as India and Malaysia, among others which are increasingly deploying medical device connectivity solutions and solutions for better healthcare, educating people regarding awareness, and others. The market growth is attributed to the increasing use of remote monitoring and medical device connectivity services and solutions.On the other hand, the Middle East and Africa holds the lowest market share of the medical device connectivity market, due to less availability of funds and limited availability of medical facilities which are more in regions such as Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The lowest market share is also attributed to poor political conditions in Africa. The Middle Eastern region holds the major share of the market owing to a well-developed technology and high healthcare expenditure. On the other hand, the African region shows the fastest growth due to the availability of opportunities for market growth.Table of Contents:1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3 Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentContinuedReports Enquiry@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.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Artificial Insemination Market - Growth, Size, Share, Analysis, Trends and Forecasts To 2026

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Artificial insemination is a medical process for the purpose of achieving pregnancy through intentional introduction of sperm in a females uterus by means other than sexual intercourse. Artificial insemination is a fertility treatment process for humans, and is a usual practice for animal breeding. Recipients of artificial insemination include single mothers and infertile couples. Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is the most widely operated method of artificial insemination. Increase prevalence of infertility is a key factor contributing to growth of artificial insemination market. For instance, according to research published in 2012 PLOS Medicine, around 48.5 million couples worldwide were unable to conceive a child in 2010. Market players often offer home-use kits, including ovulation kits, pregnancy detection kits, and insemination devices.Download PDF Brochure @Artificial Insemination Market DynamicsMajor pharmaceutical companies are vigorously developing products that are in clinical and preclinical trials and launching new insemination kits that have demonstrated potential benefits, which in turn is propelling the artificial insemination market growth. For instance, 2015 clinical trial study of Stork OTC kit showed effectiveness at delivering higher concentration of sperm to the cervix than natural intercourse. The Stork OTC delivered 3.23x higher value of sperm concentration to around 85% of the subjects in the study, whereas the remaining 15% showed no change in sperm concentration at the cervix. The Stork OTC received FDA over-the-counter approval in July 2014. The kit helps collect, insert, and transport sperms directly at the opening of the cervix for prolong duration, providing sperms the opportunity to enter into the uterus. The Stork OTC provides a safe and simple way for users to avoid unfavorable vaginal environment, to deliver the sperm.However, stringent regulations being implemented by most countries regarding who is applicable to receive fertility treatments, is hindering growth of the artificial insemination market size. For instance, Italy and France forbid lesbian couples and single women from using artificial insemination. Italy and Austria are among those banning all sperm and egg donations for IVF. Norway and Germany ban egg donations, however, allow sperm donations.Request Sample Copy Of This Report:Artificial Insemination Market  Regional InsightsOn the basis of the region, the global artificial insemination market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America market holds the dominant position in the global artificial insemination market, owing to technological advancements and favorable rules and regulations in the region. For instance, according to 2018 National Conference of State Legislature report, 14 states have laws mandating that employers offer insurance for fertility treatment. Hawaii, Arkansas, Texas, and Maryland mandate coverage for in vitro fertilization only, excluding inseminations.Artificial Insemination Market  Competitive LandscapeKey players operating in the global artificial insemination market include Pride Angel, Irvine Scientific, Hi-Tech Solutions, Rinovum Womens Health, LLC, TenderNeeds Fertility, Conceivex, Inc., Labotech GmbH, Hamilton Throne Ltd., Biogenics Inc., Nikon Instruments Inc., Zander scientific Inc., and Surelife Pte Ltd. Key players are adoption growth strategies such as collaborations, acquisition, and new product launches to maintain a dominant position in the market. For instance, in 2016, Worthington Industries, in collaboration with Intellectual Ventures, launched the innovative AIS 3 and AIS 1.5 artificial insemination shield refrigerators equipped with the advanced artificial insemination shield canisters for holding samples.Request TOC of the Report @Artificial Insemination Market TaxonomyOn the basis of procedure type, the global artificial insemination market is segmented into: Intrauterine Insemination, Intracervical Insemination, Intravaginal Insemination, Intratubal Insemination,.On the basis of product type, the global artificial insemination market is segmented into: Insemination Kits, Home Conception Devices, Accessories,.On the basis of end user, the global artificial insemination market is segmented into: Hospitals, Clinics, Fertility Centers, Others,.On the basis of geography, the global artificial insemination market is segmented into: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa,.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154#3200
Automatic Pill Dispenser Machine Market - Industry Growth, Trends, Outlook, and Analysis, 2018-2026

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Automatic Pill Dispenser (APD) machine is a medical device designed for home usage and works for pills and capsules of a variety of sizes. It reduces drug errors by automating the dosage process for patients, through the use of visual and auditory prompts. APD removes the need to pre-sort medication, by segregating each medication to a compartment and the machine can count each dosage, individually. APD is developed using CAD software, optical sensors, Arduino Mega Microcontroller, 3D printed parts, non-continuous and continuous servos, and a 5-inch LCD display interface. The machine has potential to decrease medication errors; while increasing the quality of life of its users and minimizing hospital visits and medical costs to some extent. Medication errors consist of failure in the drug dispensing process that is risky and complex. Furthermore, these errors result in lifetime disability and other adverse effects that increase healthcare costs and hospital stay. As per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 2015, around 91 people die each day from overdose of prescribed heroin and opioids.Request Sample Copy Of This Report:Automatic Pill Dispenser Machine Market: Market DynamicsThe global geriatric population is increasing significantly and is susceptible to numerous cardiac disorders such as cardiomyopathy, stroke, arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. Furthermore, some degree of memory loss is common in this population. This can lead to dosage skip or overdose that can lead to health complications. Moreover, elder patients struggle to open medication packages, thereby needing an automated pill dispensing system. According to the Administration on Aging, in the U.S. by 2060, there will be around 98 million older persons, which is more than twice their number in 2013. As of 2014, 34% of the 4 million prescriptions filed, were for people over 65. This group also accounted for 30% of all over the counter drug use.Centralized automated dispensing systems have seen increase in adoption in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Increasing healthcare awareness, rapid growth of infections and chronic diseases such as blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes is expected to lead to high demand for automatic pill dispenser machine in all age group patients. Furthermore, growth in technological advancement for workflow optimization in hospitals and other healthcare centers drives the automatic pill dispenser machine market growth. However, high cost of machines can hinder automatic pill dispenser machine market growth.Download PDF Brochure @Automatic Pill Dispenser Machine Market: Regional InsightsRegional segmentation of automatic pill dispenser machine market by Coherent Market Insights, includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America automatic pill dispenser machine market is anticipated to account for the dominant position, due to rising geriatric population in the region. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the population aged over 85 years is projected to triple from 6.3 million in 2015 to 14.6 million in 2040. Moreover, according to a report by National Public Ratio (NPR), 119 million people in the U.S. took prescription drugs in 2017 for various disorders. These factors are expected to aid in growth of the market in the region.Automatic Pill Dispenser Machine Market: Competitive AnalysisMajor players operating in the automatic pill dispenser machine market include Becton, Dickinson and Company, Baxter International Inc., Capsa Healthcare, Cerner Corporation, McKesson Corporation, Omnicell Inc., Swisslog Holdings AG, ScriptPro LLC, Yuyama Co. Ltd., and Talyst, Inc.Automatic Pill Dispenser Machine Market: Market TaxonomyOn the basis of product type, the automatic pill dispenser machine market is segmented into: Centralized Automated Dispensing Systems, Decentralized Automated Dispensing Systems,. On the basis of end user, the automatic pill dispenser machine market is segmented into: Hospitals, Home care setting,.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154#3200
Global E-Scooters Market Outlook 2018-2025 : Aodi, Pedego, Elio, IBD, Ford, Jinhua, BMW

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Global E-Scooters Market 2018 Industry Share, Growth, Research, Analysis, Development Trends, Demands, and Forecasts.The Global E-Scooters Market report is crafted by executing an outstanding research process to gather key statistics of the Global E-Scooters Market. The research analysis is based on two sections, particularly, primary research and extensive secondary research. Secondary research includes a practical market review and segmentation of the Global E-Scooters Market. It also highlights important players in the E-Scooters Market. On the other hand, the primary research focuses on the transportation channel, region, and product category. The major market players in the Global E-Scooters Market are Yuneec, Tonaro, Alta, Toyota, E-Rex, Liberty, Optibike, Honda, Twikke, Sanyo system, Zhejiang R&P Industry, Aodi, Pedego, Elio, IBD, Ford, Jinhua, BMW, CM Partner, DK.Free Access to the sample pages of the report at :The Global E-Scooters Market report covers a detailed study of key market players. It also involves a review of various contributors along with manufacture analysis, size, share, forecast trends, sales, supply, production, demands, industry, and CAGR The Global E-Scooters Market research report helps the user to boost their business by offering them in-depth market insights. It helps them to plan strategic moves to expand their businesses.The Global E-Scooters Market report highlights key market players and various manufacturers influencing the E-Scooters market. It also covers key financials, SWOT analysis, advanced technologies, development processes, and so on. The Global E-Scooters Market report assists the user by providing in-depth analysis of the E-Scooters market. In addition, the main product categories and segments Hybrid power, Electric as well as the sub-segments Civil, Commercial, Military of the global E-Scooters market are included in the report.This E-Scooters Market Research Report Contains Importance on: Manufacturing technology used in Global E-Scooters, existing developments in that technology and trends causing these developments Entire E-Scooters analysis, including an appraisal of the parent market Developing specialty E-Scooters sections and territorial markets An account of worldwide E-Scooters market, volume and forecast, by leading players, product type and end-client applications Geological spread, pieces of the overall industry, key methodologies, development designs, and different financials systems of E-Scooters Global E-Scooters industry chain analysis by upstream raw materials, downstream industry, current market dynamics and ensuing consumers analysisInquire before buying E-Scooters Market report :A comprehensive research report of the Global E-Scooters Market highlights valuable growth opportunities in the market that will help the user for strategic planning for their future expansions in the Global E-Scooters Market in a specified region. All the statistics and other data are proficiently crafted to assist the user to expand their business strategically.A detailed Global E-Scooters Market research report highlights the growth opportunities in the market that assist the user to plan upcoming expansions and developments in the Global E-Scooters Market in an estimated area. All the insights, statistics, and other data are skillfully crafted and represented as per the user requirement.At Market Research Store, we have market research reports from competent publishers. Our Research Specialists have thorough knowledge about offerings from different publishers and different reports on respective industries. They will help you refine search parameters and get desired results at your doorstep. Here you can review the complete range of available reports, review the scope of study and methodology of reports. Apart from the published market research reports, we also provide customized study on any topic to meet the varied requirements of our clients. Whether you are looking for new product trends, competitive analysis or study on existing or emerging markets, Market Research Store has best offerings and expertise to get the critical information for you. You can also choose the option to purchase full reports or sections from the report or only charts or tables.3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMTTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651
Elderly Care Market Overview 2018 Information by Top Key Players - Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2025

Elderly Care Market, Elderly Care, Elderly Care Market Size

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Elderly Care Industry 2018 Global Market Research report 2018 covers a detailed study of the Elderly Care Market size, growth, and share, trends, consumption, segments, application and Forecast 2025. This report gives you so valuable and essentials data of Market size, share, trends, Growth, applications, forecast and cost analysis. It will help you to grow in the international market.Global Elderly Care Market is expected to register a healthy CAGR 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.Global Elderly Care Market, By Product Type (Pharmaceuticals, Housing and Assistive Devices), Service (Institutional Care, Homecare, Adult Day Care), Application (Heart Diseases, Cancer, Kidney Diseases, Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Neurological, Respiratory and Others), Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa)- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025For In depth Information Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @Complete report on Global Elderly Care Market Research Report 2018-2025 spread across 294 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresProminent factors driving the growth of this market consist of rising patient pool for chronic illness in ageing population, rising awareness of home care services, increasing geriatric population, Insurance coverage and government initiatives to provide cost-effective medical treatment for ageing populationMarket Segmentation:The global elderly care market is segmented based on products type into two segments; housing and assistive devices and pharmaceuticals. In 2018, housing and assistive devices products segment is valued to rule with the highest market share 2025, rising at the highest CAGR of 6.6%.The global elderly care market is segmented in service into homecare, institutional care and adult day care. In 2018, homecare segment is valued to rule with the highest market shares by 2025, rising at the highest CAGR.Homecare is further sub segmented into health care, non-medical care. Healthcare is segmented into medical care, physiotherapy services, telehealth, palliative care and hospice care. Non-medical is segmented into personal care and rehabilitation others. Institutional care is segmented into hospital based, independent senior living, assisted living and nursing home.The global elderly care market is segmented in Application into heart diseases, respiratory, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, neurological, kidney diseases, arthritis and others. In 2018, heart diseases segment is valued to rule with highest market shares and rising at the highest CAGR.Avail 10% Instant Discount on Purchase of This Report Mail @ sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comBased on geography, the market is segmented into 5 geographical regionsNorth America,Europe,Asia-Pacific,South AmericaMiddle East and AfricaKey Points:In 2017, the global elderly care market is dominated by OMRON HEALTHCARE Co., Ltd. with market share of 22.1%, followed by Koninklijke Philips N.V. 17.5%, Air Liquide 17.9%, B. Braun Melsungen AG 13.0%, and others 29.6%.The products segment is dominating the global elderly care market.Products segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR in the forecast period 2018 to 2025.Inquire Before Buying @Table of Contents:1 INTRODUCTION1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY1.2 MARKET DEFINITION1.3 OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET1.4 CURRENCY AND PRICING1.5 LIMITATION1.6 MARKETS COVERED2 MARKET SEGMENTATION2.1 MARKETS COVERED2.2 GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE2.3 YEARS CONSIDERED FOR THE STUDY2.4 CURRENCY AND PRICING2.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2.6 PRIMARY INTERVIEWS WITH KEY OPINION LEADERS2.7 SECONDARY SOURCES2.8 ASSUMPTIONS3 MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 DRIVERS3.1.1 RISING PATIENT POOL FOR CHRONIC ILLNESS IN AGEING POPULATION3.1.2 RISING AWARENESS OF HOME CARE SERVICES3.1.3 INCREASING GERIATRIC POPULATION3.1.4 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR AGEING POPULATION3.2 RESTRAINTS3.2.1 LOW PENETRATION RATE FOR ELDERLY CARE PRODUCTS3.2.2 HIGH COST OF ELDERLY CARE SERVICES3.3 OPPORTUNITIES3.3.1 INCREASING MARKET TREND TOWARDS ELDERLY CARE SERVICES3.3.2 TECHNOLOGY DRIVING THE MARKET PROVIDES OPP0RTUNITY TO UPCOMING PLAYERS3.4 CHALLENGES3.4.1 LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLED PROFESSIONALS3.4.2 GAP IN DEMAND AND SUPPLY4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY5 PREMIUM INSIGHTS6 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE6.1 OVERVIEW6.2 HOUSING AND ASSISTIVE DEVICES6.3 PHARMACEUTICALS7 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY SERVICES7.1 OVERVIEW7.2 HOMECARE7.2.1 HEALTHCARE7.2.1.1 MEDICAL CARE7.2.1.2 PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES7.2.1.3 TELEHEALTH7.2.1.4 PALLIATIVE CARE7.2.1.5 HOSPICE CARE7.2.2 NON-MEDICAL CARE7.2.2.1 PERSONAL CARE7.2.2.2 REHABILITATION7.2.2.3 OTHERS7.3 INSTITUTIONAL CARE7.3.1.1 HOSPITAL BASED7.3.1.2 INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING7.3.1.3 ASSISTED LIVING7.3.1.4 NURSING HOME7.4 ADULT DAY CARE8 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY APPLICATION8.1 OVERVIEW8.2 HEART DISEASES8.3 RESPIRATORY8.4 DIABETES8.5 OSTEOPOROSIS8.6 CANCER8.7 NEUROLOGICAL8.8 KIDNEY DISEASES8.9 ARTHRITIS8.10 OTHERS9 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY9.1 OVERVIEW10 ELDERLY CARE POPULATION SPLIT BY POINT OF CARE10.1 NORTH AMERICA10.2 EUROPE10.3 ASIA-PACIFIC10.4 SOUTH AMERICA10.5 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA10.6 NORTH AMERICA10.6.1 U.S.10.6.2 CANADA10.6.3 MEXICO10.7 EUROPE10.7.1 GERMANY10.7.2 FRANCE10.7.3 U.K.10.7.4 ITALY10.7.5 SPAIN10.7.6 NETHERLANDS10.7.7 SWITZERLAND10.7.8 RUSSIA10.7.9 TURKEY10.7.10 BELGIUM10.7.11 REST OF EUROPE10.8 ASIA-PACIFIC10.8.1 CHINA10.8.2 JAPAN10.8.3 INDIA10.8.4 SOUTH KOREA10.8.5 AUSTRALIA10.8.6 SINGAPORE10.8.7 THAILAND10.8.8 INDONESIA10.8.9 MALAYSIA10.8.10 PHILIPPINES10.8.11 REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC10.9 SOUTH AMERICA10.9.1 BRAZIL10.9.2 REST OF SOUTH AMERICA10.10 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA10.10.1 SOUTH AFRICA10.10.2 REST OF MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA11 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, COMPANY LANDSCAPE11.1 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS: GLOBAL11.2 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS: NORTH AMERICA11.3 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS: EUROPE11.4 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS: ASIA-PACIFIC12 COMPANY PROFILES12.1 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.12.1.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.1.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.1.3 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.1.4 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.1.5 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.2 RIGHT AT HOME, LLC12.2.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.2.2 GEOGRAPHICAL PRESENCE12.2.3 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.2.4 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.2.5 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.3 BAYADA HOME HEALTH CARE12.3.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.3.2 GEOGRAPHICAL PRESENCE12.3.3 COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.3.4 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.3.5 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.4 ALMOST FAMILY (SUBSIDIARY OF LHC GROUP INC)12.4.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.4.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.4.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.5 AMEDISY12.5.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.5.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.5.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.5.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.6 BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING SOLUTIONS12.6.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.6.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.6.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.6.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.7 COMPASSUS12.7.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.7.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.7.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.8 ECON HEALTHCARE GROUP12.8.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.8.2 GEOGRAPHICAL PRESENCE12.8.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.8.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.9 ENCOMPASS HEALTH CORPORATION12.9.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.9.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.9.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.9.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.10 EXCEPTIONAL LIVING CENTERS12.10.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.10.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.10.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.11 EXTENDICARE12.11.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.11.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.11.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.11.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.12 GENESIS HEALTHCARE12.12.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.12.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.12.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.12.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.13 HANAMI RESIDENTIAL (SUBSIDIARY OF PROLIFICO SOURCES)12.13.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.13.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.13.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.14 INTERIM HEALTHCARE12.14.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.14.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.14.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.15 KINDRED HEALTHCARE, INC.12.15.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.15.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.15.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.15.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.16 LHC GROUP, INC.12.16.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.16.2 REVENUE ANALYSIS12.16.3 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.16.4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.17 ROSEWOOD CARE GROUP12.17.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.17.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.17.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.18 ST LUKES ELDERCARE LTD.12.18.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.18.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.18.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.19 TRINITY HEALTH12.19.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.19.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.19.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS12.20 UNITED MEDICARE PTE LTD12.20.1 COMPANY OVERVIEW12.20.2 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO12.20.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS13 RELATED REPORTSSpeak to Our Experts @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
Contract Research Organization Services Market  Growth and Analysis, 2018-2026

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The contract research organization services are the organizations that provide support to the biopharmaceutical or biotechnological industries and academic institutes in the form of outsourced pharmaceutical research services. The CROs work for both drugs and medical devices and also range from large, international full service organizations to small niche specialty groups to fulfill the clients requirement. Initially, the pharmaceutical companies used to carry their own discovery work, along with every other elements to get the drug or medical device in the market. But nowadays, any research work required by biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies from designing assay to planning and running the clinical trials are outsourced from CROs. Outsourcing or partnering with a CROs by the biotechnological companies provide a strategic benefit to the manufacturers, such as cost and time saving in the development and approval process of new drug or therapeutic device, which is expected to increase the demand for CROs.Download PDF Brochure @Contract Research Organization Services Market DynamicsIncreasing number of Food and Drug administration (FDA) approvals are supporting the growth of biopharma industry, which in turn is fuelling growth of the CROs market. According to article published in Nature, the U.S. FDA approved 46 novel drugs for various indication by the agencys Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) in 2017 and 22 drugs in 2016. As the drug companies and few research institutes face challenges in marketing their product due to limited resources and huge capital investment, which decreases the affordability of errors in research work. Therefore CROs play an important role in reducing the cost of research and help in successful clinical development program, which is the most important step of drug development process. As developing a safe and efficacious biological product for human is demonstrated through clinical trials.Contract Research Organization Services Market - Regional InsightsNorth America market accounted for the largest share in the contract research organization services market, followed by Europe in 2016. This is attributed to increasing number of biotechnology-based companies with rising demand for CROs outsourcing services. Furthermore, increasing number of clinical trials and robust pipeline of Novartis, AstraZeneca, Merck and Pfizer, Inc. in the North America region are the factors responsible for growth of market in North America region over the forecast period.In Asia Pacific region, the countries such as China and India particularly have increasing number of clinical trials for many application areas. Furthermore, due to large patient population, these countries provides a huge opportunity to the manufactures to market their drugs in Asia Pacific region, which is considered as major driver for rapid growth of CRO services. Besides, in some cases, the multinational companies are not allowed to conduct first-in-human Phase I studies in India and China where CROs plays a vital role to conduct such projects under such circumstances.Request TOC of the Report @Contract Research Organization Services Market - Competitive AnalysisThe Contract research organization players are involved in acquisition to expand the geographical presence of the CROs. For instance, in April 2018, Frontage Laboratories, Inc. an early-stage contract research organization located in China and the U.S. acquired Concord Biosciences, a preclinical organization based in Cleveland, OH aiming the companys goal to build a global CRO with integrated services. Furthermore, in May 2018, RxCelerate acquired Total Scientific, a CRO focused in bioanalysis, protein assays and gene-phenotype association.Key players operating in the global contract research organization services market include IQVIA, LabCorp, PAREXEL, ICON plc, PPD, PRA Health Sciences, Syneos Health, Charles River, Wuxi PharmaTech, Medpace Holdings, SGS, Envigo, and MPI Research.Contract Research Organization Services Market - Taxonomy:By Type: Clinical Research Services, Early Phase Development Services, Laboratory Services, Consulting Services,. By Therapeutic Application: Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Central Nervous System (CNS) Disorders, Immunological Disorders, Cardiovascular Diseases, Respiratory Disorders, Diabetes, Other Therapeutic Areas,. By End User: Pharmaceuticals & Biopharmaceutical Companies, Medical Device Companies, Academic Institutes,.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154#3200
Biofuels Enzyme Market Poised to Grow Substantially Owing to Rising Government Initiatives Encouraging Use of Eco-friendly Fuels

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Transparency Market Research recently published a research study based on the global biofuel enzymes market. The publication presents an executive-level blueprint of the market discussing in detail factors triggering the growth of the market together with analyzing the factors likely to inhibit the market. The report is titled Biofuel Enzymes Market - Global Industry Size, Market Share, Trends, Analysis And Forecast, 2012 - 2018. It collates market data obtained from several industrial sources with the help of tools such as Porters five forces analysis. According to the findings of the report, the global biofuel market is likely to grow at a healthy CAGR of 7.6% between 2013 and 2018. After thorough research, the report predicts that the bio-fuels enzymes market, which was worth US$1021.9 million in 2011, will reach US$1,653.1 million by the end of 2018. North America presently dominates the market, however, over the forecast period Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the most lucrative market for biofuel enzymes.View Report Preview:Expansion of the end-use markets has significantly contributed to the increase in the consumption of bio-based ethanol and biodiesel. In addition, high degree of awareness pertaining to sustainability issues and changing economics of fossil fuels have forced governments to intervene in order to curb the unbridled use of hazardous and environmentally harmful fossil fuels. Therefore, according to the report, environmental legislations imposed by governments will remain the primary growth driver of the biofuel enzymes market. On the basis of product types, the report segments the biofuel enzymes market into industrial lipases, amylases, and others. Amylase has emerged as the fastest growing segment of the market owing to its high resistant power, which enables it to withstand a wide range of temperature and pH level (acidity) variations. The publication predicts a compound annual growth rate of 8% for amylases between 2013 and 2018. The market for amylases can be further subdivided into industrial proteases, enzymes, and cellulose. The market for industrial proteases is expected to boast an 8.7% CAGR during the forecast period.Of the major geographical segments, North America leads the global market for biofuel enzymes with an expected 7.8% CAGR from 2013 to 2018. However, in the foreseeable future, Europe and Asia Pacific are projected to witness robust growth in terms of demand for biofuel enzymes. The European Union has enhanced its efforts to encourage the use of bioenergy for transportation, which is the primary factor driving the demand for biofuel enzymes in the region. Meanwhile, low-cost structure of the biofuel enzyme market in China is expected to boost the biofuels enzyme market in Asia Pacific.Request to view Sample Report:In order to present a detailed competitive analysis of the market, the report profiles leading players such as NextCAT Inc, Verenium Corporation, AB Enzymes GmbH, Noor Creations, Logen Corporation, Royal DSM NV, Du Pont de Nemours & Co., Novozymes A/S, Codexis Inc.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:
Gastrointestinal Stents Market - Industry Insights Growth, Size, Share and Analysis, 2018-2026

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Stents are tubular device used for insertion in lumen such as esophagus, colon or blood vessel. Stents are safe and effective alternative to surgery or repetitive endoscopic procedures. Gastrointestinal stents are used to open bile ducts, esophagus, small bowel, and colon when blocked by large, cancerous tissue growth. Stents can be removable or permanently implantable based on the material used. The role of stenting is decreasing patients digestive tract obstruction. Moreover, advancement in technology has led to improvement in stent performance and reduced stent-induced complications to improve quality of life and this is expected to propel the gastrointestinal stent market growth.Download PDF Brochure @Gastrointestinal Stents Market  Market DynamicsGrowth of the global gastrointestinal stents market is expected to be fuelled by increasing product launches with novel technology by key players in the market. For instance, in 2013, Cook Medical Inc. received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for biliary stent, adding to the line of controlled-release gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, Evolution biliary stent incorporates patency design, to prevent migration of stent after its insertion. Furthermore, in 2012, Boston Scientific Corporation launched WallFlex, biliary Transhepatic Stent System for the treatment of benign biliary strictures.Increasing demand for minimally invasive procedures is expected to be a major factor driving growth of gastrointestinal stents market size. Gastrointestinal stenting is considered as minimally invasive therapy and is increasingly gaining popularity, owing to its advantages such as low risk of infection, less recovery time as compared to conventional open surgery procedures, and reduced hospital stay.Increasing prevalence of urological and gastrointestinal disorders are propelling demand of gastrointestinal stents during the forecast period. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2015, number of adults diagnosed in U.S. with ulcer in digestive tract are 14.7 million, comprising 6% of the total adult population. Moreover, according to American Cancer Societys estimation for year 2018 suggests that 9,220 new cases of colon cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. Moreover, increasing number of patients with gastrointestinal tumors is also adding to patient pool that can be subjected to gastrointestinal stent implantation.Request Sample Copy Of This Report:Gastrointestinal Stents Market - Regional AnalysisRegional segmentation of Gastrointestinal Stents Market by Coherent Market Insights includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America held the dominant position in the gastrointestinal stents market in 2017 and is expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period. This is owing to increasing number of intestinal cancer cases and favorable reimbursement policies in the region. For instance, in 2017, American Cancer Society estimated 4,000 to 6,000 cases each year in the U.S. for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.Gastrointestinal Stents Market  Competitive AnalysisMajor market players operating in the gastrointestinal stents market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic plc, Olympus Medical System, Cook Medical, Ella-CS, Endo-Flex, Diagmed Healthcare, Micro-Tech, W. L. Gore & Associates and Taewoong Medical Co., Ltd.Request TOC of the Report @Gastrointestinal Stents Market TaxonomyBased on product type, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: Biliary Stents, Esophageal Stents,Duodenal Stents, Colonic Stents,.Based on Material, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: Plastic Stents, Metallic Stents,.Based on end user, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers,.Based on region, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa,.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154#3200
Latin America Low Voltage Cables Market to be Led by Brazil

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The Latin America low voltage cables market is analyzed in a new research report published by Transparency Market research. The report, titled Low Voltage Cables Market - Latin America Industry Size, Market Share, Trends, Analysis And Forecast 2011 - 2018, states that the market will achieve good growth from US$3,604.9 million in 2011 to US$6,418.8 million by 2018, registering growth at a CAGR of 8.5% between 2012 and 2018.View Report Preview:The report covers and analyses the market for low voltage cables in seven countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. According to the report, the overall market for low voltage cables will accrue the largest part of its revenue from the Brazilian market throughout the reports forecast period.The rising automation in industries owing to increased purchasing power, increased industrialization, and the announcement of several development projects announced by emerging countries in Latin America have all led to a significant boost in the demand for low voltage cables from the Latin America market.The report states that recent developmental reforms undertaken by governments and a positive wave of development seen in the seven countries analyzed in the report are the chief driving forces behind the good growth prospects exhibited by the Latin America low voltage cable market. Countries like Costa Rica, which are witnessing rapid progress in the industrial sector, can be seen as potential marketplaces for exports. The report segments the Latin America low voltage cable market into three major sections according to their end-use sectors  power distribution facilities, buildings, and specialty purposes. With the rising emphasis towards buying houses and the rising level of urbanization in Latin American countries, the market for low voltage cables is expected to amass its major share of demand from the housing sector over the forecast period, according to the report.The market is restrained by a cliched regulatory compliance system in most Latin American nations analyzed in the report. The rising price of raw materials is also a pressing issue that leads to fluctuating profit margins and affects the overall profitability of the market. Rising prices of aluminum and copper, the two chief raw materials for the low voltage cable industry, is a major factor restraining the overall growth of the Latin America low voltage cable market.Request to view Sample Report:The report also presents a comprehensive snapshot of the competitive landscape of the Latin America low voltage cable market, explaining detailed financial profiles of key vendors operating in the market. Thanks to detailed market statistics about the markets financial state in past and current scenarios, the report will help businesses formulate effective financial strategies to achieve a leading position in the market.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:
Purging Compound Market to Undertake Strapping Growth by the End 2025

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Purging compounds are gaining increased significance for maintaining the operational efficiency of modern thermoplastic processors. These cleaning compounds, containing a base resin along with other additives, have a variety of applications in polymer processing and are found to be suitable for a variety of screw and barrel assemblies, extruder die sets, and tooling. The application of purging compounds has been found to be useful in removing the carbon buildup in assemblies, reducing machine down-time, and improving the processing efficiency. In addition, their uses have been found to be instrumental in decreasing scrap rates caused by color and polymer changes. These all factors play a crucial role in enhancing process efficiencies and optimizing the entire manufacturing processes associated with thermoplastics.View Report Preview:Compared to traditional processes consisting of the use of regrind or virgin resin, purging compounds facilitate the removal of carbon and color deposits in the final products. This leads to fewer rejects and eliminates material waste to a large extent. In addition, the use compounds also prevents screw-pulls. Furthermore, this helps to keep injection molding machines in good condition, thereby decreasing machine overhaul time. The choice of an effective purging compound depends on the specific type of raw materials to be purged off. Polyolefins, high temperature resins, and engineered resins are some of the key polymers that need to be purged off. The demand for improving production efficiencies and reducing cost is a key factor boosting the adoption of purging compounds in the plastics industry.Purging compounds are chemical cleaning compounds that contain certain resins and additives in their formulation. They are widely used with various polyolefins such as thermoplastic olefin (TPO), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE); high temperature resins such as polysulfones (PSU) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK); and engineered resins such as high impact poly styrene (HIPS) and polyamide (PA). Purging compounds are extensively employed to clean extruder lines and molder machines. Furthermore, these compounds are used to clean palletizing units in various chemical operations. They are also employed to clean carbon deposit and to bring about color and material changes. Purging compounds help clear machines in quicker time. They are also more efficient compared to traditional cleaning methods such as purging with regrind. Benefits of using purging compounds include less scrap, reduced downtime, low production cost, and less material waste.The global purging compound market can be segregated in terms of product and process. In terms of product, the market can be categorized into mechanical purging, chemical purging or foaming purging, and liquid purging. Mechanical purging compounds generally contain high-viscosity polymers and are used to eliminate scrap materials from screws, dies, and barrels. They do not require any residence time and neither aid in chemical reactions. Chemical purging compounds contain ammonia and other foaming agents that need residence time of 15 minutes to 30 minutes. These compounds facilitate chemical reactions and eliminate residue by reducing viscosity and molecular weight of the scrap material. They are used typically in low pressure areas. Chemical purging is the leading product segment of the purging compounds market, followed by mechanical and liquid purging. Growth of the chemical purging segment can be ascribed to its features such as high moldability rate. Based on process, the market can be split into extrusion, blow molding, and injection molding. Demand for purging compounds in the injection molding process is expected to rise significantly during the forecast period. Injection molding process is one of most popular processes for producing plastic parts. It involves many machine tools and configurations that need continuous scrap removal and carbon cleaning. Adoption of injection molding in the extrusion process is anticipated to increase, as it offers certain benefits such as fast contaminant removal.Rapid growth in the chemical industry coupled with increasing demand for cost effective scrap removal solutions from equipment to control corrosion and carbon deposition are driving the purging compound market. Furthermore, increase in mergers and acquisitions to enhance product offerings is another factor positively influencing the market. For instance, Chem-Trend L.P, a leading manufacturer of purging compounds, acquired Moulds Plus Internationals business Ultra Purge in 2016 to broaden its thermoplastic processing portfolio. Volatility in raw material prices due to variations in crude oil prices may hamper market growth. There exists intense competition in the purging compound market. Manufacturers are focusing towards improvement and development of innovative product as per consumer requirement. All these factors are responsible for markets growthIn terms of region, the purging compound market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of consumption, North America is the leading region, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. High number of plastic processing plants coupled with rising demand for purging compounds, typically in engineering thermoplastics, is propelling the purging compound market in North America. The purging compound market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand significantly due to the rapid industrialization, which can lead to expansion of various industries such as petrochemicals, chemicals, and automotive. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are the lucrative regions of the purging compounds market due to the revival in their economy and rising investment by various manufacturers. Increase in research & development and brand promotion are likely to create new avenues for manufacturers of purging compounds.Key players operating in the global purging compound market are Chem-Trend L.P, Dyna-Purge, Asahi Kasei Corporation, and VELOX GmbH.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:
Global Home Health Hub Market Key Players - OnKol, AMC Health, Hicare (Subsidiary of Insung Information Co. Ltd), Honeywell International, IDEAL LIFE Inc

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According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Home Health Hub Market is accounted for $186.60 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $1863.50 million by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 29.2% during the forecast period. Factors favouring the market growth are increasing geriatric population, subsequent increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, shortage of healthcare professionals and decreasing cost of healthcare. Furthermore, increased interest in health and wellness tracking, high demand for remote patient monitoring are some of the major opportunities for the growth of the market. However, lack of awareness and poor internet availability in underdeveloped and developing countries are hampering the market growth.Download PDF Brochure on Recent Studies of 2018:Home health hubs, also called home health gateways, will be a growing part of the home health technology market. These devices and applications use wireless connectivity to aggregate information from disparate sources. These devices allow multiple connectivity options to obtain data from commercially available wired and wireless healthcare devices such as blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters etc. It provides connectivity to take action with collected data by sharing it through a remote device with a display such as a tablet, PC or smartphone or through the cloud. Its primary goal is the need to reduce or contain healthcare costs while improving patient outcomes, increased interest in health and wellness tracking, and the emergence of a more connected consumer base.Based on type of patient monitoring, high-acuity patient monitoring segment is projected to be the fastest growing segment due to rising demand in aging population, high increase rate in frequency of chronic diseases like kidney failures, heart failures and lung diseases. By end user, home care agencies segment is expected to dominate the market owing to increasing dependency of patients on telehealth solutions, such as remote monitoring via phones and the internet to manage their health conditions, rising governments initiatives to support home healthcare agencies.Read more about Home Health Hub Market:By geography, the North America is considered as the largest market in global home health hub market during the forecast period due to increase in advanced technologies, prevalence of chronic and lifestyle diseases, growing healthcare costs, lack of physicians, and high demand in adopting better healthcare services., whereas Asia Pacific stood as the fastest market in this region, factors such as owing to the growth of per capita income, and increase in usage of smartphones.Some of the key players in home health hub market include OnKol, AMC Health, Hicare (Subsidiary of Insung Information Co. Ltd), Honeywell International, IDEAL LIFE Inc., iHealth Lab, Lamprey Networks, MedM Inc., Qualcomm Incorporated, Vivify Health, Inc.Product & Services Covered:Standalone HubsSmart Phone HubsServicesTypes of Patient Monitoring Covered:Low-Acuity Patient MonitoringModerate-Acuity Patient MonitoringHigh-Acuity Patient MonitoringEnd Users Covered:Nursing Homes & Assisted Living FacilitiesHospitalsHome Care AgenciesHealthcare PayersBuy the Report @Regions Covered:North AmericaUSCanadaMexicoEuropeGermanyUKItalyFranceSpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificJapanChinaIndiaAustraliaNew ZealandSouth KoreaRest of Asia PacificSouth AmericaArgentinaBrazilChileRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaUAEQatarSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsSome Points of TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Product & Service Analysis3.7 End User Analysis3.8 Emerging Markets3.9 Futuristic Market ScenarioList of Table:1 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Region (2016-2026)2 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Product & Service3 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Standalone Hubs4 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Smartphone-Based Hubs5 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Services6 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Support & Maintenance Services)7 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Remote Patient Monitoring Services8 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Type of Patient Monitoring9 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Low-Acuity Patient Monitoring10 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Moderate-Acuity Patient Monitoring11 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By High-Acuity Patient Monitoring12 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By End User13 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Nursing Homes & Assisted Living Facilities14 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Hospitals (2016-2026)15 Global Home Health Hub Market Outlook, By Home Care Agenciesis an initiation in this new era of analysis @ thought. We are on a mission to replace the conventional research programs and give way to the latest methods and information for the organizations. We have created this hub of analytical research papers where you can get an access to the latest and the best research papers coming out from some reliable and budding research houses. After the advent of new analytics"based on the data collection facilities of big data, the face of "business research facilities" has changed drastically. With ARC our experts have created a bookshelf where you can check out the research reports that are an outcome of the progression of knowledge in various industry sectors. Alongside you can also check some research papers, market reports, and forecasts that are talking about the "out of the box"developments in the market.Matt Wilson,100 Church street, 8th floor,Manhattan, New york, 10007Phone No: +1 (646) 434-7969Email: sales@arcognizance.com
Specialty Enzymes Market Scenario Growth accordance to the key Players Novozymes, DuPont, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, BASF, Life technologies, Advance enzyme Technologies Ltd

Specialty Enzymes Market

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Specialty Enzymes Market -Global opportunity Analysis and business Forecast, 2014 - 2020, the worldwide specialty enzymes market is predicted to register a CAGR of 9.4% during 2015-2020. The pharmaceuticals application segment accounted for about 1/2 the overall market share in 2014. The Asia Pacific market would exhibit the very best CAGR of 11.7% throughout the forecast period (2015-2020).To Explore More | Get PDF Sample:Specialty enzymes are proteins that act as biocatalysts to accelerate chemical reactions and produce the desired results. Owing to low consumption and high degree of specificity, specialty enzymes are witnessing spurring demand in medical applications such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology research and diagnostics. The growing popularity of specialty enzymes in therapies for chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, pain and inflammatory disorders among others is the vital force fueling the market growth. In addition, growing awareness about enzyme-based therapeutics in the Asia Pacific and LAMEA region would further boost the market growth. However, safety concerns due to high vulnerability of enzymes towards contamination, would limit the overall market growth.Key findings of Specialty Enzymes Market: Pharmaceutical application segment is projected to register a CAGR of 9.7%, fastest among all application types Proteases enzyme would emerge as one of the most lucrative segments in the global specialty enzyme market by 2020 Animal derived enzymes is projected to grow at a significant rate in global specialty enzyme source marketRise in ageing population in developed economies such as North America and Europe, leads to an increased demand for therapeutic enzymes. Furthermore, adoption of advanced enzymes such as immobilized enzymes is increasing chiefly due to high healthcare expenditure. This had led to the dominance of North America in global specialty enzymes market closely followed by Europe. However, Asia-Pacific region exhibits the highest growth potential in future, due to the increasing per capita healthcare expenditure, increasing awareness about enzyme therapy and rapidly increasing pharmaceutical manufacturing base.Customization of Research Report As per Your Requirements:Key companies profiled in the report are Novozymes DuPont Roche Holdings AG BASF Life technologies Advance enzyme Technologies Ltd Affymetrix Inc Codexis Inc.Companies are adopting acquisition and product launch as few of their key strategies to increase the manufacturing capacity, expand their market presence and gain additional market share.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:
Europe Radiotherapy Market

Europe Radiotherapy Market

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The Europe Radiotherapy 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 Europe Radiotherapy Market report presents a lucid picture of the current industry landscape, including the historical and projected market size, based on value, technological innovations, micro- and macroeconomic components, and governing factors in the market.The Europe Radiotherapy Market has accounted for USD 1.6 billion in 2016, and is expected to reach USD 2.7 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR 6.7% during the forecast period 2017 to 2024.Download PDF Sample Report @Europe Radiotherapy Market, By Therapy (Beam Radiotherapy (IGRT, IMRT, VMAT, Tomotherapy, 3D CRT, Proton Beam, Stereotactic), Brachytherapy (LDR, HDR), Systemic Radiotherapy), By Product Type (Cyberknife, Gammaknife, Linac, Proton Beam, Systemic Radiotherapy, Seeds, Afterloaders), By Indication (Prostate & Breast Cancer)), By Country (Germany, France, U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, Rest of Europe)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Frequently Asked Questions? What will the market size be in 2024? What are the key factors driving the European 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 2024? Which strategies are used by top players in the Europe Radiotherapy Market?For Customization on this Report @ sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comMarket SegmentationThe Europe Radiotherapy Market is segmented based on therapy, product, application and geography.Based on the therapy, the radiotherapy market is segmented into external beam radiotherapy, internal beam radiotherapy, and systemic radiation therapyOn the basis of radiations delivered, the external beam radiotherapy is sub segmented into intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image guided radiotherapy (IGRT), tomotherapy, stereotactic technology, 3D conformal radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The IGRT segment is expected to account for the largest share of the external beam radiotherapy market, whereas the VMAT segment is poised to witness the highest growth.Based on the delivery of dose-rate, the internal beam therapy is divided into low (LDR) and high-dose rate (HDR)The LDR segment is expected to account for the largest share of the internal radiotherapy/brachytherapy market, whereas the HDR segment is poised to witness the highest growth.Based on product type the Europe radiotherapy market is segmented into EBRT equipments, and IBRT equipmentsThe External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) products are further segmented into cyberknife, gammaknife, LINAC, Proton Beam (Cyclotron, Synclotron). The Internal Beam Radiotherapy (IBRT) is segmented into seeds, afterloaders and others.Inquiry before buying @Based on geography the market is segmented into 11 countries, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Russia, Turkey, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and rest of EuropeThe Europe radiotherapy market is also segmented based on indication into cancer of different organs such as brain tumor, spine cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and others.Speak to Analyst @Major Market CompetitorsSome of the major players of the Europe digital health monitoring devices market Varian Medical Systems, Inc., CIVCO Medical Solutions, Elekta AB, Nanobiotix, Accuray Incorporated, Brainlab AG, Ion Beam Applications SA, C. R. Bard, Inc., IsoRay Medical, IncAbout 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
Crane Market 2024 Key Industry Players Liebherr Group, Konecranes, Terex Corporation, Welbilt Inc, XCMG Group, Komatsu Ltd., PALFINGER Group.

crane market

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Growing adoption of mobile and tower cranes for construction activities is accelerating the U.S. crane market growth. Increasing adoption of the cranes was owing to the rise in home construction, nonresidential building, and government construction activities. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the construction spending rose to 0.9 percent in November 2016 by 0.3 percent. The constantly-growing population in the region has resulted in increased investments in the infrastructure development sector. Rapid urbanization in the country is demanding the faster construction of facilities and buildings for the growing population. In addition, the rising government investments in infrastructural operations have provided a potential for the growth of the crane market.Sample copy of this Report @The rise in the adoption of mobile Crane Market is expected to accelerate owing to the expansion in the cement plants and infrastructure development. The construction and transportation sectors are the major segments contributing toward the adoption of mobile cranes with many on-going projects. Several major economies across the globe are contributing toward the industry growth, with construction and retrofit market growing at a significantly high pace. The crane market will witness a growing demand for the upgrading of mobile cranes in the coming years.Crane Market is expected to exceed USD 20 billion by 2024. Increasing construction spending across the globe is a major factor driving the crane market growth. Shifting focus of the government entities on infrastructure development coupled with growing consumer preference for aesthetic and luxurious constructions will drive the industry growth. Urbanization, environmental impacts, and population growth have surged the need for sustainable and smart infrastructure solutions. In addition, the growing demand for fuel-efficient and advanced cranes is rapidly gaining popularity due to their cost-effective performance and a high level of safety. Construction companies prefer using fuel-efficient equipment as it emits less carbon and enables fuel savings.Make an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Government initiatives to provide power, electricity facilities, and other utilities to rural and secluded areas are causing heavy investments in the infrastructure development. In addition, the constant upkeep and maintenance of the electric, telecom, and water facilities necessitates cranes that can reach inaccessible and high locations. Government administrations of several countries have largely invested in the construction of buildings, road ways, and transportation points to advance the infrastructure of the country and provide better facilities for the local population. Public infrastructure and government utilities in North America will witness a high adoption of cranes owing to the construction of reservoirs, wastewater treatment plants, and power lines across the region thereby providing an impetus to the crane market.In Europe, the focus of the crane manufacturers is on implementing new safety standards relating to the assembly and dismantling of the machine. An important product development issue across the entire range of crane types is the reduction of diesel engine exhaust emissions in compliance with Stage V of the EU Regulation on emission limits for mobile machinery. Europe accounted for the second largest revenue in crane market owing to the growing usage of cranes across the construction and oil & gas industries. However, the European market was hurt by changes in subsidies in the wind power market in Germany, resulting in fewer crawler crane sales.Browse Report Summery @Key players participating in crane market include Palfinger AG Terex Corporation, Komatsu Ltd., Konecranes PLC, Liebherr Group, Tadano, Ltd., XCMG Group, Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and Manitowoc among others. The crane industry is highly fragmented and competitive in nature owing to the presence of several regional and international players, who are actively investing in R&D and developing technologically-advanced products to sustain in the industry. There is an inclination toward energy-efficient cranes as they help in reducing carbon emissions. Several players are ensuring new product development initiatives to foster the crane market growth.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:
HVAC Centrifugal Compressor Market 2024 Key Industry Players Danfoss, Atlas Copco, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and SKF.

HVAC Centrifugal Compressor Market

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North America HVAC Centrifugal Compressor Market is expected to generate over USD 175 thousand by 2024 owing to the rising industrial sector encouraging high energy expenditures. Moreover, enhanced demand for centralized cooling arrangements to reduce wastage will stimulate HVAC centrifugal compressors market.Increasing demand for heating and cooling systems to maintain ideal building temperature by installing heat pumps and chillers will drive HVAC centrifugal compressor market. Changing consumer preferences towards superior energy efficiency, high service, affordability and low running costs will also boost industry share.Sample copy of this Report @Favorable government initiatives to promote clean energy coupled with reducing energy wastage and benefiting in consumer cost savings will foster HVAC centrifugal compressors market expansion. Increasing scrutiny by local governments over product manufacturing to reduce carbon emissions as per Kyoto Protocols will boost product demand. In addition, financial assistances through subsidies on these heating and cooling devices will positively influence demand for energy efficient products.Expansion of several industrial and commercial businesses including chemical, construction, energy, food, glass, petrochemical, pulp & paper and textile will augment HVAC centrifugal compressors market share. Growing air conditioning demand in tropical South East Asia countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will further stimulate industry growth.Introduction of Big 5 Dubai project boosted the sales of entire HVAC machinery by generating USD 1.5 billion in 2016. The total contract value of the Dubai urban development upgradation using entire compressor technology is projected to surpass USD 59 billion by 2021. In addition, government initiatives comprising Dubai 2021 Smart City Plan and UAE Vision 2021 will boost the adoption of efficient energy systems over the forecast timespan.Make an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Chillers are anticipated to witness over 2.3% CAGR up to 2024 due to the development of commercial spaces including corporate offices and retail outlets. Hospitals and hotels are also key application areas for chillers. Widespread enactment of certification requirements comprising Energy Star, WBDG and LEED for buildings will further drive HVAC centrifugal compressors market expansion.The heat pumps market was worth more than USD 345 thousand in 2016 due to shifting industry trends towards reduction of greenhouse gases by utilizing these standardized pumping machineries. Superior properties including precise pressure control along with enhanced vapor compression technology will boost energy efficient systems demand. Well recognition over traditional heating systems including boilers, furnaces, gas-fired heaters and fireplaces will provide lucrative business opportunities for HVAC centrifugal compressors market growth.Browse Report Summery @Global HVAC centrifugal compressors market is fragmented due to the presence of several international manufacturers. Some of the key industry players are SKF, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Danfoss, Hitachi and Atlas Copco. Other prominent players include Elliott Group, GFA, Ingersoll Rand, Howden Group and Celeroton. Rising competition coupled with increasing energy expenses and sustainability initiatives taken up by various governments will support product penetration.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:
3D Reconstruction Technology Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  Pix4D, Agisoft PhotoScan, Autodesk, RealityCapture, Acute3D

3D Reconstruction Technology Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  3D Reconstruction Technology Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  Pix4D, Agisoft PhotoScan, Autodesk, RealityCapture, Acute3D.In computer vision and computer graphics, 3D reconstruction is the process of capturing the shape and appearance of real objects. This process can be accomplished either by active or passive methods. If the model is allowed to change its shape in time, this is referred to as non-rigid or spatio-temporal reconstruction.Scope of the Report:This report studies the 3D Reconstruction Technology 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 3D Reconstruction Technology market by product type and applications/end industries.Currently there are three methods of 3D Reconstruction Software, Based on Images and Video and Based on 3D Scanning. In future, the technology on Images will dominate the market. The 3D Reconstruction Technology market is in promotion and innovation stage, and it is widely believed the 3D Reconstruction Technology will be a useful technique and will change the world. More and more investors are willing to invest the 3D Reconstruction Technology market. It is only a matter of time.Now Europe and North America are dominating the 3D Reconstruction Technology market, the top players are mainly from Switzerland, Russia, Israel, US and Canada.In future, the Asia-Pacific market will play a more important role, especially China. China has been a big market with strong production and consumption capacity, and now China is a leader in mobile internet in the world, with activate market, and good investment environment to allow enterprise to develop the 3D Reconstruction Technology.The governments of US, China and Europe, are encouraging innovation in enterprises to develop the digital holography. Governments tend to provide a better business circumstance to attract enterprise and promote improved growth and development.The global 3D Reconstruction Technology market is valued at xx million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach xx million USD by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of xx% between 2017 and 2023.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comNorth 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 3D Reconstruction Technology.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 coversPix4DAgisoft PhotoScanAutodeskRealityCaptureAcute3DPhotoModelerPhotometrixElcovisionVi3Dim TechnologiesParacosmMatterportRealsense (Intel)MensiSkyline Software SystemsAirbus4Dage TechnologyBlackboxcvShenzhen Zhineng Shixian TechnologyMarket 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, covers3D Reconstruction SoftwareBased on Images and VideoBased on 3D ScanningMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoCulture Heritage and MuseumFilms & Games3D Printing, Drones and RobotsAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1 3D Reconstruction Technology Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of 3D Reconstruction Technology1.2 Classification of 3D Reconstruction Technology by Types1.2.1 Global 3D Reconstruction Technology Revenue Comparison by Types (2017-2023)1.2.2 Global 3D Reconstruction Technology Revenue Market Share by Types in 20171.2.3 3D Reconstruction Software1.2.4 Based on Images and Video1.2.5 Based on 3D Scanning1.3 Global 3D Reconstruction Technology Market by Application1.3.1 Global 3D Reconstruction Technology Market Size and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2013-2023)1.3.2 Culture Heritage and Museum1.3.3 Films & Games1.3.4 3D Printing, Drones and Robots1.4 Global 3D Reconstruction Technology Market by Regions1.4.1 Global 3D Reconstruction Technology Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2013-2023)1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) 3D Reconstruction Technology Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) 3D Reconstruction Technology Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) 3D Reconstruction Technology Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) 3D Reconstruction Technology Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.5 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) 3D Reconstruction Technology Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.5 Global Market Size of 3D Reconstruction Technology (2013-2023)2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Pix4D2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 3D Reconstruction Technology Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Product A2.1.2.2 Product B2.1.3 Pix4D 3D Reconstruction Technology Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Agisoft PhotoScan2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 3D Reconstruction Technology Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Product A2.2.2.2 Product B2.2.3 Agisoft PhotoScan 3D Reconstruction Technology Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Autodesk2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 3D Reconstruction Technology Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Product A2.3.2.2 Product B2.3.3 Autodesk 3D Reconstruction Technology Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 RealityCapture2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 3D Reconstruction Technology Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Product A2.4.2.2 Product B2.4.3 RealityCapture 3D Reconstruction Technology Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Acute3D2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 3D Reconstruction Technology Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Product A2.5.2.2 Product B2.5.3 Acute3D 3D Reconstruction Technology 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.
Salt Lake City, Aug 1st, 2018: Certification Planner, a global training providing company, has launched the Veteran Planner website to support US veterans and their families. During the launch of the website, Suhaan Kkhanna, CEO of Certification Planner LLC mentioned, Veterans are a very important part of our society and with Veteran Planner, we are getting a chance to do something for veterans who have served for our country for 
A weekly collection of new hires, transitions, promotions and award winners in Oregon and southwest Washington:

MOVES/HIRES:

The Portland Art Museum has selected John Goodwin as the new major gifts officer and as part of the senior leadership team. Goodwin comes to the museum after six years of working for the Portland Trail Blazers. He has also worked for the University Club of Portland and the Benson Hotel. He has been a volunteer at the museum since 1994 and has served on the museum's board of trustees.

The PeaceHealth board of directors has appointed Karl Carrier as its new chairman. Carrier will succeed Sister Andrea Nenzel, who will remain on the board as vice chair.

Carrier has served the PeaceHealth board as chair of the Strategy and Stewardship committee since 2016. He holds an MBA in finance from the University of Oregon and has held senior executive roles in several nonprofit and Catholic healthcare organizations.

With the stepping down of Bob Moore from his CEO duties for Oregon-based Bob's Red Mill, 20-year company veteran Dennis Vaughn has been named the new CEO. Most recently, Vaughn served as senior vice president of operations and COO since 2013. Vaughn joined the company in 1999 as director of operations.

Wells Fargo has hired Chabre Vickers as an Oregon community development officer. She will oversee the company's community development initiatives and Community Reinvestment Act activities supporting low- and moderate-income communities.

Alexandra Racareanu has been named Wells Fargo At Work senior program manager for Oregon. The program supports the financial health of customers and communities in Oregon through the delivery of free money management tools and education offered as an employee benefit for companies. Racareanu is a 14-year Wells Fargo veteran.

Adrienne Karecki has been appointed to the position of chief development and marketing officer for Mercy Corps, based in Portland. Karecki will head the Resource Development department and oversee fundraising and strategic communications outreach. Her team includes several dozen gift officers, web developers, marketers and media relations strategists.

Karecki joined Mercy Corps in 2015 and has served as the regional director for West, Central and North Africa. Prior to Mercy Corps, she served in several business, including the Nike Foundation and Central City Concern in Portland.

Jim Baumgartner, an Oregon-based attorney for 32 years, has joined Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc., an international blueberry breeding and nursery company, as General Counsel and head of its legal department. In this newly created position, Baumgartner will serve on Fall Creek's executive team as legal advisor to the company, its board of directors and senior management.

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.
In a recent guest editorial, activist Andy Ko expressed his appreciation for President Donald Trump's pardon of Harney County ranchers and convicted arsonists Dwight and Steve Hammond ("Crime victims and offenders have a shared interest in transforming our justice system," July 29). Ko contends that we should all be concerned about mandatory minimum sentences and their "shocking" results. It's important to note that the Hammonds were prosecuted in the federal system. And, while we have no position on the federal prosecution of the Hammonds we would like to contrast Ko's description of the federal system with what is happening in our Oregon state courts.

The Oregon state criminal justice system handles the bulk of all criminal cases in Oregon and is, in many ways, a model for the rest of the country. Oregon enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the nation, low incarceration rates, constitutional rights for crime victims and proportional consistent punishment for violent and chronic repeat property offenders.

While alternatives to incarceration are starting to become popular in other areas of the country, we have used our prisons sparingly for years in Oregon. Only the most serious and violent crimes, such as murder, kidnapping and rape, carry mandatory minimums under Oregon law. In fact, 75 percent of people convicted of a felony in our state never go to prison. Of those in prison, 70 percent are there because they committed a serious, violent offense. Only 7 percent of the prison population is there for drug-related crimes -- typically for multiple distribution convictions.

As Oregon district attorneys have maintained for years, prison is not the right answer for everyone. That's why district attorneys in Oregon have been leaders in creating and utilizing alternative sentencing, diversion, specialty courts and treatment programs designed to keep people out of prison. Oregon's state criminal justice system is one of the most common ways people with substance abuse issues get the help they need and for those with mental illness to be connected with the services they require.

We are also appreciative to see that Ko is advocating for the support of crime victims. We invite him to join us in our efforts. For far too long, district attorneys have been just about the only people advocating for the interests of crime victims, and that's tragic. We also hope that Ko agrees with us that it's important to keep crime victims and their families at the center of criminal justice reform. District attorneys are charged with looking at reform through the eyes of the entire community they are elected to serve, which includes both crime victims and defendants.

Many activists such as Ko tend to portray all those who commit crimes as "victims" in our justice system. While it is true that crime hurts everyone in our state, as Oregon district attorneys, we appreciate the difference between the real victims of crime and the criminals who harm them. We also believe that if we normalize crime by making every offender a "victim" of circumstance, we risk blurring our community's sense of right and wrong.

The fact is, citizens don't choose to be crime victims. However, criminals -- regardless of their circumstance in life -- make the choice to break the law. As Oregon district attorneys, we can see the difference and are prepared to respond to crime with an array of effective, humane and proportional responses. Just like we have been doing for years.

Timothy J. Colahan is the executive director of the Oregon District Attorneys Association and the former Harney County District Attorney.
An FBI agent accused of lying to conceal that he shot twice at the truck of refuge occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum in 2016 strode to the witness stand Tuesday and declared he has never fired his weapon in the line of duty.

After sitting through hours of forensic testimony about bullet angles and camera imaging, jurors appeared significantly more attentive when W. Joseph Astarita, who identified himself as "Joe Astarita'' to the court, was sworn in about 3:50 p.m.

He described his upbringing in New York, education at Hofstra University, his brief professional lacrosse career and his extensive training as an FBI SWAT officer and then the elite Hostage Rescue Team.

Clean-shaven and wearing a gray suit, white shirt and blue-and-pink striped tie, Astarita looked markedly different from when he was manning a roadblock on U.S. 395 in eastern Oregon more than two years ago.

Then, he was clad in camouflage tactical gear and sporting a thick beard as the FBI and state police moved in to arrest the leaders of the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Defense lawyer Robert Cary asked Astarita general questions that touched on the criminal charges the agent faces, but didn't get into the specifics of his actions that led to his federal indictment.

Astarita has pleaded not guilty to two charges of making false statements to FBI supervisors and one count of obstruction of justice stemming from his interview with state police detectives the night of the shooting.

"Have you ever, sir, removed shell casings from a scene?" Cary asked.

"No, I have not,'' Astarita said.

Astarita described in detail the "precision, surgical shooting'' training he received as part of the Hostage Rescue Team. Cary then asked Astarita a question central to the case: Did he ever fire a gun on the job?

"I've never fired my weapon in the line of duty,'' Astarita responded, looking straight at jurors, his hands resting on the witness stand.

Astarita, 41, testified how he's trained to shoot with both eyes, not one eye closed, to get a full visual awareness or horizon. He stepped off the stand briefly and identified the parts of his camouflaged rifle shown on a nearby screen. He then stood before jurors and demonstrated, using just his hands, how he would hold his rifle at a low-ready position, the muzzle slightly down and looking over his rifle sight with both eyes.

Before he fires, he'd have to see his target and determine that the shot met the bureau's threshold for use of force -- that the target poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to himself or another person.

Astarita was on the stand for about 40 minutes, speaking calmly and maintaining eye contact with jurors. He will return to the stand Wednesday morning to continue, the last of five witnesses the defense has called.

Prosecutors contend Astarita is the only one at the scene who could have fired two shots at Finicum's truck after Finicum swerved into a snowbank at the roadblock and then stepped from the truck, with his hands in the air. One shot hit the roof of the truck, the other missed, investigators said.

Astarita's lawyers contend three officers at the scene could have fired the shot, but it was most likely the state police SWAT officer who fired five other shots that day, including two that hit and killed Finicum moments later. A second state police SWAT officer also fired and hit Finicum once.

The two SWAT officers fired as Finicum walked away from his truck and reached inside his jacket, where he had a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun.

Astarita's testimony followed a defense forensic expert, a statistician, an auto mechanic and a 3D animator, who all tried to discredit the forensic analyses and reconstruction of the shooting scene by government experts.

Astarita, in a distinctive New York accent, told jurors how his No. 1 goal in life was to become an FBI agent, following in the footsteps of his father, who was an FBI agent and now works in private security. He said he adores his father and felt he had the skill set "to serve my country that way.''

Astarita was born in New York, one of five children. His mother was a school teacher, his father served in the Army before joining the FBI. Astarita got a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in education at Hofstra. He played lacrosse throughout college and then played a year of professional lacrosse, but the $200 or so he was paid for each game wasn't going to cut it as a career, he said.

He first joined the FBI as professional support staff in October 2001, assigned to the New York counter-terrorism surveillance unit, just a month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. He began the FBI academy in April 2005, graduating in August of that year to become an FBI agent.

It was at the academy, Astarita said, that he learned that shell casings at the scene of a shooting are evidence that shouldn't be disturbed.

Prosecutors contend Astarita and other Hostage Rescue Team agents scoured the scene of the Finicum shooting, bending under trucks, and removed shell casings. They played an infrared video taken from an FBI plane on the night of the Jan. 26, 2016, shooting that showed officers walking throughout the scene. Of eight shots fired, only two shell casings were recovered by investigators.

But Cary's questioning of Astarita didn't get that far Tuesday.

Astarita spent eight years as an FBI field agent in the New York criminal division, from 2005 through 2013. He applied and was selected for the FBI SWAT team in 2007, remaining in New York.

From his academy days, though, Astarita told jurors he was intrigued by the bureau's Hostage Rescue Team and impressed by its motto, reciting the Latin, "Servare Vitas, to save lives.'' He said he wanted to see if he had "what it takes'' and applied twice to join the team. He wasn't chosen in 2009 and applied a second time in 2013, despite his parents' misgivings.

"If not me who,'' Astarita said he thought, who's going to do this dangerous work, noting he's single without children.

His parents came to understand "it was something I needed to test myself,'' Astarita said.

He was selected to join the Hostage Rescue Team in 2013 after what he described as a grueling selection process that tested such things as his physical fitness with 10-mile runs and distance swims, shooting ability with a pistol, rifle and shotgun, "judgment evolution'' and exams to root out any water, height or other phobias.

Once on the Hostage Rescue Team, he went through new officer training that started with a month of shooting drills, in which he estimated he fired 25,000 rounds, and underwent close-quarter battle scenarios to resemble hostage situations and assaults on planes, buses and trains.

The team's new officer training ensures its officers are adept at "precision, surgical shooting'' with others around them, Astarita said.

Earlier Tuesday, Matthew Noedel, a forensic consultant who spent 15 years working in the Washington State Police crime lab, cited pitfalls in government expert Michael Haag's use of the so-called "Rocker Point'' method to determine the trajectory of the bullet that struck the roof of Finicum's truck.

Noedel said he doesn't feel comfortable using that method, particularly when a bullet hole is as wide in diameter as the one left in the roof of Finicum's cab, suggesting it was three times larger than that of a .223-caliber rifle round.

Noedel said he couldn't pinpoint a horizontal angle from which the bullet originated using that method, only a range of angles.

That essentially substantially widens the cone for the bullet's potential path, and places others, besides Astarita, as the potential shooter.

He also found inaccuracies in the method used by state police forensic examiner Valerie Dickerson, who placed a rod through the roof hole and a hole in the lining inside the cab.

He said he could only identify a large area from where the bullet that hit the roof originated - "best described as having come from over there somewhere.''

Clifford Spiegelman, a statistician who teaches at Texas A&M University, examined the test gunshots Haag had taken to support his margin of error of 5 degrees.

Spiegelman and Noedel said there's no scientific basis or published literature to support the 5-degree margin of error, and Spiegelman said the steps Haag took to do so were based on a "completely ridiculous design'' and sample with too few shots.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman portrayed Spiegelman as a "fairly frequent critic of science,'' citing a litany of opinion pieces he has authored, including one in 2012 that was titled "Forensic Science lacks Science.''

Eugenio Luscio, the last defense witness before Astarita, is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto who teaches 3D scene reconstruction and has his own company, AI23D, for Animation, Imaging, Illustration 3D.

Luscio overlayed the angle ranges that Noedel obtained for the path of the disputed roof shot on the 3D shooting scene model, and it significantly expanded the bullet trajectory cone to a trajectory triangle that encompassed Astarita and others.

Luscio called government expert Toby Terpstra's 3D model of the scene based on matching of multiple camera shots camera "completely subjective,'' and said Terpstra ''overstated'' his claims of accuracy.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
After three weeks of listening to his boss, his fellow Hostage Rescue Team agents and Oregon State Police officers describe his demeanor and actions on Jan. 26, 2016, FBI agent W. Joseph Astarita Wednesday gave his own account.

In a steady voice, he flatly denied several times that he fired his Colt AR-15 rifle that day, said he never picked up any shell casings from the scene, didn't hear any gunshots and didn't know who had shot and killed refuge occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy'' Finicum.

"I had no indication I had fired. I didn't hear it, feel it, see it that day,'' said Astarita, dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and red tie.

The agent, accused of lying to conceal that he fired two shots at Finicum's truck, is fighting to hold on to the only job he's ever wanted since he was in eighth grade.

He spent nearly five hours testifying during his second day on the witness stand in his trial in U.S. District Court in Portland, charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice in the aftermath of the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

No one has acknowledged firing the two disputed shots at Finicum. They came when Finicum stepped out of his truck after swerving into a snowbank at a roadblock on U.S. 395 in Harney County as the FBI and state police moved to arrest the occupation's leaders. One hit the roof of Finicum's truck and the other missed.

Prosecutors and Oregon investigators say Astarita took the shots. Moments later, two state police SWAT officers fatally shot Finicum after he reached into his jacket where he had a loaded handgun, police said.

Of the oath he took to become an FBI agent 13 years ago, Astarita told jurors, "It means everything to me. That's my world. I've dedicated my life to it. That's my character. My honor.''

After Astarita's testimony concluded, the defense rested. Prosecutors briefly recalled their 3D animation expert in a short rebuttal. Jury instructions and closing arguments will begin Thursday.

Astarita said he didn't fire his rifle when Finicum got out of his truck because he was concerned about potential crossfire, spotting a state trooper in the treeline behind Finicum's truck.

He repeatedly said he couldn't identify any of the officers who were caught on FBI videos walking around the shooting scene, scouring the ground and bending under trucks after Finicum was killed. Prosecutors contend those were FBI Hostage Rescue Team agents.

And Astarita confirmed earlier trial testimony that he wasn't sure what ammunition he had loaded into his rifle, saying he didn't remember which service rounds he was using from a ballistics research facility that provides them to team agents.

"You're a very smooth and polished witness, sir?'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman began in his cross-examination, asking Astarita how many times he's testified in court. Astarita said this was his third time.

The courtroom was packed for the cross-examination, with other prosecutors, defense lawyers, court staff and interested spectators filing in.

'I BELIEVE THAT'S MY POSITION'

Sussman pointed out that Astarita, as a member of the elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team and a firearms instructor, was trained in "situational awareness,'' taught to know where he and his teammates are in a critical incident. He asked Astarita to square that training with his inability to remember where he was standing exactly when the disputed shots occurred.

Astarita told investigators in February he didn't know his location. On Wednesday, he again said he still didn't have an independent memory of where he was standing. Only after having viewed the FBI's aerial videos multiple times, he said he was generally west of the front bumper of a state police truck in the middle of the roadblock.

Sussman showed Astarita screenshots of a blue-circled spot where Astarita's boss, a supervisory FBI agent identified in court only as B.M., had placed him at the moment Finicum stepped from his truck. The circle put Astarita directly beside the open passenger door of that state police truck and within a trajectory cone created by government experts showing the path and source of the bullet that hit the roof of Finicum's truck.

Astarita said, "That's where he believed I was.''

Sussman also showed Astarita the aerial FBI camera image of that moment and asked him to point to his figure in the image.

"I believe that's my position, yes,'' Astarita said, acknowledging the dark figure beside the open passenger door. "I don't have an independent recollection of where I was at that time,'' he added.

Sussman asked Astarita to mark his position on a screenshot image of the roadblock scene, and he placed himself just barely outside the bullet trajectory cone overlaid on the photo.

Sussman then grilled Astarita about the unusual remark he made to a supervisor at the scene who asked him if he had fired any shots and descriptions by other officers that he was unusually "amped up'' at the scene.

Sussman also asked Astarita about others' testimony that he knocked off the cowboy hat of Ryan Bundy, a passenger in Finicum's truck, and allegations that Astarita and his FBI team colleagues were caught scouring the shooting scene, presumably looking for shell casings, that night.

'GET DOWN, THEY'RE SHOOTING'

Astarita had arrived in Burns in early January 2016. He was posted at the roadblock on U.S. 395, about a mile north of where state police and FBI agents planned to stop the occupation leaders traveling in a Jeep and Finicum's truck on their way to a community meeting in John Day.

Astarita said his initial role was to "man the roadblock,'' standing on a small ladder behind the front hood of an FBI rental truck that formed part of a V in the northbound lane. Agent John Neidert was on a ladder behind the hood of the other FBI rental truck in the southbound lane.

Finicum had sped away from the police stop. Astarita said he saw Finicum's truck traveling rapidly, "closing ground on us.''

He said he rested his rifle on the hood of the truck in front of him, tried to get a sight on the driver's side of Finicum's pickup to see if he "could apply effective fire on that driver.'' But he couldn't see inside the cab and took no shots, he said. Soon, he heard a supervisor command, "Bail out! Bail out! Bail out!''

Astarita got off the ladder, heard somebody say, "Get down! They're shooting!'' and ran to the east side of the road. He saw Neidert run to the west side as Finicum's truck swerved into a snowbank on the west side.

"I saw the truck come through the snow. I saw John disappear,'' he said. "At that point, I thought John was dead.''

Astarita said he immediately started moving to help Neidert. He remembered seeing Neidert's head pop out of the snowbank and saw him shaking off the snow, and recalled the tremendous sense of relief he felt.

"I began scanning my sector for threats,'' Astarita said. He was beside the state police truck in the middle of the road at this point, he said. "I saw motion on the driver's side and I saw Mr. Finicum was exiting,'' Astarita said, referring to Finicum's truck in the snowbank.

He said he spotted Oregon State Police officer Joey Pollard in his backdrop and worried about crossfire.

"Did you fire your weapon at that moment?'' defense lawyer Robert Cary asked.

"No, I did not,'' Astarita responded.

"Did you fire your weapon at all that day?'' Cary continued.

"No, I did not,'' Astarita said.

'I DID NOT' HEAR SHOTS

During cross-examination, Sussman had Astarita step off the stand and demonstrate holding his own rifle at a low-ready position, and then moving to a firing position.

Once handed the rifle, Astarita hesitated, and said, "Can I just ask why the safety's off?'' The prosecutor looked flummoxed, and had Astarita restore the safety.

At the moment Finicum stepped from his truck, Sussman asked Astarita if his rifle was shouldered and pointed at the truck. Astarita said it was.

As Finicum walked farther from his truck, Astarita said he tried to get Neidert , himself and his boss B.M. behind the state police car for better cover. He recalled seeing Finicum reach with his right hand into his left inner pocket and Finicum "go down.''

"Do you recall hearing any shots at the roadblock that day?'' Cary asked.

"I do not,'' Astarita said, adding later he was wearing noise-canceling headphones attached to his helmet.

"Did you see who shot him?'' Cary asked.

"I did not,'' Astarita aid.

The attention of FBI agents and police officers at the scene then turned to the passengers still in Finicum's truck, he said.

He said he threw one flash-bang device at Finicum's truck as a distraction so those still in the truck wouldn't get " a line of sight'' to shoot one of the officers. He said he also gave loud commands for the remaining occupants to exit with their hands up.

Questioned by Sussman, he acknowledged that an FBI supervisor may have told him to "quiet down.''

'I DON'T REMEMBER THAT' STATEMENT

He also said he was using loud commands to organize the state SWAT and FBI agents huddled on the driver's side of the state police truck in the middle of the roadblock to provide cover while keeping an eye on the remaining occupants of Finicum's truck.

Astarita said he said he didn't knock off Ryan Bundy's cowboy hat at the scene. It had fallen in the street during Bundy's arrest as he lay prone against the road, he said. Because the hat was getting in the way of officers' attempts to handcuff Bundy's hands behind his back, Astarita said he tossed it "Frisbee-style" in the snow. A state police officer previously testified that he couldn't understand why Astarita had walked up and knocked Bundy's hat off unprovoked.

Asked why he was seen walking up to Bundy's right side later as Bundy remained kneeling on the highway, Astarita said, "I was looking at Mr. Bundy's cuffs.'' Prosecutors have suggested that Astarita wanted to inspect whether Bundy had been injured by the gunshot that hit the roof of Finicum's truck.

Asked by Cary if he was aware Bundy had been injured, Astarita said, "I did hear out there that Mr. Bundy had a cut.''

Lawyers from both sides asked Astarita to explain his unusual statement to FBI supervisory agent Ian McConnell at the scene when McConnell asked if Astarita was OK and had taken any shots. McConnell testified that Astarita responded with a flippant remark.

Astarita said he couldn't remember the exact words he used, but something like, "Don't ask me, I don't know.''

"I could tell Ian was a bit confused about my answer,'' Astarita said, and when McConnell asked him again if he had shot, he said he told him he had not.

Sussman, in cross examination, delved deeper. "Actually you said, 'You don't got to ask me that bro.'''

"I don't remember that,'' Astarita said.

Astarita explained that he thought McConnell was asking him if he knew who had fired shots, and he hadn't. "I thought I was directly answering him,'' Astarita said. "I was telling him I didn't know.''

Sussman asked Astarita about his statement to another FBI agent at the scene asking him if he saw anything on the ground. Astarita said he was referring to any sensitive items or lost gear. But, Sussman pointed out, Astarita used the word "anything.''

The defense lawyer and prosecutor played back the FBI infrared aerial video, which captured officers scouring the scene that night. Greg Bretzing, the Oregon FBI's special agent in charge then, testified that the video was concerning.

After stopping several frames, Cary asked Astarita if he could identify the figures.

"No, I cannot,'' Astarita said.

"Did you pick up any .308 rifle casings?'' Cary asked.

"I did not,'' Astarita said.

"Did you pick up any .223 rifle casings?'' Cary asked.

"I did not,'' the agent said.

'I CAN'T TELL WHO THAT IS'

Sussman noted that Astarita had picked up a magazine of ammunition at the scene with one or two rounds that had slipped out. The prosecutor asked if Astarita reported his finding to any investigator.

Astarita said he didn't speak with any investigators but did ask other agents and officers if it belonged to them. "It was a sensitive item and I seized it," he said. "That was our SOP (standard operating procedure).''

Sussman suggested that Astarita, B.M. and Neidert were the agents mulling around the shooting scene, huddled at one point in front of Finicum's truck.

"I can't tell who that is but it could be," Astarita said.

Asked if there was any tactical reason for examining the area around Finicum's truck, he said: "I can't think of one,'' other than maybe officers who used less-lethal munitions checking how effective their rounds were.

Astarita said he, Neitert and B.M. were among those doing a second check for sensitive items later that evening. Sussman asked if they were looking under trucks. "Potentially; I don't recall looking under vehicles,'' Astarita said.

Asked if he remembered telling a colleague after the shooting that he had saved Neidert, Astarita explained that he was teasing Neidert that he "bailed the wrong way'' and he had to come rescue him. Neidert testified that Astarita never rescued him.

The night of the shooting, Astarita was interviewed by state police detectives but they didn't ask him whether he had fired his gun, he said.

Astarita confirmed that he later told his immediate boss, agent B.M., and a more senior FBI commander, Tim Swanson, that he hadn't shot either.

In their 10-person tent back at the tactical operations center a day or two later, he recalled learning that investigators had concerns about unaccounted-for rounds. Astarita said he and B.M. separately checked their rifles and magazines "to see if there was any indication we shot.'' They checked their own rifles simultaneously, he said. He didn't describe what he found, but said he usually fully loads his 30-round magazine.

Astarita said he placed no restrictions on a second group interview held with state police detectives in February. Prior testimony revealed agent B.M. did, demanding an unrecorded group interview, highly unusual in an officer-involved shooting case.

Sussman finally pointed out that Astarita nor the other members of his Hostage Rescue Team wrote their own reports about their roles at the shooting scene. Instead, Astarita said, they met at the command center, and someone from the FBI who wasn't present at the shooting scene wrote a communal "302,'' FBI parlance for a basic bureau report.

Prosecutors contend Astarita is the only one who could have taken the disputed shots, based on FBI aerial surveillance videos, Astarita's unusual remarks to his superiors after the shooting and forensic analysis tracing the bullet back to his position by the open passenger door of the state police truck.

Astarita's lawyers have argued the government's forensic experts erred and the bullet trajectory analysis can't pinpoint one particular shooter, but places Astarita and two others as potential shooters. One of the other potential shooters is the state police SWAT officer who shot five times that day, including two of the three shots that hit Finicum.

If convicted, Astarita could face up to 20 years of prison -- five years each for two counts of making a false statement and up to 10 years for obstruction of justice.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
A 28-year-old woman, along with her 6- and 7-year-old daughters, has been reported missing by relatives after last being spotted barefoot and carrying water a half-mile from their southern Oregon home.

Tanda Christiansen and her kids left their home in the 2500 block of Holcomb Springs Road in Gold Hill around 10 a.m. Tuesday. A resident about a half-mile away called 911 dispatchers in the afternoon and reported finding the family wandering on her rural property with water and without shoes, driving them to the end of her driveway and requesting authorities respond to check on them, said Sgt. Julie Denney, a Jackson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman.

Christiansen and her daughters were last seen around 1 p.m. walking on Pelton Lane toward Ramsey Road, Denney said. The three were gone by the time sheriff's deputies arrived.

A relative reported the family missing a little before 9:10 p.m. when they didn't return home. Christiansen's relatives were concerned that she was experiencing a mental health crisis, Denney said. They said she doesn't have a cellphone or a car and was carrying no money with her.

It's not clear how much water the family was carrying. Relatives said Christiansen had recently talked about wanting to go to Washington.

Christiansen is described as 5-foot-7, 180 pounds with brown eyes and blue or purple hair. The elder daughter, Alexandria Bloom, was wearing a turquoise-colored shirt and has light brown hair and brown eyes. The younger child, Lily Bloom, has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and shorts.

The sheriff's office asks residents in the area the family was last seen to check their properties and outbuildings for any sign of the three. Anyone with more information on their whereabouts is asked to call emergency dispatchers at 541-776-7206 and refer to case #18-16535.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
Updated at 4:45 p.m.

An Oregon State Police captain who was scheduled to enter a plea Wednesday in a domestic violence case is now set for a hearing in September, Oregon court records show.

Bill A. Fugate, who once served as the agency's chief spokesman, is next scheduled to appear in Deschutes County Circuit Court on Sept. 12 on suspicion of harassment. Prosecutors said the allegations are connected to incidents in May and June of last year involving his wife, Georgina Monrean-Fugate.

Monrean-Fugate previously obtained a restraining order and said she feared Fugate, 42, would shoot her, records show.

Monrean-Fugate filed for divorce in January in Deschutes County.

An Oregon State Police spokesman said Fugate remains on unpaid administrative leave.

Everton Bailey Jr. of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report.

 Jim Ryan
Katherine Schaeffer knew instantly something was wrong when she woke in the middle of a warm summer night to a horrible stench and her dog rolling all over her bed.

A skunk had apparently crept into her Grants Pass home and sprayed her dog and her belongings.

In a lawsuit, Schaeffer said the stink ruined more than $112,000 worth of her possessions. She's also seeking $38,000 for other costs, including cleaning and living expenses because her home was uninhabitable immediately after the Sept. 12 incident.

But her insurance company, Safeco Insurance, has given her only a fraction of the amount-- $2,000, the suit said.

Glenn Greenberg, a Safeco spokesman, declined comment because of the pending litigation against the company.

Schaeffer's lawyer said part of the problem is that Schaeffer hasnt been able to relay the full extent of the problem to her claims adjusters in Chicago.

The smell permeated everything, and even with repeated washings and treatments, she couldn't salvage much, said attorney Scott Taylor of Eugene.

Schaeffer offered to send the adjusters the comforter off her bed so they could smell it for themselves, but they declined, Taylor said.

You cant take a picture of stink, he said. Youve got to be there with your own nose.

Schaeffers possessions werent the only things that reeked: She and her mixed breed canine smelled for days, Taylor said.

Going in public was very embarrassing as heads turned, noses were fanned and people quickly moved away, Taylor said.

He's arguing that a special personal property rider on Schaeffers homeowner policy should cover the damages. She paid an extra $50 a year for the coverage, he said.

Oregon is home to two primary types of skunks: The striped skunk -- which is widely recognized -- and the more elaborately decorated western spotted skunk. The mammals strike widespread fear among humans and inspire perennial questions to pest-control experts about how to rid them from yards or under homes.

Earlier this year, authorities say a Michigan man accidentally burned down his house when he tried to force out a family of skunks from his crawlspace with a smokebomb.

A skunks stench can be fought with an array of treatments -- including vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and even bleach on walls and countertops.

But Schaeffers lawsuit said her best efforts to neutralize the musk failed for the most part.

Her lawsuit was filed last month in Josephine County Circuit Court.

-- Aimee Green
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo.  An Oregon man who was arrested following disturbances in three national parks, including one in which a bison was harassed in Yellowstone, will remain jailed until his trial later this month, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The decision came as Raymond Reinke of Pendleton pleaded not guilty to five charges stemming from citations issued in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks in late July.

Reinke, 55, was arrested Friday in Glacier National Park, where rangers with a warrant said they found him engaged in another disturbance.

U.S. District Judge Mark Carman set Reinke's trial for Aug. 23, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.

Carman declined to release Reinke on bond, citing his criminal history and his disregard for the conditions of the $500 bond he posted after being cited for public intoxication, disturbing the peace and interfering with a government employee in Grand Teton National Park. He was to avoid alcohol and follow the law.

Days later, Reinke was cited in Yellowstone for having an open container of alcohol and intentionally disturbing wildlife. Park visitors reported the bison harassment to rangers and at least one visitor captured it on video.

In the video, a man walks up to a bison in a roadway congested with stopped cars and waves his arms. The animal charges him a couple times, but the man is not injured.

Bison are a common sight in Yellowstone, and there were an estimated 4,816 of them in Yellowstone in August 2017, according to the park's website. Males weigh up to 2,000 lbs., and females weigh up to 1,000 lbs.

The park advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards from bison, which "are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans," according to the park's website.

"Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal," the website says.

After the video gained attention online and Yellowstone officials learned of Reinke's charges in Grand Teton, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Wyoming asked that Reinke's bond be revoked and an arrest warrant was issued.

Reinke had told Yellowstone officials his next stop was Glacier National Park.

Rangers looking for him there found him when they responded to a disturbance at Many Glacier Hotel, the National Park Service said.

 The Associated Press

Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report
The Oregon Department of Justice declined on Wednesday to open a criminal investigation into a complaint alleging that a ballot initiative agreement negotiated by Gov. Kate Brown, Nike and public employee unions was illegal.

"Based on our review, we have concluded that a criminal investigation is not warranted in this matter," DOJ Criminal Justice Division chief counsel Michael Slauson wrote in a letter to the Secretary of State's office.

"In reaching that conclusion, we note that there is no information that the proponents of (Initiative Petition 25) sought to qualify the petition for the ballot for an improper purpose or that any of the named individuals engaged in intimidation, blackmail or extortion," Slauson wrote.

Slauson referred the complaint, filed in late July by Portland resident Richard Leonetti, back to the Secretary of State's office to determine whether it should take civil or administrative action.

Leonetti's complaint focused on an apparent deal to keep the public employee union's so-called corporate transparency initiative off the November ballot. Initiative Petition 25 would have required large companies such as Nike to disclose their taxes and other sensitive business information in filings with the state, or pay a fine.

Brown's re-election campaign told OPB last month that the governor was meeting with corporate leaders and public employee unions in an attempt to keep Initiative Petition 25 and another initiative, now known as Measure 104, off the ballot. Backers of Measure 104, which would make it more difficult for the Legislature to trim tax breaks, went ahead and got it on the ballot.

After meeting with the governor and days before the signature-gathering deadline for initiative campaigns, Nike contributed $100,000 to a new political action committee called the Common Good Fund. It was created by Nike's senior director of government and public affairs Julia Brim-Edwards, who is also on the Portland Public Schools board.

A spokeswoman for the union-backed political nonprofit Our Oregon said days before the signature deadline that it had more than enough signatures to qualify, after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on paid signature gatherers. They never turned them in, a decision union leaders said was based on the need to focus on defeating Measure 104 and another anti-tax initiative already on the ballot.

Leonetti's complaint named the governor, Brim-Edwards, AFSCME executive director Stacy Chamberlain and SEIU Local 503 president Steven Demarest. He asserted the arrangement reportedly brokered by Brown violated a prohibition in state law against paying to "sell, hinder or delay any part of an initiative, referendum or recall petition."

Christian Gaston, a spokesman for Brown's re-election campaign, wrote in an email: "This complaint was nothing more than an attempt to distract Oregonians from the truth: Governor Brown succeeded in bringing business and labor leaders together to have a reasonable discussion about a better way to move Oregon forward."

SEIU Local 503 did not respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department has two ongoing investigations into other initiatives on the November ballot. It's investigating a complaint by Our Oregon that the signature-gathering firm for Measure 104 violated state election laws. Prosecutors are also investigating multiple complaints that signature gatherers for Measure 105, which would repeal Oregon's sanctuary law, engaged in deceptive practices.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud
The message was fleeting on her Instagram story: a gray background, an American flag and a winky face with the message "See you soon, Portland!"

Later posts showed Tomi Lahren, a conservative commentator with Fox, around the city Tuesday. Lahren said in her Instagram story that she wanted to talk about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also tweeted saying she heard the city has issues with ICE and "the rule of law."

"Hey Portland, I hear you guys don't like ICE very much, so I wanna talk to you about it," she said on her story. "I'm here in Pioneer Courthouse Square, let's come have a conversation."

Later posts on her story showed her with "new friends," a steel straw and driving past what appears to be a homeless camp  "Portland's finest," she calls it.

The internet responded as the internet usually does: Some took kindly to her being in town...

Yes, Talk to @TedWheeler (not my mayor) about how he let @AntifaFacists camp in front of ICE for 5 weeks, harass many and leave a dump for the taxpayers to clean up.  Portlandia.MAGA (@bJo828) August 7, 2018

Tomi! You are so welcome here! You are a breath of fresh air compared to the jobless nut cases that run around this city spewing left wing hate! God bless you!  Ric Bennewate (@rmbennew8) August 7, 2018

Yes there are!! Probably more than anyone thinks. We keep quiet to avoid all the Portland riffraff.  Oregon pioneer (@lhendew) August 7, 2018

...But most social media posts about her were not so kind. Here are some of the tamer tweets:

PoRTlanD, I hEAr YoUVe gOt sOmE isSueS WiTh iCe aNd tHe RulE oF LaW pic.twitter.com/d482F2u6GC  amber (@amberjdub) August 7, 2018

Im in downtown Portland lets throw hands @TomiLahren  Panic! at the Disco Superfan (@realityunf0lds) August 8, 2018

We didn't need Joey Gibson. We didn't need Franklin Graham. We don't need Tomi Lahren in #Portland either, thank you very much.  Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie (@RevChuckCurrie) August 7, 2018

Most people just didn't seem to want her in town.

Were closed.  Mandy Lampert (@LampertMandy) August 7, 2018

--Hannah Boufford

hboufford@oregonian.com / @hannahboufford
Kristen Brown won the Democratic primary for the 99th state House District, beating her two opponents.

Brown will run against Republican incumbent Roger Hauck in November, who was unopposed in the Aug. 7 Republican primary election.

Across Midland and Isabella County, Brown had 3,834 votes, Allison Quast-Lents had 2,421 and Randall Doyle had 595.

The 99th District includes Isabella County and 10 townships in Midland County: Warren, Edenville, Hope, Mills, Geneva, Greendale, Jasper, Porter, Mount Haley and Ingersoll.

Brown is an attorney in Mount Pleasant and local business owner. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High in 1985 and earned her bachelor's degree in political science, pre-law in 1989 from Michigan State University.

Brown attended the Detroit College of Law and earned her Juris Doctor in 1992, and maintained a private law practice since 1995.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has launched a new Mi Drive construction and traffic information website. The streamlined Mi Drive website makes it easier to view traffic cameras and speeds, locate incidents, and search construction projects -- helping motorists know before they go.

"MDOT's Mi Drive site continues to do a great job of providing the information that commuters want and need as they make daily travel decisions," said MDOT Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle in a release. "We've modernized the site and improved performance but our goal is still the same -- to keep Michigan's motorists safe, informed and mobile. 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."
At 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, Bill Schuette of Midland climbed onto the stage with his family and announced, "We did it."

The Associated Press had already called the election. It's now on to the Nov. 6 general election for Schuette, the Republican candidate for governor of Michigan.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Monday, Aug. 6

12:50 p.m. - A deputy checked the well being of a 6-year-old autistic boy in Jerome Township. The child was found asleep in bed.

1:15 a.m. - A Flint man, 25, was arrested in Ingersoll Township for driving without a license.

9 a.m. - Property in the 6800 block of Eastman Avenue was damaged.

11:30 a.m. - Deputies assisted Child Protective Service workers in Lee Township.

2:04 p.m. - A deputy was called to a Jerome Township campground after a worker found a bone at a campsite. The bone was not human.

4:47 p.m. - Police investigated a driver license violation at Eastman Avenue and West Wackerly Street.

5:50 p.m. - Deputies investigated a report of threats in Mills Township.

7:27 p.m. - Michigan State Police investigated a case of fraud in Mills Township.

7:33 p.m. - Officers investigated a personal protection order violation at a Virginia Street address.

7:40 p.m. - A deputy was sent to Midland Township for a report of vehicles driving around a traffic barricade. Extra patrol was requested.

9:53 p.m. - A deputy assisted Grand Rapids Police by locating an 85-year-old Grand Rapids man as he was driving through Coleman. The man was taken to the hospital, and the man's wife was contacted to pick up his vehicle.

10:01 p.m. - Police were sent to the 900 block of Joe Mann Boulevard for a retail fraud.
To the editor:

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, you need to condemn President Donald Trump for the treason he just committed and is committing. Trump is hurting our country's international standing when he criticizes and alienates our allies and will not criticize Putin, who is nothing more than a thug who interfered with our elections, invaded the Ukraine, took Crimea, and is likely blackmailing Trump.

Trump's tariff trade policies will only hurt U.S. consumers and businesses whose raw materials and parts costs will go up. U.S. consumers will pay higher prices for autos (like $5,000 per car) and many other consumer goods. Farmers and U.S. manufactured goods prices will increase for exports because of retaliatory tariffs by other countries and U.S. consumers will pay higher prices for imported products. Pulling out of the TTP will be a disaster for the U.S. Pulling out of the climate change agreement and the Iran agreement are nothing but stupid.

Trump is a crook, basically, no better than the head of a crime family with Russian money and ties to Russian oligarchs. He is a deadbeat businessman who does not pay his bills, declared multiple bankruptcies (six), is a racist who encourages white nationalists, KKK, and alt-right organizations. Trump blames Muslims and Latin Americans unjustly, while discouraging immigration to a country that is based on immigrants.

Stop supporting that lying Trump. If you are not like him, speak out against him like Sen. John McCain and a number of other Republicans have after his treasonous performance in Helsinki. Putin has Trump wrapped around his finger. If you don't speak out against Trump, you are no better than he is, and a coward to boot. Speak out against Trump in the Midland paper.

Like always John, you need to put people (the American people) over party loyalty.

Where do you stand, John? With Trump or with the American people?

RON PARMELE

Midland
The recent history of labor unions in Americathose institutions which protect workers, ensure workplace fairness, and in many ways are the bulwark of the nations middle classhas not been a good one. Republicans have chipped away at their power for decades, and establishment Democrats, who are supposed to the party of labor unions and have benefited from their support, have done very little to protect them from these attacks. This enduring blind eye is a big reason why many of the union rank-and-file in America, particularly in the rust belt, voted for Donald Trump in 2016. When neither party has your back, populist demagoguery (not to mention all the pro-worker promises Trump never planned to deliver on) starts to look more attractive.

One of the chief weapons used by labors enemies are the so-called right-to-work laws, which are more aptly described by activists as right-to-work for less. These laws, which are in effect in 27 statesalmost all of them red statesessentially give workers the right to opt out of unions and, more critically, the right to opt out of fair-share fees. These fees are less than regular union dues, and are paid by non-union members to help cover a unions nonpolitical costs for things like collective bargaining. Theres a good reason for this: Unions are required by law to represent all employees (a stipulation which includes defending them in cases of grievance against an employer), not just the ones who actually join, so the fair-share fees are compensation for the benefits that accrue to those workers who decide not to join.

Right-to-work laws give these non-union members the right not to pay fair-share fees, and in doing so they kneecap unions by eliminating a major source of funding. It also provides a perverse incentive for workers not to join unions. And, of course, it hurts those workers deeply, as you might expect from something explicitly designed to diminish the power to fight for better wages, conditions, and benefits. As EPI noted in 2015, right-to-work states have 3.1 percent lower wages even after adjusting for economic factors, and workers in non-RTW states are 2.4 times as likely to be in a union. And ironically, that trend goes for all workers in a state, not just union workers, because when unions are strong, it raises wages everywhere due to pressure to match union standards.

So when Missouris Republican legislature passed right-to-work in 2017, and Missouris Republican governor signed it into law, things looked really bad for the states workers. But thats when union organizers mobilized, and by gathering signatures across the state, they managed to push Proposition A to a statewide referendum. That referendum happened last night, and the states voters chose resoundingly to defeat the right-to-work law. From NPR:

Voters in Missouri have overwhelmingly rejected a right-to-work law passed by the states Republican-controlled legislature that would have banned compulsory union fees  a resounding victory for organized labor that spent millions of dollars to defeat the measure.

With about 98 percent of the precincts reporting, the no vote on Missouris Proposition A, which supported the law, was running about 67 percent, with nearly 33 percent voting yes.

Heres Mike Louis, AFL-CIO president in Missouri:

More from AFL-CIO MO President Mike Louis: pic.twitter.com/wgX9WfZtTY  Jason Rosenbaum (@jrosenbaum) August 8, 2018

Bernie liked it too:

I'm glad to hear Prop A was defeated tonight in Missouri. Right-to-work legislation must be defeated nationwide. We must stand together, beat back union busters, and continue to build and grow the trade union movement in this country.  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 8, 2018

One really interesting note is that more voters participated in the Republican primary than the Democratic primary in Missouri last night, which means that Republican voters were at least partially responsible for the result. And the regional breakdown confirmed this, showing that even many red counties either voted no on the proposition, or came to an even split.

It's yet another sign that a good way for progressive activists to bypass polarization, and the reflexive pulling of the Republican lever by voters in red states, is to isolate single issues and present them independent of party affiliation in a referendum.

For more perspective on labor's big victory in Missouri, check out the thread that starts with this tweet:
After a woman was roughed up, slapped and thrown to the ground in a violent carjacking in Wilkes-Barre back in 2016, a pair of prescription eyeglasses left at the scene would eventually lead to the suspects.

As the Citizens Voice reports, police later learned the glasses were Rickey Smiley-brand frames that are sold by America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses. The business' closest location in Wilkes-Barre Twp. sold just five of the same model glasses between October 2014 and December 2015, police said.

Only one of the customers -- Corey Thomas Patrick, 21 -- matched one of the carjackers' description. An inspection of the glasses left at the scene of the crime revealed Patrick's prescription was an exact match, police told the Citizens Voice.

Moreover, a cab driver identified Patrick as one of the fares picked up in the area right after the carjacked vehicle had been dumped. Cellphone records showed Patrick's phone was in contact with another phone number that had been used to call for the cab, police told the Citizens Voice.

As a result, Patrick, of Larksville, Pa., and a second suspect, Dametrius Cefus Laws, 23, of Plymouth, Pa., have been charged with robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy in the April 2016 carjacking.

Patrick was also charged with simple assault and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Bail for both was set a $250,000 each.

Details from the Citizens Voice:

On April 3, 2016, the woman was returning to her running car after stopping at a house. She began to sit back into the driver's seat, a man approached and grabbed her legs, police said. As the woman struggled with the attacker, a second robber opened the passenger-side door and got into the vehicle, according to police.

The first man slapped the woman in the face and pulled her out, shoving her to the ground, police said. The man then jumped into the driver's seat and drove off.

The woman told police in addition to her car, the robbers had taken her purse containing $300 cash and her bank cards.

But after finding those eyeglasses at the scene, police never stopped looking for the suspects.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Collins of New York has been indicted on charges that he used inside information about a biotechnology company to make illicit stock trades.

Rep. Christopher Collins, R-N.Y.

The charges were announced and the indictment unsealed in New York City on Wednesday.

The indictment charges Collins and two others, including the congressman's son, with conspiracy, wire fraud and other counts.

Collins is up for re-election in November.

Prosecutors say the charges relate to a scheme to gain insider information about a biotechnology company headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in Auckland, New Zealand.

According to the indictment, the defendants tried to get early word on the results of tests by Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited. The company developed a drug to treat Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Collins was a member of the company's board of directors, Business Insider reports.

From the New York Post: The Republican lawmaker, one of President Trump's earliest supporters, was charged along with his son Cameron Collins and the father of Cameron's fiancee, Stephen Zarsky, in a scheme that allowed them to avoid $768,000 in stock losses.

CNBC reports: In June 2017, (Christopher) Collins passed nonpublic information about Innate's drug trial results to his son in order to help him "make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others," the indictment alleges. His son then traded on that inside information and passed it to Zarsky, along with numerous unnamed co-conspirators, "so that they could utilize the information for the same purpose," according to the indictment.

Collins has denied any wrongdoing.
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) -- Police say the man accused of abducting a Virginia woman and a grandchild has been arrested, but the victims remain missing.

News outlets cite an Amber Alert updated Tuesday that says Hareton Jaime Rodriguez-Sariol was arrested in Pennsylvania.

Police have described Rodriguez-Sariol as having a "known history of infatuation" with 48-year-old Elizabeth Rodriguez Rubio, who was last seen Sunday along with 12-year-old Angie Carolina Rodriguez Rubio.

Virginia State Police and Harrisonburg police had said all three were thought to be traveling in the suspect's vehicle, which was involved in a vehicle fire on Interstate 66 in Warren County, Va., about an hour north of Harrisonburg. Police then said he took the Rubios in a tractor-trailer owned by AMG Express.

The Amber Alert and Critically Missing Adult Alert for the Rubios remain active.
The co-founder of Creation Festival has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting children.

Harry Thomas, a former pastor at Come Alive New Testament Church in Medford, N.J., had plead guilty to sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl, repeatedly exposing himself to another young girl and having sexual contact with three girls who were ages 7 to 9 at the time. The crimes were committed in the 2000s and Thomas's acknowledgement of them was part of a plea deal made in December, according to the Associated Press.

Thomas is one of the co-founders of Creation, one of the largest Christian music festivals in the country. It is held every summer in Mount Union, Pennsylvania. Thomas was suspended from his leadership positions at the festival and Come Alive New Testament Church in December, when he was initially charged for the crimes.

Thomas was called a "ravenous wolf" by family members of the victims at the sentencing, while Burlington County assistant prosecutor Stephen Eife described him as "a devil in disguise," according to the Associated Press.

"What fools we all were. You used the fact that these kids loved you," said the aunt of one of the victims, according to the Courier Post. "You groomed them all and us, too."

Thomas offered up an apology.

"I don't understand why I did these things. I would never hurt them but I did," he said, according to the Courier Post.

Thomas was sentenced on Aug. 3, prior to that he had spent 233 days in jail. He is 75 and has health problems. Superior Court Judge Jeanne Covert acknowledged that he may die in prison, but felt that the sentence was appropriate considering the nature of the crimes and the risk of Thomas reoffending.

The news comes as the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania faces a reckoning of its own, with a grand jury report detailing priest abuse expected to be released later this month.
Two detectives were shot in an ambush near Philadelphia the same evening as National Night Out.

The shooting occurred in Camden County as the officers, dressed in plain clothes and sitting in an unmarked vehicle at a red light, were fired upon, NBC 10 of Philadelphia is reporting.

At least one gunman fired 10 to 25 rounds, striking both officers. One officer fired back as the suspect ran away, according to reports.

The shooting occurred as police departments around the country were celebrating the National Night Out. Four events were occurring at that moment in Camden County, one of which was two miles away from the scene of the shooting, according to reports.

Philly.com reports the detectives, identified only as a man and a woman, were taken to the Cooper University Hospital in Camden with non-life-threatening injuries.

Philadelphia police are aiding the investigation and say at least one suspect was in a white van with bullet holes on the driver's side, NBC 10 reports.

This occurred two days after a police officer was shot while executing an arrest warrant just across the river in Philadelphia.
SUNBURY - The mayor of Sunbury has been cleared of any wrongdoing related to his November conversation with then police Chief Timothy S. Miller regarding politics and a loyalty oath.

The state Ethics Commission and Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz III have notified Mayor Kurt Karlovich that is the conclusion of their investigations. He said after hearing the decision: "We have received a response from the district attorney's office and the state Ethics Commission which I believe speaks for itself regarding the allegations and their response truly allows our city to move forward and be able to focus our attention on more pertinent matters in Sunbury at this time."

Miller said he is not surprised by the findings of the investigations into allegations Karlovich as mayor-elect threatened to fire him if he did not sign a loyalty pledge.

The reports speak for themselves but Miller added the totality of circumstances has changed since then.

The former chief, who had been leading the cold case investigation into the 1989 disappearance and murder of Barbara E. Miller, resigned July 9.

Six days later, four members of City Council issued a statement claiming Karlovich made the decision that the chief would not return to work following a brief leave for medical reasons.

In a statement Wednesday, Miller said the Ethics Commission enforces administrative violations involving public officials' abuse of office for financial gain.

"There is a difference between unethical behavior and unethical behavior that is enforceable by the ethics commission," he said.

"I would love to offer my honest opinion regarding specifics but I am honoring the agreement between myself and the city of Sunbury and have moved on, and so should everyone else."

Terms of that agreement include Miller being paid until next April while he is studying to be a licensed barber.

Karlovich was informed by Robert A. Caruso, executive director of the Ethics Commission, that the allegations against him had not been substantiated and the matter was closed for lack of probable cause.

The commission looked into whether the then mayor-elect made an offer of employment or the promise of future employment in return for Miller agreeing to politically support him.

County Detective Degg Stark said his investigation supported the conclusion of a law firm hired by council that Karlovich violated police department rules but did not commit a crime when he told Miller engaging in politics was part of his job.

Miller and Karlovich agree "loyalty" was discussed during the Nov. 29 conversation but Stark wrote there is strong disagreement on how the term was used.

Since no one else heard the conversation their versions cannot be discredited or corroborated, the detective wrote.

Council retained the law firm of Campbell, Durrant, Beatty, Palombo & Miller, with offices in Pittsburgh and suburban Philadelphia, after it received a letter from Miller related to the loyalty pledge.

Investigator Bradley J. Betack recommended that council submit his findings to the Ethics Commission and the district attorney.

In a separate investigation that indirectly involved the then mayor-elect, Betack concluded members of the police department did not harass Officer Stephen A. Mazzeo while attempting to serve disciplinary papers on him.

He found police had to make numerous trips to Mazzeo's home because he would not answer the door or return phone calls to accept service of disciplinary papers.

Mazzeo was accused of not following protocol last year in investigating a fatal drug overdose and by taking Karlovich on an unauthorized tour of the police evidence room during which he took pictures.

The pictures could pose evidence tampering concerns, Miller said at the time.

Mazzeo joined the Sunbury force in 2008 and was chief for a period until being removed in May 2104. He had been chief in Easton until forced into retirement in 2005. He was a candidate for chief in Middletown in 2014.

Mazzeo resigned effective Sunday to join the Kulpmont force. An arbitrator has yet to issue a decision on his discipline.
A Palmyra woman running a day care out of her home is facing charges after police say she left six young children "alone and unattended."

A parent went on April 4 to Meghan Fedor's residence in the 500 block of East Walnut Street to pick up his daughter, Lebanon Daily News reports. The parent arrived earlier than usual, and there was no response at Fedor's door.

The parent then called Fedor's cell phone, and Fedor told him she would be home in a few minutes. Fedor also told the parent her friend was in the basement of the home but probably didn't hear him knocking, according to the report.

Fedor arrived in a vehicle a short time later, and pulled her vehicle into the garage. Fedor then brought the parent's child to the front door, and it appeared the child had been crying, Lebanon Daily News reports, citing court documents.

When asked by the parent, Fedor denied leaving the child alone.

In an interview with police on May 3, Fedor admitted that she left the six children - aged 5 months to 5 years - alone in the house that day so she could pick up another child from kindergarten. Fedor told investigators she could not take the children with her "because of the rain," according to the report.

Fedor denied leaving the children alone before April 4, but a 5-year-old girl told investigators she left children alone on multiple occasions.

Fedor, 45, is charged with endangering the welfare of children.
BALTIMORE -- A senior environmental official in Pennsylvania said Tuesday that his state is "clearly behind" in reaching goals of cutting pollution that flows downstream into the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, weeks after heavy rains brought a stunning amount of debris into Maryland.

Patrick McDonnell, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, made the comment at a meeting in Baltimore of officials from six states in the bay watershed. Maryland officials last week had blasted Pennsylvania and other upstream states, accusing them of not doing more to stop pollution flow.

"We are clearly behind in terms of midpoint assessment, but we've taken that as opportunity to double down, and as I said this is about local water quality," McDonnell said, after a reporter asked about criticism directed at Pennsylvania.

In earlier remarks at a meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council, McDonnell said Pennsylvania officials are focusing on prioritizing resources to improve environmental steps in farm communities.

While Pennsylvania is not contiguous with the nation's largest estuary, McDonnell said state officials want to improve water quality, and "we are absolutely committed to the reduction of nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, in our backyard and the benefit that that ultimately leads to within the Chesapeake Bay."

READ MORE: How Pennsylvania's failing drinking water system is hurting you

Will Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said McDonnell's admission was "the most definitive comment by a senior official in Pennsylvania" that the state is behind in cleanup goals.

"Now, we need to hold their feet to the fire," Baker said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who was re-elected the chairman of the council, said last week that upstream states need to do more to prevent pollution from entering the waters of the Susquehanna River, which flows south into Maryland.

On Tuesday, he said it was positive to have representatives from the six states at the table talking about making progress on pollution-reduction goals.

Hogan noted that council members reaffirmed their commitment to developing a Watershed Implementation Plan for the Conowingo Dam. Last month, engineers opened the dam gates, sending tons of water and debris downstream after heavy rains.

Hogan also said he was not pleased with the response that Exelon Corp., the owner of the dam, gave after the state asked for assistance in cleaning up debris in the state's waters. The company committed $25,000 to the Chesapeake Bay Trust and said it would make resources available to help clean up debris, an amount Hogan said was a "drop in the bucket."

READ MORE: Pennsylvania has failed on guaranteeing clean water. Here's how to fix it | Editorial

The governor also criticized a lawsuit filed by the company in which it argues it should not be held responsible for the pollution that flows through the dam.

"Twenty-five-thousand dollars is a drop in the bucket and nowhere near the kind of money we think they should put up," Hogan, a Republican, said. "They've now sued the state of Maryland, but we're going to try to make sure that they're a major part of the solution, so no we're not pleased with the response."

A statement from Exelon on Tuesday cited scientific and environmental impact studies which show the debris and pollution come from upstream sources. The company said it routinely removes debris from around the dam and voluntarily removed 600 tons of debris which has flowed from upstream sources to the dam in 2018.

"It is clear, prior to the recent storms, there was limited debris around the dam. The debris currently in the Chesapeake Bay is a direct byproduct of record rain in the region," Exelon said in its statement.

The Chesapeake Executive Council includes the governors of the six bay watershed states, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the mayor of the District of Columbia. The watershed covers 64,000 square miles (165,000 square kilometers) and includes Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

--

Brian Witte of the Associated Press wrote this story.
Shareholders will vote Thursday on whether to give their approval to a merger of East Pennsboro Township-based Rite Aid and Albertsons Companies, based in Idaho.

The vote comes just days after Rite Aid chopped its profit forecast for 2019, causing its stock to drop 12 percent at Monday's opening bell.

That drop is just the latest blow. Rite Aid's stock has plunged 77 percent in the past two years, after a planned merger with with Walgreens fell through amid anti-trust concerns. Instead, the company ended up selling just about half of its stores -- 1,932 of them -- to Walgreens.

The agreement to merge with Albertson's was announced in February. But shareholder approval is not certain.

Rite Aid is making the case that the new proposed merger with the Idaho-based grocery company Albertsons is needed in the face of looming threats like online-retail-giant Amazon joining the pharmacy game, according to Forbes.

The $24 billion transaction would join the nation's second-largest supermarket operator with its third-largest drug chain.

But some Rite Aid shareholders are pushing against the deal. And proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis recently recommended Rite Aid shareholders vote against it, saying they don't believe it will offer those shareholders a real premium.

in the end, it is anticipated that Albertsons stockholders will own approximately 70.4 percent to 72 percent of the shares in the new company, and former Rite Aid stockholders will own approximately 29.6 percent to 28 percent of the shares.

The proxy advisors have also said that more consideration should be given to operating Rite Aid as a stand alone company.

If the merger is approved, the new company will operate approximately 4,900 locations, 4,350 pharmacies, and 320 clinics across 38 states and Washington D.C. Most Albertsons Companies pharmacies will be rebranded as Rite Aid, and the new company will continue to use Rite Aid stand-alone pharmacies.

The plans call for Rite Aid CEO John Standley to become CEO of the merged company, with Albertsons CEO Bob Miller becoming the chairman. The company would have dual headquarters in Boise, Idaho and East Pennsboro.

The shareholders vote set for 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 4 Times Square, New York, New York.
As thousands of firefighters battle the largest wildfire in California's history, a group of Pennsylvanians returned to the Commonwealth Tuesday night after helping to fight wildfires in Oregon.

The group of 20 Pennsylvanians, comprised of volunteer firefighters and state fire foresters, spent two weeks working up to 16 hours each day establishing containment lines and hand-searching for embers and hot spots.

They returned to Harrisburg International Airport Tuesday night, and stayed at a hotel in Swatara Township. They will return to their hometowns across the state Wednesday morning.

The group was the third team to return from helping to fight Western fires so far this year.

Each year, various groups of firefighters travel out of state to help fight wildfires, averaging about six to eight trips per year. While California's catastrophic Carr wildfire is making national headlines for burning nearly 300,000 acres and killing at least seven victims, the rate of Pennsylvania's traveling out of state to assist other agencies this year is about the same as prior years.

Firefighters from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia and Ohio are part of the Mid-Atlantic Mobilization Center that travel from Harrisburg to other states needing assistance.

Another team left on Sunday and is currently fighting wildfires in Idaho, said Matt Reed, a section chief in the bureau's Forest Fire Protection Division.

The group that just returned from Oregon accomplished two assignments on their trip. First, they performed "coldtrailing" at the Hendrix fire southwest of Ashland to ensure no hot spots remained on the ground, in holes or in tree stumps along burned areas near fire containment lines. They looked for signs of smoke, and pressed their hands against the ground to feel for any heat. The fire spread beyond 1,000 acres but is now 70 percent contained.

The second assignment involved establishing a fire containment box around the Sugar Pine Fire, which consisted of multiple fires west of Crater Lake National Park. The workers from Pennsylvania removed sources of fuel along a specified fire line.

Some members of the team carried chain saws everyday while helping to clear trees and branches.

"If there's no fuel to burn, then the fire runs out of energy," said Jeremy Dayhoff, a fire forester with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Several homes were situated inside the containment zone, so they had to be evacuated and firefighters doused them with water to try to protect them.

At night, the firefighters stayed in tents at a base camp. They were served meals and occasionally had access to showers.

No one was injured and morale stayed high during the trip to Oregon, Dayhoff said.

Oregon will reimburse Pennsylvania for the cost of its fire foresters and pay the volunteer firefighters directly for their work.

When Pennsylvanians travel out of state to assist other agencies, they typically work to establish fire lines, Reed said. That's the most successful method for fighting wildfires that grow out of control.

While the trip to Oregon was uneventful, crews from Pennsylvania have had to pull back from fire lines in previous assignments. Two years ago a fire exploded in intensity in Wyoming, forcing the Pennsylvania crew to retreat to a safety zone while air units doused the blaze. The next day, when conditions were more favorable, the crew returned to the field to establish a new containment fire line.

Wildfires out west often get ignited by so-called "dry lightning" during storms that don't leave any rain on the ground. Pennsylvania wildfires, meanwhile, typically are started by burning debris, or arson, Reed said.

When fighting fires in their home state or away from home, firefighters and fire foresters wear fire resistant clothing, a hard hat, safety glasses, leather gloves and leather boots. They also carry giant foil "fire shelters that can resist radiant heat, in an extreme emergency.
Pennsylvania's volunteer and professional firefighters are a hardy lot.

For not nearly enough thanks and most definitely not enough pay, these brave and men and women routinely rush into harm's way, saving lives and saving property with heroic regularity.

So we're going to take a moment today to acknowledge the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry workers and volunteer firefighters who are currently in Utah, where they're working to contain devastating wildfires.

As PennLive's Christine Vendel reports, these local heroes fly out of state every summer to assist their colleagues in the west. One team of 20 Pennsylvania firefighters returned Tuesday, Aug. 7 after spending 15 days on the front lines in Oregon.

In Oregon, the Pennsylvania firefighters worked up to 16 hours a day battling the blaze amid punishing heat.

As Vendel reported, the firefighters from Pennsylvania worked to establish fire lines to help contain the wildfire and prevent it from gaining new territory. The firefighters cleared areas of trees and other "fuel" for the fire to stop the fire from spreading.

And each squad working in Oregon had a member who served as an expert in cutting down trees. That person, known as a tree faller, often carries a chainsaw all day for weeks to be able to clear fire lines.

It's an extraordinary effort, and one that does not get nearly enough recognition.

There's plenty enough in this campaign season for us to disagree about. But for right now, we'll put all that aside, and just say this:

Thank you for all you do. And thank you for sharing those skills with a lucky nation.

For those among you in Utah who are still fighting the fires, get home safely. And for those who have returned, welcome home.

You're heroes, all of you.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  Filipino actress Kris Aquino looked like royalty  just like her character Princess Intan  during the world premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" in Hollywood on Wednesday.

She graced the elegant event in a yellow classic modern Filipiniana by young Filipino designer Michael Leyva. She was accompanied by her son, Bimby.

On her way to the red carpet premiere, Kris shared a video of a group of Filipinos eagerly awaiting for her arrival.

"This was the reason we made the effort to be here.... it is my honor to proudly represent the Philippines," she wrote on Instagram.

She plays the role of Malay royalty, Princess Intan, in the American romantic comedy-drama film based on Kevin Kwan's "Crazy Rich Asians" trilogy.

Kwan shared a tidbit on the role of the TV host-actress in the film.

"She's a highlight of the movie, for me, she's a highlight," he said in a video shared by Aquino on Instagram.

"Crazy Rich Asians" will show in Philippine cinemas on August 22.
By E. Fletcher McClellan

With three months to go before Election Day, pollsters and pundits have declared Gov. Tom Wolf as the favorite to win re-election over Republican candidate Scott Wagner.

E. Fletcher McClellan (PennLive file photo)

The Real Clear Politics average of polls in the Pennsylvania governor's race shows a double-digit Wolf lead, and the election is rated as a "likely democratic" win by University of Virginia prognosticator Larry J. Sabato and others.

The governor has a lot going for him, including an improving economy and the knowledge that the party holding the White House almost always loses midterm elections.

And when the White House occupant has historically low approval ratings and goes out of his way to antagonize and energize the Democratic base, the confidence of Wolf's re-election campaign should increase.

In addition, Wolf has a sizable fund-raising advantage over Wagner and the power of incumbency. To show what the latter can mean, look at what the governor did just last week.

Traveling across the state, Wolf highlighted job training and apprenticeship programs, the expansion of manufacturing plants, and a new public-private partnership to revive Cheyney University.

Furthermore, he announced the distribution of grant funds to help individuals jailed for opioid addiction and to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to elementary schools.

It's hard for a challenger, even one with considerable self-funding capacity like Wagner, to match the sheer volume of good news that an incumbent administration can generate.

In every campaign, however, mistakes are made, providing opponents with opportunities to change the narrative.

Capitalizing on an impromptu response Wolf made at a press conference a month ago, Wagner accused the governor of planning to redistribute state elementary and secondary school funds from rural districts to Philadelphia.

Running against the City of Brotherly Love is not unusual for Republican campaigns, but this particular charge struck a nerve.

When Wolf ran four years ago, he gave no indication that he would propose the broad-based income and sales tax increases he presented in his first year as governor. This led to the long budget standoff with the GOP legislature, and drove Wolf's approval numbers into the danger zone.

So, any hint of a "secret plan" pitting rural vs. urban constituents was bound to ring alarm bells in the Wolf campaign.

Denials were issued, the governor stated that running all state school funds through a more equitable formula (now applied only to new education dollars) would "take time," and his campaign accused Wagner of supporting cuts in public education.

This didn't stop the Republican candidate, who alleged that the governor was giving up on the goal of reducing property taxes while continuing to raid taxpayers' wallets.

Regardless of how this feud turns out, it has given Wagner new life after a bruising primary campaign and his "young and naive" response to a teen voter asking about his stance on climate change.

Politics aside, it is altogether appropriate to ask the governor what his priorities are for the second term.

So far, Wolf has pointed to his record of increasing education spending, expanding Medicaid, authorizing medical marijuana, and achieving significant management reforms.

The governor can also boast of progress made working with the Republican leadership (with whom Wagner was at odds for much of his brief time in the State Senate) on pension reform, liquor sales competition, and, earlier this summer, an on-time budget.

At the same time, Wolf has drawn sharp contrasts with social conservatives in the state legislature, who tried and failed to enact a 20-week abortion ban, and the Trump administration.

Last week the governor denounced the EPA's proposal to roll back fuel economy standards. Along with Attorney General Josh Shapiro, he vowed to protect the civil rights and liberties of Pennsylvanians from a conservative takeover of the federal courts.

It may be that promising more of the same and blocking the Trump agenda will be enough for Wolf to win re-election.

But keeping quiet on his second-term priorities will not help Wolf's fellow Democrats in their efforts to narrow the party margins in both houses of the legislature, nor will it enable him to claim a strong popular mandate if he wins.

Historically speaking, there are far more failed second terms than successful ones at both the presidential and gubernatorial levels.

The partisan truce of 2018 in Harrisburg will give way to renewed gridlock in 2019 unless something in the next three months shakes up this campaign.

Enter President Trump.

Make no mistake, Trump will be on the ballot in November. He's likely to make more appearances in the Keystone State in addition to his recent rally in support of Congressman Lou Barletta, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Trump has already proved his ability to disrupt Pennsylvania politics, and it's likely that Wagner, with his bomb-throwing style, will attach himself more closely to the president.

As the campaign intensifies, Wolf will be presented with a dilemma.

He could play it safe and stay cool, banking on the not-unreasonable assumption that voters will prefer his low-key style to the chaos that a Trump-style capture of state government would bring.

On the other hand, if Wolf doesn't turn up the heat himself by proclaiming what he will fight for, he is likely to find Harrisburg to be a very chilly place in the next four years, if not sooner.

PennLive Opinion contributor E. Fletcher McClellan is a political science professor at Elizabethtown College. His work appears biweekly.
Legislation that would pave the way to faster Internet service and expand its capacity particularly in suburban and urban parts of Pennsylvania is getting some lawmakers' attention in Harrisburg this summer.

The House Consumer Affairs Committee on Thursday will hold a hearing at the Capitol to gather testimony about a bill that cuts wireless companies some breaks to speed up the approval process for placing antennas in public rights of way.

House Bill 2564, sponsored by Rep. Frank Farry, R-Bucks County, would streamline and make uniform across the state the rules and fees associated with placing these short-range pizza box-sized antennas on existing utility poles, new poles and other structures in the rights of way.

The reason this additional equipment is needed has to do with our growing appetite for devices that require wireless service - doorbell monitoring systems, wireless thermostats, driverless cars, - and the forthcoming 5G technology that is capable of transmitting data at least 40 times faster than today's 4G networks with virtually no lag time.

To get an idea of what that means, you can download a two-hour movie in about 90 minutes using 4G technology whereas with 5G, that same movie can be downloaded in about 4 seconds.

Further, there are economic benefits that include job creation from attracting new businesses to the commonwealth down to benefiting small companies hired by the wireless industry to help in locating sites for this so-called small cell equipment for the wireless industry. It brings educational and health care benefits as well.

"Wireless infrastructure and deployment and 5G are incredibly important to our competitiveness as a region and Pennsylvania, said David Kerr, an AT&T executive vice president. "Pennsylvania needs to consider this legislation to keep up with the 20 other states that have already passed this legislation."

What's hindering it from happening now has to do with the fact that this new technology requires wireless companies to install an abundance of these small cell towers, so abundant that would become as commonplace as street lights are now.

Requiring wireless companies to submit applications for all those antennas, pay the fee for each one, and comply with each municipality's set of rules to gain approval is viewed as problematic for them. It would be costly and time consuming.

Farry understands that building this network requires a significant investment on the part of wireless companies but he also considers it important that Pennsylvania take steps to make it happen.

"It could give us a competitive advantage with certain businesses and industries, not to mention their investment is going to be a job creator," he said.

So he set out to craft legislation that overcame objections to an earlier bill that was viewed by some as surrendering nearly all municipal control over the placement of the small cell equipment to wireless companies.

He believes his bill strikes a middle ground between wireless companies' desire for a streamlined and predictable approval process for placing this equipment in public rights of way and municipalities' desire to maintain some control over where the equipment is placed.

The bill allows for a wireless company to submit a single application for up to 20 facilities. It requires them to pay $100 application fee; a $25 annual fee per antenna; and $50 fee per pole. It also shortens the timeframe for review and approval to 60 days. Inaction on an application deems it approved.

It gives municipalities the authority to deny an applications if they view it as presenting a public safety concern or fails to comply with building or electrical codes or spacing requirements. It also protects historic districts and placement on decorative poles.

While AT&T is among those supportive of the bill, the Pennsylvania Municipal League, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners and the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs are among the groups that see it as too much of a giveaway of municipalities' authority to manage their rights of way to wireless companies.

What's more, they don't think it's necessary.

"Municipalities in Pennsylvania have been approving wireless facilities' applications for years," said Dan Cohen, a Pittsburgh attorney who is representing the municipal groups. "Our firm assisted about 150 municipalities in Pennsylvania with their wireless ordinances and dealing with these wireless companies. I'm not aware of any one of them that has denied an application by the wireless industry."

Besides that, he said the proposed timeline for review of these application is too short and proposed fees too low. Further, Cohen said he fears it could set a precedent that could lead to further stripping away of municipalities' authority to over manage its rights of way.

The real shame, he said, is it doesn't include any language requiring the wireless industry to deploy high-speed internet to rural areas that lack reliable high-speed access.

AT&T's Kerr admits this proposal initially will reap benefits for suburban and urban areas where there are capacity constraints on the networks but the savings that wireless companies realize could then be directed to expanding coverage to underserved or unserved areas of the state.

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors is more neutral on the bill than the other municipal associations. Its executive director David Sanko said it's an improvement over the earlier bill that was proposed but still there are some areas of concern.

"We look forward to working with the sponsor and committee to address our issues and move this process forward," Sanko said. "The delivery of this vital service is important to Pennsylvanians."

The Pennsylvania State Grange favors the bill. While the bill doesn't exactly address its number one priority of getting high-speed internet access to rural areas, it views it as presenting an opportunity that eventually may lead to that.

"The Pennsylvania State Grange believes very strongly it may well be that one large comprehensive solution may not work as well as trying a variety of solutions," said its legislative director Vince Phillips. "We look at this bill as recognizing a variety of approaches that gets us to the goal of universal broadband access in the commonwealth."

Farry said he sees his bill as a work in progress. Take the fees, for example. "The carriers know the fees are going to be higher than that. It's a bargaining range," he said.

He also believes that future changes to the bill will emerge based on the testimony provided at the hearing and they likely will be slanted in municipalities' favor. But he doesn't want to see Pennsylvania lose out on this opportunity that would enhance public safety, education, access to health care, and the economy.

"My hope is we can spend time coming up with something that is workable and moves this forward," Farry said. "These days, everybody is attached to the internet. Young people even more so. We just have to figure out what's the most fair to make this happen."
Hunters may be missing bullets for the upcoming gun deer season
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters)  A U.S. border patrol agent acquitted of murder for shooting a Mexican teenager to death across the Arizona-Mexico border is not immune from civil damages claims by the boys mother, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

The dissenting judge from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 2-1 decision accused the majority of ignoring legal precedent and said the Supreme Court may need to weigh in.

Tuesdays decision allows Araceli Rodriguez to sue the agent Lonnie Swartz over the Oct. 10, 2012 shooting of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.

The boy had been walking down a street in Nogales, Mexico when Swartz, then on duty and standing on an embankment on U.S. soil, fired through a border fence, striking him about 10 times.

Swartz said he acted in self-defense in response to a group of rock throwers, while Rodriguez said her son was walking peacefully.

A Tucson, Arizona federal jury in April acquitted Swartz of second-degree murder, and deadlocked on lesser manslaughter charges. A retrial on those charges was scheduled for Oct. 23.

In the civil case, a lower court judge rejected Swartzs claim of qualified immunity, and said Rodriguez could seek damages for violations of her sons constitutional rights.

During his appeal, Swartz adopted an argument offered by the U.S. Department of Justice that Rodriguez lacked a so-called Bivens claim against him for violating the Fourth Amendment.

But in Tuesdays majority opinion, Circuit Judge Andrew Kleinfeld found it inconceivable that any reasonable officer to think he or she could kill Elena Rodriguez, as the mother suggested, for no reason.

Kleinfeld distinguished a 1990 Supreme Court precedent limiting the Fourth Amendments extraterritorial reach, saying Swartz acted on American soil subject to American law and it was clearly established he could not shoot across the border. He also said Swartzs conduct might shock[] the conscience.

Swartzs lawyer Sean Chapman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

The court made clear that the Constitution does not stop at the border, said Lee Gelernt, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer representing Rodriguez. The ruling could not have come at a more important time, when [the Trump] administration is seeking to further militarize the border.

Circuit Judge Milan Smith dissented, saying it was for Congress to extend Bivens, and that another federal appeals court reached the opposite result in a similar case.

He said the majority tees up our court for a new chastening' by the Supreme Court, known for often reversing 9th Circuit decisions.

The case is Rodriguez v Swartz, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 15-16410.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Susan Thomas)
By Ryan Woo and David Lawder

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters)  China is slapping additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports from fuel and steel products to autos and medical equipment, the Chinese commerce ministry said, as the worlds largest economies escalated their trade dispute.

The tariffs will be activated on Aug. 23, the ministry said, the same day that the United States plans to begin collecting 25 percent extra in tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese goods.

The United States published its final list of goods subject to the new tariffs on Tuesday.

Chinas final list announced on Wednesday differs from an earlier draft it published in June, which included crude oil. The number of categories of goods subject to tariffs rose to 333 from 114 in the June draft, although the total value is unchanged.

The U.S. action that prompted the Chinese retaliation was the latest by President Donald Trump to put pressure on China to negotiate trade concessions, after Washington imposed tariffs on $34 billion in goods last month. China has vowed to retaliate with equivalent tariffs against any U.S. action.

This is a very unreasonable practice, the Chinese commerce ministry said of the U.S. action on Wednesday as it rolled out Chinas counter-tariffs.

To compensate for the gap on its tariff list caused by the exclusion of crude oil, China added fish meal, wood waste, paper and paper waste, metal scraps, and various types of bicycles and cars, among other products.

Last week, China proposed additional tariffs on another $60 billion of U.S. goods after Trump raised planned tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent.

So far, China has now either imposed or proposed tariffs on $110 billion of U.S. goods, representing the vast majority of its annual imports of American products. Big-ticket U.S. items that are still not on any list are crude oil and large aircraft.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representatives office could not immediately be reached for comment on Chinas retaliation announcement or whether this would trigger Trumps next round of threatened tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

USTR is conducting a public comment period for those tariffs, which could reach 25 percent, due to end Sept. 5. It would take a few more weeks to revise the list and make programming changes at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting the duties.

Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, said he expected that there would be little to stop further escalation of the U.S.-China tariff war as both sides dig into entrenched positions.

My expectation is that U.S. tariffs on $250 billion of imports from China will be in effect about a month prior to the November U.S. elections. Thats soon enough to be used by Trump as a rallying argument, but late enough so that adverse effects will not occur before January 2019. Of course, China will retaliate, probably dollar for dollar, Hufbauer said.

China, however, would run out of U.S. imports to levy, as it bought only $130 billion worth of American goods last year. It would likely have to impose penalties on U.S. companies doing business in China to make up the difference.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing and David Lawder in Washington, D.C; Additional reporting by Stella Qiu in Beijing, Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong and Susan Heavey in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Catherine Evans)
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The Democratic Partys dreams are coming true, as they are going to get to run against a crime wave of Trump and Republican corruption.

Jake Sullivan of Politico laid out the GOP crime wave on MSNBC:

Sullivan said:

I mean, we put this pretty plainly in the afternoon edition of Playbook, which is Republicans are giving Democrats something that Democrats have been yearning for, which is a corruption election cycle like they had in 2006. Collins was arrested, took calls about inside stock tips at a white house picnic. A bunch of members of Congress were also invested in this stock, but they have not been implicated. You have this major ProPublica story that talks about how President Trumps friends were directing VA Policy, although they said they werent profiting from it.

Paul Manafort is on trial in Virginia in a very public and very intense trial that doesnt exactly involve Trump. Listen, Democrats can feasibly make the point, and they are going to, according to the people I talked to, that Republicans are not good stewards of the government and cannot be trusted with the levers of power. And this, again, you mentioned it, Katy, but we are talking about Ohio 12, a district that, as you noted, went for Trump by double digits, 11 points. Republicans should have won this in a walk. These kinds of seats are plus sevens, districts that Republicans win by seven points or more. If Democrats find a way to make these winnable, to put these in play, the majority is gone. If you talk to almost any Republican, they said if they had lost last night, they would have not been able to make a credible argument to donors or to anybody they could keep the majority so they are in a really tough spot. They are trying to figure out where they go when the lights go out.

Democrats are going to run against the swamp that Trump built

Donald Trump didnt drain the swamp like he promised. Instead, he built a new bigger gold trimmed swamp and hung a Trump sign on the front. Democrats have an opportunity to make a great argument that Republicans are stealing money the taxpayers and giving to themselves and their friends through tax cuts while taking away health care, and making sure that working people cant get ahead.

Voters hate government corruption, and the Republican Party has followed Trumps lead and turned itself into a corrupt cesspool. Democrats have been dreaming of this opportunity in a midterm election since 2006.

It is finally here, and a Trump fueled Republican crime spree has open the doors wide open for a blue wave to roll into Congress.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, on Wednesday announced that she is alarmed that the National Archives have failed to give Democrats secret documents that have been requested concerning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is alarmed by the National Archives decision to deny document requests on President Trumps Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is "alarmed" by the National Archives decision to deny document requests on President Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh https://t.co/IvzVP6zxjU pic.twitter.com/iacRKufTwX  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 8, 2018

Feinstein wrote to National Archives Chief Archivist David Ferriero a letter obtained by CNN on Wednesday. In the letter, the senior senator strongly criticized Ferriero for his narrow view of the law that she believes he improperly used to justify denying Democrats the ability to see the governments Kavanaugh documents which have never been released to the public.

Democrats are scheduled to hold meetings with Kavanaugh, President Trumps second nominee to the Supreme Court, after senators return from their August recess.

Under your overly restrictive reading of the Presidential Records Act, minority members of the Senate Judiciary Committee now have no greater right to Mr. Kavanaughs records than members of the press and the public, Feinstein wrote to Ferriero.

I ask that you reconsider the position set forth in your August 2 letter, she went on. These records are crucially important to the Senates understanding of Mr. Kavanaughs full record, and withholding them prevents the minority from satisfying its constitutional obligation to provide advice and consent on his nomination.

Democrats are demanding that the U.S. government release all documents created during Kavanaughs time at the White House. This would be a period of approximately three years when he worked in the George W. Bush administration as staff secretary.

Republicans, on the other hand, have accused Senate Democrats of trying to delay Kavanaughs nomination by making the request for the Kavanaugh documents from the archives.

In her letter Feinstein made the argument that the Senate Democrats request for documents was no broader than the Republican requests for documents released from archives during the nomination process of Justice Elena Kagan, who was named to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama.

We are asking for no more and no less than what was provided to the Senate for the Elena Kagan nomination. It was possible then and it should be possible now. The minority party shouldnt be precluded from document requests, Feinstein emphasized.

Feinsteins letter to Ferrario came after the National Archives sent an official response to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York in which they argued that such a request for documents could only be made by the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court last month after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in June.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters)  Voters in Missouri on Tuesday overwhelmingly decided to strike down a so-called right-to-work law barring the collection of fees from private-sector workers who choose not to become union members, a crucial victory for organized labor following a series of setbacks.

Missouri residents voted by a 2-to-1 ratio to defeat the state law, which Republican lawmakers approved last year but had been put on hold pending the ballot referendum. Unions say that because they are required to bargain on behalf of all workers, including non-members, those workers should contribute a fair share of the dues paid by members.

The vote marked the first time that a right-to-work law was struck down at the polls. Twenty-seven other states have adopted such laws, including five since 2012, and the Missouri vote was seen as an important chance for labor groups to stem the tide.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark decision in June, said that requiring public-sector workers who do not join unions to pay fees violates their free speech rights. That decision will deprive public worker unions of millions of dollars and could decrease their political clout.

President Donald Trump has appointed officials with long records of opposing unions to influential labor posts in his administration.

Had Missouris law been upheld, an estimated 60,000 fewer workers could have been represented by unions, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. The resulting loss of dues would have made it more difficult for unions, which typically support Democratic candidates, to contribute to political campaigns and to organize more workers.

The momentum from the Missouri vote and a series of teacher strikes across the country could lead to major gains for unions in Novembers mid-term elections, said Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor federation.

The victory in Missouri follows a national wave of inspiring activism  and electoral triumphs that remind America the path to power runs through the labor movement, Trumka said.

Many business groups supported the right-to-work law, saying it would spur job creation and that it was unfair to force workers to subsidize unions that they do not join.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which lobbies for such laws and represents workers with legal claims against unions, contributed more than $750,000 to a campaign to defeat the referendum. Overall, unions and their allies outspent supporters of the law by nearly 5-to-1.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Trott)
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WASHINGTON (Reuters)  Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul said on Wednesday he delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to the Russian government during a trip to Moscow.

I was honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putins administration. The letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges, Paul wrote in a Twitter post.

The White House had no immediate comment on the letter.

Paul, an ally of Trump, said he had traveled to the Russian capital to encourage diplomacy amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.

On Monday, he invited Russian lawmakers to visit Washington after holding talks in Moscow with parliamentarians and pledging to block new sanctions against Russia.

U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to try to tilt the race in Trumps favor, an assertion Moscow rejects. The two countries are also at odds over Syria and Ukraine.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Lisa Lambert and Jonathan Oatis)
On August 3, First Deputy Representative for of Russias Permanent Mission to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy published an open letter in response to an article published in the Washington Post on the topic of combatting Russian disinformation. The article also quotes Polyanskiy himself.

The Russian representatives letter focuses on the open source investigation organization Bellingcat, which he accuses of promoting claims based on fake evidence and being funded by American and Western funds that traditionally support anti-Russian campaigns.

This is yet another attack in a series, a Russian government campaign against Bellingcat targeted for its role in the investigation of the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet, which killed all 298 people abroad and for which Russia was officially incriminated.

Polyanskiys letter meanders through the Kremlins version of the MH17 investigation and we will get to that. But first, lets deal with his description of of Bellingcats investigations, as based on fakes.".

Bellingats own disclaimer says, it uses open source and social media investigation to investigate a variety of subjects from Mexican drug lords to conflicts across the globe.

On the topic of fake evidence, Bellingcat has long offered an open challenge to Russias Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and now the U.N. Mission, to demonstrate that they used falsified evidence in their work.

But who exactly funds Bellingcat? Cursory research shows that it was started with crowdfunding via Kickstarter in 2014, when it raised 50,891 GBP. Later, Bellingcat received funding from other sources, such as the Open Society Foundation (OSF) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Bellingcats founder Eliot Higgins openly declared this funding in 2017 on Twitter.

Higgins explained Bellingcats funding to Polygraph.info.

Currently about 50% of our funding comes from NED, OSF, Addessium and Pax for Peace, and the other 50% comes from the workshops we run, which I advertise on the website, he wrote.

According to Higgins, grants from the OSF and NED help pay for programs to assist journalists and researchers in doing their own investigations, not Bellingcats investigations.

Most our funding from grants covers stuff that isn't related to investigating anything Russia related, he explained.

Like our MH17 work was mainly done by volunteers, same with the Syria work. Said Higgins. Also, it's only in the last year or so our budget has been big enough to hire lots of staff. We've gone from four full time staff members last year to nine this year.

In addition to helping to fund training programs, the Open Society Foundations grants pay to translate Bellingcats material into Russian, and they also pay for an investigator who does research on opaque ownership schemes in Britain, which facilitate money laundering.

He also mentioned that the organization had to do another crowdfunding drive via Kickstarter in 2017.

While Bellingcat has recently received funding from foundations, which Mr. Polyanskiy may consider to be engaged in anti-Russian activity, Higgins says that money was not used to finance the organizations work on Syria or MH17, which was done by volunteers and mostly crowdfunded.

Now, to the issue of fakes.The Deputy Representative made a number of assertions in his letter which have been thoroughly debunked by Polygraph.info and others on several occasions, mostly on the topic of MH17 and Russian involvement in the war in Ukraine.

For example, Polyanskiy says Russia provided primary radar data and classified information on Buk missiles but that the International Joint Investigative Team showed particular distrust to our findings and contribution and began to rely more and more on social media.

Actually, investigators displayed a shell casing in a May 2018 news conference. News photos (Reuters) established the Buk missiles that Russia said were decommissioned in 2011 were still in use years later.

Polyanskiy, in his letter, states that Ukraine officials are responsible for the four year old conflict in the Donbas because of their obsession to punish their own citizens by military force for their desire to preserve their language and culture.

Polygraph.info debunked this line of thinking months ago, with evidence establishing that Russian citizens served as key military and political leaders of the so-called separatists and that it was a former GRU officer  military intelligence from Russia -- who lead the militia from the first days of the armed conflict.

Russias UN representative writes of Bellingcat's use of evidence from "social media" without going into detail about what that actually means.

Bellingcat specializes in open source investigations  this means investigating using publicly available sources of information, including social media. Tweets and social network posts have been used to determine the time or location of events by investigative media, government intelligence, military, law enforcement and businesses around the world.

Photographs and videos posted on social media also provide valuable information which can be used to determine where events took place or who was involved in them.

For example, Bellingcat wrote one article in which its investigators compiled a selection of social media posts from the day Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over Eastern Ukraine. One of the posts comes from the VK page "Dispatches from Strelkov," named after the commander of pro-Russian forces and Russian citizen Igor Girkin AKA "Strelkov." In it, Strelkov boasts that his forces shot down a Ukrainian AN-26 military cargo plane, complete with pictures of smoke rising from the crash site. The story was picked up by the Russian state media outlet TASS and remains up to this day, despite the fact that the "AN-26" was later discovered to have been the civilian airliner MH17.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Darlene Kelley opened her first sewing shop, Quality Sewing Machine Center, in 1985. She and her husband ran the business until 2003, when they sold it to an employee. In 2008, the two took the business back and renamed it Kelleys Quality Sewing Center . The store landed in its current location at 3432 55th St. NW in Rochester six years ago.

The store specializes in sewing machines and anything you need to sew a project: patterns, books, threads, scissors, sewing machine feet, and trimmings, along with an ever-growing yarn section, where you can find all your knitting and crocheting components. Kelleys Quality Sewing Center is also known for its wide variety of classes. From embroidery machines to crochet corner, kids camps, and teen sewing clubs, Darlene and her staff can teach you everything from learning to knit to the most intricate of quilting techniques and more.

Is this the first business youve owned?

My husband owned the Read More Bookstore in downtown Rochester for four years. When they tore down the Zumbro Hotel, he joined with me.

What advice would you give someone whos thinking about opening their own business?

Be prepared to work a lot. It takes a lot of time, a lot of work and patience. Have a plan and stick to it.

What is something you really love about what you do?

Seeing people smile when they learn something new.

What are your future goals?

To continue increasing the business. We are expanding our yarn selections and growing that part of the business, we are expanding our machine variety. ... We try to keep up with whats available and whats new in the industry. We go to training programs every year. Before we can buy any machines to sell to our customers, we have to take trainings to learn how to service it, learn how to use it, and sell it, so its a constant training atmosphere.

Do you have returning customers?

Yes. Over the years Ive seen the generations of customers, and their kids and their grandkids.

What do you wish you had known when you were starting?

How difficult it is to find people to work with that are qualified to help in this business. Its not a place for everybody to work because it requires some additional knowledge of crafting and sewing and selling. But right now we have a wonderful staff.

What do you think gives a small business staying power?

The face-to-face contact and help, advice that we can give that you cant get from the internet or online. Service too. We have people come in every day that need help with something. Either they dont understand a pattern that theyre knitting, and they can come here with their pattern and get personal help and if they made a mistake they help them correct it. You cant get that online.

Three things you cant do your job without.

Training, the other staff members, and good customers.  Without the customers, we would be out of business.

Four things you think every sewing room needs to have.

A good sewing machine, furniture to organize and use, the right equipment, and the knowledge to use your equipment.
In a much-watched special election, Republican Troy Balderson has beaten Democrat Danny OConnor by around one point. Is it a big win? In one sense, no. The same candidates will square off again in November.

But the Democrats poured huge resources into this race, thinking they could burnish their narrative of a highly-motivated Democratic base, and a potential blue wave, going into the fall. However, as we saw tonight, Republican voters are motivated as well. Democrats tried to posture todays vote as a no-lose proposition; i.e., any close result would be a moral victory. But there are no moral victories in politics. The seat stays in Republican hands, and Baldersons win today no doubt improves his chances of retaining the seat in November.

UPDATE: This is nice, too: it appears that all of the candidates that Socialist superstar (heh) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for lost their primary races:

Cortez held a whirl-wind tour of the U.S., stumping for Abdul El-Sayed for governor of Michigan, Fayrouz Saad in Michigans 11th Congressional District, Cori Bush in Missouris 1st District, and is backing Congressional candidate Kaniela Ing in Hawaii. El-Sayed lost his bid for the Democrat nomination for governor to 50.1 percent to 34.6 percent, according to numbers published by the New York Times. Saad came in fourth in the five-way race, capturing only 20.1 percent of the vote. Cori Bush lost her primary to William Lacy Clay, 62.3 percent to 30.2 percent, the Times results show. Hawaiis primary election will be August 11.

Is it possible that the Democrats are not yet ready to go full Venezuela? The press will be bitterly disappointed!
I know the job market is red hot right now, and even universities are hiring! Several job ads for tenure-track positions in political science have come my way, and they all have one thing in common. Ill bet you can guess what it is.

Lets start with the University of Minnesota/Twin Cities department of political science, which wants to hire two professors in political theory. The wanted ad begins with the usual description of the ideal candidate being someone who is deeply conversant in the history of Western political theory, and can teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels that draw upon this canon.

So far, so good. But then in the very next paragraph you get to the real qualification to be hired:

Further, we seek candidates who will advance the substantive commitment of the departments strategic plan: to investigate democracy under threat across its multiple dimensions. We are most interested in work that, in a sustained manner, draws upon global historical knowledge to understand contemporary threats to democracy (such as resurgent authoritarianism, legitimation crises of contemporary liberal democratic institutions, crises of political economy and/or late capitalism, racialized politics and inequalities, etc.). Such candidates will also be committed to addressing issues of political theory as they present themselves as problems that arise in contemporary global settings. Scholars using approaches such as feminist theory, queer theory, critical race theory, and/or who focus on such issues as justice and injustice, inequality, or global migration are of special interest. We also seek candidates who share the departments ongoing commitment to study the intersection of power, equity, and diversity and its effect on social science inquiry. Finally, we value candidates who actively place their research in dialogue with other subfields in political science, the social sciences and humanities, and with the broader university community and public.

I can save them some words here by shortening down the job to its essence: Wanted: Professor of Resistance Studies. Conservatives Need Not Apply.

Next up is William & Mary in Virginia, whose political science department wants to hire an Americanist, though it quickly becomes clear that what it really wants is an anti-Americanist. From the ad:

Position summary: The Department of Government at William & Mary seeks applications for a tenure track position at the Assistant Professor level in American politics with specialty in political behavior. We are especially interested in candidates with interests in racial or ethnic politics, or the politics of inclusion. . . Preferred qualifications: Demonstrated interest or previous experience teaching racial or ethnic politics, the politics of inclusion. . . William & Mary values diversity and invites applications from underrepresented groups who will enrich the research, teaching and service missions of the university.

I wonder how a member of the most underrepresented group on faculties today (Republicans) will fare if ze applies for this position. Actually I dont wonder at all.

Finally, The New School in New York is also looking to hire a political theorist. Once again, the ad starts out reasonably enough: We seek candidates with a strong background in the history of political thought and with promise of excellence in research as well as teaching.

But once again you quickly find the real qualifications:

While we expect a strong background in the history of political thought, we are especially interested in candidates whose primary focus is on theoretical approaches and questions linked to contemporary political problems. . .

What contemporary problems might these be? Lets continue:

for example, race, indigeneity, colonialism, imperialism/capitalism, domination, intersectionality, borders, globalization, transnationalism, international law; and environmental issues.

This is the faculty position at the New School once held by Leo Strauss. Who obviously could not be hired at The New School today. Let that sink in for a while.

Political science, while overwhelmingly liberal, has been the one social science outside of economics that has been relatively less politicized than other social sciences and the humanities (I stress the relatively modifier here), but these job announcements are a sign that political science, too, is slipping away into the politicized abyss.
In a brief post, John Hayward makes several critical points about the current media landscape:

Blogs shattered the Old Media monopoly during the 2004 election.

We remember it well. At the time, it seemed like the dawn of a new age.

Social media became an instrument to restore the power of the guild. As websites grew dependent on a few big social platforms for clicks, a leash that could tame the seemingly uncontrollable blogs was forged.

This is the key thesis, and I think it is correct. Initially, social media appeared to be incredibly liberating. Anyone could have a Facebook page; anyone could be on Twitter. The long tail that never really existed in the blog era had come into being. But there was a catch.

Some on the Left wanted to do this with crude government censorship, but that always runs into 1st Amendment problems, and its a power they could lose in elections. Guild power is immune to elections.  When you ask a lefty, Why do you want to establish government censorship powers that could one day fall into the hands of a Donald Trump? youre asking a question many asked themselves before 2016, and all have asked themselves since. Unelected guilds and mob actions give the Left control over speech without fear of losing elections or running into the 1st Amendment.

This is a critical point. As I noted here, even the Democratic Party Supreme Court justices unanimously reject the idea that hate speech somehow lacks constitutional protection. So the Left found an easier way.

They also confer the power to define terms, which is how government power can be bent to the Left even when it loses elections.

Right. Who defines what constitutes hate speech? The Left, of course. A wonderful example of this is Twitters suspending Candace Owens account when she took tweets by Sarah Jeong, and simply substituted black for white to make a point. Meanwhile, had Jeong ever been suspended? Of course not! Hate speech is when people say things we disagree with.

Losing control over the phrase Fake News was a rare loss for the Left in the battle to define terms. They want to take it back so they can decide what constitutes Fake News and enforce policies that effectively ban it, ideally without a 1st Amendment case reaching SCOTUS. Left-wing activists are not afraid of establishing non-governmental guild controls that would effectively ban fake news, hate speech, dangerous ideas, etc. because they are confident they will define those terms. The sword of New Censorship is not double edged.

We see that every day. The social media platforms ban, suspend and shadow ban conservatives every day. Liberals who advocate violence against conservatives, assassinating the president, etc.? No problem.

They have good reason for believing that. Look at the social media landscape right now. Look at the vile hatred and even incitements to violence on the Left that go serenely undisturbed. No major left-wing org or news network needs to worry about deplatforming or shadow-banning.

Exactly. Many have pointed out that Alex Jones of Infowars fame was simultaneously de-platformedkicked outby YouTube, Facebook, Apple and LinkedIn. Even Pinterest banned Jones, although it isnt clear he was ever on Pinterest. Maybe they just wanted to get in on the action. Meanwhile Antifa, a fascist group indistinguishable from Germanys Brownshirts, is welcome on all platforms.

More:

Its similar to the way Big Business actually *loves* Big Government regulations and taxes, contrary to the caricature of corporate fatcats selfishly voting for smaller gov. Big Biz values the insurmountable barrier to entry against small competitors. So does Big Media.

I dont think this is quite right. The social media platforms havent raised barriers against entry on the internet. It is as easy to set up a web site and start writing today as it was in 2004. But most have been enticed into an easier path: platforms like Facebook and Twitter where the audience is relatively ready-made.

Hayward concludes that the blog revolution of 2004 has been squashed. I think that is largely correct. Instead of the freedom of the internet in those early years, we have companies like Facebook, Google, Apple and Twitter, unfettered by the First Amendment, largely responsible for deciding who is heard by a large audience, and who isnt. It isnt coincidental that all of those companies are run and staffed mostly by leftists. The bans, suspensions, and shadow bans that we see today are merely a warm-up for the assault on conservatives that we will see as the 2018 midterms heat up and, above all, when President Trump runs for re-election in 2020. That is when Big Media will really have its thumb on the scale.

Thats the diagnosis, what is the cure? Given the powerful network effects that have entrenched dominant platforms like Facebook, Google and Twitter, there is no obvious answer. Antitrust action is a possibility, but the leftists ideological offenses dont fit traditional antitrust theories, nor do antitrust remedies obviously apply. How different would things be if there were, say, three Facebooks and three Twitters?

Other forms of government regulation are possible. We could turn Facebook et al. into public utilities and thereby subject them to the First Amendment. Conservatives instinctively, and properly, recoil from the idea of making dominant media platforms into government agencies.

What, then, is the solution? I dont know. But there is plenty of demand for conservative perspectives on the news. There is a reason why Fox News is the number one rated cable news network, why conservatives dominate talk radio, and why conservative web sites attract a lot of traffic. Conservatism long predates Facebook and Twitter, and frankly, the right did better online in 2004 than we are doing today. One way or another, I think conservatives need to be preparing for a post-social media world.
Ilhan Omar is the endorsed DFL candidate running in next Tuesdays contested DFL primary to succeed the former Nation of Islam hustler Keith Ellison in Congress. In the primary Omar faces former Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and state senator Patricia Torres Ray. Today the Star Tribune endorses Kelliher and ranks Torres second of the three. Omar comes in third.

Attentive readers will note that this is how I saw the race in my take yesterday on the Fifth District candidates forum at Temple Beth El in St. Louis Park. Mark this down as a rare case of harmonic convergence between the Star Tribune and me. I dont think the Star Tribunes endorsement will help Kelliher any more than my favorable assessment of her, but at least it wont hurt her.

The Star Tribune sits in the Fifth District and has several reporters devoted to covering state politics, but hasnt found the time or space to cover the race or the candidates in anything like appropriate depth. The Star Tribunes coverage has been pitifully weak.

Today PJ Medias David Steinberg provides a case study in what the Star Tribune could and should have been doing over the past two months if not the past two years. Steinberg takes a deep dive into Omars recent divorce from husband number 2. Omar finally got around to divorcing husband number 2 this year in order to clean up the loose ends of the story I wrote about two years ago.

Steinbergs findings seem to support my hypothesis that husband number 2 was Omars brother and that Omar had married him for some fraudulent purpose. Omar wouldnt respond to Steinbergs inquiries for this story any more than she would to mine or to Preya Samsundars two years ago and the Star Tribune is leaving her in peace. She doesnt want to talk about it.

At Alpha News John Gilmore reports that Omar apparently spent the penultimate weekend before the DFL primary for CD 5 not in the district of the Minnesotans she claims to want to represent in Congress, but with her co-religionists and terrorist affiliated CAIR in a three city fundraising tour of Southern California. Maybe the Star Tribune will get around to this story after the primary, as it did in the case of Keith Ellison in 2006 (see the conclusion of my Weekly Standard article Louis Farrakhans first congressman).

In the video below, Omar responds to moderator Mary Lahammers question on anti-Semitism at Monday nights Fifth District candidates forum. What would Omar do about it? I take it that she wants to join the Jewish community in alliedship in fighting against Islamophobia. The video also includes Omars answer to the question (1) whether she supports a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, and (2) whether she supports the anti-Israel divestment movement.

Omar is a difficult person to hear out. She speaks in vapid leftist cliches. When she speaks in this case, the old Bob Dylan song Too Much of Nothing comes to mind. When the question is whether to abolish ICE, adopt fully socialized medicine, or make college free for all, Omar speaks with far greater clarity.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 19:30:02

Jack Ma Foundation will recognize 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years focused on grassroots innovation, economic empowerment of women and small businesses

Alibaba Group Founder Jack Ma to Donate US$10 Million to Establish Africa Entrepreneur Prize

Speyside

Media Contacts

Sarah Rice, +27-83-3936030

sarah.rice@speyside-group.com

Elzaan Rohde, +27-83-2561493

elzaan.rohde@speyside-group.com

Today, Alibaba Group founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma launched the Jack Ma Foundation Netpreneur Prize, a new program created to support and fund African entrepreneurs who are working to address Africas most important challenges and further its digital economy through local entrepreneurship. The prize was announced at the Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africas Digital Lions conference.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005

Jack Ma and dignitaries countdown to the launch of the Netpreneur Prize. From left to right: H.E. Amb. Lin Songtian, China Ambassador to S. Africa; Ms Mmamoloko Tryphosa Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa; Jack Ma, Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group; Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD. Courtesy of Jack Ma Foundation.

The Netpreneur Prize  named for empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs, and focusing on small business growth, grassroots innovation and women founders  will award US$10 million to 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years. Starting in 2019, the Jack Ma Foundation will host an annual pitch competition, with ten finalists selected from across the continent to showcase their talent and business ideas and compete for US$1 Million in prize money. All ten finalists will receive grant funding from the Jack Ma Foundation, as well as access to the Netpreneur community of African business leaders to leverage the communitys shared expertise, best practices and resources.

Jack Ma decided to create the prize after his first trip to Africa in July 2017 when he was inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met. While the competition will be open to entrepreneurs in all industries, Mr. Ma expects many of the applicants to be founders of businesses that are internet-driven given the open and inclusive impact technology can have on local economies. Applicants must be African nationals leading mission-driven organizations. The finalists will be selected by a team of judges from five regions representing the entire continent. Applications for the first pitch competition will be open from January 2019 until April 2019, and the finalist pitch competition will be held and broadcast across Africa in the second half of 2019. The program will be offered across the continent through lead continental partner, Nailab, and other regional hub partners.

Jack Ma said, As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand the importance of getting support during the early days. This prize demonstrates our support of the next generation of young entrepreneurs across Africa who are paving the way for a better future and imparting positive change in their communities. I am inspired and encouraged by these entrepreneurs who, together, will help build a sustainable, inclusive economy for Africa and for the world.

The Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africas Digital Lions conference  jointly organized by Alibaba Business School, the Jack Ma Foundation, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)  brought together more than 800 entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, students, banks and venture capitalists to address the challenges and opportunities facing Africas entrepreneurs. Across Africa, e-commerce platforms alongside payments, logistics, tourism and big data partners are helping to lift national economies. The event explored the barriers facing a new digital Africa and the role that the public sector, investors, entrepreneurs and educational organizations play in this transformation.

Ban Ki-moon, Former UN Secretary General and Co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens, said, With the rapid development of the global digital economy and the availability of technology, the next century belongs to Africa. I am excited to join the advisory board of the Africa Netpreneur Prize. Through this prize, we aim to support African entrepreneurs to build a more inclusive and prosperous Africa and dramatically shape the future prospects of the continent for the better.

The Netpreneur Prize is the second initiative launched by Jack Ma to support African entrepreneurs. Last year, Alibaba Business School and UNCTAD announced the eFounders Fellowship Initiative, a program that will train 1,000 entrepreneurs from emerging markets, 200 of whom will come from Africa, with the purpose of building a community of young entrepreneurs committed to creating digital platforms to build more inclusive economies. This program supports the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring no one is left behind in the digital economy. To date, 52 African entrepreneurs have participated in this two-week fellowship at Alibabas headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Participants make a two-year commitment to improving society through their businesses. The graduates of the first two African cohorts reunited with Jack Ma and UNCTAD Secretary-General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi in Johannesburg on August 8. Since completing the program, many graduates have made significant progress with their businesses and become catalysts for digital transformation in their home countries, including raising rounds of investment as well as launching their own training programs.

The rise of the digital economy provides growth and opportunity to the developing world, but it is up to us to make sure no one is left behind. The work that Jack Ma and UNCTAD are doing together will help empower the emerging generation of young African business leaders to participate in and lead that growth, said Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi.

For photos, videos and additional information about the Netpreneur event and Jack Mas work in Africa, visit our corporate news site https://www.alizila.com/jack-ma-visit-to-africa-me

For more information about the Jack Ma Netpreneur Prize, please visit: http://netpreneur.africa

For more information about the eFounders Fellowship, please visit:

https://agi.alibaba.com/efounders-fellowship

About Jack Ma Foundation

Jack Ma Foundation (JMF) is a charitable organization founded in 2014 by Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group. The foundations aim is to promote human development in harmony with both society and the environment, while its mission is to work towards a world of bluer skies, cleaner water, healthier communities, and more open thinking. From education to environment, to public health and personnel development in philanthropic sector, the foundation intends to awaken social consciousness and responsibility to cultivate an innovative and sustainable model for a better world.

Alibaba Group

Our mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. Alibabas founders started the company to champion small businesses, in the belief that the Internet would level the playing field by enabling small enterprises to leverage innovation and technology to grow and compete more effectively in the domestic and global economies. Alibabas long-term strategic goal is to serve two billion consumers around the world and support ten million businesses to operate profitably on our platforms.

Alibaba Business School

Alibaba Business School is a university established by the Alibaba Group and Hangzhou Normal University of China in October 2008. It is currently focused on implementing Alibaba Groups e-commerce training system, which has in the past decade nurtured millions of e-commerce practitioners and entrepreneurs, in China and overseas.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 17:32:01

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - August 8, 2018 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA, OTC: BVNRY) will announce its 2018 first half results on Thursday, August 16, 2018.

The management of Bavarian Nordic will host a conference call at 2:00 pm CEST (8:00 am EDT) on the same day to present the interim results followed by a Q&A session. A live and replay version of the call and relevant slides will be available at http://bit.ly/2LXCAeQ.

To join the Q&A session dial one of the following numbers and state the participant code 8332812: Denmark: +45 35 15 81 21, UK: +44 (0) 330 336 9411, US: +1 323-794-2551.

About Bavarian Nordic

Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative and safe therapies against cancer and infectious diseases. Using our live virus vaccine platform technology, MVA-BN, we have created a diverse portfolio of proprietary and partnered product candidates intended to improve the health and quality of life for children and adults. We supply our IMVAMUNE non-replicating smallpox vaccine to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile and other government stockpiles. The vaccine is approved in the European Union (under the trade name IMVANEX) and in Canada. Registration studies are currently underway in the U.S. In addition to our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. government on the development of IMVAMUNE and other medical countermeasures, our infectious disease pipeline comprises a proprietary RSV program as well as vaccine candidates for Ebola, HPV, HBV and HIV, which are developed through a strategic partnership with Janssen. Additionally, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, we have developed a portfolio of active cancer immunotherapies, designed to alter the disease course by eliciting a robust and broad anti-cancer immune response while maintaining a favorable risk-benefit profile. Through multiple industry collaborations, we seek to explore the potential synergies of combining our immunotherapies with other immune-modulating agents, e.g. checkpoint inhibitors. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com or follow us on Twitter @bavariannordic.

Contacts

Europe: Rolf Sass Srensen, Vice President Investor Relations & Communications. Tel: +45 61 77 47 43

US: Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors. Tel: +1 781 686 9600

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: Bavarian Nordic A/S via Globenewswire


China Solar Panel Manufacturing Industry

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 06:00:38

Press Information

Goldtsein Research

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005



Steve Blade

Global Sales Head

6465687747

email

https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/





# 535 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, China exported about 37.9 gigawatt (GW) of solar panels in 2017  equivalent to 37% of global solar installation  up 78% from 2016. Moreover, Chinas panels exports to developing markets such as India, Mexico and the Middle East has been rising progressively in recent years. China solar panel manufacturing industry outlook also includes new product developments and capital investment as the key strategies adopted by the major players for significant expansion of business in developed and as well as in developing countries across the globe. However, high impose of high import duties over Chinas solar panels by US and India is expected to adversely impact the growth of China solar panels market.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/china-solar-panel-manufacturing-industry-outlook Market SegmentationOn the basis of our in-depth analysis, China solar panel manufacturing industry can be segmented as follows:By Technology Photovoltaic cells Inorganic cell Organic cells Solar Thermal parabolic troughs Solar power towers Solar DishBy Equipment Power Generation Storage Transmission and DistributionBy Solar Module Monocrystalline silicon cells Polycrystalline silicon cells Thin-Film Solar Cells Amorphous silicon cells Concentrated PV Cell (CVP) OthersBy End-User Industrial Commercial ResidentialDownload Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/china-solar-panel-manufacturing-industry-outlook China Solar panel manufacturing industry Outlook 2025 contains detailed overview of the China solar panel manufacturing industry. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by technology, by equipment, solar module and by end users.Further, for the in-depth analysis, China Solar panel manufacturing Industry Analysis encompasses the industry growth drivers, market challenges, market attractiveness, BPS (Base Point Scale) analysis, risk analysis, Porters five force model and SWOT analysis. This market report also includes competitive outlook of some of the major players profiling of companies such as CHINT Group Corporation, JA Solar Holdings, Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd, Jinniu Energy, China Sunergy, Hanwha SolarOne etc.Get More Information HereThe company profiles include business strategy, geographical revenue distribution, major information of the companies which encompasses business outlook, products, services and industries catered, financial analysis of the company and recent developments. Overall, the report represents the China solar panel manufacturing industry trends along with market forecast that will help industry consultants, technology providers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new market players searching for opportunities and other investors to positions their market centred strategies according to the evolving and expected trends in the future.Key queries answered in this China solar panel manufacturing industry report What is the China solar panel manufacturing industry size by 2025 and what would be the projected growth rate of the industry? What is the total revenue per segment and region in 2016-17 and what would be the expected revenue per segment and region over the forecast period? What are the solar panel manufacturing industry trends? What are the factors which are driving this industry? What are the major barriers to solar panel manufacturing industry growth? Who are the key vendors in this industry space? What are the industry opportunities for the existing and entry level players? What are the recent developments and business strategy of the key players?Browse Similar Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/china-solar-pv-market
According to Goldstein Research, China accounted for huge construction activities over the past decade and thus the growing economy of China has fuelled the demand of steel at exponential rates.

China Steel Industry

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 06:11:06

Press Information

Goldtsein Research

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005



Steve Blade

Global Sales Head

6465687747

email

https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/





# 464 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, China accounted for huge construction activities over the past decade and thus the growing economy of China has fuelled the demand for steel at exponential rates. Further, China is estimated to face stagnant demand and production of steel due to the overcapacity issues. China and other top steel consumers are facing the buffer stock, and thus the global finished steel consumption is likely to fall due to 5% demand contraction in China. China steel industry outlook also includes new product developments and capital investment as the key strategies adopted by the major players for a significant expansion of business in developed and as well as in developing countries across the globe.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/china-steel-industry-outlook Market SegmentationOn the basis of our in-depth analysis, China steel industry can be segmented as follows:By End User Construction Automotive Domestic Appliances Electrical Equipment Metal Products Others (machinery, etc.)China Steel industry Outlook 2025 contains a detailed overview of the China steel industry. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, the market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by end users.Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/china-steel-industry-outlook Further, for the in-depth analysis, China Steel Industry Analysis encompasses the industry growth drivers, market challenges, market attractiveness, BPS (Base Point Scale) analysis, risk analysis, Porters five force model and SWOT analysis. This market report also includes competitive outlook of some of the major players profiling of companies such as China Steel Corporation, China Baowu Group, Baosteel Group, He steel Group, Shagang Group etc. The company profiles include business strategy, geographical revenue distribution, major information of the companies which encompasses business outlook, products, services and industries catered, financial analysis of the company and recent developments. Overall, the report represents the China steel industry trends along with the market forecast that will help industry consultants, technology providers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new market players searching for opportunities and other investors to positions their market centred strategies according to the evolving and expected trends in the future.Key questions answered in this China steel industry report What is the China steel industry size by 2025 and what would be the expected growth rate of the industry? What is the total revenue per segment and region in 2016-17 and what would be the expected revenue per segment and region over the forecast period? What are the steel industry trends? What are the factors which are driving this industry? What are the major barriers to steel industry growth? Who are the key vendors in this industry space? What are the industry opportunities for the existing and entry-level players? What are the recent developments and business strategy of the key players?Browse Similar Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-high-strength-steel-market
Increasing prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection to boost Clostridium difficile infection treatment market.

Clostridium Difficile Infection Treatment Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 13:34:29

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Coherent Market Insights

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Abhijit R

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2067016702

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# 612 Words

1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO2067016702

Clostridium difficile, which produces gram-positive bacterium, is an anaerobic toxin that gets transmitted through fecal-oral route. Clostridium difficile infection occurs during antibiotic treatment or can be caused due to healthcare associated infection with clinical manifestation ranging from asymptomatic infection to watery diarrhea or serious intestinal condition such as colitis and colonic perforation. This infection can be diagnosed by enzyme immunoassays for toxins or Clostridium difficile glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and nucleic acid amplification tests for Clostridium difficile toxin genes or endoscopy. Limited types of drugs such as metronidazole, fidoxamycin and vancomycin are only available for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection. In case of any severe pain or toxic megacolon in abdominal wall, patients undergo surgery for removal of infected portion.Request Sample Copy Of This Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1492 The Global Clostridium Difficile Infection Treatment Market DriverIncreasing prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection to boost Clostridium difficile infection treatment market. Clostridium difficile infection is prevalent in old people, people with weak immune system, people under long term broad spectrum antibiotic, and people who have undergone intestinal surgery. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile is the major cause of healthcare associated infection causing around 500,000 infection and 29,000 deaths per year in the U.S. The recent increase in incidences and severity of Clostridium difficile is subjected to increasing use of broad spectrum antibiotic such as cephalosporins, clindamycin, penicillin or fluoroquinolone and emergence of hypervirulent NAP1/BI/ribotype 027 strains, which are more resistant to present class of antibiotics. Furthermore, lack of compliance of hygiene norms in hospitals and uncontrolled use of broad spectrum antibiotic is increasing the rate of prevalence of this infection. All these factors are expected to drive growth of Clostridium difficile infection treatment market.Increasing incidence of Clostridium difficile infection demands for strengthening of research and development program, thereby propelling growth of Clostridium difficile infection treatment market. For instance, in 2017, Actelion conducted phase III clinical trial for comparing cadazolid with vancomycin for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea. Furthermore, in 2018, Rebiotix Inc., a clinical stage microbiome company initiated phase III trials for microbiota drug, RBX2660 for rehabilitation of microbial flora after Clostridium difficile infection and mechanism of restoration was demonstrated by using collaborator, CoreBiomes BoosterShot technology. Moreover, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated RBX2660 as Breakthrough Therapy for its potential to prevent recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. In 2017, Finch and Crestovo merge aimed at development of microbiome pipeline for Clostridium difficile infection.Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1492 The Global Clostridium Difficile Infection Treatment Market  Regional AnalysisOn the basis of region, the global Clostridium difficile infection treatment market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America is expected to be a dominant market region over the forecast period due to increasing prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection in this region. Furthermore, European economies are expected to face a decline in Clostridium difficile infection treatment market due to mandatory surveillance, monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions, and reformed compliance with isolation, hand washing, and hygiene protocols.The Global Clostridium Difficile Infection Treatment Market - CompetitorsThe major players operating in the Clostridium difficile infection treatment market include Merck & Co., Inc., Baxter International Inc., Sanofi S.A., Pfizer limited, Novartis, Astellas Pharma Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca Plc., Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Sub. of Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.), and Mylan N.V.The Global Clostridium Difficile Infection Treatment Market TaxonomyBy Drug Class: Metronidazole, Fidoxamycin, Vancomycin, Other Drug Class,. By Route of Administration: Oral, Intravenous / Parenteral, By Distribution Channel: Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies,.Click To Continue Reading On Clostridium Difficile Infection Treatment Market
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 16:26:59

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# 678 Words

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The Coalition has launched protests at controversial Czech billionaire's residence to hold him accountable for perpetrating what they call the "fraud of the century" which in turn gave birth to the Ostrava Housing CrisisHILTON HEAD, Aug 8, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The Coalition to Protect OKD Miners ("the Coalition"), an organization created to advocate on behalf of Czech coal miners, has launched protests at the Hilton Head, SC estate of Zdenek Bakala. Protesters, dressed as coal miners, descended on Bakala's estate to demand Bakala make amends for his past alleged wrongdoings.The protest at Bakala's estate marks the fourth such demonstration that the coalition has undertaken in the past week. Previously, the coalition set up rallies outside the M&T Bank branch in New York and M&T Bank Headquarters in Buffalo to protest M&T Bank's role as security agent for a housing fund which has left Czech coal miners at risk of homelessness (via its subsidiary Wilmington Trust) and also outside the Berkshire Hathaway headquarters (as a shareholder of M&T Bank). The main aim of the coalition is to urge a resolution of the Ostrava Housing Crisis.The coalition accuses Mr. Bakala of cheating workers, taxpayers and investors alike with vast financial scams. Among the most serious of the allegations was that Bakala indirectly purchased the Czech coal company, OKD, from the Czech government at a below-market rate due to corrupt deal-making. OKD was made a subsidiary of New World Resources N.V. ("NWR"), a publicly traded international energy firm which he also controlled at the time.He subsequently is alleged to have plundered OKD by taking excessive profits and dividends. Numerous investors lost money betting on OKD -- through buying NWR stock -- based on allegedly false promises made by Bakala. When the company started to fail, the Coalition alleges that Bakala swiftly sold off housing units, promised contractually to miners at discounted pricing, to Fondy Bydleni, a Luxembourg housing fund which owns the Czech property firm RESIDOMO and backed by Blackstone and Round Hill Capital. The housing fund has refused to honor the reduced price housing unit contract leaving the coal miners at risk of losing their homes. Moreover, investors in NWR's Initial Public Offering and those who subsequently bought NWR stock on the London and Warsaw exchanges took substantial losses which, according to the coalition, are due to Bakala's purposefully misleading statements to investors and his failure to provide necessary disclosures.More details and documentation of the aforementioned allegations can be found at the coalition's website www.StopBakala.org Bakala is currently facing civil 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 has accused Bakala of attempting to off-shore his assets from the Czech Republic, including his famed Forum Karlin property, to avoid liabilities.The coalition issued the following statement."The Coalition will hold Bakala and those who associate with him accountable for acts of fraud against investors, taxpayers and workers. While his victims suffer, Bakala enjoys the jet-setting lifestyle between his vineyard in South Africa, his villa in Switzerland and his estate in Hilton Head at their expense. We will continue to hold peaceful protests so that Bakala and his associates are reminded of the crimes they have committed and the victims harmed. We will not rest until the stakeholders involved put a solution together to solve Ostrava Housing Crisis and until Bakala is held accountable both civilly and criminally." ContactDan TaylorCoalition to Protect OKD Miners+1-929-224-0939contact@ StopBakala.org This press release was issued through EmailWire.Com , a global newswire with press release distribution services. For more information, go to http://www.emailwire.com Topic: Press release summarySectors: Metals/MiningFrom the Asia Corporate News NetworkCopyright  2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.
According to Goldstein Research, global 3D dental scanner market size is expected to reach USD 1.0 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 12.0% over the forecast period 2016-2024.

3D Dental Scanner Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 10:04:21

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# 528 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, global 3D dental scanner market size is expected to reach USD 1.0 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 12.0% over the forecast period 2016-2024. The rise in dental problem cases with increase in demand for quality services and the advancement in technology of devices used for dental diagnosis is driving the growth of global 3D dental scanner market. Global 3D dental scanner market segmentation has been done on the basis of technology, product type, application and geography. Further, the growth in dental tourism across the world is adding value to the global 3D dental scanner market. Asia Pacific region, especially in India, accounts for huge dental tourism which provides efficient & cheap dental care, treatment & surgery. Geographically, global 3D dental scanner industry is dominated by North America due to huge investments in the development of new dental technologies and presence of major companies supplying 3D dental scanners in the region.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-3d-dental-scanner-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 Market SegmentationGlobal 3D Dental Scanner Market can be segmented as follows:By Technology: 3D Dental Light Scanner 3D Dental Laser ScannerBy Product Type: Desktop or Laboratory 3D Dental Scanners Intraoral 3D Dental Scanners Confocal Microscopic Imaging Technology Optical Wand Technology Hand Held 3D Dental Scanners Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT)By Application: Hospitals Dental ClinicsBy Region North America 3D Dental Scanner Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Europe 3D Dental Scanner Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Middle East and Africa 3D Dental Scanner Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Latin America 3D Dental Scanner Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Asia Pacific 3D Dental Scanner Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Rest of the World 3D Dental Scanner Market Analysis, 2016-2024Get More Information About 3D Dental Scanner Market https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/pressrelease/3-dimensional-dental-scanner-assuring-healthy-smiles Global 3D Dental Scanner Market Outlook 2024 contains detailed overview of the global 3D dental scanner market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by technology, product type, application and geography.Key players of the Global 3D Dental Scanner Market discussed in the report are:3M Company, Danaher, Dentsply Sirona, PLANMECA OY, Amann Girrbach, Dentium, GT Medical, Medit, Zimmer Dental, Zirkonzahn, Sirona Dental Systems, Danaher, AICON 3D Systems, ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, Carestream Health, Carl Zeiss Optotechnik, etc.Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/global-3d-dental-scanner-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 The report highlights company profiling including financial report analysis, company business strategies, recent developments in the company, revenue distribution by regions and business segment, and other information to provide business outlook.Further, Global 3D Dental Scanner Market Report also highlights the in-depth analysis of market dynamic factors i.e. growth drivers, opportunities, risk analysis, challenges, BPS analysis, market attractiveness, PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis and Porters five force model. Overall, the report analyzes the global 3D dental scanner market trends and the market forecast to help the technology providers, existing players, new entrants, and other stakeholders to build business strategies based on the current and future market trends, analysed on the basis of market statistics such as market size, market share, market growth rate, trade (import & export) and demand & supply of 3D sental scanners.Browse Similar Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-dental-implants-market
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 14:12:02

Odin: Redefining the Browser

Odinlink Inc (BVI)

Jack Shan

JackShan@odinlink.com

The internet technology was invented in early 1980s, known by public in 1990s and used globally from the beginning of the 21st century. Internet is now connecting every single part of the world. Google, FacebookAmazon, Twitter, all these internet giants have been benefiting from the online advertising market.

Problems come with prosperity. Too many advertisements make this market super inefficient. For advertisers, the advertising expense is quite high, but more than 50% of the expense is useless. For browser users, useless information overruns, advertisements are seen everywhere and passively accepted. The fraudulent advertisements like Phishing keep on emerging that the value of the user cant be embodied.

Odin stands out at this time. An ecological blockchain based on the advertisement industry will redefine the next era of browser. Users will control the use right for the Odin based browser and own the right to block or read advertisements. Now you can mine Odin tokens by just reading advertisements as you always did before. Make use of your online time, read/block ads and earn money.

For advertisers, this market will no longer be monopolized by a few media giants. Odin will make breakthroughs in the current monopoly advertisements industry. The advertising publishing is customized, the advertising circulation process is open and transparent, and the advertisers will be well aware of the true and reliable flow of each amount of the advertising fees.

The customers trust will be built up gradually. More and more low value advertisements will disappear and replaced by the high value advertisements instead. The advertisement placed on the Odin Chain needs to be paid by using the Odin Token. A new browser ecosystem powered by the Odin ecological blockchain and Odin Tokens is then fully developed in this stage.

Applying blockchain technology into browsers is pretty creative and its a great innovation in advertising industry. Odin has already owned huge communities in China, Japan and South Korea, it has established an extremely efficient operating team, and hundreds of thousands of its browser miner have been sold out. Odin has also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Asian Development Investment Bank located in Southeast Asia. Monitor the future of ODIN. We are firmly optimistic about the future of Odin!

Connect with Odin:

Websitehttps://www.odinlink.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChainOdin

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/OdinChain/

Telegramhttp://share.telebox.io/joinchat/Jm64IUj6rc0HdkAEl

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 16:53:01

Publicis Groupe Announces New Appointments in Israel

Yossi Lubaton appointed as Country CEO Publicis Groupe Israel & Chairman Publicis Israel

Yoram Baumann named as President of Leadership Committee Publicis Groupe Israel

Ben Muskalappointed as CEO BBR Saatchi & Saatchi

August 08, 2018 - Tel Aviv - Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] announces today the appointment of a leadership team at the Groupe level in Israel as part of the ongoing implementation of its country model.

Yossi Lubaton, CEO of BBR Saatchi & Saatchi, has been named Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe Israel, succeeding Yoram Baumann in both roles. In his new role, Lubaton will report to Jarek Ziebinski, CEO Publicis Groupe Northern & Central Europe. Ben Muskal, VP Client Services of BBR Saatchi & Saatchi since 2016, will replace Lubaton as CEO of the agency.

In his role as CEO Publicis Groupe Israel, Yossi Lubaton will oversee all of Publicis Groupe's operations in the market, from Publicis Communications to Publicis Media. His responsibilities include drivinggreater integration across the Groupe's capabilitiesto transform its relationship with existing clients and win the trust of new ones, to cultivate and attract the best talents across its agencies and disciplines as well as improve its resources management across disciplines and solutions.

Yoram Baumann, Chairman of Publicis Groupe Israel since 2012 when BBR Group was acquired by Publicis Groupe, has been appointed to the newly-created position of President of the Leadership Committee, and will continue to play a key role assuring the leadership transition for Publicis Groupe in Israel over the next three years. The Publicis Groupe Israel Leadership Committee has been created to guide the integration and transformation process and to set the overarching strategic vision to grow and implement the Power of One model.

These appointments follow Publicis Groupe's recent announcement that it would extend its country model to cover all areas where it is present, appointing leaders across its eight key markets: North America, the United Kingdom, France, DACH (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), Northern & Central Europe, Southern Europe, Asia Pacific & Middle East/Africa, and Latin America.



Jarek Ziebinski commented, "Israel is a country with a technologically advanced economy and a uniquely strong talent pool - a combination that creates immense business potential. It is a strategically important market for us to strengthen the Power of One approach - a future-forward operating model to provide clients with end-to-end solutions and flexible access to a diverse set of experts and capabilities. Acceleration of this model will be crucial to the continued growth and success of our clients and our own business. As a market leader, Publicis Groupe Israel has a solid foundation to work from. Yossi is a proven leader with the right profile necessary to evolve our business to meet the needs of our clients in these transformative times. With the strong support of Yoram, I believe that the future of Publicis Groupe Israel under the new leadership team will be brighter than ever."

Yoram Baumann added, "I'm incredibly proud to see what I started with my partners in a small apartment in 1985 has grown to become the leading advertising group in Israel today with more than 500 talented employees. We have built a group that provides clients with the best solutions in a rapidly changing world. Our talents, combined with the prowess of the Publicis Groupe network has made Publicis Israel a strong partner for our clients' businesses amidst the changes in the communications landscape. I'm pleased that Yossi will be leading Publicis Groupe in Israel and have confidence that he will continue to maintain its leading position in the market."

Yossi Lubaton continued, "With the type of business challenges that confront us today, we recognize that it is necessary to integrate our capabilities in order to be able to deliver the best solutions for our clients. Over the past few years, our agencies have successfully implemented a digital transformation, adding cutting edge digital and technological capabilities. On top of that, we also became one of the largest media players in both traditional and digital - giving Publicis Groupe Israel a strong competitive edge in the market. The new country model will transform us from a group of successful companies to a platform that seamlessly connects talents and drive creativity and innovation for the benefit of our clients."

Publicis Groupe is the largest communications group in Israel with more than 500 employees and ten agency brands under its umbrella including, BBR Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis GNS, Leo Burnett, Zenith, Starcom, Smart Media, Mint Technology, C content, Expert and Super Push.

For more information, please, contact:

Karen Lim | M: +33 620 26 7573 | E: karen.lim@publicisone.com

About Publicis Groupe - The Power of One

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in marketing, communication, and digital transformation, driven through the alchemy of creativity and technology. Publicis Groupe offers its clients seamless access to its tools and expertise through modular offering. Publicis Groupe is organized across four Solutions hubs: Publicis Communications (Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, BBH, Marcel, Fallon, MSL, Prodigious), Publicis Media (Starcom, Zenith, Spark Foundry, Blue 449, Performics, Digitas), Publicis.Sapient(SapientRazorfish & Sapient Consulting)and Publicis Health. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs nearly 80,000 professionals.

www.publicisgroupe.com| Twitter:@PublicisGroupe | Facebook: www.facebook.com/publicisgroupe|

LinkedIn: Publicis Groupe | http://www.youtube.com/user/PublicisGroupe | Viva la Difference!

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: Publicis Groupe via Globenewswire


According to Goldstein Research, in Western Europe, Germany and the UK are expected to reach 53% penetration for smart TVs by 2019

United Kingdom Smart TV Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-08 07:59:50

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Goldtsein Research

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# 585 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, in Western Europe, Germany and the UK are expected to reach 53% penetration for smart TVs by 2019, followed closely by France at 50%. Swelling demand for 4K resolution, the introduction of high dynamic range (HDR) for both hardware and content, and access to streaming content that supports these specifications will propel smart TV demand across the UK. UK Smart TVs market outlook also includes new business models, product developments and capital investment as the key strategies adopted by the major players for significant expansion of business across the country. Further, United Kingdom has huge internet penetration, thus on an average the people of U.K. spends 4-6 hours on other internet connected devices with TV such as Xbox apps.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/uk-smart-tv-market Market SegmentationThe UK smart TV market can be segmented as follows:By Screen Type Flat Screen Curved ScreenBy Display Type LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) LED (Light Emitting Diodes) Plasma OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) QLED (Quantum Dot LED)By Resolution Type 4K UHD TV HDTV Full HD TV 8K TVBy Screen Size Below 32 inches 32 to 45 inches 46 to 55 inches 56 to 65 inches Above 65 inchesBy Distribution Channel Online OfflineBy End-User Residential Commercial IndustrialUK Smart TV Market Analysis Report provides us a detailed outlook of the UK Smart TV market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by screen type, by display, by resolution, by screen size, by distribution channel and by end users.Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/uk-smart-tv-market Further, for the in-depth analysis, UK Smart TV Market Analysis eclose the market attractiveness, product specification, detailed segmentation on the basis of screen, display, resolution and more, trend analysis(Growth drivers, market opportunities, challenges) BPS (Base Point Scale) analysis, Porters five force model, supply chaon export import data, & SWOT analysis. This market report also includes competitive outlook of some of the major players profiling of companies such as Sony, Panasonic, Sansui, Samsung, LG Electronics, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Haier Consumer Electronics Group etc. The company profiles include business strategy, geographical revenue distribution, major information of the companies which encompasses business outlook, products, services and industries catered, financial analysis of the company and recent developments. Overall, the report represents the UK Smart TV market trends along with market expert advise who recommend the strategies based on the market estimations that will help industry consultants, technology providers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities This market research has been done under the supervision of best market expert available at Goldstein Research where the motive is to help our clients to design their business models and enhance their business growth in the competitive market.Browse Similar Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/india-smart-tv-market Key questions answered in this UK Smart TV Market Report What is the UK Smart TV Market Size by 2025 and what would be the expected growth rate of the industry? What is the total revenue per segment and region in 2016-17 and what would be the expected revenue per segment and region over the forecast period? What are the UK Smart TV Market trends? What are the factors which are driving this industry? What are the major barriers to UK Smart TV Market growth? Who are the key vendors in this industry space? What are the industry opportunities for the existing and entry-level players? What are the recent developments and business strategy of the key players?
The management of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) has denied claims that its hostile policies at the Lagos Free Zone were frustrating investors doing business in the area.

Amy Jadesinmi, LADOLs managing director, told journalists in Lagos, Tuesday, that reports that the operator introduced charges alien to the contract in the free zone thereby making it unattractive to investors were untrue.

All charges are mandated by the federal government policy which on subsequent issues within a transparent frame work, no company operating in the LADOL free zone have been charged with charges not mandated by the government.

According to media reports, LADOL had allegedly imposed a one per cent charge on the $3.3 billion Egina Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) by Samsung Heavy Industries which the company claimed as not in the original contract documents.

The FPSO is being built for the 200,000 barrels per day Egina oil field operated by Total in partnership with CNOOC, Petrobras, and Sapetro.

LADOL is the Lagos free-zone operator and logistics provider for Egina while Samsung handles the fabrication and integration.

Ms Jadesinmi said it was wrong to calculate the value of the one per cent management fee in the contract when the project had not yet left the free zone.

This is not a unilateral action by us, and to say otherwise is completely false and highly mischievous since we have been transparent at all times, she said.

The enterprises operating within the LADOL free zone and the related parties are aware of the charges and the rules and regulations in detail. The charges are known and required to maintain the zones and the free zone scheme.

There is nothing that was not known at the start of the project, within the approved tariff, you have what is called the one per cent management fee as the statutory charge.

The one per cent management fee is one per cent of the cost of the product when it leaves the free zone. Obviously you cant calculate that till the end of the project so what is known is that there will be that calculation and that management fee is clearly stated on the tariff schedule and its not unique to this project and is not unique to Samsung.

Ms Jadesinmi also said parties involved in the contract had been in close discussions over the management fee issue.

The management fee was known, government had communicated to both Samsung and Total that the management fee needs to be paid and this is known and is being discussed and there is no inkling of truth to the idea that this was done without any of the stakeholders knowing.

The whole process has been done in close consultation with all the stakeholders and discussions are still ongoing with government.

No matter the pressure put on us, we are not going to allow government revenue to be lost on one hand.

And on the other hand, as managers of the free zone we want it to be attractive so we would do everything we can to make sure that if you come to the free zone, whether you are a foreign or local company, you have ease of doing business because that is important.

We have been investing in this since 2001 so it is very important to us that people find it a very attractive environment to do business so we have the dual role of making it an attractive place and also ensure that people follow the rules.

Egina project a huge success

The Egina oil field, located 150 kilometres off the coast of Nigeria, is the third deep offshore development of Total in Nigeria.

It is situated at a water depth of up to 1,750 metres.

Ms Jadesinmi described the Egina FPSO as a huge success.

What we at LADOL are focusing on is that from this point on, local content continue to increase and most of that increase will take place outside of LADOL.

In other words, going forward, most of the fabrication and engineering works done will be outside of LADOL which is how it happens in other countries.

Those pieces that are fabricated outside of LADOL will then be brought to LADOL to be integrated into the larger haul. What that means in essence is that for our business model to work, we need other zones and other fabricators in the country to increase their capacity and quality.

Stories such as the false one being bandied around threatens future investment, it threatens our future as Nigeria to industrialise and the fact that the stories are baseless is even more disheartening.

The EGINA project in terms of its local content has demonstrated to the entire world that the most complex industrial process in the world can be done in Nigeria and nothing should be allowed to overshadow that. Because that is the critical thing that will enable us move forward and do more in the future and that is what matters.
MTN Group, Africas biggest mobile operator, is sticking to its 2018 dividend target despite new U.S. sanctions making it harder to repatriate cash from its Iran joint venture, the company said on Wednesday.

Chief Executive, Rob Shuter, said on a conference call in Johannesburg that the company stood by its plan to increase payouts by 10 to 20 per cent over the next three to five years to its investors.

Despite continued challenges in repatriating funds from MTN Irancell, the board remains committed to plans to declare a total dividend of 500 cents per share for 2018, Mr Shuter said.

MTN, which reported a 7 per cent drop in half-year profits on Wednesday, has around 3.4 billion rand ($256 million) in accumulated dividends and loans from its joint venture in Iran.

Sanctions imposed on Tehran by the United States this week have already led banks and many companies around the world to scale back dealings with Iran.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that companies doing business with Iran would be barred from the United States.

He, however, said the sanctions may limit the ability of the group to repatriate cash from MTN Irancell, including future dividends.

The company declared a dividend of 175 cents per share in the first six months of the year, meaning it would have to pay 325 cents to reach in second-half of the year to hit the target.

MTN said headline EPS, the primary measure of profit in South Africa that excludes certain one-off items, fell 7 per cent to 215 cents in the six months through June due to unfavourable currency swings as well as a lower contribution from joint ventures and associates.

Those contributions dropped by a hefty 66 per cent to 197 million rand, mainly due to a drop in the contribution from MTN Irancell and a widening loss at its e-commerce joint venture, Africa Internet Holdings.

In addition to its 49 per cent stake in Irancell, MTN said in May, 2017 it had agreed to invest more than $295 million in Iranian Net, a fixed line broadband network in which it planned to buy an initial 49 per cent stake.

MTN said its MTN Nigeria unit expected to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange before the end of 2018.

According to pre-IPO documents seen by Reuters in February, the telecoms firm planned to raise at least $400 million to cut debt for its Nigeria unit, then valued at $5.23 billion.

MTN is seen as one of post-apartheid South Africas biggest commercial successes, but clashes with regulators in recent years have hobbled its growth.

It appointed Mr Shuter about a year ago to put it back on growth trajectory.

He has drawn up a new growth blueprint that includes branching out of basic telecoms services into music streaming, mobile banking and e-commerce and is reviewing the companys presence in markets where it is not a major player.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says Nigerias effort at attracting investors into its gas utilisation drive and creating value for the economy is responsible for different gas prices in the domestic market.

Bello Rabiu, Chief Operating Officer, NNPC Upstream, disclosed this at the just concluded annual conference and exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in Lagos on Wednesday.

According to Mr Rabiu, currently, there are different gas prices for various sectors of the economy.

There is a gas price for power, which is different from that of industries and gas-based industries such as fertilizers and petrochemicals.

Investors in various sectors of the economy are encouraged to take advantage of this.

Part of the reason for the gas master plan is to make the domestic gas market viable and reduce entry barriers.

As incentives, we have one gas price for power, another for industries, so that they can have cheaper energy.

Also, there is a different price for gas-based industries such as fertilizers and petrochemicals. This is aimed at arriving at a willing buyer, willing seller model of pricing, he said.

The NNPC chief, who did not specify the exact amount for the various categories of gas prices, said the end goal was for Nigerian companies to compete favourably with companies that produce similar products around the world.

In this sense a Nigerian fertiliser manufacturer should be able to compete with other fertilizer makers around the world.

To ensure there is willing buyer, willing seller model in the domestic gas market, the NNPC decided five billion standard cubic feet of gas daily will be able to sustain supply and sufficiency of gas to the domestic market, he said.

Jeffrey Ewing, the Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited, saidgas is a big source of economic diversification which can transform agro based industries through the use of fertilizers.

But to attract the needed investment, we need fiscal terms as incentives to investors.

Some companies have supplied gas but have not been paid. We also need fiscal terms that encourages small and medium term projects.

Corroborating, Bayo Ojulari, Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), said that for Nigeria to diversify its economy, it must leverage on the low hanging fruits.

He emphasised the need for human capital development, without which he said, every diversification effort would yield little result.

In Nigeria, two million people enter the labour market every year and the biggest economies around the world are leveraging on their population.

If your population is productive. It is a blessing. But diversification must be focused and not spread thin, Mr Ojulari said.

Bello Gusau, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), said that an enabling environment was needed to reap the benefits of a diversified economy.

Mr Gusau said that such diversification included security, transparency, accountability, infrastructure (power, pipeline networks) and effective Public Private and Academia (PPA) partnerships.

We have students specialising in traditional engineering courses such as petrochemical engineering, geology and geophysics but we have few experts in petroleum economics.

There new areas of specialisation and we need to start bridging this knowledge and skills gap immediately, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 3-day annual conference which started on Aug. 6 ended Aug. 8, with about 1,200 delegates and 30 exhibitors. (NAN)
The Russian Government was responsible for the attacks on the U.S. election process in 2016, U.S. Secretary of Defence, James Mattis, has declared.

Mr Mattis said at Pentagon that the Defence Department would provide all support necessary to the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement agencies to protect U.S. elections from Russian interference and other bad actors.

We all saw what happened in 2016 when the Russians, and possibly others, tried to do both influence operations and actually try to corrupt some of the processes, he said.

Facebook had announced recently that it uncovered some fake Facebook accounts aimed at causing disaffection during the midterm elections in November and had removed them.

Alleged Russias interference in the 2016 election, in which President Donald Trump won by Electoral College but lost to his archival and Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton by almost three million popular votes, led to the set-up of the special panel headed by Robert Mueller.

Trump received 304 electoral votes and Clinton garnered 227 but while Trump polled 62,984,825 or 46.4 per cent of the popular votes, Clinton polled 65,853,516 or 48.5 per cent.

However, Trump has repeatedly and angrily claimed witch-hunt by the Democrats and insisted that there was no collusion.

Mr Mattis said Pentagons agencies knew what to look for, particularly the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, adding they were engaged in supporting Homeland Security and state and local election officials to protect the integrity of the midterm elections.

Mr Mattis emphasised that the Department of Defence was not focused on one country, but on protecting the election process itself.

He added that the Pentagon was also guarding against influence operations and on attempts to corrupt the election process.

The defence secretary also said the U.S. military must address space as a developing warfighting domain that might lead to the creation of a new combatant command.

The defence chief said he was in favour of establishing a combatant command covering space and that a process was in progress.

The Department of Defence is in complete alignment with President Donald J. Trumps concern about protecting Americas assets and interests in space.

We are going to have to address it as other countries show the capabilities to attack those assets, Mattis added.

Mr Mattis said Vice President Mike Pence is the point man on space and that Pentagon was working closely with him and relevant committees at the Congress.

We are still putting it together; well get it right and well work it through the Congress.

We have the direction from the president and we are underway, Mr Mattis said. (NAN)
Saudi Arabia is considering further measures against Canada, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair said on Wednesday, amid an escalating diplomatic row between the two countries.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador, and froze trade and new investments with Canada after Ottawa called on Riyadh to release detained rights activists.

Additional measures against Canada are being considered, al-Jubeir said at a news conference in Riyadh, without elaborating.

He blamed Canada for the current crisis. It made a mistake and has to correct it, he added.

Sundays Saudi steps came after Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted that Canada was very alarmed to learn Saudi authorities have arrested Samar Badawi, the sister of a jailed Saudi blogger, along with prominent activist Nassima al-Sada.

Saudi officials condemned the Canadian remarks, calling them blatant interference in the oil-rich kingdoms affairs.

Al-Jubeir said Wednesday that the detainees had been trained by some countries, which he did not name, allegedly to gather sensitive information.

He added that charges against them would be made public after their case is sent to the court.

Human rights groups denounced the arrest of Badawi and al-Sada earlier.

Amnesty International said the two detained women had been repeatedly targeted, harassed and placed under travel bans for their human rights activism. (dpa/NAN)
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, spoke by telephone with Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and with Nelson Chamisa, the candidate of opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance.

In his two calls, Mr Guterres made clear that he counted on the President of Zimbabwe to ensure that the security forces show maximum restraint, according to Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq.

The frontrunners in the July 30 presidential election were Mr Mnangagwa from the ruling ZANU-PF party and his opponent, Chamisa, head of MDC Alliance.

The secretary-general also encouraged the opposition to pursue their electoral grievances through legal channels.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared Mr Mnangagwa winner of the election after some delays, which some observers said created opportunities for citizens to speculate about the potential to manipulate results.

The UN chief added that any legal decision taken by the court on the election results would need to be independent.

The general elections had been largely peaceful before violence broke out during a demonstration by supporters of MDC Alliance, alleging malpractices, leading to the killing of three people by security forces.

In his conversations, the UN chief stressed the UNs continued support for Zimbabwe in the post-electoral period and his hope that all Zimbabweans would move forward in unity.

(NAN)
Authorities have shut down the Internet in eastern Ethiopia amid an outbreak of violence in the region, a local resident said on Wednesday.

The resident, speaking from the city of Harar, some 100 km from Jijiga, the capital of the region of Somali, said the connection had been off for three days.

Rights group, Access Now, confirmed the shutdown in a statement.

Violence broke out in Jijiga on Saturday, with mobs looting properties owned by ethnic minorities, in unrest that the government said had been stoked by regional officials at odds with central authorities.

NAN reports that security forces in Ethiopias eastern Somali region on Monday shot dead four people protesting against the looting of their shops and homes.

The attacks forced thousands to seek refuge in an Ethiopian Orthodox church from Friday, residents told Reuters.

On Monday, some of them staged a protest.

They blocked a road surrounding the church to demonstrate, before security forces arrived and began firing indiscriminately, one resident of the town told Reuters.

The witness, who declined to be named, said he saw four bodies on the ground after the crowd dispersed. Gunfire rang out throughout the day.

At least two Ethiopian Orthodox churches were also burned down over the weekend, other residents told Reuters.

Amid the violence, the regions president Abdi Omer stepped down late on Monday, state-owned media outlets said. The agencies did not offer any explanation for his resignation.

But earlier, government spokesman, Ahmed Shide, had said regional officials were stoking violence at a time when attempts were being made to address rights abuses in the region.

He said the officials claimed the government was illegally forcing them to resign, and that a regional paramilitary force had taken part in the attacks under their orders.

Infrastructure was destroyed and civilians were subjected to killings and lootings. Religious centres were also attacked and banks looted, he said at a news conference.

These acts were carried out by gangs of youths that were organised by some members of the regions leadership.

Witnesses told Reuters that soldiers were deployed as early as Friday evening.

But Mr Ahmed said orders were given only on Monday and that they would soon start operations to restore calm.

The Somali region has seen sporadic violence for three decades.

The government has fought the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front since 1984 after the group launched a bid for secession of the province, also known as Ogaden.

Since 2017, clashes along its border with Oromiya province have displaced tens of thousands of people.

In July, the regions officials were accused by the government in Addis Ababa of perpetrating rights abuses. Last month, authorities fired senior prison officials there over allegations of torture.

The unrest in the province marks a first test for new prime minister Abiy Ahmed, who has pledged transparency and a crackdown on abuses by security services.

(Reuters/NAN)
Zimbabwe police on Wednesday arrested former Finance Minister and opposition politician, Tendai Biti, as he tried to cross the border and seek asylum in neighbouring Zambia, his lawyer said.

Mr Biti, whose party formed an election alliance with President Emmerson Mnangagwas main rival, Nelson Chamisa, is the first senior opposition politician to be arrested in the aftermath of last weeks disputed presidential election won by Mr Mnangagwa.

Lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo said Mr Biti was arrested after presenting himself to Zambian immigration officials at Chirundu border post, north of the capital Harare and police had not yet informed him of the charges.

Mr Biti has accused government of blocking its choice of guest-of-honour at the partys inaugural congress set to begin in Harare in 2015.

Partys spokesperson Jacob Mafume said that the Renewal Team had invited Zambian opposition United Party for National Development, leader Hakainde Hachilemba but had met with obstacles from the government.

Mr Biti is a Zimbabwean politician, who served as Zimbabwes Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2013.

He was the Secretary-General of the Movement for Democratic Change and the subsequent Movement for Democratic Change  Tsvangirai (MDC-T) political parties and a Member of Parliament for Harare East until he was expelled from the party and recalled from parliament in mid-2014.

In 1999 he helped found the MDC.

He was elected Member of Parliament for the Harare East constituency in 2000.

He was arrested in 2007 with many others, including MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, after a prayer rally in the Harare township of Highfield.

(Reuters/NAN)
Cote dIvoire former first lady Simone Gbagbo was released from detention on Wednesday after being granted an amnesty for her part in a short civil war in 2011, according to a Reuters witness.

The wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to accept electoral defeat triggered the war, walked out of Abidjans Ecole de Gendarmerie in which she had been detained since 2013.

President Alassane Ouattara announced the granting of amnesty to 800 prisoners, including the former first lady of Cote dIvoire Simone Gbagbo on Monday.

In a message to the nation on the eve of the celebration of the 58th anniversary of the independence of Cote dIvoire, Ouattara reaffirmed his willingness to hand over in 2020.

Also to be released are former defense minister Lida Kouassi, who was convicted of conspiracy and former minister of construction Assoa Adou.

Souleymane Kamarate (Soul to Soul) also received amnesty.

The president said about sixty soldiers and members of armed groups who have committed blood crimes will remain in prison.
Chinese investigators said they have recalled faulty vaccines produced by the company Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology, some of which have been sold abroad.

The vaccine scandal that is believed to have affected hundreds of thousands of children in China is now spreading overseas, according to a statement available Wednesday on the National Health Commissions website.

According to investigators, Changsheng seriously violated production and quality-management protocols in making its rabies vaccine.

Some batches are mixed with expired solution, and the date and batch number are not accurate, the commission said.

The commission did not specify which countries the faulty vaccines have been sold to.

Changsheng unleashed a huge public health scare in July, after being accused of forging data and failing safety protocols for its rabies vaccine.

Additionally, the pharma company last autumn reportedly sold substandard diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines, known as the DTaP vaccine, to at least 200,000 infants.

Food and medicine safety scandals are relatively frequent in China and politically charged.

After the allegations became known, President Xi Jinping called for a swift investigation and severe punishment for those responsible.

Authorities have issued arrest warrants for 18 Changsheng employees, including chairwoman Gao Junfang.

(dpa/NAN)
The development Research and Projects Center (dRPC) is organising a one day high level strategic dialogue on advocacy and accountability on routine immunisation in Nigeria.

The dialogue is being organised in conjunction with the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN).

The event which will be held in Abuja on Thursday will have in attendance the Executive Secretary, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib; Senior Technical Advisor, dRPC-PACFaH@Scale, Emmanuel Abanida; community health workers and other development partners working on routine immunisation in the health sector.

The aim of the dialogue is to strengthen the accountability framework for routine immunisation service delivery at national and state levels.

A statement signed by the Communications Specialist of the project, Hassan Karofi, revealed that the high level meeting is an important initiative being support by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

Mr Karofi said this is part of the continuous efforts towards attaining the objectives of Nigerias Strategy for Immunisation and Primary Health care system strengthening, (NSIPSS) 2018  2028.

According to the him, the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, is taking the lead in from states like Kano, Kaduna, Niger and Lagos states.

He said the reason behind the dialogue is to explore the mechanisms for civil society engagement; to examine and create an understanding of the new roles and expectations for states under the NSIPSS project.
Tukur Amadi, District Manager, Katsina State Water Board, said on Wednesday that the board has raised daily water supply to Daura to 1.2 million liters.

Mr Amadi said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Daura that the increase in water supply to the town was due to the drilling and installation of additional pumping facilities by the board.

According to him, the board is now pumping water to more areas in the town including Kururrubai, Dunu, Rahamawa, Cadi and Kofar Baru.

The district manager assured that very soon the whole town would be getting uninterrupted water supply, adding we are presently installing the pumps to increase the quantity of the commodity and ensure consumption of safe and clean water.

Mr Amadi disclosed that the board was liaising with the state road maintenance agency for the use of its equipment to fast track the laying of new water pipes in the town.

He urged water consumers in Daura to reciprocate the gesture by settling their monthly water bills to enable the board continue to serve them better.

The district manager commended the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Salisu Dandume for ensuring that the district office of the water board operate in full capacity.

NAN reports that the federal government recently handed over to the Katsina State Government the completed Sabke multi purpose Dam in Maiadua Local Government Area, meant to further boost potable water supply and agriculture activities in Daura and other parts of the state.

(NAN)
The police authority in Benue, on Wednesday, withdrew from the state House of Assembly complex to end a period of blockade, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAN reports that the police on July 28, laid siege to the assembly; chasing members and workers out including the Clerk of the House, Torese Agena, from their offices at the complex.

The police personnel had occupied the assembly complex for nearly two weeks, thereby denying lawmakers access to the chambers to discharge their duties.

NAN recalls that trouble started when 22 out of the 30 lawmakers impeached the former Speaker of the House, Terkimbi Ikyange, who in turn with seven other members, attempted to impeach Gov. Samuel Ortom of the state.

Speaking to journalists at the assembly complex, the new Speaker, Titus Uba, hailed Nigerians for standing with the House and resisting the blockade by the police.

We have taken over the Assembly now and the normal adjournment date of August 15 still stands for us to continue to give Benue citizens the best legislations.

The police have been withdrawn from the assembly complex and we thank all Nigerians for standing with us through the struggle for our democracy to thrive, Mr Uba said.

(NAN)
Two commissioners in Akwa Ibom who received a senator, Godswill Akpabio, at the airport in Uyo have been sacked by Governor Udom Emmanuel.

The sacked commissioners are Victor Antai of Culture and Tourism, and Ibanga Akpabio of Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning. The latter is a relative of the senator.

Mr Akpabio, who recently resigned from office as the Senate minority leader, ignited a political storm in Akwa over his planned defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

After his visit to APC leaders, including traveling to London to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari who is on a 10-day vacation, the senator landed in the Akwa Ibom International Airport, Uyo, on Tuesday and was received by Mr Antai, Mr Akpabio, and other top politicians in the state.

A jubilant crowd thronged the airport to welcome back the senator, who is a former governor of the state.

A statement issued on Tuesday evening by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Emmanuel Ekuwem, said Mr Antai and Mr Akpabio were sacked from the State Executive Council because of their reluctance to comply with good governance processes of government.

The statement asked the sacked commissioners to handover to the permanent secretaries in their respective ministries before the close of work on Wednesday.

Apart from Mr Antai and Mr Akpabio, other dignitaries who graced the senators reception in Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area, were the House of Representatives members, Emmanuel Ekon (Abak federal constituency) and Emmanuel Akpan (Ikot Ekpene federal constituency), as well as a state lawmaker representing Essien Udim, Nse Ntuen.

Mr Akpabio is expected to be officially received into the APC on Wednesday at a political rally in Ikot Ekpene.

Victor Antai, commissioner of Culture and Tourism

There is a general apprehension in the state that some high profile state government officials and PDP chieftains may likely defect to the APC with the senator.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has spoken on the recent sex-for-mark scandal involving lecturers in some Nigerian universities.

The President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, a professor, spoke with PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Since April, three Nigerian universities have been in the spotlight, after their lecturers got involved in sexual harassment scandals.

These scandals followed actions of female students who opened up on abusive conducts of lecturers towards them in the three universities namely Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Lagos, Akoka and Lagos State University, Ojo.

While OAU, the first hit, dismissed the lecturer involved in the scandal, the other two, LASU and UNILAG are still proceeding with investigations.

On Tuesday, Mr. Ogunyemi told PREMIUM TIMES that sexual harassment involving lecturers is not as rampant as exaggerated by the public.

The first thing I will tell you is that it is not as rampant as you think. When you say rampant, it means 70 per cent or more of lecturers are involved. There are only few cases of people who have not acted in the best manner expected of them. Majority of our members are decent people and they are hard working, he said.

When asked by PREMIUM TIMES about steps taken by the union to make sure that the public do not distrust university certificates awarded to students, Mr Ogunyemi said the union has always warned its members not to put themselves in situations that will be difficult for the union to defend them.

As a union, we do our best to make sure that our members keep to the expectations of parents and students relationship at universities. We have always implored them not to put themselves in situations that will be difficult for the union to defend them.

Mr Ogunyemi said the cases reported so far could be an exaggeration of the situation.

We want to say that we are aware of these cases that have been reported. We understand there could be exaggeration on campus and that is why we maintained that such issues should be treated with due process and that due process, our union will be part of it.

He said when alleged lecturers are proved beyond reasonable doubt to have acted below expectation, the union will not obstruct justice.

We have never done that and will not do that. If the suspect has been taken through due process, our union will not stand against justice. That is the standard rule.

Also while responding to investigations ongoing in University of Lagos and Lagos State University, the official said: There are structures within the system that demand that unions should be represented in the Disciplinary and Ethics Committees in every campus. That has been institutionalised.

The Lagos State University (LASU)

PREMIUM TIMES reported recently that Adekoya Martins, the spokesperson of LASU said investigation on lecturer alleged of sexual harassment is almost at the final stage.

The case has gone beyond issuing a query to him (accused lecturer). It is now before the joint committee of Senate and Council Disciplinary Committee. When they give their final verdict, the council will look at it and release the final thing. Just give us a little time, it is almost at the final stage, Mr Martins said then.

Also, UNILAG management has appealed to Linda Ikeji to assist in convincing Nwanna Joy, the lady making the allegations asking her, to defend the sexual harassment claim against the lecturer.

The institutions vice-chancellor also said UNILAG may involve the police in coaxing her to appear.
Many Nigerians on Tuesday woke up to the news of the tension at the National Assembly. Officers of the State Security Services (SSS) had laid a siege on the parliament.

The situation which first appeared as stalemate between lawmakers who arrived early and the officers, quickly metamorphosed into national issue, one with a startling half-conclusion.

The head of the security agency was sacked while the leadership of the Senate remains the same. But how did the whole episode unfold?

Read PREMIUM TIMES live updates on the siege here

BEFORE THE SIEGE

The tip-off first came as a rumour on Monday evening. The day had wound up when the grapevine started circulating that some lawmakers had perfected plans to forcefully open the National Assembly and remove the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

For days prior Monday, speculation had been on, on the appropriateness of Mr Saraki as Senate President, having defected from the ruling APC to the PDP.

Some APC senators are of the opinion that Mr Saraki should resign his position on the argument that the Senate should be presided over by a lawmaker from majority party. The APC is still believed to have a slight majority in the Senate. However, PDP senators and others loyal to Mr Saraki vowed to resist any attempt to remove him.

In a similar development also, the executive had pleaded with the National Assembly to reconvene to consider the INEC budget of 2019 elections, some key government appointments among others. To this end, Mr Saraki had called a meeting of the Senate leadership to hold on Tuesday afternoon.

This was expected to hold until the siege came in the first hours of Tuesday.

PREMIUM TIMES got a tip-off that 30 senators were having a meeting with the Director-General of SSS, then Lawal Daura, with a plot to seek security cover to move into the National Assembly unchallenged, remove Mr Saraki and install new leadership. Ahmed Lawan was touted as the new Senate President while Hope Uzodinma would be his deputy.

THE D-DAY

As early as 7a.m. when the first PREMIUM TIMES reporter arrived the National Assembly, SSS officers had thrown a cordon off the premises.

Lawmakers, journalists and staff were allowed to enter from the main gate but were prevented from entering the gate that leads to the National Assembly complex where legislative businesses usually take place.

First to arrive was the Kwara South senator, Rafiu Ibrahim. Then Ben Murray-Bruce. They confronted the officers but the answer they could only get from the leader of the masked SSS team was that the siege was an order from above.

We need more guns, send us more guns, the officer, who wore no name tag, was heard shouting openly as National Assembly staff and journalists at the gate watched.

Then the stalemate began. More PDP senators and members of the House of Representatives were left standing. By this time, the lawmakers were not sure whether their APC colleagues had taken another route to enter to commence the removal process.

After over an hour, the lawmakers were allowed to enter. Yet, it was not clear to journalists what was happening inside.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly clerk Mohammed Sani-Omolori was unable to enter. Mr Sani-Omolori told journalists he would still turn back even if he was granted entrance as his workers were stranded outside.

LAWMAKERS REACT

Senators and Reps members who spoke with journalists all tied the siege to plot to remove the Senate President.

We got here this morning to go into our office as usual; I work very early. During recess we do committee works and our own writings. Im writing a book, so I go in there almost every day, Rafiu Ibrahim, a senator from Kwara State said.

We got here and DSS has taken over all the gates, all entrances to the National Assembly and they said its order from above. We asked them why, they said there is no reason. As it is today, it means Nigeria is under siege.

Bayelsa East senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, said he had commenced action on asking the US and UK to revoke the visas of the perpetrators.

I have contacted the UK and US Embassy to revoke the visa of Senator Akpabio or anybody leading this assault on this institution. We will ask them to revoke the visas of their wives and that of their children. They will not be allowed to leave Nigeria to travel to any nation in Western Europe and North America, he said.

Bauchi senator, Isa Misau, in the afternoon told journalists he does not know the whereabouts of APC senators.

There is a rumour that 30 of them want to perpetrate the evil act (remove Saraki).

He vowed he and his colleagues would not allow the plan to hatch while emphasising that any decision taken by APC lawmakers will be null and void.

Dino Melaye vowed PDP senators will continue their vigilance until their APC colleagues back down on the plan.

All comments were similar except for a member of the House of Representatives, Johnson Agbonayinma (Edo, APC), who told journalists the SSS siege was a plan by the PDP members to side-line the APC in taking decisions.

ENTERS DRAMATIC GOODHEAD

The first attempt at challenging the SSS officers was by a member of the House of Representatives, Boma Goodhead who dared the operatives to shoot her and others prevented from entering the National Assembly.

Rivers Rep, Boma Goodhead, dares DSS

Mrs Goodhead had arrived the National Assembly gate with the Deputy Minority Whip of the senate, Biodun Olujimi, around 8a.m. but she could only wait for a short briefing before charging at the operatives.

I dare you to shoot me!  I said shoot me!!  Is this how President Jonathan left Democracy for President Buhari!? She said repeatedly.

Her braveness paid off less than half an hour later, the officers got the directive to allow the lawmakers enter.

Upon entrance, they realised their APC colleagues were not in the National Assembly.

Some minutes after, protests had started at the National Assembly gate as international media throng to cover the development.

APC SENATORS

Apparently in reaction to the botched coup, APC senators in the afternoon regrouped at a location around Aso Drive in Abuja.

Earlier in the morning, there was information that they were meeting at Sheraton Hotel, but this turned out to be false.

However, none of the APC senators appeared at the National Assembly. No principal officer of the two houses, except the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Lasun Yusuff, came to the National Assembly while the siege was on.

DG SSS SACKED, SIEGE LIFTED

While the siege was ongoing, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, directed the termination of the appointment of the Director General, State Security Service, Lawal Daura. This was after meeting with Mr Daura and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo

Mr. Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice, Laolu Akande, Mr Osinbajos spokesperson, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The sack is believed to be related to Mr Dauras role in the siege on the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Director General of SSS, Lawal Daura.

About an hour after the termination, SSS officers drove out of the National Assembly, and thus, ends the siege.

SARAKIs TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

After the whole tension was doused, Mr Saraki finally made his way to the National Assembly to the cheers of staff and supporters.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Mr Saraki is yet to comment on the incident.

He is expected to address a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has exercised a U-turn in its position on the development at the National Assembly on Tuesday.

State Security Service (SSS) operatives were joined by police officers to prevent lawmakers from accessing the parliament for several hours on Tuesday morning.

Following widespread media attention and outrage from Nigerians, as well as attempts by furious lawmakers to break into the premises, the security agents ultimately allowed access to the National Assembly. But the access was only granted to serving lawmakers. All other members of staff at the National Assembly, as well as journalists and other independent observers were denied entry.

The siege lasted until late afternoon when SSS operatives stood down after receiving reports that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo did not authorise the deployment and had fired the director-general of the secret police, Lawal Daura, as a consequence.

The partys first reaction was to warn critics not to blame its politicians for the siege, saying it was strictly a legislative matter.

By evening, the APC joined other individuals, groups and even foreign diplomatic missions to condemn the attack on Tuesday night.

The party described the security agencies action at the time as an unfortunate invasion and dissociated itself from any act of brigandage and affront on the sacred symbols of our budding democracy.

But this morning, another statement came in from the party, which essentially contradicted its position yesterday. The party said Mr Saraki was the one who orchestrated the plot, and that security agencies only moved in to prevent any outbreak of violence.

The APC statements, the first at 6:41 p.m. on Tuesday and the second at 8:02 a.m. on Wednesday are reproduced respectively as follows:

APC Condemns National Assembly Invasion

The All Progressives Congress (APC) condemns in strongest terms, todays unfortunate invasion of the National Assembly by security forces. Our Party wholly dissociates itself from any act of brigandage and affront on the sacred symbols of our budding democracy.

Our Party remains a law abiding political organisation and advises every constituent part to abide by the tenets of our constitution and our democracy.

Whilst our contention with the leadership of the National Assembly as currently constituted is a matter of public record, we still believe that the legislature as an independent arm of government must be allowed free reign for vibrant contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context of their constitutional mandate and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

We call for a more harmonious working relationship between the various Arms of Government in the general interest of the country.

SIGNED:

Mr. Yekini Nabena

Ag. National Publicity Secretary

How Security Operatives Stopped Sarakis Plan to Foment Violence over Impeachment

Following Tuesdays incident at the National Assembly, our investigations have now uncovered the sinister plot hatched by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to foment violence in the legislative chamber all in a bid to stop his impeachment.

Our investigations uncovered and noted the following:

We are now aware that the timely intervention of the security operatives forestalled the planned violence which could have led to possible deaths, injuries and destruction of property in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Why did the Senate President mobilise thugs to the National Assembly who almost lynched Hon. E.J. Agbonayinma, the only APC federal lawmaker present but for the timely intervention of security operatives.

Why did the Senate President reconvene the National Assembly? Ostensibly as a pre-emptive move to frustrate federal lawmakers move to impeach him.

Is it not curious that only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers were present in their numbers-some as early as 7am, while the majority APC federal lawmakers were elsewhere holding a caucus meeting on the state of the nation.

We call on security agencies and relevant bodies to as a matter of urgency probe these findings and take all necessary and legitimate action to stop these illegalities which pose a direct and ominous threat to our democracy.

As espoused in our earlier statement, whilst our contention with the leadership of the National Assembly as currently constituted is a matter of public record, we still believe that the legislature as an independent arm of government must be allowed free reign for vibrant contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context of their constitutional mandate and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

Finally, we reiterate our call for the Senate President to resign from the position immediately as he no longer has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member of the minority PDP. Going by the popular axiom, the majority will have their way, but the minority will have their say.

SIGNED:

Mr. Yekini Nabena

Ag. National Publicity Secretary
The plot was like that of a movie, leaving trained security and intelligence officials confused. At the end of it, Lawal Daura, then head of one of Nigerias foremost security agencies was whisked away while his well trained security aides waited for him.

Multiple sources at the Nigerian Presidency have told PREMIUM TIMES how Mr Daura, former Director-General of State Security Service, (SSS), was sacked and arrested on the orders of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday.

Mr Daura was sacked after masked SSS operatives laid siege to the National Assembly complex preventing lawmakers and civil servants from gaining access into the building.

The siege was only lifted about an hour after Mr Dauras sack.

OSINBAJO OUTRAGED

Sources at the presidential villa said Mr Osinbajo, who has been in charge since President Muhammadu Buhari proceeded on a 10 day vacation to the UK, was outraged by the actions of the SSS.

When the siege began, the acting president quickly went to action and was able to gather preliminary information of what was going on after which he invited some of the security chiefs concerned for a briefing, one of the sources said.

He said those invited include the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the former DG, Mr Daura. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported Mr Osinbajos meeting with both officials.

The source also said the acting president was briefed earlier by National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.

When Lawal Daura came in, the acting president asked him who cleared him to order operatives to lay siege on the National Assembly; and his response was shocking.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo

He simply said its within his powers and that he is only answerable to the President and Commander-in-Chief who appointed him, the source said.

The source also said unknown to Mr Daura, the acting president had already spoken to Mr Buhari after initial reports indicated that Mr Daura was in play with President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

After his response, Mr Osinbajo told his media aide, Laolu Akande, to immediately issue a statement announcing the sack of Mr Daura.

The acting president also asked the National Security Adviser to hand over the sacked DG to the police for further investigation, he said.

DAURA ARRESTED

Another source at the Villa , who witnessed the drama that followed the directive from Mr Osinbajo, said as soon as his arrest was ordered, the Aide De Camp (ADC) to Mr Osinbajo was seen rushing to the ceremonial gate, where the Mobile Police Force office is located.

The ADC returned to the VP wing with some mobile police officers in a rush and asked that a vehicle should be brought immediately to the rear area for (Dauras) evacuation.

We thought the VP, who is the only one whose convoy uses that place, was about to go out and there was a need for additional vehicle. An SUV was scrambled but the ADC said they should bring a tinted Hilux van, he said.

Meanwhile, the source said Mr Daura s convoy and personal security were waiting for him, like they normally do, at the administration gate (a separate one from the ceremonial gate) not knowing what was going on inside.

All of them thought the DG was still meeting with the acting president until the convoy was asked to return to headquarters empty, he said.

Another source, a former director in the SSS who worked with Mr Daura, said he (Daura) is currently being detained at the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), in Abuja.

The fact that he was handed over to SARS and not detained in a guest house (for high profile suspects) should give you an indication of how the government is handling this matter. He is now considered a suspected serious criminal, he said.

He also said a combined team of both the police and SSS would have begun interrogating Mr Daura by now.

THE REPLACEMENT

PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday reported how Mr Dauras security details returned to the SSS headquarters without their principal.

A senior official at the SSS said the security details, after waiting for Mr Daura to come out from the meeting with the vice president, simply received an order from a director at the agency that they return to the agencys headquarters.

By then, an acting Director-General had been named for the SSS.

Matthew Seiyefa, was until his appointment the director in charge of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), an institution established in 2005 as the cardinal training institution for the SSS.

Newly Acting Director General, State Security Service, (SSS) Mr Seiyefa Mathew after his meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (7/08/18). 04270/7/8/2018/Sumaila Ibrahim/ICE/NAN Pic 35 Newly Acting Director General, Department of State Services, (DSS) Mr Seiyefa Mathew after his meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (7/08/18).

Mr. Seiyefa was the most senior official at the SSS after Mr Daura. He briefly met with Mr Osinbajo on Tuesday.

The acting DG, an indigene of Bayelsa State, was director of operations between 2007 and 2010 when Afakriya Gadzama ran the agency.

With about 34 years experience, Mr. Seiyefa served in different other capacities, including being state director in Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos States.

He is also a member of the National Institute, having studied at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.

Insiders at the SSS said he is close to retirement, and was indeed billed to proceed on terminal leave later this month.
Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied allegations he compromised Lawal Daura, the director-general of the State Security Service who was sacked yesterday.

Mr Saraki has been accused by the ruling All Progressives Congress and its supporters online that he was the one who plotted the controversial blockade of the National Assembly.

Mr Daura was sacked on Tuesday, amidst claims that he was working with Mr Saraki to undermine the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawmaker responded to the claim on Wednesday at a press briefing, which his media office tagged as a world press conference, saying it was counter-intuitive.

Let us not insult the intelligence of Nigerians, Mr Saraki said of the attacks, adding that he was also a victim of alleged recklessness of security chiefs, including Mr Daura.

Mr Saraki also mentioned that his security detail was recently reduced, as well as that of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, all without recourse to due process.
The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed reports that the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajos decision to sack the Director General, State Security Service (SSS), Lawal Daura, had anything to do with power struggle between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.

Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, refuted the reports when he fielded questions from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council which was presided by Mr Osinbajo at Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mr Adesina said that President Buhari was fully aware of the events that led to the sacking of the former SSS chief.

The presidency is one. Whenever the President is proceeding on vacation he transmits power to the Vice-President who then becomes acting President.

On this occasion he also did that. So the acting president has all the powers of a president.

Now, it is then a matter of decency and we know that the acting president is a decent man. There is no tussle for power, there is no tough battle between him and the president.

When something like what happened yesterday (Tuesday) would happen then there will be unanimity, there is no way there wont be unanimity on that kind of decision.

It is not something that will be discussed with the press but know that there was unanimity in that decision.

Mr Osinbajo had on August 7 directed the termination of the appointment of the Mr Daura and directed him to handover to the most senior person in the organisation.

The dismissal follows the siege on the National Assembly on Tuesday by SSS officials. The presidency said the siege, which has been condemned by most Nigerians, was not authorised.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Daura was subsequently arrested after his dismissal.

Matthew Seiyefa has since assumed duty as the acting Director-General of the SSS.

Director General of SSS, Lawal Daura.

Mr Daura was appointed by President Buhari on July 2, 2015, following the dismissal of his predecessor, Ita Ekpeyong.

He is from the same Daura part of Katsina State as Mr Buhari.
He flouted the constitution. He disregarded court orders. He grabbed citizens and held them incommunicado without charges. And then, he expressed no scruples about it all.

Lawal Daura is now out of the State Security Service, but his ruthless exploits are unlikely to be forgotten by Nigerians for the foreseeable future.

A native of Daura, Katsina State, who graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mr Daura joined the SSS in 1982. In 2003, he was appointed Deputy Director Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre at the Presidential Villa, a position he held till 2007, according to his Wikipedia profile.

He served as the deputy head of security for the Buhari campaign during the 2015 elections, serving under Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau. He had left the SSS circa 2013 after turning 60. He was, however, recalled from retirement by Mr Buhari after winning the 2015 elections, defying concerns that it was inappropriate for a president to appoint someone from his home town in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious entity like Nigeria.

For human rights groups and proponents of the rule of law, Mr Dauras eventual dismissal, although widely linked to Tuesdays gambit at the National Assembly, was not condign enough a punishment for the string of reckless deployments of state resources that characterised his slightly over three-year reign at the secret police.

A dreaded state agent who did not flinch from the label, Mr Daura infamously etched his footprints on virtually all the fabrics of a modern constitutional republic, taking on hapless citizens, media practitioners, state and federal legislators and even Supreme Court judges. Many done without any shred of evidence or with confession obtained under duress or with links so thin they turned out worthless in the court of law.

Having been previously retired from service, his announcement to the position by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2015 elicited divergent feedback from Nigerians. While some viewed the appointment with suspicion, supporters of Mr Buhari said Mr Daura was unjustly eased out of the SSS by former President Goodluck Jonathan, and praised the president for giving him another chance.

But the choices of Mr Daura, who turned 65 over the weekend, since he was appointed on July 2, 2015, have further revealed his person. As debates over his sack and whereabouts continue, here is a recap of the spy chiefs short but controversial career in law enforcement administration since 2015:

Gestapo Assault On Judiciary

In an overnight operation on October 7 and 8, 2016, Mr Daura ordered the SSS personnel to invade the homes of senior judges across the country. The action, arguably the most controversial and highly consequential of Mr Dauras many actions, ended in the arrest of seven judges, including two of the Supreme Court.

Amidst mixed reactions from Nigerians, the presidency came in defence of Mr Daura, justifying the raid as an attack on corruption and not against the judiciary as being widely peddled. The Attorney-General Abubakar Malami also justified the raids, saying they were legal and that the SSS had its facts before moving against the judges.

SSS Officials

But the National Judicial Council declared the invasion unconstitutional and condemned it as an affront on the judiciary. The top judiciary body said the Nigerian constitution was clear on the conditions of bringing errant or corrupt judges to book.

The National Assembly also condemned the raids by Mr Daura. Speaker Yakubu Dogara described it as untidy and proposed sweeping legislation to forestall a repeat.

The House of Representatives also set up a panel to investigate the raids. But when Mr Daura appeared before lawmakers, he provided no useful information. Instead, he threatened to deal with Governor Nyesom Wike for disrupting an attempt to arrest a federal judge in Port Harcourt as part of the overnight raid, according to multiple lawmakers who briefed PREMIUM TIMES of Mr Dauras appearance at the time.

Despite claims by the SSS that its operatives investigated the judges for several months before raiding their residences, no judge was found guilty when the matters went to court. Of the seven judges, only three were charged to court. Two of them, Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court and Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court were discharged. The last judge, Innocent Umezulike in Enugu, died while the trial was underway. No charges were filed against the remaining four judges.

Even if all the judges were arraigned, their individual cases would have collapsed in court, largely on the basis of the Court of Appeal ruling that no judges could be investigated or charged without first undergoing disciplinary actions by the NJC.

No Road For Magu

Although he was appointed in November 2015, Ibrahim Magu remains an acting-chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission nearly three years later, largely because of Mr Daura. It was the former SSS boss who wrote security report twice to the Senate, warning lawmakers not to confirm his colleagues appointment.

Suspended EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu

The first security report was written in December 2016, and senators quickly rejected Mr Magu based on it. An investigation conducted by PREMIUM TIMES shortly after Mr Magu was rejected revealed that the so-called security report was completely false.

Still, the Senate believed the SSS when the agency wrote its second security report to thwart Mr Magus confirmation. The president declined to drop Mr Magu despite the rejections, and Mr Daura was not publicly rebuked for apparently undermining the president.

Mr Dauras frustration of Mr Magus confirmation was said to be a fallout of the cold war that had simmered between him and National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno since 2015. The sacked SSS DG declined to report to Mr Monguno as legally required.

What Court Order?

In at least two clear cases of flagrant disregard of court pronouncements, Mr Daura held former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, and a leader of the Shiite movement, Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, in custody.

Since the Shiite leader was arrested in December 2015 with his wife, there have been court mandates for the SSS to release the couple, but Mr Daura declined each time. The orders have been issued since 2016, but rather than release him, Mr Dauras SSS kept him in custody. At some point, the SSS argued that the cleric was being held for his own safety, despite his lawyers strong objections that his client did not give consent to being kept incommunicado for years, after losing his children in the Zaria massacre.

After more than two years of being kept in custody without trial, and with rumours spreading about his death, Mr Zakzaky was paraded before some selected cameramen at the SSS headquarters in Abuja January, a gesture his lawyer viewed with utmost suspicion. The Shiite leader is now being tried at a Kaduna court.

On Mr Dasuki, the former NSA has been held at the agencys headquarters since he was arrested against court order in December 2015. Despite not being able to enforce several court orders in the past, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court again granted Mr Dasuki bail last month.

Mr Daura ignored the order, and Mr Malami said it was appropriate for court orders to be disregarded in national interest.

Also in December 2015, Mr Daura violated a court order and forcibly ejected one of his predecessors, Kayode Are. Mr Are, DG of SSS between 1999 and 2007, was allocated the property in Ikoyi, Lagos, as part of his retirement benefits from the agency.

Despite yet another court order compelling Mr Daura to allow Mr Are and his family return to their home, the sacked official failed to yield.

Bullying Lawmakers

Mr Daura sent his men to clampdown on lawmakers at state and federal levels during his time at the SSS. His started with the invasion of Ekiti State House of Assembly in March 2016. During the raid, which was widely condemned, SSS operatives arrested several lawmakers, including Afolabi Akanni.

Other lawmakers were later summarily released, but Mr Akanni was taken to Abuja and held incommunicado for several days. After social media campaign and legal efforts to secure his release failed, as Mr Daura ignored court orders in that respect, the state government raised alarm that he was dead in custody.

It was a few days afterwards that the SSS released the lawmaker without filing charges. He was said to be gravely ill by the time he was released.

The invasion of the National Assembly by suspected thugs in April was also linked to Mr Daura. PREMIUM TIMES findings revealed that SSS operatives were involved in the conspiracy, although the Senates primary suspect remained Ovie Omo-Agege, an APC senator from Delta State.

The unconstitutional attempt to remove Governor Samuel Ortom in Benue State last month was also traced to Mr Daura. The former SSS boss was said to have, together with the police, provided security for eight lawmakers to take over the House of Assembly in Makurdi. There are 30 members in the House, and eight members can not form a one-third quorum as required by law.

The presidency condemned the act as unconstitutional, but there was no evidence that any action was taken to discipline those who deployed security resources to that ill-fated mission.

In September 2015, the Akwa Ibom Government House was raided by SSS operatives in Uyo, the state capital. The agency said it uncovered arms, ammunition and huge stash of United States dollars in some of the rooms.

Nearly three years later, the secret police has not filed any charges. Several PDP leaders condemned the action at the time, casting strong doubts on the SSS claims.

For Mr Daura, Activists, Journalists Are Fair Game

Mr Daura also ordered several repressive measures against activists and journalists throughout his controversial tenure, with some reports suggesting that he might have held no fewer than 300 Nigerians in prolonged custody without trial. In July 2016, Mr Dauras SSS arrested Jones Abiri, a Nigerian journalist and family man in Bayelsa State. Mr Abiris case has become the most famous amongst all journalists detained under the Buhari administration.

Jones Abiri (Photo Credit: The Cable)

Mr Abiris case has drawn particular attention to the repressive tendencies of Mr Daura. The SSS has issued several contradictory statements about his prolonged detention which further raised suspicion and fueled relentless campaign for his release by media rights advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York.

The agency initially said he purportedly confessed to supplying weapons to militants in the Niger Delta creeks after his arrest. But when the local newspaper publisher was finally charged before a Chief Magistraters Court in Abuja two weeks ago, court filings said he threatened to bomb expatriates in Shell and Eni-Agip unless he received N500 million in settlement.

Mr Abiri was finally transferred to a federal prison in Keffi last week, after spending two years in EFCC custody without access to his lawyers or family members, including his children and aged mother.

Also, between late February and March, SSS operatives arrested Tony Ezimakor, a journalist with Daily Independent. He was also threatened to disclose his sources.

Members of the Ijaw Youth Council are also said to be held in custody by Mr Daura, according to the group. The group threatened serious consequences if its demands are not met.

Mr Daura did all these, and even more, without appointing a spokesperson for the SSS, a situation many describe as retrogressive considering the SSS had a spokesperson before Mr Daura was appointed. The last spokesperson left the agency in 2015. she was amongst those controversially fired by Mr Dauras management.

Media rights advocates have repeatedly demanded that Mr Daura should resign if he would not be accountable to Nigerians by assigning another spokesperson to interface with the public on the activities of the SSS, calls he failed to yield until his exit Tuesday.

Minor Crackdown

Mr Dauras crude approach to law enforcement was not restricted to only those capable of defending themselves. In Kogi State last year, SSS operatives arrested a 16-year-old boy on allegations that he plotted to bomb a radio station.

The boy was held for several months at a facility in Koton Karfe, about 40 kilometres north of Lokoja, the state capital. A brief of the case was presented to Mr Daura, and he signed on to it, despite utter lack of evidence by his agents. The boy was arrested in lieu of his even younger brother who was at the time a junior secondary school one pupil.

The matter was charged to a chief magistrates court. But for several months, the SSS failed to show up for trial or release the boy. The magistrate eventually dismissed the case, but the boy lost a full session at school.

Hunting Enemies

Mr Daura also spent his time at the SSS taking steps that betrayed his paranoia. Not only was he going after those he presumed were against the Buhari administration at large but those he perceived as a threat to his personal interests.

He arrested and detained at least two persons he believed were too close to Mr Magu and, therefore, considered his enemies. One of them was Abba Mohammed, a retired SSS official.

Mr Mohammed was an assistant director at the SSS until his retirement in 2016. He served as the chief of staff at the agencys headquarters in Abuja until he left service.

His family told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Mohammed and Mr Daura were allies until the sacked SSS chief started accusing his former subordinate of being an agent of Mr Magu.

It was on the basis of that suspicion that Mr Mohammed was picked up by SSS operatives and held for months without trial. He was subjected to the harsh punishment in custody even though nothing incriminating was found when two houses associated with him were searched, his family told PREMIUM TIMES in September 2017.

Mr Daura similarly ordered the arrest of a lawyer and a chieftain of the APC for allegedly being an ally of Mr Magu and working against him. The lawyer denied the allegations, but was still held cumulatively for almost four months, PREMIUM TIMES learnt from those familiar with the matter.

The SSS never filed any charges against either of them, nor did it pay any compensation for violating their rights by holding them in protracted custody.

Katsina, 51; South-east, 44

One of the most brazen acts of impunity sanctioned by Mr Daura at the SSS was the partisan recruitment exercise he oversaw in 2016. The agency admitted 479 Nigerians as cadet officers at the time, but the list contained disproportionately more northerners than southerners.

PREMIUM TIMES found when it broke the story that Mr Daura did not only flout the federal character principle spelt out in Nigerian statutes, he also failed to employ people on merit.

He admitted more people from his own state of Katsina (51) into the countrys foremost internal intelligence agency than the entire South-east region of five states put together (44).

The presidency defended the controversial exercise after enraged citizens condemned it as further proof of Mr Buharis alleged deep-seated nepotism, saying it was done to make up for purported lopsidedness in recruitment by previous administrations.

Nigerians demanded evidence of this, including the a nominal payroll of the agencys entire staff across the federation, but the administration failed to present any. The recruitment was never reversed, and an investigation that was promised to unravel potential wrongdoings also turned out a ruse.
The Nigerian Governors Forum has described as despicable an attempt to take over the National Assembly by operatives of the Nigerian secret police, the State Security Service (SSS).

A statement by the Head of Media of the NGF, Abdulrazaque-Bello Barkindo, quoted chairman of the forum, Abdulaziz Yari, calling for punishment for all those involved in the siege.

Armed SSS personnel Tuesday morning laid siege on the National Assembly gates, barring lawmakers and journalists from the building.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo later summoned the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the SSS director general, Lawal Daura.

The presidency immediately announced the sack of the SSS boss, while distancing itself from the blockade.

The governors said the siege was an aberration on democracy.

Read full text of the statement below:

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) frowns strongly at Tuesday mornings attempted take-over of the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS).

NGF says it is an aberration.

The Forum, without equivocation, reasons that the siege on the National Assembly is a most despicable action, one that challenges the core of the nations democracy and threatens Nigerias corporate existence in the long run.

The Chairman of the Forum, Gov Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar who is also a former member of the National Assembly, having served there as a member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, before becoming governor in 2011, called on the Acting President to ensure that the participants in the unwise action are met by the full wrath of the law.

Governor Yari Abubakar described the National Assembly as the bastion of democracy and added therefore that an attack on it is an attack on the collective conscience of the country at large.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar warned against such actions in the future saying that such unbridled meddlesomeness by the nations security operatives were capable of plunging the country into the unfortunate circumstances of unnecessary confusion.

Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo

Head, Media & Public Affairs

Nigeria Governors Forum Secretariat
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has hailed the resilience of members of the National Assembly over the invasion of its complex by officials of the State Security Service.

Operatives of the SSS had in a perceived bid to aid the forceful removal of Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday blocked the main gate of the National Assembly, preventing lawmakers and staff from gaining access into the complex.

The lawmakers were, however, able to gain access to their facility after resistance.

Mr Dogara, in a statement circulated on Wednesday by his special adviser on Media and Public affairs, Turaki Hassan, said their (lawmakers) action was not just a service to Nigeria but also to democracy.

What you did today is not just a service to our fatherland, it is a service to democracy, actually you have ensure that our democracy survives and you have beaten back the callous hands of tyranny.

What we have done therefore is service to our democracy and forever this day will go into history, as one of those days our democracy faced serious trials and that true men and women of courage were able to ensure that it survives.

Mr Dogara urged the legislators to be vigilant because more harassments were coming.

You should be vigilant as it is said by so many philosophers that vigilance is the condition upon which God has given man liberty.

Once you compromise that, instantly is the punishment of your crimes; it has been said clearly.

So we have to be eternally vigilant; it is not that todays event has ended and democracy will not face any other trial, they will keep coming.

He thanked the lawmakers and prayed for God to enable them do more noble things for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.
Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, in Lagos, has arrested a bus containing 39 sacks and 1,220 parcels of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as Indian Hemp.

The items, concealed inside fresh tomatoes, pepper, and vegetables, were impounded along Olorunda axis of Ogun state on Friday last week, the agency said.

Mohammed Uba, the Controller of the unit, said the vehicle, a Ford with engine registration number: XL23452L, was impounded alongside the driver after a tip-off from members of the public.

In the spirit of inter-agency relationship, the seized substance will be handed over to NDLEA for further investigation, he added.

Other items seized by the agency two weeks after the last seizure are one MAN Diesel Truck with registration number XB 286 BEN along Afromedia Estate by Egbeda Junction beside Alaba International market carrying 2,748 cartons of DSP Codeine Cough Syrup 100mg (100 per carton) and 95 cartons of Chaka Pain Xtra, a pain-killer, based on a tip-off.

This is the second time in a row the unit is intercepting this substance since the Federal Government banned the importation of cough syrup that contains codeine. The substance is valued 1,175,200,000, Mr Uba said.

The driver of the truck on sighting our officers abandoned the truck and fled. Also, 49 cartons of tramadol capsules 100mg were evacuated from a warehouse in Ajao Estate based on information. The drugs will be handed over to NAFDAC for further investigation.

Mr Uba, who has just been transferred to head the Customs Command at Seme, said his officers had evacuated 21 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 1,031kg and four pieces of elephant tusk weighing 29.35kg from a shop in a market in Victoria Island based on information by the Warehouse Operations team led by Mutalib Sule, a customs officer.

The occupant of the shop fled and still at large but investigation is already ongoing towards getting the culprit arrested and prosecuted, said Mr Uba.

Among the detained vehicles include seven Toyota Land Cruiser Jeeps (2015-2018), 4 Toyota Hiace Bus (2017), two Toyota Coaster Bus (2017), and four Toyota Camry (2014). These 17 Exotic Vehicles have a duty paid value of N384,291,251.94.

Indian hemp impounded by security personnels

While four of the vehicles were intercepted along Ijebu Ode Expressway, 13 were evacuated from House Plot 1 Akintailor Close, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, based on credible information.

Eight suspects were arrested in connection with these 25 seizures.
Ebonyi and Cross River states have agreed to end hostilities arising from various border disputes between the two states.

The states have also agreed to embark on construction of inter states bridges and roads to further cement the bond of brotherhood between them.

The resolutions were contained in a 10-point communique issued after an interstate peace building meeting held in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, and Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River and representatives of the warring communities from both states.

The communique was made available to journalists on Wednesday in Abakaliki.

According to the communique signed by leaders of the two states, Ebonyi Government was to construct 600 metres bridge across Oferekpe River in Ikwo axis, and 500 metres bridge at Ndibe Beach in Afikpo.

Cross River undertook to complement Ebonyi by constructing 7.2 kilometres road to link up with the federal highway coming from Ogada in Cross River to Oferekpe in Ebonyi.

Cross River also agreed to construct 19 kilometres road linking Ndibe Beach to Ugep or 17 kilometres road linking Ndibe Beach to Adim.

The meeting which was convened and co-chaired by Messrs Umahi and Ayade also resolved to end hostilities in their boundary areas.

Both governors directed the representatives of the disputed communities in attendance to return to their various communities and sensitise them on the way forward with a view to proffering solutions to the challenges at the disputed areas.

The governors also resolved that both states should submit a position paper on their boundary claims, annexing relevant legal documents, maps and communiques of previous meetings within 30 days.

They said that arbitrators including National Boundary Commission, as third arbitrator would be appointed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as part of the resolutions, both states will carry out disarmament of the combatants.

They would thereafter grant amnesty to those who willingly handover the dangerous weapons in their possessions within a period of 90 days from August 7.

(NAN)
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has concluded a two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists.

The training, tagged Capacity Building for Local Empowerment (CAPABLE) Solutions Journalism Training, had over 20 Nigerian journalists in attendance who were sleceted across the country.

Several facilitators trained participants cutting across newsrooms on how to carry out better investigative and solution driven reporting.

The journalists were trained on diverse issues relating to solution and investigative journalism, investigative interviewing, generating story ideas, data gathering, communication ethics, as well as challenges journalists encounter during repporting and possible solutions.

They were also lectured on the workings of PIND and its achievement in various states across the Niger Delta.

Tunji Idowu, the Deputy Executive Director of PIND, said the event was to build the capacity of journalists as well as have them create awareness on the achievements of PIND in the Niger Delta.

He explained that while the organisation is wholly focused on making better the economy of the Niger Delta, PIND also provides training and information sharing to folks outside the Niger Delta.

Mr Idowu further disclosed that PIND is willing to avail journalists with data on agriculture and capacity building when reporting in those areas.

The participants said the training afforded them an opportunity to learn new skills in investigative reporting.

After the courses of the day, journalists were taken to a large fish farm and a bakery  businesses that were empowered by the organisers.

They were also shown a biodigester that converts wastes from the toilet and kitchen into gas healthy for cooking.

A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists. A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists. A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists. A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists. A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists. A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists. A two-day intensive training on Solution and Investigative journalism for Nigerian journalists.

PIND is a Nigerian non-profit organisation established by Chevron Corporation to build partnerships for equitable economic and peace development in the Niger Delta.

According to the organisers, it is Chevrons way of giving back to the Niger Delta.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday praised a Reps member, Boma Goodhead, for her courage in challenging officers of the State Security Services who blocked the entrance of the National Assembly.

Mrs Goodhead had arrived the National Assembly gate on Tuesday with the Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, Biodun Olujimi, around 8 a.m. but could only wait for a short briefing before charging at the operatives.

I dare you to shoot me!  I said shoot me!! Is this how President Jonathan left Democracy for President Buhari!? she said repeatedly.

Her boldness paid off less than half an hour later, as the officers got the directive to allow the lawmakers enter.

While addressing journalists at the National Assembly foyer on Wednesday, Mr Saraki praised her for her braveness.

Among the many that come up for special mention, I believe that Honourable Boma Goodhead, a member of the House of Representatives, stands out. She looked a masked security operative in the eye and dared him to shoot. She let it be known that Nigerians would not stand for the barricade at the National Assembly, that we would not be cowed. It was another pointer to what is possible in this country when women take their place in leadership, he said from a written speech.

He thereafter called on the lawmaker to be specially recognised.

Masked SSS officers on Tuesday blocked entrance into the National Assembly preventing lawmakers, staff, journalists and the public from entering the complex.
The Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (F-SARS), of the Police Command in Imo says it has arrested a member of the U.S. Army, Garrick Michael, over alleged advance fee fraud.

The Commissioner of police, Dasuki Galadanchi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Owerri while presenting the suspect to journalists.Other suspects involved in different crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping and child trafficking were also paraded.

Mr Galadanchi said Michael is an American citizen who specialised in defrauding women of their huge money under the pretext of securing American visa for them.

He named victims of the suspect as Sylva Chineyenwa, Wuchi Peace and Duny Glory.

Mr Michael told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he returned to Nigeria to visit his wife who resided in the country before he met his three alleged victims.

He said his business deal with the women was still valid before his arrest.

The commissioner also said that a kidnapper who had been on the police blacklist, one Reginald Durunzenwata, was arrested on August 4 and would soon be charged to court.

He said the suspect was allegedly involved in the kidnap and murder of a businessman, Chidi Eburuaji, in Imo, who was kidnapped and murdered in July.

Mr Galadanchi said apart from kidnapping, the suspect also specialised in diverting petrol tankers.

(NAN)
A former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, has urged the federal government to proffer stiffer laws against declaration of fake election results.

Mr Jega made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at an international conference with Democracy and Disinformation: How Fake News Threatens our Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria as theme.

He said the issue of fake news had become a threat to Nigerias democracy and should be immediately curbed.

He said, The declaration of results and fake news on the social media is being done with impunity in our country.

We need to review some of the regulations to make stiffer rules for implementation to curb this act.

Mr Jega added that with the 2019 general elections around the corner, there was need to act fast to curtail the spread of fake news.

On his part, Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, said that the commission was battling with the issue of fake news.

Represented by Okechukwu Ibeanu, a National Commissioner in the commission, Mr Yakubu said INEC engaged in voter education to sensitise the electorate to its operations.

On the attitude of some political parties towards the commission, he said it is funny how political parties fluctuate in praising INEC; most times, it depends of how they win.

If parties win elections, they will praise INEC claiming it conducted the best election ever.

It will amaze you to know that the same political party that praised INEC in 2015 because it won is the same party condemning it now.

He promised that INEC would keep embarking on rigorous electorate sensitisation to enable them know their rights and protect them from hazards of fake news.

Also, the Chairperson, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Abiola Akiyode, called on mainstream media to set agenda for checking the scourge of fake news.

She said as soon as information put out is not factual, the media should be ready to retract and make people to believe in your medium.

Idayat Hassan, Director Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), also said as Nigerias 2019 general elections were fast approaching, it was essential to prevent the circulation of fake news.

There is a tendency that political actors could take advantage of these gaps either to misinform, dis-inform, promote apathy or skew voting choices for the forthcoming elections

The conference was organised by CDD with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and MacArthur Foundation, ahead of 2019 elections.

(NAN)
Godswill Akpabio has resigned his position as the Senate minority leader.

Mr Akpabios resignation is contained in a letter dated August 4, which he wrote to the Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha.

This letter is to formally inform you of my resignation as the Senate Minority Leader with effect from August 4, 2018, Mr Akpabio said in the letter.

He thanked the Senate leadership, his colleagues, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the opportunity given to him to lead the PDP caucus in the Senate for the past three years.

Mr Akpabios media aide, Anietie Ekong, Tuesday morning confirmed the senators resignation to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, has been on the spotlight in the past few days, following his planned defection from the opposition PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is scheduled to be formally received into the APC on Wednesday in a rally in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom state.

Mr Akpabio, though a first-timer, was elected Senate minority leader in 2015, against known parliamentary convention where leadership positions are usually given to ranking senators.

It is believed that the senators political differences with the governor of Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel, may be responsible for his leaving the PDP. It is also believed in some quarters that the senator may have been coerced by the APC-led federal government to defect.

The planned defection has rattled politicians in Akwa Ibom, especially officials of the state government and members of the PDP in the state.

Senator Akpabios resignation letter
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has confirmed the death of a female Nigerian pilgrim in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

The Head of the Medical Team of NAHCON, Ibrahim Kana, confirmed the development while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Makkah.

On the Makkah mortality, she was our patient. A Known diabetic and we referred her to King Abdulaziz Hospital in Makkah before she died yesterday.

We have already captured her on our Electronic Health Medical Records System.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the dead pilgrim hailed from Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State.

The identity of the pilgrim is withheld because the incident has yet to be communicated to the family of the deceased.

NAHCON has a practice of awaiting formal information on such incidents from the state concerned before communicating deaths to relations of the deceased.

(NAN)
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) to produce the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu , in court on August 14.

Justice Stephen Pam gave the order after Adegboyega Awomolo, counsel to Mr Yakubu, told the court that he did not know where his client was.

It will be recalled that the court had on August 1 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr Yakubu for flagrant disobedience of court orders.

According to Mr Pam, the bench warrant issued for the arrest of Yakubu has not been vacated and still subsists.

The I-G is hereby ordered to enforce it by bringing him to court on the next adjourned date.

He adjourned the matter until August 14 for continuation of committal proceedings.

Earlier, Mr Awomolo told the court that he had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, asking that the matter be transferred to another judge.

Mr Awomolo further told the court that he had filed three appeals in respect to three different rulings delivered by Justice Pam on the matter.

He asked the court for an adjournment to allow the chief judge reassign the matter to another judge.

Gordy Uche, counsel to Ejike Oguebego, the plaintiff in the matter, however, opposed the application for an adjournment on the grounds that there was no basis for adjournment.

Mr Uche told the court that although Awomolo had written to seek the disqualification of the judge, the letter was not copied to him or the judge as he was only just informing the court.

He submitted that the judge could not act on the letter since there had been no directive from the chief judge for him to act on the letter.

Mr Uche also argued that it was a special court constituted with a fiat to hear the contempt charge within a specific timeline.

According to him, as at today, the fiat has not been withdrawn and in spite of Awomolos letter, there has been no order from the chief judge directing Justice Pam to stop sitting on the matter.

It would be recalled that the contempt charges were brought against the INEC chairman by Mr Oguebego for his refusal to recognise him as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra.

This was in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment of December 2014.

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.

Following his failure to appear in court on both occasions, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest on August 1.

(NAN)
The Benue State authorities said Wednesday that funds meant to pay the salaries of workers and pensioners have been frozen in commercial bank accounts, accusing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being responsible.

Accounts of the Benue State Government have been frozen by EFCC, Terver Akase, a spokesperson for Governor Samuel Ortom, said in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES.

It is part of the political witch-hunt against Governor Samuel Ortom. The action of EFCC is already having negative impact on the running of government in Benue State. It is a move that will affect salaries, pensions and other sundry payments, Mr Akase said.

His confirmation came a day after the Vanguard reported that at least three bank accounts which the state held with GTBank, First Bank and Fidelity Bank had been blocked by the anti-graft office as part of a corruption probe.

Several reports last week said the EFCC was investigating Mr Ortom for up to N22 billion in security funds allegedly feared plundered under his supervision.

The governor has denied the allegations, saying they were amongst a desperate plot to oust him as governor. He said the plot was bu to his recent defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Mr Ortom is also facing a battle with some APC lawmakers in the state who are scheming to remove him from office. Initial attempts by eight lawmakers to serve the governor a notice of impeachment were rebuffed by his loyalists and condemned across the country, including by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Akase emphasised the political undertone of the EFCCs action in his statement Wednesday, warning the agency not to allow itself be used by political players.

The question we are asking is; why did EFCC not investigate the Governors security votes when he was still a member of APC? Why start the investigation now?

EFCC should not allow itself to be used as an attack dog unleashed against perceived political opponents' Mr Akase said.

The reported freezing comes days after the APC accused Mr Ortom of squandering security votes and politicising the deaths of his state residents. Mr Ortom strongly denied the allegations.

Let the Federal Government tell us how much it has spent on prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram and how much it spent on the other operations such as Python Dance, Crocodile Smile and Whirl Stroke.

Benue has suffered heavy attacks by Fulani herdsmen since the beginning of the year. Within the period, the State Government has spent a lot to legitimately support security agencies to protect the people of the state. Governor Ortom has not diverted funds. He runs a transparent administration.

We welcome the investigation, but as I said earlier, it should start from the presidency and go across the 36 states. Benue should not be singled out for victimisation, intimidation and harassment as the federal government with its agencies is currently doing, Mr Akase said.

The state has endured deadly aggression by suspected herdsmen for the most part of the year, leaving over a thousand dead and over 200 thousand agrarian settlers displaced from their villages.

PREMIUM TIMES has not been able to independently confirm details of the freeze, or whether a court order was procured. A spokesperson for the EFCC did not return requests for comments.
A magistrate court in Abuja has varied bail conditions for the release of Jones Abiri, a journalist detained without trial for over two years by Nigerias security operatives.

Mr Abiri was arrested by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) in July, 2016 and kept incommunicado without a valid case filed in court against him.

After growing outcry, the SSS charged Mr Abiri to court on allegations of involvement in militancy. Mr Abiri was also accused of fraudulently attempting to collect money from multinational oil companies in Nigeria.

The court, seating at Zone 2, last month granted Mr Abiri and his co-accused bail with a bond of N200 million.

The magistrate also said Mr Abiri must provide two sureties who must be senior civil servants on at least Level-15.

However Mr Abiris lawyers asked the court to lighten the bail conditions.

Following the request, the magistrate, Chukwuemeka Nweke, said on Wednesday that the journalist should be released on presenting two sureties, one of whom should be a federal government employee not below level 8, residing within the FCT.

He said the civil servant must present his letter of appointment and letter of last promotion.

Regarding the other surety, the court said he could be an executive member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), with landed property in Abuja.

The surety is required to deposit original land title to the court.

The magistrate said address of the sureties should be verified by the police.

According to Mr Nweke, the court decided to revisit the bail condition on the strength of the affidavit deposed before it.

The magistrate, however, noted his observation of the prosecutors submission that Mr Abiri could jump bail.

The court adjourned to August 16 for hearing on the substantive matter.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday froze all bank accounts owned by Akwa Ibom State, the state information commissioner has told PREMIUM TIMES.

Charles Udoh said state authorities only learnt of the development today, and there were no prior indications from the anti-graft agency.

A spokesperson for the EFCC did not immediately return PREMIUM TIMES phone calls and text messages seeking comments.

Mr Udoh said more information would be provided to Nigerians about the development shortly.

It came a day after Governor Samuel Ortom raised an alarm that the EFCC has frozen the states bank accounts, trapping workers and pensioners salaries in a state beset by hardship following months of deadly attacks by suspected herdsmen.

Details shortly
Godswill Akpabio has formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at a mega rally held at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium on Wednesday and declared that he is taking the state to the centre.

No fewer than 30 APC senators and members of National Working Committee (NWC) were on hand to receive the ex-Senate minority leader, Mr Akpabio.

The Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, who introduced his colleagues, spoke on Mr Akpabio whom he described as a nationalist and patriot who believes in Nigerias unity.

He said: This defection surpasses all other defections.

This is a defection that has shaken the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

They followed Akpabio everywhere to prevent him from defecting but he ignored them.

He said Md Akpabio is a nationalist who believes in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The crowd that witnessed the defection at Ikot Ekpene township stadium on Wednesday was huge.

The National Women Leader of APC, Salamatu Umar, described the crowd as unprecedented.

Nigerian women are proud of Akpabio, she said.

She praised Mr Akpabio for the transformation that has taken place in Akwa Ibom.

Fifty five-year-old Mr Akpabio is a lawyer and politician who was also Governor of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015.

In 2002, he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources by the then Governor Obong Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State.

Between 2002 and 2006, he served as a commissioner in three key ministries: Petroleum and Natural Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as Lands and Housing.

In 2006, he aspired for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State in a hotly contested primary election and defeated 57 other aspirants to emerge the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His campaign with the slogan, let Gods will be done received mass support and he was elected governor in 2007.

He was re-elected for a second term in office as governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2011.

(NAN)
Senate President Bukola Saraki, has arrived Minna, capital of Niger State, to hold a private meeting with the former military President, Ibrahim Babangida.

The meeting is taking place at the Hilltop residence of the former military ruler.

NAN reports that Mr Saraki landed at Minna International Airport at about 4.10 p.m. and drove straight to the home of the reclusive former leader.

It was not clear whether Mr Saraki came to discuss his presidential ambition with Babangida.

At a press conference Thursday, he sidestepped the question. But he did not outrightly deny nursing the ambition.

He said he would answer the question on another day.

We are here today about the democracy of this country, and that is what is important to me and to all of us that are here.

I think when the time is right I will talk on your issue but today, we are talking about democracy in Nigeria, to defend the rule of law, he said.

On whether or not he would relinquish the position of Senate Presidency which he was given under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Saraki stressed that he was not given the position but was elected by members.

He said that the constitution allows any member of the Senate to stand for election as the President of the Senate irrespective of the persons party.

I was not given the position as senate president. I was elected by members, he said.

(NAN)
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the installation of technology monitoring schemes and structures under the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) for N17 billion.

Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the deployment of the automated fuel system management and censor network would ensure 100 per cent tracking and monitoring of petroleum products.

The narrative is that we have all struggled with this whole subsidy payment; how much is consumed in Nigeria; volumes of products moved out illegally and the whole impact on Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

The president has given a very serious mandate that we ought to rein in on this process.

The essence of what PEF is doing is that this will enable us track refined petroleum products movement from the point of LC (letter of credit) opening from the vessels that come into Nigeria, up until the point where there are discharged into tanks in Nigeria.

It will monitor from the tanks to trucks in Nigeria; monitor the trucks till they deliver the products into the storage tanks for the filling stations and they are discharged and sold.

So, that will produce a 100 per cent holistic monitoring of this production.

He said that for the first time, Nigeria would be able to tell how much petroleum products are consumed in the country.

According to him, there has been so much going on in terms of the movement of consumption numbers from over 30 million litres a day to 70 million litres to 18 million liters a day during the difficult times.

He said that the president had challenged him to ascertain what in reality, Nigeria consumed and where the products were going.

Mr Kachikwu said that the process would be able to track every truck.

The minister said that the process was expected for a period of three years, but expressed optimism that within one year, the real effects of the process would begin to show.

Obviously you need time to train and to continue to improve the system.

We hope that by the time we start doing the 2020 budget in 2019, we would have gotten to a point where lot of the losses that you are seeing are tracked and substantial impact will be made in monies that come into the federation accounts.

It will help us keep proper data repository of consumption in this country, destruction; data on all trucks that operate total number of products received and what is sold out of filling stations.

It is going to a collaborative system that involves NNPC, Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR) and Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) but situated in PEF.

More so, Mr Kachikwu said, FEC approved the revision of contract for the construction of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)s headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

He said that the contract was given out in 2015 initially for a contract sum of N27 billion but was revised to a contract sum of N42 billion due to foreign exchange variables.

It is one of the dramatic skylines in Yenagoa and has gone quite substantially far.

The reason for this increase was largely due to foreign exchange variables determinant which was initially about N157 to a dollar but today it is N305 to a dollar and still counting.

The whole idea is for the contract to be completed. It is a 24-month contract and fairly far gone.

We hope that once that is done, NCMB will stop paying rent in the series of buildings that it rented in Yenagoa, he said.
Nigerias embattled finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, on Wednesday returned to Twitter and broke her long silence on her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate scandal.

Since PREMIUM TIMES exposed the scandal more than a month ago, Mrs Adeosun has kept a low profile in her public appearance, including staying off tweeting with her official twitter handle, @HMKemiAdeosun.

The last time she tweeted with the handle was on June 19.

But, on Wednesday, the minister, returned to the social media platform but still refused to speak on the weighty allegation that she forged her NYSC exemption certificate in 2009.

Instead, she announced that she presented two memos for approval to the Executive Council of the Federation (FEC), which has equally failed to act on the clamour by Nigerians for the minister to defend herself over the forgery scandal.

Mrs Adeosun said the memos included the one for a $150 million World Bank credit facility in support of polio eradication.

The other was for the contracts for the procurement of three units of Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60, which she said will help the Nigeria Customers Service (NCS) screen containers at the ports.

She said the contract included a 30 months on-site service/support and maintenance, training of 120 officers, and integration of Rapiscan Eagle M60 Scanners into Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II.

On the World Bank credit facility, the minister said the objective was to assist the federal government in its global polio eradication effort fight.

The minister said the credit facility would also help sustain at least 80 per cent coverage with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) immunisation in every state in the country and improve routine immunisation.

She said the project would be coordinated by National Primary Health Care Development Agency at the federal level, and implemented in the 12 lagging states of Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

The World Bank facility, Mrs Adeosun said, would provide the needed funds to avoid any disruption in polio eradication activities, sustain coverage and prevent deterioration in routine immunization.

If there are no new cases by July 2019, Nigeria will be certified polio-free, the minister tweeted.

It is important to know that Nigeria is making significant progress on polio eradication. The country has officially interrupted the transmission of wild polio virus with no recorded cases in the last 21 months.

Mrs Adeosuns return to twitter did not go unnoticed by Nigerians, however, most of whom have been waiting patiently for her response to the certificate forgery scandal.

Wilfred Akinyeke, who tweeted with the handle, @WilfredAkinyeke, reacted to Mrs Adeosuns string of tweets; expressing disappointment that she failed to address the issue.

I initially thought you will provide critical information on the forgery Go and clear your name ma. Save your face and maintain your integrity if you have one.

I initially thought you will provide critical information on the forgery Go and clear your name ma. Save your face and maintain your integrity if you have one.  WAA (@WilfredAkinyeke) August 8, 2018

Another person who tweeted in response to the ministers tweets, M I R A B I L I S , who tweeted with the handle, @mirabilidei, said: You have no moral right to continue in office Madam. Go and clear your name.

https://twitter.com/mirabilidei/status/1027255091064127490

For Ogundare Oluwaseyi tweeting with the handle, @counselorseun, Wao! U still dey? Pls, I want Phd certificate where can I get it?

Wao! U still dey?pls,I want p.hd certificate where can i get it?  Ogundare OluwaseyARI s (@counselorseun) August 8, 2018

In his reaction, Wiseman Izuchukwu, with the twitter handle, @WisemanIzunna, lacked words to convey his surprise that Mrs Adeosun could still speak. He just said: Finally Kemi speaks

Finally Kemi speaks  Chantel Chinonso (@FlawllessBeauty) August 8, 2018

Another response came from someone with the twitter handle, @Mansurzannah, who said: Anty Kemi the Mother of certificate forgery.

https://twitter.com/Mansurzannah/status/1027244682714210304

One Andy Bassey with the twitter handle, @andybassey76, said sarcastically: Hahahah madam certificate. so you are still in office remember this govt is govt of integrity ooo

https://twitter.com/andybassey76/status/1027243706330632193

Another person, Kelvin. Igwe (Esq.), with twitter handle, @IgweOfficial, said: Ok but where is your NYSC certificate?

Ok but where is your NYSC certificate?  Kelvin__ (@IgweOfficial) August 8, 2018
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has cautioned the federal government against treating the 2019 elections as an emergency.

He gave the advice during a meeting of the leadership of the National Assembly with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Yakubu was meeting the leaders of the National Assembly to facilitate quick appropriation of funds for the election, which he noted was just exactly 91 days away.

President Muhammadu Buhari submitted the budget for the elections to the lawmakers just before the lawmakers adjourned for a recess until September 25.

Following apprehensions that the adjournment could lead to late consideration of the budget and affect INECs preparations for the elections, the leadership of the National Assembly scheduled a meeting with the management of the commission for Tuesday.

But this arrangement was put off in the wake of the siege to the National Assembly by security officials on Tuesday.

As leaders of the National Assembly, we are committed to appropriating whatever is needed within the confines of the resources of the nation for INEC to be able to actualise this and that is why this meeting is important, Mr Dogara said when the meeting finally held on Wednesday.

However, personally, I have some questions that I intend to raise, but I will raise these in the process of discussion because it appears that we are treating this 2019 election as an emergency, which it ought not to be, so that is just my concern.

Mr Dogara who acknowledged gains recorded during the last election cycle in 2015, urged the electoral umpire to ensure that standards are improved upon.

He pledged the commitment of the National Assembly to enabling INEC achieve this goal through appropriation. He, however, assured the commission of the commitment of the legislature to free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

I want to reiterate that we are committed to an electoral process that will better our experiences of our 2015 general elections. Weve already set a standard where the world has avowed our electoral process to be fair to a certain degree and we must not go below that standard.

INEC chairman, Mr Yakubu, on his part, thanked the leadership of the National Assembly for their continued support.

Let me, on behalf of the commission, thank your excellencies and the leadership of the National Assembly for this meeting. We are now reenergised and more reassured that our plans for the 2019 general elections are absolutely on course as far as funding is concerned.

He, however, stressed the need to act quickly, especially as elections are exactly a hundred and ninety-one days away.
A youth pressure group, Borno Youth and Students Discussion (BYSD-Forum), has advised former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, not to seek further election at the Borno South Senatorial District in 2019.

The group accused Mr. Ndume of alleged misrepresentation and nepotism. Mr Ndume denied the allegation.

At a press conference in Maiduguri, BYSD-Forum said Mr. Ndume has not been able to distinguish himself in the 16 years of his being at the National Assembly. The lawmaker had represented part of his present constituency as a member of House of Representatives (Gwoza-Damboa-Chibok) between 2003 and 2011, and as a senator from 2011 to date.

The call for his replacement came days after the people of his senatorial district held a national summit in Maiduguri insisting on political power shift within the zone and the state in general.

The summit held last week Saturday.

In Borno, there is an unwritten political structuring that restricts certain elective offices to particular zones or local governments of the state and senatorial districts.

For example it is considered almost impossible for Southern Borno, that is predominantly of the Babur-Bura and Marghi speakers, to produce a governor of the state  as governors of Borno always emerge from the northern and central districts dominated by the majority Kanuri and the Shuwa ethnic groups.

Unlike the north and central, the Southern Borno senatorial district also has its sub-structuring of political power.

While the deputy governorship seat has been held by Babur-Bura people of Biu Emirate, the senatorial seat has been for the people of Gwoza local government.

Other smaller local government areas of the South like Shani, Bayo and Kwaya-Kusar, Damboa and Chibok, are left to sometimes scramble for the position of the deputy speaker at the state House of Assembly.

These arrangements are mostly based on the population strength of the senatorial zones and respective local government areas, though some had argued that the population strength of southern Borno had been grossly underestimated.

The Saturday summit had at the end of the day agreed that though power shift is a good idea, it cannot be used to subjugate peoples free will of choosing candidates via party primaries.

It was on this basis that a seemingly frustrated BYSD-forum decided to embark on a campaign to replace Mr Ndume with a relatively popular personality, from his own local government, Gwoza.

We call on Senator Ndume to take a rest and allow people that are ready for genuine sacrifice to take over from him, said Prince Muhammed Hassan, a leader of the BYSD-Forum.

We have decided to support Alhaji Garba Sanda, as the man for southern Borno senatorial seat come 2019; we prefer him because he has the people of our constituency at heart.

We are not saying that Senator Ndume has not tried his best but we are tired of one idea that is not really working for us. For about 16 years now, it is the same people that are around him that are benefiting and no one else. We want a representation by a man like Alhaji Sanda, said Mr. Hassan.

Mr Sanda is one of the numerous aspirants angling for the seat of Mr Ndume.

In 2011, he was actually instrumental to the emergence of Mr Ndume as senator. During the build up to the 2011 election, Mr Ndume had a clash with the then outgoing former governor, AliSheriff, on the issue of who gets the Southern Borno senatorial ticket.

He had to defect from the then ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the People Democratic Party (PDP).

At that time, Mr. Sanda was already a candidate, but gave up his ticket to the more popular Mr Ndume to enable PDP win the seat. Mr Ndume won the election but eventually defected in 2014 to the newly formed APC as member of the New-PDP. He won the election again in 2015.

Ali Ndume

But to the youth group apparently working for Mr. Sanda, it is time for Ndume to retire from the Senate and allow their man, whom they said they trust better to take over.

We all know that the seat Senator Ndume is occupying right now was meant to be occupied by Sanda; but he willing handed it to him in 2011, said Hassan.

But sadly Ndume did not represent himself well at the Senate. For the past seven years as a senator he did not empower the youth, neither did he promote any legislation that bettered the lots of Southern Borno people.

But Sanda, a man without any political office had been instrumental to most of the appointments and scholarship that most of the youth in southern Borno enjoy all these years.

Since Senator Ndume has not been able to carry everybody along we believe if another person with large heart comes in, he can as well help reach out to others that have been neglected by the senator and even do better. Southern Borno is just too big and very sophisticated to be left in the hands of just one man.

I can tell you that even in Gwoza local government where Senator Ndume comes from, there are some wards like Bayan-Dutse which Ndume has never taken any project to simply because they did not vote for him. If he can do that in his own local government, how much more other local government areas within the zone.

The group said they have long started their campaign by reaching out to all APC delegates from Southern Borno to consider a change in their representation at the Senate.

When contacted on phone by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ndume said he was not worried at all.

It is a good thing that people of Garba Sanda are coming out to test his popularity, he said.

This is democracy and it is time for politics. But the so-called youth should understand that my mandate came from the entire good people of southern Borno whom I have represented so well and this include the students.

Let the young students not waste their time in granting press conferences but go down to the grassroots and campaign for Sanda, he said.
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory said there was no incident of shooting at Dabi village in Kwali Area Council during protest by truck drivers along Abuja-Lokoja highway.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest was sparked by the alleged shooting of the tyres of a Dangote truck by some police officers on Wednesday morning at Kwali.

It was also alleged that police officers shot at one of the truck drivers who had blocked the highway to protest the alleged action of the police.

However, the command spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, told NAN that there was no incident of shooting in the area and nobody was shot at during the protest.

Mr Manzah said the road had been cleared following the intervention of the Police Area Commander in Gwagwalada and the Kwali Divisional Police Officer.

We have been able to clear the road with the intervention of the area commander and the DPO of Kwali,he said.

NAN reports that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had earlier in a statement confirmed the blockade of the Abuja-Lokoja highway at Kwali by the truck drivers.

The FRSC advised members of the public to always adopt legal and legitimate means to register their protest instead of taking the law into their hands.

(NAN)
Four youth were on Wednesday arraigned before a Minna Senior Magistrates Court for chanting one term only at the Speaker of the Niger House of Assembly, Ahmed Marafa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one term only is used by politicians to express lack of support for an aspirants second term bid.

The accused persons are Abubakar Sadiq, 32, Bala Haruna, 30, Aminu Anaruwa, 30 and Saifulahi Isiaka, 25, and were docked on three count charge of joint act, inciting disturbance and mischief.

The police prosecutor, Moses Emberga, had told the court that one Ibrahim Audu, the escort commander attached to the speaker, reported the matter at the police station on July 30.

Mr Emberga quoted the complainant as saying that on the fateful day at about 20:00hrs, the accused persons attacked Mr Marafas convoy along Kpakungu roundabout Minna, chanting Marafa one term.

According to him, they were also said to have thrown stones at the lawmakers two official vehicles as a result of which the cars were badly damaged.

He said that the offences were contrary to sections 79, 327 and 114 of the penal code.

When the charges were read to the four accused persons, they all pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor thereafter prayed the court for adjournment to enable police complete its investigation into the matter.

In her ruling, Magistrate Maryam King granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N200,000 each with a surety each in like sum.

Ms King adjourned the case until August 21 for further mention.

(NAN)
At CITEC estate in Abuja, Wednesday, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola commissioned the second phase of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Companys (AEDC) mass metering project.

The project entails the deployment of 222,728 pre-paid meters within the coverage area of the AEDC.

The first phase of the project installed no fewer than 150,000 meters for its customers, the distribution company said.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the Head, Corporate Communications, Oyebode Fadipe, said the 222,728 meters, for customers in the FCT, Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa States, are valued at about N10 billion.

He said the companys aggressive deployment of meters was part of its determination to achieve 100 per cent metering of its customers to engender public confidence in its billing process as well as to complement the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, initiated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to accelerate metering of electricity consumers across the country.

This phase of the project is in partnership with Meron Consortium, a group comprising meter manufacturers, financiers, installers and advisory services firms.

While giving her remarks, the representative of the minister, Briskilla Sapke, said aside metering, there is the need for the AEDC to engage consumers on the need to use electrical appliances that consume less energy.

Also educate them on the fact that now that they are metered, there is no room for complaints that this is not what they consume but rather they should try to let them know that if the family is in the living room watching television, there is no need for ACs and appliances in the other room to be on, she added.

When discussing Ministries Departments and Agency (MDA) debt to DISCOs, she said Mr Fashola convened a meeting on Tuesday to that effect.

As a support to distribution companies I know that the issue of the MDA debt is a recurring decimal. Only yesterday, the minister convened a meeting with a security agent which is one of the areas where distribution companies find it difficult to collect money and we discussed with them on the need for metering and also payment.

We are putting a mechanism in place to ensure that that would be a thing of the past and if Abuja DISCO will recall that we put in place a mechanism such that all payments, MDA payments, are centralised with federal ministry of Power, Works and housing. We are trying to include other MDAS such that the issue of MDA debt will not be reflecting going forward, she said.

She also advised against meter bye-pass and said there are channels of redress in case there are situations where the meters are running very fast.

She said we dont want customers to take matters into their hands by ways of bye-pass, please write to NERC.

NEMSA is there to check the integrity of the meters and like I said if you are able to educate customers they would see that once they are able to control their consumption, their bills would go down.

The chairman AEDC Board of Directors, Shehu Malami, while giving the opening address said shortage and lack of meters are at the root of the huge ATC&C losses DISCOs suffer as well as the source of frequent disagreements with consumers.

A successfully executed metering programme will enhance both transparency in the bill of customers as well as energy accountability.

The commitment of N10 billion for the provision of 222,728 pieces of meters alone by AEDC is therefore a bold move by the company that clearly debunks the claim that DisCos are benefiting from estimated billing, he said.

He added that the project would last for five months after which all metering programs would go under the Meter Asset Provider policy put in place by NERC.

The Managing Director of AEDC, Ernest Mupwaya said there are so many benefits associated with metering for both the company meters its customers alike.

For the company, he said it would address the challenge of high losses as the level of loss recorded for areas without meters stood at up to 70 per cent.

He also added that in relation to the project, 6000 distribution transformers would also be metered.

The Group Managing Director of Meron Consortium, a partner of AEDC, Emmanuel Ndubuisi, assured AEDC management of timely delivery and installation of the meters in line with the terms of contract with the company.
Two students of the Federal College of Education, Pankshin in Plateau State have been expelled for being in possession of illegal firearms, a statement from the school said.

The college in the press statement signed by the schools Public Relations Officer, Istifanus Kyakmut yesterday gave the names of the students as Peter Wunyina Daniel of Chemistry department and Panret Jacob Nuhu of Biology department, both of NCE levels.

The statement also said that the students had recently been convicted and sentenced to prison for illegal possession of locally fabricated firearms by an Upper Area Court in Kasuwan Nama, Jos.

Based on this development, Management of the college had applied the provision of the rules and regulations of the students handbook particularly section 7.1(c) which states that students found with dangerous weapons such as guns, spears, bows and arrows or knives among others shall be expelled from the institution.

It stated that the affected students have been directed to hand over all college properties in their possession to the Students Affairs Directorate and vacate the premises of the college immediately.

They have also been warned not to seek re-admission in any of the colleges academic programmes as any of such attempts would be treated as a criminal act, the statement added.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), on Wednesday began installation of 222,728 meters in its coverage areas of FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi.

The AEDC had in the first phase of its mass metering project in 2016, installed no fewer than 150,000 meters for its customers across its coverage area.

The installation of 222,728 meters, which began at CITEC Estate in the FCT, is the second phase of the mass metering project of the company.

The Chairman of AEDC, Shehu Malami said the metering of customers had become topical and a recurring issue in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

He said the federal government had initially taken bold steps to resolve the issue through the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI).

According to him, government has also recently introduced the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme to resolve issues of metering in the sector.

Mr Malami said the various intervention schemes on metering became necessary as it was responsible for the huge ATC and C losses that the DisCos presently suffer.

He said metering was also the source of frequent disagreement between DisCos and their customers.

Mr Malami said a successfully executed metering programme would enhance both transparency in the bill of customers and energy accountability.

He said the commitment of N10 billion for the provision of 222,728 units of meters by AEDC was a bold move by the company.

According to him, provision of the meters has clearly debunked claims that DisCos were benefiting from estimated billing.

This project will last for five months after which all metering programmes will come under the Meter Asset Provider Policy that has been put in place by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

He urged customers not to bypass the meters, as it was affecting the revenue recovery of the DisCos.

I, therefore, urge our customers to be patient as they all will be provided meters ultimately, he said.

The Managing Director of AEDC, Ernest Mupwaya, said there had been cyclical argument between customers and the DisCos on investment, especially metering.

He said AEDC has defiled all odds to invest heavily on metering, adding that metering would address the issue of estimated billing and confirm to the customers that AEDC was not benefiting from it.

The official said metering would also address the challenge of high losses from areas where there are no meters.

Commission studies have shown that we incur more losses in areas where there are no meters.

Our loss level in those areas is up to 70 per cent, the project will also hopefully address the challenge of resistance to payment and energy accounting.

He said the installation of the meters would engender trust in billing as customers were always unwilling to pay when supply was low.

This project is therefore a win win situation for both customers and AEDC, Mr Mupwaya said.

He said AEDC was confident that customers who were not accommodated in the second phase would be taken care of by the Meter Asset Provider Policy.

Mr Mupwaya called on security agencies, the judiciary, and the general public to play their roles to ensure that the main risk to the project, energy theft was curtailed.

He revealed that AEDC had also begun the metering of 6,000 distribution transformers.

According to him, the deployment of the distribution transformers will allow the DisCo to effectively carry out energy balancing on each transformers.

He said the transformer would help generate business intelligence on illegal usage, transformer over loading and accurate generation of estimated billing.

The Minster of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) commended AEDC for deploying the meters.

Mr Fashola, represented by Briskilla Sapke, the Director, Power, also urged customers not to engage in bypassing of the meters.

(NAN)
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  Britney Spears is wearing a schoolgirl outfit while dancing in the hallways of a Catholic school. This image, along with the catchy melody of the pop song, from the Baby One More Time music video is what drew Christian Espiritu Enzo to become a fan. He was five.

Pag sinusundo ako ng papa ko ng mga six years old ako, di niya ako sinusundo nang hindi pa siya bumibili bago dumating ng school ko ng Britney Spears posters dun sa tindahan, he says. Yung papa ko very supportive.

Enzo says he knows of other Britney Spears fans who dont get the same support from their family or their friends; worse, others have been bullied for having this crazy obsession. Fortunately for him, he didnt have to endure any bullying for being a Britney fan, although he did recall one classmate in grade school aggressively asking him why he was a fan of Britney when he clearly was a boy.

Sabi ko, Bat hindi ba pwede eh nilabas si Britney as a pop star ibig sabihin pwede siya for everybody, he says. Depende na lang kung anong klaseng gender ang magkakagusto sa kanya. She's for everybody.

Pag sinusundo ako ng papa ko ng mga six years old ako, di niya ako sinusundo nang hindi pa siya bumibili bago dumating ng school ko ng Britney Spears posters dun sa tindahan, says Christian Espiritu Enzo, the owner of In The Zone Ramen and Cafe. Photo by JL JAVIER

The cafes pink and white interiors are plastered with framed illustrations of Britney that Enzo drew himself. Photo by JL JAVIER

Over the years, his collection grew, from cassette tapes and posters to dolls and perfumes. He has also since started the biggest Britney Spears fan page in the Philippines. And now, at 25, he and his wife opened In The Zone Ramen and Cafe last year on Dec. 2, Britneys birthday.

Tucked in a modest corner in Maria Orosa St., Malate, the cafes pink and white interiors are plastered with framed illustrations of Britney that Enzo drew himself. On the ledges are Britneys iconic costumes he recreated, such as that of the schoolgirl outfit in Baby One More Time, the pink midriff look in I'm a Slave 4 U, and the corset-tuxedo ensemble in Me Against The Music.

The waitresses, dressed in a tattered white shirt and a pair of denim jeans, are also inspired by Britneys outfit in her I Wanna Go music video. A television also hangs on the cafe wall which plays all of Britneys hits over and over again, and as if this isnt enough, all of the food names on the menu are cheeky wordplay of Britneys songs (Baby One More TanTan, Slave Shoyu, Pork Bitch, and My Tapsilogative, among others).

Britneys iconic costumes are also seen around the cafe, such as the iconic schoolgirl outfit in Baby One More Time. Photo by JL JAVIER

Enzo has all of Britney Spears albums, and he decided to turn them into framed "music award plaques" so he can display it in the cafe. Photo by JL JAVIER

The second floor is where he keeps some of his Britney memorabilia, and the space is usually just reserved for fans. He says fans call it the prayer room, as it is indeed akin to an adoration chapel; only instead of a eucharistic symbol, one sees a massive photo of Britneys Glory - Tour Editon album.

When asked if there was a particular instance when he knew there was a purpose of his being a Britney fan, he recalls one incident when he was in third year high school when he was severely mistreated by his math teacher, and how watching Britneys videos would somehow help him power through the anxiety and terror he experienced in school.

Sinasabihan akong, Ang tanga tanga mo, he shares. Pinasagot ako sa black board tapos di ko alam, tapos di ko maalala paano ko nagawa dati. Parang nablanko ako sa takot ko. Tapos pinambura ng teacher yung mukha ko sa black board.

This bullying went on for three years, and for these three years, he just turned to Britney. One night, however, the terror inflicted on him by his teacher was too much to bear that he says he was so close to ending his life. He prayed that night, asking God for any sign that will help him hold on.

On the way to the second floor, visitors are greeted with this recreation of Britney Spear's "I'm A Slave 4 U" 2001 MTV Music Awards outfit. Photo by JL JAVIER

The walls of the staircase are also filled with posters of Britney Spears, ranging from her eponymous 2001 album to her 2013 album, Britney Jean. Photo by JL JAVIER

Nung nag-pray ako nun, day after, dumating yung papa ko sa bahay namin dala-dala niya yung mga luma kong Britney na drawing, mga luma kong poster galing sa dati naming bahay, he says. Kaya naging strong talaga yung hold ko kay Britney after that experience.

Britney also had her fair share of low moments, the most famous one being the 2007 incident of her shaving her head. Enzo said that while he knew this was a deeply sad stage of Britneys career, especially with people speculating that she might end up dead for partying too much, doing drugs, and being an overall mess, he says that her ability to bounce back and to continue performing and releasing music for the fans was more indicative of Britneys true character.

Enzo thinks this is also Britneys way of reminding him that there is always hope. Si Britney nga na-continue niya mabuhay, so ako kaya ko din.
The Kano State Government on Tuesday described the defection of the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Hafiz Abubakar, from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as long overdue.

A statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Youthand Culture, Muhammad Garba, noted that the exit was expected.

We are aware of the event at Mambayya House on Tuesday when the former Deputy Governor finally revealed to the world his political betrayal in about three years in office as the Deputy Governor of Kano State and the Commissioner for Education.

To discernable minds, there is no doubt that the contentments of the nine-page text of press conference, painstakingly read out by Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, is not only laughable, but filled with ambiguity and confusion, the official said.

Mr Garba said, for Prof. Hafiz to dissociate himself from his chairmanship of the 2015 Kano Gubernatorial Transition Committee, the findings and pronouncements he made, is a clear indication that he no longer has a mind of his own.

Going by his acclaimed political pedigree, one would have expected that Prof. Hafiz resigned his position long ago for what he described as, political persecution and humiliation.

It is kind enough of Prof. Hafiz to confirm that he was paid his entitlements even when he chose to abandon his service to the good people of Kano State and humanity.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Prof. Hafiz hurriedly left office in anticipation of a constitutional sledgehammer from Kano State House of Assembly, over his strong antagonism to policies of the State Government that have direct impact on the standard of living of the good people of Kano. We wish Prof. Hafiz well in the voyage of his godfather, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as we welcome his final exit from our great party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), as a good omen.

Mr Kwankwaso, a former Kano governor, recently defected from the APC to the PDP. Now a senator, he seeks to be president of Nigeria on the PDP platform.
Over 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have returned to their villages in Zamfara following clearance operation conducted by the military against bandits terrorising communities in the state.

The Army had launched Operation Sharan Daji to dislodge the bandits and secure communities that had come under attacks in recent months from bandits hitherto operating freely in the area.

The operation, which began on July 1, 2018, is being conducted across troubled spots in the Northwest and North Central parts of the country.

The outgoing Force Commander of the operation, Muhammad Muhammad, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists shortly after handing over the command to his successor, Stevenson Olabanji, in Gusau on Wednesday.

Mr Muhammad, a major-general, said residents displaced by armed bandits especially around Galadi, Kwaddi and Katuru villages in Zurmi and Shinkafi Local Government Areas of the state were back home safely.

According to him, the operation has stabilized the affected area and neutralized several bandits while others on the run are being pursued by troops.

The outgoing commander also said that farming activities have gradually resumed in other villages affected by the bandits attacks in Maradun Local Government Area.

He expressed full confidence that the new commander would sustain the operation until all bandits are neutralised and the communities made safe for normal activities.

Earlier, Mr Olabanji, the new commander of Operation Sharan Daji, pledged to pursue the operation with renewed vigour.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olabanji, recently reassigned from Monguno in Borno, will also serve as the Officer Commanding of the newly established 8 Division, Nigeria Army, Sokoto.

The division will oversee army formations in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and Katsina states.

(NAN)
Six members of the Kano State House of Assembly have defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The legislators, who are loyal to former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, announced their defection in a letter they sent to the House.

Mr Kwankwaso recently defected to the PDP from the APC. He intends to seek the PDP presidential ticket.

In the letter read by the Speaker, Kabiru Rurum, the six lawmakers said they defected to PDP based on the premise that the party (APC) has failed to meet the aspirations and yearnings of the people we represent.

The defectors include: Yusuf Babangida Sulaiman (Gwale), Rabiu Saleh (Gwarzo) , Zubairu Mahmud (Madobi), Yusuf Abdullahi Falgore (Rogo), Hamza Sule (Bichi) and Isiaku Ali Danja (Gezawa).

Their defection came barely 24 hours after the state Deputy Governor, Hafiz Abubakar resigned from his position and defected to PDP along with 10 other aides of the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.

The state House of Assembly has 40 members.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has described as unfortunate the decision of the former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He claimed that the senator, who is also a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, has walked against the tide and endangered his political career.

Mr Secondus said this in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Ike Abonyi, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Akpabio was received into the APC fold at an impressive ceremony at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium. The ceremony was attended by many bigwigs of the APC, including the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; national leader, Bola Tinubu; governors and senators of the APC.

Mr Secondus said he found it strange that Mr Akpabio would dump the PDP to join the APC, which he described as a sinking ship, which every other person is finding his way out of.

The PDP Chairman said whatever caused Akpabios action must have been triggered by self preservation and not borne out of any rational strategic political thinking.

According to Mr Secondus, Mr Akpabios decision did not enjoy the blessing of the people of Akwa Ibom whose mandate he enjoyed for eight years as state governor and nearly four years now as a senator.

I cannot fathom any reason why on earth Sen. Akpabio should work against the tide, moving at opposite direction to a place reasonable persons are escaping from.

How on earth can anybody who has his eyes wide open be seen walking into danger knowingly.

Mr Secondus accused APC of arm twisting and intimidating people into it fold ostensibly to ruin and disintegrate the person involved.

He called on the people of Akwa Ibom to be wise and know when to turn their back from a leader directing them to danger.

I urge you to remain focused and continue to give support to your hard working governor His Excellency Emmanuel Udom as he remains unrelenting in the delivering of democracy to the people, he said.(NAN)
A senator, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday, officially defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

At a reception organised for him at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, by the APC, Mr Akpabio criticised the PDP as not being fair to him and others who he said worked faithfully and loyally to build the party.

The senators wife, Unoma, accompanied him to the event.

The PDP, according to Mr Akpabio, was rather quick to celebrate and reward those he said abandoned and betrayed the party during the 2015 general elections, apparently referring to the recent defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, several other senators, and other politicians from the APC to the PDP.

Mr Akpabio told the large crowd, which included a leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, and the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, that the PDP is finished in the Niger Delta region.

This is the end of PDP in the Niger Delta, Mr Akpabio said, throwing the crowd into jubilation.

What I have done today is to take Akwa Ibom State and the South-South to the centre. We will gather together to vote in President Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigerians are yet to see the best of President Buhari; we must give him a chance to govern this country.

Do not be afraid of President Buhari if your hands are clean, the senator said.

He apologised to those he offended in the past, who left the PDP for APC because of him.

For those of you whom I have offended who are already in the APC, please forgive me. For whatever I did, I did it for collective interest.

Mr Akpabio dismissed speculations that he was forced to leave his former party.

Some people said they put a gun over my head. But let me say it here, I have never been charged to court by the EFCC, he said.

He said part of the reason that made him leave the PDP is that he is a nationalist. In times like this, all hands must be on deck to salvage the country, he said.

He said he did not mind people labeling him a conspirator if he is able to join hand with others to bring food to the peoples table, and to stop the killings, and bring peace to Nigeria.

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

More than 30 APC senators were present at the event to show solidarity with Mr Akpabio.

The APC national chairman, Mr Oshiomhole, welcomed Mr Akpabio to the party and presented him with a broom, which is the partys symbol.

I accept this broom to sweep away poverty and tyranny in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Akpabio said.

Mr Oshiomhole described the event as historic in the life of APC.

The Senate majority leader, Mr Lawan, said Mr Akpabios defection has shaken the PDP.

This is one defection that has swallowed all previous defections. They followed him everywhere, they followed him overseas; they were on their knees, begging him not to defect.

From today, Senator Akpabio is a full-blooded APC Caucus member, Mr Lawan said, adding that Mr Akpabios influence has grown beyond Akwa Ibom State and the National Assembly.

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Umana Umana, and a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, John Udoedehe, were among the APC chieftains who attended the event.

Today, I am happy to say that change has come to Akwa Ibom State, Mr Ekere said. With what is happening today, I can conveniently say that Akwa Ibom is APC.

Two members of the House of Representatives, two state legislators, who are members of the PDP, were among those who defected with Mr Akpabio to the APC.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo, Francis Ezeonu, has expressed displeasure at the 435,449 Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) yet to be collected in Imo State.

Mr Ezeonu made this known at a meeting of the State Inter Agency Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (SICEP) held in Owerri, the state capital on Wednesday.

He noted that at the current Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Imo, 72, 012 PVCs had been processed and received by the commission in the state, out of which 8,267 PVCs had been collected, while 63,745 yet to be collected.

On earlier voter registration, he said 387, 88 PVCs were received by the commission from April 2017 to July 13, with 15,384 cards collected, while 371,704 cards remained uncollected totaling 435,449 uncollected PVCs.

Giving an overview of the CVR in the state, Mr Ezeonu said that in the first round of the exercise, April to December 2017, a total of 72,617 persons were registered, saying out of this number, 41,854 were males, while 30,763 were females.

Also in the first quarter of 2018, from February to March, he said, 112,172 persons were registered comprising 59,591 males and 52,581 females, while the second quarter, April to July 13, 133,364 cards were processed having 71,116 males and 62,248 females.

Mr Ezeonu explained that currently the commission had registered a total of over 10.29 million voters nationwide.

He reiterated the determination of the commission to end the continuous voter registration on August 17, with extension of time from 9 a.m to 5 p.m, including weekends and advised all eligible voters to ensure they registered.

He noted that the state had gotten the mandate of the commission to make use of the traditional rulers for the collection and distribution of the PVCs.

We may also be making use of the Women August Meeting. We are looking at the best strategy for the distribution of the cards.

Unfortunately, INEC is not getting the cooperation they need in Imo.

The logistics is to deploy to local government areas and not wards; we went to the wards yet people are not coming to register as expected, he said.

Responding, the participants commended INEC for creating awareness for the voter registration.

They noted the need for the commission to continue to educate members of the public on the importance of registration, collection of PVCs, and the right use of the cards.

(NAN)
Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), on Wednesday said that the publication claiming that his professorship was unduly backdated is unfounded.

The don also described the allegation as mere provocation by those who do not want peace in the university.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Academic Staff Union of University, (ASUU), LASU Chapter, on June 1, had written a petition, signed by its Secretary and Assistant Secretary, Tony Dansu and Adeolu Oyekan respectively, to the universitys Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council.

The union was requesting an investigation to determine the culpability or otherwise of Akinwunmi Lewis, the universitys immediate past Registrar in the wrongful dating of the promotion of Dr. Olanrewaju Fagbohun as a professor in the Department of Public Law.

ASUU had alleged that Mr Fagbohun was unqualified to have applied to become the universitys Vice-Chancellor, but that the backdating of his appointment enabled him.

We hope that the Governing council will clarify the seeming contradiction between the 9th Governing Council decision taken on May 7, 2014 and the promotion letter issued to Dr Fagbohun by Lewis on Aug. 28, 2014,  the union had said.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, Mr Fagbohun said that the attached document circulated by the ASUU on the backdate was a 2014 LASU Council decision on a denied promotion case of 2007/2008 which was reviewed in 2014 and backdated.

It should be noted that the Registrar at that time never knew that I could become the VC in 2016 to have started doctoring a Council decision for me in 2014.

I also did not know that I would be vying for Vice  Chancellorship in 2016, so I could not have met anybody to doctor any document for me, he said.

According to him, LASU Council had in 2012 taken a decision premised on a petition he wrote after he was denied professorship in the 2007/2008 promotion.

After I saw an advert of the university, I wrote a petition that I was entitled to have been promoted dating back to 2007/2008 but the interpretation of the universitys rules on ground was incorrect and unfair, he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said after he left LASU for the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), the institute gave him a Chair in 2010.

 As a human being, I found it necessary to still push this cause by writing a petition to LASU to protect my seniority, and there is nothing illegal to have petitioned the university to get my entitlement, he said.

The professor said that it was sequel to the petition that the then council sat and responded that he be directed to come and fill an APER Form for 2007/2008 promotion for ratification.

 It was pursuant to this process that council went ahead to confirm that I was worthy of being made a professor.

ASUU did not have the document for these directives as at the time they started circulating the back dating documents,  he said.

Mr Fagbohun said he was not the only beneficiary of the councils decision, as there were and have subsequently been other colleagues who have benefited from such decisions.

He explained that it was a regular practice of the university, except that the beneficiary would be notified once the promotion was backdated.

You would not enjoy financial remuneration, but only three months notional remuneration .

Your date of promotion would be backdated to when you ought to have taken it because that is the only way to preserve your seniority.

The processes went through the Appointment and Promotion Academic Committee of the university before the recommendation to the Council for approval.

 It was the crisis bedevilling the university then that delayed the process from 2012 before implementation in 2014, he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said it was also shocking and laughable that the union was contending that he could have gotten a Chair in NIALS and also LASU because a past VC of the institution, Jadesola Akande was given a chair by the same institute.

On the allegation that he had no PhD before his appointment in NIALS, Mr Fagbohun challenged ASUU and the public to contact the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile -Ife , faculty of law or postgraduate school for his certificate.

Mr Fagbohun also spoke on the allegation that he did not meet the minimum requirement of 10 years professorship as requested in the advert for applicants for the office of Vice-Chancellor.

He said that none of the adverts in the dailies which he saw and upon which he applied had that condition.

The VC also urged media practitioners to always investigate issues before publishing.

He said that those behind such scandals are those who saw him as a threat to their bid to violate the laws of the university.

Mr Fagbohun promised to continue working within and maintaining the rule of law because of his background as a legal practitioner.

(NAN)
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

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TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aidoc, a leading provider of AI solutions for radiologists announced today that it was granted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the first product of its expanding suite of AI-based workflow optimization solutions. The clearance is for Aidoc's brain solution that works with radiologists to flag acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) cases in head CTs and is the world's first deep learning solution to assist radiologists in workflow triage.

With over 75% of all patient care involving radiology, the amount of imaging is skyrocketing while the number of radiologists is struggling to catch up. Radiologists are being pressured to produce quality results at a faster pace with increasing amounts of data - but with tools that are not up to the task. Aidoc solves this problem by providing radiologists with the most advanced solutions to increase efficiency and expedite patient care within their existing work environment.

Aidoc's solution analyzes medical images directly after the patient is scanned and notifies the radiologist of cases with suspected findings to assist with prioritization of time-sensitive, and potentially life-threatening cases. The FDA ruling is an indication of the company's impact on the healthcare AI industry and expanding clinical value.

"In a recent clinical study we ran, Aidoc's brain package demonstrated its potential to substantially reduce report turnaround time and increase the radiologist's confidence," said Dr. Barry D. Pressman, MD, Chairman of Imaging at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and former president of ACR (American College of Radiology). "Seeing the software in action emphasized the key aspects an AI solution needs to possess to have an impact on the radiologist day to day - seamless integration into the workflow and broad applicability. With the evidence I've seen - in the not so distant future, it will almost be unthinkable to practice radiology without the assistance of solutions like Aidoc."

Already commercialized outside the US since December 2017, Aidoc is in the process of FDA clearance for the remainder of its solutions which will assist in the detection of a broad set of acute pathologies across the body. In under a year, Aidoc's solutions have already been deployed in over 50 medical centers worldwide, where they are used on a daily basis, analyzing over 1 million exams a year.

"We decided to focus our solution on acute pathologies where quality of care and time are of the essence," said Aidoc's CEO Elad Walach. "Radiologists are challenged with responding to large numbers of acute cases in a timely fashion. The key, we believe, is to be comprehensive. If you really want to impact the daily practice you have to cover a significant portion of the radiologist's workflow. Our solution can sift through the whole worklist in the background and highlight cases that require immediate attention, improving radiologist's response time."

About Aidoc:

Aidoc develops artificial intelligence solutions that support and enhance the impact of radiologist diagnostic power - helping them expedite patient treatment and improve quality of care. The company's solutions reduce turnaround time and increase quality and efficiency by flagging acute anomalies in real time. Radiologists benefit from state-of-the art deep learning technology that runs "behind the scenes" freeing them to focus on the diagnosis itself. Aidoc's healthcare-grade deep learning algorithms benefit from large quantities of data, making their solutions the most comprehensive in the field, and enabling them to provide diagnostic aid to the broadest set of pathologies.

Aidoc's founding team are alumni of elite technology units in the Israel Ministry of Defense. CEO and co-founder Elad Walach has led AI research at the Israeli Airforce and is a Forbes 30-under-30 healthcare innovator. With a team of leading technology experts and clinical thought-leaders, Aidoc technology helps millions get quicker and more efficient patient care. Aidoc is based in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

For further information:

Marlee Long -Marketing Manager - Aidoc

[email protected]

https://aidoc.com/

Twitter

Linkedin.

SOURCE Aidoc

Related Links

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TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) announced today that Fundacao Getulio Vargas-Rio de Janeiro, Hanyang University-ERICA, Peking University HSBC Business School, and University of Liege have earned accreditation in business, and Universidad ESAN has extended its accreditation in business.

Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. Through today's ratification, a total of 820 institutions across 53 countries and territories have earned AACSB Accreditation in business. Furthermore, 187 institutions maintain supplemental AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs.

"AACSB Accreditation recognizes institutions that have demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning," said Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "We congratulate each of the newly accredited institutions and their entire teamsincluding administrators, faculty, directors, staff, and studentsfor their roles in earning this respected honor."

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multiyear path, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

"The commitment to earning accreditation is a true reflection of a school's dedicationnot only to their students, alumni network, and greater business community, but to the higher education industry as a whole," said Bryant. "Today's students are tomorrow's business leaders, and the addition of these four institutions to the network of AACSB-accredited business schools will have a lasting positive impact, both locally and globally."

For more detailed information about AACSB Accreditation, please visit aacsb.edu/accreditation.

About AACSB International

As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to more than 1,600 member organizations and over 800 accredited business schools worldwide. AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. The global organization has offices located in Tampa, Florida, USA; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Singapore. For more information, visit aacsb.edu.

SOURCE AACSB International

Related Links

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DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) today announced that Michael E. Greenberg, PhD will join its Board of Directors effective immediately, as part of the company's ongoing board refreshment process. Dr. Greenberg is the Nathan Marsh Pusey Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard University and the Co-Lead of the Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution at Harvard Medical School. He brings a nearly 35-year track record of groundbreaking scientific discoveries in neurobiology to Allergan's Board.

"With our focus on central nervous system therapies and our goal of harnessing the best science from across the innovation ecosystem, Dr. Michael Greenberg will be a great addition to our Board," said Brent L. Saunders, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Allergan. "Dr. Greenberg's findings have expanded the understanding of the molecular basis of the major events in neural development, the neural responses to injury and disease and the potential for treatment. His scientific leadership and impeccable background of discovery in neurobiology and academic medicine make him a highly valuable addition to the Allergan Board of Directors."

"The appointment of Dr. Greenberg, who joins the Allergan Board as the fifth new Director in 18 months, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to recruit highly qualified leaders with relevant skills and experience that will help us advance our strategy and leadership in key therapeutic areas," said Chris Coughlin, Lead Independent Director. "The Allergan Board has been actively involved in a refreshment process to update its membership with the appropriate experience, talent and diversity to more strongly position Allergan as a premier biopharmaceutical company and create value for shareholders."

Dr. Greenberg has been Harvard University's Nathan Marsh Pusey Professor of Neurobiology since 2008. He has been a Co-Leader of Harvard Medical School's Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution since 2017 and Chair of the Department of Neurobiology since 2008. He was also Founding Director of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children's Hospital Boston, where he continues to serve as director. Prior to that he was a Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

In the 1980's, Dr. Greenberg made a series of landmark discoveries that demonstrated that neural activity activates gene transcription, a now central tenet of neurobiology. In 2001, Greenberg and his team uncovered how a particular calcium channel leads to the expression of genes important for learning and memory, as well as for the survival of the neuron itself.

"I am proud to join Allergan's Board as the company focuses more resources on cutting edge science, especially in neuroscience," said Dr. Greenberg. "I look forward to working with Allergan's Board and management team, as well as its R&D leaders to help enhance the company's world-class R&D capabilities and industry-leading pipeline, and ensure the company delivers long-term value."

Dr. Greenberg earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Rockefeller University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at New York University Medical Center. He currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Decibel Therapeutics.

In addition, Fred G. Weiss will retire from the Allergan Board of Directors effective October 2018. Mr. Weiss joined the Board of Directors in 2000 and is the company's longest serving board member. Mr. Weiss is the chair of Allergan's Audit & Compliance Committee and a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.

In congratulating Mr. Weiss on his retirement, Allergan Board of Directors Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair Chris Bodine said, "Fred Weiss has been a brilliant, solid and reliable stalwart on our board dating back to Watson Pharmaceuticals. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Fred for his long-standing service to Allergan for nearly two decades. His leadership of the Audit Committee has been remarkable, and the board will miss his many excellent contributions."

Following the retirement of Mr. Weiss and the addition of Dr. Greenberg, Allergan's Board of Directors will continue to have 12 members of which 10 are independent. The addition of Dr. Greenberg brings the average tenure of Allergan's Board of Directors to less than 5 years and demonstrates an effective refreshment process resulting in a balanced mix of backgrounds and fresh perspectives.

About Allergan plc

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical leader. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics and dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories.

Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, a model of research and development, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. With this approach, Allergan has built one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry.

Allergan's success is powered by our global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products, including RESTASIS, on our financial results; risks associated with divestitures, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected cost reductions, projected debt reduction, projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse tax consequences; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2018. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS:

Allergan:

Investors:

Daphne Karydas

(862) 261-8006

Karina Calzadilla

(862) 261-7328

Media:

Amy Rose

(862) 289-3072

SOURCE Allergan plc

Related Links

https://www.allergan.com


WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Amalgamated Life Insurance Company (www.amalgamatedlife.com), a leading provider of comprehensive insurance solutions, and the flagship company of the Amalgamated Family of Companies, has achieved a corporate milestone many businesses never do. This year, the Company celebrates its 75th anniversary; seven and half decades marked by steady growth, expansion and industry recognition. The milestone also was enhanced by the company's recent achievement of its 43rd consecutive A.M. Best "A" (Excellent) Rating. The rating by A.M. Best, a full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the insurance industry, is a third-party confirmation of Amalgamated Life's strong fiscal position.

President and CEO Paul Mallen stated, "When our founder, Sidney Hillman, established Amalgamated Life Insurance Company, he did so with a mission to help meet the needs of working people. He established an insurance company that would help them and their families achieve financial security by providing affordable insurance products. Today, we remain committed to that mission and continue to respond to market needs with an ever expanding product portfolio of high quality, competitively-priced solutions."

Since its inception, Amalgamated Life Insurance Company has grown considerably from its New York roots to an organization that is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and offers an extensive suite of group and voluntary insurance solutions, as well as other valuable risk and health cost containment services. Its group offerings include: life, medical stop loss, and disability. Its voluntary benefits include accident, accidental death and dismemberment, critical illness, dental, disability, hearing, ID protection, legal and whole life. The Company is currently exploring a new portable term life offering.

While geographic and product line expansion played a significant role in the Company's growth, so too has its emphasis on fiscal stability and "Best in Class" customer service; both of which have contributed to the Company's multiple awards and its over four decades of consecutive "A" (Excellent) ratings from A.M. Best.

"We also have a strong, dedicated Board of Directors led by Chair Lynne Fox," continued Mallen. "And, while we have expanded beyond our labor roots, we continue to build on our strength in meeting the needs of that niche market." Mallen also attributed the Company's steady growth and success to having sustained a financial philosophy of being fiscally conservative.

"Amalgamated Life's 75th anniversary reflects the contributions of many; our dedicated leaders over the years, our hardworking employees, our loyal customers and our industry partners," said Chair Lynne Fox. "On behalf of the Board, it is a proud chapter in this great Company's history."

About Amalgamated Life Insurance Company

Founded in 1943, Amalgamated Life Insurance Company has since grown into a leading provider of comprehensive insurance solutions operating in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Company provides competitive group products including life, AD&D, disability and medical stop loss, as well as voluntary products such as accident, critical illness, disability and whole life, among others. Since 1975, Amalgamated Life Insurance Company has consistently earned the "A" (Excellent) Rating from A.M. Best Company attesting to its strong fiscal position. The Company is a member of the Amalgamated Family of Companies which also includes AliCare, a third-party administrator; AliCare Medical Management, a medical care management firm; AliGraphics, a full-service printing and graphics firm; and Amalgamated Agency, a property and casualty brokerage. For more information, visit: www.amalgamatedlife.com

SOURCE Amalgamated Life Insurance Company

Related Links

https://www.amalgamatedlife.com


" The decline in investment began in earnest in 2014, when Brazil entered a recession, but intensified after the US tax policy implemented by the current administration, which reduced its companies' domestic income tax from 35% to 21%. In Brazil, the tax rate remains at 34%, " noted Leonardo Freitas, Managing Business Partner and founder of HAYMAN-WOODWARD.

In addition, as a form of incentive, the new US legislation has allowed multinational companies to repatriate their assets in the US with a lower income tax burden. "This option has become extremely attractive to foreign investors unable to expand their operations in Brazil, and have now decided to reallocate their capital to the US or to other countries," added Freitas. Among the companies that have left Brazil in recent years are banking market giants, such as Citibank and HSBC.

Another determining factor for the fall in foreign investment is due to political and economic uncertainty that surrounds the upcoming presidential elections in Brazil, in October. "There is a great deal of concern among US investors regarding issues related to the fate of tax reform and privatization in the Brazil, regardless of which candidate is elected," concluded Freitas.

The fall in investments in Brazil occurs in a moment where the stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United Sates has broken a new record, totaling more than $3 trillion in 2017 (up to $260.4 billion from 2016). The latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows that the United States continues to be the best place in the world to do business.

HAYMAN-WOODWARD CORP is a holding group of a variety of companies, including business advisory, compliance, business development intelligence consulting, banking and wealth management, family office, aviation, and others. The group is present in 6 offices around the world and has more than twenty years of experience in supporting companies and individuals in their challenges to build value across borders.

SOURCE Hayman-Woodward

Related Links

http://www.haymanwoodward.com


PUNE, India, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Application Release Automation Market by Component (Tool and Services), Deployment Type (On-Premises and Cloud), Organization Size, Vertical (BFSI, ITEs and Telecommunications, Manufacturing), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is expected to grow from USD 2.07 billion in 2018 to USD 5.19 billion by 2023, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20.2% during the forecast period.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg )

Browse 55 market data Tables and 40 Figures spread through 132 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Application Release Automation Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/application-release-automation-market-221752438

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

The growth of the Application Release Automation Market is expected to be driven by many factors, such as the increasing complexities in applications, growing need for continuous and fast application delivery, and rising number of applications running in the dynamic IT environment. With the rising adoption rate of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) among enterprises, the ARA market is expected to gain a major traction during the forecast period.

Among services, the training, consulting, and integration Segment is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period

With the increasing deployment of DevOps, the services segment is expected to grow in the future. The training, consulting, and integration segment is estimated to hold the largest market size in 2018. Training services include comprehensive software training to individuals and enterprises, so that they can operate, administer, and maintain vendors' products. Consulting services help in managing business transformation programs and delivering robust applications for helping clients achieve strategic objectives through technical and business improvements.

Under organization size, the large enterprises segment is expected to hold the larger market size during the forecast period

Large enterprises are defined as business entities with more than 1,000 employees. The adoption rate of ARA tool and services among the large enterprises is high and expected to continue during the forecast period. The large enterprises have dedicated in-house IT resources with high IT budgets, hence they can consider a variety of ARA strategies. Additionally, they have a global presence, high market shares, technical expertise, and effective business strategies.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=221752438

In verticals, the ITES and telecommunications vertical is estimated to hold the largest market size in 2018

Telecom companies are always eager to embrace digitalization opportunities. Enterprises in this vertical are modernizing their legacy applications to improve the digital customer experience. Moreover, the growing subscriber base and increasing adoption of various technologies related to media and digital content are creating the need to optimize resources for fulfilling customer demands in a timely manner.

Among regions, the North American region is estimated to hold the largest market size in 2018

North America is estimated to hold the largest market size in 2018, while Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest-growing region. North America is a matured market in terms of technology adoption, due to various factors such as standard regulations, advanced IT infrastructure, the presence of many enterprises, and availability of proficient technical expertise. The US and Canada are expected to contribute to the growth of the Application Release Automation Market in North America.

The major vendors providing ARA solutions and services include BMC Software (US), CA Technologies (US), Fujitsu (Japan), IBM (US), Micro Focus (US), Microsoft (US), NIIT Technologies (India), Red Hat (US), VMware (US), Attunity (US), ARCAD Software (US), Chef Software (US), Clarive (Spain), CloudBees (US), CollabNet (US), Datical (US), Electric Cloud (US), Flexagon LLC (US), Inedo (US), MidVision (UK), Octopus Deploy (Australia), Plutora (US), Puppet (US), Rocket Software (US), and XebiaLabs (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

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USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]



Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/application-release-automation-market.asp

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets/

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
Jose Vicente Marino proven direct selling executive

LONDON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP), a global leader in direct selling of beauty products, today announced that Jose Vicente Marino has been appointed as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Brazil, effective 17 September 2018. Mr. Marino will be responsible for accelerating growth in Brazil, Avon's largest business, reporting to Jan Zijderveld, Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Marino is a seasoned executive with extensive General Manager, direct selling, consumer and strategic planning experience within global organizations. He has held executive positions at Natura & Co., latterly as Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Committee, where he led the multi-channel and multi-brand strategy, and the entire sales team, having been promoted successively from Brands & Business VP and Marketing & Sales VP. Most recently, he was President at Flora Cosmeticos e Limpeza, a leading beauty and hygiene products company owned by JBS Group and part of J&F Investimentos S.A., where he led sales growth of more than 15% during his time in the business.

Jose Vicente has significant experience at global consumer packaged goods companies, including Johnson & Johnson where he was a Commercial Director, VP of Customer Development LatAm and President of its Brazil operations. He started his career as a Marketing Manager and National Manager for key accounts at BestFoods, which was acquired by Unilever PLC. Jose Vicente has a B.A. in Business Administration from Fundacao Getulio Vargas, extension courses of Business Administration from FGV and Retail from USP and graduated from Harvard Business School on the Owners and President Management programme. He is a former Chairman of the Board of Alpargatas and a Board member of the Instituto Akatu.

"We are delighted to welcome Jose Vicente to our executive leadership team," said Jan Zijderveld, Chief Executive Officer. "His direct selling expertise, deep knowledge of Brazil, the consumer products industry and disciplined leadership skills, alongside a proven track record in driving growth and turning businesses around, will add tremendous energy to accelerating our business opportunities in Brazil. Jose Vicente has a strategic mindset and a drive for execution that I am confident will help us make great strides in our commercial operations to generate long-term profitable growth."

"It is exciting to join Avon during this important time in its history," said Mr. Marino. "I have long admired Avon's brand, its millions of beauty entrepreneurs, its highly appealing portfolio of beauty products and the compelling purpose at the heart of a company, which has been a champion for women for over 100 years. With consumers losing trust in corporates, direct selling between a Representative and her customer has never been more relevant. I was also attracted by the quality of the executive team, who will help me to increase Avon's selling opportunity in Brazil, leverage digital opportunities, enhance execution and drive increased profitability."

About Avon Products, Inc.

Avon is the Company that for 130 years has proudly stood for beauty, innovation, optimism and, above all, for women. Avon products include well-recognized and beloved brands such as ANEW, Avon Color, Avon Care, Skin-So-Soft, and Advance Techniques sold through approximately 6 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including Avon's ability to increase its selling opportunity in Brazil, leverage digital opportunities and Avon's efforts to generate long-term profitable growth. Because forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possibility of business disruption, competitive uncertainties, and general economic and business conditions in Avon's markets as well as the other risks detailed in Avon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Avon undertakes no obligation to update any statements in this press release for changes that happen after the date of this release.

SOURCE Avon Products, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.avon.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Barst Mukamal & Kleiner LLP, New York immigration and business law firm, is pleased to announce Attorney Caroline Murphy has become an Associate Attorney with the firm. Ms. Murphy brings a wealth of experience in employment-based, family-based, and investment-based immigration.

Ms. Murphy has worked extensively on EB-5 investor visas, including direct investment and Regional Center petitions and has counselled individual EB-5 investors on Source of Funds requirements. Additionally, Ms. Murphy has broad experience with corporate clients and startups seeking E, H, and L nonimmigrant visas, and has assisted extraordinary ability individuals seeking O classification, including entrepreneurs and entertainers.

Ms. Murphy received her Degree in Law & French (LL.B (ling. Franc.)) from Trinity College Dublin and also obtained a Certificate at Sciences Po Paris. Following her time at Trinity College, Ms. Murphy earned a Barrister-at-Law degree from the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Dublin. Ms. Murphy is admitted to practice at the Bar of Ireland and in New York, where she is currently a member of AILA and the Irish American Bar Association of New York.

Having moved to New York from Dublin in 2014, Ms. Murphy has considerable experience working with members of the Irish community in New York. She has particular experience with J-1 Graduate and Trainee visas as they relate to Irish individuals, as well as complications which may arise under the new USCIS Policy relating to Accrual of Unlawful Presence for F, J and M Nonimmigrants.

BMKLLP has been a leading immigration and business law firm in NYC since 1930. Our current team averages 20 years of legal experience, offering counsel in several languages, including English, French, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and more. Each of our experienced attorneys is dedicated to providing every client with representation that is tailored to their particular needs.

BMKLLP Attorneys practice before the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and various federal and state courts.

For more information about Attorney Caroline Murphy and BMKLLP, please visit www.bmkllp.com.

Contact:

Alexis S. Axelrad

212-686-3838

[email protected]

SOURCE Barst Mukamal & Kleiner LLP

Related Links

http://www.bmkllp.com


INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Bell Techlogix to its 2018 Fast Growth 150 list. The list is CRN's annual ranking of North America-based technology integrators and solution providers that have experienced significant economic growth over the past two years. The companies recognized this year represent a remarkable combined total revenue of more than $50 billion.

"Bell Techlogix is proud to be named to the 2018 Fast Growth 150 List. We believe that collaboration, innovation and passion are keys to successful growth. We look forward to delivering exceptional end-user experiences and focus on best-in-class technologies along with personalized customer service, and meaningful, goal-based results to our clients," said CEO Ron Frankenfield.

"CRN's 2018 Fast Growth 150 list features companies that are growing in an ever-changing, challenging market," said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. "As traditional solution providers are moving towards a services-focused business model, this extraordinary group have been able to successfully adapt; outperforming competitors and proving themselves as channel leaders. We are pleased to recognize these organizations and look forward to their continued success."

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

About Bell Techlogix

Bell Techlogix, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, provides transformational Next Generation Digital Workplace and Infrastructure Management solutions to large and mid-market enterprises, as well as the public sector. With services that build, integrate and support the next wave of operational transformation Bell Techlogix provides a true client partnership and an enhanced digital experience. Bell Techlogix provides a flexible approach that is globally capable but locally oriented that will systematically allow you to achieve growth, cost-savings and acceleration of your business.

For more information on Bell Techlogix, please visit us on the web at www.belltechlogix.com, follow us on Twitter @BellTechlogixHQ, like us on LinkedIn or Facebook.

SOURCE Bell Techlogix

Related Links

http://www.belltechlogix.com


RAYNHAM, Mass., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OMNIlife science, Inc. ("OMNI"), a privately-held, established medical technology company targeting the $15 billion global hip and knee replacement device market, announced today that Brigham Redd, M.D., of Liljenquist & Redd Orthopedic Surgery, is the first surgeon in Idaho to offer OMNIBotics, an advanced robotic-assisted treatment option for total knee replacement. This innovative total knee replacement solution is designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis. OMNIBotics is the global leader in robotic-assisted total knee replacement, with over 7 years of clinical use worldwide. This treatment option will be available for Dr. Redd's patients at both Mountain View Hospital and Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, ID.

The OMNIBotics procedure utilizes advanced software and instrumentation to tailor each procedure to the patient's unique anatomy in order to optimize implant fit and alignment. Patented OMNIBotics Bone Morphing technology eliminates the need for costly CT scans or MRIs and allows the surgeon to perform "virtual surgery" on a digital model before any bone is cut. A robotic cutting guide is then used by the surgeon when making the planned bone resections to ensure accuracy. The surgeon maintains control and decision-making regarding the total knee replacement while providing a customized, patient-specific surgery. OMNIBotics also allows for a less invasive surgical technique, compared to traditional knee replacement surgery, which may promote a quicker recovery.

"It's been great to be able to check the accuracy of the surgery and make adjustments to perfect the angles and alignment of each step of surgery. This is so much more personalized and accurate than the traditional knee replacements done elsewhere," said Dr. Redd. "It's exciting to offer the most advanced technology to my patients and see them come back feeling even better than they do after a traditional knee replacement, and to be confident that their knee replacement will last even longer because of the precise and individualized alignment."

ABOUT OMNIlife science, Inc. (OMNI)

OMNI is a privately held company with a proprietary robotic platform, OMNIBotics, which allows surgeons to conduct patient-specific total knee surgery designed to enhance patient satisfaction and reduce hospital costs. In addition, OMNI designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes a wide range of proprietary hip and knee implants and is focused on providing cutting edge technologies to transform outcomes in joint replacement surgery and enhance a surgeon's ability to help patients live active and pain-free lives. For more information about OMNI, please visit www.omnils.com.

CONTACT

Cindy Holloway, Director of Marketing Communications

Phone: (508) 824-2444

[email protected]

SOURCE OMNIlife science, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.omnils.com


HONG KONG, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Studio RYTE, a boutique design house, is crowdfunding for a modular cat furniture system for city dwellers. CATSSUP hacks into existing furniture and creates virtual cat trees, unlocking vertical spaces for the cats without compromising the owners'. CATSSUP's Kickstarter campaign will begin on Aug. 8, International Cat Day.

Product Rationale

Black cat sitting on Dot Step with Space Ball attached, cloud lounge installed above.

Studio RYTE introduces the one-stop solution for cat owners in an urban setting. With over ten years of feline practice, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Ilona Rodan explains, "Access to an elevated area increases the cat's vertical space and allows it to monitor its environment. If all resources are placed in different locations, individual cats can avoid seeing other cats, minimizing competition for resources, bullying and stress."

Cats need vertical territorialization to feel comfortable and secure, but traditional cat trees are too bulky, thus impractical for city dwellers with limited living space. Unlike conventional cat trees, CATSSUP provides jumping and lounging platforms that can be easily installed on existing furniture to create a virtual cat tree. There is also a scratch post and toy ball in the collection to transform a shelf or table into an aerial playground.

The patent-pending design allows users to quickly create cantilevered extensions or scratching surfaces through a non-intrusive attachment method on existing furniture. Since it is attached without damaging walls or furniture, the system is highly flexible and may adapt to any environment. It can be moved around and configured according to the changing needs of the users.

Key Features

Space saving: Utilizes existing surfaces without using any floor space.

Quick installation: Clamps onto any flat surface without drilling holes.

Flexible & Modular: Interchangeable clamps and felt surface allow multiple functions and configurations.

Versatile function: Extends any table/working area, lets cats accompany their owners while working.

Design

CATSSUP has a premium powder-coated finish that is held together with custom thread rolled brass nuts and bolts. Extensions can be inserted in between the modular circular plates. The thick magnetic felt cover on top provides a comfortable surface for the cats to snooze on. The scratching tower can be replaced with refills after prolonged use. CATSSUP fuses a minimalist aesthetic and the indispensable function of a cat tree, providing the ultimate solution for cat owners in the city.

About Studio RYTE

Studio RYTE is an energetic and innovative design studio comprised of proactive and passionate inventors, architects, designers and engineers from Hong Kong. They successfully launched the Butterply Desk, a modular furniture series, via Kickstarter with a pledge of 57k USD in 2016. Inspired by traditional Chinese timber joinery, Butterply's installation is easy and requires no nails or screws. It was exhibited in the Salone del Mobile, the most renowned fair in the furniture industry, in Milan earlier in April 2018.

Dennis Cheung

Phone: (852) 5511 3129

Email: [email protected]

Related Files

CATSSUP Dimensions.pdf

Related Images

catssup-configuration-1.jpg

CATSSUP Configuration 1

Black cat sitting on Dot Step with Space Ball attached, cloud lounge installed above.

catssup-configuration-2.jpg

CATSSUP Configuration 2

Exotic Shorthair sitting on the Cloud Lounge.

catssup-installation.jpg

CATSSUP Installation

It only takes 3 minutes to install a Dot Step, just clamp and let your cats climb!

catssup-configuration-3.jpg

CATSSUP Configuration 3

You can also clamp the Climbing Tower and Cloud Lounge to your bedside shelf.

Related Links

CATSSUP Website

Studio RYTE Website

Related Video

https://vimeo.com/282957777

SOURCE Studio RYTE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) today launched "Joined in Strength," a solidarity campaign timed for the upcoming one-year anniversary of the deadly white nationalists rally that disrupted the city.

The "Joined in Strength" campaign encourages people nationwide to show solidarity against racism and hate by spreading messages of positivity and inclusiveness. Free downloadable and printable posters, stickers, T-shirt iron-ons and social media graphics that can be used to advocate against hate are available at https://cvillestrength.com/.

After Charlottesville officials refused to allow the city to be used as a platform for hate again, the right-wing groups behind "Unite the Right" announced the move of their anniversary rally on August 12 to Washington, D.C.'s Lafayette Square across from the White House. Several groups are mobilizing a counterprotest in Freedom Plaza.

The Joined in Strength campaign encourages everyone to join the citizens of Washington, D.C., against the Unite the Right movement by downloading, donning and displaying messages of solidarity from https://cvillestrength.com/.

The site offers free downloadable and printable posters, stickers, T-shirt iron-ons and social media graphics that can be used to advocate against hate. Charlottesville is also bringing the campaign to life with special solidarity street banners and signage along the city's downtown pedestrian mall, where the tragic events occurred last year. Full-page ads in The Washington Post and Charlottesville's The Daily Progress will trumpet the cause.

The CACVB asks people nationwide to join the initiative by sharing photos of themselves locking hands with others on social media and adding #JoinedInStrength.

"Charlottesville and our citizens resoundingly reject the alt-right's message of divisiveness," says Adam Healey, Interim Executive Director at the CACVB. "After last summer's horrific events, our community united in strength to demonstrate to the world that we won't stand for hatred. We call for people everywhere to do the same and wholeheartedly support our fellow citizens in the nation's capital as they prepare to stand tall against the face of evil."

About the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB):

The CACVB serves as the global resource for tourism and hospitality marketing for Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, and assists tourists, tour operators, meeting planners, organizations, reunions and others planning visits to the destination, starting with www.visitcharlottesville.org.

Join the conversation using #CvilleStrength at Experience Charlottesville on Facebook, @VisitCVille on Twitter, and @CharlottesvilleVA on Instagram and Vimeo.

Contact: CACVB, Interim Executive Director Adam Healey, (434) 535-5068,

[email protected]

SOURCE Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau

Related Links

http://www.visitcharlottesville.org


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cold Stone Creamery continues their 30th Anniversary celebration with continued growth of the brand. In 1988, Cold Stone Creamery opened its first location in Tempe, Arizona, and will be rolling out 30 new stores domestically and internationally this year.

Cold Stone Creamery has been an exciting franchise opportunity for the past 30 years. With nearly 1,000 stores domestically and several hundred more internationally, Cold Stone Creamery is a force to be reckoned with in the ice cream industry.

Cold Stone Creamery's franchisees range from small business owners to large franchise groups, showing the versatility of the brand. Cold Stone Creamery offers franchisees a vertical in-house structure which streamlines the process of running a franchise. All franchisor services - development, real estate, design and construction, training, operations, purchasing and supply chain, research and development, marketing and public relations - are offered to each franchisee, which helps result in faster and continued growth.

"At Cold Stone Creamery our goal is to deliver super premium ice cream day in and day out, and we know that can only be achieved by making franchisee support a top priority," said John Wuycheck, senior vice president of franchise development. "With our vertical in-house structure we are able to achieve this and at the same time steadily grow the overall brand each year."

In addition to the in-house services, Cold Stone Creamery also likes to work outside the box. Cold Stone Creamery collaborates with movie studios, such as Warner Bros., joining its ice cream marketing forces with major motion videos. This creates a fun way for the brand to reach new audiences and create more opportunities for growth.

As for ongoing expansion, the 30-year-old brand shows no signs of stopping its push to open more locations in new markets. As of June 2018, Cold Stone Creamery had awarded more than 15 new stores across the nation. Furthermore, Cold Stone Creamery is projected to add 30 new locations this year, with the potential to grow to even more.

Cold Stone Creamery looks to continue serving their super premium ice cream, to loyal and new customers alike, for many years to come.

Cold Stone Creamery Quick Points:

First stores opened in Arizona

Cold Stone Creamery began franchising in 1994

Currently, there is rapid growth in Texas and Southeast markets

and Southeast markets Cold Stone Creamery is the only frozen dessert brand to have an official Tastemaster with a PhD in Food Science.

About Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery delivers The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Cold Stone Creamery is owned by parent company Kahala Brands, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 27 quick-service restaurant concepts. The Cold Stone Creamery brand operates nearly 1,500 locations globally in approximately 30 countries worldwide.

For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit www.ColdStoneCreamery.com.

For more information about Kahala Brands, visit www.KahalaBrands.com.

2018 Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. All referenced trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Cold Stone Creamery

Related Links

http://www.coldstonecreamery.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Combined Insurance, a Chubb company, announced today that it has earned VIQTORY's highest honor as the nation's number one Military Friendly Employer in the over $1B revenue category for 2019. This is the company's eighth consecutive year on the top 10 employer list and fifth consecutive year in the top five.

"It is truly an honor to once again be named the nation's number one Military Friendly Employer for 2019," said Bob Wiedower, Vice President of Sales Development and Military Programs at Combined Insurance. "Our company is committed to providing veterans, military spouses and their family members an opportunity to serve and use the skills developed throughout their service to build a meaningful career with us. We value the qualities that veterans can bring to the workforce, and look forward to the positive contributions veterans bring to our organization and our communities."

Since launching its veteran recruiting program in 2010, the company has:

Hired more than 4,450 veterans, military spouses and their family members

Announced plans to hire 2,000 more veterans by the end of 2019

Joined the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership

Announced the company will grant any veteran or military spouse a job interview

In addition to providing meaningful employment, Combined Insurance also gives back to military and veteran-focused charities through employee volunteerism and corporate donations. The company has given back to organizations, such as Luke's Wings, The Fisher House Foundation, USO of Illinois and Heartland Alliance  Support Services for Veteran Families (SSVF).

The Military Friendly Employers list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for thousands of federal contractors nationwide, input of military employees and responses to the proprietary, data driven Military Friendly Employers survey from participating companies.

The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weightings were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. Data calculations and tabulations were independently evaluated for completeness and accuracy by Ernst & Young.

Combined Insurance will be showcased along with other 2019 Military Friendly Employers in the December issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, the January 2019 issue of Military Spouse Magazine. The list of all the 2019 Military Friendly  Employers can be found at MilitaryFriendly.com.

For more information about how Combined Insurance is working to support military spouses in fulfilling their career goals or to learn about our career opportunities, visit combinedinsurance.com/military.

About Combined Insurance

Combined Insurance Company of America (Chicago, Ill.) is a leading provider of individual supplemental accident & health, disability, and life insurance products and a Chubb company. With a tradition of nearly 100 years of success, Combined Insurance is committed to making the world of supplemental insurance easy to understand. The company has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau and is one of Ward's Top 50 Performing Life-Health Insurance Companies. Combined Insurance is ranked the number one Military Friendly Employer in the over $1B revenue category for 2019 by VIQTORY. This is the company's eighth consecutive year on the top 10 list and fifth consecutive year in the top 5Combined Insurance was previously named the number one Military Friendly Employer in the nation for 2015 and 2016.

For more information, please visit combinedinsurance.com.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com.

About VIQTORY:

Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service disabled, veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs  and Military Friendly  brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about VIQTORY at www.victorymedia.com.

SOURCE Combined Insurance

Related Links

http://www.combinedinsurance.com


FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Key Quarterly Highlights

Revenue of $1,387 million

GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.04 , up $0.07 ; adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.29 , up $0.13

, up ; adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of , up Net Income from continuing operations of $11 million ; Adjusted net income of $64 million

; Adjusted net income of Adjusted EBITDA of $166 million

Cash flow from operations of $98 million and adjusted free cash flow of $60 million

and adjusted free cash flow of Renewal rate of 99.0% and $1,575 million of renewal TCV; $1,947 million of TCV signings

of renewal TCV; of TCV signings Signed $1 billion TCV contract renewal and expansion with Fortune 50 Company

TCV contract renewal and expansion with Fortune 50 Company Continued progress on divestiture plan resulting in meaningful strengthening of balance sheet

Launched Tender Offer for 10.5% Senior Notes ( ~$476 million tendered; closed on July 27, 2018 )

Conduent (NYSE: CNDT), the world's largest provider of diversified business services, today announced its second quarter 2018 financial results.

"We delivered another strong quarter with continued growth in operating margin and adjusted EBITDA, while investing in our digital interactions and platform-based offerings. We expanded our new business pipeline and have achieved a consistent revenue baseline that was flat year-over-year excluding strategic actions for the second quarter in a row. Our core remains on track to realize organic top-line growth by year-end," said Ashok Vemuri, CEO of Conduent. "We completed the sale of our Commercial Vehicle Operations business and continue to make progress in streamlining our portfolio and strengthening our balance sheet. All of these actions position us well to achieve our financial and strategic long-term goals."

Second Quarter 2018 Results

Second quarter 2018 revenues were $1,387 million, down 7.3% compared to Q2 2017. Adjusting for the impact of the 606 accounting standard and excluding divestitures completed in Q3 2017, revenues were down 3.3% compared with Q2 2017.

Pre-tax income was $54 million compared to $(11) million in Q2 2017. GAAP operating margin as reported was 3.9% compared to (0.7)% in Q2 2017. The company reported Q2 2018 GAAP net income of $11 million compared with $(4) million in Q2 2017. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.04 versus ($0.03) in the same period last year, driven primarily by gains on divestitures and lower restructuring costs.

Second quarter adjusted operating income was $109 million, with an adjusted operating margin of 7.9% as compared to adjusted operating income of $88 million, with an adjusted operating margin of 5.9% in Q2 2017. Adjusted EBITDA improved 5.7% to $166 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 12.0%, as compared to $157 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 10.5% in Q2 2017. Adjusting for the impact of the 606 accounting standard and excluding divestitures completed in Q3 2017, Adjusted EBITDA improved 8.5% compared with Q2 2017. The company reported adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.29 compared to $0.16 in Q2 2017.

Conduent generated $98 million in cash flow from operations during the second quarter 2018 and ended the quarter with a cash balance of $993 million. Total debt was $2,044 million as of June 30, 2018.

Excluding funds that are associated with the termination of the deferred compensation plan that are expected to be disbursed to participants in 2018, Conduent ended the quarter with an adjusted cash balance of $903 million.

The Company repriced its Term Loans and Revolving Credit Facility during the quarter.

In addition, on June 24, 2018, the Company announced that a tender offer for its 10.5% Senior Notes due 2024. On July 27, 2018, the Company closed the tender offer for ~$476 million or 93.3% of the Senior Notes.

Headcount of approximately 84,000 as of June 30, 2018 compared with approximately 90,000 as of December 31, 2017.

Total contract value (TCV) signings of $1,947 million for the quarter were up 56.5% compared with Q2 2017, impacted by greater renewal signings primarily with technology, government and transportation clients.

Financial and Strategic Outlook

Conduent reaffirmed the following guidance ranges for FY 2018:



FY 2018E















Revenue (constant currency)(1) $5.41  $5.61B















Adj. EBITDA(2) $662  $688M

Guidance remains Adj. EBITDA Margin(2) 11.8  12.7%

unchanged since









Analyst Day Adj. Free Cash Flow(2) $166  $241M



% of Adj. EBITDA 25  35%





___________ Note: Please refer to the "Non-GAAP Outlook" in the Non-GAAP section below for certain Non-GAAP information concerning outlook. (1) Year-over-year revenue comparison at constant currency (2) Refer to Appendix for Non-GAAP reconciliations of adjusted EBITDA/margin and adjusted FCF and for impact from ASC 606 accounting change and divestitures

"For the sixth consecutive quarter, our financial performance improved year-on-year as we continued to achieve Adjusted EBITDA growth and margin expansion. We repriced our Term Loans and tendered for our high-cost debt, which will lead to a meaningful reduction in interest expense," said Brian Webb-Walsh, CFO of Conduent. "We continued to invest in the business with capex of 3.7% of revenue in the quarter, while our balance sheet and cash generation remain strong and provides us with the flexibility to take advantage of market opportunities."

Conference Call

Management will present the results during a conference call and webcast on August 8, 2018 at 10 a.m. ET.

The call will be available by live audio webcast with the news release and online presentation slides at https://investor.conduent.com/.

The conference call will also be available by calling 877-883-0383 (international dial-in 412-902-6506) at approximately 9:45 a.m. ET. The entry number for this call is 6126916.

A recording of the conference call will be available by calling 877-344-7529, or 412-317-0088 one hour after the conference call concludes on August 8, 2018. The replay ID is 10122677.

For international calls, please select a dial-in number from: https://services.choruscall.com/ccforms/replay.html

About Conduent

Conduent creates digital platforms and services for businesses and governments to manage millions of interactions every day for those they serve. We are leveraging the power of cloud, mobile and IoT, combined with technologies such as automation, cognitive and blockchain to elevate every constituent interaction, driving modern digital experiences that are more efficient, helpful and satisfying.

Conduent's differentiated offerings touch millions of lives every day, including two-thirds of all insured patients in the U.S. and nearly nine million people who travel through toll systems daily. Whether it's digital payments, claims processing, benefit administration, automated tolling, customer care or distributed learning - Conduent serves a majority of the Fortune 100 companies and more than 500 government entities. Learn more at www.conduent.com.

Non-GAAP Measures

We have reported our financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). In addition, we have discussed our financial results using non-GAAP measures. We believe these non-GAAP measures allow investors to better understand the trends in our business and to better understand and compare our results. Accordingly, we believe it is necessary to adjust several reported amounts, determined in accordance with GAAP, to exclude the effects of certain items as well as their related tax effects. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide an additional means of analyzing the current periods' results against the corresponding prior periods' results. These non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the Company's reported results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable U.S. GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our management regularly uses supplemental non-GAAP financial measures internally to understand, manage and evaluate our business and make operating decisions, and providing such non-GAAP financial measures to investors allows for a further level of transparency as to how management reviews and evaluates our business results and trends. These non-GAAP measures are among the primary factors management uses in planning for and forecasting future periods. Compensation of our executives is based in part on the performance of our business based on certain non-GAAP measures. Refer to the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section attached to this release for a discussion of these non-GAAP measures and their reconciliation to the reported GAAP measures.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Report and any exhibits to this Report may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "will," "should" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs, assumptions and expectations and are subject to a number of factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. Such factors include, but are not limited to: termination rights contained in our government contracts; our ability to renew commercial and government contracts awarded through competitive bidding processes; our ability to recover capital and other investments in connection with our contracts; our ability to attract and retain necessary technical personnel and qualified subcontractors; our ability to deliver on our contractual obligations properly and on time; competitive pressures; our significant indebtedness; changes in interest in outsourced business process services; our ability to obtain adequate pricing for our services and to improve our cost structure; claims of infringement of third-party intellectual property rights; the failure to comply with laws relating to individually identifiable information, and personal health information and laws relating to processing certain financial transactions, including payment card transactions and debit or credit card transactions; breaches of our information systems or security systems or any service interruptions; our ability to estimate the scope of work or the costs of performance in our contracts; our ability to collect our receivables for unbilled services; a decline in revenues from or a loss or failure of significant clients; fluctuations in our non-recurring revenue; our failure to maintain a satisfactory credit rating; our ability to attract and retain key employees; increases in the cost of telephone and data services or significant interruptions in such services; our failure to develop new service offerings; our ability to receive dividends or other payments from our subsidiaries; changes in tax and other laws and regulations; changes in government regulation and economic, strategic, political and social conditions; changes in U.S. GAAP or other applicable accounting policies; and other factors that are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section, the "Legal Proceedings" section, the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section and other sections in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements made by us in this report speak only as of the date on which they are made. We are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

CONDUENT INCORPORATED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS) (UNAUDITED)



Three Months Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30, (in millions, except per share data) 2018

2017

2018

2017 Revenue $ 1,387



$ 1,496



$ 2,807



$ 3,049

Cost of Services 1,125



1,253



2,293



2,547

Gross Margin 262



243



514



502

















Operating Costs and Expenses













Research and development 3



3



5



7

Selling, general and administrative 149



153



294



322

Restructuring and related costs 17



36



37



54

Amortization of acquired intangible assets 60



61



121



122

Interest expense 37



34



70



70

Separation costs 



1







6

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)



(25)



(45)



(25)

Litigation costs (recoveries), net 4



(9)



35



(20)

Other (income) expenses, net (2)







(3)



(1)

Total Operating Costs and Expenses 208



254



514



535

















Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes 54



(11)







(33)

Income tax expense (benefit) 43



(7)



39



(19)

Income (Loss) From Continuing Operations 11



(4)



(39)



(14)

















Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax 











4

Net Income (Loss) $ 11



$ (4)



$ (39)



$ (10)

















Basic Earnings (Loss) per Share:













Continuing operations $ 0.05



$ (0.03)



$ (0.21)



$ (0.09)

Discontinued operations 











0.02

Total Basic Earnings (Loss) per Share $ 0.05



$ (0.03)



$ (0.21)



$ (0.07)

















Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share:













Continuing operations $ 0.04



$ (0.03)



$ (0.21)



$ (0.09)

Discontinued operations 











0.02

Total Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share $ 0.04



$ (0.03)



$ (0.21)



$ (0.07)



CONDUENT INCORPORATED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (UNAUDITED)



Three Months Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30, (in millions) 2018

2017

2018

2017 Net Income (Loss) $ 11



$ (4)



$ (39)



$ (10)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net













Currency translation adjustments, net (32)



14



(23)



26

Reclassification of currency translation adjustments on divestitures 







5





Unrecognized gains (loss), net (2)







(3)



2

Changes in benefit plans, net 3



(1)



3





Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net (31)



13



(18)



28

















Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net $ (20)



$ 9



$ (57)



$ 18



CONDUENT INCORPORATED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)

(in millions, except share data in thousands) June 30,

2018

December 31,

2017 Assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 993



$ 658

Accounts receivable, net 930



1,114

Assets held for sale 316



757

Contract assets 193





Other current assets 229



181

Total current assets 2,661



2,710

Land, buildings and equipment, net 276



257

Intangible assets, net 771



891

Goodwill 3,424



3,366

Other long-term assets 304



324

Total Assets $ 7,436



$ 7,548

Liabilities and Equity





Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt $ 43



$ 82

Accounts payable 158



138

Accrued compensation and benefits costs 297



335

Unearned income 129



151

Liabilities held for sale 119



169

Other current liabilities 567



493

Total current liabilities 1,313



1,368

Long-term debt 2,001



1,979

Deferred taxes 346



384

Other long-term liabilities 135



146

Total Liabilities 3,795



3,877









Contingencies





Series A convertible preferred stock 142



142









Common stock 2



2

Additional paid-in capital 3,865



3,850

Retained earnings (deficit) 144



171

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (512)



(494)

Total Equity 3,499



3,529

Total Liabilities and Equity $ 7,436



$ 7,548









Shares of common stock issued and outstanding 210,528



210,440

Shares of series A convertible preferred stock issued and outstanding 120



120



CONDUENT INCORPORATED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)



Three Months Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30, (in millions) 2018

2017

2018

2017 Cash Flows from Operating Activities:













Net income (loss) $ 11



$ (4)



$ (39)



$ (10)

Adjustments required to reconcile net income (loss) to cash flows from operating activities:













Depreciation and amortization 117



130



234



255

Deferred income taxes (39)



(25)



(47)



(31)

(Gain) loss from investments 



(4)



(1)



(7)

Amortization of debt financing costs 6



2



8



4

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)



(25)



(45)



(32)

Stock-based compensation 12



12



19



18

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:













(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable 89



40



14



(70)

(Increase) decrease in other current and long-term assets (46)



(13)



(95)



(47)

Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued compensation 15



(36)



(25)



(85)

Increase (decrease) in restructuring liabilities (3)



21



4



24

Increase (decrease) in other current and long-term liabilities (54)



(37)



(11)



(54)

Net change in income tax assets and liabilities 53



7



48



(2)

Other operating, net (3)



(1)



(4)



(3)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 98



67



60



(40)

Cash Flows from Investing Activities:













Cost of additions to land, buildings and equipment (43)



(20)



(76)



(37)

Proceeds from sale of land, buildings and equipment 12



33



12



33

Cost of additions to internal use software (8)



(7)



(14)



(15)

Proceeds (payments) from sale (purchase) of businesses 400







400





Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 361



6



322



(19)

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:













Proceeds on long-term debt 











306

Debt issuance fee payments (3)



(8)



(3)



(9)

Payments on debt (8)



(9)



(29)



(153)

Net (payments to) transfer from former parent company 











(161)

Issuance of common stock related to employee stock plans 1







(3)



(2)

Dividends paid on preferred stock (3)



(3)



(5)



(5)

Other financing 



1







(1)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (13)



(19)



(40)



(25)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (6)







(6)



2

Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 440



54



336



(82)

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at Beginning of Period(1) 563



280



667



416

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at End of period(1) $ 1,003



$ 334



$ 1,003



$ 334



___________ (1) Includes approximately $10 million and $25 million of restricted cash as of June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, that were included in Other current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We have reported our financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, we have discussed our results using non-GAAP measures.

We believe these non-GAAP measures allow investors to better understand the trends in our business and to better understand and compare our results. Accordingly, we believe it is necessary to adjust several reported amounts, determined in accordance with GAAP, to exclude the effects of certain items as well as their related tax effects. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide an additional means of analyzing the current periods' results against the corresponding prior periods' results. However, these non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the Company's reported results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable U.S. GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our management regularly uses our supplemental non-GAAP financial measures internally to understand, manage and evaluate our business and make operating decisions, and providing such non-GAAP financial measures to investors allows for a further level of transparency as to how management reviews and evaluates our business results and trends. These non-GAAP measures are among the primary factors management uses in planning for and forecasting future periods . Compensation of our executives is based in part on the performance of our business based on certain non-GAAP measures.

A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP are provided below.

These reconciliations also include the income tax effects for our non-GAAP performance measures in total, to the extent applicable. The income tax effects are calculated under the same accounting principles as applied to our reported pre-tax performance measures under ASC 740, which employs an annual effective tax rate method including an adjustment for estimated Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT). The noted income tax effect for our non-GAAP performance measures is effectively the difference in income taxes for reported and adjusted pre-tax income calculated under the annual effective tax rate method. The tax effect of the non-GAAP adjustments was calculated based upon evaluation of the statutory tax treatment and the applicable statutory tax rate in the jurisdictions in which such charges were incurred.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Earnings per Share and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate

We make adjustments to Income (Loss) before Income Taxes for the following items for the purpose of calculating Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Earnings per Share and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate:

Restructuring and related costs. Restructuring and related costs include restructuring and asset impairment charges as well as costs associated with our strategic transformation program.

Amortization of acquired intangible assets. The amortization of acquired intangible assets is driven by acquisition activity, which can vary in size, nature and timing as compared to other companies within our industry and from period to period.

Separation costs. Separation costs are expenses incurred in connection with separation from Xerox Corporation into a separate, independent, publicly traded company. These costs primarily relate to third-party investment banking, accounting, legal, consulting and other similar types of services related to the separation transaction as well as costs associated with the operational separation of the two companies.

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs.

Litigation costs (recoveries), net.

Other (income) expenses, net. Other (income) expenses, net includes currency (gains) losses, net and all other (income) expenses, net.

NY MMIS. Costs associated with the Company not fully completing the State of New York Health Enterprise Platform project.

HE charge. Costs associated with not fully completing the Health Enterprise Medical platform projects in California and Montana .

The Company provides adjusted net income and adjusted EPS financial measures to assist our investors in evaluating our ongoing operating performance for the current reporting period and, where provided, over different reporting periods, by adjusting for certain items which may be recurring or non-recurring and which in our view do not necessarily reflect ongoing performance. We also internally use these measures to assess our operating performance, both absolutely and in comparison to other companies, and in evaluating or making selected compensation decisions.

Management believes that adjusted effective tax rate, provided as supplemental information, facilitates a comparison by investors of our actual effective tax rate with an adjusted effective tax rate which reflects the impact of the items which are excluded in providing adjusted net income, and may provide added insight into our underlying business results and how effective tax rates impact our ongoing business.

Adjusted Revenue and Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin

We make adjustments to Revenue, Costs and Expenses and Operating Margin for the following items, for the purpose of calculating, Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin:

Restructuring and related costs.

Amortization of acquired intangible assets.

Interest expense. Interest expense includes interest on long-term debt and amortization of debt issuance costs.

Separation costs.

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs.

Litigation costs (recoveries), net.

Other (income) expenses, net.

NY MMIS.

HE charge.

ASC 606 adjustment.

(Revenue) / (Income) loss from divestitures.

We provide our investors with adjusted revenue, adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin information, as supplemental information, because we believe it offers added insight, by itself and for comparability between periods, by adjusting for certain non-cash items as well as certain other identified items which we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing business, and may also provide added insight on trends in our ongoing business.

Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA Margin

We use Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin as an additional way of assessing certain aspects of our operations that, when viewed with the GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide a more complete understanding of our on-going business. Adjusted EBITDA represents income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization adjusted for the following items. Adjusted EBITDA margin is Adjusted EBITDA divided by adjusted revenue.

Restructuring and related costs.

Separation costs.

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs.

Litigation costs (recoveries), net.

Other (income) expenses, net.

NY MMIS.

HE charge.

ASC 606 adjustment.

(Revenue) / (Income) loss from divestitures.

Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to represent cash flows from operations, operating income (loss) or net income (loss) as defined by U.S. GAAP as indicators of operating performances. Management cautions that amounts presented in accordance with Conduent's definition of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies because not all companies calculate Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin in the same manner.

Free Cash Flow

Free Cash Flow is defined as cash flows from operating activities as reported on the consolidated statement of cash flows, less cost of additions to land, buildings and equipment, cost of additions to internal use software, tax payments related to divestitures, vendor financed capital lease additions and proceeds from sales of land, buildings and equipment. We use the non-GAAP measure of Free Cash Flow as a criterion of liquidity and performance-based components of employee compensation. We use Free Cash Flow as a measure of liquidity to determine, after principal payments on debt, amounts we can reinvest in our core businesses, such as amounts available to make acquisitions, invest in land, buildings and equipment and internal use software. In order to provide a meaningful basis for comparison, we are providing information with respect to our Free Cash Flow reconciled to cash flow provided by operating activities, which we believe to be the most directly comparable measure under U.S. GAAP.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

Adjusted free cash flow is defined as free cash flow from above plus deferred compensation payments and transaction costs.

Adjusted Cash

Adjusted cash is defined as the cash and cash equivalents less cash from terminated deferred compensation to be paid to plan participants. We believe this provides added insight into cash and cash equivalents taking into account this particular cash obligation.

Constant Currency

To better understand trends in our business, we believe that it is helpful to adjust revenue to exclude the impact of changes in the translation of foreign currencies into U.S. Dollars. We refer to this adjusted revenue as "constant currency." Currency impact is the difference between actual growth rates and constant currency growth rates and is calculated by translating current period activity in local currency using the comparable prior period's currency translation rate.

Non-GAAP Outlook

In providing outlook for adjusted EBITDA we exclude certain items which are otherwise included in determining the comparable GAAP financial measure. A description of the adjustments which historically have been applicable in determining adjusted EBITDA are reflected in the table below. We are providing such outlook only on a non-GAAP basis because the Company is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the totality or ultimate outcome or occurrence of these adjustments for the forward-looking period, such as amortization, restructuring, separation costs, NY MMIS, HE charge, and certain other adjusted items, which can be dependent on future events that may not be reliably predicted. Based on past reported results, where one or more of these items have been applicable, such excluded items could be material, individually or in the aggregate, to reported results. We have provided and outlook for revenue on a constant currency basis due to the inability to accurately predict foreign currency impact on revenues.

Net Income (Loss) and EPS Reconciliation:



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2018

June 30, 2017 (in millions, except earnings per share) Net Income

(Loss)

Diluted EPS

Net Income

(Loss)

Diluted EPS GAAP as Reported From Continuing Operations $ 11



$ 0.04



$ (4)



$ (0.03)

Adjustments:













Restructuring and related costs 17







36





Amortization of acquired intangible assets 60







61





Separation costs 







1





(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)







(25)





Litigation costs (recoveries), net 4







(9)





Other (income) expenses, net (2)













NY MMIS (1)







1





Less: Income tax adjustments(1) 35







(25)





Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and EPS $ 64



$ 0.29



$ 36



$ 0.16

(GAAP shares)













Weighted average common shares outstanding



205







204

Restricted stock and performance units / shares



3









Adjusted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding(2)



208







204

(Non-GAAP shares)













Weighted average common shares outstanding



205







204

Restricted stock and performance shares



3







3

Adjusted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding(2)



208







207



___________ (1) Reflects the income tax (expense) benefit of the adjustments. Refer to Effective Tax Rate reconciliation below for details. (2) Average shares for the 2018 and 2017 calculation of adjusted EPS excludes 5 million shares associated with our Series A convertible preferred stock and includes the impact of the preferred stock dividend of $2.4 million for both of the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 and $5 million for both of the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation:



Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 (in millions) Pre-Tax

Income

(Loss)

Income Tax

(Benefit)

Expense

Effective

Tax Rate

Pre-Tax

Income

(Loss)

Income Tax

(Benefit)

Expense

Effective

Tax Rate GAAP as Reported From Continuing Operations $ 54



$ 43



79.6 %

$ (11)



$ (7)



63.6 % Non-GAAP adjustments(1) 18



(35)







65



25





Adjusted(2) $ 72



$ 8



11.1 %

$ 54



$ 18



33.3 %

__________ (1) Refer to Net Income (Loss) reconciliation for details of non-GAAP adjustments. (2) The tax impact of Adjusted Pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations was calculated under the same accounting principles applied to the 'As Reported' pre-tax income (loss), which employs an annual effective tax rate method to the results with an adjustment for the accounting of BEAT and without regard to the sale of the CVO business, charges for amortization of intangible assets, restructuring and divestiture related costs.

Revenue and Operating Income / Margin Reconciliation



Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 (in millions) Profit (Loss)

Revenue

Margin

Profit (Loss)

Revenue

Margin GAAP as Reported(1) $ 54



$ 1,387



3.9 %

$ (11)



$ 1,496



(0.7) % Adjustments:





















Restructuring and related costs 17











36









Amortization of acquired intangible assets 60











61









Interest expense 37











34









Separation costs 











1









(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)











(25)









Litigation costs (recoveries), net 4











(9)









Other (income) expenses, net (2)





















NY MMIS (1)











1









HE charge 





















Adjusted Operating Income/Margin $ 109



$ 1,387



7.9 %

$ 88



$ 1,496



5.9 %



Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

Adjusted for 606 and Divestitures (in millions) Profit (Loss)

Revenue

Margin

Profit (Loss)

Revenue

Margin GAAP as Reported(1) $ 54



$ 1,387



3.9 %

$ (11)



$ 1,496



(0.7) % Adjustments:





















Restructuring and related costs 17











36









Amortization of acquired intangible assets 60











61









Interest expense 37











34









Separation costs 











1









(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)











(25)









Litigation costs (recoveries), net 4











(9)









Other (income) expenses, net (2)





















NY MMIS (1)











1









HE charge 





















ASC 606 adjustment 











(3)



(40)





Less (income) loss from divestitures 











(2)



(22)





Adjusted Operating Income/Margin $ 109



$ 1,387



7.9 %

$ 83



$ 1,434



5.8 %

___________ (1) Pre-Tax Income (Loss) and revenue from continuing operations.

Adjusted EBITDA / Margin Reconciliation:



Three Months Ended June 30, (in millions) 2018

2017 GAAP Revenue As Reported $ 1,387



$ 1,496

Reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA





GAAP Net Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations 11



(4)

Interest expense 37



34

Income tax expense (benefit) 43



(7)

Segment depreciation and amortization 57



69

Amortization of acquired intangible assets 60



61

EBITDA 208



153

EBITDA Margin 15.0 %

10.2 % EBITDA $ 208



$ 153

Adjustments:





Restructuring and related costs 17



36

Separation costs 



1

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)



(25)

Litigation costs (recoveries), net 4



(9)

Other (income) expenses, net (2)





NY MMIS (1)



1

HE charge 





Adjusted EBITDA $ 166



$ 157

Adjusted EBITDA Margin 12.0 %

10.5 %



Three Months Ended June 30, (in millions) 2018

2017

Adjusted for 606 and Divestitures GAAP Revenue As Reported $ 1,387



$ 1,496

ASC 606 adjustment 



(40)

Less revenue from divestitures $ 



$ (22)

Adjusted Revenue From Continuing Operations $ 1,387



$ 1,434

Reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA





GAAP Net Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations 11



(4)

Interest expense 37



34

Income tax expense (benefit) 43



(7)

Segment depreciation and amortization 57



69

Amortization of acquired intangible assets 60



61

ASC 606 adjustment 



(3)

Less pre-tax (income) loss from divestitures 



(1)

EBITDA 208



149

EBITDA Margin 15.0 %

10.4 % EBITDA $ 208



$ 149

Adjustments:





Restructuring and related costs 17



36

Separation costs 



1

(Gain) loss on divestitures and transaction costs (60)



(25)

Litigation costs (recoveries), net 4



(9)

Other (income) expenses, net (2)





NY MMIS (1)



1

HE charge 





Adjusted EBITDA $ 166



$ 153

Adjusted EBITDA Margin 12.0 %

10.7 %

Free Cash Flow Reconciliation:



Three Months Ended June 30, (in millions) 2018

2017 Operating Cash Flow $ 98



$ 67

Cost of additions to land, buildings and equipment (43)



(20)

Proceeds from sales of land, buildings and equipment 12



33

Cost of additions to internal use software (8)



(7)

Tax payment related to divestitures 10





Vendor financed capital leases (14)



(4)

Free Cash Flow $ 55



$ 69

Free Cash Flow $ 55



$ 69

Transaction costs 3





Deferred compensation payments and adjustments 2



3

Adjusted Free Cash Flow $ 60



$ 72



Cash / Adjusted Cash Reconciliation:

(in millions) As of June 30, 2018

As of December 31, 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 993



$ 658

Deferred compensation payments and adjustments 9



17

Deferred compensation payable (99)



(116)

Adjusted cash and cash equivalents $ 903



$ 559



SOURCE Conduent Incorporated

Related Links

https://www.conduent.com


WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Corporate Whistleblower Center, "We are urging a medical doctor or a physician practice manager with proof any kind of healthcare service provider is paying kickbacks to medical doctors for new clients to call us anytime at 866-714-6466. Recently a whistleblower received approximately $1.725 million for this type of information. For every one of these whistleblowers who step forward, we are certain there are 10 to 20 more whistleblowers nationwide who possess similar information about violations of the Stark Anti-Kickback Laws who never say anything. If you know something, say something, and if the information is substantial enough you will get rewarded." http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com

Stark Violations-Medicare

On March 29th, 2018 the Department of Justice announced an $11.5 million dollar-settlement with a healthcare firm that operates radiation therapy centers throughout the United States. As part of the settlement the company agreed that it knowingly submitted claims to the Medicare program that violated the AntiKickback Statute. In this instance the whistleblower will receive up to $1.725 million.

The types of healthcare providers that are most frequently involved in Stark Anti-Kickback Violations include:

Pharmaceutical Companies

Blood Testing Labs

Radiology Clinics

Hospitals

Dialysis Centers

Skilled Nursing Facilities/ Rehab Centers

The Whistleblower Center says, "We are urging a medical doctor, registered nurse or a healthcare manager who has proof of healthcare companies violating Stark Anti-Kickback Laws to call us anytime at 866-714-6466. Frequently whistleblower rewards involving healthcare companies and kickbacks to medical doctors involve million-dollar plus rewards. We think healthcare whistleblowers are heroes and we want them to get compensated. If you have proof of significant kickback schemes involving Medicare or Medicaid - why sit on a potentially winning lotto ticket without ever knowing what it might be worth?" http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com

Simple rules for a whistleblower from the Corporate Whistleblower Center: Do not go to the government first if you are a major whistleblower. The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "Major whistleblowers frequently go to the government thinking they will help. It's a huge mistake. Do not go to the news media with your whistleblower information. Public revelation of a whistleblower's information could destroy any prospect for a reward. Do not try to force a company or individual to come clean about overbilling Medicare or Stark Anti-Kickback Laws. Come to us first, tell us what type of information you have, and if we think it's sufficient, we will help find the right law firms to assist in advancing your information for a reward."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center wants to emphasize there are high quality whistleblowers in every state, including Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Dallas, Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Memphis, Montgomery, New Orleans, Saint Louis, Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, or any other city in the nation. http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is the premier advocate for whistleblowers in the United States. Unlike any group in the US, they can assist a potential whistleblower with packaging their information and providing the whistleblower with access to some of the most accomplished whistleblower attorneys in the nation. For more information, a potential whistleblower can contact the Corporate Whistleblower Center anytime at 866-714-6466 or visit http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com

For attribution please refer to the March 2018 Department of Justice press release related to this matter: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/radiation-therapy-company-agrees-pay-115-million-settle-allegations-false-claims-and.

Media Contact:

Thomas Martin

866-714-6466

[email protected]

SOURCE Corporate Whistleblower Center

Related Links

http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PreparedHealth today announced that Crystal Home Health Care has joined the enTouch Network. Crystal Home Health Care is a Medicare Certified, Joint Commission Accredited company specializing in skilled home health services to Chicago and surrounding suburban areas. The partnership is a part of the growing network in the Chicagoland area, continuing to expand the care continuum and connect care providers from hospital to home. Crystal Home Care is a provider of non-medical home care services. Crystal Home Care offers affordable in-home care services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing a broad range of services for seniors from personal care, respite care, elderly care to in-home companionship.

"We are thrilled to partner with enTouch, providing our clients and our caregivers an innovative platform to enhance care and keep seniors safe in their homes," said Raj Pillai, Managing Partner, Crystal Home Health Care.

enTouch is a powerful platform that connects healthcare organizations involved in a patient's care, enabling real-time, HIPAA-compliant, and efficient communication. With enTouch, providers are seeing an increase in referral acceptance, faster transition times and reduced readmissions for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

"We are proud to have Crystal Home Health Care join enTouch network. They are an essential home health and home care provider in the Chicagoland area and a great partner to give the enTouch network further visibility into the home," said Tim Coulter, COO of PreparedHealth.

About Crystal Home Health Care

Crystal Home Health Care offers affordable healthcare services in Illinois, around both Chicago and the surrounding suburban area including, but not limited to: Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, Will County, Kendall County, Kane County and McHenry County. They provide a myriad of services designed for your immediate and long-term needs, including: Skilled Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Respiratory Therapy and Medical Social Work. Crystal Home Health Care has been named a Top Agency for the past three years of HomeCare Elite, a recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. Learn more at crystalhomehealth.com

About PreparedHealth

PreparedHealth is a Chicago-based healthcare technology company empowering healthcare providers to better communicate with one another around the care of their patients. The company has built enTouch, an innovative mobile-first network that connects hospitals and post-acute providers in real-time to achieve improved patient outcomes. For more information, visit entouchnetwork.com.

SOURCE PreparedHealth

Related Links

http://www.preparedhealth.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Guidehouse announced today that Dennis Chesley has joined the firm as Partner overseeing financial risk management. Chesley, former Global Leader of Risk Consulting at PwC, focuses on integrated strategic solutions for risk management, operations, compliance, internal control and technology. His responsibilities include business growth and development of industry and specialty solutions.

With more than 25 years of experience, Dennis has served public and private global entities with a focus on risk consulting, financial services, risk management, and performance consulting. In his former role he also served as leader of Asia Pacific and Americas (APA) Risk Consulting.

Notably, Dennis led PwC's work on the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) update to the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework, one of the most widely recognized and applied risk management frameworks in the world.

"Dennis is a proven innovator and visionary. His experience and ability to help clients navigate risk and guide strategy will be crucial in helping them drive change. We are delighted to welcome him to Guidehouse in this essential area of focus for our business," said Scott McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer of Guidehouse.



Over the course of his career, Dennis has held a number of high-profile positions including serving as a Senior Vice President and member of the executive management team at a global security, managed services and consulting company.

"I am honored to join Guidehouse at this exciting time," said Chesley. "With continued focus on helping organizations turn risk into a competitive advantage and a distinctive capability, I look forward to contributing to the success of this amazing new entity."





Dennis earned his Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Penn State University and attended Executive Master's classes at Duke University. He is based in the Washington D.C. metro area.

About Guidehouse

A leading provider of strategic advisory services to customers such as the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and the Department of State, as well as numerous state and local governments and multilateral agencies, Guidehouse is led by professionals with deep commercial and public sector expertise. For more information, please visit: www.guidehouse.com.

SOURCE Guidehouse

Related Links

http://www.guidehouse.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) today announced an update to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), a tool that enables the apparel, footwear, and textile industry to assess the environmental impact of materials used in global manufacturing. Founded by Walmart and Patagonia eight years ago, today the SAC is the leading global association for the apparel, footwear, and textile industry. With the most recent update to the Higg MSI, businesses around the world can more effectively assess the environmental impact of materials as they design more sustainable products.

The Higg MSI, the industry's most trusted tool for accurately measuring and scoring a material's environmental impact, now features 80 base materials, including cotton, polyester, and silk. When blended, these account for the majority of all materials the industry currently uses. The update includes a new feature that enables suppliers to share sustainability performance information about their materials with brands and retailers. Such upstream communication promotes greater transparency and improved sustainability performance within the industry.

"With the opportunity to play a key role in determining a product's sustainability performance, being a designer today is really exciting," SAC CEO Jason Kibbey said. "With the Higg MSI, product designers can access an incredible amount of information, and then use it to significantly reduce environmental impacts of materials production."

Applying trusted metrics, the Higg MSI assesses a material's environmental performance and scores the results. Calculations account for energy, water, chemistry, and additional impacts used in material production, giving designers greater insight in creating more sustainable apparel. For the apparel, footwear, and textile industry, this can help companies design products that will attract and retain key consumers, who increasingly demand knowledge of greater transparency in how their clothes and shoes are made. Using more sustainable materials will reduce the environmental impact of global manufacturing and help businesses stay relevant in today's marketplace of increasingly aware consumers.

Originally called the Nike Considered Index, the Higg MSI originated at Nike about a decade ago. In seeing the benefit global collaboration would bring ongoing development and industry-wide use of the Higg MSI, Nike contributed the tool to the SAC in 2012. Now one of the six tools comprising the Higg Index, the Higg MSI is considered the leading materials assessment tool for the industry.

"The Higg MSI has helped us make better choices to reduce our product footprint by providing critical insight and transparency into materials and processing decisions," Joel Mertens, Material Technologies Integrity Engineer at MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op), said. "We firmly believe that the Higg MSI can support other companies to achieve better, more benign products and manufacturing practices."

"Across VF Corporation and our brands, we integrate material sustainability metrics into design decisions," Sean Cady, Vice President, Global Responsible Sourcing at VF Corporation, said. "The Higg MSI provides an objective, comparable metric, which informs our material choices and allows us to meet consumer expectation and brand promises."

The SAC's global members have demonstrated the apparel, footwear, and textile industry already trusts the science-backed data the Higg MSI offers. "Other industries have approached us about how they could use the Higg MSI, making us realize there is an opportunity to expand the tool's application in the coming months," Kibbey said. The SAC is currently exploring access models for the Higg MSI for organizations outside the apparel, footwear, and textile sector to benefit from the tool.

The SAC, a global industry coalition that is standardizing social and environmental sustainability performance measurement, is constantly improving and expanding the Higg MSI. Higg MSI users are encouraged to contribute material data to the tool's growing library of materials. Once data is submitted, it is reviewed and verified and scored by third-party experts.

Visit www.msi.higg.org to learn more about the Higg MSI.

About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an industry-wide group of more than 200 leading apparel, footwear, and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprofits/NGOs, and academic institutions working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of products around the world. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, the SAC seeks to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability built upon a common approach for measuring and evaluating apparel, footwear, and textile product sustainability performance that spotlights priorities for action and opportunities for technological innovation. The SAC was incorporated as a 501c(6) nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011. For more information, visit www.apparelcoalition.org. Media contact: Alexandra Rosas | [email protected]

SOURCE Sustainable Apparel Coalition

Related Links

http://www.apparelcoalition.org


LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Curacao, ranked among the top 50 retailers in the US, is addressing the needs of the Latino community and their shopping experience by partnering with PANTAYA to provide their customers access to the latest movies in Spanish from Mexico and all Latin America starring top Latino stars like Omar Chaparro in "No Manches Frida", "Una Mujer Sin Filtro" with Fernanda Castillo and Eugenio Derbez in "Instructions Not Included". To hear about this new proposition from Eugenio Derbez directly please access: Curacao - Eugenio Derbez

Current customers with a Curacao credit card who purchase a laptop or cellphone over $599, will get 0% financing, a free tablet, and three months of PANTAYA for free. New customers who apply for the Curacao credit card (if approved) will receive a free smartphone with carrier Metro PCS, one month of service and activation for free, and three months of PANTAYA.

About CURACAO

Curacao is the leading Hispanic-centric high-tech superstore on the west coast, serving Latino communities for over 35 years with twelve 100,000 square foot mega-stores across Los Angeles, Nevada and Arizona and at icuracao.com. Curacao stores offer Latino communities access to the best technology, home & fashion products from top international brands, and travel & financial services needed for the lifestyle its customers want. Curacao is headquartered in Los Angeles. For more info visit https://icuracao.com/.

Curacao founded the Curacao Children Foundation dedicated to providing needy Latino families with scholarships, free resources and merchandize to help improve children's quality of life. The foundation celebrates children every year with the production of a massive children's fair that attracts over 30,000 attendees and showcases over two dozen non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting and educating families in need.

About PANTAYA:

PANTAYA is the first-ever premium streaming destination for world-class movies in Spanish offering the largest selection of current and classic, commercial-free blockbusters and critically acclaimed titles from Latin America and the U.S. PANTAYA features first-run exclusive and original titles, including instant access to select movies available on the same day they make theatrical debuts in Latin America.

PANTAYA is a joint venture between global content leader Lionsgate and Hemisphere Media Group, Inc., which targets the high growth U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets with leading broadcast, cable television and digital content platforms. To learn more about PANTAYA, visit www.pantaya.com.

SOURCE Curacao
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Embroker, the leading digital commercial insurance brokerage, today announced the first ever fully digital directors and officers (D&O) insurance policy, specifically designed for venture capital (VC) backed tech startups. The D&O policy is part of Embroker's new digital Startup Program, which also includes Employment Practices Liability (EPLI), and Fiduciary Liability insurance, its first through a new partnership with Munich Re's Digital Partners. Starting today, coverage that used to take weeks to obtain is now available instantly and reinsured by Munich Re.

Embroker's announcement marks the first time that D&O coverage is available for purchase directly online. It is also one of the first direct, digital insurance products to reach mid-market companies, with coverage available to growth stage and pre-IPO businesses with up to $250 million in funding.

Embroker founder and CEO Matt Miller said, "Our goal is to completely transform the process and experience of buying business insurance, and over the past year we realized that we can do that best by designing and developing our own insurance products. By design, Embroker's new Startup Program creates what we feel is the best possible experience and coverage for several of the most critical insurance policies startups need, ultimately saving them both time and money. We're excited to give startups the confidence to innovate, take risks, and build businesses."

Startups are typically required to purchase D&O insurance as a condition of VC investment, but the traditional process involves sharing sensitive and confidential financial information, including equity ownership and financial statements, and it can take weeks or even months to secure coverage. Buying D&O insurance through Embroker's Startup Program does not require sharing any sensitive financial information and the process can be completed online within minutes.

"Embroker is leading the way in creating significantly improved digital products for the future of insurance," said Andy Rear, CEO of Munich Re's Digital Partners. "We are excited about the partnership with Embroker and we look forward to our continued collaboration."

"Every startup founder I've worked with complains about the lengthy and time consuming process required to purchase D&O insurance  time that they'd much rather spend building their company," said Brendan Dickinson, Partner at Canaan. "Now for the first time, there is a better solution that takes seconds. We're recommending that all of our portfolio companies use it."

Availability:

The Embroker program is available to US-based startups that have raised up to $250 million. Embroker plans to launch similar suites for other industry segments in the coming year.

To learn more, visit: www.embroker.com/offer/startup-program

About Embroker

Embroker is the leading digital insurance brokerage for growing businesses. It offers the industry's only fully digital D&O policy and also works with over 40 leading carriers to provide a more modern way to buy commercial insurance. Founded in 2015, Embroker is headquartered in San Francisco, licensed in all 50 states and serves more than 1,800 customers. Embroker has been named one the innovators shaping the future of finance by Goldman Sachs and one of the most promising private FinTech Companies in the world by CB Insights. Backers include Caanan, Nyca Partners, XL Innovate, Bee Partners, Fin Tech Collective, Vertical Venture Partners, 500 StartUps and Manulife Capital Ventures.

Contact:

Marcus Torrey

[email protected]



SOURCE Embroker

Related Links

http://www.embroker.com


Rodriques has more than 26 years of Fintech experience and has been an investor in more than 25 venture-backed firms. He was a founding investor of mFoundry, the leading provider of mobile banking, which was acquired by Fidelity Information Systems in 2013. Most recently, he served as CEO of PENSCO, one of the nation's leading alternative asset custodians, which was sold to Opus Bank in 2017. Prior, Rodriques was an Operating Partner of Ignition Capital and CEO and Chairman of Totality, acquired by Verizon in 2006.

Rodriques has also been Managing Partner of Operative Capital, a Fintech venture firm based in San Francisco. Operative Capital co-led Equidate's recently announced $50 million Series B financing, along with Financial Technology Partners ("FT Partners") and Panorama Point Partners.

"I am honored to be a part of such an accomplished team and am thrilled to partner with Sohail and Samvit. The company is already achieving impressive growth, and its significant balance sheet will help propel our expansion," states Rodriques. "Equidate has a unique opportunity to lead an emerging market with its technology-first approach, and is now meaningfully penetrating the global marketplace. In the coming months, we will launch new products aimed at serving large global institutions and highly valued private companies."

"Samvit and I have known Kelly for over two years, and are incredibly excited to welcome him to the team," said Sohail Prasad, Founder and co-President of Equidate. "Kelly's extensive expertise in the space will be invaluable as we continue to grow Equidate."

"I have known and worked with Kelly over the years," said Steve McLaughlin, Founder and CEO of FT Partners. "He is an exceptional leader, and I am confident that the Board of Directors has backed the right person with proven experience scaling high velocity businesses."

"Having worked with Kelly Rodriques as a PENSCO investor and board member, we have great confidence in his proven industry experience, entrepreneurial and leadership talents, and rare ability to optimize businesses that lie at the exciting nexus of financial services and innovative technology," said Stephen George, Founder and Managing Partner of Panorama Point Partners. "We're truly excited to be a lead investor in his next venture, and look forward to our partnership to build Equidate into the clear industry leading platform."

About Equidate

Equidate is the premier stock market for private, pre-IPO companies. Established in 2014, the company empowers investors and shareholders by enabling access and liquidity in the private market. Equidate is led by Y Combinator alumni and backed by top investors including Peter Thiel, Tim Draper, and Scott Banister. Equidate's platform allows employees and investors of growing startups to liquidate a portion of their shares, and provides private and institutional investors access to top companies like Spotify, Snapchat, and Square before their IPO.

Contact

Breanna Rigg

Prosek Partners

[email protected]

Sohail Prasad

Equidate

[email protected]

SOURCE Equidate

Related Links

https://equidateinc.com


AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Finlyte Partners ("Finlyte"), announced that it has joined the NetSuite Alliance Partner Program. The relationship with Oracle NetSuite, one of the industry's leading providers of cloud-based financials/ERP, HR, Professional Services Automation (PSA) and omnichannel commerce software suites, enables Finlyte to promote, implement, and customize NetSuite for small to medium-sized businesses across multiple industries.

"We are excited to welcome Finlyte Partners into the Alliance Partner Program," said Craig West, vice president of alliances and channel, Oracle NetSuite. "Finlyte is well positioned to serve mid-market customers with its financial management expertise and depth of accounting system experience. This type of experienced partner coupled with NetSuite's rich functionality and scalability will greatly benefit joint customers."

Finlyte helps businesses maximize their return of investment in NetSuite by providing NetSuite implementation services, as well as optimization services. By becoming part of the NetSuite Alliance Partner Program, Finlyte will be able to reach even more customers contributing to the overall growth of the NetSuite ecosystem.

"We are extremely proud to team up with NetSuite, and we look forward to expanding our value to our customers and prospects. We believe the NetSuite ecosystem is a key component of customer success and we are excited to be involved," said Randy Russell, Managing Partner at Finlyte.

In building out its cloud ERP practice, Finlyte has hired Ann Novick as managing director. She will be responsible for the Finlyte NetSuite implementation and consulting practice. Novick has over 20 years of experience working in corporate financial operations, including over 10 years of system implementation experience specifically with NetSuite's financial modules. Novick's deep experience with NetSuite, along with her practical financial management knowledge, is highly complementary to Finlyte's business strategy. Novick was most recently with Navint Partners.

About NetSuite Alliance Partner Program

The NetSuite Alliance Partner program provides business transformation consulting services as well as integration and implementation services that help customers get even more value from their NetSuite software. Alliance Partners are experts in their field and have a deep and unique understanding of NetSuite solutions. NetSuite provides Alliance Partners with a robust set of resources, certified training, and tools, enabling them to develop expertise around specific business functions, product areas, and industries so they can efficiently assist customers, differentiate their practices, and grow their business.

About Oracle NetSuite

For more than 20 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organizations grow, scale and adapt to change. NetSuite provides a suite of cloud-based applications, which includes financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 40,000 organizations and subsidiaries in 199 countries and territories.

For more information, please visit http://www.netsuite.com.

About Oracle

The Oracle Cloud offers complete SaaS application suites for ERP, HCM and CX, plus best-in-class database Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from data centers throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information about Oracle, please visit us at oracle.com.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Finlyte

Finlyte is a technology-driven business solutions provider focused on enhancing financial visibility and offering central office efficiency for start-ups, emerging growth, and established, middle-market companies. For more information, visit http://www.finlyte.com or email us at [email protected].

SOURCE Finlyte Partners

Related Links

http://www.finlyte.com


MIAMI, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Area Stage Company is set to present one of the most ambitious shows in its thirty-year history, an original production of Cabaret, directed by the innovative John Rodaz, the troupe's founder and Artistic Director. A story of love, ambition, and moral decay set at the decadent Kit Kat Klub during the rise of the Nazis in 1930's Berlin, the multiple Tony award-winning story features music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and book by Joe Masteroff.

Marilyn Caserta fresh off The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes. Cabaret, starring Marilyn Caserta at Area Stage Company

Leading this production as Sally Bowles is Marilyn Caserta, a former Area Stage Conservatory actress who played the part as a young teenager in an early student production of Cabaret, and who has returned from a professional career in New York to reprise the part.

"We are delighted to work with Marilyn again," says Maria Banda-Rodaz, Area Stage's Executive Director. Both Banda-Rodaz and Rodaz worked with the actress for over five years before she moved to New York to pursue her acting career.

"When we decided to do this production, we immediately thought of Marilyn to play this iconic role," Director Rodaz says. "I am excited to see what she brings to the stage now that she has been working professionally."

A graduate from New York's Atlantic Theatre Company Acting school, the triple-threat actress has worked with Broadway producer Arthur Whitelaw (co-author of Charlie Brown, Snoopy the Musical, and Charlie Brown Christmas) and with Kevin Stites, musical director for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Marilyn also played the part of Rosalia in West Side Story directed by choreographer Joey McKneely at the Asolo Rep Theater in Sarasota. Other recent regional credits include West Side Story and Sondheim on Sondheim at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre and the student productions of Chicago and Les Miserables at Area Stage.

With an 18-member cast and seven onstage musicians, this production of Cabaret will re-conceive the 1998 revival by Sam Mendes, offering a new perspective to Harold Prince's groundbreaking original production.

Cabaret follows the success of Area Stage Company's dynamic and critically acclaimed production of Shrek the Musical this spring. Cabaret opens August 10th and runs through August 26th, with performances Friday to Sunday at Area Stage Company at the Riviera Plaza in Coral Gables.

This production is presented with permission by Actors' Equity Association.

If you go:

What: Area Stage Company's professional production of Cabaret

When: August 10 to 26; 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 5:00 p.m. Sundays

Where: Area Stage Company, 1560 South Dixie Hwy., Coral Gables

Tickets: $15 - $35 at areastagecompany.com or 305-666-2078

ABOUT MARILYN CASERTA

Marilyn Caserta has been acting, singing, and dancing her whole life. Her passion for the performing arts have turned her into a tour-de-force on stage and a powerful voice in the NYC theater scene. For information visit MarilynCaserta.com or contact her at [email protected].

NEWS RELEASE

For further information,

please contact Maria Rodaz

(305) 666-2078

[email protected]

SOURCE Area Stage Company

Related Links

http://areastagecompany.com


SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Galileo, one of North America's largest and most innovative payments processors and program managers, known for supporting debit, credit, prepaid, commercial and virtual cards linked to more than 87 million accounts, today announced that Sutton Bank has chosen its industry-leading processing platform to help the bank expand its prepaid offerings.

"Galileo is proud to support Sutton Bank as it launches its new product," said Clay Wilkes, founder and CEO of Galileo Processing. "By leveraging our platform, Sutton Bank and its clients will benefit from our flexible, innovative technology and nearly 20 years of proven experience."

Through this partnership, Sutton Bank, one of the top issuers of prepaid cards nationwide, will expand its offering of open loop prepaid cards. Galileo's platform can support customized open loop prepaid cards for Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Partners have the ability to setup customized parameters and fee settings to fit the needs of their customers. Cards can be created and funded in real time through Galileo's industry-leading APIs. Through these APIs, partners can also receive real-time reporting on all open loop card transactions. Coupling Sutton's and Galileo's market-leading anti-fraud capabilities makes for a unique value proposition for partners and programs.

"Sutton Bank is excited to add Galileo as another processing partner to bring additional capabilities to our customers," said Jeff Lewis, Sutton Bank's senior vice president of payments. "Galileo's processing platform and our deep history in prepaid issuing make for offerings that lead in speed, scale, nimbleness, anti-fraud, BSA compliance and reconciliation to round out a complete solution for our shared partners."

About Galileo

Founded in 2000, Galileo is one of North America's largest and most innovative payments processors and program managers, supporting 87+ million accounts. Galileo Processing applies tech and engineering capabilities to empower fintechs and financial institutions to unleash their full creativity to achieve their most inspired goals. Galileo leads its industry with superior fraud detection, security, decision-making analytics and regulatory compliance functionality combined with customized, responsive and flexible programs to accelerate the success of all payments companies and solve tomorrow's payments challenges today.

About Sutton Bank

Founded in 1878, Sutton Bank recognizes at its core, banking has always been a business of responsibility and earning the trust of all stakeholders. Our board and staff are committed to our mission, differentiated by our values, and driven by shareholder expectations to be a viable, progressive, independent community bank through old fashioned innovation providing value to those we serve.

CONTACT: Geoff Renstrom, 208-871-9280, [email protected]

SOURCE Galileo

Related Links

http://www.galileoprocessing.com/


MADISON, Wis., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gingras, Cates & Wachs (GCW) Lawyers, known for their ground-breaking personal injury and civil rights work in Wisconsin, announces today the addition of Attorneys William Sulton, Chad Kemp and Riley Leonard.

For over 30 years GCW Lawyers has been righting the wrong in communities all over Wisconsin. William, Chad and Riley join a strong, passionate group of partners and attorneys in 3 offices across the state of Wisconsin.

An honor graduate of Michigan State University and Wisconsin Law School, William has been advocating for the rights of others since he received his law degree in 2008. Sulton has been honored as a Wisconsin Rising Star since 2015 and made the National Black Lawyers 40 under 40 list, an invitation only organization that highlights attorneys who promote diversity or excel in their profession.

He specializes in Civil Litigation, Civil Rights and Employment Litigation and joins the Milwaukee office. "My parents raised me simply. If you are in a position to help, do so. If you are not in that position, figure out how to be," said Sulton.

Chad Kemp, a two-time graduate of the University of Wisconsin, previously established his own practice before joining GCW in the Madison office. He developed a passion for public service and justice at an early age and has carried that through his career as an attorney and by serving on Verona's City Council. "I have always been interested in helping those who have been wronged and feel they may have no recourse," said Kemp.

From Fairbanks, Alaska, Riley spent time in the Alaska State Legislature, specializing in criminal justice and education reform, before moving to Wisconsin and calling Madison home. Before joining GCW's Madison office, he worked with the Wisconsin Innocence Project and the Wisconsin State Legislature, to bring equality to everyday Wisconsinites. "I have dedicated my career to battle injustice and am passionately fighting for those who do not have the resources to do so," said Leonard.

GCW has recently brought significant social issues to light with their sexual assault casework against Lawrence University and a federal lawsuit on behalf of Bucks Player Sterling Brown.



"William, Chad and Riley's passion and dedication to fighting for what's right makes them incredible attorneys," said Beverly Wickstrom, Partner at GCW Lawyers. "We're honored they are joining our team to serve justice for Wisconsin."

About GCW Lawyers: Gingras, Cates & Wachs brings power, fight and heart to outthink, out-strategize and outwork the competition to right the wrong. The law firm has offices in Madison, Milwaukee and Eau Claire, but serve all of Wisconsin in the areas of personal injury, civil rights, employment, medical malpractice, and family law including LGBTQ families.

SOURCE GCW Lawyers

Related Links

https://www.gcwlawyers.com


SAO PAULO, 8 de agosto de 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 2Q18 Highlights

EBITDA of R$ 1.8 billion in 2Q18, the best quarterly result since 2008, with EBITDA margin of 14.6%.





in 2Q18, the best quarterly result since 2008, with EBITDA margin of 14.6%. Disciplined on selling, general and administrative expenses in 2Q18, to 3.6% of net sales, the lowest level ever.





Financial leverage measured by net debt/adjusted EBITDA ratio stable at 2.7x as of June 30, 2018 .





. Adjusted net income of R$ 746 million in 2Q18, with the distribution of R$ 238 million in dividends.



Additional Information

Gerdau S.A. (NYSE: GGB, BM&Fbovespa: GGBR3, GGBR4) informs that it is filling today its 2Q18 results at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and at the Comissao de Valores Mobiliarios (CVM), which are available at Gerdau's website. To access this document, please click on http://ri.gerdau.com/enu/s-6-enu.html?idioma=enu

The 2Q18 Valuation Guide is also available at Gerdau's website

http://ri.gerdau.com/static/enu/guia-modelagem.asp?idioma=enu

Investor Relations

[email protected]

55 11 3094 6300

SOURCE Gerdau S.A.

Related Links

http://ri.gerdau.com


BERKELEY, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial giant 3M waited decades to reveal troubling information about the toxicity of its chemicals PFOA and PFOS, according to an analysis published last week in Environmental Health. Now, as health officials around the world set lower and lower safety levels for these chemicals, this scientific analysis by Harvard researcher Philippe Grandjean, along with an in-depth investigative piece by Sharon Lerner, provides an illustrative example of the chemical industry's practice of suppression of unfavorable data.

During these decades of delay, PFOA, PFOS, and other highly fluorinated chemicals (referred to collectively as PFAS) were used in a variety of consumer products, as well as in firefighting foams at airports. The chemicals moved out of these products into air, water, and soil, where they never break down.They are now found in the blood of most Americans, including newborns.

Contaminated drinking water linked to use of firefighting foams at military and civilian airports is a major source of human exposure. Federal rules currently require airports to use PFAS-containing foams. Critics say it is time to rethink this policy.

"The extreme persistence and mobility of fluorinated foams leads to water contamination, serious human and environmental harm, and liability for airports," according to Arlene Blum Ph.D., Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute. "Healthy, safe alternatives are in use at airports around the world, but not yet allowed in the U.S."

Promising news is that the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 giving civilian airports the freedom to choose firefighting foams without these harmful chemicals.

"We don't yet know how to clean up the massive contamination from fluorinated firefighting foams," says Tom Bruton Ph.D., Scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. "Allowing airports the choice to use equally effective alternatives is sensible."

This provision, supported by the International Association of Fire Fighters, the Airports Council International North America, and American Association of Airport Executives, passed the House in April 2018 by a vote of 393 to 13. The Senate is poised to consider the measure later in August.

SOURCE Green Science Policy Institute
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa about Missouri voters defeating Proposition A on the statewide ballot yesterday, which ensures workers will be able to continue to come together to negotiate contracts that pay more, bring better benefits and protect their safety on the job.

"The people of Missouri on Tuesday showed big business and its legislative cronies that they won't be forced to endure a policy pushed by corporate interests that would result in greater company profits but fewer dollars in the pockets of hardworking people in the Show Me state.

"For years, Democrats and Republicans joined together in the Legislature to hold off the passage of so-called right to work in Jefferson City. So even after the GOP-controlled state government jammed RTW through last year, the Teamsters were confident such a stance was not the will of hardworking Missourians.

"Yesterday's vote proves it, as less than a third of voters supported the anti-worker policy. That is a resounding defeat, and one that big business should take heed of as it continues its efforts to tamp down on collective bargaining elsewhere. Workers are getting wise to the efforts of big business to continue to line their own pockets at the expense of their employees. We cannot allow the powerful to force its own will on the public."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Ted Gotsch, (202) 624-6911

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Related Links

http://www.teamster.org


COLUMBIA, Md., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Intelligent Fiscal Optimal Solutions (iFOS) received a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to provide Financial Review Management and Resolution Professional Services to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Agency. The BPA award performance period is authorized for up to five (5) years.

Under the USAID BPA, iFOS' advisors and consulting professionals provide a range of financial management services and assistance including internal control assessment and development; pre-award surveys, grantee financial reviews, attestation engagements, disbursing agent functions, end use verification and trainings.

iFOS will provide specialized accounting and auditing support to implement one of USAID's foreign embassy new strategy in support of its mission.

Tawanda M. Smith, CEO noted, "Our assurance services provide the foundation we use to ensure effective monitoring of our customers' grant portfolios. Our wide variety of subject matter experts focus on internal controls to address fiscal challenges without the bureaucratic hindrances that constrain government organizations. iFOS stands ready and available to begin this engagement immediately."

About Intelligent Fiscal Optimal Solutions (iFOS), LLC:

iFOS Managing Consultants, LLC is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) consulting firm specializing in audit and assurance, advisory and consulting services. The firm is certified under the Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) and 8(m) programs and provides services to public and private organizations under its General Services Administration (GSA) Professional Support Services (PSS) Schedule GS-23F-0102X.

For more information, visit: https://www.ifoscorp.com/

*LOGO link for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-0807s2p-ifos-300dpi.jpg

MEDIA CONTACT:

Derrick Smith

iFOS, LLC

+1-301-837-9735 ext. 706

[email protected]

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE Intelligent Fiscal Optimal Solutions

Related Links

https://www.ifoscorp.com


VANCOUVER, Wash., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2017, an estimated 6000 pedestrians were killed in the U.S., with as many as 500 deaths occurring in parking lots and garages. Injuries not resulting in death number even higher. The parking lot owner or manager may be fully or partially responsible for these injuries and deaths. This is especially true if the accident resulted from improper parking lot maintenance. Unfortunately, there is no collected data for personal injuries, only fatalities.

Parking lot defects and poor maintenance cause accidents.

Recycled Rubber Parking Stops with reflective striping increases visibility and pedestrian safety. Concrete Parking Stops can go from preventing accidents to causing them.

If someone suffered injuries in a parking facility resulting from someone else's negligence, the property owner or business can be held liable and ordered to pay monetary compensation for the medical bills, lost wages, or other damages associated with a permanent disability or serious injury.

The owners and managers of parking areas and garages, have a duty to ensure that their property is maintained in a reasonably safe condition for their parking lot customers and visitors. Moreover, owners and managers have a duty to warn customers of dangerous conditions, and if necessary, to take the proper actions to promptly remove or correct these hazardous conditions.

Thousands of non-vehicular pedestrian accidents occur annually. Poor maintenance, sidewalk or parking lot defects can also cause these accidents. Whether injured by a vehicle or a property defect, a pedestrian can demand damages for injuries suffered from negligence. Negligence is the failure to do (or not do) something to protect others from foreseeable risks.

Example for litigation.

Trip hazards are can be very dangerous. At a fast food restaurant, Concrete Parking Stops can effectively stop cars from overrunning their parking spots and encroaching on walkways creating hazards for the disabled. But a failing concrete wheel stop can go from a safety precaution to a dangerous trip hazard. In these photos, it appears the internal support rebars rusted, creating internal pressures that is now causing the concrete to crumble and expose the rebar.

The exposed, rusty ends of the rebar, as well as the rebar spikes used to hold the parking stop in place, are becoming hazards that can tear clothing, scratch skin or catch a foot causing a pedestrian to stumble and fall. This can open up the business and/or property owner to serious legal actions.

These failed concrete parking stops are truly unsightly and are not the image most eateries or businesses seek to have as one of their first and last impressions as a customer arrives in and departs from the parking lot.

Also, removing and disposing of the failed wheel stops is not easy due to weight and often having spikes driven a foot or more into the asphalt to anchor the stops in place. Waste haulers can have restrictions on concrete wheel stops by categorizing the waste as construction debris.

Solution.

When initially installing or replacing wheel stops, consider recycled Rubber Parking Stops. Unlike concrete or plastic stops, which necessitate frequent replacements, rubber wheel stops are sturdier and do not break or need to be replaced. Their flexible rubber design conforms to the contour of uneven surfaces and ideal for parking lots and garages. Some Rubber Parking Stops come with reflective striping that increases visibility in low light conditions and raises pedestrian safety.

Rubber wheel stops last longer, weigh less and can be recycled anywhere tires are accepted. Many Rubber Parking Stops are made in the USA.

Finally, parking lot owners and managers should also ensure that their premises are well lit at all times, in order to help prevent motor vehicle, pedestrian, and slip-and-fall accidents from occurring in the first place.

CONTACT PERSON:

Eli Cronbaugh

Customer Service & Sales

Pacific Cascade Corporation

14208 N.W. 3rd Court  Suite 200

Vancouver, WA 98685

1-800-292-7275 ext. 201

[email protected]'

ParkingZone.com

ABOUT PACIFIC CASCADE CORPORATION

Since 1987, Pacific Cascade Corporation has been providing the Parking, Hospitality, Traffic Enforcement, and Environmental Sustainability Industries with products to manage and support their effective operational needs. parkingzone.com

SOURCE ParkingZone

Related Links

http://ParkingZone.com


IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- California's Highway 1 is one of the world's most iconic highways, stretching over 600 miles, and tying together the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge, and redwood forests. Southern California automaker Karma is participating in California's 'Dream Drive', a classic-car convoy traveling from Monterey County to San Luis Obispo County.

The drive celebrates the recent reopening of Highway 1, also known as Pacific Coast Highway, after more than a year of closure. Karma is partnering with Visit California, Caltrans, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Visit SLO CAL to be among the 84 vehicles commemorating the 84 years (1934-2018) Highway 1 has been open.

"As a California-based company, the reopening of the historic Highway 1 is akin to the reopening of a part of our soul," said Jim Taylor, Karma Automotive Chief Revenue Officer. "Karma and Pacific Coast Highway share a rebirth, with renewed beauty and value. It is our honor to have the Revero alongside celebrated classic cars to commemorate this occasion."

After unpredictable and extreme weather severely affected Highway 1 and the surrounding areas in 2017, the quintessential California highway, seated alongside some of the most scenic coastlines in the world, is now fully accessible again. 'Dream Drive' hopes to draw adventurous travelers back to the Golden State's iconic highway and increase tourism in areas that suffered tremendous loss, especially in northern San Luis Obispo County as travelers during the time of the closure were forced to reroute their trips.

Visit California along with Caltrans, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Visit SLO CAL will host the breathtaking 'Dream Drive' on August 9th down the scenic California coast. The drive will kick off from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a ceremonial pace car-led lap and will conclude in Morro Bay with a sunset dinner and car rally in the shadow of Morro Rock.

Meet Karma Automotive and Karma Revero

Karma Automotive designs, engineers, assembles and markets luxury electric vehicles, all from its Southern California base of operations. Founded in 2014 and employing 1,000 employees worldwide, Karma Automotive is committed to elevating and growing the luxury mobility experience for its customers and draws on global relationships and technology partners to achieve this. Named Green Car Journal's 2018 Luxury Green Car of the Year, Karma Revero is a luxury electric car powered by dual electric motors that embodies the company's goals of offering leading automotive design, technology, customization and an outstanding customer experience. Learn more about Karma Automotive and Revero at karmaautomotive.com.

SOURCE Karma Automotive

Related Links

http://www.karmaautomotive.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the keynote speakers for Open Source Summit Europe and Embedded Linux Conference + OpenIoT Summit Europe, taking place October 22-24 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Open Source Summit Europe is the leading conference for developers, architects and other technologists  as well as open source community and industry leaders  to collaborate, share information, learn about the latest technologies and gain a competitive advantage by using innovative open solutions. Over 2,000 are expected to gather for the event.

Embedded Linux Conference (ELC) is the premier vendor-neutral technical conference for companies and developers using Linux in embedded products. Now in its 13th year, the conference gathers user-space developers, product vendors, kernel, and systems developers to collaborate.

OpenIoT Summit is a technical conference for the developers and architects working on industrial IoT. It provides the technical knowledge needed to deliver smart connected products and solutions that take advantage of the rapid evolution of IoT technologies. It is the only IoT event focused on the development of open IoT solutions.

Keynote speakers include:

Patrick Ball , Director of Research, Human Rights Data Analysis Group

, Director of Research, Eric Berlow , Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer, Vibrant Data Inc.

, Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer, Ed Cable , President & Chief Executive Officer, Mifos Initiative

, President & Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Corbet , Author, Kernel Developer and Executive Editor, LWN.net

, Author, Kernel Developer and Executive Editor, Johanna Koester , Program Director of Developer Technology and Advocacy, IBM

, Program Director of Developer Technology and Advocacy, Dr. Alexander Nitz , Gravitational-wave Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics

, Gravitational-wave Researcher, Brenda Romero , Award-Winning Game Designer, Fulbright Scholar & Entrepreneur

, Award-Winning Game Designer, Fulbright Scholar & Entrepreneur Linus Torvalds, Creator of Linux & Git, in conversation with Dirk Hohndel, Vice President & Chief Open Source Officer, VMware

Jim Zemlin , Executive Director, The Linux Foundation

The full schedule of sessions will be announced next week, with additional keynotes announced shortly thereafter.

Registration is $800 through August 18, and includes access to all sessions at both Open Source Summit Europe and Embedded Linux Conference + OpenIoT Summit Europe. Additional alumni, non-profit and Linux Foundation member discounts are available as well; details are available on the event registration page. Applications for diversity and needs-based scholarships are currently being accepted. For information on eligibility and how to apply, please click here.

The Linux Foundation events are where the world's leading technologists meet, collaborate, learn and network in order to advance innovations that support the world's largest shared technologies.

Members of the press who would like to request a press pass to attend should contact Dan Brown at [email protected].

Open Source Summit Europe and Embedded Linux Conference + OpenIoT Summit Europe are made possible thanks to Diamond Sponsors Intel and Microsoft; Platinum Sponsors IBM and SUSE; and Gold Sponsors Amazon Web Services, Nutanix, Red Hat, Sumologic and VMware.

Additional Resources

YouTube: Why Attend Linux Foundation Events (https://youtu.be/X_rLxfmLlYY)

Open Source Summit Europe 2017 Event Recap (https://events17.linuxfoundation.org/events/open-source-summit-europe)

Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2017 Event Recap (https://events17.linuxfoundation.org/events/embedded-linux-conference-europe)

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found atwww.linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page:https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact:

Dan Brown

The Linux Foundation

415-420-7880

[email protected]

SOURCE The Linux Foundation

Related Links

http://www.linuxfoundation.org


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kong Inc., the leading API platform for modern architectures, today announced the initial schedule of sessions and speakers for Kong Summit 2018, including keynotes, user and industry sessions, and technical workshops. The event is set for September 18-19 at The Pearl in San Francisco.

"Microservices and container technology are allowing software developers and architects to reimagine the way they approach their infrastructure and examine ways to move away from older, monolithic architectures in favor of modern ones based on open source technologies," said Augusto Marietti, co-founder and CEO of Kong. "Kong Summit 2018 will equip attendees with software development and architecture skills and strategies to help maximize the opportunity presented by microservices and containers."

Kong Summit 2018 will bring together technologists from the Kubernetes and other open source communities, venture capitalists, enterprise software developers and architects, and members of the Kong user community. Featured speakers include:

Shobhana Ahluwalia , head of information technology at Uber

, head of information technology at Uber Kolton Andrus , co-founder and CEO of Gremlin

, co-founder and CEO of Gremlin Marcelo Da Cruz Pinto , principal engineer at McAfee

, principal engineer at McAfee Chad Fowler , CTO and general manager of Microsoft

, CTO and general manager of Microsoft Joseph Jacks , founder of KubeCon

, founder of KubeCon Erin McKean , founder of Wordnik.com and developer advocate at Microsoft

, founder of Wordnik.com and developer advocate at Microsoft Christian Posta , chief architect at Red Hat

, chief architect at Red Hat Guillermo Rauch , founder of ZEIT

, founder of ZEIT Chris Richardson , founder of CloudFoundry.com and Microservices.io

Kong Summit will take on topics like the evolving API economy and open source innovation, leveraging microservices and Kubernetes, the importance of serverless and its future in shaping the software architecture, best practices of API design and orchestration, real-world Kong use cases presented by community members, and hands-on workshops.

The current lineup of Kong Summit 2018 sessions is available now and will be updated in the coming weeks. Register for Kong Summit 2018 by August 18 to receive special pricing. Online registration will be available through September 17.

Members of the media who would like to request a press pass to attend may contact Pauline Louie at [email protected].

About Kong

Kong delivers a next-generation API platform designed for modern architectures, including microservices, containers, cloud and serverless. Offering high flexibility, scalability, speed and performance, the open source platform enables developers and Global 5000 enterprises to reliably secure, connect and orchestrate microservice APIs for modern applications. For more information about Kong, please visit https://konghq.com/ or follow @thekonginc on Twitter.

Media Contact:

Pauline Louie

Kong, Inc.

415-754-9283

[email protected]

SOURCE Kong

Related Links

https://konghq.com


MIDLAND, Texas, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MCM Energy Partners LLC announced the recent disposition of 756 net acres in Martin County, Texas, for $24.6 million. The position required several trades to be completed by MCM and ultimately provided a contiguous, bolt-on position for the purchasing operator.

Additionally, the company said it has sold an additional 1,870 net acres of operated and non-op leasehold in the Midland and Delaware Basins during the first half of 2018 for more than $20 million. MCM currently owns about 2,000 net acres in the core areas of the Midland and Delaware Basins, as well as 12,000 contiguous acres in central Pecos County.

MCM is a privately held company located in Midland, Texas, focused on acquiring oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin. MCM was founded in 2009 by its CEO, Miles McPherren.

SOURCE MCM Energy Partners LLC
MONTREAL, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Milestone Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage cardiovascular company, today announced that the first patient has been randomized in its Phase 3 clinical study of etripamil. Etripamil is a new investigational, rapid-onset, short-acting calcium channel blocker administered intranasally by the patient designed to terminate paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) episodes wherever they occur. PSVT is a recurring and sporadic heart arrhythmia caused by abnormalities in the cardiac conduction system. The current standard of care to terminate these episodes is intravenous medication delivered in the emergency department.

The Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, event-driven study is planned to be conducted in more than 50 cardiology centers in the United States and Canada and will enroll up to 500 patients. Following an in-office test dose of etripamil, patients will take home either 70 mg of etripamil or placebo for when a PSVT episode occurs. Upon onset of an episode, patients will apply a wireless cardiac monitor to their chest to record their heart rhythm, perform a vagal maneuver, and if symptoms persist, administer study drug.

"The design of the NODE-301 study of etripamil will allow us to obtain more clinical evidence of the benefits of this potential treatment for PSVT in an outpatient, real-world setting," said Bruce Stambler, MD, FHRS, Piedmont Heart Institute, Atlanta, GA. "PSVT is an unpredictable disorder and the potential for a fast-acting therapy to resolve the symptoms of PSVT wherever the episodes occur could significantly reduce the burden this condition puts on patients and the healthcare system."

The primary endpoint of the NODE-301 study is time to conversion of PSVT to sinus rhythm after the administration of study drug as confirmed by a central independent adjudication committee. Secondary study endpoints include relief of symptoms commonly associated with an episode of PSVT such as heart palpitations, chest pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, dizziness, and fainting.

"The initiation of the NODE-301 study is an example of our ongoing commitment to improve the lives of patients with PSVT," said Francis Plat, MD, Milestone's Chief Medical Officer. "Etripamil, if approved by regulatory authorities, could empower patients to take control of this anxiety-producing arrhythmia without being reliant on chronic medications or trips to an acute-care facility for treatment."

The study will enroll patients at least 18 years of age with a documented history of PSVT. Patients receiving study treatment in NODE-301 will be eligible to participate in an open-label extension study (NODE-302) where etripamil will be provided for subsequent PSVT episodes. Information regarding the NODE-301 clinical trial can be found here (clinicaltrials.gov study identifier NCT03464019).

"There are well over a million people in the US living with PSVT, resulting in hundreds of thousands of emergency department and doctor's office visits each year," said Eileen Handberg, PhD, ANP-BC, FAHA, FACC, FPCNA, Research Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida. "In addition, countless other patients exist who don't seek care and suffer through their episodes in silence as the current approved treatment options are unpleasant, inconvenient, and/or costly. Providing a way to self-manage PSVT episodes could offer immediate relief for those living with this arrhythmia."

About Etripamil

Etripamil is a new, potent, short-acting, investigational calcium channel blocker being developed as a rapid-onset nasal spray that can be administered by the patient to terminate paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) episodes wherever and whenever they occur. A Phase 2 clinical trial (NODE-1) was completed in the United States and Canada and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology1. Milestone is actively recruiting patients and clinical sites globally for the Phase 3 program of etripamil in the at-home setting enrolling patients with confirmed diagnosis of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia (AVRT). Etripamil is not currently approved for the treatment of PSVT or for any other indication anywhere in the world.

About Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is a condition that afflicts more than 1.7 million people and results in at least 600,000 healthcare claims per year in the U.S. alone2. During a PSVT episode, patients may feel palpitations while heart rate increases dramatically, sometimes exceeding 250 beats per minute3. Although the condition is not life threatening, it causes great distress to the patient and can result in an emergency department visit where a patient is usually administered intravenous medication.

About Milestone Pharmaceuticals

Milestone, headquartered in Montreal, Canada with a US subsidiary in Charlotte, NC, is a clinical-stage drug development company focused on developing an investigational new drug intended to provide rapid-onset and short-acting treatment of PSVT episodes and other episodic conditions. For more information, please visit www.milestonepharma.com.

Contact:

David Pitts

Argot Partners

212-600-1902

[email protected]

1 Stambler, B.S. et al.; Etripamil Nasal Spray for Rapid Conversion of Supraventricular Tachycardia to Sinus Rhythm; J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(5):48997

2 Sacks, N.C. et al; Prevalence of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT) in the US in Patients Under 65 Years of Age; Abstract and Oral Presentation at the International Academy of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions 2018, 23rd World Congress on Heart Disease; Precision Xtract, Boston, MA, USA

3 Colucci, R.A.; Common types of supraventricular tachycardia: diagnosis and management.; Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(8), 942-952.

SOURCE Milestone Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.milestonepharma.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- If You Purchased Liquid Aluminum Sulfate From January 1, 1997 Through February 28, 2011, You Could Be Affected By A Proposed Class Action Settlement.

Please read this entire Notice carefully. Partial settlements of the lawsuit may affect your rights.

A partial settlement in a lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey ("the Court") against the following Defendants, General Chemical Corporation; General Chemical Performance Products, LLC; General Chemical LLC, GenTek Inc., Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund; Chemtrade Logistics Inc., Chemtrade Chemicals Corporation; and Chemtrade Chemicals US, LLC.; Chemtrade Solutions, LLC; C&S Chemicals, Inc., USALCO, LLC, Kemira Chemicals, Inc., Southern Ionics, Inc., GEO Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Frank A. Reichl, Vincent J. Opalewski, Alex Avraamides, Amita Gupta, Milton Sundbeck, Kenneth A. Ghazey, Brian C. Steppig, American Securities LLC, Matthew Lebaron, and Scott Wolff. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that Defendants hurt competition and violated state antitrust, consumer protection, and other laws by allocating customers and markets and fixing the price of Liquid Aluminum Sulfate ("Alum"), thereby causing indirect purchasers to pay too much for Alum. Defendants deny any wrongdoing.

A Settlement has been reached with Defendant GEO Specialty Chemicals Inc. ("GEO"), Kenneth A. Ghazey ("Ghazey") and Brian C. Steppig (the "GEO Settling Parties"). The lawsuit will continue against the other Defendants (collectively, "Non-Settling Defendants").

WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE CLASS? The Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class consists of all persons or entities in AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, HI, IL, IA, KS, ME, MA, MI, MN, MS, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WV, and WI that purchased liquid aluminum sulfate, not for resale, which was manufactured, produced or supplied by Defendants or their unnamed co-conspirators from January 1, 1997 through February 28, 2011. Excluded from the Class are Defendants, co-conspirators and their respective parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates.

WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE? GEO and the Settling Parties agreed to pay into an Escrow Account the sum of up to $4,375,000 (the "Settlement Funds") as follows. GEO shall use its best efforts to cause its insurers to pay $801,074 directly into the Indirect Purchaser Escrow Account within thirty (30) days of Final Judgment. GEO shall also pay $898,926 into the Indirect Purchaser Escrow Account (collectively, the "First Installment"). GEO shall make one additional payment of $1,675,000 that shall be paid into the Indirect Purchaser Escrow Account on or before the first anniversary of the First Installment. GEO will undertake a marketing process for a sale of all or substantially all of its equity interests, a merger of GEO and another entity, or a sale of all or substantially all of its assets (collectively, a "Sale") that will commence no later than thirty (30) days after entry of Final Judgment. If this marketing process is successful, upon the closing of the Sale, the Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class shall be entitled to receive from GEO additional compensation pursuant to an equity value formula up to $1,000,000.

At this time, Interim IPP Lead Counsel are not seeking attorneys' fees in connection with this Settlement. Interim IPP Lead Counsel intends to ask for reimbursement of certain of their out of pocket expenses incurred so far in this litigation, including expert witness expenses incurred to date, as well as service awards for the class representatives of up to $25,000.00 each from the Settlement Fund in recognition of their efforts to date on behalf of the Class. At a later date, Interim IPP Lead Counsel may seek up to one-third of the aggregate of funds achieved for the Class, and from any future recovery that may occur in this Class Action against the Non-Settling Defendants.

HOW DO I RECEIVE A PAYMENT FROM THE SETTLEMENT? No money will be distributed yet. The Interim IPP Lead Counsel will continue to pursue the lawsuit against the Non-Settling Defendants. All Settlement Funds that remain after payment of the Court-ordered attorneys' fees, incentive awards, costs, and expenses will be distributed at the conclusion of the lawsuit or as ordered by the Court.

You may visit the website www.LiquidAluminumSulfate.com for updates on the status of the lawsuit.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? If you wish to remain an Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class Member, you need not take any action at this time. You will give up your right to sue the GEO Settling Parties for the claims that the Settlement with them will resolve. If you want to keep the right to sue or continue to sue the GEO Settling Parties about the legal issues in this case, then you must exclude yourself from the Class. If you exclude yourself from the Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class, you will not get any payment from the Settlement. To exclude yourself, you must send a letter to the Settlement Administrator, postmarked no later than October 2, 2018. You may also comment on or object to the proposed Settlement. Your objections must be filed no later than October 2, 2018. Details on how to request exclusion, comment, or object to the Settlement are available on the Settlement website, www.LiquidAluminumSulfate.com.

WHO REPRESENTS ME? The Court appointed Jay B. Shapiro of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. and Marvin A. Miller of Miller Law LLC as Interim IPP Lead Counsel to represent the Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class on an interim basis and for purposes of the Settlement. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

The Court will hold a final fairness hearing to decide whether to approve the terms of the Settlement at 10:00 a.m. on November 14, 2018, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Building & U.S. Courthouse, 50 Walnut Street, Newark, New Jersey 07101. If there are objections, the Court will consider them but may still approve the Settlement. You may appear at the hearing, but you are not required to do so. The hearing may be rescheduled without notice to the Class, so if you plan to attend, please periodically check the Settlement website for any updates.

This notice is only a summary. For more information, please visit the Settlement website, www.LiquidAluminumSulfate.com or call 1-866-217-4455.

SOURCE Miller Law, LLC and Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Miller Vein, the Michigan-based experts in vein treatment, welcomes Michael R. Bischoff, M.D. as the Medical Director for the newest location in Auburn Hills.

Dr. Bischoff has more than 20 years of experience in diagnosing and treating vein conditions. In 2010, Dr. Bischoff established the first Beaumont Vein Center in Troy where he served as medical director and treated thousands of patients with varicose veins and venous insufficiency. "As a vein specialist, nothing brings me more joy than helping free my patients from the pain and suffering that can be associated with vein disease," says Dr. Bischoff.

Dr. Bischoff will oversee Miller Vein's new location at 2251 North Squirrel Road in Auburn Hills. The opening of Miller Vein's sixth location accommodates the organization's rapid growth and their mission to expand access to quality vein care to patients in Metro Detroit. "We couldn't be more thrilled to have someone with Dr. Bischoff's level of expertise join our team and expand Miller Vein's reach into Auburn Hills," says Dr. Jeffrey Miller, Founder and CEO of Miller Vein.

About Miller Vein: Miller Vein is a recognized leader in the treatment varicose vein disease. They have helped more than 20,000 patients find relief from vein problems and are positioned to help even more with planned expansion throughout Michigan and the Midwest. They have six locations: Auburn Hills, Dearborn, Novi, Macomb Township, Monroe, and Troy.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jeffrey Miller, M.D.

Miller Vein

(844) 899-6667

[email protected]

SOURCE Miller Vein

Related Links

https://millervein.com


SEATTLE, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Opportunity Scholarship program. This scholarship program, now in its second year, was created to assist students from ethnic groups and races that are under-represented in the fields of actuarial science, data science, computer science, economics, programming, mathematics, statistics, data analytics, or finance.

This year, the Opportunity Scholarship recipients include 16 students from colleges and universities across the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom who have demonstrated academic excellence and plan to pursue a career in actuarial science or related fields. Last year, which was the inaugural year of the scholarship, 12 scholarships were presented.

"Milliman is proud to assist students from diverse backgrounds in achieving their educational goals in fields like actuarial science, mathematics, computer science, and finance," said Milliman Chief Executive Officer Steve White. "This year's group of recipients comes from a wide array of backgrounds and has shown that they excel academically, with the drive and knowledge to succeed."

Below is the list of this year's Scholarship recipients:

Victor Asiwe, actuarial science, at University of Cape Town ( South Africa ) Aleesha Chavez , computer science, at Northwest Nazarene University ( Idaho ) Khethiwe Dlamini, actuarial science, at University of the Free State - Bloemfontein ( South Africa ) Jordan Howell , actuarial science, at Kettering University ( Michigan ) Jael Kerandi, finance, at University of Minnesota- Twin Cities Rachael King , mathematics, at Macquarie University ( Australia ) Adam Lathan , actuarial science and data analytics, at Drake University ( Iowa ) Richard Machivenyika, actuarial science, at University of Cape Town Mapule Madzena, computer science, at University of the Free State - Bloemfontein Jennifer Mora-Amaya , actuarial science, at St. John's University ( New York ) Sonia Moreno , computer science, at Carleton College ( Minnesota ) Sarah Pena, actuarial science, at UCLA Bryce Santiago Badura , computer science, at University of Notre Dame ( Indiana ) Ayomikun Vaughan, actuarial science, at Queen's University of Belfast Edwin Villavicencio , actuarial science, at North Central College ( Illinois ) Mattie Zimmer , mathematics, at University of New Orleans

Five of this year's recipients also received Opportunity Scholarships last year. Those repeat recipients are Khethiwe Dlamini, Jordan Howell, Sonia Moreno, Sarah Pena, and Ayomikun Vaughan.

About Milliman

Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial and related products and services. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.

SOURCE Milliman, Inc.
HOUSTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Director Mark Geyer announced Wednesday the selection of Vanessa Wyche as the next deputy director of JSC in Houston.

Wyche will assist Geyer in leading one of NASA's largest installations, which has nearly 10,000 civil service and contractor employees  including those at White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico  and a broad range of human spaceflight activities.

"Vanessa has a deep background at JSC with significant program experience in almost all of the human spaceflight programs that have been hosted here," Geyer said. "She is respected at NASA, has built agency-wide relationships throughout her nearly three-decade career and will serve JSC well as we continue to lead human space exploration in Houston."

Wyche recently served as director of the Exploration Integration and Science Directorate (EISD) and completed a detail as the JSC deputy director in February 2018.

"I am incredibly humbled to take on this role at JSC, and also excited to assist Mark with leading the home of human spaceflight," Wyche said. "I look forward to working with the talented employees at JSC as we work toward our mission of taking humans farther into the solar system."

Before joining JSC in 1989, Wyche worked for the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C. She began her career with NASA in the Space Life Sciences Directorate as a project engineer. She has held several key center leadership positions including assistant center director, associate director of EISD and acting director of Human Exploration Development Support.

She also served in the Constellation Program as director of operations and test integration and in the Space Shuttle Program as a flight manager for several space shuttle missions. She was manager of the Mission Integration Office, and she completed a detail in the Office of the NASA Administrator.

A South Carolina native, Wyche is a graduate of Clemson University with both a bachelor of science in materials engineering and a master of science in bioengineering. Wyche is the recipient of two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals and two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals. Wyche is the first African-American to hold the JSC deputy director position.

For more information about Wyche, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/about/people/orgs/bios/wyche.html

For more information about Johnson Space Center, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/johnson

NASA Johnson Space Center news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to [email protected] In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the email address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Global cyber security and risk mitigation expert, NCC Group and Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. announce today their strategic alliance in maritime cyber security. This alliance introduces a holistic approach to maritime cyber security that combines both organizations' expertise to produce operationally relevant and realistic assessments and solutions that are sensible and uniquely tailored to the maritime industry.

The maritime industry faces a growing need to assess the security and risk that is associated at all levels of shipping operations. Leveraging NCC Group's established global transportation assurance practice with Moran's leading maritime operational know-how, both companies are positioned to provide a unique set of security consulting services that focus on understanding operational threats and how they may be realized by technical threats and vulnerabilities. This focus on Operational Technology (OT) is critical to understanding the complex systems and relationships of the maritime industry. In support of this effort, Moran has recently launched MoranCyber as a resource.

"We are combining Moran's deep and extensive maritime expertise with our team's unrivalled cyber security capabilities in this sector. With this alliance, we aim to help improve the security posture of a wider range of maritime organizations," says NCC Group chief operating officer Nick Rowe.

"This is not just a win for both Moran and NCC Group, but also sets a standard of excellence for cyber security within the maritime space," says Moran CEO Jim Black.

Moran is the largest independent steamship agency in North America with over 80 years of service to ship owners, charterers, and marine terminals. Moran has pioneered IT and security integration with quality standards in shipping and trade for over twenty years under the leadership of CEO Jim Black and Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Jason Kelly.

"We had been seeking an organization capable of working with Moran to deliver strong, credible cyber security services with a focus in maritime," says Capt. Alex Soukhanov, director of Moran Cyber. "Teaming with NCC Group allows us to not only better advise our clients on proper precautions in maritime cyber security, but also offer them the resources to mitigate and limit their exposure to risk."

About NCC Group

NCC Group is a global expert in cyber security and risk mitigation, working with businesses to protect their brand, value and reputation against the ever-evolving threat landscape. With our knowledge, experience and global footprint, we are best placed to help businesses identify, assess, mitigate & respond to the risks they face. We are passionate about making the Internet safer and revolutionizing the way in which organizations think about cyber security.

NCC Group's dedicated Transport Assurance Practice supports our automotive, maritime, aerospace and rail clients across the globe. This practice blends together NCC Group's extensive service offerings and utilizes industry-specific experts to provide the very best cyber security, functional testing, and escrow services to our clients.

About Moran Shipping

Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. is a family owned business that began operations in 1937 and has since grown to become the largest privately-owned vessel agency in the United States, and a named stakeholder in the global supply chain. A world leader in the maritime industry, Moran operates as a vessel agency to many of the world's most prominent ship owners, operators, and charterers. Moran also provides maritime and port security services to ship and terminal owners. Presently, Moran has 18 offices in the United States where it provides full-vessel agency attendance at over 100 ports along the East, Gulf and West Coasts. Located in Providence, Moran's Rhode Island office serves as the company's corporate headquarters, leading the company's financial, accounting, IT, cybersecurity, and administrative operations.

SOURCE NCC Group
PUNE, India, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Ophthalmology PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) Market by Type (Standalone, Integrated), Delivery (On-premise, Cloud), End User (Hospitals, Specialty Clinic, ASC), Region (North America (US, Canada) Europe, Asia) - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 160.2 million by 2023 from an estimated USD 106.6 million in 2018, at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period.

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Browse 86 market data Tables and 33 Figures spread through 134 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Ophthalmology PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/ophthalmology-pacs-market-130879968.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Rapid growth in the geriatric population, rising prevalence of eye diseases, limited number of ophthalmologists, government initiatives to encourage the adoption of EHR/EMR, and the increasing adoption of teleophthalmology are the factors driving the growth of the Ophthalmology PACS Market.

The integrated PACS segment is expected to dominate the Ophthalmology PACS Market in 2018.

Based on type, the Ophthalmology PACS Market is segmented into standalone and integrated PACS. Among these, the integrated PACS segment is expected to command the largest share of the Ophthalmology PACS Market in 2018. The advantages associated with the use of integrated PACS, such as ease of deployment and use, easy interoperability, data security, portability, and cost-effectiveness are driving the growth of this segment.

Based on delivery model, the web/cloud-based PACS segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on delivery model, the Ophthalmology PACS Market is segmented into on-premise and web/cloud-based models. The web/cloud-based PACS segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The high growth rate can be attributed to the fact that, these models do not require any significant setup charges. Maintenance and support service charges are also included in subscription fees, which make these delivery models more affordable for customers.

The specialty clinics & ambulatory surgery centers segment is expected to dominate the Ophthalmology PACS Market in 2018.

Based on end user, the Ophthalmology PACS Market is segmented into hospitals, specialty clinics & ambulatory surgery centers, and other end users. In 2018, the specialty clinics & ambulatory surgical centers segment is expected to command the largest share of the Ophthalmology PACS Market. The growing patient pool for the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts in specialty clinics & ASCs due to cost-effective treatments is expected to propel the growth of the Ophthalmology PACS Market in this end-user segment.

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North America to dominate the market in 2018

In 2018, North America is expected to command the largest share of the market. With the growing aging population and increasing incidence of age-related eye diseases, the demand for technologies such as PACS is increasing in the North American region. Additionally, government initiatives towards digitization and increasing adoption of EHR/EMR and data storage & exchange solutions are the additional factors driving the adoption of ophthalmology PACS in this region.

While the Ophthalmology PACS Market represents significant growth opportunities, market growth may be hindered due to the high implementation and maintenance costs of these solutions. The Ophthalmology PACS Market is marked by the presence of several big and small players. Prominent players in this market include Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Germany), Topcon Corporation (Japan), Heidelberg Engineering (Germany), Sonomed Escalon (US), Visbion (UK), EyePACS (US), and IBM Corporation (Merge Healthcare) (US).

Know more about the Ophthalmology PACS Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/ophthalmology-pacs-market-130879968.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.

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Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/ophthalmology-pacs-market.asp

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic Eco Solutions of North America today announced the expansion of the Panasonic Residential Solar Business Premium Installer program for Panasonic solar modules HIT with Sunlux and Solaroo Energy promoted to Premium level.

In January 2015, Sunlux founders had a radical idea  solar energy should be just as easy as traditional electricity. Their strategy of putting customers and employees first paid off quickly, resulting in the company growing from nothing to 12 employees and $2.2 million in sales in just one year. After its first full year in business, Sunlux moved its headquarters into a brand-new building in Ontario, CA, allowing them to become fully integrated with sales, design, engineering and installation under one roof.

"We are honored to be selected as Panasonic's Premium Installer," said Josip Benko, CEO, Sunlux. "This partnership allows us to continue providing world class products and excellent customer service, which is what we are known for."

Further expanding the Panasonic Premium Installer program in U.S. west region, the Solaroo Energy team brings in a combined 60 years in the construction and solar industries. Solaroo Energy deploys its educated sales team, award-winning management team and engineers to provide customers in Utah, Idaho and Colorado with exactly what they need as they make the move to solar technology.

"We appreciate the recognition from Panasonic and their commitment to Solaroo and our continued growth in the solar industry. Panasonic has proven their commitment to the U.S. solar industry, enabling our team to deliver high-quality panels and an industry-leading warranty to Solaroo customers in all our markets," said Kelly Curtis, CEO, Solaroo Energy. "Customers making long-term investments like solar deserve companies like Panasonic and Solaroo who have a long-term approach to doing business."

Launched in the U.S. in 2016, the Panasonic Solar Premium Installer program provides value-added benefits and business opportunities to over 125 partners who meet Panasonic's high standard of excellence.

"We are delighted to name both Sunlux and Solaroo Energy as the newest members of the Panasonic Premium Installer family, as both companies boast years of excellent customer service in the California, Utah, Idaho, and Colorado markets." said David Lopez, business development and regional sales manager, Solar Division, Panasonic Eco Solutions North America. "We look forward to working together to grow and enhance our installer program offerings, and to help drive the U.S. solar market forward."

The Panasonic Solar Installer program is comprised of "Authorized" and "Premium" Installers, and Premium installers are involved in continuous efforts with Panasonic to promote the HIT brand. These installers receive leads generated from Panasonic's website, where they are promoted as a Premium Panasonic Installer. In addition, Premium Installers are the beneficiaries of cooperative marketing funds provided by Panasonic and are also provided access to Panasonic's robust Installer Portal that offers additional benefits such as a library of tailored marketing materials and training programs designed to help installers enhance communication with consumers, and ultimately grow their businesses.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and leverages its strengths in Immersive Entertainment, Sustainable Energy, Automated Supply Chains and Connected Solutions to provide secure and resilient integrated solutions for B2B customers. Panasonic was highlighted in Forbes Magazine's Global 2000 ranking as one of the Top Ten Best Regarded Companies for 2017. The ranking is based on outstanding scores for trustworthiness, honesty with the public and superior performance of products and solutions. Learn more about Panasonic's ideas and innovations at Panasonic.com.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America

Related Links

http://www.panasonic.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PerkSpot (the "Company"), a rapidly-growing Chicago-based HR technology platform, today announced a $50 million growth equity investment from Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE). The funding marks the first outside investment for PerkSpot.

PerkSpot's private marketplace helps millions of employees save money on a variety of goods and services. Offered as a benefit through employers, employees can save an average of $2,300 each year on purchases big and small. With exclusive discounts on brands such as Apple, Samsung, AMC Theatres, and Target, employees are enabled to stretch their payroll dollars in a meaningful way. The company was founded in 2006 in Chicago, IL.

"We are excited to partner with SGE, who share our vision and growth aspirations for PerkSpot," said Chris Hill, Founder and Executive Chairman of PerkSpot. "In leveraging SGE's capital and deep expertise, we will continue expanding the service we provide to millions of employees from clients like Southwest Airlines, Walgreen's, Adventist Health System, and Spotify."

PerkSpot is an easy way for employers to support the financial wellness of their employees. According to Willis Towers Watson, 48% of employees are worried about their current financial state, highlighting the need for financial focused benefits. Over the past two years, PerkSpot has grown to over 750 clients and nearly tripled its revenue by focusing on employee needs. The Company expanded its offering last year to integrate employers' rewards and recognition programs, bringing even more savings and meaning to every dollar they spend.

"The key to our success thus far has been attracting top talent that are committed to winning the right way and putting our clients first," said Jace Mouse, PerkSpot's CEO. "This investment is a testament to our employee-focused product strategy, and we look forward to the opportunity it brings by growing our team and product suite to provide even more benefits to employees in the future."

The partnership with SGE comes at a tremendous period of opportunity for PerkSpot, as it seeks to scale offerings that empower employers to do more for their employees. "We are thrilled to be working with Chris, Jace and the PerkSpot team," said Scott Feldman, Managing Director at SGE. "PerkSpot has been built the right way, and we are excited to be a part of its incredible growth story." SGE's Scott Feldman and Josh Elser, Director, will join the PerkSpot board in conjunction with the investment.

About PerkSpot

PerkSpot's marketplace helps employees save time and money when making important purchasing decisions. With thousands of exclusive discounts from top brands, PerkSpot is a popular employee benefit and simple solution for employer-sponsored rewards and recognition programs. PerkSpot plays an important role in promoting employee financial wellness and helping employers attract, engage, and retain their talent. To learn more about PerkSpot, visit their website at www.perkspot.com.

About Susquehanna Growth Equity

Susquehanna Growth Equity, LLC (SGE) invests in growth stage technology companies in the software, information services, internet and financial technology sectors. SGE is backed by a unique and patient source of capital, which enables the firm to give management teams and entrepreneurs freedom and flexibility to maximize growth. The firm has invested in over 40 companies over the last 12 years, and has portfolio companies across the US, Canada, EU, and Israel. To learn more, please visit www.sgep.com.

CONTACT: Whitney Sattel, 312-800-9947, [email protected]

SOURCE PerkSpot

Related Links

http://www.perkspot.com


Merah Putih, a name which represents the red and white of the Indonesian flag, deployed its solar arrays shortly after launch and will begin firing its main thruster tomorrow to propel toward its final orbit. The satellite is part of the critical telecommunications backbone connecting thousands of islands in Indonesia, other parts of Southeast Asia, and it expands service to South Asia.

Satellites are uniquely positioned to provide cost-effective and reliable service in regions such as South East Asia where the geographies can make fiber optic and terrestrial infrastructures difficult to build. The Telkom network demonstrates how satellite can seamlessly integrate into the greater telecommunications infrastructure to bring information and communications to underserved populations.

"SSL is the leading satellite manufacturer for companies in Indonesia and many parts of Asia," said Dario Zamarian, group president of SSL. "I'd like to congratulate our colleagues at Telkom Indonesia, SpaceX and the many members of the SSL team who worked together closely to make this satellite and launch a success."

Merah Putih, which will be located at 108 degrees East longitude, is an all C-band satellite that enhances both internet and telephone service for populations in remote regions and will be used to offload backhaul for cellular service.

With a launch mass of roughly 5800 kg, the satellite incorporates many technology advances including SSL's composite strut tower, which is built using 3D printed components. It has 24 C-band transponders and 12 transponders for Extended C-band covering South East Asia, 24 C-band transponders covering South Asia. Today's advances lower the cost of satellite capacity and enable better performance and reliability.

"SSL worked closely with the Telkom team to be sure to meet all of our requirements," said Mr. Alex J Sinaga, President Director of Telkom Indonesia. "We are very happy that the satellite was completed ahead of schedule and now that it is launched, we can expand our service into new regions."

Merah Putih is based on the powerful and reliable SSL 1300 platform, which provides flexibility for a broad range of applications and technology advances. It is designed to provide service for 16 years or more.

About Telkom

PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk ("Telkom Indonesia") is the largest telecommunications and network provider in Indonesia. The company offers a wide range of network and telecommunication services, including fixed wireline connections, cellular services, network and interconnection services, as well as internet and data communication services. Beside telecommunication services, it also operates multimedia businesses such as content and applications, completing its business portfolio which includes Telecommunication, Information, Media, Edutainment and Services (TIMES). Its shares are traded on the Indonesia Stock Exchange ("IDX") and the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"), using the TLKM and TLK tickers, respectively. For more information, please visit http://www.telkom.co.id/en/.

About SSL

SSL, based in Palo Alto, California, is a leading provider of advanced spacecraft systems, with broad expertise to support commercial and government satellite operators and innovative space missions. The company designs and manufactures spacecraft for services such as direct-to-home television, video content distribution, broadband internet, mobile communications, in-orbit servicing, space exploration, and Earth observation. As a Silicon Valley innovator for 60 years, SSL's advanced product line includes state-of-the-art small satellites, and sophisticated robotics and autonomous solutions for remote operations. SSL is a Maxar Technologies company (NYSE: MAXR; TSX: MAXR). For more information, visit www.sslmda.com.

About Maxar Technologies

As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar Technologies (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the information, services, systems that unlock the promise of space for commercial and government markets. As a trusted partner, Maxar Technologies provides vertically-integrated capabilities and expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. With more than 6,500 employees in over 30 global locations, the Maxar Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes MDA, SSL, DigitalGlobe and Radiant Solutions. Every day, billions of people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com.

Contact

Wendy Lewis | SSL Media Contact | 1-650-852-5188 | [email protected]

Jason Gursky | Maxar Investor Relations | 1-303-684-2207 | [email protected]

Nancy Coleman | Maxar Media Contact | 1-303-684-1674 | [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements and information, which reflect the current view of Maxar Technologies Ltd. (the "Company") with respect to future events and financial performance. The forward-looking statements in this regard include statements regarding the launch and operation of a satellite. Any such forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends. The factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this release include contracts with any government or intergovernmental agency not being terminated. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. The Company cautions readers that should certain risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. The risks that could cause actual results to differ from current expectations include, but are not necessarily limited to: changes in government or intergovernmental priorities, mandates, funding levels, contracts and regulations; satellite construction delays; launch delays; launch failures; in-orbit failures; failure of third parties and subcontractors; and failure to anticipate changes in technology, technical standards and offerings or compliance with the requisite standards, or failure to maintain technological advances and offer new products to retain customers and market position.

For additional information with respect to certain of these risks or factors, plus additional risks or factors, reference should be made to the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov, or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com.

SOURCE Maxar Technologies Ltd.

Related Links

www.maxar.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SDDco Group, a leading outsourcing and consulting services firm serving the financial services sector, announced today the launch of its new Cybersecurity Consulting Service, named SDDco Cyber, designed to meet the industry's growing cybersecurity needs and fulfill existing SEC and FINRA regulatory guidelines and checklists.

SDDco Cyber offers a suite of compliance and guidance services, including infrastructure testing, customized policies and procedures, incident response coverage, data security training, vendor due diligence, and risk assessments. SDDco Cyber's flexible and scalable structure allows the offering to evolve as regulators move towards a defined rule set. "Anyone familiar with the compliance challenges financial services firms face understands the impact cybersecurity obligations are having on broker-dealers and investment advisors. We're committed to helping our clients meet these obligations and prepare them for the regulatory inquiries they are destined to receive," explains Hale Halasy, President of SDDco Regulatory Services, LLC.

"Cyberattacks have become so prevalent in our industry that the SEC and FINRA have passed guidelines to ensure appropriate measures are taken to keep firm and client data guarded," states Scott Daniels, Co-Managing Partner and Founder of SDDco Group. "The goal is always to fulfill our clients' needs. The current environment necessitated responsiveness with a comprehensive solution and we are proud to answer the call with SDDco Cyber."

Corporate Rebrand

SDDco Group also unveiled its newly completed corporate rebrand and website. Led by new Head of Marketing, Erin Furtado, and driven by the need to maintain strong communications to constituencies, SDDco Group completed the rebrand with the help of Trungale, Egan and Associates, a branding firm located in Chicago. "We focused on creating an overall feeling or emotion that properly portrays our leadership position and commitment to innovation and client service," stated Furtado. "The goal was to revamp our marketing strategy and energize our organization with new messaging and design that supported our strategy. From evolving our logo to creating a new collateral program to launching our new website, we were able to achieve a modern, fresh, image-centric brand while still celebrating our history as a top CPA and Compliance Consulting firm."

"SDDco is always on the cutting edge of the financial regulatory industry. We want our website and brand to match while still maintaining our core traditional values," explains Bob Fortino, Co-Managing Partner of SDDco Group. "We are optimistic that our new brand will be embraced by our current clients and help to position us as the outsourcing and consulting firm of choice to the next generation of financial broker-dealers and registered investment advisors."

About SDDco Group:

SDDco Group descends from Sanders and Daniels Company, a New York CPA and consulting partnership formed in 1952, and its successor CPA firm, S.D. Daniels & Co., PC, formed in 1995. The firm expanded to five entities to widen its specialized support to the financial services sector: S.D. Daniels & Company, PC; S.D. Daniels & Company, LLC; SDDco Regulatory Services LLC; SDDco Brokerage Advisors, LLC, and Alva Advisory Services, LLC. These five entities form the SDDco Group.

Since 1952, the SDDco Group has maintained AICPA standards while delivering outsourced professional support to financial services firms globally. Their CPAs and consultants are skilled, multi-licensed professionals who serve as an extension of their clients' business.

SOURCE SDDco Group

Related Links

http://www.sddco.com


SEATTLE, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle Children's has opened a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy trial for children and young adults with relapsed or refractory non-central nervous system EGFR-expressing solid tumors. In the phase 1 trial, STRIvE-01, cancer-fighting CAR T cells will target the EGFR protein expressed in many childhood sarcoma, kidney and neuroblastoma tumors.

Solid tumors, excluding those of the brain, make up about 30 percent of all childhood cancers. Sarcoma, a cancer that develops in the bone and soft tissue; kidney malignancies, including Wilms tumor; and neuroblastoma, a tumor that forms in young nerve cells, are the most common types of non-central nervous system solid tumors diagnosed in children. Even as treatment advances have improved childhood cancer survival rates over the last several decades, these solid tumors remain among the most resistant to standard therapy when the cancer relapses or does not respond to initial treatment.

"Despite employing modern treatments that offer more intensive therapy or new drug combinations for children with solid tumors, we've been unable to improve outcomes for our highest-risk patient groups," said Dr. Katie Albert, an oncologist at Seattle Children's and lead investigator for the STRIvE-01 trial. "It is those groups that push us to come up with innovative approaches so that we can see all of our patients cured of their cancer."

While CAR T cells engineered to fight cancer have shown promise for curing childhood leukemia in clinical trials at Seattle Children's, solid tumors pose unique challenges. Solid tumors exist in protective microenvironments that help them evade the immune system, making it more difficult to keep the CAR T cells stimulated.

"In order for this therapy to be effective against solid tumors and induce remission for our patients, we have to find a way to not only get the CAR T cells into the tumor microenvironment, but also ensure they can survive and thrive there," said Albert.

To construct the CAR T cells for STRIvE-01, researchers led by Dr. Mike Jensen at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute will reprogram a patient's T cells to target the abnormal EGFR protein expressed on the surface of many solid tumor cancer cells. In normal tissues, EGFR is responsible for cell growth and development. When expressed in malignant solid tumors, EGFR has been associated with more aggressive and invasive growth.

By arming the CAR T cells with an antibody known as EGFR806, researchers hope to selectively find and destroy solid tumor cells expressing EGFR with limited toxicity to normal tissues.

As Albert explained, "Normal tissue, including skin, is enriched in EGFR, so it is advantageous to equip the CAR T cells with an antibody that recognizes EGFR on tumor cells and leaves healthy cells relatively protected."

Anticipating that it will take a multi-faceted approach to overcome solid tumors, STRIvE-01 will include two sequential treatment arms. Children and young adults enrolled in the first arm will receive EGFR806 CAR T cells to first evaluate the toxicity and establish the maximum tolerated dose of the experimental therapy. Once the first arm is complete, the second arm will open. Patients in the second arm will receive CAR T cells reprogrammed to target both EGFR and CD19, a protein expressed on a subset of white blood cells called B lymphocytes.

"By including a CAR T-cell therapy that targets two proteins, we're a step ahead in addressing a known challenge with solid tumors  the cancer-fighting T cells won't hang around long enough to get to the tumor tissues and keep the cancer from coming back," said Albert. "Building on what we've learned in our trials for leukemia, our hope is that the secondary target of CD19 will constantly interact with B lymphocytes in the blood to promote the expansion and persistence of the EGFR-directed CAR T cells."

The study plans to enroll approximately 36 patients across both arms to assess the dosing, safety and tolerability of the CAR T-cell therapies. The results from STRIvE-01 will inform the clinical development of future CAR T-cell trials aimed at finding the most effective targets and therapeutic combinations for pediatric solid tumors.

"We recognize that it will likely require a range of therapeutic strategies to manipulate the immune environment enough to cure patients with hard to treat solid tumors," said Albert. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to incorporate our most advanced immunotherapy strategies into a solid tumor program that I hope will provide families the most effective and comprehensive CAR T-cell treatment options for their child's cancer."

STRIvE-01 joins a robust pipeline of T-cell immunotherapy trials underway at Seattle Children's focused on harnessing the immune system to offer better treatment options for children and young adults with cancer. Seattle Children's is dedicated to improving CAR T-cell immunotherapy for a variety of childhood cancers to the point that it helps patients achieve long-term remission  and ultimately  a cure.

The T-cell immunotherapy trials at Seattle Children's are funded in part by Strong Against Cancer, a national philanthropic initiative with worldwide implications for potentially curing childhood cancers. If you are interested in supporting the advancement of immunotherapy and cancer research, please visit Strong Against Cancer's donation page.

For more information on immunotherapy research trials at Seattle Children's, please call (206) 987-2106 or email [email protected].

About Seattle Children's

Seattle Children's mission is to provide hope, care and cures to help every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. Together, Seattle Children's Hospital, Research Institute and Foundation deliver superior patient care, identify new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research, and raise funds to create better futures for patients.

Ranked as one of the top children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Children's serves as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho  the largest region of any children's hospital in the country. As one of the nation's top five pediatric research centers, Seattle Children's Research Institute is internationally recognized for its work in neurosciences, immunology, cancer, infectious disease, injury prevention and much more. Seattle Children's Hospital and Research Foundation works with the Seattle Children's Guild Association, the largest all-volunteer fundraising network for any hospital in the country, to gather community support and raise funds for uncompensated care and research. Join Seattle Children's bold initiative  It Starts With Yes: The Campaign for Seattle Children's  to transform children's health for generations to come.

For more information, visit seattlechildrens.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our On the Pulse blog.

Media Contact:

Lindsay Kurs

[email protected] or 206-987-5752

SOURCE Seattle Children's Hospital

Related Links

http://www.seattlechildrens.org


Spondyloarthritis is an underdiagnosed condition. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that more than 1% of Americans are living with spondyloarthritis, with most people first experiencing symptoms in their 20s or 30s  yet many take a long time to get a correct diagnosis. It's common for chronic back pain patients to wait as long as 10 years between symptom onset and spondyloarthritis diagnosis, according to a 2016 study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology .

"Providing resources that help people experiencing SpA symptoms better understand what's happening, talk to their doctor about it, and explore potential solutions empowers patients and may help them get to a diagnosis sooner," said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Head of Immunology and Executive Vice President, Immunology Patient Value Unit, UCB. "Providing these resources in the context of a social network where people are seeking trusted information and authentic connection ensures we're reaching the right people, at the right time, with the right message."

Featured content within the Spondyloarthritis Resource Center includes:

An interactive quiz that helps people identify symptoms related to spondyloarthritis

A discussion guide that helps them talk with their doctor about the symptoms

An infographic that explains key information about the condition

A step-by-step illustrated guide to exercises for better posture, which can help relieve discomfort

"Every day we see that people are taking an active role in managing their health, and providing them with the tools to better understand and address a disease like SpA is an important part of our commitment to members," said Eric Peacock, co-founder and CEO of MyHealthTeams. "Teaming with a global biopharmaceutical leader like UCB, with a focus on patients living with spondyloarthritis, is hugely valuable to MySpondylitisTeam members, and it's a great example of how social networks serve as a powerful two-way communications channel between the industry and consumers."

MySpondylitisTeam has attracted more than 15,000 registered members since its debut earlier this year. In addition to the web, MySpondylitisTeam and the new Spondyloarthritis Resource Center are available via native mobile app for both iOS and Android.

About Spondyloarthritis

Spondyloarthritis is a family of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases impacting joints and the spine, which are chronic, painful and progressively debilitating conditions, where ongoing inflammation and disease progression leave patients with reduced mobility and functionality, as well as joint stiffness and crippling pain in affected areas.

About MyHealthTeams

MyHealthTeams believes that if you are diagnosed with a chronic condition, it should be easy to find and connect with others like you. MyHealthTeams creates social networks for people living with a chronic health condition. More than 1.5 million people have joined one of the company's 29 highly engaged communities focusing on the following conditions: Crohn's and colitis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, fibromyalgia, pulmonary hypertension, spondylitis, eczema, hyperhidrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, hemophilia, depression, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, COPD, chronic pain, migraines, food allergies, obesity, HIV, PCOS, endometriosis, breast cancer and autism. MyHealthTeams' social networks are available in 13 countries.

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 7,500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of 4.2 billion in 2016. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

SOURCE MyHealthTeams

Related Links

http://myhealthteams.com


WATERTOWN, Mass., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SQZ Biotechnologies (SQZ), a cell therapy company developing novel treatments for multiple therapeutic areas, announced the completion of an oversubscribed $72 million Series C financing. New investors include Everblue, Illumina Ventures, Invus, Orient Life, and Viva Ventures Biotech Group. Existing investors also participated and include Bridger Healthcare Partners, Global Health Science Fund, GV, JDRF T1D Fund, NanoDimension, and Polaris.

"We are deeply appreciative of the excitement and support investors have expressed for the SQZ vision," said Armon Sharei, PhD, SQZ's co-founder and CEO. "Our cell therapy platform has transformative potential and with this funding, we have the financial strength to drive our programs in solid tumors and autoimmune diseases to the clinic, taking us closer to our goal of bringing high impact cell therapies to patients in need."

The SQZ platform directly engineers complex cell functions without affecting cell health, with a simple and scalable process. The therapeutic platform can bring cell therapies into indications where new and innovative treatments are needed the most.

Proceeds from the financing support SQZ's most advanced programs in solid tumors and auto-immunity. These first applications focus on SQZ's unique potential to generate target-specific immune responses in patients through natural mechanisms. The Company's lead program in antigen presenting cells (APCs) for oncology will have its first application in multiple HPV+ tumor indications; future applications will address solid tumors across cancer types. SQZ's APCs are engineered to deliver tumor-associated antigens that aim to prime and activate a patient's endogenous killer T cells against the target of choice in order to infiltrate tumors and destroy them. The Company's immune tolerance programs aim to leverage similar mechanisms to shut down target-specific immune responses. SQZ is currently pursuing type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune indications.

In association with the financing, Marc Elia, Partner at Bridger Healthcare, and Zafi Avnur, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Quark Venture (Global Health Science Fund) have joined SQZ's board of Directors. Mr. Elia, having been an investor in SQZ since 2016, has been an advisor to the company and now formally brings his 20 years of industry experience to the board. Dr. Avnur's relationship with SQZ began during her time at Roche when she played a key role in establishing the partnership with SQZ. She has since been a valuable supporter and advisor to the team and now has converted her role from a board observer to a board member.

"SQZ has broad patient applicability," commented Amy Schulman, SQZ's Executive Chair and Partner at Polaris. "This is a company and a team that delivers on its commitments. We welcome the new investors and board members and look forward to seeing the clinical results."

About Marc Elia

Marc Elia is a Partner at Bridger Healthcare where he has been investing in life sciences public equities since 2011. Marc currently sits on the board of Adimab LLC. Prior to his investing roles, Marc held multiple roles in the biotechnology industry, including co-founding N30 Pharmaceuticals and working in Strategy and Corporate Development at Chiron Corporation. Early in his career, Mr. Elia advised therapeutics and research tools companies in the biotechnology industry at L.E.K. Consulting.

About Zafi Avnur, PhD

Dr. Avnur joined Quark Venture (Global Health Science Fund) in 2016 as their Chief Scientific Officer, where she has focused on life science investments. She currently sits on the board of most of the Global Health Science Fund portfolio companies, including ELOXX. Zafi joined Quark from her role as Global Head of Academic Innovation for Roche Partnering that she held since 2006, and in which she led the team that generated the relationship with SQZ Biotech while they were in their earliest stages after spinning out of MIT. Dr. Avnur additionally held the role of Global Head of Neglected Diseases for Roche Partnering where she brokered collaborations and connections with non-profit organizations. Roche has recognized Dr. Avnur as a Distinguish Scientist, their highest scientific appointment. Prior to her partnering roles, Zafi worked in diagnostics and pharmaceuticals research and development for nearly 20 years.



About SQZ Biotech

SQZ Biotechnologies is a Massachusetts-based, privately held company developing cellular therapies for multiple therapeutic areas using the proprietary CellSqueeze technology. SQZ's platform enables robust, scalable delivery of materials to direct natural cell functions with minimal impact on cell health and is being used to develop a new generation of therapies. The first applications for the company leverage SQZ's ability to generate target-specific immune responses, both in activation for the treatment of solid tumors, and immune suppression for the treatment of auto-immune diseases. For more information please visit www.sqzbiotech.com.

SQZ Contact:

Rebecca Cohen

Senior Manager, Corporate Relations

[email protected]

617-758-8672 ext. 728

SQZ Media Contact:

Ryo Imai

Burns McClellan

[email protected]

212-213-0006 ext. 315

SOURCE SQZ Biotechnologies

Related Links

http://www.sqzbiotech.com


MONROVIA , California, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarmade, Inc. (OTC: SGMD), one of the largest publicly traded cannabis-related hydroponics supply companies returns to the OTCQB Venture Market trading venue as a fully reporting company with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Additionally, the Company makes comments relative to the strong revenue growth it is experiencing within the cannabis supplies marketplace.

Sugarmade expects revenue growth to at least $30 million for 2019, with operating profitability and positive operating cash flow. For the most recently reported quarter, the Company reported revenues of just under $3 million, representing a sequential revenue increase of approximately 215% and a year over year revenue increase of approximately 228%. The Company is expecting additional revenue growth over the coming quarters due to a significant increase in the number of products being offered for sale and due to continued strong momentum in cannabis cultivation in California and other U.S. states where legalization has occurred.

Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade commented, "We are very proud of the growth we are realizing. A year ago we had a staff of 22 packed into a small office and warehouse. We have now grown our staff to more than 45, with additional staff member recruitment underway, and our office and warehouse space has increased by more than 300%. Our new facility in Monrovia, Ca, will allow us to grow our revenue to our stated objective of at least $30 million for next year. All of us at Sugarmade thank our valued shareholders for all the support provided as we grow our organization to address what we believe is one of the most exciting business marketplaces seen over the past few decades."

About Sugarmade, Inc. (OTC: SGMD):

Sugarmade, Inc. is a product and brand marketing company investing in products and brands with disruptive potential. Sugarmade's brands include ZenHydro.com, CarryOutSupplies.com, and BudLife Cannabis Storage Solutions. For more information on the Company's products, please visit http://www.Sugarmade.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements also may be included in other publicly available documents issued by the Company and in oral statements made by our officers and representatives from time to time. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management's current expectations or plans for our future operating and financial performance, based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. They can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "would," "could," "will" and other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. Examples of forward looking statements include, among others, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flows, results of operations, uses of cash and other measures of financial performance.

Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others such as, but not limited to economic conditions, changes in the laws or regulations, demand for products and services of the company, the effects of competition and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or represented in the forward looking statements.

Any forward-looking information provided in this release should be considered with these factors in mind. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this report.

For inquiries please contact Jimmy Chan at (888) 982-1628 or [email protected].

SOURCE Sugarmade, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sugarmade.com


ATLANTA, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE: STI) today announced it has opened new Private Wealth Management offices in Cincinnati and Cleveland. The expansion allows SunTrust to broaden its presence in Ohio and Northern Kentucky, complementing the bank's commercial banking presence.

"Our wealth management team will help affluent families and institutional clients throughout Ohio and Northern Kentucky make confident financial decisions by delivering investment management, banking solutions and goals-based financial planning," said Joe Thompson, head of SunTrust Private Wealth Management. "Middle-market companies throughout the region have seen their businesses grow faster than the national average; in partnership with our commercial team we will advise entrepreneurs who are exploring the sale of their business."

Virginia (Ginny) Kuertz joins SunTrust Private Wealth Management as the Ohio division executive based in Cincinnati. A 34-year veteran of the Cincinnati banking community, Kuertz previously served as managing director for Southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky at J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

Karen Dulaney will lead the Cleveland office as a client advisor, reporting to Kuertz. Dulaney has spent 31 years serving clients in Cleveland, with the last 22 years focused on advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families in various roles at Key Private Bank and J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

"One year ago, SunTrust introduced its commercial banking capabilities, complementing our corporate banking presence through SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, that offers M&A advisory, capital markets, and treasury management, to businesses throughout Ohio," said Jason Cagle, Commercial Banking executive at SunTrust. "Combining local wealth management expertise with our local commercial and corporate banking teams allows SunTrust to deliver a valuable combination of both business and personal strategic advice throughout the region."

The new Ohio locations are the latest examples of SunTrust Private Wealth Management expanding into new markets. In 2017, SunTrust announced new wealth management offices in New York City, Houston and Dallas.

SunTrust is a purpose-driven company committed to Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being. For more information about SunTrust Private Wealth Management, visit www.suntrust.com/wealth-management.

About SunTrust Banks, Inc.

SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE: STI) is a purpose-driven company dedicated to Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being for the people, businesses, and communities it serves. SunTrust leads onUp, a national movement inspiring Americans to build financial confidence. Headquartered in Atlanta, the Company has two business segments: Consumer and Wholesale. Its flagship subsidiary, SunTrust Bank, operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, along with 24-hour digital access. Certain business lines serve consumer, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients nationally. As of June 30, 2018, SunTrust had total assets of $208 billion and total deposits of $161 billion. The Company provides deposit, credit, trust, investment, mortgage, asset management, securities brokerage, and capital market services. Learn more at suntrust.com.

Joe Thompson, President, SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., SunTrust Advisory Services, Inc.

Investment and Insurance Products:

Are not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured Are not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value

SunTrust Private Wealth Management is a marketing name used by SunTrust Bank, SunTrust Banks Trust Company (Cayman) Limited, SunTrust Delaware Trust Company, SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., SunTrust Advisory Services, Inc., and GFO Advisory Services, LLC which are each affiliates of SunTrust Banks, Inc. Banking and trust products and services, including investment management products and services, are provided by SunTrust Bank and SunTrust Delaware Trust Company. Securities and insurance (including annuities) are offered by SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., a SEC registered broker-dealer, member FINRA, SIPC, and a licensed insurance agency. Investment advisory services are offered by SunTrust Advisory Services, Inc., a SEC registered investment adviser. GFO Advisory Services, LLC is a SEC registered investment adviser that provides investment advisory services to a group of private investment funds and other non-investment advisory services to affiliates.

SOURCE SunTrust Banks, Inc.

Related Links

www.suntrust.com


DUBLIN, Aug 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Mobile Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market by Application (Smartphones, Cameras, Drones, Automotive, AR/VR, Robotics, Smart Boards, and PCS), Technology Node (10nm, 20 to 28nm, 7nm and Others), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

According to this report, the mobile AI market is expected to reach USD 17.83 billion by 2023 from USD 5.11 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 28.41% during the forecast period.

The growth of this market can be attributed to the increasing demand for AI-capable processors for use in mobile devices, rise in cognitive computing, and growing number of AI applications. Factors such as premium pricing of AI processors and limited number of AI experts are restraining market growth.

This report covers the mobile AI market by application, technology node, and geography.

Among all applications, smartphones are expected to hold the largest size of the market throughout the forecast period. Growing requirement for higher security, low latency, faster computing, and less reliance on connectivity is boosting the adoption of devices with dedicated AI chips. On-device AI uses dedicated AI chipsets, which are likely to become prominent in all flagship smartphones in the near future. It is expected that the use of dedicated AI chips in smartphones will increase substantially by 2023, and these chips will be available in most smartphones sold in the coming years.

The mobile AI market for AR/VR applications is expected to grow at the highest rate between 2018 and 2023. Large tech companies such as Qualcomm (US), Google, Microsoft (US), and Apple (US) have shown their interests in contributing to the growth of augmented technology by adopting strategies such as product launches, acquisitions, or funding.

AR and VR, coupled with AI, will provide smarter, more relevant, and personalized experience. For instance, in July 2017, Microsoft announced the next generation of its mixed reality HoloLens headset HoloLens 2 which will have a dedicated AI coprocessor known as the Holographic Processing Unit (HPU). Qualcomm, in February 2018, announced its Snapdragon 845 VR headset reference design to fuel next-generation VR experience.

In terms of technology node, the mobile AI market for 20-28nm is expected to grow at a high rate between 2018 and 2023. The market for drones, robotics, and surveillance cameras wherein vision processing units are used is likely to grow at a significant rate in the near future. Processors such as VPU Jetson and S32V234 are built upon 20-28nm technology nodes. These processors are used in an array of applications, including ADAS, drones, robotics, security cameras, and AR/VR headsets.

The mobile AI market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The region is becoming the center of attraction for major investments as it holds significant business expansion opportunities.

Various AI processor start-ups in China are raising funds to grow in the market. For example, ThinkForce (China) raised around USD 68 million, and DeePhi (China) raised around USD 40 million. Along with this, increasing government spending to boost the AI network in China is expected to further contribute to market growth during the forecast period.

Major players in the mobile AI market are Apple (US), NVIDIA (US), Huawei (China), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), Qualcomm (US), Intel (US), IBM (US), Microsoft (US), MediaTek (Taiwan), and Google (US).

Key Topics Covered



1 Introduction



1.1 Study Objectives

1.2 Definition

1.3 Study Scope

1.3.1 Markets Covered

1.3.2 Geographic Scope

1.3.3 Years Considered for the Study

1.4 Currency

1.5 Package Size

1.6 Limitations

1.7 Stakeholders



2 Research Methodology



2.1 Research Data

2.1.1 Secondary Data

2.1.1.1 Secondary Sources

2.1.2 Primary Data

2.1.2.1 Primary Sources

2.1.2.2 Key Industry Insights

2.1.2.3 Breakdown of Primaries

2.2 Market Size Estimation

2.2.1 Bottom-Up Approach

2.2.2 Top-Down Approach

2.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation

2.4 Research Assumptions



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights



4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Mobile AI Market

4.2 Mobile AI Market, By Technology Node (Million Units)

4.3 Market, By Application (Million Units)

4.4 Market in APAC, By Application and Country (Million Units)

4.5 Market, By Region (Million Units)



5 Market Overview



5.1 Market Dynamics

5.1.1 Drivers

5.1.1.1 Growing Demand for AI-Capable Processors in Mobile Devices

5.1.1.2 Rise of Cognitive Computing

5.1.1.3 Growing Number of AI Applications

5.1.2 Restraints

5.1.2.1 Premium Pricing of AI Processors

5.1.2.2 Limited Number of AI Experts

5.1.3 Opportunities

5.1.3.1 Dedicated Low-Cost AI Chips for Camera and Vision Applications in Mobile Devices

5.1.3.2 Growing Demand for Edge Computing in IoT

5.1.4 Challenges

5.1.4.1 Unreliability of AI Algorithms in Mobile Apps

5.1.4.2 Creating Models and Mechanisms of AI



6 Mobile AI Market, By Application



6.1 Introduction

6.2 Smartphones

6.3 Cameras

6.4 Drones

6.5 Robotics

6.6 Automotive

6.7 AR/VR

6.8 Others



7 Mobile AI Market, By Technology Node



7.1 Introduction

7.2 20-28nm

7.3 10nm

7.4 7nm and Others



8 Mobile AI Market, By Region



8.1 Introduction

8.2 North America

8.2.1 US

8.2.2 Canada

8.2.3 Mexico

8.3 Europe

8.3.1 Germany

8.3.2 UK

8.3.3 France

8.3.4 Italy

8.3.5 Rest of Europe (RoE)

8.4 Asia Pacific (APAC)

8.4.1 China

8.4.2 Japan

8.4.3 South Korea

8.4.4 Rest of APAC

8.5 Rest of the World (RoW)

8.5.1 Middle East & Africa (MEA)

8.5.2 South America



9 Competitive Landscape



9.1 Overview

9.2 Ranking Analysis

9.3 Competitive Situations and Trends

9.3.1 Product Launches and Developments

9.3.2 Agreements, Partnerships, Collaborations, and Contracts

9.3.3 Mergers & Acquisitions



10 Company Profiles



10.1 Key Players

10.1.1 Nvidia

10.1.2 Intel

10.1.3 Microsoft

10.1.4 IBM

10.1.5 Qualcomm

10.1.6 Apple

10.1.7 Huawei (Hisilicon)

10.1.8 Alphabet (Google)

10.1.9 Samsung

10.1.10 Mediatek

10.2 Other Companies

10.2.1 Graphcore

10.2.2 Cerebras Systems

10.2.3 Cambricon Technology

10.2.4 Deephi Tech

10.2.5 Shanghai Thinkforce Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. (Thinkforce)

10.2.6 Sambanova Systems

10.2.7 Rockchip (Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Co. Ltd.)

10.2.8 Thinci

10.2.9 Kneron



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jz8xcn/the_global_mobile?w=5

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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SPARTANBURG, S.C., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Innovate Fund, a Community Development Entity (CDE) managed by Tax Advantage Group and Greenville Local Development Corporation, has allocated $21.5 million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) to two projects in Spartanburg, S.C. The Franklin School, an early childhood education center in the Northside community, received a $10 million allocation and Highland Baking Co., a wholesale bread baking company, received an $11.5 million allocation for production expansion. The combined funds will support the creation of 265 direct jobs and provide vital community services to these Appalachian Regional Commission Distressed Areas of Spartanburg County.

The Franklin School

The $10.3 million project is the first major development of the Northside Initiative, a comprehensive effort led by Northside Development Group (NDG), to transform a 400-acre, once blighted and forgotten neighborhood. Located in an area with 49.5% poverty and 32.1% Median Family Income, The Franklin School, operated by Spartanburg County First Steps, will serve approximately 175 children ages 6 weeks through 5 years in a full-day, full-year program. Enrollment priority will be given to Northside residents and children zoned for Cleveland Academy, the local elementary school, of which 100 percent of students are eligible for the National School Lunch Program. Also located in a Federal Medically Underserved Area, The Franklin School will have an office for healthcare providers to meet with students and administer a variety of medical services.

"NDG and its many community partners have, and continue to work toward, a shared vision of creating a vibrant cradle-to-career education pipeline, affordable housing options, and a healthy environment that supports all stages of life, regardless of income," said Bill Barnet, NDG CEO and Board Chair, and former mayor of Spartanburg.

The Franklin School will catalyze nearly $65 million of additional follow-on private sector investments to create a community center, 90-units of mixed-income housing and additional health care services in the neighborhood.

Highland Baking Co.

Highland Baking Co. (HBC) currently has two production facilities, one located just outside of Chicago and one on Asheville Highway in Spartanburg, which opened in 2012 and quickly reached its production and employment capacities. The company currently employs 210 full-time workers in Spartanburg and operates two production lines for three shifts each day, maxing out its available cold storage space. The Innovate Fund's investment will pay for an expansion of HBC's cold storage space, allowing the company to continue its fast-paced growth by adding a third production line. This will produce 170 new direct jobs in a community with 47 percent poverty and 17.4 percent unemployment.

Stu Rosen, Chief Executive Officer of Highland Baking Co., said, "We are excited about The Innovate Fund's investment in this project, which will afford us the continued ability to grow and further solidify our commitment to the community of Spartanburg."

In an effort to foster local accessibility of its jobs, Highland Baking Co. is working with NDG to recruit and hire residents from the Northside community. Tammie Hoy Hawkins, Project Manager of NDG said, "Partnerships with businesses in our community like Highland Baking Co., who are focused on hiring locally, is paramount to the continued success of our residents. NDG is happy to serve as the connection between the community and potential employers."

Established in 2011, The Innovate Fund continues to benefit from substantial support from U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy. "We are indebted to the service of our federal legislative delegation," said Innovate Fund Program Manager Whitney Ferguson. "Their hard work ensures we have available funding to support projects like The Franklin School and Highland Baking, which have direct and lasting impacts on the quality of life for their local communities."

About The Innovate Fund

The Innovate Fund and its affiliates are designated Community Development Entities under the provisions of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which since their inception, have been awarded $217 million in allocation of New Markets Tax Credits. The Innovate Fund's mission is to serve and provide investment capital for operating businesses and real estate development projects in low-income communities across South Carolina. The Innovate Fund's partners are the Greenville Local Development Corporation and Tax Advantage Group.

About Greenville Local Development Corporation (GLDC)

Founded in 1979, Greenville Local Development Corporation (GLDC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was established by a group of committed community and business leaders in Greenville, SC to address obstacles faced by businesses and community-based organizations in obtaining conventional financing. Since inception, GLDC has been working to provide financial assistance, real estate development coordination, and strategic guidance for economic development projects and business expansions.

About Tax Advantage Group

Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Tax Advantage Group (tag) is one of the country's most successful consulting firms specializing in New Markets Tax Credits, helping nonprofit and for profit organizations access capital and transform communities. Since 2004, tag has played an instrumental role in securing funding for over $1.4 billion for community projects across the United States. In addition, tag provides compliance and asset management services on $450 million of NMTC assets.

Media Contact:

Kara Dullea

Details PR

864.275.3331

[email protected]

SOURCE Tax Advantage Group
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide each year. Truth Initiative, the national public health organization building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco, has partnered with Girl Scouts Nation's Capital in the Greater Washington Region, to engage more than 2,000 girls in the fight against tobacco.

truth x Girl Scouts patch Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

The 'Earth Defender' curriculum teaches Girl Scouts how to become the generation to end smoking, by taking a stand against the most polluted item in the world: cigarettes butts. Through this partnership with Truth Initiative, Girl Scouts is incorporating the nationally recognized truth campaign from Truth Initiative into the Girl Scout Leadership Experience program, through its three keys to leadership  Discover, Connect and Take Action!

"Almost all smokers (99%) start by the time they turn 26, making it crucial for us to provide young people with the tools necessary to recognize the industry's manipulative tactics and take a stand against a product deadly to the environment and its users," said Amy Taylor, Senior Vice President of Community and Youth Engagement at Truth Initiative. "By partnering with the Girl Scouts, we are able to reach thousands of girls and channel their creativity and interest in the environment to help form the generation that ends tobacco use for good."

The partnership will expand on the Girl Scout's mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. This first-of-its-kind, tobacco prevention curriculum will teach girls about the environmental impact of tobacco and the facts about smoking.

This program is being integrated into a variety of camp activities for Girl Scouts of all ages. Participants will receive an Earth Defender patch and cape to celebrate their completion of the curriculum. Additionally, girls who have progressed through the Girl Scout levels will serve as role models, facilitating the truth and Girl Scout curriculum to youth enrolled in the organization's community based and summer sleep-away camps. This rollout of 'Earth Defenders' will serve as a pilot program, with the potential to expand into future years.

Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO Girl Scouts Nation's Capital added, "We are excited to team up with truth to deliver this impactful program to Girl Scouts at our camps. We are challenging this generation, who care so deeply about protecting the environment, to eliminate the most littered itemcigarettes."

Check out the Earth Defenders program video here.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public-education campaign, our rigorous and scientific research and policy studies, and our innovative community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco. The Washington, D.C., -based organization, formerly known as Legacy, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about how Truth Initiative speaks, seeks and spreads the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org.

About truth

truth is one of the largest and most successful youth tobacco prevention campaigns. The campaign exposes the tactics of the tobacco industry, the truth about addiction and the health effects and social consequences of smoking. truth gives teens facts to make their own informed choices about tobacco use and inspires them to use their creativity in the fight against tobacco. The campaign is credited with preventing hundreds of thousands of teens from starting to smoke and is empowering this generation to end smoking for good. To learn more, visit thetruth.com. truth is part of Truth Initiative , a national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. To learn more about Truth Initiative, visit truthinitiative.org.

About Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

Girl Scouts provides girls in grades K-12 with opportunities to learn new skills, explore STEM, discover the outdoors, become entrepreneurs, while making new friends and having fun! Girl Scouts Nation's Capital serves the Greater Washington Region, with 87,312 members60,193 girls and 27,119 adult volunteers and lifetime members. We believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) to change the world. Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.gscnc.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative

Related Links

http://truthinitiative.org


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuition.io, the leading platform for employee student loan contributions, today announced its student loan repayment assistance program has been implemented by Carhartt, America's premium workwear brand since 1889. This new employee benefit will help Carhartt employees more quickly pay off burdensome student loan debt.

The benefit will allow participating Carhartt employees to receive monthly contributions to help pay down the principal of their student loans. Eligible full-time and part-time employees will receive contributions of $50 per month with a lifetime maximum of $10,000.

"For a company that has such a deeply-rooted history, it's impressive to see Carhartt implementing innovative ways to operate its business, and with this benefit, create value for its employees," said Scott Thompson, CEO of Tuition.io.

The national student loan debt totals nearly $1.5 trillion, and Michigan currently ranks 13th among states with the most student debt in the nation. The average student loan debt for Michigan's graduates is $30,852.

"At Carhartt, we support our associates' efforts to further their education. So for those associates who are thinking about going back to school, and for those who have already completed their college education, it's important for us to provide payment assistance on their student loans," said Jennifer Piscopink, senior vice president of human resources at Carhartt. "Working with Tuition.io is a great way for us to recognize our associates' hard work and loyalty. We think this benefit will make a meaningful impact."

The program is now available to full-time and part-time employees who have been with the company for at least 30 (non-union) or 90 (union) days. Carhartt is using Tuition.io's technology to coordinate payments directly to the employees' student loan service providers.

About Tuition.io

Tuition.io is the nation's leading employee benefit platform empowering employers to better attract, retain and engage their next generation of talent who are saddled with stifling student debt, by helping their employees reduce and better manage their student loan burden. Tuition.io works with companies of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies such as Live Nation, Staples and Estee Lauder Companies, to startups including ChowNow and Chegg, as well as public entities such as the City of Memphis. Tuition.io is on a mission to provide an impactful solution for employers and employees across the country. For more information, visit www.tuition.io or follow us at @Tuitionio.

About Carhartt, Inc.

Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium workwear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with more than 4,700 associates worldwide, Carhartt is family-owned and managed by the descendants of the company's founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.carhartt.com and follow @Carhartt on Twitter.

SOURCE Tuition.io
DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alerian announced today that Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) is expected to be removed from the Alerian Midstream Energy Index (AMNA), Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (AMZI), Alerian US Midstream Energy Index (AMUS), Alerian MLP Index (AMZ), Alerian MLP Equal Weight Index (AMZE), Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index (ANGI), and Alerian Large Cap MLP Index (AMLI) in a special rebalancing.

Special rebalancings are triggered by corporate actions such as mergers, bankruptcies, and liquidations. Pending unitholder approval, WPZ will cease to trade due to its merger with the Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB). If approved, the rebalancing will take place one full trading day after the issuance of a press release indicating all needed merger votes have passed.

Each index will be rebalanced in accordance with its existing methodology. Constituent additions to and deletions from an index do not reflect an opinion by Alerian on the investment merits of the respective securities.

About Alerian

Alerian equips investors to make informed decisions about energy infrastructure and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). Its benchmarks are widely used by industry executives, investment professionals, research analysts, and national media to analyze relative performance. As of July 31, 2018, over $15 billion is directly tied to the Alerian Index Series through exchange-traded funds and notes, separately managed accounts, and structured products. For more information, including index values and constituents, research content, and announcements regarding rebalancings, please visit alerian.com.

SOURCE Alerian

Related Links

http://www.alerian.com


BEIJING, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. ("Xinyuan" or the "Company") (NYSE: XIN), an NYSE-listed real estate developer and property manager primarily in China and in other countries, today announced that it plans to release its second quarter 2018 financial results on Wednesday, August 15, 2018, before the U.S. market opens.

The Company will hold a conference call at 8:00am ET on August 15, 2018 to discuss its second quarter 2018 results. Listeners may access the call by dialing:

US Toll Free: 1-866-575-6539 International: 1-323-994-2082

A webcast will also be available through the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.xyre.com.

A replay of the call will be available through August 22, 2018 by dialing:

US: 1-844-512-2921 International: 1-412-317-6671 Access code: 3902086

About Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.

Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. ("Xinyuan") is an NYSE-listed real estate developer and property manager primarily in China and in other countries. In China, Xinyuan develops and manages large scale, high quality real estate projects in over ten tier one and tier two cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Xi'an, Suzhou, among others. Xinyuan was one of the first Chinese real estate developers to enter the U.S. market and over the past few years has been active in real estate development in New York. Xinyuan aims to provide comfortable and convenient real estate related products and services to middle-class consumers. For more information, please visit http://www.xyre.com.

For more information, please contact:

In China:

Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.

Mr. Charles Wang

Investor Relations Director

Tel: +86 (10) 8588-9376

Email: [email protected]

ICR, LLC

Mr. William Zima

In U.S.: +1-646-308-1472

Email: [email protected]

Media:

Mr. Edmond Lococo

In China: +86 (10) 6583-7510

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.xyre.com


SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Acalvio Technologies, the global cloud deception leader, today announced availability of ShadowPlex Cloud, a fundamentally new platform designed to protect cloud assets. Built on Acalvio's patented Autonomous Deception technology, ShadowPlex Cloud detects malicious activity within public cloud environments with precision and speed, in a DevSecOps fashion, with minimal IT overhead. ShadowPlex Cloud extends deception to the cloud and supports all leading public cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

"The launch of ShadowPlex Cloud demonstrates our continued commitment to helping organizations to securely leverage public cloud platforms," said Ram Varadarajan, CEO of Acalvio. "The platform enables organizations to quickly and easily leverage the power and potential of public cloud platforms, while at the same time, protecting themselves against advanced adversaries. Through highly successful deployments at Global 1000 and SMB customers; Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) and Managed Detect and Respond (MDR) providers, ShadowPlex has established its architectural leadership, deployment efficiency and detection efficacy."

The market for deception technology is projected to reach $2.12 billion globally by the end of 2021, according to Research and Markets' Global Deception Technology Market report, demonstrating the need for deception security technology across organizations. ShadowPlex leverages seminal inventions in AI, Software Defined Networking (SDN), distributed Deception and micro-services, delivering scale, automation and authenticity with low IT impact. In addition to Detection, ShadowPlex engages with adversaries in shadow networks to understand Tools, Techniques and Processes (TTPs) to gain further insight in order to facilitate timely and effective response.

Gartner identifies deception platforms technology with "Benefit Rating: High" in its Hype Cycle for Threat-Facing Technologies, 2018. "Server workloads in hybrid data centers spanning private and public clouds require a protection strategy different from end-user-facing devices. Security and risk management leaders should evaluate and deploy offerings specifically designed for cloud workload protection," wrote Neil MacDonald, VP Distinguished Analyst, Gartner, in the Market Guide for Cloud Workload Protection Platforms.

ShadowPlex Cloud leverages AI to engineer and deploy a rich mix of deceptions at scale, powers it from the cloud and blends it with target assets. Cloud-specific decoys include Infrastructure Compute, Services, Storage, and even Application Decoys (Containers, Kubernetes Clusters, etc.). Specific benefits of the ShadowPlex Cloud platform include:

Effective Deception: Acalvio's FluidDeception automatically presents attackers with a comprehensive environment of realistic and non-fingerprintable decoys, lures, baits and breadcrumbs that blend in with an organization's actual network and assets.

Acalvio's FluidDeception automatically presents attackers with a comprehensive environment of realistic and non-fingerprintable decoys, lures, baits and breadcrumbs that blend in with an organization's actual network and assets. Flexible Deployment: DevOps for Deception dramatically reduces the cost of operation compared to first generation deception products by dynamically and automatically deploying the most effective and relevant deceptions. By delivering deception in and from the cloud, organizations can easily implement dynamic deceptions wherever their assets are deployed.

DevOps for Deception dramatically reduces the cost of operation compared to first generation deception products by dynamically and automatically deploying the most effective and relevant deceptions. By delivering deception in and from the cloud, organizations can easily implement dynamic deceptions wherever their assets are deployed. Scalability: DeceptionFarms TM simplify the management of distributed deceptions across network topologies. Acalvio's solution does not require access to trunk or span ports and costly infrastructure changes.

DeceptionFarms simplify the management of distributed deceptions across network topologies. Acalvio's solution does not require access to trunk or span ports and costly infrastructure changes. Low IT Impact: ShadowPlex Cloud's unique combination of AI, SDN, Dynamic Deception and Cloud Technology resulting in Autonomous Deception dramatically lowers the cost of deploying Deception solutions. The platform simultaneously increases efficacy, when compared to first generation deception products, by dynamically and automatically deploying the most effective and relevant deceptions.

"As enterprises transition to the public cloud, the ability to efficiently secure all workloads in heterogeneous hybrid multi-cloud environments is increasingly important," said Jack Poller, Senior Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. "Acalvio is the first to offer a unified platform for public, private, and hybrid cloud deception. ShadowPlex Cloud represents a new benchmark in deception technology ease of deployment, detection efficacy, scalability, user experience and API support."

Suspicious events detected by ShadowPlex Cloud are sent to the pertinent security ecosystem components for timely processing, containment, and remediation. Prebuilt integrations are available with:

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms

Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Firewall platforms, EDR platforms, NOC platforms, etc.

Furthermore, ShadowPlex Cloud offers APIs to all of its facilities so that the Deception Engine can be orchestrated from SIEM, SOAR, Incident Response (IR) and Security Operations Center (SOC) environments in a DevSecOps fashion. Additionally, ShadowPlex Cloud can be delivered from Acalvio's SOC2 compliant Public Cloud instances, client's Cloud instances or through Acalvio's MSSP partners.

"As organizations increasingly move critical workloads to the cloud, they will need to employ a comprehensive threat management strategy. This includes having a strong focus on detecting and responding to threats within public cloud environments. Having an advanced, automated and intelligent threat protection platform, can help provide assurance to business that their critical workloads in the cloud are well protected," said Ravi Mishra, Head of Market Research at FireCompass. "Acalvio's ShadowPlex Cloud is the first comprehensive active deception solution we have seen, that covers all major public clouds, in addition to hybrid and on-premises environments. Having a unified approach to threat detection and response across the enterprise is something every cloud-bound organization should seriously consider."

"High Fidelity and Timely Detection of malicious activity is a key imperative and pre-requisite to effective containment and remediation. Consequently, deployment of deception-based Advanced Threat Defense is a strategic imperative," said Golan Ben-Oni, CIO at IDT Corporation. "ShadowPlex Cloud represents a very significant architectural advancement in the Cloud Deception space. It is a very prudent investment for organizations looking to protect their cloud assets."

About Acalvio

Acalvio provides Advanced Threat Defense solutions to detect, engage and respond to malicious activity inside the perimeter. Acalvio's Autonomous Deception Platform, ShadowPlex is anchored on patented innovations in Dynamic Deception, Software Defined Networking and Data Science. ShadowPlex enables a DevOps approach to deploying enterprise-scale pervasive deception with low IT administrative overhead. ShadowPlex delivers comprehensive threat intelligence by integrating with other 'best in class' solutions in the security industry, enabling customers to benefit from defense in depth; lower false positives; and derive actionable intelligence for remediation. Acalvio has blue chip clients and partners; and is the recipient of 2018 Trust Award from SC Magazine and the RSA 2018 Innovation Sandbox finalist award. The Silicon Valley based company is led by an experienced team with a track record of innovation and market leadership and backed by marquee investors. For more information, please visit www.acalvio.com

Media Contact:

John Kreuzer

[email protected]

(408) 896-3307

SOURCE Acalvio Technologies

Related Links

https://www.acalvio.com


LANSING, Mich., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Accident Fund Insurance Company of America presented a 2018 WorkSafe Award to the management and employees of Midwest Landscapes of Otsego, Minn. Accident Fund presents the award throughout the U.S. to companies who demonstrate a commitment to workplace safety excellence. Midwest Landscapes provides commercial and residential landscaping and snow removal services in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area.

Accident Fund has provided workers' compensation insurance to Midwest Landscapes since 2015 through USI Insurance Services National Inc. of Minneapolis.

"Midwest Landscapes has placed safety as a top priority," said Tara Bursey, senior loss control consultant at Accident Fund. "They have gone more than three years without a lost time injury, which is quite an achievement in the landscape industry. The credit goes to their management and committed employees, who take safety seriously and are always open to suggestions for improvement. They complete daily toolbox talks and never miss an opportunity to emphasize the importance of a safe work environment. The collaboration between Midwest Landscapes management and employees, USI Insurance Services and our team of experts at Accident Fund helped make this possible."

"The safety record of Midwest Landscapes employees shows their dedication not only to creating a culture of excellence and their workmanship, but also in the safety for themselves and those around them," said Matt Prasky, vice president of Midwest Landscapes. "We are extremely proud of our hard-working team for the principles of safety that they are adhering to."

About Accident Fund

Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is a member of AF Group. Insurance policies may be issued by any of the following companies within AF Group: Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Accident Fund National Insurance Company, Accident Fund General Insurance Company, United Wisconsin Insurance Company, Third Coast Insurance Company or CompWest Insurance Company.

Contact:

Bob Lapinski

(517) 708-5664 or (517) 331-4890

[email protected]

AFGroup.com

SOURCE Accident Fund Insurance Company of America

Related Links

http://www.afgroup.com/


COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- More than three in four financial advisors (76 percent) say their clients are confident in their plan to pay health care costs in retirement beyond what Medicare covers. However, when you ask their clients more than one in three (35 percent) don't feel the same.

"Our survey reveals a gap between what advisors think and what many of their clients think when it comes to health care costs in retirement," said Ron Ransom, senior vice president of integrated relationship strategies for Nationwide. "The rising costs of health care impacts everyone and many clients are worried. Advisors can build their confidence by having more conversations about their plan to cover those health care costs."

A Nationwide Retirement Institute advisor survey finds that 65 percent of their clients have a plan to pay for health care costs beyond what Medicare covers and 76 percent of advisors say their clients are confident their plan has those costs covered.

The online survey of 252 financial advisors by The Harris Poll, conducted on behalf of Nationwide, finds that 72 percent of advisors report that paying health care costs in retirement is a frequent concern their clients express and 63 percent say their clients expect advice on health care costs in retirement.

Advisors also know there are risks not having these conversations. In fact, 34 percent of advisors say their clients would likely leave them if they didn't help them estimate and plan for out of pocket health care costs in retirement.

What clients are saying

A recent Nationwide Retirement Institute consumer survey conducted online by The Harris Poll of 1,007 adults over 50 with a household income of at least $150,000 finds nearly three out of four (73 percent) list out-of-control health care costs as one of their top fears in retirement. And 35 percent of affluent, older adults who work with an advisor say they are not confident in their plan for paying for health care costs beyond what Medicare pays.

While 63 percent of future retirees say they are concerned about not having money to cover unplanned medical expenses, 52 percent of those who have a financial advisor haven't talked with their financial advisor about health care costs; most commonly because they consider it a personal issue (37 percent).

Open dialogue is crucial  but challenging

Nearly all advisors think it is at least somewhat important that they raise the health care costs in retirement topic with their clients (98 percent), and most think it is very important (71 percent). However, 75 percent of advisors admit that it is at least somewhat challenging to discuss how much clients should expect to pay in health care costs apart from Medicare in retirement.

"While often considered personal, you can't adequately plan for health care costs without discussing the topic," Ransom said. "Balancing health care costs with a lifestyle goals conversation may make it easier for the advisor to best address their client's anticipated or unanticipated needs in retirement."

To help advisors have these conversations, Nationwide's Health Care Cost Assessment tool uses proprietary health risk analysis and updated actuarial cost data such as personal health and lifestyle information, health care costs, and medical coverage. It provides a meaningful, personalized cost estimate that will help advisors and clients estimate future medical and long-term care expenses.

Advisors can visit www.nationwidefinancial.com/HealthCareinsights to learn more.

About the advisor survey

The survey of 252 financial advisors with at least 50 percent of their clients having total investable assets of $250,000 or more was conducted online from Oct. 16-26, 2017. The advisor data was not weighted and therefore is only representative of those who were surveyed. Because the sample is based on those who were invited to participate in the Harris Poll Online research panel, we cannot calculate estimates of theoretical margin of sampling error.

About the consumer survey

The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Nationwide Retirement Institute between February 5 and February 22, 2018, among 1,007 U.S. adults aged 50 or older with a household income of $150,000 or more ("affluent adults"), including 634 future retirees, 506 who work with a financial advisor, and 553 employed affluent adults. Data are weighted where necessary by age by gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, income, marital status, and propensity to be online to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Because the sample is based on those who were invited to participate in the Harris Poll Online research panel, we cannot calculate estimates of theoretical margin of sampling error.

About Nationwide

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

This material is not a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, or rollover any asset, adopt an investment strategy, retain a specific investment manager or use a particular account type. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, tax and financial condition or particular needs of any specific person. Investors should work with their financial professional to discuss their specific situation.

This information is general in nature and is not intended to be tax, legal, accounting or other professional advice. The information provided is based on current laws, which are subject to change at any time, and has not been endorsed by any government agency.

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation (NISC), member FINRA, Columbus, OH. Nationwide Retirement Institute is a division of NISC.

Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side, Nationwide Retirement Institute and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.  2018 Nationwide

NFM-17810AO

Contact:

Charley Gillespie

(614) 249-5701

[email protected]

SOURCE Nationwide

Related Links

http://www.nationwide.com


TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AquaVenture Holdings Limited (NYSE: WAAS) ("AquaVenture" or the "Company"), a leader in Water-as-a-ServiceTM ("WAASTM") solutions, today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Highlights

Total revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2018 were $34.4 million compared to $29.8 million in the same period of 2017, reflecting a 15.4% increase. On a segment basis, revenues for Quench and Seven Seas Water increased 26.5% and 4.1%, respectively, over the prior year period.

were compared to in the same period of 2017, reflecting a 15.4% increase. On a segment basis, revenues for Quench and Seven Seas Water increased 26.5% and 4.1%, respectively, over the prior year period. Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was $4.9 million , or ($0.19) per share, compared to net loss of $5.3 million , or ($0.20) per share, in the same period of 2017.

was , or per share, compared to net loss of , or per share, in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was $11.2 million , a 17.0% increase over the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 32.6%, an improvement of 40 basis points over 32.2% in the prior year period.

was , a 17.0% increase over the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 32.6%, an improvement of 40 basis points over 32.2% in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction contract for the three months ended June 30, 2018 increased 16.1% to $12.4 million from $10.7 million in the same period of 2017.

construction contract for the three months ended increased 16.1% to from in the same period of 2017. Quench completed two acquisitions during the three months ended June 30, 2018 , acquiring substantially all of the point-of-use water filtration assets of Aqua Coolers in April and Avalon Water in June. In addition, Quench acquired the point-of-use water filtration assets of Alpine Water Systems on August 6, 2018 . These asset acquisitions collectively added over 19,000 rental units to Quench's installed asset base.

"I am pleased to report another strong operational quarter for AquaVenture, which reflected improving performance in both business segments. For the second quarter, we delivered year-over-year consolidated revenue growth of 15.4% and Adjusted EBITDA growth of 17.0%," said Doug Brown, AquaVenture's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "These results were driven by both organic increases from strong underlying business operations and inorganic additions from completed acquisitions. We successfully closed two acquisitions during the quarter, and another acquisition in early August, bringing Quench's total installed asset base to over 125,000 units. On the M&A front, our team is actively working through multiple deal opportunities, in addition to diligently working to close the previously announced acquisitions. We remain committed to driving growth in both businesses to bring clean, potable water to more people throughout the world."

Recent Developments

Quench Acquisitions. On April 2, 2018, Quench acquired substantially all the assets of JMS Group, Inc., d/b/a Aqua Coolers, a point-of-use water filtration company based in Chicago, Illinois. On June 4, 2018, Quench acquired substantially all the assets of La Ferla Group LLC, d/b/a Avalon Water, a point-of-use water filtration company based in Atlanta, Georgia. These acquisitions increased our customer density in top markets, and Avalon Water marks the first acquisition of a Wellsys dealer since the acquisition of Wellsys in September 2017.

In addition, on August 6, 2018, Quench acquired substantially all the assets of Alpine Water Systems, LLC, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alpine is a leading provider of filtered water coolers with over 20 years of experience serving large national customers, and has operations in eleven major metropolitan areas across the United States. This transaction expanded Quench's presence into two new markets and increased customer density in existing markets.

These acquisitions collectively added over 5,000 customers and 19,000 units to Quench's installed asset base at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $23 million.

Consolidated Financial Performance

For the second quarter of 2018, total revenues increased 15.4% to $34.4 million from $29.8 million in the 2017 period. Total gross margin increased 60 basis points to 52.9% for the second quarter of 2018 from 52.3% in the same period of 2017.

Total selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") increased to $19.3 million in the second quarter of 2018 from $17.4 million in the same period of 2017.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2018 was $4.9 million, compared to a net loss of $5.3 million in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $11.2 million for the second quarter of 2018, a 17.0% increase over $9.6 million in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 32.6% for the second quarter of 2018 increased 40 basis points from 32.2% in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA plus the principal collected on the Peru construction contract was $12.4 million in the second quarter of 2018, an increase of 16.1% over $10.7 million in the same period of 2017.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $8.7 million compared to $6.2 million for the same period of 2017. Capital expenditures were $4.4 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $4.0 million in the same period of 2017.

As of June 30, 2018, cash and cash equivalents were $107.4 million and total debt was $171.7 million.

For the six months ended June 30, 2018, total revenue increased 13.9% to $67.0 million from $58.8 million in the same period of 2017. Gross margin was 52.6% compared to 52.1% in the prior year period, an increase of 50 basis points. Total SG&A increased to $38.9 million for the first half of 2018, compared to $34.6 million in the first half of 2017. Net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $11.3 million, or ($0.42) per share, compared to a net loss of $11.3 million, or ($0.43) per share, in the prior year period.

Adjusted EBITDA was $21.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, a 17.2% increase over Adjusted EBITDA of $18.4 million in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA Margin increased 90 basis points to 32.2%, compared to 31.3% in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA plus the principal collected on the Peru construction contract was $24.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, an increase of 16.3% over the same period of 2017.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $13.8 million compared to $12.4 for the same period of 2017. Capital expenditures were $7.2 million for the first half of 2018, flat with the prior year period.

Second Quarter 2018 Segment Results

Seven Seas Water

Seven Seas Water revenues of $15.4 million for the second quarter of 2018 increased 4.1% from $14.8 million in the same period of 2017. This organic increase was mainly driven by our USVI operations, which had $0.4 million higher revenue primarily due to increases in production volumes in the current quarter compared to the same period of 2017. In addition, our BVI operations had $0.2 million higher revenues primarily due to increases in the water rate compared to the prior year period.

Seven Seas Water gross margin of 56.1% for the second quarter of 2018 increased 620 basis points from 49.9% in the same period of 2017. The increase was primarily due to lower costs at our Peru operations, which incurred elevated repairs and maintenance expense during the 2017 period in connection with planned post-acquisition integration activities and adverse weather conditions. In addition, gross margin benefited from higher revenues without a commensurate increase in costs in both our USVI and BVI operations.

Seven Seas Water SG&A for the second quarter of 2018 increased $0.5 million to $7.1 million compared to the prior year period. The increase was mainly due to $0.3 million higher share-based compensation expense due to new equity awards granted in the first quarter of 2018 and a $0.1 million increase in acquisition-related expenses.

Net loss for our Seven Seas Water segment was $1.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared to a net loss of $1.9 million in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA of $7.3 million for the second quarter of 2018 increased 15.2% over $6.4 million in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA Margin increased 460 basis points to 47.7% in the second quarter of 2018 from 43.1% in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction contract was $8.5 million in the second quarter of 2018, an increase of 14.2% over $7.5 million in the prior year period.

For the six months ended June 30, 2018, Seven Seas Water revenues were $30.1 million, an increase of 4.2% over revenues of $28.9 million in the same period of 2017. Gross margin increased 590 basis points to 56.0% from 50.1% in the prior year period. Total SG&A expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2018 increased $1.2 million to $14.7 million from $13.5 million in the same period of 2017. Net loss for the first half of 2018 was $3.9 million compared to a net loss of $4.7 million for the first half of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $14.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, an increase of 18.8% over $12.2 million in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA Margin increased 590 basis points to 48.2% from 42.3% in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction contract was $16.9 million, a 17.2% increase over $14.4 million in the same period of 2017.

Quench

Quench revenues of $19.1 million for the second quarter of 2018 increased 26.5% from $15.1 million in the same period of 2017. Rental revenues increased $1.8 million, or 14.0%, compared to the prior year period, including 6.4% organic growth from additional units placed under new leases in excess of unit attrition. Other revenues increased $2.2 million compared to the same period of 2017, driven by the inclusion of dealer equipment sales resulting from our September 2017 Wellsys acquisition, partially offset by a decline in direct customer equipment sales.

Quench gross margin for the second quarter of 2018 decreased 440 basis points to 50.2% from 54.6% for the same period of 2017, primarily due to the inclusion of lower-margin equipment revenue from our Wellsys business that was acquired in September 2017, which is recorded in other revenues.

Quench SG&A for the second quarter of 2018 increased $1.4 million to $11.2 million compared to the same period of 2017. The increase was primarily due to $0.6 million higher amortization expense primarily related to intangible assets from recent acquisitions and $0.4 million in higher compensation and benefits expense driven by increased headcount, primarily from the inclusion of staff added from certain acquisitions and additional resources to support our inorganic growth strategy.

Quench had a net loss of $2.3 million for the second quarter of 2018 compared to a net loss of $2.6 million in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA of $4.7 million for the second quarter of 2018 increased 12.9% over $4.1 million in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA Margin decreased 290 basis points to 24.4% in the second quarter of 2018 from 27.3% in the prior year period.

For the six months ended June 30, 2018, Quench reported total revenue of $36.8 million, a 23.3% increase compared to the prior year period revenue of $29.9 million. Gross margin decreased 420 basis points to 49.8% compared to 54.0% in the same period of 2017. Total SG&A expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2018 increased $2.7 million to $21.9 million. Net loss for the first half of 2018 was $4.9 million, compared to a net loss of $5.2 million in the first half of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $8.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, a 10.2% increase over $7.9 million in the same period of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA Margin decreased 280 basis points to 23.8% compared to 26.6% in the prior year period.

Corporate and Other

Corporate and Other SG&A for the second quarter of 2018 decreased to $1.0 million from $1.1 million in the same period of 2017. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, SG&A was $2.2 million compared to $2.0 million in the prior year period.

2018 Outlook

For the full year 2018 outlook, the Company reaffirms that it expects to achieve the following financing results, which includes the results of the acquisitions completed since the beginning of 2018:

Revenues between $131 million and $136 million ;

and ; Adjusted EBITDA between $42 million and $47 million ;

and ; Principal collected on the Peru construction contract is projected to be $4.9 million ; and

construction contract is projected to be ; and Adjusted EBITDA plus the principal collected on the Peru construction contract between $47 million and $52 million .

The impact of the binding agreement with Abengoa Water to purchase a majority interest in a desalination plant in Accra, Ghana has not been included in the 2018 outlook due to the pending conditions precedent.

The above statements are based on current expectations and supersede previously provided guidance. These statements are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. We do not provide GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome of unusual gains and losses, acquisition-related expenses and purchase accounting fair value adjustments, among other factors, without unreasonable effort. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could be material to our results computed in accordance with GAAP.

About AquaVenture

AquaVenture is a multinational provider of WAASTM solutions that provide customers a reliable and cost-effective source of clean drinking and process water primarily under long-term contracts that minimize capital investment by the customer. AquaVenture is composed of two operating platforms: Quench, a U.S.-based provider of Point-of-Use, or POU, filtered water systems and related services to more than 45,000 institutional and commercial customers; and Seven Seas Water, a multinational provider of desalination and wastewater treatment solutions, providing more than 8.5 billion gallons of potable, high purity industrial grade and ultra-pure water per year to governmental, municipal, industrial and hospitality customers.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

AquaVenture will host an investor conference call on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Prior to the conference call, AquaVenture will post an investor presentation on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.aquaventure.com. Interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call by dialing 1-877-407-0789, or, for international callers, 1-201-689-8562 and ask for the AquaVenture conference call. Replays of the entire call will be available through August 15, 2018 at 1-844-512-2921, or, for international callers, at 1-412-317-6671, conference ID #13681394. A webcast of the conference call will also be available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.aquaventure.com. A copy of this press release is also available on the Company's website.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release regarding management's future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans or prospects, including, without limitation, statements relating to AquaVenture's strategic focus; its forecast of full-year 2018 financial results; expectations regarding future business development and acquisition activities; its expectations regarding performance, growth, cash flows and margins from recently completed and pending acquisitions; and the impacts on operating results of the timing, size and accounting treatment of acquisitions, constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "could increase the likelihood," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is planned," "may," "should," "will," "will enable," "would be expected," "look forward," "may provide," "would" or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including those risks, uncertainties and factors detailed in AquaVenture's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, AquaVenture's actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. AquaVenture is providing the information in this press release as of this date and assumes no obligations to update the information included in this press release or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (IN THOUSANDS)







June 30,

December 31,





2018

2017

ASSETS













Current Assets:













Cash and cash equivalents

$ 107,402

$ 118,090

Restricted cash



2,000





Trade receivables, net of allowances of $705 and $1,045, respectively



16,483



19,593

Inventory



10,177



8,228

Current portion of long-term receivables



6,127



6,878

Prepaid expenses and other current assets



3,906



3,874

Total current assets



146,095



156,663

Property, plant and equipment, net



112,568



112,771

Construction in progress



9,722



10,437

Restricted cash



3,635



4,269

Long-term receivables



41,440



43,796

Other assets



4,843



4,307

Deferred tax asset



407



38

Intangible assets, net



125,168



122,169

Goodwill



101,666



99,495

Total assets

$ 545,544

$ 553,945

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY













Current Liabilities:













Accounts payable

$ 4,588

$ 3,508

Accrued liabilities



10,150



12,837

Current portion of long-term debt



6,246



6,483

Deferred revenue



2,687



2,454

Total current liabilities



23,671



25,282

Long-term debt



165,466



167,772

Deferred tax liability



5,334



5,266

Other long-term liabilities



11,670



11,429

Total liabilities



206,141



209,749

Commitments and contingencies













Shareholders' Equity













Ordinary shares, no par value, 250,000 shares authorized; 26,580 and 26,482

shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017,

respectively









Additional paid-in capital



575,257



568,593

Accumulated other comprehensive income



(207)



(17)

Accumulated deficit



(235,647)



(224,380)

Total shareholders' equity



339,403



344,196

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$ 545,544

$ 553,945



AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)







Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,





2018

2017

2018

2017

Revenues:

























Bulk water

$ 14,360

$ 13,614

$ 28,056

$ 26,579

Rental



14,821



13,006



28,780



25,810

Financing



1,015



1,150



2,063



2,333

Other



4,249



2,070



8,060



4,059

Total revenues



34,445



29,840



66,959



58,781

Cost of revenues:

























Bulk water



6,743



7,394



13,250



14,440

Rental



6,654



5,671



13,110



11,425

Other



2,842



1,171



5,368



2,307

Total cost of revenues



16,239



14,236



31,728



28,172

Gross profit



18,206



15,604



35,231



30,609

Selling, general and administrative expenses



19,289



17,424



38,863



34,610

Loss from operations



(1,083)



(1,820)



(3,632)



(4,001)

Other expense:

























Interest expense, net



(3,354)



(2,613)



(6,604)



(5,361)

Other expense, net



(152)



(93)



(292)



(275)

Loss before income tax expense



(4,589)



(4,526)



(10,528)



(9,637)

Income tax expense



332



764



739



1,654

Net loss



(4,921)



(5,290)



(11,267)



(11,291)

Other comprehensive income:

























Foreign currency translation adjustment



(107)







(190)





Comprehensive loss

$ (5,028)

$ (5,290)

$ (11,457)

$ (11,291)





























Loss per share  basic and diluted

$ (0.19)

$ (0.20)

$ (0.42)

$ (0.43)





























Weighted-average shares outstanding  basic and diluted



26,550



26,415



26,521



26,401



AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (IN THOUSANDS)







Six Months Ended June 30,





2018

2017

Cash flows from operating activities:













Net loss

$ (11,267)

$ (11,291)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:













Depreciation and amortization



16,051



14,331

Share-based compensation expense



6,649



5,910

Provision for bad debts



473



217

Deferred income tax provision



(300)



1,449

Inventory adjustment



106



109

Loss on disposal of assets



938



642

Amortization of debt financing fees



475



415

Other



25



75

Change in operating assets and liabilities:













Trade receivables



2,964



970

Inventory



(1,878)



(384)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets



77



(1,864)

Long-term receivable



3,108



3,076

Other assets



(1,671)



(1,298)

Current liabilities



(2,195)



(213)

Long-term liabilities



216



236

Net cash provided by operating activities



13,771



12,380

Cash flows from investing activities:













Capital expenditures



(7,215)



(7,188)

Net cash paid for acquisition of assets or business



(12,457)



(2,143)

Other



16





Net cash used in investing activities



(19,656)



(9,331)

Cash flows from financing activities:













Payments of long-term debt



(3,369)



(13,901)

Payment of debt financing fees



(71)





Proceeds from exercise of stock options



86



36

Shares withheld to cover minimum tax withholdings on equity awards



(203)



(251)

Proceeds from the issuance of Employee Stock Purchase Plan shares



132





Issuance costs from issuance of ordinary shares in IPO







(1,167)

Net cash used in financing activities



(3,425)



(15,283)

Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash



(12)





Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash



(9,322)



(12,234)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period



122,359



101,395

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$ 113,037

$ 89,161



AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - SEGMENT DATA (IN THOUSANDS)







Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate







Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total

Water

Quench

& Other

Total

Revenues:

















































Bulk water

$ 14,360

$ 

$ 

$ 14,360

$ 13,614

$ 

$ 

$ 13,614

Rental







14,821







14,821







13,006







13,006

Financing



1,015











1,015



1,150











1,150

Other







4,249







4,249







2,070







2,070

Total revenues



15,375



19,070







34,445



14,764



15,076







29,840

Gross profit:

















































Bulk water



7,617











7,617



6,220











6,220

Rental







8,167







8,167







7,335







7,335

Financing



1,015











1,015



1,150











1,150

Other







1,407







1,407







899







899

Total gross profit



8,632



9,574







18,206



7,370



8,234







15,604

Selling, general and

administrative expenses



7,142



11,188



959



19,289



6,613



9,749



1,062



17,424

Income (loss) from

operations



1,490



(1,614)



(959)



(1,083)



757



(1,515)



(1,062)



(1,820)

Other (expense) income,

net



(2,591)



(792)



(123)



(3,506)



(2,026)



(1,003)



323



(2,706)

Loss before income tax

expense



(1,101)



(2,406)



(1,082)



(4,589)



(1,269)



(2,518)



(739)



(4,526)

Income tax expense

(benefit)



472



(140)







332



675



89







764

Net loss

$ (1,573)

$ (2,266)

$ (1,082)

$ (4,921)

$ (1,944)

$ (2,607)

$ (739)

$ (5,290)



AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - SEGMENT DATA (IN THOUSANDS)







Six Months Ended June 30, 2018

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate







Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total

Water

Quench

& Other

Total

Revenues:

















































Bulk water

$ 28,056

$ 

$ 

$ 28,056

$ 26,579

$ 

$ 

$ 26,579

Rental







28,780







28,780







25,810







25,810

Financing



2,063











2,063



2,333











2,333

Other







8,060







8,060







4,059







4,059

Total revenues



30,119



36,840







66,959



28,912



29,869







58,781

Gross profit:

















































Bulk water



14,806











14,806



12,139











12,139

Rental







15,670







15,670







14,385







14,385

Financing



2,063











2,063



2,333











2,333

Other







2,692







2,692







1,752







1,752

Total gross profit



16,869



18,362







35,231



14,472



16,137







30,609

Selling, general and

administrative expenses



14,745



21,907



2,211



38,863



13,465



19,160



1,985



34,610

Income (loss) from

operations



2,124



(3,545)



(2,211)



(3,632)



1,007



(3,023)



(1,985)



(4,001)

Other (expense) income,

net



(5,085)



(1,557)



(254)



(6,896)



(4,217)



(2,036)



617



(5,636)

Loss before income tax

expense



(2,961)



(5,102)



(2,465)



(10,528)



(3,210)



(5,059)



(1,368)



(9,637)

Income tax expense

(benefit)



966



(227)







739



1,489



165







1,654

Net loss

$ (3,927)

$ (4,875)

$ (2,465)

$ (11,267)

$ (4,699)

$ (5,224)

$ (1,368)

$ (11,291)



AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED KEY METRICS

(IN THOUSANDS)

Management uses key metrics for internal reporting and forecasting purposes, when publicly providing its business outlook, to evaluate the Company's performance and to evaluate and compensate the Company's executives. The Company has provided these metrics because it understands that some investors and financial analysts find this information helpful in analyzing the Company's financial results and comparing the Company's financial performance to that of its peer companies and competitors.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Among the key metrics are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company has provided non-GAAP financial measures in addition to GAAP financial results because it believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to certain investors and financial analysts for comparisons across accounting periods not influenced by certain non-cash items that are not used by management when evaluating the Company's historical and prospective financial performance.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA, a nonGAAP financial measure, is defined as earnings (loss) before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization as well as adjusting for the following items: sharebased compensation expense, gain or loss on disposal of assets, acquisitionrelated expenses, goodwill impairment charges, changes in deferred revenue related to our bulk water business, ERP system implementation charges for a SaaS solution and certain adjustments recorded in connection with purchase accounting for acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Management believes that the use of Adjusted EBITDA, which is used by management as a key metric to assess performance, provides consistency and comparability with our past financial performance, and facilitates periodtoperiod comparisons of operations. Management believes that it is useful to exclude certain charges, such as depreciation and amortization, and noncore operational charges, from Adjusted EBITDA because (1) the amount of such expenses in any specific period may not directly correlate to the underlying performance of our business operations and (2) such expenses can vary significantly between periods.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

Adjusted EBITDA Margin, a non-GAAP financial measure, is defined as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue.



A reconciliation of our GAAP net loss to Adjusted EBITDA, for the periods presented is shown below:

































Three Months Ended June 30, 2018





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Net loss

$ (1,573)

$ (2,266)

$ (1,082)

$ (4,921)

Depreciation and amortization



3,675



4,516







8,191

Interest expense, net



2,441



790



123



3,354

Income tax expense (benefit)



472



(140)







332

Share-based compensation expense



2,179



980



207



3,366

Loss on disposal of assets



3



382







385

Acquisition-related expenses



191



22







213

Changes in deferred revenue related to our bulk water business



(55)











(55)

ERP implementation charges for a SAAS solution







370







370

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 7,333

$ 4,654

$ (752)

$ 11,235





























Adjusted EBITDA Margin



47.7 %

24.4 %

 %

32.6 %

































Three Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Net loss

$ (1,944)

$ (2,607)

$ (739)

$ (5,290)

Depreciation and amortization



3,533



3,669







7,202

Interest expense (income), net



1,933



1,003



(323)



2,613

Income tax expense



675



89







764

Share-based compensation expense



2,036



843



177



3,056

Loss on disposal of assets







374







374

Acquisition-related expenses



63











63

Changes in deferred revenue related to our bulk water business



71











71

ERP implementation charges for a SAAS solution







751







751

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 6,367

$ 4,122

$ (885)

$ 9,604





























Adjusted EBITDA Margin



43.1 %

27.3 %

 %

32.2 %

A reconciliation of our GAAP net loss to Adjusted EBITDA, for the periods presented is shown below:

































Six Months Ended June 30, 2018





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Net loss

$ (3,927)

$ (4,875)

$ (2,465)

$ (11,267)

Depreciation and amortization



7,239



8,812







16,051

Interest expense, net



4,803



1,548



253



6,604

Income tax expense (benefit)



966



(227)







739

Share-based compensation expense



4,263



1,900



486



6,649

Loss on disposal of assets



232



706







938

Acquisition-related expenses



706



176







882

Changes in deferred revenue related to our bulk water business



246











246

ERP implementation charges for a SAAS solution







711







711

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 14,528

$ 8,751

$ (1,726)

$ 21,553





























Adjusted EBITDA Margin



48.2 %

23.8 %

 %

32.2 %





Six Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Net loss

$ (4,699)

$ (5,224)

$ (1,368)

$ (11,291)

Depreciation and amortization



7,127



7,204







14,331

Interest expense (income), net



3,942



2,036



(617)



5,361

Income tax expense



1,489



165







1,654

Share-based compensation expense



4,036



1,673



201



5,910

Loss on disposal of assets







642







642

Acquisition-related expenses



63











63

Changes in deferred revenue related to our bulk water business



270











270

ERP implementation charges for a SAAS solution







1,447







1,447

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 12,228

$ 7,943

$ (1,784)

$ 18,387





























Adjusted EBITDA Margin



42.3 %

26.6 %

 %

31.3 %

KEY METRICS

Principal collected on the Peru construction contract

As part of our Peru acquisition, we acquired the rights to a design and construction contract for the construction of a desalination plant and related infrastructure. Pursuant to the contract, we are entitled to receive monthly installment payments that continue until 2024 and are guaranteed by a major shareholder of the customer. Due to the manner in which this contractual arrangement is structured, these payments are accounted for as a long-term receivable. Prior to the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on January 1, 2018, the principal and interest portions of these payments were not recognized as revenue in our consolidated financial statements and therefore were not included in Adjusted EBITDA or in determining Adjusted EBITDA Margin. As a result of the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, all financial information presented herein has been restated, including recording the interest portion of these payments as revenue and, thus, including them in Adjusted EBITDA and in determining Adjusted EBITDA Margin. The principal collected on the Peru construction contract remains the only portion of these monthly payments that is not recognized as revenue in our consolidated financial statements, and therefore is not included in Adjusted EBITDA or in the determination Adjusted EBITDA Margin.





Three Months Ended June 30, 2018





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Principal collected on the Peru construction contract

$ 1,212

$ 

$ 

$ 1,212



































Three Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Principal collected on the Peru construction contract

$ 1,116

$ 

$ 

$ 1,116







Six Months Ended June 30, 2018





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Principal collected on the Peru construction contract

$ 2,400

$ 

$ 

$ 2,400



































Six Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Principal collected on the Peru construction contract

$ 2,210

$ 

$ 

$ 2,210



Adjusted EBITDA plus Principal collected on the Peru construction contract

We understand that many in the investment community combine our Adjusted EBITDA and the principal we collect from the design and construction contract for purposes of reviewing and analyzing our financial results. Our management and board of directors also use this combination in evaluating our performance (including in measuring performance for a portion of the compensation of our executive officers) because they believe it is helpful in better understanding the cash generated from our Seven Seas Water business. In this regard, and for the sake of clarity and convenience, the combination of our Adjusted EBITDA and the principal collected on the Peru construction contract is presented.





Three Months Ended June 30, 2018





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction

contract

$ 8,545

$ 4,654

$ (752)

$ 12,447



































Three Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction

contract

$ 7,483

$ 4,122

$ (885)

$ 10,720







Six Months Ended June 30, 2018





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction

contract

$ 16,928

$ 8,751

$ (1,726)

$ 23,953



































Six Months Ended June 30, 2017





Seven Seas







Corporate











Water

Quench

& Other

Total





(in thousands)

Adjusted EBITDA plus principal collected on the Peru construction

contract

$ 14,438

$ 7,943

$ (1,784)

$ 20,597



[email protected]

Investors Hotline: 855-278-WAAS (9227)

SOURCE AquaVenture Holdings Limited

Related Links

http://www.aquaventure.com


PHOENIX, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has granted an extension of accreditation to the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Argosy University, Phoenix through the remainder of its eight year accreditation cycle, to October 31, 2024.

As a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, CACREP grants accredited status to graduate-level programs in the professional counseling field. CACREP accreditation is recognition that the programs' quality meets the standards set by the counseling profession and is among the highest commendations that an academic program can receive in the counseling field.

"We are honored that CACREP has recognized the efforts of our campus and faculty to educate practitioners in line with the rigorous standards of CACREP," said Campus Director Anthony Spano.

Argosy University is a nonprofit, private academic institution, which consists of campus locations across the United States and also offers degree programs online. Argosy University, Phoenix was founded in 1997 as the Arizona School of Professional Psychology, an independent graduate education provider within the American Schools of Professional Psychology.

About Argosy University, Phoenix

Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Not all online programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. Argosy University, Phoenix, 2233 W Dunlap Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021  2018 Argosy University. All rights reserved. Our email address is [email protected].

The Argosy University, Phoenix Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs can be contacted at 1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 510, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 535-5990 www.cacrep.org.

SOURCE Argosy University, Phoenix
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), a $4.5 billion global venture capital firm investing in consumer, enterprise and healthcare technology companies, today announced the promotion of Anna Khan to vice president. In her new role, Anna will begin focusing on early-stage investments for the firm in consumer businesses and continue investing in software companies.

Since joining Bessemer in 2012, Anna has sourced several of the firm's notable investments, including customer messaging platform Intercom and cloud contact center and inside sales technology provider NewVoiceMedia. She also co-authors BVP's State of the Cloud annual report with Bessemer partners Byron Deeter and Kristina Shen.

"Anna was one of the earliest believers in Intercom, and the reason we connected with Bessemer," said Eoghan McCabe, founder and CEO of Intercom. "It has been awesome to see her grow into a talented investor and advisor. We're proud to have her in our corner and as one of Intercom's biggest evangelists."

Based in San Francisco, Anna works closely with partner Byron Deeter and has helped with Bessemer's investments in online learning platform Guild Education, popular esports company Team SoloMid (TSM) and enterprise SaaS optimization platform Zylo. She served as a board observer for Intacct until the company was acquired for $850 million by SAGE Group and currently serves as a board observer for Rainforest QA, Vidyard and Zylo.

"Anna and the Bessemer team were the perfect investors to lead our most significant round of financing," said Eric Christopher, co-founder and CEO of Zylo. "As a software pioneer that helps companies manage their cloud investments more strategically, we wanted to team up with the best and brightest VCs in the SaaS and cloud software space. Anna's knowledge and understanding of the cloud landscape made our decision an obvious one, and she continues to be an invaluable resource and advisor for us."

Outside of Bessemer, Anna is the founder and chair of the incubator Launch X, which she launched in 2015 to help female entrepreneurs raise capital for their businesses. Among Anna's distinctions, she has been named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumna.

"Anna is everything that up-and-coming investors should aspire to be. She is smart with high integrity and deep empathy for the entrepreneurial journey," said Byron Deeter, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. "Anna has certainly made her impact felt at Bessemer and beyond, and we're excited for her to play an even bigger role at the firm."

Before joining Bessemer, Anna was chief of staff to the CEO of 4INFO, a mobile advertising platform. She started her career as an investment manager at both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Anna holds an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, where she was a Rock Center Fellow, and graduated with honors from Stanford University with degrees in science, technology and society (STS), English literature and political science.

Follow Anna on Twitter @annarchyy, check out her blog and connect with her on LinkedIn or Medium.

About Bessemer Venture Partners

Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP) is a $4.5B global venture capital firm that invests in consumer, enterprise and healthcare startups from seven offices around the world. One of the longest standing venture capital firms in the world, Bessemer invested in the early stages of Pinterest, Twitch, Blue Apron and Skype and has helped 122 of its companies go public, including SendGrid, Twilio, MindBody, Shopify, Wix, Yelp and LinkedIn. Follow us @BessemerVP.

SOURCE Bessemer Venture Partners

Related Links

https://www.bvp.com


MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire VENITI, Inc., a privately-held company in Fremont, California which has developed and commercialized the VICI VENOUS STENT System for treating venous obstructive disease. Boston Scientific has been an investor in VENITI since 2016 and currently owns 25 percent of the company. The transaction price for the remaining stake consists of $108 million up-front cash, as well as up to $52 million in payments contingent upon U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the VICI stent system.

Venous obstructive disease  instances of abnormal, blocked or damaged veins  affects more than 1.1 million people in the United States and Western Europe annually. Vein obstructions, often caused by conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, post thrombotic syndrome and May-Thurner syndrome, can prevent proper blood circulation and cause patients to experience pain, swelling, ulcers and a diminished quality of life. Physicians often choose to open the obstructed vessel with a stent to reinstate proper blood flow to the heart and lungs and reduce a patient's symptoms.

The self-expanding, nitinol VICI stent system was developed specifically for use in the venous anatomy, which presents different challenges than placing stents in the arterial vascular system. The VICI stent is designed to withstand compression and maintain patency and flexibility over the course of a patient's life expectancy.

"This stent system was designed with the distinctive demands of the venous system in mind, and built to provide physicians with a high-quality lumen across a variety of venous anatomies and disease states," said Jeff Elkins, president and Chief Executive Officer of VENITI. "We are excited to see this stent technology become even more accessible to physicians and the patients they treat under the leadership of Boston Scientific."

The VICI stent system received CE Mark in 2013 and VENITI submitted a pre-market approval (PMA) application to the FDA in June, leveraging results from the recently completed VIRTUS pivotal study. Currently in the U.S., there are no stent technologies specifically indicated for use in the peripheral venous system.

"With the unique benefits of this differentiated technology and the strong experience of Boston Scientific in the overall venous market, we believe the VICI stent will become an important choice for physicians who choose stents to treat patients suffering from venous disease," said Jeff Mirviss, senior vice president and president, Peripheral Interventions, Boston Scientific. "Along with our leading AngioJet thrombectomy platform and venous product pipeline, we look forward to meeting the needs of physicians treating both chronic and acute venous disease."

The acquisition of VENITI is expected to be immaterial to Boston Scientific adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in 2018 and 2019, and accretive thereafter. On a GAAP basis for 2019 and subsequent years, the transaction is expected to be less accretive, or more dilutive as the case may be, due to amortization expense and acquisition-related net charges. For 2018 on a GAAP basis, the transaction is expected to be accretive due to a one-time gain on prior investment. The completion of this transaction is imminent, subject to customary closing conditions.

In the U.S., the VICI Stent System is an investigational device and is not available for sale.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 35 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

Cautionary Statement Regarding 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. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend" and similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the acquisition, the financial and business impact of the transaction, product launches and product performance and impact. If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.

Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions; demographic trends; the closing and integration of acquisitions; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors. All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A  Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A  Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter. We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, we disclose certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted net income and adjusted net income (earnings) per share that excludes certain charges and/or credits, such as amortization expense and acquisition-related net charges (credits). These non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and should not be considered in isolation from or as a replacement for the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Further, other companies may calculate these non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, which may limit the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes. For further information regarding our non-GAAP measures, see Part II, Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which we may update in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter.

CONTACTS:

Trish Backes

Media Relations

(651) 582-5887 (office)

[email protected]

Susie Lisa, CFA

Investor Relations

(508) 683-5565 (office)

[email protected]

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation

Related Links

http://www.bostonscientific.com


The approval comes in the form of a No Objection Letter for the use of a proprietary CBD enriched oil formulation, previously administered in preclinical dosing and safety studies, as a potential therapy for anxiety. The CBD formulation will be produced by Canopy Growth in its GMP-certified production facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario.

"Our passion to create safe and effective products for animals is driven by the love we share for our pets," commented Marc Wayne, Managing Director, Canopy Health Innovations. "The use of natural-occurring cannabinoids as a therapy for companion animals is a logical new forefront of medical discovery and the research we are working on at CAH is world leading. These trial approvals mark a significant milestone on the journey of making cannabis-based drugs accepted and recommended by veterinarians."

Canopy Animal Health, the global leader in cannabinoid science for pets, continues to build a strong portfolio of safety and dosing data for certain animals which it plans to share with the veterinary community and pet owners, through publications and scientific conferences.

Canopy Health continues to focus on the robust research and development of innovative cannabis-related products. Recently, it was announced that Canopy Growth had acquired the remaining unowned interest in Canopy Health, a move that will further accelerate CHI's efforts to research effective cannabis formulations and dose delivery systems for human and animals.

Here's to Future Growth (and to helping our pets!)

About Canopy Growth Corporation

Canopy Growth is a world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time.

Canopy Growth has established partnerships with leading sector names including cannabis icon Snoop Dogg, breeding legends DNA Genetics and Green House seeds, and Fortune 500 alcohol leader Constellation Brands, to name but a few. Canopy Growth operates ten cannabis production sites with over 2.4 million square feet of production capacity, including over 500,000 square feet of GMP-certified production space. Canopy Growth has operations in 10 countries across five continents. The Company is proudly dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding of cannabis, and through its fully owned subsidiary, Canopy Health Innovations, has devoted millions of dollars toward cutting edge, commercializable research and IP development. Through partly owned subsidiary Canopy Rivers Corporation, Canopy Growth is providing resources and investment to new market entrants and building a portfolio of stable investments in the sector. From our historic public listing to our continued international expansion, pride in advancing shareholder value through leadership is engrained in all we do at Canopy Growth. For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com

About Canopy Health Innovations

Canopy Health Innovations (Canopy Health) operates as an affiliated research arm of Canopy Growth Corporation and its subsidiaries. Canopy Health is owned fully by Canopy Growth and its business model is to engage simultaneously in numerous research areas, with a strict focus on the creation and enhancement of intellectual property, which is then retained exclusively on a first-priority basis. Canopy Health is focused on providing more in depth and advanced understanding of the cannabis plant and the potential medical uses for both humans and animals. This, combined with a more favourable regulatory system, and a global paradigm shift towards the normalization of cannabis, positions Canopy Health as an ideal company to conduct research, and develop safe, effective, natural medicines derived from cannabis.

Notice Regarding 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 applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Canopy Growth or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Examples of such statements include: "The research will be conducted by Canopy Animal Health", "The CBD oil will be produced by Canopy Growth in its GMP-certified production facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario", and "will enable Canopy Health to continue building a strong portfolio of safety and dosing data". Canopy Growth's ability to realize the anticipated benefits from the acquisition of CHI and CAH is subject to a number of factors, many of which are outside the control of Canopy Growth, and some of the anticipated benefits may not come to fruition. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, and such risks contained in the Company's annual information form dated June 27, 2018 and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation

Related Links

http://canopygrowth.com/


NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's, the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today that it has opened its newest franchised location in Wentzville, Missouri. Located at 708 S. Church St., the new restaurant marks the company's first location in the Wentzville area. Captain D's has continued to establish Missouri as a prime market for expansion, with this latest new location coming on the heels of restaurant openings in Cape Girardeau and Overland earlier this year.

The new Wentzville restaurant is owned and operated by first-time Captain D's franchisee Tom Durst. Durst has more than 10 years of experience in the foodservice and franchising industries and is a long-standing member of the Missouri business community, operating three additional restaurant concepts throughout the area including a Dairy Queen franchise.

"The fast casual segment has become increasingly saturated in recent years, and while there are countless franchise opportunities available today, it was important for us to find a concept that was committed to delivering an exceptional brand experience and positioning each and every franchisee for success. When we were introduced to Captain D's, it was obvious that we found the perfect fit," said Durst. "We're thrilled to be joining the brand in the midst of its explosive growth in Missouri, and believe there is unlimited potential for the Captain D's brand in Wentzville and beyond."

Captain D's ongoing development in Missouri and the opening of its newest location in Wentzville further signifies the outstanding success the brand has achieved over the past several years, which has fueled a surge in franchise and corporate development. Throughout the past year, the company has opened more than 15 new locations and inked numerous development agreements to open new restaurants in key markets, including Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Georgia.

Coupled with its ongoing menu innovation, Captain D's credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand's ongoing strong performance. To date, nearly 80 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brand's new vibrant, coastal design. With these efforts, Captain D's has remained true to what it does best  serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality at an affordable price in a welcoming atmosphere.

With more than 530 restaurants in 22 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit http://www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-314-4819.

ABOUT CAPTAIN D'S

Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has more than 530 restaurants in 22 states. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 48 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature hand-battered fish, which is cooked to order. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, and surf and turf, as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.

Contact:

Caitlin Willard

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Captain D's

Related Links

http://www.captainds.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With race and income gaps in higher education wider by some measures than they were 40 years ago, the Joyce Foundation is increasing support for policies to expand opportunities for African American and Latino students to earn a college degree. Ten new higher education grants are among 83 awards totaling $17.5 million in the foundation's summer round of grant making announced today.

Race- and income-based inequities in higher education have widened, especially at public colleges and universities, as declining state aid has led to hikes in tuition and fees that put a greater financial burden on students. Young white adults are twice as likely as young Latino and African American adults to hold a bachelor's degree  a bigger percentage point gap than in 1980. If racial equity is measured by whether top public colleges and universities reflect the racial composition of graduating high school classes in their states, the nation is also further from that goal than in 1980.

The new higher education grants include a two-year, $200,000 award to the Partnership for College Completion, which will advocate for increased affordability and equity in Illinois higher education policy. Policy Matters Ohio (two years, $200,000) will support policies that increase access and graduation for students of color and low-income students. And HCM Strategies (three years, $750,000) will work to improve transfer rates from two- to four-year institutions in Minnesota as part of a national effort in this area. Three grants will go to student-led advocacy groups to help ensure the next generation's voice is represented in higher education policy conversations.

Thirty-six percent of grantees in this cycle are new to Joyce, marking further progress in adding new partners and voices as the foundation continues its transition to a strategic focus on racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

The following are among other grants announced today:

Education & Economic Mobility: $6.4 million (26 grants)

In addition to the higher education grants, the Education and Economic Mobility Program is supporting educator quality and pathways for smoother transitions from high school to college. Deans for Impact was awarded a two-year, $650,000 grant to advance national teacher preparation policy reforms and launch the Illinois Ed Prep Impact Network. The Center for American Progress received a one-year, $150,000 grant to support Joyce educator quality advocates in Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois.

Knowledge Works (two years, $600,000) will support a coalition of groups launching a national advocacy campaign to expand early college opportunities for low-income high school students and students of color. This has been shown to significantly increase college access, affordability and completion for students underrepresented in higher education.

Environment: $4.7 million (18 grants)

The Environment Program supports policies to accelerate the transition to clean energy systems and ensure clean water from lake to tap for the next generation.

Clean Fuels Ohio (one year, $100,000) will engage regulators, policy makers, and community leaders in exploring how electric vehicle technologies can meet Ohio's needs. Faith in Place (two years, $300,000) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (two years, $900,000) will work to ensure full implementation of Illinois' Future Energy Jobs Act, including provisions on job training and job creation in the renewable energy sector.

Grants for safe and affordable drinking water include a one-year, $100,000 award to Elevate Energy to work on improving policies to reduce lead in drinking water in schools, childcare centers and private homes in Illinois. Freshwater Future (one year, $75,000) will help community organizations in Michigan play a greater role in state policymaking on issues such as lead contamination in drinking water and financing new water infrastructure.

Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Program: $2.8 million (12 grants)

The Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Program works in three policy areas: reducing gun violence through research, education and advocacy; establishing police-community trust and legitimacy; and reducing incarceration of young people.

Three grants were awarded to major university research teams to study the impact of state gun laws, use of firearms in youth and intimate partner violence, and interventions that might prevent gun suicides: Duke University (three years, $374,000), Johns Hopkins University (three years, $407,000) and a team of Northeastern University and Harvard University researchers (two years, $540,000).

Northwestern University (two years, $307,000) will evaluate police-community engagement and street outreach and violence interruption efforts in Chicago. Mikva Challenge (one year, $100,000) will continue its youth council to advise the Chicago Police Department and integrate youth voice in community policing practices.

Other Grants

Joyce also awarded grants in its Democracy and Culture programs, including the following:

A two-year, $600,000 grant to the Common Cause Education Fund for work across the Great Lakes states to protect and expand voting rights, advocate for redistricting reform and seek an accurate count in the 2020 Census.

grant to the Common Cause Education Fund for work across the Great Lakes states to protect and expand voting rights, advocate for redistricting reform and seek an accurate count in the 2020 Census. A project housed at the New Venture Fund (one year, $50,000 ) will support emergency litigation and research related to the late addition of an untested citizenship question to the census.

) will support emergency litigation and research related to the late addition of an untested citizenship question to the census. Among Culture Program grants are two that will support projects designed to increase career opportunities in the arts for people of color. A two-year, $200,000 grant to Americans for the Arts supports development of the first arts leadership program in the Great Lakes preparing mid-level arts administrators for executive management. And a two-year, $200,000 grant was awarded to Chicago Theatre Group (Goodman Theatre) to increase racial equity in its artistic, administrative, and technical departments.

For more information about the Joyce Foundation and its latest round of grant making, please visit www.JoyceFdn.org.

SOURCE The Joyce Foundation

Related Links

http://www.joycefdn.org


- Also Announces Executive Leadership Transition -

Second quarter 2018 revenue of approximately $139 million





Second quarter 2018 GAAP net loss of $180 million





Second quarter 2018 Adjusted EBITDA 1 of approximately $67 million





of approximately Generated cash flow from operations of approximately $84 million in the first six months of 2018 and concluded the second quarter of 2018 with a cash balance of $306 million , which includes $46 million of restricted cash

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Concordia International Corp. ("Concordia" or the "Company") (TSX: CXR), an international specialty pharmaceutical company focused on becoming a leader in European specialty, off-patent medicines, today announced its financial and operational results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018. All financial references are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

"Concordia's second quarter results were in line with management's forecasts," said Graeme Duncan, Chief Executive Officer of Concordia. "During the quarter, the Company also made important progress towards the completion of its recapitalization transaction and alignment of its leadership team. I believe with great conviction that a stronger capital structure and aligned leadership team will provide us with the opportunity to become a leader in European specialty, off-patent medicines going forward."

Concordia also announced today the appointment of Robert Sully as General Counsel effective August 31, 2018. Mr. Sully was previously General Counsel at AMCo and has deep experience in legal M&A as well as 14 years of litigation experience within Europe.

Mr. Sully will replace Francesco Tallarico, current Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Concordia. Mr. Tallarico will continue in his role as Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, based in Mississauga, Canada, until August 31, 2018. Mr. Tallarico will remain with the Company in a transitory role until September 30, 2018.

"Francesco will be leaving the Company to pursue the next step in what I am sure will continue to be a very successful career," continued Mr. Duncan. "On behalf of our board, I would like to thank Francesco, who has been a key part of the executive team since the Company's inception and has been instrumental in leading the Company through to what we believe will be the successful closing of our recapitalization transaction. We are also delighted to welcome Rob to the executive team. He brings outstanding legal skillsets to Concordia and we look forward to working closely with him."

Consolidated Second Quarter 2018 Financial and Operational Results

Reported second quarter revenue of $139.5 million , compared to $160.8 million for the second quarter of 2017, and $152.3 million for the first quarter of 2018.





, compared to for the second quarter of 2017, and for the first quarter of 2018. GAAP net loss for the second quarter of 2018 of $180.0 million .





. Reported second quarter Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $66.8 million , compared to $81.8 million for the second quarter of 2017, and $72.0 million for the first quarter of 2018.





of , compared to for the second quarter of 2017, and for the first quarter of 2018. Generated cash flows from operating activities of $83.9 million in the first six months of 2018, compared to $155.6 million during the same period in 2017.





in the first six months of 2018, compared to during the same period in 2017. As of June 30, 2018 , the Company had a cash balance of $306 million , which includes $46.5 million of restricted cash; $44 million of the restricted cash represents cash held in escrow in connection with the Recapitalization Transaction (as defined below).





, the Company had a cash balance of , which includes of restricted cash; of the restricted cash represents cash held in escrow in connection with the Recapitalization Transaction (as defined below). On June 26, 2018 , Concordia announced that it obtained a final court order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) approving the Company's plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the "CBCA Plan") pursuant to which it will implement its recapitalization transaction (the "Recapitalization Transaction"). The closing of the Recapitalization Transaction is expected to be completed on or about August 14, 2018 , subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all other conditions to the CBCA Plan.

Second Quarter 2018 Segment Results

Concordia International segment's revenue for the second quarter of 2018 was $106.7 million compared to $113.0 million in the first quarter of the 2018.

The sequential decline is primarily comprised of $2.1 million of foreign exchange losses arising from the weakening of the Great British Pound ("GBP") against the U.S. dollar; $0.7 million lower revenue from Prednisolone; $0.6 million lower revenue from Propylthiouracil; and $0.6 million lower revenue from Carbimazole, partially offset by $1.1 million higher revenue from Flurbiprofen. The remaining decrease was primarily due to general competitive market pressures across the Concordia International segment's product portfolio.

Revenue for the second quarter of 2018 decreased by $8.7 million or 8%, compared to the corresponding period in 2017.

The year-over-year decrease was primarily attributable to ongoing competitive market pressures in the Company's UK business, partially offset by the impact of the GBP strengthening against the U.S. dollar during the comparative period.

Concordia North America segment's second quarter 2018 revenue of $32.8 million was 17% lower than first quarter 2018 revenue of $39.3 million primarily due to lower authorized generic product sales and lower sales from Photofrin.

Revenue for the second quarter of 2018 decreased by $12.6 million or 28 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2017. The decrease was primarily driven by continued competitive pressure on certain key products in the U.S. portfolio including Donnatal, Plaquenil AG and Lanoxin AG.

Pipeline Update

In the second quarter of 2018, Concordia launched two new products into markets that have a current IMS estimated market value in excess of $85 million.

Concordia also has 25 products that have already been approved or are awaiting approval by the regulators. These products, if launched, are expected to compete in markets that have a current IMS estimated market value in excess of $179 million.

In addition, the Company currently has 19 products under development that are anticipated to launch in the next three to five years. These products, if launched, are expected to compete in markets that have a current IMS estimated market value in excess of $1.6 billion.

The Company believes that these products include several second-to-market or early-to-market opportunities for difficult-to-make products.

Additionally, Concordia has 15 products identified for potential development that if launched, are expected to compete in markets that have a current IMS estimated market value in excess of $390 million.

Therefore, in total, Concordia's current pipeline is now comprised of approximately 59 products that could compete in markets that have a current IMS estimated market value of approximately $2.2 billion.

With its recently announced leadership transition, the Company will continue to evaluate the composition of its pipeline of medicines.

Consolidated Financial Results



Three months ended Six months ended (in $000's, except per share data) Jun 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2017 Revenue 139,487 160,785 291,751 321,342 Gross profit 95,087 111,312 196,193 226,727 Gross profit % 68% 69% 67% 71% Adjusted gross profit (1) 95,087 111,312 196,193 227,038 Adjusted gross profit % (1) 68% 69% 67% 71% Total operating expenses 136,361 1,092,567 248,706 1,189,616 Operating loss for the period (41,274) (981,255) (52,513) (962,889)









Income tax expense (recovery) (7,901) (37,103) (3,197) (32,614) Net loss for the period (179,954) (1,010,653) (235,648) (1,089,477)









Loss per share







Basic (3.51) (19.78) (4.59) (21.32) Diluted (3.51) (19.78) (4.59) (21.32)









EBITDA (1) (41,371) (903,563) 53,132 (846,631) Adjusted EBITDA (1) 66,781 81,808 138,805 166,050

Consolidated Results of Operations

Revenue for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date decreased by $21.3 million or 13%, and $29.6 million, or 9%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017. These decreases were due to lower sales from both segments, partially offset by higher foreign exchange rates impacting translated revenues from the Concordia International segment.

The Concordia International segment revenue for the second quarter of 2018 decreased by $8.7 million, or 8%, when compared to the corresponding period in 2017 due to $15.4 million lower revenue primarily as a result of volume declines on key products including Liothyronine Sodium, Levothyroxine Sodium, and Fusidic Acid, partially offset by higher revenue due to volume increases for Nitrofurantoin and Argipressin, as well as $6.8 million higher revenue as a result of favourable foreign exchange rates positively impacting translated results.

The Concordia North America segment revenue for the second quarter of 2018 decreased by $12.6 million, or 28%, when compared to the corresponding period in 2017, mainly as a result of lower volumes on key products, including Donnatal, Plaquenil authorized generic and Lanoxin authorized generic, partially offset by higher revenue from Zonegran.

Gross profit for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date decreased by $16.2 million, or 15%, and $30.5 million, or 13%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017 primarily due to the revenue decreases described above.

Gross profit percentage for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date decreased by 1% and 4%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017, primarily due to a change in the mix of product sales within both segments.

Operating expenses for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date decreased by $956.2 million, or 88%, and $940.9 million, or 79%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017. Operating expenses were lower primarily due to a $979.2 million lower impairment charge on a quarter and year to date basis. Excluding impairments, operating expenses for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date increased by $23.0 million, or 22%, and $38.3 million, or 19%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017. The increase in operating expenses for the second quarter of 2018, excluding impairments, is primarily due to $31.1 million higher restructuring related, acquisition and other costs mainly arising from the Company's initiative to realign its capital structure, partially offset by $3.7 million lower amortization charges on intangible assets and $3.8 million lower share-based compensation expense. The increase in operating expenses for the year to date 2018, excluding impairments, is primarily due to $41.4 million higher restructuring related, acquisition and other costs mainly arising from the Company's initiative to realign its capital structure and $5.2 million higher amortization charges on intangible assets, partially offset by $5.5 million lower share-based compensation expense and $3.4 million lower general and administrative costs.

General and administrative expenses reflect costs related to salaries and benefits, professional and consulting fees, public company costs, travel, facility leases and other administrative expenditures. General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date decreased by 14% and 12%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017. These decreases are a result of the Company's objective to reduce operating costs across the business, partially offset by unfavourable foreign exchange rate movements impacting translation of general and administrative expenses from the Concordia International segment.

Selling and marketing expenses reflect costs incurred by the Company for the marketing, promotion and sale of the Company's broad portfolio of products across the Company's segments. Selling and marketing costs for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date increased by $0.8 million and $0.9 million, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017, primarily as a result of higher selling and marketing costs associated with the co-promotion agreement for sales of Donnatal in the Concordia North America segment.

Research and development expenses reflect costs for clinical trial activities, product development, professional and consulting fees and services associated with the activities of the medical, clinical and scientific affairs, quality assurance costs, regulatory compliance and drug safety costs (Pharmacovigilence) of the Company. Research and development costs for the second quarter of 2018 decreased by $0.2 million or 3%, compared to the corresponding period in 2017. This decrease is primarily due to timing of various non-recurring projects, as well as refunds of regulatory fees. Research and development costs for the year to date 2018 decreased by $1.1 million, or 7%, primarily due to refunds of regulatory fees.

The current income tax expense recorded for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date increased by $3.5 million and $2.2 million respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017. Income taxes were higher in 2018 primarily due to higher taxable income when compared to the corresponding periods in 2017, combined with the impact of foreign exchange translation of the income tax expense from the Concordia International segment. The deferred income tax expense recorded for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date increased by $25.7 million and $27.2 million, respectively, and is mainly the result of the reversal of certain temporary differences and movements in the foreign exchange rates.

Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date decreased by $15.0 million, or 18%, and $27.2 million, or 16%, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017. These declines are primarily due to lower sales and gross margins from both segments, partially offset by higher foreign exchange rates impacting translated results from the Concordia International segment. Adjusted EBITDA by segment for the second quarter of 2018 and year to date was $49.0 million and $100.7 million, respectively, from Concordia International and $20.4 million and $44.6 million, respectively, from Concordia North America. In addition, during the second quarter of 2018 and year to date, the Company incurred $2.6 million and $6.6 million, respectively, of Corporate costs related to the Corporate Head Office. Corporate expenses decreased by $2.6 million and $4.3 million, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods in 2017, primarily due to lower general and administrative expenses, including professional fees incurred.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $259.5 million, $46.5 million of restricted cash, and 51,283,800 common shares issued and outstanding.



Conference Call Notification

The Company will hold a conference call on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. ET hosted by senior management. A question-and-answer session will follow the corporate update.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS





DATE: Wednesday, August 8, 2018 TIME: 8:30 a.m. ET DIAL-IN NUMBER: (647) 427-7450 or (888) 231-8191 TAPED REPLAY: (416) 849-0833 or (855) 859-2056 REFERENCE NUMBER: 6789157

This call is being webcast and can be accessed by going to:

https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1799423/F21E5FA2BC1CB996810D476F399AE8E2

An archived replay of the webcast will be available by clicking the link above.

About Concordia

Concordia is an international specialty pharmaceutical company with a diversified portfolio of more than 200 patented and off-patent products, and sales in more than 90 countries. Going forward, the Company is focused on becoming a leader in European specialty, off-patent medicines.

Concordia operates out of facilities in Mississauga, Ontario and, through its subsidiaries, operates out of facilities in Bridgetown, Barbados; London, England and Mumbai, India.

Non-IFRS Measures

This press release makes reference to certain measures that are not recognized measures under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). These non-IFRS measures are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. When used, these measures are defined in such terms as to allow the reconciliation to the closest IFRS measure. These measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of the Company's results of operations from management's perspective. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute to the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. Management uses non-IFRS measures such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted gross profit to provide investors with supplemental information of the Company's operating performance and thus highlight trends in the Company's core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. Management believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures in the evaluation of issuers. Management also uses non-IFRS measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets, to assess its ability to meet future debt service requirements, in making capital expenditures, and to consider the business's working capital requirements. Readers are cautioned that the non-IFRS measures contained herein may not be appropriate for any other purpose.

Adjusted Gross Profit

As used herein, adjusted gross profit is defined as gross profit adjusted for non-cash fair value increases to the cost of acquired inventory from a business combination. Under IFRS, acquired inventory is required to be written-up to fair value at the date of acquisition. As this inventory is sold the fair value adjustment represents a non-cash cost of sale amount that has been excluded in adjusted gross profit in order to normalize gross profit for this non-cash component.



Three months ended Six months ended (in $000's) Jun 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2017 Gross profit per financial statements 95,087 111,312 196,193 226,727 Add back: Fair value adjustment to acquired inventory    311 Adjusted Gross profit 95,087 111,312 196,193 227,038

EBITDA

EBITDA is defined as net loss from continuing operations adjusted for net interest and accretion expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization. Management uses EBITDA to assess the Company's operating performance.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for certain charges including costs associated with acquisitions, restructuring initiatives, and other costs (which includes onerous contract costs and direct costs associated with contractual terminations), management retention costs, non-operating gains / losses, integration costs, legal settlements (net of insurance recoveries) and related legal costs, non-cash items such as unrealized gains / losses on derivative instruments, share based compensation expense/recovery, fair value changes including purchase consideration and derivative financial instruments, asset impairments, fair value increases to inventory arising from purchased inventory from a business combination, gains / losses from the sale of assets and unrealized gains / losses related to foreign exchange. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA, among other non-IFRS financial measures, as the key metric in assessing business performance when comparing actual results to budgets and forecasts. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is an important measure of operating performance and cash flow, and provides useful information to investors because it highlights trends in the underlying business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS measures.

The table below sets forth the reconciliation of net loss from continuing operations to EBITDA and to Adjusted EBITDA for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017.



Three months ended Six months ended (in $000's) Jun 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2017 Net loss for the period (179,954) (1,010,653) (235,648) (1,089,477)









Interest and accretion expense 82,824 94,866 162,946 187,407 Interest income (546) (18,643) (1,252) (37,122) Income taxes (7,901) (37,103) (3,197) (32,614) Depreciation 440 500 910 988 Amortization of intangible assets 63,766 67,470 129,373 124,187 EBITDA (41,371) (903,563) 53,132 (846,631) Impairment 7,935 987,103 7,935 987,103 Fair value adjustment to acquired inventory    311 Restructuring related, acquisition and other 37,255 6,167 52,749 11,383 Share-based compensation (recovery) expense (1,341) 2,475 (74) 5,427 Fair value (gain) loss on purchase consideration and derivatives  20,140 425 47,646 Foreign exchange (gain) loss 1,053 188 2,394 1,178 Unrealized foreign exchange (gain) loss 70,558 (30,702) 29,552 (40,367) (Gain) loss on purchase consideration settlement (7,308)  (7,308)  Adjusted EBITDA 66,781 81,808 138,805 166,050

Notice Regarding Trademarks

This press release includes trademarks that are protected under applicable intellectual property laws and are the property of Concordia or its affiliates or its licensors. Solely for convenience, the trademarks of Concordia, its affiliates and/or its licensors referred to in this press release may appear with or without the  or TM symbol, but such references or the absence thereof are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the Company or its affiliates or licensors will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their respective rights to these trademarks. Any other trademarks used in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

Notice regarding future-oriented financial information:

To the extent any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information in this press release or in statements made during the earnings conference call constitute future-oriented financial information or financial outlooks within the meaning of applicable securities laws, such information is being provided to demonstrate the potential financial performance of the Company and readers are cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and that they should not place undue reliance on such future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks.

Future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks (collectively, "FOFI"), as with forward-looking statements and forward-looking information generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out below under "Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements", a number of which are beyond the Company's control. In addition, the following is summary of the significant assumptions underlying the FOFI contained in the Company's earnings disclosure:

prescription trends;





pricing for the Company's products;





future market demand trends;





mix of sales to government and non-government customers;





gross profits for each product;





foreign currency rates, including translation between the U.S. dollar and the pound sterling;





inventory levels;





operating cost estimates;





ability to develop and market future product launches;





anticipated timing of future product launches;





cost to develop future products;





anticipated timing to exit markets;





operating cost synergies realized; and





annual cost of current tax by jurisdiction

The FOFI do not purport to present the Company's financial condition in accordance with IFRS, and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. It is expected that there will be differences between actual and forecasted results, and the differences may be material, including due to the occurrence of unforeseen events occurring subsequent to the preparation of the FOFI. The inclusion of the FOFI in the earnings disclosure should not be regarded as an indication that Concordia considers the FOFI to be a reliable prediction of future events, and the FOFI should not be relied upon as such.

Risks and other factors related to FOFI include those risks and other factors referenced in this press release as well as in Concordia's filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators and the Securities and Exchange Commission, including (a) the factors described under the heading "Forward-looking Statements" in Concordia's Management's Discussion and Analysis dated August 8, 2018, for the period ended June 30, 2018 and (b) the factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Concordia's Annual Report on Form 20-F dated March 8, 2018, both of which are available on SEDAR, online at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR, online at www.sec.gov.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release and statements made during the earnings conference call may include 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, regarding Concordia and its business, which may include, but are not limited to: statements relating to certain documentation to be entered into by Concordia, or that will become effective, upon the implementation of the Recapitalization Transaction, the disclosure of certain documents expected to be entered into by Concordia in connection with the Recapitalization Transaction, management's forecasts, Concordia's long-term growth strategy, the completion of the proposed Recapitalization Transaction including obtaining any necessary approvals, satisfying any conditions and the expected timing thereof, the progress made with respect to the Recapitalization Transaction, the strength of Concordia's capital structure and management team, Concordia's capital structure and aligned management team providing it with the ability to become a leader in European speciality, off-patent medicines, the experience and skillset of Concordia's management team, the terms of any proposed Recapitalization Transaction, the success of the Recapitalization Transaction, including the successful completion thereof, Concordia emerging from its proposed Recapitalization Transaction as a stronger business, Concordia's focus on realigning its capital structure, changes to Concordia's organizational structure, Concordia's global teams being focussed on leveraging the Company's diverse portfolio of medicines, global sales platform, and product pipeline in order to support the Company's long-term growth, the Company's ability to operate in the ordinary course, discussions with Concordia's lenders and their advisors with respect the proposed Recapitalization Transaction, the Recapitalization Transaction reducing the Company's existing debt and interest expense (including the amounts thereof) and positioning the Company for long-term growth, the Company's available liquidity to operate its business and meet its financial commitments (including commitments to employees, customers, suppliers and business partners), the benefits of the Canada Business Corporations Act ("CBCA") process, proceedings under the CBCA including with respect to CBCA proceedings compared to proceedings under bankruptcy and insolvency statutes, the ability of the CBCA process to protect the Company's business, preserve Concordia's cash and/or give Concordia additional time to reach a consensual transaction, Concordia's intention to make scheduled interest and amortization payments, Concordia's management continuing to lead day-to-day operations, achieving the best possible recapitalization transaction, reaching a consensual transaction with holders of the Company's debt, maximizing Concordia's potential, implementing the CBCA Plan, addressing certain payments as part of a proposed Recapitalization Transaction, protection for the Company and its subsidiaries against defaults and any related steps or actions under CBCA proceedings, the focus on becoming a leader in European specialty, off-patent medicines, Concordia's objectives and priorities, the outlook for 2018, the implementation of Concordia's long term growth strategy (and the timing thereof), the stabilization of Concordia's business, the execution, timing and impact of Concordia's business stabilization objectives, Concordia's liquidity, the improvement of working capital and liquidity based on near term initiatives and efficiencies launched by the Company, Concordia's financial performance (including the performance of its operating segments), the ability of Concordia to execute and deliver on business plans and growth strategies, the ability to drive long-term stakeholder value, the implementation of actions to manage competitive challenges, the Company taking actions to rebuild value for stakeholders (and the ability of Concordia to rebuild value for its stakeholders), optimism about Concordia's future, the growth of Concordia and the rate of revenue growth, the sources of revenue growth, the stability of Concordia's business (including, without limitation, with respect to its business in certain jurisdictions), the diversification of the Company's geographic and therapeutic platform, product lines and/or sales channels, Concordia's ability to expand globally, Concordia's pipeline of products, Concordia's intention to continue to evaluate additional opportunities above and beyond its current pipeline to further increase the Company's pipeline and portfolio, the intention to launch products, the number of potential product launches, the development and/or approval of new products, the timing of product launches, success of product launches, the size and/or estimated value of the markets in which Concordia has launched or intends to launch products, Concordia's ability to launch first-to-market, second-to-market, early-to-market or difficult-to-make products, potential product launches including first-to-market, second-to-market or early-to-market opportunities for difficult-to-make products, Concordia's network of partners, Concordia's revenue by geography, expected debt levels and leverage, free cash flows, Concordia's debt structure, expected sources of funds (including expected levels of cash on hand and restricted cash), future growth of the Company (including, without limitation, the Company's expansion globally), the ability to pay certain obligations of Concordia, the ability to use the Company's expected cash flow and cash on hand to pay certain future obligations, the Company's cash on hand and cash flows being sufficient to meet the Company's liquidity needs, concentration of Concordia's business, cash on hand after satisfying obligations during 2018, the performance of Concordia's products and segments, the revenue-generating capabilities and/or potential of Concordia's assets, Concordia's financial strength, the continued and/or expected profitability of Concordia's products and/or services, the sales and/or demand for Concordia's products, the deployment of cash towards value creating initiatives (including to fund future acquisitions and the launch of pipeline products, and settle other obligations as they become due), the expansion into new indications and new markets for Concordia's existing and/or future products, Concordia's ability to evaluate growth opportunities on a global scale (and the availability of such opportunities), the ability to expand existing sales of Concordia's products in certain markets, market opportunities for Concordia's products, Concordia's ability to provide patients with safe and efficacious medicines, the safety and efficacy of Concordia's products, the ability to obtain necessary approvals, enrollment of patients into clinical trials, the outcomes and success of clinical trials, Concordia's intention to reduce operating costs across the business and other factors. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "is expected", "expects", "scheduled", "intends", "contemplates", "anticipates", "believes", "proposes" or variations (including negative and grammatical variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of Concordia's management, and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Although Concordia's management believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Concordia, including risks associated with the proposed Recapitalization Transaction including the inability to complete a proposed Recapitalization Transaction or complete a proposed Recapitalization Transaction in a timely or efficient manner or on the terms set forth in Concordia's public filings, the Recapitalization Transaction proving to be unsuccessful or not providing Concordia with the capital structure for future growth, the inability of Concordia to enter into the documents described herein with respect to the implementation of the Recapitalization Transaction, including on terms favourable to Concordia, the inability of the Company to obtain the necessary approvals and satisfy conditions to complete the proposed Recapitalization Transaction, the inability to reduce the Company's debt and/or interest payments, the inability to position the Company for long-term growth, the inability of the Company to emerge as a stronger business post-recapitalization, the inability to execute on its long term strategy, the inability of Concordia's capital structure and management team to execute on Concordia's strategy, including its goal of becoming a leader in European specialty, off-patent medicines, risks associated with Concordia's organizational structure, including the ability to retain qualified staff and executives, the inability of Concordia's current organizational structure and management team to support Concordia's business, Concordia's management team lacking the experience or skillset described herein or that is required to execute on the Company's strategy, the inability of the Company's global teams to leverage the Company's diverse portfolio of medicines, global sales platform, and product pipeline in order to support the Company's long-term growth, the Company's available liquidity being insufficient to operate its business and meet its financial commitments (including commitments to employees, customers, suppliers and business partners), risks associated with proceedings under the CBCA, Concordia's management no longer leading day-to-day operations, the inability to achieve the best possible recapitalization transaction, the inability to reach a consensual transaction with holders of the Company's debt, the inability to maximize Concordia's potential, Concordia's failure to make scheduled interest and amortization payments (which could result in a loss of the protections afforded by the CBCA process (including the stay of proceedings thereunder), the inability to negotiate with Concordia's lenders, the CBCA process not providing the protection sought by Concordia, third parties not complying with the CBCA order and taking steps against Concordia and its subsidiaries, the inability of the CBCA process to preserve Concordia's cash, the inability to implement the CBCA Plan, the risks associated with issuing and allocating new equity including the significant dilution of the Company's outstanding common shares, the value of existing equity following the completion of a recapitalization being limited or having no value, the inability to address certain payments as part of a proposed recapitalization, the inability of CBCA proceedings to protect the Company and its subsidiaries against defaults and any related steps or actions, Concordia defaulting on its obligations (including under its debt agreements) which could result in Concordia having to file for bankruptcy or insolvency, Concordia being put into an insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding, including due to the failure to achieve a consensual transaction in the CBCA process, the Company's inability to become a leader in European specialty, off-patent medicines, Concordia's inability to stabilize its business, Concordia's inability to implement its long term strategic plan or being delayed in implementing such plan, the inability of Concordia to accelerate growth by maximizing its existing assets and future market opportunities, the inability of Concordia to expand its product portfolio (including, without limitation, the inability of Concordia to launch products due to regulatory impediments or competitive market changes), the inability of Concordia to add additional products to its pipeline of products, the inability of Concordia to optimize its operating platform, changes in laws, including tax laws, that could result in Concordia's operating platform being adversely affected, Concordia's inability to strengthen its financial foundation, cash on hand and cash flows from operations being insufficient to meet Concordia's liquidity needs, the inability to implement Concordia's objectives and priorities, which could result in financial strain on the Company and continued pressure on the Company's business, Concordia's securities, risks associated with developing new product indications, increased indebtedness and leverage, the inability to generate cash flows, revenues and/or stable margins, the inability to grow organically, the inability to repay debt and/or satisfy future obligations, risks associated with Concordia's outstanding debt, risks associated with the geographic markets in which Concordia operates and/or distributes its products, risks associated with fluctuations in exchange rates (including, without limitation, fluctuations in currencies), risks associated with the use of Concordia's products to treat certain diseases, the pharmaceutical industry and the regulation thereof, the failure to comply with applicable laws, risks relating to distribution arrangements, possible failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and/or product launches (including the product launches described herein), risks associated with the integration of assets and businesses into Concordia's business, product launches (including, without limitation, unsuccessful product launches), the inability to develop and/or obtain approvals for new products, the inability to launch products or the delay in launching products, regulatory delays in product approvals, the inability to launch first-to-market, second-to-market, early-to-market or difficult-to-make products, the inability to capture a share of any market in which Concordia has launched or intends to launch its products, the fact that historical and projected financial information may not be representative of Concordia's future results, the failure of Concordia to achieve its forecasts, the failure to obtain regulatory approvals (including, without limitation, with respect to Photofrin as a new treatment for certain forms of cancer or with respect to the product launches described herein), the FDA permitting unapproved products to remain on the market and compete with Concordia's products (including, without limitation, Donnatal), economic factors, market conditions, acquisition opportunities, risks associated with the acquisition and/or launch of pharmaceutical products (including, without limitation, the product launches described herein), risks regarding clinical trials and/or patient enrollment into clinical trials, the equity and debt markets generally, risks associated with growth and competition (including, without limitation, with respect to Concordia's niche, hard-to-make products and Concordia's key products in its International and North America segments (including the competitive pressures on some of the products described herein)), general economic and stock market conditions, risks associated with the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (including, without limitation, risks associated with regulatory changes in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in cross-border tariff and cost structures and the loss of access to the European Union global trade markets), risks associated with regulatory investigations (including the current investigations being undertaken by competition authorities with respect to the Company's operations), risks related to the introduction of new legislation, or amendments to existing legislation, in the jurisdictions in which Concordia carries on business (including, without limitation, the U.K. Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act), risks related to patent infringement actions, the loss of intellectual property rights, risks associated with class action litigation, risks associated with Concordia's inability to defend itself in certain legal actions or being found to have violated certain laws (including, without limitation, the regulatory investigations and class actions which Concordia is currently subject to), which may require Concordia to make certain payments in respect of such legal matters or which may result in certain fines being levied against Concordia, Concordia's inability to reduce operating costs across the business and risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Concordia's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators and many other factors beyond the control of Concordia. Although Concordia 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 forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement or forward-looking information can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information speak only as of the date on which they are made and Concordia undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement or forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

1 Management uses non-IFRS measures such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted gross profit, and Adjusted EPS to provide a supplemental measure of operating performance. Please refer to the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this press release for further information.

SOURCE Concordia International Corp.

Related Links

www.concordiarx.com


IRVING, Texas, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR), a global developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients, creating a wide range of ingredients and customized specialty solutions for customers in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, feed, industrial, fuel, bioenergy, and fertilizer industries, today announced financial results for the 2018 second quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Second Quarter 2018 Overview

Revenue of $846.6 million

Net income/(loss) of $(30.4) million , or $(0.18) per GAAP diluted share

Adjusted EBITDA of $115.1 million

Debt paydown of $44.0 million

Global raw material volumes strong, up 4.0%

Argentina gelatin facility closed and profitable sales volumes relocated

Exited TRS "Industrial Residuals Business" while retaining the Used Cooking Oil ("UCO") business

Diamond Green Diesel ("DGD") results reflect expansion and turnaround in process

DGD JV issued $25 million partner dividend

Euro bonds refinanced, lowering borrowing cost and extending maturity

For the second quarter of 2018, the Company reported net sales of $846.6 million, as compared with net sales of $894.9 million for the second quarter of 2017. The reduction in net sales resulted from the reclass of billed freight per new revenue standard and the deconsolidation of the Company's Best Hides subsidiary. Net loss attributable to Darling for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was $(30.4) million, or $(0.18) per diluted share, compared to a net income of $9.1 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2017. The net loss for the second quarter 2018 reflects debt extinguishment costs of $23.5 million related to Euro bond refinancing, a loss of $15.5 million from the sale of Terra Renewal Services subsidiary, and $15.0 million of restructuring and impairment charges incurred as result of the Hurlingham, Argentina, gelatin plant closure. Excluding these items, adjusted net income for the second quarter 2018 was $17.7 million or $0.11 cents per share.

Comments on the Second Quarter 2018

"Operationally we had a solid second quarter. Performance improved sequentially and year-over-year, and we took several strategic actions to strengthen our portfolio and position the company for future growth," said Randall C. Stuewe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darling Ingredients Inc. "Strong slaughter activity drove global tonnage up 4.0 percent, and our expansion projects and recent acquisitions contributed as expected. The feed segment delivered much improved results across our geographies with improved raw material volumes and widening margins."

"Food segment results reflect the closure of our gelatin operation in Argentina due to ongoing macroeconomic headwinds and redeployment of production to our other gelatin locations. The facility represented approximately 3 percent of the Food segment sales, and we are now filling orders for most high-margin customers from other Rousselot facilities. This strategic realignment will optimize our gelatin assets and better leverage our existing Rousselot system," stated Mr. Stuewe.

"In the Fuel segment, operational efficiencies and favorable pricing generated consistent performance when adjusted for the 2017 Blenders Tax Credit (BTC) received in the first quarter. We remain optimistic the BTC will once again be made retroactive for 2018."

"Diamond Green Diesel, our 50/50 joint venture with Valero to produce a premium low-carbon fuel additive, has now completed construction on the expansion from 160 million gallons to 275 million gallons annually. We are in the early stages of commissioning and anticipate being on line mid-August. Spot margins remain attractive and we look forward to the significant contribution this facility is expected to bring Darling," concluded Mr. Stuewe.

Operational Update by Segment

Feed Ingredients  Achieved strong operating margins through disciplined execution across our major markets. Higher slaughter volumes increased global tonnage by 5.6 percent. Protein pricing improved year-over-year and showed sequential improvement on higher demand for species specific meals. Revenues were impacted by the sale of our majority interest in Best Hides, the reclass of billed freight and lower fats pricing, while many of our proteins and specialty products delivered improved performances.

 Achieved strong operating margins through disciplined execution across our major markets. Higher slaughter volumes increased global tonnage by 5.6 percent. Protein pricing improved year-over-year and showed sequential improvement on higher demand for species specific meals. Revenues were impacted by the sale of our majority interest in Best Hides, the reclass of billed freight and lower fats pricing, while many of our proteins and specialty products delivered improved performances. Food Ingredients Performed consistently when adjusted for the closure of Argentina gelatin facility. Majority of the Argentina gelatin sales were repositioned to our other 11 factories. Global gelatin demand remains strong with specialty collagen sales becoming more significant. Declining global palm oil market prices pressured margins at our Sonac edible fats business. CTH casings business impacted by margin compression.

Performed consistently when adjusted for the closure of gelatin facility. Majority of the gelatin sales were repositioned to our other 11 factories. Global gelatin demand remains strong with specialty collagen sales becoming more significant. Declining global palm oil market prices pressured margins at our Sonac edible fats business. CTH casings business impacted by margin compression. Fuel Ingredients  Executed well across operations. North American biodiesel leveraged improved operational efficiencies and benefited from higher low sulfur diesel pricing. Canada biodiesel held near breakeven despite absence of BTC. Ecoson bioenergy business delivered an improved performance boosted by the start-up of the new Belgium digester. Rendac, our European disposal rendering and disease mitigation operations, continues to deliver consistent results.

 Executed well across operations. North American biodiesel leveraged improved operational efficiencies and benefited from higher low sulfur diesel pricing. biodiesel held near breakeven despite absence of BTC. Ecoson bioenergy business delivered an improved performance boosted by the start-up of the new digester. Rendac, our European disposal rendering and disease mitigation operations, continues to deliver consistent results. Diamond Green Diesel Joint Venture (DGD)  Entity results reflect higher operating expenses associated with the extended shutdown as well as hedge losses. DGD posted $1.05 EBITDA per gallon without the benefit of the BTC. Facility expansion to 275 million gallons anticipated to be online with saleable product in August. 100 percent of production targeted to LCFS domestic and global premium markets. JV partners each received a $25 million dividend in the second quarter.

Financial Update by Segment

Feed Ingredients Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended ($ thousands) June 30, 2018 July 1, 2017

June 30, 2018 July 1, 2017 Net sales (1) $ 498,823 $ 549,119

$ 984,621 $ 1,101,743 Selling, general and administrative expenses 43,947 42,875

92,212 87,712 Depreciation and amortization 46,823 44,354

93,612 88,073 Segment operating income 37,265 39,688

58,921 71,180 Adjusted EBITDA (2) $ 84,088 $ 84,042

$ 152,533 $ 159,253





(1) Includes revenue recognition reclass for billed freight moved to cost of sales per new revenue standard

(2) Adjusted EBITDA calculated by adding depreciation and amortization to segment operating income

Feed Ingredients operating income for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was $37.3 million , a decrease of $2.4 million or (6.0) % as compared to the three months ended July 1, 2017 . Segment operating income was down in the three months ended June 30, 2018 as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017 due to higher depreciation charges from increased capital expenditures while operations were essentially flat as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017.

was , a decrease of or (6.0) % as compared to the three months ended . Segment operating income was down in the three months ended as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017 due to higher depreciation charges from increased capital expenditures while operations were essentially flat as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. Feed Ingredients operating income during the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $58.9 million , a decrease of $12.3 million or (17.3) % as compared to the six months ended July 1, 2017 . Segment operating income was down in the six months ended June 30, 2018 as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017 due to lower finished fat product prices, higher depreciation charges from increased capital expenditures and higher selling, general and administrative expenses that more than offset increased raw material volumes.

Food Ingredients Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended ($ thousands) June 30, 2018 July 1, 2017

June 30, 2018 July 1, 2017 Net sales (1) $ 276,729 $ 278,409

$ 582,249 $ 544,635 Selling, general and administrative expenses 22,190 26,703

46,051 51,680 Restructuring and impairment charges 14,965 -

14,965 - Depreciation and amortization 20,388 18,184

41,028 35,785 Segment operating income/(loss) (5,650) 11,160

6,184 25,416 Adjusted EBITDA (2) $ 29,703 $ 29,344

$ 62,177 $ 61,201





(1) Includes revenue recognition reclass for billed freight moved to cost of sales per new revenue standard

(2) Adjusted EBITDA calculated by adding depreciation and amortization and restructuring and impairment charges to segment operating income

Food Ingredients operating loss was $5.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 , a decrease of $16.9 million or (150.9) % as compared to the three months ended July 1, 2017 . This decrease was primarily due to the restructuring and impairment charges incurred as a result of the Hurlingham, Argentina gelatin plant shut down. This decrease more than offset improved results in China and North American gelatin markets. The Company's edible fat prices were lower as a result of lower competing fat markets as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. The casings business delivered slightly lower earnings due to an increase in raw material prices as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017.

for the three months ended , a decrease of or (150.9) % as compared to the three months ended . This decrease was primarily due to the restructuring and impairment charges incurred as a result of the Hurlingham, gelatin plant shut down. This decrease more than offset improved results in and North American gelatin markets. The Company's edible fat prices were lower as a result of lower competing fat markets as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. The casings business delivered slightly lower earnings due to an increase in raw material prices as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. Food Ingredients operating income was $6.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 , a decrease of $19.2 million or (75.6) % as compared to the six months ended July 1, 2017 . This decrease was primarily due to the restructuring and impairment charges incurred as a result of the Hurlingham, Argentina gelatin plant shut down and lower earnings in the European gelatin market. The Company's edible fat prices were lower as a result of lower competing fat markets as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. The casings business delivered slightly lower earnings due to an increase in raw material prices as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017.

Fuel Ingredients Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended ($ thousands) June 30, 2018 July 1, 2017

June 30, 2018 July 1, 2017 Net sales (1) $ 71,094 $ 67,402

$ 155,150 $ 127,062 Selling, general and administrative expenses 164 2,873

(1,234) 6,136 Depreciation and amortization 8,537 7,715

17,008 14,560 Segment operating income 5,016 2,134

22,173 5,688 Adjusted EBITDA (2) $ 13,553 $ 9,849

$ 39,181 $ 20,248





(1) Includes revenue recognition reclass for billed freight moved to cost of sales per new revenue standard

(2) Adjusted EBITDA calculated by adding depreciation and amortization to segment operating income

Fuel Ingredients Segment results shown do not include the Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) 50% Joint Venture

Exclusive of the DGD Joint Venture, the Company's Fuel Ingredients segment operating income for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was $5.0 million , an increase of $2.9 million or 138.1% as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. The increase in earnings is primarily due to overall higher sales prices and strong demand from biodiesel industries.

was , an increase of or 138.1% as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. The increase in earnings is primarily due to overall higher sales prices and strong demand from biodiesel industries. Exclusive of the DGD Joint Venture, the Company's Fuel Ingredients segment income for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $22.2 million , an increase of $16.5 million or 289.5% as compared to the same period in fiscal 2017. The increase in earnings is primarily due to the reinstated fiscal 2017 blenders tax credits in North America of approximately $12.6 million recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 as compared to the lack of blenders tax credits in the same period of fiscal 2017, higher overall sales prices and strong demand from biodiesel industries.

Darling Ingredients Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Operating Results For the Periods Ended June 30, 2018 and July 1, 2017 (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited)





Three Months Ended



Six Months Ended











$ Change











$ Change



June 30,

July 1,

Favorable



June 30,

July 1,

Favorable

2018

2017

(Unfavorable)



2018

2017

(Unfavorable) Net sales $ 846,646

$ 894,930

$ (48,284)



$ 1,722,020

$ 1,773,440

$ (51,420) Costs and expenses:

























Cost of sales and operating expenses 653,001

699,244

46,243



1,331,100

1,387,210

56,110

Selling, general and administrative expenses 78,558

84,532

5,974



165,460

171,455

5,995

Restructuring and impairment charges 14,965

-

(14,965)



14,965

-

(14,965)

Depreciation and amortization 78,454

72,990

(5,464)



157,073

144,104

(12,969) Total costs and expenses 824,978

856,766

31,788



1,668,598

1,702,769

34,171 Operating income 21,668

38,164

(16,496)



53,422

70,671

(17,249) Other expense:

























Interest expense (23,016)

(22,446)

(570)



(46,140)

(44,126)

(2,014)

Debt extinguishment costs (23,509)

-

(23,509)



(23,509)

-

(23,509)

Foreign currency loss (3,495)

(2,111)

(1,384)



(4,976)

(2,375)

(2,601)

Loss on sale of subsidiary (15,538)

-

(15,538)



(15,538)

-

(15,538)

Other (expense)/gain, net 1,199

(3,797)

4,996



(1,317)

(5,850)

4,533 Total other expense (64,359)

(28,354)

(36,005)



(91,480)

(52,351)

(39,129)



























Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries 15,236

8,260

6,976



112,390

8,966

103,424 Income/(loss) before income taxes (27,455)

18,070

(45,525)



74,332

27,286

47,046 Income taxes expense 1,683

7,742

6,059



5,395

9,560

4,165 Net income/(loss) (29,138)

10,328

(39,466)



68,937

17,726

51,211 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (1,282)

(1,179)

(103)



(2,052)

(2,748)

696 Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling $ (30,420)

$ 9,149

$ (39,569)



$ 66,885

$ 14,978

$ 51,907



























Basic income/(loss) per share: $ (0.18)

$ 0.06

$ (0.24)



$ 0.41

$ 0.09

$ 0.32 Diluted income/(loss) per share: $ (0.18)

$ 0.05

$ (0.23)



$ 0.40

$ 0.09

$ 0.31



























Number of diluted common shares 164,651

166,831







166,259

166,348





Darling Ingredients Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets June 30, 2018 and December 30, 2017 (in thousands)





June 30,

December 30,

2018

2017 ASSETS (unaudited)



Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents $ 104,120

$ 106,774

Restricted cash 142

142

Accounts receivable, net 371,291

391,847

Inventories 370,555

358,183

Prepaid expenses 43,965

38,326

Income taxes refundable 6,977

4,509

Other current assets 21,148

56,664

Total current assets 918,198

956,445 Property, plant and equipment, less accumulated depreciation, net 1,624,354

1,645,822 Intangible assets, less accumulated amortization, net 610,878

676,500 Goodwill 1,232,964

1,301,093 Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries 399,097

302,038 Other assets 56,802

62,284 Deferred income taxes 14,623

14,043

Total assets $ 4,856,916

$ 4,958,225







LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities:







Current portion of long-term debt $ 7,466

$ 16,143

Accounts payable, principally trade 185,150

217,417

Income taxes payable 8,975

12,300

Accrued expenses 281,139

313,623

Total current liabilities 482,730

559,483 Long-term debt, net of current portion 1,687,823

1,698,050 Other non-current liabilities 105,649

106,287 Deferred income taxes 242,683

266,708

Total liabilities 2,518,885

2,630,528 Commitments and contingencies





Total Darling's stockholders' equity 2,263,403

2,244,933 Noncontrolling interests 74,628

82,764

Total stockholders' equity $ 2,338,031

$ 2,327,697



$ 4,856,916

$ 4,958,225

Darling Ingredients Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 and July 1, 2017 (in thousands) (unaudited)









Six Months Ended







June 30,

July 1, Cash flows from operating activities: 2018

2017

Net income

$ 68,937

$ 17,726

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:









Depreciation and amortization 157,073

144,104



Loss/(gain) on disposal of property, plant, equipment and other assets 300

(358)



Loss on sale of subsidiary 15,538

-



Asset impairment 2,907

-



Gain on insurance proceeds from insurance settlements (1,253)

-



Deferred taxes (7,512)

(11,205)



Increase in long-term pension liability 123

1,362



Stock-based compensation expense 13,232

11,003



Write-off deferred loan costs 8,105

340



Deferred loan cost amortization 4,664

4,366



Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries (112,390)

(8,966)



Distribution of earnings from unconsolidated subsidiaries 26,567

25,806



Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions:









Accounts receivable 5,217

17,705



Income taxes refundable/payable (5,438)

12,857



Inventories and prepaid expenses (30,561)

(21,952)



Accounts payable and accrued expenses (25,705)

16,594



Other

8,243

(11,845)





Net cash provided by operating activities 128,047

197,537 Cash flows from investing activities:







Capital expenditures (139,130)

(127,824)

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (51,089)

(12,369)

Investment of unconsolidated subsidiaries (6,500)

(2,250)

Proceeds from sale of investment in subsidiaries 82,805

-

Gross proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment and other assets 2,244

3,603

Proceeds from insurance settlement 1,253

3,301

Payments related to routes and other intangibles (294)

(4,635)





Net cash used by investing activities (110,711)

(140,174) Cash flows from financing activities:







Proceeds from long-term debt 623,695

16,405

Payments on long-term debt (650,976)

(67,974)

Borrowings from revolving credit facility 247,975

80,000

Payments on revolving credit facility (221,632)

(80,327)

Net cash overdraft financing 4,517

(1,077)

Deferred loan costs (9,324)

(1,177)

Issuance of common stock 182

22

Minimum withholding taxes paid on stock awards (2,123)

(2,091)

Distributions to noncontrolling interests (983)

(2,135)





Net cash used by financing activities (8,669)

(58,354) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (11,321)

11,233 Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (2,654)

10,242 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 106,916

114,857 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 104,262

$ 125,099 Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:







Accrued capital expenditures $ (6,336)

$ (5,445)

Cash paid during the period for:









Interest, net of capitalized interest $ 39,614

$ 38,688



Income taxes, net of refunds $ 17,154

$ 7,986

Non-cash financing activities:









Debt issued for assets $ 17

$ -

Selected financial information for the Company's Diamond Green Diesel Joint Venture is as follows:

Diamond Green Diesel Joint Venture Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands)









June 30,

December 31,







2018

2017 Assets:

(unaudited)





Total current assets

$ 218,189

$ 202,778

Property, plant and equipment, net

529,312

435,328

Other assets

18,861

4,655



Total assets

$ 766,362

$ 642,761













Liabilities and members' equity:









Total current portion of long term debt

$ 176

$ 17,023

Total other current liabilities

34,714

40,705

Total long term debt

8,583

36,730

Total other long term liabilities

465

450

Total members' equity

722,424

547,853



Total liabilities and members' equity

$ 766,362

$ 642,761

Diamond Green Diesel Joint Venture Operating Financial Results Three Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017 (in thousands) (unaudited)







Three Months Ended



Six Months Ended













$ Change











$ Change





June 30,

June 30,

Favorable



June 30,

June 30,

Favorable Revenues: 2018

2017

(Unfavorable)



2018

2017

(Unfavorable)

Operating revenues $ 151,989

$ 150,786

$ 1,203



$ 302,310

$ 276,183

$ 26,127 Expenses:

























Total costs and expenses less depreciation, amortization and accretion expense 115,659

125,975

10,316



65,838

241,297

175,459

Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense 6,254

8,021

1,767



12,374

16,134

3,760 Total costs and expenses 121,913

133,996

12,083



78,212

257,431

179,219

Operating income 30,076

16,790

13,286



224,098

18,752

205,346 Other income 415

328

87



792

551

241



Interest and debt expense, net (319)

(861)

542



(319)

(1,851)

1,532



Net income $ 30,172

$ 16,257

$ 13,915



$ 224,571

$ 17,452

$ 207,119

Darling Ingredients Inc. reports Adjusted EBITDA results, which is a Non-GAAP financial measure, as a complement to results provided in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) (for additional information, see "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" included later in this media release). The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional useful information to investors. Adjusted EBITDA, as the Company uses the term, is calculated below:

Reconciliation of Net Income to (Non-GAAP) Adjusted EBITDA and (Non-GAAP) Pro forma Adjusted EBITDA Three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and July 1, 2017





Three Months Ended - Year over Year

Six Months Ended - Year over Year Adjusted EBITDA June 30,

July 1,

June 30,

July 1, (U.S. dollars in thousands) 2018

2017

2018

2017

















Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling $ (30,420)

$ 9,149

$ 66,885

$ 14,978 Depreciation and amortization 78,454

72,990

157,073

144,104 Interest expense 23,016

22,446

46,140

44,126 Income tax expense 1,683

7,742

5,395

9,560 Restructuring and impairment charges 14,965

-

14,965

- Foreign currency loss 3,495

2,111

4,976

2,375 Other expense/(income), net (1,199)

3,797

1,317

5,850 Debt extinguishment costs 23,509

-

23,509

- Loss on sale of subsidiary 15,538

-

15,538

- Equity in net (income) of unconsolidated subsidiaries (15,236)

(8,260)

(112,390)

(8,966) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 1,282

1,179

2,052

2,748

Adjusted EBITDA $115,087

$111,154

$225,460

$214,775

















Foreign currency exchange impact (1) (3,764)

-

(11,899)

- Pro forma Adjusted EBITDA to Foreign Currency (Non-GAAP) $111,323

$111,154

$213,561

$214,775



































DGD Joint Venture Adjusted EBITDA (Darling's share) $ 18,165

$ 12,406

$118,236

$ 17,443



(1) The average rates assumption used in the calculation was the actual fiscal average rate for the three months ended June 30, 2018 of 1.00:USD$1.20 and CAD$1.00:USD$0.77 as compared to the average rate for the three months ended July 1, 2017 of 1.00:USD$1.10 and CAD$1.00:USD$0.74, respectively. The average rates assumption used in the calculation was the actual fiscal average rate for the six months ended June 30, 2018 of 1.00:USD$1.22 and CAD$1.00:USD$0.78 as compared to the average rate for the six months ended July 1, 2017 of 1.00:USD$1.08 and CAD$1.00:USD$0.75, respectively.

About Darling

Darling Ingredients Inc. is a global developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients, creating a wide range of ingredients and specialty solutions for customers in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, feed, technical, fuel, bioenergy, and fertilizer industries. With operations on five continents, the Company collects and transforms all aspects of animal by-product streams into useable and specialty ingredients, such as gelatin, edible fats, feed-grade fats, animal proteins and meals, plasma, pet food ingredients, organic fertilizers, yellow grease, fuel feedstocks, green energy, natural casings and hides. The Company also recovers and converts recycled oils (used cooking oil and animal fats) into valuable feed and fuel ingredients, and collects and processes residual bakery products into feed ingredients. In addition, the Company provides environmental services, such as grease trap collection and disposal services to food service establishments. The Company sells its products domestically and internationally and operates within three industry segments: Feed Ingredients, Food Ingredients and Fuel Ingredients. For additional information, visit the Company's website at http://www.darlingii.com.

Darling Ingredients Inc. will host a conference call to discuss the Company's second quarter 2018 financial results at 8:30 am Eastern Time (7:30 am Central Time) on Thursday, August 9, 2018. To listen to the conference call, participants calling from within North America should dial 1-844-868-8847; international participants should dial 1-412-317-6593. Please refer to access code 10122304. Please call approximately ten minutes before the start of the call to ensure that you are connected.

The call will also be available as a live audio webcast that can be accessed on the Company website at http://ir.darlingii.com. Beginning one hour after its completion, a replay of the call can be accessed through August 16, 2018, by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (U.S. callers), 855-669-9658 (Canada) and 1-412-317-0088 (international callers). The access code for the replay is 10122304. The conference call will also be archived on the Company's website.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized accounting measurement under GAAP; it should not be considered as an alternative to net income, as a measure of operating results, or as an alternative to cash flow as a measure of liquidity, and is not intended to be a presentation in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is presented here not as an alternative to net income, but rather as a measure of the Company's operating performance. Since EBITDA (generally, net income plus interest expenses, taxes, depreciation and amortization) is not calculated identically by all companies, this presentation may not be comparable to EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA presentations disclosed by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated in this presentation and represents, for any relevant period, net income/(loss) plus depreciation and amortization, goodwill and long-lived asset impairment, interest expense, (income)/loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, income tax provision, other income/(expense) and equity in net loss of unconsolidated subsidiary. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is useful in evaluating the Company's operating performance compared to that of other companies in its industry because the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA generally eliminates the effects of financing, income taxes and certain non-cash and other items that may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to overall operating performance.

As a result, the Company's management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure to evaluate performance and for other discretionary purposes. In addition to the foregoing, management also uses or will use Adjusted EBITDA to measure compliance with certain financial covenants under the Company's Senior Secured Credit Facilities and 5.375% Notes and 3.625% Notes that were outstanding at June 30, 2018. However, the amounts shown in this presentation for Adjusted EBITDA differ from the amounts calculated under similarly titled definitions in the Company's Senior Secured Credit Facilities and 5.375% Notes and 3.625% Notes, as those definitions permit further adjustments to reflect certain other non-recurring costs, non-cash charges and cash dividends from the DGD Joint Venture. Additionally, the Company evaluates the impact of foreign exchange impact on operating cash flow, which is defined as segment operating income (loss) plus depreciation and amortization.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

{This media release contains "forward-looking" statements regarding the business operations and prospects of Darling Ingredients Inc. and industry factors affecting it. These statements are identified by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "could," "may," "will," "should," "planned," "potential," "continue," "momentum," and other words referring to events that may occur in the future. These statements reflect Darling Ingredient's current view of future events and are based on its assessment of, and are subject to, a variety of risks and uncertainties beyond its control, each of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, existing and unknown future limitations on the ability of the Company's direct and indirect subsidiaries to make their cash flow available to the Company for payments on the Company's indebtedness or other purposes; global demands for bio-fuels and grain and oilseed commodities, which have exhibited volatility, and can impact the cost of feed for cattle, hogs and poultry, thus affecting available rendering feedstock and selling prices for the Company's products; reductions in raw material volumes available to the Company due to weak margins in the meat production industry as a result of higher feed costs, reduced consumer demand or other factors, reduced volume from food service establishments, or otherwise; reduced demand for animal feed; reduced finished product prices, including a decline in fat and used cooking oil finished product prices; changes to worldwide government policies relating to renewable fuels and greenhouse gas("GHG") emissions that adversely affect programs like the U.S. government's renewable fuel standard, low carbon fuel standards ("LCFS") and tax credits for biofuels both in the Unites States and abroad; possible product recall resulting from developments relating to the discovery of unauthorized adulterations to food or food additives; the occurrence of 2009 H1N1 flu (initially known as "Swine Flu"), Highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza (collectively known as "Bird Flu"), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (or "BSE"), porcine epidemic diarrhea ("PED") or other diseases associated with animal origin in the United States or elsewhere; unanticipated costs and/or reductions in raw material volumes related to the Company's compliance with the existing or unforeseen new U.S. or foreign (including, without limitation, China) regulations (including new or modified animal feed, Bird Flu, PED or BSE or similar or unanticipated regulations) affecting the industries in which the Company operates or its value added products; risks associated with the DGD Joint Venture, including possible unanticipated operating disruptions and issues relating to the announced expansion project; risks and uncertainties relating to international sales and operations, including imposition of tariffs, quotas, trade barriers and other trade protections imposed by foreign countries; difficulties or a significant disruption in our information systems or failure to implement new systems and software successfully, including our ongoing enterprise resource planning project; risks relating to possible third party claims of intellectual property infringement; increased contributions to the Company's pension and benefit plans, including multiemployer and employer-sponsored defined benefit pension plans as required by legislation, regulation or other applicable U.S. or foreign law or resulting from a U.S. mass withdrawal event; bad debt write-offs; loss of or failure to obtain necessary permits and registrations; continued or escalated conflict in the Middle East, North Korea, Ukraine or elsewhere; uncertainty regarding the likely exit of the U.K. from the European Union; and/or unfavorable export or import markets. These factors, coupled with volatile prices for natural gas and diesel fuel, climate conditions, currency exchange fluctuations, general performance of the U.S. and global economies, disturbances in world financial, credit, commodities and stock markets, and any decline in consumer confidence and discretionary spending, including the inability of consumers and companies to obtain credit due to lack of liquidity in the financial markets, among others, could negatively impact the Company's results of operations. Among other things, future profitability may be affected by the Company's ability to grow its business, which faces competition from companies that may have substantially greater resources than the Company. The Company's announced share repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time and purchases of shares under the program are subject to market conditions and other factors, which are likely to change from time to time. Other risks and uncertainties regarding Darling Ingredients Inc., its business and the industries in which it operates are referenced from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Darling Ingredients Inc. is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.}

For More Information, contact: Melissa A. Gaither, VP IR and Global Communications Email : [email protected] 251 O'Connor Ridge Blvd., Suite 300, Irving, Texas 75038 Phone : 972-717-0300

SOURCE Darling Ingredients Inc.

Related Links

http://www.darlingii.com


BOSTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group (DRG), a premier provider of healthcare data, analytics, and insights products and services, announced Davis Walp has joined as Chief Strategy Officer.

In his new role, Walp will focus his efforts on growth strategies that will drive new value for DRG's customers. He brings more than 20 years of global strategy and operations experience across pharmaceutical, health technology and provider segments.

"As the healthcare industry undergoes transformative changes, Davis will help DRG bring the next generation of customer-driven solutions to the industry," said Jon Sandler, Chief Executive Officer at Decision Resources Group. "His understanding of the complexity of the healthcare system will strengthen DRG's role as a trusted partner, helping our customers anticipate industry changes and stay competitive in a fast-moving market."

Prior to DRG, Walp headed strategy and business development for Allscripts' genomics and precision medicine venture, and was Market Segment Leader for Allscripts' research offerings to life sciences sponsors. Walp's background in healthcare data and technology includes real world evidence analytics and patient engagement at internal startups within Deloitte and Quintiles (now IQVIA). He also brings to DRG over a decade of experience at leading pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline in roles spanning from brand planning to corporate strategy.

"Healthcare is evolving quickly, and DRG is a company with a strong legacy of making the complex clear and compelling for decision makers through data, insights and recommendations," said Davis Walp, Chief Strategy Officer at Decision Resources Group. "I'm looking forward to elevating DRG's position as a trusted partner, by helping our customers successfully navigate rapid change across science, healthcare delivery, payment and regulatory models."

About Decision Resources Group

DRG, a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Ltd., is the premier source for global healthcare data and market intelligence. A trusted partner for over 20 years, DRG helps companies competing in the global healthcare industry make informed business decisions. Organizations committed to developing and delivering life-changing therapies to patients rely on DRG's in-house team of expert healthcare analysts, data scientists, and consultants for critical guidance. DRG products and services, built on extensive data assets and delivered by experts, empower organizations to succeed in complex healthcare markets.

To learn more, visit www.decisionresourcesgroup.com.

Media contact:

Kate Hahn:

[email protected]

1-617-747-9090



Related Links

http://www.decisionresourcesgroup.com

SOURCE Decision Resources Group

Related Links

http://www.decisionresourcesgroup.com


ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight hundred Rochester families in need will receive enough food to supplement meals for a week plus daily essentials, thanks to a partnership between PepsiCo and Feed the Children. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. EST at Eastman Business Park, 1650 Lake Ave., Rochester, N.Y.

This is the fourth year PepsiCo and Feed the Children have partnered to help feed families in Rochester, where more than 38 percent of the population lives below the poverty line1. This event is part of a larger initiative between the two organizations to help feed communities in cities throughout the United States.

"We love serving the Rochester community and are grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community," said Bonnie Keith, key account manager, Mid-Atlantic region, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. "At Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, we believe in engaging our associates in community projects and initiatives that make a positive difference by supporting our local community where we live and work."

The receiving families have been identified and preselected by Catholic Family Center, a Rochester-based not-for-profit organization that helps elevate the local community by enabling independence, empowering the vulnerable and strengthening individuals and families.

"We recognize hunger can't be fought alone, but by working together, we can provide food and essentials to millions of children and families who live in poverty," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "Hope for a better future is made possible thanks to our many volunteers, donors and partners."

"Tops is committed to eradicating hunger in the communities we serve," said Frank Curci, Chairman & CEO, Tops Friendly Markets. "We're thrilled to partner with our friends at PepsiCo and Feed the Children on this initiative. The way we see it, we're simply neighbors helping neighbors."

"Catholic Family Center is grateful to be working once again with PepsiCo, Feed the Children, and our neighbors at Tops Markets," said Marlene Bessette, CEO, Catholic Family Center (CFC). "Together, these partners are truly providing vital nourishment for both body and mind to some of our city's most vulnerable families and children."

Each qualifying recipient at today's event will be given:

One 25-pound box of nonperishable food items

One 15-pound box of personal-care items

One box of AVON products

Frito-Lay Better-For-You Variety Pack

PepsiCo beverages

Life Original Cereal

Quaker Oatmeal

Quaker Breakfast Flats

Fresh produce and non-perishable food items provided by Tops Friendly Markets

Volunteers from PepsiCo, Tops Friendly Markets, Catholic Family Center and Feed the Children will be on-site serving families and assisting with distribution at today's event. SwiftLift will provide equipment and drivers necessary to unload nearly a hundred pallets of food and supplies, for safe and efficient distribution to families.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2017, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose  our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About Feed the Children

Established in 1979, Feed the Children exists to defeat childhood hunger. It is one of the largest U.S.-based charities and serves those in need in the U.S. and in 10 countries around the world. It provides food, education initiatives, essentials and disaster response. It operates five distribution centers located in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

In fiscal year 2017, Feed the Children distributed 79.8 million pounds of food and essentials to children and families in the U.S. Internationally, it provided nutritious food or other benefits to 1,080,000 children, empowered 291,000 parents to make better decisions for their children, and positively impacted more than 1,200 communities and schools in 10 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Visit www.feedthechildren.org for more information.

About Catholic Family Center

Catholic Family Center (CFC) is Greater Rochester's largest provider of comprehensive family services. Each year we assist tens of thousands of our neighbors, relatives and friends as they work to remain or become healthy, productive, participating members of our community. We serve all peopleregardless of religion, race, ethnicity, age, ability or gender. Our programs work together to address the many issues of human need across all stages of life.

For more information, please contact:

Kathy Cloud

817-726-4228

[email protected]

1http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Rochester-New-York.html

SOURCE PepsiCo

Related Links

https://www.pepsico.com


New Strategic Relationship with Continental Resources

(in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted)

TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - "We are pleased to have entered into a first-of-its-kind mineral rights acquisition relationship with Continental Resources, Inc. Continental is the leading operator in the SCOOP and STACK oil & gas plays in Oklahoma," commented David Harquail, CEO. "We are excited to be able to work together to grow our royalty revenues effectively through grass-roots acquisitions."

"For 2018, we are increasing our oil & gas guidance while at the same time modestly tempering our guidance for our mining assets. Our precious metals stream at Candelaria is temporarily producing largely from stockpiles. For 2019, we expect improved production from Candelaria and to benefit from the ramp-up of our major precious metals stream at Cobre Panama. We also expect on-going growth from our U.S. oil & gas assets complimented by our new Continental relationship."

Q2/2018 Financial Highlights

$161.3 million in revenue

in revenue 107,333 Gold Equivalent Ounces 1 ("GEOs") sold

("GEOs") sold $126.3 million of Adjusted EBITDA 2 or $0.68 per share

of Adjusted EBITDA or per share $53.6 million of net income or $0.29 per share

of net income or per share $53.7 million of Adjusted Net Income 3 or $0.29 per share

of Adjusted Net Income or per share $158.4 million in working capital at quarter-end and no debt

Revenue and GEOs by Asset Categories



Q2/2018

Q2/2017



GEOs

Revenue

GEOs

Revenue



#

(in millions)

#

(in millions) Precious Metals





















Gold

83,870

$ 108.6

92,706

$ 116.5

Silver

14,147



18.1

18,139



22.8

PGMs

7,546



9.6

8,801



11.0 Precious Metals - Total

105,563

$ 136.3

119,646

$ 150.3 Other Mining Assets

1,770



2.3

2,895



3.7 Oil & Gas





22.7





9.6



107,333

$ 161.3

122,541

$ 163.6

For Q2/2018, revenue was sourced 84.5% from precious metals (67.3% gold, 11.2% silver and 6.0% PGM) and 80.9% from the Americas (39.6% Latin America, 22.1% U.S., and 19.2% Canada). Operating costs and expenses decreased year-over-year due to lower stream GEOs sold during the quarter. Oil & Gas revenue increased 136.5% year-over-year, reflecting the additional contributions from the SCOOP/STACK, Midland, Delaware and Orion royalties, higher prices and increased payments from Weyburn. Cash provided by operating activities was $111.3 million, a decrease of 12.0% compared to Q2/2017.

Corporate Updates

Strategic Relationship with Continental Resources, Inc.: On August 6, 2018 , Franco-Nevada announced that it had entered into a strategic relationship with Continental Resources, Inc. to acquire mineral rights in the SCOOP and STACK plays of Oklahoma . Franco- Nevada is contributing $220 million for the acquisition of existing mineral rights owned by a subsidiary of Continental and has committed, subject to satisfaction of agreed upon development thresholds, to spend up to $100 million per year over the next three years to acquire additional mineral rights through a newly-formed company.

On , Franco-Nevada announced that it had entered into a strategic relationship with Continental Resources, Inc. to acquire mineral rights in the SCOOP and STACK plays of . Franco- is contributing for the acquisition of existing mineral rights owned by a subsidiary of Continental and has committed, subject to satisfaction of agreed upon development thresholds, to spend up to per year over the next three years to acquire additional mineral rights through a newly-formed company. 2018 Guidance: With a better than expected contribution from its previously acquired U.S. assets and stronger oil prices, Franco-Nevada now expects to generate $65 million to $75 million in revenue from oil & gas for 2018. This compares with the original 2018 guidance of $50 million to $60 million .

The benefit of the positive performance of the oil & gas portfolio however will be offset by a downward revision to the 2018 GEO guidance. Franco- Nevada now expects from its mining assets in 2018, attributable royalty and stream production to total 440,000 to 470,000 GEOs mainly due to reduced deliveries from the Candelaria stream. While decreased grades were expected as part of Lundin Mining Corporation's updated mine plan following a pit slide last year, the impact on 2018 gold and silver production was greater than anticipated. This is a reduction from the original 2018 mining asset guidance of 460,000 to 490,000 GEOs. Production from the Candelaria stream is expected to recover in 2019.

In forecasting GEOs for 2018, silver, platinum and palladium metals have been converted to GEOs using commodity prices of $1,250 /oz Au, $16.00 /oz Ag, $850 /oz Pt and $950 /oz Pd. The WTI oil price in the updated guidance is assumed to average $65 per barrel with a $4.80 per barrel price differential between the Edmonton Light and realized prices for Canadian oil.

With a better than expected contribution from its previously acquired U.S. assets and stronger oil prices, Franco-Nevada now expects to generate to in revenue from oil & gas for 2018. This compares with the original 2018 guidance of to . The benefit of the positive performance of the oil & gas portfolio however will be offset by a downward revision to the 2018 GEO guidance. Franco- now expects from its mining assets in 2018, attributable royalty and stream production to total 440,000 to 470,000 GEOs mainly due to reduced deliveries from the Candelaria stream. While decreased grades were expected as part of Lundin Mining Corporation's updated mine plan following a pit slide last year, the impact on 2018 gold and silver production was greater than anticipated. This is a reduction from the original 2018 mining asset guidance of 460,000 to 490,000 GEOs. Production from the Candelaria stream is expected to recover in 2019. In forecasting GEOs for 2018, silver, platinum and palladium metals have been converted to GEOs using commodity prices of /oz Au, /oz Ag, /oz Pt and /oz Pd. The WTI oil price in the updated guidance is assumed to average per barrel with a per barrel price differential between the Edmonton Light and realized prices for Canadian oil. 5-Year Oil & Gas Outlook: As a result of stronger oil prices and recently completed and announced asset acquisitions, including the Continental transaction, Franco-Nevada is revising its longer term oil & gas revenue outlook, resulting in an increase from previously announced guidance in March 2018 of $80 million to $90 million in revenue by 2022 (at a $55 per barrel WTI oil price assumption) to updated guidance of $120 million to $140 million in revenue by 2022 (at a $65 per barrel WTI oil price assumption).

As a result of stronger oil prices and recently completed and announced asset acquisitions, including the Continental transaction, Franco-Nevada is revising its longer term oil & gas revenue outlook, resulting in an increase from previously announced guidance in of to in revenue by 2022 (at a per barrel WTI oil price assumption) to updated guidance of to in revenue by 2022 (at a per barrel WTI oil price assumption). Cobre Panama: Franco-Nevada, through a subsidiary, funded the additional precious metals stream on the Cobre Panama project for $356.0 million on March 16 , 2018. Franco-Nevada now has exposure to the precious metals produced from 100% of the ownership of the Cobre Panama project.

Q2/2018 Portfolio Updates

Precious Metals  Latin America : GEOs from Latin American precious metals assets decreased 18.1% year-over-year, with 49,606 precious metal GEOs earned in Q2/2018, reflecting decreased deliveries from Candelaria, Antamina and Antapaccay. First payments from the Cerro Moro royalty were received in Q2/2018.

GEOs from Latin American precious metals assets decreased 18.1% year-over-year, with 49,606 precious metal GEOs earned in Q2/2018, reflecting decreased deliveries from Candelaria, Antamina and Antapaccay. First payments from the Cerro Moro royalty were received in Q2/2018. Cobre Panama (gold and silver stream)  During Q2/2018, a Franco-Nevada subsidiary contributed $89.2 million of its share of construction capital for the Cobre Panama project. The company at quarter-end has contributed $886.0 million of its total maximum $1 billion commitment for the construction of Cobre Panama. For the remainder of 2018, Franco-Nevada expects to fund the balance of the $1 billion deposit. Recently, First Quantum announced plans to expand throughput capacity to 85 million tonnes per annum and a potential further increase to 100 million tonnes per annum after 2022. As of the end of Q2/2018, First Quantum estimates that the project is 76% complete and continues to anticipate phased commissioning during 2018 and ramp-up during 2019.

 During Q2/2018, a Franco-Nevada subsidiary contributed of its share of construction capital for the Cobre Panama project. The company at quarter-end has contributed of its total maximum commitment for the construction of Cobre Panama. For the remainder of 2018, Franco-Nevada expects to fund the balance of the deposit. Recently, First Quantum announced plans to expand throughput capacity to 85 million tonnes per annum and a potential further increase to 100 million tonnes per annum after 2022. As of the end of Q2/2018, First Quantum estimates that the project is 76% complete and continues to anticipate phased commissioning during 2018 and ramp-up during 2019.

Cerro Moro (2% royalty )  Yamana declared commercial production at Cerro Moro on June 26, 2018 . Franco- Nevada recorded its first revenue from the asset during the quarter.

)  Yamana declared commercial production at Cerro Moro on . Franco- recorded its first revenue from the asset during the quarter.

Guadalupe-Palmarejo (gold stream)  Guadalupe-Palmarejo delivered 9,833 GEOs in Q2/2018. Coeur has raised full year 2018 gold production guidance due to higher grades at Guadalupe-Palmarejo.

 Guadalupe-Palmarejo delivered 9,833 GEOs in Q2/2018. Coeur has raised full year 2018 gold production guidance due to higher grades at Guadalupe-Palmarejo.

Candelaria (gold and silver stream)  Candelaria delivered 14,472 GEOs, compared to 21,981 GEOs in Q2/2017. Precious metals production levels are lower as a result of processing lower grade materials which has had a greater impact on gold and silver production. Production is expected to recover in 2019.

 Candelaria delivered 14,472 GEOs, compared to 21,981 GEOs in Q2/2017. Precious metals production levels are lower as a result of processing lower grade materials which has had a greater impact on gold and silver production. Production is expected to recover in 2019.

Antapaccay (gold and silver stream)  Antapaccay delivered 15,717 GEOs in Q2/2018, a decrease of 9.5% year-over-year due to timing of deliveries.

 Antapaccay delivered 15,717 GEOs in Q2/2018, a decrease of 9.5% year-over-year due to timing of deliveries.

Antamina (silver stream)  9,151 GEOs from Antamina were sold during the quarter. This is in-line with expectations and a decrease compared to 11,081 GEOs in Q2/2017. Franco- Nevada has partnered with Compania Minera Antamina S.A. ("CMA"), the Antamina joint venture company, in supporting and expanding CMA's support of Ensena Peru , which aims to improve education at existing schools in the region.





 9,151 GEOs from Antamina were sold during the quarter. This is in-line with expectations and a decrease compared to 11,081 GEOs in Q2/2017. Franco- has partnered with Compania Minera Antamina S.A. ("CMA"), the Antamina joint venture company, in supporting and expanding CMA's support of Ensena , which aims to improve education at existing schools in the region. Precious Metals  U.S.: GEOs from U.S. precious metals assets increased by 3.0% year-over-year mainly due to a strong quarter from Bald Mountain which was offset by reduced deliveries from South Arturo which was expected. 19,930 GEOs were earned from U.S. precious metal assets.

GEOs from U.S. precious metals assets increased by 3.0% year-over-year mainly due to a strong quarter from Bald Mountain which was offset by reduced deliveries from South Arturo which was expected. 19,930 GEOs were earned from U.S. precious metal assets. Bald Mountain ( 0.875-5% royalty )  Increased tonnes on leach pads and caps expiring on a specific royalty contributed to a strong performance in the quarter, resulting in payments of 4,768 GEOs, compared to 923 GEOs in Q2/2017.

)  Increased tonnes on leach pads and caps expiring on a specific royalty contributed to a strong performance in the quarter, resulting in payments of 4,768 GEOs, compared to 923 GEOs in Q2/2017.

South Arturo (4-9% royalty)  Construction of the Phase 1 open pit and the El Nino underground mine have been accelerated with production from both operations expected later in 2018. Additional work is planned to assess the potential of further mining opportunities that include a Phase 3 pit and processing of heap leach material from all pits.

Construction of the Phase 1 open pit and the El Nino underground mine have been accelerated with production from both operations expected later in 2018. Additional work is planned to assess the potential of further mining opportunities that include a Phase 3 pit and processing of heap leach material from all pits.

Marigold (0.5-5% royalty)  SSR Mining provided a new life of mine plan which is expected to support mining for over 10 years and gold production for 15 years. Annual gold production is forecast to exceed 265,000 ounces in 2021 and 2022, a more than 30% increase over 2017.

 SSR Mining provided a new life of mine plan which is expected to support mining for over 10 years and gold production for 15 years. Annual gold production is forecast to exceed 265,000 ounces in 2021 and 2022, a more than 30% increase over 2017.

Stibnite Gold (1.7% royalty)  Midas Gold provided an updated permitting schedule for the Stibnite Gold project in Idaho indicating a modest delay relative to prior expectations.

 Midas Gold provided an updated permitting schedule for the Stibnite Gold project in indicating a modest delay relative to prior expectations.

Fire Creek/Midas (fixed gold deliveries and royalty) & Hollister (3-5% royalty)  Hecla closed its acquisition of Klondex's three underground operations in Nevada including Fire Creek, Midas and Hollister . Franco- Nevada has agreements and royalties covering all three properties.

& Hollister  closed its acquisition of Klondex's three underground operations in including Fire Creek, Midas and . Franco- has agreements and royalties covering all three properties.

Castle Mountain (2.65% royalty)  Equinox announced the results of a prefeasibility study envisioning gold production of 2.8 million ounces over a 16-year mine life.

 Equinox announced the results of a prefeasibility study envisioning gold production of 2.8 million ounces over a 16-year mine life.

Stillwater (5% royalty)  The Blitz project achieved first production in September 2017 and is expected to reach full production by late 2021 or early 2022. Blitz is anticipated to increase total PGM production from Stillwater by more than 50% to approximately 850,000 ounces per year.





 The Blitz project achieved first production in and is expected to reach full production by late 2021 or early 2022. Blitz is anticipated to increase total PGM production from by more than 50% to approximately 850,000 ounces per year. Precious Metals  Canada : 12,868 GEOs from Canadian precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a decrease of 24.7% year-over-year compared with Q2/2017, primarily due to deliveries from the Sudbury assets.

: 12,868 GEOs from Canadian precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a decrease of 24.7% year-over-year compared with Q2/2017, primarily due to deliveries from the assets. Detour (2% royalty)  Detour Gold provided an updated life of mine plan with average annual production of 659,000 ounces over 22.6 years.

 Detour Gold provided an updated life of mine plan with average annual production of 659,000 ounces over 22.6 years.

Hardrock (3% royalty)  Greenstone Gold Mines, the JV partnership advancing the Hardrock project, signed a Definitive Agreement with Long Lake #58 First Nation with respect to the development and operation of the project.

 Greenstone Gold Mines, the JV partnership advancing the Hardrock project, signed a Definitive Agreement with #58 First Nation with respect to the development and operation of the project.

Brucejack (1.2% royalty)  Brucejack had a strong quarter benefitting from the implementation of a grade control system. The operation expects to produce between 200,000-220,000 ounces of gold in the second half of 2018. As of June 30, 2018 , Brucejack has produced approximately 335,000 ounces of gold since start-up. Franco- Nevada's royalty begins after approximately 500,000 ounces have been produced which is expected to occur towards the end of 2018.

 Brucejack had a strong quarter benefitting from the implementation of a grade control system. The operation expects to produce between 200,000-220,000 ounces of gold in the second half of 2018. As of , Brucejack has produced approximately 335,000 ounces of gold since start-up. Franco- royalty begins after approximately 500,000 ounces have been produced which is expected to occur towards the end of 2018.

Kirkland Lake (1.5-5.5% royalty & 20% NPI)  Continued exploration success at Macassa supports potential for future resource growth and resource conversion. Kirkland Lake Gold has previously announced plans for a new shaft at the Macassa mine which would support higher levels of production and offer more effective underground exploration. The two phase project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.





 Continued exploration success at Macassa supports potential for future resource growth and resource conversion. has previously announced plans for a new shaft at the Macassa mine which would support higher levels of production and offer more effective underground exploration. The two phase project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Precious Metals  Rest of World: 23,159 GEOs from Rest of World precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a slight increase of 2.2% year-over-year.

23,159 GEOs from Rest of World precious metals assets were earned during the quarter, a slight increase of 2.2% year-over-year. Sissingue (0.5% royalty)  Perseus Mining declared commercial production at Sissingue on April 1, 2018 following first gold pour on January 26, 2018 . Franco- Nevada received its first payment under this royalty in Q2/2018.

 Perseus Mining declared commercial production at Sissingue on following first gold pour on . Franco- received its first payment under this royalty in Q2/2018.

Agi Dagi (2% royalty)  Alamos announced that it has been granted the GSM (Business Opening and Operation) permit required for the development of its Kirazli project in Turkey . This is a positive indication for the permitting of Alamos' two other projects in Turkey , Agi Dagi and Camyurt, on which Franco-Nevada has royalties.

Alamos announced that it has been granted the GSM (Business Opening and Operation) permit required for the development of its Kirazli project in . This is a positive indication for the permitting of Alamos' two other projects in , and Camyurt, on which Franco-Nevada has royalties.

Subika (2% royalty)  The Ahafo mill expansion was impacted by a tragic accident that resulted in six fatalities. Newmont is working with the Government of Ghana for a safe restart of construction which has resulted in a minor delay in first gold. The Ahafo expansion projects (Subika underground and mill expansion) are expected to increase Ahafo's production to 550,000-650,000 ounces per year for the first five full years of production (20202024). Franco- Nevada estimates that the majority of underground reserves are covered by its royalty.

 The Ahafo mill expansion was impacted by a tragic accident that resulted in six fatalities. Newmont is working with the Government of for a safe restart of construction which has resulted in a minor delay in first gold. The Ahafo expansion projects (Subika underground and mill expansion) are expected to increase Ahafo's production to 550,000-650,000 ounces per year for the first five full years of production (20202024). Franco- estimates that the majority of underground reserves are covered by its royalty.

Tasiast (2% royalty)  The Phase One (12,000 tpd) expansion is complete, first ore has gone through the mill and commissioning is in final stages. Phase Two activities are being paused as Kinross analyzes alternative intermediate throughput expansion options and engages in discussions with the Government of Mauritania .





 The Phase One (12,000 tpd) expansion is complete, first ore has gone through the mill and commissioning is in final stages. Phase Two activities are being paused as analyzes alternative intermediate throughput expansion options and engages in discussions with the Government of . Oil & Gas: Revenue from oil & gas assets increased to $22.7 million in Q2/2018 compared to $9.6 million in Q2/2017, reflecting the additional contributions from the SCOOP/STACK, Midland, Delaware and Orion royalties, higher prices and increased payments from Weyburn .

Revenue from oil & gas assets increased to in Q2/2018 compared to in Q2/2017, reflecting the additional contributions from the SCOOP/STACK, Midland, and Orion royalties, higher prices and increased payments from . Weyburn (NRI, ORR, WI)  Weyburn generated $10.2 million in the quarter versus $6.5 million in the previous year with continued strong performance under Whitecap Resources, the new operator.

 generated in the quarter versus in the previous year with continued strong performance under Whitecap Resources, the new operator.

Delaware (various royalty rates)  The Delaware transaction closed in February 2018 . The effective date of the transaction was October 1, 2017 and the royalties have since generated $4.3 million in revenue which was booked in Q2/2018. Rig activity in the basin is ahead of original expectations.

 The transaction closed in . The effective date of the transaction was and the royalties have since generated in revenue which was booked in Q2/2018. Rig activity in the basin is ahead of original expectations.

Midland (various royalty rates)  Midland contributed $1.9 million in the quarter, compared to $0.7 million in the previous year.

 Midland contributed in the quarter, compared to in the previous year.

Orion (GORR)  Osum Oil Sands Corp. continues with its expansion of the Orion asset to over 18,000 barrels per day. Differentials for heavy oil prices in Western Canada widened during the quarter which negatively impacted revenue.

Dividend Declaration

Franco-Nevada is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share. The dividend will be paid on September 27, 2018 to shareholders of record on September 13, 2018 (the "Record Date"). The Canadian dollar equivalent is to be determined based on the daily average rate posted by the Bank of Canada on the Record Date. Under Canadian tax legislation, Canadian resident individuals who receive "eligible dividends" are entitled to an enhanced gross-up and dividend tax credit on such dividends.

The Company has a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the "DRIP"). Participation in the DRIP is optional. The Company will issue additional common shares through treasury at a 3% discount to the Average Market Price, as defined in the DRIP. However, the Company may, from time to time, in its discretion, change or eliminate the discount applicable to treasury acquisitions or direct that such common shares be purchased in market acquisitions at the prevailing market price, any of which would be publicly announced. The DRIP and enrollment forms are available on the Company's website at www.franco-nevada.com. Canadian and U.S. registered shareholders may also enroll in the DRIP online through the plan agent's self-service web portal at www.investorcentre.com/franco-nevada. Canadian and U.S. beneficial shareholders should contact their financial intermediary to arrange enrollment. During Q2/2018, the Company amended and restated the DRIP to allow for certain non-Canadian and non-U.S. shareholders to participate in the DRIP, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. Non-Canadian and non-U.S. shareholders should contact the Company to determine whether they satisfy the necessary conditions to participate in the DRIP.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer of securities. A registration statement relating to the DRIP has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and may be obtained under the Company's profile on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

Shareholder Information

The complete Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis can be found today on FrancoNevada's website at www.franco-nevada.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Management will host a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review FrancoNevada's Q2/2018 results.

Interested investors are invited to participate as follows:

Via Conference Call: Toll-Free: (888) 390-0546; International: (416) 764-8688

Conference Call Replay until August 16 th : Toll-Free (888) 390-0541; International (416) 764-8677; Pass code 372650#

Webcast: A live audio webcast will be accessible at www.franco-nevada.com

Corporate Summary

Franco-Nevada Corporation is the leading gold-focused royalty and stream company with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow producing assets. Its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. Franco-Nevada is debt free and uses its free cash flow to expand its portfolio and pay dividends. It trades under the symbol FNV on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Franco-Nevada is the gold investment that works.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, respectively, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future events or future performance, management's expectations regarding Franco-Nevada's growth, results of operations, estimated future revenues, carrying value of assets, future dividends and requirements for additional capital, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, production estimates, production costs and revenue, future demand for and prices of commodities, expected mining sequences, business prospects and opportunities and the completion of the transaction with Continental Resources, Inc. and its expected impact on future performance and results of operations. In addition, statements (including data in tables) relating to reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces ("GEOs") are forward looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, and no assurance can be given that the estimates and assumptions are accurate and that such reserves and resources and GEOs will be realized. Such forward looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Franco-Nevada to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from any forward looking statement, including, without limitation: fluctuations in the prices of the primary commodities that drive royalty and stream revenue (gold, platinum group metals, copper, nickel, uranium, silver, iron-ore and oil and gas); fluctuations in the value of the Canadian and Australian dollar, Mexican Peso and any other currency in which revenue is generated, relative to the U.S. dollar; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory, political or economic developments in any of the countries where properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest are located or through which they are held; risks related to the operators of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including changes in the ownership and control of such operators; influence of macroeconomic developments; business opportunities that become available to, or are pursued by Franco-Nevada; reduced access to debt and equity capital; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; whether or not Franco-Nevada is determined to have "passive foreign investment company" ("PFIC") status as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; potential changes in Canadian tax treatment of offshore streams; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; actual mineral content may differ from the reserves and resources contained in technical reports; rate and timing of production differences from resource estimates, other technical reports and mine plans; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including, but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions, slope failures or cave-ins, flooding and other natural disasters, terrorism, civil unrest or an outbreak of contagious disease; and the integration of acquired assets. The forward looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including, without limitation: the ongoing operation of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest by the owners or operators of such properties in a manner consistent with past practice; the accuracy of public statements and disclosures made by the owners or operators of such underlying properties; no material adverse change in the market price of the commodities that underlie the asset portfolio; Franco-Nevada's ongoing income and assets relating to determination of its PFIC status; no material changes to existing tax treatment; the expected application of tax laws and regulations by taxation authorities; the expected assessment and outcome of any audit by any taxation authority; no adverse development in respect of any significant property in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; the accuracy of publicly disclosed expectations for the development of underlying properties that are not yet in production; integration of acquired assets; risks related to the completion of the transaction with Continental Resources, Inc.; and the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. However, there can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Franco-Nevada cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward looking statements and investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For additional information with respect to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Information Form filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on www.sedar.com and Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on www.sec.gov. The forward looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only and Franco-Nevada does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

NON-IFRS MEASURES: Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate these measures differently. For a reconciliation of these measures to various IFRS measures, please see below or the Company's current MD&A disclosure found on the Company's website, on SEDAR and on EDGAR. Comparative information has been recalculated to conform to current presentation.

GEOs include our gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other mining assets. GEOs are estimated on a gross basis for NSR royalties and, in the case of stream ounces, before the payment of the per ounce contractual price paid by the Company. For NPI royalties, GEOs are calculated taking into account the NPI economics. Platinum, palladium, silver and other mining commodities are converted to GEOs by dividing associated revenue, which includes settlement adjustments, by the relevant gold price. The gold price used in the computation of GEOs earned from a particular asset varies depending on the royalty or stream agreement, which may make reference to the market price realized by the operator, or the average for the month, quarter, or year in which the mining commodity was produced or sold. For Q2/2018, the average commodity prices per ounce were as follows: $1,306 gold (Q2/2017 - $1,257 ), $16.57 silver (Q2/2017 - $17.26 ), $904 platinum (Q2/2017 - $940 ) and $979 palladium (Q2/2017 - $819 ). Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA per share are non-IFRS financial measures, which exclude the following from net income and earnings per share ("EPS"): income tax expense/recovery; finance expenses; finance income; depletion and depreciation; non-cash costs of sales; impairment charges related to royalty, stream and working interests and investments; gains/losses on sale of royalty interests; gains/losses on investments; foreign exchange gains/losses and other income/expenses and unusual non-recurring items. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per share are non-IFRS financial measures, which exclude the following from net income and EPS: foreign exchange gains/losses and other income/expenses; impairment charges related to royalty, stream and working interests and investments; gains/losses on sale of royalty interests; gains/losses on investments; unusual non-recurring items; and the impact of income taxes on these items.

Reconciliations to IFRS measures:





For the three months ended

For the six months ended



June 30,

June 30, (expressed in millions, except per share amounts)



2018



2017



2018



2017 Net Income

$ 53.6

$ 45.6

$ 118.2

$ 91.2

Income tax expense



11.1



11.1



24.6



21.5

Finance expenses



0.8



0.8



1.7



1.6

Finance income



(0.7)



(1.1)



(1.7)



(2.0)

Depletion and depreciation



59.6



67.2



120.2



138.7

Non-cash costs of sales



1.8



2.3



3.7



4.1

Foreign exchange (gains)/losses and other (income)/expenses



0.1



(0.4)



(0.5)



(1.1) Adjusted EBITDA

$ 126.3

$ 125.5

$ 266.2

$ 254.0 Basic weighted average shares outstanding



186.0



181.6



186.0



180.1 Adjusted EBITDA per share

$ 0.68

$ 0.69

$ 1.43

$ 1.41





For the three months ended

For the six months ended



June 30,

June 30, (expressed in millions, except per share amounts)



2018



2017



2018



2017 Net Income

$ 53.6

$ 45.6

$ 118.2

$ 91.2

Foreign exchange (gains)/losses and other (income)/expenses



0.1



(0.4)



(0.5)



(1.1)

Tax effect of adjustments







0.1



(0.1)





Other tax related adjustments:



























Valuation allowance







0.8







0.8 Adjusted Net Income

$ 53.7

$ 46.1

$ 117.6

$ 90.9 Basic weighted average shares outstanding



186.0



181.6



186.0



180.1 Adjusted Net Income per share

$ 0.29

$ 0.25

$ 0.63

$ 0.50

Franco-Nevada Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars)





At June 30,

At December 31,



2018



2017 ASSETS









Cash and cash equivalents (Note 4) $ 72.1

$ 511.1 Receivables

62.3



65.9 Prepaid expenses and other (Note 6)

45.5



39.4

Current assets

179.9



616.4











Royalty, stream and working interests, net (Note 3)

4,403.0



3,939.2 Investments (Note 5)

178.9



203.1 Deferred income tax assets

6.5



14.5 Other assets (Note 7)

13.7



15.2

Total assets $ 4,782.0

$ 4,788.4











LIABILITIES









Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 20.7

$ 21.5 Current income tax liabilities

0.8



1.1 Current liabilities

21.5



22.6











Deferred income tax liabilities

60.3



60.3

Total liabilities

81.8



82.9











SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Note 14)









Common shares

5,125.1



5,107.8 Contributed surplus

17.1



14.2 Deficit

(252.6)



(310.0) Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(189.4)



(106.5)

Total shareholders' equity

4,700.2



4,705.5

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 4,782.0

$ 4,788.4























Subsequent event (Note 3 (a))











The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements and can be found in our Q2/2018 Report available on our website

Franco-Nevada Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts)





For the three months ended For the six months ended



June 30, June 30,





2018

2017

2018

2017 Revenue (Note 10)

$ 161.3 $ 163.6 $ 334.4 $ 336.3



















Cost of sales



















Costs of sales (Note 11)



29.8

33.9

60.0

73.8

Depletion and depreciation



59.6

67.2

120.2

138.7 Total cost of sales



89.4

101.1

180.2

212.5 Gross profit



71.9

62.5

154.2

123.8



















Other operating expenses (income)



















General and administrative expenses



7.0

6.6

12.2

12.7

Gain on sale of gold bullion





(0.1)

(0.3)

(0.1) Total other operating expenses (income)



7.0

6.5

11.9

12.6 Operating income



64.9

56.0

142.3

111.2

Foreign exchange (loss) gain and other income (expenses)



(0.1)

0.4

0.5

1.1 Income before finance items and income taxes



64.8

56.4

142.8

112.3



















Finance items



















Finance income



0.7

1.1

1.7

2.0

Finance expenses



(0.8)

(0.8)

(1.7)

(1.6) Net income before income taxes



64.7

56.7

142.8

112.7



















Income tax expense (Note 13)



11.1

11.1

24.6

21.5 Net income

$ 53.6 $ 45.6 $ 118.2 $ 91.2



















Other comprehensive (loss) income:





































Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss:



















Changes in the fair value of available-for-sale investments, net of income



















tax (Note 5)





(11.8)



(10.3)

Currency translation adjustment



(17.3)

30.8

(40.5)

40.5



















Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss:



















Changes in the fair value of equity investments at fair value through other



















comprehensive income, net of income tax (Note 5)



10.4



(15.3)

 Other comprehensive (loss) income



(6.9)

19.0

(55.8)

30.2



















Comprehensive income

$ 46.7 $ 64.6 $ 62.4 $ 121.4 Basic earnings per share (Note 15)

$ 0.29 $ 0.25 $ 0.64 $ 0.51 Diluted earnings per share (Note 15)

$ 0.29 $ 0.25 $ 0.63 $ 0.51

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements and can be found in our Q2/2018 Report available on our website

Franco-Nevada Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars)





For the six months ended



June 30,





2018

2017 Cash flows from operating activities









Net income

$ 118.2 $ 91.2 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:











Depletion and depreciation



120.2

138.7

Non-cash costs of sales



3.7

4.1

Share-based payments



2.6

3.1

Unrealized foreign exchange gain



(0.1)

(0.6)

Deferred income tax expense



11.8

6.0

Other non-cash items



(0.6)

(0.7)

Acquisition of gold bullion



(13.3)

(12.1) Proceeds from sale of gold bullion



6.3

9.4 Operating cash flows before changes in non-cash working capital



248.8

239.1

Changes in non-cash working capital:











Decrease in receivables



3.6

16.0

Increase in prepaid expenses and other



(2.5)

(9.3)

Decrease (increase) in current liabilities



(1.1)

0.5 Net cash provided by operating activities



248.8

246.3











Cash flows from investing activities











Acquisition of royalty, stream and working interests



(613.4)

(198.2)

Acquisition of oil & gas well equipment



(0.6)

(0.9) Net cash used in investing activities



(614.0)

(199.1)











Cash flows from financing activities











Credit facility amendment costs



(0.5)

(1.0)

Payment of dividends



(70.6)

(62.2)

Proceeds from exercise of warrants





356.4

Proceeds from exercise of stock options





7.8 Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities



(71.1)

301.0 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents



(2.7)

13.1 Net change in cash and cash equivalents



(439.0)

361.3 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period



511.1

253.0 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 72.1 $ 614.3











Supplemental cash flow information:









Cash paid for interest expense and loan standby fees

$ 1.1 $ 1.2 Income taxes paid

$ 16.0 $ 29.4











The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements and can be found in our Q2/2018 Report available on our website

SOURCE Franco-Nevada Corporation

Related Links

www.franco-nevada.com


DUBLIN, Aug 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "VCSEL Market by Material (GaAs, InP, GaN), Type (Single Mode and Multimode), Application (Data Communication, Sensing, IR Illumination, Pumping, Industrial Heating, and Emerging Applications), End User, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The VCSEL market is expected to reach USD 3.89 billion by 2023 from USD 1.78 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 16.9%.

The VCSEL market is mainly driven by factors such as the rising adoption of VCSELs in proximity sensing and medical applications, increasing use of VCSELs for data communication, growing usage of VCSELs in infrared illumination, and surge in demand for VCSELs with advancements in automotive electronics.

By material, the VCSEL market is segmented into gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), indium phosphide (InP), and others (gallium indium nitrogen arsenide (GaInNAs), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), indium aluminum gallium arsenide (InAlGaAs), and aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs)). The market for InP is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. VCSELs operating in 1,300-1,550nm wavelength range are rapidly evolving and are mostly InP-based. The high growth of this material can be attributed to its high wavelength compatibility and use in high-speed communication applications.

By type, the VCSEL market is segmented into single mode and multimode. The market for single-mode VCSELs is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the ability of single-mode VCSELs to provide solutions to many sensing applications, especially in the consumer electronics industry.

By application, the VCSEL market is segmented into data communication, sensing, IR illumination, pumping, industrial heating, and emerging applications. The market for emerging applications is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. VCSELs are being widely used in emerging applications such as LiDAR, night vision, atomic clock, GPS, magnetometer, and display. Presently, this market is in the nascent stage, but it is expected to witness high growth in the coming years owing to the use of VCSELs for high-quality vision and obstacle detection, among others.

By end user, the VCSEL market is segmented into data center, consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, healthcare, and military. The market for consumer electronics is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. With the increasing implementation of VCSELs for advanced features such as laser autofocus and proximity sensors in smartphones, the consumer electronics segment has created a huge shift in the overall VCSEL market. Also, other applications such as video signal to display, video signal from one or more cameras, low-noise microphone, and gesture recognition are expected to create huge demand for VCSELs in consumer electronics.

By region, the VCSEL market is classified into the Americas, Europe, APAC, and RoW. The market in APAC is likely to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the rising number of data centers and increasing demand for consumer electronic devices and premium automobiles. APAC countries such as China, India, Singapore, and Indonesia are emerging as hubs for data centers owing to advancements in basic telecom infrastructure and encouragement from respective governments. The largest size of the Americas VCSEL market is due to the demand for these devices from technology giants such as Facebook (US), Google (US), Apple (US), and Amazon (US). Moreover, the growing emphasis of businesses on the use of cloud infrastructure has contributed to the increasing demand for VCSEL-based optical transceivers in the Americas.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities for VCSEL Market Growth

4.2 VCSEL Market, By Material

4.3 VCSEL Market in APAC, By Application and Country

4.4 VCSEL Market, By End User

4.5 VCSEL Market, By Region

4.6 Country-Wise Analysis of VCSEL Market



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Rising Adoption in Proximity Sensing and Medical Applications

5.2.1.2 Increasing Use of VCSELs for Data Communication

5.2.1.3 Growing Usage of VCSELs in Infrared Illumination

5.2.1.4 Surge in Demand for VCSELs With Advancements in Automotive Electronics

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Limited Data Transmission Range

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Technological Advancements in Consumer Electronics Sector

5.2.3.2 Evolution of Laser-Based Hard Disc Drive Technology

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 to Overthrow the Limitations of Gallium Nitride Restricting the Performance of VCSELs

5.3 Value Chain Analysis



6 VCSEL Market, By Material

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Gallium Arsenide (GAAS)

6.3 Indium Phosphide (INP)

6.4 Gallium Nitride (GAN)

6.5 Others



7 VCSEL Market, By Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Single Mode

7.3 Multimode



8 VCSEL Market, By Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Data Communication

8.3 Sensing

8.3.1 Optical Sensor

8.3.1.1 Reflective Sensor

8.3.1.2 Scattering Sensor

8.3.2 Interference Sensor

8.4 Infrared Illumination

8.4.1 Camera

8.4.1.1 3D Camera

8.4.1.2 Security and Surveillance Camera

8.5 Pumping

8.6 Industrial Heating

8.7 Emerging Applications

8.7.1 Display

8.7.2 High-Power Applications

8.7.2.1 LiDAR

8.7.2.2 Night Vision

8.7.3 Atomic Clock

8.7.4 GPS

8.7.5 Magnetometer



9 VCSEL Market, By End User

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Data Center

9.3 Consumer Electronics

9.4 Automotive

9.5 Industrial

9.6 Healthcare

9.7 Military



10 VCSEL Market, By Region



11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Market Share Analysis

11.3 Competitive Scenario

11.3.1 Product Launches

11.3.2 Acquisitions and Expansions

11.3.3 Collaborations and Partnerships



12 Company Profiles

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Key Players

12.2.1 Finisar

12.2.2 Lumentum

12.2.3 Broadcom

12.2.4 Philips Photonics

12.2.5 II-VI

12.2.6 IQE

12.2.7 AMS Technologies

12.2.8 Vixar

12.2.9 Santec

12.2.10 Vertilas

12.3 Other Key Players

12.3.1 Coherent

12.3.2 TT Electronics

12.3.3 Newport

12.3.4 Neophotonics

12.3.5 Necsel Intellectual Property

12.4 Key Innovators

12.4.1 Agiltron

12.4.2 Alight Technologies

12.4.3 Ultra Communications

12.4.4 Laser Components

12.4.5 Litrax Technology Co.



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3q8jrz/global_vcsel?w=5

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"The 2017-18 flu season was an important reminder that the flu is a serious and unpredictable disease," said Dr. Leonard Friedland, VP, director of Scientific Affairs and Public Health, Vaccines, North America. "Annual vaccination can help prevent flu illnesses and flu-related hospitalizations and reduce the severity of the disease. The more people of all ages who are immunized, the less chance the virus has to spread and the better we can help protect against the flu this season."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that flu vaccination during the 2016-17 flu season prevented an estimated 5.29 million illnesses, 2.64 million medical visits and 84,700 hospitalizations associated with flu, underscoring the benefits of current vaccines.[i] Yet, according to the CDC, approximately 80 percent of flu-related deaths in children during the 2017-18 season occurred in children who were not vaccinated against the flu that season.[ii]

"The flu vaccine is the one vaccine that people of almost all ages should receive annually," said Patrick Desbiens, Senior Vice President, US Vaccines. "GSK is committed to helping healthcare professionals provide flu vaccinations across the lifespan. Beginning with the 2018-19 flu season, we can now offer two vaccines that enable providers to vaccinate all of their recommended patients aged 6 months and older with the same vaccine dose."

GSK expects to supply up to 40 to 45 million total doses across both of its vaccines for the US market in the 2018-19 season, the highest volume of doses planned for distribution by GSK to date. FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT will be available in a 5mL, multidose vial containing 10 doses (0.5mL each) and a 0.5mL, single-dose, prefilled syringe. FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT will be available in a 0.5mL, single-dose, prefilled syringe.

For the 2018-19 flu season, the World Health Organization (WHO) and FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended including the A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus, A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus, with the addition of B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus for the quadrivalent vaccine.[iii],[iv]



About seasonal influenza

Seasonal influenza (the "flu") is a contagious respiratory illness, caused by flu viruses.[v] There are two main types of flu viruses, A and B, that spread between people and can cause mild to severe illness.[vi] Most flu activity in the US occurs from October through May, and it usually peaks between December and February.[vii]

While anyone can get the flu, it can be particularly serious for young children, older people, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions, such as asthma.[viii] According to the CDC, the best tool available to help protect yourself and those around you against the flu is to get vaccinated. The more people who are vaccinated, the less chance the virus has to spread.[ix] The CDC recommends that all people over the age of 6 months get vaccinated against the flu annually.[x]

For more information about the flu, visit flu.gsk.com.

Indication for FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT and FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT



FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT and FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT are vaccines indicated for active immunization for the prevention of disease caused by influenza A subtype viruses and type B viruses contained in the vaccines. FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT and FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT are approved for use in persons aged 6 months and older.



Important Safety Information for FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT and FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT

Do not administer FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT or FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions (eg, anaphylaxis) to any component of the vaccine, including egg protein, or following a previous dose of any influenza vaccine

If Guillain-Barre syndrome has occurred within 6 weeks of receipt of a prior influenza vaccine, the decision to give FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT or FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT should be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks

Syncope (fainting) can occur in association with administration of injectable vaccines, including FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT or FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT. Procedures should be in place to avoid falling injury and to restore cerebral perfusion following syncope

If FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT or FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT is administered to immunosuppressed persons, including individuals receiving immunosuppressive therapy, the immune response may be lower than in immunocompetent persons

In clinical trials with FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT in adults, the most common solicited local adverse reaction was pain and the most common systemic adverse reactions were muscle aches, headache, and fatigue. In children 6 through 35 months of age, the most common solicited local adverse reactions were pain and redness and the most common systemic adverse reactions were irritability, loss of appetite, and drowsiness. In children 3 through 17 years of age, the solicited local adverse reactions were pain, redness, and swelling. In children 3 through 5 years of age, the most common systemic adverse reactions were drowsiness, irritability, and loss of appetite. In children 6 through 17 years of age, the most common systemic adverse reactions were fatigue, muscle aches, headache, arthralgia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. (See Adverse Reactions section of the Prescribing Information for FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT for other potential adverse reactions and events)

In clinical trials with FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT in adults, the most common solicited local adverse reaction was pain and the most common solicited systemic adverse reactions were muscle aches, headache, fatigue, and arthralgia. In children 6 through 35 months of age, the most common solicited local adverse reaction was pain and the most common solicited systemic adverse reactions were irritability, drowsiness, and loss of appetite. In children 3 through 17 years of age, the most common solicited local adverse reaction was pain. In children 3 through 4 years of age, the most common solicited systemic adverse reactions were irritability, drowsiness, and loss of appetite. In children 5 through 17 years of age, the most common solicited systemic adverse reactions were muscle aches, fatigue, headache, arthralgia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. (See Adverse Reactions section of the Prescribing Information for FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT for other potential adverse reactions and events)

Vaccination with FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT or FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT may not result in protection in all vaccine recipients

Please see full Prescribing Information for FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT and for FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT.

GSK - a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com

GSK enquiries:













US Media enquiries: Sean Clements +1 215 347 9274 (Philadelphia)

Gwynne Oosterbaan +1 215 751 7468 (Philadelphia)







Analyst/Investor enquiries: Sarah Elton-Farr +44 (0) 20 8047 5194 (London)

Gary Davies +44 (0) 20 8047 5503 (London)

James Dodwell +44 (0) 20 8047 2406 (London)

Jeff McLaughlin +1 215 751 7002 (Philadelphia)









Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3.D 'Principal risks and uncertainties' in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2017.

Registered in England & Wales:

No. 3888792

Registered Office:

980 Great West Road

Brentford, Middlesex

TW8 9GS

[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical visits, and Hospitalizations Averted by Vaccination in the United States. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/2016-17.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[ii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Reported Flu Deaths in Children Exceeds Seasonal High. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/reported-flu-children-deaths.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[iii] World Health Organization. Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2018-2019 northern hemisphere influenza season. Available at: http://www.who.int/influenza/vaccines/virus/recommendations/2018_19_north/en/. Accessed July 2018.

[iv] US Food and Drug Administration. Global Surveillance and Virus Characterization. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/VaccinesandRelatedBiologicalProductsAdvisoryCommittee/UCM601883.pdf. Accessed July 2018.

[v] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key Facts about Influenza (Flu). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[vi] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Types of Influenza Viruses. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[vii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Flu Season. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[viii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People at High Risk of Developing FluRelated Complications. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[ix] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations? https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm. Accessed July 2018.

[x] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccination: Who Should Do It, Who Should Not and Who Should Take Precautions. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm. Accessed July 2018.

SOURCE GSK

Related Links

http://us.gsk.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 127 professional American historians have signed an open letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin urging that he commit to plans previously announced to replace President Andrew Jackson on the front of the 20-dollar bill with Harriet Tubman, escaped slave turned abolitionist and Civil War military scout. The redesign was to be unveiled by 2020, the 100th anniversary of the vote for women.

In 2016, then Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced the decision after activists Barbara Ortiz Johnson and Susan Ades Stone launched a petition that garnered over 600,000 votes in an online poll to elect an eminent woman. Tubman was chosen over 100 other heroines, including Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Lew wrote: "I have been particularly struck by the many comments and reactions from children for whom Harriet Tubman is not just a historical figure, but a role model for leadership and participation in our democracy."

Since President Donald Trump has taken office, plans have stalled. Secretary Mnuchin has been asked repeatedly to confirm the change to the $20 bill and has deflected. Politicians have added their voice to the chorus in favor of Tubman, including Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) who states in her letter to Mnuchin, "Women have been a critical part of our nation's history and values, and the lack of a woman on our American currency is glaring oversight."

Organized by two leading female historians, Professor Elizabeth Cobbs (Texas A&M) and Professor Catherine Clinton (University of Texas at San Antonio), the purpose of this letter is to show the support of professional historians. "It's long past due that the contributions of American women to this country be recognized on our great nation's currency," says Professor Cobbs. Professor Clinton asserts, "We felt it was important for Secretary Mnuchin to know that backing is broad among scholars, not just activists."

Six Pulitzer Prize winners have signed the letter, which includes such names such as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ken Burns, Cokie Roberts, and Walter Isaacson. Many are historians who have chronicled women's suffrage, slavery, and the Civil War. The group hopes the Treasury Department will recommit to its plan to place Harriet Tubman on the $20 in time for the upcoming August 26 anniversary of women's suffrage. www.historiansfortubmanonthe20.org.

SOURCE Elizabeth Cobbs, Ph.D. and Catherine Clinton, Ph.D.

Related Links

https://www.historiansfortubmanonthe20.org


HOUSTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Houston Methodist soon will open the Paula and Joseph C. "Rusty" Walter III Tower, a 22-story, $700 million patient tower housing new beds and state-of-the-art technology to better serve the community and the institution's growing patient population.

The nationally-ranked Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and Houston Methodist Neurological Institute will move into the new building. Cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, neurosurgeons and neurologists from these centers believe that the advanced technology in this building will transform clinical care for the future and will serve as the new standard for similar facilities around the country.

The 954,705 square-foot facility in the Texas Medical Center features 366 patient beds and 18 high-tech operating rooms, including four hybrid ORs that combine advanced medical imaging devices and an operating room. The new hybrid ORs will allow for more minimally-invasive procedures for cardiovascular surgery and neurosurgery.

Within the Walter tower is a three-story atrium named for Barbara and President George H.W. Bush. The atrium features the 1963 "Extending Arms of Christ" mosaic mural designed by Bruce Hayes and constructed in Florence, Italy, which was recently restored and relocated from the Fannin Street entrance of Houston Methodist Hospital. This 1.5 million-tile mosaic, dedicated in memory of Florence Eberhardt by her daughter and son-in-law Lois E. and Carl A. Davis, gives the space a sense of newness while carrying over the history of the hospital.

The atrium is designed to be a multisensory experience with large skylights providing natural light. The Barbara and President George H.W. Bush Atrium is the hub connecting the new Walter Tower to the rest of the campus.

"Barbara and I were very honored that Houston Methodist wanted to name its beautiful, new atrium after us as we have long admired this institution for its values, its commitment to excellence, and its faith-based mission," President Bush said. "After spending so much time here in recent years, Barbara and I were worried we might wear out our welcome. Instead, this wonderful place of healing which has done so much to care for us continues to give."

Other highlights of the Walter Tower include an intraoperative MRI that will give surgeons the ability to scan patients and perform procedures in the same location without moving them to an imaging suite during procedures. Surgeons will have a more precise view of tumors, aneurysms, ischemic strokes, etc. and can make adjustments to their surgical plan if necessary. Also in the tower is the latest generation of the Gamma Knife that delivers high doses of radiation to the brain with pinpoint accuracy without harming healthy tissue.

The building also features 14 heart catheterization labs with expanded space and MRI and CT conveniently located next to post-op rooms, three intensive care floors with all-private rooms, six acute care floors, a VIP suite, and a helipad that will give emergency personnel direct access to the OR, cath lab and intensive care units.

"The latest technology in Walter Tower will greatly benefit our patients and help us attract and retain the best physicians and researchers in the world," said Marc L. Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist. "It will serve as the centerpiece for Houston Methodist in the Texas Medical Center for decades to come and will help us continue leading medicine."

Walter Tower is named in honor of Rusty and Paula Walter, who generously donated $101 million to Houston Methodist to provide support for translational research, neurological restoration, innovation in medicine, an employee relief fund for Harvey victims, and a matching fund for 50 additional endowed chairs for physicians and scientists.

"Paula and I have tremendous respect for Houston Methodist," Rusty Walter said. "Years ago, my father got a new heart there that added 10 more years to his life. When I had a stroke, they saved my life. We feel blessed to be able to give back and help these doctors and scientists move forward with treatment and research that will save and extend even more lives."

The facility is scheduled to open Aug. 27. To see renderings and videos, log on to

https://www.houstonmethodist.org/newsroom/walter-tower-media-kit/

Provided by Newswise, online resource for knowledge-based news at www.newswise.com

SOURCE Houston Methodist

Related Links

http://www.methodisthealth.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Influence.com will partner with fashion influencer Semsi Salvino to promote the company's brands on Instagram and other social media channels. Semsi, a 14-year-old boy based in London, has quickly gained attention from prominent fashion designers worldwide due to his unique point-of-view and bold, expressive style choices. He works with his older sister and partner, Jema Salvino, who handles the business development side of Salvino's work.

Instagram has taken note of Salvino's growing influence and has shared the young influencer to their 244 million followers. He was also recently recognized as a "super node influencer" in the Garage magazine article "Is Being an Influencer a Kind of Performance Art?"

Salvino is regularly attired in boundary-breaking, gender-neutral streetwear on his Instagram posts. He has gained over 54,000 followers through his avant-garde fashion choices, which feature brightly-colored clothing selections, braided and beaded hairstyles and bold shoe styles. With his popular Instagram page and growing influence in the fashion world, he hopes to inspire others also to be bold in their fashion choices and pursue their dreams.

Semsi nurtured his burgeoning fashion sense from an early age, gradually becoming more adventurous with his choices and steering away from neutral color palettes. He began collaborating with his sister, Jema, to curate apparel combinations that juxtapose streetwear and high fashion and blur distinctions between class and gender. She focuses on amplifying their platform & the overall strategy for their lifestyle brand through leveraging collaborations with trending streetwear/high fashion brands. They have also created a clothing reseller business with the vision to use that platform for their own brand drops. Together, the siblings are launching a new street wear company to produce their own gender-neutral clothing and accessories, the first of which they hope to release to the public next year.

Apart from fashion, another pillar in Semsi's lifestyle company is Streaming his strategies in gaming. He is already a top ranking Fortnite player and started his Twitch account, semsisalvino, to share his moves.

According to Magnolia Sevenler, director of Influence.com, "Salvino's unique look and broad appeal to young audiences of all backgrounds has made him the perfect ambassador for many of Influence.com's progressive fashion brands. We are looking forward to having him represent clients in several diverse and exciting upcoming campaigns."

Press Contact:

Magnolia Sevenler

Director of Influencer Marketing

Influence.com

Office: 1-800-821-7976

[email protected]

Related Images

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image2.png

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SOURCE Influence.com

Related Links

https://www.influence.com


DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) was awarded a contract for engineering services for Keyera's Wapiti Gas Plant Phase Two expansion, adding 150 million cubic feet per day of sour gas processing to the plant currently under construction near Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. Keyera estimates construction of this second phase to be complete mid-2020 at a total installed cost of $150 million.

Jacobs engineered the Wapiti Gas Plant Phase One and will now design a second train, expanding Keyera's capacity in the liquids-rich Montney region of northwestern Alberta. Investment is growing in this area as Keyera develops critical assets and infrastructure contributing to the economic sustainability of the region.

"Keyera operates one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in Canada, is a cornerstone client for Jacobs in Alberta, and we are committed to supporting their Wapiti Development project," said Jacobs Energy, Chemicals and Resources President Vinayak Pai. "This contract builds on Keyera's already impressive gas gathering and processing business in the midstream industry in Canada."

At full build-out of both phases of the project, the new facility is expected to process up to 300 million cubic feet of sour gas and 25,000 barrels of field condensate per day.

Jacobs will support this project from its Calgary office, which represents the company's center of excellence in North America for natural gas liquids, gas treating and processing and sulfur solutions, delivering innovation and value for its upstream and midstream clients.

Keyera services oil and gas producers in Western Canada and markets natural gas liquids such as propane, ethane, butane, condensate and iso-octane to markets throughout North America.

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion in fiscal 2017 revenue when combined with full-year CH2M revenues and a talent force of more than 77,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors. For more information, visit www.jacobs.com, and connect with Jacobs on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some of the factors which may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements please refer to our Form 10-K for the year ended September 29, 2017, and in particular the discussions contained under Items 1 - Business, 1A - Risk Factors, 3 - Legal Proceedings, and 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made herein.

For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

SOURCE Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.jacobs.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL) today reported operating performance for the second quarter of 2018 with diluted earnings per share of $2.35 and adjusted diluted earnings per share1 of $2.26.

Organic revenue expansion across all segments

Americas-led growth driven by transactional businesses



Corporate Solutions continues to build annuity-based revenue

Margins reflect:

Strong organic expansion driven by Americas



Investments supporting digital agenda and technology transformation

LaSalle capital raise continues growth in private equity assets under management to record $52.3B

capital raise continues growth in private equity assets under management to record Extended credit facility maturity with improved pricing to support growth strategy

CEO Comment:

"Our year-to-date performance was strong, reflecting organic revenue growth across our business segments and progress on our digital agenda and technology transformation initiatives," said Christian Ulbrich, JLL CEO. "Real estate fundamentals remain resilient, and we are optimistic about our full-year performance, despite intensifying global economic uncertainty."

Summary Financial Results Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, ($ in millions, except per share data) 2018 2017

2018 2017











Revenue $ 3,903.7 $ 3,470.3

$ 7,458.9 $ 6,588.0 Revenue before reimbursements 2,163.3 1,874.5

4,054.4 3,490.8 Fee revenue1 1,493.5 1,324.3

2,775.0 2,448.3

















Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 107.8 $ 94.3

$ 148.1 $ 101.5 Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders1 103.9 99.4

148.2 116.4











Diluted earnings per share $ 2.35 $ 2.06

$ 3.23 $ 2.22 Adjusted diluted earnings per share1 2.26 2.17

3.23 2.55













Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 193.6 $ 184.6

$ 301.3 $ 252.6 Adjusted EBITDA, Real Estate Services 169.3 162.0

234.6 210.4 Adjusted EBITDA, LaSalle 24.4 22.6

66.8 42.2





(1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release.



Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and refined its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Comparative periods have been recast accordingly. In addition to the footnotes following the Financial Statements, refer to our April 2018 podcast (available on ir.jll.com ) for additional information.

Consolidated



($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Three Months Ended

June 30,

%

Change

in USD

%

Change

in LC 2018

2017



Leasing $ 553.9

$ 506.4

9 %

8 % Capital Markets 258.0

237.4

9



6

Property & Facility Management 2,192.3

1,945.1

13



12

Project & Development Services 609.4

535.2

14



11

Advisory, Consulting and Other 198.4

173.3

14



12

Real Estate Services ("RES") revenue $ 3,812.0

$ 3,397.4

12 %

11 % LaSalle 91.7

72.9

26



23

Total revenue $ 3,903.7

$ 3,470.3

12 %

11 % Reimbursements (1,740.4)

(1,595.8)

9



8

Revenue before reimbursements $ 2,163.3

$ 1,874.5

15 %

13 % Gross contract costs1 (668.5)

(543.5)

23



19

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (1.3)

(6.7)

(81)



(81)

Total fee revenue1 $ 1,493.5

$ 1,324.3

13 %

11 % Leasing 537.8

493.8

9



8

Capital Markets 243.5

225.0

8



5

Property & Facility Management 277.5

247.2

12



8

Project & Development Services 196.7

163.6

20



18

Advisory, Consulting and Other 152.3

127.4

20



19

RES fee revenue 1,407.8

1,257.0

12



10

LaSalle 85.7

67.3

27



24

Operating income $ 149.8

$ 130.8

15 %

14 % Equity earnings $ 10.2

$ 14.5

(30) %

(29) % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 193.6

$ 184.6

5 %

4 % (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the Consolidated Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

Consolidated Second-Quarter 2018 Performance Highlights:

Consolidated revenue and consolidated fee revenue both increased 11 percent, compared with the prior year, due to broad-based growth across all four segments. Consolidated fee revenue expansion in the RES service lines was led by Leasing, Project & Development Services, and Property & Facility Management. Geographically across the service lines, Americas was the primary driver of RES fee revenue growth, contributing 67 percent on a local currency basis, followed by APAC (18 percent) and EMEA (15 percent).

Consolidated operating expenses excluding reimbursed expenses were $2.0 billion and consolidated fee-based operating expenses 1 excluding restructuring and acquisition charges were $1.4 billion , increases of 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively, over the second quarter of 2017.

and consolidated fee-based operating expenses excluding restructuring and acquisition charges were , increases of 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively, over the second quarter of 2017. LaSalle revenue growth was primarily due to higher incentive fees earned on the disposition of real estate assets on behalf of clients along with solid advisory fees for the quarter. Overall performance reflected higher incentive fees offset by lower equity earnings.

revenue growth was primarily due to higher incentive fees earned on the disposition of real estate assets on behalf of clients along with solid advisory fees for the quarter. Overall performance reflected higher incentive fees offset by lower equity earnings. Net income attributable to common shareholders was $107.8 million , compared with $94.3 million in the prior-year quarter, and adjusted EBITDA was $193.6 million , compared with $184.6 million in 2017. Adjusted EBITDA margin, calculated on a fee-revenue basis, was 13.0 percent in USD for the quarter (13.1 percent in local currency), compared with 13.9 percent in 2017.



The consolidated results reflect:

, compared with in the prior-year quarter, and adjusted EBITDA was , compared with in 2017. Adjusted EBITDA margin, calculated on a fee-revenue basis, was 13.0 percent in USD for the quarter (13.1 percent in local currency), compared with 13.9 percent in 2017. The consolidated results reflect: Approximately 20 basis points of net operational reduction as solid organic growth in Americas and Asia Pacific was more than offset by the performance in EMEA together with increased investments, primarily in technology-related initiatives; and

was more than offset by the performance in EMEA together with increased investments, primarily in technology-related initiatives; and

Approximately 70 basis points unfavorable year-over-year impact associated with the adoption of ASC 606. Refer to Note 6 following the Financial Statements of this news release for additional information.

Diluted earnings per share were $2.35 , compared with $2.06 in 2017, and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $2.26 , up from $2.17 last year.

Balance Sheet and Net Interest Expense:

Total net debt increased $62.5 million from March 31, 2018 to $972.6 million as of June 30, 2018 , but decreased $294.3 million from June 30, 2017 . The year-over-year decrease reflected the company's trailing 12-month performance and efforts to improve working capital management.

from to as of , but decreased from . The year-over-year decrease reflected the company's trailing 12-month performance and efforts to improve working capital management. Net interest expense was $14.3 million for the second quarter of 2018, a decrease from $14.6 million in the prior-year quarter. The decrease in net interest expense was due to a decline in the outstanding average borrowings, partially offset by a higher effective interest rate on the company's debt.

for the second quarter of 2018, a decrease from in the prior-year quarter. The decrease in net interest expense was due to a decline in the outstanding average borrowings, partially offset by a higher effective interest rate on the company's debt. In May 2018 , the company amended its $2.75 billion credit facility, extending the maturity from June 2021 to May 2023 , with improved pricing and enhanced operating flexibility.

, the company amended its credit facility, extending the maturity from to , with improved pricing and enhanced operating flexibility. In July 2018 , Standard & Poor's raised the company's investment-grade rating to BBB+, bringing the credit rating in alignment with Moody's Baa1 rating.

Consolidated ($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Six Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Leasing $ 955.1



$ 884.8



8 %

6 % Capital Markets 490.7



426.1



15



11

Property & Facility Management 4,245.9



3,752.2



13



11

Project & Development Services 1,188.6



1,045.1



14



9

Advisory, Consulting and Other 367.6



318.6



15



11

Real Estate Services ("RES") revenue $ 7,247.9



$ 6,426.8



13 %

10 % LaSalle 211.0



161.2



31



25

Total revenue $ 7,458.9



$ 6,588.0



13 %

10 % Reimbursements (3,404.5)



(3,097.2)



10



9

Revenue before reimbursements $ 4,054.4



$ 3,490.8



16 %

12 % Gross contract costs1 (1,275.4)



(1,038.5)



23



17

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (4.0)



(4.0)









Total fee revenue1 $ 2,775.0



$ 2,448.3



13 %

10 % Leasing 922.9



860.8



7



6

Capital Markets 464.7



410.9



13



9

Property & Facility Management 542.7



487.1



11



7

Project & Development Services 370.4



306.1



21



17

Advisory, Consulting and Other 275.4



233.7



18



15

RES fee revenue 2,576.1



2,298.6



12



9

LaSalle 198.9



149.7



33



27

Operating income $ 203.6



$ 146.2



39 %

39 % Equity earnings $ 23.8



$ 20.1



18 %

19 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 301.3



$ 252.6



19 %

18 % (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the Consolidated Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

Business Segment Performance Highlights

Americas Real Estate Services

($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Three Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 2,152.5



$ 1,932.5



11 %

12 % Reimbursements (1,226.4)



(1,110.0)



10



11

Revenue before reimbursements $ 926.1



$ 822.5



13 %

13 % Gross contract costs1 (156.6)



(130.4)



20



21

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (1.3)



(6.7)



(81)



(81)

Fee revenue1 $ 768.2



$ 685.4



12 %

12 % Leasing 412.8



378.7



9



9

Capital Markets 116.0



98.0



18



18

Property & Facility Management 108.1



95.7



13



9

Project & Development Services 90.8



82.0



11



11

Advisory, Consulting and Other 40.5



31.0



31



44

Operating income $ 100.9



$ 96.4



5 %

3 % Equity earnings $ 0.4



$ 0.2



100 %

125 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 128.1



$ 113.1



13 %

13 % (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the Americas Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

Americas Second-Quarter 2018 Performance Highlights:

Americas revenue and fee revenue both increased 12 percent compared with 2017 with notable growth across all service lines. Overall segment growth was led by U.S. Leasing, specifically strong performance in the Northwest, New York and Mid-Atlantic markets, following double-digit year-over-year service line growth in 2017. Revenue growth highlights also include Capital Markets, driven by notable debt placement and investment sales performance in the U.S., as well as Property & Facility Management, reflecting the ramp-up of recent wins and expansion of existing facilities management relationships.

and Mid-Atlantic markets, following double-digit year-over-year service line growth in 2017. Revenue growth highlights also include Capital Markets, driven by notable debt placement and investment sales performance in the U.S., as well as Property & Facility Management, reflecting the ramp-up of recent wins and expansion of existing facilities management relationships. Operating expenses, excluding reimbursed expenses, were $825.2 million , up 14 percent from 2017. Fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, were $668.6 million , up 12 percent over 2017. These increases correlated with the growth in revenue and reflect increased investments in technology transformation initiatives.

, up 14 percent from 2017. Fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, were , up 12 percent over 2017. These increases correlated with the growth in revenue and reflect increased investments in technology transformation initiatives. Operating income and adjusted EBITDA increased 3 percent and 13 percent, respectively, compared with 2017. Adjusted EBITDA margin, calculated on a fee-revenue basis, was 16.7 percent in USD for the quarter (16.6 percent in local currency), compared with 16.5 percent in 2017. Profitability reflects a shift in service mix toward transactional revenue partially offset by increased investments in technology transformation initiatives. In addition, margin comparability is impacted by the adoption of ASC 606; refer to Footnote 6 following the Financial Statements for additional information.

Americas Real Estate Services



($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Six Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 4,093.5



$ 3,732.4



10 %

10 % Reimbursements (2,408.1)



(2,188.5)



10



10

Revenue before reimbursements $ 1,685.4



$ 1,543.9



9 %

9 % Gross contract costs1 (289.7)



(262.2)



10



11

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (4.0)



(4.0)









Fee revenue1 $ 1,391.7



$ 1,277.7



9 %

9 % Leasing 706.1



668.6



6



6

Capital Markets 224.2



199.5



12



12

Property & Facility Management 218.3



191.4



14



12

Project & Development Services 169.7



158.3



7



7

Advisory, Consulting and Other 73.4



59.9



23



30

Operating income $ 147.2



$ 128.7



14 %

14 % Equity earnings $ 0.5



$ 0.4



25 %

26 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 195.8



$ 171.5



14 %

14 % (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the Americas Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

EMEA Real Estate Services



($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Three Months Ended

June 30,

%

Change

in USD

%

Change

in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 846.6



$ 721.2



17 %

11 % Reimbursements (153.0)



(125.5)



22



16

Revenue before reimbursements $ 693.6



$ 595.7



16 %

9 % Gross contract costs1 (305.3)



(248.9)



23



15

Fee revenue1 $ 388.3



$ 346.8



12 %

5 % Leasing 69.7



65.1



7





Capital Markets 84.1



92.5



(9)



(15)

Property & Facility Management 100.4



79.6



26



19

Project & Development Services 68.7



51.8



33



24

Advisory, Consulting and Other 65.4



57.8



13



7

Operating (loss) income $ (1.4)



$ 10.0



n.m.



n.m.

Equity earnings $ 



$ 



 %

 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 11.2



$ 21.2



(47)%



(50) % n.m. - not meaningful as represented by a percentage change of greater than 100%, favorably or unfavorably. (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the EMEA Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

EMEA Second-Quarter 2018 Performance Highlights:

EMEA revenue and fee revenue increased 11 percent and 5 percent, respectively, compared with the prior-year quarter. Fee revenue expansion was most notable in Property & Facility Management, specifically mobile engineering in the UK, and Project & Development Services, driven by the Tetris fit-out business in Continental Europe. Capital Markets partially offset this growth due to lower investment sales in the UK and Germany for the current quarter, reflecting year-over-year volume declines attributable to 2018 transaction timing. On a year-to-date basis, however, Capital Markets fee revenue increased over 2017.

for the current quarter, reflecting year-over-year volume declines attributable to 2018 transaction timing. On a year-to-date basis, however, Capital Markets fee revenue increased over 2017. Operating expenses, excluding reimbursed expenses, increased 11 percent from 2017 to $695.0 million , and fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, increased 9 percent to $389.7 million , compared with last year. The expense increase reflected the growth in revenue together with compensation and benefits expense associated with an increase in headcount.

, and fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, increased 9 percent to , compared with last year. The expense increase reflected the growth in revenue together with compensation and benefits expense associated with an increase in headcount. Operating results decreased by $11.4 million and adjusted EBITDA decreased by $10.0 million from the prior-year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin, calculated on a fee-revenue basis, was 2.9 percent in USD and local currency for the quarter, compared with 6.1 percent last year. The decline in profitability reflects a shift in service mix toward annuity revenue, transaction and compensation timing, and increased investments in the platform and people.

EMEA Real Estate Services



($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Six Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 1,630.2



$ 1,324.4



23 %

12 % Reimbursements (309.0)



(227.4)



36



25

Revenue before reimbursements $ 1,321.2



$ 1,097.0



20 %

10 % Gross contract costs1 (582.5)



(480.3)



21



10

Fee revenue1 $ 738.7



$ 616.7



20 %

9 % Leasing 126.7



112.7



12



3

Capital Markets 168.1



148.6



13



3

Property & Facility Management 187.6



159.1



18



8

Project & Development Services 133.6



93.4



43



30

Advisory, Consulting and Other 122.7



102.9



19



10

Operating loss $ (21.4)



$ (22.0)



3 %

8 % Equity earnings $ 



$ 









Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 3.8



$ 0.6



n.m.



n.m.

n.m. - not meaningful as represented by a percentage change of greater than 100%, favorably or unfavorably. (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the EMEA Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

Asia Pacific Real Estate Services



($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Three Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 812.9



$ 743.7



9 %

8 % Reimbursements (356.2)



(355.9)







(1)

Revenue before reimbursements $ 456.7



$ 387.8



18 %

16 % Gross contract costs1 (205.4)



(163.0)



26



25

Fee revenue1 $ 251.3



$ 224.8



12 %

10 % Leasing 55.3



50.0



11



9

Capital Markets 43.4



34.5



26



23

Property & Facility Management 69.0



71.9



(4)



(5)

Project & Development Services 37.2



29.8



25



23

Advisory, Consulting and Other 46.4



38.6



20



18

Operating income $ 23.4



$ 21.4



9 %

9 % Equity earnings $ 0.7



$ 0.6



17 %

25 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 30.0



$ 27.7



8 %

7 % (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the Asia Pacific Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

Asia Pacific Second-Quarter 2018 Performance Highlights:

Asia Pacific revenue and fee revenue increased 8 percent and 10 percent, respectively, compared with 2017. Fee revenue growth was led by Capital Markets, driven by investment sales performance in Japan and Singapore ; Advisory, Consulting and Other, primarily due to valuations business in Greater China ; Project & Development Services, mainly in Australia . Geographically across service lines, fee revenue expansion was led by Greater China , Japan and Singapore .

revenue and fee revenue increased 8 percent and 10 percent, respectively, compared with 2017. Fee revenue growth was led by Capital Markets, driven by investment sales performance in and ; Advisory, Consulting and Other, primarily due to valuations business in ; Project & Development Services, mainly in . Geographically across service lines, fee revenue expansion was led by , and . Operating expenses, excluding reimbursed expenses, were $433.3 million and fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, were $227.9 million , increases of 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively, over the prior year. The increase in expenses reflects revenue-related expense growth and higher than anticipated costs on certain client assignments, partially offset by platform productivity gains in the quarter.

and fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, were , increases of 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively, over the prior year. The increase in expenses reflects revenue-related expense growth and higher than anticipated costs on certain client assignments, partially offset by platform productivity gains in the quarter. Operating income was $23.4 million , an increase of 9 percent compared with the prior-year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA increased 7 percent, compared with 2017, to $30.0 million . Adjusted EBITDA margin, calculated on a fee-revenue basis, was 12.0 percent in USD and local currency for the quarter, compared with 12.3 percent in 2017.

Asia Pacific Real Estate Services



($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Six Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 1,524.2



$ 1,370.0



11 %

9 % Reimbursements (677.8)



(672.4)



1



(1)

Revenue before reimbursements $ 846.4



$ 697.6



21 %

18 % Gross contract costs1 (400.7)



(293.4)



37



33

Fee revenue1 $ 445.7



$ 404.2



10 %

7 % Leasing 90.1



79.5



13



10

Capital Markets 72.4



62.8



15



13

Property & Facility Management 136.8



136.6







(2)

Project & Development Services 67.1



54.4



23



20

Advisory, Consulting and Other 79.3



70.9



12



9

Operating income $ 22.5



$ 26.4



(15) %

(11) % Equity earnings $ 1.0



$ 1.4



(29) %

(18) % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 35.0



$ 38.3



(9) %

(7) % (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the Asia Pacific Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

LaSalle

($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Three Months Ended

June 30,

%

Change

in USD

%

Change

in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 91.7



$ 72.9



26 %

23 % Reimbursements(a) (4.8)



(4.4)



9



8

Revenue before reimbursements $ 86.9



$ 68.5



27 %

24 % Gross contract costs(a) (1.2)



(1.2)







(11)

Fee revenue1 $ 85.7



$ 67.3



27 %

24 % Advisory fees(a) 62.3



60.0



4





Transaction fees & other(a) 5.5



3.9



41



41

Incentive fees 17.9



3.4



n.m.



n.m.

Operating income $ 15.8



$ 8.4



88 %

83 % Equity earnings $ 9.1



$ 13.7



(34) %

(34) % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 24.4



$ 22.6



8 %

6 % n.m. - not meaningful as represented by a percentage change of greater than 100%, favorably or unfavorably. (a) Reimbursements are entirely within Advisory fees and Gross contract costs are entirely within Other. Percentage variances in the LaSalle Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. See Financial Statement Note (4) following the Financial Statements in this news release. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

LaSalle Second-Quarter 2018 Performance Highlights:

LaSalle revenue and fee revenue growth was driven by strong incentive fee performance associated with real estate dispositions in Asia Pacific .

revenue and fee revenue growth was driven by strong incentive fee performance associated with real estate dispositions in . Equity earnings in both the current and prior years were primarily driven by net valuation increases for investments in Europe and Asia .

and . Operating expenses, excluding reimbursed expenses, were $71.1 million , up 15 percent from 2017. Fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, were $69.9 million , up 16 percent from 2017. The increases primarily reflect higher variable compensation expense as a result of the increase in incentive fees.

, up 15 percent from 2017. Fee-based operating expenses, excluding restructuring and acquisition charges, were , up 16 percent from 2017. The increases primarily reflect higher variable compensation expense as a result of the increase in incentive fees. Operating income increased 83 percent and adjusted EBITDA increased 6 percent, both compared with last year. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 28.5 percent in USD for the quarter (28.7 percent in local currency), compared with 33.7 percent last year. Margin contraction primarily reflects the decline in equity earnings.

Assets under management (AUM) were $59.9 billion as of June 30, 2018 , an increase of 2 percent in USD (flat in local currency) from $59.0 billion as of March 31, 2018 . The net increase in AUM during the year resulted from $1.6 billion of acquisitions, $1.2 billion of foreign currency increase and $0.4 billion of net valuation increases, partially offset by $2.3 billion of dispositions and withdrawals. Private equity assets represented 87 percent of AUM as of June 30, 2018 , compared with 78 percent as of June 30, 2017 .

LaSalle ($ in millions, "LC" = local currency) Six Months Ended

June 30,

% Change in USD

% Change in LC 2018

2017



Revenue $ 211.0



$ 161.2



31 %

25 % Reimbursements(a) (9.6)



(8.9)



8



6

Revenue before reimbursements $ 201.4



$ 152.3



32 %

26 % Gross contract costs(a) (2.5)



(2.6)



(4)



(14)

Fee revenue1 $ 198.9



$ 149.7



33 %

27 % Advisory fees(a) 127.4



117.7



8



3

Transaction fees & other(a) 20.9



16.7



25



22

Incentive fees 50.6



15.3



n.m.



n.m.

Operating income $ 44.9



$ 23.0



95 %

82 % Equity earnings $ 22.3



$ 18.3



22 %

21 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 66.8



$ 42.2



58 %

50 % n.m. - not meaningful as represented by a percentage change of greater than 100%, favorably or unfavorably. (a) Reimbursements are entirely within Advisory fees and Gross contract costs are entirely within Other. (1) For discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, see Note 1 following the Financial Statements in this news release. Percentage variances in the LaSalle Performance Highlights below are calculated and presented on a local currency basis, unless otherwise noted. Note: The company adopted ASC 606 and revised its non-GAAP definition "Fee revenue" in the first quarter of 2018. Refer to the footnotes following the Financial Statements for additional discussion.

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. Our vision is to reimagine the world of real estate, creating rewarding opportunities and amazing spaces where people can achieve their ambitions. In doing so, we will build a better tomorrow for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of 86,000 as of June 30, 2018. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit ir.jll.com .

Connect with us

https://www.linkedin.com/company/jll

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https://twitter.com/jll

https://plus.google.com/+joneslanglasalle

Live Webcast

Conference Call

Management will offer a live webcast for shareholders, analysts, and investment professionals on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Please use the following webcast link:

Management will also conduct a conference call. If you are unable to join the live webcast and would like to participate in the teleconference, please dial into one of the following phone numbers five to ten minutes before the start time (the passcode will be required):

https://engage.vevent.com/rt/joneslanglasalleincorporated~080818

 United States callers:  International callers:  Passcode: +1 844 231 9804 +1 402 858 7998 5988098















Supplemental Information

Audio Replay

Supplemental information regarding the second quarter 2018 earnings call has been posted to the Investor Relations section of JLL's website: ir.jll.com .

An audio replay will be available for download or stream. Information and the link can be found on JLL's website: ir.jll.com .



If you have any questions, please contact JLL Investor Relations: [email protected] .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding, among other things, future financial results and performance, achievements, plans and objectives may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the company's actual results, performance, achievements, plans and objectives to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For additional information concerning risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements, and risks to the company's business in general, please refer to those factors discussed under "Business," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk," and elsewhere in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, and in other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and except to the extent required by applicable securities laws, management expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations or results, or any change in events.

JONES LANG LASALLE INCORPORATED Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



(in millions, except share and per share data) 2018

2017

2018

2017















Revenue before reimbursements $ 2,163.3



$ 1,874.5



$ 4,054.4



$ 3,490.8

Reimbursements 1,740.4



1,595.8



3,404.5



3,097.2

Total Revenue $ 3,903.7



$ 3,470.3



$ 7,458.9



$ 6,588.0

















Operating expenses:













Compensation and benefits $ 1,240.5



$ 1,066.4



$ 2,337.7



$ 2,044.0

Operating, administrative and other 737.8



630.7



1,435.1



1,210.2

Reimbursed expenses 1,740.4



1,595.8



3,404.5



3,097.2

Depreciation and amortization 46.3



41.2



88.4



80.5

Restructuring and acquisition (credits) charges5 (11.1)



5.4



(10.4)



9.9

Total operating expenses 3,753.9



3,339.5



7,255.3



6,441.8

















Operating income 149.8



130.8



203.6



146.2

















Interest expense, net of interest income 14.3



14.6



28.1



27.6

Equity earnings from real estate ventures 10.2



14.5



23.8



20.1

Other income 1.7







4.2



1.0

















Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 147.4



130.7



203.5



139.7

Provision for income taxes 37.6



35.8



51.1



37.1

Net income 109.8



94.9



152.4



102.6

















Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 1.8



0.4



4.1



0.9

Net income attributable to the company $ 108.0



$ 94.5



$ 148.3



$ 101.7

















Dividends on unvested common stock, net of tax benefit 0.2



0.2



0.2



0.2

Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 107.8



$ 94.3



$ 148.1



$ 101.5

















Basic earnings per common share $ 2.37



$ 2.08



$ 3.26



$ 2.24

Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in 000's) 45,493



45,288



45,468



45,273

















Diluted earnings per common share $ 2.35



$ 2.06



$ 3.23



$ 2.22

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in 000's) 45,951



45,782



45,922



45,728

















Please reference attached financial statement notes.

JONES LANG LASALLE INCORPORATED Segment Operating Results (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



(in millions) 2018

2017

2018

2017 AMERICAS - REAL ESTATE SERVICES













Revenue $ 2,152.5



$ 1,932.5



$ 4,093.5



$ 3,732.4

Reimbursements (1,226.4)



(1,110.0)



(2,408.1)



(2,188.5)

Revenue before reimbursements 926.1



822.5



1,685.4



1,543.9

Gross contract costs1 (156.6)



(130.4)



(289.7)



(262.2)

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity1 (1.3)



(6.7)



(4.0)



(4.0)

Fee revenue1 768.2



685.4



1,391.7



1,277.7

















Compensation, operating and administrative expenses 796.9



702.4



1,485.6



1,368.0

Depreciation and amortization 28.3



23.7



52.6



47.2

Total segment operating expenses, excluding reimbursed 825.2



726.1



1,538.2



1,415.2

Gross contract costs1 (156.6)



(130.4)



(289.7)



(262.2)

Total fee-based segment operating expenses 668.6



595.7



1,248.5



1,153.0

















Segment operating income $ 100.9



$ 96.4



$ 147.2



$ 128.7

Equity earnings 0.4



0.2



0.5



0.4

Total segment income $ 101.3



$ 96.6



$ 147.7



$ 129.1

















Adjusted operating income1 $ 103.0



$ 93.1



$ 150.0



$ 131.5

















Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 128.1



$ 113.1



$ 195.8



$ 171.5

















EMEA - REAL ESTATE SERVICES













Revenue $ 846.6



$ 721.2



$ 1,630.2



$ 1,324.4

Reimbursements (153.0)



(125.5)



(309.0)



(227.4)

Revenue before reimbursements 693.6



595.7



1,321.2



1,097.0

Gross contract costs1 (305.3)



(248.9)



(582.5)



(480.3)

Fee revenue1 388.3



346.8



738.7



616.7

















Compensation, operating and administrative expenses 683.5



574.6



1,319.7



1,097.6

Depreciation and amortization 11.5



11.1



22.9



21.4

Total segment operating expenses, excluding reimbursed 695.0



585.7



1,342.6



1,119.0

Gross contract costs1 (305.3)



(248.9)



(582.5)



(480.3)

Total fee-based segment operating expenses 389.7



336.8



760.1



638.7

















Segment operating (loss) income $ (1.4)



$ 10.0



$ (21.4)



$ (22.0)

Equity earnings 













Total segment (loss) income $ (1.4)



$ 10.0



$ (21.4)



$ (22.0)

















Adjusted operating income (loss)1 $ 1.8



$ 14.1



$ (14.9)



$ (14.4)

















Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 11.2



$ 21.2



$ 3.8



$ 0.6





Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



(in millions) 2018

2017

2018

2017 ASIA PACIFIC - REAL ESTATE SERVICES













Revenue $ 812.9



$ 743.7



$ 1,524.2



$ 1,370.0

Reimbursements (356.2)



(355.9)



(677.8)



(672.4)

Revenue before reimbursements 456.7



387.8



846.4



697.6

Gross contract costs1 (205.4)



(163.0)



(400.7)



(293.4)

Fee revenue1 251.3



224.8



445.7



404.2

















Compensation, operating and administrative expenses 427.5



360.7



812.5



660.7

Depreciation and amortization 5.8



5.7



11.4



10.5

Total segment operating expenses, excluding reimbursed 433.3



366.4



823.9



671.2

Gross contract costs1 (205.4)



(163.0)



(400.7)



(293.4)

Total fee-based segment operating expenses 227.9



203.4



423.2



377.8

















Segment operating income $ 23.4



$ 21.4



$ 22.5



$ 26.4

Equity earnings 0.7



0.6



1.0



1.4

Total segment income $ 24.1



$ 22.0



$ 23.5



$ 27.8

















Adjusted operating income1 $ 24.1



$ 22.0



$ 23.8



$ 27.6

















Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 30.0



$ 27.7



$ 35.0



$ 38.3

















LASALLE













Revenue $ 91.7



$ 72.9



$ 211.0



$ 161.2

Reimbursements (4.8)



(4.4)



(9.6)



(8.9)

Revenue before reimbursements 86.9



68.5



201.4



152.3

Gross contract costs1 (1.2)



(1.2)



(2.5)



(2.6)

Fee revenue1 85.7



67.3



198.9



149.7

















Segment operating expenses, excluding reimbursed expenses $ 71.1



$ 60.1



$ 156.5



$ 129.3

Gross contract costs1 (1.2)



(1.2)



(2.5)



(2.6)

Total fee-based segment operating expenses 69.9



58.9



154.0



126.7

















Segment operating income $ 15.8



$ 8.4



$ 44.9



$ 23.0

Equity earnings 9.1



13.7



22.3



18.3

Total segment income $ 24.9



$ 22.1



$ 67.2



$ 41.3

















Adjusted operating income1 $ 15.8



$ 8.4



$ 44.9



$ 23.0

















Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 24.4



$ 22.6



$ 66.8



$ 42.2

































SEGMENT RECONCILING ITEMS













Fee revenue $ 1,493.5



$ 1,324.3



$ 2,775.0



$ 2,448.3

Gross contracts costs1 668.5



543.5



1,275.4



1,038.5

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity1 1.3



6.7



4.0



4.0

Revenue before reimbursements $ 2,163.3



$ 1,874.5



$ 4,054.4



$ 3,490.8

Reimbursements 1,740.4



1,595.8



3,404.5



3,097.2

Revenue $ 3,903.7



$ 3,470.3



$ 7,458.9



$ 6,588.0

Segment operating expenses excluding restructuring and acquisition charges 3,765.0



3,334.1



7,265.7



6,431.9

Segment operating income $ 138.7



$ 136.2



$ 193.2



$ 156.1

Restructuring and acquisition (credits) charges5 (11.1)



5.4



(10.4)



9.9

Operating income $ 149.8



$ 130.8



$ 203.6



$ 146.2



Please reference attached financial statement notes.

JONES LANG LASALLE INCORPORATED Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)



June 30,

December 31, (in millions, except share and per share data)

2018

2017 ASSETS







Current assets:









Cash and cash equivalents

$ 292.8



$ 268.0



Trade receivables, net of allowances

1,508.0



1,739.4



Notes and other receivables

296.1



385.3



Reimbursable receivables

1,301.5



1,263.3



Warehouse receivables

456.9



317.5



Short-term contract assets

264.0



178.4



Prepaid and other

350.5



389.1





Total current assets

4,469.8



4,541.0











Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation

536.4



543.9

Goodwill

2,682.9



2,709.3

Identified intangibles, net of accumulated amortization

292.8



305.0

Investments in real estate ventures

379.5



376.2

Long-term receivables

175.5



164.7

Deferred tax assets, net

237.7



229.1

Deferred compensation plans

257.2



229.7

Other

155.9



155.5





Total assets

$ 9,187.7



$ 9,254.4











LIABILITIES AND EQUITY





Current liabilities:







Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$ 966.4



$ 993.1



Reimbursable payables

899.8



1,022.6



Accrued compensation & benefits

973.8



1,419.1



Short-term borrowings

93.4



77.4



Short-term contract liability and deferred income

180.5



155.4



Short-term acquisition-related obligations

70.9



80.1



Warehouse facilities

444.5



309.2



Other

203.1



256.8





Total current liabilities

3,832.4



4,313.7











Noncurrent liabilities:









Credit facility, net of debt issuance costs (a)

397.2



(15.3)



Long-term debt, net of debt issuance costs

679.7



690.6



Long-term deferred tax liabilities, net

23.9



63.2



Deferred compensation

276.1



259.0



Long-term acquisition-related obligations

182.0



228.9



Other

330.2



332.3





Total liabilities

$ 5,721.5



$ 5,872.4





(a) As there was no outstanding balance on the Credit facility as of December 31, 2017, the negative liability reflects

unamortized debt issuance costs.























June 30,

December 31, (in millions, except share and per share data)

2018

2017









Redeemable noncontrolling interest

$ 



$ 3.8















Company shareholders' equity:









Common stock, $0.01 par value per share,100,000,000 shares authorized; 45,495,171

and 45,373,817 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2018 and December 31,

2017, respectively

0.5



0.5



Additional paid-in capital

1,046.7



1,037.3



Retained earnings

2,778.4



2,649.0



Shares held in trust

(6.0)



(5.9)



Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(391.6)



(340.8)





Total company shareholders' equity

3,428.0



3,340.1

















Noncontrolling interest

38.2



38.1





Total equity

3,466.2



3,378.2



















Total liabilities and equity

$ 9,187.7



$ 9,254.4















Please reference attached financial statement notes.

JONES LANG LASALLE INCORPORATED Summarized Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

Six Months Ended

June 30, (in millions) 2018

2017







Cash used in operating activities $ (267.9)



$ (38.6)









Cash used in investing activities (83.7)



(83.9)









Cash provided by financing activities 383.2



84.3









Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (14.4)



9.0









Net change in cash and cash equivalents $ 17.2



$ (29.2)









Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 471.7



454.0









Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 488.9



$ 424.8









Please reference attached financial statement notes.

JONES LANG LASALLE INCORPORATED Financial Statement Notes

1. Management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to develop budgets and forecasts,

measure and reward performance against those budgets and forecasts, and enhance comparability

to prior periods. These measures are believed to be useful to investors and other external

stakeholders as supplemental measures of core operating performance and include the following: (i) Fee revenue and Fee-based operating expenses, (ii) Adjusted operating income, (iii) Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin, (iv) Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders and Adjusted diluted earnings per share, and (v) Percentage changes against prior periods, presented on a local currency basis.



However, non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to measures determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Any measure that eliminates components of a company's capital structure, cost of operations or investment, or other results has limitations as a performance measure. In light of these limitations, management also considers GAAP financial measures and does not rely solely on non-GAAP financial measures. Because the company's non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP, they may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Adjustments to GAAP Financial Measures Used to Calculate non-GAAP Financial Measures

Gross Contract Costs represent certain costs associated with client-dedicated employees and third-party vendors and subcontractors and are indirectly reimbursed through the management fee we receive. These costs are presented on a gross basis in Operating expenses with the corresponding management fee in Revenue before reimbursements. However, as we generally earn little to no margin on such costs, excluding gross contract costs from both Fee revenue and Fee-based operating expenses more accurately reflects how we manage our expense base and operating margins and also enables a more consistent performance assessment across a portfolio of contracts with varying payment terms and structures, including those with direct versus indirect reimbursement of such costs.

Net Non-Cash Mortgage Servicing Rights ("MSR") and Mortgage Banking Derivative Activity consists of the balances presented within Revenue composed of (i) derivative gains/losses resulting from mortgage banking loan commitment and warehousing activity and (ii) gains recognized from the retention of MSR upon origination and sale of mortgage loans, offset by (iii) amortization of MSR intangible assets over the period that net servicing income is projected to be received. Non-cash derivative gains/losses resulting from mortgage banking loan commitment and warehousing activity are calculated as the estimated fair value of loan commitments and subsequent changes thereof, primarily represented by the estimated net cash flows associated with future servicing rights. MSR gains and corresponding MSR intangible assets are calculated as the present value of estimated cash flows over the estimated mortgage servicing periods. The above activity is reported entirely within Revenue of the Capital Markets business line of the Americas segment. Excluding net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity reflects how the company manages and evaluates performance because the excluded activity is non-cash in nature.

Restructuring and Acquisition Charges primarily consist of: (i) severance and employment-related charges, including those related to external service providers, incurred in conjunction with a structural business shift, which can be represented by a notable change in headcount, change in leadership or transformation of business processes; (ii) acquisition and integration-related charges, including non-cash fair value adjustments to assets and liabilities recorded in purchase accounting such as earn-out liabilities and intangible assets; and (iii) lease exit charges. Such activity is excluded as the amounts are generally either non-cash in nature or the anticipated benefits from the expenditures would not likely be fully realized until future periods. Restructuring and acquisition charges are excluded from segment operating results and therefore not a line item in the segments' reconciliation from operating income to adjusted operating income and Adjusted EBITDA.

Amortization of Acquisition-Related Intangibles, primarily composed of the estimated fair value ascribed at closing of an acquisition to assets such as acquired management contracts, customer backlog and trade name, is more notable following the company's increase in acquisition activity in recent years. Such activity is excluded as the change in period-over-period activity is generally the result of longer-term strategic decisions and therefore not necessarily indicative of core operating results. At the segment reporting level, this is the only reconciling difference between operating income and adjusted operating income, except for the Americas segment, where Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity is also excluded.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Below are reconciliations of (i) Revenue to Fee revenue, (ii) Operating expenses to Fee-based operating expenses, and (iii) Operating income to Adjusted operating income:



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30, ($ in millions) 2018

2017

2018

2017















Revenue $ 3,903.7



$ 3,470.3



$ 7,458.9



$ 6,588.0

Reimbursements (1,740.4)



(1,595.8)



(3,404.5)



(3,097.2)

Revenue before reimbursements 2,163.3



1,874.5



4,054.4



3,490.8

Gross contract costs (668.5)



(543.5)



(1,275.4)



(1,038.5)

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (1.3)



(6.7)



(4.0)



(4.0)

Fee revenue $ 1,493.5



$ 1,324.3



$ 2,775.0



$ 2,448.3

















Operating expenses $ 3,753.9



$ 3,339.5



$ 7,255.3



$ 6,441.8

Reimbursed expenses (1,740.4)



(1,595.8)



(3,404.5)



(3,097.2)

Gross contract costs (668.5)



(543.5)



(1,275.4)



(1,038.5)

Fee-based operating expenses $ 1,345.0



$ 1,200.2



$ 2,575.4



$ 2,306.1

















Operating income $ 149.8



$ 130.8



$ 203.6



$ 146.2

Adjustments:













Restructuring and acquisition charges5 (11.1)



5.4



(10.4)



9.9

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (1.3)



(6.7)



(4.0)



(4.0)

Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles 7.3



8.0



14.6



15.6

Adjusted operating income $ 144.7



$ 137.5



$ 203.8



$ 167.7



Adjusted EBITDA attributable to common shareholders ("Adjusted EBITDA") represents EBITDA attributable to common shareholders ("EBITDA") further adjusted for certain items management does not consider directly indicative of the company's ongoing performance in the context of certain performance measurements. Below is (i) a reconciliation of Net income attributable to common shareholders to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, (ii) the Net income margin attributable to common shareholders (against Revenue before reimbursements), and (iii) the Adjusted EBITDA margin (presented on a local currency and on a fee-revenue basis):



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30, ($ in millions) 2018

2017

2018

2017















Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 107.8



$ 94.3



$ 148.1



$ 101.5

Add:













Interest expense, net of interest income 14.3



14.6



28.1



27.6

Provision for income taxes 37.6



35.8



51.1



37.1

Depreciation and amortization 46.3



41.2



88.4



80.5

EBITDA $ 206.0



$ 185.9



$ 315.7



$ 246.7

Adjustments:













Restructuring and acquisition (credits) charges5 (11.1)



5.4



(10.4)



9.9

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (1.3)



(6.7)



(4.0)



(4.0)

Adjusted EBITDA $ 193.6



$ 184.6



$ 301.3



$ 252.6

Net income margin attributable to common shareholders 5.0 %

5.0 %

3.7 %

2.9 % Adjusted EBITDA margin 13.1 %

13.9 %

11.1 %

10.3 %

Below is the reconciliation of Net income attributable to common shareholders to adjusted net income as well as the components of adjusted diluted earnings per share:



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30, (In millions, except share and per share data) 2018

2017

2018

2017















Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 107.8



$ 94.3



$ 148.1



$ 101.5

Diluted shares (in thousands) 45,951



45,782



45,922



45,728

Diluted earnings per share $ 2.35



$ 2.06



$ 3.23



$ 2.22

















Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 107.8



$ 94.3



$ 148.1



$ 101.5

Adjustments:













Restructuring and acquisition (credits) charges5 (11.1)



5.4



(10.4)



9.9

Net non-cash MSR and mortgage banking derivative activity (1.3)



(6.7)



(4.0)



(4.0)

Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles 7.3



8.0



14.6



15.6

Tax impact of adjusted items(a) 1.2



(1.6)



(0.1)



(6.6)

Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders $ 103.9



$ 99.4



$ 148.2



$ 116.4

Diluted shares (in thousands) 45,951



45,782



45,922



45,728

Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 2.26



$ 2.17



$ 3.23



$ 2.55



(a) In the first and second quarter of 2018, as well as the second quarter of 2017, the tax impact of adjusted items was calculated using the consolidated effective tax rate as this was deemed to approximate the tax impact of adjusted items calculated using applicable statutory tax rates. The tax impact of adjusted items for the first quarter of 2017 was calculated using the applicable statutory rates by tax jurisdiction.

Operating Results - Local Currency

In discussing operating results, the company reports Adjusted EBITDA margins and refers to percentage changes in local currency, unless otherwise noted. Amounts presented on a local currency basis are calculated by translating the current period results of foreign operations to U.S. dollars using the foreign currency exchange rates from the comparative period. Management believes this methodology provides a framework for assessing performance and operations excluding the effect of foreign currency fluctuations. The following table reflects the reconciliation to local currency amounts for consolidated (i) revenue, (ii) fee revenue, (iii) operating income, and (iv) Adjusted EBITDA:



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, ($ in millions) 2018

% Change

2018

% Change Revenue:













At current period exchange rates $ 3,903.7



12 %

$ 7,458.9



13 % Impact of change in exchange rates (56.9)



n/a



(182.7)



n/a

At comparative period exchange rates $ 3,846.8



11 %

$ 7,276.2



10 %















Fee revenue:













At current period exchange rates $ 1,493.5



13 %

$ 2,775.0



13 % Impact of change in exchange rates (27.9)



n/a



(83.0)



n/a

At comparative period exchange rates $ 1,465.6



11 %

$ 2,692.0



10 %















Operating income:













At current period exchange rates $ 149.8



15 %

$ 203.6



40 % Impact of change in exchange rates (0.3)



n/a



(0.1)



n/a

At comparative period exchange rates $ 149.5



14 %

$ 203.5



39 %















Adjusted EBITDA:













At current period exchange rates $ 193.6



5 %

$ 301.3



19 % Impact of change in exchange rates (0.8)



n/a



(3.8)



n/a

At comparative period exchange rates $ 192.8



4 %

$ 297.5



18 %





2. The company considers Annuity Revenue to be (i) 100% of Property & Facility Management, (ii) 50% of Leasing, (iii) 50% of Project & Development Services, and (iv) 50% of Advisory, Consulting and Other Revenue, as well as (v) LaSalle Advisory Fees. For purposes of distinguishing organic from acquisition-related contributions, the population of acquisitions includes those completed in the trailing four quarters inclusive of the current reported quarter.



3. Each geographic region offers the company's full range of RES businesses consisting primarily of (i) tenant representation and agency leasing, (ii) capital markets, (iii) property management and facilities management, (iv) project and development services, and (v) advisory, consulting and valuations services. LaSalle provides investment management services to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals.



4. Effective January 1, 2018, the company adopted ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, ("ASC 606") on a retrospective basis. The adoption of ASC 606, together with the continued changes in our business mix, prompted the company to expand the types of costs excluded from the calculation of the non-GAAP measure "Fee revenue." Specifically, the drivers were (i) the increase in compensation and benefits associated with client-dedicated personnel presented on a gross basis and (ii) the expansion of annuity businesses engaged to provide outsourced services to clients.





The most notable change is the inclusion of compensation and benefits associated with client-dedicated employees in gross contract costs. In addition, the previous calculation of gross contract costs applied to only Project & Development Services and Property & Facility Management but now applies to all service lines and businesses. The largest impacts of the change to JLL's definition of fee revenue are within Project & Development Services and Property & Facility Management.





Additional materials were provided in the company's April 2018 podcast, available on the company's website ( ir.jll.com ) and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Form 8-K dated April 30, 2018. For additional commentary on the adoption of ASC 606 and the change to the fee revenue calculation, refer to the company's Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2018, to be filed with the SEC in the near future.



5. Restructuring and acquisition charges are excluded from the company's measure of segment operating results, although they are included for consolidated Operating income calculated in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of segment operating results, the allocation of restructuring and acquisition charges to the segments is not a component of management's assessment of segment performance.





Restructuring and acquisition (credits) charges were $(11.1) million and $5.4 million for the second quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively. Net credits in the second quarter of 2018 reflected $13.6 million of net non-cash fair value adjustments relating to a net decrease to earn-out liabilities that arose from prior period acquisition activity, partially offset by (a) $2.4 million of severance and other employment-related charges incurred with respect to headcount reductions or other activities considered to represent structural changes to local, regional, and/or global business operations and (b) $0.1 million of costs incurred for pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition integration activities. Comparatively, charges in 2017 included (a) $2.9 million of severance and other employment-related charges and (b) $1.8 million of costs incurred for pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition integration activities, and (c) $0.7 million of net non-cash fair value adjustments relating to a net decrease to earn-out liabilities that arose from prior period acquisition activity.



6. The recast of the second quarter 2017, reflecting the adoption of ASC 606, resulted in the recognition of $36.7 million of incremental fee revenue and $10.2 million of direct commission expense, nearly all in Americas. However, indirect expenses such as variable compensation were not permitted by U.S. GAAP to be modified in the recast of prior periods, despite the recast of fee revenue.



7. The consolidated statements of cash flows are presented in summarized form. For complete consolidated statements of cash flows, please refer to the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the six months ended June 30, 2018, to be filed with the SEC in the near future.



8. EMEA refers to Europe, Middle East and Africa. MENA refers to Middle East and North Africa. Greater China includes China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Southeast Asia refers to Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The BRIC countries include Brazil, Russia, India and China. Benelux refers to Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.



9. As of June 30, 2018, LaSalle had $59.9 billion of real estate assets under management with approximately $8 billion available for investment ("dry powder") contemplating committed capital and available borrowing capacity at traditional leverage levels. Assets under management were composed of $34.7 billion invested in separate accounts, $17.6 billion invested in fund management vehicles and $7.6 billion invested in public securities. The geographic distribution of separate accounts and fund management investments was $19.0 billion in North America, $17.8 billion in the UK, $8.7 billion in Asia Pacific and $6.8 billion in continental Europe. Assets under management data for separate accounts and fund management amounts are reported on a one-quarter lag. LaSalle raised $1.2 billion in capital for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Contact: Christie B. Kelly Title: Global Chief Financial Officer Phone: +1 312 228 2316

Appendix: Revenue, Revenue before Reimbursements and Fee Revenue by Service Line



Three months ended June 30, 2018

Three months ended June 30, 2017 (in millions) Americas EMEA Asia Pacific

Total

Americas EMEA Asia Pacific

Total Revenue





















Leasing $ 422.9

72.9

58.1



$ 553.9



$ 388.4

66.8

51.2



$ 506.4

Capital Markets 117.8

89.9

50.3



258.0



104.7

96.5

36.2



237.4

Property & Facility Management 1,258.4

392.3

541.6



2,192.3



1,104.6

335.2

505.4



1,945.2

Project & Development Services 274.5

220.8

114.1



609.4



265.0

160.0

110.2



535.2

Advisory, Consulting and Other 78.9

70.7

48.8



198.4



69.8

62.7

40.7



173.2

RES revenue $ 2,152.5

846.6

812.9



$ 3,812.0



$ 1,932.5

721.2

743.7



$ 3,397.4

LaSalle







91.7











72.9

Consolidated revenue







$ 3,903.7











$ 3,470.3

























Revenue before reimbursements





















Leasing $ 420.9

72.7

57.9



$ 551.5



$ 386.2

66.8

51.1



$ 504.1

Capital Markets 117.5

89.6

47.5



254.6



104.4

96.5

35.2



236.1

Property & Facility Management 221.9

255.7

223.8



701.4



172.6

212.4

196.8



581.8

Project & Development Services 104.4

205.6

69.1



379.1



104.7

157.4

64.0



326.1

Advisory, Consulting and Other 61.4

70.0

58.4



189.8



54.6

62.6

40.7



157.9

RES revenue before reimbursements $ 926.1

693.6

456.7



$ 2,076.4



$ 822.5

595.7

387.8



$ 1,806.0

LaSalle







86.9











68.5

Consolidated revenue before reimbursements







$ 2,163.3











$ 1,874.5

























Fee revenue





















Leasing $ 412.8

69.7

55.3



$ 537.8



$ 378.7

65.1

50.0



$ 493.8

Capital Markets 116.0

84.1

43.4



243.5



98.0

92.5

34.5



225.0

Property & Facility Management 108.1

100.4

69.0



277.5



95.7

79.6

71.9



247.2

Project & Development Services 90.8

68.7

37.2



196.7



82.0

51.8

29.8



163.6

Advisory, Consulting and Other 40.5

65.4

46.4



152.3



31.0

57.8

38.6



127.4

RES fee revenue $ 768.2

388.3

251.3



$ 1,407.8



$ 685.4

346.8

224.8



$ 1,257.0

LaSalle







85.7











67.3

Consolidated fee revenue







$ 1,493.5











$ 1,324.3





Six months ended June 30, 2018

Six months ended June 30, 2017 (in millions) Americas EMEA Asia Pacific

Total

Americas EMEA Asia Pacific

Total Revenue





















Leasing $ 727.4

131.8

95.9



$ 955.1



$ 687.4

115.6

81.8



$ 884.8

Capital Markets 228.8

179.2

82.7



490.7



203.8

156.5

65.8



426.1

Property & Facility Management 2,441.9

742.6

1,061.4



4,245.9



2,153.7

639.1

959.4



3,752.2

Project & Development Services 544.1

443.4

201.1



1,188.6



555.5

301.7

187.9



1,045.1

Advisory, Consulting and Other 151.3

133.2

83.1



367.6



132.0

111.5

75.1



318.6

RES revenue $ 4,093.5

1,630.2

1,524.2



$ 7,247.9



$ 3,732.4

1,324.4

1,370.0



$ 6,426.8

LaSalle







211.0











161.2

Consolidated revenue







$ 7,458.9











$ 6,588.0

























Revenue before reimbursements





















Leasing $ 723.2

131.5

95.6



$ 950.3



$ 683.1

115.6

81.7



$ 880.4

Capital Markets 228.3

178.8

78.3



485.4



203.4

156.5

63.9



423.8

Property & Facility Management 413.5

473.8

446.9



1,334.2



346.5

417.5

364.8



1,128.8

Project & Development Services 202.1

405.2

133.0



740.3



205.8

296.3

112.2



614.3

Advisory, Consulting and Other 118.3

131.9

92.6



342.8



105.1

111.1

75.0



291.2

RES revenue before reimbursements $ 1,685.4

1,321.2

846.4



$ 3,853.0



$ 1,543.9

1,097.0

697.6



$ 3,338.5

LaSalle







201.4











152.3

Consolidated revenue before reimbursements







$ 4,054.4











$ 3,490.8

























Fee revenue





















Leasing $ 706.1

126.7

90.1



$ 922.9



$ 668.6

112.7

79.5



$ 860.8

Capital Markets 224.2

168.1

72.4



464.7



199.5

148.6

62.8



410.9

Property & Facility Management 218.3

187.6

136.8



542.7



191.4

159.1

136.6



487.1

Project & Development Services 169.7

133.6

67.1



370.4



158.3

93.4

54.4



306.1

Advisory, Consulting and Other 73.4

122.7

79.3



275.4



59.9

102.9

70.9



233.7

RES fee revenue $ 1,391.7

738.7

445.7



$ 2,576.1



$ 1,277.7

616.7

404.2



$ 2,298.6

LaSalle







198.9











149.7

Consolidated fee revenue







$ 2,775.0











$ 2,448.3



SOURCE JLL

Related Links

http://www.joneslanglasalle.com


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For 75 years, JOANN has inspired creativity in the hearts, hands, and minds of its customers. From a single storefront in Cleveland, Ohio, the nation's leading fabric and craft retailer has grown to include more than 865 stores across 49 states and an industry-leading e-commerce business. With the goal of helping every customer find their creative Happy Place, JOANN serves as a convenient single stop for all of the supplies, guidance, and inspiration needed to achieve any project or passion. For store locations, project ideas, and a full product offering, visit joann.com.

About Medallia

Medallia's vision is simple: to create a world where companies are loved by customers and employees alike. Hundreds of the world's largest companies and organizations trust Medallia's Software-as-a-Service application to help them capture customer feedback everywhere the customer is (on the phone, in store, online, mobile), understand it in real-time, and deliver insights and action everywherefrom the C-suite to the frontlineto improve their performance. Medallia has offices in Silicon Valley, New York, London, Paris, Munich Sydney, Buenos Aires, and Tel Aviv. Learn more at www.medallia.com.

 2018 Medallia, Inc. All rights reserved. Medallia, the Medallia logo, and the names and marks associated with Medallia's products are trademarks of Medallia.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Medallia, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.medallia.com


TOKYO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., (Kyowa Kirin) announces today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Poteligeo (mogamulizumab-kpkc) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome (SS) after at least one prior systemic therapy. FDA granted Priority Review and Breakthrough Therapy Designation in late 2017.

Poteligeo is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), which is frequently expressed on leukemic cells of certain blood cancers including CTCL. Using the proprietary POTELLIGENT technology, the amount of fucose in the sugar chain structure of Poteligeo is reduced, which enhances the antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

"I believe the approval is very good news for patients who have been suffering from mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome (SS) in the US," said Mitsuo Satoh Ph.D., Executive Officer, Vice President Head of R&D Division of Kyowa Hakko Kirin. "Since this antibody was discovered through our cutting-edge R&D activity, it is also another important achievement for Kyowa Hakko Kirin in leaping forward to become a global specialty pharmaceutical company."

"Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS) can be disfiguring, and debilitating. MAVORIC, the largest study of systemic therapy ever conducted in MF and SS, showed that mogamulizumab prolonged progression-free survival compared to vorinostat in patients with relapsed or refractory MF or SS," said Jeffrey S. Humphrey, MD, President of Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Development, Inc.. "We look forward to the publication of MAVORIC's primary results and to ongoing scientific exchange within the medical and academic communities."

Because CTCL manifests itself in skin lesions, it is often mistaken for other non-critical skin conditions, which can delay conclusive diagnosis and treatment options. MF and SS are the two most common subtypes of CTCL. MF is the most common subtype, accounting for 50-70% of cases. It is a slow progressing form of lymphoma that can involve the skin, blood, lymph nodes and organs, and may be associated with severe infections. SS accounts for approximately 3% of CTCL cases and is a more aggressive, leukemic form of CTCL.

The FDA approval of Poteligeo is supported by the MAVORIC (Mogamulizumab anti-CCR4 Antibody Versus ComparatOR In CTCL) study, which is the largest randomized trial in MF and SS and the first pivotal trial in CTCL to use PFS as a primary endpoint. MAVORIC was a Phase 3 open-label, multi-center, randomized study of mogamulizumab versus vorinostat in patients with MF and SS who have failed at least one prior systemic treatment. The study was conducted in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia, and randomized a total of 372 patients to mogamulizumab or vorinostat. The results showed that mogamulizumab demonstrated significantly superior PFS at a median of 7.6 months [95% CI: 5.6, 10.2] compared to 3.1 months with vorinostat [95% CI: 2.8, 4.0], [hazard ratio 0.53: 95% CI: 0.41, 0.69; p<0.001]. The confirmed overall response rate for mogamulizumab and vorinostat was 28% and 5%, respectively (p<0.001).

FDA granted Poteligeo Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of MF and SS in adult patients, and evaluated Poteligeo with Priority Review, which is reserved for drugs that treat a serious condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in treatment safety or effectiveness.

Kyowa Kirin International PLC, a Kyowa Hakko Kirin Group company, will be responsible for commercializing Poteligeo in the U.S. and this is planned to commence in the fourth quarter of 2018. A Marketing Authorization application for mogamulizumab is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency.

The Kyowa Hakko Kirin Group companies strive to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world by creating new value through the pursuit of advances in life sciences and technologies.

Please see Poteligeo indication and Important Safety Information below.

INDICATION

POTELIGEO (mogamulizumab-kpkc) injection for intravenous infusion is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome (SS) after at least one prior systemic therapy.

Important Safety Information





Warnings and Precautions:

Dermatologic toxicity: Monitor patients for rash throughout the course of treatment. For patients who experienced dermatologic toxicity in the pivotal trial the median time to onset was 15 weeks, with 25% of cases occurring after 31 weeks. Interrupt POTELIGEO for moderate or severe rash (Grades 2 or 3). Permanently discontinue POTELIGEO for life-threatening (Grade 4) rash or for any Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

Monitor patients for rash throughout the course of treatment. For patients who experienced dermatologic toxicity in the pivotal trial the median time to onset was 15 weeks, with 25% of cases occurring after 31 weeks. Interrupt POTELIGEO for moderate or severe rash (Grades 2 or 3). Permanently discontinue POTELIGEO for life-threatening (Grade 4) rash or for any Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Infusion reactions: Most infusion reactions occur during or shortly after the first infusion. Infusion reactions can also occur with subsequent infusions. Monitor patients closely for signs and symptoms of infusion reactions and interrupt the infusion for any grade reaction and treat promptly. Permanently discontinue POTELIGEO for any life-threatening (Grade 4) infusion reaction.

Most infusion reactions occur during or shortly after the first infusion. Infusion reactions can also occur with subsequent infusions. Monitor patients closely for signs and symptoms of infusion reactions and interrupt the infusion for any grade reaction and treat promptly. Permanently discontinue POTELIGEO for any life-threatening (Grade 4) infusion reaction. Infections: Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infection and treat promptly.

Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infection and treat promptly. Autoimmune complications: Interrupt or permanently discontinue POTELIGEO as appropriate for suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions. Consider the benefit/risk of POTELIGEO in patients with a history of autoimmune disease.

Interrupt or permanently discontinue POTELIGEO as appropriate for suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions. Consider the benefit/risk of POTELIGEO in patients with a history of autoimmune disease. Complications of allogeneic HSCT after POTELIGEO: Increased risks of transplant complications have been reported in patients who received allogeneic HSCT after POTELIGEO. Follow patients closely for early evidence of transplant-related complications.

Adverse Reactions:

The most common adverse reactions (reported in  10% of patients) with POTELIGEO in the clinical trial were rash, including drug eruption (35%), infusion reaction (33%), fatigue (31%), diarrhea (28%), drug eruption (24%), upper respiratory tract infection (22%), musculoskeletal pain (22%), skin infection (19%), pyrexia (17%), edema (16%), nausea (16%), headache (14%), thrombocytopenia (14%), constipation (13%), anemia (12%), mucositis (12%), cough (11%), and hypertension (10%).

You are encouraged to report suspected adverse reactions to Kyowa Kirin, Inc. at 1-844-768-3544 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

About Kyowa Kirin

Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. is a research-based life sciences company, with special strengths in biotechnologies. In the core therapeutic areas of oncology, nephrology and immunology/allergy, Kyowa Hakko Kirin leverages leading-edge biotechnologies centered on antibody technologies, to continually discover innovative new drugs and to develop and market those drugs world-wide. In this way, the company is working to realize its vision of becoming a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company that contributes to the health and wellbeing of people around the world. Kyowa Kirin International PLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kirin and is a rapidly growing specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of prescription medicines for the treatment of unmet therapeutic needs in Europe and the United States. Kyowa Kirin International is headquartered in Scotland. You can learn more about the business at: www.kyowa-kirin.com .

About POTELIGEO

POTELIGEO is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), which is frequently expressed on leukemic cells of certain hematologic malignancies including CTCL (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma). POTELIGEO was produced using Kyowa Hakko Kirin's proprietary POTELLIGENT platform, which is associated with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

In August 2017, the FDA granted POTELIGEO Breakthrough Therapy Designation status for the treatment of MF and SS in adult patients who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. In November 2017, the FDA accepted the BLA for filing and granted POTELIGEO Priority Review. POTELIGEO received FDA approval in August 2018.

About mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS)

MF and SS are the two most common subtypes of CTCL, a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is characterized by localization of malignant T lymphocytes to the skin, and depending on the stage, the disease may involve skin, blood, lymph nodes, and viscera.

SOURCE Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.kyowa-kirin.com


DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Latin American ICT Growth Opportunities, Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The primary objective of this experiential study is to identify growth opportunities for your company using new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

A Blockchain is a new data structure that creates trusted, distributed digital ledgers for assets and other data. It is an immutable record of digital events shared peer-to-peer between different parties. The rise of Blockchain opportunities has been enabled by breakthroughs in cryptography and computing, the tipping point of which was the 2008 paper introducing Bitcoin.

AI is a general class of technologies that seek to emulate human cognitive capabilities. Included are areas such as Machine Learning (ML), intelligent agents (IAs), deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP).

RPA is the use of software that incorporates technologies such as AI and ML to automate routine, high-volume tasks that are sensitive to human error.

AI, Blockchain, and RPA solutions drive many of the current technologies and services in the market.

The revenues generated by these solutions are distributed in different services lines, as detailed below:

Consulting and Application Development - Information Technology Consulting, Business Consulting, and Application Development solutions focusing on implementations

Middleware - Entry-point APIs for developers that want to build applications

Infrastructure/Cloud - Cloud platforms to support the new environments

Professional Services - Resources to implement and support the new environments

Research Scope:



The researchers conducted detailed primary interviews with leading service providers, analyzed their quarterly and annual reports, and utilized internal databases to perform a detailed revenue analysis of the market. The resulting revenue market size reflects a sum total of our estimates for individual companies.



In this research, the publisher examines the Market in six Latin American countries-Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The study provides a market analysis, including market size, segmentation, forecasts, and vendor landscape.



The study period is from 2018 to 2024 with a base year of 2018. The study examines the current competitive landscape, market drivers and restraints, and the stage of market development. This research also provides insights regarding growth opportunities and trends that will affect market participants over the forecast period.



Key Issues Addressed:

What is the addressable market opportunity for the Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence markets ?

What is the expected growth rate and what are the key drivers of growth for specific Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence offerings?

What are the driving and restraining factors that will shape the future of this market?

Who are the main providers in the Artificial Intelligence market in Latin America ?

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary

Key Findings

2. Market and Scope

Market Definitions

Key Questions This Study Will Answer

Research Methodology

Blockchain-Research Scope

Artificial Intelligence-Research Scope

3. Market Trends

Top 10 Technologies in ICT Based on Innovation Index

Key Technology Trends in ICT

4. Introduction to Blockchain

Blockchain Technology-Definition and Core Properties

Key Blockchain Benefits for Business

Blockchain Convergence

5. Drivers and Restraints-Blockchain Market

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

6. Forecast and Trends-Blockchain Market

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Country

Top 4 Blockchain Platform in Latin America

7. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

AI-Definition

8. Drivers and Restraints-Artificial Intelligence Market

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

9. Forecast and Trends-Artificial Intelligence Market

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast by Technology

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Country

Market Share

Competitive Environment

10. Robotics Process Automation

Robotics Process Automation-Market Definition

Applications Roadmap

Business Benefits of an RPA Workforce

RPA Latin American Insights

11. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action

Growth Opportunity 1-Cost Reduction by the Introduction of Blockchain Technology

Growth Opportunity 2-Synergy of Blockchain with Other Technologies

Growth Opportunity 3-Detection of Human Behavior

Growth Opportunity 4-Cross-Organization Process Automation

Strategic Imperatives

12. The Last Word



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/nsqbmj/latin_american?w=5

Did you know that we also offer Custom Research? Visit our Custom Research page to learn more and schedule a meeting with our Custom Research Manager.

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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Industrious is a leader in the burgeoning coworking space thanks to elegant, productivity-driven design paired with best-in-class hospitality. With nearly 50 locations in 33 cities, the company offers flexible, perk-filled workspaces for established companies ranging from SMBs to Fortune 500 brands, with household-name clients including Lyft, Hyatt, Pandora, Pinterest, Pfizer, Freddie Mac and more.

"Macerich is on the cutting edge when it comes to adding exciting, traffic-driving new uses to our market-dominant retail properties across the country," said Art Coppola, CEO of Macerich. "With time-limited marquee attractions like Candytopia, luxury fitness/wellness concepts, destination restaurants and appealing first-to-market digitally native brands, our well-situated centers are high street, town square locations where shoppers, retailers and brands absolutely want to be. Our settings deliver top-tier, built-in amenities for today's professionals, which is why a partnership with experience-focused Industrious makes so much sense."

Under the terms of the partnership, Industrious will operate coworking locations at select Macerich properties, complementing top-drawing retailers including Apple, lululemon, Sephora, Tesla, Nordstrom and more great retail names with hospitality-driven workplace experiences.

The first Industrious location in the Macerich partnership is set to open in January 2019 at Scottsdale Fashion Square, a premier shopping and dining destination offering nearly 2 million square feet of the region's best brands and experiences. Now creating an enhanced luxury presentation due to open this fall, this top property is Arizona's undisputed luxury leader with brands such as Gucci, Cartier, Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Burberry and more  including the recently announced first-to-market Saint Laurent store.

Macerich selected Industrious after a rigorous vetting process. The decision ultimately was based on two factors: a shared commitment to high-end experiences and Industrious' proven track record of strong financial performance across its nationwide network of locations.

"Our relationship represents a bold step that combines our vision for the future of the workplace with Macerich's vision for the future of the retail experience, and allows us to jointly deliver superior programming, services and amenities beginning at Scottsdale Fashion Square," said Jamie Hodari, CEO of Industrious. "We look forward to Scottsdale Fashion Square being the first of many successful collaborations between our two companies."

About Macerich

Macerich, an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States.

Macerich currently owns 52 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 48 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence in the Pacific Rim, Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington, D.C. corridor.

A recognized leader in sustainability, Macerich has earned NAREIT's prestigious "Leader in the Light" award every year from 2014-2017. For the third straight year in 2017 Macerich achieved the #1 GRESB ranking in the North American Retail Sector, among many other environmental accomplishments. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com

About Industrious

Industrious is a leading premium workplace platform and coworking solution, with nearly 50 locations across 33 cities in the United States. Founded in 2013 by Jamie Hodari and Justin Stewart, Industrious provides established companies and enterprises with stunning offices, five-star service, inviting hospitality and productivity-driven design that makes people excited and proud to come to work. By transforming coworking and office space management into a welcoming, elegant and premium experience, Industrious has reshaped the concept of coworking into a scalable platform for businesses of every size and stage. For more information, visit www.industriousoffice.com.

SOURCE Macerich Company

Related Links

http://www.macerich.com


VANCOUVER, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Mason Resources Corp. (TSX: MNR;OTCQB: MSSNF  "Mason" or the "Company") is pleased to report its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. All figures are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.

Q2 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Net loss for Q2 2018 was $0.4 million , which was comparable to the same period of 2017. For the 2018 year to date, net loss was $0.7 million which is a reduction of 36% compared to the comparative period of 2017 ( $1.1 million net loss). The reduction in the year to date net loss was due mainly to one-time costs associated with the spin-out of Mason from Entree Resources Ltd. ("Entree") in 2017.

, which was comparable to the same period of 2017. For the 2018 year to date, net loss was which is a reduction of 36% compared to the comparative period of 2017 ( net loss). The reduction in the year to date net loss was due mainly to one-time costs associated with the spin-out of Mason from Entree Resources Ltd. ("Entree") in 2017. The Company's cash balance at June 30, 2018 was $6.9 million with no debt and the working capital balance was $6.7 million .

OUTLOOK AND STRATEGY

Corporate

The Company's corporate focus is to maximize market value through assessing and executing on options to move its Ann Mason Project forward, possibly including introducing one or more strategic partners. The Ann Mason Project is an advanced, large-scale, PEA-stage copper-molybdenum porphyry project located in the prolific Yerington mining district in Nevada. In addition, Mason is undertaking a process to prioritize and progress other growth strategies involving its Lordsburg copper-gold porphyry property in New Mexico and additional potential new exploration acquisitions. Fiscal responsibility, including restricting cash expenditures to value adding activities, remains a high priority.

The Company expects to spend between $1.2 million and $1.4 million for the 2018 year, which includes $0.4 million for corporate costs, investor relations and compliance and the balance related to the Ann Mason Project and Lordsburg property.

Ann Mason Project

The Company is currently evaluating options for its Ann Mason Project, which may include optimizing certain aspects of its NI 43-101 technical report titled "2017 Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Ann Mason Project, Nevada, U.S.A." (the "2017 PEA"), commencing a Pre-Feasibility study and testing high priority exploration targets with potential to provide alternative production options.

The Company is targeting expenditures of between $0.7 million and $0.9 million for the 2018 year, including claim fees and payments, site maintenance and local administration costs.

Lordsburg Property

The Company is managing the costs associated with the Lordsburg property while management evaluates the best path forward to add value to the project. Expenditures for 2018 are mainly for claim fees and local administration costs. The Company expects to spend approximately $0.1 million for the 2018 year.

The Company's second quarter 2018 unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.MasonResources.com.

SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL RESULTS

The Company's Q2 2018 net loss of $0.4 million included $0.2 million of exploration costs and $0.3 million of general and administration costs, which were partially offset by $0.1 million of foreign exchange gain.

Exploration expenses for Q2 2018 were mainly related to the Ann Mason Project and were comparable to the same period of 2017. Exploration expenses relating to the Lordsburg property during these periods were minimal.

General and administrative costs in Q2 2018 included costs of $0.2 million related to administrative and executive services provided through the Administrative Services Agreement ("ASA") with Entree. The expenses in Q2 2018 are 36% lower than the comparative period in 2017 due mainly to higher costs related to the ASA in 2017 and the costs associated with the initial roll out of Mason's assets from Entree.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Robert Cinits, P.Geo., Mason's Chief Operating Officer, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), has approved the technical information in this release. The 2017 PEA with an effective date of March 3, 2017 prepared by AGP Mining Consultants Inc. and Amec Foster Wheeler Americas Limited is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

ABOUT MASON RESOURCES CORP.

Mason Resources Corp. is a well-funded Canadian company focused on copper exploration and development in the U.S.A. The Company's key asset is its 100% owned Ann Mason Project  an extensive, prospective land package located in the Yerington District of Nevada. The Ann Mason Project hosts two copper-molybdenum porphyry deposits, Ann Mason and Blue Hill, as well as numerous earlier-stage or untested priority targets. The Ann Mason deposit is currently at a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) level and is among the largest undeveloped copper porphyry resources in Canada/U.S.A. The excellent infrastructure, year-round access, strong community support and clear permitting process are all factors that contribute to making Yerington, Nevada one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world. Mason also holds a 100% interest in the Lordsburg property, an exciting earlier-stage copper-gold porphyry project, located within an historic mining district in New Mexico.

Mason's strong financial position and high-quality asset portfolio provide it with a solid foundation and flexibility for growth, by advancing development of its Ann Mason Project towards Pre-Feasibility, introducing one or more strategic development partners, exploring high priority targets or considering strategic acquisitions. More information on Mason can be found at www.MasonResources.com.

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 applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to corporate strategies and plans of Mason; uses of funds; the ability of Mason to maximize returns to shareholders; the potential to optimize certain aspects of the 2017 PEA; completion of a Pre-Feasibility study on the Ann Mason Project; a potential strategic development partner for the Ann Mason Project; the potential impact of future exploration results on Ann Mason mine design and economics; the potential development of Ann Mason; plans for future exploration and development programs and budgets; anticipated business activities; proposed acquisitions and dispositions of assets; and future financial performance.

While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of the Company's future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions and the environment in which Mason will operate in the future, including the price of copper, gold, silver and molybdenum. Uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, unanticipated costs, expenses or liabilities; discrepancies between actual and anticipated production, mineral resources and metallurgical recoveries; the size, grade and continuity of deposits not being interpreted correctly from exploration results; the results of preliminary test work not being indicative of the results of future test work; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; actions by government authorities; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as power, water, skilled labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; and misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements. In addition, there are also known and unknown risk factors which may cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; future prices of copper, gold, silver and molybdenum; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals, permits or licences or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; environmental risks; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; as well as those factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed MD&A and in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2017, dated March 16, 2018 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward-looking 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. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Mason Resources
GREENWICH, Conn., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The firm of Michael J. Smeriglio III, CPA today announced they have hired Michelle Arellano as a staff accountant. Ms. Arellano, a Rye, New York, resident, joins the firm as she finishes up her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Public Accounting at Pace University's Pleasantville Campus this fall.

In announcing the Arellano hire, Michael J. Smeriglio III, stated, "We are delighted to welcome Michelle to our firm. I've been eager to hire a Pace graduate as I am alumni myself. Michelle will be a great addition to our front office. I look forward to our clients getting to know her." Before joining Michael J. Smeriglio III, CPA, Ms. Arellano worked as an intern for MBAF, CPAS LLC in the audit/tax department. Michelle also interned for several years in the finance department of the Cerebral Palsy of Westchester. "The expansive employment experience Michelle had during her college career will be advantageous to our firm," added Smeriglio.

Ms. Arellano commented, "I am excited to be joining Michael and the rest of his team. I long to grow and expand my knowledge of accounting within the firm. Michael J. Smeriglio III, CPA's goal is to prioritize client needs and offer quality accounting services which is something I was looking for and greatly admire. I look forward to getting to know his clients and helping them meet all their objectives."

The Greenwich-based firm of Michael J. Smeriglio III, CPA was established in 1986 to provide tax compliance and tax planning to local businesses and individuals. Since then they have grown to support over 800 individuals and businesses. Clients range from small business owners with few or no employees to medium-sized businesses with dozens of employees. They support everyone from contractors to lawyers, from marketing to financial firms. Their client base is broad, however, each client, whether it be a business or individual, receives professional accounting services to meet their needs and outstanding customer service. For more information, please visit their website: www.MJSCPA.com.

Media Contact:

Peter Barhydt

Aberdeen Communications

[email protected]

203-252-4768

SOURCE Michael J. Smeriglio III, CPA

Related Links

https://www.MJSCPA.com


BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Civic leaders, faculty, and community members gathered this morning to celebrate the expansion of NYU Tandon School of Engineering's pioneering computer science and cybersecurity summer program for high school girls into Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Computer Science for Cyber Security (CS4CS) is a free, three-week intensive introduction to computer science and cybersecurity for high school girls. More than 250 students have already completed the summer program since NYU Tandon launched it in 2012 on its Downtown Brooklyn campus. Now, for the first-time, students are learning these cyber skills in Sunset Park.

Oath Foundation , which focuses on building opportunities for women, girls, and underserved youth to become future leaders, is supporting Tandon's STEM education efforts in Sunset Park.

"Programs like the CS4CS summer session equip students with key learnings, while also enhancing their creativity and teamwork and providing a foundation for important career paths," said Sara Link, president, Oath Foundation. "Oath Foundation aims to help arm students with critical skills that they'll need to take on the world's biggest challenges. Through this program, we hope that these talented young women will be better prepared to navigate and combat the cybersecurity threats of tomorrow."

At the open house for CS4CS, the 26 girls enrolled in the program, many from neighboring Sunset Park High School, demonstrated to visitors their new computer science and cybersecurity skills and received career insights from speakers.

CS4CS aims to help young women gain skills in STEM  science, technology, engineering, and mathematics  and confidence. It also helps build the pipeline of young women entering cybersecurity  a high-paying field growing at 10 times the rate of the overall job market, and one in which women are dramatically underrepresented. The United States and many other countries have a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, a situation recognized as a major threat to national security.

"Almost from the founding of our school 164 years ago, our faculty, students, and alumni have been keeping New Yorkers safe, by writing modern building codes, developing urban firefighting techniques, and helping design and maintain our city's built environment. It is therefore with great pride that we take this important step of engaging a new generation of engineers in Brooklyn who can someday ensure the digital safety of our city and society," said NYU Tandon Dean Katepalli R. Sreenivasan. "To the young women of CS4CS: Welcome, and may this become your first step upon a rewarding intellectual path."

CS4CS is a part of STEMnow, one of New York City's largest and most comprehensive lineups of summer workshops, classes, and labs for middle and high-school students. Most of the 20 courses for students and teachers are free. STEMnow is an integral part of NYU Tandon's 2014 commitment to the White House to train 500 New York City public school teachers in 10 years and positively impact 50,000 students. This summer, just four years after that goal was set, 80 percent of those 500 public school teachers have been trained.

"Thanks to the support of Oath Foundation, we're able to expand our STEMnow program offerings beyond our Downtown Brooklyn campus and serve more students," said Ben Esner, director of NYU Tandon's Center for K12 STEM Education. "With Oath Foundation, NYU Tandon shares a common goal of providing opportunities for young women to experience STEM, and this program will help foster the next generation of cybersecurity professionals."

"NYU's STEMnow program is creating a new bridge to the jobs of the future for young women in Sunset Park and throughout Brooklyn," said Andrew Kimball, CEO of Industry City. "Building that opportunity pipeline  one that extends beyond our campus and into the community  is a critically important component of the innovation economy ecosystem and part of our long-term vision for Industry City."

The launch of CS4CS increases Tandon's presence at Industry City, which is also the home for Tandon's new Veterans Future Lab (VFL), New York's first business incubator for military veterans. The VFL launched last year with support from Barclays. The VFL also receives support from Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC); Orrick, Herrington, Sutcliffe, LLP, U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. The CS4CS students at Industry City study in space provided by New York City College of Technology.

CS4CS is part of NYU Tandon's comprehensive initiative to engage more women in STEM fields. Last year, women comprised 40 percent of the freshman class, 20 full percentage points above the national average for undergraduate engineering education.

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country's foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.

About Oath Foundation

Oath Foundation is focused on improving the lives of women, girls and underserved youth through fostering leadership and empowerment, improving economic opportunity, access to education and technology and cultivating creativity.

Established in 2014, the Foundation provides funding to non-profit organizations working in these arenas as well as providing opportunities for Oath Foundation employees to lend their talent and skills to benefit the organizations and the individuals they serve. For more information on Oath Foundation, please contact [email protected].

www.facebook.com/nyutandon



@NYUTandon



SOURCE NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Related Links

https://engineering.nyu.edu


BEIJING, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix New Media Limited ("Phoenix New Media", "ifeng" or the "Company") (NYSE: FENG), a leading new media company in China, today announced the completion of assignment to Long De Cheng Zhang Culture Communication (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. ("Long De") of the Company's rights under a loan to Particle Inc. ("Particle") with a principal amount of US$14.8 million originally granted in August 2016 (the "August 2016 Loan").

As previously announced by the Company, the Company entered into a loan assignment agreement with Long De in April 2018 for the assignment. Long De's designated affiliate paid the assignment price of approximately US$17.0 million to the Company on August 7, 2018 and the loan assignment was completed.

About Phoenix New Media Limited

Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) is a leading new media company providing premium content on an integrated platform across Internet, mobile and TV channels in China. Having originated from a leading global Chinese language TV network based in Hong Kong, Phoenix TV, the Company enables consumers to access professional news and other quality information and share user-generated content on the Internet and through their mobile devices. Phoenix New Media's platform includes its ifeng.com channel, consisting of its ifeng.com website and web-based game platform, its video channel, comprised of its dedicated video vertical and mobile video services, and its mobile channel, including its mobile Internet website, mobile applications and mobile value-added services.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Phoenix New Media's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Phoenix New Media may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Forms 20-F and 6-K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Phoenix New Media's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the online and mobile advertising, online video and mobile paid service markets in China; the Company's reliance on online advertising and MVAS for the majority of its total revenues; the Company's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its services; the Company's expectations regarding the retention and strengthening of its relationships with advertisers, partners and customers; fluctuations in the Company's quarterly operating results; the Company's plans to enhance its user experience, infrastructure and service offerings; the Company's reliance on mobile operators in China to provide most of its MVAS; changes by mobile operators in China to their policies for MVAS; competition in its industry in China; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to the Company. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC, including its registration statement on Form F-1, as amended, and its annual report on Form 20-F. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Phoenix New Media does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Phoenix New Media Limited

Qing Liu

Email: [email protected]

ICR, Inc.

Rose Zu

Tel: +1 (646) 405-4883

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Phoenix New Media Limited
NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network  it's easy and free. Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform

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Bringing STEM Out of Textbooks, Into the Real World

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The Next Natural Disaster  Why the U.S. Needs to Prepare Now

Paul Calabrese

Vice President, Marine Engineer

Matrix New World Engineering

Cyclone Maria, the worst natural disaster to ever hit Puerto Rico and parts of the Caribbean, destroyed lives, infrastructure and the economic lifeblood of the island. New Jersey-based Matrix New World Engineering, with its extensive history of restoration after the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf and Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey, was one of the firms brought in by the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) to offer support on an emergency response basis to perform multi-disciplinary damage assessments on commercial ports throughout Puerto Rico that were destroyed last September.

Says Calabrese, "Maria devastated both the physical and fiscal face of Puerto Rico. Now, the island is facing a monumental structural, environmental, and economic clean up. By assessing the damages and proposing solutions, we can help to revitalize the island and its economy."

Natural disasters will always occur, and Matrix will strive to provide structural, environmental and economic restoration to areas affected as it has done in the past and is continuing to do #PuertoRicoStrong.

Contact: Amy Delman, [email protected]



Bringing STEM Out of Textbooks, Into the Real World

Shari Liss

CEO

Ignited

"Students have summer internships at tech companies, but what about teachers? Summer fellowships with major tech companies help teachers to translate their experiences into new hands-on, relevant projects and lessons to share with their students, bringing STEM concepts out of textbooks into the real-world."

Liss is CEO of Ignited, a Silicon Valley nonprofit that awards teachers fellowships at top companies and universities so they can inspire and prepare students to become the next generation of innovators. Liss has dedicated her career to STEM education. Prior to joining Ignited, she worked in education in New York, New Jersey, and California. She piloted an alternative high school for at-risk students, taught college calculus, and developed a mathematics program to serve both gifted and challenged students in the Bay Area. Liss joined Ignited in 2000, serving in a variety of roles, including education programs manager and education director. Most recently, she was promoted to CEO of Ignited, where she oversees program and organizational operations, fundraising, partnership development, strategic planning, and implementation. Liss earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from SUNY Albany, her master's in mathematical theory from UC Santa Cruz, and completed all coursework towards a Ph.D. in mathematics education from NYU.

Online Press Kit: http://ignited.onlinepresskit247.com

Website: www.igniteducation.org

Contact: Michelle Tennant, [email protected]



Saving a Source of Ancient Manuscripts

David Sheppe

Program Leader

American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Pres

"Serving as the gathering place for hundreds of monks, Saint Germain des Pres was an epicenter for the production of hand-copied manuscripts. During the 17th century alone, over 700 literary works were composed. The monks and scholars of the church were committed to housing important manuscripts, both sacred and secular, from France and other areas around Europe. The collection grew steadily over time and, today, numbers around 7,000 unique works (conserved at the Bibliotheque Nationale)."

Sheppe has enjoyed a long career in international banking and now works as a financial and risk management consultant. It was while living in Paris in the 1980s that he first took an interest in the church of Saint Germain des Pres, and he has been a frequent visitor ever since. From 2013 to 2016, he was once again a Paris resident, and it was then that he became acquainted with the work of the "Fonds de Dotation," the Paris-based fundraising arm for renovating the church. Following his return to the US in 2016, Sheppe did volunteer work for the U.S.-based American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Pres, before joining its Board in 2017. He is now leading the charge on the current Adopt A Saint Germain Star Campaign in the United States. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Cornell University. He resides in southwest Connecticut.

Online Press Kit: http://preservesaintgermain.onlinepresskit247.com

Website: www.PreserveSaintGermain.org

Contact: Michelle Tennant, [email protected]

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Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

NEWS IN A SNAP: 11 NEWS AGENCIES TO FOLLOW ON SNAPCHAT. You might think Snapchat is just for kids and teens, but with more than 180 million daily active users, traditional news outlets have begun creating content for Snapchat's audience. Here are some journalists and news organizations to keep on your Snapchat radar: https://prn.to/2uRQt4b

BE YOUR OWN EDITOR: 5 TIPS FOR EXPERTLY EDITING YOUR OWN WORK. Here are five things we've learned about editing our own work: https://prn.to/2JZGP4e

BLOG PROFILES: VEGETARIAN BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and profiles a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation. This week, they look at a few vegetarian blogs: https://prn.to/2v5l5j0

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To contact ProfNet: [email protected] or 800-776-3638, ext. 1

SOURCE ProfNet

Related Links

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KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MRIGlobal has been awarded a 5-year, $19.9 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI)/Division of Cancer Prevention to continue to operate the Centralized Chemopreventive Agent Repository and Drug Chemistry Support program.

This program serves as a centralized source of agents for use in studies by the Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) and to support the translation of promising laboratory discoveries into effective interventions for the prevention or reduction of cancer.

The repository program has responsibilities of acquiring, tracking, storage, maintenance, testing, quality control, and distribution of these investigational agents to NCI DCP designated preclinical and Phase 0/I/II cancer prevention clinical investigation sites and complements MRIGlobal's well-established programs supporting the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

"MRIGlobal is proud to continue our work with NIH/NCI and cancer researchers around the world who utilize our Repository and associated services," said MRIGlobal President and CEO Thomas M. Sack, Ph.D. "Our commitment to cancer research is long-standing. Our cancer research and support with the National Cancer Institute dates back to 1948."

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN261201800026I (UPIID: 75N91018D00026).

About MRIGlobal

MRIGlobal addresses some of the world's greatest threats and challenges. Founded in 1944 as an independent, non-profit organization, we perform contract research for government, industry, and academia. With a focus on translating new technologies that support better health outcomes for humans, animals, and our environment, MRIGlobal applies its diverse and cutting-edge technical capabilities and expertise to deliver smart, collaborative solutions that solve our partner's precise needs.

Our clients choose MRIGlobal as their trusted resource because of our long track record as a reliable, trustworthy partner who completes the work with the quality and integrity the project demands. We bring a depth and breadth of expertise that ensures innovative thinking and the best solution to each technical challenge our clients are addressing.

For more information, visit www.mriglobal.org.

SOURCE MRIGlobal

Related Links

http://www.mriglobal.org


VANCOUVER, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) has published its July 2018 auction metrics on the Company's website. This information can be accessed at the following link:

https://investor.ritchiebros.com/historical-auction-metrics

Monthly auction metrics should not be considered indicative of quarterly, annual or future performance. Auction metrics and corporate performance vary considerably month-to-month, due to the number of auctions held each month and seasonal factors. Ritchie Bros.' actual results could differ materially from those implied by this monthly auction disclosure. Investors are encouraged to review Ritchie Bros.' performance on a 12-month rolling or annual basis before making investing decisions.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a multitude of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing its exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplacee, an online marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The company also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, Kruse Energy Auctioneers, and Cat auctions, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about the unprecedented choice provided by Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Related Links

http://www.rbauction.com


OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SandRidge Energy, Inc. (the "Company" or "SandRidge") (NYSE:SD) today announced financial and operational results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. For the second quarter, the Company reported a net loss of $34 million, or $0.97 per share, and net cash provided by operating activities of $26 million. After adjusting for certain items, the Company's adjusted net loss amounted to $2 million, or $0.05 per share, operating cash flow totaled $24 million and adjusted EBITDA was $34 million for the quarter. The Company defines and reconciles such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure in supporting tables at the conclusion of this press release under the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" beginning on page 12.

As of August 2, 2018, the Company's liquidity totaled $436 million, which includes $17 million of cash and $419 million of borrowing capacity under the credit facility, net of outstanding letters of credit. The Company currently has no funds drawn under its credit facility. During the quarter, the Company sold the building adjacent to its corporate office building, the Parkside Annex, for $10.75 million.

Highlights During and Subsequent to the Second Quarter

All five new North Park wells exceed pre-drill production estimates with two achieving oil rates in excess of 1,500 Bopd

Five new wells online in the NW STACK with a combined 30-Day IP rate averaging 584 Boepd (69% oil)

Further reduced cash G&A and LOE costs to $30.6 million , down 22% from the second quarter of 2017

Strategic alternatives process moves to evaluation phase

New Board of Directors initiates thorough review of Company's cost structure, asset development plan and potential for monetization of non-core assets

Bill Griffin, President and CEO commented, "Our second quarter performance further demonstrates the Company's ability to stay focused on continuous improvement and consistent operational execution through a period of change."

Mr. Griffin continued, "Our near-term course to strategically deploy capital to create value and provide assurance for a clear, organic growth plan is proving successful. This is best demonstrated by the exciting results associated with our North Park drilling program. We recently brought five new Niobrara wells to sales, each with an initial production rate exceeding our pre-drill projections. In particular, four of these wells were drilled to test a twelve wells per section spacing pattern and the average initial oil production rate per well was 1,327 Bopd, which is 175% above type curve. This outstanding performance provides additional support for testing higher density spacing, which is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2018. We also continue to selectively deploy capital in the Mid-Continent, where we have commenced our previously announced drilling program comprised of four Mississippi Lime wells, which are expected to generate excellent returns, along with continuation of our NW STACK delineation efforts with the financial support provided under our drilling participation agreement.

We have remained judicious in our capital spending as we advance efforts to explore any and all strategic alternatives for SandRidge. The Company has continued to make significant progress to reverse production decline and establish a platform for meaningful value growth and a strong balance sheet. Our strategic process continues as we evaluate initial submittals, some of which require reverse due diligence. The Board and Management continue to work diligently to evaluate each and every proposal, while weighing them against the present and future value of the Company in light of our continued positive drilling results."

Operational Results and Activity

During the quarter, production totaled 3.0 MMBoe (25% oil, 24% NGLs and 51% natural gas). The Company averaged one rig in the NW STACK targeting the Meramec and seven wells underwent completions in the North Park Basin. Capital expenditures totaled $37 million.

Niobrara Asset in North Park Basin, Jackson County, Colorado

During the first quarter, the Company laid out plans to drill two spacing tests located on the eastern and western sides of the field. The eastern area test utilizes a twelve wells per section spacing pattern. The first two XRLs of the test, the Castle 5-17H20 and Castle 6-17H20, were announced earlier this year with an average 30-Day IP of 1,109 Boepd (91% oil), 132% of type curve. Four additional XRLs, targeting B, C and D benches, went to sales subsequent to the second quarter with initial oil production rates averaging 1,327 Bopd, 175% of type curve, all with less than thirty days of production. The two remaining wells in the eastern area spacing test are undergoing completion operations and updated well results will be provided at a later date.

The western area is testing a twenty-three wells per section pattern. The Company drilled the first well, the Peters 16-12H13, at the beginning of the second quarter and it recently went to sales with early rates of 832 Bopd, 109% of type curve. Given the encouraging initial results, drilling operations on the remaining wells of the western area spacing test will commence in the third quarter with expected sales during the first quarter of 2019.

Net oil production in the North Park Basin totaled 128 MBo (1.4 MBopd) for the second quarter and gross current production is averaging over 6,000 Bopd, inclusive of recent well outperformance.

Mid-Continent Assets in Oklahoma and Kansas

In the second quarter, production in the Miss Lime totaled 2.5 MMBoe (27 MBoepd, 17% oil) and NW STACK totaled 249 MBoe (2.7 MBoepd, 43% oil). The Company averaged one rig in the NW STACK targeting the Meramec and drilled four wells under the previously announced Drilling Participation Agreement. Two of the wells drilled extend the play into SE Woodward County, further delineating the successful core area. Completion operations for the two step-out wells are underway with first sales expected in the third quarter. Also during the quarter, SandRidge brought six wells online with five having a combined 30-Day IP averaging 584 Boepd (69% oil). Subsequent to the quarter, the Company spud the first of four planned Mississippian wells with an additional rig.

Other Operational Activities

During the second quarter, Permian Central Basin Platform properties produced 113 MBoe (1.2 MBoepd, 80% oil, 13% NGLs, 7% natural gas).

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 8:00 am CT. The telephone number to access the conference call from within the U.S. is (833) 245-9650 and from outside the U.S. is (647) 689-4222. The passcode for the call is 6365139. An audio replay of the call will be available from August 9, 2018 until 11:59 pm CT on September 9, 2018. The number to access the conference call replay from within the U.S. is (800) 585-8367 and from outside the U.S. is (416) 621-4642. The passcode for the replay is 6365139.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available via SandRidge's website, www.sandridgeenergy.com, under Investor Relations/Presentation & Events. The webcast will be archived for replay on the Company's website for 30 days.

2018 Operational and Capital Expenditure Guidance

As a result of realizing general and administrative ("G&A") savings earlier in the year than expected, the Company lowered full year adjusted G&A guidance from $41 - $44 million to $40 - $42 million. In addition, the Company lowered LOE guidance from $95 - $105 million to $92 - $95 million. Production taxes were also adjusted to 5.30% - 5.70% from 4.80%. Presented below is the Company's capital expenditure and updated operational guidance for 2018.



Updated Guidance

Previous Guidance

Projection as of

Projection as of

August 8, 2018

May 7, 2018 Production





Oil (MMBbls) 3.4 - 3.6

3.4 - 3.6 Natural Gas Liquids (MMBbls) 2.6 - 2.8

2.6 - 2.8 Total Liquids (MMBbls) 6.0 - 6.4

6.0 - 6.4 Natural Gas (Bcf) 31.5 - 33.0

31.5 - 33.0 Total (MMBoe) 11.3 - 11.9

11.3 - 11.9







Price Differential





Oil (per Bbl) $2.80

$2.80 Natural Gas Liquids (realized % of NYMEX WTI) 36%

33% Natural Gas (per MMBtu) $1.20

$1.20







Expenses





LOE $92 - $95 million

$95 - $105 million Adjusted G&A Expense1 $40 - $42 million

$41 - $44 million







% of Revenue





Production Taxes 5.30% - 5.70%

4.80%















Capital Expenditures ($ in millions)

Drilling and Completion





Mid-Continent $17 - $19

$17 - $19 North Park Basin 65 - 73

65 - 73 Other2 34

34 Total Drilling and Completion $116 - $126

$116 - $126







Other E&P





Land, G&G, and Seismic $15

$15 Infrastructure3 15

15 Workover 25

25 Capitalized G&A and Interest 8

8 Total Other Exploration and Production $63

$63







General Corporate 1

1 Total Capital Expenditures $180 - $190

$180 - $190 (excluding acquisitions and plugging and abandonment)











1) Adjusted G&A expense is a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company has defined this measure at the conclusion of this press release under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" beginning on page 12. Information to reconcile this non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is not available at this time, as management is unable to forecast the excluded items for future periods. 2) Primarily 2017 Carryover 3) Includes Production Facilities, Pipeline ROW and Electrical

Operational and Financial Statistics

Information regarding the Company's production, pricing, costs and earnings is presented below:



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Production - Total













Oil (MBbl) 755



1,042



1,681



2,176

NGL (MBbl) 700



907



1,400



1,794

Natural Gas (MMcf) 8,977



11,267



18,464



23,033

Oil equivalent (MBoe) 2,951



3,827



6,158



7,809

Daily production (MBoed) 32.4



42.1



34.0



43.1

















Average price per unit













Realized oil price per barrel - as reported $ 65.19



$ 46.04



$ 61.01



$ 47.68

Realized impact of derivatives per barrel (16.44)



3.11



(12.01)



1.63

Net realized price per barrel $ 48.75



$ 49.15



$ 49.00



$ 49.31

















Realized NGL price per barrel - as reported $ 24.21



$ 14.49



$ 23.81



$ 15.37

Realized impact of derivatives per barrel 













Net realized price per barrel $ 24.21



$ 14.49



$ 23.81



$ 15.37

















Realized natural gas price per Mcf - as reported $ 1.46



$ 2.08



$ 1.65



$ 2.23

Realized impact of derivatives per Mcf 0.13



0.01



0.15



(0.04)

Net realized price per Mcf $ 1.59



$ 2.09



$ 1.80



$ 2.19

















Realized price per Boe - as reported $ 26.87



$ 22.09



$ 27.00



$ 23.40

Net realized price per Boe - including impact of derivatives $ 23.05



$ 22.97



$ 24.18



$ 23.74

















Average cost per Boe













Lease operating $ 7.04



$ 6.59



$ 7.39



$ 6.43

Production taxes $ 1.49



$ 0.69



$ 1.48



$ 0.75

Depletion (1) $ 10.49



$ 7.70



$ 9.57



$ 7.23

















Earnings per share













(Loss) earnings per share applicable to common stockholders













Basic $ (0.97)



$ 0.69



$ (2.15)



$ 2.44

Diluted $ (0.97)



$ 0.69



$ (2.15)



$ 2.42

















Adjusted net (loss) income per share available to common stockholders













Basic $ (0.05)



$ 0.23



$ 0.11



$ 0.95

Diluted $ (0.05)



$ 0.23



$ 0.11



$ 0.94

















Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands)













Basic 35,017



34,076



34,800



30,458

Diluted (2) 35,017



34,138



34,884



30,650







(1) Includes accretion of asset retirement obligation. (2) Includes shares considered antidilutive for calculating loss per share in accordance with GAAP.

Capital Expenditures

The table below presents actual results of the Company's capital expenditures for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 at the same level of detail as its full year capital expenditure guidance.



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30, 2018

June 30, 2018

(In thousands)

(In thousands)







Drilling and Completion





Mid-Continent $ 1,474



$ 3,391

North Park Basin 12,240



20,474

Other1 9,092



24,657

Total Drilling and Completion 22,806



48,522









Other E&P





Land, G&G, and Seismic 3,554



$ 5,245

Infrastructure2 2,933



4,908

Workovers 6,378



12,746

Capitalized G&A and Interest 1,761



3,277

Total Other Exploration and Production 14,627



$ 26,175









General Corporate 



$ 









Total Capital Expenditures $ 37,432



$ 74,697

(excluding acquisitions and plugging and abandonment)











1) Primarily 2017 Carryover 2) Infrastructure - Production Facilities, Pipeline ROW and Electrical

Derivative Contracts

In light of the high correlation between NGL and NYMEX WTI prices, the Company manages a portion of its NGL price exposure using NYMEX WTI contracts at a three-to-one (3:1) NGL to crude ratio. The table below sets forth the Company's consolidated oil and natural gas price swaps for 2018 and 2019 as of August 8, 2018:





Quarter Ending





























3/31/2018

6/30/2018

9/30/2018

12/31/2018

FY 2018 WTI Swaps:



















Total Volume (MMBbls)

1.05

1.00

0.92

0.83

3.80 Daily Volume (MBblspd)

11.7

11.0

10.0

9.0

10.4 Swap Price ($/bbl)

$55.46

$55.50

$56.04

$56.12

$55.75





















Natural Gas Swaps:



















Total Volume (Bcf)

6.30

3.64

3.68

3.68

17.30 Daily Volume (MMBtupd)

70.0

40.0

40.0

40.0

47.4 Swap Price ($/MMBtu)

$3.24

$3.11

$3.11

$3.11

$3.16

























3/31/2019

6/30/2019

9/30/2019

12/31/2019

FY 2019 WTI Swaps:



















Total Volume (MMBbls)

0.45

0.46

0.46

0.46

1.83 Daily Volume (MBblspd)

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0 Swap Price ($/bbl)

$54.29

$54.29

$54.29

$54.29

$54.29

Capitalization

The Company's capital structure as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 is presented below:



June 30,

2018

December 31,

2017

(In thousands)







Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 31,980



$ 101,308









Credit facility $ 



$ 

Building note 



37,502

Total debt 



37,502









Stockholders' equity





Common stock 35



36

Warrants 88,514



88,500

Additional paid-in capital 1,053,595



1,038,324

Accumulated deficit (361,888)



(286,920)

Total SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders' equity 780,256



839,940









Total capitalization $ 780,256



$ 877,442



SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (In thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Revenues













Oil, natural gas and NGL $ 79,304



$ 84,546



$ 166,270



$ 182,695

Other 158



305



320



506

Total revenues 79,462



84,851



166,590



183,201

Expenses













Production 20,785



25,209



45,498



50,232

Production taxes 4,389



2,653



9,089



5,829

Depreciation and depletionoil and natural gas 30,961



29,477



58,958



56,457

Depreciation and amortizationother 3,040



3,493



6,193



7,330

Impairment 



446



4,170



2,977

General and administrative 10,343



19,354



24,365



38,892

Accelerated vesting upon change in control 6,545







6,545





Proxy contest 7,191







7,598





Employee termination benefits 1,043



4,415



32,630



4,815

Loss (gain) on derivative contracts 30,104



(23,543)



48,434



(57,726)

Other operating (expense) income (1,254)



(1)



(1,238)



267

Total expenses 113,147



61,503



242,242



109,073

(Loss) income from operations (33,685)



23,348



(75,652)



74,128

Other (expense) income













Interest expense, net (651)



(946)



(1,599)



(1,885)

Gain on extinguishment of debt 







1,151





Other income, net 217



1,055



1,090



2,025

Total other (expense) income (434)



109



642



140

(Loss) income before income taxes (34,119)



23,457



(75,010)



74,268

Income tax benefit (45)



(42)



(42)



(39)

Net (loss) income $ (34,074)



$ 23,499



$ (74,968)



$ 74,307

(Loss) earnings per share













Basic $ (0.97)



$ 0.69



$ (2.15)



$ 2.44

Diluted $ (0.97)



$ 0.69



$ (2.15)



$ 2.42

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding













Basic 35,017



34,076



34,800



30,458

Diluted 35,017



34,138



34,800



30,650



SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In thousands)



June 30,

2018

December 31,

2017 ASSETS





Current assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 30,125



$ 99,143

Restricted cash - other 1,855



2,165

Accounts receivable, net 58,992



71,277

Derivative contracts 



1,310

Prepaid expenses 3,582



5,248

Other current assets 411



15,954

Total current assets 94,965



195,097

Oil and natural gas properties, using full cost method of accounting





Proved 1,145,667



1,056,806

Unproved 87,268



100,884

Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and impairment (515,822)



(460,431)



717,113



697,259

Other property, plant and equipment, net 213,903



225,981

Other assets 1,274



1,290

Total assets $ 1,027,255



$ 1,119,627









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities





Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 120,550



$ 139,155

Derivative contracts 35,283



10,627

Asset retirement obligations 39,981



41,017

Other current liabilities 1,714



8,115

Total current liabilities 197,528



198,914

Long-term debt 



37,502

Derivative contracts 8,642



3,568

Asset retirement obligations 38,204



36,527

Other long-term obligations 2,625



3,176

Total liabilities 246,999



279,687

Commitments and contingencies





Stockholders' Equity





Common stock, $0.001 par value; 250,000 shares authorized; 35,332 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and 35,650 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 35



36

Warrants 88,514



88,500

Additional paid-in capital 1,053,595



1,038,324

Accumulated deficit (361,888)



(286,920)

Total stockholders' equity 780,256



839,940

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,027,255



$ 1,119,627



SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows (Unaudited) (In thousands)



Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES





Net (loss) income $ (74,968)



$ 74,307

Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities





Provision for doubtful accounts (6)





Depreciation, depletion and amortization 65,151



63,787

Impairment 4,170



2,977

Debt issuance costs amortization 235



195

Amortization of premiums and discounts on debt (47)



(153)

Gain on extinguishment of debt (1,151)





Loss (gain) on derivative contracts 48,434



(57,726)

Cash (paid) received on settlement of derivative contracts (17,393)



2,706

Stock-based compensation 21,909



9,654

Other (1,563)



379

Changes in operating assets and liabilities 11,346



7,806

Net cash provided by operating activities 56,117



103,932

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES





Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment (95,328)



(88,904)

Acquisition of assets 



(48,236)

Proceeds from sale of assets 13,563



14,756

Net cash used in investing activities (81,765)



(122,384)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES





Repayments of borrowings (36,304)





Debt issuance costs 



(1,488)

Cash paid for tax withholdings on vested stock awards (7,376)



(2,891)

Net cash used in financing activities (43,680)



(4,379)

NET DECREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS and RESTRICTED CASH (69,328)



(22,831)

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS and RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year 101,308



174,071

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS and RESTRICTED CASH, end of period $ 31,980



$ 151,240

Supplemental Disclosure of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities





Change in accrued capital expenditures $ 20,631



$ (8,340)

Equity issued for debt $ 



$ (268,779)



Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP measures are not alternatives to GAAP measures, and you should not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Below is additional disclosure regarding each of the non-GAAP measures used in this press release, including reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Reconciliation of Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Operating Cash Flow

The Company defines operating cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities before changes in operating assets and liabilities, as shown in the following table. Operating cash flow is a supplemental financial measure used by the Company's management and by securities analysts, investors, lenders, rating agencies and others who follow the industry as an indicator of the Company's ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur additional debt. The Company also uses this measure because operating cash flow relates to the timing of cash receipts and disbursements that the Company may not control and may not relate to the period in which the operating activities occurred. Further, operating cash flow allows the Company to compare its operating performance and return on capital with those of other companies without regard to financing methods and capital structure. This measure should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net cash provided by operating activities prepared in accordance with GAAP.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017

(In thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 25,710



$ 39,696



$ 56,117



$ 103,932

Changes in operating assets and liabilities (1,797)



3,471



(11,346)



(7,806)

Operating cash flow $ 23,913



$ 43,167



$ 44,771



$ 96,126



Reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

The Company defines EBITDA as net (loss) income before income tax benefit, interest expense, depreciation and amortization - other and depreciation and depletion - oil and natural gas. Adjusted EBITDA, as presented herein, is EBITDA excluding items that the Company believes affect the comparability of operating results such as items whose timing and/or amount cannot be reasonably estimated or are non-recurring, as shown in the following tables.

Adjusted EBITDA is presented because management believes it provides useful additional information used by the Company's management and by securities analysts, investors, lenders, ratings agencies and others who follow the industry, for analysis of the Company's financial and operating performance on a recurring basis and the Company's ability to internally fund exploration and development, and to service or incur additional debt. In addition, management believes that adjusted EBITDA is widely used by professional research analysts and others in the valuation, comparison, and investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. The Company's adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017

(In thousands) Net (loss) income $ (34,074)



$ 23,499



$ (74,968)



$ 74,307

















Adjusted for













Income tax benefit (45)



(42)



(42)



(39)

Interest expense 699



1,190



1,806



2,332

Depreciation and amortization - other 3,040



3,493



6,193



7,330

Depreciation and depletion - oil and natural gas 30,961



29,477



58,958



56,457

EBITDA 581



57,617



(8,053)



140,387

















Asset impairment 



446



4,170



2,977

Stock-based compensation 5,856



4,567



8,778



7,828

Loss (gain) on derivative contracts 30,104



(23,543)



48,434



(57,726)

Cash (paid) received upon settlement of derivative contracts (11,274)



3,344



(17,393)



2,706

Employee termination benefits 1,043



4,415



32,630



4,815

Proxy contest 7,191







7,598





Acceleration of performance units 1,232







1,232





Restructuring costs 



617







3,224

Gain on extinguishment of debt 







(1,151)





Other (1,043)



(1,205)



(2,218)



(2,235)

















Adjusted EBITDA $ 33,690



$ 46,258



$ 74,027



$ 101,976



Reconciliation of Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Adjusted EBITDA



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017









(In thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 25,710



$ 39,696



56,117



$ 103,932

















Changes in operating assets and liabilities (1,797)



3,471



(11,346)



(7,806)

Interest expense 699



1,190



1,806



2,332

Employee termination benefits (1) 862



2,590



19,499



2,990

Proxy contest 7,191







7,598





Acceleration of performance units 1,232







1,232





Restructuring costs 



617







3,224

Income tax benefit (45)



(42)



(42)



(39)

Other (162)



(1,264)



(837)



(2,657)

















Adjusted EBITDA $ 33,690



$ 46,258



$ 74,027



$ 101,976





(1) Excludes associated stock-based compensation.

Reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income Available to Common Stockholders to Adjusted Net (Loss) Income Available to Common Stockholders

The Company defines adjusted net (loss) income as net (loss) income excluding items that the Company believes affect the comparability of operating results and are typically excluded from published estimates by the investment community, including items whose timing and/or amount cannot be reasonably estimated or are non-recurring, as shown in the following tables.

Management uses the supplemental measure of adjusted net (loss) income as an indicator of the Company's operational trends and performance relative to other oil and natural gas companies and believes it is more comparable to earnings estimates provided by securities analysts. Adjusted net (loss) income is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for net (loss) income available to common stockholders.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

$

$/Diluted Share

$

$/Diluted Share

(In thousands, except per share amounts) Net (loss) income available to common stockholders $ (34,074)



$ (0.97)



$ 23,499



$ 0.69

















Asset impairment 







446



0.01

Loss (gain) on derivative contracts 30,104



0.86



(23,543)



(0.69)

Cash (paid) received upon settlement of derivative contracts (11,274)



(0.32)



3,344



0.10

Employee termination benefits 1,043



0.03



4,415



0.13

Proxy contest 7,191



0.21









Accelerated vesting upon change in control 6,545



0.19









Restructuring costs 







617



0.02

Other (1,324)



(0.05)



(790)



(0.03)

















Adjusted net (loss) income available to common stockholders $ (1,789)



$ (0.05)



$ 7,988



$ 0.23



















Basic

Diluted (1)

Basic

Diluted (1) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 35,017



35,017



34,076



34,138

















Total adjusted net (loss) income per share $ (0.05)



$ (0.05)



$ 0.23



$ 0.23



















Six Months Ended June 30, 2018

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

$

$/Diluted Share

$

$/Diluted Share

(In thousands, except per share amounts) Net (loss) income available to common stockholders $ (74,968)



$ (2.15)



$ 74,307



$ 2.42

















Asset impairment 4,170



0.12



2,977



0.10

Loss (gain) on derivative contracts 48,434



1.39



(57,726)



(1.88)

Cash (paid) received upon settlement of derivative contracts (17,393)



(0.50)



2,706



0.09

Employee termination benefits 32,630



0.94



4,815



0.16

Proxy contest 7,598



0.22









Accelerated vesting upon change in control



6,545



0.19









Restructuring costs 







3,224



0.11

Gain on extinguishment of debt (1,151)



(0.03)









Other (1,905)



(0.07)



(1,427)



(0.06)

















Adjusted net income available to common stockholders $ 3,960



$ 0.11



$ 28,876



$ 0.94



















Basic

Diluted (1)

Basic

Diluted (1) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 34,800



34,884



30,458



30,650

















Total adjusted net income per share $ 0.11



$ 0.11



$ 0.95



$ 0.94



















(1) Weighted average fully diluted common shares outstanding for certain periods presented includes shares that are considered antidilutive for calculating loss per share in accordance with GAAP.

Reconciliation of G&A to Adjusted G&A

The Company reports and provides guidance on Adjusted G&A per Boe because it believes this measure is commonly used by management, analysts and investors as an indicator of cost management and operating efficiency on a comparable basis from period to period, and to compare and make investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas industry. This non-GAAP measure allows for the analysis of general and administrative spend without regard to stock-based compensation programs, and other non-recurring cash items which can vary significantly between companies. Adjusted G&A per Boe is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for general and administrative expense per Boe. Therefore, the Company's Adjusted G&A per Boe may not be comparable to other companies' similarly titled measures.

The Company defines adjusted G&A as general and administrative expense adjusted for certain non-cash stock-based compensation and other non-recurring items, as shown in the following tables.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

$

$/Boe

$

$/Boe

(In thousands, except per Boe amounts) General and administrative $ 10,343



$ 3.50



$ 19,354



$ 5.06

Stock-based compensation (1) (543)



(0.18)



(4,569)



(1.20)

Restructuring costs 







(617)



(0.16)

Adjusted G&A $ 9,800



$ 3.32



$ 14,168



$ 3.70



















Six Months Ended June 30, 2018

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

$

$/Boe

$

$/Boe

(In thousands, except per Boe amounts) General and administrative $ 24,365



$ 3.96



$ 38,892



$ 4.98

Stock-based compensation (1) (3,465)



(0.57)



(7,829)



(1.01)

Restructuring costs 







(3,224)



(0.41)

Adjusted G&A $ 20,900



$ 3.39



$ 27,839



$ 3.56



















(1) Three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2018 exclude approximately $5.5 million and $18.4 million, respectively, for the acceleration of certain stock awards due to the reduction in force in the first quarter of 2018 and the change in control event in the second quarter of 2018. Three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 exclude approximately $1.8 million for the acceleration of certain stock awards.

For further information, please contact:

Johna Robinson

Investor Relations

SandRidge Energy, Inc.

123 Robert S. Kerr Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406

(405) 429-5515

Cautionary Note to Investors - This press release includes "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, including, but not limited to, the information appearing under the heading "2018 Operational and Capital Expenditure Guidance." These statements express a belief, expectation or intention and are generally accompanied by words that convey projected future events or outcomes. The forward-looking statements include projections and estimates of the Company's corporate strategies, future operations, and development plans and appraisal programs, drilling inventory and locations, estimated oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids production, reserves, price realizations and differentials, hedging program, projected operating, general and administrative and other costs, projected capital expenditures, tax rates, efficiency and cost reduction initiative outcomes, liquidity and capital structure and infrastructure assessment and investment. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the volatility of oil and natural gas prices, our success in discovering, estimating, developing and replacing oil and natural gas reserves, actual decline curves and the actual effect of adding compression to natural gas wells, the availability and terms of capital, the ability of counterparties to transactions with us to meet their obligations, our timely execution of hedge transactions, credit conditions of global capital markets, changes in economic conditions, the amount and timing of future development costs, the availability and demand for alternative energy sources, regulatory changes, including those related to carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We refer you to the discussion of risk factors in Part I, Item 1A - "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in comparable "Risk Factor" sections of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed after such form 10-K. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The actual results or developments anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on our Company or our business or operations. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SandRidge Energy, Inc. (NYSE: SD) is an oil and natural gas exploration and production company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with its principal focus on developing high-return, growth oriented projects in Oklahoma and Colorado. The majority of the Company's production is generated from the Mississippi Lime formation in Oklahoma and Kansas. Development activity is currently focused on the Meramec formation in the NW STACK Play in Oklahoma and multiple oil rich Niobrara benches in the North Park Basin in Colorado.

SOURCE SandRidge Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sandridgeenergy.com


MILWAUKEE, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual, a leading financial security company, announced today that Sheila Lirio Marcelo has been appointed to serve on the company's board. Marcelo is founder, chairwoman, and chief executive officer of Care.com, the world's largest online destination for finding and managing family care, serving more than 28 million people across 20 countries.

Sheila Marcelo

"Sheila has been influential in driving innovation in her industry, and we welcome her insights as we transform the way clients experience financial security," said Northwestern Mutual Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John E. Schlifske. "Sheila understands business models centered around clients' needs, and we look forward to her contributions to our board."

Prior to founding Care.com, Sheila was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Matrix Partners and held executive positions at Upromise. She sits on the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board, is a Henry Crown Fellow with the Aspen Institute, is a member of the Board of Trustees of Boston Children's Hospital, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College and received her J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University.

Her appointment became effective July 13.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a distinctive, whole-picture planning approach, we empower our clients to make the most of every single day and plan for important moments in their future. We combine the expertise of our financial professionals with a personalized digital experience to help our clients navigate their financial lives every day. With $265.0 billion in assets, $28.1 billion in revenues, and more than $1.8 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.5 million people who rely on us for life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, brokerage and advisory services, trust services, and discretionary portfolio management solutions. The company manages more than $125 billion of client assets through its wealth management and investment services. Northwestern Mutual ranks 97 on the 2017 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2018.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a comprehensive approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, life insurance with long-term care benefits, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) (fiduciary and fee-based financial planning services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long-Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance).

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual

Related Links

http://www.northwesternmutual.com


SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart Cannabis Corp. (OTC: SCNA) has announced a sale of their state-of-the-art Geo-Thermal Air Recirculation System which addresses the potential for nuisance odors often emanating from cannabis cultivation sites. The sale is over $250,000. Installation is scheduled for this month at a permitted location in Salinas, California.

The Geo-Thermal Air Recirculation System continually cycles, dehumidifies, and filters air from within a greenhouse. Air is pulled through a subterranean channel, temperature-balanced by the surrounding dirt, and returned to the greenhouse environment. The newly-created antimicrobial microclimate significantly reduces the concentration of airborne terpenes responsible for odor. This system can be implemented at the beginning stages of a greenhouse installation or it can be added to an existing greenhouse system with little retrofitting required. Aside from requiring a simple, bi-annual filter replacement, minimal maintenance is necessary.

"When we innovate, we aim to scale so that needs we're responding to can potentially serve our entire database of clients. This system is strategically designed to accommodate both new greenhouse installations or retrofits all while mitigating concerns of unfavorable odors coming from cannabis cultivations sites, helping to make our clients courteous neighbors," shared John Taylor, President and CEO.

Information on the Geo-Thermal Air Recirculation System can be found at: https://smartcannabis.com/greenhouse-models/smart-filtered-air-recirculation/

Smart Cannabis (OTC PINK: SCNA) is a public equity corporation advancing the agriculture and cannabis industries and growing through acquisition, strategic alliances, and proprietary intellectual property. The company's wholly owned subsidiary, Next Generation Farming Inc., provides turnkey, automated, commercial greenhouses systems that efficiently improve yields and decrease water consumption for cultivators of organic food and cannabis crops. The company websites are http://smartcannabis.com https://sapinvestments.com https://smartcannabis.com/nextgenfarming

Disclaimer: The Company relies upon the Safe Harbor Laws of 1933, 1934 and 1995 for all public news releases. The company may make forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future operations, performance and other developments. Such forward-looking statements are estimates that reflect the company's best judgment based upon current information. All investments involve risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements. It is impossible to identify all such factors. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the company include, but are not limited to, government regulation; managing and maintaining growth; the effect of adverse publicity; litigation; competition; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in the company's public announcements.

Contact:

Smart Cannabis Corp.

John Taylor, President

[email protected]

(424) 732-7646

SOURCE Smart Cannabis Corp.

Related Links

http://smartcannabis.com


TRUE BLUE, Grenada and RUTHERFORD, N.J., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- St. George's University and Felician University have launched a program that will allow qualified applicants to Felician to receive early admission to the medical or veterinary schools at St. George's.

St. George's University and Felician University Announce Medical and Veterinary Educational Partnership

"We are excited to welcome Felician University's best and brightest to our campus in Grenada," Dr. G. Richard Olds, President of St. George's University, said. "This partnership will allow aspiring doctors and veterinarians to focus on their studies at Felician, secure in the knowledge that they'll have a spot reserved for them in our medical or veterinary school."

Students who wish to pursue one of the combined degree programs apply to Felician. St. George's will consult with Felician on their applications and conduct interviews with qualified candidates. The universities will jointly make offers for the combined program.

According to Dr. Anne Prisco, President of Felician University, "Several Felician students have attended St. George's University. This partnership expands our relationship to a new level and provides our incoming students who qualify for this program the peace of mind they need to focus their efforts on preparing for their professional studies."

In order to proceed to the St. George's University School of Medicine, Felician students must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and an MCAT score within three points of the previous term's average score at St. George's. To be eligible to continue onto the St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine, Felician students must have a grade point average of at least 3.1 and a GRE score of at least 300. A letter of recommendation from the appropriate Felician University faculty is also required.

Medical students will complete their first two years of medical study in Grenada and then undertake two years of clinical training at hospitals affiliated with St. George's in the United States or the United Kingdom.

Students pursuing degrees in veterinary medicine will study in Grenada for three years and spend their final clinical year at affiliated universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, or Australia.

Felician University joins a network of dozens of institutes of higher learning in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom that have teamed up with St. George's to offer students an accelerated path to a career as a doctor or veterinarian.

"It's a privilege to educate the next generation of doctors and veterinarians," Dr. Olds said. "These future graduates of Felician and St. George's will play a critical role in addressing the world's most pressing health challenges."

About St. George's University:

St. George's University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies, to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science, and business. St. George's is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. The University's over 15,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. The University programs are accredited and approved by many governing authorities and repeatedly recognized as the best in the region. For more information, visit www.sgu.edu.

About Felician University

Felician University  with campuses in Lodi and Rutherford, NJ  is a Catholic Franciscan University founded and sponsored by the Felician Sisters in 1942. Felician offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in Arts and Sciences, Business, Nursing and Education. In 2015, the University was ranked by Money Magazine as one of America's Top Colleges and also listed among Money's top 25 private colleges for merit aid. PayScale College ROI Report ranked Felician as being among the top three private universities in New Jersey for best return on investment. Felician was also ranked by Niche as one of the safest universities in the nation and the 2nd safest school in New Jersey. Top-ranked colleges on the 2017 Niche list offer a safe and healthy environment with little or no campus crime, drugs, or alcohol usage. For more information, visit www.felician.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT:

St. George University

Madeline Auerbach

(202) 471-4228 ext. 101

[email protected]

Felician University

Kristopher LaGreca

201-355-1423

[email protected]

SOURCE St. George's University

Related Links

http://www.sgu.edu


But SWS was careful to ensure that the distinct branding of the 1849 Wine Collection spoke to the high-end wine the company produces. "The wine inside the bottle is the work of art that steals the show," says Seth Hersh, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development.

"It's all about the experience," says Hersh, "When you hold the bottle you can already feel the difference, the wine tastes great before you've even had a sip," Hersh adds.

1849 Wine was deliberate in choosing the right juice; all sourced from Napa Valley, Sonoma and Monterey  all California, of course. "We started off with a pinot noir, and Sonoma Coast is arguably the best region for pinot. Monterey County is one of the best locations to grow chardonnay. Napa Valley is home to the most premiere grapes in the world, and so we produced a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and a Napa Valley red blend," explains Zack Levenson, Chief Operating Officer.

The nuances of these wines are highlighted upfront, and the undertones leave a long, sophisticated finish. "The juice is on par with, if not better than, some of the most notable and expensive wines on the market. We have the awards and accolades to prove it," says Gray, "plus if commissioning an original piece is out of your budget, then our collection turns any bar into a masterpiece."

Not every consumer is an expert in wine, wine terminology, appellations or how the growing region affects the overall taste of a wine. But everyday consumers do know what they like. 1849 Wines' juice inside each bottle is equally as brilliant as the art that adorns the bottle.

1849 Wine is available nationwide. New varietals may be coming down the road, but for now the company is happy to offer its collection of five wines for all to admireboth visually and on the palate.

About Stratus Wine & Spirits

Every handcrafted bottle of 1849 Wine reflects this artistic spirit and the dedication we have for art of wine making. We pride ourselves on creating wines of the highest quality & expression, with consistent flavor vintage over vintage.

For more information visit:

www.1849wine.com

SOURCE Stratus Wine & Spirits

Related Links

http://www.1849wine.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Talkdesk today announced its recognition by Frost & Sullivan as the fastest-growing provider in the North American contact center software market. Talkdesk gained tremendous market share over the past year as more enterprises turn away from legacy contact center providers in favor of cloud technologies with flexible architecture and a dynamic set of software solutions.

Frost & Sullivan analysts conducted extensive primary and secondary research to highlight and assess the capabilities of top-performing cloud contact center providers in their Cloud Contact Center Buyers Guide, North America. Each vendor was scored on two key factors: strength of vision and ability to execute.

"Talkdesk has shown meteoric growth in the cloud contact center market. Its enterprise platform has grown to more than 1,400 customers, supports 52,000 seats and has an annual growth rate of more than 100% in calendar year 2017," said Nancy Jamison, Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan and author of Frost & Sullivan's Cloud Contact Center Buyers Guide, North America, 2018. "Key differentiators that have contributed to this rise include fast and easy set-up, use and administration, as well as global voice-quality SLAs based on MOS measurements and ability to see across all centers with global visibility."

Frost & Sullivan highlighted Talkdesk's growing traction in the enterprise market. According to the report, "The size of Talkdesk's customer base has increased along with customer growth. As of early 2018, customers with more than 100 seats represented 40% of its business. Talkdesk now supports customers ranging from very small to more than 1,400 seats. With the March 2018 launch of its Enterprise Contact Center Platform, this number will continue to increase." Talkdesk's partnerships with top master agents such as Intelisys, Avant and Telarus have been an important step forward in the business.

Since its inception at a hackathon in 2011, Talkdesk has grown to one of the most recognizable names in the contact center industry. The company has more than 300 employees worldwide with plans to grow to 500 engineering personnel in the next 18 months. The cloud-native enterprise contact center platform's product innovation, global support infrastructure and AppConnect Innovation Ecosystem empowers companies to make customer experience a competitive advantage.

To learn more about Talkdesk and how leading enterprises around the world are improving their customer experiences, register to attend Opentalk 2018, November 7th and 8th in San Francisco.

About Talkdesk

Talkdesk Enterprise Contact Center Platform empowers companies to make customer experience a competitive advantage. With enterprise class performance and consumer-like ease of use, Talkdesk easily adapts to the evolving needs of sales and support teams and their end-customers, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, productivity and cost savings. Over 1,400 innovative enterprises around the world with thousands of seats, including IBM, Acxiom and Zumiez, rely on Talkdesk to power their customer interactions.

SOURCE Talkdesk

Related Links

http://www.talkdesk.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Management (AOM), the largest global organization devoted to management and organization research, today announced a new study that will be presented at its Annual Meeting by Maria Goranova of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Maria Triana of University of Wisconsin - Madison, and Kira Kristal Reed of Syracuse University, titled "Double Bind: African-American, Asian, and Hispanic Women on Corporate Boards."

The research investigates minority women's representation trends on S&P 500 boards of directors. Although gender diversity on corporate boards has improved over the last two decades, African-American and Hispanic women's representation in the boardroom has remained largely stagnant. The study provides an overview of the challenges faced by minority women as they struggle to flourish in corporate America, including discrepancies in economic opportunity and the gender wage gap, despite the educational and professional strides made in recent decades. Examples of public and private organizations that seek to support women and minorities in their education and careers are also discussed.

"Our research highlights the need for an inclusive take on diversity, particularly when both gender and ethnicity could inform issues such a tokenism, biases, challenges, and opportunities in the minority women's quest to the corporate boardroom," Goranova, Triana and Reed said in a statement.

The research will be presented during the session "A New Era of Governance?: Corporate Governance and TMTs" on Monday, August 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Marriott Chicago Downtown  Magnificent Mile in the Sheffield Room of the fourth floor.

The AOM Annual Meeting is the premier global management science conference, drawing more than 11,000 management researchers and leaders in academia from 92 countries. During the course of the conference, AOM will produce more than 2,000 sessions at venues across the city featuring presentations grounded in findings from leading researchers.

Media can request copies of the research and interviews with the authors at [email protected].

For more information about the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, please visit http://aom.org/annualmeeting.

About Academy of Management

Academy of Management is the largest global association devoted to management and organization research, with 20,000 members from more than 120 countries across six continents. The Academy publishes six top-rated journals with the most authoritative and diverse management research findings. For more information, visit www.aom.org.

Media Contact

Kerry Lange, 312-548-7428

[email protected]

SOURCE Academy of Management

Related Links

http://www.aom.org


NEW YORK, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Trends, opportunities and forecast in smart card IC market to 2023 by card type (microcontroller and memory), by type of interface (contact, contactless, and others), by end use industry (e-government, telecommunication, transportation, payment and banking, and others), and by region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World)



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05483283



The future of the smart card integrated circuit (IC) market looks attractive with opportunities in telecommunication, payment and banking, transportation, e-government, and others. The global smart card IC market is expected to reach an estimated $4.3 billion by 2023 with a CAGR of 4.0% from 2018 to 2023. The major drivers for the growth of this market are increasing usage of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards for mobile phones, growing adoption of electronic identification cards for various e-governance projects, and increasing usage of smart cards in payment and banking industries.



Emerging trends, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the smart card IC industry, include the development of smart card IC that can provide more security and integration of smart cards with biometrics.



- smart card market by card type



- smart card market



- market share analysis



The study includes the smart card IC market size and forecast for the global smart card IC market thorough 2023, segmented by card type, type of interface, end use industry, and region as follows:



Smart Card IC Market by Card Type [$M shipment analysis from 2012 to 2023]:

Microcontroller Memory



Smart Card IC Market by Type of Interface [$M shipment analysis from 2012 to 2023]:

Contact Contactless Others



Smart Card IC Market by End Use Industry [$M shipment analysis from 2012 to 2023]:

E-Government Telecommunication Transportation Payment and Banking Others



Smart Card IC Market by Region [$M shipment analysis for 2012  2023]:

North America United States Canada Mexico Europe United Kingdom Germany France Asia Pacific China India The Rest of the World

Some of the smart card IC companies profiled in this report include Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, and CEC Huada Electronic Design Co. Ltd and others.



In this market two types of cards, such as microcontroller and memory based are used. Microcontroller based smart card IC will remain the largest type, and it is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period as it enables secure payment facilities, authentication, and information storage for consumers.



The global smart card IC market is being used in various end use industries, such as e-government, telecommunication, transportation, payment and banking, and others. Telecommunication will remain the largest application segment during the forecast period supported by the rising adoption for subscriber identity modules (SIM) cards for mobile phones.



Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest region over the forecast period supported by increasing demand for smartphones in China and India. The government of various Asian countries mandates smart card IC in national ID cards, driving licenses, and other government identification cards, which is expected to drive the Asian smart card IC market during the forecast period.



Some of the features of "Smart Card IC Market Report: Trends, Forecast and Competitive Analysis" include:

Market size estimates: Global smart card IC market size estimation in terms of value ($M) shipment.

Trend and forecast analysis: Market trend (2012-2017) and forecast (2018-2023) by application, and end use industry.

Segmentation analysis: Global smart card IC market size by various applications such as card type, type of interface, and end use industry in terms of value and volume shipment.

Regional analysis: Global smart card IC market breakdown by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World.

Growth opportunities: Analysis on growth opportunities in different applications and regions of smart card IC in the global smart card IC market.

Strategic analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape of smart card IC in the global smart card IC market. Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter's Five Forces model.



This report answers following 11 key questions:

Q.1 What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for the global smart card IC market by card type (microcontroller and memory), by type of interface (contact, contactless, and ot-hers), by end use industry (e-government, telecommunication, transportation, payment and banking, and others), and by region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World)?

Q.2 Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?

Q.3 Which regions will grow at a faster pace and why?

Q.4 What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the drivers and challenges of the smart card IC market?

Q.5 What are the business risks and threats to the smart card IC market?

Q.6 What are the emerging trends in this smart card IC market and reasons behind them?

Q.7 What are some changing demands of customers in the smart card IC market?

Q.8 What are the new developments in the smart card IC market? Which companies are leading these developments?

Q.9 Who are the major players in this smart card IC market? What strategic initiatives are being implemented by key players for business growth?

Q.10 What are some of the competitive products and processes in this area and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share via product substitution?

Q.11 What M&A activity has occurred in the last 5 years in this smart card IC market?



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05483283



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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"Ty's deep understanding of our key objectives, the banking industry and the economic conditions across our footprint make him an excellent choice to lead our efforts to leverage data assets and drive business transformation," said BancorpSouth Chairman and CEO Dan Rollins. "His work to define and execute a data strategy will be crucial as we continue to grow and deliver great customer experiences."

Since joining BancorpSouth as an accountant in 2006, Lambert has held a variety of management positions, including his most recent role as senior vice president and director of treasury analytics. He will continue to have an active role in balance sheet management, credit risk management, capital stress testing and corporate planning for the bank. Prior to joining BancorpSouth, he was an investment portfolio manager.

Lambert earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Mississippi State University in Starkville and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.

He currently serves as an adviser to the Center for Financial Professionals and previously served on the American Banker's advisory board for stress testing.

About BancorpSouth Bank

BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE: BXS) is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, with approximately $17 billion in assets. BancorpSouth operates approximately 280 full-service branch locations as well as additional mortgage, insurance and loan production offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois. BancorpSouth is committed to a culture of respect, diversity and inclusion in both its workplace and communities. To learn more, visit our Community Commitment page at www.bancorpsouth.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@MyBXS); or connect with us through LinkedIn.

SOURCE BancorpSouth Bank

Related Links

https://www.bancorpsouth.com


LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Viracor Eurofins today announced the launch of the first commercially available predictive acute Graft versus Host Disease (aGVHD) algorithms to help identify at-risk patients. Acute GVHD is a major complication following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Accurate and early identification of patients at high-risk for severe aGVHD and related complications has the potential to improve patient outcomes; high-risk patients can be preemptively treated for aGVHD prior to the onset of clinical disease, while low-risk patients may potentially avoid unnecessary treatment.

Viracor's newly licensed aGVHD Algorithm testing  utilizing the Mount Sinai Acute GVHD International Consortium (MAGIC) algorithm  was developed by Drs. James Ferrara and John Levine, both professors of Pediatrics, Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and validated in conjunction with 17 hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) centers. The aGVHD predictive algorithms utilize serum levels of ST2 and Regenerating islet-derived 3-alpha (REG3) biomarkers, which are interpreted through the MAGIC algorithm using clinically validated cutoff values specific to the time of sample collection and/or the patient's condition. While there are multiple clinical factors that increase the risk of non-relapse mortality (NRM) post-transplantincluding HLA mismatch, non-family donors, recipient age and GVHD prophylactic therapyuse of these predictive algorithms has been demonstrated to be accurate despite variations in these clinical factors.

"Viracor Eurofins has a proven history of launching innovative tests such as the aGVHD algorithms, to help healthcare providers improve outcomes for transplant patients. In 2013, Viracor launched a series of GVHD biomarkers, and now we're excited to further help physicians of HCT patients by providing these clinically-validated algorithms to predict the risk of NRM and severe aGVHD. We are committed to developing high quality assays that help our clients help more patients," said Steve Kleiboeker, PhD, HCLD/TS/CC (ABB), Vice President of Research and Development, Viracor Eurofins.

Prior to the development of these predictive algorithms, diagnosis of aGVHD relied almost entirely on the presence of clinical symptoms in one or more of the main target organs (skin, liver, gastrointestinal tract), with subsequent confirmation by biopsy of the involved target organs. However, symptoms of aGVHD are often non-specific and can be confused with other common etiologies (including infectious complications), biopsy results may be inconclusive, and waiting for the onset of clinical signs and biopsy results allows significant disease progression and thus eliminates the possibility of preemptive treatment.

Non-invasive approaches, such as the use of biomarkers to test for aGVHD, have been the subject of clinical research for a number of years, but previously suffered from a lack of clinical validation, established algorithmic value cutoffs and standardization between laboratories.

Viracor's three assays use an algorithm value based on ST2 and REG3 levels. The algorithm cutoffs have been validated to risk stratify severe aGVHD and NRM at distinct events post-allogeneic HCT:

The aGVHD Pre-Symptomatic Algorithm, for use approximately 7 days post-transplant and before the patient shows onset of aGVHD symptoms. Based on this algorithm, high- and low-risk groups were assigned from analysis of samples collected 7 days post-HCT. 1

for use approximately 7 days post-transplant and before the patient shows onset of aGVHD symptoms. Based on this algorithm, high- and low-risk groups were assigned from analysis of samples collected 7 days post-HCT. The aGVHD Symptomatic Onset Algorithm, for use post-transplant after the patient begins to display symptoms of aGVHD. For this use, two diagnostic thresholds assign patients to three risk groups corresponding to Ann Arbor (AA) risk groups 1, 2 or 3 for high, intermediate and low risk, respectively. 1

for use post-transplant after the patient begins to display symptoms of aGVHD. For this use, two diagnostic thresholds assign patients to three risk groups corresponding to (AA) risk groups 1, 2 or 3 for high, intermediate and low risk, respectively. The aGVHD Post-Treatment Algorithm, for use approximately 7 days or more after systemic treatment for aGVHD has been initiated. This algorithm can be applied to risk stratify steroid-resistant patients 1 week after the initiation of systemic treatment for GVHD. 2 Results of the algorithm separated steroid-resistant patients into two risk groups (high or low) for NRM and overall survival.

Viracor delivers results of these testing algorithms to physicians within 24 hours of receiving the specimen, to help physicians get results faster when it matters most. For more information, visit www.viracor-eurofins.com/aGVHD.

About GVHD

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is one of the major causes of NRM associated with allo-HCT. GVHD occurs in 30  50% of HLA-matched sibling transplants and 60  90% of matched unrelated donors.3,4 GVHD often manifests in the skin, liver and/or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and is caused by immune dysregulation that is initiated when allogeneic donor T cells recognize host tissues as foreign. GVHD may be either acute or chronic. Acute GVHD (aGVHD), which typically occurs in the first 3 months post-transplant, has an incidence of 19  66% and carries a poor prognosis if the disease is severe. The mean onset of aGVHD is around 1 month after the transplant occurs.

About Viracor Eurofins

With over 30 years of specialized expertise in infectious disease, immunology and allergy testing for immunocompromised and critical patients, Viracor Eurofins is committed to helping medical professionals, transplant teams, reference laboratories and biopharmaceutical companies get results faster, when it matters most. Viracor is passionate about delivering value to its clients by providing timely, actionable information, never losing sight of the connection between the testing it performs and the patients it ultimately serves.

Viracor is a 100 percent subsidiary of Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA), the global leader in bio-analytical testing, and one of the world leaders in genomic services. For more information, please visit www.viracor-eurofins.com.

About Eurofins - A global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins Scientific through its subsidiaries (hereinafter sometimes "Eurofins" or "the Group") believes it is a scientific leader in food, environment and pharmaceutical products testing and in agroscience CRO services. It is also one of the independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, CDMO, advanced material sciences and for supporting clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the emerging players in specialty clinical diagnostic testing in Europe and the USA. With over 38,000 staff in more than 400 laboratories across 44 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 150,000 analytical methods for evaluating the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin and purity of biological substances and products, as well as for innovative clinical diagnostic. The Group objective is to provide its customers with high-quality services, accurate results on time and expert advice by its highly qualified staff.

Eurofins is committed to pursuing its dynamic growth strategy by expanding both its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions and the most comprehensive range of testing methods.

As one of the most innovative and quality oriented international players in its industry, Eurofins is ideally positioned to support its clients' increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the expanding demands of regulatory authorities around the world.

The shares of Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0000038259, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP).

References

1 Hartwell MJ, Ozbek U, Holler E. An early-biomarker algorithm predicts lethal graft-versus-host disease and survival. JCI Insight 2017, 2(3):e89798

2 Major-Monfried H, Renteria AS, Pawarode A., et al. MAGIC biomarkers predict long-term outcomes for steroid-resistant acute GVHD. Blood 2018, 131(25):2846-2855.

3(1) Ball LM, Egeler RM, EBMT Paediatric Working Party. Acute GvHD: pathogenesis and classification. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2008 Jun;41 Suppl 2:S58-64.

4(2) Deeg HJ, Henslee-Downey PJ. Management of acute graft-versus-host disease. Bone Marrow Transplant. 1990 Jul;6(1):1-8.

SOURCE Viracor Eurofins

Related Links

https://www.viracor-eurofins.com


SAO PAULO, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In this release, we registered gross revenues of R$163.9 million, which, against R$147.4 million same basis last year, presents an increase of 11,2%. Accounting Net income reached R$48.6 million in 2Q18, an increase of 48.3%, compared to the same period previous year.

The result was released today (8th) after the market had closed and tomorrow (9th) there will be the conference call (English and Portuguese) for analysts and investors.

All information about the release is available at the Company's web page.

About us

We are Wiz. Beyond an insurance brokerage company, we are a solution provider focused on identifying opportunities and implementing precise solutions to enhance businesses, by combining financial and insurance services with client's needs. Our core pillar is to provide the right service at the exact moment to create remarkable connections.

Website: http://ri.wizsolucoes.com.br/

SOURCE Wiz

Related Links

http://ri.wizsolucoes.com.br


PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC), a members-only association offering enterprise-level women in the retail industry a place to learn, connect and grow both personally and professionally, today announced that Jasmine Bellamy has joined its advisory board as its first Diversity and Inclusion Director.

Bellamy joined WIRLC in 2017 after attending the Women in Retail Leadership Summit, WIRLC's annual event that hosts 300-plus women retail executives for two-and-half days of retail strategy and professional development. Bellamy was later asked to join the association's advisory board, bringing her expertise from a distinguished 25-year career in retail merchandising to WIRLC. She currently holds a leadership position in merchandising at Gap Inc.

"We're excited that Jasmine has joined Women in Retail Leadership Circle's advisory board as Diversity and Inclusion Director," said Melissa Campanelli, co-founder, Women in Retail Leadership Circle. "Jasmine has a strong background in diversity leadership and education. She's the right person to help with our efforts to make WIRLC a more diverse community."

Bellamy's new role as diversity director will include advising the Women in Retail Leadership Circle's board regarding association growth, supporting content, and live events. She will also contribute to the association's weekly e-newsletter, Inner Circle.

"I'm thrilled to join the Women in Retail Leadership Circle board as its first Diversity and Inclusion Director," Bellamy said. "While there's a growing talent pool, a void of leaders that reflect the diversity of consumers still exists in the retail industry. It speaks volumes that WIRLC is taking a strategic approach in leading this necessary change."

For more information about joining the Women in Retail Leadership Circle, visit www.wirlc.com.

About Women in Retail Leadership Circle/NAPCO Media

Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) is a unique, members-only networking group that offers enterprise-level women in the retail industry a place to learn, connect and grow. Our community is comprised of successful, motivated and passionate women from the retail world. WIRLC strives to continuously offer members the opportunity to share best practices, discuss industry issues, and find inspiration on how to conquer challenges in their professional lives through virtual and live events, a weekly e-newsletter, an information-packed website, social media content, and more.

NAPCO Media, WIRLC's parent company, has been a leading information source in the markets it serves since 1958. NAPCO Media continues to evolve with information distribution methods and specializes in the creation and cross-channel distribution of exceptional content. NAPCO Media's mission is to build community between its audience and its clients. Visit Napco.com.

Contact: Julia Rice, [email protected], 215-238-5393

SOURCE Women in Retail Leadership Circle

Related Links

http://www.wirlc.com


World Zhitian Real Estate, during the course of its development, became knowledgeable about the typical financial difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China, and, in order to provide a solution to this issue, has undertaken efforts to integrate the real economy with the financial sector, creating what the firm has termed the "financial-industrial integration ecosystem".

In China, capital needed by SMEs to operate a business and to produce goods often come from the owners' own pockets supplemented by bank loans. However, due to the stringent requirements imposed by the bank and other guarantors for a loan, as well as the low value assigned to assets that the SME offers as collateral, getting a loan is not something easy. Companies find themselves in the position of lacking the needed capital to effectively and efficiently run their operations and grow their businesses.

To address this issue, four years ago, World Zhitian Real Estate created the World Financial Platform, with the goal of, as the firm termed it, "serving the financial sector with the platform". The platform matches its member companies with appropriate financial equity, via financial and industrial integration, which, by definition, means that the industrial and financial sectors work towards a solution that includes a mix of equity participation, shareholding, stake controlling and personnel participation, to reach a development goal that assures a mutually beneficial result for all parties concerned.

World Financial Platform founder Deng Zhitian made it clear that the financial-industrial integration is a lot more than simply combining industrial and financial capital under one company to generate economic benefits. Through effective financial-industrial integration, capital from purely financial sources can efficiently increase the capital available to industry, generating true benefits for industry. In return, capital growth as a result of industry can drive the appreciation of financial capital. Both sets of capitals create a virtual "spiral". In a healthy financial-industrial interaction, industry-generated and financial capital become mutually beneficial. Financial capital should serve the real economy, providing capital for its development. It becomes incumbent on the real economy to offer value-added opportunities and returns to financial capital. Industry-generated capital from a stronger real economy can consistently increase the amount of funds available to financial capital, improving the ability of financial capital to support development of the real economy.

World Zhitian Real Estate held the first World Financial Congress in the auditorium of Chengdu Jinniu Hotel on March 11 of this year. Nearly 1,000 attendees, including business leaders from around China, representatives from the financial community, leading influencers and thought leaders as well as journalists and investors. At the initial World Financial Congress, renowned medical doctor Jia Sanyuan donated his Great Men's Style collection.

World Financial Platform founder Deng Zhitian said that with the mission of serving the worlds of commerce, industry and finance as well as the peoples of the world, the platform has created a new paradigm in the global financial industry, devoting itself to realizing the Chinese dream of developing a prosperous and strong country.

SOURCE World Zhitian Real Estate Co., Ltd.
Sao Paulo, Aug 8 : Brazil has reopened its northern border with Venezuela after a federal judge annulled a ruling that barred immigrants from entering the country.

Border entry points were opened again on Tuesday following a ruling by an appellate court revoking the measure adopted Sunday by federal judge Helder Girao Barreto, Efe news reported.

According to the media, at least 100 Venezuelans were held up at the border following the ruling.

Judge Kassio Marques, as per a request by Brazil's attorney general - stated that "closing the border means not regarding immigrants and Brazilians as equals."

The entry point was closed at 5 pm on Sunday as per Barreto's orders, who said the measure would remain in place until a "balance" is reached between the number of incoming Venezuelans and migrants leaving to other cities.

Barreto conditioned the influx of Venezuelans to the process implemented by the federal government that relocates immigrants entering Roraima to other cities, in an effort to ease the pressure inflicted on Brazil's poorest state.

The state - which has received some 50,000 Venezuelans in the past 7 months - requested the federal government to temporarily close the border due to the "federal government's inability to live up to its constitutional role of controlling the border."
Washington, Aug 8 : British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said here the current Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the "best possible" and "achievable" deal to address the West's concerns on Iran.

Williamson's comments on Tuesday were in sharp contrast with US President Donald Trump's abhorrence of the deal.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Williamson said "the JCPOA was a deal that we felt was the best possible deal that was achievable", Xinhua news agency reported.

"None of us has ever pretended it was a perfect deal, but actually it did deliver a number of important measures that I think everyone benefits from," he said.

"On the Iran deal, we really encourage the US along with all nations to get around the table and start discussing about actually ... how we have something that can work," he noted.

"We really just encourage the US to start talking to its partners and Iran in order to be able to find a route forward."

Williamson's remarks forged a sharp contrast with Trump, who on Monday signed an executive order to re-impose sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the JCPOA, and blasted the deal he had left in May as a "horrible, one-sided" one that had failed to protect US national security.

In 2015, Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - 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.

Trans-Atlantic division has escalated over the Trump administration's threat to impose the so-called secondary sanctions on companies that have business connections with Iran, many of which are from Europe.

Hours before Trump's announcement to re-sanction Iran, the European Union (EU), Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement they would maintain economic ties with Tehran, and "are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran".
Chennai, Aug 8 : A large number of people have gathered outside the Rajaji Hall here to pay their last respects to DMK President M.Karunanidhi, who died on Tuesday evening due to age related ailments.

The mortal remains of Karunanidhi was brought to Rajaji Hall on early Wednesday after it was taken to his homes at Gopalapuram here and at CIT Colony for relatives and leaders to pay their last respects to the departed leader.

A Chief Minister for five times, the 94-year old veteran politician Karunanidhi's body is covered with National Flag.

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth paid his respects to Karunanidhi and consoled the family members of the DMK leader.

Leaders of DMK party have assembled at Rajaji Hall.
Chennai, Aug 8 : "Can I call you Appa for one last time my leader," DMK leader M.K. Stalin penned an emotional letter to his departed father and party leader M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday.

Chief Minister for five times and leader of DMK party for 50 years, the 94-year-old Karunanidhi breathed his last here owing to age related ailments in a private hospital here.

Stalin in his letter said: "Rather than calling you as Appa, Appa, I have called you as Thalaivaray, Thalaivaray (my leader) more number of times. Can I call you as Appa once Thalaivaray."

Stalin asked his departed father Karunanidhi as to why he did not tell where he was going this time when his habit was always to inform his destination before starting out.

"Thirty three years back, you had said your grave should have the words... the person who had worked without rest is resting here. Have you departed with the satisfaction of having worked hard for the Tamil community," Stalin added.
Chennai, Aug 8 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam paid their last respects to DMK President M. Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall here on Wednesday morning.

They were accompanied by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, Minister for Fisheries D. Jayakumar, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai and other party leaders.

Chief Minister for five times and leader of DMK party for 50 years, the 94-year-old Karunanidhi breathed his last here owing to age related ailments in a private hospital here.
Washington, Aug 8 : US President Donald Trump's son has said his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer was about "essentially nothing" relevant to claims of collusion.

Donald Trump Jr called the media uproar over the meeting "the ultimate distraction" from his father's success, BBC reported on Tuesday.

Trump Jr's meeting with a Kremlin-linked attorney at Trump Tower in New York could constitute a breach of US campaign rules, experts say.

The president argued the Trump Tower meeting was legal in a tweet on Sunday.

Trump said his son took the meeting to "get information on an opponent", contradicting a previous statement from the Trump camp.

Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show on Monday night, the president's son said the meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya lasted 20 minutes and primarily focused on Russian adoptions.

Trump Jr has previously admitted he agreed to the introduction after he was promised damaging information about his father's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

He told Ingraham that adoptions were "the primary thing that we had spoken about in the meeting".

"You know that's not the premise that got them in the room... it was essentially a bait and switch to talk about that, and everyone has basically said that in testimony already," he said.

"It ended up being about essentially nothing that was relevant to any of these things. That's all it is and that's all they've got."

The president's eldest son also blamed Democrats for wanting to detract from his father's achievements.

"That is, I guess, the ultimate distraction from what's really going on in this country which is, you have a Republican president, a very conservative president, who is getting stuff done."

The meeting is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into Russia's alleged role to help Trump win the presidency.

Moscow has repeatedly denied claims it interfered in the November 2016 presidential elections.

President Trump and his son deny any collusion, and the president has tweeted that "collusion is not a crime".
New York, Aug 8 : Tesla boss Elon Musk is considering taking the electric-car firm private, a move he claimed was the "best path forward" for the company.

Musk said de-listing from the stock exchange meant Tesla would no longer be pressured into making short-term decisions to appease investors, BBC reported on Tuesday.

In an unusual move, Musk first made the announcement on Twitter rather than via an official regulatory disclosure.

He said investors backed the plan which requires a shareholder vote.

He said shareholders would be offered $420 per share - around a fifth higher than the current price.

Musk claimed to have secured funding to buy out shareholders, but did not offer any further detail.

However, he also warned that "a final decision has not been made" about the move.

Tesla shares ended the day 11 per cent higher at almost $380 per share -- close to their all-time high.

Trading in the shares was initially suspended after Mr Musk's tweets - pending a more formal announcement.

While Twitter was an unconventional way to make the announcement, the US market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission, allows firms to use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter in this way provided investors have been told which social media outlets will be used.

In 2013, Tesla flagged Musk's Twitter account as a source of information.

The firm subsequently shared a message from Musk to employees that explained the thinking behind his announcement.

Musk, who owns almost 20% of the company, said he hoped the move would shield the firm from distracting swings in the share price and the pressure to meet quarterly financial targets.

He also said he wanted to end "negative propaganda" from short sellers, investors who bet on the shares of a firm going down.

"Basically, I'm trying to accomplish an outcome where Tesla can operate at its best, free from as much distraction and short-term thinking as possible," he wrote.

Musk has discussed the drawbacks of being a public company before. But his tweets stirred confusion initially, given his history of informal use of the social media service.

For example, on April Fool's Day, he joked on Twitter about Tesla going bankrupt.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : Actress Mallika Sherawat wished former US President Barack Obama a belated birthday and said it was meeting him was an honour and a privilege.

The 41-year-old actress tweeted a selfie of herself with Obama, who turned 57 on August 4. The two are all smiles for the camera.

"Belated happy birthday Barack Obama, meeting you was an honour and a privilege," she captioned the photograph.

Mallika had earlier met Obama in 2011 tea party in Los Angeles.

The actress is known for her bold performances in films such as "Khwahish" and "Murder", and was last seen on screen in the 2015 film "Dirty Politics".
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday said the Madras High Court judgement to allow the burial of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi at Marina Beach was a "setback for proxy callers".

"Huge setback for proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny Anna his rightful burial place. Rahulji strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Karunanidhi at Marina. Why are central/state governments silent?" Surjewala tweeted.

"Huge victory of justice for DMK. Long live Anna," he added.

The DMK had approached the high court after the Tamil Nadu government declined their request to allow burial of DMK President and the state's five-time Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who breathed his last on Tuesday evening, at Marina Beach.

The party won the legal battle on Wednesday.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Lok Sabha on Wednesday was adjourned for the day after paying tributes to the late DMK President M. Karunanidhi.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan read out an obituary reference and paid homage to the 94-year-old former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, who passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Chennai.
Tokyo, Aug 8 : UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed the need for North Korea to commit to dismantling its nuclear weapons through a "verifiable and irreversible" process.

Guterres arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday night to participate in a ceremony to remember the victims of the nuclear attack on Nagasaki, Efe news reported.

"We all share the objective of seeing a total denuclearization -- verifiable and irreversible -- to ensure that North Korea can be a normal member of the international community in this region," Guterres told reporters after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He also insisted on implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions against North Korea.

The resolutions have put a number of political and economic sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear and ballistic programme and the alleged threat it poses to the international community.

Guterres referred to agreements reached between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump during a bilateral summit in Singapore on June 12, saying they should be followed in order to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.
Chennai, Aug 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday led a sea of mourners in paying homage to DMK patriarch and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi whose DMK won a major legal battle for his last resting place on the Maina Beach here.

Lakhs of emotionally charged people from all over Tamil Nadu gathered near Rajaji Hall, the British-built banquet hall in the sprawling government estate, where the 94-year-old Karunanidhi's body lay in state wrapped in the national tricolour.

DMK cadres and people belonging to all ages cried their eyes out in recognition of their leader's service to the poor and oppressed with pioneering welfare schemes. Thousands of police personnel deployed near Rajaji Hall had a difficult time keeping the crowds under check.

Modi, who flew from Delhi in a special plane, led a host of dignitaries from politics, cinema and various other fields to pay respect to the late DMK President after laying a wreath on the body.

After going around the casket in which the body was kept, the Prime Minister patted M.K. Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and political heir, and his daughter Kanimozhi, an MP, and comforted them with words of solace.

After exchanging a few words with them, Modi also comforted other family members and left.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan.

Modi later tweeted that Karunanidhi dedicated himself to Tamil Nadu and to the interest of the poor and the depressed. "Though he is dead, he lives in the heart of crores of people."

As the two Houses of Parliament paid homage to the last link of the Dravidian era and adjourned for the day, the central government observed a day of national mourning. The national flag flew half-mast and all government functions were cancelled for the day.

Leaders from national parties, including Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, former CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat, former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and CPI leader D. Raja, were also at the Rajaji Hall to pay their respects.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flew into Chennai on Tuesday night and visited the Gopalapuram residence to pay her last respects. Several other national leaders were headed to Chennai.

Karunanidhi's body was brought to Rajaji Hall early on Wednesday after it was kept at Gopalapuram and in the house of Kanimozhi for public to pay homage.

Governor Purohit, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, his deputy O. Paneerselvam, cabinet ministers and leaders and people from all walks of life filed past the mortal remains.

After a tense overnight drama, the DMK on Wednesday morning won a major legal battle when the Madras High Court allowed the burial of Karunanidhi at Marina Beach.

The High Court bench comprising of acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice S.S. Sundar turned down the arguments of the state government and rejected its order allotting a two-acre burial site on Sardar Patel Marg besides the memorial of late Chief Ministers C. Rajagopalachari, K. Kamaraj and Bhaktavatsalam.

DMK leader and lawyer Kannadasan told reporters that the court also asked the government to make arrangements for the burial.

As the judges gave the order, an emotional Stalin broke down on hearing the news and so did top leaders including Duraimurugan, A. Raja and Kanimozhi.

Chief Minister for five times and leader of the DMK for 50 long years, the DMK stalwart, one of India's most experienced politicians, breathed his last owing to age-related ailments in a private hospital here on Tuesday evening.

There was a complete shutdown in the city and across the state as the government declared a public holiday as a mark of respect to Karunanidhi.

Private bus operators stopped their services to and from Chennai till Wednesday evening. However, people from different parts of the state were reaching Chennai using other modes of transport.

(V. Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Chennai, Aug 8 : Chennai on Wednesday appeared to be in the grip of a shutdown with shuttered shops and businesses and most vehicles going off the roads as a mark of respect to DMK stalwart and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

The state government declared Wednesday as an official holiday for educational institutions, state government offices and state-owned undertakings.

Early morning milk supplies were not hit.

The normally busy shopping areas like Pondy Baazar, Ranganathan Street and other places here were deserted.

Some men tonsured their heads as a mark of respect to the dead leader.

Private bus operators have stopped their services to and from Chennai till Wednesday evening. However, people from different parts of the state are reaching the Tamil Nadu capital using other modes of transport.

A Southern Railway official told IANS that the suburban and other trains were operated as usual.

A tense situation prevailed earlier as the DMK and the AIADMK government crossed swords in the Madras High Court over a burial site for Karunanidhi at Marina Beach.

The court eventually ruled in favour of the Marina seafront.

Karunanidhi, 94, is expected to be buried near DMK founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai's memorial, popularly called Anna Square.

A five-time Chief Minister and leader of the DMK for 50 long years, Karunanidhi breathed his last owing to age-related ailments here on Tuesday evening.
Riyadh, Aug 8 : Saudi Arabia has stopped all medical treatment programmes in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of Saudi patients to medical facilities outside the country, Saudi press agency reported on Wednesday.

The agency cited Dr Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, Saudi Health Attache in the US and Canada, as saying that "the mission seeks to ensure the safety of Saudi patients who receive treatment in Canada with their companions, and to complete their treatment elsewhere".

The move came amid an intensifying spat over human rights between the two countries, after Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's Ambassador in Riyadh, recalled its own Ambassador from Ottawa and froze "all new business" with Canada.

The Middle East country also decided to suspend all training and scholarship programmes in Canada by the end of the Islamic calendar year in September, the Cultural Bureau of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education announced on Monday.

The abrupt diplomatic row broke out as Ottawa urged Riyadh to release civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by Canada's Foreign Office.
Hyderabad, Aug 8 : Domestic mobile accessories brand PTron on Wednesday announced its collaboration with US-based distributor Cellpay to expand its reach globally.

"Cellpay is an established player in the mobile industry and has a strong reach to the retail market. We look forward to working with them to make PTron successful in the US market," Ameen Khwaja, Founder and CEO of Ptron, said in a statement.

The company has also distribution channels and partners in Israel, Indonesia, Italy and Canada.

"We are confident that Cellpay's rich background in the industry and an exceptional distribution reach will help us strengthen our goal of increased market penetration in the financial year 2018-2019," Khwaja added.

PTron has recently entered the offline market in India and expanded its distribution channel over 12 states in six months.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Delhi Assembly was adjourned for the day on Wednesday after mourning the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

All the MLAs paid their tributes to the DMK leader who passed away on Tuesday evening at the age of 94 years.

In his speech, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said the absence of the veteran politican will be felt.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia paid tributes on behalf of the Delhi Government.

"Karunanidhi considered his conscience as his God. This is a very strong message at a time when the society is being divided in the name of religion," Sisodia said.

The House also paid tributes to four Army personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez in a gunfight with terrorists.
Muzaffarpur, Aug 8 : The main accused in the Bihar shelter home horror case, Brajesh Thakur, who is in jail, on Wednesday denied any involvement in the rape of 34 minor girls in the welfare facility here, saying he was being framed.

He said it was a "conspiracy" and he has no relation with Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma. He said he was innocent.

"A conspiracy was hatched against me as I wanted to join the Congress and wished to fight from the Muzaffarpur seat," Thakur told the media here when he along with the other accused in the case was being taken from the jail to be produced in a court.

This was the first time that Thakur has spoken since the horror surfaced in the shelter home that was run by him.

He was produced in the district court under tight security. "I am not at all involved in the case," he said.

A group of women blackened Thakur's face when he was coming out of the court. One of the women was detained. She belongs to the Jan Adhikar Party, a police officer said.

Thakur also denied reports that he was close to Manju Verma. "I have no relationship with Manju Verma," he said.

He also refuted a relationship with Madhu Kumar, an accused in the case, who is absconding after the police filed an FIR.

Thakur claimed that none of the victims (girls) of the shelter home have made any statement against him.

The Patna High Court is monitoring the ongoing CBI investigation into the case.

The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Manila, Aug 8 : Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to kill around 100 police officers accused of corruption and abuse of power, the media reported on Wednesday.

The footage of Duterte's speech, which was delivered at the Malacanang palace on Tuesday night, was aired repeatedly on Philippines television channels on Wednesday.

"You are useless to me. You are a menace to society," Duterte said.

The officers who were called to the presidential palace included three policemen who were already serving a prison sentence and were released temporarily in order to listen to Duterte, Efe news reported.

The allegations against the officers included robbery, extortion, serious unlawful detention, kidnapping, rape, abuse of power and abandoning duty without permission.

"If you stay like this, I will really kill you," Duterte said in the speech laden with expletives.

The President said that agents involved in drug-trafficking and organized crime would be monitored by a special unit "for life".

"It's a good thing there are a lot of people here, there are officials present or else, I would be hitting you," he said.

This is the second time that Duterte publicly admonished police personnel accused of corruption and malpractice.

In February 2017, he called around 200 policemen accused of misconduct to the Malacanang presidential palace to scold them, at a time when his war on drugs was at its peak and had led to a spotlight on police abuses of power.

The President has launched a clean-up drive of the national police and even temporarily withdrew the force from participating in his campaign against drugs due to alleged abuses by officers.

According to official figures, more than 4,500 people were killed by the police in anti-drug campaigns, although human rights groups claimed that 12,000-15,000 people were killed during the crackdown.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Congress MP B.K. Hariprasad was on Wednesday declared as the opposition candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, election for which will be held on Thursday.

Hariprasad, who is into his third term in the Rajya Sabha, hails from Karnataka and has been a Congress General Secretary.

Talking to reporters, Congress leader Anand Sharma said that five sets of nomination papers -- five proposers and five seconders -- were filed by the combined opposition.

He said opposition leaders were present at the time of filing the nominations.

Sharma, who was accompanied by Hariprasad and NCP MP Vandana Chavan, accused the government and the BJP of "using every tactic, using the influence of their authority and power just to swing the election".

"Hariprasadji is a senior parliamentarian. It is a joint decision of parties which have been meeting and deliberating for the last few days," he said.

The parties that have been deliberating to field a joint opposition candidate include Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, ADMK, CPI, CPI-M and Telugu Desam Party.

TDP, which broke away from the BJP earlier this year, signed Hariprasad's nomination papers.

Sharma said the opposition had the numbers and there will be a contest.

He said Hariprasad is a "formidable candidate" and a "better candidate" than Harivansh of the ruling National Democratic Alliance. Harivansh belongs to Janata Dal (United).

"We have a formidable candidate not the NDA. The BJP, if it had the majority, should have fielded its own candidate...they lacked majority and that's why they are desperate to reach out to others outside the fold of NDA," Sharma said.

"Secondly, a formidable candidate is a parliamentarian who can conduct the proceedings, who understands the functioning of the House. When it comes to the two candidates, we have a better candidate," he added.

Sharma said that by fielding a joint candidate the opposition has made a statement that "it is not happy with the present state of affairs and the prevailing environment in the country".

Asked if there was a chaos in the Opposition and Congress had been forced to put up its candidate after other parties declined, Sharma said "this statement is incorrect".

"NDA as such did not have a majority and does not have it now. They have gone well beyond the fold of NDA to get votes. It is true that the Congress does not have numbers on its own. Hariprasadji is not a Congress' candidate alone. He is the candidate of the joint opposition," he said.

Asked to elaborate on his accusation that the government is using its authority to swing the election, Sharma said "there is no post that the ruling party does not want to capture".

"That is why the ruling party did not announce the election earlier. When a few days of the session were left, they suddenly made the announcement. It is obvious they acted to a strategy," he said.

Sharma said no effort was made by the government, the Prime Minister or the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to talk to the opposition for a consensus. "They only informed us (about their candidate)," he said.

The Congress decided to put up a candidate after the NCP on Tuesday decided against putting fielding its candidate for the August 9 election.

Vandana Chavan's name was being "actively considered" by opposition parties but NCP decided against fielding her, after apparently sensing that she would not get the support of Biju Janata Dal and Shiv Sena.

A Congress leader had said on Tuesday that the party was willing to contest the election from the beginning but had also offered to back any other Opposition candidate.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken to TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, seeking his party's support for the party candidate. He apparently also spoke to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Officials said that all the motions for the election of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman will be moved on Thursday and taken for vote in succession. If a motion gets carried, others will not be taken up for vote.

Though the Opposition seemed to have an edge in the election initially, the NDA now appears to be carrying the momentum with likely support of AIADMK, TRS and also the BJD.

The parties which would support an opposition nominee include the Congress (50), TMC (14), SP (13), TDP (6), DMK (4), CPI-M (5), CPI (2), NCP (4), AAP (3), BSP (4), RJD (5), PDP (2), JD-S (1), Nominated (1), Kerala Congress-Mani (1) and IUML (1).

The post of Deputy Chairman fell vacant after P.J. Kurien retired in July.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : A series of loud explosions followed by a massive fire were reported at a refinery of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) at Chembur in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai.

At least a dozen fire tenders and five jumbo tankers were battling the blaze, which along with a thick black smoke cloud could be seen from several kilometres away.

Several workers are feared trapped inside the plant, though there were no reports of casualties. The cause of the mishap is not known.

There are several residential colonies and slums around the BPCL plant.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The stage is set for an electoral battle on Thursday between NDA's Harivansh Narayan Singh and joint opposition candidate B.K. Hariprasad for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman.

The candidates filed their nomination papers on Wednesday before Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma. The post fell vacant after P.J. Kurien retired in July.

Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, Piyush Goyal, Vijay Goel along with leaders of the Akali Dal, the Shiv Sena and other NDA constituents were present when Narayan Singh of the Janata Dal-United filed his papers.

"I am 100 per cent confident of winning. The NDA is a team and we will win," he told reporters.

Harivansh, a first-timer in the Upper House and a former editor of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar, is considered close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Shiv Sena, a sulking BJP ally, and Akali Dal on Tuesday said they would support the NDA nominee.

BJP president Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar have also spoken with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik separately and sought his Biju Janata Dal's support for the NDA nominee.

Nitish Kumar also spoke to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao seeking support.

However, the BJD and the TRS have not yet made their stand clear while the YSR Congress has said it would vote against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate.

Hariprasad, a Congress MP from Karnataka, who was on Wednesday declared as the opposition candidate, is into his third term in the Rajya Sabha.

Talking to reporters, Congress leader Anand Sharma said five sets of nomination papers -- five proposers and five seconders -- were filed by the combined opposition.

Sharma, accompanied by Hariprasad and NCP MP Vandana Chavan, accused the government and the BJP of "using every tactic, using the influence of their authority and power just to swing the election".

Sharma said the opposition has the numbers and there will be a contest.

He said Hariprasad is a "formidable" and "better" candidate than of the ruling National Democratic Alliance.

"The BJP, if it had the majority, should have fielded its own candidate...They lacked majority and that's why they are desperate to reach out to others outside the fold of the NDA," Sharma said.

The election is likely to be a close affair as the opposition bloc has an edge over the BJP-led NDA in terms of numbers in the Upper House.

The outcome will depend on the stance of parties such as the BJD, the AIADMK and the TRS -- which could ally with the government in certain situations.

The election will be held a day before the conclusion of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : At least 21 persons were injured in a massive fire that broke out in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) refinery at Chembur in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

According to local eyewitnesses, the fire, which was followed by a series of loud explosions, and a thick black smoke could be seen from several kms away.

BPCL spokesperson said the fire erupted in the compressor shed of a hydrocracker plant within the plant complex.

"The fire is still on but under control. It is being fought by the BPCL fire fighters team," said the spokesperson.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade also sent at least a dozen fire tenders and five jumbo tankers to battle the blaze.

The 21 injured persons were given first aid at the BPCL Medical Centre and later shifted to a hospital for further treatment.

The cause of the mishap is not known.

There are several residential colonies and slums around the BPCL plant.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the government for advising the court to show "restraint" while making adverse remarks against governance.

The apex court said that it was at least "solving problems" and was in no way criticising the government.

Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told a bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur that the top court was passing orders on public interest litigations (PILs) filed by individuals, without realising the financial impact.

Venugopal pointed out newspaper headlines based on oral observations made by the court while hearing PILs.

Venugopal said the cancellation of the 2G licences by the court virtually wiped out huge foreign investments, while another order for the removal of liquor vends on highways led to financial loss and loss of jobs.

"There is a question of budgetary allocations... the government's 80-90 welfare programmes are going on simultaneously... the court deals with one issue and passes order, but from where will the funds come?" Venugopal pleaded.

"Judges may not know all aspects of every problem when they choose to make adverse comments against the government," he added.

Justice Lokur shot back, saying it was because of the court's order that the government has collected around Rs 150,000 crore in the form of environment cess on illegal mining.

The court wanted to know why that amount has not been spent.

The bench, which also included Justice Abdul Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta, said: "Let us make it clear that we have not, and we are not, criticising the government for everything.

"We are also citizens of this country. Do not give the impression that we are criticising the government and preventing it from working. We are only enforcing the rights of people. We cannot wish away Article 21."

Many developments have happened only because of the orders of the court, the bench said, adding: "You should only ask your officers to follow the laws made by Parliament."

The court pointed out that a fund of Rs 29,000 crore, collected for the welfare of construction workers, was misused for the purchase of washing machines and laptops and less than 10 per cent was utilised for the actual purpose.

"Money has not been given to them (construction workers). This money was spent on purchasing washing machines, they (workers) don't have money to buy and wear clothes but machines are bought. Laptops are bought," an anguished bench told Venugopal.

The CAG report had earlier revealed that the statutory cess levied on real estate firms for the welfare of construction workers was not being utilised, and expenditure was instead incurred on purchase of laptops and washing machines for construction workers.

The bench of Justice Lokur has been hearing and passing orders on PILs relating to pollution, environment, garbage, overcrowding of prisons -- conditions of women and children there -- shelter homes for children, rehabilitation of widows, illegal mining and other matters.

Venugopal said that with a population of 1.3 billion which is increasing exponentially, the country was facing several problems. Every order passed on PILs had its effect on other sectors, budgeting and rights of others. So, every order has to be balanced and well thought out.

The Attorney General said that he has conveyed his views to the court about dealing with the PILs and the court should consider these without taking offence.

The court was hearing a PIL relating to inhuman condition prevailing in 1,382 prisons across the country which are overcrowded.

The Attorney General agreed to the court's suggestion for setting up a one-member committee of a retired apex court Judge to recommend steps for prison reform to deal with overcrowding, women prisoners and other problems.

It said the committee would be assisted by two-three government officials and will file periodical reports to the apex court.

Posting the matter for August 17, the bench asked the Centre to file details of the proposed committee.

The bench was concerned that there were no provision to address the issue of children (staying with their imprisoned mothers) who have to be released from jail on attaining the age of six.

It was worried as to how such minors would be looked after following their release from the prison, if they had no father or relatives.

The court said that many prisoners have been languishing in jail even after bail as they could not afford the surety amount.
Imphal, Aug 8 : India's border with Myanmar was formally opened on Wednesday to facilitate trade between the two countries, officials said.

A function was held in the morning on the Myanmar side near the international gate. Myanmar was represented by U Aye Win, the permanent secretary in the Labour ministry.

Manipur's Additional Chief Secretary S. Akhtar represented the state in the brief function, sources said.

An integrated check post was also made functional from Wednesday.

The traditional barter system among tribals on either side of the border was legalised in 1995, but it did not generate much revenue for the government.

Myanmar's Permanent Secretary U Aye Win said that after opening the border, Indian traders and tourists can visit up to 16 km inside Myanmar and stay there for 14 days.
Gurugram, Aug 8 : A Station House Officer (SHO) and three subordinate police officers in Gurugram were suspended on the charge of demanding money for the release of an oil tanker impounded illegally, police said on Wednesday.

Kherki Daula police station SHO Praveen Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Dharmender Singh, and Head Constables Sukhbir Singh and Rajesh were suspended after they allegedly demanded Rs 1.5 lakh from the tanker owner to release the vehicle.

The Delhi-based owner had complained against the accused cops.

The tanker was seized near Narsinghpur on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway after its driver is said to have sold diesel illegally at a village shop while on way to Dharuhera in Rewari district of Haryana.

"The four were sent to the district Police Lines and suspended. A departmental inquiry was also ordered," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Manesar) Rajesh Kumar told IANS.
Patna, Aug 8 : Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma on Wednesday resigned following allegations that a man accused of raping young girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur has links with her husband.

She resigned on being asked by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to put in her papers, according to an official in the Chief Minister's Office.

"Manju Verma visited Chief Minister's residence and had a meeting with Nitish Kumar for over 30 minutes. After that she resigned," said the official.

The Minister had been under attack from the opposition following revelation lath month that Brajesh Thakur -- key accused in the rape of 34 minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur -- had close links with her husband Chandeshwar Verma.

But, Manju Verma had refused to resign. Even Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and senior BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had given her clean chit earlier this week.

However, what seems to have gone against her is an admission by Brajesh Thakur on Wednesday that he used to talk to Chandeshwar Verma on telephone regularly.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, has reportedly retrieved the call details of Chandeshwar Verma, according to which he and Brajesh Thakur talked 17 times between January and May this year.

The CBI is looking into the call details record (CDR) of Brajesh Thakur's three mobile numbers he was using until his was arrest.

"Thanks to the CDR, there is clear evidence that Brajesh Thakur was in regular touch with Manju Verma's husband Chandrasekhar alias Chandeshwar Verma, whose whereabouts is not known so far," a senior police officer said.

The CBI team on Tuesday also questioned the driver of Brajesh Thakur, Raju Kumar, and scrutinised his mobile phone. Raju reportedly told the CBI probe team that Brajesh Thakur had close relations with Manju Verma's husband.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress leaders have alleged that Manju Verma's husband used to visit regularly the shelter home of Brajesh Thakur, where rape of 34 girls took place. They also alleged that both outgoing minister and her husband had involvement in the shelter home case.

The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Harare, Aug 8 : Senior Zimbabwe opposition leader Tendai Biti has been arrested on allegations of inciting violence after the country's presidential elections, officials said on Wednesday.

Biti, a former Finance Minister and a member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was detained at Zimbabwe's border with Zambia, where he was trying to flee to in order to seek asylum, sources from the main opposition party of Zimbabwe told Efe news.

"I have reliable information that he has been arrested in Chirundu (a border post). He told our people that this is not going to discourage him from continuing the fight," MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda said.

Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa won 50.8 per cent of the vote against opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa's 44.3 per cent, in Zimbabwe's first poll in almost four decades without former leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot.

Chamisa claimed the result was false and promised to challenge it. Meanwhile, Mnangagwa is expected to take his oath of office on Sunday.

As votes were counted, Chamisa posted several messages to his Twitter account saying that, according to a parallel vote count by the MDC, he won the election and accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of voluntarily delaying the announcement of results.

Afterward, clashes broke out in Harare between opposition supporters and security forces that used live ammunition, water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, killing at least six people.
August 08 : Having left an impressive political career spanning over a duration of 50 years, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi or Kalaignar as people lovingly called him have left a lasting legacy behind him that will be remembered by generations to come.

Below is a timeline describing some of the most famous events in his life:

1924: June 3, 1924 marks the birth year of M Karunanidhi who was initially called Dakshinamurthy by his parents.

1938: At the age of 14, he joins the Justice Party & led an Anti-Hindi protest thus beginning his venture in to the political world.

1942: Publishes a hand written newspaper titled Maanavar Nesan before being called Murasoli  DMKS official newspaper.

1944: He becomes a screen writer at Jupiter pictures.

1947: A movie called Rajakumari is released that was scripted by him.

1949: The Dravidar Kazhagam is split into 2 where Karunanidhi joins Annadurai to form an individial group called Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or the DMK.

1952: The release of the movie Parasakthi starring Sivaji Ganesan which faced controversies with a likely ban due to the nature of its subject-Brahmanism & also incorporated ideas of the Dravidan ideology.

1953: The Kallukdi demonstration where the name of Kallukudi was to be changed to Dalmiyapuram, a decision made by a Dalmiya group who decided to build a cement plant in the area. as Karunanidhi led the protest by lying on the railway tracks after which he was arrested.

1957: At the age of 33, for the 1st time Karunanidhi gets elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

1961: Appointed as a treasurer of the DMK.

1962: Appointed as a Deputy leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

1967: Appointed as the Public works minister.

1969: The 1st time Karunanidhi becomes the Chief Minister after the passing away of ex-CM Annadurai and DMKs 1st leader.

1971: Becomes CM for the 2nd time.

1972: MGR and Karunanidhi break ties with each other, where MGR forms the AIADMK.

1976: Dismissal of DMK government by Indira Gandhi, with the so-called reason being corruption.

1980: Allies with Congress.

1989: Elected as the CM for the 3rd time,13 years later, followed by the death of MGR.

1991: DMK party is dismissed, due to allegations of allies with LTTE.

1991: The 1st DMK member to be elected to the Assembly, after Rajiv Gandhis assassination.

1996: Forms an alliance with the Tamil Maanila Congress led by G.K.Moopanar. Becomes CM for the 4th time.

1999: Allies with the BJP-Atal Bihari Vajpayee Govt.

2001: Arrested by cops for reasons claiming corruption in the construction work of 10 flyovers in Chennai.

2003: Withdraws from the BJP-Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt.

2004: Allies with Congress once again and wins the Lok Sabha elections.

2006: DMK becomes victorious. Karunanidhi becomes the Chief Minister for a 5th time.

2009: Goes through a spinal surgery operation leaving him bound to a wheelchair.

2011: Karunanidhi loses the State Assembly election, with reasons being DMK members involvement in the 2G scam.

2014: Dismisses his son, Alagiri from his party. Loses in the State Assembly.

2016: Gets admitted and discharged from a hospital.

2018: Completes 5 decades as party chief in the DMK.

2018: Karunaidhi passes away on Tuesday at the age of 94.
Ranchi, Aug 8 : A man was forced to carry the body of his newborn son on his shoulder for five kilometres to perform his last rites, after allegedly being denied an ambulance by a hospital in Jharkhand's Latehar district.

On Tuesday, Reema Devi, wife of Manoj Bhuiya delivered a stillborn baby at Latehar government hospital. When Bhuiya asked the hospital authorities to arrange an ambulance to carry the body to the cremation ground, they expressed their inability, according to the bereaved family.

Later, Bhuiya had to carry the dead body on his shoulder for five kilometres, they said.

"I was asked to leave my wife in the hospital for treatment and to take the dead body for last rites. When I asked for the ambulance, the hospital authorities expressed helplessness," Bhuiya told the media.

"Vechicle to ferry dead bodies is not available in the hospital for last one year. One can avail ambulance facility by dialling 108 but it is not meant for carrying a dead body," said Dr. Raju Kashap of the hospital.

In another incident in Hazaribagh of the state, a father on Monday had to carry his daughter on his shoulders in the hospital for one hour after he was denied a stretcher. Sitaram Yadav's daughter had suffered a snake bite and for the treatment he had gone to Hazaribagh Sadar Hospital where he was allegedly denied a stretcher.
Thiruvananthapuram, August 08 : A consensus has reportedly been reached within the CPI(M) on E P Jayarajans return to the LDF cabinet led by Pinarayi Vijayan.

CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan had resigned as industries minister in October 2006 under ignominious circumstances following a nepotism scandal.

Reports in the vernacular media suggest that the CPI(M) state committee meeting on Friday will confabulate on the expansion of the LDF cabinet and Mr. Jayarajans claim for re-induction into the cabinet will be taken up.

A final decision on the CPI(M) leaders reinduction into the cabinet will be taken only after seeking the views of all LDF constituents, reports suggest.

Resentment has been brewing within a section of the CPI(M) over the failure to reinduct Jayarajan into the cabinet despite the Kerala high court exonerating him in September last year in the nepotism case.

The high court quashed the FIR against Jayarajan based on an affidavit filed by the state vigilance (VACB) giving him a clean chit.

Jayarajan had faced accusations of abusing his office to install his kin at the helm of public sector undertakings.

The vigilance affidavit favoured closing the case against the CPI(M) leader on the ground that the case registered against the minister under the prevention of corruption act would not pass legal muster as there was nothing on record to suggest that the accused in the case obtained pecuniary gains.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has been for some time holding separate talks with each LDF constituent with a view to reaching a consensus on Jayarajans return to the cabinet.

The CPI(M) leaders cabinet return was reportedly delayed by the stiff opposition mounted by the CPI, the second biggest constituent of the LDF, since it was averse to a cabinet expansion.
Patna, Aug 8 : Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma on Wednesday resigned over the rape of young girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur but strongly defended her husband despite his alleged friendship with a key accused.

"My husband was innocent yesterday, he is innocent today and will be proved innocent tomorrow," an unfazed Verma told the media.

"But I resigned on moral grounds after media reports of call details revealed that my husband had spoken to Brajesh Thakur 17 times," she said.

She quit after being asked to by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, according to an official in the Chief Minister's Office.

"Manju Verma visited the Chief Minister's residence and met Nitish Kumar for over 30 minutes. After that she resigned," said the official.

Manju Verma expressed her anger over repeated demands for her resignation by the opposition and the media and insisted that her husband Chandrasekhar alias Chandeshwar Verma was innocent.

The Patna High Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the shocking rape of 34 minor girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home, a horror that has caused nationwide outrage.

Although Chief Minister Nitish Kumar earlier defended Manju Verma, he promised at the same time that no one would be spared if found guilty.

"I demand through you (media) to the High Court to bring out CDR (call details record) of Brajesh Thakur and make it clear whether my husband was the only one who was talking to him or there were other people too."

She said action should be taken against all those whose names figure in the CDR.

According to reports, the Minister's husband and Brajesh Thakur, a journalist, spoke over the phone 17 times between January and May this year.

The CBI is reportedly looking into the CDR of Brajesh Thakur's three mobile numbers he was using before being arrested in the case.

Brajesh Thakur has admitted that he used to talk to Chandeshwar Verma on telephone regularly.

Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress leaders have alleged that Manju Verma's husband used to visit regularly the shelter home of Brajesh Thakur where the rapes took place.

The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : Actor-producer John Abraham, who introduced actor Ayushmann Khurrana in Bollywood, says he would like to encourage new talent and create equal opportunities for outsiders in the film business.

In most cases, the actor who turns producer features in his or her first production venture. But John did not appear as the lead actor in his first production - "Vicky Donor".

"Initially, I was offered the role. I told Shoojit that I would be the wrong choice for it and Ayushmann was meant for the role. We are really happy that his talent impressed the audience and he has become the star that he is todayA. He is my brother, I love him," John told IANS.

"Of course, when we cast him, he was a face from TV but we can see talent from anywhere. Honestly, I want to encourage more and more new talent. Coming from a non-film background, I know exactly how tough it is to get the opportunity," added the former model.

He is also very fond of actors Varun Dhawan and Tiger Shroff.

"We are really close. There is brotherhood. I would love to work with them as well. However, I believe that our film industry is a place where every talented person should get opportunity irrespective of their background," he said.

John will soon be seen in the film "Satyameva Jayate" alongside National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee.

What made him sign the action-packed film?

"I heard the narration and I loved it. It is a hardcore commercial film with a lot of dialogues and a face-off moment. It is an action-packed film that also addresses social issues. Violence against women is one of the issues in today's society," said the "Parmanu" actor.

"When a woman is walking on the street and men are giving her dirty looks and making her feel uncomfortable, my character punches them off because that is what those sick minded men deserve.

"This is how my character becomes aspirational for the audience. There are many such instances in the film that hopefully would connect with the audience," the actor explained.

"Satyameva Jayate" will release on August 15.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Women and Child Development Ministry has directed child care institutes (CCIs) and shelter homes across the country to register themselves with the government within two months and get a social audit done, ministry sources said.

"The institutes not registered within two months will be shut down and the girls living there will be shifted to a better and registered centre. The ministry has already started closing unregistered centres," an official of the Ministry told IANS.

The government move comes in the wake of alleged rape of inmates of a girls' home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and another in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh.

The Ministy also said it has issued notice for a social audit of over 9,000 CCIs across the country within 60 days. The social audit will be conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

"The new pro forma of the audit will have total assessment of the condition in which the children are living. It will not be a mere counting of basic facilities," the official added.

Last week, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi had asked for setting up Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) at the state and district levels for regular monitoring of the Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAA) and CCIs.

The minister had also said the district magistrates and district collectors should take responsibility of monitoring the adoption programmes which are implemented at the district level. She also directed the officials to streamline the adoption process and ensure its completion within the stipulated time.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking a CBI case against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son for allegedly getting a compensation of Rs 1.97 crore by selling a piece of government land in 2010.

Justice R.K. Gauba dismissed the petition by a Rajasthan lawyer, Srijana Shrestha, challenging a trial court order on April 18, 2015. The trial court had refused to order a CBI probe against Raje and her son on the ground that no sanction was obtained to prosecute them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Shrestha pleaded that no sanction was needed as Raje was not a public servant in 2010. Claiming ownership of a 567 square metre piece of land in Dholpur, she sold it to National Highways Authority of India for Rs 1.97 crore.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : A 23-year-old man with injuries on his face and head was found dead in a Haryana village near the border with Delhi on Wednesday, police here said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rohini, Rajneesh Gupta said a call reporting the incident in Safiyabad village, Sonipat, Haryana was received at Narela Police Station here at 6.50 a.m.

The village is close to the Narela police station and the caller reported the crime on 100.

"The victim, Karna went out of his house at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday," the officer said, adding that he was found dead a kilometre away from his home.

Gupta ruled out it being a case of mob lynching amid rumours that the victim was beaten to death. He said the case was being investigated.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : After keeping its convocation ceremony suspended for 46 years, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) revived the practice on Wednesday conferring Ph.D. degrees on more than 400 students.

It was in 1972 that the JNU had held its first convocation ceremony with renowned actor Balraj Sahni as the chief guest. Sahni had spoken in his address on Indian films, art, poetry and its people's habit of aping the West.

The ceremony was suspended thereafter allegedly because of an anti-establishment speech by student leader V.C. Koshy who is believed to have spoken at the same function.

At Wednesday's function held at the AICTE auditorium here, Space scientist and current Chancellor of the university V.K. Saraswat, who was the chief guest, gave away the degrees.

JNU Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar in his address urged the students to become "discoverers and innovators" and use their ideas for the good of society.

"The best ideas are born when minds are free. JNU is committed to this freedom of thought and critical thinking with an emphasis on our fundamental responsibilities," Kumar said, according to a statement shared by his office.

He also said the convocation ceremony will be organised every year.

A group of students, however, criticised the ceremony, calling it a "publicity stunt" of the VC who, they accused, is hell-bent on destroying JNU.
Yangon, Aug 8 : Myanmar on Wednesday commemorated the 30th anniversary of the pro-democracy student protests that swept the nation in 1988, resulting in the death/imprisonment of thousands of people.

Several ceremonies across the country marked the People Power Movement or 8888 Uprising that peaked on 8.8.(19)88.

Yangon University displayed a makeshift prison cell as well as photos and films of the protests and political prisoners in remembrance of the movement, Efe news reported.

Some of the student leaders from the uprising delivered speeches at a function attended by over 1,000 people.

Another event in the city offered floral tributes to those who lost their lives.

The 8888 Uprising began in March 1988 as a student movement in Yangon against the socialist one-party state under dictator General Ne Win who drove his country into poverty.

The protesters also denounced government corruption, economic mismanagement and police brutality.

More than a million people from all walks of life, including monks and school children, protested against the government to demand a multi-party democracy.

The often-violent uprising -- which included soldiers opening fire on protesters -- ended in September 1988 after a bloody military coup by the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

The uprising led to the resignation of Ne Win and the emergence of independent leader Aung San's daughter and now de-facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who addressed the public at the time, to appeal for peace.

While many were in jail for decades, political prisoners were released in a 2012 amnesty and many now work as politicians and human rights activists.

It has only been in recent years that people have been allowed to openly commemorate the 8888 Uprising.
Jakarta, Aug 8 : The death toll from Sunday's devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok climbed to 347 on Wednesday as rescuers continued searching through the rubble, still hoping to find survivors, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

The agency's spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho confirmed the toll. The majority of people died in Kayangan, on the north side of the island, according to the state-run Antara news agency.

Another 1,447 people were injured and 165,003 were displaced by the 6.9 magnitude quake, Nugroho told the news agency earlier.

Around 200,000 people live in northern Lombok, a mountainous region, according to the 2010 census. On Tuesday, the government estimated that 20,000 people were in need of assistance, with around 80 per cent of buildings destroyed, as aid workers struggled to reach those affected by the disaster.

"We are concerned aid trucks can't get through because of the debris and there are also landslides happening," Husni Husni, a Jarkarta-based representative for the Red Cross, told CNN.

"A lot of people are displaced and many have migrated to the hilly and mountainous areas because of fear of a tsunami."

Meanwhile, the disaster management agency said on Tuesday that all of the 2,000 tourists on the Gili Islands had been evacuated.

Dramatic video tweeted by authorities showed hundreds of people, many believed to be foreign vacationers, crammed onto a beach on the island of Gili Trawangan as evacuation measures got underway.

Dozens of injured people were being treated in tents temporarily set up in the northwest of the island, as the centre was damaged by the quake.

Aid reached many of the survivors, but there was still a lack of food, water and tents in areas difficult to access.

Lombok is known for Mount Rinjani volcano and comprises about 4,500 sq km of land area. It is located east of the popular tourist destination island of Bali.

A week earlier, on July 29, another magnitude-6.4 earthquake hit Lombok and left 16 people dead, 355 injured and 1,500 buildings destroyed.

Indonesia is situated within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for heavy seismic and volcanic activity, which cause about 7,000 tremors a year, mostly of moderate intensity.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : A youth was killed while two passersby suffered injuries when a fight broke out on a Delhi street, police said on Wednesday, adding that three persons have been arrested.

The incident occurred in the south Delhi area late on Tuesday when a group of youngsters clashed apparently over personal enmity, a police officer said.

A call was received by the Police Control Room about a man lying in a pool of blood. The caller said he had bullet and stab injuries.

"A police team reached the spot in Tigri and found the man, who was identified as Saghir. They also found the two others with gun shot injuries.

"All were taken to a nearby hospital where Saghir was declared brought dead," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said.

Three accused including two juveniles have been arrested from a hideout in Ambedkar Nagar, Baaniya said. "It was found that the victim and those nabbed are distant relatives," he said, adding that further investigations are on.

"Saghir who was sentenced in a murder case in 2017, was released from Tihar Central Jail in January on bail. The accused who belonged to a rival gang were waiting for a chance to kill the victim since then. They saw Saghir walking near a mosque on Tigri main road and opened fire on him," the officer said.

"Saghir to save his life ran at least half a kilometre but was overpowered by the accused persons near a park at the DDA flats. The accused stabbed him at least three to four times and also shot him," he said.

"A manhunt is on to nab the accused persons, as there is a possibility of the involvement of some more people in the case," he added.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the Jammu and Kashmir government's response to a petition alleging "custodial torture" of Talib Hussain, who was part of an agitation that had erupted following the gang rape and murder of an eight year old girl in Kathua in January.

Police arrested Hussain in the wake of an FIR against him in the rape case.

The petitioner Mumtaz Ahmed Khan has alleged that Hussain was being framed for his role in the campaign to ensure justice for the child victim who was from a nomadic community.

Issuing notice to the state government, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud also sought the assistance of the Advocate General of Jammu and Kashmir.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel Indira Jaising told the court that she was only concerned about the custodial torture and not with any other issues.

Jaising cited several judgements of the top court and that of the US Federal Court contending that even in custody a person enjoys his constitutional rights.

As the court asked why habeas corpus petition has been filed when arrest of Talib Hussain is lawful, Jaising said that arrest may or may not be lawful but the custodial torture makes things unlawful and therefore the habeas corpus petition.

As Justice Khanwilkar said that the relief that petitioner was seeking could be given by the magistrate court, Jaising said that "I will seek my remedy when it comes to bail".

The court allowed the lawyer Chandan Sharma for the rape victim to make an application for impleadment as he told the bench that what it has been told was a distortion of facts.

The petitioner has contended that Talib Hussain -- an activist -- was being singled out as he had led the public campaign for justice for the Kathua victim.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on August 21.
Jaipur, Aug 8 : Permission to resume flight services to Kota city in Rajasthan will be given by the end of this month, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu assured Om Birla, MP, on Wednesday.

Birla met Prabhu and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha and demanded resumption of air services to Kota.

Birla said Kota, which has become an educational hub, was in dire need air services and pleaded that a single engine aircraft should be permitted to fly to the city. Basic services should be made available at Kota airport, he told the ministers.

He said the state government was trying its best to resume flights to the city as the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had suspended the services without any valid reason.

Air travellers from Kota suffered a setback in April this year when two flight services, including Kota to Jaipur and Kota to Delhi, were suspended.

The AAI directed the Airport Authority of Kota to stop the operation of commercial flights, citing unavailability of clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for flying of private airlines to Kota.

The Ministers, in turn, assured Birla that permission for the start of single engine aircraft services shall be given by the end of this month.

The Kota MP urged the Union Ministers to start the flight services by September.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Former Assam Chief Minister and AGP leader Prafulla Mahanta on Wednesday said that West Bengal should also maintain a National Register of Citizens (NRC) which should include the names of only Indian nationals and exclude those of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.

"We have also appealed to West Bengal that it will be good if they maintain a register of Indian nationals," Mahanta, who is now the Chief Advisor of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Manch (AASM), a platform of the constituents of the historic Assam Movement, said at a press conference here.

"In Bangladesh, everybody speaks Bengali as it is their national language, so those who infiltrate also speak Bengali," he said.

"It is easy for them to mix in West Bengal and Tripura but in Assam, apart from the Barak valley, they get caught."

Expressing the hope that West Bengal will start the preparation for an NRC with the help of the central government, Mahanta said: "A good government official at least at the secretary-level should be appointed at the Register General's Office. If an additional secretary is there, he cannot always draw the attention of ministers of the central government. But a secretary can."

His comments come in the face of fierce opposition of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the final draft of the Assam NRC that was released last month and in which as many as four million people did not find their names.

Mahanta was in the national capital leading a delegation of the AASM for a series of programmes opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, that will virtually render the 1985 Assam Accord meaningless.

Since the Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2016, Mahanta's AGP, which was formed after the Assam Movement and which is now the junior partner in Assam's current ruling BJP alliance, has been vociferously opposing it.

The Bill seeks to grant citizenship rights to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan on the basis of religious persecution.

But, according to the Assam Accord, all foreigners who entered that northeastern state after March 24, 1971, should be detected and deported irrespective of religion.

"The Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha has been from the very beginning opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 because if this bill becomes a law, the indigenous people of Assam will become a minority and will lose their rights," Mahanta said.

He also said that the Indian government assuring the Bangladesh government that the NRC is an internal matter of India and the eastern neighbour should not be worried about it cannot be accepted.

According to Al-hajj Sayed Nazi, a leader of a religious party allied to Bangladesh's ruling alliance, the Narendra Modi government has assured his country that the NRC is an internal matter of India and there will be no deportations to Bangladesh.

"All earlier governments as well as all parties have agreed that, according to the Assam Accord, all those Bangladeshis who have infiltrated into India after March 24, 1971, should be deported," Mahanta said.

"The main reason for the Assam Accord going for 1971 was the Indira-Mujib pact and also because all national parties did not want to go beyond that."

Mahanta said that in 1980, when he was the President of the All Assam Students Union that was spearheading the Assam Movement and Bhrigu Phukan was its General Secretary, they had submitted a memorandum to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi clearly stating that the 1951 NRC of Assam should be updated.

"The NRC is the first step that will make the process of detecting foreigners easy," Mahanta said.

He said that promises were made by the current government at the Centre at the time of the 2014 general elections that after 2016, all Bangladeshis will have to leave Assam for Bangladesh along with their belongings and that not an inch of Assam would be ceded to Bangladesh and the interests of Assam will be safeguarded.

"But none of these turned into reality on the ground. Instead, land of Assam was given to Bangladesh and steps have been taken through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to give permanent status to them (Bangladeshi infiltrators)," Mahanta said.

"So, we at the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha, are appealing to the central government not to turn this Bill into law and publish a correct NRC."
Washington, Aug 8 : A record number of women have won major party nominations for governorships and seats in the House of Representatives this year -- a month before the US primary season gets officially over.

After Tuesday's primaries across four states -- Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington -- there were 11 female nominees for Governor and 182 for the House of Representatives, the US media reported.

There was also a key election for a House seat in Ohio, in which President Donald Trump claimed victory. But according to reports, the race was still too close to call, in a safe Republican seat held by them since 1983.

The outcome could indicate whether Democrats have a chance to overturn the Republican majority in the House in November.

After polling closed in the four states, women broke records for gubernatorial and House nominations, according to the BBC.

Victories for Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) and Laura Kelly (Kansas) in Democratic primaries mean 11 women will contest governorships in the November mid-term election -- one more than the 1994 record.

At least 182 female major party nominees will run for the House, beating the record of 167 from 2016. Another three women were leading in close primary contests.

"This has been an election season of records for women candidates, and tonight continues that story," said Debbie Walsh, Director of the Centre for American Women and Politics.

Whitmer will lead a four-strong, all-women ticket for the Democrats at the state level in Michigan.

One of the candidates for the House in the state was likely to become the first Muslim woman in Congress. Rashida Tlaib won a Democratic nomination and will not be opposed by the Republicans in November. She will also be the first Palestinian-American congresswoman.

There will be two all-female races in Washington state. Democrat Lisa Brown faces Cathy McMorris Rodgers for a House seat, while Republican Susan Hutchison will take on incumbent Senator Maria Cantwell, the Hill magazine reported.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Troy Balderson was taking on Democrat Danny O'Connor in Ohio for a seat in the House of Representatives. Ohio is one of the key battleground states in the mid-terms.

Trump tweeted "Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio. A very special and important race!"

Despite this, US news outlets have not called the contest yet. The New York Times gave Balderson 50.2 per cent, a lead of 1,754 votes in the 12th Congressional District race, with all precincts reporting.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government for defending the adultery law that punishes only a married man for extramarital affair with a married woman. The court reserved its judgment on the validity of the law.

As the government defended the retention of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for preserving the "sanctity of marriage", a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked as to how it preserved the "sanctity" as the extramarital affair was non-punishable if the woman's husband stood by her.

On the conclusion of arguments, the bench also comprising Justice Rohinton Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, reserved its verdict.

"Where is the sanctity of marriage when the husband can consent?" asked Justice Nariman.

The Chief Justice said: "We are not questioning the legislature's competence to make laws but where is the 'collective good' in Section 497?"

Telling the Centre's counsel and Additional Solicitor General Pinki Anand that "dichotomy is manifest (in Section 497)", Chief Justice Misra said: "The husband can only have control over his emotion and cannot ask his wife to do this or that."

The court was hearing a PIL that challenged the constitutional validity of Section 497 and Section 198(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Additional Solicitor General said: "Marriage includes just not the spouses but the families, children, communities and society" and that its sanctity could not be violated."

Insisting that the penal provision should remain to punish adultery as it was a threat to the sanctity of marriage, Anand said that there was no claim to privacy in an adulterous life.

The Chief Justice, in a lighter vein, said that the offence of adultery is like a man calling his wife's paramour home and getting him arrested for trespass. Justice Nariman then quipped: "Spouse trespass."

"The sanctity of marriage is dependent on mutual reciprocity, willingness for adjustments and accommodations and when we marry there is no permanent consent for sex by the wife," the Chief Justice said pointing to changing times.

In fact, there was no permanent consent for anything in marriage, said CJI Misra.

In 1860, the concept was that woman was a chattel, and thus this provision for consent by the husband to take away the criminality in extramarital sexual relationship between a married man and married woman, said Justice Nariman while dwelling on the times when the penal code was enacted.

The heart of the provision, Justice Nariman said, was that the husband of a wife in an adulterous relationship could sue her paramour and if he thought that the affair was fine then sweep it under the carpet.

Justice Chandrachud said the court by constitutional interpretation could not widen the canvas of an offence but narrow it down. He made the remark in response to Additional Solicitor General's plea that the court, instead of reading down the provision, could make it gender-neutral, thereby extending the offence to women in adulterous relationships.

Even if we made Section 497 of the IPC gender-neutral it would address the issue of punishing the man and sparing the woman, but "we still have to decide whether it should be a crime at all", said Justice Chandrachud.

In a rejoinder argument, petitioner Joseph Shine's counsel Kaleeswaram Raj said that the family as an institution could not be preserved by the State's police power.

It should rest on the foundation of love, honesty, trust, and faithfulness between the spouses, Raj said, adding that the State had no business to penalise in the guise of preserving the institution of family.

Senior counsel Meenakshi Arora, appearing for an intervenor, said that criminal law should not be used to regulate conducts like adultery as this could be done by other means, including divorce.

She said that the State could not sustain the institution of marriage by coercion or using criminal law to enforce a code of conduct.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Fair trade watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of e-commerce major Flipkart by Wal-Mart International Holdings.

However, a traders' body said that it will move the court against the approval.

"@CCI_India approves proposed acquisition of Flipkart Private Limited by Wal-Mart International Holdings, Inc," CCI said in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday.

On May 9, global retail giant Walmart Inc announced it was buying 77 per cent equity stake in the country's largest e-tailer Flipkart for $16 billion, subject to regulatory approval in India.

The acquisition of the majority stake makes the $500-billion Walmart the largest shareholder of the Flipkart group and will help accelerate its mission to transform e-commerce through digital technology.

Reacting to the development, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said that it will move the court against the CCI decision.

"It is most unfortunate that leaving aside the objections raised by CAIT in CCI, the Commission has approved the deal," CAIT Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal said.

"Without giving any opportunity of hearing to CAIT, the CCI has flayed principle of natural justice. We deeply condemn such an attitude and will certainly move to Higher Court against the decision of CCI."

According to Khandelwal, CAIT has called for an emergency meeting of its governing council on August 19 at Nagpur.

The traders, protesting under CAIT, have denounced the deal arguing that it would create "unfair competition" and demanded that the government scrap it.

On its part, Walmart welcomed the decision and said that it remains committed to contribute to the Indian economy by supporting smallholder farmers, manufacturers, and "our Kirana" customers.

"Our partnership with Flipkart is testament to our continued confidence in our ability to contribute to this market. Flipkart is a prominent player in India with a strong, entrepreneurial leadership team that is a good cultural fit with Walmart," the company said in a statement.

"We believe that the combination of Walmart's global expertise and Flipkart will position us for long-term success and enable us to contribute to the economic growth."
Hyderabad, Aug 8 : Buoyed by the rapid growth of the retail sector, leading Swedish home furnishings retailer IKEA plans to increase its investments in the country.

On the eve of the launch of the first India store here on Thursday, the company officials said they plan to open over 40 stores across different formats as against 25 stores planned earlier.

The furniture giant had earlier announced plans to invest Rs 10,500 crore to open 25 stores by 2025.

Officials told reporters that they would approach the Indian government for approval to pump in more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) but declined to give the timeline or the quantum of the additional investment.

The company is revising its investment plan, taking into consideration the country's economic growth and geographical dividend. One of the reasons for IKEA revising its investment plan is the increase in real estate prices in some parts of India.

IKEA is opening first store almost five years after it received government approval in 2013 to invest Rs 10,500 crore in the country to open retail stores.

Patrik Antoni, Deputy CEO, IKEA India, told reporters that they have so far invested Rs 4,500 crore including in land.

"We find India is more positive now. There is a lot of young people. Economy is strong and it will be booming," he said.

Patrik said IKEA would have both large and small stores and more touch points. The e-commerce platform would be launched next year.

Peter Betzel, CEO, IKEA India, said IKEA's next store would open in Mumbai next summer and this would be followed by stores in Bengaluru and Delhi.

"Hyderabad is just starting point. We have long term commitment to India," he said.

Jesper Borodin, CEO, IKEA Group told reporters that it is a proud moment as it marks a major milestone in a journey that started more than 30 years ago when IKEA partnered with local manufacturers in India.

"Now we have embarked on the journey of improving life at Indian homes," he said.

He promised that IKEA will offer affordability with great quality, accessibility with more stores and digital platform and it will be leader in sustainability.

India's retail sector is $600 billion and is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2020, said Ramesh Abhishekh, secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), who was also present at the news conference.

He said there was huge scope for entry of major retail players like IKEA as 90 per cent of the retail sector is in unorganised sector.

Hyderabad store has come up over 13 acres in the heart of HITEC City, the information technology hub. The 400,000 sq ft. facility, which has come up with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, houses the largest restaurant for IKEA anywhere, with a seating capacity of 1,000, serving Swedish and Indian dishes.

The store will offer 7,500 affordable home furnishing products under one roof with more than 1,000 products priced under 200 rupees.

IKEA has recruited 950 employees for the Hyderabad store and 50 per cent of them are women in tune with its policy. It plans to recruit 15,000 people in the country in the next few years.

Founded in 1943 by late Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA currently has 403 IKEA stores in 49 countries with a sales volume of 38.3 billion euros. According to the company 936 million customers visited its stores in FY17 and more than 2.3 billion people visited IKEA online.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The National Investigation (NIA) on Wednesday said it had seized fake notes in Rs 2,000 denomination with a total face value of nearly Rs 7 lakh in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and arrested four persons, including a woman.

The NIA Mumbai branch raided Aluru on Tuesday following a tip-off and recovered Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with a face value of Rs 4.34 lakh from M.G. Raju, Gangadhar Kolkar and Sajjad Ali.

"We along with police raided BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) Layout in Aluru following information that a deal in FICN is likely to take place. The three accused were found in possession of 217 FICN of Rs 2,000 denomination."

NIA Spokesperson Alok Mittal told IANS that the seized notes were similar to genuine Rs 2,000 currency and it was difficult for a lay person to differentiate.

"It is suspected that the counterfeit notes have been printed and smuggled from across the border," said the official, adding that another NIA raid on Wednesday led to seizure of FICN with a face value of Rs 2.5 lakh from a woman, resident of Srirampur in Bengaluru.

The officials said an FIR was lodged with Bengaluru Police and the smugglers are being interrogated about their handlers and suppliers.
Thane/Mumbai, Aug 8 : The mortal remains of Major Kaustubh P. Rane -- who was among the four Army personnel killed in a gun battle with terrorists near the Line of Control at Bandipura in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday -- reached Mumbai late on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The coffin, draped in the national tricolor, was solemnly received by Rane's grieving family members, Army and civilian officials.

The body will be taken to his hometown Mira Road in adjacent Thane district. The last rites will be performed on Thursday with full military honours.

At the airport, family members, various Army units, Maharashtra and Mumbai police and state government officials offered wreaths and paid homage to the departed soldier.

Since Tuesday, Mira Road township has been in mourning over the death of their hero, who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely 5 km north of Mumbai.

Rane, 29, is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, a sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.

Hailing from Sadure village in Vaibhavwadi talika of the coastal Sindhudurg district, the family was settled in Mira Road since several decades. His father had retired from a private company, while his mother is a former Assistant Headmistress of Utkarsh Mandir High School in Malad here.

Major Rane was educated at the Holy Cross Convent High School here and then the Royal College nearby, before graduating from Shailendra College at Dahisar in western suburbs of Mumbai.

The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joing the armed forces by completing his military training from Pune, and was later commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Academy, Chennai in 2011.

Joining the Indian Army as a Lieutenant, he was later promoted to Captain rank and elevated as Major earlier this year with the 36 Rashtriya Rifles.

Since his posting in the sensitive Gurez sector last year, Major Rane would call up his family occasionally and inform them about his wellbeing, his uncle Pratap Rane told mediapersons.

Incidentally, Major had visited Mira Road in April this year for a brief period before returning to the front.

It was a proud moment for the family when earlier this year Major Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations.

Relatives, friends and neighbours remember Major Rane as a soft-spoken, warm and well-behaved person with a helpful nature and taking part in local social-cultural activities.
Kolkata, Aug 8 : The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police on Wednesday arrested a member of the terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Jharkhand for his involvement in the Bodh Gaya explosion.

"Dilwar Hasan alias Ali Hasan (26) was arrested on Wednesday from Sidhu Kanu More in Jharkhand's Pakuria police station area. He is a member of JMB and was involved in Bodh Gaya IED explosion in January 2018," Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police (STF) Murlidhar Sharma said.

According to the officer, Hasan, a resident of Malda district's Kaliachawk in West Bengal has been charged under various sections.

"A mobile phone, one Aadhar card, one voter ID card and a phone purchase bill was seized from the accused," the IPS officer said adding that the voter card appeared to be fake.

A low intensity bomb blast took place near Kalchakra ground in Bodh Gaya on January 19 when the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama was present in the town. A couple of crude bombs and a large quantity of explosives were also recovered from the place.

The arrest of Hasan took place a day after National Investigation Agency (NIA) nabbed JMB leader Mohammed Jahidul Islam from Karnataka in the case and seized electronic devices and traces of explosives from his house in Ramanagara area.

The NIA had arrested two more West Bengal residents, also suspected members of the JMB, from Kerala earlier this week on the charge of placing the IEDs in Bodh Gaya.
Kolkata, Aug 8 : Over 10.5 kg of smuggled gold and Rs 1.74 crore in cash were seized from three places in the city and four persons were arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, an official statement said on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip-off, DRI officers searched an office and a godown in Burra Bazar area and the residence of one Rajendra Damani alias Raju Damani.

"They seized around 10.5 kg of foreign-origin gold bars, along with silver granules, gold coins and the cash from these premises," the statement said.

Damani was among the four arrested on Tuesday. The accused allegedly admitted that the seized gold was smuggled while the cash was proceeds from counterfeit gold sold earlier.

The statement said that a person who arrived at the godown to take delivery of the contraband during the raid was found to be wearing a specially-made jacket under his shirt wherein Rs 15 lakh was hidden.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The CBI has initiated a "Preliminary Enquiry (PE)" against British political consulting firms Cambridge Analytica (New York) and Global Science Research (GSR) Ltd, which allegedly illegally obtained Facebook data of Indians.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official, requesting anonymity, said a "PE against two firms -- Cambridge Analytica NY and GSR -- has been registered to probe the Facebook data breach case".

"An FIR would be registered after the CBI finds clues during the PE. During investigation, the CBI will probe whether Cambridge Analytica had picked data from Global Science Research Ltd, which relates to the personal data of Indians on Facebook," said the official.

The probe will expand to verify "harvesting and misuse" of data, he added.

The CBI's move comes within fortnight of it receiving a reference from the Centre to start a probe into the matter.

The CBI got the reference from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July to investigate the role of Cambride Analytica.

Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on July 26 had also told Parliament that the government has ordered the CBI to probe and find out if the British company had violated Indian laws.

The Minister told the Rajya Sabha that the firm had denied that data of Indians were breached, but this was in contradiction of the information received from Facebook.

According to the Minister, the Facebook had stated about the role of Cambridge Analytica in the data breach and promised to take various steps to ensure that such breach does not recur.

About Cambridge Analytica, the Minister had said: "Cambridge Analytica, on the other hand, gave an initial response that the data of the Indians were not breached, but this was not in conformity with what was reported by Facebook. It also did not respond to the subsequent communication, therefore it is suspected that Cambridge Analyitca may have been involved in illegally obtaining of data of Indians which could be misused."

Cambridge Analytica -- a company owned by the hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer -- declared bankruptcy this year following allegations that it used personal information harvested from 87 million Facebook accounts to help Donald Trump win the 2016 US presidential election.

The firm is accused of mining personal information without authorisation in early 2014 to build a system that could profile individual US voters, in order to target them with personalised political advertisements.
Islamabad, Aug 8 : The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered slashing of the taxes on the locally-assembled cars and this will bring the down the prices, the media reported on Wednesday.

A three-member bench of the country's top court ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to reduce the taxes imposed on the production of cars in Pakistan from the current rate of 33 per cent to 25 per cent.

According to an official of a local car manufacturing company, Pakistani government's sales tax, customs duty, and income tax add up to an estimated 33 per cent of a vehicle's retail value.

The Supreme Court's bench heard the petition filed by Awais Ahmed, who is a social media campaigner against car manufacturers. The petitioner pleaded that the local car makers were charging unreasonably high prices, largely due to the high tax regime in the country. He further stated that the car makers were delivering low-quality vehicles to Pakistan consumers despite charging massive price.

Farhan Azhar, the petitioner's lawyer, told the local media, "We have requested for a reduction of taxes to 15 per cent. We have cited examples of taxation in the US, Canada, European countries and even India. We have brought into notice the UN International Charter. We are expecting that it would be reduced further."
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Around 20 lakh people across the country will protest against "anti-farmer", "pro-corporate" policies of the Narendra Modi government on August 9 on the occasion of 'Quit India Day' and, subsequently, court arrest, left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference here, AIKS General Secretary Hannan Mollah said the anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-national policies of Modi-led government had proved to be a "disaster" for the country.

"The government has failed in all sectors. Farmers, workers, employees are unhappy. Even ex-servicemen are agitated as Modi government has failed to keep its promises. But corporates, corrupt, lynchers are happy," Mollah said.

"The protesters would be from various sections of the society with majority comprising farmers, labourers, dalits, and ex-servicemen, who will participate in 'Jail Bharo'."

He said the protest will be held in around 400 districts and on the Parliament Street in the national capital.

Crop loan waiver, remunerative crop prices through Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on the recommendation of Swaminathan commission, land reforms and halting forced land acquisition are among the major demands, he said.

Renowned agricultural economist M.S. Swaminathan has backed the protest, Mollah said.

In a letter to AIKS, Swaminathan reiterated the demand of MSP 1.5 times the input cost, a favourable procurement policy along with effective implementation of the Food Security Act, school noon meal programme, Mollah said.

"I support the demands of the farmers and request the government to listen to them," Swaminathan has said in the letter.

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) is among the major organisations that have extended their support to the move.

CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen said Modi should quit as Prime Minister if he could not take care of poor farmers, labourers and workers.

Mollah also asked the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to clear their stand on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as entry of multinational retail stores would have negative impact on farmers and small traders.

He asked if the RSS had given up its Swadeshi slogans forever.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : After the ruling AAP lodged an FIR against BJP's protest outside Chief Minister's office, the opposition on Wednesday slammed the state government for taking "repressive, undemocratic" steps to swoop down on it.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government lodged an FIR on Wednesday to probe the "dharna" by BJP members outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office at Delhi Secretariat in June.

The protest led by Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra involved putting up banners at the rooftop and an indefinite hunger strike against the "non-performance" of the Kejriwal government and its failure in providing water to the people.

When asked about the FIR, Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA O.P. Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan, along with Kapil Mishra told the media that the Delhi government is taking "repressive steps out of nervousness due to all-around attack by the opposition".

Gupta said that the "opposition too will lodge an FIR" to probe the dharna by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and two cabinet Ministers at Raj Niwas in June this year.

Gupta said that the opposition is being suppressed as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to stifle its voice both in and outside the Delhi Assembly.

"The Delhi Government is frightened by the opposition and is trying to silence us because we are raising the issue of Bangladeshis, the case against Transport commissioner Varsha Joshi and we are exposing corruption," Gupta said.

Rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra also questioned the intentions of the Kejriwal government by saying, "When the Chief Minister sits on dharna at the LG office, it is right but when the opposition sits at a protest at CM's office it is illegal?"

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Gopal Rai alleged that the opposition members "forcibly entered" the Delhi Secretariat and even "threatened the guards" when they were stopped from going further.

"On inquiry, the General Administration Department said that they had reported the protest to Delhi police but the police shrugged off the matter by saying that it was not responsible for any internal matter. The security guards also admitted that they were threatened by the protestors," Rai said.

He said that this is the main reason why his government has decided to file an FIR with the police to launch a probe into what exactly happened at the Delhi Secretariat.
Kolkata, Aug 8 : Kolkata Police on Wednesday said three Mumbai residents have been arrested on charge of involvement in an ATM fraud case reported in the metropolis and seized skimming machines and pinhole cameras from them.

Accused Rohit Nayar was caught on Tuesday night while trying to install a skimming machine at an ATM of Kotak Mahindra Bank in south Kolkata's Elgin Road.

"Based on information he gave, his accomplices Sayeed Sayed and Sudhir Rajen were arrested from the Kolkata airport and CIT Road respectively," a police officer said.

"Two skimming machines, pinhole cameras, mobile phones and a laptop were seized from them. The accused have been remanded in 14-day police custody till August 21," he said.

The three allegedly confessed to stealing ATM card data by installing the skimming machines at ATM outlets in south Kolkata's Kasba and Elgin Road areas so as to clone users' card details.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police had earlier arrested two Romanian nationals from Delhi in the case.

The fraud came to light towards the end of last month after several people approached city police that amounts ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 40,000 were withdrawn from their bank accounts fraudulently. Around Rs 18-20 lakh was withdrawn from different bank accounts.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday dubbed as "falsehood" and "fabricated facts" former BJP Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie's claims on the Rafale deal and said that "reprocessed lies were being made by forces desperate to prove their relevance".

In a Facebook post, Jaitley said that it was reprehensible that a fresh attempt to tarnish the Modi government's image had been made less than two weeks after the miserable failure of a similar effort in Parliament.

"I have seen another attempt today at maligning the government by spreading falsehood and peddling fabricated facts regarding the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement (with France) for Rafale fighter aircraft," the Minister said.

"There is not a grain of truth in the wild allegations repeated today nor anything substantiating in the purported facts and voluminous documents marshalled to corroborate the baseless accusations. The unsubstantiated allegations against the government constitute nothing but reprocessed lies by forces increasingly desperate to prove their relevance," he added.

Jaitley, a senior BJP leader, said that the government had already responded effectively to each and "every distortion and misinformation" on the issue.

He said that those raising alarm on alleged danger to national security ought to realise their responsibility and "refrain from politicising for narrow individual ends those very matters pertaining to national defence that were consistently ignored by them and by those with whom they sympathise".

Sinha and Shourie earlier in the day alleged that the jet deal was "unilaterally" finalised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by violating mandatory procedures, and this "defence scandal was larger than any thus far".

Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who addressed the media along with the former NDA Ministers, said that the manner in which the order for Rafale jets was changed made for a "clear case of criminal misconduct".

They sought a time-bound probe by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and asked the government to come clean on the issue.
Mumbai, Aug 9 : Actor Sooraj Pancholi will be visiting an army base camp in Amritsar to prepare for his role of an Indian soldier in his next yet-untitled project, which will be directed by Irfan Kamal.

He will start shooting for the film from October in Kashmir. Before that, he will be visiting Amritsar as a prep in September.

"I am looking forward to meet the real army officers. More than being excited, I am really nervous because they are respected personalities.It's a proud moment for me that I will be meeting them for a movie role prep," Sooraj said in a statement to IANS.

"I just hope I manage to bring that aura of an officer on the screen. It's way too commendable with the kind of work they do to protect us and live away from their family," added the actor, who made his debut in "Hero" along with Athiya Shetty in 2015.

On work front, Sooraj wrapped up shooting of "Time to Dance", helmed by Stanley D'Costa, on Sunday in London. Remo D'Souza has written the script of the project. The film also stars Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle Kaif.
Tehran, Aug 9 : Iran has again ruled out any negotiation with the US, accusing it of pursuing "erratic policies" in dealing with the Islamic republic.

"The Americans have never acted with sincerity, and President Donald Trump's move and remarks to invite Iran for talks were merely a propaganda stunt," the state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting, Xinhua reported.

"The main reason behind this is that Trump does not care about either the Iranian people or international obligations," he added.

The US president has taken a hostile approach toward the Iranian nation by reimposing sanctions, Zarif noted.

"We had two years of intensive negotiations with the Americans and the Iran nuclear agreement was the result of these talks, but the Trump administration withdrew from it," he said

"How can the United States be trusted?" the Iranian minister warned.

Last month, Trump announced his readiness for an "unconditional" meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the existing issues between the two countries.

However, Trump on Monday signed an executive order re-imposing sanctions on Iran to exert "maximum economic pressure" on the Islamic republic.
Los Angeles, Aug 9 : Actress Lupita Nyong'o wants to fight the stereotype that "natural, African, kinky hair" is "uncivilised" and she wants black women to be proud of their natural hair.

"My hair is something that, historically, has been shunned. I mean, how often do you hear 'You can't get a job with hair like that?' Natural, African, kinky hair - it's often been painted as uncivilised or wild," Nyong'o told Porter magazine.

"Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfils me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are," she added.

The "12 Years a Slave" star is writing a children's book to help young dark-skinned children to be proud of their looks, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The book is titled "Sulwe" meaning "star" in the actress's native language Luo - and is focused on a five-year-old girl and her life growing up in Kenya.
As of early 2019, Claus Thomas will become the new CEO of BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Germany. In taking up this post, he will be following in the footsteps of Reinhard Mattern, who will be leaving the position and ending his operative responsibilities following expiration of his contract.

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EPP has acquired two assets in Poznan and Lodz for a total of 110 million. The purchase of the King Cross Marcelin Shopping Centre from King Cross for 91.1 million is the first investment in Poznan and brings the companys portfolio to 19 retail projects. Furthermore, the real estate investment

Photos: EPP



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The Federal Governments proposed buy back of underground water within the Upper Condamine Alluviums may now result in the creation of a new peak in the cycle of the market, according to the latest Hoddle Grid (HTW) rural report.

Owners of groundwater now have the opportunity to sell part of their entitlements back to the Government under the Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling basin program. This is ground water that they have not historically been able to access and are unlikely to ever be able to access going forward. The end result will be a win for the farmers and this will create three options for them:

 Payback Debt;

 Further develop existing on farm infrastructure; or

 Further capital acquisitions.

The Government Proposal

Under the Restoring the Balance in the Murray- Darling Basin Purchasing Program, the Australian Government has committed $3.1 billion to purchase water for environmental purposes. This program is part of the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program. On 2 June 2014, the Australian Government released the Water Recovery Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin. The strategy outlines the Governments approach to recovering water for the environment in the Murray-Darling Basin, whilst maximising positive outcomes for farmers and communities. This includes prioritising water recovery through infrastructure investment over water purchasing which is limited to 1,500Gl.

It is quite obvious that to date the Governments approach was not working and a new way had to be tried as less than 8% of the target SDL has been achieved with the majority of this coming from the Central Condamine Alluvium.

Further Initiations

On 19 April 2018, the Federal Government subsequently opened a new tender round to voluntarily acquire groundwater back from farmers within the Upper Condamine Alluviums. They subsequently undertook a new approach by announcing the maximum price at which they are prepared to acquire water. This differs from previous tenders whereby no such price announcements were made.

If we look at the Central Condamine Alluvium (CCA) which involves the bulk of the water buy back volumes (currently 86,066Ml of Nominal Entitlement which will be reduced to a maximum of 37,409Ml or 43.5% of the current nominal volume), we understand that all licence holders will be initially geared down to the equivalent of 50% of their Nominal Allocations with that then reduced by a further 13% in order to achieve the target of 37,409Ml.

Within the CCA, there are multiple sub areas and currently the long term average Announced Allocations of the respective Nominal Allocations are included here.

This will ultimately mean therefore that all holders of groundwater licences within the CCA (apart from those within Sub Area 2 (3) and Transitional Zone 3 (3) which are already on 50% restrictions) will potentially lose a further 20% of their allocations over time so as to allow the government to meet its target.

Variation to Previous Tenders

However this tender now appears to differ from previous tenders or individual private sales of groundwater in that the Federal Government will effectively buy the unusable portion of a right.

For example, if we assume that a groundwater licence holder within Sub Area 2 (3) had a nominal allocation of 1,000Ml, historically they have only been able to access 50% of this right. If they decided to sell a 50% share, they would be left with 500Ml, but would still only be able to access 50% of that remaining right or 250Ml going forward.

Now, subsequent to the announcement of this tender, it appears the farmer will be able to utilise the full 100% of the remaining 500Ml and will receive a maximum price of $1,950 per Ml for the 500Ml they sell to the Federal Government. Their position going forward will remain unchanged in that they will continue to gain access to 500Ml of groundwater per annum but will potentially have a one off windfall of $975,000 (500Ml @ $1,950/Ml).

In relation to the other sub areas however, where announced allocations are higher than 50%, the position will be slightly different. For example, within Sub Area 2 with an announced allocation of 70%, a farmer with a nominal allocation of 1,000Ml has historically been able to access 700Ml only. Previously if they sold 50% of that right, they would only continue to be able to access up to 70% of the remaining 500Ml or 350Ml.

Now if they sold 50% of their right, they will be paid $2,000Ml for the 500Ml, but the net effect of the sale will see their water right reduce from 700Ml to 500Ml, a loss of 200Ml which they can no longer access going forward. They will still have a one off windfall, but not to the same extent.

The end result will be that over the next period as this voluntary tender progresses, many farmers will receive a one off cash injection if they decide to sell part of their rights to the Federal Government. This will provide a cash injection into the market which could see the market continue on its upward projection somewhat longer than it may have otherwise done.

Peak of the Market

In summary, we have seen exceptional growth in the value of quality farming country over the past two years or so on both the Bongeen and Jimbour Plains. Now whilst there is a level of discussion within the market place broadly that we may be approaching the peak of this market cycle, it is perhaps too early to call this within this location. Given the nature of the underlying lands, the fact that they just dont make this country anymore and the potential for the Federal Government to inject a one off financial boost into the local market through the buyback of groundwater, there still may be further potential for growth to occur within this particular market sector, notwithstanding the current dry conditions and the poor winter crop outlook.

A recent sale is a Rosenthal Heights lifestyle block which was traded for $960,000 (pictured below).

Located just 7.5 kilometres from Warwick's CBD, 184 Warner Street is elevated slopping land with views.

The home features four bedrooms, lounge, dining and family room, kitchen and plenty of storage space.

It is operating piggery with a contract at $5,543 plus GST per month.

Another example is a Clifton property, Avonlea, which was sold for $650,000 (pictured below).

It was formerly a horse stud and spelling farm on the doorstep of the renowned Pilton Valley.

Located at 4843 Clifton Gatton Road, it comprises of 100 acres of well established thriving natural pastures and 30 acres under cultivation.

Other features include three bay hay sheds, machinery shed, large day yards, and water supply to all paddocks except cultivation.
Construction has started on the first townhouses at Stocklands masterplanned Orion at Braybrook community in Melbournes inner-west .

Some 30% of the project already sold.

Located 12.2 kilometres from Melbournes CBD, the new 11.5-hectare townhouse community is the largest standalone infill townhouse development in Melbournes inner-west.

Work has commenced on the first stage with Stockland engaging townhouse construction specialists, Glenvill Projects, to deliver stage 1.

Ben Cantwell, General Manager of Retirement Living and Medium Density at Stockland, said Stockland has made a commitment to the City of Maribyrnong to ensure the development meets the councils 5% Affordable Housing Target.

Townhouses are currently available for sale in Stage 2 of the project after the first stages sold out late last year.

Orion at Braybrook will comprise up to 422 contemporary townhouses on completion, with a range of two, three and four-bedroom designs available to homebuyers looking for low-maintenance living adjacent to 10 hectares of parkland with two train stations nearby.

The two and three-storey townhouses will feature flexible floor plans, quality fixtures and fittings, intelligent open-plan interiors and private courtyards and balconies.

Every townhouse is design to achieve a minimum energy rating of 6 stars with natural light and airflow, solar-boosted hot water systems and energy efficient LED lighting to reduce energy bills.

With Footscrays cafe culture on their doorstep, townhouses are currently available from $699,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom design with a single garage.
Accomplished actor Aimee Horne, best known for portrayal as Polly in the Australian tour of British comedy Fawlty Towers Live, has bought her first Sydney home.

She has snapped up a freestanding Leichhardt home (pictured above) for $980,000 before its scheduled auction.

It looks to be a savvy purchase with the home having traded for $960,000 three years ago.

The 1890s cottage has two bedrooms, attic storeroom, and separate living and dining areas with polished floors.

There's a renovated kitchen complete with cafe-style alfresco breakfast bar in the rear private outdoor entertaining area.

Hudson McHugh Leichhardt agent James Price sold the home.

The Adelaide-born actor has starred in productions for the Sydney Theatre Company, Company B and Griffin Theatre, was praised by the British funny man John Cleese in 2016.

This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph.
RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5K 2018 The Alexandria Seaport Foundation (ASF) is delighted to be the beneficiary of the upcoming annual 5k race, RUN, GEEK, RUN, created to support a local non-profit and raise awareness for its mission and programs. ASF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization which improves the lives of young people

Kathy Seifert, Executive Director of the Alexandria Seaport Foundation(ASF) said she is delighted to be the beneficiary of the upcoming annual 5k race, RUN, GEEK, RUN, created to support a local non-profit and raise awareness for its mission and programs. The 11th annual RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5K road race will be held at 8:30 a.m. on September 23, 2018, in the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria, Virginia.

WHY!

Ironistic and Hudson Studio firmly believe in small businesses supporting their local community. With participation from runners and sponsors, who have roots in the Northern Virginia and the DC area, RUN! GEEK! RUN! will raise money to support Alexandria Seaport Foundation(ASF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ASF provides the educational, career and life skills necessary for young people to secure and maintain employment and become productive members of their communities.

WHAT!

Participants in the 2018 RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5K will receive a t-shirt and souvenir geek glasses. Bobblehead trophies will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers; top three masters male and female finishers, as well as the top three finishers in 13 different age groups. The top three corporate and community teams will also receive awards. RUN! GEEK! RUN! is a USATF Certified 5K course, you can view the course map online here.

WHO!

All fitness levels are welcome to participate in the 11th annual RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5K, you can run as a team or solo  we have a training program online courtesy of Sue Himes to help prepare you for the race. If youre not a runner you can sign up to volunteer here. Volunteers will assist with handing out water, cheering on racers, and providing support at the finish line.

HOW!

Early bird registration is open! Sign-up on the RUN! GEEK! RUN! website as an individual or a team. All proceeds will go to the Alexandria Seaport Foundation to run (or walk) in the 5K.

WHEN!

This year, the RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5K race will be held on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. The race will take place in Alexandria, VA, with the starting line between George Washington Middle School and the Braddock Road Metro

SPONSORS!

Sponsorships for this event provide companies and organizations the opportunity to give back to the local community, as well as gain visibility. All corporate sponsors will have their company logo displayed on the race website, banner and

t-shirts. More information about sponsorship opportunities is available on the website.

To date, the following sponsors have committed for this years race: HudsonLake, Axis Research, National Media, Purple Strategies, TD Bank, Focus Data Solutions, InSite Wireless Group, Royal Jester Apparel, Veatch Charitable Fund, The Zebra Press, Inspiration, METIS SIX, Virginia Paving Company.

To learn more about RUN! GEEK! RUN!, please visit: https://rungeekrun.com

About Ironistic

Ironistic (ironistic.com) is a full service, online development and marketing firm. Founded in 2012, but with industry experience going back to 1996, Ironistic delivers innovative website development services and effective online marketing solutions to companies of all sizes and across all industries. From small brochure websites to custom portals, Ironistic services include strategy and consulting, website/app design and development, online marketing and search engine optimization, and Web hosting and maintenance.

About Hudson Studio

Hudson Studio (hudsonstudio.com) is a small, woman-owned graphic design firm built on the fundamentals of combining compelling visual communications with excellent customer service. Hudson Studio strategizes and delivers pieces based on clients needs  not todays trends. They have local and national, big and small, nonprofit and for-profit clients with a wide range of needs, time zones and deadlines. Creating award-winning works from advertisements to exhibits to identities to publications in a creative and energetic atmosphere is what we do best.

About Alexandria Seaport Foundation (ASF)

The Alexandria Seaport Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which was established in 1982 to honor the citys maritime heritage and culture. In 1993, ASF shifted its focus to serving at-risk youth through adult mentoring, project-based learning and the building of wooden boats.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to go to the Philippines by the end of the year, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday.

In a press conference Tuesday, Cayetano said both parties have yet to discuss if Xi's visit will be an official or a state one.

"We are looking forward to President Xi visiting the country this year but we are still talking about specific dates. We are working as if the visit will push through. I think both sides wanted it," Cayetano said.

The foreign affairs chief came fresh off the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Singapore, where he met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

This will be Xi's first visit under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has expressed his adoration for the Chinese leader.

"When presidents at this level meet there are a lot of preparations and a lot of things that they want to announce," Cayetano added.

In April, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced Xi will visit the country after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Papua New Guinea in November.

Duterte's warmer ties with China have met criticisms from lawmakers for his alleged inaction on the West Philippine Sea dispute in exchange for stronger economic ties with the Eastern giant.

"I just simply love Xi Jinping. He understood, he understands my problem, and he's willing to help. And I would like to say thank you, China," Duterte earlier said in April, just before he met with Xi in the Boao Forum in Hainan, China.

READ: Duterte: China an 'important ingredient' in 'Build, Build, Build' program

China has refused to observe a 2016 international tribunal ruling which invalidates a nine-dash claim over the South China Sea and affirms the Philippines' sovereign rights to islands within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Duterte then said we cannot go to war with China over the territorial dispute.
With community referrals and a push on social media, we raised $500 for the cancer relay in Middle Village. We have another upcoming cancer walk so we can continue to promote the funding of cancer research for residents in our area.

Abraham Kevin Spann, the founder and agency principal of A. Kevin Spann Insurance in Queens, is releasing details on a recent charity effort that produced a sizeable donation for cancer research. Spann and his team are also asking New York area residents to join them during an upcoming cancer walk on Long Island this October 7th.

With community referrals and a push on social media, we raised $500 for the cancer relay in Middle Village. We have another upcoming cancer walk so we can continue to promote the funding of cancer research for residents in our area, said Spann.

Those who cannot join the agency for the newest cancer walk are encouraged to take advantage of the referral program that Spann team has implemented to build community support. For anyone who refers a friend into A. Kevin Spann Insurance for a complimentary policy analysis, Spann will make a $10 donation in their name to a local cancer program.

For additional information on how to support the event, the following page is available: http://akspann.com/rewards/.

About A. Kevin Spann Insurance

As a Personal Insurance Representative in Queens, agency owner Abraham Kevin Spann knows many local families. His knowledge and understanding of the people in his community ensures that clients of A. Kevin Spann Insurance are provided with an outstanding level of service. Abraham and his team look forward to helping families protect the things that are most important - family, home, car and more. A. Kevin Spann Insurance also offers clients a preparation strategy for achieving their financial goals. To contact an expert at A. Kevin Spann Insurance, visit http://www.akspann.com/ or call (718) 381-1400.
AKA Enterprise Solutions was named to the Inner Circle for the first time back in 1999, said Alan Kahn, Co-CEO of AKA. Nearly 20 years later, it is gratifying to continue to be recognized for helping our customers transform their businesses by leveraging Microsoft technology and industry expertise

AKA Enterprise Solutions, a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner and cloud consultancy, today announced it has achieved the prestigious 2018/2019 Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications. This is the 14th year the company has been named to the Inner Circle.

Inner Circle members are recognized for their achievement in sales and innovation, performing to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help their customers achieve increased success. Members are considered to be in the top 1% of the Microsofts Business Applications global network of partners.

Each year we recognize Microsoft Business Applications partners from around the world for delivering innovation and driving unsurpassed customer success, said Cecilia Flombaum, Senior Director, Microsoft, One Commercial Partner organization. Our Inner Circle members are chosen based on their business performance as well as capabilities as an organization, whether thats creating IP, developing solutions, or having an industry leading focus on digital transformation. Microsoft is honored to recognize AKA Enterprise Solutions for their achievements this past year, their dedication to our customers, and their innovation around the Microsoft Cloud.

In addition to being honored as a member, 2018/2019 Inner Circle inductees are invited to the Inner Circle Summit on October 23, 2018, where they will network with Microsoft senior leaders and fellow partners, sharing strategies and ideas for continued innovation.

AKA Enterprise Solutions was named to the Inner Circle for the first time back in 1999, said Alan Kahn, Co-CEO of AKA. Nearly 20 years later, it is gratifying to continue to be recognized for helping our customers transform their businesses by leveraging Microsoft technology and industry expertise.

Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications inductees were announced during Microsoft Inspire, the annual premier partner event, July 15-19, 2018, in Las Vegas, NV.

About AKA Enterprise Solutions

For more than 25 years, AKA Enterprise Solutions has been dedicated to making it easier organizations to do business and innovate their way to greatness by using technology to simplify processes and reduce risks. Specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365, Cloud Services Business Process Consulting, and Custom Application Development, AKA combines industry and technical experience, proven methodologies, and world-class consulting to help firms achieve their goals. The company is headquartered in New York, NY, with offices located throughout the U.S.
CoinMD logo Kansas Citys 10-20 cryptocurrency mining facilities, recent blockchain news and two blockchain clubs caught my attention, said Tom McMurrain, The 7th Disruption author.

Amazon best-selling author, Tom McMurrain, will be visiting Kansas City on August 24 to give a free lecture that will explore blockchain technologys growth, discuss cryptocurrency and note the economic impact of blockchain technology in Kansas City. Kansas City has 10-20 cryptocurrency mining facilities, residents can even use bitcoin to purchase a Tesla and it has not one but two blockchain organizations (i.e., New Currency University and KC Bitcoin Club).

Tom McMurrain authored The 7th Disruption: The Rise of the Digital Currency Billionaire (https://amzn.to/2LTjxOP), which delves into the dynamic market disruptions created by technological advances. His book details how and why disruptions create trillion dollar markets, reshape human culture, bankrupt companies (Blockbuster Video vs. Redbox), disrupt industries (taxis vs. Uber) and transform countries.

In the last 100 years, six disruptions notably TV, Internet, email, mobile, e-commerce, and social media have created thousands of multi-billion dollar industries. Global banks, financial institutions and even governments are moving into blockchain and cryptocurrency applications. This includes the UKs central bank, Qatars commercial bank, Tennessees smart contracts, Nevada, Delaware, Dubai and Canada, said Tom McMurrain, The 7th Disruption author. My mission is to educate as many people as possible regarding the true impact of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Blockchain technology possesses the potential to lift more people out of poverty than any other human advance in history.

People can attend Tom McMurrains free blockchain and cryptocurrency lecture on Friday, August 24, at 6:30pm at the Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty Street, in Overland Park. The lecture will cover the evolution of blockchain, how cryptocurrency has created wealth faster than any other technology in history, how people can participate in this trend and the potential economic impact for Kansas.

About Tom McMurrain

Tom McMurrain is the author of an Amazon best seller - The 7th Disruption: The Rise of the Digital Currency Billionaire. He highlights business models that disrupt companies, industries and countries. Speaking to audiences around the world, he is known for his ability to help people clearly understand what digital currency is and how people can make it part of their lifestyle. His thesis is that blockchain is a major disruptor and that it will lift more people out of poverty than any other technological advance in human history.
An agent should have one boss, and thats the client.You cannot have two allegiancesto the clinic and the client both. The client and clinic often have competing motivations.

As reported by the Interfax news agency in Kiev, two bills have been introduced to the Verkhovna Rada [the Ukrainian parliament] to regulate or restrict surrogacy in Ukraine. In response to these developments, Sensible Surrogacy advises clients to take special precautions when considering surrogacy in Ukraine.

Sensible Surrogacy continues to recommend Ukraine as a destination for surrogacy for heterosexual, married couples. Even with the new legislation, the country remains one of the few politically stable countries worldwide that supports commercial surrogacy. However, the consultancy is also advising clients to be wary of large-scale, one-stop surrogacy-only" organizations.

Since 2009 when surrogacy in Ukraine was legalized, several large-scale surrogacy-only services have popped up, said Bill Houghton, director of Sensible Surrogacy. These organizations exist solely to cash in on the legality of commercial surrogacy in Ukraine. The profit-motivation of surrogacy-only organizations is a strong incentive to cut corners and concoct 'grey-area' options that bypass local laws. These less-reputable practices have led to the current scandals, and to the proposed new restrictions in Ukraine.

Sensible Surrogacy expects that such surrogacy-only organizations will see greater government oversight. Intended Parents who work with such surrogacy services may find themselves under increased scrutiny, additional bureaucracy, and delays once their baby is born.

Intended Parents who take advantage of grey area legal options in Ukraine are more likely to find themselves in legal jeopardy, according to the consultancy.

Sensible Surrogacy advises Intended Parents to consider their surrogacy journey following these guidelines:

1. Avoid surrogacy agencies that are wholly owned by a specific clinic. These agencies may have a conflict of interest that can impact the objectivity of client care.

2. Avoid agencies that receive referral fees or other kickbacks from clinics.

3. Avoid clinics that both perform medical services, and also offer to find, compensate and manage the surrogate mother. The surrogate mother's care should be managed by an independent coordinator who has her best as a top priority.

4. Consider working with general practice fertility clinics, which perform a wide variety of fertility procedures and not primarily focused on surrogacy.

5. Always adhere to the local laws, and be wary of any options that seem to operate in a legal grey area. This is especially true for programs that offer surrogacy for gay couples, which is strictly prohibited in Ukraine.

It is always a red flag to work with an agency that is financially tied to a particular clinic; or worse, to be wholly operated by a clinic, said Houghton. Theres a clear conflict of interest if an agency can only recommend just one clinic regardless of that clinic's success or reputation. An agency should be independent and able to refer clients to the best service providers for each clients individual needs.

One-stop agencies are particularly troublesome, according to Houghton. The agents responsibility should be to look after the clients best interests. But they cannot meet this responsibility if their first priority is to the profitability of their clinic.

An agent should have one boss, and thats the client, said Houghton. You cannot have two allegiancesto the clinic and the client both. The client and clinic often have competing objectives.

And it should go without saying (although apparently not in recent cases in Kiev) that clients should avoid solutions offered by clinics that are contrary to the local laws.

Clinics may offer shortcuts to make the surrogacy process faster, easier or bypass some legal obstaclesbut these solutions have inherent risks. While many times clients may make it through their process undetected, eventually these loopholes will be uncovered and the unlucky clients will find themselves facing severe penalties. Such gambling with the future of ones family is not worth the risk, according to the consultancy.

Fortunately, the first draft legislation does not include a prohibition on surrogacy in Ukraine. The bill reiterates existing regulationsfor example it specifies the age and medical status of surrogate mothers as well as the civil status of the Intended Parents. Sensible Surrogacy believes this is the bill most likely to move forward in the parliament.

The second proposed legislation prohibits surrogacy for foreign couples. Sensible Surrogacy believes that legislation is unlikely to move forward. The consultancy points out that similar legislation has been introduced previously by conservative elements in the government, but never received sufficient support to pass into law. (Text of the law is available on the Ukrainian government website.)

Sensible Surrogacy is an ethical IVF & surrogacy consultancy and publisher of the Sensible Surrogacy Guide, which is a definitive source for what is surrogacy internationally. Since 2012 they have advocated for affordable, transparent and ethical surrogacy services through their global consultants and a network of medical and legal service providers.
Cordisco & Saile LLC "Helping people is our first order of business. And when you do that, the successful settlements and judgments tend to fall into place." - Michael Saile

Bucks County attorney Michael Saile Jr., Esq. has been named one of the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers in the country by the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. The distinction highlights Sailes commitment to serving his clients in the community.

Shortly after earning his Juris Doctor at Widener University School of Law, Saile began representing local car accidents victims in their battles with powerful auto insurance companies.

Customer service and communication with our clients is at the forefront of what we do and its what drives our firms success, Saile said. Helping people is our first order of business. And when you do that, the successful settlements and judgments tend to fall into place.

That drive to help people extends outside of the courtroom for Saile. It has led him to publish a pair of personal injury books  Dont Crash Again and Not Another Bad Lawyer  aimed at helping consumers in the aftermath of serious accidents.

In addition to being named one of the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers, Saile has also been recognized as one of the Top 40 under 40 and received the AV Preeminent attorney rating.

Being named one of the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers is an honor, Saile said. Awards such as these are never the motivation for what I do, but they do embody the good work and service our firm strives to provide for our clients. At the end of each day, it is our clients that matter most to us as a firm.

In addition to his work as a personal injury attorney, Saile also serves as a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Associations for Justice. Cordisco & Saile LLC was founded in 2016 alongside attorney John Cordisco.

About Cordisco & Saile LLC

Cordisco & Saile LLC is a personal injury law firm located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Founded by attorneys Michael Saile and John Cordisco, the firm helps people hurt in slips and falls, car accidents, work accidents, medical malpractice, and other types of accidents.

The law firm helps people pursue compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses related to their injuries.

Cordisco & Saile LLC

900 Northbrook Dr #120

Trevose, PA 19053

(215) 642-2335
One of Huilo Huilo's magical properties Todays traveler not only seeks a room to sleep in, but a unique and unforgettable experience as the one offered by the hotels of Huilo Huilo.

Travelers the world over can now book a stay inside the Chilean Patagonian Rainforest, thanks to SiteMinder, the global hotel industrys leading cloud platform. SiteMinders technology has been adopted by the multi-award-winning Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, which offers eight accommodation properties that are located in the heart of the rainforest and are today more accessible to travellers through the multitude of online booking channels offered through SiteMinder.

Found under the Andes mountain range, Huilo Huilos hotels and cabins are renowned for providing a truly memorable experience to guests, who are encouraged to disconnect from the outside world while enjoying luxurious accommodation in the wild.

Huilo Huilo provides a very diverse range of accommodations, so we were looking for technology that would be suitable for any kind of property. We needed it to be simple and user-friendly, so any member of our team could manage it, but also be versatile and provide the ability for us to carry out our globalization strategy, says Soledad Guzman, General Commercial Manager of the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve.

SiteMinder offered everything we wanted and we now use the platform to manage our rates and apply our revenue management strategies. The constant innovation that happens in the background, combined with the meticulous control that the platform offers, has given us confidence and peace of mind that we can face our commercial challenges with great results and support from SiteMinders team.

The Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve is a past recipient of a World Legacy Award by National Geographic and has been named one of the worlds Top 100 Sustainable Destinations by Green Destinations. The reserve is among the many attractions for tourists in Chile, alongside the Atacama Desert, Easter Island and the Santiago capital.

The team at the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve reminds us that excellence in hospitality can exist independently of a propertys shape and size. The tourism sector has evolved in so many ways; todays traveler not only seeks a room to sleep in, but a unique and unforgettable experience as the one offered by the hotels of Huilo Huilo. We are delighted to work with an accommodation provider that sees the fundamental role of technology in enabling the future of hotels. It is a privilege for SiteMinder to be a part of the Huilo Huilo story, and to collaborate on attracting more guests to these incredible properties and competing not only with other hotels but with other rising tourist destinations globally, says Rocio Herraiz, Director of Communications  Latin America at SiteMinder.

About SiteMinder

As the leading cloud platform for hotels, SiteMinder allows hotels to attract, reach and convert guests across the globe. We serve hotels of all sizes with award-winning solutions for independents and groups alike, wherever they are in the world.

SiteMinders products include The Channel Manager, the industrys leading online distribution platform; TheBookingButton, a wholly-branded booking engine for direct bookings via the web, mobile or social; Canvas, the intelligent website creator for independent hoteliers; Prophet, the real-time market intelligence solution that takes the guesswork out of pricing rooms; and GDS by SiteMinder, a single-point of entry to a six-figure network of travel agents and the worlds major global distribution systems. With more than 30,000 hotel customers and 600 of the industrys top connectivity providers as our partners, today we have presence in more than 160 countries on six continents. For more information, visit http://www.siteminder.com.

About Huilo Huilo

The Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve was created in 2000. The idea was to build a new way of looking at the forest, supporting the reconversion of the surrounding villages  which are characterized by their welcoming reception and entrepreneurial capacity  from an exclusively wood activity to a vision in which conservation and sustainability are a way of living. The goal of the reserve is to gradually achieve the conversion of this typically-timber area into a sustainable tourism destination committed to the conservation of its habitat. Huilo Huilo featured in the World Legacy Awards in 2015, in the category of Conservation of the Natural World, an award given by the National Geographic Society thanks to its work conserving the endangered native deer: the huemul. For more information, visit huilohuilo.com.
The inventor of this technology had the vision to create a laptop that converted to a tablet long before tablets were the sought-after technology they are today. We are very pleased that we could help him benefit from his extraordinary insight.

In March 2016, Blackbird Technologies filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Lenovo (United States) Inc. on U.S. Patent No. 7,129,931 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (16-cv-00140). The patented technology relates to a computer display system that transforms from a laptop to a tablet. Last month, the parties settled the case.

Wendy Verlander, President and CEO of Blackbird Technologies, stated, The inventor of this technology had the vision to create a laptop that converted to a tablet long before tablets were the sought-after technology they are today. We are very pleased that we could help him benefit from his extraordinary insight.

About Blackbird Technologies

Blackbird Technologies provides a unique opportunity for individual inventors and small companies to realize the value of their patents. By using in-house expertise, rather than expensive law firms, Blackbird Technologies is able to litigate at reduced costs and achieve results that equal or exceed what a law firm would recover. This company creates efficiencies that make it possible for individual inventors and small companies to see the end game  realizing the true value of their patents.
We believe that PCI-validated P2PE provides our merchants significant security benefits and are thrilled to partner with Bluefin to deliver this solution to our customers," said Adina Ahmed, CTO, Anderson Zaks.

Leading payment security solution provider Bluefin and Anderson Zaks, one of Europes leading payment service providers for all EMV and e-commerce card transactions, today announced a partnership to provide Bluefins PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) security solution to merchants and retailers utilizing Anderson Zaks RedCard Payment Processing System.

Anderson Zaks provides a global, integrated payment processing environment for retailers and merchants through the companys RedCard Payment Gateway, which includes EPOS, Payment Page, Virtual Terminal, UPT and Cloud processing. The company serves over 15,000 sites and provides seamless integration between the merchants and Payment applications, supporting all UK and Irish acquirers as well as many from across continental Europe.

Bluefin enables PCI-validated P2PE on processing platforms and point-of-sale (EPOS) systems using their Decryptx Decryption as a Service (DaaS) product, which allows gateways, applications, and processors to connect directly to Bluefin for P2PE service.

With the continual growth in credit and debit cards and transaction volumes, criminals have become aware of the monetary gains available from stealing card details. There have been many high profile data security breaches that have resulted in damage to customer reputation, fines and large financial losses, said Adina Ahmed, CTO, Anderson Zaks. We believe that PCI-validated P2PE provides our merchants significant security benefits and are thrilled to partner with Bluefin to deliver this solution to our customers.

Bluefins PCI-validated P2PE solutions devalue credit card and debit data with immediate encryption upon swipe or dip in the PCI-approved point of entry device, preventing clear-text cardholder data from being accessible in the event of a data breach. Data decryption always occurs offsite in a Bluefin hardware security module (HSM).

Data breaches show no signs of slowing down, both in the U.S. and internationally. In fact, hackers continue to breach the systems of major retailers, enterprises and healthcare organizations to get card data because unfortunately, many organizations are still not encrypting consumers credit cards upon entry, said Greg Cornwell, Head of Global Sales, Bluefin. This is a global problem and we applaud U.K.-based Anderson Zaks for providing the security and PCI scope reduction of PCI-validated P2PE to user of the RedCard Payment Processing System.

The benefits of the Bluefin / Anderson Zaks P2PE solution include reduction in PCI scope, qualification for the 33 question SAQ P2PE, the P2PE Manager online device management system, and integration with the Ingenico iPP350, Miura M010 and the ID TECH SREDKey.

About Bluefin

Bluefin provides the leading payment security platform that supports payment gateways, processors and ISVs in more than 20 countries. Bluefins secure payment platform is key to the holistic approach to data security. Designed to complement EMV and tokenization, Bluefins PCI-validated Point-to-Point (P2PE) solutions provide a solid security defense against current and future data breaches. Bluefin supports point of sale solutions for retail, mobile, call center and kiosk/unattended environments, and secure Ecommerce technologies. Bluefin is a Participating Organization (PO) of the PCI Security Standards Council (SSC) and is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in New York, Chicago, Tulsa and Waterford, Ireland. For more information, please visit https://www.bluefin.com/.

About Anderson Zaks

Anderson Zaks is a leading Omni-channel Payment Service Provider (PSP) based in the UK. The company delivers highly reliable, fast and secure payment processing services to thousands of businesses across the UK and continental Europe. Anderson Zaks addresses the payment needs of small and medium sized enterprises through to multi-national corporations. The companys RedCard Processing Services provide authorisation, settlement and a range of value added transaction services, supporting Chip and PIN, contactless, and e-Commerce transactions, with connections to all UK and many European acquirers. For more information, please visit https://www.andersonzaks.com/.
Based on last years attendance and positive feedback, we are looking forward to hosting an even larger 2019 NERC Compliance Workshop, President Ted Enos said.

Certrec, a leading NERC regulatory compliance service provider, is pleased to announce their fourth Annual NERC Compliance workshop is scheduled to be held February 1820 in Fort Worth, Texas.

After the success of last years workshop, Certrec plans to continue the momentum with another conference, offering even more services and opportunities to the NERC community.

Based on last years attendance and positive feedback, we are looking forward to hosting an even larger 2019 NERC Compliance Workshop, President Ted Enos said.

Attendees will include generator owner/generator operators across regions, representing wind, solar, biomass, cogeneration, gas, hydro, nuclear, and coal assets.

The workshop will provide updates on Internal Controls, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CMEP), CIP, and other relevant standards. Three regional representatives will present their regulatory perspectives on the latest standards, the risk-based approach to compliance, and standards development.

Guest presenters will discuss cyber security, facility ratings, and human performance. Certrecs NERC team will provide insights on best practices.

Risk to the owner and operator can be reduced significantly with a robust NERC compliance program. Incorporating insights and operating experience from others are key components, said Bob Biggs, Certrec ONC Services Director. Sharing experiences as well as learning from your peers and the regulators results in continued compliance program growth and enhancement. The result is less time and money invested in NERC audits, self-reports, violations, and fines.

Founded in 1988, Certrec is an engineering and technology-based organization providing regulatory support services in the electric power industry. With more than 1,000 cumulative years of direct industry experience (including wind, solar, nuclear, and fossil), Certrec has developed exceptional capabilities to support regulatory activities emanating from regulatory entities such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Regional Entities (NERC), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other regulatory agencies. Certrec's Office of NERC Compliance (ONC), Office of Licensing and Compliance (OLC), Office of Assessment and Recovery (OAR), and Office of New Plant (ONP) services are used by utilities and entities across the United States to help manage the regulatory process to their advantage.

Certrec offers support from highly skilled, experienced, industry professionals who possess degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Nuclear). Additionally, Certrec's staff has multiple degreed personnel in physics, communications, business, and information technology. This accomplished team has direct working experience in all regulatory areas of licensing, compliance, and engineering, including nuclear, fossil, and renewable generation and transmission.

For 30 years, Certrec has applied the accumulated hundreds of years of staff industry experience toward helping its clients develop and manage solutions to complex regulatory issues. Combining this direct industry experience with Certrec's Information Technology assets has led to the development of technology-based solutions and tools directly targeted to the electric power industry and specifically focused on helping clients manage regulatory issues. We believe this approach is the key to our successful client programs as well as our growing NERC practice.

Certrecs quality program and information security management system are ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified. Also, Certrec has successfully completed a Type 2 SOC 2 examination. The scope of Document Management and Regulatory Services was examined against the Trust Services principles of Security. Availability, and Confidentiality. Our organization is committed to maintaining or exceeding current levels of service and, thus, will perform required annual examinations and audits.
Dr. Todd Britten & Staff to Hold 4th Annual Veteran's Day Event The entire staff at Britten Periodontics is so grateful to the men and women in the military that make so many sacrifices for our freedom. We are happy to host this annual event, and hope to do it for many years to come.

Dr. Todd M. Britten and the team at Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is gearing up for their 4th annual Free Dental Day for Veterans. The event is scheduled for November 9, 2018.

Veterans make the ultimate sacrifice for our country, said Dr. Todd Britten. Many of us ask ourselves, What can we do?, How can we make a difference? Dr. Britten said that is exactly what he asked himself in 2015. I am aware that dental coverage for veterans was very hard to attain, so we hit the ground running trying to deliver periodontal care to as many veterans as we could.

The inaugural year the Clearwater, FL based periodontal practice provided over $35,000 in treatment over the last 3 years events. Stated Britten, Having local dentists involved enables us to provide more comprehensive care to our veterans. Being a periodontist, my specialty is really the surrounding structures of the teeth; roots, gum and bone. My job is to help with the foundation. Having restorative specialists involved helps us to treat the whole mouth and really deliver comprehensive care to these veterans.

Britten Periodontics and Implant Dentistry is currently doing initial exams on veterans to get them scheduled for treatment. If you know of any veteran in serious need of dental care, please get in touch with their office right away, as these spaces are filling up quickly, says Ellen Byrd, a dental hygienist in the practice who helps plan the event each year.

Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is a periodontal practice offering patients personalized dental care in implant dentistry in Clearwater, Florida. Dr. Todd Britten offers sedation dentistry. For more information, visit http://www.brittenperio.com
Throughout our 13-year history at cleverbridge, weve been fortunate to have attracted some of the most talented people to join us on our mission to transform the way digital businesses sell globally online.

cleverbridge, a provider of ecommerce and subscription billing solutions for monetizing digital goods, online services and SaaS, announces that the Illinois Technology Association (ITA) has named cleverbridge, Inc. CEO and co-founder Craig Vodnik a finalist for the 2018 ITA CityLIGHTS CEO of the Year Award. Now in its 19th year, the ITA CityLIGHTS Awards is the premier annual event elevating and honoring achievements from the local tech community. Winners of the awards will be announced at a gala event on September 13 at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago.

The CEO of the Year Award is presented to a CEO who has successfully scaled their company through outstanding leadership, ability to attract and retain talented resources, financial accomplishments and the implementation of strategic growth opportunities. All award finalists are selected by a panel of accomplished judges representing a Whos Who in Illinois technology. The public can contribute to the selection of this years winners by voting from August 6-17 at http://www.itacitylights.com/voting. Winners will be determined by a composite judges score and public voting in all categories except the Industry Champion, which is determined soley by the ITA Board of Directors.

This years finalists showcase the best of the best within the Chicago tech ecosystem, said Julia Kanouse, CEO, ITA. Our judges did an outstanding job selecting leaders and companies that exemplify the heart and soul of our community  hardworking, pragmatic businesses that are driving the industry forward and creating a lasting impact on the future of Chicago.

"I'm deeply honored and humbled to have been selected as a finalist for this amazing honor among this group of industry leaders, said Vodnik. Throughout our 13-year history at cleverbridge, weve been fortunate to have attracted some of the most talented people to join us on our mission to transform the way digital businesses sell globally online. ITAs recognition is a testament to our entire team and our commitment to create an environment where people can develop and thrive.

This is the second year Vodnik has been named a ITA CityLIGHTS CEO of the Year Award Finalist (2014 and 2018), and the fifth consecutive year cleverbridge has been named a finalist in the ITA CityLIGHTS Awards. The company was named a Lighthouse Award Finalist in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and an Outstanding Technology Development Award Finalist in 2016.

Vodnik was named to Crains Chicago Business 2017 Tech 50 and a 2016 Chicago Illini of the Year Award honoree for his career achievements and positive impact on the Chicago community. He was also named to the 2015 Techweek100, Chicago Tribunes Blue Sky Vault, and a 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Midwest Finalist. Outside of cleverbridge, Vodnik has continued to help develop other entrepreneurs as a mentor at Catapult Chicago, Junto Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Enterpriseworks Entrepreneur-In-Residence, and as a board member of Hyde Park Angels. He has also helped further the Illinois tech scene by hosting and judging multiple hackathons at the cleverbridge office.

To view the 2018 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards finalists or cast your vote for the category winners, visit http://www.itacitylights.com between August 6-17.

About cleverbridge

cleverbridge provides ecommerce and subscription management solutions for monetizing digital goods, online services and SaaS. Our cloud-based ecommerce platform simplifies recurring billing, optimizes the customer experience and offers comprehensive global compliance and payment capabilities. Leveraging cleverbridge expertise, technology and services, our B2C and B2B clients acquire more customers, improve retention and grow their revenue in international markets. cleverbridge is headquartered in Cologne, Germany with offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo and Taipei. For more information, visit http://www.cleverbridge.com.
Guy Ratzlaff (right), technology manager for Crowley Maritime in Jacksonville, right, and his son Brad, help load up more than 15,000 donated books into a Crowley shipping container. This was a wonderful team effort in which Crowley and the Crowley Cares organization were able to help a local Jacksonville charity fulfill the wish of a very selfless girl.

Crowley Maritime Corp. has helped the Jacksonville-based non-profit Dreams Come True and fulfilled the dream of a girl who wanted to create a library in her community in Grenada.

Zinzee Noel of St. George, Grenada, was diagnosed with arthrogryposis  a congenital joint condition that causes curving of the joints. She traveled to Jacksonville this year for treatment at Wolfson Childrens Hospital, and during her time there was offered the opportunity to participate in Dreams Come True, an organization that helps children with life-threatening afflictions realize a dream while recovering and dealing with their illnesses.

Zinzees dream was to bring books to her island home and create a library there. Dreams Come True was happy to oblige, mobilizing a book drive that resulted in the donation of more than 15,000 books from Northeast Florida. With books in hand, the charity needed to find a way to get them to Grenada  enter Crowley.

As a leading Caribbean shipping and logistics company, Crowley offered to transport, free of charge, one of its 20-foot long cargo shipping containers filled with 306 boxes of donated books to help the organization make Zinzees wish come true. Moreover, the company, through its employee-run Crowley Cares program, held its own book drive at its offices in Jacksonville to help fill the container.

As the books were being loaded into the Crowley container in Jacksonville in mid-July in preparation for shipment, an appreciative and overwhelmed Ashley Smith, dream manager from Dreams Come True, smiled and said, I dont think any of us expected this.

The books, which arrived in Grenada July 26, are being collated and formed into a library with the help of that nations department of education.

This was a wonderful team effort in which Crowley and the Crowley Cares organization were able to help a local Jacksonville charity fulfill the wish of a very selfless girl, said Crowleys Guy Ratzlaff, manager of technology, who helped lead Crowleys support effort.

About Crowley

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 126-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company that provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets. Crowley operates under four business units: Crowley LOGISTICS, a singular ocean liner and logistics supply chain division; Crowley SHIPPING, which encompasses ownership, operations and management of vessels, including tankers, container ships, tugboats and barges; Crowley FUELS, a fuel transportation, distribution and sales division that also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related services; and Crowley SOLUTIONS, which focuses on government services, including vessel management for government agencies, as well as engineering, project management, naval architecture through its subsidiary Jensen Maritime, and marine salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at http://www.crowley.com.
The Crowley ODS document scanners advance digitization options for students, staff and community. "As we continue to recover from the tornado damage, the ODS book scanner is an encouraging starting point for the media lab...having this new technology is a visual, usable reminder of our long term goals and will be a valuable resource to students now."

Matt McCabe, vice president of sales and marketing for The Crowley Company  a world leader providing scanners and services for digitization  today announces the winners of Crowleys American Libraries Association(ALA) Annual Conference book scanner giveaway. They are: Jacksonville State University (JSU) in Alabama; Loyola University at New Orleans (LUNO); and Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO).

During the four-day ALA exhibition, attendees had the opportunity to visit The Crowley Company booth and enter to win a Crowley-manufactured ODS A3+-size book scanner in exchange for a demo on any of the in-booth patron and back office microfilm, book scanners or IMAGEhost microform image-hosting platform.

McCabe states, Through more than a decade of appearances at the ALA conference, our bond with librarians, staff and library supporters has strengthened immeasurably. These relationships inspired us to engineer the cost-conscious and user-friendly ODS overhead document scanner. As a show of continued thanks and support to the library community, were pleased to donate an ODS book scanner to each of these very deserving institutions. Previously, the company donated two ODS scanners to Queens Public Library at Ridgewood and Northern Arizona University, who were winners during a similar contest at ALA Midwinter in Denver. The scanners have helped provide digitization services to students, researchers and others in their communities.

About the ODS Overhead Document Scanner

The ODS book and document scanners are equipped with a touchscreen interface, allowing users to operate the scanner through familiar touch functions that mimic smartphones and tablets. The touchscreen eliminates the need for an external PC. The ODS fits all flat and bound media up to A3+ size (20.4 x 16.5) and can easily output to digital outlets such as USB, email, Dropbox and more. In its class, the ODS is considered an affordable option for entry-level or back-office scanning of bound books, flat documents, photographs, spiral notebooks, binders and more. Images from the ODS can be output to all standard formats including PDF, JPG, TIF, PNG, GIF and BMP.

JSUs Houston Cole Library, LUNOs Law Library and SUNOs Leonard S. Washington Library were chosen from over 25 entries. The institutions were selected for their community value and immediate need for a patron book scanner.

ODS Starts Media Lab Offerings at Jacksonville State University

After the campus sustained tornado damage in March 2018, JSUs twelve-story Houston Cole Library became a hub for student needs. The library serves over 8,000 students and is acting as the temporary educational headquarters for three subjects while other buildings are under repair. The librarys head of public services, John Upchurch, remarks, As we continue to recover from the tornado damage, the ODS book scanner is an encouraging starting point for the media lab that is set to open shortly after Labor Day. Having this new technology is a visual, usable reminder of our long term goals and will be a valuable resource to students now.

Safe Book Scanning for Rare Collections at Loyola University at New Orleans Law Library

Loyolas Law Library serves the Universitys law students, alumni and the general public by providing access to monographs, statutes, magazines, scholarly journals, periodicals and more. Before winning the ODS scanner, students used the librarys hinged-lid copier to digitize materials. Michele Pope, serials and government documents librarian and associate professor, elaborates, The copier couldnt be used on our rare book collection. Since the ODS is a flatbed scanner with an overhead camera, no lid and curve correction, well be able to safely digitize books without worrying about crushed spines or other damage. The students will also be able to use the scanner without being charged copy fees, which were necessary on our last copier. I think this will encourage the students to use the resource more.

The library may also use the scanner to begin their online digital collections. We have some archives that we may be able to house online for the public once they are digitized with the ODS book scanner. There are a lot of possibilities now open to us. Its a very exciting advancement.

ODS Scanner Supports Student Success at Southern University at New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina devastated SUNOs Leonard S. Washington Memorial Library and displaced them from their actual facility for nine years. After returning to their official library just four years ago, the library has focused on doing all they can to promote the success of the community and their 2,400+ students, many of which are first generation college students. Karla Ayala, a library specialist at SUNO says, The library has several resources for encouraging academic success including a selection of reserved textbooks for those that cannot afford their own copies. The textbooks cannot be removed from the library so students have used a standard copier to duplicate pages for reference. The copier only allowed for printed copies so the ODS book scanners ability to digitally save and send images on something as small as a USB or through the students email accounts will make things easier and save the library money on paper costs.

For more information on the Crowley ODS Overhead Document Scanner click here.

About The Crowley Company

The Crowley Company is a world-leader in digitization/preservation technologies and provides an extensive number of digital document and microfilm conversion services to the public, private and government sectors. The company manufactures, distributes and services high-speed microfilm, microfiche, aperture card, book and document scanners, microfilm duplicators, film processors, micrographics equipment and 71MP cameras. Manufactured brands include Crowley, Mekel Technology and Wicks and Wilson.
Crowley Fuels and Ravn Air Group Sign Long-Term Contract "We are excited about our long-term partnership with a leader in the Alaska fuel industry, which will accelerate Ravns ability to better serve Alaskas transportation and logistics market."

Crowley Fuels, LLC, and Ravn Air Group (Ravn) announced today that the two companies have executed a long-term contract to provide aviation fuel and services to Alaskas largest regional airline, headquartered in Anchorage.

The new agreement expands on the existing Crowley/Ravn relationship, which began in 2010. In addition to providing aviation fuel to Ravn, under the terms of this new contract, Crowley will provide on-site, into-wing fueling services  supplying 100 LL AvGas and additized Jet A  to Ravns commercial aircraft in Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, St. Marys, Galena and Aniak, streamlining the fueling process, and enhancing Ravns ability to serve its customers through optimized operations. Crowley Fuels is also providing heating oil and gasoline to these six Ravn locations with opportunities to expand services to other locations in the state.

We are extremely proud to provide Ravn with expanded commercial fuel services and support, said Crowleys Rick Meidel, vice president and general manager. Throughout the term, Ravn will see efficiencies and improved fuel services optionality. We are also excited to help enhance Ravns fuel quality and control processes, which will allow Ravn to focus on the other critical operational aspects of their aviation business. We look forward to this next step in our long-term relationship with one of Alaskas most tenured aviation companies.

In our pursuit to create a world-class airline and be the carrier of choice in Alaska, we are excited about our long-term partnership with a leader in the Alaska fuel industry, which will accelerate Ravns ability to better serve Alaskas transportation and logistics market, said Steve Jackson, Ravns chief financial officer. As Alaskas hometown regional airline, this agreement helps drive operational and cost efficiencies, to the benefit of the thousands of Ravn passengers who travel across our great state.

Including nearly 10 million gallons of aviation gasoline and 16 million gallons of jet fuel, Crowley is a leader in the Alaska fuel industry, providing transportation, distribution and sales of petroleum products to aviation, residential, industrial, and other commercial customers in about 280 communities across the state. The company also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales, distribution and engineering services primarily in Alaska, the Caribbean and Central America. Other Crowley business units in Alaska support the energy industry on the North Slope with summer sealifts of large production modules, offshore engineering, and various marine transportation services.

Supported by over 1,000 employees, Ravn operates a highly reliable fleet of nearly 70 aircraft on more than 400 flights per day from hubs in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Bethel, Aniak, St. Marys, Nome, Kotzebue, Unalakleet, Barrow, and Galena. The airline provides passenger, mail, freight, and charter customers with air transportation and logistics services to more than 115 destinations throughout Alaska.

About Crowley

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 126-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company that provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets. Crowley operates under four business units: Crowley FUELS, a fuel transportation, distribution and sales division that also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related services; Crowley LOGISTICS, a singular ocean liner and logistics supply chain division; Crowley SHIPPING, which encompasses ownership, operations and management of vessels, including tankers, container ships, tugboats and barges; and Crowley SOLUTIONS, which focuses on government services, including vessel management for government agencies, as well as engineering, project management, naval architecture through its subsidiary Jensen Maritime, and marine salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at http://www.crowley.com.

About Ravn Air Group

Ravn Air Group is proud to be Alaskas largest regional airline. Headquartered in Anchorage and supported by over 1,000 employees, Ravn operates a highly reliable fleet of almost 70 aircraft on more than 400 flights per day (almost 3,000 flights a week) from hubs in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Bethel, Aniak, St. Marys, Nome, Kotzebue, Unalakleet, Barrow, and Galena. The airline provides passenger, mail, freight, and charter customers with air transportation and logistics services to more than 115 destinations throughout Alaska. Ravn also has interline airline agreements with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines to carry their passengers across the state. Passengers may participate in Ravn Alaskas FlyAway Rewards program for all Ravn Alaska or Ravn Connect flights or accrue Alaska Airlines miles on select Ravn flights. For more information on how to buy tickets or reserve charter flights visit flyravn.com, fly-ravn.com/charter-a-flight, or call 800-866-8394.
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Kathryn S. Wood has been selected as a 2018 Women in the Law Honoree by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Ms. Wood is a Member and Co-Chair of the firms Litigation South Region and Labor & Employment Practice Group. She focuses her practice in the areas of employment litigation, commercial litigation, and appellate practice. She has experience with discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, complex commercial litigation, class and collective actions and defamation claims in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Ms. Wood also conducts harassment/discrimination investigations and provides employment counseling and litigation prevention.

Ms. Wood is a member of the Federal Bar Association and the Detroit Bar Association. She sits on the ICLE Labor and Employment Advisory Board. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America, Legal 500, and Michigan Super Lawyers. Ms. Wood received her B.G.S. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Each year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly selects 30 lawyers to honor as Women in the Law. Women in the Law honorees are lawyers who are committed to excellence in the practice of law while inspiring and serving as mentors to other women in the profession. The 2018 Women in the Law will be honored at an annual luncheon and awards celebration on September 20, 2018 at the Detroit Marriott in Troy.

About Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 475 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has 19 offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and 12 other domestic offices in Austin and El Paso, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville and Music Row, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canadian office is located in Toronto.

Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.
This pioneering research in minimally invasive procedures is just one example of how Advantia Health is redefining healthcare for women. Were putting the most advanced technologies into the hands of the most skilled laparoscopic surgeons.

Dr. James Barter recently performed a pioneering morcellation procedure at the Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD, as part of his ongoing research to significantly improve safety and effectiveness of these surgical procedures for women.

Women develop growths in their uterus, many of which need removal. The mechanical Morcellator was developed to facilitate the removal of these uterine growths. As the procedure gained popularity, it was discovered that, a Morcellator could risk spreading fluids within the abdominal cavity. This stopped the use of Morcellator for these procedures. A new procedure using the Contained Tissue Extraction (CTE) System helped to contain any spillage into the abdomen. This procedure was successfully performed this summer by Advantia Healths surgeon Dr. James Barter.

Dr. Barter completed an intra-corporeal, in-bag, non-dispersive contained mechanical morcellation of uterine tissue using the Contained Tissue Extraction (CTE) System. The system combines the next-generation PK Morcellator with high-performance PneumoLiner containment device. Through this and similar initiatives, Advantia Health continues to focus on advanced research and cutting-edge technologies that expand lower-risk options for womens health-care.

I am delighted that we were able to successfully perform a contained mechanical morcellation at Holy Cross Hospital using the Pneumoliner, explains Dr. Barter. This was the first time at Holy Cross Hospital we were able to do a mechanical Morcellation since the original FDA alert in April 2014, which is a huge step for woman's health-care.

This pioneering research in minimally invasive procedures is just one example of how Advantia Health is redefining healthcare for women, says Dr. Peter Glass, Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder of Advantia Health. Were putting the most advanced technologies into the hands of the most skilled laparoscopic surgeons.

Advantia Healths intense focus on quality performance, leading technologies, and womens health research is reaping measurable results. For instance, Advantia Health is beating market standards through demonstrably high-performance quality indicators such as C-sections rates that are below the national average.

Advantia Health recently entered into a partnership with Elligo Health Research (http://www.elligohealthresearch.com) to expand clinical research as a quality care option throughout Advantia Healths practices. The partnership will improve clinical research access by engaging the 97% of physicians that were previously not offering clinical research to their patients. These patients will now have access to state-of-the-art treatments closer to home and remaining under the care of their trusted physician.

Advantia Health is establishing a leadership position in womens health across the Mid-Atlantic Region. Advantia Health now comprises 130 total providers serving more than 200,000 women and their families across Maryland and Virginia. Advantia is updating services at all of its locations to include mental health, wellness and expanded in-office testing and diagnostics. In addition, Advantia strives to provide every patient with easier access to online booking, telemedicine ordering, and more robust care coordination.

About Dr. James Barter

Dr. Barter is recognized as a leading gynecologic oncologist/gynecologist, minimally invasive surgeon, researcher and clinical professor. Dr. Barter is one of the Lead Physicians at Advantia Healths Womens Health Specialists practice with offices in Rockville and Germantown, Maryland. He is the director of Gynecologic Oncology Research at Holy Cross Hospital and has personally placed 1200 patients on various protocols. Dr. Barter is also a Clinical Professor at George Washington University. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia, completed two years of Internal Medicine and four years of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Medical Center and then accepted a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Alabama Medical Center. He was recently ranked among the top 15 users worldwide for robotic gynecologic and gynecologic oncology procedures and is presenting the Holy Cross Gynecologic and Gynecologic Oncology experience at the Middle Atlantic Gynecologic Oncology Symposium.

About Advantia Health

Advantia Health is a fast-growing innovative healthcare company focused on womens health and the role women play as chief medical officer of their families. Advantias Womans Health Hub model, which physically and clinically integrates primary care, behavioral health and other commonly utilized services into its OB/GYN practices, provides high quality coordinated services to meet womens needs conveniently and at lower cost. Technology and an innovative care model enable Advantia physicians and allied health professionals to thrive in a fast-changing healthcare environment while retaining the culture and benefits of independent private practice. Learn more at http://www.advantiahealth.com.
Durante Rentals, a leader in the construction equipment and tool rental industry, announced the redesign of their company website. The newly revamped website offers a mobile-ready, responsive design, that is fully functional across all platforms and devices - including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and PCs. The website address remains the same at http://www.duranterentals.com.

The new website offers quick and easy access to all their equipment offerings with updated images, videos, and manufacturer specs, allowing customers to find information faster and with less clicks. Our goal was to create an unmatched user experience with the addition of new content, improved navigation, faster page loads, and a clean, uncluttered design, said Director of Marketing, Adam Zunic. Realizing that todays customer prefers a choice of communication options, the new website offers free quotes via phone, email, live chat, text, and a quick quote form on every equipment page.

The entire website, including the graphics, content, and coding were designed by Durantes in-house Marketing department. Im extremely proud of my team for the time and energy they invested in this project as well as the vision to create something exciting that would benefit our customers, said Adam. The new website will continually be updated with fresh and relevant content. Users are encouraged to browse the new site and sign up for updates here.

New and expanded features include:



Online equipment guide  Easy access to Durantes quarterly equipment catalog from their

homepage.



Store locator  An upgraded and more interactive store locator highlighting the companys

nine current locations with addresses, store pictures, business hours, and phone numbers.



Expanded used equipment section - A dedicated section for quality used construction

equipment with detailed photos and descriptions.



Upgraded gallery  High-quality photos of equipment, staff, events, store locations, and more.

Company news section  Users can now keep up to date on new equipment offerings, the

latest tradeshows, store openings, and other company news and events.

About Durante Rentals

Founded in 2009 by three entrepreneurs, Durante Rentals is the most dependable name in construction equipment rentals with locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Brewster, Carmel, Elmsford, Flushing, Mt. Vernon, West Nyack, Danbury, CT and coming soon to Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. Contractors look to Durante for all their construction equipment needs including telehandlers, scissor lifts, generators, boom lifts, conveyors, track loaders, skid steers, ride-on rollers, forklifts and more. Durante Rentals services all five boroughs of NYC, Westchester, Rockland County, Putnam County, Connecticut and New Jersey. For more information about Durante Rentals, visit http://www.duranterentals.com or call 1-800-DURANTE.
eSentire CEO Kerry Bailey eSentire established and leads the MDR security category; our customers look for our continued innovation to help them operate securely now and into the future. Solutions like AppGate SDP deliver on our commitment to our customers and partners.

eSentire, Inc., the largest pure-play Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider, and Cyxtera Technologies, the secure infrastructure company, today announced a strategic partnership to bring customers comprehensive security solutions designed to secure todays modern hybrid IT environment.

The partnership combines eSentires 24x7 MDR with Cyxteras AppGate SDP zero-trust network offering, delivering industry-leading prevention and detection capabilities across customers hybrid IT environments. The two companies will jointly go-to-market to maximize customer reach for this mid-sized enterprise offering.

Digital transformation of our customers is accelerating the adoption of hybrid IT, fundamentally changing the enterprise perimeter and the methods required to secure it, said Kerry Bailey, eSentire CEO. Cyxtera and eSentire share a common vision  that traditional security solutions and methods are challenged to secure the new highly distributed enterprise. With this partnership, our joint customers gain modern security solutions that were built specifically for modern hybrid IT environments that span prevention, protection, and detection and response capabilities. eSentire established and leads the MDR security category; our customers look for our continued innovation to help them operate securely now and into the future. Solutions like AppGate SDP deliver on our commitment to our customers and partners.

eSentire MDR and its Security Operations Centers (SOC) investigate and respond in real-time to known and unknown threats that bypass its customers traditional security controls. eSentire MDR ingests mass amounts of security data, leveraging advanced tools, like machine learning, to detect threats and respond to them on the customers behalf. Customers can now include AppGate SDP with eSentire MDR service, delivering improved cloud policy enforcement, fine-grained user access controls, and better user behavior-based response capabilities.

Our analysts leverage the richest data sets available to make fast, informed decisions on behalf of our customers, said Bailey. AppGate SDP enriches those toolsets with user behavior and access control data that extends our response capabilities.

Organizations understand the need to modernize their security programs to keep up with transformative IT initiatives, said Manuel D. Medina, CEO of Cyxtera. Cyxtera is committed to securing network access in a perimeter-less, hybrid environment. Our AppGate SDP solution combined with eSentires MDR services can significantly lower the risk of a security event. eSentires security analysts have the benefit of AppGate SDPs fine-grained identity-centric access controls and dynamic policy enforcement  a quantum leap over outdated, static IP-based access control methods  so they can quickly detect and respond to threats.

eSentire and Cyxtera are exhibiting at Black Hat USA, August 4-9, 2018 in Las Vegas, NV, and available to discuss the partnership: eSentire booth #2010; Cyxtera booth #244.

For more information on eSentire Managed Detection and Response, visit: https://www.esentire.com/what-we-do/managed-detection-and-response/.

For more information on AppGate SDP, visit: https://www.cyxtera.com/secure-access/appgate-sdp.

About Cyxtera:

Cyxtera Technologies combines a worldwide footprint of 50+ best-in-class data centers with a portfolio of modern, cloud- and hybrid-ready security and analytics offerings  providing more than 3,500 enterprises, government agencies, and service providers an integrated, secure, and cyber-resilient infrastructure platform for critical applications and systems. For more information about Cyxtera, visit http://www.cyxtera.com/.

About eSentire:

eSentire is the largest pure-play Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service provider, keeping organizations safe from constantly evolving cyber-attacks that technology alone cannot prevent. Its 24x7 Security Operations Center (SOC), staffed by elite security analysts, hunts, investigates, and responds in real-time to known and unknown threats before they become business disrupting events. Protecting more than $5.7 trillion in corporate assets, eSentire absorbs the complexity of cybersecurity, delivering enterprise-grade protection and the ability to comply with growing regulatory requirements. For more information, visit http://www.esentire.com and follow @eSentire.

PR Contacts:

Angela Tuzzo

MRB Public Relations (for eSentire)

+1 732.758.1100, x. 105

atuzzo(at)mrb-pr.com

Mandy Bachus

eSentire Corporate Communications

+1 226.338.7135

mandy.bachus(at)esentire.com

Jimmy Asci

Teneo (for Cyxtera)

+1 212.886.9323

Jimmy.Asci(at)teneostrategy.com
What does "flexible work" mean to you? Of course, not every arrangement will work in every situation. But a company shouldnt see offering flexible work as a concession to employees; they should see it as a way to build a more committed, productive team and a stronger, forward-looking business. - Bill Stoller, Express CEO

With the tightest labor market in recent history, employers are getting creative in the ways they attract talented workers. Offering flexible work arrangements, a priority of jobseekers, is one recruitment strategy. In a new Express survey, job seekers cite a flexible work schedule as the most important non-health benefit.

According to Express Employment Professionals franchise owner Jason Patrick of Nashville, employers who offer flexible work arrangements see other benefits beyond recruitment. It also improves morale and retention, he says.

Daniel Morgan, an Express franchise owner in Birmingham, Alabama, adds that it improves a companys overall image.

The company appears to be more innovative by creating a culture that supports employees, he said.

He notes that employees will actually take less time off. A more flexible schedule allows them to respond more easily to life obstacles that arise.

Flexible Industrial Jobs?

Flexible work arrangements may come easy for office jobs, but what about industrial jobs? Lee Wenninger, an Express franchise owner in the Indianapolis area, explains how one local manufacturer found a way to offer flexibility when he was having trouble finding workers.

There were a lot people he spoke with who wanted to work for him, but could not work a traditional shift, Wenninger said.

Instead, the manufacturer opened his factory at 7 a.m. and turned out the lights at 9 p.m. Workers are required to produce a certain number of components daily; however, they can do so any time between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. So, some employees work a traditional eight-hour shift, while others work only three or four days until they reach their weekly allotment.

This allows retirees to come in early and then have the freedom to leave for appointments or other commitments, Wenninger said. They return later in the day to complete their allotment. And there are parents who work while their children are in school, then leave when their kids come home from school and return after dinner to meet their quota.

Morgan emphasizes that any job is flexible if a company prioritizes communication.

Employees need to communicate their needs ahead of time and companies will do their best to accommodate, he said.

Flexible Work Survey: What Do Job Seekers Want? What Do Employers Think?

In a survey of job seekers, Express asked respondents, What benefitsnot including healthcaredo you value most from employers? Flexible work schedule was the number one answer. Similarly, opportunities to work from home/remotely was the number three answer.



18 percent said flexible work schedule

13 percent said generous/unlimited vacation time

12 percent said opportunities to work from home/remotely

10 percent said access to training/certification classes

10 percent said casual dress code

When employers talk about flexible work, what do they have in mind? Express surveyed business leaders and asked them, What does flexible work mean to you?

25 percent said freedom to adjust your schedule to accommodate personal/family needs

20 percent said options to work outside the traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. business day

15 percent said freedom to set your own hours/schedule

11 percent said working extra hours to accommodate a 4-day work week

10 percent said working from home part-time

Technology, communication channels, family structures, business practices and commuting habits have all changed dramatically over the last couple decadeseven the last few years in some casesso its only logical that work arrangements can and should adapt as well, said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. Its much easier to build a workforce that will take a company into the future if the companys practices arent stuck in the past. Of course, not every arrangement will work in every situation. But a company shouldnt see offering flexible work as a concession to employees; they should see it as a way to build a more committed, productive team and a stronger, forward-looking business.

The poll of 734 job seekers was conducted in April via Express Employment Professionals' jobseeker blog, Movin On Up. The poll of 1,428 employers was conducted in June via Express' Refresh Leadership blog.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Karami, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 800 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Since its inception, Express has put more than 6 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.4 billion in sales and employed a record 540,000 people in 2017. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.
Living with FSHD can be a lonely road. At the Walk & Roll, we realize no one makes the journey alone.

Today, The FSH Society, the worlds largest research-focused patient advocacy organization for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), announced that it has established its first-ever nationwide signature event, the Walk & Roll to Cure FSHD. Under the unified brand, supporters anywhere in the U.S. (and beyond) can organize a walk & roll event to advocate for public awareness and funding to support the Societys work.

The FSH Societys mission is to accelerate the development of therapies while empowering individuals affected by FSHD. Our goal is to deliver a treatment or cure to our families by the year 2025, declared the Societys President and CEO, Mark Stone.

FSHD is among the most prevalent of the nine primary types of muscular dystrophy affecting adults and children. The genetic disorder is estimated to affect 870,000 individuals worldwide and causes progressive weakness, typically in the face, shoulder blade, arms, legs, and torso, but may affect almost any skeletal muscle in the body. There is currently no treatment or cure and approximately one-quarter of patients become dependent on wheelchairs.

Our event is called the Walk & Roll because FSHD can affect individuals very differently, explained Beth Johnston, Chief Community Development Officer at the FSH Society. Some people may have weakness in the upper body but can still walk and run. Others are dependent on scooters or wheelchairs. Our event is inclusive of everyone.

The Walk & Roll to Cure FSHD will take place in September and October this year in five locations around the U.S., with additional sites being added in 2019. The five inaugural events will occur at the following dates and locations:



Our five brave Walk & Roll pioneer volunteers have been taking part in monthly training sessions, testing fundraising materials, reviewing and learning the software platform, and offering valuable feedback and insight as they prepare to host their events, said Johnston. Their participation and leadership are paving the way for a nationwide program in the future, while generating important revenue today. With weeks to go until our first event, we are on track to blow our inaugural fundraising goal out of the water!

We need a cure, and I am passionate about being a part of finding it in any way I can, said Meredith Huml, who is co-organizing the Cary, North Carolina Walk & Roll with her father, Ray Huml. She was diagnosed with FSHD as a young teen. Her younger brother was diagnosed more recently but his symptoms have progressed more rapidly, and he is now in a wheelchair.

The Walk & Roll is first and foremost a fundraiser, generating critical funds to support the search for treatments and a cure, but it is also about so much more, said Johnston. On event day, for a few hours, we all join together as one. Living with FSHD can be a lonely road. At the Walk & Roll, we realize no one makes the journey alone.

To learn more, visit https://www.fshsociety.org/connect-locally/walk-roll-to-cure-fshd/

About the FSH Society

The FSH Society is the worlds largest research-focused patient organization for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), one of the most prevalent forms of muscular dystrophy. We have catalyzed major advancements and are accelerating the development of treatments and a cure to end the pain, disability, and suffering endured by one million people worldwide who live with FSHD. The FSH Society has transformed the landscape for FSHD research, and is committed to making sure that no one faces this disease alone. The Society offers a community of support, news, and information through its website.
Lauri Gallagher, Division Manager North American Title's Arizona Region She is passionate about building dynamic teams and leading initiatives focused on delivering increased value to internal and external customers.

North American Title Company has named Lauri Gallagher Division Manager for its Arizona Region, where she will oversee title and escrow operations, as well as business development for the area.

Lauri brings an enormous range of experience that will help her effectively manage our Arizona division, while improving operational efficiencies and identifying innovative ways to improve customer experience at every level," said Chad Barth, NATC area president for Arizona, Utah and Nevada. "She represents the best of the best in our industry with a background that will get us to the next level in the burgeoning Arizona real estate market.

Gallagher worked for more than 18 years as a branch manager and senior escrow officer for a national title company in Arizona. Most recently, she served as vice president, Arizona state manager for an Arizona-based title company. She brings varied business operations experience in commercial, foreclosure, mortgage and default servicing, including serving as a mortgage loan closer for Chase Bank. She was also branch manager for Equity Titles commercial division, where she served as an escrow foreclosure auction manager.

Lauri is a valuable asset for our Arizona region, said Dia Demmon, president, NATC Western Region. She is passionate about building dynamic teams and leading initiatives focused on delivering increased value to internal and external customers. Lauris energy and commitment to excellence will greatly enhance our vibrant Arizona team.

Gallagher studied business administration and marketing at Northern Michigan University and the University of Nevada in Reno. She is located at the North American Title office at 3200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85018, and can be reached at telephone number (602) 280-7500.

About North American Title

With well over 1,300 associates and a network of branches from coast to coast, North American Title Group, LLC (NATG) is among the largest real estate settlement service providers in the United States. Consisting of both agent and underwriter operations, NATG reported annual net revenues in fiscal 2017 of $272.7 million. The company also has the resources and stability of being a wholly owned subsidiary of an S&P 500 company with over $18.7 billion in assets as of its fiscal year ended Nov. 30, 2017. North American Titles agency network operates nationally under the name North American Title Co. and similar names (NATC) in 19 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia, in addition to the District of Columbia. Through our relationship with our expanding affiliate network, NATC provides real estate settlement services in all 50 states. NATG is headquartered in Miami, Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.nat.com
International Homeless Animals' Day was conceived and commemorated by International Society for Animal Rights in 1992, to shed light on a tragedy that affects all communities: Dog and cat overpopulation and the urgent need for spay/neuter and adoption programs.

International Homeless Animals Day is the first and only international day of action to promote the spaying and neutering of companion animals, community cats and street dogs. It takes place each year on the third Saturday in August.

Twenty-seven years since its inception, International Homeless Animals Day continues to grow, helping pave the way to bring pet overpopulation to public attention.

In 2018, IHAD will be observed on Saturday, August 18. ISAR along with animal protection organizations, humane societies, rescue groups, veterinary professionals, caring individuals, public officials, and animal-friendly businesses from throughout the United States and on 6 continents: AUSTRALIA, CANADA, FRANCE, HONDURAS, INDONESIA, LIBERIA, LITHUANIA, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, NIGERIA, PANAMA, PERU, ROMANIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM, VENEZUELA and VIETNAM will unite to send our spay/neuter and adoption message.

IHAD activities vary, and include educational events, candlelight vigils, blessing of the animals ceremonies, spay/neuter clinics, adoptions, shelter open houses, dog walks, microchip clinics, award ceremonies, marches, speeches by public figures, celebrities, local veterinarians, humane workers, and many more.

ISAR encourages everyone to attend an IHAD event in their local community. All 2018 confirmed IHAD events are listed on ISARs website: http://isaronline.org/programs/international-homeless-animals-day-ihad/

For those who live in an area without a confirmed International Homeless Animals Day event, please visit your local animal shelter or animal rescue and inquire about adoption and volunteer opportunities, donate much-needed supplies, and/or sponsor a spay or neuter surgery.

Children can participate in IHAD by walking shelter dogs, grooming shelter animals and spending time with them. This will bring much happiness to the animals and prepare them for their journey to a new home.

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Looking for the right person to handle your Jumbo loan in Las Vegas? Look no further David Ghazaryan is a Professional Loan officer that knows the ins and outs of the loan process which will guarantee you the lowest prices.

David Ghazaryan is a Mortgage Loan Officer who works for Lone Mortgage, a Mortgage Broker and Lender in Las Vegas and is proud to announce hes offering Jumbo Loans for Las Vegas homebuyers. He has set out to help residents of Las Vegas and those wanting to buy homes. Furthermore, he brings years of experience and a wealth of knowledge to the table. He wants to help clients arrive at the best possible decisions in home finance.

Ghazaryan came to Las Vegas in 2003. He first started as a Mortgage Loan Officer in the valley since 2005. Helping people reach their dreams of owning a home drives his ambition and success and motivates him. Ghazaryan strives to give clients excellent service and informed, measured consultation. Also, he simplifies the mortgage process for his clients and advises them through every step of the way.

Now, Ghazaryan is delighted to announce that he offers Jumbo Loans. Jumbo Loans are a loan type in which buyers can purchase a high-priced, luxury homes. Homebuyers with high credit scores and low debt-to-income ratios are ideal for Jumbo Loans. Also, he specializes in low rates, quality service, and mortgage solutions personalized and tailored for his clients.

I always advise prospective buyers to meet with a Mortgage Broker, he said. Choose one who is clearly a good fit for them. Your financial situation and needs are very specific to you. So its important to find a loan officer who will meet your needs.

Additionally, Ghazaryan has a lot of experience working directly with banks, private lenders, and credit unions, in Las Vegas. His years of experience in the Mortgage Broker business allows him to help homebuyers make smart mortgage decisions. Similarly, he says, a superior customer service experience is very important to homebuyers. Ghazaryan also has a High Balance Loan program, which is essentially an alternative to Jumbo Loans, if the loan amount happens to be less than six hundred and seventy thousand. This program a large loan limit like that of a Jumbo Loan but comes at a Conforming Loans rates. Once again, Ghazaryan advises to consult professional Mortgage Loan Officers and Mortgage Brokers to get informed of the full array of loan products available to borrowers.

I want my clients to be mindful of their tax bracket, Ghazaryan said. And overall investment strategy. I tell them to think to the future about their home and financial situation.

He keeps a daily look on rates along with his Mortgage Broker staff. Mortgage rates can fluctuate through the day, so it is good to keep timing in mind. Ghazaryan compares the technique they use to that of Expedia. Likewise, he strives to provide the finest product and rates for their clients.

Ensuring competitive rates is important to the business, he said. We have a special software to compare three or four different mortgage products to best help our clients.

On Ghazaryans website, https://www.bestmortgagebrokerlasvegas.com/jumbo-loan-las-vegas/, he provides mortgage tools, blogs, tips, and other information, to help potential Las Vegas buyers. These tools ensure that customers stay aware of current mortgage rates and any changes to loan programs. He seeks to provide clients with dependable mortgage advice. Similarly, he wants to educate them on all the options for loans available on the market.

For any mortgage questions or other general inquiries in Las Vegas, you can contact Ghazaryan at (702) 829 0550. Also, he can be reached in person at 5275 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89113.
Respond. Investigate. Resolve. Kaseware and SocialNet together is beautiful. Kaseware gives investigators the tools needed for effective investigative, evidence, and incident management and analytics.

With more than 3.1 billion people across the globe actively using Social Media, it is no surprise that criminals utilize it. They also can be tracked down on it by effective use of the forensic threads that cybercriminals leave on these internet sites. However, it can be hard for investigative professionals and law enforcement to keep up with activity and harder for cyber investigators to use the information they uncover through Social Media investigations effectively.

Kaseware, the leader in investigative case management solutions, and ShadowDragon, a U.S.-based cyber attribution intelligence and investigative solutions company, have partnered to change that scenario by offering ShadowDragons SocialNet solution on the Kaseware investigative case management system. This will make the forensic threats that cyber investigators find on Social Media actionable by allowing them to easily identify the people or groups around the clue for context and for evidence.

Accessing the ShadowDragon SocialNet offering, Kaseware clients will be able to more easily uncover identities, correlations, networks of associates, and available geographical information in just minutes. This creates an invaluable tool for both cyber and physical criminal investigations while also aiding in attribution intelligence and complex investigations.

There are more than 4 billion people using the internet today, and 3.1 of those users are active on Social Media sites, said Daniel Clemens, founder and chief innovation officer of ShadowDragon. We are leading the coverage of Social Media sites. This coupled with the direct investigative methodology we have put forth has become a force magnifier for investigators. We have a saying, Bad guys order pizza tooand they have a social life. SocialNet helps us uncover the clues. Pushing this into Kaseware enables extra capabilities for business-to-business intelligence sharing and more.

Kaseware and SocialNet together is beautiful. Kaseware gives investigators the tools needed for effective investigative, evidence, and incident management and analytics, Clemens continued. We are excited the company has decided to include our SocialNet solution on their platform to expand their offerings to the people who are working hard every day to fight complex investigations. 

Together, Kaseware and ShadowDragon enable law enforcement agencies to ramp up their Social Media insight and investigations cost effectively. Through SocialNet, Kaseware clients will be able to operationalize digital intelligence by bringing attribution one step closer for Kaseware users by allowing them to more easily uncover identities, emails and aliases, and online bread crumbs associated with investigations into:



Corporate Espionage

Counter Terrorism

Phishing

IOC

Incident Response

Insider Threats

Data Breaches

Complex Investigations

When we observed the capabilities of the ShadowDragon investigative tools, we immediately pursued the relationship to bring enhanced capabilities into our platform. It just made sense, Dorian Deligeorges founder and CEO of Kaseware. Much like us, Daniel and his ShadowDragon team of professionals offer solutions that work for the user, not the other way around. Bringing that similarity of culture into our SaaS offering makes perfect sense, particularly when you recognize how much crime takes place on the internet and how Social Media platforms are manipulated in the commission of those crimes.

Adding SocialNet to our suite of cutting-edge incident, case management, and integrated analytics technology, will  we hope  help the larger investigative communities not only to solve cybercrimes more easily, but also support prosecutors in their efforts to convict these criminals, Deligeorges concluded.

The companies will be exhibiting at the Crimes Against Children Conference (CAC) in Dallas from August 13-16. CACC is designed to provide training to those employed by government or nonprofit agencies in the fields of law enforcement, child protective services, social work, children's advocacy, and others who work directly with child victims of crime. Visit Kaseware at Booth 85 and ShadowDragon at Booth 67.

About Kaseware

Kaseware, with offices in Colorado, is a tech startup founded by former FBI Special Agents that empowers agencies of any size with advanced investigative and analytics technology, to deliver incident and case management, investigations, analytics, and information sharing solutions to law enforcement, intelligence, government, and corporate security organizations. Its solution is offered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or On-Premises Enterprise and always supports modern browsers and major mobile platforms.

About ShadowDragon

ShadowDragon architects cyber intelligence solutions that enable organizations to detect, stop and attribute the actions of malicious actors in the physical or digital world. These solutions monitor and analyze threat data from partner and proprietary databases, as well as hundreds of sources on the internet and the dark web. ShadowDragon is a privately-owned company located in the United States.
We believe the compliance market has tremendous potential for long-term growth and that KPA will continue to capitalize on its leading middle-market position for subscription-based compliance solutions, said Will Hughes, Managing Director at Providence.

KPA (the Company), a leader in Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Risk Management, today announced that Providence Equity Partners (Providence) has completed its majority investment in the Company. Existing investor CIVC Partners will retain a minority investment in the Company going forward. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Providence is a leading global private equity firm with deep experience in the compliance sector that KPA can leverage to further accelerate its organic growth and acquisition strategy going forward.

We believe the compliance market has tremendous potential for long-term growth and that KPA will continue to capitalize on its leading middle-market position for subscription-based compliance solutions. KPA is a highly attractive compliance platform with outstanding client retention, high recurring revenue, consistent organic growth, and a strong track record integrating acquisitions. We are excited to partner with KPAs strong leadership team to accelerate their growth strategy and create lasting value for the Company, said Will Hughes, Managing Director at Providence.

KPAs EHS Risk Management solutions provide the visibility and actionable insight necessary to proactively mitigate operational, regulatory and compliance-related risks. KPAs comprehensive solutions include EHS software-as-a-service (SaaS) and on-site audit/loss control services; Human Capital Management (HCM) SaaS solutions; and for the retail automotive dealer market, Finance and Insurance (F&I) SaaS and on-site audit solutions. The Company serves the compliance needs of primarily middle-market organizations with distributed locations in the automotive, insurance, manufacturing, and distribution & logistics industries.

CIVC is proud to have been a part of KPAs fantastic growth in the compliance marketplace over the past four years during which time the Company has launched new product lines, expanded to new end markets, and tripled earnings, said Scott Schwartz, Partner at CIVC Partners. Were excited to continue our investment in the Company and look forward to partnering with KPA during this next phase of growth.

The Providence Equity Partners investment validates the growing demand for compliance solutions and KPAs attractive metrics, while strategically positioning KPA to be a dominant compliance platform, said Vane Clayton, Chairman and CEO of KPA. Providences strong experience in automotive and compliance software, including its investments in Autotrader, OEConnection and Vector Solutions, aligns well with KPAs future strategic objectives. Overall, Providences expertise, culture and team are an excellent fit for KPA.

About KPA

Since 1986, KPA has been a market leader in cloud-based EHS risk management solutions for the automotive, collision repair, manufacturing, insurance, and distribution & logistics industries. KPAs innovative software platform combined with recurring on-site audit/loss control services delivers a comprehensive solution that helps 10,000+ client locations achieve regulatory compliance; control risk; protect assets; and effectively train, retain, and manage people. For more information, go to http://www.kpaonline.com or call 866.356.1735.

About Providence Equity Partners (Providence)

Providence is a premier global asset management firm with $58 billion in assets under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm's inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 160 companies and has become a leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI, and also has offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit http://www.provequity.com.

About CIVC Partners, L.P. (CIVC)

CIVC Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm investing in high growth middle market companies in the business services and financial services sectors. Since 1989, the team has invested $1.6 billion in 62 platform companies and currently invests from CIVC Partners Fund V. More information on CIVC Partners and its portfolio companies can be found at http://www.civc.com.
TIE Industrial Names Ladd Watts CFO During his tenure here, Ladd has proven to be a valuable asset in managing the financial aspect of operations and sales for all of our affiliates including Fanucworld, TIE Automation Repair and most recently Master Robotics.

TIE Industrial TIE, a leading aftermarket supplier of industrial automation parts, services and robotics repairs, today announced that Ladd Watts has been promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Watts will oversee financial strategy, management and operations reporting / KPI analysis for TIE and its growing portfolio.

During his tenure here, Ladd has proven to be a valuable asset in managing the financial aspect of operations and sales for all of our affiliates including Fanucworld, TIE Automation Repair and most recently Master Robotics. Through his strong business acumen and strategic analysis capabilities, Ladd has delivered operational and financial efficiency across our business units, and we look forward to continued improvement, adds Tony Wisniewski, CEO of TIE Industrial.

Previously, Watts held various Sr. Finance roles at SVP Worldwide and Mars incorporated, a global CPG company. He developed pricing and product strategies for his line and implemented continuous process improvements to deliver speed and accuracy in tracking and reporting financials. In addition, he previously headed procurement finance and was plant controller for a Mars manufacturing facility in Texas.

Watts is a CPA and holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management where, he graduated with distinguished honors.

About TIE Industrial

TIE serves the industrial automation aftermarket as a leading supplier of new and refurbished parts, repairs and other services for CNC automation, Robotics, Motion Control and Process Automation. Since 1992, TIE has grown to become one of the largest providers of aftermarket support for CNC automation in North America. In addition to its original focus on FANUC CNC equipment. For more information on Fanucworld,click here. TIE offers support for more than major industrial automation brands including notables such as Siemens, ABB (Baldor), Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi, Okuma and Yaskawa. Through its Master Robotics division TIE also offers robotic repair and refurbishment services for FANUC, ABB, Motoman and Kuka, and is an authorized software reseller for FANUC Robotics.

We deliver machine uptime to the manufacturing industry with the worlds largest inventory of high quality, refurbished, certified, and tested parts at a significant discount off new OEM manufactured parts with a repairable exchange. Click here for more information about TIE Industrial.

TIE Industrial PR contact:

Becky Sargent

Vice President, Marketing

TIE Industrial

T: (615) 471-5070

E: bsargent@tieindustrial.com
WeGather is a platform for [Catholic Church] parishioner engagement in the 21st century.

LPi has launched WeGather, a cloud-based parish community builder integrated with a robust church member management system designed to empower Catholic leaders in ministry. Designed to help parishes better communicate with their parishioners and visitors to their communities, while efficiently maintaining their parish member census data, WeGather helps parish staff and lay leaders to engage people where they are at in their relationship with the parish community, so they can better connect, grow, and disciple them beyond weekend Mass.

In the Church, we have to be responsible leaders who cultivate a rich soil in which current and future intentional disciples can plant their gifts and see them grow, says Tracy Earl Welliver, LPis Director of Parish Community & Engagement. WeGather not only assists us in doing that, it helps us bring those who seek a closer relationship with Christ and His Church an opportunity to mature in faith and take ownership of that which is already rightfully theirs.

Today the average parish inefficiently tracks valuable parishioner data with multiple spreadsheets, hand-scribbled notes, and personal conversations. With the fully integrated, multi-lingual, cloud-based technology of WeGather, parishes can accurately capture their data, allowing staff to make smarter ministry decisions. WeGather provides a single source for communication, member management, sacrament records, facilities management, religious education website management, online community news and events, volunteer opportunities, ministry group management, email and text communications, online and offline donations, and more.

When parish leaders can access member data from a single source of truth, it helps them gather people intentionally, in a way that maximizes the churchs disciple-making capabilities. Parish life is in constant motion. Visitors come and go. Ministries thrive or flounder. Donations ebb and flow. Behind each of these movements are hundreds, even thousands, of data points. And behind each data point is a story. Knowing parishioners needs, interests, and current situations is essential to engaging them more fully in parish life.

To protect that important data, LPi built WeGather on Salesforce, the worlds #1 Customer Relationship Management System trusted by over 150,000 companies and non-profits worldwide. With the security of this powerful platform, parish data is secured according to the highest level of compliance standards.

At their core, existing Church Management Systems miss their core purpose. Managing church isnt what they need to do, but rather the goal needs to be engaging its parishioners. Uber and Lyft havent been successful by managing drivers  theyve been successful by empowering them and connecting them with riders, says LPi President Joe Luedtke. With LPis WeGather built on the Salesforce.com platform, churches and ministry leaders can engage their members directly where theyre increasingly spending more of their time  online. As they engage online, the data that churches do need to manage their operation is collected directly from the parishioners themselves. WeGather is a platform for parishioner engagement in the 21st century.

For over nearly five decades, LPi has helped thousands of Catholic parishes across the country intentionally communicate with their parishioners, grow their engagement, and advance a stewardship way of life. The technology of WeGather offers parishes a way to better serve the emerging needs of the Catholic Church in the modern world.

To learn more about how WeGather, visit http://www.4lpi.com/WeGather.
Alyce DeJong CRE of PGIM Presents the James Felt Creative Counseling Award to Mahlon (Sandy) Apgar !V, CRE Mr. Apgar was honored for his real estate vision and insights

The Counselors of Real Estate professional association has announced Mahlon (Sandy) Apgar IV, CRE, a real estate advisor based in Baltimore, Md., as the recipient of the 2018 James Felt Creative Counseling Award. He was honored for his vision and insights in chronicling the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)s 21st Century Workplace design for its move from Park Avenue in New York City to the new Hudson Yards development on Manhattans west side. He served as senior counsel to the BCG Team, which examined all aspects of the relocation. The move consolidated two BCG offices and transformed the new workspace into a pioneering professional community.

The award, established in 1992, celebrates outstanding achievement and ingenuity in real estate counseling by a credentialed CRE member, and was presented at The Counselors 2018 Midyear Meeting in Chicago.

First Two-Time Winner in History of the Award

Mr. Apgar, who specializes in corporate real estate strategy, organization and workplace consulting, is the first Counselor to receive the award twice. In 2002, he was honored for developing a unique program to privatize U.S. Army housing--an initiative which, over time, has produced 88,000 new and revitalized houses, cleared a $6 billion maintenance backlog, injected $15 billion of private capital, and promoted a new model for public-private partnerships.

The Wise Person in the Room

In her introduction to the award presentation, selection committee chair Alice DeJong, CRE, vice president, PGIM, Madison, N.J., said, During our committee deliberations, one of the participants described Mr. Apgar as the wise person in the room In all, he contributed over 100 recommendations, analyses, and suggestions which resulted in a step forward in workplace design and development.

BCGs new Hudson Yards offices include open designs with many types of workspace configurations that offer a mix of collaboration and privacy, depending on the project and type of work. It also offers features and amenities such as proximity to public transit, casual cafes, food services, a fitness center, and breathtaking views of the City. Mr. Apgar emphasized this projects exceptional outcomes: BCG increased its usable space capacity by 80% and collaboration space by 140%, yet occupancy costs per person shrank 55% and space per person dropped 47%.

In his real estate advisory career, Mr. Apgar has served more than 150 clients on over 550 projects in 13 countries including the U.K., France, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Baltimores Inner Harbor, Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and Playa Vista, Los Angeles, Ca, are some of his more notable assignments.

In addition to founding Apgar & Company, he was a partner of both McKinsey & Company and BCG. In 1998, President Clinton appointed Mr. Apgar as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment, with responsibility for the Armys global real estate and infrastructure portfolio, environmental remediation, base closure and realignment process, and energy management. He was the first real estate professional to hold this influential position. He also led the Army's negotiations with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to restructure and streamline the management of over 70,000 historic military properties.

Invited to Counselor membership in 1986, Mr. Apgar is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he was a Rufus Choate Scholar. He studied at Oxford University, and earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he was a National Fellow and an Editor of The MBA. He created and taught the MBA real estate course at Oxford, and has taught and mentored at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. With his wife, Anne, Mr. Apgar established the Apgar Awards which recognize exceptional young teachers for excellence early in their careers; today the award program has expanded to include innovation and excellence in professional organizations.

The Counselors of Real Estate is an international consortium of recognized problem solvers who provide reliable, state of the art advice on real property. The organization is known for thought leadership, extraordinary professional reach (more than 50 real estate specialties are represented by its member experts) and objective identification of the issues and trends most likely to impact real estate now and in the future. Membership is extended by invitation and includes principals of real estate, financial, legal, and accounting firms as well as developers, economists, futurists, and leaders of Wall Street and academia. Counselors of Real Estate endowed the MIT Real Estate Center, brought parking garages to China, developed a master plan for the Philadelphia Public Schools and valued Yale University and The Grand Canyon. Award of the CRE Credential attests to the exceptional real property experience and decision-making skills of the recipient. Counselors reside in 20 countries and U.S. territories.

The James Felt Creative Counseling Award --which celebrates outstanding achievement and ingenuity in real estate counseling--was established in 1992 in honor of the late CRE founding member James (Jack) Felt, a prominent real estate pioneer who was a former chairman of the New York City Planning Commission. Submissions to the committee are judged on scope of the assignment, the Counselors role, creativity and innovation applied in addressing the initiative, and the public or social benefits achieved.

For more information, contact The Counselors of Real Estate, 430 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; +1( 312) 329.8427; info@cre.org; http://www.cre.org
MaintenX technicians volunteered to install needed appliances, like sinks, in a Puerto Rican school. Part of the MaintenX culture is giving back to our community, wherever we are.

MaintenX International, a Tampa-based facilities repair company, helped install appliances for a school in need in Puerto Rico. Working with All Hands and Hearts, MaintenX technicians stationed in Puerto Rico donated their time and skill to help install plumbing for water fountains and bathroom sinks before the children come back to start the new school year.

Part of the MaintenX culture is giving back to our community, wherever we are, said Bill Schaphorst, MaintenXs VP of Business Development. When we were asked to help with installation at the school by the All Hands and Heart foundation we were thrilled to be able to assist.

After the 2017 hurricane season, and the destruction caused in Puerto Rico by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, there are a number of communities still in need of disaster relief and repair. All Hands and Hearts is a response organization committed to helping communities recover from the immediate and long-term impacts on natural disasters. When plumbing skills were needed for their recovery efforts, MaintenX was ready and willing to help. More information about their mission, programs and volunteer opportunities are available at http://www.allhandsandhearts.org.

MaintenX International has been providing maintenance service to businesses across the nation  including Puerto Rico - for more than 35 years. Technicians can assist companies with services ranging from plumbing and installations to electric and roofing. MaintenX also specializes in creating personalized preventative maintenance schedules, helping companies maintain their equipment while reducing unexpected breakdowns and costs.

For more information about MaintenX, visit http://www.maintenx.com.

ABOUT MAINTENX INTERNATIONAL:

MaintenX International is a fully licensed, facilities repair company. As one of the largest national self-performing facility maintenance and repair companies in the U.S., MaintenX has created a wide network of knowledgeable and professional technicians throughout the country. With their team of well-trained technicians, MaintenX self-performs and manages facility maintenance for their clients. In the event there is not a MaintenX technician in an area, the company has established a network of preferred vendor partners throughout the country for continued superior service for their clients. For over 35 years, MaintenX has been expertly serving multi-location retail stores, restaurant chains and Fortune 500 companies nationwide.
McAllen community members join the national conversation The underlying fear of a 'demographic change' harming our nation calls our communitys fundamental character into question. For years weve quietly proven what can be achieved by a Latino-built community; its time we stopped being quiet.

PolluxCastor Creative, in cooperation with the city of McAllen, residents and community partners in McAllen, launched the Another Side of Us project on August 7, 2018 with the release of Welcome  a new video to challenge misconceptions about life in a Latino-majority city on the Texas-Mexico border.

Welcome sets the tone for Another Side of Us, an ongoing community project that features McAllen residents speaking on behalf of a community that defies expectations about education, crime, inclusiveness, sustainability, and quality of life in a region where nine in ten people are descendants of Latino immigrants.

The worlds eyes are on McAllen in the wake of the federal policy of separating and detaining immigrant families seeking refuge at the border, said Adan Garcia, President of PolluxCastor Creative. The underlying fear of a 'demographic change' harming our nation calls our communitys fundamental character into question. For years weve quietly proven what can be achieved by a Latino-built community; its time we stopped being quiet.

The video was launched on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/anothersideorg and can be watched on YouTube at https://youtu.be/XxbugpTVH3U.

McAllen is one of the largest cities in the Rio Grande Valley, a bi-national metropolitan area that is home to over 1.5 million people. Welcome is the beginning of an ongoing community project to share voices that havent been heard in the ongoing national conversation about borders.

Welcome features voices like Kate Horan, Director at Americas largest single-floor public library in McAllen. Our international, award-winning Library welcomes an average of 50,000 visitors each month, offering dynamic programs that promote early education for infants and toddlers, STEM initiatives, 3D printing and coding, college readiness, economic development, and wellness topics, in addition to traditional book clubs and story times, said Kate Horan.

PolluxCastor Creative, a McAllen-based advertising agency, invites others who work with film, music, social media and design to add their voices to a story about a part of America too few have experienced.

"Building an inclusive community means welcoming people to tell their own stories, said Adan Garcia. Thats the future of this project; new voices speaking up to show a side of America the world needs to see.

To learn more visit http://www.anothersideofus.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/anothersideorg
YARDLEY BOROUGH >> Grab a sweater or a coat, bring a friend or the family and head down to the towpath to experience Canal-O-Ween, one of Bucks County's most popular Halloween events. Beginning at dusk on Halloween and continuing every evening through Saturday, Nov. 6 the public can take a free Jack-o-Lantern Stroll, the signature event of Canal-O-Ween. More than...
Working with Black & Veatch on these task orders will help us continue to leverage our analytics and deep scientific knowledge to improve the worlds resilience to epidemics.

Today, Metabiota, the pioneer in epidemic risk modeling, announced it has been awarded a subcontract from Black & Veatch (B&V) to support the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agencys (DTRA) Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) in Iraq under the Biological Threat Reduction Integrating Contract (BTRIC). Metabiota has also partnered with B&V on DTRAs recently awarded Cooperative Threat Reduction Integrating Contract (CTRIC) III with an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract ceiling of $970M.

As B&Vs BTRIC science partner, Metabiota will work with local and foreign stakeholders to improve public heath capacity in Iraq by helping to detect, diagnose, and report emerging and re-emerging diseases of international concern. This work builds on Metabiotas previous CBEP engagements in the Middle East and will further drive Metabiota's understanding of disease risk and scientific capacity in the region. The BTRIC-Iraq award could generate up to $900,000 for Metabiota over the next 18 months. Metabiotas commitment to building public health capacity in coordination with host country governments was further realized through the award of BTRIC Cameroon ($450,000), where the Metabiota team has worked for over 14 years. As part of this 18-month contract, Metabiota will provide biosafety expertise to inform renovations to Cameroons National Veterinary Laboratory (LANAVET) and will also provide trainings to bolster biosafety and biosecurity capabilities.

For CTRIC III, Metabiota will support B&V on awarded Task Orders by leading human and veterinary science initiatives that encompass training, research, and biological surveillance in cooperation with partner nations. A One Health approach will be applied to enhance the ability to detect and deter biological threats in a safe and secure manner, ensuing compliance to international standards. Under the CTRIC III Task Order 02, Metabiota will support efforts to strengthen laboratory capacity at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in Thies, Senegal. Metabiota will further help develop and institutionalize BS&S Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in the laboratory environment. Senegalese Task Order has potential to drive $600,000 in revenue for Metabiota, with a 12-month option.

Metabiota has deep ties to the global health community and has been working hand-in-hand with US Government stakeholders and partner nations for almost a decade, said Mary Guttieri, executive vice president of Science and Microbiology at Metabiota. As a result, our team knows what it takes to help countries assess risk and facilitate earlier detection of outbreaks. Working with Black & Veatch on these task orders will help us continue to leverage our analytics and deep scientific knowledge to improve the worlds resilience to epidemics.

Metabiota is a long-time implementer for DTRA, as well as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and has a proven track-record for working with local governments, health agencies, private sector firms and non-profit organizations around the world to build effective teams, develop and implement innovative solutions that achieve high impact results.

Metabiotas platform estimates epidemic preparedness and risk, including the frequency, severity, duration and cost of outbreaks with a powerful combination of risk analytics, historical data, disease scenarios and insights from public health analysts and global epidemiologists. Its newly launched Pathogen Sentiment Index is a ground-breaking tool for estimating public fear and behavioral change driven by infectious disease outbreaks.

DTRA awarded the task orders to Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering consulting and construction company. As the prime integrating contractor, Black & Veatch will design, engineer and deploy systems, processes and technologies to further strengthen reporting, detection and response capabilities.

About Metabiota

Metabiota is the pioneer in comprehensive risk analytics that help organizations and countries build resilience to epidemics and protect global public health. Built on a strong foundation of scientific expertise, including a worldwide network of on-the-ground experts, Metabiota delivers actionable, data-driven analytics to help countries and corporations mitigate complex health issues. With a strategic global presence and sustained partnerships, Metabiotas agile approach helps identify, analyze and transfer the risk associated with biological threats. The companys international footprint includes operations in nearly 20 countries and offices in San Francisco, Canada, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For more information, visit http://www.metabiota.com.

About DTRA

DTRA safeguards the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high explosives) by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate and counter the threat and mitigate its effects. This combat support agency serves as the intellectual, technical, and operational leader for the Department of Defense in the national effort to combat weapons of mass destruction. Established in 1998, this year DTRA celebrates 20 years of creative solutions through teamwork.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, and management consulting, federal and environmental markets. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch develops tailored infrastructure solutions that meet clients' needs and provide sustainable benefits. Solutions are provided from the broad line of service expertise available within Black & Veatch, including conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, program management, construction management, environmental, security design and consulting, management consulting and infrastructure planning. With $3.2 billion in annual revenue, the employee owned company has more than 100 offices worldwide and has completed projects in more than 100 countries on six continents. The company's Web site address is http://www.bv.com.
Mosaic451, a bespoke cybersecurity services provider and consultancy, announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Mosaic451 to its 2018 Fast Growth 150 list.

The list is CRNs annual ranking of North America-based technology integrators, solution providers and IT consultants with gross sales of at least $1 million that have experienced significant economic growth over the past two years. The 2018 list is based on an increase of gross revenue between 2015 and 2017. The companies recognized this year represent a remarkable combined total revenue of more than $50 billion.

Founded in 2011, Mosaic451 offers a unique blend of deep technological experience and operational discipline. Mosaic451 protects and maintains critical infrastructure for Energy, Finance, Education and the U.S. Government.

Focused on the triad of people, process and technology, Mosaic451 offers its clients security services combining the best in advanced technology and personnel representing decades of experience in various cybersecurity, military and IT fields. Mosaic451 recognizes that while adoption of advanced and emerging technology is an important part of sound security strategy, no amount of technology can secure an environment without a strong foundation of smart, experienced, operationally minded humans to design, operate and optimize the technology.

CRNs 2018 Fast Growth 150 list features companies that are growing in an ever-changing, challenging market, said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. As traditional solution providers are moving towards a services-focused business model, this extraordinary group have been able to successfully adapt; outperforming competitors and proving themselves as channel leaders. We are pleased to recognize these organizations and look forward to their continued success.

Mosaic451 has won numerous awards and been featured in InformationWeek/Dark Reading, USA Today, Harvard Business Review, CRN, Inc. Magazine, CIO.com, The Next Web and dozens of other media outlets.

The complete 2018 Fast Growth 150 list is featured in the August issue of CRN and can be viewed online at http://www.crn.com/fastgrowth150.

About Mosaic451

Headquartered in Arizona, Mosaic451 is a bespoke cybersecurity service provider and consultancy with expertise in building, operating and defending some of the most highly secure networks in North America. Its Mosaic Hybrid is an industry first solution, providing monitoring service through its operations centers as well as specialized staff onsite during business hours to work alongside clients' in-house technology and security staff. This hybrid model gives Mosaic451 the unique ability to empower security analysts to provide advanced data analysis and determine threat vectors, threat actors and intelligent root causes for every incident. Mosaic451 aggregates and empowers intelligent humans in the service of information security and IT operations excellence for our clients. For more information, visit http://www.mosaic451.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

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Media Contact:

Jennifer Rodriguez

Firecracker PR

jennifer(at)firecrackerpr.com
Workers in the U.S. today want expert guidance to maximize their paychecks and make ends meet, but dont know where to get help. With Trusted Advisor, employers can fill that void for their employees, reducing financial stress and creating a more productive and loyal workforce.

Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, a nonprofit social enterprise and a national leader in financial counseling, and Centre Lane Partners, a mid-market investment firm, announce a new partnership to bring financial wellness benefits to all of Centre Lanes portfolio companies.

Through the partnership, Centre Lanes 15+ portfolio companies with over 10,000 employees will have access to Neighborhood Trusts financial wellness service Trusted Advisor. Trusted Advisor combines one-on-one financial counseling, a suite of digital financial planning and management tools, and access to reliable financial products to help employees address everyday financial challengeslike getting out of debt or building creditand plan for the future. Neighborhood Trusts expert counselors conduct confidential counseling sessions via phone or Skype, work with employees to develop an action plan to meet their needs, and send text message reminders to help employees stay on track with their goals. Trusted Advisor is available for free to all employees at Centre Lanes portfolio companies.

Workers in the U.S. today want expert guidance to maximize their paychecks and make ends meet, but dont know where to get help. With Trusted Advisor, employers can fill that void for their employees, reducing financial stress and creating a more productive and loyal workforce, said Justine Zinkin, Neighborhood Trusts CEO. Thats why were thrilled to bring Trusted Advisor to Centre Lanes entire portfolio of companies and help them invest in the financial health of 10,000+ employees across the country.

We are excited to partner with Neighborhood Trust to provide financial educational benefits to our employees across the U.S. Centre Lane Partners is committed to investing in innovative programs that meet the growing needs of our workforce and help our portfolio companies stay competitive in this tight labor market, and we believe that investing in our employees financial health is ultimately smart business, said Quinn Morgan, co-Founder and Managing Director of Centre Lane Partners.

To learn more about Trusted Advisor, please visit http://www.neighborhoodtrust.org/trustedadvisor.

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About Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners

Neighborhood Trust is a nonprofit social enterprise empowering workers to take control of their finances and achieve financial health. With more than 20 years of financial counseling experience, we blend our trusted financial guidance with innovative technology solutions and actionable financial products to help workers paychecks go further. Neighborhood Trust embeds our services where workers get paid, access financial services and make financial decisions. Annually we reach more than 10,000 low- and moderate-income workers across the country. Today, our Trusted Advisor workplace financial benefit service is in 29 states and includes customers such as Staples, FreshDirect, and Allen Health Care. For more information, visit http://www.neighborhoodtrust.org.

About Centre Lane Partners

Centre Lane is a private investment firm focused on making equity and debt, control and non-control, investments in North American middle market companies. Centre Lane targets companies with revenues between $20 and $500 million that have leading market positions and sustainable competitive advantages in their respective niches. Industries targeted for investment are broad and diverse with no industry excluded from our consideration. For more information, visit http://www.centrelanepartners.com.
CaliberMind Lead-to-Account Matching At Fidelis Cybersecurity we were just getting started with ABM and were looking for a solution that would allow us to keep our existing lead-based and demand generation systems but at the same time let us manage and report on account-based funnel, but without the big investment of an ABM platform.

CaliberMind, the leading B2B marketing analytics and attribution solution, announced today at the Flip My Funnel conference the public release of its patent pending new ABM Converter after being in beta for a few months with select customers. The new ABM Converter enables marketers to repurpose their existing CRM & Marketing Automation Platforms for Account-Based-Marketing with one click for a fraction of the cost and the implementation time of traditional ABM platforms. It seamlessly integrates with Salesforce, Marketo, Hubspot, Pardot and Eloqua marketing clouds.

The new ABM Converter solves a fundamental problem in B2B marketing and sales. Traditional CRMs make getting account data on leads an operational headache and Marketing Automation Platforms have no way to natively link that lead to a pre-existing prospect or customer account in Salesforce. Account-Based Marketing platforms generally solve this problem but usually come with a hefty price tag and long implementation time.

"The Martech industry has been overselling marketers on Account-Based Marketing, said Raviv Turner, CEO of CaliberMind. Account-Based Marketing is first and foremost a data problem, not a media problem. When you travel from the US where the electrical system is 110 volts to Europes 220 volts, you dont buy new electronic devices, you use a converter. The same principle works on your account-based data. For most ABM programs you dont need a new platform and you dont need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and months in implementation.

In a recent survey by ITSMA 70% of the companies reported that they are using a mix of both Demand Generation & Account-Based Marketing also known as Hybrid ABM. Only 10% of the companies reported the exclusive use of Account-Based Marketing.

At Fidelis Cybersecurity we were just getting started with ABM and were looking for a solution that would allow us to keep our existing lead-based and demand generation systems but at the same time let us manage and report on account-based funnel, but without the big investment of an ABM platform. CaliberMinds ABM Converter allows us to implement ABM in days not months, enrich leads with account data, easily identify high-value prospects and reduce research time for sales - all of this for a fraction of the cost of an ABM platform, said Moni Oloyede, Director of Marketing Operation at Fidelis Cybersecurity.

"At Aptrinsci we were looking to execute an ABM strategy, but couldnt justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on another platform after making such a big investment in our Marketing & Sales infrastructure. We already had the tools and data to execute ABM, we just needed to bring them together. Taking a Hybrid ABM approach allowed us to scale our ABM & inbound strategies together using our existing MarTech stack ensuring the proper visibility to properly attribute our efforts with pipeline and revenue," said Travis Kaufman, VP Product Growth at Aptrinsic.

Join Moni, Travis, and CaliberMind's own VP of Marketing, Chris Nixon on Tuesday, August 21st at 12pm ET on a live video webinar as they explore the Hybrid ABM approach and learn how to turn your CRM and Marketing Automaton platform into a powerful ABM machine with 1-click and on budget.

The ABM Converter is available as a FREE trial for the rest of August for qualified prospects from CaliberMinds website. It supports one-click integration with Salesforce, Marketo, Hubspot, Pardot & Eloqua and comes with lead-to-account matching, account scoring and ABM analytics and attribution.

About CaliberMind

CaliberMind offers ABM and Analytics power without the big platform overhead. Our ABM Converter and Revenue Analytics solution - built on top of our leading Customer Data Platform - enables marketers to repurpose their existing CRM and Marketing Automation systems to manage, measure, and report on both Demand Generation and ABM success in days - not months - for a fraction of the cost of big platforms. Ask about our 30-day FREE trial.
Until now, it has been nearly impossible to prove beyond anecdotal evidence how pervasive and strategic recidivism is. - FaceFirst CEO, Peter Trepp

An analysis of biometric data from FaceFirst, a leading retail facial recognition provider, revealed that repeat shoplifters are more organized and aggressive than previously known, striking the same retailer multiple times across several locations.

In a shoplifting recidivism study of biometric data spanning a six-month period, FaceFirst found that 60 percent of known shoplifters were detected entering at least two separate locations of the same retail chain, while 20 percent visited three or more locations.

"Unfortunately for retailers, shoplifters are incredibly loyal to their favorite brands," said FaceFirst CEO Peter Trepp. "Until now, it has been nearly impossible to prove beyond anecdotal evidence how pervasive and strategic recidivism is."

The study challenges statistics from the National Association of Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) indicating that the vast majority of shoplifting is not premeditated. However, the study appears to validate National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that indicate a broad trend toward rising organized retail crime (ORC), defined as the professional theft of retail merchandise with the intent to resell for financial gain. The National Retail Federation estimates that organized retail crime is a $30 billion problem for stores each year in the United States, and the average cost of a single shoplifting incident is $559. An estimated $9.6 billion of stolen merchandise is returned fraudulently, while a 2018 Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) study found evidence that other items are sold at flea markets.

Our team is working to integrate bio-recognition into retail stores for two primary reasons, said Dr. Read Hayes, University of Florida Research Scientist, and Director at the LPRC, which aims to assist loss prevention professionals through in-depth research and analysis on the latest technology. Facial feature-matching helps managers more rapidly recognize known violent or property offenders, helping make employees and shoppers safer.

Facial recognition is used by retailers to quickly identify repeat offenders and notify in-store loss prevention personnel. Face recognition makes it possible to stop crimes before they start, stated Trepp. Our retail customers have seen a decrease in external shrink by one third or more after implementing facial recognition solutions in conjunction with their current loss prevention processes."

Hayes also foresees future adoption among retailers for use cases that go beyond security: Secondly, many shoppers indicate theyd like to be recognized at their favorite brick and mortar stores, just as they are at their preferred shopping websites.

METHODOLOGY

The study analyzed face recognition match alerts of subjects who had been identified as known shoplifters across 100 big box, pharmacy and grocery retail locations. The study focused on activity spanning December 1 2017 to May 31 2018.

For more information on preventing retail crime and recidivism, visit FaceFirst.com.



ABOUT FACEFIRST



FaceFirst is the global market leader in highly effective facial recognition systems for retail stores, including superstores, grocery, pharmacies and other retail environments. The patented platform is designed to be scalable, fast and accurate while maintaining the highest levels of security and privacy. FaceFirst provides surveillance, access control, mobile face recognition, biometric data and an underlying software platform that leverages artificial intelligence to fight theft, organized retail crime and in-store violence. FaceFirst is proudly designed, engineered and supported in the USA.
Positronic, a global manufacturer of high reliability electronic connector products based in Springfield, Missouri, USA, has named PEI-Genesis as an authorized distributor for the full line of Positronic products in the Americas region.

This is a major milestone for our new channel to market strategy in this region, said Positronic President and CEO, John Gentry. Their value-added capabilities and focus on interconnect solutions will serve our customer base well.

According to Stephen Fisher, President and CEO of PEI-Genesis, Adding Positronic strengthens our line-up of the industrys top connector brands and enhances our extensive and unmatched high mix, low volume value-added capabilities. Leveraging our engineering services with the breadth and depth of Positronics offering provides customers with enhanced capabilities. We are thrilled to partner with a company that shares so many of our core values.

Founded in 1946, with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, PEI-Genesis partners with customers in the design and supply of engineered connector solutions that meet specific application requirements and then delivers an extraordinary level of speed, service and quality.

To learn more about Positronic products available from PEI-Genesis, visit http://www.peigenesis.com.

About Positronic:

Founded in 1966, Positronic is a global manufacturer of highly reliable electronic connectors known for distinctive core capabilities, including solid machined contacts with low resistance/high conductivity for use in standard and quick-turn custom connectors. Key products include high power, D-sub, rectangular, modular and circular connectors. Customized solutions are available as well. Positronic is known globally for the unique ability to quickly modify existing designs or create new products to meet application-specific needs. Visit http://www.connectpositronic.com for more details.

About PEI-Genesis

PEI-Genesis is one of the worlds fastest assemblers of precision connectors and cable assemblies. From the largest connector component inventory in the world, they develop engineered solutions that support the military, industrial, medical, aerospace, transportation, and energy sectors worldwide. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, PEI-Genesis has production facilities in South Bend, IN; Chandler, AZ; Nogales, MX; Southampton, UK; and Zhuhai, China as well as sales offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. More information may be found at http://www.peigenesis.com.
Promo Direct EXPRESS This project has been a major undertaking and I am excited to finally see Promo Direct Express hit the marketplace. It is my goal to change the way promotional products and apparel are purchased in the future.

Promo Direct, America's #1 rated promotional products store, has recently launched a new innovative service where customers can save time and money on all their promotional product and apparel purchases. Promo Direct EXPRESS is a revolutionary and exclusive online service designed to help customers locate products from factories closest to them, bringing down shipping time and delivery costs. With the new service, all products will now have a transit time of 1 to 3 business days.

Promo Direct EXPRESS is a registered trademark of Promo Direct. The service is easy to use  a shopper on the Promo Direct site simply has to type in the Ship To Zip Code at the top and click "Search". The items from factories closest to the shopper with a 1 to 3 business day transit time will populate the search results. The shopper can also filter the transit time on the left hand side with options of 1 business day, 1 to 2 business days or 2 to 3 business days. A lower transit time will ensure that the product reaches the shoppers doorstep in quick time and with minimal shipping cost. Promo Direct ships products through UPS ground service (excluding Alaska & Hawaii).

Those who are interested in watching a short video to learn about Promo Direct EXPRESS can click here.

Dave Sarro, Promo Directs CEO said, This project has been a major undertaking and I am excited to finally see Promo Direct EXPRESS hit the marketplace. It is my goal to change the way promotional products and apparel are purchased in the future. Customers are demanding products faster and cheaper nowadays and Promo Direct EXPRESS meets customers where they are at. I fully expect Promo Direct EXPRESS to change the landscape of Promo Direct moving forward and the feedback I have received from employees, customers and suppliers has been very positive.

The media and social channels monitoring website, TrendingTopMost, has named Promo Direct as the worlds top promotional product supplier for 2018. The company has also topped TopTenReviews' list of online promotional products stores 3 years in a row from 2015 to 2017.

About Promo Direct

Promo Direct was launched in 1991 by technopreneur Dave Sarro. The past three decades have witnessed Promo Direct grow to become one of the most trusted promotional product companies in the world today. The Nevada-based company provides world-class promotional products and corporate apparel for companies, non-profit organizations and the healthcare, government and educational markets. Promo Direct has an inventory of over 8000 products, all available at the lowest prices in the industry.
I am honored to have been selected as ROK's next CEO. It is a real privilege to be part of a company with such incredible talent, drive and purpose.

ROK Technologies, LLC (ROK) announced today that Alexandra Coleman, currently Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ROK, has been selected as the new chief executive officer. Coleman will assume the new role on August 8, 2018. ROK Technologies specializes in GIS Managed Cloud and Application Development services supporting public and private sector clients across the globe.

Since joining the company full-time in January of 2017, Coleman has spearheaded major strategy and technical shifts across the companys portfolio of products and services. Most notably, working with CTO, Jason Harris to launch ROK's suite of GIS Managed Cloud Services and forming key partnerships with the worlds top Cloud solution providers.

I am honored to have been selected as ROK's next CEO. It is a real privilege to be part of a company with such incredible talent, drive and purpose, said Coleman. We have realized amazing growth over the past year and a half as more and more organizations embrace the cloud. In order to maintain our steep climb, we have to stay focused, move fast, and continue to bring innovative solutions to our customers.

Coleman succeeds David M. Deignan, who will remain as Chairman of the Board.

ROK Technologies, LLC, based in Charleston, South Carolina, serves clients in many industries and governments globally. As an Esri Silver business partner for over 20 years and an ArcGIS Server Application Service Provider licensee, they are able to leverage the entire ArcGIS platform, including ArcGIS for server hosting, application development, and virtualized desktop software - available from anywhere, on any device. ROK's cutting edge core competencies and GIS Cloud Managed Services provide their clients the tools they need integrate their enterprise software with GIS solutions, products and services.

Contact info:

Name: Carey Jenkins

Organization: ROK Technologies, LLC

Company URL: http://www.roktech.net

Address: 1 Carriage Lane Ste B-201 Charleston, SC 29407

Phone: +1-888-898-3404
These giveaways are a fun way to show our gratitude and appreciation for [our customers] loyalty.

Houston-based dealership Shabana Motors has partnered with one of the areas most popular radio stations, 97.9 KBXX, to host a $10,000 back-to-school giveaway. The promotion is the latest in a series of Shabana-sponsored promotions, including 2017s Three the Hard Way 10K Giveaway and 2018s New Year 10K Giveaway.

The contest kicked off July 23 and will run through Aug. 16. During this time, 97.9 listeners will be prompted to text the station at 24042 between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. with an hourly keyword. Entrants can also register for the contest in person at the Shabana Motors dealership, located at 9811 Southwest Freeway. On Monday, Aug. 20, the lucky winner of the $10,000 grand prize will be announced on 97.9s Madd Hatta Morning Show.

According to a Shabana Motors spokesperson, the back-to-school giveaway is all about rewarding Shabanas customers: Since the day we opened our doors in 1979, our customers have supported us through repeat business and word of mouth. These giveaways are a fun way to show our gratitude and appreciation for their loyalty, and were looking forward to crowning the lucky winner later this month.

About Shabana Motors

Shabana Motors is a used car dealership in Houston, Texas. They have an in-house financing program that allows customers to buy used cars despite their credit history. Their dealership is located at 9811 Southwest Freeway in Houston, and they can be reached at 713-270-9005.
Angela Norris, SVP, StoneGate Senior Living: Executive Speaker, HealthTAC West, August 21st, Dana Point, CA StoneGate Senior Living SVP Angela Norris and HealthTAC West will spotlight the critical role of technology in delivering safe, effective and compassionate senior care.

Presentation to address power of technology in lowering hospital readmissions at Senior Living News annual event

Angela Norris, senior vice president of StoneGate Senior Living, will be a featured speaker at Senior Living News fifth annual HealthTAC West senior care industry conference, August 19-21 in Dana Point, CA. Ms. Norris will be part of the events Executive Technology Panel, the Getting Turned on to Technology breakfast session, scheduled for Tuesday, August 21, 2018, Breakfast Session, 9 a.m.

Delivering increasingly effective, compassionate care is the number one concern of the senior care, rehabilitation and assisted living industry, said Angela Norris, senior vice president of StoneGate Senior Living. Having the opportunity to share how technology is positively impacting hospital readmissions and senior care with the professionals attending HealthTAC West is tremendously exciting.

Ms. Norris will examine the high physical, psychological costs of hospital readmissions, as well as the the estimated $17 billion price tag. She will discuss the technology innovations helping to more effectively care stakeholders connect, identify, monitor, and respond to health issues, and present a path to healthier patients and successful hospital discharges.

Now in our fifth year, HealthTAC West is a vibrant event, attracting the industrys top executives and thought leaders, said Cheryl Slavinsky, publication editor and event chair. We welcome the opportunity to share the industry knowledge of leaders such as StoneGates Angela Norris, and other senior executives.

About HealthTAC West 2018

Senior Livings HealthTAC is an annual conference serving the senior and assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing and rehabilitation industry. It attracts executive-level decision makers from across the senior care industry and is a source of education and idea-sharing for all participants. For more information about the event, visit: https://healthtac.com

About StoneGate Senior Living, LLC

StoneGate Senior Living, LLC provides support services to senior living and care properties that offer skilled health care, assisted living, memory support and independent living locations in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. Founded and led by a team of senior living industry veterans, StoneGate understands that careful attention to customer expectations is vital to the success of a senior living and care community. Learn more at http://www.StonegateSL.com.
The Hygeia Group comprises three hospitals:



the Hygeia hospital, a diagnostic and therapeutic center and general hospital in Athens, Greece with 315 beds;

the Mitera Hospital, a general hospital specializing in maternity, gynecology and childrens health in Athens, Greece with 459 beds;

the Leto Hospital, a maternity and gynecology hospital, and surgical center in Athens, Greece with 100 beds.

The Hygeia Hospital is the only hospital in Greece with a Joint Commission International (JCI) Gold Seal accreditation for quality and safety in healthcare. The group currently conducts above 80 clinical trials per year.

Joining Clinerions Patient Network Explorer platform will bring more innovative treatments to the patients of the Hygeia Groups hospitals and clinics, and give their physicians more options in treating their patients. The group will also gain more exposure to global clinical trials run by international pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations. Drug developers working on innovative treatments will now benefit from access to these new geographies and clinics with strong therapeutic focus.

The strong oncology orientation of our hospitals along with the high-quality oncology staff provide a great opportunity to all stakeholders to enhance clinical trials with novel agents and combinations for our patients benefit, says Mr. Andreas Kartapanis, CEO of the Hygeia Group.

The Hygeia Group has state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, and a roster of expert clinicians, says Ian Rentsch, CEO of Clinerion. This will be a great benefit to pharma companies and CROs looking to accelerate their drug trials in Greece.

About Clinerion

Clinerion enables early patient access to innovative treatments through real-patient data solutions for clinical trial patient recruitment, real-world evidence, and market access. Clinerion's Patient Network Explorer accelerates clinical research by radically improving the efficiency and effectiveness of trial recruitment. Clinerions key patient data services include data-driven protocol optimization, site feasibility evaluation and patient identification. Clinerions solutions allow member hospitals to participate in leading-edge, industry-sponsored trials and save time in patient recruitment. They enable pharmaceutical companies to gain time and save costs by streamlining operations and leveraging strategic intelligence. Clinerions proprietary Big Data analytics technologies leverage real-time data from electronic health records which remain under the full control of participating hospitals. Clinerion is a global data technology service company headquartered in Switzerland. Clinerion's solutions comply with international patient privacy and data security regulations.

Clinerion website: http://www.clinerion.com

Clinerions Patient Network Explorer: http://www.clinerion.com/index/OverviewOurSolutions/Clineriontechnologysolution

For more information, please contact:

Le Vin Chin

Head of Marketing and Communications

Clinerion Ltd

Margarethenstrasse 47, CH-4053 Basel, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 61 865 60 54

media@clinerion.com
"...Just last month, Entrepreneur.com (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/315056) cited The Shopping Annuity as one of four effective business models that built billion-dollar companies.

"Converting Spending Into Earning" (a/k/a The Shopping Annuity) is the predominant message that Market America | SHOP.COM will deliver to approximately 25,000 eager entrepreneurs at its 2018 International Convention. This year's event, to be held August 9th through 12th at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, will showcase the latest developments in Market America | SHOP.COM's high-tech, high-touch approach to retailing and ecommerce. The event will also highlight the company's meteoric rise over the past 26 years from its austere beginnings in its home town of Greensboro, North Carolina.

"I am very excited for our International Convention this week in Greensboro," said Market America | SHOP.COM Chairman and CEO JR Ridinger. "People around the world are rapidly succeeding through the Market America UnFranchise business. The pace continues to quicken as entrepreneurs enthusiastically adopt our Shopping Annuity program, which empowers smart shoppers to convert their everyday spending on everyday items into earnings by building a residual income through SHOP.COM, he said. Ridinger continued, in fact, just last month, Entrepreneur.com (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/315056) cited The Shopping Annuity as one of four effective business models that built billion-dollar companies.

The subject Entrepreneur.com article provides, [t]he idea behind this model is simply to enable customers to earn from their own current spending. Consumers actually earn money when purchasing everyday items, such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, razors and so on. It can be a very compelling model that fits well into the ecommerce space.. Founder and CEO of Market America and SHOP.COM, JR Ridinger, is seeing significant success with this business model in nine countries, including the U.S. In a recent interview, Ridinger said, The Shopping Annuity -- converting everyday spending into earning -- is the foundation of our business model and is like rocket fuel for our UnFranchise business, overall. Lets face it, Uber is essentially the largest taxi service in the world, and they dont own a single taxi/car. We look at the retail landscape in a similar way, and realize theres an equally powerful opportunity for us as a global ecommerce powerhouse. People dont just shop for luxury items, they shop for the things they use every day. By making those purchases the cornerstone of a Shopping Annuity, we feel this concept will revolutionize the retail industry as well as our economy. It took 25 years for the technology to catch up to our original vision of interconnected shoppers who wield their collective buying power and convert spending into earning.

During Ridinger's multiple presentations at the event, he will convey the latest enhancements to the Shopping Annuity program and how its rapid adoption in the marketplace is improving thousands of lives. Ridinger will also unveil several new Shopping Annuity branded products  all daily essential products that virtually everyone not only uses but needs as part of their daily routine. These products are all designed to simplify the ability to reap the benefits of the companys Shopping Annuity program.

The event will also feature the Market America | SHOP.COM executive team, successful entrepreneurs from at least 9 countries and celebrity guests, including Fat Joe and La La Anthony. Previous events have been attended by superstars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Eva Longoria, Serena Williams, Alejandro Sanz, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Tony Romo, Swizz Beatz, Paulina Rubio, Marc Anthony, Scottie Pippen and Amare and Alexis Stoudemire, among many others. Additional surprise celebrity appearances are expected this week.

Loren Ridinger, Senior Executive Vice President of Market America | SHOP.COM, will open the four-day event with a powerful address followed by additional presentations wherein she will use her vast experience as one of today's most influential entrepreneurs and trendsetters to help attendees define their why and develop the passion necessary to reach their goals, succeed and live the life of their dreams. Loren is well known for wooing crowds with her powerful messages about self-empowerment and taking control of your life. Lorens blog can be found at https://www.lorensworld.com/ and her Instagram account can be found at https://www.instagram.com/lorenridinger/ (@lorenridinger).

For this International Convention, I am very excited to deliver a compelling message of empowerment said Loren. Weve started a revolution to help people create their own economy. 26 years of evolution and growth has allowed the systems, tools and technology to catch up to our original vision and our original mission. Where else can you find such a realistic business model that results in a significant ongoing income? Our mission is to empower people from all walks of life with the ability to control their time, their income and their future said Loren passionately.

The award-winning Motives by Loren Ridinger cosmetics line -- created by Loren Ridinger -- is anxiously awaiting the launch of its new Fall/Winter 2018 campaign. This new collection features a lip scrub, a lip mask, a new eyeshadow, a lipstick duo and Motives In The Mix Palette (which includes three neutral, matte shades of gray and chocolate brown pressed eye shadow).

The company will also be announcing several new products from its super popular fixx, Royal Spa, TLS, Isotonix & Shopping Annuity brands.

These newest products will be available for purchase exclusively at SHOP.COM and motivescosmetics.com. Loren's ongoing collaboration with actress and entrepreneur La La Anthony in the creation of Motives for La La will also be featured with La La on hand to discuss the best ways to engage with your Motives customers. "Especially via social media, the Motives team has been able to combine our passion for and expertise in beauty to best serve our customers' needs. The growth and success of Motives has been truly gratifying," said Ridinger.

Exciting new announcements will headline this year's event, including enhancements to SHOP.COM's shopping website that will be introduced and discussed in detail by Market America | SHOP.COM President & COO Marc Ashley. Marc will be presenting a powerful presentation that details why Market America | SHOP.COM is The Total Package for entrepreneurs and savvy shoppers because the Shopping Annuity has never been easier to benefit from.

"Even after 26 years of continuous growth, I'm still amazed at how the company continues to shine brighter," said Ashley. "We are stronger than we have ever been and continue to fill voids in the marketplace," he said. "It's always exciting to be here in Greensboro, which has been home for the company over the past 26 years. I look forward to seeing the Greensboro Coliseum full of talented and dedicated entrepreneurs as we continue to change the way people shop by converting their spending into earning via the Shopping Annuity."

The company will also announce several enhancements to SHOP.COM including additional participating merchants in its SHOP Local program and some great new user-friendly enhancements to make the user experience even better. "Weve always been focused on creating the best user experience possible through an easy-to-use interface, fast checkouts and blazing speed, among other things," said Steve Ashley, President & COO of SHOP.COM. "Through innovation, our suite of products -- which include web, mobile and apps -- and emerging technologies we are positioned for explosive growth in the marketplace." Steve will be detailing how the company is taking the friction out of shopping via enhanced user experiences but also is taking the shopping out of shopping via the companys new SHOP.COM Concierge Program.

DNA Miracles and DNA Miracles Natural, created by Amber Ridinger-McLaughlin and Duane McLaughlin, provide the highest quality body and wellness products designed for babies, children and expectant mothers. Duane and Amber will detail the extensive work and product development that they put into the DNA product lines. Recently launched products include: DNA Miracles Natural Kids Shampoo + Body Wash, DNA Miracles Natural Kids Conditioner, DNA Miracles Natural Kids Bubble Bath, DNA Miracles Natural Kids Detangler and DNA Miracles Natural Kids Lotion. The company has partnered with leading health professionals and scientists who follow the highest standards in ingredient selection to create the most effective skin, hair and health solutions.

Amber Ridinger-McLaughlin is also the founder of the popular Lumiere de Vie skincare brand. Amber will be revealing two new Lumiere de Vie products  a rose refresher and a renewal elixir  as well as introducing the brand new Lumiere de Vie Hommes skincare line for men (initially featuring a cleansing gel, a conditioning beard elixir and a hydrating aloe cream).

Grammy-nominated artist and entrepreneur Joseph "Fat Joe" Cartagena, the company's President of Urban and Latino Development, will be on hand to convey the excitement and explosive growth within that market sector. He will discuss Market America | SHOP.COM's core value of living a life that is "All the Way Up" while hes not Stressin.

For up-to-the minute International Convention updates, visit the Market America blog (http://blog.marketamerica.com) or follow the conversation on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/marketamerica; http://www.facebook.com/shop.com) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/marketamerica; http://www.twitter.com/shopcom; or search #MAIC2018).

ABOUT MARKET AMERICA, INC. & SHOP.COM

Currently in its 26th year, Market America, Inc. is a global Product Brokerage and Internet Marketing company that specializes in One-to-One Marketing and is the creator of The Shopping Annuity. Its mission is to provide a robust business system for entrepreneurs, while providing consumers a better way to shop. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the company was founded in 1992 by Chairman and CEO JR Ridinger and has generated over $8.5 billion in accumulated sales. Market America employs nearly 1,000 people globally with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom and Malaysia. Through the companys shopping website, SHOP.COM, consumers have access to over 60 million products, including Market America exclusive brands and thousands of top retail brands. Market Americas revolutionary Shopping Annuity program, which helps smart shoppers convert spending into earning, is an extraordinary and financially meaningful benefit of the business. Internet Retailer has ranked SHOP.COM #65 in the 2018 Internet Retailer Top 1000, the #43 largest global online marketplace, #96 in the Internet Retailer Asia 500 and the 18th fastest growing Internet Mobile Retailer. The company is also a two time winner of the Better Business Bureaus Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. By combining Market Americas entrepreneurial business model with SHOP.COMs powerful comparative shopping engine, Cashback program, Hot Deals, SHOPBuddy, Express Pay check out, social shopping integration and countless other features, the company has become the ultimate online shopping destination.

For more information, please visit http://www.marketamerica.com or http://www.SHOP.COM.
Walker Zangers new Byzantium collection is inspired by Imperial Byzantium and Rome. Shown: Agean Sea Thasos and Storm Grey. Through the Byzantium collection, we reinterpreted the lush mosaics of Imperial Byzantium and Rome to create a tile that celebrates the deep colors and rich veins of marble with accents of silver or gold leaf to elevate any contemporary interior.

Ancient Rome and Byzantine Villa structures are revered for extravagant stone craftsmanship, detailed geometry and organic patterning. In the new Byzantium collection of marble mosaic tiles, Walker Zanger balances antique lavishness and modern geometry to pay homage to the intricate opulence of the Roman Era.

At Walker Zanger, we review and hand select each natural stone slab to ensure the finest quality, purest colors and unique veining, said Jared Becker, Vice President of Design and Marketing. Through the Byzantium collection, we reinterpreted the lush mosaics of Imperial Byzantium and Rome to create a tile that celebrates the deep colors and rich veins of marble with accents of silver or gold leaf to elevate any contemporary interior.

TWEET THIS: The new Byzantium collection by @WalkerZanger balances antique opulence and modern geometry to celebrate the richly colored marbles that were the hallmark of Imperial Byzantium and Rome. #walkerzanger #tile http://bit.ly/WZByzantium

Byzantium is available in three designsHeraclee, Ephesus and Palatiumand depending on the design, include silver or gold metallic accents, and a polished or honed finish. The collection features marbles such as the vibrant Antique Violetta from Afyon, Turkey, which is a white marble filigreed with purple veins that was originally used in buildings such as the Pantheon in Rome. Agean Sea is another color, which is a blue marble latticed with gray that was also very characteristic of ancient stone work. In addition, white Thasos, deep-charcoal Storm Grey, and rich-red Borolo are deftly layered into the marble mosaics.

The natural stone is cut by waterjet or stone saw, then blended into each design by experienced artisans. The combination of technology, unique patterning, and accents of silver or gold leaf offer decorative options for myriad styles and applications.

Explore the inspiration and designs of the Byzantium collection by visiting its Pinterest board: http://bit.ly/WZ_ByzantiumPin.

About Walker Zanger

Walker Zanger, the worlds most comprehensive stone and tile company, combines traditional tile-making techniques with a modern sophistication that transcends any singular design style. A leading choice for design professionals and consumers, Walker Zanger natural stone and tile products can be found in luxury homes, trendy boutiques, lavish spas and resorts, famed museums and fine restaurants around the globe. Walker Zanger is available through 14 beautiful showrooms and more than 200 authorized dealers nationwide.
Angela Zervos and Lauren Calta present a new manual wheelchair to excited and grateful 5-year-old [Photo by J. David] We were both so honored to be able to help, said Angela Zervos, but more importantly, humbled beyond words by the children and their stories. There are 65 pending applications with three to four new requests each month, and this charity needs your help."

The latest community engagement at Zervos & Calta, PLLC

Zervos & Calta were the sole sponsors for a fundraising event in honor of the Heroes Luncheon associated with "Wheelchairs 4 Kids at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. Wheelchairs 4 Kids is an active nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children with physical disabilities. With the demand for accessibility continuing to grow, these Clearwater personal injury lawyers will continue to be actively involved in this charity.

Becoming more independent is truly the most liberating moment a child with a disability can experience. Now it is possible for even more of our communitys children to gain independence, thanks to the sponsorship of the personal injury law firm of Zervos & Calta, PLLC.

We were both so honored to be able to help, said Angela Zervos, but more importantly, humbled beyond words by the children and their stories. There are 65 pending applications, with three to four new requests each month, and this charity needs your help. Lauren and I humbly ask that all of you, our family, friends, and beloved clients to please make a donation via http://www.wheelchairs4kids.org. There is no amount too small; it all makes a difference. Today Lauren and I witnessed a 5-year-old girl receive a standing wheelchair to help with her back and mobility issues. We cried happy tears for her. God has blessed us with success and we are mindful never to take that for granted, and are blessed to be able to give back!

In addition to their collaboration with Wheelchairs 4 Kids, Zervos & Calta have pledged $50,000 to Florida Hospital North Pinellas to aid in the remodeling of the new ER department. This generous donation will provide a specially designated pediatric emergency room, accessibly modified with all the state of the art technology necessary to make it child-friendly, welcoming, and comfortable.

About Zervos & Calta, PLLC  Clearwater Personal Injury Attorneys

With four offices located in Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Spring Hill and St. Petersburg, Florida, Zervos & Calta offer over 40 years of combined personal injury litigation experience to their clients. These personal injury attorneys, who exclusively represent injured persons, have a combined recovery of over $50 million in settlements for victims of truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, car wrecks, slip and fall accidents, and brain injury victims. The initial consultation is always free and there are no fees or costs unless there is a recovery.

For more information on ZERVOS & CALTA, PLLC, go to http://www.zervosinjurylaw.com or email legal(at)ZervosInjuryLaw.com.
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Fortress Equips Progressive Christians

Tony Jones of Fortress Press took world rights from Angela Scheff of the Christopher Ferebee Agency to The Shift: A Survival Guide for Becoming a Progressive Christian by Colby Martin, founder of the Sojourn Grace Collective, a church in San Diego, and the author of Unclobber: Rethinking Our Use of the Bible on Homosexuality (WJK, 2016). The book, which is slated for publication in fall 2019, is geared toward those who want to move from evangelicalism into progressive Christianity, according to the publisher. In it, Martin will collect what he has learned from his own departure from evangelicalism.

Whitaker Takes a Prayer Guide

In a world rights deal brokered directly with the author, Whitaker House acquisition editor Don Milam bought Prayers that Strike the Mark by James W. Goll, president of God Encounters Ministries. In it, Goll guides readers through prayer by comparing it to music, writing: Pray cannot be defined in simple terms, like a single trumpet blast. Prayer is like symphonic music played harmoniously by multiple instruments, according to the publisher. Prayers that Strike the Mark is due out in May 2019.
On social media, some citizens hailed the sack of the DSS chief while some knocked the drama and happenings at the seat of power, Abuja, the nation's capital.

Here are some of the sins as captured by Business Insider SSA across social media platforms

1. Invasion of Ekiti State House of Assembly

In 2016, Officials of the State Security Service under the watch of the sacked DG invaded the Ekiti State House of Assembly and arrested Afolabi Akanni, a lawmaker representing Efon Constituency

Members of the opposition party had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of deploying state machinery to humiliate them and coerce members of the assembly to impeach the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, a strong critic of the president.

2. Detention of Gbadamosi Babatunde

In 2017, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi was arrested by the DSS and detained with no access to his family, doctors and lawyers.

Gbadamosi later approached a Nigerian Court to seek justice over unlawful detention for over 28 days without trial.

3. Disobedience of court judgment in the case of Sambo Dasuki

Daura has also disobeyed several court orders citing security reasons for his actions.

4. Ibrahim Yaqoub El-Zakzaky's prolonged detention without trial

When there was too much noise on El-Zakzaky's prolonged detention without trial, the DSS quickly arranged a parade of the old man to prove that he was doing well and alive.

5. Detention of Jones Abiri, Bayelsa journalist for two years without trial

Lawal Daura arrested and detained Journalist Ebiri for Two years. Abiri was later arraigned last week before a Nigerian court after a lot of public outcry from the international community.

6. Invasion of the houses of Supreme Court Judges

Lawal Daura invaded the houses of Supreme Court Judges and detained them for days. His act was described as an abuse of fundamental rights and against the principle of separation of powers.

7. Unauthorised barricade of National Assembly complex

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo described the blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the DSS operatives as unauthorised.

The government condemned the singular act as a gross violation of the constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order.

He said that the unlawful act, which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency, was completely unacceptable.

8. Insubordination

Reports say the sacked DSS DG refused to report to his superior due to his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari. His high handedness caused a huge gap in inter-security agencies coordination and the National Security Adviser office, headed by Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno.

He was said to have allegedly tried to interfere with the investigation of some high-profile suspects, such a former Chief of Army Staff, by the EFCC. The DSS and the EFCC have also had some confrontational during his time in office.

9. The Presidency believed he was working with some key National Assembly leaders by releasing government intelligence information to a principal officer.
Safaricom Foundations Wezesha programme has partnered with Generation Kenya to equip unemployed youth aged 18-35 with the knowledge, skills and tools required to succeed in a job, and positioning them for ongoing personal and professional success.

This partnership will support intensive job training for 1,600 youth aged 18-25 years in Vocational Training Centers across the country. The training ensures students receive job-ready skills in financial services sales, distributed sales, retail and restaurant services, sewing machine operation and customer service.

Wezesha is a programme under Safaricom Foundations new strategy that focuses on youth empowerment in Kenya. Wezesha aims to connect people to opportunities by empowering them with proven practical solutions for employment and self-employment.

It always excites us to see stakeholders who are keen on working together to fight unemployment and empower our youth, as we know this can only mean one thing for our country; progress, said Dr. Kevit Desai Principal Secretary in the State Department of Vocational and Technical Education.

The Generation Kenya program is funded by USAID and McKinsey & Company. Generation works closely with the Government of Kenya through Technical Vocational Education and Trainings (TVETs), providing these institutions with a best-in-class curriculum and methodology for training young people for employment.

The majority of those who participate in the Generation Kenya program are secondary school leavers who have struggled to find work. They undergo a four to eight week long intensive training in sectors such as financial services, retail, hospitality, consumer goods, customer service and apparel manufacturing. The trainees are guaranteed an interview with one of the various Generation Kenya employer partners. To date, Generation in Kenya has graduated 9,000+ youth with 88% of them placed into meaningful employment.

The event was presided over by the Principal Secretary for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Dr. Kevit Desai, Principal Secretary in the State Department of Post Training and Skills Development Mr. Alfred Cheruiyot , Safaricom Foundation Trustee Sylvia Mulinge , USAID Kenya and East Africa Deputy Mission Director Heather Schildge, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, Mr. Kartik Jayaram and Ramakhrishnan Hariharan, Generation Kenyas CEO.

We are committed to our mission of empowering young people to build thriving and sustainable careers and providing employers the highly skilled and motivated talent they need. By training young people on employability skills and connecting them with jobs, we are helping solve the skills gap and unemployment problems that exist in our country, said Ramakhrishnan Hariharan, Generation Kenyas CEO.

According to a survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), seven million Kenyans are unemployed. Out of these, 1.4 million have been desperately looking for work. The 2018 report also showed that nine in every 10 unemployed Kenyans are 35 years and below, with the largest unemployment rate recorded in the age cohort 2024, at 19.2 per cent. The partnership addresses this significant challenge.

The partnership will help address the need for sustainable youth employment through an innovative, replicable and rapidly scalable youth employment model for young high school graduates.

We are very excited about the partnership, as through it we will get to fulfill our objective of transforming lives and building communities as we connect young and disadvantaged youth with job opportunities, said Sylvia Mulinge, Safaricom Foundation, Trustee.
It can be recalled a few months ago that Ibrah 1 threatened to mention the names of top personalities in Ghana that were into money laundering but in a later interview with Joyprime, he disclosed that all that was just for publicity stunt and even blamed bloggers for not differentiating between jokes and serious issues.

Well, Ibrah 1 is back again and this time he mocks Menzgold CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah over his brouhaha with Bank Of Ghana.

The Bank of Ghana has issued a stern warning to Menzgold for accepting deposits whiles it is not licensed to take deposits.

In series of Instagram posts, Ibrah1 shades NAM 1 as not been legit.

"Well said Bank of Ghana. If the source of your money and business was legit, you won't accept deposits from innocent people and pay them that huge interest return. You can fool the whole of Ghana but not me," he said.

He went on stating that he would make a statement on Nana Appiah Mensah at the appropriate time.
This comes after the two threw shots at each on social media and levelled several allegations against each other.

It all started when Lil Win's chief priest and Boss Nation artiste, Top Kay released a song to jab Kumawood actors. This got some top Kumawood actors angry thus, they came out to express their displeasure.

In a video sighted on Lil win Instagram page,the two are seen locked in a game.

He captioned the video saying ;

"Peace Peace Peace. Glory Be to GOD. We Unite to Build a Better Industry & Family. Ghana Watch Out for More .. @kwakumanubob Champion I Salute You. One People. Support us Media. Stop Causing Confusion".
This was revealed in an investigative report after investigations were conducted into the operations of now-defunct UT and Capital Banks.

The loans which amounted to GHC 5m were never disclosed to the Board of the UT Bank.

READ ALSO: BoG Governor says bank closures cost him lifetime friends

According to the report, there was a significant amount of inter-group lending involving other subsidiaries of the holding company, UT Holdings. Meanwhile, connected party loans were made to some companies listed below:

Ibrahim Mahamas Related Companies, amounting to GHC 261.4 m and US $ 6.4 m

Quincy Sintims Related Companies, amounting to GHC 84.1 m

Beige Groups Related Companies, amounting to GHC 10.9m

The report said that the bank sought a waiver of the Ibrahim Mahama related companies single obligor violations by the Bank, yet undertook a pass through US $6.4 million transactions by giving Beige Capital Savings and Loans a US $5 million placement as guarantee for Beige to extend a US$5 million loan to Hodman Brothers.

Placing foreign currency with a savings and loans company is a breach of the Banking Law. Likewise, the extension of a United States Dollar loan facility by a savings and loans company was in breach of the banking regulations, the report added.

Meanwhile, the report alleged that the board of Capital Bank squandered BoG cash which was provided as liquidity support.

The report alleged that the banks then-Board Chair, Dr. Mensa Otabil was party to the misuse of liquidity support given the bank by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The report cites an emergency board and Executive Committee meeting on October 13, 2015, over the use of GHc 610 million liquidity support to the bank which was struggling at the time.

The GCB in 2017, took over the two banks under a purchase agreement approved by the Bank of Ghana.
Capital Bank did not use the liquidity support for the banks business. Instead the management with the approval of the Board Chair, used the money for other things, leading to the eventual collapse of the Capital Bank in August 2017.

A member of the Board, Ato Essien moved the money into companies believed to be owned by him and other people. Some of that money was allegedly presented as capital to secure a license for another collapsed bank, Sovereign Bank.

READ ALSO: BoG Governor says bank closures cost him lifetime friends

The major transactions were as follows; GHc 27.5 million used for business promotion and handled by a board member; transfers to IFS amounting to GHc 23.9 million, transfers to Nordea Capital amounting to GHc 65 million, and transfers to Alltime Capital amounting to GHc 130 million.

In the transfer to Alltime Capital, the report said that Mr. Ato Essien stated that the placement of GHc 130m with Alltime Capital was strategic and funds would be paid back by March 2016.

Dr Otabil also assured management that he would ensure the funds were returned by March 2016.

Alltime Capital provided evidence that it was acting as an arranger for two separate commercial papers purchased by Capital Bank and issued by MC Management services limited.

The commercial papers are seen to be signed for Capital Bank by both its CEO, Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor, and Chief Business Officer, Horace Tettey, according to the report.

READ ALSO: Menzgold CEO invited by EOCO

Meanwhile, Nordea Capital which reportedly received GHc 56 million from Capital Bank, denied receiving the money.

[Nordea Capital] indicated in two letters to the transaction advisors dated 13th and 28th December 2017 that it had acted as arranger for the issuance of commercial paper to the bank from MC Management services (GHs30m) and Breitling Services (GHs35m) on the instructions of the CEO, Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor.

But Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor denied having signed or authorized any of the commercial paper transaction arranged by either Alltime Capital or Nordea Capital. He subsequently sent a copy to the transaction advisors of an email dated December 14, 2017, to the Board Chairman, Dr. Otabil and majority shareholder, Mr. Ato Essien.

A section of the email from Rev Odonkor stated that Please, my attention has been drawn to document purported to have been signed by in respect of commercial paper for GHS100 million issued to MC Management Services through Alltime Capital. Please, I havent signed for any such commercial paper issue and do not know the said company so will be grateful if you could help resolve this issue.

The report recommended that the situation requires further investigations if the signature on the commercial paper proves not to belong to Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe Management of Menzgold Ghana has sighted with deep indignation a notice from the Bank of Ghana issued to the general public on 6th August 2018.Menzgold Ghana would like to assure our customers that we are a law-abiding organisation working within the remits of our license.We hereby state emphatically that we DO NOT accept deposits from customers or carry on a deposit taking business in Ghana. Our activities are not within the scope of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions, Act, 2016, Act 930. It therefore CANNOT be said that we are in breach of the Act.The activities of Menzgold Ghana Limited is restricted to allowing customers to purchase gold or deal in gold as an alternative investment. The Bank of Ghana is clearly aware that these activities are outside the scope of The Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions, Act, 2016, Act 930.Menzgold Ghana finds it unfortunate and disparaging that the Bank of Ghana, with whom we have had a number of engagements over the years and taken them through our business procedures would still issue such a statement. Unfortunate and insensitive as the statement may be, we are resolved and even keener to continue to deliver the best of service to our customers in Ghana and beyond.Management assures the general public that doing business with Menzgold is safe. The Company is growing in strength and expanding with offices recently opened in United Kingdom, Spain and soon in Nigeria. Our doors as always are open to the Bank of Ghana and any other organisation that would want to seek clarity on our business.That said, it is imperative that Government and other State Intuitions support indigenous business initiatives to thrive in this economy while putting in the correct supervisory mechanisms to ensure that they operate within the remits of the law.We pray that authorities will show more interest in building, nurturing and supporting business growth in an enabling atmosphere as anything to the contrary could be detrimental to the economy of the Nation.SignedManagement,MENZGOLD GHANA
This comes after the Bank of Ghana (BoG) issued a public notice cautioning the general public against depositing money at Menzgold.

The BoG also added that it is in discussions with relevant regulatory authorities to sanction Menzgold Company Limited for engaging in solicitation, receipt of money or investment and the payment of dividends or returns to its clients without the required license.

According to Accra-based Starr FM, EOCO has taken the issue up to investigate the activities of Menzgold.

A source disclosed that Nana Appiah Mensah has failed to show up after he was invited on several occasions.

Were looking for him. Were not getting him on phone, but well pursue it, the reliable source noted.

After the recent public notice by the BoG, EOCO has intensified its efforts to track down the philanthropist to hold discussions about his business dealings.

Central Banks Warning

Menzgold is currently operating with a license granted it by the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

In a public notice issued by the BoG, it said the company has no authority to engage in what it says are the solicitation, receipt of money or investment and the payment of dividends or returns to its clients.

The central bank maintained that Menzgold is in breach of section 6(1) of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930).

Meanwhile, the BoG said that it will not be held responsible if there is any loss of investment.

READ ALSO: GHC600k worth of fertilisers for Food and Jobs policy stolen

Accordingly, anyone who transacts any of the above-mentioned businesses with Menzgold Ghana Company Limited does so at his or her own risk, and the Bank of Ghana will not be liable in the event of loss of investments or deposits.

Menzgolds response

The management of Menzgold Ghana also urged the public to disregard the notice from the Central Bank.
The products, some of which were suspected to be fake, was concealed in cartons and sacks labelled as food products but was detected to be other items after thorough inspection and examinations at the borders.

According to GNA reports, some of the products found were antibiotics (flucloxacillin, penicillin), analgesic and steroids (Tramadol, pawafenac, dexamethasone), postinor 2 and test kits (malaria test kits, pregnancy test kits). The identified culprits have been handed over to the police for further investigations.

The Chief Executive Officer of FDA, Delese Mimi Darko, said the FDA had since last year, increased the number of staff at the various borders and directed that surveillance activities at the various entry points be intensified to halt the smuggling of fake products through unapproved entry points.

"By regulation, the only approved point of entries for importation of medicines are the Tema Habour and the Kotoka International Airport.

"The FDA wishes to state emphatically that, medicines smuggled through unapproved routes will be confiscated and safely disposed at the expense of the owners and additionally, the culprits will be dealt with by the law," she said.

Meanwhile, two drivers have been arrested and are assisting the Ho Regional Police command to arrest the owners of some of the seized goods.

READ MORE: FDA warns Ghanaians against expired malaria test kits on the market
The suspects are Nana Owusu, 22, and Alex Kojo Fairka, 27  both illegal miners; Kwabena Ali, 25, a farmer; and Gideon Atieka, 27  a driver.

Narrating the incident, the Police Commander of Tarkwa, Thomas Ababio said the police patrol team in Tarkwa received a distress call that armed robbers have attacked some Chinese lodging at a small-scale mining site at Efuanta.READ ALSO: Police escort guns down suspected armed robber on Techiman road

According to him, when the police arrived, two Chinese citizens and a Ghanaian security guard informed them that armed robbers had invaded their site, subjected them to severe torture and made away with their gold dust, three mobile phones, a flat screen television set and a decoder.

Superintendent Ababio said the patrol team informed their counterparts at Tamso junction to assist in apprehending the suspects.
The victim, a class six pupil is now four months pregnant.

The suspect, Gideon Alateyvi, aka Kwame Gideon a trader is said to have taken advantage of the victim when she went to his house to fetch water.

Ablative pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and was convicted accordingly by the court presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said the complainant who is also a trader and a mother of the victim lives with her at Alajo.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said the convicts house is adjacent that of the complainant.

Prosecution said there is no water pipe in the complainants house and as a result the complainant sends the victim to buy pipe-borne water from the convicts landlady.

The Prosecution said one evening in April this year, whilst the victim was going to fetch water she was directed by the convict to pick his mobile phone from his room for him.

Prosecution added that the victim obliged and went to the convicts room to pick the phone, the convict followed her to the room, pounced on her, and had sex with her.

After the act, Alateyvi gave the victim GH10.00 and warned her not to disclose this to anyone or else she would die, the GNA reports.

Prosecution said out of fear the victim kept this ordeal to herself until July 22, this year, when her mother noticed some changes in her requested for a pregnancy test for the victim.

According to prosecution, the victim was found pregnant and upon persistent questioning by her mother she revealed her previous ordeal and mentioned Alateyvi as the culprit.

The Prosecution said on July 25, this year, the complainant reported the incident to the Tesano Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit where a medical report form was issued for examination of the victim.

READ MORE: Teenager jailed seven years for defilement
Some unscrupulous persons claiming to be Ghanaian traders have been up in arms against their foreign counterparts in the last couple of days, locking up their shops and threatening to take the law into their own hands should government not enforce the law on retail trade in the country.

These traders are banking their strength on the part of the law that reserves the retail trade for only Ghanaians and want that law enforced to the letter and are therefore engaging in these acts despite governments calls for a halt.

READ MORE: GUTA threatens to stop paying taxes from October

In Accra and Kumasi for example, the situation has escalated to the point where the shops of Nigerians have been locked up sometimes for days, raising fears of reprisal attacks on Ghanaians in Nigeria and other affected countries.

Some industry players who have monitored the situation for some time now are afraid the situation may degenerate into a more serious one if government does not intervene as matter urgency.

According to these industry players, even though the leadership of the Nigerian community in Ghana is leaving no stone unturned to ensure an amicable resolution of the matter, governments intervention is urgently required to add impetus to the efforts being made by the leaders.

"As we speak , we have received calls from Nigeria that the tension there is heightening and we are afraid of the repercussions on our brothers and sisters in that country. It is as if Ghana wants to replicate the South African Xenophobic thing in the country. If this happens the consequences will be disastrous and catastrophic. Government must try as much as possible to get this issue addressed once and for all," the traders said.

They attest to measures taken by the previous administration under former president John Mahama when the same issue arose in his time including making a definite pronouncement on the matter and the stance by the then trade and industry minister, Hannah Tetteh which brought the tension under control.

They believed a similar action is required by president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to arrest this situation, especially when tension is beginning to mount on Ghanaian traders in Nigeria in response to what their brothers and sisters are suffering in Ghana.

According to them, it is imperative for the president to make good his promise of achieving good neighbourliness with sister countries and to ensure the continued growth of the economies of these countries.

They cited the number of Nigerians living in Ghana, the thousands of Nigerian students in tertiary institutions in the country, the amount of investments Nigerians have made in the country in terms of ownership of houses and estates in the country and the numerous marriages between Ghanaians and Nigerians that bind both countries together as enough reason for urgent steps to be taken to resolve the impasse as quickly as possible.

They have, therefore, renewed calls for the Foreign Affairs Minister and Trade and Industry Minister to openly condemn these attacks as the situation could easily be interpreted to have echoes of Ghanas Aliens Compliance Order, where hundreds of thousands of Nigerian immigrants were forced to leave Ghana in 1969.

This could also erroneously be misinterpreted that the political tradition that introduced the Aliens Compliance Order is back in power today.
READ ALSO:

Boakye Agyarko was dismissed from office on Monday over the renegotiation of the AMERI deal, which caused uproar among the public.

The sacked Energy Minister is reported to have misled the President into granting executive approval to the novation agreement before it was laid before Parliament.

However, Asiedu Nketia believes President Akufo-Addo still has some explaining to do regarding the deal, especially after approving it.

Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, the NDC General Secretary said the sacking of the Energy Minister is an important step, but that does not bring to closure the issues that we have raised.

I believe when the controversy arose about why the president gave the executive approval to such a stinking deal, the information was that the President was misled? When we were trying to find out who misled the president, this announcement of the sacking of the minister came.

I do not think that, that should be the solution. The president should come clear and tell Ghanaians who misled him. And how he was misled. Because we dont think that sacking the minister gives answers to these issues, Asiedu Nketia added.
According to him, it is a constitutional breach for the president allowing himself to be misled by the former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko who was later dismissed.

"If a whole President can allow himself to be misled, that is a serious matter and he must be impeached," he said on Kumasi-based Nhyira FM.

He added that Nana Addo sacking Boakye Agyarko as Energy Minister is not enough to end up matters calling for more heads to be rolled.

"Directors, Chief Directors, Technical Officers and the rest must all be fired including the President himself," he stated.

Agyarko was on Monday, August 6, 2018 relieved of his duties.

In a statement issued and signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, it said: "The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has, by letter, dated 6th August, 2018, relieved the Minister for Energy, Boakye Agyarko, of his position, with immediate effect."

Nana Addo has asked Boakye Agyarko to hand over his office to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, who will act temporarily as Minister for Energy, until a substantive appointment is made.

However, Boakye Agyarko has promised to give his version of circumstances which led to his dismissal from government.
He said he was 'bribed' by the NDC to be on their side but rejected the offer because his spirituality cannot be bought.

Owusu Bempah is noted for predicting the victory of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo before the 2016 elections.

In an interview with Accra-based Okay FM, he said the NDC tried to buy him and prayed for the party.

They, "Even NDC offered to give me a V8. They wanted spiritual guidance but I rejected the offer although I also prayed for them," Owusu Bempah stated.

The man of God has come under attack from the Christian Council of Ghana for his continues doom prophecies.

This advise was admonished by the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Senyo Agidi.

Rev. Agidi said Owusu Bempah is slowly gaining the notoriety of prophesying only negative events and it is not good for the role he occupies.
Madam Osei was last month fired from her position as EC boss by President Akufo-Addo following a recommendation by the Chief Justice.

The former CHRAJ boss was sacked together with her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Amankwah over incompetence and misappropriation of funds respectively.

However, in a latest development, the sacked EC boss was reported to have kept a state vehicle in her possession despite exiting office.

According to a publication by the Daily Guide newspaper, Madam Osei is still keeping a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 which was donated to her by former president Mahama.

However, the former EC boss has denied such reports, insisting there is currently no state vehicle in her possession.

Accra-based Joy FM reports that the letter was written to the Director of Administration at the Commission and requested a confirmation in writing about assets she has returned and any other to be returned.

Sources at the Presidency are also reported to have confirmed that Madam Osei rather contacted the Presidency to come for a vehicle in her possession which was given her in 2015, following her appointment.
The one-minute video shot at an unknown location shows an annoyed man daring a police officer and telling him to change.

one day I will arrest you people. One day when Im angry and Im driving and I see these things, I will just put you in my car and I will arrest you. When will you stop this nonsense; when? Ghana must change with you people! he said.

If you catch me [and] Im wrong take me to court, dont be collecting 2 cedis. You have passed two cedis; take 10 cedis, 20 cedis [and] 50 cedis. What is two cedis for you people? You should change your attitude, change your attitude; police people change! the man was heard shouting amidst pleads from the police officers.

The man then ordered his driver to drive on leaving the police officers embarrassed.
According to a former housemate, Princess who took to her Instagram page on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, she called on Alex and Cee-C to call their fans to order as these threats are actually real. She also said that the law enforcement agencies should be informed about the acid bath threat.

"Get over this bad blood already !!!! First of all, if this is an actual threat and not a publicity stunt it should be sent to the law enforcement agencies and not social media. Because publicizing such threat in such an aloof manner would only fuel more imaginations of how best to carry out the plot.

"The fans of both parties are taking this way too seriously. Bbn 3 is a term that covers 20 housemates. And this constant aggression only keeps us in constant negativity and defense. @alex_unusual @ceec_official pls advice your fans. Better still make peace if there is any squabble," she wrote.

Another housemate who also appealed to the warring factions to end their rift and call their fans to order is Ifuennada. In a very long message posted on her Instagram page, she revealed the times Alex had gotten threats from fans of Cee-c. She went on to write about the times she has tried to broker peace between these women.

"It's unfortunate we've gotten to this point where people get acid bath threats. Sometime in Port Harcourt, about 2 months ago, a CeeC fan verbally and physically attacked Alex. It was so bad that Alex was going to damn the public eyes watching and retaliate, but for intervention from Rico, myself and Naomi - Alex's manager who stopped her.

" I spoke with CeeC to speak out to her fans but she didnt. I also spoke to her about the possibility of making peace with Alex. Alex had told me how CeeC ignored her greeting with Rico being a witness, I asked CeeC about this, but she dismissed it. A lot of times, Big Brother fans have written me, asking me to make peace between these ladies. I hope you all see how I tried to intervene in the past.

"NO DRAMA IS WORTH THE UGLINESS THAT COULD ERUPT FROM THIS ENDLESS FAN WARS. We all don't have to be friends, but we should all have respect for each other. Respect to call our fans to order; one that sees us value each others lives over drama and trending on Instagram in the name of bullshit.

"Countless times Alex and Tobi have gotten death threats from CeeC fans. They all up in their DM. While they choose to ignore these, it's not OK. During Swanky Jerry's party at the club, some people who identified themselves as CeeC's fans confronted Alex physically, spat on the floor several times and told her they don't like her. She called me and spoke about this experience, but I asked her to stay calm.

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I know CeeC might experience some measure of attack from crazy fans, this acid bath threat being the recent. All these can be curbed if there's peace. Alex and CeeC please make up already! Let the public know you're cool. Discourage your fans from this war that is gradually brewing. United, we can make exploits! The other day in our group I wrote about the business possibility we could explore together and the greatness that could be ours. Let us remember our Big Brother days when we worked as a group and won our Thursday tasks. We have what it takes to collectively be the most successful Big Brother Housemates ever. Love is the key," she concluded.

Let's take you back to the where this acid bath story originated from about a day ao which got everyone shocked.

ALSO READ:All the gifts your favourite BBNaija housemates have received so far

Non-fan threatens to pour acid on Cee-C

It's been three months since the third edition of the Big Brother Naija reality show yet the drama from it is still hovering around with a stranger threatening to pour acid on Cee-C.The anger and unknown person sent a mail to Cee-C where it was stated that she allegedly pays people to troll former housemates, Tobi and Alex. Then the non-fan went to write about how Cee-c should expect an acid bath when next she is spotted.

"Since you won't tell your fellow bitter fans to stop trolling Alex and Tobi. I will teach a lesson you will never forget in your miserable life. You are a bitter short witch. Tobi has moved on from you. U should do the same. It's not by force. You pay people to troll them every day. I know where you live and I will fuck you up. Be prepared. Anywhere I see u, I'm going to pour acid on Ur face. As a scar, you will never forget in your life. I won't kill you but I will bath your face with acid," the message read.
The media mogul took to her Instagram page on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, where she posted photos from the induction. She went on to caption the photo with a quote;

"Getting robed for my conferment...hehehe!" We will keep you guys posted with more photos as they come. Congratulations Linda Ikeji on this new feather that has been added to her cap. Among those who accompanied her to the special event were her mother, renowned lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, chairman of Daily Times Nigeria, FidelisAnosike and MD of Keystone Bank, Obeahon Ohiwerei.

It would be recalled that a few days ago, Linda announced that she would soon be honoured with a doctorate degree. And true to her words, the D-day has indeed come and we are sure she is super proud of herself.

ALSO READ:Linda Ikeji shares with fans how to hide a baby bump

Linda Ikeji set to be honoured with doctorate degree

A few days ago, Linda Ikeji revealed to her fans that she was going to be honoured with a doctorate degree from the Trinity International University of Georgia. The media executive made this known on her personal Instagram page on Monday, August 6, 2018. According to her, she would be honoured for her for my contribution to media in Africa and as Africa's Most Successful Blogger.

"I told you guys a few months ago to call me Princess Linda after the Arewa Youths title, but after August 8th, you will have to upgrade that to Dr. Linda Ikeji... I'm getting a honorary doctorate degree from the Trinity International University of Georgia for my contribution to media in Africa and as Africa's Most Successful Blogger. ...ally grateful to God for how far He's brought me! And thank you for your congratulations. Love to you and yours..," she wrote.

Recall that a few months ago, award-winning author, Chimamanda Adichie received an honourary degree from Duke University in the United States of America.

Chimamanda Adichie receives honorary degree from Duke University

Chimamanda Adichie has done it again! This time around she has been honoured with an honorary degree from the prestigious Duke University. Chimamanda was among the few recipients of the honorary degree from the university and they were all described as people making changes in the world in very extensive ways.

"Few writers have captured the challenges of immigrants and others navigating those changes as Adichie, the university said.
The talented artist recently paid a visit to Pulse for an exclusive interview, where he speaks on his music, his return to Nigeria at this time, and a breakdown of what to expect from his upcoming EP ''Contagious'' scheduled for release before the end of the year.

For those hearing of Wurld for the first time, how will you describe yourself

My name is Wurld, born in Nigeria, real name Sadiq Onifade, went to America, studied Computer science, I am a lover of arts, just sharing good content.

Professionally, I have been doing music for about 7-8 years, but I have been into music and finding myself for about 13 years now, meeting people, producers and songwriters.

On what inspired his decision to take to music and his choice of Electro Fusion

''I could not stop myself from going into music, even back in school, I would go to talent shows right after my classes and really just stay involved and learn every day.

I owed it to my parents to finish college, I have a masters degree as well, I made the transition more into music when I felt I could do it full time.''

WurlD's sound is described as electro-fusion, a progression from the regular house and EDM-inspired rhythm, which sees him infuse different genres to create his own sound, and he explains why;

''So the electronic fusion, as a songwriter, I find myself in different rooms working with R&B artists, rappers, so it was really hard for me to do just one genre of music.

It starts as far back as being a child listening to Fuji music, Juju, Afrobeats, so I was literally taking all these vibes in and so the fusion is just me putting it all together and that for me makes me satisfied.''

Sharing his thoughts on the acceptance of Afrobeats in the United States

The likes of Wizkid and Davido have made giant strides into the American music industry over the past couple of years, performing at major concerts and having African music getting played on American radio stations and Wurld who has lived a large part of his life in the US describes the movement.

''The movement is stronger, what is happening is like everyone is sharing the music with their peers that are not Africans, more clubs are playing the songs, so people are consuming the music in larger numbers.

It is a beautiful time to be African, the likes of Wizkid, Davido and have done an amazing job, but it takes a village, it takes more than two or three people to get the movement going, we have a lot to offer to the world and the music is one of them and people are ready to accept what we have to offer.''

On the message he hopes to pass through his music

''Authenticity in depth, lyrics, I want people to be liberated and feel like they can do anything when they listen to my music, it is a conversation and my goal is to add a different range to the conversation, I just want to add another layer to the amazing things people are doing.''

My songs like 'Show You Off', 'Trobul', and recently 'Contagious' are all passing different conversations.

My music is usually inspired by life experiences, being aware of my surroundings, I pay attention to people, I create from a very selfless mindstate, my goal is to make the song from someone else.

So what brings him back to the motherland

''I feel like I have been gone way too long, like Africa is my huge part of my support system and I don't feel close enough, so it is important I make it back home.

While I am here, my goal is to connect with some of the amazing Nigerian artists and work with them.''

He list some of his favourite Nigerian artists, ''Brymo, I am a big fan of , Wiz, of course, Davido is awesome.''

He narrates how he met Walshy Fire of Major Lazer

In 2016, Wurld had his biggest break with the release of the song 'Show You Off', which features producer Shizzi and Walshy Fire, one part of the trio that makes up the international group, Major Lazer.

''That song is special because Shizzi had the music already and I met with him through a friend of mine, Kingsley, and when he played me the record, I loved the Fela vibe in it, I created the record over like a week, I shared it with a friend of mine that knew Walshy Fire, he heard it, added some things and it was done.

After the song was done, people around me were like this song has to go out and I paid attention to the energy of about 20 people around me and since it went out, it has been everywhere.

On why it has taken five years for him to put together a second body of work,

''I have so much music to share and it is ready, 'Evolution' was a different space, that is my straight electronic space, that is me finding myself, right now, I have found myself and it takes time.

I had to try different things and the greatest thing I have learnt is 'staying true to yourself', it is easier to fall into different things because it is cool.''

He speaks on writing for R&B star Mario

Outside being a songwriter and producer, he has also written songs for a number of other artists including R&B star, Mario.

''I did, it was interesting, I was working with Mario on his last album with RCA records, the album never really came out, but one of the songs I actually wrote for him came out, a song called 'Love, Sex, Drugs', they actually leaked the record and we did like almost 8 songs on the project, I was part of the songwriting crew on the record.

I have also worked with artists like , and a number of producers like , just to name afew, those are like my neighbours in Atlanta, so they always come around to the studio there and I was always like behind the scenes as a songwriter.

On his record deal and his song certified gold in Eastern Europe

''I am with , we have an amazing partnership, and I think it is an amazing time for the rest of the world to see what we are made of as Africans and our goal is to contribute to what is happening.

In 2015, his song 'Follow You' alongside Polish disc jockey, DJ Gromee was certified Gold and he sees that as his biggest feat yet;

''Yeah, my song went Gold, that was my very first major achievement, it was really big in the Eastern part of Europe like Denmark, Poland.

I was working with DJ/producer Groomee, he played it for Sony Music in Poland, they loved the song, they wanted to sign me, but it didn't feel alright for me signing in Poland, but he went ahead and the song went on to open doors for me.''

On what to expect before the end of the year
The police commander in the area, Gilles Muroto, said the boy is a hardened criminal and recently raped his mother.

Difficult life

"The woman did not know that the thief was her son, but the young man knew that he was raping his mother," said Muroto.

He said the student narrated how he had raped his mother when he was questioned by the police.

When asked by Muroto Commander in front of journalists why he was involved in crime rather than study, the boy said he was influenced by the difficult life he lived.

Dead father

"I live with my mother alone, so I have no one to fend for me. I have no money for school shoes, notebooks, books, school uniforms and other needs. That's why I steal people so I can get it," said Mohamed.
According to Tori NG man named Ratty, a restaurant owner in Malaysia and and an unconfirmed member of the Black Axe fraternity was attacked in his restaurant where he was cut in the stomach, leaving a huge tear with his intestines popping out.

Reports say he was immediately rushed to a hospital where his life hang by a thread.

Cultism is also menace in Nigeria. In July 2018, the Lagos State Police Command arrested 137 persons suspected to be cult members during initiation and marking of their annual ritual day.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Imohimi Edgal, said the suspects were arrested while celebrating 7/7 under the guise that they were having a birthday party, at different locations in Ikorodu and Ogombo areas, suburbs of Lagos.

He paraded t he suspects at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

Edgal said t the suspects were undergoing initiation rites preparatory to unleashing mayhem on the larger society.
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Mrs Buhari gave the assurance on Tuesday when the newly elected APC National women leaders and their women wing in the 36 States and FCT paid her a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The group including women leaders of North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-West and South-South were led to the Presidential Villa by the National Woman Leader of APC, Mrs Salamatu Baiwa.

 It is time to start mobilisation of women at the grassroots level because women are responsible for the successes of every elections in Nigeria she said.

Mrs Buhari urged the APC women to always respect the constitution of the party.

She also called on the women to continue to support the APC led Federal Government in its bid to ensure the development of infrastructure, especially roads and railway projects.

The wife of the President, therefore, advocated for more women participation in politics so as to avoid marginalisation.

In her remark, the APC National Woman leader, Mrs Salamatu Baiwa, assured the wife of the President of her determination to mobilise support and women participation to ensure the success of the party.

Baiwa said that she would engage women in active advocacy for more women empowerment.

She assured Mrs Buahri of her commitment to operate under the atmosphere of inclusiveness to ensure that no woman was left behind.

In her address of welcome, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration, Dr Hajo Sani, expressed her gratitude to the APC women for their support and loyalty to the Federal Government.

Sani said that the wife of the President was committed to championing the course of women and children in Nigeria.
Justice Stephen Pam gave the order after Mr Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), counsel to Yakubu told the court that he did not know where his client was.

It will be recalled that the court had on Aug. 1, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Yakubu for flagrant disobedience of court orders.

According to Pam, the bench warrant issued for the arrest of Yakubu has not been vacated and still subsists.

 The I-G is hereby ordered to enforce it by bringing him to court on the next adjourned date."

He adjourned the matter until Aug. 14 for continuation of committal proceedings.

Earlier, Awomolo told the court that he had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, asking that the matter be transferred to another judge.

Awomolo further told the court that he had filed three appeals in respect to three different rulings delivered by Justice Pam on the matter.

He asked the court for an adjournment to allow the chief judge reassign the matter to another judge.

Mr Gordy Uche (SAN), counsel to Mr Ejike Oguebego, the plaintiff in the matter, however, opposed the application for an adjournment on the grounds that there was no basis for adjournment.

Uche told the court that although Awomolo had written to seek the disqualification of the judge, the letter was not copied to him or the judge as he was only just informing the court.

He submitted that the judge could not act on the letter since there had been no directive from the chief judge for him to act on the letter.

Uche also argued that it was a special court constituted with a fiat to hear the contempt charge within a specific timeline.

According to him, as at today, the fiat has not been withdrawn and in spite of Awomolos letter, there has been no order from the chief judge directing Justice Pam to stop sitting on the matter.

It would be recalled that the contempt charges were brought against the INEC chairman by Oguebego for his refusal to recognise him as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra.

This was in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment of Dec. 2014.

Justice Pam had on July 5 and July 10 ordered Yakubu to appear in court and show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court.
Amen Amarachi Rochas, the young CEO has proved his commitment to improve the wellbeing of Nigerians, through several reach-out programs.

His Interest in humanity has attracted several awards and recognitions in Nigeria and abroad, which include his recent nomination for the Peace Achievers Award as "Young Humanitarian Icon.

On several occasions, Mr Amen distributed fashion design equipments to beneficiaries of a program which he sponsored.

He recently visited the Leprosy Community in Alheri, Kwali Area Council in FCT, the capital city of Nigeria.

He also impacted the lives of those living with disabilities, through skills acquisition projects, donation of advanced home-use assist equipments that reduces the difficulties created by their disabilities and philanthropic gestures including Sewing machines.

Amen Rochas is an investor, Entrepreneur and a humanitarian, who is doing remarkably well to improve the socioeconomic welfare of the entire Nigeria community.

The great sojourn into his visionary plans for humanity started after he graduated from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas USA.

Amen Amarachi Rochas bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and went on to bag another Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2017.

The great sojourner has promised to keep the fire burning in him, as he continues his quest into salvaging humanity from difficulties.

A number of beneficiaries expressed absolute appreciation to their great helper, Amen Amarachi Okoroacha, for his support and kindhearted gestures to improve the value of their lives.
Osinbajo said this at the rally held in Akwa-Ibom to welcome Senator Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

The Acting President was represented at the rally by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr. Boss Mustapha.

According to Punch, Osinbajo also said that all the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), put together cannot defeat Buhari.

He also called on the people of Akwa-Ibom state to have faith in Buharis administration, adding that things will soon be alright.

"I came to thank Akwa Ibom people for their remarkable show of solidarity. I came to tell you that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari loves the people of Akwa Ibom.

I want to put on record that the entire South South has been taken over by APC-led government. I can assure you that the heart of the President and that of the acting President are with you, he added.

Also, speaking at the rally, APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole said all benefits accruing to members will also be extended to Akpabio.

South-South sure for APC

He said with the Senator in the ruling party, APC is sure of clinching the South-South in 2019.

Oshiomhole also told Akpabio that the President and all APC members welcome him heartily.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus has described as unfortunate, Akapbios defection to the ruling party.

Secondus wondered why the Senator will move to a sinking ship.
The statement reads: "An Abuja High Court sitting in Jabi and presided over by Justice M. A. Nasir of Vacation Court 2, has issued an order restraining the Attorney General of the Federation; Inspector General of Police; and the Nigeria Police force from interrogating, harassing, inviting, arresting and detaining the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, pending the hearing of the substantive matter filled by 10 human rights lawyers in suit number CV/2454/18

"The court issued the order while delivering ruling in the motion number M/8280/2018 brought by 10 lawyers, led by Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the Senate President as guaranteed by sections 34,35,36, and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution and articles 2,4,5,6,10 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and peoples right."

ALSO READ: Offa robbery gang leader explains connections to Saraki

Saraki and the Kwara state Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed were reportedly named as sponsors of the robbery gang who robbed several banks in Offa, according to the police.
The anti-graft agency has been investigating Ortom over how he has spent on Benue's security since 2015, alleging that he diverted billions of naira with security votes.

The governor's chief press secretary, Terver Akase, told Pulse on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, that the freezing of the accounts is part of a large-scale harassment campaign of the governor by the EFCC.

He described the investigation as a witchhunt of the governor because he dumped the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) last month.

He said, "How we see it is rather unfortunate. EFCC is allowing itself to be used as a political tool for witchhunting instead of being the professional commission for fighting crimes.

"We're wondering why they didn't do all of this when Governor Ortom was still in the APC. The government of Benue is probably the only state where security votes are being investigated by the EFCC."

He further explained that the state government has been doing everything within its power to solve the insecurity crisis in the state, efforts he said could be hampered by the EFCC's latest action.

He said, "Benue has been in crisis. Fulani herdsmen have been attacking Benue since January and you expect the state government to just sit there and not do anything? The same people will come and say that Governor Ortom has not done anything to fight insecurity.

"And now that the government has been doing all it can to help security agencies to combat this problem - the major part of the logistic and other funding is coming from the state government - you want to probe the government of security votes.

"We're not afraid of investigation but we see this one as witchhunting because it is not justifiable."

Akase also revealed that since Ortom is currently covered by immunity from prosecution, the EFCC has resorted to harassing government officials who are close to the governor.

"They have been harassing officials of the state government for some days now. The governor is under immunity but if they're harassing your officials, it's as good as they're harassing you.

"Some of the people they've taken have no votes at all or have any interest whatever in their offices. They've just been picking everybody that is close to the governor," Akase disclosed to Pulse

Efforts to reach the EFCC for comments were unsuccessful as the anti-graft agency's spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, failed to answer several phone calls made to his contact number..

Ortom's alleged mismanagement of N21.3 billion

The investigation into the governor's handling of N21.3 billion started in 2016, but wasn't made public until Monday, July 30, 2018, barely a week after Ortom dumped the APC for the PDP.

According to the EFCC's report, Ortom ordered the withdrawal of N21.3bn from four government accounts between June 30, 2015 and March 2018. Even though about N19 billion was earmarked to be paid to six security agencies that had been deployed to address the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state, the EFCC disclosed that only N3 billion was paid with the rest unaccounted for.
Addressing newsmen, the Chairman of the group, Mr Samuel Kojusola, urged the Federal Government to address the challenges inherent in the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Kojusola said the Pension Reform Act 2014 as amended directed that retirement benefits should be paid not later than three months after retirement.

He expressed dismay that many members had not been paid their retirement benefits since June 2017 and appealed to the Pension Commission to facilitate the payment without delay.

It has also come to the notice of the union that some of our members who retired between July and December 2007 have had their pension terminated since October 2017.

 Does this mean pensioners are to receive pension for only 10 years, despite an assurance that Contributory Pension retirees, especially those on programmed withdrawal, will draw pension for life?

We need clarifications on these issues, he said.

Kojusola also called for the implementation of 15 and 33 percent increase in pension, payment of accrued interest on bonded entitlements since 2004 as well as full payment of salaries as pension to qualified professors.
Mohammed gave the warning at a two-day conference in Abuja, organised by Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), with Democracy and Disinformation as theme.

According to him, fake news is the greatest threat to democracy and security in Nigeria.

He said that fake news played a role in the civil war in the country and that Nigeria could not afford to fall victim to the same circumstances that led to war.

The government has been doing its best in educating the public on the dangers of fake news through various avenues.

The ongoing infrastructure projects across the country like the agriculture empowerment programs, are part of government deliberate effort to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities.

Every one of us must verify information sent to them for authenticity before circulation, he said.

The minister stressed the need for everyone to work together to curb the threat of fake news.

The Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Ishaq Modibo, explained that the regulation of media stations by the commission was to protect lives and property.

Modibo, who was represented by the Director of Policy and Research in the commission, Mr Mujtaba Sada, said that the regulation was necessary in order to protect citizens from the menace of fake news circulation.

He said that journalists had been dragged into taking sides in certain issues.

He said that sanctioning was not to please the commission but to regulate and ensure that media professionals kept to the dictates of the provision for the interest of the country.

Modibo said fake news was even a threat to the media itself, hence the need to fight against it before it destroyed Nigerias democracy.

Also, a Senior Fellow, Centre for Democracy and Development, Prof. Jubrin Ibrahim, said the importance of the conference was to brainstorm and strategise on how to protect the future of Nigeria.

Ibrahim said that the conference also became imperative so as to protect the nations democracy against the threat of fake news.

He said that fake news was like a machinery aimed at distorting Nigerias election management and the electoral integrity.
Secondus said this while reacting to the former Akwa-Ibom state Governors defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpabio formally dumped the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling party on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

The PDP chairman also said that it was a pity that the Senator will move to a sinking ship.

Secondus said that Akpabio defected to the ruling party without the blessing of Akwa-Ibom state people.

He said I cannot fathom any reason why on earth Senator Akpabio should work against the tide, moving at opposite direction to a place reasonable persons are escaping from.

How on earth can anybody who has his eyes wide open be seen walking into danger knowingly?

ALSO READ: Udom sacks 2 commissioners who welcomed Akpabio to Akwa Ibom ahead of APC defection

I urge you to remain focused and continue to give support to your hard working governor, Emmanuel Udom, as he remains unrelenting in the delivery of democracy to the people.
It is a matter of record that yesterday, lawmakers and staff of the National Assembly were prevented from entering the National Assembly Complex by heavily armed security agents of the Department of State Services (DSS). All entries to the Complex were blocked. The National Assembly, the seat of democracy in Nigeria, was under lockdown. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives were prevented from gaining access.

The ensuring standoff was a show of shame that played itself out over several hours in full view of the country. In no circumstances should this have happened. And we as a nation reaped the bitter fruits instantaneously, as evident in media images relayed around the world, images that shame us as a democratic nation. The siege was also an act of cowardice by those seeking to carry out an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate in flagrant disregard of the law. People who seek control at all costs, by whatever means, never minding the injury to democratic norms.

I have to say that this is not about me - Abubakar Bukola Saraki as an individual. It is not about Ike Ekweremadu, nor is it about Yakubu Dogara. I am speaking for my colleagues when I say that this is about the soul of Nigeria, what we represent as a country, and our standing in the comity of nations. This is a country where so much is expected of us, so many rungs of the ladder that we are supposed to have ascended as a nation. Instead we are wallowing in impunity and illegal show of force, all of which retard our progress.

This is most disheartening. I don't get any joy in saying: I said so. I don't. However, some of you may recall that about two years ago, I stated that there was a government within this government, to a purpose that was not in the interest of what the people voted for. I said it then, and now we are beginning to see the manifestations of that government within a government. It beats one's imagination how the head of an agency could have authorized the brazen assault on the legislature that we saw yesterday. Despite the threat to our lives, we shall continue to fight impunity and injustice in this country.

Happily, by the actions that Nigerians took yesterday, they demonstrated our strong resolve as a nation not to give ground to oppression. The legislature, more than any other institution in this country, more than any other arm of government, represents the will of the people. We are elected by the people, and an assault on the legislature is an assault on the people of Nigeria. The forcible shutdown of the legislature was an unconscionable assault on a national institution, and thanks to all your efforts, the aggressors have been put to shame.

The resistance mounted by staff of the National Assembly, my colleagues in both chambers and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who refused to leave the entrance of this Complex until the siege was broken, strengthens my faith in the people of this country. The rain fell, the sun rose, but Nigerians stood their ground in defence of democracy. With the strength of will demonstrated by everyone against unwarranted and unconstitutional militaristic might, the siege could not stand.

By this, we have shown that Nigerians can resist government within government in whatever guise, and this is humbling for me. Those who sought to attack the National Assembly under my leadership for their selfish ends have only affirmed my belief in this country. They attempted to execute an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate without the backing of the law, but they faltered. I am confident that, together, we shall always defeat acts of unconstitutionality. The rule of law shall always prevail.

I want to thank Nigerians, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives and National Assembly Staff, for standing up to be counted for democracy during yesterday's siege. I thank the thousands who monitored the situation on radio, television and social media, voicing their outrage at the siege, thereby sending a clear message to those that hatched the plot that the Nigerian public would not buy this act of gangsterism using instruments of state such as the DSS.

I also thank the international community - particularly the European Union - and the international press, for their prompt reactions to the invasion of the National Assembly. CSOs and Socio-cultural groups were emphatic in their statements during the crisis, and we very much appreciate their vigilance.

Among the many that come up for special mention, I believe that Honourable Boma Goodhead, a member of the House of Representatives, stands out. She looked a masked security operative in the eye and dared him to shoot. She let it be known that Nigerians would not stand for the barricade at the National Assembly, that we would not be cowed. It was another pointer to what is possible in this country when women take their place in leadership.

I applaud all who kicked against the atrocity and who stood firm until sanity prevailed. I am proud of how everyone conducted themselves in what was no doubt a tense standoff. The principled stance and defiant reactions to the ugly incident, proved crucial to the failure of the plot. This is what we have been saying about the power of the people. The role of the people in defending democracy is paramount.

I thank the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for his handling of the situation we were all confronted with yesterday. His decisive action went a long way towards restoring confidence. It sent a powerful message - that the DSS cannot be recklessly deployed against institutions of our democracy. The path of leadership is not by party, and we must commend it wherever it is found. Mr. Acting President did the right thing. However, the damage control so far does not address the question of how this atrocity happened in the first place.

This is an incident concerning which we have it on good authority that it has been in the planning for months, and yet it was allowed to happen. How is it that such an atrocity was not prevented? How is it that the masterminds were not deterred? Very serious questions remain that can only be answered by a full investigation. We call for an investigation, and we demand that all perpetrators are brought to book. We owe it to ourselves to ensure that such a situation never occurs again. Many agencies have abused their powers and acted outside the ambit of the law on occasion. Where abuses occur, similar actions must be taken immediately and full investigation instituted.

I must say that when we fought for Change, we could not have envisaged a scenario such as unfolded yesterday - an atmosphere where people cannot tolerate dissent, or mere differences of opinion as to the future of our dear country. This is not the Change we fought for. We did not fight for instruments of state to be used to oppress Nigerians and their lawmakers. I know that I, certainly, did not fight just so the legislature could be undermined and subjected to this onslaught.

There are many lessons to be drawn from the ugly incident we all witnessed yesterday. For one, government must ensure that security agencies remain neutral and act in line with the position of the constitution as well as their enabling laws. Heads of Agencies should be accountable, and those who step out of line must be held responsible for their actions. Enough with impunity. Enough with the reckless and senseless deployment of militaristic force. Enough.

In this dark cloud, we can see the silver lining, and that silver lining is the commitment of Nigerians to defending their hard-won democracy. I am more than encouraged by the strength, the determination and the resolve of ordinary Nigerians to see to it that democracy survives and thrives in this country. I am also strengthened by the determination of the media to report and analyse the truth as they see it.

I want to reassure Nigerians that, on our part, we remain committed to working for a country governed by the rule of law. Our desire is to have a society where there will be equity and justice, not oppression. We stand committed to doing our utmost as lawmakers to ensure that the responsibility and functionality of governance are met. Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the situation and are alive to the responsibility to take action as necessary.

Unfortunately, yesterday's shutdown prevented us from meeting with INEC, as scheduled, to address funding concerns. We will continue to look into the matter. In the spirit of that, we also appeal to Mr. President to sign the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been sent for his assent.

I remain confident in the support of my colleagues and their focus on the job at hand, which is to serve the Nigerian people. My confidence is unshaken. I remain committed to the success of the historic 8th National Assembly, and to the continued progress of our country.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) took over the National Assembly complex early on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, and prevented lawmakers and journalists from gaining access into the premises in what many believed to be a plot to implement Saraki's impeachment.

Even though the APC condemned the attack in a previous statement on Tuesday and Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, sacked the Director-General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, over the siege, the APC has released another statement to say the actions of the DSS foiled Saraki's plan to cause violence.

In a statement signed by the party's acting national publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena, the APC said the DSS operatives prevented Saraki's 'sinister' plan to stop his expected impeachment.

According to the party's investigations, it was alleged that Saraki's actions could have resulted in possible deaths, injuries and destruction of property in the National Assembly.

The APC also alleged that the senate president mobilised thugs who almost lynched an APC lawmaker who was saved by security operatives.

The statement read, "Following Tuesday's incident at the National Assembly, our investigations have now uncovered the sinister plot hatched by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to foment violence in the legislative chamber all in a bid to stop his impeachment.

"Our investigations uncovered and noted the following:

"We are now aware that the timely intervention of the security operatives forestalled the planned violence which could have led to possible deaths, injuries and destruction of property in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

"Why did the Senate President mobilise thugs to the National Assembly who almost lynched Hon. E.J. Agbonayinma, the only APC federal lawmaker present but for the timely intervention of security operatives.

"Why did the Senate President reconvene the National Assembly? Ostensibly as a pre-emptive move to frustrate federal lawmakers move to impeach him.

"Is it not curious that only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers were present in their numbers-some as early as 7am, while the majority APC federal lawmakers were elsewhere holding a caucus meeting on the state of the nation."

The APC called on security agencies to probe its findings and take all necessary actions to stop the alleged illegalities of the senate president.

The party also expressed its belief in the legislature as an independent arm of government that must be allowed free reign for vibrant contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context of their constitutional mandate.

APC calls on Saraki to resign

In Wednesday's statement, the APC also reiterated its call on Saraki to resign as Senate President after he dumped the APC to join the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP).

"Finally, we reiterate our call for the Senate President to resign from the position immediately as he no longer has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member of the minority PDP. Going by the popular axiom, 'The majority will have their way, but the minority will have their say,'" the statement read.

Osinbajo sacks DSS director

In reaction to the invasion of the national assembly by the DSS, Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, sacked the agency's Director-General, Lawal Daura, after a meeting at the Presidential Villa.
NAN reports that Saraki landed at Minna International Airport at about 4:10 PM and drove straight to the hilltop home of the reclusive former leader.

It was not clear whether Saraki came to discuss his presidential ambition with Babangida. At a press Conference today, he sidestepped the question. But he did not outrightly deny nursing the ambition.

He said he would answer the question on another day.

We are here today about the democracy of this country, and that is what is important to me and to all of us that are here.

I think when the time is right I will talk on your issue but today, we are talking about democracy in Nigeria, to defend the rule of law, he said.

On whether or not he would relinquish the position of Senate Presidency which he was given under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Saraki stressed that he was not given the position but was elected by members.

He said that the Constitution allows any member of the Senate to stand for election as the President of the Senate irrespective of the persons party.
Lamido called on Nigerians to rise and defend the countrys hard earned democracy.

The former Governor made this known in a statement which he issued to newsmen on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

According to Daily Post, he said I have been saying it that when aggrieved people who share nothing in common come together to take power like we had in APC about three years ago, they would do nothing than to destroy and debase the values of the society.

That is exactly what APC has been doing.

I join all well-meaning Nigerians in condemning the activities of the APC- led federal government in the last three years and in particular in the last three weeks.

Nigerians watched with utter bewilderment the blockade of the Senate Presidents official residence, blockade of the deputy Senate President house, several blockades of the national assembly building complex, the total siege to the Benue House of Assembly and the recent freezing of the Benue State government accounts.

All the above activities were carried out by federal Government agencies namely: DSS, Nigerian Police and the EFCC.

I therefore implore all Nigerians to stand up to defend our hard earning nascent democracy.

For it is the only way to show the government that we are not prepared to take this rascality anymore.

DSS DG sacked

Following the invasion, Lawal Daura, the Director-General of the DSS was sacked by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The Acting President also vowed to deal with everyone involved in the incident at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
As is the norm during big defections of this nature, an entire stadium was rented, artistes were recruited to perform, logistic arrangements were of a grand scale and the event was broadcast live on national TV!

All for a defection from one political party to the other!! You would have been forgiven for thinking it was some crusade happening right inside the Ikot Ekpene Township on a work day, because it really was some huge crowd out there in the sun.

Lets do some conservative estimate since you asked. It cost N5million an hour for your event to be broadcast live on ChannelsTV. The defection party was broadcast for some 4 hours and counting. Artistes are hired for between N3million to N5million and they were quite a few at the defection party. Huge sums also go to offsetting the bills of the DeeJay and compere. The APC has just spent millions of taxpayers money to welcome a politician into its fold.

The frightening thing about it all is that this isnt a first in Nigerian politics. Millions go down the drain every other day on political rallies from the north to the south of the poorest country on Gods planet.Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State put together a grand rally to announce his defection to the PDP. In Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose commissioned a live broadcast as he invited governors and a former president to see a newly constructed bridge.

When it comes to splurging tax payers money on meaningless political rallies, the two major political parties in the land often try to do outdo the other.

Akwa Ibom is one of Nigerias richest States thanks to its oil wells. But like elsewhere across the country, a chunk of the Akwa Ibom population live below the poverty line. At the end of todays grand defection rally, all the governors, government officials and politicians from the APC will file out of that stadium, happy with themselves and still boasting plenty riches, but the poor people of Akwa Ibom will return to their homes, wondering where the next meal will come from.
He is currently contesting the Aug. 11 bye-election to fill the vacant seat of Lokoja Federal Constituency on the platform of his new political party.

At the Houses plenary on Tuesday, Abdullahi Hassan-Bello (APC/Ajaokuta), who is the Majority Leader, moved a motion seeking that Imams seat be declared vacant since he had left the APC.

Seconding the motion, deputy majority leader Ahmed Mohammed (APC/Ankpa I) declared that it was timely, arguing that there was no crisis in APC to justify a defection.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, had earlier written a letter asking the legislators to declare Imams seat vacant following his defection.

In his contribution, a former Speaker of the House, Momoh-Jimoh Lawal (PDP/Okene II) opposed the motion and recalled that many APC members had cross-carpeted at the National Assembly and kept their seats.

I do not support the suggestion that the seat of our colleague be declared vacant.

We are all aware that at the national level, there is Reform APC, which signifies crisis in the ruling party.

Only a court of law can declare the seat of any member vacant. Mr Speaker, you are a beneficiary of this defection because you were elected on the platform of the PDP before you defected to the APC last year.

When you defected, your seat was not declared vacant, Lawal pointed out, citing Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 constitution to back up his insistence that Imam be allowed to keep his seat.

Also contributing, Momoh Rabiu l-Alfa (APC/Ankpa II) told his colleagues that they were lawmakers and not law breakers.

Declaring the seat of the former speaker vacant is of no use to the members. I therefore distance myself from this motion, he stated.

Linus Eneche (APC/Olamaboro), in his contribution, urged members to have the fear of God in their dealings with others, saying that maltreating Imam could backfire.

Declaring the seat of the former speaker vacant, to me, is not necessary, he said.

In his ruling, however, the Speaker, Mathew Kolawole, claimed that he was on the side of the law, and directed the Clerk to convey the decision to declare Imams seat vacant, to INEC.

NAN recalls that Kolawole, along with five others  John Abah, Adoke Bello, Ahmed Mohammed, Victor Omofaiye, and Kekere Sani-Abdulkareem representing Ibaji, Adavi, Ankpa 1, Ijummu and Okehi respectively, defected from the PDP to the APC on March 27, 2017.
On Tuesday, August 7, 2018, the nation woke up to masked and hooded DSS personnel forming a barricade at the entrance of the national assembly and turning back lawmakers and staff.

Premium Times reports that Osinbajo was outraged when he learnt of the DSS siege on the national assembly and asked for a comprehensive briefing of what exactly was going on.

The online newspaper quotes a source as saying: when the siege began, the acting president quickly went to action and was able to gather preliminary information of what was going on after which he invited some of the security chiefs concerned for a briefing".

The security officials who were summoned to a meeting with Osinbajo following the scenes at the national assembly were, the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris, National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and Daura, Premium Times writes.

The question Daura didn't answer

According to the story, when Lawal Daura came in, the acting president asked him who cleared him to order operatives to lay siege on the national assembly; and his response was shocking.

Daura not only refused to answer Osinbajos question directly, he was disdainful and disrespectful of the nations number two citizen and acting president.

He simply said its within his powers and that he is only answerable to the president and Commander-in-Chief who appointed him, Premium Times quotes the source as saying.

The source also said that unknown to Mr Daura, the acting president had already spoken to Mr Buhari after initial reports indicated that Mr Daura was in play with President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

After his response, Mr Osinbajo told his media aide, to immediately i

The acting president also asked the National Security Adviser to hand over the sacked DG to the police for further investigation, the story reads.

Daura's arrest

Premium Times also shared details of how Daura was arrested following his reported act of insubordination at the acting presidents office.

A couple of excerpts from the story are provided below:

Another source at the villa who witnessed the drama that followed the directive from Mr Osinbajo, said as soon as his arrest was ordered, the Aide De Camp (ADC) to Mr Osinbajo was seen rushing to the ceremonial gate, where the Mobile Police Force office is located.

The ADC returned to the VP wing with some mobile police officers in a rush and asked that a vehicle should be brought immediately to the rear area for (Dauras) evacuation.

We thought the VP, who is the only one whose convoy uses that place, was about to go out and there was a need for additional vehicle. An SUV was scrambled but the ADC said they should bring a tinted Hilux van, he said.

Meanwhile, the source said Mr Dauras convoy and personal security were waiting for him, like they normally do, at the administration gate (a separate one from the ceremonial gate) not knowing what was going on inside.

All of them thought the DG was still meeting with the acting president until the convoy was asked to return to headquarters empty, he said.

Daura is now cooling his heels at the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).

The fact that he was handed over to SARS and detained in a guest house (for high profile suspects) should give you an indication of how the government is handling this matter. He is now considered a suspected serious criminal, the source reportedly told Premium Times.
The Governor spoke in Ilorin on Tuesday when he received the National Executive of Oro Descendents Union (ODU), led by its President, Alhaji Uthman Tunji Balogun, at the Government House.

Ahmed told his visitors that he reluctantly dumped the APC when it became obvious that the people of the state who delivered a 100% electoral victory to the APC were continuously being marginalized and persecuted.

According to him, all entreaties to ensure that the people of Kwara state are treated with dignity, equity and justice fell on deaf ears.

If it were for personal gains, I wouldnt have left the APC as a sitting governor.

The Senate President would also have been contented with the coveted position of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he added.

Gov Ahmed said the struggle was about the interest of the people of Kwara to participate effectively and meaningfully to the growth and development of Nigeria.

He described PDP as a reformed and inclusive party that would provide an enabling platform for members to actualize their potentialities.

Earlier in his address, the National President of the union, Alhaji Balogun, commended Gov Ahmed for his bold attempts to change the face of the state.

He said the governor was doing this through the provision of infrastructure and amenities capable of improving the standard of living of the people.

Balogun, on behalf of the nine communities that make up the Oro kingdom, expressed appreciation to the Governor for his prompt response to their call to upgrade the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, to a degree-awarding institution.

He also commended the Governor for the construction of Oloro Palace and the rehabilitation of Okeola- Oro / Ijomu  Oro road among others.

Balogun appealed to the Governor to upgrade the stool of Oloro to a first class status.
On paper, it looked an easy enough plan. As far as they were concerned, Saraki had to leave the position of senate president. And the sooner, the better. The Kwara born politician had not only defected from their party, he had gone on to call the APC all sorts of names.

A top ranking source in the presidency told that the now sacked Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura, was well aware of this plot and had been mandated to play his part.

Daura would go on to leak this plot to Sarakis camp, Pulse was told on conditions of anonymity, because these officials had not been granted permission to speak to the press.

Daura was then told to dispatch about 40 DSS personnel to the national assembly complex to thwart not just a potential impeachment plot, but a pre-planned emergency meeting summoned by Saraki a day earlier.

At the time of writing, no one knows who in the chain of the nation's command, ordered Daura to deploy masked DSS operatives to the national assembly.

The gathering of the APC senators for Sarakis impeachment reached the senate president much earlier maybe because walls have ears, a source who was privy to the entire plot, told Pulse.Saraki also knew that the DSS would be deploying personnel to the gates of the national assembly on Tuesday morning and decided to remain a step ahead of the APC plotters by sounding the alarm to all PDP senators to show up at the national assembly in order to stop the APC senators dead in their tracks.

Change of meeting venue

However, the APC senators changed the venue of their meeting twice on Tuesday morning. They had chosen the Sheraton Hotels for the clandestine meeting. When journalists got wind of the information, the APC senators abandoned the Sheraton hotel for a concealed bungalow on Aso Drive in upmarket Abuja.

The Aso Drive venue of the meeting was a row of cars and stern looking police officers when Pulse arrived the scene on Tuesday. Only card carrying APC members were allowed into the apartment that was hidden from view.

However, insiders at this meeting would later tell Pulse that the APC senators went about the task of collating the signatures for Sarakis impeachment after the brouhaha at the national assembly.

We wanted to really remove Saraki today, but the DSS spoilt everything, an APC senator who wanted his name left out of this story, told Pulse afterwards. Both camps of senators were just supposed to walk in quietly. We dont know who asked the DSS boss to send his men to the national assembly. Once he did that and pictures and videos began circulating on the internet, we decided to abandon our plan to convene at the national assembly.

Sacking Daura

As the plan to impeach Saraki crumbled like a pack of cards on Tuesday, Acting president Yemi Osinbajofired Daura as DG of the DSS.

The next ranking official in the DSS hierarchy, Mathew Seiyefa, was summoned to Aso Rock at about 4pm on Tuesday and asked to resume duties as the new Director General of the DSS.

Pulse has also been told that Osinbajo was locked in phone conversations with President Muhammadu Buhari as the whole national assembly drama played out. Buhari gave Osinbajo his blessings to relieve Daura of his job, Pulse has learnt.

Buhariis away in London for a 10-day working vacation and is due back in Nigeria next week.

It was a difficult decision for both men to take, because Daura was practically called from retirement by Buhari to take this job and he is close friends with Buhari. As a matter of fact, he is a member of the so called cabal in the presidency, but his cup was full after the events at NASS, a spokesperson in the presidency shared.

Pulse has learnt that the moves to impeach Saraki will now be left on ice for the moment and the plot will resume after some calm has returned to the polity.

Well eventually impeach Saraki, but after yesterday, we have to take our time and make sure no one in the room is leaking the plans. But Saraki is as good as gone. Im sure he knows that now, the APC senator disclosed.

Collecting signatures for Saraki's impeachment

Pulse has been told that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was tasked with collecting the signatures for Sarakis impeachment and that the APC has settled for Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) as Sarakis replacement.

The APC requires two-thirds majority--about 76 or 73 senators from both sides of the aisle--to pull off Saraki's impeachment.

As the dust settled on a day when masked gunmen formed a cordon at the national assembly gates,Saraki said he was well aware of the plot to have him impeached.

"It is not clear what the plan of the government is but information reaching us indicated that some senators who are pro-executive arm are being camped somewhere here in Abuja and they are being compelled to sign an impeachment notice that would later be brought to the assembly complex.

"The senate chamber will now be forced open to enable an illegal change of leadership take place in the senate.

Therefore, we call on members of the international community to view this development as a coup against democracy. This is a throw-back to the inglorious days of military rule where dissent is not tolerated and freedom of association and other fundamental human rights are willfully and carelessly violated.

"We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the national assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible", the senate president said.

APC and presidency deny involvement

The APC and the presidency have denied being behind the deployment of masked DSS personnel to the national assembly complex.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo described the unauthorized takeover of the national assembly complex as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order".

Osinbajo added that the unlawful act which was done without the knowledge of the presidency, is condemnable and completely unacceptable.

In a statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the APC said our party remains a law abiding political organisation and advises every constituent part to abide by the tenets of our constitution and our democracy.

Whilst our contention with the leadership of the National Assembly as currently constituted is a matter of public record, we still believe that the legislature as an independent arm of government must be allowed free reign for vibrant contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context of their constitutional mandate and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

The APC also called on the senate president to resign from the position immediately as he no longer has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member of the minority PDP.
The former Akwa Ibom State governor announced his defection to hundreds of supporters at a rally held in his honour in Ikot-Ekpene.

He said, "Why APC? You need to know that I'm a nationalist. In troubled times like this, when a country is at war, all hands must be on deck to service the federation. This is a difficult moment for Nigeria.

"In a period of election or in a period of national emergency, everybody should put hands together to support the government to bring peace to people. I will like to be a conspirator who joins hands to conspire to bring food to the table of Nigerians."

The lawmaker's defection has long been expected since he met with President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, within the past six days.

Tinubu, APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, were some of the top officials who graced the rally on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) was also present at the rally with over a dozen senators of the APC to support Akpabio whose defection follows on the heels of the mass exodus of APC lawmakers, including Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who dumped the party for the PDP.

While speaking at the rally on Wednesday, Lawan said Akpabio's defection will shake the PDP to its very foundations.

He said, "Last two weeks, some of our colleagues have decamped to PDP and ADC, this has not shaken the party or the country. Today, the declaration by the one and only uncommon senator in the history of Nigeria has shaken Akwa Ibom and Nigeria to its very foundations.

"This defection has swallowed all previous defections. One that is equal to more than 14. This is one defection that has shaken the PDP to its very foundations."
Akpabio, a former governor, arrived at the state capital on Tuesday ahead of his official defection to the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) slated to take place on Wednesday, August 8.

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Victor Antai and the Commissioner for Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning, Ibanga Akpabio, received the lawmaker at the Akwa Ibom International Airport yesterday with hundreds of other supporters.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Emmanuel Ekuwem, Governor Udom sacked the two commissioners for their "reluctance to comply with good governance processes" of his administration.

The state's Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh, said they had to be removed due to alleged gross misconduct and non-compliance with public service rules. They were both directed to hand over their ministries to their Permanent Secretaries before the close of business on Wednesday.

Akpabio defects due to Udom rift

Akpabio's defection from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been widely reported to be as a result of political differences with Emmanuel.
The diplomatic mission was devastated by a huge explosion on the morning of August 7, 1998, followed minutes later by another massive blast which wrecked the US embassy in Tanzania.

A total of 224 people were killed in the attacks and around 5,000 injured -- mostly Africans.

With two monster bombs loaded onto the back of trucks and a trail of carnage in east Africa, the world was introduced to Osama bin Laden three years before the September 11 attacks in New York would make him a household name.

"Twenty years ago today, evil showed its terrible face in Kenya and Tanzania," US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec told the gathering.

"In the middle of a busy Friday morning, Al-Qaeda terrorists exploded bombs outside the US embassies here in Nairobi and in Dar es Salaam."

"In an awful moment, the lives of thousands changed forever as did the lives of their families and friends," he said.

The Nairobi Chamber Chorus performed the US and Kenyan national anthems then the crowd, lit candles in hand, listened as the names of the victims were read out to the sound of a solo violin.

One of those laying flowers at the memorial site was Teddy Gianopulos, an elderly woman whose sister had been working at the embassy when the bomb went off.

"Shes very much alive in our mind. This day is a very painful day for her family, her children and her grandchildren, whom she didnt get to see, of course," she told AFP.

"It is very painful, it still chokes me (up) a lot to think about it."

A similar memorial service was also due in Dar Es Salaam.

Two decades of violence

"On that day.. Al-Qaeda's appetite and ambition for large-scale attacks grew," said Martin Kimani, head of Kenya's National Counter Terrorism Centre.

"Since then, large parts of the world have endured repeated attacks by terrorists."

Three years after the carnage in East Africa, Bin Laden went on to stage the 9/11 attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died when hijacked passenger aircraft hit the Pentagon in Washington and destroyed the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center, the symbol of New York's financial wealth.

Kenya itself has also been hit by further mass bloodshed. Two years after the embassy attack, it sent troops across the border into Somalia to fight the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab, which had been staging attacks on its soil.

The group hit back violently, staging a major attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre in 2013, killing 67 people, and another assault on Garissa University in eastern Kenya two years later, which left 148 dead.

'Suffering but not beaten'

"Tragically, since the bombings, Al Qaida and other terrorist groups have continued their savage assault on humanity," the US ambassador told the crowd.

"From New York to Paris to Bali to Garissa, to the mall of Westgate, the terrorists have followed their murderous agenda.

"But today ... we say clearly and loudly that although we have suffered, we are not beaten," he said.

"We will never let those who traffic in death and destruction defeat us."

Kenya has not seen a major attack since 2015, with counter-terror chief Kimani saying the country was benefitting from ongoing cooperation with its allies although he admitted that the ever-present threat required "continued vigilance".

jpegMpeg4-1280x720In 2011, the White House said Bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan by US special forces and since then, attention has swung away from Al-Qaeda to the rival Islamic State (IS) group which was formed in 2013 and has staged a string of deadly mass attacks.
"The sentences deny justice to the victims, who included women and children," the New York-based NGO said in a statement, protesting that the jail terms "do not reflect the gravity of the crime."

Human Rights Watch only gained access to the court ruling in July, after it was handed down on April 25, and stressed that the three men "are now free, having served most of the sentence."

In March 2014, a dozen civilians went missing at Boali in strife-torn CAR, after a clash between local anti-Balaka militias drawn mainly from the Christian population and troops of an African Union mission known as MISCA. That force was later replaced by the current UN mission MINUSCA.

Two years after the trouble, a mass grave was found near a former MISCA base at Boali and international pressure was placed on Congo to see that an investigation took place.

The remains of 12 people were found in the grave in February 2016 and all were eventually identified as individuals detained by Congolese MISCA troops after the altercation with the anti-Balaka forces, in which a peacekeeper was killed.

"The authorities in the Republic of Congo missed an opportunity to provide justice for the murders of civilians and to show that no peacekeeper is above the law," said Lewis Mudge, Africa senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"Giving the soldiers who committed murder little more than a slap on the wrist sent a damaging message to other peacekeepers that they risk little if they commit such crimes."

In April, the appeals court in the Congolese capital Brazzaville consisted of judges and jurors who were handling the case with regard to its classification as war crimes and crimes against humanity, HRW said.

"What kind of justice is this?" a Central African family member asked Human Rights Watch. "The Congolese judges must explain how the murderer of my brother is free after only three years of detention."

The NGO noted that the entire Congolese contingent was repatriated by the United Nations in July 2017, after other documented instances of killings and human rights abuses.

It urged the African Union to publish an internal report into the Boali incidents and urged the continental body to press Congolese authorities for details of the reasoning behind the lenient sentences.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  President Duterte spoke disparagingly of himself Wednesday, saying he was a "lame duck" President.

In a speech during the anniversary of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the President said he was at the end of his political career.

"Look, I have hit the firewall. I cannot run again. For all intents and purposes, actually I am a lame duck President. If you are talking about politics, okay. I will not interfere anyway because after this, I cannot even run for a barangay captain. I have reached my limits," he said.

Officials are usually described as a lame duck when they wield less influence or power, usually because his or her term is about to end.

The President described himself as such when he shrugged off threats to slap him with a case before the International Criminal Court.

In the same speech, Duterte told policemen not to be afraid to kill suspects when they feel their lives are threatened during legitimate police operations.

These lines from the President have been criticized by some human rights advocates who believe the country's top leader is promoting a culture of impunity.

Never to gambling

In the same event, the President spoke up for the first time after firing the officers and board members of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation.

Duterte said Nayong Pilipino officials should not have granted a 75-year lease contract for a casino.

"Yesterday I fired the council of Nayong Pilipino. All of them. You do not give gambling licenses or franchise for 75 years. You mean to say that, a child is born today, and 75 years later, he's that old, there will still be gambling in this city? I will not allow it," he said.

The President said he disliked gambling and would never give permits for more casinos to operate.

"I hate gambling. I do not want it. There will be no casinos outside of what are existing. I'm not granting anything. Basta gambling ayaw ko [I don't like]," he said.

On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, "He (President Duterte) announced that he was sacking all members of the board and management of Nayong Pilipino... (They) leased government property for a ridiculous long period of time of 70 years. He considered this a contract which was grossly disadvantageous to government."

Duterte was furious that government officials and employees are still into corrupt activities despite all the President's stern warnings, the spokesperson relayed.

In a statement also on Tuesday, Nayong Pilipino Foundation chairperson Patricia Ocampo said she would follow the President's decision to replace the foundation's board of trustees and management team.

She said what happened was regrettable, but that they served "at the pleasure of the President."

Ocampo, however, denied the accusations against the foundation.

CNN Philippines senior correspondent Ina Andolong contributed to this story.
There are calls for regulation of property managers after one admitted she demands to see prospective tenants bank statements.

Auckland-based property manager Rachel Kann told a Social Services Select Committee she routinely asks for bank statements, and uses that information to decide whether to let a property.

"I don't just want to put a tenant into a property and no sooner have they been put in they can't afford the rent," Ms Kann told the select committee.

"They're paying somebody's mortgage and I see a lot of people who are low socio-economic and their bank statements literally will read, 'KFC, McDonalds, the dairy, KFC, McDonalds, court fine', trucks that they buy, goods that they can't afford. You know, I see a lot of mismanagement of money."

Lobby group Renters United told The AM Show the practice is discriminatory and more regulation is needed in the industry.

"It is an invasion of tenants' privacy under the Residential Tenancies Act discrimination is prohibited," spokesperson Kate Day said.

Consumer NZ head of research Jessica Wilson said she had seen no evidence of this.

She echoed Ms Day's comments, telling RadioLIVE's Mark Sainsbury there are plenty ways to check the character of a prospective tenant.

She said landlords can request a reference check or ask for proof of employment and are protected by the bond paid when the tenant moves in.

Conversely there is no requirement for a property manager to pass any kind of good character test.

"We've been getting more complaints about this type of information being requested, really quite personal information," she said.

"Property managers who don't face any sort of regulation themselves, so really they're not subject to any good character test."

Andrew King from the Property Investors Federation told RadioLIVE Drive that he doesnt endorse this practice.

Its not something that we actually teach our members as something to do to check out the quality of the tenant.

However, youve got this really expensive asset that you are letting somebody into. Its very, very difficult once a tenant is in its difficult to get them out  if theyre not performing correctly, Mr King said.

And it takes ages and that means a loss of money. Theres a lot of risk.

Listen to the full interview with Andrew King above.

Drive with Ryan Bridge and Lynda Hallinan, filling in for Lisa Owen, 3pm - 6pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.
An openly gay Northland man has made history by becoming an Anglican priest, the first New Zealander in a homosexual relationship to do so.

Chris Swannell led his first service at Russells Christ Church on Sunday morning, previously serving as a church deacon in the community.

He says its been a long journey, after waiting to be ordained as a priest for 13 years.

Myself and my partner are still feeling a little bit overwhelmed by it all, but it feels good, he told RadioLIVEs Wendyl Nissen.

A new ruling allowing same-sex relationships to be blessed by the church was passed by a general synod in May this year.

The church cant marry same-sex couples, Mr Swannell told RadioLIVE, but being able to bless them is momentous.

But the same-sex blessing that we can now perform in church within a service to a couple who are legally married, thats a really big step forward for the Anglican Church.

Mr Swannell says he became a priest because the community wanted him to.

If it wasnt for the community taking the exercise and doing that, I wouldnt be a priest.

Listen to the full interview with Chris Swannell above.

The Long Lunch with Wendyl Nissen, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.
Night Talk - Mitch Harris opening comments, 8th August 2018.

Tonight: The problem of people walking into things while on their cellphone now has a name - 'cellphone zombies'. Have you ever seen someone put themselves in danger while looking down at their cellphone?

In Australia, moves are being made to make a high-pitched screeching sound in someone's headphones at rail stations to alert them of an oncoming train.

Also tonight: There is outrage in Queenstown after a 30-year-old plumber blew almost 4 times over the legal breath-alcohol limit, and the judge in charge of his case last week let him off - he was discharged without conviction.

How could a judge do this, even if the plumber has made efforts to right his wrongs since the incident? Do you think the judge was too lenient in this case?

Night Talk with Mitch Harris, 8pm - 12am Monday to Thursday nights on RadioLIVE, and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.
ANALYSIS: Conte says no, but Salvini says yes. This sums up the Italian medias view of the conflict at the heart of the new yellow and green government in Roma over the future of the Lyon  Torino trans-Alpine railway, writes Christian Scasso.
UK: A Joint Rail Data Action Plan was published by the Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group on August 8, setting out proposals for train operators to provide more real-time information which would help technology companies develop intelligent travel apps.
UK: The relative reliability and security of rail freight and the availability of spare capacity through the Channel Tunnel could provide shippers with an attractive alternative to road haulage if the introduction of customs requirements causes increasing delays at the UKs ports of entry following Brexit, according to a report ...
Thomas Jefferson defended freedom of the press as essential to an informed public, and thus to democracy. The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, he wrote in 1787, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

Twenty years later, deep into his second presidential term, his confidence had, well, soured. Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper, he wrote in a private letter. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.[T]he man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.

By then Jefferson had been the object of sustained attack by Federalist party newspapers for about a decade and a halfincluding, since 1802, lurid accounts of his purported affair with his slave Sally Hemings. He lamented wearily to his correspondent the demoralizing practice of feeding the public mind habitually on slander, and the depravity of taste which this nauseous aliment induces.

President Trump could sympathize with President Jefferson.

Few presidents enjoy a charmed relationship with the press. Hence complaints about the presss untruthfulness, bias, and arrogance come with the office, no matter how piously a president may believe in the First Amendment or how assiduously he may court journalists. Still, Trump has given his war against fake news a striking prominence, waging it in full public view, unremittingly, and con brio. He intends to win it, or at least to give as good as he gets, and that itself is unusual.

Today the press includes not only newspapers but radio and television networks, internet sites, and anyone with a cellphone and a Twitter handle. Gone are the days when the three national TV networks (along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, who between them furnished most of the networks copy) enjoyed a kind of sacerdotal authority in our politics.

That authority came partly for technological reasonsthe limits of newspaper distribution and of the broadcast spectrumand partly for ideological ones. Early in the 20th century journalism began to think of itself as a profession. In the 19th century most newspapers had been outgrowths of political parties. Now the rising spirit was non-partisan, independent, and expert, guided by the example of the new social sciences, whether philosophical-historical or more scientific in approach. Both recipes came from the same university kitchen, so it was common to find enlisted in the same political causes both the earnest, idealistic, Progressive social reformers and the cool, scientific social inquirers into facts and nothing but the facts (hold the values).

***

The new journalism, too, grew up thinking of itself as liberal and objective at the same time. It was objective insofar as it separated facts from values: reporting the facts, and relegating the values to the editorial pages. But to be objective or scientific in that way was itself a liberal value. Liberals of almost all stripes were confident that those separated facts would eventually line up together as history, a meta-fact confirming their own version of progress and hence their own values. Muckraking journalism led naturally to political reform. The front page and the editorial page were ultimately in synch.

This self-satisfied faith in its own ethics and expertise inspired the mid-century media establishment. Although most of the old media titans continue to exist, they no longer dwell at the heights; they wade, along with many others, through the murky, slow-moving mainstream. To their shock, neither technology nor politics has supported their pretensions.

President Trump exploits that vulnerability with his criticism of fake news. He accuses them not merely of making it up, that is, of getting the facts wrong or concocting facts to fit their bias, but also of inventing the very standards by which to conceal and justify their abuses: the fake authority of objectivity, nonpartisanship, and progress. They are as partisan as journalists were two centuries ago, but cant, or wont, admit it, which means they cant begin to ask how to moderate themselves. In truth, they may be as much self-deluded as deluding.

President Jefferson suggested that the newspapers of his day would be improved if each issue were divided into four sections, headed Truths, Probabilities, Possibilities, and Lies. He predicted that the first section would be the shortest. It would be an interesting experiment in our day, too. The First Amendment guarantees the press freedom, not respect. That has to be earned.

This essay will appear in the new Summer issue of the Claremont Review of Books.
Millennials interested in the world of ideas are on a quest for the types of open conversations often lacking in their college classes or in the media. One possible solution is a new rogue movement still sorting out its manners and mores. Its called the Intellectual Dark Web, and it may prove to be the best thing thats happened to civil discourse since the Internet began.

Coined by economist Eric Weinstein, the name describes a group of American thinkers spanning the political spectrum who are pushing back against the divisive rhetoric and constricted ideological parameters of the cultural mainstream. Intellectual Dark Web members include University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan B. Peterson, religion critic Sam Harris, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, and Rubin Report host Dave Rubin.

It is an eclectic mix of people, Rubin explains in a YouTube video, who are figuring out ways to have the important and often dangerous conversations that are being ignored by the mainstream.

Another way of explaining it is that contentious topics are typically discussed in academia, Hollywood, and the media through an increasingly narrowed ideological lens that constrains genuine exchanges of views  or even openness to ideas that dont conform to reigning orthodoxies.

A dispiriting contretemps involving Ben Shapiro and Mark Duplass last month is a case in point. When liberal actor and film producer Duplass committed the heresy of expressing his respect for conservative commentator Shapiro as a genuine person on Twitter, the social media censors quickly went to work. Although Duplass had qualified his praise for Shapiro by saying, I dont agree with him on much, the pitchforks were brandished anyway.

Less than 24 hours later, Duplass deleted his tweet, apologized for making it, and replaced it another one, dutifully assuring his fans that he doesnt endorse racism, homophobia, etc.

Many young people dont blame Duplass for apologizing. They figure he hasnt really changed his mind and had to kowtow to the social media hall monitors in order to remain viable in his industry.

This mob mentality isnt confined to leftists, either. After Roseanne Barr was quickly dumped from her own show by ABC over a nasty, racist tweet, right-wing critics of the media scoured social media for examples of a double standard when it came to Hollywood liberals. It didnt take them long. Alt-right activist Mike Cernovich found some highly tasteless Twitter jokes passed along by Hollywood producer James Gunn  and demanded his firing. The Walt Disney Co., ABCs parent, promptly cut its ties to Gunn.

To many millennials and others, the lesson here isnt that life can be tit-for-tat. Its that extremists and organizations actively discourage diversity of thought  and large corporations all too often acquiesce to suppressing freedom of speech. The Intellectual Dark Web is hardly the entire answer to this problem, but its a place to start in a world where 50 angry people on Twitter venting over a decades-old politically-incorrect statements or off-color jokes can induce a big corporation to curtail free expression.

The Intellectual Dark Web offers a different path. On college campuses, the latest fad is to suppress speech under the guise of protecting safe spaces for students. Well, this is a safe space where a network of independent thinkers and intellectuals can take conversation and debate in their own direction.

This was always the promise of the Internet, but one that has been hijacked by a media establishment that cant tell the difference between a thoughtful conservative such as Ben Shapiro and alt-right performance artists like Richard Spencer and Milo Yiannopoulos.

On podcasts such as The Rubin Report, intellectuals from all sides come together to talk, discuss, and disagree civilly. They converse at length about politics, religion and philosophy. Harris, an outspoken atheist, has civil conservations with Shapiro, a practicing Jew. Professor Peterson inspires young people to live better and shoot higher, while Eric Weinstein discusses how progressive thought can morph into regressive actions.

You cant find the Intellectual Dark Web in one place, its a bit too obscure for that, but you can sift through the participants various podcasts and YouTube clips. Follow Shapiros podcast here and Harris here. Past debates like this one can be watched on YouTube. Rubin and Peterson are even touring the country doing shows. Follow them here. For more information on the participants, see this fan-made website.

Its a bit sad, but also hopeful, that the public must go to such lengths just to hear well-rounded discourse. But when they arent getting it in the classroom, from the media, or from politicians, they turn to the underground.
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FALLS VILLAGE  The Amernet String Quartet performs Schubert, Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky at Music Mountain on Sunday, at 3 p.m., according to a news release from organizers. Concerts are scheduled through Sept. 23.

Amernet String Quartet returns to Music Mountain on Sunday afternoon with an outstanding program, to include Schubert: Quartettsatz in C Minor, D. 703; Schubert: String Quartet in E Flat Major, D. 87; Richard Strauss: String Sextet from Capriccio Op. 85  a Music Mountain premiere; and Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 Souvenir de Florence. The quartet will be joined by guest artists Chauncey Patterson, viola, and Ronald Thomas, cello.

The Amernet String Quartet has garnered recognition as one of todays exceptional string quartets, praised for its intelligence by The New York Times. The Amernets performance schedule has taken the quartet across the Americas and to Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. They have collaborated with many of todays most prominent artists and ensembles, performed at major festivals to critical acclaim and have appeared as quartet soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony. The Amernet String Quartet actively advocates for neglected works of the past and aims to enliven the concert experience through its innovative programming.

Violist Chauncey Patterson has garnered an impressive career as chamber musician, teacher, soloist, and orchestral player. He has been principal viola at Denver Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and the award-winning Miami String Quartet. During his 15-year tenure, The Miami String Quartet toured the U.S. extensively, playing virtually every high-profile venue including Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

Foreign travels (with and without the MSQ) have taken Patterson to Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Panama, Brazil, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, England and the Netherlands. Patterson resides in Miami, where he serves as solo viola of the Florida Grand Opera and interim professor of viola at the Frost School of Music, as well as violist in the Bergonzi String Quartet.

Cellist Ronald Thomas sustains one of the most active and varied careers in todays music world as performer, teacher and artistic administrator. Thomas is the co-founder and artistic director emeritus of the Boston Chamber Music Society, as well as the artistic director of the Chestnut Hill Concerts in Madison. He was principal cellist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, appeared in recital and as soloist with orchestras throughout the United States, Europe and the Far East, and performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at Alice Tully Hall and on tour. Thomas has taught at MIT, Brown University, the Boston Conservatory and Peabody Conservatory.

The weekend gets off to a dancing start on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with the Galvanized Jazz Band playing the best of Dixieland, New Orleans jazz, and swing. The band is a dynamic group of Connecticut musicians devoted to the energetic performance of hot Dixieland, New Orleans jazz, blues, rags, stomps, struts, spirituals, swing, and classic popular songs from the past century. In addition to playing local concerts and private parties, the band has performed at jazz festivals from Maine to New Orleans and throughout Europe.

Music Mountain is on Music Mountain Road, Falls Village. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Chamber music concerts are $35, and Twilight Series concerts are $30. Concert and dinner passes are available for Twilight Series concerts for $70; including a preconcert dinner at 5 p.m. at the Falls Village Inn. Children 5 to 18 are admitted free when accompanied by a ticket holder. Saturday evening Twilight concerts are at 6:30 p.m. Sunday; afternoon chamber concerts are at 3 p.m. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form, visit musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.
Roxbury Connecticut Jazz Festival /

ROXBURY  The Roxbury Recreation Commission, along with TransMedia Creative presents the Roxbury Connecticut Jazz Festival on Saturday. The festival will showcase a lineup of local and regional Connecticut jazz artists, according to a news release from organizers.

People of all ages are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and coolers to enjoy a day of music and old-fashioned summer fun at Roxburys Munson Meadow. Along with the concerts, there will be a cocktail party and prix fixe boxed lunches sold by the Roxbury Market. A portion of the concerts proceeds will be donated to Roxburys Apple Lane Development Fund, which helps to improve and maintain Hurlburt Park.
WASHINGTON  The Washington Art Association & Gallery, 4 Bryan Memorial Plaza, Washington Depot, presents the exhibition Maquette: The Art of the Model from Aug. 11 to Sept. 15. There will be an opening reception on August 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. said a press release from the gallery. This event is free and open to the public.

Maquette: The Art of the Model is an exhibition of maquettes or models by many of the sculptors currently exhibiting in the WAA Sculpture Walk 2018.

Curated by WAA Trustees Mark Mennin and Barbara Talbot, WAA Sculpture Walk 2018 is a public art exhibition featuring 40 internationally and nationally recognized artists and emergent sculptors, with over 60 works sited throughout Washington Depot. It is currently on view through Nov.1, and open daily to the public 9 a.m. to dusk.

A maquette is model for a larger piece of sculpture, created to visualize how it might look and to work out approaches and materials for how it might be made. Maquettes are often fascinating works in their own right, conveying the immediacy of the artists first realization of an idea.

A maquette is French for Scale Model or in Italian, bozzetti and refers to a small mock-up of fully realized three-dimensional sculpture or architecture. Maquettes may be made from paper, clay, wax or any other material. Bernini used wax and baked terra cotta to create his maquettes.

This exhibition does not necessarily represent a miniature replica of the fully realized sculptures in the WAA Sculpture Walk 2018, but in turn conveys how creativity germinates and structural challenges may be resolved. Often, the artist will use many different styles and types of studies which evolve into something quite different from the original sketch.

The Washington Art Association & Gallery is pleased to present these ideas as a means of discovering an artists creative process. Maquettes by sculptors in the WAA Sculpture Walk 2018 will be on display, as well as a few additional special guests.
A psychiatric nurse from Durham who lost a $4.2 million malpractice decision in 2016 in connection with her care of a patient who committed suicide was reprimanded Wednesday by the state Board of Examiners for Nursing.

The board also placed the advanced practice registered nurse license of Catherine Florio, who treated the patient in 2009 at Harbor Health Services in Branford, on probation for six months, during which she must complete courses on the management of patients with depression or anxiety or who are considering suicide, according to a consent order Florio agreed to with the board. Florio must also complete a course on managing patients who are withdrawing from benzodiazepines, a class of drugs used to treat anxiety.

In 2016, a New Haven Superior Court jury found Florio 35 percent responsible for the death of Alan Jarecki, a 55-year-old house painter from Madison who was admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital because he was considering suicide, the Connecticut Law Tribune reported. The jury found the hospital 65 percent liable for the death, but the hospital had previously settled the lawsuit with Jareckis family, the Law Tribune reported.

The consent order said that Florio failed to meet the standard of care by not taking the patients complete medical history, by failing to assess the patient and his risk factors for suicide and failing to re-evaluate the patient in a timely manner. In signing the consent order, Florio chose not to contest the allegations but admitted no wrongdoing.

Lawyers for Jareckis estate said that he had been discharged into Florios care after leaving the hospital, where providers had begun tapering him off Ativan, a medication he had used for anxiety for 10 years, the Connecticut Law Tribune reported.

The estates lawyers said Florio only saw Jarecki once and told him to come back in three months. Nine days later, while completely off the Ativan, Jarecki killed himself in Bauer Park in Madison, the Tribune reported.

Geraldine Marrocco, a board member who is an APRN and an associate professor of nursing at the Yale School of Nursing, said that 90 days was much, much too long to go [without an appointment] for a patient who was so mentally unstable.

The board dropped all charges against Joshua Klies, a licensed practical nurse from Winsted, because he voluntarily surrendered his nursing license.

In June, the board had suspended his license, saying he worked as an LPN in Hartford without prior approval to work as a nurse, and in 2017, he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, state records show.

The board also disciplined two other nurses, including placing the registered nurse license of Kathleen Baran of Shelton on probation for four years after finding that she had abused Dilaudid, morphine and Percocet to excess in 2016, the boards memorandum of decision states.

In just six weeks that year, Baran stole 47 Percocet tablets, 113 vials of Dilaudid and 208 vials of morphine from St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport, where she was working, the order said. Baran, who admitted her misconduct and sought treatment for her addiction, is now drug-free, the memo said.

The board also found that Baran falsified controlled substance records, the memo said. While on probation, she must undergo random drug tests.

The board placed the RN and APRN licenses of Dianne Powers of Bloomfield on probation for four years in connection with her prolonged history of alcohol abuse, a consent order she signed said. That abuse affects her ability to practice as a nurse, the order said. Powers, who must undergo random drug and alcohol tests while on probation, chose not to contest the allegations.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (www.c-hit.org).
HARTFORD  Before a crowd of more than 100 supporters, Martin Luther King III endorsed Democrat Shawn Wooden for state treasurer at a rally Saturday outside Woodens campaign headquarters in Hartford.

He truly is the best and brightest  not the best and brightest African American, but the best that any community has to offer, King said.

King and Wooden share a mutual friend, Wooden said. A human rights advocate, King is the oldest child of Martin Luther King Jr. He lives in Georgia, and is active on labor issues around the country.

Wooden received Kings backing while standing among other candidates endorsed by the Democratic party for state office: gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont, lieutenant governor candidate Susan Bysiewicz and attorney general candidate William Tong. U.S. Rep. John Larson, who represents Connecticuts 1st Congressional District, including Hartford, and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin both shared their hearty support for Wooden in speeches.

When was the last time you saw a turnout like this for a treasurer candidate? Bronin asked the crowd.

Hartfords former city council president, Wooden received the support with emotion.

Today is extremely special to me, he said, with his sons at his side.

In his speech, King criticized Woodens primary opponent, Democrat Dita Bhargava, a former investment manager who worked at Bear Stearns, Credit Suisse and Citigroup, among other firms.

Wooden is the only candidate who has put Main Street ahead of Wall Street, King said. I imagine his opponent was very good at helping rich folk get richer. Thats not what public service is about.

He also accused Bhargava of questioning Woodens character and making false claims about Woodens experience.

Bhargava responded by defending her words.

It just boggles my mind why when a woman speaks the truth  the truth you could easily find in the Hartford Courant or in the Wall Street Journal  it is seen on negative campaigning, she said. I am simply pointing out the facts.

She highlighted an instance in which Wooden, a pension investment attorney for Day Pitney, was involved in advising the New Jersey pension fund to invest in one of the worlds largest hedge funds, BlackRock, an investment that underperformed and was criticized by New Jersey officials and union leaders.

That was a bad investment, and he collected millions of dollars in fees on it from Wall Street, Bhargava said. I did my job and I did the best I could.

Wooden said it was utterly false that his firm made millions from the investment.

Ive spent years fighting to protect the retirement security of working families and serving the public, he wrote in a statement. In stark contrast, my opponent has bounced from one Wall Street trading firm to another, including some that contributed to the Great Recession of 2008 that devastated the retirement savings of millions of people. I am disappointed that my opponent has decided to run a campaign of desperation instead of telling voters how she will make their lives better.

King spent Saturday meeting with Connecticut National Association for the Advancement of Colored People leaders in Hartford and with clergy in Bloomfield.

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination. King worked on a tobacco field in Simsbury for a summer in the 1940s and returned to Connecticut several times throughout his life as a civil rights leader.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
Authorities in the northern Chinese provinces of Shaanxi and Shanxi are investigating a fresh scandal involving substandard vaccines amid complaints that rabies vaccines given to children in the region were out of date.



Social media posts have reported that a number of children in Shaanxi's Shangluo city were given vaccines that were past their use-by date.



Parents posted complaints that children were given expired vaccines at the Shangluo municipal center for disease control and prevention (CDC), the Shangluo Maternal and Child Health Hospita,l and the Shangzhou district CDC.



More than 100 parents lodged complaints at the Shangluo city government on Monday over expired vaccines given to their children.



Vice mayor of Shangluo Wu Wenzhao apologized to local people after a probe found omissions in the registration processes linked to new batches of vaccines, and "internal management confusion."



But the investigators found that the vaccines were safe, he said.



Wu promised that any administrative errors would be "strictly pursued through legal channels," and vowed to tighten up quality-control procedures in local government departments responsible for ensuring vaccine safety.



Dodging the issue



One of the protesting parents, who gave only his surname Shen, said the local government is trying to dodge the real issue of expired vaccines by holding a news conference to apologize for administrative errors instead.



"I don't really trust what the officials are saying about this," Shen said. "Even vaccines that pass quality control have proved to cause really major problems."



"We have had repeated problems with vaccines nationwide, so we can't trust what the government says about vaccine reliability," he said. "I don't trust them, at any rate."



"These issues have caused real harm and suffering to these families," he said.



A second campaigning parent, who gave only her surname Lei, said there are still many parents in China who don't realize how dangerous vaccines can be.



"Of course we're scared. How could we not be?" Lei said. "All of the parents are terrified, and nobody will get their kid vaccinated . . . We don't care how much money they give us."



"They refuse to acknowledge this problem ... they keep saying it wasn't caused by the vaccines," she said. "They should show a bit of humanity and extend some aid to these kids as soon as possible, so they can get treatment."



Chen Bingzhong, former director of the China Institute of Health Education, said China's regulatory system is still inadequate to ensure safe vaccines.



"They don't carry out stringent checks, so they aren't watertight," Chen said. "There should be a neutral and credible third party to check the dates on these vaccines."



Lawsuit filed



Meanwhile, state prosecutors in Shanxi's Pianguan county have filed a lawsuit against local health and family planning officials, alleging that they failed to carry out their regulatory duties adequately, the Global Times newspaper reported.



"Prosecutors discovered that the Disease Control and Prevention Center in Pianguan failed to record ... information [for] 150 rabies vaccines, and had no information about those who were vaccinated," the paper, which has close ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily, said.



Vaccine producers, local disease control and prevention centers (CDCs) and health care providers are all required to hold such information, it said.



It said the county Commission of Health and Family Planning, which is responsible for monitoring vaccines, "failed to correct the center's irregular behavior."



State prosecutors, or procuratorates, in China can file public interest lawsuits against administrative institutions to demand that they change their behavior or provide compensation.



Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Wang Yun for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Concerns are growing over the health of detained Chinese rights lawyer Li Yuhan, who is suffering from multiple health problems amid a current heat-wave after 10 months of pretrial detention in the northeastern province of Liaoning.



Li's case, in which she stands accused of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," was recently passed to the state prosecutor, paving the way for a trial.



Li was visited by her defense attorney in the Shenyang No. 1 Detention Center on Tuesday, her son Ma Wenting, who now lives in Germany, told RFA.



"She fell over a few days ago in the toilets, and there is an area of congestion to the left of her chest," Ma said. "She has also had pain in her lower back in recent days."



Ma said Li, who was initially detained last October, had undergone heart surgery earlier that year.



"Her heart is in a very bad way right now," he said. "Psychologically, she feels a sense of injustice, so she is very depressed, which is affecting her overall health."



Ma added: "She is suffering tremendously from heat exhaustion, because the indoor temperature is around 40C in Shenyang right now, and there are a lot of people crammed into the cell, with no air-conditioning," he said.



Medical parole denied



Li went missing on Oct. 9, 2017, and is "at risk of torture and other ill-treatment" in the police-run No. 1 Detention Center, London-based Amnesty International has said.



Li's lawyer Wu Li said she has made repeated applications for her release on medical parole, but they have all been rejected, with no reason given.



"We applied for medical parole because she has been held beyond the usual time limit," Wu said. "This is a clear case of trumped-up charges and political revenge."



"There have been a number of issues in her family that have never been resolved, and she had been complaining and petitioning about them for a long time."



"It is likely that the police department is very angry about that ... Now they are saying that her petitioning amounted to picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," Wu said.



Politically sensitive cases



Fellow activists said Li's detention came after she was particularly courageous in the wake of a nationwide police operation targeting rights lawyers, legal firms, and rights activists since July 2015.



Li had acted as defense attorney to high profile Beijing rights lawyer Wang Yu, who was the first of a group of lawyers at the Beijing Fengrui law firm to be detained on the night of July 9-10, 2015, kicking off a nationwide police operation that detained or questioned more than 300 lawyers and their associates.



She was later forced to withdraw from the case after local authorities revoked her lawyer's business license.



Rights lawyers who accept politically sensitive cases, or who are publicly outspoken on behalf of vulnerable groups, have since 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 Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Min Ko Naing, a Myanmar democracy activist and former 88 Generation Students Group leader, speaks at a ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of an uprising against a former military-led government, at Yangon University in Yangon, Aug. 8, 2018.

Activists who participated in the August 1988 student-led uprising against the harsh military regime that had run Myanmar for more than 25 years say their movement remains relevant today as the country then known as Burma has yet to achieve full democracy three decades after soldiers quashed their protests, killing thousands.

Wednesday marks the 30th anniversary of the popular uprising against a former military-led government under General Ne Win, a reclusive dictator who took power in a 1962 coup, ushering in totalitarian rule by a corrupt military junta, economic stagnation, and incessant war against ethnic minority groups.

One of the sparks that set off protests was a decision by the Ne Win government in 1987 to demonetize Myanmars currency, the kyat, rendering most of the country's banknotes illegal, and leaving students and others unable to pay for their tuition and living expenses. Riots at several universities ensued, culminating in a general strike that was put down on Aug. 8, 1988.

The so-called 8888 protests led to a general election in 1990, in which the then opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, won a majority of seats in parliament. But the military overturned the election results and continued to rule.

After the crackdown, the government jailed many of the university students who participated in the uprising for their pro-democracy activities, prompting Western governments and human rights groups to call for their release. Aung San Suu Kyi, meanwhile, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

The ensuing decades saw Aung San Suu Kyi mostly under house arrest while her country remained isolated, until General Thein Sein ushered in a quasi-civilian government under the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in 2011.

That government increased civil freedoms, offered some political and economic opportunities for citizens, and loosened control of the media. Elections in 2015 then produced a civilian government under Aung San Suu Kyis NLD which has ruled the country since late March 2016.

Activists from the 1988 protests gathered this week to mark the event, weigh the achievements, and reflect on unfinished tasks.

We have had a series of anti-government movements since 1962, but all classes of people participated in 1988 uprising, said Ko Ko Gyi, an 88 Generation Student Group leader and prominent former political prisoner.

It is outstanding and different from other movements, he said. As a result of this, we have had political, social, and economic changes in our country.

More rights for the people

Activist Thin Thin Aye, better known as Mie Mie, noted that the 1988 uprising marked the first time that the people fought back against the military dictatorship and that its main accomplishment was the dismantlement of an established one-party political system.

We carried that strength from the 1988 uprising to fight military dictatorship until we got a civilian government, she told RFAs Myanmar Service.

A prominent member of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society Group, Mie Mie has led numerous anti-government protests and has been jailed several times since 1988.

In 2015, she was arrested along with students for participating in a protest in the central Myanmar town of Letpadan against controversial proposed changes to the countrys national education policy. She was freed in April 2016 in keeping with a pledge by Aung San Suu Kyi to release detained students under the NLD government.

Galonni Sayadaw, also known as Ashin Kawwida, who participated in the 1988 uprising as a monk, said the uprising remains the most important movement in Myanmars history.

Myanmar has changed because of this 88 uprising with the extension of more rights for the people, he said.

Many lives were lost when we fought the military dictatorship during this uprising, he said, referring to the thousands who were killed during the August 1988 crackdown.

Attorney and former political prisoner Thein Than Oo said divisions still exist in Myanmar today between those who supported the 1988 uprising and those who opposed it.

We still have to hold the flag of democracy, peace, and ethnic unity that was born of the 1988 uprising, he said.

Attendees listen to speeches at a ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of Myanmar's Aug. 8, 1988, uprising, at the University of Yangon in Yangon, Aug. 8, 2018. Credit: AFP

Transition to democracy

Former information minister Ye Htut said the uprising was instrumental in showing the need for a government to develop better social and economic opportunities for citizens.

The lessons the movement imparted are that political leaders must work together on reforms for a smoother transition to full democracy and that those in power need not despise their opponents, he said.

Naing Aung, former chairman of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), said the goals of the 1988 uprising are still in their infancy because only large parties dominate Myanmars political landscape though there are many small ones, and that the democratic notions of human rights and freedom of speech continue to be weak.

Peoples understanding of and adherence to democratic principles are weak as well, he told RFA. It means they believe what they hear. They dont question back. They still are fearful and think they have to do whatever officials say. People who have power bully ordinary people.

Thet Zin, editor-in-chief of Myanmars The World Today magazine, said those who participated in the 1988 uprising expected to see an equal multiple-democracy party system that included all of the countrys ethnic parties, though this has yet to be achieved.

The NLD and these ethnic political parties have been working together for a long time, but there have been disagreements and problems between them, he said. It is like ethnic groups are being ignored, and the NLD government alone cant accomplish political reform.

The NLD government has been holding periodic talks with ethnic political parties and their respective military groups in a bid to forge lasting peace in the country after seven decades of armed conflict and strained relations with ethnic minority groups. The ethnic political parties and their associated armies seek equality and greater autonomy under a federal union in Myanmar.

Commemoration ceremonies

The uprisings anniversary was commemorated on Wednesday at an event at the University of Yangon in Myanmars commercial capital. Leaders of the 88 Generation Students Group, current Information Minister Pe Myint, Yangon Regional Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein, lawmakers, and members of the NLDs Central Executive Committee attended the ceremony.

Those who participated in discussions of the uprising and its aftermath issued a statement calling for a democratic federal union in Myanmar that includes ethnic minorities and for amendments to the 2008 constitution, a document drafted by a former military junta that solidifies the militarys political power.

The constitution guarantees the military a quarter of legislative seats through appointment in parliament and gives the bloc a crucial veto over proposed changes to the charter. The armed forces also control three defense and security ministries  defense, border, and home affairs.

We have been asked if our demands have been met after 30 years, said Min Ko Naing, a democracy activist and former 88 Generation Students Group leader at Yangon University.

Having a parliament and elections was not our goal, he said. We will have to work hard for a parliament filled entirely with elected members and for a government made up entirely of civilians.

Reported by Khin Khin Ei, Nay Rein Kyaw, and Kyaw Lwin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Armed border guard police stand guard at the gate of a repatriation processing center in Nga Khu Ya village, Maungdaw district, in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, on June 28, 2018.

Two United Nations agencies on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to make tangible progress in improving conditions in violence-ridden Rakhine state, two months after they signed a memorandum of understanding with the country to assist with the return of some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims displaced by military crackdowns.

The U.N. development agency (UNDP) and refugee agency (UNHCR) have agreed to help return and reintegrate the Rohingya refugees, assess conditions in Rakhine for those who are contemplating returning, and support programs that benefit all communities in the multiethnic state.

Myanmar security forces conducted two brutal crackdowns on the Rohingya in Rakhine following deadly attacks by a Muslim militant group in the northern part of the state in October 2016 and August 2017.

The first campaign drove roughly 90,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh, while the second forced more than 700,000 to flee. The refugees have been living in sprawling makeshift camps in southeastern Bangladesh with others who escaped from previous bouts of violence in Rakhine.

The U.N., which has said that the 2017 military campaign against the Rohingya amounted to ethnic cleansing, has raised concerns along with rights groups about the safety of refugees who will return to Rakhine under a repatriation program.

Since signing the MoU, the Myanmar government has formed a technical working group with the agencies, allowed senior UNHCR and UNDP officials to visit northern Rakhine, and arranged an initial field visit to the state by the technical working group.

However, substantial progress is urgently needed in three key areas covered by the MoU: granting effective access in Rakhine state; ensuring freedom of movement for all communities; and addressing the root causes of the crisis, a statement issued by the two agencies said.

Myanmar views the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and subjects them to systematic discrimination. They are denied access to basic services and citizenship, though many have lived in the country for generations. The government also denies them freedom of movement.

Many Rohingya refugees in the Bangladesh camps have said they remain afraid to return to Myanmar, which has agreed to repatriate those verified as eligible to return. Adding to concerns is the fact that the contents of the U.N.-Myanmar MoU have not been made public.

The agencies also said that their staff must be able to consult freely and independently on a daily basis with communities in Rakhine state about their needs, under flexible travel authorization procedures that allow timely visits to those communities.

The UNHCR and UNDP submitted requests for travel authorizations on June 14 for their international staff to be based in Maungdaw district  one of three areas in Rakhine where the 2017 crackdown took place  but are still waiting for government approval.

Addressing the root causes

The agencies also stressed the need for freedom of movement and the increased delivery of public services for all communities in Rakhine state, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or citizenship status, but noted that the remaining Rohingya have been most affected by violence and continue to face restrictions on basic access to services.

They called for the government to address the root causes of the crisis by implementing the recommendations of a previous Advisory Commission on Rakhine State headed by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan and an opportunity for eligible Rohingya to become Myanmar citizens.

The advisory commission proposed ways to solve sectarian tensions between Muslims and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in the state, although it did not evaluate possible human rights violations.

Its final report issued in August 2017 called for the closure of internally displaced persons camps housing Rohingya in Rakhine state, reviews of Myanmars 1982 Citizenship Law which prevents the Rohingya from becoming citizens, and an end to restrictions on Rohingya to preclude further violence in the region.

Rohingya community leaders have criticized Myanmar and the U.N. agencies for not consulting them on the terms of the MoU, and especially for the lack of commitment from the government to meet their demands as a precondition for the safe return of refugees to Rakhine.

The Myanmar government has not yet issued a response to Wednesdays appeal by the two U.N. agencies.

The UNHCR signed a similar MoU with Bangladeshi officials in April and has been working with the government to verify the identities and issue ID cards for Rohingya refugees.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement for the voluntary return of Rohingya refugees last November, but so far only several dozen refugees returned illegally on their own in May.

Myint Thu, permanent secretary of Myanmars Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told RFA on July 27 that Myanmar would repatriate 500,000-700,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh who fled after the 2017 crackdown and after communal violence in 2012, but not the one million cited in some foreign news reports.

He also said that officials would process 1,500 Rohingya refugees a week at border reception areas in northern Rakhine state during the first phase of the repatriation program.
An official Chinese Communist Party recording recently obtained by RFAs Uyghur Service characterizes Uyghurs who have been sent for political re-education as infected by an ideological illnessnot unlike a disease that must be treated at a hospital. The 12-minute Uyghur language audio recording issued in October 2017 offers a rare glimpse into Beijings justification for its network of political re-education camps used since April 2017 to jail or detain Uyghurs accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The XUARs Party Youth League recording, entitled What Kind of Place is the Educational Transformation Center, was published Oct. 11, 2017 on the WeChat social media network by Talap/Tagdim [Request/Offer] Salon and addressed to Uyghur youth as part of a bid to assuage concerns over the camps, which credible reports suggest have held upwards of 1.1 million people, or 10-11 percent of the adult Muslim population of the XUAR. Aside from a brief mention in a recent article carried by state media, China's central government authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of the camps, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret. The following are excerpts from the recording:



In recent times, amid a growing heavy crackdown, a small number of peopleparticularly young peoplehave gone to re-education camps to study. However, their parents, friends and relatives, and the general public dont understand the benefits of re-education, and as a result they are worried and fearful. So let us give answers to their questions and their concerns today.



Members of the public who have been chosen for re-education have been infected by an ideological illness. They have been infected with religious extremism and violent terrorist ideology, and therefore they must seek treatment from a hospital as an inpatient. In recent years, there have been violent incidents occurring in Xinjiang, one after another, instigated by the three evil forces [of terrorism, religious extremism, and separatism], which has threatened the safety of people from all ethnic communities and caused serious damage and losses. These terrorists have one thing in common: they were infected by religious extremism and a violent terrorism disease.



The religious extremist ideology is a type of poisonous medicine which confuses the mind of the people. Once they are poisoned by it, some turn into extremists who no longer value even their own lives  If we do not eradicate religious extremism at its roots, the violent terrorist incidents will grow and spread all over like an incurable malignant tumor.



Although a certain number of people who have been indoctrinated with extremist ideology have not committed any crimes, they are already infected by the disease. There is always a risk that the illness will manifest itself at any moment, which would cause serious harm to the public. That is why they must be admitted to a re-education hospital in time to treat and cleanse the virus from their brain and restore their normal mind. We must be clear that going into a re-education hospital for treatment is not a way of forcibly arresting people and locking them up for punishment, it is an act that is part of a comprehensive rescue mission to save them.



In order to provide treatment to people who are infected with ideological illnesses and to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment, the Autonomous Regional Party Committee decided to set up re-education camps in all regions, organizing special staff to teach state and provincial laws, regulations, the partys ethnic and religious policies, and various other guidelines. They mobilized the public to learn the common language [Mandarin Chinese], complete various technical training courses, and take part in cultural and sport activities, teaching them what is correct and incorrect  so they can clearly distinguish right from wrong  At the end of re-education, the infected members of the public return to a healthy ideological state of mind, which guarantees them the ability to live a beautiful happy life with their families.



Same as physical illnesses



Ideological illnesses are the same as physical illnesses, in that they must be treated in time, and should never be ignored and allowed to become serious. Otherwise, later we will regret it, as it will be too late  Being infected by religious extremism and violent terrorist ideology and not seeking treatment is like being infected by a disease that has not been treated in time, or like taking toxic drugs  There is no guarantee that it will not trigger and affect you in the future. If people dont attend re-education class because there is no one to take responsibility for the household chores, or if they choose to run away from re-education, that can be considered being very irresponsible to themselves, their families and society.



Families of those who have been taken for re-education may have concerns over whether they will be charged for re-education classes, provided with food, or if they will be uncomfortable during periods of cold weather, or punished. All these worries are unnecessary  If the trainees fail to achieve the desired results, they will continue classes free of charge until they are qualified and fit to leave  Citizens, please remain calm and relax, no one in the re-education camps will starve, be left in the cold, be punished, or be forced to work. On the contrary, they are given a rare, free chance of re-education in order to reform themselves.



Some people worry that once they have been through the re-education process, they will be classified as bad people, and that even after having worked hard to complete the re-education program they will be discriminated against and treated differently. In fact, this is an unnecessary concern. Just like people who have had an operation, and have taken medication before recovering from their illnesses, the public wont see them as someone who is ill.



However, we must be cautious about one fact: having gone through re-education and recovered from the ideological disease doesnt mean that one is permanently cured. We can only say that they are physically healthy, and there is no sign that the disease may return. After recovering from an illness, if one doesnt exercise to strengthen the body and the immune system against disease, it could return worse than before. So, after completing the re-education process in the hospital and returning home  they must remain vigilant, empower themselves with the correct knowledge, strengthen their ideological studies, and actively attend various public activities to bolster their immune system against the influence of religious extremism and violent terrorism, and safeguard themselves from being infected once again, to prevent later regrets.



This has been an explanation of re-education and should alleviate the publics anxiety. We hope that every youth thoroughly understands the harm of religious extremism and violent terrorism, strengthens their mental immune system against the virus, and returns to the great family of the Chinese nation to lead a healthy and happy life.



Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service.
Jailed Vietnamese democracy activist Nguyen Trung Truc, a member of the online Brotherhood for Democracy advocacy group, is suffering from failing eyesight after being held for long periods in a darkened cell, a fellow activist says.



Speaking with RFAs Vietnamese Service on condition of anonymity, the activistalso a Brotherhood membersaid that Trucs son reported his fathers condition following a prison visit on Tuesday, adding that Truc has grown physically weaker in jail since his arrest last year.



RFA was unable to contact Trucs family for confirmation, and Trucs lawyer declined to comment on his clients state of health, citing the political sensitivity of the case.



Truc, an online democracy advocate and former political prisoner, was taken from his home in handcuffs on Aug. 4, 2017 and charged under Article 79 of Vietnams penal code with working to overthrow the government.



Trucs arrest followed the round-up of other members of the group, four of whom are now serving long prison terms after appeals of their sentences were turned down in June.



Nguyen Van Dai, who founded the Brotherhood in 2013 to defend human rights and democratic ideals in Vietnam and was later handed a 15-year prison term, was freed with another group member and sent into exile in Germany in June.



Speaking to RFA , Dai called Truc the last member among nine leaders of the organization recently arrested by the government.



Government accusations that the group has engaged in subversive activities are unfounded, Dai added.



Truc is now scheduled to stand trial on August 17, Dai said.



Abuse and ill-treatment of political prisoners is common in Vietnam, with jailed activists often subjected to harsh and degrading conditions behind bars, sources say.



New York-based Human Rights Watch has said that police brutality is systemic in Vietnam, whose Ministry of Public Security has admitted that 226 suspects and inmates died in police stations and detention facilities throughout the country between October 2010 and September 2014.



Communist Vietnam, where all media are state-controlled, does not tolerate dissent, and rights groups identify Article 79 as among a set of vague provisions that authorities have used to detain dozens of writers and bloggers.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Richard Finney.
BAKU -- A jailed Azerbaijani anticorruption blogger was allowed to attend his mother's funeral on August 7.

Mehman Huseynov, who was released for several hours to attend the funeral, said he will continue his anticorruption activities, despite being deeply affected by his mother's death.

Huseynov is currently serving a two-year prison sentence after being convicted of libel when he said he had been beaten by police in January 2017.

Huseynov has maintained his innocence and called the case against him politically motivated.

"If I survive in jail and am released, I will be twice as active. We will continue doing what we were doing," Huseynov said.

Hundreds of people, including leading opposition figures, attended the funeral of Firangiz Huseynova, who died on August 6.

The leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Popular Front Party, Ali Karimli, condemned authorities for not allowing Huseynov to see his dying mother when she was still alive.

"The authorities are retaliating against Mehman for his activities revealing the crimes of the corrupt regime. The only reaction to what authorities are doing is hatred. And the big number of people here today is an indication of such a growing hatred," Karimli said.

In December 2016 and January 2017, Huseynov posted photographs of luxury homes he alleged belonged to government officials and lawmakers.

Human rights groups accuse authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev's government of fabricating criminal cases to stifle dissent and media freedom in the oil-producing Caspian Sea country.

With reporting by Turan
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia -- The defense lawyer for President Donald Trumps ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort has sought in a searing cross-examination to undermine the credibility of the U.S. governments star witness by accusing Rick Gates of stealing millions not only from Manafort but also possibly from Trumps inauguration committee.

Kevin Downings cross-examination of Gates came on August 7, the second day of Gates' testimony in Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial, which is playing out in a U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington.

Gates has testified that, while working as Manaforts longtime deputy, he and Manafort committed various financial crimes, mostly stemming from the lucrative work Manafort did between 2010 and 2014 for Ukrainian politicians, including then-President Viktor Yanukovych.

Gates was charged along with Manafort in late 2017, the first charges to come out of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into the interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials and agents.

He pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy charges and has been cooperating with prosecutors in hopes of getting a reduced prison sentence.

The 18 charges against Manafort predate the time that he worked for Trumps presidential election campaign between March and August 2016. Though the charges concern money earned from the work he did in Ukraine for Yanukovych, and his political party, the Party of the Regions, they do not directly deal with Russia, or with questions of Trump aides' dealings with Russian agents.

In his testimony on August 6 and 7, Gates described how he worked with Manafort to hide the amount of U.S. taxes he owed, mainly by classifying loans made from Cypriot shell companies as income.

Gates testified how in 2011, Manafort received payment for his consulting services in Ukraine from an oligarch named Serhiy Lyovochkin, who was closely affiliated with Yanukovych.

According to Gates, Manafort told his bookkeeper to classify Lyovochkin's payment as a loan, which would then reduce Manaforts U.S. taxes. Gates said it in fact was not a loan and Lyovochkin never made any loans to Manafort.

'Separate, Secret Life'

During his cross-examination of Gates, Downing got Gates to admit that he had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort over the years, in some cases to fund an extramarital affair. Downing called it repeatedly "the separate, secret life of Rick Gates."

While admitting the affair and stealing from Manafort, Gates defended himself.

"After all the lies youve told and fraud youve committed, you expect this jury to believe you?" Downing asked Gates.

"Im here to tell the truth. Ive taken responsibility for my actions. Mr. Manafort had the same path. And Im here," Gates told the court.

While Manafort helped Yanukovych get elected in 2010, Yanukovych was ousted from power in February 2014, following months of massive street protests. As a result, according to court documents, Manaforts political work in Ukraine slowed.

Gates said Manafort did some work for Yanukovychs successor, Petro Poroshenko, though he didnt specify what, and Poroshenko's office denied that.

Manafort also tried to cobble together clients from a successor party to the Party of the Regions, the Opposition Bloc, he said.

But by 2015, his consulting company had no clients whatsoever, and Manafort was hard up for cash to fund what prosecutors described as a lavish lifestyle with at least six homes for him and his relatives, expensive landscaping, and fine tailored suits.

In August 2015, Manafort was complaining to Gates that his company hadnt been paid for the political work it did for the Opposition Bloc. So Manaforts Ukrainian point man, Konstantin Kilimnik, wrote an e-mail to Gates, detailing how he would be getting the Opposition Bloc to pay.

"This is to calm Paul down," Kilimnik wrote to Gates on August 25, 2015.

Manafort became Trumps campaign manager in June 2016, but then was fired in August of that year, amid revelations of his off-the-books payments from the Ukrainian political figures.

Gates, meanwhile, whom Manafort had hired to work on Trumps campaign, stayed with the campaign through Trumps January 2017 inauguration. He was arrested and charged later that year.

Second Trial

Earlier in the trial, prosecutors called a series of witnesses -- including a suit tailor, a home renovator, a real estate agent, and a landscape designer -- seeking to demonstrate what they said was Manaforts free-spending lifestyle.

Prosecutors have said they intend to complete their arguments as early as next week. Once that happens, Manafort's defense team will present its case to try and convince the jury of his innocence.

If the trial continues quickly, it could wrap up before a second, more consequential trial against Manafort is scheduled to begin in September.

That trial, in a U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., focuses on allegations that Manafort failed to register as a foreign agent when he was working for Yanukovych and his political party.

While Manafort's case is the first that Mueller has brought to trial, the special counsel has charged 31 other people with dozens of offenses, including conspiracy, failure to register as foreign agents, and lying to federal law enforcement.

In one major case, Mueller charged 12 Russian military intelligence officers with hacking and leaking Democratic Party documents in an attempt to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In addition to Gates, Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Mueller investigation.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the investigation, denying any effort by him or his associates to collude with Russian officials to sway the election.


MINSK -- More journalists have been detained for questioning in Belarus for allegedly obtaining information illegally from the state-run news agency, BelTA, amid what appears to be a widening crackdown on independent media.

Employees of the Realt.by website, which offers deals for people interested in renting and purchasing property, told RFE/RL that the website's chief editor Uladzislau Kuletski, journalists Ihar Khmara, Maryya Saroka, and Alena Maslouskaya were detained for questioning by the Investigative Committee on August 8 after police confiscated their computers.

The four journalists were told that they will be questioned regarding the BelTA case.

A former reporter with the Selska Haspadarka magazine, Alyaksey Zhukau, was also detained on August 8 together with his wife Aryna Semychkina.

Journalist Volha Shastakova, a friend of the couple, told RFE/RL that they were detained in the village of Baraulyany near Minsk. The reason for their detention is unknown.

Also on August 8, police visited Paulyuk Bykouski a correspondent with the Deutsche Welle radio station in Minsk.

Bykouski told RFE/RL that the police informed him that their visit was linked to the BelTA case, but after Bykouski explained to them that he had not been using BelTA's information for years, police left.

The detentions mark the latest moves in a broad crackdown on media that report critically of strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his government.

"This is an attempt to intimidate us all," Belarusian Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich told RFE/RL. "There is a test: whether we exist as a society that is capable of making civil resistance."

On August 7, police detained five Belarusian journalists, all women, following searches at the offices of two independent news outlets, Tut.by and BelaPAN.

Police said the journalists of the two outlets illegally obtained information from BelTA.

The reporters from the media outlets told RFE/RL on August 8 that Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina, Halina Ulasik, and Hanna Yermachonak of Tut.by, and Tatsyana Karavyankova of BelaPAN were in custody.

Meanwhile, a duty officer at Minsk's main detention center on Akrestsin Street confirmed to RFE/RL shortly before midnight on August 7 that Tut.by editor-in-chief Maryna Zolatava was in jail there while the whereabouts of the others remain unknown.

The journalists' lawyers were not allowed to see their clients on August 7.

The Council of Europe human rights body on August 7 expressed "great concern" over the raid and detentions, which mark the latest moves in a broad crackdown on media that report critically of strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his government.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in an August 7 statement condemned the police raids and urged Belarusian authorities to stop the "harassment of critical journalists."
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia -- Rick Gates, a former business partner of lobbyist and political consultant Paul Manafort, said he and Manafort did consulting work for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko -- something which the Ukrainian leader has denied.

Gates' claim came on August 7 in his second day of testimony in the U.S. bank fraud and tax evasion trial of Manafort, which is playing out before a U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington.

A star witness in U.S. Special Counsel Robert Muellers case against Manafort, Gates testified how he and Manafort did years of lobbying and consulting work for Poroshenkos predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, and Yanukoychs political party, the Party of Regions.

The lucrative deal netted them millions in fees, much of which was paid by Ukrainian oligarchs. After Yanukovych was ousted by popular protests in 2014, Manaforts Ukraine work dried up.

A $1 million payment for work performed in 2014 was "significantly past due" and "Manafort was quite upset the money had not been sent," Gates told the court.

Manafort's Kyiv-based aide Konstantin Kilimnik was able to collect $500,000, Gates said, but "to my knowledge it was never paid in full." Kilimnik was indicted in the Mueller investigation in June.

According to Gates' testimony, Manafort tried to put together new contracts in 2014 and 2015, including doing work for Poroshenko.

Documents filed in the court docket show memos involving someone named "P. P," a common nickname used to describe Poroshenko.

Asked whether Manafort and his associates had assisted Poroshenko on his 2014 presidential campaign, the current president's press service told RFE/RL: "Petro Poroshenko's team has never cooperated with Manafort, nor with his people."

"Proposals came from them among others, but they were not even considered," the press service said.

With reporting by Reuters
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia -- Rick Gates, the U.S. government's star witness in its financial-fraud prosecution of Gates' former boss, Paul Manafort, has concluded three days of testimony and often withering cross-examination, detailing how a Ukrainian political party failed to pay $2.4 million in 2015, pushing Manafort into dire financial straits.

Gates' final day on the witness stand on August 8 saw more unexpected drama, when Manafort's defense lawyer, Kevin Downing, again tried to undermine Gates' credibility as a witness by suggesting he had had more extramarital affairs than he had previously admitted to.

After objection from prosecutors, U.S. Judge T.S. Ellis pushed proceedings forward before Gates was allowed to respond to the assertion.

Gates was charged along with Manafort in late 2017, the first charges to come out of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials and agents.

The 18 charges against Manafort predate his time heading Trump's presidential election campaign between March and August 2016. Though the charges concern money earned from the work he did in Ukraine for the party of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, they do not directly deal with Russia, or with questions of Trump aides' dealings with Russian agents.

Earlier this year, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to investigators and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their case. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Throughout his testimony, Gates has sought to be contrite, saying he was taking responsibility for past crimes, unlike, he said, Manafort. And much of Gates' testimony against Manafort has been damning.

On August 8, under questioning from prosecutor Greg Andres, Gates recounted how Manafort's lucrative work in Ukraine had dried up following the February 2014 upheaval that ousted the Moscow-friendly Yanukovych.

Gates said Manafort did some consulting for Yanukoyvch's successor, Petro Poroshenko.

He also said Manafort did work for the political party that was set up following Yanukovych's departure, the Opposition Bloc, as it ran candidates in the October 2014 parliamentary elections.

But the wealthy businessmen who backed Opposition Bloc failed to pay Manafort the $2.4 million he was owed for his work, Gates said, and Manafort struggled to recover the funds throughout 2015.

Andres also returned to the admission Gates made a day earlier on questioning from Downing that he had an extramarital affair a decade ago, and that Gates had secretly embezzled at least $2.7 million from Manafort over several years, something that Downing had hammered him on.

In an effort to demonstrate that Gates' affair did not bother Manafort, Andres had Gates testify that he and Manafort had discussed the affair, and Manafort retained him as his deputy. Gates also said his wife was aware of the five-month affair.

Gates told the court he also discussed the affair with investigators from Mueller's office as he prepared for the Manafort trial. That prompted Downing to ask whether Gates told investigators that he had in fact had four extramarital affairs, suggesting that might invalidate Gates' plea agreement and expose him to new prosecution.

Before Gates could respond, Andres objected, and Judge Ellis summoned prosecutors and the defense team to discuss the matter in private. When the trial resumed, Downing suggested that Gates' "secret life" had continued for much longer than just five months.

Trump's name has largely gone unspoken during the trial, mainly because the charges predate Manafort's tenure with Trump's campaign, which began in March 2016.

Manafort later became Trump's election chairman, but was fired in August of that year amid revelations of his off-the-books payments by the Ukrainian political figures.

Gates, meanwhile, was hired onto Trump's campaign as well by Manafort, and he stayed with the campaign through Trump's January 2017 inauguration. He was arrested and charged later that year.

The one mention of Trump's name so far occurred on August 7, when Gates testified how Manafort asked for help in getting tickets to Trump's inauguration, which he wanted for a Chicago banker who later approved a loan for Manafort.

Gates also said Manafort suggested that the banker, Stephen Calk, be considered for a possible administration job, such as secretary of the army. Calk ultimately did not get the job.

In previous days, prosecutors had called a series of witnesses -- including a suit tailor, a home renovator, a real-estate agent, and a landscape designer -- seeking to demonstrate what they said was Manafort's lifestyle, which, prosecutors said, was a large reason why he allegedly hid income and filed fraudulent tax documents and loan applications.

Prosecutors have said they intend to complete their arguments as early as this week. Once that happens, Manafort's defense team will present its case to try and convince the jury of his innocence.

If the trial continues quickly, it could wrap up before the second, more consequential trial against Manafort is scheduled to begin in September.

That trial, in federal court in Washington, D.C., focuses on allegations that Manafort failed to register as a foreign agent when he was working for Yanukovych and his political party.

While Manafort's case is the first that Mueller has brought to trial, the special counsel has charged 31 other people with dozens of offenses, including conspiracy, failure to register as foreign agents, and lying to federal law enforcement.

That includes 12 Russian military intelligence officers who allegedly used hacking and other tools in attempts to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In addition to Gates, others who have pleaded guilty to Mueller's charges include Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Mueller's investigation, denying any effort by him or his associates to collude with Russian officials to sway the election. He has also voiced support for Manafort.
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili laid a wreath at a ceremony to honor fallen soldiers in the brief war with Russia 10 years ago. He offered condolences on August 8 to family members at the Mukhatgverdi military cemetery north of the capital, Tbilisi. Conflict broke out between Russia and Georgia on the night of August 7, 2008, in the separatist region of South Ossetia, with each side accusing the other of starting the hostilities. Hundreds died and thousands were displaced during the five-day war which ended with a European Union-brokered peace agreement in the former Soviet republic.
German auto giant Daimler halted its business activities in Iran hours after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to block any company operating in Iran from selling in the vast U.S. marketplace.

"We have suspended our already limited activities in Iran in accordance with the applicable sanctions," a Daimler spokeswoman said on August 7.

The move brings a sudden end to Daimler's expansion plans in Iran, where it was teaming up with two local firms to assemble Mercedes-Benz trucks.

Daimler's decision to quit Iran, while heeding Trump's threats to penalize sanctions violators, also flies in the face of European Union leaders, who have vowed to maintain business ties and honor Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which the Trump administration abandoned in April.

Despite measures put in place by the EU to encourage European businesses to stay in Iran, Daimler became the latest in a string of giant European corporations to say they are getting out of Iran because they value doing business with the United States.

French oil giant Total and carmakers PSA and Renault have also said they are withdrawing from Iran, while European aircraft giant Airbus suspended plane deliveries after Washington announced it would reimpose sanctions.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States," Trump tweeted on August 7, calling the first wave of renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran's auto, aircraft, Persian carpet, and other sectors "the most biting sanctions ever imposed."

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton told the Fox Business Network on August 7 that the continued exodus of major European companies from Iran shows that the U.S. sanctions are already working.

"The European governments are still holding to the nuclear deal, but honestly their businesses are running from it as fast as they can, so that the effect of the American sanctions really is proceeding regardless," he said.

"Business people know. They want to do business with the United States, and if it's a choice between us or Iran, that's a pretty easy choice for them," he said.

Bolton, a longtime hawk on Iran, predicted that European efforts to keep Iranian oil exports flowing after a second round of oil-targeted sanctions takes effect in November will also be thwarted.

With major shipping companies suspending their contracts to deliver Iranian oil, Bolton suggested to Fox that "maybe bureaucrats in European capitals, and particularly the bureaucrats in Brussels, are going to get buckets and transport that Iranian oil out of the country."

Daimler had been one of the first big European companies to return to Iran after years of sanctions over its nuclear program, signing a letter of intent in 2016 to manufacture and sell Mercedes trucks in a joint venture with Iran's Khodro Diesel (IKD) and Mammut Group.

But Daimler stressed on August 7 that it had not yet started making or selling any trucks in Iran, nor was it selling any passenger cars there.

"We continue to monitor closely the political developments, particularly with regard to the future of the nuclear agreement," Daimler said.

PSA and Renault had also moved quickly to sign new production deals with Iran after global sanctions were lifted in 2016 under the 2015 nuclear deal.

PSA signed production deals worth 700 million euros, while Renault announced a new plant investment to increase production capacity to 350,000 vehicles a year.

Both companies have said those projects have been suspended in light of the sanctions.

Total suspended its multibillion-dollar South Pars gas project after being unable to secure a waiver from the U.S. sanctions. It has until November 4 to wind down its Iran operations -- the deadline for when a second wave of U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector take effect.

Airbus suspended plane deliveries after getting orders for 98 planes from Iran. Only one A321 was delivered before the sanctions took effect, plus two A330s that were sold to a company that leased them to an Iranian customer.

A few major European companies still appear to be continuing operations in Iran or sitting on the fence.

Turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR said this week that it delivered five more planes to IranAir shortly before Washington reimposed sanctions, but said it still faces the difficulty of getting U.S. permission to deliver another seven planes Iran has ordered.

European drugmakers Sanofi and Roche both appear to still be doing business in Iran in light of exemptions that were given to medicine under the original nuclear sanctions against Iran, though they said they were "closely monitoring" how the United States carries out its sanctions.

Food-maker Nestle said its Iran operations have been unaffected by the U.S. sanctions.

Nestle Iran, which is headquartered in Tehran, has two factories: one in Qazvin that produces infant cereals and infant formula, and a bottled water factory in Polour.

The company has 818 employees and imports a limited range of Nestle products from abroad, it said.

With reporting by AFP, dpa, AP, and Reuters


Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said on August 7 that he does not agree with U.S. sanctions reimposed this week on Iran, but will abide by them to protect his country's interests.

"As a matter of principle, we are against sanctions in the region. Blockades and sanctions destroy societies and do not weaken regimes," he said at a news conference in Baghdad.

"We consider them a strategic mistake and incorrect, but we will abide by them to protect the interests of our people," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed that companies doing business with Tehran will be barred from operating in the vast U.S. marketplace.



Iraq, itself the target of a 12-year international economic boycott when Saddam Hussein ruled the country in the 1990s, is allied with both Washington in its war against Islamic extremists and Tehran, with which it has extensive cultural and trade ties.

Shi'ite-led Iran is also heavily involved in Iraq's political affairs and sponsors powerful Shi'ite militia groups that played a role in defeating the Islamic State extremist group last year.

Because of its friendly relations with both Washington and Tehran, the U.S. sanctions put Abadi's outgoing government in a difficult position.

Iraq is the second-largest buyer of Iranian non-oil exports, buying some $6 billion worth of goods from its eastern neighbor in 2017.

It also buys Iranian-generated electricity to deal with chronic power cuts that have been a key factor sparking mass protests in recent weeks.

Iranian private companies recently cut off power supplies to Iraq's oil-rich coastal province of Basra over outstanding payments.

"We are committed to protecting our people and their interests," Abadi said.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters


Kazakhstan has withdrawn the operating licenses of almost 90 foreign television channels over "the failure to comply with a new law on registration."

The Ministry of Information and Communications said on August 8 that the registration certificates of 88 television channels, including Russia's NTV Plus 3D, Dozhd, Russia Today, Spas, Radost Moya, the Nautical Channel, MUSICBOX, RU.TV, Fashion TV, Dozhd, TNT-Comedy, etc. had been withdrawn.

According to the statement, the move came after the channels failed to register as legal entities or register their offices in Kazakhstan for six months after the new law was endorsed on January 9.

The statement said 219 foreign television channels broadcasting to Kazakhstan have complied with the law and their programs will stay accessible in the Central Asian nation.


Macedonian police say they have arrested seven people on suspicion that they fought alongside Islamist insurgents during the wars in Syria and Iraq.

The suspects, all Macedonian nationals aged between 23 and 41, were arrested in an overnight operation on August 7 on international warrants, the Interior Ministry said.

They will be charged for "participation in a foreign army," it said.

The Associated Press (AP) news agency reported that the suspects were among some 600 foreign fighters captured on the battlefield in Syria by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces as they liberated Syrian territory last year that was once held by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

AP said the United States has been pressuring allies to bring the captured fighters home to face justice.

Under a Macedonian antiterrorism law, it is illegal to participate in any paramilitary group or armed conflicts abroad. If convicted, the men will face jail sentences of up to 10 years.

Most of the ethnic Albanians who make up one third of Macedonia's 2 million population are Muslim, but practice a moderate form of Islam.

Macedonian officials have estimated that 130 Macedonians left the country and joined the Islamic State, with about 20 of those killed in fighting in Syria and Iraq.

IS at one point in 2015 held nearly a third of the territory in Iraq and Syria, including major cities such as Mosul and Raqqa, which it proclaimed to be the capital of its so-called "caliphate."

But last year, campaigns by U.S.-backed forces and the Russian-backed Syrian Army pushed IS out of most of the territory it held, and hundreds of IS fighters and their family members were taken into captivity.

Western officials have expressed concern that those returning from Syria and Iraq could represent a security threat in the Balkans, which was riven by ethnic and sectarian wars during the 1990s.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


A new mayor of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, has been elected by the city council amid protests.

Forty-three out of 44 city council members voted on August 8 for Aziz Surakmatov, the only candidate proposed by the ruling Social Democratic party.

Activists in Bishkek have been protesting for weeks against the fact that there were no other candidates to the post.

On August 8 after the city council voted for Surakmatov, dozens of civil rights activists protested in Bishkek, holding puppets stuck on sticks with labels of several political parties represented at the city council.

Many of the protesters were holding posters, saying "The mayor must be elected, not appointed," and "The City Council must be dismissed."

The protesters then threw the puppets into a trash bin.

On August 7, the Central Election Commission said that the activists' request to establish a direct election of the Mayor of Bishkek by the city's residents had been declined.

Activists also say that the election law requiring a candidate to pass the Kyrgyz language test was violated, stressing that 46-year-old Surakmatov, whose proficiency in Kyrgyz language has been under question, has not been tested.

Bishkek's former mayor, Albek Ibraimov, and former deputy mayor, Renat Makenov, were arrested last month of corruption charges.
The U.S. military says it has determined that no Afghan security forces were killed in an air strike during a battle against the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan earlier this week.

A U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Martin O'Donnell, said in a statement e-mailed to RFE/RL on August 8 that the assessment was based on a review of footage from the strike and "first-hand accounts from Afghan security force leaders and members present during the incident."

The military a day earlier said it was investigating reports that nine police were killed and 14 wounded in its air strike in Logar Province's Azrah district.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said that during an overnight battle against the Taliban, police "called in air support, but unfortunately foreign forces mistakenly bombed their positions."

The Taliban also suffered heavy losses, he said.

There are about 14,000 U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan, making up the bulk of NATO's Resolute Support force.

Also on August 8, eight civilians, including women and children, were reported killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the northern province of Balkh.

Six other civilians were wounded in the explosion, which happened in Shulgar district, said Sher Jan Durrani, the spokesman for the provincial police chief.

Durrani blamed the attack on the Taliban.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in the western Herat Province, killing eight police, according to the provincial governor's spokesman.

Gelani Farhad, the spokesman for the provincial governor, said six insurgents were killed in the ensuing gunbattle.

Meanwhile, the bodies of three Czech soldiers killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the Taliban in Afghanistan arrived in Prague.

The three were killed by an attacker on foot in Parwan Province on August 5, the deadliest attack on NATO soldiers in several months.

With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters
KYIV -- Before he became the victor in Ukraines 2014 snap presidential election, businessman Petro Poroshenko was scrambling to put together a winning campaign.

That's when his top strategist met with Paul Manafort, RFE/RL has confirmed.

"We had a meeting, yes, but no relationship" with Manaforts team, Poroshenko spokeswoman Darya Khudyakova confirmed to RFE/RL by phone on August 8.

The confirmation stands in contrast to an official statement sent to RFE/RL from Poroshenkos administration on August 2, which read: "Petro Poroshenkos team has never cooperated with Manafort, nor with his people. Proposals came from them among others, but they were not even considered."

RFE/RL inquired about the meeting between the teams of Manafort and Poroshenko after an email surfaced this month ahead of Manaforts trial, which is playing out in a U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia.

The email in question discussed pitching work to someone named "P. P.," a common nickname used to describe Poroshenko.

Manafort faces a litany of charges related to financial crimes and money laundering that stem from his work in Ukraine for former President Viktor Yanukovych.

The possibility of Manafort-Poroshenko cooperation surfaced again when Manaforts former business partner and right-hand man in Ukraine, Rick Gates, testified in court on August 7 that their company had done consulting work for Poroshenko in 2014.

Gates also complained that a $1 million payment for the work was "significantly past due" and "Manafort was quite upset the money had not been sent." It is unclear if the payment was for work he did for Yanukovych or Poroshenko.

'I Met Him And Listened To His Strategy'

Khudyakova declined to give further details about the meeting and directed RFE/RL to then-Poroshenko strategist Ihor Hryniv, who she confirmed had met with Manafort.

Hryniv could not immediately be reached for comment. But he did speak about his meeting with Manafort to Ukraiynska Pravda, telling the Ukrainian news outlet that the two had discussed cooperating on Poroshenkos presidential campaign. He claimed the plan never came to fruition.

"Manafort was trying to offer his services and his strategy for Poroshenkos campaign, and I met him then [in 2014] and listened to his strategy," Hryniv said. "But after these three hours, the conversation with him ended."

According to Hryniv, Manafort very much wanted to work on Poroshenkos campaign and had come prepared with an elaborate strategy, polling numbers, and projections. But Manafort "did not understand that the country changed after the Maidan," Hryniv added.

Hryniv said Manaforts ideas were suitable for the strategy he masterminded as Yanukovychs political consultant in 2009-2010, but not for the post-revolutionary period of 2014.

'Ready To Take On This Project'

It is a March 31, 2014 email to Gates from Tad Devine that shows how serious Manaforts team was about joining up with Poroshenko.

The email was one of more than 400 released ahead of Manaforts trial by his lawyers, who accused Special Council Robert Muellers team of trying to introduce evidence that is irrelevant to the case.

Devine, a former Bernie Sanders campaign strategist who also worked with Manafort in Ukraine, writing Yanukovychs 2010 victory speech, attached to his email to Gates a draft agreement for Manaforts firm to work on Poroshenko's campaign.

"This proposal anticipates that we will spend a lot of time between now and the election on the ground in Kyiv," Devine wrote.

Devine said a strategy similar to one they had used in Serbia would likely work well for Poroshenko in Ukraine.

"A powerful introduction of PP could resonate in Ukraine the way our campaign in Serbia resonated with voters," Devine wrote. "Our slogan in Serbia was 'A Future to Believe In,' which is probably something that people in Ukraine are looking for and desperate to likewise achieve."

Gates replied that same day, telling Devine, "we are ready to take on this project."

While it remains unclear exactly what, if anything, Manafort's team did for Poroshenko in the run-up to the presidential election, it is known that Manafort, Gates, and Devine went on to work for the Opposition Bloc as of June 2014, designing the former Party of Regions party's strategy ahead of that autumn's parliamentary elections.

According to a PowerPoint file included in the documents released by Manafort's lawyers, that strategy involved several points that current President Poroshenko and his pro-Western government deem to be pro-Russian. For instance, the idea of federalizing Ukraine, something that the Kremlin has long pushed for.
A member of the Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot has been barred from leaving Russia, a colleague says.

Maria Alyokhina was not allowed to leave Moscow for London, Pyotr Verzilov tweeted on August 8.

"The Federal Security Service's border service told her that she is barred from leaving the country," Verzilov wrote.

On August 7, Alyokhina and two other activists staged a protest in front of the headquarters of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) in Moscow.

The activists hung a red poster on the building bearing "FSIN = GULAG," as well as several photos of men in prison uniforms who appeared to have been beaten. Each photo had penitentiary numbers and locations.

The action was meant to protest against what activists called the beating and torture of inmates by prison guards across Russia.

Alyokhina and two other members of Pussy Riot came to prominence after they were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which they burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister and campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time.

Alyokhina and bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were close to the end of their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013, under an amnesty they dismissed as a propaganda stunt to improve Putin's image ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
MOSCOW -- The condition of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who has been on a hunger strike in a Russian prison for nearly three months, has worsened considerably, his lawyer and his cousin say.

Sentsov's cousin, Moscow-based journalist Natalya Kaplan, wrote on Facebook on August 8 that she received a letter from him through a lawyer who visited him the previous day.

"Things aren't just bad, they're catastrophically bad," Kaplan wrote.

"He wrote that the end is near -- and he wasn't talking about his release," she added, suggesting that he thinks he is close to death.

Sentsov's lawyer, Dmitry Dinze, said after visiting him that his client lost some 30 kilograms and has a very low hemoglobin level, resulting in anemia and a slow heartbeat of about 40 beats per minute.

Also on August 8 -- the 87th day of Sentsov's hunger strike -- a large banner demanding the immediate release of Sentsov and other political prisoners in Russia was displayed in downtown Moscow.

Unknown activists placed the banner on the Krymsky (Crimean) Bridge over the Moskva River.

Sentsov, a vocal opponent of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, was sentenced in 2015 for conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, charges he and human rights groups say were politically motivated.

The 42-year-old is held in a penal colony in the city of Labytnangi in Russia's northern region of Yamalo-Nenets, where he has been on a hunger strike since mid-May to demand that Russia release 64 Ukrainian citizens he considers political prisoners.

Several groups have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon Sentsov, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the Ukrainian film director would have to ask for a pardon himself before it could be considered.

Sentsov has so far said he would not ask for a pardon.

With reporting by AFP
Eight Afghan civilians, including women and children, were killed on August 8 when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the northern Balkh province, an official says.

Six other civilians were wounded in the explosion, which happened in the Shulgar district, said Sher Jan Durrani, the spokesman for the provincial police chief in Balkh.

Durrani blamed the attack on the Taliban.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in the western Herat Province, killing eight police.

Gelani Farhad, the spokesman for the provincial governor, says six insurgents were killed in the ensuing gunbattle. .



Roadside bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices (IED), remain the leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan's conflict, accounting for 45 percent of cases, the UN said in a report last month.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa


The United States has said it will hit Russia with new sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow for the March nerve-agent poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy and his daughter.

The August 8 announcement by the State Department followed earlier moves by Washington to expel dozens of Russian diplomats, in coordination with Britain and other European allies, in response to the poisoning, which authorities said used a highly toxic agent known as Novichok.

A senior State Department official said the first tranche of sanctions would take effect on August 22, and were being imposed under a 1991 U.S. law concerning chemical and biological weapons.

The measure targets export licenses of sensitive U.S. technologies and industrial equipment, such as electronics, calibration equipment, and gas turbine engines. The official said requests for licenses to export such goods to Russia would now be "presumptively denied."

The officials said that could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in future exports to Russia.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said Russia would then be given 90 days to comply with other specific demands, including allowing United Nations or international inspectors into the country to ensure that no chemical or biological weapons exist there.

'Reckless Behavior'

If Moscow does not comply, the second tranche could include things like further downgrading diplomatic relations with Russia, or even restricting flights by the state-owned flagship air carrier, Aeroflot.

The British Foreign Office said it welcomed the U.S. move to impose sanctions over the poisoning. A spokesman said a strong international response sends an "unequivocal message" to Russia that its "provocative, reckless behavior" will not go unchallenged.

The Russian Embassy in Washington denounced the new sanctions, which it called "draconian," and called allegations that Moscow poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia "far-fetched."

In a statement issued late on August 8, the embassy said neither Washington nor London has produced evidence supporting their allegations, but the U.S. State Department has told the embassy that it has enough "classified" evidence to conclude "Russia is to blame."

On March 4, the Skripals were found unconscious on a park bench in the town of Salisbury, England. They were seriously ill but subsequently made a full recovery after spending several weeks in hospital.

British authorities later determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok, a military-grade chemical weapon that was developed in the Soviet Union. The response and clean-up involved British military personnel.

Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russia's military intelligence agency, was convicted of treason in 2006 by a Russian court.

Moscow released him from prison in 2010, sending him to the West in a Cold War-style spy swap.

London later blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin's government for the poisoning, and expelled dozens of Russian diplomats. In all, 150 Russian diplomats were kicked out of more than two dozen Western countries, including 60 from the United States.

The U.S. move is the latest in a growing number of punitive actions against Russia. Many of the moves have originated in Congress, with strong support from both Republicans and Democrats.

The effort to punish Russia has contrasted with President Donald Trump's repeated calls for a more conciliatory approach to Moscow.
The U.S. State Department is considering whether to impose sanctions on Russian oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov amid charges that his company Sistema built projects in Crimea since it was illegally annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, a U.S. lawmaker has said.

Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said on Twitter late on August 7 that the department sent her a letter confirming its investigation in response to a letter she and another lawmaker sent in June asking the department to consider "punitive measures" against the tycoon.

The letter cited Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement in October 2016 that Yevtushenkov's holding company, AFK Sistema, would build medical facilities in Crimea.

"Let them check," Yevtushenkov was quoted by Russian news outlet RNS as saying in response to the U.S. lawmakers' letter.

AFK Sistema controls Russia's largest mobile phone operator, MTS, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The lawmakers' letter also cited a U.S. corruption probe involving MTS activities in Uzbekistan.

The company has denied investing in projects in Crimea.
U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul says he delivered a letter from President Donald Trump intended for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin during the Kentucky politician's trip to Moscow.

"I was honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putin's administration," Paul tweeted on August 8.

"The letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges," the senator added.

Russian news agencies quoted Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as confirming the letter "was received through diplomatic channels."

"We expect that the president's administration will receive it shortly," Peskov added.

The White House later described it as a "letter of introduction" provided at Paul's request.

"In the letter, the president mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin," spokesman Hogan Gidley said.

Paul has been visiting Russia for several days with what the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said was a "private group."

The trip to Russia comes at a sensitive time in U.S.-Russian relations.

Trump has stressed the need for better ties with Russia and Putin in particular, fueling complaints from critics that he is being too friendly with a geopolitical adversary.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury and State Department have stepped up rhetoric and sanctions against Moscow over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, actions in Syria, and alleged interference in elections of the United States and elsewhere.

During his trip, Paul said he had invited Russian lawmakers to meet U.S. counterparts in Washington or in a neutral third country.

"I invited the Russian Federation to send a delegation to the Capitol, and they have agreed to take this important next step," he said in a statement released by his office on August 6.

"Those who believe in either country that we should not have diplomacy are greatly mistaken," Paul said.

"It does not mean that we have no differences, it does not mean that we will not, on occasion, have discussions back and forth where we disagree. But discussions are incredibly important, diplomacy is important," said Paul, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and a former presidential candidate.

Paul was one of only two senators who voted against a major Russia sanctions bill in 2017 and has praised Trump's efforts to engage with Russia, vocally defending the president when he faced widespread criticism from U.S. lawmakers over his conduct at a summit with Putin in Helsinki on July 16.

With reporting by TASS
| BY Ricki Green |

Eyeota, the global leader in audience data, has announced the appointment of two new staff as the companys presence in the market continues to expand.

George Henshaw (left) joins Eyeota as senior supply manager, responsible for data acquisition and account management. Previously, Henshaw spent five years as programmatic and yield manager with British Telecom in London, where he helped the company establish itself within the publishing sector. He managed BTs publisher portfolio, which included BT.com, sports, mail, Wi-Fi, and phonebook, and helped to onboard a data management platform to sell the companys first-party data to agencies. Prior to BT, Henshaw was campaign manager with Rocketer and account manager with TradeDoubler UK.

Says Henshaw: Its widely known that data is the new oil and is a hugely valuable commodity for publishers. Im excited to be part of a company that is at the forefront of data monetisation with a real focus on publishers. I look forward to working closely with our partners to help monetise their valuable data assets and create new revenue streams.

Laura Widdowson (above centre) comes to Eyeota as senior manager  demand. Widdowson has over 10 years of experience working for top global media and ad tech companies in London and Sydney. Her experience spans programmatic, digital, print and creative solutions across a multitude of platforms.

Prior to joining Eyeota, Widdowson was account director with Signal, the global marketing technology leader in real-time customer identity resolution. She also worked at Xaxis, where she managed clients programmatic campaigns and budgets, as well as held roles at IPC Media, BBC Worldwide and Hearst Magazines UK.

Says Widdowson: I am very excited to have the opportunity to be part of such a successful business and an ever-growing team. With extensive knowledge of agencies, I look forward to amplifying Eyeotas audience solutions and driving further revenue growth in this market.
Building under construction in Puerto Morelos collapses on workers killing two

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  A shopping center under construction in Puerto Morelos has collapsed, killing two and injuring at least 13.

The collapse was recorded at a shopping center that is being built next to Super AKI at the entrance of Puerto Morelos. Reports say that the roof was likely strained from too much weight, which gave way.

One man died at the site while a second, who was rushed to a Cancun hospital, died from his injuries. The State Attorney General confirmed the death of the man who was taken to hospital in Region 509 of Cancun.

Photo: Directorate of Civil Protection

According to data provided by municipal authorities, 13 workers were injured when a portion of the roof collapsed around noon Tuesday. They say the site has been reviewed for others that may have been trapped under rubble, however, a search concluded that all workers have been accounted for.

Members of the Directorate of Civil Protection, Fire and municipal police of Puerto Morelos arrived for rescue work while receiving support from the army, federal police and firefighters of Cancun.

In June, a hotel under construction in Cancun also collapsed on workers when a portion of the top level fell. From that accident, nine were reported injured.
Cost of Playa del Carmen homes up by 20 percent

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  According to the Mexican Association of the Real Estate Industry, the cost of housing in Playa del Carmen has increased nearly 20 percent over the last two years.

Wilberth Gutierrez Alvarez, founder of Asociacion Mexicana de la Industria Inmobiliaria, says the increase is based on the sale of homes with a value of 350,000 peso. He adds that the cost of housing has seen an increase average of between 15 and 20 percent.

In the last two years, the cost of housing has increased between 15 and 20 percent () you cannot expect the cost of housing to not increase when the cost of building naturally increases.

While it is normal that there are increases in prices, also add that we are in an area where the surplus value is quite high adding more reasons for these increases, he explained.

Gutierrez Alvarez said that many people buying homes utilize both Infonavit and banks. He says he expects better conditions for obtaining credit with the entry of the new federal government as well as changes in laws such as the National Housing Fund for Workers Institute (Infonavit).

We will gain many benefits because as far as we know and understand, radical changes are to come in the policy of how Infonavit loans are being handled, but exactly what those changes will be, we do not know yet.

Now, the economic income from projects are going to be felt. They are going to energize the area, such is the case with Chetumal where they want to send the Secretariat of Tourism, a significant amount of housing is going to be needed and that is investment, he added.

He said that the project to build a train will also stimulate the construction of more housing over the next six years.

In Playa del Carmen, its west of the city where the developers build the greatest number of houses he noted, adding that during the last year alone, around 2,000 social housing units were authorized.
| BY Ricki Green |

Ad Stars will welcome 34 advertising executives from around the world ~ including two from Australia ~ to Busan, Korea, where they will judge the Ad Stars 2018 Awards, which will be announced on Saturday 25th August.

Representing Australia on the jury are Matty Burton, Creative Chief, Google Zoo Asia Pacific and Jen Speirs, Deputy Executive Creative Director at BMF (pictured above).

Ad Stars received 20,342 entries to this years awards, cementing its position as the biggest global advertising awards platform that is based in Asia. A panel of remote judges have already selected the finalists, which will now be judged by the 34 Final and Executive Judges listed below.

Ad Stars has also recruited 11 executives to judge the New Stars and Young Stars competitions. The New Stars program is open to anyone with less than three years industry experience, or who is aged below 30. The Young Stars program gives people studying at college or university the chance to get ahead in the advertising industry before theyve even graduated.

This years Ad Stars, New Stars and Young Stars judges by country are:

Australia

Matty Burton, Creative Chief, Google Zoo Asia Pacific

Jen Speirs, Deputy Executive Creative Director at BMF

Brazil

Lenilson Lima, Creative Director, Agencia Um

China

Jan Hendrik Ott, Executive Creative Director, Jung von Matt China

David Yang, Vice President and General Manager, BlueFocus Digital Marketing Agency

Weiwen (Kevin) Guo, General Manager of Strategic Cooperation & Marketing Innovation Department, Ctrip Travel Group

Yan (Cindy) Chen, Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, Focus Media Group China (New Star Judge)

Windy Wu, Marketing General Manager of Advertising Platform at Meituan (Young Stars Judge)

Germany

Franz Roeppischer, Creative Innovation Director at Serviceplan Group (In addition to judging the AD STARS 2018 Awards, Roeppischer is judging this years Young Stars competition.)

Hungary

Gabor Spielmann, Creative Director & Partner, Kabooom (New Star Judge)

India

Vasudha Misra, Executive Creative Director at BBH India

Indonesia

Kok Keong Chow, Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo Indonesia. (In addition to judging the AD STARS 2018 Awards, Chow is this years Young Stars Jury President.)

Japan

Timo Mitsuaki Otsuki. CEO / Founder, Connection

Marina Danjo, Copywriter at DENTSU INC.

Satoko Takada, Creative Director at McCann Japan

Sei Sugiyama, Creative Director at Ogilvy Japan

Minoru Yashima, Executive Communication Director, ADK (New Stars Judge)

Daiji Yoshida, Tohokushinsha Film Corp, Japan (Young Stars Judge)

Korea

Hyunjung Cho, Creative Director, Innocean Worldwide

Eunha Bhang, Executive Creative Director, HS Ad

Moonsong Pyo, Chief Creative Officer/Vice-President, AdQUA UNBOUND

Mangi Baek, Creative Director at Cheil Worldwide

Taeho Shin, Creative Director, Cheil Worldwide (New Star Judge)

Seonyeon Lee, Account Executive at TBWA Korea Korea (Young Stars Judge)

Malaysia/Singapore

Swee Ling Ng, Film Director, Directors Think Tank

Mexico

Andrei Ivanoff, Creative VP, MullenLowe Mexico

Nepal

Ujaya Shakya, Managing Director, Outreach Nepal

New Zealand

Toby Talbot, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand (Executive Judge)

Philippines

Joey David Tiempo, Executive Creative Director at Nuworks Interactive Labs. (In addition to judging the AD STARS 2018 Awards, Tiempo is this years New Stars Jury President.)

Singapore

Joji Jacob, Co-Founder & Creative Partner, BLK J (Executive Judge)

Guan Hin Tay, Global Executive Creative Director, JWT Singapore

South Africa

Liam Wielopolski, Chief Creative Officer, DDB South Africa

Sweden

Anna Qvennerstedt, Copywriter, Senior Partner and Chairman of the Board at Forsman & Bodenfors (Executive Judge)

Taiwan

Richard Yu, Chief Creative Officer, ADK Taiwan

Thailand

Warunpon Trithepwijit, Creative Director at SOUR Bangkok

Woon Hoh, Chief Creative Officer at Hakuhodo Asia Pacific (Executive Judge)

United Arab Emirates

Tahaab Aslam Rais, Regional Head of Strategy & Truth Central, FP7/McCann Worldgroup MENA

United Kingdom

Judy Hill, Executive Producer, Nexus Studios

Brett Macfarlane, Principle at Method Inc. (New Star Judge)

United States of America

Ari Halper, Chief Creative Officer at FCB New York (Executive Judge)

Kash Sree, Executive Creative Director, Gyro

Vietnam

Paul Busschau, Creative Director, Happiness Saigon

&

nbsp;

Says Hwan Jin Choi, chairman, Ad Stars executive committee: We would like to thank all the executives who are making time to judge this years awards. Not only are they responsible for choosing the winners of the Ad Stars 2018 Awards, they will also select our Grand Prix of the Year winners, which will be awarded a cash prize of US$10,000 apiece. Its a big responsibility but they are the perfect candidates for the job.

Winners will be revealed on the last night of the 11th Ad Stars festival, a three-day festival of ideas and creativity that runs from 23rd to 25th August 2018 at Bexco (Busan Exhibition and Convention Center).
| BY Ricki Green |

Publicis Communications has announced the arrival of its first chief growth officer with the appointment of experienced industry leader, Matt Cooney.

Cooney will partner closely with Publicis Communications ANZ CEO Michael Rebelo to develop the groups overall business development strategy across its entire stable of agencies.

Cooney, formerly a senior leader at BBH, hhcl+p and Fallon in the UK  and for many years a key member of the Host Sydney management team  has most recently been running his own consultancy working with clients and agencies across the region.

Says Rebelo: Publicis Communications new business success for the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Campbell-Arnotts have demonstrated the effectiveness of our power of one philosophy. Matt has been key to these wins and in his new role will help to further harness the combined potential of our diverse set of agencies and capabilities.

Matt is an industry expert in the art of new business and were excited that hes decided to join us and help accelerate our growth.
ALLOTMENT holders will have an open day to show the benefits of taking up the hobby.

It takes place at the Broom site on Saturday from 11am to 4pm and will include a tombola, horticultural show and refreshments.

Al Dean, Rotherham and District Allotments Society secretary, said: People can come and have a look around, get any ideas and talk to us if they are interested in taking an allotment. We can provide different sites all across the borough.

Mr Dean said it was an ideal time for new people to become involved, with allotment holders taking control of site management from Rotherham Borough Council next March.

He added: Theres a community benefit from allotments, theres friendships you develop while youre here and theres the health aspects too from producing your own.

Broom Allotments can be found off Brunswick Road  search S60 2RH.
Dead snails killed by the grassland fires. Picture by Sarah Bingham

A COMMUNITY activist has said she is shocked by the devastating effects of grassland fires on wildlife at a beauty spot.

Sarah Bingham, community organiser with the Rotherham Federation of Communities  known as RotherFed  said she was upset to see dozens of dead snails at the Green Hill site in Parkgate.

The area, which is bordered by Barbers Avenue, Victoria Road, Infirmary Road and Williams Street, has been hit by a number of deliberate blazes recently.

She said: I was visiting Green Hill and was shocked to see the landscape devasted by fire.

The green space is home to wildlife including bees, bats, kestrels and possibly a pair of peregrine falcons.

The majority of grassland has been eradicated on the top and sides of the hill and I found hundreds of snails that had been burnt alive.

After speaking with some local residents, it looks like the fires have been started deliberately.

It seems like there have been a few incidents, the last one being the Sunday just gone (Aug 5).

Were hoping to get a few community members together to see what can be done about it.
Left to right; David Brookes Waugh, from Pioneer Social Enterprise, Michelle Scholey from Pay It Forward and Sean Parker, volunteer with Pioneer Social Enterprise, with Sheffield Pipe Band playing in the background.

A PIPE band made sweet music to entertain shoppers and raise cash for a Rotherham charity.

City of Sheffield Pipe Band busked in Doncaster after pledging their support to fundraise for Pioneer Social Enterprise as part of a project run by Voluntary Action Rotherham.

The musical afternoon, which saw the pipers playing in their traditional Scottish attire, fitted the aims of VARs Pay It Forward scheme.

Rotherham Pay it Forward is a variation on the existing pay it forward concept where individuals do a good deed for another without expectation of something in return.

Pioneer supports people in crisis, who find themselves in food poverty, including those on the autistic spectrum, and helps to build work skills and battle social isolation.

A spokesman said: We wish to thank Sheffield Pipe band for recently fund raising for our food bank.

Michelle Scholey of VAR said: Thank you to all of the kind people in Doncaster who donated.

This pledge fulfilled follows the launch of Rotherham Pay it Forward in March.

Groups are doing a fantastic job with the little they have  together they are stronger.

If your group is interested in joining Rotherham Pay it Forward, visit the VAR website and select Rotherham Pay it Forward in the drop down menu to complete a sign-up form or email triage@varotherham.org.uk.


Rio Tintos historic 2021 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender delivers record breaking results Rio Tintos 2021 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender collection of 70 rare pink and red diamonds from its Argyle mine in Australia has delivered the most significant set of record-breaking results in its 38-year history, according to a press release from Rio...

Russias Ministry of Finance publishes data on production of gold and silver in the country in January-August 2021 The Russian Federation Ministry of Finance reported that gold production in the country in January-August 2021 amounted to 215.07 tons (in January-August 2020  214.59 tons), including: mined gold - 182.62 tons (184.15 tons), associated...

Mali approves African Gold environmental permit for Kobada project Malis ministry of environment has approved African Golds environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the Kobada gold project and issued an updated environmental permit.

Exchange rate mismatch costs Zim miners  report Mining companies operating in Zimbabwe are losing 20% of their export earnings due to the exchange rate mismatch, according to media reports citing a survey commissioned by the countrys chamber of mines.
| BY Ricki Green |

This week, Semi Permanent is arriving in Auckland  and for the first time, the festival brings you a taster of the RARE masterclass thats been touring the globe since 2017. The session takes place on Thursday 9th August, 2pm-5pm in the Aotea Centre.

Most recently appearing as part of the D&AD festival in London, RARE is a leadership masterclass that arms underrepresented talent with the tools, inspiration and network they need to thrive today and lead tomorrow. RARE believes that diversity  and an individuals unique life experience  can make for more innovative, empathic, powerful work. And so, theyre serving up a program designed to help you harness your difference and take your creative work to the next level.

Tara McKenty, creative director at Google and RARE co-founder, says RARE-AKL is a session not to be missed.

Says McKenty: This is the first program of its kind  featuring a series of flash talks, given by some of the industries finest. Not only will the audience leave feeling inspired, theyll see their labels in a whole new way  as a creative advantage.

The session line up includes:

Robett Hollis, Founder, Aranui Ventures

Tea Uglow, Experimental Person in Charge, Google Labs

Flox, Stencil Artist

Sasha Kljakovic, Founder, Womens Collective

Beth OBrien, Group Creative Head, Colenso BBDO

Tom Fethers, Designer, Maud

Karen Bryson, Executive Producer, FINCH

Melanie Bridge, Managing Partner, Sweetshop

Zoe McKintosh, Director, Sweetshop

Dr Dan McAullay, Mode Black

Tara McKenty, Rare Co-Founder & CD, Google

Stefanie DiGianvincenzo, Rare Co-Founder & CD, Cotton On Group

Jo De Fina, Otto Empire

Puoro Jerome, Taonga Puoro Artist and Practitioner Craig Jacks, Dr Feelgood Ice cream

See the full program HERE.

RARE Semi Permanent will close with the launch of a new, limited edition ice cream  created as a collaboration between Dr Feelgood Ice Cream, RARE and Flox  with an ingredient mix based on the diversity statistics for New Zealands creative market. Each sweet treat is designed to give the audience a taste of the creative industries, and drive important conversation around the lack of representation from a number of minority groups.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will support the students who took up the institutes gemology and jewelry manufacturing-arts courses, distance-education programs and lab classes by providing them with $2 mn scholarships, according to Rapaport.The applicants from the GIAs schools in Bangkok, California, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York, Surat and Taiwan will be able to benefit from the institutes grants.With changing consumer trends and technological advancements in the industry, it is now more important than ever to have professional qualifications, the agency quoted Duncan Pay, the GIAs vice president and chief academic officer. These scholarships help people follow their dreams and pursue their passion in gems and jewelry.GIAs education is considered to provide the best training in the gem and jewelry sector. The institutes educational program focuses on the latest research, technology, and time-tested experience.
Part 2: KPCSC wants Russia to help end impasse on new definition of conflict diamonds In the first installment of this two-part exclusive interview with Shamiso Mtisi, the coordinator of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition (KPCSC), we focused on illegal diamond mining in the continent and where the contraband ends up...

Part 1: KPCSC gives insight into illegal diamond mining, trading in Africa Although the diamond watchdog Kimberley Process (KP) prides itself for significantly reducing the flow of conflict goods since its establishment in 2003, the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition (KPCSC) alleged that illegal diamond...

The jewelry industry in Russia needs to be upgraded in a serious way Dina Nasyrova is a vice-president of the International Jewelry Exhibition-Congress J-1 recently hosted by the Atrium of Gostiny Dvor in Moscow. As a partner and the Muse of the famous jeweler Ilgiz Fazulzyanov, she actively participated in the preparation...

Smiling Rocks, a philanthropic business model, inspires companies to work for betterment of the world Zulu Ghevriya, the CEO and Co-Founder of Smiling Rocks, Founder of Vedantti Jewellery and Managing Director of Prism Group has been in the diamond and jewellery industry for over 20 years. Zulu started his business, Prism Group, as a natural diamond...
Angola courts De Beers

08 august 2018 News

De Beers, which has a residual presence in Angola since 2014, has been invited contribute to the country's diamond production.

Group chief executive Bruce Cleaver who met with the Angolan president Joao Lourenco, was quoted by EIN as saying he was pleased to receive the invitation to mine diamonds in the southern African country.

De Beers prospecting licences for the Mulepe-1 kimberlite cluster in Angola expired in 2012.

The group told Rough & Polished in 2016 that it still considers Angola to be highly prospective and was negotiating with Endiama for a mineral investment contract.

In light of this, it maintained a small representative office in Luanda.

EIN reports that there had been a lack of concessions for the exploration of the diamonds issued by Endiama.

Angola recently ended the sale of diamonds to preferential customers.

It now allows diamond companies in Angola to freely sell up to 60 percent of their production.

De Beers was currently mining diamonds in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough&Polished
Image credit: ALROSA

The shareholders of the jewellery sector expressed their concern about the upcoming merger of the diamond mining company ALROSA and the diamond cutting factory Kristall. The Guild of Jewellers of Yakutia believes that the acquisition of the factory will have a negative impact on the companys financial performance, says news.ykt.ru.There is already a lack of resources. In case Kristall is bought by ALROSA, which has a leading position in the diamond industry, the company will first provide its own factory with diamonds, said Tatiana Kyrbasova, the Head of the Guild.According to the jewellery sector, ALROSAs production level fell by 30% after the shutdown of the Mir diamond mine, on which the accident had occurred.The representatives of the industry feel concerned because Kristall is in a difficult financial state, thus, buying an unprofitable enterprise may have a negative impact on the companys financial performance and the dividend payments may fall. This is of great importance for Yakutia, as it is a major shareholder in the company.As reported earlier, in May ALROSA received the approval of its Supervisory Board for the acquisition of the Kristall diamond cutting factory. It cuts around 300,000 carats a year and generates revenue of around $200 mn.
The test on Friday was the first time China publicly disclosed the development of the waverider. Chinese officials said the design of the Starry Sky 2 took three years to develop. The USs existing missile defense systems, criticized for their high price and spotty track record, struggle to intercept more conventional projectiles, much less hypersonic aircraft. China, Russia, and the US are the main contenders in the hypersonic arena, and are engaged in what some see as a new arms race based on the technology.



Chinese waverider aircraft test

Admiral Harry Harris, former head of the US Pacific Command and now the ambassador to South Korea, said in February, Chinas hypersonic weapons development outpaces ours were falling behind. More, in March, air force general John Hyten, commander of US Strategic Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, We dont have any defense that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us. The new flight vehicle is capable of carrying nuclear weapons and allegedly able to penetrate any missile defense system. However the technology may be adapted to a civilian role, including in industrial transport.
Actor Angelina Jolie

Actor Angelina Jolie has claimed that former husband Brad Pitt is not paying enough child support for their six children. In the court documents filed by Jolie, the actor claimed that Pitt has not paid any "meaningful" child support for their six children -- Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne -- in a year and a half and has asked the court to make him pay. "(Pitt) has a statutory duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation," Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, writes in the legal documents.

Brad Pitt not paying 'meaningful' child support

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"Given that the informal arrangements around the payment of the children's expenses have not been regularly sustained by (Pitt) for over a year and a half, (Jolie) intends to file an RFO (request for a court order) for the establishment of a retroactive child support order," the documents state. A source close to Pitt, however, said that he "has fulfilled his commitments", according to The Los Angeles Times. Jolie, 43, filed for divorce from Pitt, 54, in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
Former prime minister and JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda

Former prime minister and JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda will be in Chennai to pay his last respects to DMK president M Karunanidhi, who died yesterday after prolonged illness, a party leader here said today. The JD(S) party chief is on his way to Chennai to pay homage to Karunanidhi, fondly addressed as "Kalaignar" (artiste), the party's national general secretary Danish Ali told PTI.

Deve Gowda leaves for Chennai to pay last respects to Karunanidhi

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Recalling that his interactions with Karunanidhi, Gowda said in his condolence message, "His (DMK chief's) understanding and emphasis on social welfare stood out. Firmly committed to democratic ideals, his strong opposition to the Emergency will always be remembered.
Hundreds of family, friends and fellow first responders filled Germain Arena Monday to celebrate the life of fallen Fort Myers Police Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller.

Police officers from cities and towns across Florida first paid their respects by lining up at attention as Jobbers-Millers police SUV led the procession into the arena through the arch of a massive American flag suspended between two fire department ladders.

As the hearse and family limousines passed, somber-faced law enforcement continued their silent salute.

That respectful silence continued as people by the score began to follow the procession inside, where Jobbers-Millers casket was draped with an American flag and surrounded by flowers, pictures and the volunteer firefighters jacket he wore serving in his home state of New Jersey.

FMPD Chief Derrick Diggs thanked those who came out to pay tribute to the officer who died in the line of duty, making note of his life, service and dedication to his profession.

He then thanked Jobbers-Millers parents for having the honor of knowing their son.

There are no words I can provide for comfort at this time, Diggs said to the family, adding the FMPD and the community will continue to stand by them, becoming an extended family upon which they could lean on through their sorrow.

Jobbers-Miller had a promising future and looked to achieve much in law enforcement, a profession where officers know full well the dangers they face every day, Diggs said. We are just regular people who want to make the world a safer place, he said.

Our job is to run towards danger unlike others, who run away from it.

He spoke of the heroic nature of Jobbers-Miller, how a hero is an ordinary person who, when faced with an extraordinary task, performs with courage, honor and self sacrifice.

Today, were here to honor our hero, Diggs said. Behind my badge is a heart like yours, one that is heavy.

An emotional FMPD Capt. Jay Rodriguez was graciously thankful to all who have shown support throughout the last few weeks. He said the whole process was to make it about Jobbers-Miller and his life.

Rodriguez divulged how difficult-and understandably so-the last two weeks have been for himself and the FMPD, calling it pure hell and a roller coaster of emotions.

He told the countless uniformed personnel in the audience who together, will continue to support one another and the Jobbers-Miller family.

The final call will end his service, but cannot end his memory, Rodriguez concluded.

A video tribute played over Luke Bryants Drink a Beer, a song telling about the death of a loved one gone too soon.

Pictures depicting Jobbers-Miller with friends and family, and his FMPD brothers and sisters, were displayed over the ballad.

Throughout the ceremony, two FMPD officers stood watch over Jobbers-Millers casket, rotating with other officers in a powerful, methodical ritual.

The interchanging officers would slowly salute one another, gracefully switch spots, and gardually retreat with one another back to their seats.

FMPD Lt. Jeffery Bernice told cheerful stories of Jobbers-Miller and his time on the Bravo Shift for FMPD.

He recounted fun memories at the Miller ranch, where family gatherings often happened among FMPD officers.

He brought, just for a moment, smiles to the faces of those in attendance, recounting a story where Jobbers-Miller and friends pretended to act out their own version of Disneys Fantasia. Instead of magical cloaks they had yellow raincoats, and in place of mystical wands, they used roman candles.

He remembered Jobbers-Miller as having a warrior mindset.

He was a respectful and honorable warrior, Bernice said.

The lieutenant also noted that Jobbers-Millers untimely passing has helped strengthen the thin blue line, connecting agencies and building bridges across Southwest Florida municipalities.

SWFL Public Service Academy Coordinator and retired City of Fort Myers Police Chief Dennis Eads shared stories of Jobbers-Millers character. He stated that the officer beamed the day he graduated the academy, that his picture stood out from the others because of how happy he was to officially join the force.

Eads also shared an example of Jobbers-Millers kindness, as he had a friend in the academy who was struggling with exams. Jobbers-Miller provided his friend with a lucky pencil to help him pass his tests. Apparently it worked, he said, as the in-need-of-some-help cadet passed each one.

FMPD Lt. Roger Valdivia spoke on behalf of the family.

Our hearts are broken and our breath taken away from the outpouring of support for our Adam, said Valdivia, reading from a statement.

The Rev. Mike Warthen officiated the services and asked those in attendance to stand if they would continue to support the Jobbers-Miller family during their difficult time.

All in the arena stood up.

Take a look around, he said to the family, to show them that they are not alone and can always find refuge in the community.

The final portion of the service took place outside, under a large Thin Blue Line American Flag- an American flag that is all black and white, with a blue stripe across one of the 13, just under the sea of stars-draped across two fire truck ladders.

Taps was played while the flag over the casket was folded and presented to Chief Diggs, and then to the family.

The final call for Jobbers-Miller was played across the loudspeaker from the dispatcher, signaling the last time his 524 number would be radioed.

We have the watch from here. We are honored and proud to have known Officer Jobbers-Miller, the dispatcher called out.

Amazing Grace was played by Guns n Hoses Pipes and Drums while the casket was placed into the hearse to be taken to Jobbers-Millers final resting place.

Author Heather Fitzpatrick tells of a legend that dragonflies were given an extra set of wings so that angels could ride on their back, and that whenever you see one, you can be certain that an angel has come down from heaven to visit you.

A dragonfly could be seen flying around the family and officers during the end of watch and final call-an occurrence that gives hope the phrase, gone, but never forgotten.

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: haddad_cj
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners got a visit from most of Lee Countys mayors Tuesday, and they paid attention to their plight.

Not only did the commission agree to extend the local state of emergency regarding the blue-green algae, the board also passed a second one regarding red tide.

They also agreed to pursue the mayors five-point plan to help the area dig out of this environmental and economic nightmare.

Cape Coral Mayor Joe Coviello said he was very pleased by how the meeting went.

Its great to see all levels of government working together, and I believe that is the solution to this problem, Coviello said. We have municipalities, the county, state and federal government all looking toward fixing the cause while we deal with the symptoms.

The mayors met with the board to speak about the ecological collapse related to red tide along the coast and the blue-green algae in the Caloosahatchee, canals and other waterways.

Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane spoke for the group, saying the events could result in the economic collapse of the area.

The group, which sent a letter to the state, sought to extend the governors state of emergency through seven Southwest Florida counties, reduce or eliminate the water flows from Lake Okeechobee, get more funding for cleanup, provide compensation for businesses, residents and workers impacted by the algae and, once the water is clean, to promote tourism and the beaches.

Many tourists are coming and theyre seeking reimbursement. Its tough for them and we want to welcome them back. Its a tourist-driven area. Home sales have stopped, hotels have 80 percent vacancy rates, Ruane said.

Bonita Springs Mayor Peter Simmons told the commission that what is happening now is only the beginning.

Out on the water there is a line of dead fish about a mile long. When the winds shift, we need to be ready to pick them up, Simmons said, who has the support of the mayors from Sarasota, Punta Gorda and Naples.

Commissioner Larry Kiker said with the states of emergency from the state and the hope that the federal government will step in, there is a possibility of more funding than the money the state has sent for the seven counties effected, which only scratches the surface.

A $3 million grant is a great number, now add a zero to it. This doesnt address the problem. Its more reactionary, Kiker said.

Coviello said once the symptoms are worked on, long-term solutions need to go into effect.

There are things they can do on a temporary basis. Levels of water in the lake, storing water north of the lake, sending water south and try to keep it from going east to west, Coviello said. The ramifications have been devastating and we need to get some relief.

Ruane said it will take the work of everyone from the local, state and federal levels to solve the problem.

Its going to take a village. We need to use every tool in the toolbox. The state has allowed for opportunities for that. Were going to expedite the cleanup, Ruane said.

Commissioner Brian Hamman said he was impressed by the actions of the mayors and the commissioners and aiming the passion they have for the issue toward the federal government which, he said, has let them down.

We need all levels of government working on this. The state is helping us with grants, but we need the federal government to step in and declare this a disaster, Hamman said. The Army Corps of Engineers are sending us too much fresh water and we need to engage them. Everything weve been doing is reactionary and we have to look toward long-term solutions, which have been out there for 18 years with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.
The construction and operation of all kinds of buildings uses vast amounts of energy and natural resources. Researchers around the world have therefore been seeking ways to make buildings more efficient and less dependent on emissions-intensive materials.

Now, a project developed through an MIT class has come up with a highly energy-efficient design for a large community building that uses one of the world's oldest construction materials. For this structure, called "the Longhouse," massive timbers made of conventional lumber would be laminated together like a kind of supersized plywood.

The design will be presented this October at the Maine Mass Timber Conference, which is dedicated to exploring new uses of this material, which can be used to build safe, sound high-rise buildings, if building codes permit them.

John Klein, a research scientist in MIT's architecture department who taught a workshop called Mass Timber Design that came up with the new design, explains that "in North America, we have an abundance of forest resources, and a lot of it is overgrown. There's an effort to find ways to use forest products sustainably, and the forests are actively undergoing thinning processes to prevent forest fires and beetle infestations."

People tend to think of wood as a suitable material for structures just a few stories high, but not for larger structures, Klein says. But already some builders are beginning to use mass timber products (a term that basically applies to any wood products much larger than conventional lumber) for bigger structures, including medium-rise buildings of up to 20 stories. Even taller buildings should ultimately be practical with this technology, he says. One of the largest mass timber buildings in the U.S. is the new 82,000-square-foot John W. Olver Design Building at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

One of the first questions people raise when they hear of such construction has to do with fire. Can such tall wooden structures really be safe? In fact, Klein says, tests have demonstrated that mass timber structures can resist fire as well or better than steel. That's because wood exposed to fire naturally produces a layer of char, which is highly insulating and can protect the bulk of the wood for more than two hours. Steel, in contrast, can fail suddenly when heat softens it and causes it to buckle.

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Klein explains that this natural fire resistance makes sense when you think about dropping a lit match onto a pile of wood shavings, versus dropping it onto a log. The shavings will burst into flames, but on the log a match will simply sputter out. The greater the bulk of the wood, the better it resists ignition.

The structure designed by the class uses massive beams made from layers of wood veneers laminated together, a process known as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), made into panels 50 feet long, 10 feet wide, and more than 6 inches thick These are cut to size and used to make a series of large arches, 40 feet tall to the central peak and spanning 50 feet across, made of sections with a triangular cross-section to add structural strength. A series of these arches is assembled to create a large enclosed space with no need for internal structural supports. The pleated design of the roof is designed to accommodate solar panels and windows for natural lighting and passive solar heating.

"The structural depth achieved by building up the triangular section helps us achieve the clear span desired for the communal space, all while lending a visual language on both the interior and the exterior of the structure," says Demi Fang, an MIT architecture graduate student who was part of the design team. "Each arch tapers and widens along its length, because not every point along the arch will be subject to the same magnitude of forces, and this varying cross-section depth both expresses structural performance while encouraging materials savings," she says.

The arches would be factory-built in sections, and then bolted together on site to make the complete building. Because the building would be largely prefabricated, the actual on-site construction process would be greatly streamlined, Klein says.

"The Longhouse is a multifunctional building, designed to accommodate a range of event scenarios from co-working, exercise classes, social mixers, exhibitions, dinner gatherings and lectures," Klein says, adding that it builds on a long tradition of such communal structures in cultures around the world.

Whereas the production of concrete, used in most of the world's large buildings, involves large releases of greenhouse gases from the baking of limestone, construction using mass timber has the opposite effect, Klein says. While concrete adds to the world's burden of greenhouse gases, timber actually lessens it, because the carbon removed from the air while trees grow is essentially sequestered for as long as the building lasts. "The building is a carbon sink," he says.

One obstacle to greater use of mass timber for large structures is in current U.S. building codes, Klein says, which limit the use of structural wood to residential buildings up to five stories, or commercial buildings up to six stories. But recent construction of much taller timber buildings in Europe, Australia, and Canada -- including an 18-story timber building in British Columbia -- should help to establish such buildings' safety and lead to the needed code changes, he says.

The Longhouse design was developed by a cross-disciplinary team in 4.S13 (Mass Timber Design), a design workshop in MIT's architecture department that explores the future of sustainable buildings. The team included John Fechtel, Paul Short, Demi Fang, Andrew Brose, Hyerin Lee, and Alexandre Beaudouin-Mackay. It was supported by the Department of Architecture, BuroHappold Engineering and Nova Concepts.
An everyday occurrence spotted when we turn on the tap to brush our teeth has baffled engineers for centuries -- why does the water splay when it hits the sink before it heads down the plughole?

Famous inventor and painter Leonardo da Vinci documented the phenomenon, now known as a hydraulic jump, back in the 1500s. Hydraulic jumps are harmless in our household sinks but they can cause violent waves, turbulence and whirlpools in deeper water.

Since the 1820s scientists have believed that hydraulic jumps occur partly as a result of the gravitational pull. But a paper published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics has disproved this longstanding theory.

Rajesh Bhagat, a Chemical Engineering PhD student at St John's College, University of Cambridge, and first author of the paper, fired jets of water upwards and sideways onto flat surfaces, and witnessed exactly the same hydraulic jumps as those when the water flowed downwards.

But what was causing it? Bhagat suspected they could all affected by the same factors -- surface tension and viscosity.

By altering these attributes of the water he was able to accurately predict the size of the hydraulic jumps, regardless of which direction the water was moving -- debunking the 200-year-old gravitational theory as the cause of a kitchen sink type hydraulic jump. This kind of hydraulic jump is known as a circular hydraulic jump.

Professor Paul Linden, Director of Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and an author of the paper, described Bhagat's findings as 'ground breaking'.

He explained: "His experiments and theory show that the surface tension of the liquid is the key to the process and has this has never before been recognised even though the problem was discussed by da Vinci and many others since. This work represents a remarkable achievement in our understanding of the dynamics of thin layers of fluid."

Bhagat predicts that his findings could have wide reaching consequences for industries that have high levels of water consumption.

He said: "Knowing how to manipulate the boundary of a hydraulic jump is very important and now with this theory we can easily extend or reduce the boundary.

"Understanding this process has big implications and could reduce industrial water use dramatically. The new theory is already being used in practical work in the Chemical Engineering department. People can use this theory to find new ways to clean everything from cars to factory equipment."

Bhagat hopes his research will also be used to find new ways to help us use less water in the average household.
Periwinkles, struggling to survive the seashore battleground, have developed a genetic 'toolkit' to help them adapt to different environments, a new study shows.

This toolkit has enabled the snail to develop different characteristics according to whether it lives mainly on parts of the sea shore where crabs are a constant threat, or in rocky places where it is disturbed by waves.

A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield, in the UK, and the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, investigated hundreds of rough periwinkles, collected from seashores on the west coast of Sweden.

They noted their shell form and exact position on the shore, and then analysed their genomes to try to find out how these adaptations occurred to give the snails the best chance of survival.

The results, published in Evolution Letters, showed the snails' characteristics changed significantly at the point on the shore where the crabs disappear and the wave action gets stronger.

Anja Westram, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sheffield, who led the analysis, explains: "Either side of the habitat transition, the snails look like different species. Snails on the boulder shore have thicker shells, which are a better defence against crabs. The smaller, cliff shells have a wide opening, so the snail's foot can attach more securely to rocks, to defend against waves. And across 10-20m of shore in between these areas, we found all kinds of intermediate forms."

But when the team analysed the periwinkles' genetic data to try to discover how these changes occurred, they uncovered some surprising results.

They identified around 1,000 genes that differed between snails in the 'crab' and 'wave' environments but, instead of being spread throughout the genome, most of them were clustered in specific regions across just three chromosomes. The researchers concluded that the chromosomes were holding together sets of genes to help the snails adapt to different environments.

"This study gives us a fascinating insight into how animals and plants might cope when faced with contrasting environments," says Professor Roger Butlin, of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences who led the study. "Rather than many genes having to respond separately to natural selection, this creates a ready-made 'toolkit' on these three chromosomes that has allowed the snail to adapt more rapidly."

The sea shore in Sweden could only have been colonised by the periwinkles some time after the end of the last ice age, around 5-6,000 years ago. As periwinkles reproduce annually, that means these adaptations must have occurred within 5-6,000 generations- a rapid change in evolutionary terms.

The team is now looking at other shores around Europe to investigate how widely the same adaptive toolkit is used by the periwinkles. They are also looking at other species of periwinkle to find out more about how the sets of genes were put together.

"Our aim is to better understand the origin of the species, but also to understand how quickly animals and plants are able to cope with environmental challenges," adds Professor Butlin.
Spots are running out to sign up for an annual fishing tournament to benefit two non-profit organizations this year that focus on water quality and marine resource conservation.

The Flats Foundation will host its 14th Annual The Flats Foundation Invitational Redfish Challenge from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at South Seas Island Resort. Presented by Advanced Roofing and Sheet Metal and A/C Joe Heating and Cooling, the proceeds will be divided equally between Captains for Clean Water and the Coastal Conservation Association.

Joe McNall, chair of the foundation, explained that the tourney was originally founded to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, later serving as a fundraiser for area youth and schools.

Now, we have a bigger problem with the waters and waterways, he said, referencing the ongoing algae blooms that are impacting water quality. All of us are in Southwest Florida because we love the sand, beaches, sunshine. Due to this severe problem we have right now, the waters are in bad shape.

McNall noted that 100 percent of the proceeds are going to the two non-profits.

Captains for Clean Water advocates for the elimination of harmful large-scale Lake Okeechobee discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie River estuaries by restoring the natural flow of Lake Okeechobee water south into the Everglades and Florida Bay, the organizations website reports.

With 17 state chapters spanning the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic seaboard and Pacific Northwest, the purpose of the Coastal Conservation Association is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. Its objective is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public, according to its website.

The tournament is open to 70 boats or teams, with one to four anglers per boat.

Last year, we had 68 boats, McNall said.

As of Aug. 2, more than half of the spots had been taken.

Time is of the essence right now, he said. Once we hit our max boats, the entries are closed and thats it for the year.

The teams are looking to hook two redfish, two snook and two trout.

Its going to be (based on) total inches, McNall said of the winners.

For the first time this year, the tourney will be catch and release.

So we dont put any stress on the fish, he said.

The first place team will win $7,000, the second place team will earn $3,500 and the third place team will receive $500. In addition, the team to comes in at 13th place will go home with its own $500.

The cost is $300 per angler if registered before Aug. 15; afterward, the cost is $350 each.

The three-day event will kick off with the captains meeting on Aug. 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hooters, at 3120 Del Prado Blvd., S., Cape Coral. There will be an open bar and food provided.

We go over the rules and get their team number ready for the Saturday morning check-in, McNall said, adding that there will 10 items up for raffle to raise additional funds for the organizations.

Its a smorgasbord of different things, but its usually fishing related, he said. We also have a special raffle. Well be raffling off some handguns and rifles.

On Aug. 31, there will be a hospitality social from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Cone Room at South Seas Island Resort, where the teams can also check in. There will be a pig roast, live music, open bar and more.

Along with 10 more raffle items up for grabs, plus more guns, it will be the first opportunity people have to register for the silent auction. There will be approximately 100 to 150 items on the list.

Its all going to be on a smartphone app or even a tablet at the event, he said of bidding.

The silent auction is anything from a dinner party at your home by our private chef for 10, to trips, McNall added. Weve had Yeti cooler packages, lots of nautical and fish art, custom jewelry.

The tournament will begin on Sept. 1 at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.

The teams will have until the weigh-in at 4 p.m. to catch fish.

The event will wrap up with the awards dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the Captiva Conference Center. The evening will feature dinner, an open bar, live music, awards presentation, and silent and live auction.

For non-anglers, the tickets are $100 per person or $1,200 for a VIP table for up to 10 people.

There will be an estimated 25 to 30 items available for the live auction.

We have some amazing trips  the Bahamas, Costa Rica, houses in Key West for a week, he said. Lots of fishing charters, offshore stuff and inshore stuff. We raffle off boat trailers.

We have a pretty amazing list of items, McNall added.

In addition, two utility vehicles with a combined value of $14,000 will be raffled off.

We have 250 tickets to win his and hers gas-powered side-by-side utility vehicles, he said.

The raffle tickets cost $100 each, but the winner will take home both vehicles. Also, anyone who purchases two raffle tickets receives a free ticket to the awards dinner, including the open bar.

The tickets are on sale now at www.theflatsfoundation.org or 239-699-8436.

They go fast, McNall said.

He encouraged the community to support the tournament.

At the end of the day, we all need to get together and raise some money to help these two great charities help us clean our waters up, McNall said. Whether youre a weekend fisherman or a charter captain, everybody should get out and support this.

For more information or to register, visit www.theflatsfoundation.org or call 239-699-8436.

South Seas Island Resort is at 5400 Plantation Road, Captiva.
Oregon, one state above California, is also having its share of fire storms and weather concerns. Five large fires/complexes are alight in the southwest corner of the state and all started on the same day with a region-wide lightning storm.

The Garner Complex is an 8,886 acre wildfire north of the community of Rogue River in Jackson County, Oregon. The Complex is burning in a checkerboard mix of lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and private landowners. The steep rocky terrain and historically high temperatures presented challenges for fire suppression efforts. The fire threatened valuable several hundred residences, private timber lands and habitat for threatened species. The fire began with a region-wide lightning storm on July 15 which ignited 12 fires that became the Garner Complex. The Taylor Creek Fire was added to the complex, but later grew to a point where it required its own management team. Currently, well over half of the fire has no active operations, only daily monitoring and patrol. Fire managers expect that they will place the remaining portions of the fire in patrol status at the end today's shift.

The Taylor Creek fire once part of the Garner Complex grew to 41,103, much larger than the whole of the Garner Complex. This fire is now 38% contained but continues to exhibit moderate fire behavior with uphill runs, backing, and isolated torching. As with most of the fires in the West this year the prevailing problem has been the weather. Record temperatures, high winds, dry conditions and low humidity continue throughout the region making firefighting more difficult and fire growth much easier.

The Klondike fire just southwest of the Taylor Creek fire is 30,873 acres and is 15% contained. This fire began on the same day as the other fires during the region-wide lightning storm on July 15. This fire, however, continues to be very active with large amounts of fuel available including litter and understory, grass, and chapparal. Fire behavior has included torching,spotting, and uphill runs. Weather concerns are the same as for the two preceding fires since they are all located near each other.

The Sugar Pine fire located near Prospect, Oregon, was also the result of the July 15 lightning storm. It is currently at 8,885 acres. There are 704 personnel fighting this fire at present. The weather concerns for this fire include hot, dry conditions, with low humidity and winds. The fuels for the fire include grass, brush, and timber.

The South Umpqua Complex consists of the Miles, Columbus, Cripple Creek, Snow shoe, and Railroad Gap fires primarily South/Southeast of Tiller, Oregon. The total size of the complex is 28,723 acres and is 18% contained at present. These fires also began on July 15. Fire behavior exhibited by this complex includes active, short-range spotting, group torching, single tree torching, running, flanking and backing surface fire. Weather concerns also are in place for this complex with hot, dry conditions, low humidity, excess fuels in place, and winds.
SMU Office of Research & Tech Transfer -- A new study from researchers at Singapore Management University (SMU) has identified three crucial factors that influence the likelihood of a case being settled through mediation.

According to the study, to be published in the Spring 2018 issue of the Harvard Negotiation Law Review, the courts should consider the timing of referral, the stage of litigation and the level of contentiousness between disputants when deciding whether or not to refer civil disputes to mediation.

The first of its kind in Singapore, the study, titled 'How Should the Courts Know Whether a Dispute is Ready and Suitable for Mediation? An Empirical Analysis of the Singapore Courts' Referral of Civil Disputes to Mediation', was led by Assistant Professors Dorcas Quek Anderson and Eunice Chua of the SMU School of Law and funded by the Singapore Judicial College. The research team also included Ms Ngo Tra My of the National University of Singapore.

With mediation becoming an increasingly accepted and popular alternative to litigation, judges and judicial officers in Singapore regularly assess the readiness and suitability of disputes for mediation before encouraging lawyers and their clients to consider the process. Yet, there is a lack of consensus across the globe on the 'right' timing or stage in a case to attempt mediation, as well as on what factors contribute to successful mediation outcomes.

To address these questions in an empirical fashion, the researchers performed a rigorous statistical analysis on data from electronic records of civil cases in Singapore, as well as on survey data collected by the Singapore Mediation Centre.

They found that the time of referral, the stage of the case at referral and the level of contentiousness between the disputants had a collective impact on the likelihood of settlement of a dispute at mediation. Delaying the time of referral of a case to mediation by one month results in a three percent decline in the likelihood of settlement. The stage of litigation matters as well. Cases referred to mediation at an earlier stage -- at the close of pleadings -- were more likely to be settled than cases that had already advanced to the interlocutory or pre-trial stage. Finally, a higher level of contentiousness between disputants, as measured by the number of contested pre-trial applications, was also associated with a drop in the likelihood of settlement.

Other factors that affect the success of mediation include a lower quantum of the claim, as well as features of the mediation process itself, such as the time taken to complete the mediation and whether the mediator is legally trained, the study found.

These findings suggest that the courts should not focus solely on the timing and stage of referral, but should also broaden their assessment to include other factors uncovered by the study that indicate the readiness of a dispute for mediation, say the researchers.

"By shedding light on the important factors that affect settlement outcome and the satisfaction levels of parties towards the mediation process, we hope that this study will help to inform the policies and practices of judiciaries in Singapore and elsewhere," says Professor Chua. "It is only through a more nuanced approach that the benefits of mediation in the context of litigation can be maximised."

"We are most grateful for the kind support of the Singapore Judicial College, the Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Singapore Mediation Centre," says Professor Quek Anderson. "This study would not have been possible without their assistance and collaboration with the university."

Further information: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3120140
Of the drugs available for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most effective and safe for short-term treatment is methylphenidate for children, and amphetamines for adults, according to the most comprehensive evidence yet from a network meta-analysis and systematic review comparing the effectiveness and safety of seven ADHD drugs against placebo, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.

The study compared the effectiveness and side effects of amphetamines (including lisdexamfetamine), atomoxetine, bupropion, clonidine, guanfacine, methylphenidate, and modafinil with each other or with placebo over 12 weeks of treatment. However, more research to confirm longer term effects of ADHD medications is urgently needed.

Although they are commonly prescribed for people with ADHD, the study did not include antipsychotic drugs or antidepressants as they do not treat ADHD core symptoms. The study also does not include psychological therapies used for ADHD, but the authors say that these should be regularly discussed with people with ADHD and their family members or carers, and possibly offered before ADHD medications, if appropriate, especially for children and adolescents.

"Medication can be an important tool for people with ADHD, and our study illustrates that in the short term, these can be effective and safe treatment options for children, adolescents and adults," says Dr Andrea Cipriani, University of Oxford, UK. "It's important to note that the data available only allow us to compare the effectiveness at 12 weeks, when we know that both children and adults can be on these medications for longer. More research is needed into the long-term effects of medication. Environmental modifications -- such as changes made to minimise the impact of ADHD in day-to-day living -- and non-pharmacological therapies should be considered first in ADHD treatment, but for people who require drug treatments, our study finds that methylphenidate should be the first drug offered for children and adolescents, and amphetamines should be the first drug offered for adults."

ADHD is estimated to affect 5% of school-age children and 2.5% of adults worldwide. The disorder is characterised by age-inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity, or all of these. The annual costs associated with ADHD are substantial in many countries, including US$143-266 billion in the USA.

ADHD medications are not a permanent cure for ADHD but may help patients concentrate better, be less impulsive, feel calmer, and learn and practice new skills. Treatment breaks are occasionally recommended to assess whether the medication is still needed, but the treatment for ADHD can be taken for periods longer than 12 weeks.

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Over the past few decades, prescriptions for drugs for ADHD have increased in the USA and other countries, but treatment guidelines are inconsistent as there are a few head-to-head comparisons of ADHD drugs available.

Currently, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends methylphenidate as first-line drug treatment in children and adolescents (with lisdexamfetamine as the second option, and atomoxetine or guanfacine recommended as third-line drugs), and recommend methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine as first choices in adults. Other guidelines in Europe recommend psychostimulants as first-line treatment without any distinction between methylphenidate and amphetamines being made.

This study compared the available drugs based on how effectively they reduce ADHD symptoms and improve general functioning over 12 weeks of treatment. It also studied the drugs' side effects (including blood pressure and weight loss), and acceptability was assessed according to how many people dropped out of trials for any reason.

Of the 133 randomised clinical trials included, 81 were in children and adolescents, 51 were in adults and one trial was in both. Of these, 89 randomised controlled trials included unpublished data or were completely unpublished. Drug effectiveness was reviewed in 10068 children and adolescents and in 8131 adults, while side effects were evaluated in 11018 children and adolescents and 5362 adults.

Symptom rating came from teachers and clinicians for children, and for adults these were given by clinicians.

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Based on clinician ratings in children and adolescents, all drugs were more effective than placebo in controlling ADHD symptoms. But teachers only rated methylphenidate and modafinil as more effective than placebo (there was no data for teacher ratings of amphetamines and clonidine).

In adults, there was no data for guanfacine and clonidine. Clinicians rated all other drugs, except modafinil, as more effective than placebo in controlling ADHD symptoms.

Comparing all seven drugs, amphetamines were more effective than modafinil, atomoxetine and methylphenidate in children, adolescents, and adults.

Generally, ADHD drugs were less effective and less tolerable for adults than children and adolescents, and the cause of this is unknown.

Amphetamines, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and modafinil caused weight loss in children, adolescents and adults. Amphetamines and atomoxetine increased blood pressure in children and adolescents blood, and methylphenidate did so in adults.

In children and adolescents, methylphenidate was the only drug with better acceptability than placebo, and in adults, only amphetamines had better acceptability than placebo.

Taking all of the outcomes into account, the authors conclude that methylphenidate should be the first option drug for children and adolescents with ADHD. In adults, they conclude that amphetamines should be the first drug to be offered.

However, there was not enough evidence available to confirm whether lisdexamfetamine -- which is currently recommended by NICE for adults with ADHD -- was more effective and tolerable for adults with ADHD than other amphetamines available. In addition, although NICE recommends atomoxetine and guanfacine as third-line drugs in children, the study found these to be as tolerable or less tolerable than placebo.

"Our findings will hopefully help people with ADHD in the USA find the best treatment for them by clarifying which drugs should be first, second and third line treatments. With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with ADHD and given a drug prescription in the USA, our study provides a starting point for medication, and hopefully helps patients more quickly find a drug that works for them." says Dr Cipriani.

The authors note some limitations, including that, despite efforts to include all available trials and unpublished data, they cannot rule out missing studies. They had also planned to study the drugs over the long-term (26 and 52 weeks), but were unable to do so as there was little data available.

Dr Cipriani continues: "The lack of randomised controlled trials with outcomes beyond 12 weeks highlights the need for research funding to assess the long-term effects of these drugs. However, the evidence we have about methylphenidate and amphetamines from our study is robust, and should help inform clinical decisions."

Writing in a linked Comment, Mark Stein, Seattle Children's Hospital, USA, says: "As diagnostic rates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increase worldwide, the most common questions asked by patients are whether to start a medication, which one, and for how long... By including studies published up to April, 2017, and previously unpublished information, Cortese and colleagues' results clarify inconsistencies in earlier reviews and meta-analyses, some of which have generated much controversy... Regarding the three common questions patients ask, the extant literature meant that the network meta-analysis could derive only part answers, including general support for short-term medication use, basic guidelines about first-line medications based on age, and little to no data for duration of treatment. These results -- and particularly limitations of the data obtained -- call for future research that translates directly to clinical practice."
A new study at Texas Biomedical Research Institute is shedding light on the role of specific proteins that trigger a mechanism allowing Ebola virus to enter cells to establish replication. The work, published in a supplement to The Journal of Infectious Diseases, was led by Staff Scientist Olena Shtanko, Ph.D., in Texas Biomed's Biosafety Level 4 laboratory. The BSL4 is a high-containment facility that houses research on diseases for which there are no approved vaccines or cures.

The new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus declared just last week in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is believed to have claimed more than 30 victims so far, highlighting the continued urgency to find a way to stop the pathogen from killing the people it infects.

The cellular pathway under study is called autophagy, a word that literally means "self-eating." This ancient mechanism is switched on by cells to destroy invading foreign material or consume its own organelles and protein complexes in order to recycle nutrients and survive. Autophagy generally takes place inside the cell. Conducting in vitro work using live Ebola virus, Dr. Shtanko found that, surprisingly, this mechanism was clearly active near the surface of the cells and plays an essential role in facilitating virus uptake.

Ebola virus invades cells though macropinocytosis, a poorly understood process in which the cell surface remodels to form membrane extensions around virions (virus particles), eventually closing to bring them into the interior of the cell. "We were stunned to find that Ebola virus is using autophagy regulators right at the surface of the cell," Shtanko said. "Knowing that these mechanisms work together, we can start finding ways to regulate them."

The interplay between these two cellular processes could have implications for treatment of health conditions other than viruses. Shtanko believes that regulation of the autophagy proteins with a drug could help combat complex diseases where macropinocytosis is dysregulated such as in cancer and certain neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's.

"The work is a great example of serendipity," said Scientist Rob Davey, a co-author on the study. "Few would have thought that working on Ebola virus would reveal something truly new about how the cell works."
A research team led by Gunnar Raetsch, Professor of Biomedical Informatics at ETH Zurich, has evaluated the largest set of genetic data in cancer medicine: The Cancer Genome Atlas in the United States (see box). The Atlas compiles genetic information on tumor cells from several thousand cancer patients and 33 types of cancer at DNA and RNA level. Through their analysis, the ETH scientists have discovered new cancer-specific molecular changes that could potentially inform the development of cancer treatments.

Many previous genetic analyses of cancer cells have concentrated on their DNA -- the "basic" version of the genetic information, so to speak. Such studies examined genes to see if they contained tumor-specific mutations. In addition, it was studied if the genes were especially active or inactive depending on the tumor.

Now the ETH researchers have gone a step further and taken a closer look at the RNA molecules, which are responsible for transcribing the cell's DNA. But before these molecules can serve as a blueprint for the biosynthesis of proteins, they undergo a series of transformative cellular processes: in a process called splicing, specialised enzymes cut out entire sections from the RNA molecule and join the sequences on either side together. An RNA molecule can be spliced in a range of different ways, which experts refer to as "alternative splicing." In other words, as a copy of a gene an RNA molecule can deliver the blueprint for various protein forms, the groundwork for which is laid during splicing.

Alternative splicing happens frequently

In their analysis for tumor-specific alternative splicing, Ratsch and his colleagues looked at an unprecedented volume of genetic cancer data, examining sequences in RNA molecules from 8,700 cancer patients. They found several ten thousand previously undescribed variants of alternative splicing that crop up over and over in many cancer patients.

The researchers were also able to show that in the majority of the cancer types tested, alternative splicing occurred much more frequently in tumor tissues than in healthy tissues. It is especially pronounced in pulmonary adenocarcinomas, where alternative splicing occurs 30 percent more frequently than in healthy samples.

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Thanks to this study, the researchers gained new insights into which molecular factors cause the high rate of alternative splicing in cancer cells. Some genetic mutations that encourage alternative splicing are already known, but now the team was able to identify another four genes involved.

New docking sites for immunotherapy

"Cancer leads to molecular and functional changes in cells. You could say that in cancer cells, there's lots of sand in the gears," says Andre Kahles, a postdoc in Ratsch's group and one of the study's two lead authors. "At the molecular level the changes come not only in the form of individual DNA mutations, which we've known about for a long time, but also to a great extent in the form of different kinds of RNA splicing, as we were able to show in our comprehensive analysis."

Not all of the newly discovered molecular changes in RNA necessarily also cause functional changes in cancer cells, the researchers say. Still, the molecular differences can inform novel therapy approaches -- for instance, cells that feature splicing patterns typical for cancer could be treated with immunotherapy.

In targeted cancer immunotherapy, the body's own immune system is trained to recognise typical molecular cancer markers so it can attack and kill cancer tissue. Healthy body tissue is left alone.

At present only a minority of cancer patients can be treated with this method, since tumor-specific markers suitable for use in immunotherapy were present in only some 30 percent of cases. The newly discovered variations of alternative splicing lead to changes in proteins that in turn can also serve as tumor-specific markers: up to 75 percent of cases were found to exhibit these new markers that could potentially be used for developing specific medications.

In-depth analysis of larger datasets

Simply obtaining information on the frequency of alternative splicing is in itself highly valuable. Specifically, the scientists theorise that tumor tissue with many splicing operations is particularly vulnerable to another type of immunotherapy, namely non-targeted immunotherapy. They wish to explore this hypothesis as part of the ETH Domain's Personalized Health and Related Technologies (PHRT) research programme.

For the study described here, the researchers analysed several hundred terabytes of raw data. "To analyse such huge volumes of data, we needed an enormous amount of computer time and fast storage systems. Without a supercomputer, the study would not have been possible," ETH Professor Ratsch says. He and his colleagues came to ETH Zurich two years ago from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where they had started the study. Once in Switzerland, they joined forces with ETH's IT Services to set up the Leonhard Med computer system, which let them securely process gigantic sets of genomic and other medical data.
The motto of the Montana Developmental Center hangs outside the gate entering the campus - "The mission of the Montana Developmental Center is to provide an environment for building healthy, effective, and fulfilling lives."

Fran Sadowski has seen firsthand the dangers of limited options.

During a study on services for "dually diagnosed" individuals with both developmental disabilities and mental illness, the CEO of Missoula Developmental Services Corporation shared the story of a 28-year-old client.

The client was living in a community-based facility when he became seriously self-injurious. Because the state legislature had ordered the closure of the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder, there was no place for him to go. The state's only public residential facility  and the only Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID), public or private, in Montana  the MDC was the only place where a dually diagnosed individual could be placed by court order in a crisis.

Left with no alternative to hospitalizing him in a facility never intended for individuals like him, Sadowski could do nothing as he suffered two major seizures and went into a paralytic state.

Serving at the time on the state's advisory council to recommend steps for completing the MDC closure, Sadowski choked back tears as she told the group about the situation. She advocated for a state crisis facility where the courts could place someone in severe need.

At the same time, Sadowski recognized the need for more money going into community-based services for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness. Through nearly a year and a half of meetings, Sadowski consistently maintained there was simply not enough money in the funding pot. Wages for direct care staff in private community group homes, driven by federal dollars, were too low to keep staff, she said.

And she recognized that the community-based services and the MDC were all drawing from the same  too small  pot of money. But doing away with the MDC, which some had argued to the legislature would free up funds for community providers, was not the answer, either, she said.

Believing "let's close MDC and everything's going to be okay" is not true, she said, urging the council to take a broader view of "what does the system need in the community to be successful."

For more than a year, experts from community services, state and local government, developmental services and parents of those needing the services met to search for answers.

They studied what other states do. They listened to presentations on how federal and state funding works. They examined facilities.

Over and over they debated the task assigned to them. Every other state that had closed an MDC-like facility had taken a much slower, more deliberate approach. No other state was entirely without an ICF-IID and no other state had accomplished a closure without money as they had been tasked by the Montana legislature.

"These are real people that we're serving and we sit here and we talk about dollars...It's not about money. It shouldn't be about money. It should be about what is best for the people we serve," Sadowski said.

"I don't think you can do this in two years and you certainly can't do it without more dollars," she said.

"GEORGE"

Sadowski was not the only community provider serving on the council to share the story of a client failing in community placement with nowhere else to go without the MDC.

Ken Brown from Opportunity Resources Inc., shared the tale of a client he called "George."

The then-19-year-old George spent most of his life outside of Montana, receiving services for disabilities beyond the limits of Montana providers. When he turned 18, though, he aged out of the childhood services system and returned to live in Missoula at ORI.

One evening, after watching a movie, he asked a staff member whether she liked it. When she told him the movie about cancer depressed her (her husband had died of cancer), George's "intermittent explosive disorder" got the best of him. He grabbed a butter knife and threatened to stab the woman. He also used a saucepan to beat on the building.

The incident led to a law enforcement call and the ensuing scuffle included George biting an officer. That sent him to jail.

As a result, ORI was cited by OSHA for workplace violence. Neighbors called for assurances George would not be back. Clients at the group home expressed fear. And with no MDC option, George stayed in jail while providers tried to find a solution.

Before the MDC closure decision, George "almost certainly would have gone to MDC as the least restrictive setting possible," said a letter by six members of the MDC study council. "Instead, this child in an adult body sat crying day after day in a jail cell."

George needed more individualized care than ORI or other private services could offer, said Brown. That takes money, he said, urging the council to fix the funding system "so that we can keep our brothers and sisters in the community."

SHAWN

The story of another dually diagnosed individual came from his mother, a member of the study group.

Unable to speak and with profound hearing loss in addition to his dual diagnosis, Shawn relies heavily on those who care for him. So when Montana decided it needed to do something to help people like Shawn move out into community placement, he had no say.

Shawn lived for years in a "cottage"  a low population living arrangement similar to a group home  on the grounds of the MDC. The facility allowed him some freedom within a controlled community, said his mother. After failing twice on community placements, he was finally comfortable and at home, proud of his work and studies, she said.

But as the closure efforts began, familiar faces, both friends and familiar staff, disappeared. Shawn's cottage was boarded up. He was moved to different residences five times in a single year.

The changes around him were "beyond his capacity to cope," Shawn's mother told legislators.

"As the closure process escalated, so did his aggressive, self-injurious and non-compliant behaviors," his mother said.

As a result, he increasingly refused to cooperate with some medical care, leading to deteriorating physical health, she said.

"Before the closure, Shawn was on the port list [ready for community placement] for several years...Now I've seen the work of many years of treatment undone," she told legislators.

The mother emphasized that her issues with her son's care are not with the MDC staff, "who work hard to help my son amidst an uncertain future. His current deterioration is the result of living in a facility slated for closure," she said.

Shawn landed in the IBC (Intensive Behavior Center), a locked 12-bed facility on the MDC campus for clients in crisis. That is where he remains today and that is where his mother visits him, making twice-a-week trips from Bozeman to Boulder.

In trying to fix a problem for some, the state made things worse for her son and others, she said. Individuals with a dual diagnosis are no more cookie cutter than other people, she said.

"It's not one size fits all," she said. "Clients need different things."

THE THORNIEST ISSUE

According to a national survey on drug use and health, 21 in 100 Montana adults report symptoms of mental illness, with five in 100 reporting serious mental illness. That translates to 42,000 Montanans in need of mental health services. "George," Shawn, the 28-year-old client in Sadowski's story and others like them represent only about a tenth of a percent of those 42,000.

But their severe needs make them among the most costly to serve.

When the state cut funding last year, affecting services for Montanans with disabilities and mental illness, cries arose that it would hurt those least able to argue their cases.

"Those most vulnerable are those who will suffer the most from our inability to properly fund our responsibilities," seven Democratic legislators told the Legislative Finance Interim Committee in a March 13, 2018 letter.

"By failing to properly fund these services, we are clearly failing to protect public health and safety needs of the people we serve. It is truly an emergency and to do nothing is not who we are as Montanans," said the letter.

The legislators urged a reversal of cuts to community case management funds that allow Montanans with disabilities and mental illness "to sustain their health, livelihoods and yes, their very lives."

Restoring those cuts, however, would not address the challenges with "George," Shawn and the others with the most severe needs. Even before the cuts, everyone examining the problem seemed to agree there was just not enough money.

IF THERE WERE MORE MONEY...

That does not mean there are no answers out there, given enough money.

In a "Developmental Disability Crisis Plan" presentation to the MDC study council, Developmental Services Division Administrator Rebecca de Camara said, "The best way to deal with a crisis is to prevent it from happening."

A crisis system could deal with the immediate crisis and then get the client back into the community but that would require money. A report prepared by the state Architecture and Engineering Division estimated the cost to construct one, four-bed unit matching services at the 12-bed IBC unit where Shawn now lives at $3.25 million. To be effective, those units would need to be placed around the state for geographic accessibility.

Other states have additional programs that Montana should consider, de Camara told the council, such as a crisis hotline and a mobile crisis outreach team. And all of them have at least one ICF-IID certified facility.

In addition, the state needs to increase coordination and cross training between the developmental disability system and mental health system, de Camara said.

"We can no longer continue to treat these folks in silos," she said. Otherwise, said de Camara, "we're going to have an influx of people from Warm Springs, at Deer Lodge."

All of that takes money.

As a companion cost, the state needs to come up with more money to pay better wages for direct care workers in community services, said Sadowski, Brown and other community service providers.

"For too long, Montana has had a developmental disability system that has denied providers what they need to be successful in helping people live in the community," wrote Charlie Briggs of Disability Rights Montana during the MDC study. "If an individual experiences crisis, such as mental health issues or autism or other disorders, they have often failed in their community placement  not because they cannot be served to live in the community, but because providers lack sufficient resources to provide those services."

Jan Anderson, Boulder Monitor Flanking other members of the study panel, Fran Sadowski, left, and Carol Dailey, far right, seek solutions for serving clients with both mental illness and developmental disabilities.

Briggs went on to say, "Of course, it takes money to fix the system but Montana needed to invest adequate funding long ago supporting quality community placements."

"There needs to be more dollars in the system," said Sadowski.

Another alternative is to send clients out of state for services, something that can cost as much as $500,000 a year per individual, said testimony to the MDC study council.

In the meantime, all of them  private providers, parents of MDC clients and of clients in community placements, legislators and state officials grappling with the issues  are vying for the same slim piece of the funding pie.

As Sadowski said, "It shouldn't be about money. It should be about what is best for the people we serve."

But in the end, it is. And caught in the middle are "George," Shawn, the client described by Sadowski and others.
The lawyer for a cancer patient suing Monsanto Co. over its weed-killer that he sprayed as a school groundskeeper told a San Francisco jury Tuesday that the chemical giant had knowingly exposed thousands of Americans to a dangerous product, and it was time to pay up.

Monsanto concealed evidence of the hazards of glyphosate, the worlds most widely used herbicide, attacked the international agency that classified it as a likely cause of cancer, and refused to put a cancer warning on the label, said Brent Wisner, attorney for plaintiff Dewayne Lee Johnson during closing arguments at the Superior Court trial.

The failure to add a warning label was a choice that reflects reckless disregard for human health, Wisner said. Today is their day of reckoning.

But Monsantos lawyer said independent scientific research has provided overwhelming evidence that glyphosate doesnt cause cancer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulated the herbicide since the 1970s and repeatedly concluded it was not dangerous, attorney George Lombardi told the jury. And even though one of Johnsons doctors asked the groundskeepers employer to let him stop spraying the herbicide, Lombardi said, none of his treating physicians  who included cancer experts at Stanford  believed glyphosate caused his illness.

After four weeks of testimony, mostly from opposing groups of experts, jurors begin their deliberations on Wednesday.

Johnson, 46, of Vallejo, was a groundskeeper and pest-control manager for the Benicia Unified School District from 2012 until May 2016. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in October 2014, and with what his lawyers described as a more aggressive form of the cancer in March 2015.

His suit is the first of about 4,000 nationwide to go to trial against Monsanto, now a subsidiary of Bayer. The company markets glyphosate as Roundup and, in higher concentrations, as Ranger Pro, the brand Johnson used most of the time at work.

In March 2015, the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. It remains legal in both the U.S. and Europe, however, and Lombardi said the EPA and regulators in Europe had re-evaluated the chemical since March 2015 and found no reason to change their assessment.

Johnson testified that he wore protective clothing while spraying the herbicide from 50-gallon drums but was exposed to the chemical from wind gusts, and in a spill from a broken hose and a leak from a container.

He said he first noticed rashes on his skin in 2014 that did not respond to treatment. After his initial cancer diagnosis, he called the Monsanto hotline, described his condition and asked if glyphosate was harmful. The person at the other end of the line promised that someone would call him back, but no one ever did. Johnson said he made another call in the spring of 2015 and the same thing happened.

They wouldnt even call Mr. Johnson back and tell him you should stop spraying, said Wisner, his lawyer. By the time Johnson told the school district in January 2016 that he would no longer use the herbicide, Wisner said, it had become his death sentence.

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Lombardi acknowledged that someone should have called Johnson back, but said it would have made no difference  the company would not have advised him to stop spraying, and his own doctors had cleared him to keep working in December 2015.

Johnson has lesions all over his body and even on his eyelids  every time he blinks hes in pain, Wisner said. He said Johnson wont make it till 2020 absent a miracle. An oncologist testifying for Monsanto said Johnson could live for decades.

If the jury finds Monsanto responsible for Johnsons cancer, the two sides have agreed that he should receive $2.53 million in damages for lost wages, medical expenses and other costs. Wisner asked for an additional $37 million in damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress  $1 million for each year of Johnsons life expectancy.

Jurors could also award punitive damages if they find that the company intentionally or recklessly caused harm. Wisner asked for $373 million, which he said would equal the interest Monsanto now collects on its $3.1 billion in holdings.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
The number of tents on San Francisco streets has been cut by more than half in the past two years, but despite the shrinking numbers, the street behavior by the homeless, the mentally ill and the drug-addled continues to be a challenge  with no quick solution in sight.

The citys Department of Homelessness and Supportive Services clocked the number of homeless encampments on streets and sidewalks at 568 in July  compared with 1,200 in July 2016.

In that time, social workers offered services to 1,300 people in the larger encampments. Two-thirds of those approached accepted the citys offer of temporary shelter, said Randy Quezada, Department of Homelessness spokesman.

Of the 866 people who accepted help, 288 have been placed in permanent housing.

I dont think the numbers are lying, Supervisor Aaron Peskin said of the camp clean outs. The problem is, the mental health issues are much more acute.

Peskin said he had recently phoned in a report of a seemingly deranged street person running in and out of traffic  hurling orange traffic cones  near a bus stop at Van Ness Avenue and Clay Street.

And for most of the citys residents and visitors, the street behavior continues to be the problem.

Just look at the numbers.

The citys 311 service portal reported logging 1,138 complaints about discarded syringes between July 1 and July 25 of this year  or about 45 a day. During the same period, the 311 line clocked 1,948 calls  or about 78 a day  from people reporting human feces or waste on the streets or sidewalks.

One flash point are BARTs downtown stations, where there has been a growing number of complaints from riders about hypodermic needles littering the transit system.

Four BART riders have been pricked by needles in the past two years, including a mother of two from San Ramon, who claimed she sat on a stray needle in May while riding to San Francisco. She was later tested for HIV and got a hepatitis vaccine shot  but must continue to be tested every three months over the next 1 years.

Meanwhile, new figures from BART show that since April janitors have cleaned up more than 13,000 dirty needles left behind at the Civic Center and Powell Street stations.

The 9,004 needles found at Civic Center are among the reasons BART is moving to close down a portion of the stations underground walkway, which had become a drug den.

Stepped-up foot patrols by BART and San Francisco police have cleaned up both stations, but the problem remains rampant on the streets.

The problems arent strictly in San Francisco. BARTs chief mechanical safety Officer David Hardt tells us theyve logged from 70 to 100 reports of mostly urine, feces and blood on the transit agencys mobile phone biohazard reporting site since it was launched in June  the good news being that the instant reporting has allowed cleanup crews to jump into action much more quickly.

Newly elected San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who has made dealing with the homeless her No. 1 priority, is pushing a new tack  launching the nations first safe drug injection sites.

Its a bold idea, but given the threat that officials could be held criminally liable under federal law, odds of the injection centers actually opening anytime soon are slim.

Breed and new Supervisor Rafael Mandelman are also joining with state Sen. Scott Wiener to push for legislation to allow for more court-ordered conservatorships for the worst of the worst mentally ill who repeatedly wind up in emergency rooms.

However, Wiener tells us the changes in those rules would only result in commitments of 50 to 100 of the citys worst cases.

Its a very severe thing to take someones liberty away for a year, so you only want to do it for people who are in really bad shape, Wiener said.

In the short run, Breed has few options other than to continue the tent crackdowns started by her predecessor, former Mayor Mark Farrell, or resign herself to the type of on-and-off crackdowns that occurred under the late Mayor Ed Lee  with little effect.

But, as Breed noted the other day at the opening of the latest homeless Navigation Center, It is not enough to merely get people indoors  we know that we need to provide services to ensure they do not end up back on our streets.

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And that may prove to be a far greater challenge.

Spy games: President Trump used a weekend rally to mock U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein over the Russia meddling probe by calling out her former driver, who we reported had been linked to Chinese spying.

Speaking of China, it just came out that the Democratic leader and the leader of the Russian investigation, Dianne Feinstein, had a Chinese spy as her driver for 20 years! Trump told a crowd in Ohio on Saturday.

Trump later tweeted: Will she now investigate herself?

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Feinstein, facing re-election this fall, wasted little time firing back at Trump on Twitter, saying once the FBI alerted her that the Chinese government was seeking to recruit an administrative member of her staff ... the employee left my office immediately.

There was no evidence the driver divulged any secret information or even knew the Chinese government was trying to recruit him.

Compare that to your actions: attacking the FBI and refusing the advice of your national security team. SAD! Feinstein tweeted back to Trump.

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
Game of Thrones will end its long run on HBO when its eighth season airs in 2019. How will it all come to a close? Perhaps George R.R. Martin  the author of the phenomenally successful fantasy novels on which the series is based  has some insights.

The author is making a rare onstage appearance in the Bay Area, in conversation with artist John Picacio on Tuesday, Aug. 14. The venue is appropriately grand  its the venerable Fox Theatre in Redwood City  and the tickets arent cheap, ranging from $59 to $279. But its for a good cause: Proceeds will go toward the nonprofit Locus SF Foundation, which oversees the half-century-old Locus Magazine, the science fiction and fantasy journal.

Borderlands Books of San Francisco will sell books at the event, although Martin  give the guy a break, he could be there all night  wont sign copies.

 John McMurtrie
The deluge of news about Russian involvement in American politics can induce a feeling, some days, of having indulged in one too many shots of cheap vodka. Which is why Keith Gessens new novel comes as such a welcome relief.

A Terrible Country (Viking; $26) offers readers a fresh and often very funny perspective on contemporary Russia, as seen through the eyes of a young, Russian-born academic who leaves the United States to take care of his aging grandmother. Gessen, a founding editor of the literary magazine n+1, is well familiar with both countries, as a native of Russia who now lives in New York.
It looks like a toy tractor. Its barely bigger than a gerbil. And its super cute.

As Vector, a home robot with personality trundles around a San Francisco conference table, it responds to questions (Whats the weather in Seattle?) and commands (Wake up) much like Siri or Alexa would. Its square face, which looks like an old CRT monitor, is remarkably expressive as it blinks its big green eyes, emitting a series of squeaks and beeps, and answering questions in spoken English. It plays games and even dances to music.

Its the first truly smart, interactive robotic character for the home that you can live with 24/7, said Mark Palatucci, co-founder of Anki, the well-funded San Francisco startup that developed Vector.

Vector can see, hear, feel, think and roam its environment, Palatucci said. Its always on and connected to the cloud so it can keep learning, as well as look up information online.

Now Playing: Anki's Vector, a robot sidekick Video: SFChronicle

This is like a cross between your phone and your pet, said Wendy Ju, an assistant professor of human-robot interaction at New Yorks Cornell Tech. She compared it to a chatbot, or an artificial intelligence that can receive, understand and send messages: It seems like a chatbot in a robot form factor. Ive argued for a long time that chatbots should be able to move around.

Many people will enjoy a sense of companionship with a robot that can understand verbal communications and can reply in kind, she said. The device makes eye contact with humans, looking at them as they converse.

Vectors killer feature is that hes alive, said Peter Nguyen, Ankis head of communications. Thats how hes different than anything else on the market.

Initially Anki is pursuing a tech-savvy audience: early adopters on Kickstarter. They can order Vector for $200 for 30 days starting Wednesday, with delivery on Oct. 9. Vector will hit the mass retail market Oct. 12 for $250; a free developers kit, for those who want to customize Anki with their own software, will be out next year.

Long-term, Anki has big ambitions.

Our goal is working toward a robot in every home, Palatucci said.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

That may be a stretch, said Adam Wright, senior analyst for smart homes at research group IDC.

To be successful, Vector needs to demonstrate clear value to the consumer through a robust portfolio of services and integration with a wide variety of hardware devices, he said.

Vector doesnt yet have those connections, but Anki hopes that tech-savvy Kickstarter buyers will create lots of interesting applications for it.

But meanwhile, in the field of personal digital assistants, it faces formidable competition from Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri, Wright said.

Google and Amazon are already cementing thenselves in the smart home; I think Vector will be challenged to position itself against those incumbents, he said. Is it a toy or a home health aid or a security camera? Im not sure what it is.

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But Ju, the robotics professor, said Vector may out-charm the behemoths. Alexa cant turn toward you when youre talking to it, she said.

Character is a word the Vector team stresses. Its team of roboticists, film animators, engineers and game designers include Dreamworks and Pixar veterans, who helped make Vector and its look-alike predecessor, a toy robot called Cozmo, as endearing as Wall-E and other film characters.

Vectors face can show over 1,500 animations to express emotions in a range of scenarios. For instance, it acts happy when its owner comes home from work and displays a different type of joy when it wins a game.

Your cell phone doesnt do that, Palatucci said.

Cozmo, which retails for $180 and has far fewer features than Vector, was a top-selling toy on Amazon last year. Anki said its sold 1.5 million Cozmo devices and brought in almost $100 million in revenue last year. It also has over $200 million in venture backing.

Cozmo is the robot toy I advise people to buy because its really well built and continually updated, Ju said. Vector seems even more appealing but still a bit half-baked. People wont buy it to find out what the weather is. It will need some cool applications to succeed.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
Alejandra Hernandez-Ruiz drew her hands to her face as the father of her daughters addressed the court Tuesday morning. She wept as he described the prosaic send-off that would be his last with his two little girls.

I said goodbye, and I told the girls that I loved them, and to be good in school that day, Edwin Gonzalez told the Santa Rosa courtroom. That was the last time I saw them.

A Sonoma County Superior Court judge on Tuesday sentenced Hernandez-Ruiz to five years of probation, nearly two years after authorities say the Rohnert Park woman lost control of her car and plunged into the Petaluma River, killing 9-year-old Delilah Gonzalez and 7-year-old Sayra Gonzalez on Aug. 31, 2016.

Hernandez-Ruiz had just dropped off Gonzalez in Petaluma and was speeding and possibly weaving through traffic as she headed north on Petaluma Boulevard North near Gossage Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Now Playing: Two young girls died when a vehicle they were riding in overturned and went into the Petaluma River Wednesday morning. Video: Brandpoint

Hernandez-Ruiz lost control of the car, hit a median and went down an embankment after she overcorrected. The car hit trees and ultimately overturned in the river.

Hernandez-Ruiz managed to free herself and flag down a passerby to help try to rescue her daughters, who were trapped in the submerged vehicle in 6 feet of water, police said. First responders pulled the girls out 25 minutes after the crash, and they were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Investigators said no child safety seats had been installed in the car, which are a requirement for children younger than 8 or less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

In June, Hernandez-Ruiz changed her plea from guilty to no contest for two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter.

Tuesdays sentence came as an agreement between prosecutors and defense attorneys, and the victims family supported the deal, Deputy District Attorney Laura Passaglia said.

About a dozen family members filled the courtroom gallery to support both mother and father for the final hearing. Many held each other and sobbed as Gonzalez read his victim impact statement.

Gonzalez said he couldnt stop thinking about that day, when first responders pulled his girls lifeless bodies out of the water.

Ive been paralyzed, sad and alone, he told Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Brad DeMeo. The person I was passed away with my daughters.

However, Gonzalez said he backed the terms of Hernandez-Ruizs plea agreement, and he added that she faced no greater punishment than losing Delilah and Sayra.

Defense attorney Izaak Schwaiger said he had no comments other than to ask that DeMeo agree to the negotiated sentence.

DeMeo told the court he agreed with Gonzalezs sentiment  no punishment could outweigh the loss of the children  and for this reason he was approving the terms of probation.

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I hope you can find life again in memory of your daughters, he told Gonzalez, calling the case one of the worst tragedies I have read about and experienced as a judge.

Hernandez-Ruiz, who wore a black and white-striped jacket, black slacks and an ankle monitor, which was to be removed immediately as she begins probation, will receive 640 days of credit for time served. She received a suspended sentence of 12 years and could face jail time minus the 640 days served if she violates the terms of her probation.

While on probation, she is ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs, including medical marijuana. In the final moments of sentencing, DeMeo additionally banned Hernandez-Ruiz from driving for the entirety of her formal probation.

The family asked for privacy as they all walked out of the courthouse, shielding and holding both the father and mother.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
A Northern California man accused of shooting four people, killing one, at an East Oakland block party in 2016 was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison in a plea agreement that disheartened the family of the victims.

Honorio Hernandez Meza of Woodland (Yolo County) was charged with murdering 40-year-old Alberto Juarez and injuring three others on July 24, 2016, on the 9200 block of Holly Street. Police at the time said the shooting arose out of a brawl between rival gang affiliates, but Deputy District Attorney Matthew Wendt on Wednesday said that neither Hernandez Meza, 29, nor Juarez were members of a gang.

The 16-year stint, which was hashed out last month when Hernandez Meza pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, accounts only for Juarezs death. Three counts of attempted murder were dropped through the deal.

Hernandez Meza will receive 757 days of time served.

Irene Juarez, daughter of the man Hernandez Meza was accused of killing, expressed disappointment with the sentence in court and said justice was denied for the three other victims, including her uncle, who were wounded in the attack.

Im sorry, but the 16 years is not fair, she said.

Phong Tran, an Oakland police officer, wrote in a probable cause statement that Alberto Juarez was fatally shot while attempting to intervene in a fight after a group of Norteno-associated suspects had knocked a Border Brother affiliate unconscious.

Tran said Hernandez Meza began shooting deliberately at Juarez and the crowd behind him, striking Juarez multiple times. Three others who were standing near Juarez were shot but survived their injuries after being transported to Highland Hospital in Oakland.

Juarezs sister, Monica Perez, told the Oakland courtroom Wednesday that her brother wasnt perfect but had the biggest heart and helping hand.

On the day of his funeral, I didnt even know half of the people who showed up, she said.

Perez called her brother a true hero for defending others on the night of the shooting.

How could you have shot an unarmed man? she asked Hernandez Meza, who didnt turn to look at the victims sister. That was not a heroic act, but a cowardly one.

Perez stressed that it wasnt just her brothers life that was lost, but Hernandez Mezas as well.

It was a sentiment that struck a chord with Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson, who made a pained speech prior to handing down the sentence.

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.

Ms. Perez said it best: Two lives were taken that night, she said.

Were seeing it over and over again. It doesnt make sense that we cant even look at each other without pulling out a weapon.

Because of the violence, Thompson said, there were mothers who couldnt sleep at night in fear for their children, and older brothers and sisters tasked with caring for their younger siblings. The judges words drew knowing nods from several of Juarezs family members seated in the Oakland courtroom.

No family members for the defense opted to make a statement, but the judge thanked Hernandez Meza for being respectful throughout the court proceedings.

Several supporters sat behind Hernandez Meza as he heard his sentence, and the defendant mouthed bye to them as he was escorted from the courtroom.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
So, it has come to this. Spike Lee is relevant again. Hes necessary again.

His new movie, BlacKkKlansman, though set in the 1970s, is very much about the times were living in, about racism in America and the shocking resiliency of hate. Its one of his best, and thats saying a lot, and it brings out his array of gifts  not just his political passion, but his absurd sense of humor and his almost uncanny social intuition.

This is the filmmaker who made Do the Right Thing two years before the Los Angeles riots, and who, in the wake of 9/11, realized that his somber New York drama, 25th Hour, could be made into an elegy for all that had been lost in the tragedy.

BlacKkKlansman, which is being released on the one-year anniversary of the violence in Charlottesville, Va., feels like a movie-length response to that event. In fact, the film was completed before that awfulness, though a coda, acknowledging Charlottesville and the killing of Heather Heyer, was appended.

BlacKkKlansman tells the bizarre fact-based story of Ron Stallworth, who became the first black cop in Colorado Springs. Treated with condescension by his colleagues and relegated to boring desk work, he takes it upon himself to contact the Ku Klux Klan, pretending to be white. What follows is a two-pronged investigation, with Ron (John David Washington) infiltrating the Klan by phone, and his white colleague Zimmerman (Adam Driver) doing it in person, by pretending to be the Ron that they know over the phone.

Now Playing: The official trailer for Spike Lee's "Blackkklansman." Video: Focus Features

Though the real-life investigation took place in 1978, Lee and his trio of screenplay collaborators move the action to the early 1970s, a subtle transposition that makes a difference. On a superficial level, the early 70s styles are just more fun  big Afros, wide lapels, polyester bell-bottoms and bright colors. More importantly, the early 70s were turbulent, an era of radical politics. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was a fresh memory, and the Black Panthers were still active.

This atmosphere of polarization  radical politics on one side and white nationalist terror on the other  forms the background for BlacKkKlansman and makes it all the more analogous to our current political moment. Then as now, political differences were not about two sides, sharing similar values, espousing different paths to the same ends, but rather about two sides with opposed visions of right and wrong, trying to move the country in completely different directions.

Lee, who never loses his sense of playfulness, pokes fun at the styles and gets comic mileage out of the absurdity of a black man putting on some nasal version of a white voice, spouting racist bile over the phone to David Duke. Yet such is Lees nimbleness as an artist that he can let such moments breathe, and yet take the plunge into near-terror, as when Zimmerman is confronted by a Klansman who angrily accuses him of being Jewish (which he is).

This tonal fluidity  this ability to be funny and terrifying by turns, incorporating both moods within a single, coherent and unifying tone  is something Lee has been able to do since Do the Right Thing. But its also a hallmark of recent black filmmaking, from Jordan Peeles Get Out to Blindspotting, starring and co-written by Daveed Diggs, to Boots Rileys Sorry to Bother You. The unifying element within and among these films is an assumption that theres something inherent in American life in 2018 thats both terrifying and absurd at precisely the same time.

To that end, the Klansmen here, in all their moods and incarnations  some adopting a tone of faux reasonableness, some foaming at the mouth with rage and others taking solace, in their lowly state, in some illusion of genetic destiny  are both exaggerated and utterly realistic. And Lee is accurate in emphasizing the modern Klans hatred of Jews, as well as blacks. Whats less certain is whether Klansmen in the 1970s ever really chanted America First, but the connection to the present is made, and its effective.

Had it ended where Lee originally expected it to end, BlacKkKlansman would have been a very good movie, his best in years. The extra kick into greatness comes with the Charlottesville coda, featuring unsettling footage weve never seen before. The movie brings it all home and brings it all together  the past, the present, and the unsettling and uncertain future.

BlacKkKlansman Drama. Starring John David Washington and Adam Driver. Directed by Spike Lee. (R. 135 minutes.) See More Collapse

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles film critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle
NEW YORK  Republican Rep. Christopher Collins of western New York state was arrested Wednesday on charges he fed inside information he gleaned from sitting on the board of a biotechnology company to his son, helping family and friends dodge hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses when bad news came out.

Collins, a staunch supporter of President Trump who was among the first sitting members of Congress to endorse his candidacy for the White House, pleaded not guilty to an indictment unsealed at a court in Manhattan. The indictment charges Collins, his son and the father of the sons fiancee with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI.

Speaking to reporters in Buffalo hours after his release on bail, Collins, 68, professed his innocence and said he would remain on the ballot for re-election this fall.

I believe I acted properly and within the law at all times, he said. I will mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name. I look forward to being fully vindicated and exonerated.

Prosecutors said the charges stem from Collins decision to share with his son insider information about Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, a biotechnology company headquartered in Sydney. Collins was the companys largest shareholder, with nearly 17 percent of its shares, and sat on its board.

According to the indictment, Collins was attending the Congressional Picnic at the White House on June 22, 2017, when he received an email from the companys chief executive saying that a trial of a drug the company developed to treat multiple sclerosis was a clinical failure.

Collins responded to the email saying: Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible??? the indictment said. It said he then called his son, Cameron.

The next morning, according to the indictment, Cameron Collins began selling his shares, unloading enough over a two-day period to avoid $570,900 in losses before a public announcement of the drug trial results. After the announcement, the companys stock price plunged 92 percent.

Prosecutors said the son passed the information to a third defendant, Stephen Zarsky. Their combined trades avoided over $768,000 in losses, authorities said. .

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U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman told a news conference that Collins was supposed to keep the trial results secret.

Instead, he decided to commit a crime, he said. Representative Collins, who, by virtue of his office, helps write the laws of this country, acted as if the law did not apply to him.

All three defendants were freed on $500,000 bail Wednesday after they pleaded not guilty.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was removing Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, calling insider trading a clear violation of the public trust.

Tom Hays is an Associated Press writer.
The recent closing of San Franciscos Log Cabin Ranch, a residential facility for boys, is an important opportunity for the city to rethink its juvenile justice system.

Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the ranch had been in operation for more than 70 years. Despite the citys many efforts to revitalize the site, it was a costly, obsolete approach to juvenile justice. Its closure, however, isnt necessarily good news. The ranch was considered to be the last option for young people who committed serious offenses before being placed in a state penal institution. Now, faced with the possibility of time in a facility that is even farther from their families and communities, young people may encounter even worse outcomes. Just how the city will serve this group of young people is unclear  but it doesnt have to be.

San Francisco has the creativity and authority to reject an ineffective model of youth incarceration for one that is centered around equity, community and support.

Most youth prisons in California today are run by counties. Senate Bill 81, the Juvenile Justice Realignment measure signed into law in 2007, limited who could be committed to state youth correctional institutions and provided additional funding to county probation systems. That legislation should have led to comprehensive reform. While the measure resulted in a decline in institutional commitments at the state level, it essentially created 58 mini-juvenile justice systems, each with different standards for what justice means for young people.

Eleven years later, California has 11,532 youth locked up in more than 120 county and state youth detention facilities, at a cost of $1 billion a year.

The cost to our communities, especially communities of color, is far greater than dollars. Racial and ethnic disparities in San Franciscos juvenile justice system are stark. In 2016, African American youth comprised only 6 percent of the citys population, but an alarming 63 percent of detentions. Youth of color made up almost 95 percent of detentions in San Francisco that year, 80 percent of the children in Californias youth prisons, and close to 70 percent nationwide.

Youth incarceration  whether on a ranch, in a youth prison or in a different type of confinement facility  is an antiquated approach that, as research shows, is detrimental to youth and a threat to public safety. According to a 2009 Justice Policy Institute report, youth who spend time in detention facilities have higher recidivism rates, suffer from more mental illness and a higher risk of suicide, and are less likely to succeed at education and employment at the same level as youth who were never incarcerated. Other studies show that incarceration exacerbates the negative consequences of childhood trauma, such as sexual abuse, community violence, neglect and maltreatment, experienced by more than 90 percent of detained youth.

The closure of Log Cabin Ranch exemplifies the fact that systems dont reform themselves. At the Zellerbach Family Foundation, we understand that comprehensive change does not come from one foundation, one community provider or one public agency. Real reform requires authentic participation and input from all stakeholders, including advocates, the community, and the young people and families our juvenile justice system is supposed to serve.

The good news is that San Francisco has made progress. Juvenile hall bookings have declined almost every year since 2006, and youth are no longer held for nonviolent offenses. San Francisco also has a rich history of investing in and partnering with the community. Today, the city allocates more than $10 million to community-based programs that serve justice-system-involved youth.

San Francisco should build on this legacy by working with all stakeholders to reimagine and reconstruct its youth justice system. The citys consolidated city-county government, strong community partners and system stakeholders who are committed to reform, such as the police chief, district attorney and public defender, all create an optimal environment for change. That, coupled with a newly elected mayor who has demonstrated her own commitment to reform, means that San Francisco is primed to dig deeper and be bolder.

Log Cabin Ranch was not the best we can do. Its closure should open the doors to a new era of youth justice and a commitment to ensure that every child in San Francisco has an opportunity to succeed.

Allison Magee is executive director of the Zellerbach Family Foundation.
Facebooks struggles to adapt to a political world in which its become a major player intensified when it banned a California Republican House candidates biographical ad because of content the online platform deemed shocking and sensational.

The content in question was footage of the 1970s Cambodian genocide that the parents of Central Valley congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng survived. Facebook allowed the ad to go back online Tuesday, after conservatives who were already upset about the companys removal of content posted by right-wing conspiracy monger Alex Jones accused Facebook of censoring speech with which it disagrees.

Facebook, YouTube and Apple iTunes removed Jones content this week, saying it violated its rules against hate speech. Hengs four-minute ad, however, was designed to be uplifting and personal, making Facebooks initial decision to pull the ad difficult for the company to explain.

Heng, who is running against Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, opened the ad with black-and-white photos of the Cambodian genocide under the Pol Pot regime of the 1970s, then explained how her parents narrowly avoided death and later came to the U.S.

My parents did not have the luxury of blocking the horrific content from the reality of their lives during the rise of communism in Cambodia, Heng wrote on Twitter last week as she rallied conservative leaders and media platforms against the ban. Why does @facebook feel they have the right to censor that content in the land of #freespeech?

Facebook said partisanship didnt play a role in its decision. Initially, it said the ad was banned because Facebook doesnt allow content that is shocking, sensational, disrespectful or excessively violent. Facebook restored the ad after executives deemed that the video contained historical imagery that was relevant to Hengs story, the company said.

Facebooks content policies have come under close scrutiny since it was revealed that Russian companies tied to the Kremlin bought ads and posted pages in 2016 intended to help Donald Trumps presidential campaign. Media analysts said the handling of Hengs ad shows that Facebook is struggling with its screening process for political content, with potentially dire consequences for the November elections.

We have big tech companies umpiring our elections. And theyre not the umpires, said Michael Cornfield, a George Washington University professor and expert on social media. This goes back to the problem that we havent made up our minds whether to treat them like a public utility or a private media company.

It took five days for Facebook to change its mind on Hengs ad. Cornfield wondered what would happen if a controversial video was posted in the last 72 hours of the campaign and Facebook didnt decide right away (about whether to remove or restore it). That might affect a close election. Do we want that?

Facebook needs a clear, simple, fast procedure for restoring content without some big hoopla, said Corynne McSherry, legal director of the nonpartisan Electronic Frontier Foundation. She noted that Facebook didnt restore Hengs ad until the candidate and other conservatives protested loudly.

Users and politicians should really be concerned that these sorts of take-downs are happening at all, McSherry said. Its the result of making (social media platforms) the self-appointed speech police.

Making the situation even more confusing is that there arent consistent standards across social media platforms. While Facebook banned Hengs video, Twitter and YouTube had no problems posting it.

Conservatives including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, jumped on the ban as an example of Facebooks anti-conservative bias.

Elizabeth Heng is a Republican woman, McCarthy wrote on Twitter. Her family survived the Communist genocide in Cambodia and came to America. Now Facebook is blocking her story.

The ad starts with Heng, 33, describing how in Cambodia under Pol Pots Khmer Rouge, being young and single often meant a gruesome life and likely death, as images of skulls and dead bodies appear on the screen.

They approached my father and in order to save his life, he said he was about to be married, Heng says. They asked him to whom. He pointed to the prettiest girl that he saw, having never spoken to her before. The soldiers approached her and she said, Yes. They got married the very next day. Forty-one years later theyre still the happiest couple I know. Great things can come from great adversity.

In a statement emailed to The Chronicle, Facebook said, Upon further review, it is clear the video contains historical imagery relevant to the candidates story. We have since approved the ad and it is now running on Facebook.

Even after the ban was lifted, Heng told The Chronicle on Tuesday that she was angry in a lot of ways.

It took Facebook five full days to lift this arbitrary ban, Heng said. What about everybody else who is not able to summon a national wave of support to help them?

I dont think this would have been an issue if I were a liberal from Los Angeles, Heng said. Facebooks algorithms are not conducive to conservative and diverse political thought.

The Electronic Frontier Foundations McSherry, who has studied social media platforms for more than a decade, disagreed. I do not think people take things down because of partisan bias, she said. They make mistakes all around.

She testified in April before the House Judiciary Committee that part of the problem is that a great deal of online content is not easy to classify quickly and automatically. Both machines and humans may struggle to tell the difference between disagreeable political speech and abuse, between fabricated propaganda and legitimate opinion, or between content that is legal in some jurisdictions and not others.

In fact, there are three times as many conservative publishers on Facebook as liberal ones, according to a 2017 study by the social media analyst company NewsWhip. Those content creators received 2.5 times the amount of engagement online that their liberal counterparts did.

In Hengs case, her videos post-ban engagement numbers shot up. Before Facebook pulled the ad, it was getting minimal traffic. On Tuesday, it had more than 100,000 views.

Heng could use the exposure. Although she received 47 percent of the vote in the two-person June primary against Costa, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the November contest as solid Democrat.

Asked whether the controversy has drawn attention to her campaign, Heng, a first-time candidate, answered like a seasoned politician: Regardless of what happens with Facebook, Im going to keep fighting for my community. Im not going to let some liberal tech company stop me.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
San Francisco has the best weather in the world. I love fog, and mist that never quite turns into rain. I even love the fact that the sun can never make up its mind.

I feel this way roughly 350 days of the year. On the other days, often in the thick of July, when friends around the country are posting beach selfies with frozen margaritas, and San Francisco is 53 degrees and overcast with a crisp wind  and Im mad about it  theres the Wooden Nickel. If you cant swing a last-minute road trip to San Diego, its the next best thing.

Since opening three years ago on the southwest corner of 15th and Folsom, in a space previously occupied by the gay bar Truck, the Wooden Nickel has quietly become one of the coziest, most laid-back bars in the neighborhood. Its offerings are simple: reasonably priced well drinks (add a pony Miller High Life to any shot for a dollar); nine beers on tap; a rotating cast of pre-mixed alcoholic slushies served with festive paper umbrellas. A pool table, two small TVs, vintage signage, a jukebox that plays actual CDs.

And then theres this: a small window through which cooks serve hefty, hangover-obliterating California burritos, carne asada fries and rolled tacos  the hallmarks of San Diego Mexican cuisine.

The discussion about NorCal vs. SoCal Mexican food is an often-contentious one, and as an Orange County native, Wooden Nickel owner Nancy Chung is no stranger to the regional burrito debate. She did time in San Diego before heading north to San Francisco over a decade ago, and had been working at Truck for about a year when owner Paul Ringhofer-Miller put the place up for sale in 2015.

Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle

Chung, a veteran bartender whod always had a vision for the bar shed like to own  a neighborhood place, a dive bar but a clean dive bar, especially the bathrooms  took the leap. (Initially she bought the business with fellow Mission bartenders Cassandra Fritzen and Shannon Lynn, but Chung says theyre no longer partners.)

Launching a new, not-gay business in the former digs of a gay institution is, of course, a loaded endeavor. Within a half-mile radius of the Wooden Nickel, the past few years have seen the closure of the beloved lesbian bar the Lexington Club (whose space now houses the upscale cocktail lounge Wildhawk), and Latino gay bar Esta Noche (now the similarly cocktail-focused Bond Bar).

The Nickel has cocktails, but it will never get accused of being swank. Well drinks and a generous selection of beers in cans or bottles are perennially welcome, though the stars of the menu are the slushies, in particular the aptly named Painkiller  a frozen pina colada with a deceptively potent punch, topped with grated nutmeg and a pineapple wedge. On my most recent visit the second slushie offering was a strawberry margarita, a bit too sweet for me but fresh and bright nonetheless.

Chung does hear from folks who lament Trucks closure, but she also says shes retained many of the previous establishments regulars. Its not a gay bar, but its also not a straight bar, insists the owner. Its a bar for the neighborhood, for the community. Its the kind of place where the neighbors have given us spare keys in case they get locked out.

Then theres the other built-in community, the one thats grown steadily by word of mouth: Anyone can recognize a good local watering hole, but San Diego transplants, understandably, really like the Wooden Nickel.

Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle

They come in and order California burritos, like, 10 at a time, a cook named Jesse tells me one evening, leaning against the bar after ordering a swirl. (Yes, thats both of the bars frozen drinks swirled together.) He thinks for a moment, then asks for a floater of rum, too.

Hall & Oates are singing Private Eyes. Its a Saturday around 9 p.m., and the smell of french fries  the defining ingredient in California burritos and, of course, in carne asada fries  wafts dreamily from the kitchen.

Carne asada fries are ubiquitous in San Diego, not to mention available 24/7 at several establishments; as a student at UCSD, they may have saved my life on occasion. But in San Francisco, they're much harder to find. The Nickels rendition is legit, though I do wish the fries were a bit thicker  you need heft to maintain structural integrity under the weight of steak, three kinds of cheese (shredded cheddar, jack and cotija), pico de gallo, guacamole and crema.

The California burrito here, meanwhile, is a purists affair: meat, fries, tortilla, guac, sour cream; the whole thing wrapped tightly and pressed on a grill. Add some of the Wooden Nickels tangy house hot sauce, available in a squeeze bottle at the end of the bar. Try to eat just half, then fail and eat the whole thing. The juice from the meat will have pooled into the fries at the bottom, which means the last few bites are the best. You are doing it correctly.

Photos by Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle

Tuesdays at the Wooden Nickel are Taco Tuesdays, meaning those in the know will show up at 6 on the nose and stay until at 8  two hours during which $1 gets you a Baja-style beer-battered shrimp taco, $2 gets you a crispy taco filled with chicken or potato, and $10 will send you home very, very full.

The Wooden Nickel doesnt quite have the personality of a true dive yet  much like fries at the bottom of a California burrito, it needs to marinate a bit longer. What it does currently have is a strong skater contingent. On a recent Monday I counted three different Thrasher T-shirts within 10 square feet, and a pile of five boards on the floor. But because this is the Mission, there are also employees from the tech company down the street; off-duty bartenders and other food-service folks sitting at the outdoor tables, smoking; and the occasional low-key Tinder date.

So, yes, its a typical neighborhood bar in many ways, but Chung notes that shes also proud of running a female-owned business in what, despite some progress, still feels like such a dude industry.

The stereotype for bar owners is that theyre the sleazy older guy at the end of the bar, hitting on girls 20 years younger than him, right? she says. It feels good to be something else, and I love that I have a lot of women bartenders. I look around my bar and theres always a lot of women, which isnt true most places Ive worked.

On my most recent visit, a new female bartender is on shift, training. Its one of those Mondays where you were just going to get one or two beverages with a friend and be on your way, but all of a sudden its 1 a.m.

Time has passed languidly inside this small corner bar, and the smiley new bartender is asking if youd like some sparkling water. My friend and I would. We both used to live in San Diego, after all, so naturally weve just split an order of carne asada fries.

Outside, theres a cold bite in the air. But here in the bar, someone has just put on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who might as well be the house band for every generic beachside bar in Southern California, and we both laugh. Outside, its summer in San Francisco, but at the Wooden Nickel, its always frozen margarita weather.

Emma Silvers is a San Francisco freelance writer. Twitter: @emmaruthless Email: food@sfchronicle.com
Once the houses were gone, the cars were easy to spot, sitting and waiting for their owners like loyal pets in the garages and driveways of burnt-out Santa Rosa.

Thats what Walnut Creek photographer Scott Maddern saw when he drove up two weeks after the inferno last fall and started shooting the cars in their various states ranging from plastic shells to steel carcasses.

The situation was very surreal. You drive by these homes and everything is leveled except a brick chimney and a car, said Maddern, 48. The cars were extremely colorful and interesting the way the fire left them, even though they are a morbid subject.

Maddern ended up spending six days in the fire zone, making 100 still lifes of cars . His favorite 34 are on display through the weekend at the Peninsula Museum of Art in Burlingame. From there, the prints will return to where they were made, for a charity auction Oct. 13 at St. Francis Winery in Santa Rosa.

The concept was developed by Russell Hyzen, a retired internet entrepreneur and apartment complex owner who lives in the Oakland hills, in a neighborhood that was burned in October 1991.

As a reminder, Hyzen keeps a book of photographs Richard Misrach made after the Oakland hills fire. First Hyzen picked up the Misrach book. Then he picked up the phone and called his friend Maddern, a hobbyist who had just given up a career in management to become a full-time freelancer, concentrating on landscape and portrait work.

They had no working press credentials. But nobody chased them away, once Hyzen explained Art out of Ashes, a 501(c)(3) charity they launched just for this purpose.

Everyone was encouraging when they found out we were not making money out of this, said Maddern.

Riding together, Hyzen and Maddern made a series of six trips. They always set out before dawn, and did their best work either at sunrise or sunset, when the natural light is low. When they found a car with character, Maddern would set up a tripod for his Nikon digital camera. Hyzen would walk around the car with a portable strobe light until Maddern had the effect he wanted.

More Information "Art out of Ashes": 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 12. Free. Peninsula Museum of Art, 1777 California Drive, Burlingame. 650-692-2101. www.peninsulamuseum.org See More Collapse

Hed shoot maybe 20 frames of a car, and meld them together in Photoshop.

For the exhibit at the Peninsula Museum of Art, 10 of the images have been blown up to 40 by 60 inches. Then the prints scale down to 15 by 24 inches on paper. They plan to make a book out of all 34 images for sale on-site. Hyzen and Maddern will appear at a wine and appetizer event Saturday, Aug. 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. All proceeds go to Art out of Ashes.

These are surrealistic renditions of a very horrific scene that also somehow captures the beauty of destruction, Maddern said.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com. Instagram: sfchronicle_art
The Union City police chiefs teenage son was arrested Wednesday in connection with a brutal attack on a 71-year-old Sikh man in Manteca, and detectives are trying to determine if the attack was a hate crime.

Surveillance footage from a nearby home released by the Manteca Police Department allegedly shows Tyrone Keith McAllister, 18, the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, and a 16-year-old boy confronting Sahbit Singh Natt, who was taking his daily walk Monday morning along Greystone Park on Turquoise Way.

Footage shows two people walk up to Natt at around 6 a.m. when one of the individuals, wearing a dark hoodie and jeans, suddenly kicks him to the ground, police said. The attacker, identified by police as Tyrone McAllister, and another assailant then walk out of frame, leaving Natt writhing in pain on the ground. The video then shows the suspect idenfied as Tyrone McAllister charging back and delivering at least three kicks to Natts head and upper body before yelling something inaudible and fleeing the scene.

One of the two suspects also might have waved a gun in the air, police said.

The Sikh community is a tight-knit community and after the assault, the victim went to the community leaders and they brought him to the Police Department, said Sgt. Stephen Schluer, a Manteca police spokesman.

Natt spoke to detectives with the help of an interpreter, Schluer said, and he told police that his assailants asked him for some type of money before he was attacked. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and released. On Tuesday night, he attended a rally condemning the attack at the park where he was assaulted just the day before, along with members of the Sikh community.

Manteca detectives are investigating the assault as an attempted robbery while also trying to determine whether the attack meets the legal requirements to be considered a hate crime. In order to be considered a hate crime, Schluer said, the criminal act is committed when a suspect harms or threatens to harm someone based on their disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

In a statement, Chief McAllister said he helped identify his son as the primary aggressor from surveillance footage, and Manteca police also credited the arrest to tips provided by the Sikh community.

Chief McAllister said he was devastated over the allegations that his son, who apparently has been estranged from the family was involved in the violent attack. The chief expressed deep concern for the victim and the victims family.

He shared a personal message on the Union City Police Department Facebook page, where he said he and his family are embarrassed, dejected, and hurt that his son is a suspect in the horrific attack.

Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values, Chief McAllister wrote. Crime has never been an element of our household, our values, nor the character to which we hold ourselves... My stomach has been churning from the moment I learned this news.

Tyrone McAllister was booked into San Joaquin County Jail on one count of attempted robbery, one count of elder abuse and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

The minor was sent to the San Joaquin County Juvenile Detention Center on one count of attempted robbery, elder abuse and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

One of Mantecas most recent hate crimes, Schluer said, was a 2014 incident in which hateful messages were written on the only mosque within city limits and strips of raw bacon were left on the property grounds.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
The 2020 U.S. Census could fail to correctly count a huge swath of Californians, according to a report compiled this month, with wide-ranging consequences for the state.

The report, authored by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, comes as state and Bay Area leaders continue to voice their opposition to a contentious new census question about citizenship, which they say would artificially depress the number of immigrants who respond, both documented and undocumented alike. Given that one in four Californians is an immigrant  the highest ratio of any state in the country  the inclusion of such a question could dramatically affect the final tally.

About 12 percent of census tracts within San Francisco County were classified by the report as having a "high likelihood of nonresponse," meaning people living there were likely to be left out of the census. Within the city, parts of SoMa, the Mission District and Bayview were especially vulnerable to being left out, among others.

This vulnerability, according to the report, is influenced by several factors, including the number of African Americans, American Indians and Latinos in a given area; the number of small children and noncitizens living there; and the types of housing available.

Would-be census respondents are harder to locate in ad-hoc housing like mobile homes and overcrowded apartments, as report coauthor Tess Thorman told SFGATE.

"In these places, local governments will work to make sure that every household receives a census form, but there may be households that do not receive forms, who should nonetheless be counted," she said in an email.

Limited internet access can also make some people harder to count, given that in 2020, the Census Bureau will also offer the survey online  though as Thorman said, the Bay Area has a generally high level of internet connectivity.

Should it survive legal challenges  from California, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and a myriad of other states, cities and counties  the citizenship question would have special import for the South Bay. Almost one in five residents of Santa Clara County are not American citizens, according to the report. Alameda and San Mateo counties aren't far behind, with noncitizens making up about 15 percent of their populations.

A citizenship question has not appeared on the full census since 1950. Critics, like San Francisco Mayor London Breed and State Assemblyman David Chiu, argue that in the present political climate, the question will needlessly frighten immigrants and keep them from taking the survey.

"Let's be clear: The reason the Trump administration wants to include a question regarding citizenship on the census is to scare our immigrant communities," Breed said Thursday.

The effect of the question, Attorney General Xavier Becerra wrote in the Chronicle, would be "truly insidious." An undercount, he wrote, could cost the state a House seat and "billions of dollars in federal funds."

The question was green-lit by Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, whose department includes the Census Bureau and he has argued it would aid in the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley said the Department "is committed to free and fair elections for all Americans and has sought reinstatement of the citizenship question on the census to fulfill that commitment."
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."

A former concert promoter from Fresno named Tim Decker, currently working at South City Ciderworks in San Bruno, is looking to the masses to help him get his new brewery project, called AltBrau, off the ground. The new brewery, currently operating out of a space shared with Shady Oak Barrel House in Santa Rosa is seeking $15k in funding to buy barrels, blending tanks and other equipment to make mixed culture ales inspired by the sour beers of Belgium. The IndieGoGo campaign for the project is online now, and it's already appearing well on its way to the cash goal.

As he has for years past, Dave McLean of Admiral Maltings (and formerly of Magnolia) has once again curated the Beer Lands tent at Outside Lands. No word yet on the specific beers being poured  a request for the list has so far gone unanswered  but breweries in attendance include some oft-overlooked and local taproom-less brewers, including Holy Craft and Sufferfest, alongside trusty staples Almanac, Anchor, Anderson Valley, Sierra Nevada and North Coast.

While you were sleeping, a new brewpub quietly opened in the Mission District near Precita Park. The new space at 2887 Bryant St., called Hop Oast, was opened by longtime pro brewer and UC Davis brewing program grad Aron Deorsey, who's netted stints at Pyramid, Steelhead, SF Brewing Company, and Beach Chalet. Deorsey will be working on a modest 3-bbl system at the pub, but will also pour guest beers, and serve up sandwiches and sausages. For now, they're open 2 p.m.-10 p.m. every day except Tuesday and Wednesday, but management expects that to change in the future.

Radhaus, a new, 3,700-foot beer bar and eatery from the Biergarten masterminds, has finally opened in a gorgeous space in Fort Mason. The "Kalifornischesvolksrestaurant" will feature traditional Bavarian-inspired food and nine taps of German beer (and one American IPA) along with wine and cider, per Eater.

A post shared by RADHAUS (@radhaus_sf) on Jul 5, 2018 at 2:21pm PDT

It's early August, which means Toronado is celebrating one more year. Their 31st birthday begins with an anniversary bottle sale on August 11, when some rare bottles (some onsite only, some to-go as well) will be available for one day only. Head to the Haight bar for more information.

Mikkeller's San Francisco location is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a kickoff event on Thursday, August 9, wherein they'll pour "extremely rare Belgians including three very special draft lambics along with lambic interpretation ales and a special 5 pm tapping." More events follow through the big party on Saturday, August 11. Check all the dates here.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.
Childrens advocates want the American Psychological Association to condemn the tech industrys practice of using persuasive psychological techniques to keep kids glued to their screens.

The advocates, citing research that links excessive use of social media and video games with depression and academic troubles, say its unethical for psychologists to be involved in tactics that risk harming kids well-being. Skeptics say the research is inconclusive, and they note that psychologists have been involved in other industries marketing and advertising for decades.

The group seeking intervention includes 60 U.S. psychologists, researchers, childrens advocates and the Childrens Screen Time Action Network, a project of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. The network sent a letter Wednesday to the American Psychological Association, coinciding with the associations annual meeting in San Francisco.

There are powerful psychology principles and technology that are being used against kids in ways that are not in their best interests, said Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

That technology uses computers to help figure out what motivates people and influence their online behavior. Its built on age-old tenets of behavioral psychology that marketers and advertisers have long used to get people to buy their products. The difference is smartphones are ubiquitous and unlike human marketers, they dont get tired, said B.J. Fogg, a behavioral scientist at Stanford University who has been called the technologys pioneer.

Fogg said he wants to use persuasive tech to enhance peoples lives. But he also said he has long warned that it has a dark side.

The letter to the psychology association cites a recent study that found that teen girls who spend a lot of time on digital devices, including on social media, are at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors. That study couldnt show whether depressed girls might be more prone to using social media than other teens.

The letter also notes evidence that some teen boys play video games at the expense of obtaining real-world competencies, including college educations and jobs.

Families dont understand why their kids are so strongly attracted and pulled to these devices, said Richard Freed, a Walnut Creek psychologist who signed the letter. He said the World Health Organizations decision in June to declare excessive video gaming an addiction shows that the problem is real.

Under Foggs model, technology can change a persons behavior by tapping into motivations, simplifying the activity and getting people to perform it with a well-timed trigger. That could mean an app prompting a person to go running or it could be an alert persuading someone to spend more time on social media based on their innate desire to win acceptance.

Its not just the big tech firms. BuzzFeed reported Tuesday, based on a confidential company memo, that founders of a startup recently acquired by Facebook boasted of using social media profiles and mysterious calls to action to get high schoolers to download a polling app. Facebook later shut down the app.

In job postings, big tech companies have sought psychologists and people with psychology training for research into user experiences. Microsofts Xbox user research division is led by psychologists. Amazon looks for people who geek out over user research, psychology, ethnography. Googles preferred qualification for some positions includes a doctorate in experimental psychology.

We strive to learn and understand our users needs, behaviors, and emotions to yield insights that inform product strategy and guide the design of the experiences we create, says one Google job posting online this week.

Facebook and Google didnt return requests for comment on whether they use psychological persuasion techniques to build digital products for children. Apple said Wednesday that it doesnt. Microsoft and Amazon declined to comment.

This year, those companies have promoted better digital well-being amid rising concerns about kids digital distractions.

The Internet Association, an industry trade group, said its member companies endeavor to create safe and positive online experiences.

This is an important conversation, and the internet industry remains committed to developing and sharing best practices, partnering and collaborating with experts, and developing resources and programs that will ensure positive online experiences, the associations Noah Theran said in a statement.

Apple is introducing new tools meant to make its iPhone less addictive after two major shareholders called on the company to curb smartphone addiction among children. Facebook, YouTube and Microsoft have introduced similar tools.

The American Psychological Association has no policy on using psychological research to develop persuasive digital technology.

But in a statement responding to the advocates letter, association CEO Arthur Evans Jr. said the group is concerned about the increasing amount of time children are spending on digital devices.

He said the association is examining psychologys role in technology development, and that an association committee will discuss the letter and whether to recommend any action.

Lindsey Tanner and Matt OBrien are Associated Press writers.
The largest ever wildfire in California is sending smoke plumes so high into the air astronauts can see them from space.

NASA released an image Tuesday of the clouds of soot towering over the Mendocino Complex Fire near Ukiah and the ominous sight resembles what you might expect to see after a detonation.

The heat generated by the intense blaze has churned up pyrocumulus and pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which lift smoke above the boundary layer, the lowest part of the atmosphere, experts say.

"The hotter a fire burns, the higher up smoke can go, and the farther it can spread," explained Amber Soja, an atmospheric scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center, in a statement.

NASA photography has also revealed that smoke pumped high into the atmosphere by the Mendocino fire and the 17 others in the state has spread across two dozen states, with the highest concentrations in California and the Great Basin.

ALSO: The drought ended, so why is California's fire season getting worse?

The record-setting Mendocino Complex Fire  twin fires being fought as a single conflagration  gained ground Wednesday but more slowly because its own smoke covered the area and lowered the temperature, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The blaze has charred more than 300,000 acres, a land area that's nearly the size of Los Angeles, in only 11 days.

The fire started on July 27 by unknown causes and initially spread quickly because of what officials said was a perfect combination of weather, rugged topography and abundant brush and timber turned to tinder by years of drought.

The fire is now 47 percent contained and likely won't be fully contained until September 1, officials say.

ALSO, Mendocino wildfire explodes into raging monster nearly the size of Los Angeles

In becoming the biggest fire in California history, the Mendocino Complex fire broke a record set just eight months ago. A blaze in Southern California in December killed two people, burned 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

The Mendocino fire is among 17 other conflagrations ripping across the state and belching smoke plumes.

The chalky haze is blanketing large areas of the state, filling valleys, obscuring mountain peaks, and shrouding some of California's most famous vistas in a ghostly hue.

The massive rock formations of Half Dome and El Capitan weren't even visible through the thick layer of smoke on the Yosemite Conservancy webcams Tuesday afternoon.

Many in Sacramento shared images of a sepia-toned state Capitol, and Sacramento Mayor Darrel Steinberg said when he woke to smoky skies Monday morning, "I thought I awoke from a nuclear disaster...It was horrible."

This is the story throughout most of the northern Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's air monitor on Monday, "recorded a RAAN Level 5  the most unhealthy level for a one-hour reading," the Fresno Bee reported. "And the monitor in Clovis recorded a Level 4, the second-highest reading."

While the air was more clear Wednesday in the Bay Area than in the Central Valley - thanks to an ocean breeze - the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued a Spare the Air Alert encouraging people to carpool, take public transit or work from home to avoid contributing to the bad air quality.

Click through the gallery above to see more photos of the wildfire smoke choking California.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Californias biggest-ever wildfire grew to 10 times the size of San Francisco on Wednesday, as the Mendocino Complex sent clouds of cough-inducing smoke across the Bay Area and forced officials to admit the conflagration might not be contained until September.

The massive inferno has burned more than 300,000 acres  or 469 square miles  in Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties near Clear Lake, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The record-setting wildfire, which is technically two separate blazes, is 47 percent contained and not expected to be under control until Sept. 1.

Eighteen fires in total are burning in California, including a Marin County vegetation fire that sprang up Wednesday, but was quickly slowed. Fire officials said they have gained ground on the biggest of the states blazes, though many others continue to grow.

The blazes are forcing precautions away from the fire zones.

Citing extreme fire danger, Cal Fire indefinitely prohibited open fires in wildland areas of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and the western portions of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.

The unusual move means people will not be able to build campfires, use charcoal barbecues or light up cigarettes in the forested areas and grasslands outside city limits that are under the jurisdiction of Cal Fires Santa Clara unit.

Also, Camp Mather, which is near the northwestern corner of Yosemite and is operated by San Francisco, extended its closure once more as air quality remains unhealthy in the region from the Ferguson Fire. Camp officials announced the cancellation of its next session on Wednesday, meaning the popular summer camp will not reopen until Aug. 19 at the earliest. Campers will receive a full refund and a guaranteed spot at Camp Mather in 2019.

The northern edge of the Ranch Fire, the larger of the two blazes that make up the Mendocino Complex, reached deeper into the Mendocino National Forest on Wednesday, burning an untold number of conifers. The nearby River Fire did not grow and was 81 percent contained at 48,920 acres.

Together, the fires were threatening 10,300 homes as of Wednesday morning, while 116 homes and 105 other structures have already been destroyed.

Despite the singular title, the Mendocino Complex is actually two fires that are being classified and managed as one. The decision to call it the largest fire in modern state history, said Jonathan Cox, a Cal Fire battalion chief, was to provide perspective.

Having that distinction once a fire gets beyond 200,000 acres is really just a relative perspective, he said. These are mega-fires. Its unreal.

Cal Fire maintains a list of the 20 largest California wildfires, measured by acres consumed. The state agency also ranks fires based on structures destroyed.

But even as the Mendocino Complex spread, officials allowed some Lake County residents to return to their homes. All lanes of Highway 20 were reopened and evacuation orders were lifted for the communities of Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne, Pepperwood Grove, Paradise Valley, Glenhaven and Clearlake Oaks.

The deadly Carr Fire, near Redding, grew slightly Wednesday and has consumed 176,069 acres. The inferno, which has killed seven people, was 47 percent contained Wednesday evening with no projected date for full containment.

The most destructive of the states wildfires this year, the Carr Fire started July 23. It has destroyed 1,077 homes but currently burns in steep, mountainous terrain and timberland along the Shasta-Trinity counties border. Officials continued to lift evacuation orders Wednesday, mostly near Redding, to allow evacuees to return to their homes.

While the fires rage about 100 miles north of San Francisco, smoke from the Mendocino Complex and other fires, coupled with smog, created unhealthy air conditions in the Bay Area, turning the skies hazy and gray and making the smell of smoke noticeable in some locations. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District declared Spare the Air Days for Wednesday and Thursday, urging people to stay indoors when possible.

The Ferguson Fire, which has shut down Yosemite National Parks most popular attractions, consumed 94,992 acres as of Wednesday evening and was 68 percent contained and not expected to be under control until Wednesday.

Access to the park remains limited, even as some evacuees are returning, but businesses in the area have suffered as the blaze and park closure drive away tourists.

Firefighters from the Marin County Fire Department sprang into action Wednesday afternoon, preventing the Bridge Fire on Black Mountain from spreading just west of Nicasio Reservoir.

Laine Hendricks, a Fire Department spokeswoman, said the vegetation fire broke out at 12:44 p.m. and quickly expanded from 4 acres to around 25. No structures were threatened and no evacuations ordered, but some roads in the area were closed.

In Southern California, Orange County sheriffs deputies Wednesday arrested a suspect for starting the Holy Fire, which had grown to more than 4,000 acres and is just 5 percent contained.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize, and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three new money-laundering charges related to the alleged multibillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund that led to his stunning electoral defeat three months ago.

Najib spoke softly as he entered his plea in the High Court. He has previously accused Malaysias new government of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name in his trial.

Najib, 65, had pleaded not guilty last month to abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

All of the charges against him involve the transfer of $10.3 million into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund that international investigators say was looted of billions by Najibs associates.

Abuse of power and breach of trust carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Each money-laundering count carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the sum laundered.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 for the stated purpose of promoting economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

After leaked documents exposed the scandal, Najib sacked critics in his government, muzzled the media and quashed investigations. Public anger led to the defeat of Najibs long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened the investigations stifled under Najibs rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country. Police also seized jewelry and valuables valued at more than $270.2 million from properties linked to Najib.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.  A Kansas man who opened fire a suburban Kansas City bar, killing an immigrant from India and wounding two other men, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to three consecutive life prison sentences for what federal prosecutors said was a hate crime.

Adam Purinton, 53, of Olathe, did not speak in court Tuesday as he was sentenced for the Feb. 22, 2017, shooting at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe that killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a citizen of India who had stopped at the bar with a co-worker, Alok Madasani, both 32, for an after-work drink.
Women in San Francisco County become first-time mothers, on average, at age 31.9. If they're married, that number rises to 32.4, and if they've got a college degree, it increases to 32.9.

The figures come from a recent New York Times report that looks at the ages women enter motherhood and why the number varies from place to place.

The women of San Francisco County become mothers later than anywhere else in the country, the data determined. Manhattan mothers trailed closely behind in the age ranking, as did those in Marin County.

The average age of first-time mothers in the U.S. is 26, and for fathers it's 31. Those numbers have increased with the decades. In 1972, women typically gave birth at age 21.

WHERE HAVE THE CHILDREN GONE: SF has lowest percentage of kids of any major U.S. city

Why are San Francisco women giving birth later than others? The answer, though complex, largely boils down to education, the Times found. Women without college degrees give birth an average of seven years earlier than those with degrees.

"If going to college and achieving an upper-middle-class lifestyle seems unattainable, then having a family might seem like the most accessible source of meaning to you," Caroline Hartnett, a sociologist at the University of South Carolina, told the Times.

College, the report found, is a stronger indication of later entry into motherhood than geography or home prices. Then again, these things are linked.

More than 43 percent of San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont residents held college degrees in 2010, according to data from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. The SF-Oakland-Fremont area placed fourth on Brookings' ranking of cities with the most college-educated residents. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara came in second.

There's also the matter of home values. In April, Zillow said the median home value in San Francisco peaked at $1.3 million. In Santa Clara, it was $1.4 million.

Behind housing, child care is often the most significant expense for families, according to the Children's Council San Francisco. The organization estimates it costs up to $29,508 for care for children up to age two, and $22,560 for those between age two and five.

Between child care costs and the high price of real estate, it's a high barrier of entry to comfortably start a family in many parts of the Bay Area.

Women who wait to have children may spend that time attending college or graduate school and advancing in their careers. And with the wage gap what it is, establishing career stability can lead to greater financial payoff in the long run, even after a woman has given birth.

All of these factors help drive social inequality, Heather Rackin, a sociologist at Louisiana State University, told the Times. After all, children of college-educated parents are more likely to attend college themselves.

WHY PEOPLE MOVE: It's not just housing costs pushing people out of the Bay Area

"Lower-socioeconomic-status people might not have as many opportunity costs  and motherhood has these benefits of emotional fulfillment, status in their community and a path to becoming an adult," Rackin said.

Even with its surfeit of college-educated residents and high-paying jobs, San Francisco may be simply too expensive for some families.

A New York Times piece published in 2017 reported San Francisco has the lowest percentage of children of any major U.S. city. Only 13 percent of the city's population is under 18 years old, compared to 21 percent in New York and 23 percent in Chicago.

"As a mother of three kids in San Francisco, I'm familiar with this trend because my years of parenting have been filled with heartbreak over saying goodbye to fleeing families we grew close to through playgroups, preschool, the neighborhood," wrote SFGATE producer Amy Graff of the Times report.

"My heart eventually numbed to the the mass exodus and I now approach new friendships in the way an Army brat might at her third high school," she continued. "I'm eager to meet new people but hesitant to get too close to protect myself from future partings."

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

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LOS ANGELES  Charlotte Rae, who played a wise and patient housemother to a brood of teenage girls on the long-running sitcom The Facts of Life during a career that encompassed many other TV roles as well as stage and film appearances, has died. She was 92.

Rae died at her Los Angeles home Sunday with her family at her side, said her publicist, Harlan Boll. A cause of death was not immediately available, but Rae was diagnosed last year with bone cancer after beating pancreatic cancer, Boll said.

She originated the character of Mrs. Garrett in 1978 during the first season of NBCs comedy Diffrent Strokes, then took Mrs. Garrett with her for the spinoff Facts, which premiered the following season.

Initially set at a girls boarding school, that NBC series ran for nine seasons. Rae left after its seventh year, explaining later, I needed some time for the rest of my life.

The Facts role came to Rae after years of theater and television performances. She earned an Emmy nomination for the part, and she was a two-time Tony nominee for her work on Broadway.

Her last feature film credit was Ricki and the Flash with Meryl Streep in 2015. That same year she released her autobiography, The Facts of My Life, co-written by her son, Larry Strauss.

Mindy Cohn and Kim Fields, who played members of Mrs. Garretts brood, recalled her lovingly.

She was my champion, a teacher, a proud example of the tenacity and perseverance needed to live as a creative, along with your talent and gifts. i love you char, Cohn, who played Natalie, posted on Instagram.

Sorry, no words at the moment just love and tears ... and yeah, smiles, tweeted Fields, who portrayed Tootie.

Tony Award-winning actress Audra McDonald tweeted: She was so sweet, funny, wise, lovely, and brilliant. She will be so missed. Rest In Peace Sweet Charlotte Rae.

Todd Bridges, who was on Diffrent Strokes, said on Twitter that she was beloved by all her colleagues and that the show would not have been the same without you.

Edna Garrett provided kind if sometimes wry counsel to her Facts of Life charges (who, besides Cohn and Fields, included Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon and Molly Ringwald) on a series that was praised for dealing with such sensitive issues of teenhood as sex, drug use, eating disorders and peer pressure.

I wanted to bring in as much humanity as possible, as well as the humor, Rae told the Associated Press early in the shows run. I dont want her to be Polly Perfect, because she must have human failings and make mistakes.

Her own life was marked by tragedy, Rae told the AP in a 2015 interview. She said the most devastating thing she faced was her son Andy Strauss diagnosis of autism at a time when there was far less understanding of or attention to the disorder. Andy Strauss died in his mid-40s of a heart attack in 1999.

Born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee on April 22, 1926, she studied drama at Northwestern University, then moved to New York where, despite early plans to be a serious actress, she quickly found work doing satirical sketches in Greenwich Village clubs.

It was there that Broadway producers, who frequented such bistros, discovered her, leading to her first Broadway musical, called Three Wishes for Jamie, in 1952. A few years later, she originated the role of Mammy Yokum in the Broadway musical Lil Abner.

Rae made numerous TV appearances in 1950s drama anthologies, including The U.S. Steel Hour, Playhouse 90 and Armstrong Circle Theater, sharing the black-and-white screen with such actors as Zero Mostel, Art Carney and Gertrude Berg.

In 1961 she became a semi-regular on the New York-based cop sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? as the wife of the NYPD officer played by future Munsters grandpa Al Lewis.

She received Tony nominations in 1966 for Pickwick and in 1969 for Morning, Noon and Night.

In the early 1970s, Rae moved to Los Angeles with her then-husband, composer and music editor John Strauss, and their sons, Andy and Larry. There she was cast in the short-lived Norman Lear sitcom Hot L Baltimore and a similarly unsuccessful variety show hosted by Rich Little before scoring Diffrent Strokes, on which Mrs. Garrett was the familys housekeeper.

Rae stayed busy with film and stage appearances, including 1971s Bananas from Woody Allen and 1979s Hair. Other credits included the 2008 comedy You Dont Mess with the Zohan and the 2012 thriller Love Sick Love.

In 2005, at age 79, she appeared in a new comedy, Leading Ladies, at Fords Theater in Washington.

In 2013, Rae went public with an account of why her marriage to Strauss had ended in the mid-1970s after a quarter-century. She said he disclosed to her he was bisexual and wanted an open marriage. Strauss died in 2011.

In addition to son Larry, she is survived by sister Miriam Guten and three grandchildren.

Services were pending, Boll said.

Lynn Elber is an Associated Press writer.
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The Marin County Fire Department has responded to a 25-acre vegetation fire on Black Mountain in the Nicasio area this afternoon.



The fire was reported around 12:45 p.m. 2 miles north of Nicasio and 10 miles from downtown Novato. The fire poses no threat to Novato, Novato police said.



More than 60 firefighters are on the ground and five air tankers, two helicopters and an air attack plane have responded, Marin County fire officials said.



Petaluma-Point Reyes Road is closed from Platform Bridge to state Highway 1, Marin County fire officials and Novato police said.



Marin County Deputy Fire Chief Mark Brown said the fire is moving at a moderate rate of speed and has the potential of burning 30-40 acres.



One bulldozer is at the scene and two more are responding, according to the Marin County Fire Department.





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OAKLAND (BCN)



A man was sentenced today to 16 years in state prison for fatally shooting another man in East Oakland two years ago at a party that a judge said went terribly awry.



Honorio Hernandez-Meza, 29, had been charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder for firing shots that killed 40-year-old Alberto Juarez of Oakland and wounded three others in the 9200 block of Holly Street at about 1:15 a.m. on July 24, 2016.



But last month on July 9, shortly before his trial was to begin, he pleaded no contest to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for Juarez's death and prosecutors agreed to dismiss the three attempted murder charges he faced.



Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson said before she sentenced Hernandez-Meza today that the shooting stemmed from "deep and unspoken misunderstandings" between the families of Hernandez-Meza and Juarez and others who were at the party.



About 15 family members and friends of both Juarez and Hernandez-Meza attended the hearing, sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom.



Noting that all the family members are Hispanic, Thompson said, "Everybody in this courtroom looks alike" and expressed hope that the two families can resolve their differences and not get into any violent confrontations in the future.



Thompson said she hopes the 16-year term that she imposed for Hernandez-Meza, who could have faced more than 100 years in state prison if he'd gone to trial and been convicted of all of the charges against him, will be "the beginning of the healing process."



Oakland police Officer Phong Tran wrote in a probable cause statement shortly after the shooting that Hernandez-Meza shot Juarez after he tried to stop Hernandez-Meza from continuing to assault a man who had been knocked unconscious.



Tran wrote that Hernandez-Meza "was positively identified by multiple witnesses and physical evidence as the sole shooting suspect in the incident."



Juarez's sister Monica Perez said Juarez was "a hero" for trying to protect their brother, who she said was the man that Hernandez-Meza was assaulting.



Perez told Hernandez-Meza that shooting Juarez "was not an heroic act but a cowardly one."



Perez said to Hernandez-Meza, "My brother wanted you to leave the party but you shot him near his house. We will never know why you didn't just leave that night."



Perez said Juarez was "a loving son, a loving brother and a loving father" whose four daughters will now have to grow up without him.



Juarez's daughter Irene Juarez told Hernandez-Meza, "You took a great man away from my sisters and me and put multiple lives in danger."



Hernandez-Meza and his lawyer Ernie Castillo didn't speak today but Castillo previously described Hernandez-Meza as a hard-working family man who had a full-time job and three children.





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SAN JOSE (BCN)



Activists Monday demanded an end to an ongoing "attack campaign" by the San Jose Police Officer's Association toward the independent police auditor, saying it has distracted from their years-long fight to ensure police accountability.



People Acting in Community Together, a multifaith organization, led the news conference Monday at San Jose City Hall with the Asian Law Alliance, The NAACP and other local organizations.



President of the POA Paul Kelly first brought allegations against IPA Aaron Zisser in June, saying he had skewed values in a report to the mayor and City Council which over-represented police force against people of color.



Zisser denied Kelly's accusations in June and again in July, when Kelly claimed he had attended an anti-police rally and failed to inform police about a credible threat to their safety.



Community members who had lost loved ones to police violence held the rally, and Zisser said he lent an ear to families before the rally, but was not in attendance when disparaging remarks and threats were made against police officers.



PACT speakers said on Monday that Kelly had previously agreed to work with them on three expansions to the IPA office: access to data on police uses of force, immediate permission to audit officer-involved shootings and the ability to audit complaints within the police department that do not come from community members.



Now, they said Kelly is refusing to work with Zisser and making it very difficult for their goals to move forward.



"Our community needs the support of the mayor and the City Council to expand the role of the IPA office right now," Derrick Sanderlin, a PACT leader said. "They should not be distracted by the attack campaign of the union officers sworn to serve and protect our community."



Mayor Sam Liccardo attended the news conference, though his comments were brief and did not touch on Kelly's call for Zisser's resignation.



"I expect that all parties will continue negotiating in good faith to move forward on these reforms," Liccardo said of PACT's goals.



Local NAACP president Rev. Jethroe Moore said Kelly should resign, and that the community's relationship with the POA would "retard and go backwards" if he stayed at his post.



"Paul Kelly, step down, sit down, go home," Moore said. "There's a better place for you-it's called retirement."



Activists held the news conference to re-emphasize their goals, rather than explicitly defend Zisser, but a handful of community leaders hoisted signs supporting him and the IPA's office.



Zisser said the POA's allegations are not distracting from his work, and that community members have clearly supported him-where local officials like the mayor and police Chief Eddie Garcia have not.



"Of course there's value in engaging with the POA," Zisser said, but "we have to be able to move forward pretty soon."



He said the community recognizes the "genuine relationships" born from his work, and the community doesn't want him fired over Kelly's claims.



Kelly won't work with Zisser, however, and reiterated Tuesday that he had no intention of speaking to him while the City Council investigates the POA's allegations.



He agreed with community members who said the investigation was a distraction from larger goals, but said Zisser was entirely to blame.



"We want to move forward with these reforms-we're just not going to give the keys to the car to someone who keeps crashing," Kelly said. "The sooner he's gone, the better it is for police accountability."













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A 33-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash in Antioch early Tuesday morning, police said today.



The motorcyclist, identified by the Contra Costa County coroner's office as Antioch resident Joseph Brandt, died in the crash reported at 12:31 a.m. on Davison Drive west of Serpentine Drive.



Officers responded to the crash and found Brandt off to the side of the road by a sound wall. He had suffered massive blunt force trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.



Investigators determined Brandt was by himself at the time of the crash and was riding in the eastbound lanes of Davison Drive when he struck the south curb and lost control of the motorcycle.



Speed is considered the primary reason for the crash and toxicology tests will determine whether alcohol or drugs were also factors, police said.







A man has been arrested after he and his teenage children allegedly followed a hit-and-run suspect, pulled the driver out of his vehicle and assaulted him on a San Mateo off-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol.



The case started around 1:20 a.m. today with a hit-and-run collision on southbound U.S. Highway 101 just north of Millbrae Avenue in Millbrae, CHP Officer Michael Aquino said.



After the collision, the motorist who was struck followed the alleged hit-and-run suspect on the highway, and eventually stopped him on the East Poplar Avenue off-ramp where he and his sons allegedly pulled him out of his car window and severely assaulted him.



Aquino said the driver who was assaulted was transported to Stanford Hospital with major injuries including lacerations and bruises to his face, arms and head.



The father of the two teenagers has been booked into San Mateo County Jail. His name has not been released. CHP officials didn't say whether the children were also arrested.







A Santa Rosa man and his mother were convicted in Sonoma County Superior Court this morning of charges related to the operation of a brothel in Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa in 2017 and this year.



David Scott Romesburg II, 38, pleaded no contest today to one count each of felony pimping, pandering and money laundering, while Fay Romesburg, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of pandering.



David Romesburg faces up to 16 years in state prison when he is sentenced Oct. 25, and some of the six victims are expected to address the court at the anticipated lengthy sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Laura Passaglia said.



Fay Romesburg will be sentenced to one year in Sonoma County Jail and probation as part of the plea agreement.



Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety officers arrested the Romesburgs on Jan. 26 for pimping and pandering. The prostitution business employed approximately 150 women over 10 years, department officials said at the time.







For the second straight day and the sixth time this year, a Spare the Air alert has been declared for Thursday in the Bay Area because of ongoing air pollution issues related to wildfire smoke and smog from vehicles.



The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the alert because of unhealthy levels of smoke and smog, otherwise known as ozone, that can cause breathing issues and other health problems.



The air district encourages people on Spare the Air days to only exercise outdoors in the early morning hours when ozone levels are lower, and to stay inside if possible with windows and doors closed until pollution levels subside.



Increased onshore winds are expected to improve air quality conditions starting Friday and through the weekend, according to the air district.



Smoke has drifted into the Bay Area from wildfires further north, including the Mendocino Complex Fire that has burned more than 300,000 acres, making it the largest fire in California history.







Three people were critically injured in a traffic collision in Brentwood on Tuesday night, according to firefighters with the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.



Around 9:50 p.m., two vehicles crashed in the vicinity of Central Boulevard and Minnesota Avenue.



Police and firefighters responded and transported three victims to a hospital, one of whom was flown by helicopter.



Firefighters said both vehicles involved in the crash were totaled.







A Vallejo man suffered major injuries in a collision involving two vehicles on Lakeville Highway in Sonoma County this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.



Salvador Becerra-Vallejo, 31, of Vallejo, was driving a Toyota Tacoma north on Lakeview Highway near Lakeville Road #3 around 7 a.m. when he drove into the southbound lane, CHP Officer Kimberly Lemons said.



The Toyota sideswiped a tractor pulling an empty tank trailer driven by a Novato man, then struck a Lexus sedan head-on in the southbound lane, Lemons said.



Becerra-Vallejo suffered major injuries and was taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center, and the Petaluma woman driving the Lexus suffered minor injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.







Sonoma County Animal Services is investigating the death of a female dog that was found in a backpack on the side of a road last month.



The roughly 8-month-old dog was found dead July 27 in an Outdoor Products-brand black backpack with red straps and a black leash at Todd and Stony Point roads south of Santa Rosa.



A necropsy on the tan and white Chihuahua mix dog found it died of asphyxiation by strangulation, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. The dog did not have a microchip.



Anyone with information about the dog is asked to call Sonoma County Animal Services at (707) 565-7100.







A San Carlos man with an outstanding arrest warrant for domestic violence has been arrested after allegedly grabbing a woman forcibly by the hair, San Mateo County sheriff's officials said Tuesday.



Just before 9 p.m. Friday, deputies were dispatched to a report of a domestic disturbance at an address in the 1300 block of Laurel Street in San Carlos.



The victim said her boyfriend, 42-year-old Fidel Juarez Gonzalez, had grabbed her by the hair during an argument and prevented her from calling 911 by taking her cellphone away.



It turned out there was also a restraining order against him.



Gonzalez was found Saturday and arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, terrorist threats, preventing the use of a wireless device, disobeying a court order and cruelty to a child, according to the sheriff's office.





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By Bay City News



A woman accused in four different cases of theft or fraud at retail stores in San Mateo County pleaded no contest to a total of seven felonies Tuesday, according to prosecutors.



On Jan. 7, 2016, San Francisco resident Alissa Denise Martin Thomas, 34, allegedly stole $952 worth of merchandise at a Safeway in Daly City and bit an employee on the hand during a struggle over the stolen goods.



She was later found with a stolen car in a Walgreens parking lot on Aug. 8 when deputies were responding to a report of someone stealing, according to the district attorney's office.



While out on bail, she allegedly put $1,176 worth of merchandise into a shopping cart and attempted to return it at a CVS in Burlingame on Nov. 5.



The clerk, who was suspicious, went to go see if any merchandise was missing and Thomas allegedly left the store with everything in the cart, prosecutors said.



On Dec. 27, Thomas allegedly brought a fish tank filter into a Daly City pet store and tried to return it for cash with a questionable receipt. When the store's assistant manager refused, Thomas started screaming. Later, she repeatedly called the store, threatening to kill the victim and promising to stalk her for the rest of her life, prosecutors said.



On May 26, 2017, Thomas was allegedly observed stealing several boxes of liquor from a Safeway in San Mateo.



It was later determined that she had attempted to fraudulently return the alcohol inside the store. While fleeing the scene, she also dragged a San Mateo police officer from her car for roughly 30 feet.



The case was set to go to trial when Thomas changed her mind and pleaded no contest Tuesday to felony attempted robbery, felony commercial burglary, felony assault on an officer, felony threats and felony auto theft, among other charges and enhancements.



She faces up to four years in prison when returning to court for sentencing on Nov. 6. Defense attorney Brandon Douglass did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her behalf.





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